The History of the Freedom of Expression Tunnel — Technician 4/8/21

TECHNICIAN APRIL 8, 2021

VOL . 101 | NO. 16

PEELING BACK THE LAYERS OF THE PAST

HISTORY OF THE TUNNEL See Page 8

Contents

2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE: page

03

Recent COVID-19 stimulus package payments for college-aged dependents

WHAT YOU MISSED:

page

05

OP-ED: Climate Reality Project speaks out against NC State’s investment in fossil fuels

07

20-year-old man charged in connection with murder of Raleigh student

All North Carolinians age 16+ are now eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

Spray paint and free speech: The history and nuance of the Free Expression Tunnel

Student Health Services:

(919) 515-2563

Counseling Center:

(919) 515-2423

SOURCE: ABC 11

Starting Wednesday, April 7, all residents of North Carolina age 16 and older are eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine. A statewide increases in doses and the commitment of health care providers and volunteers have marked the beginning of the end of the pandemic in the state.

OPINION

page

A quick look at the headlines in and outside of NC State

On April 5, Raleigh police discovered the body of Christina Matos, a 20-year-old woman who was studying at Wake Technical Community College, less than a mile from NC State. On April 7, Erick Gael Hernandez-Mendez has been charged with murder in connection with Matos’ death.

NEWS

KNOW YOUR RESOURCES:

Yahoo Answers is shutting down After over 15 years of operation, Yahoo will be shutting down its Q&A service and deleting its archives thanks to a steep decline in popularity. Users will no longer be able to post questions and answers starting April 20, and all archives will be wiped from the Internet for good on May 4.

University Police:

(919) 515-3000

Women’s Center:

(919) 515-2012

Sexual Assault Helpline:

(919) 515-4444

GLBT Center:

(919) 513-9742

SOURCE: THE NEW YORK TIMES

ARTS & CULTURE

page

10

NC State hockey traveling to North Dakota to compete in ACHA D2 National Championship

Leukemia survivor Rikako Ikee secures spot at Olympics for Japan Less than eight months after returning to competition, 20-year-old swimming star Rikako Ikee won the 100-meter butterfly at Japan’s national championships.

Ikee, who was diagnosed with leukemia in 2019, qualified for the 4x100-meter medley relay at this summer’s Olympic Games after placing first in 57.77.

Student Legal Services:

(919) 515-7091

Multicultural Student Affairs:

(919) 515-3835

SOURCE: CNN COVER BY RYAN FARISCHON

SPORTS Editor-in-Chief Rachael Davis

323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

919-515-5017 919-515-2411 919-515-5133 technicianonline.com

technician-editor@ncsu.edu

technician-copydesk@ncsu.edu

Copy Desk Chief Sarah Newton

Asst. Arts & Culture Editor Abbie Davies-Cutting

Managing Editor Alicia Thomas

Marketing Manager Zahra Rangwala

technician-design@ncsu.edu

technician-managingeditor@ncsu.edu

technician-marketing@ncsu.edu

Multimedia Managing Editor Jaylan Harrington

News Editor Cassie Englund

technician-digitalcontent@ncsu.edu

technician-news@ncsu.edu

Social Media Co-Editors Ali Hurst Emma Rizzo

Assistant News Editors Caitlyn Mahoney Sam Overton

Social Media Analytics Manager Joey Rivenbark

Arts & Culture Editor Austin Dunlow

technician-features@ncsu.edu

Design Editor Ann Salman

Opinion Editor Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen

technician-opinion@ncsu.edu

Assistant Opinion Editor Shilpa Giri Sports Editor Camden Speight

technician-sports@ncsu.edu

Assistant Sports Editors Nicholas Schnittker Tristan Tucker Photo Editor Ryan Farischon

technician-photo@ncsu.edu

Assistant Photo Editor Marissa McHugh Video Editor Rachel Amponsah

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Assistant Video Editor Vasanth Ramdas

Technician (USPS 455-050) is the largest student newspaper of NC State University and is published every Thursday throughout the academic year from August through May except during holidays and examination periods.

Opinions expressed in the columns, cartoons, photo illustrations and letters that appear on the Technician’s pages are the views of the individual writers and cartoonists. As a public forum for student expression, the students determine the content of the publication without prior review. To receive permission for reproduction, please write the editor. Subscription cost is $100 per year. A single copy is free to all students, faculty, staff and visitors to campus. Additional copies are $0.25 each. Printed by Triangle Web Printing, Durham, NC, Copyright 2011 by North Carolina State Student Media. All rights reserved.

News

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THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Recent COVID-19 relief package includes stimulus payments for college-aged dependents, other benefits

GRAPHIC BY NOAH WEAVER/TECHNICIAN

Jameson Wolf Corrrespondent

The American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, which President Joe Biden signed into law March 11, 2021, included dependents over the age of 17 in one-time stimulus payments and allotted funds to institutions of higher education in order to expand emergency aid for college students.

Unlike the previous two COVID-19 relief bills, both of which largely excluded students 17 and older claimed as dependents on their parent or guardian’s taxes, the American Rescue Plan allocates payments for all dependents, provided the person they are filed under is eligible.

Single filers who made $75,000 or less and couples who made $150,000 or less in 2020 are eligible to receive $1,400 per filer as well as $1,400 per dependent. Individuals who made between $75,000 and $80,000 and couples who made between $150,000 and $160,000 are also eligible for payments, which decrease in amount as annual income increases.

The IRS will send these payments, including the amount allotted to adult dependents, directly to the filer, leaving individual families to decide how the money is used. In many instances, college-aged students’ qualification for the payment provides more direct relief for parents and guardians who are financially responsible for the student than the students them-

selves, who may feel less direct financial burden.

Other students have agreements with their families as to how the money will be used for their personal benefit. Filers with dependent students carrying significant personal financial responsibility, for instance, may choose to transfer the payment to the student.

Catherine Carter, a first-year studying political science, said her family plans to use a portion of the money to contribute to a family trip once it is safe to travel again.

There are no legal stipulations within the bill as to how that money is used once it is transferred to the filer. Bhavana Veeravalli, a first-year studying graphic design, said she was concerned about dependent students not benefitting from their share of the payment because of possible tension in their household.

“I hope for the sake of college-age dependents, it works in their favor rather than just giving the filers more money,” Veeravalli said.

Further benefits to college students are provided through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF III) embedded within the American Rescue Plan.

According to Charles Maimone, the vice chancellor for finance and administration, HEERF III will provide an estimated $49.5 million for NC State.

“These funds are meant to assist students with the educational costs and impact as-

sociated with coronavirus,” Maimone said.

“That includes cost of living and technology requirements and other things to help support the move to distance education.”

Of that money, $25 million will be distributed directly to students through emergency grants. The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid will make these grants available once NC State has received the funds. In the meantime, students can still apply for CURE2 emergency grants in the MyPack Portal by navigating to Financial Aid for the 2020-2021 academic year and clicking on the “CURE2 Emergency Grant” tab in the sidebar.

The remaining $24.5 million will be used to offset institutional costs connected to COVID-19. According to Maimone, these costs moving forward will lie primarily in surveillance testing, vaccination efforts and increased sanitation to prepare for in-person operations in the fall.

“In-person classes [will] change the density of the campus every day, so you can see that the magnitude of all of our current efforts will increase,” Maimone said.

“Surveillance testing is likely to continue to be an important part of what we do over the summer and fall, and vaccination will likely continue into the fall as well.”

Since these funds are much larger than payments made to the school as part of previous coronavirus relief packages, Maimone said the extended time frame will necessitate extended distribution time,

meaning not all of the money will be available at once.

“One of the distinctions that should be made [is that] HEERF III applies to expenses all the way to December 2022,” Maimone said. “So that means that the money [will be] part of our strategy for seven different terms over which we will apply the response.”

Additional potential benefits for college students include the Student Loan Tax Relief Act and the Child Tax Credit.

The Student Loan Tax Relief Act states any student debt that is forgiven between December 2020 and January 2026 will be tax-free on the federal level. This could imply increased efforts towards student debt cancellation in the coming years.

The Child Tax Credit will provide $3,000 to filers for each dependent child ages six to 17 and $3,600 for each dependent child under six years old. This money will be distributed in monthly payments of $250 or $300 beginning in July 2021.

The American Rescue Plan increases benefits for college-aged students, but students remain responsible to a certain extent for taking advantage of those benefits, Maimone said. He encourages students to apply for CURE2 emergency grants while the application remains open and to pay attention to communication from the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid concerning new emergency grants in the coming months.

News

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Graduate workers union at NC State seeks better work pay and protections for campus workers Caryl Espinoza Jaen Opinion Editor

After almost a year of socially distant and virtual operations at NC State, many graduate students have felt increasingly disenfranchised by the University. The NCSU Graduate Workers Union, a coalition of teaching and/or research assistants within various university departments, has been advocating for the University to improve worker conditions on campus.

Jessica Gonzalez Delgado, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in chemistry, said the union seeks to organize both graduate student workers and campus workers for labor improvements.

“We try to make sure that the campus workers, so people in housekeeping and grounds, are just informed on their rights at the workplace,” Gonzalez Delgado said.

“We also have the agenda for graduate students, where we’ve been fighting for getting rid of the student fees and stuff that’s important to us.”

According to Gonzalez Delgado, the NCSU Graduate Workers Union has advocated for various issues relevant to graduate students and campus workers, including increased workplace protections and salaries.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gonzales Delgado said the union shifted to address some of the newer issues university workers faced.

“We were fighting for classes to be completely online,” Gonzalez Delgado said. “We were also trying to make sure all the campus workers were getting the information they needed, and we just wanted them to know that they have the right to [personal protective equipment] and paid leave.”

According to Brent Boland, a fifth-year Ph.D. candidate in physics, the biggest issues graduate students face are financial, with low stipends and student fees fueling

the stress of graduate student life. Boland said a large portion of the services that student fees cover are only useful to undergraduate students, with the exception of mental health services like the Counseling Center.

“You come with the understanding that even though there is tuition, the tuition is basically covered [by the stipend], so you’re really getting brought in like, ‘Well, you’re going to have some classes, but then you’re doing work and here’s the amount of money you’re gonna get paid,’” Boland said. “And so when student fees keep going up, it’s like getting a pay cut every year.”

With the minimum graduate student stipend at NC State starting off at $8,000, Boland said many graduate student workers feel economically strained throughout the year, with humanities students often facing stipends closer to the minimum. By comparison, Boland said Duke University’s minimum stipend starts at approximately $25,000 a year after its union was able to successfully bargain with Duke administration for stipend improvements.

As a result of this economic strain, Boland said many teaching and research assistants felt forced to accept in-person teaching and research positions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The person volunteers to work the inperson position, but basically the alternative is that they leave the program because they can’t afford tuition and they’re not supposed to get an outside job,” Boland said. “So people were put in very difficult positions where they felt forced.”

While social-distancing guidelines have made it harder for campus groups to meet in general, the NCSU Graduate Workers Union had many public initiatives this semester, including a car caravan protesting the unsafe campus reopening and a mask sale. Internally, Gonzalez Delgado said the union has continued many of its work edu-

GRAPHIC BY CARYL ESPINOZA JAEN/TECHNICIAN

cation programs, including an anti-racism committee to educate student workers on diversity and inclusivity.

“It’s definitely been harder to do tabling on campus, but I think we adjusted pretty well to moving things online,” Gonzalez Delgado said. “We actually had an increase in participation because when we met in person, people didn’t have that much time off and people couldn’t make it.”

With collective bargaining being illegal in the state of North Carolina, Boland said the union resorts to public pressure and demonstration campaigns to let administration know about problems.

“I think the relationship we have right now is that we talk past each other,” Boland said. “We may bring attention to something, and the University may do something to address it, but they won’t mention the union

at all if they make a change, so it’s not like a direct understanding.”

Despite groups such as the Graduate Student Association existing on campus, Boland said the NCSU Graduate Workers Union stands out for focusing more on labor issues. With the union becoming an official chapter of UE Local 150, the North Carolina Public Service Workers Union, in 2020, Boland and Gonzalez Delgado said they hope to continue growing the number of union members in the future.

“As [a resident adviser] and a [teaching assistant], you do work as a student, but you’re also an employee,” Boland said. “You want to make sure that your interests as an employee are looked after and not just your interests as a student, and so I think it’s important to have an union, to have a body that can represent your interests.”

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Opinion TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Limiting Roy Cooper’s executive powers could not be more partisan

The North Carolina legislature is once again seeking to minimize Gov. Roy Cooper’s powers. House Bill 264, the Emergency Powers Accountabilit y Act, would make it so the governor wou ld Olivia need per m is sion Hille from other part y Correspondent officials to declare a state of emergency if passed. This comes from the discontent many Republican politicians have expressed over the prolonged school closures and business limitations during the pandemic.

The bill has to be discussed with one more committee before reaching the House floor of our state legislature to then be discussed.

This does not come as a shock. With North Carolina having a very Republican legislative body, it is not surprising this isn’t the first time a bill like this has appeared and has had to be vetoed by Gov. Cooper. While it is reasonable to want to have other opinions and options work out, it is worrisome what would happen if this bill was installed.

Looking at the facts, Roy Cooper has had over 60 executive orders related to COVID-19 since March 10, 2020, when the first state of emergency was issued.

These executive orders, ranging from

moratoriums on evictions to making property available for aid during this health crisis for schools and health departments to better serve the citizens of North Carolina, are reasonable, sound and necessary considering the circumstances that we are in.

ing.

No, no one likes sitting inside all the time or being limited to what we can and cannot do. However, it seems as if the anger of the pandemic has caused an exponential amount of fingers to be pointed, and those who are pointing fingers are

there is enough immunity and less cases, we will continue to suffer educationally and economically. NC State has continuously been on top of this situation and looked out for the students and staff, but that will mean nothing if it only pertains to the borders of our campus.

Essentially, the push to limit the governor’s powers with this bill shows the lack of attention and care many of our lawmakers have for their voters. It is the job of every lawmaker to make sure their actions, which occur due to the power we grant them, should only be used to aid others. Wanting to limit the head of our state government in a time or crisis shows partisanship from science. Simply put, it is the prioritization of monetary gain over the evitable loss of human life.

This bill not only shows the partisanship that riddles our legislature, but also our state. Many of us have probably taken a few biology courses and understand what is happening around us are facts. I urge my fellow students to make it clear and simple to our legislature that limiting the powers of the governor due to anger over the schools and businesses closing is not only very disingenuous towards the citizens of North Carolina, but also clearly paints a picture that money is more important than individual humans. If I may say, that is not very “pro-life.”

“ NC State has continuously been on top of this situation and looked out for the students and staff, but that will mean nothing if it only pertains to the borders of our campus.”

It is my worry, as a student and a citizen of the state for more than 21 years, that this bill will lead the way for Republicans to prioritize economics and protect the wealthy rather than human rights. If we were to open businesses and schools to full capacity, there would be no stopping this health crisis. Not only would many more people get sick and die, it would become more and more difficult to vaccinate those in the community due to rapid mutation from the virus, which would spread exponentially faster without restrictions. As our state creeps closer to 1 million total cases since last March, this push to end the COVID-19 restrictions is very alarm-

using their political power to try to get what they want. I can guarantee that if this bill is passed, there will be no end to this mayhem, to this pain that has plagued our communities, at least not for a while.

If you truly and deeply love your country, you will respect science and take time to understand what is going on in our nation.

As students, we are in an awkward situation. We didn’t come into college thinking we would be fully online, and that’s not what we signed up to do either. Many of us want to get back into the classroom and learn in our preferred environment.

However, my worry is if students are made to go back into in-person courses before

OP-ED: Climate Reality Project speaks out against NC State’s hypocritical investment in fossil fuels NC State is a place where students, faculty and staff gather to craft solutions to the increasingly complex issues that face our world.

Research spans from topics like biomedical engineering to food safety.

“We Solve Problems,” sits in big red letters at the top of NC State’s research Meera webpage. “Real problems” Butalia are met with “real soluGuest Columnist tions.” But are they?

NC State’s “Think and Do” attitude, one that claims to combine intellectual understanding with a practical approach to the issues of today, falters under scrutiny when you consider how $43 million of the University’s $1 billion endowment remains invested in the fossil fuel industry. NC State, while attempting to prepare students for the “real world,” is simultaneously ignoring the real world implications of its own investments. They funnel money into an industry that is drilling and burning fuels which pol-

lute our air and water and contribute to climate change, an industry that has run campaigns knowingly spreading misinformation about the impact of fossil fuels on the environment, an industry that is organized around mining.

NC State’s Sustainability Strategic Plan portrays the University as an established sustainability leader that aims to reduce reliance on petroleum-based fuels while also reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Goals based on operations focus on reducing greenhouse gas emissions 25% from the 2008 baseline. But this baseline doesn’t take into account the $43 million NC State’s investment fund is putting into the fossil fuel industry. A leading research university that wants to teach students how to solve complex issues is lacking in its own systems by neglecting to address the impact of investing in an industry that is one of the biggest players in climate change.

Students, changemakers and anyone else hoping to address the ever-looming threat of climate change are all familiar with the roadblocks that come up in a world whose

systems are organized around the unbridled consumption of natural resources.

The power and influence of the fossil fuel industry and our reliance on fossil fuels taint many efforts to change the current trajectory of our planet. Investing in the fossil fuel industry is a surefire way to maintain this trajectory, and it gives the people polluting our planet money which translates to the power to control the health of our environment. Time has proven the leaders of the fossil fuel industry are not responsible stewards of our environment. If NC State truly wants to be a leader in sustainability, the University should consider how its investment in the fossil fuel industry also serves as a social license for an industry with incredibly high social and environmental costs to remain the status quo.

It’s not as if NC State is without alternatives, or its hands are tied by the economic benefit of investing in the fossil fuel industry. NC State’s Park Scholarships Endowment is managed separately from the $1 billion endowment and makes only socially responsible investments, which

includes responsible investments with regard to the environment. This fund has been outperforming NC State’s main endowment, which is in line with predictions made by the International Energy Agency that renewable energy will consistently outperform fossil fuels by 2030.

If NC State truly wants to maintain its commitment to sustainability, it should make the socially, environmentally and economically responsible choice and make the transition from investing in fossil fuels to investing in an environmentally conscious way.

Students who care about creating a more sustainable and ethical campus can join the Climate Reality Project, a group focusing our efforts on divestment from fossil fuels at NC State. By participating in the Climate Reality Project, students can help ensure NC State exists with integrity in everything we do.

Meera Butalia is a second-year studying environmental sciences. Butalia is also a member of the Climate Reality Project at NC State.

Opinion

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Classes are in person next year, but most freshmen have no idea what to expect PROFESSORS MUST HELP STUDENTS ACCOMMODATE TO THIS IN-PERSON SWITCH

As a freshman, I’ve spent the last year and a half doing online learning. I’ve been learning through prerecorded lectures, online course modules and textbooks, and to be honAnu est with you, I don’t really know what to expect from Mishra in-person classes next Correspondent year. I’ve never actually taken an in-person college class and have no idea what a traditional school year looks like. I know I’m not the only person who feels overwhelmed and confused about how the 2021-2022 academic year will go, as many other freshmen share these concerns.

Of course we are glad that classes are going back to the way they should be. We

absolutely do not want another year of online classes; however, we do need additional assistance and guidance to help ease the transition from mostly virtual to fully in-person classes.

When registering for courses, I genuinely had no idea how to plan my schedule. I used Google Maps to figure out the distance between all my classes and map out my class schedule. Many freshmen still have no idea how to get around campus. In addition to this, many students begin to have classes on both Centennial Campus and Main Campus starting sophomore year. It’s hard for us to figure out how to get to Centennial Campus when we barely even know our way around Main Campus.

Course registration was incredibly stressful for many freshmen simply because we had no idea what we were doing.

While we are required to have an advising session before registering for courses, these sessions mainly cover which classes we should take based on our academic path, not logistics of how to get to and from classes, whether certain classes will be inaccessible to students who are unable to get Centennial Campus and the rest of the nitty gritty we don’t have answers to.

In addition to navigating to and from classes, many freshmen are concerned about how they’ll be able to adjust from learning course material online to learning in person. We aren’t used to taking notes, actively listening and being in an in-person environment during classes. Professors and teachers can’t expect students to be able to immediately shift to this mode of learning. There must be some sort of a learning curve established to allow not just

Self Affirmations

Kiara Bush, a second-year studying statistics and design studies

freshmen, but all students, to adjust their way back into in person forms of learning.

Online classes have mentally drained students. We are tired, exhausted and desperately looking forward to the summer break. Virtual learning has made college and school stressful, exhausting and difficult. Our view of college has significantly shifted and our relationship with learning has taken a hit. Professors must be aware of how difficult this transition can be for some students and help them accommodate. All students need is a sense of understanding from their professors for this upcoming school year. We cannot be expected to instantly and seamlessly transition to a completely new form of learning. Teachers, professors and the University must offer additional resources and assistance to help ease this transition.

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Arts & Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Spray paint and free speech: The history and nuance of the Free Expression Tunnel Sam Overton

Assistant News Editor

For generations, NC State students have crossed the Free Expression Tunnel almost every day. Whether it be on the way to class or back to the dorms, every passerby is familiar with the bold graffiti and personal messages that line the walls of the tunnel and the unwavering stench of spray paint that, somehow, isn’t all that bad.

Built in 1939, the Free Expression Tunnel was initially constructed to allow safe passage across the North Carolina Railroad that divides Central Campus.

According to Tom Skolnicki, the university landscape architect, the tunnel was a functional pathway long before it became a hub of student life.

“Those tunnels have become really important, especially since the 1950s, when the University really started to grow and expand beyond the original campus,” Skolnicki said. “The University started building more housing south of the railroad, so some of those first buildings like Alexander and Turlington. A big reason they were put there is because this tunnel was located right there, and it was a safe way to get back and forth across the railroad.”

The Free Expression Tunnel became what students know it as today in the mid-1960s, when debates surrounding political and civil rights were sweeping the nation in the wake of the Vietnam War and the civil rights movement. In 1967, NC State’s Student Government (SG) moved to codify the tunnel as a “free expression zone.”

Fernanda Duarte, an assistant professor in the department of communications, completed a research project in 2010 as a graduate student at NC State surrounding the “visual discourses of the Free Expression Tunnel.” In preparation for her project, Duarte explored the role of the Free Expression Tunnel and other areas like it in the larger debate over protests and political movements during the 1960s.

“So what happened was that people that are responsible for the administration and the organization across university campus realized that it might be easier to keep this manifestation under control if there were assigned ‘free expression zones’ across the college campus,” Duarte said.

“That’s how the Free Expression Tunnel… became a zone for free expression.”

Since then, very little about the physical construction of the tunnel has changed.

In the early 2000s, an accessibility route

RYAN FARISCHON/TECHNICIAN

The Free Expression Tunnel sits between North and Central Campus, and was originally built in 1939.

was added to allow people of all abilities to enjoy the hub of student expression and travel underneath the railroad safely.

“Now, it’s an accessible route,” Skolnicki said. “It’s still the only accessible route we have for the tunnels underneath the railroad that anybody of different abilities can get down into the tunnel and back up. Prior to that, it was all steps up and steps down.”

It’s no surprise that the range of conversions that happen within the walls of the Free Expression Tunnel span far and wide. From mundane announcements

to national controversies, students never know what they’re going to stumble upon from the moment they step inside.

With her research project, Duarte sought to determine and understand the nuances of the graffiti and messages plastered across the walls of the Free Expression Tunnel. Although her study was completed a decade ago, a lot of the questions that drove her study still apply today.

“I was looking at [the tunnel] 50 years after the actual implementation of the free expression zone, so how was that space

being occupied,” Duarte said. “Which were the discourses that were being expressed on those walls — did they relate to the history of political manifestation, or was that long gone?”

In her study, Duarte identified four categories of expression: NC State branding; political; racial and religious issues; graffiti art; and personal visuals targeted to a specific audience.

“By looking at those visuals, I realized that there is a lot of NC State branding, there are a lot of various kinds of issues,” Duarte said. “Political issues are part of the conversation, artist experimentation is part of the conversation and personal exchange of messages are part of the conversation. I also wanted to look at which one of these conversations are more and less important, and how do I measure that?”

Although some visuals lasted longer than others, Duarte found that each category had specific results. Between the variables of longevity and community impact, it was difficult to assign a level of importance to different visuals.

“For example, what I found out is that… when I look at the NC State branding visuals and the ones that are related to the promotion of events, I noticed that even though they are the most frequent… they’re also the first to be erased,” Duarte said.

Another interesting find was the lack of references to the 2010 midterm elections across the Free Expression Tunnel, which were ongoing at the time of Duarte’s study. However, that’s not to say that political conversations weren’t happening in the tunnel: There were plenty of visuals surrounding race, gender equality and sexual diversity.

In today’s political climate, these conversations are more relevant than ever. If Duarte were to redo the study today, she said, it’s likely that political expression would be more evident.

“Those two situations, the pandemic and the current racial climate in the country, will definitely change the results, I think, to make them even more obvious on the wall,” Duarte said. “I think that in the end, looking at the visuals of the Free Expression Tunnel really showed which are the main topics, the main conversations that mobilize the students in the community on campus.”

As fewer students currently occupy campus due to COVID-19, it’s hard to imagine what the TUNNEL continued page 8

Arts & Culture 8 TECHNICIAN Recently retired professor publishes book of common solutions for major U.S. issues THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Maria Almeida Correspondent

Michael Walden is a William Neal Reynolds Distinguished Professor Emeritus who retired at the end of March 2021, and he currently works as an extension economist at NC State. Walden has written 14 books, his most recent being “Real Solutions: Common Sense Ideas for Solving our Most Pressing Problems,” where he discusses some of the biggest issues the United States faces today, such as immigration, global warming, rising college costs and more.

“Part of my job is working with outreach extensions, so I’ve had thousands of talks across the state on a variety of subjects, and oftentimes, I get asked many questions on them,” Walden said. “I got to the point where I decided I should write it down before I get too old and I forget.”

Walden’s book is broken up into three parts. The first part consists of an overview of the problem or issue, the second part is a review of the proposals that currently exist addressing the issue in part one and the third part is Walden’s solution to the issue.

He does not try to frame his solutions into a specific paradigm.

Walden said people have approached him saying, “I can’t figure out what you are [po-

COURTESY OF MICHAEL WALDEN

TUNNEL

Free Expression Tu n nel wou ld look continued from page 8 like under the given political climate during a “normal,” pandemicfree semester. However, the tunnel is no stranger to controversy, and there’s always a chance that the upcoming semesters will bring back the occasionally heated conversations surrounding particular topics and visuals discussed within its walls.

“Every few years, there’s something

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litically],” which he enjoys.

According to Walden, his motivation was primarily getting his views on paper and sharing them with others who find them interesting. His passion lies in trying to understand human interactions and his core motivation was always trying to figure out why people behave the way they do in the economic realm.

Walden is very busy and has multiple time commitments; however, he has found time to write by streamlining his research and writing process. He works in one area and uses that information in another area.

Of all the issues in his book, Walden said he believes his biggest focus would be a “massive [economic] infusion on K-12” as well as “outreach programs for pre-K.” He said there would be a great pay off when placing more money into the K-12 system.

“It would cost a lot of money up front, but you will get a pay off for it down the road,” Walden said. “K-12 is the core of everything. K-12 helps students learn and acquire success, however they decide success.”

He recommends for the reduction of tuition and costs of higher education and moving those savings for K-12, so we will come out ahead.

Mary-Margret Brooks, a high school math teacher in Baltimore, said she agrees these structures create inequities in the K-12 system.

According to Brooks, these inequities in education present as opportunity, quality of education and access to technology, with all of it depending on a student’s zipcode. “[Schools] can be so different even within the same district, how there can be such a wide variety of opportunities for students based on something they can’t control,” Brooks said.

The use of technology can have a big impact and help issues in the K-12 education system, according to Brooks.

“Now, with Zoom and online learning, there are opportunities for children in rural areas or schools that do not offer AP classes,” Brooks said. “Now, hopefully, those students have the opportunity to access some of those courses that maybe aren’t taught by teachers in their school, just a way to access more global education using technology, as we’re learning about the technology.”

Walden said he believes now more than ever that these ideas and topics are critical to address.

“We are going through a period now in our political climate where we are looking at major changes and initiatives at the federal level,” Walden said. “My book can be helpful in informing people on those issues.”

that’s really controversial that’s painted in the tunnel,” Skolnicki said. “It brings a dialogue to campus about being respectful of other people’s viewpoints, but also being respectful of other people’s dignity and really trying to foster that conversation about allowing free speech, understanding that sometimes free speech is going to cause different feelings in people.”

On the other hand, the history of the Free Expression Tunnel might repeat itself and create unity in the face of national despair and catastrophe as students

begin to return to campus.

“All of the circumstances that have been holding us immobile, that have been preventing us from collaborating or even reaching out physically, reaching out to each other for support, I really think that there is this wave of creativity, this desire to express and to do it together that has been held back for so long,” Duarte said.

“Once [it] is normalized that we can be back on campus, the tunnel will just be painted over entirely. We’ve been holding back for so long now.”

THE RADAR Events to keep an eye on for the week of April 8

NC STATE COMPOST FACILITY TOUR Thursday, April 8, 12 p.m.

COMPOST FACILITY AND RESEARCH COOPERATIVE Free

Waste Reduction & Recycling will be offering a tour of NC State’s Compost Facility and Research Cooperative. The tour will be restricted to 25 students. Waste Reduction asks that all attendees wear closed toed shoes and a mask.

COURTESY OF MICHAEL WALDEN

IT’S NOT JUST SLANG: LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY IN THE CLASSROOM Thursday, April 8, 3 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

The Linguistic Diversity Ambassadors will be hosting a talk about linguistic diversity in the university setting while confronting misconceptions about dialects.

CONTEMPORARY FEMALE WRITERS FROM VENEZUELA Thursday, April 8, 5:30 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

Venezuelan author and scholar Gisela Kozak-Rovero will be hosting a talk with the Department of Foreign Languages and Literatures about the themes and narratives being presented by Venezuealan women authors in the 21st century. The talk will be presented in Spanish.

HEALTHY RELATIONSHIPS 101 Tuesday, April 13, 6 p.m.

VIRTUAL EVENT Free

Join the Movement Peer Educators for a discussion about healthy relationships in college. The panel will discuss the difference between healthy and unhealthy relationships and tips and resources for healthy relationships.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 9

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

NC State volleyball finds success with new head coach, strong upperclassmen Kat Peters Staff Writer

Unfortunately for Pack volleyball, the spring season was cut short due to COVID-19 contact tracing, but there is still plenty to take away from the nine games played this spring. Despite a losing record, the Wolfpack (8-9, 7-9 ACC) made a huge leap from the 2019 season and has plenty to be excited about in upcoming years.

Luka Slabe’s premier year In addition to being easily one of the strangest years for sports ever due to the COVID-19 pandemic, NC State also introduced a new head coach to its volleyball program this year, Luka Slabe. There are a lot of remarkable things to talk about, but what stands out the most about him is his history with the Slovenian National Team, where he was able to lead the team to earn eight national and international championship titles in his two years as head coach.

In just one season, it’s hard to tell the impact Slabe has had on the NC State volleyball program, but given the improved record, these next few years should show a stronger, more

dominating Pack volleyball team.

Strong upperclassmen Despite the team’s average numbers being relatively low and ultimately leading to a disappointing end to the season, there are two players who need to be mentioned for stellar performances this year. Between senior Melissa Evans and junior Jade Parchment, NC State’s upperclassmen were strong this season, but in this sport, it requires an entire roster to dominate.

Evans made the All-ACC First Team, marking her fourth time receiving ACC honors.

Evans led the team in kills with 230, which ranks sixth in the ACC. This season marked a landmark for Evans, as she achieved her 1,000th career kill and became one of four active ACC players with that achievement. She is also sixth in the ACC in points earned this season with 258.5.

Parchment made the All-ACC Second Team for her first career ACC honor. Parchment led the team in service aces with 15. She ranked eighth in the ACC for kills with 219 and points with 244. Additionally, Parchment received ACC Player of the Week for the week of Nov. 3 after the Pack swept Virginia Tech.

Disappointing spring season (4-5 ACC) This spring season showed a team that just wasn’t able to keep up and adjust like it did in the fall. The Pack went .500 in the fall season and finished up before the break on a four-match win streak against Virginia and Virginia Tech. Four out of the five losses the DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN Pack recorded this spring Senior opposite hitter Melissa Evans serves against Clemson on were shutouts. NC State Friday, March 19, 2021 at Reynolds Coliseum. Evans recorded 15 just wasn’t able to put kills as the Wolfpack won in straight sets. points on the board like Boston College, all teams that have struggled it needed to.

NC State was able to carry over improvement more than NC State this year.

Maybe it was the oddity of the circumstances against Duke, losing to the Blue Devils twice in the early part of the fall but defeating them in which this season was played, but this year 3-2 in the opening match of the spring, show- was a rollercoaster for anyone following NC ing hope that this spring season would show a State volleyball. Remain hopeful for next seastronger team right off the bat. The Pack went son, however, as Slabe hopefully returns most on to lose its next three matches. NC State’s of the roster for his second season and conlongest winning streak in the spring was three tinues to push for success and improvement matches against Clemson, Wake Forest and from this team.

COMMENTARY: NCAA extended eligibility could produce a never-before-seen Wolfpack Rachel Bilenki

Senior Sports Writer

With the light at the end of the COVID-19 tunnel getting closer every day, for NC State Athletics, it will come in the form of something more than just a return to normalcy: extended eligibility.

Due to the odd athletic season every collegiate athlete saw this year, the NCAA has decided to extend an extra year of eligibility for all 2020-2021 winter and fall athletes, regardless of if their team played or not. By doing so, this has given some athletes a fifth year of eligibility and in some cases, a sixth.

So what does this mean for the Wolfpack? It means we will see a large percentage of senior starters and leaders returning to their respective sports for one last season of competition, giving the team an edge through the returning experienced athletes.

Benefiting greatly from the extended eligibility will be NC State wrestling. With the 2016 No.1 recruiting class in the nation, four of those seniors will be returning to the mat for one last season.

This includes redshirt seniors Thomas Bullard, Nick Reenan, Tariq Wilson and Hayden Hidlay. Between the four, they have qualified

for nationals 15 times, won five ACC titles and received eight All-American honors. Hidlay has announced he will be moving up to the 174 weight class to compete in the 2022 season, wrestling closer in weight with his brother,

national runner-up redshirt sophomore Trent Hidlay.

Pack wrestling is not the only powerhouse getting its stars back. Top-seeded women’s basketball ended the season with three starters

MARISSA MCHUGH/TECHNICIAN

Hayden Hidlay, a 157-pound redshirt junior, fights to get the upper hand against his UNCCH opponent at the wrestling match on Friday, Feb. 7 at Reynolds Coliseum. The Wolfpack saw record attendance with over 4,300 attendees.

scheduled to depart from the Pack. However, due to NCAA’s new eligibility, we will see all three on the court next season.

Graduate student Raina Perez and seniors Kai Crutchfield and Kayla Jones will be coming back looking for an ACC Tournament three-peat, as well as another NCAA run.

With these three starters returning, NC State women’s basketball loses none of its rotation, and will come into the 2022 season with more talent and experience than ever.

With many seasons just ending, many senior athletes have yet to make their decision on returning. Redshirt senior Devon Daniels has yet to announce his decision for his future career at NC State after missing half of his season after tearing his ACL against Wake Forest back in January. Daniels left the men’s basketball team this season as its leading scorer halfway through the year.

With the opportunity for our veteran athletes to return for one last run, NC State will see a bright and successful year starting next fall. While this pandemic has been difficult for everyone, we can only hope that next year we can be back in our arenas, cheering on our super seniors for one last time with a proper goodbye.

Sports

10 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

CONTRIBUTED BY ICEPACK

NC State hockey traveling to North Dakota to compete in ACHA D2 National Championship Rachel Umbach Staff Writer

In just under two weeks, the NC State men’s club hockey team will travel to Bismarck, North Dakota to compete at nationals for the second time in three years. This was a season of many firsts for the Icepack, but similar to its spectacular run two years ago, the team has earned its right to compete for a national championship.

Playing its first games in the brand new Wake Competition Center, the regular season began with three straight wins against Dallas Baptist University and an incredible victory over No. 3 Liberty University.

“The game against Liberty at Wake Competition Center was one of the best games I think I’ve played in during my four years,” said senior Eric Todd. “I think it’s the first time Liberty’s been in our building since I’ve played here, and beating them the first time they were here, it was really good.”

Shortly after, the team traveled up to Virginia and tied Liberty in a close 1-1 matchup. A win against No. 8 East Texas Baptist University just one weekend later marked the second time NC State beat a ranked team. Then in mid-February, Icepack continued to prove its worth, taking one of two games in Florida against the two-time defending champions, No. 7 Florida Gulf Coast University.

NC State rounded out February with two dominant wins against the Coastal Hockey Club before returning home and suffering two straight losses to Florida Gulf Coast. Despite the struggle in those last two games, NC State defended its title and returned as ACCHL champions for the third season in a row in late March, securing an 8-3 victory over Virginia Tech.

Now it’s all about achieving the goal of bringing back a national championship.

The Icepack will make the trip to North Dakota in mid-April to compete in the American Collegiate Hockey Association

Division 2 National Championships.

Earning a No. 8 national seed at the end of its season, NC State will compete in Pool A against No. 9 University of Providence (Montana), No. 16 Davenport University and No. 1 University of Mary, all beginning at 2 p.m. on April 15, against the University of Providence Argos.

Despite qualifying for the second time in the past three years, this trip is expected to be different from the insane surprise run back in 2019.

“Even though we’ve played less games, I think we’re actually more prepared because of the competition that we’ve played,” said head coach Tim Healy.

“So I think that’s one. I think two years ago, we had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. I think not only do we know what this tournament is about and what it takes to win it, we’ve also had more success against nationals-level competition. So, I think those are huge differences from last time around.”

The entire tournament will take place

between April 14-21 in North Dakota, and each opponent the Icepack is slated to play to begin the trip will be a firsttime opponent for the team.

“I mean it’s all you dream of as a kid, right?” Todd said. “You just want to win a national championship and being able to do it, like, for your school, playing for more than just the team, but we have so much support in the community. It means a lot to everyone in the locker room, I think.”

While NC State recently reached its goal to support its trip to nationals, it is always accepting donations on its website: icepackhockey.com. As a self-funded program, the team is supported primarily by player dues and ticket sales, which have been slim this season because of restrictions due to the pandemic.

To keep up with the team as it makes its way to North Dakota, you can check out its website and follow its Twitter page @NCStateHockey.

Sports

TECHNICIAN 11

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, APRIL 8, 2021

Wolfpack baseball still looking to get in a groove as it travels to Boston College Will Thornhill Staff Writer

The NC State baseball team is continuing ACC play with a trip to Boston College for a three-game series April 9-11. The Wolfpack is currently not having the season it expected but has gone 5-0 away from Doak Field.

The Wolfpack (10-11, 5-10 ACC) and the Eagles (14-13, 4-11 ACC) are separated by

just one game in the ACC standings. This weekend, one team could move up the conference standings with a series win.

In its most recent ACC series last weekend, Boston College took game one but then lost back-to-back one-run games to Virginia Tech on the road to give away the series. The Eagles responded with a nonconference win at Northeastern Tuesday night.

Pitching will be a big deciding factor this

RYAN FARISCHONTECHNICIAN

Junior infielder Austin Murr swings the bat at an incoming ball thrown by a Tennessee Tech pitcher at Doak Field on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2020. Murr had two hits and one run during the game.

weekend, as NC State and Boston College rank 13th and 14th, respectively, in the conference in team ERA. Whichever bullpen can make the fewest mistakes late in the game will likely take this series.

On the mound, the Eagles have three arms who have done a majority of the weekend starting all year long. Friday night, look for RHP Mason Pelio to take the bump; he has a 6.06 ERA and 31 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.

During his freshman year in 2019, Pelio went 7.2 innings pitched, allowing just two hits and one earned run while striking out seven against the Wolfpack.

The other two arms the Wolfpack will likely see starting this weekend are RHP Emmet Sheehan and RHP Alex Stiegler.

Sheehan has a 4.50 ERA, and in his outing against Virginia Tech last week, he struck out 12 batters in 6.1 innings pitched allowing just one earned run. Stiegler has a 6.03 ERA, with his best outing of the season coming against UNC-Chapel Hill where he pitched five shutout innings while striking out eight batters.

Offensively for Boston College, it collectively hits .277 with four batters averaging over .300. Leading the way is Sal Frelick, with an average of .368. Frelick leads the conference at 43 hits.

Batting .330 for the Eagles is Luke Gold.

He is without a doubt the top slugger in their lineup, leading the team with eight home runs and 31 RBIs. The 31 RBI’s put Gold at third place in the ACC. The two other players who have averages above .300 are Vince Cimini and Dante Baldelli, who carry averages of .328 and and .314, respectively.

NC State seems to have found its threeman rotation in recent weeks with junior right-handed pitcher Reid Johnston and freshman right-handed pitchers Sam Highfill and Matt Willadsen. The Wolfpack needs to pitch like it did in the UNCChapel Hill series, where they were a huge part of NC State’s success. With Johnston throwing a complete game and Willadsen closing game two and starting game three, the Pack only had to throw one other arm the whole series.

Reigning Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week junior first baseman Austin Murr will look to continue to rake with his batting average currently at .358.

Sophomore center fielder Tyler McDonough is also looking to stay hot at the top of the lineup for NC State, as he is tied with Murr with 29 hits to lead the team.

Game one from Boston College is scheduled for 3 p.m. Friday. The game will be televised on the ACC Network.

Pack softball looks to improve ACC record at home against struggling Pitt Rachel Umbach Staff Writer

The Wolfpack softball team is slated to host a below-average Pittsburgh Panthers team in a four-game series this upcoming weekend from April 9-11.

NC State (17-11, 10-11 ACC) is returning from a three-game sweep over North Carolina A&T, completely dominating all three matchups winning 8-0, 14-1 and 17-1.

While the Panthers (10-21, 5-16 ACC) did come out on top over Louisville back on April 4, this was the only win the Panthers have had since March 20, which was against a really good Virginia Tech team.

In its three most recent series, Pitt lost three out of four games against the Hokies, was swept in four games against Syracuse and lost another three games out of four against the Cardinals.

Offensive leaders for Pittsburgh include

freshman outfielder Cami Compson with a .338 batting average, seven home runs and 17 RBIs, as well as junior utility player Sarah Seamans, who has seven home runs and 22 RBIs. Despite these two players’ success, a team averaging just 4.06 runs per game this season compared to its opponents 6.25 is a clear indicator that Pitt is struggling.

Compson is the only player to have a batting average above .300 and an OPS above 1.000, and only three players on the team have totaled above 15 RBIs this season compared to five on the NC State roster.

As for pitching, the Panthers tend to rely on junior Abby Edwards and redshirt senior Brittany Knight. Edwards has been the most successful of the pitching staff this season with a 5-5 record and a 4.05 ERA, the lowest on the team. Knight hasn’t had as much luck, with a 1-7 record and a 5.75 ERA.

This is a very important series for the Pack as it looks to improve its ACC record and prepare for its next few games against LSU. Names to look out for include redshirt junior catcher Sam Sack, who currently has the most home runs by any catcher in the ACC this season with seven, and redshirt senior Tatyana Forbes, who has been consistent all season with a .395 batting average and 34 hits.

The entire NC State offense has been on fire in its past few games, and behind redshirt sophomore pitcher Sydney Nester and redshirt senior pitcher Abby Trahan, this Wolfpack team will be a tough opponent for the Panthers.

The series will begin Friday, April 9 at 6 p.m. (ACCNX) in Raleigh with two games at noon and 2:30 p.m. Saturday (RSN), finishing with a 5 p.m. matchup Sunday (ACCN).

DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt junior catcher Sam Sack celebrates hitting a home run against Virginia Tech on Sunday, March 14, 2021 at Dail Softball Stadium. The Wolfpack lost 17-4 after five innings.