WEATHER
Gen Z’s potential impact on the 2024 election
Ally Tennant News Editor &
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
Grace Turschak Correspondent &
For many NC State students, this year’s presidential election will be the first they are eligible to vote in. As the 2024 presidential election approaches and political anxiety swells, veteran voters are turning their attention to the new kids on the block — Gen Z.
With President Joe Biden suspending his re-election campaign, the subsequent launch of Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign and the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, the 2024 election has begun with a series of unprecedented events that now find Harris and Trump at a practical standstill, according to most polls.
Historically, students and young people as a whole are less likely to vote than other age groups. Steven Greene, a professor in the political science department, said this demographic tends to think their voice doesn’t matter.
“Young adults are always less inclined to vote,” Greene said. “People who choose not to vote feel that nothing really changes. They have what we call ‘low political advocacy.’ They think their voice doesn’t matter. People who don’t vote tend to have low institutional trust. They just don’t believe anything really works for anybody and feel disengaged and shut out of the political system. They’re wrong, because it does matter.”
environment, the economy are two big ones for me,” Reed said. “I know those are kind of on opposite sides, but we want something balanced like that.”
ing concerns about climate change, may influence their political engagement.
One distinctive characteristic of Gen Z is its use of social media. While this connectivity allows for rapid information sharing and mobilization, Struett said it also raises questions about its effects on political engagement and mental health.
“There is something related to anxiety and the use of social media happening to young people in our culture,” Struett said. “That’s likely to have impacts on political participation as well, certainly the way people get information and process information about politics.”
Kylie Masser, a second-year studying biology, said that social media does influence her personal way of voting.
“Social media makes it possible to coordinate behavior with large groups of people pretty quickly — sort of meme culture, right?” Masser said. “It’s something older generations do not pay attention to as much, because those generations use social media differently.”
With several factors impacting the election, Masser said concerns are high for Gen Z in regards to equal rights opportunities. However, the excitement for firsttime voting is still relevant.
Despite the potential for increased engagement, barriers to voting persist for young adults. Struett said frequent relocation and temporary addresses can make it challenging for young voters to stay registered and informed about polling locations.
Lucas Reed, a third-year studying engineering, said although he doesn’t plan on voting this year, there are issues on the ballot that are important to him.
“I’m not super informed on everything, but I think the
Michael Struett, a professor in the political science department, said Gen Z’s political socialization during the formative ages of 16-21 could define their long-term voting habits.
Struett said the impact of major events during Gen Z’s coming of age, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and grow-
Struett said different generations have different policy priorities and that low youth turnout would impact legislation on issues such as education funding and reproductive rights as areas where increased youth participation could lead to policy shifts.
“Young people’s preferences are different than older people’s preferences, and the outcomes of elections would be different if more young people voted,” Struett said.
How Project 2025 could affect higher education
As the 2024 presidential election approaches, discussions surrounding Project 2025 are gaining momentum as several provisions of the plan could impact the world of academia and the lives of college students.
Project 2025 is a plan developed by conservative groups, led by the Heritage Foundation, that seeks to reshape the federal government, largely reducing its size and increasing the influence of the executive branch. It includes proposals to cut the total number of federal employees, transfer power from career civil servants to political appointees and dismantle or scale back federal agencies.
Steven Greene, a professor in the political science department, said part of this plan involves abolishing the Department of Education, while still aiming to keep its programs.
“They’re talking about moving the key elements of the Department of Education, the key things that it does, to other departments,” Greene said. “They’re not saying ‘we’re going to stop the government doing these things,’ but ‘we’re going to eliminate the Department of Education.’”
Greene said much of the drive to pull resources away
from the Department of Education is under the perception of universities as “left-wing indoctrination machines,” particularly fueled by universities embracing DEI policies. Greene said Project 2025 includes plans to limit DEI programs across the nation, akin to the UNC Board of Governors’ removal of DEI offices as a requirement at every member university.
“We’ve seen a number of state laws and state actions to limit DEI in universities, including right here in North Carolina,” Greene said. “What they would want to do is be able to kind of place those limits on an entirely national basis.”
While Project 2025 intends to preserve the Department of Education’s programming, the programming itself would go through heavy edits, including the redefining of accreditation, changes to student loan policies and the “[rejection of] gender ideology and critical race theory,” according to Project 2025 itself.
Project 2025 takes aim at several student loan policies implemented by the Biden administration. The plan calls for reversing student loan forgiveness and the 2010 student loan federalization.
Greene said students looking to enter the public service
workforce could be impacted the most by Project 2025’s loan forgiveness plans.
“There’s a part of student loan forgiveness for people who go into teaching and other public service jobs,” Greene said. “I suspect that there’s a lot of conservatives who would be happy with that policy as well, and it just kind of gets swept up in it.”
While changes to the Department of Education would affect NC State students, Greene said changes specific to that department wouldn’t be what affected students most.
“It’s the abortion provisions,” Greene said. “It’s young people at peak productive ages, especially when they’re in college. ... So the provisions really try to essentially prevent abortion on an entirely national level. Not clear how successful they would be, but they’re interested in trying their darndest to ban abortion nationwide, to make it extremely difficult, if not impossible, to obtain abortion medication, which is now how the majority of abortions occur.”
GRAPHIC BY WYLIE PHU
Matthew Burkhart, Matthew Junkroski News Editor, Correspondent
Endangered red wolves born on campus
NC State’s Carnivore Conservation Crew celebrated the birth of three red wolf pups on campus over Mother’s Day weekend, marking a significant milestone for NC State’s role in conservation efforts. This was the third successful litter and the largest litter in NC State’s history of participating in the Red Wolf Conservation program.
The red wolf, a species native to North Carolina, once ranging from New York to Texas, now numbers fewer than 30 in the wild. Due to habitat loss, hunting and hybridization with coyotes, their population dwindled to near extinction by the 1970s. In an attempt to save the species, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service captured some of the remaining wild red wolves and established a captive breeding program that uses over 40 institutions to breed and take care of red wolves.
Tara Harrison, professor of veterinary medicine and advisor of the Carnivore Conservation Crew, said the birth of every pup is important to conservation efforts.
“This animal is so critically endangered, every single one counts,” Harrison said. “So with these puppies, there’s probably around less than 300 red wolves in the world, so three more, that’s a pretty big number. So we’re very excited to have our part in increasing the numbers of this population.”
Harrison said NC State welcomed its first red wolves onto campus in 2001. They are cared for by the Carnivore Conservation Crew, a student-run organization with over 50 active members that is dedicated to the daily care and maintenance of the red wolf population on campus.
“We’re creating through Carnivore Conservation Crew future veterinarians for
PROJECT 2025
continued from page 3
Abortion is one issue potentially impacted by Project 2025, but Michael Struett, a professor in the political science department, said climate change stood out alongside it as a potential concern for college students.
“We need to continue to make very large societal investments in adapting to a sustainable energy future,” Struett said. “The eight years of the George W. Bush administration were already a major delay in making those adjustments, and the four years of the Trump administration were a major delay. To have another delay like that, I think, could have catastrophic consequences on the climate change front.”
Although former President Donald Trump has publicly denounced having any association with the project, both Greene and Struett believe this to be disingenuous.
wildlife and by teaching them the skills, they are not only becoming advocates of these species … but they’re also going to be able to learn these skills to help conserve these species as well as others into the future,” Harrison said.
Sean Hubbard, a graduate student studying veterinary medicine and a co-president of the Carnivore Conservation Crew, said the organization’s responsibilities include feeding the wolves, administering medicine and conducting annual physicals. He said the students are careful to limit human contact, as they want to raise wolves that can be suitable for release back into the wild.
“We want them to live a life with as few humans in sight as possible,” Hubbard said. “That’s why their location is very quiet and they only have students around them for maybe 15 minutes in the morning and half an hour in the evening, at most. … And if we can avoid it, they don’t get touched by a human any other time during their life, and that’s because we want the wolves in the wild to respect humankind from a distance.”
The University’s facilities for the wolves are designed to mimic their native habitat, with multiple pens in a wooded area and den-type boxes. A separate building is used for food storage, preparation and medical procedures. Harrison said the exact location of these facilities is kept confidential to ensure the wolves’ safety.
Hubbard said the conservation efforts at NC State are part of a larger network managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums’ “Saving Animals from Extinction” program. This collaboration includes about 50 partners, including the Durham Museum of Life and Science and the North
“It’s not entirely credible,” Greene said. “The reality is, the people doing this are absolutely in his orbit and who he has worked closely with.”
While much of Project 2025 could be implemented through executive action, some aspects would require congressional approval. Struett said the document aims to accomplish as much as possible through the executive branch without needing legislation.
“Whether it’s about quashing pro-Gaza-Palestinian protesters, or excluding transgender athletes from competitions or whatever the issue of the moment is, they’re going to use those levers of power, and that’s what they figured out,” Struett said. “And they’re trying to think about ‘how do we tighten these things up to give the executive branch in the U.S. more direct control over wide swaths of American society.’”
Struett said while all of these changes are impactful in their own right, it’s ultimately how they work together that impacts NC
Carolina Zoo, both of which have also had successful wolf litters this year.
NC State’s efforts extend beyond the campus population, as the Carnivore Conservation Crew also assists with the wild red wolf population in the Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge in eastern North Carolina. This refuge is home to the only remaining wild population of red wolves.
Harrison said the reintroduction of the red wolf would not only benefit the red wolf population but also the rest of North Carolina’s native ecosystem by keeping the deer and coyote populations in check.
“Anytime you take one item out of a population, that ecosystem is damaged,”
Harrison said. “So by putting the red wolf back where it belongs, it will help restore that whole ecosystem and bring it back into balance.”
Aside from caring for the wolves, Harrison said a goal of NC State’s conservation efforts is to increase awareness of the vulnerability and importance of the red wolves.
“For our role, specifically, it’s more red wolves exist,” Harrison said. “They’re very, very endangered and we’re doing our part to try to help preserve this population. The reason they’re critically endangered is because of people, so it’s also because of people we’re trying to help increase it again.”
State students as well as the nation as a whole.
“You have to remember, all these things are happening all at once,” Struett said. “It’s not just about how accreditation works for
universities, it’s about how accreditation works and how much executive power there is in a world where the president legally can’t be convicted of a crime.”
COURTESY OF BURGETTA WHEELER
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
Beginning the search for a chancellor amid Randy Woodson’s retirement
Matthew Junkroski
Correspondent
After nearly 15 years of service at NC State, Chancellor Randy Woodson will soon be stepping aside upon his retirement in June 2025.
Woodson has been the longest serving chancellor at NC State since Chancellor John T. Caldwell, who retired in 1975. Following a long tenure in higher education, Woodson said he doesn’t yet have concrete plans following his retirement.
“I think I’ll still be involved in higher education in some way,” Woodson said. “I may teach a few guest lecture classes and things, but as a volunteer, not as an employee. And there’s some things I’d like to do in the nonprofit sector, but I really don’t have any clear ideas, except to finish out my work here. So, I’m going to focus on being your chancellor until I’m not.”
Edwin Stack, chair of NC State Chancellor Search Advisory Committee and a member of the NC State Board of Trustees, said the first step in searching for NC State’s next chancellor — the fifteenth in its history — is hiring a search firm, which has various duties to help the committee.
“They’ve got a number of university sitting presidents and provosts that they deal with all over the country, and they also create trust among the people that we’re going to interview,” Stack said. “They help make sure that the process is run effectively, smoothly.”
Woodson said the search process in 2025 is similar to how it was in 2010 when he was contacted as a candidate.
“I was contacted about the position from the search committee, encouraged to apply,” Woodson said. “In these kinds of jobs, the search process is as much about recruiting people to be candidates as it is to review candidates. So the best people that you would want for the job are people you’ve got to talk into being considered for the job, because they’re probably very busy where they are.”
After hiring the search firm, the committee takes steps to reach out to University staff, faculty and students. On August 13, the NC State Chancellor Search Advisory Committee sent a survey to students, alumni, faculty and staff to give feedback on what they’d like to see in a new chancellor.
Following this, the committee then looks to speak with the different groups surveyed through listening sessions. Stack said while they don’t have solid dates for these as of yet, students will receive information about them sometime around October.
“We’ll have specific dates for each one for students,” Stack said. “I think that we’re
looking at doing … an undergrad session, a grad session and then maybe a makeup session that would have both, just in case, to give everybody an opportunity to to make those meetings.”
Sure, there will be a different person leading the University, but the culture of this place is ingrained in it, and so it’s been an honor.
- Randy Woodson
with a larger pool and slowly narrowing down to three candidates. Stack said from there, these three potential candidates’ names are first given to the Board of Trustees to look over before they’re sent to the UNC Board of Governors, who will make the final decision on who will be the next chancellor.
Stack said the new chancellor will likely be announced in the spring.
Woodson said the responsibilities of a chancellor mirror a mix of those of a mayor and a CEO, managing a university’s needs while additionally working on funding and producing quality education for students. Woodson said to be a good candidate for chancellor, leadership and communication skills are essential.
varied groups. They all love the University, but they all have different ideas about what it is and what it should be.”
Stack said right now, student perspectives are vital for the Search Advisory Committee.
“At a minimum, fill out the survey,” Stack said. “The survey will give you an opportunity to prioritize, rank things you know that you think are important, and then also give some open-ended feedback. … It’s important that the student message is conveyed to our group, so that it gets put into the leadership profile.”
After gathering all of these opinions, Stack said the committee then creates a leadership profile, which is a list of what NC State wants in a new chancellor.
This leadership profile then helps define the search for a new chancellor, starting
“One of the unique things about universities is that the stakeholders, the people that have a stake in the success of the University, are buried,” Woodson said. “You’ve got students, you’ve got faculty and staff, you’ve got alumni, who really want the University’s reputation to be strong, because that’s their reputation. We’re a state university, so we’re funded by the state of North Carolina, so I think any leader of a university like a public university like ours has to be able to interact with and communicate across all of those
A change in chancellor is new for students who have only ever experienced NC State under Woodson’s leadership. But Woodson said NC State would still be itself, regardless of who leads it.
“NC State has been here for, what, almost 140 years,” Woodson said. “I’m the 14th chancellor. The 15th will be here. The faculty are here, the advisors are here, the counselors are here. Sure, there will be a different person leading the University, but the culture of this place is ingrained in it, and so it’s been an honor.”
HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN
North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore and Chancellor Randy Woodson and former NC State forward David Thompson laugh during the statue unveiling event outside of Reynolds Coliseum on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2023. Thompson is the first student athlete to have a statue on campus.
Stop using Asian Americans as your political pawns
Valerie Sun Correspondent
In 2003, a divided U.S. Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of affirmative action in college admissions. 20 years later, the court reversed itself, ruling that such policies were actually unconstitutional. This decision has sparked debate and numerous lawsuits against racial equity programs.
At the center of this controversy, Asians are used as political pawns by both sides. Progressives push so hard for racial equity that they silence the opinions of other people of color. In contrast, white supremacists use Asians as a battering ram to fulfill their racist agendas.
As an Asian American, I believe true racial equality is only achieved by color blindness — evaluating each applicant on equal footing, and I’m not alone. After the court’s 2023 ruling to gut affirmative action, a Gallup poll found that 68% of Americans called the decision “mostly a good thing.” In particular, a Pew Research Poll in the same month found that 76% of Asian American adults disapproved of considering race and ethnicity in admissions.
I am painfully aware of the challenges I face because of my race, so it’s appalling that white progressives speak over my experiences, insisting I support unpopular ideologies that are discriminatory toward students like me.
In a 2023 Harvard lawsuit, evidence showed Asian American applicants had higher academic scores, but were consistently rated lower on personal attributes compared to other racial groups. Accordingly, admissions counselors recommended that Asian students avoid disclosing their race and pursue extracurricular activities that aren’t “stereotypically Asian.”
Racial equity is therefore the wrong way to achieve equality. By viewing applicants as simply demographics, affirmative action divided students, robbed them of their personalities and exacerbated racial prejudices — fighting fire with fire. Blindly conferring boosts or penalties due to an applicant’s race is egregiously wrong.
My other Asian friends and I resented the idea of our chances for admission being hurt due to our race. We’re not white; why penalize victims of racism? My Chinese culture is a pillar of my identity, but I have to settle between checking “Asian” or “Prefer not to answer.”
Not to mention, Asian parents make deep sacrifices for their children’s education. Like my parents, they abandon their families, struggle to learn English, settle for lowpaying jobs and contend with xenophobia — only for their kids to face blatant discrimination and racial stereotypes. Instead of being proud of their culture and diversity, Asian kids were taught to be ashamed of their roots.
In what world does this scream justice?
The English dictionary includes a word for systems that suppress individuals’ identities and judge them based on stereotyping: racism. If this discrimination targeted Black or Hispanic students, then it’d be condemned as the next Jim Crow. Yet progressives are complicit in how they treat Asians.
But at the same time, why is nearly every anti-equity litigant and policy-maker white? White supremacists echo the same sentiment against racial equity — instead, because they oppose racial equality. When it comes to legacy preferences in college admissions, white students benefit the most, with nearly 70% of Harvard’s legacy admissions being white. But where are the lawsuits challenging legacy admissions?
White supremacists don’t truly care about Asians. They pretend to side with Asians but use us to fulfill their racist goals. Their “model minority” argument further perpetuates stereotypes and harms other people of color. In high school I worked hard to excel in math and physics, and it’s disheartening that others simply expected those skills from me. I felt my achievements were taken for granted. I only started believing in my personality after venturing outside of STEM.
But the discussion of racial equity continues. The UNC System, being involved in the landmark 2023 U.S. Supreme Court case, is central to the debate. This year, the
UNC System voted to strip its Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs from all 17 of its schools.
Accordingly, NC State and other UNC schools will struggle to maintain class diversity. Many student activists have been vocal against UNC’s Board of Governors following the repeal of DEI.
Asian Americans must stand up for themselves and assert our unique voices. The white activists who fought to overturn affirmative action are not our heroes, nor are the white board members who instituted affirmative action. Asians, not a white group, should lead Students for Fair Admissions, the plaintiff in the 2023 court case. Asian voices are unique, and we can’t let anyone take them away.
In the debate over racial equity, especially in the UNC System, we Asians need to speak up for what we believe. Other minority groups are vocal, so why aren’t we? NC State has few Asian student associations, and resources for Asian students aren’t well known. Many Asian Americans don’t support race-conscious processes, so it’s up to us to keep them in the grave.
Let’s keep sharing our stories and actively participating in campus discussions, because solidarity is crucial in fighting unfair policies. Amid the new battle over racial equity programs, it’s our job to keep these systems out of the school we love — and not let white people speak for us.
Give me the syllabus before school starts
Patricia Scholle Staff Writer
There’s a lot about back to school season that stresses me out. There is so much to prepare for, but sometimes I feel like I don’t know what I am preparing for. This is because the norm is to receive the syllabus for each class on the first day of the semester, leaving me with no idea what to expect until I walk into the classroom. To ease this transition, professors should provide us with syllabi at least a week before school begins, not the day of.
Learning the professor’s expectations for the class helps students adapt to the classroom better. The rules and norms outlined in a syllabus prepare you for what the first day in that class will be like rather than walking in clueless. I personally like to prepare mentally, and knowing the rules on food in class or make-up work helps me know what I am getting into.
The rules laid out in the syllabus are especially important for people with disabilities, including myself. For example,
a professor might say no food in class, but that might be a necessity for you. Instead of waiting a few days into the semester to express this need, having the syllabus beforehand helps students to know the rules and reach out to them about certain accommodations they may require.
Some accommodations may require approval or a doctor’s note. Providing a syllabus is neccesary so students have time to get the proper approvals.
Additionally, some class titles are very vague, and the MyPack Portal Enrollment Wizard doesn’t magically cure any confusion with its too-often mediocre class descriptions. “The world after 1700” is a huge chunk of time to cover, so I would love to know the specific historical events we are going over. Knowing what kind of content and countries we are covering can help me focus on what we are going over that semester.
Even if a class has been taught in the past, different professors have different teaching methods and focus on different things. Simply knowing a class title doesn’t tell me anything about the workload.
Knowing how much and what type of work we are doing eases my nerves. Will it have a big project at the end of class? Do I need to prepare for a midterm? These questions are important for me to know, and I prefer to sort that out before the semester begins.
If a class does have a project, I can know the topic and due date ahead of time. When we cross that information in class, I can take special care to pay attention to it.
If too many classes have a significant workload or projects, students may need to drop a class or two. Finding this out before the semester begins can be helpful so that they have time to switch their schedule and can have a balanced workload.
Speaking of workload, I adore my planner, and I write down all my due dates in it so I don’t miss anything. Trying to manage a new schedule and homework is a lot of work on top of spending a significant amount of time writing down due dates.
Our brains are becoming soup
Two videos, side-by-side, have become the normal way to consume media as our brains desperately search for as much stimulation as possible. In order to maintain users’ attention, TikTok and other social media videos are paired with tutorials for slime or a playthrough of Subway Surfers.
In the last six years, our attention spans have shortened to a mere 47 seconds from an average of 2.5 minutes back in 2004. It’s no secret that social media has damaged mental health since its creation, but the negative effects it has on our brains’ functionality is often overlooked.
Fernanda Duarte, an assistant professor for communication and researcher in media and technology, said we can actually retrain our brains to lengthen our attention spans — if we want to. It’s a matter of what the user’s goals are when engaging with social media. Do you want to read a book, or do you want to scroll Tiktok?
To increase attention span, Duarte says to “take the time, realize that it’s gonna take a little while to shift from this high speed of overconsumption of information, which is all around you, and to [recluse] yourself in to take on a more introverted form of media consumption.”
Not only are our attention spans rapidly shortening, but media literacy, which is the ability to think critically about digital media, is also at a decline.
A contributing factor to this decline is the TikTok “blue comment,” which is a tool that places keywords from a video at the top of its comment section, allowing users to quickly find related or explanatory videos. At first,
If I had the syllabus during the summer, I could spend that time carefully plotting out my school year instead of choosing between planning or doing homework. I might also get a head start on coursework if I’m feeling extra motivated.
I know that I could just wait until day one to get my syllabus and suffer through the stress of a million new things all at once. But why suffer if I don’t have to? Hopefully, professors have finished forming their plans for the school year and have syllabi ready before day one. If they are available, why not take some stress off students by providing them to the class?
When it all boils down, having my syllabus and a chance to read it before class helps me succeed. I am able to learn expectations and see a map of my whole academic semseter, plus prepare questions for FDOC if I have any. Providing students with syllabi at least a week before class makes a large difference in helping them prepare for the semester.
this tool was helpful for clarifying obscure slang or searching recipes and outfits, but it has since become a tool that defines the simplest of concepts due to people giving up on utilizing context clues. Why would you do anything besides ask for the answer when it’s a tap away?
I found myself thoughtlessly tapping the blue comment before even finishing videos and knew it was time to reevaluate the way I spend my free time. After much deliberation regarding “What if my friends want to send me something?” and “What will I miss?” I decided to delete my TikTok. I figured that if I could feel my brain cells shriveling, it was probably for the best. And, if my friends decide a TikTok is really that important,
they text it to me. So, I’m not totally out of the loop.
Social media began as a way to connect with people you know and post entertaining photos and videos, but as technology advanced, so did the use of these platforms. More recently, social media has been a way to share educational information on a range of topics like politics, mental health and general wellness. However, because it’s no longer expected to logically conclude for yourself whether or not a post is fake, the validity of content isn’t questioned. It’s assumed a bot has done the work already. Society should not rely on third-party factcheckers and AI tools to do that job for us. This can cause a dangerous spread of mis-
information.
“[Social media knows] that we like our comfort zones, so they are always feeding us redundant content, because they know that’s going to get our attention, and we’re gonna just get lost in that mindless, endless scrolling,” Duarte said. “There is a lot of harm that can come from that, particularly in terms of the spread of misinformation, bias confirmation.”
To combat this, I recommend resisting the urge to tap the blue comment, which gives the algorithm the exact engagement it wants, and take a moment to think about the implications of a video on your own. In addition to improving critical thinking ability, AI is wrong quite often, and might not give you the most accurate answer. Over time, it’ll get easier to quickly identify misinformation or suspicious content yourself. Reading is a great way to improve attention span as well, which, in turn, makes it easier to identify fake posts. Just as it will get easier and faster to identify misleading content, so will reading.
Duarte encourages us not to frame the task of reading a book as something that is tiring.
“It is hard because your brain is being wired in a way that prioritizes overstimulation, and reading a book simulates our brain in a different way,” Duarte said. “We need to take some time to reground and recenter before you take on a task that might stimulate you differently.”
With enough time and practice, it’s possible to both improve our ability to think critically as well as and stay focused long enough to identify harmful content — without Subway Surfers in the background.
GRAPHIC BY LUCY OSBORN
Grace Turschak Correspondent
GRAPHIC BY LUCY OSBORN
Letter from the editor: You can count on us
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Last year, Technician took a turn for the serious.
While Technician has a rich and varied history, student publications ebb and flow as far as the quality of content they produce throughout the years. That’s the nature of what we do given the frequent turnover and the fact that college students aren’t exactly known for their gravitas.
But in the last year, Technician exceed-
ed the expectations most have for student newspapers. Part of that was pure timing.
NC State had a monumental year, for better or for worse, and our staff did what they always do — reported the news. But our reporters didn’t merely stumble upon big issues on campus, they ran toward those stories with the hunger and drive that great journalism requires.
Others took note. Whether it be letters to the editors, compliments from seasoned reporters or simply a Reddit comment, Technician received some of the most positive feedback it’s gotten in recent memory. It’s not that this was the first time Technician was doing good work, it’s that people started paying attention.
I’m proud to have been a part of this effort as the news editor of Vol. 104. The chaotic days of breaking news and long nights of editing stories with Vol. 104’s senior leadership, Jameson Wolf, Ethan Bakogiannis and Emily Vespa, are not only some of my favorite memories, but
some of the most rewarding professional experiences I’ll ever have. The work we did undoubtedly pioneered a new path forward for Technician’s future.
I’m even more proud to continue the mission and carry on this legacy as Vol. 105’s editor-in-chief.
Technician represents over a century of student journalism at NC State, so while I’m excited to get started, I also begin this journey with the solemnity that it deserves. The NC State community deserves the best version of Technician, and I’m prepared to offer that.
I want Technician to be a place students, alumni, faculty and staff rely on.
The “turn for the serious” Technician found itself taking last year resulted in many folks trusting us as a legitimate publication, and I don’t want to take that trust for granted. There’s a few things I can promise you, the readers, will be able to count on Technician offering to you this year.
You can count on Technician to deliver
you accurate, timely and exclusive breaking news in a thoughtful and deliberate manner.
You can count on Technician to showcase creative stories that reflect the diverse range of identities, interests and passions of our students.
You can count on Technician to bring unique perspectives and opinions that drive public discourse on our campus.
You can count on Technician to continue to relentlessly cover every NC State sporting event with a profound respect for the Wolfpack’s athletic legacy.
You can count on Technician to provide compelling visual content that accurately tells the stories of those in our student body.
Most importantly, you can count on Technician to be a beacon of truth, a voice for students and an institution rooted in transparency, accountability and journalistic integrity.
Last year, Technician took a turn for the serious, and we’re not turning back now.
SATIRE: Your go-to guide to being a good roommate
Most college students will have a roommate at some point. For people entering NC State this year, this may be your first time ever having a roommate. Whether it was a random assignment or your best friend from high school, here are some tips to help you succeed at sharing a living space.
First, invite people over all the time. Everyone loves to make new friends in college. There are so many social events and chances to meet new people, and inviting those you meet over will help your roommate make friends too. Bringing them over at night is the best time because no one will be in classes. Make sure you don’t tell your roommate beforehand or they might get shy and leave before you get there.
Second, you should always play any kind of media as loudly as possible. Investing in a good pair of headphones is a mistake. Playing television or music out loud helps you bond with your new roomie. Make sure you play it loud enough so they can hear it even when they are trying to study or sleep — you never know when the perfect song will come on.
You should also never make an effort to
clean. If you keep everything neat and tidy, your roommate might never get the chance to help you. Additionally, keeping the room a bit messy brings character to the place. Your roommate will appreciate having the
opportunity to clean up your things so they can get to know you.
On the note of having people over late at night, make sure you yourself are also always returning to the dorm or apartment
late at night. Sometimes sleeping with someone else in the room can be hard. Try to stay out late and come back in the early morning after they have already fallen asleep. Sneak back in and climb the rickety ladder to your bed well into the night. Another underrated roommate tip is borrowing things without asking. Forgot to pack something? Just borrow theirs. They only left it out so it would be available to you anyways. Investigate their belongings, learn their shampoo scent and dig through their drawers. You may find something interesting to bring up later and have a conversation about. They will be so happy you cared to notice.
In all seriousness, living with someone new is a challenge. While these tips are meant to poke fun at bad roommates, it is important to discuss with your roommate the expectations you have for living together. Share your quirks and lifestyle and listen carefully to theirs and try to compromise where you can. Establishing boundaries and norms will help you live in harmony.
If you are having problems with a roommate, consider talking to them or your RA about it. NC State housing can be reached at housing@ncsu.edu or 919-515-2440
Gerb and Plip
Henry O’Bryan, Staff Cartoonist
third-year studying art and design
Summer Travels
Lucy Osborn, Graphics Editor
GRAPHIC BY AVERY SZAKACS
Patricia Scholle Staff Writer
The editorial board’s songs of the summer
Lucy Osborn, Graphics Editor: Silver Springs by Fleetwood Mac
You know that one performance where Stevie Nicks is staring at Lindsey Buckingham? Yeah.
Ally Tennant, News Editor: Free Bird by Lynyrd Skynyrd
All I have to say is I got a speeding ticket during the guitar solo and I have no regrets. I am as free as a bird.
Jakob Halbur, Assistant Video Editor: All I Want for Christmas is You by The Philly Specials
I may not like the Eagles, but I do like Christmas. And hey, Christmas in July is a thing, right?
Skye Crawford, Opinion Editor: El Chico del Apartamento 512: Selena Estoy aprendiendo español. Y mi novio se mudó conmigo ... más o menos.
Rocky Berhe, Assistant Opinion Editor: Like Flies on Sherbert by Alex Chilton
Had a fly problem in my apartment, so this really resonated.
Ellie Bruno, Design Editor: Soup by Remi Wolf
She’s like Charli XCX but weirder, which makes her songs more fun!
Justin Welch, Managing Editor: These Words by Badger and Natasha Bedingfield
This remix saved me on the New Jersey Turnpike this summer.
Kate Denning, Editor-in-Chief: The Kill by Maggie Rogers
Having a front row seat to Maggie Rogers’ greatness for the second time was the highlight of my summer.
Aidan Carlson, Assistant Sports Editor: Beer O’Clock by The Divorcees
Turned 21 this summer, now I can express how I truly feel musically and beveragely.
Ethan Bakogiannis, Managing Editor: Bye, Bye, Bye by NSYNC
Thanks to the new Deadpool movie for reinjecting this song into the hearts of Americans all across the country, including mine. It might sound crazy but it ain’t no lie, I can’t get this song out of my head.
Stafford Commons Aug 21, 11am-2pm
Sarah Hoffer, Culture Editor: Stronger Than Me by Amy Winehouse
Not a day went by since June that didn’t have a little Amy Winehouse.
Colby Trotter, Sports Editor: I Had Some Help by Post Malone (featuring Morgan Wallen)
Country Post Malone might be the greatest of all time.
Matthew Burkhart, News Editor: Sick Love by Red Hot Chili Peppers I’ve never been to California, but these guys make it sound pretty cool.
Connor VanDerMark, Assistant Sports Editor: Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani
Gunnar Henderson was really cooking with this one.
Michelle R. Weise will deliver a keynote address titled “From the Future of Work to the Future of Workers.” Weise is an awardwinning author and thought leader. Join us to hear actionable insights as you prepare for the future and your transition into the workforce.”
Visit the website to learn more about our 100-year celebration event using the QR code. Register at go.ncsu.edu/register100
Kate Denning Editor-in-Chief
Hyperpop queen Charli XCX released her eighth album, “Brat,” just in time for it to be cemented as a summer staple. The electric sound, especially from songs “360,” “365” and “Apple” is fit for a party girl who is in the club on repeat, but the lyricism reveals “Brat” to be about far more than the party lifestyle — Charli XCX’s “Brat” is about her relationship with womanhood.
and womanhood itself, and no significant references to men throughout the album, “Brat” passes the test with flying colors.
The opening track, “360,” kicks off the album with a frankly iconic declaration from Charli XCX: “I’m your favorite reference, baby.” Having been in the industry for over 10 years, Charli XCX is acknowledging her own superstar status. But she doesn’t do so at the expense of other women. In fact, she leans on them.
women in general, are pitted against each other. XCX’s remix of the song revealed Lorde to be the subject of Charli XCX’s frustrations.
she has to grapple with.
Charli XCX made one thing clear in her lyricism — “Brat” was never about men.
She follows that line by insisting, “Call me Gabbriette / You’re so inspired,” referencing none other than Gabbriette Bechtel, a model and certified it-girl who can also be recognized as the fiancee of The 1975 frontman Matty Healy. She goes on to repeat one of “Brat’s” most recognizable phrases — “I’m everywhere, I’m so Julia,” referencing none other than Julia Fox.
In the new perspective, Lorde responds to Charli XCX detailing her own insecurities. From body image to jealousy to a skewed concept of self, she explains how this impacts the relationship she’s had with Charli XCX over the years and how meaningful this olive branch is. Lorde concludes by acknowledging that the two women are ultimately better when they’re on the same team. She sings, “And when we put this to bed / The internet will go crazy / I’m glad I know how you feel / ‘Cause I ride for you, Charli.”
In perhaps the most poignant lyrics of the album, she considers the way generational trauma and mental illness has been passed down to her: “I think the apple’s rotten right to the core / From all the things passed down / From all the apples coming before.”
Charli XCX considers how mental illness has affected the women before her and the role that plays in her own struggles today. It’s important to note that she doesn’t do so in a way that blames the women in her life. But she’s hardly sympathetic either — she’s rather matter-of-fact about the very dynamic that many women have come to similar conclusions about.
The Bechdel test is a media theory which asks just one question — did two women in this work have at least one conversation with each other about something besides a man? One of the most famous examples is the film American Hustle. The movie passes because of a single scene in which two women simply have a conversation about nail polish.
It seems like an easy feat, yet so much of media fails it. But with Charli XCX focusing her energy toward her ties to other women
Fox, best known for her role in Uncut Gems, has long been considered the internet’s favorite muse. The lyric “I’m everywhere” is reminiscent of the slang “I’m outside,” meaning being active and social. Charli XCX asserts her socialite status while honoring those who came before her. The nod sets a precedent for the album that revolves around Charli XCX’s relationship with other women and herself.
Perhaps the most obvious display of “Brat’s” emphasis on female relationships is “Girl, so confusing.” She sings about her complicated friendship with another woman, speaking directly to her, “Sometimes I think you might hate me / Sometimes I think I might hate you / Maybe you just wanna be me.”
Coupled with the line “People say we’re alike / They say we’ve got the same hair” exhibits the ways these two women, and
Most notably, Charli XCX and Lorde’s struggle had nothing to do with a man. While the media landscape likes to portray women’s lives as those which revolve around men and relationships with them, hence the need for the Bechdel test in media, Charli XCX and Lorde exhibit that it is possible for two women to disagree about something other than who gets the guy. In another display of introspection by way of a hyperpop dance anthem, “Apple” explores Charli XCX’s familial relationships. The song opens with “I guess the apple don’t fall far from the tree / ‘Cause I’ve been looking at you so long / Now I only see me / I wanna throw the apple into the sky / Feels like you never understand me.”
Charli XCX refers to how she sees her parents, particularly her mother, reflected in herself despite their differences. Charli XCX seeing herself in her mother’s face, and potentially her actions, despite the fact that she doesn’t seem to connect with her on an intimate level creates a cognitive dissonance
Whether she’s praising women who laid the groundwork for her social butterfly tendencies, joining forces with a woman the world has said she should detest or analyzing the way she reflects the women in her life for better or for worse, Charli XCX made one thing clear in her lyricism — “Brat” was never about men.
Much like the simple conversation between two women about nail polish, “Brat” doesn’t have to be introspective in order to be meaningful. Even so, Charli XCX doesn’t run from the urge to confront her feelings associated with womanhood. “Brat” tells women it’s okay to do that while still letting loose on the dance floor, maybe even at the same time.
Below the electronic sound and catchy one-liners, beyond the “Brat” memes and neon green imagery that perforated everything from TikTok to presidential campaigns, maybe without anyone noticing, “brat summer” was always about women.
GRAPHIC BY ELLIE BRUNO
Hopscotch 2024 highlights rising stars A preview of University Theatre’s fall productions
Wyat Hamilton won the Creative Artist Award for writing the play’s script.
The 14th annual Hopscotch festival is returning to fill the streets of downtown Raleigh with music lovers and bands from all over the country. The festival will take place Sept. 5-7 with stages at Moore Square and City Plaza, along with club shows at eight local venues.
It’s that time of year again. Families line up on Cates Ave. giving tearful goodbyes with mattress pads in hand. There’s a UHaul or old couch in every other yard on Clark Ave. Students are getting back to their school routines, and everyone is scheming for a Hopscotch pass.
The festival took a break during the COVID-19 pandemic and returned to its full capacity last year. The 2023 lineup was rather historic, featuring American Football’s first performance in the state and Pavement, who hadn’t held a show in North Carolina since 1999.
Zane Acord, a band member of The Thing, is playing Hopscotch on Sept. 5. He offered his insight on the attitude the audience should bring to the festival.
“I think everyone should move,” Acord said. “I think everyone should just dance and feed off the energy. Our mentality is, we’re playing to people for the first time, but we pride ourselves in making dance music. And it doesn’t have to be pinned down to EDM or what we think dance music is in current culture and society, but we like to think it should make you move, you know?”
Acord reflected on the experience of playing crowds of wildly different sizes, from small dives to massive festivals and everything in between.
“This has been an awesome year of eye-
opening experiences, and it is a complete honor to be on stage with so many of those musicians that we either grew up loving or love right now. Yeah, it’s an honor,” Acord said.
Maddy Moore, a fifth-year studying textile engineering and a DJ with NC State’s own WKNC, attended Hopscotch in 2023. It was the first music festival she had ever attended, and she felt that her experience was worth the price.
Music festivals at the scale of Coachella or Lollapalooza are a thousand dollar, multiple day excursion. Hopscotch, however, provides a unique opportunity due to its location in the Triangle, which is home to eight colleges and universities.
“I know that music festivals can be stressful,” Moore said. “But, since I am local to Raleigh, it wasn’t super expensive, and the parking situation was pretty good, so I wasn’t stressed about any of that kind of stuff.”
Hopscotch tickets start at $159 for General Admission three-day passes and increase as the festival date approaches. Compared to current concert prices for large pop musicians, this is a high-value offer for consumers, especially student consumers.
This fall, University Theatre will cast a series of plays with themes ranging from the Vietnam War, contemporary book bans and telling stories in a post-apocalyptic world.
“Mr. Burns: A Post-Electric Play” is a three-act play that depicts the fallout of a nuclear disaster on human communication. The first act focuses on the effects six months after a nuclear disaster, followed by the second and third acts that highlight the events seven and 75 years later, respectively. In the modern era, social media is essential for sharing stories. The cast of 14 students play multiple roles to highlight how to spread familiar stories — namely, “The Simpsons” — in a post-apocalyptic world with no electric grid.
Danica Jackson, assistant director of performance, will direct “Mr. Burns: A PostElectric Play” for a second time. She said the theme was motivated by society’s dependence on technology and the power grid.
“If the Simpsons goes off the air, or [people] don’t have access to the episodes, they’re not going to understand what these references are,” Jackson said. “How do we maintain the integrity of the stories behind these stories, the themes that they’re trying to convey?”
Jackson said the cast for “Mr. Burns” involves 14 students, who will audition during the second week of classes. After the storyline and important moments are set, the play takes five weeks to assemble, including costume design. The performances will last for two weeks.
“Teleture” is a play honoring past students who challenged the U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War. The central character, Paul Castro, is inspired by Ed Thomas, a Vietnam veteran who attended school in West Virginia. The play alludes to the May 4 shootings at Kent University, in which the National Guard opened fire at student protestors, and shows the effects of drafting family members for war. NC State student
Mia Self, assistant director of acting, directing and theater academics, has previously directed “Teleture” five times. She said the heart of the act represents students’ role in pushing for societal changes.
“The [20-year-olds] are the big change makers,” Self said. “Neurologically, [they’re] primed for it.”
Self also directs the play “Banned Books” to celebrate Banned Books Week, which raises awareness of challenged books. Partnering with NC State Libraries, the play highlights experiences of people’s narratives surrounding challenged topics, particularly involving the LGBTQ+ community. Self believes everyone should have access to individuals’ experiences surrounding their identities.
“Students go ‘Here is a book that has been challenged, that spoke to me profoundly about my experience as a human being,’” Self said. “And I really hope that everybody else has access to it, should they wish for it.” Self is opposed to only allowing exclusive groups, such as students in a club, to audition. She said the University needs places for students to appreciate art, music and theater.
“What does it mean to be a human being as you’re watching all of these [plays]; all of those things are what we’re here for,” Self said. “Our mission is to create community through the making and sharing of theater.”
FLETCHER SHOLAR/TECHNICIAN
Digable Planets vocalist Ladybug Mecca sings during the Hopscotch Festival at City Plaza in Downtown Raleigh on Friday, Sept. 8, 2023. Digable Planets was a main stage artist for the second day of the festival along with Denzel Curry and Margo Price.
CONTRIBUTED BY UNIVERSITY THEATRE
Rocky Berhe
Assistant Opinion Editor
Valerie Sun Correspondent
Introducing the next voice of NC State Athletics: Matt Chazanow
From the late, great Mike Leach to the electric Gardner Minshew, Matt Chazanow masterfully told the story of Washington State athletics for nine years. Now, Chazanow is set to be the new voice of NC State football and basketball.
For the first season in 34 years, Gary Hahn will not be in the broadcast booth calling NC State football and basketball. Following a legend like Hahn, who capped his time at NC State by calling NC State men’s basketball’s historic run to the men’s basketball Final Four, comes with the opportunity to carry on the rich tradition of broadcasting at NC State.
“I feel incredibly humble and grateful,” Chazanow said. “I want to make sure I do good by Gary Hahn and everybody that came before him. … I come at this with a great deal of respect and no lack of excitement and enthusiasm.”
At Washington State, Chazanow showcased his ability to enhance games with excitement and knowledge. His color commentator and former Washington State quarterback Alex Brink offered high praise for Chazanow.
“He’s electric,” Brink said. “He’s been in the industry for a long time and he just flat out doesn’t miss a big call. If you go back and listen to any of the big games and moments in Washington State football for the last six or seven years, you’ll hear Matt’s voice and he really stands out.”
Nailing the highlights is only one piece
of the puzzle however. A quality announcer doesn’t just shine calling a game-winning touchdown against a rival — the best announcers bring their best work weekly during every play. Knowing this importance, Chazanow strives to offer his best on every call, regardless of opponent.
“You never know when there’s going to be a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown,” Chazanow said. “You never want to be surprised and you always want to be prepared and that’s out of every single game. … You only get 12 opportunities in the regular season and you treat everyone with the same
regard and respect.”
When Chazanow calls his first NC State football game, it’ll mark his career coming full circle. 18 years ago, Chazanow called his first game right on NC State’s campus at Reynolds Coliseum — a 78-48 win for NC State women’s basketball over High Point.
“I started with the High Point Panthers women’s basketball team, that was my first play-by-play job.” Chazanow said. “Actually, my first game was at Reynolds Coliseum in 2006. Isn’t that crazy?”
Chazanow and NC State appear to be a match made in heaven. From the west coast,
Chazanow admired the Wolfpack and its passionate fanbase. Now, he’ll be the next storyteller for NC State Athletics.
“Passion takes lots of forms,” Chazanow said. “People are wild and Wolfpack fans — I’m well aware of the power of the Pack and the passion of the fan base. That was really attractive.”
Chazanow comes to Raleigh at an exciting time. With men’s basketball fresh off an ACC championship victory and a Final Four trip, there’s plenty of momentum for NC State basketball. Meanwhile, NC State football is gearing up for a run at its own ACC title with a loaded roster.
“I just think [NC State] is a really special place.” Chazanow said. “It’s at the top of this business. … It’s on a historic run right now, but also historically in the full context of the athletic department, it has decades of success and history that’s integral to the fabric of college sports.”
While an unfamiliar voice for many Wolfpack fans, Chazanow is already embracing NC State sports. From his excitement and preparation, Raleigh can be sure it’ll get Chazanow at his best game in and game out.
“He’s gonna be really passionate about the Pack and the whole athletic department,” Brink said. “He’ll really immerse himself in that community.”
Chazanow will make his debut as the new voice of NC State football on Aug. 29 when the Pack kicks off the 2024 season against Western Carolina at Carter-Finley Stadium.
New NC State men’s soccer coach Marc Hubbard is embracing the challenge
Change is hard. It’s in our DNA to seek comfort; once we find something we like, it seems like there’s no logical reason for change. And it’s especially tough to move on when you’ve had success at what you’re doing.
New NC State men’s soccer head coach Marc Hubbard was in that exact position but sought discomfort anyway. Hubbard spent the last 16 years coaching college soccer in New Hampshire with the latter nine at the University of New Hampshire. While it may seem like an easy choice at first glance to move from a mid-level college
to a program in a premier conference, it was quite the opposite. Hubbard built a legacy by transforming New Hampshire into one of the best soccer programs in the country. Hubbard concluded his run as the Wildcats’ head coach with seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including earning the No. 8 national seed last year. He also led New Hampshire deep into the tournament with three Sweet 16 runs that included wins over ACC teams like Syracuse and Clemson.
Meanwhile, during the Wildcats’ string of NCAA Tournament appearances, NC State only made the tournament three times and came away with just one win.
Not only was Hubbard having more success at New Hampshire than NC State was but he was living in the town he and his wife were from while raising five kids with a strong connection to his surrounding community.
So why leave a program that was having repeated success at the national level all while doing it in your hometown?
“In life, you’re given a lot of choices and this was ultimately one where if we didn’t take it as a family, we would have regretted it,” Hubbard said. “It’s about getting outside of your comfort zone with this and challenging yourself, whether it be me here as a soccer coach, or us as a family, and put-
ting ourselves in uncomfortable situations is where you can see the most growth.” Most in Hubbard’s position would’ve stayed because of the amount of success he was having and the comfort of home cooking.
But Hubbard is different.
He embraces the challenge. In his first year at Southern New Hampshire University, the team was coming off a 5-8-5 record in the previous season and in his first, Hubbard led it to a 15-3-4 record.
CONTRIBUTED BY NC STATE ATHLETICS
Noah Teague Staff Writer
Colby Trotter Sports Editor
HUBBARD
HUBBARD
continued from page 15
In 2013, he helped Southern New Hampshire claim the Division II National Championship. But instead of basking in the success, he moved on to a new challenge. His next revitalization project came at the University of New Hampshire. In his first season coaching the Wildcats, New Hampshire improved from 6-10-1 to a 10-5-3 record in 2015. Hubbard brought the school its first four America East Tournament championships and its highest ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Poll at No. 4 in 2021.
But despite leading New Hampshire to the No. 8 national seed in last year’s NCAA Tournament and making a run to the Sweet 16 before falling to the eventual National Champions in Clemson, Hubbard was ready for change.
The day after falling to Clemson, Hubbard received a call from NC State about his interest in being the program’s next head coach of the men’s soccer team. With his success at New Hampshire, Hubbard received calls about his availability every offseason, but he said getting this one was special.
“The process moved extremely quick, which made it difficult to kind of process the previous season,” Hubbard said. “As soon as we lost in the tournament, getting a call the next morning, and then the next morning being down here in Raleigh. So [after] a couple of visits to make sure the family was going to be okay, a lot of discussion at home, I ultimately decided to make the decision to move and take the job.”
With a new head coach comes a new system. Hubbard’s playstyle entails taking
pride in shutting opponents out. During his nine-year tenure with the Wildcats, New Hampshire was top 10 in the country in goals-against average six times with first-place finishes in 2019 and 2021.
It also allows for more scoring opportunities with players further up the field, pinning the opponents in their zone and capitalizing on mistakes.
“The way that we play, it’s fun, it’s up-tempo and it’s disruptive of other teams,” Hubbard said. “It’s creative in attacking chances, and that’s fun to coach, it’s fun to play, it’s fun to watch. We want to play a brand of soccer that people are excited about.”
Senior midfielder Will Buete — one of the longest-tenured Wolfpack players and points leader out of all returning players from last season — has enjoyed playing in the new sys-
tem. Buete and the Wolfpack have already experienced success with its new attacking style when it made a run to the Spring Soccer Cup Championship game where it fell to Wake Forest in penalties.
It’s about getting outside of your comfort zone with this and challenging yourself ... putting ourselves in uncomfortable situations is where you can see the most growth.
- Marc Hubbard
“We’re pressing a lot higher,” Buete said. “Scoring more goals, getting forward more which in turn keeps them away from our goal. In the spring we saw that with a shutout and being able to keep teams higher up in their end and win the ball higher up.”
Last season, NC State allowed the third most goals in the ACC and second most goals per game but there were signs the Wolfpack could be a team that has the defensive tenacity Hubbard is looking for. In its lone matchup against eventual National Champion Clemson, NC State held the Tigers scoreless for almost the entire game before Clemson scored in the 85th minute for a 1-1 draw.
“It’s a little bit different,” Buete said. “Last year when we almost shut out Clemson we were sitting a lot deeper and sitting in front of our own goal, but now we’re sitting a lot higher and starting to re - ally press teams in their end which is more fun to play in winning the ball higher up and having chances to score.”
For a team that hasn’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2019, it’s going to take time to rebuild this NC State squad, but Hubbard has proven at his previous stops that he can get the most out of his teams in a short amount of time.
“The success in getting into the national tournament will be a product of all the little things that we do on a daily basis,” Hubbard said. “Setting goals and working towards those goals on a daily basis and holding each other accountable will eventually get us there.”
What you need to know about NC State Athletics’ fall venues
Navigating NC State’s campus, and even more so its many athletic facilities, can be a bit tricky at times. Here are some tips from one student to another about how to get the most out of your gameday experience this fall no matter what sporting event you decide to attend.
Carter-Finley Stadium
No sporting event brings as many Wolfpack fans to one place like Saturdays at Carter-Finley Stadium. Whether you’re there for football, a tailgate or responsible drinking, the experience is a must for any NC State student.
Dating back to the 2022 season, CarterFinley has been a sold-out venue for 13 consecutive games. With the 2024 season being one of the most anticipated in recent memory, don’t expect it to be easy to find a ticket.
The only way to get a free student ticket is through the student lottery system. If the lottery isn’t already your enemy, it soon will be when it says you didn’t get a ticket for Saturday.
Your ticket fate is not entirely up to chance, however. When attending other NC State sporting events there will often be one or two attendants swiping student IDs that increase your student loyalty points and thus increase your chances of getting a football ticket.
And if you are one of the lucky ones to get a ticket, getting through the student gate before kick-off is nothing short of a free-forall. With the entire student section getting funneled through one gate, try to get there early if you want to avoid the frat lot crowd.
Reynolds Coliseum
No athletic building at NC State has quite as much history as Reynolds Coliseum does. Once the home of Wolfpack men’s basketball, Reynolds is now the feature location for women’s basketball, volleyball, gymnastics and wrestling.
Outside the building, you’ll see statues of coaches who have left their mark on the rich history of NC State. Take a step into Truist Grand Hall, and you will truly get to appreciate the grandeur of Reynolds.
Just past the ticket booths is the NC State Athletics Walk of Fame and History, permanently enshrining the former leaders of the Pack and honoring their athletic achievements.
Between the four Division I sports hosted in the arena, they combined for two ACC Championships and a Final Four appearance last season. All of the programs also finished last season with winning records.
The capacity of Reynolds is only 5,500 following the $35 million renovations done in 2016, so getting a ticket to marquee events has gotten harder, especially for students. Student tickets for all of these events are on a first-come, first-serve basis, so don’t be surprised to see the die-hard fans lining
up outside a couple of hours before games.
PNC Arena
Home to NC State men’s basketball and the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, PNC Arena is one of the largest college basketball facilities in the nation. With 19,700 red seats and a 3,000-seat student section, PNC Arena can get loud especially when Tobacco Road rivals UNC-Chapel Hill and Duke come to town.
The 3,000-seat courtside student section fills up fast, so if you aren’t prepared to line up outside PNC Arena a couple of hours before tip-off, rain or shine, don’t be surprised when one of the ticket ushers hands you a ticket in the upper 300-level.
There aren’t many bad seats given the way PNC Arena is designed, but on game days when the arena isn’t full, being all the way up in the nosebleeds can take away from the gameday atmosphere.
Unless you are willing to sell an arm and a leg for limited food options, eat before you get to PNC Arena. PNC is not a walletfriendly food establishment by any means, so fill up before you make the trip.
No sport has taken off in the Carolinas quite like hockey has, with the Carolina Hurricanes resurging as a playoff-caliber team. With 41 regular season home games from October to April, the Hurricanes will often offer last-minute ticket deals for students.
NC State has its own club hockey team, the Icepack, whose popularity has also ex-
ploded in recent years. 24,000 fans showed up to support the Icepack when it played outdoors in Carter-Finley, only enhancing the rivalry between them and UNC’s own club hockey team.
A battle for the Governor’s Cup is only fitting on the biggest of stages and for the past year, PNC Arena has been that stage. An annual battle between the two teams will take place in PNC once again, although the date for now is still uncertain.
Dail Soccer and Track Complex
Located in the heart of main campus is the Dail Soccer and Track Complex, where it hosts men’s and women’s soccer throughout the fall semester. Across the street from Reynolds and Talley Student Union, the Dail Soccer and Track Complex always has an event going on.
With standard seating spanning the width of the field and bleacher seating behind both goals, you shouldn’t have trouble finding a seat unless you want to sit with a large group all together.
Causing havoc for the away team is the Wolfpack’s Red Terrors. A student-led support group for both the men’s and women’s soccer teams, they have their own chants and flares and are at every home game. With seven games before the first football game of the year, these soccer events are great ways to get some extra loyalty points and increase your odds of getting student tickets.
Aidan Carlson Assistant Sports Editor
HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN
The United States flag is displayed on the field during halftime at the military appreciation game against Miami at Carter-Finley Stadium on Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. NC State beat Miami 20-6.
Fall 2024 names to know in NC State Athletics
Gavin Gallimore Staff Writer
Fresh off a historic 2023 campaign, NC State Athletics is eager to kickstart a new year. While some of the Pack’s teams are ready to push for new heights, others seek fresh starts. However, one common theme is the many talented athletes that will wear the red and white this fall. Here are a few that should be on everyone’s radar come the first day of class.
Men’s Cross Country: Toby Gualter
Starting and finishing a season strong is crucial in sports, and graduate student Toby Gualter did just that during the 2023 cross country season. During the season opener at the Adidas XC challenge, he clocked a 17:53.2 in the 6k which earned him a second place finish. At the end of his 2023 season, Gualter earned All-Region honors during the Southwest Regional 10k before taking part in the national championship race.
Women’s Cross Country: Gionna Quarzo
Fresh off its third consecutive national title, NC State women’s cross country has cemented itself as a preeminent force on the national stage. In order to push for yet another championship, the Pack will look to reap the benefits of a strong returning group of runners which includes graduate student Gionna Quarzo. A six-time All-ACC honoree, Quarzo has plenty of experience to help anchor this squad.
Last season was the most successful for Quarzo as she came in 14th in the ACC Championships. She continued her success at the NCAA Southeast Regional where she came in 12th place, earning her a spot on the All-Regional team. Finally, she clocked a 20:41.4 mark in the NCAA Championship 6k to help the Pack earn its third-straight national title.
Football: Kevin Concepcion
The 2024 season is one of the most highly anticipated in the history of NC State football. However, it will rely on a familiar face that returns after recording an astounding freshman season. The reigning ACC Rookie of the Year, sophomore wide receiver Kevin Concepcion has plenty to build off of this season.
Setting multiple program records, Concepcion proved to be a nightmare for opposing defenses. He was a dual-threat
throughout the season, showing off his unique skillset and proving he was just as adept rushing the ball as he was catching it.
With 1,179 total yards, 839 of which were through the air, Concepcion often gave NC State the extra juice it needed to win in bigtime moments. The freshman phenom’s best game last season came in a win over UNCChapel Hill, where he posted 131 receiving yards and a pair of touchdown receptions.
Football: Grayson McCall
In order for a football team to find sustained success, it usually depends on the success of its quarterback. The Pack took that to heart this offseason as it secured the commitment of high-level transfer graduate quarterback Grayson McCall from Coastal Carolina. An experienced player, McCall logged 42 games at Coastal and racked up 10,005 passing yards. His efficiency is noteworthy as well — he threw 88 touchdown passes to only 14 interceptions in his career as a Chanticleer.
The three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year has proven that he has what it takes to guide a successful team as he helped engineer three seasons of at least nine wins which included two 10-win campaigns at
Coastal Carolina. As a team with lots of new faces, NC State needs a leader to help position the team for success. In his final season of college football, McCall has what it takes to do just that.
Men’s Soccer: Will Buete
After a frustrating 2023 season, NC State men’s soccer looks to begin a new chapter this season with its new head coach Marc Hubbard. Despite massive change within the program, senior midfielder Will Buete will bring dependability night-in, night-out.
A consistent player within the program, Buete played in each contest last season while logging an impressive 1,488 total minutes. He also scored four goals and tallied three assists, accounting for 11 points, a mark that ranked second on the team.
Women’s Soccer: Alivia Kelly
NC State women’s soccer is sure to benefit from the addition of New Hampshire transfer graduate defender Alivia Kelly. Named to the United Soccer Coaches 2024 NCAA Division I Women’s Defenders to Watch List, she is sure to bring some consistency to a squad that only won three games last
season. Kelly played in all 60 games as a Wildcat. A testament to her durability, she played the full 90 minutes in 15 games last season before being named the American East Defender of the Year.
Volleyball: Amanda Rice
Last season was a step in the right direction for NC State volleyball. Posting its best record since the 2017 season, NC State came just short of returning to the NCAA Tournament. Fans were treated to several large wins in which the team exhibited infectious energy that undoubtedly helped give the Pack an edge. One player that embodied that the most was senior opposite hitter Amanda Rice.
Rice found lots of success in 2023, seeing some of the best production of her career. Tallying her 500th career kill, she put forth three straight games in which she recorded at least 20. Now at 694 total kills in her career, she has what it takes on offense while she can get it done defensively with 153 career digs as well. Last season, she also earned a spot on the Second Team All-ACC team.
JERMAINE HUDSON/TECHNICIAN
In this file photo taken Nov. 25, 2023 wide receiver Kevin Concepcion celebrates scoring a touchdown during the game against UNCChapel Hill in Carter-Finley Stadium. Concepcion scored two touchdowns. The Wolfpack beat the Tar Heels 39-20.
NC State Athletics’ must-see matchups Fall 2024
Fall 2024 has big shoes to fill in the world of NC State athletics. In just one semester, the Wolfpack delivered two basketball Final Fours, an ACC men’s basketball championship and a trip to the Men’s College World Series.
This season could be just as exciting, though. From football to volleyball, the Wolfpack will be featured in marquee matchups. For NC State fans, students and alumni, here are some must-see matchups this fall.
Football vs Tennessee, Sept. 7
NC State football is hungry for a spot in the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff. Winning a game against one of the SEC’s best, the Tennessee Volunteers, would be a strong addition to a potential playoff resume.
When the Pack and the Vols clash in Charlotte, North Carolina on Sept. 7, the Wolfpack defense will have the opportunity to challenge one of the country’s best offenses. Led by quarterback Nico Iamaleava,
the No. 2 overall recruit in the class of 2022, the Vols have the talent to be the best offense NC State faces all season. Tennessee head coach Josh Heupel is known for running an uptempo offense and the Pack will have to be at its best to slow down the Vols.
The Wolfpack has a talented quarterback of its own in graduate transfer Grayson McCall, a three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year. With a revamped offense, McCall will have the weapons needed to keep pace with Tennessee. However, it won’t be easy as the Vols boast one of the nation’s best defensive linemen — James Pierce Jr.
The battle in the trenches, especially wherever Pierce lines up, will be crucial for the Wolfpack.
No matter who wins, this matchup promises to deliver offensive fireworks. If the Wolfpack wins, it’ll be in a strong position to make the College Football Playoff and make a statement before opening ACC competition.
Volleyball vs Pitt, Nov. 24
Last season, NC State volleyball took a massive step forward, emerging as an ACC
power. The red-and-white improved on its win total by six games, finishing 22-7 in 2023. With the ACC’s top program, Pitt, making a trip to Reynolds Coliseum, the Wolfpack has a golden opportunity to make its mark on the 2024 season.
Pitt will make its trip to Reynolds on Nov. 24 for a late-season showdown. With the NCAA Tournament looming, this matchup gives NC State a shot to add a win against one of the best programs in the country to its resume. After seven straight losses to Pitt, a win in the series would mark a major breakthrough for the Wolfpack.
Women’s soccer vs Clemson, Oct. 20
After a down year, NC State women’s soccer is looking to bounce back. The Pack has a prime opportunity to announce its presence with a Sunday matinee against Clemson on Oct. 20. The Tigers are projected to be one of the top teams in the ACC and present a real challenge for any opponent.
For the Wolfpack to top Clemson, it will have to bring its best on defense. Led by four-year starter, graduate forward Megan Bornkamp, Clemson has a dangerous of-
fense. Bornkamp has 24 career goals and 20 assists and will be a critical piece for the Tigers. Slowing Bornkamp will be essential for the red-and-white to pull off the upset and earn a signature win.
Men’s Soccer vs SMU, Oct. 19
With the additions of SMU, Cal and Stanford to the ACC, Wolfpack fans will get the chance to see the red-and-white take on some fresh opponents. Last season, SMU dominated the American Athletic Conference with a 7-0-1 conference record and is now set to take its talents to the ACC. The Mustangs will challenge the Wolfpack on Oct. 19 in a primetime matchup.
SMU is led by senior forward Bailey Sparks, who landed on the preseason AllACC team. Sparks is a strong playmaker for the Mustangs, with five assists last season. Disrupting Sparks is crucial for the Pack in this matchup. Additionally, this will be an opportunity for NC State’s new head coach Marc Hubbard to make a statement in his first season in Raleigh.
(LEFT TO RIGHT) HALLIE WALKER, ONY OTIOCHA, HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN
Noah Teague Staff Writer
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