Sidewalk Symposium — 09/28/23

CHALK TALKS

2023 SIDEWALK SYMPOSIUM

THE RADAR

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Sept. 28

Friday, Sept. 29, 5-9 p.m.

THE NATURE EXPERIENCE: WALK AND TALK

Friday, Sept. 29, 3:15-4 p.m.

CAMPUS HEALTH, MEET AT REAR ENTRANCE.

Join Prevention Services for a Walk and Talk surrounded by nature and community.

D.H. HILL JR. LIBRARY, FISHBOWL FORUM

THINK INSIDE THE BOX: THREATS TO ACADEMIC FREEDOM

Monday, Oct. 2, 6-7 p.m.

WITHERS HALL, 232A

Join

PRIDEFEST 2023

Tuesday, Oct. 3, 3-5 p.m. STAFFORD COMMONS Free

Out Day at the third annual NC State PrideFest.

PHOTO OF THE WEEK

Alumni Association eliminates membership dues

Riya Kannan Correspondent

The Alumni Association eliminated membership dues for annual and lifetime members to foster permanent and lifelong connections to NC State for all alumni.

Reshunda Mahone, associate vice chancellor for Alumni Engagement and Annual Giving at the Alumni Association, said the association’s work ensures a continued sense of belonging for those who are no longer on campus every day.

“We’re responsible for making sure that alumni, friends, parents, students, faculty, staff — the entire NC State community — is not alone,” Mahone said. “We’re making sure that everyone has that connection and relationship with the institution.”

Until July 1, the Alumni Association collected dues for all members. At $50 for a one-year individual membership and $950 for a lifetime membership, joining the association came with a price.

“We’re talking about only 15,000 people roughly, give or take, out of 292,000 alumni, that actually were dues-paying members,” Mahone said. “So you can see the gap.”

Mahone said the gap between the number of total alumni and the number of members in the Alumni Association motivated the organization to consider dropping dues.

“It’s hard to still put a dollar value on the fact that we’re only supporting and engaging less than 10% of our alumni population,” Mahone said. “So as someone who believes in NC State, that, to me, is a huge opportunity cost.”

The Alumni Association decided engagement was more important than revenue, leading to its decision to strike down membership dues.

“If we’re only focused on numbers, we’re leaving a lot of alumni — not to mention friends, parents, family — off from a relationship with the institution,” Mahone said. “That’s one of the reasons why we needed to think about a different strategy, one that hopefully gets us closer aligned to our mission.”

Mahone said the decision to drop fees

came with significant support.

“There was a lot of decision-making involved in the financing and funding, and I am proud to say that we have a University with leadership from Chancellor Woodson … that is 100% supportive of the idea that we want to grow that 7% to 100% of our alum being engaged, not just those who are dues-paying members,” Mahone said.

Mahone said that while previous due-requiring memberships are no longer offered, those who currently hold memberships with the Alumni Association will have annual member’s benefits honored until expiration or will be included in an engagementfocused affinity group for lifetime members.

The Alumni Association also hopes that dropping dues will boost engagement with current students. Anil Gordon, a secondyear studying political science and direc-

tor of engagement and outreach for Student Government, said having alumni connections is valuable for current students.

“Engaging with alumni allows you to start relationships early, which I think that’s something that’s really crucial,” Gordon said. “If you’re waiting until senior year, you might miss out on advice, opportunities and just the ability to learn from the mistakes or lessons that alumni might have learned through their time in college.”

To aid in bridging the gap between students and alumni, Gordon said that one of his main initiatives for the year is to build up a database of alumni that would be accessible to all students and graduates.

“This was part of a larger task set forth by [Timothy] Reid and [Allison] Markert’s campaign initiative,” Gordon said. “What the end result would hopefully look like

would be the University adopting a software that would allow students to use the database and access information about alumni through specific queries.”

Gordon said he hopes this will benefit students and aid the Alumni Association’s mission to connect and engage with the Pack.

“I think this is something that would definitely benefit students at NC State, as well as keep alumni engaged and involved with our student base, allowing them to feel like they’re able to give back to the community in a relatively easy way,” Gordon said.

More information on the Alumni Association and its membership opportunities can be found at alumni. ncsu.edu/membership/

SINDY HUANG/TECHNICIAN

In this archive photo taken March 4, 2019, Mr. Wuf cutout sits on one of the dining tables at the Legacy Admissions Information Day dinner in Talley Student Union. Recently, the Alumni Association eliminated membership dues for annual and lifetime members to foster permanent and lifelong connections to NC State for all alumni.

Sidewalk chalk studies: Symposium presents undergraduate research

Lemurs, liver disease, proteins and power plants paved the Hillsborough Street entrance to D.H. Hill Jr. Library on Tuesday morning as undergraduate researchers put their artistic skills to the test to share their work in a visual format.

Sidewalk symposium is an annual fall event held by the Office of Undergraduate Research that gives undergraduate students from all disciplines and experience levels the opportunity to artistically share their research and scholarly projects in chalk art.

Janet Goins, director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, said students were encouraged to use as much illustration and as little text as possible in their presentations.

“Hopefully, [the research] comes across as more accessible, particularly in this artistic form,” Goins said. “And we’re also challenging our presenters here to think about different ways to present their research outside of what’s more typically thought of in research with a PowerPoint presentation or poster.”

For some students, the event provided the opportunity to practice presenting their research in a low-stress environment.

Karina Seebaluck, a fourth-year studying psychology and Spanish, presented her work exploring ways to improve the implementation of sexual health programming in the foster care system.

“I remember going to last year’s sidewalk symposium and being super inspired by how people visualize their research in such a casual way,” Seebaluck said. “I feel like at this stage, especially events like this, it’s a really supportive environment for researchers to just do their thing and ask questions.”

Other students, such as a group who researched the environmental footprint of power near NC State’s campus, used the event as a way to prepare to give bigger presentations down the road.

Shamik Bhattacharya, a fourth-year studying environmental science and a member of this group, said the team intends to present at the State of North Carolina Undergraduate Research and Creative Activities Symposium later this year.

“Our advisor, Dr. Richmond-Bryant was like, ‘How about we just start small and go big?’ So that’s exactly what we’re doing,” Bhattacharya said.

Goins said another goal of the event was to bring visibility to research opportunities for undergraduates on campus. Kaya Rosselle, a third-year studying plant biology, presented work with Paciulli Lab on mother-infant behaviors in ayeaye lemurs. Rosselle said her experience with research has helped her learn about which fields she’s interested in.

“It’s good, when you’re in the STEM field, to try to figure out what kind of stuff you like to do — field work, lab

work or anything along [with] that,” Rosselle said. “Even if … whatever you’re doing specifically isn’t what you want, scientific writing and presenting is a big part of science and STEM stuff, so having opportunities to practice that is really important.”

Research at the symposium was not limited to STEM fields, with five of NC State’s 10 colleges represented.

“I think it’s also a really good nod to our folks who do research in the humanities, arts and social sciences — that their research is valid,” Goins said. “So it’s a nice call into the importance of arts in particular.”

Just as the experience-level of researchers varied, the art demonstrated a range of styles and abilities.

“One that we particularly loved from last time was a student who’s doing a project on ants, and they had just very good artistic technique,” Goins said. “But honestly, I think I really love the ones that are even just like a stick figure. … And it’s a judgment free zone. We just want you to share your research however you can, and I would be right there with them doing stick figures.”

Holly Hurlburt, associate dean of University College and a professor in the Department of History, encouraged researchers to sign their artwork, taking ownership of the research they do.

“You’re an artist now,” Hurlburt said. “We’re joining the creative process with research here.”

HALLIE WALKER

Sydney Gardner, a fourth-year studying zoology, listens to her professor Lisa Paciulli, a senior lecturer in biological sciences, talk about the details of her project during the Sidewalk Symposium outside of D.H. Hill Jr. Library on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. The Sidewalk Symposium gives undergraduate students an opportunity to present their research in the form of chalk art. Students from all disciplines are welcome to enter the Symposium.

Jameson Wolf Editor-in-Chief

HALLIE WALKER

Nora Hicks, a second-year studying physics, talks about her project during the Sidewalk Symposium outside of D.H. Hill Jr. Library on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023. The Sidewalk Symposium gives undergraduate students an opportunity to present their research in the form of chalk art.

NC State’s first Latinx student body president reflects on her experiences

Bastian Hauser Correspondent

It was not until 2017 that NC State students elected Jackie Gonzalez as first Latinx student body president. While the position demands much on a day-to-day basis, Gonzalez had the added challenge of facing external harassment. After she entered such a public role, some Facebook users started harassing Gonzalez online. Gonzalez said no NC State students threatened her.

“That was difficult to deal with, for sure.”

Gonzalez said she is proud she had such a strong coalition of other student leaders and that with their support, she was able to represent the students’ interests before the University’s administration.

“Students would walk up to me and tell me, ‘You should tell administration to do this, this and this,’ and it was very empowering to walk into those meetings with administration and the Board of Trustees and say, ‘I have had students tell me this, this and this; students support this or students don’t support this,’” Gonzalez said. “That was really special to me, too.”

Paul Acuña, a third-year civil engineering Ph.D. student and president of the Latin American Student Association at NC State University, said he thinks it’s important to see leaders such as Gonzalez from your own community.

“Although I wasn’t here when Jackie Gonzalez was student body president, it is certainly nice to see that someone that shares your background was able to reach a top position at NC State,” Acuña said.

Acuña said he feels Gonzalez provides an im portant role model for other Latinx students on campus.

“She is a role model, and even more than that, she is real proof that your background doesn’t necessarily need to be a limitation for you to achieve the things that you want to get in your life,” Acuña said.

my family and so navigating that experience was also just extremely new and fun, but also a little scary because we didn’t know what everything entailed and what you needed to do and all those things.”

Gonzalez said she hopes her leadership motivates others to follow in her footsteps.

“I wanted to be a good example so that other Latinx students could become a leader, too,” Gonzalez said.

“After I had published my op-ed in support of removing the term ´dixie´ from the alma mater … the messages I received were along the lines of colonial derogatory names that you would call immigrants,” Gonzalez said. “‘Go back to your country’ was also a pretty common one.”

Eventually, the online harassment became so intense Gonzalez worried for her physical safety. She even warned her parents against suspicious packages or strangers approaching their home. Gonzalez said her parents worried she might face real-life retaliation.

“I never thought that it would get this far,” Gonzalez said.

Besides being part of the Latinx com munity, Gonzalez emphasized how being a first generation college student added an extra challenge to her college expe rience.

“It was extremely special — I mean, I’m a first generation college student, my parents are immigrants, so it was new,” Gonzalez said. “College was a new thing for me and for

COURTESY OF JACKIE GONZALEZ

She is a role model, and even more than that, she is real proof that your background doesn’t necessarily need to be a limitation for you to achieve the things that you want to get in your life.

- Paul Acuña

Republicans are attacking the courts

Republicans across the country have engaged in an anti-democratic crusade, with a series of attacks limiting voting rights for seemingly arbitrary reasons. Of course, posturing oneself to power via manipulated elections has only one check to prevent anti-democratic victory: the courts.

Now, in tandem with their efforts to curb voting rights, Republicans in Wisconsin have attempted to twist and contort the makeup of court systems to favor conservative ideals. How are they doing this? By impeaching liberal justices who criticize the legal limitations and failures of their station.

In Wisconsin, a recent election over a Supreme Court seat garnered national attention because of the issues that were to be presented before a changing court. The seat would determine whether the court would have a liberal or conservative majority when ruling over cases related to redistricting, abortion rights and labor laws.

When Justice Janet Protasiewicz won the election in April, conservatives went to work scheming to maintain power. Now, they’ve come up with the solution: impeach dissenting justices.

What was Protasiewicz’s crime? Vocalizing her concerns over the legality and

fairness of Wisconsin’s electoral districts.

Unsurprisingly, they got this idea from North Carolina Republicans who are doing the exact same thing. Despite holding a conservative majority in the legislature and the courts, Republicans have considered engaging in an impeachment inquiry against Justice Anita Earls.

Earls, one of the few remaining liberal justices, a Black woman and a prominent civil rights lawyer, voiced her concerns about the racial makeup and possible implicit biases of some justices and their offices.

It should come as no surprise that Republicans want to control the makeup of the courts. It has been a staple of Republican politics since the Reagan administration.

It’s why Clarence Thomas was approved despite inflammatory claims that he sexually harassed Anita Hill, his former assistant at the U.S. Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

It’s why Republicans blocked thenPresident Barack Obama’s federal judicial appointments, including the potential appointment of Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court, for nearly two years.

It’s why Trump appointed Justices Neil Gorsuch and Amy Coney Barrett, largely considered to be radical protegès of Justice Antonin Scalia, the brainchild of the reactionary political philosophy of originalism.

It’s why Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who

faced serious claims of sexual assault before the Senate, was nonetheless approved.

But having a solidly conservative majority in the U.S. Supreme Court alone is not enough. Republicans have made a point to solidify their control over state legislatures since the Reagan administration, controlling 30 legislatures after the 2020 election at their peak and gerrymandering those states to cement said control over a large portion of them.

Now that they’ve done this, especially in North Carolina, the only people who can stop them are state Supreme Courts.

The N.C. GOP felt emboldened to push the independent state legislature theory in Moore v. Harper, despite the clear logical and anti-democratic nature of such a principle, to remove state courts’ ability to stop the anti-democratic actions of the GOP.

Now that the fight in Moore v. Harper has failed, the final option for the GOP to permanently establish its power, both in North Carolina and in other purple states like Wisconsin, is to control the makeup of the courts.

The first step is heavily investing in Supreme Court elections, as was seen in North Carolina in 2020 and most recently in Wisconsin earlier this year. This focus led to a sweep of the Supreme Court elections and a new conservative majority in North Carolina.

The next step is to remove the liberal jus-

tices that remain on the courts. And despite the fact that it is common for prospective state justices to give opinions on current events both before, during and after campaigns, Republicans have used their open dialogue as evidence of bias and unfair judicial activism worthy of impeachment.

When it comes to conservative justices, this standard is ignored. In fact, all standards of biases are ignored.

Just look at Clarence Thomas, who took donations from billionaires to give his mother an opulent house and to go on all-expenses-paid yacht trips, and whose wife is an outspoken advocate of election denialism.

I wish I could give a solution, but I know this will fall to the pits of partisanship. Republicans know they will not win via popularity. Since 1992, Republicans have only won the presidential popular vote once. With fair maps and higher voter turnout, they lose.

All I can say is vote. If you care about your constitutional rights, vote. If you’re concerned about these developments, vote. If you care about preserving your voting rights, use them while you still have them. Anti-democratic sentiments are at an alltime high, and the only way to defeat them is with democracy.

Separate in power, together in peril: The General Assembly’s election bill controversy

The US was founded on the ideals of democracy — equality, justice and fair elections that allow the people’s voice to be heard in government. For almost all of American history, elections have been safeguarded by a reliable process that has been trusted by the voters, by our society, and most importantly, by our politicians.

After the 2020 election destroyed the precedent of a peaceful transition of power, trust in this process is wavering.

The electoral system used to be the one pillar that no one questioned. There has been systemic change in terms of who could vote and how, but the fundamental process remains the same.

This disruption of 200 years of precedent has seen voting rights make their way to the courts like never before, with the Supreme Court ruling on issues like gerrymandering and the way states run their elections.

We are also seeing the advent of new bills and reforms in response to the last election, which are starting to chip away at our electoral process. One such bill is on the docket here in North Carolina, putting us at the forefront of this national issue.

The North Carolina General Assembly is currently debating over Senate Bill 749, which seeks to completely rearrange the way our state manages elections at a time when we need to uphold our process, not diminish it.

The state’s current electoral system has the governor appoint five board members from lists curated by the state’s two largest political parties. Both parties must be represented

in the board, but a one-vote majority is allowed for either party. These members are then in charge of administering the state’s elections, from running voting booths to regulating campaign financing and coordinating the county boards.

If passed, the bill would completely remove the governor’s power over North Carolina elections and put election board member appointment power solely in the hands of the General Assembly. After losing complete independence in establishing electoral districts thanks to the Supreme Court, the General Assembly is making a power grab.

This bill would disrupt the delicate balance between the different branches of government in North Carolina because only the legislative branch would have the power to appoint the board and draw the election maps.

With so much power in one branch, a blank check is opened for more power to be absorbed into the legislature and for fewer safeguards to be implemented in government. North Carolina’s constitution says nothing about such a consolidation.

This is more than a partisan issue; it is the very nature of our elections that are at stake. This is the argument over who counts our ballots, who mans our polling stations and who gets to manage that process.

With so much uncertainty already surrounding one of our most sacred ideals, now is not the time for tyrannical power consolidation. Instead, it is the time for us as an electorate to read up on our issues, to inform ourselves and to prepare for the next election.

This is beyond partisanship — it is the shaping of our democracy and our future.

Koen Rodabaugh Focused Editor Pierce Bruns Correspondent

There’s a better way to do wellness days

I’m sitting in the Student Media conference room a week before the next wellness day.

One of the opinion section editors mentions this and asks if we still want to meet next week.

Someone responds, “Sure, that’s really just a homework day for me.” “Same,” someone else says. “Yeah,” another person says, “it’s sad that we spend wellness days just catching up.”

When a day for wellness becomes a day for homework, that shows a detachment between what the University intends to do for students and what students have to do for themselves.

None of this is to say the University puts no planning into wellness days. The various wellness events hosted throughout the semester are helpful to a lot of students, especially those on wellness days themselves.

That being said, many of the University’s wellness events center on wellness outside the academic setting. If you visit the Wolfpack Wellness website, you’ll find many

great resources and events like The Nature Experience, tutorials on gym equipment, International Tea Time and more.

However, if students aren’t able to attend these events because they have to catch up on work, that indicates they have another unmet need. Wellness and classwork being treated as separate mental domains is a bit ridiculous, especially when the immediate purpose of college is to get a degree.

About 39% of undergraduates at NC State have taken out federal student loans, which is nearly two in five students. Generally, when someone takes out student loans, they intend to get the degree that will help them pay it back, especially given that defaulted student loans can affect your borrowing ability, credit score and how much the government garnishes, or rather directly takes, from you.

For 39% of our undergraduates, getting a degree is essential. While the Academic Success Center is great for students who are behind, support is also needed for the students who have too much on their plate.

When students are turning a wellness day into a homework day, it’s safe to say they don’t have enough time to balance personal wellness and schoolwork. Stellar

time management can only do so much once we throw in honors, clubs, jobs, internships, scholarship requirements and service hours, much less mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.

So what can the University do? I would propose catch-up/wellness days.

Effectively, this would take the form of Monday and Tuesday classes being optional study halls with the professor. Ideally it would take place after the fourth and/or 12th weeks of each semester to intervene before classwork gets too heavy.

Wellness activities would still take place during the week, and professors would not be allowed to assign work or set due dates during these days, as is the case with current wellness days.

By virtue of making a given wellness day twice as long, that would provide more flexibility in how students use their wellness time.

For many, a wellness day seems like an ideal pocket of time to cram work into. But by extending the time and making its use more general, students can use that time to do work and take care of themselves.

Furthermore, by keeping classes going as usual in the form of study hall, time is made

for students to get their work done where they might not have had as much prior to. It also maintains routine, so students can still attend classes as per usual if they choose to.

This may also provide professors with a bit of feedback. If more students show up to a catch-up session to ask questions, professors might notice they’re moving through content too quickly. If a lot of students come with a lot of homework to complete, they may recognize that the course load may be too daunting. If no students show up, it could indicate the course is going very well or very poorly.

While this is not a perfect solution, especially amid a current mental health epidemic, it may be better than what we currently have.

I don’t think any of us want to spend a wellness day doing homework. I don’t think any of us want to turn in assignments late or miss class because we’re overwhelmed. And I don’t think any of us want to have to pick between academic success and taking care of ourselves.

We all want to do well, in our education and our health, but wellness days, as they currently operate, aren’t enough.

Will LaMarche

Staff Writer

Rainy, Lazy Day

Lucy Osborn, Staff Cartoonist

A third-year studying art and design Soup

Sophie Gabriel, Staff Cartoonist

A third-year studying art and design

FALL FASHION

Stupid Smart Vintage brings stylish pieces, thrifty prices to the Triangle

Riya Kannan Correspondent

Stupid Smart Vintage, an NC State student-led, thrifty clothing brand, has a mission to sell sustain able and stylish clothing at SHEIN prices.

This past summer, Elizabeth Edwards and Sarah Harte, third-years studying fashion and textile management, found themselves with a vast curated clothing collection.

The pair decided to start selling pieces from their collection and launch Stupid Smart Vintage. Edwards and Harte have been interested in fashion since they were kids and used thrifting to follow their personal style rather than trends.

“I never had the money to go out and get a bunch of clothes,” Harte said. “But I always wanted to find cool stuff and be different from the kids in my school, so I would always just go thrifting and just find pieces.”

Edwards said she found thrifting allowed her to hone her style and stand out.

“It was more so just not wanting to wear what other people already had,” Edwards said. “Everybody was shopping at PacSun, Forever 21 and H&M. You go to school [and] everyone’s wearing the same jeans.”

Harte said she thinks staying ahead of trends is important.

“It’s kind of fun, seeing all the mainstream things that we wore so long ago now coming back in and becoming popular again,” Harte said. “Just trying to be ahead of the curve, really.”

Harte said their coursework has aided in their mission to be as sustainable as possible while stay ing affordable.

“We’re trying to make the small difference that we can,” Harte said. “We learn a lot in class about SHEIN — like the unsustainability of fast fashion — and we really don’t want to contribute to that.”

Edwards and Harte are focused on growing their brand, and they said they’ve made significant progress through social media, word of mouth and campus-related initiatives — most recently, they styled The Layaways, a Raleigh-based band composed of five NC State students.

As the pair has gained experience, they’ve learned how to be a savvy thrifter. Edwards said that one of the biggest thrifting mistakes she made as an amateur was hunting only for name-brand items.

“Eighth-grade me would just get things because they were American Eagle, even if the pieces weren’t cute,” Edwards said. “Pick up a piece, and if it sparks joy, get it.”

Hart said it’s important to think outside the box when thrifting.

“You don’t have to keep it as is when you find it in the store,” Harte said. “You could cut it, you could change it, do anything really, and make it completely different.”

Stupid Smart Vintage will be at the “Campus Thrift Store x 2BrokeBoyz” event on Oct. 5 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Stafford Commons.

The Stupid Smart Vintage banner hangs across the back of the tent at the Super Smart Vintage pop-up at the Sep tember Sunset Market hosted by Thrift-A-Bull in Durham on Saturday, Sept. 17, 2023. Super Smart Vintage is a vin tage clothing brand created and operated by NC State students Sarah Harte and Liz Edwards. Harte and Edwards are both studying fashion and textile management with a concentration in brand management.

NC State alums found Raleigh-based embroidery business Currently, Apparel

With the beginning of fall, students may be on the hunt for new, cozy attire. Currently, Apparel, a Raleigh-based embroidery studio, has a variety of sweatshirts ideal for the season.

NC State alums Hira Iqbal and Vanessa Daniels co-founded Currently, Apparel in January.

“Our brand is Currently, so everything we make says Currently,” Daniels said. “And then we add something fun, something cute, something meaningful.”

They carry T-shirts, sweatshirts and tote bags with phrases ranging from “Currently, Reading” to “Currently, Trying My Best.” The limited edition fall collection includes “Currently, Sweater Weather” and “Currently, Ghostin’.”

“The idea behind Currently, is that it’s just celebrating where you are in life at that current moment,” Iqbal said. “It doesn’t have to stay the same forever, but whenever you have that on a T-shirt or a tote bag, you can always look back at where you were at that point in life.”

The pair studied textile design, which they said helped them use their design knowledge to incorporate creative imagery on their branded apparel.

“The images we put under our artwork is a fun way of

incorporating that,” Iqbal said. “When we were designing our fall collection, we just sat down in a coffee shop with our iPads, and we were drawing up ideas.”

Daniels and Iqbal started the business with the “Currently Cities” collection, which includes “Currently, Raleigh.” As the business has grown, they’ve added more styles.

“I think a lot of people like it because it’s very customizable,” Iqbal said. “We allow people to choose whatever they want to write underneath Currently,. … That gives people the ability to be as creative as they want to be with it.”

Some of their favorite designs are “Currently, Dilly-Dallying” and “Currently, Optimistic.”

“My newest favorite from our fall collection, which is just a limited time collection, is a navy blue sweatshirt,” Iqbal said. “It has Currently, and then three images: leaves, a pumpkin and then acorns. It’s really speaking to my favorite season.”

The customizable aspect also means there are designs for everyone.

“I always thought it was important to do something that makes a difference,” Daniels said. “In its own way, this has provided me with that. When people come up to us at markets, they think it’s funny, they think it’s cute. It makes people happy.”

One major goal for Currently, Apparel is to keep growing.

“I would love to see us more integrated around Raleigh,” Iqbal said. “Maybe working with more shops and small businesses … and then growing outwards from there. I would just love to see all types of people enjoying the shirts and sweatshirts and tote bags.”

Daniels and Iqbal said one of their favorite parts of owning a business is seeing the support from people they don’t know.

“I hit my first goal seeing it outside in the wild,” Daniels said. “I was at a restaurant/brewery, and there was this girl wearing a Currently, Raleigh sweatshirt.”

One way NC State has supported the duo is by fostering their knowledge of embroidery when they were students. They have also found support from family, friends and other small businesses.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised about how supportive the other small businesses that are at the pop-up markets have been,” Daniels said. “Everybody is wanting to get to know everybody. Everybody is super supportive.”

Currently, Apparel sells at Curate at Crabtree Mall and pop-up markets in the Triangle. For more information or to place an order, check out currentlyapparel.com or visit them on Instagram at @currently.apparel.

KYLEE HERTICK/TECHNICIAN

Olivia Winston Staff Writer

Taking the next step: NC State men’s basketball remains hungry for more success

Assistant Sports Editor

Basketball season is quickly approaching, and NC State men’s basketball is ready to improve. At the team’s media day, there was a resounding theme from this year’s team: taking the next step forward.

Last season the Pack enjoyed a 23-11 campaign that concluded with an appearance in the NCAA tournament — NC State’s first since 2018. The reinvigoration and strong season was cause for excitement, but the Wolfpack remains just as hungry for success this season.

“It’s really important to stay focused and never be satisfied — you should always want more,” said sophomore guard LJ Thomas. “Yeah we made the tournament, but we want to go farther. We don’t want to repeat what we did last year. We always want to get better.”

A key part of last year’s success was the red-and-white’s dynamic backcourt duo of Terquavion Smith and Jarkel Joiner. While both have moved on to professional basketball, their impact is still felt in the program. The Pack’s desire to elevate the program to the next level is evident by the work ethic of the entire team as they put their heads down and work at their craft each and every day.

“These guys just go work hard, come in everyday and there’s not too much complaining,” said graduate forward DJ Burns. “You don’t have to ask them to start warming up, we come in and just work.”

Burns, the face of NC State basketball, is back for one last ride with the Wolfpack. After an injury to starting center Dusan Mahorcic, Burns took on an expanded role and did not disappoint, quickly becoming a fan-favorite in Raleigh.

“DJ got a chance to go into the starting lineup and played about 30 minutes a game,” said head coach Kevin Keatts. “The legend of DJ Burns was born, and he’s going to be mayor of this city one day.”

The 6-foot-9 forward will once again be one of the Pack’s main threats to score, especially when other players’ shots aren’t falling.

“He’s extremely valuable because when you need an easy bucket, you can just throw it right inside,” Thomas said. “Sometimes you don’t always make shots and go through long stretches, but DJ can get you a bucket.”

Burns isn’t the only key contributor to return. Graduate guard Casey Morsell is back and is expected to be one of the better players in Raleigh after bursting onto the scene last year. In addition to his on-court talent, specifically as a three-and-d player, Morsell has brought veteran leadership to NC State. With players like Joiner and Smith gone, Morsell’s value as a leader has only grown.

“As a leader, I’m just trying to be the best communicator,” Morsell said. “I’ve always been a guy that led by example during my time here, but that’s the next step for me — being more vocal and bringing guys along verbally. I think that brings the best out of the guys.”

Morsell isn’t the only talented guard who will take the court for the Wolfpack this season. Graduate guard DJ Horne and junior guard Jayden Taylor, who transferred to NC State this offseason, have quickly made an impact.

When Morsell, Horne and Taylor are on the court together, the red-and-white will be tough to stop.

“It makes my life easier because you got me, you got Casey Morsell and you got DJ Horne,” Taylor said. “You have to guard those guys, but you also have to guard me. You can’t

help too much on Casey because I’m just going to pass it. … It just makes my life easier.”

With so much talent on this year’s team, the Wolfpack has one goal on its mind — postseason success. NC State is focusing on being intentional in practice so that it can reach its goals at the end of the season. After getting a taste of March Madness earlier this year, it’s clear that the Pack is hungry for more.

“Getting back to the tournament, to actually win games, that’s a big focal point for us,” sophomore guard KJ Keatts said. “The end goal is to win games in March.”

While the ACC schedule for men’s basketball hasn’t been released yet, the non-conference games are already set. The Pack will start its campaign Wednesday, Nov. 1 in PNC Arena, as it takes on Mount Olive in an exhibition game.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

Graduate forward DJ Burns stands surrounded by reporters during the men’s basketball media day at Dail Basketball Center on Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023

Noah Teague

Carolina Hurricanes bolster roster ahead of 2023-24 Stanley Cup campaign

out the playoffs.

After getting swept in the Eastern Conference Finals by the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes reloaded their roster with some key signings and are looking to push for a Stanley Cup in the 2023-2024 season. Here’s a look at some of the new additions the Canes brought in to bolster their lineup for the upcoming year.

Michael Bunting, Left Wing

Left winger Michael Bunting fills one of the biggest holes Carolina had last season — depth at left wing. Once left winger Andrei Svechnikov went down with a torn ACL and was done for the year, there wasn’t much talent left behind him.

Despite his age, Bunting has only played two full NHL seasons, and he’s scored 23 goals each year. While in Toronto, Bunting was surrounded by highscoring talent, and his creative playmaking abilities netted him many points.

A jack-of-all-trades player, Bunting likes to establish himself physically and doesn’t give up on the play. He fits the high-intensity forecheck system the Canes like to run, and if he can find a rhythm with the team, he will be a bargain at a $4.5 million average annual value.

Dmitry Orlov, Defenseman

When free agency kicked off this summer, defenseman Dmitry Orlov was ranked as the best defensive free agent in 2023 and was highly sought after, so when the Canes signed him for big money, many were surprised. Orlov was looking for a long-term deal from the Washington Capitals, but after not inking any deal, the Caps shipped him to Boston for the second half of the 2023 season.

The Canes were able to re-sign some veterans to cheaper contracts than they were on in years prior, freeing up some space to bring in Orlov at a $7.75 million average annual value for two years.

The Russian has plenty of talent on both ends of the ice. His rocket of a shot and his speed makes him dangerous on the rush where he sneaks in on the weak side — a nightmare for opposing goaltenders. He isn’t afraid to lay the body either and ruffle some feathers, something the Canes lacked through-

On any other team in the NHL, Orlov is guaranteed to be a top-four defenseman. However, the Canes defense is so deep that it will be interesting to see where he fits in. Defensemen Jaccob Slavin and Brady Skjei already have established themselves on the left-hand side of the defense, so until the season gets underway it will be impossible to guess where Orlov lines up.

Brendan Lemieux, Left Wing

As the NHL shifts farther away from the fisticuffs, the role of the goon is a dying breed. That didn’t stop the Hurricanes when this summer, they signed left winger Brendan Lemieux to a one-year deal worth $800,000.

Lemieux has been a bottom-six forward his entire career and has made a name for himself by getting penalties, such as biting a player’s hands just two seasons ago.

He isn’t a name that appears on the scoresheet very often, but he’ll be most impactful if he can draw the hits away from players like center Sebastian Aho, who can do much more in space than when constantly getting hit.

At only $800,000, there’s a high likelihood Lemieux will be used sparingly as the Canes’ 13th forward in case of injuries or other circumstances that bar others from the ice.

Lemieux will also be joined by friend and podcast co-host defenseman Tony DeAngelo, who has arrived back in Carolina after a tumultuous season with the Philadelphia Flyers.

Leftovers

If bringing back defenseman Dylan Coghlan wasn’t enough, the Canes also signed defenseman Caleb Jones to a oneyear contract at the league minimum.

Heading into training camp, the Canes have acquired numerous veterans on professional tryout contracts who look to use their leadership skills to crack the final roster, such as center Zach AstonReese and left wing Brendan Perlini.

With the talent the Hurricanes have acquired, this year more than ever feels like Stanley Cup or bust. With the new acquisitions the team made, this may be the year this group gets over the last couple of hurdles and etches their name in history.

ETHAN RIMOLT/TECHNICIAN

In this archive photo taken Feb. 18, 2023, (left to right) Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Brent Burns, center Martin Necas and center Seth Jarvis celebrate a goal during the 2023 NHL Stadium Series game between the Carolina Hurricanes and the Washington Capitals in Carter-Finley Stadium. During the offseason the Hurricanes added former Washington Capital defenseman Dimitri Orlov to their roster.

Aidan Carlson Staff Writer

Rajecki, freshmen shine as Pack women’s tennis hosts Fall Ranked Spotlight

State’s sky-high expectations.

Months after coming up one match short of a national title, NC State women’s tennis hit the courts once more as the Wolfpack hosted the Fall Ranked Spotlight.

As a national powerhouse for women’s tennis, NC State showed out in Raleigh and Cary, North Carolina, over the weekend. The Wolfpack won 11 ranked singles matches and three ranked doubles matches. As the first step in its journey back to a national championship, NC State got its first taste of action against some of the best competition in the country.

“The biggest thing is, even though our players do play a lot in the summer, [this competition] is to see where we are as a team,” said head coach Simon Earnshaw. “We’ve obviously got a lot of work to do. We’ve lost some fairly tough competitors, and we’re young.”

While the Wolfpack suffered the unsurprising departures of two of its top players from last season, Alana Smith and Diana Shnaider, Earnshaw engineered an impressive freshman class to bolster the ranks of his returning players — almost all of which are seniors.

One of those seniors, No. 10 Amelia Rajecki, stole the show in the singles tournament at Cary Tennis Park. After breaking the program’s record for the most singleseason singles wins and blazing her way to the semifinal round of the 2023 NCAA Singles Championships, Rajecki doubled down on her singles prowess by winning the A-1 draw of the Fall Ranked Spotlight.

“NCAA’s gave me a little taster of who I could be and kind of, the potential that I had which is really nice,” Rajecki said. “This tournament is definitely very physical, especially in singles. … It’s challenging, which I really like, but this season, I’m definitely just interested to play a lot of high level tennis and kind of see how far I can push myself.”

Rajecki defended her No. 10 national ranking against an array of other ranked competitors, only losing one set over her five-match road. Her fellow senior, No. 72 Abigail Rencheli, also competed in the A-1 draw, winning two matches before falling to Ohio State’s Irina Cantos Siemers in the quarterfinals of the tournament.

Meanwhile, seniors No. 110 Sophie Abrams and Gina Dittmann won three combined matches in the A-2 draw. Sophomore Anna Zyryanova also won three matches in the consolation draw of the A-2 competition.

Many of the Wolfpack’s freshmen got their first taste of college tennis Thursday, Sept. 21 at NC State’s home courts in the doubles competition. Getting used to the

collegiate game is a challenge in and of itself, not to mention rising to Earnshaw’s and NC

“It’s a learning process for them,” Earnshaw said. “They’re definitely very, very capable, so it’s not a steep learning curve. They’ve just got to understand that when expectations and goals or standards are higher that you’re gonna have to hold yourself to a higher standard.”

The red-and-white’s freshman class was dubbed the No. 6 class in the country over the summer for good reason. Freshmen Maddy Zampardo, Gabriella Broadfoot and Reya Lee Coe all had extensive experience and accolades at the junior level, making them natural fits for NC State’s next generation of players.

Earnshaw also added freshman Kristina Paskauskas in August to double down on his biggest and most impressive freshman class in years.

However, getting four new freshmen acclimated to NC State tennis is just as much of a lesson for the fresh faces as it is for the Pack’s experienced group of seniors.

“For the seniors, it’s definitely kind of a learning experience for us,” Rajecki said. “Every year you have a new team, and you kind of pass the baton on trying to teach the freshies the rules of how we play. But definitely four is a lot. I’ve never, never heard of that many freshmen. It’s nice to kind of see them learning and kind of seeing what you’ve told them, putting that into play.”

Rajecki has taken Zampardo under her wing as her anticipated doubles partner for the season. The pair is already ranked No. 43 in the country and won two out of three of their matches over the weekend.

Similar to Rajecki and Zampardo, Rencheli’s joined forces with Broadfoot in doubles, and the pair also won two matches over the weekend.

As this freshman class takes its first steps as the future of NC State women’s tennis, Earnshaw’s expecting big things out of his squad, no matter their experience.

“Hopefully, as a group we can sort of collectively step up again,” Earnshaw said. “We definitely have a lot of pieces this year, that’s for sure. We’ve never had a roster that was as big as this.”

Once again, the Wolfpack has a national championship in its crosshairs. After finally getting its long-sought-after ACC Championship title in April, it’s the only thing left on NC State’s to-do list.

With the likes of experienced seniors like Rajecki leading the charge and a bevy of promising freshmen following behind, Earnshaw and the Pack will undoubtedly be gunning for another historic season come 2024.

ANNA HANSEN/TECHNICIAN

Senior Amelia Rajecki screams in celebration of winning her singles match against Irina Cantos Siemers of Ohio State during the Fall Ranked Spotlight at Cary Tennis Park on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. Rajecki won the match 7-6(6), 6-4.

ANNA HANSEN/TECHNICIAN Freshman Maddy Zampardo yells in celebration of a point during the Fall Ranked Spotlight at Cary Tennis Park on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023.

Ethan Bakogiannis Editor-in-Chief

NC State women’s soccer gains traction with 0-0 draw at No. 16 Duke

Wolfpack.

DURHAM, N.C. — While it’s still not the win NC State women’s soccer has been searching for, the Wolfpack gave the No. 16 Duke Blue Devils all they could handle in Durham on Sunday, Sept. 24.

With neither team able to find a goal, the red-and-white recorded its third tie in four matches by drawing 0-0 with the Blue Devils (5-3-1, 1-1-1 ACC). After its heated 1-1 draw with Wake Forest, the Pack (1-5-5, 0-1-2 ACC) has recorded two well-earned draws in a row — all in spite of its merciless conference schedule.

“I came in; I made sure that I was there for the team,” Pratapas said. “And I would do everything that I could. So I feel pretty good, and the team has trusted me. I’ve trusted them, so it’s good all around.”

Pratapas wasn’t the only one consistently denying Duke. NC State’s back four, led by players such as junior defender Brianna Weber and sophomore defender Taylor Chism, played a major role in keeping the Blue Devils at bay.

Ultimately, neither team could find the winning goal, leading to a 0-0 draw — possibly the best result of the Pack’s 2023 season.

“This team has been through a lot this year,” Santoro said. “And I never thought they would quit. … They’ve really kept after it in training, and our attitudes are good, and again, these are two really good results.”

But even with two favorable draws in a row, NC State will have its hands full when No. 1 UNC-Chapel Hill comes to Raleigh on Saturday, Sept. 30. As a perennial women’s soccer powerhouse, the undefeated Tar Heels are not to be trifled with.

However, if there’s any team that NC State can up its game against and continue its positive trajectory, it’s Carolina.

“I think a lot of people outside are doubting us,” Pratapas said. “But we believe in ourselves, and we know that we’re almost there. So all we have to do is just bring that effort.”

“To get a point on the road against Duke and Wake, it’s a pretty good week considering we’ve been in so many tight games and they haven’t gone our way,” said head coach Tim Santoro. “I mean, we want to get in the win column at some point, but these are hard games, and I thought we showed a lot of resolve and a lot of toughness these last two games.”

Both teams got their chances offensively, but NC State turned up the pressure in the second half with an effort led by none other than star senior forward Jameese Joseph.

As usual, Joseph flashed her footwork, elite speed and eye for goal all night long and helped bring the Wolfpack as close as possible to breaking the 0-0 deadlock. Aside from earning a dangerous free kick just outside the box late in the second period, she consistently pressed Duke’s back line with inventive dribbling and passing.

NC State’s closest chance at a goal came from junior midfielders Emika Kawagishi and Annika Wohner. After a pinpoint cross into the box from Kawagishi, Wohner laced a one-touch volley on goal, but the Blue Devil keeper was there to deny the red-and-white.

Meanwhile, NC State’s junior goalkeeper Olivia Pratapas pitched a shutout in between the posts — the first clean sheet of the season for the Wolfpack and the first one of her career. Pratapas’ four-save night was highlighted by a diving attempt late in the first half to keep Duke off the board.

Ever since assuming the role of starting keeper in early September due to a season-ending injury to senior goalkeeper Maria Echezarreta, Pratapas has settled in and stepped up for the

The next rendition of the timeless UNC-NC State rivalry is set for Saturday at 7 p.m. at Dail Soccer Stadium in Raleigh.

CATE HUMPHREYS/TECHNICIAN

Junior forward Brianna Holt is impacted by a ball in the air during the match against Duke at Koskinen Stadium on Sunday, Sept. 24, 2023. NC State tied with Duke 0-0.

HALLIE WALKER/TECHNICIAN

But we believe in ourselves, and we know that we’re almost there. So all we have to do is just bring that effort.

- Olivia Pratapas

WOMEN’S SOCCER

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