(Left to right) Senior defender Yves Tcheuyap, sophomore forward Hakim Karamoko and senior forward Henrique Santos congratulate junior midfielder Taig
after his goal during the match against Duke
Savannah Woodman Staff Writer
Each year, the American Library Association’s Office for Intellectual Freedom creates a list reporting the top challenged books across the country. In 2023, seven out of 10 titles had LGBTQ+ content listed as one of the reasons for challenging.
“Gender Queer,” a graphic novel documenting the author’s journey of self-identity, topped the list with 106 challenges. The book was removed from shelves in Wake County libraries after complaints that the book was “sexually explicit.”
While the book returned to shelves after pushback from librarians and an update to the banning policy, the book’s removal serves as a reminder of the proximity of book bans.
D.H. Hill Jr. Library and the Media and Education Technology Resource Center, or METRC, held a book panel discussion and read-out for Banned Book Week on Thursday.
The panel featured state Representative Julie von Haefen, 2023 School Librarian of the Year Julie Stivers, UNC-Greensboro Assistant Professor of Library Sciences April Dawkins and Wake County Board of Education District 5 Representative Lynn Edmonds. Scott Summers, the assistant director of the METRC at the College of Education, moderated the panel discussion.
The panelists discussed current legislation, challenged book review processes and the impact of administration and library budgets on providing representative and informative books to students.
Another major topic of discussion was the uptick in challenged and banned books within the past several years that have dis-
proportionately affected books written about or including LGBTQ+ characters. Summers said the increase requires a new way of looking at Banned Book Week.
“We need to update the way we’re talking about Banned Book Week to talk about this ongoing, orchestrated attack on the freedom to read,” Summers said. “It’s still about ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ in a way, but it’s much more about books that are published recently by people of color, about people of color, about LGBTQIA+ people, about the history of our country and how we are trying to defend its place on the shelf against people saying, ‘Well, because I am not a fan of it, or I don’t want people to read it, it should be banned for everyone.’”
NC State’s weekly log of major incidents across campus.
SHOPLIFTING
Sept. 26, 2024
Dan Allen/Hillsborough Street
University Police assisted RPD with taking a shoplifting suspect into custody.
ANIMAL BITE
Sept. 26, 2024 at 3:18 p.m. Carter-Finley Stadium
Officer assisted Wake County Animal Control after an unaffiliated male was bitten by a dog.
Despite the increase in challenges, Summers said most challenged books remain unbanned.
Recent North Carolina legislation, the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” restricts discussing information about gender identity, sexual activity or sexuality in fourth grade and below.
“What’s happening as a result of this is each school district is interpreting this law differently because the Department of Public Instruction has provided no direction,” Dawkins said. “In some districts, what you’re finding is any book that deals with LGBTQ issues — like two dads in a book for a family — there’s no sexual content in this book, there are just two dads, and so,
therefore, that book is being pulled.”
Stivers said books that include LGBTQ+ characters are both beneficial for representation and education.
“Having inclusive literature is like a winwin for every student,” Stivers said. “And we can’t include all the great stories unless we are authentically representing the BIPOC and queer and disabled authors, right? Then we don’t have all the great stories — inclusive literature is not medicine, it’s food.”
The library and METRC also held a banned book read-out outside of D.H. Hill Jr. Library on Sept. 23. Staff and students selected a banned book to read aloud to onlookers and students walking to class. All of the books read were banned or challenged for the first time before the uptick in challenges in 2020.
Lara Fountaine, a community engagement librarian, took time after the reading concluded to discuss the American Library Association’s top ten challenged books and said the event highlights how the climate of banned books has changed in recent years.
“People are attacking those books because there’s an attack on queer people,” Fountaine said. “And they’re trying to make queerness invisible, is what I feel like, and trying to essentially push it out of existence, which is not something that you can do, right? And then also, there’s this argument and this reasoning that it’s to protect children, but it’s not protecting children. It’s harming children because there are so many queer folks who talk about how seeing themselves in books at a young age helped them discover who they are and help them through difficult times.”
HIT AND RUN FRAUD
Sept. 25, 2024 at 10:00 a.m. Partners Way Deck
Student reported their vehicle was struck.
Sept. 25, 2024 at 12:30 p.m. Wolf Ridge Tower Hall
A student reported receiving a fraudulent check.
Chi Tran and Angel Chen Correspondents
The LGBTQ Pride Center will hold several events and celebrations to commemorate LGBTQ+ History Month in October. This annual observance, distinct from Pride Month in June, focuses on honoring the history and achievements of the LGBTQ+ community.
LGBTQ History Month was established in 1994 by Missouri high school teacher Rodney Wilson who, along with other educators, chose October for this commemoration due to significant traditions like National Coming Out Day on Oct. 11.
Jae Edwards, assistant director at the LGBTQ+ Pride Center, said the month is particularly important at NC State since LGBTQ+ Pride Month can’t be celebrated on campus during June since the spring semester is over.
“So Pride month happens in June, but students aren’t here,” Edwards said. “We can’t really do anything for the students because they’re all gone. So we like to do our stuff during LGBTQ+ History Month instead.”
From Oct. 1-4 and Oct. 7-8, the D.H. Hill Jr. Library’s Cyma Rubin Visualization Gallery will host “The Audacity of Pride: Our Past, Our Future” exhibit. The exhibition showcases LGBTQ+ history, drag culture and the community’s journey at NC State. Created by the LGBTQ Pride Center staff,
it features a collection of resources, photographs and historical elements. Edwards said the exhibit highlights the history of NC State’s LGBTQ+ community.
“It’s a journey of boldness, beauty and bravery, celebrating the colors and exciting stories of where we’ve been and where we’re confidently headed,” Edwards said. “It revels in LGBTQ history, drag realness and ballroom bombshells. This is all things queer at North Carolina State University, the colors and exciting stories, the details of where we have been and where we’re confidently headed and it is a celebration of cultures and communities.”
PrideFest, NC State’s annual outdoor festival, will take place on Oct. 8 from 2-6 p.m. at Stafford Commons. This event features booths, free food and resources for LGBTQ+ students.
Edwards said he stresses the importance of making resources accessible.
“We want to make sure that this is accessible to all students, and that they can go to these booths and they can learn different resources that are on campus and off campus,” Edwards said.
Aside from campus resources, PrideFest will feature booths from off-campus counselors, booths that offer free haircuts and massages and Free Moms.
“It’s very much rooted in self-care and destressing,” Edwards said. “It’s very much having a good time and not having to think
about all the woes of the world right now and thinking about yourself and the people that you’re around and that you’re with and celebrating each other and yourself so that you get more pride in yourself.”
On Oct. 9 from 3-5 p.m., students can participate in Queer Quorum, a discussion forum focusing on resilience in the queer community. Leio Ibarra, a third-year studying science, technology and society, said the event is meant to spark conversations between community members.
“It’s basically where students just get a chance to talk,” Ibarra said. “Our topic right now is going to be resisting and renewing, so basically just resilience in the queer community.”
Edwards emphasized the significance of the month.
“The main thing I want folks to get out of it is understanding the deep, deep culture behind LGBTQ+ history and being proud of it,” Edwards said. “Being proud of it, being part of your community and how entrenched it is in our community as well. I want folks to walk away with a sense of joy.” Ibarra said LGBTQ+ History Month gives the community a chance to recognize its roots.
“It’s important to celebrate and remember where we’re coming from,” Ibarra said.
Matthew Burkhart News Editor
NC State football defensive end Davin Vann is tackling more than just opponents on the field. The graduate captain and his family have spearheaded a hurricane relief drive at NC State football’s Close-King Indoor Practice Facility to aid victims of Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina.
Davin Vann, who recorded 10 tackles, a sack, 3.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles in Saturday’s 24-17 win against Northern Illinois, started thinking about hurricane relief efforts as soon as he walked off the field.
“My mom was just calling me to check up on me and we were just sitting on the phone, just talking and we were talking about the
hurricane and what was happening in the western part of North Carolina,” Davin Vann said. “That’s kind of what sparked the discussion.”
The devastation left by Hurricane Helene struck a chord with Davin Vann and his family, who often visit the mountains.
“It was heartbreaking,” Davin Vann said. “It’s very tragic for it to happen in that area of North Carolina because it’s such a beautiful area of North Carolina. But it’s just tragic seeing all those people struggle the way that they are.”
By Monday morning, Davin Vann had approached head coach Dave Doeren with the idea. He said Doeren was on board immediately.
Within hours, a donation center was set
up outside the Close-King Indoor Practice Facility.
The drive, which ran from Monday to Wednesday, collected essential items such as bottled water, baby formula, hygiene products and non-perishable foods. Vann’s family business, Joyful Movers, provided trucks to transport the donations to the Durham Rescue Mission for distribution.
Brittany Hall, Vann’s sister, said the family saw an opportunity to help and took action as soon as they could.
“Well, this is something that we can do, so we can just start it,” Brittany Hall said.
Rylan Vann, Davin’s brother and NC State football offensive lineman, said the family has held a commitment to community service.
devoted two pages [to Everett’s profile], that’s why.”
In 2004, Technician published a series of profiles that captured student perspectives on various election topics, including LGBTQ+ rights. Two decades later, the evolution of LGBTQ+ coverage and visibility on campus reflects broader societal changes and ongoing challenges.
One of the profiles spotlighted Elena Everett, a student who identified as queer, discussing the impact of the election on LGBTQ+ rights. The article emphasized that the upcoming election was the first to prominently address LGBTQ+ rights after Massachusetts and San Francisco became the first locations in the country to legalize same-sex marriage.
“Because these issues have come out, it’s allowed us to come out and talk about these issues,” Everett said in the article.
In the article, Everett touched on the issue of visibility, saying that the lack of visibility and understanding of her cousin’s sexuality from his family members caused her cousin to take his own life.
“His family wanted to pretend that it was a disease,” Everett said in the article. “It’s unfortunate that we live in a society where you can’t discuss something as fundamental as who you are and who you share your relationships with.”
Paige Averett, a professor in the School of Social Work and LGBTQ+ researcher, said visibility is as important for the LGBTQ+ community as much as any other community.
“Visibility is crucial,” Averett said. “The human experience is that we want to be known and seen and understood for who we are and accepted.”
Thushan Amarasiriwardena, Technician’s editor-in-chief of Vol. 84 and the author of the profile on Everett, said the article came at a time of heightened political tension.
“It was Bush versus Kerry, and we had come through in the past three years quite a [lot], 9/11 happened and we were now at war in Iraq and the death count was pretty shocking at that point,” Amarasiriwardena said.
Although these issues were reaching the national stage for the first time, Amarasiriwardena said covering LGBTQ+ issues wasn’t an issue for Technician.
“I didn’t feel like it was taboo by any means,” Amarasiriwardena said. “And we
Justine Hollingshead, the first director of NC State’s GLBT Center, now the LGBTQ Pride Center, said even though other students were more welcoming of LGBTQ+identifying people, they were still facing unwelcoming attitudes and a lack of resources at the University at the time.
“Students felt unwelcome,” Hollingshead said. “There was a lack of resources. There were derogatory and harmful rhetoric that would occur. You’d certainly see things in the free expression tunnel that were painted, and again, while within the bounds of free expression and free speech, but that still doesn’t mean that there are harmful things that impact an individual.”
The establishment of the GLBT Center in 2008 marked a significant milestone in NC State’s commitment to its LGBTQ+ community. Hollingshead, who was instrumental in its creation, said there was debate and an assessment around whether the University simply needed programming or a standalone center for the LGBTQ+ community on campus.
“We went through a pretty arduous process of talking about what that would look like and creating a proposal,” Hollingshead said. “That came with a lot of challenge because people felt like that was not an appropriate use of how you would spend University money. Students, by and large, were very supportive because they knew that there was a need.”
Technician published an editorial in August 2007 titled “Plan needed for LGBT Center.” The article called for more conversations between the University and stakeholders.
“This is a serious topic, and the University should treat it like one,” the Vol. 88 Editorial Board wrote in the article. “By addressing the LGBT center in a plan the community will treat it in a respectful manner.”
The center’s establishment provided a physical space for resources, programming and community building. However, it also faced challenges, being placed in one of the most heavily traversed areas of campus, Talley Student Union.
“There was pushback from people who felt like, ‘Gosh, we shouldn’t have the gays here,’” Hollingshead said.
Hollingshead said Technician has improved in accurately reporting on the LGBTQ+ community in her nearly 30 years at NC State.
“I think it’s been very important to tell the story and get that out there, and you all have done that well, historically,” Hollingshead said.
However, she cautioned about the potential harm of negative or stereotypical portrayals. Hollingshead said thoughtful, accurate reporting is essential to avoid perpetuating harmful narratives.
“[Journalists] don’t always think about, ‘What could be the worst possible outcome or case scenario if I publish this story or this opinion piece or this cartoon,’” Hollingshead said. “There were times, and I think part of it was people being uneducated … as time went on, young people are more and more educated and aware about why it’s important to be supportive and make sure that the story or the information you’re trying to present is fair and unbiased and that you’re also sharing resources with the readers and I think you all, by and large, have done a good job with that.”
One instance where Technician published harmful rhetoric toward the LGBTQ+ community was in March 1979 when the paper ran a cartoon likening members of the LGBTQ+ community to people who practice bestiality and incest.
In a guest column, Rev. Willie White, who was the advisor to the Gay and Lesbian Christian Alliance at NC State at the time, condemned Technician for publishing the cartoon.
“It was maliciously designed to discredit and attack a group of people who want nothing more than to live their lives and exercise their faith free from misrepresentation and absurd insinuation about who they are or what effect they might have on the formation of other organizations,” White wrote in the column.
The Vol. 59 Editorial Board responded to White’s comments in an editor’s note.
“The Technician acknowledges that the cartoon in question might be judged as in poor taste,” the editorial board wrote in the note. “We apologize to any readers it offended.”
The evolution of language used to describe the LGBTQ+ community is evident in Technician’s archives. From GLB to LGBTQ+ and beyond, the terminology has expanded to be more inclusive and representative of diverse identities.
Averett noted the importance of this linguistic progression.
“Language is huge,” Averett said. “We know on a basic level that words matter and language that we use matters.”
As NC State continues to evolve, so too will its approach to LGBTQ+ issues. The LGBTQ Pride Center now addresses a wider range of issues, including the specific needs of transgender students and emerging gender identities.
Hollingshead said she recognizes the complexity of this work.
“It’s never-ending work, and it has expanded as our community has grown,” Hollingshead said.
For current and future student journalists covering LGBTQ+ issues, Averett said she emphasizes the importance of listening to the community, being willing to learn and correct mistakes and understanding the power and responsibility that comes with media coverage.
Amarasiriwardena said although most journalism is meant to be unbiased, simply accurately reporting on marginalized communities can act as a form of activism.
“I think journalism is a bit of activism in the sense of you’re actively trying to tell the community what other community members, their hopes and dreams and needs [are], and that mission never goes away,”
Amarasiriwardena said. “And so just a push to Technician is, what are those stories that continue need to be told? You have print space, you have unlimited digital space but ultimately, you have limited attention for your readers. So, choose wisely.”
Jacob Smith Correspondent
Editor’s Note: This article contains reference to homophobia, transphobia, violence and suicide.
On a humid summer night in 1969, the air in New York City’s Greenwich Village crackled with tension. Hundreds of people gathered outside the Stonewall Inn, a gay bar often known as a sanctuary for queer people in lower Manhattan. In the midst of another police raid on the bar, an outrage was sparked, and thus was born the Gay Liberation Front, a group pioneered by a Black transgender woman — Marsha P. Johnson. The streets that night were filled with defiance, with hundreds of patrons dismayed by the obvious prejudice at play.
A founding member of the Gay Liberation Front, Johnson was present on the night of the Stonewall Riots. The self-proclaimed drag queen made many unforgettable contributions to the queer community, not least of which began with her presence at
the Stonewall Inn and founding of the Gay Liberation Front.
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey in 1945, Johnson grew up as a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. She moved to New York at 17 years old with nothing but $15 and a bag of clothes to her name.
During her first few years in New York, Johnson waited tables until, eventually, she began spending time with street hustlers. Sex work was prominent during this time and, much like today, was also very risky. Johnson was involved in many dangerous encounters and was once even shot.
Eventually, Johnson began working as a drag queen, often participating in grassroots political shows that distinguished themselves from what is called “high drag.”
After the Stonewall Riots, Johnson became a founding member of the Gay Liberation Front and worked alongside many others to fight for an end to the prejudiced discrimination against queer people in New York.
As an extension of her work with the Gay Liberation Front, Johnson founded the Street Transvestite Action Revolutionaries alongside Sylvia Rivera.
A year after Stonewall, Johnson marched in the first ever gay pride rally, which was then called Christopher Street Liberation Day.
One of Johnson’s most notable direct actions was a sit-in she staged in Weinstein Hall at New York University. This sit-in was in response to the cancellation of a dance after administration at the university learned that the event was sponsored by gay organizations.
In 1970, Johnson and her colleague Sylvia Rivera founded the STAR House, a homeless shelter for gay and transgender youth. They both paid the rent for this house using the money they made from sex work. Johnson was considered the “drag mother” of this house, and she worked to ensure that the children staying there had food, shelter and emotional support.
Johnson also worked with the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power and advocated for the sick and dying to be treated with respect. As a woman who was HIV-positive, the cause hit close to home for Johnson.
After a pride parade in 1992, Johnson’s body was found floating in the Hudson River, in what the police deemed a suicide.
Johnson’s death occurred during a time in New York City where violence perpetrated against queer people was common, and this led many to believe that she was murdered, contrary to what the police called it at that time.
Johnson made an indelible mark on the gay rights movement in the United States, one that paved the way for many queer activists to follow, even after her untimely death.
When asked by a reporter in the early 1970s why she was participating in a demonstration with a group of activists, she replied, “Darling, I want my gay rights now!”
Johnson dedicated her life to changing the stigma surrounding queerness, and we see her motive in action every day as we work toward a better tomorrow.
Even in death, Marsha left hope in the hearts of many that their situations would take a turn for the better, and inspired them to continue to advocate for themselves in a world that seemed to turn their backs to them.
Harmful portrayals of the LGBTQ+ community as created by those who perpetuate stereotypes have impacted the safety of queer people. A national state of emergency was declared after over 70 antiLGBTQ+ bills were signed into law in the U.S. within a single legislative session in 2023. Regardless, some of the strongest voices against openly queer celebrities are those within their community.
Simply put, an openly queer celebrity adhering to nasty stereotypes is a betrayal to the LGBTQ+ community — a community that needs to see itself represented positively.
One of the clearest examples of queer outrage is seen in the controversial reputation of Ellen DeGeneres. She made a huge impact on society being the first openly gay lead on television. However, this would not excuse the rude behavior and toxic workplace conditions she created. Ellen has faced significant scrutiny from queer people that were previously her supporters.
Queer YouTubers have faced similar career backlash due to allegations or actions. Jeffree Star, Shane Dawson and James
Charles each lost brand deals after backlash due to racist, offensive and or sexual misconduct.
Despite identifying as queer himself, Star has called those that do not fit into the gender binary, “stupid.” In alienating members of the LGBTQ+ community, he lost its support.
Other LGBTQ+ internet personalities like Isabella Avila, also known as OnlyJayus, and Tana Mongeau have been dropped from brand deals after their actions and behavior were publicly condemned. Transgender influencer Nikita Dragun caused outrage after assaulting a police officer with a water bottle. Pansexual singer Brendon Urie has faced controversy for years related to racist comments, harassment and assault allegations that led to people blocking him online. Each of these figures held large followings within the queer community due to their openness about their identities.
Drag is similarly a historically queer art form challenging presentation of gender norms that has fought false narratives about the LGBTQ+ community. Supporters of drag performance bans claim it leads to the “grooming” of children. Conversely, the queer community has shown no tolerance for grooming or sexually abusive behavior, publicly condemning former RuPaul’s
Drag Race contestants Sharon Needles and Sherry Pie once allegations came to light.
This criticism extends to companies that publicly support queer people. MrBeast is the biggest YouTube channel and has defended one of its founding members, Ava Kris Tyson, against online hate during her gender transition. However, public outrage at grooming allegations against the collaborator led to her removal from the channel.
Another prominent figure in the community is Caitlyn Jenner, a controversial trans woman with seemingly transphobic stances. She made concerns known about Nike dropping 10-time Olympic medalist Allyson Felix as brand ambassador when she became pregnant. However, Jenner took issue with another trans woman and activist, Dylan Mulvaney, seemingly being offered this position in her place. While Jenner did not blame Mulvaney for taking the deal, she condemned the company’s mistreatment of Felix in the process.
Mulvaney herself spoke about disappointment after Bud Light, which faced boycotts due to her inclusion, never reached out to her or stood beside her during the backlash she received.
“For a company to hire a trans person and then not publicly stand by them is worse, in my opinion, than not hiring a trans person
at all,” Mulvaney said.
So why does the LGBTQ+ community make such a big deal about making sure its public figures and their supporters are publicly ridiculed for nasty behavior?
This “fall from grace” is taken so seriously because of how queer people have been historically villainized in the media. For decades this has impacted both cultural and internal perceptions in society and created unsafe spaces.
Confirmation bias, or the tendency to take a supporting example of an underlying belief as proof, make this more pertinent. Queer people are especially susceptible to homophobia, transphobia and hate after societal perceptions are “proven right” by a prominent LGBTQ+ figure being a bad person.
Recent legislation has shown tendencies towards restricting the LGBTQ+ community, including the so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law and anti-trans bills. Openly queer celebrities have an additional responsibility to not feed into homophobic stereotypes that lead to harmful conditions or legal restrictions being implemented.
My sexuality has nothing to do with you
Jacob Smith Correspondent
For years, people have lived in a world where perception and actions toward homosexuality are largely influenced by the ripple effects of colonial rule. What many do not realize is that the majority of places that were colonized once nurtured cultures that embraced diverse expressions of love and gender.
We still live in the shadows of a colonial moral code, which leads us to question how much of our prejudice against homosexuality is derived from colonial groups who sought to control not only lands far and wide but also the identities of those living within them.
To begin, it is important to understand the cultural significance that homosexual relationships and diverse expressions of gender had on areas of the world before they were colonized. By observing this, we can begin to paint a picture of what to do next.
When speaking of colonialism, we must delve into the history of Africa, a place largely impacted by European colonialism.
Contrary to popular belief, homosexual relationships were not brought over to Africa by Europe during colonial times.
continued from page 6
Rather, there is a rich history of diverse gender and sexual expression within Africa before the colonial era.
One can see this in action by looking at the practice of African cosmology. There is an extremely close relationship between sexuality and spirituality in African cosmology, most easily observable in the spiritual powers associated with each sex. This opens the door to the idea of “gendered men” and “gendered women,” as well as their association with certain spiritual forces.
For example, a man who exhibited spiritual forces that were perceived as more feminine could be considered a “gendered woman.”
In pre-colonial northern Congo, it was common for Azande warrior-men to temporarily marry other men, who operated as “temporary wives.” This practice was normalized and was even operated similarly to marriage between a man and a woman. Often, a “bride price” was paid for these men, too.
Another culture that expressed diverse gender and sexual orientations before colonization was that of Native Americans.
Some may be familiar with the Native American identity known as “two-spirit,” an identity in which the person combined the activities of both men and women and was recognized as their own distinct gender within their tribes.
Despite legal protections for housing and employment, there are many areas in the U.S. which are not safe for queer people, especially queer youth. Having celebrity figures with similar identities can help inspire. The need for role models is reflected in queer youth self-esteem, emotions and reduced risk of psychological distress.
I don’t want to pretend that the extra pressure is fair to those who already fight social norms to have a platform. Queer people in the media are humans capable of making bad choices. For better or for worse, when a large part of a celebrities’ platform is being queer, they are tying their identity to their fame. They become a representative of their community in the public eye. Existing as queer in the public space is challenging in and of itself, as people combat hatred and criticism of their identities. However, whether or not they want to, openly LGBTQ+ public figures have to positively represent their community and not feed into confirmation biases.
Often, these two-spirit people formed same-sex relationships with other members of their tribe. They were considered to be lucky in love and were supposedly able to pass this luck on to others.
During colonial times in both Africa and the Americas, European colonizers significantly impacted the cultural landscapes of the areas in which they conquered. In Africa, many countries would not recognize marriage between people of the same sex, and same-sex relationships became taboo.
Native American groups lost touch with their roots in gender expression and sexuality as the United States urged them to assimilate to live comfortably with their conquerors. Recently, there has been some controversy within tribes, urging them to allow same-sex marriages again.
Knowing this, what can we do to begin to stray away from these colonial concepts?
One of the most important ways to begin this journey is to educate people on the history of queerness in cultures across the world. This combats the notion that being queer is unnatural, as humans across time have expressed their gender and sexuality in different ways.
To combat stigma, we must create safe spaces for open conversation about sexuality and gender, particularly in regions where these colonial notions still prevail.
College is the perfect place to begin to expand the horizons of people across the world. NC State offers courses that detail the history of both Africa and pre-colonial America, as well as the impact that colonialism had on both places.
Courses such as HI 419: Modern European Imperialism detail the worldwide impact of European intervention in other countries. It is also possible to take courses in the Anthropology department that detail Native American culture, such as ANT 310: Native Peoples and Cultures of North America.
By taking these courses, students can further understand the cultural impact of colonialism.
Before colonial times, cultures across the world promoted and uplifted diverse expressions of gender and sexual orientation. This came to a screeching halt as European colonialism forced Western ideologies that promoted harmful conceptions toward those who deviated from heteronormativity.
In order to break this cycle, we must work to understand each other, our rich history of gender expression and sexual orientation and work together to squash these preconceived notions of homophobia that are so deeply entrenched in our societies.
NC State Live brought the renowned Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet to perform in Stewart Theatre in Talley Student Union on Thursday. The quartet, consisting of Bridgewater, bassist Amina Scott, pianist Carmen Staaf and drummer Shirazette Tinnin, gave an incredible show celebrating women in jazz.
Liza Green, the interim director of NC State Live, said the group scours the globe to find artists at the top of their game.
“Dee Dee Bridgewater is a good example of that,” Green said. “Dee Dee has won multiple Grammys. She’s won a Tony. But I think what’s interesting about her is she is an arts entrepreneur, so she’s been selfproducing with her jazz label since the ‘90s. She’s also a goodwill ambassador for the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, so she works to fight against world hunger.”
While maintaining the classic sound of jazz and sometimes throwing in a rock in-
fluence, these women use their music to shine a light on the struggles of women, specifically Black women, in the past and the importance of not falling back into such a state.
“The musicians playing with Dee Dee tonight are all women,” Green said. “So that’s very revolutionary in the world of jazz because it tends to be a male-dominated field, so it’s nice to see four women on stage playing together. I think that’s really unique and special.”
This all-woman jazz quartet calls themselves “We Exist” to promote women in the jazz scene, hoping their listeners will see them, hear them and feel them.
From Dee Dee Bridgewater’s sparkly earrings to her matching bedazzled shoes, her stage presence filled the room with nothing but good vibes. She danced across the stage and sang with a passion that kindled the love of music from both her band members and her audience.
“So many good things come out of see-
ing a performance, especially jazz,” Green said. “You know, we can learn a lot from how these artists listen to one another. The musicians on stage — it’s really quite extraordinary to watch. It’s like they know when to step up, when to step back. And they do this after years and years of practice and playing together, of course, and they’re just really fine musicians, but their communication skills are inspiring.”
Each musician manipulated her instrument as if it were an extension of themselves. The connection between the four of them was ethereal. Each artist knew when to let the others take the spotlight if they were really feeling the music.
Bridgewater was very engaging with her audience, making for two hours of laughter, amusement and admiration.
Jadyn McLean, a third-year studying criminology and psychology, attended the show.
“I feel like I need to go listen to all this music,” McLean said. “I already listen because my parents would show me when I was a kid but now I’m like, ‘I need to listen even more.’”
Bridgewater referenced many trailblazers of the jazz industry, some of whom she previously worked with and others who simply influenced her.
“I enjoyed the songs she picked,” McLean said. “Quite a few of them are classics, and some of them are my favorites, like Nina Simone — love her. She just knew all these people and had experience making music with them. So it was really personal.”
Bridgewater ended the performance with a rendition of “Amazing Grace,” encouraging the audience to sing alongside her and creating a shared moment between its members.
“I just think it was beautiful, super fun,” McLean said. “Recommend to literally anybody and everybody.”
Bridgewater has a history with NC State, having performed at the University in 1999 and then later in 2003.
“Last year, astronaut Christina Koch had a red chair chat with the chancellor, and in that conversation, she mentioned seeing Dee Dee Bridgewater when she was a student here, and that was such an impactful moment for her,” Green said. “You know, it’s a moment where the campus can sort of come together in celebration.”
The Dee Dee Bridgewater Quartet is currently on tour and will continue to make their mark on places, just as they’ve done at NC State. Their performance gives an insight into various ways students can use their talents to promote social issues.
“I think that’s an interesting thing about NC State Live — we really take the University’s land grant mission to heart,” Green said. “We will have many community members in the house tonight, so people who are long-time fans and then others who stumbled upon us. And it gives them a chance to come to the University, have this amazing experience and build those relationships. It’s really a mix of students, faculty, staff and community members.”
Alessandra Sandoni Correspondent
The University produced 16,072,000 pounds of waste in the 2021-2022 fiscal year. Of this number, 7,799,140 pounds of waste went to the landfill, 48.5% of the total amount. Zero Waste Wolves, a student organization on campus, works hard to divert this waste and make NC State more sustainable.
Morgan Starnes, a fourth-year studying environmental technology and management and co-president of Zero Waste Wolves, said the goal of the organization is to educate students about waste management and help make sure less is going to landfills.
“One of the most memorable things I’ve learned in my time here is life cycle analysis, looking at where a product comes from, how it moves through society and then where it ends up,” Starnes said. “Part of what I’ve learned is how to reduce its impact along that whole path because it’s not just like the raw materials and the end of its life.”
Sports events, particularly football, produce a big part of the University’s waste.
“I intern at the football stadium where we collect compost specifically, and we have so much compost,” said Paulina Goping, a second-year studying biological sciences and the chair of education at Zero Waste Wolves. “We collected 800 pounds at the last game, and it’s a really big operation. There’s a whole other crew who does landfill and recycling. An event like football can create so much waste.”
Materials that could be recycled frequently get thrown in the trash, generating a significant amount of waste that could be avoided if put in the correct bin.
“Football games generate a lot of trash, especially recycling material like aluminums and plastics that could easily be recycled without much effort,” said Leo Kaiser-Potter, a thirdyear studying fisheries, wildlife and conservation biology and the event coordinator for Zero Waste Wolves.
NC State already has a focus on recycling and particularly on compost. The NC State Compost Facility and Research Cooperative can process up to 1,200 tons of organic waste per year.
“One of the things that I love most about NC State is how
much access we have to waste reduction resources,” said Manisha Kar, fourth-year studying environmental science and co-president of Zero Waste Wolves. “For most people on this campus, it’ll never be easier to make sure that their waste goes to the right place, especially considering we have our own on-campus composting facility, and a lot of the products, food, takeout, containers and other things are made compostable. It’s never been easier.”
There are multiple reasons why recycling is done wrong or not done at all. Lack of knowledge and education about waste removal are part of this, which is what the student organizations aim to overcome.
“A lot of people don’t really know where to put what, and it’s up to student organizations to figure that out — which can be really hard since there’s an intimidating amount of people who go here — to try and make that impact,” Goping said.
The benefits of recycling far outweigh the small inconvenience of finding the right place to do away with wasted material. Procrastinating the removal of empty cans and old boxes brings these things to a point of being non-reusable, which defeats the whole point of recycling something in the first place. “People lost faith in recycling, but when it’s done right there’s a huge benefit to it,” Kaiser-Potter said. “Especially in campus life, there’s a little bit of a taboo about disposing of your alcohol. People have a ton of beer cans and boxes and instead of transferring them into recyclable waste, it just sits around until they get dirty and unrecyclable.”
Lively cultural music and a shared heritage greeted 40 students as they entered the Latinx Heritage Month Chat ‘n Chew on Sept. 25.
The event, organized by the Multicultural Student Affairs and Mi Familia, was designed to bring the Latinx community together and talk about their common struggles, as well as bring students of other ethnicities to learn how to be better allies.
“The point of it is to bring the community together,” said Gavin Bell, assistant director at Multicultural Student Affairs. “Sometimes it can be concerns, issues, but it can just be talking about a particular culture or community and how it can support itself better on campus from an educational focus for others.”
Even before the event started, students of all backgrounds were excited.
Max Owen, a second-year studying physics, said he was excited to see students from all around campus. Owen was driven to attend by his friend, who told him about the event. He had a lot to look forward to.
“I’m looking forward to learning more about the culture, having good food of course and being able to chat with people,” Owen said.
Students gathered around with cultural food and discussed what mattered to them — mental health, balance and Latinx representation across NC State.
“As a grad student within the Latinx community, there isn’t much representation because we are a small number of stu-
Students begin to chat at the Latinx Heritage Month Chat ‘n Chew at Witherspoon Student Center on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024. This event was hosted by Mi Familia and the Multicultural
dents,” said Jessica Guadalupe Estrada, a second-year doctoral student in textile technology management.
Estrada enjoyed coming together with her community and felt she wasn’t alone.
“I think we represent ourselves well and are not afraid to speak up and use our voice,” Estrada said. “The most important thing to me is the community gathering and just the presence in one place. … Returning faces, new faces and just seeing and hearing people wanting to provide advice to others and vice versa and actually taking that advice and thinking ‘Oh, OK, this is how other people are feeling and doing. I’m not alone.’”
Leio Ibarra, a third-year student studying science, technology and society, agreed that being together was the best part.
“I’m trying to get more connected with my heritage, so it’s really nice to be in a community with people from my culture and talking about the issues and representation that we need,” Ibarra said.
Ibarra also enjoyed the discussions, which he said allowed him to be vulnerable about the issues that affect him.
“I liked the discussion part and having the small discussion turn into a bigger discussion,” Ibarra said. “Also, I just really liked how it’s inviting vulnerability, especially with the mental health questions. We’re having really good conversations.”
Rebecca Ruiz, a graduate student studying marine biology, enjoyed seeing the diversity of Latin American heritages and said the mix of nationalities stood out. Ruiz said the event allowed her to connect with the Latinx community at NC State better and gave her a chance to decompress.
“To reorient myself and see that there are my people out here and getting new perspectives and realizing that there is a community beyond the individualism we currently live in,” Ruiz said. “I feel like I have more support.”
Bell said the diverse backgrounds coming together is what really matters for the event.
“One of the big things that we try to push in the heritage month is community,” Bell said. “There are so many cultures and groups that make up Latinx and they don’t all look the same. A lot of what we try to do is to make a space where these groups can unify. Across all those unique identities, it’s important to be able to come together, especially at a large institution like this.”
Azul Zapata — a self-proclaimed “local loud human” per her LinkedIn profile — comes from humble beginnings. Born and raised in a Spanish-speaking household in Argentina, her family is a big part of her identity and one of the main reasons she is passionate about music.
Zapata’s life was filled with music from the very beginning. Her father played the guitar and inspired her to pick up an instrument of her own, the trumpet. Zapata started playing the instrument in middle school, playing for family parties and close friends. Now, Zapata has incorporated her trumpet skills into her shows, mimicking greats like Duke Ellington.
Argentinian rock and pop were prominent parts of her mothers daily routine, usually playing somewhere in the house as she worked. This doesn’t go to say that Zapata only listened to Argentine music — she grew up listening to Toni Braxton, Celine Dion and Lauryn Hill off her family’s old CDs.
“My family is very eclectic,” Zapata
said. “We have lots of CDs and the radio is always playing. We are just a very loud family in general. It was never really quiet when I was growing up.”
Ellington was also a big inspiration for Zapata, as most of her music is jazzfilled. She loves jazz and disco music, and uses the genres as the base of many of her songs.
Zapata believes that the mix of the two creates a very clean sound that you might not get in hip-hop or other upbeat songs.
Zapata gets emotional during her songs, which creates an indie kind of feel to her music that you won’t find in hip-hop. Other inspirations for Zapata come from strong independent women that were important figures in her early life. She watched Celine Dion perform in front of millions of people on television and remembers watching Serena Williams’ tennis matches and the crowd erupting for her.
Zapata fell in love with the idea of being alone in front of a massive crowd. She recalled thinking, “That’s insane, I want that experience.” For Zapata, it’s intoxicating to be alone on the stage, with noth-
ing but the lights and her voice.
“Everyone is focused on one thing at the same time in the same place,” Zapata said. “I love being on stage — the energy, the lights, the thoughts in my head, the intention and energy trapped in that singular moment. That’s what art really is.”
Zapata writes all of her own songs, most of which draw on her own experiences or the world around her. She calls her life chaotic partly because she has had six different surgeries throughout her life, experiences that still affect her to this day.
As a queer Latina immigrant, Zapata is part of several communities that are reflected in her music. Her identity is of the utmost importance for her, since it has posed some challenges throughout her life. Zapata feels she exists in these multiple worlds, but can never find a home within them. Zapata is an active advocate in these communities that contribute to who she really is and make her music unique.
“All my music is very me, and that inspires me to keep moving forward,” Zapata said. “What am I supposed to do,
not keep moving forward? That doesn’t make any sense to me, and it shouldn’t even be an option.”
Bandmate TJ Richardson plays bass for Zapata and has lived in the Triangle area since 2015. He spends the majority of his time in Raleigh and shares Zapata’s mindset when it comes to letting the music flow with emotion and meaning. He wants to make sure their music promotes change.
Richardson said Raleigh is the perfect place for bands who are trying to promote change and spread their music. He has spent time in major cities and has experienced what it’s like to be in a big-time artist market.
“When talking about skill, everyone in L.A. has skill, so sometimes it really only matters on how popular you are,” Richardson said. “But in Raleigh, it’s still about skill but more about personality.”
The ability to express their personalities is what draws artists like Zapata and Richardson to Raleigh. Both pride themselves on progressive ideals, a message that bodes well in Raleigh’s inclusive environment.
Colby Trotter Sports Editor
The Monday after NC State football’s 59-35 loss to Clemson, head coach Dave Doeren did something he hadn’t done all season. Doeren chose not to release a depth chart before the game, making a statement to the media and his team that every player on the roster had to compete for a starting spot.
In film, he saw some players not giving it their all against the Tigers and had to reevaluate who he would put on the field against Northern Illinois. Players said this week of practice reminded them of fall camp with everyone competing for a starting role.
Doeren called the first two days of practice “Bloody Tuesday” and “Bloody Wednesday” because it was starters versus starters going at it.
“Ultimately it comes down to one man’s effort on a play to do his job and do it physically,” Doeren said. “And we haven’t done that well enough this year, and that’s not what I stand for. And I told them, ‘I know who I am. I know what I’m about.’ And I challenged them in that team room to live up to what it means to wear that jersey, and it’s a privilege. It’s an honor to wear the red and white, to walk around with ‘Wolfpack’ on your chest and your family’s name on your back.”
After an intense week of practice and a thorough review of the game against the Tigers, there were changes made to the depth chart.
On defense, redshirt freshman nickel Tamarcus Cooley started over senior safety Ja’Had Carter, graduate safety KJ Martin started over senior Bishop Fitzgerald and redshirt freshman defensive end Isiah Shirley started over redshirt junior Travali Price.
Offensively, there wasn’t much change with freshman wide receivers Keenan Jackson and Terrell Anderson seeing more time at the outside spot than redshirt junior Dacari Collins. The competition in practice and personnel change seemed to light a fire under the Wolfpack as it bounced back with a 24-17 win over Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at Carter-Finley Stadium.
NC State’s focus and intensity were evident from the first play of the game when graduate defensive end Davin Vann and graduate linebacker Devon Betty combined for a four-yard tackle for loss. A few plays later in his first start, Shirley helped stuff the Huskies for a five-yard loss. The players that kept their starting jobs in practice played with a newfound effort
and energy with senior safety DK Kaufman being the prime example of that. After the Huskies tied the game and NC State punted the ball back, Kaufman strip-sacked Northern Illinois quarterback Ethan Hampton and recovered it in the endzone for his second touchdown of the season.
“Last week, it was embarrassing,” Kaufman said. “It’s really no other way to put it, and it’s sad that it had to be that way for me and others to come out with that fire in us. You don’t ever really want to get hit in the mouth first and then you don’t fight back. But last week definitely proved pivotal for us.”
Kaufman wasn’t the only defensive player who played like their starting job depended on it. Vann was a force in the backfield all game long, racking up 10 tackles with 3.5 coming for loss, one sack and two forced fumbles. Redshirt junior linebackers Caden Fordham and Sean Brown took a lot of the criticism last week for Clemson’s 269 rushing yards but flipped the script against Northern Illinois.
Fordham and Brown both set careerhighs in tackles with 13 apiece while combining for three tackles for loss and two sacks. This was the high standard of play expected from defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s linebackers, who have exhibited elite play at the position since he was hired
at NC State.
When asked about what changed, Fordham referenced the week of practice the team had and, instead of giving up on their season after two demoralizing losses to Tennessee and Clemson, the Pack practiced like it was a new season.
“It all started in practice,” Fordham said. “We felt like we weren’t practicing the way we know how to practice, and we turned that up this week. And we’re going to have to continue to do that to get to where we want to go but we never like getting our pride tested. And that’s a big thing we stand by here at NC State is playing tough football, and I felt like we came out and did that today.”
In total, the Wolfpack racked up a season-high four sacks against an offensive line that hadn’t allowed one entering the game. NC State recorded 12 tackles for loss when it had just 15 combined coming into the contest. All the while allowing 120 rushing yards, well below Northern Illinois’ average of over 200 per game and holding the Huskies to just 2.7 yards per carry.
For the new starters, Martin was the leading tackler in the secondary with seven stops and a pass breakup. Shirley produced three tackles with 0.5 for loss while also recording a quarterback hit. Cooley held his
own in coverage with three pass breakups and the game-sealing interception.
It was a step in the right direction for NC State, but Doeren and the defense acknowledged after the game this has to continue and not just be a one-time thing after an intense week on the practice field.
“We have to come back and really do the same thing, but amplify it by 10 next week,” Kaufman said. “We got a little momentum — we gotta keep it. That could be hard sometimes. People like to relax, but we can’t relax. Coach said that today we can’t relax. It’s not time to relax. We’re not nowhere near done for what we’re trying to go get, so we just can’t relax. We gotta do the same thing next week in practice.”
Sometimes life is simple. Just have your job threatened to be taken away from you and all of a sudden you work harder to keep it. That’s what happened with NC State leading up to and against Northern Illinois and Doeren saw his team return to the identity his teams are known for.
“We got to play harder than teams across the sidelines — we have to,” Doeren said. “That gives us an opportunity to be in the game every week. Not everybody’s wired that way. Football is just not what it used to be when it comes to tough guys and at NC State, we have to be tough. That’s our edge, and we were in that game.”
Gavin Gallimore Staff Writer
As the MLB regular season concludes, the official playoff picture has been set with seven teams from both the American League and National League. With October baseball and the playoffs beginning, some former members of NC State baseball set their sights on the postseason with the hopes of hoisting a World Series trophy.
On the other hand, a few alumni of the Pack9 have seen their season end despite making great strides in their individual careers.
A year removed from maybe the most challenging season that pitcher Carlos Rodon has had, the Pack Pro bounced back in a big way in his second season with the New York Yankees. After earning a mammoth six-year, $162 million contract last offseason, a frustrating 2023 came as a result of a mix of injury and poor play. Only putting forth a 3-8 record and 6.85 ERA, there was much room for improvement for Rodon.
This season, Rodon has immensely improved on many components of his game. Earning a career-high total in wins with 16 and a much improved ERA at 3.96, he played
a vital role in helping guide the Yankees to securing the first seed in the American League playoffs. A pitcher who has shown a strong tendency for striking out batters, he reached 195 punchouts, which ranked seventh best in the American League.
Rodon struggled in June, but pieced together a strong 15-game stretch to round out the regular season. In a span of two and a half months, Rodon only allowed four or more runs on three separate occasions while holding his opposition to one or less runs in five different games. This stretch saw perhaps his best performance of the season come on Sept. 3 against the Texas Rangers. Pitching six innings, he only allowed one run on a single hit along with a season-high 11 strikeouts.
In his first season as the primary catcher for the San Francisco Giants, Patrick Bailey put up a very efficient season. Playing in 121 games on the season, he clocked in at a .234 batting average, he collected eight home runs and 46 RBIs. Even though these numbers demonstrate a season in which he found some success, his .298 on-base and .339 slugging percentage show room for improvement in the offensive category.
This game was part of a stretch of games in
which Bailey began to thrive at the plate. Until the All-Star Break in mid-July, he posted a .283 average along with seven homers and 31 RBIs. Opposite of his strong beginning to the season, the stretch of games following the AllStar Break were not as kind to Bailey. In the 52 games he played following the intermission, he compiled a meager .170 batting average, which included only one homer and 15 RBIs.
Despite inconsistencies at the plate, Bailey proved his adeptness on defense, proving to be a constant threat for opposing base-runners with a keen sense for throwing out potential bag-swipers.
The 2024 season has been one of great uncertainty for catcher Andrew Knizner. After spending five seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, he was signed away to join the reigning World Series Champion Texas Rangers. Already equipped with the presence of star catcher Jonah Heim, the Rangers saw more of a backup role for Knizner. In only 35 games, he had a .167 batting average in which he only tabbed 15 hits to go with one homer and nine RBIs.
On July 29, the Rangers demoted Knizner to Triple-A in the wake of bringing another
name at the catcher position. Only a few weeks later, the Diamondbacks opted to sign Knizner to a minor league deal as he was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in Reno, Nevada. In the minor leagues, Knizner played in 27 games in which he collected 21 hits, a pair of homers and 12 RBIs while compiling a .232 average.
A consistent offensive threat, shortstop Trea Turner proved yet again to the baseball world why he is worth the sizable contract he received in the 2023 offseason. Boasting a strong .295 batting average which ranked ninth in the MLB, Turner powered 21 homers along with 62 RBIs. Despite a strong showing in the 2024 regular season, he was greatly overshadowed by the plethora of playmakers that the Phillies boasted. Commanding one of the best offenses in all of baseball, the Phillies secured the second NL seed in the playoffs. One of the fastest players in the league, Turner has continually shown his ability to steal bases. Amassing an impressive statline for 2024, Turner was honored with a spot in the 2024 All-Star Game where a total of eight Phillies earned a spot. He looks to help guide his team in the postseason as they have come up just short of a championship in the past two seasons.
Noah Teague Staff Writer
Nearly halfway through its season, NC State football failed to establish an identity in non-conference play. With most of its ACC schedule ahead, the Wolfpack has taken small steps to improve, but it has plenty of work ahead if it wants to navigate successfully through conference play.
If there’s been a theme this season for the Wolfpack, it is consistent inconsistency. In its wins over Western Carolina and Louisiana Tech, the Pack was all over the map, while it fell flat against Tennessee and Clemson. For one afternoon, NC State finally put together a consistent defensive performance — a return to what the Wolfpack has excelled at in past seasons.
“The guys responded and that’s all I could ask for,” said head coach Dave Doeren. “I told [the team] I want to win this game really bad, but I really want to see our identity. For one week I got to see it, but now it’s about being consistent.”
One constant for the Wolfpack was its ability to cause chaos. Forcing two fumbles, intercepting two passes and creating four sacks removed the threat of passing from the Huskies’ offense and made Northern Illinois one-dimensional. Additionally, the chaos scored a touchdown and set up a second by handing the red-and-white’s offense the ball at the goal line. In a rare turn of events, the defense proved to be NC State’s best offense, willing the Wolfpack to a win.
“Not giving up explosive plays, which we were able to do today, stopping the run, tackling, stripping the football, rushing the passer — it’s consistency,” Doeren said. “We played four quarters of really good defense today.”
Realistically, NC State won’t force four turnovers a game. However, what it can repeat is pressuring the quarterback — something the Pack struggled with in each of its first four games this season. Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson dialed up an aggressive game plan that threw Northern Illinois’ passing attack into chaos. The result was four sacks, tying the team’s total sack count through its first four games.
In addition to an improved pass rush, the red-and-white’s run defense played its best against Northern Illinois. Facing one of the best running backs in the MAC, Antario Brown
presented a challenge for the Pack. Brown racked up 114 yards, but it took him 28 carries to do so. There were certainly some explosive runs by Brown, showing NC State must continue to work on its tackling, but the Pack showed fight and disrupted several runs in the backfield for a season-high 12 tackles for loss.
“That’s a big thing we stand by here at NC State is playing tough football,” said redshirt junior linebacker Caden Fordham. “I felt like we came out and did that today, but got to continue to do so.”
Meanwhile on offense, NC State is going through the growing pains of playing a young quarterback. In his second career start, freshman quarterback CJ Bailey took care of the football, throwing no interceptions. However, Bailey also didn’t create many explosive plays or ignite a struggling offense.
“We’re playing a freshman quarterback, and we’re putting a lot on that kid’s shoulders,” Doeren said. “I’m proud of CJ for taking care of the football, but we have a lot of growth there.”
In particular, NC State found itself struggling on third
downs. One of the worst third down offenses in the ACC, the Wolfpack is converting just 33.9% of its third down attempts — good for 14th in the conference. However, the percentage is a symptom of a bigger issue, which is the red-and-white’s constant struggle to move the ball on early downs.
“You’ve got to get into manageable third downs,” Doeren said. “Being in third-and-8, third-and-9 is not good. Percentage wise you’re not going to succeed a lot in that down and distance, and that’s your first and second down offense that you’re talking about more than your third down.”
Entering a stretch of seven ACC games, the Wolfpack is at a crossroads. Through five games, the season has clearly been underwhelming. However, there’s still seven games on the schedule against conference foes, including a rivalry game with Wake Forest in its next game. A gritty defensive win over Northern Illinois was a step in the right direction for the Pack’s defense. Salvaging the season, however, will take more improvement on both sides of the football.
Ethan Bakogiannis Managing Editor
NC State football has played an underwhelming five games of football thus far. But that’s not me talking, it’s the numbers. Featuring a woeful third down conversion percentage, slow pace of play, a lackluster rushing game and more, let’s break down the Wolfpack’s start to its 2024 campaign by the numbers.
104th
in the nation in third down conversion percentage
Out of 134 FBS teams, NC State currently ranks 104th in the nation in terms of third down conversion percentage. Yes, you read that right. The Wolfpack has converted just a few more than one-third of its third downs this season at a .339 clip.
For a fanbase that’s still claiming the Wolfpack can stumble its way into the College Football Playoff, this isn’t a very promising statistic. NC State has only converted 20 third downs so far this season, which averages to just four conversions per game. Whether it’s the Pack’s slow pace of play or lack of offensive rhythm that comes with starting more than one quarterback, the red-and-white isn’t the least bit threatening when it comes to third down.
60.3 offensive plays per game
That’s more than 20 plays below the nation’s best. It’s also ranked as the 123rd best in the country. Like the Pack’s third down conversion percentage, NC State’s pace of play isn’t a pretty sight.
It’s one thing if you’re consistently scoring points and making first downs. However, the Pack is running one play every 31.3 seconds, good for 131st in the nation while only scoring 2.3 offensive touchdowns per game.
If NC State wants more chances at the end zone, offensive coordinator Robert Anae and head coach Dave Doeren might need to consider speeding things up.
3.4 yards per rush attempt
Once again, that offensive statistic has NC State sitting outside of the top 100
teams in college football. The Pack’s 3.4 yards per rush attempt and 108.5 rushing yards per game both put NC State at 104th in the country in each respective category.
It’s no secret the Wolfpack’s run game hasn’t been working the way it was supposed to — surprising given the high expectations for Duke transfer graduate running back Jordan Waters.
Despite bolstering its rushing attack in the transfer portal, NC State has regressed in both categories so far this season when compared to last year. In 2023, the Pack tallied over 40 more rushing yards per game than in 2024 at 150 rush yards per contest, good for 70th in the nation. The
red-and-white was also ranked 68th in the country with 4.2 yards per attempt last season.
Waters is averaging 4.1 yards per carry per game on the season, but that number is down to 3.03 in the last four games, where he’s amassed just 92 yards. Meanwhile, sophomore running back Kendrick Raphael — a speedier and shiftier back — has averaged 6.15 yards per carry on nearly 19 less attempts than Waters.
Previously used as a change-of-pace back, a split backfield between Waters and Raphael is a likely scenario for Anae’s offense going forward.
4.9 rushing yards per opposing rushing attempt
While NC State’s rushing yards per attempt is on the lower end, its opponents’ rushing yards per attempt is on the high end. The Wolfpack’s defense is allowing nearly five yards per rush so far this season, good for 94th best in the country.
NC State is allowing 170.3 yards per game, another stat that ranks them in the lower half of the FBS in terms of rushing defense.
A big part of this is the amount of big plays given up by the NC State defense, a unit that has underwhelmed so far this season. Despite a return to form against Northern Illinois, the Wolfpack’s showings in blowout losses to Tennessee and Clemson and way-too-close calls to Louisiana Tech and Western Carolina have shown this is not the formidable, sometimes deadly NC State defense of old.
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