A Place to Call Home: Being a Hispanic Athlete at NC State — Technician 9/30/21

TECHNICIAN SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

V O L. 1 0 2 | N O . 8

A PLACE TO CALL HOME

BEING A HISPANIC ATHLETE AT NC STATE See page 12

Contents

2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE: page

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Over 200 compost pails added to Wolf Ridge, Wolf Village

WHAT YOU MISSED:

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New phosphorus sustainability research center comes to Centennial campus, largest in world NC State’s Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) tackles the problem of phosphorus sustainability in new headquarters on Centennial campus. Jacob Jones, director of the STEPS Center, said phosphorus is not widely understood and finding a solution to its sustainability will be difficult.

NEWS

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

The University has stopped taking COVID-19 testing seriously

SOURCE: TECHNICIAN

J. Cole announces Dreamville festival will return to Dorothea Dix Park in 2022 North Carolina native J. Cole is returning to Dorothea Dix for his annual Dreamville festival on April 2 and 3.

Last year’s festival was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the year before nearly 40,000 people attended the festival. Tickets for the festival go on sale Oct. 1 at 10 a.m. on the Dreamville website.

OPINION

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

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Rare Pokemon Oreos selling for thousands of dollars on eBay

Who’s Who at Student Media: Mandy Stacy

When Nabisco launched the Pokemon-themed Oreos earlier this month, fans went wild for the cookies featuring characters like Pikachu and Charmander.

One of the rarest Pokemons, Mew, is also one of the rarest Oreos. These cookies are selling on eBay for up to $100,000, with many requiring the cookie to be in “mint condition” and handled with special care.

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Fernanda Soto shares her experience as a Hispanic student-athlete

Editor-in-Chief Jaylan Harrington

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

Danish artist takes $85,000 loan for art commission with no plans to return it An art museum in Denmark loaned Jens Haaning $85,000 worth of cash for a piece of art meant to showcase the annual incomes of Danish and Austrian workers. When the museum workers opened the box that was supposed to contain the framed cash, they instead found two empty frames entitled “Take the Money and Run.” Museum officials are worried as Haaning says he has no intention of returning the money.

SOURCE: UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

SPORTS

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Managing Editors Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen Tristan Tucker

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Events to keep an eye on for the week of Sept. 30

SIDEWALK SYMPOSIUM 2021 Thursday, Sept. 30, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m.

D.H. HILL LIBRARY Free Participants in the colorful Sidewalk Symposium will be showcasing their undergraduate research outside of D.H. Hill on Thursday. Students of all backgrounds and experience levels are welcome to participate, and peers are encouraged to show up and support their fellow students.

LATINX HERITAGE MONTH KEYNOTE ADDRESS Thursday, Sept. 30, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION Free Join Multicultural Student Affairs to listen to Rep. Ricky Hurtado discuss his college experience and involvement in the North Carolina House of Representatives at the halfway point of Latinx Heritage Month.

“IMAGINE A WORLD WITHOUT SEXUAL VIOLENCE” VISION WALL Friday, Oct. 1, 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

TALLEY STUDENT UNION LOBBY Free

SOURCE: NPR

CULTURE

THE RADAR

Sports Editor Nicholas Schnittker

Design Editor Ann Salman

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Assistant Sports Editors Wade Bowman Bryan Pyrtle

Opinion Editor Shilpa Giri

Photo Editor Mollie Mitchell

Video Editor Chloe Allen

In honor of Domestic Violence Awareness Month, the NC State Vision Wall will allow students to respond to the question “Imagine a world without sexual violence. What’s different?” by posting sticky notes across the outer walls of the Women’s Center.

FRIDAY FILMS: “BLACK WIDOW” Friday, Oct. 1, 7, p.m. and 10:15 p.m. showings WITHERSPOON CINEMA Free Looking to kick back with a couple of friends after a long week? Check out Marvel blockbuster “Black Widow” courtesy of UAB’s Wellness, Outreach, Leisure and Films (W.O.L.F.) Committee.

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Assistant Video Editor Elle Bonet Brand Manager Mallory High

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

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

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

New phosphorus sustainability research center comes to Centennial campus, largest in world Abigail Ali

Correspondent

NC State’s Science and Technologies for Phosphorus Sustainability (STEPS) tackles the wicked problem of phosphorus sustainability in new headquarters on Centennial Campus. Wicked problems are social or cultural issues that are difficult or impossible to solve.

The STEPS Center is a National Science Foundation (NSF) Science and Technology Center (STC). Jacob Jones, a distinguished professor in material science engineering and principal investigator and director of the STEPS Center, explains what NSF STCs are.

“The NSF STC’s are agency wide, so these are centers that cover very diverse topics or topics that need diverse disciplines to contribute to solutions,” said Jones.

Jones said phosphorus is not widely understood and finding a solution to its sustainability will be difficult.

“A lot of people in this society recognize carbon and [a] smaller subset understand nitrogen, but not a lot of people understand phosphorus, and it’s a unique problem compared to the other two.” Jones said.

“Phosphorus is very rarely found in gaseous form. It’s always solid; it’s therefore difficult to deal with. It’s gonna be a huge task to come up with real meaningful solutions in a five- or 10-year timeframe, but the team is very much committed to this topic.

They feel passionate about it, and that’s why

A lot of people in this society recognize carbon and [a] smaller subset understand nitrogen, but not a lot of people understand phosphorus, and it’s a unique problem compared to the other two.

-Jacob Jones

we’re moving forward.”

STEPS is focused on reducing human dependence on mined phosphate by 25% and reducing losses of phosphorus to soils and surface waters by 25% in 25 years.

“To do that, we need not only chemists, really in training our graduate students,” materials scientists and agronomists, but Cuchiara said. “We’re really interested in we also need to reach out to social scien- training them to be convergent researchers, tists and economists to really understand being able to navigate between disciplines. the breadth of the problem in order to make We’re broadening participation. We’re insure what we do today can have a real im- credibly committed to increasing the dipact in the 25-year timeframe,” Jones s a id . “[ST EPS] is a collection of graduate students, post-doctoral researchers, senior faculty and early career faculty that all share this vision and common research agenda and we’re all passionate about pushing it forward.”

Jones explained the importance of the new research center. “[The new center] is the largest research center in the world that is tackling this prob- From left to right: Jacob Jones, Maude Cuchiara and Ross Suzzani lem, and we made a case to the NSF that a center of this mag- versity of all the participants at the center nitude is required because of the diverse as well as the programming of the center, perspectives that we need to engage in including groups that are underrepresented problem solving,” Jones said. “So I would currently in STEM fields.”

Julianna Nieuwsma, a third-year PhD say the significance is we have a critical mass of resources where we can really make a dif- student studying learning and teaching ference. The students that graduate from in STEM, is a graduate student working STEPS, whether they’re an undergraduate with STEPS. Though she does not have a student or a graduate student, should be background in phosphorus, Nieuwsma has equipped with some skills to cross disci- knowledge in communication, which is a plines and solve additional complex wicked large part of problem solving in phosphorus sustainability. [problems].”

“I have no background in phosphorus, Ross Sozzani, associate professor in plant and microbial biology and co-deputy direc- but that is the idea of convergent research, tor of STEPS, explains the impact the STEPS that you’re bringing people in from completely different backgrounds,” Nieuwsma headquarters will have.

“STEPS will really be the lead in many said. “It has to be tackled from the science aspects of science and technology, but also and engineering side to find ways to extract for the workforce development,” Sozzani phosphorus that’s been used and there’s also said. “I think that the other programs will a lot to do from the human side of things see STEPS as the success story of truly in- like policy makers and working with farmterdisciplinary science where we have the ers and working with people.”

One of NSF’s big ideas is growing connatural sciences as well as humanities. The [University Plant Sciences Building] is an vergence research as a possible answer to intersectional space with state-of-the-art fa- solving wicked problems. Nieuwsma’s role cilities, and the activities that are going to be as a graduate student with STEPS is to study there for STEPS will be extremely impactful convergent research.

“Convergent research is still very new, so for the NC State community, the RDU area and the national and global area. Phospho- my role as a PhD student is to help study convergent research and, specifically, the rus is the vehicle for convergent science.”

Three characteristics of all STC’s are edu- graduate students that are involved,” Nieucation in human resources, broadening par- wsma said. “Another part of this grant was a diversity focus, so not just studying conticipation and knowledge transfer.

“The education in human resources is vergent research but also diversity in this

environment.”

Sozzani explains important geographical areas that have been defined in which STEPS can put its focus into through its research.

“We have a scenario where we can really

COURTESY OF JACOB JONES

test and apply our science, technology and innovation to this three fold bottom line from urban, aquatic and rural aspects to which the phosphorus problem is important to address,” Sozzani said.

Jones talks about the three places STEPS is doing research in with partnering institutions.

“One of those geographical places is the Tidewater Research Station which is in eastern North Carolina,” Jones said. “Another one is the south Florida ecosystem which has a lot of water and a lot of phosphorus in their water, and then another one is an urban center out in [Phoenix, Arizona].”

Jones said he would like to get the NC State community involved with STEPS. “I would like the NC State community to know that we want their engagement in this project,” Jones said. “We need stakeholders from various industries, we need academics from disciplines, graduate students from different disciplines and undergraduates from different disciplines. We really want to engage the community in what we’re doing.”

Visit the STEPS website and the STEPS Twitter page, @STEPS_stc, to learn more about STEPS and the new NSF center.

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NC State Beekeeping Club buzzing with excitement Cameron Rhinehardt Correspondent

As students are recovering from a virtual college experience, engagement in the NC State community is growing. There are many unique opportunities that allow students to be involved at NC State, one of them being the Beekeepers Club.

The Beekeepers Club is an informative group at the University, offering educational meetings and opportunities regarding the care and science of bees, as well as field trips, functions and seminars. The club has been active at NC State since 2014.

Every Sunday morning, the executive board of the club meets to check on the hive at the NC State Agroecology Education Farm. The club also meets twice a month and features guest lecturers and informative sessions on bee care and science. For example, the club’s faculty advisor, David Tarpy, gave a presentation on his research on honey bee health and behavior.

Not only does the club meet to discuss the research and science of bees, but the club offers guidance on different career opportunities available in beekeeping.

“In the past, we have had beekeepers who either sell honey or other hive products as their career,” said Kaitlyn Sage, a fourth-year studying animal science and co-president of the club. “A lot of people think it is a hobby and not a career, so we try to have people from all over the industry come and talk.”

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Sophia Boyd, left, a fourth-year student in zoology and environmental science, and Erin McCluskey, right, a fourth-year student in genetics, inspect two beehive frames at the NC State Agroecology Education Farm, on Sept. 26, 2021. They were checking on the bees and their comb progress.

According to Sophia Boyd, a fourth-year studying zoology and environmental science and co-president of the club, guest speakers are an important part of the club.

“We do try to have a guest speaker every meeting, although this semester will be a little different because of the pandemic,” Boyd said.

The club is trying to take advantage of virtual meetings, however, and engage beekeepers across the country.

“We might have some Zoom meetings this semester, so we can have guest speakers who normally couldn’t travel for an in-person

meeting,” Boyd said.

While the meetings themselves offer a lot of information on beekeeping, there are a lot of opportunities for members to have hands-on experience with the bees.

“We have hive days with our members,” Sage said. “In the fall, we usually only have one or two, but in the spring, we try to get three or four hive days in.”

Hive days consist of members coming to the hive and learning about beekeeping in an interactive way. This can mean watching executive members demonstrate how to care for the hive and how to complete impor-

tant tasks, such as looking for intruders in the hive or feeding the bees. The executive board is trying to plan a hive day for this upcoming month, so members can make a trip to the hive before it gets too cold outside.

The club also participates in community activities, such as Bug Fest. Bug Fest is an annual event at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, which took place Sept.13-18, 2021.

“It was an expo with people from the community who are interested in bugs,” Sage said. “This year’s featured bug was the carpenter bee, so we brought out beekeeping stuff and did an expo for the kids and members of the community.”

As of right now, the club has over 30 members, and they are flexible when it comes to attendance.

“We have over 200 people on our email list,” Boyd said. “With that many people on the email list, there’s an average of 30 or so members depending on the event. If people miss meetings, we post the slides after, so it is okay.”

The club requires no previous experience, and about 90% of the club is at a beginner beekeeping level.

If students are interested in learning about beekeeping, the club takes members at any time, and there is no experience required.

Students can email the club at beekeepersncsu@gmail.com if they are interested in joining.

Coastal Resilience, Sustainability Initiative addresses climate change’s effects on coast Heidi Reid Staff Writer

The Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative at NC State looks to solve the challenges of climate change in the coastal area using interdisciplinary expertise and research opportunities.

According to Mary Watzin, the director of the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative, the initiative brings together expertise from all 10 colleges at NC State and hopes to address climate change in an interdisciplinary manner.

“The goal is to bring together the amazing expertise we have across our entire campus to address the challenges of coastal resilience and sustainability and what climate change is doing on the coast,” Watzin said. “The initiative is focused on increasing the profile and research at NC State. I frequently talk with other investigators in the areas at UNC and Duke, but as of now, the initiative is focused on bringing together interdisciplinary teams within NC State.”

According to Amanda Mueller, coordina-

tor of the Coastal Resilience and Sustainability Initiative, the organization’s main goal is getting NC State faculty to work together and gain a holistic view of climate change, then engaging with the communities that are struggling with these issues.

“The initiative is trying to address climate change issues while realizing that it reaches beyond the environmental impacts,” Mueller said. “Really one of the prime focuses is to get interdisciplinary teams to collaborate at NC State. The University already has a wealth of knowledge and experience with topics that help address coastal resilience.”

According to Watzin, in order to promote more discussion and interaction about key topics, the initiative is hosting a series of lightning talks and faculty panels.

“A lot of what we do is behind the scenes,” Watzin said. “We are bringing faculty together to go after grant opportunities, respond to inquiries and questions about what we want at NC State, and who might help. We are also starting to talk about education programs and how we can leverage more courses that

ABBIE DAVIES-CUTTING/TECHNICIAN

are available at all levels.”

Watzin said over 230 faculty members are associated with a variety of research for the initiative.

“In the next couple of weeks, we will have a database on our website,” Watzin said.

“There will be a list of their grants, research, publications and interests to help build connections.”

According to Mueller, the database will play a large role in building connections across the colleges and spreading information about research already completed.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Over 200 compost pails added to Wolf Ridge, Wolf Village Amber Detwiler Staff Writer

Over 200 compost pails were installed in Wolf Village and Wolf Ridge apartments in a collaboration between Student Government, University Housing and the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling.

Ann Winstead, a third-year studying environmental science and political science, presented to the Student Government finance committee as assistant director of the Student Government Sustainability Department in order to receive funding for this project. She said the planning process happened over summer, with pails installed in apartments for the fall 2021 semester.

Pails were distributed in two buildings at each apartment complex, including Hudson and Arctic Halls in Wolf Village and Tower and Plaza Halls in Wolf Ridge.

“My ideal NC State is that everyone has a compost bin when they come to campus, so they have recycling, they have trash, they have compost; it’s just established NC State,” Winstead said.

“Originally, the project was to do all of Wolf Ridge and all of Wolf Village, but it got scaled back to kind of a pilot program. Hopefully one day we’ll be able to see that all students are getting all three when they come in.”

Winstead said she is very proud that NC State has its own industrial compost facility and hopes this project can help make the most of this unique resource.

“We have what’s called a closed loop

We want to make compost collections accessible to everybody on campus and have it institutionalized across campus as a whole at some point - Adam Bensley

organic waste management system at NC State,” said Adam Bensley, waste diversion coordinator of the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling. “Organic waste that’s produced here is processed here into compost, and then the compost is used in the campus landscape. It’s also used at the agroecology farm, which then grows produce for the dining halls and campus restaurants.”

Kathleen Ruppe, director of opera-

tions for University Housing, said apartment-style housing was chosen because the kitchen creates food scraps, which present a more direct need for composting resources.

She also said these areas were chosen because they have a compost dumpster nearby. Bensley said about 25% of the dumpster locations on campus have a compost dumpster along with the landfill and recycling dumpsters.

“University Housing partners often

with the Sustainability Office,” Ruppe said. “They are great partners, and we try to work hand-inhand with them when we can to encourage sustainable practices. This opportunity to expand our composting [became available to us], and so we thought it would be a great next step.”

Bensley said that a 2019 waste audit performed with Wake County revealed that about 50% of the landfill waste stream from NC State’s apartment-style housing is actually compostable. He said this number is lower for traditional residence halls primarily due to the lack of kitchen waste.

“The 2015 waste audit of the campus as a whole revealed that 38% of what was going to the landfill was actually compostable,” Bensley said. “We want to make compost collections accessible to everybody on campus and have it institutionalized across campus as a whole at some point. We’re working on it, but it’s going slow. There’s budget restraints and it costs money, but that’s the long term goal.”

Bensley said the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling appreciates University Housing’s consistent dedication to composting and waste diversion.

He said compost initiatives within University Housing began with the pizza box composting dumpsters in 2014 as a collaboration with the Office of Waste Reduction and Recycling. Later in 2016, a Sustainability Fund Grant allowed for the EcoVillage residents to check out sealable, plastic compost jars to be used within suites.

Pails were first implemented as a part of the room after receiving a grant from Wake County last year, where a pilot program of

Rupee, Bensely and Winstead plan to address the success of the compost pail distribution through surveys as well as assessment of pail condition after move out.

“Part of it will be asking students, ‘Was it a positive addition to your apartment?

Did you use them?’” Ruppe said. “We’ll see what the status of the actual bins are at the end of the year and decide how we need to move forward with the project.”

Winstead said the compost pail distribution in these select four apartment buildings used about one-third of the total funds received from Student Government in spring 2021. She said the rest of the money is being used to host the Compost Carnival, where 300 more compost pails will be given out to students who are actively looking to compost but may not have the resources to do so. She said the Compost Carnival will be from 5-8 p.m. on Oct. 19, in the Talley Student Involvement Suite.

“The problem we ran into with housing was that there’s just too much infrastructure and [coordination with] housekeeping and all of that to make it a hugescale project,” Winstead GRAPHIC BY ANN SALMAN/TECHNICIAN said. “If we do it this way, say got a handle so you can carry it out to the you come to this event, you are going to dumpster. They’ve got vents in the lid so it get the pail, and you can keep this in your home, you can keep it in your dorm, your doesn’t get too bad with the smell.”

Bensley recommended that students line off-campus apartment, whatever the case the pail with paper towels or newspaper for is. And it’s not expected to be returned easy cleaning after removing the compost back to us. So hopefully, the idea is that waste. He said a complete list of compos- we’re increasing composting accessibility table items can be found at recycling.ncsu. for students, wherever they are.” edu/compost. compost pails were distributed in E.S. King and Western Manor. “[The pails] were purchased from a company that makes the compost pail specifically,” Bensley said. “They’re good pails for the kitchen.

They’re not too big. ...They’ve

COURTESY OF ADAM BENSLEY

Jerush Christopher, Skye Pham and Ann Winstead during the compost pail installations.

Opinion 6 TECHNICIAN Gabby Petito’s murder must shine light on missing women throughout the country THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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It isn’t unreasonable to think about the effect the media has on criminal Assistant Opinion Editor cases. A lot of the time, many people on the internet think they can solve crimes, and sometimes they do better jobs than detectives on the case. In the recent case regarding Gabby Petito, YouTubers played a crucial role in finding clues that led to investigators finding her body. As disheartening as it is, the media coverage played a huge role in finding her, and furthered the need for justice.

Regrettably, there are always individuals who victim-blame and try to spew the narrative that Petito should have left the abusive relationship sooner. I am not one of those individuals. Instead, I offer that all missing women in the U.S. deserve the same amount of effort and coverage that Petito received.

The coverage Petito received is coined

by Twitter users and scholars as “the missing white woman syndrome,” the idea that missing white women gain media attention

much faster than any BIPOC women. This is not just a so-called leftist narrative either; it’s very much a phenomenon. A phenomenon that gets hidden so much a news anchor actually got suspended for wanting to talk about it.

According to a study done by sociologist Zach Sommers, missing white women are much more likely to gain coverage than any other group of women. The study also found that their cases are the most likely to get reported more than once. When reading this, did you recognize Petito’s name? What about if I mentioned Madeleine McCann?

Exactly. For older crowds reading this, there was Natalee Holloway, Jennifer Kesse and Tara Calico.

All of these names were blasted out into the mainstream in hopes of finding these women. Some of them continue to be missing, but one search on Google and you find an abundance of photos, resources, articles and more.

But BIPOC women receive the short end of the stick. According to Native Women’s Wilderness, Indigenous women and girls are 10 times more likely to be murdered than all other ethnicities. The website is full of resources for reporting missing women, and even at the bottom of the page it shows that many states in the U.S. do not have any

statistics, or very little, on missing Indigenous women. As for missing Black women, there is a huge resource called Black and Missing Foundation, which was created to provide resources, tip lines, report missing individuals and look at the true statistics and why BIPOC individuals are severely underrepresented in missing persons media.

As soon as Petito was reported missing, the FBI immediately started looking for her in Wyoming. This same state reported more than 400 Indigenous girls and women that all went missing between 2011 and the fall of 2020.

To be clear, this is not a competition for who can get the most coverage. This is about providing closure and justice for all these families that have lost their mothers, daughters, sisters, grandmas and more. All of these women deserve the same amount of coverage, regardless.

Petito was only 22, an age close to my own and many of our readers. It’s cliche to say that this can happen to anyone, but it’s simply too little, too late to say this. Any way you frame this, it’s violence against women.

Cases like those of Petito have shown the importance of looking out for one another.

It can definitely be uncomfortable to throw yourself in a potentially dangerous situa-

tion, but if you ever see anything out of the ordinary, you need to do something about it. It could even be as simple as lending an ear to a loved one going through a traumatic experience or abusive relationship and pointing them to resources and safe spaces.

At NC State, we have resources like the Women’s Center and Counseling Center, whose only aim as an office is to help protect our students. One small intervention, one phone call or one counseling session could make a difference, so don’t let embarrassment stop you from potentially saving a life.

As college students, it’s not enough to merely educate oneself about these issues.

The change must be aggressive, and it includes changing the narrative around missing women or the victims of this violence.

It is, I repeat, never their fault.

If you or someone you know is experiencing relationship violence, sexual violence, stalking or any other form of interpersonal violence and are in need of advocacy services, the NC State Women’s Center has trained advocates available to offer crisis intervention, emotional support, resources and referrals. Students can contact the 24/7 Sexual Assault Helpline at 919-515-4444 or email ncsuadvocate@ncsu.edu to schedule an appointment with an advocate.

This Friday’s a special day for music and radio lovers. Oct. 1 marks College Radio Day, a time “to raise a greater, i nter nat iona l awa reCaryl ness of the many college Espinoza and high school radio Jaen stat ions t hat operate Managing around the world.” As a Editor self-prescribed rave girl and DJ almost done with training at the student radio WKNC (which I’m not officially a part of, so this is not an insider endorsement), I’m here to do some peer pressure and tell you all to start listening to college radio.

Radio wasn’t something I grew up on.

Back when I was a little kid living in Nicaragua, my family tended to stick to used CDs and TV broadcasts, and by the time I moved to the United States and started listening to music religiously, streaming services were becoming a thing. It wasn’t until three things happened over the past year: I got into mixing electronic music through some Brooklyn DJs I’m mutuals with, I downloaded an Ableton free trial over the summer, and I went as a guest

at WXYC, the UNC-Chapel Hill student radio — I know, I know, pretty slanderous of me to start my radio journey there.

Regardless of where I started my DJ career, if you’re tired of the Billboard 100, college radio is the place to go. While big commercial radio stations are restricted to play the same popular songs in order to hook listeners and make a profit, most student radios tend to be less concerned about money. Because of this, music played by student radio stations tends to be much more diverse. And while yes, you’re right in saying that college radios are probably not going to play your favorite top hits from Ariana Grande, Taylor Swift or Tame Impala (although you’d be surprised), you’re also very likely to find smaller, equally captivating artists.

I’d go as far to call college radio integral to the music industry. It’s where many unsigned and local artists get their start, as well as where many indie and upcoming artists get platformed as well. Student DJs, likewise, are some of the best curators you’ll ever meet, platforming various artists both popular and niche from almost every music genre imaginable.

Suffice to say, every student DJ has different music tastes and inclinations when creating a setlist, so it’s all about tuning in at the right time and finding a DJ that consistently gets your vibe. For listeners at NC State and the Triangle area, WKNC has its genres split into different blocks — you can tune in most afternoons to indie rock and most evenings to electronic — except for Friday evenings, of course, since that’s reserved for metalheads. There’s also various specialty shows, including K-pop, traditional Indian music and even sea shanties. Suffice to say, there’s something for everyone on college radio.

The radio scene isn’t perfect, obviously.

Because broadcasters are still subject to very archaic content guidelines because of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), radio stations do have some limits on what they can play on the radio. Getting caught saying or airing a song with the word “f---,” for example, will get you a fine of at least $320,000, essentially gatekeeping a lot of artists from getting platformed regardless of how they’re using “obscene” words. That and, let’s be honest, nobody bumps to

clean edits.

But if you’re truly looking to spice up your music, college radio is a great way to be introduced to new artists. As a person who mainly gravitates towards house and techno, I got into artists like Mall Grab, Terrence Dixon and FJAAK through student DJ sets, and outside of my general music tastes, I got into artists like Machine Girl and Oneohtrix Point Never.

If you’d like to support your local college radio stations on College Radio Day, WKNC is hosting a “24 Hour Lock In,” where a different student DJ will be playing every hour, starting right at midnight. You can tune in either on the radio station at 88.1 FM, online at wknc.org or through WKNC’s YouTube channel live stream. If you’re one of our secret readers in the Chapel Hill area (because I know you exist), tune in to WXYC at 89.3 FM or online at wxyc.org. Durham readers, likewise, can tune in to WXDU at 88.7 FM or online at wxdu.org.

But seriously, tune in to “WKNC 88.1 FM HD-1 Raleigh” this Friday. I memorized that during training so you’d tune in to good music.

Editor’s note: The following article contains content related to death, and interpersonal and domestic violence.

Mariana Fabian

You too can become college radio-pilled

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Opinion TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

RE: The draft has outlived its purpose

Last week, Technician published an opinion column by Caitlyn Mahoney titled “The draft has outlived its purpose.” In the column, Mahoney argues that the draft is an arJoseph chaic system and should Palko be eliminated. I disagree Guest with Mahoney’s argument Columnist about the draft, but I also take issue with the debate itself.

For Americans, 18 is the age you realize your right to vote. Suddenly, your worldview and your fate are tied to the larger civic community — to the fate of your country. For American men, the obligation to register for the draft adds another layer to that tying of fates. Whether or not your country is seeking peace or seeking war matters, the draft finds its value in that it serves as a constant reminder of our shared fate as a country. It reminds us

that war does not exist in the abstract but can strike too close to home. Beyond the merits of the draft itself, I argue a larger point is missed by debating whether the draft should continue to exist: should war continue to exist?

Congress may at some point decide to eliminate the draft, also known as the Selective Service Program. However, barring an amendment to the Constitution forbidding a draft, Congress really cannot eliminate the idea of a draft. The idea of a draft is an idea as old as war itself. History tells us the U.S. is not unique in its use of conscription, nor will it be the last nation to employ such a system. Having a system such as the Selective Service System in place does not mean that we are currently using it and this is unique.

It is worth noting that nobody in the U.S. is currently being conscripted into military service. This point is important because it demonstrates how the idea of a

draft exists outside of and separate from the Selective Service System. Eliminating this specific system does little to change the possibility of a war which requires a draft or the likelihood that Congress would employ this tool. In such a dire situation, Congress, as it has in the past, would simply reinstate it.

But though debating whether we should have a draft is pointless, the debate over whether we should have war in the first place is not. Anthropologist Margaret Mead famously argued that war is not a fulfillment of some innate biological need, but an invention. Resorting to violence to resolve disputes is a choice — one that we can also not make. But one peaceloving country is not enough.

The structures of our global society and system would have to change and, in the spirit of Margaret Mead, I argue they can and should. In this context, I sense that the debate over eliminating the draft is re-

ally a proxy for the debate over war itself.

The two concepts, after all, have been tied together since their inception.

There is, however, a hard truth underlying this: we bear the burden of being born into a world in which war is sometimes politically necessary, but never ideal. Even if we recognize that war does not have to exist, we cannot afford to ignore that it does. Mead recognized this fact, arguing that war would be inevitably barring a seismic change in the class and power structures of the world.

Here, we see how the draft has merits.

We bear this burden, the reality of war, and must choose how to handle it. Eliminating the Selective Service System will not eliminate war. It would, however, take away one small aspect of the reality of war. Perspective, in this sense, is crucial.

We should not overlook the forest for the trees. The draft will likely continue, but this does not mean that war should.

The University has stopped taking COVID-19 testing seriously This past week, I was notified that one of my close friends had tested positive for COVID-19.

In sheer panic, my roommates and I rushed to Anu Wit hersp o on St udent Mishra Center first thing in the Correspondent morning to get tested.

But when we got there, we saw the line outside of Witherspoon was wrapped around Dan Allen Drive. I was in shock to see so many students lined up just to receive a COVID-19 test. The University claims to put their students’ safety and health as a top priority, but the line in front of Witherspoon paints a different picture.

The only conveniently located place to get a COVID-19 test is Witherspoon Student Center. According to the University’s testing protocols, there are only seven functioning testing locations for all 34,015 students who attend NC State.

While seven may seem like plenty, they don’t function at the same capacity or

convenience, with many of them even closing at odd times.

None of these testing centers are open on the weekends, which is when most students have time to get their weekly tests, and two locations are only open once a week. In addition to this, all testing ends by 2 p.m. on Friday, which is once again when a lot of students have started wrapping up their week and it would be easier for them to schedule their COVID-19 test. It’s incredibly obvious that the University has cut back on its investment in testing and COVID-19 resources for its students.

Having convenient testing locations is essential to protecting our campus from COVID-19. Last semester, for a very short period of time, there was walk-up and drive-up testing available at the Dan Allen parking deck. This made it extremely convenient for those living in student apartments on Hillsborough Street to walk up and get tested on their way to class. In addition to this, those who would prefer to not wait in long lines

can drive up and get tested.

Testing ideas and locations like these are what encourage students to get tested if they have been exposed to COVID-19. It’s easy for students to say they don’t want to or don’t have the time to get tested after getting exposed to the disease simply because of how long the lines are at Witherspoon and other testing locations. The lack of effort and care portrayed by the University in regards to COVID-19 creates a similar pattern within the student body.

According to NC State’s testing protocols, only students who are unvaccinated are required to get tested weekly. In order to prove your vaccination status to the University, you must upload a copy of your vaccine card to your HealthyPack Portal. However, many students who uploaded their vaccine cards were still required to get tested simply because the University was unable to verify them in time. Students who were fully vaccinated were still required to wait in testing lines because the University didn’t in-

vest enough resources into making sure that vaccination statuses were approved.

Making vaccinated students wait in line for a test that they don’t even need takes away testing opportunities from those who may genuinely be running the risk of COVID-19.

NC State’s shortcomings in COVID-19 testing and safety this semester are ref lective of an attitude that’s being displayed across the country at this moment. Far too many people are treating this pandemic like it’s a thing of the past.

I’m here to say that it’s not. People are still losing their lives, hospitals are still overwhelmed and imminent risks are still present.

When large institutions such as NC State display a lack of effort and care for this pandemic, it encourages and even justifies the lack of care seen in the student body. Students can’t be expected to take the pandemic seriously when the University itself has stopped trying. NC State must take this situation more seriously and so should the student body.

Culture

8 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

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Research Roundup: Lemurs in laboratories Patsy McKee Correspondent

This is the second article in a series highlighting a researcher from each college at NC State.

Most of us have only ever seen lemurs at the zoo or through our television screens.

These zany-looking primates often appear in popular media — think King Julien, Mort and Zoboomafoo.

Ashley Carter, a fourth-year studying zoology, studies lemurs in the Comparative Anatomy and Functional Morphology Research Laboratory at NC State. For her research, Carter digitally dissects various species of lemurs and analyzes their masticatory muscles.

Masticatory muscles, located in the lemur’s head, are associated with communication among the lemurs. The lemurs,

donated by the Duke Lemur Center, are processed using a combination of data analysis tools.

“I use Amira; basically, you have to CT [computed tomography] scan the lemurs and then you can put each individual slice of the CT scan in Amira,” Carter said. “Amira gives you the entire specimen in slices, like a 3D orientation.”

Carter uses those scans to develop a record of the morphological and anatomical components of each lemur. Currently, her project involves the digital scans of eight different lemurs.

This digital method of conducting research benefited Carter during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although most university activities were moved online, the Comparative Anatomy Lab remained open on a staggered schedule.

The students visited the lab in shifts to meet with their advisors. Carter also spent time at the lab this past summer while she

dissected scans from a hapalemur.

“We had a Hapalemur and past researchers held off on dissecting it because the scans were extremely slow,” Carter said. “I spent six hours in the lab for two to three days over the summer and I knocked out the whole entire lemur head.”

According to Carter, the Hapalemur dissection was one of her greatest research accomplishments. Now, a typical work week for Carter consists of almost eight hours of dissections and one to two online lectures with her lab instructor.

“I was lucky, since my project was on digital dissections, I was able to do a lot of it from home or just on my laptop, wherever I was.” Carter said.

She said collaboration between students was a mainstay of the laboratory environment.

“There’s Edwin, our lab director,” Carter said. “He’s the post-doc that I work with. I also collaborate with the other ‘labbies’ —

that’s what we call each other — that are part of this project.”

Currently, Carter and the other undergraduate students, the “labbies,” are compiling their findings into a final manuscript.

They work in shifts writing, peer reviewing and editing the manuscript document. The team does join together for editing sessions with their advisor, Adam Hartstone-Rose of the department of biological sciences at NC State.

She learned of Hartstone-Rose’s research and the lemur project by word-of-mouth at zoology and pre-veterinary club meetings.

In the future, Carter hopes to attend vet school. Her plans include learning more about exotic animal morphology and anatomy.

“Since my research is in anatomy, that’s what my focus will be as a veterinarian,” Carter said. “As you can imagine, it’s much different than if I was your average dog or cat vet.”

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Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

University Libraries’ Gaming for Global Change uses Twitch streams to educate Jameson Wolf Correspondent

Climate change poses an increasingly urgent threat to our future, but it can be a difficult issue to talk about. University Libraries is seeking to make these vital climate conversations easier through its new series, Gaming for Global Change, in which library staff members take to Twitch once a month to livestream a different climate change-centered game.

The series is an expansion of Wicked Problems, Wolfpack Solutions, an online course for incoming first-year and transfer students which encourages multidisciplinary exploration and offers connection with the NC State community.

Karen Ciccone, head of the data and visualization department with University Libraries, explained that Gaming for MARISSA MCHUGH/TECHNICIAN Global Change was born out Blake Albright, a second-year studying biology, studies at D.H. Hill Library on Thursday, Aug. 20, 2020. Due to the of a desire to further engage COVID-19 pandemic, the library is only open to students and faculty, and no longer open to the public.

students with this year’s course topic of global change.

“We were looking for ways to engage students with global change which can be a somewhat difficult topic to talk about,” Ciccone said. “We think that games, through fictional scenarios, provide great ways to think about difficult issues. They are a great way to see the world from other perspectives, even other species’, and try to understand how they’re experiencing the effects of climate change.”

Each game will focus on a different facet of climate change’s unique challenges. To help navigate these topics, University Libraries plan to include special guests to help answer questions and guide conversations on the topics of the games.

In its first iteration, University Libraries teamed up with the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences to try “Bee

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Who’s Who at Student Media: Agromeck Co-Editor-in-Chief Mandy Stacy Shelby Bryson Correspondent

Meet Mandy Stacy, a fourth-year studying English and the co-editor-in-chief of Agromeck. She works alongside Don Bui, a fourth-year studying technology, engineering and design education, to put out NC State’s official yearbook.

Coming in as a first-year student, Stacy knew she wanted to be involved in Student Media, but didn’t know exactly what that entailed. A close friend brought her to an Agromeck meeting during her first semester, and she knew right away that this was the place for her. Even without prior yearbook experience, she began learning and quickly became a key member of staff.

“I started writing for them immediately,” Stacy said. “My sophomore and junior year, I was copy editor, and then this year, I applied for editor-in-chief with my friend Don. We’re both kind of tackling the role, which has been really nice because we both have different strengths and weaknesses.

We make a really good team.”

Stacy has known Bui since seventh grade. The two compliment each other perfectly, with Bui handling big design and idea layouts while Stacy plans coverage and writing themes. Together, both have settled comfortably into what it means to take on the leadership role of editor-in-chief.

Stacy’s role has changed significantly since being copy editor. Now, she spends her time thinking about recruitment, promoting the book and big picture ideas.

“It’s weird because I’m so used to writing and editing stories all day, but now, being editor-in-chief means I’m handing my past role onto our current copy editor and taking even more of a leadership stance,” said Stacy. “Now, it’s more so training and empowering our staff than anything.”

This year’s staff might be the largest yet for Agromeck with more than 20 people.

The contrast to last year is undeniable.

“Last year was rea l ly STACY continued page 11

NATALIE FOLSON/AGROMECK

Culture 10 TECHNICIAN Local live music just a stone’s throw away THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

Caleb Jolley Correspondent

Live music is back, and with the help of @inyourbackyard_, a locally owned and operated Instagram account, finding shows across North Carolina is easier than ever.

It is not uncommon for local up-andcoming bands to play at, or host, their own shows, but outside of these circles, learning about such events can be difficult. In response to this, Daniel “Dantichrist” Slagell created @inyourbackyard_ to spread the word about local DIY performances. “@inyourbackyard_ was started as a resource/response to the lack of communication or acknowledgement of a local scene,” Slagell said. “No one was promoting or letting people know about stuff going on literally in their own backyards.”

The idea was born from a conversation with some friends, moving Slagell to action.

“I was at a local show in Durham with a buddy of mine’s band, and after the show, we were talking about how good the show was … [how] there should be more shows like this and why is no one doing anything about promoting these things? And I basically said, ‘Alright, I’ll do it,’” said Slagell.

“My friends are like, ‘You’re crazy,’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’ll do it, I’ll start the page.’”

In 2019, Slagell created the account and began posting about small shows across North Carolina. Posts typically feature unique event flyers and details about the bands, location and pricing.

The account gained some early traction before it saw a brief hiatus with the pandemic. As things have opened up again, however, @inyourbackyard_ has seen substantial growth, informing more and more people about the best places to see local talent. “[Over] the past couple months, there has Simulator,” a game played from a honeybee’s percontinued from page 9 spective as it collects pollen and protects its hive in an urban park setting.

Colin Brammer, a biologist for the museum, joined library staff to talk about all things bees as they played. Throughout the stream, viewers were able to comment and ask questions. A recording of the stream is posted on the University Libraries YouTube channel.

Claire Cahoon, an NC State Libraries Fellow, and Experiential Learning Services librarian Colin Nickels work together as primary project managers of the Twitch channel. They both found the first stream to be a success.

“It was a lot of fun to have that kind of conversation with a bee expert while playing a game that’s meant to represent the perspective of a bee,” Nickels said. “I think

GRAPHIC BY JOE LINGO/TECHNICIAN

been this massive growth between like a new generation of kids finding the page, discovering who it is, what it does and just kind of running with it,” Slagell said.

“There are kids meeting me at shows and saying like ‘Oh, you’re that guy?’”

Posting about shows happening right here in Raleigh as well as events from across the state in cities like Wilmington, Charlotte, Asheville and Greensboro, the account has earned widespread support from casual to avid music lovers.

“There’s stickers that are kind of planted in different parts of the state now because of the page,” Slagell said. “It’s crazy what’s happened with the page and how far it’s stretched and how people know about it.”

Currently, the account has around 1,800 followers and is only trending upwards.

TWITCH

The series demonstrates the possibility of accessible and even fun education on serious and pressing topics.

it allowed people to get out of their own headspace when talking about ecology in a way that they can’t otherwise.”

A key component of these streams, ac-

The success of the page, however, is something Slagel wishes to share with those who have helped him most.

“Part of the success of the page has also been [because of] one of my best friends, Theo [Bonilla], who’s been helping out with a lot of behind the scenes stuff,” Slagell said.

“Everything from booking shows occasionally to networking or creating flyers, making content for the page. Without her, I wouldn’t be able to do a lot of this.”

In addition to promoting local shows, Slagell has begun booking shows under @ inyourbackyard_ as well.

“A group out of Mebane called The Piggy Bank joined forces this fall to book a Halloween show,” Slagell said. “It’s the first time I’ve ever booked a show. They asked me to pick all the bands, so I got some bud-

dies of mine from different spots. I was like ‘Hey, you guys want to put on a show?’ They were like ‘Yeah sure!’ … It’s called the Monster Mosh and it’s a giant punk rock show going on at this barn around Halloween.”

The Monster Mosh is happening on Oct. 16 in Mebane, North Carolina. Those interested in attending can find out more at @inyourbackyard_. More shows can be found on the Instagram page, which posts weekly about events taking place. The account recently expanded to Twitter under the same handle, @inyourbackyard_.

Whether you’re interested in the local music scene or are just looking for something fun to do on a free evening, be sure to check out @inyourbackyard_. You may be pleasantly surprised by all that is happening right where you live.

cording to Cahoon, is viewer interaction.

“We were really excited to see a bunch of people in the chat having conversations and asking questions,” Cahoon said.

“I think one of the real benefits of doing this live on Twitch is that you could stop by and ask the question of someone who’s experiencing the game but also somebody who’s an expert.”

The series will have three more streams throughout the fall semester, starting on Oct. 8 with the game “Never Alone: Foxtales,” which was developed in collaboration with the Inupiat Alaskan Native Community and follows a young girl named Luna and her fox as they explore the Arctic on a journey to save a friend.

“Climate changes are affecting the people and wildlife of the Arctic in dramatic ways,” Ciccone said. “So that comes in as an underlying force in the game.”

On Nov. 12, Vicky Thayer, a faculty member at the Center for Marine Sciences and Technology, will join library staff to

play “Beyond Blue._” In this game, players pilot a deep-sea explorer to learn about ocean conservation and marine life.

As part of University Libraries’s destress stream series during exam week, staff will play “Civilization VI: The Gathering Storm” on Dec. 3. Players will explore how climate change due to energy resource use has direct effects on civilization.

The series is set to continue through the spring semester. In January, staff members will stream a role-playing game about extreme heat in North Carolina from the Museum of Life and Science in Durham.

The series demonstrates the possibility of accessible and even fun education on serious and pressing topics. Library staff hopes it will be an avenue to continue conversations about climate change.

“What is most exciting is having this chance to get people together to have conversations they wouldn’t otherwise be having,” Nickels said.

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Culture TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

hard because we basically had no staff,” Stac y sa id. continued from page 9 “There were only about six or seven of us on the leadership staff doing all the work for the whole book, and then this year, it’s completely the opposite.”

Stacy delighted in talking about the staff and sense of community at Agromeck.

“We really are such a family,” Stacy said.

“Because there aren’t too many of us, I’ve been able to get close with everyone.”

Considering this year’s Agromeck will be the 120th edition, it just might be the

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

most historic yearbook to date.

“Vaccines are coming out, there’s a new presidential administration, more attention is being given to social justice issues,” Stacy said. “I feel like we’re at a turning point in society right now and we really want the book to reflect this shift that we’re in right now.”

That’s the theme for this year’s edition, in so many words: shifting forward, reflecting back. In honor of that, Stacy and Bui are planning a banquet for the 120th edition that will be held in the spring semester.

“That’s a pretty big milestone especially after the last year and a half with

We really are such a family because there aren’t too many of us, I’ve been able to get close with everyone.

- Mandy Stacy

COVID-19,” Stacy said. “We just want to gather with everybody that’s been a part of Agromeck to celebrate our history and how far we’ve come.”

Looking back at the first Agromeck, published in 1903, and seeing how much has changed and developed since then, a banquet has been a long time coming.

Stacy discussed the mindset she’s using to tackle this year’s edition.

“Every year we try to make the book better and better and incorporate different stories, different coverage, different pictures, different design layouts,” Stacy said.

Sports 12 TECHNICIAN Fernanda Soto emphasizes importance of family, shares her experience as a Hispanic student-athlete THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

Wade Bowman

Assistant Sports Editor

With National Hispanic Heritage Month in full swing, it seems as good a time as any to celebrate the NC State student-athletes who have Latinx roots. The University proudly represents a population with a wide variety of ethnic backgrounds, including an undergraduate Hispanic population of approximately 1,412 students.

Freshman defender Fernanda Soto finds herself within that population as a member of the Wolfpack women’s soccer team. As an athlete, Soto has been a key contributor for the Pack, starting in each of the team’s games this year despite it being her first season with the squad. From a soccer perspective, Soto’s future within the program is bright, but she believes that NC State has much more to offer her outside of the sport. “[NC State was] definitely my top choice, it stood out more than any other school, having the history and the background right along with it… it’s just that the school comes with family,” Soto said.

Family is one thing Soto holds very close to her heart, attributing her dedication to those she loves to her cultural background.

“The first thing that comes to my head is family, and our traditions that we have,” Soto said. “I always think my family is a priority. …[It’s] something that everyone has sure, but especially in Hispanic and Latino [culture].”

In her brief time with the Pack so far, Soto feels as if she has been able to capitalize on the importance of family. It was important to her to find a place that she could call “home” during her college search, and NC State has given her the opportunity to do so not only through friendships made on campus but also through being a member of the Wolfpack student-athletes family.

NATALIE BODENSTINE/TECHNICIAN

Freshman defender Fernanda Soto moves down the field wit the ball on Sunday, Sept. 26, 2021 at Dail Soccer Field. NC State lost to Virginia with a final score of 2-1

“[I’ve] been trying to make more friendships with everyone and get along with ev-

eryone,” Soto said. “I haven’t been homesick, which is very surprising to me; this team

does a very good job for that to not happen.”

A portion of the success that Soto has found in finding a family away from the one she holds so close can be attributed to the University’s success in making her culture feel appreciated. A great example can be found in a recent home game where Soto and other teammates from international backgrounds were recognized before a home game. “[NC State] does a very good job,” Soto said. “The other day we had a home game and all the internationals got little gift baskets, it was really cute. To see that, everybody does a really good job.”

Soto wears her heritage as a badge of honor and has done so on the biggest stages. As a member of the U15 US National Team in 2018, she had the opportunity to represent both her Mexican roots and her home country simultaneously.

“It was an honor to represent not just my Mexican side, but being American as well,” Soto said. “It was definitely something different. …[It] was hard to adjust to, but it was definitely an amazing experience. I would definitely do it again, and hopefully, if I get the chance, I would take it in a heartbeat.”

Soto’s college career has gotten off to a great start on the field, and after speaking with her it seems that holds true outside of her sport. In a celebration as important as Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s important to recognize and attain a better understanding of what it means to be of Latinx descent.

While her future with the Pack is still unwritten, it seems that Soto is firm in her belief that there’s nowhere else she’s supposed to be.

“This place really called to me,” Soto said. “‘You need to come here,’ [it said], like it’s my path. It was my path to come here and I’m following it.”

Wolpack alumni Jose Torres, Tatyana Forbes highlight importance of baseball and softball in Latin America Bryan Pyrtle

Assistant Sports Editor

When baseball was first brought to Latin America in the 1860s, few could have predicted the role it would eventually play in Latin American culture. But given the repeated success of Latin American players in the sports of baseball and softball over the years, it’s hard to deny the importance of these sports in Latin America.

Few NC State student-athletes represented this cultural overlap better than Dayto-

na Tortugas shortstop and MiLB Pack Pro Jose Torres and former Wolfpack softball right fielder Tatyana Forbes. With their Latin American roots overlapping with their upbringings in the United States, Torres and Forbes are prime examples of what it looks like to be a Latin American student-athlete.

Born in Guayubín, Dominican Republic in 1999, Torres took the scenic route to get to where he is today. Torres played his high school ball at Calvert Hall College High School in Baltimore, Maryland, where his

.402 batting average and 44 RBIs earned him a 24th-round selection by the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2019 MLB Draft.

Torres ultimately decided to play for NC State at the collegiate level, where he continued to carry the tradition of Wolfpack shortstops destined for pro ball. After a promising 2020 season where he slashed .333/.369/.533 over 17 games, Torres broke out as an important part of the core of players in NC State’s run to the 2021 College World Series.

Following a solid regular season that

saw him post a .309 batting average along with six homers, Torres tore the proverbial cover off the ball this past postseason. The 21-year-old freshman bashed one home run in all three games of the Fayetteville Super Regional against the No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks, including a go-ahead solo shot late in the third game to send the Pack to the College World Series.

Torres finally went pro when the Cincinnati Reds selected him in the third round

LATIN AMERICA continued page 15

Sports

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Graduate defensive lineman Cory Durden celebrates with teammates after sacking the Clemson quarterback in Carter-Finley Stadium Saturday, Sept. 25, 2021. NC State beat Clemson 27-21 in double overtime.

Clemson Takeaways: Durden, Leary, Moore have standout performances Jaylan Harrington Editor-in-Chief

NC State got its biggest win in over a decade, knocking off Clemson in a doubleovertime thriller. Let’s look at what we learned about the team on Saturday.

Start Cory Durden Redshirt freshman defensive tackle C.J. Clark was a late scratch Saturday, taking the field in street clothes on crutches with a brace on his left knee. Clark’s starting role was filled by graduate defensive lineman Cory Durden, and boy did Durden stake his claim to taking that position over entirely. With 6 tackles and 1.5 sacks, Durden put forth the best performance for any NC State lineman this year, and he did so on the biggest stage of his career. The Florida State product came here to make an impact, and he’s earned the starting role at defensive tackle moving forward.

Clark announced late Sunday evening

that he’s undergoing season-ending surgery on his injured knee. In his absence, the coaching staff will undoubtedly turn to Durden to fill in, and his performance against Clemson leaves no doubt that he’s up for the task.

Defense proves itself as one of the best NC State’s defense keeps one-upping itself. After it demolished inferior opponents in USF and Furman and gave up just 17 points to Mississippi State, it put a hobbling Clemson offense out to pasture. It allowed just over 200 yards, forced the Tigers to go 2-11 on third downs and allowed just 4.4 yards per play.

Without star redshirt sophomore linebacker Payton Wilson and starting safety Cyrus Fagan, NC State’s defense ranks No. 5 in the Football Power Index’s efficiency ranks. Much of the credit for that rests with its leader and captain, redshirt junior Isaiah Moore. Moore led the team in tackles and

TFLs with eight and two, respectively. He also had a huge pass-breakup which led to an interception.

Despite a struggling performance in which the offense did just enough to keep its counterparts fresh, the defense is why NC State won the game, and going forward, that will continue to be the case.

Special teams not so special NC State’s special teams were anything but against Clemson. Aside from a single great effort which flipped field from redshirt junior punter Trenton Gill, five of his punts ended in touchbacks meaning the Wolfpack was unable to pin the Tigers deep.

Junior kicker Chris Dunn had a worse day, as he missed all three of his field goal attempts, including a 38-yarder at the end of regulation which would’ve won the game.

His performance seemed less like him and more like Kyle Bambard, as NC State’s upset efforts were nearly sunk by an inability to

get three points, but luckily for his Twitter mentions, the team pulled the upset.

This marks the second time the Wolfpack’s special teams underwhelmed against a solid opponent, and that’s concerning moving forward.

Penalties Yellow flags tortured the offense early on, with NC State huddling a la Ohio State’s tactic against the Tigers last year. It resulted in multiple penalties, forcing the Wolfpack to abandon that idea and after that, things settled down.

NC State had six first-quarter penalties and three in the second, but just two in the remainder of the game. Meanwhile, the Tigers had 13 total including seven in the second half and overtime. Discipline was there when it mattered for the team in red and white, and that led to a win.

CLEMSON continued page 14

14 TECHNICIAN What we learned from Kevin Keatts’ first presser of the year THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

Tristan Tucker Managing Editor

NC State men’s basketball head coach Kevin Keatts spoke to the media for the first time ahead of the 2021-22 season, the day before the team’s first practice of the year. Here’s what stood out from the fifthyear head coach.

Manny Bates rumors If there’s one thing that dominated any headlines regarding the men’s basketball team this offseason, it was the Pack’s roster turmoil. NC State lost promising three-star defensive bulldog Shakeel Moore over the offseason, someone who turned several

is gonna go’ anywhere.”

Those strong remarks should make the Wolfpack faithful feel good for a number of reasons. For one, Bates is the best player to come through this program since Dennis Smith Jr. Bates has very real pro prospects and could become Keatts’ first full-time player at the next level. Also, this gives the Pack a secondary leader it desperately needs. Senior forward Jericole Hellems and Bates are the two longest-tenured players on the roster, and in a transition year, it’s crucial to have as many impactful voices in the locker room before next season.

As for the upcoming season, Keatts was

son, that duo saw action early and often. By the end of the year, both were full-fledged starters.

At the end of the last season, 6-foot-7 guard Seabron started seven of the last eight games, including in the ACC Tournament and NIT. In those games, Seabron averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.6 stocks in 26.8 minutes per game while shooting 53.8% from the floor.

Hayes, on the other hand, started in all eight of those contests, registering 11 points, 3.4 assists, 3.4 rebounds and 1.8 steals in 31.5 minutes per game. Where Hayes excelled the most last season was

DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN

Head coach Kevin Keatts reacts toward a referee during the game against Pittsburgh on Saturday, Feb. 29, 2020 at PNC Arena. The Wolfpack won 77-73.

heads in his freshman season. The team also lost guard Braxton Beverly and forwards Max Farthing and Nick Farrar to the transfer portal, as well as guard Devon Daniels and forward D.J. Funderburk to graduation.

But rumors swirled that the Pack had a real chance to lose redshirt junior forward Manny Bates, a move that would have crippled the program. Obviously, that didn’t come to fruition, and Keatts was quick to dismiss that that rumor had any credit.

“I think a lot of people jumped the gun and assumed that Manny Bates was leaving,” Keatts said. “Which I didn’t. I felt comfortable about it. You know, Manny and I have always had a tremendous relationship. His mom and I’ve had a tremendous relationship. And [there was] never one point that I felt like, that, ‘Hey, Manny

optimistic that Bates would further break out this year, and added that he’s augmented his game in a significant way.

“He’s gotten better from the day he walked in here,” Keatts said. “I think you guys saw some glimpses of how good he can be offensively. And he’s worked extremely hard in the offseason to change his body, increase his range. We’ve stepped him out to 18 feet and [he’s] able to make some shots. But he is also shooting 3s now.

And so I like the direction he’s going in.

He’s a leader. He will be one of the leaders on our team, and we’re expecting a big year from him.”

Sophomores improving in offseason One of the biggest themes of Keatts’ opener was the improvement he’s seen from his sophomore class, namely guards Cam Hayes and Dereon Seabron. Last sea-

from beyond the arc, connecting at a scorching 38.5% clip from deep on 4.9 attempts per game. While Hayes was excellent from 3-point range, he did struggle on points in the paint, shooting just 40.7% on 2-point attempts overall last season. However, there is significant reason for optimism that the rate will improve.

“When you see Cam Hayes,” Keatts said.

“You’re going to see a different guy. He’s got bulk on him now. He’s a guy who’s really hit the weight room.”

Outside of Bates, it’s hard to exactly pinpoint what players can erupt as stars. If there is any player that is capable of making the next jump, it’s Hayes.

Freshmen will start and play Interestingly, Keatts addressed early and unprompted that his 2021 recruiting class will start and play in games this season.

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CLEMSON

continued from page 13

Leary puts his clutchness on display If you call redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary anything, call him clutch.

After looking extremely unimpressive through the first three games of the season, he made the plays he needed to and even some that went above and beyond, finishing at 32 for 44 with 238 yards and four touchdowns.

He did it last year on the road against a ranked Pitt team, and he did it against a top-10 team in the country; with the game on the line Leary was diamonds, throwing perfect balls for game-winning touchdowns. Leary has shown he won’t shrink in big situations, and despite his issues, that’s the type of quarterback the Wolfpack can win with.

Guards Breon Pass and Terquavion Smith, as well as forward Ernest Ross compose the Pack’s first-year class, with the latter two being four-star recruits. Ross in particular ranks No. 21 on the all-time list of top Wolfpack men’s basketball recruits.

“Our three freshmen are talented,” Keatts said. “They can play. A couple of those guys you’ll see in the starting lineup at times. Not saying they’re going to start from day one, but they’ll make their way in there.”

While it’s unlikely that Pass gets big minutes in the beginning, Smith and Ross have the dynamism to take on huge roles early on, much like Hayes did last year. As of now, Hayes, Hellems and Bates appear to be the only three players absolutely penciled in for starting roles. That leaves gaps all around the wing, which could theoretically be filled by the younger players.

Keatts liked to play Hayes and former player Braxton Beverly together in twoguard lineups, and Smith adds an extra layer that Beverly didn’t provide. While lineups featuring Hayes and Beverly struggled inside, Smith is a true three-level scorer that looks fantastic finishing through contact and could have a role there. However,

When you see Cam Hayes, you’re going to see a different guy. He’s got bulk on him now.

He’s a guy who’s really hit the weight room.

- Kevin Keatts

Sports

TECHNICIAN 15

TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 2021

batting average and on-base percentage with .423 and .484, respectively, Forbes was a key cog in the program’s improvement under head coach Jennifer Patrick-Swift.

Despite never knocking a single ball over the fence, Forbes’ impact on NC State softball was certainly felt.

Even though Patrick-Swift’s tactical emphasis on the long ball didn’t fit Forbes’ approach at the plate, Forbes took no plays off, thereby contributing to the “home run mentality’’ that Patrick-Swift preaches.

All in all, this pair of Latin American alumni were integral to the broader success of their respective programs.

By building on the success of prior Latin American student-athletes at NC State such as Chicago White Sox lefthanded pitcher and MLB Pack Pro Carlos Rodón, whose parents hail from Cuba, Torres and Forbes exemplified the importance of the stick and DAVID TRACEY/TECHNICIAN ball game in Latin American Redshirt senior outfielder Tatyana Forbes gets introduced as a starter before playing No. 15 LSU on Friday, April 16, 2021 at Dail Softball Stadium. The Wolfpack won 3-1. culture.

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of the 2021 MLB Draft. After carving out his legacy with the Wolfpack, Torres just recently finished up his rookie season in MiLB with the Daytona Tortugas, Cincinnati’s low-A affiliate. With an OPS of .977 in the minors thus far, Torres is showing enough promise to ascend to the big leagues and become an MLB Pack Pro. But whether he is in Cincinnati or Daytona or wherever else, one thing is for certain: baseball has taken Torres quite a ways from his birthplace in the Dominican Republic.

Moving from the Caribbean to the Pacific coast, Forbes showed her own Latin American heritage by representing Mexico in the 2020 Olympic games in Tokyo this past summer. Even though Forbes herself was born and raised in Redmond, Washington, she was eligible to play for Mexico because her mother originated from Mazatlán, a resort town at the mouth of the Gulf of California on Mexico’s west coast.

After playing her first two seasons of collegiate softball at Coastal Carolina and her junior year at FIU, Forbes made her mark on the Wolfpack record books while at NC State. The Pack’s all-time leader in both the much likelier outcome is that junior guard Casey Morsell takes on a starting role, as he has looked outright fantastic over the offseason and is a former four-star recruit himself.

As for Ross, the big man’s role on this roster is likely to be more pronounced early on. If Hellems plays down to the three, Ross and junior forward Greg Gantt have equal opportunity to take over the four spot full time, with the ability to play small-ball center if needed. “[Ross is] long, athletic, runs the floor,” Keatts said. “Maybe the fastest big we have.

...He can play both forward spots. We’ll play him some as a four. And then as he gets a little bit comfortable, we’ll transition him into some of that small four area.

But surprisingly can shoot it from all sides.

He’s probably our best shot back on the team other than Manny Bates... a tremendous offensive rebounder.”

Regardless of the actual lineup decisions made by Keatts, it’s clear he has a significant amount of versatility to play with.

Big lineups are going to be interesting and unique Speaking of versatility, the frontcourt is

the spot with the biggest question marks.

As of now, it appears that Gantt and Ross will alternate playing in the four spot, but Keatts named four players that will have more pronounced roles as versatile big men this season: Ross, Gantt, Hellems and sophomore forward Jaylon Gibson.

“We call them big guards,” Keatts said.

“And so I’ve got a lot of guys who could play that D.J. Funderburk role. But they’re big guards. Jericole can play it. You got a guy like Greg Gantt [who] can play it. You also have Ernest Ross. And then you’ve got a guy like Jaylon Gibson. And so we’ve got

at least four guys that can play a little bit more perimeter than what [Funderburk] gave us.”

There’s going to be a lot of switching up the frontcourt. Last season, it was cutand-dry between Funderburk and Bates, but this year it will take time for Keatts to settle on a lineup he likes best. There’s also the case of sophomore forward Ebenezer Dowuona. Dowuona has amazing size at 6-foot-11, will provide legitimate backup center minutes and is someone who could emulate Bates’s game.

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