SEC Showdown — Technician 9/9/21

TECHNICIAN S E PTEMB ER 9, 20 21

VOL . 102 | NO. 5

SEC SHOWDOWN

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Contents

2 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

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IN THIS ISSUE: page

03

Buses filled and delayed as bus driver shortage impacts Wolfline

WHAT YOU MISSED: A quick look at the headlines in and outside of NC State

NCPIRG aims to reduce single use plastics on campus The NC State chapter of the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group organized a campaign urging the University to move away from single use plastics on campus. The “Break Free From Plastics” campaign is proposing a bill to the Student Senate and hopes to eventually pass it through the Faculty Senate and the rest of the University.

NEWS

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06

We cannot allow House Bill 805 to pass

SOURCE: TECHNICIAN

Hopscotch Music Festival 2021: Names to watch Dolphin rescued from Louisiana pond after being stranded by Hurricane Ida Seaworld Rescue retrieved a dolphin from a pond that had been stranded after Hurricane Ida passed through Louisiana. The dolphin was taken to a facility to be examined by a veterinarian. Uninjured, the dolphin was returned to the wild on Sunday.

CULTURE

12

SOURCE: UNITED PRESS INTERNATIONAL

USF Takeaways: Defense thriving, but pass game still coming along

El Salvador the first country to adopt Bitcoin as official currency Despite some issues as the country began to roll out cryptocurrency, El Salvador has officially adopted Bitcoin. Protests occurred as angry citizens are concerned about technological glitches, dips in cryptocurrency and app malfunctions.

SOURCE: REUTERS

SPORTS Editor-in-Chief Jaylan Harrington

technician-editor@ncsu.edu

technician-features@ncsu.edu

Culture Editor Sam Overton

Assistant Opinion Editor Mari Fabian

Managing Editors Caryl J. Espinoza Jaen Tristan Tucker

Asst. Culture Editor Myra Bari

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Assistant Video Editor Elle Bonet

Copy Desk Chief Allie Remhof

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Assistant Sports Editors Wade Bowman Bryan Pyrtle

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News Editor Avery Davis

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technician-managingeditor@ncsu.edu 323 Witherspoon Student Center, NCSU Campus Box 7318, Raleigh, NC 27695 Editorial Advertising Fax Online

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Thursday, Sept. 9, 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURAL CENTER Free Not sure what to wear to your next professional business interview?

BSB’s got you covered. The AACC will be hosting the BSB’s second general body meeting this Thursday, centered around the best ways to get the most out of your next interview.

STAFFORD COMMONS

SOURCE: THE NEWS & OBSERVER

page

BLACK STUDENTS BOARD’S DRESS FOR SUCCESS

Thursday, Sept. 9, 6 p.m.

Oxfam America recently ranked North Carolina 52nd, behind all other states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico when it comes to unemployment benefits, wages and workers’ protections. All bottom-five states on the ranking were from the South.

OPINION

09

Events to keep an eye on for the week of Sept. 9

SEASON LAUNCH PARTY: WITH THE HAMILTONES

North Carolina ranked lowest in wages and worker protections

page

THE RADAR

technician-copydesk@ncsu.edu

Design Editor Ann Salman

Opinion Editor Shilpa Giri

Sports Editor Nicholas Schnittker

Photo Editor Mollie Mitchell

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Video Editor Chloe Allen

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Brand Manager Mallory High

Free Students seeking a fun outdoor concert experience, look no further than NC State LIVE’s season launch party. The Hamiltones, a Grammynominated trio of musicians will be performing and Las Gringas and Medley will have food trucks on site.

FRIDAY FILMS: DIRTY DANCING Friday, Sept. 10, Showings at 7:00 p.m. and 10:15 p.m.

WITHERSPOON STUDENT CINEMA Free Haven’t seen Dirty Dancing yet?

Catch the movie classic courtesy of the Wellness, Outreach, Leisure and Films (W.O.L.F.) Committee. Students will be able to attend either a 7 p.m. or 10:15 p.m. showing.

TALLEY TUESDAY: SLAM POETRY Tuesday, Sept. 14, 8:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.

ONE EARTH LOUNGE Free Share an original poem or one of your favorites at Talley on Tuesday during a Slam Poetry night. Students can sign up at UAB’s website to show off their spoken word skills in the One Earth Lounge.

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.

technician-news@ncsu.edu

COVER BY NATALIE FOLSOM

News

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Buses filled and delayed as bus driver shortage impacts Wolfline

Logan Serino Correspondent

As students begin their commutes to their first classes of the year, the NC State Transportation department is facing a bus driver shortage that is leaving many bus routes understaffed and underserved.

As a result of the bus driver shortage, the department has been reducing bus services over the past three weeks. Although fewer buses are running overall, the NC State Transportation website assures riders that each route will still be served in some capacity.

“A lot of my friends, I’ve heard they’ve tried to get on the bus, and they’re just unable to, cause it’ll drive past them cause it’s full,” said Mimi Dizes, a third-year studying biological sciences. “Or another bus won’t be on the route, and so they need to figure out another way to get to class.”

Cooper Howe, a first-year in the engineering program, has also been impacted by the shortage. He says that though he has been able to find other ways around campus, he was initially worried by the lack of buses.

“First day of classes as a freshman, [I was] kind of freaking out because there [weren’t] any buses nearby,” Howe said. “And yeah, it’s just been having to walk a lot more — not like that’s a big problem — but still kind of annoying every once in a while.”

Howe has also run into issues trying to track the buses on the Transloc app.

“Sometimes the buses won’t track properly, and just also weird stuff, like you’ll see them float around on the map,” Howe said. “It’s very weird.”

The Wolfline is not the only local bus system that is contending with a short supply of drivers. The Wake County Public School System is around 100 drivers short this year, forcing the system to merge routes and causing frustration among parents. GoRaleigh, GoDurham, GoCary and Chapel Hill Transit are all pushing for new drivers and reducing services as well.

“It’s a number of factors, just people’s uneasiness with COVID-19,” said Demar Bonnemere, the NC State Transportation communications manager. “And we’re not unique in that situation. Wake County bus drivers are struggling to keep up with their routes. So it’s a regional issue that’s not unique to us.”

Many students have been caught off guard compared to the bus service of previous years.

Emilie Tice, a second-year studying psychology, took the bus regularly last year and has had a much different experience with the Wolfline service this year.

“It was definitely better back then; I never had to wait nearly as long,” Tice said.

Although resolving the bus driver shortage and returning to pre-COVID-19 bus service may be outside of the control of the transportation department, their current goal is to establish consistent bus routes with their current drivers.

GRAPHIC BY JOE LINGO/TECHNICIAN

“We’re trying to strike a balance with the routes right now,” said Connor Jones, the NC State Transportation transit planner. “We are working on making sure everything is, not normal per se pre-COVID-19, but maybe a new normal and trying to establish regular routes that we can run with the resources we have.”

Until then, both Bonnemere and Jones rec-

ommend the Transloc app for keeping track of the Wolfline buses.

“That’s going to be the most up to date information with the buses. Any time there’s changes, it’s reflected in the app,” Bonnemere said. “As well as using the app, you can kind of see where the buses are in real time. That’s going to be your best bet, just using the Transloc app.

NCPIRG aims to reduce single-use plastics on campus Amber Detwiler Staff Writer

After the founding of the NC State chapter of the North Carolina Public Interest Research Group (NCPIRG) in spring 2020, the student organization made progress on the “Break Free from Plastics” campaign which aims to promote sustainability on campus.

Lauren Willhite, a third-year studying environmental sciences, is the campaign coordinator for the “Break Free from Plastics” campaign. She said other campaigns in NCPIRG include those focused on affordable textbook access, food and housing insecurity and increasing youth voter turnout. Willhite said they are beginning work on the “Raleigh Renters Recycle” campaign to address the lack of recycling services at off-campus apartments.

“The goals of NCPIRG are generally

NCPIRG continued page 4

GRAPHIC BY SHRADDHA MISHRA/TECHNICIAN

News

4 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Students share concerns about being back on campus and future of in-person classes

NATALIE FOLSOM/TECHNICIAN

NC State students clap as Chancellor Randy Woodson finishes his speech to new students at the New Student Convocation Aug. 15, 2021, at the Court of North Carolina.

Cameron Rhinehardt Correspondent

For the last three weeks, students have been going to class, eating in dining halls and living right next to each other. Despite the mask requirements in place, and the push to be vaccinated, cases have reached the hundreds this semester. Many students have shared differing opinions on what it means to be back in person, and how NC State has changed in the last few years due to the pandemic.

Many students agree that the University is offering less student involvement opportunities due to the pandemic and an attempt to keep the number of cases low. Garrett Doxtad, a third-year studying electrical and computer engineering, spent one year on campus pre-pandemic. He said NC State is having trouble getting students safely involved in on-campus activities and events.

“We used to get emails three or four times a week about fun stuff happening on campus, but now we only get them two times a month,” Doxtad said.

Declan Perkins, a fourth-year studying political science, agrees with Doxtad. While he only spent one semester on campus prepandemic, he discussed how participation on-campus activities has deteriorated in the last couple of years.

“Somehow I started with one semester on campus, and now I am graduating and have spent most of college online,” Perkins said.

Although the University is clearly attempting to gather students and create a sense of community at NC State, students say there are ways that they could improve their efforts.

Taylor Slemenda, a second-year studying animal science, said she is glad to be on campus and as long as NC State keeps enforcing masks and social distancing, she is confident about the safety of students as well as the ability for students to remain on campus. However, she feels as though the University could implement more outdoor activities to get students involved.

“We could have more going on in Talley, or the Brickyard or even the football stadium,” Slemenda said. “We have until October or November to be outside in nice weather, so we should take that opportunity while we can.”

Slemenda also pointed out that the University and chancellor are communicating well about cases, but are lacking in communication about what will happen if COVID-19 cases rise too high to be on campus.

“I have gotten multiple emails from State all saying that vaccination rates are rising and tests are reporting mostly negative cases, which is good,” Slemenda said.

Many students recognize the difference between this year and last year, comparing how the levels of cautiousness by the University and staff have worsened. While there are mask mandates in place and the

University urges students to social distance, some students are still showing concerns for their safety and academic well-being.

Lila Cantrell, a second-year studying forest management, is taking water aerobics for a physical fitness credit on campus.

“We have to wear masks the entire time until we are in the pool, but the pool is filled with the entire class.” Cantrell said. “What is the difference between me breathing the same air as people in the pool deck, versus being in the pool?”

While some students are happy to be back in person and diving into a “normal” campus life, this semester has left many confused. From rumors about going back online, to lack of communication from the University about measures to be taken if COVID-19 cases spike again, students still have concerns.

Ashley Martin, a second-year studying microbiology, said it is unnerving how students are somewhat left in the dark about plans to move online if cases rise.

“Every time I go to class, we talk about what might happen if we go online,” Martin said. “I always think to myself, ‘This could be the last time I see these people.’”

While students are generally happy to be back in person and on campus, the remainder of the school year is up in the air, and students are anxious to find out what will happen next in the story of schooling during a pandemic.

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NCPIRG

continued from page 3

to support college students and to promote and advocate for problems that affect college students,” Willhite said.

“Some of the main campaigns that we’re working on right now are ‘Break Free from Plastics,’ which is trying to get NC State to pledge to eliminate or phase out single-use plastics.”

Willhite said the “Break Free from Plastics” campaign has started with photo petitions, tabling on campus and a pledge which students can add their signature to. NCPIRG also wrote a bill for the Student Senate regarding the campaign, which Belle LaMontagne, the campus organizer with NCPIRG, said is expected to be on the f loor in a couple of weeks.

“We’re tr y ing to get a resolution passed in the Student Senate,” Wilhite said. “Our next step would be to get that passed in the Faculty Senate. Eventually, our goal is to get the entire University to, and the chancellor to, sign off on it.”

LaMontagne said that the nonpartisan organization has chapters at NC State, Durham Tech, UNC-Chapel Hill, UNC-Charlotte and Duke, among other locations.

“The overarching goal of NCPIRG, and student PIRGs in general, across the country is just to help train the generation of college students to be better activists,” LaMontagne said. “My job is really just to support the chapter students in the positive social changes they want to see in their community and campus.”

Willhite said anyone on campus can be involved in NCPIRG, including undergraduates, graduate students and postdoctoral students.

“It’s a good way for students to get involved more at a decently high level of government,” Willhite said. “I was able to meet with U.S. representatives and senators — the people that work for them — and talk about doubling the Pell Grant, which is another thing that we were working on previously. I got to share my parents’ stories of how they got the Pell Grant and my experience with how that kind of changed my entire life and them being able to support me as well in my college experience.”

After their initial kickoff event on Sept. 1, LaMontagne said the NC State chapter of NCPIRG plans to do a tabling event on Wednesday, Sept. 8 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., followed by chalking around campus Wednesday at 12 p.m.

“We just look for students who are passionate about making positive change in the world and want to see their communities be a better place, whatever that looks like to them,” LaMontagne said.

“If that looks like a greener, cleaner environment, then that’s what we want to help students accomplish.”

To learn more and get involved, students can visit ncpirgcampusaction. org or st udent pirgs.org, or ema i l LaMontagne directly at blamontagne@ ncpirgcampusaction.org.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Long lines to dine at Talley, Fountain cause frustration among students Cate Strantz Correspondent

With over 44,000 students back on campus, and essentially two classes of first-years, it’s no surprise that dining lines are longer than last school year. In the first month of the school year, it’s evident that students are frustrated with the longer wait times.

Despite the convenience of ordering from the Grubhub app, the wait times through the app are often astronomical, with lunchtime providing some of the worst waits. The length of the wait times leaves students impatient and oftentimes late for classes, clubs and other events. ”I only come when I’m not in a rush,” said Imani Bynum, a second-year studying psychology, who said she was frustrated by the sheer amount of students in popular eating locations, such as Talley Student Union. “I go to my first classes hungry all the time.”

On the other side of things, Dining recognizes that the wait times are less than ideal for students. NC State Dining’s director of marketing and communication, Jennifer Gilmore, said dining is struggling with staff retention and numbers, a familiar problem faced by countless chain restaurants across

the country.

“We’re hustling, we’re hustling as best we can,” Gilmore said. “We’re also, you know, readjusting and forecasting there. In addition to a shortage of staff, we also have supply chain issues. I mean, I’m sure you’re seeing that too. … We’re also struggling with getting certain products that our students want.”

In the past, long lines have been a normal occurrence among busy restaurants like Port City Java and Starbucks. “[Last semester the lines] weren’t as long, but it still happened in the more popular restaurants like Starbucks,” said Regina Hernandez, a second-year in exploratory studies.

Hernandez is one of many students who have limited dining options depending on the meal plan they can afford and said she was frustrated by the overwhelming experience. Having been on campus during the last school year, both she and Bynum noted that they’ve noticed the dining staff seeming overwhelmed.

“There weren’t this many students last semester,” Bynum said of the long wait times. “[The kitchen staff] probably just have to get used to this flow of people.”

Bynum said not only are the virtual lines to receive food long, but so are the lines to pick

up food that is ready. In the first week of school, the line to pick up Tuffy’s Diner Grubhub orders was especially long, according to both students, and successfully placing an order does not guarantee the order will be made.

“More than once I’ve had my whole order canceled,” Hernandez said. “[The restaurants] are backed up but the finished order line is also backed up. Orders will be sitting on the counter, which makes everything worse.”

Lines haven’t improved since the first couple days, either.

“They’ve gotten totally worse,” Bynum said. “Los Lobos has the longest line out of anywhere here. Your order would be ready and you’d still wait 30 minutes to eat.”

Hernandez said she has to plan when to order her food because it takes so long from when the order is placed. “[I have to] order more than an hour ahead,” Hernandez said. “I’ll order before my class even starts, and sometimes it still isn’t ready.

Fountain [Dining Hall] is super busy too.”

Because of its proximity to residence halls like Bragaw, Lee and Sullivan Halls, a dining hall like Fountain can see periods of particularly high demand.

“Monday night, or the first night of classes, a lot of students don’t know where else to go

but Fountain Dining Hall,” Gilmore said.

“We got slammed that first weekend. That’s what typically happens, is that we have a big run there because that’s all they know — I think [in addition to new students] all the sophomores and even some of the juniors and seniors showed up at Fountain Dining Hall.”

In fact, Fountain Dining Hall broke its record for most students in one meal, a record that was originally around 4,700, according to Gilmore, and that was set during one of the hall’s special events.

“We served 5,300 students on that Monday night,” Gilmore said. “We overshot our biggest night by [about] 500. And of course we couldn’t really predict that. So it was kind of crazy. And it stayed like that for a couple of days.”

Another contributing factor to the lines are the technical faults of Grubhub, such as the cancellation of orders, or closing the queues before the restaurant is actually closed. Overall, frustrations lie within the ordering system and students, not dining staff members who are readjusting to full capacity.

“I’ll say for the most part,” Gilmore said.

“Our students have been really kind and patient to our staff, and we really, really appreciate that.”

GRAPHIC BY SHRADDHA MISHRA/TECHNICIAN

Opinion

6 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

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We cannot allow House Bill 805 to pass On Sept. 1, House Bill 805 was presented to NC Gov. Cooper after passing in the Senate on Aug. 26.

HB 805 has been referred to as the “Anti-Black Lives Matter Bill” and was inJulia troduced by Republican Slater Correspondent Speaker of the House Tim Moore who claims the bill is intended to deter civil unrest. I’ve read the bill. It has the potential to criminalize protest.

A wave of similar bills swept the nation as retaliation against last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests. Legislators’ attempts to obscure this bill’s pernicious potential with concern for small business owners and emergency personnel is laughably transparent.

Instead, our state’s politicians hope to repress righteous unrest and rage by suppressing North Carolinians’ First Amendment rights.

HB805 supposedly focuses on preventing rioting. However, according to the bill a

“riot” requires only a) three people, b) merely the imminent threat of injury or damage to persons or property, and c) public disturbance. By defining “riot” with a bar so low that almost any public gathering could accidentally surpass the requirements, the succeeding penalties listed in the bill can be applied to any protest the state wants.

Because of this, I will largely be using the term “protest” to discuss this bill in order to convey that the penalties in HB805 could easily be applied to non-riot situations.

The bill flat out makes participation in a “riot” a criminal act. It adds additional felonies for those who cause property damage, “serious bodily injury” or death during a protest. Organizers are particularly imperiled by measures that criminalize “inciting” or “urging” others to engage in protest. Anyone found guilty under most of these sections is opened up to financial liability far larger than what any actual property damages may be.

The bill also makes “assault” of emergency personnel — including police, National

Guard, and EMS personnel — a felony. Notably, the phrasing that required the assault to cause physical harm was removed from the bill. This has scary implications for protestor standoffs with police and self-defense against police brutality.

If the criminalization of these acts seems perfectly reasonable to you, consider that the United States has a history of surveilling, discrediting and “neutralizing” Black activists.

It is rational that groups repeatedly targeted by the police would assume that this bill will be another tool used to suppress their efforts to agitate for civil rights.

At the very least, HB805 is a disproportionate response to a summer where 97.7% of protest events across the nation were peaceful. When there was violence, last summer showed in stark relief that police, again and again, are the ones to respond with unwarranted force, are liable to encourage violence through covert means and are often directly responsible for the violence at otherwise peaceful protests.

Instead of addressing any of the root systemic issues that led to the justified outrage displayed by protestors last summer, HB805 raises the stakes of participating in democracy by making it personally risky to exercise your right to free speech and freedom of assembly. I’d like to make clear that although this bill supposedly targets violent “rioters,” the astronomical potential for abuse against nonviolent activists effectively makes HB805 a bill that also targets any protestor — peaceful or not.

The Governor has until Sept. 11 to decide whether to veto the bill. Even if he already has by the time this piece is published, HB805 is dangerously close to reaching the support needed for the legislature to override the governor’s veto. Despite any claims of righteous intent, HB805 ultimately endangers North Carolinians’ First Amendment rights. Gov. Roy Cooper must veto HB 805 and NC Democrats must vote NO in the event of a gubernatorial override. It’s a question of free speech.

It’s high time to rethink your next Amazon cart

Amazon is so convenient and affordable that it is tempting to use it as the “everything store,” especially as a student. Anything can come to your door in a matter of days for a low price.

Debra Living on campus without Mullis Correspondent a car and living through a global pandemic has made online shopping through retailers like Amazon more alluring than ever. The only downside is the guilty conscience that may come with the smiling arrow on your box — a result of the many drawbacks the website produces with each purchase.

The poor working conditions for fulfillment center workers and delivery drivers have been widely publicized. They are almost always overworked, underpaid and subject to harsh treatments like timed bathroom breaks. There are also threats of Amazon’s monopolization of the marketplace, threatening small businesses and hurting consumers in the long run.

Next comes a strong lack of environmentfriendly shipping options. Whether Amazon is using unrecyclable plastic mailers or cardboard boxes that are easy to recycle, the process of making cardboard creates more carbon dioxide emissions and deforestation, so neither option is environmentally friendly.

These are some of the environmental downsides of the packaging alone, not including the waste from the production of all the cheap items Amazon sells.

Last year, when the United States Postal Service was in crisis with mail being delivered later and more unreliably, it was partially brought upon by Amazon and their large

number of orders. Now, the University’s mail services are also experiencing delays in their process from the influx of online shopping by students. Community Assistants at some residence halls are working extra hours and there is still a backlog. Many students have to wait days between when they get their delivery email from Amazon to when they can actually pick it up because there are just so many to go through.

Even though I choose not to shop on Amazon as much as possible, I understand there are some times when an Amazon order makes the most sense. There are school and dorm essentials like graphing calculators, notebooks and cleaning supplies where it is not convenient or practical to make the purchase second-hand or through a small business. However, the packages overfilling the mailrooms on campus this semester are not all essentials.

While Jeff Bezos has gotten us used to the idea of being able to buy almost anything for cheap, sometimes, it is good for superfluous goods to be a bit more expensive so we think twice about whether we actually need it. Amazon never provides us that yield sign to check our consumption, which enables excessive spending. This week I lost my favorite vintage sunglasses and so I looked around on reselling sites for a similar pair, all of which were a bit pricey. While I am sure I could have found several pairs on Amazon for under $10, I decided I was fine with the other pair I already own; I don’t need to buy anything. The same process works for clothing, dorm decor, kitchen gadgets, etc.

It may feel like any action like this is meaningless in the context of all the Amazon pur-

The “Amazon” River

Emma Reid, a first-year in exploratory studies

chases made across campus and beyond.

However, any small step can make a positive impact on somebody. The money you save from avoiding unnecessary purchases will make an impact on your personal finances and create smart spending habits. If you have the resources to shop small, whether from a

second-hand seller on Depop, an artist on Etsy or a Black-owned business on Miiriya, you may be helping pay someone’s rent or at least making their day. As an individual consumer, it may be difficult to make Jeff Bezos sweat, but you may be able to improve your life or someone else’s by avoiding purchases on Amazon.

TECHNICIAN 7 Opinion Religious groups and preachers on campus are much more predatory than you think TECHNICIANONLINE.COM

As many of us find our footing after a long year and a half of minimal socialization and staring at computer screens, looking for campus communities to join is a great opportunity Olivia to make friends and learn Hille Correspondent something new. However, after being on campus for these past few weeks, I have found that one type of student organization is, unfortunately, overstepping their boundaries.

While groups of faith and youth ministry opportunities are often accepted into the campus community because of its general ideology of acceptance, I find it to be quite predatory and misleading considering this is a state-funded school. As someone who went to church for over 18 years of my life, I feel safe to say that the presence of religious institutions, especially evangelical Christian groups, is extremely inappropriate on college campuses.

After a very disturbing two years, watching horrific events of death and heartlessness being normalized and pushed under the rug, many are looking for solace and somewhere to fit in. The purpose that church groups have, which is to gain more membership in their congregation, is already a skeptical one. Considering the push for monetary commitment to churches, as well as the acceptance of a literature that is thousands of years old, it is predatory and misleading for church organizations to

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Created by Emma Reid, a first-year in exploratory studies

mask their incentives through on-campus activities.

Essentially, the reason for searching on campus from the younger, impressionable generation is to gain a larger following in the church. When one becomes a member,

it is “highly recommended” that one pays dues to the church to help maintain the evangelicalism and physicality of the congregation. Due to the impressionability of those on campus, especially after such a degrading year and a half, those here to

Mapped Out

Pearl Knight, a third-year majoring in art and design.

learn are now subjected to the predatory nature of religious organizations.

Especially since these organizations are not benefiting the state via lack of taxable

PREDATORY continued page 8

Opinion

8 TECHNICIAN THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

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Grubhub’s lack of customization options makes eating on campus painfully hard In 2019, NC State partnered with the mobile food app Grubhub in order to make ordering meals from campus restaurants easier and more convenient for students.

Overall, this partnership has Caitlyn Mahoney succeeded in making preorStaff Columnist dering food more efficient and has reduced lines at popular restaurants. However, it has one crucial flaw — the lack of customization options on the app unnecessarily restricts options for students with food allergies. This has made eating on campus much harder for students like me, but luckily there is an easy solution.

I have always been the friend with the most complicated food orders because of the number of customizations I make to my meals. Is it because I am a picky eater? Maybe a little bit, but it is also because I have Celiac disease: a genetic autoimmune disorder that can be described as

the big brother of the more well-known gluten allergy.

Being Celiac means that I cannot eat wheat, rye, barley or oats without getting sick and ending up in the hospital. This is because my body does not recognize these grains and therefore attacks them like they are poison. For me, being gluten-free is not a dietary option or trend; it is a necessity. Consequently, I cannot eat at a lot of places on campus, such as Red Sky Pizza, without getting sick.

Luckily, NC State has done a fairly good job of offering gluten-free options at the most popular restaurants on campus, such as Tuffy’s Diner.

There is one simple change that NC State and Grubhub could make to do an even better job about offering allergy-friendly substitutions at places like the Atrium and Talley Student Union.

If the Grubhub app were to add a customization option to their platform, students with food allergies would be able to make themselves

an allergy-friendly dish by simply adjusting meal options from restaurants they cannot currently eat at. This would triple the food options for students on campus with dietary restrictions and open up a whole new range of possibilities.

To give you an example, the other day I was attempting to order a hamburger from Union ‘51 Burger in the Atrium, but I ended up not being able to because there was no way to customize their burger options. The only thing I cannot eat on a burger is the bread. If you take the bread off, it not only becomes a perfectly good meal, but it also becomes one of my only sources of meat nowadays. However, there is no way to simply take the bread off of my order through Grubhub and because of that, a whole entire restaurant becomes unavailable to me despite an easy solution being right there.

I acknowledge the fact that allowing students to customize their meals on Grubhub may put a bigger strain on restaurant workers who

have to make the orders, but I feel like this is a small price to pay for expanding the options of students with dietary restrictions. Grubhub could even format the customization option to eliminate unnecessary “picky eating” requests by pre-selecting key substitutions for students to select. One such substitution option could be “no bread” or “no cheese” on a hamburger.

This would keep the customization simple and make eating on campus easier.

Don’t get me wrong, I love Grubhub. It makes using my meal plan money outside of the dining halls super easy and the fact that I can see wait times helps make sure I never run late to class because of food. However, nothing is perfect, and trying to piece together allergy-friendly meals without customization options makes eating on campus a pain. Grubhub should seriously consider adding a customization option to their app to make perfectly delicious restaurants more accessible for students with dietary restrictions.

PREDATORY

Not only do we have religious groups on campus, but also aggressive preachers who visit campus and yell at the students walking by. We have all encountered the man who has earned the nickname “Brickyard preacher.” Many of us have been subjected to him yelling after us saying very inappropriate, sometimes sexually charged things.

If we were to ignore the fact that he is religiously affiliated, for an older man to be yelling at 18 to 23-year-olds on a school’s campus and for him to still have a place to speak is absolutely irrational.

While there is no direct correlation between the “Brickyard preacher” and religious groups on campus, it has come to

mind that those organizations may actually benefit from the erratic rhetoric that is used by him. Often, when a group forms around the preacher in the Brickyard, there are one or two individuals who argue about the bible with him; they are the voice of reason who come out looking more moderate. Many times these individuals, after a lengthy argument that has gathered many, will make their way back to a tent that has been set up for a Christian ministry group.

It makes me wonder how involved these religious organizations are in bringing this man to campus to infuriate masses, so they can swoop in and make their group look better than their intentions actually are.

As much as I hate to say it, Christian groups are not aiding our campus community. They prey on those torn and lost from the pandemic, trap many in possible monetary deprivation situations and continue the perspective that youth groups based at churches are exempt from the separation between church and state.

NC State is public property funded by state taxes, therefore there is a need for separation of church and state. Our campus is not a religious institution. We are a statefunded learning institution that has time and time again put the needs and safety of their students before anything else. This needs to be the case again.

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income but still ask for money from those in our community, the search for members on campus is completely inappropriate.

Students who want to join religious groups will look for them, so these organizations’ overbearing presence on campus can be boiled down to manipulative tendencies and desire to gain members who are not set on joining a religious community. This is inherently predatory and it is extremely obvious these organizations are fully aware of what they are doing.

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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

Hopscotch Music Festival 2021: Names to watch Sam Overton Culture Editor

After a two-year hiatus thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hopscotch Music Festival is back. The late-summer festival is a treat for every NC-based music fan, typically featuring a lineup of local artists and a couple big names. Although things look a little different this year — namely, Hopscotch is requiring vaccinations or a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of entry — the downtown Raleigh-based festival is a great place to see up-and-coming artists and enjoy live music again, finally.

The lineup may be a little smaller this year than in years past, but the featured talent is as unique and brilliant as it ever was. On Thursday night alone, eight artists will take the stage across the festival’s two venues: Moore Square and City Plaza. Patois Counselors will be Hopscotch’s debut after two years of radio silence, and the night will end with art pop queen Caroline Polachek.

Hippo Campus, arguably the biggest artist slated to make an appearance at Hopscotch, performs in City Plaza on Thursday night at 7:45 p.m. Known for their hits “Buttercup” and “Bambi,” Hippo Campus has taken the indie-pop world by storm in recent years.

Their latest release, “Good Dog, Bad Dream,” has received mixed reviews from critics, but they’ll be sure to perform some of their top hits in Raleigh and take their listeners right back to 2017.

Later on Thursday, Caroline Polachek takes the City Plaza stage to perform the last set of the night. Polachek is no stranger to the music scene; she’s been involved in the industry for years, co-founding the band Chairlift in 2005. Despite breaking up in 2017, Polachek has worked with Blood Orange and Charli XCX during her solo career and has experienced moderate success with hits “So Hot You’re Hurting My Feelings” and “Door.”

Asheville-based band Wednesday will also be performing on Thursday evening, taking the Moore Square stage at 5:15 p.m. Although not as well-known as the likes of Hippo Campus and Polachek, Wednesday has entered the ‘90s nostalgia music scene with extremely relatable music about the highs and lows of small-town suburbia.

Friday afternoon and evening bring anoth-

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Faye Webster performs during the 10th annual Hopscotch Musical Festival on Friday Sept. 6, 2019, in the Red Hat Ampitheater Webster is an alternative folk artist who recently released her third album “Atlanta Millionaires Club.”

er eight acts to Moore Square and City Plaza, with genres ranging from psychedelic rock to country. Dr. Dog performs at 8:45 p.m. at Moore Square — in fact, the Philadelphiabased rock band will be performing at Hopscotch as part of their farewell tour. Expect plenty of die-hard Dr. Dog fans to be vying for a front-row spot to see one of their favorite bands perform together for the last time.

The Dead Tongues, a.k.a. singer-songwriter and musician Ryan Gustafon, also makes an appearance at Moore Square Friday night.

Gustafon has performed at Hopscotch before, although this time he’ll be promoting his newest album, “Transfiguration Blues.”

The bluegrass album takes the listener right to the ranges of North Carolina or elsewhere, and listeners will surely delight in his easylistening tunes.

The last set of Friday night belongs to Flying Lotus, an Los Angeles-based record producer, DJ and rapper. Dabbling in mostly

genres of electronic and hip-hop, Flying Lotus got his start via Adult Swim’s song submissions in the mid-2000s and founded the record label Brainfeeder. His latest release “Yasuke” received considerable praise from Pitchfork for an album that leads listeners to reevaluate the limits of electronic music.

Saturday, the final day of the festival, brings the largest lineup: 12 artists will perform across over nine hours. Leslie Robbin-Coker, better known by his stage name Lesthegenius, will be one of the first to perform. Robbin-Coker, who rose in popularity in December 2019 after his song “Raleighwood” featuring Sonny Miles and Jaxon Free made former President Barack Obama’s list of favorite tracks of 2019. Since then, Robbin-Coker has released a slew of singles centering around jazz-inspired rap and hip-hop.

Hannah Jagadu, an NYC-based artist who has recently jumped on the bedroom-pop

scene, will perform in City Plaza at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Jagadu records and produces all of her music on her iPhone 7, but that doesn’t mean the music is low-quality in the least; her lovely sleeper hits are reminiscent of bigger indie names in the industry.

The ultimate act of the festival is slated to be Animal Collective, a performance that all attendees will surely not want to miss. The Baltimore-based experimental pop group has collected a cult indie following after creating weird and wacky tracks — most notably, their 2009 album “Merriweather Post Pavilion” — is full of them.

Whether you’re going to Hopscotch for one act or to listen to a variety of new artists, you’re sure to see some impressive talent all the same. From psychedelic pop to hard rock to country and bluegrass, there will likely be something for everyone this weekend in downtown Raleigh.

Drake’s ‘CLB’ is too little, too late Tristan Tucker Managing Editor

After an eight-month delay, singer, rapper and occasional songwriter Drake’s “Certified Lover Boy” is here. The album comes after an uncharacteristically quiet period from the Toronto, Ontario native,

CERTIFIED LACKLUSTER BARS

his first studio album since 2018’s “Scorpion.”

The project wastes no time getting into poignant line delivery, with one of the project’s highest highs coming from its intro, “Champagne Poetry.” It’s where

Drake feels the most like a human being with real, human struggles. Bars like “I know I tend to talk about how I got a fortune on me/But with that comes the politics the city been forcing on me/Man, I can’t even R.I.P and show my remorse

to the homie/Know I carry the guilt of the city’s misfortune on me” are especially excellent, displaying the immense pressure and struggles that come with superstardom.

The strife of co-parenting, ‘CLB’ continued page 10

Culture

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depression, pre s su re a nd anxiety aren’t new themes for continued from page 9 h ip -hop, but they’re well done on the opening track, and, unfortunately, it’s a feeling that’s not replicated often through the first half of the project.

Unlike “Scorpion,” CLB feels indecisive and labored almost immediately. That isn’t to say the project is bad; it isn’t, and Drake once again shows how easy it is to drop a smash hit and run, with tracks like “Girls Want Girls” and “Way 2 Sexy” dominating the early charts. But unlike his previous projects, this album doesn’t know what it wants to be.

After talking about his struggles with his menta l health, Drake immediately j u m p s i nt o the catchy, yet corny, “Papi’s Home” and the aforementioned “Girls Want Girls.”

It’s hard to take the rapper seriously when he drops lines that fetishize gay relationships like “Yeah, say that you a lesbian, girl, me too.” Yes, seriously, that’s the chorus. Maybe we should’ve collectively seen this coming with the joke of an album cover that is this monstrosity.

Damien Hirst is a con artist, man.

But just when you think you’re out on the project as a whole, Drake has a way to keep you enticed. Giveon does his thing on “In The Bible,” and the three-track stretch that lasts until “Fair Trade” is one of the best on the album. Speaking of “Fair Trade,” the Travis Scott feature

‘CLB’

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plays it safe, but ultimately offers a unique sound that is often lacking on CLB. The track is further bolstered by the fact that it samples Toronto-born artist Charlotte Day Wilson’s “Mountains.”

With 15 features, some are bound to stand out more than others, and Jay-Z’s appearance on “Love All” is one of the more welcomed appearances. The themes of betrayal sung about by both artists are some of the most resonant on CLB, and given that the song is supposedly based on Jorja Smith, it is bound to get you in your

feels.

But this is where the rollercoaster feel of CLB really stands out, with the project jettisoning you toward a catchy, but strange sample of Right Said Fred’s “I’m Too Sexy” in “Way 2 Sexy.” It’s impossible to get out of your head, but what the hell is happening here? The placement of the track is like jet lag in the worst imaginable way, but at least the TikToks are entertaining. And hey, getting Kawhi Leonard in a music video is nothing to sneeze at.

After this point, CLB starts to feel a little more cohesive.

“TSU” is a decent track, but loses poi nt s for

GRAPHIC BY JOE LINGO/TECHNICIAN

sampling R. Kelly’s “Half on a Baby.”

However, “Pipe Down” is a legitimately great track, and Arkansas-born singer Yebba provides a fantastic interlude at the midpoint of the album with “Yebba’s Heartbreak.”

What really sets Certified Lover Boy apart from some of the other 2021 albums is the sheer amount of featuring artists.

Yebba is one of the few newcomers, but collaborations with artists like Project Pat on “Knife Talk” alongside 21 Savage is a welcome addition, especially considering the fact that Drake sampled the Memphis native on the 2018 track “Look Alive.”

The guest appearances of Lil Wayne and Rick Ross on “You Only Live Twice” and Kid Cudi on “IMY2” stand out on the final stretch of the project and each delivers some of their best verses in recent years, especially in the case of Lil Wayne.

Where the album really picks up is in its final stretch, headed by a four-track run that consists of the best songs on the project, “No Friends In The Industry,” the aforementioned “Knife Talk,” the epic “7am on Bridle Path” and “Race My Mind.” This is the stretch where we see Drake experiment, and he delivers by far some of the most dynamic and exhilarating bars of the project.

Regardless of if you buy stock in the Drake/Kanye West feud, it’s interesting to see Drake fuel the f lames with lines like “And your circle shrinkin’, see some boys escapin,’’ which refers to West’s label losing some of its artists like Kid Cudi.

In all, Certified Lover Boy feels like a collection of good, not great, singles, and less like a cohesive studio album. While the boy might be a certified lover, he needs to stay away from underaged girls.

Research roundup: How one undergraduate student’s research seeks to improve our state’s natural resources Patsy McKee Correspondent

“Here’s to the land of the long leaf pine, The summer land where the sun doth shine, Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, Here’s to ‘Down Home,’ the Old North State!”

So begins the first verse of the North Carolina State Toast. This tribute to North Carolina opens with a nod to one of our most valuable natural resources: timber.

Nowhere on NC State’s campus is this sentiment better embodied than in the research of Sam Blumenfeld, a fourth-year studying natural resources.

Blumenfeld serves as a technician at the NCSU Tree Improvement Cooperative.

He learned about the position by word-ofmouth from other student workers at NC State. According to Blumenfeld, this internship opportunity gave him valuable insight into the field of forest management, which is now one of his minors.

“It was an obvious decision for me,” Blumenfeld said. “I’m going to school with these particular interests, so why don’t I start working toward my career now and building my resume and getting experience now?”

Blumenfeld also said he enjoys collaborating with his fellow student workers as well as the forestry professionals at the cooperative. He credits it for being accommodating.

“They have been really understanding,” Blumenfeld said. “Some weeks, if I’m really slammed, I don’t go in at all. Or, if I have a really chill week, I’ll be there for 20 hours.”

CONTRIBUTED BY PATSY MCKEE

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In his current position, Blumenfeld assists with the application of genetic enhancements to loblolly pine seedlings. He spends his workdays monitoring those seedlings at various research sites and greenhouses operated by the cooperative.

“The way that I describe tree improvement is that if you think about how corn, tomatoes or any other kind of agricultural crop is bred for specific tradeoffs — flavor or disease resistance — we do the exact same thing but with pine trees,” Blumenfeld said.

The project for the improvement of loblolly pines is expected to last three years, and Blumenfeld has been on the job for the past year, with the reducing the time horizon for those who plant the trees.

“Say you’re with the [U.S.] Forest Service or a private landowner and you’re growing pine trees for commercial harvest in 30 years.” Blumenfeld said. “Our trees take less time to grow to the exact same size and monetary value than non-improved trees.”

Blumenfeld describes the cooperative’s tree improvement practices as meeting a national and state need for sustainable forestry practices.

“There are a lot more benefits than just commercial benefits,” Blumenfeld said.

“Now you get the same amount of lumber but you can use ten acres less. Say you were planting 100 acres, you only need to plant 90 now to get the same value. So those 10 acres can be used for other things.”

Typically, student workers at the cooperative carpool to off-campus research sites.

However, COVID-19 made this impossible.

Blumenfeld cited transportation issues as having the greatest adverse effect on his ability to conduct research.

“You know, when people think of research they think of data that you’re analyzing.”

Blumenfeld said. “A lot of what I’ve been doing is not what you would assume when you think about ‘research.’ … I am more the technician that does the fieldwork that other people then do research for.”

The pandemic did not harm the trees’ growth. Rather, the cooperative had about 97% seedling survival.

“We have 67 families of pines,” Blumenfeld said. “Each family is a specific lineage of pine that we know the genetics for. As we do our progeny tests, we want to know the genetics of each family.”

The third line of the first verse of the North Carolina State Toast laudes our state for being “where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great.” As Blumenfeld said, the purpose of the Tree Improvement Cooperative is to selectively breed pine trees to be their strongest.

“Say we have family one and family eight and we want to crossbreed them to get family one through eight.” Blumenfeld said. “If family one through eight has better genetics than family one or family eight by themselves, then that’s the family that we would continue with in our next breeding set.”

In the future, Blumenfeld hopes to explore the policy implications of sustainable forestry and to possibly continue his research beyond his current position with data analysis. No matter where Blumenfeld chooses to go next, his contributions to the Tree Improvement Cooperative will continue to be incorporated into each successive family tree.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

CONTRIBUTED BY AL THORN

Physical Technician newspapers return to stands around campus Olivia Wilson Correspondent

Although many readers of Technician access the newspaper online, some may be interested to know that Technician also distributes physical copies every Thursday to newsstands around campus. Last year, due to COVID-19, Technician newspapers were issued online once students were sent home.

However, physical printed copies of Technician are back.

When asked how much the printing and distributing process at Technician has changed throughout the years, Student Media Director Patrick Neal mentioned the change in frequency of Technician’s printing schedule.

“Up until relatively recently, Technician came out five days a week,” Neal said. “They were Monday through Friday when I got here. I’ve been here almost 10 years. Up until the start of the 2014 academic year, they were five days a week.”

In 2014, Student Media cut back to four days a week, Monday through Thursday.

Two years later, print occurred a mere two days a week, switching from a broadsheet layout to a tab.

Tim Peeler, who works in strategic communications initiatives for University Relations, said that in the 1920s through the 1960s, Technician used its own print shop.

“For its first half-century, Technician was an unanchored yet important part of NC State’s campus, bouncing from place to

place every couple of years, dragging with it a few reconditioned typewriters, some exacto knives and the burrs it placed under the saddles of just about everyone on campus,” Peeler wrote in an article. “… At 27 years and counting, 323 Witherspoon Student Center, as it is now known, is the newspaper’s longest-serving home.”

Technician recently celebrated its 100year anniversary, which Neal described as extremely successful.

“In February of 2020, Technician celebrated its 100th anniversary, and that was a huge, major event,” Neal said. “It was a committee of alumni who work here at State, and staff here. You have probably seen the 100 years of Technician book out on the stands. … It was certainly a highlight of my career.”

Reflecting on the paper’s history, Neal said producing a newspaper today is a lot easier than it was, considering the many advancements in technology. Today, when a newspaper goes to print, it is uploaded to a folder where its printer, Triangle Web Printing, will have access to it. Technician started using Triangle Web Printing during Volume 97.

“Triangle Web, they are a wonderful, wonderful partner to us,” Neal said. “I’ve worked with a lot of press people over the years before we switched over to Al [Thorn] some years ago. As far as I’m concerned, he and his people are the gold standard for this type of work. Just a pleasure to work with.”

Each paper undergoes refinement, which is when images and graphics are retouched

or lightened. Then, the staff make virtual proofs or copies of the paper to send to the plate room, which is where the newspaper is physically printed.

“Any color you see in Technician is made up of just four inks — there is cyan, which is blue, there is magenta, which is kind of a pink, yellow, which is yellow and black, which is black,” Neal said. “It’s just different combinations of those colors. You can take those four inks and if you get the percentages right you can come up with, in theory, any color you want.”

At Triangle Web, they use a cold set web press and try to use recycled paper as well as soy- based ink. In total, the printing process takes about an hour. The papers are then bundled into groups of 50 and then driven to campus where they are distributed to Talley Student Union, dining halls, residence halls, the libraries and other campus locations.

“Most of the papers on campus are on stands by 6 a.m.,” Neal said. “The ones for commercial businesses are generally out by 7 a.m., and then we have a last handful of stops that are mostly around Witherspoon.”

More information about Technician can be found by picking up one of the printed copies around campus or by visiting Technician’s website, technicianonline. com. Additional information about the printing process can be found at Triangle Web Printing’s website, triwebprinting. com.

Sports

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USF Takeaways: Defense thriving, but pass game still coming along Jaylan Harrington Editor-in-Chief

NC State football kicked off its season with a 45-0 drubbing of USF. Let’s cap off the win with some takeaways as the team starts 1-0: Zero’s a wonderful number It doesn’t get much better than the performance we saw from NC State’s defense.

With 0 points allowed, three turnovers forced and just 4.2 yards allowed per play, the defense lived up to the hype it received this offseason. Metrics are backing up the eye test, as NC State currently ranks No. 5 in the country in defensive efficiency according to ESPN’s Football Power Index — and it’s worth noting that metric adjusts for the strength of the opponent and plays in garbage time. It’s good that the unit isn’t taking time to come together as it faces a tough test in Mike Leach’s Mississippi State offense this weekend.

Zero’s a terrible number The Bulls weren’t the only ones held to a goose egg last Thursday night; there’s a curious one in NC State’s box score under sacks. Not once did the Wolfpack get Fortin or McClain on the ground for a loss, though defensive coordinator Tony Gibson dialed up the pressure time and time again.

This doesn’t mean USF had all the time in the world against NC State, as the defense recorded 10 quarterback hurries to South Florida’s two, just that this is something to

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Junior running back Ricky Person Jr. celebrates after scoring a touchdown in the game against South Florida on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021, at Carter-Finley Stadium. The Wolfpack beat the Bulls 45-0.

keep an eye on. To beat the best teams on the schedule, Georgia and Virginia Tech just gave NC State the blueprint: sack the

QB. Georgia recorded seven, and Virginia Tech six, as both teams stifled high-powered ACC offenses. It’s early, but this aspect of

Jaylan Harrington Editor-in-Chief Record: 0-0

Tristan Tucker Managing Editor Record: 0-0

Mallory High Brand Manager Record: 0-0

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Wolfpack offense earns straight A’s in high-scoring season opener Scott Gates Correspondent

Any time your offense puts up 45 points in a game, no matter who the opponent is, you’re gonna see some high grades around the board. The Wolfpack dominated the USF’s defense throughout the evening, racking up 525 yards of total offense. Here’s how each position group fared in the Wolfpack’s home opener.

Devin Leary Redshirt sophomore Devin Leary is the top dog under center for the Wolfpack this season and he got off to a hot start in the season opener. Leary went 17 for 26 for 232 yards and two TDs. Leary was back to his gunslinging ways we saw before his injury in the 2020 season, constantly taking shots down the field and giving his receivers a chance.

Even when the throws were not connecting for Leary, he kept slinging it, not backing down. Leary’s spectacular night was lessened a bit by an ugly interception where he underthrew an open receiver. Overall, Leary looked the part under the lights on Thursday.

Grade: ARunning backs This grade shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone who watched the Wolfpack’s season opener. Sophomore Zonovan Knight and junior Ricky Person Jr. combined for 268 yards on the ground and four TDs. It was utter domination by the pair all night long. Knight averaged over 10 yards per carry while Person racked up three TDs for himself. The one-two punch of Knight and Person Jr. could be a real weapon for NC State

DANIELLE MEYER/TECHNICIAN

Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary throws the football towards a receiver during the Woflpack’s game against the South Florida Bulls at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Leary threw 17/26 for 232 yards with two passing touchdowns.

The Wolfpack beat the Bulls 45-0.

this season. If the Pack can get production like that on a weekly basis, they will be a hard out for any team they face.

Grade: A+ Offensive line NC State’s offensive line completely bullied the USF defensive line all night long. It looked like a varsity offensive line going up against a JV defensive line. The Pack’s offensive line was opening up gaps the size of the Grand Canyon for the two-headed monster of Knight and Person to run through. A tough and gritty performance from one of the Pack’s best position groups heading into the season, we did not expect anything else from the big boys up front.

Grade: A Wide receivers Senior Emeka Emezie led the way for the Wolfpack receiving corps, to nobody’s surprise. Emezie’s night was highlighted by his amazing grab down the sideline with four minutes to go in the third quarter. What was less noticeable and more surprising was the dirty work the Wolfpack receivers put in while blocking on Thursday night. The Pack receivers were constantly picking up blocks on the second level. No play highlights this better than Knight’s touchdown to start the second half. Head coach Dave Doeren has to be absolutely thrilled with the production he got from his receivers, not only in the passing game but also in the run-blocking game.

Grade: A Overall the Pack did what it needed to do against an inferior opponent in USF.

Women’s golf has big shoes to fill for fall season Will Thornhill Staff Writer

NC State women’s golf is set to begin its season Sept. 13-14 at the Cougar Classic. The event, hosted by the College of Charleston, will be played at Yeamans Hall Club in Hanahan, South Carolina.

The opening tournament will be one of four tournaments the Wolfpack competes in during the fall season. This is the first time NC State will compete in fall tournaments since 2019, as it only had a spring season last year due to COVID-19.

The remaining three tournaments on the fall schedule are all in the state of North Carolina. Wake Forest will host the Bryan National Intercollegiate Sept. 26-28 at Bryan Park Golf Club. UNC-Chapel Hill will then host the Ruth’s Chris Tar Heel Invitational Oct. 15-17 at its on-cam-

pus course, Finley Golf Course. The last tournament hosted by UNC-Wilmington will be the Landfall Tradition at the Country Club of Landfall on Oct. 29-31.

NC State will have big shoes to fill this season, as Monika Vicario has graduated and is no longer with the program. She was the top finisher in every tournament a year ago and finished tied for eighth in the ACC Championship.

A candidate to make a big stride forward this season is sophomore Isabel Amezcua.

WOMEN’S GOLF continued page 14 MINH PHAM/TECHNICIAN

Sophomore Pilar Berchot measures the distance for her putt on Saturday, March 20, 2021, at Lonnie Poole Golf Course. Berchot finished with an individual stroke play score of (90, +18).

14 TECHNICIAN Wolfpack defense earns high marks in shutout win over USF THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

NATALIE FOLSOM/AGROMECK

Sophomore safety Jakeen Harris tackles a Bulls player on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021 in Carter-Finley Stadium. Harris had four tackles in the game. The Wolfpack beat the Bulls 45-0.

Ben Ellis

Senior Sports Writer

The NC State football team kicked off its 2021 season with a resounding 45-0 win over the South Florida Bulls on Thursday, Sept. 2 at Carter-Finley Stadium.

The Wolfpack defense did its part in the victory, keeping the Bulls off the board and holding them to 271 yards of total offense.

The Pack was also able to get off the field effectively, holding the Bulls to 3-16 on third down, which gave the offense more opportunities, while also forcing three turnovers. It was an impressive performance on the whole, and here is a group-by-group breakdown of how the defense performed.

Secondary The NC State secondary benefitted from the incompetent passing attack of the Bulls,

who had to use two quarterbacks. The starter was UNC transfer Cade Fortin, who barely made it past the first quarter before getting benched for Timmy McClain. Fortin eventually made it back into the game in the fourth quarter, but he finished 7 for 20 for just 41 yards and one interception, while McClain went 7 for 13 for 126 yards and two interceptions. The two QBs combined to go 14 for 33 for 167 yards.

The Pack secondary was responsible for two of the three interceptions thrown by the Bulls quarterbacks, with graduate safety Cyrus Fagan and junior safety Tanner Ingle each earning the celebratory takeaway bone.

Fagan also tallied seven total tackles, which was good for second-most on the team.

Overall, the Pack secondary did what it needed to do to get the win and help secure

the shutout, but the unit did not receive that much of a formidable challenge from the Bulls. We will learn much more about the unit next week when the team travels to take on Mississippi State and head coach Mike Leach’s air-raid offense. For this week, the secondary passes with flying colors.

Grade: A Linebackers The Wolfpack run defense held the Bulls’ rushing attack in check, allowing 104 yards on an average of 3.3 yards per carry. Other than giving up a 16-yard run on the first play of the game, the unit played pretty solid.

Sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas was the star of the game defensively, leading the team with eight total tackles, and was the first player to earn the takeaway bone after a nice diving interception at the end of the

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The Mexico native averaged a score of 77.33 in her freshman season, which was second to Vicario. After a year’s experience of college golf, Amezcua should have the experience to be a star for the Wolfpack this season.

Another potential breakout performer for the Wolfpack is junior Natalie Armbruester. She has missed just one event in her two seasons at NC State. Her stroke average was 78.40 a year ago.

Another returning starter is senior Lea Klimentova. She brings three years of college golf experience and will look to be a locker room leader for the younger players.

With two other spots open for stroke play events, opportunities for players who have not had much experience in college golf are present. Redshirt sophomore Ryann Sinclair is primed to see more playing time this year after participating in three tournaments last year, including the ACC Championship.

Junior Inja Fric also brings some playing experience, appearing in two tournaments last year and five as a freshman.

Her average score last season was a 79.

As a team, the Wolfpack will be looking to have more success. NC State did not finish better than 10th in any of the stroke play tournaments in the spring.

Despite losing its best golfer from a year ago, NC State returns some exciting talent that will look to get Wolfpack women’s golf back on the right track starting in South Carolina on Sept. 13.

first half. The interception was Thomas’ first of his career.

Like the secondary, the linebackers did not get much of a challenge from a clearly inferior USF team, and also like the secondary, the unit will learn much more about itself when it goes up against an SEC team next week.

Grade: A Defensive Line It was a relatively uneventful game for the NC State defensive line as the group could not burst through for a sack, but that didn’t really matter with the incompetent quarterback play of the Bulls. The group did its part along with the linebackers in stymying the Bulls’ rushing attack, but, along with every other position group, will receive a much more stiff challenge next week.

Grade: A

Starkville road trip to test NC State football Will Thornhill Staff Writer

After an easy 45-0 win at home over USF last week, NC State football travels to Mississippi State Saturday night for its first true test of the season. This gives the Wolfpack a chance to knock off an SEC

school, something it has done just once under head coach Dave Doeren.

The Bulldogs rallied in the fourth quarter last week to avoid a first week upset against Louisiana Tech, winning 35-34.

21 unanswered points in a 10 minute span gave Mississippi State its biggest fourth

quarter comeback in school history.

This comeback in itself shows how explosive the Mississippi State “air-raid” offense can be under second-year head coach Mike Leach. This will be a good challenge for the Wolfpack defense, who held USF scoreless in its first game.

“It’s going to be a good football game,” said Doeren in his weekly presser. “I’m excited to go play against a team like them from the SEC, and to get to do it in their stadium with the fan base that they’ll have.”

Leading the Bulldogs offensively is

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Graduate cornerback Derek Pitts Jr. and redshirt junior punter Trenton Gill celebrate shutting down the South Florida offensive during the Wolfpack’s game against the Bulls at Carter-Finley Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2021. Pitts had three tackles and one TFL throughout the game. The Wolfpack beat the Bulls 45-0.

quarterback Will Rogers, who is in his second year of being the starter in Starkville.

He completed 83% of his passes on 47 attempts in game one for a career-high 370 yards and three touchdowns. Mississippi State fans are very high on Rogers, as someone who can thrive under Leach’s system.

In his freshman season he threw for 1,976 yards and 11 touchdowns. With a full preseason camp and game experience under his belt, Rogers hopes to be one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC in 2021.

One of Rogers’ favorite targets is junior wide receiver Makai Polk. He had 10 receptions against Louisiana Tech. Other threats downfield for the Bulldogs are Jamire Calvin and Jaden Wadley, who each had over 60 yards receiving and a touchdown in the opener.

One thing that very nearly sent home Mississippi State with an embarrassing home opener loss was turnovers. Three fumbles and an interception gave the Bulldogs four turnovers in the game.

This will be something that the veteran NC State defense will take note of going into the primetime game. The Wolfpack forced three turnovers in its opening game. Forcing some early on will go a long way in taking the raucous Mississippi State crowd out of the game early.

Sophomore linebacker Drake Thomas and graduate defensive back Cyrus Fagan will look to lead the way for the Wolfpack defensively on the road. In the opener each player had an interception while Thomas had eight tackles to lead the team. Fagan was right behind him with seven tackles.

“I think [Fagan] reads the quarterback well,” Doeren said. “He breaks on it before the ball gets there a lot. He does it in practice too; he’s a ball hawk.”

Defensively for Mississippi State, it will be led by senior safety Fred Peters.

He led the team with nine tackles against Louisiana Tech. Another name that the NC State offense will need to be wary of is linebacker Aaron Brule, he had seven tackles, two being for a loss in the opener.

The NC State offense was very balanced with the passing and running game against USF and will look to continue that against Mississippi State. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary threw for 232 yards on 17 completions with two touchdowns. On the other hand, the duo in the backfield of sophomore Zonovan Knight and junior Ricky Person combined for 271 yards on the ground.

This will be a chance for NC State to represent the ACC after it was embarrassed in nonconference play in week one.

In matchups between the ACC and SEC during the opening weekend, the ACC was 0-3, with Miami, Clemson and Louisville taking losses against SEC schools.

“We’re playing another Power Five team and from a conference that gets a lot of notoriety,” Doeren said. “It’s an opportunity for us to continue to earn respect.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. from Davis Wade Stadium in Starkville. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2.

Jury’s still out on the wide receivers Redshirt sophomore quarterback Devin Leary had a solid game, throwing for 232 yards, 2 TDs and a pick, but none of those touchdowns went to wide receivers. The group also only accounted for 147 of his passing yards — and much of that came in the second half with the game far out of reach. In fairness to them, Leary did miss a couple of deep balls early, including a corner route to freshman Porter Rooks and a post route to redshirt junior Thayer Thomas, which would’ve been touchdowns, but the fact still remains that the offense was jump started by the running backs.

Again, it’s early, and that’s just something to keep an eye on.

Winning in the trenches NC State’s new look offensive line got the job done. Starters from left to right were sophomore tackle Ikem Ekwonu, graduate guard Chandler Zavala, redshirt junior center Grant Gibson, redshirt freshman guard Dylan McMahon and redshirt junior tackle Bryson Speas, and while it was tough sledding at first, they found a groove and kept it through the remainder of the game, giving up just one sack and two hurries, and paving the way for a rushing attack which averaged over 7 yards a carry. Keep your fingers crossed that everyone stays healthy, and the O-line should be in for a return to form.

Forgot about Drake Everyone’s sung the praises of NC State’s deep linebacking corps, but the lion’s share went to redshirt sophomore Payton Wilson and junior linebacker Isaiah Moore, who put up gaudy numbers while Drake Thomas dealt with injury. On Thursday though, the tables turned with Wilson out for long portions of the game. In his stead, Thomas showed out with eight tackles, 1.5 TFLs and an interception — all of which led the team. The great and terrible thing about depth is just how good your reserves are, which is exemplified by Illinois transfer Calvin Hart Jr.’s short success after transferring to play for Bret Bielema. Hart would be NC State’s fifth-best linebacker if he was still on the roster, not the Bednarik Award National Player of the Week. Any player in this linebacking corps can be the team’s defensive MVP on any given day, and we should all be thankful we don’t have to juggle that rotation.

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