After traveling more than 5,000 miles across 10 Latin American countries over the summer, Saul Flores is more than prepared for a few side trips around the Triangle as he shares his experiences in hopes of bringing a measure of compassion and understanding to the ongoing national debate about immigration.
Kay Yow forever linked NC State with breast cancer awareness through her courageous battle with the disease as well as the creation of the annual Hoops for Hope women's basketball fundraiser. Now, during National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, NC State floriculturists have unveiled a new symbol of the fight against breast cancer - pink poinsettias.
Each year, more than 1,000 students take part in NC State's Study Abroad program, crossing international borders for cultural immersion, academic study, career building and service opportunities. Thousands of photographs of stunning landscapes, unique cultural heritages and globally engaged NC State students have been taken - some of the best of which we'll share with you today.
As the Wolfpack makes final preparations for its first game Saturday vs. Western Carolina, more than a dozen NC State football players can sit back, smile and think, "Well, this isn't the hardest thing I've done in the last three months." No matter what happens on the football field, it may not be as rewarding as the volunteer work they did this summer with Habitat for Humanity.
For six NC State students, including sophomore environmental design in architecture major and Park Scholar Brian Gaudio, the opportunity to help collect and redistribute shoes to needy schoolchildren in the Dominican Republic has sparked a plan to build upon their experiences here at NC State as well as beyond the borders of our campus.
NC Cooperative Extension and 4-H - the nation's largest youth organization and the only one based at land-grant institutions like NC State - worked with Trading Spaces designer Edward Walker to develop a design contest for 4-H'ers interested in similar careers, encouraging their ambition while helping to change public perception of 4-H - a group that does so much more than livestock exhibitions.
When disaster struck the Gulf Coast, experts and alumni from NC State quickly headed to the region to assist in cleanup efforts and to help restore wildlife and local beaches. And although oil continues to wash ashore, Dr. Greg Lewbart said he's encouraged by what he and other volunteers have been able to accomplish.
In continuing NC State's mission to assist and serve those beyond the borders of our campus, Student Government, the Union Activities Board and WKNC 88.1 came together last week with a singular goal in mind - cranking up the volume to help a local food bank fight hunger across 34 North Carolina counties.
As organic grocery stores gain popularity and consumers become more aware of what's really in those artificially-flavored, vending-machine snacks, NC State is helping champion the benefits of locally grown food - all-natural delicacies that are key to healthy eating and give an economic boost to North Carolina growers and farmers as well.
Armed with big dreams for tiny, ladybug-inspired vehicles to those that recall the sleek lines of Japanese drift cars, middle- and high-school students from around the region raced their way through NC State's first Sustainable Transportation Education Program (STEP), held outside the McKimmon Center.