Whether it’s those who provided the chairs we sit in, the classrooms we learn in, or the scholarships that have helped make our education possible, we’re truly fortunate to have the support of people who care about NC State, says senior class president Jay Dawkins.
Over time, our electronic devices have gotten flatter, faster and more technologically advanced, allowing us to work, watch or Facebook in ways we never have before. But many of the machines that they’ve replaced – like clunky, antiquated CRT monitors, stacks of CDs and inkjet printers – get shoved into supply closets, storage cabinets and even landfills, creating significant occupational and environmental issues that must be addressed.
Rocket attacks. Kidnapping threats. Suicide bombers. Life was not easy for Dr. John Muth during his recent tour of duty as a U.S. Navy reservist in Iraq. For 12 months, the electrical and computer engineering professor negotiated Iraq’s violence and sticky politics as he led a team of 30 civilians, military personnel and translators providing advice and support to the nation’s Ministry of the Interior. His efforts did not go unnoticed. Earlier this spring, Muth received a Bronze Star for his service, which included performing more than 100 missions in dangerous situations, installing a system of human rights inspections at pretrial detention centers and setting up the ministry’s court system.
There’s an old African proverb that best-selling author Greg Mortenson, NC State’s 2009 convocation speaker, often quotes as the driving force behind his humanitarian efforts in Afghanistan and Pakistan: If you educate a boy, you educate an individual – if you educate a girl, you educate a community. It's a mindset shared by a group of NC State students who have implemented Mortenson's Pennies for Peace program on our campus in hopes of helping bring a shared philosophy of equality in education to children halfway around the world.
It may not look like it, but NC State graduate student Ashley Tucker is advancing cancer research as she drops worms into containers with varying concentrations of five experimental compounds. If Dr. John Cavanagh and Nick Valvano are correct, her work also could be crucial to creating a new generation of cancer researchers.
As we take time to celebrate our nation's independence this weekend, we also reflect on the fact that our continued freedom exists because of the men and women who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. In an effort to show both respect and gratitude for their efforts, NC State is participating in the Yellow Ribbon Program, a dollar-for-dollar matching program that picks up where the existing G.I. Bill may fall short, potentially limiting any financial roadblocks in our veterans' pursuit of education on campus.
Brent Droege, a senior in NC State's College of Management's bachelor of accounting program, is working to help troubled youth in his community begin to realize their potential by giving them real-life work experience. Droege recently launched a seasonal lawn care business – The Agape Lawn Company – to help young people between 14 and 22 develop landscaping skills, earn money and get a taste of entrepreneurship.
In the dark and dusty recesses of Reynolds Coliseum, NC State's athletics history has been waiting for a crew of liberators. Its freedom is close at hand, as GoPack.com managing editor Tim Peeler, Wolfpack football wide receiver Donald Bowens, athletics marketing intern Blake Scher and others have begun to uncover everything from Bill Cowher's long-lost personnel file to 1930's film footage featuring NC State coaching legend Everett Case guiding a squad of high schoolers through the 1937 Indiana state playoffs.
One NC State student who sampled Stop Hunger Now’s fortified rice-soy meal said it tastes like Ramen Noodles – indeed, a residence-hall staple almost every college student could identify with. Others say it’s more “Rice-a-Roni,” and toss in extra spices, tofu or meat to the dish, to make it even heartier. And, at just 25 cents per serving, the meals-in-a-bag are cheaper, and much more nutritious, than their store-bought counterparts.
When NC State students return to campus for the fall semester the first thing they’ll do, before unpacking their Frisbees and firing up their PlayStations, will be to help package a million meals for Stop Hunger Now, an international relief organization that provides nutritious pre-packaged meals throughout the developing world.