Logan Scarborough competing in the STIHL TIMBERSPORT Collegiate Series Southern Division. (Photo courtesy of ESPN Outdoors)
Logan Scarborough ’10, a May graduate and Polktown native, won the the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS Collegiate Series this weekend, making him the top collegiate lumberjack in the nation. In its coverage of the event, ESPN.com called Scarborough’s performance “dominating” and offered this appraisal:
Logan Scarborough . . . continued his dominance of the college competition by winning the single buck with a time of 15.443. . . . It’s interesting to see him do so well. He was a wildcard selection to the collegiate championship last year and got beat up a little bit. He said it showed him exactly what it takes to compete at this level and he spent the next year training with pro Mike Slingerland and his son, who is also going pro, Matt Slingerland. . . .And you can tell. Scarborough has always had the size, but the improvement in technique has made all the difference this year. You should see the excitement in Roger Phelps eyes when he talks about it. Phelps runs the STIHL TIMBERSPORTS series and had someone just like Scarborough in mind when he created the collegiate series five years ago. He hoped to grow an American crop of young lumberjacks and it seems to be working.
We talked to Scarborough last spring after he won the Collegiate Series Southern Division and earned a spot at nationals. Read our Q&A with him here, where you’ll also find video of Scarborough demonstrating the disciplines that make up timbersports.
More than 4,500 freshmen began classes at NC State last week. Imagine if they all had to wear a red cap with a white “F” on the front to distinguish themselves. Yes, there used to be such a cap, called the Freshman Cap. First-year students at NC State first wore one when they were on campus in 1916. Six years later, the Student Council made it a requirement, citing a need to boost school spirit and reduce hazing. The requirement remained in effect for the next eight years. NC State magazine provided a time line of the history of the Freshman Cap in its Autumn 2009 issue, and you can read it after the jump. In the photo below, former NC State Chancellor John T. Caldwell tries on an original Freshman Cap in the 1960s:
Former NC State Chancellor John T. Caldwell shows off a Freshman Cap. (Photo from the NC State Alumni Association Archives)
When we were recently digging around the Alumni Association’s basement and flipping through a file on Chancellor Caldwell, we also came across a clipping of an editorial from the September 15, 1959, edition of The Raleigh Times. The editorial excerpted large chunks of a speech that Chancellor Caldwell gave to NC State freshmen at the time. In his speech, he outlined “four things [freshmen should do] in the interest of making each day and month here on the constructive side”:
“Look for your real self and try to establish your true identity.”
Keep your mind open with respect to your choices of student and career aims.
“Use the resources of North Carolina State College.”
“. . . Hold on to the moorings in your life a which give you the only basis for genuine happenings and progress.”
Read the entirety of Chancellor Caldwell’s advice to freshmen by clicking on the image below:
From the Sept. 15, 1959, Raleigh Times
You can also read, after the jump, the advice to freshmen that nearly 20 of our alumni of today gave on our Facebook page in response to a recent R&W4L Question of the Week:
Matt Long and Chandler Thompson at the Alumni Association's Homecoming Members' Tailgate in 2009.
This is the first post from Matt Long, a senior finance major from Hickory. He’s one of four students who will be blogging for us this fall. Learn more about them here.
It’s the final countdown. I have officially begun my senior year at NC State. As an underclassman, I had always heard seniors say, “I can’t believe it. The time really has flown by.” Well, as much as I hate to follow the crowd, they were right. It almost seems impossible that I have been a student at State for three years already and have less than one remaining. So thus begins a year of lasts: my last football season as a student, my last Homecoming, my last Christmas vacation, and the list goes on. It really becomes increasingly depressing the more that I think about it. I still remember what my chemistry teacher told me right before graduating high school. She said, “Make everything you can out of your college years because never in your life will you again be presented with the opportunities that you have in those four years.” It has taken the bitter reality of my time at State coming to an end for me to realize that she was right. I feel that being a student at NC State has provided me with opportunities that I will forever remember and tell my kids about some day.
Looking back, it is difficult to narrow down my top memories from my time here, but there are some events that stick out in my mind. I will always remember the amazing Homecoming weeks and the contagious school spirit that captivates the campus during that time. It’s a week that red floods the campus and students come together in celebration of our great university.
Pep rally before the NC State/South Carolina football game in 2009.
The above photo is of an insect egg from a gallery produced by National Geographic Magazine that accompanies an essay written by Rob Dunn, an assistant professor of biology at NC State. In the Autumn 2009 issue of NC State magazine, Dunn wrote about the thousands of tiny species at work around us that we often don’t notice, even when those species are living on our own bodies and right under our noses. In this new essay for National Geographic Magazine, “The Beauty of Insects,” Dunn focuses in on insect eggs (and both the essay and the photos are fascinating):
They began simply, smooth and round, but over 300 million years, insect eggs have become as varied as the places where insects reign. Some eggs resemble dirt. Others resemble plants. When you find them, you might not know what you are seeing at first. The forms are unusual and embellished with ornaments and apparatuses. Some eggs breathe through long tubes that they extend up through water. Others dangle from silky stalks. Still others drift in the wind or ride on the backs of flies. They are as colorful as stones, shaded in turquoises, slates, and ambers. Spines are common, as are spots, helices, and stripes. More than biology, their designs suggest the work of an artist left to obsess among tiny forms. They are natural selection’s trillion masterpieces; inside each is an animal waiting for some cue to break free.
What you see in the accompanying photo gallery, Dunn writes,
are the eggs of a few small branches of the insect tree of life. Among them are those of some butterflies that face extraordinary travails to defend themselves against predators and, sometimes, against plants on which they are laid. Some passionflowers transform parts of their leaves into shapes that resemble butterfly eggs; mother butterflies, seeing the “eggs,” move on to other plants to deposit their babies. Such mimics are imperfect, but fortunately so is butterfly vision.
View the photo gallery and read all of Dunn’s essay here and here. Be sure to also check out this video in which the photographer explains how he got his shots of the insect eggs. And, you can read the essay that Dunn wrote for NC State magazine in Autumn 2009 here.
Ann Ross works with a student during a lab. (Photo courtesy of NC State News Services)
Popular Science magazine has tabbed a forensics analysis lab taught by NC State anthropologist Ann Ross (pictured above) as one of the “30 Most Awesome College Labs” in the nation. In Popular Science’s online gallery counting down the labs, the magazine writes about Ross’ lab, No. 28 in the list:
Months after a county cleanup crew found a skeleton in Rocky Mount, North Carolina, forensic anthropologist Ann Ross and her students zeroed in on an incisor. It established what other investigators couldn’t: that the deceased was Elizabeth Smallwood, the sixth victim of the Edgecombe serial killer.
When new cases come in, students help Ross recover bones and collect data. Factors they consider include preservation, as in a frozen pond, or exposure to the sun, all of which can help establish time since death. The bulk of the student’s work — even the undergrads — is analyzing unidentified human remains to create what’s called a biological profile. To establish ancestry, they look at facial structure or map the skull using 3-D software that Ross co-created. “It’s the element of mystery that gets them,” Ross says of her students. “But I think it’s being the voice for those who can no longer defend themselves that keeps them.”
NC State magazine included Ross’ Introduction to Forensic Anthropology class among its list of the 20 most engaging courses taught at NC State in its Spring 2009 issue. The NCSU.edu homepage featured six of the classes from our “20 Reasons to go to Class” list last year. Check that out here.
This is the first post from Chandler Thompson, a junior economics major from High Point. She’s one of four students who will be blogging for us this fall. Learn more about them here.
The Brickyard doesn’t look the same this year because there is a 4,000-square-foot rectangular structure positioned in front of the Atrium. This structure, also known as “The Brickyard Bubble,” will serve as a temporary seating area for the remainder of the school year while the Atrium undergoes renovations.
Currently, half of the Atrium is set up to temporarily serve food, and last week I went for lunch a couple times to check it out. Students can choose from a reduced Lil Dino’s menu, a wrap station and Chick-fil-A. But there are no waffle fries at Chick-fil-A!!! (They are only offering regular fries during the fall semester since the cooking area does not meet Chick-fil-A standards for waffle fries.) This is probably a good opportunity to keep off the “Freshman 15.” After picking what we want and going through the central check out stations, students have the option of eating outside on the Atrium patio, in the Bubble or on new tables under Harrelson.
Student Government is officially dedicating the Kay Yow Memorial in the Coaches’ Corner beside Reynolds Coliseum today at 3 p.m. As you can see in the photo gallery above, the memorial consists of a bust of Yow, the Wolfpack women’s basketball coach who died in 2009. Chancellor Randy Woodson and Athletics Director Debbie Yow, Kay Yow’s sister, will speak at the ceremony, which will be followed by a reception in the Talley Student Center.
Acting on student suggestions, Student Government developed the idea for the Coaches’ Corner as a way to honor Yow and raised nearly $50,000 in private donations to fund it. Nearly two-dozen student volunteers planted a garden between Reynolds Coliseum and the Talley Student Center last spring, and her bust was added shortly thereafter. There are plans to add busts of other former Wolfpack coaches, though no timetable has been announced.
As we reported several weeks ago, undergraduate students in a video production class taught by Jim Alchediak, a lecturer in the Department of Communication, created videos of professors in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences talking about their research. Now, Alchediak and CHASS staff are working on videos of NC State alumni. The first up: Tony Caravano ’04. He was a two-time Student Body President at NC State (2003-05) and a Caldwell Fellow. Today he’s a deputy state director for U.S. Senator Kay Hagan and a member of the Alumni Association’s Young Alumni Council.
In the video below, Tony talks about how CHASS and NC State prepared him for his career and his memories of serving as a Student Body President.
CHASS is working on several videos featuring alumni, including one on Alumni Association Executive Director Benny Suggs ’69. We’ll post those as they become available.
Meet Sam Dennis, Chandler Thompson, Matt Long and Caroline Linker. These juniors and seniors, who are all Alumni Association Student Ambassadors (Matt is president), will be blogging for us this fall, writing about student life at NC State. They’ll be sharing their thoughts on and experiences with everything from the renovated Hillsborough Street to Homecoming, from tailgating to the daily grind of classes and extracurricular commitments. Check back often to read what they have to say about life at NC State today!
Sam Dennis
Hometown: Jamestown
Class Year: 2012
Major: Biological Sciences
What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be an orthopaedic surgeon. My dream job would consist of working at a private practice here in Raleigh and being involved with Wolfpack athletics.
What’s your favorite thing about the first day of school? I love seeing the Brickyard full again. People watching is great in this area. You can pick out which students are freshman and it is fun to see older students reuniting with friends. I also enjoy walking into all of my classes for the first time. I am never as excited about getting to class as I am on the first day.
Why did you come to NC State? More than any other university NC State will allow me to reach my career goals. The science curriculum is top notch; I wanted to be a part of a special program like the Department of Biology. I also am the third son to come to NC State, so the encouragement from my brothers didn’t hurt.
What one thing should people know about NC State that they might not know already? Explore the library! There are so many resources, new technology, and software that students can use. You can check out so much stuff, for FREE! Also, always use the book stack elevators closest to Hillsborough Street; the ones nearest the Brickyard at the front are painfully slow.
Chandler Thompson
Hometown: High Point
Class Year: 2012
Major: Economics
What do you want to do when you grow up? Work in student affairs.
What’s your favorite thing about the first day of school? It’s syllabus day! Most students hate it but there’s nothing I enjoy more than planning my calendar for the whole semester.
Why did you come to NC State? I came here because of my family! My dad attended NC State and wasted no time introducing me to the campus, the academics and, of course, the sports teams. So when it came down to choosing a school, Raleigh felt like home.
What one thing should people know about NC State that they might not know already? NC State is much more than just a place for textbooks and learning; students are engaged in many areas and service is a big part of that. I take pride in the fact that events like the Krispy Kreme Challenge, Service Raleigh, Service NC State, Hoops 4 Hope, Relay for Life, Homecoming Canned Food Drive, Polar Plunge, the Chocolate Festival and so many more are the most popular events on campus. Students are committed to service and to making a difference in the community.
Matt Long
Hometown: Hickory
Major: Finance
Class Year: 2011
What do you want to be when you grow up? A financial officer for a corporation.
What’s your favorite thing about the first day of school? I really get excited about a new semester of courses. It sounds really lame but I really enjoy meeting my new professors and scoping out how I think each of my classes is going to go that semester. I also like the idea of having a fresh start. Regardless of how good or bad you did in a previous semester, you are presented with a clean slate and can make the best of it.
Why did you come to NC State? NC State was actually not even on my radar until I began to visit colleges my senior year of high school. I knew that State was one of the top universities in North Carolina but had very limited knowledge of much more than that. Once I visited the campus, I knew that it was the place for me. It was a feeling that that I hadn’t experienced during any of my other college tours. I fell in love with the campus and was impressed by all of the opportunities that NC State offers through its lengthy list of majors and student organizations.
What one thing should people know about NC State that they might not know already? Although it’s not technically “on campus,” Global Village coffee shop on Hillsborough Street is one of my favorite places to go when I’m on campus. It is the perfect spot to meet up with friends, have an informal meeting, or to just get on your laptop . . . not to mention the coffee is amazing!
Caroline Linker
Hometown: Concord
Class Year: 2012
Major: Communication
What do you want to be when you grow up? I would love to be a public relations account executive for a record label. I love all types of music, and I think that a public relations position in the music industry would allow me the opportunity to work in the profession that I enjoy and be surrounded by one of my favorite things. What’s not to love?
What is your favorite thing about the first day of school? My favorite thing about the first day of school is the excitement surrounding new class schedules, meeting new professors, and using new school supplies! The first day of school is exciting because it allows me to start a new routine. A new academic year allows for new topics to be learned and new friends to be made. I love meeting new professors, especially in smaller classes. New professors always have different stories to tell and fresh ways to teach new concepts. And, who doesn’t love to write with new pens and the smell of new textbooks? The first day of school is the one day out of the school year that it is acceptable to be excited about using a new pack of colorful, ballpoint pens and using the first, crisp sheet of notebook paper. I am excited already!
Why did you come to NC State? I decided to come to NC State because it felt like home to me. The campus and the surrounding community were so welcoming when I visited, and I knew this was the place that I was supposed to be. I knew that by becoming a member of the Wolfpack family, I would receive the best education in the world and would be given the opportunity to develop a strong bond with my other fellow Wolfpackers — something I couldn’t find anywhere else. Coming to NC State has been the best decision of my life. I adore NC State and the people that make this such a great place to be. There’s nothing in the world that could match my appreciation and pride for this university.
What one thing should people know about NC State that they might not know already? One thing that people should know about NC State is that this university offers some of the best professors around, especially Robert Larson. Mr. Larson is a professor within the Department of Communication and teaches public relations courses. He is extremely knowledgeable in the field of public relations and strives to assure that all of his students succeed in his classes and in their future careers. He truly cares about his students, which makes going to his classes a joy. I highly recommend taking one of his courses. You won’t regret it!
CASE's 2010 Outstanding Student Leader Adam Compton '09 is second from the left on the back row. The photo was taken at a student programs conference at the University of Mississippi in February.
We learned today that Adam Compton’09, a four-year member of our Student Ambassador Program (AASAP), was one of three college students across the nation named a 2010 Outstanding Student Leader by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Adam was chair of Homecoming 2009 and the senior class president in 2008-09. AASAP was also previously named the 2010 Outstanding Student Organization at the CASE District 3 student programs conference. Congratulations to Adam and all the passionate students affiliated with AASAP!
To know more about AASAP and the role that outstanding students like Adam play in continuing NC State traditions, read our Q&A with incoming AASAP president Matt Long after the jump. The Q&A originally appeared in the summer issue of NC State magazine. Matt talks about the purpose of AASAP and what’s ahead for the student program in 2010-11.
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