He studies among Yellow Jackets, but roots for Wolfpack
After attending NC State for undergraduate studies in civil engineering, Donald Katz ’07 still cheers for the Wolfpack as a graduate student at Georgia Tech. As part of our series during football season on alumni residing behind enemy lines, we spoke with Katz about his experiences as a Wolfpack fan studying at Georgia Tech, his favorite memories of his time at NC State and, of course, his prediction for this weekend’s game between NC State and Georgia Tech.
What made you choose Georgia Tech for graduate school? They had a large degree program for my area of focus, transportation engineering, with many faculty and researchers with whom I could work.
How would you describe Georgia Tech’s fans? Georgia Tech fans love to come to campus, set up tailgates amongst the buildings, and walk down to the stadium to cheer on their Yellow Jackets. Tech fans have many traditions, and they take great pride in them. I also found Tech fans to be very polite to their visitors, as I experienced first-hand at last year’s game when NC State won. In both going to and from the stadium, no one harassed me for wearing red and white!
Will you be making the trip to the game on Saturday? I won’t be making the trip up this year, but it was a real thrill to watch the Pack beat the Jackets in Atlanta last fall. I’m excited for NC State’s game vs. Tennessee in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game in 2012 here in Atlanta.
Who do you predict will win the game this Saturday? I know it’s been a less-than-desirable start, but the Wolfpack are back at Carter-Finley, and I always have faith in our team. I think the Wolfpack will beat the Yellow Jackets again. We were able to slow down the triple option in 2010, and it can be done again. Final score: NC State 31, Yellow Jackets 21.
What’s your favorite memory of your days at NC State? I remember when we beat UNC in basketball in 2007. I was at Sammy’s Bar and Grill on Avent Ferry, and it was a thrilling game to watch. Right after the win, we headed straight to the Bell Tower, already lit up red, and marched up and down Hillsborough Street several times with thousands of other students.
Do you wear any NC State apparel around the Georgia Tech campus? I wear NC State shirts and hats around Georgia Tech all the time, and no one I don’t know says anything. My friends in my graduate office who went to Tech for undergrad, on the other hand, love to give me a hard time.
– Jeannene Lang
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