My four years at North Carolina State University have been characterized by many things; from stumbling down Hillsborough Street on hike night, to all-nighters in D.H. Hill, to tailgating at Carter-Finley, to amazing international experiences through study abroad and Alternate Spring Break, to ridiculous, unforgettable adventures with roommates and friends in the dorms of Tucker and Bragaw, as well as in our dilapidated house on Vanderbilt Ave.
I have seen a university restructure, and two chancellors. I was a student during the passing of legendary women’s basketball coach Kay Yow. Only to see her sister, Debbie, step in as Athletic Director. I have been on the floor at Cameron Indoor Stadium, a witness to screaming, sweating, passionate fans cheering for their team and taunting ours. I’ve been affected by budget cuts, and an economic recession.
However, there is one, polarizing characteristic to my undergraduate tenure at State – as a student, I have been to all four football games against the University of North Carolina, and never once witnessed our beloved Wolfpack lose.
Before I even stepped foot on N.C. State’s campus I envisioned a college experience at a large school, cheering wildly for teams winning conference and national championships. There have been some individual national champions, wrestler Darrion Caldwell, former diver Kristin Davies and former golfer Matt Hill, to name a few. However, the teams as whole units have not excelled on a consistent basis.
Whether it’s sheer stupidity, being blinded by the love of my university or my perpetual optimism, no one will ever know – but I continue to invest my time, and more importantly my heart in N.C. State athletics.
The message I want to convey in this farewell column is not that being a State fan is, at times, more difficult than pulling teeth. No. Anyone who reads the sports section of this newspaper already knows that. In my final column as the Deputy Sports Editor, I’d prefer to continue my never-ending hopefulness and preach to the readers and the student body just how lucky they are to be at N.C. State in the coming years.
Debbie Yow has already revamped a struggling athletics program with two great hires. Yes, I said great. Men’s soccer coach Kelly Findley has been incredibly successful everywhere he has been, namely bringing a previously unranked Butler squad to No. 5 in the nation. He has great rapport with the team and has brought a newfound energy to a squad that has frequently been in the bottom half of the ACC. Not only that, he truly believes he will bring a national championship to Raleigh.
In the head-coaching search that many thought to be a disappointment, Yow hired former Alabama head coach and more recently ESPN analyst Mark Gottfried. Initially, I was skeptical. Losing highly touted recruit Joseph Uchebo isn’t a great start, but Gottfried has been an extremely successful head coach, and his time away from the bench could prove to be a huge positive. He has hired a very experienced, successful staff of assistants. If he can snag some good recruits, and develop players on the current roster, the Wolfpack will yet again be relevant in the Tobacco road rivalry.
On top of that, head coach Tom O’Brien has put the tools in place for a championship football team. The next few years in rough Raleigh should be eventful. And for those of you who will be lucky enough to be students during that time, my advice for you is to cherish it.
So my career with the Technician comes to a close, and it is necessary to thank those who have helped me along the way; To Langdon Morris, who gave me an opportunity and inspired my writing style, to Kate Shefte, Tyler Everett, and Taylor Barbour for putting up with my endless shenanigans, to Wes Eppele and Kyle Jackson who have incessantly called every single one of my articles shit, and to anyone and everyone along the way who has read or encouraged my work, I thank you. I’m just livin’ the dream. Go Pack!
