Wolfpack

Wolfpack sports

There are 43 posts filed in Wolfpack (this is page 3 of 5).

Thanksgiving, ice skating, symphony

The Turner/Hunter clan

Wow. What an action-packed few days we’ve had here.

Wednesday the kids were out of school so I had to figure out something fun to do with them. The weather was still warm (near 70, if I recall) and Travis wanted to go to the store to look at Legos. Rather than get in a car and drive there, I decided the family would bike there instead. The North Hills Target is about 6 miles from here via the greenway, so we hopped on our bikes and pedaled our way there and back, enjoying a smoothie after our window-shopping. That’s 12 miles of biking and a whole lot of fun!

Thursday was Thanksgiving, of course. Travis and I had started dismantling our garden Wednesday evening, so Thursday morning we finished the job. All the dying or dead plants were pulled up, the wire fencing that supported them was rolled up, the ground raked, and a weed-blocking cover placed over the garden. It was some work to clear it out but it was so satisfying to get it done!
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Parade and Pullen

Posing after the parade


Wow, what a day! As a volunteer and boardmember with Mordecai Historic Park, I was offered the opportunity to march in today’s Raleigh Christmas Parade. This is the second year I was offered this opportunity but through a scheduling snafu Mordecai missed out on the parade. I had gotten the whole family excited about it then only to be disappointed. We were determined not to miss our parade chance this year and fortunately we were not disappointed.

We got to Mordecai around 8 AM, about 30 minutes before we were due to line up for the parade. Having gotten our costumes a week before, we were all decked out in 19th century clothes (though the timeframes varied considerably). We met the park staff and other volunteers who were participating and boarded the Raleigh Trolley for the parade.
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University, Inc.

I’ve often considered going back to college. Then I read stuff like this from NCSU Chancellor Randy Woodson, citing the reasons for a massive 29% tuition hike:

With classes in some cases growing from 200 students to 300, faculty members struggle against a growing tide of test grading and other mundane chores, Chancellor Randy Woodson told the trustees committee.

“It takes them out of the business of being scholarly, of doing research and of moving the economic engine of this state forward,” Woodson said.

Let me translate this for you: “Those pesky students who are trying to learn are keeping us ivory-tower types from trying to pad our resumes and the university’s coffers. They should fork over their money and just shut up.”

Is it any wonder I’m disillusioned with higher education? Is it also any wonder that these schools’ big-time college sports programs get away with what they do?

Chris Colmer a CTE victim?

Since I began wondering about the ultimate fate of former NCSU football player Chris Colmer, I have discovered that I’ve not been alone. Many people have found this blog through Internet searches, looking for details about Chris’s death. A good number of these searches have included the keyword “suicide.”

First off, let me emphatically state that don’t know for sure the details of Chris’s death. I don’t know if he took his own life or it was a simple car wreck as others have stated. I only have the sketchiest of details and no communication with his family, so I only speak for myself here – this is my opinion only. Hell, I’m not even sure why I’m drawn to Chris’s death. I didn’t know him and I’m not the biggest football fan, either. Why this intrigues me is as much a mystery to me as it probably is to you.
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Chris Colmer

I was sad to learn today that Chris Colmer, former standout N.C. State offensive tackle (2000-2004), died yesterday. He was 30 years old. His agent would not disclose the cause of Colmer’s death.

Wikipedia says at the moment that he died in Florida in a car accident, but that comment was made anonymously. Being the curious lot, I did a search on Twitter for news on Colmer and found a tweet claiming Colmer jumped from a bridge:

??? RT @bridgetZtalk Tampa Bay Buckaneer, Chris Colmer, jumped off a bridge. So sad.

The tweet has since been taken down, and there is no corroboration at the moment, but this scenario seems to fit with his agent’s reluctance to discuss the circumstances. Tampa’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge does have a sad reputation as a suicide bridge. On the other hand, friends of Colmer’s former teammates say Colmer died in a car accident.

Whatever the cause, it’s truly sad. What a shame that this young man’s promising life has been cut short. He played his heart out for N.C. State. My condolences to his family and friends.

Update 6 Jan: A visitor to the Bucstats.com website says Colmer died from a car accident Dec. 28th.

Update 2, 6 Jan: Chris Colmer’s online obituary is here (until 12/31/2011).

Race? Race for a championship, maybe.

Some ridiculous thread on the WRAL Sports Fan website asks “Why do some NC.STATE Fans treat Coach Lowe different From TOB?? Does Race Play a part in this???” I didn’t bother wading through all of the 16 pages of responses because I already know the answer.

I like both coaches. I like both basketball and football. But there’s no denying that around here basketball is king. Our rivals frequently win national championships in basketball and State doesn’t. Does this put more pressure on Sydney Lowe than it does Tom O’Brien? Sure it does! If UNC and Duke were always contenders for national championships in football then O’Brien would always be feeling the heat.

It’s not about race, it’s about the neighborhood we live in.

Mary Easley and N.C. State

I tell you, I should’ve gone into academia. Where else can you be asked to resign, then take a six month paid vacation on a salary well into six figures? Yes, life is good inside the ivory towers. Well, execpt for the students who are being milked for a hefty tuition raise this year.

Then there’s the case of N.C. State Chancellor James Oblinger, who resigned today as emails surfaced contradicting his earlier statements of non-involvement in the hiring of Mary Easley. Oblinger was either lying or he admitted that as chancellor of one of the nation’s leading technical universities he didn’t know how to search his own emails. I’m not sure which is worse.
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Kay Yow

I used to daydream that maybe one day Hallie might be coached by Kay Yow. News comes this morning that the legendary N.C. State women’s basketball basketball coach passed away after another bout with cancer. She was 66.

The thing I’ll remember about Coach Yow is how she could always be seen in the stands of an N.C. State athletic event. N.C. State wasn’t just a 9 to 5 job for Coach Yow, it was a passion.