Senior Dustin Pfaehler stands outside the tiny home he built over the summer. Photo by Courtney Campbell
By Courtney Campbell
Facing the pasture in Loy Farm on Elon University’s lays a 150-square-foot building atop of a trailer. Hidden from plain sight by a barn, the olive green tiny home is big enough to fit one — senior Dustin Pfaehler.
Since January, Pfaehler has made the small box his home, sleeping upstairs in a 3-foot-tall loft on a camping mattress, using a camping toilet and staying warm with a space heater.
After seeing the documentary “Tiny: A Story About Living Small” on Netflix, Pfaehler was inspired to build and live in his own small home. He developed the idea into a research project mentored by Michael Strickland, lecturer in English and environmental science.
As a fifth year senior, Pfaehler thought the project would justify staying for a few classes.
“It seemed really interesting, so I looked into it more,” Pfaehler said. “This project kind of grew out of it and I like building things, just a lot of fun and a chance to do something with my Elon experience, something different.”
Building the home
Before planning out the design of the home, Strickland had Pfaehler look into tiny homes throughout history ranging from sailing vessels to gypsy wagons to get an idea of how people have lived in small spaces.
“The fact that this movement has come back is amazing,” Strickland said. “I never would have predicted how well it has caught on. North Carolina particularly has become a little hub.”
Then with the help of Robert Charest, associate professor of environmental science who specializes in sustainable design, Pfaehler began to draft out blueprints, modeling after the tiny homes he saw in the documentary.
Like most home, he knew he wanted a loft above the kitchen to maximize space. Then he got to work finding whatever material available to construct the house.
With help of his father and family friends, Pfaehler got to work at the beginning of the summer, working long days to complete the home in less than three months.
“It wasn’t too different than a normal home,” he said. “Instead of putting down foundation, we build it on the trailer bed. It was a lot of finding a trailer, getting the frame to work right because we pulled it out of an old mobile home.”
Pfaehler was able to get the trailer bed for free, which saved him money in the long run but lost him height, since it was already 3-feet-tall.
From there, he prepped the trailer, installed the decking board, framed walls and installed them, fitted the loft, created a curved roof and finished with exterior plywood sliding. Next, he installed plumbing and electrical, added insulation and furnished the home with cedar — providing a constant air freshener.
Pfaehler’s father helps him put on the frame of the tiny home. Photo submitted by Dustin Pfaehler.
Pfaehler essentially had his hand in every aspect of the home and continues to build additional furniture, like seating that will also double as storage.
“Part of it’s just having built it myself, very intimate knowledge of the space I’m living in. it just feels cool to live in something you’ve built yourself, to understand everything that’s gone into it and how all of it works together.”
Once the home was complete, Pfaehler hooked the home to a pick-up truck and drove it to Elon, parking it in Loy Farm.
To power the home, an extension cord is hooked up to a breaker box on the farm. A hose connects the to the well — which experienced some freezing in the colder month, one of the many bugs Pfaehler needed to work out.
“There’s no sewage right now,” Phaehler said. “The water I use I measure it inside a rain barrel and take it and empty it somewhere else, which isn’t the most fun.”
Continuing with the research component of the project, Pfaehler takes measurements of how much water and electricity he uses each day. For one person, it isn’t much and he finds himself emptying the barrel every two days or so.
The total cost for the project was under $10,000 and he’s essentially living rent-free.
Living large in a small space
Pfaehler had high hopes upon moving into his moveable home.
“At first I was super excited and everything was great,” Pfaehler said. “Then I got slightly annoyed with the cramped space. At night it gets really quiet out here, so every time there’s a noise and those little things startle you.”
In addition to recording his electrical and water usage, Pfaehler keeps a journal to analyze the psychological aspect of living alone, isolated and in a small space.
Strickland believes these journals will be something students study in the future.
Pfaehler sleeps on a backpacking mattress in his 3-feet-tall loft. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
“The longest I’ve stayed out there was for about a week,” Pfaehler said. “It was nice. Using that much water and having to empty the tank that much wasn’t the best, it definitely made me aware of how much water I used.”
But for the most part, he finds the experience to be peaceful — other than freaky fog at night.
For him, the transition to the tiny home wasn’t bad. He compares the space to a freshman year dorm room, only with more amenities and a smaller space. Eventually, Pfaehler hope to bring a companion — like a medium-sized dog — to test what it’s like to share the small home.
Pfaehler’s favorite part of the tiny home is the kitchen because it “feels the most homey.” He added storage from Ikea to hang cooking equipment on the walls. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Though the space is small, Pfaehler has been making use of the area by using built in storage that takes up less room, especially in the kitchen. At Ikea, he purchased wall hangers and built a lazy Susan, to create storage without bulky shelves.
He has also accepted he can’t keep as much as he’s used to.
“Still kind of a constant game, maximizing my space,” he said. “Do I really need this many groceries? How many clothes do I need? Just the experience is fun.”
On Feb.1, presidential candidate Ted Cruz won the Iowa caucus. His religious views most likely helped him win over the evangelical state.
More Republicans believe it is important to have a president who shares their religious beliefs. Graphic by Courtney Campbell.
According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, most Americans believe it is important for a president to have strong religious beliefs. This belief becomes stronger depending on location.
Dan Freeman, NBC embed in Iowa, believes that in a religious state like Iowa faith plays a larger role in the election. Though he said religion is more impactful on the Republican side, there were also evangelical Democrats contributing to Cruz’s support.
“Down in the South there are a lot of evangelicals and people tend to vote with someone who is more religious and shares the same views on religious issues in that they are pro-life,” Freeman said. “In the more moderate or liberal states though, the Republicans typically vote based on the economic platform, not because a candidate is religious.”
One of the biggest liabilities a presidential candidate can have is to be an atheist. According to the survey, half of United States adults would be less likely to vote for a candidate who does not believe in God, with only 6 percent saying they would be more likely to vote for a non-believer.
Michael Skube, associate professor of communications at Elon University and former political reporter for Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Raleigh News & Observer, said the only religion that would hurt a candidate more than atheism is being Muslim. Voters are 42 percent less likely to support them, according to the survey.
The only candidate this is not seen in is Donald Trump, who has plenty of Republican support but 47 percent don’t see him as religious. This was seen on Feb. 9, when he won the New Hampshire primary.
According to the Pew Research Center survey, of the 56 percent of GOP voters who think Trump would make a good president, only 5 percent sees him as very religious. But with Cruz, Rubio and Carson, almost all Republicans who think they would be a good president view them as somewhat religious.
“Trump has ambiguous faith, but conservatives are supporting him because they like what he’s saying — not where he’s spending his Sundays,” said Jason Husser, assistant professor of political science and policy studies.
Half of United States adults are less likely to support an atheist president. Graphic by Courtney Campbell.
Husser believes that though religion was important when choosing a candidate eight years ago, it is becoming less of a factor as fewer people are attending church. According to the survey, 68 percent believe that religion is beginning to lose its influence on U.S. life.
This is the case with many Elon students who come from New England.
Though freshman Gaby Lopez attended a Catholic high school in Connecticut and attends church weekly, she doesn’t consider herself a religious person and does not think about religion when choosing a candidate.
“I guess faith matters for certain people, but not for me,” Lopez said. “The United States has always been separate from church and state, so religion doesn’t get too involved.”
Senior Lauryl Fisher believes that religious beliefs can shift a candidates stance on issues, but she does not consider it to be the number one importance when voting.
“I don’t think about religion,” she said. “I think about their personal beliefs. Their opinions on foreign policy and domestic affairs are what matters most.”
Small Alamance County businesses struggle to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.
Multimedia reporting by Bryan Anderson, Courtney Campbell and Megan Garnache
It was Jan. 1, 1994, when TS Designs president Eric Henry received news that would dramatically alter the future of his small business — the North American Free Trade Agreement came into effect.
“NAFTA had a devastating impact on my business,” Henry said. “I worked for brands like Nike and Adidas. We employed over 100 people, were profitable, paid good wages and then we had to lay off 80 people.”
Since the trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico, Henry has witnessed a rapid industrialization movement — which has often come at the expense of local small businesses.
Fighting rapid globalization
Small businesses, which are defined as enterprises with less than 100 employees, have accounted for a decreasing proportion of total employment over the last several years, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2012 Statistics of U.S. Businesses.
Like many small businesses, TS Designs has struggled to compete in an increasingly global marketplace.
“I saw my business and community get completely devastated and it started impacting local businesses,” Henry said. “Walmart and big businesses were utilizing the global services.”
While small businesses are dwindling over time, large-scale ones are continuously growing.
The number of employees in large businesses in North Carolina — ones with 500 or more employees — is greater than the number of employees in very small, small and medium enterprises combined. This is also the case in 25 other states and the District of Columbia.
One industry globalization has particularly affected in NorthCarolina is textiles. The most recent U.S. Census data indicated a 28 percent decline in the number of textile mills between 2008 and 2012. Between 2002 and 2012, textile manufacturing has declined precipitously in some of the top ten states.
North Carolina had the second most jobs in the textile industry in 2012 with 34,786, according to the Congressional Research Service. But this figure marked a 64 percent decline since 2002.
In a special for USA TODAY, veteran Washington bureau chief and weekly columnist Marsha Mercer said 40 percent of North Carolina jobs were in textile and apparel manufacturing in 1940. By 2013, only 1.1 percent of the state’s jobs were in textiles.
Henry argues the textile industry’s decline has resulted, in part, from businesses manufacturing their goods abroad and marketing them to consumers to buy at cheaper prices.
“Brands are driving the marketplace,” Henry said. “They’re making so much money the way things are today. Brands like Nike have millions of dollars in advertising. When you have that kind of money, it’s easy to keep people distracted.”
Getting the message heard
Video Clip: Nancy Joyner, co-owner of Redbud Farm, describes how she interacts with customers.
Small businesses often face an uphill battle when trying to reach a mass audience. According to Marketing Land, advertising revenues have spiked with the proliferation of mobile communication and social media. Advertisers also use television to promote their goods and services.
But advertising comes with a hefty price tag.
A 30-second advertisement in the 2016 Super Bowl is selling for as much as $5 million. A 30-second ad during the CBS sitcom “The Big Bang Theory” costs more than $300,000. While large businesses can afford the expenses of reaching large audiences, small ones cannot.
Instead, small businesses rely on grassroots marketing campaigns.
Redbud Farm
Clay Smith, 70, rinses sweet potatoes in preparation for farmers’ market.
Clay Smith and Nancy Joyner, owners and operators of Redbud Farm in Burlington launched a Facebook page a few years ago to reach consumers.
Smith and Joyner relied on their organic certification in 2009 to market their farm as a healthier alternative to supermarkets. They participate in the Western Wake and Elon farmers’ markets to promote other vendors and showcase their healthier goods.
“A lot of our marketing is about building long-term relationships with customers so folks come back to our stand and to other stands too,” Smith said. “The vendors really try to support one another. The Elon market is not as large but the thing that we like about it is that it’s really local.”
The Elon farmers’ market typically features about 10 vendors and is located in a smaller area, which helps foster a more inclusive culture for vendors.
But at the end of the day, Smith relies more on his face-to-face interactions with consumers.
“In terms of reaching out to folks, it’s generally word of mouth for us,” Smith said. “We don’t do a lot of advertising.”
Co-op is using grassroots marketing campaigns to attract customers.
Company Shops Market
Company Shops Market, Burlington’s co-op, has experienced steady growth since opening its doors in May 2011, but its progress in competing against local grocery chains such as Harris Teeter, Lowe’s and Food Lion and big discount stores such as Walmart and Costco has been gradual.
Company Shops Market’s 2014 annual report noted a “drawdown on our cash while our current liabilities continue to increase slightly” and concluded: “Both of these trends need to be and can be reversed by increasing sales.”
Megan Sharpe, community outreach coordinator for the co-op, has relied heavily on social media to increase awareness. But she recognizes there are too many people the co-op has yet to reach.
“We have people living in the apartment building right down the street who still haven’t heard about us,” Sharpe said. “We’re trying to do everything we can to increase awareness. We’ll blast social media and we’ll do emails, flyers and posters. It’s slowly getting out there.”
Come to the co-op this Friday for downtown’s 4th Friday! We’ll have music, burgers, ice cream from The Scoop Shack and draft beer!
— Company Shops Market (@CompanyShops) July 21, 2015
While Sharpe looks to reach potential customers through visuals, interim general manager Ben Wright relies on interpersonal communication.
Wright and Sharpe argue it is virtually impossible to compete with fast food chains. McDonald’s Dollar Menu currently features a fruit and yogurt parfait, double cheeseburger and chicken nuggets along with much more, whereas the Company Shops deli menu features a variety of sandwiches starting around $8.
“People eat with their eyes and they eat with their wallet,” Wright said. “It’s a matter of breaking down paradigms with folks and not having to sell them a product but having to sell them a new viewpoint and get them to change completely.”
Going local at Elon
Video Clip: Pandora’s Pies owner Peter Ustach explains where he purchases food.
The local food movement has also extended into the Elon University community.
Peter Ustach, co-owner of Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg, graduated Elon in 2009 and has devoted his businesses to purchasing local goods.
“What a lot of students don’t see is the local support we get,” Ustach said. “The Fat Frogg runs on 60 percent local while Pandora’s Pies is more 50-50 split in the summertime.”
Ustach has worked with local farmers, including Smith and Joyner of Redbud Farm.
“I’ve even been to Clay and Nancy’s farm,” Ustach said. “I’ve walked through the farm. I can really tell you as a consumer where that butternut squash is coming from for the butternut squash soup, where your cherry tomatoes are coming from for a simple house salad and that’s really the beauty of it.”
While Ustach says he makes concerted efforts to reach out to more local businesses for goods, he admits it would not be possible to be completely local.
“When going local, everything is transparent because you can see where it comes from,” he said. “Is that 100 percent possible in business? No. Is it getting easier? Yes. I think going local means having transparency between what you have and what you sell and where it comes from. It’s not easy, but it’s getting easier.”
Food is central to Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg, but the relationship within the community extends beyond the dinner table. The Fat Frogg hosts trivia nights once a week and live music on Fridays and Saturdays.
This increased interaction with consumers allows him to generate higher profits.
Building a large following
The Oak House uses locally made pastries from Sweet Stuff and Tasty Bakery.
While it has taken a bit of time for Pandora’s Pies and The Fat Frogg to gain traction, The Oak House — a coffee shop and wine bar — has become quite popular since opening its doors on Sept. 24, 2014.
Since opening The Oak House, Smith has allowed Elon students to film projects after closing time and hold profit-share events. When news spread Starbucks would come to campus in time for the 2015-2016 school year, the university received much backlash from students.
Several students expressed their support for The Oak House and did not want the small business facing increased competition. When the university decided to halt Elon Dining expansion for Starbucks, Smith immediately felt relieved.
Smith attributes part of this success to the local food movement.
“A lot of people care that we do go local and a lot of people take note of it,” Smith said. “Sometimes they take note of it without realizing it. With the milk in the coffee, they’re like, ‘This is the best latte I’ve ever had.’ Some of that may be the coffee but a lot of it is the milk.
The Oak House gets its milk from Homeland Creamery, which is a family farm located about 15 miles off campus in Julian. Smith also pays a premium for high-quality pastries by ordering muffins from Tasty Bakery in Graham.
“When it’s locally made, I think the people making it care about what they’re making because it’s their neighbors, friends and peers who are benefitting,” Smith said. “It also keeps the money in the local economy.”
While the prices may be high, Smith believes consumers are willing to spend more money for quality goods like muffins.
While Smith said he could pay around 25 cents a muffin through BJ’s Wholesale or Sam’s Club, he prefers having the muffins made from scratch and not in a premade container.
But sustaining his business in a college town over the summer has proven to be quite the challenge.
“Summer is bad,” Smith said. “It’s like turning a faucet off. We had Commencement, which was our busiest day of the year, and then the next day was probably our worst day of the year.”
While local businesses grapple with the challenges of staying in business after the school year, on-campus dining facilities struggle to accommodate student demands for increased local food.
“We pledge to purchase 10 percent of our items from North Carolina,” Krieger said.
While Elon Dining notes on its Sustainability page it purchased more than 11 percent of its food locally last year, there was no mention that figure came only from North Carolina agricultural facilities.
“Everyone has a different idea of what is local,” Krieger said. “We try to abide by that 250, but then it’s within the state or within the region. If we can’t get it there, then we have to go outside of our local range. What we track and promote is usually within that 250-mile radius of campus.”
With the word “local” defined as a 250-mile radius, food can come from parts of Virginia, South Carolina, West Virginia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
On Dining Services’ map, “From Local Farms to Your Forks,” it is revealed there are 21 different locations where food is received from North Carolina. Of those 21 locations, only one is located in Alamance County and three within a 50-mile radius of campus.
Krieger said the Elon Dining is committed to sourcing produce locally whenever possible but the logistics can be challenging given the large student population on meal plan and the various health and safety guidelines Aramark must adhere to.
Although she said she wasn’t permitted to provide specific data on the number of students on meal plans, she said local markets could not feed the student entire student population.
“I have students approach me and say, ‘We have a farmers’ market right down the corner; why can’t we buy from the farmers’ market?’” Krieger said. “And I say, ‘With a farmers’ market, if Elon Dining bought all of it, it would feed one dining hall during one meal period.’
She also mentioned the extensive process in place for the existing distributors and acquiring additional distributors. According to Krieger, Elon Dining has middlemen who work through that process.
Removing Elon from Elon Dining
Elon University itself is not directly involved in the decision-making process for bringing national vendors to campus. Rather, Aramark makes all final decisions.
In a 10-page Vendor Policy Committee Report, the university outlined its limited influence in deciding which vendors come to campus.
“The university provides the facilities for Aramark’s operations on campus and participates indirectly in the decision-making process around national vendors that operate on campus,” said a portion of the report.
Chris Fulkerson, Elon’s assistant vice president for administrative services, explained how the university recommended Aramark add a Biscuitville location to campus because the founders had an existing relationship with Elon. But the process took five to six years before Biscuitville finally arrived on campus.
Although Elon makes recommendations for large vendors, its limited influence creates a lengthy process for local businesses to come to campus.
Looking to the future
It is now Dec. 8, 2015, and TS Designs president Eric Henry feels cautiously optimistic about the fate of his business.
Following NAFTA, he witnessed a rapid consumer demand for cheap products. But now, something is beginning to change.
“Now I see younger people through Elon University starting to see the value on price,” Henry said. “That local food movement is getting more interest with millenials.”
Garden Valley Market features locally sourced products, including honey for Winston-Salem.
And it’s not just the local food movement that is returning with today’s youth. It’s the entire going local movement that is regaining momentum.
Michael Shuman, an expert in economics and author of “Going Local,” said people are basing their purchasing decisions on more than just cost.
“No one buys anything simply on the basis of price,” Shuman said. “If that were true, Starbucks wouldn’t exist. People make their decisions on the basis of value.”
While Henry says the progress toward buying local has been slow, he recognizes a gradual resurgence is approaching.
“When stuff is cheaper, sometimes your neighbor just lost his job,” Henry said. “Now I see younger people through Elon University starting to see the value on price.”
Renowned classical musician, Itzhak Perlman brought along his prized 300-year-old Stradivarius violin and his wit to Elon University’s Fall Convocation on Tuesday Oct. 6.
A full house for Fall Convocation. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Throughout the speech, Perlman trailed through his extensive violin career that began at age 4. Now 70, he has played at every major concert hall, performed at President Barak Obama’s first Inauguration in 2009 and has received numerous Emmy and Grammy Awards.
The speech was moderated by Gerald Whittington, senior vice president for business, finance and technology a a professional singer with the Bel Canto Company, a choral ensemble in the Triad area.
Both Whittington and the audience was in awe as Perlman took out his violin and played a piece composed by Bach — the same one he learned as a child playing an advertisement for a cookie manufacturing company.
He received a standing ovation. “Can you do that some more?” asked Whittington.
Perlman played three more times that evening, successfully silencing the audience with each piece, including a famous score he wrote for Steven Spielberg’s Oscar-winning “Schindler’s List.”
Gerald Whittington moderated convocation with Itzhak Perlman. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Perlman took to a combination of wit and humor to keep the audience on its toes, often at Whittington’s expense. As soon as Perlman arrived on stage, he corrected Whittington that he had won 17 Grammy Awards, not the 16 Whittington mentioned in his opening.
It wouldn’t be the first snappy retort.
“I believe you were on the ‘Ed Sullivan Show’ three times,” Whittington said.
“Six,” Perlman said.
“And I count for a living,” Whittington said.
Spending long hours perfecting his trade, Perlman has developed a practice regimen all his own. Perlman explained that musicians should only practice for five hours, tops.
Any more, he said, would be like putting a sponge in water and adding a few drops — useless.
“A lot of things about practicing have to do with repetition,” Perlman said. “Muscle memory.”
After living a full musical life, Perlman has decided to dedicate some of his time to educating the youth. Since 1995, he has run and taught at his summer camp for aspiring musicians, The Perlman Music Program.
“My goal is to continue to enjoy what I do and not to be bored,” Perlman said. “Conducting and teaching and playing. Each one of those things helps each other. When I teach others, I teach myself.”
Though it has been getting difficult for Perlman to move around, he is embarking on a worldwide tour, performing 50 times between now and May.
Perlman will be back in the Triad area for his last performance of his tour, performing in Raleigh May 18, 2016.
Perlman leaving Fall Convocation. Photo by Courtney Campbell
On Thursday, Oct. 1, at 9 p.m. folk band Cracked Vessels preformed at the Oak House. The band, which started in 2014, includes seniors Tyler Meacham and Jacob Lenz, who are both members of the a cappella group Twisted Measure.
Cracked Vessels jammed at the Oak House last Thursday. Photo by Courtney Campbell
Every Thursday without fail, Nancy Joyner sets up a tent filled with a wide variety of seasonal potatoes, squash and peppers outside of Elon Community Church. Joyner, who has come to Elon Community Church Farmers Market since spring of 2009, has made connections with local community members as well as students.
Joyner helps a community member pick out the perfect tomato. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
Redbud Farm, located in Burlington, is owned and managed by Joyner and Clay Smith. It is on the same land where Smith’s family farm was since 1945. The two have been harvesting since 2009, using only certified organic practices and bringing only the best produce to market.
“What you see on the table is in season,” Joyner said.
The farm specializes in vegetables and herbs including heirloom tomatoes, potatoes, sweet potatoes, peppers, eggplant, various squash, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, lettuce, kale, ginger, garlic, basil and cilantro.
Each person who approaches Joyner’s stand comes with a different purpose, but leaves with a connection.
“My favorite part of farming is coming from farming and having a connection with the people,” Joyner said. “There’s a diversity of people from the community and church and college students. It could be a regular who always needs their cherry tomatoes or a New York boy that decided he loves okra.”
In addition to Elon Community Church Farmers Market, Joyner has a stand at the Western Wake Farmers Market in Morrisville, North Carolina on Saturdays. Redbud Farm is also incorporating some of their produce in local restaurants. Currently, Pandora’s Pies, a local pizza restaurant, is serving a seasonal orzo salad containing Joyner’s peppers and tomatoes.
A wide variety of peppers from Redbud Farm. Photo by Courtney Campbell.
While making connections to the Elon University students, Joyner has also been known to give discounts or free produce to those that are especially excited about what they are buying.
“She’s so sweet and she always remembers people,” said junior Abbey Maloney. “She’s definitely passionate about what she does.”
The Elon Community Church Farmers Market runs until the end of October, but for those who can’t get enough of Redbud Farm’s product can visit the farm located at 1921 Gwyn Rd. Burlington, N.C.
With recent racial bias incidents and safety concerns on Elon University’s campus, the Department of Campus Safety and Police are currently upgrading the surveillance camera system across campus.
Graphic by Courtney Campbell
By partnering up with Instructional and Campus Technologies, the campus is installing an addition 50 cameras, 14 license plate-reading camera and new storage servers to the 440 cameras already deployed. They will be installed in strategic locations where security of people and property will be enhanced.
“Upon completion of this project we will have 500 camera to assist our efforts in achieving our mission of striving to maintain a safe campus environment to work, live and learn,” said Dennis Franks, director of Campus Safety and Police, in a email.
On April 22, a female African American student reported a racial slur was directed at her from a passing car on N. O’Kelly Avenue. According to an email from Smith Jackson, vice president for Student Life, with the new cameras installed, security was able to identify the vehicle involved in the incident within 48 hours and determined the occupants of the car were Elon students.
One student took responsibility and is being held accountable for their actions.
With knowledge of the accountability of action found from the camera, students are hoping it will cause fewer incidents like this in the future.
Cameras can be found on various buildings around campus.
“I think camera will make people more conscious of what they are saying,” said sophomore Camaya Miller. “Not only that but people will want to be more aware with what their friends are doing. You are not going to want to get caught with your friends doing something stupid.”
Despite the greater emphasis of the use of camera in racial bias incidents, Marilyn Slade, program assistant for the center for race, ethnicity and diversity education (CREDE), believes the camera usually help, but not in every situation, especially when alcohol is involved.
“The students will feel safe with more cameras,” she said. “I feel safe now. But, if they are in a different state of mind they are not always going to think about it.”
Although the university already has about 440 security cameras already, students aren’t always aware of them. They are, however, aware of their importance to the safety of campus.
“If you university think it’s going to help I’m for it,” said sophomore Cody Holt. “I don’t notice the camera now, so I won’t notice them later. If everyone already has camera in their pockets, why should we care about 50 more?”
Some students think safety efforts should be made elsewhere. Senior Emma Hall is more concerned on how dark it is when she walks late at night.
“I think it would be more beneficial to have more lights on campus for night,” she said. “There are times when I walk from the library to the oaks and its very dark.”
She does, however, see how they are beneficial for racial bias incidents.
“It will make people more conscious about what they say,” Hall said.
Measurements are very important to include to add viable details to stories so the audiences understand. Reporters should always double check sources by doing time, rate and distance problems to assure they are accurate.
The basic formula for these are the same, but requires some switching up. The units of measurement must always be the same as well.
distance = rate x time
rate = distance / time
time = distance / rate
While reporting on cars or crashes speed and velocity are often included. Speed is how fast something is going, while velocity is also indicating direction. Average speed can be more useful to stories than the instantaneous speed and acceleration can show the increase.
average speed = distance / time
acceleration = (ending velocity – starting velocity) / time
ending velocity = (acceleration x time) + starting velocity
ending speed = square root of 2(acceleration x distance)
Practice problem: A BMW can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 45 seconds. What is the rate of acceleration?
Momentum is the force necessary to stop an object from moving. It is also important to note the differences of weight and mass. Weight is a measure of the force of gravity pulling on an object and mass is the measure of amount.
momentum = mass x velocity
Area Measurements
To describe measurements analogies can often be used to as a visual but only work if readers understand the comparison. This is why it is important to still know calculations for areas and perimeters while writing about construction.
perimeter of a rectangle = (2 x length) + (2 x width)
area of a rectangle = length x width
area of a triangle = .5base x height
Practice problem: A square garden has a length of 6ft and width of 7ft. What is its perimeter?
There are various measurement told in squares to represent large or small spaces.
114 square inches = 1 square foot
9 square feet = 1 square yard
30 square yards = 1 square rod
160 square rods = 1 acre
1 acre = 43,560 square feet
640 acres = 1 square mile
Radius of a circle is the distance from any edge to the middle. Circumference is the distance around it. To calculate these pi is used which is rounded off as 3.14.
circumference = 2pi x radius
area of a circle = pi x radius^2
Volume Measurements
Volume measurements are also used to describe how much of something is needed or to describe businesses and their goods. Liquid measurements are used for recipes, bodies of water and other fluids.
volume of rectangular solid = length x width x height
Here are few common conversions:
2 tablespoons = 1 fluid once
1/2 pint = 8 ounces, or one cup
1 pint = 16 ounces, or two cups
2 pints (32 ounces) = 1 quart
2 quarts (64 ounces) = 1/2 gallon
4 quarts (128 ounces) = 1 gallon
1 U.S. standard barrel = 31.5 gallons
1 U.S. gallon = 4/5 Imperial gallon
British or Canadian barrel = 36 Imperial gallons
Practice problem: How many servings are there in a pint of orange juice if the serving size is 8 ounces?
To calculate the amount of electricity that is used you need to maximum wattage on equipment and the time that is was used.
wattage x time = energy consumed, in watt hours
When firewood is sold it is in a measurement called cord, which is 128 cubic feet when the wood is stacked in a line or row. A standard core is a stack of wood that is 8 feet long, 4 feet wide and four feet high.
There are multiple forms of tons. A short ton is 2,000 pounds. A long ton or British ton is 2,240 pounds. A metric ton is 1,000 kilograms or 2,204.62 pounds. Here are conversions:
short to long ton: multiply by .89
short to metric ton: multiply by .9
long to short ton: multiply 1.12
long to metric ton: multiply by 1.02
metric to short ton: multiply by 1.1
metric to long ton: multiply .98
The Metric System
In America it is common to see imperial units, but the rest of the world is on the metric system. To report on a global level its important to know the metric system, which is based on multiples of 10.
The meter is the basic unit of length. One gram is the mass of one cubic centimeter of water at 0 degrees. Newton is the metric unit of force, which applied to a one-kilogram object will give the object an acceleration of one meter per second per second. Volume traces its origins to the cubic decimeter.
The metric system based on the decimal system and prefixes are added to the unit names to create larger or smaller factors. To change within the units powers of 10 are multiplied or divided.
micro (1 millionth) 0.000001
milli (1 thousandth) 0.001
centi (1 hundredth) 0.01
deci (1 tenth) 0.1
no prefix 1
deka 10
hecto 100
kilo 1,000
mega 1,000,000
Practice problem: How many kilometers are in 48,000 meters?
To convert American length to to metric you can multiply inches by 25.4 to find millimeters, feet by 30 to find centimeters, yards by 90 to find centimeters and miles by 1.6 to find kilometers.
To convert American area measurements to metric multiply square inches by 6.5 to find square centimeters, square feet by 0.09 to find square meters, square yards by 0.8 to find square meters, square miles by 2.6 to find square kilometers and acres by 0.4 to find hectares.
To convert American mass measurements to metric multiply ounces by 28 to find grams, pounds by 0.45 to find kilograms, pounds by .07 to get stones and short tons by 0.9 to find metric tons.
To convert American volume measurements multiply teaspoons by 5 to find milliliters, tablespoons by 15 to find milliliters, fluid ounces by 30 to find milliliters, cups by 0.24 to find liters, pints by 0.47 to find liters, quarts by 0.95 to find liters, gallons by 3.8 to find liters, cubic feet by 0.03 to find cubic meters and cubic yards by 0.76 to find cubic meters.
The American temperature is Fahrenheit, but the rest of the world uses Celsius. To convert there are simple formulas.
Celsius = .56 x (Fahrenheit – 32)
Fahrenheit = (1.8 x Celsius) + 32
There are also a few style rules to keep in mind. All units start with lower case except when talking about temperature, unites are only plural when there is more than 1, symbols are never pluralized, a space should be used between the number and the symbol, never put a period after a symbol unless it is the end of the sentence and if a number is less than 1, a zero should be written before the decimal point.
Numbers can be a big deal in business as well as politics, which is why if a reporter wants to report on them they need to know how to examine them — correctly. There are multiple calculations a that can be done on surveys and financial statements. Although an analyst usually does the work, it can never hurt to doublecheck and fully understand the meaning of the numbers.
Polls and surveys
Polls and surveys are the basis for understanding public opinion. For a reporter it is necessary to check the validity of them. Polls estimate a public opinions with a single question while a survey has multiple questions in a social science setting. Random selection ensures that everyone in the population has an equal chance of being surveyed.
To gather a sample that is at least 400 participates, which is a valid sample, there are multiple formulas. Census, a universal sampling involves sampling everyone, cluster sampling, a sample from one area, and quota sampling, a sample based on demographic characteristics, are a few examples of sampling.
Practice problem: What would the best sampling method be for a poll on women with school-age children who work outside the home?
With these polls and surveys, there is always a margin of error, or the degree of accuracy of research based on standard norms and lowers with a larger sample. Represented as percentage, it goes hand in hand with the confidence level, which is the percentage that researches are confident in their results. This level falls at 90 percent, 95 percent or 98 percent and should always be included in reports.
The U.S. Census uses adjusted figures to compensate for missing data. This gives smaller states slightly more representation, by needing fewer residents to get an additional seat in congress. Both adjusted and unadjusted figures of the Census for each level and analyzing blocks of this can give information on a community.
Knowing z scores and t scores can help a reporter better understand research. A z score, shows how much a particular figure differs from the mean to compare figures, and t score is used in small sample sizes and requires an intense calculation.
z score = (raw score – mean) / standard deviation
Business
There are many sources of business in the news, including press releases, earning reports and annual reports, and it is necessary to understand them to report them.
Financial statements are formal documents that include quantitative statements about a company’s business transactions. An example of this is a profit and loss statement (P&L), which shows whether a company is making money or not. It is calculated by subtracting expenses from income.
There are many expenses in a business. The “overhead” are the expenses not directly related to the product being made. The gross margin is the difference between the “costs of goods sold” and the selling price. When these subtractions are made, the owner is left with a net profit. When you don’t want to lose cash while loaning to a business it good to calculate the “earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization” (EBITDA).
gross margin = selling price – cost of goods sold
gross profit = gross margin x number of items sold
net profit = gross margin – overhead
Practice problem: If a cup of tea is sold for $3 and it costs $1 to make each cup, what is the gross margin?
A balance sheet is a written financial statement of a companies assets, liabilities and equity and shows the financial stability of a company. Assets are resources owned by a company that have some economic value, liabilities are what the company owes and equity is what the company is really worth. The assets of the balance sheets always equals the liabilities and equity side.
assets = liabilities + equity
Ratios are calculations that analysts and business owners use to evaluate a companies cash situation, profitability, operating efficiency and market value. They are indicators of a companies strength and weaknesses. A current ratio measures the ability of a company to meet its liabilities, quick ratios measures the ability of a company to meet liabilities with cash on hand, debt-to-asset includes all liabilities and assets, debt-to equity is what the company is leveraged by, returns show how much a company makes, and price-earning is the return of investment.
current ratio = current assets / current liabilities
quick ratio = cash / current liabilities
debt-to-asset ratio = total debt / total assets
debt-to-equity ratio = total debt / equity
return on assets = net income / total assets
return on equity = net income / equity
price-earning ratio = market price/share / earnings/share
Stocks and bonds
Stocks are sold by corporations to raise cash and people buy them as investments. The value of a stock varies over time depending on demand. Mutual funds are when companies sell shares of funds and use that money to buy stock in other companies. There are many components in a stock:
52-week High/low – the highest and lowest stock prices over the past year
Stock – the symbol of the stock, shortened version of the company name
Div – the most recent annual dividend the company paid to shareholders
PE – the stock price divided by the per-share earnings in 12 months
Last – the price of one share at the end of the previous day
Change – how much the stock price went up or down that day
Bonds are used by governments to raise money and is a lone from an investor to the organization selling the bond. The face value of the bond is the amount the owner will receive when it reaches maturity with the set interest rate, but this is not always a case. The bond’s current yield is the return on the investment, which can fluctuate as well. The bond cost determines the actual cost issued by a municipality.
current yield = (interest rate x face value) / price
bond cost (interest) = amount x rate x years
Practice problem: If the yield of investment is 6% and a bond is bought at $600. The bond is now worth $1,000. What is the current yield?
Market averages measure action on exchanges. The Dow Jones Industrial Average is the total value of one share each of 30 stocks divided by the divisor. This divisor takes into account stock dividends, splits, spinoffs and other corporate actions. The National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations (NASDAQ) is an automated quotation system that reports on trading of domestic stocks and bonds not regularly listed.
Property Taxes
Property taxes are the largest source of income for local government and organization. It is determined by the total amount of money needed and dividing it amount property owners. They are measured by units called mills, which is 1/10 of a cent and are expressed in terms mills lived for each dollar of assessed valuation of property.
mill levy = taxes to be collected by the government body / assessed valuation of all property in the taxing district
Appraisal value is based on the property’s use and characteristics, current market conditions and a visual inspection. The mill levy is applied to assessed value, which is determined on local policies. These all play into how much tax is owed.
assessed value = appraisal value x rate
tax owed = tax rate x (assessed value of the property / $100)
Practice problem: A house is appraised at $400,000. Century One assess the house at 20% of the appraised value. What is the assessed value?
“We pledge to purchase 10 percent of our items from North Carolina,” Krieger said.
Courtney Campbell 
