Editor’s note: This article contains reference to sexual misconduct.

From the closure of Poe Hall to two Final Fours, there was no shortage of news to report this year here at Technician. As the semester wraps up, and a new volume of Technician begins, here’s a list of our best coverage of the last nine months.

Poe Hall

Technician reporters wrote a total of 10 articles regarding the closure of Poe Hall this year, earning its very own section on our website. With the closure first announced in mid-November, the bulk of Technician’s Poe Hall coverage took place in the spring semester. During that time, Technician was able to sit down with both University administrators and leading PCB experts to get the full scope of health concerns surrounding the closure.

Breaking news

Technician published eight breaking news reports this year, a standout being a report about a former NC State football player found responsible for two violations of sexual misconduct, who posted on X that he received an offer to return by the University. The report was published using a document Technician obtained through a public records request. 

Other breaking news reports by Technician included the College of Education’s vote of no confidence in Chancellor Randy Woodson and Provost Warwick Arden. The vote was concerning the chancellor and the provost’s response to the discovery of PCBs in Poe Hall and its subsequent closure.

Basketball

One of Technician’s greatest honors and greatest trials of the year was our coverage of the men’s and women’s historic basketball runs. March and the early days of April consisted of very little else for Technician staff besides 24/7 basketball coverage, but it was such a privilege to see the way the student body and beyond looked toward Technician’s coverage during those weeks.

Our team of sports editors took on the challenge with the utmost care and dedication, traveling all over the country to be able to say, “Technician was there.” Thanks to our work on the special print issues throughout the runs, Technician was on the receiving end of media coverage when ABC11 visited our newsroom to highlight our night as we prepared the Final Four issue. 

Political affairs

Technician reporters were able to cover a number of presidential visits and a Q&A with Gov. Roy Cooper. As we barrel toward a presidential election, it’s important that Technician has a firm grasp on covering political and national issues that affect the Wolfpack while maintaining objectivity and a sense of how national and local elections relate to the student body.

Meanwhile, Technician also covered international affairs like the Israel-Hamas war while emphasizing how those issues impact the campus communities. When continuing to cover political affairs, it’s imperative that Technician continues to amplify student voices as we did during this coverage.

Focused

What was once a Technician mainstay in the early 2000s, “Focused” found its way back to our newsroom this year. “Focused” is a joint effort between our news and opinion sections, and it’s meant to look at a big issue in an in-depth way while offering multiple perspectives. 

Technician published six “Focused” issues this year, reporting on everything from the struggles faced by graduate students to our latest deep dive into the 2024 gubernatorial election. “Focused” will continue in Volume 105, and I can’t wait to see the new ways we utilize this hybrid format to present big ideas to the student body.

Public records

The bow on top of Technician’s reporting this year is due to our reporters’ fearless commitment to public records requests. A significant portion of our coverage was enhanced by or simply wouldn’t have been possible without documents obtained through these requests. 

Notable stories using public records include “North Carolina’s public universities stall on releasing sexual misconduct records” and “New details emerge about controversial University welcome packets’ short lifespan.”

A special nod must go to Emily Vespa, our very own public records princess, resident jester and Volume 104 managing editor. Vespa alone submitted 87 of Technician’s total 94 public records requests this academic year, and she took Technician’s reporting to new heights through this work.

Technician has seen the power that access to public records possesses and the way that they can be used to inform our reporting. There are no plans for our newsroom to cease use of the public records law or NC State’s NextRequest portal anytime soon.