The Vice Chancellor Tom Staflord Discusses Students, Shark Teeth And

THE STUDENT NEWSPAPER OF NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1920 w THURSDAY SEPT. 19 2002 TECH. A www.technicianonline.com Raleigh, North Carolina" Bus system The Stafford plan: students first Vice Chancellor Tom Staflord adds routes discusses students, shark teeth Transportation ofi‘icials hope new and Shoelaces. routes and route changes will improve the Wolfline. Jerry Moore 5raj)rReporter Angelena Thomas NC. State Vice Chancellor for Student StaffReporter Affairs Tom Stafford likes to write on bathroom stalls. Wolfline buses travel along designated But in his case, it’s not vandalism; it’s paths, stopping only at designated official university business. Wolfline stops. This fall you will see the Stafford’s spotless yet cozy office in red and white buses with blackpinstripes Holladay Hall features two desks with more often and in more places. Changes polished, pink Tennessee marble tops — in Wolfline services have increased the slabs that once served as dormitory bath— number ofpick—up locations and route room partitions. frequency. “Look, I’m in my stall,” Stafford says The Wolfline’s goals are to provide bus as he reclines in his chair between the services for students, staff and faculty glossy desktops. “Sometimes students on the main campus, Centennial Cam- don’t believe me, but ifyou look closely pus and the College ofVeterinary Med- on the underside, you actually see some icine. It also provides bus services for old names somebody carved in there.” those without parking permits who use Few things last longer than etched graf- Park-n-Ride lots and live in official uni- fiti, but Stafford has become one ofthose versity housing. figures on the university’s landscape. “Each year we try to redesign and im- . His ties to NCSU date back to 1966, prove the system,” said Iack Tucci, assis— when he earned a master’s degree in tant transit manager for the Trans— guidance and personnel services. After Tom Stafford, vice chancellor for Student Affairs, shows off a coffee mug emblazoned with his department’s motto. portation Department. earning a doctorate in higher education Staffphoto byMatthew Huffman According to Tucci, this fall there were administration at Florida State, Stafford several changes made. returned to Raleigh in 1971 and has held make contact with students no matter he still struggles to find the right balance ees who best exemplify this ideal, and he Transportation added a new route his current position since 1985. what they’re doing.” between spending time with students almost always uses the phrase when called Centennial Shuttle Route 3 that Sharp silver hair gives away that he’s Stafford is particularly fond of show- and fulfilling his administrative respon- speaking to groups of students, parents provides service from Centennial Cam- been around a while; even so, he looks ing up at events when he’s not expect- sibilities. When in doubt, he says he tries and alumni. pus to Cates Avenue on the main cam- significantly younger than his 60 years. ed. to err on the side of students. The better parts of Stafford’s days are pus. Centennial Shuttle Route 3 also pro- His lean, wiry frame evidences that he’s “Ofcourse I’m invited to a lot ofevents, “A lot ofvice Chancellors or vice pres- spent out of the office making ap- vides service to Carmichael Gym and in better shape than most students on but even when I’m not speaking or in— idents would spend a lot oftime offcam- pearances, conversing with students and the two Student Centers. It runs Monday campus. volved with the program, I like to attend. pus,” Stafford says. “I do some of that, showing them he cares about what they through Friday with the exception ofof- It’s a good thing Stafford takes care of Number one, I like students, and I like to but my primary interest is on the cam- care about. But it’s not all fun and games. ficial university holidays. himself because he’s supposed to keep be around students. Ifyou felt otherwise, pus. I try to spend a significant amount The most difficult part of Stafford’s job Also, to allow E.S. King Village resi- up with, and even stay ahead of, 30,000 you shouldn’t be in this kind of work.” of my time attending events that stu- rears its head when a student dies. dents to get to and from Centennial college students. He has to be prepared Mike Giancola, director ofthe univer- dents have organized.” Stafford, working with campus chap- Campus on theWolfline, Southeast Loop for impromptu campus events, contro- sity’s Center for Student Leadership, Stafford also coordinates orientation lains, must notify the student’s parents — Route 8 has been changed. Transporta- versies or protests, but the unpre— ' Ethics and Public Service, often works sessions for new staff members twice a something he dreads. tion officials said it now continues dictability doesn’t phase him. with Stafford on student—related issues. year and hosts an annual end-of-the- “When you’re dealing with a family af- straight up Gorman Street instead ofus— “One ofthe things I really like about my “It seems like he’s everywhere,” Gian— year award ceremony. At these and oth— ter a death, it’s just very hard,” Stafford ing Dan Allen Drive. Services are also job is that no two days are exactly alike,” cola says. “What strikes me is that, for an er events, he often cites the “accidental” says. “The most difficult situation is when running every 15 minutes instead of Stafford says. “I always have things sched- administrator of his level, he makes a motto ofthe Department ofStudent Af- a student has committed suicide. There every 30 minutes. uled that I have to do, but every day great effort to be approachable. He’s the fairs: “Students first.” are just so many dimensions to it when Wolfline also has a new Avent Ferry there’s something unexpected that comes way for students to get their voice to the “Originally I didn’t intend for it to be a student commits suicide. It’s difficult for route called Avent Ferry 1A Reverse. Ac- up.” chancellor.” a motto, but after I used it for a year or me to deal with the reaction because the cording to Transportation officials, “At Administrators and student leaders Stafford serves as an accessible link di- so it just became that,” Stafford says. “A parents just go absolutely to pieces.” peak hours, there are riders on [the] can’t say enough about Stafford’s out- rectly to the top, NCSU Chancellor couple years ago the chancellor was in— Stafford credits physical fitness for Avent Ferry route who get left because it going and seemingly omnipresent na— Marye Anne Fox She’s as impressed as the vited to speak to parents at orientation, helping him deal with the difficulties and is full by the time it gets close to Main ture. He shows up everywhere — drama others with his devotion to campus issues. and she told the group that was the mot- unpleasantness sometimes associated Campus. We have addressed the problem productions, Student Government meet- “Tom Stafford is a great friend of the to for the Division of Student Affairs.” with his job. He usually forgoes lunch in by adding a reverse route that will reach ings, varsity and intramural sporting NC. State students,” Fox says. “I most “1 actually had a list ofabout 10 sayings, favor of a trip to thegym for a midday these riders first.” events. admire his willingness to go to bat for but I guess this was the one that stuck. workout. In addition, the Avent Ferry Route and “It’s his job to be involved, but he re- student issues and to spend long hours When I realized that it had become our “Your success in life with your job, the Centennial—ES. King routes were ally does go out of his way to be at attending student events and support— motto, I tried to take full advantage of your family, your academics, your activ— canceled because ofthe low quantity of events,” Student Body President Michael ing student organizations.” it.” . ities —— will depend in a significant way riders. Anthony says. “He makes an effort to Despite his experience, Stafford admits Now he gives out awards to employ- Finally, students and faculty once again See STAFFORD page3 have the Park-n-Ride option at Kmart lo— cated at Western Boulevard and Blue Ridge Road. On the rocks Fire damages poultry facility, Iason Hales, a freshman in computer science, said, “I’ve been riding Kmart Park—n—Ride all semester and I’ve only kills 2,000 birds been late to class one time.” E.S. King Village Route 4, which pro— A fire at the poultry sciencefacility known, researchers said that the damage to the vides service to the Kmart Park-n—Ride, located on Lake Wheeler Road killed $300,000 facility is serious. also services Westgrove, E.S. King Vil— Brake, who has been at NCSU 2,000 birds Tuesday morning as a student, lage, the Arboretum and Main Campus. researcher and faculty member, was complet— According to Transportation, the ES. News StaffReport ing research on birds and phosphorus levels KingVillage Route 4 comes twice as fre— when the fire occurred. quently, arriving every 15 minutes in- Officials suggest an electrical malfunction caused “One of our issues in North Carolina agri- stead of every 30 minutes. a fire that damaged an NC. State research barn culture, obviously, is lowering phosphorous pol- Awaiting a bus nearly 10 minutes be— and killed thousands ofchickens Tuesday morn- lution in our rivers and runoff,” said Brake in a hind schedule on Centennial Campus ing.

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