Do your part to conserve
With Stage 2 water restrictions going into effect for Raleigh, and 110 days of water remaining, it is clear that the ongoing drought is having severe consequences on our water supply. Yet there are many individual actions we can take to decrease our water consumption besides what is outlined in the mandatory restrictions. According to a document on the NCSU Cooperative Extension Service’s website, the biggest users of household water are clothes washing (22 percent) and toilet use (27 percent). Most people know to turn the water off while brushing their teeth; a harder but more significant change is to take shorter showers and turn off the water while soaping/shampooing. Under the new restrictions, restaurants can only serve water on customer request — customers can go further and limit refills to what they know they will drink. For those who want to go the extra mile and work on that 27 percent (and who have like-minded roommates), there is the unpopular topic of toilets. We flush our waste with drinking water – -this is a rather bizarre concept. “If it’s brown, flush it down; if it’s yellow, let it mellow” is one way of recommending only flushing the toilet when absolutely necessary. Another option is to collect some of the water from your shower and use that to flush — all you need is a bucket. If we each strive to use less water, we may be able to help the situation and start patterns in our lives of using resources more wisely.
Christina Schubert senior, zoology
In response to: N.C. voters miss out on ‘Super Tuesday
Yes, the North Carolina primary is late, but I don’t feel left out. I’ll be at the primary polls in May and certainly at the polls in November. The states participating in Super Tuesday actually receive less media and campaign coverage. Twenty-four states competing for one week of coverage — compare that to Iowa which receives weeks of coverage alone. Besides being penalized for moving a primary to an earlier date, it takes away from an important trial period, allowing citizens see how candidates react and debate over an extended period of time. I believe it is in our interest that all states do not vote on Super Tuesday or we could nominate an unproven candidate. This primary is the closest race in recent history and if this trend continues it could position North Carolina as a very important primary state, receiving what some desire as “our share” of campaign and media coverage. Most of you reading this are eligible to vote in a presidential election for the first time. Regardless of your political views, have a voice. You are not left out unless you leave yourself out, vote!
Bobby Mack graduate student curriculum & instruction
