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Non-Music News

Insect Minute – The Wonderful World of Bees!

Furry, colorful and industrious bees radiate a charisma that people are naturally drawn to. After all, they produce the celebrated product, honey, and pollinate crops and gardens. Like most people, I knew there were three kinds of bees: the honey bee, the bumblebee and the carpenter bee. What I did not realize until I started studying bees, is that there are over 20,000 species of bees world wide and that these represent only a small portion of the bee diversity out there. There are over 3,500 species in the United States!

Bees are in the order Hymenoptera which also includes wasps, ants and sawflies. Bees and wasps are commonly confused with one another or perceived as names that are interchangeable. Bees and wasps share some attributes; like a similar body plan and they are both holometabolous insects. (A much cuter explanation of metamorphosis) There is one very big thing that sets them apart, their diets! Bees are strictly vegan, preferring to forage on pollen and nectar, whereas most wasps mix other arthropods into their diets.

Common Misconceptions:

  1. Bees bite: Well, not usually. Bees have mandibles but they do not typically use them in defense. The main mode of defense is the stinger, a modified egg-laying structure, found only in females. Males are largely defenseless.
  2. Bees and Wasps are the same thing: It’s true that they are related and very similar anatomically, but there are some major differences. As mentioned above, their diet. Most bees are much fuzzier than wasps, having branched hairs that help them collect pollen.
  3. All bees live in hives: Honey bees do, but most bees are solitary which means they live on their own provisioning their brood cells with pollen and nectar. They typically rest on the backs of leaves, in crevices, or in their unfinished brood cell.
  4. Bees attack people: When a honey bee hive is disturbed the bees may give chase, but most bees will not. In this instance the bees are defending their hive and are attempting to scare off a perceived danger to the colony. Typically bees, including foraging honey bees, are quite docile and are unlikely to react to your presence. In my studies working with bees, I have petted a bee on it abdomen while it foraged and it responded by simply flying away.
  5. Bees are only black and yellow: So not true!! Many are black with some hue of yellow, but they come in a rainbow of colors. Check out this beautiful metallic green sweat bee. Gorgeous!

photo by bob in swamp

Transcript of Insect Minute 1 – Bees:
Hi this is Heather with your Insect Minute brought to you by WKNC and the NC State Insect Museum.
When you think of bees you may immediately think honey bee or perhaps the fuzzy bumble bee or a wood loving carpenter bee that is boring holes into your back porch as I speak.
BUT BEES ARE SO MUCH MORE DIVERSE!
You may be surprised to find out that there are over 20,000 different species of bees in the world! and that there are over 3500 here in the United States. Most bees are not social like honey bees. They may live as solitary insects or in small groups with a queen and a handful of female offspring to assist in collecting pollen and nectar for the next generation.
Bees also come in a myriad of colors…
We are all familiar with yellow and black bees, but they also come in green, blue, purple, and even rainbow! It is their diversity that makes them able to occupy many different habitats and act as effective pollinators!
If you’d like to learn more about the diverse world of bees visit the museum’s website at insectmuseum.org where you find out about our museum and read our blog where we talk about interesting stuff going on in the world of entomology.

Listen to episode one.

Categories
Non-Music News

Eye on the Triangle tonight!

Hey Everyone,

We’ve got another show today! There are a lot of changes happening in the NC State University area, so in today’s show we’ve got two stories on that topic. One is about the Hillsboro roundabout changes and the other about some stores on Hillsboro that are scheduled to be torn down shortly. Then, we give a bit of insight into the Wolfline Driver that passed away in December. Lastly, Deondre’ brings us his restaurant highlight of the week. It’s shaping up to be a great show.

Easy Listening,

Public Affairs

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT93 Amendment One Special 6/5/12

Economic: There’s an old saying about politics; “It’s the economy, stupid.” What kind of economic impact would Amendment One have on North Carolina? Jake went to find out more.

Legal: By it’s very nature, a constitutional amendment carries enormous legal implications for citizens all around hte state. Deondre’ went in search of just how it is this amendment will change the legal face of our state.

Sociological: Everyone can talk about the legal and economic effects of an amendment like this. But at the end of the day, it affects real people.

Restaurant of the week: Centro, a mexican restaurant in downtown Raleigh.

Listen to episode 93.

Categories
Non-Music News

Special Amendment 1 show of Eye on the Triangle!

Hey everyone,

As always we are bringing you weather and news for this week. However, our show is extremely special today, as all of our stories will pertain to the different effects of Amendment 1. This week, we will cover the different legal, sociological, and economical impacts that this new Amendment has had on the state of North Carolina. Lastly, we’ll have Deondre’s Restaurant Highlight of the Week as well. Be sure to tune in tonight at 7p.m.! It’ll be a great show!

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Non-Music News

EOT92 Eugenics 5/22/12

With school now out, many NC State students have gone home for the Summer. But for those of us who live here in Raleigh, life goes on. First, Jake starts off with a tribute to our city.

Theatrefest is a celebration of what else? Theatre. It’s being held right here on campus, and it starts this thursday. Deondre’ Jones sat down with the Theatrefest Director, John  Makowee, to discuss the Theatre and Theatrefest.

Eugenics is an unfortunate part of the history of North Carolina. Mark Herring recently spoke with a member of the NC Justice for Sterilization Victims Foundation to see what is being done to correct the injustices.

Deondre’ Jones lets us know which restaurants are a must hit and which ones to avoid.

Listen to episode 92.

Categories
Non-Music News

Summer Eye on the Triangle!

It’s summer! That’s right, school’s out, but that doesn’t mean we’ve gone anywhere! It’s out first Eye on the Triangle for the summer. We’ve changed out schedule just a little bit, so now we’ll only be broadcasting every other week instead of every week. But don’t worry! Come August, we’ll go right back to the weekly schedule.

This week, we’ve got stories of the summer festival Theaterfest, happening right here on the NC State Campus, as well as coverage of the ongoing Eugenics settlements happening all around the state. In addition, we show a little love to our home city, Raleigh! Tune in, it’s going to be a great show!

Categories
Non-Music News

WKNC Summer Interest Meetings and DJ Training!

WKNC 88.1fm  is looking for students of NC State to become members of our lovely staff. We offer our volunteers on and off-air positions if they are full-time students of North Carolina State University with at least 2.0 grade point average. Individuals interested in qualifying for an on-air position will need to complete the 5 week training class and pass a written as well as an in-studio exam.

Anyone interested in becoming a DJ must attend one of the two interest meetings. These will be May 23 and May 24 from 5:30-6:30pm in Witherspoon Student Center room 201. At these meetings we will be handing out applications to those that wish to undergo our summer DJ training course. Applications will be due by Friday May 25 at 5pm in 343 Witherspoon Student Center. Individuals are highly encouraged to apply if they show particular interest our metal, hip-hop, and electronica genres. We will also be discussing the variety of ways that people can get involved with the station if they do not feel like they have the personalities to tackle an on-air position. We will be discussing exciting ways of getting involved with the station that includes everything from production to public affairs to promotion. If you are not accepted into the training class there will still be a variety of ways that you can become involved with the station that do not require DJ training, and people interested in how they can get involved are highly encouraged to attend one of the meetings

After reviewing all applications, the general manager will contact you to notify whether or not you have been accepted into the training course. Decisions will be made by the general manager and program director, in consultation with the student board of directors.

Training for the summer will take place in Witherspoon Student Center room 201 Tuesdays from 5:30-6:30pm on May 29, June 5, June 12, June 19, and June 26. If you cannot attend four of the five sessions or need to come late/leave early, please do not apply for the training program.

Incoming NCSU students may apply for summer training, but must be registered for fall classes by the end of the training program.

 

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT91 Emergency Responders 5/1/12

As exams bear down upon all of us, sometimes we are our own worst enemy. Grant Buckner went around campus recently to find out what is keeping the Wolfpack from studying.

The lives of emergency workers can be highly stressful. So stressful, in fact, that there has been a recent rise in the number of suicides among emergency service workers. Deondre’ Jones recently sat down with an advocate for preventing suicide among our nation’s emergency responders.

Chris Hughes was at NC State not too long ago, speaking about the rise of social media in a constantly evolving world and the role it plays in the newsroom.

Roller Derby seems to have gotten more popular in the past few years. Jake recently spoke with the Carolina Rollergirls, the Triangle’s very own roller derby team, about the rapidly growing sport.

As the Triangle continues to be one of the most rapidly growing population centers in the United State, some see the need for a more comprehensive public transit system. Nick spoke with an advocate for the Wake COunty transit plan about a possible future with Rapid Mass Transit.

And finally Dave shares what Holidays we should be celebrating this week.

Listen to episode 91.

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Non-Music News

Last Show of the Year!

As the 2012 year draws to a close, we hope you will enjoy our last show for the school year. This week we bring you stories of the Carolina RollerGirls, the live of Emergency Service Workers, and Chris Hughe’s visit to N.C. State. In addition, Nick Savage spoke with advocates for the Wake County Transit Plan. This is also his last show, and we wish him the best of luck in Europe next year! Tune in!

 

Categories
Non-Music News

EOT90 Earth Day 4/24/12

The Hunger Games took the world by storm when it was released not too long ago. The movie adaptation of the enormously popular book was filmed right here in the mountains of North Carolina. Grant Buckner sat down with someone who had the opportunity to play an extra.

April 20th was Earth Day. A day set aside to remind us all to take care of our Mother Earth. Deondre’ Jones recently spoke with a member of the office Sustainability at N.C. State.

Dave once agains tells us about the different Holidays that fall upon this week.

Listen to episode 90.