Eye on the Triangle

Erie Mitchell 0:00
The views and opinions expressed during Eye on the Triangle do not represent WKNC or NC State Student Media.

Erie Mitchell 0:14
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Ellie Feaga 0:32
Good morning WKNC listeners I'm Ellie Feaga with Eye on the Triangle. Your weekly Monday morning news report. Weather is supposed to get a little colder this week with Wednesday and Thursday having lows in the upper 20s Although it seems like weather is going to be great, bright and sunny in Las Vegas, the Super Bowl this Sunday. I haven't decided who I'm rooting for yet. I was hoping for a Ravens lion Super Bowl, but like the song goes, we can always go we want. Nonetheless, it will be great to see a matchup between rock party and Patrick mahomes.

Ellie Feaga 1:00
On the topic of sports online sports betting is becoming legalized in North Carolina for the first time. Members of the State Lottery Commission voted unanimously that the start date for online betting would be March 11. This will have a significant impact on the ACC March Madness tournament starting shortly after nine businesses have already registered to become a platform for mobile sports betting. Registration for these services begins on March 1 in person sports betting has already been legal in three North Carolina casinos. But this will mark the first time it can be legally taken from the casino to home on the screen. North Carolina is now the 30th US state to legalize mobile sports betting.

Ellie Feaga 1:38
Up next we have a special interview with the President of NCSU Magical Moments chapter. Stay tuned to hear about how one student is working to grant wishes to children with cranial facial disorders, including a young basketball fan named Carson while simultaneously lifting the spirits of students on our campus.

Ellie Feaga 1:56
Good morning and welcome. I am Ellie Feaga, bringing you Eye on the Triangle and I am here with a special guest from NCSU magical moments chapter. Hi, Chloe, could you tell us a little bit about yourself and your background?

Chloe Short 2:08
Good morning, Ellie. And thank you for having me on the podcast this morning. My name is Chloe short, and I'm a sophomore here at NC State. And I am the president and founder of the NC State Chapter of the magical moments foundation. That is awesome. Could you tell us a little bit about what magical moments does? Yeah, of course. So magical moments Foundation is a nonprofit wish granting organization for children with cranial facial disorders. So children with cranial facial disorders could be a cleft lip or cleft palate, we see a lot of children with those type of abnormalities, but they can range from genetic disorders.

Chloe Short 2:50
Anything from trauma they've experienced either with surgeries or even cancer treatment. And from if they've ever been involved in a fire burns can also cause some cranial facial abnormalities as well. And we cater to the these children by granting them magical moment wishes that they have. And it's super cool. Yeah.

Ellie Feaga 3:17
How did you find this organization?

Chloe Short 3:19
Sure. So, um, I think about a year ago, I attended a pre dental club meeting at Chapel Hill. And I'm interested in going into dentistry. So I'm involved in a pre dental club over there with the dental school at Chapel Hill. And one of the dental students introduced this new foundation that she is that she was working with. And she presented on the club to us explained what the mission and the values are that the founders of this magical moments foundation holds. And I was really inspired by it. Um, I left the meeting wanting to know more, and wanting to bring something like that to NC State. As I'm a sophomore this year. My first year was this past year, all the heartbreaking suicides that happened last year. And just all the heartbreak that myself and my peers and their friends and families went through was really disheartening. And I struggled a lot with finding what my purpose was at NC State. Why am I here? And is there anything I could do to serve my peers and my community while I am here at NC State? When I attended this meeting at Chapel Hill and the dental student introduce magical moments to me, she explained that these children, the fact that despite all the hardships that they go through, and all the traumatic surgeries I know some children that have had 20 Plus surgeries before they're even 15 years old. The fact that they go through all that yet they still choose to pursue Joy I am being joyful. That was something I found hoping that was something I found joy in as well. And I felt like magical moments, and these children were definitely worth sharing to other people. I know our campus had just a terrible year this last year with mental health, and it's still a a trial, a lot of us are going through. And I felt like the joy I found in the hope I found in these children. I wanted to bring that to NC State.

Ellie Feaga 5:36
Wow, that is an incredible story. I'm curious as magical moments of foundation that is always run by college students, or is it was this chapter at Chapel Hill, and then you brought it here.

Chloe Short 5:46
So when I first heard this meeting from the dental student who introduced the foundation to us, magical moments Foundation was a national organization that only had been around for about two years. So about 2020 was when they got started. So they're still relatively new. And after the meeting, I went to the dental student and explain that I want to start a chapter at NC State, I want to bring this foundation here. And is that even an option? Can we do an undergrad student organization here at NC State? And she said, Absolutely, of course. So actually, I believe, the chapter here at NC State, and the Chapel Hill chapter both got started at the same time, we were we were the first two chapters to get started. And now it's just grown tremendously within the last year. I know there's a chapter at Duke Wake Forest, South Carolina, Georgia, some chapters even as far as UCLA in California. So to be here, kind of from the beginning has been so cool to see chapters pop up all across the country. I know the dental student who is now the Director of undergrad chapters for the magical moments Foundation. She has just been amazing. And a trailblazer for this organization. And I consider her a mentor. So yeah, now we're now the foundation's growing through student organizations on college campuses all over the United States.

Ellie Feaga 7:14
Wow, that's incredible. And it seems awfully fast the growth of the organization. Can people who are not in college get involved in serving? Yes,

Chloe Short 7:25
they can. I would recommend serving if you're not on a college campus, if you're not a college student, I would recommend going to the magical moments Foundation website. They have all kinds of events and fundraisers that they host to raise money to grant children wishes. And there's ways where you can get involved by just making a donation, either online or sending a check in the mail. Or there are listed events that they do throughout the year where it's more in person interactive and collaborative that you can get involved. More hands on as well,

Ellie Feaga 8:04
since the opening of the chapter at NC State, what are some of the specific projects that the group has worked on? Yeah, so

Chloe Short 8:12
we just started this past August was when we had our first meeting, we try to have a magical Monday meeting is what we call them a monthly meeting for our active members on the first Monday of each month. During that meeting, we'll go over previous fundraising events, we've hosted goals we want to try to meet, we'll talk about the child we're sponsoring and raising money for specifically will also announce upcoming fundraising events that we have. A lot of the meetings we have, we like to have an interactive distressing kind of activity to go along. For our active members kind of allow them to destress from schoolwork, academics, and just kind of come to our meetings in a way that they can connect and collaborate with their peers. We have been able to host a spirit night at Chick fil A where students could go to Chick fil A and when they order their meal, they're able to say, Hey, I'm with magical moments. I'd love for a portion of my meal to go towards the magical moments foundation. That's been awesome. We also hosted a raffle in Tally this past fall for tickets to the NC State Fairgrounds. That was super cool. And someone was able to win two tickets for any night for not even half the cost of one ticket. So that was cool. And we actually just wrapped up one of our bigger fundraising events. We were able to auction off a autographed, signed football by the football coach, Dave Doreen. And so that was really, really cool. We were able to get Wolfpack sports properties involved and We are grateful for their willingness to make a donation so that we can auction off a super cool football for an awesome fan.

Ellie Feaga 10:09
That's awesome. We got word of magical moments through a release about a young boy named Carson. And I'm curious to know more about his story and what magical moments to doing to help him receive his wish.

Chloe Short 10:23
So the little boy that we are currently fundraising for this year, his name is Carson. He's 11 years old, and he was born with a cleft lip and palate. He also has a heart condition called CHARGE syndrome. And CHARGE syndrome can actually affect numerous areas of the body, but he has a predominant heart condition. And this heart condition keeps him from being able to participate in sports. I've heard he's a big avid basketball fan. He loves sports. And this heart condition keeps him from being able to pursue that dream of his so his magical moment is to meet Shaquille O'Neal, the awesome basketball star and attend an NBA game. So what we're doing right now, this semester, all the fundraisers we've had so far that we will continue to have throughout this year, are going to raise money towards granting Carson his magical moment wish and we found his nomination from the national organization. And we were inspired by his big dream. And by his story. I'm a huge sports fan, too. And I couldn't imagine having sports, not in my life. It's a part big part of who I am. And I know that's a big part of who Carson is, and it's what makes his story so special. So we decided to sponsor him and throughout the year, that is how through fundraising events, and also doing amazing things like this, I'm getting to talk to you today, Ellie, I'm getting to spread awareness about the harmful stigma that comes sometimes with facial differences that these children face, but also getting to spread the joy that these children have, and hopefully spreading joy across our campus as well. I think one of the coolest things about the magical moments foundation is that I believe we are the only nonprofit in the United States that serves these children outside of getting them their surgeries. I know a lot of Foundation's work towards fundraising for them to get their surgery, which is obviously very, very important. But there's not another foundation that really pursues these children after they go back to school after they go back home. And a lot of these children have numerous surgeries. And after each surgery, they appear different and that's sometimes scary to them. They're thrown off by their new appearance. A lot of them struggle with bullying at school and teasing in isolation. So I think the coolest thing about the magical moments foundation is we cater towards these children through granting wishes their magical moment wish and allow us being able to do that restores hope, and then in confidence. It's

Ellie Feaga 13:23
an incredible gift to the children themselves and to our community to be spreading joy in this way. What would you say to students the triangle area so we cover students listening from Duke, Chapel Hill and NC State? And I think you've said that there was chapters at each one of those. What would you say to students who were interested in getting involved to help out with the mission? Absolutely.

Chloe Short 13:46
So I highly recommend pursuing the magical moments foundation at your college campus. There is a brand new chapter at Duke they have an Instagram account. Chapel Hill also has an Instagram account. And we have an Instagram account here at NC State. I would recommend looking up magical moments Foundation, Duke or UNC. NC State's magical moments Instagram is m m f of NCSU for all our State students, so if you're at all interested in getting involved in the community in your college campus, this is a great foundation and mission to pursue. Well, Chloe, it

Ellie Feaga 14:27
was great to have you your work is truly inspiring. And it was a pleasure to meet you. And I hope that someone listening has been encouraged to reach out and get involved in the magical moments.

Chloe Short 14:39
Thank you so much, Ellie. It's been a privilege getting to talk to you today.

Ellie Feaga 14:42
This has been Ellie and Chloe with Eye on the Triangle

Alex Gonzalez 15:02
Immigrant workers at an agricultural packing shed in Battleboro, North Carolina are celebrating a union agreement that will bring various benefits their way. The Farm Labor Organizing Committee recently concluded a two-year campaign resulting in a collective bargaining agreement that'll cover those who work in packing operations and will bring a wage increase of eight percent, guaranteed overtime pay, paid leave for union business as well as bereavement pay. Ana Lilia Rentería Sanchez is one of the packers and says she had never been part of a union in Mexico, but encouraged her co-workers to get on board after she learned how helpful the union would be.

Alex Gonzalez 15:45
She says: "I am someone that likes to offer support. I don’t like it when a colleague isn’t being helped. I like to assist and I believe that the union is giving that a sense of importance because we are going to have more support from them."

Alex Gonzalez 15:58
Sanchez has been working at the packing shed for ten years, and over that time has become an informal
leader for her colleagues. She contends the wage increase is what most workers are excited about.
The Farm Labor Organizing Committee, with support from the Campaign for Migrant Worker Jutice, helped give Sanchez
and others like her the union representation they had been wanting.

Alex Gonzalez 16:19
Mario Vargas is one of the coordinators and organizers with the committee. He was key in educating workers on what a union does and the benefits it could usher in. The committee is the only farmworker union in North Carolina and the Deep South. Vargas says he is hopeful this "historic" moment catalyzes change in the region.

Alex Gonzalez 16:40
He says: "When you have happy workers, production goes up. I’ve been a manager and a supervisor. When yourworkers are pleased, they work better, they look after machinery and they don’t stand waiting around becausethey’re content and they have their benefits."

Alex Gonzalez 16:54
Vargas says he wants workers to feel more seen and heard and not be afraid to speak up, and believes this union agreement is a step in that direction. For North Carolina News Service, I'm Alex Gonzalez. Finer trust indicators at public news service.org.

Erie Mitchell 17:24
This has been Eye on the Triangle. Erie Mitchell your guest host right now. Thank you so much for listening to this. You can listen to back episodes of Eye on the Triangle at wknc.org/podcasts under Eye on the Triangle or just any of the other podcasts we have on WKNC. Thank you so much.

Transcribed by https://otter.ai