Niner Times: February 6, 2018 by Niner Times

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Hunter Heilman editor@ninertimes.com EDITORIAL

Emily Hickey MANAGING EDITOR Alex Sands NEWS EDITOR Kathleen Cook SPORTS EDITOR Jeffrey Kopp A&E EDITOR Hailey Turpin LIFESTYLE EDITOR Salina Dickie COPY EDITOR Mia Shelton OPINION EDITOR Leysha Caraballo PHOTO COORDINATOR Pooja Pasupula PHOTO COORDINATOR Joshua Worley VIDEO PRODUCER Carmen Westra COMMUNITY EDITOR Natasha Morehouse LAYOUT EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITORS

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Jacob Baum, Kim Leaston, Shannon Heavin, Daniel Watson, Brianna Sumpter, Nicole Buckenham, Sam Palian NEWSROOM: 705.687.7150

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SPORTS

THE 49ERS COMEBACK FALLS SHORT AGAINST MIDDLE TENNESSEE

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CHARLOTTE HALTS THE HERD NINERS HOLD THEIR OWN WITH UAB; CANʼT GET A WIN CHARLOTTE DROPS TO ODU; LOSING STREAK REACHES 6

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MOVIE REVIEW: ʻWINCHESTERʼ IS A FEW ROOMS SHORT OF A HAPPY HOME TV REVIEW: RUPAULʼS DRAG RACE ALL STARS – DIVAS LIP SYNC LIVE TV REVIEW: ʻONE DAY AT A TIMEʼ SEASON 2

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NEWS

THE ART OF THE BULLET JOURNAL

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49ERS FANS HAVE TAR HEEL SIGN REMOVED FROM 1-85

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SHOULD WE BE THE UNIVERSITY OF CHARLOTTE? A decade later, UNC Charlotte is once again considering the possibility of a name change

NEWS NEWS

By Alexandria Sands NT File Photo Conversations about changing the name of UNC Charlotte have spread on Twitter with the hashtag #droptheUNC, but Chancellor Philip L. Dubois says a name change is unlikely during his administration. “I’ve been passively against it since 2005 when I became chancellor,” said Dubois, addressing the Student Government Association (SGA) at their Thursday Senate meeting. “Many people think that if we... drop the UNC and became the University of Charlotte, that this would be a more distinctive identity for us.” The #droptheUNC hashtag started circulating on social media in January following the viral #FireJudyRose hashtag which urged the university’s athletic director either be fired or retire after a 1-11 football season. She announced in January that she would retire at the end of the academic year. “We figured we would give the name change a try again after #FireJudyRose was so successful,” said Alumnus Jon Lotti, an advocate for the name change. Dubois stressed if it ever were to happen, there’d have to be broad consultation with students, alumni, donors, faculty and staff. “I’m going to leave that to the next chancellor,” he said. “I just think it’s a big project. We got so many more important things we need to worry about.” #DroptheUNC gained momentum last week after a sign that celebrated UNC Chapel Hill’s 2017 men’s basketball national championship was installed

near the university. Outraged 49er fans convinced the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) to relocate it. NCDOT said on Twitter the sign’s placement was a mistake and it was supposed to be installed north of I-77 along I-85 S but was placed there due to construction. It is now being relocated closer to the South Carolina state line on I-77. However, the name change isn’t a new concept that developed from the controversial sign. Roughly a decade ago, SGA polled students to see how many would want a name change. The results were divided almost evenly. According to the current Student Body President Tracey Allsbrook, SGA recently weighed the pros and cons of a name change and brainstormed ways they might gauge student interest on the topic. “We do understand it won’t be just as easy as changing the name. There is a great deal of rebranding that would have to take place as well as costs associated with it,” she said. In the near future, SGA will be looking at ways to survey and

collect data from students. “It probably won’t be completed under my administration, but we will have information moving forward [for] students to work from,” she said. Student Body Vice President Bryan McCollum said he would support an official committee exploring the option. Allsbrook and McCollum are also considering potential compromises, such as removing “uncc” from the university’s website and email addresses as a way to stop the acronym from competing with the Charlotte name. “My view has always been... that what will make the most difference for UNC Charlotte’s reputation is not its name but its deeds,” Dubois said. He pointed out that UNC Charlotte, only 71 years old, is considered young in higher education and the University’s reputation is still being developed.

Dubois said he imagines UNC Charlotte eventually growing to a population as large as 60,000 students, with classes spread throughout the city on different campuses. “Believe me,” he said. “If you’re a university of 60,000, they’ll know your name.”

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FEB. 06, 2018

Moore and Sanford halls scheduled for demoliton

By Jacob Baum Photo by Katelynn Pennington

The towers which helped lay the foundation of South Village will be demolished in the years to come. Moore Hall, after exactly 49 years of towering over the Charlotte campus, will close for demolition at the conclusion of the Fall 2018 semester. Sanford Hall will be open for the entire 2018-19 academic year, but demolished soon after. The two towers will be replaced with a combined residence hall, costing 58.5 million, that will house anywhere between 750-800 students. The new building will offer lowincome housing options to students. The same company who designed Levine Hall has been brought in to design the new building that will take the place of the towers. “The university planned to renovate Moore and Sanford Halls as was done on Holshouser and is being done with Scott Hall. However, escalation in construction prices and our experience with those two renovations caused us to change the plan,” said Associate Vice Chancellor for Facilities Philip Jones.

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Scott Hall was originally authorized $2.25 million for renovations in late 2015. The Scott Hall renovation cost has surpassed $21.9 million in total cost over the last three years. “The new residence hall will be traditional rooms for two students. These will be priced at the lower end of price range for on-campus housing to help students who are on a tight budget. However, the new hall will be first class in every way with plenty of daylight, study areas, convenient laundry, lounges and meeting rooms. The same level of amenities could not be achieved in a renovated high rise,” Jones said. The Moore and Sanford towers are no stranger when it comes to on campus problems. In 2013, both towers had water and heat shortages forcing students to evacuate the towers. Stephan Ervin, a freshman resident, is glad to see the towers come down. “Although the towers tend to be more social, they have major problems such as plumbing, elevator speed and safety as well as the air conditioning systems,” Ervin said. Another freshman resident, Carter Lemmons, is also glad to see the towers come down. “Moore often has critical issues regarding electricity, only one working elevator, it always smells bad and just isn’t a nice place to live,” Lemmons said. The scheduled completion date of the project is September 2020, however, the project is still in the initial stages of planning and development.

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Gray’s Bookstore to close doors later this month By Kim Leaston Photo by Kim Leaston

Gray’s College Bookstore, which has been providing UNC Charlotte students with everything from textbooks to T-shirts, announced Tuesday they will be closing their doors Feb. 28, after 23 years in the University City community. The closing of the UNC Charlotte location leaves the Gray’s chain with one remaining store in Louisville, Kentucky. According to Amber Livingston, director of the store, the growing popularity of online shopping has put a strain on the business over the years. The company, which at one time owned nine locations, also closed two stores in Georgia and Kentucky last year. Livingston has been with Gray’s Bookstore for fourteen years. Having begun working for the company as a seasonal employee at their Tampa, Florida location, she

has come a long way with the chain since college. “It is definitely bittersweet… It’s a really great company,and it’s been such a pleasure,” she said. “Thank you for all your support over the years. It’s been really wonderful being a part of the community and we’re sorry to go, and we’ll miss you very much,” she added. Livingston would like to wish Charlotte students the best at the university and in the future. The company plans to sell merchandise at a reduced price until the doors lock next month. Remaining textbooks will either be returned to suppliers or will be added to the inventory of the Louisville store. Representatives will be at the site April 30 through May 14 for rental returns and book buybacks.

Zero waste initiative expands to Halton Arena By Daniel Watson Photo by Katelynn Pennington

The Zero Waste Program, a collaborative initiative between the Sustainability Office and Recycling, was piloted at three basketball games on Jan. 11, Jan. 27 and Feb. 2 in hopes the program would expand to Halton Arena. At each game, fans connected with staff and volunteers at an informational booth located near concessions. There were three different basketball hoops, each labeled either compost, landfill or recycling. “We engage a lot with the smaller kids,” said University Sustainability Coordinator Tyler Sytsma.

“We have these little flashcards, they pick one and try to identify whether that item goes into the compost, landfill or recycling hoop. We also ask them to keep their parents accountable and make sure they put the stuff in the right bin.” Fans, in their best Jon Davis impression, shoot in the baskets and try to win prizes and other 49er knick knacks. Back in 2011, the Student Government Association (SGA) voted “Zero Waste” into place for Charlotte football. This past season, 80 percent of everything discarded at the games ended up being either composted or recycled. “We’re learning the ways that we can go about capturing all the recycling and compost we can and it’s looking like it’s very realistic to do so. That’s why we’ve been going at this because we want to keep setting ambitious goals for the Queen City of what we’re achieving from a university standpoint,” said Sytsma. Sytsma envisions an agreement between the athletics department, the recycling department and SGA so that the university can effectively make Halton Arena become zero waste.

University opens academic and career center for business majors

By Shannon Heavin Photo by Joseph Leocadio

UNC Charlotte relaunched the academic, career and professional development hub, renaming it the Niblock Student Center in the Belk College of Business building on Jan. 9. The center was reinitiated by a $2.5 million donation from Robert A. Niblock, chairman, president and chief executive officer of Lowe’s Companies Inc., to help undergraduate business students throughout all stages of discovering, planning and achieving their academic and career goals. “In today’s business world, you need more than technical skills to land a job,” said Dean of the Belk

College Business Steven Ott. “Employers and recruiters alike are looking for the complete package when hiring. How you present yourself, express enthusiasm for the work you’re doing and interact with others are some of the soft skills employers are seeking in new graduates.” The center’s goal is to prepare students with one-onone academic advising and career coaching. Students can gain insight on more options, degree requirements and potential careers and opportunities. In addition, it offers career and professional development workshops, such as the Lunch and Learn workshop series, where lunch is provided meanwhile a presenter covers various in-depth real-world topics such as negotiation skills, mentoring, networking, etc. The Women in Business coffee hours is another networking and professional development opportunity. “The center helps students put everything into perspective, not just for curriculum and course track guidance but to see more of the value of the Belk College of Business,” said Mackenzie Mastrangelo, senior accounting major and peer advisor of the Niblock Student Center. “Friday isn’t just a building to walk in, go to class and leave. It’s a place to get involved in and the advising center is here to help you get connected with resources and make the most of it.”

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FEB. 06, 2018

LIFESTYLE

A Trip To The Museum Uptown’s Mint Museum is more than a breath of fresh air

By Brianna Sumpter I recently discovered a new obsession of mine, which was to find things to do outside of my house I have never done before. So, as I typed “things to do in Charlotte” on the internet, I realized there are so many things to do in Charlotte I have never done. Once I started to scroll more, I noticed all of these things required something I did not have, which was money. And here I am, sitting here figuring out why everything in life costs so much money. So, to better fit my financial circumstances, I typed “free things to do in Charlotte” and BOOM… I found it all. One thing that really stood out to me during my search was the Mint Museum. The Mint Museum is located uptown, and there is a second Mint Museum that is located on Randolph Rd. I discovered the Mint Museum is free every Wednesday, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. So, determined to expand my horizons, I went and checked it out. I’m not exactly a museum and art kind of person, so I took a chance and went anyway with a friend of mine. I surprisingly loved it way more than I thought I would, and I was very impressed with the things I found in the Museum. When you go on Wednesday nights for free admission, the people at the front desk kindly ask for donations, but if you aren’t in a situation where you can afford to donate they don’t care, they still let you in for free. They direct you to the third and fourth floors of the building, which are the exhibit floors. Once you get to the third floor, you can either turn left or right and start your walk through the museum (both floors are a big circle so either way you end up going all the way around). There are so many different kinds of statues in the Museum, some made of glass, some made of plastic and even some made out of bubble wrap.

“Pipe Dream (1998)” By John Cederquist

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“Wood Branches, Diversity Collection n.17 (2012)” By Nacho Carbonell

There are people who work in the museum that walk around while you’re walking around just in case you have any questions. They also assist in reminding you the rules of the museum, which are little things such as do not touch any of the art, and if you take pictures make sure the flash is off. Personally, I enjoyed the fourth floor more than the 3rd because there were more relevant things on the 4th floor to my life than the third. For example, the fourth floor had a huge collage of Beyonce and Tina Turner. Also, the fourth floor has a huge section dedicated to the musical “Grease”, which is one of my all time favorite movies. In this section, they had a tv that had “Grease Live” on, which came out two years ago. Also in this section they had some imitation clothing from the original movie, which I thought was so cool. There was a lot more clothing, such as pretty dresses and clothing from famous movies, on the fourth floor. Also, in the museum on any floor there a large windows that show a beautiful view of uptown, which was really cool to see. There is also a souvenir shop on the first floor as well as a restaurant connected to the museum which I thought was super convenient. At this time of night, parking a crossed the street is only $5, which is a steal because normally parking uptown is so expensive if it’s not on the weekends. Overall, I enjoyed my trip to the museum and I was very pleased that it was free. If you have any interest in checking out the Mint Museum, you can find more information on their website at http://www.mintmuseum.org/.

FIVE REASONS WHY YOU SHOULD GO COLLEGE NIGHT BOWLING By Nicole Buckenham AMF University Lanes, is located near UNC Charlotte, on N. Tryon Street. Every Thursday night starting at 9 p.m., they offer “college night” bowling. This is where if you are any college student and have your student I.D., you can get some pretty good deals. Here are five reasons why you should go college night bowling! The main deal of the night is that you can get unlimited bowling as a college student for only $7. Usually bowling is more expensive than this and this deal even includes your shoes. It is a great deal because you can bowl until the bowling alley closes for night, at 11 p.m. With this deal, just make sure you bring a valid student I.D. It is also offered to any college student, so it does not matter if you do not go to UNC Charlotte or not. The second great deal of the night, if you are 21 years old, is the drink specials. The bowling alley has $2 tall boys offered at the bar. Even besides this deal, the drinks in general are pretty cheap. But, make sure you bring your normal I.D. as well. Going college night bowling, is a great way to meet people. Most people on Thursday night are going to be college students, so you can be surrounded by your peers and fellow classmates. Sometimes when you go out to the bars, there can be a wide age range there. While college night bowling is not the case. Also, maybe you have been crushing on someone in your class, you never know if you will see them there or not. This is a great way to find out! Bowling can also be the way to go, if you are not one to go out to bars. This can be a great idea if you like to drink and have fun with your friends, but do not want to commit to the bar scene. And it is a great idea if you are not feeling like getting all dressed up and do not want to have a late night out. Going to a bar on Thursday can be fun and all, but if you have a Friday morning class, going bowling can be just as fun without all the hassle. It is also just cheaper in general. It is close by in the university area, so spending money on Uber’s will not be a lot if you chose to do so. Also, since the drinks are cheap, there is no need to break the bank over expensive drinks you could get elsewhere. The last reason why you should go college night bowling, is simply because it is fun. It is not everyday you go bowling, so it is definitely something different to go out and do. It’s fun to do with a big group of people, or even for a cheap date night idea. It will remind you of your childhood, but the best part now is, you can drink if you are 21. This is also a great option if you are not of legal drinking age too, since you usually can’t get into most bars. It’s fun if you like to bring out your competitive side or if you are just trying to have a good Thursday night. It doesn’t matter if you are good or not, it is a blast either way. So, next time you are looking for something a little different to do, and do not want to spend a lot of money, or tired of bar-hopping, college night bowling at AMF University Lanes is the way to go!

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FEB. 06, 2018

CMS ’ OPINION Multicultural Debate OPINION

CMS school board’s debate and vote on the inclusion of LGBTQ protection in their multicultural policy

By Madison Dobrzenski On Tuesday, Jan. 23, I attended a CharlotteMecklenburg school board public hearing. They were discussing a revision to their multicultural clause, which describes different cultures and identities that are protected in the classroom. The revision would make the clause now include gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation. Of the roughly 30 people who spoke at the public hearing about this policy change, the vast majority of people were outraged that this policy had the slightest potential of being approved. Whether they were pastors or parents, almost every single person who spoke against the revision did so because of their religious values that they believed would be imposed upon by the teachings the policy would enforce. The multicultural policy that was already in place included education excellence regardless of race, religion, and natural origin. Some people had a problem with gender identity, gender expression or sexual orientation being compared to race, religion or natural origin. The Rev. Flip Benham strongly disagreed with the revision, stating “You can’t make a moral wrong a civil right. Being black isn’t a sin. Being Chinese isn’t a sin. Homosexual sodomy is a sin.” The pastor also called out councilwoman Carol Sawyer for her sign at the women’s march and her activism, claiming she is putting a political agenda in schools. The pastor got quite heated and had to be taken out by security, as did a couple other citizens that were yelling during the hearing. The ironic thing about Rev. Flip Benham arguing sexual orientation and gender identity shouldn’t be compared to race, religion and natural origin, is that unlike the traits being proposed, religion is something you DO choose. Even if you were raised in a certain religion, someone made a conscious decision to participate in that religion at some point. The aspect of someone’s identity that really

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shouldn’t be compared, if any, is religion, however, it should still be protected, just like the other aspects of one’s identity. The people against the policy were so heated that they had to be removed, or even the people with coherent and very thought out speeches, all were arguing essentially the same argument, and it’s pretty easy to logically argue against. The Rev. Benham is just one example of the many pastors who came to the podium quoting scripture, declaring the sinful nature of homosexuality and a “transgender lifestyle.” I totally understand if your religion is not okay with you being a member of the LGBTQ+ community, as a churchgoer of many years with a Catholic father and a Christian upbringing, I really do understand the inner conflict. However, no matter how much empathy I feel toward people who are just trying to do the right thing for their religion, I can’t understand, logically, how they can expect all of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools to enforce their religion. Our country was founded on freedom of religion and despite what people think, that means your religion will not be the same as everyone else’s. Another argument people brought up many times was that this would rob them of their chance to talk to their children about “sensitive moral questions.” Many parents were under the impression their children would learn about gay sex, how to be transgender and things would “confuse them.” I heard a parent say that students learn enough about human sexuality in health class. This policy doesn’t require teachings of “homosexual sodomy,” or anything of that nature. The fact people would confuse this policy with teachings of sodomy is ridiculous. Instead of thinking “this could confuse our children,” maybe they should say “oh, maybe if LGBTQ+

culture, history and information was taught like heterosexual culture, history and information, LGBTQ+ students would grow up to have lower rates of suicide, mental illness and less issues accepting themselves. The policy is promising educational excellence regardless of race, color, religion, nationality and now, thanks to the 7-2 vote for the revision, “gender identity/expression or sexual orientation.” That may be vague, and could possibly include teachings about the LGBTQ+ community, which would not be a bad thing, but that isn’t the debate that was being had at that public hearing and people seemed to be blinded by their religion or anger to see that. They were too worried about other people’s values being taught. My friend Nikolai Mather, a UNC Charlotte student, invited me to the meeting. He came to the podium after many speakers against the policy change, trying to tell everyone the ultimate reason we were even having the discussion: “Let me remind all y’all why we’re here and why this proposal was recommended: to protect trans kids.” He went on to describe “threats, name calling and discrimination from peers and teachers on a daily basis,” that he received when he came out as a trans man. No one should have to go through that, despite what your values are. Nikolai made that point and luckily, the policy committee saw it that way too. The most important thing this policy includes is protection for kids. It protects and encourages an education for students regardless of their identity and all that could encompass. It requires teachers, peers and administration treat each student’s education equally and with respect. For people who were holding signs about loving their children and shouting about it so much, I can’t fathom how they would be against such a thing.

OUT OF THE MAZE, INTO THE FLAME

A&E

by Hunter Heilman Photo courtesy of 20th Century Fox Okay, okay, I know the term “exceeds all expectations” makes it sound like this movie is some sort of January miracle, which it isn’t, but remember “Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials”? There wasn’t really much of a movie there. I enjoyed it on my first watch, but every subsequent watch found me realizing just how dull the film actually is, with minor characters we don’t particularly care about dying left and right and Teresa going to WCKD’s side in the end, not much really

happened. The film, while heavily delayed, finally came to fruition, but do people still care? I surprisingly found myself answering “yes” to that question once the film started. Set a short time after the events of “The Scorch Trials,” the group of Gladers remaining, Thomas (Dylan O’Brien), Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster), and Frypan (Dexter Darden), as well as new friends in Brenda (Rosa Salazar), Jorge (Giancarlo Esposito) and Vince (Barry Pepper), fight to free Minho (Ki Hong Lee) from WCKD’s grasp. After a failed heist of a train car carrying Minho, the group soon realizes he’s in the recently discovered “Last City,” where WCKD’s main base is located, as well as Teresa (Kaya Scodelario), Ava Paige (Patricia Clarkson) and Janson (Aiden Gillen). The group must travel together and infiltrate the city to save Minho and hopefully Teresa, before it’s too late, and WCKD takes over the world. Okay, so “The Death Cure” is a bunch of steps ahead of “The Scorch Trials,” but definitely not on the same level as “The Maze

Runner,” which is all I really asked for, to be honest. When I heard John Paesano’s strong string section of his orchestra, I knew I had returned to something much more familiar and homelike about the series that just wasn’t captured in “The Scorch Trials.” The boys felt more like a team and a family, rather than just random bystanders placed together by chance. The characters felt much more consequential, especially Brenda, who quickly became more of a compelling female character than even that of Teresa, really resting on Salazar’s incredibly affable performance that surprisingly makes me more excited for “Alita: Battle Angel,” even if her eyes still look absolutely insane. Other members of the cast are also as strong as ever. O’Brien, known mainly from “Teen Wolf,” creates a character with real charisma. Scodelario isn’t given as much to work with here, which doesn’t bother me as much, since much of the female protagonist role has been taken over by Salazar’s Brenda, but she still presents a complicated character that’s still fascinating to watch. Though, this time, it’s Brodie-Sangster who gets his place in the sun. Always the underdog of the series, I was so happy to see Newt finally get the chance to shine as a main character and really find his strength and emotion in his character. What keeps “The Death Cure” from reaching the levels that the first film in the series brought? Well...the maze. I know the books never go back into the maze, but I found that it was those exciting sequences that really heightened the film’s stakes to a place that created for an often times legitimately stressful experience. There was a kinetic sense of desperation in these boys’ survival, something that doesn’t feel quite as effective let loose into the wide open world of the dystopia surrounding them. I wish there was a way this one could’ve returned to that sort of claustrophobic race against time, even if its change to something a little more sci-fi based worked well in its favor.

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FEB. 06, 2018

ACROSS 1 Closest pal, in IM shorthand 4 Fish-eating raptor 10 Wretched 14 Period of history 15 Put a new flannel layer in, as a coat 16 Fruit punches 17 Nonconformist Harleyriding groups 19 Picky details 20 Chief Norse god 21 “Hulk” director Lee 22 Photoshop creator 23 Longtime “SNL” announcer Don 25 Rose and Orange 28 Hoppy brews, for short 30 Dog command 31 Shake, as with fear 34 Demeanor 35 “__ on a Grecian Urn” 38 Places where critters procreate

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41 Camera initials 42 35-Across, e.g. 43 Gulf War reporter Peter 44 Cancún house 45 Quick cash sources, initially 46 Honey Ryder and Mary Goodnight 50 “Fantastic!” 54 Like beer in a cooler 55 Unit of resistance 57 Lost fish in a Pixar film 58 Letter before eta 59 Barry, Robin and Maurice Gibb ... and a hint to 17-, 25-, 38- and 46-Across 62 Rowing tools 63 Pine secretions 64 Antonym of post65 Gin fizz fruit 66 Remove, as a chin strap 67 The “S” in iOS: Abbr. DOWN

1 Jazz style 2 Mexican artist Kahlo 3 Fire-walking mystic 4 Bruin legend Bobby 5 Nintendo rival 6 Backup strategies 7 Drummer Starr 8 London’s land: Abbr. 9 “Okay” 10 Graffiti creator, perhaps 11 Figure of speech 12 Do not disturb 13 Letters before tees 18 Curly salad green 22 Child psychologists’ benchmarks 24 Where to find columns with views 26 Millard Fillmore, partywise 27 Ogle 29 Melodic passages 31 NFL play callers 32 Internet address 33 __ Lingus: Irish carrier 34 Roaring-lion studio 35 Washington’s bill 36 Banned pesticide 37 Winter hrs. in most of Michigan 39 Not far 40 Like heroes deserving more recognition 44 Jewel box 45 Hearth receptacle 46 Obnoxious clowns 47 Basketball’s Shaq 48 Part of TNT 49 Rich soil 51 Pals, in slang 52 Nail-filing board 53 Kentucky Derby flowers 56 “American Beauty” actress Suvari 59 __TV: Turner channel 60 Farm layer 61 Telepathy, e.g.

JUST LIKE OLD TIMES

SPORTS LIFESTYLE

Former players return to Halton Arena for annual Alumni Game Story by Sam Palian Photo by Chris Crews In 1985, Jeff Mullins inherited a last place team in the Sun Belt conference and three years later he would take them to the conference championship for an incredible win. The Niners would receive an automatic bid into the NCAA tournament, being the only team in the conference to get one, their first since 1977. Now, Charlotte hosts an alumni game to honor the staff and players who were a part of the program at the time and among other years. “I’m back here today because we’re honoring the ‘88 team and that was our first group, you know the burner was real down and they were just a determined bunch of guys. We had a really good year my third season here and we weren’t that talented, but they really blended together,” former Coach Mullins said (‘85-‘96). “It’s great to see everybody again and hear about what they’re doing and see their families who are here. It’s just special.” Not only did the Niners win a Sun Belt Championship, but they have had some other impressive runs as well. Several years earlier, coach Lee Rose led the Niners to the NIT and then the next season,

all the way to the NCAA Final Four. Michael Stikeleather who was an athletic trainer for the team at the time, spent the afternoon this past Saturday coaching one of the teams in the alumni game. “Nobody expected us to go to the NIT. We were some Cinderella team that got to beat some big school from the ACC, we stormed the court and it was just crazy, we blocked that last second shot to beat NC State. We went on to the final to play University of Kentucky and we hung right with them, but we just couldn’t quite pull that one out. But, we had Cedric Maxwell who went on to play for the Boston Celtics won the MVP for the tournament,” Stikeleather said. “Now, the next year we went on

to the NCAA tournament and played Marquette in the Final Four and they won 51-49. Of course, we shocked everyone because we took Marquette to the final seconds. In the finals, they played UNC Chapel Hill and Marquette beat them, so it felt nice to have played as well as we did.” In Charlotte’s first year in the Sun Belt conference, they had what was was arguably their best season in program history and they didn’t let up in the next few seasons either. Now, with the alumni games, those players and staff get to relive those moments a little and it has just become one of those things that fills their hearts all over again. Coach Houston Fancher looked forward to the event and recalled a time when

he was watching these players live in those particular moments. “On that ‘88 team, Byron Dinkins was one of the first basketball players I remember seeing for Charlotte when I first learned about Charlotte basketball. I remember him being one of the most talented guards I ever saw play. I thought he was fantastic and he led that team and that team fed off of him, his energy, his talent. He’s turned into a terrific coach here in the area as well,” Fancher said. In addition to an admiration for the players, Fancher also has a personal relation with some of the guys. “Chris Baker played on that team back in that era too and I actually babysat Chris when he was a youngster back in my hometown. His grandfather ran the city park in our hometown and I worked for the city during my summers and my job was to watch Chris. Turns out Chris ended up being a point guard here at Charlotte and we still remain good friends to this day. He always comes to our game when we play at Western Kentucky, so I see him there too, but he’s a guy I’ve always been fond of.”

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FEB. 06, 2018

12 FEB. 06, 2018

NINERTIMES