Niner Times: March 26, 2019 by Niner Times

MARCH 26, 2019 NINERTIMES.COM

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Jeffrey Kopp

editor@ninertimes.com EDITORIAL

Alexandria Sands COMMUNITY EDITOR Megan Bird NEWS EDITOR Sam Palian SPORTS EDITOR Elissa Miller A&E EDITOR Hailey Turpin LIFESTYLE EDITOR Madison Dobrzenski OPINION EDITOR Emily Hickey COPY EDITOR Leysha Caraballo PHOTO COORDINATOR Pooja Pasupula PHOTO COORDINATOR Kathleen Cook VIDEO PRODUCER Natasha Morehouse LAYOUT EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITORS

Nikolai Mather, Noah Howell, Brandon Mitchell, Jonathan Limehouse, Haseena Evans, Kellyanna Atwell CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Lanese Dell, David Clancy, Tyler Trudeau, Olivia Lawless, Sara Zimmerman COVER PHOTO

Pooja Pasupula

NEWSROOM: 705.687.7150

NEWS •

901 Place shooting

OPINION •

Hair Discrimination

SPORTS • • •

VIDEO •

Club spotlight: Art & Mindfulness

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Student Voice: the housing debate

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Inside the OC Srowcase

Charlotte loses two out of three against Marshall Charlotte struggles on the road; swept by WKU

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MEDIA MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Fred Brown

James Bourke

mktdirector@uncc.edu

production@uncc.edu

MARKETING STAFF

Kayla Christian, Caleb Adams, Eddy Falls, Lillian Taylor, Abigail Guadarrama

49ers split with Canisius

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TV REVIEW: ʻThe Walking Deadʼ - ʻThe Calm Beforeʼ LOCATED IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE STUDENT UNION

NINER TIMES • RADIO FREE CHARLOTTE SANSKRIT LITERARY-ARTS MAGAZINE MEDIA MARKETING • TECHNICAL T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H C A R O L I N A AT C H A R L O T T E

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MAR. 26, 2019

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LGBTQ+ STAFF AND FACULTY CAUCUS SURVEY New survey studies the harrasment of UNC Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ Community

by Lanese Dell News Intern

Photo by UNCC Spectrum Organization

During the spring of 2018, a survey was conducted by the UNC Charlotte LGBTQ+ Staff and Faculty Caucus. The survey consisted of 562 UNC Charlotte students, faculty, and staff responses to get an insight of the climate here on campus. The purpose of the caucus was to understand how the people from that community felt about the safety on campus and whether there was an ability for them to be able to properly address the harassment that they have experienced.

“To advocate for LGBTQ+ members of the UNCC community effectively and meaningfully, it is vital to have accurate information about their experiences of negotiating life on campus…we have tried to identify concrete goals to improve the climate at UNC Charlotte for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty,” The numbers are startling. The survey found that 92 percent of the people from the community that was a part of this caucus personally experienced at least one form of harassment and bias while being here on campus. In regards to the harassment on campus being serious enough to fear for their safety: 35 percent of transgender individuals, 23 percent of LGB students, and 27 percent of LGB faculty and staff agreed with this statement. When this same statement was given to students who are cisgender and heterosexual, only eight percent of the students agreed with it. Many of the people that participated in the survey mentioned that they feel unsafe while attending the school. The people that identify themselves as transexual or gender fluid were believed to be the ones that are most likely to encounter prejudice out of all of the groups that were a part of the survey. It was disclosed that the students at the school were the most common harassers and that most of the individuals have witnessed it and not personally experienced the harassment themselves. There have been research studies that have shown

that if there is a negative climate surrounding the LGBTQ+ students, they’re more likely to hide their identities. This can have a negative effect in the long run because it can cause a lack of social support and affect their grades. This can also lead those students to contemplate leaving the university due to the negative environment around them. “Many of us here at UNCC come from more conservative environments that have silenced and oppressed us…UNCC can and should be a place that allows all of us to grow in the best ways,” said Dr. Jessamyn Bowling, the Assistant Professor in UNC Charlotte Public Health Sciences. In comparison to other institutions in the UNC system, UNC Charlotte is ranked seventh out of fifteen when it comes to making the LGBTQ+ community being included. “To advocate for LGBTQ+ members of the UNCC community effectively and meaningfully, it is vital to have accurate information about their

“Many of us here at UNCC come from more conservative environments that have silenced and oppressed us…UNCC can and should be a place that allows all of us to grow in the best ways,”

NEWS

experiences of negotiating life on campus…we have tried to identify concrete goals to improve the climate at UNC Charlotte for LGBTQ+ students, staff, and faculty,” stated Kent Britnall, who is the Associate Professor of Religious Studies and is also a member of the LGBTQ+ Staff and Faculty Caucus. In addition to the survey, there have been suggestions on changing UNC Charlotte policies and the campus culture. These suggestions include: protection from discrimination, LGBTQ+ and ally housing options, making name changing easier

“No student should be expected to learn in an environment that is unsafe or where there is harassment targeted at who they are. UNC Charlotte is lagging behind in North Carolina and across the country in its commitment toward LGBTQ inclusive policies, programs, and practices.” for the community, health care policy for trans folks that doesn’t discriminate against them, and a continuous dialogue between the UNC Charlotte Administration about the campus climate for the LGBTQ+ community. “No student should be expected to learn in an environment that is unsafe or where there is harassment targeted at who they are. UNC Charlotte is lagging behind in North Carolina and across the country in its commitment toward LGBTQ inclusive policies, programs, and practices. In recent years, UNC Charlotte has not participated in the national Campus Pride Index in order to improve LGBTQ inclusion and safety. This climate report shows the real life, negative environment that exists at UNC Charlotte when it comes to LGBTQ bias and harassment. UNC Charlotte has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a Community Engaged institution. It is now time that they live up to those high standards for the LBGTQ community within their own institution,” said Shane Windmever, the current Executive Director of Campus Pride.

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MAR. 26, 2019

TWO FORMER CONGRESSMEN SPEAK AT UNC CHARLOTTE David Jolly and Patrick Murphy speak on the issues that currently plague Congress by Brandon Mitchell Assistant News Editor

Photo by Brandon Mitchell

On February 21, 2019, former congressmen, Patrick Murphy and David Jolly visited UNC Charlotte to give a speech to the University’s students. As part of their “Let’s Fix Washington,” the two spoke on the lack of bipartisanship in Congress, and how that negatively affects our nation. Despite the ex-congressmen both holding many differing political beliefs, the two have been traveling together across the United States in an effort to start conversations about gerrymandering, closed primaries, and campaign financing. Murphy, the former Democratic representative of a historically Republican district of Florida, spoke on many of the issues he noticed during his time in office. According to Murphy, the means of gaining and holding an office in Congress is greatly flawed. He stated that, “92% of the time, people with the most money win their election.” In order for someone to gain a position in Congress, they must first campaign. Campaigning is a very expensive process which forces candidates to look for sponsors. These sponsors often have their own political agenda and will only support candidates who fit that agenda. This often places candidates in a position in which they must choose between adhering to their beliefs or having a chance at winning. Jolly, the former Republican representative of a historically Democratic district of Florida also commented on the issues of campaign financing. The self-proclaimed “modern-day Bull Moose Republican stated that the United States has “the worst campaign finance system in the entire world.” Jolly stated that in order to fix this, Congress must “restore an ideological system where consistency is rewarded.” He purposed many ways to fix this issue including changing Congress’ term

MAR. 26, 2019

limits and eliminating campaign financing altogether. The two also spoke on the issue of gerrymandering. According to Murphy, “Gerrymandering is the single biggest issue in America.” Murphy later added that “90 percent of seats in Congress are already predetermined” due to gerrymandering. “Fourteen percent (of US citizens) are determining 90 percent of Congress. This 14 percent tend to lean farther right or left” said Murphy expressing that this lack of voter turnout and gerrymandering is a recipe for partisanship. Although both Murphy and Jolly do not share many political beliefs, the two both believe that the primary key to fixing this issue is to get more citizens voting regardless of their party. According to Jolly, “A lot of these changes are within reach of voters right now.” He also stated, “There are politicians out there trying to take these issues on, and the encouraging thing is that they are backed by voters.” It is our duty as citizens to elect new officials that are willing to address these systemic issues and will do what is best for the United States.

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SHOULD WE DROP THE “UNC”? by David Clancy Staff Writer

Student’s opinion over the popular question regarding the name of our university

OPINION

As of now, there is a lot of Ross Smith, UNC Charlotte Alum activity surrounding the name also wanted to share his opinion on the of our university and whether to matter. He runs the Agent49 account keep its prefix of “UNC,” (which on Twitter, and is helping maintain the is a common abbreviation for change.org petition. He believes that UNC-Chapel Hill). In a March the name change should be carried out 13, 2019 Niner Times article by to ensure that credit is properly given. Megan Bird, she explained that a “I want the university to stand on its petition on change.org addressed own, and not have any staff or student to Chancellor Dubois for an accomplishments be given to other alteration of the name of UNC organizations.” He has also stated that Charlotte had garnered 2,484 in the working world, people do not signatures, and it currently sits recognize the school, “I’ve been asked if at around 2,686 signatures. The I was a Tarheels fan.” Student Government Association However, not everyone who voiced has also put a survey on the their opinion supported a potential March 26-27 ballots to gauge change. Wren Aubrey Latham, theatre student opinion on this issue, and major, believes that this debate is Chancellor Dubois expressed his centered around “misplaced anger.” position on the matter during his Wren is befuddled at the fact that, in Chancellor’s Forum questioning. such a turbulent time as this, naming With all this commotion about disputes seem to permeate to the a potentially controversial subject surface of discussion. “We could be Photo by Andrea Badillo-Pérez amidst my peers, I decided to using our privilege and outrage to rally take to social media and do some behind real victims of sexual assault, unofficial polling. On Twitter, I asked for current students to tell me their racism, and bigotry en masse, but we’re doing this.” take on this situation. I received many interesting responses, including one Corey Smith, UNC Charlotte class of 2017, works for WTAP in Parkersburg, individual who responded with the hashtag: “#DropOurSlaveName.” This is a West Virginia. He believes the school is relatively new on the national scene reprehensible take on the situation, and I am glad everyone else kept a level and “...people are just now finally recognizing who we are outside of the head during my inquiry. region. Would just cause more confusion if we change the name.” One such sane person was Grace Frendrick, current UNC Charlotte student I believe that both sides in this debate have presented quite valid evidence studying political science. She points out that many schools in the UNC for their sides. A name change would require an extraordinary amount of System, including NC State University and Appalachian State University, do resources, and would be confusing in the early period of transition. Still, a not have the UNC prefix. She went on to state, “I support dropping the UNC new identity separate from any other institution will only help us in academic because as one of the top three largest schools in the state we need our own recognition, athletic recruitment and an increased value of our degrees. I identity.” am in favor of the name change, with the caveat that those who are actively Jonathan Bradshaw, UNC Charlotte class of 2003, currently works as supporting the change need to take more initiative in convincing others of a brand manager. He agrees with changing the name, stating that many this cause. In addition, they need to create a concrete plan for the transition schools without the prefix are recognizable statewide, such as NC State and as this burden might be too much to bear for the administration. Bringing East Carolina University. “I can’t tell you how much it would mean to me a worthwhile plan might ease concerns, and create goodwill. If it is truly personally and to the school financially to own its own brand.” beneficial to the University, then you should be able to convince those who A student involved in the athletic program gave me this statement so long would oppose the change. This isn’t the most pertinent issue in these times, as I kept them anonymous. They are involved with the athletic programs and but since this institution will stand the test of time long after we are gone, are concerned about how the school is seen to those out of state. “I’ve heard providing an independent identity for our great institution would be a boon for from multiple out of state recruits that when they initially hear of us they now and in perpetuity. thought we were some satellite school of Chapel Hill located in Charlotte. From an athlete’s perspective that can be really frustrating.”

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MAR. 26, 2019

JANE OF AL

A&E by Tyler Trudeau Staff Writer

Welcoming the second keynote speaker of their “Women in Architecture” series, the UNC Charlotte chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architecture Students, or NOMAS, kicked off their latest symposium at Storrs Hall on Wednesday. Under the title of “Jane of All Trades,” the symposium looked specifically at women in the architectural discipline who hold interests in a diversity of other mediums. From installing captivating art pieces in museums across the world to dissecting data concerning race, gender and other demographics, these women bring to their main practice a variety of bold influences. In their second symposium concerning women in practice, NOMAS invited practicing designer Yolande Daniels of studioSUMO to speak on the expansive and multifaceted nature of contemporary design. Daniels is the founding principal of studioSUMO with Sunil Bald. The studio focuses primarily on residential and institutional projects, as well as exhibitions and installations based in the United States and Japan. As her opening remarks put it best, Daniels deals with the art of “building and unbuilding.” From her design work in Tokyo, Japan at Josai University to demographic analyses of migration and domesticity, Daniels is constantly drafting the narrative of her career. At first glance, she might look like your everyday ambitious designer, eager to travel to a new destination and embark on a new project. Beneath the surface, however, Daniels is always contemplating, always looking at emerging ideas from multiple angles.

Women in Architecture Symposium hosted by N

Photos by Meredith Murray

MAR. 26, 2019

Within the realm of architecture and interior design, Daniels often draws from her own architectural meditations. She seeks to build something, be it a versatile theater space or an economically-minded dormitory, but must first “unbuild” it. That is, break it down to means she and others can understand and work with. With many of her Tokyo projects, set for the most part on or around the Josai University campus, she deals with simple forms to begin. From there, an idea emerges: an unraveling program, sustainable facades, an art museum for the people. Through it all, Daniels and her team revel in both the collection of data and the collection of ideas. While Daniels’ and studioSUMO’s work in architecture might not stop there, it was the keynote speaker’s adjacent work in other narratives that brought her constant contemplation to full circle. Well, not completely full circle, not yet anyway. She described the additional works of her career through methods of what she called “building race” and “building gender.” Herself a woman of color in the discipline, Daniels approaches these narratives with aspirations to turn them on their head. In looking at the typology of the traditional shotgun house, she approaches the subject in an intimate yet far-reaching way, balancing the perspectives of contemporary domesticity with reference to African slaves. In “building gender,” Daniels challenges the notions of male and female bathrooms, electing for a homogenous solution in the female urinal. Through all of this contemplation of ideas, these sometimes absurd but

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complex meditations that stretch beyond her practice in architecture, Daniels continually finds intriguing narratives among the data. Following her keynote lecture for the symposium, Daniels was joined by UNC Charlotte faculty and fellow women within or adjacent

to the architecture discipline to discuss a number of subjects, but particularly these narratives. As the conversation swung between visual versus kinesthetic thinking and the art of dance, Daniels unveiled more thoughts on her own work, as well as the work of the other women present.

LL TRADES

NOMAS discusses diversity among disciplines narratives they tell. As Yolande Daniels put it: “I had to go outside of architecture to speak about architecture.” In an effort to touch on some of the main lessons behind Daniels’ lecture, as well as give an overview about just what NOMAS is really all about, I spoke with NOMAS Media Coordinator Ryan Smith about the event. Ryan is a current third year Master of Architecture student. Q: NOMAS dedicates itself to giving a voice to the more underrepresented individuals within the discipline. The organization participates in annual design competitions and other events that showcase the unique work of the emerging designers of today. Why do you personally believe NOMAS is so important as one of the student organizations here at UNC Charlotte? A: “NOMAS is important as a community of architecture students with a focus on diversity and design collaboration.” Q: What approaches do you take in recruiting individuals and other students to join the club?

While the talk between them might have been brief, it ended on a note that highlighted what lies at the core of the symposium, as well as the organization that hosted it. As the event strove to call upon greater diversity of race and gender within the realm of architecture, it also

welcomed the appeal of diversity among one’s trades. Holding interests in outside activities like art, science and other disciplines brings new, contemplative interpretations and increased value to one’s primary subject. It allows those without a voice to be heard through the distinct

A: “We mostly recruit by word of mouth and participating in events. We use flyers and social media like Facebook and Instagram to get students interested in what we’re up to. One of the main things we want students to know is that you don’t have to be a minority to be a member of NOMAS. It is open to everyone.”

Q: One of the things Yolande Daniels mentioned in her lecture is about stepping outside of architecture in order to speak about architecture. As an architecture student yourself, what encourages you to sometimes step out of your focus on architecture and explore other mediums? Also, what outside interests do you find help the most when faced with a design challenge? A: “What I’ve found most interesting about my architecture studies is that what I’ve learned can be applied to several disciplines, and what my other design interests can be applied to it. If I’m stuck on a class project/assignment I’ll take up another design or craft interest to get some creative juices flowing before returning to work.” Q: What is one thing you think students and others should take away from this lecture, as well as from what NOMAS is doing as they continue to support diversity within the practice of architecture? A: “Daniels’ work was interesting because she notes that she is unable to separate all of the defining characteristics of herself and unable to separate all of her architecture and research interests. She’s constantly applying her life experiences and findings to her built work and that’s why diversity is important in architecture. Everyone has a different perspective to bring to the table.”

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MAR. 26, 2019

62 Mario Bros. console 63 Ruby and scarlet 64 Suspicious (of)

ACROSS 1 Super bargain 6 Effective on 10 Ed.’s backlog 13 Bisect 14 “Good Morning America” co-anchor Spencer 15 Boarding site 16 Sellers of build-it-yourself furniture 18 Mythical monster 19 Delt neighbor 20 Mets’ home before Citi Field 22 Enemies 23 Puts up, as a skyscraper 24 Climate-affecting Pacific current 27 Citrus-flavored soda, on its labels 29 Minnesota’s state bird 30 Final Four org.

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32 Eye-boggling work 35 __-di-dah: pretentious 36 Five-armed ocean creature 38 “I’ll pass’’ 39 Decree 41 Wander about 42 Warehouse gds. 43 East Asian home of Acer and Asus 45 Like partly melted snow 47 Merkel of Germany 49 Molecule component 50 Leaves-catching brewing sieve 53 Drag to court 56 Witty Bombeck 57 Arabian Peninsula region, and what 16-, 20-, 36- and 50-Across literally have 59 Done with 60 Falco of “Nurse Jackie” 61 Wheel connectors

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DOWN 1 Cruise vessel 2 Box office income 3 Monthly util. bill 4 “Selma” director DuVernay 5 Classroom session 6 Soothing medicinal plants 7 __ Lee cakes 8 Mine extractions 9 Make secure, as a seat belt 10 “Presto!” sticks 11 Peacock’s gait 12 Appears to be 15 Try for a long pass, in football lingo 17 Romantic ideal 21 Fervent feeling 22 Dolphin feature 24 Vogue competitor 25 Laundry batch 26 Pitching masterpieces 27 Bricklayer 28 “Ciao!” 31 Irene of “Fame” 33 Poison ivy symptom 34 Rock music’s __ Might Be Giants 36 Prop for a clown 37 Dutch beer brand 40 Ides of March victim 42 Tight-lipped 44 Not as cold 46 Parent of Maybelline 47 Used, as china 48 Chutzpah 49 South American mountain range 51 Staff assistant 52 “Look what __!”: “Yay me!” 53 Bargain hunter’s delight 54 App downloader 55 Site for handmade art 58 Application file suffix

The Tournament comes to town South Carolina Women’s basketball hosts ﬁrst and second rounds of NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament inside Halton Arena By Sam Palian Sports Editor

While the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team ended their postseason run after two games in the Conference USA tournament and one game in the WNIT, there were still women’s basketball teams playing in Halton Arena on Friday, March 22 and Sunday, March 24. The Niners were granted their first WNIT bid since the 2015-16 season in which they also lost in the first round, by only three points to Wake Forest and finished with an overall record of 19-12. This season, Charlotte ended with an 18-13 overall record. Nevertheless, several games of the first and second rounds of the NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball Tournament would be played inside Halton Arena. There were new bands, new teams and certainly, new fans in Halton Arena. But, why were they there? It may seem like a ridiculous question but many have been curious. A simple Google search would seemingly do the trick, but it’s more than just straight facts. After the decision was made in April 2017 to host the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament in Colonial Life Arena at South Carolina, South Carolina’s athletic department and Athletic Director Ray Tanner worked to be granted a waiver to host the women’s tournament as well. The top-16 seeded teams in the NCAA tournament have the ability to host the first and second round at their home venues or within 30 miles if another venue better suits their needs. There is also an option to find an arena further away if necessary. However, completing the process of

Photos by Pooja Pasupula

getting the waiver and then hosting at an arena whose home team is not even in the tournament, doesn’t happen too often. So, when South Carolina was afforded the opportunity, they searched for a host site. “Our staff looked at venues across South Carolina that met our capacity needs, and many had hosting date conflicts. Halton Arena is a quality venue and the accommodations for the teams in the area will serve as a great host for the tournament,” said Tanner. “Charlotte is important for Gamecock Athletics and this will also be a great opportunity to have the NCAA Women’s Basketball

SPORTS

Tournament in a large market.” Halton Arena accommodated the capacity and the quality that South Carolina was looking for in order to host the first and second rounds and the city of Charlotte, and its potential, speaks for itself. “We’re excited about the possibility of hosting the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament and assisting our good friends at the University of South Carolina,” said Charlotte Athletic Director Mike Hill. “When Ray Tanner approached us about this, we didn’t hesitate. We believe in the power of the sport, and the positive impact it has on our university and city.” Put simply, the Gamecocks put butts in seats, although it wasn’t always that way. When the Niners met the Gamecocks in the second round of the WNIT in 2011, the Niners certainly had more fans follow them on the road to be in the stands in Colonial Life Arena. Even so, that was a long time ago and South Carolina has had no trouble growing their fan base. With that large, supportive fan base comes the need for an arena and facilities to match that. “I appreciate the persistence Ray Tanner showed in getting a venue for us to host and the NCAA Women’s Basketball Committee for recognizing what the opportunity to host games means to our team, our fans and the growth of our sport,” said South Carolina Head Coach Dawn Staley. “Our Gamecock FAMS have shown their loyalty to our program through the postseason every year, and I know they’ll continue to do that with us in Char

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MAR. 26, 2019

lotte.” The first round held in Halton saw No. 4 South Carolina in a matchup with No. 13 Belmont and No. 5 Florida State in a matchup with No. 12 Bucknell. After a surging victory for South Carolina at 74-52 and a battle from Florida State to beat Bucknell 70-67, the Seminoles and the Gamecocks filled Halton Arena with garnet on Sunday, March 24. The No. 4 and No. 5 teams traded buckets throughout the second round contest, never hearing silence come from the crowd. The first quarter ended in a tie and the score was 37-30 with South Carolina in the lead by the half. Coming out of the locker room, neither team gave the appearance of wavering. To start off the half, South Carolina worked to further their lead and Florida State worked to come back and with less than five minutes to go in the third quarter, the Seminoles brought the score to within one at 4445. It seemed that with every Florida State score, South Carolina would break away just before the Seminoles fought to get right back in it. The third quarter ended at South Carolina 52, Florida State 51. A tie game at 60 with less than four and a half minutes to go in the fourth, it was nothing short of an intense ending, fitting for what had been such a competitive game. Florida State nearly gaining the lead forced Staley to call a timeout with 2:31 to go. Coming out of the timeout, the Gamecocks earned an and one to bring them to a 63-60 lead with 2:14

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to go. The Seminoles responded with a jumper to bring their deficit to within one right before the Gamecocks were sent to the line to bring the lead back to three. Florida State soon dropped two more points and South Carolina rolled one in for another and-one and a 68-84 lead with 27.2 to go. With the Gamecocks in the bonus, they were sent to the line yet again and pushed the lead to 69-64 with 16.8 to go. A Florida State foul and a following technical foul led to more Gamecock free throws with 9.8 to go and a score of 72-64. A missed shot from the Seminoles ended the game and the South Carolina Gamecocks would advance to the final four. Though the entire game was full of back and forth play and trading shots, the Gamecocks pulled away in the end and you’d expect nothing less than a battle from the No. 4 and No. 5 teams in a second round tournament game. “I am super proud,” said Staley. “It is about sustaining and keeping your program in a place that you are competing for national championships. You have that in front of you.” The Gamecocks will leave Charlotte as they look to grab another win in their post season run on Saturday, March 30 to make it to the Championship game.

Photos by Pooja Pasupula

By Olivia Lawless Staff Writer

Take a walkand other ways to relax

After going through piles of schoolwork and being locked inside your room for an unhealthy amount of time, hopefully you realize it’s about time for a break. The only problem is that you can’t stop thinking about work. Anxiety and stress about things you should be doing buzz relentlessly through your head. If you have trouble relaxing, here are some things you can do to empty your mind, or at least let it decompress after doing hours of math or struggling through that five page paper. Take a walk—outside. Not only does fresh air relieve the claustrophobia of being cooped up inside your room or wherever else you holed up for the last seven hours to work, but moving your body after sitting down for a while feels great too. Walk and chat with some of your friends, or walk alone without your headphones and let yourself focus on your environment. Listen for animals nearby. Smile at the people you see and create a shared sense of positive energy. Or just let the drone of cars passing and leaves rustling around fill your head in a soothing background noise. If these options are unavailable because the weather is terribly cold or rainy, you should still leave your room to talk a walk down your dorm or apartment complex hall. Get right near a window if you can and watch the rain, or step out into the cold for just a moment to feel something other than stale air on your face. Read. I’ve heard from many people that they wish they had more time to read. Well, here’s permission to stop reading for work and start reading for leisure. I heard from other people that they couldn’t stand reading another book after reading so many boring or complex texts for class, which is understandable, though it doesn’t have to be a book that you read. Pick up that food magazine or check out those online articles you’ve been wanting to read. Despite common misconceptions, books are not intrinsically more valuable than magazines, online articles, or other reading materials. And who says your leisure reading needs to be productive? It can be, though that’s not the main goal of leisure reading.

LIFESTYLE

stretch your neck, and move your arms around more. Don’t worry about looking dumb .Your body will thank you. Meditate. Admittedly, this one can be a little tricky, since it takes some practice to really be beneficial. It might be helpful for you to use one of the many free apps and free videos online that instruct in guided meditation, which is especially useful if you’re just starting out. One of meditation’s central goals is practicing mindfulness, which is the practice of accepting everything in the present as it comes in order to develop a sense of awareness and calm. It helps you not only clear your mind but also reflect on the day or why your current mood is the way it is. It may just help you breathe a little easier. Either way, it’s definitely worth trying to improve your mood or relieve anxiety. Do arts and crafts. Both creative geniuses and terrible artists can enjoy activities like cutting and pasting old magazines, drawing, coloring, paper folding, or bracelet-making. All of these activities are cheap or free and learnable via Youtube. Arts and crafts inspire a special kind of blankness in your mind while occupying your hands, which can be relieving for people who like to fidget. Most of these things require just enough concentration to keep your mind off of anything too serious and not enough concentration to distract you from thinking anything at all. Additionally, they can be really good emotional outlines. Don’t let assumptions of things like talent hold you back on this one. Let yourself draw nonsense and make weird-looking collages. Who knows, you just might end up with something beautiful. Give these activities a try before you decide they’re not for you. You might discover a new hobby or a give yourself a much-needed break from the stress that’s been building in your chest. Even if you only do these activities for fifteen or twenty minutes, they can help you keep yourself sane and healthy.

Work out. Working out brings those sweet, sweet feel-good endorphins and several long-term health benefits. Before you think about how you hate running or how you’re not flexible whatsoever, remember that exercise can be what you want it to be. Swimming, dancing, power-walking, weight-lifting, yoga, and just about anything else where you physically exert yourself can be more beneficial than sitting for several hours. You also don’t have to consider yourself athletic to exercise; just do what you’d like at you own pace. If absolutely none of sounds appealing, or you don’t have the time and resources to work out at all, then at least stand up and stretch every so often. Roll your head slowly around your shoulders to

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MAR. 26, 2019

By Sara Zimmermann Staff Writer

4 REASONS YOU SHOULD BULLET JOURNAL (AND TIPS FOR HOW TO START)

Bullet Journaling is a tried and practiced technique which recently became trendy, and for good reason. Bullet Journaling is the name given to a “mindfulness practice” designed by Ryder Carroll, who has also published a book on the topic. The book and its outlined method aims to help people to be more productive, meaningful, and intentional with their schedules and daily lives. For more official guidance, you the Bullet Journal website is helpful. The great thing, though, is that you don’t need rules! To Bullet Journal, all you have to do is determine which aspects of your life are important to keep track of, and then you systematically arrange them in a way that is conducive to your needs. Organization: I certainly have experienced an improvement in my organization and proactivity since moving to this method. I began Journaling in may 2018 and still regularly consult and add to my journal. As a student, part time employee, and a TA, there is simply too much going on in my life for me to remember it off the top of my head. My bullet journal is simple to follow and easy to read, so with a quick glance I can visualize all my obligations for that day, week, and month. Many of you are in the exact same position. It’s overwhelming to try to tackle all of our responsibilities without guidance. The Bullet Journal, for me, has been the most effective method of organization above other pre-formatted planners and agendas, because I am the one originating all of the information. Instead of buying a (probably overpriced) planner that has already done all of the work for you, Bullet Journaling is an exercise in taking control of your schedule and how you maintain it, and I genuinely believe that I have more precision, clarity, and discipline when it comes to organizing my life. Personalization: The best thing about the bullet journal is that it is completely personalized. One of the most frustrating things is buying a planner that already has the dates laid out for you, but being unable to use half of it because the

12 MAR. 26, 2019

NINERTIMES

months don’t line up with the school year. When my classes start in August, why is it so hard to find a planner that doesn’t start in January of that year? Bullet journaling allows you to determine your own timeline. The majority of store bought competitors have pre determined templates with categories that many of us won’t find necessary and which simply waste space and paper, sitting unused between the pages we actually utilize. Most students in 2019 have no need for an address book or phone number section, and yet they are repeatedly shoehorned into all planners. Bullet Journals, on the other hand, allow you to optimize the usage of your journal by allowing you complete freedom on what to include and what not to. You can simply keep it to a monthly spread, or you could dedicate pages to mood tracking, goals, fitness, reading lists, and other such things. Therapeutic: Another underrated and often overlooked reason for bullet journaling is that it tends to be very relaxing. It is productive, and doing something productive always boosts my self-esteem. It is also a quiet and reflective time, something I don’t get enough of these days. There is a sort of relief that comes with finishing a page in your journal and being freshly aware of the days and weeks to come and what they hold. In taking such command in organizing my tasks, I often find that my mind has also been clarified. It is certainly refreshing to have a grip on my life for that brief moment, something that is very rare for me. Aesthetics: Another wonderful aspect of bullet journaling is the full control of the aesthetics. You do not have to be an artist to make journaling fun and pretty. I cannot draw a distinguishable stick figure to save my life, but with tape, stickers, and pretty markers, I am always proud of the finished product. Bullet Journals can be any type of notebook you like. You don’t have to worry about shopping around for a planner that suits both your needs and which also appeals to your stylistic tastes. Often I have to either sacrifice style or

content with whatever I purchase. You can buy a notebook of any size, color, or texture. Most bullet journalists use notebooks with dotted pages rather than lines which allows unimpeded (yet subtly guided) utilization of each page. However, many others use grid lines, blank pages, or even lines if that is what they find most comfortable.It is entirely up to the creator to choose color schemes, layouts, drawings, decorations, and more. Tips: Know your needs: you do not have to include the parts of your life that are not priorities to you. Just because you see other people tracking their diets does not mean you have to! Practice: there is nothing worse than having to rip out a page in your journal because you forgot that February only has 28 days, and you drew out 31 squares in black ink. I often lightly pencil in my basic layout, while looking at my phone calendar to make sure I know what days of the week correspond with each date. This isn’t necessary, but something I have found useful nonetheless Inspiration: While I don’t suggest that you copy other people’s art or steal their ideas, many people like to post their bullet journaling so that others can become inspired. Instagram and pinterest are great places to get ideas for materials, color schemes, themes, and fonts. Materials: A notebook! This can be anything you like. I use a small sized hardcover notebook with dot gridded pages. Good pens (or pencils, markers, etc.). If journaling is going to become a useful part of your life, treat yourself to some nice materials! A ruler (because even with the dots to guide me I still can’t draw a straight line) Washi tape- this is not necessary, but I have an addiction. Washi tape is life-changing, and it comes in a seemingly infinite variety of patterns and colors. I love to use this tape to border my pages and help guide my themes.