Niner Times: April 2, 2019 by Niner Times

APRIL 2, 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, Jonathan Limehouse, Brandon Mitchell, Kellyanna Atwell CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Yesika Sorto Andino, Max Young, David Clancy, COVER PHOTO

Meredith Murray

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SPORTS

OPINION •

Glass half full: why optimism is the way to go

VIDEO •

Club Spotlight: The Club Rugby Team

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Student Voice: What would you do if there was an active shooter? Campus police demonstrate Active Shooter protocol The Voices of Niner Nation

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49ers fall to MTSU after a long weekend Charlotte goes 0-2 against Western Carolina Tigers top the 49ers

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A&E • • • •

When Your Generation Hates U2 Little Simz – “GREY Area” Album Review TV REVIEW: Riverdale Season 3 Episode 16 – “BIG FUN” TV REVIEW: ʻThe Walking Deadʼ - ʻThe Stormʼ

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UNC CHARLOTTE JOINS THE LAB SCHOOL INITIATIVE

UNC Charlotte is opening its doors to a new elementary school beginning August 2019 by Yesika Sorto Andino Staff Writer

Photo Credit: Rawpixel.com via Shuttershock

UNC Charlotte is taking the next step in expanding its impact on the Charlotte community by creating its own elementary school. Niner University Elementary will be considered a lab school, an initiative started by the North Carolina General Assembly and the UNC system to promote teacher training for their students and to provide resources to students at lowperforming schools.

The school’s main mission is to “develop lifelong learners and caring citizens.” Beginning in August 2019, the school will be located in a renovated and secured wing of James Martin Middle School. The elementary school will be a free, non-traditional public school. The school will begin its journey by serving 150 students in K-2 from the Charlotte Mecklenburg School (CMS) district. The elementary school is planning to “add an additional grade level each year until 2023.” Once it reaches maximum capacity, it will serve 500 students. By collaborating with CMS, the school will be able to provide food and transportation for its students. Niner University Elementary will be able to differentiate itself from other public schools in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School district, but it will still follow the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The school’s main mission is to “develop lifelong learners and

caring citizens.” The school will use research-based teaching methods to fulfill their goals for the elementary school. According to Pamela Broome, the Lab School Coordinator, the process of creating the elementary school has been a “cross-campus” endeavor. Broome stated that there are two teams working on the creation of the elementary school. The core design team is “composed of faculty members and staff members from across different departments on campus.” There is also a curriculum design team. The members of this team are from the CATO College of Education. The expansion of the goals, pillars and mission of the elementary school have been developed by the curriculum design team. Kristie Opiola, an assistant professor of counseling and part of the team creating this elementary school, stated that the school is attempting to support students who may be struggling not only academically but also socially or emotionally. According to Opiola, one of the main goals is to ensure that teachers and other members of the elementary school view the students as people, not just students from a specific grade level. Opiola hopes

that the elementary school will be able to provide a “holistic approach to education.” Socioemotional learning will be an important aspect of the curriculum and teaching practices. The school will also have a diversity component, specifically hiring or training teachers to be well-informed of their student’s diverse backgrounds and experiences. Arts as a method of instruction will also be used widely throughout the school. The school will follow the standards set out by the state, but the practices used by teachers and other support staff in the school will vary from other traditional public schools. Opiola stated that arts will be one method that will be introduced to different classrooms, rather than it just be confined to one, small academic space. The hope is that the students are able to “learn through the style that best matches their learning needs.” Open enrollment for the school began in February. The school is not operated through a lottery system, rather it is on a first come, first serve basis. In order to be eligible, the students have to be from certain CMS elementary schools. The future educators of this school are currently being recruited and interviews are

NEWS beginning soon. One of the unique aspects of the lab schools is that the elementary school is able to collaborate with UNC Charlotte and its students. The school will have teacher, counselor and principal candidates from UNC Charlotte. Broome and Opiola stated that the candidates will have more exposure through hands-on learning. They will have the ability to grow and learn. Teacher candidates from

The hope is that the students are able to “learn through the style that best matches their learning needs.” the Cato College of Education will be selected to spend two semesters of their junior year at the elementary school to enhance their learning and experience. This endeavor is cross-disciplinary. Students from the School of Nursing and interns from the School of Social Work will also be able to help throughout the school in different settings and for different purposes. There will also be a mental health program for the elementary school students where play therapy and expressive arts will be used. Students from these disciplines will be able to participate in the program and receive guidance from a licensed counselor and other health practitioners. To learn more about the elementary school and potential opportunities to volunteer, visit: nue. uncc.edu

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A GARDEN FOR POLLY Efforts begin to create the “The Polly Rogers Memorial Sensory Garden” in honor of fallen student, Polly Rogers

Article by Max Young Photo by Staff Writer Leysha Caraballo

On May 1st of 2018, UNC Charlotte was saddened by the news that one of its students, Polly Rogers, 20, has died after falling off of a party bus. Almost a year after the incident, funding efforts have begun to create the “The Polly Rogers Memorial Sensory Garden.” Her father and former gift officer in the Cato College of Education (COED), Tim Rogers, with support from COED is looking to honor Polly with this garden. The garden will act as a therapeutic space for children with disabilities to interact with the garden for sensory stimulation.

“it’s all about touch... it’s about an interaction with nature, it’s all about joy.” The main focus of the garden is to give students with disabilities the experience to interact with nature. Tim Rogers said “it’s all about touch... it’s about an interaction with nature, it’s all about joy.” Donations to the garden will provide a plethora of

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sensory elements for visitors to experience. Aspects such as, Flowers, benches, and several wind chimes will give students with disabilities an outlet to experience nature. Rogers’ goal of this project is not only to honor the memory of his daughter, but to show the community what his daughter stood for. Rogers said that the project “says a lot about Polly’s character and essence, her reach,” Polly, studying special education in COED, was active in the Greater Charlotte community through the YMCA. Rogers added that “She wasn’t only interested in having fun as a counselor, She was tuned in to the needs of the child.” The garden focuses on representing the legacy of Polly through her own values. The project has been supported by COED to the fullest extent. The idea was originally created by senior lecturer in special education and child development, Pamela Mcintyre, with support from associate professor of special education, Barbara Howard, and the college’s Dean Ellen Mcintyre. Lisa Gaskin, pre-education advisor in the Cato College of Education, described Polly as “energetic, bright and engaging. She was excited about

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the special education program and particularly enjoyed time spent in the classroom with students,” The garden’s focus is to “serve as a living memorial to the joy she brought to life and her goal of working with students with special needs.” The push for this project began on the campus of UNC Wilmington. Tim Rogers’, also the assistant vice chancellor for major gifts, idea to honor Polly began with his colleagues at UNC Wilmington sending money to the Cato College of Education to show their love and support for the Rogers family.

The garden’s focus is to “serve as a living memorial to the joy she brought to life and her goal of working with students with special needs.” The project still needs donations to put the project into motion. COED has created a crowdfunding campaign to gain support and funding by the UNC Charlotte and Greater Charlotte community. Donate here: https://crowdfund.

THE LOSS OF MARSHALL PARK

The loss of Marshall Park has both positive and negative consequences

by David Clancy Staff Writer

OPINION

Second Ward is in the midst and of itself. This is not just of massive changes to its an issue of the availability of urban fabric, from a shiny new housing either, it is where this office tower on Tryon Street, housing is located. Uptown, to apartments on Stonewall with its access to services, Street. Another change has jobs, entertainment, and also taken place near the centers of government, is governmental offices on 3rd quite unaffordable for many Street, the sale of multiple Charlotte residents. In his parcels of land to a developer 2017 book “The New Urban called BK Partners, LLC. It will Crisis,” urban studies theorist culminate in the creation of Richard Florida states, “In Brooklyn Village, taking on the America today, economic name of a neighborhood mostly inequality is also spatial lost to the “urban renewal” inequality: rich and poor projects of the mid-20th increasingly occupy entirely century. These parcels include different spaces and worlds.” the old Education Center, the This is true for many cities in Robert L. Walton Plaza, various the United States, including parking lots, and the entirety of Charlotte. Marshall Park. The previously Cotham stated that she mentioned buildings will thought this development hardly be missed: their exposed project was, “an opportunity to concrete structures and barren make a dent in the problem,” surrounding landscaping seem and wanted to have 700-800 to repel those who venture near. units set at 30% AMI (Average Photo by Meredith Murray Additionally, replacing surface Median Income) level for parking lots with space that is disabled people, elderly, low actually productive should always be celebrated. This leaves us with the final income residents. As per the project’s website, Brooklyn Village is planning area, which has brought some contention: Marshall Park. Is the loss of the to include 107 units of affordable housing set at 80% AMI, which is more park as bad as it seems? than the required amount for such projects. While there will not be massive Parks in cities can be important to the vitality of the greater community, numbers of affordable housing, it still will help those who will one day live in as centers of community. The landscape designer J. B. Jackson said as much these areas. Its proximity to jobs and public transportation will have a greater in his 1984 article titled “The American Public Space,” wherein he details impact on the upward mobility on these individuals than if they were forced to the history and at the time contemporary use of parks in the United States. live farther away due to housing costs. He described how people from different economic and social backgrounds Overall, I do lament the loss of the park, especially when you think could intermingle, “the spaces occupied by these groups, if only temporarily, about the vast swaths of unused land in First Ward. It conjures up images constituted so many public places in the strictest sense: places where likeof what this city could have been had it not been for so-called “urban minded people came together to share an Identity.” renewal.” Ironically, we may not have had Marshall Park in the first place. Indeed, I heard such praises for public space from At-Large Commissioner Criticisms of the project are warranted, and one should always be wary of Pat Cotham, who sits on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners the prospect of development on the site of a public park. Still, the planned and opposes the project. “We should cherish parkland,” she said during our 1,070 residential units will bring opportunities to those seeking to live in an phone conversation, and when it comes to losing the 5 acres of the park, “that’s urban environment. It will bring life into an otherwise unremarkable part of our debt to the future.” It should be noted that according to the project’s Uptown, and I am especially interested in seeing the interplay between the website, there will be 1.9 acres of green space incorporated into the design. pedestrians and the street level retail. As the door closes on the park, a new Another part of the project is affordable housing, which is another issue in door opens for the city.

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A&E by Elissa Miller Arts and Entertainment Editor

Photos Courtesy of Fenix Fotography and John Merrick

Two different plays, two unique casts, two different theaters. One cohesive story. That was the goal of Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Children’s Theatre of Charlotte’s new productions, “The Great Beyond” and “The Ghost of Splinter Cove.” Written by the same playwright, the prolific and acclaimed Steven Dietz, the two productions take place in the same house on the same somber evening. Upstairs is home to “The Great Beyond,” while downstairs hosts “The Ghost of Splinter Cove.” Part of The Second Story Project, the two plays are strong enough that they can stand alone but complement and reveal the full story when viewed together. “The Great Beyond” at Actor’s Theatre of

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A TALE OF

Actor’s Theatre of Charlotte and Children’s Theat focusing on the fa

Charlotte focuses on four adults as they cope with the death of a family member, the father figure known as “The Captain.” Monica (Tonya Bludsworth), the family perfectionist, was his caretaker during the last stages of his life. Now that he’s passed on, she remains in the house to pack up his things. Her ex-husband, Rex (Scott Tynes-Miller), arrives to drop off the children and socialize for a while. Caught in mourning himself, he decides to stay when Monica asks him to remain and help her handle her estranged sister’s visit. This sister is Emily (Robin Tynes-Miller), a woman looking to end her country-wide tour apologizing to everyone she has ever hurt. Her final task? Apologize to her deceased father with

the help of her girlfriend Rene (Tania Kelly), who hosts seances for a living. It is a tightly-wound and emotional performance, existing firmly in the genre of family drama with a hint of the supernatural. Tensions run high between Monica, Rex and Emily, who are frustrated by the fact that Monica refused to share or ask for help caring for The Captain. The sister dynamic between Emily and Monica is incredibly fractured, while Rex and Monica highlight the complex chemistry torn between people-whocare-deeply-for-each-other and trying-to-moveon. Rene serves as an outsider to all of it, often reflective of the audience when large family secrets emerge. For example, throughout the first act, the characters often react strongly to references to camping or The Captain. Eventually, Rene is just as surprised as the rest of us to learn that the sisters also had a brother, one that went missing on a camping trip to Splinter Cove with his father at only eight years old. These elements provide the complex backstory that “The Ghost of Splinter Cove” rests on though the play can be fully understood without the context. As a standalone piece, “Splinter Cove” focuses on the children in the picture. Rex and Monica’s children, Nate (Chester Shepard) and Cora (Carman Myrick), have been sent to the basement to play/stay out of their parent’s hair. They are joined by Rene’s daughter Sydney (Kayla Ferguson). The three spend some awkward time introducing themselves and their imaginary friend J (Arjun Pande), before deciding to embark on a simulated camping trip with the help of an app on Rex’s phone that can control the lights, fans and speakers in the basement. The trip quickly takes a turn for the unexpected when the children leave their tent and find themselves outside, in the woods of Splinter Cove with a man named Tobias, or The Captain (Mike Dooley). Despite the fact that “Splinter Cove” is not the play with a seance, it feels much more supernatural. While the events of the seance in “The Great Beyond” are left open to the audience’s interpretation, “The Ghost of Splinter Cove” seems

F TWO PLAYS

tre of Charlotte collaborate to stage two interlocking plays amily and the supernatural to make it quite clear that the children are dealing with ghosts and supernatural experiences here -- though there is definitely a viable interpretation of the show in which all of this occurs in their imagination. Plotwise, they’ve been transported to the night their uncle went missing. Upon meeting their grandfather, they become his search party and look for the lost child. In terms of performances, there isn’t a single weak actor in either show. The characters’ personalities are complementary, allowing the ensemble casts to play off of one another. Standouts include Scott Tynes-Miller as Rex, Carman Myrick as Cora, and Chester Shepard as Nate. The set design for both shows coordinates well, but the lights and sound are what really make the supernatural elements work. “The Great Beyond’s” darkly lit room with candles that turn off by themselves balances with “Splinter Cove’s” loud thunder, echoes, and flashing lights. Seeing both shows is a unique experience, as secrets reveal themselves and depth is revealed that might not have been there without the knowledge gained from seeing the other half. Together, the plays provide a thorough and imaginative picture of what happened on that night. Watching both feels fresh and original. It is exciting to sit in the audience and make connections between the plays, to wonder about how you might have felt if you viewed them in the opposite order. It is also rewarding to know that these are two original works premiering for the first time in Charlotte, NC. It is a definite win for Charlotte’s theater scene, one I hope continues to encourage experimentation and unique projects. If making time for both plays is entirely impossible, “The Ghost of Splinter Cove” is the more unique of the two. While “The Great Beyond” is impeccably acted and produced, it sits more firmly in the genre of family drama. It also doesn’t shy away from the tropes of an overbearing wife/laid-back husband pair or the fact that the person of color in the cast is also the only one with a connection to the spirit world. These are familiar character elements, and while they don’t

entirely harm the content of the play, they aren’t particularly engaging aspects of the production. What makes it feel new are the smaller bits, like Emily’s need to make apologies, Rex’s connection with The Captain, or the unique addition of a seance into the genre. In Dietz’ playwright’s note, he writes, “... inevitably, there are gaps in what we tell ourselves about our own family; uneven knowledge between siblings and parents; events lost to history or covered by silence over time.” The two productions emphasize this, as the children learn things the adults don’t know and vice versa. Even amidst the adults, memories of The Captain are shaped by the person speaking; different perceptions of family events are explored throughout. When reflecting on

both shows and their focus on family ties, this idea of performing for both young and old audiences feels more impactful. Dietz wants to engage with both sides of the family, which he writes are “on different continents, separated by a sea of time,” and get them involved in the conversation. The complementary shows encapsulate this effort, providing a well-rounded exploration of an entire family on a single night. The children and adults are all examined with empathy and understanding; their voices are equally important. As an audience member, that feels revolutionary. “The Ghost of Splinter Cove” and “The Great Beyond” will play their final performances on April 6 and 7.

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ACROSS 1 Half a fluid oz. 5 Ancient Peruvian 9 Jalopies 14 “I’m __ here!”: “Adios!” 15 “North by Northwest” actor Grant 16 Grownup 17 Unpredictable leg joint problem 19 Coffee sweetener 20 Be on the same page 21 Butter square 23 Old AT&T rival 24 Camera largely replaced by its digital version, for short 25 Beef named for a bone 30 Golfer’s booking 32 Diplomatic accord 33 Ancient Icelandic text 34 __ McMuffin 36 “The Deep” director Peter 37 Sally, to Charlie Brown

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41 Poe’s one-word bird 44 Stars are seen in it 45 Bars on candy bars, e.g.: Abbr. 49 Disparaging word 52 “Let me say this again ... “ 54 “Love, Simon” co-star 56 Lawyer’s gp. 57 Inventor Whitney 58 $200 Monopoly props. 59 Fable writer 61 Hooves-on-cobblestone sounds 64 Cry for today, and a hint to the starts of 17-, 25-, 37- and 54-Across 67 Lone Ranger’s pal 68 Con job 69 Blend by melting 70 Actress Spacek 71 Locking device 72 Went really fast

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DOWN 1 How food may be salted 2 Broke into and stole from 3 Mixed with a spoon 4 Walk nervously to and fro 5 “Eww!” 6 Indian bread 7 French pancake 8 “Yes, captain” 9 Is suffering from, as a cold 10 College address suffix 11 Make larger 12 Appease 13 Bowling x’s 18 “Felicity” star Russell 22 Bowling pin count 26 Chatted with online, briefly 27 Pleads 28 Lid inflammation 29 Rip to shreds 31 Opposite of giveth 35 USO show audience 38 Broadcast with greater image resolution, as TV shows 39 Fat-free milk 40 Spare in a Brit’s boot 41 Turns down 42 Ill-fated 1967 moon mission 43 “__ of sugar-plums danced in their heads”: Moore 46 Green bowlful 47 Last train car 48 Attached using a Swingline 50 U.K.’s continent 51 Defeat decisively 53 Airline to Tel Aviv 55 Pet adoption org. 60 Letters before gees 62 Halves of qts. 63 Tofu source 65 Dorm VIPs 66 Mischief-maker

Voices of Niner Nation Matt Swierad, Josh Feldman and Jackson Kaplan bring Charlotte 49ers games to life over the radio By Sam Palian Sports Editor

When Charlotte 49ers fans can’t make it out to a game, Matt Swierad, Josh Feldman, and Jackson Kaplan get to do what they love while helping to bring the game to life for fans listening at home. For these three it’s more than a job, it’s a passion, and their love for sports carries over into their calls. “It’s really been a dream come true, you get to do something that’s not really a job. We all work hard but it’s fun. This is what I dream to do, I get to watch sporting events and that’s my job,” said Swierad. “I’ve met some great, great people and I’ve got some fantastic friends that have come out of it and some great memories so we’re also getting a chance to give the listeners memories as well and to be a part of that, to be a part of what we have here at the 49ers is really special.” Swierad speaks for all of them when he says it’s really special. Each of these men have been in all kinds of different areas of the sports world and are fortunate to still be deep in it. Each one has a pretty different story as to how they got into broadcasting in the first place. Swierad actually began with Charlotte after college and after a series of broadcasting positions in baseball, basketball and other sports, he returned to Charlotte to call 49ers football and men’s basketball games and help to call Charlotte Knights baseball games as well. “Well, I started doing it in college and my first job out of college was actually here at UNC Charlotte as a grad assistant in 1990. And when I got the Niners job no one had done their baseball games on the radio so what I did was get permission from my boss in sports information and he said if you can get the games on the radio then you can do them,” said Swierad. “So, I went out with my own credit card, I bought airtime on two radio stations in Charlotte and then I went out and sold the advertising to pay my credit card off and I put 26 games on the radio and that’s how I got started.” Feldman spent some time as a walk-on for the University of Southern California’s men’s volleyball team and after that he stayed connected to the sport by calling the volleyball matches on the radio. Having called games for USC, play-by-play for the Kannapolis Intimidators, holding countless other

SPORTS

Photos by Chris Crews

sports positions and now having called for Charlotte 49ers volleyball and women’s basketball, he’s working on a lengthy career himself. “Broadcasting for Charlotte has been incredible because you can see that this place is a family. The people that you’re working for, the people that you’re representing, they care about you well beyond statistics, well beyond wins and losses and it is clearly built on relationships that I don’t think exist in other places I’ve broadcast,” said Feldman. Each one of them may regularly don a headset but when it’s for the Charlotte 49ers there’s something different about it than any of those other jobs. Kaplan’s story for getting into broadcasting isn’t quite so intentional though. His obvious passion for baseball led to multiple opportunities in the minor leagues and quickly turned into a passion for both

the sport and for calling the play-by-play of it. “I won’t give you the whole story, because we’d be here all day or a couple of hours at least. Basically, I got my start in the sports business right out of high school where I was an intern for the Morehead City Marlins in the Coastal Plain league. I was their social media intern, stats intern, and that’s how I kind of got interested in working in sports. And then I was an intern for the league office in Holly Springs the summer after. During that internship, the commissioner of the league recommended me for the fill-in spot for the Holly Springs Salamanders which is a team that was right down the street from the league office. If he had never asked me to do that, I may not have ever done play-by-play,” said Kaplan. Even though he’s taken stabs at volleyball, soccer, softball and baseball, his heart probably lies

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the moments that you know are going to mean more to the players on the floor and to the fans that are supporting them, those are the ones that I’ll remember,” said Feldman. Whether it is a game-winning shot, a record-breaking play or some other incredible moment in history, the way it is called will be different every time. Fans listening at home surely wouldn’t be disappointed by any of the calls from Swierad, Feldman or Kaplan. “You know, it’s something different every time. There’s always a different game, you never get to see the same game twice. You may get to see the same result, you may see the same final score but it never unfolds the exact same way and so, I never know what I’m going to be talking about until the game unfolds in front of me,” said Feldman. “And whether that’s with the basketball team, whether that’s with the volleyball team or any other game that I’m calling, it’s exciting to see how the game unfolds and that’s the fun part about it, is the unexpected.”

in the booth at Hayes Stadium for now. Or really anywhere on campus. “I just love this place. I love the student athletes, I love the fact that this place is an up-and-coming athletic department, in my opinion. I love the setup of Hayes Stadium, I love the program, all of the games are exciting and I love the people too,” said Kaplan. “I just think that the relationships here that you gain from being a broadcaster while getting to know the people in the pressbox, getting to know the media relations directors here, it all kind of feels like a family atmosphere. Just going to Hayes stadium everyday is a thrill for me, I love college baseball, not just Charlotte but I love college baseball in general, baseball’s my thing.” Of course, Kaplan’s love for the other sports he spent time calling grew quickly, in fact, much more than he expected it to. He just has fun doing it and is excited to see where it takes him and to see where the athletic department itself goes in the future. That’s for sure. “I love describing the action, I actually always envisioned myself as a broadcaster because I grew up just a huge sports fan. I played sports my whole life until after high school, I wasn’t exactly going to be playing college sports so I always envisioned myself in some sports capacity. The more games I did, it’s kind of hard to describe, I just feel like calling the action out as it’s happening and describing the scenery and the play is just riveting to me,” said Kaplan.

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Feldman, along with his fellow broadcasters, feels more than just lucky to be doing what they do, it’s a dream come true for them, but they still may have their own reasons as to why they love broadcasting so much. “Anyone can call a game-winning shot, and I’ve screwed up a few of those too, but to me capturing

“I just love this place. I love the student athletes, I love the fact that this place is an up-and-coming athletic department, in my opinion. -Jackson Kaplan

LIFESTYLE

IRELAND VS. THE STATES By Emily Hickey Copy Editor

While studying abroad, you are introduced to many new experiences, cultures and overall ways of life, whether it be in your host country or through your travels. Over the course of the past two months, I have experienced five different countries’ cultures, with the main one being Ireland’s (my host country). From food to people to work ethic, living in Ireland isn’t too different from living in the U.S., but at the same time, the differences are very noticeable. Here’s what I’ve seen from my time living in Ireland. You have time to relax in Ireland. The Irish are known for being very relaxed and happy people. This is because they actually give their citizens breaks, whether it be in work, in school or in general. There is so much time in Ireland because they’re never in a rush; in fact, most are always late. This isn’t rude and it’s actually expected. Because there’s so much free time in their lives, being late doesn’t deter anything, and even professors don’t mind when students are late, as long as they show up. Compared to America, the Irish live life slower, more genuine, and all their work is completed with quality – because they actually give themselves time to do everything correctly. This is the number one thing I have had to adjust to coming here because I was used to always being in a rush and always having one million and one things to do, but now I see that the Irish are doing it right. Irish people love people. There’s a reason why Irish culture is so attractive to outsiders: there’s a unity throughout this small island. With a whopping population of approximately four million, Ireland is a pretty small country, resulting in everyone pretty much knowing everyone from their towns and always being interested in people they’ve never seen before. If you’re standing on the street and someone comes up and starts

telling you about their lives, don’t freak out. They’re actually interested in who you are as a person and why you’re in Ireland. This is one of my favorite things about Ireland because the people are genuinely nice and actually have the time to sit down and get to know people. This abundance of time I keep rambling about is also the reason they drink like champs – don’t try to keep up with them. The Irish will outdrink you three times over, but drinking with them is great craic anyway. Life isn’t hard in Ireland. Reiterating my previous two points, life really isn’t hard in Ireland. The only thing they’re worried about is not being called English and whether the Guinness is fresh and not from the bottom of the barrel. People are kind and almost everyone you talk to will become a friend or at least a helping hand (and most of the time they’ll come up to you first). Work is done efficiently in order to avoid mistakes and to complete it sooner so you can enjoy life (they work to live as opposed to America’s live to work mentality). Family almost always comes first, and most college students actually go home on the weekends to spend time with theirs (considering the furthest they would have to travel is only three and a half hours, it’s really no big deal). Overall, the Irish live a slow-paced, happy life and getting sucked into this lifestyle is the best thing that could have ever happened to me. While it may seem I’m biased towards Ireland (I am), America still has good qualities. However, in my opinion, the way of life in Ireland is better than in America and it’s an experience I wish everyone could enjoy. The Irish really are one of a kind and I’m proud to have ancestors from such a beautiful and wonderful country. From the landscapes to the culture to the atmosphere, this tiny island is truly a wonder.

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Looking for advice? Questions about things around campus? New to UNC Charlotte? Ask your questions at askaniner@ninertimes.com 12 APR. 2, 2019

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