APRIL 30, 2019 NINERTIMES.COM
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Tom Petty – “Full Moon Fever” 30 Years Later
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Death Cab for Cutie in Concert
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YEAR IN REVIEW: 2018-19 The top news stories of the 2018-19 academic year by Megan Bird News Editor
Photos by Chris Crews, UNC Charlotte, and Washington Post
NEWS
The end of the school year is a time for reflection. As you think back on your 2018-19 year, we at Niner Times think back on all of the news: the breaking news, the tragic news and everything in between. Here’s a look back on the good times, the bad times and the highlights of the past year:
management on behalf of Spire, the construction company that managed the project. The project also faced delays due to Hurricane Florence. Students commiserated on the “Victims of Haven49” Facebook page and many threatened to sue or break their leases.
Jerry Richardson Stadium UNC Charlotte officials announced in August they would honor the naming rights agreement of the Jerry Richardson Stadium. This announcement followed allegations of racial slurs and sexual misconduct against Richardson as well as a $2.75 million fine by the NFL. Former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson agreed to donate $10
Hurricane Florence What began as a tropical storm peaked at a Category 4 and made landfall on September 14 as a Category 1. The storm was eventually downgraded to a tropical depression, but not before causing serious destruction. The White House declared an emergency declaration and hundreds evacuated their coastal homes. Over 50 people died and many saw their property destroyed. UNC Charlotte canceled four days of classes and many sporting events in anticipation of the storm. The National Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for Mecklenburg County, and some areas of Charlotte experienced over 10 inches of rain in one weekend. Belk Plaza In late 2015, Belk Tower was demolished and plans were quickly implemented to restructure and remodel the area. In October 2018, Phase One of Belk Plaza was opened to students, faculty, staff and community members. The area boasted a large fountain and a sloping walkway leading to the fountain with greenery enveloping it as well as a performance stage opposite the fountain.
million to UNC Charlotte in return for his name on the $40 million stadium. He’s paying that in annual increments of $1 million from 2013, when the team was established, until 2022. The Student Government Association deliberated whether to protest the stadium’s name. At the Senate meeting on Aug. 30, senators read a resolution which, if passed, would have publicly stated the organization was against the board’s decision. That bill was cut from the agenda. Instead, the Student Inquiry Act passed with a stipulation to change a word in the text from “petition” to “poll.” SGA did not execute the poll after word from the Board of Trustees that they would never change their mind. Hundreds displaced by Haven49 Hundreds of students were forced to find alternative housing after apartment complex Haven49 delayed its opening from Aug. 14 to Nov. 10. Tenants relocated to hotels, couches and homes far away from campus while they waited for the occupancy approval of their new apartments. Many accrued over $1,000 in stipend money as compensation for the major inconvenience. Construction workers and residents attributed the delays to poor
The project was met with praise as well as criticism from the Charlotte community. Many complained that the area held no significance while others expressed joy for a new sight on campus. Kevin Olsen found not guilty Former UNC Charlotte quarterback Kevin Olsen was found not guilty on three counts of second-degree rape and one count of second-degree sex offense. The trial began Monday, Sept. 24 after charges originated on Feb. 19, 2017 when Olsen sent several threatening texts to his then-girlfriend while
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intoxicated. The former girlfriend alleged she was then raped and assaulted several times that night while Olsen remained adamant that all sexual acts between the two were consensual. Olsen would have faced up to 30 years in prison had he been found guilty. Former UNC System President Margaret Spellings Resigned Margaret Spellings resigned her duties as President of the UNC System effective March 1, 2019 — just three years into her five year contract with the UNC System. In a Board of Governors emergency meeting, they agreed
to a $500,000 payout and $35,000 in relocation expenses. Spellings also received a $77,500 retirement package. In November 2018, the University of North Carolina Board of Governors named Dr. William L. Roper interim president of the UNC System effective January 1, 2019. Man shot in front of UNC Charlotte Center City Campus A man was shot and injured in front of the UNC Charlotte Center City building on January 31. CMPD confirmed that multiple bullets hit the building, breaking windows but not injuring anyone inside. UNC Charlotte placed its Center-City Building on lockdown for about 45 minutes and issued a “NinerAlert”
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to inform all students and staff of the developing situation. Many students expressed alarm on social media and on UNC Charlotte’s main campus. UNC Charlotte removed the lock-down around 10 A.M. citing no active threat in the area. Lynching display outside of Rowe Recital Hall On Dec. 11, someone used a noose to hang what appeared to be a sculpture of a white body dangling from a tree. The display was clearly intended to depict a lynching. According to an email that UNC Charlotte sent to all students and staff, the Department of Police and Public Safety conducted an investigation and determined that the display was a end-of-semester art project submitted by a student of color. It remained unclear whether the student was permitted to publicly display the art project and why the student chose to do so. The hanging object was quickly removed. UNC Charlotte name change The longtime movement to drop the “UNC” came back with force after NBA player Joe Harris mistakenly pledged his trophy to the “University of Charlotte” for letting him practice in their gym. This time, students signed a petition to show Chancellor Dubois and the Board of Trustees that they were serious. The petition, created anonymously on Change.org, implored the Board of Trustees to “remove the ‘UNC’ from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.” It received over 2,800 signatures. The Chancellor did not personally comment on the new push to change the name, but Buffie Stephens, Director of Issues Management and Media Relations, confirmed that “the University is not engaged in any initiative to change the name of UNC Charlotte.” In an SGA referendum conducted in late March, 57 percent of respondents said the University should consider a name change. New elementary school In early March, UNC Charlotte announced that it will open 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 low-performing schools. 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. Open enrollment for the school began in February. The school is not operated through the typical lottery system but rather 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 beginning soon.
SATIRE: A Truce with the Goose Navigating the politics of space on campus by Nikolai Mather Assistant Opinion Editor
The Opinion Section is an uncomplicated institution. We find facts, we formulate opinions and we present our perspectives in 800 words or less. Sometimes those opinions are controversial, but due to the word limit and time constraints, we hardly ever find ourselves dealing with the most pressing moral quandaries of our time — at least within the covers of the Niner Times. Until today. It’s been said that our campus community faces a hostile takeover from a menacing, ubiquitous presence. They’re called geese. We didn’t see a whole lot of them last year, but sometime after the fall semester ended, their numbers began to increase. First, they crept up towards Moore Hall. Then, they moved outside of Cone. Now, the entirety of South Village and most of the western side of campus finds itself under occupation. The geese are, simply put, f*cking everywhere. And they don’t exactly have a reputation for being friendly neighbors. Their hobbies include: blocking pathways, honking ominously, eating garbage and bugs, getting stuck on the roof of Rowe, shitting on approximately everything and squaring up with innocent freshman just trying to get to class. One time I passed a goose on my way back from the library. As I was digging in my jacket pocket for my earbuds, I accidentally knocked out a receipt. The goose snapped it out of the air and swallowed it. Between them, the cops and the religious protestors, it’s hard to find a nonterrifying way to walk home. Which brings me to this crucial ethical dilemma. For a very long time, I abhorred the geese. Ever since the receipt incident, I’ve come to regard them as yet another system of oppression that puts my body on the line each day. (Okay, that’s an exaggeration, but I still hated them.) I grew so secure in my conviction that months ago, I bullied my section editor Madison into letting me write a satirical article about how we needed to drive the geese away from campus. I planned to
Photo by Olivia Gregson
review different methods for doing so and make an argument for a permanent solution to what I called “the goose problem.” But as I worked through my first draft, I came to recognize a disturbing theme. You see, I’m pursuing a minor in Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies, which deals primarily with how we come to perpetrate genocide. A major component of my education in that field involves learning about how propaganda is used to facilitate genocide. The more I wrote about the geese, the more I recognized classic hallmarks of genocidal propaganda: black and white thinking, stereotyping, master race discourse and so on. It made me question who the real victims were. Why do the geese hang out by Fretwell? Is it because they like to harass passerby? Is it because they enjoy Belk Plaza’s seemingly endless supply of Bojangles wrappers and caterpillars? Or is it because they have nowhere else to go? Some might suggest they could make a home out of the small pond by the nature trail towards South Village. I pass that pond everyday: it’s small, murky and has a big scary fountain in the middle. The only geese I see by it are two parents and their flock of small
OPINION yellow goslings. For a notoriously territorial creature, suggesting that this body of water — or any of the small ponds on campus, for that matter — is an adequate living space is akin to suggesting that eight freshmen and an illegal gecko can fit in a single room in Wallis: doable, but cruel. I’ve come to think that maybe the geese occupy busy thoroughfares because they have no other choice. I’m not saying the geese are angels. I’ve been traumatized by the geese before and I don’t think it’s fair to myself and other victimized students to say that the geese aren’t at fault. What I do think is that the University has unfairly, and perhaps unthinkingly, pitted two resilient, wild forces (students and geese) against one another. Forcing us to exist at close, uncomfortable proximity is a tried-and-true recipe for interspecies tension. History has shown that situations like these can give way to a genocidal impulse, even among normally compassionate individuals. We have to acknowledge that geese and students have little choice over where they can live on campus; it is up to the administration. And when we do, we are presented with a choice. Do we demand the Chancellor round up all the geese — including those cute babies by the pond — and push them out into urban Charlotte where they will almost certainly perish? Or do we demand the Chancellor make room for us and these delightful denizens of chaos to live in relative peace? This is still a satirical article. You can laugh and joke about how you feel about the geese to your friends after reading this. But before I close out this column — and another fantastic year with the Niner Times — I encourage all of you to stop and think critically about the politics of space on this campus. Who, or what, is permitted room to exist? Who, or what, is not? And above all: how do you clean goose sh*t off of your Birkenstocks?
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TOP 10 ICONIC
A&E by Elissa Miller, Noah Howell, Kathleen Cook, Pooja Pasupula, and Jeffrey Kopp
Images courtesy of Patrick Magoon, Universal Pictures, Sony Pictures and Walt Disney Pictures
Hi! My name is Bill. I am a goose. This is my first article. I chose to review the most famous goose movies of all time. Goosefellas: High school student Henry Goose is in love with the mystery and action of the mob, the crime underbelly of the pond ecosystem. Starting with the lower levels and working his way up, Goose becomes involved with the murder of a member of a prominent crime family. The movie follows his many affairs with other geese, his time in prison, his underground algae business, and eventually the Witness Protection Program.
A&E welcomes guest reporter Bill (a goose) t
place throughout the Civil War and Reconstruction. This tale follows the story of Scarlett O’Hara, the daughter of a plantation owner. Will she find love with Goose Wilkes or Rhett Goosler? The four-hour-long film is considered a staple and won ten Academy Awards. Bill: “An incredible and epic tale but it is too long. 3/5.”
Bill: “This is a beautiful story in which a goose learns to love. A classic. 5/5.”
Pond Wars Episode I: The Phantom Goose: A long time ago, in a galaxy far far away…a longstanding fight between good and evil begins. Goose master Qui-Gon Jinn and his apprentice Obi-Wan Kenobi discover a young gosling, Anakin Goosewalker, who is adept at racing. Realizing they have found their “Chosen One,” the two decide to train him. Will Anakin be the savior of the Geese or will he turn to the dark side, the Ducks? Watch all three films in this prequel trilogy to find out.
Gone With the Wind: An epic, historical romance that takes
Bill: “Quite frankly, the worst of the Pond Wars movies. But since it is
Bill: “A seedy, dark movie about the mob. Not really my cup of worms, but I appreciate it. 3.5/5.” Beauty and the Geese: After a self-centered prince refuses a witch shelter in his castle, she transforms him into a goose. His castle servants are unfortunately included in the spell. His only hope is to find someone who can love him before an enchanted piece of bread molds. Years later, the castle and prince long forgotten, Belle’s father loses his way in the woods and is held captive by the angry Goose. Belle offers to stay with Goose in exchange for her father. Will they learn to love each other along the way?
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(technically) the first one, it is here. The character Duck Duck Goose is universally hated by fans. However, the final goose fight is one of the best in the series. 3.5/5.” Avengers: Geesegame: The past eleven years have been building up to this. Every Marvel movie,
every superhero. It all hangs in the balance. The aftermath of Thanos’ snap destroyed every living being in the pond, from geese to fish to algae. Can the remaining Avengers regroup to defeat him? With the help of some new friends in the form of Geeseman and Captain Goose, maybe.
C GOOSE MOVIES
to review some of the most famous movies about geese outdated now. I like that we have the same name. 4/5.”
Bill: “This movie was terrifying. I will never sleep again. 5/5.”
Goosezilla: A huge, terrifying bird named Goosezilla awakens after nuclear radiation reaches his pond. He wreaks havoc throughout Japan, knocking down buildings and murdering people. The government’s forces are powerless to stop it and easily flung aside by Goosezilla. Can a scientists’ new creation defeat this monster?
Skyfall: After Goose Bond is presumed dead during a missiongone-wrong, a former MI6 agent arises in a cyber terrorist plot against his former organization. With Bond back on the scene, the aging spy must return home to the Bond family pond with the head of MI6, G, in order to make their final stand.
Bill: “This is the first of a series that has been rebooted many times. It is fun, but cheesy. A very classic monster film though. 3/5. ”
Bill: “I cried the entire time. But this was the perfect ending. 5/5.” Bill: There’s something lurking on campus...After a college student is murdered by a large goose, the entire campus shuts down. A team consisting of the chief of police, a marine biologist, and a goose-hunting
expert float into the murky waters of the pond to find it. After an intense and life-threatening battle, their boat begins to sink and the hunting expert dies. In a last-ditch attempt, the monster of a goose is finally killed. Bill: “A classic horror film, though the special effects are kind of
Nightmare on Geese Street: A group of high school students find themselves terrorized by Goosey Kruger, a horrifying bird that haunts them in their dreams. The catch: if he pecks them to death in their sleep, they die in real life. The teens are slowly murdered, until the finally realize Goosey is powered by their fear. Just when they think it is all over, he returns. Sequels abound.
Bill: “Probably my favorite of the Craig films, though it will never touch ‘Goosefinger.’ 5/5.” The Haunting of Geese House: The Crain family is haunted by the memories of their time at Goose House, as well as the geese that seem to follow them years later. Tragedy may have torn the family apart, but the geese that now haunt them may just be the thing that brings them back together. There is no escaping these geese; they’re ingrained in the past, present, and future of the Crains. Bill: “This Netflix series is so good I’m including it in this list of movies. Terrifying. A lot of fun. 5.5/5.” Thank you Niner Times for letting me write the last A&E article of the year. Hopefully, I will write for you again next year! See you around campus (I am generally by the pond or Colvard)! For more of my movie reviews, go to goosereviewsmovies.com.
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ACROSS 1 Britannica ref. 4 Singer LuPone 9 Baseball hat 12 Classic grape soda 14 Sarge’s command 15 Put into play 16 Advice columnists Ann and Abby, e.g. (AL Central) 18 “If I may digress ...,” in texts 19 Sprinted 20 Jackie’s Ari 22 __ one’s time: didn’t rush 23 Sharp-tasting 24 King’s tenure 27 Tiered Asian temple 30 Apt.’s sleeping area 33 “Bro!” 35 Hitch, as a ride 36 Commit perjury 37 Monarch’s self-referential plural pronoun (AL Central) 39 Shop __ you drop
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40 “The Giant” of wrestling 42 Food for hogs 43 “Ohio” quartet, initially 44 St. Peter’s domain 46 “The Lion King” hero 48 Chinese PC giant whose name is partly derived from the Latin for “new” 50 Hertz rival 53 Faddish pursuit, after “all” 55 Carefree antics 58 “The Fault in __ Stars”: 2014 film 59 Pride or greed, e.g. (NL Central) 61 Obtain 62 Neatened (up) 63 Chekov bridgemate, in “Star Trek” 64 GEICO specialties? 65 Little cuts 66 Org. in which the start of five answers is a “central” player
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DOWN 1 __’acte: intermission 2 A novice in 3 Trouser material 4 Kid brother, at times 5 Colony crawler 6 2000s teen drama set in California 7 Rutabaga, e.g. 8 Tryst-confirming words 9 Preteens in a pack (NL Central) 10 Italian wine hub 11 Chapel seats 13 Bring up to speed 14 “__ the season ... “ 17 Sushi bar drink 21 [Ah, me!] 23 “Furthermore ... “ 25 Altar promise 26 Five __: burger chain 28 Key with one flat: Abbr. 29 With dexterity 30 “How dull” 31 Enjoy fine food 32 Warnings of serious danger (NL Central) 34 Wells sci-fi race 37 Performs in costume, as a Civil War battle 38 Typist’s meas. 41 KOA patron 43 Nitpicks 45 Consequence of an absence of pain, in an exercise mantra 47 Mexicali’s peninsula 49 “Rigoletto” composer 51 “To wrap up ... “ 52 Proficiency 53 Frat party garb 54 Tinted 55 Makes haste, old-style 56 Swing voter: Abbr. 57 Cold shoulder 60 Quick swim
The Signal Caller
SPORTS
Harris Yett does damage on and behind the plate
by Jonathan Limehouse Assistant Sports Editor
Being behind the plate requires sharp vision, skillful decision-making and tremendous fortitude. Whether Charlotte catcher senior Harris Yett is behind the plate, or up to bat, he’s certainly capable of affecting the outcome of the game. Yett’s hitting .343 and has started 43 games thus far. While the team’s record stands at a moderate 16-26-1, Yett’s been well above average and a stand out contributor for the 49ers. “I’m just trying to do more damage this season,” said Yett. “Last season I hit for a good average, but I didn’t hit as much extra base hits as I wanted to and this season I’ve just been making it a big thing to try and do damage.” Yett’s hitting hasn’t always translated to wins for the ball club, but his steady play is encouraging as the season dwindles down. “As a whole, it has been kind of frustrating, up and down, but for me I think I’ve done fine,” said Yett. “I’d like to be a little better, I always can get better at every aspect of the game, but I think we’re about to finish strong. We’ll pick it up in the last couple of weekends.” Yett’s journey to Charlotte is extraordinary. He played high school ball at South Mecklenburg High School, before committing to play collegiately at North Carolina State. Yett accredits a lot of his preparedness for college to being a South Mecklenburg Sabre. “Playing summer ball on that team, we had a lot of guys that went off and played at really big schools, we always had a bunch of attention on us,” said Yett. “Honestly it just helped me learn how to play in that environment and just relax a little more. In high school, probably the
greatest thing I took away from it was playing actual high school ball, [and] we ended up winning the state championship my junior year at South Meck.” Yett was born in Charlotte, so him transferring to play in the city where he was raised is a homecoming of sort. “I originally went to NC State out of high school, and then I went to junior college for a year and then I decided to come back to Charlotte. I just missed being close to home, I love Charlotte, I’ve lived here my whole life so I just felt it was time to come back,” said Yett. Yett’s father, Charles, played collegiate football at Wofford University. The 222 pound Yett decided against following in his father’s footsteps and picked up a glove instead of a pigskin. “I played a little bit of football growing up, but baseball has always been my number one sport,” said Yett. “My high school football team at the time was not very good, and we would have to do summer work outs. I always played on summer ball teams, so I just had to choose one or the other, so I just stuck with baseball.” Sticking with baseball seemed to be a wise decision, and deciding to be a catcher has led to him being a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award last season, and he’s on the watch list for his play this season. “I caught my whole life, I can play corner infield but I just definitely feel most comfortable behind the plate,” said Yett. Yett’s bond with his current and former roommates is special. He rooms with teammates Colby Bruce, Carson Pinkney and Joey Cooner
Photo by Chris Crews
who’re all pitchers. Their bond off of the field translates to their play on the field. “Oh yeah it translates all the time, because we tend to get split up between position players and pitchers just because of the practice plan and stuff like that,” said Yett. “I’m that guy who’s on the position side, but I always got to be on the pitchers side too, so it definitely helps rooming with some of those guys and getting to hang with those guys off the field.” Yett speaks and trains with former teammates as well, some of whom he may be playing with in the minors in June. “I talked to Brett Netzer, my roommate last year Josh Maciejewski, Reece Hampton and Zach Jarrett. All of them were here working out all fall so I got to learn a lot from how they took care of their business everyday, and what it takes to play at that next
level,” said Yett. As Yett wraps up his last season as a 49er, the minors are just around the corner for the catcher. “I’ve got to get there first so we’ll see come June. I’m just looking forward to the opportunity to play at the next level with other professionals and the game will be faster,” said Yett. This season hasn’t been ideal for the 49ers baseball club, but Yett wants to finish out his final season on a high note before he ascends to the next level. “This season we’re going to finish on a strong note and after this season that’s to be determined, we’ll see,” said Yett. We indeed will see, and Yett will have all eyes on him as he finishes out this season and prepares to move on to the minors.
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LIFESTYLE
by Hailey Turpin Lifestyle Editor
HOW NOT TO MAKE CAMPUS GEESE MAD
Photo by Olivia Gregson
Ever since my freshman year when my roommate got chased on campus by a nesting goose, I’ve made strict precautions not to disturb them because that scenario turned out to be quite scary. Here are some tips and tricks on how to keep yourself, and more importantly the geese, safe on campus. 1. DO NOT PROVOKE. One of the main reasons people get attacked by geese is because they are provoking them. Leaving them alone to do what geese do is the best way to not piss off a goose who might think you’re going to hurt their goslings. A mad mother goose is probably one of the more dangerous creatures. If you leave them alone and avoid areas that are goose nests, there is not ever a reason a goose should come after you. Being Barstool famous is not worth it, just leave them be (also the Canadian geese we have here in America are protected by law, so don’t get yourself in trouble). 2. Know what time of the year it is. By this I mean know when it’s mating, nesting (raising goslings), molting (shedding of feathers) or pond-hopping season. In my experience, I’ve found that geese are most hostile during the mating and nesting seasons because of their protective instincts. According to The Humane Society, when geese are molting, they decide not to fly because of how much they shed at a certain time, so this time is the most vulnerable for geese. Mating season is approximately mid-February to mid-April, nesting season is early March to mid-May, and molting season is mid-June to mid-August.
1970s-80s and don’t migrate to other countries because their parents didn’t teach them? The geese of today are not the same migrators as other North American geese because of how they got to America. 4. Avoid them if you can. Like number one, the best way to not make the geese mad is to avoid them. They have done no harm to you and they won’t unless you mess with them. Know where they hang out around campus, when the seasons are to avoid them totally or figure out how to not disturb it when you come in contact with one. 5. DON’T FEED THEM. Geese are animals who know how to forage for their own food. Often when given bread to eat, it can mess up their digestive system and even cause their feathers to ruffle out into what’s called angel wings, making them unable to fly. If you take away a bird’s ability to fly, it often enables them to die, which then could get you in trouble. Just don’t feed them. It’s not healthy for them and the goal of all of these tips is how to peacefully exist with the wonderful bird. All in all, the goose is like a grumpy grandfather that you don’t really hang out with. You know when exactly to avoid them, how to not feed them with any type of food or thoughts and you understand why they are the way they are. These tips are the keys to keeping you, the UNC Charlotte geese and the geese across America safe.
3. Know why geese are the way they are. Did you know that Canadian geese were brought here as goslings in the
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Looking for advice? Questions about things around campus? New to UNC Charlotte? Ask your questions at askaniner@ninertimes.com
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