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Hunter Heilman editor@ninertimes.com EDITORIAL
Alex Sands NEWS EDITOR Kathleen Cook SPORTS EDITOR Jeffrey Kopp A&E EDITOR Hailey Turpin LIFESTYLE EDITOR Salina Dickie COPY EDITOR Mia Shelton OPINION EDITOR Leysha Caraballo PHOTO COORDINATOR Pooja Pasupula PHOTO COORDINATOR Chris McKinnis VIDEO PRODUCER Carmen Westra COMMUNITY EDITOR Kathryn Whitesides LAYOUT EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITORS
Stephanie Trefzger, Angie Baquedano, Emily Hickey, Joshua Worley, Emma West, Natasha Morehouse CONTRIBUTING STAFF
Kim Leaston, Denzel Davis, Cameron Halsey, Nikolai Mather, Delfina Erochenko COVER PHOTOS BY
Pooja Pasupula and Chimena Ihebuzor
NEWS
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HOMECOMING WEEK KICKS OFF SUNDAY
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THE GREEN WORMS ARE BACK LIKE THEY NEVER LEFT
SPORTS
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THE 49ERS PICK UP ANOTHER VICTORY ON THE ROAD
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MIDDLE TENNESSE PULLS UPSET AGAINST CHARLOTTE
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LIFESTYLE
MOVIE REVIEW: ʻHAPPY DEATH DAYʼ IS AN ÜBER-FUN HORROR ROMP
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A LETTER TO A COLLEGE FRESHMEN FROM UNCC JUNIOR
TV REVIEW: ʻFEAR THE WALKING DEADʼ– ʻEL MATADEROʼ
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HISTORYʼS ODDEST JOBS
MARKETING DIRECTOR
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Fred Brown
Linnea Stoops
mktdirector@uncc.edu
production@uncc.edu
MARKETING STAFF
Kayla Christian, Brandon Cox, Brandon Freer, Ryan Scott, Teely Yang, Yishni Yun
INDIE SPOTLIGHT: ʻCUPHEADʼ AND ʻGOLF STORYʼ
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THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA AT THE UNDERGROUND
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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NEWS
CELEBRATING CULTURE
By Kim Leaston Photos by Pooja Pasupula & Chimena Ihebuzor
Charlotteʼs international community comes together for food, music and more at iFest 2017
If you have ever wanted to learn about world cultures but can’t afford the trip, UNC Charlotte’s International Festival is the place for you. Celebrating its 42nd year on Oct. 14, the festival has become an opportunity for the region’s diverse international community to come together and share their cultures and traditions with the over 20,000 attendees. The event, which is held at the James H. Barnhardt Student Activity Center (SAC), featured over 50 nations this year. Visitors were able to experience food, dance, sports and music as just a few of the activities presented during the six-hour event from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. this past Saturday. Explorers are transported to an international bazaar as they weave through the large groups of people surrounding displays of treasures such as jewelry from Kenya, art from Syria, comic books from Belgium and crêpes from France. UNC Charlotte’s iFest is like a treat for the senses as you take in the smells, sounds and sights of every booth and performance. A place where all are
welcome and there is something to see and do for everyone. With this year being the first that Belgium was present at the festival, Lianne Meilhac enjoyed being able to represent her husband’s country at the booth. She thinks that in previous years, the area Belgian expatriate may not have really thought about participating, but said “that given what is going on in the world right now, it felt like we really needed to represent more of everybody.” A number of the items on display in their booth were provided by the Belgian consulate after her husband contacted them about taking part in this year’s festival. Meilhac believes that she and her husband will definitely be coming back next year. The International Festival is an opportunity for generations of families to come together and represent their heritage. The Hungarian booth, which has participated for the past ten years, was an example of that. Christina Gladden moved to the United States from Hungary about 23 years ago and her children came out to help work the Hungary booth with her this year.
“[My children] love it,” she said. “They love when people come up and talk to them so that’s awesome.” The festival is not only an opportunity for nations to display their own culture, but to also come together with other nations and learn something new. Gladden mentioned that earlier in the day, the Hungarians and Bulgarians came together to share music and dance. She said that the Bulgarian’s bag pipe song was playing and that they invited the Hungarians to come over and dance with them. Moments like this one could be seen throughout the day as presenters from different nations took time to walk around and see what others had to offer. Thanks to the collaboration of community sponsors like Chartwell’s College and University Dining Services, Cone University Center, the Office of Business Affairs, the Office of International Programs and Student Union Activities & Recreation, UNC Charlotte’s International Festival 2017 was another success, and many attendees are already looking forward to next year.
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OCT. 17, 2017
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UNC Charlotte raises awareness on intimate partner violence
POLICE BLOTTER OCT. 8 - OCT. 13
By Kim Leaston Photo courtesy of U.S. Air Force In recognition of the thirtieth year of Domestic Violence Awareness Month this October, the UNC Charlotte community is offering a number of opportunities for the campus to get involved and informed. University organizations and departments including the Title IX office and The University Center for Wellness Promotion are offering workshops, demonstrations and campaigns that promote important information and resources for students, faculty and staff regarding intimate partner violence. UNC Charlotte’s “It’s Time to Say eNOugh” social media campaign launched in 2017 with a grant funded by the Jamie Kimble Foundation for Courage which aims to spread awareness about the continuing issue of intimate partner violence. In 2012, 31-year-old Jamie Kimble was the victim of a murder suicide, at the hands of her ex-boyfriend. According to the foundation’s website, her parents, Ron and Jan Kimble began the foundation, “to support organizations and programs that create a future free of intimate partner violence.” The campaign features content created by Capital Broadcasting Company and the N.C. Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Their messages will be posted on YouTube, Facebook, Snapchat and WRAL.com and will include information for the UNC Charlotte eNOugh NC website. Valuable phone numbers and links can be found on this site, whether you are a victim of domestic violence, know someone that is or would just like to learn more. On Oct. 5, campus events kicked off with the Paint Your Pinkies Purple event outside of the Prospector Building. The event, hosted by the Title IX office, helped students, faculty and staff take part in vowing to stand against domestic violence by painting their pinkies purple
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ARREST OCT. 13 •
Lot five, subject was arrested after it was determined that she had outstanding warrants.
MOLEST FIRE EQUIPMENT OCT. 13 •
and creating their own messages against domestic violence for social media. This event was also the first opportunity in October to use the hashtag #thurple (think purple) to promote wearing purple on Thursdays in recognition of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. According to Loveisrespect.org, a project created by the National Domestic Violence Hotline, one in six college women has experienced sexual abuse in a relationship. Along with that, 43 percent of female college students reported having experienced violent and abusive behavior while dating. Their studies also showed that as college students, 57 percent say it is difficult to identify domestic violence and 58 percent say they don’t know how to help a victim. This year’s remaining events include: • Escalation Workshop presented by Mu Sigma Upsilon Sorority on Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. in Cone University Center Room 113 • Be an Active Bystander on Oct. 19 outside of the Prospector Building • Shine the Light on Domestic Violence 2017 on Oct. 26 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. outside of the Prospector Building
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Cone Deck, fire pull station was activated by an unknown person.
TRESPASS OCT. 8 •
Scott Hall, unknown person(s) entered a fenced location of a construction site and discharged fire extinguishers.
VANDALISM OCT. 10 •
Wallis Hall, a known person spray-painted words on the wall outside of the subject’s room in Wallis Hall.
OCT. 11 •
South Village Deck, officers took a report of a damaged gate arm.
WEAPON VIOLATION OCT. 8 •
Football stadium, officer issued a campus appearance ticket in reference to subject being in possession of a weapon at the football game.
For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
WORKING OPINION WITH WORKPEH SPORTS Story by Kathleen Cook Photo by Chris Crews After a late start to the sport, receiver Workpeh Kofa has contributed on the field for the 49ers since his freshman season. Kofa was a late bloomer when it came concentrating on playing football. He took up the sport in eighth grade, but the pigskin always came in second to basketball. It wasn’t until Kofa’s junior year at Independence high school that he started to look seriously at football. Once he gave the game his all, he reaped the rewards on the field. “I started to develop in football and it became more natural. When I started taking it more seriously, I saw more results on the field,” Kofa said. In his junior season at the high school level, he was named the Offensive MVP after having 604 receiving yards and 9 touchdowns. At the conclusion of his high school career, Kofa had over 1,500 career receiving yards and twenty touchdowns. The threestar prospect received offers from schools including Appalachain State, Louisville, Ball State an Toledo. Another names being tossed in the hat for Kofa: the Charlotte 49ers. Charlotte wasn’t a new face in the recruiting world for Independence players. Just a couple of years earlier, the 49ers recruited another receiver from the program by the name of Austin Duke. Though they shared the same field in high school, the pair of receivers were not close until Kofa began his recruting process. “It’s funny because in high school, me and Austin barely talked, we never hung out,” Kofa said. People might have thought we were close then, but we didn’t actually get close until I got here and kind of when I was getting recruited here. It’s kind of weird
and funny now that I look back at it.” With the different options presented to Kofa for his collegiate career, the recruiting process for the now 6-foot-1, 206 pound receiver was intense. “That whole thing was just so crazy. If I could give advice to any high school kids doing it now, I would tell them to take their time with it, just be smart about it and go somewhere you’re comfortable. That’s what I did,” Kofa said. One of the major factors for creating the warm atmosphere in the Queen City was coach Phil Ratliff. “Coach Ratliff had a big influence, I was very comfortable with coach Ratliff. I don’t want to say I had a problem trusting coaches, but I want to be somewhere I know I’m comfortable and somebody is going to watch my back through tough times,” Kofa said. After Ratliff’s passing, Kofa said “his presence is still here, you can feel it because everything is family based here. Everyone has to look out for each other, especially after that.” After serving a redshirt season in 2014, Kofa saw the field in all 12 games during the 2015 slate. After adjusting the needs of the team, Kofa ended the season with 17 catches for 177 yards. “There’s definitely been a lot I had to learn, especially my first year. I had to tell myself to be ready
any moment because I never knew when I was going to go in,” Kofa said. At the start of the 2016 season, veteran receiver Trent Bostick was sidelined for all games after a concussion prior to the first contest of the year. This opened the door for Kofa and teammate T.L. Ford II to step up and fill the void. “I’ve always had confidence in my game and I always see myself as a number one receiver no matter what I’m doing,” Kofa said. “But I did have to step up from the reps I got from my freshman year to my sophomore year. I feel like I did a good job in that and I feel like I showed that I can be a number one receiver.” Kofa made an impact on the field for the 49ers during his second season. He was third on the team after converting 27 catches for 329 yards. He led the 49ers offense with five receiving touchdowns. His successes carried over into the 2017 season. Kofa leads all Charlotte receivers with 265 yards so far this season. His longest reception was 44 yards against North Carolina A&T. Against the Aggies, Kofa put up a career-high of 110 yards. After 38 yards against Marshall, the receiver registered over 750 career yards. His 771 yards make him the fourth Charlotte player to eclipse 750 career yards. “I didn’t know until after the game. The goal is always a thousand yards each season, I feel like every receiver should reach for that. I’m grateful, but I know I can do way more than what I have been doing. That’s what I’m aiming to work towards, just being more productive, being the number one target I know I can be.” With a dismal 0-7 season so far for the 49ers, leadership is needed on the field for Charlotte. Kofa looks to lead his teammates, not just by his words, but through his actions on the field and in the weight room. “I consider myself a leader, but not a vocal leader. I’ve always been more of a show your leadership in your play, how you practice and being consistent in everything you do. It’s something I truly believe in.”
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LOVE OF THE GAME Story by Denzel Davis
Every child at least once dreams of being a professional athlete. The thrill of the game, the cloak winding and the cheers of the crowd is a rush that every person dreams of. The difference between making these dreams reality is a love for the game and a love for the bitter work that Elliot Panicco has always had. “I started playing soccer when I was about 4 or 5 years old. I started playing goalkeeper when I was about 12 and fell in love,” said Panicco. The opportunity to play in coleege for Panicco was not just a far off dream. Between all of the long hours spent on the field in high school, and his love for soccer, Panicco was ready for the recruitment letters and scouts that started calling for him his junior year in high school. “I always loved playing soccer and I
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just played it for fun growing up and I always had those aspirations to go pro, it didn’t really become a reality to make those dreams come true until my junior year of high school when I started getting recruited by colleges and Charlotte is a big school to be recruited by so i was really excited about that. I’m really happy to be here and to be playing on this level to help not only our team progress but also myself so I can it to make the next level,” Panicco said. Panicco has always had a passion and a love for soccer. The day-to-day work and effort that it takes to make it to the college level is something that Elliot has enjoyed. When you love the game the bitter work is fun and the long hours are a joy. “The work load is a lot but I don’t think it’s a lot cause I enjoy
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I DON’T THINK OF IT AS WORK. I JUST THINK OF IT AS ANOTHER DAY TO HANG OUT WITH GUYS THAT I’M WORKING TOWARDS A GOAL WITH,
ELLIOT PANICCO
49ERS GOALKEEPER coming out here everyday and being around the guys,” said Panicco. “It’s a lot of fun to be here and I don’t think of it as work. I just think of it as another day to be able to hang out with guys that I’m working towards a
goal with so I really enjoy it.” Panicco’s love for the game pushes him to continue to try to be the best. His aspirations of playing at the next level cannot easily be detoured. His personal motivation to be great keeps him pushing day in and day out. He also draws strength from his team. Panicco takes a lot of pride in the drive that his fellow players possess. Every guy pushes each other to be better day in, and day out. “The whole team keeps me pushing, I think everybody wants to push each other and doesn’t settle for mediocrity,” Pannicco said. “I think we all do a good job of making sure that if we do something good we praise them for it and we tell them to keep going and if you slip up them pat on the back and we just keep going.”
THE RIGHT TO PROTEST
OPINION
By Nikolai Mather Photo Courtsey of WikiMedia Commons
You’d have to be living under a rock (or maybe University Crossings) to not know who they are. Two skinny white guys in khakis and tucked-in t-shirts, a girl in a bonnet and an ankle-length cotton dress, all toting a couple kids and some very, very graphic signs. They make a habit of standing in front of the student union and shouting Old-Testamentbased vitriol at passerby. I saw these folks at Charlotte Pride. I did my best to ignore them then. But when a midday trip to Wendy’s necessitated passing by them and listening to their anti-gay rhetoric, I elected to give them exactly what they wanted: attention. I called two of my roommates, Grey and Michael, and asked them to haul my six-foot rainbow flag down to CHHS. What resulted was seven hours of bafflingly inane protest: we danced, we had picnics, we chanted, we practiced geography with a couple of vloggers, we got free ice cream, and pet several dogs. It started out as just us and a couple friends eating pizza at the protesters’ feet; it ended with a full-blown group shout-fest, with attendance clocking at about forty or fifty. As Tuesdays go, it was pretty bizarre. This truly silly experience prompted a much more significant ideological conflict: how welcome should protest be on college campuses? With violent hate speech on the rise and an increasingly polarized political environment, the risk of having extremist adherents on campus may prove to be greater than universities are willing to bear. Take UC Berkeley: in February, ultra-conservative and self-described “internet troll” Milo Yiannopoulos planned to give a speech sponsored by one of the university’s student groups---and was met with violent opposition. And this isn’t just a Berkeley issue: schools around the country have seen fights break out between students and protesters. UNCC is no
different. On Tuesday, one student (who wishes to remain anonymous) had a very intense confrontation with one of the protesters. We were positive that the argument was about to get physical, so we separated them and pulled the student off to the side. They were so frustrated by the encounter that they cried for about ten minutes afterwards. “He just wouldn’t listen,” they recounted. “It was as if he couldn’t even hear me.” I’m no conservative. I’m no liberal either. And I’m not even halfway through my firstyear Comparative Politics class. But I don’t think it takes a degree in political science to see that protests like these get us nowhere. Free speech, as the founding fathers intended it to be (and as our university system interprets it), is supposed to foster intellectual improvement. People are supposed to walk away from these events feeling curious and more open-minded. And while a couple folks seemed to enjoy debating with these people for a few minutes, the vast majority of those I spoke to throughout the day seemed to hate it. Christian students would dash over between classes and apologize profusely for the behavior of “these so-called disciples.” War veterans passing by found the gory image of a dismembered child extremely disturbing. And the rest of us were just tired of hearing medically inaccurate descriptions of gay sex. Very few of us walked away feeling as though we had a productive, positive academic discussion; most of us were just sunburnt, exhausted, and feeling as though we had dodged a bullet. As one junior put it, “It’s really hard to keep your temper in check when they’re screaming at you, and you know that if you make, like, one wrong move, like even just poking their wrist, then you’re getting sued or beat on.” That’s not to say it wasn’t manageable.
Next time I see those guys, you can be sure that I’ll be bopping around their fire-andbrimstone signage chanting “all dogs are gay.” Not because it was fun skipping classes, but because they will return. Since UNC Charlotte is a publicly funded university, the First Amendment can be exercised anywhere on campus public spaces. As long as they’re not using speakers or attacking one person in particular, every zealot and his mother can carry a baby-corpse sign and yell about lesbians. From now until the United States collapses; liability and student health be damned. So if you’re still feeling raw about all this, here’s my opinion: don’t go cursing the chancellor, don’t go printing out nice and accepting Bible verses to read out to Crocs-and-socks preachers, and do NOT let these people get to you, because believe me, they’re going to outlast you. My own mother remembers seeing these guys traipsing around UC Davis in the 90s---an online petition sure as heck isn’t going to change that. What we can change is our attitudes. I don’t mean convert to Nazism, I mean, appreciate how ridiculous this situation is. These folks clock in at 9, scream about abortion, and clock out at 5. They’re paid to be jerks. How crazy is that? They’re out here looking like extras for Little House on the Prairie . Their kids are running barefoot on the concrete in 90-degree weather. What’s up with that? And then maybe, when you’ve had a laugh about how ludicrous the Year of Our Lord 2017 is, join us in being louder and more ridiculous than them. Because if they can do it, why can’t we? As my roommate Michael said, “If we’re annoying enough, maybe they’ll leave!” Go on, UNCC. Dust off those picket signs and get a little silly. There’s plenty of ice cream and chants to go around.
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OCT. 17, 2017
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HEALTH INSURANCE NOW A CAPITALIST EMPIRE
By Emily Hickey Photos by Paulick Report and Flickr Americans are fat and lazy. At least that’s what other countries think about us, such as Greece (58% of the population find the U.S. unfavorable) and China (48% of the population find the U.S. unfavorable). It’s the embarrassing stereotype that the USA cannot seem to shake; like a sore on your skin that is would cost too much to get antibiotics for. Maybe it’s because of our fast-food empire yielded a total of $36.4 billion in sales in 2016 just at McDonald’s, or maybe our general lack of health knowledge. Yeah, look at our nation’s poor health knowledge, and while you’re at it, look at our health insurance.
We are the only first-world nation without universal, affordable healthcare for our citizens. It has been tossed, turned, stripped, and switched, yet we are still left with outstanding prices and a country who would rather wait out their broken wrist than go to the hospital because they know they cannot afford it. Imagine: you are allergic to peanuts. You accidentally ingest said nut. You need an emergency EPIPEN injection that can only be obtained at a hospital. The Epinephrine Auto-Injector was recently bought by Mylan who increased the price to profit from people who are at risk of dying from a severe allergic reaction or anaphylactic shock. Because you accidentally ate a peanut, a hospital trip could cost you as much as $1,600 without insurance. I can pay four months of rent with that kind of money. According to the Republicans, Obama is to
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blame with his healthcare system snidely called Obamacare. After taking over the White House in America’s recent elections, they drafted their own bill to replace Obamacare and called it CassidyGraham, after Senators Bill Cassidy (R) and Lindsey Graham (R). Obamacare sucks in some aspects, but Cassidy-Graham sucks more. Each of the four healthcare bills that have been drafted to replace ACA since Trump’s presidency have failed. Maybe because they included provisions such as cuts to Medicaid and major roll-backs to protections for pre-existing conditions. These two very poignant details have left the people enraged and the realization has become clear that Washington’s interests lay less with the people and more with the power those people provide them. The claim is that by cutting certain programs and protections including Medicaid covering senior citizens, people with disabilities, and families with children, it will lower the cost of health insurance as a whole. Instead of a singlepayer healthcare system, each state will be able to oversee its citizens’ healthcare and insurance companies will be able to compete in the field of “whose healthcare is better”. While this seems good on paper, you end up with companies like Mylan who take advantage of their patients and profit from their ailments. ACA subsidies would be removed and states would be given the freedom to use federal block grants to fund their healthcare. This most likely would result in too little spent on healthcare and too much landing in the pockets of Senators. That’s not what people want to believe, but it’s what has been proven to occur time and time again. “The care of human life and happiness, and not their destruction, is the first and only object of good government.” A quote by Thomas Jefferson that remains true today; the people you govern come first, your power comes next. Without your people, you have no power. The logistics of Cassidy-Graham work when the cut of spending is the topic at the forefront. However, decreased spending comes at a moral price: the people get tricked. Planned Parenthood would have decreased funding and lesser functioning for a year under CassidyGraham, and again, people with pre-existing conditions would not have mattered The Senators
are so compelled with repealing ACA that they will go to any length to do so. Senator Graham even stated: “Well, I’ve been (drafting the bill) for about a month. I thought everybody else knew what the hell they were talking about, but apparently not.” If the Senators don’t understand healthcare, how are we supposed to trust that what they propose is an efficient plan? Healthcare is a human right, not an empire. In America, we have extraordinary doctors and even better medicine, but the average American cannot afford either. The view that most Republicans have towards health insurance is to turn it into a capitalist dream. Capitalism is good for business and enterprise, but in the field of life or death, there is no room for it. Instead of prioritizing reelection by removing the ACA, Senators need to start prioritizing the lives of the population they represent.
SOULFUL SUNDAY
A&E
Bassel & the Supernaturals sit down with the Niner Times at the Vinyl Pi bar for a an exclusive interview by Cameron Halsey 1st page by Kari Terzino 2nd page photo by Sarah Hess Niner Times [NT]: As you and your band are not as well known, can you please give us a short backstory on you? Bassel Almadani [BA]: Of course. I am a first generation Syrian-American born in Ohio and raised here in the US. My parents and most of my family are originally from Aleppo, Syria, where my father was an OBGYN where he delivered babies in Syria, and America once my parents came over from Syria. Due to my parents being able to leave Syria, we were very lucky to avoid most of the conflict that my family had to experience. In terms of my growing up, I pretty much had a normal upbringing as an American child but was heavily connected to my family’s Syrian roots through my summer trips there; I loved my trips there. When it came to my adulthood, I graduated from Ohio State with a degree in Logistics and International Business and worked with Sears and Cars.com in Chicago and I now am a freelancer as I wanted to pursue my music career. NT: How did you and your band come together? BA: When I moved to Chicago and started to peruse my music career, I simply was just going around looking for other artists to collaborate with and over time me and my bandmates came together to form Bassel & The Supernatural’s, and we have been together ever since. NT: Every artist goes through a phase of building themselves up and finding who they are and their desired style. How did you find yours? BA: Well when I started playing, I was very interested in Indie Folk and its sound, so I originally started playing in that style. After moving to Chicago, I found myself going into
venues that primarily featured soul music, and that made me start further looking into it. This led me to listening to lots of artists like Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder, and molding my sound with soul music to find the band’s current style. NT: Your most recent release “Elements” continues exhibiting your unique style; how did you keep this in mind when making your album? BA: Well, our albums in general are meant to give off a jazzy, feel good vibe, while also talking about the experiences I had as a first generation Syrian-American, my visits to Syria, my family’s fortune to be in the USA and to inform listeners about the conflict in Syria that the citizens can’t tell themselves. NT: I see this a lot in your songs “Lost,” “Sneak You In” and “Aleppo.” BA: Yes. “Lost” was a song with a dual purpose. For me it was a reaction to a specific event of loss in my family, but also is about loss in general, no matter how severe. “Sneak You In” is my way to transport our listeners into what is going on in Syria now and to peek
at the experience of the people there that they can’t tell themselves. “Aleppo” is named after my family’s hometown and is about my summer visits there as a child, and shares my happy memories of being with my family. That is the meaning of “Elements” in general, each song shares each “element” of my life and human life in general.
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NT: Since you have been on tour for a while now, what has your overall experience been? BA: Tour life in general has been fun. We love traveling and through this tour we were able to see major cities and at the same time, stop in cool spots around the country that you normally wouldn’t go to on a normal vacation. NT: Has there been any parts of the tour that you all run into problems? BA: When you have 7 guys in a van, you get a bit car crazy when you travel for long stretches of time and there, of course, are days that are less stellar than others, but we always find a way to de-stress and improve our morale. NT: How exactly do you do that? BA: Well, one way is we keep a Frisbee in the car and just goof off in between lengths of the trip between gas, bathroom and food breaks. It goes to show that sometimes all you need is a Frisbee, a parking lot and thirty minutes to just calm down. NT: How does touring affect you musically? BA: It actually has improved us musically. We always meet after our performances and discuss what we did well and what we can improve on, which we use on many occasions the very next day to improve our live performances. I feel like this is a major positive of tour life and is one I want to keep. In terms of making music, we usually use our down time to hold jam session and brainstorm new ideas, which is always fun. NT: Is this your first time in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area? BA: While I’ve been here to see friends before, this is the first time the band has performed here, but after this visit I want to come back when I am off tour and have some free time, because I find that this city has a lot to explore and do. NT: Last question, what would you like for potential new listeners to know about your music or how you wish for it to be consumed? BA: I would compare the music to tea, you have to let it steep before you can enjoy it at its full potential. Listen closely, peel back the layers and let it engulf you in its fullest. Bassel & the Supernaturals is currently selling some custom merchandise, with the proceeds going to efforts aiming to help Syrian refugees. You can purchase their albums and merchandise on their website at https://www. basselmusic.com/store/ Find Bassel & the Supernaturals on SoundCloud and Spotify.
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ACROSS 1 Baseball putout, often 4 Digital readouts, for short 8 No more than 14 401(k) kin: Abbr. 15 Settled on a rail 16 Abs exercise 17 Source of valuable metal 19 Holy __: brat 20 Isaac’s eldest 21 Golden State wine region 23 One World Trade Center topper 24 Sales team 25 Early record player 27 Give it __: make an effort 29 Work’s opposite 30 Fibber or Molly of old radio 32 Rationale 34 Repair 37 Beatles song used as wake-up music on the last
Space Shuttle mission 40 Mariner’s “Help!” 41 Tear to pieces 42 Makes, as money 43 “Buona __”: Gino’s “Good evening” 44 Former trans-Atl. fliers 45 Revolving blade sharpener 50 Thing to scratch 53 Cut again, as grass 54 Bring into the firm 55 About 66.5 degrees, for the Arctic Circle 56 Musician Keys 58 Extinct since way back when ... and, in a way, what each set of circles represents 60 Poland Spring competitor 61 Words to Brutus 62 Dist. you can see 63 The “S” in GPS 64 Pest-control brand
65 Md. summer hrs. DOWN 1 Striped big cat 2 Got up 3 Islands visited by Darwin 4 On the __: at large 5 Like Saran wrap 6 Bahraini money 7 Assembly instructions start 8 Put-on 9 Violates a “private property” sign 10 Brown played by Candice Bergen 11 “Blame It __”: 1984 film set in Brazil 12 Disdain 13 Little pigs number 18 Looked for prints 22 Intensifies 26 Actress Lena 28 1967 Neil Diamond song title line preceding “Go to my head” 30 British sports cars 31 Pigeon sound 32 Less-traveled way 33 Sch. with a Phoenix campus 34 Grade school crush, often 35 Quaint quarters 36 Kisses, in romantic letters 38 Hoity-toity manners 39 Detesting 43 Polar expedition vehicle 44 Taken care of 45 Mortarboard tossers 46 Race with batons 47 “What’d __?”: returning traveler’s query 48 Lubricated 49 Campus midshipmen’s prog. 51 Dog or coyote 52 Nuclear trial, briefly 57 “Ready, __, fire!” 59 Staple or nail driver
STARBUCKS SECRET MENU: PUMPKIN CARAMEL MACCHIATO
LIFESTYLE
By Emily Hickey
Everyone is familiar with Starbucks’ fifth best iced coffee drink, the Caramel Macchiato. It’s rated fifth on 1912pike.com, but I rate it first in my heart. Being a latté kind of girl, this says a lot about me. There is something about the caramel, vanilla, milk and coffee blend that go so well together and force me to restrain myself from finishing my drink in one sip. With the approach of autumn and my slight pumpkin obsession preparing to go into full swing, I decided to add a shot of pumpkin to my Caramel Macchiato. The only adjective I have to describe it is amazing. First of all, pumpkin is good. Don’t listen to Matt Bellassai slander its name on Whine About It and don’t listen to anyone else whose life purpose is to bring others down. If people can openly enjoy cauliflower, let people enjoy pumpkin. Its versatility is exciting: pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin coffee, etcetera.
The possibilities are endless, but what can you do with cauliflower? Cook it? And then what? Case closed. Pumpkin is here to stay. Second, the ordering process is easy. I ordered my drink from the same Starbucks location twice in one weekend, and each time it was delicious. All you have to do is order a regular Caramel Macchiato and ask for pumpkin to be added. They will probably make sure you still want the caramel and vanilla, so say yes. However, the first time I got my coffee with soy milk instead of whole milk and I liked that much better. The drink with whole milk had bologna undertones, but that could be because I don’t like regular milk and my sister (who hates pumpkin and coffee) said that’s what it tasted like. Don’t listen to her, it tasted good regardless. Since North Carolina’s version of autumn is 90º Fahrenheit with 100% humidity, iced coffee is generally the way to go. To still immerse yourself
in the fall spirit, the shot of pumpkin is necessary. Not only is the drink refreshing, but the addition of pumpkin to the already iridescent caramel and vanilla swirl makes for a great photo-op. The constant bursts of flavor keeps you guessing which one you’re going to get with each sip; will it be vanilla, caramel, pumpkin or all-in-one? Just that thrill alone keeps you wanting more. I would definitely describe myself as a coffee connoisseur. To me, coffee is more important than eating sometimes, it’s that bad. Although I have my favorite coffees, I am always willing to try new things. Give me a recommendation and I will try it. Give me pumpkin and I will try it twice, love it so much, then write an article about it. Seriously, if you want a cool pumpkin drink for the fall, try the Pumpkin Caramel Macchiato. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
By Delfina Erochenko
“In my free time I like to sketch a lot. I mainly like to people watch, I like seeing how people interact on a daily basis, myself included. As I’m watching these people, each person is different. You never know what you’re going to get next; it’s like a box of chocolates.” - Corvus
NINERTIMES.COM
OCT. 17, 2017
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