Niner Times - February 9, 2012

UNC CHARLOTTE GOING GREEN

OPINION

LIFESTYLE

PAGE 1

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

The Charlotte Green Initiative’s goal is to use a Green Fee to help move the school be more environmentally friendly.

Being green is not just a trend and it is a huge factor if we want to keep the world beautiful. p.8

A BRASS KICKOFF: TO MARCH OR NOT TO MARCH Students are excited with the arrival of the football team, but will be sourly disappointed with the lack of a marching band.

A marching band will not be including and with the football program due to budget cuts. p.5

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Apartments cropping up around campus Malcolm Carter M C A RT E 7 2 @ U N C C . E D U

New apartment complexes are cropping up around the UNC Charlotte area.

The ground has already been leveled on the corner of Mallard Creek Church Rd. and Highway 49. Private contractors are building there in order to take advantage of the university’s well-known growth. However, in no way, shape or form are the contractors affiliated with UNC Charlotte.

It is well-known that the university is expanding and well on its way to accommodating over 30,000 students.

“With such growth we’re experiencing, there aren’t enough rooms on campus to house all the students,” said Sean Langley, Assistant Director of Off-Campus Student Outreach.

Indeed, in its current state, the school has about 5,000 beds, which may make

A few of the violins collected and restored by Amnon Weinstein, which date back to the Holocaust. Each violin was known to have been owned by people of Jewish decent, but the story of each violins is not known. Photo courtesy of Ziv Shenhav

Restoring hope Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

In April, UNC Charlotte will experience a series of events never before seen in North Carolina. In fact, the Violins of Hope event, hosted from April 9 through April 24, 2012, is an unprecedented experience in all of North America.

The 18 violins date back to the time period of the Holocaust, and have been collected and restored by Israeli violinmaker Amnon Weinstein.

Weinstein, who had been collecting these violins for 15 to 16 years, received the pieces through donation or stumble upon by chance in flea markets.

Some of the violins were used by orchestras in the Nazi concentration camps from World War II. “He does not have documented stories for every violin.

Some of the violins we don’t know for a fact that they were played during the Holocaust or in camps or anything,” said Meg Whalen, director of communication and external affairs for the College of Arts and Architecture. “I think of the 18 that are coming, there are probably half a dozen that are documented with stories and with people who have followed them.”

While Weinstein has no way of knowing whether all of the violins were involved in the events of the Jewish genocide, he is sure that they all belonged to Jewish musicians of the same time period. Through looking at the design and the age of the pieces he determined the approximate time that the violins were created.

“Most of them have the Star of David on them, which was typical of violins which were created for klezmer, which were

the Jewish folk musicians,” said Whalen. “Most of the violins that [Weinstein] has found or have been given have that Star of David, so he knows that they belonged to Jewish musicians.”

For the violins that Weinstein finds in a flea market, combined with the fact that no one has stepped forward and claimed the violins as a family memento, suggests that the previous owner of the instrument did not survive the Holocaust, according to Whalen.

Weinstein continues his search to find more violins from this historical period. “He’s constantly making new discoveries,” said Whalen. “He apparently just found a new violin in the last few weeks, and he opened it and it had a swastika inside the violin.”

The violins, many of which had fallen into disrepair after they had been lost by their

APARTMENTS p.3

owners, were restored were restored by Weinstein. They were used in performances in Jerusalem, Switzerland and several other locations.

The performance in Jersusalem did not include a large portion of the set, but the performance in Switzerland included 15 of the violins. “That’s the only other time there has been a significant exhibition, and program with them, is that one time in Switzerland,” said Whalen.

The upcoming events in Charlotte mark the first time the instruments have been performed in this area. “This would be the first time to have a group of them exhibited and used in performance in this whole hemisphere,” said Whalen. “It really is because of this personal relationship between David Russell and Amnon Weinsten.”

Russell, a distinguished VIOLINS p.4

A&E

OPINION

Niner Times reviews some of the best ‘time killing’ apps availbe.

“Based on a True Story an unsigned band from Kannapolis, N.C., will be playing in Norm’s lounge on Friday.

The Ad Breakdown: Taking

a closer look into the Superbowl Commercials. p.6-7

NEWS

WHAT IS YOUR MEDICAL?

Time killing apps: The

New band, same Norms:

SPORTS

BUCKET LIST FOR JACKSON

It should be hard to dispute a health

The United States Army selected 100

policy that has solid science and

men and women from the U.S. Army

overwhelming public opinion behind

Leadership Council nationwide to

it.

attend the U.S. Army Advisory Board Leadership Program.

And with or without paid coverage, the use of contraception will continue to be mainstream. p.5

Among the chosen 100 was UNC

NINERS FACE INCONSISTANCY

Charlotte Vice Chancellor for Student p.11

Affairs Arthur Jackson.

p.3

Coming together with coffee Elizabeth Bartholf E B A RT H O 3 @ U N C C . E D U

The International Student/Scholar Office (ISSO) sponsors International Coffee Hour for international students to get to know one another, as well as practice their English with American students. The event began March 2004.

International Coffee Hour provides a relaxed environment for attendees to share ideas and refreshments and play board games together. Meetings are free and open to all UNC Charlotte students, faculty and staff.

“U.S. students should have more of a presence here,” said Adriel Ray, U.S. student and long-time International Coffee Hour attendee.

“I was interested in the international scene. I wanted to meet new people from other countries and talk about world views, politics and religion,” said Ray. He believes knowledge about the world is critical and urges all students to take advantage of this opportunity to make new friends and learn about new cultures.

At the last meeting, Jan. 29, 2012, 75 of the 82 attendees were International students. Only seven U.S. students attended.

UNC Charlotte students Sean Wilson from the U.S., Adriana Pisani from Venezuela and Jocsa Cortes from Colombia were new to International Coffee Hour. All three heard about International Coffee COFFEE p.3

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

THIS WEEK IN SGA

COFFEE from p.1

Freethinkers organization approved

New printer may come to Student Union

The Student Government Association (SGA) approved the Freethinkers organization this past Thursday at the Senate meeting.

The newly approved organization will work to “promote interest in scientific and historical study and provide an environment for students to discuss their ideas and express their worldviews,” according to their constitution. They will discuss a range of topics such as anthropology, politics, psychology and more.

Ciera Choate

The Student Union currently has computers available for student use but no printers. To help relieve the printing demand at Atkins Library the Student Government Association (SGA) is working to get a printer put into the Student Union.

Dominque Hughes, a senator at large, is sponsoring the resolution called “The Marking Printing Easy Act,” which had it’s first reading during the last Senate meeting. SGA is still working out the details of paying to print and how many printers they are asking for.

When and if the printers are approved they will be located on the Mezzanine floor of the Student Union.

Ciera Choate

Working to improve the Student Union Deck elevator Sam Blackman, from the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, sponsored a piece of legislation called the “Creating a Better Elevator Atmosphere” Act supporting the improvement of the elevator in the Student Union Parking Deck.

The Student Government Association (SGA) feels this improvement is important because of the location of the elevator and the high traffic experienced in the area.

They are requesting proper ventilation and digital floor indicators, as well as fixing the elevator so it does not stop on random floors. Ciera Choate

Showing appreciation for wireless routers With the installation of the new wifi system into J. Murray Atkins Library the Student Government Association (SGA) wrote a resolution thanking Jay Dominic and his staff for the donations they made in order for the new wireless system.

Academic Affairs wrote the legislation approving the installation of over 30 new wireless routers into Atkins Library due to the slow connection in the library.

Ciera Choate

Hour from friends who had previously attended and were not familiar with the ISSO or other international programs.

Xianlin Hu, another newcomer to the meeting, came to practice English. Hu, a Ph.D. student studying computer science originally from China, has lived in the U.S. for four and a half years. She likes the diversity on campus and came to International Coffee Hour to meet American students and learn about their culture.

According to Carrie Berkman, the ISSO Program Assistant in charge of International Coffee Hour, many attendees are students in UNC Charlotte’s English Language Training Institute (ELTI). This program is specifically designed for international students to develop English speaking, reading, writing and listening skills. Berkman, an ELTI Instructor, said that many ELTI students come to International Coffee Hour to talk to American students and hear how they speak and express ideas in an informal setting.

During the Jan. 29 meeting, 37 of the 75 international attendees were ELTI students.

Unlike Berkman, attendee Tom Knight feels the current proportion of International students to American students attending International Coffee Hour is “overall pretty balanced.” He argues “International Coffee Hour is a coffee hour for international students.”

Knight is in charge of a nonprofit organization called Charlotte International Fellowship, which aims to help international

PAGE 3

students learn about both U.S. and international cultures. He has attended International Coffee meetings since they started in 2004.

Berkman has a different opinion. “Students may hear International Coffee Hour and think it’s only for international students, but everyone is welcome. We’re always looking to attract new people—new Americans, new undergraduate students and new graduate students. Within ELTI, [International Coffee Hour] sort of publicizes itself, so I think we will be starting to publicize more and more outside of the ELTI community,” said Berkman.

Ray suggested the ISSO advertise International Coffee Hour with flyers around campus where more students will see them, like in the Student Union. Currently, the only flyers advertising International Coffee Hour are located in the ISSO, where mainly international students see them.

Berkman looks forward to expanding International Coffee Hour and continuing to see new faces at meetings.

“I have been so pleased to see how much fun people have just sitting and talking and playing games. [There is] a really good energy in the room and a really good group of people who are always open to having a new person pull up a chair at the table.”

International Coffee Hour is held every first and third Thursdays from 4-6 p.m. in the faculty/staff dining room of Prospector. For more information, visit http://isso. uncc.edu/.

Vice Chancellor knocks one more thing off bucket list Malcolm Carter MCARTE72@UNCC.EDU

The United States Army selected 100 men and women from the U.S. Army Leadership Council nationwide to attend the U.S. Army Advisory Board Leadership Program. Among the chosen 100 was UNC Charlotte Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Arthur Jackson.

The program was held in early January in San Antonio, Tex. at Fort Sam Houston. Those selected were being trained to be spokespeople for the army.

“I was very honored to be chosen as one of the advocates for the army,” said Jackson.The program consisted of several informational and educational session about the new educational programs throughout the day. Top ranking sergeants met with the participants of the program to tell them their plans for the year to come.

The program featured different events geared toward entertaining and engaging the participants.

Jackson had an opportunity to jump with the Army Golden Knights, the army’s elite parachuting team.

“They do demonstrations, but their real task is to go behind enemy lines and parachute in and do whatever objective they have and get out. But, those guys can land on a book, they’re so good, from 40,000 feet.

They’re fantastic,” said Jackson. “Most of them are rangers, so they’re combat ready. They’re tough guys.”

This was Jackson’s first time skydiving, and says he just decided to mark that off his bucket list.

Another highlight of the program was the all Ameri-

can football game. The best of high school football players was gathered to San Antonio to play. Four of these players hailed from UNC Charlotte, one of which was D.J. Humphries of Mallard Creek High School. D.J. is considered the top offensive lineman of the nation.

Jackson’s favorite part of the program was not anything for entertainment value, but rather an activity for respect and reflection.

Fort Sam Houston is home to the Brooke Army Medical Center, one of four areas in the the United States designated with a dedicated program to war amputees, paraplegics and quadriplegics. The Wounded Warrior Project is the name of the program geared toward rehabilitating U.S. warriors into civilians.

Men and women who have lost their arms, legs and sometimes both are fitted for prosthetic limbs.

Once they are equipped with these, they learn to walk and proceed on with their lives as normal citizens. For the time they are

in the rehabilitation program, their families are relocated to a place close to or on base.

Jackson spent a whole morning with these soldiers, talking to them and listening to their stories.

“It’s sad to see young men missing parts of their bodies, giving part of their body for service,” he said.

According to Jackson, there were more leg amputees than anything other case. This is caused by the improvised explosive devices [IEDs] in the warzone.

Armor covers the soldiers from the waist up, which protects their torso from such blasts emanating from the ground.

“Most people never see [amputees]. We see one or two in a wheelchair or crutches, but to see hundreds. You’re just filled with a sense of reflection on how lucky you have it, having both arms and legs,” said Jackson.

Jackson serves as an ambassador between the U.S. Army and UNC Charlotte. He plans to extend programs outreaching to

Arthur Jackson skydiving during his training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte

Name cards that say “Hi my name is..” in some of the participants of the International Coffee Hour’s native language. Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Bartholf

APARTMENTS from p.1 the new apartment complexes all the more necessary. The only problem is the distance students stay away from campus and their academic success is directly related. According to the UNC Charlotte Housing website, UNC Charlotte students’ cumulative GPAs over the years show that students who live on campus have higher average GPAs than those students living off campus.

With over 25,000 students and about 5,000 student housing capacity, the issue is a common thorn in public universities’ sides statewide. Administrators are wary of advocating off-campus housing when they know the statistics of success in relation to proximity to the campus. For example, on UNC’s housing website: “please be advised that Housing and Residential Education does not endorse one rental company over another, nor do we inspect properties that are listed on this website.”

Universities keep their students’ success close to mind when making such decisions, but some have no choice in the matter. Funding and space limitations present huge obstacles to these institutions’ options for housing students.

UNC Charlotte is working to combat this issue by converting more of its 1,000 acres of land into livable space for 49ers.

The latest of these projects are Residence

Hall Phase X and Phase XI. Each is in the design phase and will bring more than 400 beds each to campus. But even with these new residence halls, more than 72 percent of 49ers will have to choose an off-campus housing option. UNC Charlotte’s Office of Off-Campus Student Outreach works as students’ gateway to these options.

The Office of Off-Campus Student Outreach coordinates with Off-Campus Partners to provide residence options such as the EDGE, 901 Place, University Club, University Walk and The Flats. UNC Charlotte was the first university to utilize OffCampus Partners in order to provide a simple website interface for college students across the nation to search for off-campus housing, leases and roommates.

“The off-campus housing website that we have will assist [students] in finding housing. For example, our transfer population will be able to see that there are apartments in the area. They can just easily go to this website and it will list all the apartments that are available,” said Langley.

Students are not the only ones who benefit from UNC Charlotte’s partnership with Off-Campus Partners. Staff and faculty who are recruited to the university can use the tool to find temporary or permanent residence in close proximity to UNC Charlotte.

For more information visit www.offcampushousing.uncc.edu.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

VIOLINS from p.1

Brandon Buckmaster, a senior at UNC Charlotte, who was allowed to play one of the restored violins this past summer when Weinstein came to visit UNC Charlotte. Photo courtesy of Nancy Pierce professor of violin at UNC Charlotte, met Weinstein about a decade ago and made a connection. The pair became friends, and Russell went to Israel to teach a course at a university after Weinstein asked him to.

While in Israel, Russell visited Weinstein’s violin store and saw his collection of Holocaust-era violins. After encouragement from Russell, Weinstein decided to bring the collection to the U.S. to showcase it.

After word spread to other areas of the U.S. that this exhibition was coming to Charlotte, representatives from these other areas have attempted to get the violins to come to them, too.

“All kinds of other cities have called us

and said ‘we want to have the violins come to our city.’ Toronto, Atlanta, I believe folks out in California, and New York and southern Florida. They may end up showing up in other places,” said Whalen.

These violins are an important part of history, Whalen says. They represent more than just music, or the Holocaust, but also the way music serves as both an uplifting and terrible force.

“This one period in history so clearly defines that dual role that art and music can play. That it can be dangerous, and then it can also be redemptive,” said Whalen.

“That is such a lesson, I think, for people.”

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OPINION

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A brass kickoff Joshua Wood OPINION@NINERONLINE.COM

Many students are excited with the arrival of the football team in 2013, but will be sourly disappointed with the lack of a marching band.

UNC Charlotte will not be including and marching band in its football program due to budget cuts.

Now this doesn’t mean we won’t eventually obtain a marching band, hopefully within a few years we will see one parading on our field.

In hopes to tip the scales in the debate of weather or not we need a marching band, I have compiled reason as to why a marching band would be necessary.

There is nothing like a round of snare drums at the beginning of a football game to pump up a crowd. A crowd that is energized for a game is a happy crowd; no one wants to start the game all bored.

When halftime rolls around, a marching band is perfect

for entertainment, nothing keeps you in your seats like a fine performance. Sure it’s no Super Bowl performance, but it’d be better than watching an empty field.

Having a marching band will not only increase moral and general excitement, it will also provide an opportunity for many band students to gain experience and possibly a marching band scholarship.

In 2010 Georgia State University had its first football season, along with a marching band with 140 plus members, granted Georgia State didn’t have to build a brand new stadium.

A marching band and football team go hand in hand, so I’m not too concerned if we don’t get one right away.

A marching band is imperative to have for every football game, whether it’s a small meager ensemble or a large band I’m sure UNC Charlotte is bound to obtain a marching band.

I hope the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees takes into account how important having a marching band is, and approve of one by the time of our first kickoff.

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Obama administration approves medical insurance for big controversy

editor@nineronline.com

Philadelphia Inquirer

It should be hard to dispute a health policy that has solid science and overwhelming public opinion behind it, as well as being embraced by millions of American couples in their family-planning efforts.

That doesn’t mean Catholic bishops and antiabortion advocates won’t try. These and other conservative critics claim that the Obama administration overstepped by requiring most workplaces to offer free birth-control medical insurance coverage to their employees.

But make no mistake: The Jan. 20 announcement by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius that, starting this summer, employers must pay for coverage of “all FDA-approved forms of contraception” was the right thing to do.

This important preventive-care provision of health-care reform means that the near universal use of birth control by women _ including Catholics _ for the first time will be assured by law.

The policy will have far-reaching health, economic and social benefits _ perhaps even helping to reduce the number of abortions.

When the federal Institute of Medicine last summer recommended that HHS assure access to affordable birth control, it noted that half of all pregnancies are unplanned and that more than a third of these end in abortion.

Since unplanned pregnancies sometimes result in delayed prenatal care, or risky behaviors such as smoking and drinking, the agency said there’s an added risk of premature and low-weight births, and these infants are less likely to get the benefits of being breast-fed.

For a woman whose pregnancy results in becoming a single parent, the economic challenges of rearing a child are welldocumented, along with heated debate over whether their kids fare less well.

So, wider access to birth control drugs without additional insurance co-pays could mean the nation does a better job of reducing unplanned pregnancies, and the

drugs also aid in treating other women’s reproductive conditions and other health concerns.

Despite the vocal critics, the policy promises to be overwhelmingly popular, with polls showing that three-quarters of American women, including Catholics, support birth-control coverage.

That said, the ruling will require some workplaces notably church-run hospitals, charities, and schools to provide birthcontrol coverage that they may not provide now on ideological grounds. But the Obama administration rightly concluded that employees at these institutions who do not share that view shouldn’t be denied this health service.

The ruling preserves carefully the right of churches and church associations to use an exemption from the mandate. But the hope is that few will do so, since the benefits of careful family planning to their female employees are undisputed.

And with or without paid coverage, the use of contraception will continue to be mainstream.

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The Vow Safe House Journey 2: The Mysterious Island Perfect House Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

Super Bowl movie trailer breakdown

We take a closer look at the previews of this summer’s big blockbusters Barry Falls Jr Patrick Bogans

The Avengers With ‘The Avengers’, ‘The Amazing Spider-Man’ and ‘The Dark Knight Rises’, comic book fans have a lot to look forward to this summer.

But so few often do we have the opportunity to see four different movies (2008’s ‘The Incredible Hulk,’ 2010’s’Iron Man 2’, and 2011’s C’aptain America’ and ‘Thor’) all crescendo into what I’m calling a “mega sequel.”

Needless to say, the expectations are high. And striking a balance between an engaging, characterdriven plot and a story line that still satisfies those who are just looking for some summer blockbuster action isn’t easy to do without disappointing.

Judging from the Super Bowl trailer, Marvel certainly attempts to find the balance but leans far more towards the action.

This may be because almost all fans of fast-paced action and displays of masculine aggression were collectively doing the same thing last Sunday afternoonwatching the Super Bowl.

The preview wasn’t completely disappointing. The trailer climaxed with probably one of the greatest super hero one-liners in the history of super hero oneliners.

“I have an army,” says Loki, the film’s primary super villain.

“We have a Hulk,” replied Tony Stark as the screen flashes to the Hulk leaping into the air and punching one of Loki’s space crafts out of the sky.

Star Wars: The Phantom Menace 3D Most recently with “Beauty and the Beast,” Hollywood has begun re-releasing classic films in 3D. But the upcoming re-release of “Star Wars: Episode I– The Phantom Menace” certainly raises a few questions.

Firstly, did the week-long re-release of a relatively popular film from eleven years ago really warrant a time slot in the biggest television event of the year?

And more importantly, why “The Phantom Menace?” The Stars Wars series is widely recognized as the greatest American hero quest stories of all time.

Yet 20th Century Fox chose to re-release the most artificial and uninvolving film in the series.

John Carter ‘Friday Night Lights’ star Taylor Kitsch will have a very successful blockbuster season this year. Already co-starring along with Liam Niesson in the mindless, visual action film ‘Battleship’, Kitsch’s ‘John Carter’ seems to be the more plot-filled of the two, even if the plot seems ridiculously weird.

On a remote planet, John Carter of Earth finds himself interacting with these frighteningly tall green colonized aliens. Whether or not he is really for or against him is presumably the question.

The eye-popping effects needed to make this film relevant seem to deliver, as the trailer ends with Carter in a fight with a 2009 ‘Star Trek’ reminiscent terrifying white creature. Disney terrifying, but scary nonetheless.

Hopefully, this new PG-13 Disney installment will give the ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ franchise a welldeserved run for its money.

G.I. Joe: Retaliation The slick and sly crew is back this year with the new G.I. Joe movie, ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’. The trailer, set to Jay-Z, with ninjas and Bruce Willis blowing things up and slicing and dicing, definitely appeals to the masses of action-adventure film enthusiasts who flocked to the last film.

Oddly missing from the short thirty seconds is Channing Tatum. The trailer seemed to push the fact that this film is revamped with Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson, to try to attract movie-goers who may dismiss the film due to the previous installment’s rotten reviews.

The scale seems enormous and the action seems very appealing, but the lack of any sort of plot detail was also a big disappointment. Sure, there’s a bunch of explosions, but why?

Thirty seconds is a short time to try to attract the viewer, however, and definitely isn’t on the minds of anyone during the Super Bowl. So look forward to G.I. Joe making a mindless blast this summer.

The Hunger Games As the curtains fall on the final Harry Potter film, book worms are looking for a new go-to movie to see how Hollywood can bring their favorite literary characters to life.

In this new trailer, there are more detailed scenes

depicting the selection process that puts heroine Katniss into the ‘Games.’ Readers get a better look at Capitol members Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) and Caesar Flickerman (Stanley Tucci).

These scenes of characters dolled up in their futuristic Capitol duds, along with wide shots of the Capitol not included in earlier trailers, give the movie more of a sci-fi feel.

If “The Hunger Games” is anything like its literary counterpart (and we suspect it will be), the first part of the Hunger Games trilogy is sure to be smart, inspired and satisfying.

All in all, this seems to be everything that fans of the series ‘hunger’ for out of a blockbuster adaptation.

And the fact that every scene was filmed in North Carolina including the Capitol scenes which were filmed in Charlotte is just icing on the cake.

The new trailer still doesn’t show much of the actual “Games” themselves, building fans up for the grand ending that makes the story what it is.

Battleship When you were a kid with your friends playing Hasbro’s classic Battleship game, did you ever think to yourself, what if they made this into a movie where a group of Americans had to play a giant turn-based version of Battleship against an alien race who was trying to build a power source in the ocean?

Me neither.

“From Hasbro the company that brought you Transformers,” the trailer displays within the first 15 seconds, and already I’m rolling my eyes.

Michael Bay’s Transformers trilogy has made a fortune and ‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’ isn’t the only one trying to cash in on the formula of taking fond childhood memories and destroying them with crude humor and a ‘sea’ of hallow CGI explosions.

Supposedly, ‘Battleship’ shows the story from both the human and alien’s perspectives, so the audience knows where both teams’ ships are located. This might add an interesting component to the film. But other than that, the trailer give a brief glimpse of a movie lacking in substance.

Sure, my expectations of the common movie-goer may be too idealized, but I feel like most can see straight through Battleship’s gimmicks - even those who helped ‘Transformers 3’ gross over one billion dollars last summer.

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THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Niner picks for the best time-killing apps Patrick Bogans

PBOGANS@UNCC.EDU

For a college student, there is often a bunch of downtime throughout the daily bump and grind where boredom strikes immediately.

Waiting for that next class to start, waiting for friends to meet up with in the Union or just waiting for the boring 8 a.m. lecture to end are just some of the instances where a solution is needed to kill time on campus.

Usually, the primary way is to awkwardly shuffle through apps and things, send a text, or check Facebook and Twitter.

But, when the five minute wait seems to take way too long, many can resort to their phone’s game applications to kill time. This is usually the most sure fire way to distract yourself completely from everything, and forget about how slow time must be going.

Here are some of the best time-killing games to make time fly by: Reckless Getaway- $.99 (iOS)/$1.99 (Android) This chaotic, automotive survival game can definitely get your frustration of waiting out in a virtual violent arena.

With the primary purpose of smashing and thrashing through traffic after escaping a bank robbery, this app is the perfect way to just mindlessly run cops over and knock slow cars out of the way, without actually doing it in real life.

Bejeweled- $.99/ Bejeweled Blitz- free (iOS) These two apps, which go hand and hand with each other, bring the classic switch-and-match game to the palm of your hand in your most desperate time of need.

With the Bejeweled app, there are four different modes to choose from, Classic, Diamond Mine, Zen and a link to the other mode which is an app in itself, Blitz.

The new HTC EVO phone

Playing in classic mode is in itself, a classic way to play. But the Diamond Mine (where matched gems cause the area below to crumble), Zen (a never ending mode with the intention of calming the user), and Blitz (trying to score the most points in one minute of play) modes have definitely revamped the idea of the well-known game and can easily pass time in class.

Line Birds - $0.99 (iOS)/Free (Android) Requiring a little more concentration and skill, Line Birds is an app with a simple premise, but an addicting and frustrating one at that.

The object of the app is to navigate a bird through a series of lines. Seems easy, but gets more complex and faster as the game progresses.

However, progression and patience yields new birds, each with their own special abilities, to maybe try and curb the challenge and get an even higher score. iRunner – Free (Android) A basic, but very fun game, iRunner takes the running game genre to a new level. Taking on a character known as Mr. I, the object is to avoid obstacles while collecting as many batteries as you can.

Simple, but distracting and addicting, iRunner could suffice as a Temple Run placebo for some Android users.

Paper Toss 2 – Free (iOS) The ironic part about this game is just how relatable the main character is. He’s a bored guy sitting at work, just like you.

The point of the game is to toss a ball of paper into a trash bin in the character’s office. To the right, a coffee mug taunts you with the fact that it is near impossible to make. To the left sits a funner alternative: a coworker resembling Dwight from the office gives you the evil eye whenever he gets hit.

The point is to make as many consecutive shots into the bin as possible. Throwing alternative objects

MCT Campus

Eric Tesenair, who was first in line for the new iPhone 4S, tries out his new device at Northlake Mall in Charlotte, North Carolina.

MCT Campus

keeps the game interesting; think grenades, staplers and bananas.

Jetpack Joyride –Free (iOS) / Free (Android) The first thing I noticed about this game when I began playing was that it reminded me of the underwater Mario levels I loved on GameBoy as a child.

The gameplay revolves around a man with a (surprise!) jetpack as he runs through corridors filled with dangerous obstacles trying to complete random missions.

You must float around electric charges and dodge rockets that come flying from some nameless source.

The real fun of the game comes from the power ups, which include a jumping metal suit, a mechanical bird to be steered and others.

There is also an endless amount of opportunities to customize your player. If you feel you can fight the good fight more effectively with a zombie body and a tophat, that’s how you shall fight.

Crystal Defenders- $7.99 (iOS) By the makers of the Final Fantasy series, Crystal Defenders is turn-based strategy at its best.

Contrary to some of the other games on this list, Crystal Defenders will likely have you playing for hours at a time.

What makes Crystal Defenders stand out from other turn-based strategy games is its replay-ability.

With six levels each with advance couter parts, there are almost infinite ways to play the game. And achieving certain objectives with the game’s diverse character variety are very rewarding.

The success of the cell phone game led to the release of Crystal Defenders on Xbox Live Arcade, WiiWare and Playstation Store.

Kannapolis band ‘Based on a True Story’ coming to Norm’s Patrick Bogans

PBOGANS@UNCC.EDU

Based on a True Story (B.o.a.T.S), a small unsigned band from Kannapolis, N.C., will be playing in Norm’s lounge on Friday, Feb. 10, 2012 at 7 p.m.

Consisting of vocalist Niles Collins, guitarist Andrew Calamari, bassist Michael Phillips and drummer Zack Carpenter, B.o.a.T.S. takes pride in their original sound and performs it with ease.

“People ask what genre we fit into, who we sound like. We sound like B.o.a.T.S. We’ve got our own sound,” they stated in a recent Facebook status.

In the beginning, longtime buddies Collins and Calamari somewhat unintentionally began the band by just riffing and jamming at a local place in Kannapolis named Pop’s. When a mutual friend introduced them to a potential new band member in Phillips, everything sort of began to fall into place.

The jam sessions started to have more of a purpose once the band began to piece together melody and coordinate lyrics with actual songs.

“Andrew would always play the same riff on the guitar and hearing it a couple times I just began to add lyrics to it. I had him play it nearly a hundred times to piece together the lyrics. ‘Point of View’ was finished that night,” said Collins.

With the realization of this band thing becoming a serious

hobby, the name of the band was in question. Calamari, who had the current name of Based on a True Story, or the name a Day in The Life, as the top two names, had to ask Collins what he thought.

Seeing that the abbreviation of Based on a True Story was “B.o.a.T.S”, Collins took a liking to the name.

Soon after, their first booked gig at the Festival of the Arts in Kannapolis was underway, and what a success it was.

Their high school welcomed them back with praise and even prompted longtime friend, Luke Seagroves to offer and manage the band.

Seagroves set up miscellaneous small gigs throughout the area to gain the band more exposure, and Based on a True Story was truly on its way.

“Luke handles it all for us. All we need to do is just play,” says Calamari.

After a successful summer, and officially adding more Phillips and Carpenter as permanent members, looming plans of an EP begin to come up and the rest of the future of the band, as well.

Based on a True Story are the recent winners of the 2011 Gorilla Productions Battle of the Bands, and will be performing for free for their Norm’s gig.

“Our music grabs you by the collar and slaps you to make you listen,” says Calamari.

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

Where a Niner’s spare moments go

DID YOU KNOW?

SGA PASSED A LEGISLATION IN 2008 THAT ALLOCATES ONE DOLLAR OF EVERY STUDENT’S TUITION TO MAKE UNC CHARLOTTE GREENER

Green isn’t just a school color Michelle Karr

MKARR1@UNCC.EDU

I will be the first to admit that I am not the most environmentally aware person and up until recently did not even know that much about recycling. Fortunately, my roommate is extremely into being green and works very hard to make an improvement in the world. Her passion quickly rubbed off on me and I have been trying to learn as much as I can about how to make a difference.

And so I attended an interest meeting for Charlotte Green Initiative, or CGI. Their purpose is to use a Green Fee to help move UNC Charlotte towards a more environmentally friendly and sustainable campus. The $1 Green Fee that they obtain comes out every student’s tuition. In return CGI uses this money to fund projects and purchase resources to be used.

The purpose of the meeting was to brainstorm ways to get UNC Charlotte students to reduce the use of plastic water bottles that are constantly thrown away. To raise awareness they have started a petition for students to sign, vowing that they use reusable bottles as opposed to plastic ones.

They are also targeting freshman - the future of the school. With the Green Fee the group is purchasing reusable bottles for the freshman that they are going to pass out during SOAR. However, students cannot get

one with signing the petition.

There is also an effort to support this notion already taking place on campus. Faucets that provide filtered water for people to refill their bottles are located on drinking fountains in the Student Union. CGI is trying to get at least one in every building starting with the residence halls.

When the members of CGI were discussing what bottles to purchase they not only had their budget in mind, but also the health and safety of our students. They paid a lot of attention to what they believe would be the most practical as well as what they think students would want to use.

Furthermore, they are trying to get perks for people who use reusable bottles, such as discounted drinks on campus. They hope that these bottles will help to get their message out there to the young students.

It was easy to tell that this group feels strongly about what they are involved in and are determined to make a difference. It makes me proud to be a Niner when I see student involvement like this to make it a better campus for everyone.

Being green is not just a trend and it is a huge factor if we want to keep the world beautiful. To find out more about CGI and how you can make a difference check out their website at www.cgi. uncc.edu

Emissions produced by plastic water bottles Important things to know about plastic water bottles: 1) Plastic trash can cause problems.

2) They have a low recycling rate.

3) Plastic trash eventually adds up.

4) Pollution can come from creating plastic water bottles.

5) Plastic is expensive to produce.

6) There is less incentive to recycle.

7) Clean-up costs are high.

8) The decomposition of plastic is slow.

9) Plastic ends up piling up in the ocean and polluting beaches.

PET water bottles with 0% recycling

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PET water bottles with 23.5% recycling ons

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NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

NINER TIMES RECIPE

ToMAGo Tricia Bangit

TBANGIT@UNCC.ECU

Tamago is like a Japanese version of an omelet. While Japanese food can seem intimidating to make, some of it is pretty simple to put together. Making tamago traditionally requires a rectangular pan that is specifically used for omelets, as well as sake, a sweet Japanese wine.

Ingredients:

3 eggs 1 tbsp soy sauce 1 tbsp white cooking wine 1 tsp sugar ½ sheet of nori (dried seaweed)

PAGE 9

A yogi’s journey: week 5 MCT Campus

Directions:

1. Preheat a lightly greased large saucepan to low-medium heat.

2. Mix the first four ingredients in a small bowl.

3. Pour the egg mixture onto the pan.

4. After two minutes of cooking, use a spatula to push the omelet so thatabout a third of one side is folded over. The top of the omelet shouldn’t be dry; the wetness helps everything stick together. Continue to push and roll the omelet over until the omelet resembles a log.

5. Take the pan off the heat and carefully transfer the omelet to a plate.

6. With a knife, cut the omelet into evenly sized rectangular shapes.

Sports and rock ‘n’ roll collide Scarlett Newman SNEWMAN6@UNCC.EDU

Macado’s is a fairly new restaurant that opened on the edge of campus. It is conveniently located on University City Blvd. in the same shopping center as Harris Teeter, Bento’s and Cold Mountain Creamery.

When you first walk in you’ll notice that the lights are really low, giving the restaurant a warm, at-home feeling. The hostess kindly greets you from behind the counter which happens to be flourished on oversized baked goods.

Macado’s specializes in oversized sandwiches. Photo/Scarlett Newman The interior decoration of the restaurant has a heavy rock n’ roll vibe. The walls are covered in vintage records, old guitars, framed Rolling Stone Magazine covers from the past and signed photos of rock legends. There are also huge vintage French alcohol advertisements/propaganda that are very reminiscent of the 1920s & ‘30s. It also has three carousel horses perched in the middle of the restaurant, so it may be safe to say that Macado’s is a rock n’ roll fantasy sandwich shop.

The restaurant is split into two sections, a restaurant (dining) area and a bar section. The bar section is impressively decked out

with three plasma flatscreen televisions situated at the top of the bartender’s area and also another XL flatscreen (more XL than the others) on the opposite side that is used as a main focus for a major sports event. This section is big enough to support a large party and/or an immense group of avid sports fans.

“During a big game, such as the Superbowl, the bar area will be crazy. The restaurant section will usually stay moderate,” said one of the waitresss.

To parallel to the rock n’ roll vibe of the restaurant, they have hits from the ‘70s & ‘80s playing there, which is the cherry on top of the mood-setter.

Macado’s serves good ol’ American food specializing in all types of sandwiches (specifically oversized ones), but also has chicken wings, chicken fingers, quesadillas, peeanut butter and jelly sandwiches (shockingly), burgers and salads. With over 30 selections of sandwiches (which are precisely described on the menu) it might take you a while to get through the menu. You also have the option to create your own sandwich.

Fortunately, Macado’s also caters to the herbivores. There are organic, vegetarian and vegan options on the menu. Although explicitly stated the chefs can compensate to create glutton-free specialties.

On average you won’t be spending more than $10 on an entree which is great for a restaurant in a college town. This also applies to the dessert and achoholic beverage menu. Their alcoholic beverage menu is long, detailed and diverse which provides something to satisfy everyone’s palate.

Macado’s does not have an online order service, but if you want to call in an order for pickup, you can access a printable menu on their website.

Although they don’t provide a student discount they have daily specials which can be located on their website. Deals range from 35 cent wings to $5 Mexican fiesta feasts all day everyday.

Ultimately Macado’s is the perfect place to go if you want quality food and you don’t want to break the bank. They are open Monday through Sunday for lunch and dinner from 11:30 a.m to 11:00 p.m. It’s close to campus so you can walk or drive there. It’s well worth the money spent and the comfortable “neighborhood” vibe is something that will keep sending me back.

Ciera Choate NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

After completing the 28 Days to Make a Change Challenge on Saturday I haven’t been to yoga class once. It’s been less than a week, and I feel like a part of my soul is missing.

I’ve talked to some people I took class with during the challenge, and we all agree that yoga has become one of the most important things in our lives. I even pushed studying for a test back so I could get on my mat.

Later this week I will be back in class.

At the end of the 28 days I felt stronger physically, but the biggest change has been inside. I feel more confident than I ever have before, and I’m not talking about my physical appearance. I feel sure of myself in everything I do.

As a young woman in college I think true confidence is a rarity. We all subject ourselves to what others think a woman should be and look like when we are all so amazing individually without the influence of others.

There are women I have been in class with that come to tears when talking about how for once in their life they finally feel like they can 100 percent be themselves without the fear of the expectations of everyone around them. For that reason alone yoga amazes me.

When walking into the studio there is a calm and peace that washes over you before class even begins. The energy in the room consumes each person making them never want to leave. I have been working out since I can remember, but never have I had a workout resonate within my body the way yoga does.

My challenge is over, but I don’t plan on going to class any less. I feel like I’m addicted to some kind of drug, and I will never stop. I see ladies in their 60s coming to class – that’s going to be me one day.

My long-term goal with my practice is to share it with others by getting my certification to teach. It’s a time consuming journey, but I think that is what yoga is about. We are meant to spread our light and love for the practice with others. All someone has to do is see the effects of yoga and they will keep coming back for more.

That’s what happened to me. I went to one class and was hooked for life.

PAGE 10

NINERTIMES

DOWNTIME 9

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

10

Thursday

CBAP Exam Prep UNC Charlotte Center City 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Valentine’s Orchid Sale McMillan Greenhouse 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. until

REAL MEN 49er B-Ball Challenge Halton Arena

Friday

Experiential Learning & PartTime Job Fair Cone Center Lucas Room 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

THIS WEEK IN

February 09, 1971 Satchel Paige nominated to Baseball Hall of Fame

February 10, 1996 Kasparov loses chess game to computer

February 11, 1990 Nelson Mandela released from prison

February 12, 2002 Milosevic goes on trial for war crimes

February 13, 1633 Galileo in Rome for Inquisition

February 14, 278 St. Valentine beheaded

11

Saturday

12

Sunday

Homecoming The Colored Tailgating: Custom Museum Robinson Hall for the Car Flags Lot 19

11:00 a.m.

Performing Arts Black Box Theater 2:00 p.m. - $6

Suite 49: Green and C4 Charlotte Gold Affair Crosspoint Worship Student Union Multipurpose Room 8:00 p.m.

Center 9116 University City Blvd.

7:00 p.m. - 8:30p.m.

13

Monday

V-Day Bingo After Hours 12:00 p.m.

The Secret of Multi-tasking: Making Time for Success Fretwell 310 1:00 p.m.

14

Tuesday

Valentine’s Day

Y

LiederabendEvening of Song Robinson Hall Belk Theater 8:00pm - Free

NINERONLINE.COM

SPORTS

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

PAGE 11

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Wednesday Men’s Basketball @ Dayton 11 a.m.

Friday Track & Field @ Clemson Tiger Paw All Day Women’s Tennis @ Dayton 1 p.m.

The Charlotte 49ers’ are shooting .408 from the field and .332 from behind the arc this season, leading to a current 11-11 record. Photo by Chris Crews

Inconsistancy plaguing the Niners Travis Durkee

TCDURKEE@UNCC.EDU

The 49ers Men’s Basketball (11-11; A-10 3-6) season has been full of ups, downs, and frustrations. After opening the season with a 7-2 record the Niners are 4-9 since Dec. 20.

The inconsistency of this team is maddening at times.

One night you’ll watch a 49er team that pounds an in-state rival like Davidson, and another night you’ll watch a team that doesn’t make a field goal until 12 minutes into the first half like they did against Temple.

Head coach Alan Major is only in his second year at Charlotte.

I do not expect a team with an unblemished record or a complete absence of team issues, but I do expect a team with some semblance of an identity.

Junior center Chris Braswell has been the Niners most consistent weapon averaging near-

ly 15 points and eight rebounds a contest.

Coach Major seems to head into each game wanting to get the ball inside to Braswell, a preseason all-Atlantic 10 thirdteamer , but teams catch onto the game plan, forcing Braswell to fight off double teams for the majority of the game.

When this happens, the offense turns out a frenzy of unwarranted and low-percentage shots; some that find the bottom of the net and others that are lucky to find iron.

When the shots aren’t falling, the team is quick to be discouraged. In their recent lose to Temple they fell behind 17-1 early on and never recovered.

Their body language showed a team that was frustrated and disinterested within the first ten minutes of the contest.

Temple ran up and down the floor all night and passed the ball around the 49ers as if they were a pick-up team at the YMCA.

Then in classic 49er fashion, they came out and played Xavier down to the wire in a 74-70 loss.

Even more worrisome than the play of the 49ers on the court is their behavior off the court.

In the game against Temple, junior forward KJ Sherrill was suspended and starters Derrio Green and Jarvarris Barnett rode the bench for the first chunk of the game due to undisclosed rules violations.

Barnett is currently the team’s second leading scorer while Green led the team in scoring a year ago.

The recent disciplinary issues give Niner Nation eerie flashbacks to last season when Major booted then leading scorer Shamari Spears off the team 17 days after he was suspended indefinitely.

This team isn’t quite what was expected coming into the season with the emergence of players like Demario Mayfield

and Pierria Henry and the diminishing impacts of players like Green and Jamar “Deuce” Briscoe.

Green, another preseason all-A-10 third teamer along with Braswell, failed to even touch the court in Charlotte most recent game, a 69-62 victory against Fordham.

In the previous game against LaSalle he went scoreless in his four minutes on the floor. Major accredits his recent lack of playing time on his defense, suspect shooting, and other “game flow” decisions.

Anyone who has had the pleasure to meet Major or hear him speak knows that he is a man of integrity, respect and discipline.

I have no doubts that he will bring this program to new heights in the A-10 and hopefully national relevance. This season however feels like an unstable relationship of breakups and make-ups for Niner Nation.

Interested in photography? Email editor@nineronline.com

Saturday Softball vs. Delaware 11:30 a.m.

Softball vs. Presbyterian 1:30 p.m.

Men’s Basketball vs. Rhode Island 2 p.m.

Women’s Basketball @ Duquesne 4:30 p.m.

SPORTS RESULTS Men’s Basketball

WIN

@Fordham

INTRAMURAL BASKETBALL POWER RANKINGS 1 . A F F I R M AT I V E A C T I O N 2 . B A C K I N M Y D AY 3. LORD OF THE RINGS 4. MT 5 . T H E G O AT 6. TEAM USA 7. THE ELITE 8. BLOUSES 9. MAN-UP 1 0 . RT D B A L L E R S

69-62 Women’s Basketball

WIN

vs. Rhode Island

72-35

Men’s Tennis

LOSS

NC STATE

0-7

PAGE 12

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 2012

NINERTIMES