The September 27, 2011 issue of the Niner TImes

UNRELIABLE TROLLEYS

AN ODE TO CAMPUS GEESE

Trolleys are a major source of transportation for student who don’t want to make the trek across campus.

Some students feel that the CATs service has been functioning too slow for students trying to get to class.

FASHION WEEK

p. 7

FEATURES

OPINION

PAGE 1

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Not surprisingly, UNC Charlotte’s waterfowl “problem” did not just start when you arrived for your first day of classes.

Geese and ducks have almost always been here guarding the sidewalks of campus.

p.12

NINERTIMES Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Published twice weekly and onl ine at www.nineronline.com

A product of Student Niner Media • The University of North Carolina at Charlotte • Partially funded by Student Fees • Breaking News? Email us at editor@nineronline.com or call 704.687.7148

New on NinerOnline.com: See slideshows of images from Charlotte’s Fashion Week and the International Festival.

Activist speaks out against violence Ryan Pitkin R E P O RT E R

The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) will host “On the Edge of Reason: Border Dynamics and the Spread of Violence,” a presentation from activist Macrina Cardenas Alarcon Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011, in the Student Union movie theater.

The MRC is working with the Mexico Solidarity Network, a social movement based in Mexico that works on different things from activism to offering a study abroad program, to presenting this lecture.

Alarcon, the former Legislative Coordinator of MSN based in Washington DC, has been volunteering with La Casa de Migrante, a Tijuana-based activist movement that helps aid deportees from the United States for the past five years.

Alarcon will discuss violence that has been escalating in border areas over recent years and what implications it has for U.S. corporations that have their own hand in what is happening there.

“It is not simply just drug violence. You can’t analyze the violence that is happening without analyzing the political and economic model that it exists in,” said Alarcon.

Alarcon will go into what effects neoliberal policies in U.S. had on Mexico and how violence presented itself in that con

Founding members of the Sigma Tau Gamma fraternity, the newest fraternity at UNC Charlotte, holding their Greek banner. Photo by Malcolm Carter

Sigma Tau Gamma

REASON p.4

A new fraternity comes to UNC Charlotte

Malcolm Carter INTERN

Sigma Tau Gamma, the newest fraternity at UNC Charlotte, will host three interest meetings Tuesday, Sept. 27; Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011, at 6 p.m. in the University Cone Center room 347.

After seeing formal presentations of several fraternities and their ambitions, UNC Charlotte chose Sigma Tau Gamma to

join the 49er family. Choosing Sigma Tau was a decision toward change in the Greek community on campus.

“We are expanding Greek Life to those who haven’t been in [a fraternity] before.

Our goal is to change what it means to be in a fraternity,” said expansion counselor Derek Kaimann. Hopefully the brothers of the UNC Charlotte chapter will be as close as Kaimann and his fellow counselor Paul Manly.

Donny Caldwell, a history major look-

ing to add an additional major in secondary education, is passionate about teaching kids. He is delighted by the positive change seen in the kids he tutors. He is interested in Greek Life, but as he rushed he was intimidated by the over-looming standards that defined what it meant to belong and be a brother.

Caldwell is ready to build a fraternity on the foundations of differences and idiosyncrasies that distinguishes one from another. When this foundation is strong, FRATERNITY p.5

FEATURES

OPINION

BUILD A BONNIE CONE

SECTION

NEWS

PUBLIC SERVICE CAREER FAIR

IFEST: 4 students share their IFEST experiences.

UNC Charlotte should commission a statue of our founder. It’s time that the university have a statue that has real meaning to both the students, and the university history.

Tour Guides: “The tour

UNC Charlotte’s Career Center will

guide program, coordinated by the Undergraduate Admission Office, offers prospective students a glimpse of 49er culture before arriving on campus.

host the Public Service Career Fair in the University Cone Center’s Lucas Room Tuesday, Oct. 4. 2011.

Government and community agencies

Clubs: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club CHARLOTTE SOCCER SET TO FACE NO. 1

gets down on the mats. p.7

p.10

p.15

like Teach For America will be recruiting for internships and jobs. p.5

Openly gay candidate to run for office Analiz Laracuente-Espinal INTERN

Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011, the Charlotte City Council will host elections for the next group of representatives and Lawana Mayfield, the winner of the Democratic primary, will become the first open lesbian to become a representative of the city council if elected.

This has caused some controversy around Charlotte and on campus. Due to the sensitivity of this topic, most of the staff interviewed was unwilling to voice their opinions without being anonymous.

However, the students of UNC Charlotte took varying stands on the topic. When interviewed, most students expressed mixed opinions about Mayfield’s campaign. Some said they didn’t agree with her lifestyle while others, like Mirachol Carroll, a freshman at UNC Charlotte, said that “[sexual] orientation wouldn’t affect judgment.”

Evan Barbour, a UNC Charlotte student, said that she thinks the election, “could CITY COUNCIL p.5

PAGE 2

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

NINERTIMES

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

Police Blotter LARCENY Sept. 22

Hawthorne Hall, secured bicycle removed from bicycle rack.

VANDALISM Sept. 22

Lot 22, motorcycle pushed over while parked and unattended.

MISUSE OF FIRE EQUIPMENT Sept. 16

Rowe Building, unknown subject discharged fire extinguisher.

ARRESTS Sept. 16

Fretwell Building, simple assault, possesion and possesion with intent to sell.

Sept. 17

Fretwell Building, DWI, careless and wreckless driving, and criminal damage to property.

Moore Hall, possessing/concealing weapons and drug violation.

Sept. 19

Lot 9A, trespassing.

MEDIC ASSIST Sept. 23

Maple Hall, subject ingested medication to level of drug overdose.

HIT AND RUN Sept. 20

Lot 5, car damaged while parked and unattended.

Sept. 21

Lot 6A, car damaged while parked and occupied.

NEWS BRIEFS UNC Charlotte student recieves DWI on campus Police officer, Kimberly Church, arrested James Warren Edmundson, a UNC Charlotte student, Saturday, Sept. 17, 2011, by the Fretwell building for driving while impaired.

He was arrested for driving while impaired, driving after consuming while being less than 21 years of age, reckless driving and damage to real property. Edmundson’s court date is set for Thursday, Oct. 27, 2011.

Due to FAFSA privacy regulations, information about campus disciplinary action is unavailable to the public.

Edmundson, a freshman, is an undeclared major that lives in Sycamore Hall, which is substance free housing on campus.

Ciera Choate

Student group holds alzheimer fundraiser UNC Charlotte’s Small Group Communication 2105 team will host a fundraiser meant to help the residents of The Haven in Highland Creek. UNC Charlotte students can donate items for these residents from Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 through Thursday, Sept. 29, 2011 in the rotunda of the Student Union.

Items that will be accepted include: soap, deodorant, denture cream, toothpaste, toothbrushes, slip-proof socks and lotions, all in the original packaging.

Contact Regina Davis at 704-960-9805 or rdavi117@uncc.edu for more information. Eden Creamer

Faculy members appointed to Board of Trustees Two UNC Charlotte faculty members, Dhiaa Jamil and Martin L. Brackett, have been appointed to the UNC Charlotte Board of Trustees. The swearing in ceremony took place on Thursday, Sept. 22, 2011 in the Harris Alumni Center of the Cone University Center.

Jamil was appointed to the Board of Trustees in April of 2011 to serve a fouryear term by the UNC Board of Governors, while Brackett was appointed in early Sept. for a four-year term by Beverly Purdue, North Carolina governor. Eden Creamer

Bench press competition Edmundson’s mugshot. Photo courtesy of

Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department

Department head named American Chemical Society Fellow UNC Charlotte’s Bernadette DonovanMerkert has been named an American Chemical Society (ACS) Fellow for 2011.

Donovan-Merkert is the chair of the UNC Charlotte Chemistry Department, and was selected due to her accomplishments and contributions to the ACS. This year, 213 of the over 163,000 members of ACS were given the title of ACS Fellow. The group was recognized at the fall national meeting in August.

Other recipients of this award from North Carolina universities include J. Michael Ramsey of UNC Chapel Hill, Alan E. Tonelli of North Carolina State University and Orlin D. Veley of North Carolina State University. Eden Creamer

UNC Charlotte will host a maximum bench press competition on Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the fitness center of the Student Activities Center.

Last year’s winners, Calvin Cleveland and Alley Hunt, students at UNC Charlotte, won.

For more information, contact Janelle Benvegna at 704-687-2264 or ptrainer@ uncc.edu. Eden Creamer

SGA Senator Ray Atkinson introduces legislation to assist cyclist Ray Atkinson, who represents the College of Liberal Arts and Science, introduced legislation last Thursday, asking campus police to not ticket illegally parked bicycles until the proper infrastructure is in place to support the number of cyclist on campus.

Atkinson’s legislation was referred back to committee. He is currently revising the legislation by finding other ways to address the lack of bicyle racks in certain areas.

More can be found online at www.nineronline.com Corey Conner

PAGE 3

Architect to speak at UNC Charlotte Ryan Pitkin R E P O RT E R

The School of Architecture will be presenting “Constructive Continuum,” a lecture by renowned architect Kathryn Dean, Wednesday, Sept. 28, 2011, in Storrs room 110 from 2 p.m. until 3:30 p.m.

The speech will be based around the book of the same name that she recently released with Dean/Wolf Architects, an architecture practice that she cofounded with her husband, Charles Wolf in 1991. The book theorizes the work that her practice produced over the last 20 years, said Dean.

Dean and her husband started the practice, which is located on Hudson Street in New York City because they wanted to do work that they really enjoyed doing. “For us this involves being able to achieve excellence at every level,” said Dean.

The firm’s work has been published in Architectural Record, Architect, Interiors, Global Architecture and several other journals. Dean is a Fellow of the American Academy in Rome. Other honors include multiple AIA Design Excellence and Honor Awards, a Record House, a Young Architects Award from Progressive Architecture and an Emerging Voices Award from the Architectural League in New York.

“We wanted to establish a practice that brought material and detail resolution to conceptual and formal concerns,” she said.

“It was never possible in corporate practice to see projects through with this kind of intensity at every level so we were very hungry to do work that aspired to our best.”

In March 2011, Dean/Wolf was awarded the Interiors Honors Award from the American Institute of Architects New York chapter for their Inverted Warehouse Townhouse. The townhouse is an addition and renovation of a Tribeca loft building in which steel panels that are layered shinglestyle allow frameless burgundy wall art glass to float down through the walls, according to their website.

Since founding their firm, Dean and Wolf completed residential and institutional projects in a variety of scales. They have been praised for their uncanny ability to turn architectural constraints into powerful generators of form. Dean/Wolf’s work is described on their website as being distinguished by a highly thought-provoking manipulation of light and space.

Their award-winning loft interiors are “small-scale wonders precisely crafted from sensual materials such as concrete, steel, maple and glass. They activate these highly resonant materials with deliberately focused light in order to dissolve boundaries of interior and exterior space.” The practice attempts to evoke a psychological engagement between the client’s mind and the space they inhabit.

Three years ago, Dean became Director of the Graduate School of Architecture at Washington University in St. Louis, Miss.

“I have really enjoyed this expanded responsibility for structuring an entire curriculum. And I completely adore my students at WU. They are fantastic,” she said.

Dean enjoys talking to students because they are honest, open and have high aspirations, “I have been teaching for 20 years now and I still always enjoy their thoughts,” she said.

Dean holds a Master of Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Arts in Architectural Studies from North Dakota State University.

Although two decades of practice and a book to commemorate the anniversary is a lot to be proud of, Dean said she is most proud of the friendships she built while producing her work.

“I have many clients that are still great friends, some 20 years later. And, I have had many colleagues in my office who have gone on to do very strong work,” said Dean.

Among these former colleagues are two Rome Prize Fellows, three people who have published their own monographs and many teachers.

Raising cancer awareness Analiz Laracuente-Espinal INTERN

The Coalition of 100 Black Women will hold a walk to raise awareness for breast cancer, and they need student volunteers to make that happen.

To raise awareness October 2011 for Breast Cancer Awareness month, the Coalition of 100 Black Women will have a “Coalition Awareness Week.” The awareness week will begin Oct. 24, 2011, and end on Oct. 28, 2011.

The week will be dedicated to raise breast cancer awareness on campus while involving the students, faculty and staff at UNC Charlotte. On Wednesday, Oct. 26, 2011, will be the Awareness Walk in which participants will walk together from the Friday Building around campus.

Courtney Parks, the president of the Coalition of 100 Black Women, said, “[the organization] is looking for 100 women to participate in the walk.” Although the club wants 100 women to walk, Parks said that “anyone, female or male, is encouraged to participate and raise awareness.”

The club will also have a booth in the Student Union during that week. The booth will have brochures and in-

formation for women on how to feel for lumps in their breast, the importance of having mammograms done yearly and the seriousness of breast cancer.

Parks hopes that “survivors [of breast cancer] or people who have family/ friends that have survived breast cancer will join the memorial” and share their stories during the week.

Parks wants this walk “to become a tradition at UNC Charlotte” and hopes the campus will become involved in their first big event of the year. Students interested in participating in the walk or being one of the 100 women involved, contact Parks at (336) – 813 – 0837 or email coalition100blackwomen@ gmail.com.

PAGE 4

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

CAB to visit Lazy 5 Ranch

REASON continued from p.1

text. One example of this that Alarcon will confront is the problem of maquiladoras, Mexican buildings near the border in which underpaid employees work in sweatshop conditions for U.S. corporations.

Alarcon hopes that presentations like these will help to fix what she calls a “lack of interaction between governments” that has been constructed over past decades. “The relationship needs to be reconstructed from the bottom up to become more constructive and egalitarian,” she said.

The stop at UNC Charlotte will be the last of a two-week tour by Alarcon that has taken her through Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

“People have opened their ears and listened to us. It is good that they’re listening because this tour is designed to make people reflect,” said Alarcon.

Although reflection is a big part of what Alarcon wants, she also hopes that students and other young people will help to take action against the problems facing her people. “We hope we can begin to create our own solutions instead of creating a story and expecting other officials to fix it,” she said.

This feeling of autonomy goes deep into the outlook of the MSN, who are influenced by the Zapatistas. According to their website, they have rejected the approach of the traditional left in Mexico and the U.S., which sets out theoretical models and adjusts practice to meet them. The MSN is set in developing theory out of the concrete realities that people face every day. The Zapatistas have called this “caminar preguntando,” translated to “questioning as we walk.”

Alcaron has a history at MSN, including working to shine a light on what was happening in Juarez, Mexico. She was responsible for putting together the first delegation of members of congress to take a trip to Juarez.

She now works with La Casa de Migrante to help people who have found their lives completely upended by deportation away

Eden Creamer A S S T. N E W S E D I T O R

Macrina Cardenas Alacron. Photo courtesy of

Ryan Pitkin

from the U.S. She receives these people and tries to help reunite them with family members and find them a job.

The forced deportation of workers is one of the most important and volatile issues between the border. “The deportations are being done with no public policies on either side that will aid the deportee,” said Alarcon. “The government is acting as if they are throwing trash back across the border when in reality they have worked very hard to build a stable life in America.” Most of the people she works with have no idea how to reconstruct that life anywhere else.

Stuart Schussler, the national speaking tour coordinator at MSN, said that Alarcon brings an invaluable amount of experience to her profession.

“She has had so much experience in community organizing. From female violence in Juarez, to maquiladoras to deportees, it is very helpful for her listeners to be able to benefit from that,” he said.

UNC Charlotte students are invited to sign up to join the Campus Activities Board (CAB) on a trip to the Lazy 5 Ranch on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011. Students will take a three and a half mile long wagon ride, see many different animals and enjoy a petting zoo.

Talent, Activities, Xcursions and Interests (TAXI) is the department of CAB that is hosting this event. TAXI generally deals with off campus activities geared towards UNC Charlotte students.

Brittney Bryant, Director of the TAXI committee overseeing this trip, recommends students sign up soon if they wish to attend the event. “Sign ups for the trip we be on a first come first basis,” said Bryant.

“We only have 50 student slots.”

Thirty-nine of these 50 slots have already been filled. Students interested in attending can sign up at the CAB office, which is located in the Student Union, room 221.

The UNC Charlotte group attending Lazy 5 Ranch will leave at 12 p.m. from the loading dock of the Student Union on Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, although students going are urged to arrive early, “so you can get checked-in with us and get your seat on the charter bus,” said Bryant. Those attending will leave the ranch to head back to UNC Charlotte around 4 p.m.

Lunch will not be provided at the event, so students are urged to eat before the event. “Also, if you wish to buy anything from the gift shop at the ranch, please bring cash,” said Bryant. “Lazy 5 does not accept debit cards, credit cards, personal checks, etc.”

“UNC Charlotte students should attend this event, and all CAB events, so that they can become more involved in everything our university can offer,” said Bryant. “At CAB we strive to present students with a fast, fun, friendly and convenient environ-

ment where they can partake in social, cultural and educational events that are complimentary to our university’s academic mission.”

The Lazy 5 Ranch is located in Mooresville, NC, and is owned and operated by Henry Hampton. Hampton raised animals for years, allowing groups to come to his home and see them, before he decided to open the Lazy 5 Ranch in 1993. There are now over 750 animals at the ranch from all around the world.

Animals at the Lazy 5 Ranch include over 50 types of birds, camels, cattle, dear, ducks, elk, giraffes, goats, horses, kangaroos, llamas, pheasants, pigs, porcupines, quails, rhino, sheep, swans, tortoises and zebras.

Lazy 5 Ranch is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. until an hour before sunset and Sundays from 1 p.m. until an hour before sunset.

Those visiting the ranch have the option to either drive their vehicle through the ranch for the price of general admission, or may take a horse-draw wagon through the park for higher rates. General admission rates are: $8.50 for adults, $5.50 for children ages 2-11 and seniors ages 60 and up, $5.00 for groups of 15 people or more and $3.00 for a bucket of feed. Rates for admission with a wagon ride and feed are: $13.50 for adults, $8.50 for children ages 2-11 and seniors ages 60 and up and $7.50 for groups of 15 people or more.

This is the first year that a program at UNC Charlotte has hosted an event to the Lazy 5 Ranch. Bryant has high hopes for this event. “If students continue to show interest in this fun filled excursion, we would definitely be interested in repeating this specific trip, or planning another trip like it,” said Bryant.

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

FRATERNITY continued from p.1

Caldwell wants to keep the focus of the chapter on brotherhood and helping the community.

“Fraternities tend to pull away from brotherhood, and be all about parties and getting girls. With the new chapter of Sigma Tau Gamma we want to do more for the community, set the bar for others and be the out standing gentlemen on campus,” said Caldwell.

Manly, who started the Sigma Tau Gamma Chapter at his college, has similar a similar vision for Sigma Tau Gamma at UNC Charlotte.

“Back in the day when fraternities were just starting, people were chosen because they were the sharpest men around campus. Their letters didn’t make them better than everyone else, but rather their letters

made them better than they were before,” said Manly.

When asked whether or not Sigma Tau Gamma would have a house in Greek Village, Manly states, “… having a house is not the culmination of our success. The character of the organization is in the people, not in some structure or building.”

The expansion counselors said that the choice of having a house will be the decisions of future Sigma Tau Gamma members. The counselors are here to recruit members.These founding fathers are to be the authors of the constitution and by-laws.

To learn more contact Kaimann at (636) 236-2292, Manly at (410) 322-2537 or by email at SigmaTauGammaUNCC@gmail. com.

NOW hosts skating party Ashley Dorrell INTERN

Niners on the Weekend (NOW) will host a roller skating party in the Student Activity Center food court Saturday, Oct. 1, 2011, from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. The event will be free for all students who attend.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. will be cosponsoring the event and will be collecting donations for March of Dimes.

This will be the second time NOW will host the event, which began in Fall 2010.

Zeta Phi Beta Sorority co-sponsored the event last year.

“Since 400 people came last year, we

are planning for about the same number this year,” NOW event coordinator James Contratto said.

Plans include laying down thick tiles of rubberized material to create a rolling pad.

The material, as well as roller skates, will be provided by a novelty company called Spintacular Entertainment, which is based in Asheville, NC. Food will not be provided, but music will be. DJ JLee, a UNC Charlotte Alumni, will be providing music for the duration of the roller skating party.

“I’m excited for it, it is indoors and in the SAC, it’s a good location,” said NOW Production Coordinator, Shirley Hsueh.

CITY COUNCIL continued from p.1

be good or it could be bad. Some people might relate to her and her beliefs, but others might disagree with her views and that could cause problems.”

However, Angela Woltermann, an art major, said “sexual orientation shouldn’t matter. You should be able to do whatever you want.”

When the question of whether orientation should make a difference when someone is running for elections or leadership positions, Britney Clark, biology major, said “[Mayfield] is still a person. I don’t care [about her orientation]. Just as long as she does her job right.”

Many students seem hesitant to say otherwise and would rather keep their opinions private than voice them.

Despite the disagreements on Mayfield’s orientation, if she is elected, many feel that this would further support and bring awareness to other events in similar positions. With Nov. 8 one month away, it is unknown what the election may bring.

However, Mayfield says she is, “confident our community is ready for a change and they are confident in the fact that [she will] get on council and fight for the community.”

PAGE 5

Public Service Career Fair comes to UNC Charlotte Molly Mulhern R E P O RT E R

UNC Charlotte’s Career Center will host the Public Service Career Fair in the University Cone Center’s Lucas Room Tuesday, Oct. 4. 2011, where government and community agencies like Teach For America will be recruiting for internships and jobs.

“Recruiters are looking to fill different types of jobs from the majority of what we saw at the Fall Career Expo,” said Senior Assistant Director at the Career Center, Rebecca Cody. “A lot of helping professions will be represented. If you’re talking about the federal government, they hire everyone from engineers, to biology, to chemistry.

It’s definitely not limited to liberal arts majors.”

The fair will run from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. and beforehand the Career Center will hold a special workshop at 11 a.m. in Cone Center’s McKnight Hall that will feature a recruiter from a federal government agency.

“This workshop is all about what the career opportunities out there are and how to apply. Applying for a job with the federal government is a little different than the regular process for applying with a corporation,” said Cody.

“All forms of government will be coming to the fair, including state and local levels, along with nonprofit organizations. We also have some graduate programs coming that prepare you for public service careers, such as teaching, public administration, paralegal training and even Richmont Graduate School, which provides seminary training.”

Students interested in a career in the public service sector will be given the opportunity to visit with employers including The North Carolina Division of Community Corrections, Japan Exchange and Teaching Program, Metrolina Paralegal Association, US Department of State and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security.

The public service sector, especially departments of the Federal Government have been outpacing the private sector in job creation over the last few years. For stu-

dents worried about securing employment after graduation, the Public Service Career Fair could be beneficial.

“For students interested in any of these types of employers, either government or non-profit, this is a great event to attend.

You hear a lot about how the federal government is trying to create jobs, and they are still the nation’s largest employer,” said Cody.

In addition to having a lot of positions to fill, the government consistently goes above and beyond in offering benefits for their employees. These include excellent health insurance, ample time off, a threepart retirement savings program and family friendly flexibility like child and elderly care resources, as well as employee assistance programs.

Teach for America is one organization attending the fair on Tuesday.

“It’s an organization that places teachers in low income schools, schools where they have critical shortages. It’s a two year program, and students interested do not have to be education majors,” said Cody.

“Teach for America provides training.”

Teach for America prepares members for life after the program as well, helping them develop skills and insights that promote systemic change. The challenge of working to close the achievement gap through education helps members make and impact and take on important leadership roles.

Like the career expo, all classes are encouraged to come to the Public Service Career Fair.

“Teach for America especially is as interested in talking to underclassmen as the older students because it’s something you want to give a lot of thought to,” said Cody.

“It requires planning ahead because you don’t have all that much control over the location where you’re placed.”

Any student interested in government jobs or learning more about organizations like Teach for America can come to the Public Service Career Fair to learn about the public sector of work.

New online information sessions Kimberly Thompkins INTERN

When an undergraduate student goes through the application process for their freshman year, it is mandatory for that student to attend Student Orientation, Advising and Registration, otherwise know as S.O.A.R., in which they meet with their academic advisors, register for their classes and learn more information about the university and what it can offer.

When applying to Graduate School, students must go through a similar orientation

process in which they meet with Graduate School counselors to receive the information needed before the beginning of the school year. Also, attending an orientation where graduate students will learn the about the policies, resources and programs that could help make their academic transition easier.

For students who have schedules that consist of family and career, online Graduate School Information Sessions are conducted for those with time constraints. According to Kathy B. Giddings, the director of Graduate Admissions, Graduate School

Online Information Sessions are scheduled on a monthly basis through RSVP’s in order to accommodate non-traditional schedules. It is a way of electronically sending importantdocumentation to a computer or mobile device (iPod, iPad, Android).

Online Graduate School Information Sessions will also allow students to watch broadcast information sessions using Webinar, a program affiliated with Go To Meeting in which students can conduct informative sessions for up to 1,000 online in real time.

During these sessions, students are

taught how to navigate the Online Graduate School webpage and are given information about programs and services to help them in their academic careers. Students are also able to ask questions to the host, which will be audible or visible to other students in the session. This service is not limited to those in the Charlotte region, and available to those who live abroad.

For Graduate School Online Information Sessions, you can visit: http://graduateschool.uncc.edu/visitus/attend-an-information-session.html

PAGE 6

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

OPINION Appreciating campus artwork Joshua Wood INTERN

Over the years street art has grown in popularity, you can now find it just about anywhere, on the sidewalks, benches, dumpsters, or sides of buildings.

One big question remains, is it graffiti or is art?

“The world is out canvas and there are only a few who are so bold enough to paint it.”

- Anonymous

One form of street art has been making various appearances throughout the UNC Charlotte campus, and that is (for lack of a better word) stenciling.

Now upon first glance one might think that someone wasted his or her time by defacing public property, but it in reality these “stencils” are actually something

quite beautiful.

These stencils of faces such as Pee-wee Herman or word quotes like “appreciate small things” are art.

These stencils are by no means an easy feat, the artist goes out under the cover of darkness and paints on the open canvas of the world around us, and you have to give the artist credit for being so bold.

Whether it is a jack-o-lantern face on park benches or the words “change the world” on the ground, the stencil art found around campus can even inspire students in the community.

When seeing the words, “appreciate small things,” stenciled on the ground near the Belk Tower, it makes you question, “Do I really appreciate the small things?”

Do you appreciate the fact that you are healthy and alive? It makes you ponder whether you are appreciating the small things in life, like being able to take the stairs instead of having to use the elevator because you aren’t capable of doing so.

Maybe next time you’ll be more inclined to take the stairs, or stop to smell the roses It is that kind of inspiration that can be received from the stencils that makes them

art worth respecting and taking note of.

The stencils that populate the campus are something that I believe to be unique and I hope they continue to appear across the campus.

I also encourage everyone to stop and just look at these artworks and to literally appreciate the small things.

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Charlotte looks out for visually impaired Paula Andrade INTERN

Going to a University is a challenge, and it can even become more challenging when one is faced with a disability such as the visual impairment.

At UNC Charlotte, students who have this type of impairment are supported by the Office of Disability Services, which started in 1984 with five students.

According to the Director of Disability Services, Jo Ann Fernald, as much as ten percent of the student population qualifies for disability services.

At present, the University holds seven students considered without vision, and approximately fifteen students with low vision.

The services provided to the group of visually impaired vary with the needs of these students, and are not only restricted to technological support in classes, such as electronic texts, CCTVs for enlarging the words, electronic recordings, and manual readers.

The service are also expanded in order to ensure access, as a resource for students if they have any doubts, the office might be able to answer.

Before enrolling in the University, the Office of Disability Services provides information in different ways, such as the Saturday Explore (which happens four times a year), meetings with people at SOAR, and close contact with the Academic Services, releasing

information in booklets and brochures.

“If you have a disability, then we strongly recommend that when you are looking at different universities you talk to the people in their office of disability services, because every office is going to be a little bit different”, said Jo Ann Fernald.

In order to improve the services for the students, they are sent a number of surveys – a survey after registering at the office about their specific disabilities, spring survey about their experiences during the semester, another one after graduating so that changes can be made according to the feedback received from them.

Furthermore, the Office of Disability Services has a student advisor report comprised of young leaders that feel comfortable speaking of their disabilities with none impaired students in an educational aspect.

Robin Hering, a sociology student who is visually impairment, says that she is really satisfied with the services provided to, “My classes are pretty adapted, and my instructor is pretty cool.” However, the contact with none disabled students can be a little difficult.

“Some people should be a little more helpful, but I am not mad at them because I do understand that some people don’t know how to help or how to approach an individual with disabilities,” she said.

“People need some more information about visual impairment.”

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NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

PAGE 7

Unreliable trolleys

Brandon Batton EDITORIALIST

Trolleys have been a major source of transportation for student who don’t want to make the trek across campus multiple times on a daily basis. I being one of those students have several complaints with the current transportation service.

The Charlotte Area Transit Service (CATS) trolley on campus has become an unreliable and slow means of transportation, almost to the extent of non-existence for the south side of campus.

According to the CATS, there are supposed to be two trolleys going in different directions for every route; both arriving at any given bus stop within 15 minutes.

However, we all know that this is definitely not the case.

I don’t know how many times I have waited almost forty-five minutes for a yellow line trolley at 11am by the union only to see the red line go by.

This can be a real problem for people like me that plan their schedules with the trolleys 15 minute maximum policy.

The majority of the time, there is only one trolley that runs for the yellow line, and occasionally, there will be no trolleys at all even on the days and times that the CATS says they are running two trolleys.

The red line trolley that commutes to the north side of campus has a different problem.

The trolleys for that route end up back to back on a daily basis. So even with the red line having two running trolleys, the wait time is still terrible due to them not being spaced out.

Aside from these issues, even if you manage to get on a trolley, it may have been more feasible just to have walked to your destination instead due to the fact most of the trolley drivers tend to drive so slow that you can out walk the trolley to your destination.

Although the CATS trolley is a free service, many students depend on it for transportation.

From my point of view, any service that is given free or purchased must uphold a certain level of quality.

This is especially true if the service provider states a minimum quality of their service.

The CATS trolley has stated their minimum quality for their service, which is to have a trolley to arrive at every bus stop at least every 15 minutes.

I will be waiting for all of us to finally say that we are getting the service that we expect from the CATS trolley system.

Corey Conner EXECUTIVE EDITOR

The campus trolley system is by no means perfect. However, it does provide a good service to students.

One issue is students not understanding basic transit manners. People need to get off of the bus before others get on.

Students rushing to hop on the trolleys without regard for others causes a backup at the trolley’s door.

If that happens at every stop, then the trolley will be behind by midday, especially when other factors are involved.

Another issue with the trolley system is the number of students who wait on the trolley just to go to the next stop.

I’ve seen students wait and complain that the trolley is taking more than five minutes when they could just walk up the hill from Burson to Prospector.

The more students going on and off the buses, the more time it takes the bus at each stop.

A third issue is the traffic on campus.

Students will drive across campus, causing traffic jams, instead of simply walking from Fretwell to COED. However, the issues above don’t have to

VS

do with the trolley system.

They have to do with the students.

The trolleys don’t always arrive on time, but students aren’t helping the situation.

Then, what can help?

Students can be more alert when they’re riding the bus.

Instead of having to have the driver reopen the doors, people can look away from their phones. That way, they don’t miss their stop, or cause the driver to delay moving forward.

Another solution is to drive less. Students can ride a bike, or walk. Anything that will decrease the amount of traffic on campus would help.

Students should also be aware of high traffic times.

After certain classes let out, there is almost always a backup of traffic. That’s probably not the best time to wait on the bus if you’re in a hurry.

Finally, students should let Parking Services know when there are issues. Feedback is important, and they want to hear what students have to say.

Send them a tweet @unccparking, and let them know your thoughts.

Things aren’t perfect. They never will be. It doesn’t mean that you can’t ask for and expect improvement, but contribute what you can to the solution.

Isn’t it time to build a Bonnie Cone?

File Photo

Corey Conner

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

Why do statues matter anyways? Aren’t they just large, expensive lawn gnomes?

The thing is, statues can matter to a university. They just need to represent something real that already matters to a campus.

Isn’t it time for UNC Charlotte to have a statue that means something to the campus? Here’s a suggestion. Commission a statue of Bonnie Cone. Our founder deserves more than a small bust in the Student Union hallway leading to the art gallery. She shouldn’t just be hidden away in the gardens.

After the Stake Your Claim pick axes

were taken down, I heard students asked where they went. They were a sign of school pride that only had a short stint as a feature of campus. They are still on display, just painted and outside of Robinson Hall instead of somewhere more visible.

I love the self-made man piece that sits in the area between Fretwell and Cato. But, no one dares venture across the grassy abiss to visit the man chisling away at himself.

Some may argue that we do have the miner statue in front of Reese and Colvard.

The issue is that the statue is separated from campus life. Trying to observe the statue while driving into campus could easily lead to a pedestrian incident in the area.

A statue is about to be installed in front of the Student Union, between College of Health and Human Services and the College of Education buildings. Personally, I’m not fond of the concept art. The statue will display two figures climbing a staircase. Maybe I’m wrong and this is campus related. UNC Charlotte students definitely know a thing or two about climbing staircases, especially if they have subsequent classes in COED then Colvard. However, I don’t think this is the symbolism that the artist was going for when he came up with the idea.

Then there is that giant statue of an eagle outside of Woodward Hall. Why is there a giant eagle? Maybe it represents America.

Maybe it represents the ability of a student to fly to new heights after matriculating at the university.

A statue that has real meaning for students has the ability to positively impact the student body. Imagine a group of potential students taking a campus tour. They walk past the statue of a petite woman and are told of UNC Charlotte’s founder and the impact she had on education in Charlotte.

The statue becomes an inspiration that has real meaning instead of some abstract piece of art.

So, what can the university do? For starters, they can plan on the next few statues being people that matter. Then, they can work to raise awareness of the meaning behind our current pieces of art. For example, what is that odd yellow structure behind Fretwell? Is it more than just an obstacle that keeps students off the grass? I’m willing to say that it has more meaning. Unfortunately, that meaning is unknown and therefore irrelevant.

I don’t think it is necessary to have every statue have some spectacular tie to our history, but why don’t we have a statue of even one significant figure on campus? The busts in the library don’t count. We need something visible and prominent, something that will unite students. The university needs something that unites students over a common history, not a common bewilderment over the latest campus attraction.

Here’s my challenge to the relevant decision makers. Have the next campus statue you commission closely tie in to the university’s history. It’d be even better if it was an image of Bonnie Cone. But please, enough with the abstract contemporary statues. Make them matter.

Red light means stop Gwen Shearman OPINION EDITOR

The problem occurs all over campus at cross walks everyday. Cars have the green light; pedestrians have the red light, but still continue to cross the street.

Not only is it unsafe, it’s annoying to drivers. Students and faculty alike, walking around like they own the road, instead of the cars that have the right of way. Ask anyone who drives onto campus, almost hitting a person who jaywalks during the red light can scare a person half to death, not to mention just plain piss them off.

It’s taught from the time you could walk, look both ways before you cross the street.

Now, everyone can be in hurry or running late from time to time, but people should take into account the time it’s going to take to walk across campus.

A student is late for class so decides that the stoplight doesn’t apply to them, darts out into the road, irritating and almost getting hit by the car driving by. Then the student driving the car parks, and jaywalks in the exact same fashion, annoying another car passing by. Endless cycle? Seems that way.

Some argue that when it’s raining outside, the rules do not apply. Everyone knows that walking in the rain sucks. Bring an umbrella.

Drivers should resiprocate the road way courtesy and stop at the red lights and go on the green. Drop your friends off on the side of the road, not at the cross walk when the light is green.

With a campus as busy as UNC Charlotte during peak hours of the day, drivers and walkers working together is important to keep things running smoothly.

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

A&E

LIVE MUSIC:

The Psychedelic Furs & Tom Tom Club Wednesday, September 28th 7:30 p.m.

Knight Theater at Levine Center for the Arts

The crowd anxiously awaited the beginning of the emerging designer runway shows on a top level of the Epicentre on Thursday.

ON CAMPUS:

Faculty Jazz Quintet Tuesday, September 27th 8:00 p.m.

Robinson Hall Anne R. Belk Theater

ON CAMPUS:

Back Story: The Student One-Act Play Festival Thursday, September 29th 8:00 p.m.

White Box Theater in Rowe Arts

Anthony Simons, Director of Charlotte NC Fashion Week, began Thursday night with a speech about its history and introduced the host of the evening, Samantha Busch.

Charlotte Fashion Week 2011 celebrates all styles The 4th annual Charlotte NC Fashion Week (CNCFW) had its finale on Saturday after running from Wednesday Sept. 21st. The week was filled with the runway shows of almost 20 designers and boutiques from around the Charlotte area.

Hosted by Samantha Busch, model and wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, CNCFW took place in the Epicentre in Uptown Charlotte.

A VIP press reception and fundraiser was the kick-off to CNCFW on Wednesday evening at Hotel Sierra across the street from the Epicentre.

A different “Emerging Designer Showcase” took place on the following days, which included large Charlotte names like Saks OFF 5th, Belle Ville Boutique, Anarke Jeans, Sada Fashion and even Gap Kids.

CNCFW was able to bring fashion lovers of all kinds to one place, celebrating the growing and ever-changing world of fashion.

Charlotte-based models, ranging from adults to small children, walked down the runway countless times over four days, showing Charlotte the newest designs for fall and spring. Designers thanked crowds after their shows, looks of proud happiness on their faces at the positive feedback. Fashionistas around Charlotte, specializing in event-planning and public relations, were able to contribute their talents as interns, helping to seat people and hold down the house. Press and photographers were able to sit or stand at the end of the runway, making sure to capture fashion’s finest moments on camera.

All in all, CNCFW was a true celebration of the fashion and style industry in Charlotte, embracing what makes fashion week in Charlotte so different than the fashion celebrations in other parts of the world.

Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR champion Kyle Busch and established model, was the host of CNCFW 2011.

She spoke about each of the designers on Thursday night and introduced all their shows. “It is amazing to see the talent right here in our city. It’s unbelievable,” said Busch.

Up-and-coming pop singer K-RISS performed on Friday night, singing variations of her songs “Party” and “Electrified.”

Two young girls walked down the runway Thursday night as parts of the Gap Kids show.

Contributing writers: A&E Editor Haley Twist, Asst. A&E Editor Lee Pham and reporters Sarah Obeid and Molly Mulhern To read the personal accounts of CNCFW from these writers visit Nineronline.com.

Photos by Lauren Harris and Lee Pham

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

PAGE 9

C

A

B

A. Belle Ville’s ruffled dress was displayed on Thursday, paired with clogstyle mary-jane platforms and a belt to match.

D

B. T.2 Design Group’s models made their final appearances on the runway Friday night, giving the audience one last glance at the many creations.

E F

C. A nude strapless dress, made by Nitsa’s Apparel in South Park, brought a dressy look to Thursday night’s show.

D. An uptown-girl’s classic fall look, brought to CNCFW by Saks OFF 5th in Concord Mills.

E. Another look from Saks OFF 5th, this time bringing a comfortable, casual look for men.

F. A third look from Saks OFF 5th, sporting coral high-waisted dress pants and a white sweater, great for a working girl in the city.

G. T.2 Design Group brought the audience a spring look for men, including a white shirt, white fitted jeans and white Converse Chuck Taylors.

h

I

H. This school-girl-esque look comes from Anarke Jeans and paired a dress with a white shirt and a chain belt.

I. Saks OFF 5th brings another look to CNCFW on Thursday night, comparing a glittery gown with an edgy leather jacket and combat boots.

J. Alice Andrews Designs brings a Hollywood-inspired party dress to Friday night’s show, adding black heels that are classic yet modern.

G

J

PAGE 10

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

FEATURES

Residents and advisors of Witherspoon Hall stretch with Jiu Jitsu club members before learning self-defense techniques and moves during the seminar last week. Photos by Molly Mulhern

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club gets down on the mats Club members hosted a self-defense seminar for Witherspoon Hall residents Molly Mulhern REPORTER

UNC Charlotte’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club hosted a self-defense seminar for the residents of Witherspoon Hall on Sept. 21.

Residents learned some basic techniques of the martial art.

“It teaches techniques that help the little people beat the big people in a fight,” club president Jerrad Stone said. “Jiu Jitsu is like wrestling in that it’s a ground game.

The objective is to submit the other person in an arm lock or a leg lock. It’s grappling.”

Residents were taught Jiu Jitsu moves that would help them escape an attacker and defend themselves if they were unable to get away. Students were partnered up and practiced moves like the “triangle choke.” This skill involves wrapping the legs around an attacker’s neck in a triangle position, cutting off blood flow from the arteries to the brain. It causes an attacker to lose consciousness within 10 seconds.

The students were coached in Jiu Jitsu self defense on a large, thick mat on which the club practices regularly.

“The mat is important because a lot of the moves involve getting on the ground,” Stone said. This was clear as the instructors taught students techniques that involved flipping their opponent from a standing position to flat on the floor.

The Jiu Jitsu club has another selfdefense seminar coming up in the next month, along with fundraisers and volunteer events in which the club will collaborate with SCarowinds, Habitat for Humanity and Your Event Source (YES).

The club has about 30 members and

practices every Tuesday and Thursday from 7 p.m. until 9 p.m. on the ground floor of Belk Gym in room 025. The club has come a long way from its origins at UNC Charlotte.

Jiu Jitsu Club President Jerrad Stone.

“We started with just 14 guys on the mat,” founder Paolo Publico said. Publico and his friend Ross Medlin co-founded the Jiu Jitsu club in 2006.

“We were just sitting up in Holshouser and we had friends who were doing Jiu Jitsu. But at the time we were freshmen and sophomores and couldn’t afford to pay for the classes. We were such good friends with the instructors, so we just asked them to come hang out and teach us, and from there it spiraled out of control.”

Publico said, “The club has progressed since then to at one point having 80 guys

on the mat. A friend would bring a friend and they would bring their friends.”

Recruiting new members to UNC Charlotte’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club is one of their main goals this year.

“Try it out,” Stone encourages students.

“If you keep an open mind, it can be easy for you to learn. New people just have to be comfortable with the positions we start off teaching. We show them step-by-step and we have trained professionals to make sure nothing goes wrong.”

New participants also have the opportunity to step into leadership positions in the Jiu Jitsu club.

“New members do have the chance to become officers,” Stone said. “We have the president, vice president, secretary and treasurer. Our constitution is designed to have elections at the end of every semester. All members get to vote on who officers should be.”

While Stone’s duties as president involve contacting fundraising and volunteer organizations, helping set up and organize events, dealing with advertisement and handling club funds, he did not participate in the self-defense seminar due to injuries.

“Injuries are not all that common because we try to teach each new technique gradually to avoid them,” Stone said. “Accidents, however, do happen. I would say we have about 2 injuries per year, but it’s part of the sport.”

Jiu Jitsu, much like karate has a belt system. Novice members start with the white belt, while the most advanced are awarded black belts. The belt hierarchy was clearly illustrated at the self-defense seminar. The main instructor, a black belt,

was quite small in relation to a fellow blue belt instructor, yet clearly dominated him in most of the Jiu Jitsu techniques.

“Jiu Jitsu teaches that a smaller guy can beat the bigger guy using proper leverage,” Stone emphasized.

“Unlike Japanese Jiu Jitsu, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu employs chokeholds and other locks to defeat an opponent, regardless of his size.”

The UNC Charlotte’s Brazilian Jiu Jitsu club hopes to achieve great things this year, including Sports Club of the Year Award, which they won in the 2008-2009 and 2009-2010 school years.

“We were Sports Club of the Year in 2006, and Ross Medlin, one of the founders, got Sports Club Officer of the year as well,” said Publico.

The Jiu Jitsu club was also the Outstanding Student Organization of 20092010, a high honor the club was chosen for amongst every other student organization on campus.

“We are trying to be Outstanding Student Organization this year too,” Stone said. “It’s tough. We are competing against everyone, like sororities and fraternities, every other club. But we are going to win, because we always go above and beyond our set parameters, and we are bad ass.”

The club has advanced since its start at the university and continues to grow through recruitment, demonstrations such as the self-defense seminar and solid leadership.

“Just give Jiu Jitsu club a shot,” Stone said. “The worst thing that will happen is you’ll learn how to defend yourself.”

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

PAGE 11

Students share their experiences with IFEST

Heather Northrop

Yu Boudil

Thomas Nguyen

Loren Alexander

“I have seen a lot of children come to my booth. IFEST allows for diversity, which is good for the kids and for anyone really to see people all of kinds interact. I love kids and it feels good to be helping out.”

“IFEST is a great way for people to get a feel for what all cultures are like. For me, the food has been really delicious and everything is just all so cool. The festival shows the diversity in America and the fact that America embraces diversity. I love to make people smile and it is a part of my Japanese culture to make people smile. Translating people’s names in Japanese and advertising for my country has truly been a success.”

“What I like about IFEST is seeing a lot of people interacting as well as the different clothing. I enjoyed the different food, as well. I am having a blast bonding with and getting to know the other volunteers at the Vietnam booth.”

“IFEST has been so much fun. There are so many countries represented and so much to see. Compared to last year, I feel like there are a lot more people here at the festival.”

freshman, ran the Passport Project booth

junior, assisted the Japan booth

sophomore, ran the Vietnam booth

sophomore, student at IFEST

Compiled by Sarah Obeid

Touring UNC Charlotte...

The tour guide program, coordinated by the Undergraduate Admission Office, offers prospective students a glimpse of 49er culture before arriving on campus Mitchell Harper REPORTER

Students may have noticed the sudden boom in admission rates at UNC Charlotte. The university is recognized as one of the country’s leading public higher education institutions and with good reason. But what programs have contributed to this enrollment prosperity? The tour guide program has been a major contribution to the current enrollment status, yet many people disregard this program or know absolutely nothing about it.

Claire Kirby is the Associate Director of Admissions for UNC Charlotte. Her office, along with the Office of Undergraduate Admissions, is located at Cato Hall. According to Kirby, UNC Charlotte received 12,914 freshman applications. 8,418 of those applications were admitted into the university.

As for the number of applications for transfer admission, there were a total of 5,484 in which 3,730 of those applications were admitted.

The university’s undergraduate enrollment status is approximately 20,140 students as of Aug. 22. In addition, out-of-state freshman enrollment has increased by about 13.5 percent. The population of underrepresented students of the freshman class (non-Caucasian) also increased this year by approximately 39 percent.

A significant factor influencing these statistics is the university’s tour guide program. The admissions office here at UNC Charlotte coordinates the tour guide program.

Jennifer Shoemaker is the Senior Assistant Director of Admissions and she is also the director of the tour guide program for the campus.

Apparently, many students are unaware of the tour guide program.

“The students who volunteer for us do a fantastic job and are very knowledgeable about campus and are very involved. Last year they gave tours to over 15,000 campus visitors through the Undergraduate Admissions Office!

There are many more students on campus who aren’t familiar with everything this group does,” said Shoemaker.

A notable number of students volunteer as tour guides for the university.

Shoemaker said “we have approximately 40 to 50 tour guides on our roster, but the number of active tour guides varies from semester to semester based upon class schedules and other time demands that college students face.”

Tour guides for UNC Charlotte do more than just provide tours for potential students and their families, many of them serve as student contacts for these prospective students.

“Our tour guides are responsible for giving campus tours to prospective students and their families,” said Shoemaker. “The tour guides also serve as ambassadors to the university as oftentimes, the tour guides are the only student contact prospective students have when trying to decide whether they want to attend UNC Charlotte or not.”

Tour guides also volunteer for the Open House programs sponsored by the university. Typically, each guide will volunteer for up to four Open House programs a year.

“Each Open House will have anywhere from 800 to 2,000 visitors,” said Shoemaker.

How can a student become a part of this program? Anyone that is interested in being a tour guide needs to take the initiative to get in touch with the Undergraduate Ad-

missions Office either at the end of the fall or at the end of the spring semesters.

“We usually recruit or accept applications during the first week of a semester,” said Shoemaker. “Students will submit an application and then interviews are conducted to identify students who would serve as proud ambassadors for UNC Charlotte.”

While it may seem so, being a tour guide doesn’t confine students to staying on-campus throughout the year.

“We travel to various locations along the east coast, attending recruitment events and hosting many recruitment events on campus,” said Shoemaker. “The tour guides are a vital part to our on-campus recruitment efforts as the campus visit is the most significant factor when students select a college to attend. The mission of the Undergraduate Admissions Office is to recruit new students to the university.”

The Undergraduate Admissions Office also offers group tours for high school administrators that are interested in bringing their kids to tour the campus.

Dominick White, a junior and communications major, is a tour guide for UNC Charlotte and Resident Advisor for Witherspoon Hall. White described customary job responsibilities.

“We typically take incoming freshmen or transfer students around campus so they can get accompanied to it, said White.

“I think the tour guide program is a great resource for students that plan to attend UNC Charlotte,” said White.

“It’s a very informal way of getting to know what the university is all about without the stress of facing an admission official.”

PAGE 12

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

An ode to campus geese Joel Hanel

COLUMNIST

Not surprisingly, UNC Charlotte’s waterfowl “problem” did not just start when you arrived for your first day of classes.

Geese and ducks have almost always been here guarding the sidewalks of campus and making students’ walk to class even longer, especially from the high-rises.

Despite the fact that students often dislike most of these animals, they have an interesting history at the university, becoming the campus joke, as well as becoming the object of affinity to many others.

What seems to be the most obvious fact about the waterfowl on campus is that their roots can be traced to the several ponds, which some students call “lakes,” on campus.

When looking at a campus map, there are three notable blue spaces, though currently Hechenbleikner Lake is set for a repair project to take place late this September.

Other than “Heck Lake,” which is located at the front of campus to right of the Norm statue, there is Brocker Lake, which sits behind the high-rises and beside Memorial Hall, which was previously the Student Health Center. The third lake is located beside of Rec. Field 13, which is being built behind the Epic building.

Back to geese and ducks. Their story begins with the work of Dr. Hechenbleikner, who served both as the first chairman of the biology department and a groundskeeper while at the university.

Dr. Heck, as he was commonly known, spent much of his time landscaping the young campus, and his work included building the lake that was eventually named after him.

Using students’ help to clear the land and having the campus entrance serve as

the natural dam, the lake soon took shape, with a small island in the center.

To heighten the atmosphere of the lake, Dr. Heck brought the first waterfowl to the lake, two swans, which reported by Ken Sanford, “graced the lake.” Yet disappointingly, the pair flew off when construction started on the Rowe Building, which upset Dr. Heck to the point that he rented a plane to fly over the area to find the two birds.

Though he could never find them, a large population of Canadian Geese and ducks took their place, and began to call these bodies of water and UNC Charlotte home for several months each year.

Almost parallel to students living on campus, the geese and ducks made their home on campus, leading to some conflict. In 1986, the University Citizen, which was the wwApril Fools edition of the 49er Times, reported the headline story that a two-headed duck was invading campus.

With a pre-Photoshop picture of a twoheaded duck sailing across Brocker Lake, the article depicted the students feeling of “invasion” after they had fed the duck stale cereal, which led to the mutation. Humorously, the article resolves itself mentioning that campus police forced it to Hwy 49 where it “hopped on to a tractor trailer headed south for the summer.”

April Fools in 2004 once again featured the waterfowl on campus, this time relating to the geese population.

That year, the Utimes featured a new study taking place on campus that would have caused an uproar if it wasn’t April Fools fiction. In the piece, the fake “biology department” was going to spend an outrageous amount of money studying the habits of the geese and even more upsetting, feeding them.

Yet waterfowl have not just been featured in the April Fools editions of UNC Charlotte’s various student newspapers.

Dr. Hechenbleikner introduced the first waterfowl to campus. Photo courtesy of Joel Hanel Back in 1986, 49er Timess features editor Julie Mullis reported on students’ fondness of two ducks, named Mikhail and Raisa, who became the center of student’s interests on their walk from the high-rises to campus. During the ordeal, a student threw a rock at Brocker Lake, disturbing the water and upsetting the ducks. Many students who saw the event were angry with the rock-throwing student, but nothing ever came out of the event.

Ken Sanford also tells a humorous story about a goose that visited Atkins Library.

Apparently, the goose picked up the fact that a pad had been installed to open the library door for students in wheelchairs.

Waddling over to the pad, the goose would use the automated door to attempt to join students in their studies. Despite several successful attempts and the students’ positive responses, the goose was later removed and relocated to a pond a several miles from campus.

Today, searching on Google for “UNC Charlotte Geese” brings up several videos and websites featuring everyone’s favorite campus wildlife.

Though almost ceremoniously, most people do not like the Canadian Geese. Students even created a Facebook page titled, “UNCC Students Against UNCC Geese” in 2007. Though the group has died out, there is a YouTube video from 2008 depicting a male student chasing a group of geese near Garinger building.

Another video taken across the street from campus outside of the WFAE station building in 2008 depicts student playing “duck, duck, goose” with a goose that roams University City.

Yet not everyone hates the waterfowl on campus. This summer, Chris Maynard, who works in the Department of Financial Services, took an injured goose under her wings. Appropriately named “Reese” for its proximity to the Reese building, Maynard and several colleagues gave the lone goose some water and took on the job of caring for this goose.

Interestingly, Maynard and her colleagues later discovered that “Reese” had a mate and that they were nesting several eggs on campus. Unfortunately, they had been victim to the campus addling process that keeps the geese population down.

To Maynard, the geese are a part of campus and as she put it, “We love the animal and bird life on campus, the flora and beautiful manicured grounds make it a beautiful place to work.”

Everyone at UNC Charlotte seems to have a story about their geese experience and though they may be positive or negative, they are here, sharing the school with us.

Respect seems to be the best policy and maybe one day, with their persistence, the university might have to change mascot...

NINERONLINE.COM

PAGE 13

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

DOWNTIME 27

Tuesday

Student Advancing Vigorously for Education Interest Meeting 4pm - 5pm College of Health and Human Services Room 380

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CAB Unplugged: Steve Means

12pm - 2pm Cone University Center Afterhours

Enjoy your lunch while listening to the smooth, soulful artist Steve Means!

Kicking off this year’s acoustic series, Steve is sure to entertain!

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Alzheimer’s Fundraiser for Personal Items and Toiletries 2pm Student Union Rotunda

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Night of Magic featuring Nate Staniforth 7pm Cone Center McKnight Hall

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Dandiya Night 2011

Back Story: The Student One-Act Play Festival

7:30pm - 11:45pm Student Union Room 340

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A tale of sibling loyalty, rivalry, and love, Back Story illuminates two decades in the young lives of Ainsley and Ethan Belcher.

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2pm Rowe Arts White Box Theater

Dandiya Raas is a popular traditional fold dance from western India.

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FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 4, 2011

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Lewis

See the answer to the sudoku puzzle by scanning the code with your smartphone.

The answers:

Get the answers at www.nineronline.com/downtime

ACROSS 1 Its “fleece was white as snow” 5 __ Sutra 9 Go with the flow 14 Pastoral verse 15 Pink-slipped 16 Ladies’ man 17 Nicolas of “Adaptation” 18 Got one’s uniform dirty, maybe 19 Mississippi, e.g.

20 Understand how things are done 23 Many frozen dinners are high in it 24 Taker of vows 25 Def Jam genre 28 Native American group 31 As plain as day, e.g.

33 Tax pro 36 Places to see links 38 Friend 40 Cancún uncle 41 36-Across opening 42 Simple floral garlands 47 Fair-hiring initials 48 Forensic facility 49 Spy wear 51 Sí or oui 52 Do-favor link 54 Broadsided 58 Stage name of Ehrich Weiss, for whom the ends of 20-, 36- and 42-Across were props 61 Wife of Abraham 64 Long, long time 65 “__ Three Lives”: TV oldie 66 Michelangelo figure 67 Pear variety 68 Charity 69 Suisse peaks 70 Like an animated Pea? 71 Cold-cock DOWN 1 The home team gets the last ones 2 Hersey’s “A Bell For __”

10/4/11

By Ed Sessa

3 “Nearer, __, to Thee” 4 Messed up 5 Former Asian state known for goat wool 6 Wheel holder 7 Golda of Israel 8 Supplement 9 Poison in some whodunits 10 Kids’ book connectables 11 GP’s gp.

12 Gently stroke 13 Place for a ring 21 Racetrack surface 22 Door sign 25 Go through energetically, as drawers 26 1966 Michael Caine title role 27 Pasta topper 29 “Little Women” woman 30 Pioneering computer 32 Letters before nus 33 Tea leaves holder 34 Wood shaver 35 Fake name

Monday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

37 Slinky’s shape 39 Fashion monogram 43 Steinway alternatives 44 Trucker with a handle 45 Never 46 “Elephant Boy” actor 50 Alaskan brown bear 53 Iraqis, usually

10/4/11

55 Nabisco brand named for its flavor 56 The Penguin, to Batman 57 Playground retort 58 Can’t stand 59 “Ouch!”

60 Fire truck item 61 Mineral spring 62 Feel sick 63 Workout unit

PAGE 14

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

SPORTS

SPORTS SCHEDULE Men’s Soccer @ Maryland

Volleyball @ GWU

Tues. 7:30 pm, College Park, MD

Sat. 7pm, Washington, DC

XC vs Charlotte Invite Fri. TBA, Charlotte, NC

Women’s Soccer @ SLU Wed. 8pm, Charlotte, NC

Niners score four, as they tame High Point 4-2 Russell Lindberg REPORTER

It was scoring by committee, as four different players scored to lead the Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team to a 4-2 victory at home over the visiting High Point Panthers on Friday night. It was the final game of the non-conference schedule for the 49ers.

It was a big win for the Niners after a tough road stretch, their record now 3-5-3 on the season. Junior midfielder Carrie Dail scored her first goal of the season and assisted on two others to lead the Niners’ offense.

“It was a really good night for our confidence, for us to finally get a win,” Dail said after the win. “We played really well as a team tonight in front of our home crowd.”

“One word all day in our buildup we just said we want to attack,” said head coach John Cullen after the game. “I said I think we just have to go for it and at times we might leave ourselves a bit open, but we really wanted to attack tonight.”

The 49ers were certainly attacking early and often throughout the game. They put up six shots before Dail buried a crossing pass from freshman Amanda Jones in the

17th minute to give Charlotte the early lead.

It was Jones who struck next in the 22nd minute, striking a deep 20 yard shot that appeared to surprise Panthers keeper Andrea Ritchie, as it went just past her outstretched hand into the back right corner of the net to make the score 2-0.

Just moments later, on only their second shot of the game, High Point’s Danielle Schepier scored on a free kick past a wall of 49ers to end the first half scoring, and make it 2-1. Charlotte held a 13-4 shot advantage at the half.

The 49ers didn’t let the late Panthers goal deter their offense for very long. In the 54th minute, senior Jonna Handra took a couple of passes from Dail and Taylor Rovito, and booted it into the back left of the net to make the score 3-1.

Only a couple of minutes later, senior Macky Wingo increased the Charlotte lead to 4-1 when she hit a deep 18 yard shot off the top of the crossbar and behind the goalkeeper Ritchie.

High Point managed to find one more goal to cut the lead to 4-2 when Becca Hemby found the back of the net with a header in the 59th minute. However, the Niners’ defense held strong and closed out the game only allowing

7 shots on goal.

The Niners offense was relentless putting up 26 shots, and had a 7-0 edge in corners. Handra led the team with five shots and senior keeper Natalie Lavigne made two saves. It was a welcome surge of offense and scoring for Charlotte, who had struggled to find the back of the net this season.

“The last few practices and games we’ve been getting better,” said head coach Cullen. “I think what’s been holding us back is the frustration level of just not seeing the ball hit the back of the net. Hitting the back of the net four times tonight, hopefully that’s a good moment going forward.”

The 49ers hope this win will give them a lot of positive momentum going into conference play next week.

“From the first whistle to the last whistle, we wanted to get forward, we wanted to score and we looked dangerous going forward,” said Cullen. “We may have turned the corner. It’s a good team win and good morale boost for us going into the conference play.”

Up next, Charlotte travels to St. Louis to begin conference play this Saturday Oct. 1 at 8 p.m.

Moneyball brings in plenty of green on opening weekend Brian Chan REPORTER

Ever knew what it felt like being below 50 feet of crap? In the real world of competitive imbalance, Oakland Athletics General Manager Billy Beane utilized the limited resources he had to field a 25-man ballclub that had averaged 94.9 wins per season between 2000 and 2006.

The film Moneyball, directed by Bennett Miller and written by Aaron Sorkin and Steven Zaillian, effectively portrayed the remarkable story of the hot-headed GM and his low-payroll team.

The film did a tremendous job with the transitions over the benchmark 2002 season, which encompassed the highs and lows of the Athletics’ 103-win season, but the filmmakers did an even better job with the occasional flashbacks, when Beane, played by Brad Pitt, opted to take the professional baseball career route over attending college.

I normally don’t have a strong preference to sports movies, but especially since Moneyball contained elements other than baseball, I was impressed with how the film didn’t strictly follow the storyline from Michael Lewis’ book.

Peter Brand, played by Jonah Hill, portrayed then Assistant GM Paul DePodesta’s character. While the fictitious name was the most obvious difference, Brand was employed with the Cleveland Indians before the 2002 season, whereas DePodesta was hired by the Athletics in 1999. Like DePodesta from the book, Brand was perceived by the scouts as the computer nerd, who had his own oddities.

Hill, who is known for his roles in comedy films, was rather impressive as he took on a more serious role. One of the few flaws in the movie was Brand’s line “Your goal shouldn’t be to buy players. Your goal should be to buy wins; in order to buy wins, you need to buy runs.” I mentioned this in a post a few months ago, and I’ll say it again. Although the resulting goal was to score as many runs, the Athletics’ philosophy was to buy cheaply on players that made the fewest outs. As displayed in the movie, Beane was an opponent of small ball, so the movement of baserunners from station to station via the sacrifice bunt or

base stealing wasn’t highly regarded from the Athletics front office.

Jeremy Brown may have been the most mentioned player in the book, but the filmmakers chose to limit his role to the infamous homerun trot, in which he stumbled while rounding first base, looking to turn a two-base hit into a triple. Without the need of Nick Swisher’s character, Moneyball managed to incorporate some humor.

The use of archived footage from the actual ballgames was a good presentation of the real-life events in this success story. The film began with the actual clip of the 2001 American League Division Series between the Athletics and New York Yankees, which essentially was a solid introduction of Moneyball, the large discrepancies between the haves and the have-nots. There was an even better transition towards

the end of the movie, where the walk-off homerun scene alternated between the real Scott Hatteberg trotting around the bases and his doppelganger Chris Pratt being mobbed at home plate.

I wouldn’t necessarily consider this to be a negative, but the film tended to overdramatize on particular events.

In the movie, Beane and manager Art Howe clashed over their differences, and although Howe abided by the conventional standards, he was depicted as one of the antagonists in the film. Also, the point where Beane was finally fed up with the poor play of Carlos Pena may have been misconstrued.

First off, Pena was demoted to Triple-A after failing to hold down the fort at first base, but in the movie, Beane called up Detroit Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski and was willing to part with Pena for anything.

Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill co-star in the the new box office hit Moneyball. MCT Campus

In reality, the Pena trade involved a third team, which would cause me to cast doubts on the trade being agreed upon immediately after one phone call.

To cap off on the movie’s miserly spending theme, the film had an estimated budget of $47 million. In 2002, the Athletics had a player payroll of $40M ($50.4M in 2011 dollars), which is still below Killer Elite, another film based on a true story, which had a budget approximately $66M. Regardless, the film focused on the hardships Beane had to face as the GM. Generally, sports movies comprised of success stories would involve the featured team or individual accomplishing what they set out for, but in Moneyball, while emphasizing on the main points of the book, the protagonist never quite achieved the end goal: winning the last game of the season.

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

PAGE 15

No.14 Charlotte win fifth straight over Campbell and are set to face No.1 Maryland on the road Tuesday night Joel Hanel A S S T. S P O R T S E D I T O R

Bringing the pressure from the very beginning, the No.14 ranked Charlotte 49ers put away the Campbell Fighting Camels at home 2-0, in their college soccer quest this season. With the win, the Niners improve to 7-1 on the season, and pick up their fourth shutout of the season.

“Its another one of those games that we played well overall,” said Coach Jeremy Gunn, “but still there were plenty of little things that we can take from it to work on.

The important thing is that we got the win in front of the home crowd, the shut out, and two goals.”

The Niners came out in the first half controlling the tempo, and the ball. In the first half alone, the team had 13 shots, forcing the Campbell defense to work harder. Interestingly, the Fighting Camels adjusted their line up to feature five defenders, expecting the Niner onslaught.

Niner freshman Guiseppe Gentile, known to the team as Juicy, had the first

score of the day, heading in a cross from Senior Evan James.

Though Gentile has had playing time in the last several games, the goal was his first of his college career.

“We countered from a Campbell attack and got the ball down the field,” said Gentile after the game. “Evan, our winger, got the cross, and I headed it in.

It was awesome getting that goal. I was so used to scoring in club soccer, but college soccer is a totally different game. The goal was like breaking the ice, it was a huge accomplishment.”

Gentile’s goal scoring drive was not the only attack seen in the first half. Several times, the Niner fans became excited; especially when redshirt junior Owen Darby beat the Campbell keeper, and seemed to chip in the goal. Yet, Darby’s shot bounced off of the crossbar, and was cleared by the Campbell defenders.

“I think we played pretty well the first half, said Coach Gunn. “I thought we had some good attacking chances, and scored a good goal with a good cross, and a great

header by Juicy. We were excited for his first goal because he has been knocking on the door so much, and we always knew he would score, but it was a tremendous collegiate first goal.

Though the Niners were up at the half, the 1-0 lead was not enough to seal the win.

“We played so well in the first half that we had a feel amongst ourselves that we’d won the battle, but in reality it was only a one, zero game, said Gunn.

Coming back in the second, we made things difficult for ourselves, and did not have the right mentality. Campbell was back in the game, and though they didn’t have too many scoring chances, they had a chance, unlike when we went into the half.”

Yet despite several Campbell attacks, the Niners finally sealed the deal in the 68th minute with an attack led by sophomore Will Mayhew who passed the ball to Evan James. James who was free of defenders fired the ball from around ten yards past the reach of the Campbell keeper.

Said Coach Gunn, “It was a wonderful strike from Evan, and gave us the victory.

We were able to settle down and play a bit more the way we like.”

After the Evan James score, the Niners played keep-away for several minutes, ending the game on top and ready to take on No.1 ranked Maryland on the road today.

Maryland is currently ranked number one in the nation, and has a record of 8-01 this season, and just won 2-0 against their ACC opponent Virginia Tech at same time the Niners defeated Campbell.

“Maryland is a fantastic team, and it’s going to be a test for us,’ said Coach Gunn. ‘I think that some of our players were thinking about that game second half tonight. They play at a high tempo, and we play at a high tempo, so it will be an exciting game. It’s a great point in the season to go have a crack at one of the best teams in the nation. We are looking forward to it, and are ready to play.”

Volleyball drops conference opener at SLU Brian Chan REPORTER

The Charlotte 49ers women’s volleyball team challenged the Saint Louis Billikens with a solid first-set victory and another back-and-forth fourth-set battle, but in the end, the team that ruled the head-to-head matchup for the past six years maintained its dominance as Saint Louis took the conference opener with a 3-1 win (20-25, 2517, 25-14, 31-29).

Charlotte (6-7, 0-1) had a strong start on Friday night at the Chaifetz Pavilion, responding well to last year’s tough fiveset loss to the Billikens in the Atlantic-10 Tournament first round match. Saint Louis (5-6, 1-0) continued its dominance against Charlotte, extending its head-to-head winning streak to nine matches.

The Niners shot out to a 7-1 lead in the opening set after three consecutive errors from Saint Louis. Charlotte maintained a steady 9-4 lead, following a kill from feature player of the week, senior outside hitter/right side Leah Leventhal.

Trailing 11-6, the Billikens responded with a 10-4 run as junior middle blocker Carly Marcum gave Saint Louis its first lead of the game at 16-15. The Billikens again struggled to limit the number of attack errors in the first set as the team committed three more attack errors, totaling 10 in the opening frame.

On the other side of the court, the Niners made a late run in the set, taking a slim 18-17 lead and watching their attack percentage skyrocket from .190 at the time to .261 as the team closed out the first set with

a 25-20 win.

The Niners were helped by the return of sophomore middle blocker Amanda Videmsek. During her six-match absence to an injury, the Niners went 3-3 with sophomore middle blocker Taylor Cannon and junior middle blocker/right side Shannon McClean filling in. On Friday, Videmsek helped the Niners with three assisted blocks, while the team totaled five stuffs in the opening set.

Saint Louis opened the second set with a much stronger showing as they took seven of the first eight points and took a commanding 18-9 lead. Senior outside hitter/ right side Alyssa Deno, an All-Atlantic-10 second team selection last season, delivered the team’s 10th kill of the set, while the Billikens remained errorless at that point in the set.

The Niners came as close as five points on an ace from McClean at 21-16, but the Billikens wrapped up the second set with a 25-17 win. In the set, Saint Louis outhit Charlotte .360-(-.059) and posted five aces to even the match, heading into the intermission.

Charlotte came out of the intermission with a strong start in the third set, hitting above .400, but Saint Louis was even better with a .500 attack percentage while holding a 15-12 lead midway through the set.

With the game tied at 12-all after a kill from freshman right side Laura Cantrell to keep Charlotte in the match, the Billikens unleashed a furious attack as they scored the next eight points and closed the set with a 13-2 run. Saint Louis had another strong

offensive showing as they put together a .478 attack percentage with two aces and two blocks in the set.

After breaking a 5-all tie to take an 11-6 lead in the third set, following a kill from Deno, Charlotte Head Coach Chris Redding called a timeout to get the team to regroup. Following the timeout, the Niners responded with five points to tie the game at 11-all.

After a back-and-forth tradeoff of points, the Niners claimed the lead at 15-14 on a kill from freshman middle blocker Savannah Gaster. Saint Louis reclaimed the lead with the next three points, but Charlotte answered right back to take a 20-18 lead late in the set after a kill from Videmsek.

The Niners had a service error and three consecutive attack errors following the Videmsek kill to allow the Billikens to go ahead 22-20.

After winning an epic fourth-set battle in the A-10 Tournament last season, Charlotte and Saint Louis again had to fight to the finish as Charlotte fought off two match points to take a 25-24 lead. Leventhal recorded two key kills, tying the game at 29all. Leventhal’s latest kill, her 10th of the night, marks the fifth time in the last seven matches where she recorded a double-figure kill total.

The Billikens prevailed in the final set as Deno shut the door with a game-ending kill to give Saint Louis a 31-29 win.

Deno, the Billikens leading attacker, recorded 16 kills, after posting 40 in the Tar Heel Classic last week. Sophomore middle

Charlotte took first set, but lost 3-1 File photo blocker/outside hitter Andrea Beaty continued to impress in her young career as she contributed 16 kills and a match-high .522 attack percentage, and freshman right side Emma Goldschmidt, one of the team’s top rookies, added 10 kills on the night.

Junior setter Cassie Clarke paved the way with 42 assists, six digs, four kills, and four aces.

Leventhal and junior outside hitter Bianca Rouse led the Niners with 10 kills apiece, and Rouse posted a .471 attack percentage. Senior setter Sheri Davis added 29 assists, eight digs, and six kills.

Gaster, who was ranked third in the A-10 with 0.93 blocks entering the night, impressed again with seven blocks, three of which were solo.

Charlotte continues on their five-match road trip as they take on the Duquesne Dukes on Sunday at 1 p.m.

PAGE 16

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 2011

NINERTIMES