Niner Times: October 8, 2013

Domestic Violence Awareness Month Many organizations and groups around campus are recognizing national Domestic Violence Awareness Month. p. 20

Comeback of the year Charlotte 49ers beat the GardnerWebb Runnin’ Bulldogs 53-51 in an incredible comeback game. p. 9

Sixteen page game preview for the Oct. 12 Charlotte 49ers game against the UNC Pembroke Braves

For the first time in UNC Charlotte history, Niner Nation’s annual homecoming revolves around football

A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF14, NORTH OCT. 8 - OCT. 2013 CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 26, ISSUE 7 NINERONLINE.COM

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OCT. 8-14, 2013

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Volume 26, Number 7 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

MANAGING EDITOR

EDEN CREAMER

PATRICK BOGANS

EDITOR@NINERONLINE.COM

MANAGING@NINERONLINE.COM

NEWS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

CLAIRE DODD

LIBBY WEIHSMANN

NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

SPORTS@NINERONLINE.COM

A&E EDITOR

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

LIZ LANIER

MICHELLE LIRINGIS

AE@NINERONLINE.COM

LIFESTYLE@NINERONLINE.COM

OPINION EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

JORDAN SNYDER

ASHLEY SPEECE

OPINION@NINERONLINE.COM

COPY@NINERONLINE.COM

PHOTO COORDINATOR

CHRIS CREWS

PHOTO@NINERONLINE.COM

ASSISTANT EDITORS Matt Chapman, Lee Hutchison, Carrie Nowell, Leanna Pough

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OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NINERTIMES

Family Fun Festival brings family and friends together SARA CARSON STAFF WRITER

On Saturday, Oct. 11 the Office of Alumni Affairs will host UNC Charlotte’s first ever Family Fun Festival. The event will be held at the NC Music Factory conveniently located about 20 minutes from campus.

Although the targeted audience is alumni and their families, the Family Fun Fest is open to everyone.

When asked about the outcome she expects, Director of Alumni Programs Lynne Wester is more than excited. “I hope for hundreds of happy families and alumni and friends!”

The main portion of the event will be held in the NC Music Factory’s parking lot located between Saddle Up and Small Bar. The $10 admission allows access to live music from Brandon Kirkley and the Firecrackers, Bounce House accessibility, facepainting, 49er spirit from the Golddusters and the Charlotte 49ers Cheerleaders.

In addition, there is a scrumptious meal provided by Shane’s Rib Shack.

The meals provided will include pulled chicken and pork, beans,

STEPHANY MCMILLAN slaw and Shane’s famous peach cobbler. Drinks will also be available for purchase.

This portion of the Family Fun Fest will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. and is sponsored by the Small Bar. The owner, Chris Boukedes, is to be a UNC Charlotte alum.

From 6:30 to 8 p.m., the Board of Directors will be auctioning off hundreds of sports novelty items.

This silent auction will be held from within the Small Bar and is once again open to everyone. This event is free to attend.

All proceeds earned from auctioned items will go toward the Davis Minority Scholarship Fund.

The night will come to a close with the Adult After Party at Saddle Up from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Those who are 21 and up are welcome to attend. Admission is $10.

Retro party band Joystick will take the stage at 9 p.m. and will wrap up at 11 p.m. DJ will close out the night. Performances from DJ Joey are sponsored through the Black Alumni Chapter.

The purpose of these events is to “engage alumni friends and family,” said Wester.

I hope for hundreds of happy families and alumni and friends!

-Lynne Wester

NINERONLINE.COM

Light up #StateofCharlotte STAFF WRITER

Fall has sprung upon us and UNC Charlotte’s Homecoming is just around the corner. It is the first year of 49er football and a start of fresh traditions.

The homecoming committee is putting on what they call “Light Up #StateofCharlotte” Oct. 11, at 6:30 p.m.

Parade Chair and Senior Shanequa Perry is excited for her hard efforts to finally come to reality.

Those serving on the very first homecoming board took on a huge task but agreed that it was well worth it.

Additionally the Homecoming Lights Parade will light up the streets of campus with decorated floats, banners and of course 49er spirit attire.

The parade will travel from the east side of campus by parking Lot 5 and progress route through Martin Village to ultimately end at the Student Union.

With great honor, Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Dr. Arthur Jackson, Student Body President Brady Nails and Vice President James Shaw will be Grand Marshals of the homecoming parade.

They will lead the parade and start the evening off with dignity.

Light kits will be given to all organizations participating as well as five different awards for: Most Spirited Walking Unit, Best Decorated Vehicle, Most Spirited

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

Student Organization, Most Spirited Community Group and Live Band Award.

According to Perry over 50 participants applied to be in the parade.

A few well-known sponsors to the UNC Charlotte community include: the Alumni Association, Normbulance, Sports Connection, 901 Place, Halton Park, Aspen Heights, UWalk, The Edge and Walden Station apartments.

While the lights parade has multiple sponsors, many are also looking forward to the four major bands that will be performing that evening.

Bands such as West Charlotte High School, N. Mecklenburg High School, Vance High School and guest band from Johnson C. Smith University will be sure to pump up the fans.

96.1 radio station as well as the “Mr. Own My Way” DJ NGenius will be in the fusion, and mixing up trendy music.

The atmosphere will be positive, upbeat and light hearted.

After the Homecoming Lights Parade, the celebration will continue with the Pep Rally in the Student Union.

Union Takeover: Homecoming Edition will consist of food, games and various activities in order to get hype for game day. The “Takeover” ends at 12 a.m. but urges all students to come out and enjoy.

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Homecoming King and Queen Matthew Murrow and Jessica Simpson from Homecoming 2012

Photos by Chris Crews

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OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NINERTIMES

ANDREW JAMES STAFF WRITER

Mr. UNC Charlotte

Miss UNC Charlotte Meinkeng Fonge Major in social work. Minor in public health Anna Foster Major in communication studies. Minor in women and gender studies Ronda Hewitt Major in elementary education. Minor in global and foreign language studies Amy Kaine Major in English.

Double minor in applied anthropology and diverse literature Ashley Kelly Major in psychology. Minor in public health minor Akeisha Moseley Major in communication studies. Minor in journalism

Jerell Collins Major in exercise science and applied anthropology

Carlo Moore Major in psychology. Minor in sociology

Abdullah Jose Major in business marketing Nicholas Lavid Major in accounting. Minor in management information systems

Ike Nwoko Major in public health. Minor in film studies Patrick Preudhomme Major in anthropology

With Homecoming right around the corner one of the most anticipated events is the first annual Homecoming Pep Rally on Friday Oct. 11, 2013 immediately following the Homecoming Parade on the front patio of the Student Union.

Ashley Kelly, Homecoming Pep Rally Chair, shares that, “Since this is the first pep rally people are expecting big, big things and they are going to get big, big things.”

Some of these big things include but are not limited to special appearances from the Athletics Department, spirit performances and a vendor fair.

“We will have about six or seven food vendors that will be giving out free food,” Kelly adds.

Kelly also notes that her favorite part of the Pep Rally is the spirit performance.

“We will have performances from the Gold Dusters, the cheerleaders and Cheer Nation.”

This will be the first time that all three spirit groups perform at an event together.

Kelly reports that this will be a great opportunity for Cheer Nation to share their talents with the UNC Charlotte community since they do not perform at oncampus athletic events.

Homecoming Prince Tevin Price, junior Major in criminal justice. Minor in communication studies

Andronicus Craig, junior Major in communication studies. Minor in film studies

Joe Okeiga, sophomore Major in biology

Homecoming Princess Serena Greene, junior Double major in psychology and pre-business

Chelsea Rooks, junior Major in finance with a concentration in risk management and insurance

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Tempestt Swinson, sophomore Major in software and information systems.

Minor in dance.

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

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CLAIRE DODD NEWS EDITOR

Since Oct. 1, over 260 volunteers have been working on the UNC Charlotte Habitat for Humanity’s Homecoming Build. The end result will be giving a family in Charlotte a homecoming of their own with a new house.

“This started as a UNC Charlotte event and has reached farther than we could have ever

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imagined,” said Stephanie Peters, a co-special events coordinator for UNC Charlotte’s Habitat for Humanity Campus Chapter.

The process took its biggest leap with Mining for 49, a one day fundraiser that allowed UNC Charlotte organizations, departments, students, faculty and alumni to come together in hopes of reaching their goal of giving a Charlotte family a place to call home.

The initial goal of the fundraiser was to raise $49,000.

If alumni, faculty, staff and students were to raise $24,500, an anonymous group of donors has agreed to match the money donated, totaling to $49,000.

Peters said that the event helped tremendously in terms of overall funding for the house.

“It secured us the half way marker set at $50,000 to fully sponsor the build on campus so we were able to open up volunteer spots on Sept. 14,” said Peters.

The homecoming build is a $85,000 project, much of which was earned at the Mining for 49 event.

Other organizations and companies in the surrounding Charlotte community also helped donate money, including Buffalo Wild Wings and Boardwalk Billy’s.

The Homecoming Build lasts from Oct. 1 to Oct. 11. On Oct. 12, volunteers will help move the house from campus, and into the arms of a deserving family. Photos by Chris Crews

$75,000 of the total $85,000 is used to build the house and the remaining $10,000 to move the house to the final location.

The house is currently located on campus by parking Lot 4A at the corner of University City Blvd. and John Kirk Drive.

Volunteers will be working various shifts building the house each day up until Saturday, Oct. 12, the same day as the first annual 49er football homecoming game.

The UNC Charlotte Habitat build is modeled after a build done

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at Clemson University. Clemson has done a homecoming build for the past 20 years.

Members of the family who will move into the house are also required to put in 500 hours of work in helping to build the house, based on national Habitat for Humanity regulations, before they will be able to receive a loan from Habitat to buy the home.

After they have moved into the house, they are responsible for mortgage payments, adjusted to fit the family’s income.

NINERTIMES

LEE HUTCHISON

ASST. NEWS EDITOR

The Student Government Association (SGA) Senate Meeting on Thursday, Oct. 3, had a larger audience than the majority of meetings past.

believes this unique blend of style will further instill UNC Charlotte spirit into faculty and students and assist cultivating a true 49er identity.

New Organizations

New Senator appointed

This past week’s new student organizations are all about dance and dancers.

A brand new organization that was started in April 2013, Zeta Epsilon Chi, is now recognized as an official UNC Charlotte organization as of Oct. 3.

Zeta Epsilon Chi’s representative Haley Warren explained how the sorority focuses on dance, sisterhood and community service.

Their goal is to bring members together and to bring the art of dance to campus and the greater Charlotte area.

Zeta Epsilon Chi is a wellrounded dance interest group for ladies who love to dance and have a deep appreciation for the art of dance.

The Emeralds Danceline is also recognized as a new organization.

“This dance team will be incorporating marching band and drum-line styles along with unique themes within our performances. Bringing a new and creative twist to the world of dance,” said Darrah Roberson.

Roberson urges students of all dance, drum-line and/or marching band skill levels to give it a whirl.

Emeralds Danceline provides students with the environment to grow.

The Emeralds Dance-line

NINERONLINE.COM

The Senate swore in a new senator to the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Open Committee

During the Senate gathering Organizational Ways and Means Committee Chair, Senator John Daley, called for an Open Committee session to determine what action to be taken upon receiving an unsigned grant proposal from the Merge organization.

Occasionally a committee is faced with making a tough decision in regards to a problem and believes it lacks full knowledge or understanding.

Open Committee provides a fresh perspective and broader knowledge base. The Chair of the troubled committee speaks to the entire Senate, explaining that problem and the floor is then open for all Senators to provide insight on the issue.

A few senators stated the grant should be passed. The justification being that there is no rollover for grant money. Any money in the Grant Fund not distributed by SGA at the end of the year will go directly back into the university’s pocket.

Another stated the person filling out the bill might have made a simple mistake, although there

was a student ID number on the grant request to the right of the space intended for a signature.

Some senators believed the grant should not be approved because a signature represents integrity, and without a signature funds may go towards supplies or services that are on the black list.

Other’s stated the grant should be denied simply because there is no signature on a legally binding document.

After 20 minutes of discussion the senate denied the grant request.

The Money

This past week the UNC Charlotte Student Government Senate approved $7,963.16 in grants.

On-campus event grants Of the grants, 87 percent were for on-campus events.

Bahai Campus Club is hosting a music celebration Unity and Oneness that the club was granted $2,505.93.

The money will go towards The Major Seven Trio & Margaret Graves performance, programs and fliers, advertising banners, technical support, flowers and refreshments. The event will be Oct. 26 at McKnight Hall in the Cone University Center.

RTD Campus Outreach was granted $1,142.81 for a Fall Breakdown. The money will fund DJ T’s service, handbills and tabloids, audio-video technical support and Chartwells Catering service. The event will be held Oct. 19 in the Student Union

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

Rotunda.

The National Pan-Hellenic Council was allotted $1,437.66 for their Meet the Greeks event.

Funds will be used for paper napkins, plastic-ware, chicken wings, vegetarian spring rolls and bottled water.

Meet the Greeks will be Oct. 21 at the Student Union, Room 340G-l.

Removing Our Obstacles Through Sisterhood is hosting #BlackGirlsBeLike on Oct. 23 and was granted $456.83 for Hor O’Deuvres, dessert and beverages.

This event will take place Oct. 23 in the College of Health and Human Services, Room 281.

Engineers Without Borders was allowed $350.36 in order to fund finger foods at a special presentation on engineering, scheduled for Oct. 23 in the Energy Production and Infrastructure Center, Room G256.

Merge was denied a grant because the club failed to sign the grant request. The organization plans to have the event on Oct. 21 at After Hours.

Travel Grants totaled $1,000 The Society of Women Engineers requested $1,560 and was granted $1,000 for a SWE Conference being held in Baltimore, Md., Oct. 23-26. Money will go towards for eight ladies registration fees and gas.

Believers in Christ were denied a request for $651.70. The club plans to travel to the Southeast College Conference, Oct. 18-20.

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POLICE BLOTTER

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

THURSDAY

FRIDAY

71°F

64°F

71°F

73°F

Rain showers on and off. High of 71° with a low of 54.°

Rain likely. High of 64° with a low of 54.°

Partly sunny. High of 71° with a low of 53.°

Mostly sunny. High of 73° with a low of 54.°

OCT. 9

OCT. 8

OCT. 10

OCT. 11

OCT. 1 - 3

ACCIDENT OCT. 2

• Mary Alexander Road, driver of vehicle was struck by another vehicle.

@UNCCWeather FOLLOW FOR FORECASTS AND WARNINGS

ARREST OCT. 2

• Craver Road, officers responded to a suspicious person call. Subject took an aggressive stance towards the officers and refused to comply with uniformed police.

Was arrested for resist, obstruct and delay.

ASSAULT OCT. 1

• University Road, unknown suspect grabbed the victim by her arms against her consent.

• Alumni Way, subject communicated threats to an acquaintance via Twitter.

LARCENY OCT. 3

• Craver Road, unknown subject removed property without permission.

• Mary Alexander Road, unknown subject removed property without permission.

VANDALISM OCT. 3

• Poplar Terrace Drive, during a verbal altercation between acquaintances an iron was thrown and damaged the wall.

• Poplar Terrace Drive, subject reported her vehicle was damaged while parked and unoccupied.

For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us

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NEWS BRIEFS UrbanEden Decathlon standings After three days of competition UNC Charlotte’s UrbanEden is in 13th position trailing Team Capital DC by 28.386 points.

As of Sunday, Oct. 6, UNC Charlotte is in 10th in the Comfort Zone contest, fourth in the Hot Water contest, 15th in Appliances contest and fourth in Home Entertainment contest.

Other contests have yet to be judged as of Oct. 6.

The final overall winner, as well as the official results for each other category, will be announced Oct. 12.

New internship program UNC Charlotte students can apply for paid internships to work with faculty and staff through the University Professional Internship Program.

The department is designed to engage undergraduate students in academically relevant, on-campus work while earning both academic credit and pay.

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NINERTIMES

COMEBACK OF THE YEAR

In a comeback victory fans won’t likely forget, the Charlotte 49ers defeated the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs, 53-51 LIBBY WEIHSMANN SPORTS EDITOR

For the few fans that were inside what felt like an empty Jerry Richardson Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 5, they’re likely never to forget what happened on that unusually hot fall afternoon.

This past Saturday, the Charlotte 49ers football team hosted the 24th-ranked Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs in their house.

Attendance for the day was recorded at 12,222, though it felt more like 1,222. To put that number into perspective, the stadium seats 15,314 fans and capacity is 16,630.

Saturday’s game marked a new first for the 49ers football program long before kickoff.

It was the first time a nationally ranked football program would step foot on the artificial turf inside Jerry Richardson Stadium to play against the young Charlotte team.

The 49ers opened the match with two unsuccessful drives in attempt to put some points on the board.

GWU kicked a field goal, then a touchdown.

Charlotte scored, but GWU answered back. At halftime, the score was 24-24. The 49ers were tied with a nationally ranked team.

There was a chance.

That chance soon felt out of reach for many 49ers fans as the third quarter got out of hand, and out of hand quickly.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs scored 21 unanswered points. It was hot and the fans were getting more and more quiet as the game clock ticked on.

If you were to tell fans after the third quarter that the 49ers would go on to score 29 unanswered points and put enough defensive pressure on the GWU offense to prevent the Runnin’ Bulldogs to score on a two-point conversion to tie the game, I’m not sure many would have believed it.

NINERONLINE.COM

The Charlotte 49ers defeated the Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs 53-51. Photo by Chris Crews

But that’s exactly what happened.

Quarterback Matt Johnson found CJ Crawford in the endzone for a 5-yard touchdown.

A bad snap by Hudson Smith went over punter Jordan Day’s head and Charlotte picked up a team safety.

Johnson then found Austin Duke on a 21-yard pass to cut the GWU lead to five.

The fans were in disbelief. The energy in the empty Jerry Richardson Stadium was electric.

The chance to knock off a nationally ranked team was real.

It became even more real when the 49ers took the lead for the first time in the game with 3:15 to play when Johnson connected with Trent Bostick on a 48-yard pass.

The score was 46-45, and after failing to pick up a two-point conversion, Alan Barnwell ran a 56-yard touchdown right into the endzone. Kicker Blake OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

Brewer knocked one between the uprights and the 49ers led 53-45 with 2:19 to play.

Any football fan knows that 2:19 is a long time, and anything can happen. Anything did happen.

The Runnin’ Bulldogs scored with just 31 seconds left in the game.

A two-point conversion would tie the game giving the 49ers just 31 seconds to march down the field into field goal range.

The field goal wasn’t necessary. The strong Charlotte defense pressured GWU quarterback Lucas Beatty and his pass to tie the game failed.

In that moment, the stadium erupted. The 49ers did it. They did what not many thought they could do. They accomplished the unexpected.

They knocked off a nationally ranked football team. The final score was 53-51.

Gardner-Webb Head Coach Carroll McCray said, “What I saw was first class and I told Coach Lambert I thought he has a lot to sell and he’s doing a fine job.”

First class it was. The first class 49ers rushed 244 yards and recorded 342 receiving yards, racking up 586 total yards.

For the fans that were fortunate enough to witness the massive comeback in person, they’ll likely be talking about it for a while.

For the fans that left early because it was hot and the 49ers were trailing by 21 points going into the fourth quarter, they’re likely regretting their decision to dip out early.

For the fans that didn’t attend the game for whatever reason, they’re probably wishing they had.

The 49ers football team may be young and inexperienced, but they don’t play like it.

At least not when they play nationally ranked teams.

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THE BIG HIT MICAH BRYAN JESSE OLMSTEAD STAFF WRITER

As a running back, seeing Charlotte 49ers linebacker Micah Bryan can only mean one thing: a big hit is on the way.

However, before Charlotte’s football team was a team at all, Bryan was seeing hits completely differently.

The way a pitcher would.

Bryan started playing football in the second grade where he took to the scales with kids older in age.

“I played with third and fourth graders. I don’t know how I got in there early. I think because I was a little bit bigger,” Bryan said.

“I fell in love with it then.”

This love for the game went hand in hand with another game where if the play was still going after he got hit, it was a good thing. If he got hit off of, it was a bad thing. Baseball.

“Baseball, I started playing in the second grade and played all the way up until the spring of 2012,” said Bryan.

Bryan made the decision after his senior year of high school to take the diamond over the gridiron. This decision led him to Charlotte.

“I was getting recruited by bigger schools for baseball, just because, left hander, pretty big guy. That’s what it really came

down to,” said Bryan.

During the two seasons Micah Bryan pitched for the 49ers, the lefty’s pitching earned him Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week honors.

Bryan appeared in 13 games his freshman year, and 16 games his sophomore year.

In fact, in 2012, he did not allow a single earned run in three conference games, pitching seven innings in all.

In 2012, Bryan had a change of heart. Charlotte was getting a football team and the school was changing.

“I could see the entire atmosphere of this school changing, you know, it was really just pricking my heart just to give it a shot,” said Bryan.

“I couldn’t help it any more, so I came out and I started playing.”

Deciding to hang up his bat and put on something that could lay down a bigger hit, Bryan took to the gridiron with pads and a helmet that would do just that.

As the 49ers’ linebacker makes those clutch tackles, he never forgets those he inspires off the field: his younger brothers.

“My younger brother [Jared] was offered to play basketball

Photo by Chris Crews

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OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NINERTIMES

at Guilford Tech, and my youngest brother [Camon] is playing football, basketball and baseball in high school,” Bryan said.

“I definitely think for the younger, they look up to me, so I’m trying to do well for them.”

Micah is not the first of the Bryan brothers to play a sport in college either.

His older brother Nathan ran track at Western Carolina University.

With all the athletic talent Bryan and his family have, they have some impressive talent out of competition as well.

Musical talent.

“We are very, very musically inclined. We have been singing and playing instruments for as long as I can remember,” said Bryan.

The four brothers had a band named No Limits.

“I played the drums, Jared played the keyboard, Camon was a singer and my oldest brother Nathan played the guitar and sang as well,” Bryan said.

“Yeah, we thought we were pretty cool,” he said with a laugh.

The off-the-field hobbies of Bryan do not end at playing the drums.

Bryan likes to snowboard when taking a break from his training.

“In the winter, I snow board a lot. You know, you’re up there on the mountain all by yourself. It’s just kind of relaxing,” said Bryan.

Off the field, Bryan also strives to major in Criminal Justice, where he hopes to someday give back to those in need.

“I’d like to help kids who don’t really know their way, that’s so far where I’m heading. Probably kids in the range from middle school up until high school,” said Bryan.

He looks up to his cousin in that regard.

“My cousin was a special education teacher at my high school. He’s always been my role model,” said Bryan.

“I always looked up to him and saw him helping people. And, whenever I decided to come to college and do criminal justice, that’s where it kind of led me.”

With all the 49ers starting linebacker has going on for him, he still finds time to put one hundred

NINERONLINE.COM

percent into practice.

With standards set high for himself, his motivation on and off the field make him the respectable athlete Charlotte has come to know him as.

“My mother, she’s kind of in a rough situation right now.

She’s very sick and my thinking everyday is how much she would love to move a finger, and so who am I to not come out here and use all the ability that God’s given me?”

Coming off an injury, Bryan played against Gardner-Webb helping the 49ers score a huge 5351 victory.

Make sure to catch No. 29 take the field again against UNC Pembroke on the Oct. 12.

Whether on the field, in the classroom or taking a break from the daily grind, one thing is obvious about Micah Bryan.

In some way, Bryan will always be a big hit.

REMARKABLE RANKINGS As a team, the Charlotte 49ers are ranked in multiple categories in the Football College Subdivision National Ranks (of 122 teams) through week six as follows: First in fumbles recovered with 12 fumble recoveries.

First in forced turnovers with 22.

Second in first downs with 152.

Fourth in interceptions with 10 individually.

Matt Johnson is third in passing touchdowns with 16.

Caleb Clayton-Molby is third in forced fumbles with three.

Caleb Clayton-Molby is third in fumble recoveries with three.

Austin Duke is sixth in receiving touchdowns with six.

Matt Johnson is 10th i n passing yards with 1,582 yards.

Charlotte as a team is 17th in total offense, with 468.8 yards per game.

RANKINGS AS OF SUNDAY, OCT. 6 Bryan in the Gardner-Webb comeback victory on Oct. 5. Photo by Chris Crews OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

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SEARCHING FOR GOLD The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team only dropped four matches in the 2012 season. They’ve dropped three so far in the 2013 campaign. How can the 49ers fight back and regain their national ranking?

MATT CHAPMAN

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

No. 18 Luke Waechter during a game against UNCG. Photo by Chris Crews

The Charlotte 49ers men's soccer team has stumbled out of the gates thus far in the 2013 season and the team is struggling to live up to the lofty expectations that they've built for themselves over the past few

I need to train harder for that last little touch and concentrate more on finishing my shots.

-Giuseppe Gentile

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spectacular years.

A 49ers team that only lost four contests during the entire 2012 campaign has already dropped three matches this season and find themselves sitting at a mediocre 4-33, 0-1-2 record here in the first week of October.

Fortunately for Charlotte, there's still plenty of time to turn it around as they enter the heart of their Conference USA schedule over these next few weeks.

The 49ers haven't been all bad this season, in fact they've looked rather impressive in their three contests against ranked opponents.

Charlotte traveled to Coastal Carolina early in the season and earned a hard fought 2-1 victory on the road against the Chanticleers before making the trip down to Alabama a week later where they played a UAB team ranked in the top-10 nationally to a 0-0 draw in double overtime.

The 49ers hope they began their turnaround this past week when the team showed great resiliency in earning a 1-1 tie against ACC foe

Wake Forest in front of a loud crowd at Transamerica Field.

The problem for this years Charlotte squad has been the team’s constant struggle with inconsistency against inferior opponents.

Two of the three losses this year for the 49ers have come against UNC Greensboro and South Carolina in home games which Charlotte never expects to lose given the comfortable confines of Transamerica.

The 49ers loss to South Carolina was a perfect representation of their season as a whole.

Charlotte thoroughly dominated the entire game against the Gamecocks and despite finishing the contest with a 23-6 shot advantage still dropped the decision 2-1 in a backbreaking loss for the team's confidence.

After the South Carolina loss Charlotte Head Coach Kevin Langan expressed his displeasure with the effort displayed by his guys saying, "We provide them with the best equipment, the best facilities and the best coaches. I'm putting this loss entirely on the players, they've got to do better."

The Achilles heal for the 49ers this year, and the main difference between this year's team and last year's squad, has been their lack of ability to finish opportunities in front of the goal.

Charlotte has scored just 12 goals through ten games this season despite taking a total of 141 shots, that averages out to an abysmal shot percentage of just .085.

This is a significant decline from the 2012 team which scored 39 goals on the year with a substantially better shot percentage of .112 en route to a spectacular record of 15-43 at the season's end.

It's clear that the 49ers are having

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

a difficult time adjusting to the loss of two integral parts from last year's team as Rex Jennings and Donnie Smith were both selected in the most recent MLS draft.

Jennings, a forward, was the leading scorer for Charlotte during the 2012 campaign as he found the back of the net eleven times on just 47 total shot attempts for an eyepopping shot percentage of .234.

Smith, who is now playing in his rookie season with the New England Revolution, provided an additional four goals which ranked third overall on the team behind Jennings and Giuseppe Gentile.

It's not time to panic though as the 49ers have more than enough

NINERTIMES

dangerous pieces and talented players to make a run here in the second half of the season.

The strength of this year's version of the Charlotte 49ers has been its tremendously stout defense which has only allowed a total of seven goals in their first ten contests.

The 49ers have been led defensively by senior goalkeeper Klay Davis who has proven to be one of the best net minders in the country throughout his career.

Davis has been a star in goal this year as he's started all ten games in net for Charlotte and delivered a clean sheet in five of those ten matches.

The 49ers struggles this year have come from inconsistent play at the midfield and forward positions but it isn't due to a lack of talent.

Charlotte needs their stars from past years such as Will Mayhew, Aiden Kirkbride and Tyler Gibson to step up and produce on the pitch for the remainder of the season.

Those three have provided just three goals and four assists combined thus far in 2013.

The one bright spot for the 49ers

up front this season has been their star junior forward Giuseppe Gentile.

Gentile is the team's leading goal scorer this year as he's found the back of the net on five separate occasions, including two goals which would prove to be game-winners.

Even despite this magnificent production, Gentile has accepted the role of a true leader and he insists that he must play better moving forward if the 49ers want to accomplish the goals they set in the preseason.

"We've been outshooting teams but we just haven't been executing and I put that all on my cap," said Gentile.

"I need to train harder for that last little touch and concentrate more on finishing my shots."

The 49ers have an opportunity to turn things around in the next couple weeks as three of their next four games will be played at Transamerica Field.

Charlotte returns to the pitch on Wednesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. when they play host to the Old Dominion Monarchs in search of their first Conference USA win of the season.

Tuesday, Oct. 8

Saturday, Oct. 12

Golf Away - Jerry Pate National Intercollegiate

Football Home vs. UNC Pembroke 12 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 9

Golf Away - Rod Myers Invitational

Men’s Soccer Home vs. Old Dominion 7 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 11 Men’s Tennis Away - Wake Forest Invitational Cross Country Royals Challenge TBA Volleyball Away - North Texas Women’s Soccer Away - UTEP

NINERONLINE.COM

Men’s Tennis Away - Wake Forest Invitational Sunday, Oct. 13 Men’s Tennis Away - Wake Forest Invitational Golf Away - Rod Myers Invitational Volleyball Away - Rice Women’s Soccer Away - North Texas Men’s Soccer Away - Tulsa

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

13

HOLDING THE COUNTRY HOSTAGE

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

THE GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN MAKES REPUBLICAN LAWMAKERS’ PRIORITIES CLEAR

Dear editor,

BILLY LINCOURT

As a graduate of UNC Charlotte, I cannot begin to explain how happy I am that we now have a football program!

This team may be young, but they fight hard and managed to pull off an amazing come from behind win this Saturday in front of a disappointing crowd at Jerry Richardson Stadium.

This game was the worst attended of the season with attendance at 12,222 and while there were empty seats on the FSL side of the stadium, the student section had entire sections left empty. I realize that it may be fall break but a University of more than 26,000 students and over 100,000 alumni should be filling that stadium every week, no excuses.

For the students it is especially appalling considering the griping that was heard in August when students did not get selected in the ticket lottery.

They were up in arms and wanted to experience the first game of a program that they are helping to fund with student fees but now a few weeks later on a beautiful Saturday afternoon they are no where to be found.

To be fair, there were at least two sections of students who mostly stuck it out in the heat when the Niners were down 21 points.

Fortunately, they were rewarded with a great comeback and Charlotte win, it’s just too bad that there wasn’t more of them to cheer for our team when they needed them most.

INTERN

On Oct. 1, the government shut down because Congress could not agree to raise the debt ceiling. This is the technical reason for the shutdown. The real reason is because the ultra-conservative Republicans are upset that they have to enact a law that they don’t like.

The Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, was originally proposed in 2009 and passed by the Senate and House of Representatives. The bill went to the White House where President Barack Obama proudly signed it.

It was challenged by several members of Congress and went to the Supreme Court, where it was deemed constituional by a 5-4 vote.

These same members of Congress who opposed the law are the ones behind the shutdown, using the budget as a means to bully the rest of Congress to do what they want.

If they have legitimate concerns about the law, there are other ways they could have gone about it besides holding the country hostage.

Eighty congressional Republicans signed a letter, started by Mark Meadows of North Carolina, stating their plan to refuse to pass a spending bill unless Obamacare is defunded. This is not a case of Congress having trouble ironing out the details of a bill; this is intentional.

Instead of taking the loss with dignity, like adults, these members of Congress are collectively throwing a childlike temper tantrum.

President Obama and the supporters of the ACA should not give any ground to these kinds of tactics.

When a child throws a tantrum, you don’t reward them – to do so would set precedence for future groups to

Upset citizens and furloughed workers hold signs at a Congressional Progressive Caucus rally outside the U.S. Capitol. MCT Campus

use this same tactic. This shutdown is not good for the United States, and it is not an acceptable means of negotiating.

While the stubborn members of Congress sit on their butts, still receiving pay, approximately 800,000 government workers are temporarily out of a job.

Many of these people live day-today or month-to-month on their paychecks, and now they cannot work and cannot support their families.

Some members of Congress are donating their paychecks to charity, but the park ranger at Yosemite doesn’t have that option.

On Oct. 2, U.S. Rep. Renee Ellmers, R-N.C., said, “I need my paycheck. That’s the bottom line. I understand that there may be some other members who are deferring their paychecks, and I think that’s admirable. I’m not in that position.”

Two days later, only after her comments received massive backlash

EDITORIAL POLICY Niner Times is written and produced by students at UNC Charlotte. All unsigned editorials are the expressed opinion of the editorial board and do not represent the views of the University. Views expressed in signed editorials are solely those of the author. Niner Times is published on Tuesdays during the regular academic year except during holidays and exam periods.

14

for their hypocrisy, she reversed her position, saying she would decline her $174,000 salary if the shutdown continued.

Similarly, U.S. Rep. Lee Terry, R-Neb., stated he had no plans to decline payment.

“I’ve got a nice house and a kid in college, and I’ll tell you we cannot handle it,” said Terry. “Giving our paycheck away when you still worked and earned it? That’s just not going to fly.”

The government was shut down for five days before the House of Representative passed a bill on Oct. 5 to retroactively pay the furloughed federal employees when the shutdown is over.

However, even if the Senate and the president approve it, the pay could still be delayed for some time.

It is clear where their priorities are, and it is not on the welfare of the American people.

GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK Niner Times welcomes letters. Feedback should be under 200 words, legibly written or typed and should include the author’s signature, year in school, major and telephone number. Faculty and staff should include title and department. Unsigned, anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters are subject to editing for space and style.

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

- Stephen Collie SUBMIT LETTERS TO:

NINER TIMES Student Union, Charlotte, N.C. 28223 OR E-MAIL:

editor@nineronline.com

NINERTIMES

ARIEL CLAYBORN STAFF WRITER

Amidst the release of a new season of the show “Girls” and the wake of the “Blurred Lines” controversy, a particular “f-word” is resurging among students and is now at the tip of everyone’s tongue: feminism.

Feminism has always been talked about, but due to recent events it has especially gained fervor among UNC Charlotte students. I had never before seen my Facebook account in such a fit about the hot topic.

While some advocates and debates were noteworthy, other comments made me question if our general student population actually knows what feminism is all about.

I recall from my English class, about a year ago, a particular assignment about the impact of gender roles in American society that provoked a discussion question about feminism.

When the professor asked the class who considered themselves a feminist, I was among one or two people who raised a hand.

I had not been sure if the students heard her question, or knew what it meant to be a feminist. I was even more shocked because the ratio of female students heavily outnumbered the male students in our class.

If you believe that women should be equal to men in any way at all,

congratulations – you are a feminist.

The roots of feminism extend from a period when women had little to no rights of their own. Our culture accommodates a more patriarchal system, which no doubt continues to perpetuate the discrimination. Although women have made progress in history, remnants of that era still affect women every day.

In a Washington Post article, “Women earn 91 cents for every dollar men earn--if you control for life choices,” Suzy Khimm cites information from Ariane Hegewisch, Study Director at the Institute for Women’s Policy Research.

The article paraphrases Hegewisch’s analysis of a 2007 study by Francine Blau and Lawrence Kahn: “Women are more likely to work in lower-paying occupations and leave the workforce when they have children, for example. When such circumstances are factored in – along with race and other demographic data – about 40 percent of the gender wage gap is still unaccounted for.”

Women are also unequally represented in the government, but not for lack of trying, which makes topics such as abortion and Planned Parenthood controversial.

Personally, I think every wom-

MCT Campus

Even celebrities have misconceptions about what it means to be a feminist

NINERONLINE.COM

“I am not a feminist, but I do believe in the strength of women.”

-Katy Perry

an should be a feminist. Women throughout history have fought for women’s rights to vote, own property, be educated, get a job or start a business, and many more pursuits that had previously not been granted to them.

Although it is evident that women are at the forefront of feminism, men can be feminists too.

So why are some men reluctant to identify as one?

Many people, like some of the individuals in my sophomore English class, perceive feminism in its exaggerated sense – they see images of bra-burning and hatred towards men.

Feminism is a more deep-seated issue than most people consider. It is not only about the fight for the legal, cultural and socioeconomic aspects of women’s rights, but also the shattering of the glass ceiling of our society’s gender roles.

When talking about feminism, men often feel slighted or as if they are being attacked. What men, or anyone, should know about feminism is that it is not about attacking men.

Another aspect of feminism’s fight for equality is the fight against the oppression of gender roles in our society, which affect men just as much as they affect women.

A gender role is the way we perceive what it means to be a man or a woman – it’s the stereotypical assumptions we make and how we expect individuals to behave. For example, in American culture, when people refer to an individual as masculine, we typically associate it with ruggedness, stoicism and strength.

When people refer to someone as feminine, we typically associate it with daintiness, sensitivity and, in

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

some derogatory cases, weakness.

It is frowned upon for a man or a woman to behave outside of his or her gender role. Women are not to exhibit masculinity, and men are not to exhibit femininity.

Phrases like “You look like a girl” and “Stop acting like a woman” are still both used today in casual conversation. Feminism promotes that women should not have to feel like they are the weaker sex, simply for being a female. Likewise, men should not have to feel that by behaving femininely, they are being insulted – because being a woman or behaving like a woman is not an insult.

Even in humor, it is easy to see how the implications of these phrases can actually be parasitic for both sexes: women are blatantly being discriminated against while men are perpetuating that behaving like a woman signifies that you are behaving like the lesser.

Men should feel comfortable talking about feminism. The fight for the equality of women is a fight that men, the products of women themselves, should support and know more about to sustain a healthier, more conscious society.

Instead of promoting the stereotype that feminism is the enemy, we should be promoting that feminism is the answer. It’s the bridge between both sexes that allows us to strive for progress and the understanding of one another.

The most important thing to know about feminism is that feminism is inclusive – feminism is for people of all races, sexual orientations, genders and sexes. Feminism is for both men and women. Feminism is for equality.

15

sister sparrow and the dirty birds flutter to the visulite theatre

EVENT CALENDAR LIVE MUSIC SISTER SPARROW AND THE DIRTY BIRDS

HINDER

SOURVEIN

THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 • 8 P.M. VISULITE THEATRE, $12

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 • 8 P.M. TREMONT MUSIC HALL, $12

THE SHOOK TWINS

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 • 10 P.M. THE EVENING MUSE, $10

MESSENGER DOWN Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds have nine members. Photo courtesy of Effective Immediately PR

CHESTER GRIFFIN

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 • 8:30 P.M. TREMONT MUSIC HALL, $7

FRIDAY, OCT. 11 • 7 P.M. AMOS’ SOUTHEND, $25

TUESDAY, OCT. 15• 7 P.M. NEIGHBORHOOD THEATRE, $25

BEATS ANTIQUE

TUESDAY, OCT. 15 • 8 P.M. THE CHOP SHOP, $20

MAYDAY PARADE

TUESDAY, OCT. 15 • 6:30 P.M. AMOS’ SOUTHEND, $20

INTERN

UNC Charlotte students will be eager to hear that Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds will be performing in Charlotte this October.

For those who haven’t heard of them, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds is a Brooklyn based band that blends the power of soul with the tune of rock.

Their upcoming show on Thursday, Oct. 10 will be helpful to the promotion of their recently released song called “Fight,” which is being produced by former “American Idol” judge Randy Jackson.

“Fight” can easily be summed up as an engaging piece of music that will incite a sense of passion and courage to its listeners.

It’s a song that is handled masterfully by their lead singer Arleigh Kincheloe. She has both a moving and potent voice that’s matchless when compared to other artists in the industry.

Kincheloe’s abilities stretch to a wide array of talents that includes having powerful vocals, playing the piano and being the band’s lead songwriter.

She can be described as a small lady whose voice packs quite a punch. Audience members should expect to see a lively and high energy performance from Kincheloe. Her energetic spirit and

16

unique voice will keep viewers on their feet and bring joy to their ears.

Perched along with Sister Sparrow are her eight dirty birds, all male players in the band. They harness a distinct style thanks to the utilization of instruments such as the harmonica, trombone, guitar and saxophone.

This year, the Dirty Birds had to say goodbye to JJ Byars, Johnny Butler and Aidan Carroll, and have now welcomed saxophonist Brian Graham and bassist Josh Myers as new members.

Judging by their rave reviews, it seems that Sister Sparrow has already won over critics with their infectious and delightful music. Glamour magazine describes their music “as what you get when you cross Amy Winehouse and Tina Turner with Mick Jagger and a dose of the Squirrel Nut Zippers.”

They’ve even opened for bands such as the Counting Crows and Fitz and the Tantrums.

They’ve also performed at venues like the Beacon Theater in New York and have sold out at The Bowery Ballroom.

Though a new band, they’ve already released two albums. With their popularity rising, Sister Sparrow and the Dirty Birds could soon become a household name.

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NEW RELEASES IN THEATERS

CAPTAIN PHILLIPS MACHETE KILLS HAUNT ROMEO AND JUILET

DVD/BLU-RAY

AFTER EARTH LEVIATHAN THE LIFEGUARD THE HANGOVER PT. III

GAME RELEASES BEYOND: TWO SOULS

F1 2013

JUST DANCE 2014

DISGAEA D2

PS3

WII, WII U, XBOX 360, PS3

PS3, XBOX 360, PC PS3

PERFORMANCES NICK SWARDSON HOMECOMING COMEDY SHOW

THURSDAY, OCT. 10 • 8 P.M. STUDENT UNION, FREE

DITA VON TEESE

FRIDAY, SATURDAY, OCT. 11, 12 • 7:30 P.M. THE FILLMORE, $52.50 +

NINERTIMES

THE BROKE COLLEGE KID’S GUIDE TO

GAMING ON A BUDGET

JON GREGORY INTERN

Gaming is an expensive hobby. For college students it’s often hard to justify paying $60 for a new game. Here are a few ways around that wallet emptying dilemma.

SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE, SUBSCRIBE

DO SOME RESEARCH When funds are tight, spending money on a game that ends up being a bust hurts.

Putting a bit of time into gathering information can help avoid controller flinging levels of frustration and wasted money.

When tracking down reviews of specific games it’s hard to do better than Google or Metacritic.

Try not to stop after checking scores though. Even well-received games can have unappealing elements that will not be mentioned by a skilled reviewer, regardless of the impact on their own experience.

Take time to read multiple reviews and fill in gaps.

One reviewer might play through a game without a problem, but it’s entirely possible that they luckily avoided a game breaking issue.

GET SOCIAL Sites like Twitter and Facebook provide a different type of information, but are still useful tools.

Developers flock to social media to give updates on their games, including when future sales will happen, and following the Twitter accounts of press members is a great way to learn about more obscure titles or enter into game giveaways.

There’s more than just Farmville and Candy Crush to be found here.

For those without a reliable computer to game on, Microsoft and Sony offer sales and free games to subscribers of their online services.

Sony’s PlayStation Plus has a slight edge in what it offers, but both are filled to bursting with great, inexpensive games.

PlayStation Plus members often receive new titles through Sony’s Instant Game Collection offerings.

Xbox Live Gold memberships are for more than just playing online- members often get perks like free games through the Games with Gold promotions.

GO RETRO Older games are a great way to save money.

Valve loves to put classics, especially their own, on sale and the majority can be played on less powerful computers.

An old console or handheld and a fistful of games can be cobbled together for less than the $60 price tag of a single newer title.

Though a little more expensive than the PC option, they require much less effort to get working.

As with the Steam bundles, a handful of people pitching in is a great way to put together a retro gaming station for a dorm or apartment.

It’s not a bad idea to prioritize cartridge based systems over their disc based competition though, since they can’t be ruined by a single scratch.

DON’T BE AFRAID OF DIGITAL Digital games can’t be resold, but they make up for that by being cheaper and going on sale more often. Plus, they have the added benefit of never coming in boxes covered with stickers and grime.

Steam is famous for having constant sales and offering games at extremely low prices.

With those sales changing several times a week, it’s a good idea to

check Steam on a regular basis and keep the provided wishlist up to date.

Valve’s digital marketplace also allows many games to be bought in packs, knocking a chunk off the final price for groups willing to pool their resources.

App stores are packed with more nonsense than their gaming focused counterparts, but developers will occasionally sneak in worthwhile versions of more serious titles.

Keep an eye out for games, like “Shadowrun Returns” and “Bastion,” that make their way to mobile app stores at a considerably reduced price.

Photos courtesy of Microsoft, Nintento and Sony

NINERONLINE.COM

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

17

ACIDIC bringing sweeter sounds to Amos’

ACIDIC is bringing Cali rock to Charlotte. Photo courtesy of De Waal & Associates

LEANNA POUGH ASST. A&E EDITOR

Although their name implies an imbalance, ACIDIC’s demographic levels remain neutral.

“I think our music would appeal to anybody that can get into it, there is no black and white or one demographic. We play what we play,” says lead singer, Michael Gossard.

Gossard along with drummer Matt Whitaker, childhood friend and basist, Ted Dubrawski and guest guitarist Josh Bennet use their diverse, yet amazing experiences from the road, life and encounters with fans as a source of song inspiration.

Beginning in 2007, Gossard saught good vibes in band mates overall, ACIDIC as they are now formed in 2012.

“I just wanted to find friends who could rock out and play good music and have a lot of fun,” Gossard says.

The southern Cali rock ‘n’ rollers are currently prepping for another album and doing everything you’d expect from an active rock band– a term Gossard says fans have recently attributed to the group.

Gossard welcomes supporters of all levels to enjoy their labor of love at Amos Southend, Monday, Oct. 14 at 7 p.m.

“If people want to see people putting their hearts into it on stage and having a great time doing it then come see us play,” Gossard says.

Tickets for the upcoming show are on sale now for $15.

Those interested in learning more about ACIDIC can find music and tour information on the bands website ACIDICband.com or their official Facebook page.

There is no black and white or one demographic. We play what we play.

-Michael Gossard

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OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

NINERTIMES

‘GRAVITY’ VISUALLY STUNS AND DELIGHTS AUDIENCES CHRIS MIZERAK INTERN

We currently live in a time when space missions from NASA are being put on hold in the effort to fix a worldwide economic crisis.

Those of us who wonder about life outside of Earth now have to resort to sources other than NASA to fulfill that curiosity.

Therefore, it is no surprise that films are the most popular source for allowing us to explore the other possibilities of life in our solar system.

By keeping this in mind, one can have a better understanding regarding the massive hype behind writer-director Alfonso Cuaron’s latest space thriller “Gravity,” starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.

While “Gravity” is certainly on its way towards being an enormous hit, is it truly worthy of the hype and high praise it is currently receiving?

The answer is yes….to a certain extent.

We follow space engineer Ryan Stone (Bullock) on her first space shuttle expedition with the assistance of soon-to-retire astronaut Matt Kowalski (Clooney).

When debris from a satellite crashes into their shuttle and destroys it, they become lost in space with only a limited amount of oxygen and supplies to see them through.

Now Ryan and Matt must work together to find access to any other satellites they can come across and find a way to land back on Earth.

Anyone who goes to see “Gravity” in 3D should not go unrewarded, since the visuals and atmosphere are truly the finest aspects of the whole film.

It may not sound like high enough praise given that most films from Hollywood nowadays are simply special effects extravaganzas. But,

NINERONLINE.COM

in the case of a film like this, it is because the visuals have such depth to them that the audience feels immersed in outer space throughout.

The camera work is impressive as well, with its gravity-defying long takes along with the shots that give a a first-person perspective.

One might even argue that it’s solely the visuals that truly tell the story and keep the narrative moving along.

In other words, “Gravity” could have also worked as a silent film because of its crucial emphasis on visuals and silent action, given that there’s no sound in space.

That is not to discredit the acting of the two main leads or the plot itself so much as it is analyzing what “Gravity” is mainly about.

With that said, the film’s narrative is efficient at an hour and a half with the exception of a couple unneeded scenes.

Without giving anything away, there’s a scene in which one of the main leads has to communicate with someone who can’t speak English.

This had the potential to be a deeply effective scene, until one of the characters….bark.

There are two to three similar scenes like that which become dramatically distracting in one way or another.

If you really get down to it, the film does become a tad repetitive at times in terms of its narrative.

Therefore, “Gravity” is not quite in the same league as such films as “The Right Stuff” (1983) or “Apollo 13” (1995).

But what makes it worth the price of admission is its focus of visual storytelling.

And on that level, “Gravity” breaks some new ground.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

ACROSS 1 A dromedary has one 5 Smart guy?

10 Exec’s “I need it now!”

14 Black-and-white snack 15 Military training group 16 Actress Hatcher 17 Like a clock reading 5:05 at 5:00 18 “Eat!” 19 Tenant’s expense 20 *Space-saving computer monitor 22 Fateful March day 23 Equipment on a balance sheet, e.g.

24 Immunity builder 26 Cuban dance 30 Defective cars 33 Devious laughs 36 “That stings!”

38 Often __: about half the time 39 Foofaraw

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

40 Untidy waking-up hair condition, and what the first word of the answers to starred clues can be 42 Historical span 43 Posh 45 Freezer bag feature 46 Bluish hue 47 Go away 49 Southern speech feature 51 Turn out to be 53 Zodiac transition points 57 Arizona Indian 59 *Title racehorse in a 2003 film 63 Mont Blanc, par exemple 51 Turn out to be 53 Zodiac transition points 57 Arizona Indian 59 *Title racehorse in a 2003 film 63 Mont Blanc, par exemple 64 Rabbit relatives 65 Foreign Legion cap

66 Falsehoods 67 “Fame” singer Cara 68 First family’s garden site?

69 Oater stronghold 70 Tickle pink 71 Cubicle furnishing DOWN 1 Labor leader who vanished in 1975 2 Range dividing Europe and Asia 3 Southwestern tablelands 4 Kiln users 5 Adaptable, electrically 6 Wilderness home 7 Rim 8 Reacts to a tearjerker 9 Pet’s home away from home 10 Some hotel lobbies 11 *Start-up capital 12 “Rule, Britannia” composer 13 Depressing situation, with “the” 21 Early Beatle Sutcliffe 25 Enjoy King and Koontz 27 Cohort of Curly 28 Future blossoms 29 Felt pain 31 Director Ephron 32 Kenton of jazz 33 Difficult 34 Falco of “The Sopranos” 35 *Jalapeño, for one 37 Listen to 40 Polar explorer Richard 41 Menu words 44 Most off-the-wall 46 Sounded like a chicken 48 Buttocks, informally 50 Loos, for short 52 Necklace gem 54 Soft leather 55 Plumber’s concerns 56 Reek 57 Football game division 58 Hodgepodge 60 Real estate measurement 61 Curved 62 “That makes sense”

19

DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AWARENESS MONTH October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, a month used to recognize those affected by domestic violence and abuse.

Across campus, many organizations and groups are finding ways to participate in awareness raising, from a purple ribbon tied to Belk Tower to T-shirts hung along the walkway in front of J. Murrey Atkins Library.

The T-shirt painting campaign is hosted each year by the Women’s and

MICHELLE LIRINGIS: HOW DID YOUR RELATIONSHIP BEGIN? BECCA: A mutual friend introduced us. We talked through text pretty much non-stop for a couple of months, just sort of getting to know each other.

Eventually he made a move, I guess, and we went out a few times before deciding to go exclusive.

It was really a very generic relationship start.

Looking back, I don’t see anything that could have tipped me off. I loved him, and I genuinely still believe that he loved me then, too. The person I was with at the beginning is not the same person that I ended my relationship with.

20

Gender Studies program and allows those who have been affected by violence to paint a T-shirt with messages of hope, support or testimonies.

Michelle Liringis, Lifestyle editor for the Niner Times, spoke with a UNC Charlotte student, Becca (name has been changed to protect individual’s identity), about her own experience with domestic violence and how she has coped since.

ML: HOW AND WHEN DID THE ABUSE START? WHAT TYPES OF ABUSE WERE THERE? B: It started about a year and a half into the relationship. At first it was a lot of arguing. Everything was my fault. I could never do anything right, and he was more than willing to point out any mistakes I made, whether they were actually things I did or not.

The arguing evolved into snide, degrading comments, shot out for no reason. His demeanor toward me shaped my feelings towards him so greatly that even just hugging him made me feel nauseous.

Of course my resistance to physical affection just spurred more

Painted t-shirts are displayed outside of Atkins library to raise awareness.

OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

Photos by Chris Crews and Michael Robinson

NINERTIMES

arguments, more fighting.

Eventually, one day, his frustration with my unwillingness to have sex with him lead to him raping me. He forced himself on me, and I quit trying to fight back.

After that, when he’d try to argue with me, I stopped snapping back. It was like there was a void inside me where there used to be a piece that wanted to fight for our relationship.

I was done trying to salvage it. It didn’t take long for him to catch on to the fact that I was done trying.

The fights turned more physical now. He knew he was metaphorically losing his grip on me, so he tightened his physical grip.

More arguments involved him putting his hands on me.

First it was just my arms. He’d grip them so tight bruises would be left days after. As I continued mentally pulling away, his physical force got more intense. Soon his tight grip turned into slaps, shoves, punches.

After he’d hurt me, he’d tell me that nobody would ever love me like he did or threaten to kill himself if I ever left him.

ML: HOW DID IT MAKE YOU FEEL? B: It’s weird. For most of the relationship, I was more disgusted and upset with myself than I was with him.

I knew not to put up with what I was getting. I knew it needed to end. But I couldn’t do it, and for that I was furious with myself.

I was never mad at him, not once. I felt stupid.

I felt unlovable. I felt hopeless. Not only all of that, but I was ashamed. I thought that if anyone found out, they’d blame me for being too weak to leave him.

Photo by Michael Robinson

ML: HOW LONG DID YOU STAY IN THE RELATIONSHIP AFTER IT BECAME ABUSIVE? B: We were still together for about eight months after the abuse started. I should have ended it a lot sooner than I ultimately did, but I was scared.

There was a part of me that really felt like I needed him. It took a while for me to realize that I never did.

Photo by Chris Crews

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to hurt me, but there was nothing he could do.

There were other people around, so he couldn’t use force like he’d become accustomed to.

I just sort of walked away from him, left him standing there in the middle of a public parking lot. He ended up stalking me for a few months after the breakup, but for the most part that was the day that it finally was over. He never touched me again.

ML: HOW DID YOU FINALLY GET OUT OF THE RELATIONSHIP?

ML: WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DID YOU HAVE/SEEK AFTER ENDING THE RELATIONSHIP?

B: One night, during one of our final fights, he told me I was putting my job above our family.

He said to me, “You’re putting [work] before our kids!” My uterus was, and had always been, empty.

That was the fight where I finally stopped letting him say whatever he wanted and where I finally started really defending myself.

He was probably expecting me to just take it, like I had been doing for so long at that point.

I didn’t leave him that day, it wasn’t until about a week later. I got him in a public place and just told him point blank that I was done.

He threatened to hurt himself, threatened

B: I was embarrassed about the whole thing, to be honest. It wasn’t until months and months after I left him that I finally let family and close friends know about what had happened.

Prior to that, I had kept everything secret.

Writing was really cathartic for me.

I ended up taking Aaron Gwyn’s introduction to fiction writing class the semester after the relationship, and I wrote my final short story for the class about the experience of an abusive relationship.

Writing that story helped me close that chapter of my life and let me re-experience and reevaluate what had happened from a safe place.

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ML: HOW HAS IT AFFECTED YOUR LIFE SINCE, WHETHER POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE? B: It was a struggle at first trying to figure out how to integrate my past into my future.

Knowing how and when to tell people about my past, especially prospective future significant others, was really hard. I’ve had mixed reactions.

There have been people who have completely shut down after I told them, others who have tried to overcompensate with how much they tried to comfort me and then some who gave the perfect level of understanding comfort while still not trying to smoother me.

I’m physically affected a bit by it, too. Everything startles me. Literally everything.

People will walk into the room I’m in and I’ll jump halfway out of my chair.

It’s not all bad, although I know I’ve made it sound that way. Leaving him gave me a level of strength that I didn’t have before.

Domestic Violence: What you can do today Photo by Michael Robinson

I did a lot of growing up in the time that I was in that relationship, and as cliché as it sounds, I did a lot of finding myself in the time after the relationship ended.

I’m so much more confident now in who I am and what direction I should be going in with the things in my life.

Everyone has some defining moment that they can cite as a reason for why they are the way they are, and I think leaving him is that defining moment for me.

It can be tough to see the domestic violence awareness T-shirts and at the same time tell your friend what a great job you did on a midterm.

Something about it just feels off. Maybe it is because it has been so bright and sunny out, but maybe it also has to do with the icky, knotted up feeling we get in our stomachs when we think about abuse.

Abuse is a problem that is always around us but is not always visible.

According to the American Psychological Association, more than one out of three women and one out of four men in the United States have been the victim of rape, physical violence or stalking by an intimate partner over the course of their lives.

Even more have experienced emotional abuse.

That means you likely spoke to a survivor of domestic violence this week.

Abuse often leads to depression, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, sleep disturbances, flashbacks and can even impact physical health by causing headaches or chronic pain.

You may not know that friends or people you know are struggling with depression or consequences of domestic violence, but you may still be able to help.

Just being a good friend and listening to what is on their mind could be enough.

Active listening is used by therapists to treat depression and anxiety, but anyone can use it to help a friend in need, regardless of whether abuse is at the root of the problem or not.

An active listener might

simply summarize or clarify what they’ve heard instead of making a suggestion.

Rather than proposing what your friend might do to feel better, try saying something like, “It sounds like you are having a really bad week.”

Try finding out what it’s like for your friend to be feeling the way they are.

You might ask how long they have been feeling this way, or whether there is anything that makes them feel better.

If all else fails, you can always offer to go with them to the counseling center, or simply sit with them quietly.

Take time to listen without telling your own story or giving your best advice before you try to attempt to help solve the problem.

The best part about active listening is that it works for everything from bad hair days to depression that results from domestic violence or some other form of abuse.

If you want to help someone, whether they are a victim of abuse or a victim of a bad flu, try this and see what happens –no icky, knotted-up feeling necessary.

Remember, you don’t have to know you are helping to be a strong support.

Abby Hardin is a UNC Charlotte Ph.D student in Clinical Health Psychology and an instructor. She also works as a mental health counselor at a local CMC clinic. If you’d like your question answered in a future edition of Ask Abby, email askabby@nineronline. com. Remember, no question is too big or too small.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR ABBY? EMAIL IT TO ASKABBY@NINERONLINE.COM

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I thought we really had something. I really liked you, you seemed to really like me. Our families really liked each other. Our friends enjoyed hanging out and going to parties together.

I thought we were really building a future, going somewhere together.

Navigating this crazy path we call life hand-in-hand.

I had no idea how wrong I was.

I don’t know how I didn’t see it sooner, and I am kicking myself for that now. But you live and learn, right?

It started with one rude a remark.

One extra night staying in when we would normally go out. One aggressive arm grab. One time caught snooping.

I let those things slide because I figured you were going through a lot.

School was stressful, your grandma was in the hospital, I figured you just needed a little extra support that week: a little more space to express your anger.

Then things got better for you.

Summer rolled around so school died down. Your grandma recovered.

I was so excited because I thought things were going to go back to normal.

Normal didn’t exist anymore –at least not in the way I thought of it.

Our normal turned into staying locked in your apartment every night, ignoring your roommates and watching whatever movie you chose.

I never got to choose, I just had to do what I was told.

If I opened my mouth, you shut it by force, either with a hurtful comment or the sharp, sting of the back of your hand coming in contact with my cheek.

Anytime I suggested we reconnect with our old friends, you’d sneer at me and ask me why I needed them, weren’t you good enough?

You didn’t seem to understand that I missed girl time, I missed talking and laughing with my girlfriends: painting our nails and watching chick flicks, things that just weren’t the same with you.

You took me missing my friends as a rejection and used it as bait to get me to do more for you, things I wasn’t comfortable doing.

You took our loving physical relationship and turned it into some-

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OCT. 8 - OCT. 14, 2013

Photo by Michael Robinson

thing dark and twisted. It became an obligation to hug and kiss.

On the rare occasion we went out in public, you’d hold my hand so tight I wouldn’t have any circulation in my fingers.

If I took a step away from you, you would reach for me and yank me toward you.

I wasn’t the least bit happy so I tried to leave you.

You wouldn’t let me. You started throwing things at me and yelling and spitting in my face telling me no one else would want me.

You hit me and bruised me until any shred of self-confidence I had was gone. I was a shell of my former self, and everyone noticed.

I was so relieved when my friend noticed the bruising and called the police.

You may have gotten off easy, but at least I no longer have to be around you. At least you aren’t constantly putting me down and making me feel worthless.

Now I can find someone who appreciates me for what I am worth and who makes me feel loved the way a real man should.

Violence is not love. You made me think it was, but it never is.

Sincerely,

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Dating violence is defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors over time. Here are some of the warning signs that a relationship may be headed in the wrong direction.

Photo by Chris Crews

Photo by Michael Robinson

Photo by Michael Robinson

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NINERTIMES