Nt20131119

2013 Clery Report

Updated statistics highlight improvements in campus security.

p. 4

Thanksgiving recipes

Wow loved ones with a couple simple recipes this holiday season.

p. 22

Men’s soccer takes Conference USA tournament title p. 9 A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 26, ISSUE 13 NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013 NINERONLINE.COM

1

2

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

NINERTIMES

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

Volume 26, Number 13 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 Sara Carson, Matt Chapman, Ariel Clayborn, Amanda Duke, Leanna Pough

ADDITIONAL STAFF Edward Averette, Chester Griffin, Sean Grier, Kristen Kimbrough, Stephany McMillan

NEWSROOM: 704.687.7150

MEDIA MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MKTDIRECTOR@UNCC.EDU

PRODUCTION@UNCC.EDU

CIRCULATION MANAGER

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

EMMANUEL LOREDO

NIKI PRESTEL

PRECIOUS SHEFF

GISELLE HERNANDEZ

CIRCULATION STAFF Student Union Loading Dock Team

MARKETING STAFF Louis Bernasconi, Sandy Granadino, Sara Karimipour, Lexy Price, Nathan Propst, Jeremiah Powell & Dylan Robison

SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144

Follow us on Twitter @UNCCmedia LOCATED IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE STUDENT UNION NINER TIMES • RADIO FREE CHARLOTTE SANSKRIT • MEDIA MARKETING • NINERONLINE THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE NINER MEDIA ADVISER: WAYNE MAIKRANZ BUSINESS MANAGER: LAURIE CUDDY

4 6 7 9 12 14 15

2013 ANNUAL SECURITY REPORT SGA UPDATE STANDARDIZED TESTING FROM COVER: MEN’S SOCCER MEN’S BASKETBALL OP-ED: STUDENT PROFESSIONALISM OP-ED: THE HOOKUP MYTH

16 17 19 20 21 22

GAMING PET PEEVES SUICIDEGIRLS PEACE ROCKS PACKING TIPS BRING YOUR OWN BOOK CLUB THANKSGIVING RECIPES

FOR DAILY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, VISIT US AT NINERONLINE.COM

MARKETING ADVISER: KELLY MERGES

GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION: PETE HURDLE

OFFICE MANAGER: MARK HAIRE

NINERONLINE.COM

COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS • INSIDE PHOTO BY LAURA MANZARE

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

3

Information available in annual security report shows progress made by campus police department Annual report shows dramatic increases in the arrests related to drug and alcohol violations and a sharp decrease in campus burglaries

FILE PHOTO

EDEN CREAMER EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Based on statistics available in the 2013 Annual Security and Fire Safety Report, produced by UNC Charlotte’s Police and Public Safety annually, the university has seen a dramatic increase in the amount of alcohol and drug violations on campus from 2011 to 2012.

This increase in violation arrests is not telling of an increase in on-campus delinquency, according to Lt. Shawn Smith, but is instead

representative of more focused efforts by campus police.

“It gives you a basic picture of the crimes that have occurred on and around campus, but more importantly it gives you information about how to be safe on campus or if you were a victim of a crime, what steps to take,” he said. “It also gives you a snapshot of what kind of safety protocols are happening at the university.”

We’ve made it a concerted effort to train our campus secuirty authorities ... we’ve worked really hard [to ensure campus safety].

-Lt. Shawn Smith

4

The Annual Security Report is produced annually due to a federal law passed in 1990, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Police and Campus Crime Statistics Act. This act requires universities that receive federal funding and financial assistance to provide timely information regarding crime and safety on-campus, as responded to by campus police.

The annual report also includes information regarding crime prevention and provides tips to help students proactively insure his or her own safety while on or near campus.

This information is made public and can be used to look at change over time in the safety of campus and the work done by the university policing force.

According to the overview provided in the 2013 report, “The territorial jurisdiction of our Campus Police Officers includes all property owned

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

2012 arrests by type of offense Drug violations (79)

Alcohol violations (98)

Weapons violations (9)

Source: 2013 Annual Security Report

or leased by the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and that portion of any public road or highway

NINERTIMES

passing through university property and immediately adjoining it.”

All incidents reported and responded to in this jurisdiction are included in the annual report.

Officers are also able to make arrests outside of the university jurisdiction, when, according to the overview, “the suspect has committed a criminal offense within [university jurisdiction] but has just fled from that territory.”

In 2012, 98 arrests were made by campus police regarding alcohol violations. Sixty-six of these arrests were made in on-campus residential facilities.

This is a 1,300 percent increase from the seven arrested by campus police in 2010 for the same violations.

Arrests on drug violations increased from 21 in 2010 to 79 is 2012, a 276 percent increase.

“The reason that there is such a discrepancy in the numbers from 2011 to 2012 is that Chief [Jeffrey] Baker began a process where if we find a student who has alcohol or drugs, they are issued both a campus appearance ticket and a state citation,” said Smith.

“That is to ensure that the student gets in front of the Dean of Students Office and ensure that they can be put into whatever program best fits them in terms of alcohol abuse or drug abuse counseling programs. Then the state citation is to ensure that they are held accountable for their actions.”

While efforts by campus police have shown increases in the amount of alcohol and drug related arrests, increases in other offenses may point to increased awareness of the university’s student body.

Reported forcible sex offenses in 2012 increased 150 percent from those reported in 2011, jumping from two to five reported offenses.

The increase in offenses, according to Smith, may not be telling of less safety on or around campus, but instead suggest that the student body is more in control of their own safety.

Resources that have been made available by the university for years are now becoming put to use by victims of forcibly sex offenses in ways that previous victims did not use them.

“We’re just getting a better report

NINERONLINE.COM

Weapons, drugs and alcohol violation arrests

Motor vehicle theft

Burglaries and robberies

Sex offenses and aggravated assault

Arson

of the incidents that are happening on campus. We’re actually being informed that it’s happened, as opposed to before when the victim would just withdraw and not let anyone know,” said Smith.

“We’ve made it a concerted effort to train our campus security authorities ... that if someone comes to them and tells them that they have been assaulted or that something has happened, then they are required by law to report that to us and they should encourage that person to come forward and report that issue so it can be investigated.”

Information regarding domestic violence offenses, dating violence and stalking is missing from the 2013 annual report. Federal law has required statistics on these offenses to be collected in 2013 and included in the 2014 Annual Security Report.

Smith expects the numbers for dating violence will show crimes happening on campus that normally

wouldn’t be included in the annual report due to the specifics of an incident.

“I anticipate that you’ll see quite a few domestic violence and dating violence cases that will be checked off in those boxes due to the fact that currently those are simple assault or assault on a female. Those typically aren’t counted in the Clery Report because, to have an aggravated assault, you have to have a matter of life or death.

Also beginning with 2013, information regarding hate crime will include the categories of “national origin” and “gender identity.” In 2012, no hate crimes were reported on campus.

The report also backs up claims made by the campus police department regarding a decrease in dangerous criminal activity in recent years. In 2010, 109 burglaries were investigated by campus police, while in 2012 only 43 were investi-

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

gated.

Burglaries are categorized as thefts that require illegally entering a location and taking another individual’s items.

This is different from larcenies, which are generally when a suspect takes an individual’s property that was left unsecured and unattended.

Larcenies are not included in the security report, however information from the daily crime logs provided by UNC Charlotte campus police show the frequency of on-campus larcenies. Twenty-eight larcenies were reported by campus police during October 2013.

“Of course our biggest issue is the larceny from buildings or simple crimes of opportunity. If we can do anything, it’s important to let the campus community know to maintain security of their items at all times. That will really push our crime rate down further,” said Smith.

Overall, says Smith, the report shows the improvements of the Police and Public Safety Department over the past few years. Increased efforts from officers and new initiatives started by Chief Baker have helped increase safety on campus for students, faculty and staff.

“We’ve had a little bit of a rise [in crime] but statistically it’s level.

We’ve worked real hard with the implementation of the Community Oriented Police officers who focus on the academic buildings to go out there and be visible to the public and then our direct patrols to the parking lots,” said Smith.

Updated information on 2013 crime statistics will be made available in 2014 with the release of the next year’s Clery Report.

The 2014 report will also include information regarding the policing efforts during the Charlotte 49ers inaugural football season, numbers which Smith says he is pleasantly surprised with.

“The total of football, all six games, were three arrests, 10 state citations, 14 CAT tickets and nine trespass orders. It was a very successful year as far as we are concerned and we hope to tweak our efforts throughout the break to prepare for next year,” he said.

The 2013 Annual Security Act is available online at police.uncc.edu.

5

POLICE BLOTTER NOV. 12-15

ACCIDENTS NOV. 15

• Library Lane, driver of a vehicle struck a concrete barrier while backing out

KRISTEN KIMBROUGH INTERN

Following the weekly senate roll call and Pledge of Allegiance, the UNC Charlotte Student Government Association started the Thursday, Nov. 14 meeting of the Student Senate.

Student organizations

To kick off the Nov. 14 student government meeting, three men representing a Christian ministry group addressed the senators.

The representatives lobbied for their group to become an official campus organization.

The campus ministry representatives explained how they provide community services.

They want to be approved on the UNC Charlotte campus to “bring students to God” and “to understand the scriptures and put them to practice.”

Their group is part of a national organization that does relief all over the country.

They have given Hurricane Sandy relief and have done charity work in the Charlotte community to name a few.

The representatives also pointed out how they would like to get students involved in the TUESDAY NOV. 19

community.

Mark White presented “Vote

by Vote.” White was trying to get approval to make his group official also. White’s group would focus on getting students to register and vote in local elections throughout the year, not just in presidential elections.

When asked how often his group would meet, White said once a month and before local elections.

Aaron Cress represented the “UNC Charlotte Camera Club.”

This group focuses on commercial and business photography. Their meetings are every Thursday at 8 p.m. at various locations on and off campus.

They have been meeting since the beginning of this academic year, but have yet to seek approval to become an official campus organization.

Cress said the group needs to be approved so they can get funding to do club activities.

As of now the UNC Charlotte Camera Club does not collect dues.

All three organizations were approved unanimously. The representatives from the three organizations were then given WEDNESDAY NOV. 20

the opportunity to stay or to leave; all left.

Phone charging stations

Following the votes, one of the senators mentioned that the possible installation of phone charging stations throughout campus is still being discussed.

Financial business

The next order of business dealt with Alpha Kappa Delta.

The fraternity requested a grant of $733 which was approved the previous week.

The International Club was previously denied their grant but plans to resubmit.

There was then a motion to approve the Financial Bill, which allocates funds. It was approved unanimously.

A resolution to enact a town hall meeting is in place. Each college must host an open forum at least once each semester for the college they represent. This resolution will be enacted in spring 2014.

Students will be able to attend and participate in the town hall meeting. It will give students a venue for their voices to be heard.

THURSDAY NOV. 21

FRIDAY NOV. 22

ARRESTS NOV. 13

• Mary Alexander Road, subject was arrested for outstanding warrants in Guilford County

NOV. 15

• Mary Alexander Road, subject was in violation of failure to stop at a red light, driving with a revoked license, and felony possession of a stolen vehicle

CALLS FOR SERVICE NOV. 15

• Poplar Lane, subject was found in possession of marijuana

LARCENY NOV. 12

• University Road, secured bicycle was stolen from bike rack

NOV. 13

• Library Lane, officer responded to a call in reference to the larceny of a wallet

NOV. 15

• Craver Road, an unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured

VANDALISM NOV. 15

• Craver Road, an unknown subject used an eraser to draw a symbol on the wall

@UNCCWeather FOLLOW FOR FORECASTS AND WARNINGS

6

54°F

Sunny with a low of 40.

50°F

Mostly sunny. Low of 35.

47°F

Partly cloudy. Low of 34.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

58°F

Mostly cloudy. Low of 44.

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

NINERTIMES

N.C. Board implements tougher standards New regulations for standardized testing scores may result in students receiving on average lower scores on examinations than before STEPHANY MCMILLAN STAFF WRITER

North Carolina standardized testing scores have reached an all time low for the 2012-13 school year.

The State Board of Education revealed the dramatic drop performance of schools across North Carolina in early November.

Without hesitation, Chapel Hill, Wake, Johnston, Orange and Mecklenburg counties began preparing rigorous standards for the upcoming year.

Standardized testing is important in assessing student learning before entering the college level.

End-Of-Grade tests (EOGs) for 3-8 grade, End-Of-Course tests (EOCs) for the high school level, the North Carolina Writing Assessment for grades four, seven and 10 and the North Carolina Test of Computer Skills are all necessary in order to obtain a diploma.

All of these tests except one are scored on four levels, one being the lowest and four being the highest.

On the other hand, the result of taking the N.C. Test of Computer Skills is either pass or fail.

The ultimate purpose for standardized testing is to grasp a sense of how well the student has comprehended what they have learned in one year.

Therefore, the test results

NINERONLINE.COM

provide an indication whether students are making progress towards mastery of state mandated standards.

Test results also determine whether a student gets promoted to the next grade level or not.

Although they play a huge role, standardized test results do not represent the overall quality of a school.

There are many other traits considered when ranking a school’s performance.

Each school must meet North Carolina education standards in order to get classified as a highperforming school.

The way this ranking is determined is through ABC’s Accountability Program.

This program assigns school ratings to show how well the schools are performing.

Each school can receive a title based on the amount of students performing at or above grade level as well as on the student/teacher expected growth in one year.

Schools may earn the title of “High Growth,” “Expected Growth,” “No Recognition,” “Priority School” or “Low Performing.”

Schools earning the top two rankings can receive noteworthy rewards like “Honor School of Excellence” or “School of Excellence.”

Last year, the overall statewide passing rate was 44.7 percent, which is below average.

This demonstrates an extreme

“In order for our students to be competitive upon graduation, we have an obligation to expect more from them.”

-June Atkinson

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

drop in performance of schools with standardized tests.

“North Carolina students didn’t lose ground in their learning last year, but they are being measured against a higher standard with more rigorous expectations for applying knowledge and skills to real-world problems,” stated State Superintendent June Atkinson in an article published by Public Schools of North Carolina.

“In order for our students to be competitive upon graduation, we have an obligation to expect more from them.”

One of Charlotte’s most prestigious and high-performing schools even charted an overall pass rate of 58.5 percent.

On the old standardized tests, Myers Park High School generally performed at an 83 percent passing rate.

“It is important for us to stand behind our students and teachers,” stated State Board of Education Chairman Bill Cobey in an article published by the Public Schools of North Carolina.

“We know that, with our support, they will rise to meet these new expectations.”

Cobey hopes for students and teachers to remain cooperative during this transition.

CONTINUED ON P. 8

7

CONTINUED FROM P. 7 North Carolina has implemented a rule that statewide end-of-year tests will become 25 percent of students’ final grade.

This results in lower grade averages, in turn throwing students off track to graduate on time.

Due to the changes in standardized testing and scoring, the achievement gap has widened.

The gaps between minority and white students, low-income students and wealthier students have amplified on tests.

These results of minority test scores are sent in to the federal government in order to investigate state growth.

Schools will consequentially be affected by the letter grades they will receive in the spring, which will affect the amount of families their school will attract.

Superintendent Heath Morrison of Charlotte-Mecklenburg schools has said that district leaders are working on new strategies to supplement gain in skills for students’ need for life after a diploma.

Officials warn the community of new academic standards, more complex exams and higher “cut scores” for proficiency.

8

NEWS BRIEFS University community mourns loss of a student UNC Charlotte student Noelle Dixon passed away Wednesday, Nov. 13, following injuries from a serious car accident she was involved in Monday, Nov. 11 on N. Tryon Street.

Police are still investigating the automobile accident. The man considered to be a person of interest by the police is still being sought. He fled the scene of the accident.

Dixon was 22 years old and nearing her expected graduation from UNC Charlotte.

Final results of 2013 Giving Green Campaign show success

UNC Charlotte celebrates International Education Week

Thursday, Nov. 14, university faculty, staff and adminstrators celebrated the successful 2013 Giving Green Campaign results.

Chancellor Philip Dubois announced the final campaign total of $154,609 in the Barnhardt Student Activity Center Salons.

This is more than the amount of money raised last year for the campaign.

The campaign is an annual effort to strengthen the community and give to non-profit organizations and causes.

The university will hold a variety of different events from Nov. 18-22 to celebrate the annual International Education Week.

Students, staff and faculty are invited to participate in events celebrating the value of global awareness and education, from trivia contests to study abroad workshops.

For a finalized full calendar of events, visit the Office of International Programs website.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

NINERTIMES

CONFERENCE USA

CHAMPIONS

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team has earned a conference title for the second time in program history

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team celebrates their 2013 Conference USA Men’s Soccer Champion title. Photo by Chris Crews

LIBBY WEIHSMANN SPORTS EDITOR

First Round - Charlotte vs. UAB The sixth-seeded Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team upset the third-seeded UAB Blazers (12-51,5-4-1) at Transamerica Field on Wednesday, Nov. 13 in the first round of the Conference USA Men’s Soccer Championships.

Earlier in the day, the fifth-seeded Tulsa knocked out fourth-seeded South Carolina 3-1 prior to seventhseeded Kentucky upsetting the second-seeded Old Dominion 1-0 in overtime.

Both the 49ers and Blazers split possession evenly during the early part of the first period. It was

NINERONLINE.COM

in the 21st minute of play when Will Mayhew and Nick Barnhorst assisted a Giuseppe Gentile goal to give the 49ers a 1-0 lead over the Blazers.

Gentile almost found the back of the net for a second goal with 18 minutes left in the first period, but it went just above the crossbar.

With 8:31 left on the clock in the first period, Aidan Kirkbride found Gentile as he broke away and effortlessly slid one past keeper Raphael Ville to the lower left corner of the net giving the 49ers a 2-0 lead over the Blazers. Gentile’s goal was 27th career goal and

moves him tied for 10th in school history with goals.

At the half, the 49ers were outshooting the Blazers 8-6 and held a 3-1 advantage in corner kicks. Gentile led the 49ers with shots on goal with four followed by Kyle Parker with one.

In the first two minutes of the second period, UAB finally got on the board when Barnhorst recorded an own-goal and cut the 49ers lead to 2-1.

The Blazers were pressing hard during the early part of the second period doing anything they could to get a takeaway, but played

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

conservative in terms of attacking the goal.

Parker took a shot that appeared to be heading to the back of the net, but it went just above the crossbar and landed on the top of the net.

The 49ers regained momentum offensively when senior Tyler Gibson took a corner kick and placed it on the far side of the field in good position, but freshman Luke Waechter’s header just went high of the crossbar.

UAB had good field position when they took a free kick, but keeper Klay Davis was able to punch it out to prevent the Blazers from scoring

9

the equalizer.

Monbo Bokar just barely missed the net as his shot went just north of the crossbar after a Gibson corner.

Impressive ball handling by the 49ers helped run time off the clock and keep the ball on their end of the field resulting in a 2-1 upset over the Blazers.

Charlotte finished the night with a 19-10 advantage in shots and a 6-2 advantage in corner kicks. Ville recorded seven saves while Davis posted just three.

“A very good start. We wanted to come in and be the aggressor.

We wanted to put goals away quickly, and that’s what we did,” said Gentile who finished the day leading the team with two goals and five shots on goal.

“It’s all teamwork. We knew what the challenge was. UAB’s always a very competitive, athletic team, and we knew what it took to score goals.

We just do in games what we do in practice every day. Nothing really changes, we just go out there and play the Charlotte way.”

Under Head Coach Kevin Langan, the 49ers are 23-4-3 when the team scores first and 11-3-1 when they lead at the half.

“They looked dynamic going forward. They’re flowing, they’re trusting. Happy, excited, confident, which is a wonderful place to be when you’re in the postseason,” said Langan.

“We’ve been playing very well all year and it just now, it takes a little while. It’s an evolution, it’s a journey the team goes through when they start clicking together.”

Semifinals - Charlotte vs. Kentucky After Wednesday’s win, the 49ers shutout the seventh-seeded Kentucky Wildcats (7-9-3, 3-5-2) in a rain-soaked battle on Friday night in the semifinals.

It was Bronico with the first shot of the night for the 49ers in the seventh minute, but it went just right of the net.

A David Mayer corner kick was deflected out of the box by the Wildcats as the ball continued to bounce between the two teams.

Will Mayhew got a look at the Kentucky goal, but his shot went just high of the crossbar with six minutes remaining in the first

10

period.

With just over five minutes to play, a Hans Honer breakaway assisted a Bronico goal that went just inside the left post past Irving giving the 49ers a 1-0 lead. The goal was Bronico’s third career goal.

“It was one of the best experiences ever to come out here and score the winning goal of the semifinals of the conference tournament,” said Bronico.

“We’re going to take care of business on Sunday.”

Langan has spent time this season watching Bronico grow into a talented contributor for the 49ers.

“Brandt, he’s a freshman, but he’s got such a great engine on him, and that’s on freshman legs in your second game in three days,” said Langan.

The rain started coming down right as the two teams wrapped up the opening period. The 49ers led the Wildcats 1-0 and held a 6-5 advantage in shots and a 4-0 advantage in corner kicks.

Kentucky opened the second period with two quick shots, but it was Napo Matsoso’s shot that gave the Wildcats their closest look. The shot went high over the crossbar.

Gentile came close to scoring his 29th goal with 24 minutes remaining in the match, but a Kentucky defender deflected his shot.

The second half quickly became physical as both teams were giving it all they had to ensure a spot in Sunday’s championship match.

Three yellow cards were issued to Kentucky as the clock was winding down, and both teams were picking up more and more fouls.

For the latter part of the second period, the 49ers controlled possession throughout. Kentucky almost had an own goal after a Charlotte corner was deflected off a Wildcat right into Irving’s hands.

A great pass to Gentile put him in scoring position right inside the box with just three minutes to play in regulation, but it was called offside.

As the rain picked up and started to come down the heaviest it had all night, the 49ers secured their spot in the finals of the Conference USA Men’s Soccer Championships with a 1-0 win over Kentucky. The win was their seventh-straight as they outscored opponents in those seven

The 49ers celebrate with their C-USA trophy. Photo by Chris Crews

matches 19-2.

“We weren’t at our best today in terms of tactics and techniques, but we managed to gut it out a little bit,” said Langan.

“It wasn’t our greatest, most fluid performance, but it was a performance full of courage, heart, guts and it was a good knockout game for us.”

Conference Final - Charlotte vs. Tulsa For the first time since 1983 and just the second time in program history, the sixth-seeded Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team upset the fifth-seeded Tulsa Golden Hurricane 1-0 to earn the conference title and be crowned the 2013 Conference USA Men’s Soccer champions.

The ball bounced back and forth between the two teams during the early part of the opening period as both teams split possession. The first real opportunity to score came when freshman Bronico sent one just high of the crossbar.

Tulsa responded with a corner kick that gave the Golden Hurricane three chances to find the back of the net, but Davis was able to prevent Tulsa from taking an early 1-0 lead over the 49ers.

Gentile placed an amazing shot that had everyone at Transamerica Field on their feet convinced it was going in, but the ball went just high over the horizontal.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

The 49ers continued to press down the field and Bronico set up an ideal scoring opportunity for Charlotte, but Aidan Kirkbride’s shot went just over the crossbar.

Bronico had the best scoring opportunity of the opening half when he took a shot from the left side of the net, but Tulsa’s keeper Jake McGuire punched it out keeping the match scoreless.

After the first period, both teams were unable to convert any shots keeping the match scoreless.

Charlotte had taken six shots, two of which were on goal.

The 49ers had taken quality shots in the opening period with plenty of opportunities to score, but struggled finishing them.

In the second half, the 49ers were putting up shots, but were still having trouble finding the back of the net.

Charlotte’s Mayhew went down clinching his shoulder in pain and every 49ers fan in the stadium grew silent. Mayhew dislocated his shoulder in the FAU game earlier in the season and was forced to sit out during Senior Night. Mayhew painfully walked off of the field with trainers and would not return to the game.

With 2:32 remaining in the match, Tulsa pulled down David Mayer in the box. Gibson, Charlotte’s prized penalty kicker, had a chance to score what would

NINERTIMES

be the lone goal of the game.

With his team behind him, it was Gibson that sent a rocket to the back left of the net past McGuire lifting the 49ers 1-0 over Tulsa and giving Davis his ninth-solo shutout of the season. Davis now leads the program in most career shutouts with 29.5.

“I’ve already been in stressful, bigtime situations like that before. I’ve proven I can take it under pressure.

I don’t really get bothered by it, nothing new,” said Gibson.

“I was like, ‘C’mon, let’s do it.’ I knew I had it. I take them all the time and I’m comfortable in those situations. As long as it’s a good hit, the keeper can’t do much about it.”

Tulsa had a chance to equalize the game when Davis misplaced the ball and an open-net situation arose. The ball went north of the crossbar on a Cristian Mata shot when he quickly took advantage of the empty net.

“He’s practiced it probably everyday for the last five years. Just taking a breath, imagining this moment, so when he stepped up, I knew he was going to hit it well. I knew it was going to go where he wanted it to go,” said Langan about

NINERONLINE.COM

Gibson’s penalty kick.

Gibson is 8-9 in taking penalty kicks in his career, 3-3 this season.

“It feels great, it feels amazing. It feels like five years of work for some of these guys,” said Langan.

For Gibson and the other six seniors, a conference title was the one they were missing. For the 49ers, this will be their fourth appearance in five years – third straight – in the NCAA tournament.

“It’s unreal. It’s my senior year, at home, in front of the fans. I couldn’t ask for anything else. It’s amazing.

I’m so proud of my team, I could not have done it without them,” said Gibson.

Gibson, along with Bronico, were both named to the 2013 Conference USA All-Tournament Team. Gentile was named the Most Valuable Offensive Player and Thomas Allen was named the Most Valuable Defensive Player.

The 49ers improve to 12-5-3 and will find out their destiny in the NCAA Tournament on Monday, Nov. 18 at noon in the NCAA Selection Show.

1 2 3 4 5

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

49ers men’s basketball sophomore Shawn Lester recorded his first career double-double, scoring 24 points and 11 rebounds in the Elon game.

Charlotte keeper Klay Davis now leads the program in career shutouts with 29.5. Davis moves past Aidan Hearney who previously led with 28.5.

49ers men’s soccer senior Tyler Gibson converted a penalty kick to a goal, making him 3-3 (100 percent) on penalty kicks this season.

The 49ers men’s soccer team picked up the program’s second conference title since 1983 in a 1-0 victory over Tulsa in the championship game.

Despite the loss, volleyball seniors Taylor Cannon and Amanda Videmsek played in their final collegiate game on Sunday.

11

A late 18-0 run helps the 49ers take down Elon 83-69 After trailing early, the 49ers men’s basketball team found momentum in the second half to fuel an 18-point scoring run, improving to 2-1 on the season.

MATT CHAPMAN

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR

The Charlotte 49ers (2-1) men’s basketball team found a rhythm late in the game before defeating the Elon Phoenix (2-1) by a final score of 83-69 on Friday afternoon at Halton Arena.

The 49ers imposed their will and dominated in the paint as they outrebounded the Phoenix 47-26 throughout the game.

The 49ers and the Phoenix battled through a tight first half that consisted of double-digit scoring runs for each side.

Charlotte fell behind early on as they started the game 0-5 from the field.

Elon used a 10-0 run midway through the first half to take an 18-6 lead with 10:36 remaining, forcing Charlotte Head Coach Alan Major to call a timeout.

With the offense struggling to find a rhythm, Shawn Lester entered the game off the bench for the 49ers and provided a quick three and an easy drive to the basket as Charlotte went on an 11-0 run of their own to cut the deficit to 18-17 with 8:28 left to play in the first half.

The teams battled back-and-forth down the stretch and went into the locker room deadlocked at 32-32.

Lester provided the spark the 49ers needed and finished the half with a teamhigh 10 points to go along with seven big rebounds. Lester shot 4-7 (57.1 percent) from the field and played 15 minutes off the bench during the opening half of play.

“Boy, he’s a talented player,” said Elon Head Coach Matt Matheney when asked about Lester postgame.

“We knew he was talented coming into the game but he just doesn’t miss open shots. He hurt us today.”

The second half opened up with the same back-and-forth battle that ended the first 20 minutes of play.

Both teams traded baskets and neither could muster a lead bigger than just six points with five minutes left to play.

Much like in the first half, Lester was able to get the 49ers offense going late in the second half.

Charlotte captured their first double-digit lead of the afternoon as Lester dribbled through multiple Elon defenders before absorbing the contact on the foul and finishing at the basket.

Lester finished the game with a careerhigh 24 points off the bench while grabbing 11 rebounds for his first career doubledouble.

“It feels really good just being out here and helping my team,” said Lester.

“I’ve been grabbing rebounds and scoring when given the opportunity. I’m just trying to help the team however I can.”

The 49ers iced the game late with an 18-0 run that was fueled by strong shooting at the free throw line.

After struggling at the line in a heartbreaking loss to College of Charleston

Shawn Lester recorded his first career double-double against Elon. Photo by Chris Crews

12

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

NINERTIMES

on the road earlier in the week, the 49ers knocked down 23-33 (69.7 percent) from the charity stripe en route to a 14-point victory that came much tougher than the scoreboard would suggest.

“I knew we would click during his first official visit,” said Pierria Henry when asked about teaming up with Lester in the backcourt.

“I love seeing this man diving on loose balls, talking on defense and completing shots at the basket.

The sky is the limit for him.”

Henry, the 49ers captain, stuffed

the stat sheet per usual on Friday afternoon.

Henry finished with 13 points to go along with five rebounds, three assists and four steals on the defensive end of the court.

The 49ers will hit the road for the Puerto Rico Tip-Off where they will face the Kansas State Wildcats in the opening round on Thursday, Nov. 21 with the game scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m. eastern time.

The game between the 49ers and Wildcats will be broadcast nationally on ESPNU.

Mike Thorne Jr. recorded 14 points and eight rebounds. Photo by Chris Crews

NINERONLINE.COM

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

13

FROM MESSED UP TO DRESSED UP For students professionalism can go a long way, both during academic pursuits and post-graduation SEAN GRIER

INTERN

We have seen them in all of our classes – the kids who sit on the front row and sleep and snore.

The college students who wear sweat pants, head wraps and show up late. It’s a wonder if they know what image they are channeling to their peers and professors.

College should be constructed as a networking experience, not a fashion show gone wrong; it is what you pay for after all.

And so it seems a disconnect exists in our minds when deciding what is appropriate and professional versus what is unflattering. I figure the lack of professionalism in our classes should be addressed before winter comes. By then, the leggings and six-year-old UGG boots will be commonplace.

Some universities require you to dress professionally every time you enter a classroom. Some only require it for certain classes and some, like ours, leave that to the discretion of its students.

It is important to separate yourself from the mix. That is, the other 26,000 students who attend UNC Charlotte.

It’s probably best not to be the one who gets arrested or expelled or simply the one who shows up late to every class, making noise while doing so. Rather, be the student that shows up on time, well-dressed and prepared. It goes a long way when it’s time to seek internships, jobs or a letter of recommendation from your professor.

The phrase, “Every introduction is an interview,” couldn’t relate anywhere better than the college community. Think of the impression you make on your peers and vice versa.

One day some of you will be in a position to hire someone; maybe they are sitting right across from you in Crown Commons or Prospector. Think of all the qualities you would want in a candidate.

Do you possess them yourself?

Upon graduation, some of you will venture where many have failed: small business startups.

You’ll want the best staff you can get, and the classmate that didn’t know a tavern from a classroom will not qualify.

Yes, there are days when you wake up for your 8 a.m. class 10 minutes before it starts – it happens.

But we all can mentally replay those images of students that don’t have it together. Sometimes I’m one of them.

Students can do better by understanding the concept of college. It’s more than just an educational opportunity with a side of clubs, sports and jobs. It’s a networking experience where we engage in friendship and résumé building.

The thought might be scary, but just assume as you are reading this that your neighbor could be your boss one day; it can and it probably will happen. In any given class, there will be a secretary, publicist, attorney, CEO, accountant and even a janitor. You never know where life will take you,

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

so it’s best to start off right.

Get to know your professors. Most of them are paid to lecture and maybe do research. Research is an amazing opportunity that this school offers its students that help an employer separate you from the rest. I have walked around our campus of bricks and stairs and have come to see an interesting sight: students eating with their professors or taking a trip to the library together.

This does happen, and I guarantee you that the communication skills used to simply ask your professor does more in the long run than simply going to class and earning a passing grade. Those students who took the time to talk to their professors will probably be in better footing post-graduation versus those who simply went to class and back home.

Take your average professor who has been teaching for 10 years and just imagine how many conferences they have attended, people they have met, books they have published, or connections they have within industries. This is the best kind of information. Why? Because it’s free; it happens by mere communication.

So show up to class on time, participate, dress accordingly, stay after if you have time and make an impression on a professor that lets them know you are a person worth sharing a life’s worth of experiences with.

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.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

SUBMIT LETTERS TO:

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

editor@nineronline.com

NINERTIMES

THE HOOKUP MYTH A new study explains why Millenials are not the masters of sex

EDWARD AVERETTE INTERN

Love is dead. One night stands and steamy hookups with mysterious, shadowy types you may or may not know define this current age of instant gratification and hedonistic glory.

College campuses are the proverbial hotbeds of hookup culture, and it’s only getting worse through the decades.

With the combination of freedom from parents, societal expectations and raging hormones, what are young adults supposed to do when

MCT Campus

NINERONLINE.COM

26,000 students on campus are thought to be no different than excited electrons ready to bond?

Some may rush to judgment and react by thinking hookup culture has become the way of the world and come to think that love doesn’t exist anymore in our hypersexualized world. However, that’s not the case according to a University of Portland study.

Martin Monto, a sociology professor at the University of Portland, recently conducted a study that was published earlier this year that challenges the perception that hookup culture is a new phenomenon.

It also displays how Millennials differ from previous generations when it comes to how they meet sexual partners.

Of course, this makes sense when one considers the advent of social media and smartphones, which has completely shattered long-standing boundaries when it comes to communication.

Compared to previous generations, today’s young adults are more likely to “hookup” with casual friends or acquaintances than their parents were in the ‘80s or ‘90s, according to the University of Portland’s research.

Monto’s study com-

pared two groups of young adults; one group was comprised of students from 1988-96, and the other group consisted of students from 2002-10.

The study showcased that there was a slight decrease with students who reported having sex at least once a week, with 65.2 percent of students from the former compared to 59.3 percent of students from the latter group.

Older generations frequently propagate the myth that Millenials have far more sex and with more partners than ever before. However, this was shown to be false as 31.6 percent of Millenials and 31.9 percent of Generation Y students had sex with more than one partner.

Perception often supersedes reality. This is because reality is far more complicated and nuanced than following the “every generation is worse than the previous” model.

Instead of following the media’s lead and believing everything we see, we need to challenge ideologies when they don’t mirror our daily lives.

Sure, you can go on UNCC Confessions and read tales of steamy, wild and unbelievable sexual exploits.

But as college students, when has anything in our experiences been without awkwardness?

College students come in many forms; one may be a serial monogamist while someone else could thrive off sleeping with more than one person.

Although there was slight decrease – 77 percent of students from the 2000’s group were with a regular partner or spouse compared to 85 percent for the students of the late ‘80s to mid ‘90s – young adults still value relationships and are seeking long-term commitment.

To believe at face value that hook-

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

up culture is pervasive on college campuses is equivalent to believing in Santa Claus. Yes, there are people who frequently hookup in various forms – which don’t always include sex. However, we must remember that there are people on this campus who are married, engaged, single or virgins. That last point should be of significance.

The study highlighted that one in four college students are virgins, which makes the concept of hookup culture murkier. As a generation, we are judged by the ridiculously broad and vague standards of hookups, which can really comprise of anything under the sun.

It’s either we hookup, which could mean making out, kissing and oral sex, or we end up being forever alone watching Netflix in a dark room.

This doesn’t represent reality.

Reality is not black and white.

The whole concept of hookup culture revolves around who’s getting action versus the perceived lack of action of everyone not hooking up.

The vagueness of hookup culture skews toward a negative connotation that includes acts outside sexual intercourse, something our parents and grandparents never dealt with.

In some ways, Millenials (myself included) are different from our predecessors. We are getting married in our late ‘20s or early ‘30s, we are more educated and half of our lives have consisted of wide scale technological advances.

However, in some ways we are maintaining the status quo, just like our equally controversial predecessors. As hard and disappointing as it is to believe, as a generation, we are not having as much sex as we think are.

15

GAMING PET PEEVES What Sony and Microsoft should avoid this time around with the PS4 and the Xbox One

This generation of gaming has certainly seen its fair share of wonderful titles. Games like “BioShock Infinite” and “The Last of Us” have shown just how far games have come

BAD ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE A.I. can truly make or break a game and is what’s used to control NPCs. In the best case scenario, the A.I. might run into a wall and temporarily break the player’s sense of immersion. In the worst case, it could break the game entirely.

The best example would be in “Resident Evil 5.” From a cooperative stand point, it’s an exciting and fun game to play; but from a single player perspective, it’s an entirely opposite experience.

One way of balancing the awful A.I. is to make it invincible; therefore when players fail a mission, it’s because it is their own fault and not because their partner died.

in terms of gameplay and storytelling. It’s when running into annoying issues like frequent load times and quick time events that we’re reminded that video games are still a work-

in-progress.

These nuances are either a result of hardware limitations or questionable design choices. However, with the release of the PlayStation 4 last

FREQUENT LOAD TIMES It’s not enough that having frequent load times eliminates any sense of immersion in a game, but it can be quite annoying when they go on for minutes.

Load times are an issue that’s inescapable with this generation’s hardware, but there’s a way of moderating it so it isn’t a hassle.

The best example of handling load times correctly is in “Grand Theft Auto V.” Rather than having numerous load times, it only has one lengthy load time at the beginning of the game.

CHESTER GRIFFIN STAFF WRITER

Images courtesy of Sony and Microsoft

ESCORT MISSIONS It’s rare when an escort mission is enjoyable. In these missions, players are tasked with keeping an NPC (non-playable character) alive as they progress through a level. What really makes these missions particularly frustrating is when the character dies, the mission has to be restarted again.

The playability of the mission is determined by the reliability of the artificial intelligence and the difficulty of the level. While “The Last of Us” may look like one big escort mission, it’s the rare example of when this trend actually works. What sets “The Last of Us” apart from other games is the NPC that the player is protecting is more of an asset than a liability.

FIRST-PERSON PLATFORMING First-person platforming goes back to that simple notion of hopping from place to place like in “Super Mario Bros.” Unfortunately, with a first-person shooter it has to be done in a first-person perspective and that is where the problem lies. When jumping from place to place in a first-person perspective, the player doesn’t have a clear indication of where they’re going to land. This happens because of the inability to see their character’s feet.

Having the ability to see the character’s feet would give players more certainty of where they’re going to land; otherwise it’s a failed attempt at adding variety to the gun-play within the game.

16

Friday, and the approaching reveal of the Xbox One, gaming enthusiasts can remain hopeful that some of these pet peeves will become past peeves.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

QUICK TIME EVENTS There was a time when quick time events seemed both innovative and exciting, but now they are frustrating and cheap. A quick time event is a button prompt that appears for a small window of time and the player has to quickly press the appropriate button combination. If they don’t press it within that gap of time or press the wrong button, they’ll either take damage or have to restart it again.

It’s rarely done right and only takes away any sense of control that the player has on their character.

NINERTIMES

NOT YOUR GRANDFATHER’S BURLESQUE SHOW The ladies of SuicideGirls brought a riot-worthy show to The Fillmore as a part of the Blackheart Burlesque tour. Photo courtesy of SuicideGirls

LIZ LANIER A&E EDITOR

A cutesy girl with bright blue, sparkling panties takes the stage of The Fillmore.

As she sloppily tries to seduce the audience, she flails her arms and nearly tumbles over a few times as she tries to alluringly remove a feather boa from her bosom— no easy feat.

Just as she is trying to remove her top to reveal crimson, starshaped pasties, several young women enter the stage. With bodies that range from waif thin to sensuously curvy, no two look quite the same.

The vivacious palette of their hair colors— from neon green to modest cerulean— paired with their many tattoos helps distinguish each one even more.

After dancing alluringly with swaying hips, the sirens remove their clothes to reveal electrical tape over their nipples and thongs serving as skivvies.

This is not your grandfather’s burlesque show.

“People always assume burlesque is prancing around with feathers and diamonds,” Katherine Suicide,

NINERONLINE.COM

the performer of the first satirical dance later explains. “That’s a part of it, but delve into neo burlesque and you’ll find a whole new world.”

Katherine Suicide takes the stage again after her sardonic performance.

As the host of the evening and the liaison of SuicideGirls, she has multiple roles to fill.

She riles up the audience for the next act, promising the louder the screams, the freakier the show will become.

Ready to get things going, the audience woots and chants enthusiastically. By the look of the packed venue, no one would have guessed the more humble beginnings of the SuicideGirls.

It all started in a coffee shop.

Sick of the mainstream media idea that a woman had to be Barbie to be beautiful, Selena Mooney (who prefers her pseudonym, Missy Suicide— all the members use the same last name) decided to start a revolution.

Missy took photos of female friends who were not conventionally beautiful in the silicon, beach

bunny style as a side project. The women didn’t match the standards society has for females, but they had pin-up appeal and the confidence to match what their bodies revealed.

After showing the photos to her friend, Sean Suhl, in a coffee shop, Missy decided that to simply publish the photos in a coffee table book would be a waste. The women needed a chance to show off their bodies and minds as a creative outlet.

The SuicideGirls Web site was launched in 2001, allowing the women to speak their thoughts in blog posts and interact with the community in addition to the alluring images.

The women needed a chance to show off their bodies and minds as a creative outlet.

The SuicideGirls Web site was launched in 2001, allowing the women to speak their thoughts in blog posts and interact with the community in addition to the alluring images.

The objective was clear from the start: these women are beautiful

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

not in spite of, but because they are different— they can feel sexy and empowered rather than seen only as objects of specialized lust as many venues back then (and now) would portray them.

“In 2001 there wasn’t anywhere where you could see women with tattoos and piercings photographed in a positive, authentic way anywhere,” Missy says.

“If they were photographed, it was in a fetishized way.”

The name “SuicideGirls” comes from the Chuck Palahniuk book “Survivor.”

“It was a term that really resonated with me,” Missy says. “Girls who commit social suicide by choosing not to fit into societies dictates of what is expected. Girls who dye [their hair] by their own hand, and whose iPods are as diverse as they are.”

While SuicideGirls has come under criticism for banking on people’s fetishes for women with ink, the intent is not at all in that realm.

The message is meant to tell women that they are beautiful as

17

they are.

“We shouldn’t be embarrassed or ashamed of our bodies, they are beautiful and an intrinsic part of who we are as individuals,” Missy says.

The idea for starting a burlesque show featuring SuicideGirls seemed a natural transition. After all, where else could you challenge the idea of what beauty is even further?

Whether that is the objective of the Blackheart Burlesque show featuring the SuicideGirls is a little less certain.

For Katherine Suicide, it’s not nearly as complex.

“It’s about having fun and entertaining the crowd,” she says.

Though the show is incredibly risqué, it seems tame compared to images proudly displayed on the SuicideGirls Web site.

With such revealing photography, much of the controversy that surrounds the site is whether or not the young women are being exploited for the benefit of the site’s creators.

After all, many of the females

featured are young and could be submitting sets out of a desire for attention rather than any artistic merit.

There is the strong possibility that what seems like a good idea at the time could be seen as a massive mistake in hindsight.

Missy insists that there is nothing to be ashamed of, though there is a process to try to prevent such regrets.

“We do occasionally get requests to remove pictures, but all of the sets go through a member review process where sets are up for 30 to 90 days … [which gives the model the] opportunity to gauge the reaction. If the set is not what they want, then after 90 days, if we haven’t purchased it, they can delete it. We make sure to make it clear to the girls that if their set is accepted they will be on the site forever,” says Missy.

“We want the girls to be 100 percent sure that they want to be a SuicideGirl and are proud of the photos that we select as ‘Set of the Day,’ as they will live on the Internet forever.”

ACROSS 1 “Drat!”

5 On the agenda 11 __-at-ease 14 Melville’s “Typee” sequel 15 Writer de Beauvoir 16 Mop & __: cleaning brand 17 *Fluffy carnival treat 19 Restroom, briefly 20 “Attack, Rover!”

21 Sworn __: given the oath of office for 22 First-class 23 *”West Side Story” film actress 26 Free of charge 30 “Tut!” kin 31 Puerto __ 32 Slanted print: Abbr.

36 Mark who created Tom Sawyer 40 *”You first,” facetiously

18

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

43 ‘70s-’80s Egyptian president Anwar 44 Mideast ruler 45 38-Down and others: Abbr.

46 “Proud Mary” band, for short 48 Has had enough 50 *Favorite in the classroom 56 Wartime honoree 57 Spanish painter Francisco 58 First Greek letter 63 Tax-collecting agcy.

64 Discussing the job with colleagues, and what the last words of the answers to starred clues seem to be doing 66 __ de Janeiro 67 Claim without proof 68 Floor square 69 Room for a TV 70 Ruined, with “up” 71 Go in snow

DOWN 1 Medical pros 2 Mine, to Marcel 3 Campus military org.

4 Promissory __ 5 Taxpayer ID 6 On the up and up 7 Appliance brand 8 Melodious 9 Breaks up with a lover 10 Susan of “The Partridge Family” 11 Domed Arctic home 12 Southwestern grassy plain 13 Thought the world of 18 Prefix with present 22 Singsongy “This is an uncomfortable moment” 24 “Yeah, right!”

25 Direction in which el sol rises 26 Mardi __ 27 Capital of Latvia 28 Scored 100 on 29 Cash crop for the southern American colonies 33 From head to __ 34 Elbow’s locale 35 Flower necklace 37 Car 38 Fla.-to-Cal. highway 39 Wall St. index 41 Engrave on glass, say 42 Soft cheese 47 Entertain lavishly 49 Guys-only party 50 Word with party or degree 51 Willies-inducing 52 Pyromaniac’s crime 53 Diner basketful 54 Comedian Wanda 55 Baseball Hall of Famer Satchel 59 D-Day transports 60 Talk show pioneer Donahue 61 Golfer’s target 62 Copied 64 Scottish hat 65 Beatty of film

NINERTIMES

UNC Charlotte students display what peace means to them

Students at the UNCC Peace, Love and Rocks event. Photo by Laura Manzare

LIZ LANIER A&E EDITOR

From messages as simple as “Amour” to as blunt as “Love an Asian,” the colorful rocks that make up the UNCC Peace, Love and Rocks display all come with the same good intentions: express what love and peace mean to you.

The mission of the organizers states, “Something as simple as a word of encouragement or a symbol of peace can ignite the flame to make a difference.”

Hundreds of UNC Charlotte students were given the chance to paint their definition out onto smooth rocks with acrylics in every

NINERONLINE.COM

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

shade at the Veterans’ Day event.

Whether a silly message or a serious one, all of the final were lined up to form a rock garden to symbolize the encouragement of peace outside the North entrance of J. Murrey Atkins.

Several students also took the time to write out full “Peace is…” statements for picture opportunities.

For a full slideshow of the UNCC Peace, Love and Rocks display, visit http://nineronline.com.

19

PACKING TIPS FOR EASY TRAVEL FIT MORE IN YOUR SUITCASE AND MAKE TRAVELING EASIER OVER THE HOLIDAYS AMANDA DUKE

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR Don’t wait to pack Even though Thanksgiving break is only a few days away, if you are traveling by plane back home, it is very important to pack two or so days before.

If you pack the night before, chances are, the outfit you want to wear on Thanksgiving is dirty and needs to be washed.

If you set out three or four outfits you want to take home, you can wash things if necessary.

Another great reason to start to get your things together before hand is because of all of the TSA rules.

You are going to want to go through your toiletries and beauty products to make sure they will be allowed through security.

If they are too big, you can be sure to go out and get smaller bottles or travel size products.

home after traveling all day just to find out that your shampoo opened and spilled all over the sweater you were going to wear the next day.

If you double bag your liquid products, your clothing will be safe.

Because of leaks, you may also not want to use your normal makeup bag.

Put everything that has a chance of leaking, even if the chance is small, into plastic snack bags.

This way everything gets to where you are going spill free.

Pack things in other things Since it is the season for boots, to save space in your bag, pack socks and underwear inside of your boots.

You can also pack jewelry, leggings or even some of your beauty products (double bagged of course).

This saves more room in your bag

then you think.

If you pack items in your shoes or boots, you will have some extra space to either pack more or use a smaller bag, which may help you save money if you do not have to check your bag while flying.

Last minute checks Before you leave, be sure to check your luggage for the necessities such as underwear, toothbrush and toothpaste or other last minute items.

Since you will be away for a few days, be sure to check your refrigerator for perishable items. You do not want to come home to rotting milk.

Make your bed and tidy up your room before you leave.

This way, you will not have to stress about it when you get back just in time for finals.

Roll your clothes This is very important if you are an over packer. You can fit more clothes into your suitcase if you roll your clothes instead of folding them.

This way of packing also reduces wrinkling clothes.

If you have more fragile items, you can roll them inside your clothes so they will be safe the whole ride home.

Rolling your clothes when packing T-shirts and pants is very efficient in saving space to bring more things with you, but don’t roll sweaters or heavier articles of clothing.

These will just take up more room than if you fold them like you normally would.

Double bag liquids Double bag your liquids. Always.

The worst thing is finally getting

20

TSA SAYS •

Liquids must be in a 3.4 ounce bottle or less

•

Place all 3.4 ounce bottles in a one quart plastic bag.

Only one one quart bag per passenger

•

Medications, baby formula and food and breast milk are allowed in reasonable quantities exceeding three ounces

•

Have your ID and boarding pass ready to go through security

•

Wear slip on shoes to make it easier to take them off and put them on during security check

•

If you have to think about whether or not you can carry on an object, just check it to be safe

•

Remove everything from your pockets and take off any jewelry you may have on

•

Take laptops, iPads and other electronics as well as their chargers out of your bag when going through the check point

•

Each time TSA searches a carry-on it slows down the line, so be sure to check and double check so you aren’t that person.

Pack jewelry, leggings or beauty products inside boots. Photo by Amanda Duke NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

NINERTIMES

IS EVERYONE HANGING OUT WITHOUT ME? (AND OTHER CONCERNS)

BY MINDY KALING MICHELLE LIRINGIS LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Mindy Kaling, known for playing the hilarious Kelly Kapoor from NBC’s “The Office,” has jumpstarted her career as an actress, producer and writer. In 2011, she further displayed her writing talents in the book “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns).”

Kaling gives readers a peek into her life. She guides us through her awkward teenage years, surprisingly normal college years and her struggles after college before she made it big on “The Office,” even revealing what it was like working with people like Steve Carell and Rainn Wilson.

Kaling has written a truthful page turner that will have readers cheering, laughing and even crying with her.

The book has numerous quotable passages. It is one of those novels that has readers wishing for a pen and paper to write down a bit of wisdom or a funny anecdote, but somehow being grateful you don’t because then you would have to put the book down.

Kaling has a clear, sincere voice throughout. It is almost as if she is having a conversation with you rather than writing to you.

As I was reading, I found

NINERONLINE.COM

myself responding to what she was saying, sometimes outloud.

Reading it is like hearing advice from a cool aunt or an older sister, not a celebrity you watch on television religiously every week.

I was surprised to discover how normal Kaling is. She did not make it big until quite a few years after college; up until then, she was struggling, babysitting and doing what she loved on the side.

It is comforting to see someone so successful struggle in ways that feel familiar.

She has actual life experience, which was refreshing to read. Oftentimes books written by celebrities address their growing up in show business, but not Kaling’s. She grew up just like the rest of us: awkwardly.

Some chapters are long stories, while others are brief essays or even lists.

In some chapters, Kaling can become a bit long-winded, but she usually balances it out through a shorter or more engaging next chapter.

Overall, I would give Kaling’s book 5/5 stars. It is the perfect holiday gift for any woman on your list looking for a fun, emotional autobiography.

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

21

Stuff yourself with these

Thanksgiving recipes Wow your family with all you have learned this semester by whipping up one of these delicious recipes for Thanksgiving dinner MICHELLE LIRINGIS LIFESTYLE EDITOR

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

PECAN PIE Finish off your Thanksgiving dinner with this delicious pie that is sure to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Ingredients: • 2 pie crusts • 1 1/2 cup light corn syrup • A pinch of salt • 5 tablespoons melted butter • 1 cup light brown sugar • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract • 4 beaten eggs • 3 cups pecan halves Instructions: • Preheat oven to 350 degrees • Mix corn syrup, brown sugar, salt and vanilla • Stir until brown sugar is dissolved then add beaten eggs • Place 1 1/2 cup of pecan halves in the bottom of the pie crust • Pour half of the filling mixture on top • Repeat in second pie crust • Bake 40 to 45 minutes • Cool before serving

22

This simple recipe only requires five ingredients.

Try different ingredients to garnish it such as toasted pumpkin seeds or almonds.

Ingredients: • One 2 1/2 pound butternut squash • 1/2 cup half and half • Pesto (for garnish) • 1 teaspoon cinnamon • One 14 ounce can of chicken broth

LOADED MASHED POTATOES Mix up the traditional holiday mashed potatoes by adding two favorite ingredients: bacon and cheese. These loaded mashed potatoes are sure to be a hit at dinner.

Ingredients: • One 1/2 pounds red skinned potatoes • One 8 ounce bag of sharp cheddar cheese • 1 package bacon • 2 tablespoons ranch dressing • 1/4 cup half and half • Garlic salt (to taste)

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

Instructions: • Preheat oven to 400 degrees • Cut squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon • Place fleshy side down on cookie sheet and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until softened • Scoop squash out of skin and into a blender or food processor • Add in the half and half, cinnamon, and chicken broth. Blend until smooth.

• Pour into pot and warm • When serving, add a scoop of pesto to the top as garnish

Instructions: • Preheat oven to 400 degrees • Boil potatoes for 20 to 25 minutes or until soft • Cook bacon until desired crispiness • Once potatoes are soft, mash them with a fork or a potato masher • Add in half and half, garlic salt and ranch dressing, stir • Stir in half the cheese and bacon • Once mixed, scrape mixture into small casserole dish. Top with the rest of bacon and cheese.

• Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and dish is heated through.

NINERTIMES

Add pesto to butternut squash soup for added flavor. Photo by Michelle Liringis

Mix up the normal mashed potatoes and gravy by making loaded mashed potatoes.

Photo by Michelle Liringis

Pecan pie is a festive way to satisfy your sweet tooth. Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

NINERONLINE.COM

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

23

24

NOV. 19 - DEC. 2, 2013

NINERTIMES