TCB Jan. 28, 2021 — Invasion of the Ghost Kitchen by Triad City Beat

Greensboro / Winston-Salem / High Point Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021 triad-city-beat.com

FREE

Invasion of the

GHOST

KITCHEN

It’s not aboutBYthe food. NIKKI MILLER-KA • PAGE 11 UNCG prof resigns PAGE 8

Hacking the market PAGE 2

GSO protects hair PAGE 9

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

EDITOR’S NOTEBOOK

Hacking the stock market 625 North Trade ST. Winston-Salem NC, 27101

y homefrom the rise of the digital economy — and town on everything to do with the power of the Long smartphone masses. Island is Insiders had been shorting Game Stop infamous for many stock, which is a way to make money when things: New York’s a company does poorly and often drives first planned comdown its value even further. But before munity, one of the they could cash in their shorts, a massive by Brian Clarey last American golf group of rogue, thousands of independent clubs that does not allow women on the investors united by a subreddit, r/wallgrounds, the birthplace of Susan Lucci. streetbets, started buying GME in small Mostly, though, we’re known for sending batches on their smartphone apps, pushing Garden City High School grads to top-tier its price into the stratosphere and causing lacrosse schools, and housing a dense cash hemorrhages among the short-sellers, population of Wall Street players. Often who operate on a buy-now/pay-later these are the same people. model. So, most of us who grew up there know And because the short-sellers now must that the stock market is pay for the stock at the an insider’s game; that new, much higher cost, institutional money is what it will drive the shares up The Game Stop moves the numbers; that even further. most pension-fund managThe investment banks, short-sellers ers will go with whomever the financial press, the big have lost $6 supplies the most strippers players are freaking out and cocaine on their annual over this. For one, it erodes billion so far jaunts to New York City; their power, already diminthat small, independent ishing as investors turn to this year. investors, by and large, prodigital solutions over “finanvide the funds for big-bank cial advisors.” For another, extravagances with their it shows how easy it is to losses and fees. rig the system they’ve spent their careers It’s a casino, built on a false promise with protecting. Once again, the emperor has the money of suckers. Or at least it used no clothes. to be. The Redditors may cash out today, Over the last two weeks an internetrealizing about 150 percent growth in their powered movement drove Game Stop investments over just a couple weeks. Or (GME) stock from $19.95 per share to as maybe they’ll hold on, bleeding the shorthigh as $350 over Wednesday morning. sellers for another week or so. The Game This has nothing to do with the store — a Stop short-sellers have lost $6 billion so far brick-and-mortar that buys and sells video this year. games and is by all measures suffering And the game itself has just begun.

BUSINESS PUBLISHER/EXECUTIVE EDITOR Brian Clarey brian@triad-city-beat.com

PUBLISHER EMERITUS Allen Broach allen@triad-city-beat.com

ART DIRECTOR Robert Paquette

EDITORIAL SENIOR EDITOR Jordan Green

SALES

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Sayaka Matsuoka

CONTRIBUTORS

jordan@triad-city-beat.com

sayaka@triad-city-beat.com

336.893.8118

www.cheesecakesbyalex.com

1451 S. Elm-Eugene St. Box 24, Greensboro, NC 27406 Office: 336.256.9320 COVER: SPECIAL SECTION EDITOR Nikki Miller-Ka When dealing with ghost niksnacksblog@gmail.com kitchens, the food is not the point. [Illustration by Robert Paquette] ART robert@triad-city-beat.com

KEY ACCOUNTS Drew Dix

drew@triad-city-beat.com Michaela Ratliff, Carolyn de Berry, Matt Jones

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

CITY LIFE Jan. 28-Feb. 2 by Michaela Ratliff

THURSDAY Jan. 28

News

Up Front

Cocktails for a Cause @ Vintage Sofa Bar (W-S) 5 p.m.

Plant-Based Pop-Up @ Hempress Farms (W-S) 12 p.m.

Pride WS is hosting cocktails for a cause. Small plates and drink specials will be available for your enjoyment.

Opinion

Digital Rally for Marcus Deon Smith @ Zoom (Online) 7 p.m. The Greensboro Justice Coalition is hosting an informative rally calling for restitution to the family of Smith, whose death was ruled a homicide. To join, visit TinyUrl/MDSBirthday.

FRIDAY Jan. 29

Bernie’s Mittens Beer Release @ SouthEnd Brewing Co. (GSO) 2 p.m.

Stop by Hempress Farms for a pop-up event of your favorite plant-based, all-natural and cruelty-free products like food, fashion and jewelry by local retailers and small businesses. Community Garden Workday @ 1500 East Ave. (HP) 1 p.m. Growing High Point is in need of volunteers to help move mulch at the garden. Lend a helping hand in keeping the garden beautiful.

MONDAY Feb. 1

Book Talk @ Zoom (Online) 12 p.m. The Schott Foundation for Public Education and Bennett College are hosting a book discussion with Jennifer R. Farmer, author of First and Only: A Black Woman’s Guide to Thriving at Work and in Life.” View the digital version at this link.

TUESDAY Feb. 2

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

Virtual Groundhog Day @ NC Museum of Natural Sciences (Online) 12 p.m. Wait in anticipation to see if Sir Walter Wally sees his shadow. If he does, we’ll have six more weeks of winter. Museum educators will present Groundhog Day facts and an original rendition of the Groundhog Day song. Visit NaturalSciences.org to view.

Join SouthEnd for the release of Bernie’s Mittens, a white India pale ale. All proceeds from the beer sold will be donated to Out of the Garden Project.

SATURDAY Jan. 30

Beginners Series @ Willow Wellness Center (HP) 11:30 a.m. Willow Wellness Center is offering both in-house and virtual yoga sessions, perfect for beginners. In-house sessions are limited to six people. To register, visit Vagaro.com/WillowHighPoint/Classes. Making Music for Marcus @ 417 Arlington St. (GSO) 1:30 p.m. Beloved Community Center invites you to bring music-makers, flowers and birthday cards for a parade to celebrate the birthday of Marcus Smith, who was killed by GPD in 2018. Line up begins at 12:30.

SUNDAY Jan. 31

Owl Painting @ Painting with a Twist (W-S) 12 p.m. Paint the parent owl and its baby individually, or reserve two seats and paint the set together with your family. For more info, visit the event page on PaintingWithATwist.com.

(As of Wednesday, Jan. 27, compared to last week)

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

Coronavirus in the Triad:

Documented COVID-19 diagnoses 733,010 (+42,089)

Forsyth

26,992 (+1,519)

Guilford County

31,010 (+2,912)

News

COVID-19 deaths

Up Front

8,915 (+715)

Forsyth

276 (+21)

Guilford

355 (+10)

635,543 (+55,970)

Forsyth

20,885 (as of 1/16)

Guilford

25,546 (+2,900)

Culture

Opinion

Documented recoveries

Current cases 88,552 (-14,587)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

5,109 (+2)

Shot in the Triad

Hospitalizations (right now) 3,305 (-435)

Forsyth

*no data*

Guilford

201 (-52)

Puzzles

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

NEWS

UNCG theater professor resigns following accounts of abuse by alumni by Jordan Green Trigger warning: This story includes a graphic description of sexual contact and references to genitalia.

n associate professor at the UNCG School of Theatre has abruptly resigned amid accusations of abuse and other improper conduct by former students. Denise Gabriel has taught as a tenured professor at UNCG since 2009, specializing in teaching movement. Prior to joining the faculty there, the 68-year-old Gabriel served as resident movement director at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival. As a movement director, Gabriel has more than 50 production credits, both nationally and internationally, including in China, Austria and South Africa, along with San Diego, Calif. and Cincinnati according to her CV. Several former students brought concerns about abuse, ranging from inappropriate physical contact with students to bullying and racism, to the university in August. The university received Title IX complaints against Gabriel as well as witness statements. Although the university declined to provide a specific reason for Gabriel’s departure, two former students told Triad City Beat they are certain it was the result of an internal investigation by the university. In an email to students and faculty on Wednesday, UNCG School of Theatre Director Natalie Sowell said Gabriel had “tendered her resignation and will be retiring effective January 31.” Sowell indicated a substitute instructor has been lined up to teach Gabriel’s courses for the spring 2021 semester. “If you are one of Denise’s advisees, we are working to switch you to another advisor ASAP,” Sowell wrote. “A search for a professor of acting specializing in movement will be conducted this semester.” The email concluded: “Professor Gabriel’s 10+ years with the School of Theatre have benefited a great many students and the school as a whole. She will be missed.” UNCG did not address a question from TCB about whether Gabriel will receive retirement benefits, responding by email that “we cannot comment on specifics related to personnel issues.” Gabriel’s departure from UNCG follows the resignation of playwright

Preston Lane and Denise Gabriel, both once connected with the UNCG School of Theatre, have been disassociated with the school after allegations of sexual misconduct.

and director Preston Lane as producing is really because it goes from an intellecartistic director from Triad Stage. The tual thing into a really deeply felt, lived UNCG School of Theatre and Triad thing in the body.” Stage enjoyed a longstanding relationGabriel described her philosophy of ship, with the theater school funneling teaching movement and the discipline of talent to Triad Stage, and Lane holding “body work” in the video, which shows a position as a teaching adjunct instrucher seated on a porch swing with Lane. tor at UNCG. Gabriel has also served on “Embodiment [has] so much to do a contractual basis as a movement coach with empathy and care, and feeling in at Triad Stage, most recently in early the other,” Gabriel said. “It led me to 2020, according to board a definition of embodichair Deborah Hayes. ment. People say, ‘Oh, Lane announced his means you’re in your ‘I was taken aback. that resignation from Triad body.’ And it was much State in November, folmore than that. It was I couldn’t believe lowing a board investigasensation versus cognithat my teacher tion into allegations of tion…. It was, there are sexual abuse. Through his was asking me to always temporal shifts lawyer, Lane has denied go on in breathing, in do something like that “any and all allegations living.” of sexual abuse.” At the Gabriel’s focus on this.’ time, UNCG confirmed it teaching students to get — Claudia Stein would no longer employ in touch with their bodies Lane as an adjunct. to deliver more authentic Describing Gabriel’s role as a movetheatrical performances — and what ment director on a video posted on Triformer students described as blurring ad Stage’s Facebook page in June 2020, the lines between the professional and Lane said: “I tell people all the time that personal — is at the heart of the most Denise is like this miracle worker who serious allegation of misconduct that has gives you an extra week of rehearsal…. been made public. That extra week that we get from Denise Claudia H. Stein, who graduated with

SCREENSHOT

a bachelor of fine arts from UNCG in 2017, took several classes with Gabriel and worked under her as an assistant choreographer for the 2015 production of Cabaret. In a written statement provided to Triad City Beat, Stein said that as a young acting student trying to find her footing, she accepted an evening dinner invitation from Gabriel during her sophomore year in the fall of 2014 semester. After the dinner at Thai Garden on Tate Street, Stein said Gabriel drove her home, and then just before they reached her apartment, Stein said Gabriel abruptly invited her to her home. In hindsight, Stein said, she didn’t know why she agreed to go to Gabriel’s home, although because of Gabriel’s forceful personality, she felt she had no choice. “Once at Gabriel’s apartment, she told me we could do some ‘body work,’” Stein recalled. “I didn’t really understand what this meant, and she didn’t exactly explain what it would entail. My relationship with Gabriel was extremely centered around the fact that I am a dancer and how she wanted me to unlearn everything I knew about my dancing training to be a more successful

cont. on pg. 8

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021 Up Front

News

Opinion

Culture

Shot in the Triad

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

Opinion

News

Up Front

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

‘UNCG’ cont. from pg. 6

actor.” Stein described how Gabriel would come up to her in Movement classes “and tell me how tight I was in my chest, and then proceed to vigorously tap at my chest, shoulders and armpit areas to ‘free me up.’” Stein assumed that the after-hours encounter at Gabriel’s home would be like instructional time in class. That proved to not be the case. “She instructed me to shower in her bathroom attached to her bedroom,” Stein recalled. “She said to take as much time as I wanted and when I was finished, to come out in whatever level of dress I felt comfortable in and lay on her massage table. I was taken aback. I couldn’t believe that my teacher was asking me to do something like this. But for whatever reason, I felt compelled to say yes and proceeded with this request. I showered, all the while panicking about what was to come, and emerged from the bathroom in my bra, underwear, and a towel. I slipped under the blanket on the massage table as inconspicuously as possible and laid face down.” What took place next, Stein said, made her feel violated and — completely counter to the purported purpose of the exercise — disembodied. “Gabriel then proceeded to perform a full body massage on me with various creams and oils,” Stein wrote. “She touched every inch of my body, moaning at points while doing so. While there was never any penetration, I did feel extremely uncomfortable and violated. But a small voice in my head just kept telling me to lay quiet and wait for it to be over. Though Gabriel said during the massage that this ‘body work’ was supposed to make me feel more connected to my body, I have never felt more disconnected from myself.” During the massage, Stein said Gabriel “encouraged me to express how I was feeling, through words, moaning, or grunts,” that Gabriel “continued to moan and increased her intensity and volume” as if to encourage Stein.” Gabriel “explained to me that freeing up the body in this way is the only way to access deep emotions that will give me the tools to use in my acting,” Stein wrote. But the encounter had exactly the opposite effect. “I had no emotions during this experience other than fear, anxiety and panic,” Stein wrote. “I also distinctly remember the feeling that I would get caught and kicked out of the BFA program if I told

anyone about what Gabriel and I did from UNCG with a bachelor of fine arts during our ‘body work.’” in 2013, said he gravitated towards GaStein would go on to work under Gabriel in his sophomore and junior years briel as assistant choreographer for the after other faculty members made him Cabaret production the following semester doubt his acting abilities. He would later and continued to take movement classes come to understand that his insecurity from her. But she said she declined made him vulnerable to exploitation. continued invitations to dinner or for Working with Gabriel, Prevatte received “body work sessions.” Eventually, Stein a university grant to travel to Mexico said she found a way to distance herself to write a play about a woman there from Gabriel by focusing on her musical who used sensory awareness to deal theater classes. with physical traumas. Since the grant “Denise Gabriel physically violated money wasn’t immediately available, me without my consent, and constantly Prevatte loaned himself the money up humiliated and bullied me and other front and then reimbursed himself from individuals during our required classes the university on monthly installments. as part of the BFA acting program at Although the grant was under contract UNCG,” Stein wrote. with UNCG, Gabriel held some sway as In addition to the incident at Gabriel’s his mentor on the project. home, Stein said Gabriel’s conduct dur“Knowing that information, she would ing instructional time also crossed the hold that over me to do menial tasks,” line on some occasions. Prevatte told TCB. “I didn’t say no to “We were in rehearsal and choreothem. She made me feel that, The only graphing the numbers,” Stein told TCB, way I can keep you on this grant is to do tasks recalling the Cabaret production. “Denise for me. Legally speaking, that’s bullshit said, ‘Separate the lips of your vagina. [because] UNCG signed a contract. It’s Get into your pelvic region.’ ‘Lips of a research assistantship. She is a menvagina’ — I don’t think tor in that agreement. It that language is ever was a mental thing. It was necessary. That kind of all mental manipulation. talk can be effective when She couldn’t stop it unless ‘It is bigger than done properly. When it’s she told the university I called out from the side, wasn’t doing the work. UNCG and Denise like ‘point your toes,’ the She told me: ‘You’re not Gabriel. There’s way she said it was so a good actor, maybe a nonchalant.” playwright.’ ‘No, you’re a reckoning in An account provided not a good playwright, theater across the so you’re going to have by another student who worked under Gabriel as to do something else to country.’ an assistant portrays the remain relevant.’ I swept — Cameron Prevatte professor as a harsh task her floors. I watered her master and someone who plants. I did other work exhibited racial hostility. for her to help her get Kamilah Bush recalled customers to do sensory in a written statement provided to TCB awareness work. It was like I was doing that she accompanied Gabriel as an asher marketing for her.” sistant on a class trip to a theater festival Gabriel did not respond to an email in the summer of 2016, when they got message sent to her UNCG account, and news about the police killings of Phia voicemail message left at her campus lando Castile and Alton Sterling. phone number went unreturned. “Me and the other Black girls were Stein said she and about six other surtrying to comfort and uplift each other,” vivors met on a Zoom call with UNCG Bush recalled. “There was a day when Title IX Director Murphey Chappell to we were supposed to be doing some discuss their experiences with Gabriel. mindfulness exercises, and I tried to exThe theater school director and vice cuse myself because of how hurt I was, provost also joined the call, Stein said. and Denise told me to ‘suck it up’ and Prevatte said he felt relief when he that if I didn’t participate, no one would learned about Gabriel’s resignation want to participate because ‘I had too earlier this week, but he said it’s only a much influence over the Black girls.’” small step in addressing the larger issue When they returned to Greensboro, of abuse of power and toxic climate in Bush said Gabriel told her she “hated the theater community. the person I became around other Black “It is bigger than UNCG and Denise girls.” Gabriel,” Prevatte said. “There’s a reckCameron Prevatte, who graduated oning in theater across the country and

the world, honestly. “She was there for 10 years, and that’s a failure, but also I think there hasn’t been great avenues for telling people about trauma,” Prevatte continued. “If anything would be good, I think people should continue to come forward not just about Denise but about anything that they’ve experienced in the [UNCG] School of Theatre.” UNCG said in a statement provided to TCB that the university “takes very seriously our mission to provide an equitable, inclusive and accessible learning and working environment for all of our students and employees.” The university said it is “making the culture and climate a top priority” for new leaders, specifically College of Visual and Performing Arts Dean Bruce McClung and School of Theatre Director Natalie Sowell. “Addressing issues of culture and climate in a way that truly generates change takes time, commitment and courage, whether the process is reactive and proactive,” the university said. “We first and foremost listen to our students and alumni, and actively work with them when issues arise. The School of Theatre, among others, has undertaken this work with the full support of the university behind it.” The statement issued by UNCG on Friday included a sentence that was identical to a previous statement in response to revelations about alleged misconduct by Preston Lane last November: “We will not tolerate behaviors that create a hostile environment for our students, are predatory, or limit students’ opportunity to learn and grow.” Claudia Stein said she felt a weight lift from her shoulders after learning about Gabriel’s resignation. “My initial feeling was, yes, there’s a sense of relief that, yes, she’s gone, and that was at least my sort of overall goal,” Stein said. “To get her out….” She took a long pause to collect her emotions, before continuing: “… So that she won’t be able to cause further abuse and have access to young, vulnerable, highly impressionable students. And, you know, while she hurt me in a way that I can only process and heal myself — I can’t change the past, but I can do everything in my power to change the future and make sure that it won’t happen to anyone else. And based on what [the Title IX director] shared with me, as far as moving forward, post-investigation, it feels like there is a sense of change and a sense of fixing what has been wrong and healing the department as a whole, which feels really good.

Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

Jan. 19 Greensboro city council meeting included a debate about whether or not to enact penalties for businesses that violate the new ordinance. After a lengthy debate between at-large member Michelle Kennedy and District 3 member Justin Outling, council added amendments to the ordinance including a $500 fine for each violation. “We need to focus on substance over the symbolism,” Outling told Triad City Beat on Tuesday. “This proposal was almost entirely symbolic and Adrienne Spinner says she’s been told by COURTESY PHOTO didn’t involve any both Black and white people that her hair penalties, didn’t involve could be “more polished.” any consequences until the amendments were based on race or national origin in made.” “places of public accommodation,” How the city will determine whether which includes businesses, entertaina business has violated the ordinance ment, recreation, refreshment and transremains to be seen, Outling said. portation facilities whose goods, services City Attorney Chuck Watts said and facilities are made available to the the penalty will take effect on July 1, public. If a similar ordinance is passed in giving staff time to provide options for Winston-Salem, it likely would prohibit enforcement. Outling said council will businesses like the Warehouse on Ivy likely discuss some of the finer points of from rejecting LGBTQ+ customers in enforcement on Feb. 16. the future. Jennifer Ruppe, the executive direcA June 2020 survey by the Center tor at the Guilford Green Foundation for American Progress found that more and the LGBTQ Center in Greensboro, than 1 in 3 LGBTQ+ Americans faced praised the new ordinance. discrimination of some kind in the “The passage… provides dignity past year, including more than 3 in 5 and respect to historically marginalized transgender Americans. The survey people in Greensboro,” she said in an also found that 15 percent of LGemail. “These protections are an imporBTQ+ Americans reported postponing tant step towards full equality and will or avoiding medical treatment due to have an immediate impact on the daily discrimination. For transgender individulives of LGBTQ people.” als the rate was higher, at three in 10 In neighboring Winston-Salem, City individuals. Manager Lee Garrity said in an email Ruppe noted that she supports a that a non-discrimination ordinance will penalty to “ensure that there is some be on the agenda for a general governaccountability and that the ordinance is ment city council committee meeting on more than just a piece of paper.” Feb. 9. The city recently made national Spinner said she’s also happy to see it. news after an LGBTQ+ couple reached “I think that in order to really affect out to the Warehouse on Ivy, a local people the biggest way to do it is to hit wedding venue, about hosting their certhem in the pockets,” she said. “I’m not emony there and was rejected because one to say send them to jail but I think of their sexual orientation. Greensboro’s that’s a good place to start — is a nice, new policy protects LGBTQ+ individuhefty fine.” als and as well as those with hairstyles

News

boro and Durham’s policy also include protections for different hairstyles. Greensboro’s ordinance is a reflection of the CROWN Act, a California law that prohibits discrimination based on hair style and texture that was passed in July 2019. According to the CROWN Act website, Durham and Greensboro remain the only two municipalities in the state with such protections. “I’ve experienced microaggressions about my hair since I started working,” said Spinner, a Black woman and community organizer in Greensboro. “It’s always been a thing.” Spinner said that while she has never been outright denied service or been told she couldn’t get a job because of her hair, she has been told by both Black and white people that her hair could “look more polished.” The comments came after she began wearing her hair in more natural styles starting in 2014 when she stopped chemically straightening her hair. “It was like, ‘Don’t you want a cleaner look?’ or ‘How often do you wash your hair?’ Just very personal, inappropriate questions,” Spinner said. Spinner said she’s glad to see that Greensboro made the move to include protections for hair in the updated ordinance. “I think Greensboro is the queen of empty gestures but no actual action,” she said. “I’m surprised they followed through.” A 2020 Duke University study found that Black women with natural hairstyles were perceived as less professional and were less likely to be recommended for job interviews than their white counterparts. The study also found that even among Black women, the same biases existed — participants rated those with natural hairstyles as less professional, compared with those who had straightened hair. Spinner said the findings aren’t all that surprising, given her personal experience. “A lot of flack I’ve gotten for my hair has come from my own family and Black people of older generations who are used to adhering to a Eurocentric style of beauty,” Spinner said. “I don’t want to see anybody having to deal with that. When it comes to your job, that should not be a hindrance for you moving up or being chosen over somebody else.” Part of the conversation during the

Up Front

reensboro’s Adrienne Spinner said that she’s excited that the city recently passed an ordinance banning discrimination against individuals for hairstyles based on race or national origin. “It’s definitely a longtime coming for cities in general to include hairstyles as part of their non-discrimination ordinances,” Spinner said in an interview on Tuesday. On Jan. 19, Greensboro city council members unanimously passed an updated non-discrimination policy that protects LGBTQ+ individuals and prohibits discrimination based on hairstyle. The move is part of a wave of municipalities in the state which are enacting similar ordinances after a statewide ban on such local protections expired in December. “We want everybody in our community to be protected,” said Mayor Nancy Vaughan after the Jan. 19 vote. “We want Greensboro to truly be a welcoming place.” Earlier this month, municipalities in the Triangle, including Durham, Carrboro, Hillsborough and Chapel Hill, also passed similar non-discrimination policies. Mecklenburg County commissioners expressed their intention to craft a similar policy during their Feb. 2 meeting, according to a news report by the Charlotte Observer. The sunsetting of the controversial Session Law 2017-4, previously known as House Bill 142, in December allowed cities and counties to once again pass protections for marginalized groups of people including the LGBTQ+ community. The law, which replaced House Bill 2 — otherwise known as the antitransgender “Bathroom Bill” — placed a statewide moratorium on the passing of nondiscrimination ordinances by municipalities. Greensboro’s new policy reinstates language from its 2015 policy, including protections from discrimination by businesses and in workplaces because of “sexual orientation, gender expression or gender identity.” The ordinance was expanded to include protections against discrimination based on “hair texture and hairstyles that are commonly associated with race or national origin.” While the recently passed policies in multiple cities have received recognition for their protections of those in the LGBTQ+ community, both Greens-

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

Greensboro’s new policy protects hairstyles based on race in addition to LGBTQ+ individuals from discrimination by Sayaka Matsuoka

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021 Up Front News Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

OPINION EDITORIAL

The pretenders: Bad faith in North Carolina

ast week we called for the resignation of Anita Sharpe, a Guilford County School Board member who shared dangerous — and provably false — conspiracy theories on her social media channels. Now we’re coming for those in North Carolina who, despite an astonishing lack of evidence and an honest-to-god insurrection, are still clinging to the Big Lie: that Trump won the 2020 election, and everything that happened after was not his fault. Even after they fled from violent reactionaries, seven House members from North Carolina still voted to support objections to the electoral vote. Each must resign to retain even the smallest shred of their integrity. Two are from our area. Rep. Ted Budd’s new 13th Congressional District covers Davidson and Randolph counties,. He may have thought his rural base would appreciate the aid and comfort he gave to our domestic enemies, and maybe they did. But Budd attempted to nullify votes from Pennsylvania and Arizona that he knew to be legally cast, interfering with the electoral process in a manner intended to subvert democracy. This is also known as treason. Rep. Virginia Foxx has relied on knee-jerk conservatism since 2004 when she began serving in the foothills to the west of Winston-Salem, now in District 5. She fit right in with the Trump crowd, and signed on to the Texas lawsuit seeking to overturn Pennsylvania’s electoral results in December. She continued her endorsement of the Big Lie even after insurrectionists

stormed the halls of the Capitol by upholding an objection to Pennsylvania’s electors. With such a cavalier attitude towards the US Constitution, she cannot be trusted with the reins of power. Add to the list reps Dan Bishop, Richard Hudson, Gregory Murphy and David Rouzer, all of whom voted to nullify the will of the people of Pennsylvania on Jan. 6. They must resign. And then there’s Rep. Madison Cawthorn, whose mendacity has been on full display since the first days of his campaign when he paid a visit to Adolf Hitler’s vacation home. Since then, we have learned that he lied about his acceptance to the US Naval Academy, and also his status as a Paralympic athlete — both false. We know, though, that he voted to overturn Americans’ legal votes on Jan. 6. He must also resign. Yes, they all must go. Their crimes against the Constitution are out there for anyone with a calendar and an internet connection to see. But what they are most guilty of is acting in bad faith: espousing views they know to be false for personal and political gain, deliberately misunderstanding the rules of the game, ignoring factual information that cracks their lies wide open. And they’ve gotten away with it for too long. After violent insurrectionists stormed our capitol to disrupt the electoral process, to kidnap and “try” members of Congress and the Senate, to smear literal shit on the walls and to kill Mike Pence, everything changed. The Big Lie is over. And so is everyone who helped perpetuate it.

Their crimes against the Constitution are out there for anyone with a calendar and an internet connection to see.

Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

MrBeast is a YouTuber known for his extravagant, over-the-top stunt videos with titles like “I Put 1,000,000 Christmas Lights on a House,” and “I Uber’d People and Let Them Keep The Car” along with massive cash giveaways, often with a charity angle. With an impressive following of more than 50 million subscribers, MrBeast, aka 22-year-old Jimmy Donaldson, has a built-in audience primed for any publicity stunt he can put together. And Beast Burger is his latest scheme. In late December, the Greenville native opened 300 virtual or “ghost kitchens” in existing restaurant spaces across the United States. Ghost kitchens refer to when a restaurant leases a commercial kitchen for delivery-only products. Other similar concepts include dark kitchens which are commercial facilities built to produce food specifically for delivery and virtual restaurants or cloud kitchens which exist exclusively in the cloud and thus have no physical storefront, food truck or pick-up location. Some chain restaurants partner with ghost kitchen start-up companies which provide training, recipes and a national supply chain for consistency of product. Each concept includes branded packaging, marketing and social me-

Opinion

NIKKI MILLER-KA

News

MrBeast Burger supplies branding; ghost kitchen takes care of the rest.

dia support so existing restaurants only have to focus on food production. MrBeast Burger has no physical address, no dining room, parking lot or any other trappings of a brick-and-mortar restaurant. Menu items are available for delivery only, accessed solely through third-party delivery apps such as Doordash, Uber Eats, Grubhub or a specially branded MrBeast app. According to its website, MrBeast Burger “is available for restaurants to prepare out of their existing kitchens as a way to generate a new revenue stream — the menu is accessed only via apps, and it is delivered directly to your door. MrBeast is one of many celebrities who have jumped on the virtual kitchen bandwagon. Mario Lopez of Saved By The Bell NIKKI MILLER-KA MrBeast’s Beast Burger is a beast alright, but fame, rapper Tyga and chanteuse Mariah perhaps not in the way it was intended. Carey all have virtual culinary concepts in different markets across the country. All The presentation of everything was close enough have partnered with an Orlando-based company aptly to resemble what was advertised on the app, but far named Virtual Dining Concepts. enough away to question how I was sucked into the The closest operational MrBeast Burger virtual hype. The burger was palatable, although stone cold by kitchen location in the Triad is in Greensboro. The the time it reached my car’s dashboard. The thick-sliced physical address listed on each app is the same address pickles were the best part of the double-patty sandfor Bravo! Italian Kitchen in Friendly Shopping Center. wich. The entire thing reminded me of a homemade Big The menu consists of burgers named after MrBeast’s Mac, with no seasoning and no shredded lettuce getting friends who appear in his videos — Karl, Chandler and in the way of each bite. The only thing hot about the Chris: chicken tender sandwiches, a grilled cheese on Nashville hot chicken sandwich was the lukewarm an inverted hamburger bun, seasoned French fries and temperature of the foil-wrapped parcel. The seasoning MrBeast Burger branded merchandise. The offerings are seemed to be forgotten but upon closer look, the top as flamboyant as the producer’s videos. of the bun had a faint impression of orange grease that Since I don’t live in Greensboro or anywhere near could have been hot sauce in a past life. The Beast-style Guilford County, I came up with a jerry-rigged plan to fries weren’t half bad and did arrive as advertised with accept delivery of my MrBeast meal: put in the address the exception of the caramelized onions, which were as of the Triad’s largest farmer’s market as a safe, well-lit pale and as raw as when they were diced in the kitchen. place close enough to Greensboro that it wouldn’t take Would I order this or any other food item from too long to drive to, and deceptive enough to fool any MrBeast again? Absolutely not. Would I encourage othdelivery service. The tactic reminds me of when I used ers? Absolutely. It was an exercise in combining virtual to put my across-the-street neighbor’s address into reality with tangible items and a real-world experience. the Pizza Hut app to get delivery when my street was The experience of obtaining limited edition items and one centimeter outside of the local delivery radius on a connecting with the MrBeast brand were the most map. important parts. I got the same rush as when I attend a Ordering on the app was easy. Delivery was to take one-night only beer or wine dinner at a local restaurant. 60 minutes, more than enough time to trek across the Ghost kitchens are a great concept for restaurateurs county line from Forsyth. I ordered the popular Beastto sell food to customers in order to keep the doors style burger combo that is supposed come with two open without the fun part of having to drum up cussmashed, crispy beef patties with house seasoning, tomers. It may be less personal, but capitalism is king. American cheese, pickles, diced white onion, mayonAs for the end-user product, there leaves much to be naise, ketchup and brown mustard on a soft roll. Sides desired. Online reviews across all of the delivery apps include seasoned and unseasoned fries or an upgrade are mixed with one-star evaluations complaining about to Beast-style fries which echo West Coast chain In-Ncold food, inaccurate orders and long wait times to five Out’s animal-style fries and come with caramelized onstars boasting that the food was “great!”. If something ions, slices of American cheese, pickles, mayo, ketchup goes wrong, diners have to sort out the issue through and brown mustard. The seasoning on the fries is a the delivery app and hope for the best. While the blend of salt, garlic, spicy red pepper, sugar and lime. marketing concept is genius, we shall have to see if the The Nashville hot-chicken tender sandwich comes with faceless ghost kitchen solidifies. mayo, ketchup, shredded lettuce and pickles.

Up Front

t’s 4 p.m. and the sun is already setting. I’m sitting in my car, like a TV cop during a stakeout, at the main entrance of the Piedmont Farmers Market in Colfax. I’m waiting on a black Ford Flex with Luis behind the wheel. After waiting by Nikki Miller-Ka over an hour, the man finally arrives. I jump out of the car and accept delivery of a large brown paper bag festooned with a “MrBeast” branded sticker. After a silent, masked greeting, Luis ambles away and I re-enter the warmth of my car to unpack my MrBeast feast. The melting font of brand’s logo echoes the feelings in my heart as I unwrap each item. I begin to immediately regret my decision. In my neverending search to experience every food trend I can, I’ve learned that not all that is on Twitter is bold.

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

Nik Snacks It’s not about the food: MrBeast fails to live up to the hype

Triad arts and sports organizers weigh in-person and virtual events this year by Sayaka Matsuoka

Opinion

News

Up Front

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

CULTURE

The Steven Tanger Center for the Pertforming Arts in downtown Greensboro, scheduled to open in March 2020, has postponed its entire 250-show schedule and hopes to begin hosting concerts and Boradway shows in October 2021.

Puzzles

Shot in the Triad

Culture

s the pandemic rages on, local arts organitions and events centers are cautiously optimistic about hosting large-scale events this year. While some have decided to stay safe with allvirtual renditions, other entities will have to wait and see how the vaccine works to curb the epidemic. “It’s very different without operating at full capacity,” said Matt Brown, the managing director of the Greensboro Coliseum Complex during a Jan. 19 Greensboro City Council work session presentation. “It’s not practical to have any live entertainment.” The Coliseum Complex, which includes the Greensboro Coliseum, the Greensboro Aquatic Center and the Tanger Center, operated at a $7.5 million revenue loss last year due to the pandemic, with a total of about 1,000 events that were affected. The revenue loss does not include the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem which the Coliseum Complex books events for but is owned by Wake Forest University. Because of the revenue loss, Brown said that it just doesn’t make sense to open the Tanger Center at half capacity. “We need to operate at full capacity to make it worthwhile financially,” he said. Originally, the Tanger Center, downtown Greensboro’s new state-of-the-art performing arts center, was scheduled to open in March 2020. After the pandemic hit, the center had to cancel or reschedule 250 events, including a slate of Broadway shows. At this point, Brown said he’s hopeful that they’ll be able to kick off their Broadway performances sometime in October. “We couldn’t be more appreciative of our season-

ticket fanbase who remains 99 percent retention of our over 16,000 season tickets,” Brown said during the presentation. “That’s a remarkable national number, and it speaks to the success when we do open of how well our first season will be, and I can attest to you that our second season of Broadway will be even more phenomenal.” On the coliseum side, Brown said that “Greensboro will remain Tournament Town come February and March,” hosting both ACC and NCAA events. According to a schedule from Brown’s presentation, the Coliseum Complex is set to host eight ACC and NCAA events this year starting on Feb. 17 with the ACC Women’s Swimming and Diving Championships. The ACC women’s and men’s basketball tournaments also return to the city after being relocated from Washington DC, where it was originally scheduled to be played this year. The women’s event takes place March 3-7 while the men’s tournament will take place a few days later, March 9-13. And while fans may rejoice at a sense of normalcy returning to the city, Brown clarified during the presentation that only friends and members of the teams’ families will be allowed inside the stadium to watch. Tickets will not be sold to the general public for these events, so fans will have to watch from home. Brown also added that the city is available to host any in-season ACC conference men’s games if events elsewhere in the country get canceled due to the pandemic. “Greensboro stands ready, willing and available,” Brown said. “I’m optimistic and hopeful that they may have to come knocking on our door before the end of

COURTESY PHOTO

the season.” As far as concerts go, Brown noted that all of the live shows scheduled for this year have either been rescheduled or canceled. These include tour stops from Justin Bieber and Janet Jackson, and a Jim Gaffigan comedy show. For rescheduled shows, the city will have to see whether larger gatherings will be allowed based on COVID-19 cases. In the meantime, Brown said they are making improvements to facilities and installed new air-filtration systems at the aquatic center and the Tanger Center. Learn more about Greensboro Coliseum Complex events on their website at greensborocoliseum.com.

Greensboro Bound book festival remains virtual while Bookmarks plans for in-person events

While live shows and sports events at the Coliseum Complex will wait to continue in-person, one area book festival has decided to carry on as a completely virtual event this year. “It’s definitely going to be a virtual festival,” said Brian Lampkin, the co-owner of Scuppernong Books in downtown Greensboro and an organizer for the Greensboro Bound Book Festival. “There will be no live, in-person events.” Last year, organizers were forced to cancel the annual book festival, but this year, Lampkin said the beloved event will take place from May 13-16 and feature a separate festival focused just on children’s books — a first for Greensboro Bound — from March 3-6.

Opinion Culture Shot in the Triad Puzzles

When the pandemic hit last year, Rob Davis, the executive director of RiverRun Film Festival, said staff had never done virtual screenings before. But since canceling last year’s festival, the organization has hosted close to 100 films either virtually or at a drive-in theater as part of a partnership with Marketplace Cinemas. “Last year, we canceled the in-person component about two weeks prior to the festival,” Davis said. “The timing was such that we made the decision, but it was so close to festival time, we were not able to pivot and immediately do any virtual or outdoor screenings.” The last year has given them plenty of time to plan for this year’s event, which will take place from May 6-16, Davis said.

News

RiverRun Film Festival hopes to combine virtual screenings with drive-ins and in-person events

said he hopes to resume those once the weather gets a bit warmer. He also said he wants to have some socially distanced screenings in time for the festival in May. Still, Davis said that the online option has increased awareness about the business to a broader audience. “I love an in-person experience,” he says, “but the one thing I’ll say about virtual theater is that it exposes us to audience members that have never been a part of the RiverRun family before.” Looking past May, Davis said he hopes to resume regular in-person screenings with guests in the fall and he hopes that 2022’s festival will look more like it has in the past. “We’re looking towards the future, but right now it’s more like a moving target,” Davis said.

Up Front

Greensboro Bound is scheduled for May 13-16. Learn more at greensborobound.com. The Bookmarks festival is scheduled for Sept. 25. Learn more at bookmarksnc.org.

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

For this year’s event, Lampkin said organizers plan to host several dozen conversations with writers including poets Billy Collins, Ron Rash, Nigerian-American author Nnedi Okorafor and chef Whitney Otawka to name a few. The festival, which in previous iterations had multiple in-person events, will instead stream pre-recorded conversations that will premier during the event and will also feature some Zoom events with authors. At the end of each day of the festival, there will be a livestreamed event, Lampkin said. Those interested in attending the festival will still have to pre-register like in previous years; the schedule is set to be released at the end of February. Lampkin, who co-owns Scuppernong Books, where most of the Greensboro Bound events are held, said that the business has been doing surprisingly well despite the pandemic but that they miss being able to do in-person events. “It’s how we kind of made our name,” Lampkin said. “Doing these great events all the time. When we can do them again, we will rethink how we can do them. We miss doing them.” But for now, they’ll continue doing virtual events and look forward to patrons returning to the book festival in March and May. In neighboring Winston-Salem, Jamie Rogers Southern, interim executive director at Bookmarks, said organizers plan on having their annual Bookmarks Festival of Books and Authors mostly inperson on Sept. 25. “It likely won’t look like it has in the past,” Southern said. “We’ll focus more on outdoors and we’re trying to figure out how we can best do that and keep it safe. So much will depend on where we are at that point.” Last year was the first time in the 16 years of hosting the festival that organizers had to cancel, Southern said. This year, the event was moved a few weeks later than normal and includes a virtual COURTESY PHOTO RiverRun partnered with Marketplace Cinemas to host drive-in movies last year. They component as well — via livestreams and pre-recorded content — hope to have a drive-in component for this year’s festival in May. so those who don’t feel comfortable attending in-person can still participate. “Now we feel like we have the expertise to do a festival with alternative screening In 2019, the festival drew around 22,000 attendees and boasted patrons from all mechanisms,” he said. over the state and beyond. And while the bookstore was closed from mid-March to For the 23rd RiverRun International Film Festival, Davis said more than 1,400 films June, Southern said they’ve tried to keep their customers engaged by having multiple were submitted for consideration. Right now, the staff is still sifting through the online events throughout the year. works to decide which ones will be shown at this year’s hybrid event which will be a “What’s been the most interesting thing is having author pairings that we wouldn’t combination of virtual screenings and drive-in showings and possibly some socially normally have because of where the authors live or their schedules,” Southern said. distanced outdoor screenings. As in previous years, Davis said that the festival will “Having authors join us from around the world has been really great.” feature close to 100 films for patrons to watch as well as Zoom events with filmmakLampkin said having author events even virtually is important because writers, like ers. everyone else, were hit hard due to COVID-19. “We’re keeping the feel of the festival as much as possible,” Davis said. “What happened to writers is that they lost everything,” Lampkin said. “They would Canceling last year’s event impacted the organization’s bottom line quite a bit, acusually have events. We did want to at least try and do what we could to promote cording to Davis. writers and their books.” “Financially we suffered a significant impact through loss of ticket revenues,” he Southern said that she wants to resume in-person events at the bookstore this said. “At the time we canceled the festival, ticket sales were exceptional, and it was summer but in the meantime, hopes their customers continue to support them. looking like we would have had a record year for our box office.” “I think it’s just important for people to know that we’re still doing a lot of things to Still, quickly pivoting to a virtual model and a partnership with Marketplace Cinstay connected to the community,” Southern said. emas has helped the business carry on. The last drive-in event was in November; Davis

RiverRun is scheduled for May 6-16. Learn more at riverrunfilm.com.

Plott Street, Greensboro

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021 Shot in the Triad

Culture

Opinion

News

Up Front

SHOT IN THE TRIAD

Puzzles

January afternoon.

CAROLYN DE BERRY

Across

‘Start to Change’—out with the old, in with the new. by Matt Jones

Down

News Opinion

SUDOKU Culture Shot in the Triad

Answers from last issue

(editor@jonesincrosswords.com)

Puzzles

1 Vaccine shots, in the U.K. 2 “I’d hate to break up ___” 3 Kunis of “Black Swan” 4 Theater level 5 Three, in Italian 6 Prefix before sphere 7 Undersea WWII threat 8 Movie soundtrack singer Nixon 9 Ciabatta, e.g. 10 Like most modern movies 11 Actor Bridges 12 “Dear ___ Hansen” 13 Care for 18 Karaoke night need 22 Major kitchen appliance 24 Tally 26 Take the wheel 27 Mister Ed, for one 28 Blundering 29 Cryptanalysis org. 31 Royal domain 32 Group of geniuses, supposedly (I mean, what is this trying to prove?) 33 Snake with a puff variety 36 Pay for completely 37 “We Have the Meats” chain 39 Probe persistently 40 Dart thrower’s asset 43 Chew toy material 45 One who shouldn’t be helping 48 “Be ___!” (“C’mon, help me out!”) 50 New wave instrument, for short 51 Pocatello’s state 52 Luggage lugger 54 Move with care 55 Secured 56 The Sugarhill ___ 57 Happy reaction 59 Bitter humor 60 Stamp pad fillers 61 Quadruple awards honor, for short 64 Mine extraction

Up Front

1 Door frame component 5 Roadside digital display? 10 “Doubtful” 14 Laos’s locale 15 Concrete strengthener 16 “Scream” actress Campbell 17 “Bring on the carillons”? 19 James of “The Godfather” 20 Actress Keanan of “My Two Dads” 21 English actor McKellen, when traveling? 23 The NBA’s Thunder, on scoreboards 25 Rising and falling periodically 26 Pink Floyd box set released in 1992 30 “___ Rae” (Sally Field movie) 34 Actor Danza 35 Service group for GIs 37 “Yup” 38 Before, in verse 39 Dish set with a double helix pattern? 41 Partnering word 42 Liveliness 44 Pen end 45 Otherwise 46 Fix the names attached to the picture? 47 Burma, today 49 “___ something I said?” 53 Healing spring 54 Descriptor for about 79% of a certain group of Dalmatians? 58 Actress Cornish of “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri” 62 Berry that’s not so exotic since it’s seemingly in everything 63 Prank where a link leads to a video of “Unforgettable”? 65 ___ packing (oust) 66 “A League of ___ Own” 67 City in northern Nevada 68 Barely beat (out) 69 Alex of “Taskmaster” who’s releasing new #Hometasking challenges during the pandemic 70 Much-needed partner of relaxation

Jan. 28-Feb. 3, 2021

CROSSWORD

Answers from previous publication.