Niner Times: January 23, 2018 by Niner Times

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Hunter Heilman editor@ninertimes.com EDITORIAL

Emily Hickey MANAGING EDITOR Alex Sands NEWS EDITOR Kathleen Cook SPORTS EDITOR Jeffrey Kopp A&E EDITOR Hailey Turpin LIFESTYLE EDITOR Salina Dickie COPY EDITOR Mia Shelton OPINION EDITOR Leysha Caraballo PHOTO COORDINATOR Pooja Pasupula PHOTO COORDINATOR Joshua Worley VIDEO PRODUCER Carmen Westra COMMUNITY EDITOR Natasha Morehouse LAYOUT EDITOR ASSISTANT EDITORS

Stephanie Trefzger, Angie Baquedano, Emma West, Madison Dobrzenski CONTRIBUTING STAFF

Kim Leaston, Megan Bird, Nikolai Mather, Sam Palian

NEWSROOM: 705.687.7150

SPORTS

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Charlotte unable to make a comeback; loses to FAU 75-64

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Niners fall to FIU Niners unable to ﬁnish off comeback

A&E • •

MOVIE REVIEW: ʻCall Me by Your Nameʼ MOVIE REVIEW: ʻPhantom Threadʼ

ninertimes.com/staff

MEDIA MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR

Fred Brown

mktdirector@uncc.edu

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Ryan Scott

production@uncc.edu

MARKETING STAFF

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Megadeth – So Far, So Good...So What! 30 years later

Kayla Christian, Brandon Cox, Brandon Freer, Teely Yang, Yishni Yun

LOCATED IN THE LOWER LEVEL OF THE STUDENT UNION

NINER TIMES • RADIO FREE CHARLOTTE SANSKRIT LITERARY-ARTS MAGAZINE MEDIA MARKETING • TECHNICAL T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F N O R T H C A R O L I N A AT C H A R L O T T E

NINER MEDIA ADVISER: WAYNE MAIKRANZ MARKETING ADVISER: KELLY MERGES BUSINESS MANAGER: LAURIE CUDDY GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION: JOSHUA WOOD OFFICE MANAGER: DANNY HUFFMAN

JAN. 23, 2018

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CELEBRATING THE 89TH BIRTHDAY OF DR. KING

NEWS NEWS

UNC Charlotte comes together to remember Dr. King and what his legacy means today By Kim Leaston Photo by Chimena Ihebuzor Jan. 15 marked the 89th birthday of the and help those who need it. late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. “During this time, it’s necessary that In recognition of his life and legacy, all of us have hope. It’s necessary that all UNC Charlotte planned a number of of us have a dream… It is not the words opportunities for both students and of our enemies, but it is the silence of our community members to come together friends that we will remember the most,” in celebration. The theme for this year Sellers said. was “#Hashtag to Action: Actualizing the Along with the keynote address, a Dream.” The events lighting ceremony was held are sponsored by the by Student Government Multicultural Resource Association Vice President Center. Bryan McCollom On Jan. 16, and Muslim Student the university Association President presented Bakari Saman Siddiqui. The Sellers, activist, event also included lawyer and member performances by UNC of the South Charlotte’s Voices of Eden Carolina State Gospel Choir, who led Legislature as the the audience in singing keynote speaker Lift Every Voice and for the day’s event. Sing, as well as a time of During his speech, recognition for campus Sellers discussed partners. A reception how King’s dream followed with food looks in today’s provided by Chartwells world. He then Catering. posed the question The month long of whether or not celebration ends on Jan. King’s famous dream 26 with #FROM BAKARI SELLERS actually matters with HASHTAGTO all things considered. ACTION, which according POLITICAL COMMENTATOR According to Sellers, to the MRC event site will be AND ACTIVIST this question is one of “a conversation on the state morality, not empirical. of the country regarding race “The question relations and how to have becomes irrelevant because you don’t do discussions around civil discourse.” It the right thing because of personal benefit will be held at the Popp Martin Student or reward, you do it simply because it is Union in 340GH at 6:30 p.m. the right thing,” Sellers stated. As Sellers closed out his speech, he charged the audience to take his message

“IT’S NECESSARY THAT ALL OF US HAVE A DREAM.”

Bakari Sellers at MLK 2018 Celebration

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JAN. 23, 2018

EDUCATION HONORS SOCIETY WINS “ACE OF THE ACE” KAPPA DELTA PI NAMED WORLD’S TOP CHAPTER

POLICE BLOTTER JAN. 16 - JAN. 23 ACCIDENT JAN. 18 •

By Megan Bird

(Left to right) Advisor Misty Hathcock, President Madison Hopper, Past-president Megan Kuspky and Literacy Alive coordinator MyʼAsia Jaabe. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte

UNC Charlotte’s chapter of Kappa Delta Pi was named top chapter for 2017. The education honors society received the Dr. Florence B Stratemeyer Award, known to club members as the “Ace of the ACE.” The award is the highest honor granted by Kappa Delta Pi, recognizing the top group from over 650 international chapters. In addition, the UNC Charlotte chapter Omicron Pi received the Achieving Chapter Excellence (ACE) award for the third consecutive biennium. The prestigious award is granted to the top 20 chapters that excel in membership, leadership development and programming in order to advance the society’s goals and missions. Kappa Delta Pi was founded in 1911 as an international society in education and now exceeds 1.2 million members. The UNC Charlotte chapter, Omicron

Pi, was established in 1981 and has grown close to 3,000 initiated members. Chapter Advisor Misty Hathcock emphasized the significance of this growth. “When I started in 2005, we were initiation only,” she said. “We have worked really hard to be an active chapter and provide opportunities for our members. It’s an incredible feeling.” Today, Omicron Pi hosts several major events to benefit chapter members and the community. The group hosts professional workshops called Teacher Toolbox Tuesdays that range from classroom management skills to interview strategies. One of the group’s biggest events is Literacy Alive, a collaboration with Newell Elementary School to promote literacy and encourage third grade students to aspire toward college. It begins with a school visit in which the Omicron Pi members read to the third graders and talk about college. In the spring, the elementary school students spend a day at UNC Charlotte touring the university and participating in a STEM activity. The event is in its eighth year and has won several awards from Kappa Delta Pi. Omicron Pi requires a minimum GPA of 3.5 and 30+ credit hours, however anyone can attend meetings and volunteer with the chapter. “It’s a great organization that is a great benefit to me as a student and that someone can transfer to their career and use after you graduate,” said Chapter President Madison Hopper.

Mary Alexander Road, subject stated that while driving on Mary Alexander Road, he noticed the gate was closed and failed to stop in time to avoid hitting it.

JAN. 17 •

Student Union Deck, while backing into a marked parking space, driver of vehicle one struck the front quarter panel of vehicle two as it attempted to turn into the same parking space.

DRUG VIOLATION JAN. 19 •

Levine Hall, officers issued four state citations and two campus appearance tickets in reference to possession of marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia.

JAN. 16 •

Cameron Boulevard and Union Deck Lane, officers issued two state citations and one campus appearance ticket after marijuana and marijuana paraphernalia was found in a vehicle during a traffic stop.

MEDIC ASSIST JAN. 18 •

Cato College of Education. NT File Photo

JAN. 23, 2018

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Bridge from Student Union to North Village, subject stated that while crossing the north village bridge, they fell and struck their head. Subject was transported to MCM University by Medic.

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

H&M: the dumbest monkeys in the jungle H&M releases a controversial ad wear a black child is wearing a shirt with the logo, “the coolest monkey in the jungle”

OPINION OPINION

By Madison Dobrzenski Photo by Wikimedia Commons When I first saw the H&M ad of the black child in the “coolest monkey in the jungle” hoodie on twitter, my first thought was “how did no one catch this?” I wanted to have the opinion “I’d like to think this was a coincidence.” I thought “I have no way of knowing whether or not this was intentional, but I’d like to think it wasn’t.” However, the problem with me thinking that is that it doesn’t address the fact that “unintentional” racism is unacceptable. Going into 2018, we need to be aware and make others aware that these sorts of “accidents” aren’t excusable anymore. Even if this was an accident on H&M’s part, someone at that photoshoot should have said something before that ad was put out and the fact that no one did is an issue on its own. It comes with any “ism”, when you’re so used to it, that you don’t notice it, that’s a problem. We are so accustomed to racism and sexism (and many other forms of prejudice and oppression) we sometimes don’t even notice them in pop culture. So many movies, advertisements or TV shows have stereotypical characters and make sexist or racist jokes. The idea of “accidental” or “unintentional” racism means as a society, we are sometimes not conscious enough about what we say or produce. H&M wasn’t conscious enough in the ads they were putting out and understandably, it upsets people. The issue isn’t the hoodie itself, “coolest monkey in the jungle” is a cute idea for a children’s sweatshirt. The issue is that it was put on a black child and

no one thought “oh, this might come off as racist?” The mother of the model, Terry Mango, said “if I bought that jumper and put it on him and posted it on my pages, would that make me racist? I get peoples opinion, but they are not mine.” The answer is no, it wouldn’t. The sweatshirt itself isn’t the problem and it would be a completely different story if the model put it on himself, but he didn’t. While “unintentional” racism is certainly something to discuss and recognize, it is the least of our issues right now. In our current political climate, we have much bigger fish to fry. As a country, as a society and in the world, we have much bigger forms of racism to protest over. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely think you shouldn’t shop at H&M. But not just because of their racist ad. I also don’t think you should shop at Gap, Old Navy or Forever 21. Have you ever wondered how

these companies’ clothes are so affordable? It’s because they are made in countries such as Cambodia, Bangaldesh, Myanmar and even America, in outrageous working conditions, by very young women (the majority of these workers are women) and for unlivable wages. These sweatshops are extremely hot, causing workers to fall out from working long hours in unbearable heat. These sweatshops do not follow normal labor laws; the workers are forced to work 60-100 hour weeks, in hot and unsafe conditions, for well under minimum wage. After the racist ad they put out, they have since hired a “diversity leader.” “The recent incident was entirely unintentional, but it demonstrates so clearly how big our responsibility is as a global brand. We have reached out, around the world, inside and outside H&M to get feedback.” was included in their statement . Their unethical working en-

vironments, however, have been recognized, but not fixed. In 2013, the Rana Plaza factory collapsed in Bangladesh, killing roughly over a thousand workers. This caused many companies to agree to make a commitment to providing safe working environments for the workers making their clothes, H&M included. H&M was the first and largest company to sign the 2013 Accord on Fire and Building Safety in Bangladesh. Sadly, according to the Asia Floor Wage Alliance, there has barely been any progress made. “Due to failed compliance with the accord, 78,842 garment workers in Bangladesh continue to produce garments for H&M in buildings without fire exits.” A report done by the Clean Clothes campaign, only looking at H&M’s best factories since the collapse in 2013, has also shown that progress has been incredibly slow. About 61% of those factories didn’t have fire exits that meet the Accord’s standards and that number is far too high for how at-risk Bangladesh is for factory fires. Other risks included in the report were lockable doors, sliding doors, and collapsible gates. I’m not saying a racist ad isn’t a priority or that unintentional racism is acceptable, because it isn’t. We need to watch our language and what comes natural to us, and that goes for companies as public as H&M. What I am saying is if H&M can’t keep their promise of providing safe working environments for the people who make their product, then their “unintentionally” racist ad should be the least of their worries and the least of ours.

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JAN. 23, 2018

THE LIE OF GERRYMANDERING

Congress’ ploy to wean out undesired voters by redrawing districts to increase favorable voting By Nikolai Mather Photo by Wikimedia Commons I’m a political science major and I’ll be the first to admit that gerrymandering is an extremely dull topic. Congressional redistricting just isn’t as sexy as other issues! But with the recent verdict from the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals, understanding its ramifications is vital, now more than ever. Gerrymandering essentially means the construction of a congressional district in favor of one’s party. It was coined by the Boston Gazette in 1812 to describe the appallingly contorted districts of Massachusetts. Clearly, it’s not a new issue, but for North Carolinians, it is by far the most concerning. Before Republicans took the House and Senate, Democrats packed right-ofcenter voters into squiggly splatters of districts in order to keep their legislative seats. When Republicans took control, they redrew the districts in order to dilute the influence of all kinds of folks: progressives, centrists, even unaffiliated voters who just happened to be people of color. The shapes of the districts were unbelievably ridiculous: District 12 stretched from Gastonia to Durham and was in some places no wider than a single car lane, District 2 curled around 4 in a sort of swollen U shape,and District 13 appeared to be more of a squashed Keith Haring figure than a congressional district. These shenanigans have left many a voter without a voice. It has unfairly allowed Republicans a 10-3 advantage over Democrats in the federal government and blocked people of color, particularly Black folks, from an equal sway over the elections. Remember the 14th Amendment? Good, because

JAN. 23, 2018

apparently our representatives don’t. Thankfully, our state has been ordered by the courts to scrap the old district maps. However, the panel is leaving it up to the legislature to decide who gets to redraw our congressional lines. Which begs the question: how do we go about completing this contentious, tedious process? Typically, the privilege is left up to the majority party, but the Supreme Court has struck down Republican drafts as unconstitutional over and over again. As a matter of fact, the only thing restraining them from gerrymandering even further, as Representative David Lewis (R) put it, was because they “[did] not believe it [was] possible to draw a map with eleven Republicans and

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two Democrats.” Clearly, Republicans have too much at stake to redraw these maps sans partisan intent. Then should we leave it up to the minority party? Absolutely not. Democrats have proven themselves quite capable of dishing out some fishy districts as well. In 2003, when they held the majority, they drew a map that consistently elected majority Democrats. Former Speaker Jim Black (D) stressed the importance of Democratic control of the district redrawing and gave an awfully patronizing response to claims of racial bias in the new maps: “I personally believe AfricanAmerican citizens will be better off with Democratic leaders for the next 10 to 20 years.” This cycle of gerrymandering in our

state has been brewing for decades. New technology can give lawmakers the names, ages and political registrations of folks down to the city block. And legislators on both sides of the aisle have demonstrated time and time again that they are incapable of making these important political decisions when their jobs are on the line. So why in the world do we continue to hand the responsibility of congressional redistricting back to them? Why give the task of drawing nonpartisan election maps to folks whose very livelihoods rely on their continued partisanship and election? Republicans would like to hang on to their seats, I’m sure. But 2018 is an election year and if the #Resistance manages to stumble into the polls come November, all y’all are in deep trouble, gerrymandering or no. And you know what? The rest of us would be, too! Once the pendulum swings right again, we’re gonna be plagued by Matthew Shepherd truthers and pro-slavery conservatives (again). If we don’t break this toxic pattern of gerrymandering, we’re going to be playing tug-of-war with constituents for the next century. Wouldn’t it be nice to get to a happy medium? Where we’re discussing nonpartisan issues like school funding and childcare instead of going for the jugular every session? Then we have GOT to fix this stupid problem. And the only way to do that is if we (all of us!) come together and get our legislators to knock it off. So give your reps a call and tell them you want a nonpartisan, nonlegislative group on the case; if not for party, then for country.

PROUD MARY KEEP ON ROLLIN’ by Hunter Heilman Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures When the first poster for “Proud Mary” came about, the world had a collective scream to commemorate the film people have been asking for forever: an action film with a black female lead. It’s hard to find films with black female leads in general, but one in a genre film kicking some serious a**? That hasn’t been seen in a lead role since the days of Pam Grier and Blaxploitation films. Most female action films, however slim those are in general, typically feature actresses like Scarlett Johannsson or Charlize Theron in the lead, but “Proud Mary” places Taraji P. Henson, an actress higher in the game than most, if not all actresses working today, in the role. The film world lost its collective mind... Mary (Taraji P. Henson) is an assassin working for a major crime family in Boston, headed by patriarch Benny (Danny Glover) and his son and former love interest of Mary’s, Tom (Billy Brown). When a hit goes wrong and Mary leaves a young boy, Danny (Jahi Di’Allo Winston) orphaned, she tracks him down and takes him in after getting involved with a rival trafficking gang. Seeking to protect him to repent for killing Danny’s father, Mary impulsively tracks the rival gang, setting off a series of events that leads her to being hunted on both sides, all while trying to protect Danny from further danger. Let’s go ahead and get the bad with “Proud Mary” out of the way so I can get onto the things I liked about this film. “Proud Mary” is a pretty standard, paint-by-numbers action flick. The fight choreography isn’t spectacular, the stunt work isn’t seamless, the visual effects are average, the story is predictable and the clichés can often come heavy. Clocking in at only 89 minutes, there isn’t a lot of time for “Proud Mary” to build up its story and characters while also having time to have some killer action sequences and both sides take a hit in the process of trying to fit both in such

a short timeframe. Not only that, when you surround one of the most vibrant actresses of her generation with bland, Lifetime Original Movie extras, they really make the disparity between the two even more noticeable. This is no more noticeable than in Glover’s performance as Benny. Glover is a legendary actor world renown for his many roles over the decades, but something is so incredibly off here. Glover is robotic, monotonous and seemingly wants to be anywhere but this film. I can’t pin down what’s wrong here, but there

A&E

certainly is something going on we can’t see. With that, though, it cannot be more overstated how truly wonderful Henson is in the film. The film might not give her a lot of room to breathe or develop the character in the way she was able to in films like “Hidden Figures” and “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” but she gets to have 10 tons of fun here, and she doesn’t waste it. A wonderful thing about Henson is she has a wonderful array of emotions and she’s fiery in every single one of them. Now, not “fiery” in the way that most women of color are described when they have a slight attitude, but in that Henson hits her extremes nicely. If she wants us to laugh, we’re going to laugh hard; if she wants us to cry, we will sob; if she wants us on the edge of our seats, we’re on the floor. Henson has a way of pinning emotions onto the audience without much character in a way that most actresses should be able to. It’s just such a shame she isn’t given much time to actually flesh out Mary as something that isn’t just a “guilty pleasure” heroine. The good news: I liked “Proud Mary,” for the most part. It’s guilty pleasure fun that utilizes Henson’s capabilities as a badass more than we could’ve ever known her to be. The bad news: by all expectations, “Proud Mary” could’ve been one hell of an action film that stayed the course of time as the film that set women of color into the action genre to fight alongside the men and white women. Sure, this might still work in the long run for the film to set a precedent, but I guarantee you that the film itself might not always be the thing people harken back to. Still, it’s concise, fun, light, attractive, funny and surprisingly touching at points. Expectations might not have been met per se, but “Proud Mary” still has a good deal to work with worth checking out.

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JAN. 23, 2018

ACROSS 1 Cried on cue, say 6 Nimble-fingered 10 Auntie on Broadway 14 Africa’s Sierra __ 15 Butterlike topping 16 Beatnik’s “Understood” 17 *Grocery store 19 Join the chorus 20 Like the chains in a chain necklace 21 Camp beds 22 Swear (to) 25 Pair in a dinghy 27 Employee’s reward 28 *Vessel for a cheesy dip 33 Cone-dropping trees 34 Recycling receptacle 35 Maps within maps 36 Therapists’ org. 37 *Ballroom dance that’s also a phonetic alphabet “F” 39 Shatner’s “__War” 40 Cash in, as coupons

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42 “I __ only kidding” 43 Shoulder muscle, for short 44 *All-terrain high shoe 46 Sandburg and Sagan 47 Highest in quality 48 Gives a thumbs-up 49 Wrinkle-removing injection 52 Acquires, as debts 55 State firmly 56 Stream crossing for pedestrians ... and what is literally provided by the interior letters in the answers to starred clues 60 Filet mignon order 61 World power initials until 1991 62 How contracts are signed 63 Iditarod vehicle 64 Fishing rod partner 65 Occur as a result

DOWN 1 1980s TV ET 2 Corporate VIP 3 Also 4 Tiresomely long 5 Downfall 6 Nerdy sort 7 Sommer of cinema 8 Get nourishment from 9 Trike rider 10 Applies incorrectly 11 Score after deuce 12 Ermine cousin 13 They’re often scrambled 18 Tiny farm denizen 21 Main impact 22 Repetitive barking 23 Taiwan’s capital 24 Rabble-rousing outburst 26 “Hasta la vista” 28 Predicament 29 Quarterback’s “Snap the ball at the second ‘hut’” 30 Fizzles (out) 31 Verdi opera with Desdemona 32 “You should be ashamed!” 34 Lays an egg on stage 37 UPS alternative 38 Word before or after pack 41 Nudged sharply 43 Best Western competitor 45 Lazy 46 Underwood who performs the “Sunday Night Football” opening 48 Classroom stand-in 49 Happy hour places 50 Mirror shape 51 Ran like mad 53 Smoke detector? 54 PC corner key 56 Calico coat 57 Put down 58 Oxlike antelope 59 Barely manage, with “out”

conference conundrum SPORTS

Charlotte gets an early conference win only to go on five-game losing streak

Story by Sam Palian Photo by Chris Crews After a telling loss against ODU to open up conference play, the Niners learned some things about themselves, things that they knew they would have to work on if they were going to win games. There are a few slumps the team is working to get out of and even in the conference losses, some of that work is proving to pay off. Scoring only 16 in the first half to ODU’s 42 was a product of Charlotte not playing with enough passion as a team. The comparison in the second half would be significantly different at 47-42 Monarchs, the Niners only falling five points behind. This was just not enough for the 49ers, who have to be able to play in the first half more like they do in the second. “It was a great lesson for us and we’ve responded nicely, I think our guys have come back and practiced hard. I think in that adverse situation it showed us a lot about ourselves, what we’ve got to get better at, how we’ve got to improve and that’s where your character gets built too,” said Coach Houston Fancher. One of the slumps the team was dealing with at the beginning of conference play was their leading scorer, Jon Davis, not entirely playing like himself. No player is perfect and whatever the reason, Davis simply seemed different and was not performing like he usually did. In the first three conference games, he scored only 33 points total and only 15 in the sole conference win Charlotte currently has under their belts against North Texas. In the last three conference games Davis

contributed a total of 89 points, scoring a Halton Arena record and a career high of 38 points in the loss to Marshall, surpassing his previous high last season of 35. Something had to give for this power house and it seems something has. “It’s almost like preseason again, we had to reestablish a lot of things. The way that we want to do things as a staff is a little bit different,” said Fancher. “We win and lose together, not one of us lost, we all lost. It’s not them and us as coaches, it’s us together. We’re trying to reestablish that mindset. I think we got sorry for our ourselves a little bit and that’s not what we’re going to be known for, I don’t want us to be known for that during this period.” On the other hand though, another teammate and second leading scorer in Andrien White had been stepping back up a bit going into conference play. After matching his career high with 30 points which is also his season high thus far, against ECU in pre-conference, White continued to contribute points that Charlotte needed. Stepping up to score a total of 64 points in the Niners’ first three conference games, he was prepared to play a role his team needed him to, tallying 23 in the win against North Texas. Now the Niners responded to the loss at ODU, a tough game no doubt, with a hard fought win over North Texas. The only half in the six conference games played that the Niners have been on top was the first half at North Texas with a score of 34-28. Playing as a team in the way that Charlotte

did in that first half is something they really kept doing, sticking with teams far better in the first half up until the most recent loss at FAU where Charlotte fell 11 points behind. The Niners would get their fifth conference loss to FAU at 75-64 after matching FAU’s score in the second half at 37-37. Most recently, the team lost to FIU by 20 points after being down 17 at the half. The 49ers were outscored by only three in the second half. Ryan Murphy, who has been getting a few starts this year coming off of is redshirt season, scored a career-high 14 points against FIU. Scoring was a little more spread out in this game with Davis leading with 15 and several others not quite in double-figures. Simply a dispersement of scoring though was not enough to win a game. This group has to be ready to come out and play in the first half the way they do in the second. Charlotte is missing something they really need to find, whether that be passion or teamwork or simply for shots to drop. It may not be entirely evident in the final scores, but things have changed for the 49ers and getting off to a rough start however long it may last only shows a team how much harder they have to fight. “I’d love to know where we’re going to be in March, but I really don’t care,” Fancher said. “I want to know where we’re going to be tomorrow. How we compete in practice will determine that because I think we can establish some things about our mentality and who we’re going to be in practice and hopefully display it in games.”

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JAN. 23, 2018

PEARSON’S PASSIONS

Story by Kathleen Cook

While she excels on the court for the Charlotte Women’s basketball team, redshirt sophomore Dara Pearson has another passion: shoes. But first, here’s where her shoes have taken her so far: During her high school days at Hampton, Pearson averaged a triple-double her senior season and surpassed the 1,000 point milestone the January of her senior season. While defensive play was still her roots, she filled the role of an offensive player to fill voids on the team. “I know, for my team to win in high school, I had to score – so that’s what I did. In high school my role used to be defense. My senior year I had to step up since a lot of the players left and score,” Pearson said. Upon coming to Charlotte, Pearson redshirted her first year on campus, which helped her “learn the system” and “get stronger” Pearson said. Her first year on the court, Pearson played all but one game. This year, she has been a dominant force for the 49ers, returning to her defensive roots. Currently she is eighth in Conference USA for rebounds, totaling 153 on the season, including a collecting 19 boards against Arkansas. “I like defense more, I’m better at defense,” Pearson said. “Defense is more of my comfort zone, I think offense is kind of overrated. Anybody can score, but everybody can’t necessarily defend.” This season she averages over 30 minutes per game. “It feels good, I’ve been waiting for this moment to play more minutes and it’s finally here. I’ve just got to keep being consistent so I can keep playing on the court,” Pearson said.

With a roster packed with new-comers this season, Pearson said the group is now like a family. “We get along pretty well, I see all of us as sisters, because we argue like sisters all the time, we joke around,” Pearson said. This chemistry can be seen on the court because “it’s easier to talk to somebody that you like,” Pearson said. When asked what her goal was for the team before she graduate, Pearson said she wanted to win a conference championship and make an appearance in the NCAA tournament. As for her goals off the court, Pearson is currently working towards her economics degree and someday hopes to own her own shoe store. The 6-foot-3, size 11 shoe wearer wants to open a store that caters to women with larger feet. “The market for girly women who wear size ten and up, it’s hard to find nice shoes. I like to get dressed up all the time, I like to have my heels. I also like my sneakers too. I want to give women the opportunity to have the best of both worlds,” Pearson said. Her shoe interest began when she first came to college. “I started being more confident with my height. Now I wear heels more often because I’m hanging around taller girls more I guess with basketball. That’s when I started thinking about it,” Pearson said. She aims to start the store on the local level, but hopefully one day it will expand to a chain store. As for a name, right now Pearson is thinking about calling the store “Rock the Boat” because “people always say your feet are boats.” Pearson has already decided the store will only offer women’s shoes because “guys always find shoes.”

JONES TO THE OLYMPICS Story by Kathleen Cook

Briauna Jones is making history for Charlotte Athletics, as she’s become the first former studentathlete to participate in the Olympics. Jones will be a member of the women’s bobsled team for the 2018 winter Olympics in South Korea. Topping off her resume for the Charlotte program was being a member of the 2012 4x100 meter relay team that made it to the National Championships. Jones’ name also sits within the top ten for multiple track and field records for the Charlotte program including 60-meter dash, indoor and outdoor long jump, indoor and outdoor triple jump as well as indoor and outdoor high jump. After a stellar career with the 49ers on the track, Jones returned to the team as a volunteer assistant coach.

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Two pairs: Elana Meyers Taylor and Lauren Gibbs as well as Jamie Greuebel Poser and Aja Evans will be the main bobsledders. Jones has earned a spot as a replacement athlete. This means that she can participate in trial runs instead of competing athletes and can participate in the event in case of injury and or illness. Last year Jones was named the USA Bob Sledding Rookie of the Year fter making her first national team. She won a gold medal with teammate Meyers Taylor in Switzerland last year. The group has high expectations as the United States is the only nation that has earned a medal in every women’s bobsled event since the country’s first appearance in the event back in 2002. The competition will occur on Feb. 20-21.

New Ideas For Your Spring Semester

By Angie Baquedano Fall semester always goes by quick, but unfortunately spring semester takes forever to end, or so it seems and that’s mostly because we don’t get as many breaks. It’s hard to get through the spring semester without wanting to pull your hair out, so here are 10 ideas that will surely get you to May without hating every second of it.

Take up a new hobby Whether it be cooking or skateboarding, find something you’re interested in and become great at it, or even better think of something that you’re really bad at and become the best. After all being good at something is just from practice, so if you’re terrible at cooking then start small with different pancake recipes or mac and cheese with your own spin and then work your way up. Fall as many times as you need on that skateboard and then get right back on, eventually you’ll be gliding and you’ll be proud you did it. Focusing on something you want to be good at and you enjoy is a great way to release stress.

Get a Carowinds season pass Another great way to release stress is by riding so many roller coasters you don’t have time to even remember what you were worrying about. The best way to do that is by getting a season pass to Carowinds, once you have a season pass you have validated parking, early access to the water park, discounted friend tickets and entrance to Scarowinds/Winterfest. I assure you that by your second visit the ticket pays for itself, and a great way to get the cheapest price is by going one afternoon after 5 p.m., paying for a regular 5 p.m. ticket (which is discounted because it’s so late in the day) and on your way out of the amusement park around 9 or 10 p.m. when they are about to close, stop by the ticket office and upgrade your discounted ticket to a gold pass. You get the season pass much cheaper this way and then you can ride everything throughout the whole year as much as you want.

Utilize the campus Quit spending your money on a gym membership, just go to the school one! If you don’t like regular workouts perhaps join the group yoga or pilates classes. Spend time in the library getting your work done, go watch a movie on campus instead of paying for one in theaters. The truth and the matter is, is we pay so much money for all these amenities on campus that half of us don’t even utilize, so go get your money’s worth!

Be more social Some people are naturally social and often when you live on campus you’re more likely to socialize everyday but if you’re an off campus student it can be a little harder to get out of your little bubble. This semester try to sit out on campus or make conversation with a stranger in line, it’s actually really great for your health to talk to people and to smile so get out there and try to make new friends or simply brighten someone’s day with a compliment or a casual conversation.

Explore the city more Charlotte is growing by the second and it’s hard to keep up with it but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try! Go check out bar crawls, or museums, maybe a new restaurant. Charlotte will someday be a mini New York, go take it in while it’s still somewhat quiet.

Get a planner Don’t forget about school and your health during this semester there is a time to have fun and to buckle down. Make sure you know when to kick it into high gear and when you can relax, a good way to keep up with school, doctors appointments, etc. is by getting a planner and using it. Make that dentist appointment and jot it down, go through the academic calendar and write down important dates, don’t get caught by surprise and tailspin.

Declutter your life Another thing that can really help with stress is by decluttering your life, that means go through the mountain of clothes in your closet and get rid of the stuff that’s just taking up room and you

LIFESTYLE never wear, quit hanging out with people that make you unhappy, go through the fridge and toss out that three-month old casserole. Don’t let your life pile up and drown you, just go through everything decide what’s important and what can go this applies to both people and things.

Take mini trips Spring doesn’t have a whole lot of breaks which can make it seem like its lasting forever, a good way to combat the springtime blues is by going on mini-road trips on a weekend. Charlotte is perfectly placed between the mountains and the beach, and this gives you many opportunities for a fun adventure. Gather a few friends, ask off for a weekend and roadtrip it two hours to a ski lodge and split the cabin, or airbnb it up on a beach in Wilmington. Don’t sit at your house bored out of your mind wondering when this semester will end, take up every moment and live it up.

Plan a huge trip for the summer Have something to look forward to and it will make everything so much more worth it, plan a big trip with friends, or a solo trip to somewhere you’ve always wanted to go. Spend the springtime saving money for it, working out so you have that picture perfect body you want for pictures when you go, give yourself a reward for your hard work this semester.

Do something that scares you Afraid of heights? Go ziplining. Afraid of public speaking? Go to an open mic night. Doing things that scare us of course is scary and why would you want to do something that scares you? Well what if you end up liking it? You won’t give it a chance because it freaks you out but what if you end up loving it? What if it changes your whole outlook on life? Do something that scares you whether it be big or small. Life is about taking risks, do it this year, take a little risk. May is around the corner and then before you know it, it will be december again and another year has gone by. This year is yours!

NINERTIMES.COM

JAN. 23, 2018

Dear Me:

A Letter To My 15-Year-old Self

By Hailey Turpin Dear me, Hey, how ya doing? Let me tell you that these past couple of years have really changed you. Not as much as you would think, but you’re still together with your boyfriend, you may have cut off all of your hair and yes, you still love One Direction. However things have evolved into new things and you’ve adapted well. One direction kind of broke up (and you actually went to see Harry in concert, you cried five times), Donald Trump became president (you also cried five times) and you’re starting to work out some of the problems you have been dealing with since you were younger. Here are some of the things you learn in the next five years. STOP spending your money. For the amount of times you have said “I’ll start saving tomorrow,” you really didn’t do it. Now that I have almost three years of college under my belt, I wish my younger self had took it more seriously. If you would have saved a lot more, the struggles of college would have been significantly smaller. Being alone is okay. I know it’s hard not to have best friends during high school because high school kids are mean. Even though everyone thinks they are mature, they aren’t. The real maturity comes when you deal with wanting to be independent in college but still sometimes get treated like a kid. You learn the value of being an adult and even how it’s cool sometimes. So remember when you feel like everyone around you hates you or that you have no friends, I promise you that your people will come along. In fact, they already have and they are here to stay. Life gets crazier and flies by faster. I remember having a hard time saying no to things in school, that’s why I did two sports and had

12 JAN. 23, 2018

NINERTIMES

a job, on top of 8 hours of school. That problem only gets worse because when you got to school, everything was new and exciting. Oh, remember how you said that Greek Life isn’t for you? That was wrong, because now you love your little and twin (who just so happens to be your best friend). I know that everything junior year seems stressful, but you survive the next five and do amazing things. Sit down for a few minutes and chill. It’s worth it.

Above photo at age 15. below photo at age 20.

Don’t worry about how everything will work out. I know that you feel like you have to know how everything will work out. Trust me, you don’t. The unexpectancies of life will always be there and there is nothing you can do to change them. But you can always change how you adapt to them. Remember that everything happens for a reason, whether it be your control or not. It’s more valuable to go with the flow than to worry about the end result. Everything is going to be okay. I understand the stress and the overwhelming feeling of life is a burden to you, but I can guarantee you will be strong through it all. You learn and grow so much as a person and can and will be okay. Through learning about your anxiety disorder and dealing with the stress of college, you are a new person who can and will achieve everything you set out to do. Don’t let others tell you who to be or how to act because you lose yourself in the end. Life is what you make of it. Make it strong and bold, like you. Even though you will deal with many challenges in the next five years, know you’re still kicking. Through the many tears you will cry, remember in the end there is a strong-willed woman who will never give up. Love, me.