Niner Times - October 13, 2011

RUNNING CLUB JOGS CIRCLES AROUND CAMPUS

JULIANNE HOUGH TALKS FOOTLOOSE

Since January 2011, the Running Club has taken charge across the UNC Charlotte campus.

Hough is well-known from her appearances on “Dancing with the Stars”.

The club provides great opportunity for people of all experience levels, from high school track stars to people just wanting to stay in shape.

A&E

FEATURES

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Hough was able to speak with Niner Times about her excitement for her role in the movie, her dancing career and her new love of acting. p.8

NINERTIMES Thursday, October 13, 2011

Published twice weekly and online at www.nineronline.com

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

New on NinerOnline.com: Read more on Julianne Hough’s thoughts on her new film, “Footloose.”

UNC system asks state to increase retention fund Lauren Dunn LDUNN8@UNCC.EDU

Members of M.O.V.E., a student organization that is focused on helping teenage mothers at local Charlotte schools. Photo courtesy of M.O.V.E.

MOVE at UNC Charlotte

The members of Mothers on the Verge of Excellence visit schools in the community as part of their mentorship program.

Molly Mulhern MMULHER1@UNCC.EDU

The members of Mothers on the Verge of Excellence (M.O.V.E.), a student organization for UNC Charlotte students with children, visit schools in the community as part of their mentorship program.

“It’s not fun being a young mother

and going to school,” said Cara Burton, M.O.V.E. president. “It’s hard. You have to have a schedule and follow it.”

Raising a child as a young mother is difficult enough. Today, shows like “Teen Mom” feature characters cutting their schooling short in order to work full time or even dropping out of high school and settling for a GED. Their struggle to make

ends meet without a college degree is clear.

M.O.V.E. serves as a more constructive example of how important education is to becoming a better parent.

“We’ve been mentoring teen mothers in the Charlotte Mecklenburg schools since 2009,” said Burton. “It’s interesting to see the big impact we have on them in getting them to pursue secondary education after MOVE p.4

NEWS

OPINION

New tasers issued: The X2 model taser will be issued to CMPD officers to replace the current X26 model.

WHO HEARTS BOOBIES? Whenever I hear “I heart Boobies,”

Promoting their third studio album

Basketball Madness: The

it makes me want to throw up.

“Time Travel,” indie pop quartet

Campus Activities Board will kick off basketball season with Days of Madness, which started in 2003.

To me, it’s a ploy for men to say they

Never Shout Never began touring in

like boobs.

mid-September.

Bomb threat: A plane carry-

Yes, we know men like them, but breast cancer is serious.

They are scheduled to make a quick

ing the women’s soccer team was disrupted after a woman started yelling the word “bomb”.

SPORTS

A&E

NEVER SHOUT NEVER

49ERS RECIEVE VERBAL COMMITMENT p.7

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stop in Charlotte at Amos’ Southend Music Hall this Sunday alongside several other bands.

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Due to UNC Charlotte and state budget decreases, a fund created to keep top quality professors and faculty has been significantly depleted within the past five years.

Now, the UNC system is requesting that the state legislature replenish it.

The retention fund matches offers made to high-demand professors from other schools. In doing this, UNC Charlotte and the other UNC system schools, such as UNC Chapel Hill and East Carolina University, can work to ensure a high quality education for its students.

“Retaining top faculty has become more difficult due to four years of flat salaries for state employees, including faculty,” said John Bland, director of Public Relations.

“Now that the retention fund is almost depleted, the problem is worsened.”

Since its establishment in 2006, state appropriations for the fund totaled an amount of $10 million. Currently, it is reportedly down to below $60,000.

The fund is shared by all schools within the UNC system, and to acquire an amount of the funds, a request has to be made to the UNC General Administration. Within that system, UNC Charlotte remains one of the smallest.

RETENTION p.5

Deaf culture and identity the focus of film and discussion Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

The Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) at UNC Charlotte will host a showing of the film “Sound and Fury,” followed by a panel discussion based on the themes presented in the film. The movie will be shown Monday, Oct. 17, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the movie theater of the Student Union.

The MRC hosts numerous film showings and discussions throughout each academic year. This is the first time that “Sound and Fury” has been shown by the organization.

Jeanine Gardner, a graduate assistant in charge of this event, says that there are multiple reasons why this film was selected for the showing and discussion.

“I had the opportunity to watch this in my multicultural counseling class and was really impacted by the issues that it covered including deaf culture, identity and family,” said Gardner. “I think it presents an issue that not many know about but which FILM p.3

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

Atkins Library renovates to provide energy efficiency A grant provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act allows UNC Charlotte’s J. Murray Atkins Library to renovate heating, ventilation and air conditioning facilities improving the environmental footprint of the library Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

J. Murray Atkins Library has undergone renovations since August of 2011 to enhance the energy efficiency of the library.

“We started back in August [of this year] and we will be finished by Christmas,” said Mark Reynolds, Library Facilities Manager at Atkins.

These renovations are meant to update heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) in order to make the library more energy efficient, and to reduce expenses.

“Some of the work that we’re doing is on HVAC controls,” said Reynolds. “One of the prominent upgrades is to get all of the variable air volume boxes that control the airflow in the Dalton Tower retrofitted for digital controls.”

Older equipment that does not effectively use energy is being replaced. “While we had the Library Expansion Project that was concluded in the year 2000,” said Reynolds. “A lot of the equipment in the building is from the 1970s. We have older motors that have been replaced with more energy efficient motors.”

“There was a unit put in there that was very energy inefficient that wasn’t really needed, had somebody done the repairs that should have been done to the building system,” said Reynolds.

The changes will alter the way the heating and cooling in the library, and other buildings on campus, is controlled. “We will go to digital thermostats that allow us to control from the central location,” said

Reynolds. “[The central location] is in the library, but it is a work station system that allows us to connect it to a central facilities management as well.”

This digital system brings additional goals to the library. “With the building being on complete digital controls, one of the goals with the [renovations] is to pick specific areas where you can do what is called ‘trending,’” said Reynolds. “[This is] where if you have an area in the building that is not being used in the middle of the night, maybe you can drop the temperature in the winter by a couple of degrees, or raise the temperature in the summertime for energy savings.”

There are a few downfalls to some of the energy efficient changes being made, however. “We have units in the building that are energy efficient just because of the type of equipment that they are. We have a couple of them chilled by cool-water, which required us to run a central chiller in the building during the wintertime. And it is a very expensive piece of equipment to run,” said Reynolds. “Normally you don’t want to run that except in hot weather, when you really do need cold water. And by having to run that just for these small units, it was very hard on that equipment.”

Along with being expensive and hard on the equipment, the central chiller prevented air economizers. Air economizers are systems that cool a building by pulling in air from the outside. “We changed those units out for more like, you would recognize it as a bigger version of a home air conditioner,” said Reynolds. “It’s got an

J. Murray Atkins Library File Photo air handler and a condenser that provides air to things like server rooms, or over in the Career Center they have a computer lab that needs supplemental cooling.”

The upgrades are funded through a grant provided by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). “The opportunity came about through a fund called ARRA. It is part of the stimulus funds that were put out by central legislator to provide funds that not only create energy savings but also requires that all parts, the labor, everything, is focused on American products, contractors, laborers. So it is in some ways a back to work, jobs are really part of it,” said Reynolds.

UNC Charlotte officials expect to save around $41,000 once the changes are in place. These savings will be measured

through meters that are also being installed during the renovation period. “We are installing things like a steam meter and domestic water meters, where we can track the building usage and be able to verify that there are savings with certain work that is being done,” said Reynolds.

These changes are causing the library to do checks throughout the building, which has not been done in over a decade. “We’re doing a complete building test and balance to make sure that all of the boxes are operating correctly.”

Library staff does not expect these modifications to change the way students use the library. “I think students will use the library however they use the library,” said Reynolds. “I can’t imagine anything that we’re doing would change any of that.”

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

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Police Blotter Renowned poet visits UNC Charlotte Ashley Dorrell

LARCENY

ADORRELL1@UNCC.EDU

Oct. 4

Union Deck, unsecured hangtag removed from vehicle.

VANDALISM Oct. 3

McCall, known subjects destroyed common area.

COUNTERFEIT USAGE Oct. 3

Parking services, subject tried to pay parking fees with counterfeit $20 bill.

Oct. 4

Parking services, subject tried to pay parking fees with counterfeit $20 bill.

BREAKING AND ENTERING MOTOR VEHICLE Oct. 3

Lot 25, locked and unattended vehicle forcibly entered causing motor damage.

HIT AND RUN Oct. 3

Cameron Blvd., car damaged while parked and unattended.

PVA 16, car damaged while parked and unattended.

Oct. 4

Craver Rd. car damaged while parked and unattended.

Oct. 5

Lot 14, subject fled scene after hitting bicyclist.

BURGLARY Oct. 2

Holshouser Hall, property taken without permission.

Oct. 6

Sanford Hall, laptop removed from unsecured room.

ARRESTS Oct. 2

Lot 16, DWI.

Oct. 4

Holshouser Hall, possession of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and a nabolic steroids.

CALLS FOR SERVICE Oct. 5

Oak Hall, assist another agency in a missing persons report.

Oct. 6

University Terrace, assist CMPD with armed robbery.

Oct. 7

University Terrace, attempted robbery with threats of bodily harm.

Compiled by Lauren Dunn

UNC Charlotte student arrested for drug charges

Bell’s mugshot Photo

courtsey of Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department.

Jordan Bryce Bell, a 19-yearold freshman, was arrested at 11:35 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 4, 2011, and charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of anabolic steroids and possession of marijuana. The arrest happened in Holshouser Hall, where the suspect lives. Ryan Pitkin

Elizabeth Alexander, a famous poet who read her work at President Barack Obama’s inauguration, will read her poetry and sign books Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011, at 7 p.m. in the UNC Charlotte Center City building.

The event was coordinated by Dr. Malin Pereira, a UNC Charlotte professor who teaches contemporary AfricanAmerican poetry. Pereira interviewed Alexander in 2005 for a book she was writing called “Into a Light both Brilliant and Unseen.”

Pereira explained that Alex-

ander’s poetry uses themes of African-American experience, history, gender issues and what it means to be “American.”

“It’s accessible, but also it is truth telling. Alexander’s poetry tends to build to a truth or insight, and I find that compelling,” said Pereira.

Alexander tends to follow a free verse style, using short lyric poems in the spoken voice.

While she wrote a couple of serious poems, Alexander penned a couple with a more humorous tone.

“She doesn’t take herself too seriously which is a great thing.

She’s genuine,” said Pereira.

Alexander will stay in Charlotte for about two days, on her

first day she has requested to see the Romare Bearden exhibit at the Mint Museum. Afterwards she will read her poetry and sign books. The next day she will meet students at UNC Charlotte.

The poetry reading will be open to the public and free to attend. Around 400 people can be accommodated with an auditorium that has 300 seats and 100 seats in a lecture hall connected to a live feed of the readings.

Pereira asks those who plan on attending to be aware of parking issues and to arrive early so finding parking downtown does not cut into the event time for attendees. She encour-

FILM continued from p.1

is absolutely worth learning and understanding more about.”

The film also is a way for the MRC to recognize National Disability Awareness Month, which is October. This month focuses on obtaining equal rights for disabled individuals in the workforce and in an educational setting.

“The film is powerful and complex, and tends to evoke a lot of emotion and reaction,” said Gardner. “I think there is a well rounded representation on the panel that will help to explore those reactions further.”

After the film, Beverly Elwell, the Assistant Executive Director and Parent Educator of BEGINNINGS for Parents of Children Who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing, Inc.(BEGINNINGS) will moderate a panel discussion. Along with Elwell, there will be a variety of other people on the panel.

“There will be panel members who are part of the deaf community, who have cochlear implants, who have learned American Sign Language later in life, and come to identify more with Deaf Culture as they’ve grown older, and those who are UNC Charlotte students,” said Gardner.

This discussion will focus on important themes in the novel. “Deaf culture, the decision to opt for or not opt for a cochlear implant, family dynamics, identity [will all be discussed],” said Gardner.

The questions at the panel will be asked to members of the panel, however, said Gardner, “we are more than happy to have, and are hoping for, audience

participation and input.”

Students are not required to register in advance, and the event is free for all.

Gardner recommends students attend the film and discussion. “Overall, I think the event will provide attendees the opportunity to learn and take away new knowledge and understanding of this aspect of diversity,” said Gardner.

“This is a unique opportunity to hear about a culture, namely Deaf Culture, that not a lot of people who know about or fully understand.”

“Sound and Fury” was released in 2000 and directed by Josh Aronson. The documentary, set in the United States, is about two families with deaf children.

The families must decide whether or not to give their children cochlear implants.

A focus of the film is the importance of those that are hard of hearing maintaining a “deaf identity.” The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature in 2000.

BEGINNINGS is a non-profit organization in North Carolina launched in 1987. They aim to provide support to parents who have hard of hearing children, help parents to identify hearing loss in children early on and make parents aware of programs available to them and their children. Elwell has worked with BEGINNINGS since 1997, and received accounting credentials at UNC Charlotte.

For more information on the event, contact the MRC at mrc@uncc.edu or Gardner at jgardn28@uncc.edu.

ages everyone who is interested to come out and attend.

“Not only is she famous and a really fine poet, but she is also a wonderful person,” said Pereira.

Alexander published five books of poetry, two books of essays as well as authored a play called “Diva Girls.” She is also a professor and chair of African- American studies at Yale University.

Alexander read a poem of hers at Obama’s inauguration called ““Praise Song for the Day” which she had written in honor of his election. She was the fourth poet to read at a presidential inauguration.

NOW hosts comedy show Ashley Dorrell ADORRELL1@UNCC.EDU

Comedian Tim Young will be making an appearance on campus for a two-part comedy show hosted by Niners on the Weekend (NOW) in Norms Friday, Oct. 14, 2011 starting at 8 p.m.

UNC Charlotte Alumni Carlos Valencia will be the opening act for the show while Young will be the headline performance.

Young has been featured in a number of comic stunts such as NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” and Comedy Central’s “Premium Blend.”

The show has been planned since the spring semester of 2011.

“We schedule these acts through a lot of talent agencies so we can get a variety of acts,” said NOW coordinator James Contratto.

NOW emailed an agent asking for suggestions on who to invite and book a show with, and among the links given was Young.

The decision to book Young got determined through consensus among the NOW staff.

“All the students on staff are looking forward to the event,” said Contratto.

The event will last about an hour and a half, and is free for students to attend.

About 150 people are expected to attend.

“We are trying to get more live acts in Norms to try and make it more of a live entertainment venue. So come out to the show and prepare to laugh,” said Contratto.

City police issue new tasers

Lauren Dunn

LDUNN8@UNCC.EDU

After two deaths in Charlotte resulting from a taser shot by a Charlotte Mecklenburg police officer, the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) has ordered a new model of tasers. The X2 model taser will be issued to CMPD officers to replace the current X26 model.

The switch was brought about after the death of 17-yearold Darryl Turner in 2008 and 21-year-old Lareko Williams in 2011, both of whom were shot by a taser deployed from a CMPD officer.

The death of Turner even snowballed into a wrongful death suit against TASER International from the Turner family. The case was settled when a federal judge ruled that TASER International pay $10 million to the Turner family.

For two months officers have been without the tasers while a review has been pend-

ing of the current model. Having only found minor deficiencies like faulty batteries, the police department decided to keep tasers but switch to a different model.

Since, CMPD doesn’t want to forego the positives of having their officers equipped with the weapons, they have opted to trade them in for a different model. “[The] newer model has additional safety features including a maximum 5 second trigger pull, a four second audible warning system and dual lasers to show location of both top and bottom probes,” said Bob Fey, CMPD public affairs officer.

The cost to equip the department with the new tasers will be over $2 million. However, the department is able to return their older model and receive a $700,000 credit towards the newer one lowering their balance to $1.3 million.

Since 2004, CMPD officers have deployed the taser 760 times. Each time, Fey says, the

incident is investigated as an act of force to ensure that the weapon was used properly.

“TASER is classified as a less than lethal weapon that seeks to reduce the use of deadly force and injuries to suspects or officers,” said Fey. “TASER is to be used only when an officer believes the suspect poses an imminent physical danger to officers or another person.”

After officers have received additional training for the new model, the guns will be in use

by December.

On campus, however, Lieutenant Josh Huffman of campus police says UNC Charlotte’s officers are not issued tasers but are given tools to help perform a similar service.

“Tasers are a less-lethal means of gaining control of subjects who are combative or resistant,” said Huffman.

“However, they are not the only less-lethal tools that are available to law enforcement officers. Other less-lethal tools deployed by many agencies

include OC (pepper) spray and collapsible batons. While we do not currently issue tasers to our officers we do provide OC spray and batons so that officers have a means of dealing with certain individuals that present a risk to the community in situations where deadly force would not be authorized.”

Huffman does elaborate though that the idea of tasers on campus isn’t completely out of the picture.

“The implementation of tasers would give our officers another means of safely dealing with aggressive individuals without having to rely on deadly force,” said Huffman. “The preservation of life is always paramount. We are researching the technology and paying close attention to recent developments involving their use.”

But, like any new development, cost is always an issue.

An issue that Lieutenant Huffman says limits the campus police on moving forward.

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MOVE continued from p.1

high school. By letting them see how we manage to go to school, parent, work, do everything, it allows them to see positive role models and motivate them to be just as successful.”

The mothers of M.O.V.E. spend four hours with the students each month and also have monthly meetings in which they cover topics like self esteem with their mentees.

These meetings also cover struggles teen moms often face and how higher education can be the solution.

“The time we spend with them is to focus on the mothers, not their children. The whole purpose is to be there for the mothers, build their confidence, allow them to have some time to themselves. We try to keep them motivated and help them out in any way we can,” said Burton.

According to the Adolescent Pregnancy Prevention Campaign of NC, North Carolina has the fourteenth highest teen pregnancy rate in the nation.

M.O.V.E. is vital for teen mothers who hope to give their children a better future because it shows the students the success stories. It demonstrates how the mothers of M.O.V.E. overcame the obstacles that inhibit young moms from getting a degree.

“Going back out into the community and showing them you can do positive things, you can still go to college, even though you had a child, is what sets a good example for these girls,” said Burton. “We show them that you need to use your resources. There is financial aid out there available to these girls.”

Burton founded M.O.V.E. in the fall of 2008 during her first year at UNC Charlotte.

“I started the organization because there was no support group on campus for moms and I felt like it was needed to educate them,” said Burton. “Having the group there helps motivate everyone, keeps us going in classes, and we

have play groups and stuff like that. It’s a support system.”

Since, then the organization has evolved and is now able to impact the community more effectively. In combination with the mentor program, M.O.V.E. volunteers frequently.

“We participate in the AIDS walk each year, we are planning a spring festival that we are going to invite everyone out to and we will have games for the kids,” said Burton. “We are also having a big dinner this year to celebrate M.O.V.E.’s third anniversary. We all get together for our kids’ birthdays.”

According to the Higher Education Research Institute at UCLA, first generation college students more likely to attend 2-year institutions rather than universities, more likely to go part time rather than full time and less likely to finish a degree in four years, mothers who are a part of M.O.V.E. are taking steps towards not only their education and futures but their children’s as well.

Terrorism threat shakes up women’s soccer team A woman yelling about bombs halts flight out of Charlotte Douglas Airport that the UNC Charlotte women’s soccer team was taking to a game in St. Louis Ryan Pitkin RPITKIN@UNCC.EDU

A plane carrying the women’s soccer team stopped short of taking off from Charlotte Douglas Airport Friday, Sept.

30, 2011, after a woman became disruptive and yelled the word “bomb,” according to reports.

U.S. Airways Flight 1663 was being taxied to the runway shortly after 11 a.m. when the disruption occurred. The plane was scheduled to depart for St. Louis, where the team was slated to play the next day.

Most of the team, 22 players and four coaches, were on the plane. They were seated near the rear of the aircraft and at first were unaware of the reasons for the yelling towards the front of the plane. “At first, people just thought it was two people in a heated argument,” said John Cullen, the team’s head coach.

The woman was using extreme profanity, according to Cullen, and when parents of children on the plane began shouting at the lady she became more boisterous. This is when people further back in the plane began to unbuckle their seatbelts, stand up and start pointing. A U.S. Air Marshal that was aboard the plane approached the woman and did a good job of calmly dealing with her but she then “brought it to awhole-nother level of profanity,” said Cullen.

The plane turned around to go back to the terminal and when it arrived a couple police officers and security guards boarded to subdue the woman. The woman struck one of them and the level of tension on the plane raised. “People started getting emotional when she began hitting,” said Cullen.

The woman then began to repeatedly scream “Bomb!” while authorities attempted to escort her off the plane. This raised

the tension level a considerate amount, and as she was taken off the plane, the players of UNC Charlotte’s women’s soccer team were left “looking at each other and just sort of saying ‘Wow’,” said Cullen.

The captain then addressed the remaining passengers. “He was great,” said Cullen.

“He made it clear that the word ‘bomb’ was used and that if anyone wanted to get off the plane that they were welcome to do so at that point.”

The level of anxiety was high among the team as they glared at each other following the captain’s announcement, said Cullen.

A few of the passengers were leaving the plane, and “The girls were sort of looking at each other in a way that says ‘I’m not sure how I feel about it.’”

In the end, two players decided they didn’t feel comfortable on the plane and decided to step off. Cullen went with them.

“This was not any time to tell someone they

had to stay on that plane. It wasn’t a case of them being scared, they just didn’t feel comfortable, so it was my job to stay with them and make sure they were OK,” he said.

Cullen stuck with the players while they contacted their families and then treated them to lunch at the airport while they waited for a later flight. The original flight finally took off at 12:20 p.m., an hour after its scheduled departure.

The team lost its game against St. Louis University the next day, 2-1. Cullen does not believe the frightening experience affected the girl’s play. “It was not the ideal preparation for a game, but it was more of a reality check. We lost the game, but we will practice and be able to improve and get better. When you’re faced with that type of situation, being on a plane in which a woman is yelling about a bomb, it puts things in perspective.”

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

Basketball season launches off with annual Days of Madness Malcolm Carter MCARTE72@UNCC.EDU

The Campus Activities Board (CAB) will kick off basketball season from Oct. 19 to 21, 2011, with Days of Madness, which started in 2003.

Niner Nation Stuffed Animals begins the first Day of Madness. CAB will be providing animals similar to the empty bears at Build-A-Bear Workshop for students to fill with cotton and their own special brand of love. After stuffing and sealing their animals, students will be provided with Niner Nation shirts to clothe their newfound friends. The stuffed animals that will be present include but are not limited to bears, huskies and kittens. The stuffed animals event will be in the Student Union Rotunda from 12 p.m. until 2 p.m.

Oct. 20, the second Day of Madness, will feature the 49er Carnival. This event is co-sponsored by the Resident Students Association (RSA) who will supply free food and free t-shirts at this event. The carnival will be located in the West Quad, the grassy area in between Belk Gym and the University Cone Center. It will feature classic carnival games, an inflatable wrecking ball and a basketball obstacle course in honor of the coming season. Cheer Nation is scheduled to perform.

“Events are different from year to year, the only thing that is the same is the carnival. It used to be called 49er Fire, and we made a bonfire at the front fields,” said Thanh Le, staff advisor of CAB. In recent

years the program went through some changes. As drought plagued the city, fire codes and water restrictions grew harsher, and the fire was decided against in some years.

“Bonfire equals spirit sometimes,” said Le about the reason for the fire. “Now we have face painting. Students can go to the Student Union to get the 49er symbol on their face. Or just paint their whole face in 49er colors.” Free face painting to instill school spirit will be available in the Student Union Rotunda from noon until 2 p.m.

Friday, Oct. 21, marks the last Day of Madness. The Poetry Café will take place at 7 p.m. in the Multipurpose Room of the Student Union. Students can go enjoy coffee and pastries and listen to featured Asia Project and Mayhem poets. These poets stray from the beaten path of such heavy poetry as spoken word by incorporating music and comedy in their shows. “[The Mayhem Poets] use their time [on stage] really well,” said Le. Most universities hold some form of madness for basketball season, and they plan them at different times. At other schools, madness events are held to celebrate the basketball team’s first practice.

CAB plans the events similarly around an event, but the event is different.

After the carnival on Thursday, Oct. 20, a scrimmage will be held in the Student Activities Center.

There will be two scrimmages: one between the women’s varsity team, and another between the men’s varsity team.

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RETENTION continued from p.1

The issue was foreseen, however, back in 2008 when the UNC Tomorrow Phase I and II were created. This vision statement outlined the plan for UNC Charlotte’s future covering everything from internal policies to improving public education. In an excerpt from the faculty and staff recruitment and retention section of Phase II, the fund’s possible shortage was discussed and a few departments of particular concern were listed.

“We anticipate that the pool of qualified applicants will increase at our university particularly in the areas of information technology, accounting, management and human resources, although we can anticipate continued struggles where available funding is insufficient to meet market demands for skills.”

Still, even having anticipated the circumstances, Bland says UNC Charlotte has been able to maintain no more than 19 percent of faculty with this fund.

“Our inability to make counter-offers in a highly competitive market is a serious

challenge for UNC Charlotte,” said Bland.

“The economic crisis has greatly reduced the university’s budget – by more than $33 million this year alone. At UNC Charlotte, over the last five years we have had 83 faculty receive outside offers and we were only able to offer and thus keep 15 of these faculty members with counter-offers and preemptive offers.”

Yet, it’s not only the education that leaves with these sought after professors.

With their expertise goes their grants and loyal graduate students; both assets to the campus.

Simply asking the legislature for more money however isn’t going to be that simple. The system has already suffered a 15.6 percent cut in their budget.

No matter how complicated the process will turn out to be, Bland says the problem is simple. “The demand was greater than the funds available.” As for the current year, it seems UNC Charlotte will have to prevail without it.

Third floor terrace opens in Student Union Ryan Pitkin

RPITKIN@UNCC.EDU

A new terrace will soon be opening on the top floor of the Student Union, but only for special events in the short term, according to Student Union Executive Director Jerry Mann.

As of now, the terrace would give anyone easy roof access, and Mann would feel more comfortable putting some security cameras on it before opening it up to general use. Nobody can access the terrace right now because the doors can only be unlocked by the keys that the construction company has.

The terrace was in the plan ever since the Student Union was first started. “We prepared the roof and windows so that we

could come back later on and put some sort of patio in,” said Mann.

The windows were put in so that they could be popped out and replaced with doors, a curb was put where a terrace railing would belong and, most importantly, the roof was built with a much higher maximum weight load than the average roof, said Mann.

Although currently there is no furniture on the terrace, Mann would like to have some sort of grand opening within the next month. “The window of weather that would make it comfortable to be out there is only open for the next couple of months,” said Mann. “We’re going to have to plan a party.

Nothing too extravagant. Just have someone go out there and kiss a baby and cut a ribbon.”

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NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

OPINION Are the dorms safe?

Analiz Laracuente-Espinal EDITORIALIST

Are the dorms in the high rises safe? With Domestic Violence Awareness month, questions about protection against violence and the assurance of safety have plagued many students on campus, particularly about the safety of the dorms.

As a current resident at one of the high rises, and with the support of all 11 of my hallmates, the high rises are safe.

As a freshman, I heard of many “horror” stories about people in the high rises. Most of these stories were about terrible, crazy roommates, the occasional story about a visit from the police due to drunkenness, or a morti-

fying bathroom experience.

However, the only story that ever truly worried me about oncampus safety was when an unidentified man went into Sanford/Moore, opening the rooms of girls to watch them sleep. At the time, I couldn’t help but begin to doubt my safety at the high rises.

After living here for two months, I can now say that while the safety of the high rises could be improved, I feel relatively safe. During the day, there is always an RA available on the first floor, watching who enters and who leaves.

The RAs are excellent at their jobs and can usually remember the faces of their hall residents, which reduces the chance of unidentified people

entering the building. At night, Bob, the security guard, will walk on all of the floors checking up on the students, and making sure there are no suspicious activities taking place (or to write you up for a noise complaint).

One improvement to security in the high rises is the fact that because our security guard makes checks by himself, that leaves the first floor open to anyone and could allow for people that do not live there to enter the building.

Instead of having one security guard, there should be two therefore decreasing the chances of a stranger coming into the building.

Also, our dorm is notorious for holding the door open for

people for fear of being rude.

While this action is done with good intentions, the SOAR video of what could happen if a stranger is allowed inside the building (theft, harassment) is a serious issue for everyone that lives there.

While some things about the high rises could be changed, it is a safe environment for all who live there. The RAs and security guards are well-trained and know how to handle situations that a residents may face while living there.

The high rises may not be the newest dorms on campus, however, the experience is a traditional, freshman experience and it wouldn’t be college without it.

Volume 24, Number 13 A PRODUCT OF

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What would the other side do?

Members of the opposite political parties give their opinion on what the other side should do in the upcoming election

Republicans should...

NINERTIMES

Democrats should...

Cheyenne Owens

OPINION EDITOR Gwen Shearman

ALARACUE@UNCC.EDU

With the 2012 elections coming up, the Republican Party has the opportunity to win the elections.

Despite this favorable opportunity, the Republicans should change the way they market their viewpoints and goals to the people by doing five simple things.

1. Expand your viewpoint.

The GOP must realize that it is not only representing the viewpoints of Republican supporters. This is the cause of all disagreements between both political parties.

Because the Republicans focus on only representing one point of view, they fail to support the interest of all of the American people. Keep in mind that the tax dollars of both Democrats and Republicans alike pay for their salaries!

2. Remember who you work for. Republicans should remember who they work for: the people. Perhaps it is the power that government officials obtain in the country that has allowed them to feel it is acceptable behavior to not vote on important bills and to take away programs that are very much needed and used.

Whatever the case, the Republicans should remember that the people voted them into office because they expected them to be able to do their jobs well and efficiently, acting in a manner that would benefit all of the United States.

3. Compromise more The GOP must learn to compromise and realize that not

everyone can be a winner.

They should not threaten to not vote - which would cause more money and tax dollars to be wasted- simply because they could not get their own bills passed.

The people are counting on you to do what is right!

4. Stop sabotaging Republicans should stop sabotaging Democrats and vice versa.

It is useless and does not give any solution to our current problems.

Instead, they should save their breaths and explain their plans for the future of America; how will they provide more jobs?

What do they plan to do better that the Democrats failed to do these past four years?

How are they going to get us out of this economic crisis they essentially put us in?

5. Quit listening to lobbyists.

Lastly, Republicans should neither listen to lobbyists nor allow them in government buildings (this should be a rule for all political parties)!

Lobbyists ruin all hope for equality and justice because they seek to make politicians support their views thus; eliminating the chance for the party to act in favor of the people they represent (ahem, the health bill).

Jordan McSwain

While all talk and no action is expected of politicians in any party, it was exceptionally noticeable with the large-scale “Change” campaign of 2008.

In 2012, there are two major things the Democratic Party could do to improve performance and maybe gain back some of the thousands of Liberals that the left lost after such a disappointing term.

1. Change the Slogan.

A f t e r what most viewed as a disastrous second term for President Bush, Americans from the left and the middle were ready for something new.

President Obama supplied that with a verbose campaign promising a variety of things that all came back to the root of change. Change in the amount of jobs available, change in the amount of soldiers overseas and our involvement in the Middle East, change in taxes, and the list goes on and on.

Actually, the list totals to 506 promises made by Obama during his campaigning and the microscopic number of 122, 24percent, were kept during the presidency.

The ones like creating a foreclosure prevention fund for homeowners, doubling the funds for cancer research, and closing Guantanamo Bay were all forgotten and left on the sides to deal with later.

VS

It is clear through staggering statistics that change only came to a small portion of Obama’s promises.

2. Take America Out of the Cradle.

In January of 2009, the month in which Obama was sworn in, the unemployment rate was 7.6, reaching one of the highest rates America has seen of 10.2 in the later part of his first year, and has now been held pretty steady from 9.0-9.2 since April of this year.

It’s tough to get a job and has been for quite some time now so government help is understandable. The issue isn’t helping people; the issue is instead helping every person that walks into the welfare office.

The theory of handing out money just because of a zip code is completely ridiculous. Families are broken and starving all across America and money that could be going to them is instead going to crooks who are signing Welfare forms with Rolexes on their arms.

The process to receive government funded help should be so much stricter than it is right now and should include extensive checks and information.

While this may take more time, is it not worth it to keep money from going to those only looking for a handout and instead being sent to families of single parents or broken homes who are swallowing pride to provide for their children?

Stop creating a cycle of dependency and make those who are able work and do a better job of providing more jobs so that people aren’t completely relying on free money.

Aaron Cress

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

Michael Jackson murder trial Maurii Davenport EDITORIALIST

Unless you’ve been living in solitary confinement, you’re well aware that the man accused of killing America’s beloved Michael Jackson is currently on trial. People are ripping him to shreds in the media, assassinating his name in blogs, discrediting his medical abilities in papers, and Twitter’s 200 million users aren’t cutting him a break either.

Ironically, the trial depicting Michael’s death is actually getting more heat than the case against MJ and his “young male” obsession. The question of the year would ultimately be, “Does America really think this man killed Mike?” or “Are they really just devastated that the King of Pop is dead?”

No answer.

One thing is for certain: Conrad Murray is undoubtedly one of the most loathed men walking Earth right now. Murray was once standing as Jackson’s personal doctor during his prep for the “This Is It” tour, but is now facing an involuntary manslaughter charge, a four-year sentence and the loss of his medical license. Doesn’t seem like enough punishment for murdering the hero every human being breathing.

As the story goes, MJ died of an overdose of the drug, propofol, which he was taking because of his lack of sleep. Prosecutors are accusing Murray of neglecting to take proper care of the music mogul, and acting recklessly by giving him medication that was not safe.

The world is livid at the idea that this doctor, who was supposed to be keeping Jackson healthy, was ultimately the one that injected him with a death potion.

The defense threw quite a curve ball when they presented their side of the case, saying that the Mike actually injected himself secretly when Conrad stepped out of the room.

Something feasible had to be said, considering Murray’s not guilty plea.

New findings in the case are not going in Conrad’s favor.

The name “Omar Arnold” is being tosses around in the trials first days, inferring that this was the alias name used for Michael Jackson. Documents found in Murray’s handwriting, mentioned Arnold, a patient that was suffering from insomnia and anxiety. He also made note of this same patient using a variety of medications including a bleaching cream. Is there even a question here? I think not.

The trial is proving to be sticky and biased, playing on Michael’s mental state during the time of his death. A video recording from Murray’s iPhone of MJ slurring his words was played at the trials opening.

On the tape, Michael speaks directly to Conrad about his upcoming tour saying, “My performances will be up there helping my children and always be my dream.

I loved them. I love them because I didn’t

If Dr. Conrad Murray is convicted of the manslaughter of Michael Jackson, he faces up to four years in prison. MCT Campus have a childhood. I had no childhood. I feel their pain. I feel their hurt. I can deal with it.”

Michael went on to say, “’Heal the World’, ‘We Are the World’, ‘Will You Be There’, ‘The Lost Children’… These are the songs I’ve written because I hurt, you know, I hurt.” Reports say certain members of the Jackson family, whom were in the courthouse the day the recording aired, showed undeniable anguish when they heard the details of this video.

Hearing your brother speak of emotional pain and his eerie jealousy of the kids around the world that got to play in sandboxes would cause me to make a face as well. One could only inquire why this information was shared in a court case about a man that overdosed.

It’s clear as day isn’t it? Prosecutors will surely suggest Conrad has been doping Michael up all along, to the point where even his words were coming out sloppy. If this is in fact, what Conrad had been up to, neglect is spot-on.

The trial seems to be putting quite a damper on Murray’s private life as well. So far, four women have been before a judge speaking of their relationship with him around the time of Jackson’s death.

One woman in particular, was actually on the phone with the doctor at the time that he realized Michael was no longer breathing. They were having a regular conversation when he suddenly lost track of the conversation and stopped speaking with her while their call was still connected.

The chat was allegedly cut short around 11:51 a.m. Now this woman was not the same as his at home girlfriend and mother of his child, whom said she talked with Murray on his ambulance ride with Michael. Nor was she his wife that he met in medical school. Or even the stripper that he left a voicemail for earlier that morning.

Conrad couldn’t pay attention to one wom-

an, let alone focus his time on one man.

Of course, all of this is unnecessary material as far as the trial goes, and the judge ruled to leave his personal business out where possible. Although, the damage was clearly done.

Controversy over the doctor’s honesty is steadily rising because of how Murray initially handled Michael’s death. He didn’t call authorities for help until 12:21, a full thirty minutes after he forgot about his mistress stuck on the other end of the phone.

It was also revealed that Murray was on the phone for 46 minutes of the hour that Jackson had actually died, instead of tending to him.

Just as I was thinking he can’t possibly piss off the human race more, a security guard came forward saying the doctor told him to pick up the prescription bottles and other medications and put them in a bag.

The naïve guard thought they were packing up to go to hospital.

Did he really think those meds would help Jackson at that point, whom reportedly died so quickly he couldn’t close his eyes or mouth?

Either way, a bag full of at least a dozen bottles of propofol was found hidden away in a cabinet in Michael’s home.

The odds aren’t looking too good for Murray. Regardless of which way the verdict goes, who’s going to trust the doctor that killed the star of the Jackson 5?

He can’t expect to continue a career in that field. Fleeing the United States is a possibility, but where would he go with even the third world countries attempting to moonwalk?

But I suppose walking free would be better than serving a four year sentence with other males in prison.

Michael’s crotch grabbing move might not be what he wants to endure in there.

PAGE 7

Who hearts boobies?

I don’t think that the Susan G. Komen Foundation is doing something wrong.

Maybe they have gotten really desperate in the marketing department, but whenever I hear “I heart Boobies,” it makes me want to throw up.

To me, it’s a ploy for men to say they like boobs.

Yes, we know men like them, but breast cancer is serious.

At the same time, when I hear the term “boobie,” I think of an immature term used in middle school.

Can someone please use the term breast or boob?

Breast cancer is a very serious illness that affects a lot of women and men around the world.

“In the United States alone, 1 in 8 women will conceive invasive breast cancer,” says breastcancer.org, and that is no laughing matter.

As a lifeguard over the summer, I watched many patrons come to my pool and swim.

One of my favorites was a young boy around the age of ten. Often times, he would wear a bracelet that said, “I heart boobies.”

In response, I often wondered if it was appropriate for a 10-year-old boy to wear something with that term.

I always would overhear him talking about other girls’ breasts at the pool in a disrespectful way.

I would often wonder, was it right for such a young boy to talk about women’s breast in general?

About six months ago, I called my grandparents, and they asked me to lunch. While driving with my grandparents, we stopped at a stoplight, and the car in front of us had a “save the ta-tas” sticker.

My grandfather seemed confused, and asked my 74 year old grandmother, “what is a ta-ta?”

With my grandmother unable to answer, I chirped up, “I think it has to do with breast cancer awareness.”

I wasn’t really sure how my grandfather would take it if I said the word, “breast or boob?” He later commented, “Why don’t they just say, ‘fight breast cancer?’”

I like the campaign with the pink ribbons, they seem to have a classy approach to the fight against breast cancer.

This week, the Charlotte 49ers women’s volleyball team will have their Dig Pink game.

The fundraiser nationally has raised $3.5 million since 2004, and I like their slogan, “Dig Pink.”

It’s classier, than selling bracelets that say, “I heart boobs.”

My greatest fear is that next time I am in the car with my grandparents, there will be a sticker on the back of the car with a picture of two boobs staring back at us.

Lets be respectful of women with breast cancer, and not make their illness a bumper sticker’s joke.

-Naughty Niner A

Photo courtesy of MCT Campus

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

A&E

ON CAMPUS:

Comedy Night ft. Tim Young Friday, October 14th 8:00 p.m.

Student Union Norms

AROUND CHARLOTTE: NASCAR Bank of America 500 Saturday, October 15th 7:30 p.m.

Charlotte Motor Speedway 555 Concord Parkway South

NEW IN THEATERS: Footloose The Big Year The Thing Limited Release: Chalet Girl

Julianne Hough talks “Footloose” remake first question, there’s nobody that could have done it justice the way that he has.

And I really am so proud. I think that the people that saw the original are going to be, you know, impressed with the things that didn’t need to be there for, you know, (era’s sake), you know, a generation’s sake, we took out and made it more current. And I think people that haven’t seen it, I think they’re just going to be, you know, surprised. I think that, you know, in our time right now in America, we kind of need a movie like this. There’s not a lot of teenage movies that have a lot of morals and messages and heart. It’s all about the CGI and – which, don’t get me wrong, I love watching. I just watched like “Transformers,” “Red Riding Hood,” and, like, “Green Lantern” last night in the hotel room, so I love those movies, but I think they’re – you know, it’s hard to come across a good, you know, teenage movie.”

On favorite “Footloose” moments

Kenny Wormald, as Ren, and Julianne Hough, as Ariel, star in the 2011 remake of the 1984 musical-drama “Footloose.” MCT Campus

Haley Twist AE@NINERONLINE.COM

Those who have heard Julianne Hough’s name might know her as a singer and a dancer, but with the release of “Footloose” a whole new side of her will emerge as an actress.

Hough is well-known from her appearances on “Dancing with the Stars” and from her self-titled country album which came out in 2007.

Her debut as a supporting actress was last year when she played a performer in “Burlesque” alongside Cher and Christina Aguilera.

But with the upcoming release of the “Footloose” remake audiences will see Hough’s true breakout role.

Hough was able to speak with Niner Times about her excitement for her role in the movie, her dancing career and her new love of acting.

On the director, Craig Brewer

“I think there wouldn’t have been a better choice to do this film other than Craig Brewer. I think that because he is so well known for his gritty movies and how real and honest they are. It would be very easy to take something like “Footloose,” which, you know, back in the day, it was not bubble-gum, but when you look back at it, it kind of seems a little cheesy. But it’s very easy to make that cheesy again. I think that he did justice with giving the same heart

that you felt when you were watching it in 1984 as I think you do today. So, yes, I think he was the perfect choice.”

On singing, dancing and acting

“Well, a lot of people don’t know this, but I’ve been singing, dancing and acting my whole life.

And I just was discovered as a dancer, so I think that’s how people wanted to know me as. So, actually, I don’t think I could choose what I like better.

I think each career path that I’ve chosen has fulfilled something different inside of me. But I have to say, like, with the momentum that I have right now in this world, in the film world, I want to keep going. This has been such an amazing experience doing “Footloose,” and then I just – I shot “Rock of Ages,” and I finished that a couple weeks ago, and just the amount of focus and hard work and fun that goes into it, it’s a combination of everything. And so I’m just going to be focusing on that.”

On remaking “Footloose”

“When I first found out they were doing a remake of an iconic movie like “Footloose” which, like, is really close to my heart, like, I grew up watching this movie and, you know, I lived in Utah where it was filmed. I thought the same thing, like, ugh, remakes, they suck, you know? Like, nobody ever does them justice and – but then when I did find out that Craig Brewer was attached, then there’s nobody – like I said in the

“I have a lot. I mean all the dances were so much fun because there was just like good energy. We were around a lot of our friends. The cowboy scene, my mom and my three sisters are actually in, and so that was really fun, having them on set. But a lot of the scenes that I really loved were the ones that really challenged my acting. Like my scene that I do with Dennis Quaid in the church, where, you know, it’s very emotional, and it goes back through a lot of emotions and things that I’ve gone through. And it was very rewarding at the end. So I have to say, like, obviously the dancing stuff was really fun, but some of my favorite scenes were, like, the Dennis Quaid scenes. And then when I’m in the rail cart with Ren and I’m basically coming on to him and showing, you know, my dark side, and he basically turns me down. Then you see this vulnerable side of her, and you really get to see kind of who she really is. So, yes, I loved, I don’t know, I just loved everything about the movie. I really did.”

On living without dance

“I don’t think I could [live without dance], but I think that, for this movie in particular, yes, that’s what is banned, but there’s a lot of things that are banned around the world. And it usually always stems from something tragic that has happened in that area, in that town, you know? And so it would be horrific for me if I couldn’t dance, but that’s what this movie’s about, though. It’s about showing this kid, Ren, coming into town who everybody assumes is going to be this like, you know, macho bully trouble-maker, when, in fact, he’s one of the most moral, grounded and respectful of all the people in the town. And he goes up and he fights for something that he believes. And I think what I was saying earlier, I think in this moment, in this time, we need to fight for what we believe in. And I think kids in this generation, too, they don’t really they kind of expect things and they don’t work hard and they don’t fight for what they want.

They just kind of let it pass them by or they just expect that they’re going to get it. So I think this really shows just the heart and the drive that these kids have.

And hopefully it motivates people to do the same.”

On the originality of the remake

“It’s very true [to the original]. I mean the director had on his script, he

had blue tabs and white tabs. Everything that he kept from the original was tabbed blue, and then things he changed were tabbed white. And you would be surprised how much of the script was actually blue, like literally word for word.

He always says, like, if it’s not broken, don’t fix it. So we chose a lot to keep in there. And just things that didn’t make sense for this generation or to make it more in-depth and to understand why the town’s the way that it is or why Ariel is acting out. You know, for instance, in this version, Ren, he doesn’t come to town with his mom. His mom is gone.

So there’s the loss of his mom and then the loss of Ariel’s brother and the loss of these kids in this town, so that was something that everybody had in common, so you would really tell the tone of the movie. The one thing that we did change that we’re really happy we did was we set the tone of the movie right at the beginning. In the first five minutes, there’s an accident that happens, and you see, you can understand, you can sympathize with the parents of the town that just, they just want to protect your souls. Of course, they do, but they don’t, they’re not saying you’re going to go to Hell if you dance. They’re saying we want to protect you. If you start dancing, then it can lead to this, and it can lead to this, and it can lead to that, and then maybe you can get in a car crash and die like the other five seniors did.

So I think it’s more about that in this version, rather than like the religion aspect. So those are some things that we changed.”

On dance training differences between “Footloose” and DWTS

“Oh, it was very different. We learned a lot of the dances, just like bits and pieces of them, before we actually started shooting, because once we were shooting we didn’t really have any time to learn the dances. It would be like if we had a dance routine on a Monday or Tuesday, the week before we would have shot all week, while the dancers were preparing and rehearsing, and then Kenny and I would come in on Saturday after we’ve probably been shooting all night, we’d learn it on Saturday. We had to have Sunday off, because of rules and stuff, and we would shoot it on Monday and Tuesday. So luckily, we kind of new the foundation, and then we would just go in and learn it on Saturday. So it was a good thing that Kenny and I, like, were already dancers, because it probably would have been pretty hard, but, yes, very different. On ‘Dancing with the Stars,’ like, we would be every day for 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for 14 weeks. So, yes, it’s very, very different.”

On DWTS starting her career

“I owe basically everything I have to being on ‘Dancing with the Stars.’ I think that the exposure that I got and the fan base that have been so amazing and followed me from day one there to, you know, my music and my acting now, yes, I definitely would not be [where I am] today without that show.

So, I mean, it was definitely a platform for me to do these other things, but I definitely know where I came from, and I’m so grateful for the show.”

“Footloose” hits theaters on Friday, Oct. 14th. It currently has a fresh rating of 78 percent on Rottentomatoes.com.

Interview continued on Nineronline.com

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

Lifetime updates “Amanda Knox” Lee Pham LPHAM7@UNCC.EDU

Lifetime has updated the 2011 TV movie “Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy” following the recent court acquittal of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito.

The film features new closing cards in lieu of the court’s decision to acquit Knox and Sollecito and the prosecutor’s vow to appeal the overturn.

“Amanda Knox” is based on a true story and premiered in February amidst controversy about the murder of Meredith Kercher and the portrayal of Knox, played by actress Hayden Panettiere.

Knox is an American student from Seattle who traveled to Perugia, Italy to study abroad at the University of Foreigners in 2007. She was 20 years old at the time.

She shared an apartment with three women, including British exchange student Meredith Kercher, who was also studying abroad at the same university.

Kercher’s body was found slain in her bedroom on Nov. 1, 2007.

Knox and her Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito became primary suspects after police questioning.

Knox and Sollecito initially claimed that they slept at Sollecito’s apartment during the night of the Sollecito told police that it was possible that Knox could have left his apartment during the night that police became suspicious of the couple.

Hayden Panettiere portrays Amanda Knox in “Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy.”

Italian police proceeded to interrogate Knox for 14 hours (13 hours in the film). She claims that police were hostile towards her during the ordeal, denying her food and water, speaking in Italian (she had only spoken the language

Barry Falls

Promoting their third studio album “Time Travel,” indie pop quartet Never Shout Never began touring in midSeptember. “Time Travel” is the band’s third full-length album and the first album from the band to feature a full, permanent group of band members.

Never Shout Never is scheduled to make a quick stop in Charlotte at Amos’ Southend Music Hall this Sunday alongside A Rocket to the Moon, Fake Problems and Carter Hulsey.

Formed in 2005, Never Shout Never (then just one word) was basically only singer-songwriter Christofer Drew with added instrumentalists. With the help of social networking websites like MySpace and through touring with other pop bands, Never Shout Never quickly found an audience eager to hear their music, which lead to AP Magazine naming the band “Artist of the Year.”

After about five years of sifting through different band members and

Kim K. Wedding Scarlett Newman SNEWMAN6@UNCC.EDU

Amanda Knox in Italy’s Perugia court for her appeal trial on Monday, Oct. 3 2011. Photos courtesy of MCT Campus

for two months) and deceiving her into signing incriminating statements.

Under extreme stress and exhaustion, she told police that she had seen her boss, Patrick Lumumba, enter Kercher’s bedroom on the night of the murder.

Knox and Lumumba were arrested the next day, Nov. 6.

The same day, Knox wrote a letter to police describing in detail where she was on the night of the murder. She placed herself at Sollecito’s apartment and retracted in part some of her signed statements.

The letter reads, “In regards to this ‘confession’ that I made last night, I want to make clear that I’m very doubtful of the verity of my statements because they were made under the pressures of stress, shock and extreme exhaustion. Not only was I told I would be arrested and put in jail for 30 years, but I was also hit in the head when I didn’t remember a fact correctly.”

Lumumba was cleared and released weeks later when DNA found on Kercher’s body and the crime scene pointed to a fourth suspect, Rudy Guede.

The prosecution’s case suggests that Guede, Knox and Sollecito raped and murdered Kercher during a sex game gone wrong.

All three have denied the allegations.

Guede was ultimately found guilty of the sexual assault and murder of Kercher and sentenced to 30 years in prison on Oct. 8, 2008. The sentence was reduced to 16 years by an appeal in March 2010.

Knox and Sollecito were found guilty

and sentenced to 26 years and 25 years, respectively.

Knox was also charged with “calunnia,” the Italian word for slander.

Knox’s and Sollecito’s defense teams filed appeals in April 2010. During the process, the court reexamined evidence presented by the prosecution.

Forensic experts determined that Kercher’s DNA found on a knife owned

by Sollecito was present due to contamination, not because it was the murder weapon, which the prosecution had argued.

Without a murder weapon, the prosecution’s case fell apart and Knox and Sollecito were acquitted on Oct. 3, 2011.

Shortly after, Lifetime updated “Amanda Knox: Murder on Trial in Italy” to mention the rulings.

The closing caption reads, “On Monday, October 3, 2011, a court of appeals in Perugia, Italy, overturned the convictions of Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito for the murder of Meredith Kercher. The court affirmed the conviction of Knox for defamation for falsely accusing Patrick Lumumba.

“Knox and Sollecito were freed after four years in prison.

“Previously, court-appointed forensic experts had harshly criticized the handling of DNA evidence by investigators, citing more than 50 errors in forensic procedure. The DNA evidence had played an important role in the lower court’s convictions of Knox and Sollecito, which have now been overturned.

“Prosecutor Mignini has vowed an appeal to Italy’s highest criminal court.”

Never Shout Never coming to Amos’ B FA L L S 4 @ U N C C . E D U

PAGE 9

keeping the spotlight on himself, Drew finally settled on a permanent set of band members who each shared a similar vision of how they wanted the new Never Shout Never album to sound.

Drew has gone on record as saying that he wanted the new album to be a little more trippy and inspired by the idea of time travel, citing The History as a muse.

With lyrics like “he said kid you don’t know shit/ you should go back home and live/ in that quiet little town you left behind,” and a climax similar to that of The Killers’ “Everything Will Be Alright,” Time Travel climaxes early in the album exploring themes of timetravel. Drew’s new-age influences come out on this track.

A heavier side of Never Shout Never comes out on “Silver Ecstasy.” Written by drummer Caleb Denison, “Silver Ecstasy” is the first track by the band that is not written by Drew. The story of Drew’s break-up continues with “Robots” as Drew recounts feeling emotionally numb.

“Until I Die Alone” is a track that would be better left off the album. Drew sings “I have thought so many times/ what my life would be like without you” in a fit of melodrama. While it seems the band wanted “Until I Die Alone” to implement heart-felt drama and emotional minimalism with this track, it comes off as whiney.

“Lost At Sea” brings the album to an anthemic close. Recounting the story of a time when Drew was experiencing a mental breakdown, Drew sings “sorrows to the sea/ we’re headed to nowhere/ but nowhere is somewhere to me.”

Here “Lost At Sea” uses oceanic metaphors and lyrical simplicity to paint a watered-down picture of a man losing his sanity.

In a recent press release for “Time Travel,” Drew said that he wants the band to “hopefully let people know that we’re here to have fun with music, not just to make money. cduced since the 70’s.

Continued on Nineronline.com

Last weekend E! Television network aired a two-part special, “Kim’s Fairytale Wedding: A Kardashian Event,” highlighting the ups and downs of Kim Kardashian’s wedding process.

Businesswoman and socialite Kim Kardashian wed New York Nets basketball player Kris Humphries. They met at one of Humphries’ games and Kardashian claimed Humphries was “the one” after seeing him play that night.

As usual, you do not get a Kardashian wedding without tons of drama. In part 1 of the Kardashian wedding special, the bride and groom to be are in constant debate regarding planning of the wedding.

Kardashian made it clear to her fiancée and her family that she has been planning her dream wedding since she was ten years old and wants to feel like royalty for a day.

Hump, as the family calls Humphries, wanted to respect Kardashian’s wish to have the wedding of her dreams but did not want to be left out of the planning process.

At first Humphries did not approve of many decisions Kardashian made with and without him, such as the gift registery and the wedding cake, but he was finally able to come to terms with the final outcome.

While all the planning for the wedding was going on, Kris Jenner, the Kardashian “Mom-a-ger” (mother and manager) was in the middle of serious cosmetic surgery and could not be deeply involved in the planning of the wedding, but still came out on top as a super mom.

As a whole the family did not make it easy for Humphries, specifically Kourtney and Khloé (Kardashian’s sisters).

Khloé, who is married to L.A. Lakers star, Lamar Odom, expressed to Hump that she found it very opportunistic of him to be marrying Kardashian. She feels that he is trying to “come up off” of Kardashian’s money. Hump and Khloé have strong outgoing personalities and have clashed since the day they met.

She constantly questions Hump’s intentions with her sister.

Since Kardashian announced her engagement, designers such as Tom Ford and Vera Wang have sent in sketches for Kardashian to choose her wedding dress from.

Continued on Nineronline.com

PAGE 10

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

FEATURES

Rankings prove university’s prestige This list highlights the different placements of UNC Charlotte on various rankings by different news outlets; these rankings establish the university as a notable educational institution Ariel Duke ADUKE5@UNCC.EDU

Charlotte is ranked in the top 20 largest cities in the United States based on population by the 2010 census and between the years 1980 and 2008 the population of Charlotte doubled. In relation to the growth of the city of Charlotte, UNC Charlotte has also expanded in more ways than one. The college began under a different name in 1946 with only 278 freshmen; whereas, in 2010 the number of students enrolled was 25,063.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

In 2011, US News ranked UNC Charlotte 194 on a list of all the national universities. To be considered a “national university,” a school must offer a range of undergraduate, Master’s and doctoral degree programs.

US News ranked the graduate program in special education in the top 25 of its field.

US News ranked the Belk College of Business’s part-time Master’s of Business Administration program as number 59 out of 192 schools.

US News ranked the graduate program in counseling in the top 25 of its field.

US News ranked the graduate program in nursing anesthesia in the top 25 of its field.

US News ranked UNC Charlotte’s School of Nursing No. 127 out of 442 on a list of graduate nursing schools.

Washington Monthly ranked UNC Charlotte No. 171 out of 258 on a list of the national universities based on its contribution to the public good in 2011.

While some of these rankings seem low, at least UNC Charlotte made the rankings among prestigious educational institutions in North Carolina, the United States and even more significantly, the world.

These ratings will most likely improve as UNC Charlotte develops a football team and as enrollment rises even higher.

Many people may wonder why so many students choose UNC Charlotte to further their education. When asked this question the responses range from people not being admitted into their first choice school to UNC Charlotte had the program they were looking for. Those things may be true for some students, but there are many other reasons people choose to come to UNC Charlotte.

This list of rankings may explain just why so many people choose UNC Charlotte to solidify an educational foundation that directly impacts the success of their future careers.

8 9 10 11 12

US News ranked the graduate program in biological sciences as No. 195 out of 220.

US News ranked the graduate program in computer science No. 99 out of 121.

13 14

US News ranked the undergraduate business program No. 88 out of 382 schools.

US News ranked the graduate program in mathematics No. 111 out of 119.

In 2008, US News ranked UNC Charlotte No. 9 on a list of the “Top 10 Most Up-and-coming Universities.”

Forbes ranked UNC Charlotte as No. 493 out of 650 on a list of the best colleges in America.

4icu.org, a national directory of colleges and universities, ranked UNC Charlotte as the No. 8 university in North Carolina in 2011.

So next time someone asks “Why UNC Charlotte?” remember these ranking before just responding that UNC Charlotte is one of the few affordable colleges.

These rankings prove that UNC Charlotte is competitive in the education realm, endeavoring to provide all students with quality educations.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

PAGE 11

Running club charges across campus Olivia Stott OSTOTT@UNCC.EDU

Since January 2011, the Running Club has taken charge across the UNC Charlotte campus.

The club was started by senior Michael Cannady, and it provides great opportunity for people of all experience levels, from high school track stars to people just wanting to stay in shape.

Cannady and a few of his friends who are now his fellow officers for the Running Club began meeting together last August to run. Not as an official club or anything, just a few guys meeting together to push each other in their running ambitions.

Then they began the process of developing their idea into an official club by getting it approved as a student organization and sports club along with all of the nitty-gritty paperwork and details.

“When the club started in January of this year, we had about 10 - 12 people coming out, but now we have about 25 people in the running club. I am expecting a lot of growth soon because of all of the people who run on campus on their own. We hope to get the word out there about our club so people will come together with us so we can push each other and encourage each other with our running even more,” said Cannady.

The Running Club meets four times each week on Monday through Thursday to run three to four miles each day on trails around campus. To be in the club, you only have to go to one practice each week, but several members take advantage of practicing every day in preparation for the Charlotte marathon.

There are no fees or charges to be in the club, just filling out some basic paperwork and a desire to be in shape and to become a better runner. As with any club or student organization, lasting friendships and bonds are formed, friendships with people who can help and encourage with issues even outside of running.

“We have running club members from all different experience levels. About 80 percent has had a track or crosscountry background, while about 20 percent have never run on a team before. Several new people have really stuck with it too. For new people and experienced runners alike, our goal is just to increase our endurance and distance,” said Cannady.

There is currently a mix of freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors in the Running Club.

Many freshmen have joined after hearing about the club during NinerNight at SOAR over the summer. They have also gotten word out about the Running Club through similar campus events.

“The Running Club is unique on campus because similar things have done before, but then have never really worked. Prior attempts at similar clubs were competition driven, but what makes us different is that we base our club around something we enjoy doing as a hobby. We do often compete in local marathons going on, but that is not the main goal of our club,” said Cannady.

The Running Club was first started by a core group of four students who became the officers: Michael Cannady, majoring in history, is the president; Landon Robinson, majoring in computer science, is the vice president; John West, also majoring in computer science, is the treasurer; and Jacob Cross, majoring in marketing, is the secretary.

“When Landon, John, Jacob and I began the club we did it because we all enjoyed running as a hobby and we had running as a common interest. We can see the Running Club becoming huge on campus, and we can’t wait.

We want people to get out and start with the Running Club even if you have no prior experience,” said Cannady.

All the officers of the Running Club agree that while they were running on their own, it was easy to get discouraged, and it became a little monotonous running around campus listening to the iPod. What makes the Running Club successful is that it brings people with common interests together, people who can push each other and encourage each other to do better.

The members of the Running Club currently have several opportunities to compete coming up, including the Homecoming 5K, Charlotte marathon and 5K in uptown Charlotte.

Members do not have to go out to compete, but it is encouraged because it is a way for members to take advantage of these occasions by applying their practice to a competitive tract.

If the officers or members find competitions, they just present it to each other and find a group to go with, not difficult, pressuring or binding at all, just opportunities to put their running skills and practice to the test.

“The basis for why we started the club was to get the

Stretch beforing running can help prevent pulling muscles; these may be helpful for beginners. Photo courtesy of MCT Campus push from others that you don’t get when you’re running and training by yourself. We desired to run, connect and train with others while bonding too. It also has the social aspect where you can make friends who you can count on.

The Running Club is great because it provides an opportunity to train without the super stressed environment. We encourage people to just come out and get involved,” said Cannady.

PAGE 12

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

Making ventures at UNC Charlotte Iris Hunter IDHUNTER@UNCC.EDU

To students who enjoy nature, appreciate challenges, and like to participate in outdoor or indoor activities, joining Venture may sound appealing. Venture allows students to engage in some exciting outdoor activities while also honing leadership abilities as well as personal development.

Venture was established in 1971, after a pilot program of 15 people went through a two-week North Carolina Outward Bound course. They learned about things such as map and compass reading, first aid, rock climbing and leadership. This program gave students a chance to interact with each other outside of the classroom and provided the opportunity for personal growth among students.

Marion McClure, assistant director of Venture, has been working with Venture for a little over seven months now. McClure has enjoyed her time here at UNC Charlotte; she has learned a significant amount from students and the professional staff.

Venture offers numerous activities that students can get involved in. One thing that Venture offers is weekend trips. Yes, weekend trips! On these trips, students can go hiking, back packing, sea kayaking, whitewater kayaking and even caving.

The unique venture sign. Photo by Oleg Zigalenko

Venture Participants kayak the waters on a Venture sponsored trip outside of the university. Photo courtesy of Venture.

A favorable feature of these trips is they are open to the public, even though a majority of the group is UNC Charlotte students.

Day trips, overnight trips and fall break trips are also offered through Venture.

Prior experience is not necessary to go on a trip since the Venture staff will train well in advance. All students have to do is pay a fee and fill out some paperwork.

How simple is that?

The trips are filled on a first-come, first served basis; if students are interested in any of the planned activities, they need to immediately sign up in order to reserve a space.

There are some upcoming trips that students can sign up for, including whitewater kayaking, the grandfather mountain day hike, the Lake Jocassee flat-water paddling and Crowder’s Mountain rock climbing. The Venture website provides the exact dates of these trips are and if there are any spaces still available.

Sometimes students may not be ready for any of the outdoor activities. If that is in fact the case, they can try an indoor activity, such as the Venture climbing wall, which is located in the Student Activity Center (SAC). The climbing wall is open to UNC Charlotte students, staff and faculty.

Guests are also welcome, but they must be accompanied by a UNC Charlotte student and pay the SAC guest fee of $5. Gear must be rented in order to engage in this activity, but personal equipment is also welcomed.

After the first time climbing, there is a small fee associated with this activity. This information can be found online.

During the fall semester, the hours of operation for the climbing wall are from 5:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

There are student employment opportunities offered within Venture through VOLTAGE, which is a training program that helps individuals learn to develop the

knowledge and skills needed to become a responsible and reliable group leader.

McClure wants students to know several things regarding Venture.

Primarily, for most things that Venture does, participants do not need previous experience because Venture offers 49ers various opportunities throughout each academic year where participants do not have be hardcore outdoorsy people.

Additionally, Venture generally provides all the equipment needed for scheduled activities, and students are taught everything they need to know before participating in any activity.

After trying out many Venture activities, students may end up wanting to engage in more.

There is more to Venture than just the physical activities. Students can learn further about this group by signing up for newsletters, visiting the Venture Facebook page and contacting the Venture office, which is located in the Cone Center.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

PAGE 13

DOWNTIME 13

Thursday

Free HIV and Syphilis Testing 11am - 3pm SU 200, 262, 265, 267

National Latino Awareness Day encourages HIV & Syphilis prevention, testing and counseling.

14

Friday

Hispanic Speaker Night 7pm - 9:30pm SU 340 A & B

Hispanic Speaker Night is the 3rd of 4 events that LASO does for Hispanic Heritage Month. There will be a formal dinner followed by a speaker.

15

Saturday

Game Day

11am - 9pm Cone University Center

The UNC Charlotte Guild sponsors a day of various board, card, miniatures, and other games. There will be food at the event and all students are welcomed.

16

Sunday

Rock Bottom Boot Camp

4pm - 5pm Barnhardt Student Activity Center Rock Bottom Boot Camp is an intense total body workout that uses many different exercises to target many muscles.

17

18

Monday

Sound and Fury: Film and Panel Discussion

7pm - 9pm Student Union Theater

Tuesday

Campus Cleanup 10am - 2pm Belk Tower and CHHS Plaza

“Sound and Fury” doccuments a family’s struggle over whether or not to provide two deaf children with cochlear implants, devices that can stimulate hearing.

The Office of Waste Reduction invites everyone to participate in their Campus Cleanup. Students can contact Devin Hatley at dhatley@uncc. edu to register for the event.

FOR RELEASE OCTOBER 24, 2011

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

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

The answers:

Get the answers at www.nineronline.com/downtime

ACROSS 1 Use a rotary phone 5 Common movie theater name meaning “jewel” 10 Cheat (out of) 14 Regarding 15 Accustom (to) 16 Cad 17 Armstrong who took a “giant leap for mankind” 18 1966 Tommy James and the Shondells hit 20 Release 22 Comes up, as the sun 23 Not working 24 Knock for a loop 26 1958 Connie Francis hit 30 Printer’s widths 33 Is wearing 34 First application line to fill in 35 Sheep sound 36 “My turn to bat!”

37 Untrue 39 List of choices 40 Fed. pollution monitor 41 Rani’s wrap 42 Gave a hoot 43 Mineo of “Rebel Without a Cause” 44 1956 Little Richard hit 47 Puts on 48 1982 Disney sci-fi film 49 Wedding site 52 Dinner alternative, on a 39-Across 56 1965 Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs hit 59 Cat that roars 60 Auditorium 61 Remark between actor and audience 62 Aware of 63 Nothing but 64 Do a lawn job 65 Mellows, as wine DOWN 1 Pioneer Boone, folksily 2 “Understood” 3 Working busily

10/24/11

By Michael Wiesenberg

4 Sweet sucker 5 “Look!”

6 “Right away!”

7 Popular wedding month 8 Comedic TV alien’s planet 9 Turn you hang, in slang 10 Scarecrow’s lack 11 Electrified particles 12 Gospel writer 13 Islets 19 Bluenose 21 Thor’s father 24 Luxury hotel bathroom features 25 Clock readout 26 Acts skittish 27 Florida city on its own bay 28 Pub order, with “the” 29 Dark 30 Thumbs-up reviewer 31 “Olympia” painter Édouard 32 Riyadh resident 37 Goat-man of myth 38 Painting and sculpture, e.g.

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

39 Hawaiian volcano 41 Building level 42 Swamp beast 45 “That’s good enough” 46 On edge, as nerves 47 Dawdle 49 Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears __” 50 Bank offer

10/24/11

51 Bridge crossing charge 52 Father-daughter boxers 53 Workplace for the 52-Down 54 Handy bag 55 Grandson of Adam who reputedly lived to 905 57 Place for a drink 58 Consume

PAGE 14

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

SPORTS

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Men’s Soccer vs St. Bonaventure Women’s Volleyball vs Rhode Island Fri. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Fri. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Men’s Soccer vs Duquesne

Women’s Volleyball vs Fordham

Sun. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Sun. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Women’s Tennis @Davidson Fall Invite Women’s Soccer @ St. Bonaventure Sat. TBA, Davidson, NC

Fri. 3pm, St. Bonaventure, NY

Reading into Reed Brian Chan

BCHAN1@UNCC.EDU

In her first three seasons with the Charlotte 49ers women’s volleyball team, senior libero/defensive specialist Abbie Rees played in all but four of the 92 matches. Six games into the 2011 season, Rees went down to an ankle injury, which kept her on the sidelines for a month. During her recovery, Rees, who holds a strong passion for providing help for others, seized the opportunity to reach out to her teammates, being the difference maker she has been throughout her life.

Rees was coming off a solid season, in which she achieved a career-high 271 digs, averaging 2.91 per set.

Having reached the Atlantic-10 Tournament in each of the past two seasons, the Niners came into the year picked to finish fifth in the conference preseason poll, looking to advance past the first round of the tournament.

After experiencing an unexpected twist prior to the home opener last month, Rees encountered the toughest task of her collegiate volleyball career, overcoming an injury that led to her missing six matches, but she was able to maintain a positive outlook by being one of the team’s key supporters.

“It allowed me to help the team in other aspects while I was on the sidelines and make sure that I was still talking, keeping them excited and energized,” said Rees.

While she plays an important role on the court, Rees remains actively involved in the community. In addition to partaking in a Big Brother, Big Sister program at Ranson Middle School with her teammates, Rees is a member of the student organization volunteer group Niners Chippin’ In. Rees recounts her experience with volunteer work all the way back to when she was young, where she was part of a singing show at nursing homes.

“That was my first volunteering experience that really made me love it,” said Rees.

Amazed by her early volunteering experience, Rees continued to volunteer at nursing homes during eighth grade, working with the patients with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

Last summer, Rees traveled to Thailand and lived in an orphanage for a month. Rees’ volunteer work with ProWorld involved her interacting with the children.

“It was one of the best experiences in my life,” said Rees. “I taught and played volleyball with the kids at the orphanage. I also helped tutor them with their English homework.”

Rees, who has been an effective communicator throughout her volleyball career, admitted to having initial doubts on teaching English classes at the school that she ended up enjoying the experience.

“I thought that it was going to be really hard, but I absolutely loved it,” said Rees.

Rees also cited the culture aspect as a huge learning experience for her.

“It really broadened my horizon, seeing a different cul-

Senior libero Abbie Rees serves as the anchor for the 49ers. Photos provided by Charlotte Sports Information ture, kind of being like a missionary,” said Rees. “I know how to cook Thai food now, and I can speak some Thai. I also went to a 24-hour meditation with monks.”

Rees, who is currently applying for the Peace Corps, states that she’s highly motivated by her willingness to help people and make a difference.

“Whatever I do, I want to make sure that I’m doing something that’s making a difference, whether it be globally or nationally,” said Rees.

Throughout her life, Rees has been driven by her passions, especially in the classroom. Rees, a psychology major minoring in gerontology and women’s studies, arrived at Charlotte four years ago with an undeclared major. Rees hoped to get involved in fashion, but struggled to find a match between her field of interest and what the school had to offer.

“We had nothing with fashion in our school, so my advisor told me to do business,” said Rees.

The experiment with pursuing a business degree didn’t last long as Rees shifted gears in her second semester of

college and turned to another of her passions. Rees made the switch to psychology after taking several courses at Charlotte and was later involved in an internship at a nursing home, where she worked with the activities director and the Alzheimer’s and dementia unit. Although she never got the opportunity to study fashion in college, Rees acknowledges the satisfaction she received out of the transition into psychology.

“I’m definitely happy with the way it has turned out,” said Rees.

As one of the three seniors on this year’s team, Rees considers her four years to have gone by rapidly, becoming one of the vocal leaders. Rees recalls her first year with the team as being nervous before she even stepped onto the court.

“I found out what the fitness tests were the summer before I came,” said Rees. “I was so anxious because although I was working out, I wasn’t prepared for that level of fitness, but I came in and succeeded.”

After succeeding on her fitness tests, Rees faced another challenge in being able to compete at the collegiate level.

“In preseason, I expected it to be extremely hard, but I felt really prepared from my high school preseasons and club volleyball,” said Rees.

During her freshman year, Rees also managed to build relationships with her teammates and looked up to the seniors as major influences to her early development.

Four years later, Rees has emerged as a leader on the team. Rees points out that her experience has helped her provide support for the younger players, with freshman right side Laura Cantrell as one of her “sisters” on the team.

“Bianca [Rouse] and LC are my sisters,” said Rees. “I room with them everywhere we go on trips, and we do little things for each other. LC is a great player. She asks for advice, and we help her, giving her pointers on what she should do in her freshman year.”

Despite a slow start in conference play this year, Rees still believes that the talent on the team can help vault Charlotte into the postseason. The Niners still seek their first A-10 Tournament win as a member of the conference, and Rees, who returned from injury late last month, feels that the team is capable of achieving a few upset wins and further expanding on their goals.

“Making a difference” is a motto that Rees has followed throughout her life, both as an active member of the community and a key contributor on the court. Through her altruistic ways, she identifies herself as a difference maker in the challenges she encounters in life.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

PAGE 15

Niners now sit at No.15 in latest NSCAA national rankings This past weekend, the Charlotte 49ers traveled north to take on UMass and Rhode Island in their first weekend of A-10 conference play.

Joel Hanel

JHANEL1@UNCC.EDU

This past weekend, the Charlotte 49ers traveled north to take on UMass and Rhode Island in their first weekend of A-10 conference play. Coming home, they had successfully blown past the Minutemen 2-1, and tied against Rhode Island Rams 1-1.

Against the Minutemen, the Niners fell behind early, as UMass scored off of a corner kick in the 11th minute.

Fighting from behind, the Niners attacked in full force recording eleven shots in the first half alone, all of which were unsuccessful. In the second half, the Niners returned the pressure, recording several more shots including those by Thomas Allen, Evan James and Guiseppe Gentile.

“Today’s game showed the tremendous soccer played in the Atlantic 10,” said Coach Jeremy Gunn. “I was so proud that our team kept their composure and showed an unbelievable drive and perseverance to get a tough road win.”

Despite all of these shots, the Niners still trailed until a Donnie Smith corner kick in the 66th minute of play. The shot sailed into the box, and the sophomore Thomas Allen headed the ball behind the UMass keeper to tie the game up, and give Allen his second goal of the season.

With a tied game, the Niners were unable to tack on the victory during regulation despite several close chances, includ-

ing a header by senior Charles Rodriguez that would have gone in despite a close save by the UMass keeper.

At the end of regulation, both teams set up to decide the fate of the game, and in the first overtime period, the game was still scoreless. Only two shots had been taken in the short period, one by the 49ers and one by the Minutemen.

Finally in the second period the Niners scored in an attack that began with Evan James passing to T.J. Beaulieu outside of the box. Beaulieu moved into the box, passing to the freshman Gentile, who rocketed a low shot into the back of the net, giving the Niners their first conference win.

“Guiseppe scored an unbelievable goal to win the game,” said Coach Gunn after the game. “We were very composed on the build up to the goal. Guiseppe took a wonderful shot to score the game-winning goal.”

In the second game of the weekend, the 49ers came out full force in the first half when senior Evan James crossed to his freshman teammate Guiseppe Gentile in the box, giving Gentile the shot in the 17th minute. The ball hit the crossbar, but still went behind the Rhode Island keeper, giving Gentile his third goal of the season.

Despite this early goal by the 49ers, the Rams responded in the second half, scoring in the upper left corner of the Niners’ net.

With a tied up game, the Niners had several scoring chances, including two

Charlotte earns split during brief homestand with A-10 win over Rhode Island Joel Hanel

JHANEL1@UNCC.EDU

One win and one loss this weekend might have boosted the Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer conference play in the right direction as they lost first to UMass on Friday, but came back with a spectacular win on Sunday against Rhode Island.

In the first game against UMass, the Niners fell 2-1 in a heartbreaker despite a great goal by Oni Bernard in the 30th minute of play. After a shot by Sarah Ann Waugh that was blocked by the UMass keeper, Bernard got her foot on the ball in the box, and scored past the keeper. The goal was Bernard’s third of the season.

In the first half, UMass had scored before Bernard’s goal, and later took the lead in the second half. The Niners did have several scoring chances, but fouls and an offside negated several goals.

Said Coach Cullen after the match, “It’s a bit of a heartbreaker. The effort is there and the intensity and will to want to win is there, but we’ve got to get over the final line. There are games that we could win and we’ve been good enough to win, but we find a way to lose.”

Come Sunday, the Niners began their season turnaround as they set up to play Rhode Island at Transamerica field.

Said Niner senior Jonna Handra, “Coach told us before the game that our season’s on the line, and that we needed to

get the win.”

The clock only ticked down 29 seconds before the Niners scored. Literally in seconds, Carrie Dail advanced the ball towards the Minutewomens’ goal passing across the middle to senior Macky Wingo.

Wingo then crossed the ball in the box towards an advancing Jonna Handra, who rocketed the ball into the net.

It just settles everyone down and makes the team talk to each other,” said Coach Cullen about the quick goal. “We just needed to get a jump on this team, and show them we want to win. From the first whistle, we showed that by moving the ball and getting on them, we can put the game away.”

The 49ers continued to control the game keeping Rhode Island out of the Niners’ net throughout the game.

With only a few seconds left in the second half the Niners scored once again.

Senior Macky Wingo got her fifth goal of the season after she set up a pass to Oni Bernard, who then passed the ball back to for the finish.

“Both of us hadn’t gotten off to the best start in Conference, said Coach Cullen.

“We knew it was going be a battle from the first whistle to the last whistle, but we came out well and got an early goal, which was great. I’m proud of the girls because we needed that win, we needed some clean sheets, and we needed some goals. Hopefully this will correlate to the rest of the season.”

Guiseppe Gentile scored in the win over Massachusetts Friday. Photo by Christopher Crews

goals that were negated due to fouls. In the end, and after two periods of overtime, the 49ers were unable to get the second goal, and have their first tie of the season.

We played another good game against a physical team,” said Coach Gunn. “We created good scoring chances. Rhode Island did well trying to counter attack. It was a good solid performance by our team.

We began A-10 play with two tough road

games. Now I am looking forward to returning home for our A-10 home opener next weekend.”

The standings in the Atlantic 10 after this weekend put the 49ers in third place, due to the tie against Rhode Island. They are currently 8-2-1 this season.

The Niners take on the 4-5-2 St. Bonaventure Bonnies this Friday at Transamerica field at 7p.m.

PAGE 16

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13, 2011

49ers get verbal commit from Maiden senior Quarterback Ed Niser

ENISER@UNCC.EDU

A multi-sport athlete at Maiden High School Matt Johnson, first stepped foot on the Charlotte campus in the sixth grade for a middle school track meet. Johnson has been recruited to play football for the Charlotte 49ers in 2013.

He also serves as a punter and safety , Johnson was last year’s Offensive Player of the Year in the Catawba Valley Athletic 2-A, following a top 10 placement in rushing and passing in 2010..

Johnson is a senior quarterback for the Maiden Blue Devils, where he has 138 compiled a whopping 138 carries for 1028 yards in his junior season, sixth best in the state of N.C. As a dual threat field general he has completed 37 passes for a total of 494 yards and four touchdowns.

When asked why he ran so much last season Johnson replied, “ Last year I didn’t feel as well as I wanted. I wanted to be a better passer and step it up for the younger guys, I can always get better in that department.

Looking at film on the young signal caller he already has a Division 1 ready football body standing at Six-FootThree, 215 lbs; one clip in particular stands out and shows his versatility at the quarterback position. In one of the highlights he completely buried a would be tackler in the open field, en route to the endzone.

Johnson fits right into the offensive scheme of Charlotte Offensive Coordinator who has coached in the high energy triple option offense at West Virginia with quick shifty quarterbacks such as Pat White.

Johnson has received interest from other local football programs such as N.C. State, Elon and Appalachian State to name a few. When touring the campus of UNC Charlotte a couple weeks ago he was blown away at the overall size, he hadn’t been there since he was 12 years old and his scope of the ever growing campus was narrowed to the Irwin Belk Track and Field Complex.

“Charlotte stuck out to me the most, Elon, Duke, NC State, Wofford, Duke and Appalachian State showed in-

terest.” Said Johnson Johnson first came in contact with Mullen at a football camp being hosted by the Duke Blue Devils and has been speaking to him ever sense. Brad Lambert has also talked to the young verbal commit multiple times since the football camp. “ I met Coach Mullen at a Duke University football camp this past summer and he spoke to my coach, he seen me throw at the camp, he knew I could run, I sensed he was a great guy I can work with for five years.”

Johnson had this to say about his visit with Charlotte, “ It was huge, I was blown away, my family all went to Appalachian State, it was not at all what I expected, It felt like a great university, very modern, it seemed like a nice place to be.”

The Charlotte 49ers won’t take to the gridiron until 2013, which will cause Johnson to have to sit out for a season without taking a single snap from under center, the young gun slinger seems to be fine with that ; “I made a decision that will benefit me the best, I think that sitting out for a season and being a student of the game for a year, I can focus on bettering my passing game and learn under the coaches.

The football stadium is currently still under construction and the first concrete footer was poured a week ago, spurring excitement among current and former Charlotte alumni. Johnson made mention he was impressed with the dedication athletics has when it comes to football. “ There is no expense unpaid when it comes to football, I first came here in the sixth grade for a track meet and I am excited to be a part of the growing campus, my family is ecstatic about the decision.”

While Johnson is still able to change his mind in the months leading up to signing day, his commitment only counts as a verbal for the time being, he seems steadfast in his desire to be a part of the inaugural football team here at Charlotte; “I am 100-percent a part of Niner Nation and can’t wait to attend some Niner basketball games this season.” said Johnson.

Senior quarterback Matt Johnson verbally commited to play for the Charlotte 49ers in 2013, signing day in Feb. is fast approaching. Photo Courtesy of Scott Huffman