Niner Times - December 1, 2011

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NINERTIMES December 1, 2011

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 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

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Charlotte among the nation’s elite Ed Niser SPORTS@NINERONLINE.COM

Charlotte men’s soccer punched their ticket to the Elite Eight for the first time since 1996.

Freshman Giuseppe Gentile’s goal in the 25th minute of Sunday’s game was all the 49ers needed to defeat the defending national champion, the Akron Zips, 1-0 at UNC Charlotte’s Transamerica Field.

“We set a goal, when you walk in our locker room you see it before you go in, we’ve got a note that says how to play the Charlotte way and one of the goals for the season was Elite Eight of the NCAA 2011 Tournament, and we were able to do it and you see the guys out there relishing the moment,” said senior defender Charles Rodriguez Gentile’s tally came at the 24:09 mark, when junior Jennings Rex nailed a pass into the box that was peppered into the upper right portion of the net.

This goal was the first that Akron has allowed an opposing team to score in the opening half of play all season.

The 49ers’ goalkeeper, Klay Davis, was smooth sailing his way through the match until the 65th minute when he made a dandy of a punch-save on Zips’ shooter Scott Caldwell.

The danger was not yet averted; no more than a minute later Akron’s Darren Mattocks directed a shot on goal that was turned aside by Davis.

Charlotte strung together a bevy of chances in the second half that would’ve extended their slim one goal lead.

Senior striker Evan James connected on a shot from well inside the 18 yard box, that was corralled by Akron keeper David

Meves on a diving stop in the 74th minute.

Just seven minutes later, Gentile came back looking for more, shooting towards the goal. Meves kept his ground, making another crucial save to give his team a fighting chance.

The 49ers’ defensive back-line ultimately secured the shut-out victory for Davis, blocking seven of the 11 Zips’ shot attempts.

Rodriguez all but sealed the win with his block in the 85th minute that could have tied up the game.

“We had to be tight as a defenEVENT sive unit, time and again these deWhat: Men’s Socfenders came up cer v. UCONN big making some When: 1 p.m., massive blocks Sunday, Dec. 4, and everything the players did made it 2011 a frustrating night Where: Storrs, for our opponent,” Conn. Podcast of said Charlotte game also will be head coach Jeremy live broadcasted on Gunn.

Davis made two charlotte49ers.com stops between the pipes for the 49ers, earning his eighth clean bill of the season.

Charlotte improved to an impressive 10-00 streak at Transamerica Field.

Akron led the 49ers in shots 11-7 and held an advantage of 7-4 in corner kicks, with four of their seven coming in the second half.

Charlotte now moves on to the Elite Eight round, where they will meet the University of Connecticut (UCONN).

The UCONN Huskies defeated James Madison in their Sweet 16 match Sunday afternoon by a margin of 3-0.

(Above) Men’s soccer celebrates their win against Akron on Sunday at Transamerica Field.

(Below) Charlotte 49ers working the field during the game against Akron to score their way into the Elite Eight of the NCAA 2011 Tournament. Photos courtsey of Chris Crews

Simon Pegg talks Ghost Protocol New major in the house Simon Pegg, from the new

“Mission Impossible”, answers questions about the film Barry Falls B FA L L S 4 @ U N C C . E D U

The plot of this movie story follows the Impossible Missions Force (IMF) after being shut down when it’s implicated in a global terrorist bombing plot. Ghost Protocol is initiated and Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) and his new rogue team must go undercover to clear their organization’s name.

Joining this team is former technician Benji Dunn played by Simon Pegg (of the Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz fame).

Pegg was kind enough to speak to us about what went into making Ghost Protocol.

A&E

On the hardest part of doing Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol

“It was difficult in that I had to get in shape and sort of do a lot of training. And you know Benji’s come a long way since we last saw him. He’s no longer handcuffed to his computer in the lab. He’s now out in the field doing missions and stuff.

So he had to look like he’d been through that process. And in ‘Mission Impossible 3’ I’m pretty hairy and doughy, and I look like a guy who just eats pizza in front of computer screen. Whereas in this film I had to look like I was a bit of a lean, mean killing machine.

So I did some extensive fight training and weapons training with the stunt team and you know that was hard, but in the best possible way. I lost a load of weight and I’ve got in shape and it was a lovely way to do it.”

OPINION

Street Art in Charlotte:

Printouts, mostly depicting sheep’s heads, are placed into propaganda posters and pasted to walls throughout the city landscape which will get them seen by the most people on any given day. The movement is called “Cult. 45.”

HO-HO-HORROR: Sint,

is a Dutch comedy horror film that depicts Saint Nicolas as a murderous bishop fulfilling a prophecy. p.10

On his Mission Impossible character’s new role “I was in the third ‘Mission Impossible’ film playing the same character, Benji, but he at that time worked in the kind of research and development department.

But since then he’s gone out and taken the field exam and is now sort of working out in the big wide world as an IMF agent.

When J.J. Abrams phoned me and said what do you think of Benji like being a fully paid up member of IMF mission team?

And I just thought that was a great idea to see a guy who used to sit around in the lab coat poking hard drives to actually be out there kicking ass.

In terms of research, I went undercover in Moscow for several weeks and cracked a ring of nuclear terrorists.”

MISSION IMPOSSIBLE p.

LIFESTYLE

NEWS

CLASS OR ‘CALL OF DUTY’?

EMPLOYMENT FOR GRADS

Has the idea of entertainment fi-

Graduating seniors are often stressed

nally reached an all time low where

about job offers and career placement

people need a case of Red Bull, an

in the current market. A few lucky

Xbox and 12 hours of spare time?

students will be graduating this year

Listen up people, you know who you are, stop wasting your life pretending you are a soldier on a video game

p.8

with positions already secured with Fortune 500 companies in the area or nationally.

LADY GAGA’S WORKSHOP p.7

p. 4

Malcolm Carter M C A RT E 7 2 @ U N C C . E D U

The Belk College of Business will launch its brand new Master of Science in Real Estate (MSRE) graduate program in Fall 2012.

As of Oct. 12, 2011, the Center of Real Estate at the Center City UNC Charlotte campus had only made the proposal to have a Master of Science in Real Estate.

The Center of Real Estate is part of the Belk College of Business and manages the academic programs and post-graduate certificate associated with real estate.

Less than a month after being proposed, the UNC Board of Governors approved the new degree. The classes for the degree commence August 2012. The university began the recruiting of the nation’s future managers and executives in real estate starting mid-November.

December 2007 brought about the beginning of the recession, sharply caused by the housing market being on the decline.

The housing bubble was rearing its ugly head and people were beginning to realize that the price they were paying for their homes was much higher than the actual property value.

Citizens could not pay their mortgages, banks lost money and began failing. Cue recession. The housing market is among REAL ESTATE p.2

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

NINERTIMES

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

NEWS BRIEFS Students in Free Enterprise test delivery service during exams FETCH, a project of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE), plans to provide a food delivery service to students during exams.

As this is a trial run for the project, FETCH will only deliver food to the lobby of the library. The idea for the trial is to serve students studying for exams in order to keep time used to obtain food to a minimum.

Delivery is projected to begin Dec. 1 and run through Dec. 14. The service charge will be 50 cents and will operate using Declining Balance.

Project leaders Jonathan Curry and Nicazio Arzu have created a survey, found at http://svy.mk/v6DDAC, to gather students’ opinions about the service times and price.

The survey has less than 10 questions, including questions such as “How do you view the delivery charge?” and “What do you think about the delivery times?”

Let your opinion be heard and help FETCH serve you better. Malcolm Carter

Digital workshop brings speakers to Atkins Library “Exploring Digital Humanities: Practicalities and Potential,” a workshop hosted by the Atkins Library Digital Scholarship Lab will be Monday, Dec. 5, 2011, from 9 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. in Atkins Library room 125.

The workshop will focus on technology’s impact on academics and scholarship.

The second half of the workshop will allow participants to break up into small groups and discuss possible ways to use technology.

The workshop is free and open to all graduate students, faculty and staff. To reserve a seat, those interested should contact Kristy Dixon at kristy.dixon@uncc. edu. Eden Creamer

Campus lake will be drained next semester Heckenbleikner Lake, created in the 1960s, will be drained January 2012 to begin the construction of a dam.

Draining the lake will be done to allow tests on the soil and vehicle access to the area.

Construction on the dam will begin April 2012, and has been in the works for months. In August 2011, the university began looking for construction companies to take on the project. Eden Creamer

REAL ESTATE from p.1 leading causes of the recession and reflects the overall condition of the economy in general.

“In good times and bad, the commercial real estate industry is one of the key drivers of the economy. There will always be a need for specially-trained employees to manage the complexities of real estate finance, development and construction,” said Steven Ott, dean of the Belk College of Business.

The economy has been slowly recovering, but the housing market is lagging a little behind.

At the end of 2010, foreclosures in North Carolina surpassed 30,000. While this may depress some, Ott sees the glass half-full.

“We’re excited,”said Ott. “To have the opportunity to expand the Belk College’s real estate curriculum to respond to the needs of the industry and develop the next generation of highly-skilled executives and managers.”

The Center of Real Estate aspires to get 12-15 students for the first class of students in the MSRE program.

Then, depending on the success of the Fall 2012 semester, expansion will lead to adding 15-20 students per class.

Scholarship award to eighteen students The Osher Reentry Scholarship, an award given to prompt adults to return to college and complete their undergraduate degree, has been awarded to 18 nontraditional undergraduate students at UNC Charlotte.

Students who are awarded the scholarship receive $50,000 towards their education. The award may be given to more students during the Spring 2012 semester.

Qualifications to receive this scholarship require students to have a gap of at least five years in their education, be working towards their first undergraduate degree, range in age from 25 to 50, demonstrate financial need and show potential for future employability.

The following students received the award: Caroline Allen, Amanda Belcher, Octavious Brooks, Xiong Chang, Christina Claudio, Stacey Cloyd, Christopher DeZeeuw, Nancy Godwin, Cynthia Mackey, Amy Medlin, Matthew Moore, Weyni Nedla, Katherine Newman, Nyx Olds, Henry Schmidt, Melissa Williams, Talitha Williams and Harold Wilson. Eden Creamer

Local and campus police join forces The UNC Charlotte Police and Public Safety Department (PPS) and CharlotteMecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) worked together mid-November to arrest two individuals suspected of crimes.

A report of larceny in Lot 8 on campus lead PPS to respond to the scene and stop the suspects a mile from campus.

One suspect was apprehended on the spot, while the other escaped into the woods. CMPD responded to the situation, forming a perimeter and using a helicopter to find the suspect. Eden Creamer

Health Informatics PSM degree added to UNC Charlotte UNC Charlotte has announced that it will begin to offer a masters degree in health informatics. This will be the first professional science master’s (PSM) degree offered at UNC Charlotte.

The degree is considered a MBA for science and technology and is meant to produce more well-rounded candidates in the healthcare field.

The program has been created through partnerships with Carolina Healthcare Systems, Novant Health and Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina.

Applications for the program will be accepted for the Fall 2012 semester. Eden Creamer Students will receive instruction about commercial real estate.

They’ll learn about financing, investments, laws and land usage policies.

These students will also spend much of their time outside the four walls of the classroom working on community service projects based in real estate that will help them gain an understanding of the field.

Students may also participate in internships in order to gain real world experience with real estate.

“Our students will have a variety of internship and job prospects. Our advisory board members have pledged their support of our students’ professional and career development,” said future faculty director of the MSRE, Dustin Read.

The housing market is in need of new innovators and leaders. The Belk College of Business has done the job of creating the opportunity to become both.

Admissions requirements and application to the MSRE is located at http://msrealestate.uncc.edu/.

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Police Blotter LARCENY

DRUG VIOLATION

• Friday Building, unknown subject pushed victime and removed cell phone that was charging.

• Lot 8, known subject removed property from vehicles and fled the scene.

• Martin Village, suspect found in possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia.

Nov. 17

Nov. 21

• Lot 8, unknown subject attempted to pry open a locked vehicle.

Nov. 22

• Student Activity Center, unknown subject removed property that was unattended and unsecured.

Nov. 23

• Robinson Hall, unknown subject removed property that was left unsecured and unattended.

TRESPASSING Nov. 18

• Martin Village, previous trespassing subject found on campus.

Nov. 18

HIT AND RUN Nov. 23

• Lot 16, victim’s vehicle was damaged while parked and unattended.

ARREST Nov. 19

• University City Blvd., subject resisted lawful order and delayed DWI investigation.

BURGLARY Nov. 23

• Laurel Hall, unknown person entered unsecured room and removed property.

Graduate School recognizes 14 students

Health program joins national study

At its annual awards luncheon in the Harris Alumni Center, UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School honored 14 students.

Rebecca Muefflemann and Elizabeth Shockey received the Hershel and Cornelia Everett Foundation First-year Graduate Fellowship.

Another award, the Joanna R. Baker Memorial Graduate Fellowship, was awarded to Sarah Haas and Hongmei Zhu. Nicole Goos received the Faye Jacques Memorial Graduate Fellowship.

Sharonda Johnson LeBlanc and Andrea Murphy were presented with the Lucille and Edward Giles Dissertation-year Graduate Fellowship.

The Zonta Club of Charlotte award was given to Kristy Foster.

Carrie Sippy was presented the John Paul Lucas Jr. Scholarship. Ciera Choate

Along with 15 universities across the nation, UNC Charlotte’s public health program will act as a model for other institutions in a case study showing what it offers in the field. Ciera Choate

Charlotte potential location for medical school With the push to make Charlotte more than a financial city, Presbyterian Hospital’s Dr. Richard Reiling says that UNC Chapel Hill will not be enough for Charlotte and that a medical school is needed in the city.

Dr. James McDeavitt, Chief Education of Carolina’s Medical Center, disagrees and thinks that UNC Chapel Hill is enough for the area, but does see a potential partnership with UNC Charlotte and a medical school. Ciera Choate

World AIDS Day The Multicultural Resource Center will host the showing of the PBS film “The Age of AIDS” and will hold testing for HIV and AIDS in honor of World AIDS Day. The event will take place Thursday, Dec. 1, 2011, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. in the Student Union room 200. Ciera Choate

Chiquita comes to Charlotte Charlotte lured Chiquita Brands International to the city with $21.2 million in incentives from the government and a promise of easier international travel from Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

Charlotte had been competing with Cincinnati, Ohio for the bid of the addition of the company to their cities.

The company is currently negotiating the lease of five or six floors in the NASCAR Plaze tower in uptown Charlotte.

Chiquita will bring about 400 jobs to Charlotte when it moves to the city next year. Jobs include accountants, human resource workers, IT specialists and financial specialists. Ciera Choate

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NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

Get the job you want after graduation Molly Mulhern MMULHER1@UNCC.EDU

Graduating seniors are often stressed about job offers and career placement in the current market. A few lucky students will be graduating this year with positions already secured with Fortune 500 companies in the area or nationally.

Fabian Elliot, Homecoming King and marketing major, is a graduating senior who interned with Google last summer in the direct sales department.

His internship involved projects like designing a website to keep track of clients using Google Sites and working with Google’s biggest clients on advertising campaigns.

n Elliott a i b

ternship program at Bank of America and is a software and information systems major.

The ATP program begins students interning at the bank in the spring semester of their junior year, unpaid. They then become full time interns in the summer and are paid full time.

For the remainder of their senior year, the interns work part time, paid, and many are then hired by the bank for jobs after graduation.

“My job is basically to grant and revoke access to applications,” said Reynolds. “We work with people all over the world. Especially in the mornings, when the India team is going offline and the American teams are coming on, it’s fairly demanding.”

Despite tough economic times, the overall unemployment rate in North Carolina dropped in October 2011 from 10.5 percent to 10.4 percent.

Two UNC Charlotte students, Fabian Elliott and Josh Reynolds found jobs after graduation.

The program is designed to recruit UNC Charlotte students to work for Bank of America after graduation. The interns work for a year and a half before graduation and are then ready to transition into full time roles.

Both Reynolds and Elliot ensured job security for themselves after graduation through internships.

Google and Bank of America are not alone in recruiting students early on in the academic process, however. Companies like Duke Energy and Lowe’s also hire many employees from internship programs that begin in students’ junior year.

Josh Re yn ol

ds

Fa

“We worked with companies like Pier One, Office Depot, the ones spending millions of dollars advertising with Google,” said Elliot. “We also did client overviews to look for opportunities for companies to advertise more with Google.”

During his internship with Google, Elliot became Google AdWords certified. The certification requires students to pass two exams that test proficiency in search skills and AdWords tools essential to managing ad campaigns for the company, according to Google.

Another senior graduating this May won’t have to worry about securing a job after graduation.

Josh Reynolds was part of the ATP in-

Photos courtsey of Molly Mulhern

What job did he get?

What separated him from the competition?

Account coordinator for Google

How did he get the job?

“Through a non-profit organization I belong to. The organization helps minorities get Fortune 500 internships, and then I got an offer.”

“It’s all about balance, learning and development in college. Career wise, I networked, developed the skill set for the job and I think winning Homecoming king took the social aspect to the next level.”

UNC Charlotte pays off Ciera Choate NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

PayScale, a website that ranks colleges and universities by salary, recently named UNC Charlotte the sixth in the state for graduate salary. The university has a starting median salary of $43,500 and a midcareer median salary of $73,400.

UNC Charlotte ranked behind Duke University, Wake Forest University, Davidson College, North Carolina State University and UNC Chapel Hill.

“Good for UNC Charlotte, that’s awesome,” said sophomore, Kerry Premo, anthropology major.

When asked what they thought the median starting salary was for UNC Charlotte graduates students guessed everywhere from $35,000 a year to $14,000 a year.

“I’m glad I was wrong,” said Premo.

PayScale defines a graduate as someone that has a bachelors degree. Starting salary typically means a person with two years of experience and mid-career salary is someone with 15 years of experience in the field.

Duke University

Wake Forest University

Davidson College

NC State University

Chapel Hill

UNC Charlotte

Queens University

0

20000 40000 60000 80000 100000 120000 Starting Median Salary Mid-Career Median Salary

Graphic by Christian Billings Source: payscale.com

What job did he get?

User manager for Bank of America

How did he get the job?

“The computer science department advertised it, and I went through the career center. I also got 49ership credit for the ATP program.”

What separated him from the competition?

“I already have a business degree, and I’m studying computer science. The internship uses a blend of business and computer skills, so that appealed to them. Beyond that, I think its just because I’m extremely good looking.”

UNC system reviews and consolidates degree programs Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

The UNC system selected former UNC Charlotte chancellor, Dr. Jim Woodward, to review duplications in the programs offered throughout the 17 universities.

Nov. 1, 2011, Woodward released his study, titled “Program Duplication Study.”

According to his study, UNC schools provide over 1,900 degree programs to students, only 109 of these having been added since the system was restructured in 1972.

Ultimately, Woodward decided, unneeded and excessive duplication of programs did not seem to be an issue in UNC schools. “This is principally due to a demanding process for the consideration, review, and approval of new programs and a fairly rigorous process for reviewing the productivity of existing programs,” said Woodward in his report.

Joni Worthington, vice president for communications for the system, says that Woodward also made recommendations for other ways that the board can prevent duplication from being a problem.

“What he has begun to do, moving forward, to insure that a problem doesn’t develop, is that the staff at General Administration and the Board of Governors, evaluate and perhaps strengthen the process for considering and approving new degree programs for the future,” said Worthington. “And that the board also give careful thought to the role that online education should play in the future and the impact that online education may have on unnecessary implication.”

The current distribution of programs allows for 1,000 undergraduate, 700 graduate and 200 doctoral programs in the university system. To help cut down on duplication, Woodward has suggested that the review process done by the board be strengthened. “[System president Thomas Ross] asked

for Woodward to undertake a study and a careful review…to look for ways that we, our campuses, might collaborate more effectively, or pool and share resources more effectively,” said Worthington.

Schools in the system are already making efforts towards collaboration, says Worthington, although it is unknown how many programs will eventually be combined.

“I wouldn’t begin to speculate [how many programs may be collaborated],” said Worthington. “Just to cite one example, UNC Greensboro and North Carolina A&T State University have developed a joint school of nano science and nano engineering, where they share a facility and they share a faculty from both schools who are teaching in the program.”

While the board works on consolidation, they also are cutting programs, according to both Woodward’s study and Worthington. In his study, Woodward says that since 1972, 639 programs have been cut from UNC schools, 533 of which are undergraduate, graduate and doctoral.

While more consolidations and cuts are considered by the Board of Governors and General Administration, other programs are added. Since 1972, says Woodward, 748 programs have been added, outnumbering those which were cut.

Worthington explained the suggestions that Woodward makes in his study for universities before they make proposals for programs. “He is also recommending that not just at the system level, but at the university level, that the institutions strengthen their own internal reviews of their degree programs and their expectations for productivity,” said Worthington.

This internal review process, she says, will not only eliminate unnecessary funds and time wasted by the Board of Governors, but may also improve the academic quality of UNC schools.

LIFESTYLE NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

PAGE 5

Ever ything you need to know to throw

THE PERFECT HOLIDAY PARTY The Decorations Let there be light!

Many students use Christmas lights to decorate their dorms year-round, but now is the most appropriate time to break out the bulbs if you haven’t already. String lights are relatively cheap and can be purchased at Target. Drape them across your wall or wrap them around an object; they are versatile so don’t be afraid to experiment.

Read between the lines By this time of year, everyone has a textbook or three that is no longer needed and can’t be sold to Gray’s or Barnes & Noble.

Take the books and gift-wrap them with festive wrapping paper. Tie each one with ribbon and stack the “presents” together.

Don’t forget to add a bow on top.

Door décor Your dorm door is a blank canvas. Start by creating holiday-inspired nameplates for your room’s occupants. Your RA may have even already made them for you. If you have enough wrapping paper, cover the whole outside of the door and put the names on top. The rest is up to you, but beware of other students. Never hang valuables outside of your dorm.

On display Let everyone know it’s December and you mean business. Target offers a line of LED lights that reads “Merry Christmas” for $20 that you can string across your window. Christmas stockings and ornaments are also highly visible from the outside, so showcase the decorations by hanging them up against the window.

Photos courtesy of MCT Campus Compiled by Lee Pham, Scarlett Newman and Haley Twist

Holiday festivities around Charlotte Don't feel like hosting a holiday party at your place? Go with your friends to a holiday event around Charlotte!

• Holiday On Ice 2011 Open until Jan. 8 Nascar Hall of Fame Weds. - Fri. 5:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m.

Admission: $9, Skate Rental: $3 • Christmas at the Billy Graham Library Open Dec. 1- 23 Billy Graham Library 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Closed Sundays Free Admision

Michael Bublé’s “Christmas” Planning an intimate holiday party?

Looking for the perfect soundtrack? Try Michael Bublé’s first full-length holiday mix “Christmas.” This 16-track album features classic hits such as “Santa Baby” and “Jingle Bells” that sound just at timeless as the originals. It provides a classy background mix for a quiet, lowkey gathering.

• A Christmas Carol Dec. 9 - 18 Theater Charlotte Tickets: $8 - $24 • The 57th Annual Singing Christmas Tree Dec. 10th at 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 11th at 3:00 p.m.

Ovens Auditorium Tickets: $21 - $33 • Hanukkah Menorah Lighting at SouthPark Mall Dec. 20 at 6:00 p.m.

SouthPark Mall Free Admission

Cup’pa ho ho ho Starbucks in the Student Union has a selection of holiday mugs that can be purchased with that excess declining balance left on your card. They can be used for drinking coffee or decorating the room.

Perhaps fill a mug with candy canes (available at Walmart for under $2) and use it as a table centerpiece.

The holidays are in the air Decorating does not have to be strictly visual. Holiday air fresheners add a finishing touch to the theme. Cinnamon is a common December fragrance that is not overpowering but keeps the holiday spirit alive.

The Food Egg Nog A traditional Christmas beverage served around the world, egg nog commercially is served as a non-alcoholic beverage but is sometimes sold containing whiskey, bourbon, cognac, rum or brandy.

You can make egg nog from scratch or purchase it at your local grocery store. It is a staple drink for any holiday party.

Hot Apple Cider Apple cider is a seasonally-produced drink served from fall into winter. If you want a lighter alternative to hot chocolate, cider is perfect for keeping you warm on a cold winters day or night and great for serving guests!

La Vie En Rouge For the alcohol consumers, La Vie En Rouge is a tasty crimson cocktail that brings out the color of the season and lots of the popular flavors. This holiday cocktail is a mixture of Grand Mariner orange liqueur, cranberry and rosemary. It can be paired with almost any holiday meal and is great for gatherings.

Gingerbread Whether it be in the form of a cookie, a loaf or a house that you’ve decided to intricately decorate, gingerbread is something you cannot avoid during the holidays. They are fun at any age and would almost act as a decoration for a party! Decorate them brightly and arrange them on a plate or platter.

Cookies Cookies can be DIY (do it yourself) or they can be bought at a bakery or grocery store. Sugar cookies, they are usually in the shape of candy canes, snowmen, snowflakes, wreaths and Santa Claus. Many of the traditional cookies are decorated with bright-colored icing and sprinkles. Every college student at your party will appreciate free cookies!

Meatballs A very popular holiday party pleaser, meatballs make bellies very happy. Once you pick one up it’s very hard to resist picking up more and more. They can be a selfserve dish or you can prepare them hor’s d'oeuvres style with toothpicks.

The Music

“Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album Volume 2”

“NOW That's What I Call a Country Christmas”

Gleeks everywhere are pleased that this Christmas brings a second volume of the holiday “Glee” mix. If you’re looking to throw a light-hearted, whimsical holiday party with your friends before the semester ends, look to the “Glee” Christmas album for help! Turn “Glee” skeptics into fans with the soundtrack.

While this CD came out in 2009, it’s still the perfect compilation for country lovers who want to get in the holiday spirit. Featuring music from artists like Kenny Chesney, Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, these songs are sure to get your Christmas party a little more country.

“A Very She & Him Christmas” The pop duo Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward have released a She & Him Christmas album containing 12 tracks perfect for ugly Christmas parties. The tracks are the same Christmas songs we’ve always heard, but She & Him have managed to successfully adapt the genre of music to fit their style.

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NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

Niner Times holiday recipe: Turkey chili Tricia Bangit

TBANGIT@UNCC.ECU

Although it has been days since Thanksgiving, many of us probably still have leftovers. While Thanksgiving food is certainly a treat, eating the same thing every day for several days can become boring and unappetizing.

Because Thanksgiving meals cover such a wide variety of foods, there are many types of leftover meals waiting to happen. Keep in mind that leftovers should only be in the fridge for a few days and either frozen or thrown out beyond that span of time. Here are the directions for making turkey chili out of any leftover turkey you might have.

Photo by Tricia Bangit

Ingredients: • 1 tbsp oil • 2 cups shredded turkey • 1 cup gravy • 1 cup water * • 1 chopped bell pepper • 1 cup lentils • 1 diced jalapeño pepper ** • 2 minced cloves of garlic

• ¼ cup tomato sauce • 2 cups cooked rice, prepared according to package instructions • 1 tsp paprika • 1 tsp chili powder Toppings: • ½ cup shredded cheddar cheese • Sour cream, as needed

Instructions: 1. In a medium-size pot, heat the oil on medium heat.

2. Add garlic to pot and cook for two minutes.

3. Add peppers and cook until soft.

4. Add shredded turkey and cook until lightly browned.

5. Add gravy, water, and tomato sauce to the pot and mix. Let boil.

6. Bring the pot to a simmer. Cover and let cook for 30 minutes.

7. Add lentils to pot and let simmer for 30 minutes. If chili becomes too dry, add more water ½ cup at a time.

8. Mix in rice and season with paprika and chili powder. Taste and add more seasoning if necessary.

9. Top with cheese and sour cream. Serves 4. * Gravy and water can be substitute with 2 cups chicken, beef or vegetable stock.

Just the tips A male’s perspective on setting the mood for a sensual evening Eliminate distractions Regardless of if it’s a new partner or a long-time girlfriend or boyfriend, setting up a sensual tone requires eliminating distractions.

Avoid having the TV on in the background. If you have a poster of a shirtless Taylor Lautner or a Maxim poster of two girls making out on your wall, take it down - forever. I always make a point to turn my cell phone on silent. This makes my partner know that she is the only person I’m thinking about.

For those who have one or more roommates, this also means working out a system. It can seem a bit odd for your roommates to be aware of how often and for how long you engage in sex, but sex is never quiet and dorm walls are paperthin.

The solution is typically simple. A coat hanger on the door and a quick text that you have an anatomy exam to study for should get your message across.

Create a sensual ambience Maintaining a clean room and having sex are not two things you might associate together, but a messy room can create an environment that is too cramped to focus. Even when you’re with a long-term partner, try spending 20 or so minutes tidying up beforehand.

Additionally, make sure the room temperature is relatively warm, put out clean sheets, spray some scented air freshener and invest in a floor lamp that dims to your desired specifications.

Also try creating a special playlist in iTunes for the occasion. Avoid songs that are blatantly about sex. Songs like

AC/DC’s “You Shook Me All Night Long” and 311’s “Feel So Good” do not have a place on this playlist.

Choose a playlist that is heavy on modern R&B. If you haven’t picked up a copy of The Black Key’s “Brothers,” now would be a good time.

Establish a relaxed, secure mentality This means making your partner feel sexy, which is a rule that is important for guys to pay attention to. Have you ever felt like you are having a “fat” day? Neither have I. But apparently girls have them. It is important to sense when they’re feeling less than attractive and give them that ego boost they need to dispose of any sense of insecurity.

Keeping an agreeable rhythm is also essential. Your sexual experience should not have a clear and sudden beginning and end. Text each other dirty texts throughout the day, make the foreplay last for over 10 minutes, take each other’s clothes off and smoothly transition into sex.

Avoid stopping during sex, even if it’s for a few seconds. Keeping it inside her when you switch to different positions is a difficult trick to master, but it’s definitely one that is well worth the time and effort.

Regardless of if you are a guy or a girl, be sure to have condoms nearby and keep them in a drawer. Pulling a condom out of your wallet is cheesy and cliché. That could also damage it, making it defective.

In particular, if you plan on having oral sex (even just oral foreplay), hygiene should not be discounted. Suggest showering together and turn that into the foreplay. Better yet, grab a bottle of siliconebased lubricant and just have sex in the shower. Collegial life is all about multitasking.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

PAGE 7

Niner in New York: My experience at Gaga’s Workshop Scarlett Newman

SNEWMAN6@UNCC.EDU

A

B

C

D A. Lady Gaga, the woman of the evening, making her way around the party.

B. One of the sculptures from Gaga’s Workshop.

C. A whimsical train in Gaga’s Workshop.

D. Gaga-themed candy sold at the workshop.

Last Monday, I lived what is not only my dream, but the dream of millions of “little monsters” across the world. I attended the formal unveiling of Gaga’s Workshop at Barney’s New York.

On the fifth floor of Barney’s NY is popstar Lady Gaga’s take on Santa’s workshop.

It all began about a month ago when I entered a sweepstakes through the Barney’s NY Facebook page to win a chance to attend the special event. I brushed it off because I thought that there was no way that I would ever win something like this; I never win anything!

A few weeks later, I received an email from one of the Barney’s employees stating that I had won a golden ticket, granting me access to the ribbon cutting of Gaga’s workshop.

I read the email about seven times, reassuring myself that this wasn’t a scam.

At the same time, I was on the phone with my best friend Chelsea crying tears of joy because I’m one of the biggest Gaga fans walking this planet and I couldn’t believe that this was happening to me. Unfortunately, I also cried tears of sorrow because I knew that there was no way that I would be able to afford a plane ticket to New York City on such short notice.

Days before the workshop, my mom and her boyfriend, knowing my love for Lady G, devised a plan to make the trip happen. So off to NYC I went!

I was one of 30 golden ticket winners.

We were already on the VIP list, so upon arrival we were lead straight to the cocktail party on the fifth floor.

There were waiters serving free drinks and hors d’oeuvres, as well as an open bar.

Lady Starlight, NYC DJ, and Gaga’s best

friend, was the DJ for the VIP party.

I saw and conversed with many celebrities Blake Lively, Alan Cummings, Neil Patrick Harris, Jesse Tyler Ferguson, Vivienne Westwood, Alexander Wang and Nicola Formichetti.

Gaga’s parents and younger sister Natali were also in attendance.

The workshop was filled with unique gifts, such as Gaga-shaped cookies, Willy Wonka-esque lollipops, stiletto stockings, edible Alexander McQueen shoes, snow globes, tote-bags, t-shirts and much more.

Gaga was an avid reader of Roald Dahl novels when she was young, so special editions of the novels were made specifically for the workshop.

The songstress was in attendance and cut the ribbon. She made her way around the party and then proceeded to begin the workshop where she taped a special interview with Robin Roberts to be aired on ABC’s Good Morning America the following morning. She left shortly afterward.

I didn’t get to meet her, but I managed to snap one photo of Gaga heading into the workshop.

She was dressed in a custom Chanel gown that Karl Lagerfeld designed specifically for the event and Noritaka Tatehana studded skyscraper platforms. She was an ethereal vision in all white, an angel in my eyes. She posed for photographers from top fashion magazines like Vogue and WWD. I am so grateful to Barney’s for providing me with an opportunity like this. I would have been heartbroken if I had not been able to attend.

So many great things happened and I met many amazing people in one night.

I’m still a bit starstruck and in awe of everything, so it will take me a few weeks to come down from cloud nine Photos by Scarlett Newman

E

F

G

H E. Actor Neil Patrick Harris is spotted at Gaga’s Workshop.

F. A Gaga snowglobe.

G. An animalistic work of art at Gaga’s Workshop.

H. Another Gaga-designed work of art.

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

OPINION Class or Call of Duty?

MCT Campus

Jack Harding

JHARDI37@UNCC.EDU

What is it with this time of year that people feel the need to shoot other people online?

Have people in this world stopped having “real” fun with actual people in their company?

Has the idea of fun or entertainment finally reached an all time low when people need a case of Red Bull, an Xbox and 12 hours of spare time a day?

Listen up people, you know who you are, stop wasting your life pretending you are a soldier on a video game, and start liv-

ing your life. A couple of weeks ago, “Call Of Duty: Modern Warfare 3” was released in Europe and the United States.

Since that date, there seems to have been a significant drop in attendance levels for male students (I have no figures, but you would need to be blind not to notice).

People actually pre-ordered the game and picked it up at midnight on Nov. 8 and commenced playing for the next week, non-stop.

Not only is it annoying listening to people complaining when they suck at the game, but the TV is out of bounds for everybody.

It’s also rather annoying when someone has a bad game and seems to take it out on everyone else.

I have to ask, but do people who play this game have a life? It seems that there is nothing in your life that is more important than this piece of junk you play everyday.

What a great release date too, just as students need to buckle down and study for finals, the “one that you have been waiting for” arrives on the shelves at every possible

store, from Walmart to BestBuy. Not only are the games distracting, the internet is being used by the Xbox live connection, the sound of gunshots echo down the hall and there is no escape of people chatting (even in the library) of this “sensation.”

I admit I like to play sometimes, but the amount that some of these people play makes it impossible for me to keep up, and I have no chance of being good enough.

However, I’m not good enough because I have a life. I go to parties, I play sports, I do my homework and I even talk to people, yes talk to people… face-to-face and everything.

The game made $775,000,000 in five days. That tells me that there are way too many people out there that insist on playing video games more than socializing.

When I walk around campus and hear groups of guys talking about a video game, I feel sorry for them. What do you think people think of you if your life revolves around a video game?

There must be something more interesting and productive in your lives. I used to talk about video games too, when I was 12. Don’t get me wrong I will probably play Xbox once or twice a week, but I’m no where near on the same level of “hard-core gamers.”

We are in college, this should be one of the best experiences of our lives where we meet new people, party, learn, teach and have fun.

This opportunity is hard earned by all of us, but some of you seem to be wasting your time.

The best thing about this article is that I can say what I want about you gamers, because I know you wont read this; you will be too busy gazing at a screen with your hands “attached” to a controller.

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No more Mr. Nice-guy Joshua Wood

remember to be firm. Most people will believe that you’ll just back down and walk away.

Do not give into them. Try to state clearly what is bothering you and what you want to change.

Take your time: If you have been letting people walk all over you your whole life then changing your personality is going to take some time.

Try to start small; most of the people that you hang out with will be expecting your yes-man attitude, so it may be difficult to confront them versus a stranger.

Mix it up: If you hang around people who know you have this problem and they still take advantage of you, then it’s time to get new friends. Clearly they do not respect you as a person and, therefore, don’t deserve your friendship.

Regularity: This kind of change won’t come easy; you need to keep at daily.

Try to surround yourself with people who will encourage you to stand up for yourself.

There is nothing wrong with being the nice guy, but no one likes a push over. If you keep accepting this kind of lifestyle, no one will take you seriously and you can find yourself in a real slum.

Standing up for yourself doesn’t make you a jerk, it makes you strong, independent and confident.

You can still be kind, caring and thoughtful person, just remember you too deserve to feel appreciated.

JWOOD75@UNCC.EDU

We’ve all heard the expression “nice guys finish last,” but does it apply to every nice guy out there, or just the ones that let others walk all over them?

If you’re the kind of guy that is passive and doesn’t care if someone has cut you off in a line that you have been waiting in for the last hour and your only excuse for not taking action is that you are a “nice guy,” well, I’m here to tell you that you are wrong.

There is a point when you go far beyond being a nice guy to being just a tool. If you believe that you are this person and you want change, then there is hope.

I believe that you can be a nice person as well as know when to put your foot down.

After asking my fellow classmates how they believe someone can prevent themselves from being a total push-over, I compiled a list of tips to help with this controversy.

Speak your mind: If something is bothering you don’t hold back, let your voice be heard.

Even if you miss your chance, think of a way to bring the subject back up. It’s very important that your views are heard.

Learn to say no: It’s impossible to please everyone. When your caring endeavors start to impact your mental heath and stress levels, it’s time to stop worrying about everyone else and worry about yourself.

Stand your ground: When you find yourself in a conflict with another individual

MCT Campus

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Freshman Fireside

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

Letter to the Editor

The Late Night Roundup

Conan O’Brian

Jordan McSwain J M C S WA 1 7 @ U N C C . E D U

Becoming acquainted with campus is a necessity for freshmen and for upperclassmen that are still not familiar with the university for which they should have a love and passion.

This week a rundown of a few little known spots on campus will be included to help with the process and possibly uncover some new spots on campus students have never visited.

“Hey, did you hear the NBA lockout is over? Yes, so congratulation we can all go back to not caring about basketball until the play-offs.”

Underground Tunnel

Between two academic buildings an underground tunnel lies in secrecy.

Now, if the names of the buildings were given, the fun would be lost in the search.

Through a series of winding turns and hallways, a cement tunnel emerges for a path underground to avoid rain or maybe just as a different path to class.

One door merely looks like black door to a storage closet while the entrance has a waist high gate that can be swung open to enter. The tunnel and halls leading to it have some of the nicest bathrooms on campus and an emergency call button, which has probably never been used.

So good luck finding this man-made cave on campus and when you do, don’t give it away to others. Try using clues to lead them to it so they don’t miss the search either.

The Gardens

Near front of campus, at the back of Fretwell, an extravagant wooden entrance can be found.

A landscaped slope leads down to this entrance that stands out amidst the normal black chain link fence that surrounds a large area of campus. These are the gardens.

Of course, they have long names with real people in them that were donors or supporters, but for this purpose, The Gardens will do just fine.

An expanse of land that is heavily forested and filled with a plethora of flowers, shrubbery and even some small wild life, these gardens are a great place to come during the day with a friend and just enjoy a stress-free walk and some great scenery.

The Bonnie Cone Memorial is located here, just within the main gazebo entrance. Or if you are looking for a place to go with friends at night to find that creepy feeling, the gardens turns into a scene from a horror movie when darkness comes.

Located in the gardens is a shack that is classic dilapidated wood with an old rusty bell above the door and red markings on the inside wall. Although the shack is empty, your imagination can create all kinds of creatures lurking in the shadows.

PAGE 9

Charlotte 49er fans celebrating after the men’s soccer team defeated Akron 1-0

What makes a person take ownership of something? This is a question I ask myself everyday as I walk around UNC Charlotte’s campus.

I see students wearing UNC-Chapel Hill, NC State and App State shirts almost every day on my campus and I wonder where their affiliations are and why (the “why” being the important part).

Before I came to Charlotte, I was honestly one of those “bandwagon” Chapel Hill fans. My family hasn’t traditionally been huge on sports, so I thought I needed to find a team. I took a look around at some of my friends and just decided to pick one.

Once I arrived at Charlotte, I began to get involved on campus, which helped foster an emotional bond with the physical structure of this institution and what the “UNC Charlotte” brand represents.

Throughout my prior two years as a student (I’m a junior now), I have become one of the most passionate Niners on campus. I love my institution.

When I graduate, my degree will read that I’ve successfully completed a B.S.B.A. degree in marketing and management

Photo courtest of Chris Crews

from UNC Charlotte. But truth be told, those words won’t be enough to express the feelings I have for UNC Charlotte.

In my time here, I’ve rushed the floor of Halton arena and Time Warner Cable Arena with wins against Temple and Tennessee.

I’ve helped to start a student organization whose purpose is to promote campus traditions, and I’ve forged and fostered relationships with students that are ten times smarter than myself.

Building a relationship with your institution starts at Niner Basketball games (and football in the fall of 2013), in my opinion. I experienced my defining moment as a Niner during my freshmen year when we rushed the court against Temple.

I am asking every student reading this to find a way to connect to the institution, whether it is through student orgs, basketball games or some other means.

“Did you hear, Facebook announced they are developing a phone; on another note, MySpace announced they are developing a fax machine.”

“I’ve got some good news for you; health officials have said that syphilis rates have dropped in the United States. They attribute the drop in America to the fact that last season of Jersey Shore taped in Italy.”

Jay Leno

Remember… wear green and go Niners!

Matthew G. Murrow

Editorial Cartoons

“This is what I love about America; you turn on the television and see Egypt and the Middle East taking their revolutions to the streets. They topple governments and liberate the oppressed, but we riot for a two-dollar waffle iron.”

Asian Gardens

For a more Zen feel, the Asian Gardens are perfect. Surrounded by a tall wooden fence, these gardens open with a rock pathway and small bonsai trees.

The path leads on through a stone archway that is painted a vibrant red on the inside and on into the more woodsy area of the garden.

This section is filled with small statues and stone artwork, even a large gazebo over-looking a ravine that has a small creek running through it.

This garden is great to come and relax completely, an escape from the stressful daily grind.

These gardens also turn a little creepy at night with the shadows from small trees and statues lurking around the corners and it is easy to let one’s imagination run away rather quickly.

These are three of the small hideaways and secrets on campus that offer relaxing places to go that aren’t normally used.

If you have more places then feel free to write-in or tweet us at @NinerTimes.

If you don’t have more places then stop playing Skyrim and go walk around.

Jimmy Fallon

“It was a huge weekend for shopping. Everyone was out Black Friday; I went to WalMart, and found a great deal on a flat screen, and a really really great deal on pepper spray. It was free.”

PAGE 10

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

A&E

NINERTIMES

Cultivating street art in Charlotte Ryan Pitkin

RPITKIN@UNCC.EDU

Snug Harbor is understandably a little slow on the afternoon before Thanksgiving. There are around five people at the bar drinking and laughing. A longbearded bartender jokes about playing the neighborhood Santa last year and how he was lucky to have gotten rid of any obscene photos taken with the costume.

Two of the men at the bar don’t have drinks in front of them. They have MacBooks instead. They laugh with the bartender but for the most part keep their conversation between themselves. On their screens, they are sharing obscure art from around the world.

One has found an artist in Baltimore that uses a GPS app to trace his bike rides around the city. One trip’s route was made to look like a dinosaur. The other man at the bar has found pictures of a late billionaire sheik’s dying wish. The sheik has had his name dug into the desert so large that it can be seen from space.

“He could have made a reservoir with clean water in the middle of the desert,” says one of them. “Now it’s just a crappy eyesore in the middle of nowhere.”

It’s obvious that both of these guys love art. What’s not obvious is that one of them is the leader of an international following that, according to him, has become the biggest street art movement in the world.

This man, who wants to keep his name secret for legal reasons, prefers to be called “Leader of the Flock” (LOF) in the media. LOF is here today with one of his confidants to talk about how they are going to spend their day. They plan on going to the friend’s nearby house and cooking up biodegradable glue before “hitting” some spots uptown that they have already scoped out.

The two men will take large printouts, mostly depicting sheep’s heads placed into propaganda posters, and paste them to walls throughout the city landscape that will get them seen by the most people on any given day. The movement is called “Cult. 45.”

Although LOF was doing street art around Charlotte as far as eight years ago, Cult .45 has only been around for about a year and a half. He started to watch the way people follow trends and decided to create something depicting that. “The way things happen is usually a person moves and everyone else follows. That’s where the sheep character comes from,” he said.

As far as the art itself, LOF hopes every person takes different things from each piece. As he speaks

A couple three-year-old girls take part in the Cult .45 street art movement. Photo courtesy of Cult .45 on the outdoor patio at Snug Harbor, a Cult .45 poster sits 20 yards away depicting a businessman with a sheep’s head holding a gun. “I didn’t put that there. I send my art out from where I live [no longer in Charlotte] and I trust that people will find a good spot for it.” The text on the poster reads, “Defend Wall Street.”

Another poster depicts two hands praying and states, “Dear Lord, save us from our ability to think and make decisions. Freewill has become our downfall.”

The message that sticks throughout the movement is the idea of equality. “It brings us all down to the same level. The people who are running things, destroying things or saving things are all people like me and you,” he said. “This just knocks ‘em down a peg.”

LOF gets most of his inspiration just from watching the news. “I see the outrage that people have against

ruling factions and regimes,” he said. “You can sit at home and bitch but that’s not going to do anything.”

LOF, who is an art professor at a college somewhere in the Carolinas, also releases propaganda writings every once in a while, because “you can’t just throw art out there. Normal people won’t get it.”

One recent writing titled “Job Security,” states, “The art of the collective Cult .45 defines humanity by its failures in order to cause an outcry for change and then eventually an actual change. The placement of such work is not to defy, but to create an art gallery where before there was only unestablished space.”

Distaste for galleries is a big reason why LOF got into street art in the first place. “If you go to a gallery, you’re seeing what someone wants you to see. It’s controlled,” he said. “When it’s in the street, it’s raw.

You’re not selling it and people aren’t worried about whether it’s going to match their couch.”

With street art (and one artist in particular) becoming popular around the same time that Cult .45 was created, comparisons to Banksy are inevitable. “I do hear that, but only from people who don’t know anything about street art. I just have to tell them, ‘Look at it. It’s absolutely nothing like his art,’” LOF said.

Although Cult .45 doesn’t have a website, they use Facebook and other social media sites to stay connected. “This is the largest art movement that’s ever gone on in the world because we’re all linked together instantly,” he said.

That is a tough fact to prove and Cult .45’s Facebook has a modest 69 likes, but their most recent project “In the Shadow of Giants” points to the reach that the movement has garnered.

This project, in which participants are mailed stickers of a sheep’s head as it would look on a dollar bill and told to stick them in iconic places, has produced pictures of stickers in places such as Bourbon St. in New Orleans and the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris.

One picture shows a sticker on an American soldier’s .50 caliber gun turret in Afghanistan.LOF has only just begun with his plans for Cult .45, he said.

As he and his friend leave Snug Harbor to get today’s work started (they like to work in broad day because “people don’t think you’re doing anything wrong”) a strange woman with Christian music blaring from her speakers yells out of her car window, “Sorry guys, you’ve already lost,” before speeding away.

LOF smiles and says, “Damn, I didn’t even know we had started playing the game yet.”

Print Error is the first school sitcom created by students for students Patrick Bogans PBOGANS@UNCC.EDU

“Print Error”, a UNC Charlotte-made sitcom that parodies a student-run newspaper, is produced by NinerTV a section of the university’s Student Niner Media.

Joy Cannon, Martin Jacobs, Patrick Wisniewski, Erika Metzger and Colby Hopkins write the show.

The freshman comedy series parodies the staff of a school newspaper as a hilarious, chaotic and dysfunctional group of college students who run a completely unorganized production and often find themselves in other troubles.

Directed by Metzger and Hopkins, Metzger and Wisniewski came up with the idea of creating a sitcom for NinerTV after running a previous mini-series they had created called the “Niner Night of Terror.”

“We learned a lot from “Niner Night of Terror”. We learned what worked, what didn’t work, things like that,” Metzger said in “The Making Of,” a behind-thescenes video posted on their YouTube channel, NTVPrintError1.

Soon after, Hopkins and others hopped on board.

That’s how the writing and production for the full length sitcom “Print Error” began.

The conflicting personalities of all the characters make the show such a treat to watch.

“I think they all have sort of a little bit of ‘us’ in college and funny things that we’ve done or seen in them,” Hopkins says.

The characters include the utterly silent A&E editor, who no one on the staff even knows the name of, the not-so-intelligent beautiful blonde Carrie, comparable to Phoebe from “Friends.”

There’s also the cocky sports editor, Greg, who is dating feminist and attitude-heavy Jen. The contrast between casual Editor-in-Chief Frank and the not-so-casual Assistant Editor-in-Chief Tanya causes even more craziness as they try to put a respectable paper out.

The “bromantic” friendship of Russian staff member, Alexei, and outgoing sports writer, Quig, proves to be one filled with hilarious conversations and spontaneous crusades.

And finally, there is the awkward freshman newbie, Eric, who finds himself right in the middle of all the chaos as a new writer for the paper. His crush on staff member, Julie, doesn’t help matters either.

Matt Querry, a sophomore, portrays Jay on “Print Error. “He worked on a few projects down at Niner Online and heard about the show through Metzger.

“I’ve always been kind of attracted to the acting profession and so I figured it would give me a chance to explore that path more,” Querry said.

From this Jay’s character was introduced, a weird, crazy, Counting Crows-obsessed staff member of the paper. With Querry’s quirkiness comes great improvisation.

“The directors actually encourage improvisation to an extent.” Querry explained. “In one of the first episodes, I say a line, ‘I taught [the staff’s pet fish] Bret

Michaels how to jump through fire’ and it wasn’t in the script.”

“Print Error” premiered this year on Sept. 12 with their debut episode, “Headlines.”

Each episode of the season is named after and based around a newspaper related section, like “Special Interest,” “Advertisements,” or “Entertainment.”

When asked about what he liked most about the show, Querry states, “I have to say the experience. The people on set are great. Some of the greatest people you’ll meet.”

“Print Error” rolls out new episodes every Monday night on the UNC Charlotte television channel and their aforementioned YouTube channel.

Matt Querry as ‘Jerry’. Photo courtesy of Print Error

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

PAGE 11

HO-HO-HORROR! BAFS Presents: ‘Rare Exports’ and ‘Sint’

Patrick Bogans

PBOGANS@UNCC.EDU

The Back Alley Film Series is back again this December with two films that will disrupt anyone’s idea of the jolly Saint Nic just in time for the holiday season.

The two films that will be featured are “Sint” and “Rare Exports,” both low budget European films that were initially released in 2010.

“Sint,” the first of the films to be shown, is a Dutch comedy horror film that depicts Saint Nicolas as a murderous bishop fulfilling a prophecy.

Saint Nicolas was said to have been

murdered a very long time ago after a revolt against his vicious plundering ways of early years.

Now on every full moon that occurs on the date of his death, Dec. 5, St. Nicolas and his minions rise from the dead to get revenge that went against him by kidnapping and even murdering the children of the town.

The film, written and directed by Dick Maas, follows Frank, a teenager of the area who sets out to lead a battle against the evil Santa and his helpers to try to save the area.

Frank gains the courage to fight against him after narrowly escaping

A newly-unearthed Santa in ‘Rare Exports’. Photo courtesy of Mika Orasmaa

Mission Impossible from pg. 1 On the difference in playing in a series of films rather than a standalone “It was nice for me, because in ‘Mission Impossible 3’ I felt like I was a sort of a guest player. I was Benji.

With ‘Ghost Protocol’ it is about four agents and I’m one of them. And that for me felt like a new experience.

I felt that this was a new kind of character in a way, because Benji had leaned up and learned the trade and gone on to become an actual fully qualified agent.

So in some respects, it felt like starting again which was really nice.

It’s only his second or third mission.

So he’s new to it, which is really fun to play.

And with ‘Star Trek,’ going back to being Scotty, I can’t wait to do that. It’s a great bunch of people and I try and approach each film as an individual thing anyway as opposed to part of a series or something that’s not complete, you know.

It’s pretty much the same as when you do a standalone like ‘Shaun of the Dead’ or ‘Hot Fuzz.’ It’s just the scope of it.

If you’re doing a franchise it’s gener ally going to be a pretty big deal.

So you do have the feeling that you’re involved with something that’s going to be global as opposed to a cult hit.”

About his say in the change of his character’s role “I think the fact is we had such a blast on the first one. The first time I got along very well with JJ and I think the idea of bringing him back in a more proactive role was always something we joked about.

It was, ‘Imagine if Benji actually got out into the field? You know what would happen then?’ And then JJ literally e-mailed me one morning and said, I think we’re going to do that. And I was extremely excited and surprised.

But it just happened because you know we found a rhythm when we did the third one and Benji was a fun character to play and the notion that he’s immediately a little bit of a thorn in Ethan’s side just fit like a puppy.

And we kind of figured that would be a fun thing to put in a very dangerous situation would be to have this [newb] with a very, very experienced and very well-versed IMF operative. And I think that really works in the movie.

It’s almost like a family drama in a way. It’s like a dysfunctional family trying to figure out how to work together.”

On his preference between comedies and action flicks “It depends on what comes up, really. I mean if that seems to be a particularly fun thing to do, then I don’t have

death from Nicolas. The police, however, did not believe Frank initially and locked him up, suspicious that he was the perpetrator.

Once the police had a first-hand interaction with jolly Nic himself, Frank manages to free himself from captivity, team up with a suspended detective and head up a counterattack against Saint Nic and his rampage.

“Sint” is the ninth feature film Maas has directed, the first being “De Lift,” released in 1983.

He has directed 8 shorts throughout his career, with the first being “Historia Morbi,” released in 1977.

The film hasn’t gotten much exposure in the United States but has been met with positive reviews elsewhere.

One reviewer, Scott Weinberg of FEARnet, said the film “[h]as a cockeyed charm, some truly clever ideas, and more than enough energy to pull it all off."

One warning to any viewers ahead of time, this movie has its share of gore.

The second film to be shown is “Rare Exports,” a comedy action film released this time last year.

Rare Exports follows a group of archaeological diggers who unearth Santa Claus in the depths of the Korvatunturi

a game plan. I’m not thinking, hmm, I want to do action comedy now.

I don’t have a particular scheme I’m sticking to and if something comes up that is less action-oriented and I really like the script, then I’ll do that.

So that is definitely a different direction. I’d like to keep it sort of narrative mixed up if I can.”

About staying grounded working with cinematic legends “You know I never lose sight of what it means to work with these people and to be a part of their projects.

I think you learn to moderate your behavior basically.

You just sort of say ‘hello’ and ‘nice to meet you.’ And you behave like a normal human being.

And then when you leave the room you jump up and down and scream.

And I think that’s the kind of way to go about it.

I personally hope that I never lose that. I hope that this industry never stops sort of entertaining and enthralling me.

Going to work with all those people and being even in ‘Dr. Who’, which I watched as a child, you know I was always very aware of what that meant to me proactively and ironically.

It was enormous. So, yes, I still do get star struck and I hope I continue to be.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Simon Pegg as Benji Dunn in ‘Mission Impossible 4’. Photo courtesy of Paramount Pictures

3.3 140 14

Opening weekend gross in America for ‘Shaun of the Dead’ in millions

Budget for ‘Mission: ImpossibleGhost Protocol’ in millions Episodes of ‘Spaced’ that Pegg starred in as Tim Bisley

Mountains, the place in Finnish culture where Father Christmas resides.

Soon after finding Santa, however, children start disappearing.

The son and his father attempt to capture Santa to prevent further harm to the town, but also to gain profit by selling Santa to the company that sponsored their dig.

The Finnish film is based on award winning shorts by the director, Jalmari Helaner.

These shorts have gained a massive cult following on the internet. Rotten Tomatoes has this wonderfully strange tale at a certified fresh rating of 90 percent.

Jeannette Catsoulis of the New York Times called the tale “a thing of frigid beauty and twisted playfulness.”

The Back Alley Film Series of the Charlotte Film Society strives to bring foreign independent films to the Charlotte area throughout the year.

“Sint” will be playing fittingly on Dec. 5 at 7:30, and “Rare Exports” will be playing at the same time on Dec. 19, 2011 at the Crownpoint Stadium 12 on Monroe Rd. For more information about the Back Alley Film Series, go to www.backalleyfilmseries.com.

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

NINERTIMES

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

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DOWNTIME 1

Thursday

25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee Robinson Hall 8:00pm

2

Friday

3

Saturday

4

5

Sunday

6

Monday

Tuesday

Stress Relief Night

Union Take Over

Party with the Panthers

Mayday! Mayday!

I’m Stressed!!!!

2nd Annual Silent Library

Student Union Norms 7:00pm - 11:00pm

Student Union 8:00pm - 11:45pm

Student Union Norms 1:00pm

Fretwell Rm310 12:30pm-1:30pm

Afterhours 8:00pm

The last Union Take Over of the Semester.

Come watch the Panthers game on the big screen with NOW. Eat free food while the Panthers play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Learn why students are stressed and how we can minimize stress in our lives.

Bring a group of 4 people and play for cash prizes in UNCC’s version of Silent Library.

Tony-Award winning music Do finals Stress you out? that features a quirky yet Let NOW take it away with charming group of young- free massages. sters who learn winning isn’t everything.

FOR RELEASE DECEMBER 12, 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 Brewpub choices 5 Bottle tops 9 Newly hatched pigeon 14 Lower California, familiarly 15 Mother Goose baddie 16 Hearing-related 17 Downside of reading in poor light 19 Magic wand wielder 20 PC go-to type 21 Use the ballot 23 Mlles., in Spain 24 Drive-thru cleanings 29 Checkpoint “Hold it!”

31 Little-known information 32 Prefix meaning “billion” 36 Harbor landing 38 Bridge positions 39 Range for indoor comfort 42 “Tomorrow” title singer 43 High spirits 44 1974 Sutherland/Gould spoof 45 “Burnt” crayon color 47 Egyptian cross 49 Staunch political group member 51 Montezuma subject 56 Admin. aide 57 Hawkish 58 Not so many 62 Solid baseball hit 64 African antelope 65 Muscular woe 66 Born and __ 67 Prepares, as cocktails 68 “Little” Dickens girl 69 “Besides that ...”

DOWN 1 Helps illegally 2 Hen, vis-à-vis eggs 3 Kick out 4 Olympic skater Cohen 5 Apple heart

12/12/11

By Mel Rosen

6 Turkish title 7 Doctor’s selfemployment, and a hint to the starts of the five longest across answers 8 Hombre’s title 9 Low-crime section of town 10 Sine __ non: essential 11 Ocean State sch.

12 River to the Rhine 13 Activist Nellie 18 Addams Family nickname 22 Howard Hughes’s airline 24 Scale, as Everest 25 Improvises like Armstrong 26 Welcomes to the penthouse 27 Blog piece 28 Freelance writers’ encls.

30 Zoo swinger 32 Hold tightly 33 Ancient Greek region that was home to Heraclitus 34 One with no hope

Saturday’s Puzzle Solved

(c)2011 Tribune Media Services, Inc.

35 Make ___: rake it in 37 Sign anew, as a contract 40 Thirty feet 41 Soldier of Seoul 46 Sighs of relief 48 Difficult 50 “The Chronicles of Narnia” lion 52 “___ the Greek” 53 Handle, as a baton

12/12/11

54 Rain gutters run under them 55 System of belief 57 Banana covering 58 Like “la” in Fr. or Sp. 59 Quarterback Manning 60 Like many lifelike museum displays 61 Opposite of WSW 63 Buffalo Sabres’ org.

PAGE 14

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

SPORTS

NINERTIMES

SPORTSMen’s SCHEDULE Basketball vs Duke Wed. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Men’s Basketball vs Duke Weekend

Wed. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Men’s Basketball vs Duke Wed. 7pm, Charlotte, NC

Track and Field Sat. @ Clemson orange and purple classic 7 p.m.

Men‘s Basketball Sat. @ East Carolina 5 p.m.

Women’s Basketball Sun. @ Florida State 2 p.m.

Road Record 7-3-2 Average goals per game 1.82 Assists 41 Shots per game 16.6 Shot percentage .109 Corner kicks 165 Penalty kicks 2/3 Total saves 61

Location Storrs, CT Time Sunday @ 1p.m.

Home Record 12-0-1 Average goals per game 1.62 Assists 33 Shots per game 15.5 Shot percentage .105 Corner kicks 124 Penalty kicks 4/5 Total saves 78

Catch the game live on: charlotte49ers.com

Tuesday Men’s Basketball @ Radford 7 p.m.

SPORTS RESULTS Men’s Soccer

WIN vs.

Akron

1-0 Women’s Basketball

Graphic by Christain Billings

LOSS @ VCU

68-58

Road to the Quarterfinals Ed Niser ENISER@UNCC.EDU

49ers set sites on Elite Eight

Huskies look to stay in Storrs

Charlotte hosted an opening round contest with regional foe Furman prevailing by a margin of 3-1.

Trailing early in the match, freshman Giuseppe Gentile provided the equalizer in the 28th minute.

Charlotte pulled in front of the Paladins on a T.J. Beaulieau goal from 10 yards out in the 68th minute giving them the lead for good.

Jennings Rex would provide the dagger in the 84th minute as Charlotte advanced to play UAB on the road in a second round tilt.

Charlotte scored 43 seconds into the game with the Blazers on a goal by senior Evan James.

Issac Caughran and Rex each scored a goal in the match as the 49ers glided into a home matchup with the defending national champion, Akron Zips.

Akron fans made the trip to Transamerica field making what some fans called a miniature European soccer environment. Charlotte defeated the Zips 1-0 behind a goal tallied off a deflection by Gentile, who has proved to be a force in the regular season and NCAA Tournament for the 49ers thus far.

UConn was forced to dig deep in their second round victory over Monmouth, it was the second combe behind win in as many days for the Huskies, who rallied in the Big East quarterfinals down 1-0 against Rutgers.

The Huskies trailed the Hawks 1-nil in the 25th minute but rallied behind their leading goal scorer, Mamadou Diou Diof, who tallied two goals in the 2-1 win.

Last Sunday UConn punched their ticket to the quarterfinals with a 3-0 win over James Madison.

The junior/senior tandem f Carolos Alvarez and senior Tony Cascio eached tallied a goal and an assist in the tird round win over the Dukes.

Connecticut’s 16 clean sheets is a program high for the Huskies, surpassing the record set by the 2000 NCAA Championship team.

The No.3 seed Huskies will host Charlotte for the first time in their history at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium Sunday.

UConn is part of a trio of Big East programs partaking in quarterfinals matches this weekend.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK Giuseppe Gentile #11

Women’s Basketball

WIN

@ Long Island

81-72 Men’s Basketball

LOSS vs.

East Tenn. State

70-69

Men’s Basketball

WIN

@ Wright State

70-66

Did you know?

The last time the 49ers’ men’s soccer team advanced to the quarterfinals was in 1996.

Leading goal scorer Giuseppe Gentile recorded the game winning tally in Sunday’s third round victory over the defending National Champion Akron Zips.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 2011

NINERTIMES