Niner Times - January 26, 2012

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

LIFESTYLE

A&E

VIDEO STREAM OPTIONS The Niner Times reviews several online options for streaming movies, and tv episodes with a college budget in mind.

Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Prime offer several different features that may keep students from playing the cable bill. p.6

ON CAMPUS TRAVEL TIPS

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Learn the quickest way across UNC Charlotte’s 1000 acre campus.

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NINERTIMES Thursday, Januar y 26, 2012

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Crunching numbers on construction Eden Creamer

8

ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

Capital Projects, the company over the design and construction of projects on campus, releases the estimated cost of construction for

Cost of construction by $10 million

7 6 5 4

each individual project.

The bid for the construction of Residence Hall Phase X has recently been released, and with it comes speculation on how much the university will spend on buildings of similar capacity.

Current projects under construction and in design range in price

from Nearly $300,000 to over $75 million.

The residence hall, which is expected to hold 400 students once built, is projected to cost about $31 million.

This cost of construction equals roughly a $77,000 cost of housing each student during the building’s first year of operation.

3 2 1 EPIC Football PORTAL Residence South Parking Building Complex Hall Village Deck I Phase X Dining Hall

Parking Deck J

Most expensive construction projects on campus

This price-per-head compares to the cost of the Energy Production Infrastructor Center (EPIC) building.

The 200,000 square foot building is costing the university over $75 million dollars.

Each square foot of the building is essentially costing about $400.

Perhaps more shocking is the cost of a parking deck per spot the deck will create. Parking Deck I, a project costing over $28 million, will create 1,100 parking spots.

Each of these spots will cost over $25,000.

Deck J will cost nearly one million dollars less than Deck I, yet each of the 1,000 individual spots will cost over $27,000 each.

Sarah Obeid

SOBEID2@UNCC.EDU

CMULLEN6@UNCC.EDU

Chiquita Brands International, known primarily for their production of bananas, faces controversy as they facilitate their move from Cincinnati, Ohio to North Carolina.

Beginning in May of 2011, Chiquita began scouting out Charlotte, N.C. as a potential new home for their headquarters. The company worked with state officials in order to negotiate the move, making Charlotte the front-runner for the new headquarters.

Although some see this as a wonderful opportunity which will provide many new jobs and employment opportunities for the city and surrounding area, others are openly opposed to the headquarters’ relocation due to Chiquita’s unsa BANANAS p.3

OPINION

The University area is flooded with restaurants. Just about anyone can find a suitable place to eat.

Less than a mile down the road from the entrance of UNC Charlotte on University City Blvd. is a Chinese restaurant called My Bento Asian Diner and Sushi Express, or Bento for short.

“Bento has been around for two and a half years. The restaurant has changed significantly since then. At the start, we had 80 percent American customers and 10 to 25 percent non-American customers. Considering UNC Charlotte is known for its high number of international students, we decided to make the style and food of the restaurant more Chi-

SPORTS

Letters to the Editor p.4-5

nese to attract more international groups, not just from the university, but from anywhere in Charlotte,” said Luo, assistant manager at Bento.

A new international student adjusts to life as a UNC Charlotte student and talks about the expectations she had about America. From transportation to fashon, she looks at the similaries between her home and Charlotte.

How do students combat the constant change in weather without the closet space.

Niner Basketball Flashback

p.11

We turn the calendar back to 1998 when the top song at the time was Next’s Too Close on the Billboard 100 charts for multiple weeks, if you don’t know this song, you probably won’t know the details of 49ers’ 1998 tournament team.

In October of 1998 Charlotte alum Bobby Lutz was promoted to head coach of the 49ers’ men’s basketball team following his service as an assistant under prior head coach Melvin Watkins.

Race for the presidency narrows down

MCT Campus

NORWEIGAN NINER

Freshman Fireside:

S P O RT S @ N I N E R O N L I N E . C O M

BASKETBALL p.11

LIFESTYLE

University City: UNC Charlotte students need to branch out from campus and become active in the surrounding community.

Former coach of the Charlotte 49ers basketball team, Bobby Lutz. FILE PHOTO Ed Niser

Going Wrapped up in Bento bananas over payments Christina Mullen

A Niner flashback

p.9

Ciera Choate NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

The Republican primary race continues to narrow down with the drop out of candidates leaving SUSHI p.9 two men standing ahead of the pack, Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich. After Iowa and New HampA&E shire there was a mutual feeling that Romney would take the lead, but to the surprise of many Gingrich now leads the Republican race.

“After a decisive victory in New Hampshire there was a feeling not only among the party leadOn Friday, six local bands to play ers but also the press that it was going to be ineviin the first event hosted by the table that Romney would be shaped to take South show Niner TV show “We Are the Carolina and shaped to take Florida according to Media” in the Cone Center. Bands the polls... That is no longer the case,” said Richinclude Funcky Geezer, Duck Tan, ard Benedetto from USA Today in a conference call Tuesday. and UNC Charlotte’s own CornThe race not only surprised voters by Gindog and Fries. grich’s sudden lead but also with his response

BATTLE OF THE BANDS

p.6

PRESIDENT p.2

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NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

PRESIDENT from p.1 to the moderators first question regarding his open relationship with his second wife where he attacked the media for being liberally biased.

Some believe with that being the starting point of the debate it set the tone for the rest of the debate, and Gingrich completed the “perfect storm” set up for his victory in South Carolina.

“His audience was not only a group of very conservative South

tle bit later in the debate he would have still made the attack on the media, but it wouldn’t have had the impact it had in the beginning.

It put Newt in the drivers seat and the media on the defensive,” said Benedetto.

On the other end of the political spectrum President Barak Obama continues to campaign as well so he does not fall behind the Republican candidates. From the State of the Union address to any other opportunity he receives to speak to the American people he

Right now if you look at the polls Barak Obama is at about a 52 percent job approval rate in that teenage group. In order to win the election he is going to have to bring those people back to the 60 percent rate.

- Richard Benedetto, USA Today Carolina voters there but also the audience in that primary where the exit polls showed that 80 percent who voted in that primary consider themselves conservative,” said Benedetto.

“And as you know conservatives feel there is a liberal bias in the media and there has always been that feeling. It transcended that belief among the people in South Carolina and Americans in general.”

Gingrich began the debate ahead of the pack and made sure he was controlling the debate to better his chances of gaining the most support from South Carolina voters.

“Had that question come a lit-

will push his message.

“President Obama is campaigning as well. He is using every advantage of the incumbency to promote his own cause, including the State of the Union address,” said Benedetto.

Before getting into his policy reforms Obama made sure to remind Americans of one promise he did fulfill, bringing the troops home from Iraq. ““For the first time in nine years, there are no longer Americans fighting in Iraq,” he said.

During his State of the Union address President Obama pushed his economic, educational and tax plans out there. He urged congress to stop the interest rate

increased for student loans so middle class families could better afford to send their children to school, give tax cuts to those that keep jobs on American soil and to increase funding for teacher pay and better education for our youth.

The president went on to countered the arguments from the Republican Party that the unemployment rates fall on his shoulders by pointing out that in the past two years there have been the creation 3 million jobs, which is the highest it has been at since 2005, according to Obama.

“It is time to turn our unemployment system into a re-employment system that puts people to work,” he said to his audience and those that were tuned in all over America.

He played off of the idea of America being a manufacturing company and spoke about how the auto industry has added about 165,000 jobs.

The foundation of these reforms will be reform in the classroom, he said. He is asking that all states required students to stay in high school until the age of 18.

In Obama’s eyes, this is where we are falling behind the rest of the world.

This was his chance to campaign and speak out just like his Republican competitors are doing throughout their campaign journey. Despite the constant campaigning and multiple debates the question on who the next president will be still lingers. Who do the parties need to convince in order to win the election?

“Right now if you look at the polls Barak Obama is at about a 52 percent job approval rate in that teenage group. In order to win the election he is going to

Mitt Romney (left) and Newt Gingrich, who won the S.C. primary race for the Republican nomination, at the South Carolina primary debate. MCT Campus have to bring those people back to the 60 percent rate,” Benedetto said in comparison to Obama’s 66 percent approval rating for the age group of 18 to 29 in the 2008 election.

Regardless of which nominee runs against the president in the general election the parties will

stay true to their candidates. For the Republican that means whoever gets the nomination will get the vote of the Republican people.

What matters are those voters in the middle.

“What matters is where the independents go,” said Benedetto.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

PAGE 3

BANANAS from p.1

What you thought:

Should non-students be allowed to use on-campus student resources?

Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

Earlier this week, the Niner Times reported the story of a man, dubbed Darnell Terrell. This man is not an enrolled student at UNC Charlotte, yet lives on campus in a dorm.

UNC Charlotte students read this story and formed their own opinions on the matter. See what some of your fellow students thought about a non-student living on campus and using the resources associated with it.

“

It’s kind of unfair that he gets to take advantage of that. I commute, and I could do the same thing he’s doing.

- Samuel Ghencian, sophomore

I think he’s right in what he’s doing. I feel like the school should have worked with him or something, it’s not fair.

As long as he’s not stealing, it’s whatever. The only issue is if he’s doing something like that. That would be wrong.

- Wilson Carter, freshman

- Heidi Haack, senior

Some people pay an outrageous amount to live here, so it bothers me that someone could come and not pay.

If it’s okay with the friends and the roommates it’s okay. I know the rules...but if everyone is okay with it, I don’t care.

- Daniel Williams, junior

- Trey Rawls, graduate student

“

A Chiquita worker examines the quality of the bananas at a check point in Florida before being shipped out for consumption. MCT Campus vory political moves.

In 2007, Chiquita Brands plead guilty to funding U.S. designated terrorist groups in Columbia in order to maintain protection for their employees and banana-harvesting zones.

During the time that Chiquita funded these groups, over 4,000 civilians were murdered by one of the paramilitary groups of Colombia that they funded.

Chiquita has acknowledged the payments but insists that it was extortion. Eventually, the allegations resulted in Chiquita paying $25 million to the United States Justice Department.

CEO of Chiquita, Fernando Aguirre, has released a statement saying

that the payments were made “to protect the lives of its employees.”

Current controversy rests in the fact that Chiquita may still face charges in Colombia based on the payments given to the groups. These charges in Colombia may result the extradition of the board members at the time of the payments, as well as current board members, and would affect the company in the U.S. Amy Kennemore, a graduate teaching assistant for the Latin American department, believes that Chiquita coming to Charlotte isn’t something to be proud of. “You would hope that people care,” said Kennemore. “A lot of times you face the question of values versus economics.”

“Latin by tradition not definition” Ciera Choate NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

UNC Charlotte gained a new organization this past week with the approval of the Interested Ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha, a Latin sorority.

Although Latin American women founded the sorority the ladies of Lambda Theta Alpha are pushing the message that their focus is those who are “Latin by tradition not definition.”

There are currently only seven women involved and to officially become a sorority on campus they need one more member.

Many of the current members tried different areas of Greek life but couldn’t find a place that felt “right.”

“It just felt right. Their principles are unity, love and respect. You can’t really go wrong with that. Becoming an interest group allows us to make out it whatever we

want,” said Jennifer Betancur, one of the founding members of the interest group.

After exploring all of their options a group of friends came together to start the organization. “Many of us are friends with each other and it is about contributing and working for the same efforts that we’re all working for. In a way it’s either you click or you don’t. I know many of us have gone to other informationals and when we started of our friends talking about other Latin sororities,” said Betancur.

The sorority was first founded by Latin immigrants and then spread to more campuses all over the U.S. “They thought, every other group has a support system so why not us as well? It wasn’t just for Latina women,” said Betancur. “They incorporated European women as well as women from the Carribean, which is why I like Latin by tradition not definition.”

The UNC Charlotte group has not yet set their philanthropy but are working with the national sorority to raise money for St. Jude’s Children Hospital. Last November the members participated in the St. Jude’s walk with nationals.

Every Greek organization has a required amount of community service, but Lambda Theta Alpha wants to do more than what is asked of them. “We don’t want to limit ourselves to the requirement. We want to out do that,” said Betancur.

Although their organization is not very large they have high goals set for themselves and want to do whatever they can to get the word out there about their interest group and increase student involvement on campus.

“Our main goal is kind of to increase student involvement on campus, especially in the Greek community. Two percent of students at the university are involved in

Greek organizations, and we don’t just want to push the involvement for Greek organizations just in general,” said Betancur. “We want to reach out to our university campus as well as our Charlotte community.”

Interested Ladies of Lambda Thetha Alpha When and Where

Tuesday/Thursday What - Study group When - 6:30 p.m.

Where - Atkins Library room 128A

Wednesday What - Weekly meeting When - 5 p.m.

Where - Student Union 264 or 267

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NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

OPINION Make University City your own Joel Hanel

EDITOR@NINERONLINE.COM

College life includes much more than the everyday routine of class, student organizations, homework, and food. T here are the late night adventures, shopping trips, explorations of campus, and the sheer enjoyment of being a ‘college student.’

The surrounding community, and the places and events available in the vicinity can heighten part of a college experience.

Yet, students at UNC Charlotte forget this aspect, they forget University City.

Often times, students are trapped in by the walls of Mallard Creek Church Road, Highway 49, Harris Boulevard, and Highway 29, unable to reach the community, and all it has to offer.

When Charlotte College moved from downtown Charlotte to UNC Charlotte’s current home, the area was barren to activities suitable for college students.

On the other hand, today around campus, University City has exploded around a major university home to more than 25,000 students.

In Charlotte the University City region is second in employment only behind the population of downtown, and offers multiple options not only for college students but also a growing diverse

population.

Yet, constantly, students complain about the lack of opportunities, and forget to walk or drive to the plethora of venues beyond the constraints of Highway 49 and Highway 29.

In 2008 the Charlotte Observer noted that “University City, the area of Charlotte around the campus, looks and feels nothing like a college town or university community. It’s commercial strip-mall, chain-restaurant, big-box-store hell, complete with horrendous traffic, no accommodations for pedestrians or bicycles and very little that’s distinctive.”

Is University City still this way, or has the area catered to the growing UNC Charlotte population?

In many ways, University City still lacks the college town feel, but this may be solved by increasing student’s involvement in the area.

There are many stores, restaurants and venues that students visit everyday around campus.

University Place, which is directly across Highway 29 from campus, was completed in 1984 to accommodate the growing student population.

Though at one point the area had a movie theater, University Place still offeres local one-of-a-kind resturants and bars along with a man-made lake.

Students can be seen at the Cook-Out, a growing campus hang-out at all hours of the day and night.

According to the University City Report published by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce in 2008, the population of University City should reach 185,056 people by 2013.

Letting these residence of University City know UNC Charlotte place in the community can help grow the ‘college town’ feel.

If students can make the residence of University City proud of the university, they may just change the ‘feel.’

What UNC Charlotte students need to do is take ownership of University City, as they are its center and backbone.

Without a University of North Carolina at Charlotte, there would not be a University City.

There are many restaurants and bars around UNC Charlotte that students already take advantage of on a regular basis.

If students want new venues, they have the ability to take a step by voicing their opinions or working to see their ideas come to fruition.

Wear your Charlotte 49er gear around campus, and let the area know that students want to have a collge experience in Charlotte.

NINERTIMES Volume 24, Number 30 A PRODUCT OF

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NEWS EDITOR

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Ed Niser

Ciera Choate

Haley Twist

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Letters to the Editor

MEDIA MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR

Brian Mister

mktdirector@uncc.edu CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Dear Editor, I am writing in regards to the article, “Underground Niner” that appeared in the January 24th edition of the Niner Times.

First, I found the story to be incomplete. The caption seems to imply the situation may not be an isolated incident. However, the reporter fails to move beyond the personal story of this so-called, “Darnell Terrell.” The reporter also does not follow up on questions such as why Terrell was kicked out of his family’s house in Charlotte.

There was also a failure to speak to any university officials about the situation, or address whether there is a safety issue at hand. There is a problem when the university does not realize that a homeless man is living in the dorms. It seems that personal prejudice by the reporter for the man influenced the slant of the discussion in this article.

Second, addressing not the quality of the reporting, but the content, a homeless man should not be allowed to stay on campus. It is a safety concern. The man did not properly complete the paperwork that all students must complete in order to receive financial aid. Furthermore,

this man, along with the students providing him access to the resident halls is violating policy and should be removed from housing.

While some may argue that this student living on campus has not personally affected me, I digress. Our society and our safety are built on a system of agreed upon rules and laws. Undermining this would create a more volatile and less safe community. We cannot allow the homeless living in our resident halls to become a precedent. This man may not be a threat, but others may be.

He should stop trying to circumvent the system while the rest of us have worked so hard to be a part of this university. A life of honesty and integrity is the way to be a true 49er.

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Sincerely,

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Freshman Fireside:

What’s with the weather?

Jordan McSwain

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

It must be that time of the month for Mother Nature because she is changing multiple times everyday.

Waking up to clear skies and then coming out from a class to a monsoon, this bipolar weather is causing challenges for college students to dress.

Upperclassmen have learned through years of experience how to utilize a campus-sized closet but as freshman, we pretty much just stuffed suitcases and trash bags with all the clothes we could find.

Limited space is a cause for limited wardrobe and no student wants to be seen wearing the same outfit twice in an academic week, unless of course you already wear the same t-shirt from high school and sweatpants every single day.

With a constant mist hanging about for the past several days, the sunshine and warmth of Tuesday was something new and probably uncomfortable and if you, like me, wore a heavy sweater to combat the slicing winds but was forced to roll the sleeves up to the elbows to avoid sweating out, especially in buildings like Denny and the basement of Fretwell.

Learning the strategies of how to properly layer is as important to a university student as learning about who the easy and hard professors are. If you layer correctly you can be comfortable and versatile not to mention utilizing a lot of the clothes you thought you just had to bring.

Investing in a small umbrella to keep in a book bag wouldn’t be a bad idea either so that you can be prepared for everything.

Don’t try and call SafeRide during the day for a quick way out of the rain, I made the mistake and felt guilty for trying to use the handicap access during the day. That was definitely a regret of my first semester.

When trying to evade the natural wrath that we all face, learning the ins and outs of campus buildings can help to escape nasty weather.

Like Matt Damon in “The Adjustment Bureau,” one door can come out in a completely different place than where you were expecting. If you didn’t get that reference, rent the movie; it was pretty fantastic.

Being a 49er does make you one of the world’s elite, but unfortunately Mother Nature does not care about what a fantastic institution you attend. Unless of course you’re the Major, he’s pretty much immune to everything.

Walking from Holshouser to the College of Health and Human Services is miserable anytime, but it’s even worse if you are wearing shorts and a t-shirt in a 40 degree rain storm.

Try weather apps for your smartphone or just the good ol’ fashion morning news. Whatever your method, it’s important to be prepared for all kinds of weather, especially when the atmosphere spins the Twister wheel everyday to find out how to torment us.

This is Rick Perry telling you three parts of weather to be looking out for; wind, rain, and...what’s the third one?

Well, let’s see. What was it? You’ve got wind, rain, and…I can’t. Sorry. Oops.

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

PAGE 5

The role of science in American politics The Free Lance-Star

The controversy about the contraceptive pill Plan B is more than a case of “science versus politics” or another episode in the seemingly endless American abortion wars. It is also part of a pattern in which the products of the life sciences become hot spots for public policy.

Like last fall’s dustup between Gov. Rick Perry and Rep. Michele Bachmann over the HPV vaccine, the anxious public reaction to the creation of the first synthetic cell, genetic diagnosis and modification, the stem cell and cloning debates, or death and dying cases like that of Terri Schiavo, modern biology is creating a new field of political conflict. The politics of biology or “biopolitics” creates novel challenges for politicians and often plays havoc with the familiar left–right political spectrum.

To be sure, when the Obama administration overruled its own agency’s recommendation to allow over-the-counter sales of the Plan B contraceptive, it set off a firestorm among advocates of reproductive choice.

They felt betrayed by a president who is widely recognized as socially progressive, and one who early in his administration pledged to return scientific integrity to government. In combination, these premises led to a multiplier effect of shock and anger among many on the left.

The obvious political calculus going into an election year _ that the incumbent has more to fear from an attack ad depicting an 11-year-old girl taking an “abortion pill” from a drug store shelf than he does losing the liberal vote _ has for them been overshadowed by the principles at stake.

This incident is part of a larger and historically novel pattern of awkward choices that modern biology is foisting upon the political system.

Perhaps the most vivid example of biopolitics over the last decade has been the embryonic stem cell debate, which involves obtaining cells from human embryos for medical research and possibly, someday, new therapies.

The last three presidential campaigns have all required the major party candidates to have a position on this fairly esoteric laboratory technique, practiced in only a few places in the world. Obtaining these cells results in the destruction of human embryos left over in fertility clinics with their donors’ informed consent.

The issue could well arise in yet a fourth presidential election. President Obama liberalized the conditions for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research early in his term. Among leading candidates for the Republican nomination, Newt Gingrich has a long history of supporting stem cell research from leftover embryos but says he is now opposed, Mitt Romney strongly supported embryo research as Massachusetts governor then changed his position in 2006, and as a libertarian Ron Paul generally wants to slash federal spending on just about everything.

Ideas about the role of biology in politics may be found traced to the dawn of Western philosophy.

In Plato’s Republic, Socrates proposes to allow mating only among those with similar virtues. Nineteenth-century reformers, obsessed with signs that racial health was in decline, armed themselves with illicit inferences from Darwin. Among the early progressives were many advocates of practices that come under the general heading of eugenics, an odious concept after the Holocaust but one that still animates much anxiety about the direction of science.

The old politics of biology operated in the dark about the underlying mechanisms

of biology. But modern biology is increasingly able to understand and manipulate life’s basic building blocks. Once the territory mainly of academic bioethicists, the resulting social questions have become more prominent as the power of the modern life sciences both actual and symbolic becomes ever more obvious. With applications like direct-to-consumer genetics, a noninvasive maternal blood test for Down syndrome, and new contraceptives like Plan B, the marketplace itself is driving these issues as never before.

The new biopolitics has to do with control over the tissues, systems, and information that are the basis and manifestation of life in its various forms.

There are many protagonists in this struggle, including politicians, advocacy groups, religious organizations, the scientific establishment, venture capitalists, and industry. Although the United States is by no means the only country in which these contending forces are at work, the stakes are especially high for a nation that is at once fairly traditional in its values and yet so identified with innovation as the key to its power, prosperity, and sense of national purpose.

In 2009 the National Science Board reported that 68 percent of Americans believe that the benefits of scientific research strongly outweigh the harmful results, and only 10 percent said that harms outweigh the benefits. But 48 percent said that “science makes our way of life change too fast,” a sentiment that is surely not the property of any one party or ideology. Plan B may eventually find its way to your local drugstore shelves, but the path of the new biopolitics is sure to be tortuous and vexed as our social arrangements adjust to the perceived promises and perils of this biological century.

U.S. fisheries reel in new hope MCT Campus

Remarkable things can happen when key stakeholders and leaders in Washington find common ground for a common good. An excellent case in point is the congressional effort to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, a landmark conservation measure signed into law by President George W. Bush five years ago this January.

In the mid-2000s, we had arrived at a point where our marine fisheries management system just wasn’t working in many parts of the country. The clock was ticking to reform our nation’s primary law for governing U.S. ocean fish. Disputes among main constituencies were many, but one thing was clear to virtually all business as usual was no longer an option.

With numerous vital commercial and recreational fish stocks severely depleted, action was needed to help them recover and prevent others from facing the same fate.

Everyone knew the way forward wouldn’t be easy, but something had to be done.

A coalition came together at the last minute to pass the legislation. With vital support from the White House, the group spanned traditional partisan lines and included leaders from conservation as well as the commercial and recreational fishing communities.

Initially, the discussion stalled on technical matters, as many debates in Congress do. In the end, however, the effort led to a well-considered compromise that balanced the many competing needs and pressures on our oceans.

The linchpin was a new federal mandate promoting more sustainable practices on the water and embracing the usage of strong, science-based catch limits to restore and maintain fish populations at healthy levels.

Every American who loves the ocean and enjoys seafood should applaud this ac-

complishment. For such policies to be more effective, however, it’s critical that Congress continue to support these efforts with adequate funding for fisheries research.

Today, we have one of the most advanced marine resource management programs in the world. For the first time in United States history, by the end of January we are set to have science-based catch limits as well as measures to ensure that these limits are not exceeded for all of our federally managed stocks. These efforts have put us on track to end overfishing the problem of taking species from our oceans faster than they can reproduce in U.S. waters once and for all.

Anglers, commercial fishermen, and all of those who depend on a healthy ocean are beginning to reap the benefits of these and other reforms in the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Twenty-three previously depleted species’ populations have been rebuilt, including Atlantic sea scallops, one of the most valuable fisheries in the country, and midAtlantic summer flounder. Other commercially and recreationally important species, such as red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico, are heading toward recovery.

There will always be competing needs and viewpoints on how to best manage our nation’s fisheries. But the bottom line is that the system is now working. One place where Congress can further support this effort is by providing additional resources for federal managers to have the best science possible to make their decisions.

Collaborative research programs are bearing fruit across the nation. As an ex-

ample, the University of South Florida is currently working on a cooperative project with partners in the commercial fishing industry to look at new technologies that can be used for stock assessments. The results so far are impressive, thanks in part to the extensive knowledge that many fishing captains have brought to the initiative.

It’s clear that science must be the basis for the decisions fisheries managers make, because when we have better data available, everyone wins. Federal budget dollars these days are tight, but improving fisheries management and the economy that depends on it is a smart investment for us all.

The coalition that came together to reauthorize the Magnuson-Stevens Act was a classic example of how Americans with varying perspectives can put aside their differences and work toward a common goal.

Similar support for legislative proposals to promote additional cooperative research and management projects would be an excellent way for members in this Congress to build upon the work of those who came before them.

PAGE 6

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

A&E

LIVE MUSIC:

Grown Up Avenger Stuff Jan 28/ 8:00 p.m.

Amos’ Southend

ON CAMPUS:

Comedy Zone presents Jarrod Harris Jan 27/8:00 p.m. at Norm’s The Business People and Solar Cat Jan 31/7:00 p.m. at After Hours

NEW IN THEATERS: The Grey Man on a Ledge One For The Money Melancholia

Flooded with streams

By Ryan Pitkin and Barry Falls

Price: $7.99/month Notable features: Modern Family, Family Guy, New Girl Other Perks: Can be streamed on tablets, smart phones and game systems

Hulu Plus gives the viewer shows like Modern Family, New Girl and Family Guy a day or two after they’re released.

That being said, I have some major problems with Hulu Plus. I had always watched these types of shows on the regular Hulu website for free without much of any problem. When I moved in with my roommate, I signed up for Plus because it can run through a PS3 to the TV, making the interface far more user friendly.

I figured this plan would double our library and make the bill paying easier. For the most part I was right, but a lot of the “features” of Plus aren’t much different than the free website.

For one thing, I was told the full series would become available for more than 100 of my favorite shows, as opposed to the free site carrying up to five of the most recent episodes. Although I wasn’t purposefully mislead, I did expect more full series runs to be included. Certain shows (The Office, Community) provide all episodes but other big ones (Gossip Girl, House) have less than 10. I will admit that I have never watched an episode of either of those shows but I am writing for a target audience here.

The main problem with Hulu Plus is that if you pay for the service you still have to watch ads. My question is this: What am I paying for if I have to watch ads?

Could you imagine being at a movie theater on the edge of your seat in suspense and all the sudden you see Steven Tyler’s dumb grin looking at you while a narrator promises that this season of American Idol has more talent than all the others put together?

For the most part, I am paying eight bucks a month to be able to keep up with NBC Thursday night comedy and Modern Family. If FX shows like The League and It’s Always Sunny were included, it would take care of everything I paid for with cable anyway. But for fans with more needs, I would take a look at the lineups before signing up.

I’m not even going to mention Hulu’s movie selection. I’ve yet to find a movie I’ve ever heard of.

They do have some exclusive shows that can only be watched by Hulu viewers.

These shows include Misfits, a show that revolves around a group of five troubled teens assigned to do community service together. An electrical storm gives the teens super powers. That’s what we’re dealing with here.

Their newest show is The Only Way is Essex, Britain’s take on The Hills. Horrible cockney accents and acting that makes Laguna Beach look like Breaking Bad.

Price: $7.99/month Notable features: Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Sons of Anarchy Other Perks: Can be streamed on tablets, smart phones and game systems

As for Netflix, the library is amazing. The movies are great, especially the documentaries (Restrepo, The Cove). Relatively new movies are added on a regular basis and the classics are neverending.

The TV shows are equally good, with critically acclaimed dramas (Mad Men, The Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy) and hugely popular comedies (Workaholics, Weeds).

With everything from cult hits (Portlandia) to just cults (Vampire Diaries), Netflix does not skimp.

There’s even some show called Glee, whatever that is.

The only problem is that you’re watching episodes that are from older seasons.

You don’t want to be the guy at work like, “I can’t believe how they ended season 5 of Rescue Me,” when everyone else is talking about Southland.

The age of some shows is completely fine with me, and there’s always the chance that I will run into something good that I never knew about.

As a full blown procrastinator, I like knowing that all of those shows are there. If somebody asks me if I watched Mad Men, I say, “No, but one day...One day I will.”

I recently found a Starz gem named Party Down.

Nobody ever watches that channel but I stumbled upon the show on Netflix and it has become a favorite.

I couldn’t care less that it’s three years old.

The ratings feature is a huge strength considering the size of the library. The “Top 10 for You” feature and other “Like” choices give you suggestions based on the things you’ve watched in the past.

This means that you can sit on your couch and watch enjoyable television for weeks on end. Forget about the fact that you have two papers to write and ten chapters to read.

It is easy to let someone hop on your Netflix account by giving them your passwrod, although technically I’m sure it’s illegal (SOPA!). However, beware who you trust with that information.

A person’s Netflix favorites and suggestions say a lot about him or her. My roommate was recently startled to see that his suggestions queue was filled with shows like Teen Wolf and Angel because my girlfriend had been ustairs watching Vampire Diaries on my iPad. Although Netflix has roughly 25 times more paying users than Hulu, many lost faith last year when they bumped their monthly fee for movie mailing services up to $16.

I always thought that even the movies in the mail thing was dying considering how many people have access to streaming, but apparently not.

But if streaming is what you’re looking for, Netflix is the best bet.

Price: $79.99/year Notable features: Downtown Abbey, Terra Nova Other Perks: Free two-day shipping on all items purchased from Amazon.

Most wouldn’t consider Amazon Prime to be a serious competitor to Netflix.

But once you consider how many people subscribe to Amazon Prime for the company’s non-media streaming capabilities, it grows more and more appealing.

The primary appeal of Amazon Prime is its shipping service.

Those who purchase items online from the Amazon market and have a membership to Amazon Prime are given free two-day shipping which can be very beneficial.

For anyone looking to purchase a birthday or holiday present for a significant other or buying textbooks for much cheaper than they can be found at Barnes & Noble, free two-day shipping can be a true lifesaver.

For those who purchase more than ten or so items per year online, this benefit is worth the $79.99 all on its own. And so for many, the video streaming is only a bonus.

However, if you know someone who has an Amazon Prime account, they can simply let you on as a guest legally and you will get the free two-day shipping.

The price of $79.99 per year may look a little steep as a lump sum, but Amazon Prime ultimately comes out to less than both Netflix and Hulu Plus.

To those who are looking to Amazon Prime for video streaming solely, reservations are to be expected.

As far as content goes, Amazon Prime still does not measure up to Netflix. Amazon Prime only began adding video streaming to their service early last year.

At its launch it offered over 5,000 movies and television shows, which was tawdry compared to the 20,000 movies and television shows that Netflix offered.

Since its launch, there has been a substantial improvement in both quality and quantity of the Amazon Prime content.

It makes a difference that Amazon Prime members can’t stream the movies through their smartphones or tablets. It simply tells the user to put the movie on their Wish List and then find it with their computer.

Even with the improvement that Amazon Prime has achieved, it does not compete with the selection of Netflix, or even Hulu for that matter.

If you are a big spender on Amazon, it is worth it to become an Amazon Prime member for a couple of different reasons.

Streaming video is not one of them.

The Verdict: Most college students, like myself, are in no position financially to be robbed by Time Warner Cable on a monthly basis. We run enough risk of that every time we walk by the ATMs at Chick-Fil-A at night.

So, many students are turning to the alternatives to expensive cable and dish networks, getting their entertainment fix through online, on demand routes.

My best advice is to work out a shared plan with a roommate, or even a friend you share passwords with, for both Hulu and Netflix. It’s convenient because both services have upsides and you both have bills under $10. As long as you pay yours and they pay theirs, it’s smooth sailing.

This isn’t always possible and so the big question still remains; which one has the advantage over the others?

Unless you are one of those water cooler lurkers who needs to see episodes of shows as soon as possible after they come out, I would stick with Netflix. The selection is just incomparable.

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

PAGE 7

Local five-piece gets Lucky with festival scout Jason Cline

JCLIN22@UNCC.EDU

Lucky Five, Charlotte’s grooviest funk quintet, has been invited to play this year’s South By Southwest (SXSW) music festival in Austin, Texas.

Lucky Five formed in 2008 and consists of Marques Nash on vocals and keys, multi-instrumentalist Johnny Fung on guitar and keys, drummer Jesse Williams and UNC Charlotte students Santiago Elizondo and Andy Morimoto on guitar and bass.

SXSW is a four-day long festival from March 1318. Hundreds of musical acts are featured in the festival. There are major international acts such as Muse, national groups like Grace Potter and the Nocturnals and regional acts like Lucky Five.

After Charlotte band Sugar Glyder performed at the festival last year, they scored a record deal with ORG Music.

I asked Elizondo whether the band was hoping for a similar opportunity.

“The band will sign a contract if the right one comes along,” he said, “We want the band’s popularity to grow, but we also want to retain artistic license over our music.”

Playing SXSW also means the opportunity to network with other non-local or regional bands and the opportunity to cultivate a larger fan base.

“The band will sign a contract if the right one comes along. We want the band’s popularity to grow, but we also want to retain artistic license over our music.”

- Marques Nash

Lucky Five was asked to play at SXSW after a scout witnessed one of their exceptional live shows at Rock University.

Lucky Five’s live sets showcase their great musicianship, songwriting and frequently feature guest musicians such as Grammy Award winning trumpeter Ashlin Parker and neo-soul saxophonist Adrian Crutchfield.

The addition of these musicians adds great interplay between the rhythm and horn sections and often takes the band into extended periods of impressive instrumental passages.

Guest backing vocalists from other local bands are also occasionally featured in their live sets.

Elizondo stated that the group is currently focusPhoto courtesy of Lucky Five ing on writing new songs for their untitled upcoming Live performance of Lucky Five album that is slated for this coming May or June. visational live sets.

The band was recently at Appalachian State UniLucky Five most recently released an 8-track alversity’s recording studio, where they tracked the first bum titled “La Resistance” that came out last October. single from their upcoming album.

The album can be found at any of the band’s live According to Elizondo, the single is titled “I See performances as well as on iTunes.

You” and will be sold for a dollar in upcoming weeks “La Resistance” features all of Lucky Five’s signato give fans a peak into the new album as well as help ture outstanding musicianship and songwriting, as fund the band’s trip to SXSW. “I See You” will also well as excellent production. be featured on the new album, but will be arranged Female backing vocals and stringed instruments differently. can be heard on many of the tunes.

When asked about the direction of the new album, Standout tracks include “The Queen,” with an enorElizondo said it would be “more pop-oriented, less mous rocking chorus, “Stay,” which showcases superb ‘jammy’ than their live shows and focus more on mu- songwriting and an impressive dual-guitar outtro, and sicianship.” the electrifying album opener, “LA Live.”

The songs on the album will primarily be dance With two excellent guitar players, a tight and techtunes, slower ballads and will even feature a gospel- nical rhythm section, and a thick-voiced lead singer, influenced song. Elizondo also expressed that the Lucky Five has enough chops, charisma and creativity band is looking at this album as “being a separate en- for the long haul. tity from their live shows.”

You can hear the band Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 at This means that the album will likely be more fo- Amos’ Southend with fellow Charlotte bands Grown cused and feature tighter arrangements compared to Up Avenger Stuff, Hello Handshake and Heyrocco. the band’s sometimes more experimental and impro

Local bands battle it out at on-campus concert

FUNKY GEEZER

BY THE NUMBERS

‘73 6 50

Last year Funky Geezer played a concert on the UNC Charlotte campus

Hundred songs that Funky Geezer has recorded in his long career

Photo courtesy of Jsome1 Barry Falls Jr

B FA L L S 4 @ U N C C . E D U

While this may not be be the first Battle of the Bands concert at UNC Charlotte, it is the first Battle of the Bands campus show with a ‘We Are The Media’ flare.

A product of NinerTV, We Are the Media is a weekly show program that critiques various forms of broadcast entertainment.

Cameron Gross gives his opinions on current music, Erika Metzger hosts the television segment and Joy Cannon analyzes recent films.

NinerTV is also composed of other programs such as Listen Up, Niner Access, the first Niner sitcom Print Error, the Niner prank show Queen City Crankers and Gourmet with Gabe.

Producer Michelle Brooks and the rest of the ‘Media’ staff collectively came up with the idea of hosting a Battle of the Bands in order to get We Are The Media and NinerTV’s name out.

“We accepted bands on a first-come first-served basis until we had our limit of six,” said Brooks. “We chose to open the competition up to anyone interested instead of limiting it to UNCC students only.”

Currently there are six bands lined up to play.

First on the list of musicians is Woody Williams, who goes by an acoustic ego called Funky Geezer and an electric ego called Atomic Geezer.

With over fifty years of art and music under his belt, he is a retired graphic designer and editorial cartoonist. On stage, he typically plays alone using a guitar and sometimes a keyboard.

“I’m really excited for this guy because he told us that he played at UNCC 40 years ago,” said Brooks.

“He was also asked to audition for America’s Got Talent

by some talent agents,” he said.

Another competing band, Duk Tan describes themselves as a progressive improv band who have a wide range of influences such as Johnny Cash and Slayer.

ThreeLetterBand (TLB) is a smaller band comprised of two main members but sometimes they’re joined by others.

They’ve been known to frequent The Evening Muse. They play a lot of acoustic and they’re very loud and energetic.

Corndog and Fries is a comprised of two UNC Charlotte students; Ian Harden and Jordan McSwain. They play a mixture of acoustic guitar, banjo, upright bass and ukulele.

Fusebox Poet is also a notable group set to perform at this year’s Battle of the Bands. This four-piece rock group has developed a large following over its years performing in and out of the Queen City.

The last band set to play is The Feral, known by many around the Charlotte scene. “They’re an alternative rock band and I’d say they have the hardest sound of all the bands,” said Brooks. The Feral will perform tracks off their newly released debut EP. This rock quartet draws inspiration from Radiohead, Deftones and Jeff Buckley.

While several bands are set to play at this year’s UNC Charlotte Battle of the Bands, they each have various reasons for performing.

“While this is a contest, I’d say the biggest thing the bands receive is exposure,” said Brooks.

“Our prize isn’t really set in stone yet, so I’m not sure that’s something to report on but at the moment, the winner will get a gift card to a music supply store and we’re looking into setting up an advertising stint within NinerTV in order to help get the winner’s name out there.”

Battle of the Bands will take place in the Cone Center on the UNC Charlotte campus Jan. 27, 2012. This is a free event for both bands and guests.

Plus years spent creating music and art in and out of Charlotte

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

Where a Niner’s spare moments go

A yogi’s C u t t i n g C o r n e r s : F i n d i n g t h e journey: week 3 Ciera Choate

NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

Three weeks into my 28 days of nonstop yoga and I finally feel like a real yogi. I have a hold on my practice and am no longer struggling to get through each class.

There are still classes that are difficult either mentally or physically, but I can better push myself to complete each class thanks to my growth in mental strength. I now look forward to the workout and the struggle. When I first began it was a battle just to walk into the studio.

Now that I am past the physical difficulties enough so they aren’t dominating my thoughts during class I am able to focus more on my mental and emotional goals for my practice – patience and self-appreciation.

The increase in these values has begun to seep all throughout my life, but I still have a lot of room to grow. Every time a teacher is going over on time I have to remind myself there are people in the world with more pressing issues going on in their lives and I need to slow down and enjoy all of the benefits I have.

During yoga class you are on your mat the whole time. The goal is to stay grounded no matter what pose you are in. From standing in mountain pose to laying down in savasana your focus is on staying rooted into the ground, and you can’t forget to breathe.

The breath is another main point seen through your yoga practice, and another thing I have seen continue into my daily life.

Between three jobs, being a full-time student and trying to have some sort of social life I have a lot going on. My thoughts tend to bombard me all day with all of the things I need to get done and how I have little to no time to make it happen.

During a yoga class when you are suppose to be clearing your head they tell you to focus on the breathing.

Breath in 1, 2, 3, 4 and out 1, 2, 3, 4.

Focusing on breathing helps push all of the other thoughts out of your head. This is what has gotten me through the beginning of this semester without losing my sanity.

Try it. Sit down and close your eyes and try to remove all of the things you need to do, didn’t do or want to do from your mind.

When they begin to come back take a slow steady breath in through your nose for four counts. Fill your lungs and diaphragm with air. Slowly push the air back out through your nose to the count of four.

When the thoughts come back focus on your breathing again. It has gotten me through my hectic life and busy schedule.

Focusing and fretting about everything you have going on will only tire you out more.

Try to remove those things weighing you down from your thoughts so you can focus on one thing at a time.

If yoga has helped me at all this is the most important lesson it has taught me.

Relax. Focus. Breath.

MCT Campus

MOST EFFICIENT routes to class and avoiding those pesky stairs Lee Pham

COMMUNITY@NINERONLINE.COM

Monday was cold and misty, the worst kind of day. It was bitter cold but too warm to snow, and too light to carry an umbrella but wet enough to be annoying. You could see gloom in the eyes of commuters and even more so in those who walked from residence halls to class.

Known to locals and surprising to outsiders, UNC Charlotte is a very large university. The campus sits on almost 1000 acres. In comparison, the UNC Chapel Hill rests on approximately 730 acres and Eastern Carolina University on 530 acres.

Days like Monday are the reason why big campuses fail during unfavorable weather conditions.

And that is where humans are superior; we can adapt. We zip up our coats and we take the shortest, warmest route through our brick palace of higher education.

Planning the most efficient route is unique to each individual, depending the origin and destination. It takes preparation and trial and error.

You also need to have an understanding of the campus, so finding the best path won’t come easy to newcomers. There are

three factors to keep in mind when planning your shortcut: distance, incline and weather.

Take a UNC Charlotte map and mark your destination. Trace backward to your starting location using the shortest possible route. You will modify this later.

The next step requires familiarity with the campus. UNC Charlotte is built on uneven land, thus stairs and ungodly hills are abundant.

Avoid steep hills like Craver Road in front of the Student Union and stairs like the set leading up to Atkins Library from the Student Activity Center.

On occasion cold temperatures and precipitation force us to reassess the walk to the class.

Take advantage of open buildings and use them to cut through.

Most buildings have several entrances; consider entering a building from a different side if it allows you to stay out of Mother Nature’s way.

In any case you will discover what works best for you. Chances are that the way you take to class is already efficient, but take a moment to rethink your routine and you may find you’ve been doing it all wrong.

Shortcuts to use & places to avoid Shortcut: CHHS stairs These stairs are less painful than the other sets in the area, and allows you to avoid inclines.

Avoid: Stairs of death Located between Atkins Library and the SAC, the stairs of death require walkers with legs of steel.

Shortcut: Alley behind Rowe If you are coming to or from south campus housing, use the walkway between Rowe Arts & Colvard for a more direct route.

Avoid: Craver Road In front of the Student Union, Craver Road’s steep incline stretches from the bottom of the parking lot to the Greenhouse.

Shortcut: Wooded paths near Memorial Hall Located behind the highrises, these trails make the main campus more accessible to south campus residents.

Avoid: Mud puddle lane This trail connects Elm, Pine, Maple & Oak Halls to the Student Union.

On rainy days it is almost impossible to not slip and fall in a mud puddle.

Photos/ Lee Pham

NINERONLINE.COM

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

PAGE 9

Meskerem: an Abroad in America: Ethiopian experience a Norweigan Niner Tricia Bangit tbangit@uncc.edu My first visit to Meskerem on Kings Drive was a tentative one. I had never tasted Ethiopian food before and my only motivation for the trip was from “The Simpsons” foodie episode in which Marge’s taste buds have a party after taking one bite into a pancake-looking bread and variety of dips.

A standard meal at Meskerem, an Ethiopian restaurant. Photo/ Tricia Bangit My date and I ordered beef sambusas for appetizers, which are similar to Indian samosas. Served with a green spicy sort of chutney, the ground beef was flavored just right and tasted great with the hot, crispy dough.

When the food was served, a woman with a friendly demeanor, probably sensing the cluelessness written all over my face, walked over to the table.

“First time?” she asked. Was it that obvious? She continued excitedly, mentioning that one uses their right hand to tear the spongy flatbread, which is called injera.

The injera is used to scoop up the food on the plate.

That’s right, no utensils, just hands.

SUSHI cont. from pg. 1 Bento is located at the Harris Teeter shopping center, directly behind Macados.

Although the shopping center is large Bento is extremely easy to find and parking is plentiful.

The restaurant is college friendly and many young adults are found dining there.

Bento offers free Wi-Fi, HD television and a 10 percent discount for UNC Charlotte students.

Although a tad noisy, the atmosphere of Bento is welcoming. The place is small, casual, comfy and homey. Bento is decorated with a modern, yet dark style. The walls are painted with a brown-woody color and bright lights hang from the ceiling. Booths and tables are offered with a batch of chopsticks on each.

Bento would be an ideal place for friends to share a meal, as well as a couple on date. In terms of service, Bento wins a few hundred brownie points. The waitress was absolutely friendly and came back several times to check on the table and refill drinks. She was upbeat and ready to assist.

The authentic Bento cuisine consists of a Sushi Bar and regular food entrees, aka Bento meals.

The menu welcomes kids and offers a Kid Bento section.

Menus are available in Chinese upon request.

The costs of lunch and dinner entrees fall within the price range of $6.25 to $7.75.

The Sushi buffet costs a flat $8.75. Essentially, a customer can get any type of food for fewer than 10 dollars. Sounds like a deal for college students on a budget!

“The sushi bar is to die for. My favorite sushi here is the Tempura, delicious and fresh. The bar has a lot to pick from; however it might need to include a few other non-sushi options. It seems like only one type of rice and lo-mein was available when I ate there,” Alex Krzynski, UNC Charlotte sophomore.

Besides the sushi bar, the Bento cuisine comprises of a variety of meats, the Mongolian steak, Hibachi steak, Sesame chicken,

While complete fun for some, others might perceive it as too messy of a dining endeavor, though it’s not nearly as messy as feasting on ribs.

It should also be noted that two people usually share plates, which is cute if you’re out with someone that you’re comfortable with.

As I continued to marvel at just how much injera we were provided with, the nice lady wrapped up her lesson on how to eat Ethiopian cuisine, explaining that the green stuffare collard greens and the yellow stuff are lentils.

While I ordered the special lamb tips, my date ordered kitfo, which is described on the menu as being like beef tartare. This minced beef is usually served rare, depending on the constitution of your stomach.

The lightly spicy seasoned treat is like dog food for people, and I mean that in the best way possible. Even though my lamb tips tasted fine, if not a little spicy for my tastes, I kept swiping my partner’s kitfo, and we’ve ordered it every visit since then.

Needless to say, we were stuffed about three-fourths of the way through our meal.

Injera is no joke and it’s always a good idea to come here on an empty stomach.

Even though meat dishes have been highlighted in this review, it should be noted that Meskerem does serve a variety of vegetarian entrees.

A dinner entrée runs from $8.99 to $12.50, while the appetizers range from $3 to $6.25.

The restaurant’s lunch special, which is from 11:30AM to 3PM on Tuesdays to Fridays, runs in the $7 range. For more information including their hours and menu, visit their website at meskeremincharlotte. com.

Teriyaki chicken, Honey Sesame chicken, Shrimp of some kind and much more. Each bento entree comes with soup or salad, a bento role (egg, spring or veggie), a veggie of some sort (broccoli or mixed vegetables) and white, brown or fried rice. The rice can be substituted with lo-mein noodles. The tray even comes with a small sample-size piece of roll cake. The choices are endless.

The Honey Sesame chicken I had a few nights ago was almost perfect for my taste buds. It was soft, sweet and scrumptious.

The salad needs more options for dressing, as Ginger and Ranch were the only two available. The rice seemed a little boring and not as fresh as it could be. The soup options, on the other hand, are heartwarming. Soup bases include noodle and meat.

However, as a whole, the Bento platter is worth it. You get a lot of choices for food for a fairly cheap price.

“The Hibachi steak was excellent. It was not too chewy or too rare. It was filling and went quite nicely with my salted broccoli,” said Jorge Caraballo, UNC Charlotte freshman.

The drink and dessert menus are not that extensive. Drinks include sodas, ice and hot tea, fruit soda, juices, red bull and sparkling water. Drink prices range from around $1.75 to $5 - a tad on the expensive side, but manageable.

Wine and beer is another story! Of course, the standard drinks are offered such as Corona, Heineken and Bud Light.

Depending on what is chosen, wine (red, plum and white) costs $18 to $120.

The desserts are pretty unique. The Crème Brulee Cheesecake was creamy and worth the $6 dollars. I love both Crème Brulee and cheesecake, so having that combined into one made it all the better. Other options include a Daifu Mochi rice cake and ice cream.

My Bento Asian Diner and Sushi Express hours of operation are Sunday through Monday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Bento caters to private parties and special events.

It even delivers and takes reservations.

Scarlett Newman SNEWMAN6@UNCC.EDU

22-year old Marlene Bruhaug is one of the new additions to the interantional student family at UNC Charlotte. Bruhaug is from Narvik, Norway and is here for the spring semester.

When she returns to Norway next year for her final year of school, she plans to

“

People here in America are more welcoming than in Norway.

Not that we aren’t welcoming and friendly, we are just a lot more reserved.

meet new people from all over the world and you ultimately learn a lot about yourself,” she says.

As far as obstacles go, Bruhaug feels that it depends on which country you are in and how close the culture is to your own.

Sometimes difficulties can be with the language and sometimes it can be the food. So far Bruhaug hasn’t encountered any problems on her journey at UNC Charlotte.

Something that strikes Bruhaug’s interest is American fashion.

Since she has not seen much of America it is hard for her to point out specific differences in the fashion, but she observed that American students often have a more relaxed sense of style as opposed to Norwegian students.

“In Norway I would not wear a hoodie to school, but here it’s normal to wear 49er hoodies and flaunt school spirit.”

The best advice she can give to any student who is thinking about studying abroad or doing an exchange program is to start early.

Figure out what types of exchange program your school offers and have an idea of where you would want to be for that long.

“

- Marlene Bruhaug

work in the shipping industry.

According to Bruhag, the biggest differences between Norway and the U.S. are the food and the people.

“People here in America are more welcoming than in Norway. Not that we aren’t welcoming and friendly, we are just a lot more reserved,” said Bruhag.

She went along to add that an American perk is the cheaper nightlife.

In her spare time she likes to ski, play soccer and hang out with her friends. She loves to be around her friends whether it be watching a movie or going out on the town.

This is her first time in America, so she was eager to see if her expectations of it matched up with reality.

“I’ve seen a lot of American movies and TV shows so I had an idea on how it would be, but I didnt know for sure. The first week is usually orientation where you get to know the other international students, you learn about the culture, the school and the city you are in. It’s a busy week with a lot of things happening, but it’s really fun!”

Bruhaug expresses her love of the people in America and gushes that Americans are so easy to talk to and to get along with, but is not pleased with the public transportation.

“You have to drive everywhere, and somedays the buses don’t even run,” she said.

This is the second time that Bruhaug has studied abroad and she says if she had the chance to do it a third time, she would.

She recommends studying abroad to any student that has the opportunity to do it.

“You get to experience new cultures,

Marlene Bruhaug is a 22-year-old international student from Norway. Photo/ Scarlett Newman “It takes time to apply and there are lots of paper work involved in the process, but it it well worth it.”

After she finishes her semester at UNC Charlotte she plans to travel to New York City and Las Vegas.

If any international student is interested in sharing their story with Niner Times, please email lifestyle@nineronline.com with their contact information.

PAGE 10

NINERTIMES

DOWNTIME 26

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

27

Thursday

Where’s Waldo?

Helping You Succeed in a Large Class

Friday

28

Saturday

Comedy Zone

Ice Skating

Student Union

SAC Patio

8:00p.m.

Fretwell Rm 310

1:00p.m. - 4:00p.m.

MBB vs Xavier Halton Arena White-out

2:00p.m. - 3:00p.m.

7:00p.m.

Spring Social Wild Wing Cafe 711 West Mallard Creek Road

29

Sunday

C4 Charlotte Student Union Rm 340

7:00p.m. - 8:30p.m.

30

Monday

Friendly Peer Training

Fretwell 310

Student Union Rm 263

College Republicans Meeting

Concert: Solar Cat with Walk On Fire

12:30p.m. - 1:30p.m.

6:30p.m. - 7:30p.m.

January 29, 1936 U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame elects first members

January 30, 1948 Gandhi assassinated

January 31, 1950 Truman announces development of H-bomb

February 01, 1884 Oxford Dictionary debuts

February 02, 1887 First Groundhog Day

February 03, 2005 Gonzales becomes first Hispanic U.S. attorney general

Tuesday

Study Smarter, Not Harder

CHHS Rm 145

4:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.

31

6:00p.m. - 7:00p.m.

Cone Center - After Hours Rm 261

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

NINERONLINE.COM

SPORTS

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

Niner hoops through the rear-view 1998’ Story continued from page one Ed Niser

SPORTS@NINERONLINE.COM

Watkins led the 49ers to one post season appearance in 1997, where they advanced to the second round but fell to Utah to the tune of 77-59, it is worth mention that the Utes were a No. 2 overall seed.

Lutz had some pretty big shoes to fill of past coaches who patrolled the sidelines for the 49ers.

Prior to his arrival, the 49ers had made five NCAA Tournaments, with the most notable appearance coming in 1977 when they advanced to the Final Four.

The 49ers went 18-10 in the regular season in what was supposed to be a year to rebuild, the players bought into Lutz’s system and it spelled success for them.

They hung with the No. 7 North Carolina-CH Tar Heels losing by a slim two-point margin in the first ever nonconference overtime affair in the Dean Dome’s history.

Cincinnati proved to be no match for the feisty 49ers, as Charlotte dispatched the No. 3 Bearcats to the tune of 62-60.

In his first year as head coach, Lutz’s team did the improbable and not only went to the dance, they had reservations for two, two rounds that is.

The 49ers road to get into the tournament was a tough one, where they had to win four games in four days to capture the Conference USA Title and the conference’s automatic berth in the round of 64.

Prior to the season beginning Lutz commented on what it would take for the 49ers to return to the NCAA Tournament; this is what he had to say “If we do the things we talked about (rebounding, defense and screen-setting), , we can be one of the Top Four teams in Conference USA and that should get us in the NCAA Tournament.”

Well coach Lutz’s prediction rivaled the great Nostradamus; he was 100 % spot on in his foreshadowing at the start of the season, as his team accomplished all of the above.

Charlotte finished third in Conference USA, they were led in scoring by a player he highlighted at the beginning of the year as his teams go to guy, Galen Young.

Young would later go on to become a second round draft pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 1999, there is no record of him playing in the NBA as he did not make it through the teams tryouts.

NBA draftees are not guaranteed a spot on the team they were drafted to, in any rounds following the first round.

Young would later become part of the National Basketball League in Australia, as a member of the then champion Perth Wildcats during the 1999-2000 seasons.

Charlotte would go on to capture the schools highest ever seed in the NCAA Tournament with a five seed, where they met the Lamar Odom led Rhode Island

Rams, defeating them by a score of 81-70.

A couple other notable 49ers players on the depth chart were Diego Guevarra and Kelvin Price who garnered All-Tournament Honors in the C*USA Tournament.

Guevara was regarded as one of Conference-USA’s premier point-guards in 1998 as he was second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.5 points-per-game.

In Charlotte’s win over the Tar Heels, Guevara dropped seven threes, pushing him to the top of the conference in threepointers made with 80.

The hot handed Venezuela native finds himself listed as fourth all-time in the 49ers’ record books, for converting 80 three-pointers in a season.

There are some parallels to the beginning of Lutz’s first season as a head coach and that of current 49ers head men’s basketball coach, Alan Major.

Much like Major, Lutz aimed to employ a system heavily based on the defensive

under Lutz, and that is working the ball inside and setting the tempo of the game with their defense.

A comparison can be made between Guevara and current 49ers freshman point-guard Pierria Henry.

Henry possesess the skills that a point guard must have, those are the willingness to put the team first and the individual column in the box-score second.

While Guevara was one of the team’s leading scorers, he also racked up his fair share of assists in 1998 with 125. More than half-way through the season Henry has 59 assists, averaging 3.3 per game.

The key differences between the start of Lutz’s and Major’s career are the team in 1998 had many returning veterans from their previous tournament run.

Major had inherited a team who wasn’t willing to adhere to the changes the new coach brought forth.

A new-look 49ers team is starting to

PAGE 11

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Friday Track & Field @ Clemson Invitational All Day

Saturday Men’s Basketball vs. Xavier 7 p.m.

Sunday Women’s Tennis vs. NC Central 10:30 a.m.

Women’s Basketball @ Temple 2 p.m.

SPORTS RESULTS Men’s Basketball

LOSS

@ George Washington

60-52

Women’s Basketball

LOSS

to St. Bonaventure

68-63

SPORTS FACTS Former 49er Galen Young works on a URI defender in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

MCT Campus

side of the floor, as he mentioned in a Q&A with The University Times in the fall of 1998.

“There are three major things we need to be good at”. Said Lutz, ”One , we need to dictate with our defense. Two, We need to be a great rebounding team. Third, we need to be a great screening team. For us to be successful, we need to be unselfish and do the little things.”

The 49ers under Major now focus on a lot of the things that they did 14 years ago

mold under Major, who now has his first recruiting class highlighted by the likes of Henry, Terrence Williams and E.Victor Nickerson. Charlotte can only go up from here, they currently sit at 10-8 overall and 2-3 in the A-10 Conference.

Good times are ahead for the 49ers, fans just need to remain patient and let the defense based scheme of Major’s staff fall into place, as the old saying goes, good things come to those who wait.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Charlotte’s Record vs. Xavier

The 49ers are 2-9 alltime agaisnt the Musketeers. Inside Halton Arena they are an even 2-2.

Freshman Hillary Sigmon dropped a team-high 11 points in Charlotte’s loss to St.Bonaventure.

PAGE 12

THURSDAY, JANUARY 26, 2012

NINERTIMES