Charlotte dominates Johnson C. Smith with a 56-0 victory Saturday. p. 7 Inside SoVi
While awaiting the opening of the new South Village Dining Hall, take a look at the future dining features. p. 3
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OP-ED: Victim Blaming
Surviving ‘that class’
p. 10
p. 14
What does victim blaming create and how can we remove the stigma?
Check out a few tips for surviving that class that you wish you had dropped when you had the chance.
A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF2014 NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. N 27,I N ISSUE SEPT. 9 - 15, E R T3I M E S
Sept. 9 through 15, 2014
V O L U M E 2 7, N U M B E R 3
SOVI DINING HALL ASSISTANT EDITORS
COLVARD AND COMMUNITY GARDEN
Amanda Duke, Aaron McCain
ADDITIONAL STAFF Louis Aiello, Casey Aldridge, Chris Crews, Nick Cropper, Scott Gordon, Jared Green, Jonathan Gregory, Hunter Heilman, Tyler White
SGA UPDATE FOOTBALL RECAP MEN’S SOCCER PROFILE OP-ED: ISIS
MARKETING STAFF Sales: Michelle D’Silva, Katelyn Ford, Briona Kiser, Melissa McHugh, Dylan Robison, Brandon Weiner Promotions Coordinator: Sean Grier
OP-ED: VICTIM BLAMING
Street Team: Natalie Chan, Sydney Cunningham, Amanda Duke
MOVIE REVIEW: ‘AS ABOVE/ SO BELOW’
SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144 CIRCULATION BY STUDENT UNION LOADING DOCK TEAM
COMEDY SERIES REVIEW SURVIVING ‘THAT CLASS’ BENEFITS OF TEA
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COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS • INSIDE PHOTO BY CHRISTINA HARRIS
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SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
NINERTIMES
SoVi Dining Hall - not so far away Although its unveiling has experienced unexpected construction delays, SoVi is expected to open in coming months
Nick Cropper INTERN
With the start of the 2014 fall semester, UNC Charlotte students were promised a new dining hall to greet them on their arrival to campus. Unfortunately, and to many students’ surprise, they found that the South Village Crossing and SoVi had not yet been completed. SoVi, located inside South Village Crossing, is the new dining hall located next to the freshman high rises. It was originally scheduled to be up and running with the start of the 2014 fall semester. However, the construction of the dining hall has met several delays even when it was still in the early stages of construction. With the interior nearly completed, the only section of the building that must be finished is the stairs leading to the front entrance. The soil that the stairs are supposed to be built on was deemed to be unsuitable due to
NINERONLINE.COM
its weak composition and its lack of capacity to support the weight. “If I had to pick one [issue], I would say the soil, and we’ve had some other things we’ve had to work through because it is a very complicated building inside, because of the combination of the equipment and the cooling systems. There’s a lot going on,” said Keith Wassum, associate vice chancellor for Business Services in the Division for Business Affairs. Project managers determined that it was the debris of previous construction in the area several years ago that caused the soil to become unsuitable, but it is still relatively unclear. This has been a persistent problem for the team almost since day one. Although the rest of the building’s foundation does not suffer from such a condition, it has still caused major delays on the
dining hall. “This is a really difficult site ... We did a whole master plan and if we would have built [the parking
SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
lot adjacent the construction site] well our life would have been a lot easier because it’s flat. So build on the hill with the suitable soil and
SoVi will have the capacity to hold over 800 students. Photos by Ben Coon
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the complexities of the building, there were a lot of challenges,” said Wassum. South Village Crossing is comprised of two floors. The first floor is mostly seating while the second floor houses the main dining hall, SoVi. In the main dining hall, students will have several options that they can choose from. Cooking at the various stations will take place in front of the students where they will be able to interact with chefs, which is different from what other dining options on campus provide. These stations will also give students more options to choose from and offer a variety of healthy eating options. On the second floor students will find more seating and additional dining options. This floor will offer several dining options including: an on-site bakery, a convenience store (which will not be Outtakes, but similar to it), SoVi Market and Bakery and a take-out venue called SoVi2go, which will offer students quick meals to pick up on the go. The Denny’s, or ‘The Den,’ that is included in the new dining hall is planned to stay open until 2 a.m., offering students more late night dining options on campus. SoVi will be able to seat 800 plus customers, which is almost double what Crown Commons currently seats, with more room for additional seating if needed. There will also be outdoor terrace space and multipurpose rooms that students can use. The function of these multipurpose rooms will be determined once students get a chance to experiment with them and decide what it is that students need most.
SoVi is expected to open in either October or November 2014. Photo by Ben Coon
“[SoVi] has been designed with future growth in mind and will offer students the opportunity to dine and interact with a culinary team that will be serving up a variety of fresh and tasteful dishes,” said Director of Auxiliary Services Ana Alvarez. Currently, discussions are going on about what will be done with the Residence Dining Hall (RDH) once SoVi is open. Although there are no concrete plans yet, there are several ideas that are still being considered such as refurnishing RDH for additional housing or turning it into a small fitness center. The Cone Center is a similar situation to RDH and is expecting an upgrade in the years to come. South Village Crossing construction is expected to be
finished and the dining hall open to students in either October or November of this year, although there is no confirmed date at this point. Students may see an early
opening, without the option of regular dining. This will give students an opportunity to explore the new dining hall before its official opening. To find out more about SoVi, visit:
“[SoVi] has been designed with the future growth in mind and will offer students the opportunity to dine and interact with culinary team that will be serving up a variety of fresh and tasteful dishes.”
Ana Alvarez 4
SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
NINERTIMES
Community Garden project breaks ground Well worth the noise
Benefits of renovations to Colvard will outweigh the noise of construction
Jared Green
STAFF WRITER Currently, renovations are underway at the Colvard building (in case you do not know which building that is, it is the one missing a few walls). Construction began on June 23 of this year and has a projected finish date of Dec. 19. During construction, not only will the offices in Colvard be rearranged to suit a better layout, but they will also be receiving a much anticipated facelift. Several departments have temporarily been moved to Atkins Library for the duration the construction process. “The primary goal of the renovation is to consolidate some of the most frequented student academic services into one convenient area – the University Center for Academic Excellence, Minority Academic Services, University College and the University Advising Center,” said Director of the University Advising Center Henrietta Thomas. Though there are some inconveniences with their new office location, Thomas is eagerly anticipating the new office suite coming to Colvard. “Although the interim space the Advising Center currently occupies has its challenges (i.e., students have a hard time finding us), having the new space will be well worth it,” she said. In addition to office remodels, Colvard will also receive new
NINERONLINE.COM
computer labs, learning labs and conference rooms. Several of the exterior walls have also been torn down to allow for the instillation of windows, which will vastly increase the amount of natural light throughout the building. With all of the heavy construction taking place on an academic building, concerns have been raised over the noise problems associated with the renovations. In light of construction, the Department of Facilities Management is working hard to prevent any disturbances that may be caused to students, faculty and staff in Colvard and the surrounding area. “Managing any disruption that comes with the necessary renovation work is a strong priority,” said Shelly Theriault, communications officer with the Department of Facilities Management. A meeting was held in May of this year between the construction manager and building occupants to discuss construction benefits and necessary relocations. The construction manager is additionally coordinating a working schedule with instructors and occupants of Colvard including dates for noisier construction work so that plans can be made accordingly. In addition, an exam schedule from instructors is being shared with the contractor so that noise
interference can be kept to a minimum during that time specifically. Demolition of another large exterior wall is also a concern in regards to the level of noise that will be produced. “The option of performing demolition of the concrete wall ... at night is also being actively explored. A final answer on that will be received soon,” said Theriault. Though construction at Colvard has its inconveniences, the Department of Facilities Management encourages students and faculty to bear with construction and welcomes them to communicate concerns. “We will continue to closely communicate with Colvard building occupants and find solutions to any issues as quickly as possible during this time. Ultimately, we look forward to providing new learning and working spaces that reflect the high standards of our University’s scholarship and research activities,” said Theriault. For more information regarding construction, contact The Department of Facilities Management at 704-687-0562 or visit facilities.uncc.edu. For locations of displaced offices, contact the respective department directly or via their web page.
SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
Tyler White INTERN
After spending a year and a half in the planning and proposal process, building for the Community Garden at UNC Charlotte will be begin Friday, Sept. 26. The UNC Charlotte Community Garden group, which contrived the idea for the garden, is led by seniors and Co-Presidents Jake Emerson and Kevin Rodengen. “The Community Garden Project was originally come up with to just put a produce garden on campus. The standard community garden structure is that people are allotted garden beds and they take care of that space by themselves, and they reap all the benefits and produce of that. But we decided as students on campus, that we really wanted to make it more of a community space in that all of the plots went to everyone,” said Emerson. The produce grown in the garden will be used by the UNC Charlotte Community Garden and given to Chartwells to be used on campus as well as being sent to off-campus non-profit organizations such as Friendship Gardens which has over 60 gardens in the Charlotte area that feed people in need. Emerson ideally hopes to have some produce to use for a farmers market in the future. “We are working with some business students and we hope to eventually try to get a farmers market on campus. [Those students] will be in charge of managing all of those finances, marketing it and really just setting it all up,” said Emerson. The UNC Charlotte Community Garden is also working with engineering and architecture students to create student projects that will benefit the garden. “The projects are going to come in the spring, in the second phase. It’s going to have a pergola structure, a solar powered drip irrigation system and an art display of some kind. The whole point of it is to draw in all the individual expertise of the departments on campus,” said Emerson. The Community Garden is also planned to be a place where students can go to relax. “We hope to have a hammock lounge as well, and that is going to be put in on Sept. 26. We are going to have it set up so there’s about five or six hammocks and a couple picnic tables so it is going to be a place for students to lounge. We really hope that it’s a space that the students can mold into whatever they want it to be,” said Emerson.
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POLICE BLOTTER AUG. 29 - SEPT. 3
ACCIDENT SEPT. 2
• Mary Alexander Road, while attempting to cross the street outside of a designated crosswalk, a pedestrian was struck by a vehicle.
SEPT. 3
• Library Lane, while attempting to make a threepoint turn, driver struck a retaining wall, causing damage to their rear bumper underneath their license plate.
LARCENY AUG. 29
• Sanford Hall, an unknown subject forcibly removed a bicycle secured to a bike rack with a combination lock.
SEPT. 2
• Scott Hall, an unknown subject forcibly removed a bicycle attached to a bike rack with a combination lock.
VANDALISM SEPT. 3
• Lynch Hall, an unknown subject vandalized a bulletin board by writing a derogatory word on it. • Union Deck, an unknown subject used a sharp object to scratch victim’s vehicle causing damage running from the front panel through the rear door. For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
weather.uncc.edu UNC CHARLOTTE METEOROLOGY PROGRAM
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STAFF WRITER The following is the summary of the Sept. 4 meeting of the Student Government Association’s (SGA) Student Senate. New ITS Assistant Vice Chancellor greets congregation The senate began business by welcoming Beth Rugg, assistant vice chancellor of client engagement for Information Technology Services (ITS). Rugg has only been with the university for a few months. She introduced herself to the counsel and encouraged senators as well as students to feel free to communicate IT problems and concerns to the ITS department. A movement was made to add to the agenda the possible creation of a senate IT secretary. A similar position already exists on the Executive Panel. The creation of a senate IT secretary would allow for more interaction between the ITS department and the senate of the SGA. Bill for new senate committee on agenda Senator John Daley introduced a bill for the creation of a senate Traditions Committee. The committee would work to create and uphold traditions of UNC Charlotte’s sporting ventures,
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Jared Green
Mostly sunny. Low of 67.
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especially those of our new football program which began last year. The bill was added to the agenda. Empty senate seats The idea of what to do with empty senate seats was also discussed in the meeting. The possibility of filling seats after senate elections with candidates that were not elected but that display great interest in being involved in the senate was introduced.
A bill to approve the disbursement of funds totaling $5,715.08 to various student organizations was also approved by the senate.
Parking concerns The problem of ‘hard-to-findparking’ was also discussed in the meeting. The idea of installing parking fullness indicators outside parking garages on campus was laid down for discussion. This would help to minimize circling parking garages to find an empty space. Gary Caton, Parking and Transportation Services director, was said to be looking into this option.
New Student Organization Bill approved A bill was approved to create several new student organizations. Press Start, an organization that welcomes students who have a passion for video games and an interest in Japanese culture was approved. Also on the bill was the creation of a UNC Charlotte chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). The NAACP strives to promote human rights and equality in and around the Charlotte area and also in the global community. Lastly approved was the organization, Pretty Business. Pretty Business is a club for future businesswomen and is geared to develop business and entrepreneurial talents.
Expanding DB options Another idea introduced to put on the agenda was the idea of expanding declining balance (DB) options to restaurants in the university area. Grants disbursed to student organizations
Temporary chairperson nomination A temporary chairperson for the senate Committee on Organizational Ways and Means is being selected. Senator Spencer Kwolyk was nominated for the position.
FRIDAY SEPT. 12
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SATURDAY SEPT. 13
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SUNDAY SEPT. 14
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MONDAY SEPT. 15
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NINERTIMES
Charlotte improves to 2-0 with a 56-0 victory over Johnson C. Smith
Matt Chapman
SPORTS EDITOR
Kalif Phillips, 3, finds the end zone for one of his three touchdowns on Saturday afternoon. Photo by Chris Crews
The Charlotte 49ers strapped up for their home opener on Saturday afternoon and put on a show for the crowd at Jerry Richardson Stadium. The stadium packed with 15,875 fans was treated to an early onslaught of offense followed by four quarters of dominant, shut down defense from Charlotte. The 49ers cruised to a 56-0 victory over the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls behind three touchdowns from running back Kalif Phillips. “We challenged our football team to come out and execute early in the game and I thought they did that,” said Charlotte Head Coach Brad Lambert postgame. “Our players really prepared well this week and had good practices. When you prepare well, you give yourself the chance to play well.” The 49ers (2-0) sprinted out of the gates on offense as they drove the ball 65 yards on their first drive. Phillips busted up the middle for a six-yard touchdown run to cap the drive and put Charlotte on top 6-0 less than two minutes in to the game. Charlotte quarterback Matt Johnson found a rhythm early and connected with true freshman
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receiver T.L. Ford on a 24-yard touchdown pass over the middle to extend the 49ers lead to 13-0. “We worked really hard this week and I wasn’t really satisfied with the way I played last week,” said Johnson. “A lot of guys on the other end of those balls were out there making plays and I just put it out there for them the best that I could.” Blake Brewer nailed a 26-yard field goal to push the lead to 16-0 and Phillips added his second rushing touchdown of the afternoon to give Charlotte a 23-0 advantage after the first quarter. The 49ers scored on their first four possessions of the game and on 10 of their first 11 drives, while racking up 289 yards of offense in the first 15 minutes. Charlotte’s defense stifled Johnson C. Smith (0-1) early and often and didn’t allow a first down until the waning moments of the opening quarter. Phillips added his third and final rushing touchdown of the day with 12:32 remaining in the first half, extending the Charlotte lead to 30-0. Phillips now has six rushing touchdowns in just two games to start the 2014 season after scoring three times last week against Campbell. SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
The 49ers starting running back has now found the end zone three times in three consecutive games dating back to last season. The 49ers continued to dominate on defense throughout the remainder of the half and the offense tacked on two more field goals to make the score 36-0 heading into the locker room. Charlotte out-gained the Golden Bulls by 377 yards in the opening half, racking up 454 total yards compared to just 77 for Johnson C. Smith. Johnson completed 13 of 16 passes in the half for 285 yards and the one touchdown pass to Ford. “It’s all about execution every time,” said Johnson. “This is a great win and we did a lot of great things but there’s still plenty for us to learn from and improve on.” Phillips carried the ball 10 times while picking up 41 yards and finding the end zone three times. Charlotte’s defense forced and recovered two fumbles in the half, one by Caleb Clayton-Molby and the other by safety Branden Dozier. The 49ers kept their foot on the gas as they opened the second half with a 48-yard interception return for a touchdown, putting Charlotte on
NINERTIMES
FOOTBALL, cont. top 43-0 early in the third quarter. Backup safety Prince Mayela intercepted the Keahn Wallace pass and tiptoed down the sidelines on his way to the end zone. Charlotte pulled their starters for good in the third quarter and the offense began to slow down. The 49ers put together a couple of nice drives with backup quarterback Lee McNeill at the helm of the offense, but were forced to settle for two field goals that gave Charlotte a 49-0 lead after three quarters. Charlotte hit one more home run play early in the fourth quarter when freshman running back Maetron Thomas broke a 60-yard touchdown run down the sideline to extend the 49ers lead to 56-0. The Golden Bulls had an opportunity to put points on the board midway through the fourth quarter but Charlotte linebacker DaQuavius Reid blocked the Johnson C. Smith field goal attempt to keep the shutout alive. “We definitely wanted to get the shutout because that’s something that we haven’t been able to do yet,” said 49ers linebacker Nico Alcalde. “Our big emphasis in the offseason was our tackling. We’ve improved a lot and all 11 guys hawk to the ball on every play.” Thomas looked impressive in the backfield for the second consecutive game. The true freshman carried the ball nine times for 67 yards, including the long touchdown run.
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CHARLOTTE VERSUS GOLDEN BULLS STATS Total Offense: 546 Yards Rushing Offense: 165 Yards Passing Offense: 381 Yards Total Plays: 66
First Downs: 22 Fumbles (Lost): 1 (0) Penalties (Yards): 6 (54) Interceptions: 1
Thomas now has touchdowns of 40 and 60 yards in his first two games at the collegiate level. The 49ers racked up 546 yards of total offense and converted all nine of their red zone trips into points. Charlotte’s defense held the Golden Bulls to just 197 yards of total offense, setting a new program-record. The 49ers were effective against the run and the pass with all 11 guys flying to the ball on each and every play. “One of the things I love about defense is that you don’t get to punt, you’ve got to get yourself off
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Possession Time: 30:07 3rd Down Conversions: 3 of 12 Red Zone Conversions: 9 of 9 Sacks (Yards): 2 (18)
Field Goals: 5 of 5 Points off Turnovers: 17 Punts (Yards): 2 (59) Kickoffs (Yards): 11 (688)
the field,” said Lambert. “We just challenged our guys one drive at a time. Our defense is a year older, and I feel like that has helped us throughout the game.” Charlotte only turned the ball over once on a pass from McNeill that bounced off of his receiver’s fingertips into the hands of a defender. Charlotte’s 56-point victory is the largest in program history. With Saturday’s win, the 49ers improve to 2-0 for the second consecutive season. Charlotte will hit the road for a game against the North Carolina Central Eagles next Saturday at 5 p.m.
NINERTIMES
BIG SHOES TO FILL
49ers sophomore midfielder Brandt Bronico is embracing his new role as a leader for Charlotte soccer
Scott Gordon
Brandt Bronico prepares to fire a cross into the box Friday night against Coastal Carolina. Photo by Ben Coon.
STAFF WRITER The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team opened the 2014 season as the 23rd ranked team in the country. The 49ers won the Conference USA championship last season and will look to repeat that accomplishment this year. Despite losing key players like Giuseppe Gentile and Klay Davis among others, the 49ers were still picked second in the preseason C-USA polls. Charlotte got off to a great start in the preseason by picking up a 7-0 exhibition win over UNC Asheville and a 2-0 victory against the Davidson Wildcats.
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Charlotte then welcomed Radford to Transamerica Field for the first game of the 2014 regular season on Aug. 31. The 49ers pulled out a 2-1 victory despite being down a man for most of the match due to a red card in the first half. Charlotte dropped their second game of the season to No. 9 Coastal Carolina Friday night, giving them a 1-1 overall record early on. The 49ers outplayed the Chanticleers throughout the majority of the contest but ultimately conceded the game-winning goal in the second overtime period. With the two main leaders from
last year no longer on the team, the 49ers will be looking for new leaders to emerge this season. One player eager to fill that role is sophomore midfielder Brandt Bronico. Bronico played in 19 games last year, earning a spot in the starting lineup in 16 of those contests. He was able to net three goals in 2013, including two game-winners against Marshall and Kentucky. The goal against Kentucky came in the C-USA tournament and was enough to get Bronico named to the All-Conference Tournament team. With this experience from last year, it was clear Bronico would be one of the guys called upon to step up this season, and that’s exactly what he did in the first game against Radford. Bronico netted the first goal of the season for the 49ers and then delivered an assist on the second goal that gave Charlotte the 2-1 victory. This performance earned him a spot on the TopDrawerSoccer.com National Team of the Week. In the game against Coastal, Bronico put up four shots with two on goal but could not get anything past the Chanticleers keeper. Bronico is aware of his role and the eyes that are going to be on him this
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season. “This year I feel like I have a bigger role on the team,” said Bronico. “I feel more like people will look to me to score goals. I feel like it’s my responsibility to go out there and be more of a leader this year than I was last year.” “I learned a lot from the seniors last year on what it takes to be a leader for Charlotte soccer, and you just take what you learned last year and apply it to this year,” he continued. When asked about the potential of this year’s 49ers squad, Bronico didn’t hold back. “You should expect it all from Charlotte soccer this year,” said Bronico. “We have a really talented, really technical team. We should win a lot of games. For us I expect us to win it all. We definitely should win our conference. We are out there to win games.” Bronico and the other Charlotte players, have set their sights high for this season. It is one thing to set a high standard, but the 49ers have the talent and confidence to back it up. As the season rolls on, look for Bronico to play a big factor for the 49ers as they compete for not only a C-USA championship, but also a national title come December.
NINERTIMES
MCT Campus
The threat of ISIS should not be overlooked Louis Aiello INTERN
From a historian’s perspective, June 28, 1914 – the day of the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand – can be argued as one of the most significant and important days of the 20th century. The event led to the eruption of World War I. On Dec. 18, 2011, one such event occurred when an individual approached a government building in Tunisia, doused himself with gasoline and lit a match. This spark ignited the movement that we have come to know as the Arab Spring. From Tunisia it spread to Libya, Egypt and Syria. For the better part of several months, Egypt and Libya underwent a series of events – Egypt experienced a citizen’s coup and Libya a civil war. As for Syria, the situation never resolved itself, and instead of dissipating like all the others, its instability gave jihadi fighters, such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), an advantage. ISIS was founded by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi – a name known by those who remember the
insurgency in Iraq prior to the United States’ withdrawal. He declared a plan on how to establish an Islamic caliphate and patiently carried out each instruction step by step. Using brutal tactics, al-Zarqawi filmed his prisoners chanting the Quran, listed the crimes of a prisoner and, once the verdict was in, commanded death by beheading. This even horrified al-Qaida, the group responsible for 9/11, because they claim it wasn’t the message they wanted to show to the world. Instead, after U.S. air strikes killed al-Zarqawi, ISIS broke away from al-Qaida and fled to Syria, once the situation resolved. Yet a change in American policies occurred and, ironically, the first step of al-Zarqawi’s plan – the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the region – was achieved. The new Iraqi government, under the control of Shiite Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and Sunni Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi fell apart even before the last American left. On the occasion of celebrating this withdrawal,
EDITORIAL POLICY Niner Times is written and produced by students at UNC Charlotte. All unsigned editorials are the expressed opinion of the editorial board and do not represent the views of the University. Views expressed in signed editorials are solely those of the author. Niner Times is published on Tuesdays during the regular academic year except during holidays and exam periods.
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as what was considered at the time the establishment of a whole new Iraqi order, al-Maliki and al-Hashimi were invited to an event as special guests. For the entire event, two seats reserved for the new leaders at the front of the podium remained vacant. Instead, al-Maliki had accused his own vice president, al-Hashimi, of crimes against humanity, forcing al-Hashimi to flee to the north. Eventually, numerous military members who saw their own lives in danger soon followed. As a means of survival, they ultimately joined with ISIS and began to plan the take back of Iraq, using Syria as the stepping-stone. The situation in present day Iraq is both disturbing and terrifying, and in many ways the ideology behind it is no less dangerous than that of the Nazis. We have again fallen into the trap – like before Sept. 1, 1939 – that if we don’t get involved we will have nothing to worry about. Nothing could be further from the truth.
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SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
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NINERTIMES
WALKING ALONE The prevalence of victim blaming in our culture creates a cold, fearful society that shuns those who need help the most
Casey Aldridge
STAFF WRITER
Joneka Percentie
GUEST WRITER
MCT Campus
Just over a week ago, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) began an investigation of an alleged rape in Uptown. The suspect in the incident was quoted as telling the victim, “This is what you get for walking alone.” While the claim was later recanted, it wasn’t before the CMPD released “personal safety tips” including: Walk with authority, look ahead and scan your surroundings. Avoid standing at a bus stop alone, especially at night. Carry a cell phone and some type of safety device (i.e.: flashlight, whistle, pepper spray, etc.) when walking at night. Obey all of the robber’s orders. Keep all communication with the robber short and simple. Don’t argue! The UNC Charlotte Police Department expressed similar sentiments after an incident of sexual assault against a member of our student family in the spring. An area adviso-
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ry was sent to all students with the following suggestions:
Walk/jog/bike in groups in clear, well-lighted, welltraveled area. Avoid using headphones or cell phones, which distract the listener and are popular robbery items. Avoid wearing flashy or expensive jewelry; wait until you are inside a safe place/ event to put it on.
These tips and suggestions contribute to a culture of victim blaming that is rampant in patriarchy and racism that perpetuate rape culture on our campus and in our city. Rape culture places responsibility time and time again on the victim of an assault. If the victim had changed an aspect of their behavior, it would have prevented the assault; meanwhile, the aggressor is absolved of any accountability. It relies on a faulty premise that one wills violence against himself or herself. This brings to mind the recent
vicious and criminal leaks of celebrity photos last week. The hacker committed a crime when they found, obtained and distributed hundreds of nude photos of female celebrities without their consent. Reactions to the mass leak of photos ranged from the disgustingly sexist to the seemingly innocuous: “By taking those pictures, she was asking for them to be leaked.” But that’s not true. No, celebrities who take nude photos aren’t asking for them to be distributed to the public, just as an ex-girlfriend never consented to being involved in “revenge porn.” No, Jordan Davis wasn’t “asking for it” when he was shot and killed for playing his music too loud in his car. And no, survivors of rape and sexual assault weren’t “asking for it” by wearing short skirts or walking alone. People of privilege often look at people of color profiled by stopand-frisk policies, or Muslim congregations spied on in their mosques by the National Security Agency and say, “If you have nothing to hide, you have nothing to fear.” Consent and a basic respect for privacy are central to all our interactions as human beings. So when the New York Police Department
SEPT. 9 - 15, 2014
(NYPD) spies on Muslims in prayer or when NYPD stops and frisks black youth or when misogynistic hackers toss leaked nude photos, it reveals oppression for what it is: the denial of recognizing, yes, all black people and, yes, all women, as human beings. An end to victim blaming means that no Muslim should have to apologize for praying to Allah. No celebrity, or any woman, should have to apologize for their photos. No UNC Charlotte student should have to apologize for wearing expensive jewelry. Society should stop blaming the victims of breaches of privacy – appreciating each other for what we choose to share rather than condemning one another for what we do not. Placing onus on perpetrators of sexual crimes instead of victims means no more tips and suggestions. Whether someone is walking down a poorly lit street or using their headphones, they do not deserve to be attacked. We should be teaching consent and respect for boundaries. And when that happens, it means no longer fearing walking down the street alone.
NINERTIMES
“AS ABOVE/SO BELOW” IS A LONG WAY DOWN Hunter Heilman INTERN
“Found footage” horror films are dead; they have been since “Paranormal Activity 3,” and nothing has ever come along to convince me otherwise, until now. “As Above/So Below” has the prime component of a disappointing horror film, promise, but in a shocking twist, this film delivers what it sets up in gleefully terrifying fashion. Rather than following a generic Caucasian couple setting up cameras to prove that “paranormal phenomena” is occurring in their home, “As Above/So Below” feels authentic in its use of handheld cameras due to its setting and plot, rather than using it as a shameless gimmick. Scarlett Marlowe (played by a wonderful Perdita Weeks), is an archaeologist whom we meet during her expedition to find the Philosopher’s Stone, an artifact believed
Directed by: John Erick Dowdle Starring: Perdita Weeks, Ben Feldman, Edwin Hodge and François Civil Runtime: 93 minutes Rating: R for bloody
to be able to turn metals into gold and grant immortality. Marlowe will do anything to find this stone, as to restore her father’s reputation after he committed suicide searching for the stone. Scarlett believes that the stone is located deep within the catacombs of Paris, and brings along partner George (Ben Feldman), documentary filmmaker Benji (“The Purge”’s Edwin Hodge) and local
George, played by Ben Feldman. Photo courtesy of movie official website.
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violence/terror and language throughout Legendary Pictures and Universal Pictures present, a Legendary Pictures/ Brothers Dowdle production, As Above/So Below
urban explorers who can get them to restricted sectors of the catacombs. This soon spirals into chaos when each explorer is presented with hallucinations of their own fears and transgressions, and soon are hunted by the supernatural and demonic forces that lie with the 6 million corpses underneath Paris. The use of handheld and helmet cameras in this film accentuates the film’s claustrophobic atmosphere that brings the terror that much closer to the audience, and while it does get a little headache-inducing as per usual, it’s almost always very engaging. Acting is exceptional by horror movie standards, with Weeks leading the pack to create a sympathetic, intelligent and charming protagonist, and Feldman close behind with his geeky, adorable sidekick, who is slightly less interesting as his female counterpart. The screenplay, penned by director John Erick Dowdle and his brother Drew Dowdle, is profound, well-paced and only contains one line of truly terrible dialogue, which is a shame as it sticks out much more than it would have in a mediocre screenplay. Though the true star of the film comes with its setting, the usage of the catacombs
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Photo courtesy of movie official website.
was unique and interesting, providing the film with more lore and history than one might expect from a modern horror film. “As Above/So Below” simply put, is the best horror film since “Oculus,” which isn’t a small accomplishment in my book. It uses its atmosphere exceptionally, and keeps the audience engaged through its tension, pacing and visuals. Weeks is fantastic as Scarlett Marlowe, mirroring Karen Gillan’s spectacular performance in this year’s horror film “Oculus.” This film also uses the “found footage” genre effectively for the first time since the original Paranormal Activity, rather than using it for shock value, it enhanced the confined feel of the film. The film’s literal elements of claustrophobia and past misdeeds are almost as effectively frightening as its supernatural and demonic elements, which can hopefully spark conversations after the movie has ended, apart from raving about how frightening the film was.
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Fall 2014 Comedy Series has lukewarm start Jonathan Gregory INTERN
“Those ‘ohs’ aren’t gonna make me stop,” Byron Bowers said, chastising the crowd for their response to one of his jokes during his Sept. 5 performance on campus. Perhaps they should have. Bowers, joined by Mia Jackson, opened up this fall’s Friday Night Comedy series in the Cone building on a shaky note. Jackson started the night with a strong set and kept the audience laughing consistently. Her ability to work with the crowd was especially impressive as she covered enough ground to get a laugh out of everyone and even managed to improvise good material based on the crowd’s reactions. She was personable and conversational. She told jokes as if the entire crowd was her friends, and a good portion of the crowd responded in kind. Jackson was simply the best comedian on the stage. Unfortunately, the act she shared the spotlight with diminished her achievement. There is no denying Bowers’ potential to be funny. He’s observant, knows how to work things like After Hours’ creaky stage into his set and can flow between jokes. However, a series of tasteless decisions marred his trip to UNC Charlotte. When Bowers got laughs, they were big. He opened strong, and after roughly a third of his set the crowd was doubled over in collective laughter. He told jokes about himself, his friends and his family; about big cities and awkward moments. Then, as if deciding the audience’s decent reception of a moderately dark joke was a free pass, he began punching down. And he punched down hard. Towards the middle of his set, Bowers busted out a joke about feeling insulted when someone told him not to use a particular phrase associated with people who have mental disabilities. The crux of the joke, the
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sell-aggrandizing assertion that no one should tell a comedian not to be offensive, fell flat. The set spiraled out of control as Bowers moved on to little more than insults aimed at people the word was associated with. Unfortunately the joke didn’t come to an end until Bowers haphazardly associated it with red-haired people. He even managed to transition from the redhead jokes to an absurdly insulting bit about a transgender person and another about abortion being murder. As if trying to one-up his own bad taste and somehow dig his way out of a hole with the audience he thoroughly silenced, Bowers moved on to jokes about slavery. Though he insisted it was acceptable for him to joke about the topic, most of the audience remained silent. When he worked derogatory jokes about people of short stature and a rape joke directed at the victim into the slavery theme, any good will he’d earned was gone. Bowers eventually - mercifully gave up and fell back on a handful of his more well known bits. The mood lightened as he told funny jokes again; however, having run over his allotted time, the set ended with one flat delivery and a disgusting, but not entertaining, anecdote. Maybe Bowers is right; maybe people shouldn’t tell comedians not to use offensive or questionable language in their jokes. What people should absolutely do, though, is tell them when their jokes aren’t funny. A good portion of Bowers’ set wasn’t funny, or fun or even amusing. He threw haymakers at those less fortunate than him and regardless of what words he used to do so or what slanted justification he devised, there’s nothing entertaining about that.
ACROSS
1 “Around the World in 80 Days” navigator Phileas 5 Lou of soul music 10 Immediately, in memos 14 Folk singer Guthrie 15 “Such a tease!” 16 Lecture location 17 Schoolroom cutup 19 Concerning 20 Often sculpted anatomy parts 21 Campus email suffix 23 Logician’s abbr. 24 First African-American major-league coach Buck 25 Condé Nast fashion monthly 27 Pachyderm in stereotypical hallucinations 31 Yale student 34 Membership fees 35 Ravi Shankar’s instrument 36 French peak
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38 Volga region native 41 Two times tetra42 Nickname for Wrigley Field hero Ernie Banks 44 Condo division 46 The Beatles’ “__ Jude” 47 PDF file creation program 51 System for blind readers 52 Peeled 56 Leb. neighbor 57 Actress Peeples 58 “Marry me!” 59 Dunked cookie 61 Performances in a big tent, where you’d see the ends of 17-, 27- and 47-Across 64 One often lost in the laundry 65 “That’s it for me” 66 Vichyssoise veggie 67 Pantry pests 68 So far 69 Misses the mark
DOWN 1 Ex post __: retroactively 2 Lightweight synthetic 3 Blinding light 4 Talk around the water cooler 5 Giant birds of myth 6 Minor league rink org. 7 St. in which most of Yellowstone is located 8 Poet Amy 9 Cherry-topped treat 10 ‘‘Now I get it!’’ 11 Bigfoot’s other name 12 Take turns 13 Walk heavily 18 State of matter 22 Calls the game 25 Fist pump or high-five, e.g. 26 Cleveland’s state 28 Cashew or pecan 29 Mauna __ 30 Waiter’s carrier 31 Actress Stone of “The Help” 32 “She Walks in Beauty” poet 33 Wrong 37 Brass band bass 39 2014, por ejemplo 40 “Spare” cut of meat 43 ‘60s hippie gathering 45 VCR inserts 48 “The Good Wife” attorney Florrick 49 Says assuredly 50 Mexican food in a cornhusk wrap 53 Potato press 54 “Come on in!” 55 Many talk show hosts sit at them 56 Slugger Sammy 58 Cigar remains 60 Brief approvals 62 Cowboy Rogers 63 Signal to an actor
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SEMESTER SURVIVAL GUIDE: ‘THAT’ CLASS Now that the add/drop period has ended and syllabus days are over, the semester is in full swing. Many students are now panicking over the course load they are taking on. Here is a guide on surviving even the most petrifying of classes.
Michelle Carpenter
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Reread the syllabus
Don’t slack
Sure you paid close attention when the professor went over the syllabus on the first day, but reread it. You may find that the class is not as daunting as it first seemed. Further, rereading the syllabus will allow you to ask questions now rather than later - something professors always appreciate. While you reread, make a plan for how you will tackle the assignments outlined. Planning things out early makes them easier to tackle when midterms and finals hit.
While those big lecture classes are oh so tempting to sleep in, stay awake and pay attention. Professors can test you on anything they say even if it seems like they are droning on and on because they love the sound of their own voice. Make sure not to get behind on the smaller assignments either. While they may be easy to put off until tomorrow, they can just as easily pile up and become overwhelming. Stay on top of things and the workload will not seem like much to manage even if the content is difficult.
Photo courtesy of MCT Campus
Photo courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons/ianwilson
Be prepared Make sure you have all the required materials for a class before you go: notebooks, pens, your laptop or a clicker. Clicker questions tend to be easy ways to earn participation points and can only help you in difficult classes.
Read There is a reason readings are assigned in classes even when it seems like they are just for purposes of student torture. If you are struggling, reading the book is a great way to make sense of what is happening in the class. Doing the reading before the lecture can make it easier to follow along. While doing the reading, write down things you do not understand so you can make sure to get clarification.
Take good notes If the professor writes something on the board, it should be written in your notebook. Taking notes also gives you something to do while you are sitting in class and can make the time go by faster. As you take notes, mark things you do not understand or have questions about. This way, when you meet up with a study group or go to the professor’s office hours, you already know what you need help with. This will ensure you get as much as possible out of these sessions.
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Photo courtesy of MCT Campus
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Photo by Amanda Duke
EA TIME There are plenty of benefits associated with drinking tea over coffee, and studies to back these up
Amanda Duke
ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR When trying to pull an all-nighter or waking up in the morning, many college students turn to coffee to wake themselves up. What they do not know is that tea not only has the same effects as coffee, but it also has long and shortterm health benefits. Different types of tea have distinctive health benefits that come with drinking them. Green tea has antioxidants that can lower the risk of prostate and breast cancer. Green tea helps prevent not only cancer, but also Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease as well. Because
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this tea helps improve your brain function, it can help you be a better thinker now and prevent diseases later on in life. Another type of tea, Earl Grey tea, has dental benefits. Drinking coffee stains your teeth, but Earl Grey is a black tea, which contains fluoride. A 2013 study showed that after giving laboratory animals black tea, there was 64 percent less cavities than those not drinking the tea. Of course during the semester many college students may become stressed. Passion tea helps reduce stress, insomnia and anxiety. This tea has a high amount of GABA, a
gamma amino butyric acid, which calms the body and brain. This passion tea does not have caffeine in it so it will not make you awake or hyper, but instead calm you down. There are many different types of passion tea, such as rose hips, cinnamon, hibiscus and licorice. These different types of passion tea can help osteoarthritis, digestive issues, lower blood pressure and help prevent ulcers.
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Ginger tea is another tea with great benefits. It can help curb nausea and other stomach problems - if you can get past the bitter taste. Drinking tea with nothing in it is zero calories. Several studies show that because of this, tea can help your metabolism, weight management and also improve weight loss. To stay healthy and hydrated, we are supposed to drink eight glasses
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TEA, cont. of water every day. Water can be replaced with tea because tea will keep your body just as hydrated as water would. However, if your tea is highly caffeinated, it will not keep you hydrated. When looking at which tea to buy, read the benefits that are
usually listed on the back. You will know exactly how that specific tea is helping your body. All of these types of tea and more are served daily at the Starbucks on campus as well as off campus. You can also buy them at Harris Teeter or Walmart.
USES FOR GREEN TEA While green tea is delicious and refreshing, it can also double as a beauty product. Check out these beauty remedies that leave you feeling rejuvenated. •
Face wash Make the tea as usual without adding sugar. Use it like a normal cleanser and rinse with cool water.
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Tea bag exfoliator Steam the tea bags and squeeze out the excess water. Rub the tea bag on your face to exfoliate.
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Reduce puffiness Cucumbers are famous for reducing eye puffiness, but green tea works the same way. Place brewed tea bags in the freezer and place over your eyes to reduce puffiness and under eye circles.
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Tea and yogurt facial Brew tea as usual. Open the tea bag and put the leaves on your skin being careful to avoid your eyes. Leave on for five minutes. Add plain yogurt and distribute evenly. Leave on for no more than 10 minutes. Your skin will feel smoother than ever.
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Foot bath Soak your feet in a bowl of tea for 20 minutes to remove stink. Add your favorite essential oil for added relaxation.
Photo by Amanda Duke
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