New front lawn
The UNC Charlotte Center City building will get a new front lawn as part of a city plan to develop areas of Uptown Charlotte. p. 4
Shaming women
After nude photos leaked of a number of celebrity women, the Internet took to shaming the victims of this cyber crime. Find out why this is the wrong reaction. p. 11
Hypnotism
Chris Jones, Chicago-based hypnotist, performed on campus Sept. 25, and brought levity to the Student Union. p. 13
49ers DROP THE BALL Charlotte drops to 3-2 after the first home loss of the season against Charleston Southern University. p. 8
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A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF13, NORTH 27,I N ISSUE SEPT. 30 - OCT. 2014 CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. N E R T6I M E S
Sept. 30 through Oct. 13, 2014
V O L U M E 2 7, N U M B E R 6
FOR DAILY ONLINE EXCLUSIVE CONTENT, PHOTO SLIDESHOWS AND MORE, VISIT US AT NINERONLINE.COM OR DOWNLOAD THE NINER TIMES MOBILE APP
ASSISTANT EDITORS Salina Dickie, Amanda Duke, Aaron McCain
ADDITIONAL STAFF Edward Averette, Chris Crews, Scott Gordon, Jared Green, Hunter Heilman, Kristen Johnson, Ben Pepe, Warren Pettee, Benjamin Robson, Jack Teague, Tyler White, Brittany Wilson
MARKETING STAFF Michelle D’Silva, Jack Fahnestock, Katelyn Ford, Briona Kiser, Melissa McHugh, Dylan Robison Promotions Coordinator: Sean Grier
Street Team: Natalie Chan, Sydney Cunningham, Amanda Duke
SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144 CIRCULATION BY STUDENT UNION LOADING DOCK TEAM
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TURBOVOTE PARTNERSHIP CONSTRUCTION UPDATE COMMUNITY GARDEN RUGBY PROFILE ANNIKA MCHENRY FOOTBALL RECAP
10 11 12 13 14 15
OP-ED: RAPE CULTURE OP-ED: SHAMING WOMEN THE BODY POETS HYPNOTIST REVIEW MONEY-SAVING APPS BOOK REVIEW
COVER PHOTO BY BEN COON • INSIDE PHOTO BY BEN PEPE
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SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
NINERTIMES
UNC Charlotte collaborates with TurboVote for midterm elections The non-profit Democracy Works application was adopted by the university to encourage students, faculty and staff registered to vote
Edward Averette
STAFF WRITER While Kay Hagan and Tom Tillis campaign ads saturate TV screens, election season approaches with only one month remaining until the polls open. UNC Charlotte is playing its own role in the 2014 election cycle and is collaborating with TurboVote to get students and faculty registered to vote for the upcoming elections in November. The university also joined forces with the non-profit Democracy Works application during the 2012 election, which featured the presidential and gubernatorial race. According to Joan Lorden, vice chancellor of Academic Affairs at UNC Charlotte, The Knight Foundation was an early funder of TurboVote and gave the university a grant to participate in the program. “It worked really well, we
registered over 1,000 people,” Lorden said. Since its inception in 2010, TurboVote has become a guide in engaging voters, and has made it easier for students across the country to get active in the political process. “Part of the function of college is to prepare people for citizenship,” Lorden said. “The right to vote is fundamental to the working of democracy. We know that students who start voting early in life continue to do so throughout life.” The non-partisan application simplifies the voting process by allowing users to navigate the basics of voter registration, request absentee ballots or update personal information online (change of name or address). The process takes anywhere
from five to ten minutes and is free of charge when you sign up. The application also sends reminders via email or text message to update registered users of upcoming elections and deadlines. “We really haven’t had any problems that I am aware of,” Lorden said. “The only issue is getting folks to understand what it is and why they should register with TurboVote, even if you are already registered to vote. The reminders are helpful.” One of the new changes to this year’s election cycle is the absence of the preregistration program. The 2010 midterms ushered in the preregistration program for high school students which prepped 16 and 17-year-olds for the voting booth when they turned 18, but last fall saw the disbandment of the
program. During that three-year window, approximately 150,000 -160,000 high school students were preregistered to vote. “Because North Carolina has registered a lot of students in high school, we have registered a lot of new faculty and staff and fewer students this year than before the 2012 election,” Lorden said. “We expect that the numbers of students will pick up again [in the future] because N.C. is no longer going to do registration of high school students.” While Sept. 26 was the deadline for users to signup for TurboVote to get voter registration forms mailed with pre-prepared envelopes (addressed and stamped), the general election deadline to register to vote in North Carolina is Oct. 10.
NORTH CAROLINA VOTING FAST FACTS • UNC Charlotte is one of only five schools in North Carolina that is collaborating with TurboVote • With a youth population of 1.4 million, North Carolina is in the top 10 nationwide for eligible youth voters • 585,000 youth voters (18-29) voted in the 2010 midterms (11 percent of overall votes) • 721,000 youth voters voted in the 2012 presidential and
NINERONLINE.COM
gubernatorial election (16 percent of overall votes) • Student ID’s are NOT accepted, identification must come in the form of a driver’s license, learner’s permit, special identification for non-drivers, U.S. passport, military ID, Veterans ID card, enrollment card from a federally or NC recognized tribe or out-of-state driver’s license (only up to 90 days
• • • •
after the voter registers in North Carolina) Early voting is now 10 days, instead of 17 No Same-Day Registration No Straight Party VotingHave to mark the preferred candidate for each race. Polling locations: University City Regional LibraryCommunity Room; 301 E. WT Harris Blvd. Charlotte, NC 28262
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
• Oct. 10 -Deadline to register to vote • Oct. 23 - Nov. 1- Early voting period for general election • Oct. 28 - Deadline to request absentee ballot by mail • Nov. 4 - Election Day (polls open 6:30 a.m. through 7:30 p.m.) Where to Sign Up: http://uncc. turbovote.org/m/register
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POLICE BLOTTER SEPT. 23 - 25
ARREST SEPT. 25
• University City Blvd., subject was arrested for being in possession of a stolen firearm and marijuana.
Center City’s new front lawn
ASSAULT SEPT. 23
• Residence Dining Hall (RDH), an acquaintance struck the victim in the face with a closed fist.
Jared Green
STAFF WRITER The groundbreaking ceremony for the new First Ward Park in uptown Charlotte took place on Sept. 18. The First Ward Park project is being undertaken by Levine Properties in cooperation with the county, the city of Charlotte and UNC Charlotte as part of a plan to develop certain areas of uptown Charlotte. In a deal made with the county, Levine Properties buys a piece of land, develops it and then has an option to trade it back to the county for another undeveloped block of land in uptown that they then develop with another project. UNC Charlotte is partnering alongside Levine Properties through the construction, though the university is not handling the project’s construction and funding. “[UNC Charlotte] is a partner in the sense of being an adjacent property,” said Executive Director of the UNC Charlotte Center City campus Jerry Coughter.
weather.uncc.edu UNC CHARLOTTE METEOROLOGY PROGRAM
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University officials have had opportunities for input in parts of the planning of the park including some of the design features of the park. The park is a much-awaited amenity for uptown Charlotte, and for the Center City campus. It is a project nine years in the planning. Construction has already begun and is expected to take around 20 months to complete. Officials are excited for the completion of the Center City campus “front lawn” as Coughter is calling it. “[The park] physically connects us to the rest of uptown,” said Coughter. Officials are hoping that the park will be a good space to host outdoor events and other programming. UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip Dubois commented on the project, stating that the park had three major benefits: It will be a great amenity for the Center City campus, the positioning is expect-
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ed to draw in the community and expose them to more of UNC Charlotte and also the park will serve to “protect our view of uptown,” said Dubois. The park will feature a large green space which Dubois and Coughter both hope UNC Charlotte will use frequently, hosting receptions and other events. Much like Third Ward Park serves as a hub for arts and culture, Dubois commented that he and Daniel Levine of Levine Properties, “hope that First Ward becomes a hub of educational activity.” With the extension of the light rail to UNC Charlotte’s main campus, which is planned to be complete by 2017, the Center City campus will become much more easily accessible to students and professors at the main campus. Officials hope this will further connect the institution with its satellite campus.
SEPT. 23
• Belk Tower/Rowe Building, officer responded to a call in reference to a subject falling off a skateboard and breaking their arm.
SEPT. 25
• Off campus, victim reported an attempt by an unknown subject to commit fraud against her over the phone.
LARCENY SEPT. 24
• Union Deck, officer responded to a call in reference to a vehicle’s emblems being removed.
VANDALISM SEPT. 24
• RDH, unknown subject attempted to forcibly enter the building causing damage to the door. For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
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SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
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SUNDAY OCT. 5
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MONDAY OCT. 6
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NINERTIMES
COMMUNITY GARDENS GIVE STUDENTS NEW OPPORTUNITIES ON CAMPUS Tyler White
INTERN
The UNC Charlotte Community Garden build day took place Sept. 26 behind Storrs Hall and beside Robinson Hall. The workday was held from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., where volunteers helped transplant plants, spread mulch and dirt and placed plants in the elevated garden beds. The garden stemmed from the ideas of seniors Jake Emerson and Kevin Rodengen, and aims to make the garden a place where students can build a sense of campus community as well as grow produce. “We realized that there were a lot of parts of this campus that didn’t feel very student-owned or engaged, and we realized that a campus is really about the students and not so much just a place that we come and learn but a place that we kind of own as well,” said Rodengen. As of now, the site contains a hammock lounge along with four large and one small elevated garden plots in which to put the plants. “We really want it to be a chilling out area. People
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Benjamin Robson
STAFF WRITER
are attracted to hammocks - they come here, and while they’re here, they learn about sustainability and plants. So, hammocks are the key,” said Rodengen. The group has already made plans to begin their next structural project. “Our first couple of projects are to build a pergola structure, which will be our primary hangout area in the garden where we’ll host our meetings, our religious gatherings, whatever it comes to,” said Rodengen. Some of the plants that were planted in the plots include carrots, chards, spinach, parsley and peas. Produce grown in the garden will be given to off-campus, non-profit organizations and possibly to Chartwells to be used on campus. “Eventually we hope to provide produce for the campus and to integrate it into some of our meals,” said Rodengen. For more on the Community Garden, visit us at NinerOnline.com
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
Dozens came out to help with the build day for the new Community Garden. Photo by Ben Pepe.
NINERTIMES
RUGBY RIVALS REUNITE TWO MEMBERS OF UNC CHARLOTTE’S RUGBY CLUB COME TOGETHER AFTER PLAYING FOOTBALL AGAINST EACH OTHER IN HIGH SCHOOL
Jack Teague INTERN
Four years ago, juniors Keith Dalbon and Eddie Wilson played football for rival high schools in New York. Now, they both play rugby for Charlotte Mean Green, UNC Charlotte’s rugby club. Even though they played against each other for four years, neither Dalbon nor Wilson were aware of each other until coming to Charlotte. “I had no idea that Eddie was Eddie until I came down to rugby one day, years [after playing against him in football], here I am in North Carolina now and I wear a Mamaroneck [High School] football shirt to practice one day and he points it out. He says, ‘Mamaroneck? I used to live right in Port Chester,’ which is literally two towns away from it. That’s how we came to figure it out. Since then we’ve been pretty close friends,” Dalbon said. Both Dalbon and Wilson agreed that it was easy to make the transition from opponent to teammate. “We clicked right away; there was never any hostility. If anything, me and him playing together on the same team next to each other just makes us both play better [because I know] that Eddie is going to work hard to do what he needs to do and [he knows] I’ll work just as hard to get what I need done,” Dalbon said. Coming from the same area also makes them more comfortable with each other. “I think it makes you feel a little more comfortable, knowing someone is there from where you’re from. Someone that knows where you’re from, what you’re about, how you grew up; stuff like that. That helped the transition [from living in New York to college in Charlotte] a little bit,”
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Eddie Wilson (right) and Keith Dalbon (left) in high school. Photo courtesy of Eddie Wilson
Wilson said. After going undefeated last year, Mean Green has already lost two games - to Elon and Appalachian State. “The main difference [from last season] is we lost a lot of experience. We had people that had been playing rugby all throughout high school, some even that started in middle school. We had four or five of those guys last year. We lost them all; they all graduated,” Dalbon said.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
Despite losing those players, Mean Green has committed themselves to rebuilding for next year. “This year is really a rebuilding year. We did well recruiting over the summer; we got a lot of recruits that came out this year. [Of] course we wanted to win a championship and go undefeated, but after the first game we realized how many setbacks we had. A lot of [the recruits] have never played before, so we’re going to throw them in game situations and see how they react. The best way to learn the game of rugby is by playing rugby, so that’s what we’re going to have them do this year: play a lot of rugby, get out all the kinks in this year and come back ready to win some games next season,” Dalbon said. The first ever Mean Green Fan Day will be held Oct. 11 on Recreation Field 12. The team will play an inter-squad scrimmage, barbecue will be provided for spectators and a PA system with music will be set up. “That’s the way we want to do it this year: get more people involved, get our name around campus more and just get out there as one of the bigger clubs on campus,” Wilson said. Mean Green’s game against UNC Greensboro Sept. 26 was canceled and is due to be rescheduled at a later date. The Southern Conference Rugby Championship will be held in Charlotte Nov. 1 through 2. To stay updated on the team’s progress, visit: http://www.unccrugby.org
NINERTIMES
McHenry earns Player of the Week honors after two shutouts Scott Gordon
STAFF WRITER
Charlotte 49ers keeper Annika McHenry boots a kick down the field in Charlotte’s 2-0 victory over Davidson. Photo by Benjamin Robson.
The Charlotte 49ers women’s soccer team played their first games of the year at home two weeks ago after starting the season on a fivegame road trip. The 49ers played some quality opponents and played well themselves but fell into a 1-3-1 hole on the year away from home. The tie was in the last game against a solid Clemson team and gave the 49ers some positive energy coming into their home-opener. Charlotte collected a big 4-0 win against Winthrop on Wednesday, Sept. 17 and then backed that up with a 2-0 shutout against the Davidson Wildcats the following Sunday. The offense was firing on all cylinders in the games behind the play of sophomores Rebecca Beatty and Perri Bonner as well as freshman Martha Thomas. The defense in these games was equally impressive. The back four of Taylor Dulaney, Loren Reilley, Shelby Hicks and Cannon Clough held Winthrop to 11 shots in the first game and Davidson to 12. Winthrop forward Krystyna Freda came into the game scoring seven goals combined in the two previous games, and Charlotte was able to prevent her from getting a single shot on goal. The Eagles as a team entered the contest as one of the top five scoring
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offenses in the country prior to the dominant performance from the 49ers. Charlotte keeper Annika McHenry recorded her second and third shutouts of the season and for her performance, was named the Conference-USA Defender of the Week. McHenry is a redshirt junior out of Cary, N.C. in her first full season as the 49ers starter in the net. She was named as one of the Top 20 Goal Keepers to Watch by TopDrawerSoccer.com coming out of high school. In high school McHenry helped her club team capture two State Cup titles. She earned conference honors in her freshman season at Charlotte as well when she was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week early in October. McHenry recorded a combined seven saves in the net in the two games at Transamerica Field this past week. “I got the award, but in reality the whole team deserves it,” said the redshirt junior keeper. “One of our main goals was to have two shutouts this weekend and that’s what we did. It was definitely a group effort.” McHenry now has five career shutouts as she plays her redshirt junior season, good for eighth place on the school’s all-time list.
Her 101 career saves also place her in a tie for eighth all-time in program history. McHenry started in six games last season before going down with a season-ending injury, giving her some vital experience coming into 2014. She was a safe bet for the starting job this year and would have to step up as a leader on this team. “I try and lead by example on and off the field, pushing myself every practice and not going halfway in anything because I think the biggest way to lead is by not speaking at all,” said McHenry. “I think Anni has put the work in in the offseason, and it is showing in the regular season,” said 49ers Head Coach John Cullen. “That’s a message for all players. If you put the work in out of season, you’re going to see the benefits in season.” Cullen also expressed how vital it is for his team to receive such outstanding play at possibly the most crucial position on the field. “It certainly is a position that is important, and she is playing it ever so well,” Cullen continued. “We are delighted she has been named as Defensive Player of the Week.” It is clear McHenry is setting the example and her work ethic is rubbing off on her teammates.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
Because of the solid effort on defense, Charlotte can take more risks on the offensive side of the field which is leading to more goals as of late. With the back four in sync and making good passes up the field to the strikers, Charlotte can control their own destiny if the high level of playing continues. McHenry has started all eight games in goal for the 49ers so far in 2014. She has posted a goals against average of 1.08 while saving 43 shots with a save percentage of .827. McHenry and the 49ers opened C-USA action this past weekend on the road against Florida Atlantic and Florida International. The 49ers were picked as the league favorite in the preseason after bowing out in the semifinals of the conference tournament in 2013. Charlotte dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the Owls of Florida Atlantic on Friday night in the conference opener after a late goal was allowed in the 78th minute. With a bounceback effort though, the 49ers were able to beat Florida International on Sunday afternoon, 2-0, courtesy of two goals from Thomas. With the win, Charlotte will move to 4-4-1 on the year, and also gains some momentum toward their home game this Friday night against Marshall.
NINERTIMES
49ERS RALLY LATE, FALL IN OVERTIME THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS DROP TO 3-2 AFTER A TOUGH 47-41 LOSS TO CHARLESTON SOUTHERN
Matt Chapman
Charlotte running back Kalif Phillips dives across the goal-line for his second touchdown of the afternoon, tying the game 41-41. Photo by Chris Crews.
SPORTS EDITOR The Charlotte 49ers dropped an overtime heart-breaker on Saturday afternoon in front of a crowd of 14,498 at Jerry Richardson Stadium. 49ers kicker Blake Brewer missed a 30-yard field goal in overtime and Charleston Southern punched in the game-winning touchdown from the one yardline to capture a 47-41 victory that dropped Charlotte to 3-2 overall this season. “It’s very tough to lose a game like this but the first half put us in this situation,” said 49ers quarterback Matt Johnson postgame. “We made too many mistakes and gave them too many gifts. We didn’t play a full game and that’s the frustrating part. That’s one thing we’re going to work on and that’s what we’re taking out of this.” The 49ers put together an inspired performance, scoring 17 unanswered points in the second half to rally back from a 34-17 deficit halfway through
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the third quarter. Charlotte blocked a 38-yard Buccaneers field goal attempt as time expired to force the first overtime contest in school history. “I’m proud of the guys for fighting back and giving us a chance to win there at the end,” said Charlotte Head Coach Brad Lambert. “We’ve just got to break through and win. We can’t come down to the wire all the time and not finish. We’ve got to start finishing these games.” Twenty-fifth-ranked Charleston Southern (5-0) dominated time of possession on the afternoon, holding the ball for 41:52 including two long drives in the second half that gassed the 49ers defense. The Buccaneers put up 617 yards of offense in the game, led by 333 rushing yards from their triple-option attack. The 49ers offense got off to a shaky start for the second consecutive game. Johnson hit Austin Duke on the first play from scrimmage but Duke bob-
bled the pass, and Buccaneers cornerback Troy McGowens intercepted the pass to set up Charleston Southern with good field position. Charlotte’s defense held strong and forced a turnover on downs to let the offense off the hook. The Buccaneers got on the board first when quarterback Austin Brown found running back Christian Reyes over the middle for an 11-yard touchdown pass for a 7-0 lead with 9:35 left in the first quarter. The 49ers offense responded immediately as Duke made up for his drop by reeling in a bubble screen and sprinting 74 yards to the end zone to tie the score at 7-7 midway through the opening quarter. The Buccaneers closed the quarter on a strong note. Backup quarterback Daniel Croghan took control of the offense and hit Mike Holloway for a 21-yard scoring pass after the Charlotte secondary blew the coverage. Another three-and-out from the 49ers offense gave Charleston Southern the ball back late in the quarter. Reyes found the end zone for the second time in the quarter as he ran through a gaping hole and took it 45 yards to push the Buccaneers lead to 21-7 at the end of the first quarter. Charlotte responded to the deficit with another big play to open the second quarter. Running back Kalif Phillips took the hand-off and outraced the Buccaneers defense 77 yards down the field for his team-high ninth touchdown of the season, cutting the Charleston Southern lead to 21-14 with 14:48 left in the first half.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
The 49ers offense looked to put together a game-tying drive midway through the second quarter, but Johnson got hit hard and fumbled the ball returning momentum to the Buccaneers sideline. Charleston Southern took advantage of the short field and Croghan punched the ball in from three yards out to extend the Buccaneers lead back to 14 points with 5:12 remaining in the second quarter. Charlotte responded with a 35yard Blake Brewer field goal and put together another good drive in the closing moments of the half before Johnson threw his second interception of the afternoon. Charleston Southern missed a 39-yard field goal attempt as time expired and the 49ers headed into the locker room trailing 28-17. The Buccaneers received the opening kickoff of the second half and methodically marched the ball down the field 72 yards on 12 plays, a drive that ate up 6:17 off the clock. Reyes capped the long drive with his third touchdown of the game, taking the ball up the middle for four yards to give Charleston Southern their biggest lead of the day at 34-17 midway through the third quarter. Yet again the Charlotte offense answered with an impressive touchdown drive of their own. Johnson couldn’t find an open receiver so he took off and ran 23 yards untouched into the end zone to cut the Buccaneers lead to 34-24 and get the 49ers crowd back into the game. The 49ers defense fed off the crowd’s
NINERTIMES
49ers linebacker Nico Alcalde, 34, blocks the potential game-winning field goal as time expires in the fourth quarter. Photo by Ben Coon.
energy and delivered a timely interception late in the third quarter. Croghan attempted to stick the ball into double coverage, and Charlotte cornerback Greg Cunningham Jr. picked off the pass and returned it to the 49ers 45 yard line. Charlotte drove the ball inside the Charleston Southern 10-yard line but was forced to settle for a 25-yard Brewer field goal to bring them within one score, trailing 34-27 after three quarters. Duke made his presence felt once more early in the fourth quarter when he pulled down a 61-yard touchdown pass from Johnson that sent the home crowd into a frenzy. Duke’s second touchdown of the afternoon knotted the score at 34-34 and capped a Charlotte run of 17 unanswered points in the second half. Charleston Southern was able to regroup and put together a monster 14-play drive that went 81 yards and spanned most of the final quarter. Brown capped the drive with a sixyard touchdown pass on third down to put the Buccaneers back on top 41-34 with 3:53 left to play in the ball game. The 49ers refused to go down without a fight. Johnson drove the team 60 yards on just five plays, and Phillips bolted up the middle for a 34yard touchdown that tied the score 41-41 and forced overtime. The Buccaneers had an opportunity to win the game at the end of regulation, but linebacker Nico Alcalde
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came up with a huge blocked field goal that kept the 49ers alive. Charlotte got the ball first in overtime and hit on a couple big plays but two untimely penalties forced the 49ers to settle for a 30-yard Brewer field goal attempt. Brewer pushed the field goal wide left and Reyes found
the end zone for the fourth time in the contest on the ensuing drive as the Buccaneers improved to 5-0 on the season. Johnson played his best football of the season in the second half and finished the day 16 of 27 for 305 yards. Johnson passed for two touchdowns and ran for another in an impressive comeback after last Saturday’s disappointing performance against Elon. Phillips broke a school-record, rushing for 196 yards on just 21 carries. His two touchdowns on the afternoon pushed his season total to 10 through five games in 2014. Duke finished the contest with video game numbers. He hauled in 12 catches for a school record 251 yards, including the two long touchdown receptions. Duke has 500 receiving yards in the 49ers last three games. “We just had to throw and catch,” said Duke. “In the first quarter we didn’t throw and catch so we just had to realign our focus and start making plays.” The 49ers will hit the road next weekend for a game against the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 1:30 p.m.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
NINERTIMES
Innovation and liberation trump feminism when dealing with college rape culture Brittany Wilson
STAFF WRITER On her journey to becoming the Miss USA 2014 title holder, Nia Sanchez made a remark that outraged leftist feminists and ignited an already fiery debate that continues to divide students in universities across the country. When asked about how to approach the “horrific epidemic” of sexual assaults on college campuses that had been “swept under the rug for so long,” Sanchez replied in a way that was unexpected by society. “I believe that more awareness is important so women can learn how to protect themselves,” said Sanchez. “I learned from a young age that you need to be confident and be able to defend yourself.” At face value, this statement seems fairly uncontroversial. Confidence and self-defense – values that Sanchez holds high as a fourth degree black belt in taekwondo – are seemingly widely accepted ideals that are looked upon favorably by humanity. Immediately following Sanchez’s interview, I observed in astonishment a group of wellknown feminists taking to social media and bashing her notion of
self-empowerment, even calling her a “victim blamer” and making accusations of Sanchez promoting rape culture. Similar outrage recently ensued after a local group of innovative college students from N.C. State developed a nail polish that, when mixed with a drink containing date-rape drugs, will change color. I believe this revolutionary nail polish, if mainstreamed, would benefit society by placing fear where it belongs: into the perpetrator of the crime, the rapist, rather than the victims. Inevitably, feminists disagree. The same individuals that voiced hate toward Sanchez again took to social media in disgruntlement, making statements like, “It’s sad that we have to make an anti-rape nail polish instead of teaching men that it’s not okay to rape someone” and “That’s not the world I want to live in.” My question to modern feminists who hold these beliefs is as follows: Why does education about the harmfulness of rape and self-defense and women’s empowerment have to be mutually exclusive entities?
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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I, too, long for a world of societal respect and mutual understanding, and I recognize the importance of education. However, I also understand that as a society we must sometimes set aside our unachievable utopian vision of what we want the world to look like and start addressing the world we live in today – the real world. According to the Cleveland Rape and Crisis Center, one in four young women will be the victim of rape during her academic career. It seems logical to me that the victims of these heinous and unjust crimes would be in favor of having a little bit more control over their own lives, rather than depending on society to protect them from its inexorable ills. Unlike many college-aged females, I don’t identify with the word “feminist.” I never really felt that the word applied to me because I never considered myself a victim of society simply because I belonged to a certain gender. I never felt inherently unequal to my male counterparts. Quite frankly, feminism can’t survive without victims, and I refuse to be one. I believe that the modern feminist
GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK Niner Times welcomes letters. Feedback should be under 200 words, legibly written or typed and should include the author’s signature, year in school, major and telephone number. Faculty and staff should include title and department. Unsigned, anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters are subject to editing for space and style.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
movement has fostered a stigma of government dependency and victimhood in itself. Legislating morality and depending on societal sensibility is inefficient. Rather, the best way to empower women is to put the power in their hands. It is the combination of education and empowerment of victims that provides me hope for the future. According to the 2013 Bureau of Justice Statistics, the estimated annual rate of female rape of sexual assault victimizations in the United States has declined over 50 percent from 1995 to 2010. Despite this glimmer of optimism, society must continue to face an inconvenient truth about rape. No matter how much we strive to become a more educated and respectable society, deviant people will exist. If society wants to address the real issue of rape, we will learn to oppose any law that disarms innocent people, continue to educate and advocate for peaceful coexistence and discontinue the suppression of valuable tools, like self-defense and groundbreaking innovation, like date rape-detecting nail polish. SUBMIT LETTERS TO:
NINER TIMES Student Union, Charlotte, N.C. 28223 OR E-MAIL:
editor@nineronline.com
NINERTIMES
Shame is not the answer We should be fighting against misogyny, not shaming women Kristen Johnson INTERN
The time to stop putting women in the gallows for expressing themselves in a way that makes people uncomfortable is now. Last month, a number of A-list celebrity women had their nude photos leaked onto websites such as Reddit, TMZ and 4chan. The photos were deleted from the websites, but the pictures went viral. They were posted on people’s Instagram pages, posted on porn sites and even reblogged on Tumblr dashboards across the world. Among the victims were Oscar winner Jennifer Lawrence, swimsuit model Kate Upton, actress Kirsten Dunst, Rihanna, Kim Kardashian and, most recently, singer Jill Scott and actresses Gabrielle Union and Meagan Good. While the FBI is investigating the celebrities’ cases, they are not
MCT Campus
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investigating the shame and humiliation that follows scandals like this. The critics of the scandal have been out in full force, degrading the women for not being “secret” or “wholesome” in regards to their bodies. However, celebrity women are not the only ones who experience this shame. Modern women and men who own a cell phone are everyday victims of privacy violations. We saw it first hand when we first got cell phones in middle or high school. A girl takes a picture of her body for her boyfriend, and not long after, the whole school has seen (or heard) what she looks like naked. However the photo was shared, it got out, and the person in the photo is blamed for taking the picture. Counselors, friends or even parents console the victims with words like, “Well, if you had not taken and sent the picture, none of this would have happened.” While this statement may arguably be true, it is very telling of the way people combat issues of unfairness regarding women: with shame. Telling women to cover themselves and dress or act a certain way is not solving inequality or misogyny. Our quickness to shame women seems to be easier than combating the reality that women are still very much marginalized and treated as the lesser gender in need of structure and guidance. Our duties as men, women, teachers, fathers, friends and sisters is not to disgrace girls but to love and accept them despite their choices, and to organize to combat the blatant sexism in our media outlets, our workplaces, our schools and our homes. Last December, singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter released one of the most authoritative songs of her career. The song “Flawless” was featured on her self-titled album
“Beyoncé” and gained international attention not only for its catchy refrain, but also for the statement featured in the middle of the track by Nigerian activist and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The statement on the track was only a snippet from Adichie’s speech “We Should All Be Feminists” in which she says, “We teach girls shame. Close your legs, cover yourself, we make them feel as though being born female they’re already guilty of something…We teach girls that they cannot be sexual beings in the way that boys are.” The profound speech Adichie made speaks volumes about the way women are raised and viewed in every aspect of society. Whether morally or religiously, our views on how women should act, think and speak are shaped and reshaped throughout our lives. The way in which we treat women is displayed through societal aspects such as music and relationships and especially in our reactions to women who have their nude photos hacked; women who choose to go on more than a few dates with different men; women who have one boyfriend this week and another one the next; women who wear shorts to school on a hot summer day; or women who do not fit into the category of a “good girl.” The victimization of women is nothing new. The shaming of women is nothing new – nor is the violation of one’s privacy. The fight to end the attacks and sexism is not new either. Somehow that fire – that urgency – has been muffled and forgotten, but we must be willing to revisit the works of feminists and women’s rights
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advocates such as Susan B. Anthony and Audre Lorde. We must organize for justice against perpetrators who violate women and their right to choose, their right to be free and their right to be recognized as human beings worthy of respect and love. The challenge is not to stop taking or sending nude photos. The challenge is that we must trust our own judgment of who is worthy of our privacy. We must respect the privacy of others. We must remember that propelling shame and blaming the victim does more harm than good.
MCT Campus
NINERTIMES
“The Body Poets” San Diego stage troupe hits UNC Charlotte to prove they aren’t your typical dance crew
Hunter Heilman INTERN
The unconventionally unique dance crew The Body Poets join UNC Charlotte’s growing list of on-campus performances with their upcoming show on Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. The event will be held in the Student Union, Room 340. Omeed Simantob, co-founder of The Body Poets, speaks on the unique name of his dance group and how it came to be: “To me, dance and poetry is all the same, we’re just poets with our bodies. We’re just trying to make people feel something with our bodies instead of our words, we’re body poets. As I said that same thing to my friend once, I had to stop and be like ‘Whoa, bro...The Body Poets, that’s a good name for the crew.’” One thing that is apparent about The Body Poets from their YouTube videos is that they aren’t your typical dance crew; these aren’t people you would see in a Missy Elliot video in 2002; their style is indescribable, even to the group itself. “We’re not a dance team. What we are is a group of dancers that get together to put on theatrical performances. While we are all dancers, and that’s our background, when you see our show, there’s a lot of humor, there’s a lot of musicianship and just a lot of things you wouldn’t find in a typical dance show,” said Simantob. As unique as their style of dance is their attire, which varies by individual dance, but shares a common theme: their faces are always covered with Morphsuits or SuperFan Suits. “When we saw the suits, all we saw was a human body, almost mannequin-like, and we knew that was perfect for our look,” said Simantob. “What’s cool with
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it is the freedom and anonymity ... we’re able to do our shows anonymously, it frees us up to do a bunch of different things on stage and not be tied down to a certain number of dancers.” The Body Poets are coming to UNC Charlotte with the National Association of Campus Activities, which came as an opportunity to them after competing on “America’s Got Talent” in 2011. “What ‘America’s Got Talent’ did for us was put us on a national map. We can go sell out a theater in Kentucky now, which we would have never been able to do before, which in turn is a testament to the power of TV and what it did for us,” said Simantob.
While it’s very clear that The Body Poets are certainly different than something you can see in the 62nd “Step Up” movie at Concord Mills, what they want for students to take away from the show is also a bit different than you might think. “All we really want to offer at the core is just an escape from the stress of being a student.” said Simantob. “On top of that, even just to give them something to talk about that’s beyond the same old social gossip or classroom discussion. If we can just bring something exciting and original on campus, beyond what you can normally see, I’ll be super happy.”
Photo courtesy of The Body Poet’s official Facebook page.
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
NINERTIMES
Hypnotist Chris Jones brings irreverent fun to campus Hunter Heilman INTERN
While I can’t say I believe it, it certainly made for a good show. On Thursday, Sept. 25, hypnotist Chris Jones from Chicago came to UNC Charlotte’s campus to perform his brand of hypnotism in the Student Union. His blend of comedy and hypnotism was an interesting mix that paid off in the long run for one reason in particular: his understanding of the college sense of humor was intact, feeding a lot off of the fact that he looked exactly like Drake. Jones got us, he never sounded like that awkward parent trying to be cool with their children, and his pop culture references were fresh and humorous, unlike the actual comedy acts that come to campus. Oh, he did some hypnotism, too. I can’t say I believe hypnotism, there’s too many open ends that don’t quite add up, but a lot of the audience in attendance did believe it, which must have made their experience even more enjoyable than mine. What made the show interesting to me though, was not only the ridiculous things Jones managed to get these people to do on stage in front of hundreds of people, it was how he managed to get these people to do these things without any sense of embar-
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rassment or any laughing at all. From twerking, to a fake press conference with Barack and Michelle, to being Playboy bunnies, the things these people were doing was not normal, but how they conducted themselves during it was normal. I managed to track down a girl who was hypnotized during the show afterward in the lobby. When asked about her experience, student Emily Adams, who played Michelle Obama in the press conference said, “There was no doubt, I was Michelle Obama, he told me I was Michelle Obama, and in that second I became her.” Adams also added about the physical effects of hypnotism, “I feel energized now. I feel like I got a good night’s sleep, which is good because I need to study tonight, so that’s convenient.” Whether you’re a skeptic or a believer, the show put on by Jones was very entertaining. It was fresh, funny, and pretty exciting. I found myself laughing really hard at many points, which is all that really matters to me, since it takes a lot to make me laugh. I can’t say I’m any more of a believer of hypnotism after seeing the show, but it certainly put me in a better mood.
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ACROSS 1 Headliners 6 Prefix with final or trailer 10 Ward of “CSI: NY” 14 “Wowie!” 15 Frau’s home 16 Medicine cabinet swab 17 Boil out of the pot 19 Sch. near the Rio Grande 20 Old Testament twin 21 Leaves 22 Goethe classic 23 Sun. message 25 Shortening for pie-making 27 Present in lieu of cash 35 Genetics lab subject 36 Mix with a spoon 37 Hard to lift 38 Where serve-and-volley tennis players win a lot of points 40 Dict. entry
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42 Sturm und __ 43 Attacks 45 Gin flavoring 47 Neither here __ there 48 Doctors doing reconstructive work 51 Verdi opera 52 Turkish bigwig 53 Where to find Houston St. and Penn Sta. 56 Hammer or saw 59 Stadium cheers 63 Hawaii’s “Valley Isle” 64 Director’s “We’re done,” and hint to the starts of 17-, 27- and 48- Across 66 Requests 67 Frau’s mate 68 Backyard barbecue site 69 Newsman Huntley 70 Celestial bear
DOWN 1 Tea brand with a lizard logo 2 Consequently 3 “Dancing Queen” band 4 Strong and healthy 5 Word segment: Abbr. 6 “Scram, fly!” 7 Roof overhang 8 Rolled oats cereal 9 Jerusalem’s land: Abbr. 10 Cop show wheels 11 Caesar’s disbelieving words 12 Golfers’ concerns 13 Date bk. entry 18 “Snowy” heron 22 Breakfast sandwich item 24 Deliriously happy 26 CIO partner 27 Clutch tightly 28 “__ inside”: chipmaker’s slogan 29 Classic orange soda 30 Get __ of: throw out 31 Rapunzel feature 32 Hersey’s “A Bell for __” 33 Mortise insert 34 Some MIT grads 39 Charles Lamb, notably 41 Winter ailment 44 Three times daily, onanRx 46 Tough tests 49 Novelist Willa 50 Auditory canal blocker 53 Colorful old Apple 54 “Parsley is gharsley” poet Ogden 55 Microwave 57 Paddles, e.g. 58 Mexican’s “other” 60 Comic Johnson Word with spray or style 62 Laundry challenge 64 Day before Fri. 65 Swinger in the jungle
NINERTIMES
BECOME A FRUGAL 49ER College student budgets are tight and saving money is a necessity. Try out these three free apps to help you buy your favorite products at lower prices.
Michelle Carpenter
LIFESTYLE EDITOR CARTWHEEL
RETAILMENOT
Target has created an app to help you save on all your favorite things. The app has offers that users add to their own bar codes. At checkout, the cashier scans your bar code to apply savings. There are offers for every section of the store from household goods and cleaning supplies to groceries and apparel. Offers are updated every week when the new weekly ad comes out. Some offers last longer than others as well. The app keeps track of the total savings from using Cartwheel. The only downside to the app is that there is a limit to the number of offers that can be added at one time.
Similar to Shopular, RetailMeNot gathers coupons and deals from numerous stores in one convenient location. There are different tabs in the app that allow users to see ads that are “just for them,” “the best” and “popular” coupons. It is easy to navigate. This app does a better job of differentiating between advertised in-store specials and coupons. Like the Cartwheel app, users bring their phone to checkout and have the cashiers scan the coupon’s bar code right from their phone. Screenshot courtesy of Shopular
SHOPULAR Shopular is another free app that has coupons and discounts for favorite retail locations including Old Navy, Starbucks and Kohl’s. This app is great because it organizes the weekly ads for all of the stores added to the favorites tab. However, sometimes there is not enough differentiation between what is an in-store offer and what is a coupon. If allowed, the app accesses the user’s location and gives push notifications to let users know of offers at nearby stores so you never miss a good deal.
OTHER APPS TO DOWNLOAD • • • •
Harris Teeter Yowza!! Snipsnap Shopkick
• • • •
Coupon Sherpa Yipit Coupons.com Grocery IQ
Screenshot courtesy of Cartwheel App
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Screenshot courtesy of RetailMeNot
SEPT. 30 - OCT. 13, 2014
NINERTIMES
‘Wild’ by Cheryl Strayed Michelle Carpenter
LIFESTYLE EDITOR “Wild” is the latest hit in the trend of “Eat, Pray, Love”esque memoirs that have become so popular since the latter’s movie release. While the basic plot lines are strikingly similar: newly divorced woman whose life is in shambles sets out on an adventure, the similarities are forgotten as readers delve further into “Wild.” Strayed has a voice of her own that she creates early on in the narrative. She is witty and honest, writing with an effortless humor that only comes from someone who has accepted their situation. And many of the situations she found herself in before embarking on her journey of hiking the entire Pacific Coast Trail (PCT) are less than ideal: a dead mother, unstable home life, heroine, a divorce, Strayed hit rock bottom before she decided to become a stray on the PCT. After her divorce, she didn’t want to go back to her maiden name so she created her own. She writes “to pick a word out of the dictionary and proclaim it mine seemed a bit fraudulent to me.” Yet she does it anyway. While many books revolving around hiking, adventure and the wilderness can make readers feel lazy or incompetent, Strayed’s story is strangely relateable to someone who has never done more than a day hike. She talks about how
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unprepared she was for her journey. As she awoke on the morning she was to start hiking, she discovers her pack, later nicknamed “Monster,” was far too heavy for her to lift, much less carry hundreds of miles. Furthermore, she failed to read the guidebook she purchased months before until she was sitting on the side of the trail utterly lost with how to continue under the immense pressure and pain her body felt. I found myself rolling my eyes at some things, like when she says that she packed a camera with an extra flash. Then stopped to realize I might have done the same thing. Her naivety is refreshing throughout the narrative. Readers really get to see Strayed figuring things out as she goes. I found myself rooting for her as she went along and crying with her in those inevitable hopeless moments. The people she meets on her journey make for interesting characters. The dialogue throughout the memoir is remarkable. Oftentimes when telling stories, it is easy to turn people’s words into the way the story-teller would say them. However, each of the people Strayed encounters has a voice of their own that is impeccably conveyed through her prose. Next time you are feeling lost, pick up “Wild” and immerse yourself in the world of the PCT.
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NINERTIMES
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NINERTIMES