Niner Times: October 28, 2014

Minutes from campus, historic Stonewall Jackson Training School has a dark past and a foggy future. p. 5 OP-ED: Midterm elections

Halloween galore

p. 10

p. 13

Members of the UNC Charlotte College Republicans have some insight toward the importance of midterm elections this year.

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A DIY guide to creating your very own jack-o-lantern Halloween costume, and some last minute ideas.

Basketball Preview A 16-page insert getting you ready for the 2014 basketball season!

Inside this issue

A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF3,NORTH 27,I N ISSUE OCT. 28 - NOV. 2014 CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. N E R T9I M E S

Oct. 28 through Nov. 3, 2014

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Inside this issue!

A 16-page insert with everything you need to get pumped for the Charlotte 49ers men’s and women’s 2014 basketball season.

HOMECOMING COURT Nick Cropper, Salina Dickie, Amanda Duke, Aaron McCain

SHAVE A SIGEP

ADDITIONAL STAFF Chris Crews, Lauren Dockery, Claire Dodd, Sean Grier, Hunter Heilman, Javon Jeter, Quan Siler, Warren Pettee, Syndey Wright,

STONEWALL JACKSON WEATHER, SGA AND BLOTTER FOOTBALL RECAP OP-ED: MIDTERM ELECTIONS

MARKETING STAFF Michelle D’Silva, Jack Fahnestock, Katelyn Ford, Briona Kiser, Dylan Robison Promotions Coordinator: Sean Grier

‘MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR’ REVIEW

Street Team: Natalie Chan, Sydney Cunningham, Amanda Duke

SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144 CIRCULATION BY STUDENT UNION LOADING DOCK TEAM

NINER COMICS JACK-O-LANTERN COSTUME BOOK REVIEW

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CHECK OUT THE FULL SLIDESHOW FROM 2014 HOMECOMING ON NINERONLINE.COM COVER PHOTO BY EDEN CREAMER • INSIDE PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS

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NINERTIMES

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OCT. 28 - NOV. 3, 2014

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2014-15 UNC Charlotte royal court takes their crowns Get to know Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte, Junior and Sophomore

Sydney Wright INTERN

This year, instead of having a Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte and a Prince and Princess, the committee chose to have a Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte and a Mr. and Miss for the sophomore and junior classes.

The crowing of Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte took place at the homecoming game on Saturday, Oct. 25 during halftime. The crowing for each class took place prior to the football game at the pep rally on Friday night.

The 2014-2015 title of Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte went to Ryan Lucks and Raven Johnson.

Lucks, a senior majoring in English with a minor in American studies believes that his passion and love for UNC Charlotte qualified him for his title.

He is proud to be able to represent the university that he loves and he plans to get his peers more involved in homecoming activities in the future.

“The greatest tragedy is to have the experience but miss the meaning,” said Lucks. Mr. UNC Charlotte is involved in the fraternity Sigma Phi Epsilon, Leadership Fellows and SOAR. Johnson, the newly crowned Miss UNC Charlotte, is a senior majoring in psychology with a minor in women and gender studies.

“The experience has been eye-opening and solidifying for why I came to UNC Charlotte.

I am extremely excited for the opportunity to impact my university,” Johnson said.

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The enthusiasm for her university, becoming a leader through the organizations that she’s apart of and the support from her line sisters and friends is what Johnson believes helped her win.

Johnson believes that a title without action is dead so she plans to bridge the gap between nontraditional students and students on campus and also reach out to high school students to let them know the importance of going to college.

Johnson is heavily involved in organizations on campus such as the Iota Rho chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Inc., Campus Activities Board (CAB), Student Union Advisory Board, Student Alumni Ambassadors and the Tuition and Fees Committee.

Tre’Sean Cooks and Alexis Brown won the title for Mr. and Miss Junior.

Cooks is double majoring in Spanish and psychology, while Brown is majoring in chemistry with a minor in secondary education.

Cooks participates in Collegiate 100, the B.E.S.T Program, NAACP, B3 and Merge.

He plans to celebrate by talking to students to see what type of program they want to participate in to become more aware with social issues and have a celebration within the program in order to mix academics and social relief. Also, Cooks believes that perseverance, determination, ambition and an outgoing personality helped him become Mr. Junior.

Ryan Lucks and Raven Johnson, Mr. and Miss UNC Charlotte. Photo by Chris Crews

Brown plans to encourage all high school students to go to college and encourage more people to explore STEM majors. She is a resident advisor in Hunt Hall, the president of Wellness Ambassadors, a member of M.A.S.S.I.V.E and participates in cancer research.

“When you put God first and go after what you want, anything can happen,” said Brown. Brown plans to celebrate her victory with her family and friends.

The title of Mr. and Miss Sophomore went to Mitch Daratony and Kayla Kinard. Daratony is a marketing major and Kinard majors in biology.

Daratony is the secretary for Athletic Affairs for the Student Government Association, vice president of the Skydiving Club, and a brother of Sigma Tau Gamma.

He plans to use his title to help

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him gain credibility, make him accountable as a leader and use it as an enforcement in the community.

Daratony said, “I truly love this school. The way Niner Nation comes together will truly warm anyone’s heart.” Daratony plans to celebrate by going to dinner with his family.

Just like Daratony, Kinard plans to spend time with her family to celebrate her victory.

Kinard thinks that the best thing about becoming Miss Sophomore is being able to represent herself in a positive way, in turn showing that popularity is not everything.

Kinard is a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity and is event staff for CAB. “Always chase your after dreams no matter the circumstance and despite whomever tries to put you down,” said Kinard.

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SHAVE A SIGEP MAKES THE CUT IN FIGHT AGAINST CANCER Claire Dodd

STAFF WRITER In a matter of days, UNC Charlotte’s Sigma Phi Epsilon has raised $3,800 for one cause: cancer.

On Friday, Oct. 24, the brothers of the fraternity set up their tents, letters and Belize Salon crew in the Belk Gym courtyard for their second annual Shave A SigEp. Ben Coy, SigEp’s vice president of Member Development, kicked off the event, “Let’s have some fun and shave some brothers’ heads!”

The buzzing started at 1 p.m.

One by one, the brothers of Sigma Phi Epsilon shaved their heads in honor of their fraternity brother Jack Bretz who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in August 2013.

“We started fundraising October 1 and will continue to keep the GoFundMe and PayPal donations open until Oct. 31; that’s when we’ll finalize the entire JACKtober month and make our final announcement about how much we’ve raised toward the American Cancer Society and the Levine Children Hospital,” said Coy. JACKtober is the word the fraternity made up for the entire month of October to dedicate to Bretz. All of the events that take place during JACKtober are ways to raise money for cancer research.

The fraternity set up tables outside Prospector and the Student Union about twice a week from Oct. 1 to 24. At the tables sat 30 to 40 mason jars with the face of a SigEp taped on the front and the amount of money each individual needed to raise in order to shave their head.

“JACKed Up for Jack-O-Lanterns” was the first event of the month, which took place Oct. 17 in the Lynch Courtyard. Teams paid $35 to compete in a pumpkin carving contest.

Their second event was the JACKtober PILOT event. “Our JACKtober PILOT event was geared

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A Sigma Phi Epsilon brother getting his head shaved. Photo by Aleena Oliveira

towards spreading awareness about cancer, rather than to gather donations,” said Coy. “Dr. Ed Kim was our speaker, who is the chair of solid tumor oncology and investigational therapeutics at the Levine Cancer Institute.”

According to Coy, Kim left an insightful impact on the crowd.

All of the events lead up to Shave a SigEp, which attracted even more eyes and ears than last year.

Campus organizations have given an enormous amount of support this month, but according to SigEp brother Mitul Mehta, they have to give the biggest thank you to the university’s Greek organizations.

“We’ve had a lot of organizations, both fraternities and sororities, publicize our events and come to the events so it’s not just us fighting this, but it’s the entire Greek community,” said Mehta.

“We have a very personal tie to this philanthropy, this event, because we saw one of our brothers

go through this situation. So as a fraternity, it really bonded us and we’re able to donate a chunk of money to the American Cancer Society to fight this disease,” said Mehta.

SigEp brother Hobie Helbich has returned to the event with a different mindset than last year.

This year, he feels more comfortable putting his head to the blade. “I’m shaving my head this year, because last year I was peer pressured into it. But this year I raised almost $500,” said Helbich.

That was plenty of motivation to get Helbich’s blonde locks buzzed.

However he also realized that it’s not just about hair, but family too.

“Cancer is something that has always resonated with me, and I have a lot of family members that have been affected by it,” said Helbich. “This event shows everyone that we’re a really big family; in times of need, the rest of us are here for whoever needs our help, and

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that’s really powerful.”

There was no going back after confirming his decision prior to the event. “I already made my decision and I’m not going to go back on it now, even though I want to,” laughed Helbich.

Having this event for the second year in a row has been a huge achievement. Now Bretz has a vision for the future of JACKtober.

“I’d like to see it become a yearly thing and really a tradition we do on this campus because it’s been successful and it’s for a good cause. I think people enjoy getting behind it,” said Bretz.

“It’s beatable. All of the research that can cure it is growing. I think the rate now is about 80 percent of people are cured. The research is really leading us somewhere,” said Bretz.

In July, Bretz was surprised with a meeting with Chuck Norris in Las Vegas thanks to a company called “Dream on 3.” This organization works towards, “Making dreams come true for children with chronic illnesses, developmental disabilities, or life-altering conditions by creating experiences of joy and magic through the world of sports,” according to their mission statement.

“When I was on my ‘Dream on 3’ vacation, I met one of the volunteers that does his work as a side thing - but it’s his passion and his job is something he does to support himself and I thought that was really cool. Maybe when I get older I can do something like that,” said Bretz.

Coy is more than thrilled about how well the event went. “I want to thank everyone for the support that we’ve gotten not only this year but last year as well. This is definitely Sigma Phi Epsilon’s huge event of the year.”

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INSIDE THE SHADOWLAND

Cannon Memorial Hall once served as the main administrative building for the facility. Photo by Eden Creamer

Historical Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, in spite of its dark past, faces discussion on re-purposing the old campus

Eden Creamer

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Leaves crunch underfoot walking up the paved road toward the historical and abandoned old campus of what was once called the Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School. Bricks fall from the mortar that has held them to the original buildings since 1909, wooden structures crumble under the weight of time and once glistening white paint chips from columns and roof eaves. On many of the buildings, nature has taken hold, ivy crawling up the sides of the dormitories, trees and bushes taking root in the center of shattered wooden porches.

Despite the proximity to Old Charlotte Road, despite the tall, arching fence enclosing the part of the facility still in use just yards away, there

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is an eerie, deadening silence: the silence of over a century of imprisonment, fear, pain, mistreatment, sterilization and eventual redemption of the facility.

Now home to ghosts of long-dead boys, the abandoned campus serves as a spooky neighbor and front field for the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, a juvenile correctional facility in the North Carolina Department of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention that works to turn around the lives of the 150 boys, ages 12 to 21, who are admitted there on serious weapon or drug-related charges. These vacant shells of North Carolina history also face potential renovation, according to author Peter Kaplan’s keynote

address at the 2014 Annual Membership Meeting for the Historic Cabarrus Association, Inc. The crumbling buildings, which are built in the colonial revival architecture style, could be well-suited for apartments, condominiums or office spaces, with measures made for the historic preservation of the site, said Kaplan during his speech.

Kaplan, who has written a book titled “The Historic Architecture of Cabarrus County, North Carolina,” describes what a lucrative investment the property could be to the right developer.

Peter Brown, director at the Stonewall Jackson Youth Development Center, says one of the old buildings has been used as office space for the

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current facility in the past, but it is unlikely that the property would be used as office space or apartments for outside entities.

“There is a building that was utilized for programming space four years ago, and we plan to use this building for much needed office space as soon as possible,” he said.

As the property is registered on the National Register of Historic Places, any extreme remodeling would also be impossible, as the changes necessary for the buildings to be converted into apartments or offices would extensively change the structures.

The land and the buildings are also owned by the state, so it is unlikely that a private developer

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would be able to acquire the land. In addition, Brown says that there is an abundance of trespassers who get thrills from visiting the dilapidating buildings. This makes the grounds a poor place to sell property, as well as a safety hazard.

“Trespassing continues to be a huge problem,” said Brown. “The older buildings attract many people …

I often rely on the Cabarrus County Sheriff to assist us with this issue.”

Residents of the area are not on board with the development of the buildings either. Sylvia Smith, wife to Russell Dan Smith, who was imprisoned in the facility during the 1960s and later founded People Organized to Stop Rape of Imprisoned Persons in 1980, says that turning the old campus into apartments or offices would be an injustice to those who suffered there.

“Turning them into apartments would be like turning the death camps of the Holocaust into a resort,” she said in a comment on an article describing the potential renovations in May 2014.

The mistreatment Smith refers to is the compulsory sterilization and the physical and sexual abuse that happened at the facility during much of the 20th century.

In 1948, six boys held at the facility were sterilized, according to the Biennial Report of the Eugenics Board of North Carolina, 1950.

These procedures were authorized by the Eugenics Board in collaboration with the nationwide fight

Across Old Charlotte Road from the main campus is the Kings Daughters Chapel, renovated in 1992 and then abandoned, where Wednesday and Sunday services once were held.

Photo by Eden Creamer

against feeblemindedness that resulted in the compulsory sterilization of over 60,000 individuals. S.G. Hawfield, who was superintendent of the school and resigned just before the sterilizations began, wrote in his book “History of the Stonewall Jackson Manual Training and Industrial School” that the statistics on the educational distribution of the boys at the school in the early 1940s show, “a great amount of retardation in school among the boys who have been enrolled here.” According to his book, 283 of the 323 inmates, 87 percent, in 1944 were classified as “retarded.”

The old campus is not completely out of use, either. The facility currently has a pet therapy program, where rescued dogs are used to rehabilitate the at-risk youth of the center. This program started in

Old structures serve as a reminder of what once was a bustling facility. Photo by Eden Creamer

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1992, and is one of the longest running programs in the state’s juvenile justice program. There are five dogs in the program today, housed in a concrete shelter on the old campus.

The animals serve as a learning opportunity for the boys in the facility, who learn about state cruelty laws, how to care for the animals and how to administer basic first aid.

The program also allows them to just play with the dogs, and perhaps receive unconditional affection that they may not get otherwise.

“It was started by Stonewall Jackson staff for the purpose of providing juveniles with the opportunity to work together as a team and provide them with an additional meaningful activity. Since that time it has become much more of a kennel management activity, meaning that the juveniles assist in the care and upkeep of the dogs as opposed to an actual clinical intervention,” said Brown.

There is also a horticulture and aquaponic program at the facility, operated out of the greenhouses on campus.

“The very nature of the treatment program here at Stonewall Jackson is in and of itself therapeutic and designed to rehabilitate the youth,” he said.

While the facility harbors a dark past, both members of the community and those who work at the facility look toward the future. New programs hope to help the boys sentenced to the correctional center today, men victimized by the horrors of mistreatment share their stories and the ivy continues to twist along the walls that stand as crumbling monuments to those who died before

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NINERTIMES

POLICE BLOTTER OCT. 18-23

BURGLARY OCT. 21

• Construction site, officers responded in reference to a theft at a construction site.

CALLS FOR SERVICE OCT. 18

• Hawthorne Hall, officers responded in reference to a person in possession of a stun gun.

OCT. 19

• Belk Hall, officers responded in reference to an attempted suicide.

OCT. 21

• South Village Parking Deck, subject was found deceased inside his parked vehicle.

OCT. 23

• Lynch Hall, officers responded in reference to derogatory statements written on poster of victim(s) door.

DRUG VIOLATION OCT. 23

• Miltimore Hall, subjects were found in possession of drugs and paraphenalia while police were looking for a trespass subject.

For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us

weather.uncc.edu UNC CHARLOTTE METEOROLOGY PROGRAM

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ASST. NEWS EDITOR The UNC Charlotte Student Government Association (SGA) met for their weekly Student Senate legislative meeting Oct. 23.

Johnson C. Smith University SGA Oct. 23 was the day the UNC Charlotte’s SGA hosted several senate members from Johnson C. Smith University (JSU).

The purpose of inviting them to UNC Charlotte is to begin a merger between the two prominent Charlotte universities and hopefully use this new partnership to better both schools.

Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Dr. Arthur Jackson attended the meeting to welcome senate members from JSU to UNC Charlotte. SGA President of JSU Donyelle Mitchell introduced herself along with the rest of the SGA members and said a few words on their behalf.

This merger has been in the planning stages for several weeks now. SGA members from UNC Charlotte will visit JSU Nov. 18.

Messages to the Senate Provost and Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs Joan Lorden addressed the senate to talk

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Nick Cropper

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about her responsibilities at UNC Charlotte and talk briefly about current projects. Lorden works with both Deans of colleges and students to improve upon academic programs and academic performance.

Currently, Academic Affairs is working on new Ph.D. and master’s programs. They are also thinking of ways to make master’s programs more available to students, making more efficient use of their time at UNC Charlotte. This would apply to students who have multiple majors and minors.

Early Voting Shuttles Students interested in casting their votes early will be able to take designated shuttles to voting polls. These shuttles will be available Oct. 28 to 30.

Shuttles will run from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and will be making trips every 30 minutes.

Conference on Ebola There will be a conference regarding Ebola Oct. 28 in McKnight Hall. It will focus on clarifying facts and confronting fears about the disease.

Academic Affairs Members of the Academic Affairs Committee are currently FRIDAY OCT. 31

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SATURDAY NOV. 1

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working on more detailed transcripts that will be available to students and fixing issues with academic advising.

Student Affairs Committee The possibility of a recreational center at UNC Charlotte is unlikely to happen in the near future due to budget constraints.

Student Affairs is still working with members of the disc golf club on approving a plan for the new disc golf course.

Committee members are still looking into a monitoring system for Belk Gym and the gym located in the Student Activity Center to see if it is achievable.

This system will allow students to check the capacity of each gym online.

New Student Organizations Philosophy of the East and West is a new student organization that promotes culture, philosophy and volunteering through several activities and meetings.

Activities include seminars, museum visits, trips to sacred sites, historical exhibitions and several others. The meetings will explore topics of philosophy ranging from eastern to western cultures.

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MONDAY NOV. 3

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NINERTIMES

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Program preview

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Men’s team preview

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Women’s team preview

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Consuegra feature

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New Faces

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Halton Arena profile

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Pierria Henry profile

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Team rosters

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Men’s and women’s schedules

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Eden Creamer NT SPORTS EDITORS

Matt Chapman Alex Passannante NINER TIMES STAFF: Jared Allen, Ben Coon, Chris Crews, Scott Gordon, Aaron McCain

MARKETING DIRECTOR

Emmanuel Loredo CREATIVE DIRECTOR

Megan Van Emmerik SALES: Michelle D’Silva, Jack Fahnestock, Katelyn Ford, Briona Kiser, Dylan Robison

NINER MEDIA ADVISER: WAYNE MAIKRANZ MARKETING ADVISER: KELLY MERGES BUSINESS MANAGER: LAURIE CUDDY GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION: PETE HURDLE OFFICE MANAGER: MARK HAIRE

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Gearing up for basketball NINER NATION TAKES A FIRST LOOK AT THEIR 2014-15 MEN’S AND WOMEN’S HOOPS TEAMS Jared Allen staff writer

The Charlotte 49ers men’s and women’s basketball teams, as well as the homecoming court were introduced Thursday night to the Niner Nation faithful at Basketball Madness.

The fans were entertained with a dance competition between the two basketball teams

Freshman Torin Dorn ignites the crowd with a reverse dunk. Photo by Chris Crews

as well as a lip sync battle. Even the coaches got involved with the action.

“It was fun and this was more for the team and fans, but we have a lot better dance moves than I thought we had. Hopefully we can play as well as we dance,” said men’s head coach Alan Major.

Major stressed the importance of having a fun and relaxed gathering with the fans. “It gives the guys a chance to be loose and enjoy each other’s company. We practice very hard and compete every day. It’s fun for me to watch the guys enjoy themselves.”

The highlight of the night was the dunk competition which gave the players an opportunity to showcase some of their abilities that aren’t seen in games.

Even freshman guard Keyshawn Woods enjoyed his first Basketball Madness. After the event he spoke about his play style and role in the team.

“As a freshman I’m bringing a winning attitude and a lot of energy to the team. I like to think of myself as an all-around player. You can’t just stick one play style on me. I try to model my game after Kobe Bryant.”

As for the women’s basketball team, associate head coach Karen Lange couldn’t have been happier with the event.

“It was a lot of fun and the players love it.” She stressed that the women’s basketball team’s expectations for the upcoming were going to change after a successful run to the

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

Sophomore Ciara Gregory competes in the skills challenge. Photo by Chris Crews

National Invitation Tournament the previous year. “Our expectations are always to compete at the highest level. We never lower our expectations and that’s what we’re shooting for this year.”

The 49ers women’s basketball team will tip off their season with a home exhibition game at Halton Arena against Catawba, Nov. 5 at 7 p.m. N.C. State will then visit for their home opener on Nov. 18 at 7 p.m.

As for the men’s basketball team, they’ll host Newberry for their first exhibition game, Tuesday, No. 11 at 7 p.m. Major and the 49ers will host the Miami Hurricanes on Nov. 25 at 9 p.m. for their home opener.

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NOW OR NEVER ON THE COURT The Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team has enough talent to make a run at the NCAA Tournament in Coach Major’s fifth season

Alex Passannante sports editor

When Alan Major took the head-coaching job at UNC Charlotte, he was inheriting a very poor team that was full of someone else’s recruits, but also a program with a lot of tradition and pride. Coming from Ohio State, Major was used to an arena with double the seats that Halton Arena has, a team that was making deep runs in March year after year and a fan base that expected nothing but the best.

Although Halton does not have 18 thousand seats and the 49ers aren’t doing much of anything in late March, they do have a fan base that expects the best; that is what Major and his staff will be facing all year.

Major’s tenure at Charlotte has not been as successful as he had hoped. Entering his fifth season as head coach, Major has a record of 61-63, and a conference record of 22-42. Now that his staff has all of their recruits and a team that believes it’s their year, things are definitely looking up.

“We’re very happy with the effort we have had thus far. When I looked at our team in the summer, I felt that we had four things that I really liked: experience, depth,

character and length and size.

There’s a ton of encouragement in the gym between the players and that’s good to see.”

In the frontcourt, two experienced big men return with Willie Clayton (10.8 ppg, 9 rpg) and Mike Thorne Jr. (9.1 ppg, 7 rpg), which is a first for Major.

“It’s always good to have some guys that have been through some form of the fire. Willie has been through another year himself, but Mike last year was awesome in terms of the jump he made, but matching the jump is equally as tough.”

Senior guard Pierria Henry (12.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg, 5.8 apg) returns for his final year with the 49ers, and is arguably one of the better players this program has had in the past decade. Henry, who is a pre-season first-team all conference selection, will have the ball the majority of the time on the offensive end.

“I want him to play the best basketball of his life. I want him to look back and say ‘that senior year…I’ve never played so good in my life.’ I want him to be the best

This may be one of the most talented 49ers teams in recent memory. Photo by Ben Coon

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point guard in America and the best leader possible. We’re going to help him along the way to make sure that happens.”

Henry isn’t the only valuable player on the team this year, especially with it comes to guards.

Freshmen Torin Dorn and Keyshawn Woods are newcomers, as well as Florida transfer Braxton Ogbueze and walk-on Gavin Wilson. When asked how the staff will decipher the amount of minutes between guards, Major talked about how that isn’t a bad problem to have.

“Pierria triggers it all, and the guys in between can play both inside and out like Terrance. We told the guys they need to play with speed and control and have the ability to make open shots and obviously the ability to defend their position. We do have a lot of versatility in the backcourt but we make sure they know what they need to do.”

This is one of the best teams that Charlotte has had in recent memory, but Henry seems to think that there’s more than just a good group of guys this year; he thinks it’s the best ever.

“The alumni might get mad at me, but I feel like this is the best team that’s come through here. It’s better than the team I was on my sophomore year. I feel like we aren’t going to have the distractions we have had in the past.”

Over the off-season, Major had a tumultuous health scare that forced him to undergo multiple procedures and take a medical leave of absence for several months. When asked how he’s feeling, Major reiterated that he is in good hands now.

“I feel pretty good and have been easing back into the flow. I have the best staff in the country,

Head coach Alan Major is feeling the pressure to win now in his fifth season with the team. Photo by Chris Crews

and their games have risen since I’ve been gone.”

Newcomer Braxton Ogbueze is among the many people that are happy to see Major back in the gym. Even though he has only spent one year with Major and his staff, he said that having Major back and healthy is among the things that he is looking forward to the most.

“We’re glad to have him back.

We were hoping all summer that he would come back and heal well, and he is a huge inspiration to us. He’s a tough coach and went through difficult surgeries, and words can’t describe what he had to go through to be able to come back.”

With the team on board and staff confident in their players, this 49ers team will attempt to make the NCAA tournament for the first time in ten years. They begin their season on the road at Elon, Nov. 16.

prepping for the women’s season THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL TEAM HAS A RICH PAST OF POST-SEASON RUNS. WILL THIS YEAR ADD TO THEIR RÉSUMÉ?

Matt Chapman sports editor

Developing talent into production is among the most critical responsibilities coaches face at the college level.

Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball head coach Cara Consuegra leads a team headlined by seven former McDonald’s All-American game nominees. Unfortunately, Consuegra needs her role players to grow up quickly as they will be thrust into a difficult nonconference schedule early in the season The 2014-15 team returns three starters from a year ago. Seniors Ayanna Holmes and Hilary Sigmon will provide experience alongside Kira Gordon who will need to produce in the paint on a team that lacks depth up front.

The 49ers are also expecting a big year from sophomore guard Lefty Webster who earned All-Conference USA Freshman Team accolades last season. Webster is also one of eight players selected to the Preseason All-Conference USA team. She averaged 7.4 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in her freshman year, including a double double against Florida Atlantic with 18 points and 13 boards off the bench.

“Lefty is a special young lady, not only because of her ability on the basketball court, but also because of whom she is as a person,” said 49ers Head Coach Cara Consuegra.

“She’s the type of kid that you love to coach because she brings her best every day. She’s willing to do anything her teammates ask of her and I think that’s why they love and respect her so much.”

Consuegra’s biggest challenge heading into the new season is figuring out a way to replace the production lost with the graduation of their star point guard Ny Hammonds.

Hammonds was the unquestioned leader of last year’s team and she averaged 11.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and 5.7 assists per game. She also finished her career inside Halton Arena with back-to-back triple-doubles, becoming one of just six players in NCAA history to accomplish that feat in consecutive games.

“Any time you lose one of the best point guards in your program’s history it’s going to be a difficult transition,” said Consuegra.

“Our challenge as coaches is to figure out what we have to do to put our players in the best position without an experienced point guard like Ny.”

Coach Consuegra last spring. Photo by Chris Crews

The 49ers have a few different options on the roster for their vacant point guard position, including true freshman Griffin Dempsey who was listed as high as the No. 24 best point guard nationally coming out of high school this past year. In her senior season at St. Joseph Central Catholic Dempsey averaged 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 2.9 steals per game.

“We recruited a great point guard in Griffin Dempsey,” said Consuegra.

“She was highly recruited by ACC and SEC schools, but we did a good job of recruiting her and selling her on the vision here. Certainly that spot is hers for the taking, but she’ll have to continue to work and earn that starting spot.”

Charlotte’s lack of depth in the front court could be an issue throughout the season the departure of Gabby Tyler from the 2013-14 squad. Tyler led the 49ers in scoring and rebounding last year and it will require a group effort to match that production in the paint.

Gordon provides experience for the Charlotte front line in her junior season, but behind

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

her depth becomes an issue. Alexis Alexander flashed potential in her sophomore season, averaging 5.9 points and 5.6 rebounds off of the bench. If Alexander continues to develop she could be the answer for Consuegra filling the void left by Tyler’s absence.

“We don’t have a big post presence for the first time in my career,” said Consuegra.

“We have to take advantage of a more undersized post that can shoot it and can drive it. That’s been one of the biggest challenges for my coaching staff in the offseason.”

The 49ers finished last season with an overall record of 15-16 and the year ended with a first round loss in the women’s NIT. Charlotte battled inconsistencies throughout the year and were never able to put together the big winning streak that they needed.

Charlotte will face arguably its toughest nonconference schedule in program history. The 49ers host N.C. State and Davidson and must also hit the road to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks, a perennial powerhouse in women’s college basketball.

Charlotte will travel to Riviera Maya, Mexico for the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge Mayan Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 27. The 49ers will play the likes of Montana, Wake Forest and Princeton all in a grueling three day stretch.

The 49ers have been slotted to finish fifth out of 14 teams in Conference USA this season. Charlotte finished tied for sixth in the league last year, but they were defeated in a disappointing performance in the first round of the conference tournament.

“After last season we were disappointed with our finish,” said Consuegra.

“I think it really helped us as coaches to sit down and figure out where we need to improve and where we need to go. Our personnel has changed so much over the last couple of years and we want to improve specifically defensively.

We weren’t happy with how we were as a defensive team so we made a lot of changes with our foot work, training and offseason programs.”

The 49ers open the season on Friday, Nov. 14 when they hit the road to take on the Liberty Flames. Charlotte will play their first home game inside Halton Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 18 against the N.C. State Wolfpack.

5

6

49ers must blend experience and youth HOW WILL CONSUEGRA MAKE IT WORK WITH SO MANY EXPERIENCED PLAYERS AS WELL AS SOME TALENTED FRESHMEN? Scott Gordon staff writer

The season is right around the corner for the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team. After a 15-16 finish last season, the 49ers are eager to turn things around in 2014-15.

Charlotte lost their top two scorers from a year ago but returns junior Kira Gordon, who averaged 10.5 points per game last year. Charlotte added three new freshmen to the team bringing in guard Amaya Ransom, forward Mintrell McKoy and guard Griffin Dempsey.

Some other key returners from last season include the trio of seniors, Ayanna Holmes, Hillary Sigmon and Olivia Rankin as well as sophomore Lefty Webster.

Rankin brings hustle and size to the guard heavy offense. Holmes and Sigmon both played and started every contest last season minus one game where Sigmon came in off the bench.

With only three seniors on the team, Charlotte will have to rely on the play of some younger talent.

It is also critical that leaders begin to emerge both on and off the court.

When asked who she saw as leaders on the team, Holmes mentioned fellow senior Rankin and sophomore Webster.

Sophomore Meme Garner at Basketball Madness. Photo by Chris Crews

“They are really big examples as far as what to do and what to say at the right times,” said Holmes.

“Being where they are supposed to be and doing things right. We all have

Sophomore Kenya Olley at Basketball Madness. Photo by Chris Crews

our downfalls but at the end of the day they come out on top.”

“With our team this year, everybody is showing leadership in different positions,” said Rankin.

Webster is a sophomore guard who was one of the eight players selected to the preseason All-Conference USA team. She added 7.4 points per game last season seeing time in every contest. Her play will be valuable to the team as she will be looked to as a go to scorer in crunch time.

Charlotte enters the season picked to finish fifth in the Conference USA. If multiple players can step up and fill the holes when needed, this is a team that could finish atop the conference.

“Because we are young, we don’t have a lot of experience playing together,” said Holmes.

“People expect us to struggle a little bit, but I think in the long run we will get it together and come out on top.”

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

The 49ers have some big time non-conference matchups at home against N.C. State and Davidson as well as on the road at South Carolina.

They also play in the Triple Crown Cancun Challenge Mayan Tournament in Riviera Maya, Mexico which features match-ups against Montana, Wake Forest and Princeton.

It is sure to be an exciting year for the 49ers as they look to begin their journey towards March, in which they always seem to be playing. In the past ten years, the 49ers always find their way into either the National Invitational Tournament or the NCAA tournament; this season is no different in their expectations.

Charlotte will host Catawba in an exhibition matchup on Wednesday, Nov. 5 before heading towards Lynchburg, Virginia to start the season at Liberty Friday, Nov. 14. The first game in Halton will be against N.C. State on Tuesday, Nov. 18.

7

New faces

THESE CHARLOTTE 49ERS NEWCOMERS WILL BE A KEY TO SUCCESS THIS SEASON

Matt Chapman sports editor

Bernard Sullivan

Braxton Ogbueze Braxton Ogbueze is a 6’1” redshirt sophomore point guard from Charlotte, N.C. Ogbueze played his freshman season with the Florida Gators before transferring back to his hometown of Charlotte.

He played his high school ball nearby at United Faith Christian Academy and ranked as the fifth-best point guard recruit in the nation according to Scout.com. Ogbueze earned valuable experience at Florida and even participated in the NCAA tournament during his lone season with the Gators.

Keyshawn Woods Keyshawn Woods is a 6’3” true freshman guard from Gastonia, N.C. Woods played his high school career at Northside Christian Academy and was named the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014. He is just the second Charlotte player to earn that distinction alongside former 49ers star Mitchell Baldwin. Woods averaged 17.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and three assists per game during his senior season at Northside Christian Academy.

Bernard Sullivan 6’8” redshirt junior forward from Gastonia, N.C. Sullivan spent two seasons in the ACC with the Clemson Tigers before transferring to the 49ers program. He was rated as the 83rd overall prospect by Rivals.com coming out of high school where he played at Davidson Day. Sullivan was named MVP of the Jordan Brand Classic Regional All-Star game in 2011. He averaged 15.6 points and 7.4 rebounds per game during his senior year of high school.

Torin Dorn Torin Dorn is a 6’5” true freshman guard from Charlotte, N.C. where he played his high school ball at Vance. Dorn averaged 21.6 points, five rebounds and 5.6 assists per game during his senior season at Vance.

His efforts earned him CoConference Player of the Year honors a season ago. Dorn showcased his athleticism and showmanship during the dunk contest at this year’s Basketball Madness event. His presence should help replace the loss of Shawn Lester in the offseason.

Photos by Chris Crews

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

8

9

Photo by Ben Coon

HALTON ARENA AND NINER NATION ONCE A PREMIUM SPORTING VENUE, HALTON ARENA LOOKS TO FILL SEATS AND GET LOUD THIS BASKETBALL SEASON Alex Passannante sports editor

While walking through the beautifully constructed campus of UNC Charlotte, a couple things are noticeable: the bricked buildings, manicured grass and bushes and an arena right in the middle of it all. Walking up to the arena is like seeing an extremely wide skyscraper full of weight rooms, gymnasiums, offices and food amenities, but it has

trouble measuring up to other college arenas when it comes to atmosphere and likability.

When construction started in 1993, UNC Charlotte was in the midst of its most successful string of postseason appearances, leading the 49ers to upgrade facilities and build a new arena on-campus. The construction cost was upwards of

26 million dollars, with renovations adding millions more to that initial cost. Since the construction of Halton, the men’s basketball program has taken a major hit in success and popularity, leading to hundreds of empty seats and the lowest attendance record of all-time last season.

Even though Halton Arena is a respected facility compared to the

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

quality of other college facilities, students on campus view it as outdated and boring due to the lack of atmosphere and fan support at athletic events. At the majority of volleyball games, a couple hundred people show up on a good day; the same goes for women’s basketball games.

At men’s basketball, a once-full arena that never had an empty seat

10

now averages around five thousand people per game. Andrew Baker, a student in his fourth year at UNC Charlotte, says that the arena is one of the best in the state, but that students and fans are the reason that it seems lacking.

“The fans and student body have not been loyal and given support for their teams that play in Halton Arena. The venue is a great asset to the campus, but the overall atmosphere loses points based on the amount of people planting butts in seats.”

49ers men’s basketball coach Alan Major is someone that is constantly optimistic regarding his program and the school in general. Before coaching at Charlotte, Major was at Ohio State, which has a capacity that is double the size of Halton. The 18 thousand-seat arena in Columbus is still not better than Halton in Major’s opinion, and he thinks that Charlotte’s home crowd is among the best he has ever seen.

“I love it. I want to get better as a coach to get students to come out to more games. I’ve been a lot of places, and a few guys came up to me at Conference USA media day and said that ‘your students are a pain to play against.’”

Major also says that Niner Nation plays a bigger role than they might think.

“The Seattle Seahawks have their 12th man, and we have our six’s when it comes to playing at home.

They’re as much as our roster as anybody.”

Athletics are not the only thing that goes on at the arena, and plenty of other events are constantly planned throughout the school year.

Zach Rutledge, who is the associate director of events and programming

11

Halton Arena White Out against Xavier. Photo by Chris Crews

at Halton Arena, said the facility is tremendous when it comes to watching games, but that it offers so much more.

“For an athletic event, there’s not a bad seat in the house.

“We have to make sure the patrons are safe and enjoying themselves, so we need to pull out the retractable seats, check the audio and lights and make the athletic schedules.” Since Belk Gym is undergoing renovation for the entire 2014-2015 school year, things have gotten tough schedule-wise with only one gym and a swiftly growing student-population.

Intramural sports are now only given a few courts, men’s and women’s basketball as well as volleyball are all fighting over the practice gym, and there is only one gym with weightlifting and cardio equipment.

Rutledge says that this is definitely having an impact, but it’ll pass once

the renovation is completed.

“We had Explore [Open Houses] on Saturday, a concert tomorrow and Basketball Madness on Thursday, so our staff is working to set up different things constantly. Volleyball wants to practice before basketball, so going from one to the other is tough.”

Students that live on campus at

UNC Charlotte only need to walk five minutes to the arena to see their team play, compared to UNC Greensboro students, who have to drive downtown to a different arena to see the team.

StadiumJourney.com ranked Halton Arena the 22nd best in the country based on atmosphere, traffic, parking, restrooms and return on investment. Halton was ranked among the likes of Kansas, UNC and Kentucky. Sean Fox, assistant director for Charlotte 49ers media relations, says that he hasn’t been to many other arenas, but Halton is one of the nicest he’s seen. “It’s fantastic; as far as atmosphere goes, it’s one of the best in the southeast region.”

It’s no secret that UNC Charlotte isn’t the most popular school in the state, and especially the country when it comes to athletic programs.

Even though the these programs have seen a decline in success, most people agree that the arena is a great place to spend time at whether at a concert, game or orientation event.

With the school having growing popularity, it seems that Halton will continue to grow as well.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

12

leading the 49ers to history SENIOR POINT GUARD PIERRIA HENRY IS FOCUSED ON GUIDING CHARLOTTE TO AN NCAA TOURNAMENT Matt Chapman sports editor

by

s ew Cr ris Ch

13

grow. Any time your point guard is your most experienced guy you feel like that can definitely be an advantage.”

Henry is entering his fourth and final year with the 49ers program and has been an essential piece to the puzzle since he first stepped onto the floor at Halton Arena during his freshman season.

He instantly made his presence felt on both ends of the court and ultimately was named to the Atlantic 10 All-Rookie team.

Henry dished out a team-high 96 assists during the 2011-12 campaign and also set a Charlotte freshman record with 72 steals.

His 2.6 steals per game ranked seventh in the nation among qualifying players.

The 49ers have experienced tumultuous ups and downs throughout the past few years, including late season collapses and an alarming number of transfers, but Henry has remained a constant in green and white for his entire career.

Henry continued to develop during his sophomore season as he helped propel Charlotte into the postseason before dropping a first round game in the NIT. He earned a spot on the A-10 o ot Ph

The point guard is the quarterback on the basketball court.

He is the floor general on offense and even on defense on certain occasions.

The best point guards across the country have the ability to act as an extension of the head coach while leading their teammates on the court.

The entire flow of a teams offensive system begins and ends with the point guard position.

Decision making is key and each mistake made is put under a magnifying glass, therefore an experienced ball handler at the point is possibly the most valuable asset in college hoops.

The Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball team is loaded with talent and potential across the board at all five positions, but senior point guard Pierria Henry faces the tough task of putting the pieces together on the court night-in and night-out.

Talk to 49ers Head Coach Alan Major and you’ll quickly find out that he wouldn’t rather have another point guard in the nation leading his squad.

“Obviously when you’ve got a guy like Pierria, he triggers it all,” said Major at a press conference this past Tuesday.

“I’m very, very proud of his ability to communicate. As a point guard it’s an art form to know where your other teammates’ buttons are. It’s like delivering mail. Every mailman knows how his customers like their mail delivered. He’s done such a great job of learning how to do that from his freshman year to now. His experience, the fact that he’s a warrior and so many other things that he does can be contagious. It’s been neat seeing him

All-Defensive team, ranking eighth in the country with 2.55 steals per game, including a career-high six steal in the game against Florida State.

The 49ers point guard developed into a true floor general last season, improving his game in all aspects on the offensive end of the court.

Henry ranked top 25 nationally in assists, dishing out 5.8 assists per game during the 201314 campaign.

His efforts earned him a spot on the thirdteam All-Conference USA as well as the Conference USA All-Defensive team.

Henry will likely face his toughest test in his senior season as he will be tasked with leading a group of talented but inexperienced guards in the 49ers backcourt.

Braxton Ogbueze, Keyshawn Woods and Torin Dorn are all entering their first season in a Charlotte uniform.

Ogbueze played his freshman season with the Florida Gators before transferring to the Queen City a year ago.

Woods and Dorn are both highly touted true freshman earning their stripes in collegiate basketball.

Woods was named the North Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year coming out of high school, becoming just the second Charlotte player to receive that distinction.

“Everyday I learn something new from Pierria and it’s amazing,” said Woods.

“If it isn’t defense he’s teaching me, he’s teaching me how to come off ball screens. He teaches me what to do in certain situations, it’s always something new everyday. He’s a veteran and I like working out with Pierria.”

Dorn echoed Woods’ sentiments when asked about competing against Henry everyday in practice.

“Already I’ve learned so much from Pierria. He’s an amazing guard, a pass first guy, an all-conference defender and he’s taught me so much about how to defend the ball. He’s a big team player and he’s a great example of the type of guard that I want to be during my career.”

Henry is entering his senior season with 220 career steals, putting him just 45 away from becoming the 49ers all-time leader.

He also ranks ninth all-time in program history with 393 assists.

Henry needs just 123 assists this season to surpass Keith Williams for the top spot in Charlotte history and he also needs just 89 points to become the 25th player in school history to score 1,000 career points.

Individual accolades are great to look back on once your playing career ends, but the only thing

Henry is focused on heading into the season is leading the 49ers to their first NCAA tournament berth since 2005.

Charlotte has started each of the past two seasons extremely hot, but they haven’t been able to finish strong during conference play in the second half of the season.

“This year I need to get where I want to get or live the rest of my life thinking woulda, shoulda, coulda” said Henry.

“I need to rely on all my teammates and my coaches to help me experience the big dance and know what it feels like to make history here. We need to learn how to let adversity bring us closer and learn how to fight through it. When we lose we know we’re only a couple of possessions away. We know that we’re real close, but we’ve just got to keep fighting, keep encouraging each

Pierria Henry surveys the court on a fast break during a 2013 game. Photo by Chris Crews

other and stay positive. As long as we’re having fun and taking care of business everything will fall into place.”

Major has watched Henry progress day-by-day throughout his first three years in a 49ers uniform. He firmly believes all the pieces are in place for his star point guard to gain the national recognition he deserves.

“I want him to play the best basketball of his life,” said Major.

“I want him to look back and say ‘that senior year…I’ve never played so good in my life’. I want him to be the best point guard in America and the best leader possible. We’re going to help him along the way to make sure that happens.”

Henry believes this year’s version of the 49ers has all the tools necessary to make a run to March Madness.

“The alumni might get mad at me, but I feel like this is the best team that’s come through here,” said Henry.

“It’s better than the team I was on my sophomore year. I feel like we aren’t going to have the distractions we have had in the past.

There’s a lot of talent on the roster this year. It’s easy to talk about, but it’s harder to put together.

When we find a way to take the bond that we have off of the court and transfer that to the court, that’s when we’ll become deadly.

The young guys keep us older guys fresh because we want to work hard and provide an example and let them know how things are supposed to be handled here. When we put that all together the sky is the limit.”

The 49ers have been picked to finish third in the preseason Conference USA coaches poll after finishing ninth in the league a year ago.

Charlotte’s newcomers will need to step up right away following the departures of Shawn Lester, Ben Cherry, Denzel Ingram and Marcus Bryan.

Charlotte opens the season on the road against the Elon Phoenix on Sunday, Nov. 16 at 5:30 p.m.

The 49ers tip-off their home schedule inside Halton Arena on Tuesday, Nov. 25 when they host the Miami Hurricanes.

Men’s roster

No. Name

Pos. Ht.

Wt.

Yr.

Hometown (Previous School)

1

Braxton Ogbueze

G

6-1

187

RSo.

Charlotte, N.C. (University of Florida)

2

Torin Dorn

G

6-5

201

Fr.

Charlotte, N.C. (Vance)

5

Keyshawn Woods

G

6-3

182

Fr.

Gastonia, N.C. (Northside Christian)

10

Gavin Wilson

G

6-1

210

Jr.

Raleigh, N.C. (Garner)

11

Ivan Benkovic

G

6-7

207

RSo.

Zagreb, Croatia (Mack Academy)

12

Mike Thorne, Jr.

C

6-11 270

RJr.

Fayetteville, N.C. (Trinity Christian)

14

Terrence Williams

G

6-5

221

Sr.

Charlotte, N.C. (West Mecklenburg)

15

Pierriá Henry

G

6-5

197

Sr.

Charleston, W. Va. (South Charleston)

20

Cameron Blakley

F

6-9

214

So.

Auburn, Ga. (Apalachee)

21

Willie Clayton

F

6-8

238

Jr.

Thomasville, Ga. (Thomasville)

22

Bernard Sullivan

F

6-8

231

RJr.

Gastonia, N.C. (Clemson)

25

Reid Aube

F

6-5

221

Sr.

Concord, N.C. (Concord)

30

Mitch Warner

G

6-3

192

Jr.

Charlotte, N.C. (Charlotte Christian)

31

Benas Griciunas

C

7-0

229

So.

Silute, Lithuania (Auburn)

Women’s roster No. Name

Pos. Ht.

Yr.

Hometown (Previous School)

0

Amaya Ransom

G

5-11

Fr.

Virginia Beach, Va. (Landstown)

1

Ciara Gregory

G

5-7

So.

Jeannette, Pa. (Jeannette)

2

Mintrell McKoy

F

6-3

Fr.

Fayetteville, N.C. (Jack Britt)

3

Ayanna Holmes

G

5-7

Sr.

Salisbury, N.C. (Salisbury)

5

Meme Garner

F

6-0

So.

Siler City, N.C. (Jordan-Matthews)

11

Griffin Dempsey

G

5-6

Fr.

Huntington, W. Va (St. Joseph Central Catholic)

20

Kira Gordon

G

6-0

Jr.

Kennesaw, Ga. (Kennesaw Mountain)

21

Lefty Webster

G

5-8

So.

Norfolk, Va. (Norfolk, Christian)

22

Hillary Sigmon

G

6-0

Sr.

Hickory, N.C. (Hickory)

23

Kenya Olley

F

6-3

So.

Spartanburg, S.C. (Dorman)

32

Alexis Alexander

F

6-1

Jr.

Atlanta, Ga. (Alpharetta)

33

Tanisha Brown

G

5-11

So.

Loris, S.C. (Myrtle Beach)

50

Olivia Rankin

F

6-2

Sr.

Salisbury, N.C. (Salisbury)

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

14

UNC CHARLOTTE

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL 2014 WEDNESDAY, NOV 5 CATAWBA

THURSDAY, JAN 15 NORTH TEXAS

UNC CHARLOTTE

MEN’S BASKETBALL 2014 THURSDAY, NOV 11 NEWBERY

THURSDAY, JAN 15 NORTH TEXAS

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Denton, Texas | 8 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV 14 LIBERTY

SATURDAY, JAN 17 RICE

SUNDAY, NOV 16 ELON

SATURDAY, JAN 17 RICE

at Lynchburg, Va. | 6 p.m.

at Houston, Texas | 3 p.m.

at Elon, N.C. | 5:30 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV 18 NC STATE

THURSDAY, JAN 22 UAB

THURSDAY, NOV 20 PENN STATE

THURSDAY, JAN 22 UAB

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Charleston, S.C. | 5 p.m.

at Birmingham, Ala. | 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV 21 ELON

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN 24 MIDDLE TENNESSEE

at Charlotte, N.C. | 12 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV 21 SOUTH CAROLINA/ CORNELL at Charleston, S.C. | TBA

SATURDAY, JAN 24 MIDDLE TENNESSEE

at Murfreesboro, Tenn. | 6 p.m.

THURSDAY, NOV 27 MONTANA

THURSDAY, JAN 29 FLORIDA ATLANTIC

SUNDAY, NOV 23 TBA

THURSDAY, JAN 29 FLORIDA ATLANTIC

at Riviera Maya, Mexico | 6 p.m.

at Boca Raton, Fla. | 7 p.m.

at Charleston, S.C. | TBA

FRIDAY, NOV 28 WAKE FOREST

SATURDAY, JAN 31 FIU at Miami, Fla. | 6 p.m.

TUESDAY, NOV 25 MIAMI

at Charlotte, N.C. |9 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, FEB 4 NORTH CAROLINA A&T

SATURDAY, NOV 29 PRINCETON

SATURDAY, FEB 7 OLD DOMINION

SUNDAY, NOV 30 UNC ASHEVILLE

SATURDAY, FEB 7 OLD DOMINION THURSDAY, FEB 12 UTEP

at Riviera Maya, Mexico | 8:30 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Riviera Maya, Mexico | 8:30 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Asheville, N.C. | 3 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC 4 SOUTH CAROLINA

at Columbia, S.C. | 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB 12 UTEP

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, DEC 3 DAVIDSON at Davidson, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at El Paso, Texas | 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC 7 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN at Charlotte, N.C. | 2 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 14 UTSA

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC 7 GEORGE WASHINGTON at Washington, D.C. | 1 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 14 UTSA

at San Antonio, Texas | 3 p.m.

MONDAY, DEC 15 BALL STATE

at Muncie, Ind. | 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB 19 LOUISIANA TECH

at Ruston, La. | 7:30 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC 16 COLLEGE OF CHARLESTON at Charlotte, N.C. | 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, FEB 19 LOUISIANA TECH

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC 18 PRESBYTERIAN

at Charlotte, N.C. | Noon

SATURDAY, FEB 21 SOUTHERN MISS

at Hattiesburg, Miss. | 5 p.m.

THURSDAY, DEC 18 APPALACHIAN STATE at Charlotte, N.C. | 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 21 SOUTHERN MISS

at Charlotte, N.C. | 5:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, DEC 21 DAVIDSON

THURSDAY, FEB 26 NORTH TEXAS

SATURDAY, DEC 20 GEORGETOWN

THURSDAY, FEB 26 NORTH TEXAS

at Charlotte, N.C. | 2 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

at Washington, D.C. | Noon

at Denton, Texas | 8 p.m.

MONDAY, DEC 29 UTAH

at Salt Lake City, Utah | 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 28 RICE

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, DEC 30 GEORGIA TECH at Atlanta, Ga. | 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, FEB 28 RICE

at Houston, Texas | 8 p.m.

SUNDAY, JAN 4 OLD DOMINION

THURSDAY, MAR 5 WKU

SUNDAY, JAN 4 OLD DOMINION

THURSDAY, MAR 5 WKU

at Norfolk, Va. | 2 p.m.

at Bowling Green, Ky. | 8 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 1 p.m.

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, JAN 8 WKU

SATURDAY, MAR 7 MARSHALL

THURSDAY, JAN 8 WKU

SATURDAY MAR 7 MARSHALL

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN 10 MARSHALL

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

15

at Norfolk, Va. | 7 p.m.

at Huntington W. Va. | 1 p.m.

at Bowling Green, Ky. | 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, JAN 10 MARSHALL

at Huntington, W. Va. | TBA

at Charlotte, N.C. | 7 p.m.

BASKETBALL PREVIEW 2014

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DUKES DETHRONE 49ERS ON HOMECOMING THE CHARLOTTE 49ERS DROPPED THEIR FIFTH STRAIGHT GAME IN A 48-40 LOSS TO JAMES MADISON

Alex Passannante

SPORTS EDITOR As part of the 2014 Homecoming weekend, the Charlotte 49ers faced off against the James Madison Dukes in a game in which the 49ers badly needed a win.

On the first drive of the game, the 49ers were unable to get anything going, leading to an Arthur Hart punt.

The Dukes, led by former Georgia Tech quarterback Vad Lee, had no problem scoring on their first drive of the game.

They scored in only one minute, going for 74 yards and an easy touchdown from Lee to Daniel Brown, who landed his fourth touchdown of the year.

With early momentum in JMU’s favor, the 49ers needed a big drive from their offense to tie the game at seven all, but Matt Johnson and Kalif Phillips couldn’t get a first down.

Blake Brewer came on to try a 55yard field goal, but didn’t even come close. This gave the Dukes dangerous field position, and they took advantage of it.

In seven plays, the Dukes went for 62 yards and an easy five-yard touchdown run from Lee. Head coach Brad Lambert talked about JMU’s offense in the first half, saying they were unstoppable.

“They were running all over us in the first quarter and we had some guys out of position. Early in the game they had a lot of success with mostly everything.”

Back-to-back three and outs ensued from the 49ers offense, and their defense continued to struggle against Lee and the Dukes offense.

Lee was able to complete a pass to Ismael Hyman for his third touchdown of the game on a drive that lasted 12 plays and garnered 74 yards in 3:53.

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When things were looking as low as possible, Johnson was able to connect with Austin Duke for a 98-yard touchdown, which is now the record for the longest touchdown reception in school history. This shrunk the lead to 21-7 at the end of the first quarter.

After another defensive stop against the Dukes offense, the 49ers were able to complete a drive that ended in a touchdown from Johnson to Richard Murphy.

A couple of penalties from JMU and good passes from Johnson landed the 49ers on the two-yard line, and a fourth down completion moved the 49ers within a touchdown at 21-14.

When things were looking up for the 49ers, they were dealt a huge blow; Johnson went down with a leg injury and immediately went to the locker room.

Lee McNeill came in, but wasn’t able to get a scoring drive going.

The 49ers punted, and Vad Lee took advantage of the field position with a 51-yard pass to Jauan Latney followed by an eight-yard rushing touchdown, his second of the game.

Charlotte went to the locker room down 28-14. Lambert talked about Johnson’s injury, saying that they will know more in the coming days.

“Matt Johnson has an MCL issue in his knee. We will find out more tonight or tomorrow, but the doctors feel like that’s it right now.”

The third quarter started surprisingly well for the 49ers, who traveled down the field with an efficient McNeill going 4-4 for 52 yards on that drive.

Phillips slammed in a one-yard rushing touchdown, his 12th of the year, to bring the 49ers within a one possession game. The extra point was

Austin Duke, 10, celebrates after his school-record 398-yard touchdown reception. Photo by Ben Coon.

no good, making the score 28-20.

On the very next possession, JMU ran a quarterback option and fumbled on a pitch attempt, and Jalen Holt recovered the ball on the 26yard line.

The 49ers were unable to get in the endzone, but got a 26-yard field goal from Brewer. This cut the deficit to 28-23.

On the very next drive, Lee looked like he did in the first quarter, and carved up the 49ers defense for a touchdown to Andre Coble, but the 49ers responded with a reciprocating touchdown from Phillips, his second of the day and 13th of the year.

After a JMU field goal, the Dukes increased their lead to 38-30. Charlotte was coming up with a nice drive down the field, but Maetron Thomas fumbled the ball, giving possession back to the Dukes.

The Dukes got a field goal out of the turnover and increased their lead to 41-30. Charlotte responded with their own 47-yard field goal from Brewer to make it 41-33.

OCT. 28 - NOV. 3, 2014

After another Lee touchdown, his fourth of the game, the Dukes went up 48-33.

In four-down territory, Charlotte was able to score off of a McNeill rushing touchdown, the second of his career, but didn’t get the onside kick back, resulting in a 48-40 loss. This is their fifth straight loss of one possession.

After the game, Lambert talked about how tough these losses are in consecutive games.

“This game was another tough pill to swallow. Once again, ee made too many mental mistakes. You have to give JMU a lot of credit; they came into this game a good team and still are now.”

Lambert was adamant about how confident they are in McNeill, who said that he gets just as many reps in practice as Johnson does. “[McNeill] practices very well and works really hard. He’ll get a truckload of reps this week in practice and will be ready for the next time we need him.”

NINERTIMES

UNC Charlotte College Republicans offer their perspective as midterm elections approach Sean Grier

STAFF WRITER The midterm elections have begun, and so far a total of 22,678 people have voted in Mecklenburg County.

Throughout the year our leaders made some interesting decisions that have enormous ramifications on our lives. There has been a tax on insurance plans and meal plans, increased vehicle registration fees and mounting student loan and credit card debt. At the center of all of these actions by our legislators are not just lobbyists or ill-willed intentions, but the voters.

We have the right to vote in this state, and with that vote comes a set of new responsibilities that we as college students should feel honored to express.

North Carolina’s U.S. Senate race is one of the most hotly contested races in the country. At the time of research, campaigns spent over $59 million in North Carolina in a bid to win over

the voters. Most importantly for students, the perspective of our student leaders allows us to see how someone of the same age demographic views this election.

I sought out the leadership of the College Republicans, Blake Underwood and John Daley.

Underwood believes that the most important race in North Carolina’s midterm election is the race for U.S. Senate between the Speaker of the N.C. House of Representatives Thom Tillis and incumbent U.S. Senator Kay Hagan.

“North Carolina cannot afford another six years of Kay Hagan and her failed policies,” said Underwood.

“North Carolinians deserve a real leader who will go to Washington and fight for our interests.

Speaker Tillis has the experience to do just that.”

From the perspectives of Underwood and Daley, Republicans are interested in reducing spending,

Tribune News Service

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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cutting taxes and providing opportunities for hard-working Americans, whereas the Democrats insist that the outdated tax and spend system still works.

According to Daley, who is also the President Pro Tempore of the Student Government Association, the Republican Party is the party of the individual, not the whole. He contends that the Republican Party stands for individual freedom and liberty.

To Underwood, college students are by far the most independent generation to come through the electoral process.

“We do not want to be told what to do, but rather forge our own paths,” said Underwood. “We do not like it when people interfere in our lives, and we want to pursue our careers and go after whatever makes us happiest in life.”

And the party of the individual lets the people decide to go after what makes them happiest, without fear of government intervention.

To Daley some of the most pressing issues pertaining to college students and recent graduates are access to jobs. “Under the Obama administration, a recent college graduate has a 50 percent chance of finding a job within the six months after graduation,” said Daley. “This is an astounding figure that directly relates to the Obama administration’s failure to address the issue of jobs in America.

Students want careers when they

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graduate.”

Underwood understands that some people do not want to get involved in politics because they feel like their voices are not heard or that they do not matter, but with an election this close, every vote counts.

Overall, these College Republican leaders are optimistic about the opportunity to vote and make a difference for the state of North Carolina and the country. While they believe Citizens United highlights the hypocrisy of the Democratic Party and agree with the Supreme Court ruling upholding North Carolina’s voting bill – which I wholeheartedly disagree with – they are both genuine and respectful Niners speaking from a different perspective.

We agree on many things stated and unstated, including Underwood’s claim, “We’ve all enjoyed watching the debates so far.

It’s a shame that Kay Hagan would only agree to debate Thom Tillis three times. Voters want to hear Kay Hagan defend her record, and instead, she’s running away from them.”

It should be noted that neither Hagan nor Tillis showed up at the U.S. Senate debate held on campus on Oct. 17. Three write-in candidates and a Libertarian candidate were present.

Read more on that debate at NinerOnline.com.

SUBMIT LETTERS TO:

NINER TIMES Student Union, Charlotte, N.C. 28223 OR E-MAIL:

editor@nineronline.com

NINERTIMES

“Dracula Untold,” a shakey return Hunter Heilman

STAFF WRITER Vampires have come a long way from Transylvania in recent years and have become far lass scary in the process. From “Twilight” to “Vampire Academy” to “True Blood,” the focus has come off of the mythology and more on the love triangles. When Universal Pictures announced a reboot of its Universal Monsters franchise, “Dracula Untold” became the answer to our prayers. With a strong lead actor in Luke Evans, a big budget and faith from a large scale production company, it seemed like this was going to be great. Then, the bombshell, the film was to be rated PG-13, a definite blow to any sort of bloody satisfaction of the vampire genre, but could the film still stand on it’s own two feet as a solid enough movie?

It could, but shakily.

“Dracula Untold” is short. This hindered the depth of the story and the characters and while it’s not always length that affects something, outside of Dracula himself, I didn’t even know the names of the other characters, which is a problem.

Though, from this, comes a standout performance from Evans.

Evans has the regal, yet rugged look of a Romanian prince, and pulls it off nicely, with some good nuances to old legends of Dracula.

Evans also provides the goods to create a thrilling character from this origin. I found myself rooting

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for his character, which I can’t tell whether this is good or bad since Dracula is supposed to be a nightmare, not a caring father, husband and prince. The rest of the cast provides ample balance to Evans’ Dracula; albeit a bit forgettable, they certainly aren’t bad in any way.

Make no mistake, this movie is beautiful. The visual effects are stunning, the sets are gorgeous and the direction is quite good for something of this nature. I found myself reveling at the natural beauty exhumed from this movie. Gary Shore creates a great atmosphere of Transylvania, it’s still a grim place as in all of the legends, but it’s also hopeful, regal and strong. Dracula’s lair is not a haunted house anymore, it’s a household, which is conflicting, but inherently pleasant.

“Dracula Untold” is a shaky start to a promising franchise, and the return of a true Halloween movie.

Not “Saw,” or “Paranormal Activity,” this is stuff of true legend, and rightly so. Though the new take on the classic tale doesn’t quite pack the bite you expect from something like this, but it’s certainly a best case scenario of the PG-13 dilemma. While I wasn’t invested in anyone outside of Dracula himself, I can’t deny that it was well acted, beautifully shot, solidly written and ended on a nice note to provide franchise opportunity.

UNC Charlotte production of “Merry Wives of Windsor” gives audiences a merry time Shakespearian comedy sure to captivate audiences

Lauren Dockery INTERN

Cross-dressing, fairies, jealousy and fortunetellers are not uncommon among Shakespeare’s plays, yet UNC Charlotte’s production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” was an experience that audience members are not likely to soon forget.

At first, “The Merry Wives of Windsor” may have caused audience members who are unfamiliar with the plotline to lean back in their chairs, yawn and wonder if the story will ever pick up. However, as the play progressed, the story quickly redeemed itself by putting a contemporary spin on Shakespeare’s classic play. Advancements included pimps, guns, retro attire and multiple bottles of booze. Falstaff and his group of henchmen (two girls and two boys) were pimps who used flattery and weapons as a mean of persuasion. Other contemporary improvements included Mistress Weatherly portrayed as a southern belle who was not afraid to speak her mind.

Her lines kept the audience laughing as she intervened in all of the drama and scandal happening in Windsor.

This rendition followed two main narratives: one focusing on different suitors who hoped to receive Anne Page’s hand in marriage, and the main narrative focusing on the trickster Falstaff as he tried to hook up with Mistress Page and Mistress Ford, both of whom were already married.

The main account revolved around Mistress Page and Mistress Ford as they realized that Falstaff had written both of them identical love letters. The women, outraged at Falstaff’s behavior, began plotting

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a way to seek revenge without their husbands knowing. To initiate their revenge, the mistresses invited Falstaff over repeatedly and told him that their husbands would be away. Unfortunately for Falstaff, both of the times that he was invited, he was forced to hide due to Mistress Ford’s husband’s arrival.

The first time, Falstaff was stuffed into a “dirty delicates” laundry basket and was rushed away. For the second encounter, Falstaff disguised himself as an elderly fortuneteller from town to escape. This particular encounter kept the audience laughing as they watched big, burly Falstaff cover his burgundy pimp suit with a gown and headscarf and prance around pretending to be a woman.

As if the audience’s laughter was not raucous enough before, it doubled when Mister Ford physically beat Falstaff with a wooden paddle because he believed him to be the hated fortuneteller.

The other plotline that audience members followed showed Anne Page being shuffled from suitor to suitor as her parents tried to decide whom she was meant to marry. Her father preferred Slender, Justice Shallow’s idiotic nephew who wore an aqua fedora and baby pink dress shoes. Her mother preferred an elderly French Doctor Caius, but only for his money, not for his temperament. However, Anne preferred neither of these men, instead her choice being the younger, handsome Master Fenton.

To read more, visit us online at NinerOnline.com

NINERTIMES

NINER COMICS What Happened Was... by Javon Jeter “Where’s My Bra?”

63 Pull up stakes, to Realtors 64 USCG rank 65 Hardly boastful 66 Dreyer’s partner in ice cream

ACROSS 1 Plant owner: Abbr.

4 Quieted (down) 10 Novelist Clancy 13 Go it alone 14 Starting squads 15 Commotion 16 *Tailor’s fabric marker 18 Fortysomething, e.g.

19 Parts of stairs 20 Paving supply 21 “Suits” actress Torres 22 Oft-blessed outburst 23 *Like a job that doesn’t cause ulcers 25 Nonstick kitchen brand 26 Pro offering IRA advice 28 Netherworld 29 Uppity one 31 Chapter in a geology text, maybe 33 Finished first

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34 *Anna Sewell novel narrated by a horse 38 Early hrs.

39 Misspell or misspeak 40 Woodshop tools 43 “NCIS” actor Joe 46 Personal connections 48 Extinct emu-like bird 49 *Icon in bill-paying software 53 Top-selling Toyota 55 __ Hashanah 56 “Bambi” doe 57 Runway figures 58 “What was __ do?”

59 “Remember what I said!” ... and a hint to what can follow each part of the answers to starred clues 61 Jazz genre 62 Layered rock

DOWN 1 Tribesman in a Cooper title 2 Apparently spontaneous public gathering 3 Logger’s contest 4 Spending limits 5 Completed the course?

6 Slowly, to Mozart 7 Colorful parrot 8 Mideast leaders 9 High-speed www connection 10 Rolled up to the jetway 11 Danish birthplace of Hans Christian Andersen 12 Marshy tract 13 Torn-off paper pieces 17 McDonald’s founder Ray 21 Research funding sources 23 Carefree diversion 24 “__ shalt not ...”

27 Push-up targets, briefly 30 Boil briefly, as asparagus 32 Honest __ 33 Tip off 35 Out of control 36 Composer Satie 37 Whined 41 Urbane 42 States as fact 43 Book copier of yore 44 Particle of light 45 __ Fables 47 Garbage vessel 50 Bingo relative 51 No right __: road sign 52 Jack of “The Texas Rangers” 54 Really love 57 Computer game title island 59 Studio with a lion mascot 60 Submissions to an ed.

NINERTIMES

COSTUME DIY: JACK-O-LANTERN

Huge Halloween party tonight? Don’t have a costume prepared? If you have an old orange T-shirt laying around, along with some creativity, then you can be ready for the party in less than 30 minutes

Quan Siler

STAFF WRITER Next, find a template or create a stencil for how you want your jack-o-lantern to look.

You can look on Google for ideas or find inspiration in an everyday item like I did.

REQUIRED MATERIALS • • • • •

Orange T-shirt Scissors Ruler Fabric marker, chalk, or eyeliner Stencil, template, or picture of jack-olantern

Begin with a simple orange T-shirt. This can be short sleeve, long sleeve or tank top style.

Try to pick a shirt with minimal writing or graphics.

Also choose a shirt that is more fitted. When we start cutting it, the shirt will eventually become looser.

Now, trace around your stencils or free-hand your jack-olantern outline.

If you are free-handing, then you would want to use a ruler and the crease down the middle of your shirt.

This way, you can ensure that the eyes, nose and mouth of your jack-o-lantern are somewhat symmetrical.

Next, turn the shirt inside out. Using a washable writing utensil (I am using an old eyeliner), draw an outline of how you want to cut the neckline of the shirt.

I’m cutting a deep V shape, but you can cut it any shape you desire, such as a boat neck, scoop or square.

Cut along the trace line.

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NINERTIMES

JACK-O-LANTERN, CONT. Time to start cutting.

I am using a pair of safety scissors I had in my desk but for the cleanest cuts, you would want to use fabric shears.

You want to use your scissors to poke a hole right on the outside of your outline.

From there it should be easy to cut around your tracing.

When you are done cutting out your outline, this is how your shirt should look.

It is not so impressive simply laying on the floor. The magic happens when you put the shirt on.

Underneath your orange shirt, layer a black or yellow tank top. You are a jack-o-lantern.

Make this look extra sexy by adding a black mini skirt and fishnet tights.

For a spookier take, cut the eyebrows into an angry shape.

One of the great things about this costume is it is is totally customizable, and you can take it in many different directions.

This look took me only about 25 minutes to complete so it is perfect for those unexpected party invites.

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All photos in this spread by Quan SIler

NINERTIMES

Last minute Halloween costume ideas Sarah Ro

STAFF WRITER As college students, we don’t want to spend too much money on a costume we’re only going to wear once and then throw in the back of our closets.

There are plenty of ways to make the perfect costume out of items you already have lying around in your closet.

Check out these five ideas if you are feeling stuck this Halloween.

Alice in Wonderland All you need is a blue dress, white apron and black headband.

A yellow wig will definitely help unless you’re already a blonde- then this costume is that much easier for you.

Have a boyfriend or brother?

Make him dress up in the funkiest colors he has and put a green top hat on his head.

You have your Mad Hatter to accompany you, Alice.

Pocahontas This is perfect for girls with darker, long straight hair. All you need is a fringe top, tan skirt and a pair of moccasins.

Top it off with a turquoise stone necklace and lots of bronzer to finish the look.

If you don’t have a fringe top, this is an easy DIY. Simply buy some brown fabric from Michael’s or Hobby Lobby, cut into strands and hot glue it on to

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any brown top you own.

Princess Leia from Star Wars One white long dress and a silver belt is all you need for this look.

If you don’t have a long white dress, simply pair a white fitted t-shirt and a long white maxi-skirt.

Then part your hair across the middle and tie it into buns on either side. Complete.

Mary Poppins If your closet consists of alot of work professional pieces, this is for you.

Wear a collared white top, navy blue skirt and black shiny shoes.

Top it off with a red bow around your neck and a black hat.

Of course, don’t forget to bring an umbrella with you.

Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s A classic, old Hollywood look. Use a long black dress, lots of pearls and that tiara from your 21st birthday.

Throw your hair up in a top knot and apply thick winged eyeliner.

And don’t forget to be classy, make Audrey proud.

When in doubt- take a deep breath, open a browser to Youtube and type in ‘Halloween Makeup tutorials.’

You’ll be amazed at how you can transform yourself to animals, celebrities and characters with the use of makeup.

‘Different Seasons’

by Stephen King

Michelle Carpenter

LIFESTYLE EDITOR There’s no better time to dive into a Stephen King book than Halloween time.

‘Different Seasons’ is a collection of novellas, most of which have been adapted into films.

The collection includes ‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,’ ‘Apt Pupil,’ ‘The Body’ (inspiration for the film ‘Stand By Me’) and ‘The Breathing Method.’

While each of the novellas are spooky, they do not dabble with the supernatural the same way other King stories and novels do.

‘Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption,’ the inspiration for the 1994 Academy Award Nominated film ‘The Shawshank Redemption,’ is about life in prison and a prison break.

The horrific moments in that story center around the rape and brutality that occurs within the walls of many prison systems.

There are a number of scenes that are difficult to read, mostly because of the realistic nature.

King plays this up and writes scenes almost more terrifying than anything with a ghost or the supernatural.

Furthermore, characters are battling their own internal issues at the same time.

While still suspenseful, it has a different aura than many of King’s other famous

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works such as ‘The Shining’ or ‘Carrie.’

‘Apt Pupil,’ another favorite from the collection, yet again pulls in the realism factor to play up the horror.

The novella is about a young boy who is a straight-A student, but his grades begin to slip as he becomes increasingly fascinated with the stories of a neighbor and former Nazi soldier.

King plays on the way stories become engrained in us and change us. Todd shows more of his evil and twisted side as the story goes on and he becomes more entangled in the stories he is hearing.

It eventually comes to a point where he is borderline torturing Dussander.

He exerts control through threatening to turn him into the authorities if Dussander does not tell him everything.

His fascination grows to a morbid level.

The scene where he forces him to put on a costume of the SS uniform and strut around is shocking.

However, King throws readers for a loop. Just when they begin to feel sorry for Dussander, he shows the darker side of his character as the story progresses.

King makes a comment on how things that happen fundamentally change us and maybe, just maybe, there is a bit of evil in all of us.

NINERTIMES

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NINERTIMES