Niner Times: March 18, 2014

Peak Stock Car Challenge

UNC Charlotte student Ryan Bennett chases his dream of driving a stock car in the Peak Stock Car Challenge. p. 3

Op-Ed: Killing an American Symbol

Windmills are highly sought after for their positive environmental effect. But are they killing bald eagles? p. 7

Grab a cup

A review of Jackson’s Java, a coffee and ice cream place right across the street from campus. p. 10

SOFTBALL WEEKEND SERIES The Charlotte 49ers softball team completed the weekend series 2-1. p. 13

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A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 26, ISSUE 22 MARCH 18 -OF 24,NORTH 2014 NINERTIMES

MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

Volume 26, Number 22 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

COMMUNITY EDITOR

EDEN CREAMER

PATRICK BOGANS

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CLAIRE DODD

LIBBY WEIHSMANN

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A&E EDITOR

LIZ LANIER

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MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

NINERTIMES

START YOUR

ENGINES

Sophomore Ryan Bennett chases his racing dream and joins Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge to win a chance at putting his name on the map of NASCAR

CLAIRE DODD NEWS EDITOR

“Racing is the one thing that makes me happier than anything else. I can’t compare the feeling that I get behind the wheel racing to anything else. The thing about racing is that it might break your heart, you might have a bad day, but it can never go away,” said Ryan Bennett, a pre-marketing major at UNC Charlotte and contestant in the second Peak Stock Car Dream Challenge.

Bennett has dreamed about nothing other than racing since he was eight years old. But now he is more passionate and driven than ever, which is why he has entered Peak’s competition.

The competition is put on by Peak Antifreeze, a company that sells oil and car parts, and Michael Waltrip Racing, a stock car racing team.

“They’re putting [the competition] on to find the next developmental driver for Waltrip Racing. Basically if you win, you get put in the minor leagues of NASCAR,” explained Bennett.

To win the competition, there are some things the judges consider. First, you submit a page of information that contains your

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video, biography and a picture. On this page, people can vote up to five times a day. These votes may add up to help the contestant in the competition.

Out of all of the contestants, only 18 are chosen as finalists. Those 18 will then go to Charlotte for a three-day competition, which is “kind of like an NFL combine where they have different events each day and they slowly eliminate people,” according to Bennett.

Bennett is familiar with the process because he was in this same position just last year.

Nothing makes him want to win this competition more than thinking about the feeling that he had when he unfortunately lost last summer.

Bryan Emrich, senior vice president of marketing at Peak, gave Bennett a call that helped him clear his head and told him to keep pushing.

“He explained things to me, explained the decision process, and Peak actually ended up giving me a racing sponsorship last year to keep doing what I’m doing. He urged me to get more experience, prove myself as a driver and come back next year,”

said Bennett.

From that point on, he told himself that he was going to come back and try again. So he took the year to get experience under his belt by racing and testing stock cars, and “do more things that [the judges] thought

[were] more important for a driver which would be more appealing to them,” said Bennett.

READ MORE ABOUT BENNETT AT NINERONLINE.COM

Bennett has been competing all year to prepare for his second round of Peak’s competition.

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Photos courtesy of Ryan Bennett

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Construction and demolition projects create new opportunities to recycle JARED GREEN STAFF WRITER

With construction in full swing on campus comes a large amount of building materials that must be purchased, which can leave a large carbon footprint.

Thankfully UNC Charlotte remains conscious of the environment by creating a program to reduce the environmental impact of construction.

The Construction and Demolition Recycling program has been put in place to recycle extra building materials and worksite debris that otherwise go into landfills. The program encourages

contractors to be more efficient and cut down on the amount of building materials they use.

Contractors must already be in compliance with state statutes regarding reducing waste on construction sites. In addition to the mandatory compliances, the building plans for UNC Charlotte projects also include certain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) requirements that contractors must follow. Projects are awarded more “points” the more environmentally friendly they are, in turn receiving more prestigious LEED certification.

According to Shannon Caveny-Cox, Construction and Demolition Recycling program manager, contractors are usually very compliant with the procedures set forth in the program.

“Contractors send us reports monthly.

Most are able to recycle 85 percent of materials,” said Caveny-Cox. Some of the recycled materials include brick, PVC piping, drywall and shingles.

These materials can be turned into a multitude of new products including roadway aggregate, rain gutters and electricity cables.

Some of the building materials are donated to Habitat for Humanity’s Restore.

In demolition projects, contractors remove all objects that are not static from a building. After that, Habitat for Humanity workers are allowed to appraise the building and remove any materials they can reuse.

This program, along with UNC Charlotte’s recycling program, are focused on making the community more environmentally conscious.

According to Caveny-Cox, “The program encourages [contractors] to think more about the end result.”

For more information on the Construction and Demolition Recycling program, visit https://facilities.uncc.edu/our-services/ business-related-services/recycling/programs/ construction-and-demolition.

About 43 percent of Americans’ carbon footprint comes from buildings. MCT Campus

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NINERTIMES

North Carolina teachers converge for annual lecture series JARED GREEN STAFF WRITER

The Charlotte Teacher’s Institute (CTI) is preparing once again for their annual lecture series beginning in April.

The CTI is a partnership among teachers from Davidson College, UNC Charlotte and CharlotteMecklenburg Schools (CMS). In this lecture series, instructors from Davidson College and UNC Charlotte conduct seminars for K-12 teachers from CMS. Each seminar is lead by a faculty instructor from either UNC Charlotte or Davidson College.

These instructors are content specialists in their own areas, teaching seminars ranging from literary techniques to artificial intelligence.

This year there are four instructors from UNC Charlotte conducting seminars.

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The instructors are: Paula Connolly, English department; Heather Perry, history department; Alan Rauch, English department; and Amy Ringwood, biology department.

Each seminar is scheduled to meet 12 times during April through November.

The seminar series is designed for CMS teachers who want to gain a more intensive insight for the subject area that they teach.

“The CTI empowers teachers to be creative and innovative instructors,” said Scott Gartland, CTI executive director.

Teachers from CMS apply to be fellows in the program and attend one of the lecture series. This year there are around 104 teacher fellows attending from CMS. The 104 fellows are spread

equally across all grade levels.

“There are about one-third elementary school teachers, onethird middle school teachers and one-third high school teachers in the program, creating a cross grade level dynamic,” said Gartland.

The CTI is designed to allow teachers to collaborate with each other, encouraging innovation that they can use in developing their curriculum.

CTI Director Scott Gartland feels teachers have gotten a bad reputation lately.

“There is a problem in North Carolina with the way teachers are viewed,” said Gartland.

He went on to explain how teachers are deep thinkers, and how they are not respected in that regard.

The CTI hopes to change this

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view with their model, proving that teachers are innovative and caring educators.

The CTI is modeled after the Yale National Initiative, an organization that focuses on strengthening public education by sponsoring new teachers’ institutes nationally.

Usually, there are around six teachers per year from the CTI who travel to Yale to attend seminars for the Yale National Initiative.

The CTI says they hope to see teachers’ institutes appearing in other places around the country as well. Recently, UNC Asheville and Queens University in South Charlotte have expressed interest in becoming a part of this national initiative.

For more information on the CTI, visit http://charlotteteachers.org/.

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POLICE BLOTTER MARCH 8 - 13

ACCIDENT MARCH 10

• East Deck, vehicle one struck vehicle two.

MARCH 11

KRISTEN KIMBROUGH INTERN

At the Thursday, March 13 meeting of the Student Government Association (SGA) Student Senate, senators heard and approved numerous acts.

Alpha Chi Omega Two representatives from Alpha Chi Omega announced they are making their appearance on campus in Fall 2014.

“Wisdom, devotion, and achievement are our core values … We love people who are energetic and passionate,” said one representative.

The representatives added that Alpha Chi Omega supports domestic violence prevention.

Emergency Evacuation Act Senator Andre Jefferies took the floor for the final discussion of the Emergency Evacuation Act. The previously discussed act will better inform students living in residence halls of emergency evacuation plans. The act was approved.

The NROTC Establishment Act The aim of this act is to establish a naval reserve officer training core at UNC Charlotte.

Senator Nicholle Rentas said this is a positive thing because it includes more military services TUESDAY MARCH 18

@UNCCWeather FOLLOW FOR FORECASTS AND WARNINGS

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42°F

Rain showers. Low of 33.

in addition to the Army and Air Force and expands the university’s options. The act was approved.

The Hawthorn Sidewalk Act The act proposes that a sidewalk be built to the left of Hawthorn Hall where foot traffic currently exists. The lack of a sidewalk is dangerous and has caused injuries to bicyclists, which “could lead to a potential lawsuit for the university.”

This was the first read for the act.

The Student Mentorship Act The Student Mentorship Act requests that every college offer a mentorship program.

Mentors and mentees are to be matched by a personality test; the mentorship is meant to last throughout a student’s entire college career.

The mentorship program would be mandatory and mentors volunteers. If students change majors, they would be assigned a new mentor.

Dean Christine Davis asked if they had discussed the proposed mentorship program with academic affairs, confirmed whether or not a similar program already existed at some colleges and made any determination on how the act would be received.

WEDNESDAY MARCH 19

60°F

Mostly cloudy. Low of 36.

THURSDAY MARCH 20

65°F

Mostly sunny. Low of 42.

Senator Tim Wallace responded that they had not. Davis then asked who would bear the costs of the personality tests and Wallace said he would look into it.

Veterans Day Act The Veterans Day Act would close the university on Veterans Day. Veterans Day is a national holiday recognized by the US government. Closing school allows veterans on campus to be with their families on Veterans Day and shows the university’s support for veterans. This was not voted on at Thursday’s meeting.

Senate Election Reform Act Wallace discussed the Senate Election Reform Act. According to the act, a senate nominee would speak before the General Assembly. Each nominee would speak before the assembly in the order in which the offices are listed and in alphabetical order within the office. A motion would determine the length of time for this discussion.

This was not voted on.

The senate was reminded that there will be voting tables around campus with computers for students to vote in the upcoming SGA election.

FRIDAY

MARCH 21

68°F

Mostly sunny. Low of 38.

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SATURDAY MARCH 23

70°F

Showers possible.

Low of 46.

• Robert D. Synder Blvd., driver struck another vehicle.

MARCH 12

• Craver Road, driver of vehicle one struck vehicle two.

ARREST

MARCH 8

• Facilities Management and Police Building, subject turned himself over to police custody due to an order for arrest.

MARCH 13

• Mary Alexander Road, subject was arrested for outstanding warrants.

ASSAULT

MARCH 13

• Phillips Road, officer responded to a call in reference to an assault.

CALL FOR SERVICE MARCH 11

• Poplar Lane, subject reported his vehicle had been broken into.

MARCH 13

• Mary Charlotte Drive, officer assisted CMPD regarding an arrest.

TRESPASSING MARCH 11

• University City Blvd., previously trespassed suspect found on campus.

VANDALISM MARCH 8

• West Deck Level 3, unknown subject used an unknown object to smash the driver side window of a parked vehicle.

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

NINERTIMES

KILLING AN AMERICAN SYMBOL

Windmills, despite being a source of clean energy, are responsible for killing numerous bald eagles LOUIS AIELLO INTERN

Photos courtesy of MCT Campus

Imagine you are an eagle, the symbol of democracy and the American Dream. As you majestically soar through the clouds surrounded by mountains, the world below you opens up and the clouds break, ready to receive you. Your eyes spot something delicious for dessert. The clouds dissipate as you dive toward your target, taking the morsel into your mouth.

As you begin to fly higher and higher above the trees, something strikes you. You don’t know what happened, but now you are falling and your wings don’t seem to work. As you impact

the ground, your sight blurs and you black out.

When one of the greatest heavenly creatures comes crashing down to the ground in the most tragic manner, all Americans should be disquieted. Yet this happens day after day, coming from a killer that you’d least suspect.

When it comes to the environment, we consider coal and oil to be major contributors for the issues of global climate change. So instead of using environmentally harmful sources, wind and solar energy have gained much ground. Clean and reliable, they are safe to maintain and provide a never-ending supply of energy. But believe it or not, the eagle is actually a victim of these clean energy sources.

These environmentally friendly power sources have major impacts on our lives. But in order to incorporate them into our infrastructure, forests that are, rich with varieties of wildlife must be removed. The locations of these major construc-

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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tion projects were once the homes of numerous fuzzy, furry and feathered creatures that we all know and love.

The major problem facing eagles, however, isn’t just the clearing of habitats – it’s the windmills themselves. Their propellers have lots of momentum, not stopping for anything, including unsuspecting, innocent eagles. It would be one thing if this only startled them, but in truth, they are usually paralyzed, or worse, snapped in half.

It’s shocking that those who call themselves environmentalists have done nothing to quell the immense and irreparable damage done to countless numbers of these precious birds. We need to learn from our mistakes – acknowledge them, not ignore them. At times we must admit that we have failed. Then and only then will we be able to save the eagles and restore the symbol of the American Dream.

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MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

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

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TWO BOLD BROADS Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson speak up about their television debut in “Broad City” CHESTER GRIFFIN STAFF WRITER

Before “Broad City,” both Ilana Glazer and Abbi Jacobson were two college graduates auditioning for theatre companies while living in New York City.

“Together for two years before starting the web series, we kept auditioning for house teams of theatre Companies like UCB,” says Glazer.

Unable to get on a team, both Glazer and Jacobson used social media sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter to create and promote their own web series, “Broad City.”

“Social media is what made the show for us,” says Jacobson. “It was a group effort to share our videos and get bloggers and people writing about it.”

Three years after their web series ended, “Broad City” was reintroduced as a new television series that premiered on Jan. 22, 2014.

“It was an interesting thing going from these two to four minute situations to these full sitcom length stories,” says Jacobson. “It was a really fun problem to have to try and figure out the challenge of making it longer, more dynamic and building up the world.”

The show centers on Glazer and Jacobson as they portray fictionalized versions of themselves as two college graduates trying to make it big in New York City.

“The characters relate to us and are similar inside of us, but I think in real life we’re more well-rounded people,” says Glazer. “It’s just an extreme version of ourselves blown up to a 100 percent.”

In “Broad City,” Glazer and Jacobson do occasionally revisit scenarios from their previous web series.

“We’re careful in choosing what we’re going to retain from the web series for the most part,” says Glazer.

“There are other scenarios we expanded from the web series and took in a new direction to make it something more timely and relevant to us now.”

The scenarios in the show were not only inspired by events that happened in Glazer and Jacobson’s lives, but their friends and the show’s writers, too.

“Somewhere within the episode or scenes in general, there’s an inkling of something that’s happened in real life,” says Jacobson.

Jacobson described the tone

of the show as being “heightened realism.”

“We make it grounded with the characters’ relationships and friendships, but I think we heighten it to a silly level of exaggerated realism,” says Jacobson.

While some critics have noted possibilities of feminist undertones in “Broad City,” Jacobson says that it wasn’t in their mindset when writing the show.

“We don’t have that agenda of ‘better make sure this is feminist,’ but that is an awesome word to describe us in the show,” says Jacobson.

Neither woman claims that it’s a show about female comedians or female writers, but a comedy about people.

“If that’s the reaction it gets, that’s great, but hopefully it gets a wide range of reactions,” says Jacobson.

It wasn’t until writing for television that a gender conflict in comedy became more apparent to the duo. With a greater emphasis on raunchy comedy involving two female protagonists, Glazer feels that the world is ready for equal representation of women in comedy.

“Only now that we’ve gotten to this mainstream platform has this gender issue come to our attention,” says Glazer. “I also think it’s funnier and more surprising when it’s the rule of who’s not supposed to be raunchy.”

Amy Poehler, star of “Parks and Recreation” and executive producer of “Broad City,” has been actively involved in the writing, directing and editing

process in the show’s production.

“She is so experienced in television, brilliant and funny—who wouldn’t want her opinion?” says Glazer.

With Poehler as executive producer, her experience with television has influenced the show’s production.

“We shoot it like in ‘Parks and Recreation’ where they’ll do three scripted takes and then they’ll do a fun run,” says Jacobson. “In our case we do more than one fun run if it’s going really well.”

With the show being picked up for a second season, the “Broad City” tour has been postponed until November. New episodes of “Broad City” can be seen Wednesdays at 10:30 p.m. on Comedy Central.

Abbi Jacobson (left) and Ilana Glazer (right), stars of Comedy Central’s Wednesday night show “Broad City”. Photos courtesy of Comedy Central

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MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

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UNC CHARLOTTE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL CONTINUES

“Farewell, My Queen” is a French film playing in the festival. Photo courtesy of Cohen Media

LIZ LANIER

A&E EDITOR

LEANNA POUGH ASST. A&E EDITOR

Students looking to add a little worldliness and culture to their conversations still have the opportunity to check out some international films this month. The International Film Festival, hosted by the Department of Languages and Culture Studies, continues until April 2, with eight films left to check out. All films will be shown (with subtitles) in the Student Union Theater, unless otherwise noted.

All films have free admission and are open to the public. Here’s a sampler of what students can still see in the film festival.

“Stilyagi” (“Hipsters”) Showing March 27 at 2 p.m.

Set in Russia, a group of soviet youth with not so common interests makes enemies with Komsoma shock troops. A ‘stylish dramedy’ that combines music and satire.

“Est-Ouest” (“East-West”) Showing March 19 at 4:30 p.m.

Set after World War II, “EstOust” follows Alexei and his family struggling with their return to the Soviet Union. This film will be showing at the College of Education building, Room 010.

“Ren zai jiong tu: Tai jiong” (“Lost In Thailand”) Showing April 1 at 2 p.m.

A new fuel additive takes businessman, Xu Zheng to Bangkok where he meets a lighthearted travel mate with a new take on life.

“Les Adieux À La Reine” (“Farewell My Queen”) Showing March 26 at 5 p.m.

This film shows the final days of Marie Antionette through the eyes of her servant, Sidonie.

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“Yella” Showing March 31 at 5 p.m.

Unable to escape her past, a woman leaves her home in post-wall Germany to start fresh. Once finding a job, she’s quickly introduced to the ways of the west. This film will be showing in Denny, Room 120.

“La Prima Neve” (“First Snowfall”) Showing April 2 at 5 p.m.

A Togo refugee unites with a local boy from the Alps of Italy. The two have both lost family members and are still shaken by their absence.

ACROSS 1 Injury reminder 5 Pet adoption gp.

10 Environs 14 Nobel Peace Prize winner Wiesel 15 U.S.-Canada defense letters 16 Having a hard time deciding 17 Hard to find, to Caesar 18 __ Gay: WWII bomber 19 Thom __ shoes 20 Original Ice Follies slapstick skating duo 23 “Just one darn minute!”

24 Amazed reactions 27 Three in a deck 28 Retaliatory equivalent 32 Found really groovy 34 Bud

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68 Pal at the barbie 69 Run into 70 More quirky 71 Being, to Ovid DOWN 1 Feudal farmers 2 Red wine from Bordeaux 3 Better ventilated 4 Got through to 5 Lend __: listen 6 14-line verse 7 Cattle poker 8 Ranch newborn 9 Purim month 10 Use of one requires a PIN 11 Groupie’s idol 12 Significant period 13 Raggedy doll 21 Make excited 22 Gone by 25 Prefix with legal 26 Ladled-out meal 29 Bucky Beaver’s toothpaste brand 35 Challenge 30 Pub spigot 36 Part of WWII 31 Envelope part 39 Happy heartbeat 33 Bee Gees family name sound 36 “Dragnet” star Jack 42 Like veggies on a 37 Gillette razor brand veggie platter 38 Bad weather contingency 43 Expected landing hrs. 40 Paving goo 45 Prohibition 41 Sales manager’s concern 46 Opposite of post44 Like the “A” in a Haw48 Knickknacky stuff thorne classic 51 Bible bk. with a sea 47 At the outer edges of the crossing normal curve 54 Trite 49 “Sting like a bee” boxer 55 Opie Taylor’s care50 Bloodhound or boxer taker 52 White House family 58 Small, irregular 53 Ledger entries amounts 56 8-Down’s milk source 62 List-ending abbr.

57 Cosmetician Lauder 64 11th-century Spanish 59 Spanish kiss hero 60 Iditarod transport 65 Give off 61 Battery fluid 66 Low-cal 62 Good name for a tree67 It divides the Left lined street and Right Banks 63 Dead heat

NINERTIMES

REVIEW: LATTES TO ICE CREAM, THEY HAVE IT ALL Charlotte’s Jackson’s Java provides coffee and treats to the university city area AMANDA DUKE

ASST. LIFESTYLE EDITOR Being a lover of Starbucks, sometimes it is difficult to go to a different coffee shop out of your comfort zone and try something new since you are used to the same drink time after time.

Recently I tried Jackson’s Java located next to Harris Teeter on WT Harris Blvd.

Jackson’s Java has a variety of treats to delight your sweet tooth. Photo by Amanda Duke

Not only do they have delicious drinks, but their ice cream and pastries are amazing as well.

Since this coffee shop isn’t a chain, their service and food is better.

When I went, the barista was extremely helpful in helping me pick out a drink. She went out of her

way to describe many of the drinks to my friends and I when we visited.

Jackson’s Java has that typical coffee house feel with some tables and chairs, and also some couches.

There are some people just getting coffee with friends and some clearly spending the day studying and doing homework.

The atmosphere in Jackson’s Java is perfect for studying, grabbing a snack or a coffee, or just catching up with friends. Photo by Michelle Liringis

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MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

This place is perfect for studying and doing homework because it is often quiet and not very packed.

You get some peace and quiet while still being out in public.

It is a great place to meet with a study group for the times of the semester when the library and other popular campus study spots are crowded because of midterms or finals.

They even offer mugs of coffee instead of the styrofoam to-go cups if you are going to be there for a while.

They have a great amount of drink options, from smoothies to espresso and everything in between.

They do offer the typical coffee house drinks, such as different flavors of iced coffee, regular coffee and espresso drinks, but they also have a “specials” menu with unique drinks that I would love to try.

Every few weeks they change up their specials and have season inspired drinks. They had wintery drinks up until February and now they offer spring favorites.

They have a frappe menu that offers a long list of flavors. They have Snickers and Oreo for the chocolate lovers and fruity flavors for anyone who isn’t a fan of chocolate.

There is guaranteed to be a drink choice for everyone’s taste.

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When I visited Jackson’s Java, I ordered a Caramello latte.

It is a mix of caramel and marshmallow that tasted like nothing I have ever tried before.

When I go to coffee shops, I usually lean toward something with caramel and the barista made a comment that any of the drinks with marshmallow was amazing, so I had to give it a try.

The Caramello latte was everything I thought it would be and more.

It tasted just like caramel and marshmallow perfectly mixed into a latte, but with a coffee flavor.

It was so delightful that I had to go back and order another one before I left.

As I mentioned, they also sell ice cream there.

The shop is split in two; one side the coffee shop and the other the ice

Photo by Michelle Liringis

Coffee from Jackson’s Java is sure to be a great treat. Photo by Michelle Liringis

cream shop.

When I ordered one scoop of chocolate chip mint in a waffle cone, I did not expect to receive as much ice cream as I did. They offer very generous portions, which a college student is sure to appreciate.

Being a chocolate chip mint ice cream fanatic, I really know my ice cream and their ice cream blew me away.

It was just as good as my latte I had earlier in the week.

All around, Jackson’s Java is an awesome place to go just to hang out and read a book.

It has a homey feel that will make you want to spend the whole day there whether you are doing homework or just hanging out with some friends.

The coffee shop would also make a great date spot for that special someone.

It is casual enough for a first or second date and provides a great atmosphere to get to know someone.

Cozy up on a couch with a cup of your favorite drink and a pastry and it will make the perfect date.

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No Motivation?

Ask Abby has all the answers on how to deal with the mid-semester blues.

Q: I have been attending classes and trying to stay focused, not to mention participating in the many extracurricular activities that I am involved in. It just seems as if I have fallen into this routine, and I don’t know how to get out of it.

My time management is off, I’m procrastinating, and I’m starting to get bad grades. This semester was the first time I was forced to drop a class.

What can I do to be more motivated and inspired with my studies? I’ve tried changing study habits, planning things out, and I’ve even tried to surround myself with people who have high work ethic and an energetic drive about school. I just feel a little worthless and un-purposeful, I feel like I have lost my drive.

This only happens when I’m dealing with school work. I am just as motivated as the beginning of the semester with my other activities.

Why does everything turn gray with academics?

-Losing Drive A: Dear Losing Drive, You have a lot on your plate right now. The good news is that it sounds like your lack of motivation is showing up just when you try to do school work, and not with other activities.

Your brain’s motivator, the part that keeps you rearing to go when it’s time to organize a potluck, isn’t broken. Instead, it’s just not engaging when it comes to school. Often, when we get caught up in school work, we stop thinking about it as something we’ve chosen to do, but as something we’ve

been told to do.

The more points and grades are involved, and the more “forced” we feel to get things done, the less fun they seem.

I would suggest trying to re-spark your interest in your classes and your major.

Why did you decide to take these classes in the first place?

Is your major something you’ve wanted to do for a long time?

How come? Jot down 3 to 5 reasons you wanted to learn this stuff in the first place, and then write down another 1 to 2 ideas of how these classes might help you land your dream job in the future.

Did you choose to be a business major because of your excellent leadership skills? Is that writing course secretly teaching you how to write business memos and persuasive emails you could use later to advocate for a raise? Is your Social Psychology class giving you ideas about how to nail an interview?

Then, each time you successfully do an assignment on time, give yourself the recognition you deserve (journal about your success, buy yourself a latte, whatever works for you), and try not to beat yourself up too much about the deadlines you’ve missed already.

Abby Hardin is a UNC Charlotte Ph.D student in Clinical Health Psychology and an instructor. She also works as a mental health counselor at a local CMC clinic. If you’d like your question answered in a future edition of Ask Abby, email askabby@nineronline. com. Remember, no question is too big or too small.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR ABBY? EMAIL IT TO ASKABBY@NINERONLINE.COM

12

MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

NINERTIMES

49ERS DROP SERIES 2-1 TO PIRATES After dropping the first two games in a doubleheader on Saturday, the 49ers shutout the Pirates 4-0 on Sunday to avoid a sweep AARON MCCAIN

INTERN

Going into the doubleheader, the Charlotte 49ers looked to get above .500 against the East Carolina Pirates.

Throughout the day both teams showed a tremendous amount of spirit. Each team picked each other up when their teammates made errors and rejoiced when good plays were made giving the fans a classy display of competition.

Game one started off with a scoreless first two innings as both squads displayed a nice combination of pitching and defense.

A costly missed catch led to the Pirates drawing first blood and taking a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

In the bottom of the third, the 49ers responded with an RBI by second baseman Samantha Slade to

get their first score.

Catcher Jackie Kleinsmith evened the score with an RBI to send Slade home.

Both teams did a great job of keeping their errors down throughout the game.

The game came down to the team who was able to capitalize off of errors.

In the fourth inning, the 49ers walked two Pirate batters in a row. These walks led to the Pirates getting one runner home to take a 3-2 lead.

In the fifth, the 49ers evened up the score again thanks to Kleinsmith who notched a second RBI. The final score in the sixth inning by the Pirates would seal the game as the 49ers could not respond.

The 49ers showed great resiliency

Some of the girls in the dugout during a game last September. Photo by Ben Coon

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Members of the softball team talking strategy. Photo by Chris Crews

when the Pirates went up on the scoreboard.

Charlotte pitcher Lexi Betancourt pitched the entire game, throwing 137 pitches, including 77 strikes.

Slade had a game high batting average of .415.

Ultimately, the 49ers would fall to the Pirates in game one by a score of 4-3.

In game two, it seemed as if fatigue had set in for the 49ers in the sunny afternoon.

Despite a great effort from the 49ers in the first game, the second game produced some costly mental errors.

“I think overall in game two, we gave up 19 hits. 19 hits are too many advantages to give to them. We’re still sloppy and the team knows

MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

that,” said 49ers Head Coach Aimee DeVos post game.

“We haven’t been able to make too many routine plays and that’s something that we [got to] have in the weekends of conference play.”

49ers 3B/P Chelsea Lisikatos took over pitching duties to start off the game.

The game started out ugly as the Pirates jumped out to a 5-0 lead at the bottom of the third inning. The Pirates momentum diminished when their pitcher Gabby Andino walked three batters in a row.

Lisikatos provided the highlight of the day with a primetime grand slam. The hit put the 49ers back in business to cut the lead to just one with a score of 5-4.

“Yeah, that’s what we do. We have

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been able to do that. We haven’t shut our bats down, we haven’t shut down offensively. We’ve come back and put runs on the board and we’ve showed that we can swing the bat; we’ve showed that we can hit,” said DeVos. Pirate’s pitcher Caroline Umphlett took over pitching duties while 49ers’ Betancourt checked back in to the game in the third inning.

Both pitchers played fairly well on the afternoon. In the fifth inning, Betancourt showed an incredible amount of resiliency with a heartbeating strikeout with three batters on base and a 3-2 count.

After two scoreless innings, the Pirates looked to try and blow off the top in this contest.

In the sixth inning, the Pirates stole four bases en route to scoring two runs.

The seventh inning would prove to be too much to handle for the 49ers.

The Pirates held a 7-5 lead going into the seventh and final inning.

East Carolina unleashed their swords and sliced their way into a commanding four-run inning to win the contest.

The 49ers dropped game two 11-6 to the Pirates extending their losing streak to four games.

“At times, our deficit has been a little too big and the [grand slam] should have been a rally point for us. To be able to have that and we’re within one run, we have got to be able to run to the other side and shut their offense down and that’s something that we weren’t able to do,” said DeVos. “We like that we’re not going into a hole and just shutting down but we’ve got to find a way to push over the edge and take the lead back.”

“For tomorrow I think most importantly we need to clean up our defense. We’re just not fielding balls and dropping balls; I think that’s got to be priority number one,” said DeVos. The 49ers had to move game three to an earlier time on Sunday due to rain.

Courtney Carroll hit her first career homerun in her only hit of the day against the Pirates to help Charlotte shutout ECU 4-0 to avoid a sweep.

The 49ers are now 10-12 overall and 2-4 in Conference USA. Charlotte will host USC Upstate on Wednesday, March 19 at 4 p.m.

14

For Boykin, his calling was found in coaching Billy Boykin, head coach of the 49ers men’s tennis team, took over his father’s position as head coach, but didn’t always want to follow in his footsteps.

DOMINICA NEMEC GUEST WRITER

Even though practice is canceled because of the cold March air, 49er Men’s Tennis Coach Billy Boykin still arrives at his office (albeit a little late) with a grin as large as his coffee cup. His cheeks are rosy and his kind eyes a little watery from the cold air outside.

He strolls into Assistant Coach Jesse Tarr’s office to quickly discuss a potential recruit, and maybe share a few jokes. Then he finally settles into his desk chair, still talking about Rafael Nadal’s incredible work ethic.

In his baggy sweatpants and sweatshirt, Billy looks comfortable in his large office; decorated with various worldly gifts he’s collected from his international players over the years. He has his famous smile on autopilot, although it’s a little hard to see these days as he’s growing out his beard – something the guys constantly tease him about.

Billy’s been swinging a racquet ever since he was old enough to waddle around in diapers. His father, Jim, former 49er men’s tennis coach of 17 years, says his son used to carry around a sawed-off wooden racquet, hitting anything and everything.

While all three children (younger sisters are Whitney and Lindsay) grew up in a tennis household, it was Billy who strongly shared his father’s passion.

“I could tell it made him happy when I’d say ‘hey, you want to go play some tennis?’” he says about his father, with whom he’s very close, and who he succeeded in the position as head coach. Billy followed that passion through a successful junior career, and went on to become the captain of the tennis team at Davidson College from 1999 to 2001.

While it may seem natural that growing up playing tennis would ultimately lead to Billy becoming a tennis coach, his career path was much less straightforward. Even now, it sometimes seems as though the 35-year-old coach is still searching for what he wants to be when he grows up.

On cold morning practices, when his guys seem less than enthusiastic, you’ll see him standing on the side with his trademark grin, yelling out, “enjoy

MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

Head Coach Billy Boykin. Photo courtesy Charlotte Sports Information

this, guys! Trust me, this is the best job you’ll ever have!”

After graduating from Davidson in 2001 with a degree in Political Science, Billy initially thought he’d go to law school, but the promise of long, grueling hours made him reconsider. Instead, he spent most of his 20s looking for a new passion and living by a different philosophy.

“I worked a lot of different capacities, some of which I hated, some that I loved, but you learn from everything,” he says.

“Ultimately I think you’re learning about yourself, learning what it is that you want to do, what you believe in, what kind of work suits you, what makes you happy.”

In the years after college, Billy worked a number of oddball jobs – from being a cook at a guest ranch in Encampment, Wyo. (realized he was too under-qualified), to working with a temp agency in San Diego, Calif. (realized the West Coast was too expensive), to coaching tennis at a private club

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back home in Charlotte, N.C. (kind of a last resort).

After jumping around from place to place, job to job, he entertained the idea of going back to school to get his master’s degree, but then he caught a glimpse of something very promising. Billy took a position as a financial analyst at a brokerage firm, and worked there for nearly three years – his longest position.

Unfortunately, his never-ending quest for excitement tugged at him again.

“When you work that much it starts to become crystal clear that you really need to enjoy it,” he says.

“It was hard work and I don’t mind working hard, I always have, but I need to work in a capacity that I enjoy.”

Once again, Billy thought his next step was to get his master’s.

But first he moved to New York and tried his hand in film as an apprentice at Red Line Films, where he did a little bit of everything, but didn’t learn much of anything.

After New York, his sister Whitney, who was getting her master’s in Madrid, invited her brother to stay with her and teach

Alex Calott and Paul Cisti, members of the men’s tennis team. FILE PHOTO

English, once again sparking his wanderlust.

“I thought that was awesome, so I went over there,” he says.

Billy loved Spain, and could have lived there forever. Unfortunately there was one major flaw.

“At the height of my powers, I probably spoke [Spanish] like a four or five-year-old,” he said.

“It was frustrating because I’m a talker, it’s my personality, and I couldn’t do that.”

So he came home.

Finally, Billy decided to give coaching a real try as the assistant

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MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

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men’s tennis coach at Davidson. “I was hooked,” he said. “It’s like the mafia – once you’re in, you’re in.”

So, from there he went on to assist for one year at the College of Charleston, and then took the men’s head coaching job at the University of Richmond. There he had a successful season.

Then his father retired from his head coaching position at UNC Charlotte – and Billy applied for his father’s job.

“I think he was going to be the best fit,” Jim says.

“It was the best decision they made because he’s doing a great job.”

When talking about his son, Jim beamswith pride, and wears the same smile seen so many times on his son’s face. Stalking the Halton-Wagner Tennis Complex in his famous fedora, Jim is still an important influence with the men’s tennis team, since his son hired him as a volunteer assistant.

“We get along fine – I’ve learned a lot of things from him,” Jim said.

“He’s learned some things from me over the years too, so that’s kind of neat.”

After four successful seasons in the head coaching position – with over 14 wins in the past two

MARCH 18 - 24, 2014

seasons (an achievement unseen at UNC Charlotte since 1990), a third place finish in the 2012 A-10 tournament and a semifinal finish in 2013 – Billy seems to have finally found his calling.

His positive and laid-back personality reflects in his style of coaching, and it’s proven a successful coaching technique. He understands what it’s like to be a young adult, and knows where to push and where to back off.

And while he needs to maintain a level of authority, he enjoys the camaraderie.

“These guys are like my little brothers,” he says.

“They’re hilarious, man, they keep you young.”

It seems as though Billy has found his comfort zone. He lived by the philosophy he still preaches, spending his 20s searching for his passion, and finally finding a career in his 30s.

But even with coaching young men through their college years and working closely with his best friend, his father, when asked the question if he has finally found a career to settle into, he simply smiles his big smile and says, “you never know.”

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