Niner Times: January 13, 2015

Football ticketing

Lack of attendance in 2014 has caused student government to pass legislation lowering the amount of allotted student tickets for football games. p. 4

OP-ED: Satire versus Islamophobia After the recent attacks in Paris, we are left to wonder what the difference between ‘hate’ and ‘free speech’ in our modern world is.

p. 8

SoVi review

Want to eat at the newest dining hall on campus? Before you do, check out this review of Chartwells’ new Charlotte option. p. 13

Suffering serious medical issues, men’s basketball head coach Alan Major takes his second leave of absence, return date TBD. p. 10

A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF 2015 NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 27, ISSUE 14 JAN. 13 - 19, NINERTIMES.COM

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Jan. 13 through 19, 2015

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ADDITIONAL STAFF Nick Cropper, Salina Dickie, Amanda Duke, Alex Passannante

ADDITIONAL STAFF Casey Aldridge, Chris Crews, Scott Gordon, Jared Green, Warren Pettee, Benjamin Robson, Stephanie Smith, Vivian Westra

MARKETING STAFF Katelyn Ford, Malik Francis, Kayla McCall, Dylan Robison, Tia Warren Promotions Coordinator: Sean Grier

Street Team: Natalie Chan, Amanda Duke, Morgan Richards

SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144 CIRCULATION BY STUDENT UNION LOADING DOCK TEAM

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FOOTBALL TICKETING SOUTH VILLAGE CROSSING OPENS LIFESAFE APP OP-ED: SATIRE VERSUS ISLAMOPHOBIA

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COACH MAJOR DORMTAINMENT PREVIEW THE EVASONS REVIEW SOVI REVIEW

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

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SGA approves Student Ticketing Allocation Act for 2015 season After students fail to request and claim tickets to 49er football games, SGA takes matters into their own hands, makes strides to increase attendance at future games

Nick Cropper

ASST. NEWS EDITOR Due to a consistent lack of student attendance at football games during the 2014 season, the UNC Charlotte Student Government Association (SGA) has passed new legislation that will reduce the amount of student seating.

The new legislation is called the Student Ticketing Allocation Act. SGA passed this legislation in November and it will take effect during the 2015 football season.

It was originally proposed by Belk College of Business Senator Spencer Kwolyk and Senator At-Large Vincent Cahill. Kwolyk and Cahill worked together on the original draft.

This legislation was made in response to the required attendance set by Conference USA standards.

C-USA requires that UNC Charlotte have a minimum attendance of 15,000 people per home football game.

Since the games will be televised next year, C-USA requires UNC Charlotte to have this minimum attendance for every home game.

UNC Charlotte could face several penalties if the requirement is not met.

First, UNC Charlotte will be put under a probation period. This is the first and only warning that the school will receive, and the school has a limited amount of time to bring up attendance before penalties are incurred. If UNC Charlotte fails to raise attendance at this point, then the school faces the possibility of being removed from C-USA.

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This season was used as a test run to get a feel of what the average attendance at games would be and to see what might need to be done to correct any issues.

Currently, UNC Charlotte reserves 7,500 seats for students, which is almost half of the maximum amount of seats available in the football stadium. The Student Ticket Allocation Act will reduce the amount of seats reserved for students to 4,000. These seats will now become part of general admissions seating.

“What we hope is that it will create a demand and that more than 4,000 [tickets] will be requested and it will have to go into a lottery system ... that proves to us, and to administration that this piece of legislation can be revoked,” said Kwolyk.

Based on student attendance for home games this season, the average amount of requested tickets fell between 3,200 and 4,000. The number of claimed tickets was about two-thirds of this amount. This was the basis for the 4,000 student ticket maximum.

An article written by the Wall Street Journal was also used in determining the amount of tickets allocated to students. This article showed student attendance to football games of other C-USA schools and schools similar to UNC Charlotte’s size.

“Schools that have comparable student sizes, they’re not bringing in 7,500 kids to each game, they’re

Empty stands at one of the Charlotte 49ers home games. Photo by Chris Crews

averaging between three and five thousand,” said Cahill. “Seven thousand five hundred is just a tall order for a school our size.”

Additionally, any unclaimed tickets will become available to the general public 48 hours before the start of the football game. Students will still be able to claim tickets during this 48-hour period.

The Student Ticket Allocation Act will also introduce a penalty system for students who request tickets but fail to claim them. On the first offense, students will not be able to claim a ticket to the next game within the same sport. If a student fails to redeem a ticket for a second time, that student will not be permitted to claim a ticket to that sport for the rest of the season.

“Well the point behind this legislation is, obviously, that we

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don’t want to have to do this, but for as long as it’s a problem it should be instilled,” said Kwolyk.

Student ticketing has been an issue since UNC Charlotte football began in 2013. It has been the subject of attention at several SGA meetings, and it has been particularly stressed this year by the athletic department and UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip Dubois.

“They kind of put it in our hands, they said that, ‘We know what we want to do, but you guys are the students, you guys are the voice so let’s hear from you,’” said Kwolyk.

The Student Ticket Allocation Act was created to combat reserved seating going consistently unused.

Seats that would normally go unused are now open to the general public. SGA hopes that this will increase attendance.

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Photo by Benjamin Robson

Niner Times launches new website

SOUTH VILLAGE DINING HALL OPENS DOORS

Jared Green

STAFF WRITER After a long wait and a build-up of anticipation South Village Crossing is finally open.

One of the primary features of South Village Crossing is the new dining hall (being nicknamed “SoVi”) that will serve to retire RDH after its many years of feeding students.

SoVi opened Jan. 6 as students began to return from the winter holidays.

SoVi is based on a design concept similar to Crown Commons in which cooking areas are exposed so students can see the work that takes place behind the stove. SoVi also resembles Crown in that there are multiple food stations and there is an open dining layout.

However, SoVi has a good deal more square footage than Crown Commons, with new and revamped food station options.

Students can choose from a pizza/ pasta station, salad station, Euro station, Japanese grill station and a

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specialized dessert counter, among other options.

The salad station in SoVi has an open grill for chefs to cook madeto-order meats for salads. The Euro station serves specially-crafted European-inspired foods such as Swedish meatballs, with different choices daily.

The size of the plates at SoVi are smaller than those at Crown Commons. By using smaller plates, it will be easier for students to control overeating because they can visually see healthy portion sizes.

Smaller plates also help reduce the amount of food waste.

Freshman Josh Stowe enjoys his short walk to SoVi from Hunt Hall as well as its dining options.

“It’s definitely not the same [as Crown Commons]. The food at Crown seemed more like traditional cafeteria food; the food here is more like something you could get at a restaurant,” said Stowe. “The Den

is nice too ... it adds that extra variety. So you can get pretty much whatever you want here.”

The Den is a diner spinoff of Denny’s, offering the usual diner options like burgers and sandwiches.

The Den is upon until 2 a.m. on most nights and is sure to create a more convenient dining experience for students. SoVi2go and SoVi Market + Bakery are additional dining options with ready-to-eat foods such as soups, salads, sandwiches and baked goods.

The upper floor of South Village Crossing boasts a large lounge area where students can relax with friends or study, complete with indoor and outdoor seating.

The large space has TVs and two fireplaces. There are also study rooms available for student use.

For more photos, check out page 14, or visit us at NinerTimes.com

JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

The Niner Times has moved websites, transferring to the new NinerTimes.com from NinerOnline.com.

The new website, which launched on Jan. 7, includes Niner Times produced content dating back to 2011 and will continue to provide daily online exclusive content to the UNC Charlotte community.

Other ways to access the Niner Times include Twitter and Instagram (@niner_times), Facebook (Niner Times), YouTube (unccNinerTimes) and our mobile application (Niner Times, on iOS and Android systems).

The Niner Times has positions open to all students, including writing, photography and videography.

Other Niner Media departments include opportunities in radio, marketing, promotions, web development, layout and design.

For more information on getting involved with any area of Niner Media, contact Eden Creamer at editor@ninertimes.com.

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POLICE BLOTTER JAN. 6 - 8

ACCIDENT JAN. 7

• North Deck, officers took a report regarding a hit and run.

ARREST JAN. 8

• Belk Tower, officer noticed subject known to have active warrants. Officers made contact and placed subject under arrest.

BREAKING AND ENTERING JAN. 6

• UNC Charlotte Venture Program, officer(s) responded to a call regarding property being stolen from a shed which may have been left unsecured.

LARCENY JAN. 6

• Student Activity Center, officers responded to stolen property left unattended in public area.

JAN. 7

• Hunt Hall, unknown person(s) removed victim’s bike left in common area of his dorm room unsecured.

JAN. 6

• Cone Center, officers took report regarding a damaged drain pipe.

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

weather.uncc.edu UNC CHARLOTTE METEOROLOGY PROGRAM

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UNC CHARLOTTE POLICE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES FUNDING FOR LIFESAFE, ‘A MOBILE BLUE LIGHT PHONE’ THAT WILL HELP STUDENTS IN DISTRESS AND HELP SEND ALERTS

Sara Carson

NEWS EDITOR UNC Charlotte Police Department got funding approved for LiveSafe, a ‘mobile blue light phone’ that will help students in distress, and help send emergency alerts.

With the start of a new year, UNC Charlotte Police Department is looking to equip students with additional security measures.

During the Fall 2014 semester, Police Chief Jeffrey Baker, along with Lieutenant Brian Thomas began looking into a mobile application called LiveSafe.

“LiveSafe is a new safety technology that combines a campus safety app for students with a cloud-based Command Dashboard for safety officials. It facilitates discreet and risk-free bystander intervention by community members through information sharing with campus safety officials,” as stated on LiveSafe’s webpage.

The application offers a variety of features that can not only facilitate students in a time of distress, but also help UNCCPD to send out alerts in the case of a campus emergency.

Say a student is walking to their dorm late at night from a nearby

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parking garage. If that student feels like they are in danger, there is a one-touch button, which can connect that student directly to emergency dispatch.

“That has been a concern related to us from time to time. From students, staff and faculty, having to dial -2200 to get our emergency dispatch is kind of a problem, they just didn’t like it. Now, with this app, you have an emergency button, and you just hit it and it automatically goes to -2200. So there is no dialing with that. So we do have that one-button availability to contact emergency dispatch,” said Baker.

When the button is pushed, the police department can track the student through the GPS installed in their cell phone.

If the student is able to take a picture of the suspect, he or she can send it directly to the emergency dispatch center through the mobile application.

If the student finds a hiding place somewhere between the parking garage and their dorm, and is unable to make any loud noises, LiveSafe has a feature where the student in distress can communicate via text FRIDAY JAN. 16

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messages with emergency dispatch.

Even if a student doesn’t happen to be in the presence of imminent danger, but simply doesn’t feel safe walking somewhere alone, LiveSafe has something to facilitate them as well. SafeWalk is a feature offered by the application that, when turned on, allows their phone to trace the route they take so that if something does happen to them, police can trace their steps.

In addition to these features, the application works through push button notifications. This means that if there was an incident on campus and the police department needed a quick way to alert students (whereas the general email notifications may not be fast enough), they can send information via push notifications.

Talk of implementing the application for students at UNC Charlotte has gone on for roughly a year, and one of the main areas of conflict keeping the university from partnering with the LiveSafe was the issue of funding. The application costs $3 per download on each student’s phone. UNC Charlotte, having a total enrollment of just over 27,000 students, would bring SUNDAY

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the total cost of LiveSafe to $81,000.

Acknowledging that students would likely not download the application if they had to pay for it out-ofpocket, Baker and Thomas went to Chancellor Philip Dubois to see if they could get funding from the university.

After talking it over with Dubois, he gave great support for a potential contract with LiveSafe, according to Baker.

“This is an initiative from the chancellor. He supported it and wanted to see this implemented. It’s one of his many safety initiatives,” said Baker.

Currently, the department is in a contractual stage with LiveSafe.

Funding for the application was approved at the end of the Fall 2014

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semester. The university’s Office of Legal Affairs is working through the details of the potential contract.

Baker hopes the application will be ready for students to download by the end of February 2015.

“We’re crossing our fingers.

We’re hoping that’s (late February) when we can get this in place, or sooner, it just all depends. Maybe it’ll be the end of January - the sooner the better,” said Baker.

Since funding was approved, LiveSafe will be free for all undergraduate students.

The department plans on encouraging students to download the mobile application through marketing it in a variety of ways. Baker said the department would market LiveSafe through tabling in the Student Union,

attending classes in different colleges across campus, posts on Facebook and Twitter and releases through the campus public relations group.

“Any way that we can think to market this and to get students to sign up, we’re going to do it,” said Baker.

The chief hopes to accumulate a large number of downloads in June as the first SOAR sessions take place on campus to welcome freshman and transfer as well as their parents.

“In some ways we’re even going to be able to appeal to parents and say, ‘Look you know we have this available for your son or your daughter to download, and it’s a wonderful way that they can communicate with our emergency dispatcher,’” said Baker.

“We want to provide, as a university, as many modes of safety as we

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can … based on technology, we constantly have to upgrade and look to the future, what is best. Now what we see is that you can have a highly sophisticated application on your phone that will provide unlimited safety to students,” said Baker.

Screen displays of the LiveSafe application.

(From left to right) LiveSafe’s home screen, a variety of options to choose from in a case of distress and the opening screen to the application’s SafeWalk feature.

Photos courtesy of Lt. Brian Thomas

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SATIRE VS.

ISLAMOPHOBIA

In the wake of the attack on Charlie Hebdo and the following hate crimes targeted at Muslims, we have to recognize the double standard of “free speech” Casey Aldridge

STAFF WRITER Nothing excuses the tragic murders of 12 writers, including the editor, of the satirical Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris on Jan. 7, and my heart goes out to the victims. In turn, nothing excuses the hate crimes that will follow against Muslims and Arabs in the West or the justification for imperialism and war that the West will draw from this. Again, my heart goes out to the victims, but it’s important that in our critique of society we focus our criticism on those in power.

Satire is a powerful and honorable weapon when used appropriately, effectively and responsibly. Since its inception, the art of satire has been a way to attack power. With a joke, a writer or comedian can apply poignant social critique in a way that’s seen as generally harmless, and, to the political elite, to the ruling class, to the privileged tier of society, it is. Satire can ferment righteous populist anger, but more often than not, it’s simply echoed down the halls of largely privileged intellectuals.

Because of its limitations, it’s permitted. Satire generally doesn’t have material consequences toward the state. And where satire does adopt a revolutionary approach and relentlessly goes after the state, you’ll very likely see the state – in turn – go after the satirists.

I hadn’t heard of Charlie Hebdo before the shootings on Jan. 7, but in the wealth of information dispersed about the publication in the days since, I’ve learned that Charlie Hebdo has been banned by the state before for insulting ex-president of France Charles de

Gaulle. I’ve learned, also, that the magazine has published vilely racist cartoons about the prophet Muhammad and about Islam in general. I’ve learned that, in every instance where Charlie Hebdo has gone after the Muslim community, the government has reaffirmed the right to freedom of the press and freedom of expression. I’ve learned that the offices of Charlie Hebdo were attacked before, in November 2011, after the magazine published an issue retitled as “Sharia Hebdo” with a caricature of Muhammad saying, “100 lashes if you don’t die of laughter.”

The disproportionate reaction of the French government to Charlie Hebdo when it felt under attack, as opposed to the French government’s timid criticism and ultimate reaffirmation of free speech when the magazine generalizes and goes after Muslims is telling of the double standard of “free speech.” It’s telling that the question is not whether free speech exists, but for whom does it exist?

Last year, France became the first country in the world to outlaw protests and demonstrations expressing solidarity with the people of Palestine, at a time when Gaza was under daily siege and bombing by the Israeli Defense Forces. In that conflict last summer, no fewer than 17 journalists in Gaza were killed in Israeli air raids without uproar. Just a few days before the Charlie Hebdo attack, in neighboring Germany, millions marched against the “Islamization of Europe,” whatever precisely that means. Back in France, a ban on the burqa just went into force, again calling into question: freedom of expression for whom?

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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The day following the shooting, a mosque in Le Mans, France was firebombed and another was attacked in Narbonne. Ultimately, though, neither of these cases will receive the scrutiny and condemnation that the Hebdo attack did and neither will be categorized as “terrorism.”

Terrorism, of course, has a material basis, but that’s a consideration often forgotten. Terrorism doesn’t happen in a vacuum and is not immune to social conditions; rather, social conditions create and accentuate terrorism.

Terrorism isn’t the result of really powerful religious beliefs or taking offense to a cartoon.

It is the result of desperation. When bulldozers knock down your home and your father is killed by a drone strike, it’s perfectly natural to look to the extreme. It should go without stating, terror is an inappropriate and ineffective form of emancipation, but that’s another point entirely.

If we want to end terror, we must first work to dismantle the systems of oppression that create its appeal: war, ethnic cleansing, bans on religious garb, hate crimes, drone strikes, capitalism and occupation.

The answer to the repeated question – “Freedom of expression for whom?” – is that free speech, free press and the protection of the state in publishing speech and press, is reserved for the voices that echo – or, at the very least, coexist with – the narrative of the state. From here on out, use your pen to attack those in power. Use your pen to illuminate the contradictions in a cruel and inhumane system, to break down social injustice and to write a new world in its place.

GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK Niner Times welcomes letters. Feedback should be under 200 words, legibly written or typed and should include the author’s signature, year in school, major and telephone number. Faculty and staff should include title and department. Unsigned, anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters are subject to editing for space and style.

JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

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49ers women split two conference home games The Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team sits at 5-10 overall and 1-2 in conference play after last week’s slate of games

Stephanie Smith

INTERN

GAME ONE Western Kentucky commanded the game from the opening tip to the final buzzer. They beat the 49ers 70-61 demonstrating why they are a nationally ranked team.

Both teams traded baskets for the first five minutes of intense backand-forth play as neither Charlotte nor Western Kentucky was able to get into an offensive rhythm. Western Kentucky was able to dominate the paint early as they out-rebounded the 49ers 12-8.

Their defensive rebounding led to numerous possession in transition, which they were able to convert into easy baskets. With ten minutes remaining Charlotte trailed the

Lady Toppers 17-13.

Charlotte fought tooth and nail to stay within striking distance as Western Kentucky tried to pull ahead with a 6-0 run. However, Charlotte head coach Cara Consuegra called a timeout with seven minutes left to try to stop the momentum swing of the Lady Toppers and get the 49ers back on track.

Western Kentucky tried to creep ahead but they were met with resistance as Lefty Webster grabbed a loose ball and dished to Ayanna Holmes for a basket and a foul, pulling the 49ers to within five points with 10 seconds left in the first half.

As time dwindled, Ciara Gregory drove the ball deep in the paint and finished with a scoop layup making the score 39-36 in favor of Western Kentucky at the break.

At the half, the 49ers were led by Kira Gordon who had nine points and Webster who snatched seven rebounds and dished out four assists.

Charlotte shot 38 percent from the field and was never able to establish offensive rhythm as they battled to regain the lead.

Although the offense was messy, Charlotte was able to get to the free throw line 12 times in the half.

“Getting to the free throw line was a big positive in the first half because it forced Western Kentucky into their man-to-man offense,” said Coach Consuegra.

The Lady Toppers were led by All-American candidate Chastity Gooch who had 12 points and six rebounds. Western Kentucky shot 47 perKira Gordon led the 49ers in scoring in both games.

Photo by Ben Robson. cent from the field as most

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Scott Gordon

STAFF WRITER of their shots were under the basket when they scored in transition.

Opening the second half, Charlotte came out with renewed defensive intensity and offensive flare. Hillary Sigmon led the charge by hitting back-to-back three-pointers to tie the game at 46.

Western Kentucky fought back by grabbing rebounds, loose balls and hitting three-pointers. With 11 minutes left in regulation, Western Kentucky led the 49ers 57-49.

Alexis Govan emerged as another offensive threat as she hit multiple three-pointers and jump shots.

Charlotte continued to struggle to get rebounds and lock down defensively as Western Kentucky stretched their lead to 13 points with three minutes remaining pushing the score to 70-57.

At the one-minute mark the Lady Toppers hit a quick layup to put the game out of reach, crushing the 49ers comeback hopes.

Western Kentucky’s leading scorer was Govan with 24 points while Gooch earned a double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds.

“Offensive rebounding was key in this game. Every time we would get close and when we needed a stop they would come up with an offensive rebound. But when we get an offensive rebound we can’t convert,” said Consuegra.

Charlotte falls to 4-10 on the year and 0-2 in Conference USA. GAME TWO It was a brisk night in the Queen City Saturday as the Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team played host to C-USA foe Marshall. Charlotte shot 48 percent from the field and 62 percent from behind the arc as they cruised to the 74-56 victory over the Thundering Herd, giving the 49ers their first win in conference play.

Charlotte (5-10, 1-2) was a little

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slow out of the gate with multiple turnovers in the first couple minutes of play and quickly found themselves in a 5-0 hole when head coach Consuegra called a timeout. Charlotte would go on a 9-0 run from that point.

Webster got a steal that led to fast break points for Olivia Rankin; then Sigmon drained one of two first half three pointers to give Charlotte a 7-5 lead. Charlotte continued to control the pace for the rest of the half.

Webster was able to knock down two shots from deep before heading to the bench in foul trouble. Charlotte played 11 players in the first half and nine of them contributed points.

The second half was more of the same for the 49ers who continued to move the ball around very effectively against the Marshall (9-5, 1-2) defense. At times the Charlotte offense looked a little stagnant, but they seemed to always find someone open for a good shot when they needed it.

Sigmon knocked down two big threes for the 49ers in the second half and finished the game 4-5 from beyond the arc. Gordon and Alexis Alexander had big second halves, scoring 13 and eight points respectively in the final 20 minutes.

Gordon finished the game with 16 points and eight rebounds to lead the way for the 49ers. Webster picked up her fourth foul with more than 13 minutes remaining in the game, but was still able to contribute 13 points in just 19 minutes of action.

Charlotte ended the game with 29 field goals, 21 of which were assisted.

“Just a really great team win that our players deserve because they earned it,” Consuegra said.

“We’re a better team when we move the ball. Today we did that.”

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ALAN MAJOR TAKES INDEFINITE MEDICAL LEAVE OF ABSENCE 49ERS MEN’S BASKETBALL HEAD COACH ALAN MAJOR HAS TAKEN A SECOND LEAVE OF ABSENCE TO DEAL WITH ONGOING HEALTH ISSUES

Alex Passannante

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR This past summer, head coach Alan Major took a medical leave of absence for surgeries on his eyes and heart. He returned to the team in the fall and has guided the team to a 6-7 record this season.

For the second time in a year, Major has announced that he is taking another medical leave of absence.

“This is an extremely difficult basketball decision for me to make, but more importantly, it’s a life and health decision,” Major said in a statement released by the 49ers athletics department.

“It will be difficult being away from the team, but I’ll maintain contact with the guys on a regular basis. I have the best staff in the country and those guys are fully-prepared to take our team into battle. I look forward to attacking this recovery process and getting back to leading this program into the future.”

Interim head coach Ryan Odom and Athletic Director Judy Rose held a press conference today to talk about the situation. Rose said Major approached her late last night to talk.

“We met last night after the coach’s show. There have been some instances that people have seen after some of the contests. He told me that he came back too soon,” Rose said.

“It’s been obvious in some of his behaviors and the most important thing to him is that the team comes first. He needs to have the energy level to provide day in and day out, and right now he can’t do that. His body is not allowing him to do that.”

Rose said she believes the team will be in very able hands with Odom as well as assistant coaches like Orlando Vandross and Desmond Oliver.

She also said that she was surprised by the talk

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that she and Major

Coach Alan Major during a game last February. NT File Photo

had last night.

“There was an incident in Charleston, so I knew that something was going on; but I don’t see him everyday, so I was surprised by this.”

Rose said Major will be back, and he will decide when that day will be.

“The next step is Ryan (Odom) will step in and call the shots. This will be day-to-day for Alan and it’s an indefinite time period. He’s got to let us know when he feels like he can come back. He will be under medical care and it’s a continuation of the healing that did not get completed the first time around.”

On the subject of what ailment Major is dealing with, Rose said she must respect Major’s privacy.

“I’m not trying to be vague, but there’s a lot of privacy issues here. Coach is a very private

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person to begin with and I’m certainly going to respect that. We’re not going to pressure him in anyway from any time standpoint.”

Odom, who has coached at Virginia Tech, American, South Florida and UNC Asheville, said today was a tough day for the team.

“The entire team is sad to hear how coach is dealing with this. There were tears, hugs and obviously he’s not gone for good, this is an intermediate time. It’s a tough situation for 18 to 22 year old guys to understand. He wants to give everything to his players but we all have his back.

We’re going to do our best to make him proud for when he gets back.”

When asked how he will approach this situation, Odom said he will have a lot of help.

“It’s a collective effort. I don’t feel any responsibility like it’s all on me. Vandross and Oliver are tremendous and we’re going to do it together. We have great guys in our locker room and a team that can win games this year. We’re approaching it like coach is here and it’s business as usual.”

Odom took over the program last summer when Major took his first leave, but this time, it’s right in the middle of the season.

“It’s an advantage as much as it can be that I’ve done this before, but there were no games in the summer, no live bullets so to speak. It’ll benefit us because we have a format that we can follow.”

Odom was adamant that he won’t alter anything that Major has instilled in the team, saying that he will coach the same way.

“We’re not going to change anything. We’re going to attack it the same way as if Alan was here.”

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DORMTAINMENT, FUNNY AF Comedy group Dormtainment brings their six-man act to campus on Friday, Jan. 16 at McKnight Hall

Photos in this spread courtesy of Dormtainment

Leanna Pough

A&E EDITOR “Living in the living room,” “Tay eats butt” and “Dirty Girl.” These are a just a few titles and topics covered by six-man comedy group Dormtainment.

“A lot of our stuff comes from real life. We’ll be thinking of something or out with each other and something will spark,” says Miami native, Mike Anthony.

Together, Mike, Chaz Miller, Cameron Miller, Amanuel Richards, Jerome Green and Daunte Died write, film and produce all Dormtainment albums and skits.

Since their start, the group has consistently produced six years of fresh content, thanks to hygiene.

“We get a little dirty in the research, so we keep the content fresh,” Cam jokes.

Without much competition from other black entertainers

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with in-house work, Dormtainment is already ahead of the curve.

“I think we try to touch on topics nobody is touching on because we don’t want to follow the trend,” says Chaz.

“If we question our craft then we can get better.

That’s always our goal,” says Amanuel.

The guys are currently preparing for their next episode for their Comedy Central web series, an album release later this year and writing a movie. They are clearly competing with idols Kevin Hart and Seth Rogan for working men of the year.

What’s next for the fellas? This February we can expect live shows, new skits and a new Black National Geographic comedy series in honor of Black History month.

A new form of standup.

JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

Dormtainment’s steps to a “goldmine,” according to the guys 1. Go to a real club with people having fun and walk past the line to get in.

2. Meet some cool people who like to do what you do and have an after-party with them.

3. As the night dwindles there’s less people and everybody wakes up happy.

4. You’re in bed by 9:30 a.m. *BONUS: Getting material to inspire a skit.

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The Evasons Photo courtesy of official website

Mentalist duo The Evasons get into your head Leanna Pough

A&E EDITOR I’ll be the first to say I am neither a skeptic nor a believer of the clairvoyant, but mentalist duo Jess and Tessa Evason made me question.

I believe energy, vibes and juju.

Like many, I’m well aware of the power of the human mind and the transmission of energy.

Friday night, Jan. 9, The Evasons exercised their most powerful muscle, in using numbers as a form of communication. With this, wife Tessa calls credit card and social security numbers and even the serial numbers of twenty-dollar bills.

Taking it a step further, she rattles off the full names of students while her husband, Jeff, keeps the crowd warm and chooses participants.

The Evasons never claimed to be psychics and they didn’t come off as your typical circus act. Instead, they used basic reasoning.

“It’s all about the unconscious mind, trust your own instincts,”

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Tessa explained.

Jeff described Tessa as a mentalist or intuitive.

From DIY Sudoku to their pendulum, The Evason’s 31 years of experience afforded them a soft spoken yet Vegas style stage presence that had us all on the edge of our seats yelling, “Pick me!”

It’s not only their performance and talents that stand out, but the balance between them as well. Tessa appears rather serene and her voice never goes above a conversational pitch. Jeff tends to work the crowd; he’s hype, interactive and funny. This puts their aura at equilibrium.

I don’t believe in psychics, but I believe in energy and Tessa is a discerner to say the least.

For more information, visit The Evason’s website at www.evason.com or follow them on Twitter @The_Evasons.

ACROSS 1 Tie with a cord 5 Acute anxiety 10 Miss from Madrid: Abbr.

14 Texter’s “That being said ...”

15 Get on the phone, say 16 Lustful look 17 *Miracle Mets center fielder 19 “If all __ fails ...’’

20 Weed whacker 21 Friskies eater 22 “Your choice” 24 Skip over in pronunciation 26 *Creator of Daffy and Bugs 28 Nevada gambling city 29 __ for the course 31 Variety show 32 Dressing component 36 Nav. rank

JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

37 *“Songs About Me” country singer 39 Dashboard meas.

41 Unsettled detail 42 Island near Venezuela 44 Mexican mama bear 45 Official records 49 *He voiced Buzz Lightyear in “Toy Story” 52 European toast 53 Come by 54 Fraternal club member 56 CCV x X 57 Roughly 58 *Three-time Super Bowl-winning Cowboys quarterback 61 Dumbfound 62 Wished (for) 63 Odometer unit 64 Pajama parts 65 Line in a ledger 66 Fret

DOWN 1 Pester 2 Peter of “Goodbye, Mr. Chips” (1969) 3 Chinese noodle dish 4 Unit of resistance 5 Bay __: Oakland’s locale 6 Tidy 7 Joke 8 Bad thing to make in public 9 Bad thing to get at work 10 Record protector 11 Takes over for 12 Trial in simulated conditions 13 “You __ My Sunshine” 18 Skating surface 23 Large game fish 25 Way in 26 High-level betrayal 27 “You betcha!”

29 __ de gallo: salsa fresca 30 Chevy hatchback 33 [I don’t remember the words] 34 Laudatory poems 35 Swedish furniture giant 37 Good sign from Ebert 38 Fargo’s state: Abbr.

39 Yoga class rental 40 Before 43 They’re waved by conductors 46 Say “I do,” say 47 Husk-wrapped Mexican dish, and when divided in three parts, a hint to the answers to starred clues 48 Never seen before 50 Supple 51 Scandal-plagued energy giant 52 Enjoy the slopes 54 Watcher 55 Title for Godiva 57 East, to Ernst 59 Make a choice 60 Metric distances: Abbr.

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Photo by Chris Crews

SOVI:

A DELICIOUS ADDITION TO ON CAMPUS DINING

Construction issues may have delayed the opening of South Village Dining Hall, but so far the dining hall has proved to be worth the wait

Vivian Westra

STAFF WRITER The lazy days of winter break are sadly officially over, which means all-nighters, tests and stress have found their way back into our lives.

With the new year rolling in, there are many new and exciting additions to our campus at UNC Charlotte. The opening that everyone has been waiting for is definitely the South Village Dining Hall, better known as SoVi. The newest addition to campus dining opened its doors for the first time for dinner on Tuesday, Jan. 6 and began its normal operating hours on Wednesday, Jan. 7.

The new dining hall is filled with new places to eat, enjoy and hang out such as SoVi2Go, The Den, a bakery and a small convenience store, similar to Outtakes.

The dining hall has so many new and different

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dining options that cater to most people’s taste.

As a vegetarian, I never really liked eating at the dining halls because all that was offered to me most of the time was just salad.

At SoVi, they have so many more vegetarian and vegan options that are both delicious and healthy.

One station they have is an Asian station with a Teppanyaki grill, which is what they have at the Japanese steakhouses where they cook in front of you. Students are able to order made-to-order dishes that satisfy their diets and their taste buds.

The Euro station has two Evo grills. For all the carb-lovers out there, try the Italian area that serves pasta, pizza and other entrees. For a quick bite, there is a deli with an oven for toasted sandJAN. 13 - 19, 2015

Hours of operation SoVi Dining Monday to Friday:

Breakfast: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Lunch: 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Dinner: 5 to 8:30 p.m.

SoVi Market and Bakery Sunday to Saturday:

8:30 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

The Den

Saturday and Sunday:

Monday to Friday:

Brunch: 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Dinner: 5 to 8:30 p.m.

3 p.m to 2 a.m.

SoVi2Go

To view full schedule, visit aux.uncc.edu

Monday to Friday:

7:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday:

10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

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SOVI, cont. wiches and a salad bar.

While dining in, all of the cooks are so friendly and cater to your dietary needs whether it be vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free.

One of the most exciting parts of the new dining hall is the SoVi2Go option on the top level of the building. SoVi2Go offers fresh hot meals to go if you are in a rush and do not have time to sit down and have a meal.

All you have to do is pay a one time fee of $8 for the to-go boxes and use a meal swipe whenever you want to take food out.

One of the most exciting additions

SoVi brings to campus is Denny’s, or ‘The Den.’ The Den is open from 10:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. to satisfy all of your late-night study cravings when the rest of the dining facilities on campus are closed.

It also makes a great hang out spot when there isn’t much else going on.

On the top level, there is a bakery and market that stays open until 11:30 p.m. every weeknight that provides fresh baked goods.

In addition to the numerous eating options available in SoVi, it makes a great place to kick back and hang out with friends.

The top floor offers many seating areas for you and your friends to hang out. There are also televisions and fireplaces there for your enjoyment.

All in all, if you have not tried out SoVi yet, it is a must.

The food is so fresh and has the variety that will satisfy all your special dietary needs and cravings.

If you do not have a meal plan that contains meal swipes, be sure to follow dining services on Twitter @ UNCCDining to find out when they let students in for free.

January’s book is

‘ Paper Towns’

by John Green

Check back at the end of the month for a review Tweet us @niner_times or email lifestyle@ninertimes.com to tell us your thoughts about this month’s book!

SoVi Dining Pricing Breakfast: $6.50 Brunch: $8.15 Lunch: $8.15 Dinner: $10

A

C

B

For a full photo slideshow, visit us at NinerTimes.com 14

(A) One of many stations in SoVi to get food freshly prepared. (B) Chandelier at the entrance of SoVi (C) Seating and fireplaces on the main floor of SoVi

JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

All photos by Chris Crews

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JAN. 13 - 19, 2015

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