In a dynamite season opener, several Niners had fantastic performances at the 49er Classic, the first outdoor meet of the season. p. 9 Shawn Johnson Q&A
Before speaking on campus last week, Olympian Shawn Johnson sat down with the Niner Times for an exclusive interview. Read the transcript here, and see the video on NinerTimes.com. p. 3
OP-ED: Summer classes Summer classes can be a great way to get ahead on your courses or to catch up to your desired graduation term. Check out some things to consider before registration this year.
p. 7
Roommate apps
Conflict is just a way of life with roommates. Technology can make it easy to juggle communication, chores, groceries and more. Check out some of our favorite roomie apps. p. 14
A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 27, ISSUE 22 23 MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015 NINERTIMES.COM
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ADDITIONAL STAFF Chris Crews, Josiah Goodrum, Chester Griffin, Sean Grier, Andrew James, Warren Pettee, Benjamin Robson, Stephanie Smith, Sydney Stephens
MARKETING STAFF Katelyn Ford, Malik Francis, Andrew Hocutt, Kayla McCall, Dylan Robison, Tia Warren Promotions Coordinator: Sean Grier
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SHAWN JOHNSON Q&A SGA UPDATE KEEPING WATCH OP-ED: SUMMER CLASSES OP-ED: OPEN MINDEDNESS
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COVER PHOTOS COURTESY OF PATRICK BOGANS, BEN COON, EDEN CREAMER, CHRIS CREWS, DANIELA COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS• INSIDE PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS JARAMILLO, MCT CAMPUS AND ERIK SULLIVAN • INSIDE PHOTO COURTESY OF BAILEY WILLIAMS
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MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
NINERTIMES
Q&A WITH OLYMPIAN
SHAWN JOHNSON A NINER TIMES EXCLUSIVE
Andrew James
STAFF WRITER Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson spoke ] in McKnight Hall on March 19 as a part of the Center for Leadership Development’s Forty-Niner Forum. Niner Times sat down for an exclusive interview with Johnson before her speech to learn more about her life and Olympic career. Q: Talk to me about the experience of being in the Olympics. A: The Olympics is the greatest, biggest, largest stage in the world. It was incredible. Working towards the Olympics is the epitome of your dreams. Growing up wanting to go to the Olympics, when you actually get there it is a rush of emotions. You’re sad because you’re there and your career is getting ready to be over, you’re excited, you’re happy, you’re overwhelmed because you’re remembering all of the hard work it took to get there. It’s really neat because you’re in the company of every Olympian in the world. Q: Most gymnasts trained 40 hours a week and had a private tutor, you chose not to do that. Why did you choose to do it that way? A: Most girls do private home schooling and train 40 hours a week. With my coach it was a lot different. One, my family would never have done that, we were kind of that “All-American Midwest Family” that didn’t sacrifice the world for a sport. My parents would have switched me to soccer if it came to 40 hours a week and home-schooling. Also, we were lucky to have a coach that believed in having a social life. He thought it would keep you grounded and interested in the sport. He wanted us to be kids. Q: Talk to me about your injury leading up to the 2012 Olympics and how that situation unfolded. A: The one rule my coach made me promise and follow was that I was never allowed to go skiing. Well after I finished Beijing I wanted to go skiing and my parents took me and I fell in love with it. Two years later, skiing I tore my knee. It was just
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a freak accident, something that was supposed to happen one way or another. But I remember when I fell and I felt something go wrong, my first thought was ‘What if I can never do gymnastics again?’ That was definitely a hard lesson to learn, to be humbled. It was the first time I didn’t think of my body as an invincible machine. I was actually breakable, which was quite the learning experience. Q: The moment when you realized you were going to retire, what was that like? A: The moment I decided I was going to retire it was kind of like the Olympics, it was that monumental for me. It was a relief, I had hit a low in my career and life just not knowing what to do. Deciding to finish took the world of weight off my shoulders. It was also sad because I didn’t know what to do. It was confusing because every single day of my life I had gone to the gym. I am also a huge people-pleaser so I didn’t want to disappoint people. I felt like I was letting down a lot of people. But it was for the better, I think I was healthier after doing it. Q: Now that you are not competing, where do you channel the drive, focus and commitment you needed to become an Olympian? A: I think I have lost a lot of it now. All of the drive and stuff that goes into the Olympics, a lot of it goes away. I get to actually live now and not train like an elite crazy woman. I get to be normal. But, a lot of it is just fueled into goals and aspirations. Q: During your gymnastics career and after it, what are your proudest moments? A: My proudest moment in my gymnastics career would be my silver medal in the all-around just because that was my event. I had overcome a lot of things behind the scenes that were really difficult to handle. I was proud of that outcome. Afterwords, it sounds dorky and nerdy but it was one of those normal human experiences for me MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
Tribune News Service
getting my acceptance letter from Vanderbilt. It was probably one of the coolest things ever. Q: Why did you decide to write books? A: I kept a lot of journals and diaries during my career and when I am competing they tell you to be an unbreakable machine. So you don’t want to show any vulnerability. So if you have a bad day you hide it, if you cry you hide it, and in a diary and journal I would write everything down. And after the Olympics, when I no longer had to be a machine I decided to print all of it, show people that we actually are human. We’re normal, we have bad days like you and this is how it happened.
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MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
NINERTIMES
POLICE BLOTTER MARCH 13-18
ACCIDENT MARCH 13
• Phillips Road, driver of a bus steered left to make a wide right turn and came into contact with the branches of a tree in the median.
MARCH 14
• Lot 19, while pulling out of a parking spot, vehicle one turned too soon and struck front driver side of vehicle two.
ASSAULT MARCH 17
• Greek Village, officer took a report regarding a possible sexual assault.
MARCH 18
• Construction site near Hunt Hall, victim reported that his co-worker struck him in the head with his fist.
MISSING PERSON MARCH 14
• Alumni Way Apartments, officers took a report of an adult student who has not been seen or heard from since March 6. Officers were unsuccessful in locating this person during a welfare check.
VANDALISM MARCH 15
• Lot 6, officers took a report of a light pole that had been knocked to the ground. For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
weather.uncc.edu UNC CHARLOTTE METEOROLOGY PROGRAM
ASST. NEWS EDITOR The Student Government Association (SGA) held their weekly Student Senate legislative meeting March 19. SGA banquet At the end of the term, members of all three branches of student government will dine together to commemorate this past session. During the award, Student Body Vice President and Head of SGA Ruthie Schorr will be awarding a select few members with superlatives. Some of the topics include the Difference Award, which is awarded to the senator who made a lasting difference for Senate and for UNC Charlotte. Other awards need no explanation such as the Best Piece of Legislation Award, the Most Ambitious Senator award and the Most Likely to be President of the United States award. During this meeting, senators voted on who they feel most deserves to be recognized for their efforts. Raising voter awareness The Publicity and Outreach Committee is looking to increase awareness of the upcoming elections and to increase voter turnout by spreading the word on social media. The Committee will
also be tabling Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week. Publicity and Outreach The Publicity and Outreach Committee has also been invited to East Gaston High School to speak to students in an economics class about SGA. Privacy violation with gym monitoring system Upon further investigation into implementing a monitoring system in the gyms on campus, the Student Affairs Committee was hindered by the privacy violation with installing cameras in the gym. It was brought to their attention that such a system might make some students feel uncomfortable that they were potentially being watched while they exercised. Student Affairs is now exploring other options for monitoring the capacity of the gyms without the use of cameras. They are currently considering the possibility of using laser gates that scan students as they enter the gym. FPA Revisions Act for 2015 approved The Organizational Ways and Means Committee made a couple of revisions to the act since it
TUESDAY
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THURSDAY MARCH 26
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FRIDAY
Partly cloudy, 40 percent chance of rain. Low of 50.
MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
SATURDAY MARCH 28
54°F Partly cloudy. Low of 40.
was first propose two meetings ago. They added more specific wording that events on campus must be open to all students. They also added that the FPA Revisions Act will take effect beginning the 52nd session of the Student Senate legislative branch. This will give organizations more time to adjust to these changes and plan events accordingly. Monthly Reporting Act approved This act will require that each member of the SGA Executive Branch come in at least once a month and report to the members of the legislative branch during their Thursday meetings. However, there are no consequences if a member of the Executive Branch is unable to report for the month. Members of the Executive Branch are not required to report in at the same time. Members can come in and report individually whenever they have the time as long as it is within the month. New student organizations Notice the Abuse is a new organization that promotes awareness of all types of abuse and establishes a safe place for students to speak up. SUNDAY
MARCH 29
59°F Sunny. Low of 37.
MONDAY
MARCH 30
64°F Sunny. Low of 40.
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KEEPING WATCH features city of creeks exhibit at Center City Building To kick off the second part of their three year initiative, the organization will hold an exhibit highlighting environmental engagement Chester Griffin
STAFF WRITER On March 27, KEEPING WATCH kicks off the second part of its three year initiative with an exhibit opening at the Projective Eye Gallery at the UNC Charlotte Center City. Their latest project is titled “KEEPING WATCH on WATER: City of Creeks.” KEEPING WATCH was organized by the UNC Charlotte Urban Institute and College of Arts and Architecture with the intent “to bring attention to environmental topics using art and science and community engagement,” said one of its leading collaborators and Associate Director of Urban and Regional Affairs Mary Newsom. The KEEPING WATCH alliance is directed by Newsom, Director of Galleries for the College of Arts and Architecture Crista Cammaroto and independent curator of Lambla artWORKS June Lambla. Newsom describes her attraction to the particular project as being a combination of both civic pride and the proximity of living near a creek. “There are two real reasons: one is that ever since I’ve lived in Charlotte, the civic leaders will say sort of apologetically that ‘we don’t have a river, you know we don’t have a mountain, we don’t have a port,’ and I rather look at what we do have and what we do have is this really amazing network of 3000 miles of creeks, folks have no idea,” said Newsom. “Reason number two is much more simple; there’s an old saying in journalism that ‘news is what happens near an editor’ and we have a creek that runs down the middle of the street where I live so I’ve been watching it for years and you just get interested.” The upcoming exhibition features works produced by several artists and ends on June 17.
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Both artists Marek Ranis and Tina Katsanos have created a video installation titled “STEWARDSHIP” which Newsom said will examine “the role that faith and belief play in peoples’ attitudes towards the environment.” Artist Lauren Rosenthal has created “a huge cut-paper map of the watersheds of Mecklenburg County with video monitors in set that will be displaying other images and information about the creeks in Charlotte,” said Newsom. The exhibit will also include Artist Stacy Levy’s “Watershed Pantry” which is a collection of jars filled with water from creeks all over Mecklenburg County provided by high school and early college students. “The idea is to get students and people from all over the county contributing jars of water and they’ll be stacked in the front windows of the gallery,” said Newsom. According to the brochure, photographs by Nancy Pierce will also be on display, detailing both
“the beauty and the troubles of our massive creek system.” This exhibit is only a small part of what “KEEPING WATCH on WATER: City of Creeks” ultimately offers. Students can partake in interactive activities such as Levy’s “Passage of Rain” which will be featured in west Charlotte’s Revolution Park neighborhood. According to the brochure, the installation will feature “the path of rain and runoff along a .8 mile stretch, from street to storm drain to stream to a final destination in Irwin Creek.” “One thing a lot of people don’t realize is that pollution by and large is not from factories and illegal dumpers, today’s pollution is from storm water runoff which is a lot harder to control because we continue to pave our cities,” said Newsom. Students can also attend the “Dirty Martini Film Screenings” at the UNC Charlotte Center City. “One of our biggest lessons was that when you offer free martinis, it’s a great civic engagement tool, so we’re
Associate Director of Urban and Regional affairs Mary Newsom. Photo courtesy of Nancy Pierce MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
doing that again,” said Newsom. The first screening “Lost Rivers” starts at 7 p.m. on April 9 and the second film, “Watermark” is on May 1 at 7 p.m. KEEPING WATCH will also host several creek walks which will be at Irwin and Stewart Creeks on May 2, Little Sugar Creek on May 3 and McDowell Creek on May 30. According to Newsom, one of the biggest contributors on the project has been Tenille Todd, a graduate student in the department of history. Todd has been collecting oral histories of peoples’ memories of the creek which Newsom hopes will eventually be added to the special collections in Atkins Library. Newsom said that KEEPING WATCH plans to stay away from huge policy recommendations and instead focus on basic awareness and what people can do. “I have a modest goal, I want to completely change the way creeks are viewed in Mecklenburg county,” said Newsom. “I think a slightly less extravagant goal is to celebrate the creeks as they have never been celebrated before--which won’t be too hard because they’ve never been celebrated before.” Newsom said that steps such as reducing the amount of pavement, not dumping into storm drains and using less fertilizer can benefit creeks greatly. “That little ditch you’re looking at, goes all the way to the Atlantic Ocean and if you throw something in it, you’re going to pollute the water going all the way down,” said Newsom. “The other thing is that storm drains run into creeks, but people think they somehow run into a treatment plant, but they don’t, they lead right into the creeks.”
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Summer classes are a viable option for catching up or getting ahead on credit hours Sean Grier
STAFF WRITER We are already in late March, and summer is quickly approaching. More exciting than summer itself is the opportunities it brings. For some, that opportunity is summer school, registration for which opened March 23. Summer school is important for a number of reasons. It provides an opportunity for students to increase their grade point averages, add on a minor without pushing back graduation or maintain a level of academic consistency that they depend on in order to excel in college. Other students may see it as an accounting benefit; it is typical that every fall, tuition or fees, and in most cases, both will increase. These levels are determined for a full academic year, which includes summer courses. In essence, it will always be cheaper to take courses over the summer – up to seven credit hours per session – than it is to just take classes in the fall and spring. Another important option for students is the ability to graduate early and go to graduate school or another level of education. Advisers provide a student with a roadmap that seems simple, but unfortunately, the economy and reality do not always fall in line with those course projections. These courses are offered both on and off-campus and provide most students with flexibility within their majors and minors. The Registrar’s Office has encouraged students to be mindful of two policies in particular. The first is the course withdrawal policy, which caps
the number of credit hours that can be dropped during your course work at UNC Charlotte, and the other is the tuition surcharge. It is as evil as it sounds. Effective fall 2010, the tuition surcharge will count courses taken, repeated and failed, courses that were withdrawn after the end of the add/drop period, as well as all transfer credit hours accepted by UNC Charlotte from any UNC System institutions or North Carolina Community Colleges. Students that are subject to the surcharge are earning their first baccalaureate degree in a program that requires no more than 128 credit hours, and the surcharge shall be applied to all counted credit hours in excess of 140 hours. For board-approved programs whose requirements exceed 128 credit hours, the surcharge shall be applied to all credit hours that exceed 110 percent of the hours required. For students earning a baccalaureate degree other than their first, the surcharge shall apply to all counted credit hours that exceed 100 percent of the minimum additional credit hours needed to earn that additional baccalaureate degree. Here, summer school becomes a viable option again. Not every student knows what they want to major in when they enroll at UNC Charlotte and not every student stays within the first major they select. I know people who have switched majors three or four times, for better or for worse, but that choice belongs to them, as does the option for summer
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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school. Courses taken over the summer at UNC Charlotte are not counted in the tuition surcharge – neither are Advanced Placement credits, College Level Examination Program credits, military science courses required to earn a military commission or transfer credits from out-of-state or private institutions. This opens a lot of doors for students who also have the ability to use financial aid over the summer. Tuition and fees will generally be a hard hit to the pockets of a middle
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.
MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
class family or independent student paying for college without the support of family. For some, summer is a time for adventure and study abroad experiences. For others, it is an opportune moment to get your academic life together. Either way, summer school remains affordable, available and viable for Niners and should be a researched option for any student attempting to get ahead, catch up or maintain a level of academic rigor over the summer.
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DON’T CONFUSE A BIG HEAD FOR AN
OPEN MIND Josiah Goodrum INTERN
Ah, springtime – the weather is changing, the birds are chirping and Pastor Gary is yelling at the sorority sisters walking by that they will be going to “you know where” for wearing those infamous high-waisted booty shorts. Most of us that walk by the Belk Tower regularly have encountered this fire and brimstone preacher. If you stop to listen, his claims are harsh, cruel and, at times, laughable. But what if he is actually right? College is a place where the mind is exposed to all kinds of different ways of thinking, and we are told to look at them with an open mind, but many of us don’t. In reality, we look at different ways of thinking with extreme bias, whether we intend to or not. With the help of the Internet and cable television, our biases are so deeply embedded that it can be almost impossible to look past them because all we ever watch is CNN or all we ever read online is the Drudge Report. If you are a liberal, hyper-academic professor, there is a good chance the radio stays tuned in to NPR, and if you are right-wing, hyper-conservative nut job – disclaimer: I am one of those nut jobs – then chances are high the radio stays locked in to whatever AM radio station has Glenn Beck blaring or Rush Limbaugh blasting. The radio stays set, the TV channel never changes and our preferred news website is our home page. Coming at an issue from the other side is close to blasphemy. Even listening to what the other side has to say makes us sick with anger. Our open mind quickly becomes as secure as Fort Knox. When is the last time you approached the whole LGBTQ movement from the other side? Or have you ever stopped to consider other perspectives on hard-hitting issues like abortion? If you are anything like me, the answer is no. In truth, those of us who claim to have an open mind really do not. For example, an art professor who taught my girlfriend was naming stores for students to get supplies, and while he did not outright say
to boycott Hobby Lobby, his words were very implicit. Now, many would agree the art field is thought to be a hotbed of open-minded thinking. It’s about challenging norms and progressing forward – embodying what it means to have an open mind. But would an “open-minded” professor imply that buying from a conservative Christian owned store is uncouth? Is the professor’s mind really open? Or take me, for instance. I really never stop to think about how it might affect someone in the LGBTQ community if they were declined a job because of their sexual preference. Even as I write that I find it hard to believe it has ever happened, my mind is not open even when I try to open it a slight crack to let other views in. We see the world how we want to see it – or at least most of us do. Very few people can handle differentiating opinions with grace, admitting they don’t have it all figured out and, when necessary, admitting they are wrong. In response to an article entitled “What’s Wrong with the World,” G. K. Chesterton replied, “Dear sir: Regarding
your article ‘What’s Wrong with the World,’ I am.” If more of us took Chesterton’s view on the world, we might not have such polarization. We are quick to point fingers or blame the other side’s “crazy” ideals instead of examining and humbling ourselves to truly understand someone with a different opinion. Simply considering both sides more evenly and with more grace could render a good bit of change. Being right is one thing, but being a jerk is another. I have yet to be persuaded by an arrogant person, and I’m sure some over righteous windbag would convert very few people to another way of thinking. Our country needs less rants and more listening. Next time you are presented with an attitude contrary to your own, try being measured in your response – quick to listen and slow to speak. If we all owned up to being wrong every once in a while, there might be a considerable amount of change in this drastically divided country we live in. So this week, this month and this year, instead of trying to always be right, listen. When it is time to talk, don’t blast your opponent; rather, gracefully give your input. It is OK to have strong beliefs. This is not a call to neutrality but a call to consider more than our own polarized beliefs.
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MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
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TRACK AND FIELD OPENS AT 49ER CLASSIC WITH SUCCESSFUL WEEKEND SEVERAL NINERS DELIVERED IMPRESSIVE PERFORMANCES IN THE FIRST OUTDOOR MEET OF THE SEASON
Sydney Stephens
STAFF WRITER The Charlotte 49ers hosted the 49er Classic this weekend at the Belk Track and Field Center. The three-day event was successful for Charlotte, as the women’s side led the team. “The meet went well,” said Charlotte head coach Robert Olesen. “As we transition to the outdoor season, we are working through the balance of increased training load with competition performance so we had a wide range of results this weekend.” Senior jumper Lauren Gulley recorded a victory for the 49ers in the high jump with a jump of 1.68m (5-06) while senior thrower Toby Jo Klauenberg won the shot put with a toss of 13.94m (45-09). Klauenberg nearly broke her own school record of 14.09m set in 2012. Two Niners throwers moved into the top five on the school’s all-time list on Friday afternoon. Victoria Merriweather now ranks fifth in program history after a 43.76m toss in the discus. In the hammer toss, Victoria Ebert now ranks third alltime after a throw of 50.95m in her first outdoor meet with the 49ers. Continuing the strong performance for the Charlotte women, T’Sheila Mungo finished fourth in the 200m (24.41) and second in the 400m (53.63). Juanita Leto finished fourth in the 100m hurdles final recording a time of 14.39. Both of the 49ers relay teams had strong performances in the 49er Classic. The 4x100m relay team of Joann Blakney, Michelle Whitaker, Dominique Weathers and Jessica Morgan finished second with a time of 46.62. The 4x400m relay of Ma-
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Top: Lauren Gulley earned a victory in the high jump Saturday. Bottom left: Khyran Shank competed in the men’s 100m finals. Bottom right: T’Sheila Mungo, right, led the way for Charlotte in the 200m and 400m. Photos by Benjamin Robson
rissa Pinckney, Ngozi Webberburn, Kristen Williams and Brittany Moss finished third with a time of 3:50.39. The Charlotte women also impressed in the distance running events. Morgan Richards and Jen Molke each earned second place finishes in the 1500m and 5000m re-
spectively. Richards nearly broke her personal record with a 4:36.60 finish in the 1500m while Molke finished the 5000m in 17:27.94. Evelyn Putnam, the school’s record holder in the heptathlon, finished second in the event this weekend. Putnam scored 4,190 points and
MARCH 24 THROUGH 30, 2015
placed first in the 100m hurdles with a time of 15.10. The field events were successful for the 49ers, with freshman Sasha Dajia getting 10th place with a throw of 47.025 feet. Dajia, a first year thrower from Ontario, Canada, finished a few feet off from his record this season, which is 50 feet. Former 49er Jake Deaton won the event with a throw of 58 feet. Deaton, who graduated in 2012, now throws for Beast Stuff and got a mark of almost 59 feet. The Charlotte men also contributed with impressive performances over the weekend. Khyran Shank ran in the 100m finals with a time 10.65, while Nick Swan ran the 110m hurdles final with a time of 15.03. Anthony Bynum ran the fastest time in the 200m preliminaries, breaking a personal record with a 20.85 finish. Bynum also qualified for the 100m finals with a preliminary time of 10.54. The 4x400m and 4x100m relay teams of Phillip Bryant, Christopher Boyd, Brian Hamilton and Saadiq Sweezer placed third and fourth. Nathan Jeffers took first in the unseeded pole vault contest with a height of 4.40m (14-05.25) and Anthony Campbell placed second in the triple jump with a leap of 15.20m (49-10.5). Senior Daniel Freeman won the javelin title with a throw of 60.88m, while teammate and fellow senior Osvaldo Hernandez placed fourth in the event. The 49ers will compete again in the Raleigh Relays, hosted by North Carolina State University, next weekend.
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Photo by Benjamin Robson
Niners explode at the plate in back-to-back mid-week victories The Charlotte 49ers baseball team snapped a seven-game losing streak with victories on Tuesday and Wednesday
Stephanie Smith
STAFF WRITER GAME ONE The Charlotte 49ers baseball team ended a seven-game losing skid with a 17-5 victory over Maryland Eastern Shore (5-11) on Tuesday, March 17 at Hayes Stadium. Brandon Vogler (0-0, 2.40 ERA) took the mound for his second start of the season but was replaced by Matt Horkey (1-1, 8.44 ERA) after three innings. The Niners’ bats came alive against UMES putting up 17 runs on 18 hits giving Horkey all the support he needed to earn his first win of the season. Horkey gave up three runs on four hits in five innings of action. Right-handed pitcher Chris Melrath (0-0, 18.00 ERA) anchored the Hawks squad; however, he only pitched one inning after being pulled by interim head coach John O’Neil. The first inning featured an offensive explosion by the Niners. Charlotte sent 11 batters to the plate resulting in seven runs on six hits including Logan Sherer’s first home run of the season. “We got off to a really good start. I wish every
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Matt Chapman
SPORTS EDITOR
game was like this,” said Charlotte head coach Loren Hibbs on the early seven-run lead. Maryland Eastern Shore answered the Niners by stringing together four hits scoring two runs narrowing the Niners lead 7-2. After Melrath got roughed up in the first inning, the Hawks turned to a series of pitchers including J.P Black, Travis Carden, Kameron Raison and Mike Epps. In only two innings of play, seven out of nine batters for the 49ers had earned at least one hit. They continued their blazing start by scoring four more runs in the second inning to extend their lead to 11-2. In the fifth inning, the Hawks etched across one run on a Greg Turlik single to left field scoring Mike Escanilla. The Niners answered with a run of their own when Derek Gallello tripled to right field putting him in scoring position for Zach Jarrett who hit a sacrifice fly to center field. Freshman Brett Netzer continued his hot start at the plate by going 3-5 with a triple and two
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RBIs. Through 14 games Netzer leads the team with a .404 batting average, 21 hits and 11 RBIs. The Niners (5-9) were able to tack on two more runs in the seventh inning behind the timely hitting of Netzer and T.J Nichting. The Hawks continued to battle and were able to get two quick runs when Jamison Trower hammered a home run to deep left field. The Charlotte 49ers ended their offensive explosion in the eighth inning by scoring three more runs giving them a 17-5 lead over the Hawks. GAME TWO The Charlotte 49ers baseball team captured their second win in as many days with a 4-3 victory over the Presbyterian Blue Hose in a mid-week non-conference contest on Wednesday evening. The Blue Hose loaded the bases with two outs in the top of the ninth inning, but Logan Sherer got out of the jam with a deep fly ball to left field earning his fourth save of the season.
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Logan Sherer crosses home plate Tuesday evening after hitting his first home run of the year. Photo by Benjamin Robson
“It’s hard to win two games in the middle of the week on Tuesday and Wednesday,” said Charlotte head coach Loren Hibbs after the game. “I thought that yesterday went really well and we knew that it was going to be a tougher battle today. We’ve got a lot of stuff going on with guys going to class everyday and leaving for FIU tomorrow afternoon so I’m proud of our guys for being able to buckle down and get two wins during the week. The Niners (6-9) struck first in the bottom half of the second inning when designated hitter Danny Raley delivered a two-out RBI single. Raley, making his second consecutive start as the lead off man in the lineup, chased home Luke Gibbs from second to give Charlotte an early 1-0 lead. Presbyterian (14-7) responded immediately in the top half of the third with a two-out RBI of their own.
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Tyler Weyenberg lifted a double over the head of Brad Elwood in right field to knot things up at 1-1 through three innings. The 49ers jumped on top again in the bottom of the fifth on the strength of Nick Daddio’s twoRBI double that found the gap in left-center field. Sherer scored from second and Gibbs raced home all the way from first for his second run of the night to give the Niners a 3-1 lead after five frames. Yet again, the Blue Hose answered in the next half inning with two runs of their own to deadlock the game at three runs apiece. First baseman Jacob Midkiff rolled an infield single to third base and a miscommunication by the Charlotte defense allowed the tying run to score from third base. 49ers starter Trevor Gay was chased after allowing the game-tying RBI. Gay worked 5.2 innings while allowing eight hits and the three earned runs in his first start of the season on the mound. The Niners pulled away for good in the bottom half of the seventh as they loaded the bases with back-toback singles and a bunt for a hit to lead off the inning. Raley made his presence felt once more as he picked up his second RBI of the evening with a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Elwood and giving the Charlotte a 4-3 advantage. The 49ers will hit the road this weekend for their first true away games of the season. The Niners will continue the search for their first Conference-USA victory of the year as they prepare for a three-game series with the FIU Panthers.
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DTCV F NDS THEIR SOUND French-American post-punk band talks new album and Charlotte performance as their tour takes them through SXSW 2015 Photo courtesy of the band’s official website
“We bring a lot of energy, an immense amount of energy.”
Guyliane Vivarat Leanna Pough
A&E EDITOR Fresh from their performance at South by South West 2015, French American duo, DTCV (Detective) prepares for their third full length album, “Uptime.” “I like that word and I wasn’t really sure if it was a word and then I looked it up and saw all these technical things,” French singer song-writer and vocalist, Guylaine Vivarat said regarding the record’s title. Each album, DTCV experiments with their music to combine genres. “I feel like we’re still looking for our sound really. So on the last album it was all over the place, kind of purposely because we were trying to see what sounded good of all the
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things we can do,” Vivarat said. Vivarat lends the music an air of girl-group pop, while former Guided By Voices member James Greer gives it a touch of iconic ’90s indie-rock. “Hilarious Heaven,” DTCV’s last album allowed the band to explore their diversity. The double album has an eclectic sound that reviewers say pushed the boundaries of the DTCV’s comfort zone. For “Uptime,” DTCV sets creative restrictions and work within one genre. “It’s our version of a pop album,” Greer says. Greer describes the process as liberating.
“You’re operating within a set of parameters that actually frees you up,” he said. While in Milano, Italy, Vivarat filmed the video for the album’s single, “X-Water.” “I saw these guys break dancing and they were really good so I just filmed them,” Vivarat said. Although it can be mistaken for a breakup song, “X-Water” addresses society’s addiction to the Internet –a touchstone to the technology inspired album title. Much like the fast pace, continuity of the Internet and technology, DTCV is always on. To support the album’s release, DTCV tours as a four piece for fuller song qualities that better repre-
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sent the new album. “We haven’t toured for a while, we’re going to have a new drummer and we’re adding a base player … so it’s going to be a whole new thing,” Vivarat says. As for their stop in Charlotte Thursday, March 26 at Snug Harbor, attendees may be privy to hearing a few songs from the “Uptime” before its April 8 release. “I always like to play songs before they get too old, before we get tired of playing them,” Greer says. For more information and music from DTCV, visit www.dtcvband. com.
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Preferred Parking Comedy Tour pulls up to campus
Drew Lynch and Samuel J. Comroe of “Preferred Parking.” Photo by Benjamin Robson
Leanna Pough
A&E EDITOR I couldn’t believe the auditorium wasn’t packed. Samuel J Comroe and Drew Lynch brought a new level of humor to McKnight Hall Friday, March 21. One has Tourette syndrome, the other stutters, and instead of using their disabilities as a crutch, the Preferred Parking duo uses their adversities as fuel for their funny. After suffering a softball accident paralyzing one of his vocal cords and causing him to stutter, Lynch paired with then local comedian and acquaintance, Comroe. Comroe, a newlywed of one year imitates his high school sweetheart giving him the ultimatum. From his comfy khakis to his tattooed sleeve, this guy seemed pretty cool. His frequent use of the B-word made for a relaxed delivery and relatable punch lines. Lynch’s serene twang fit well with the small, but mighty crowd. The intimate few allowed for a Q&A session with the two where they shared road stories; introduced Stella, Drew’s service dog and touched on some of the hardships of
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being comedians with disabilities. Comroe explained how he and Lynch have to prove themselves because people often underestimate them in comparison to others. Both agree it’s like Eminem in “8 Mile;” being upfront and sometimes self-deprecating works best. “He stutters, I twitch,” Comroe said. On a deeper level, Preferred Parking Comedy Tour reminds us that we all have our uphill battles and adversities, but it’s not about the mountain. It’s about the climb and how we navigate the rugged terrain of life. The show focuses on how the underdog can reflect a lifelong struggle in a positive and hilarious light. Lynch even joked about his stutter being mistaken for poor cell service or sneezes. They’re nothing short of an amazingly inspirational and hilarious. For more jokes from Comroe and Lynch follow them on twitter @SamuelJComroe and @TheDrewLynch.
ACROSS 1 Gear tooth 4 Scotch whisky brand 9 Apples, e.g. 14 Sushi bar tuna 15 “Inside the NBA” analyst Shaq 16 Scary bacteria 17 *Dots-and-dashes system 19 Charged toward 20 Long Island airport town 21 “Divergent” star Woodley 23 Robber, to cops 26 Join the game 27 Electrical unit of resistance 30 Fish market offering 33 Revolutionary Guevara 36 *Entrée 38 Linen fiber source 39 Statesman Stevenson 40 Part of UNLV 41 Fly like a parasailer
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42 Weed-control tools 43 *Boxy British economy car 45 “Take your pick” 46 Ironed 47 Grounded fast jet, briefly 48 Affordable __ Act 50 “This __ unfair!” 52 Car thief on a pleasure spin 56 Car wheel shafts 60 Offensively pungent 61 *Venue for hypothetical legal cases 64 Stop to think, say 65 Alma __ 66 Word in itineraries 67 Tricky road curves 68 Roast host, and a hint to the answers to starred clues 69 Wild blue yonder
DOWN 1 Victoria’s Secret garment, for short 2 Cries of discovery 3 “You go, __!” 4 “My Cousin Vinny” co-star 5 Post-apartheid ruling party: Abbr. 6 Prefix with conservative 7 Father figures 8 “Ick!” 9 Hazards 10 Central Florida city 11 *Wallet alternatives 12 Zing 13 Web browsing destination 18 Dainty taste 22 Church recess 24 Vintage vehicle 25 One of Tony Soprano’s henchmen 27 Mutual of __ 28 Was wearing 29 *Hannah Montana portrayer 31 Fiber-rich cereals 32 St. Francis of __ 34 Greek god of the underworld 35 Use, as influence 37 __ in November 38 Showman Ziegfeld 41 Devout term for a churchyard 43 TV “neigh” sayer 44 These, in Nice 46 Lion family units 49 Roll out of the sack 51 Kitchenware brand 52 Bit of mockery 53 Andean stew tubers 54 Buxom one-named supermodel 55 What the buffalo do, in song 57 Disposable diapers brand 58 “CHiPs” star Estrada 59 Time at a motel 62 Non-Rx 63 Golfer’s gadget ... or where it’s used
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USEFUL APPS FOR ROOMMATES WHEN LIVING WITH ROOMMATES, YOU TEND TO NEED TO SPLIT BILLS, PAY PEOPLE BACK, COMMUNICATE OPENLY, AS WELL AS MANY, OTHER THINGS. USE SOME OF THESE APPS TO MAKE YOU AND YOUR ROOMMATES LIVES A LITTLE BIT EASIER
Amanda Duke
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
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HomeSlice
Handy
Use this app to split up household chores with everyone so that you never have to argue about who took out the trash or did the dishes last. You can each make a group and a list of things that need to get done weekly around the house or apartment. After your chore list is made, you can assign chores to each other. When the task is complete, you can check it off. There is a triangle in the corner of each task and on the left it’s green which means the task is complete. On the right the triangle is red and means the task needs to be done.
Handy will help you find businesses in your area to help you find a handyman, plumber, electricians or home cleaners. You can even schedule an appointment with them through the app. Under each tab on the home screen, there are subcategories to make it easier to find someone to do exactly what you need. Once you find exactly what you are looking for, you type in your zip code and some nearby businesses will come up for you to utilize.
Chorma
Splitwise
Venmo
When it comes that time of month when you need to pay rent and other monthly bills, this app will come in handy. You all can make an account and add each other to your group. Then you can each post when you pay your portion of the bills for that month. This app can also come in handy if you and your friends go on a road trip. You can split up gas and the hotel expenses where everyone can see them.
This app is super convenient if you do not have cash on you to pay for bills. You can enter in your credit or debit card number and pay roommates through the app. All you need to do is to make an account and add your roommates as friends. Then when you need to pay someone, you just request to pay a friend and after they accept it, they will be paid. All photos in this spread by Amanda Duke
Like HomeSlice, this app is great for splitting up chores. It is a little bit better to use though because you get notifications when you need to do a chore or when someone else finishes their chore. You can assign a chore to someone and then add when it needs to be done. If everyone wants to keep the same set of chores each week, turn on the tab where it says “repeats” and put once a week, or however many times it needs to be done. If you do not want to do that, you can switch it to rotate to another person for the next week.
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White Noise For those times that your roommates are extra noisy and you are trying to get to sleep, White Noise is perfect.
UpTo If you have an iPhone, using the calendar app is a convenient way to keep up with other users who share their calendars with one another. UpTo is an app for iPhone and Android. You can share your schedule with your roommates so that you can plan group outings, or know when someone will need quite time to study. You can also invite your roommates to events and color coordinate different people’s calendars.
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It will help you relax and fall asleep faster than you thought you could. Even if your roommates are having a party, you will be knocked out in no time.
OurGroceries Everyone probably supplies their own groceries, but for things like milk, eggs or butter, those things are probably easier to just share. On OurGroceries you can make a list of things you need to pick up from the store. You can add anything from fruit to cleaning supplies. This is a great app for roommates to be able to split things and each buy one or two of the items when they are already out at the store. You can easily share the list with roommates and check off the items when you buy them or add things when needed.
GroupMe This app is just like one big group text message without getting the annoying notifications
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every time someone messages. You are able to send pictures and videos through the app and it is an easy place to keep all your group messages.
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