NINERTIMES.COM
SEPT. 15 - SEPT, 21 2015
VOL. 28, ISSUE 3
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Jordan Snyder Nick Cropper
Alyssa Fronk
Matt Chapman
Jared Allen
Leanna Pough
John Lineberger
Casey Aldridge
Ben Robson
Diane Gromelski
Andrew Hocutt
Nick Clemens
Salina Dickie, Hunter Heilman, Sydney Stephens
Contents
News 3
Panda Express opens
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PRSSA fundraiser
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Marching band photo spread
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Pocket Points app
Sports
ADDITIONAL STAFF
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Women’s soccer vs. ECU
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Football vs. Presbyterian
Edward Averette, Kristen Cheatam, Hailey Turpin, Chris Crews, Alex Sands, Leysha Caraballo, Indira Eskieva
Opinion
Matt Lorenz
Andrew Hocutt
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Crazy, stupid politics
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Migrant crisis
A&E 12
MARKETING STAFF Tia Warren, Ashley Lyons, David Mendez, Darrell Hayden Jr.
Publicly Identified exhibit
Lifestyle
NINER TIMES • RADIO FREE CHARLOTTE SANSKRIT LITERARY-ARTS MAGAZINE MEDIA MARKETING • TECHNICAL
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“Looking for Alaska” book review
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Beauty product / Starbucks’ menu
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Humans of UNC Charlotte
MEGAN VAN EMMERIK
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PANDA EXPRESS
Panda Express opening provides a second new restaurant in two weeks NICK CROPPER NEWS EDITOR
The grand opening of Panda Express Sept. 10 in the Cone Center makes the Chinese eatery the second restaurant to have opened on campus within the past two weeks. Like the opening of Bojangles’ in the Student Union, Auxiliary Services launched a soft opening Sept. 4 to prepare for the official opening. However, unlike Bojangles’ there were no problems with equipment and business operated smoothly through the opening week. During this time, Auxiliary Services was looking to see if equipment functioned properly, employees had been adequately trained and if the food was of good quality to serve to customers. They also used this time to see what students were buying and adjusted their production accordingly. For the next couple of weeks, Auxililary Services will be monitoring sales and seeing what the demographic of students at UNC Charlott prefer. Panda Express follows a similar model to Subway, which is also located in Cone, where food is prepared as customers order and is ready by the time they pay. This model was adopted because of the narrow space in Main Street Market. Different types of operations flow differently,” said Director of Auxiliary Services Ana Alvarez. “Cone is kind of a narrow space and with that influx of students, that flow that it has works well.” Panda Express had a strong opening day with many students lined up to order. Before the red tape was chopped
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Director of Auxilary Services Ana Alvarez chops the red tape for the grand opening of the new Panda Express located in the Main Street Market of the Cone Center. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
at 10 a.m., students were already getting in line to order their food. Along with the opening of Panda Express was a sushi element called the Asian Eatery. The Asian Eatery sells fresh sushi that is made daily in the Cone Center. Sushi that is prepared in the Asian Eatery is also distributed to other campus dining options, such as Outtakes and Prospector. Depending on how well this is received, Auxiliary Services will expand the number of dining options that carry sushi. “You kind of have to produce based on what you’re selling and bump it up a little every day in the
hopes that you’re hitting those ideal numbers,” said Alvarez. There were also some other improvements made to Main Street Market, along with the addition of the new restaurant. The floors in Main Street Market were renovated to fit with the new look. Auxiliary Services has worked in tandem with Student Affairs to bring these renovations to Cone Center. “They [Student Affairs] were in agreement that the space kind of needed a refresher so we cleaned up the floor and we’re going to continue to make improvements on that space,” said Alvarez.
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Panda Express is a concept that has been in consideration for several years. This is Auxiliary Services’ answer to students wanting a strong Asian concept on campus. “I think that it was well received, over the volumes of people that were showing up there just to see Panda Express,” said Alvarez. “They’ll hang out there, possibly meet there, so it becomes sort of a gathering place and that’s kind of what you want for a college environment.” Auxiliary Services was unable to push for it last year because of the construction of South Village, but finally saw an opportunity to begin progress in the spring semester.
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Members of the Public Relations Student Society of America meet to discuss fundraising plans. Photo by Gina Herrera
Student organization to hold carwash fundraiser, raising money for conference INDIRA ESKIEVA INTERN
On Sept. 19, students will have the opportunity to have their car washed for free by members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). UNC Charlotte’s public relations (PR) students are gearing up for the 2015 National PRSSA conference, and in an effort to give more students the opportunity to attend than ever before, they need the support of their fellow students and faculty members to help raise funds for costs associated with the conference. PRSSA is an organization that brings together 11,000 college students in an effort to educate and prepare them for the PR profession. It also serves as a large networking group, giving PR students the opportunity to get in contact with true professionals and potential
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employers in the field. UNC Charlotte’s chapter was established in 1997 and is one of 300 chapters based in colleges all over the United States, Argentina, Columbia and Peru. One of the main events that PRSSA holds is their National Conference, which will take place this year in Atlanta. The conference committee consists solely of members from PRSSA’s University of Georgia chapter, which shows how dedicated the organization is to professional development. With the motto “Rethink, Rebuild, Renew,” its aim is to give students the opportunity to attend interactive seminars and live panel discussions conducted by PR professionals. The exhibitors of career development will include companies such as Delta Airlines, General
Motors and New York University School of Professional Studies. Not only is this a networking and career building experience for PR students in college, but it also allows companies to showcase and display their new products. The cost of attendance is $310 per member and includes admission to conference events from Nov. 6-10. There are students who are unable to pay this cost, which does not include the hotel and transportation fees. It is important to UNC Charlotte PRSSA to get more students to attend this year than previous years so that members can get the most benefits from being a PRSSA member overall. “Our goal is to cover transportation and hotel fees and possibly offer some type of discount
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on the registration for students,” said Gina Herrera, PR director for UNC Charlotte’s PRSSA chapter said The car wash is completely free, but the organization is relying on donations to help raise money to cover costs associated with the 2015 PRSSA National Conference. PRSSA students will be washing cars and accepting donations at the Bojangles’ parking lot located on 8521 N. Tryon St. in Charlotte from noon to 4 p.m. This is the organization’s first fundraiser of the semester, and they are expecting a big turnout. Members have been posting flyers around the University area, as well as spreading the word through social media. Herrera hopes that the UNC Charlotte community will support their fellow students.
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Marching band performs for full house NICK CROPPER NEWS EDITOR
The UNC Charlotte Marching Band played its first show during the game against Presbyterian College on Sept. 12. They played several songs on game day, including a half time show, which featured music from thier Latin Show. The Latin show featured the song “Fireball” by Pitbull and had performances by the UNC Charlotte Dance Team featured alongside the band. The band has a mix of experience in its ranks, with many of the performers being recruited straight out of high school. The Marching Band is currently below the goal for performers. According to Director of Athletic Bands Jeff Miller, the goal for the first year was to have 150 band members. The band currently sits just below that number at 140.
Photos in spread by Chris Crews and Ben Robson
Corrections:
In the Starfish article that was published Sept. 8, there was a mistake made with some of the wording. A passage read that students were able to, “make appointments with the Counseling Center.” It should say University Career Center. The process for making appointments with the Counseling Center has not changed. In the same article, there is a quote that implies a different meaning than intended. The quote, “The responsibility no longer lies on students to seek help,” is taken out of context. While the new system does alert advisers to a student having trouble in class and does give them the ability to support students with their academics, the responsibilty still lies with the student to get that help.
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Pocket Points comes to UNC Charlotte New app that awards students for staying off their phones during class ALEX SANDS INTERN
Almost 1,000 students on campus have given up their phones in class in return for rewards during these past few weeks of school. Pocket Points is a newly created app that lets students gain points by having the app open while in academic buildings. Students can use the points gained to receive discounts at local businesses. “The goal behind the app was to have a mission of keeping students off their phone during class, seeing that that’s disruptive to your own learning and also to your teachers who are up there lecturing,” said market representative for the app Tyler Rochelle. After being developed by two Sigma Chi students, the app launched at Chico State University in California during Fall 2014. Once successful, it moved to three other universities. Now, in Fall 2015, the app has been launched at 200 colleges, including North Carolina State University and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. To gain points with the app, simply open the app and lock your phone. As time goes on, the app shows how much time you have until you gain a point. The more students who are using the app at the same time, the faster the points rise.
“The idea was to kind of unite the local college community with it,” said Rochelle. “It’s 20 points for a free hour of flight at Defy Gravity. It’s also 15 for a free thing of queso at Monterrey’s,” said Rochelle. You can also use your points for online discounts on websites like Southern Marsh or Country Club Prep. Other businesses that have joined include Chick-fil-A, Amalfi’s Pasta ‘n’ Pizza, Bento Asian Diner and Blimpie America’s Sub Shop to name a few. “The idea that gets them on is that they’re getting an access to the 27,000 person market at this school, that’s all coming through this app,” said Rochelle. Rochelle has been working hard at getting businesses to join. “We’re still signing on new businesses and we’re always trying to grow, so the businesses on the app definitely aren’t done and we’re not hoping they’ll be done anytime soon,” said Rochelle. Pocket Points has proved to be a benefit for teachers, students and local businesses. The free app can be downloaded on the App Store for iPhones and Google Play Store for Android devices.
Screenshots taken from the Pocket Points App depicting the various businesses where students can receive discounts. Photos courtesy of Tyler Rochelle
POLICE BLOTTER SEPT. 11
ACCIDENT SEPT. 11
• Union Deck, officer took a report regarding a hit and run. Witness stated they observed the accident and informed the driver of vehicle two.
FRAUD SEPT. 11
• Germany, officer took a report referencing credit card fraud reported by a student. Unauthorized transactions took place in Germany. For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
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49ERS LEFT HEARTBROKEN East Carolina nets winning goal with 50 seconds remaining in the game JARED ALLEN SPORTS EDITOR
The Charlotte 49ers were left heartbroken at home Sunday afternoon as East Carolina netted the winning goal of the game with only 50 seconds remaining in the second period of extra time. “It’s a huge challenge for us go forward. We had a very tough week, we had a very hard three games and we’ve found ways to lose them. Collectively we know all of those games were winnable especially Friday’s and today’s game. We found ways to lose them. We have a few days before we play Elon which will be our last game before conference play,” Charlotte head coach John Cullen said. Sunday’s game was Charlotte’s second game in a matter of three days. “It’s always tough playing three games in seven days. We’re getting our recovery though, fitness is not an excuse for us tonight. We just didnt have the heart or desire to win the
“WE JUST DIDN’T HAVE THE HEART OR DESIRE TO WIN THE GAME TONIGHT.” CHARLOTTE FORWARD MARTHA THOMAS
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Charlotte’s Victoria Fubara calling for a pass from Emily Truelove. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
game,” Charlotte forward Martha Thomas said. The Pirates were able to score early in the contest, giving themselves a lead just five minutes into the game. East Carolina’s Jenna Geist slid a pass forward to Lana Spitler who was able to dribble around the Charlotte defense and finish her shot past 49ers’ goalkeeper Annika McHenry. The 49ers regrouped after halftime and leveled the scoreline just seven minutes into the second half. Thomas was able to make a dashing run through the East Carolina 18yard resulting in a late challenge from the Pirate defender. The referee pointed to the spot and awarded Charlotte a penalty kick. Thomas stepped up to the penalty spot and delivered, netting Charlotte’s first goal of the afternoon. Five minutes later, Thomas gave
Charlotte the leads after diving out to finish Virginia Lingo’s shot that bounced off the crossbar. Thomas headed the ball home for her second goal of the afternoon. She now has scored eight goals in as many games. Charlotte’s lead would only last until the 79th minutes when Pirates’ Geist fired a shot from 8 yards which found the back of the net which sent the game into extra time. McHenry went down for an extended period of time in the second half of extra time injuring her ankle, but opted to carry on. “She’s a warrior, she’s had a tough week but she’ll play through pain. I expect her to continue and have a strong season,” Cullen said. As the clocked ticked down towards the end of the second period of extra time, East Carolina created one last opportunity for themselves. McHenry came off her line to claim
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the Kendall Frey cross however East Carolina’s Stephanie Seagrave was able to beat her to the ball and poke it into the net. East Carolina scored the winning goal with 50 seconds left in the game. Thomas led the 49ers with six shots while Hannah Rempel added three of her own. McHenry recorded 12 saves, a season-high as the 49ers are eight games into the season. “We have a lot of work to do heading into the game with Elon. We have to get back to our winning ways, whether that is working harder in training or putting in more passion and desire. Whatever it is, it needs to happen,” Thomas said. Charlotte will have a week off before heading to Elon next Sunday, Sept. 20 to play their final game before entering conference play.
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49ERS BEAT DOWN BLUE HOSE IN FIRST HOME GAME The Charlotte 49ers improved to 2-0 following a 34-10 victory over Presbyterian at Jerry Richardson Stadium MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR
The Charlotte 49ers (2-0) took the field on Saturday at Jerry Richardson Stadium for the first time this season and made a statement on defense, defeating the Presbyterian Blue Hose (02) 34-10 in front of a rowdy home crowd. “That’s a big win for us and I’m really proud of the guys. They came out and played hard,” said 49ers head coach Brad Lambert. “It took us a little bit to get going on offense, but our defense was humming early. I loved the way they worked all last week and then the intensity level that we came out and played with was just huge for us. That was the number one thing going into this game and I thought our guys did a phenomenal job from that standpoint.” Coach Lambert shocked everybody in the Queen City when redshirt freshman Brooks Barden trotted out onto the field as the 49ers’ starting quarterback. Barden completed his first pass for a 15-yard gain and made a couple nice plays with his legs on the opening drive of the game, but struggled throughout much of the first half. The youngster finished the first 30 minutes completing 3-of-9 passes for a measly 27 yards. Barden and last week’s starter Matt Johnson shared the reps at quarterback and neither managed to find a rhythm as the two teams battled through a sloppy first quarter. Johnson’s experience and leadership finally proved to be the deciding factor in the final seconds of the opening quarter as he hit wide receiver Trent Bostick in the back corner of the end zone on a fade route for the first score of the afternoon. “We just wanted to get Brooks in the game and still use Matt because Matt has a lot of qualities that we like and he proved that today,” said Lambert when asked about the quarterback situation. “Brooks had a really good spring and we wanted to get him in the game and let him play because we’re going to need two quarterbacks as we move
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49ers quarterback Matt Johnson completed 73 percent of his passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns despite limited playing time. Photo by Chris Crews
through the season. We’ve got this situation with Matt where we feel like we can keep him involved in the game and he made a lot of big plays for us throwing and running.” Finally in the second quarter the flood gates opened for the 49ers offense as Johnson led three consecutive scoring drives and Charlotte marched to a 24-0 halftime lead. Blake Brewer drilled a 24-yard field goal to extend the lead to 10-0 and then the Niners offense displayed its trademark quick-strike attack, scoring two touchdowns on the next three plays. Kalif Phillips found pay-dirt for the first time this season with a 12-yard burst up the middle as he waltzed into the end zone SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 21, 2015
untouched, putting Charlotte on top 17-0. Johnson then heaved a deep ball to Austin Duke on the first play of the following possession and the shifty slot receiver hauled in the pass for a 39yard touchdown. The 49ers stifled the Blue Hose throughout the first half with the most dominating display of defense ever seen at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Presbyterian’s offense accounted for 11 total yards and one first down on 28 plays before halftime. Blue Hose starting quarterback Tamyn Garrick completed just one pass on 11 attempts for three yards and had one throw intercepted by Charlotte safety Branden Dozier. With the game out of reach, Barden played
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the entirety of the second half at quarterback for the Niners and showcased some of the ability that made him a
carried a commanding 34-0 lead into the fourth quarter. “Coming out not having played a game since high
“I LOVED THE WAY THEY WORKED ALL LAST WEEK, AND THEN THE INTENSITY LEVEL THAT WE CAME OUT AND PLAYED WITH WAS JUST HUGE FOR US. I THOUGHT OUR GUYS DID A PHENOMENAL JOB.” three-star recruit coming out of high school. The redshirt freshman delivered a milestone moment, firing his first career touchdown pass on a nineyard strike to running back Bradan Smith. Brewer tacked on his second field goal of the afternoon, this time from 35 yards out, and Charlotte
school I was very rusty, but I just had to get those first half jitters out and knock the rust off,” said Barden after his first collegiate start. “I felt like in the second half I was able to get into a rhythm. Mixing me and Matt both in the game, I like that a lot. He brings a lot to the
HEAD COACH BRAD LAMBERT
game, has a lot of gifts, obviously throwing the deep ball and I thought we both played well.” Coach Lambert made the decision to bench his starters in the final quarter and the Blue Hose finally gained some traction against the 49ers’ second string defense. Presbyterian kicker Brett Norton finally got his team on the scoreboard with a 21-yard field goal. The Blue Hose followed their first scoring drive with a nice nine-play, 64-yard march that was capped by a Darrell Bridges rushing touchdown in garbage time. Johnson rebounded nicely after a shaky outing in last week’s season-opener against Georgia State, completing 8-of-11 passes for 187 yards and two touchdowns. Barden finished with solid numbers, completing 65 percent of his passes for 77 yards and a touchdown. Duke reminded 49ers fans just how dynamic he can be with nine catches for 166 yards and one touchdown all in the first half. Charlotte’s defense set a new program record, allowing a jawdropping 112 yards of offense to the
Blue Hose, most of which came in the fourth quarter. The 49ers held Presbyterian to nine passing yards, something unheard of in today’s college football landscape. The Blue Hose were dreadful on third down, converting just once on 13 attempts. “The defense had a good August and I expected them to come out and play well today,” said Lambert. “The nice thing is they play extremely hard. We got those players back that we had taken off the field llast year and that’s really helped us. We’re old up front and as long as we stay healthy we need to play at a high level on defense. I just really like the way they’re flying around right now.” The 49ers will hit the road next weekend with their dual quarterback system for their first conference game as a member of Conference USA. Charlotte will face its toughest test of the season when they do battle with the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders on Saturday, Sept. 19 with kickoff set for 5 p.m.
Top left: Austin Duke hauls in a deep ball from Matt Johnson in the first half. Top right: Desmond Floyd lays a big hit on the Presbyterian quarterback. Bottom: James Middleton drags down the Presbyterian quarterback in the backfield. Photos by Chris Crews
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CRAZY, STUPID POLITICS A satirical look ahead at the 2016 presidential race
EDWARD AVERETTE STAFF WRITER
Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders have made headlines this summer, albeit in contrasting styles. Trump has captured national attention daily by “Keeping It 100,” thus invigorating the outsider base of the Republican Party. “It’s simply amazing how Trump constantly keeps it real and it hasn’t hurt his campaign at all,” said political strategist Hank Murdoch. “People are just really responsive to his blatant racism, sexism and overall xenophobia, and believe that all of the above is exactly what this country needs, and they’re absolutely right.” The latest CNN/ORC poll show the real estate mogul leading the GOP field with 32 percent of the Republican vote, with renowned neurosurgeon Ben Carson as his nearest challenger in most polls. “I’m not exactly sure how Carson is following Trump in the polls, to be honest,” said Murdoch. “I couldn’t have predicted this a few months ago, but most of the time my predictions are completely wrong. ” Although, Trump continues his oceans eleven deep lead amongst the GOP field, many are beginning to question the authenticity of his conservatism. “He says a lot of stuff that hits right at the core of my essence,” said Mint Hill resident Warren Borders. “He’s right on immigration and all that, but it’s just a little convenient is all I’m saying. Last week he said he didn’t want to defund Planned Parenthood because they do some good things for women and this week he wants to defund it. The man is flipping and flopping more than a freshly caught bass in the Catawba.” As conservatives flock to Washington outsiders like Carly Fiorina and Ted Cruz, liberals are abandoning Hillary Clinton and throwing their support behind Sanders and Deez Nuts, although the latter is an independent. “I just find Deez Nuts is a lot firmer on positions such as renewable energy and same-sex marriage than Hillary,” said UNC Charlotte student Tiana Young. “I know she’s supposed to be ‘the candidate’ for the Democrats and whatever, but I honestly feel that she’s more robotic than Mitt Romney. Like I can literally see the circuits in her eyes. America’s not ready for a cyborg president
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Republican presidential hopeful Lindsey Graham at the Fox News GOP Debate. Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service
just yet.” Clinton’s support has declined in recent weeks due to concerns of her handling of potentially confidential emails under her personal email. This decline has led to momentous gains for the Sanders campaign, which now boasts a nine-point lead in New Hampshire in the NBC/ Marist poll. “We’re not going to attack Hillary, but we definitely want to capture disillusioned millennials who feel Bernie Sanders is their one-way ticket to Hogwarts,” said Sanders campaign aide Adam Granger. Although, in recent months, Sanders has eliminated Clinton’s lead in New Hampshire and Iowa, the Vermont senator faces ever-growing competition from a surging Nuts campaign and hints of a possible Joe Biden run. “Honestly guys, it’s like 14 months out from the election and you’re putting me in hypotheticals against Hillary, Bernie and Deez Nuts?” said Biden. “If I can get in the low to mid-twenties in the polls just SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 21, 2015
on shameless media speculation and unwanted hype, imagine what I can do if I declared to run? They don’t stand a f***ing chance.” With the upcoming Republican and Democratic Primary Debates, Nuts is still without a platform to be able to debate mainstream candidates. “It’s really unfair that I don’t get the exposure the other candidates get because I’m a third-party candidate,” said Nuts. “Nine percent in the polls is great, but Deez Nuts wants to make some noise in 2016. I didn’t run to lose to that guy with the dead animal on his head.” Despite this, the independent candidate is considering a bold choice for vice president ahead of next summer’s conventions, to generate headlines and create an opportunity to reach the main debate stage. “I know Kanye mentioned he was running in 2020, but nothing would set him up better than being my veep,” said Nuts. “I mean I’m only one guy, and I really shouldn’t have all that power. Kanye would keep me humble.”
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The world we inherited The West is not immune to the repercussions of its policies of imperialism CASEY ALDRIDGE OPINION EDITOR
I’d already been in South Africa for a week and a half when my study abroad program spent our first day at Lynedoch Primary School near Stellenbosch, South Africa. Stellenbosch University, where the course was offered, was during apartheid a traditionally Afrikaans-only institution and one of the places where many of the Nationalist Party’s apartheid policies were first conceived. Today, Stellenbosch University is a cultural battleground in the fight for racial equality in post-apartheid South Africa. A student organization called Open Stellenbosch has been engaged since last year in trying to change discourses of race on the campus, advocating in particular for more availability of English-taught courses. Currently, Stellenbosch University’s language policies benefit Afrikaans-speaking white students at the expense of African students, and African students have been escalating protests to make the school “more open.” They’re not alone; students at the University of Cape Town were successful in their campaign to remove the statue of colonialist Cecil Rhodes, an emblem of South African racism. Grant Demas, our teacher at Lynedoch that day and for the remainder of our summer course, was also a professor at Stellenbosch and is of mixed racial background. Talking about the protests and the reaction by white South Africans who still harbor deeply racist attitudes, Demas said this: “The white people may not like the world they live in today, but it’s the world they created. We’ve inherited the world of the colonialists; of
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course there’s going to be a reaction.” Stellenbosch’s white community makes the town among the richest in Southern Africa. Whites in South Africa still own most major industries and disproportionate political power despite two decades of African National Congress administration, and white privilege is deeply ingrained in that society. Yet part of that white privilege is that white South Africans see themselves as victims, as the minority. They lament that they can’t have it all, and in many cases label any form of reparations as “persecution.” But down the road in Kayamandi, just two miles from Stellenbosch, Africans live in the same townships
they did under apartheid. We talked to African women who used to work on a farm in Lynedoch, who still lived in extreme poverty and told us that not much had changed since the end of apartheid. Twenty years later, the amount of power relinquished by the Afrikaners and transferred to the Africans is remarkably insufficient. But when African students protest about language policies at a school with a history of racism, white South Africans see themselves as victims. They forget they are inheriting a world of their own creation. When we look at Syrian refugees fleeing their civil war, or ISIS advances in Iraq, I fear that America does the same. We absolve ourselves
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of our complicity in destabilizing the Middle East as part of our Cold War containment policies. Those anti-Soviet policies helped establish and fund Al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Furthermore, America’s “War on Terror” and invasion of Iraq and Afghanistan have created the conditions out of which ISIS has grown. Or when we look at immigration from south of our border, do we remember that, again, American foreign policy during the Cold War encouraged many a coup d’état in Central and South America, where the United States financed violence and destabilization that still has repercussions? Do we consider our complicity in the “War on Drugs” that has done much of the same? Do we see migrants to our own country as refugees of our own making, or do we see ourselves – wrongly – as victims. Donald Trump and his antiimmigrant, xenophobic base clearly aren’t willing to admit that America lives in a world of its own making. We have a responsibility to welcome the immigrant and the refugee, from Central America or the Middle East, not only because it is the ethical thing to do, but because we have created the crises that have driven families from their homes. We are not immune to our past, nor are we free from the repercussions of American sins: slavery, segregation, imperialism and war. When we forget our own involvement in the crises of our world, we reinforce them, and forget our moral obligation to do better and to make amends.
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PUBLICY IDENTIFIED An exhibit on campus explores Charlotte’s LGBT history
HUNTER HEILMAN ASST. A&E EDITOR
Before reading this article, I implore you to explore the history of the Stonewall Riots (yeah, yeah, it’s courtesy of Wikipedia, but they have the most in depth history of it), that shaped New York and the entire LGBT community in the 1960s are discussed below. The main goal in my life is to live as openly and truthfully as I possibly can, even if it means facing persecution. Perhaps it’s a bit trite that I, an openly gay man, is the one to do the write-up on the LGBT exhibit in the Student Union, but here we are. Running through the end of September, “Publicly Identified” covers the LGBT history of Charlotte dating back to the 1940’s up until present day. This expansive exhibit (don’t let the size fool you, you’ll need at least half an hour in here) covers the stories, hardships and triumphs of the LGBT community of Charlotte in perfect depth, leaving you inspired and proud, no matter what you identify as. I sat down with the curator, UNC Charlotte professor Joshua Burford, to discuss the exhibit, as well as some LGBT issues going on today. Starting very simple, why do you think it’s important to run the exhibit in the Student Union? And why right now? Well, the timing of the exhibit really just came down to scheduling, but we really wanted it to be close to October, for LGBT history month, so we really just chose a good block of time to show it. Why it’s important to have it on campus is a whole different issue. We had an exhibit at the Levine Museum last year and a lot of students saw it, but we really wanted students to be able to experience what the collection is doing that’s even easier for them. We have students coming to the Union for their Union business and then they
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Photo by Ben Robson
can just walk right through the exhibit, which is what’s been happening so far and the turnout has always been crazy good. Where do you think Charlotte stands within the world of LGBT history? We have a misconception about how the South has been interacting with the national LGBT community. There’s a stigma that we’re about 1015 years behind in the South, which is not true, seeing as we have history going back to the 1940s in the exhibit so far. Not to mention, if you look at the scheduling of our pride celebrations, our first organizations of political activism, all of this was happening only a year or two after Stonewall, so we are not behind. If you look at the way we’ve SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 21, 2015
organized as a community, staying true to our Southern, grassroots ideology, we are leading, then and now, about how we organize ourselves in terms of identity, resource development and resource development. Charlotte is doing really good, we’re not behind at all. Much of the history presented in the exhibit is that of Transgender history, which is often swept under the rug. Why do you think trans erasure has been so commonplace in mainstream society and even the transgender community? There are two things in play. When we think of history, we like to imagine that historians are the most democratic of people and that they study all
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EXHIBIT, cont.
Photo by Ben Robson
that is there, but that’s not really true. The study of LGBT history up until about 10 years ago was white people’s history, simply because if you think about the way economic status plays into cultural preservation, people of a particular socioeconomic status, primarily cisgender, wealthy, white people were the people who had the time, money and wherewithal to actually preserve their history. They paid for the first history lessons, their history was the easiest to obtain. People who were at risk for their gender identity, for socioeconomic reasons don’t have the luxury to preserve their history, because they’re simply trying to survive a situation that’s basically trying to eliminate them. There has been a lot of ignoring of trans history because it’s been seen as not important, but it’s also because a lot of it simply doesn’t exist. We’re digging deep trying to find trans history enough to where people can see it. Even then, a lot of people in the LGBT community decided to simply ignore the trans people that were at Stonewall and then by extension, the two previous riots that happened in L.A. and in San Francisco, simply because they were led by trans people. In that time, trans identity was simply considered too controversial for gays who wanted to mainstream their identities. By the closing of the exhibit, what do you hope is achieved from a student’s perspective? The first is that, like I mentioned
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before, that Charlotte is not behind, that we’ve never been behind. We have to give up that notion that we are limited as both queer identified people and as Southerners. We have to stop playing that game, because it’s not useful. The second is that if they can see how much work has been done in such a short amount of time, what can they do to continue the process? If it’s been done before, what can we do now? Imagine how much work was done in the 1990s without the internet, imagine what we could do now. I want visitors to see themselves as a part of history. When is the reception that people can attend? What will happen at the reception? Sept. 17 at 7 p.m., we’re having the official naming of the collection, which we’re naming after three local activists. After that, we’re having a reception where community people and students can get together because there’s going to be a lot of people in attendance that are featured in the exhibit. Everyone is invited to come out, so we can have conversations with and about people from our queer past, present and future, to experience the collection as a timeline and a living thing. “Publicly Identified” is currently in the Student Union Art Gallery until Sept. 30. Visit http://timeoutyouth. org for more information about Time Out Youth and http:// visitgaycharlotte.org for information about things happening in the Charlotte LGBT community and how to get involved.
ACROSS 1 Cabbage side dish 5 Costume shop supply 9 Croatian-born physicist Nikola 14 Spanish appetizer 15 In couch-potato mode 16 Like a cheering capacity crowd 17 Happily __ after 18 Tidy 19 Destiny 20 *Publication featuring Alfred E. Neuman 23 Tidal retreat 24 The ones right in front of us 25 Lt.’s superior 27 Engraved with acid 30 “The Firm” author John 33 Sea, to Cousteau 34 Worker in a shaft 37 __ Gras 38 Coll. hot shot
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40 Garden bulb 42 Tugboat sound 43 WF-3640 printer maker 45 Traveler’s stop 47 “__ you happy now?” 48 “Do not” follower, on a closed-door sign 50 Ride a seesaw 52 Roll call reply 53 Channel covering Capitol Hill 55 Cute __ button 57 *Chinese food staple 62 Light brown 64 Beech or birch 65 Many Keats poems 66 Flub by a fielder 67 Balkan native 68 Cowpoke’s footwear 69 “Yum!” 70 Knight times 71 “Born Free” lioness DOWN
1 Wineglass part 2 Volcanic output 3 Did an impression of 4 Fireside feeling 5 Didn’t follow a script, say 6 Brainstorms 7 Classic Krispy Kreme coating 8 “The X-Files” org. 9 Get ready to shoot 10 Open __: tennis period since 1968 11 *Cold symptom 12 Rack of __ 13 Many an Iraqi 21 “Excuse me ... “ 22 Big name in ATMs 26 Exam for H.S. jrs. 27 Nestle snugly 28 Allegro, scherzo, andante, etc. 29 *Lines that help you 9-Down 30 Sandpaper feature 31 Worship 32 Bishop’s headdress 35 Unfeeling 36 Symphonic rock gp. 39 Sheep shelter 41 Personal source of annoyance ... which might make one feel the first word of the answers to starred clues 44 Room with a crib 46 Starring role 49 On a pension: Abbr. 51 Dress for the choir 53 Monte __: gambling mecca 54 Ink mishap 55 Aid in wrongdoing 56 Doris Day song word 58 Online handicraft market 59 Big screen star 60 Corp. heads 61 “¿Cómo __ usted?” 63 Understood, as a joke
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BOOK REVIEW: ‘LOOKING FOR ALASKA’
JOHN LINEBERGER LIFESTYLE EDITOR
“Looking for Alaska” is John Green’s debut novel, published in March 2005 by Speak. “Looking for Alaska” was my first ever experience reading John Green. I was mid-teens, just coming out of “The Hunger Games” train and looking for a new experience. I don’t think Green had risen to the monolithic popularity that we see with him today. It was just the Vlogbrothers and his upcoming bestseller, “Paper Towns.” I knew that Green was a writer of prankster stories and wild teenage adventures, but I had no idea what was awaiting me in this novel. The story opens with Miles Halter, a young boy being sent away to a boarding school in Alabama, a place he very closely associates with the worst of rednecks. He quickly befriends his roommate, Chip “The Colonel” Martin. Chip is a small ball of anger who nicknames Miles “Pudge” because of how skinny he is. Chip introduces Miles to Alaska, and that’s where this story really begins. Miles falls instantly for her, only to find out that she already has a boyfriend who is in college. Alaska is wild, brash and flirtatious, leading Miles into sticky situations and sending him on the night of his dreams. She leads him on and tries to set him up with a Russian girl named Lara, but again and again they seem to always be drawn back to each other. “Looking for Alaska” was a stark change of humor for me coming out of “The Hunger Games.” I loved Green’s comedy and the way these teenagers’ lives are so extraordinary within their schoolyard confines. As I’ve said before in my review of “Paper Towns,” Green is a master of realistic fantasy, taking to the limit what is conceivable amongst a group of high school students. I found every character to be very unique and they added their own flavors to the story as a whole. I could not imagine Miles getting along through the story without Chip or Alaska existing with Lara. Miles will make you reminiscent of your high school years even if you
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didn’t get to experience the wild adventures that he goes on through the novel. I’m not sure that the Alabama setting plays much of a role in the actual story. Miles seems upset with it in the beginning, but there is nothing very particular that screamed Alabama to me in the story. It is just a large high school in a generalized Southern town. If I had a big critique, it would be that John Green could have used this setting to do something more special, like SeaWorld in “Paper Towns” or the Anne Frank House in “The Fault in Our Stars.” I know that Green chose this setting because it was where he grew up, which makes it a good choice for his first novel, but he didn’t take a good advantage of it. This novel comes with a big twist at the end that could upset the reader, but I think Green
handles it nicely and I was still highly satisfied with the ending. It is so surrounded by humor and the outrageously thought out pranks in the school. I would highly recommend reading this novel. It is his first novel and a good place to start if you are new to his bibliography. If you want to buy it, it is available on Amazon, Bookdepository, Barnes & Noble and most other major booksellers. You can also look out for the movie adaptation coming in 2016.
4.5 / 5
Photo by Ben Robson SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 21, 2015
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Beauty product of the week: Aussie Moist Conditioner KRISTEN CHEATAM
JOHN LINEBERGER
INTERN
Dry hair? Bad hair day? Bad hair life? Don’t give up. For the days where your hair feels dehydrated and is impossible to style, revive those locks with a moisturizing conditioner. Aussie Moist conditioner is the Holy Grail for hair-repair products. Not only is it cheap, but it does exactly what it states on the bottle, “No more crying over dry.” With that being said, this conditioner can be used in more ways than one, it can serve as a leave-in conditioner, a deep conditioner, or simply a detangler. Aussie Moist is perfect for the curly beauties with tameresistant, moisture-resistant and frizz happy hair. When applied to damp hair (as the directions say on the bottle), the conditioner melts away frizz and magically creates a divine curl definition. Along with perfectly coiled curls, this conditioner leaves a heavenly scent similar to the smell of melted marshmallows on your hair for days. If you’re in a rush and your hair is parched, mix equal parts water and conditioner into a spray bottle and spray where needed. You’ll leave your house smelling like roasted s’mores with healthy, frizz-free, moisture-rich hair. If you’re chemical-conscious or only use all-natural hair products, this conditioner may not quite meet your standards. Although this product is sulfate-free, the second main ingredient in this product is alcohol, which is known to dry out hair, create slit-ends
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STARBUCKS’ SECRET MENU: Harry Potter’s pumpkin juice
and promote breakage. This is a complete myth. Aussie Moist is proof, this conditioner definitely lived up to its name with this magical potion because moist has never sounded so fitting. The first main ingredient is water, which is absolutely fabulous for thirsty, brittle, over-processed hair. Is it time for another Dominican blowout to revive those curls? Slap in a palm sized amount (because nobody really uses a pea-sized) of Aussie Moist as a deep conditioner, put on a plastic cap and let it sit for 30 minutes. Wash it out with cool water to lock in the moisture and prepare to be amazed at the magical powers Aussie Moist has sprung upon those dusty strands by resurrecting your curls from the dead. Aussie Moist conditioner is without a doubt the most underrated product in the hair world, it’s affordable which makes it college student friendly and works similar to high-end salon conditioners without the steep price tag. Why not get quality at a reasonable price? A 29.2 ounce bottle can be found at local supermarkets such as Walmart or Target for only $5. Not to mention the longevity of the massive amount of product, which means you shouldn’t have to worry about conditioner for one-three months.
LIFESTYLE EDITOR
Long time no see, but we’re finally back again with another iteration of Starbucks’ Secret Menu. Now that it’s fall, Starbucks has once -Pumpkin spice sauce (1.5 pumps again begun stocking their special tall, 2 pumps grande, 3 pumps venti) pumpkin spice sauce, which means there’s like 20 new drinks you can -Apple juice to the top line try. This week, I decided to check out -Fill to the top with ice something called “Harry Potter’s Pumpkin Juice.” Now, Harry Potter is about all you need to say to get mixes. The pumpkin flavor my attention, but I have to admit actually dominates the that I don’t particularly remember apple juice to me. You anything special about get the pumpkin flavor, pumpkin juice in a hint of sweetness, the series. The the cold swish end-all-be-all and the apple of Harry juice seems to Potter brew settle in as was the a slightly butterbeer, fruity after which was taste. the drink I would that kicked definitely, off this long absolutely running column recommend for us. Turns out, trying this drink out, Tribune News Service this is a really popular especially now before the drink to have down at the cool weather really starts to settle Wizarding World of Harry Potter at in and all you ever want are hot Universal Orlando. So I had to give coffees. This drink is not expensive it a try. at all. My grande order came out to This one is super easy for your $2.44. local baristas to make, so I didn’t So, if this interests you, go try it! even worry about the influx of If not, come back next time and we’ll trainees this week. have another item off of Starbucks’ This drink just sounded weird Secret Menu that may be more to to me. Apple juice with pumpkin your liking. spice sauce? Two minutes later, You can find all of Starbucks’ as I drained the final sip from Secret Menu items at my grande order, I was happily starbuckssecretmenu.net. surprised by how well this drink
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Here’s the recipe:
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HUMANS OF UNC CHARLOTTE HAILEY TURPIN INTERN
“I call myself an accidental immigrant: I didn’t expect to settle down in America. Moving from Malaysia to the U.S. was scary. I had to change my language and learn an entirely new culture. I definitely miss my family, food and familiar life back home, but I needed to continue my education. Growing up without books, I used to hate reading, but now I read to make up for lost time. I did my Ph. D. because of racism and hate, so that people can get better informed and engaged about “the others,” especially the Islamic religion and culture. We humans are related to one another like one body, and we must work together. If we work together, we become better people than before.” Dr. Rohany Nayan
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SEPT. 15 - SEPT. 21, 2015
Photo courtesy of Brava Magazine
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