Niner Times: November 16, 2015

K L E G M Y B

INSIDE THIS ISSUE THE LAST HOME FOOTBALL GAME ENDS IN ANOTHER LOSS

OP-ED: MORE WAR ISN’T THE ANSWER TO COMBATTING ISIS

PG. 6

PG. 9

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A PANEL DISCUSSES SEXUAL ASSAULT ON CAMPUS AFTER DOCUMENTARY SCREENING PG. 11

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VOL. 28, ISSUE 11

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Jordan Snyder editor@ninertimes.com

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Leanna Pough ae@ninertimes.com

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Jared Allen

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John Lineberger lifestyle@ninertimes.com

Casey Aldridge

Ben Robson

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Salina Dickie, Hunter Heilman, Sydney Stephens, Andrew James

ADDITIONAL STAFF Kristen Johnson, Luis Rumbaut, Olivia Green, Chris Crews, Hailey Turpin, Vanessa Martinez, Alex Sands, Indira Eskieva, Kathleen Cook

Matt Lorenz

Andrew Hocutt MARKETING STAFF

Tia Warren, Ashley Lyons, Tyler Delk, David Mendez, Darrell Hayden Jr.

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Cover and contents photos by Ben Robson

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Outrage over Chancellor’s pay increase incites student petition UNC Charlotte students urge Chancellor to decline or repurpose 19 percent pay increase ALEX SANDS INTERN

After a hike in student tuition and what some see as a lack of effort to raise UNC Charlotte employee pay, students and faculty may have reached their breaking point with the UNC Board of Governors.

Almost 500 students, faculty and North Carolina residents have signed an online petition to request that UNC Charlotte Chancellor Philip Dubois reject his 19 percent pay increase that will raise his salary to $387,500.

Out of the 12 UNC system chancellors who received pay increases this month, Dubois was one of the two chancellors who received the highest.

An excerpt taken from the petition reads, “As students, we constantly hear that increases in tuition and fees comes from the decrease in state funding and factors outside of the University’s hands.”

It goes on to say, “Further, faculty and staff, in particular adjunct faculty, are constantly told that the UNC system cannot afford to pay them more.

Yet, the UNC Board of Governors managed to

“SOMETHING THAT’S COMING OUT OF THIS IS THE FEAR ASSOCIATED WITH SPEAKING OUT AGAINST PEOPLE THAT ARE HIGHER UP.”

ASHLEY WILLIAMS NINERTIMES.COM

UNC Charlotte Chancellor Phillip Dubois speaks to Student Government Association. Photo by Andrew James

somehow find money to propose salary increases for some of the chancellors.”

In the case where Dubois feels obligated to accept his pay increase, the petition has suggested he disburse the money in a way that benefits faculty and staff.

Creators of the petition Noe Pliego Campos and Ashley Williams are both students at UNC Charlotte.They describe themselves as “organizers” for the cause.

“When something, like an opportunity, pops up for us to get involved- we do,” said Williams.

Dubois released a statement regarding salary increases for staff and faculty, referencing a $750 one-time bonus from the North Carolina General Assembly to be paid in December to permanent employees.

“This is just lip service,” said Williams in response to the chancellor’s letter. “This is just a way to show people that he’s doing something, but it’s not good enough.”

Williams met with the chancellor Nov. 12 during the afternoon to discuss some the issues surrounding the pay increase.

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According to Williams, Dubois claimed rejecting the pay increase would be a “symbolic exhibition” and would not result in any real, positive or tangible consequences.

Williams is also concerned with how the onetime bonus is not affecting those “who need it most,” such as employees exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA).

According to Williams, teacher responses to the petition have varied. She said some have even admitted to being afraid to sign, in fear that they would lose their job.

“Something that’s coming out of this is the fear associated with speaking out against people that are higher up,” said Williams.

The petition describes how the newly chosen UNC system president, Margaret Spellings’ base salary of $775,000 with a chance of bonuses is “just another slap in the face of those who struggle to keep up with their school-related expenses,” said Williams.

The petition also suggests that Dubois use the money to set up a scholarship fund for students in need if he feels obligated to accept it.

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SAVING LIVES, ONE BAR OF SOAP AT A TIME INDIRA ESKIEVA STAFF WRITER

At 7 p.m. Nov. 10, students and faculty gathered in McKnight Hall at the Cone University Center to see Derreck Kayongo, a 2011 Top 10 CNN Heroes nominee and creator of the Global Soap Project.

Before Kayongo introduced himself, he asked that the audience members, who were strewn all around the auditorium, move up to the first few front rows.

By doing this Kayongo created an intimate atmosphere in which he connected with each member of the audience.

For the next one and a half hours, Kayongo told the extraordinary story of how a refugee from Uganda built a global health organization that now operates in 32 countries and saves countless lives every single day.

It all started with a bar of soap.

Kayongo, born in Uganda, was the son of a seamstress and, coincidentally, a soap maker. His parents became entrepreneurs and went on to build successful businesses.

When Idi Amir came into power in Uganda, a war broke out and his family lost everything. Kayongo became a refugee in Kenya before he settled in America.

On his first visit to the United States, Kayongo checked into a hotel in Philadelphia. He was surprised to see that different kinds of soap were laid out for him to use in the bathroom of his room.

He washed his hands that night, and the next day saw that the soap he used was missing with new, freshly packaged soap laid out instead.

He realized that the soap he had not even finished using was going to be thrown away.

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He thought of the refugees in Kenya whose lives could be saved by a bar of soap, and from that came the idea which would later become the Global Soap Project.

The Global Soap Project, in partnership with hotels all over America, takes used soap that will be thrown away from hotels and recycles it into new bars that are shipped to areas in need of it all around the world.

The Global Soap Project provided soap to Liberia during the Ebola epidemic to help control the outbreak.

Throughout his speech, Kayongo continuously stressed the importance of education. In the process of building the Global Soap Project, he had to reference back to college courses taken in anthropology and chemistry that, as a law major, he thought he would never need.

“You need to understand the power education. You’re not here to play games,” said Kayongo.

When asked to describe the secret to success in one word, Kayongo was quick to respond, “The cousin of success is failure.”

Kayongo, who is now an expert in environmental sustainability and global health, plans to continue finding new ways to recycled materials that are thrown away in hotels.

His next big idea is to turn shampoo into a floor cleaner.

“My goal is to use all of the resources we have responsibly,” said Kayongo.

The audience members in McKnight hall were left mesmerized and inspired by Kayongo, the man who saves lives one soap bar at a time.

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Photo by Ben Robson

POLICE BLOTTER NOV. 7-13 ARREST NOV. 13

• Alumni Way, the driver of a vehicle was arrested for impaired driving after officers responding to a call, pulled him over and administered a test for Blood Alcohol Content.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE NOV. 11

• Hunt Hall, officer responded to a medic assist call in reference to an attempted suicide.

LARCENY NOV. 9

• CRI Deck, unknown person(s) broke window of a vehicle and removed items. A second vehicle belonging to the victim’s boyfriend was also vandalized. A fire extinguisher was found wedged in between the right rear tire and the axle.

MEDIC ASSIST NOV. 9

• Wells Fargo Field, officer responded in reference to an injured person.

Victim fell and struck his head on a pole and was bleeding. He refused transport to hospital. It was recommended that he seek treatment.

NOV. 7

• Oak Hall, officer responded to assist medics with an injured student.

VANDALISM NOV. 13

• East Deck, unknown person(s) “keyed” the driver side door of the victim’s car.

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

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After 2 years, Belk Gym opens its unfinished doors to students NICK CROPPER NEWS EDITOR

After roughly two years of construction, the newly renovated Belk Gym finally opens its doors to students Nov. 16.

This is a soft opening for the gym and there is still a lot of work to be done until it is completely finished, but students have shown their support in getting Belk Gym open this semester.

There were even signs blocking access to certain areas of Belk Gym for safety reasons.

However, there was still plenty of space available for students to use, including the basketball courts, fitness areas, racquetball courts and locker rooms.

“The students have been saying ‘Get it open, get it open, get it open’ and things like that, so we’re opening,” said Kemet Gatchell, assistant director for promotions and special events.

As students walk into Belk Gym, they are greeted by reception. The reception is a large, open area leading directly to the basketball courts.

After they swipe their 49er cards, students can walk straight back to three of the four basketball courts.

The fourth basketball court is located in a seperate room behind the main three.

“We’re hoping to get a bunch of

students in here to check out the building, understanding that it isn’t quite ready yet, check it out and bear with us as we go through the renovations that are going to continue for awhile,” said Gatchell.

The Recreational Services offices are also located on the main floor, to the right of the reception desk.

Rec Services is already beginning working in Belk Gym. The fitness areas are located on the ground floor, which can be accessed through a new stairwell that was added.

The gym is roughly the same size as the one located in the Student Activity Center. It has a variety of different machines and free-weights for a variety of different workouts.

“There’s the opportunity to have twice as many students, so hopefully we’ll get some of those students who may have joined another gym to come back,” said Gatchell.

Students wishing to use the gym will have to swipe their 49er card a second time.

On the same floor are the cycling studio, two racquetball courts, reduced from four, a group fitness area, used for yoga classes and stretching, locker rooms and the pool.

The pool was not open to students at the time of the soft opening and

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will most likely not be ready until at least next semester.

Neither the pool, nor the second floor of Belk Gym were ready for the soft opening. However, the second floor is planned to be open for the Spring 2016 semester.

The second floor is where the kinesiology classes will be held.

Students who are going to class in Belk Gym will be able to take one of two staircases leading up to the second floor, which you must pass on your way to reception.

This is designed so that students needing to go to class do not have to sign in at reception first.

There are several classrooms on the second floor, including one lecture hall. There are also several more offices located on the second floor for the kinesiology department.

Kinesiology classes will start in Belk Gym in January as well.

There will be elevator access in Belk Gym, but only to those who have permission. This is to ensure that students cannot access the recreational areas without having signed in at reception.

Belk Gym is free for all students to use. Non-students will have to pay a guest fee and be sponsered by a student, staff or faculty member.

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SENIOR DAY DEVASTATION The 49ers dropped a heartbreaking overtime thriller against UTSA in the season’s final home game

MATT CHAPMAN SPORTS EDITOR

The Charlotte 49ers came up three points shy of their first Conference USA victory in program history during a heartbreaking overtime loss against the UTSA Roadrunners on Senior Day at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Charlotte has now lost eight consecutive contests since opening the season with back-toback victories as the 49ers appear to find new ways to lose winnable games with each passing week. Nine penalties, two missed field goals, a couple questionable coaching decisions and a backbreaking end zone interception in overtime dropped the Niners to 2-8 overall this season and 0-7 in C-USA action with just one conference game remaining in 2015.

“Ultimately I think the game came down to nine penalties for 110 yards,” said Charlotte head coach Brad Lambert after the loss.

“You get off the field two or three times and you have penalties to stay out there defensively and that’s just a discipline issue. I have to get that corrected and I just can’t allow that to happen. We made enough plays to win the game.”

The 49ers put on a defensive clinic with three first half interceptions and had a chance to go into the locker room at halftime up two scores before Lambert dialed up a costly unsuccessful fake field goal in the final minute of the second quarter. Backup quarterback Lee McNeill raced to the sideline and looked to extend the ball past the first down marker, but was forced out of bounds inches shy of the sticks as Charlotte settled for a 7-0 lead at the intermission.

“I was just trying to get more points man,” said Lambert when asked about the call.

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“It was just a gut feeling and I rolled the dice right there and went for it … I really wanted to try and jab them. There’s always a moment in the game where you think now’s the time to try and drive a stake in them. That was the moment and we tried to do it right there.”

UTSA looked like a different team coming out of the locker room after mustering only 83 total yards in addition to the three turnovers in the first 30 minutes. The Roadrunners scored touchdowns on their first three drives of the second half and took their first lead of the afternoon, 20-14, midway through the third quarter on a seven-yard touchdown toss by quarterback Dalton Sturm.

Charlotte answered immediately on the ensuing possession as the two teams battled through a thrilling back-and-forth second half. Matt Johnson dropped a 42-yard dime down the right sideline into the hands of Trent Bostick as the Niners found themselves on top 21-20 heading into the fourth quarter, 15 minutes away from their first conference victory.

Blake Brewer tacked on a 41-yard field goal early in the final quarter to extend the lead to 24-20, but missed a 43-yarder just minutes later.

The mistakes continued to pile up on the ensuing possession as linebacker Karrington King was flagged for a roughing the passer penalty on third down when the Niners would have gotten off the field. Charlotte’s defense continued to battle and Terrence Winchester appeared to come up with his second interception of the game, but the officials ruled that he didn’t get a foot down to complete the play.

UTSA took full advantage of the gift

Charlotte 49ers head coach Brad Lambert poses with the 2015 senior class prior to kickoff.

Photo by Ben Robson

from the referees as Sturm rifled a 26-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Grubb to regain the lead 27-24 midway through the fourth quarter.

The 49ers wouldn’t go down without a fight, marching the ball 48 yards on 16 plays while chewing up nearly seven minutes off the game clock in the process. Johnson converted two critical fourth down attempts inside Roadrunners’ territory before the drive stalled at the UTSA 20 yard-line. Brewer calmly trotted onto the field and nailed the game-tying 37-yard field goal with 1:11 remaining on the clock despite his two earlier misses.

Charlotte’s offense took the field first in overtime and pushed the ball all the way to the goal-line before Johnson tried to force a pass to his receiver in the corner of the end zone. UTSA’s Nate Gaines made an incredible diving interception on the play that effectively iced the game as the Roadrunners converted a 22yard field goal, spoiling Senior Day for Niner Nation.

“Let me just say that this senior class, we really appreciate them coming to help build this program,”

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said Lambert.

“Guys like (Branden) Dozier, (Richard) Murphy and Caleb Clayton-Molby … They’re all the kind of people that you want to be around. We just really appreciate all those guys in that class. I’ll be forever grateful to them for coming in and taking a chance on us.”

Murphy, Dozier and ClaytonMolby all went out with a bang in their final game in front of Niner Nation. Murphy led the team with four receptions, two of which went for touchdowns. Dozier recorded eight tackles and now has 129 in his career donning the Niner green and white. Clayton-Molby finished with seven tackles, one sack and two tackles for loss.

Charlotte will travel to SEC country next weekend for a showdown against the Kentucky Wildcats in Lexington, Ky. The 49ers will need to regroup quickly following the devastating loss as they face their first opponent from a power-five conference in program history. Kickoff for that game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

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AROUND THE WORLD

IN 7 SPORTS

Highlighting international student athletes bringing their talent to UNC Charlotte KATHLEEN COOK INTERN

Going to college is a major life change for all students, and it can be hard to leave home – especially when home is 5,800 miles away.

Charlotte is home to 26 student athletes from 12 different countries, from England, to Turkey, to Croatia and Nigeria. Before they could call Charlotte home, first they had to hear about the school – which can be a unique experience when separated by an entire ocean.

For sophomore soccer player Matej Dekovic, coming here from Croatia started with a trip taken by his parents.

“My parents came here for a visit a few years ago and they liked the city. I was back home playing and I wasn’t satisfied with the situation there. I started looking at colleges because at home you can’t do both school and play,” Dekovic said. “I started looking at colleges and found out about Charlotte through my parents. I talked to the coaches, I liked the program and I decided to

come.”

Junior Semen Sen chose to come to Charlotte because it offered more opportunities for volleyball and school than in her home country of Turkey.

“I wanted to combine education and the sport at the same time, and it’s not easy to do that in Turkey. That’s why I’m here. I know that volleyball is a good sport here and people are supporting volleyball here. I wanted to be a part of this family,” Sen said.

Daniel Bruce, a red-shirt freshman from England, played on a soccer team in England where current soccer head coach Kevin Langlan previously played, which opened the door to Charlotte.

“He asked if there were any players that would be of interest in playing at UNC Charlotte to just e-mail him. It just happened from there,” Bruce said.

Croatian Matej Dekovic. Photo by Ben Robson

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Senior basketball player Joseph Uchebo came to the states from Nigeria for high school and then was able to stay for college.

“There’s a guy from Nigeria that plays in the NBA and he came back to Nigeria to give back to the kids. He also invited a coach to come with him to the camps. The coach saw me and he said that since I had so much talent, he would help me come over to play. He talked to my parents and I came over,” Uchebo said.

When he initially came over, Dekovic’s family and friends were both excited and scared about his move.

“They were happy for me to go and have an opportunity for my future. But also it’s kind of like ‘Oh, he’s going’ and it’s not even like it’s a different country – it’s a different continent,” Dekovic said.

Though Uchebo misses having his family around constantly, technology such as Skype and cell phones has made it a lot easier on him.

“It was really hard, but I always talk to them on the phone. I talk to my mom on the phone like five times a week. We also Skype,” Uchebo said. “Now that I’m getting used to it, it’s not that bad anymore. But at the beginning it was really tough.”

At first, junior soccer player Mark Sloan had the same reaction from his family, but now they know that Charlotte was a good decision.

“They wouldn’t want me anywhere else because I love what I do and that’s the most important thing for my family,” Sloan said.

Coming over here for college takes a lot more than hopping on a plane. Visas must be attained, athletes have to take the SAT, transcripts have to be sent and there are a lot of forms to fill out for the NCAA. While getting here is a strenuous journey, once they arrive it all pays off.

“It’s a long process, it takes a while, but you just have to grind it out. It’s worth it in the end,” Sloan said.

Though they had months to prepare to come over here, nothing could prepare these athletes for what awaited them in Charlotte.

“It was difficult in the beginning of the process, because the language is different, the foods are

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Nigerian Joseph Uchebo. Photo by Ben Robson

different and everything is different,” Sen said. “I am a little bit familiar with the language, but it’s different with the slangs in daily conversation.

You guys are making words shorter; I can’t ever remember what they mean.”

Uchebo had not consistently used English before he came overseas.

“When I was growing up I didn’t know that much English. I learned it pretty much when I came over here. I struggled a lot, but I got through it,” Uchebo said. “Everything is easier now.”

For Sloan, it took a couple of months to become fully adjusted to the culture here.

“Everyone laughs at your funny accent and the different words you say.

It takes six months to kind of get bedded into the country. Now it’s just so natural to me. I’ve been here for two and a half years and I love it,” Sloan said.

Being on a sports team has helped to make the transition to a new country and to college easier on the athletes.

“Everyone knows that you’re coming, so they’re already chatting with you before you come over. When you come, everyone is really nice and it’s just like you’ve been here forever,” Dekovic said.

Being in America has its perks for these student-athletes. They get to enjoy things like the food, the weather and finally getting to watch NBA games at a regular time.

“I finally don’t have to wake up at 3 or 4 a.m. I can watch it at 8 or 9 p.m.”

Dekovic said.

A common question people ask the athletes is what their plans are for after college. Even though the visas they have are only good while they are in college, staying in America is still an option for these student-athletes.

Sen not only wants to stay in America after she graduates, but she wishes to have her family join her in the states.

“I really want to stay here because it’s a good opportunity,” Sen said. “I want to bring my family here too because the living conditions and the people are better here.”

Bruce doesn’t know where he will be after college, but is taking it one day at a time.

Bruce said, “I believe that God has a plan for my life and I’ll stand with that. I ask him every day where I am going to be, and this is where I am going to be for the moment. After that, if he says I’ve got to go home, then that’s where I’m going to be.”

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The myth of religious extremism and our selective grief CASEY ALDRIDGE OPINION EDITOR

Several attacks shook Paris on the evening of Nov. 13. Explosions were set off outside a national soccer match between France and Germany, where French President Francois Hollande was attending. Gunmen attacked a restaurant and invaded an Eagles of Death Metal concert at the Bataclan, killing dozens and taking hostages.

Paris fell into disarray and fear. Police and military had the city under martial law, and people were advised to stay indoors until the attacks subsided. The terrorist group ISIS eventually took responsibility for the attacks, but not before Hollande called for a “pitiless war” against those found guilty.

ISIS stands for the “Islamic State in Iraq and Syria,” but to anyone with a rudimentary knowledge of Islam, ISIS has nothing to do with religion, and that’s why from here on out, I’ll refer to them as their internationally-understood name, Daesh.

Instead, Daesh is an affront on humanity, particularly Islam. The vast majority of their victims in Iraq, Syria and most recently Lebanon have been Muslims. And when Daesh isn’t directly attacking Muslims with force, they’re attacking the reputation of Muslims globally.

The “secular” West has had a field day with the need to combat “religious extremism.” As Hollande, the United States and their allies appear to be mobilizing towards war, they’ve tried to defend their own militarism and state violence as justified in the face of whatever is meant by “religious extremism.”

Touting “religious extremism” is a way the West can portray itself as rational and its enemies as irrational. Invading Iraq or Syria becomes justified by this rhetoric because the West sees Iraqis and Syrians as “religious extremists” who are too dangerous or irrational to reason with Evolutionary biologist and outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins, after the Paris attacks, tweeted this: “Evidence-free ideologies such as Stalinism, Nazism & Islam are dangerous because they teach that pie-in-the-sky Ends justify horrific Means.”

First of all, the equating of Stalinism, Nazism and Islam would be laughable if Dawkins didn’t so sincerely believe it. This isn’t the first time Dawkins has attacked Islam as a scapegoat after

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international tragedy, but it’s an indication he’s better at science than he is at social commentary.

But his sentiment that “religious extremism” is merely the projection of a supernatural “pie-inthe-sky” to justify violence is central to the idea of religious extremism in the first place.

I’d argue, though, that religious extremism never caused the Paris attacks. All conflict is materially-grounded; in other words, violence doesn’t emerge out of a vacuum. Almost every one of the ISIS assailants died during the attacks, and people don’t engage in risky, violent acts without reasons: for power, for land, for resources or for capital.

To suggest that there has ever been any form of violence primarily motivated by any religion -- that is to say not primarily motivated by class conflict over power, land, resources and capital -is an intellectual cop out.

Where then does religion fall in relation to violence? Religion is a pretext, employed by Daesh for some form of credibility. One journalist, who was held captive by Daesh for some time, said upon his release that not once did he see a copy of the Qur’an amongst the Daesh combatants. Daesh has never had a basis in Islam or religion, and cares not that the Holy Qur’an -- Sura 5, Ayah 32 -- equates killing a single soul with slaying all of mankind, “and whoever saves one -- it is as if he had saved mankind entirely.”

The motivations for Daesh’s attacks are not to kill non-Muslims. That is a myth shattered by the fact that most victims are Muslims, including the 40 or so killed in suicide bombings in Burj al-Barajneh, Beirut just the day before the Paris attacks. Burj al-Barajneh is a predominantly Muslim area of the city and the home of many Palestinian refugees. Daesh killed these Muslim refugees because their motivations are political, for power and resources. Their appeal has emerged in a region historically ravaged by Western colonialism and imperialism. Every drone strike by the United States is a recruiting opportunity for Daesh.

But Islam’s role in Daesh is solely rhetorical.

Daesh in fact exploits and abuses Islamic rhetoric for their own gain.

The point of the Paris attacks, further, is to provoke a backlash by the West against Muslims NOV. 17 - NOV. 30, 2015

-- in the Middle East and in the diaspora -- in the hopes that the ferocity of the West might radicalize new recruits.

The West has its pretexts for violence, too. For one, Western media made it so that we all heard about the Paris attacks immediately, but media gave little exposure to the Burj al-Barajneh attack or the funeral bombing in Baghdad.

Our selective grief, to mourn when white, Western bodies are killed by non-white insurgents but to ignore when non-white, non-Western bodies bear the brunt of terrorism or imperialist war, is one such pretext. But our second pretext is that there is such a thing as “religious extremism,” allowing the United States and France to present their own violence -- in the form of war -- as excusable because it doesn’t come in the name of religious fanaticism.

Want to combat Daesh? We can’t do that with bombs, but we can fight Daesh through getting rid of our selective grief and dropping the misinformed idea of “religious extremism,” instead making a conscious effort to learn about Islam and love our Muslim neighbors.

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FROM MIZZOU TO UNC CHARLOTTE,

BLACK STUDENTS MATTER KRISTEN JOHNSON STAFF WRITER

When I came to UNC Charlotte my junior year of college, I noticed the obvious thing: diversity. Transferring from an HBCU (Historically Black College or University), I knew that I was going to encounter more white people than I probably ever have in my young life. This wasn’t a big deal for me because non-black students and I had all one thing in common: we were students. We all chose to come to this university for different reasons but mainly to learn and to grow in our personal and professional lives.

Right?

Diversity seemed to be the biggest staple word administrators and counselors relied on once I got to UNC Charlotte. But after arriving here, I could not help but to notice just how segregated the campus was. Sure the campus is diverse, no doubt. Students from all walks of life and colors infiltrate this school, but that’s just that. There is not much mingling and bonding between the different races of students. You can see the very clear, complicated division here. The way the Student Union becomes full of black students after a certain time of the night during the Union Takeovers, the lack of black and brown students involved in Panhellenic frats and sororities, how the Stroll and Step Show competitions and the Last Day of Classes celebrations are a “black thing,” how all the Southeast Asian students seem to stick together and how almost all conversations or programs about race are packed with black students.

The recent events taking place at the University of Missouri further proves that the issue of race at Predominately White Institutions (PWIs) is still lingering in the curriculums and classrooms. Just like everywhere else in America.

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So, the issue is not shocking at Mizzou. The racial issue here at UNC Charlotte during Homecoming was also not shocking. Race has been something swept under the rug of white privilege and coated underneath words like “diversity” and “equality” at PWIs. To some people, there is no issue of racism at universities because it has been fixed: There is one whole department of study dedicated to AfricanAmerican studies with professors (mostly white) who care about race relations. Racism and discrimination is not ever questioned on campuses like UNC Charlotte and Mizzou until something happens and administrators have to deal with it to calm down the angry students of color. The claims of oversensitivity and lies about an issue that “does not exist” from critics of the Mizzou student protestors proves the apathetic attitude towards the voices of oppressed students. Claims like those seem to suggest that the institutional and blatant racism students of color experience schools like Mizzou are not real.

That is troubling.

When students of color decide to raise their voices against a wrongdoing on an institution’s behalf, the act is automatically deemed dangerous. The act threatens the comfortability of privilege and fabrications of diversity on campus and forces undercover racists to face a problem they have been trying to avoid since the institutions first opened its doors to students of color for admission.

What I found to be most striking about the events at Mizzou were the protests led by the student football players. At least 32 black football players refused to play or practice until the president of the school, Timothy Wolfe, resigned due to his

Protestors at the University of Missouri raise fists in celebration as President Tom Wolfe resigns. Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

failure in addressing discrimination.

The unity and the strength these football players displayed was powerful. The tactic was also very smart. Black men make up about 60 percent of NCAA football teams.

Anyone who watches college football knows that many of the NCAA football teams generate millions of dollars for the universities. The boycott to stop playing was a threat to money the football team and school could make. Because of this, the president had to resign and perhaps I am a pessimist, but I am not convinced his resignation had anything to do with his sudden care for the safety of students of color at Mizzou. His resignation, in my opinion, was yet another approach to get the students of color to quiet down.

Regardless, the unwavering strength the black students at Mizzou have displayed to the world in the last week is inspiring. They have reminded everyone that the power of students generates the type of change that will ultimately affect the entire world. This movement

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at Mizzou is not just a “phase” that will blow over. This movement strives to bring to light the modern displays of racism which students of color everywhere can attest to that still rears itself attempting to restrain their voices and spaces at universities across the country.

I will be honest folks, and say that this conversation on race on campus is tiring. As a black female student, I am tired of hearing stories of black students and students of color being treated like the step-children of their universities. The stories of black girls and boys murdered by policeman pain me. The lack of involvement from white students in combating discrimination on and off campus is discouraging.

Where do we go from here? What can I do, what can we do differently that the ones before us have not already tried?

Students should never have to question their lives, safety and value because of their skin color at an institution that promises diversity and fairness.

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‘THE HUNTING GROUND’ Panel discusses documentary about sexual assault on college campuses LUIS RUMBAUT STAFF WRITER

Universities from Harvard to University of California, Berkley and even in our own state system in UNC Chapel Hill were implicated as places that facilitate predatory behavior in “The Hunting Ground,” a documentary dealing with the sexual assault that happens on campuses nationwide and why these abuses have been allowed to continue since as far back as the ‘70s. Shown to a small audience of mostly female students, parents and faculty on a Monday in McKnight Hall, the film did a good job of laying out the way in which so many institutions of higher learning allow predatory behavior to continue with little to no repercussion for perpetrators of the such crimes.

First hand experiences from survivors, portray school administrators as dismissive at best and at worst actively attempting to discredit sexual assault that is committed upon students. To use an example from the film, in both the former and the latter cases administrators would ask questions about the level of intoxication of student victims or the type of clothing they had on or whether or not the students tried to fight the person off, placing the blame on the victims instead of the aggressor.

The film presented fraternities and sport teams as protective havens for predators to hide behind since both groups have financial stakes in the college system and so can pull their weight around when threatened.

The following people served on the panel: Michelle Guobadia, director of fraternity and sorority life, eight year UNC Charlotte student, member of Zeta Phi Beta; Christine Reed Davis, Dean of Students; Bridget Drake, student at UNC Charlotte and sexual assault survivor; Sgt. Angela Ortiz, works at the campus police department, sexual assault investigator; Dr. Terri Rhodes, has been doing trauma therapy on college campuses for 25 years, assistant director of training, Counseling Center; Christine Weigel, Lead investigator at UNC Charlotte’s title IX office, filling in for Dawn Floyd.

How can rape affect the academic performance and college experience and what can the institution do to address this problem?

The panel agreed that sexual assault creates massive physical and psychological trauma for victims that affect the individual and their relationship with friends and family. As for academic performance, Dean Davis explained a victim’s experience as, “not feeling safe in the place you come to, to feel safe.” Dr. Rhodes also noted that victims lose motivation for school as coping mechanisms to deal with their anxiety and shame, causing a social withdrawal that hurts the individual academically but also damages their social connections.

Adding to that was the personal perspective of sexual assault survivor, Drake, a transfer student from Western University who recounted the frustrating way in which her former school sent her between facilities and meetings in order to get the help she needed, but ultimately providing no real support system for her, as opposed to the help she’s received from UNC Charlotte’s disability services office which Drake said helped her, “be more comfortable going to classes and know that if [she] does have a flash back [she] can leave and [her] professors aren’t going to wonder what’s going on

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Photo courtesy of The Weinstein Company

or question [her] about it” Dr. Rhodes explained, UNCC has always had a committee dedicated to getting information and resources on sexual assault out to students, as well as programs run by members of faculty that focus on how bystanders can help survivor’s of assault or what people can do to change rape culture attitudes on campus and in the community at large.

Sgt. Ortiz made a point of saying that over the years campus police has had an increasing amount of members that actively investigate sexual assault on campus. Suggestions for what the University could do to address sexual assault on campus spanned from holding workshops to making sure people know how to respect each other’s space during SOAR or an online course on what assault looks like called “Think About It” which was offered last summer to incoming students.

Students expect that their school will do the right thing. When it doesn’t it is a double betrayal. Do you agree with this statement?

Why or why not?

A lot was said in response to this question that hinted towards our faculty having a good understanding of their responsibility and the responsibility the University holds to assure student safety on campus. Weigel started by explaining how schools do not do the right thing causing everyone to suffer due to the violation of safety expectations. Another good point was made

by Dr. Rhodes as she defined how the concept of a double betrayal could be a tricky thing since “survivors already experience a heightened mistrust after being violated” leading to low expectations of almost any justice being committed by the community on their behalf. According to Rhodes, “This is also one of the reasons why survivors don’t report assaults because they don’t expect that anything will happen.” However if the school succeeds at helping the survivor put the blame on the perpetrator where it belongs then there is also a chance of disappointing that person who has already been made distrustful when the school community does not respond in a way which seems appropriate and just, creating more self-blame and doubt in the person.

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Rise Against delivers a haunting, heart-pounding performance at The Fillmore Charlotte JARED ALLEN SPORTS EDITOR

After a week of more tranquil shows in the Queen City, Rise Against infiltrated the Fillmore, bringing their Black Market tour to Charlotte, N.C. along with Killswitch Engage and Letlive.

On behalf of their seventh studio album, “The Black Market,” the melodic hardcore band Rise Against hit the road for a second time following their summer tour success. The album soared to the top of Billboard’s rock charts, peaking at number No. 1.

The crowd lined up outside the Fillmore on a brisk November evening to gain early entrance, packing the pit in front of the stage to rock out

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with the metalcore band Killswitch Engage. The atmosphere was incredibly lively for an opener.

Fans head-banged, waving their grown-out hair in unison with guitarist Joe Stroetzel. Lead vocalist Jesse Leach’s screams were infectious, drawing an incomparable amount energy from the audience as their fists punched the air.

By the time Rise Against took the stage, the bars overflowed with fans and the merchandise table was jam-packed. The pit began to re-fill as the crowd thrusted forward, pressing themselves against the wooden barrier separating the fervent audience from the dimly lit stage.

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The lights cut off and house music ceased.

Large letters spelling out the word “RISE” were erected center stage and flickered in the darkness.

The deafening silence was disrupted by a quiet siren noise. Purple spotlights rotated, piercing the near pitch-black Fillmore. Fictitious fire began to burn along the back of the stage. The word “RISE” illuminated orange; the crowd began to roar.

Guitarist Zach Blair darted onto stage, jumped on the elevated platform, both fists clenched in the air. The lights turned on, Rise Against began rocking.

Lead vocalist and guitarist Tim Mcllrath began

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Rise Against lead guitarist Zach Blair. Photo by Ben Robson

Joe Principe, bassist for Rise Against. Photo by Ben Robson

to strum rapidly, leading the fourpiece band in the well-liked track “Satellite.” The lyrics and chords were barely recognizable over the roaring audience.

Beer cans flew through the air, crowd surfing was standard throughout the setlist. Overjoyed fans rode the wave the audience pushed them in, hand-horns extended the entire ride. Security officers caught the surfers as they flowed over the wooden barricade, sending them back into the pit for another ride. No matter the song, the crowd intensified whenever Blair or Joe Principe leaped into the forefront, swiftly strumming the guitar in the audience’s face.

The band, hailing from Chicago, played the audience a mix of tracks across all seven of their studio

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albums. The highly diverse crowd resonated with the performance of timeless hits “Prayer Of The Refugee” and “Dancing For Rain.”

After a short solo acoustic spell, the band rejoined Mcllarth in the spotlight for one last heart-pounding production. Every light situated on the stage turned on. Bright yellows, purples and reds gleamed into the audience and the iconic words rapidly flashed a bevy of colors. Rise Against kicked back into gear, going 110 mph with their finale “Savior.”

The pit began to mosh and every soul in the building sang along. The climax exhausted the crowd. Fans left the Fillmore voiceless after being submerged in vitality for three hours.

ACROSS 1 Honolulu “howdy” 6 Cozy eatery 10 Exasperated sound 14 Access the Internet 15 Word-of-mouth 16 Merely 17 *Malicious prank 19 Memo writer’s “Pronto!”

20 White Monopoly bills 21 Church recess 22 Sarcastic in a mean way 23 Approximately 3.26 lightyears 25 One doing simple math 26 Written in few words 28 Has __ for news 30 Flood 31 Trumpeter Alpert 33 Spanish eyes 36 House cat, e.g.

37 *Winter storm school closing 40 Cries of pain

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DOWN 1 Gucci of fashion 2 Pork cut 3 Storybook meanie 4 Trendy club 5 “ ... have you __ wool?”

6 The “C” in USMC 7 Get up 8 Kings, queens and jacks 9 Antlered grazer 10 Son-of-a-gun 11 *Humor among friends 12 Forest clearing 13 Really keyed up 18 Small fruit pie 22 __ Paulo, Brazil 24 Greek war god 26 Design detail, briefly 27 *Employee who does the firing 29 L.A. Clippers’ org.

30 Place for a mani-pedi 31 “Gee whiz!”

41 Part of IRA: Abbr.

32 Barnyard female 43 Corrida cheers 34 Has obligations 44 Like the old bucket of 35 Govt.-issued ID song 38 Drop (off) 46 The __ Boys: fictional 39 Discipline using mats detectives 42 Bric-a-brac disposal 48 Moorehead of event “Bewitched” 45 Rabbit ears 49 Last Greek letter 47 Unit of hope or light 51 Speak sharply to 48 Per person 54 Fall guy 55 Japanese detective Mr.__ 49 “Aida,” for one 50 County on San 56 Director Kazan Francisco Bay 60 Bombeck of household 52 “I pass” humor 61 Employment opportunity, 53 Make amends and a hint to the first word 57 Animal Crackers of the answers to starred feline clues 58 Really digging, as a 63 Iranian currency hobby 64 Similar (to) 59 “A Death in the 65 Govt.-backed investment Family” author James 66 Ill-fated Boleyn 61 Quick poke 67 George Eliot’s “Adam __” 62 List-ending abbr.

68 Boat with an outrigger

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Photo by Olivia Green

Tail of the Dragon OLIVIA GREEN INTERN

If you’re a car enthusiast on a quest to find a place with a road that is abundant in thrilling twists and curves, look no further than Deals Gap, N.C., a good 230-mile drive from UNC Charlotte. Paved along the border of North Carolina and Tennessee, there is a mountain pass aptly dubbed, “Tail of the Dragon” that stretches 11 miles, and contains a staggering 318 curves.

Enthusiasts from all over the United States travel hundreds and even thousands of miles just to put their cars’ adhesive abilities to the test. As a result, the car culture on this road is eclectic, consisting of muscle cars, European makes, trucks, supercars, motorcycles and many more.

You might think you’ve stumbled into one of the Fast and Furious movies one minute and The Dukes of Hazard the next. If you take a look at these cars I captured before they endeavored to “slay the Dragon,” it’s evident that diversity among the drivers on this road is prevalent.

Before making the trip to the Tail, it’s important to understand a few fundamentals about this road and how you should drive on it.

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First, you must dispel any desire for pushing your car to its top speed at the Tail. Your odometer’s needle won’t be sliding all the way to the right on this road, unless you have a death wish. The straightaways are scarce, and among the few that are present, those are too short for anyone to reach top speed. The Tail isn’t intended for testing the limits of speed--it’s intended for testing the limits of adhesion. Traction control is your biggest ally on this road.

Second, it’s imperative that you are aware of your car’s exertion.

Mute the stereo and listen to the sounds of the engine and the tires.

Listening to its noises will help you assess its condition and whether you need to take it easier. Sliding all over the road is also an obvious indicator that you should ease off the throttle.

Once you’ve reached the end where the souvenir shop is located, go ahead and park there and open up your hood to let your whip catch its breath before going back out. You need to let your engine and brakes cool down.

Third, absolutely under no circumstances do you ever cross

the double yellow line to overtake someone. Despite the fact that this act is illegal, this kind of driving can prove to be fatal for you and the driver coming down on the other side of the road who isn’t visible until it’s too late.

More often than not, drivers who just want to cruise and take it easy will take the first opportunity to pull off at the next available stop to let you by, so be patient and don’t be reckless. Keep in mind that this route isn’t just some fun road created for enthusiasts. For many, this road is just part of their daily commute to work.

During a weekend excursion that I took to the Tail I saw many kinds of cars, but the ones I’m about to mention stood out to me the most.

Among those were beautiful E30 BMWs that I got to admire several times. Some of my other favorites included Corvette Stingrays taking a breather after doing a return trip down the Tail, this M3 dressed in the rare and mesmerizing Laguna seca blue and this timeless, midnight blue Nissan GTR. But being an avid fan of Bavarian Motor Works, I’d equip myself with any one of these

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tempting Beemers to take on the Tail--the M3, 330ci or the Z3 M. Curve after curve, this 11-mile stretch of road that seems as though it was paved by the devil himself.

It will sling you, your car and any passengers who trust you enough with their life left and right around each curve.

Eleven miles just doesn’t feel long enough, but the beauty of this road is that you can just turn around and do it all again.

The screams of the tires, the roars of the engine and the scent of burning rubber that tickles your nostrils will feed into your adrenaline, satiating your desire to really drive. There’s no way to fully prepare yourself for the pure exhilaration that will come from “slaying the Dragon” because there’s nothing quite like it.

So, gather your fellow car enthusiasts and make a weekend trip out of it. You’ll be able to enjoy the beauty of the Smoky Mountains, fellowship of car aficionados, coolness of the air and echoes of cars having just as much fun as their drivers all at the same time.

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A DAY OF GIVING THANKS

HAILEY TURPIN STAFF WRITER

As we draw towards the Thanksgiving season, we reminisce on years past spent with family members, plan for the big dinner and reconnect with our loved ones. We gather with our loved ones around the dinner table and pass out food while we discuss what we are thankful for. But how did it all start?

Where did the Thanksgiving holiday begin and how do we as people in the 21st century celebrate this holiday?

Elementary schools in America teach the pilgrimage of people from Plymouth, England and the passenger’s quest to find new land and escape from religious prosecution. But what we might not know about the journey for the English is that only about half of the pilgrims on board the Mayflower made it to the land we now know as America. With cold weather, disease and lack of food attacking the settlers, many also were not able to make it. In November 1621, the Plymouth settlers were greeted by a Native American who spoke English. Days later, the Native American returned to the plantation with Squanto, an ex-slave and escaped convict to an English explorer, who had traveled from England back to his home land. Squanto taught the people to hunt for fish, plant corn and avoid poisonous plants.

Once the first harvest of the year was done, Governor William Bradford had a feast in celebration of the first successful season. It wasn’t until 1863 that Thanksgiving was made into a national holiday by President Abraham Lincoln.

Today, we celebrate Thanksgiving by cooking our favorite foods, being with the ones we love and giving thanks for everything you have. However, we

have created other ways to celebrate this holiday too, and we are continuing to be thankful for the food on our table or the clothes on our backs, just as the settlers did almost 400 years ago. Here are the most popular things that Americans do on thanksgiving:

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

Beginning early on Thanksgiving Day, the parade features floats both designed for Thanksgiving and the upcoming Christmas. Popular musical artists preform for the nation to see, and the parade ends with giant balloons of our favorite movie characters floating hundreds of feet above our heads. NBC’s Today Show correspondents commentate the event and it is viewed by 50 million people nationwide.

Thanksgiving Day National Dog Show

America’s top breeders face off in the biggest dog competition of the holiday season. Over 170 breeds participate in the show and is watched by millions of viewers per year. Stay tuned in to the competition to see which breed is best-in-show.

Thanksgiving Day football

Nothing sounds better than watching the Carolina Panthers after eating a wonderful meal prepared by the family. The Philadelphia Eagles take on the Detroit Lions at 12:30 p.m., at 4:30 p.m. the Carolina Panthers versus the Dallas Cowboys and at 8 p.m. the Chicago Bears against the Green Bay Packers.

Humans of UNC Charlotte VANESSA MARTINEZ INTERN

“Being a full-time student is an interesting title to have. To me it means you are devoting a large portion of your life to study and to finishing school on time. For the first time in six years I will be without a job. This will be the first time in my life I will get to focus on what is best for me. It is a decision I will never regret, but I am sure going to miss my work family.”

Photo by Vanessa Martinez

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Vanessa Martinez 15

Thanksgiving Recipes Check out these recipes to try this Thanksgiving. You can find them in the lifestyle section of NinerTimes.com.

Apple Pie Quinoa Photo by Angie Baquedano

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cookie Dough Cheese Ball Photo by Sydney Swafford

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