PG. 5
READ A FULL RECAP OF THE 2016 SGA STUDENT BODY PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE OR WATCH THE ENTIRE DEBATE AT NINERTIMES.COM
AFTER RUMORS OF BEING TARGETED FOR HIRE BY GEORGIA TECH, HEAD COACH MARK PRICE ANNOUNCED HIS COMMITTMENT TO CHARLOTTE BASKETBALL
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NINERTIMES.COM
MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2016
PG. 8
JESSE DISCUSSES THE UNFORTUNATE MEDIOCRITY OF “BATMAN V SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE”
PG. 12 VOL. 28, ISSUE 24
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Jordan Snyder editor@ninertimes.com
Nick Cropper news@ninertimes.com
Hunter Heilman ae@ninertimes.com
Casey Aldridge opinion@ninertimes.com
Diane Gromelski copy@ninertimes.com
Alyssa Fronk
News
community@ninertimes.com
3 5 6
Jared Allen
sports@ninertimes.com
John Lineberger
Sports
lifestyle@ninertimes.com
video@ninertimes.com
Andrew Hocutt layout@ninertimes.com
Opinion
MANAGING EDITOR
Sara Carson
managing@ninertimes.com
SGA debate Meet the candidates Middle Grades University
7 Turning around the softball season 8 Mark Price commits to Charlotte 9 49er baseball’s offense
Ben Robson photo@ninertimes.com
VIDEO PRODUCER
Andrew James
Contents
Salina Dickie, Sydney Stephens, Trevor Wilt, Mia Shelton, Jasmine Taylor
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Race and media
A&E
ADDITIONAL STAFF Kathleen Cook, Chris Crews, Selim Ayyildiz, Annie Young, Jesse Nussman, Hailey Turpin, Kristen Cheatam
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“Batman v Superman” review
Lifestyle 14 15 Matt Lorenz
5 beauty trends Calorie counting
Andrew Hocutt MARKETING STAFF
Tia Warren, David Mendez, Kristen Bobeng, Madeline Lemieux
NINER TIMES • RADIO FREE CHARLOTTE SANSKRIT LITERARY-ARTS MAGAZINE MEDIA MARKETING • TECHNICAL
MEGAN VAN EMMERIK
www.ninertimes.com/app 2
Cover and contents photos by Chris Crews
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NINERTIMES
2016 S TU D E N T BODY PR ESI D E N TIA L DEBAT E
JASMINE TAYLOR ASST. NEWS EDITOR
On March 24, the Niner Times hosted the 2016 Student Body Presidential debate in which candidates discussed their platform and their stance on current issues involving campus in front of fellow students and the student council, which took place in the Student Union. The debate started off with Niner Times News Editor Nick Cropper instructing how the debate would be conducted. Chosen at random, each candidate was asked to introduce themselves. The introductions started off with presidential candidate Faun Darkor and his running mate Carrie Nowell, followed by candidate Jessie Puffer and her running mate Amber Creft and Andre Jefferies with his running mate Anthony Rizol.
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The candidates for vice president were first to answer questions on their platform and how will they go about implementing it. Dakor and Nowell stated that they want to build a stronger platform of transparency and inclusion. They also want to create relationships between different organizations and encourage students to be involved more with diverse groups. One of their examples would be a “Why” Fair for the upcoming school year. The fair is about the idea of getting students to come out and ask why things are the way they are on campus. They would also push for more transparency between the student government and the student body. Puffer and Creft talked about transparency as well by creating a
new website solely for students to voice their questions and concerns. They also want to have a drop box for student inclusion. Puffer stated that though UNC Charlotte has a diverse campus, it can be seperated at times. Puffer and Creft wish to bridge that gap. Jefferies and Rizol talked about how they wanted to foster tradition by reaching out to the community to keep traditions going. Their platform focuses on student empowerment, on how students should come to senate meetings to listen, to be involved and knowledgable of campus affiars. The second question was on how the candidates plan on using their experience to perform their duties as leader of the Senate. Creft stated that they would work on making sure that the legislation
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will be produced. They want to be more than just a president and vice president that tells students what sounds good and actually go through with their plans. Nowell touched on how she and Darkor want to help people succeed. “I made a commitment to bring awareness with other organizations that I have been involved in,” said Nowell. “I learned how to develop a sense of pride and a sense of community.” Nowell also states how she and Darkor want to bring a fresh perspective for students and improve student life on campus. Rizol answered after Nowell and went on to talk about how he and Jefferies feel that it is important for senators to be more available than on just Tuesdays and Thursdays. DEBATE cont. on page 4
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POLICE BLOTTER FEB. 20-26 ACCIDENT MARCH 23
• John Kirk Drive, While turning left from Van Landingham to John Kirk, driver of vehicle one struck a pedestrian. The pedestrian refused transport to CMC but did report to UNC Charlotte Student Health Center for his injuries.
ARREST
MARCH 24
• Houlshouser Hall, officers responded to a call of suspicious persons in Holshouser. During interaction with one of the people in question, it was discovered that they had an order for arrest. The individual was arrested.
MARCH 25
• Phillips Road, officers responded to a call of a person laying on the side of the road. It was determined that the person had an active trespass. The individual was arrested.
POSSESSION OF STOLEN GOODS MARCH 19
• Belk Hall, officers responded in reference to several items belonging to UNCC which were found in a room in Belk Hall.
VANDALISM MARCH 23
• Friday Building, officers responded in reference to unknown person(s) having written on a wall in the Friday Building.
For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us
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DEBATE, cont. Rizol wants students to be connected by coming to Senate meetings and feeling like they have a voice. Creft stated that she wants to livestream Senate meetings for students to watch if they cannot attend the meetings in person. “It all starts with us to be stronger within SGA,” said Creft. Creft wants to collaborate more with student organizations and have more face-to-face with the student body. After the vice president candidates stated their questions, the debate shifted to discussion questions for the presidential candidates. Their first question was what they admired about the current student body president and what they would do differently. Puffer was first to answer and stated that she admired his drive and passion on getting things done, but she would want students to have a clearer understanding of just how hard the student president works to help UNC Charlotte. “I would change on being more vocal on how hard I try.” Jefferies talked about how he enjoys the enthusiasm of the new president with building a stronger community on campus. However, he would want to show his face around campus more so that more students could recognize their president. “I would strive to get out there by going to different student programs so that students can feel a sense or connection to come talk to me personally,” said Jefferies. Darkor stated that the current president is very relatable and likes how willing he is to learn about students, but Darkor, who knows the current president personally, said that he would want to improve his time management as president. The debate then would lead into the topic of how the Belk Tower demolition was handled and how the candidates felt about the administrative actions. Jefferies stated that he is an advocate for students having a say in campus matters, especially ones as high-profile as this. He felt that students should have been more involved in the decision.
Student body vice president candidate Amber Creft. Photo by Chris Crews
For future issues, he wants to be involved telling in the administrativion what students don’t agree on and what they want to be in place of the Belk Tower, for example. Darkor felt that the Belk Tower situation happened too quickly, but it was understandable because of the potential safety hazard. He believes that the administration should have communicated better about the issues with the tower. “If students don’t know they have a voice, they won’t be able to do so,” said Darkor. Puffer talked about how she thinks a forum would be helpful, much like the current community forums for the Belk to redesign, along with tabling events and involving students more about issues like the Belk Tower coming down. The debate then moved to the question of fostering more credibility towards the university. Darkor stated that UNC Charlotte is closed off from the greater part of the strong Charlotte community. He feels that through athletics on our campus we can build that
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strong community and get more involvement. Puffer said that she wants a Franklin Street here on campus like UNC Chapel Hill. As a part of her platform she wants more community support like other schools by building pride from making events on campus more exciting. Puffer wants that pride to be in not just sporting events but all events, to create a real sense of student life. Jefferies wants to reach out to the community to build credibility. He wants to reach out to banking institutions, pubs around campus and hold forums to get the banking community involved. He states that because Charlotte is one of the largest banking cities in America, he wants to bring that into our campus community. The debate shifted to the council and audience Q&A for the candidates and each of their final statements about their platform. SGA spring election will take place March 29 at 8 a.m. through March 30 at 5 p.m. Voting will be online at vote.uncc.edu. To watch the full debate, visit ninertimes.com.
NINERTIMES
MEET THE CANDIDATES JASMINE TAYLOR ASST. NEWS EDITOR
Jessie Puffer
Photos by Chris Crews
Amber Creft
Jessie Puffer is running for student body president for 2016-17. Puffer is a Florida native, but moved to North Carolina during elementary school. Puffer is a junior majoring in public relations and minoring in journalism. Currently, Puffer serves as the executive internal affairs secretary for SGA. Puffer is also an alumni of Zeta Tau Alpha soririty, where she has held several positions including: new member committe member, social chairwoman and philanthropy chairwoman. She is also a member of the Public Relations Student Society of America.
Sophomore Amber Creft is the vice presidential running mate for Puffer. She is a Charlotte native. Creft is double majoring in political science and psychology. She has also held responsibilities outside of the classroom. Currently, she is a member of Cheer Nation and the Women’s Leadership Development Program. Creft has served in SGA before; first as a senator at large her freshman year and was then elected to be a senator for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences her sophomore year.
Fahn Darkor
Carrie Nowell
Fahn Darkor is the second candidate running for student body president. Darkor is a current junior and is a Marketing major from Greensburo, NC. Darkor has been in several leadership positions on campus including working as an orientation counselor in UNC Charlotte’s SOAR program. He is also Secretary of the Black Student Union and even won Homecoming Prince in 2015. Darkor decided to run for student body president after the alleged racial comments that came out of the Student Organizations Office.
Carrie Nowell is Darkor’s running mate for vice president. She is a junior organizational management major and is from Durham, N.C. Nowell and Darkor have both served as orientation counselors and have worked together in SGA. She is in the University’s Honor Program, is the secretary for Academic Affairs and is the club president and founder of the Finer Niners Accapella Club.
Anthony Rizol
Andre Jefferies Andre Jefferies is a junior majoring in political science and is originally from Wilkesboro, N.C. He is the third candidate running for student body resident for the 2016-17 school year. Jefferies has served in SGA since his freshman year at UNC Charlotte. He has served as an at-large senator, before being elected to be Chairman of the Internal Affairs Committee. Jefferies is also well versed in the by-laws of the executive, legislative and judicial branches of SGA. He is also a part of the North Carolina Student Legislature and is a member of the Sigma Tau Gamma Fraternity.
Anthony Rizol is Jefferies running mate for the student body president elections. Rizol is a sophomore accounting major and was drawn to UNC Charlotte because of the beautiful campus and well-known Belk College of Business. Rizol currently serves as a senator for the Senate of the legislative branch of SGA and has spent the last year on the Internal Affairs Committee. Rizol is also involved in the Kappa Sigma fraternity on campus and is currently working at an internship.
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Middle Grades University UNC Charlotte College of Education helps at-risk eighth graders ANNIE YOUNG INTERN
UNC Charlotte hosted a Middle Grades University (MGU) day camp for at-risk eighth graders from Ranson Middle School, Ashley Park Middle School and Thomasboro Middle School, over the weekend of March 19. This is the 10th year MGU has been helping students transition into high school and bettering the lives of at-risk eighth graders. “MGU focuses on decision making as a catalyst for success for these potential college students. We are partnered with Teen Health Connections and Project LIFT to help guide these students and their families in the right direction,” said Jeaneine Jones, co-founder of MGU. A typical event begins with a large meal where students are encouraged to bring their parents and family members. From there, the students work with their mentors as they read through “7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens” by Sean Covey. Meanwhile, the parents work with Teen Health Connections in the ongoing discussion of the “Love and Logic” parenting program. The program is family oriented so that the students can receive support from various aspects of life. About once a month, a campus event is held at which MGU students and their families come to campus and work hand in hand with college mentors, Teen Health and
Project LIFT. In January, mentees and their families are invited to a UNC Charlotte ball game where students can view the campus and cheer on our 49er sport teams. In March, there is a student day camp where mentees spend all day on campus with their mentors and other students. In April, there is the MGU graduation banquet held in the Cone Center. It is a formal occasion with a full meal and graduation ceremony. Each mentee is recognized by their mentors and receives a gift bag and graduation certificate. Mentors are selected middle grade education majors who are enrolled in “The Early Adolescent Learner” course. They meet with students off campus for lunch, movies or coffee between campus events. “They carry most of the weight of the program by forming relationships with their mentees. They’re just awesome,” said Jones. “My favorite thing about MGU is just being with the kids- we grab lunch and hangout. Most importantly I’m there for them as someone to lean on,” said mentor Anum Akhter. Other mentors commented on the great experience MGU gives them while preparing to enter into the teaching world, working with at-risk students and encouraging them to look towards their future.
“MGU FOCUSES ON DECISION MAKING AS A CATALYST FOR SUCCESS.” CO-FOUNDER OF MGU JEANEINE JONES
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NINERTIMES
MID-SEASON MAGIC How Charlotte softball can turn their season around
KATHLEEN COOK STAFF WRITER
There is a different type of March Madness affecting the Charlotte softball team. So far this month, the 49ers are 6-12 and half of their 12 losses came against conference opponents. The performance by the ladies in green comes as a surprise, mainly because of their showing in February. The 49ers now have an overall record of 18-14 and are 2-7 in conference competitions. Haley Wiseman is a regular on the rubber. During the 13 games, Wiseman appeared in she has allowed 43 runs on 58 hits, 89 strikeouts and 40 walks. Wiseman sports a 3.71 earned run average (ERA). Adjusting to a new team can make it hard to adjust, but Wiseman regaining her mojo is crucial for the 49ers to recover and turn around their season. The transfer pitcher comes to the Queen City
from Barry University. During her freshman season in Miami, Wiseman appeared in 29 games. She recorded a 2.20 ERA, struck out 147 batters and gave up 133 hits. Having a few games to warm back up and become comfortable with her surroundings, Wiseman has the potential to record stats like these. A dominant force on the mound to compliment the performance of Lexi Betancourt would propel the 49ers to success in conference play. Another major key for the 49ers is striking first. In games that Charlotte scores first they’re 16-7. During the span of the 31 games played so far in the season, the Niners scored the most runs during the first inning. Something that contributes to the early scoring is hits from the top of the lineup. These hits have lacked during the past month.
In conference play, the Niners only recorded 39 hits, averaging around five per game. If the likes of Kiersten Berrier, Emma Ocker, Haley Pace and Grace Beatty connect and establish momentum right off the bat, then they’ll give the Charlotte a springboard for success for the rest of the game. In return, Charlotte will acquire the confidence and the cushion needed to win games on a consistent basis. Starting the season with an 11-game winning streak, the 49ers were understandably confident in their playing style. However, after dropping 12 games so far in March, all of the poise gained by their start has dissipated. With series against opponents like Winthrop (12-23) and Furman (16-16) coming up, Charlotte possesses the perfect platform to bounce back and create some mid-season magic.
(From left to right) Grace Beatty, Lexi Betancourt and Meredith Harris. Photos by Benjamin Robson and Leysha Caraballo
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MARK PRICE COMMITS TO CHARLOTTE ANDY GUSTAFSON STAFF WRITER
March 26 is becoming an important date for Charlotte basketball. On this date in 2015, Mark Price was introduced as the 10th basketball coach in Charlotte history. A year later, Price denied his alma mater, Georgia Tech, by deciding not to become the 14th coach in their history. Price released a statement of loyalty to the Charlotte program and luck to Georgia Tech in their search for the next Yellow Jackets head coach. “I wish my alma mater Georgia Tech well in its search for a new head coach,” Price said in the statement. “I am committed to the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball program. I am excited and very encouraged by the progress that we [Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball] made this past season. I feel that the future is bright as we continue to build something special here at Charlotte.” The job opening at Georgia Tech comes at a familiar time for Price. Upon Price’s arrival to Atlanta in 1982, Georgia Tech was coming off their third consecutive losing season. Price sparked a turnaround in the program, being named a two-time All-American and leading Georgia Tech to an 85-41 record during his collegiate career. It was something Price acknowledged in his introductory press conference at Charlotte. “Georgia Tech was the worst basketball program in the country. Moving into the ACC, people said they could never win there,” Price said. “All I know is that two years later, we won the ACC championship and preseason number one in the country by the time I was going into my senior year.” Georgia Tech now finds themselves in a similar situation as they did in the early ‘80s. Brian Gregory was released from his duties as head coach at Georgia Tech after compiling a 76-86 record during his five seasons. With the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) representing half of the Elite Eight teams, Georgia Tech was beginning to fall into irrelevance in the power conference. There was speculation that Price would return to save the
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Yellow Jackets’ program. But, as Price said in his statement, something special is being built in the Queen City. After a tough start in a brutal non-conference schedule, to his first season, Price led the 49ers to a 15-19 record. While the overall record was on the wrong side of .500, Charlotte exceeded expectations in conference play, finishing 9-9 and picking up a victory over Rice in the Conference USA tournament. The good news is that much of the team is returning. Despite losing Joseph Uchebo to graduation and Ridell Camidge’s transfer from the team, the main producers will be back. Charlotte will be led by the terrific trio of Curran Scott, Jon Davis and Andrien White. White and Davis were named to the C-USA allfreshman team. All three averaged double figures in scoring, as well. Braxton Ogbueze and Anthony Vanhook will head into their senior season. Ogbueze led Charlotte in scoring last season with 14.5 points
a game, converting on 43 percent of his threes. As for Vanhook, the Chapel Hill, N.C. native did it all, averaging seven points, four rebounds and three assists. There will be new faces as well. Incoming freshman Quentin Jackson Jr. is sure to impress. The three-star prospect will be another scoring option in the backcourt after averaging 20.6 points his senior season. Add Clemson transfer Austin Ajukwa and Texas Christian University transfer Hudson Price, son of coach Price, the Charlotte backcourt is solidified. Fellow incoming freshman Najee Garvin will add needed depth to the Charlotte frontcourt. “I just believe the potential here is tremendous,” Price said in his introductory press conference. “It’s a hidden gem here in Charlotte.” Coach Price showed the progress that many did not expect in his first season. With his commitment, this hidden gem may shine sooner rather than later.
Mark Price commits to the Charlotte men’s basketball program long term. Photo by Benjamin Robson MARCH 29 - APRIL 4, 2016
NINERTIMES
HITTING ON ALL
CYLINDERS
49ers baseball boasts five players hitting over the magical .300 mark, powering their offensive success TREVOR WILT
ASST. SPORTS EDITOR
“Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” This quote from the great Ted Williams
was not directed at the Charlotte baseball team, but the cleat fits. The Charlotte 49ers have five players averaging over .300, setting up a high-powered offense that
is difficult to tame. The 49ers are averaging just over 10 hits per game, good for fifth in the conference, and are showing that the early success at the plate isn’t a fluke.
T.J. NICHTING
The junior from Hamilton, Ohio is leading the team with a .370 batting average through 24 games and has shimmied out of his sophomore slump from last season. Nichting’s season is highlighted by his grand slam against Toledo on Feb. 27, four of his 19 RBIs on the season. Nichting leads Conference USA (C-USA) in doubles with eleven and is third in the conference in hits with 37.
LOGAN SHERER
The junior from Matthews, N.C. boasts a .350 batting average which is second behind Nichting, displaying power and average for the 49ers. Sherer leads the team in home runs with four, pushing him to first on the team and fourth in the conference in RBIs with 24. The first baseman scores often, 24 times to be exact, good for third in C-USA. Sherer trails only Nichting and two other batters for most hits in the conference with 36.
DREW OBER
T.J. Nichting watching the ball soar to right field. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
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The freshman out of Huntersville, N.C. worked his way into the starting lineup as the designated hitter for head coach Loren Hibbs, averaging .341 at the plate. Ober collected his first collegiate accolade by being named the C-USA Hitter of the Week, batting .474 during a fivegame week.
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Ober is second on the team in sacrifice bunts with five and hit his first collegiate home run on March 6 against Kent State, showing how valuable the freshman is in the middle of the lineup.
REECE HAMPTON
The freshman and Charlotte native hit his way into the lead-off spot, averaging .340 in 24 starts towards the top of the lineup. Hampton started off his career in remarkable fashion, piecing together a 17-game hit-streak, making for one of the best starts to a freshman season at the plate in Charlotte history. The center fielder is second on the team in steals with six and leads the team with 15 walks. Hampton belted his first collegiate home run against Wake Forest on March 22.
BRETT NETZER
The sophomore standout from Tega Cay, S.C. is coming off a great freshman season, picking up right where he left off, batting .337. Netzer is third in the conference in doubles with nine and leads the team with a .438 on base percentage. Netzer had his biggest hit of his Charlotte career against Wake Forest on March 16, smacking a ball over the right field wall in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to give the 49ers a 7-6 victory in walk-off fashion. Netzer hit another walk-off the very next game against Florida International, driving a ball back up the middle to give Charlotte a 4-3 win in ten innings.
Logan Sherer. Photo by Benjamin Robson
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NINERTIMES
Race, media, and pop culture SELIM AYYILDIZ INTERN
The idea of reading one more article about racial slurs or using up 10 precious minutes of your time to read this so called “writer” who believes his or her opinion matters or will even make a dent on social issues is on the bottom of your to-do list. I understand, news is getting repetitive and articles are becoming predictable, however this issue has given us all an excuse to actually discuss a topic that is so prevalent in our everyday conversations. Race. The color of our skin has once again ignited this controversial yet relevant issue. You now have mandatory discussions in class, you watch provocative half-time performances and you’re no longer interested in the performance but more about the meaning behind it, and you all of a sudden start using the hashtag #Blacklivesmatter because your favorite celebrities passed the message and you don’t want be left out. If that’s the case, don’t worry; I am right with you. But some of the bigger questions that come to mind is, why now? Why should we? Why is this happening all at once? We worked so hard to overcome race and discriminative barriers for a society that is now arguing between which lives matter more, which to me is a little absurd. Within this whole issue, I don’t understand how we praise one group of people, while degrading another calling this improvement. Let’s go back to Beyoncé’s Super Bowl half-time performance, which you have obviously seen or heard about (if you don’t live under a rock). Likely it has you either saying 1) “Damn, she is slaying up there” or 2) “What did I just watch?” I myself am a huge Queen B fan, especially those dance moves; however, I do understand why some may have felt uncomfortable. The performance
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took me at complete shock. I was confused and uncomfortable, not for myself, but for people who don’t normally listen to Beyoncé music. My mind is so immune to lyrics and songs like “Formation” that I just end up singing along to it. Usually the more vulgar the better, but I can think of millions of people who would beg to differ - those millions of people who tune into the Super Bowl simply for the halftime performance. They want to be entertained, not preached at. It was obvious that there was an agenda behind the performance, and Beyoncé had the right platform to endorse such powerful messages, which she successfully did. Now because Beyoncé had allegedly performed such powerful messages in her half-time performance we start to think that movements of such should be encouraged and followed. The purpose of these messages is to overcome race barriers such as recent racial discrimination especially towards the black community. However, with that in mind, is bringing up historical facts and reliving the past the right move for change towards the future? Racial discrimination has been a part of our history, and as a society we have struggled to overcome such horrible legacies in our country. The idea of bringing racism back in the picture and sometimes actually using it to fuel the race issue is just all very contradicting. There is absolutely no possible way to move forward if we continue to bring up the past. Some may argue that I don’t understand the issue of racism because I’m not black; however racial discrimination affects everyone regardless of their color. Being a Muslim-American citizen, I struggle with constant
U.S. opinions on Beyonce’s half time performance. Graphic courtey of Tribune News Service
uncomfortable comments and stereotyping on a daily basis. Some may approach this issue by throwing #Muslimlivesmatters hashtags and protest award shows, since we don’t get nominated either. But some, like myself, set an example for others by not falling into the negativity and degrading of one another. Instead of playing the victim card I keep in mind that I will not be able to please everyone, and those who I don’t are the same people I wouldn’t want in my life anyways. Instead of fighting fire with fire it’s better to approach these issues with an open mind and willing to compromise, not battle for
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attention. Writing this, I have no intentions to make decisions for other people. My goal is not to make anyone feel sympathy for a certain community or blame an issue on someone specifically. The purpose of this is to have people think about this so called “controversial” topic in a different perspective and realize that if racism is really the issue fighting against it is not the solution. Hopefully this leaves you thinking about how to make a difference even if that means writing an article and calling yourself a so-called “writer.”
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A brooding bat meets a moody Man of Steel in ‘Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice’ JESSE NUSSMAN STAFF WRITER
“Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice” (known as “Batman v Superman” from here on out) is such a poorly guided film, if only for its lack of focus and attempt to accomplish so much. It’s part Batman reboot, part “Man of Steel” sequel, as well as part set-up for an eventual “Justice League” movie. As many already know, “Batman v Superman” marks Warner Bros. attempt to create an expanded comic universe from the DC canon that they own the rights to, hopefully re-creating the same formula that has made Disney and Marvel’s partnership so successful. Later on this year, we will get “Suicide Squad” as part of this universe, as well as a “Wonder Woman” movie next year. The starting point for this venture has of course been Zack Snyder’s dark and overly serious Superman reboot, “Man of Steel,” a movie that was as divisive among comic aficionados as it was general movie goers. Snyder has returned for this film and is set to direct the upcoming “Justice League” movie as well. Yet, as much as Snyder may be a comic fanboy, his
shortcomings as a director are often what gets in the way of this film. Snyder begins the movie with a sequence meant to play upon a common complaint raised in his previous Superman movie. What many pointed out in “Man of Steel” was an overabundance of destruction and civilian casualties left in the wake of Superman’s face-off with the evil General Zod. The climax in particular drew many comparisons to the Sept. 11th attacks in New York and set off a conversation about the use of 9/11 style imagery in modern day blockbusters. In “Batman v Superman,” we see Bruce Wayne rush through the streets of Metropolis as buildings crumble and blankets of ash fill the streets. It’s this moment that sparks a rage within Wayne, one culminated by the fear of what kind of horror could be inflicted upon the world as a result of Superman. Here lies probably the movie’s most fascinating idea, as for a bulk of its first half, “Batman v Superman” wrestles with the idea of Superman as a controversial world figure.
While some view him as a Christ-like savior of humanity, others see him as a threat, one that refuses to answer to the consequences of his own actions and needs to be put in check. Among this second group includes a Kentucky senator played by Holly Hunt and, most notably, the most famous villain in Superman lore, Lex Luthor. Luthor, played this time by Jesse Eisenberg, wants the senator to allow for the entrance of a large sum of krytptonite, discovered near a wrecked spaceship from “Man of Steel,” into the country so that he can forge a weapon to destroy Superman. Sadly, Eisenberg might be the weakest performance in the movie. Like Gene Hackman and Kevin Spacey before him, Eisenberg goes as over-the-top as possible in his portrayal of the maniacal billionaire. The only problem is that everyone else around him, including the movie itself, is being deathly serious. In turn, Luthor comes across as less menacing than he does simply annoying. His diabolical plan to destroy BATMAN V SUPERMAN, cont.
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NINERTIMES
Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
BATMAN V SUPERMAN, cont. Superman, involving the creation of a creature with Kryptonian powers, only becomes more ridiculous as the movie rolls on. As for the Man of Steel himself, Superman spends most of the movie weighed down, by the pressure of being the worlds protector, though one not everyone necessarily wants. Actor Henry Cavill continues to do fine work as Superman, but after seeing just how charismatic he could be in “The Man from U.N.C.L.E,” you walk away wishing that the film had allowed some of that charisma to come through. And speaking of clenched jaws, Ben Affleck (a.k.a Batfleck) manages to be surprisingly good as the Dark Knight, somewhere beneath Christian Bale and Michael Keaton but drastically better than George Clooney or Val Kilmer. While Snyder’s take on Batman may not be as in depth as the one brought by Christopher Nolan, Affleck does manage to find a sense of sorrow and weariness in the character that actually works. Snyder has clearly taken inspiration for his version of Batman and has even borrowed the same climatic fight between Batman, geared up in Iron Man-like armor, and Superman. Yet, therein lies part of the problem, as Snyder is a director of style-over-substance. He wants to direct big, thunderous action sequences with people being thrown from one end of the room to the next and set pieces smashed to smithereens. Snyder’s most successful work, “300,” and his remake of “Dawn of
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the Dead,” are the ones that lend themselves to a constant barrage of violence and destruction. He has some interesting ideas here to play with regarding these two characters but is more concerned with watching them beat each other to a pulp instead. The one side character that does make quite an impact is Gal Gadot as Wonder Woman. She isn’t given a whole lot to do, but there’s something captivating about watching her forge a character that has never made it to the big screen prior to this. More than anything, the movie needs a good edit. It currently runs at roughly two and a half hours, with an R-rated extended cut apparently on the way. Some scenes take the time to spell-out already commonly known information. Others are there just to set-up the already in development “Justice League” movie, or even worse, disrupt the whole flow of the film. Other factors at play can, unfortunately, not be explained due to restraint on spoilers. If you know that DC has plans to use these characters again, the ending will seem quite pointless. “Batman v Superman” is not a failure by any means. Some sequences actually do provide a heaping dose of pop escapism, but its ambition to tackle so much story, as well as the misguided agenda of its director make for an experience that is mediocre as opposed to great. Read the whole story at ninertimes.com.
ACROSS 1 5th Dimension vocalist Marilyn 6 Degrees for mgrs. 10 On a trip 14 Like cheering stadiums 15 Honolulu’s island 16 Give (out) sparingly 17 Not glossy, as a finish 18 Sourpuss 19 Short comic sketch 20 Accepts a grim reality 23 Thickening agent used in ice cream 24 “Way cool!” 25 Rock’s __ Speedwagon 26 Slalom need 28 Cavs-vs.-Mavs event 32 Tax deadline mo. 35 In need of calamine lotion 38 Cobb or Waldorf dish 39 Hams it up
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42 Enjoys an elegant meal 43 Bothered big-time 44 Ballot markings in boxes 45 Train amenity with drinks and food 47 Eeyore’s pal 49 Nonstick spray brand 50 Troop gp. 52 Small notebooks 56 Is raring to go 60 Layered hairdo 61 Japanese rice drink 62 Irritate 63 Stretch out, say 64 Pigmented eye layer 65 Not at all lenient 66 Verses of praise 67 Exec’s benefit 68 American Pharoah, e.g. DOWN 1 Deadly African snake 2 Newmark with an on-
line list 3 Terra __: earthenware 4 Many John Wayne flicks 5 Valuable rocks 6 Coffee-and-chocolate flavor 7 Uncovered 8 Captain in Ishmael’s tale 9 Many a commuter’s home 10 Lay’s “Betcha can’t eat just one” is one 11 Responded to the alarm 12 Touched down 13 “Still and all ... “ 21 “Foolish Pride” singer Travis 22 Charge for using, as an apartment 27 Smooch shower on a Jumbotron 28 Wall St.’s “Big Board” 29 “Jeopardy!” host Trebek 30 Fully grown filly 31 Nestlé ice cream brand 32 Electrical adapter letters 33 Golfer Mickelson 34 Brand in contact lens care 36 Scorch 37 In a lather, with “up” 40 Google search successes 41 Gemstone weight 46 Intensifies 48 Not against trying 50 Cake maker 51 T-bone or porterhouse 53 Mammy Yokum’s lad 54 Christian’s dresses? 55 “Gypsy” composer Jule 56 Libya neighbor 57 Thin fog 58 Squirrel away 59 Slinger’s dish 60 __-mo replay
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BLOOM INTO BEAUTY Find out about these five beauty trends that are heating up spring
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1. GOLDEN EYESHADOW
As seen on many makeup blogs, golden eyeshadow has finally peaked its head into the spring. Golden lids draw attention to the eyes and can take you from a day to night look with winged liner. Not only is golden eyeshadow perfect for a bronze makeup look, it also looks incredible when the sun reflects against your lids. To avoid creating a tacky mess, blend the golden eyeshadow correctly with a complimenting color such as a burnt orange shadow. Other metallic colors such as purple, silver and teal are refreshing for spring.
2. WILD BROWS
Back for another season, wild natural brows continue to dominate the brow game. For years now wild brows have been praised and sought after since the emergence of supermodel Cara Delavigne sported her furry brows on many beauty campaigns. As seen in the Burberry Fall 2016 Womenswear Collection, models display thick, long, natural brows gelled to their face. If your brows are a little too wild and wiry for your liking, a brow gel is formulated to hold them into place and define each brow. There are plenty of options for the ladies with thin eyebrows. Try opting for tinted brow gel or a brow mascara. Anastasia Beverly Hills is the most popular brand that’s known for being the supplier for top quality eyebrow kits and gels. Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Gel ($22) is one of the most raved about products from the brand. For more lasting faux thick eyebrows, a new technique called brow tinting has emerged where a light semi-permanent dye is applied to create the desired thickness that gives off the appearance of a fuller brow. So free those brows for spring and let them wisp in the wind.
moderately on the apples of your cheeks. To maximize the color, it’s best to pair the orange blush with an opaque matte burnt orange lipstick. Unlike shades of pink, orange compliments each and every skin tone. If you’re unsure about what shade fits your skin, pop into your local beauty store (Ulta or Sephora) and ask a sales associate to assist you in finding your perfect match. Deeper oranges easily melt into the skin creating a sheer effortless layer of color. Taj Mahal by NARS ($30) is the ideal shade of blush and is perfect for every complexion. If you’re searching for a cheaper option, Cinnamon by NYX is a rich pigmented blush that gives the same natural effect as NARS blush and it retails for only $5 at Ulta Beauty.
5. COLORED WINGED LINER
Colored eyeliner has been peeking into the beauty industry for years. From the deep blue waterline trend of 2010 to the layered color winged tips of 2012, colors have been popping in and out of our lives for years. The trend has never been as important and bold until now. As seen on many models at New York Fashion Week, blues and greens are at the forefront of the trendiest colors to wear. Many women who are new to applying makeup have trouble mastering the perfect wing and dread the daunting task of trying to create a simple symmetrical cat eye. To avoid staring into the mirror for 20 minutes per eye, try using a winged liner stencil. Practicing with a stencil can improve your wrist flicking skills and give you the perfect wings you’ve been searching for. Instead of using liner, opt to fill the stencil with a colored crème eyeshadow to create a bold, beautiful winged cat eye.
3. MINIMAL
Minimal makeup is another trend for the spring, along with dewy glowing skin. Even though the term minimal is very subjective and depends on preference, applying the least amount of makeup possible is the ultimate goal. Applying makeup to give the appearance that you actually put nothing on your face sums up the idea of this. Usually just applying the basics such as a tinted moisturizer or a light-wear, luminous foundation, mascara, a dust of blush and a tinted balm. Highlighter can be used to give a dewy glow when added to the strike points on your face with a technique called strobing. A very light and subtle contour can also be applied if your makeup makes you appear to look ghostly, but it’s important to blend your contour powder to give you natural looking definition and depth.
4. ORANGE BLUSH
So long ‘80s heavy bold pink, and hello supple orange blush. Sadly, it’s time for pink blush to take the back seat and let orange blush take the wheel. For the most part, pink or red blush often leads to muted clown cheeks, or in other words it’s drastically noticeable. Orange toned blush creates more of a fresh, healthy natural looking color when it’s dusted
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Photo by Kristen Cheatam
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THE TRUTH ABOUT CALORIE COUNTING HAILEY TURPIN STAFF WRITER
We know that losing weight or getting in shape is hard. From watching what we eat to attempting to work out, it can be very tough to shed pounds. We think that if we watch what we eat and regulate our daily food intake, we will instantly lose weight and have the perfect body we have always dreamed of. However, that’s rarely the case. Our bodies are more complex than just monitoring how many calories we put into them, and with the right knowledge and the right routine we can take our health into our own hands again. The calorie has two uses: maintaining body structure/function and storage of energy in fat. Typically, when you cut calories from your everyday life, the energy (fat) that is stored in the body are used to keep metabolic processes functioning, therefore reducing fat. However, cutting too many calories can be harmful to your body and can lose important muscle mass and may make you feel tired, weak or even faint. The real trick to counting calories is to keep in check with how much food you eat, what you eat and the physical activity you do. Keeping these three ideas in harmony will be beneficial for your body and its processes without over or under eating.
on gaining muscle mass and losing weight simultaneously, the numbers on the scale generally stay the same due to losing weight and gaining muscle mass. Cardio is a great way to keep your body moving, getting your heart rate up, and just being active with your mind and body. If you don’t have time for an actual class, just work on getting your heart rate up a few times a day with easy workout moves you can do at home. Losing weight may seem like a difficult task, but it doesn’t have to be. Finding balance between what you eat, how much you eat and exercise is a healthier approach to weight loss rather than slashing out vital nutrients.
HOW MUCH YOU EAT
When we look at nutritional facts on the things we eat, we sometimes forget about the serving size and assume that the calories put on the label is for the entire contents, when it’s actually just the serving size. Watching serving sizes helps to reduce any confusion when looking at the numbers on the label and can also make you think about how much is actually going into your body. Also, it’s important to understand which healthy foods will give you the calories and nutrients your body needs without overeating or under nourishing.
WHAT YOU EAT
If you are determined to lose weight, it’s helpful to know what foods are good and bad for you. Start your search for the right foods by figuring out what you do and don’t like. If you enjoy foods like kale and spinach, understand what they can do to benefit your body. If you don’t enjoy anything relatively healthy, find healthier ways to enjoy those things you love. Another thing to remember is to learn your body and what it is trying to tell you. If you’re tired and not very energized, eating foods that are high in vitamin B5 will give you the energy your body needs to function properly.
PHYSICAL ACTIVITY
Working around a busy schedule can be tough. But keeping active is a big portion of keeping your body healthy. The trick when wanting to lose weight is to not work on totally gaining muscle. If you were to focus
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