Niner Times: April 19, 2016

CHECK OUT THE ENTIRE PHOTO GALLERY AT NINERTIMES.COM INSIDE THIS EDITION DESIGN FIRM LANDDESIGN REVEALED POTENTIAL PLANS FOR THE BELK PLAZA AT THE FINAL PUBLIC FORUM

OP-ED: THE “BATHROOM BILL” SHOULD BE FLUSHED DOWN THE TOILETS IT’S TRYING SO HARD TO REGULATE

PG. 3

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APRIL 19 - APRIL 25, 2016

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MUMFORD & SONS IS DONATING ALL THE PROFITS FROM THEIR RECENT CHARLOTTE CONCERT TO A LOCAL LGBT ORGANIZATION PG. 12 1

Jordan Snyder editor@ninertimes.com

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Ben Robson photo@ninertimes.com

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Caroline Price feature Victoria Pahlett feature

Opinion

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10 Flush HB2 11 We need characters

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Belk Plaza design Green projects SGA senators sworn in

Sports

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VIDEO PRODUCER

Andrew James

Contents

Salina Dickie, Sydney Stephens, Trevor Wilt, Mia Shelton, Jasmine Taylor, Jeffrey Kopp, Vivian Westra

A&E

ADDITIONAL STAFF

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Angie Baquedano, Stephanie Smith, Sydney Swafford, John Patrick, Anna Gibbs, Chris Crews, Alex Sands, Leysha Caraballo

Mumford & Sons hits Charlotte

Lifestyle 14 DIY jewelry dishes 15 French toast recipe

& Humans of UNC Charlotte

Matt Lorenz

Andrew Hocutt MARKETING STAFF

Tia Warren, David Mendez, Kristen Bobeng, Madeline Lemieux

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Cover and contents photos by Chris Crews

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CONCEPTUAL PLANS REVEALED FOR BELK PLAZA Final public forum shows possible redesign for the Belk Plaza

ALEX SANDS STAFF WRITER

Charlotte design and architect firm LandDesign presented a preliminary conceptual plan for the redesign of Belk Plaza in the Cone Center on April 11. Members of the UNC Charlotte community attended the last public forum regarding the design plans and were given a final chance to provide feedback.

On the back wall of the Cone Center’s Lucas Room, the posters that had been used to collect ideas and student feedback in previous forums were hung. In the front of the room hung the newest and potentially final idea of what the Belk Plaza will look like.

Designer Adam Martin said they had reached the conclusion from input at past forums that the purpose of the Belk Plaza should be to attract people.

“What people really wanted out of this space was to be around other people on campus,” said Martin.

Another goal of the design is emphasizing the plaza as the main part of campus.

“It’s still sort of identified as the core of campus even though it doesn’t function that way,” said Martin. “So we need to figure out a way to bring that function back.”

During the presentation at the forum, Martin described the design as having “small living rooms.”

Where the Belk Tower stood, the design team has planned to create an oval shaped lawn. While roughly two thirds of the lawn would lay flat, the last third would gradually elevate, creating a small hill with a fountain at the top.

In between the Rowe and Colvard

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buildings, the team has looked at the idea of relocating the dumpsters to create more connection between the plaza and the pond behind Rowe.

They have discussed placing outdoor swings in this area as well, but plans for this feature are not final.

There are also plans to build an outdoor dining area on the edge of Colvard. The architecture would include a raised outdoor terrace. On the wall of the cafe, they discussed a graphic mural that could act as a 24-hour night light.

In front of the Kennedy building, they plan to create a bosque study area with more seating.

As of right now, designers say the Belk Plaza is used by students as a straight shot from building to building. The designers have looked at ways to add more flow to the area, almost forcing people to walk in a curve.

Overall, the plans received mostly positive feedback.

“I think it’s up to the body of the university and the students to say, ‘I’ve got this beautiful space, now let’s just use it,’” said Senior Landscape Architect Richard Petersheim.

The final concept will be presented to the Board of Trustees in the fall.

After that, the state will need to approve the plans.

The designers also predict that construction will start sometime around fall 2017.

As for what remains of the Belk Tower, Campus Landscape Architect Peter Franz said it would either be displayed in the Alumni Center or contributed to the gardens.

Conceptual plans for the Belk Plaza redesign. Photo by Alex Sands

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UNC CHARLOTTE GOES GREEN Charlotte Green Initiative is accepting proposals from students for green projects on campus LEYSHA CARABALLO INTERN

UNC Charlotte’s student-led organization Charlotte Green Initiative (CGI) is accepting proposals once again for green projects.

For the spring semester, the organization is accepting small grant proposals as opposed to the larger grant requests of the fall. Any UNC Charlotte student can write a proposal and submit it for review.

The committee recommends writing grant proposals for a maximum of $1000, but they are flexible.

An application can be found on the CGI website, which asks for a project description, budget, timeline and justification. It is important to have a connection within the university system—like a specific department—to assist in the project and its development, as well as the continuation for future years.

Recent additions to the campus have been water bottle filling stations and the new bike rack in front of Prospector. Some CGI completed projects in the past include the Zero Waste Football Stadium and the addition of compost bins across campus. New plants are waiting to be planted at the community garden from CGI funds.

“Overall, this is the perfect time and method for students to get their ideas heard and make positive change on campus. Students help support the green fee fund and we want as many as possible to utilize it,” said Head of CGI Kaitlyn Chapman. “Even if it is still in the early stages. We have the resources available to help bring a good idea into fruition with your help.”

Proposals are not limited to individual students, but are open to fraternities, sororities and other campus organizations as well.

The committee will be reviewing the proposals after the due date of April 25. Go to this link for further

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Students working in a community garden. Photo by Leysha Caraballo

instructions and to submit yours: http://cgi.uncc.edu/cgi-challenge.

If you are interested in presenting a proposal, but do not have the time

to submit it by April 25, wait until the fall deadline, which will most likely be in early November.

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New student senators sworn into office New senators for the legislative branch of the student government were sworn into office for the 2016-17 term ALEX SANDS STAFF WRITER

Student Government Association (SGA) senators were sworn in April 14 in the Student Union Rotunda for their 2016-2017 term at 5 p.m.

The inauguration was held just after the weekly Senate meeting, which was brief to allow time for the ceremony.

The inauguration began with outgoing Chief Justice Christopher Dotson swearing in the Chief Justice of the Judicial Branch Asa Bell.

Those sworn in were told to raise their right hand and repeat a statement.

Bell then took to the podium to swear in the new Chief Attorney General Sreal Lee and Chief Student Conduct Counselor Alyssa Jones.

Outgoing Student Body President Mitch Daratony swore in the new Student Body President Fahn Darkor and Vice President Carrie Nowell.

“I have all the confidence in the world that they (Darkor and Nowell) will do great things,” said outgoing Student Body President Jared Daratony. “They have been on my executive board this past year and I got to see the work that they do and what kind of standards they hold themselves to. They just excel in every area that they worked on.”

After her oath, Nowell called all

newly elected senators forward for their swearing in. Around 20

“I HAVE ALL THE CONFINDENCE IN THE WORLD THAT THEY WILL DO GREAT THINGS” STUDENT BODY VICE PRESIDENT JARED DOBBERTIN senators were sworn in during the ceremony.

The senators who were sworn in that night were selected by the students during the last election cycle for student body president, the

results of which were announced March 31.

Of the roughy 20 senators who took their oath there were: two senators for the Belk College of Business (which had five seats available), two senators for the College of Health and Human Services (which had three seats open) two senators for the William States Lee College of Engineering (which had a total of three seats open), and nine senators were sworn in for the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences.

The College of Liberal Arts & Sciences filled all nine of its vacant seats on senate.

“I feel more important now that I can make some change in the student body,” said first time Senator for University College Mildred Martinez.

Junior Marshall Stookey, a transfer student from University of North Carolina at Greensboro, was one of the senators sworn in for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

“I’m just looking forward to improving the student experience here and that’s why I wanted to be elected,” said Stookey.

To see a full list of senators appointed to which college, visit: https://sga.uncc.edu/results.

Corrections: There were two errors in the “Take Back the Night” article that was published in the April 12 issue.

The pull out quote on page four reads, “I swallowed the trauma for years and sometimes I still am processing in real time the drama.” The word drama is not a part of that quote and it should read “I still am processing in real time the trauma.” The quote in the article itself is correct.

The second error was in the photo caption for the story. The caption states that the event was held in McKnight Hall, which is false. The Take Back the Night event was held in the Student Activity Center Salons, which is correctly stated in the article.

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APRIL 19 - APRIL 25, 2016

POLICE BLOTTER APRIL 9-15 ACCIDENT APRIL 9

• Phillips Road, drivers of vehicle one and vehicle two backed out of their parking spots at the same time, causing damage to both vehicles. No injuries were reported.

APRIL 15

• South Village Deck, while traveling in the wrong direction, vehicle one struck vehicle two head on.

No injuries were reported.

ARREST APRIL 13

• Martin Hall, an individual was arrested for second degree trespass.

LARCENY APRIL 15

• Wallis Hall, victim stated that while at an event she believes that someone took her phone out of her back pocket. The phone was in a case which held her ID and room key.

MEDIC ASSIST APRIL 15

• Center City, subject fell while descending the second floor staircase.

Subject was taken to Presbyterian Hospital by paramedics for further review.

VANDALISM APRIL 15

• Laurel Hall, officer took a report in reference to someone having removed a ceiling tile and casued damage to the tile and the frame that held the tile.

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

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PRICELESS How Caroline Price is creating her own coaching identity JARED ALLEN SPORTS EDITOR

Every NBA season before Caroline Price’s sixth birthday, she travelled with her father Mark Price across the country as he finished his honored basketball career. From Cleveland to San Francisco to Atlanta, basketball surrounded Caroline at a young age. She was inand-out of NBA arenas and perhaps expected to follow in her father’s footsteps.

However, growing up in Atlanta, a tennis hot pocket, Caroline took a detour and diverted from her father’s game. She blazed her own trail and absorbed her mother’s sport, one played with a racquet and ball—tennis.

“We had neighborhood courts by our house that I grew up on and when my dad retired, my mom and him started playing mixed doubles on a team,” Caroline said.

Her mother Laura Price played tennis in high school and walked on at Georgia Tech. She held a background in the sport and once the family settled down, she created a team for her oldest daughter.

Mark recites the memories of Caroline’s first experience with tennis. She was eager, hungry and excited to involve herself in the game. Caroline begged to join her sister’s Atlanta Lawn and Tennis Association (ALTA) team, coached by her mother. Before too long, her expertise in the game grew and within a year she was better than everyone else on the team, including her sister.

Caroline evidently possessed her father’s genes and while she excelled

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at tennis, her genetics called for a basketball career. She was athletic and taller than teammates her age and even played under her father in the fifth and sixth grade.

“I was lucky enough that my dad got to coach my church basketball league,” Caroline laughed. “I think I had the best coach out of any church league ever.”

Basketball was an option, as well as any other sport imaginable.

Caroline joined multiple teams and played more than the daily 24 hours could handle. Three sports along with her everyday responsibilities became too much. Her father knew the amount of commitment required to reach the highest level in any particular sport and offered his daughter a small piece of advice.

“I told her she needed to at least break it down to two [sports],” Mark smiled. “She chose volleyball and tennis and broke her dad’s heart.”

In 2010, it came time for Caroline to enroll at a university to continue her tennis career. Recruiters from coast to coast yearned to sign the nationally ranked juniors player.

She possessed a handful of options including Georgia Tech, her parents’ alma mater.

All signs pointed to the Yellow Jackets. Ryan Shelton, a family friend, coached the team at the time and was someone Caroline knew her whole life. The college recruiting process became long and tiresome and Mark thought for sure that Caroline would select Georgia Tech.

However, one school, 379 miles from home remained and Mark pushed

his daughter to visit.

“North Carolina was last on my list,” Caroline said. “I fell in love with it and decided that was my school.”

Caroline shined as a Tar Heel and achieved nearly every possible feat in her four years. She claimed All-American status on numerous occasions and helped North Carolina lift two indoor national championships in a span of three years. Caroline competed in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championship and ranked in the top 10 nationally in both respective game types. She accumulated 128 singles victories, second-most in program history and became the first women’s tennis player to win the Patterson Medal, the most prestigious athletic honor awarded at the University of North Carolina.

“It’s such an honor because I gave my heart to that school. It’s an honor and a privilege to wear North Carolina on my chest,” Caroline smiled. “I look at the list of names who received the medal and don’t think I belong. A lot of credit goes to my parents; they raised me and held me to high standards.”

The Patterson Medal recipients embody more than just a noteworthy athletic ability.

“I was very proud of her because the award not only encompasses your athletic accomplishments but also the kind of person you are, the way you represent your school,” Mark said. “That makes mom and dad proud, not just because she’s a good tennis player but because of the

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young lady she’s turned into.”

At the time, Caroline set her sights on the Pro Circuit, which she competed in and lifted a title in her first professional competition.

However, she shifted away from that lifestyle and ventured into a role presently common in her family: coaching.

In spring 2015, Caroline’s father Mark accepted a head coaching job with the Charlotte 49ers men’s basketball program, only for his daughter to follow a few months later with the women’s tennis team.

At the time, Caroline didn’t know Michaela Gorman, Charlotte’s head women’s tennis coach, personally, but she fell in love with the university through her father. She aspired to help in any way she could and didn’t see any harm in asking.

“She came to me in January and said, ‘I’d like to help you,’” Gorman said. “Nobody’s ever said that to me, it was amazing.”

Needless to say, Gorman welcomed Caroline aboard.

“I love [coaching],” Caroline said.

Coaching poses different challenges for athletes. While Caroline is still on the tennis court daily, she’s no longer holding the racquet, directly affecting the outcome of a certain match. Instead, she’s on the sideline analyzing her players’ strengths and weaknesses and creating a game plan to help her team win.

But also, she’s relatively the same age as her players.

“It’s been quite a challenge especially since my age is close to

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the girls’,” Caroline said. “Being a volunteer, I think I have a special position in that I’m an authority to an extent but I can also relate to the girls more outside the tennis courts.”

Gorman admires Caroline’s approach and how she’s embraced the coaching role.

“I’ve told her before, she’s a very mature 23-year-old,” Gorman said.

“She’s an adult and has taken this more as job than trying to be their friend. The team knows she cares about them.”

Caroline’s youth is beneficial.

Gorman noted that Caroline’s eye for the game offers a perspective that combines well with her own coaching methods. She’s been through the fire, recently, and understands the players’ situations.

She can relate to the team, which is an aspect Caroline appreciates.

Mark and Caroline’s mother, Laura, are happy for their daughter; however, there’s one surprise neither expected.

“We bought a house, thought we were downsizing a bit,” Mark said.

“All of a sudden, Hudson [Caroline’s brother] transferred back and

Caroline graduates and comes to Charlotte. It’s nice having everyone close, it’s been fun for Laura and I.” It’s the first time since the Price family lived relatively under one roof. While Caroline’s sister is married and living in Asheville, Caroline and her two other siblings reside in Charlotte and have adopted the culture and lifestyle.

“I love it, I’m very close with my family,” Caroline said. “It’s a special time because I wonder when else we’re all going to be in the same city.

It’s rare.”

Although Caroline is back home living with her family, close to the tennis courts, she no longer challenges the one person that helped build her into the player she is today. She’s grown and her tennis game has massively improved since she was in high school, enough that her father, the one with the selfproclaimed decent forehand and weak backhand shies away from one-on-one competition.

“I can’t beat her anymore, that’s why,” Mark said. “I think she was about 14 the last time I beat her.”

Photo by Benjamin Robson

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VICTORIOUS As triumphant as Victoria Pahlett is on the tennis court, her success extends beyond the four white boundary lines

JARED ALLEN SPORTS EDITOR

Just over two years have passed since Victoria Pahlett boarded a planed from Sweden bound for Charlotte. Looking back, she has zero regrets.

Pahlett held numerous options at the next level after fulfilling her requirements at ProCivitis, one of the most prominent upper secondary schools in the south of Sweden, but in the end chose Charlotte. Pahlett joined the team and enrolled in the university in spring 2014.

With minimal experience at the collegiate level, Pahlett smashed her way into Charlotte’s No. 1 singles position and maintained the role for three consecutive seasons. The junior continues to climb the 49ers’ all-time career singles record list at the No. 1 and has positioned herself within striking distance of the top spot moving into her senior season.

While Pahlett aspired to further her tennis career in Charlotte, she also embraced the role of a student and has proven why she’s victorious in more ways than one.

How did you get involved with tennis living in Sweden?

I started playing tennis when I was three years old. My dad was really successful and I have two older brothers who used to play and I always grew up playing with them.

What brought you to Charlotte, what did you fall in love with here at the university?

I had a lot of options, but this was the only option that started in January. I loved the campus when I came to visit and it seemed like a really nice environment. That determined why I ended up here. I like it here!

You’ve been tabbed the “Perfect Niner” for your 4.0 GPA in each of your semesters here at Charlotte. How do you keep everything balanced?

I’m just a very driven person. If I feel if I don’t reach my full potential not getting an A, I’ll go for the A. In general I feel that I always aim for the highest in case I don’t reach it, I’m a little disappointed but still I feel I have the potential to reach it.

Rumor has it that you’re an entrepreneur and you have your own business back home in Sweden?

Yes, I do.

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What is your business?

It’s fashion. It began with bracelets. I’m not going to reveal too much, but in the summer, I’m going to go back home and work on it more when I have more time. It’s fun and more like a brand.

I started it in, the fall of 2013 before I came here [Charlotte].

Are you able to keep up with it here in the United States?

It’s hard to do both, school and tennis plus keep up with it, so I’m prioritizing. I don’t think I’d do a good job keeping up with it all at the same time but I have people helping me back home. I’m trying to keep it where it is right now and then we’ll see.

What has been the biggest challenge for you?

My biggest challenge is myself. I’m so hard on myself and sometimes you just have to give yourself a break. You can’t be perfect in everything you do. Then mentally, it’s tough to always stay on top but I try to always stay positive and happy.

What motivates you to keep going and pursue your goal?

Just someday to reach my goals. I feel like being done with school next year and leaving with a great degree. I want to fulfill my other dreams beyond tennis afterwards.

How often do you go back home?

I go back home over the summer and during winter break.

You’ve travelled the world quite a bit. What has been your worst travel experience?

I have been around the world a lot but I think it was the food in China. It was a rough trip. I loved seeing all of China and their culture but when it came to food, it was tough. I’m a very plain person when it comes to food and I struggled a lot!

Where do you see yourself after tennis?

I want to be an entrepreneur. I want to have my own business, but I want to give tennis a shot for a year or so after I graduated. I want to see what kind of ranking I can obtain because in Sweden, either you go pro or you quit. There’s no in between like here. But, I want to give it a try and if it doesn’t work out, I think I have other options for myself.

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Victoria Pahlett prepares to serve.

Photo by Benjamin Robson

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FLUSH HOUSE BILL 2 H.B. 2 relies on a moral panic, which too many so-called progressives have bought into

CASEY ALDRIDGE OPINION EDITOR

I’ve come across quite a bit on social media over the past few weeks since House Bill 2 (HB2) was passed by the state legislature and Gov. Pat McCrory signed it where people have called the bathroom statute of the law “a distraction” from the real issues of the bill.

That kind of thinking needs to go.

Yes, it’s true that the special session of the legislature that rushed through HB2 had more on their mind than only bathrooms. The law restricts municipalities really quite a bit, including raising the minimum wage, and shortens the window for filing discrimination lawsuits against workplaces and landlords. The law is the pipe dream of North Carolina’s far right in more ways than one.

But the special session in which it was passed, and the specific non-discrimination ordinance to which it responded—Charlotte’s—means that the “bathroom issue” has become the main impetus for the law. And if we’re to resist HB2, we need to keep that in mind and fight alongside our transgender and gender non-conforming neighbors for their rights to pee wherever they feel most comfortable.

Gayle Rubin, in a 1984 essay entitled “Thinking Sex,” talked about what she called “moral panics.”

Specifically, Rubin talked about the “white

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slavery” moral panic of the 1880s, the 1950s targeting of homosexuality and the feminist “porn wars” of the 1980s as kinds of moral panics. In each, those in power exploited issues that did not necessarily reflect any actual threat, whipping the public into a frenzied fear and, in the process, advancing their own agendas and pursuit of power.

More often than not, the people saying that the bathroom part of HB2 is a distraction from the “real issues” seem to be saying exactly the opposite: They are saying it’s OK to criminalize using a bathroom that doesn’t correspond with your genitalia at birth—which doesn’t even account for intersex students and citizens—as long as the other parts of the bill, specifically the restrictions on lawsuit protections and the minimum wage ban are lifted.

Can we just stop and think about that for one moment? This all-too-common mentality suggests that transgender and gender non-conforming people are expendable and that policing their choice in bathroom facilities is necessary to protect our women and children. This kind of logic legitimizes North Carolina’s preeminent moral panic of 2016: Transgender people are a threat to women and children and must be contended with.

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All evidence points to exactly the contrary.

Transgender people of color and gender nonconforming people are far more likely to be on the receiving end of assault and violence than they are to perpetrate them. “Far more likely,” actually, doesn’t even begin to convey the reality of the situation. Charlotte’s non-discrimination ordinance aimed to provide some kind of protection for transgender and gender nonconforming people so that they could use restroom facilities where they felt less likely to be attacked.

That ordinance, that protection, is important.

The General Assembly passed House Bill 2 one year to the day after my friend and UNC Charlotte student, Blake Brockington, took his life by his own hand. Don’t think for a second, though, that our racist and transphobic society didn’t force his hand as a black transgender man.

If you think the bathroom piece of HB2 is a distraction from the real issues, then I want nothing with your “movement.” I want the full repeal of HB2 so that my transgender and gender non-conforming friends might be able to live with dignity. I want our movements to see that the moral panic, not the transgender neighbor in the bathroom, is the enemy that all of us have a role in confronting.

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Where have all the characters gone?

Our society lacks the kind of characters we need to unify around JOHN PATRICK STAFF WRITER

“He danced for those at minstrel shows and county fairs, throughout the outh,” an act perpetrated by none other than Mr. Bojangles himself, rang through my head while listening to Jerry Jeff Walker’s greatest hits (Walker is Texas’s answer to Jimmy Buffett, for the unaware). It then occurred to me that we—the millennial generation—don’t have a Mr. Bojangles of our own. Sure, we have asses and trolls, Clintons and Trumps, but there is not a true character in our midst that can transcend controversy and unify the whole with that certain charm and fallible charisma that is necessary in to do so. This is a pity.

And I am not talking about being bohemian for the sake of being bohemian, nonconforming just to tell somebody you experienced how it felt. No, I’m talking about an utter, unapologetically original person—devoid from much of reality—who we can all admire from a distance and say, “Ah, now that’s a character.” Or perhaps, “Bless their heart.” Someone who can elicit this kind of positive response while simultaneously deserving admittance to the loony bin.

If you’re looking for contrarian conformity, head for Portland or Asheville; I’ve heard they need a few good hipsters to strengthen the lot. And if you’re looking to be annoying, gaudy and unrelentingly obnoxious—all in your face and what not­—head for San Fran. You want to keep Austin weird? How gutlessly unoriginal; let’s market it on a T-shirt for corporate profit. At least it’s got a bizarre font, though.

The fact that I cannot even suggest examples of jovial personalities because it would be missed by our generation is sad. For instance, I’m doubtful Don Knotts

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An Andy Griffith Show tribute at the 2012 Emmys. Photo courtesy of Tribune News Service

(Barney Fife) or Howard Morris (Ernest T. Bass) really had to get into character for “The Andy Griffith Show,” as they merely played themselves in front of a camera. Or Ignatius J. Reilly, the gluttonous, one-of-a-kind protagonist/ anti-protagonist in the book “A Confederacy of Dunces,” who was based off the novelist who authored the epic comedy. However, I’d make the claim that today’s generation is not particularly concerned with these works because they’ve passed in time. They truly don’t write them like they used to.

The adamant, verbally cruel Evangelical pastor that shouts expletives at passing students, speaking about eternal damnation

is a good starting point. Sure, he may say some impolite words, but sticks and stones break bones, and not displeasing hot air. I mean, it takes a significant amount of resolve and thick skin to tell someone in a dress they’re going to hell—it takes someone with grit, someone alone in their own world. Maybe even a character.

It starts with a cause, or a belief—no matter how illogical or preposterous­—and from there, passion and tenacious will-power is added. They have to care, and I mean like really care about whatever it is that they do or who they are. In fact, it’s even difficult outlining the parameters because doing so defeats the very purpose of

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being a character; characters solely are themselves.

The bright side is, based off of a statistic I duly created in my mind, there have got to be a few remaining characters left. Speaking in terms of probability, the species altogether is not entirely extinct, only very much endangered. I just need to find a handful of characters and display them in public to make a mockery out of both the establishment, tidy-towners as well as the antiestablishment. Everyone.

Because at the end of the day, we should all adhere to the principles of a character himself, Buffett, who said, “If we couldn’t laugh, we would all go insane.”

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All photos by Benjamin Robson

SIGH NO MORE Mumford & Sons breaks N.C. concert cancellation trend to speak against discrimination

ANNA GIBBS STAFF WRITER

North Carolina concert-goers have been experiencing the effects of the controversial state law known as House Bill 2 (HB2), or the “bathroom bill,” which is being criticized as antiLGBT. Although HB2 implements many policies, the new law is raising the most contention for stating that transgender people must use the bathroom of their birth gender, rather than their gender identity.

Bruce Springsteen and former Beatles member Ringo Starr both cancelled their shows in North Carolina as public protest of the law. But sigh no more, music lovers, Mumford & Sons decided to take the stage of Charlotte’s Time Warner Cable Arena on April 14 in order to express their views in person with a stunning performance.

The band opened the sold-out show with 2015 single “Snake Eyes” and followed it with two songs from older albums, including their 2009 hit “Little Lion Man.” Between songs, lead vocalist Marcus Mumford spoke to the audience on behalf of the band to stand against recent intolerance.

“I think that we’ve sort of been feeling an underlying culture of fear that’s creeping into things, where we live and where you guys are,”

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said Mumford. “And we just want to stand and celebrate really the American values of justice and love. So we’re going to have a justice and love festival with you tonight.”

Mumford went on to say that all of the show’s profits would be donated to a local LGBT organization, a statement which was also published Wednesday via the band’s Facebook page and website.

Mumford gave an inspiring message, but the band’s love-centered philosophy was best expressed through the London-based quartet’s remarkable performance. The 20-song setlist kept everyone in the arena engaged and on their toes with unexpected stunts throughout the show.

The audience was asked to take out lighters or cellphones for the performance of the song “Believe,” creating a radiant backdrop for the band’s electric sound. Later on, the band moved to a smaller stage on the opposite end of the arena to deliver an intimate-feeling acoustic set.

But perhaps the biggest highlight of the show was during the performance of “Ditmas.”

Mumford left the stage to make his way through the lower aisles of the arena, guided by security.

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He finished his walkabout by heading back to the stage through the standing-only floor section, engulfed in the crowd of fans reaching toward him.

Songs were brought to life by keyboardist Ben Lovett, guitarist Winston Marshall and bassist Ted Dwane. The band played a satisfying mix of music, featuring songs from their newest, more alternative-rock sounding album, “Wilder Mind,” as well as from more folk-inspired albums “Babel” and “Sigh No More.”

The concert ended on a lively note, as the crowd moved to high-energy

songs “I Will Wait” and “The Wolf.”

The evening was made memorable through both the band’s performance as well as their message of acceptance. Perhaps other musicians will follow suit, despite recent political controversy, and say “The show must go on,” rather than leaving North Carolina music lovers hanging up to dry.

Charlotte is just one of the band’s stops on their “An Arrow Through the Heartland” tour, which is being supported with music from Blake Mills.

ACROSS 1 “Yeah, like that’s gonna happen” 5 “That’s clear now” 9 Honored with a big bash 14 New Jersey or California city 15 French champagne maker founded in Germany 16 Bakery lure 17 Maximum impact 19 Olympic racer since 2008 20 Staggering dizzily 21 Get dizzy 23 “__ out!”

25 Suffix with switch 26 DJ’s stack 27 Accessory for note-taking 31 __ Wiedersehen 33 Lang. of Florence 34 Close pal 40 Slush __

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41 JFK overseer 42 Food Network’s “Beat Bobby __” 43 Healthy, with “in” 47 IRS agent 48 Ukr. neighbor 49 Softball of a question 51 Little newt 54 Pokes fun at 57 Baseball : ump :: football : __ 58 Beach footwear 61 British elevators 65 What the suffix “phile” means 66 Achilles’ heel 68 Stood 69 Italian automaker since 1899 70 Melt fish 71 Tentative bite 72 Airing, as a sitcom 73 Safecracker DOWN 1 __ Romeo: sports car 2 Like lemons

3 Doing nothing 4 Office cabinet document holder 5 Texter’s “If you ask me” 6 Browse websites 7 Oscars host, e.g.

8 Mideast VIP 9 British Invasion nickname 10 Humorist Bombeck 11 Poisonous 12 Correct, as text 13 Game that drives home a point?

18 Envelope part 22 Pumpernickel buy 24 U.K. fliers 27 Annoy 28 Storage case for tiny scissors 29 “Death in Venice” author Thomas 30 Senseless 32 Six for you, six for me, e.g.

35 Posed 36 Bit of folklore 37 Giggly Muppet 38 Tandoori bread 39 Physics unit 44 On the house 45 Disney’s “__ and the Detectives” 46 Place for a hoop 50 Get bought up quickly 51 Key above D 52 Fauna’s partner 53 Records for later, in a way 55 Super, at the box office 56 Where rain falls mainly on the plain 59 Bothersome insect 60 Doc’s “Now!” 62 Santa’s access 63 Zesty flavor 64 Loot 67 Off-road transport, briefly

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Clay Marbled Jewelry Dishes SYDNEY SWAFFORD STAFF WRITER

In an effort to make this Mother’s Day more memorable than the last 19, I wanted to go handmade. If your mom is like my mom, she still has the macaroni picture frames you made her in kindergarten. After finally forcing her to get rid of those tragic time pieces, I decided to make up for it. I came across this do it yourself (DIY) clay marbled jewelry dish on Pinterest and wanted to give it a try in order to make this Mother’s Day extra special. These small clay dishes are simple and fun to make. Plus, if you’re not artistic, there’s no way to go wrong because every imperfection makes the piece unique.

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I needed only two products in order to make this DIY happen: oven-bake clay and a glaze. Sculpey III is the brand of oven-bake clay that I bought at Michael’s for about $12. I bought a pack which includes 12 different 1-ounce bars of clay in a variety of colors and instructions on the back that specify how to bake the clay properly. Michael’s had a huge variety of packs and individual bars of clay in almost every color I could think of.

The only other product I needed was a satin glaze to paint over the clay dishes when they’re finished so they end up shiny and smooth. The satin glaze I bought is also Sculpey

brand and is 1 fluid ounce, which was more than enough for all of the clay dishes. Additionally, for a little extra detail, I used a bronze sharpie marker I had laying around to write initials in the bottom of some of my dishes and outline the rough edges on some other ones. Although it’s not a necessity to complete the DIY, the Sharpie detail makes the project more personable and cute, so I would definitely suggest picking up a color or two. Some tools you’ll need are an oven safe bowl, knife, paint brush and rolling pin. These will all be used to help shape the clay and bake it.

DIRECTIONS:

APRIL 19 - APRIL 25, 2016

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Roll one half of a clay bar into an 8-inch long snake. Do this with two to four colors of clay.

3. Twist the snakes together and roll into one larger log. The marbling effect should be able to be seen once rolled into the larger log.

4. Fold the larger log in half, and continue rolling to create more marbling. Repeat as desired.

5. Roll the log into a ball, and begin flattening the ball with your hands.

6. Once semi-flat, roll the clay thinner and thinner to desired thickness with a rolling pin or other

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round object. I left my thickness at about 1/4 of an inch.

7. Cut out a circle using a plastic lid or bowl of desired size and put excess clay aside or use for extra detailing.

8. Place the cut out carefully into an oven shaped bowl. Make sure it’s the exact shape and size desired because after baking there’s no way to change it.

9. Bake the clay for about 15 minutes, depending on thickness. Be sure to look at the specific instructions on your clay.

10. Let the clay dish cool completely, then flip the bowl over and extract the clay dish. Some of mine got stuck, so I left the bowl upside down for a few minutes and let it fall out.

11. Add Sharpie or paint detailing as desired.

I was very pleased with my finished product, but next time I would definitely step it up a notch.

If I were to do this DIY again, I would change several things.

First off, I had a ton of extra clay from the cut out stage that could have been easily used to make cute shapes or extra detailing on each dish.

Also, I would’ve found things around my house with different patterns and textures and made imprints on some of my bowls. A lot of people on Pinterest used lace doilies to make imprints in the pottery, which looks amazing once finished.

Another detail I could’ve changed is the shape of the bowls. By using cookie cutters, the shapes of bowls are seemingly endless.

French toast with a twist

STEPHANIE SMITH STAFF WRITER

There is an epic breakfast showdown between pancakes and French toast. Today, French toast wins. But this is French toast with a spin. Who would have guessed that flattening bread and rolling it up with Nutella and strawberries would be such a simple yet scrumptious treat?

You don’t even have to make it for breakfast— you could eat these roll-ups as a midnight snack or anytime you are craving something sweet.

Ingredients:

• ● 6 slices fresh white sandwich bread, crusts removed • ● ½ punnet strawberries, diced small • ● 4½ tablespoon Nutella • ● ¼ cup caster sugar • ● 1 tablespoon butter Egg Mixture: • ● 1 egg (large) • ● 2 tablespoon milk (full cream or low fat) • ● Pinch of salt

Directions:

1. Combine egg mixture in a bowl with a flat base large enough to lie the roll up in.

Whisk to combine.

2. Spread sugar out in a small dish.

3. Use a rolling pin to roll the bread flat.

This makes them easier to roll up (and stay rolled up).

4. Spread each piece of bread with around ¾ tablespoon of Nutella.

5. Sprinkle strawberries along the bottom of each piece of bread.

6. Roll up bread. The Nutella will keep it sealed.

7. Melt butter in pan over medium high heat.

8. Roll each roll up in the egg mixture, shake off excess, then place in the pan.

Repeat with remaining roll ups.

9. Cook for around four minutes until each side is golden, rotating every one minute or so.

10. Remove from pan and immediately place in the sugar. Roll to coat in sugar, then remove. Repeat with remaining roll ups.

11. Serve immediately, while warm.

ANGIE BAQUEDANO STAFF WRITER

“I went to Greece about a year ago for a month, and the funny thing is that I found out I have just as much family there as I do here in the United States.

I mean, there were pictures of me as a baby in their home. It was amazing! I also got my hand drum about a year ago—it’s actually called a darbuka. I really like the way it looks and the music associated with it. I mean, I never imagined I’d love playing it so much, but it’s fun, and I love the way it sounds and how it is so beautifully used in Greek music.

I’m actually going back to Greece this fall to study abroad. I’m currently a psychology major, and today’s my birthday, so I guess you really never know what to expect out of life.”

Maritsa Mourouzidis Photo by Angie Banquedano

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