2017 03 21

INSIDE THIS EDITION: SGA STUDENT BODY PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES GO HEAD TO HEAD IN ELECTION DEBATE

OPINION EDITOR CASEY TAKES A LOOK BACK AT THE SIX MONTHS SINCE THE POLICE SHOOTING OF KEITH LAMONT SCOTT

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SGA CANDIDATES GO HEAD TO HEAD AT ELECTION DEBATE

Bullock, Hines and Allsbrook, McCollom discuss how they’ll handle their administration if elected, talk campus safety and communication ALEXANDRIA SANDS NEWS EDITOR

Student body presidential and vice presidential candidates went head to head Thursday at 5 p.m. during the Student Government Association (SGA) Election Debate.

It was presidential candidate Lauren Bullock with running mate Kevin Hines up against presidential candidate Tracey Allsbrook and running mate Bryan McCollom.

While Allsbrook and McCollom talked a lot about campus safety and inclusion, Bullock and Hines wanted to discuss issues that affected more than just the campus individually, such as Donald Trump’s administration. The candidates also addressed some of the same issues such as lack of communication between administration, SGA and students.

The debate began with the candidates being given allotted time to introduce themselves and their platforms.

Allsbrook is the current senator

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for Liberal Arts and Sciences.

McCollom formerly held Allsbrook’s position but is now the current president of College Democrats at UNC Charlotte.

Allsbrook and McCollom are running on the platform “Advocacy.

Accountability. Action.”

“For too long here at the University, I feel like students have felt like a number… I feel like there needs to be a bigger connection,” Allsbrook said.

Allsbrook said she wants to see more action taken and used the example of having problems with administration fixing the requested safety hazards from the Campus Safety Walk, specifically mentioning that there are lights still out in South Village. Allsbrook also said she wants to push for security cameras in the parking decks.

Allsbrook also plans to work with student organizations to ensure that they know how to request funding

correctly and avoid being rejected, if elected.

Bullock holds the position of secretary for diversity affairs for SGA and internal vice president of the Black Student Union. Hines serves as a Student Government Judicial panelist.

Bullock and Hines are running on the platform “Cultivating the Community,” which includes three different pillars, with the first being “ensuring safety and quality of life.”

“Having a campus and safety tour on campus, while that is important, we also need to advocate for students beyond just what is going on on-campus,” Bullock said.

“Some of those things have definitely recently come up with the previous elections with our United States president. With students feeling unsafe on campus and feeling like they don’t belong on campus, it’s really our responsibility to advocate for those students.” The second and

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third pillars are “strengthening our social network,” which Bullock said means that communication needs to improve between not only the administration and students, but also SGA and students, and “upholding Niner Values.” If elected, Bullock and Hines plan to table on every other “Wear Green Wednesday” and advocate for meetings with administrators that are open to all students.

McCollom said if elected, he wants to improve the relationship between students and administration and mentioned that the administration shouldn’t be making big decision without addressing students. He used the example of the University deciding to tear down Belk Tower.

“It was the principle of not consulting the students before you rip down a historical structure,” McCollom said.

Cont. on page 5

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Kicking off SGA elections with Niner Palooza

Student Government organizes “Why Fair,” showcasing many departments and candidates, with food trucks and prizes

POLICE BLOTTER MARCH 15 - 17 ACCIDENT MARCH 17

• Lot 5, driver of vehicle one stated he was making a right turn to leave the lot and driver two was making a left turn to park when he struck her vehicle. Driver of vehicle two stated that her vehicle was not in motion when her vehicle was struck. No injuries were reported.

• Union Deck, officer took a report of a hit and run.

ATTEMPTED SUICIDE MARCH 17

• McCall House, officer responded in reference to an individual that had threatened to harm them self.

BREAKING AND ENTERING President candidate Lauren Bullock and running mate Kevin Hines table at Niner Palooza. Photo by Pooja Pasupula

SABA SOLAIMANIZADEH STAFF WRITER

As a part of Niner Palooza, SGA organized the “Why Fair” on Thursday in the CHHS/COED Plaza to kick off SGA elections. Niner Palooza is a series of events that gets students involved with the elections, starting with the Why Fair, then the Debate Pep Rally, then the Election Debate at the end.

The first event was called the “Why Fair” because it gave students an opportunity to talk to candidates and members of SGA and ask them questions. When students asked questions, they got the chance to win a free food truck meal.

The CHHS Plaza had many different food trucks, including funnel cakes, BBQ, snowcones and popcorn. Students were also able to take pictures with Norm the Niner.

The fair also had many departmental showcases, such as the Office of Student Conduct, the

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Housing Ambassadors, International Programs, the Multicultural Resource Center and more. These departments were also available to provide information to students.

Elizabeth Moore, graduate assistant for the Office of International Programs, shared why they are showcasing their department in Niner Palooza.

“We wanted to participate in Niner Palooza to relay the message of the two big programs that we have right now, Global Gateways and International Women’s Day,” she said. “We’re here to show that there are programs out there that promote diversity and learning about other cultures.”

She explained that Global Gateways is an internationallyfocused program that is designed to increase students’ cultural awareness while taking part in an

open and welcoming community.

Student body president candidate Rebecca Gill also discussed some of her thoughts on the process of running for such a prominent leadership position.

“For me personally, I enjoy meeting people in my classes, I enjoy building networks,” she said. “I think the most gratifying part of it is whether I do or don’t win, I can still include people in my future activities and organizations.”

She also mentioned that the most difficult part of the process is not only getting the word out, but getting people to actually click the links and take time out of their day to vote.

Spring elections for SGA will be held from March 28-29. Vote online at http://vote.uncc.edu.

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MARCH 17

• Scott Hall, unknown person removed victims laptop from her room which was left unsecured in a secured building..

VANDALISM MARCH 15

• Lot 29, while attempting to get out of his vehicle, a gust of wind caught the driver’s door and swung it into the parked vehicle next to his.

The owner of the damaged vehicle was contacted.

• Union Deck, unknown person caused damage to the victim’s vehicle.

The damage consisted of a shattered rear glass, a large dent to the rear of the vehicle, a large crack to the rear bumper, a stolen antenna and a stolen piece of the roof rack.

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

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Members of SGA do a surprise dance before the debate starts. Photos by Alexandria Sands

Debate cont.

Both tickets brought up recent events that led to students feeling like they were receiving information through the media rather than the University.

Allsbrook said that if elected, she plans to find out where the information is available for students to access and that she will immediately release a statement when an incident occurs.

“I don’t ever want it to be a time where you think I’m walking around campus with a title and not working towards and for you all,” Allsbrook said.

Hines followed up to that saying that he as well would send emails out to the student body when he receives information.

The candidates were asked about how they would manage unexpected challenges.

McCollum talked about his experiencing facing adversity as

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a resident advisor in Hunt and Sanford Hall.

“The 3 a.m. phone call is no joke.

People can get locked out, there is something that’s leaking, there is something that’s having a personal crisis, there’s someone who’s going through a traumatic event. It could be life altering for them. You do learn in that position how to deal with adversity,” McCollom said.

Bullock said that her team dynamic with Hines will help them handle unexpected situations.

“Me, being a calm spirit, and him, being the fuel to the fire, is really what’s going to help us implement change during adverse situations,” Bullock said.

Elections will be held March 28 - 29. Students can vote online for student body president, student body president, class president and college-specific senators.

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CHARACTER AND PROCESS

TREVOR WILT SPORTS EDITOR

Some people wait their entire life to get the opportunity to showcase their talents in front of scouts and get drafted and play at the highest level the sport has to offer. Charlotte’s Larry Ogunjobi received that chance on March 5 in Indianapolis, becoming the first 49er to partake in the NFL Combine, before doing drills in front of a dozen NFL scouts on March 15 at Charlotte’s Pro Day. But with all his accolades he has received on the field, Ogunjobi breeds character and process.

Charlotte’s all-time leader in tackles (217), tackles for loss (49.0), sacks (13) and quarterback hurries (33), will now look to become the first ever Charlotte player to be chosen in this year’s NFL Draft.

With all the praise and attention the Greensboro, North Carolina native has received lately, one tweet caught the eye of Ogunjobi, Niner Nation and others that support him.

“True story: I want to see @ Mr_Ogunjobi land on a team or the panthers. Only kid I know hit me on a consistent basis on how to become a pro,” Panthers defensive lineman Charles Johnson said in a tweet.

Ogunjobi didn’t take that shoutout from one of the top defensive players for the Carolina Panthers for granted.

“There was a point in my career that I reached out to him and said, ‘I want to get to a position where you’re at. I want to be great. I want to be the best. I know it’s not about proving it to everybody else. It’s about proving it to myself. What do I need to do to take those next steps?’

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Larry Ogunjobi tries to get arround a Marshall offensive lineman.

Photo by Kathleen Cook

So he made me a list, and I saved it in my phone. He didn’t have to, but he did. And for him to say that, it meant a lot because he’s a guy that I see Uptown every now and then and he was never like, ‘Yo, Who are you?’ He always said, ‘What’s up, Larry? How are you doing?’ It was always cool, but I felt like I had to earn respect. He knew I was there, he knew I was working. But it was like, ‘You’ve still got work to do.’ It’s almost like a big brother type of thing.”

With all the hype around Ogunjobi and what a “feel good” story he is in this year’s draft, there are still plenty of doubters that correlate his success with playing at a small school with lesser competition than defensive players from bigger conferences such as the SEC or ACC. “Just because I went to Charlotte doesn’t mean anything,” Ogunjobi said. “If you take any of the defensive tackles out of this draft, no matter what school they go to and

tell them to come to Charlotte and ask them to do the things I did, they couldn’t.”

Ogunjobi scratched a few of the people off the list that questioned his performance with his showing at the NFL Combine, running a 4.97-second 40-yard dash, hitting 26 repetitions (of 225 pounds) on bench press, recording a 32-inch vertical and registering a 7.55-second 3 cone drill and a 4.75-second on the 20yard shuttle.

“He’s a guy that not many people know about,” NFL Analyst Mike Mayock said. “I think he’s a talented guy and he’s probably a secondround pick and he’s got some real quick one-gap possibilities.”

Knowing what he can do on the field, many analysts have talked about how the defensive lineman’s character has separated him from other candidates in the draft, something that Ogunjobi prides himself on.

“I’ve always been a big advocate of

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what you do off the field is what will show up on the field,” Ogunjobi said.

“Adversity breeds good character.

I’ve played the role where you were the person that wasn’t important and the person who was on the sidelines that nobody knew about.

I’ve been that guy and I understand what hard work and dedication can do for somebody. How effort counts twice. Some scout walked up to us before drills and said, ‘I know you guys are used to being the fastest and most talented athletes when you were growing up.’ Not me. I was 350 pounds and couldn’t get into a football stance in high school.

Everything I have, I’ve worked for.

God has blessed me. My character also comes from my parents because they would tell me to respect people and treat them the right way.”

During an interview with multiple media representatives, Ogunjobi said, “You are important and I have to treat you as such. Just because I don’t know you, there are people in this world that care about you dearly that would do anything for you and who am I to try and short change you. I have to treat you with that same respect because that’s how I want you to treat me.

I think the biggest thing in life is how you treat people and how you make people feel. You have to make people feel important because they are. That’s why I take pride in my character and reach out to people to make them feel good.”

Exceptional talent. Exceptional character. Exceptional story. Get to know the name Larry Ogunjobi, you’ll hear it on draft day.

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BY A LONG SHOT Senior Victoria Merriweather finishes third at the NCAA championship in weight throw

KATHLEEN COOK SPORTS EDITOR

Victoria Merriweather entered the history books for Charlotte athletics after recording a third place finish in the NCAA National Championships for weight throws, holding the best finish by a female athlete in program history.

After transferring high schools her sophomore year, Merriweather’s new track coach told her she would be a thrower. The senior track star embarked on a journey, teaching herself along the way, and became one of the top throwers in the state of South Carolina.

While she was beginning to compete in the throwing category, Merriweather was still jumping at meets as well. Trying to be competitive in both throwing and jumping took a toll on the athlete. This leed to Merriweather eventually choosing to drop jumping.

“If you ever go to a track meet and see how it’s set up, sometimes people have to run back and forth between events. I remember it like it was yesterday, I told that coach I was not going to long jump anymore, that I was only going to do throws or I was going to quit the team. That same week I threw 20 feet further in the discus. That’s like a year’s worth of increase,” Merriweather said.

During her high school campaign, Merriweather made multiple appearances in the state championships. She began her collegiate career at South Carolina State University. There she was introduced to weight throwing.

“It was good because it was new, so no bad habits come along with it.

When you teach yourself something, a lot of times you can teach yourself wrong and a coach will have to break those bad habits,” Merriweather said.

The determination and dedication Merriweather used in her high school days translated over to college

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as well.

“You can have a coach who knows everything, but if you’re not willing to learn and put the practice in outside of when you’re actually at practice then you’re not going to get better,” Merriweather said.

Merriweather learned her throw and became good enough to catch the eye of Charlotte throw coach Kyle Helf during a competition.

“Her freshman year at South Carolina State, I had no idea who she was and we were competing at the same meet, I saw her throwing and I made the comment ‘Oh man, I would love to coach someone like that,’” Helf said.

She ended her time at South Carolina State University after her freshman season after she and her coaches made the decision that she was being limited. That’s when Merriweather made the move to the Queen City.

The attitude Merriweather brings to the field helps encourage those surrounding her.

“She’s always smiling and excited 99 percent of the time, anytime you have that it adds a positive influence to the team. It’s not always about having someone who can throw far, sure that makes your training group good, but if you have people together that can gel that really pushes the group as a whole further,” Helf said.

In both her sophomore and junior season, Merriweather finished third in conference for the weight throw.

For her senior season, Helf and Merriweather made it a goal to make it to nationals. One thing that changed was her overall mindset.

“This season in particular I feel like I’ve had a lot of people who believed in me and believed I would do well, but for once I actually believed in myself. Coaches can do all they can and they can believe in you, but them believing in you

doesn’t help you when you’re inside the ring. It has to be you who believes in yourself,” Merriweather said.

With a new mindset and continued training with Helf, Merriweather posted a stellar 2017 indoor season, including multiple first place finishes and shattering record after record. The season was capped with a first-place finish at the C-USA championships and a berth to NCAA championships. The thrower entered the competition ranked 14th out of the 16 competitors.

“It was something I really worked hard for and it felt like everything was coming full circle for me finally,” Merriweather said. “With track you never know, sometimes people can bring it and sometimes they can leave it. I feel like it was a really good day for me when it came competition day.”

Merriweather showed up ready to compete, throwing a Charlotte program record 21.42 meters. Little did she know, her following throw would top that, coming in at 21.48 meters. In her third and final throw of the day Merriweather would best herself for the once again, recording a 21.74 meters and solidifying a third-place finish.

The finish is the best from a female athlete in Charlotte in a NCAA National Championships.

These accomplishments will give the senior motivation through her future endeavors.

Merriweather said, “Though a lot of people can see that I do well frequently, it’s a whole different level to go down in a history book, that means you’re doing something right.

I feel like I’ll be able to always look back on that and draw off of that if I’m ever somewhere where I feel like I can’t be enough, remember that I always can because I’ve done it before.”

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Photos by Katelynn Pennington

PITCH PERFECT Junior pitcher Haley Wiseman throws fourth perfect game in Charlotte softball history

VERONICA SHOEMAKER STAFF WRITER

On Friday, Feb. 24 at 2:30 p.m., history was made at the D.L. Phillips Softball Complex. It wasn’t the highest scoring game by the Charlotte 49ers, nor was it the most intense softball game held in the complex. It was, however, a huge day for junior pitcher, Haley Wiseman.

Not only did she throw a no-hitter against Robert Morris on that sunny afternoon, but she also threw Charlotte’s first perfect game since the 1998 season.

Haley is originally from Winter Haven, Florida and has had her fair share of success before she ever put on the Charlotte jersey.

At Lake Region High School, Wiseman was voted pitcher of the year her junior and senior years, she was voted the 2015 Defensive MVP at Barry University and she was also voted 2015 Sunshine State Conference Freshman of the Year.

She has been playing softball since she was only 8 years old.

“One of my favorite softball memories over the years is getting to pitch to my dad from when I was 8 until now,” Wiseman said. “We had a lot of good memories at tournaments all over the country and spent countless hours in the bullpen together.”

The 49er started off her softball days in a rec league, but then worked her way into travel ball a short while after. When she was nine, she started pitching with coach Mike Littlejohn, with whom she stays in touch to this day.

Although she did not have a specific role model in softball when growing up, the pitcher explained

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that “all of my past teammates and coaches have inspired and helped me get to where I am today.”

All of those influences led her to join the 49ers for her sophomore year of college.

As a sophomore, she started 19 games in the circle for the Niners, and she completed 15 of them. In those 15 games, she struck out a total of 154 batters, the fourth most in the C-USA. She only allowed 93 hits the entire season, which was the sixth best in C-USA. “I think a major improvement I have made since I have been at UNCC is my physical strength and conditioning.” Haley said. “We all work really hard in the weight room every week in season and in the off season of softball.”

All of her hard work in the weight room and during practice really shows when she is in the circle pitching. Her stats so far this season are 117, with an eight-game win streak starting on Feb. 15 and ending on March 3.

The game she pitched against Robert Morris was the first no-hitter since former 49er Lexi Betancourt kept Elon from getting a single hit in 2015, and ended that game at 3-0.

The last perfect game Charlotte saw was pitched by Sherry Olekson back in 1998 against Youngstown State. Wiseman is only the fourth woman to pitch a perfect game for Charlotte, the other two being Brooks Bower in 1997 and Wendy Stratton back in 1990.

Wiseman realized she was on her way to a perfect game when she had one out in the last inning. She said that she “just tried to keep MAR. 21, 2017 - MAR. 27, 2017

throwing how (she) had been the whole game.”

Wiseman is a great team player and believed that her teammates are the ones who helped her make it through the five innings.

“My teammates really kept the upbeat environment in the dugout and kept the momentum the whole game by scoring 11 runs, which made it possible for me to perform successfully as well,” Wiseman said.

The pitcher felt in command the entire game, and was not nervous during a single play because her fellow 49ers were hitting the ball and keeping the Colonials at bay. Charlotte scored three runs in the first inning, four runs in the second, and three more runs in the third, so she felt there was no need to worry.

Following the dominating performance against Robert Morris, Wiseman pitched three more victorious games for Charlotte, but said “I don’t think (the perfect) game has really influenced me since.”

“I just focus every game on taking one pitch at a time, and taking the confidence gained that game into the next, as well as making improvements each game,” Wiseman said.

She pitches every game like she would any other, and that is one of the keys to her success.

The day will remain in the history books of the Charlotte 49ers softball program forever. When Wiseman was asked to describe Feb. 24 in one word, she choose “Exhilarating.”

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SATIRE: THE LIGHT RAIL THAT THINKS IT CAN

Scenes from light rail construction on campus back in August 2015. NT file photo

JOHN PATRICK STAFF WRITER

A couple of weeks ago, the Niner Times reported that the light-rail connecting Uptown Charlotte to the University campus will be postponed. The opening, scheduled for August 2017, will now be held, God willing, in March 2018.

However, this mostly went in one ear and out the other. The overwhelming consensus of the student body was that the light-rail was already postponed permanently.

Or that it would go live when pigs began flying, whichever came last.

Most students were surprised to find out that the delay was an actual thing. People really thought it was over.

The company, Middle Finger Corp., contracted by the city government to construct the light-rail, seems, at least on the outside, to be in no rush.

To provide my readership cuttingedge, transparent journalism, I snuck into a Middle Finger Corp. shareholders meeting to get the

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scoop.

“Where is the narrative! Where is the narrative! No, seriously, can someone please help me find the blueprint for the light-rail, it seems I’ve misplaced it,” Ben Dover, the lead architect, said at the meeting, sweating profusely. “We’re pretty sure we know the direction and endgame of the light-rail, but at the same time, we entirely have no clue where it could go. “It might end up some place, it might not, without the blueprint there is no telling,” a flustered Dover finished.

The owner, founder, Chief Executive Officer, President, and General Manager of Middle Finger Corp., Hugh Jass Moneybags, was very much indifferent to the delay. Moneybags, who made his fortune as a shipping titan transporting livestock from farm to slaughterhouse, had this to say, “I love government contracts, because I can milk every dime from the

public through incompetency and ‘red-tape’ and still make a bundle.

Seriously, where else can I profit off inadequacy?”

“I made my billions shipping livestock- beef cattle, pork, chickens and sheep from one place to another place. I started to notice something strange- the livestock reminded me of people, especially the people. Then it hit me: I could enter the market of shipping people!” Moneybags continued. He went further on to discuss the similarities, but made a distinction that at least the livestock had the good sense not to actually pay to ride the rail, like the humans do. “You could kind of say, after I made the venture into an emerging market, that people flocked to the idea.”

I laughed.

The announcement to further delay the light-rail, running its route on North Tryon, will continue stifling businesses along the track

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and no doubt exacerbate traffic to worsening sorts. No place has suffered such casualties to the light-rail constructions leisurely outlook on urgency than a beloved off-campus institution: Cook-Out. The cherished fast foot joint, famous for their fast food and diet water, is not an easy convenience like it once was. No, unfortunately, late night fast food types must make a rather sobering pilgrimage if they are to consume their precious fast food.

It’s always worth it, though. Totally worth it.

With an estimated year to go until completion, there’s nothing much to do but cross our fingers in a hoping attempt that we will see the lightrail bear fruit. We were going to hold our breaths, but given the duration, I don’t think that is a good idea.

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SIX MONTHS IS A LIFETIME CASEY ALDRIDGE OPINION EDITOR

It has been six months -- half a year -- since Keith Lamont Scott was shot and killed by CharlotteMecklenburg police.

It has been six months -- half a year -- since protesters shut down Old Concord Road, a stone’s throw from our University. The massive and impassioned protests that followed shook Charlotte’s establishment to its core, and arguably changed the Queen City forever.

And yet Charlotte seems to have moved on, by and large. The Levine Museum of the New South’s KNOW JUSTICE, KNOW PEACE exhibit, currently on display in Uptown, serves to keep the Uprising in view and in conversation. But the Levine Museum’s exhibit runs against the grain in Uptown, where business and city hall stress a return to normalcy.

Normalcy makes capitalism run more effectively and more smoothly.

Normalcy says that things are okay as they are. Normalcy insists that the system we have is a system that works, even if that is demonstrably untrue.

When the system is normalized, it continues to take the lives of people of color, including Josue Javier Diaz, killed by a CMPD officer in late January under disputed circumstaces. And on the days when the system doesn’t kill directly, it kills indirectly.

Capitalism, the economic system that law enforcement exists to protect, is a system of exploitation that exploits the labor power of the working class every single day. That working class is disporportionately

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women, immigrants, youth, LGBTQ and people of color, and the beneficiaries of that exploitation are overwhelmingly old, white, wealthy men.

Through a concerted effort of normalization, Charlotte gives the impression that it has moved on from the protests. And even if we don’t accept the dominant narrative of normalization, there is an undeniable continuity between police racism and repression in Charlotte before and after the Uprising. Law enforcement in this city still polices Black and Brown communities with impunity.

Just as undeniable, however, is a break, a disconnect. Charlotte continues to move on, but Charlotte will never be the same. I could make that argument -- of Charlotte’s discontinuity -- in political terms, but I think it exists on a much deeper level: family.

Anyone who has ever lost someone they loved knows that, after loss, time moves agonizingly slow. Six months without someone you love is a lifetime. Taking life is one kind of violence. Being forced to live after someone you love has been killed is quite another kind of violence.

Keith Scott had seven children.

Seven children had Keith Scott as their father. Josue Diaz had a family, too. It’s important to note that Charlotte has lapsed into complacency and its own destructive normalcy. But we must never forget that those who loved Keith or Josue are victims of an ongoing and permanent kind of theft, one that makes time grind to a halt.

Protesters and police at Old Concord Road last September, after the police shooting of Keith Scott. Photos by Pooja Pasupula

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Photo by Cristina Stahl

FROM PAIN TO PASSION An interview with on-campus artist Velgas

STEPHANIE TREFZGER ASST. A&E EDITOR

So to start, tell us about yourself, anything you want people to know about you.

Anything I want people to know? About myself in general? Well, my name is Johannes Stahl, my artist name is Velgas, I’m 22 years old and I am a German and history major at UNCC. I just released an EP called “Onset”; it’s on Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Google Play, Amazon, whatever you use. Listen to it [Laughs].

Where did the name Velgas come from?

Well, my physical therapist for my knee surgery here at UNCC was Ed Regner. He went to Berkeley college of music, so we would talk about music all the time. But he would always tell me, “don’t valgus,” which is when your knee bends inward, but he would say it all the time, and I didn’t know how it was spelled, so it was “Velgas” in my mind. But when I found out that was a whole different word then I was like hey, I might just use this as a name, because Ed is pretty inspirational to me, and he let me have some of his old equipment too.

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What first got you into music?

I mean, I’ve always, since I was young, enjoyed listening to music. When I was in middle school, I joined the band and started playing the clarinet and then saxophone, and I really enjoyed playing saxophone; I played the tenor sax. I continued taking lessons; I was in the jazz band, and I tried out for all-state, and you know, the regional band.

So I really liked saxophone; I liked jazz, and when I was younger, I liked classical music too. I loved improvising, but it was one of those things; I remember I got to high school, and I didn’t like the band teacher at our high school, but I kept on taking lessons, and then, you know, it fades away slowly. But even throughout that time I’d still listen to music like crazy. The saxophone kept collecting dust, and a few years ago I sold it to buy a car. I know, right? Classic. But I definitely regret it now that I’m really back into music again and kind of creating work. By the end of this year, I’ll try to get a used saxophone, or a cheap one or something.

But recently, with me starting to produce music: MAR. 21, 2017 - MAR. 27, 2017

In August I had a big knee surgery; it was my third time tearing my ACL, so I was like Thomas Davis status, and it was really tough, and I didn’t have anything to do because you’re in bed for a week, more like a month, and you can’t really do anything, so I decided to take it on myself to learn how to produce music. It’s such a meticulous thing, and there’s so much to learn, but luckily I had a period where I had nothing to do and could just get into it. Once I made something that I kinda liked, I was like, “Oh wow, what a feeling.”

I felt so accomplished. It’s a piece of work that I enjoy and made myself, so I was really excited about it. I remember I sent it to my sister. Me and all my sisters played instruments, so we always used to talk about music together, and she called me right after and said, “That was really good; you should try and continue.” Since then, it’s been a hobby to do whenever I have any free time. That’s just what I love spending my time doing.

You mentioned liking jazz and classical.

Are there any composers, or artists who you would say inspire and influence you?

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There’s a lot. I guess, in terms of classical, Bach has always been one of my favorites. He’s amazing. There’s times I’ll listen to Bach and –I’m not super religious—but you think “Dang, this is really made for the glory of God. This is so glorious.” Even now, I’m working on an album, and I always think Bach wrote “Passacaglia and Fugue” when he was 23, and I’m about to turn 23, so I was like “Man, Johannes, you gotta get some shit out there [Laughs].”

That’s classical music, but I really love electronic music; you can probably hear that, but some of my favorite artists are Daft Punk for sure. That’s from an earlier age. “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger has been heard around the world, and it kinda blows your mind. But aside from that, more recently, Grimes is hugely inspirational; I love her. She made her first two albums on GarageBand, and I’m like damn, I’m gonna come out with one on GarageBand. But then I like Röyksopp a lot –I love their style— Todd Terje, he’s Norwegian. Space disco is great; I like that genre, that fusion of electronic with other things. So any electronic artist like Chrome Sparks or Toro y Moi or Porter Robinson’s latest work. I mean, I listen to a crap-ton of music, so I could probably talk for forever about who I Daft Punk, Grimes, Shpongle too—I think my life would be different if I never listened to Shpongle.

I think we can end it there; there’s probably going to be somebody I think of later, though.

your EP. It came out on February 20. How long did it take you to create that?

he does a lot of things I really like and try to replicate or do.

I guess a couple of months. I started the songs in about January. There’d been work I’d been doing before that, but yeah, the beginning of January—that’s when I started “Onset,” the first song from the EP. Then “Woods” I started a little later, and then “Midnight Tension,” the middle song, that’s the one that was most recently done.

“Onset” actually took really quick to make because it just flowed really easily, and I got into the zone. And honestly, I think I started it at work. I took out GarageBand on my phone during my break and played it out really quick, and that whole beginning section I think I did in one take.

You go back to work, and you’re kind of thinking about it in the back of your mind, and you go home and tweak it into the right way.

But “Woods” isn’t exactly the same; I came

I noticed that your EP was pretty versatile. Is that something that’s important to you, versatility in music?

Yeah, yeah. I’m working on an album now, and there’s going to be a range of different tracks.

They’re going to be sort of cohesive, but you can tell they’re me. I think it reflects me that there’s so many different ways they can come out.

There’s so many things that I want to express.

And I think that it’s important for an artist to have diversity in their work, not just stick to one style.

Where do you hope to go with music from here? Is that something you want to pursue in the future or just keep it as a hobby?

Honestly, I really do want to use it in my future.

I guess a lot of my life I’ve been searching for what I want to do. There’s a lot of things I feel like I’m good at, a lot of things where people say, “Oh, you should continue with that,” but a lot of those things aren’t as fulfilling to me, and when I’m making music I really do enjoy it. The way things have gone, I feel like it’s the right direction for me. The flow or whatever is pushing me in that direction, so I’m going to pursue it as hard as I can. I’d like to get famous or at least have a good following and be able to release enough work and tour that I can live off of doing music. That would be amazing, and that’s the goal. Obviously now I’m working other jobs, surviving and using my free time to do music, but I’d like to take it to the next level, go on tour. That’d be awesome.

Are there any places you would want to tour in particular?

Everywhere. I mean nowhere in particular. I guess it’d be cool to tour Europe, but I haven’t thought that far ahead.

That would give you the chance to use that German major. Let’s talk a little bit about

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Cover art courtesy of the artist

up with three notes and really liked how the last note hit really hard, and I got it to repeat over and over again. So there was a little more tweaking involved with that one. I wanted to get the drums, the beat right. I had to change the sub-bass a couple times and do tweaky things like that. That’s always the hardest part.

Would you say “Woods” is your favorite then?

Hmm, no. It’s like when you ask your parent which kid is their favorite. They’re all pretty different. I like “Onset” because it flows really well; it’s very groovy. I think the transitions happen where you would want them to happen.

I like “Midnight Tension” because it’s really dynamic; I feel like I tried to push myself on that one. I tried to add a little Daft Punk element in there, but then “Woods” is pretty cool too. “Woods” was kinda inspired by SBTRKT or whatever he calls himself, but he’s also an artist I really like; MAR. 21, 2017 - MAR. 27, 2017

So when is this album supposed to come out?

I want it to come out right before my birthday.

My birthday is June 16, so expect it in June.

I’m working pretty feverishly on it. I’m really excited for it; there’s a lot of good tracks. Some of the tracks from the EP might make it on there.

I might add a little extra and make an album version of “Woods.” A lot of them, maybe half of them, will have vocals on them because I do sing a little bit, which is odd for me. I never thought I’d be singing. I remember the first song I sang on: I recorded it and thought it needed some vocals and I just sang them and thought it sounded pretty good, so I just kept going.

But yeah, the album, I’m pretty excited about it. I think I have maybe 15 songs on it, and I’m planning out that arc; I always feel like good albums tell a story or have an arc, and I want to replicate the greats on how albums are done. I don’t think you’ll hear a big Pink Floyd influence, but I love Pink Floyd, and maybe some of the ways their tracks move right into the next one or start off silent will make it on mine.

Would you ever consider having featured artists or work with other people?

Yeah, yeah! For sure. Some of my friends rap, especially my roommate; he’s really good. So yeah, if I can get something in time that we really click over, and it sounds good, but I don’t know; for this album, if I can get a feature or two, I would do it. But for the most part I’m planning on doing it myself. I just want it to be as me as possible. I don’t know if that sounds egotistical or anything, but I really want it to be my vision and for my sound to come out. I think music is really an expression of a person. And sometimes I think I’m just channeling it and it comes out in my shape.

That’s kind of what I want to happen.

I’m also working on a music video in a film production class here. It’s going to be pretty conceptual and a psychedelic kind of video.

That’ll be done by the end of the semester.

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OPEN MIC NIGHT DONE RIGHT Carlos Andrés Gómez and student poets present their stories ELISSA MILLER STAFF WRITER

In my sophomore year of high school, my teacher decided to show us a video of the spoken word poet Sarah Kay. It was her TED talk, a video I’ve since watched dozens of times. She spoke confidently, with both passion and rhythm. I was in absolute awe. It was a truly magical feeling, one I hadn’t felt since. Until Thursday.

On March 16, the Campus Activities Board sponsored an open mic night hosted by Carlos Andrés Gómez. Gómez is an acclaimed spoken word poet and author of the memoir “Man Up: Reclaiming Modern Manhood.” He opened the night with a set of his original poems, strung together with personal remarks and humor. Gómez’s uplifting personality was infectious, filling the rotunda of the Student Union in which his poems echoed.

He somehow managed to take such a large space and make it intimate, as if those of us watching the poems were the only ones in the room. It was spoken word poetry at it’s finest, and I was hooked.

While Gómez performed multiple sets throughout the night, a couple poems especially stood out. The most notable of these was his poem “What does Hispanic look like?” The poem went viral in 2016 and currently has over one million views on Youtube. It begins with a story of one of Gómez’s personal experiences and then transitions into a moving piece about Hispanic and Latino stereotypes.

Other poems I especially enjoyed were “Everything,” a beautiful and creative love poem, and “Handstitch,” an account of the time Gómez held hands with a male friend for an hour as he walked around his college campus.

However, Gómez was not the only one performing. In between

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his sets, various students chose to perform original poems on the stage.

Some were experienced poets. For example, Hilda Kolawole, winner of fall semester’s Last Poet Standing competition, performed pieces about race and feminism. Others were first timers, such as Bestman Eze, whose nervous energy simply made his love poem “My Queen” even sweeter. The poems also touched on a wide variety of topics. Patrice Wilson’s centered on race and the lacking number of black professors on campus. Zeke Peterson’s “Dreamer” told about his urge to escape from his upbringing and achieve his dreams. Jon Lamar’s poem, entitled “Death is a Memory,” spoke about overcoming deep personal struggles.

Of all the times to perform poetry, this was likely one of the best. The crowd was extremely open and supportive. Students cheered poets through any slip-up or misplaced word and clapped as they both entered and exited the stage. Gómez was partly responsible for this, as he encouraged audience members to root for and react to the poets. He also complimented and interacted with both performers and audience members.

Although the event lasted about two hours, I was still sad to see it end. The sense of community felt broken. Still, Gómez stayed behind to speak to and take pictures with audience members and performers, as well as sell copies of his book.

I have to applaud the Campus Activities Board for planning the event. If you ever have the chance to attend one of their open mic nights, I highly recommend it. It was a truly moving experience that left me shaken and awed in a way I hadn’t felt since I first saw spoken word. In my book, that’s a success.

ACROSS 1 Participated in a movie gunfight, say 11 Symbol of purity 15 Fizzled 16 Junket 17 Really hot 18 Bud 19 Passes 20 Getaway car driver 22 Comforter 23 Metered lines 24 Rudder location 25 “Now!” 26 “Buddenbrooks” author 27 Farm follower?

29 Moolah 30 Pop-up producer 31 How many games are won 35 Cuddled 36 Wine flavor component 37 Compact __

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38 Jerks 39 “No __!”

40 Inventing middle name 44 Six-pack to be proud of 45 Big name in ‘50s-’60s civil rights 47 Take turns?

48 Cuts to a roving reporter 50 Introductory language class 51 Digging 52 Symbol of ancient Egypt 54 Shipping hazard 55 Wary 56 Exam for some college srs.

57 Tourist attraction DOWN 1 Radar pickups 2 Threaded fastener

3 Interval for Rossini 4 Three-line stanza 5 Benjamin of “Law & Order” 6 Frequency modulation word?

7 Payroll service initials 8 “Forget it!”

9 German coffeecake 10 Optical maladies 11 Webmaster’s code 12 Ancient Syrian 13 Got ready to grill 14 Displaying polish, perhaps 21 Focus group member, casually?

23 Date provider 26 Average 28 WWII battle site, for short 29 Theodor whose middle name was Seuss 30 It adjoins the altar 31 “Brava!”

32 Surgeon, slangily 33 Aromatic brew 34 Blaster 35 Unleashes 37 Runs 39 William of “24” 40 Fifth-century invader 41 Elvis Presley lyricist Jerry 42 __ facias: jury pool (from the Latin for “make come”) 43 Grain bristle 46 Sun block 47 ‘70s-’80s Egyptian president 49 Permissive 50 Suggestive gander 53 Letter after pi

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COLLEGE LIFE 101

How to deal with the stresses and anxieties of college academics BRIANNA SUMPTER STAFF WRITER

As we just recently approached the halfway mark for this semester, I feel as though now is a great time to reflect and to make sure we are doing everything we can to have a good rest of the semester. For a college student, stress in inevitable. There are always going to be things that we are stressing about, so telling someone not to stress is easier said than done.

Since stress is inevitable in our lives, we might as well come up with a way to deal with it. If you ever feel yourself getting extremely stressed out due to tests and homework and deadlines, I recommend you stop and first, take a deep breath.

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This next thing might sound a little peculiar to some, but a good thing to do when you are overly stressed is to stop doing the very thing that is making you stressed. If you take some time and clear your mind and frustration doing something else, it makes it easier to focus when you come back to it. For me, when I get stressed the easiest thing for me to do is take a nap. Sometimes I listen to music too, or take a walk. Whatever makes you feel at ease is what you should do during this time. After you have taken some time to clear your mind and relax your nerves, you are able to go back to your responsibilities feeling rejuvenated and ready to overcome anything.

One of the biggest things that would help college students get by so much easier would be to COMMUNICATE with your professors and colleagues. I am gonna stress the colleague part because it is so important.

In the midst of all of the madness in college, I think we forget that everyone around us is here for the same reason, with the same goals. All of us are stressed, so why not be stressed together? Meeting the people in your class and exchanging contact information is so crucial because you never know when you are going to miss class, and also you can study together. Two brains is better than one and I guarantee you you can help some of your classmates out and vise versa. If you feel like you are falling behind or you simply do not understand what is going on in your lecture, it is crucial that you communicate this to your professor. There is a big chance that they are willing to help you if you speak up and tell them what is wrong.

Communication is one of the major keys to college, and without communication you will have the hardest time accomplishing your college goals and dreams. When it comes to dealing with professors, you always want to try to keep a steady positive relationship with them because you never know when you are going to need them the most. Make sure that you have all of your professor’s contact information as well as their office hours.

I promise you, communication is key! Being that we are halfway through the semester, make sure you stay mindful of these things and keep them in your thoughts for next semester as well!

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Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

TRAVELING AFTER GRADUATION

Take the time to jump into the world around you NICOLE BUCKENHAM STAFF WRITER

After you graduate and before you lock yourself down with a job, there lies the perfect opportunity to go travel to the place of your dreams. It is the best time to pack up and leave all your worries behind of finding a future job and especially if you already have one.

You just finished around 16 years of your life filled with school work, so why not go out and leave the country? Traveling can be expensive, especially if you are planning on going outside of the United States. But, we are young and should not mind staying in crazy places and living on a small budget. Hostels are fun and very cheap places to stay. Backpacking can lead to a lifetime of stories to tell and does not cost a thing. There are many exciting places around the world to travel to that can still be affordable. This is the best time to go anywhere your heart desires before time slips away.

One place you might not think of as affordable, but very much so is, is to island hop in Greece. Right now in Greece, it is cheaper because of the economy and traveling to Europe is a breeze at the moment between there and the States. The Greek Islands are beautiful and the beaches are something we don’t get to see here in North Carolina. It is also pretty affordable to just hop on ferries to each and every island. Using Travelocity.com to find hotels is always a pretty safe bet. There are constant deals on the website and you can even find cottages or bed and breakfasts. Since things are a little cheaper over there, finding a good deal should be pretty easy.

Now if you want to get real cheap and still experience cultures from all over, going backpacking through Europe can be lifechanging. This is for the most spontaneous people and adventure seekers. When you are backpacking, you rely on sleeping on beaches, meeting people you can stay with and even Airbnb. Europeans are used to seeing people travel, so meeting people who will let you stay

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at their place for a night isn’t uncommon.

It is important to make sure you can pack everything you need and are prepared for all sorts of weather you will encounter since where you will sleep every night is up in the air. If this is your travel option you can get the most of your travels because you will be seeing all parts of Europe like Amsterdam, Denmark, Czech Republic or wherever you want to go.

Another travel destination you might not think is in your budget (but can be) is Asia.

There are parts of Asia, like Thailand, that can be worked out to be affordable. The plane ticket there might be something you would need to save up for, but once you get there, it can be fairly inexpensive. The food there is very cheap and comes in big portions. You can basically eat like royalty if you like Asian food. There are many things to do in Thailand for instance, and it can be quite beautiful.

It can be a life changing experience to see a culture so different than that of the United States and definitely worth the long plane ride there. Finding a place to stay can be made inexpensive as well if it is well-planned out and your internet research is done right.

If you are someone who does not want to travel so far but still wants to have fun before the rest of your life sets in, going to good old Vegas can be a blast. The plane ride should be fairly affordable or driving there might be an even better option. It is very touristy there so there are many cheap options to find a place to stay. There is tons of stuff to do in the area so you should always have something to do. But, if this is your choice of travel, just make sure you don’t blow all your money in the casinos!

Traveling somewhere after college is highly recommended. It is good to take a break since we just went through so many years of schooling without a break. This is the best time to do so because we are young and this is the best time to go out and see the world.

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BRIANNA SUMPTER STAFF WRITER

“In my short time at Charlotte I have come into contact with a great deal of people, their perspectives altering how I view the world and how big my goals have become. A personal quote that summarizes my mind set is ‘Never become that of which everyone claims you must be, for you forfeit your right to your own mental freedom.’”

- Demetric Davis

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