Niner Times- March 27, 2012

PAGE 1

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

NINERTIMES Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Published twice weekly and online at www.nineronline.com

A product of Student Niner Media • The University of North Carolina at Charlotte • Partially funded by Student Fees • Breaking News? Email us at editor@nineronline.com or call 704.687.7148

New on NinerOnline.com: Keep up with up-to-date information of SGA Amendment One and SGA elections.

Professor claims to find Jesus

Standing against Amendment One

Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

Thirty-three percent of the citizens of the world practice Christianity, according to the Central Intelligence Agency’s World Factbook.

According to the same source nearly 80 percent of U.S. citizens identify as Christian.

The percentage of those in the world who believe they have found the tomb of Christ, however, is low.

The chair of UNC Charlotte’s religious studies department Dr. James Tabor states in his recently published book, “The Jesus Discovery,” that he has found the remains of Jesus of Nazareth.

Tabor, along with filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, began exploring a tomb in Jerusalem in 2002. During the exploration process they uncovered another tomb 200 feet away. Further exploration of the tomb using a robotic arm prompted the belief that the tomb contained the centuries old remains of Jesus Christ.

Inside the tomb 10 bone boxes were found containing the remains of unknown individuals. On six of the boxes, names were found and on one box the inscription which may read “he is raised up to the holy place” or “he is raised up” had been carved.

The researchers determined that this box contained the remains of Jesus and this inscription referred to the resurrection.

Other names were found inside the tomb including Joseph and Mary. Despite that these are common names of the era Tabor says that statistics show it is unlikely for these names to all be in the same tomb,

An Amendment One protestor stands outside of the SGA’s General Assembly Senate meeting Thursday March 22, 2012. Photo by Corbin Peters Ciera Choate

NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

UNC Charlotte’s Student Government Association’s general meeting reached maximum capacity as over 100 people sat in the meeting, as well as outside, while the Student Senate debated the Opposition to Amendment One Resolution, written by Senator Nauman Panjwani.

After over an hour of debate and comments from the gallery the resolution passed with a vote of 13-to-8. Duke University, East Carolina University, Guilford College, UNC Asheville, UNC Chapel Hill,

UNC Greensboro, North Carolina Central University and North Carolina State have passed similar resolutions or released statements standing against Amendment One, according to Protect All NC Families, an organization created to stop the passing of Amendment One. North Carolinians will have a chance Tuesday, May 8, to vote for or against Amendment One, which states only marriages between one man and one woman will be recognized by N.C. as a domestic relationship.

Speakers from the College Democrats, People Recognizing Individual Diversity

and Equality (PRIDE), the Feminist Union, Amnesty International and UNC Charlotte Against Amendment One attempted to convince the senators present to vote in favor of the resolution.

The focus of their argument was not the LGBT community in N.C., but all civil unions and domestic partnerships with both heterosexual and homosexual couples living in the state.

“It’s about the children of the parents who are not married, the child that can receive healthcare, the child with leukemia whose mother’s boyfriend is paying for the treatment with his healthcare. If this leg

JESUS p.4

AMENDMENT p.2

Professor hunts for cancer causing agents SGA president Sarah Obeid

Ages of leukemia diagnosis from 2004-08 20-34

35-44

Under 20

Over 85

75-84 Source: National Cancer Institute SEER Research Data

SOBEID2@UNCC.EDU

Eleven million people in the U.S. suffer from cancer, according to the U.S. National Cancer 45-54 Institute in 2008. Researchers still hunt for what may cause cancer and how the degenerative disease may be avoided.

55-64 Dr. Christine Richardson, biology professor at UNC Charlotte, runs a lab in the university’s biology department which works to determine how an individual’s deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is linked to cancer.

65-74 “There have been a number of tests on all sorts of environmental agents done over the years. Each agent being tested Graphic By Eden Creamer on takes a couple of weeks,” said

VOTE 2012

OPINION

SGA ELECTIONS

AMENDMENT ONE AFFECTS YOU

Voting for UNC Charlotte Student Government Association (SGA) Senate and Student Body President starts today, March 27, 2012 at 8:00 a.m. and ends March 28, 2012 at 5:00 p.m.

Visit http://sga.uncc.edu/elections to vote.

Visit NinerOnline for more information on candidates and results.

SPORTS

p.5

CANCER p.3

LIFESTYLE

COUPONING As college students it doesn’t hurt to save some money here and there.

Luckily there are plenty of outlets for a savvy shopper to find some great deals.

While many believe that Amendment One only affects gay marriage, the amendment actually does more.

Whether you’re homosexual or heterosexual, get the facts on the amendment.

Richardson.

Due to the scope of this project Richardson is not the only person working on this research.

“I have a lot of help in the research process from graduate students Greg Benedetto, Grer Vestal and Bhawa Bariar.

Undergrad students Alexander Almeida and Jose Delgado have been working with me as well,” she said.

Richardson is interested in the cancer agents humans might be exposed to. For the past three years she has been busy attempting to verify if the model she and her researchers have been studying would work.

“Our model system tested agents used in chemotherapy and we found that these agents

WHY IS JAMAR BRISCOE TRANSFERRING FROM CHARLOTTE?

p.12

Services such as Groupon allow anyone to customize their search and find personalized deals near them. p.8

candidates debate student issues Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

Student Government Association (SGA) Student Body President candidates Stephen Belle Isle and Conor Dugan participated in a debate hosted by NinerTV Thursday, March 22, 2012, at 6 p.m.

The debate allowed UNC Charlotte students to submit questions they wanted to hear the candidates answer, both prior to and during the debate. Student submitted questions made up the content for the debate.

As the debate began, student attendance was slim. Perhaps 20 to 30 were initially in attendance. Students milled in and out of the Rotunda throughout the event and many passersby listened in on parts of the debate.

Questions presented to the candidates included topics such as parking on campus and other means of transportation, student involvement in the UNC Charlotte community, tuition and the past experiences that would qualify the candidates for the job.

Through answers and rebuttals, Belle Isle and Dugan both gave various responses to set themselves apart from their opponent as well as comments which tore down the opposing campaign.

DEBATE p.3

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NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

AMENDMENT from p.1 treatment with his healthcare. If this harm and in any other matter of abuse,” he legislation passes that child will no lon- said.

Some senators who opposed to the resoger be able to receive healthcare benefits from the boyfriend. That to me is enough lution were concerned with the validity of to make it ridiculous in my eyes,” said the the statistics written into the legislation, which states, “Nearly 80 percent of polled President of PRIDE, Bonnie Green.

UNC Charlotte faculty also spoke for the college-aged voters are opposed to Amendresolution against Amendment One. Dr. ment One.” They also argued that it is not the job of Cindy Combs, a Distinguished Professor of Teaching in the Political Science Depart- Student Senate to take a side on the issue or ment attended the Student Senate meeting encourage students to vote either way.

“I think the main concern on the negato talk on the subject she felt “affected too tive standpoint is how can we say that many people not to get involved.”

“There are a lot of different cultures and 25,000 students are against this when 85 a lot of people who think and believe dif- are represented in this room? I just don’t get how you ferently.

You can see the don’t have to Veto Process university as agree you just The Student Body President has five days to a whole and have the step sign or veto legislation. judge that we back and unare completely derstand. against this If vetoed the Student Senate must has 2/3 Accept that when there’s they are differmajority to override. only 100 or ent and that’s so people that fine. You in fact If Student Body President does not act the feel extremely benefit from legislation goes into affect. strongly about the fact that it,” said Wilthey’re differliam States E. Lee College of Engineering ent,” she said Combs also encouraged senators to vote Senator Evan Wardrop.

Prior to the Student Senate general how the students that elected them feel, not meeting, Student Body President Dave Crabased on their personal beliefs.

Supporters of the Opposition to Amend- ven said he would not sign the legislation, ment One Resolution added that the affects regardless of the outcome at the meeting.

“What I would like to have seen done on children with parents who are not marand what I want to request of Senate is, I ried is not the only issue with the proposed would be happy to support a resolution amendment.

A lawyer who works with domestic vio- that would be of neutral stance stating that lence cases in N.C. also spoke at the meet- this is a very important vote coming up in ing and explained that this amendment regards to however you feel here are facts could make filing domestic violence cases about both sides of the issue, and we should be supporting people going to vote. We much more difficult for his clients.

“By defining a domestic relationship as should not be supporting one side of this,” a marriage between a man and a woman said Craven Craven has five days to sign or veto the what we’re effectively doing is we’re denying the rights of the people who live in resolution. If he does not sign or veto the domestic relationships who aren’t married resolution automatically goes into effect.

As of Monday, March 26, 2012, at 4 p.m. to go to court and protect themselves from

*Senators running for re-election March 27-28, 2012. **Senators at NinerTV Presidential debate during General Assembly

Craven has yet to comments since the passing of the Opposition to Amendment One Resolution.

A group organized by Green and other UNC Charlotte students has come together to do whatever they can to ensure the passing of this resolution.

Check out the “Speak up, UNC Charlotte; DON’T VETO EQUALITY DAVE” Facebook page to see what students are doing to ensure the implementation of the new legislation, Opposition to Amendment One Resolution. http://www.facebook.com/ events/394750693887812/

NINERONLINE.COM

Police Blotter ACCIDENT March 20

• Craver Rd., driver attempted to cross in front of an oncoming vehicle. Driver lost control of his vehicle and struck oncoming vehicle.

• Cameron Blvd., driver was rear ended due to a vehicle making a sudden stop.

March 22

• Van Landingham Rd., driver struck another vehicle while making a left hand turn.

CALLS FOR SERVICE March 20

• Poplar Terrace Dr., officer responded to a call in reference to a broken windshield.

HIT AND RUN March 19

• Student Union, victim’s vehicle was damaged while parked and unattended.

• Union Deck, victim’s vehicle was damaged while parked and unattended.

March 20

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

DEBATE from p.1 Dugan consistently emphasized the importance of using the resources already available on campus. “Instead of starting new construction projects in the next year what we want to do is focus on the ones that are being constructed and the ones that have been constructed and making sure that we’re utilizing them fully.”

Belle Isle repeatedly stressed the need for outdoor areas on campus, including his proposed plan for the construction of a new fountain. “One thing I want to do is create campus green spaces. Right now you know that everyone wants to hang out inside the union, but what about outside? There’s not one place where everyone can gather and enjoy fellowship with their fellow students,” said Belle Isle. “So something that I’m wanting to do is build campus green spaces. Somewhat of a college park.”

Candidates also spoke about why they chose their running mate.

Belle Isle, who answered this question first, discussed how important he felt it was that he was friends with his running mate, Matthew Best. “He is somebody I know that I can rely on, he is somebody I can depend on and he is somebody I consider a friend,”

said Belle Isle. “If you don’t pick [someone who is] a friend first then there will be dissention in the office.”

Dugan in turn emphasized his running mate Loren Fouts’ prior experience. “She’s not afraid to take steps forward. She’s passed wonderful pieces of legislation, making sure that students are being properly represented on campus,” said Dugan.

“She does have a genuine care for student involvement [on] this campus.”

After the debate, both candidates felt that the debate went well. Dugan commented that Belle Isle “made some good points. He did great and talked about what he understood,” said Dugan. “I think the biggest thing that shown through was different experience levels.”

Belle Isle said that he felt he did “decently” compared to his opponent. “The students are going to have to decide. I presented the issues that I thought faced the students in the best way that I could,” said Belle Isle.

Elections will open Tuesday, March 27, 2012, at 8 a.m. and will close Wednesday, March 28, 2012, at 5 p.m. Students can vote for next year’s Student Body President and Senators at http://vote.uncc.edu

• PVA 7, victim’s vehicle was damaged while parked.

March 22

• Craver Rd., driver fled the scene after hitting a vehicle at a stop sign.

LARCENY March 18

• Sanford Hall, unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

March 19

• Belk Gym, unknown subject removed propety that was left unattended and unsecured.

• Student Union, unknown subject removed property without permission.

March 20

• Cameron Blvd., a female student making a withdrawl from Prospector ATM left her card. Two suspects then made a withdrawl without the permission of the cardholder. One suspect was arrested.

March 21

• Student Activity Center, unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

• Student Activity Center, unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

VANDALISM March 21

• Lot 18, an unknown subject damaged victim’s vehicle by throwing a rock through the back left window.

Man arrested on campus Dequalain Smith, 28, was arrested on campus Tuesday, March 20, 2012.

Smith was arrested on Cameron Blvd. by campus police for withdrawing money from another individual’s bank account without their permission.

A student withdrew money from her bank account using an ATM at Prospector.

When finished, the victim left her card at the ATM. Smith and another suspect then withdrew money from the victim’s account. Only Smith was arrested.

Smith is being charged by Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for false pretense, larceny of $50-199 and unauthorized use of a credit device. The first charge is a felony and the other two charges are misdemeanors.

Smith is not a UNC Charlotte student. Eden Creamer

Stephen Belle Isle (left) and Conor Dugan (right) duke it out at the debate Thursday, March 22, 2012.

Photo by Cody Brown

PAGE 3

CANCER from p.1 create a ton of damage to human DNA,” said Richardson.

Chemotherapy overtime destroys chromosomes and eventually kills the entire DNA system. With high doses all body cells and white and red blood cells are destroyed. Richardson and her researchers are using this as a control to test the system and find out what makes DNA breakdown and what causes the chromosomes to improperly reform.

“We are now analyzing a number of drugs, dietary supplements and things in industrial factories that can cause DNA damage or DNA shuffle,” said Richardson.

Richardson is mainly focusing on people with leukemia because different types of DNA shuffling and rearranging is often seen in leukemia patients.

“Two specific agents have led to changes in DNA in leukemia patients. These two agents are quercetin and genistein. Both dietary supplements are sold by the [General Nutrition Company],” said Richardson.

Taking low doses of these are not believed to be harmful, but taking large amounts seems to be the source of problems. Consuming unregulated doses without a prescription can cause long-term damage to DNA, ultimately leading to leukemia.

“Genistein is excellent for post-menopausal women if they take the appropriate, recommended dosage. The issue is that this product can be bought online and people often have the mentality that more means better,” said Richardson. “Because these people consume more genistein, their chromosomes have undergone major shuffling. Cells in our lab show that the DNA shuffling is what brings on leukemia.”

Richardson believes that people should be very cautious about following the more is better notion. “The doctor is not right there and since the person is in control, it is difficult to not mistakenly take too much,” said Richardson.

Richardson associates the correct amount of these substances with a lesson her mother taught her. “My mother once told me ‘Do not eat too much chocolate, just eat some’, so in other words, do not ingest candy amounts of genistein and quercetin. That is a big no.” said Richardson.

Richardson hopes her discoveries will lead to a potential cure for leukemia. She wants to take her research step by step and focus on how leukemia can be prevented.

National advocate for race and gender equality comes to speak on campus Gwendolyn Shearman GSHEARMA@UNCC.EDU

When Anita Hill accused Clarence Thomas, who at the time was a Supreme Court nominee, of sexual harassment most UNC Charlotte students were still in diapers. Hill testified against Thomas in 1991 and in doing so sparked a national debate on the issues of gender, race and power.

UNC Charlotte’s Multicultural Resource Center (MRC) is sponsoring a talk with the woman who brought to light the issue of workplace sexual harassment. On Thursday March 27, 2012, at 7 p.m., Hill will speak in McKnight Hall about the current national debates on race, gender and equality.

Hill gained national attention when during the Congressional confirmation hearings of Thomas to the Supreme Court Hill alleged that he made sexually harassing comments while she worked for him at the Department of Education and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Prior to her testimony the topic of workplace sexual harassment had never been discussed and her allegations led to changes in workplace policies concerning harassment.

Hill testified that while she was working as his assistant, Thomas made sexual advances towards her and when she refused the harassment started. Thomas would talk about his taste in pornography, his sexual fantasies and physical anatomy. According

to the Senate Judiciary Committee records Hill is quoted as saying “He spoke about acts that he had seen in pornographic films involving such matters as women having sex with animals, and films showing group sex or rape scenes. He talked about pornographic materials depicting individuals with large penises or large breasts individuals in various sex acts.”

Thomas was later admitted to the Supreme Court and began delivering consistently conservative justice. Hill’s testimony began the debate not only on the topics of race and gender in the workplace, but also about the abuse of power. The controversy did not end there and years after the hearings doubts were still cast upon both sides

of Hill’s allegations. In 2007 Thomas addressed the allegations in his autobiography, and blamed the situation on Hill’s partisan politics.

Currently Hill is the senior advisor to the provost and professor of social policy, law and women’s studies at Barndeis University, a private research university near Boston. She remerged in the public eye fall 2011 when she wrote a book called “Reimagining Equality” about issues of race and gender.

Twenty years after the Hill-Thomas hearings tensions around these topics remain questions are again being raised about the reality of race and gender in America.

Anita Hill in 1991 when she testified against Clarence Thomas. MCT Campus

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NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

NEWS BRIEFS

JESUS from p.1 unless it housed the remains of our Biblical characters.

“There were probably hundreds of Jesus son of Joseph so the fact that we found one doesn’t really mean anything,” said Tabor. “So we began to pursue statistical studies.

Names can be relatively common but in clusters the names become uncommon.”

Other evidence includes what Tabor believes to be a drawing of Jonah and the whale on the outside of the bone box.

“The Jonah image only means Jesus. The fish then becomes a symbol for death and the person getting spit out of the fish is coming out of the grave,” said Tabor. “Christians love that image because here you have a Bible story that alludes to the Christ resurrection.”

After the book release multiple sources claim that Tabor and Jacobovici merely wanted to make money and gain attention. In an article by Alan Boyle posted on MSNBC, Jodi Magness of UNC Chapel Hill believes, in Boyle’s words, that Tabor and Jacobovici wanted to “rustle up a fresh round of media attention.”

Tabor is not blind to the negative comments his and Jacobovici’s work has been receiving since the publication of the book. “We consulted with over 20 experts and got their input before we published this.

It wasn’t unanimous that our interpretation is right, but we included all of the interpretations [in the book],” said Tabor.

“I mean I try to be a dignified scholar. I want to be re-

Panel discusses Amendment One A panel of UNC Charlotte faculty members will discuss the issues surrounding Amendment One on Monday, April 2, 2012.

The discussion is called “Framing the Marriage Debate: A Conversation About the Conversation Around Amendment One” and will begin at 6:30 p.m. and the UNC Charlotte Center City building.

Panelist members are Tina Botts, Kent Brintnall, Jeremy Schott and John Szmer.

Their UNC Charlotte departments include philosophy, religious studies, women’s and gender studies and political science.

This event is free and open to the public, but reservations are required in advance.

Guests can register online. Parking will be available and refreshments will be provided. Eden Creamer

1 1) Inscriptions on a bone 4 box. 2) James Tabor and Simcha Jacobovici watching the robotic arm in the tomb. 3) Tabor and Jacobovici examining wall carvings. 4) The Jonah and the whale carving. Photos

2

courtesy of James Tabor

3

Public affairs program receives national ranking UNC Charlotte’s Master of Public Administration (MPA) program has been ranked by the U.S. News Media Group as in the top 60 best graduate programs for public affairs in the country.

The program tied for the 59th position.

This ranking is based on what the deans, directors and department chairs say in response to questions. Eden Creamer

Business program receives national ranking spectable. But what do I do if I do find something sensational?

Pretend I didn’t find it? So my attitude is I don’t really care about the scoffing. Doesn’t bother me at all. I know what we found, I think I have the

interpretation of it and I think in time this is going to be clarified.”

More is still in the works for the future of this research. Tabor and Jacobovici’s research will be featured in a Discov-

eryTV special in early April and the university will host a lecture with Tabor speaking on “The Jesus Discovery” Wednesday, March 28, 2012. More information on the event is available on UNC Charlotte’s website.

The Master of Business Administration (MBA) program at UNC Charlotte has been ranked by the U.S. News Media Group as among the top part-time programs in the country.

The program tied for 55th place out of 326 national programs. This is a four place improvement from last year’s national ranking. Eden Creamer

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

OPINION NINERTIMES Volume 24, Number 44 A PRODUCT OF

Amendment One affects more than just gay rights Tricia Bangit TBANGIT@UNCC.EDU

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On May 8, 2012, North Carolina residents will vote for or against the North Carolina State Constitution Amendment One, which states that “marriage between one man and one woman is the only domestic legal union that shall be valid or recognized in the state.” The Vote Against Project and The Coalition to Protect North Carolina Families are two groups that have dedicated themselves towards defeating the amendment.

Amendment One has been called the same-sex marriage amendment, but samesex couples shouldn’t be the only ones up in arms about it. The validity of straight civil unions is not included in this text and raises a lot of questions.

While gay couples have had to deal with the uncertainty that they will have access to the many rights that married couples have, it is now something that straight couples should start thinking about.

The executive board members of UNC Charlotte’s People Recognizing Individual Diversity and Equality (PRIDE) had a lot to say on the subject. When asked if they saw this amendment as a threat to straight couples, the room responded with a unanimous “yes.”

The fact is that not everyone in this state is religious. That is why some committed couples opt to have civil unions instead of a marriage. What exactly is supposed to be accomplished by passing legislation that would only legitimize heterosexual marriages?

Even if the amendment was not passed, gay marriage would still remain unrecognized in this state, which prompts one to ask why this amendment is even being proposed at all.

What really gets me is every time someone supports this type of legislation they use freedom as an excuse. They have a right to practice their religion. Somehow that equates to them being allowed to tell other consenting citizens how to live their lives.

Heterosexual marriage is legal and homosexual marriage is illegal in this state.

How much more damage can the far right even do? Are they just going to come up with more laws that are against something that’s not even a threat to the well being of American citizens? Is this just an attempt to destroy any non-traditional families in the state?

According to the 2010 U.S. Census, North Carolina had approximately 22,000 unmarried couples that identified as gay or lesbian out of 222,000 unmarried couples.

With the number of unmarried straight couples so high, why aren’t more people upset about this amendment? While those in support of the amendment see this as a faith-based issue, it is also one that will inevitably affect the lives of unmarried couples and their children. Just to clarify, these religious groups are trying to protect family values while simultaneously threatening to take away healthcare benefits from unwed couples and their children.

On top of this, if someone in an unmarried partnership is abused by their significant other, they wouldn’t be able to press charges for domestic assault. Apparently that’s not a real family.

We just happen to be living in a time where the immediate reaction to the words “marriage” and “laws” is “gay marriage.”

Somehow, Amendment One doesn’t seem to be on enough people’s radar, but this is something that the members of PRIDE are diligently working on.

The group has been organizing a number of on-campus activities to raise awareness of Amendment One before voting day.

On April 18, there will be a rally at the Belk Tower from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Today they will be around campus surveying and educating students about the amendment. Wednesday will see a demonstration in the Student Union to prove to Student Government Association President Dave Craven how many people are against the amendment. On Thursday the Student Senate voted to pass a resolution in opposition to Amendment One, so this time is crucial for all parties involved.

PAGE 5

Letters to the editor This past Thursday I had the pleasure of attending a UNC Charlotte Senate meeting at which a resolution that would publicly pose UNC Charlotte against Amendment One was passed, 13-8. The only remaining action to the complete passage of this resolution is the approval of our Student Body President.

The Senate passed it; the student body vouched for it and Dave Craven vows that he will veto it.

At the Senate assembly on Thursday, as we sat in our chairs awaiting the beginning of the meeting and the verdict that would come, we were asked to rise and say the Pledge of Allegiance.

It went something like this: “…and liberty and justice for all.” Liberty and justice for all. I have no right to define any lifestyle that is not my own. You have no right to define a lifestyle that is not your own. The government of North Carolina has no right to define a lifestyle that is not their own.

Dave Craven, we cannot let UNC Charlotte stand mute on this subject for fear of taking a stand. Do not be a coward. Do not let UNC Charlotte be seen as an entity that affirms the North Carolina government’s belief that it is okay to define the lifestyle of someone else. That it is okay to eliminate the rights of its constituents.

And in the process, do not eliminate the rights of your own constituents, Dave Craven. Remember that you are not one person, you represent 25,000 people. You are your constituency. Your constituency has spoken. Listen. Respond. Respond as the representative of the whole, and not the representative of the self.

Kristina Drye, Your Constituent.

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PAGE 6

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

A&E

LIVE MUSIC:

3/28 - Gramatik and Break Science Neighborhood Theatre, 9 p.m., $12-15 3/27 - Chris English w/ The Flowers & The Cloers After Hours, Cone Center, 7 p.m., Free

NEW ON DVD:

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close In the Land of Blood and Honey Chipwrecked A Dangerous Method Air Collision

Manifesto Retrospective Film Festival celebrates young filmmakers’ accomplishments

A table at the Festival’s entrance gives visitors a brief profile on the five directors featured at this year’s festival. Photo by Barry Falls Jr Patrick Bogans

PBOGANS@UNCC.EDU

The Manifesto Retrospective Film Festival, held Thursday, March 22, 201,2 at the Spirit Square, was a delightful event that showcased some prominent local student filmmakers of the Charlotte area.

The five filmmakers, who are all graduates of the Arts Institute of Charlotte, presented some of their previous award-winning works from past festivals, along with special premieres of their new thesis films.

At the beginning of the night, each filmmaker’s demo reel and previous works were shown, which gave a good representation of the style and personality of each filmmaker to be seen throughout the night, with some being more playful, and some being more gritty.

The variety and contrast of new works between the filmmakers took the audience on a visual and emotional roller coaster throughout the entire night.

The first new film to be shown was from William Brooks.

Brooks is a graduate of the Arts In-

stitute with a fine arts degree in Digital Film & Video.

Along with being a freelance director, Brooks is also owner of his own production company, Envy Pictures.

He is a director, writer and editor with a great talent to display great melancholy emotion in his films with great subtly.

His thesis film, “The Modest Truth”, follows a kid struggling to find a way to connect with his distanced father.

Set with a very simple backdrop of South Carolina in the 1960s, and with simple but striking cinematography, the message of the film was presented very well.

Brooks became interested in doing this film because growing up, he never had to struggle too hard with his parents.

“I wanted to experience that feeling [of parent to child struggle] on my own and share that with people,” Brooks stated in the post-festival question and answer session.

Next up was Nicole Driscott, a Boston native that decided to make the move to Charlotte to pursue a degree in filmmaking.

Discott has since graduated with a

BFA in Digital Film & Video Production (receiving the “Most Outstanding Graduate” award in her class), done freelance work and started her own production company ND Films.

Discott’s films focus on the significance of human interaction, and how it effects how we see ourselves and one another.

Her new thesis film, “Intermediate”, follows MacKenzie Reed, a middle schooler who tries to find her inner identity all while dealing with the awkwardness that comes with prepubescence.

The film does a great job of putting the audience in MacKenzie’s shoes through her uncomfortable trials as a 6th grader.

Following such innocence, Jeremy Garcia’s film personality is a severe contrast, but a severely intriguing one at that.

After receiving his degree in Digital Film & Video Production, Garcia has been a busy man. He works as a freelance editor and camera operator with Dream Media Studios and Grey Hawk Films, and works as a director on music videos and feature-length projects through his production company Illuminated Pictures.

His new film, “The Condition of Existence”, focuses on Dr. Edward Moore, a man who becomes creepily obsessed with his odd “cure” for his patients’ depression and anxiety.

Garcia’s dark and compelling film was the longest of the night, and because of some gripping images, truly one of the most memorable of the night as well.

And in great contrast to Garcia’s tone were works from the most playful filmmaker of the festival, Collin Scouter.

Scouter, who graduated with an Associate’s degree in applied science in Digital Film & Video Production, has since worked as a cinematographer and camera operator for dozens of national and international projects.

He also heads up his own production company, Bad Piano Productions.

Earlier in the night showing a film

about two ridiculous guys playing disc golf, Scouter’s new music videos were about two similar guys rapping about how “Sherlock is a Poser”.

In comparison with the other works of the night, Scouter’s films were very lighthearted and enjoyable because of their likable randomness.

“Okay, let’s surf on some cars. Or let Troy slam dunk in slow motion. Our improvisation is one of our best things,” said Scouter at the Q&A session.

The final filmmaker of the night was Christian Simpson, a graduate with an associate degree in applied science in Digital Film & Video Production.

With cinematography work ranging from documentaries to commercials to feature full length films, Simpson has been very successful since his graduation. He also works as cinematographer at his production company, Down Home Films.

At the festival, Simpson presented his new long form music video for “Watch You Fall” for local artist Orion.

The film focuses on Orion as a fighter competing in an underground fight match while both his worlds inside and outside the ring are fighting as well.

“Watch You Fall” was great work visually, audibly and storywise and ended the entire night on a high note.

The entire fighting sequence was filmed beautifully and choreographed very well.

Simpson consistently aims to make create professional, powerful and most importantly, convincing moving images.

“It was important to me and Christian that the punches didn’t sound like a kung-fu movie,” said Dustin Pegg, the editor and director of the film present for the Q&A session.

The overall experience of the Manifesto Retrospective Film Festival was definitely a memorable one.

It was amazing to see the great accomplishments of these local filmmakers past and present, with a glimpse of their bright futures ahead.

‘MADE’ comes to campus, leaves unfulfilled Eden Creamer ECREAMER@UNCC.EDU

MTV brought their popular show “Made” to UNC Charlotte for a casting call Friday, March 23, 2012, with the help of Niners on the Weekend (NOW).

Despite the fact that the show is run by MTV and has been on air for 11 seasons students seemed uninterested in coming out for the casting call.

At noon when the casting call was scheduled to begin I would have expected flocks of students to be lined up waiting for their moment to get on national television. And yet there were three people when the clock struck 12.

In the back room where the interviews were taking place, these students would go back one-by-one to be interviewed by who I assume was an MTV producer.

On the door of this room was a handwritten sign, because obviously MTV can’t afford to have a legitimate sign paid for and put on the door.

Throughout the course of the first hour the largest amount of people who passed through the area was an unre-

lated group touring the union. More people slowly trickled in and by 1:30 there were about 15 waiting their turn.

The first “Made” hopeful to go into her interview, UNC Charlotte sophomore Dionne Parris, was surprised by the turn out.

“I thought more people would be like ‘Yeah, let’s take this opportunity to do something’, but I guess they don’t want to do that,” she said.

James Contratto, assistant director of Student Activities for Weekend Programs and Student Organizations has a different outlook on the turn out.

“So far [the turn out’s] not bad.

We’ve had a lot of folks email us and say ‘Hey we’re interested in coming’. Right now we have folks signed up until about 2 o’clock so we’re going pretty steady,” said Contratto.

While I applaud Contratto’s efforts in regards to getting the word out about this event, I have to say the turn out is a bit disappointing.

Fifteen people waiting in line for a chance to be on national television is a good turn out? Perhaps his outlook on how many students showed up is telling

of how many students normally attend NOW events.

I’m sorry fellow students but your apathy towards cool things disturbs me.

Sure only 5,000 students live on cam-

pus.

But that is 5,000 people who should be interested in the events that NOW puts on, especially when it is actually pretty nifty.

Photo courtesy of MTV

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

PAGE 7

Belgian film injects drama into picturesque landscape

Jason Cline

JCLINE22@UNCC.EDU

The Belgian film “Bullhead” follows the story of Jacky Vanmarsenille, a heavily built man who is employed on his family’s cattle farm.

Throughout the story it is revealed that Jacky is periodically injecting steroids, the reason for his heavy build as well as his inclination to fly off the handle in a violent rage at any given second.

The reason why Jacky is constantly injecting steroids isn’t made clear until a flashback into his childhood, where the viewer is let in on a tragic and traumatic event that adds depth to Jacky’s character and gives the viewer a degree of sympathy for his condition.

Jacky’s farm is starting to become involved in the trade and use of illegal growth hormone, which is given to the cows to give them more desirable traits.

However the dealer of the hormones is currently under investigation for murder.

This causes Jacky and his families’ cattle farm to be put into jeopardy.

The entirety of the dialogue in the movie was spoken in Dutch, which impacted my ability to follow the plot.

Matthew Schoenaerts as “Jacky Vanmarsenille.” Photo courtesy of Drafthouse Films I also didn’t have as much time to watch the actors, because my eyes were constantly focused on the script at the bottom of the screen.

For these reasons alone, the film isn’t for everyone.

Despite all of the drawbacks that come with watching a foreign film, “Bullhead” was nonetheless an enjoyable work that was deservedly nominat-

ed for Best Foreign Film at the Academy Awards.

“Bullhead” is the first feature-length film from director Michael R. Roskam.

In addition to the film’s Academy Award nomination, “Bullhead' has also received 31 festival awards, including Best Director, Best Actor and Best Film.

The camera work was refreshingly simple compared to many of the flashy

Hollywood films seen in America.

There was no over-the-top slow motion or elaborate special effects. The most striking shots in the film were of the beautiful Belgian countryside.

The acting, from what I managed to watch, was compelling and top notch.

The lead actor, Matthias Schoenaerts , did an excellent job of playing a dangerous man in a constant struggle to keep control of himself.

Schoenaerts reportedly put on an additional 60 pounds in muscle to play his role.

Each of the supporting characters was compelling and believable as well, from the homosexual romance between police officer Antony De Greef and informant Diederik Maes, who are working to bust the hormone trafficking ring, to the semi-comical Budo brothers, who are charged with erasing evidence of a murder.

The film can be seen in Charlotte, N.C. between March 23 and March 29 at Regal Ballantyne Stadium Village.

Overall “Bullhead” was an enjoyable, thought provoking and compelling film.

The only drawback was the language it was performed in.

Black Keys burn it up at Bojangles Coliseum

Photo courtesy of The Black Keys

Ryan Pitkin RPITKIN@UNCC.EDU

Stomp-blues rock group The Black Keys played a long-awaited show at Bojangles Coliseum on Saturday, March 24th, 2012 with Arctic Monkeys.

From the start, it became obvious that a band with as big a fanbase as The Black Keys should be playing venues bigger than Bojangles.

The refreshment lines weren’t too much worse than any other concert but by the time The Black Keys were set to play, the bathroom lines were ridiculous.

Not wanting to miss the ten songs worth of time I’m sure it would have taken to get to the toilet, the long lines led to some behavior that I won’t get specific about, as I’m sure some of it was illegal.

But enough about the drawbacks of playing any venue other than Verizon, let’s get to the pros.

The last time The Black Keys visited this beautiful city, they were opening up for Kings of Leon at Verizon Wireless.

This performance, in September of 2010, stole the show from the “Kings” despite the obvious attempts of management to turn down their sound levels in order to make the headliners sound better.

For this go round, The Black Keys were ready to play a much more personal venue with their own light shows, pro-

jections and sound people. It showed.

Arctic Monkeys opened up, playing at about 8 p.m. They played a less than overwhelming set using moody blue spotlights as a backdrop.

After a 15-20 minute intermission, the Keys came on, opening with the hyper arena-rock jam “Howlin’ For You,” from 2010’s Brothers album.

With the pounding Jock Jams-like drums to start the song, I couldn’t have picked a more perfect to begin what would become an electric night.

After another song from Brothers, singer Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney transitioned into the reason much of the sold out crowd was there; three of the next four songs were off of their new, critically acclaimed album El Camino.

While people couldn’t get enough of El Camino, The Keys’ fanbase is not made up of bandwagon jumpers. They recognized this by spreading their set list out pretty evenly throughout their 11-year career.

While a huge chunk of their songs were off of El Camino and Brothers, they also played songs from everyone of their remaining four albums, not counting Chulahoma, an album of Junior Kimbrough covers released in 2006.

The band has used their first headlining tour to perfect a set list that played to the mood of the crowd in a genius way.

The placement of “Little Black Sub-

marines,” a mostly acoustic song with a very hard ending, as song number 10 in what would be a 20 song set, worked well as a sort of relaxing point while Auerbach strummed and sang before getting back into rock mode.

I had hypothesized that this would be a great song to start an encore with, but it worked great where it was.

The visuals were great, with blue and yellow light shows, bright spotlights blaring into the middle of the coliseum and an amazing silhouette visual of Carney on the left side of the stage that had him at somewhere near Godzilla’s size.

As in other tours, Auerbach and Carney brought along bassist Gus Seyffert and keyboardist/guitarist John Wood, who both played from an elevated stage behind the two group members.

Doing this helps The Black Keys recreate the feel of their songs to sound as close as they can to the studio recorded versions.

This is definitely an effective way to go about things because it is mindblowing just how perfectly they pull it off.

Some two-member bands, like The White Stripes, are known as great live acts but change their styles up while playing a show. The Black Keys go the other way with it.

The band didn’t play around too long waiting for an encore, which is refreshing in a hot, packed house like Bojangles.

They started it off with the soothing “Everlasting Light” off of Brothers and built up the momentum with another song off of that album, “She’s Long Gone.”

The grand finale came with “I Got Mine,” the first single off of Attack and Release in 2008.

The song was named the 23rd best song of that year by Rolling Stone and was easily the high point of their opening Charlotte set in 2010.

The band must know their strengths, because closing the show out with this song and an amazing colored disco ball effect was the one of the best endings to a show I’ve seen in quite some time.

This was the last Black Keys show for a week, and they are headed back to Akron to rest a bit.

Earlier in the day, Carney had tweeted a picture of his dog, saying that he couldn’t wait to go back and see him.

The dog’s name? Charlotte.

BY THE NUMBERS

7 6 3 1

Songs played from The Black Keys’ newest album, “El Camino.”

Songs from their previous album, “Brothers.”

Tuesday Songs from the 2008 Danger Mouse-produced album, “Attack and Release.”

NEW MUSIC:

Album, Band Name Album, Band Name Album, Songs Band from Name each of band’s first three Album, the Band Name Album, albums.

Band Name

PAGE 8

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

Where a Niner ’s spare moments go

WHAT ABOUT YOU? ARE YOU AN AVID COUPONER? WE WANT TO KNOW HOW MUCH MONEY YOU SAVE USING THEM. EMAIL US AT LIFESTYLE@NINERONLINE.COM CAMPUS TREND ALERT

Bold backpacks Haley Twist LIFESTYLE@NINERONLINE.COM

Last Thursday I went out to lunch with some fellow Niner Times members.

We sat in Prospector eating and talking, and at one point we got to talking about one writer’s backpack.

His backpack is black and has cushioned spikes coming out around the sides. We asked why he chose that spiked backpack out of the other hundreds of styles, and he told us all that he picked it as a way of expressing himself.

As I got up to leave the table and bent down to pick up my own basic, old, dark brown Jansport backpack I started to wonder why I had never thought of them in a stylistic way.

I have had the same backpack since high school. It’s always been reliable and I’ve never even thought about getting a new one. Until now.

Why not pick a fun one like my colleague? Why not pick a backpack that will express my personality instead of using one that I’ve grown accustomed to just because I didn’t feel like buying a new one?

Now the idea of going backpack shopping is exciting because there are options I didn’t even think about when I was in high school. And what I am looking for now is something much less traditional. There are many to choose from, but the following three are my decided favorites.

Leather I am really intrigued by the idea of a leather backpack. They can appear edgy or polished, and I like to have the option to go either way. Some even come embellished with jewels or spikes. And while I prefer black leather bags I have also seen some relaxed browns and some pretty maroons to choose from.

Floral Just in time for spring floral patterns are seemingly everywhere, even on backpacks. The ones I’ve seen the most have a worn, vintage-inspired look, so floral backpacks are great for those who like patterns like that.

My favorite one I have seen so far is cream based and covered with large mauve flower buds. Not only would a bag like this be great for carrying books and laptops, but for those who stray from purses it would be a great summer bag alternative.

Polka Dots Instead of a mono-colored backpack, try opting for a polka-dotted one. I have seen them in bold colors with rainbow dots, black and white ones and more. But the favorite one I’ve seen was not polka-dotted with dots, but with tiny hearts. The bag was baby blue with hundreds of tiny cream-colored hearts covering the entire canvas area. It has been my favorite stylish backpack I’ve seen so far.

Next time you upgrade your school supplies try buying a backpack that is out of the ordinary. It might actually make you want to slug your books around all day on campus!

COUPONING:

saving our expenses one penny at a time Scarlett Newman SNEWMAN6@UNCC.EDU

A perk of Sundays, besides having the day off school, is the arrival of the Sunday paper.

These could be beneficial to UNC Charlotte students because of the plethora of ads and coupons shoved in the middle of it.

Being the daughter of an avid couponer I know how glorifying it is to save large amounts of money all thanks to numerous clippings that you can find in your local paper, online and even through various apps.

The process of actually going through the heap of ads just to clip what will be resourceful can be a bit tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. Put on some great music, pop in a movie or turn on your favorite TV show to make the process somewhat entertaining. Trust me, it’ll all be worth it once you notice you’re not burning as many holes in your pockets.

Senior Ed Niser knows a bit about the couponing process.

“I usually clip them out during the week as they come in the mail,” said Niser.

“If you go grocery shopping on a Wednesday at Food Lion they often have quick sale reduced priced meat, which is fine if you cook it soon after, or store it in the freezer when you get home so it won’t go bad.”

If you don’t have the patience to clip coupons you can always go online to find printable coupon codes that are equally redeemable as the ones you find in a newspaper. You’ll usually have the option

MCT Campus

from Knowledgeable

to print out the actual deal or take down a code to present to the cash register.

As well as saving money on groceries and other necessities, Groupon can make it easier for students to be able to afford leisurely things or luxury items such as manicures, massages, getaways, and concerts.

Groupon is a company that negotiates huge discounts (usually 50-90 percent off) with popular businesses around the cities you live. It sends the daily deals via email to all of its subscribers, allowing businesses to gain an immense amount of patronage.

One has to visit Groupon.com to sign up and choose from about 50 different categories, including pampering, movies, food, outdoors and live shows. Most importantly you have to choose the city where you live or cities that you want to receive “Groupons” for.

If you receive a Groupon that doesn’t pasticularly interest you, pass it on to one of your friends who might benefit from it. These are also giftable, so if you’re in desparate need of a cheap gift you could give someone a Groupon instead of something that the recipient would be interested in.

The schedule of students can be super hectic, so it’s sometimes hard to make a space for couponing in your week, especially if you need to fill that space with sleep or other essential activities.

Ultimately couponing carries the potential of saving lot of money that could be used for other things.

Naturals

TRESemme Naturals review and giveaway Maurii Davenport M D AV E N 1 4 @ U N C C . E D U

If you were to look up the definition of “product junkie,” my name would be permanently plastered beside the term.

Over the past year and a half, I have bought, sold and borrowed products from dozens of natural hair lines promising that my curls will spring to life and never be the same after.

Of course it doesn’t always work that way. My most recent experiment was the newly popular no-cone (silicone) version of TRESemme conditioners.

I purchased it on sale at a local drug store, making the final price fewer than four dollars. WIN! A quick cleanse removed all of the previous product buildup and I applied TRESemme to dripping, wet hair with high hopes.

First reaction: Slip. Slip. Slip. What this means is the product makes it easier to detangle all knots in my hair because of its slippery consistency. Easier was an un-

derstatement. A usual detangling session costs me about an hour, but I was done with my hair in less than 15 minutes. Was I impressed? Highly. But that was only the beginning.

Moisture: My hair dried stiff and crunchy, but don’t be alarmed: “There’s an app for that!”

I’m kidding.

I used to SOC method. The scrunch-outthe-crunch method is a two-part process.

1.) Letting the product in your hair dry completely. If it dries firm..

2.) “Scrunch” out the “crunch” with your hands.

My hair was soft, defined, and moisturized.

Hold: I did a regular wash and go, with no additional product. That’s right, didn’t have to layer up a gel or oil to get one look.

I got beautiful first day hair.

Second day hair yielded another fairly

defined set of curls. Third day made for an awesome high puff with the same definition. As long as I was pineappling (tutorial coming soon) to preserve my style, I could have went further without styling again.

Rate 1-10: Eight. The only reason this product doesn’t get a 10 is because it made my hair look a little dull the first time I used it. After doing midnight research (insomnia is not a joke), it looks like curly hair has to adapt to only having conditioner on it.

My shine came back after using the product about four times, but again, this is based on my first impression.

I’d definitely purchase this one again, but you don’t have to! Email us at knowledgeablenaturals@gmail.com and tell us about your favorite style for spring!

Add a picture and your name will automatically be entered in a drawing. Three lucky ladies will get a full-sized bottle of Tressemme Naturals to try for themselves.

(Posts directly from Twitter count as well.)

Contest ends April 8! Let’s see those spring styles!

NINERONLINE.COM

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

NINER TIMES DRINK RECIPE White wine sangria

49er Gentleman: APPROACHING STRANGERS

Tricia Bangit

TBANGIT@UNCC.EDU

Jordan McSwain

JMCSWA17@UNCC.EDU

Ingredients: 3 parts Pinot Grigio 1 or two thin orange slices 2 parts cranberry juice 1 part blueberry juice

Directions: 1. Mix all of the ingredients in a glass.

Lightly press the orange slices against the inside of the glass with a fork to squeeze out the orange juices. Enjoy.

Photo by Tricia Bangit

The dying commuter identity

It’s the time of year where you’ve probably been freaking out over all the exams and papers you’ve had to deal with lately and you’re probably just anxiously waiting for the semester to end.

Even though it is only spring, it has definitely been feeling a little more like Summer lately.

If you’re of-age and want to drown your sorrows or congratulate yourself for the great work you’ve been doing all semester, make some white wine sangria. It’s a refreshing sweetened drink sure to take the edge off and make you feel like you’re sitting under the sun in a poolside cabana.

Drink responsibly.

PAGE 9

Photos by Corbin Peters

Michele Karr

MKARR1@UNCC.EDU

Traditionally there is little buzz going on around campus by Friday. Recently however, this lack of activity seems to be decreasing. Each semester there are more and more cars and people on campus during the weekends. Is the commuter school mentality decreasing as well?

It is no secret that our school is rapidly growing. New dorms, apartment complexes and businesses are popping up everywhere.

Our student population is also growing at a high rate and we are now one of the biggest universities in North Carolina. The University City area is quickly developing, drawing businesses nearby. The upcoming football team has also greatly heightened the school’s popularity.

These aren’t the only clues that suggest our college is moving away from being a commuter school.

Mark Larievier, the manager of the Parking and Transportation Services feels that we are leaving behind the commuter school identity. One of the main issues he confronts is an increasing demand for residential parking An estimated 86 percent of all residents have parking passes, and as our student body grows this number has remained quite stable. This is a sign that more students are living on campus each year, but also that we are getting the same proportion of commuters.

According to Housing and Residence Life an increase in residential parking is related to a hike in bed count. The bed count is a tally of every bed available on campus. In 2009 the bed count was just under 5,000 and the school has projected it will be up to 7,000 by 2018.

Sarah Helms, a pre-pharmacy student, used to commute 30 minutes from Monroe, N.C. but now lives in Witherspoon Hall.

“I love the extra time I have before class in the mornings,” said Helms. “I never have to rush or worry about being on time. I also enjoy the perks of being close to my friends and social activities on campus.”

But even for some commuters residing in close proximity to campus can be comparable to living on campus. There have been at least three new construction sites this year for apartments almost adjacent to campus.

The amount that I have seen UNC Charlotte grow in the past three years is tremendous. The Student Union opened during my freshman year in 2009 and I thought that was impressive, but I can’t begin to imagine the changes we will see in the upcoming years. One interesting growth I have seen is how much more there is to do on the weekends on campus now. It used to be ghost town after Thursdays, but now you can always find something going on.

I am happy to see that we are building a new identity and shedding off the commuter school mentality.

There comes a time in a man’s life when he feels the need to approach someone he doesn’t know for either personal or business reasons.

For each scenario there are a set of unspoken rules concerning how to be successful. Some of the rules are the same for each and some are completely different.

For business purposes, the only goal you have is to network: to make your name known so that down the road when you want to work for a company or move up where you work, that one guy you need to know will remember you from the elevator a few months back because you made such a good impression.

To approach someone who may have an impact on your job, keep a few things in mind.

Eye contact should be steady and firm. By firm I don’t mean furrow your brow and look like you’re mad, but rather make sure the person knows you are respectful but not intimidated. No one can give you a job riddled with more responsibility if talking to a higher-up scares you.

Just like eye contact, your handshake should be firm. Don’t try to outgrip the other person and definitely don’t give the limp salmon. A weak handshake shows that you aren’t determined. This isn’t about dominance, it’s about impression.

Be prepared and don’t fumble over your words. When meeting someone you are trying to impress you want to introduce yourself in a crisp manner with your title included. Even more important than answering questions about yourself, you need to have some questions prepared to fill any space in the conversation.

For personal reasons, the steps are practically the same but you may want to be less stern. Eye contact should be steady and softer, not a respectful stare but more of an inquiry.

Hand shakes should definitely not be limp but instead just matching.

Good luck in all your approaching endeavors and always remember to convey the confidence that the specific situation calls for.

Gentlemen’s Tip of the Week: On the first date, always offer to pay. Don’t argue about it or insist more than a reasonable amount, but no one likes it when it is assumed that they are paying for their own.

Cheers, gentlemen.

PAGE 10

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

DOWNTIME 27

Tuesday

SGA Spring Elections vote.uncc.edu

8:00am - All Day

Changing the Game with Issa Rae Student Union Movie Theater 7:00pm

28

Wednesday

29

Thursday

CAB Unplugged: Augustine

Academic Search: The Dark Side

12:00pm

12:30pm - 1:30pm

Cone University Center After Hours

UNC Charlotte Dance Ensemble Spring Concert Robinson Hall Belk Theater

8:00pm - $6 Student

Cone Bldg.

Rm 268

SGA Spring Elections Results Announcement Student Union Rotunda

12:30pm - 1:30pm

30

Friday

Part 2: Conducting the Internal Audit Engagement UNC Charlotte Center City 8:30am - 4:30pm

Air Band Pre-Show Cook Out Student Activities Center Plaza

31

Saturday

Uwharrie National Forest Backpacking Meet at Cone Center 12:00am

Late Night Game Night Norm’s

7:00pm

1

Sunday

UNC Charlotte Dance Ensemble Spring Concert Robinson Hall Belk Theater

2:00am - $6 Student

Wrestle Mania XXVIII Norm’s

7:00pm - Free

5:00pm

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT NINERONLINE.COM

NINERONLINE.COM

SPORTS

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

PAGE 11

Charlotte drops third straight threegame series 2-1 Travis Durkee

TCDURKEE@UNCC.EDU

Game 1: Charlotte (12-12 overall; 1-2 A-10) fell to the Rhode Island Rams (9-12 overall; 2-1 A-10) 5-2 in the opening game of a three-game series Friday, March 23 at Bill Beck field in Rhode Island.

Andrew Smith took the mound for the Niners and kept the Rams’ bats at bay until the third inning. In the third the Rams managed four runs on five hits. Only one of those runs was earned however.

“I thought Smith battled and did the best he could,” said head coach Loren Hibbs after the game. “We kind of let that one inning get out of hand.”

Neither team produced any offense until the seventh when Charlotte’s freshman second baseman Derek Gallello singled and moved to third on a ground rule double to right field by Justin Seager. An RBI groundout by Miguel Rodriquez plated Gallello and a sacrifice fly by Justin Roland scored Seager. The Charlotte run would stall as the Niners left eight runners on base throughout the remainder of the game.

Smith struck out seven and gave up seven hits in the contest on his way to his third loss of the year to drop to 3-3.

Tony Montalbano led the Niners with two hits.

“I’m disappointed in how our older guys

Niners won the second game in Rhode Island 6-3. Photo by Chris Crews played,” Hibbs said. “We did not have good performances from our older guys today.”

Game 2: The Niners leveled the weekend series with 6-3 win Saturday afternoon in Rhode Island. Joe Yermal threw six innings to earn his fourth win of the season and the Niners first conference win of 2012.

Despite have two outs in the first inning the Niners managed to put two runs on the board. Corbin Shive plated Tony Montalbano with a single for the Charlotte’s second

run of the game.

“We jumped out early there offensively,” said Hibbs. “We had a good plan and were a lot more aggressive in the box.”

The Rams scored one run in the bottom of the frame to cut the lead in half but the Niners charged back with two more runs in the third. Montalbano and Shive both reached on walks and later came across the dish thanks to an RBI single by Gallello and an RBI groundout by Seager.

Shive scored his second run of the day after doubling to left and driven in on a single by Roland to stretch the lead to 5-1.

John Hamilton came on with two outs in the eighth inning and finished the game to clinch the 6-3 victory and earn the save for the Niners.

“Overall this was a really good effort,” Hibbs said. “Wins are hard to come by on the road especially in conference play.”

Game 3: Charlotte baseball dropped their third straight three-game series on Sunday as they dropped a 5-1 contest to the Rhode Island Rams. The Niners fell to 1212 on the year and 1-2 on Atlantic 10 play.

Shive scored Charlotte’s only run in the fifth inning when he singled to lead off the frame, stole second, moved to third on a Seager single and crossed the plate on a wild pitch.

Rhode Island scored two runs in the second, one in the fourth and two more in the second. The Niners had only six hits in the game.

Chad Rothlin took the loss and fell to 1-2 on the season.

“We knew Rhode Island was going to come out and compete and they played better than we did,” a frustrated Hibbs said following the game. “They played faster.

They were quicker with their action. They played better than we did.”

PAGE 12

NINERTIMES

TUESDAY, MARCH 27, 2012

Briscoe transferring from Charlotte Travis Durkee

TCDURKEE@UNCC.EDU

All is not well in Halton Arena. On Thursday, March 22, Charlotte Athletics announced that junior guard for the Charlotte 49ers basketball team Jamar “Deuce” Briscoe plans to transfer from Charlotte.

According to the Charlotte Athletics website head coach Alan Major said, “We appreciate his contribution to the program.

We wish him the best in the future.”

If this was the only quote that a Charlotte fan read they would be led to believe that Briscoe decided to leave the program on his own terms. However in an article by the Charlotte Observer’s David Scott, Briscoe’s mother, Trinita Ricks, was quoted as saying, “[Briscoe] was told by the coaches that they couldn’t make him happy.” That quote makes it seem as if Briscoe was invol-

Brisco shoots a pair of free throws against untarily released from the 49ers program.

Xavier.

Chris Crews This Photo storybyevokes a lot of concern for

those that follow the 49ers basketball program. It’s no secret that the basketball program has had its fair share of adversity during Major’s two short years at Charlotte.

The dismissal of Shamari Spears from last year’s team garnered the most attention because of Spears’s open disapproval of the new coaching staff.

Briscoe, like Spears, came to Charlotte to play for former head coach Bobby Lutz who is currently an assistant coach at N.C. State University.

Major is known for being a coach that values discipline and has displayed his values through several different suspensions over the course of his two seasons. All but one of those suspensions has been a player recruited by Lutz. Briscoe however, was never one of those players.

Briscoe always seemed to be happy with his role for Charlotte. Despite losing his starting point guard to freshman Pierria Henry, Briscoe finished the season as the starting shooting guard for Major and the Niners.

During the 2010-11 campaign, Briscoe averaged 12.5 points per game for the Niners and started 28 of the 29 games he played. Those numbers dropped to 7.3 points per game and 11 starts in 30 games in Briscoe’s junior season in 2011-12.

This release serves as an indication that there may be some unrest among the veteran players for the 49ers and the coaching staff. Although Briscoe played out of place and saw his role diminish, it’s hard to believe that Major would release him from the team and sacrifice the veteran leadership that Briscoe could offer.

It could be that Briscoe was truly unhappy. Briscoe, who scored 535 points as a freshman at North Carolina Central University, scored only 581 points in his two years in a Charlotte uniform. Briscoe may have expected to be a featured scorer for the Niners, but his lack of size (5-10, 165

SPORTS SCHEDULE

Tuesday Women’s Tennis vs. Davidson 3 p.m.

Wednesday Softball vs. NC State 2 p.m.

Softball vs. NC State 7 p.m.

Jamar Brisco with Alan Major after 1,000 career points as a Niner. Photo by Chris Crews lbs.) made it hard for him to find scoring opportunities as a shooting guard. From all reports and indications though, Briscoe was more than content as a 49er.

Charlotte fans need to know if this was a decision made by Briscoe or the coaching staff.

If Briscoe asked for a release to pursue other opportunities than fans have to wonder if others on the team are unhappy with their role and will follow suit. If the staff simply cut Briscoe from the team then fans have to wonder if there was more to it than wanting Briscoe to be happy somewhere else. Regardless, the athletic department being so tight-lipped is only causing more confusion and questions. Briscoe’s mother should not be where questions go to be answered.

Friday Softball @ Fordham 3 p.m.

Baseball @ Xavier 3 p.m.

Men’s Tennis vs. Fordham (@ GW) TBA Track & Field @ Raleigh Relays TBA