Niner Times: November 5, 2013 by Niner Times

Sixteen page game preview for the final home Charlotte 49ers football game against the Wesley College Wolverines on Nov. 9. Inside this issue!

Police chief receives national honor UNC Charlotte’s Chief of Police received the national Campus Saftey Director of the Year distinction.

p. 4

back, now ccer team has bounced so n’s me s er 49 te lot ar The Ch USA Championship p. 9 ce en er nf Co e th o int it hoping to make What will you do with your pomegranate for National Pomegranate Month? p. 16

A PRODUCT OF STUDENT NINER MEDIA • THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE • VOL. 26, ISSUE 11 NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013 NINERONLINE.COM

NOV. 5 - NOV. 11, 2013

NINERTIMES

NOV. 5 - NOV. 11, 2013

Volume 26, Number 11 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

INSIDE

THIS ISS

CHIEF JEFFREY BAKER RECEIVES NATIONAL HONOR

MANAGING EDITOR

EDEN CREAMER

PATRICK BOGANS

EDITOR@NINERONLINE.COM

MANAGING@NINERONLINE.COM

NEWS EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

CLAIRE DODD

LIBBY WEIHSMANN

NEWS@NINERONLINE.COM

SPORTS@NINERONLINE.COM

A&E EDITOR

LIFESTYLE EDITOR

LIZ LANIER

MICHELLE LIRINGIS

me page ga 9 Sixteen the Nov. r fo w ie prev 49ers e tt o rl a Ch Wesley ainst the game ag Wolverines e g Colle

AE@NINERONLINE.COM

LIFESTYLE@NINERONLINE.COM

MEAL TAX REFORM AL MAISTO PROFILE

OPINION EDITOR

COPY EDITOR

JORDAN SNYDER

ASHLEY SPEECE

MEN’S SOCCER UPDATE

OPINION@NINERONLINE.COM

COPY@NINERONLINE.COM

PHOTO COORDINATOR

CHRIS CREWS

PHOTO@NINERONLINE.COM

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL RECAP

ASSISTANT EDITORS Sara Carson, Matt Chapman, Ariel Clayborn, Amanda Duke, Leanna Pough

ADDITIONAL STAFF

INSIDE ‘THE RICH’

Angela Alimi, Louis Bernasconi, Jon Gregory, Chester Griffin, Abby Hardin, Stephany McMillan

OP-ED: LESSONS TO LEARN FROM ARTISTS

NEWSROOM: 704.687.7150

MEDIA MARKETING MARKETING DIRECTOR

CREATIVE DIRECTOR

MKTDIRECTOR@UNCC.EDU

PRODUCTION@UNCC.EDU

EMMANUEL LOREDO

OP-ED: NOOTROPICS

NIKI PRESTEL

CIRCULATION MANAGER

PRODUCTION ASSISTANT

PATRICK WISNIEWSKI

GISELLE HERNANDEZ

POMEGRANATE USES

CIRCULATION STAFF Josh Laton, Sara Nauman & Timothy Starnes

REDUCE STRESS, WORRY LESS

MARKETING STAFF Louis Bernasconi, Sandy Granadino, Sara Karimipour, Lexy Price, Nathan Propst, Jeremiah Powell & Dylan Robison

SALES OFFICE: 704.687.7144

ASK ABBY Q&A WITH JAKE MILLER ADAM DEVINE

DAIKAIJU REVIEW

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THE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHARLOTTE NINER MEDIA ADVISER: WAYNE MAIKRANZ BUSINESS MANAGER: LAURIE CUDDY

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GRAPHICS & PRODUCTION: PETE HURDLE

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COVER PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS • INSIDE PHOTO BY CHRIS CREWS

NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013

Chief Baker receives national honor After 33 years in law enforcement, Baker adds another accomplishment onto the list, Campus Safety Magazine’s Director of the Year SARA CARSON

ASST. NEWS EDITOR In just two short years, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s Chief of Police Jeff Baker has transformed his police force into a wellrespected, ever-efficient department. “Because of his enthusiastic participation in campus life and hard work, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte Police Chief Jeff Baker has been able to garner support for the expansion of his agency’s jurisdiction, as well as acquire more resources, decrease crime, develop community and administration buy-in, and adopt innovative Clery compliance practices in only two years. All of this and more is why Baker has been named this year’s Director of the Year,” states Campus Magazine. Low morale, high officer turnover rate and little respect from the community have stigmatized the UNC Charlotte Police Department in the past. However since Baker began as the chief of police, he has improved and added many aspects such as technology, staffing and visibility to his policing force to remove these stigmas. Baker has encouraged the visibility and outreach of the department through implementing the Community Oriented Policing (COP) plan. A full-time position was created within the COP to engage students throughout campus as well as spread the department’s message of reporting suspicious activity and being safe on campus. In addition to creating the COP, Baker has successfully lobbied for other types of officers like a Clery compliance officer, added more patrols on

FILE PHOTO

bike and foot, purchased all-terrain vehicles so the team will be able to access and patrol all parts of campus, and has expanded the department’s criminal investigation team, in turn solving a large number of cases. Along with these new additions, Baker and his team have begun using CompStat, an accountability process first started by NYPD, to monitor crime trends. They have also adopted student conduct software which alerts the dean, residence life, the police department, and others with a description of any situation involving student misconduct. Through the relationships he developed in his days with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg NOV. 5 - NOV. 11, 2013

Police department, Baker was also able to gain extended jurisdiction that includes the majority of surrounding apartment complexes. This has nearly doubled the area of which UNC Charlotte officers were previously allowed to patrol. Thanks to his long-time relationships, Baker also made it available for the police department to take part in CMPD university division’s quarterly leadership meetings. The UNC Charlotte PD is also now notified or called to help by CMPD any time there is an incident involving a 49er. Baker added a Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team to his force in 2011 in response to nationwide college shootings.

NINERTIMES

UNC Charlotte is now the first UNC system school to have adopted a SWAT team. The implementation of the team has caused a bit of controversy in the community. “You have to make sure you can meet any threat. We all know there are lots of assault rifles out there, and people say we shouldn’t have them. I think that’s crazy. Why would anyone say that police should only carry revolvers while society should have assault rifles?” Baker stated in the Campus Magazine. In addition to creating teams and improving aspects of his force, Baker serves with the safety and security committee, behavioral intervention team and weekly housing, police and student conduct committee. In the past, internal discipline and complaints from citizens were not dealt with in a proper manner. To fix this, Baker created an internal affairs division to ensure that his officers are following the department’s mission, directives and values. To review issues involving accusations of employee misconduct, Baker developed a chain of command review board within the internal affairs division. Baker’s accomplishments as chief of police for the UNC Charlotte police department are endless, but he couldn’t have achieved them without the steps he took and the decisions he made in the past. Prior to the launch of his policing career in 1980, Baker had never given a second thought to becoming a police officer someday. It all started his senior year of high school when he was applying for college. Baker had every intention to attend Ithaca State College. That is, until he found out how much it would cost him. “When I saw how much it was projected I would have to borrow to go to college, I said there’s no way I’m gonna do that! And it was only like $2,500 to get my whole degree. I thought that was a fortune back then,” said Baker. As he was contemplating what to do once he discovered the costly price of an education, his future revealed itself in the most unlikely place. “I was at a little pizza place after

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a football game one night and there was a Marine recruiter and he talked to all of us and said, ‘You know, if you join the Marines and you’re in for four years, you can go to college for free,’” shared Baker. He was also told that there was an ASFAB test he could take upon entering the Marines. With a certain score on the test, he could qualify for an additional $5,000 bonus. “So now he’s really piqued my interest, and I’m thinking, ‘Well I bet I’d do pretty good on that test!’” said Baker. He proceeded to sign up for the Marines and took the test. Baker’s score qualified for the bonus. In order to receive the bonus, he had to sign up for four years. And that’s exactly what Baker did. After traveling the world on different ships, he was deployed with the Marines, but Baker wasn’t quite sure what he wanted to do once his four years were up. In the same fashion as before, he was introduced to a recruiter from the Charlotte Police Department. They sat down and talked about what it was like to be a Charlotte police officer. Soon after, Baker was working his first policing job. “There was always the question ‘Do I want to earn my degree and then go back into the Marine Core as a commissioned officer?’ But once I became a cop, that was it. I was sold. I loved it,” said Baker. Throughout his career, Baker has been a detective, involved in criminal intelligence, a part of SWAT, a sergeant, and the director of the police academy. It was while working at the police academy that Baker announced his retirement. Baker was a hire-back the minute he retired and he later got a job at UNC Charlotte as the Deputy Chief. Once the chief of that time left the department, Baker became the interim chief at UNC Charlotte. He then went on to compete in a nationwide search to fill the position of the chief of police for the 49ers. Baker was chosen out of the many applicants and became UNC Charlotte’s newest police chief. For any further information on Chief Jeff Baker’s award, contact campussafetymagazine@bobit.com.

Meal plan taxes increase for spring 2014 semester North Carolina Legislature raises tax reform, affecting student meal plans by 8.25 percent STEPHANY MCMILLAN STAFF WRITER

Regarding students, meal plans and dining will result in an additional 8.25 percent to existing university rates. Students can look forward to this change beginning in the spring 2014 semester. Recently, the North Carolina legislature reached a consensus to repeal tax exemption on dining and meal plans. The N.C. Tax Reform Bill is an effort to modernize North Carolina’s tax law. With this bill various families, amusements, small businesses and universities statewide will be significantly affected. Business Officer Becky Warren, would like students to know the tax reform bill is not just for UNC Charlotte but that all universities are affected. Auxiliary and Dining Services are working to the best of their ability for a smooth transition in the spring. “The bill was passed by a legislature and not much has changed to the bill since then,” says Warren. Governor Pat McCrory and lawmakers plan for this tax reform bill to be in effect starting Jan. 1, 2014. In the future they plan to push the tax reform movement further. But, at this point the sales tax rate has not increased across the board. It simply has changed what specific sales taxes will be

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applied to. For example, movie tickets in recent years have always had a lower tax rate than groceries and packaged food. With the new tax reform bill movie tickets will now be taxed at the full sale tax rate. Dining halls such as Crown Commons and RDH, Prospector and the Cone Center serve thousands of UNC Charlotte students each day. The majority of these students are classified as freshman and sophomores that live on campus, with a slim percentage of juniors, seniors and commuters. Therefore, having a meal plan is convenient when wanting to grab a bite to eat before or between classes. Many of these students have one of nine meal plans. These include the traditional plans, block meal plans, all declining balance meal plans, and an optional dining account plan. Whether you’re a commuter or on-campus living student you most likely have some sort of a meal plan. Students will be affected in their choice of meal plan in correlation to their appropriate personal budget. During the upcoming spring semester it is presumed that many will change from their normal choice of meal plan.

Maisto makes impact, receives Alumni Distinguished Professor Award CLAIRE DODD NEWS EDITOR

Dr. Albert Maisto has experienced an overwhelming number of compelling moments in his lifetime. Maisto was first hired as a research psychologist and faculty member at UNC Charlotte when Bonnie E. Cone was chancellor. In fact, he received the Bonnie E. Cone Distinguished Professorship for Teaching award in 1996.

Photo courtesy of Al Maisto

Maisto’s list of awards is endless, and he feels incredibly grateful for each one. When he received the Bank of America award in 1984, Maisto, “Felt very proud of that because that was 30 years ago. I was one of the youngest teachers to win that award. I was extraordinarily proud because to me, there was nothing more to a professor than receiving

that.” In 1997, Maisto received the U.S. Professor of the Year award, which currently hangs in his office. Fifty to 54 professors were selected in the nation, with about one from each state. From there, the U.S. Professor of the Year is chosen. Then the runner-up is awarded the title State Professor of the Year. “I got a call from the chancellor on a Sunday morning. He said, ‘You’re going to Washington D.C. You’ve won the U.S. Professor of the Year Award.’ It was very special because it was a nomination by my students from the university,” said Maisto. “I felt very gratified. Till this day, I have my students’ paintings and artwork. I mean I’ve had very incredible students. Today, they’re surgeons, attorneys and all kinds of things, and I still write them,” said Maisto. In addition, Maisto is the associate dean of the Honors College, was awarded the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, and has won more Bank of America awards in addition to the one he received in ‘84. Maisto joined Charles Morris to write a psychology textbook called “Understanding Psychology.” The first edition of the book sold 175,000 copies. “It’s in multiple languages,” said Maisto. “It’s sold in Brazil, South Africa, it’s got a special edition for India. It’s one of the largest selling textbooks worldwide.” Today, it has had 3-4 million copies sold nationwide. Maisto is quite grateful for how this textbook has impacted his life.

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NINERTIMES

Over the past three and a half decades, I have enjoyed being a part of [UNC Charlotte’s] transformation into a fully developed research university. -Al Maisto

“It’s what has enabled me to travel, and do the other things I like and be what I want to be at the university,” said Maisto. “I think it’s important that all professors, in addition to being teachers, are scholars. Now many do it in different ways and with me, it’s my textbook,” said Maisto. As a teacher, Maisto has seen an overarching change in the types of students he has had. In his opinion, students of this generation are more different and unique. “I think students on average are really different, and they’re misunderstood. And it makes people think that they’re bad students, but I just think they’re really different,” said Maisto. In his free time, Maisto sails and travels, which he absolutely loves. “I sail the Caribbean a lot, my wife and I charter sail boats. We’ll take friends, sometimes it’s just the two of us, sometimes it’s us and our now adult children, and we’ll live aboard and just cruise around the Caribbean,” said Maisto. “I feel very fortunate.” This summer Maisto skipped out on sailing and instead, traveled to China and Tibet. “That was really extraordinary,” commented Maisto. “My wife and I spent three weeks in China and Tibet. It’s one of those opportunities to see a whole different world. China is very different than us, but Tibet is very different than us,” said Maisto as he went on to describe his experience in Tibet’s isolation. “I fell in love with the Tibetan

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people. Such cool people! So nice! And their ways of life I found so interesting,” said Maisto. He recalled one experience he had with a man in Tibet, an experience that set his perspective a little different. “I remember one was explaining to us their experience with the yak. It provided their source of everything, its bones, its fur, its meat. [The Tibetan people] are largely Buddhist, therefore all life is sacred. He asked me, ‘How can you kill a yak? We value all life as sacred. All living things have the same right to life. We do not take the death of a yak lightly. Instead, we see it as it is better to kill one yak and feed it to so many people, provide so much prosperity, than to step on one bug because that one bug’s life is as important as the yak’s.’” Maisto responded, “And you think about how many bugs we kill in one day! Seeing those kinds of differences or being on the island in the Caribbean where some people live so isolated yet they live in a state of happiness, that’s nice.” Maisto’s most recent award was given to him on Saturday, Nov. 2, the Alumni Distinguished Faculty Award. “Over the past three and a half decades, I have enjoyed being part of [UNC Charlotte’s] transformation into a fully developed research university, with a national reputation, yet still retaining its focus on high quality undergraduate education,” said Maisto. NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013

THE FLU TABOO

POLICE BLOTTER OCT. 29 - NOV. 3

As flu season arrives, students question the vaccine and its effects

ACCIDENT OCT. 29

ANGELA ALIMI INTERN

It’s that time of year, Niner Nation. The cool weather is entering, trees are blowing up with fiery colors, and the dreadful influenza virus is starting to travel around campus. UNC Charlotte students, however, seem to have mixed feelings about the vaccine. Students have said that they don’t need to receive the flu shot because they are “immune” to the flu. Others complain about their fear of needles and the pain that comes after getting a shot. “Well for one thing, I dislike needles. But I mainly skip out on flu shots because I would rather depend on my own body to fight off disease. Flu shots also cause the strains of the flu to become more and more resistant to drugs. Every year the shot has to change to adapt to the immunity that the flu strains develop on their own,” said junior John Mayhew. Freshmen Victor Benitez-Delgado reported that he doesn’t mind the shot. He already got the shot because it was free and he had free time to visit the Health Center. “They did a good job on me,” said Delgado. The Student Health Center has persuaded students and faculty to receive the vaccine by holding on-campus flu shot clinics. One was

TUESDAY NOV. 5

@UNCCWeather FOLLOW FOR FORECASTS AND WARNINGS

62°F

Partly sunny. Low of 36°

scheduled on Oct. 31 but the next clinic will be on Nov. 13 in the Cone Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The clinics are held with the help of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina (BCBSNC) and Maxim Health Systems. According to a UNC Charlotte article that contains information about the clinics, “Employees and their family members who are not covered by the State Health Plan or BCBSNC can obtain a flu shot from Maxim Healthcare for $30.” The site stated information concerning the flu shot. “Seasonal vaccine protects against the influenza virus which is a contagious respiratory infection. This vaccine should be received annually.” If you are allergic to the agents that the shot contains, you can protect yourself in other ways. Hand sanitizer is one way to lower harmful germs that spread. The Student Health Center is located on campus and is giving out vaccines. For information relating to the influenza vaccine, visit the BCBSNC Web site at www.bcbsnc.com/flu or Maxim’s flu Web site at http://www. findaflushot.com/news.php.

WEDNESDAY NOV. 6

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Partly sunny with a chance of rain. Low of 43°

purchase on his debit card.

NOV. 3

• Alumni Way, an individual observed vehicle one hit vehicle two. • Van Landingham Road, vehicle one struck vehicle two.

• Alumni Way, officer responded to a call regarding a subject communicating threats.

• Darryl McCall Circle, driver of vehicle one struck vehicle two while backing out of a parking space.

• Robert D. Snyder Road, an unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

NOV. 1

BREAKING AND ENTERING OCT. 29

• Robert D. Snyder Road, while patrolling, an officer observed a suspicious person near the construction site. The subject fled the scene and was later apprehended and placed under arrest for breaking and entering.

CALLS FOR SERVICE OCT. 30

• JW Clay Blvd., officer responded to a call regarding smoke from a UNC Charlotte patrol vehicle.

OCT. 31

• Cameron Blvd., subject reported an unauthorized

THURSDAY NOV. 7

67°F

Chance of rain. Low of 54°

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LARCENY OCT. 31

NOV. 1

• Rebecca Bailey Drive, suspect was served with four outstanding warrants and was in possession of stolen goods.

NOV. 2

• Craver Road, unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

NOV. 3

• Craver Road, unknown subject removed property that was left unattended and unsecured.

VANDALISM OCT. 29

• Alumni Way, officer responded to a call regarding damage to property. For more information on Mecklenburg County arrests, visit arrestinquiryweb.co.mecklenburg.nc.us

FRIDAY NOV. 8

63°F

Partly sunny. Low of 41°

NINERTIMES

THEY’RE BACK After a rough start to the season, the Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team has bounced back, now hoping to make it into the Conference USA Championship

The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team celebrates after a goal against Kentucky. Photo by Chris Crews

MATT CHAPMAN

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The Charlotte 49ers men’s soccer team appears to have finally pieced everything together and are now playing like the top 25 team that everyone had pegged them as before the season began. The 49ers entered the season ranked No. 18 in the preseason poll and had high expectations of a tournament run in their first season

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as a member of Conference USA (C-USA). Charlotte struggled early on in the season largely due to inefficient play on the offensive side of the ball. The 49ers easily created multiple opportunities but just couldn’t seem to put the ball in the back of the net when given the chance. Midway through the season, a

team that had aspirations of an NCAA Tournament appearance was on the verge of not even qualifying for the C-USA Tournament scheduled to be played at Transamerica Field, home of the 49ers. The top seven C-USA teams at the end of the season earn a berth in the conference tournament with

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the No. 1 overall seed getting a first round bye. After five games of conference play, Charlotte found themselves in a tie for that coveted seventh spot with a dismal record of 0-3-2 and in serious danger of their season coming to an early end. The frustration was beginning to become evident in 49ers Head Coach

Kevin Langan and a few of the older guys on the team who aren’t used to losing, both having appeared in back-to-back NCAA Tournaments. “Our players have to step up now,” said Langan after a devastating loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks late in September. “It’s a wonderful environment we’ve provided for them. They’ve got all the latest equipment and all these wonderful coaches around them. I’m throwing it all back on the players now. They’ve got to get the job done.” Junior forward Giuseppe Gentile echoed the sentiments of Langan and placed all of the blame for the 49ers offensive woes squarely on his own shoulders. “We haven’t been finishing our shots and I haven’t been executing and I put that on my cap,” said Gentile in early October. “I need to train harder for that last touch and focus more on

finishing my shots when I get the opportunity.” The tides slowly began to turn for the 49ers on Oct. 20 when they picked up that elusive first conference victory over the Kentucky Wildcats. A stroke of luck may have been what saved the season for Charlotte when Wildcats defender Jaytoe Teh deflected a 49ers cross into his own goal to secure a 1-0 Charlotte victory. The 49ers have now rattled off four consecutive victories, including a big 3-1 non-conference win over a Clemson Tigers team that was ranked No. 14 at the time. Charlotte followed that win with two huge conference triumphs. The 49ers traveled to Florida Atlantic and delivered a 6-0 drubbing of the Owls for their second conference victory before returning home and picking up a 3-0 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd on senior

Freshman Brandt Bronico and Hans Honer celebrate after Honer’s first career goal for the Charlotte 49ers in a match against Marshall. Photo by Chris Crews

night this past Saturday evening. The 49ers have found their rhythm offensively during their current winning streak as they’ve outscored their opponents by a combined score of 14-1 over the last four contests. Sophomore forward Kyle Parker has settled into his role in the starting lineup as he leads all 49ers with nine goals on the season. Five of Parker’s nine goals have come during this current string of Charlotte victories. “I always tell my teammates before the game to get me the ball in the box and I’ll do my best to finish from there,” said Parker after delivering two goals in the upset win over Clemson. Charlotte has now improved their conference record to 3-3-2 and they’re currently in sole possession of fifth place with one game remaining before tournament play. The 49ers are one point behind the Gamecocks for fourth place and just two points behind the UAB Blazers for third overall in the conference. Coach Langan is confident as his team nears postseason play due to the valuable experience of the team’s seniors. “I don’t think you will find a more experienced group of seniors anywhere in the country. The seniors combined have played over 430 matches,” said Langan following the 49ers senior night victory. The 49ers will conclude the season when they travel to Miami, Fla. to face the Florida International Panthers on Friday, Nov. 8. The Panthers will surely be playing with a sense of urgency when they battle the 49ers. They currently find themselves on the outside looking in as they sit in eighth place in the conference just one point behind both Kentucky and Tulsa. The C-USA Tournament will begin on Wednesday, Nov. 13 with three first round games at Transamerica Field. The semifinal games will take place on Friday, Nov. 15 and the championship game will be played on Sunday, Nov. 17. The championship contest will begin at 1:30 p.m. and will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network.

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Wednesday, Nov. 6 Women’s Soccer

C-USA Tournament Away vs. Marshall/Rice

Friday, Nov. 8 Women’s Basketball Home vs. Liberty 5 p.m.

Men’s Basketball Home vs. ETSU 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Soccer Away vs. FIU 7 p.m.

Saturday, Nov. 9 Football

Home vs. Wesley College 12 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 10 Women’s Basketball Away vs. Kansas State 1:30 p.m.

Volleyball

Away vs. ECU 2 p.m.

NINERTIMES

C-USA STANDINGS All standings are current as of Monday, Nov. 4 and the records are reflective of conference play, not overall.

WOMEN’S SOCCER East Division (W-L-T) Charlotte (5-3-2) East Carolina (5-4-1) FIU (5-5-0) UAB (4-4-2) Marshall (4-4-2) FAU (3-4-3) Middle Tenn. (3-5-2) Old Dominion (1-7-2) West Division (W-L-T) Colorado Co. (8-1-1) North Texas (6-3-1) UTEP (5-3-2) Rice (5-4-1) Tulsa (4-3-3) UTSA (4-4-2) Louisiana Tech (4-6-0) Southern Miss (1-7-2)

MEN’S SOCCER Team (W-L-T) New Mexico (6-1-1) Old Dominion (6-2-0) South Carolina (4-1-3) UAB (4-3-1) Charlotte (3-3-2) Tulsa (3-3-2) Kentucky (3-3-2) FIU (2-5-1) FAU (1-6-1) Marshall (0-5-3)

VOLLEYBALL Team (W-L) Tulsa (10-0) UTSA (10-1) Tulane (8-2) North Texas (7-4) Marshall (7-4) Middle Tenn. (6-4) UTEP (6-5) UAB (5-5) Rice (5-6) Southern Miss (4-6) FIU (4-7) East Carolina (3-8) FAU (2-8) Louisiana Tech (1-9) Charlotte (1-10)

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49ers women’s basketball impress in exhibition game against Johnson C. Smith MATT CHAPMAN

ASST. SPORTS EDITOR The Charlotte 49ers women’s basketball team put on a clinic in a 98-46 thrashing of the Johnson C. Smith Golden Bulls on Saturday afternoon at Halton Arena in an exhibition contest. The 49ers looked sharp on the defensive side of the ball while forcing 27 Golden Bulls turnovers and deflecting over 40 pass attempts. The 49ers opened the game on a 13-0 run through the first six minutes of play, fueled by stifling full-court defense and impressive play from a couple of youngsters still getting used to playing on the college level. Charlotte’s defense forced 18 Johnson C. Smith turnovers throughout the first 20 minutes of action. The Golden Bulls scored just 17 points in the first half on 27.8 percent shooting from the field. The 49ers entered the locker room with a commanding 50-17 lead at halftime. Sophomore forward Kira Gordon paced the 49ers offensively in the first half. Gordon finished the first 20 minutes with a team-high 11 points to go along with seven boards.

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Charlotte kept their foot on the gas pedal early in the second half and jumped out to a 49-point lead at 72-23 with 13:35 remaining in the game. 49ers Head Coach Cara Consuegra emptied her bench midway through the second half, giving some of her younger players some valuable time on the court as Charlotte coasted to an easy 52-point victory. “I think this was a good first game for us. There were a lot of positives and that’s what I told the team in the locker room,” said Consuegra postgame. “Obviously we played a lot of people and dispersed our minutes pretty evenly, which was our game plan coming in. We wanted to see different combinations and start to figure out our rotation this year.” Gordon spent the majority of the second half on the bench for Charlotte given the size of the lead but still finished with a team-high 15 points to go along with her eight rebounds in just 25 minutes of action.

Read more at NinerOnline.com

49ers running back Kalif Phillips set a new rushing record in a single game when he recorded 132 rushing yards in Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina. He also scored one touchdown during the game. 49ers men’s soccer freshman Hans Horner recorded his first career goal during Saturday’s night shutout against Marshall.

49ers women’s basketball junior Olivia Rankin recorded a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds in Saturday’s exhibition against Johnson C. Smith. The 49ers volleyball team recorded their first conference win of the season when they defeated UTEP 3-1 on Sunday. They are now 1-10 in Conference USA play. Five 49ers men’s basketball players scored in double digits on Saturday during an exhibition game against Wingate. Pierria Henry led the way for the team with 18 points.

NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013

INSIDE “THE RICH” The home for Charlotte 49ers football has acquired a nickname

Jerry Richardson Stadium at the inaugural Spring Game. Photo by Chris Crews

LIBBY WEIHSMANN SPORTS EDITOR

Walking past the tall black gates that surround the perimeter of McColl Richardson Field, the newly poured concrete looks almost as if it were poured yesterday, though it’s been months. The shining sun beams down on the silver aluminum stadium bleachers so bright it’s impossible to stare at them long. You can see the American flag flapping against the flagpole that lifts it high into the cool morning air. You can hear the stadium concessions workers going over directions for the long day ahead of them while folding individual Papa John’s pizza boxes to prepare for the large number of pizzas they plan to sell.

WCCB-TV workers set up cameras and discuss their roles for the day in order to make the live broadcast better than the prior week’s. A few facilities’ employees are walking the green Astroturf to make sure every white line and every number is flawless, though the field has already been painted. You can hear music, though it’s hard to make out what’s playing from such a far distance. Tailgaters blare music through portable speakers while drinking beers and setting up painted Charlotte 49ers corn hole boards. It is 10 a.m. and hardly anyone is on the field yet. No one is in the stands. Though there are more than 200 people already inside the stadium that seats 15,314 NOV. 5 - NOV. 11, 2013

screaming 49ers fans, it feels empty. It’s peaceful. It’s almost unbelievable. It’s the calm before the storm. It’s game day at UNC Charlotte. McColl-Richardson Field at Jerry Richardson Stadium, home to the first-ever Charlotte 49ers football team, might sound like just another college football stadium on just another college campus. After all, it’s rare for a public university not to have one. Jerry Richardson Stadium is unlike any other college football stadium. The newness of the stadium stands out to everyone. The concrete is white, the bleachers unscratched, the bricks almost new as if they

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had just been laid. Glancing at the field, your eyes can’t help but be drawn up to the 70-by-30-foot video scoreboard above the Judy W. Rose Football Center in the south end zone. The field house was named after Rose, the Charlotte 49ers athletic director, the woman who pioneered and fought for UNC Charlotte to have a football program. By 10:15 a.m., students have lined up outside of the student entrance to ensure that they grab the best seat in the house when the gates open. They’re impatient and eager to get past security to get the best seats. By 10:30 a.m., the students are running across the concourse, down the stairs and into the first few rows of bleachers in the student section. Most are wearing some sort of Charlotte 49ers apparel. Others sport green and white painted chests. They don’t care if they have to wait. They want the best seat in the house. Arguably, there is no bad seat in “The Rich,” the stadium’s nickname. It’s 11 a.m. and the Charlotte 49ers football team has taken the field to warm up. Their green jerseys and white pants look pristine against the green turf. The stands have become even more filled with fans from far and wide to come witness a part of history. Sitting in the state of the art press box that spans from one 35yard line to the other, the external noises are muffled, but not silenced. Despite the windows blocking out the sound, the infamous Uh-Huh Guy can be heard, though no one can quite spot him in the stands. As fans continue to stream into the stadium, the music playing from the loudspeakers becomes less distinguishable as the athletes from both teams warm up. It’s 11:45 a.m. and the stadium is almost completely full. Both teams are back in the locker rooms preparing to take the field. There are just a few rows of bleachers in the stadium yet to be filled, probably from tailgaters finishing their last beers before coming inside.

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The canons go off; the fireworks fly into the sky and the 49ers team rushes out of the field house. Fans jump to their feet as they cheer the team on. The fans are loud. The first half of the game is full of chants, cheers and every once in a while, a little silence. By halftime, the stadium looks slightly empty, but that’s because most fans have headed to the concourse to grab a bite to eat or stretch their legs. Some fans walk around with their yellow Bojangles’ boxes and others with drinks the size of their heads. The lines to the concession stands are wrapped around the side of the press box. It’s loud from all of the moving noise and fans walking around the concourse. It’s 2 p.m. and the second half of the game is underway. The student section appears to have lost some fans during halftime, though there are still many hanging on the concrete wall cheering on their 49ers. When the Charlotte team runs out of the tunnel from the locker room after halftime, the crowd rises to their feet and gets loud despite the missing fans. By 4 p.m., the game is over and the stands have cleared out completely. It went from a standing room only crowd of 16,630 people, capacity inside “The Rich,” to just employees and media in less than half an hour. From inside the stadium, you can see tailgaters cleaning up their tailgates while others enjoy another beverage waiting for the traffic to clear out. You can even hear music blaring from some of the remaining tailgaters. Clean-up crews have already begun their tedious job of picking up the stadium and transforming it back into the clean, new stadium it was only hours earlier. Hardly anyone is on the field. No one but a few members of the cleaning crew are in the stands. There are no more than 200 people inside the stadium. It feels empty again. It’s peaceful. It’s almost unbelievable. It’s the calm after the storm. It still is game day at UNC Charlotte.

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ARIEL CLAYBORN

ASST. OPINION EDITOR Whether in elementary school, middle school or high school, most students have taken at least one arts-related course during these chapters in life. Picasso once said that all children are born artists – the problem is how to remain an artist when they grow up. As college students, we are no longer forced to take electives in the arts, but you don’t have to be an expert on Shakespeare, first chair in an orchestra or a famous painter to realize that there is something more to the arts that students of all disciplines can learn from:

A little constructive criticism never hurts Spoiler alert: no matter what you do or who you are, you will be critiqued throughout your entire life. The earlier you learn constructive criticism, the better you will become at applying problem-solving skills to real-world issues. “Criticism” is a word that some embrace and some fear. Some individuals may feel like they are being attacked when being criticized, but constructive criticism is nothing to fear. Know the difference between someone who is giving you constructive criticism and a complainer who is just producing hot air. Able communicators of constructive criticism will provide you with both pros and cons. They will not only tell you what could be improved upon, but also how you could fix it. Constructive criticism helps you grow, learn to fix the problem and move on to the next one.

There is beauty in everything “The devil is in the details,” and art is all about detail. The sum of its parts is greater than the whole. Creative types will make you perceive something in a way that you had never perceived it before. Vincent van Gogh’s “Starry Night” transformed a plain view outside of a sanitarium into one of the most recognized art pieces in the world. The things in life that we often overlook are the things that can potentially change your life forever. Art teaches us to slow down and smell the roses. Everything is temporary and always changing. Life can be difficult at times – full of uncertainties and monstrosities – but life is also full of great things. Capture the moment, live in it and remember through your darkest times that there is still beauty all around you.

If at first you don’t succeed, try again Don’t be discouraged if you don’t get it right the first time. Life is all about trial and error. Artists don’t dwell on their mistakes – they either work over it or create another piece. You don’t have to be an artist to experience what failure feels like, but in the words of Thomas Edison, “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

Don’t stop believing Since elementary school until I enrolled in college, I had a strong background in art education. You could always tell who was a visual arts student in my high school because we carried our sketchbooks everywhere. We would sketch in

EDITORIAL POLICY Niner Times is written and produced by students at UNC Charlotte. All unsigned editorials are the expressed opinion of the editorial board and do not represent the views of the University. Views expressed in signed editorials are solely those of the author. Niner Times is published on Tuesdays during the regular academic year except during holidays and exam periods.

There is no wrong way to express yourself Both artists and non-artists are always concerned with getting things just right; however, if you focus on perfection, you will never be satisfied. Many artists experienced dissatisfaction with their pieces, even though they eventually became icons long after their deaths. There will always be something you could have added, removed or replaced to improve your work. The most important thing is to express yourself in your work. You may compare your techniques to someone else, but try not to compare your styles. Every individual’s style is unique. They might be close, but they will never be identical. Never live life as a carbon copy.

class and out of class. It seemed as though we never stopped sketching. I remember how my sketchbook used to brim with smudged pages, rough outlines and hastily written notes from a critique. Like a sketchbook, keep your life full and always brimming with ideas. Never

GIVE US SOME FEEDBACK Niner Times welcomes letters. Feedback should be under 200 words, legibly written or typed and should include the author’s signature, year in school, major and telephone number. Faculty and staff should include title and department. Unsigned, anonymous letters will not be printed. All letters are subject to editing for space and style.

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stop improving or setting goals for yourself. Don’t think that the way you are now is the best that you will ever be. It is true that you may never achieve every big dream you have, but that does not make your time any less valuable. Believe in yourself, and the rest will follow. SUBMIT LETTERS TO:

NINER TIMES Student Union, Charlotte, N.C. 28223 OR E-MAIL:

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NOOTROPICS DRUGS THAT WILL ENHANCE YOUR BRAIN LOUIS BERNASCONI INTERN

The appeal of a drug that promises effortless and unprecedented brainpower is universal. A drug that could lift the brain fog we didn’t even know we had, turn us into efficiency machines and eliminate sleep, depression and anxiety. We all have working memory, attention spans, moods, creativity and reasoning that could use improving. Since binge eating all the leftover Halloween candy didn’t solve anything, I had to look elsewhere. I found the solution; it’s not just one drug, but an entire class of them. I keep hearing how Adderall is this supposed super drug, but a double-blind cross-over placebo-controlled study done by researchers at the University of Pennsylvania earlier this year showed that Adderall only has powerful subjective effects and actually impairs already high-performing individuals. In my experience, the dilated pupils and incessant sweating didn’t feel like much of an advantage. This go-to study drug for college students now sounds rather useless. Although it does guarantee a clean room at the cost of what you were actually supposed to do. It turns out that this class of drugs that enhances mental function has few side effects. They have been shown to improve all areas of cognition. They are known as “nootropics,” and they work in one of three ways: by altering the availability of the brain’s supply of neurochemicals, by improving the brain’s oxygen supply or by stimulating nerve growth. Originally, in order to be considered nootropic, a compound would need to enhance learning and memo-

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ry, enhance learned behaviors under conditions that are known to disrupt them, protect the brain from physical or chemical injury, enhance the tonic cortical or subcortical control mechanisms, and exhibit few side effects and extremely low toxicity, while lacking the pharmacology of typical psychotropic drugs. In other words, they won’t leave you in a fetal position in the corner of your kitchen, hallucinating the highlights of your life and scratching your neck, wondering where your next fix is coming from. Nootropics has gradually expanded to either be synonymous with cognitive enhancers or refer to the subset of non-stimulant cognitive enhancing compounds with few side effects and low toxicity. Nootropics are by definition cognitive enhancers, but a cognitive enhancer is not necessarily a nootropic. Students are familiar with a white crystalline xanthine alkaloid and central nervous system stimulant – caffeine. The powerful productivity enhancer is not a nootropic because it can cause intoxication. Restlessness, fidgeting, anxiety, excitement, insomnia, flushing of the face, increased urination, gastrointestinal disturbance, muscle twitching, rambling flow of thought and speech, irritability, irregular or rapid heart beat and psychomotor agitation are all brought to you by your study buddy caffeine. Between 80 and 100 cups of coffee can even cause death. That is some serious studying. Then there are the withdrawal-induced headaches, irritability, inability to concentrate, drowsiness, insomnia and pain in

the stomach, upper body and joints. It is interesting to note that the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders categorizes caffeine withdrawal as a mental disorder. Yikes. Many of these compounds are found in the foods we eat everyday. Grapefruit contains a flavanone glycoside called naringin, which inhibits some drug-metabolizing enzymes and extends the effects of caffeine. Meat contains a nootropic and so does tea. L-theanine is a nootropic that has been shown to mitigate the negative aspects of caffeine, such as anxiety, increased blood pressure and diminished sleep quality, while improving upon the positive aspects. It’s ability to enhance attention beyond that of caffeine alone has been repeatedly verified. It is actually one of the main psychoactive compounds found in tea. There is a nootropic that is well known to the body building community. Known as “creatine,” it is the named after the Greek word for meat. Creatine is nitrogenous organic acid that occurs naturally in vertebrates. It helps to provide energy to all cells in the body, primarily muscle. The brain is an energy hog that accounts for about two percent of our body mass but uses 20 percent of our energy. Creatine acts as an energy buffer in the brain. It is converted into high-energy phosphocreatine in the body, which helps to create the adenosine-triphosphate (ATP) to transport chemical energy within cells for metabolism. During times of activation, the brain rapidly drains phosphocreatine to keep ATP levels

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constant. Oral supplementation of creatine has been shown to increase brain creatine levels between 3.5 and 13.3 percent, with the average being about 8 percent. This additional buffer of energy may enhance performance on demanding tasks related to IQ. Studies show that it improves the ability to reason, reduce fatigue and increase muscle mass when taken with exercise. Of course, the hole goes much deeper. Modafinil is a medication prescribed to narcoleptics and shift workers to induce wakefulness and help forgo sleep. It has proven to eliminate the effects of short-term sleep deprivation in addition to improving memory and executive functions. It is being studied by the military to help sleep deprived soldiers. There’s also bacopa monnieri for long-term memory, rhodiola rosea for anti-fatigue and L-DOPA for vivid dreams. Cognitive enhancement is an area of science practiced with the objective of altering your brain’s neurochemistry. Only you are responsible for your actions, therefore, you are fully expected to research and read into this topic yourself and be prudent before you start mixing and matching drugs like they’re jelly beans. Creating accounts on the Web sites Quantified Mind or Cambridge Brain Sciences will help in tracking your cognitive function over time, but remember, no nootropic is a substitute for a good night’s sleep, a healthy and active lifestyle and learning to motivate yourself.

POMEGRANATE FUN FACTS

Pomegranates symbolize fertility

You can store pomegranates in the fridge for up to two months

Pomegranate seeds are called “arils”

POMEGRANATE DRINKS Add pomegranates to seltzer, champagne, water and ginger ale for a fruity twist. When making ice cubes, add a few pomegranate seeds to your ice tray to add some color and flavor to your water. Try a blueberry pomegranate fruit smoothie. Brew one cup boiling water and four blueberry pomegranate tea bags for five minutes. Blend tea mix with two tablespoons of sugar, one cup of frozen strawberries and two cups frozen vanilla yogurt.

Pomegranates were brought to America by Spanish Conquistadors

Pomegranates are called the “Jewels of Autumn”

Mix together one-fourth cup sugar, two teaspoons of almond oil, one teaspoon grated orange peel, a dash of honey and a handful of pomegranate seeds to make a scrub for soft skin. Use this in the shower to exfoliate your skin and feel rejuvenated.

POMEGRANATE LIP STAIN A combination of pomegranate seeds and an edible oil, such as olive oil, makes a bold lip stain. Simply put the pomegranate seeds in a bowl and juice them with a spoon. Pour half a teaspoon of olive oil into the bowl and stir.

Pomegranates make henna a bold, red color and is easy to make. All it takes is vinegar, pomegranate juice and annato, a naturally intense dye. This henna can also be used for dying hair a bright orange color.

POMEGRANATE AND SUGAR BODY SCRUB

POMEGRANATE HENNA

POMEGRANATE EATS

Pomegranates are considered a “superfood”

The fruit Eve ate in the Garden of Eden is believed to be a pomegranate

MICHELLE LIRINGIS LIFESTYLE EDITOR

Pomegranates are also known as Chinese apples

November is National Pomegranate Month. The so called “superfood” has numerous uses from beauty products to delicious recipes.

Pomegranates are in season until February Photo by Patrick Bogans

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Pomegranates are a delicious addition to many of your favorite dishes. Use pomegranate seeds on a peanut butter sandwich or make jelly for pastries. They are also great salad toppers to add your daily dose of antioxidants. Switch out the normal cheesecake toppings, strawberries and cherries, for delicious pomegranate seeds. The juice can be used for dressing on a salad. Try adding the juice to melted white chocolate to make chocolate covered pretzels stand out.

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REDUCE STRESS, WORRY LESS

With only three and a half weeks left in the semester, finals are quickly approaching, and the stress is building. Try these tips and tricks to beat the stress before it becomes overwhelming. MICHELLE LIRINGIS LIFESTYLE EDITOR

With the end of the semester approaching, the assignments and responsibilities are piling up. Students are more and more stressed out. Most of the time, students reach for Internet outlets such as Buzzfeed, Tumblr, Reddit, Netflix and various social media sites to give them a break and a distraction from homework. However, with most assignments being completed either online or at least on the computer, staring at a screen for even more time does not give the brain the break that it needs. When work gets overwhelming, try stepping away from the screen and giving yourself some true R&R. The most important part of all of these tips is to make sure you get up from your desk or workspace to do them. GET OUTSIDE Whether it’s a day trip to Crowder’s Mountain State Park or a walk around campus or on the greenway, getting outside for a little bit does wonders for focus and concentration. Simply changing up your scenery can help you refocus and accomplish tasks quicker. Get more active by going for a run or a bike ride. The temperatures are cooling down, but that does not mean staying inside. READ SOMETHING This may sound like the last thing you want to do if you are overwhelmed with school work, but sitting down with a magazine or book that is not for school can really help.

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Reading can provide an escape from everything going on. Buy the newest issue of your favorite magazine or pick up a book that you have been meaning to read for a while and spend 30 minutes flipping through it. You will come back to your assignments with a refreshed mind. CLEAN UP YOUR WORKSPACE Few things are more stressful than a messy workspace. When switching from assignment to assignment, it is easy to leave out the materials from one task on the desk or table. Instead, put away the supplies that are not needed for what you are currently working on. The space will feel less overwhelming and it will be easier to focus on what needs to be done in that moment. When things are left out, it is easier to get distracted by the last stats problem you didn’t finish or the last paragraph of a paper that needs touching up. Focus on one task at a time, and things will get done faster.

back to your assignments all the more easily. DO YOGA Yoga is a great way to relax and stretch out your sore muscles from sitting at a desk all day. The YOGAmazing video podcast (available for free on iTunes or YouTube) has a variety of videos you can do from anywhere. They range from short “coffee break” yoga sessions to much longer

HAVE A NICE MEAL Nourishing your body with healthy and delicious food can help you feel overall rejuvenated and happier. Instead of ordering pizza and shoving the entire pie down your throat while you rush through an assignment, take the time to cook or go to a sit-down restaurant with some friends –then talk about anything but school or other stressors. Taking some time to spend with the people you care about and eating some brain food will make coming NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013

sessions. Each session targets an area of the body such as neck, shoulders, back, legs or anything else that may be ailing you. You can also choose yoga for cold and flu season or yoga for anxiety or stress. Work and school can be stressful, but it is important not to neglect yourself in the process of getting things done.

BYOB November’s book is Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling Tweet us @niner_times or email lifestyle@nineronline.com to tell us your thoughts about the book

Check back at the end of the month for a review

Roommates got you down?

Ask Abby answers two questions about difficult roommates and how to deal. Q: How do I confront my roommate who has poor personal hygiene habits? It has been a month, and she still has yet to do laundry, and it is stinking our room up. I don’t want to be rude, but I need to approach her about it. A: It can be quite frustrating to realize you and your roommate have different habits. Since you do, though, you’re right to think you will need to talk with her about your different expectations. Start by acknowledging that this is her space too, and ask her if she would like to set up some mutual rules together. For example, she might be willing to keep her laundry pile to a minimum if you agree to be in charge of the dusting. Separating the cleaning tasks may help to motivate her to help you get things accomplished. Try making a chart that lists what needs to be done in the room each week. Another option? Offer to take her quarters and laundry down to the laundry room the next time you go. Your kind approach will remind her why she wants to be a good roommate. Beyond that, all you can control is your own behavior. Just do your best to keep the room clean. Realize that you as the clean person will have to do most of the cleaning around the room if you want to keep it to your specific standards. You should be able to keep the stink away with some air deodorizer and you will be doing your part to keep yourself healthy and sane.

Q: My friend and roommate, who I thought was totally awesome last year, is a real bummer this year. It’s like she doesn’t want to be my friend. What do I do? A: First, give your friend the benefit of the doubt. Is she maybe going through a tough semester, or having problems with her significant other? Remember – even our closest friends don’t always share everything. Your job as a friend is to show kindness and support, even if she’s no longer your goto wingwoman for parties. Ask her if she’d like to go out with you to do something a little bit more low-key. If she’s not up for that, see if she’d be interested in movie and popcorn night in your dorm. Let her know she’s always invited to come out with you, and if all else fails, drop the subject. That she doesn’t behave the way you want her to isn’t necessarily within your control. You may need to rekindle your friendship with a healthy dose of listening and care before you can return to your old ways. Abby Hardin is a UNC Charlotte Ph.D student in Clinical Health Psychology and an instructor. She also works as a mental health counselor at a local CMC clinic. If you’d like your question answered in a future edition of Ask Abby, email askabby@nineronline. com. Remember, no question is too big or too small.

HAVE A QUESTION FOR ABBY? EMAIL IT TO ASKABBY@NINERONLINE.COM

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Q&A

WHAT WOULD BE SOME OF YOUR ADVICE TO NEWCOMERS WHO WANT TO BE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

with

JAKE MILLER Artist Jake Miller performs a mixture of hip hop and pop. Photo courtesy of Press Here Publicity

CHESTER GRIFFIN STAFF WRITER

It was ninth grade when Jake Miller began writing songs in high school. It was upon hearing the feedback from his fellow peers, that he eventually starting posting videos on YouTube. It didn’t take long before he caught the eye of some music executives and landed his first live performance opening for Snoop Dogg. The amount of fan mail he received for his music is what eventually led him to write one of his biggest singles, “A Million Lives.” With the success of his EP “The Road Less Traveled” and his continually growing fan base, MTV has already declared that Miller is “about to blow up.” Miller is currently on his second tour to promote his upcoming album, “Us Against Them” that releases on Nov. 5. He will be performing at the Fillmore on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

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WHAT MAKES YOUR MUSIC INSPIRATIONAL? I always put as much inspiration and meaning into every song that I do. I think it’s really important to not just have really catchy songs, but to take a step further and try to inspire and motivate people. It’s about sending a positive message.

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My advice to most artists if they ask is to put up as much stuff online as possible. With the click of a button you can upload a video and share it with the world. Put as many videos out there as possible because you never really know who’s going to see it. If you don’t have access to a computer, I would just say to still write and make music. Do the same thing without using YouTube. Get in front of as many people as possible and perform at schools, on your street, on the corner or anywhere. Just get out there, do what you love and hopefully somebody will see it.

WHAT WAS IT LIKE OPENING FOR YOUR IDOL, MACK MILLER? He was kind of the reason for me rapping in the first place; so opening for him on stage was amazing. I got to know him a few more times after that. At this point he knows who I am and we tweet each other every now and then. It’s weird at one point to have an idol and then all of a sudden you consider him competition. It’s strange how the tables have turned.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST HEADLINE TOUR LIKE? The first headline tour started at the beginning of the year and it ended in May. It was something I had never been used to before because I had never really performed outside of my hometown. At the beginning there were smaller shows because I wasn’t that big back then. The buzz hadn’t really grown at that point. Throughout the tour, the word had gotten bigger and bigger and the shows had gotten bigger and better. It was the greatest experience of my life and now we are on our second headline tour and it’s twice as long.

WHICH OF YOUR SONGS DO YOU BELIEVE IS THE MOST MEANINGFUL?

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR ULTIMATE GOAL WORKING IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY?

The first one that comes to mind is “A Million Lives” because that’s the one that I’ve gotten the most feedback on. I’ve also written a song called “Steven,” which is about a guy who’s going through all this stuff in his life, no one really knows it and he ends up committing suicide. It’s like a bully awareness song, because you never really know what someone else is really going through. You never know if they’re on their last straw. It’s a very heartfelt song and it’s definitely one of my fan favorites. Helping prevent suicide is what the purpose of the song is.

I don’t really have a goal. I’m trying to put out as much good music as possible and spread the positivity to as many people as I can. My goals aren’t really materialistic as far as how many records I want to sell or what awards I want to win. It’s more if I can change people’s lives, then that’s the biggest accomplishment I can have.

Catch Jake Miller at the Fillmore on Tuesday, Nov. 12

DID YOU EVER EXPECT YOUR MUSIC CAREER TO BLOW UP SO BIG? No, absolutely not. Back then I was just doing it as a hobby like everybody else. I was putting my stuff on YouTube and trying to see what kind of reactions I would get. I didn’t really have a strategy or a game plan; I was just trying to see where it would take me.

66 Homer Simpson outbursts 67 Home run gait 68 More than rotund DOWN 1 Ice cream holder 2 Length times width 3 Kitten calls 4 Updates a wiki page, say 5 Org. that issues about 5.5 million new numbers annually 6 Zesty Twirls maker 7 Graceland’s st. 8 Informal “Likewise” 9 Cloak-and-dagger type 10 Honduras neighbor 11 “Kindly stay on the line” 12 In a bit, old-style 13 Golf bunker filler 18 Epoxy, e.g. 22 Hog home 24 “What happened next?” 26 Stanley Cup org. 27 Chinese counters 28 Sick kid’s TLC giver ACROSS 37 “Alas!” 29 Southern Florida coastal 1 Sleeps out under the 38 At full speed resort city stars 39 Basic biological molecule 31 Sound in “cube” but not 6 NYC gambling out- 40 Skier’s spot “cub” lets closed in 2010 41 Food __: listlessness after 32 Like electric guitars 10 Transcript figs. a large meal 33 West Yorkshire’s largest 14 Cookies in some pie 42 Cranberry source city crusts 43 Lost color 35 Dorothy portrayer in the 15 Gather in a field 44 “My goose is cooked!” film “The Wiz” 16 Latin for “elbow” 48 Cavity filler’s deg. 39 Sassafras soda 17 Reuters or 49 Not skilled in 40 Drove too fast Bloomberg 50 Lends a hand 42 Push-up top 19 Geological age 52 Boldly states 45 QB scores 20 Los Angeles-to-San 54 Hay holder 46 Wager over darts, e.g. Bernardino direction 56 County of the Blarney 47 Former “The View” co-host 21 Sausage unit Stone Lisa 22 Produce seller’s 60 Parting word with an air 51 Cancel at NASA kiosk kiss, perhaps 52 Served to perfection? 23 Macho man 61 Aromatic plot, and where 53 Ristorante glassful 25 Chips in a chip to find three different plants 55 River of Pisa 27 Top USN rank hidden in 17-, 30- and 57 Comics dog 30 Nutritionist’s rec- 44-Across 58 Cherry and ruby ommendation 63 SASEs, e.g. 59 “Oh! Susanna” joint 34 Wedding party 64 Dancer Kelly 61 Alt. 36 Popeye’s Olive 65 Tour leader 62 In the past

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ADAM DEVINE GIVES UPAND-COMING COMEDIANS A SHOT AT TELEVISION

NINER TIMES COMIC STRIP OF THE WEEK

CHESTER GRIFFIN STAFF WRITER

After three successful seasons of “Workaholics,” Adam Devine has released a new show called “Adam Devine’s House Party.” In this show, Devine has created a unique dynamic between stand-up and sketch comedy. “It’s kind of a hard show to explain when you’re trying to tell people what it’s like because there’s really nothing like it,” Devine says. “It’s sort of a sitcom, sort of a stand-up show and sort of reality.” In “Adam Devine’s House Party,” viewers will find out what exactly happens when Devine gets an enormous budget and an L.A. mansion. Viewers will also get to see the performances of upand-coming comedians that Devine personally chose for the show. In “Adam Devine’s House Party,” Devine play a fictional version of himself that is smarter than the Adam Demamp character he portrays on “Workaholics.” Whereas he feels that Demamp is full speed ahead all the time, Devine says the fictional portrayal of himself is only 75 percent of that. Being no stranger to house parties, Devine said beer pong is one of his favorite drinking games. “I was never any good, but that was better because that meant I got to drink more beer. I was always kind of a little bummed when I would win at beer pong because then they got to drink the beer I poured into my cup,” say Devine. When talking more about “Adam Devine’s House Party,” Devine stated he wanted to make a show “where you can to get to know the comedians outside of just their performance.” “I wanted to give my buddies and people I thought were funny, an opportunity to be seen by more people in a different light than just a stand-up comedian,” says Devine Part of what really makes the show stand out is how it brings more attention to lesser known, but very funny comedians and gives them a shot at showing off their acting and stand-up skills on television. “I really wanted to get people who could act and be funny off screen as opposed to someone who is only funny when they’re telling jokes in front of a microphone,” says Devine. Over the course of his efforts on “Workaholics” and “Adam Devine’s House Party,” Devine has built a very strong partnership with Comedy Central. “They’ve been nothing but really cool from the start, even before Workaholics. They gave me my first shot do-

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ing stand-up on TV with ‘Live at Gotham.’ With season one of ‘Workaholics,’ we were totally unknown; we were just kids from the Internet. They really left us alone and just said write what you think is the funniest,” says Devine. So naturally when it came to pitching the idea of “Adam Devine’s House Party,” things went expectantly smoothly. “I came in, pitched them the idea in the room and they were like ‘yeah let’s do it.’ They let me cast all the comics and they had some suggestions too. Luckily they have pretty good taste,” says Devine. When working on the production, there was a short window of time to film it in. “We did all the stand-up stuff at night and then we did a lot of the house stuff during the day because we have to fit it all in that space of time,” says Devine Unlike “Workaholics,” “Adam Devine’s House Party” was easier production wise for the fact that I didn’t have to write 22 minutes of story. I only had to write like seven minutes of scripted stuff and the stand-up took up the larger portion,” says Devine. While the production was comparatively easier than “Workaholics,” “The only tricky part was we tried to get some bands, but they were a little flaky. We tried to get cool music for the show, but that was difficult because we didn’t have a big budget,” says Devine. Viewers looking for a show that offers a unique take on stand-up and sketch comedy should check out “Adam Devine’s House Party” on Thursday nights at 12:30 a.m.

“The Mustards” is a new, regular comic from graduate student Ryan Nooe. Are you a UNC Charlotte student interested in showing off your artisitic ability? Contact AE@nineronline.com

Adam Devine. Photo courtesy of Comedy Central Press Room.

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DAIKAIJU KEEPS CHARLOTTE WEIRD

Photo courtesy of The Temp Agency

JON GREGORY INTERN

Daikaiju is one of the best live bands I’ve ever seen, but it’s hard to quantify what exactly makes them stand out. Their albums paint them as a modest surf rock group that take a few cues from early Japanese pop culture. “Daikaiju” pays homage the giant monsters of classic Japanese films and their song titles are littered with references to the era. The surf rock stylings of their studio work evokes a similar throwback feel, but in person they’re a completely different kind of monster. When they took the stage at a small venue north of downtown Charlotte on Oct. 27, any confusion over what Daikaiju really is melted away. A gritty punk guitar tone and fast tempo quickly replaced the laid back sound of their albums. Any restraint associated with the kabuki masks they wear was done away

with. Daikaiju immediately struck me as the type of band that would be right at home playing to thousands of people. If given the props and scale of bands like Iron Maiden or KISS, I have no doubt that they’d do something outstanding. They aren’t the type of band that needs any of that though. They’re probably better without it, because stripping away all of the frills let them focus on their strengths. The low stage at The Milestone let them play to the crowd better than any band I’ve ever come across. Daikaiju’s pair of guitarists spent most of their time mixing it up with their audience off and on the stage. They got in people’s faces, bumped them around, and in the process made a tiny crowd active. The most interesting moment of the night, however, came when

they decided the stage was entirely unnecessary. A few songs into their set, Daikaiju came to the conclusion that it was time to move the concert into the rundown bar attached to The Milestone’s show floor. Without warning, the band grabbed up their gear and set up shop in a corner of the small space, encouraging everyone to pack in around them. What followed was like a scene out of a movie, complete with a crowd surfing band member, a solo on top of the bar from an opening act’s guitarist, and flaming cymbals. Their exit was just as crazy, with the band carefully burying a member of the crowd beneath their drum set and instruments before escaping back out to their van to change. I had a short conversation with a couple of the band members as

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they hawked their merchandise afterwards, but I realized something during the show that kept me from prying too deep. The beauty of Daikaiju’s live performance was the mystery. On a night when I watched a woman play a handsaw like a cello, it was Daikaiju’s ability to keep me guessing and engaged that was most interesting. I don’t want know why they chose to wear their masks, or take the influences that they did. They’re better as an oddity, an unexplained amalgamation of sights and sounds that exist in their own little bubble. While The Milestone isn’t exactly my scene, if Daikaiju decided to play there again I wouldn’t miss it for the world. They are simply that good at what they do, whatever crazy thing it happens to be at any given moment.

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NINER TIMES TV PICK OF THE WEEK THE MINDY PROJECT Realizing her pickiness won’t get her anywhere in her search for love, Mindy decides to go out with her complete opposite: a skater guy.

Tuesdays at 9:30 p.m. on FOX

SCANDAL Olivia must tread lightly in this week’s episode, as a crucial decision will affect her White House contacts. Lisa Kudrow guest stars.

Thursdays at 10 p.m. on ABC

GRIMM Horrific crime scenes lead to the rekindling of an age-old feud for Nick. Monroe and Rosalee talk about where their relationship is going.

Fridays at 9 p.m. on NBC

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NOV.5 - NOV. 11, 2013

NOV. 5 - NOV. 11, 2013

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