The University Times - February 18, 2010

8/14/2019 The University Times - February 18, 2010

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Natalie lavigNe Staff Writer [email protected]

The thought o raising moneyor Haiti has been a popular

notion. Un ortunately, not manycame to support Saturday nightsDance-a-thon to raise money togo to the American Red Cross.Held by UNC Charlotte StudentAlumni Ambassadors (SAA), they were about the only people whoattended at the dance. Facebookgroups and signs around campusdid not work as well as the SAAhad hoped.

It is Valentines Day weekend, and not a lot o peopleknew about it, said sophomoreLatarsha Jones, also part o theSAA.

Although not many peoplecame to the bene t, there weredonations made to the American

Niza Sulahry Staff Writer

[email protected]

Despite an increase o new

student organizations ueled bya growing student population,the Student GovernmentAssociation aces the di culttask o improving the quality o student li e, based on a budgetthat does not take these actorsinto account.

SGA receives requests romnumerous student organizations,

or occasions such as awarenessevents, con erences, weekendactivities, bands, and travelprograms that enhance studentli e at UNC Charlotte. However,they are operating on the samebudget as the 2008-2009 school

year due to a ailure to requestadditional unds or the 2009-2010 school year rom the StudentActivities Fees Commission(SAFC).

Recognizing the di cultiesacing student organizations,

the Student Senate attempted topass legislation in Nov., calling

or a reduction o the amounto unding or organizations

or the remainder o the schoolyear. Although this legislationreceived unanimous support, aveto returned the legislation backto Senate and ultimately ailed topass the second vote.

Looking back to undingissues rom the 2008-2009 schoolyear, SGA aced similar di lemmas.However, a monthly budget mayhave been the source o this. Theproblem o asking to en orce amonthly budget requires or SGAto overlook the variances thatspark a food o requests duringthe popular months o Oct. andFeb., while leaving dryer monthssuch as Nov. and Jan. with aminimal number o requests.So, i an organization requesteda grant or their distinguishedannual event which is held at thesame time as many other events, it would be less likely to obtain anapproval simply due to increaseddemand.

Due to the quota that helpedmask budget problems last year,SGA ound themselves withan excess o $30,000 whichcould have been used to nance

Red Cross by riends and amilyo members and around campus.It seems that there were

other dances this weekend thathad ree admission, one o the

ew possibilities or lack o attendance. The past weatherconditions did not shine througheither. With snow and ice, notmany people made it out this

weekend.For those who did not know,

Haiti was hit about a month ago bya massive earthquake. Thousandso Haitians are injured, dead ormissing. The act that the wholecity lay in ruins and shamblesshows us how much work ande ort is required to rebuild it.The SAA is attempting to helpthose a ected by the earthquakeeven though the quake did nota ect the United States directly.Development in Haiti willtake a long time to x and look

programs or those studentorganizations who had oundtheir grants denied simplybecause o bad timing.

So whats the solution? Manyactions can be taken to preventthis dilemma rom recurring.Right now, there is an $80,000reserve rom student ees whichmay be used, but many shy away

rom this prospect as it is usuallysaved or emergencies. Althoughapproximately $159,000 has beenallocated so ar this year, thereare many more organizationsthat cannot get vital unding,such as the annual Relay or Li eevent. Would this not count as anemergency?

Student ees are collected toenrich the lives o us as students,providing justi cation or many to

tap into this reserve und. SGA isalso working on a proposal whichprovides urther structure to theprocess o requesting grantsto ensure proper allocation o student ees, as well as a plan toimplement an automatic semesterbudget.

Recently, the Student Senatetook steps to obtain unding orstudent organizations or theremainder o the school year,signing a unanimous petitionrequesting $50,000 rom thestudent ees reserve. They wererewarded a total o $10,000 andpromised an additional $20,000on the basis that a monthly budget

will be created and implementedor more e cient allocation.

The Organizational Ways andMeans Committee is currentlyundertaking this task.

Although the universitymay have been able to avoidthis situation by planning oran increased budget rom lastyear, so ar the circumstances donot look hopeless. SGA seemsdetermined to turn this situationaround and provide our studentorganizations with the undingthey need to thrive.

I want to assure all themembers o student organizationsout there, as well as the studentson this campus, that the StudentSenate ghts daily or an increasein both this year and next yearsbudget, said Chairman o Organizational Ways and MeansCommittee, Christian Nuccio.

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The University of North Carolina at Charlotte www.nineronline.com THURS DAY February 18, 2010 Vol 22, No. 33

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somewhat normal.Here in Charlotte, thereare many options and endlessopportunities or education,

acilities, ood and water, along with other necessities. Thedevastation le t in Haiti leavestheir whole education system ablunder. Haiti still needs ourhelp.

Summer Poplin, a second yearstudent here at UNCC, claimedthat people care more when theyhave personal connections orrelatives that were in Haiti at thetime o the quake.

We want people to caremore, Poplin urged. Haiti hasnot ully recovered a ter onemonth. There are lots o thingsto be done or growth o the cityand its people. SAA did raisesome money or Red Cross, but what they are also trying to do israise awareness.

Students dance for Haiti

Photos/Arielle KinneyCharlotte students attend a dance-a-thon for Haitian relief.

SGA battlesunding issues

and budgetsthodeN JaNeS

McClatchy Newspapers

Brooklyn Decker spent thebest day o her career not in abikini, but in tears.

The Matthews, N.C., nativecried when she learned she wouldappear on the cover o the SportsIllustrated swimsuit issue. She

bawled when her mother andbrother, who secretly few in romCharlotte, N.C., showed up at aparty in Manhattan in her honor.

And she sobbed again 10 minuteslater when her dad arrived.I cried three t imes, she said.

It was a very good day.And things can only get

better or the 22-year-old blondmodel, who has appeared in the

issue ve straight years. A ter all,being on the cover o the swimsuitissue is, in essence, the modeling

worlds equivalent o winning an

Academy Award.Between the magazine,its Web o erings, and TVexposure, the swimsuit ranchisereaches one in three U.S. adults,according to SI estimates. Pastcover girls include Tyra Banks,talk show host and creator o The CW reality series AmericasNext Top Model; Heidi Klum,host o the Li etime TV realityseries Project Runway; andChristie Brinkley, whos beenspokeswoman or CoverGirl orlonger than Decker has beenalive.

Its a launching point orsomebody to really make a hugename or themselves, said DianeSmith, a senior editor at SportsIllustrated who has been incharge o the swimsuit edition

or 11 years. She is now going tobe a household name, no doubtabout it.

Added Decker, who Tuesdaya ternoon was No. 1 on Yahoo!sTrending Now list: Youhave the honor or a year _ itsnot something that shi ts everymonth. So its a very big deal.You look at the roster o girls

who have shot it, all these iconicmodels, to be joining their ranksis gonna be great or my career.

Oh, thats so herThe 2010 swimsuit issue,

which began arriving in storesTuesday, eatures Decker in a seto photos shot in the Maldives,a chain o islands in the IndianOcean. She can be seen wearingsix di erent bikinis but, notably,no wedding ring.

Dont get your hopes up,though, guys: I just didnt

want it to all in the ocean, sheexplained. In act, her husband _tennis star Andy Roddick _ wasthe ourth surprise guest at theparty on Monday. (My husbandand dad walk in with a platter o

ood, and theyre like, Anybodyneed any hors doeuvres?)

In the cover shot, the ButlerHigh grad is clad in a bright-yellow bikini bottom, with thematching top slung over hershoulder, her le t arm barelyconcealing her naked chest, anda smile fashing in the tropicalsunlight.

Beauti ul, gorgeous picture,

said her brother, Jordan, 20, wholives and works in Matthews, aCharlotte suburb. Its totally her,too. I just get that eeling when

I look at the pictures, like, Oh,thats so her.When asked i its weird or

him to see her ... like t hat, he says:Only when my good buddiescomment on the pictures _ but Igot used to that.

And what about Dad? Ohman, I know that Brook hasruined the swimsuit issue ormost o my riends, says StephenDecker. Its just di erent. Thereare certainly no manuals on howto react to t hat one.

Stephen Decker said he andhis wi e, Tessa, have a couple o chests containing thei r daughters work, and the stacks inside themare high: In addition to the

ve swimsuit issues, Brooklynhas appeared in advertisingcampaigns or Gap, VictoriasSecret, American Eagle andHollister, and has been eaturedin Glamour, Cosmopolitan, TeenVogue, FHM, Seventeen andGQ.

One o these days, when herkids are asking, I think well havetons o material, said StephenDecker, whos not a grandparentyet.

Decker said shes very muchlooking orward to getting backto North Carolina; she last visitedCharlotte at Christmas.

All my best riends are downthere, so when they ound out Ihad the cover, they said, Youhave to come home so we can allcelebrate here! Decker said. SoIm probably gonna go back in acouple o weeks or a weekend.

The announcement and thean are that goes along with it

is keeping her plenty busy. Her whirlwind Tuesday includedan appearance on The TodayShow, an interview on DavidLettermans show, a launch partyin New York, and a plane trip with the other models to LasVegas, where SI will host twomore launch parties over twonights.

Once the celebrating is over,she doesnt know what her nextstep will be.

Its crazy. This was (mydream), and I got it at 22 ... sonow Ive got to kind o reworkmy game plan.

Matthews native scores cover Bikini model Brooklyn Decker, who is rom the Charlotte ar graces the cover o Sports Illustrated Swim Suit Edition

MCT CampusBrookly Decker, wife of tennis star Andy Roddick, graced thecover of Sports Illustrated.

Georgia suffers the lossof Olympic luger, Nodar

Kumaritashvilipage 3

Leonardo DiCaprio starsin Martin Scorseses latest

thriller, Shutter Islandpage 5


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PAGE 2 February 18, 2010 THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

t. KeuNg hui McClatchy Newspapers

APEX, N.C. _ A middle-school teacher in Wake County,N.C., may be red a ter she andher riends made caustic remarkson a Facebook page abouther students, the South andChristianity.

Melissa Hussain, an eighth-grade science teacher at WestLake Middle School in Apex, was suspended with pay Friday while investigators review hercase, according to Greg Thomas,a Wake schools spokesman. Thesuspension came a ter some o Hussains students and theirparents objected to comments onher Facebook page, many o themrevolving around her interaction with her Christian students.

Hussain wrote on the social-networking site that it was a hatecrime that students anonymouslyle t a Bible on her desk, and shetold how she was able to shameher students over the incident.Her Facebook page includedcomments rom riends aboutignorant Southern rednecks,and one commenter suggestedHussain retaliate by bringing aDale Earnhardt Jr. poster to class with a swastika drawn on theNASCAR drivers orehead.

I dont de end what the kids were doing, said Murray Inman,a parent o one o Hussainsstudents. I just couldnt imaginean educator, or a group o educators, engaging in this kindo dialogue about kids.

Hussain did not return calls

and e-mail messages Monday.The Wake County district

doesnt have a policy on the use o social networking sites, Thomassaid. But the district, NorthCarolinas largest, does have acode o ethics or employeesthat the school spokesman saysapplies to social networking. Thecode says employees conductshould be such as to protectboth the persons integrity and/orreputation and that o the schoolsystem.

Teachers across the nationhave been suspended or redbecause o questionable materialposted on their Facebookpages and other online socialnetworking sites.

In 2008, seven employees o the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C.,school system were disciplinedand at least one person was redbecause o Facebook postings.That led to a memo going to allCharlotte-Mecklenburg schoolsta warning that o ensivepostings to social networkingsites are grounds or terminationor disciplinary action.

Thomas and Jenni er Lanane,president o the Wake Countychapter o the North CarolinaAssociation o Educators, saidshe wasnt aware o the details o the Hussain case, but said thatteachers need to be care ul aboutin ormation they put online.

We are public gures,Lanane said. We are held to ahigher standard.

In Hussains case, thecomments in question were onthe public side o her Facebook

Bridget laNdwehrmaNNNews Editor

[email protected]

Dale-Marie Wilson hasbeen presented with a BonnieCone Fellowship. Wilson is anassistant pro essor in the Collegeo Computing and In ormaticsat UNC Charlotte. Wilson, whois a part o the Department o Computer Science, collaborated with Sonya Hardin, an AssociatePro essor o Nursing, to developa virtual human.

Wilson, who is a native o Trinidad, received a Bachelor o Science degree rom New YorkUniversity and Master o Scienceand a Doctorate in Philosophydegrees rom Auburn University.

Wilson is currentlyresearching e ective computing,speech inter aces and virtualagents. At UNC Charlotte,she teaches Design andImplementation o ObjectOriented Systems, Introductionto Arti cial Intelligence, NaturalLanguage Systems and DatabaseSystems.

Wilson and Hardin work tocreate virtual humans to trainnursing students in cultural

competence. The goal is tohave each virtual human madeto represent a di erent socialgroup. The virtual humans

will have diversity in age, race,sex, economic backgroundand educational level. Wilsonand Hardin will make their

rst two virtual humans as

an elderly Hispanic maleand a young Indian emale.

We are now recognizingthat our user population is morediverse, said Wilson. The cityo Charlotte, or example, has avery high Hispanic immigrantpopulation. In attempting tobetter service our public, we seethat there are a lot o uniqueproblems that can arise. Thisresearch will alleviate many

o those problems. We wantto be able to educate nursesto be able to care or people

rom di erent cultures.In the uture, the team hopes

to create virtual humans withmental and physical handicaps.

The Bonnie Cone Fellowshipis named a ter Bonnie Cone

who worked to create UNCCharlotte as a university orhigher education or the city o Charlotte.

The ellowship will award$10,300 and is made possiblethrough the UNC CharlotteADVANCE, which supportsthe success o women acultymembers, especially those inscience, technology, engineeringand math. ADVANCE does this

through grants, a prestigiousspeakers series, mentoring andleadership development. TheNational Science Foundation

unds ADVANCE work.Last year, the College o Computing and In ormatics wasawarded research grants totaling$9.4 million.

In December alone, eightpro essors at UNC Charlotte were awarded with Bonnie ConeFellowships in their departmentsincluding bioin ormatics,engineering, chemistry, biologyand geography. Awards totaledover $50,000.

The Bonnie ConeFellowships play a critical role in

ul lling UNC Charlottes e ortsto recruit, retain and advance women aculty, particularlythose in STEM areas, said Dr.Yvette Huet, ADVANCE FacultyDirector on the ADVANCE website. Over the past ewyears, the ellowships havehelped numerous women urthertheir individual careers andinstitutional leadership. Wereexcited to add these womento the group o distinguishedrecipients.

Dale-Marie Wilson is awardedBonnie Cone Fellowship grant

page. She has since limited publicaccess.

Parents o children in herclass said they learned about thecomments last month, leadingthem to complain to the schoolthree weeks ago.

Parents said the situationescalated a ter a student put apostcard o Jesus on Hussainsdesk that the teacher threw in t hetrash. Parents also said Hussainsent to the o ce students who,during a lesson about evolution,asked about the role o God increation.

On her Facebook page,Hussain wrote about studentsspreading rumors that she wasa Jesus hater. She complained

about her students wearing JesusT-shirts and singing Jesus LovesMe. She objected to studentsreading the Bible instead o doingclass work.

But Annette Balint, whosedaughter is in Hussains class,said the students have the right to wear those shirts and sing JesusLoves Me, a long-time SundaySchool staple. She said thestudents were reading the Bibleduring ree time in class.

She doesnt have to be apro essing Christian to be in theclassroom, Balint said. But shecant go the other way and notallow God to be mentioned.

Hussain, a 2004 Florida StateUniversity graduate, has been aWake County teacher since 2006.Her religious a liation is not onher Facebook page.

The fash point or thecomments came a ter the Bible

Teacher may lose job a ter makingderogatory comments on Facebook

was le t on Hussains deskin December. The Bible wasaccompanied by an anonymouscard, which, according toHussain, said Merry Christmas with Christ underlined andbolded. She said there was no loveshown in giving her the Bible.

I cant believe the cruelty andignorance o people sometimes,Hussain wrote on her Facebookpage.

Hussain also said she wouldnt let the Bible incidentgo unpunished.

Her riends soon joined thediscussion about the situation.The one who suggested Hussainsgetting even by bringing theswastika-marred Earnhardt

poster to class said it would beteaching students a lesson.And without a job, Hussain

responded. But I like it!Hussains comments included

one where she complained thatshe hates parents who complainabout their childs rst B in middleschool. She said her husbandsuggested she start a blog basedon ridiculous students and theirparents.

Balint said it was clear to theclass that Hussain was talkingabout her daughter. I eelviolated that she would say thosethings, she said.

The length o the investigationis rustrating parents.

My biggest concern is whether the resentment betweenthe students and the teacher will continue or the rest o theschool year, said Robert Boretti,a parent.

aNNi SimPSoNCopy Editor [email protected]

The Athletics Departmentsponsored a blood drive throughthe Community Blood Centero the Carolinas (CMCC) lastTuesday between 10 a.m. and4 p.m in the Student ActivityCenter (SAC) ood court.The drive attempted to enticepotential donors with ree teeshirts, drinks and snacks. It

was the th year the AthleticsDepartment hosted the drive inhonor o Homecoming Week.

Appointments could be madein advance, but walk-ins were

welcome, too. At times, there wasno wait and those interested could

start the process immediately.Despite the ree snacks, however,the drive was not as success ulas hoped. By 3 p.m., only 58potential donors to tried to giveblood. We could have moredonors, said Sam Huecker, avolunteer with Athletics at thedrive. It is important to notethat the number o attempteddonors is not the same numbero success ul donors. Factorssuch as weight, health conditionsand simply nding a good veincan all impede someones abilityto give. Hope ul donors couldalso note donate i theyd givenin the previous 56 days. Donors

who attempted to give and couldnot or whatever reason were stillo ered a shirt and snacks.

The drive also implementedan increased weight minimumo 120 lbs. instead o the ormer110 lbs because o problems with

the a ter-a ects o donating inthe past. The new requirement went into e ect last summer.According to a representative o the Community Blood Center o the Carolinas, the new, increased weight requirement seemed tocurb the number o problemsreported with volunteers a terdonating. Despite the change,CBCC still only took one unit

rom donors.However, despite periods o

slowness, Huecker still notedareas o success in the drive.She believed the drive was muchmore organized than blooddrives in the past. (Past drives)took orever, she said, addingthat others would go over theexpected wait time and the

actual end time o the drive. Forathletes, donating had the addedbene t o counting towards theirli e skill requirement, accordingto Huecker. Besides giving blood,athletes can also volunteer andparticipate in community serviceprojects.

Charlotte student-athletes as well as the university as a wholerecognize the importance o giving back to our community,and this drive is always a highlighto our annual community servicee orts and we think an importantpart o the Homecoming Week

estivities, said Mark Verburg,Assistant ACC Director and Li eSkills Coordinator, according tothe 49er Athletics Website.

The blood drive was onlyone o many events held bythe Athletics Department orHomecoming Week, which takesplace through Feb. 20.

Athletics hostHomecomingblood drive

MCT CampusDonating one pint of blood to the American Red Cross savesthree lives.

In attempting t o better service our public, w e

see that t here are a lot of unique probl emsthat can arise. This research w ill alleviatemany of t hose problems. We want to be ableto educate nurses to be able to care fo r peo-ple from different cultures.

- Dale Marie Wilson


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THE UNIVERSITY TIMES February 18, 2010 PAGE 3

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view pointDana Nigro Editor-in-Chief

Bridget Landwehrmann News Editor Josh Carpenter Managing Editor

Jillian Mullen Viewpoint Editor Brian M. McCormick A&E Editor

Josh Carpenter Sports Editor Jessica Arenas Asst. A&E Editor

Rob McCormick Jr. Features Editor Shannon Morgan Photo Editor

Victoria Creasy Copy Editor Anni Simpson Asst. Copy Editor

queNtiN holNeSS Staff Writer [email protected]

Theres trouble in the windycityor at least, in the elevatedand underground subways. Masstransit is a large industry and isthe catalyst or the growth o many cities, though negativegrowth hinders that process.

Chicago, Illinois isexperiencing backlash andmay lead to lost jobs within theChicago transit authority. Asmany know, Charlotte has takenthe rst steps to build and runan expansive mass transit railsystem, but during such turbulenttimes, there is always a risk.With a large city such as Chicagoteetering nancially, it would be

no surprise i other cities suchas Atlanta, Philadelphia andLos Angeles ollow suit withtheir transit systems. Charlotte,however, is on another end o thespectrum.

Instead o trying to stayrunning, Charlotte is tryingto grow their system with thecurrent line serving mostly romsouth uptown to Trade Streetand Tryon Street. I runningcosts exceed the revenues likeChicagos system, Charlotte mayhave its system back-peddling.Though o course, CharlottesLynx rail system really isnt

Chicagos subway and elevatedtrain system yet. Metro railsystems are a great addition toany city, in that it provides atransportation service everyonecan and will want to use. Losingemployees cuts production,and lack o production causesdecreased revenue romconsumers. Metro rails becomea great convenience to have, evenin the Sunbelt cities where thecities are ar more spread outthan northern cities.

With Charlottes continuedaspiration and reality o growth,a decrease in production wouldslow that growth. With 700,000residents, a strong public transitsystem would help cut downon gas consumption, increasetourism in certain areas, makeparts o the city more accessibleand generate interest or travelers.Uptown Charlotte would be thebiggest gainer rom a transitsystem. Parking in uptown isnot un, and surely enough, itcan be a turn-o or the youngercrowd when it comes to li euptown. Bring in a good railwaysystem and you bring li e andvibrancy to your city, which alsobring tourism, which also bringsmoney.

Charlotte is an ever-growingcity, so it has to do something tohelp keep that growth alive.

Transit layo s will onlyhurt railway systems

tremaiNe tillmaN Staff Writer

[email protected]

The mega-company Google announced andlaunched its rendition o social networking onTuesday, Feb. 9, in the orm o Google Buzz.

Gmail users may have noticed the addition o the Buzz tab and its multi-colored bubble whileroutinely checking mail, but what about everyoneelse le t wondering what the buzz is all about.

Google Buzz allows users to e ortlesslyconnect and interact with what is around themthrough posting messages, photos, videos or links.I know what you are thinking; Oh un, anothersocial networking medium to consume more o myvaluable time, because, lets be honest, who has timeto keep up with them all? Although it is similarto other networking sites, Buzz has the ability tointegrate and connect with some o them, such asTwitter. Buzz Mobile, however, is where Googleplans to take the upper hand on its competition.

Google Buzz is taking advantage o this smartphone era and allowing users to stay connected while on the go. Mobile Buzz uses your smartphone and integrates with Google maps to putyour surrounding environment practically in yourpocket. So now, i you want to check out thatrestaurant that you have previously been unsure

about, you can see what others may have buzzedregarding the menu, the atmosphere or eventhe service. Or i you want to check out what ispopular and buzz-worthy in your immediate area,resort to mobile Buzz and get some insight to whatpeople are doing.

As o now, Android 2.0+ phones and ApplesiPhone ully support Google Buzz and all its

eatures. Blackberrys, the Nokia S90 and WindowsMobile phones all plan to acquire the Buzz soon.

However, like most things that are rushed intothe consumers hand, Google Buzz does have a fawin that privacy takes a backseat. By, de ault Buzzdiscloses a list o names o Gmail contacts that theuser requently emailed or chatted with, revealingpotentially sensitive in ormation or users whoare unaware o this eature. And although somemeasures have been taken to correct this, themobile version also has privacy issues. When a userposts anything rom their mobile phone, their exact

location is displayed along with the post; you cansee how this could be potentially compromising.All in all, Google Buzz, with its innovative

vision and unique integration capabilities, is agood alternative to other social networks or a niceaddition to the many you already have. But donttake my word or it; go see or yoursel what thebuzz is about.

Google Buzz is a use ul newsocial networking tool

Olympic lugers death causes major controversyeriN reeve

Downtime Editor [email protected]

Ninety miles per hour down atwisting hill, and thenits over. Just like that. Everything NodarKumaritashvili had workedand lived or was gone, in thetwist and a turn, into thin airand amidst the slope o a literalli etime. Vanished, gone, andreplayed on national television.But why? The luger was doing what he had loved, practiced and worked on or such a long time.His ending was not the mostglorious way to leave this world,but it should be respected andregarded equally.

Replaying it on television isnot the way to regard a deaththat occurred no matter howsuddenly. We have to think o the amilies and riends that aredeeply a ected by this gruesome

all. Nobody wants to witness

their child, cousin, aunt, grandchild, or best riend die rom anaccidental bloody slip-and-slide.At that, nobody wants to watch itagain, and again.

We should, also, havesome respect or the luger.Kumaritashvili had worked hardto be in the Olympics and had worked hard on that exact slope.He had strived to empowerhis legs and mind to gatherhimsel together to pull o thatdangerously intriguing hill. Still,the act is, he did not pull it o .By replaying his death, we maynot only be embarrassing hiscareer as a luger, but we may alsobe giving o the assumption thathe was not very good.

Disquali ying anyonescareer, dead or alive, is wrong.We as people need to have a litt lebit more respect, as do thosein the media. It is one thing toin orm and educate the publicon an issue, but quite another to

replay it over and over. Any onething can also be redundant. Hisstory was a tearjerker, but to dragit out is simply boring as well.Whoever decided that it wouldbe a good idea to replay a deathto entertain people was sick inthe rst place.

Everyone that was watchingthe Olympics at all a lready knew.I it was a tribute, it could havebeen less gruesome. A Pleaseremember typed slide wouldhave been better than actuallyseeing the death. It would havebeen less stomach-turning andvulgar to the public, and his

amily and riends, as well.The media was in the wrong

or showing this gruesome andhorri ying death, but the actthat it was replayed is even worse.Lets just hope or everyones sakethat we dont have to witness itagain.

ChriS BrothertoN Staff Writer [email protected]

The nal season o LOST has started andhas many ans wondering i the show really worth watching anymore. For a hardcore LOST junkie like mysel , the answer lies in how manyquestions the writers can answer withoutbringing in new puzzling questions. In the seasonopener, we quickly learned that the island isactually underwater and that some characters,like Desmond, were on Flight 815.

However, the writers threw us or a loop whenthey fash sideways to the island right a ter theexplosion o the hydrogen bomb at the end o lastseason. Some critics say this is a cop-out rom the writers Damon Lindelo and Carlton Cuse, whoare also the executive producers o the show. Ibelieve that this new way o storytelling is whatkeeps ans coming back to the show.

First we had normal fashbacks, then fashorwards, then time shi ts, and now the fash

sideways. What all o this means is that it is nearlyimpossible to jump on ship in this nal season.The producers o the show have always said thatyou do not really need to know the mythologyo LOST to enjoy it, because it is character-driven show. However, in my opinion, the storyhas evolved to a point where all the actions o the

characters are underlined by past seasons.The only thing new that we are seeing on the

show is what happens i they do not crash on theisland. The characters in this new timeline arestill bound to the relationships that they havemade over ve seasons, which would make anewcomer to the show a bit lost when he see anex-convict helping out a pregnant women a tershe steals a cab.

However, this nal season can draw in manyo the old ans because the writers are nallygiving us the answers that we have been waiting

or. We now know that the smoke monster isreally a lonely god who is tr ying to go home in theguise o Locke.

We know that Richard Alpert was inchains, meaning that he is supposedly a slaveto Jacob. We know that the Other others knoweverything about the island and will help out ourmain characters. Finally, we know that LOST isbecome the invasion o the body snatchers withthe sickness. Or, as some people re er to it, the

Zombie season. The biggest question out there atthe moment is: how will the show end?With some questions being answered and

with minimal new questions being introduced,the sixth season o LOST should be packed withaction, romance and, o course, the answers that we all want to know.

LOST enters fnal season, fnallyanswers our burning questions

Nodar Kumaritashvili, an Olympic luger from Georgia, died on Feb. 12 after crashing into a postduring a practice run.

MCT Campus


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view point

CeliNa mCPhailUNC Charl

otte Office of Student Financial Aid

[email protected]

Its time to complete your FreeApplication or Federal StudentAid (FAFSA) or 2010-2011 usingyour 2009 income in ormation.Applying early could potentiallymaximize the amount o nancialaid you may be eligible to receive.It also gives you time to completeany requirements that might be

requested. The O ce o StudentFinancial Aid at UNC Charlotteurges you to submit your FAFSAbe ore April 1st by completingthe online application at: www.

a sa.ed.govPlease note that awarding

o nancial aid or continuingstudents will begin at the endo May a ter the spring semestergrades are nalized.

Time to applyor fnancial aidor 2010-2011

FAFSA orms are due to fnancial aid o fce by April 1

MCT Campus

Palin, shown here during a book signing, recently said she wouldnt rule out considering a presi-dential bid in 2012.

Sarah Palin considering a runor president in 2012 race

demarCo CaStillo Staff Writer

[email protected]

When I rst heard about Sarah Palin runningor vice-president during the 2008 presidential

election, I was so jealous because she had anawesome telescope that allowed her to see Russia

rom her house. But now, Im just overwhelmedthat Palin stopped blogging on Facebook abouther political views on the new administration anddecided to do keynote presentations like the oneshe did on Feb. 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.

The crowd was very pleased to have Sarah Palinas a keynote speaker, and FOX News was more t henready to broadcast her speech live because we allknow that FOX News treats Palin as i she was thethink tank o the Pentagon. T he 45-minute speechthat she gave at the Tea Party Convention wasmainly about how the Obama Administration was

aili ng the country. I never thought I would say it,but she has a point, to an extent. She mentions how

the TARP program that was issued by the currentadministration only helped out the banks, mortgagecompanies, and auto industries, which rankly, le tout the people that really needed the money theunemployed and uninsured. Palin made some validpoints during her speech; however, anybody can bea critic, and very ew people can actually providereal li e solutions that would resolve the problems.She ailed to do this.

For example, Sarah Palin mentioned that the

U.S national security was not at its best duringChristmas day last year because o an attemptedterrorist attack by Abdul Mutal lab. She scolded theObama Administration or giving Abdul Mutallaba student visa and claimed that the US should havereviewed his application more seriously. ExSqueezme!! I all o you remember the un ortunate Sep.11 incident that happened not so long ago, it couldhave been prevented. How, you may ask? Well,the 10 out o the 15 hijackers that were involved inthose attacks were supposed to be deported back totheir countries because eit her they had an expiredvisa or they were on the terrorist watch list. Anda ter all that, look what happened under the watcho the greatest president since Richard Nixon.

You can tell that Sarah Palin was more thancom ortable at the Tea Party Convention; during herspeech, she was happy that there were real peopleand no Politicos in the room. Frankly, I would betoo i I couldnt name a credible newspaper o o the top o my head, so she was probably hoping thatthose people wouldnt ask her hard questions likethey did during the 2008 election. Nevertheless, theaudience loved her and FOX couldnt get enougho her. For now, Ms. Palin is under the radar untilshe shows up in another tea party or an NRAmeeting to give another assessment o the ObamaAdministration. So, until then, I hope the ObamaAdministration will improve the unemploymentrate, xe the economy or have a verbal debate withMs. Palin.

eriN reeve Downtime Editor [email protected]

Southern states are notthe only ones being a ectedby their surprisingly colderclimates. In act, due to Obamasrecent emergency aid und,northern states may be gettingthe bad end o the deal. Maine,Vermont and New Hampshireall decreased their ederal

unding or emergency aid, while two southern states havetripled their unds and six havedoubled their unds. AlthoughObama was only trying to helpthe southern states in the messo their bad weather, he hasended up angering and hurtingthe northern states that havegrown accustomed to theirlower heating costs. Northernand southern states alike should

not have to su er the wrath o the weather, but giving most o the aid to the south should notbe a considerable option. Thenorth has always the unds tosupport themselves during bad weather. By disallowing themto their unds, they are withoutthe warmth and com ort o their once a ordable heating.Not only is this wrong, butgiving it to the southern statesis worse. Why give someoneelse unding while allowingthe other to live, literally, in thecold? It doesnt make sense,and was not thought through well. I we could somehow splitthe unding, as we realize thatboth areas are experiencingbad weather, maybe the southcould be granted unding airly.Others may argue that northernstates can adapt and have thematerials needed to do so. They

believe that the northernerstates know how to take care o themselves in the snow becausethey have grown used to doingso. But without heating, you arele t in a cold home, su ering,and probably sleepless and toomiserable to go on with yourdaily li e. A Zamboni can onlydust the ice o o a hockey rink,and a snowplow only clear theroad. It cant prevent the chillo a house, or the uncom ortablesituation decreasing undingis bringing. This growingsnowball needs to be stoppedbe ore it wraps itsel aroundanother state, and grows intoa monster o a snowman. I thecountry nally decides to be airand equal, as Obama promised,I believe all controversy will becut, and the snowball will meltthis problem to slush.

Giving heating aid money to South

leaves Northern states in the cold

Should obese passengerspay or two airline seats?

MCT Campus

Washington D.C. has received over two feet of snow this winter, which is unusual and has causedmuch damage.

alySSa riNaldi Staff Writer

[email protected]

How big is too big to fy?Well or Southwest Airlines,Kevin Smith, Silent Bob o thedynamic duo Jay & Silent Bob,is the answer to that question.

Smiths Twitter read Dear@SouthwestAir I know Im at,but was Captain Leysath really justi ed in throwing me o afight or which I was alreadyseated?

This tweet was a response toa situation Smith ound himsel on a ter boarding a plane headedto Burbank. Southwest Airlineshas a customer o size policy, which calls or passengers to buytwo seat tickets i they can not tbetween arm rests. I extra spaceis available upon arrival, re undsare given or the unnecessarypurchase o a ticket or passengerscan be relocated to a di erentfight ree o charge. This is apolicy Southwest Airlines hashad in practice or 25 years,reports the Hu ngton Post.However, there was no cause orconcern directed towards Smithuntil he reached his seat on theplane.

In Smiths case, he had notpurchased an extra ticket, so when it was noticed he could bea potential sa ety hazard to thefight that was ull, he was givena $100 voucher and put on adi erent Southwest fight wheremore room would be available.

Smith tweeted several timesrom the new fight he was

placed on, mocking the policyo Southwest Air: Hey @SouthwestAir! Look how at Iam on your plane! Quick! Throwme o ! A ter a sa e arrival inBurbank, Smith tweeted, Hey@SouthwestAir! Ive landedin Burbank. Dont worry: wallo the plane was opened & I was airli ted out while RichardSimmons supervised.

In his attempt to get theattention o Southwest Air,he succeeded in receiving atweet addressed to him romSouthwest Air. The tweet issuedan apology or the experienceSmith encountered and assuredSmith he would receive a call

rom Customer Relations VP o

Southwest Air.I you have a policy, en orce it.

Your weight and size dont changebe ore and a ter boarding theplane, so this should have beencaught prior to boarding. I it istoo ambiguous to tell i a person

will t in a seat prior to actuallyseeing them in the seat, changethe policy. Although it maycause some people to purchaseseats unnecessarily, i there is anacross-the-board weight limit orone seat, the ault can not be onSouthwest Air. Until the policyis made a bit clearer, there aresure to be a heavier number o complaints.

As or Kevin Smith, heremains out o character,speaking up instead o stayingsilent.

FEEDBACKh s n p n n b s n n un s t s, p c n c p

n n ? v c s b s n n un s t s 200 ss . B s nc n , , sc , j n p n n b . l s s bj

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MCT Campus


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arts &entertainmentarts &entertainmentarts &entertainmentarts &entertainment

aliCia wileS Staff Writer

[email protected]

Last Wednesday I had the wamazing opportunityto see Them Crooked Vultures at the Fillmore inCharlotte. This alternative rock/classic rock bandis what is known as a super group, because it is

ormed o per ormers already amous rom otherbands. When you have the combination o threemembers rom three very amazing bands, the endresult just has to be magical, and it is.

The Vultures got together around the middleo 2009 and started recording together, but there were also earlier rumors stating that there hadbeen talk o the new band since 2005. Whateverthe case, the Vultures are here and making a widevariety o songs and music. Their rst album, which is sel -titled, was released late last year onNov. 17, 2009. Them Crooked Vultures is made upo Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones.They also have a ourth member, Alain Johannes who plays live per ormances.

Many may remember John Paul Jones romthe classic rock band Led Zeppelin. Jones is anincredibly talented musician who plays a largearray o instruments that include bass, mandolin,keyboard, guitar, koto, lap steel guitars and more. Jones contributes his multi-instrumental skills toThem Crooked Vultures by playing bass, keyboard,piano, keytar, slide guitar, mandolin and sings backvocals. Josh Homme is another great musicianknown or his time in the late 90s rock band,Queens o the Stone Age. Homme contributed

mainly lead vocals and guitar, but he also playedbass, keyboard, drums and more.

The last o the ounders is none other thanthe in amous Dave Grohl. Grohl was the longest-lasting drummer rom the rock/grunge band,Nirvana, and he was also the lead vocalist andguitarist rom the rock group the Foo Fighters.Alain Johannes is the ourth member that joinedas a touring member or Them Crooked Vultures2009-2010 tour, which started last Oct.. Thisguitarist and ounder o the indie rock band Elevenadds his guitar, bass, keyboard and backing vocalsto the Vultures.

The band dropped their rst sel -titled album

last Nov. The rst single they worked on wasNew Fang. The single made an appearance onthe Alternative Songs Chart at number 10, as wellas also on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks andRock songs. The Vultures have created somethinginteresting here by combing the talents o threedi erent bands, all amous or di erent reasons.When I got to see them live, it was an even betterexperience. Hommes vocals have a catchy edge,matched with Joness superior instrumental skillsand Grohls all-out passion or the drums. Al l theseelements combined created something awesomeand new.

There is already ta lk o a second album, and therst has barely been out or three months. Grohl

stated in an interview, When we make our secondrecord, its going to be even more power ul thanthis one.

You can learn more about Them CrookedVultures at http://www.myspace.com/crookedvultures.

Them Crooked Vulturesscavenge to fnd a new sound John Roussel Staff Writer [email protected]

An eBay user rom Haw River, N.C. sold anold Nintendo System bundle last Wednesday or$13,105 a ter 36 bids.

The original Nintendo Entertainment System(NES), also re erred to as the Family Computeror Famicon, was originally released in Japanin 1983 and didnt make its way stateside untilover two years later. Who would have thoughtthat the classic video game console would go

or thousands o dollars, nearly 27 years a ter itshistoric debut?

Bidding or the item began Feb. 3 at just $ 9.99.However, the bids went rom $13 to $100 withinthe rst hour alone. Over the course o the next week, 17 individual bidders continued to drivethe price up, sometimes jumping hundreds, i not thousands, o dollars with each o er. In the

nal hours the bidding amount jumped rom$8,800 to $13,105, or which it was sold. TheeBay seller lace_thongs35 made a ortune.

Its probably a good thing that she didntset a Buy It Now price like many others onthe popular shopping and auction website.Currently, most NES bundles seem to varygreatly in buy-out prices or bids, depending on i the console is used or new and what accessoriesor games are included. Another eBay userseems to have a sense o humor and has put up asimilar listing or sale (minus the games) at theexact same price o the winning bid.

Why would someone pay this much moneyor an old gaming console when similar bundles

are o ered or signi cantly less money? The

reason or the high bids i s not due to the consoleitsel but one o the games that came with it.

The bundle in question included six uniquegames: Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros.(which also includes Duck Hunt), TeenageMutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game,Major League Baseball and the North Americanversion o Stadium Events, apparently one o the rarest video games in existence. I this eBayauction is any indication, a portion o todayselectronic entertainment could achieve a similarstatus or the dedicated collectors o tomorrow.

Nintendo selling or gold

JohN aNderSoNNewsday

Nobody involved was surprised that MartinScorseses latest _ the gothically infectedpsychological thriller Shutter Island _ ischockablock with re erences to everything romthe Bronte sisters to I Walked With a Zombie.

Marty has loved lm all his li e, saidHollywood vet Mike Medavoy, one o the lmsproducers. Hes out there promoting lmpreservation, he knows everything about movies.Ive known Marty since the 70s and worked withhim a ew times be ore, so I dont think any o those allusions were surprising.

Neither was Scorseses choice o star: LeonardoDiCaprio, who at the age o 35 has acquired boththe physical presence and actorly he t o the greatleading men _ and who is starring in his ourthScorsese picture. A collaboration that began withGangs o New York (2002), included the HowardHughes biopic The Aviator (2004) and then

seemed to hit a crescendo via the much-honored,multiple Oscar-winning The Departed (2006)has taken a turn into the dark, dank corridors o magical-realism, Val Lewton-esque lyricism andelusive Hitchcockian psychology.

I was very intrigued by the screenplay,DiCaprio said on a recent a ternoon in Manhattan.It was very much a throwback to some o the greatdetective lms o the past, whether it was Vertigoor Out o the Past, which Marty screened or us.At rst glance, it was a thriller, a genre piece withtwists and turns.

But what he discovered, along with his directorand his co-stars _ who include Ben Kingsley,Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer and MichelleWilliams _ was that the lmmaking took them toplaces we couldnt have oreseen. It got darker

and darker and more emotionally intense than weever expected.

It doesnt exactly begin with fowers andsunshine: On a steel-gray day in 1954, two men _U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and hisnew partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ru alo) _ get o a boat at Shutter Island, a acility or the criminallyinsane. A emale inmate, a multiple murderess, haspulled o a seemingly impossible escape rom theislands Ashecli e Hospital and Teddy is intent ontracking her down. The oppressiveness o the placeand the quasi-ghoulish personalities o the medicalsta (notably, a Germa n-accented doctor played byMax von Sydow, who reminds Teddy o his part inthe liberation o Dachau) are compounded by theprogressively macabre and hallucinatory goings-on in a locale that author Dennis Lehane said wasbased on a place he visited as a kid.

There was an actual minimum-security mentalinstitution in Boston Harbor, he said, but it wasconnected by a bridge. It was called Long Island,actually _ which would have been a really crappy

title. I just dont think it would have had the sameshiver _ Lonnng Islaaand.But or all the eerie, otherworldly

embellishments, to its star, the right actor wasnot the most important aspect in making the lm.Its being publicized as a thriller with a surpriseending or terri ying elements, and is very much agenre piece, DiCaprio said. But at the end o theday, its what Martin Scorsese does be st: Portrayingsomething about humanity and human nature and who we are as people. Thats what makes it standout, and makes it di erent rom being a normalgenre piece.

Marty direct s like a lover, said Kingsley, whoseDr. Cawley seems like a progressive psychiatrist,especially or the Eisenhower era. Everything is

held together by a ection _ or his actors,his crew, his material, or cinema. Whatperhaps you dont see on the page, whatdid emerge, is an extraordinary level o tenderness between the characters.

For his part, Scorsese seemed more athome talking about the Laeta Kalogridisscreenplay (adapted rom Lehanes novel)and how it provoked the lmmaker whomproducer Brad Fischer described as a walking encyclopedia o movies.

I think the trappings o the story,the situations, the storm, two detectives,the escaped patient, automatically bringcertain genres to my mind, Scorsesesaid, certain images that go back severalhundred years. I had all this to drawupon. The issue was having them work

or our story and at the same time re er toother lms, other types o lms. In other words, the more you see, and the moreyou see o the past, the more you can draw

upon that, and the more you can make thepresent and uture.Scorseses uture, to judge by

rumored projects, will include severalmore pictures with DiCaprio. A FrankSinatra biopic, another about the youngTheodore Roosevelt and an adaptation o Jordan Bel orts The Wol o Wall Street(which will inevitably draw comparisonsto the DiCaprio-Spielberg lm, CatchMe I You Can) are all said to be in the works. DiCaprio, meanwhile, is processingShutter Island.

It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle, DiCapriosaid. And it wasnt until we were on set that wediscovered that. Theres only so much that can

be written down on paper. I have to say, there were a ew weeks there that were among the mosthardcore lm experiences Ive ever had. I thinkMarty would say the same.

MCT CampusLeonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels in

latest paramount production

Shutter Island: sanity not included

MCT Campus


6/10


arts &entertainmentaNNi SimPSoN Asst. Copy Editor

[email protected]

There wasnt a time thatCharlotte native Justin Fairclothdidnt want to create music.According to him, having thedesire rom swing sets, really,he started playing in bandsas early as junior high school.Currently, he plays as one hal o the locally based HoustonBrothers Band, along withyounger brother Matt Faircloth.

The duo named randomlyby a riend making fiers ora past show show have keptthemselves busy in the lastcouple o years. They recentlystarted touring around thestate, and they also signed withChicago-based label ChocolateLab Records.

The two men bring to thetable a large selection o artisticinfuences. I just love music.I love songwriters. I loveinstrumentalists. We grew uplistening to so much stu , said Justin. He cited music infuencessuch as the country his parentslistened to growing up, JohnnyCash, Bob Dylan, and everybit bit o music [he] could get[his] hands on. Matts originalinfuences were early indierock stu such as Pavementand Built to Spill, though hecurrently enjoys legends suchas Bob Marley, Sam Cook, theCongos, and the Flaming Lips.

He le t my parents house

our or ve years be ore I did,said Matt with regards to ormingtheir the duo. He kinda movedaround and then I ended upmoving out rom there. We gota place together, and that waskind o when we started usingour music together. We built alittle studio in that house. Theyreleased their debut, Ill TakeCare o You, in 2001, recordedin their Charlotte home, and

in 2003, they released TheHouston Brothers. They tooko rom there.

The band consists o meand my brother, and thats itright now, said Matt. Wevehad a larger band at times, upto ve or six people. However,both brothers are pleased withthe current status o the group.In 2005, the two were joined by

our other Charlotte locals. We were glad to have those peopleplay with us, because they wereall really talented, but it wasgood to go back to what we weredoing, he said. According toMatt, the experience o havinga big band sound continues toinfuence the pair, even as theyplay alone together.

Though the experience was

enriching, playing together as aduo is really where both o them

want to be. We understandeach other in a way that a lot o people really dont have, whichis just a musical language, andthats where were really at hometogether, said Matt.

The pair has kept it local.We play around Charlotte agood bit. We play the east coast,Chicago, New York, that sort o thing, said Matt. Were mainly

just a songwriting band, not somuch commercial stu . Its kindo an art rock type o approachto music. We just kind o do it orourselves.

My avorite things are smallthings, the sensation o nishinga song and knowing its done,

said Justin.

Matts approach is similar.His most memorable experience was simply the completiono their last album. We gota chance to work with MitchEaster, whos kind o a locallegend, said Matt. [Hes] worked with R.E.M. And one o our infuences. He did a coupleo records with Pavement.

Besides a tour ull o N.C.locations, the brothers also planto return to the Fools Brigade,an annual show in April thathopes to shine light on the localmusic talent in Charlotte as wellas a Charlotte-based charity.

S N n n n s h s n B s B n

Charlotte based Houston Brothers Bando ers a new kind o indie underground

Photo/ The Houston Brothers Band

Charlotte based The Houston Brothers Band keeps it local with down home perfor-mances and one bedroom practices.


7/10


SPORTS SCHEDULEWomens tennis @ Wo ord Thur. Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m., Spartanburg, SCWomens basketball @ St. Louis Thurs. Feb. 18, 8 p.m., St. Louis, MOSo tball vs St. Francis Fri. Feb. 19, 3 p.m., Charlotte, NC Baseball @ High Point Fri. Feb. 19, 4 p.m., High Point, NCninerniner sports Follow us on Twitter at UTimes_sports

Natalie lavigNe Staff Writer

[email protected]

Weather didnt stop the 49er womens so tball team as they

opened their season against EastTennessee State on Sunday. Theycame out on top with an overallscore o 7-3. With only two errors,there are high hopes or this teamto do great things this year. Itsalways good to win your rst one,and I was very pleased with theo ense, Head Coach, AlmeeDevos, con rmed.

Charlotte was suppose to behosting the 49er round-robin

tournament but ended up withCharlotte playing only one game, and not a bad game at that.

Un ortunately, the weather was the main issue. With snowand slush coming in on Friday

and Saturday, the weekend almostdidnt happen. DeVos stated thatthe team, coaching sta andeven parents helped to scrapeo the snow that ell earlier thisValentines Day weekend. Withthe weather conditions being asthey were, there was little chancethe eld would ai r out by Sunday,but it pulled through.

We worked the eld allday yesterday. I we hadnt,

there would be no way the eld would be playable, DeVos saidin regards to the shaky weatherconditions.

Even with the aw ul weather,the 49ers were ready to play to win.Practicing in the cold, rain andsnow made it seem all too easy totake the rst win home. Charlottegot numbers on the board when

reshman Briana Gwaltney cameup to bat. Her rst appearancein a Charlotte uni orm stakedher claim, emerging rom thedugout. Gwaltney pummeleda ball over center eld, puttingCharlotte up two runs to nonein the second inning. However,Gwaltney wasnt nished yet. Shehit not one homerun but two, t hesecond homerun coming rom thebottom o the th inning. Whenasked about her rst collegiateappearance or the 49ers, sheenthusiastically responded, It was awesome. I honestly didntthink the second hit would be ahomerun, because it popped upand looked like it wasnt going tomake it over.

Not only was Charlottedominating o ensively, they were taking charge de ensively.Returning senior, Emily Je ery,pitched a good rst game as well.In Charlottes home opener, shestruck out 13 opponents, makingthe game look simple.

I was anxious at rst, butthen everything settled down,stated Je ery. Last year, Je ery

broke the single-season record with 294 outs; it seems like shesheaded down that path again.

In regards to Charlottesupcoming season, things lookgood. The team is excited, andso are the ans with the newlyinserted bleachers. Je ery said,Were ready to see what we cando during this season. We havesome things to work on, but once we get going, well be ne.

Senior Emily Jeffery recorded 13 strikeouts Sundayafternoon in Charlottes home opener.

File Photo

Je erys 13 strikeouts lead

Charlotte past ETSU

Charlotte aces Xavierin Homecoming tilt

Dijuan Harris led the Niners to a 65-60 win over 15th ranked Xavier last year. File Photo

JoSh CarPeNter Managing Editor

[email protected]

The Charlotte/Xaviermatch-up has always provedto be a pivotal one in the A-10;and this year looks to be nodi erent. I the 49ers win theirgame over Duquesne Wednes-day night and Xavier wins theirgame over St. Joes, the Satur-day match-up could decidethe ate o the 49ers and theirNCAA Tournament hopes.

Dante Jackson scored 14points and dished out six assistsin the last meeting between theteams, an 86-74 Xavier win at

Cintas Center in Cincinnati in January. The Musketeers have won nine o their last 11 games with the only losses comingagainst Dayton and nationally-ranked Temple.

Charlotte just had theirseven-game winning streaksnapped at the hands o Dayton,in a 75-47 blowout loss at UDArena.Last season, a depleted

Charlotte squad knocked o the nationally-ranked Muske-teers 65-60 in ront o a rau-cous Halton Arena crowd.

Charlotte has critical re-maining games against Xavier,Rhode Island and Richmondand probably need to win twoo those to have a good shot atdancing in March.

I the Niners win on Sat-urday, it will be another piecein the puzzle towards a MarchMadness masterpiece.


8/10


ninerniner sports

ed NiSer Staff Writer

[email protected]

Johnny Hamilton was a 2008 RISE toppitching recruit in Ohio during his seniorseason and is a product o StrongsvilleHigh School located 30 minutes west o Cleveland.

Hamilton rst realized he had a shot atplaying Division 1 college baseball duringhis reshman season, when his high schoolcaptured the State title in 2005. He is a

reshman le t-handed pitcher or Charlotte, where he looks to mysti y hitters with hischange up. For those who dont know whata change up is it is when the pitcher releasesthe ball with the same movement as a astballbut comes in much slower, ba fing even thebest hitters.

Hamilton is a le ty change up pitcher whohas been playing competitive baseball sincehe was eight years old. When asked whohis biggest infuence was, he immediatelyresponded, My biggest infuence to playcollegiate baseball was my summer leaguecoach Sean DePaula. Coach Depaula pitchedin the big leagues or the Cincinnati Reds andCleveland Indians. He helped me work onmy mechanics and work on my mental game.Hamilton aspires to meet uture hall o ame

pitchers Roger Clemens and Greg Madduxto ask them how to continue succeeding inbaseball a ter college.

Hamilton is the proo in the pudding when it comes to the link between geneticsand athletics. Hamiltons ather, Tom, was aTight End at the University o West Virginia

rom 1981-1985 and in 1986 was dra ted bythe Orlando Renegades in the 8th round o the USFL dra t. However, the league oldedthat year. Johnny isnt the only Hami lton whohas hopes to play collegiate sports. Johnnys

younger brother, Ray, is drawing looks romthe ootball programs at Pittsburgh and WestVirginia as a Tight End. Johnny said that his

ather always pushed him to be success ulin athletics. Johnny Hamilton, as one wouldimagine, was quarterback or the StrongsvilleMustangs during his high school years.

The recruitment letters rom collegesacross the Atlantic 10 began pouring in

or Hamilton during his junior and senioryears. Hamilton received looks rom Dayton,Xavier, Mid Atlantic Con erence contenderAkron and o course, Charlotte. TheCharlotte 49ers sold the southpaw with theirstraight-talking coaches, gorgeous stadium,

acilities and the overall success o the teamin recent years.

Hamilton, like any college student, getsstressed with the demands o the classroom.Take into account that classroom along withhis coaches and teammates telling him hemust give it all he has on the eld and in theclassroom. Now thats pressure. Charlotteathletes are given one day o rom workoutsand team practices a week, which doesntaccount or much ree time.

He gets himsel in the zone by listening torap music prior to a pitching outing. Hamilton joked and said, I really like country as well,but my buddies at home give me a hard time

or listening to it.Hamilton makes hi s presence elt when he

steps onto the mound. The 510 Ohio nativekisses his chain be ore his last warm uppitch, toes the rubber gains his ocus clickshis heels and delivers. He participated inthe Split Squad World Series and he pitched

our scoreless innings o no hit relie or theWhite team on Oct. 29.

Hamilton looks to be a undamental weapon in the Charlotte 49ers pitchingarsenal in 2010 and or his collegiate career;

a ter all, he is only a reshman.The Niners open their season tomorrow

night with a home-and-away series againstHigh Point and return home Saturday or a4 p.m. match-up immediately ollowing themens basketball game against Xavier.

The Niners play 12 o their rst 15 gamesat home this season and look to open up witha bang.

Midwest south paw says

Ohio to Niners pitching sta Hamilton looks to be an integral part o Charlottes pitchingrotation in 2010 as the Niners look to claim an A-10 title.

File Photo

Johnny Hamilton and the Niners will lookfor a fast start this season when theytake on High Point Friday afternoon.

49er player

spotlight

Courtesy of Charlotte Athletics

JoSh CarPeNter Managing Editor

[email protected]

This weeks player spot-light looks at sophomorecombo guard Derrio Green.Green has averaged 13.8points per game in his rstseason with the Niners a -ter trans erring rom Gul Coast C.C.

Green has gone aboveand beyond the Niners ex-pectations this season andhas come up big in severalspots.

Green scored 20 points inCharlottes 22-point win overnationally-ranked Louisvillein December and scored 31more in the Niners 76-67home loss to Georgia Techon Jan. 2.

Green also scored a ca-reer-high 34 points againstUMass on Jan. 30 to give the

Niners a key road win in Am-herst.

Green was named theA-10 Player o the Week orthe week ending Jan. 30tha ter averaging 30 points in apair o wins over Temple andUMass.

He scored 26 points inCharlottes 74-64 win over#15/#15 Temple in HaltonArena and then scored a ca-reer-high 34 against UMass.

Green also won the Playero the Week award or the

week ending Jan. 3 a ter a31-point e ort against Geor-gia tech and a 23-point e ortagainst Mercer.

Green knocked down8-o -16 3-pointers in the winagainst UMass and has drawn comparisons to ormer 49erLeemire Goldwire or hisproli c 3-point shooting abil-ity.

However, Greens abilitiesarent limited to only 3-pointshooting. He has also shownthe ability to run the point

when senior Dijuan Harrisneeds a break and has accu-mulated valuable experienceat the position.

When it comes to athleticability, Green has plenty o

it. The sophomore guardcan drive to the cup and stillget his shot up and has madeseveral important acrobaticshots.

Green will play a key rolein Charlottes game againstXavier on Saturday and willprove to be vital to the teamin March.


9/10


classifedclassifed adsadsTo Place a Classifed Ad: $8 or frst 20 words; 25 or each additional word; 20 /word or bold or CAPS.Log on to www.nineronline.com and click on classifeds to place and pay or your classifed ad.For additional in ormation, call 704-687-3681.ads

down time I dont want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animalfood trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother wasa hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.-Monty Python and the Holy Grail

18 19 20 21 22 23

FridayThursday SundaySaturday Monday Tuesday

By Nancy Black and Stephanie ClementsTribune Media Services

(MCT)

Todays birthday (2/18/10). You dig deep into your bag of tricks this year and pull out some re-markably practical things. You know how to use your tools for more than they were designed for, so you can solve a problem with whatever you have on hand (or you know where to go for whatever you

dont have). Smart!To get the advantage, check the days rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most chal lenging.

Aries(March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Both genders work together to get romance on track. Thiscould be in the orm o a play or some other dramatic presentation. Take extra care o your voice.

Taurus(April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Love enters the picture and takes over your imagination.Use your talents to motivate your partner. Dare to dream sweeter dreams.

Gemini(May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Create the mood you want. Show that youre passionateabout your idea and want to see it through. A brie prayer or meditation couldnt hurt.

Cancer(June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- A emale provides a ton o ideas that al l seem to e levateyour mood. As you eel more capable, you achieve personal growth overnight. It all sinks in later.

Leo(July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Both genders work well together today. All you have to do isallow them to choose the game, modi y the ru les and grab the appropriate prize.

Virgo(Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Teamwork allows all par ties to throw ideas into the ring.Todays project can use more than one set o eyes. By days end you al l agree on the conclusion.

Libra(Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Your private thoughts dont mesh with those o your co- workers. As long as the issues arent critical, this wont matter. Di erences o opinion sort themselves

out.

Scorpio(Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Your sense o what really matters changes today. Yourindependent attitude shi ts toward a more sympathetic appreciation or amily and associates.

Sagittarius(Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- You eel like youve been there be ore. Creative ideasfow easily and inspire you to greater heights. Persuade yoursel to let go o limitations.

Capricorn(Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- The thing about love is that it grows aster when youlavish it. No need to limit the extent o your appreciations, but you need to speak them out loud.

Aquarius(Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 7 -- Speak about independent thinking today with co-work-ers. Encourage others to participate while sharing your ideas or a dynamic new sales pitch or marketing

idea.

Pisces(Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 6 -- Take your time today with ideas that need quiet. Noone expects you to express enthusiasm all the time. As the sun enters your sign, you want to retreat and

regenerate.

Horoscopes

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The University Times cautions our readers about sending money in response toadvertising. When responding to ads in any publications to purchase informa-tion, items or services, you may wish to request written advance documentationof what the advertiser is selling. Though we take precautions to protect our readers from false or misleading advertising, The University Times is not respon-

sible for the validity of advertisers claims.

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10/10


inter sectionaNNi SimPSoN

Asst. Copy Editor [email protected]

You may have seen the Gold Duster Dance teamper orm during basketball games, during both themen and womens games. However, the team has aunderrated, long-standing track record o successand national achievement under their belts. Onmultiple occasions, the Gold Dusters shined anational spotlight back home here in Charlotte.

The team currently consists o 18 dancers,including 8 reshman and 3 sophomores.

Being a Gold Duster is something Imextremely proud o because o the commitment Imake to mysel and my team is very rewarding,said junior Laura Bebo, a member o the team;Bebo has per ormed with the team or two years.

For over a decade, the Gold Dusters consistentlycompeted in the National Cheerleaders Association(NCA) and National Dance Association (NDA)sChampionship competition in Dance Division I.

Between 1994 and 2001, they consistently walked away rom the event at 4th place or better.In that time period, they won rst place twice,most recently in April 2001. Last year, they claimed3rd place.

This past April, they claimed th place againsteighteen other nationally ranked, Division I schools,

with a score o 8.752 under Coach Jenni er Floyd.The nals in t he championship require the dancersto per orm a maximum 2:15 time, involving jazz,pom, and hip-hop styles in their routine.

On a national level, we compete and gethonored by NDA, said Bebo. That is the onlynational recognition we get. At nationals, UNCCharlotte has a reputation o being one o the topteams. When we go, we are one o the teams tobeat. We come ready to win the national title.

They are currently coached by Danielle Terrell.Under Terrell, the women practice three nights a week, multiple workouts, and two games a week.

Terrell is a recent addition to the Gold Dusterteam, as the team had a coaching sta change atthe beginning o the year.

Despite their long list o successes at a nationallevel, readily available in ormation on the teamis di cult to nd. A Google search provides aninterested party with side re erences or a biggerpiece on another subject or smal l news blurbs aboutthese achievements. They arent even technicallyconsidered athletics at all, though they workclosely with the athletics department and still eelthe love, according to Bebo. As ar as recognition

rom UNC Charlotte, we dont get much, saidBebo. As dancers, we understand that we arenttechnically a sport.

However, despite the lack o a title, the girlsmust work very hard on the team, and they juststarted practicing their competitive routine.

The time commitment o being on the danceteam is probably the hardest part, because as a

college student, you know how tight money can be.I work every night that I am not dancing. Luckily, Ihave ound a place that will work with my scheduleto continue doing the things I love, said Bebo.

However, its still worth it. Being on the da nceteam keeps me involved. I eel like I am a part o

something greater; Niner Nation. Being able torepresent my university every week on the court isexciting. I dont make baskets or score any points,but being able to go on the court and dance or

a sold out arena can raise the hair on the backo your neck, Bebo said. The real appreciation

comes rom the students. UNC Charlotte Fans arede nitely the best to cheer along with. As the GoldDuster program continues to grow, we hope thelove and support or us does a s well.

Gold Dusters bring spirit to Niner Nation

JaN JarviS McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

Energy - the high-octane kind that pumps upthe most stressed-out bodies is only a sip away.

Or so goes the promise rom the more than 500 energy beverages that are ueling atiguedconsumers.

Some o the latest additions to this $3 billionbusiness rely on healthy-sounding ingredients suchas vitamin B and ginseng or that extra boost. Thenames say it best: Cranergy. Crystal Light EnergyWild Strawberry. Dansani Re resh and Revive.SoBe Essential Energy.

These ruit juice-spiked drinks are re reshing,but can they really deliver a healthy jolt o energy?

Here, ve things everyone should know aboutthis human rocket uel.

1. The boost these drinks provide is not trueenergy.

Aggressive marketing and urban legends haveueled the popularity o these drinks, said Dr.

Damon Schranz, an assistant pro essor at theUniversity o North Texas Health Science Center.Some people may actually believe they are healthdrinks.

But true energy comes rom calories, notca eine, said Lona Sandon, assistant pro essor

o clinical nutrition at the University o TexasSouthwestern Medical Center. Most o the drinksdeliver lots o sugar, ca eine and other stimulants.

All that ca eine perks people up, makestheir heart race and gives them a sense o eelingenergized.

But its a alse sense o energy and any centralnervous system stimulation they get is going to beshort-lived, Sandon said. You could get the same

eeling i you took a 10-minute brisk walk.Ginseng and ginkgo balboa sound like healthy

ingredients but theres no proo that they work. Like

ca eine, they can stimulate the central nervoussystem. Jamba Juices new 3G Charger boost getsits blast o energy rom ginseng, the stimulantguarana and 120 mg o natural ca eine.

2. Fruit juice-based energy drinks arentnecessarily any healthier than a glass o OJ.

Cranergy cranberry li t is a new drink romOcean Spray orti ed with vitamin B and green tea

extract.People see it and think cranberry juice isvery healthy and when you throw in a little herbsthen that must be even better, Sandon said. Butvitamin B does not create energy. It works byhelping the body metabolize ood.

3. Some energy drinks are loaded with sugar.Arizona Green Tea Energy, SoBe Energy

Citrus and Naked Juice Energy Smoothie containmore sugar than a can o Dr Pepper. Sucking downenergizing waters or juices can add tons o sugarand about 150 calories.

4. Some can lead to tooth decay.One health concern with many o the zzy

energy drinks is high acidity levels. Izze juicebeverages have recently come out with a orti edversion that has 70 percent ruit juice, no addedsugar and 10 percent o the daily recommendedvalues o vitamins C and B-6 and niacin. But the

zz in drinks can lead to tooth erosion, Schranz

said. 5. For a ew, some energy drinks might bedangerous.

Guarana, a common ingredient in energydrinks is a stimulant, but its e ect lasts longer thanca eine. Too much may lead to abnormal heartrhythms, especially when combined with alcohol.People who have existing cardiac or seizuredisorders should stay clear o these drinks, Schranzsaid. The stimulant in these drinks can also disruptthe sleep cycle.

Is the jolt rom that energy drink worth the nutritional risks?Here are some things to take into consideration be ore popping open your next energy drin

Photo/Jackson sveen

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The University Times - February 18, 2010