Georgia suffers the loss Leonardo DiCaprio stars

of Olympic luger, Nodar in Martin Scorsese’s latest

Kumaritashvili thriller, “Shutter Island”
page 3 page 5

The University of North Carolina at Charlotte • www.nineronline.com

THURSDAY
February 18, 2010 Vol 22, No. 33

Got a tip? Give us a call at 704.687.7148 Partially Funded by Student Fees Published twice weekly

Students dance for Haiti

Natalie Lavigne
Staff Writer
nlavigne@uncc.edu
The thought of raising money
for Haiti has been a popular
notion. Unfortunately, not many
came to support Saturday night’s
Dance-a-thon to raise money to
go to the American Red Cross.
Held by UNC Charlotte Student
Alumni Ambassadors (SAA), they
were about the only people who
attended at the dance. Facebook
groups and signs around campus
did not work as well as the SAA
had hoped.
“It is Valentine’s Day
weekend, and not a lot of people
knew about it,” said sophomore
Latarsha Jones, also part of the
SAA.
Although not many people
Photos/Arielle Kinney came to the benefit, there were
Charlotte students attend a dance-a-thon for Haitian relief. donations made to the American
Red Cross by friends and family
of members and around campus.
It seems that there were
other dances this weekend that
had free admission, one of the
few possibilities for lack of
attendance. The past weather
conditions did not shine through
either. With snow and ice, not
many people made it out this
weekend.
For those who did not know,
Haiti was hit about a month ago by
a massive earthquake. Thousands
of Haitians are injured, dead or
missing. The fact that the whole
city lay in ruins and shambles
shows us how much work and
effort is required to rebuild it.
The SAA is attempting to help
those affected by the earthquake
even though the quake did not
affect the United States directly.
Development in Haiti will
take a long time to fix and look
somewhat normal.
Here in Charlotte, there
are many options and endless
opportunities for education,
facilities, food and water, along
with other necessities. The
devastation left in Haiti leaves
their whole education system a
blunder. Haiti still needs our
help.
Summer Poplin, a second year
student here at UNCC, claimed
that people care more when they
have personal connections or
relatives that were in Haiti at the
time of the quake.
“We want people to care
more,” Poplin urged. Haiti has
not fully recovered after one
month. There are lots of things
to be done for growth of the city
and its people. SAA did raise
some money for Red Cross, but
what they are also trying to do is
raise awareness.

SGA battles Matthews native scores cover

funding issues Bikini model Brooklyn Decker, who is from the Charlotte area,
and budgets graces the cover of “Sports Illustrated” Swim Suit Edition
Niza Sulahry
Staff Writer
nsulahry@uncc.edu
Despite an increase of new
student organizations fueled by
a growing student population,
the Student Government
Association faces the difficult
task of improving the quality of
student life, based on a budget
that does not take these factors
into account.
SGA receives requests from
numerous student organizations,
for occasions such as awareness
events, conferences, weekend
activities, bands, and travel
–programs that enhance student
life at UNC Charlotte. However,
they are operating on the same
budget as the 2008-2009 school
year due to a failure to request
additional funds for the 2009-
2010 school year from the Student
Activities Fees Commission
(SAFC).
Recognizing the difficulties
facing student organizations,
the Student Senate attempted to
pass legislation in Nov., calling
for a reduction of the amount
of funding for organizations
for the remainder of the school
year. Although this legislation
received unanimous support, a
veto returned the legislation back
to Senate and ultimately failed to
pass the second vote.
Looking back to funding
issues from the 2008-2009 school
year, SGA faced similar dilemmas.
However, a monthly budget may
have been the source of this. The
problem of asking to enforce a
monthly budget requires for SGA
to overlook the variances that
spark a flood of requests during
the popular months of Oct. and
Feb., while leaving dryer months
such as Nov. and Jan. with a
minimal number of requests.
So, if an organization requested
a grant for their distinguished
annual event which is held at the
same time as many other events, it
would be less likely to obtain an
approval simply due to increased
demand.
Due to the quota that helped
mask budget problems last year,
SGA found themselves with
an excess of $30,000 which
could have been used to finance
programs for those student
organizations who had found
their grants denied simply
because of bad timing.
So what’s the solution? Many
actions can be taken to prevent
this dilemma from recurring.
Right now, there is an $80,000
reserve from student fees which
may be used, but many shy away
from this prospect as it is usually
saved for emergencies. Although
approximately $159,000 has been
allocated so far this year, there
are many more organizations
that cannot get vital funding,
such as the annual Relay for Life
event. Would this not count as an
emergency?
Student fees are collected to
enrich the lives of us as students,
providing justification for many to
tap into this reserve fund. SGA is
also working on a proposal which
provides further structure to the
process of requesting grants
to ensure proper allocation of
student fees, as well as a plan to
implement an automatic semester
budget.
Recently, the Student Senate
took steps to obtain funding for
student organizations for the
remainder of the school year,
signing a unanimous petition
requesting $50,000 from the
student fees reserve. They were
rewarded a total of $10,000 and
promised an additional $20,000
on the basis that a monthly budget
will be created and implemented
for more efficient allocation.
The Organizational Ways and
Means Committee is currently
undertaking this task.
Although the university
may have been able to avoid
this situation by planning for
an increased budget from last
year, so far the circumstances do
not look hopeless. SGA seems
determined to turn this situation
around and provide our student
organizations with the funding
they need to thrive.
“I want to assure all the
members of student organizations
out there, as well as the students
on this campus, that the Student
Senate fights daily for an increase
in both this year and next year’s
budget,” said Chairman of
Organizational Ways and Means
Committee, Christian Nuccio.
Théoden Janes
McClatchy Newspapers
Brooklyn Decker spent the
best day of her career not in a
bikini, but in tears.
The Matthews, N.C., native
cried when she learned she would
appear on the cover of the Sports
Illustrated swimsuit issue. She
Brookly Decker, wife of tennis
cover of “Sports Illustrated.”
bawled when her mother and issue five straight years. After all,
being on the cover of the swimsuit
brother, who secretly flew in from
issue is, in essence, the modeling
Charlotte, N.C., showed up at a
world’s equivalent of winning an
party in Manhattan in her honor.
Academy Award.
And she sobbed again 10 minutes
later when her dad arrived. Between the magazine,
its Web offerings, and TV
“I cried three times,” she said.
“It was a very good day.” exposure, the swimsuit franchise
And things can only get reaches one in three U.S. adults,
according to SI estimates. Past
better for the 22-year-old blond
model, who has appeared in thecover girls include Tyra Banks,
talk show host and creator of
The CW reality series “America’s
Next Top Model”; Heidi Klum,
host of the Lifetime TV reality
series “Project Runway”; and
Christie Brinkley, who’s been
spokeswoman for CoverGirl for
longer than Decker has been
alive.
“It’s a launching point for
somebody to really make a huge
name for themselves,” said Diane
Smith, a senior editor at Sports
Illustrated who has been in
charge of the swimsuit edition
for 11 years. “She is now going to
be a household name, no doubt
about it.”
Added Decker, who Tuesday
afternoon was No. 1 on Yahoo!’s
“Trending Now” list: “You
have the honor for a year _ it’s
not something that shifts every
month. So it’s a very big deal.
You look at the roster of girls
who have shot it, all these iconic
models, to be joining their ranks
is gonna be great for my career.”
‘Oh, that’s so her’
The 2010 swimsuit issue,
which began arriving in stores
Tuesday, features Decker in a set
of photos shot in the Maldives,
a chain of islands in the Indian
Ocean. She can be seen wearing
six different bikinis but, notably,
no wedding ring.
Don’t get your hopes up,
though, guys: “I just didn’t
want it to fall in the ocean,” she
explained. In fact, her husband _
tennis star Andy Roddick _ was
the fourth surprise guest at the
party on Monday. (“My husband
and dad walk in with a platter of
food, and they’re like, ‘Anybody
need any hors d’oeuvres?’”)
In the cover shot, the Butler
High grad is clad in a bright-
yellow bikini bottom, with the
matching top slung over her
shoulder, her left arm barely
concealing her naked chest, and
MCT Campus a smile flashing in the tropical
star Andy Roddick, graced the sunlight.
“Beautiful, gorgeous picture,”
said her brother, Jordan, 20, who
lives and works in Matthews, a
Charlotte suburb. “It’s totally her,
too. I just get that feeling when
I look at the pictures, like, ‘Oh,
that’s so her.’”
When asked if it’s weird for
him to see her ... like that, he says:
“Only when my good buddies
comment on the pictures _ but I
got used to that.”
And what about Dad? “Oh
man, I know that Brook has
ruined the swimsuit issue for
most of my friends,” says Stephen
Decker. “It’s just different. There
are certainly no manuals on how
to react to that one.”
Stephen Decker said he and
his wife, Tessa, have a couple of
chests containing their daughter’s
work, and the stacks inside them
are high: In addition to the
five swimsuit issues, Brooklyn
has appeared in advertising
campaigns for Gap, Victoria’s
Secret, American Eagle and
Hollister, and has been featured
in Glamour, Cosmopolitan, Teen
Vogue, FHM, Seventeen and
GQ.
“One of these days, when her
kids are asking, I think we’ll have
tons of material,” said Stephen
Decker, who’s not a grandparent
yet.
Decker said she’s very much
looking forward to getting back
to North Carolina; she last visited
Charlotte at Christmas.
“All my best friends are down
there, so when they found out I
had the cover, they said, ‘You
have to come home so we can all
celebrate here!’ Decker said. “So
I’m probably gonna go back in a
couple of weeks for a weekend.”
The announcement and the
fanfare that goes along with it
is keeping her plenty busy. Her
whirlwind Tuesday included
an appearance on “The Today
Show,” an interview on David
Letterman’s show, a launch party
in New York, and a plane trip
with the other models to Las
Vegas, where SI will host two
more launch parties over two
nights.
Once the celebrating is over,
she doesn’t know what her next
step will be.
“It’s crazy. This was (my
dream), and I got it at 22 ... so
now I’ve got to kind of rework
my game plan.”
PAGE 2 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
Dale-Marie Wilson is awarded
Bonnie Cone Fellowship grant
Bridget Landwehrmann
News Editor
blandweh@uncc.edu
Dale-Marie Wilson has
been presented with a Bonnie
Cone Fellowship. Wilson is an
assistant professor in the College
of Computing and Informatics
at UNC Charlotte. Wilson, who
is a part of the Department of
Computer Science, collaborated
with Sonya Hardin, an Associate
Professor of Nursing, to develop
a virtual human.
Wilson, who is a native of
Trinidad, received a Bachelor of
Science degree from New York
University and Master of Science
and a Doctorate in Philosophy
degrees from Auburn University.
Wilson is currently
researching effective computing,
speech interfaces and virtual
agents. At UNC Charlotte,
she teaches Design and
Implementation of Object
Oriented Systems, Introduction
to Artificial Intelligence, Natural
Language Systems and Database
Systems.
Wilson and Hardin work to
create virtual humans to train
Athletics host
nursing students in cultural
Teacher may lose job after making Homecoming
derogatory comments on Facebook blood drive
T. Keung Hui
McClatchy Newspapers
APEX, N.C. _ A middle-
school teacher in Wake County,
N.C., may be fired after she and
her friends made caustic remarks
on a Facebook page about
her students, the South and
Christianity.
Melissa Hussain, an eighth-
grade science teacher at West
Lake Middle School in Apex,
was suspended with pay Friday
while investigators review her
case, according to Greg Thomas,
a Wake schools spokesman. The
suspension came after some of
Hussain’s students and their
parents objected to comments on
her Facebook page, many of them
revolving around her interaction
with her Christian students.
Hussain wrote on the social-
networking site that it was a “hate
crime” that students anonymously
left a Bible on her desk, and she
told how she “was able to shame”
her students over the incident.
Her Facebook page included
comments from friends about
“ignorant Southern rednecks,”
and one commenter suggested
Hussain retaliate by bringing a
Dale Earnhardt Jr. poster to class
with a swastika drawn on the
NASCAR driver’s forehead.
“I don’t defend what the kids
were doing,” said Murray Inman,
a parent of one of Hussain’s
students. “I just couldn’t imagine
an educator, or a group of
educators, engaging in this kind
of dialogue about kids.”
Hussain did not return calls
competence. The goal is to
have each virtual human made
to represent a different social
group. The virtual humans
will have diversity in age, race,
sex, economic background
and educational level. Wilson
and Hardin will make their
first two virtual humans as
 
“In attempting to better service our public, we
see that there are a lot of unique problems
that can arise. This research will alleviate
many of those problems. We want to be able
to educate nurses to be able to care for peo-
ple from different cultures.”
- Dale Marie Wilson
an elderly Hispanic male
and a young Indian female.
  “We are now recognizing
that our user population is more
diverse,” said Wilson. “The city
of Charlotte, for example, has a
very high Hispanic immigrant
population.   In attempting to
better service our public, we see
that there are a lot of unique
problems that can arise. This
research will alleviate many
and e-mail messages Monday.
The Wake County district
doesn’t have a policy on the use of
social networking sites, Thomas
said. But the district, North
Carolina’s largest, does have a
code of ethics for employees
that the school spokesman says
applies to social networking. The
code says employees’ conduct
“should be such as to protect
both the person’s integrity and/or
reputation and that of the school
system.”
Teachers across the nation
have been suspended or fired
because of questionable material
posted on their Facebook
pages and other online social
networking sites.
In 2008, seven employees of
the Charlotte-Mecklenburg, N.C.,
school system were disciplined
and at least one person was fired
because of Facebook postings.
That led to a memo going to all
Charlotte-Mecklenburg school
staff warning that offensive
postings to social networking
sites are grounds for termination
or disciplinary action.
Thomas and Jennifer Lanane,
president of the Wake County
chapter of the North Carolina
Association of Educators, said
she wasn’t aware of the details of
the Hussain case, but said that
teachers need to be careful about
information they put online.
“We are public figures,”
Lanane said. “We are held to a
higher standard.”
In Hussain’s case, the
comments in question were on
the public side of her Facebook
of those problems. We want
to be able to educate nurses
to be able to care for people
from different cultures.”
In the future, the team hopes
to create virtual humans with
mental and physical handicaps.
The Bonnie Cone Fellowship
is named after Bonnie Cone
who worked to create UNC
Charlotte as a university for
higher education for the city of
Charlotte.
The fellowship will award
$10,300 and is made possible
through the UNC Charlotte
ADVANCE, which supports
the success of women faculty
members, especially those in
science, technology, engineering
and math. ADVANCE does this
page. She has since limited public
access.
Parents of children in her
class said they learned about the
comments last month, leading
them to complain to the school
three weeks ago.
Parents said the situation
escalated after a student put a
postcard of Jesus on Hussain’s
desk that the teacher threw in the
trash. Parents also said Hussain
sent to the office students who,
during a lesson about evolution,
asked about the role of God in
creation.
On her Facebook page,
Hussain wrote about students
spreading rumors that she was
a Jesus hater. She complained
about her students wearing Jesus
T-shirts and singing “Jesus Loves
Me.” She objected to students
reading the Bible instead of doing
class work.
But Annette Balint, whose
daughter is in Hussain’s class,
said the students have the right to
wear those shirts and sing “Jesus
Loves Me,” a long-time Sunday
School staple. She said the
students were reading the Bible
during free time in class.
“She doesn’t have to be a
professing Christian to be in the
classroom,” Balint said. “But she
can’t go the other way and not
allow God to be mentioned.”
Hussain, a 2004 Florida State
University graduate, has been a
Wake County teacher since 2006.
Her religious affiliation is not on
her Facebook page.
The flash point for the
comments came after the Bible
through grants, a prestigious
speaker’s series, mentoring and
leadership development. The
National Science Foundation
funds ADVANCE work.
Last year, the College of
Computing and Informatics was
awarded research grants totaling
$9.4 million.
In December alone, eight
professors at UNC Charlotte
were awarded with Bonnie Cone
Fellowships in their departments
including bioinformatics,
engineering, chemistry, biology
and geography. Awards totaled
over $50,000.
“The Bonnie Cone
Fellowships play a critical role in
fulfilling UNC Charlotte’s efforts
to recruit, retain and advance
women faculty, particularly
those in STEM areas,” said Dr.
Yvette Huet, ADVANCE Faculty
Director on the ADVANCE
website. “Over the past few
years, the fellowships have
helped numerous women further
their individual careers and
institutional leadership. We’re
excited to add these women
to the group of distinguished
recipients.”
was left on Hussain’s desk
in December. The Bible was
accompanied by an anonymous
card, which, according to
Hussain, said “Merry Christmas”
with Christ underlined and
bolded. She said there was no love
shown in giving her the Bible.
“I can’t believe the cruelty and
ignorance of people sometimes,”
Hussain wrote on her Facebook
page.
Hussain also said she
wouldn’t let the Bible incident
“go unpunished.”
Her friends soon joined the
discussion about the situation.
The one who suggested Hussain’s
“getting even” by bringing the
swastika-marred Earnhardt
poster to class said it would be
“teaching” students a lesson.
“And without a job,” Hussain
responded. “But I like it!”
Hussain’s comments included
one where she complained that
she hates parents who complain
about their child’s first B in middle
school. She said her husband
suggested she start a blog “based
on ridiculous students and their
parents.”
Balint said it was clear to the
class that Hussain was talking
about her daughter. “I feel
violated that she would say those
things,” she said.
The length of the investigation
is frustrating parents.
“My biggest concern is
whether the resentment between
the students and the teacher
will continue for the rest of the
school year,” said Robert Boretti,
a parent.
Donating one pint of blood to the American Red Cross saves
three lives.
Anni Simpson
Copy Editor
asimps27@uncc.edu
The Athletics Department
sponsored a blood drive through
the Community Blood Center
of the Carolinas (CMCC) last
Tuesday between 10 a.m. and
4 p.m in the Student Activity
Center (SAC) food court.
The drive attempted to entice
potential donors with free tee
shirts, drinks and snacks. It
was the fifth year the Athletics
Department hosted the drive in
honor of Homecoming Week.
Appointments could be made
in advance, but walk-ins were
welcome, too. At times, there was
no wait and those interested could
start the process immediately.
Despite the free snacks, however,
the drive was not as successful
as hoped. By 3 p.m., only 58
potential donors to tried to give
blood. “We could have more
donors,” said Sam Huecker, a
volunteer with Athletics at the
drive. It is important to note
that the number of attempted
donors is not the same number
of successful donors. Factors
such as weight, health conditions
and simply finding a good vein
can all impede someone’s ability
to give. Hopeful donors could
also note donate if they’d given
in the previous 56 days. Donors
who attempted to give and could
not for whatever reason were still
offered a shirt and snacks.
The drive also implemented
an increased weight minimum
of 120 lbs. instead of the former
110 lbs because of problems with
MCT Campus
the after-affects of donating in
the past. The new requirement
went into effect last summer.
According to a representative of
the Community Blood Center of
the Carolinas, the new, increased
weight requirement seemed to
curb the number of problems
reported with volunteers after
donating. Despite the change,
CBCC still only took one unit
from donors.
However, despite periods of
slowness, Huecker still noted
areas of success in the drive.
She believed the drive was much
more organized than blood
drives in the past. “(Past drives)
took forever,” she said, adding
that others would go over the
expected wait time and the
actual end time of the drive. For
athletes, donating had the added
benefit of counting towards their
life skill requirement, according
to Huecker. Besides giving blood,
athletes can also volunteer and
participate in community service
projects.
“Charlotte student-athletes as
well as the university as a whole
recognize the importance of
giving back to our community,
and this drive is always a highlight
of our annual community service
efforts and we think an important
part of the Homecoming Week
festivities,” said Mark Verburg,
Assistant ACC Director and Life
Skills Coordinator, according to
the 49er Athletics Website.
The blood drive was only
one of many events held by
the Athletics Department for
Homecoming Week, which takes
place through Feb. 20.
viewpoint
THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ PAGE 3

Dana 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

Transit layoffs will only

hurt railway systems
quentin holness Chicago’s subway and elevated
Staff Writer train system yet. Metro rail
qholness@uncc.edu systems are a great addition to
any city, in that it provides a
There’s trouble in the windy transportation service everyone
city—or at least, in the elevated can and will want to use. Losing
and underground subways. Mass employees cuts production,
transit is a large industry and is and lack of production causes
the catalyst for the growth of decreased revenue from
many cities, though negative consumers. Metro rails become
growth hinders that process. a great convenience to have, even
Chicago, Illinois is in the Sunbelt cities where the
experiencing backlash and cities are far more spread out
may lead to lost jobs within the than northern cities.
Chicago transit authority. As With Charlotte’s continued
many know, Charlotte has taken aspiration and reality of growth,
the first steps to build and run a decrease in production would
an expansive mass transit rail slow that growth. With 700,000
system, but during such turbulent residents, a strong public transit
times, there is always a risk. system would help cut down
With a large city such as Chicago on gas consumption, increase
teetering financially, it would be tourism in certain areas, make
no surprise if other cities such parts of the city more accessible
as Atlanta, Philadelphia and and generate interest for travelers.
Los Angeles follow suit with Uptown Charlotte would be the
their transit systems. Charlotte, biggest gainer from a transit
however, is on another end of the system. Parking in uptown is
spectrum. not fun, and surely enough, it
Instead of trying to stay can be a turn-off for the younger
running, Charlotte is trying crowd when it comes to life
to grow their system with the uptown. Bring in a good railway
current line serving mostly from system and you bring life and
south uptown to Trade Street vibrancy to your city, which also
and Tryon Street. If running bring tourism, which also brings
costs exceed the revenues like money.
Chicago’s system, Charlotte may Charlotte is an ever-growing
have its system back-peddling. city, so it has to do something to
Though of course, Charlotte’s help keep that growth alive.
Lynx rail system really isn’t

Olympic luger’s death causes major controversy

erin reeve
Downtime Editor
ereeve@uncc.edu
Ninety miles per hour down a
twisting hill, and then…it’s over.
Just like that. Everything Nodar
Kumaritashvili had worked
and lived for was gone, in the
twist and a turn, into thin air
and amidst the slope of a literal
lifetime. Vanished, gone, and
replayed on national television.
But why? The luger was doing
what he had loved, practiced and
worked on for such a long time.
His ending was not the most
glorious way to leave this world,
but it should be respected and
regarded equally.
Replaying it on television is
not the way to regard a death
that occurred no matter how
suddenly. We have to think of
the families and friends that are
deeply affected by this gruesome
fall. Nobody wants to witness
their child, cousin, aunt, grand replay it over and over. Any one
child, or best friend die from an thing can also be redundant. His
accidental bloody slip-and-slide. story was a tearjerker, but to drag
At that, nobody wants to watch it it out is simply boring as well.
Whoever decided that it would
again, and again.
be a good idea to replay a death
We should, also, have
to entertain people was sick in
some respect for the luger.
the first place.
Kumaritashvili had worked hard
Everyone that was watching
to be in the Olympics and had
the Olympics at all already knew.
worked hard on that exact slope.
If it was a tribute, it could have
He had strived to empower
been less gruesome. A “Please
his legs and mind to gather
remember” typed slide would
himself together to pull off that
have been better than actually
dangerously intriguing hill. Still,
seeing the death. It would have
the fact is, he did not pull it off.
been less stomach-turning and
By replaying his death, we may
vulgar to the public, and his
not only be embarrassing his
family and friends, as well.
career as a luger, but we may also
The media was in the wrong
be giving off the assumption that
for showing this gruesome and
he was not very good.
horrifying death, but the fact
Disqualifying anyone’s
that it was replayed is even worse.
career, dead or alive, is wrong.
Let’s just hope for everyone’s sake
We as people need to have a little
that we don’t have to witness it
bit more respect, as do those
again.
in the media. It is one thing to
inform and educate the public
on an issue, but quite another to

Nodar Kumaritashvili, an Olympic luger from Georgia, died on Feb. 12 after crashing into a post
during a practice run.
MCT Campus

‘LOST’ enters final season, finally

Google Buzz is a useful new
answers our burning questions
social networking tool
Tremaine tillman
Staff Writer
tatillma@uncc.edu
The mega-company Google announced and
launched its rendition of social networking on
Tuesday, Feb. 9, in the form of Google Buzz.
Gmail users may have noticed the addition of
the Buzz tab and its multi-colored bubble while
routinely checking mail, but what about everyone
else left wondering what the buzz is all about.
Google Buzz allows users to effortlessly
connect and interact with what is around them
through posting messages, photos, videos or links.
I know what you are thinking; ‘Oh fun, another
social networking medium to consume more of my
valuable time,’ because, let’s be honest, who has time
to keep up with them all? Although it is similar
to other networking sites, Buzz has the ability to
integrate and connect with some of them, such as
Twitter. Buzz Mobile, however, is where Google
plans to take the upper hand on its competition.
Google Buzz is taking advantage of this smart
phone era and allowing users to stay connected
while on the go. Mobile Buzz uses your smart
phone and integrates with Google maps to put
your surrounding environment practically in your
pocket. So now, if you want to check out that
restaurant that you have previously been unsure
about, you can see what others may have buzzed
regarding the menu, the atmosphere or even
the service. Or if you want to check out what is
popular and buzz-worthy in your immediate area,
resort to mobile Buzz and get some insight to what
people are doing.
As of now, Android 2.0+ phones and Apple’s
iPhone fully support Google Buzz and all its
features. Blackberrys, the Nokia S90 and Windows
Mobile phones all plan to acquire the Buzz soon.
However, like most things that are rushed into
the consumer’s hand, Google Buzz does have a flaw
in that privacy takes a backseat. By, default Buzz
discloses a list of names of Gmail contacts that the
user frequently emailed or chatted with, revealing
potentially sensitive information for users who
are unaware of this feature. And although some
measures have been taken to correct this, the
mobile version also has privacy issues. When a user
posts anything from their mobile phone, their exact
location is displayed along with the post; you can
see how this could be potentially compromising.
All in all, Google Buzz, with its innovative
vision and unique integration capabilities, is a
good alternative to other social networks or a nice
addition to the many you already have. But don’t
take my word for it; go see for yourself what the
buzz is about.
chris brotherton characters are underlined by past seasons.
Staff Writer The only thing new that we are seeing on the
cbrothe4@uncc.edu show is what happens if they do not crash on the
island. The characters in this new timeline are
The final season of ‘LOST’ has started and
still bound to the relationships that they have
has many fans wondering if the show really
made over five seasons, which would make a
worth watching anymore. For a hardcore ‘LOST’
newcomer to the show a bit lost when he see an
junkie like myself, the answer lies in how many
ex-convict helping out a pregnant women after
questions the writers can answer without
she steals a cab.
bringing in new puzzling questions. In the season
However, this final season can draw in many
opener, we quickly learned that the island is
of the old fans because the writers are finally
actually underwater and that some characters,
giving us the answers that we have been waiting
like Desmond, were on Flight 815.
for. We now know that the smoke monster is
However, the writers threw us for a loop when
really a lonely god who is trying to go home in the
they “flash sideways” to the island right after the
guise of Locke.
explosion of the hydrogen bomb at the end of last
We know that Richard Alpert was in
season. Some critics say this is a cop-out from the
“chains,” meaning that he is supposedly a slave
writers Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse, who
to Jacob. We know that the ‘Other’ others know
are also the executive producers of the show. I
everything about the island and will help out our
believe that this new way of storytelling is what
main characters. Finally, we know that ‘LOST’ is
keeps fans coming back to the show.
become the invasion of the body snatchers with
First we had normal flashbacks, then flash
“the sickness.” Or, as some people refer to it, ‘the
forwards, then time shifts, and now the flash
Zombie season.’ The biggest question out there at
sideways. What all of this means is that it is nearly
the moment is: how will the show end?
impossible to jump on ship in this final season.
With some questions being answered and
The producers of the show have always said that
with minimal new questions being introduced,
you do not really need to know the mythology
the sixth season of ‘LOST’ should be packed with
of ‘LOST’ to enjoy it, because it is character-
action, romance and, of course, the answers that
driven show. However, in my opinion, the story
we all want to know.
has evolved to a point where all the actions of the

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viewpoint
PAGE 4 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

Sarah Palin considering a run

for president in 2012 race
demarco castillo U.S national security was not at its best during
Staff Writer Christmas day last year because of an attempted
jrodri49@uncc.edu terrorist attack by Abdul Mutallab. She scolded the
Obama Administration for giving Abdul Mutallab
When I first heard about Sarah Palin running
a student visa and claimed that the US should have
for vice-president during the 2008 presidential
reviewed his application more seriously. “ExSqueez
election, I was so jealous because she had an
me!!” If all of you remember the unfortunate Sep.
awesome telescope that allowed her to “see Russia
11 incident that happened not so long ago, it could
from her house.” But now, I’m just overwhelmed
have been prevented. How, you may ask? Well,
that Palin stopped blogging on Facebook about
the 10 out of the 15 hijackers that were involved in
her political views on the new administration and
those attacks were supposed to be deported back to
decided to do keynote presentations like the one
their countries because either they had an “expired
she did on Feb. 2 in Nashville, Tennessee.
visa or they were on the terrorist watch list.” And
The crowd was very pleased to have Sarah Palin
after all that, look what happened under the watch
as a keynote speaker, and FOX News was more then
of the greatest president since Richard Nixon.
ready to broadcast her speech live because we all
You can tell that Sarah Palin was more than
know that FOX News treats Palin as if she was the
comfortable at the Tea Party Convention; during her
think tank of the Pentagon. The 45-minute speech
speech, she was happy that there were “real people
that she gave at the Tea Party Convention was
and no Politicos” in the room. Frankly, I would be
mainly about how the Obama Administration was
too if I couldn’t name a credible newspaper off of
failing the country. I never thought I would say it,
the top of my head, so she was probably hoping that
but she has a point, to an extent. She mentions how
those people wouldn’t ask her hard questions like
the TARP program that was issued by the current
they did during the 2008 election. Nevertheless, the
administration only helped out the banks, mortgage
audience loved her and FOX couldn’t get enough
companies, and auto industries, which frankly, left MCT Campus
of her. For now, Ms. Palin is under the radar until
out the people that really needed the money the
she shows up in another tea party or an NRA
unemployed and uninsured. Palin made some valid
meeting to give another assessment of the Obama Palin, shown here during a book signing, recently said she wouldn’t rule out considering a presi-
points during her speech; however, anybody can be dential bid in 2012.
Administration. So, until then, I hope the Obama
a critic, and very few people can actually provide
Administration will improve the unemployment
real life solutions that would resolve the problems.
rate, fixe the economy or have a verbal debate with
She failed to do this.
Ms. Palin.

Should obese passengers

For example, Sarah Palin mentioned that the

pay for two airline seats?

alyssa rinaldi
Staff Writer
amcguirt@uncc.edu
How big is too big to fly?
Well for Southwest Airlines,
Kevin Smith, “Silent Bob” of the
dynamic duo “Jay & Silent Bob,”
is the answer to that question.
Smith’s Twitter read “Dear
@SouthwestAir – I know I’m fat,
but was Captain Leysath really
justified in throwing me off a
flight for which I was already
seated?”
This tweet was a response to
a situation Smith found himself
MCT Campus
on after boarding a plane headed
Washington D.C. has received over two feet of snow this winter, which is unusual and has caused to Burbank. Southwest Airlines
much damage.
has a “customer of size” policy,
Smith tweeted several times
from the new flight he was
placed on, mocking the policy
of Southwest Air: “Hey @
SouthwestAir! Look how fat I
am on your plane! Quick! Throw
me off!” After a safe arrival in
Burbank, Smith tweeted, “Hey
@SouthwestAir! I’ve landed
in Burbank. Don’t worry: wall
of the plane was opened & I
was airlifted out while Richard
Simmons supervised.”
In his attempt to get the
attention of Southwest Air,
he succeeded in receiving a
tweet addressed to him from
Southwest Air. The tweet issued
an apology for the “experience”
Smith encountered and assured
Southwest Air.
If you have a policy, enforce it.
Your weight and size don’t change
before and after boarding the
plane, so this should have been
caught prior to boarding. If it is
too ambiguous to tell if a person
will fit in a seat prior to actually
seeing them in the seat, change
the policy. Although it may
cause some people to purchase
seats unnecessarily, if there is an
across-the-board weight limit for
one seat, the fault can not be on
Southwest Air. Until the policy
is made a bit clearer, there are
sure to be a heavier number of
complaints.
As for Kevin Smith, he
remains out of character,

Giving heating aid money to South

which calls for passengers to buy Smith he would receive a call speaking up instead of staying
two seat tickets if they can not fit from Customer Relations VP of “silent.”
between arm rests. If extra space
is available upon arrival, refunds

leaves Northern states in the cold

erin reeve
Downtime Editor
ereeve@uncc.edu
Southern states are not
the only ones being affected
by their surprisingly colder
climates. In fact, due to Obama’s
recent emergency aid fund,
northern states may be getting
the bad end of the deal. Maine,
Vermont and New Hampshire
all decreased their federal
funding for emergency aid,
while two southern states have
tripled their funds and six have
doubled their funds.

 Although
Obama was only trying to help
the southern states in the mess
of their bad weather, he has
ended up angering and hurting
the northern states that have
grown accustomed to their
lower heating costs. Northern
and southern states alike should
not have to suffer the wrath of
the weather, but giving most of
the aid to the south should not
be a considerable option.

 The
north has always the funds to
support themselves during bad
weather. By disallowing them
to their funds, they are without
the warmth and comfort of
their once affordable heating.
Not only is this wrong, but
giving it to the southern states
is worse. Why give someone
else funding while allowing
the other to live, literally, in the
cold? 

It doesn’t make sense,
and was not thought through
well. If we could somehow split
the funding, as we realize that
both areas are experiencing
bad weather, maybe the south
could be granted funding fairly.


Others may argue that northern
states can adapt and have the
materials needed to do so. They
are given for the unnecessary
purchase of a ticket or passengers
can be relocated to a different
flight free of charge. This is a
policy Southwest Airlines has
believe that the northerner
had in practice for 25 years,
states know how to take care of
reports the Huffington Post.
themselves in the snow because
However, there was no cause for
they have grown used to doing
concern directed towards Smith
so. But without heating, you are
until he reached his seat on the
left in a cold home, suffering,
plane.
and probably sleepless and too
In Smith’s case, he had not
miserable to go on with your
purchased an extra ticket, so
daily life. A Zamboni can only
when it was noticed he could be
dust the ice off of a hockey rink,
a potential “safety hazard” to the
and a snowplow only clear the
flight that was full, he was given
road. It can’t prevent the chill
a $100 voucher and put on a
of a house, or the uncomfortable
different Southwest flight where
situation decreasing funding MCT Campus
more room would be available.
is bringing.

 This growing
snowball needs to be stopped
before it wraps itself around
another state, and grows into
a monster of a snowman. If the
country finally decides to be fair FEEDBACK
and equal, as Obama promised, Have a strong opinion about a story that ran in the University Times, or a hot topic on campus about which you
I believe all controversy will be want to vent? Voice your thoughts by sending the University Times a 200 word or less letter to editor@uncc.
cut, and the snowball will melt edu. Be sure to include your name, year, school, major and telephone number. Letters are subject to editing for
this problem to slush. length, style and content.

Time to apply
for financial aid
for 2010-2011
FAFSA forms are due to
financial aid office by April 1
Celina McPhail requested. The Office of Student
UNC Charlotte Office of Student Financial Aid at UNC Charlotte
Financial Aid urges you to submit your FAFSA
cmmcphai@uncc.edu
before April 1st by completing
the online application at: www.
It’s time to complete your Free
fafsa.ed.gov
Application for Federal Student
Please note that awarding
Aid (FAFSA) for 2010-2011 using
of financial aid for continuing
your 2009 income information.
students will begin at the end
Applying early could potentially
of May after the spring semester
maximize the amount of financial
grades are finalized.
aid you may be eligible to receive.
It also gives you time to complete
any requirements that might be

arts&entertainment
‘Shutter Island’: sanity not included
John Anderson
Newsday
Nobody involved was surprised that Martin
Scorsese’s latest _ the gothically inflected
psychological thriller “Shutter Island” _ is
chockablock with references to everything from
the Bronte sisters to “I Walked With a Zombie.”
“Marty has loved film all his life,” said
Hollywood vet Mike Medavoy, one of the film’s
producers. “He’s out there promoting film
preservation, he knows everything about movies.
I’ve known Marty since the ‘70s and worked with
him a few times before, so I don’t think any of
those allusions were surprising.”
Neither was Scorsese’s choice of star: Leonardo
DiCaprio, who at the age of 35 has acquired both
the physical presence and actorly heft of the great
leading men _ and who is starring in his fourth
Scorsese picture. A collaboration that began with
“Gangs of New York” (2002), included the Howard
Hughes 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 of
magical-realism, Val Lewton-esque lyricism and
elusive Hitchcockian psychology.
“I was very intrigued by the screenplay,”
DiCaprio said on a recent afternoon in Manhattan.
“It was very much a throwback to some of the great
detective films of the past, whether it was ‘Vertigo’
or ‘Out of the Past,’ which Marty screened for us.
At first glance, it was a thriller, a genre piece with
twists and turns.”
But what he discovered, along with his director
and his co-stars _ who include Ben Kingsley,
Patricia Clarkson, Emily Mortimer and Michelle
Williams _ was that the filmmaking took them to
“places we couldn’t have foreseen. It got darker
‘Them Crooked Vultures’ Nintendo selling for gold
scavenge to find a new sound
Alicia Wiles
Staff Writer
awiles3@uncc.edu
Last Wednesday I had the wamazing opportunity
to see Them Crooked Vultures at the Fillmore in
Charlotte. This alternative rock/classic rock band
is what is known as a super group, because it is
formed of performers already famous from other
bands. When you have the combination of three
members from three very amazing bands, the end
result just has to be magical, and it is.
The Vultures got together around the middle
of 2009 and started recording together, but there
were also earlier rumors stating that there had
been talk of the new band since 2005. Whatever
the case, the Vultures are here and making a wide
variety of songs and music. Their first album,
which is self-titled, was released late last year on
Nov. 17, 2009. Them Crooked Vultures is made up
of Josh Homme, Dave Grohl, and John Paul Jones.
They also have a fourth member, Alain Johannes
who plays live performances.
Many may remember John Paul Jones from
the classic rock band Led Zeppelin. Jones is an
incredibly talented musician who plays a large
array of instruments that include bass, mandolin,
keyboard, guitar, koto, lap steel guitars and more.
Jones contributes his multi-instrumental skills to
Them Crooked Vultures by playing bass, keyboard,
piano, keytar, slide guitar, mandolin and sings back
vocals. Josh Homme is another great musician
known for his time in the late 90’s rock band,
Queens of the Stone Age. Homme contributed
and darker and more emotionally intense than we
ever expected.”
It doesn’t exactly begin with flowers and
sunshine: On a steel-gray day in 1954, two men _
U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels (DiCaprio) and his
new partner, Chuck Aule (Mark Ruffalo) _ get off
a boat at Shutter Island, a facility for the criminally
insane. A female inmate, a multiple murderess, has
pulled off a seemingly impossible escape from the
island’s Ashecliffe Hospital and Teddy is intent on
tracking her down. The oppressiveness of the place
and the quasi-ghoulish personalities of the medical
staff (notably, a German-accented doctor played by
Max von Sydow, who reminds Teddy of his part in
the liberation of Dachau) are compounded by the
progressively macabre and hallucinatory goings-
on in a locale that author Dennis Lehane said was
based on a place he visited as a kid.
“There was an actual minimum-security mental
institution in Boston Harbor,” he said, “but it was
connected by a bridge. It was called Long Island,
actually _ which would have been a really crappy
title. I just don’t think it would have had the same
shiver _ ‘Lonnng Islaaand.’”
But for all the eerie, otherworldly
embellishments, to its star, the fright factor was
not the most important aspect in making the film.
“It’s being publicized as a thriller with a surprise
ending or terrifying elements, and is very much a
genre piece,” DiCaprio said. “But at the end of the
day, it’s what Martin Scorsese does best: Portraying
something about humanity and human nature and
who we are as people. That’s what makes it stand
out, and makes it different from being a normal
genre piece.”
“Marty directs like a lover,” said Kingsley, whose
Dr. Cawley seems like a progressive psychiatrist,
especially for the Eisenhower era. “Everything is
mainly lead vocals and guitar, but he also played
bass, keyboard, drums and more.
The last of the founders is none other than
the infamous Dave Grohl. Grohl was the longest-
lasting drummer from the rock/grunge band,
Nirvana, and he was also the lead vocalist and
guitarist from the rock group the Foo Fighters.
Alain Johannes is the fourth member that joined
as a touring member for Them Crooked Vultures’
2009-2010 tour, which started last Oct.. This
guitarist and founder of the indie rock band Eleven
adds his guitar, bass, keyboard and backing vocals
to the Vultures.
The band dropped their first self-titled album
last Nov. The first single they worked on was
“New Fang.” The single made an appearance on
the Alternative Songs Chart at number 10, as well
as also on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks and
Rock songs. The Vultures have created something
interesting here by combing the talents of three
different bands, all famous for different reasons.
When I got to see them live, it was an even better
experience. Homme’s vocals have a catchy edge,
matched with Jones’s superior instrumental skills
and Grohl’s all-out passion for the drums. All these
elements combined created something awesome
and new.
There is already talk of a second album, and the
first has barely been out for three months. Grohl
stated in an interview, “When we make our second
record, it’s going to be even more powerful than
this one.”
You can learn more about Them Crooked
Vultures at http://www.myspace.com/
crookedvultures.
THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ PAGE 5
held together by affection _ for his actors,
his crew, his material, for cinema. What
perhaps you don’t see on the page, what
did emerge, is an extraordinary level of
tenderness between the characters.”
For his part, Scorsese seemed more at
home talking about the Laeta Kalogridis
screenplay (adapted from Lehane’s novel)
and how it provoked the filmmaker whom
producer Brad Fischer described as “a
walking encyclopedia of movies.”
“I think the trappings of the story,
the situations, the storm, two detectives,
the escaped patient, automatically bring
certain genres to my mind,” Scorsese
said, “certain images that go back several
hundred years. I had all this to draw
upon. The issue was having them work
for our story and at the same time refer to
other films, other types of films. In other
words, the more you see, and the more
you see of the past, the more you can draw
upon that, and the more you can make the
present and future.”
Scorsese’s future, to judge by
rumored projects, will include several
more pictures with DiCaprio. A Frank
Sinatra biopic, another about the young
Theodore Roosevelt and an adaptation of
Jordan Belfort’s “The Wolf of Wall Street”
(which will inevitably draw comparisons
MCT Campus
to the DiCaprio-Spielberg film, “Catch
Leonardo DiCaprio stars as U.S. Marshal Teddy Daniels in
Me If You Can”) are all said to be in the
latest paramount production
works. DiCaprio, meanwhile, is processing
“Shutter Island.”
be written down on paper. I have to say, there
“It was like a giant jigsaw puzzle,” DiCaprio
were a few weeks there that were among the most
said. “And it wasn’t until we were on set that we
hardcore film experiences I’ve ever had. I think
discovered that. There’s only so much that can
Marty would say the same.”
John Roussel
Staff Writer
jmrousse@uncc.edu
reason for the high bids is not due to the console
itself but one of the games that came with it.
The bundle in question included six unique
games: Super Mario Bros. 3, Super Mario Bros.
An eBay user from Haw River, N.C. sold an (which also includes Duck Hunt), Teenage
old Nintendo System bundle last Wednesday for Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game,
$13,105 after 36 bids. Major League Baseball and the North American
The original Nintendo Entertainment System version of Stadium Events, apparently one of
(NES), also referred to as the Family Computer the rarest video games in existence. If this eBay
or Famicon, was originally released in Japan auction is any indication, a portion of today’s
in 1983 and didn’t make its way stateside until electronic entertainment could achieve a similar
over two years later. Who would have thought status for the dedicated collectors of tomorrow.
that the classic video game console would go
for thousands of dollars, nearly 27 years after its
historic debut?
Bidding for the item began Feb. 3 at just $9.99.
However, the bids went from $13 to $100 within
the first hour alone. Over the course of the next
week, 17 individual bidders continued to drive
the price up, sometimes jumping hundreds, if
not thousands, of dollars with each offer. In the
final hours the bidding amount jumped from
$8,800 to $13,105, for which it was sold. The
eBay seller lace_thongs35 made a fortune.
It’s probably a good thing that she didn’t
set a “Buy It Now” price like many others on
the popular shopping and auction website.
Currently, most NES bundles seem to vary
greatly in buy-out prices or bids, depending on if
the console is used or new and what accessories
or games are included. Another eBay user
seems to have a sense of humor and has put up a
similar listing for sale (minus the games) at the
exact same price of the winning bid.
Why would someone pay this much money
for an old gaming console when similar bundles
are offered for significantly less money? The
MCT Campus
PAGE 6 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

arts&entertainment
Charlotte based ‘Houston Brothers Band’
offers a new kind of indie underground
Anni Simpson in 2003, they released “The enriching, playing together as a Matt’s approach is similar.
Asst. Copy Editor Houston Brothers.” They took duo is really where both of them His most memorable experience
asimps27@uncc.edu off from there. want to be. “We understand was simply the completion
“The band consists of me each other in a way that a lot of of their last album. “We got
There wasn’t a time that and my brother, and that’s it people really don’t have, which a chance to work with Mitch
Charlotte native Justin Faircloth right now,” said Matt. “We’ve is just a musical language, and Easter, who’s kind of a local
didn’t want to create music. had a larger band at times, up that’s where we’re really at home legend,” said Matt. “[He’s]
According to him, having the to five or six people.” However, together,” said Matt. worked with R.E.M. And one of
desire “from swing sets, really,” both brothers are pleased with The pair has kept it local. our influences. He did a couple
he started playing in bands the current status of the group. “We play around Charlotte a of records with Pavement.”
as early as junior high school. In 2005, the two were joined by good bit. We play the east coast, Besides a tour full of N.C.
Currently, he plays as one half four other Charlotte locals. “We Chicago, New York, that sort of locations, the brothers also plan
of the locally based Houston were glad to have those people thing,” said Matt. “We’re mainly to return to the Fool’s Brigade,
Brothers’ Band, along with play with us, because they were just a songwriting band, not so an annual show in April that
younger brother Matt Faircloth. all really talented, but it was much commercial stuff. It’s kind hopes to shine light on the local
The duo – named randomly good to go back to what we were of an art rock type of approach music talent in Charlotte as well
by a friend making fliers for doing,” he said. According to to music. We just kind of do it for as a Charlotte-based charity.
a past show show – have kept Matt, the experience of having ourselves.”
themselves busy in the last a “big band sound” continues to “My favorite things are small
couple of years. They recently influence the pair, even as they things, the sensation of finishing See Nineronline for the rest of the
started touring around the ‘Houston Brothers Band’
play alone together. a song and knowing it’s done,”
state, and they also signed with Though the experience was said Justin.
Chicago-based label Chocolate
Lab Records.
The two men bring to the
table a large selection of artistic
influences. “I just love music.
I love songwriters. I love
instrumentalists. We grew up
listening to so much stuff,” said
Justin. He cited music influences
such as the country his parents
listened to growing up, Johnny
Cash, Bob Dylan, and “every
bit bit of music [he] could get
[his] hands on.” Matt’s original
influences were “early indie
rock stuff” such as Pavement
and Built to Spill, though he
currently enjoys legends such
as Bob Marley, Sam Cook, the
Congos, and the Flaming Lips.
“He left my parents’ house
four or five years before I did,”
said Matt with regards to forming
their the duo. “He kinda moved
around and then I ended up
moving out from there. We got
a place together, and that was
kind of when we started using
our music together. We built a
little studio in that house.” They
released their debut, “I’ll Take Photo/ The Houston Brothers Band
Care of You,” in 2001, recorded Charlotte based ‘The Houston Brothers Band’ keeps it local with down home perfor-
in their Charlotte home, and mances and one bedroom practices.
ninersports
PAGE 7 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES

SPORTS SCHEDULE
Women’s tennis @ Wofford Thur. Feb. 18, 2:30 p.m., Spartanburg, SC
Women’s basketball @ St. Louis Thurs. Feb. 18, 8 p.m., St. Louis, MO
Softball vs St. Francis Fri. Feb. 19, 3 p.m., Charlotte, NC
Baseball @ High Point Fri. Feb. 19, 4 p.m., High Point, NC
Follow us on Twitter at UTimes_sports

Jeffery’s 13 strikeouts lead

Charlotte past ETSU
there would be no way the field
would be playable,” DeVos said
in regards to the shaky weather
conditions.
Even with the awful weather,
the 49ers were ready to play to win.
Practicing in the cold, rain and
snow made it seem all too easy to
take the first win home. Charlotte
got numbers on the board when
freshman Briana Gwaltney came
up to bat. Her first appearance
in a Charlotte uniform staked
her claim, emerging from the
dugout. Gwaltney pummeled
a ball over centerfield, putting
Charlotte up two runs to none
in the second inning. However,
Gwaltney wasn’t finished yet. She
hit not one homerun but two, the
second homerun coming from the
bottom of the fifth inning. When
asked about her first collegiate
appearance for the 49ers, she
enthusiastically responded, “It File Photo
was awesome. I honestly didn’t Dijuan Harris led the Niners to a 65-60 win over 15th ranked Xavier last year.
think the second hit would be a

Charlotte faces Xavier

homerun, because it popped up
and looked like it wasn’t going to
make it over.”
Not only was Charlotte

Senior Emily Jeffery recorded 13 strikeouts Sunday
afternoon in Charlotte’s home opener.
Natalie LaVigne
Staff Writer
nlavigne@uncc.edu
Weather didn’t stop the 49er
women’s softball team as they
opened their season against East
Tennessee State on Sunday. They
came out on top with an overall
score of 7-3. With only two errors,
there are high hopes for this team
to do great things this year. “It’s
always good to win your first one,
and I was very pleased with the
offense,” Head Coach, Almee
Devos, confirmed.
Charlotte was suppose to be
hosting the 49er round-robin
File Photo
tournament but ended up with
Charlotte playing only one game,
– and not a bad game at that.
Unfortunately, the weather
was the main issue. With snow
and slush coming in on Friday
and Saturday, the weekend almost
didn’t happen. DeVos stated that
the team, coaching staff and
even parents helped to scrape
off the snow that fell earlier this
Valentine’s Day weekend. With
the weather conditions being as
they were, there was little chance
the field would air out by Sunday,
but it pulled through.
“We worked the field all
day yesterday. If we hadn’t,
dominating offensively, they
were taking charge defensively.
Returning senior, Emily Jeffery,
pitched a good first game as well.
In Charlotte’s home opener, she
struck out 13 opponents, making
the game look simple.
“I was anxious at first, but
then everything settled down,”
stated Jeffery. Last year, Jeffery
broke the single-season record
with 294 outs; it seems like she’s
headed down that path again.
In regards to Charlotte’s
upcoming season, things look
good. The team is excited, and
so are the fans with the newly
inserted bleachers. Jeffery said,
“We’re ready to see what we can
do during this season. We have
some things to work on, but once
we get going, we’ll be fine.”
in Homecoming tilt
Josh Carpenter Dante’ Jackson scored 14 Charlotte squad knocked off
Managing Editor points and dished out six assists the nationally-ranked Muske-
jacarpe1@uncc.edu
in the last meeting between the teers 65-60 in front of a rau-
teams, an 86-74 Xavier win at cous Halton Arena crowd.
The Charlotte/Xavier
Cintas Center in Cincinnati in Charlotte has critical re-
match-up has always proved
January. The Musketeers have maining games against Xavier,
to be a pivotal one in the A-10;
won nine of their last 11 games Rhode Island and Richmond
and this year looks to be no
with the only losses coming and probably need to win two
different. If the 49ers win their
against Dayton and nationally- of those to have a good shot at
game over Duquesne Wednes-
ranked Temple. dancing in March.
day night and Xavier wins their
Charlotte just had their If the Niners win on Sat-
game over St. Joe’s, the Satur-
seven-game winning streak urday, it will be another piece
day match-up could decide
snapped at the hands of Dayton, in the puzzle towards a March
the fate of the 49ers and their
in a 75-47 blowout loss at UD Madness masterpiece.
NCAA Tournament hopes.
Arena.Last season, a depleted
ninersports
PAGE 8 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
Midwest south paw says
“Ohio” to Niners pitching staff
Hamilton looks to be an integral part of Charlotte’s pitching
rotation in 2010 as the Niners look to claim an A-10 title.
Ed Niser
Staff Writer
eniser@uncc.edu
Johnny Hamilton was a 2008 RISE top
pitching recruit in Ohio during his senior
season and is a product of Strongsville
High School located 30 minutes west of
Cleveland.
Hamilton first realized he had a shot at
playing Division 1 college baseball during
his freshman season, when his high school
captured the State title in 2005. He is a
freshman left-handed pitcher for Charlotte,
where he looks to mystify hitters with his
change up. For those who don’t know what
a change up is it is when the pitcher releases
the ball with the same movement as a fastball
but comes in much slower, baffling even the
best hitters.
Hamilton is a lefty change up pitcher who
has been playing competitive baseball since
he was eight years old. When asked who
his biggest influence was, he immediately
responded, “My biggest influence to play
collegiate baseball was my summer league
coach Sean DePaula. Coach Depaula pitched
in the big leagues for the Cincinnati Reds and
Cleveland Indians. He helped me work on
my mechanics and work on my mental game.
Hamilton aspires to meet future hall of fame
pitchers Roger Clemens and Greg Maddux
to ask them how to continue succeeding in
baseball after college.
Hamilton is the proof in the pudding
when it comes to the link between genetics
and athletics. Hamilton’s father, Tom, was a
Tight End at the University of West Virginia
from 1981-1985 and in 1986 was drafted by
the Orlando Renegades in the 8th round of
the USFL draft. However, the league folded
that year. Johnny isn’t the only Hamilton who
has hopes to play collegiate sports. Johnny’s
younger brother, Ray, is drawing looks from
the football programs at Pittsburgh and West
Virginia as a Tight End. Johnny said that his
father always pushed him to be successful
in athletics. Johnny Hamilton, as one would
imagine, was quarterback for the Strongsville
Mustangs during his high school years.
The recruitment letters from colleges
across the Atlantic 10 began pouring in
for Hamilton during his junior and senior
years. Hamilton received looks from Dayton,
Xavier, Mid Atlantic Conference contender
Akron and of course, Charlotte. The
Charlotte 49ers sold the southpaw with their
straight-talking coaches, gorgeous stadium,
facilities and the overall success of the team
in recent years.
Hamilton, like any college student, gets
stressed with the demands of the classroom.
Take into account that classroom along with
his coaches and teammates telling him he
must give it all he has on the field and in the
classroom. Now that’s pressure. Charlotte
athletes are given one day off from workouts
and team practices a week, which doesn’t
account for much free time.
He gets himself in the zone by listening to
rap 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
for listening to it.”
Hamilton makes his presence felt when he
steps onto the mound. The 5’10 Ohio native
kisses his chain before his last warm up
pitch, toes the rubber gains his focus clicks
his heels and delivers. He participated in
the Split Squad World Series and he pitched
four scoreless innings of no hit relief for the
White team on Oct. 29.
Hamilton looks to be a fundamental
weapon in the Charlotte 49ers pitching
arsenal in 2010 and for his collegiate career;
after all, he is only a freshman.
The Niners open their season tomorrow
night with a home-and-away series against
High Point and return home Saturday for a
4 p.m. match-up immediately following the
men’s basketball game against Xavier.
The Niners play 12 of their first 15 games
at home this season and look to open up with
a bang.
File Photo
Johnny Hamilton and the Niners will look
for a fast start this season when they
take on High Point Friday afternoon.
49er player
spotlight
Courtesy of Charlotte Athletics
Josh Carpenter
Managing Editor
jacarpe1@uncc.edu
This week’s player spot-
light looks at sophomore
combo guard Derrio Green.
Green has averaged 13.8
points per game in his first
season with the Niners af-
ter transferring from Gulf
Coast C.C.
Green has gone above
and beyond the Niners’ ex-
pectations this season and
has come up big in several
spots.
Green scored 20 points in
Charlotte’s 22-point win over
nationally-ranked Louisville
in December and scored 31
more in the Niners’ 76-67
home loss to Georgia Tech
on Jan. 2.
Green also scored a ca-
reer-high 34 points against
UMass on Jan. 30 to give the
Niners a key road win in Am-
herst.
Green was named the
A-10 Player of the Week for
the week ending Jan. 30th
after averaging 30 points in a
pair of wins over Temple and
UMass.
He scored 26 points in
Charlotte’s 74-64 win over
#15/#15 Temple in Halton
Arena and then scored a ca-
reer-high 34 against UMass.
Green also won the Player
of the Week award for the
week ending Jan. 3 after a
31-point effort against Geor-
gia tech and a 23-point effort
against Mercer.
Green knocked down
8-of-16 3-pointers in the win
against UMass and has draw
n comparisons to former 49er
Leemire Goldwire for his
prolific 3-point shooting abil-
ity.
However, Green’s abilities
aren’t limited to only 3-point
shooting. He has also shown
the ability to run the point
when senior Dijuan Harris
needs a break and has accu-
mulated valuable experience
at the position.
When it comes to athletic
ability, Green has plenty of
it. The sophomore guard
can drive to the cup and still
get his shot up and has made
several important acrobatic
shots.
Green will play a key role
in Charlotte’s game against
Xavier on Saturday and will
prove to be vital to the team
in March.
downtime
THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ PAGE 9

“I don’t want to talk to you no more, you empty headed animal

food trough wiper. I fart in your general direction. Your mother was
a hamster and your father smelt of elderberries.”
-Monty Python and the Holy Grail

Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Monday Tuesday

18 19 20 21 22 23
Homecoming Scavenger Hunt
8:00 AM
CAB Office 220A Union
Homecoming High Team
Challenge Course
1:00 PM
Family Day 2010
8:30 AM
Various Locations
Bouldering at Dixon School
Boulders
7:00 AM
UNC Charlotte Chapter Na-
tional Black MBA Association
Interest Meeting
Emerging Neurotechnologies
4:00 PM-
Cone, 210
Venture Office, Cone 222 Venture Office, Cone 222 7:00 PM
Graduate School Prospective Student Union, 261 Multicultural Movement: Belly
Student General Info. Session Homecoming Parade & Tail- Dance
12:00 PM What a High gate 5:30 PM
CATO, 228 1:00 PM 10:30 AM SAC, Aerobics Room
High Ropes Course - Venture Start at Mary Alexander &
Homecoming Parade/Tailgate Craver Rd. Got Relationships?
Meeting 7:00 PM
2:30 PM Student Union
Student Union, 264

Horoscopes
By Nancy Black and Stephanie Clements
Tribune Media Services
(MCT)

Today’s 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
don’t have). Smart!
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Both genders work together to get romance on track. This
could be in the form of a play or some other dramatic presentation. Take extra care of 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 you’re passionate
about your idea and want to see it through. A brief prayer or meditation couldn’t hurt.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- A female provides a ton of ideas that all seem to elevate
your mood. As you feel 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 is
allow them to choose the game, modify the rules and grab the appropriate prize.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Teamwork allows all parties to throw ideas into the ring.
Today’s project can use more than one set of eyes. By day’s end you all agree on the conclusion.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Your private thoughts don’t mesh with those of your co-
workers. As long as the issues aren’t critical, this won’t matter. Differences of opinion sort themselves
out.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Your sense of what really matters changes today. Your
independent attitude shifts toward a more sympathetic appreciation for family and associates.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- You feel like you’ve been there before. Creative ideas
flow easily and inspire you to greater heights. Persuade yourself to let go of limitations.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- The thing about love is that it grows faster when you
lavish it. No need to limit the extent of 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 for 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. No
one expects you to express enthusiasm all the time. As the sun enters your sign, you want to retreat and
regenerate.

classified ads To Place a Classified Ad: $8 for first 20 words; 25¢ for each additional word; 20¢/word for bold or CAPS.
Log on to www.nineronline.com and click on “classifieds” to place and pay for your classified ad.
For additional information, call 704-687-3681.

The University Times cautions our readers about sending money in response to
Help wanted Travel advertising. When responding to ads in any publications to purchase informa-
Earn Extra Money Students needed ASAP. BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK $189 for 5 DAYS or tion, items or services, you may wish to request written advance documentation
Earn up to $150 per day being a Mystery $239 for 7 DAYS. All prices include: Round-trip of what the advertiser is selling. Though we take precautions to protect our
Shopper. No Experience Required. Call 1-800- luxury cruise with food. Accommodations on readers from false or misleading advertising, The University Times is not respon-
722-4791 the island at your choice of thirteen resorts. sible for the validity of advertisers’ claims.
Survey Takers Needed: Make $5-25 per Appalachia Travel. www. BahamaSun.com
survey. www. GetPaidToThink.com 800-867-5018.
Guy needed to be SUPERHERO at Charlotte
area kids parties on Weekends! Athletic? En-
joy working with kids? Dependable? Own
Transportation? Love being center of Atten-
tion? Training provided! New Hire MUST be
available weekends of Feb 27th and March
6th & 7th! See website and Email photo and
resume! www. WishUponAstarParties.com
(704) 780-4300
PAGE 10 ❚ February 18, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
intersection
Gold Dusters bring spirit to Niner Nation
Anni Simpson
Asst. Copy Editor
asimps27@uncc.edu
You may have seen the Gold Duster Dance team
perform during basketball games, during both the
men and women’s games. However, the team has a
underrated, long-standing track record of success
and national achievement under their belts. On
multiple occasions, the Gold Dusters shined a
national spotlight back home here in Charlotte.
The team currently consists of 18 dancers,
including 8 freshman and 3 sophomores.
“Being a Gold Duster is something I’m
extremely proud of because of the commitment I
make to myself and my team is very rewarding,”
said junior Laura Bebo, a member of the team;
Bebo has performed with the team for two years.
For over a decade, the Gold Dusters consistently
competed in the National Cheerleader’s Association
(NCA) and National Dance Association (NDA)’s
Championship competition in Dance Division I.
Between 1994 and 2001, they consistently
walked away from the event at 4th place or better.
In that time period, they won first place twice,
most recently in April 2001. Last year, they claimed
3rd place.
This past April, they claimed fifth place against
eighteen other nationally ranked, Division I schools,
with a score of 8.752 under Coach Jennifer Floyd.
The finals in the championship require the dancers
to perform a maximum 2:15 time, involving jazz,
pom, and hip-hop styles in their routine.
Is the jolt from that energy drink worth the nutritional risks?
Here are some things to take into consideration before popping open your next energy drink
Jan Jarvis
McClatchy Newspapers
(MCT)
Energy - the high-octane kind that pumps up
the most stressed-out bodies is only a sip away.
Or so goes the promise from the more than
500 energy beverages that are fueling fatigued
consumers.
Some of the latest additions to this $3 billion
business rely on healthy-sounding ingredients such
as vitamin B and ginseng for that extra boost. The
names say it best: Cranergy. Crystal Light Energy
Wild Strawberry. Dansani Refresh and Revive.
SoBe Essential Energy.
These fruit juice-spiked drinks are refreshing,
but can they really deliver a healthy jolt of energy?
Here, five things everyone should know about
this human rocket fuel.
1. The “boost” these drinks provide is not true
energy.
“On a national level, we compete and get
honored by NDA,” said Bebo. “That is the only
national recognition we get. At nationals, UNC
Charlotte has a reputation of being one of the top
teams. When we go, we are one of the teams to
beat. 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 Duster
team, as the team had a coaching staff change at
the beginning of the year.
Despite their long list of successes at a national
level, readily available information on the team
is difficult to find. A Google search provides an
interested party with side references for a bigger
piece on another subject or small news blurbs about
these achievements. They aren’t even technically
considered athletics at all, though they work
closely with the athletics department and still “feel
the love,” according to Bebo. “As far as recognition
from UNC Charlotte, we don’t get much,” said
Bebo. “As dancers, we understand that we aren’t
technically a sport.”
However, despite the lack of a title, the girls
must work very hard on the team, and they just Photo/Jackson sveen
started practicing their competitive routine.
“The time commitment of being on the dance However, it’s still worth it. “Being on the dance a sold out arena can raise the hair on the back
team is probably the hardest part, because as a team keeps me involved. I feel like I am a part of of your neck,” Bebo said. “The real appreciation
college student, you know how tight money can be. something greater; Niner Nation. Being able to comes from the students. UNC Charlotte Fans are
I work every night that I am not dancing. Luckily, I represent my university every week on the court is definitely the best to cheer along with. As the Gold
have found a place that will work with my schedule exciting. I don’t make baskets or score any points, Duster program continues to grow, we hope the
to continue doing the things I love,” said Bebo. but being able to go on the court and dance for love and support for us does as well.”
Aggressive marketing and urban legends have caffeine, they can stimulate the central nervous 4. Some can lead to tooth decay.
fueled the popularity of these drinks, said Dr. system. Jamba Juice’s new 3G Charger boost gets One health concern with many of the fizzy
Damon Schranz, an assistant professor at the its blast of energy from ginseng, the stimulant energy drinks is high acidity levels. Izze juice
University of North Texas Health Science Center. guarana and 120 mg of “natural” caffeine. beverages have recently come out with a fortified
2. Fruit juice-based energy drinks aren’t version that has 70 percent fruit juice, no added
“Some people may actually believe they are health
necessarily any healthier than a glass of OJ. sugar and 10 percent of the daily recommended
drinks.”
Cranergy “cranberry lift” is a new drink from values of vitamins C and B-6 and niacin. But the
But true energy comes from calories, not
Ocean Spray fortified with vitamin B and green tea fizz in drinks can lead to tooth erosion, Schranz
caffeine, said Lona Sandon, assistant professor
extract. said.
of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas
“People see it and think cranberry juice is 5. For a few, some energy drinks might be
Southwestern Medical Center. Most of the drinks
very healthy and when you throw in a little herbs dangerous.
deliver lots of sugar, caffeine and other stimulants.
then that must be even better,” Sandon said. “But Guarana, a common ingredient in energy
All that caffeine perks people up, makes
vitamin B does not create energy. It works by drinks is a stimulant, but its effect lasts longer than
their heart race and gives them a sense of feeling
helping the body metabolize food.” caffeine. Too much may lead to abnormal heart
energized.
3. Some energy drinks are loaded with sugar. rhythms, especially when combined with alcohol.
“But it’s a false sense of energy and any central
Arizona Green Tea Energy, SoBe Energy People who have existing cardiac or seizure
nervous system stimulation they get is going to be
Citrus and Naked Juice Energy Smoothie contain disorders should stay clear of these drinks, Schranz
short-lived,” Sandon said. “You could get the same
more sugar than a can of Dr Pepper. Sucking down said. The stimulant in these drinks can also disrupt
feeling if you took a 10-minute brisk walk.”
energizing waters or juices can add tons of sugar the sleep cycle.
Ginseng and ginkgo balboa sound like healthy
and about 150 calories.
ingredients but there’s no proof that they work. Like