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News Page 2 Opinions Page 6 A&E Page 10 Features Page 14 Sports Page 20 Wednesday, November 28- December 4 • Volume XCIII No. 14 Protests, warfare, and death A world of conflict The Carolinian Established 1919 Box N1 EUC UNCG Greensboro, NC, 27413 Phone: (336) 334-5752 Fax: (336) 334-3518 Editorial and Business Staff Derrick Foust Publisher Publisher.Carolinian@gmail.com Kaycie Coy Editor-in-Chief Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com Laura Brewer News Editor News.Carolinian@gmail.com Ashley Northup Opinions Editor Opinions.Carolinian@gmail.com Arvé Byrd Arts & Entertainment Editor AE.Carolinian@gmail.com Ian Foster Sports Editor Sports.Carolinian@gmail.com Christopher McCracken Features Editor Features.Carolinian@gmail.com Autumn Wells Advertising Manager Ads.Carolinian@gmail.com Corrections Policy The Carolinian never know-ingly publishes any mistakes. Please promptly notify us of any errors by e-mailing the Editor-in-Chief at Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com, or calling (336) 334-5752. Corrections will be published on page 2 in sub-sequent issues of The Carolinian. Mission Statement The Carolinian is a teaching newspaper that is organized and produced by students of the Uni-versity of North Carolina at Greens-boro. It is our objective to teach young writers journalistic skills while emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity in campus media. News 2 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM While the United States is celebrating the victory of legal same sex marriage in three new states, Uganda is only getting stricter in their laws against such equality. An anti-homosexuality bill, also known as the Kill the Gays bill, will pass by Dec. 25, 2012 in response to the demands of the citizens. Rebecca Kadaga, the speaker of parliament in Uganda, says that citizens of Uganda are demanding stricter laws for homosexuality even though the lifestyle already gets a person fourteen years in prison if caught. “Who are we not to do what they have told us?” says Kadaga. “These people should not be begging us.” The bill will split homosexual behavior into two categories: aggravated homosexuality and the offense of homosexuality. Aggravated homosexuality is defined as pertaining to a person who is HIV positive, to authority figures, or to repeat offenders. This category was originally set to be punishable by death, but has been rewritten to be punishable by life in prison. The offense of homosexuality is defined by being in a same sex relationship and is punishable by a long prison sentence and possibly a life sentence in some instances. There are also penalties for those organizations and individuals who know of gay people and say nothing about it or who support LGBT rights. This law is applicable to any citizen of Uganda, including those who escape to other countries. The law states that a gay Ugandan citizen who is in another country must be handed over to Ugandan authorities for trial. Some are suggesting that the “removal” of the death penalty may just be a PR cover and that the actual bill’s language may obscure the truth. Many people are probably still aware of Chick-fil-a’s stance on homosexuality and the corporation sent money to various political groups which oppose it. One of these groups, the Family Research Council, spent $25,000 lobbying Congress to support the bill in Uganda. The bill has gotten massive attention from all over the world, most of it negative. The United States, United Kingdom, and The European Union have all put massive pressure on Uganda not to pass the bill. Even The Vatican has made it known that they disagree with the bill. Many of these countries have threatened to cut off financial aid to Uganda if the bill is passed. Pressure is also coming from American missionaries and the extremely conservative Anglican Church in Africa. The bill originally stated that all offenses of homosexuality should be punished by death. This action drew protest from international LGBT, human rights, civil rights, and scientific organizations. In response to the attention, a revision was introduced to reduce the strongest penalties for the greatest offenses to life imprisonment. Intense international reaction to the bill, with many media outlets characterizing it as “barbaric” and “abhorrent,” caused President Yoweri Museveni to form a commission to investigate the consequences of passing it. The attention caused the bill to be held for further discussion for most of 2010. In May 2011, parliament adjourned without voting on the bill and in October 2011 debate was re-opened. The bill was re-introduced in February of 2012. According to human rights organizations, at least 500,000 gay people live in Uganda out of a total population of 31 million, though the government of Uganda contests that number as inflated. The laws against homosexuality that are already in place are remnants of British colonialism designed to punish what colonial authorities deemed “unnatural sex” among local Ugandan people. Although many societies in Africa view homosexuality as a practice imported by outsiders, it existed before European colonization, often varying in practice depending on individual cultures. In some, male homosexuality was age-stratified, similar to ancient Greece where warriors purchased boys as brides, common when women were not available. Here in the United States, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is asking religious organizations and leaders to intervene. “American faith leaders know that calling for the death penalty, or even calling for imprisonment, of an entire community is not in line with Christian values,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a press release on Friday, Nov. 23. “American Christian faith leaders with ties to Uganda, like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes, must reach out to their influential Ugandan friends to ensure that the human rights of Ugandans are not put up to a vote.” Bill threatens lives of Uganda’s LGBT community Various civil rights groups have worked hard to defend the LGBT community. Courtesy Mikusagi/Flickr News WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 3 Hundreds and, according to some reports, thousands of people throughout the country participated in protests outside of Wal-Mart stores nationwide during Black Friday sales. Demonstrations were held at over a hundred Wal-Mart locations in major US cities. Organizers from a union-based group called OUR Wal-Mart gathered outside of their nearby Wal-Mart store locations to protest against the corporation’s unfair treatment of employees obligated to work during the Thanksgiving holiday and most notably Black Friday. Representatives from OUR Wal-Mart, along with those in support of the demonstration, spoke out for better pay, accommodating schedules, and affordable healthcare for employees who had to work for Black Friday. Some shoppers who were on their way into the retail store decided not to go in, and instead joined the demonstrations held outside. According to OUR Wal-Mart, numbers for the demonstrations were in the thousands, stretching over 100 cities. Wal-Mart has downplayed this number, saying it only knew of a few dozen protests. One of the biggest protests occurred outside of a Paramount, CA Wal-Mart store, where nine of the 1,000 people who demonstrated were held under arrest for failing to disperse, according to an LA County Sheriff’s Department statement. Wal-Mart claims that over this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, half of those who protested were employees for the corporation. Wal-Mart and VP of corporate communications David Tovar claims otherwise. “We had our best Black Friday ever and OUR Wal-Mart was unable to recruit more than a small number of associates to participate in these made for TV events... press reports are now exposing what we have said all along -- the large majority of protesters aren’t even Wal-Mart workers.” The company has since come out with a statement stating that fewer employees had actually worked this holiday than in previous years. It goes on to state that Wal-Mart will be offering discount deals in the store for employees who were scheduled to work Black Friday. The store has since switched to the offense against protesters. Wal-Mart filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the demonstrations were in violation of labor laws. They claimed the protests had disrupted the flow of business and added that those workers who participated in protests also violated the National Labor Relations Act. OUR Wal-Mart also filed charges with the federal agency, as they claim that Wal-Mart is trying to stop workers from participation in protests, which violates their First Amendment freedom of speech. Many Americans argue for dramatically different views on how to fix the problem. Michael Bryant, a high school student and self-described Democrat, believes the problem is greater than Wal-Mart. “Honestly, I think the fact that such a small percentage of the American people have such a direct control over the countries resources, economic mobility and social structure is absolutely offensive. If you want my opinion, the way that the ruling class has always denied the lower classes of better life options has been going on since antiquity. Slavery was the first society, feudal society improved on that, capitalism improves on this, and socialism improves on that. Wal-Mart is just a modern example of the ruling class controlling not just the wealth, but the distribution of power in society. Change is needed from the bottom up.” Others disagree. Danny Ryoo, a UNCG junior and self-described Libertarian, is one such example. He says liberty is and always has been the answer. “People are very quick to blame our economic problems on private interests, but the fact is that the government has intervened too many times. The sole source of revenue for the federal government is the tax, money which is gained by the individual in the private sector. If these employees do not like the conditions under which they work, they are free to resign. There is no contractual bind that says they cannot do so. I say get the government out of the private sector, and let the individual exercise their liberty. This is how the free market works.” In Dallas, Josue Mata says he walked out on his maintenance shift to join those outside in protest against Wal-Mart’s suppression of freedom of speech. “I have four kids and I don’t want them to grow up in a society where people disrespect them,” he said. “This is a never-ending fight and we’re never going to stop.” Many major retail stores opened their doors for shoppers even earlier this year. Stores like K-Mart and Target gave their customers “door buster deals” opening hours on Thanksgiving day. “By opening even earlier, the retailers have been able to attract a broader spectrum of consumers to participate in Black Friday -- not everyone is willing to wake up at 4 a.m.,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group. As employees faced another year of hostile customers, these recent protests should come as no shock for millions of people deciding not to participate in Black Friday sales, as they claim the day has taken away the Thanksgiving spirit. In past years, hundreds of injuries and deaths were resulted from anxious and some violent customers. Incidents such as the 2008 Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death by a stampede of shoppers leave many upset at the commercialization of the holiday season. Even amidst the demonstrations, the busiest shopping day of the year continues to bring in major revenue for companies. Stephanie Cistrunk Staff Writer Aaron Bryant Staff Writer Black Friday stimulates Wal-Mart protests Pictured from left to right: Senior Vice President of Sustainability Andrea Thomas and Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke Courtesy Walmart Corporate/Flickr News 4 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM International News Briefs French protest against gay marriage bill Protests break out in Jordan after gas prices rise. Compiled By: Alaina Monts Ex-mayor of Mexican town beaten to death In Jordan, clashes broke out between anti-government protesters and those who support King Abdullah II. These followed a demonstration involving thousands of people in the capital city, Amman. Demonstrators expressed their disapproval of the government’s elimination of fuel subsidies. Since subsidies were lifted, domestic gas prices in Jordan have been raised by 50%. Many protesters chanted for the downfall of the king, a rare occurrence. Dale Gavlak of BBC said that these protests may be one of the most serious threats to King Abdullah’s 13- year reign. In a peaceful protest, thousands chanted the Arab Spring slogan, “The people want the downfall of the regime.” Many other peaceful protests were held in the northern city of Irbid, and in southern towns of Karak, Tafila, and Maan. Near the city’s Wasfi al-Tal square, Abdullah loyalists clashed with anti-government protestors, with dozens of protestors beaten by those who support the king. The subsidy cuts raised the price of a grade of gasoline primarily used by low-income families for heating and cooking. This decision angered a public already suffering from high rates of unemployment, poverty, and inflation. Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the price raise was necessary in order to reduce a massive budget deficit of about $5 billion. In Paris, at least 70,000 people took to the streets to protest plans to legalize same-sex marriage and to allow same-sex couples to adopt. More demonstrations took place in Lyon, Toulouse, and Marseille. Protesters included Catholic groups and other supporters of traditional families and their rights. The president of France, Francois Hollande, has promised to change French law to make same-sex marriage legal. France already has civil marriages for same-sex couples, but since only married couples can adopt at present, they don’t yet have full rights. Despite opposition from over 1,000 mayors and the Catholic Church, the French government approved the bill earlier this month. Parliament will debate it in January. Protesters in Paris wore pink clothing and carried balloons with an image of a man and a woman holding two children’s hands. Marthe Vignault, a protester, said, “A child needs a father and a mother, he needs the paternal and the maternal side and with this bill that might not be possible anymore.” This issue is the most decisive that Hollande has faced since becoming president. The head of the French Council of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois said that same-sex marriage is “the ultimate deceit”. Many countries in Europe already allow adoption by same-sex couples. The former mayor of a western Mexican town, who had previously survived two assassination attempts, has been beaten to death. Maria Santos Gorrostieta’s body was discovered in a ditch with a blow to the head three days after her family reported her missing. She was 36. Mexican officials are increasingly becoming targets of drug cartels. While still mayor of Tiquicheo, Gorrostieta was shot at twice by gunmen, who also killed her husband. The federal government has been asked to do more to increase security by the public. Gorrostieta was mayor from 2008 until 2011. In 2009, she was ambushed in a car with her husband, Jose Sanchez. Sanchez died of gunshot wounds sustained during the attack. Gorrosieta was injured again three months later. When she was released from the hospital, she stated that she did not know why she was being targeted. “I have a clear conscience, I have never had any issues of any kind, be it money, family, or crime related,” she said. Since the president, Felipe Calderon, declared war on drug traffickers in Mexico six years ago, at least two dozen mayors have been murdered. Police are still unsure of what the motives for all of the killings, saying they aren’t always clear. However, most attacks on local officials have occurred in small towns in regions where rival drug gangs have disputes. On Wednesday, Nov. 21, after eight days of non-stop fighting and the death of 160 Palestinian and 6 Israelis, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced in a joint news conference in Cairo with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egypt’s foreign minister, Mohamed Kamel Amr. Under the Egyptian-brokered agreement, Israel agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings of militants, while all the various groups in Palestine will stop firing rockets into Israel and staging border attacks. Israel is also required to begin talks about opening Gaza’s border crossings and lessening restrictions on the movement of people and goods. The ceasefire is being touted by some as the beginning of an era that is free of this violent conflict. Others remain skeptical that the peace will last, since all previous ceasefire agreements have failed. Despite the fact that a few rockets were fired from Gaza even after the truce took place, and reports have arisen that Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man near its border in Gaza, the fragile agreement has appeared to hold thus far. It is still unclear, however, whether or not this latest ceasefire will result in long-stalled negotiations on a broader peace agreement being resumed or whether it will serve as a simple respite from the long running conflict. According to Hamas officials, soldiers opened fire when farmers were trying to reach their land near Israeli-Gaza border. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the people were rioters who attempted to breach a fence dividing Israel and Gaza. The IDF has said that a group of about 300 Palestinians attempted to enter Israel at several locations along the Gaza border and maintained that its soldiers acted according to the rules of engagement to distance rioters from the fence that separates Israel and Gaza. Anwar Qandeeh, 21, died in the confrontation Friday, according to the Hamas Health Ministry, though the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately confirm a casualty, telling CNN it was looking into the report. This is the first reported fatality since the ceasefire brought together through powerful international diplomacy took effect. Supporters of both Hamas and its rival, the moderate Palestinian party Fatah, exhibited rare unity in celebrating the ceasefire and attention on the relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party has increased. In the past, the two groups have struggled for power in Palestine, with Hamas ultimately gaining power when they won legislative elections in 2006 and took control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007. The Palestinian Authority has accepted Israel’s right to exist and has engaged in peace talks with the Jewish state, while Hamas, an Islamist movement, does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, and has been labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, and Israel. Abbas has been seeking to reach a negotiated settlement with Israel in order to end the decades-old conflict, but is unlikely to be able to accomplish that goal if he is not presiding over a unified Palestine. Israel, Palestine sign ceasefire: will negotiations last? Elizabeth Wise Staff Writer News WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 5 Weekly Forecast Today H: 55° L: 30° Thursday H: 56° L: 33° Friday H: 60° L: 39° Weekend H: 61° L: 43° Partly Cloudy Monday H: 64° L: 40° Sunny Partly Cloudy Sunny Sunny The 2012 Presidential race created a temporary, highly charged political environment in the United States, particularly among college students. However, now that the election is decided, the political focus has all but disappeared. Gone are the campaign signs and the Facebook posts about controversial issues, and much of the turmoil that accompanied the election has gone with them. Unfortunately, a side effect of this peace is the loss of political awareness, both on-campus and off. Since for many offices the incumbent will be replaced in January, the current office-holder can make decisions without fear of public opinion, meaning that following the political scene in the months following the election are just as important as the months before. A notable example is US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice’s recent stance on the Benghazi attacks that occurred in September. Rice was one of the first US diplomats to comment on what had happened, saying that the attacks were based on an anti- Islamic protest and had no terrorist links whatsoever. However, it has since been determined that it was a planned act of terror. Many, particularly in the Republican Party, have criticized these remarks as an attempt by the Obama administration to conceal the true nature of the events. Rice, who is tipped to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, maintained in a speech at the UN this Wednesday that she was merely relaying information from the intelligence community. “I made clear that the information was preliminary, and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers,” Rice said. Other important issues include the Republican Party’s struggle to reshape its image. Mitt Romney’s “47 percent remark” has severely impacted the party’s reputation, with a staggering exit poll result of an 81 percent – 18 percent lead for Obama among people who rate “caring about people” as their most important quality in a candidate. According to William Bennett, a CNN correspondent, the GOP can no longer rely on its fiscal stance to earn votes, particularly at a time when that fiscal stance seems to be founded primarily on resistance to tax hikes for the wealthy. “While tax hikes alone on the richest Americans will not solve the debt problem or avert the fiscal cliff -- a point Republicans rightly make -- neither will the status quo,” Bennett said, adding that the party needs to compromise on tax policy in order to create unity and eradicate the impression created during the current campaign that Republicans care only for the rich. Bennett also said that “the 2012 election taught us that class warfare is a powerful tactic if not properly rebutted.” In a final wrap-up to election news, many political races in Florida have been slow to declare a winner in light of the vote miscounts that have occurred in the past, and many candidates have requested recounts. One particularly publicized case involved Allen West, a Tea Party incumbent representative who went to court to demand a recount in his race against Democratic candidate Patrick Murphy. The race was not close enough to require a second count, but West demanded that one take place before finally conceding last Wednesday. This recount was especially relevant due to the fact that West was one of two African American Republicans in the House of Representatives. Post election coverage: aggressive political stances begin to fade Olivia Cline Staff Writer Our campus is beautiful. Let’s keep it that way. Recycle. Opinions 6 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM After 31 years, HIV/AIDS is still a problem For 31 years, HIV/AIDS has been on our radar. Since the early reports of young gay men in San Francisco and New York diagnosed with a new and strange “cancer” in 1981, the world has known HIV/ AIDS and the pain it has caused people and their loved ones. Since 1988, World AIDS Day has been an annual event held Dec. 1 that raised awareness of HIV/AIDS in the United States and worldwide. This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is “Working Together for an AIDS-Free Generation” and while that notion is not possible now, it is my hope we can decrease HIV in the United States and abroad. Since those first cases of HIV/AIDS among gay men in larger U.S. cities, HIV/AIDS has infected and affected all types of communities across the United States. With the introduction of life saving antiretroviral medications in the 1990s, people have been living with HIV/AIDS longer and longer and are living more productive and healthier lives. However, the battles won in the fight against HIV/AIDS are only a small portion of the work that needs to be done to fight HIV/AIDS. The early fight against HIV/ AIDS in the United States was fought in hushed whispers and in fear. Gay men were afraid of what was called a “gay cancer,” but many thought the bathhouses were still beacons of hope for sexual liberation. Health departments in New York and San Francisco who had good standing relationships with the gay community were afraid to close the bathhouses due to political fallout and backlash. Hemophiliacs in the United States and in the western world used Factor VIII, a blood product that helped their blood to stop clotting. It was being infected with HIV from blood donors. The American Red Cross and the entire blood banking industry did not want to get their hands dirty testing blood for only a few AIDS transfusion cases. (Testing of the blood for HIV/AIDS did not start until 1985.) The Reagan administration took money from other health priorities to fund HIV/AIDS research, but insisted it had enough money to fund AIDS research. It was not until 1987 Reagan publicly said the acronym “AIDS.” It was not until Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis in 1991 that people started to think of HIV/AIDS as more than a “gay and junkie” disease, even if that belief still exists out there. Legal and some illegal needle exchange programs started to sputter up the west coast and in New York City, helping to reduce HIV/AIDS (as well as Hepatitis C) among intravenous drug users. These programs not only helped to reduce HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, but did not encourage drug use and in some instances, helped to reduce drug use. Antiretroviral medications were put together in cocktails that were shown to be successful and effective in helping people live longer. In 1997, HAART, (the medications) reduced the amount of HIV in the body and built up the immune system, and made news organizations and the media suspect that HIV would soon be a thing of the past. Sadly, that has not been the case. Research toward a vaccine is always in the works, but no vaccine has ever been successful because of the nature of HIV and how the virus changes. Since then, the 2000s and beyond witnessed communities fight HIV/AIDS valiantly. However, HIV/AIDS continues to impact many communities adversely. As of 2009, 44 percent of all new infections were among African Americans, while African American men accounted for 70 percent of all new infections among African Americans. Though 1 in 4 cases of new infections are among women, 2/3 of those new infections among women were African American women. Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be impacted by HIV/AIDS. In 2009, 61 percent of all new infections were from MSM. Out of all new infections among men, 79 percent were among MSM. In 2010, MSM accounted for 51 percent of estimated AIDS diagnoses in the United States. Nearly 300,000 MSM have died of HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. In some pockets of the country, HIV/AIDS rates among MSM are worse than some parts of Sub Sahara Africa. HIV/AIDS continues to be a virus that not only changes its makeup, but in how it impacts people. Either way, HIV/AIDS is still a problem in the United States and one that is treated with less attention than in the earlier stages of the epidemic. Rates are continuing to climb and our society is faced with a challenge of whether to sit idly by or take action. HIV/AIDS should have never reached the problem it is today, but after 31 years, it still hurts our nation and many nations across the globe. This World AIDS Day, on Dec. 1, I hope you will join me in fighting HIV/AIDS. Photo Courtesy Official u.s. navy imagery/flickr Magic Johnson, seen above, was a pioneer for how people see HIV/AIDS today. Samantha Korb Staff Writer Opinions WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 7 In the constant struggle to individualize women, it is im-portant to examine the way that legislation and political ideals impact real lives. While abortion remains a hot topic in America, it is not always discussed in a fac-tual and informative light, but in a dialogue weighed down with morals and politician’s personal beliefs. The need for road blocks to ensure that getting an abor-tion is not “an easy way out,” and that the responsibility to “have a choice” falls solely on the wom-an, has a dangerous impact. The moral ramifications of abortion are often discussed, but the social and personal ramifications rarely are. In the recent “Turnaway Study,” conducted by Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, it was determined that being deterred from or denied access to an abortion can have a lasting impact on the life of a mother and a child. According to the ANSRH website, the study is designed to “…describe the mental health, physical health and socioeconomic outcomes of receiving an abortion compared to carrying an unwanted preg-nancy to term.” Over one thou-sand women were recruited from over 30 clinics across the nation and during 2012, the fourth year of the project, over 2,800 in-terviews were conducted. This study aims to provide solid evi-dence that carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term has negative consequences, and that these consequences extend far past the woman being denied. While this study does discuss some of the more far reaching impacts of women be-ing denied abortions, it is impor-tant to keep in mind that women should not have access to repro-ductive health services for “the Affects of being turned away from abortion a lost topic greater good.” It is important that these women are able to choose for themselves and that the quali-ties of individual lives are taken into account. The women that were interviewed were both Eng-lish and Spanish speaking wom-en, women who were 15 years of age or older, and women who were either one day to two weeks below, or one day to three weeks above the upper gestational limit. This study followed women who were able to receive an abortion, and women who were denied an abortion based on gestational limits which varied from clinic to clinic and ranged from 10-26 weeks. Participants were in-terviewed via phone every six months for five years. The re-searchers, led by Diana Greene Foster, presented their findings at the recent American Public Health Conference in San Fran-cisco. According to an article on “www.io9.com” by Annalee Newitz titled: “What happens to women denied abortions? This is the first scientific study to find out,” the results were interesting. The author of the article spoke with Foster about the findings. It was determined that women who were forced to carry their pregnancy to term were more likely to become unemployed, to be on public assistance, and to fall below the poverty line. The women in the study were on comparable grounds in terms of socio-economic status and money was often cited as a rea-son to seek an abortion. This was proven by the 76 percent of the “turn aways” who were on pub-lic assistance one year later, and the 44 percent of those who had obtained an abortion and were on public assistance. It was also shown that more women who had been turned away were in-volved in abusive relationships than those who had met the re-quirements to terminate their pregnancy. This was explained by Foster as such: “this wasn’t be-cause the turn aways were more likely to get into abusive relation-ships. It was simply that getting abortions allowed women to get out of such relationships more easily.” Without the physical, emotional, and financial drain of carrying an unwanted preg-nancy to term the women were more self sufficient and easily mobilized. These women could choose to leave their relationship if they so desired. Emotionally it was determined that 97 percent of the women who chose abor-tion felt that they had made the right decision, and 65 percent of the “turn aways” still wished they could have obtained an abor-tion. This study only backs the idea that women need the right to choose, and that the options should be accessible. Denying abortions only serves political agendas and personal ideals, and the impact of uninformed deci-sions on the part of the govern-ment should be taken seriously. This study is a step in the right direction, and provides proof that women benefit from hav-ing control over their bodies and lives. A shocking revelation if there ever was one. Emily Ritter Staff Writer Photo Courtesy infomatique/flickr Are the consequences for those turned away from abortions long-lasting? Opinions 8 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM The internet is arguably the last place where there is privacy. Google has a terrifying amount of power and information at its fingertips. In fact, most of what we do is recorded by Google. As a company that stands to gain a lot from data collection, it makes sense that they collect data. That does not make it any less Orwellian. Downsides aside, though, the internet is one of the last bastions of privacy because, so far, it is relatively unregulated and the companies with a stake in it like to keep it that way. This so-called Digital Due Process coalition (or the internet Avengers) was first reported by CNET, and includes: Apple, Amazon, AT&T, eBay, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Twitter. With constantly expanding companies like these defending the internet, it stands a good chance of remaining private. Unfortunately, that does not mean people will stop trying to slay the privacy of the internet. A bill is being put to vote this week that would allow access to American’s emails without a warrant. Under the bill, internet providers would be forced to notify law enforcement if they told their customers they were the target of a warrant, and notification that someone’s account has been accessed can be postponed up to 360 days. Law enforcement agencies have argued that needing a warrant would hinder investigations. That is ridiculous, plain and simple. I could use the slippery slope argument. If we no longer need warrants to read emails, then why should we have warrants at all? Why have any protection for people if it merely hinders getting the bad guys? I am not a huge fan of the slippery slope argument, though, because it is often used in ridiculous ways and misses the point at the hand. In this case, it misses that even without that argument the idea of someone in law enforcement freely being able to read my email without even telling me for nearly a year later. My email is not very interesting. Cops would probably be baffled by how often I ask for “halp” or the pure amount of oddball animal friends I have linked through email. An argument I have heard many times is the idea that if you are not hiding anything, then you should not be worried about laws like this. It is not about whether or not my email contains cats or an email that will incriminate me in murder. That is irrelevant. What is relevant is that law officials should absolutely not have the power to read my email without a warrant. Further, no person or company should ever have control of the internet or what goes on the internet. Although law enforcement trying to do anything without a warrant makes this an issue, it is mostly yet another attempt to regulate the internet, or to take any power the internet may have away from it through regulation. We have seen this time and time again, most notably with SOPA, but also with many smaller bills and other acts that are now weighing over Ashley Northup Opinions Editor the wild west of the internet. The internet is one of the last unregulated domains. It likely will not be that way forever. However, I intend to fight for it while I can and I recommend everyone else do the same. I may just have a lot of cats doing funny things in my email, but law enforcement is going to have to get a warrant if they want to find out. After all, the last time I checked, asking for due process was not asking too much. Warrantless searches just another fight for privacy Photo Courtesy vonderauvisuals/flickr Are warrantless searches just another attempt to prevent privacy on the internet via bills like SOPA? Opinions WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 9 Coming out of the 2012 elections, you can still hear a sort of grumble coming from within the Republican Party. After two election cycles in which Angles and Murdocks threw away what were easy Republican pickups and dashed the party’s hope of retaking the Senate, some leaders within the party are beginning to look forward to 2014 and beyond with grim expectations. Social conservatism, the factor that had helped build Reagan’s bipartisan coalition, created the gender gap, and won George W. Bush two narrow elections, has begun to fade as a weapon of political strength. No doubt that the culture wars will continue to brew for decades to come, however it is likely that the Right will see itself more and more on the losing side of these issues. Consider that in this past election cycle, stridently pro-life candidates went down in flames despite running in culturally conservative states such as Missouri and Indiana. Maryland, Maine, Washington State, and others made history in 2012 by becoming the first states to legalize gay marriage by popular referendum. Although the governor of Colorado told his citizens to avoid bringing out the munchies snacks just yet, his state and Washington voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. In isolated cases, these could be labeled as flukes, but the electorate that came out to the polls in 2012-browner, younger, and more socially liberal- is the future of American politics and it remains likely that these groups will push for the changes that we saw on election night. That being said, I am not quite ready to take a post-mortem look at the socially conservative movement. Hispanics are the fastest growing voting bloc in the nation, and they tend to be culturally tethered to the religious right. Also, one cannot discount the possibility of another Great Awakening-like revival. They have happened on several occasions in the past, and nothing about the current political atmosphere says that it is impossible for it to happen again. Nor should anyone be totally opposed to some sort of religious revival in this country. The truth is, for all the things that social conservatives get wrong-attempts to control reproduction, a desire to deny gays equal rights, an unceasing effort to propagate a Christian alternative to everything from music to theories on how the earth was formed- they get several things right as well. Religious people are more prone to give to charity and take part in religiously-oriented relief efforts. According to information from the IRS, out of the top five charitable states, four of them, Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, are very Republican and extremely religious. This is not to say that nonreligious people are not charitable, because all people are to some extent or another. However, religion drives people to help their fellow man in a way that does not require government efforts. In his ground breaking book Reclaiming the American Dream, Richard Cornuelle sees religious organizations as essential for solving social problems outside of the government sphere. Religion can fuel charitable giving and this one of several things social conservatives get right. Another is family values. It is one thing to export your personal views onto someone else, but it is another to walk the walk you are always talking about. While no one is perfect, and slip ups occur, social conservatism has proven very healthy for families and children. Marriage, the cornerstone of social conservative living, proves to be financially and emotionally strengthening for couples. According to the Population Association of America, cohabitation offers some of these benefits, but not all. The unity of two people as one under the law has demonstrated benefits, particularly for men, though both genders benefit. Also, the religious life creates a healthy environment for children. According to research done by the conservative Heritage Foundation, children of religious parents are more likely to a better relationship with their parents than less religious people. The same study found that religious children (and adults for that matter), were less likely to take part in risky sexual behavior, habits that could have health detriments such as smoking and drinking, and were less likely to take part in crime. These things may seem obvious, but they deserve to be reiterated. Photo Courtesy vonderauvisuals/FLICKR Are family values one of the things social conservatives get right? Joseph Winberry Staff Writer Social conservatives: what they get wrong and right Our country needs people who are healthy in mind and body and who can empathize with their fellow citizens. These are just a few of the many things that socially conservative individuals get right. Still, the social conservative movement has not always successfully championed these values. Despite the obvious benefits of marriage, the Christian Right continues to denounce any attempts to extend matrimony to individuals of the same sex. As a priest told me recently, many gay people feel as if there is no alternative to the stereotype of promiscuity as long as gay couples cannot take part in civic and marital life as one. No amount of social legislation is going to make gay people go away; why does the Religious Right not extend an invitation to a group that in many cases shares their values? Also, there is something grossly irregular with the social conservative’s preoccupation with women’s bodies. Although the abortion rate is the lowest it has been since 1974, the GOP has increasingly become the party of Todd Akin- a party obsessed with and paranoid over women’s right to choose. We can all agree that society needs to do a better job at discouraging unsafe practices that lead to unwanted pregnancies, but involving government intervention into the issue (beyond partial-birth bans), would likely be less beneficial than many believe. Social conservatives need to come to terms with the fact that the abortion is settled; women are free to choose life and social conservatives should do more to reach out to these women with help and guidance rather than try to change the law to their liking. Social conservatism has many positive attributes that society would be foolish to ignore. However, we are, and will remain, a secular country in which people of all religious beliefs (or lack thereof) are granted equal rights to their own thoughts and morals. While we should encourage more social conservative living, this should happen outside and away from the ballot box. When Americans willingly choose social conservatism, the country and its people, regardless of ideology, will live better and happier lives. A&E 10 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Chromatics “Kill For Love” As the Chromatics’ outspoken front-man and the record label leader of Italians Do It Better, Johnny Jewel knows how important uniformity is. He knows that his band’s 90 minute album is of such extravagant length because he deals almost exclusively in the field of extravagance. Nothing in Jewel’s musical world goes unpolished or stretched beyond its length, and it shows in Jewel’s commitment to the record. He has not only released a dark, moody masterpiece streaked with rock n’ roll ethos and neon light, but he even released a drum-less version for remixes and a substantial mixtape of demos and b-sides to the record. Listeners have received more Chromatics than they ever know what to do within one year, but “Kill For Love” and its singular purpose—that commitment to synth-shaded imagery and the mystery of rock artists—goes farther than even Jewel could have anticipated. Whether it is the inner dancing heart of the title track or the looming shadows in the lonesome crawl of coda “The River,” Ruth Radelet’s sultry voice compels listeners to take as many detours as it takes to consume the entirety of “Kill For Love.” Killer Mike “R.A.P. Music” Try as he might, Killer Mike’s mighty figure cannot shake the political implications that followed in the wake of “R.A.P. Music’s” dominating messages. In interviews Killer Mike poises himself as the sociological protector, often striking at both politicians and oblivious eyes for overlooking his community’s individual problems in the same furious verse. The crux of the record undoubtedly falls to the hands of “Reagan,” the most politically-tinged song of Mike’s record, where Mike swings heady verses like wrecking balls through Reaganomics and the deceit of political figures. It was hard to predict what would come from the meeting of geographical lines when northern producer and rapper EL-P signed on to a southern heart such as Mike’s, but “R.A.P. Music’s” sinister gaze ensures that the duo’s collaboration bred one of the most critical and passionate records of the year. Fiona Apple “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw & Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do” Fiona Apple’s percussion-centric new record is an honest hurt, celebrating both keen self-awareness and Apple’s clever mind. The layers on “The Idler Wheel” are bulbous, requiring a delicate knife through the skin of Apple’s intimate nature. Even when pierced, her innards can be baffling to the wisest, most emotional being. It is difficult to ascertain when the wordplay ends and the sincerity begins, but loosing one’s self in the sharp nature of her lyricism is cathartic—patiently absorbing her effusive nature with the jumping, erratic start of many of her songs. The songs on “The Idler Wheel” may be cloaked thrice with shrewd words, but the scattered persona and pin-point accuracy with which Apple tears down the walls of the heart, reveals how knowing and personal Apple’s mind can be. Hundred Waters “Hundred Waters” Hundred Waters had their debut this year, but one would not immediately recognize that upon first listen to their self-titled piece. It takes bands years to reach this sort of lucidity in their direction and production, but Hundred Waters opened the doors of their career gently, revealing in the process their crystalline brand of pop and jovial mysticism. Perhaps it is the lavish production with which “Hundred Waters” is adorned with, but to use that excuse is an insult to the splendid vocal harmonies and delicate melodies that permeate the record. Hundred Waters did what most bands in their nascent stages cannot: carve out a unique record into the minds of listeners, entirely detached from the trends currently thriving within the scene they have just entered. Beach House “Bloom” Beach House’s deliberate pacing may be their undoing for many listeners unwilling to be dragged from the cement-reality of their world to the bedazzling lights of “Bloom,” but few will contest the statement that this year’s release from the duo is their finest yet. Perfecting a form can often be aimless, with bands jumping from one execution to the next desperately seeking that ambiguous “something,” but Beach House never wavered. Dream-pop may have exhausted listeners this year, but Beach House remain its king and queen, grandiloquent enough to be vilified by those who reject them, and successful enough to deserve the throne. Whether it is the blinding light of a gem such as “Lazuli” or the cradling arms of “On The Sea,” Victoria Legrand’s deep, cottony tones pierce through dream-pop’s usual fog to the most blinding white sand Beach House has ever reached. Best albums of 2012 part i Kyle Minton Staff Writer photo courtesy of criminal_aurora/flickr of small things/flickr photo courtesy of touchvinyl flickr A&E WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 11 Best albums of 2012 part iI Flying Lotus “Until the Quiet Comes” Until the Quiet Comes is not so much a collection of songs as a collection of moods, brought together to form a distorted stream of consciousness. Steve Ellison’s fourth album is a worthy follow-up to his masterpiece Cosmogramma. Ellison smartly decides not to try and build on what he achieved with Cosmogramma, but instead to take it back to the beginning, and build from there based on what he has learned. The result is a grand journey through different feelings created through a wide sense of dreamy sound and subtle sense of motion. Perhaps this leads to FlyLo’s most accessible album, but it may also be his best. Frank Ocean “Channel Orange” Some may say Channel Orange, Frank Ocean’s debut studio album, received unanimous critical praise and was met with good album sales solely because Ocean created a marketing ploy: by publishing a letter on his Tumblr days before the album was released, wherein he came out, while resisting labels like “gay” or “bisexual,” and recounted his first love. Though it was a groundbreaking, brave, honest, and heartfelt message in an industry that traditionally shuns outsiders, there is only one reason for the success of the album: Ocean is an immensely talented guy. Ocean’s poetic confession is mirrored in one of the most devastating songs of the year, “Bad Religion,” where Ocean confides his heartbreak to a cabdriver across a language barrier. “This unrequited love. To me it’s nothing but a one-man cult.” This language barrier serves as a means for Ocean to explore his own barriers, and to breakthrough them, revealing who he is and what he feels. Though the various tracks on the album focus on different subjects, they are linked by one common theme: a failed effort to forge meaningful connections, be it by means of a language barrier, drug addiction, privilege, or spirituality, Ocean’s view on relationships is bitter to be sure, but Ocean radiates compassion and warmth, creating a mood that makes Channel Orange different, and more rewarding, than any other R&B album in a long time Liars “WIXIW” Liars seemingly change their sound with every album, and with WIXIW, their sixth album, they show another, perhaps defining, facet of their identity. There is an uneasy pop sensibility that makes the album initially appear rather straightforward, but upon additional listens WIXIW’s layers can be pulled back, unveiling an album with subtle depths, based Brad Dillard Staff Writer heavily in electronics, drawing comparisons to Radiohead’s Kid A. Whether it be the 80’s synth pop simplicity of “No. 1 Against the Rush,” or the jarring electronic organs of “WIXIW,” Liars have masterfully created an album that’s equally enthralling and ominous. Blondes – Blondes Often described as “hipster house,” meaning dance music being made by “rock” or otherwise non-dance types, Brooklyn duo Blondes transcend that rather dismissive label, and their music could more aptly be described as “experimental house.” The duo of Zach Steinman and Sam Haar improvise on live instruments, and record tracks in single takes. They approach making house tracks with an outsider’s disregard for convention. The results on Blondes, a collection of their music, are equally stunning and challenging. Their songs begin with an idea or two and gradually accrete more layers, steadily drifting toward a prolonged climax before fading out piece by piece. This is not club music so much as it is headphone-music, and, if one chooses to take the time and deconstruct the differing sounds, Blondes is endlessly rewarding. Kendrick Lamar “Good Kid, M.a.a.D City” Kendrick Lamar’s debut album is stunning, and upon multiple listens it becomes clear that K.Dot has learned well from his West Coast predecessors. Lamar ties his lyrical virtuosity, quotable lines, and pulverizing beats in perfectly with his narrative, creating an album that is as adept at providing great singles as it is at creating a compelling story. Lamar’s portrait of his youth in Compton is uncompromising, and his storytelling abilities are unmatched in the current rap scene, as he allows us an uncensored look into his life growing up in his hometown. Lamar transitions effortlessly from braggadocio laced rhymes to introspective slow jams. His varied soundscape reflects the different stages of his maturation, until the album ends in a triumphant declaration that he has successfully matured, and left the violent Compton streets behind. photos courtesy of criminal_aurora, MisInfoTV1, ‘Cause i need it, & rc.../ flickr A&E 1312 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Amour (Dec. 19, in NY and LA) German auteur Michael Haneke’s (“Funny Games,” “Cache”) new film about an elderly couple, and their bond of love that is tested when the wife suffers an attack,”won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Canne Film Festival, and looks to be positioning itself as a serious Oscar contender. Haneke is a polarizing filmmaker, but whenever he has a new movie come out, attention must be paid. Zero Dark Thirty (Dec. 19 in NY and LA, expands Jan. 11) From the Academy Award winning team behind “The Hurt Locker” (writer Mark Boal and Director Kathryn Bigelow), “Zero Dark Thirty” is a chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy SEAL Team 6 in May, 2011. If Bigelow’s film, coming so soon after such an emotional event, can avoid the knee-jerk, sensationalist, emotionally manipulative trap that Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” suffered, then it may just be the Oscar frontrunner. Since no one has seen it yet, this can not be confirmed, but considering the strong trailer, and Bigelow’s pedigree, this appears to be a film that will be emotionally resonant, and politically aware enough to avoid the trappings that have plagued so many “based on a true story” films. Django Unchained (Dec. 25) Quentin Tarantino needs no introduction, and anytime he chooses to release a new movie, it is like a national holiday for cinephiles everywhere. Following what just may have been his masterpiece, “Inglorious Basterds,” Tarantino is putting a fresh twist on the historical film again, this time setting his sights on slave times. Jamie Foxx plays Django, a slave turned bounty-hunter who, with the help of his mentor (Christoph Waltz), sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). This has all the makings of a classic Tarantino film; a great cast, a plot centered around revenge that will be sure to include Tarantino’s trademark violence, and a setting that is ideal for some wonderful and distinct dialogue. Though it may not be an Oscar frontrunner (the movie has yet to be seen by anyone), Tarantino’s new outing is sure to be the most visceral and exciting movie of the rest of the year. End of the Year Movies Brad Dillard Staff Writer With the holidays already here and their exhibits of the accidental mummies of Guanajuato getting ready to close at the end of the year, the Natural Science Center has big plans for the holiday season. From laser light shows to 3-D short films in the OmniSphere Theater, audiences of all ages will be sure to enjoy memorable holiday experiences with the science center they will never forget. “Laser Holidays” is a dazzling laser show with dances across the 40 foot dome in the OmniSphere Theater of the science center. This fun-filled show is a mix of classic and modern holiday tunes including “Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Jingle Bell Rock’ synchronized with laser lights that bring our favorite holiday characters to life. With the creative use of technology and laser lights, this 45 minute show is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit. The laser show runs daily through December 30 and admission is $3 per a person in addition to their general admission. The newest addition to the Natural Science Center is “The Light Before Christmas 3D.” This 3D film tells the story of how young Katie and Makean learn the meaning of Christmas from a Candleman. When the two children get lost on a cold Christmas Eve night, the Candleman comes to their rescue and tries to lift their spirits by reading “The Night Before Christmas.” The children find themselves magically transported into the story where they get to meet Santa and tour his home at the North Pole. At the end of the film, Santa and Hob the Elf give audience members a bonus, behind-the-scenes tour of the magical workshop where this 3D festive tale was made. This 30 minute show is perfect for young audiences, but is opened to children of all ages. “The Light Before Christmas” shows through Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. every day. Admission to the show is $3 per a person in addition to general admission. A variety of shows are offered in addition to these holiday specials. Guests are transported into the world of sea turtles in the special “Turtle Vision” that runs every Saturday at 11 a.m. “Wildest Weather in the Solar System” is a full-dome experience that airs daily at 1 p.m. Guest will experience a variety of breath-taking, unusual weathers within the solar system. “Sea Monsters,” presented in 3D, takes guest to the bottom of the ocean where they meet some of the biggest, as silliest, monsters of the sea. Attendees can learn about sea creatures they never even knew existed as they swim right towards them every day at 3 p.m. The final daily show in the OmniSphere is at 4 p.m and features a 3D experience of “Ultimate Wave: Tahiti.” More information about holiday shows as well as regular shows can be found at www.natsci.org. Megan Christy Staff Writer Holiday Shows at the Natural Science Museum cinemabh/flickr MacGuffinPodcast/flickr The film chronicles the decade long hunt for Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks Jamie Foxx plays a slave turned bounty-hunter who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Missippi plantation owner With the Christmas future, inside of holidays of his and this performed at holiday professional Christmas downtown Stage. this variety the department. Be your December include opening sign Student for $10 office an performance. and found at call the 0160. Shakespeare on production of The from has and Special include the preview what you vary the tickets for tickets tickets contact 3001 On A&E WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1312 The classic tale of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” has entertained a variety of audiences through its stage adaptations for many years and continues to be a tradition for families in the Triad as they prepare themselves for the holidays. Performances of the show are offered at a variety of locations this holiday season. Triad Stage of downtown Greensboro and the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival of High Point will be presenting professional performances of the holiday classic for audiences of all ages to enjoy. The novel “A Christmas Carol” was written by English author Charles Dickens and published on December 17, 1843. After successfully publishing “Oliver Twist” and a variety of other popular novels, Dickens was inspired to write a Christmas story which would highlight the troubles of the poor and appeal to those better off to donate to charities. Having experienced hardships and poverty during his childhood, Dickens reflected his personal feelings of social inequalities in his text. Characters in the novel were even inspired by people he knew and grew up with. One of the icons of the story, Tiny Tim, was inspired by Dickens’s sickly brother “Tiny Fred.” The novel’s first three hour public reading took place on December 27, 1853 and has since then inspired a variety of stage adaptations that follow the cold past of Ebenezer Scrooge. In the infamous tale Scrooge is a very stingy, cruel man who has no joy in the holiday season, following the passing of his business partner Jacob Marley. With the help of ghosts from Christmas past, present, and future, Scrooge finds reason inside of himself to celebrate the holidays and cherish each moment of his life by giving generously and living fruitfully. Local renditions of this holiday classic are performed at a variety of venues this holiday season. The closest professional production of “A Christmas Carol” is showcased downtown Greensboro at Triad Stage. Directed by Bryan Conger, this production consists of a variety of talent directly from the UNC-G theater department. Be sure to go out and support your fellow students from December 2 to 23. Premier bonuses include four preview nights, an opening night post-show party, and sign language interpreters. Student tickets can be purchased for $10 at the Triad Stage box office an hour before the performance. More information and production dates can be found at triadstage.org or you can call the box office at (336) 272-0160. High Point’s NC Shakespeare Festival is also putting on their annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” The performance runs from December 6 – 23 and has a variety of afternoon and evening productions. Special performance benefits include signed interpretations of the show, a final dress night, preview nights, and three “pay what you can” nights. Tickets prices vary by night: $10 tickets for the final dress night, $12 tickets for previews, and student tickets selling for $15 each. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at (336) 887-3001 or visit ncshakes.org. Megan Christy Staff Writer photo courtesy of icybrian/flickr The closest professional production of “A Christmas Carol” is showcased downtown at the Triad Stage “A Christmas Carol” Lives On In the infamous tale, a stingy and very cruel Scrooge finds reason inside himself photo courtesy of meetminneapolis/flickr to celebrate the holidays and cherish life by giving generously and fruitfully Features 1514 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM tHE PSYCHOLOGY ISSUE: THE HUMAN BRAIN, SANTA CLAUS, AND MEMORY Nadia Stevens Staff Writer Every holiday season, beginning at the stroke of midnight on the morning of Black Friday, lasting all the way through the New Year’s Eve, there is a conglomerate of advertisements attempting to maximize profits in the booming holiday market. A common icon utilized in order to access the gift giving mentality of the season in these advertisements is, of course, Santa Claus. In any context, he is a widely recognizable figure who is known to represent the quintessence of this special time of year. Beneath the widespread influence he has as a marketing tool, there are specific and detailed experiences that many individuals have had with Old Saint Nick. Many people that grew up with him think of him as an important, yet conflicting part of childhood life¸ and as matured adults tend to feel a contradictory sense of longing to be able to believe once again. As a child believing in Santa Claus, life can be an infinitely breathtaking and magical thing. To live with the notion that there is a utopian land farther North than man can travel, where everything is happy and anything is possible, is to live in a reality where there is no conceivable reason to ever lose hope or faith in humanity. In the mind of a child, Kris Kringle is the perfect best friend, parent, grandparent, sibling, and role model that they never had. He is always thinking of them, all year long he is paying attention; and when the time comes, he gives rewards when they have done well. As long as you stay off of the naughty list, he will never insult you, forget you, or think wrongly of you. He even knows who treats you badly, and makes sure that they receive punishment. What could make a kid feel better than that? Unfortunately this period of infantile bliss cannot last forever, and eventually is corrupted by real life, and the boundlessly stubborn preteen psyche. For some, the realization comes from a classic Freudian slip on the part of a careless adult that destroys the illusion, while for others it might just be a series of clues that add to mounting suspicions. At this confusing age, when we are not quite a child but not quite an adult, we long to grow up; to be treated with respect and not as a lesser human. Accompanying this impatient urgency to mature is the undying need to decide once and for all whether or not Santa Claus is real. It is an arduous task to completely write him off because of how wonderful it once felt to believe, but as the knowledge of his inexistence grows, it is equally challenging to continue believing as the capacity to maintain faith in him inevitably shrinks. Immediately following our raucous, bewildering, and sometimes shameful teenage years, we finally turn into adults. We start finding answers to so many questions that used to pester us so deeply; but perhaps the most significant thing we all learn is that we were barely young for a minute, and now we will get older and older for the rest of our lives. Paradoxically, for so many of us long awaited adulthood is accompanied by a profound desire to once again live like a kid; to not pay rent, to eat cookies every day and not get fat, to have our moms clean up after us, and, of course, to once again have the ability to believe in Santa Claus the way we did when we were not smart enough to doubt him. A mug shot of dear old Saint Nick. kevin dooley/ flickr The psychology behind our belief in Santa Features WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1514 Robert Ross Staff Writer Imagine being stuck in a single moment, with no recollection of your past and unable to think about your future. A world surrounded by strange faces and unfamiliar places. As you begin to comprehend the world around you, all knowledge is quickly forgotten. A terrifying thought, is it not? Well for Clive Wearing that is his reality. After Clive fell ill to an encephalitis infection he lost the ability to retain any memory for more than a few seconds. He has been left permanently confused and tormented. According to Dr. Oliver Sacks of The New Yorker, this is the worst case of amnesia ever recorded. However, the baffling part Clive has not lost a sliver of his incredible musical talents. Clive Wearing was a prodigious English musician and musicologist but after being struck with a severe brain infection has lost all of his memory. His wife, Deborah, takes care of him and loves him the best she can. She wrote a memoir of her husband’s affliction called, “Forever Today.” In a sample from her memoir, Deborah describes Clive’s amnesia: “his ability to perceive what he saw and heard was unimpaired. But he did not seem to be able to retain any impression of anything for more than a blink. Indeed, if he did blink, his eyelids parted to reveal a new scene. The view before the blink was utterly forgotten. Each blink, each glance away and back, brought him an entirely new view.” Clive began to journal, desperate to hold reality and some form of continuity in his life. He thought it might help exercise his memory and reduce the constant dread of feeling lost. It was a courageous but unsuccessful attempt to improve his mental state. In his journal entries Clive would write “I am awake” or “I am conscious,” entered again and again every few minutes. He continually felt as if every moment was his first waking moment. Clive’s affliction began to grow worse and any hope of a recovery grew dimmer. Deborah was left with little choice but to move him into a psychiatric unit. He would inhabit the home for the next six and half years. He became both a prisoner lost in his mind and to the bare white walls that confined him. The only moments of relief were when Deborah visited him. The pathetic and tragic thing was that when she would leave he would leave voice messages begging her to come visit him because he had not seen her in a terribly long time. The couple did find a way to connect: by the way of music. Deborah had been an accomplished musician as well. Although Clive had no recollection of his musical abilities he was still capable of exercising them. Deborah needed to put the music in front of him and encourage him to action. There is a disparity between the conscious memory of events (episodic memory) and an unconscious memory for procedures, which might explain Clive’s untouched musical ability. He is still able to sight-read, play the piano, sing and conduct a choir because remembering music is no longer remembering. Music had become so habitual to Clive that it was as natural as walking or riding a bike. Repetition of things builds long-term memories and after continuously performing them they become habits. Habits are different than long-term memories as they are stored in the Basal Ganglia, whereas long-term take place in the Hippocampus structure of the brain. The reason being for Clive’s unharmed talents is that the affliction exclusively damaged Clive’s episodic memory, which is critical for storing experiences, facts and information and not the other. People often try to capture the beautiful moments. They want to forget their past and ignore their future for a moment. Escaping the restraints of space and time and enjoying the beauty of now is something we admire. Phrases like You Only Live Once (YOLO) and Carpe Diem stem from the idea that time is fleeting and to make the best of every moment. For Clive Wearing, living in the moment is his curse: a plague that haunts him every day. He will never be able to remember experiences or anticipate events. He will never live a normal functioning life, but there still is hope for his happiness: by the power of music. With Deborah’s unconditional love and the power of music Clive is able to transcend his amnesia for a fleeting moment. Man struggles to remember his own life Very Hard Very Hard Sudoku Features 1716 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM one they will with maybe), my and they and backcourt in instead shoulders where Thunder- been young Jeremy also which always The got chance always a did future of us worked Harden have Perkins) Thunder for the best for happy would just happy finishing Armstrong Miller) put said it is on is the down and play wants can’t go us, that have to team.” Korey Weaver Staff Writer Chi Omega Fraternity hosted its first annual “Wings for Wishes” event on Wednesday, Nov. 14 to raise money for the “Make-A-Wish” Foundation. Participants raised nearly $1,000 in support of the non-profit. The chapter created a warm and friendly environment which was open to discussion, games, and laughter. Around the several round tables set up in the room sat friends, students, and families. The sisters who were not joining in the fun were helping guests find the room, selling tickets at the entrance, serving food, and having a good time. They tried to set a positive example, which led to a laid back atmosphere for anyone who attended the event. Another key element to the atmospheric success of the party was the music. The sisters played several popular hits. Overall, the combined friendliness of the sisters, good food and fellowship, and great music helped to make the “Wings For Wishes” event a big success. The event’s organizers were Amber Gutterson (a junior studying Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources and minor in Communication studies) and Nicole Santonastaso (A junior studying Nutrition). They both serve as co-philanthropy chairs of Chi-Omega Fraternity. Together, they secured wing donations from local businesses like Hooters, Zaxby’s, Spring Graden Pizza, Buffalo Wings and Rings, and East Coast Wings on Tate Street. They also encountered logistical trouble when the venue for the event had to be changed last minute. Fortunately, they were able to secure a room in the campus ministries building, which Amber expressed much thanks for. They were able to go through the entire event without incident. Iva Wepner (a junior studying Business Administration and the President of Chi Omega) thanked Amber and Nicole for handling the preparation. She emphasized that she had nothing to do with the success of event and was only there as a helping hand. The chapter is individually attempting to grant one wish to a child through the Foundation. In order to grant a wish, they must raise $6,000. In the past, they have raised enough money to grant two wishes, and they are well on their way to being able to grant a third. The first wish is to be granted in January 2013, and the paperwork for the second is being completed. While being interviewed, Ms. Gutterson explained that the process for granting a wish is not as simple as raising money and sending it into the “Make- A-Wish” Foundation. Amber explains that the sorority has to fill out a form and send it to the foundation with all of the money for the wish. After a fundraising event, the sisters deposit the money into an account they have through the Foundation. When the money is in this account, it cannot be withdrawn until the full amount of $6,000 is present. Once “Make-A-Wish” has the money, they go through their own process in selecting who the recipient of the donation will be. The chapter does not always find out who the child is, because sometimes it is kept a secret. If they do, they throw a wish granting party for the recipient in celebration of their accomplishment. Yhe women of Chi Omega proudly attempt to raise money for the philanthropy event. Chris mccracken / THE CAROLINIAN Greek Legends: Chi Omega serves the community at “Wings for Wishes” event Do you belong to a Greek organization and want your next event covered in our new bi-weekly “Greek Legends” column? If so, e-mail Features editor Chris McCracken at features. carolinian@gmail. com, and you could wind up on the pages of the Carolinian! Sports WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec.4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 17 Spartans tame Bulldogs Joseph Abraham Staff Writer Going into the game versus Gardner Webb, UNCG women were 0-2 and hoping to get their first win on their home court. UNCG won a very physical and sloppy game against an undefeated Gardner Webb team. Both teams combined to have 56 turnovers, with both teams coming out very defensive. In the end, UNCG came out on top, 55-49. The Spartans started out on fire, taking a quick 9-3 lead. The Bulldogs would dominate the next few minutes, jumping up to a 16-14 lead. Both teams struggled to find some type of rhythm for the remainder of the first half, with the Bulldogs leading 22-20 at the break. Gardner Webb had a quick spark in the first minute of the second half, when Bulldog guard Jessica Heilig drove to the lane for a layup and a foul to increase GWU’s lead to 25- 20. The Spartans would respond with seven straight points to gain a 31-27 lead. Both teams went back and forth for the next few minutes as GWU responded to tie the game at 31 all. UNCG would not allow the Bulldogs to take the lead, and went on a 9-1 run, to go up 40-32. Gardner Webb would not quit, making another push to cut the UNCG lead to 42-39. UNCG would once again extend their lead, with two clutch jumpers by Lucy Mason and Janae Stevenson to put the Spartans up 46-39. The Bulldogs, smelling desperation, moved to a half-court defense, trying to create turnovers by double or triple teaming whichever UNCG player had the ball. This tactic worked for a bit, as the Bulldogs slowly cut UNCG’s lead. The game was at its closest in the closing minutes when GWU’s Jasmine Dale hit the team’s only three of the game, making it 52-47. Even though, the Bulldogs made a run towards the end, the Spartans managed to close the gap with some clutch free throws, and win their first game of the season, and making the Bulldogs 3-1. Coach Palmer assessment of the game is as followed, “Today’s win was hard-fought and certainly not pretty,” head Coach Wendy Palmer said. “What I saw tonight that I did not see the first two games from our kids was fight all the way to the end of the game. After a pretty bad first half I thought we came out and played really hard in the last 20 minutes.” While it was good that UNCG picked up their first win of the season, the team is still very young, meaning there is still plenty of room for improvement. While UNCG forced over 30 turnovers for the first time in almost two years, UNCG also had 25 turnovers of their own, which will need to change if they want to compete for a SoCon title this season. UNCG will also have to stop settling for so many jump shots and start trying for more success in the paint. A nice achievement all the sports at UNCG can be happy with is that this win for UNCG was the first win over a Division I opponent since Oct. 27. the Spartans effectiveness on the offensive boards and Armstrong’s outburst that helped UNCG build what was at one point a double digit lead. The Spartans out rebounded Rutgers 22 to 13 over the first 20 minutes including 11 rebounds on the offensive glass leading to 10 2nd chance points. It was not enough to overcome the duo of Myles Mack and Eli Carter who paced the way for the Scarlett Knights. The two guards combined to score 49 with Carter knocking down 9 WBB Home Opener UNCG 52 Gardner-Webb 47 you have an extremely young team already competing for championships that could have won five or six over the next ten years. Now, Harden is gone, having a nice little “You guys had no idea how good I was” season with Houston, and the Thunder will be stuck winning 50-60 games a year and losing in the Conference Finals/NBA extensions was running out. If the Thunder wouldn’t have traded James Harden when they did, he would have made his huge payday somewhere else and left the Thunder with nothing in return for their all-star. Sending James Harden to the Houston Rockets was the best move for every single person involved in the deal. James Harden gets to leave the shadow of his superstar teammates and prove that he is the next best shooting guard in the NBA. He gets his payday and he gets to be the star. Even if Kevin Martin leaves after his contract is up the Finals. They might pull off one championship but now they will be stuck with competing with the Lakers, Clippers (maybe), Spurs, Minnesota (mark my words, when Love, Rubio, and Pekovic put it together, they will be a force), Memphis, and Houston (scariest backcourt in the league) in the West instead of staying head and shoulders above the pack. A world where we get five straight Thunder- Heat Finals would not have been a bad one. Too bad. davis from page 19 foster from page 19 Thunder now have a young shooting guard also in Jeremy Lamb. The Thunder also obtained some draft picks which is great for them as they always seem to draft great players. The other benchwarmers that got sent to the Rockets get a chance to actually play which is always a nice add on. Overall the Thunder did the right thing for the future and Harden. I know a lot of us wished they could have worked something out and kept Harden (I really think they should have amnestied Kendrick Perkins) but in the end the Thunder made the right decision for the team and only want the best for James harden. of his 15 shots and Mack going 9 for 11 for 24 points, including a late 3 point basket that seemed to take the wind out of the Spartans sails. “They are quick with the ball, they are good guards, and they were able to get good shots coming off ball screens.” Senior guard Korey Van Dussen said. “They are just good players, give them credit for knocking down shots.” The loss overshadowed a superb effort from senior Derrell Armstrong who scored a game high 25 points on 7 of 11 shooting. 16 of those 25 points came in a first half that saw UNCG lead by as many as 10 points. Rutgers however made it a point of emphasis to limit the duo of Trevis Simpson and Armstrong in the second half and held the Spartans leading scorers to just 16 points over the final 20 minutes of play. “I think they just picked up their intensity and were pressuring the ball a little more,” Armstrong noted when asked what Rutgers did to slow Simpson and himself down in the second half. For Rutgers coach Mike Rice, it came down to keeping the pressure on the two standout guards. “I thought we crowded them and made them drive it into our help, and we did a decent job with them. Armstrong was a load.” With Simpson and Armstrong harassed on every possession Korey Van Dussen stepped up to contribute ten points while Kelvin McNeil helped keep the Spartans in the game with his second double-double in as many games with a 10 point, 11 rebound performance. For the Spartans though the string of late game breakdowns leaves a sour taste in their mouth. “Obviously we are not happy with the record, but I would just say more so we are not happy with how we have been finishing down the stretch.” Armstrong said. “I know coach (Miller) put the blame on himself and said it was his fault, but I feel it is on us as players, because that is the time you just have to dig down and fight through the pain and fatigue and sit down and play defense, get rebounds. “Even though he says he wants to prepare us for it, he can’t go on the court and do it for us, that is something we each have to look in ourselves and as a team.” rutgers from page 20 Sports 1918 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec.4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports Edition win popular the Sam virtually all last five me him in Rockets Lamb picks made completely spell Harden but place Olympians Heat, are all among NBA, want after that and on the rival for amidst fans were fuel when this would market win play 12- year, in a still merchandise Los Brooklyn Thanksgiving aesthetic. too, but column), but City Volleyball season ends in 1st round of SoCon Jose Torres Staff Writer The UNCG Spartan volleyball team entered the Southern Conference Tournament with a four game losing streak and as the fourth seed from the North Division going up against top seed from the South Division Georgia Southern. After winning the first set, the Spartans dropped three straight sets to the Eagles, losing out in the first round and eliminating themselves from the tournament. UNCG finishes the season with a 13-16 overall record as Georgia Southern advances to the semifinals with a 25-6 record. Citing the Spartan’s lack of offensive aggressiveness in the last couple of sets, head coach Patrick Nicholas said “We worked all week on being very offensive today as we knew offense was Georgia Southern’s strength.” He continued with, “We knew we could dig and block with them as we were one of the best defensive teams in the conference, but we had to bring our offensive game to them today. We worked our game plan perfectly in game one as our offense was very aggressive and opportunistic but games two, three, and four we got passive offensively.” The Eagles out-blocked the Spartans 9-0 and also recorded 57 kills to UNCG’s 48. The Eagles hit .283 for the match while the Spartans were down to only .160. Individually, UNCG was led by junior Karrian Chambers with a team-high 14 kills and 13 digs while senior setter Ari Lysacek accumulated 38 assists and 11 digs in her final match of her career, posting another double-double. Junior libero Kellie Orewiler notched up a team-high 20 digs. Junior Morgan Freeman also chipped in with 10 kills and a team-high four blocks. Junior Olivia Humphries added 12 kills to the stat sheet. Freshman Katherine Santiago also accumulated some defensive stats with 12 digs. In the first set, the Spartans trailing 7-6 used an 8-2 run to not only take the lead but the set as they were never behind for the rest of the set. UNCG took advantage of Georgia Southern’s errors but the Eagles cleaned up their mistakes after the lost set. Although UNCG jumped to a 7-1 lead in set two, Georgia Southern came back to take a 13-12 lead. The Spartans and Eagles traded runs, with Georgia Southern getting the last laugh with a 9-2 to take set two. Set three was another back-and- forth set with each team trading points up until UNCG trailed Georgia Southern 13-12. The Eagles closed the set with a 12-3 run to defeat the Spartans and take the lead 2 sets to 1. In the fourth and final set for UNCG, Georgia Southern raced to an early lead before UNCG came back to tie it at 4-4. UNCG committed some key errors, giving away a run that lead the Eagles to a 17-9 lead over the Spartans. Even though there were two long rallies by each team, one won by each team, the Spartans still lost this set 16-25. The Spartans battled until the final point but to no avail. The Spartans end their disappointing season on a season high 5 straight losses. UNCG was 8-8 at home but an abysmal 3-7 away with a 2-1 record on a neutral site. ranging from underclassmen with their UNCG apparel on to upperclassman sitting with their Budweiser beers. The excitement was elevated when UNCG scored first off a Trevis Simpson dunk. UNCG’s starting momentum came to end as Virginia Tech was making three point shots like Steve Novak, to go up 23-9 early in the game. It looked as if it was going to be a long night for the Spartans, but momentum quickly swung in UNCG’s favor. The Spartans went on a 26-9 run led by Darrell Armstrong and Kelvin McNeil to take a 33-32 lead. Virginia Tech answered back by going on a 10-2 run, to take a 42-35 lead. UNCG continued being relentless by coming back and cutting the Hokies lead to 45-41. Halftime was a nice scene, as some kids did a nice jump rope routine to keep the fans energized. This was followed by some entertainment provided by one of those upperclassmen with the Budweiser getting tossed from the arena as he was getting a bit too rowdy. Talking to some of my friends at halftime, we agreed that UNCG had to try and penetrate Virginia Tech’s defense, because they settled for the three point shot way too often in the first half. Even with these mistakes UNCG was only down four to an ACC opponent with a whole half of exciting play left.Virginia Tech came out fast and furious in the second half, to jump to an early 65-51 run, as once again things looked tough for the Spartans. However, UNCG once again answered the challenge going on a 26-8 run led by Trevis Simpson, who at one point scored twelve straight points for the Spartans. At this point, UNCG had a 77- 73 lead. The Hokies responded by scoring ten straight points and took a 83-77 lead with 2:55 remaining in the game. While UNCG continued to fight, the Hokies kept the lead, scoring 13 of their last 16 points from the free throw line to win 96-87. Wes Miller’s comments after the game were as followed, “This is a really been a tough week for us as we played really well at East Carolina and did a lot of good things here tonight, but we weren’t able to come out with a win in either game. If we keep taking steps in the right direction, things will work out for us in the end. We have to stay together and keep fighting trying to get better each and every day.” While this may seem like another loss in the books, it was far from it. Virginia Tech may not be one of the top teams in the ACC, but still a school with more recruiting power and experience in a superior conference. UNCG brought out the best of Virginia Tech in this loss, as the Hokies shot an unbelievable 63.6 percent from the three point line, and shot 81 percent from the charity strike. SoCon 1st Round UNCG 1 Ga. Southern 3 va tech from page 20 falling off.” After an outstanding performance at the NCAA Regionals in Charlotte, the two young men had to step up their game as they headed to Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 17 for the NCAA Championship. Sophomore and first time NCAA Championship runner, Paul Katam produced a worthy performance, by finishing 77th overall with a time of 30:33.30 in the 10,000 meter race. As a sophomore, Katam will receive more chances to out shine his opponents in the NCAA Championships as well as enhance his overall performance. The 2012 NCAA Championship was a time of opportunity and education for the young runner. Katam’s counterpart, Chelimo, finished with an admiral 10th place and his second All-America Honor. Even after battling with an injury this past month, Chelimo is still the only UNCG runner to earn the All-America honor as well as improve his placement by three spots from last year’s performance. Chelimo’s performance during the NCAA Championship resulted in UNCG honors by setting a school record 29:29.80, seven seconds better than the previous record holder. Not a single individual can wrongly mock the performance of UNCG’s star performers Paul Chelimo and Paul Katam. These two men have set the standards high for future UNCG runners in relation to NCAA Championships. If you are walking down the halls, or stopping in the food court at the EUC and run into Chelimo and Katam congratulate them on a job well done. These are the individuals who contribute to making this University as outstanding as it is. Well done Paul squared, well done. cross country from page 20 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 19 Sports Arguing with the Editor: Thunderstruck Edition Ian Foster Sports Editor Everick Davis Staff Writer When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets, the move left a bad taste in a lot of people mouths. It definitely wasn’t the popular move but it was the right move that the franchise needed to make. The NBA is a business and this was strictly a business move. Ever since LeBron James went on TV and made his decision the NBA has been a different place. When LeBron left Cleveland for Miami it changed the way general managers around the lead approached free agency. Teams are now fearful of free agency approaching as they don’t want to lose their players to other teams for nothing at all. Players now demand trades and force their way to big market teams leaving small market teams struggling to keep decent players. Being a small market team in the NBA seriously sucks as they cannot even pay their players properly sometimes with the luxury tax rules as shown with this trade. The idea of losing a big player to another team and not receive anything back is a scary thought to most GM’s and that is exactly why the Thunder made a great decision. Even though James Harden played the sixth man role for the Thunder, he was their number 3 offensive threat. Having Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden on a team together was almost equivalent to the Miami Heat Big 3. James Harden is a legit all-star type player and was definitely the X-Factor in Thunders run to the Finals. Hardens skill set worked perfectly with Durant and Westbrook which made them such a dangerous team. Adding defensive anchor Serge Ibaka in the mix and the Thunder are a contender, but the problem with this team was youth. These guys were playing at high levels on rookie contracts so when extension time came everyone was looking to get paid. Kevin Durant got his contract extension first followed by Westbrook. This summer came the time for Ibaka and Harden to get their paydays also. Having all summer to work things out it seemed as if Harden was waiting it out to see how big of an extension the Thunder would give him. Soon Ibaka got his extension and the spotlight went to Harden. He is definitely worth a max contract but at the same time the Thunder couldn’t afford another huge contract on their pay roll. Things weren’t working out between the two sides and the timeline on contract James Harden was horrible in June’s NBA Finals. Oklahoma City was the last best hope at keeping LeBron James and his handpicked trio of all-stars from their first NBA title. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant did their part, winning game one before Miami rolled off three straight close ones and dominated the Thunder in Game 5 and winning their first title. I watched Game 4 with former Carolinian Sports Editor Ryan Hecht, and it was obvious to both of us just how much Harden was actually hurting the Thunder when he was on the floor. He turned the ball over, he missed wide-open looks, and just overall never got going in Miami. Harden shot 2-of-10 in Game 3, did the same in Game 4, rarely got to the free throw line and doled out a grand total of 8 assists to 6 turnovers. Basically he failed at the things coach Scott Brooks brings him on to do in crunch time. Further, Oklahoma City is a small market team. One of the smallest actually, ahead of only two NBA markets (New Orleans and Memphis) and just ahead of our fair city of Greensboro. Conventional wisdom states that a small market team cannot afford three max contracts for guys like Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. One of them had to go. Finally, one of my favorite GM principles is trading a guy when his value can climb no higher (a big distinction from highest), no matter how insanely popular he is. When the Minnesota Twins did this in the middle of last decade, they traded Johan Santana and Torii Hunter at their primes and kept winning division titles. Recently they started to fold under fan pressure, kept Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer a little too long and now struggle to win 65 games. Trading a popular Harden would seem like the right move for a GM in Sam Presti who has made virtually all of the right moves in the last five years. So when Ryan texted me after the Thunder traded him in October to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two future first-round picks saying that OKC had made a good move, I completely disagreed. Wait, but did I not just spell out all the reasons Harden should be traded? Sure, but when you have a team in place that consists of three Olympians (no team, not even the Heat, had more than two) that are all under the age of 25 and among the top 15 players in the NBA, why on Earth would you want to break that up? Further, after game 5 of the NBA Finals, that trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden made sure to stay on the court and watch their rival for years to come celebrate amidst the streamers and Miami fans and David Stern. They were soaking in the moment to fuel them for future years, when this Heat-Thunder matchup would repeat itself. What about that small market argument? Well, when you win 65 games a year and play 12- 16 playoff home games a year, that money starts to roll in a lot easier. Sure, OKC is still at a media and merchandise disadvantage to teams like Los Angeles, Miami, and Brooklyn (I went there over Thanksgiving break. They nailed the aesthetic. The team is pretty good, too, but that’s for another column), but that ceases to matter when See davis, page 17 photo courtesy keith allison/flickr See foster, page 17 Without James Harden, the Thunder might be farther from a title. On the other hand, they may have made a smart long-term decision. Davis: OKC smart to trade Harden Foster: Harden trade sets back rising Oklahoma City 20 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports Hannah Nystrom Staff Writer Chelimo 10th at NCAAs This was certainly the season for UNCG on the track. The Spartans Cross Country team positively made an impact at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional as well as the coveted NCAA Championship by setting personal as well as school records. Paul Chelimo and Paul Katam, both native to Kenya, were the most outstanding of the fleet. During the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regionals at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC Chelimo finished second overall while Katam finished fifth overall. This is the second straight year for which Chelimo qualified for the NCAA Championships. Finishing with an UNCG and personal best in the 10,000 meter race with a time of 29:36.37 he nearly reduced his time by three seconds. Last season, Chelimo was deemed the first male runner to advance to the NCAA Championship. According to head coach Linh Nguyen during the NCAA Regional “Paul Chelimo has been slowed by injury and he ran really tough today through the pain…He was trying to win but he was hurting too much in the final push. Placing second two years in a row is a great result though, especially in such a tough region.” Paul Katam also produced an outstanding performance during the NCAA Regionals by earning his first invitation to the NCAA Championship by placing fifth overall with a personal best time of 29:43.62 as a sophomore. Katam’s performance during the NCAA Regionals earned him the Blue Chip Performer of the Week sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. When asked about Katam’s performance during the NCAA Regionals, head coach Linh Nguyen stated, “Paul Katam ran a strategically perfect race today…We wanted him to stay with the pack during all of the breaks and he was able to stay in the lead group all the way to the end when other runners were Two BCS schools, two tough losses Joseph Abraham Staff Writer Calvin Walters Staff Writer Mon UNCG 87 Va. Tech 96 Sun UNCG 80 Rutgers 87 Coming into their game against the Hokies, UNCG was 1-2 and had just lost a thriller against East Carolina by 3 points. Many critics may fell like this was a terrible start for a young Spartans team with such high expectations. However, their loss to the Pirates was not that bad considering ECU is predicted to finish third in Conference USA this season. Still, the Spartans could have used a win to get up to .500 after four games. Sadly, the Spartans lost to Virginia Tech, but many positive can still be taken away from this game. Sitting in the crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum was a cool experience in this game, as the fans were amazing. Spartan fans were screaming and chanting for much of this game, not just for free t-shirts or pizza, but because of their excitement for their men’s basketball team. Many students filled the stands and were a really diverse group, A dangerous trend is beginning to develop for the UNCG basketball team, and it is one the Spartans will hope to find an answer for quickly. Once again UNCG could not find a way to close out a tight game in an 87-80 loss to Rutgers Sunday afternoon in the Greensboro Coliseum. “I feel really bad for the guys in our locker room,” Head coach Wes Miller said, “I have got to do a better job coaching them.” UNCG trailed their Big East opponent by four points with only 2:15 to play, but the Scarlett Knights used back to back buckets to push their lead to 9 on the next two possessions, forcing a Spartan turnover in between the two baskets. It was part of a late game pull away for the visitors from New Jersey. “We haven’t closed a game out correctly this year, with the exception of Winston-Salem State,” Miller said, “I have got to do a better job of preparing us to compete and I haven’t done that.” Both teams looked a little rusty coming off a long Thanksgiving break and the teams traded missed shots early on. It was See va tech, page 18 See rutgers, page 17 Chelimo and Katam continue UNCG cross country excellence with strong NCAA championship meet photo courtesy uncg sports information Paul Chelimo with his medal from placing 2nd at the Southeast Regional ahead of the NCAAs See cross country, page 18
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Title | The Carolinian [November 28, 2012] |
Date | 2012-11-28 |
Editor/creator | Coy, Kacie |
Subject headings |
University of North Carolina at Greensboro--Newspapers College student newspapers and periodicals-- North Carolina--Greensboro Student publications--North Carolina--Greensboro Student activities--North Carolina--History |
Place | Greensboro (N.C.) |
Description | The November 28, 2012, issue of The Carolinian, the student newspaper of The University of North Carolina at Greensboro. |
Type | Text |
Original format | Newspapers |
Original publisher | Greensboro, N.C. : The University of North Carolina at Greensboro |
Language | eng |
Contributing institution | Martha Blakeney Hodges Special Collections and University Archives, UNCG University Libraries |
Publication | The Carolinian |
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Additional rights information | NO COPYRIGHT - UNITED STATES. This item has been determined to be free of copyright restrictions in the United States. The user is responsible for determining actual copyright status for any reuse of the material. |
Object ID | 2012-11-28-carolinian |
Date digitized | 2012 |
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Digital publisher | The University of North Carolina at Greensboro, University Libraries |
Digitized by | Creekside Digital |
Sponsor | Lyrasis Members and Sloan Foundation |
Full text | News Page 2 Opinions Page 6 A&E Page 10 Features Page 14 Sports Page 20 Wednesday, November 28- December 4 • Volume XCIII No. 14 Protests, warfare, and death A world of conflict The Carolinian Established 1919 Box N1 EUC UNCG Greensboro, NC, 27413 Phone: (336) 334-5752 Fax: (336) 334-3518 Editorial and Business Staff Derrick Foust Publisher Publisher.Carolinian@gmail.com Kaycie Coy Editor-in-Chief Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com Laura Brewer News Editor News.Carolinian@gmail.com Ashley Northup Opinions Editor Opinions.Carolinian@gmail.com Arvé Byrd Arts & Entertainment Editor AE.Carolinian@gmail.com Ian Foster Sports Editor Sports.Carolinian@gmail.com Christopher McCracken Features Editor Features.Carolinian@gmail.com Autumn Wells Advertising Manager Ads.Carolinian@gmail.com Corrections Policy The Carolinian never know-ingly publishes any mistakes. Please promptly notify us of any errors by e-mailing the Editor-in-Chief at Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com, or calling (336) 334-5752. Corrections will be published on page 2 in sub-sequent issues of The Carolinian. Mission Statement The Carolinian is a teaching newspaper that is organized and produced by students of the Uni-versity of North Carolina at Greens-boro. It is our objective to teach young writers journalistic skills while emphasizing the importance of honesty and integrity in campus media. News 2 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM While the United States is celebrating the victory of legal same sex marriage in three new states, Uganda is only getting stricter in their laws against such equality. An anti-homosexuality bill, also known as the Kill the Gays bill, will pass by Dec. 25, 2012 in response to the demands of the citizens. Rebecca Kadaga, the speaker of parliament in Uganda, says that citizens of Uganda are demanding stricter laws for homosexuality even though the lifestyle already gets a person fourteen years in prison if caught. “Who are we not to do what they have told us?” says Kadaga. “These people should not be begging us.” The bill will split homosexual behavior into two categories: aggravated homosexuality and the offense of homosexuality. Aggravated homosexuality is defined as pertaining to a person who is HIV positive, to authority figures, or to repeat offenders. This category was originally set to be punishable by death, but has been rewritten to be punishable by life in prison. The offense of homosexuality is defined by being in a same sex relationship and is punishable by a long prison sentence and possibly a life sentence in some instances. There are also penalties for those organizations and individuals who know of gay people and say nothing about it or who support LGBT rights. This law is applicable to any citizen of Uganda, including those who escape to other countries. The law states that a gay Ugandan citizen who is in another country must be handed over to Ugandan authorities for trial. Some are suggesting that the “removal” of the death penalty may just be a PR cover and that the actual bill’s language may obscure the truth. Many people are probably still aware of Chick-fil-a’s stance on homosexuality and the corporation sent money to various political groups which oppose it. One of these groups, the Family Research Council, spent $25,000 lobbying Congress to support the bill in Uganda. The bill has gotten massive attention from all over the world, most of it negative. The United States, United Kingdom, and The European Union have all put massive pressure on Uganda not to pass the bill. Even The Vatican has made it known that they disagree with the bill. Many of these countries have threatened to cut off financial aid to Uganda if the bill is passed. Pressure is also coming from American missionaries and the extremely conservative Anglican Church in Africa. The bill originally stated that all offenses of homosexuality should be punished by death. This action drew protest from international LGBT, human rights, civil rights, and scientific organizations. In response to the attention, a revision was introduced to reduce the strongest penalties for the greatest offenses to life imprisonment. Intense international reaction to the bill, with many media outlets characterizing it as “barbaric” and “abhorrent,” caused President Yoweri Museveni to form a commission to investigate the consequences of passing it. The attention caused the bill to be held for further discussion for most of 2010. In May 2011, parliament adjourned without voting on the bill and in October 2011 debate was re-opened. The bill was re-introduced in February of 2012. According to human rights organizations, at least 500,000 gay people live in Uganda out of a total population of 31 million, though the government of Uganda contests that number as inflated. The laws against homosexuality that are already in place are remnants of British colonialism designed to punish what colonial authorities deemed “unnatural sex” among local Ugandan people. Although many societies in Africa view homosexuality as a practice imported by outsiders, it existed before European colonization, often varying in practice depending on individual cultures. In some, male homosexuality was age-stratified, similar to ancient Greece where warriors purchased boys as brides, common when women were not available. Here in the United States, the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) is asking religious organizations and leaders to intervene. “American faith leaders know that calling for the death penalty, or even calling for imprisonment, of an entire community is not in line with Christian values,” HRC President Chad Griffin said in a press release on Friday, Nov. 23. “American Christian faith leaders with ties to Uganda, like Rick Warren and T.D. Jakes, must reach out to their influential Ugandan friends to ensure that the human rights of Ugandans are not put up to a vote.” Bill threatens lives of Uganda’s LGBT community Various civil rights groups have worked hard to defend the LGBT community. Courtesy Mikusagi/Flickr News WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 3 Hundreds and, according to some reports, thousands of people throughout the country participated in protests outside of Wal-Mart stores nationwide during Black Friday sales. Demonstrations were held at over a hundred Wal-Mart locations in major US cities. Organizers from a union-based group called OUR Wal-Mart gathered outside of their nearby Wal-Mart store locations to protest against the corporation’s unfair treatment of employees obligated to work during the Thanksgiving holiday and most notably Black Friday. Representatives from OUR Wal-Mart, along with those in support of the demonstration, spoke out for better pay, accommodating schedules, and affordable healthcare for employees who had to work for Black Friday. Some shoppers who were on their way into the retail store decided not to go in, and instead joined the demonstrations held outside. According to OUR Wal-Mart, numbers for the demonstrations were in the thousands, stretching over 100 cities. Wal-Mart has downplayed this number, saying it only knew of a few dozen protests. One of the biggest protests occurred outside of a Paramount, CA Wal-Mart store, where nine of the 1,000 people who demonstrated were held under arrest for failing to disperse, according to an LA County Sheriff’s Department statement. Wal-Mart claims that over this year’s Thanksgiving holiday, half of those who protested were employees for the corporation. Wal-Mart and VP of corporate communications David Tovar claims otherwise. “We had our best Black Friday ever and OUR Wal-Mart was unable to recruit more than a small number of associates to participate in these made for TV events... press reports are now exposing what we have said all along -- the large majority of protesters aren’t even Wal-Mart workers.” The company has since come out with a statement stating that fewer employees had actually worked this holiday than in previous years. It goes on to state that Wal-Mart will be offering discount deals in the store for employees who were scheduled to work Black Friday. The store has since switched to the offense against protesters. Wal-Mart filed a complaint to the National Labor Relations Board, claiming the demonstrations were in violation of labor laws. They claimed the protests had disrupted the flow of business and added that those workers who participated in protests also violated the National Labor Relations Act. OUR Wal-Mart also filed charges with the federal agency, as they claim that Wal-Mart is trying to stop workers from participation in protests, which violates their First Amendment freedom of speech. Many Americans argue for dramatically different views on how to fix the problem. Michael Bryant, a high school student and self-described Democrat, believes the problem is greater than Wal-Mart. “Honestly, I think the fact that such a small percentage of the American people have such a direct control over the countries resources, economic mobility and social structure is absolutely offensive. If you want my opinion, the way that the ruling class has always denied the lower classes of better life options has been going on since antiquity. Slavery was the first society, feudal society improved on that, capitalism improves on this, and socialism improves on that. Wal-Mart is just a modern example of the ruling class controlling not just the wealth, but the distribution of power in society. Change is needed from the bottom up.” Others disagree. Danny Ryoo, a UNCG junior and self-described Libertarian, is one such example. He says liberty is and always has been the answer. “People are very quick to blame our economic problems on private interests, but the fact is that the government has intervened too many times. The sole source of revenue for the federal government is the tax, money which is gained by the individual in the private sector. If these employees do not like the conditions under which they work, they are free to resign. There is no contractual bind that says they cannot do so. I say get the government out of the private sector, and let the individual exercise their liberty. This is how the free market works.” In Dallas, Josue Mata says he walked out on his maintenance shift to join those outside in protest against Wal-Mart’s suppression of freedom of speech. “I have four kids and I don’t want them to grow up in a society where people disrespect them,” he said. “This is a never-ending fight and we’re never going to stop.” Many major retail stores opened their doors for shoppers even earlier this year. Stores like K-Mart and Target gave their customers “door buster deals” opening hours on Thanksgiving day. “By opening even earlier, the retailers have been able to attract a broader spectrum of consumers to participate in Black Friday -- not everyone is willing to wake up at 4 a.m.,” said Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at the NPD Group. As employees faced another year of hostile customers, these recent protests should come as no shock for millions of people deciding not to participate in Black Friday sales, as they claim the day has taken away the Thanksgiving spirit. In past years, hundreds of injuries and deaths were resulted from anxious and some violent customers. Incidents such as the 2008 Wal-Mart employee who was trampled to death by a stampede of shoppers leave many upset at the commercialization of the holiday season. Even amidst the demonstrations, the busiest shopping day of the year continues to bring in major revenue for companies. Stephanie Cistrunk Staff Writer Aaron Bryant Staff Writer Black Friday stimulates Wal-Mart protests Pictured from left to right: Senior Vice President of Sustainability Andrea Thomas and Walmart President and CEO Mike Duke Courtesy Walmart Corporate/Flickr News 4 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM International News Briefs French protest against gay marriage bill Protests break out in Jordan after gas prices rise. Compiled By: Alaina Monts Ex-mayor of Mexican town beaten to death In Jordan, clashes broke out between anti-government protesters and those who support King Abdullah II. These followed a demonstration involving thousands of people in the capital city, Amman. Demonstrators expressed their disapproval of the government’s elimination of fuel subsidies. Since subsidies were lifted, domestic gas prices in Jordan have been raised by 50%. Many protesters chanted for the downfall of the king, a rare occurrence. Dale Gavlak of BBC said that these protests may be one of the most serious threats to King Abdullah’s 13- year reign. In a peaceful protest, thousands chanted the Arab Spring slogan, “The people want the downfall of the regime.” Many other peaceful protests were held in the northern city of Irbid, and in southern towns of Karak, Tafila, and Maan. Near the city’s Wasfi al-Tal square, Abdullah loyalists clashed with anti-government protestors, with dozens of protestors beaten by those who support the king. The subsidy cuts raised the price of a grade of gasoline primarily used by low-income families for heating and cooking. This decision angered a public already suffering from high rates of unemployment, poverty, and inflation. Prime Minister Abdullah Ensour said the price raise was necessary in order to reduce a massive budget deficit of about $5 billion. In Paris, at least 70,000 people took to the streets to protest plans to legalize same-sex marriage and to allow same-sex couples to adopt. More demonstrations took place in Lyon, Toulouse, and Marseille. Protesters included Catholic groups and other supporters of traditional families and their rights. The president of France, Francois Hollande, has promised to change French law to make same-sex marriage legal. France already has civil marriages for same-sex couples, but since only married couples can adopt at present, they don’t yet have full rights. Despite opposition from over 1,000 mayors and the Catholic Church, the French government approved the bill earlier this month. Parliament will debate it in January. Protesters in Paris wore pink clothing and carried balloons with an image of a man and a woman holding two children’s hands. Marthe Vignault, a protester, said, “A child needs a father and a mother, he needs the paternal and the maternal side and with this bill that might not be possible anymore.” This issue is the most decisive that Hollande has faced since becoming president. The head of the French Council of Catholic Bishops, Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois said that same-sex marriage is “the ultimate deceit”. Many countries in Europe already allow adoption by same-sex couples. The former mayor of a western Mexican town, who had previously survived two assassination attempts, has been beaten to death. Maria Santos Gorrostieta’s body was discovered in a ditch with a blow to the head three days after her family reported her missing. She was 36. Mexican officials are increasingly becoming targets of drug cartels. While still mayor of Tiquicheo, Gorrostieta was shot at twice by gunmen, who also killed her husband. The federal government has been asked to do more to increase security by the public. Gorrostieta was mayor from 2008 until 2011. In 2009, she was ambushed in a car with her husband, Jose Sanchez. Sanchez died of gunshot wounds sustained during the attack. Gorrosieta was injured again three months later. When she was released from the hospital, she stated that she did not know why she was being targeted. “I have a clear conscience, I have never had any issues of any kind, be it money, family, or crime related,” she said. Since the president, Felipe Calderon, declared war on drug traffickers in Mexico six years ago, at least two dozen mayors have been murdered. Police are still unsure of what the motives for all of the killings, saying they aren’t always clear. However, most attacks on local officials have occurred in small towns in regions where rival drug gangs have disputes. On Wednesday, Nov. 21, after eight days of non-stop fighting and the death of 160 Palestinian and 6 Israelis, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was announced in a joint news conference in Cairo with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Egypt’s foreign minister, Mohamed Kamel Amr. Under the Egyptian-brokered agreement, Israel agreed to end all hostilities and targeted killings of militants, while all the various groups in Palestine will stop firing rockets into Israel and staging border attacks. Israel is also required to begin talks about opening Gaza’s border crossings and lessening restrictions on the movement of people and goods. The ceasefire is being touted by some as the beginning of an era that is free of this violent conflict. Others remain skeptical that the peace will last, since all previous ceasefire agreements have failed. Despite the fact that a few rockets were fired from Gaza even after the truce took place, and reports have arisen that Israeli troops shot and killed a Palestinian man near its border in Gaza, the fragile agreement has appeared to hold thus far. It is still unclear, however, whether or not this latest ceasefire will result in long-stalled negotiations on a broader peace agreement being resumed or whether it will serve as a simple respite from the long running conflict. According to Hamas officials, soldiers opened fire when farmers were trying to reach their land near Israeli-Gaza border. According to the Israel Defense Forces, the people were rioters who attempted to breach a fence dividing Israel and Gaza. The IDF has said that a group of about 300 Palestinians attempted to enter Israel at several locations along the Gaza border and maintained that its soldiers acted according to the rules of engagement to distance rioters from the fence that separates Israel and Gaza. Anwar Qandeeh, 21, died in the confrontation Friday, according to the Hamas Health Ministry, though the Israel Defense Forces did not immediately confirm a casualty, telling CNN it was looking into the report. This is the first reported fatality since the ceasefire brought together through powerful international diplomacy took effect. Supporters of both Hamas and its rival, the moderate Palestinian party Fatah, exhibited rare unity in celebrating the ceasefire and attention on the relationship between Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, which is led by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party has increased. In the past, the two groups have struggled for power in Palestine, with Hamas ultimately gaining power when they won legislative elections in 2006 and took control of Gaza from Fatah in 2007. The Palestinian Authority has accepted Israel’s right to exist and has engaged in peace talks with the Jewish state, while Hamas, an Islamist movement, does not recognize Israel’s right to exist, and has been labeled a terrorist organization by the United States, European Union, and Israel. Abbas has been seeking to reach a negotiated settlement with Israel in order to end the decades-old conflict, but is unlikely to be able to accomplish that goal if he is not presiding over a unified Palestine. Israel, Palestine sign ceasefire: will negotiations last? Elizabeth Wise Staff Writer News WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 5 Weekly Forecast Today H: 55° L: 30° Thursday H: 56° L: 33° Friday H: 60° L: 39° Weekend H: 61° L: 43° Partly Cloudy Monday H: 64° L: 40° Sunny Partly Cloudy Sunny Sunny The 2012 Presidential race created a temporary, highly charged political environment in the United States, particularly among college students. However, now that the election is decided, the political focus has all but disappeared. Gone are the campaign signs and the Facebook posts about controversial issues, and much of the turmoil that accompanied the election has gone with them. Unfortunately, a side effect of this peace is the loss of political awareness, both on-campus and off. Since for many offices the incumbent will be replaced in January, the current office-holder can make decisions without fear of public opinion, meaning that following the political scene in the months following the election are just as important as the months before. A notable example is US ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice’s recent stance on the Benghazi attacks that occurred in September. Rice was one of the first US diplomats to comment on what had happened, saying that the attacks were based on an anti- Islamic protest and had no terrorist links whatsoever. However, it has since been determined that it was a planned act of terror. Many, particularly in the Republican Party, have criticized these remarks as an attempt by the Obama administration to conceal the true nature of the events. Rice, who is tipped to replace Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State, maintained in a speech at the UN this Wednesday that she was merely relaying information from the intelligence community. “I made clear that the information was preliminary, and that our investigations would give us the definitive answers,” Rice said. Other important issues include the Republican Party’s struggle to reshape its image. Mitt Romney’s “47 percent remark” has severely impacted the party’s reputation, with a staggering exit poll result of an 81 percent – 18 percent lead for Obama among people who rate “caring about people” as their most important quality in a candidate. According to William Bennett, a CNN correspondent, the GOP can no longer rely on its fiscal stance to earn votes, particularly at a time when that fiscal stance seems to be founded primarily on resistance to tax hikes for the wealthy. “While tax hikes alone on the richest Americans will not solve the debt problem or avert the fiscal cliff -- a point Republicans rightly make -- neither will the status quo,” Bennett said, adding that the party needs to compromise on tax policy in order to create unity and eradicate the impression created during the current campaign that Republicans care only for the rich. Bennett also said that “the 2012 election taught us that class warfare is a powerful tactic if not properly rebutted.” In a final wrap-up to election news, many political races in Florida have been slow to declare a winner in light of the vote miscounts that have occurred in the past, and many candidates have requested recounts. One particularly publicized case involved Allen West, a Tea Party incumbent representative who went to court to demand a recount in his race against Democratic candidate Patrick Murphy. The race was not close enough to require a second count, but West demanded that one take place before finally conceding last Wednesday. This recount was especially relevant due to the fact that West was one of two African American Republicans in the House of Representatives. Post election coverage: aggressive political stances begin to fade Olivia Cline Staff Writer Our campus is beautiful. Let’s keep it that way. Recycle. Opinions 6 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM After 31 years, HIV/AIDS is still a problem For 31 years, HIV/AIDS has been on our radar. Since the early reports of young gay men in San Francisco and New York diagnosed with a new and strange “cancer” in 1981, the world has known HIV/ AIDS and the pain it has caused people and their loved ones. Since 1988, World AIDS Day has been an annual event held Dec. 1 that raised awareness of HIV/AIDS in the United States and worldwide. This year’s theme for World AIDS Day is “Working Together for an AIDS-Free Generation” and while that notion is not possible now, it is my hope we can decrease HIV in the United States and abroad. Since those first cases of HIV/AIDS among gay men in larger U.S. cities, HIV/AIDS has infected and affected all types of communities across the United States. With the introduction of life saving antiretroviral medications in the 1990s, people have been living with HIV/AIDS longer and longer and are living more productive and healthier lives. However, the battles won in the fight against HIV/AIDS are only a small portion of the work that needs to be done to fight HIV/AIDS. The early fight against HIV/ AIDS in the United States was fought in hushed whispers and in fear. Gay men were afraid of what was called a “gay cancer,” but many thought the bathhouses were still beacons of hope for sexual liberation. Health departments in New York and San Francisco who had good standing relationships with the gay community were afraid to close the bathhouses due to political fallout and backlash. Hemophiliacs in the United States and in the western world used Factor VIII, a blood product that helped their blood to stop clotting. It was being infected with HIV from blood donors. The American Red Cross and the entire blood banking industry did not want to get their hands dirty testing blood for only a few AIDS transfusion cases. (Testing of the blood for HIV/AIDS did not start until 1985.) The Reagan administration took money from other health priorities to fund HIV/AIDS research, but insisted it had enough money to fund AIDS research. It was not until 1987 Reagan publicly said the acronym “AIDS.” It was not until Magic Johnson announced his HIV diagnosis in 1991 that people started to think of HIV/AIDS as more than a “gay and junkie” disease, even if that belief still exists out there. Legal and some illegal needle exchange programs started to sputter up the west coast and in New York City, helping to reduce HIV/AIDS (as well as Hepatitis C) among intravenous drug users. These programs not only helped to reduce HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C, but did not encourage drug use and in some instances, helped to reduce drug use. Antiretroviral medications were put together in cocktails that were shown to be successful and effective in helping people live longer. In 1997, HAART, (the medications) reduced the amount of HIV in the body and built up the immune system, and made news organizations and the media suspect that HIV would soon be a thing of the past. Sadly, that has not been the case. Research toward a vaccine is always in the works, but no vaccine has ever been successful because of the nature of HIV and how the virus changes. Since then, the 2000s and beyond witnessed communities fight HIV/AIDS valiantly. However, HIV/AIDS continues to impact many communities adversely. As of 2009, 44 percent of all new infections were among African Americans, while African American men accounted for 70 percent of all new infections among African Americans. Though 1 in 4 cases of new infections are among women, 2/3 of those new infections among women were African American women. Men who have sex with men (MSM) continue to be impacted by HIV/AIDS. In 2009, 61 percent of all new infections were from MSM. Out of all new infections among men, 79 percent were among MSM. In 2010, MSM accounted for 51 percent of estimated AIDS diagnoses in the United States. Nearly 300,000 MSM have died of HIV/AIDS since the beginning of the epidemic. In some pockets of the country, HIV/AIDS rates among MSM are worse than some parts of Sub Sahara Africa. HIV/AIDS continues to be a virus that not only changes its makeup, but in how it impacts people. Either way, HIV/AIDS is still a problem in the United States and one that is treated with less attention than in the earlier stages of the epidemic. Rates are continuing to climb and our society is faced with a challenge of whether to sit idly by or take action. HIV/AIDS should have never reached the problem it is today, but after 31 years, it still hurts our nation and many nations across the globe. This World AIDS Day, on Dec. 1, I hope you will join me in fighting HIV/AIDS. Photo Courtesy Official u.s. navy imagery/flickr Magic Johnson, seen above, was a pioneer for how people see HIV/AIDS today. Samantha Korb Staff Writer Opinions WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 7 In the constant struggle to individualize women, it is im-portant to examine the way that legislation and political ideals impact real lives. While abortion remains a hot topic in America, it is not always discussed in a fac-tual and informative light, but in a dialogue weighed down with morals and politician’s personal beliefs. The need for road blocks to ensure that getting an abor-tion is not “an easy way out,” and that the responsibility to “have a choice” falls solely on the wom-an, has a dangerous impact. The moral ramifications of abortion are often discussed, but the social and personal ramifications rarely are. In the recent “Turnaway Study,” conducted by Advancing New Standards in Reproductive Health, it was determined that being deterred from or denied access to an abortion can have a lasting impact on the life of a mother and a child. According to the ANSRH website, the study is designed to “…describe the mental health, physical health and socioeconomic outcomes of receiving an abortion compared to carrying an unwanted preg-nancy to term.” Over one thou-sand women were recruited from over 30 clinics across the nation and during 2012, the fourth year of the project, over 2,800 in-terviews were conducted. This study aims to provide solid evi-dence that carrying an unwanted pregnancy to term has negative consequences, and that these consequences extend far past the woman being denied. While this study does discuss some of the more far reaching impacts of women be-ing denied abortions, it is impor-tant to keep in mind that women should not have access to repro-ductive health services for “the Affects of being turned away from abortion a lost topic greater good.” It is important that these women are able to choose for themselves and that the quali-ties of individual lives are taken into account. The women that were interviewed were both Eng-lish and Spanish speaking wom-en, women who were 15 years of age or older, and women who were either one day to two weeks below, or one day to three weeks above the upper gestational limit. This study followed women who were able to receive an abortion, and women who were denied an abortion based on gestational limits which varied from clinic to clinic and ranged from 10-26 weeks. Participants were in-terviewed via phone every six months for five years. The re-searchers, led by Diana Greene Foster, presented their findings at the recent American Public Health Conference in San Fran-cisco. According to an article on “www.io9.com” by Annalee Newitz titled: “What happens to women denied abortions? This is the first scientific study to find out,” the results were interesting. The author of the article spoke with Foster about the findings. It was determined that women who were forced to carry their pregnancy to term were more likely to become unemployed, to be on public assistance, and to fall below the poverty line. The women in the study were on comparable grounds in terms of socio-economic status and money was often cited as a rea-son to seek an abortion. This was proven by the 76 percent of the “turn aways” who were on pub-lic assistance one year later, and the 44 percent of those who had obtained an abortion and were on public assistance. It was also shown that more women who had been turned away were in-volved in abusive relationships than those who had met the re-quirements to terminate their pregnancy. This was explained by Foster as such: “this wasn’t be-cause the turn aways were more likely to get into abusive relation-ships. It was simply that getting abortions allowed women to get out of such relationships more easily.” Without the physical, emotional, and financial drain of carrying an unwanted preg-nancy to term the women were more self sufficient and easily mobilized. These women could choose to leave their relationship if they so desired. Emotionally it was determined that 97 percent of the women who chose abor-tion felt that they had made the right decision, and 65 percent of the “turn aways” still wished they could have obtained an abor-tion. This study only backs the idea that women need the right to choose, and that the options should be accessible. Denying abortions only serves political agendas and personal ideals, and the impact of uninformed deci-sions on the part of the govern-ment should be taken seriously. This study is a step in the right direction, and provides proof that women benefit from hav-ing control over their bodies and lives. A shocking revelation if there ever was one. Emily Ritter Staff Writer Photo Courtesy infomatique/flickr Are the consequences for those turned away from abortions long-lasting? Opinions 8 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM The internet is arguably the last place where there is privacy. Google has a terrifying amount of power and information at its fingertips. In fact, most of what we do is recorded by Google. As a company that stands to gain a lot from data collection, it makes sense that they collect data. That does not make it any less Orwellian. Downsides aside, though, the internet is one of the last bastions of privacy because, so far, it is relatively unregulated and the companies with a stake in it like to keep it that way. This so-called Digital Due Process coalition (or the internet Avengers) was first reported by CNET, and includes: Apple, Amazon, AT&T, eBay, Facebook, Google, IBM, Intel, Microsoft, and Twitter. With constantly expanding companies like these defending the internet, it stands a good chance of remaining private. Unfortunately, that does not mean people will stop trying to slay the privacy of the internet. A bill is being put to vote this week that would allow access to American’s emails without a warrant. Under the bill, internet providers would be forced to notify law enforcement if they told their customers they were the target of a warrant, and notification that someone’s account has been accessed can be postponed up to 360 days. Law enforcement agencies have argued that needing a warrant would hinder investigations. That is ridiculous, plain and simple. I could use the slippery slope argument. If we no longer need warrants to read emails, then why should we have warrants at all? Why have any protection for people if it merely hinders getting the bad guys? I am not a huge fan of the slippery slope argument, though, because it is often used in ridiculous ways and misses the point at the hand. In this case, it misses that even without that argument the idea of someone in law enforcement freely being able to read my email without even telling me for nearly a year later. My email is not very interesting. Cops would probably be baffled by how often I ask for “halp” or the pure amount of oddball animal friends I have linked through email. An argument I have heard many times is the idea that if you are not hiding anything, then you should not be worried about laws like this. It is not about whether or not my email contains cats or an email that will incriminate me in murder. That is irrelevant. What is relevant is that law officials should absolutely not have the power to read my email without a warrant. Further, no person or company should ever have control of the internet or what goes on the internet. Although law enforcement trying to do anything without a warrant makes this an issue, it is mostly yet another attempt to regulate the internet, or to take any power the internet may have away from it through regulation. We have seen this time and time again, most notably with SOPA, but also with many smaller bills and other acts that are now weighing over Ashley Northup Opinions Editor the wild west of the internet. The internet is one of the last unregulated domains. It likely will not be that way forever. However, I intend to fight for it while I can and I recommend everyone else do the same. I may just have a lot of cats doing funny things in my email, but law enforcement is going to have to get a warrant if they want to find out. After all, the last time I checked, asking for due process was not asking too much. Warrantless searches just another fight for privacy Photo Courtesy vonderauvisuals/flickr Are warrantless searches just another attempt to prevent privacy on the internet via bills like SOPA? Opinions WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 9 Coming out of the 2012 elections, you can still hear a sort of grumble coming from within the Republican Party. After two election cycles in which Angles and Murdocks threw away what were easy Republican pickups and dashed the party’s hope of retaking the Senate, some leaders within the party are beginning to look forward to 2014 and beyond with grim expectations. Social conservatism, the factor that had helped build Reagan’s bipartisan coalition, created the gender gap, and won George W. Bush two narrow elections, has begun to fade as a weapon of political strength. No doubt that the culture wars will continue to brew for decades to come, however it is likely that the Right will see itself more and more on the losing side of these issues. Consider that in this past election cycle, stridently pro-life candidates went down in flames despite running in culturally conservative states such as Missouri and Indiana. Maryland, Maine, Washington State, and others made history in 2012 by becoming the first states to legalize gay marriage by popular referendum. Although the governor of Colorado told his citizens to avoid bringing out the munchies snacks just yet, his state and Washington voted to legalize marijuana for recreational use. In isolated cases, these could be labeled as flukes, but the electorate that came out to the polls in 2012-browner, younger, and more socially liberal- is the future of American politics and it remains likely that these groups will push for the changes that we saw on election night. That being said, I am not quite ready to take a post-mortem look at the socially conservative movement. Hispanics are the fastest growing voting bloc in the nation, and they tend to be culturally tethered to the religious right. Also, one cannot discount the possibility of another Great Awakening-like revival. They have happened on several occasions in the past, and nothing about the current political atmosphere says that it is impossible for it to happen again. Nor should anyone be totally opposed to some sort of religious revival in this country. The truth is, for all the things that social conservatives get wrong-attempts to control reproduction, a desire to deny gays equal rights, an unceasing effort to propagate a Christian alternative to everything from music to theories on how the earth was formed- they get several things right as well. Religious people are more prone to give to charity and take part in religiously-oriented relief efforts. According to information from the IRS, out of the top five charitable states, four of them, Utah, Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, are very Republican and extremely religious. This is not to say that nonreligious people are not charitable, because all people are to some extent or another. However, religion drives people to help their fellow man in a way that does not require government efforts. In his ground breaking book Reclaiming the American Dream, Richard Cornuelle sees religious organizations as essential for solving social problems outside of the government sphere. Religion can fuel charitable giving and this one of several things social conservatives get right. Another is family values. It is one thing to export your personal views onto someone else, but it is another to walk the walk you are always talking about. While no one is perfect, and slip ups occur, social conservatism has proven very healthy for families and children. Marriage, the cornerstone of social conservative living, proves to be financially and emotionally strengthening for couples. According to the Population Association of America, cohabitation offers some of these benefits, but not all. The unity of two people as one under the law has demonstrated benefits, particularly for men, though both genders benefit. Also, the religious life creates a healthy environment for children. According to research done by the conservative Heritage Foundation, children of religious parents are more likely to a better relationship with their parents than less religious people. The same study found that religious children (and adults for that matter), were less likely to take part in risky sexual behavior, habits that could have health detriments such as smoking and drinking, and were less likely to take part in crime. These things may seem obvious, but they deserve to be reiterated. Photo Courtesy vonderauvisuals/FLICKR Are family values one of the things social conservatives get right? Joseph Winberry Staff Writer Social conservatives: what they get wrong and right Our country needs people who are healthy in mind and body and who can empathize with their fellow citizens. These are just a few of the many things that socially conservative individuals get right. Still, the social conservative movement has not always successfully championed these values. Despite the obvious benefits of marriage, the Christian Right continues to denounce any attempts to extend matrimony to individuals of the same sex. As a priest told me recently, many gay people feel as if there is no alternative to the stereotype of promiscuity as long as gay couples cannot take part in civic and marital life as one. No amount of social legislation is going to make gay people go away; why does the Religious Right not extend an invitation to a group that in many cases shares their values? Also, there is something grossly irregular with the social conservative’s preoccupation with women’s bodies. Although the abortion rate is the lowest it has been since 1974, the GOP has increasingly become the party of Todd Akin- a party obsessed with and paranoid over women’s right to choose. We can all agree that society needs to do a better job at discouraging unsafe practices that lead to unwanted pregnancies, but involving government intervention into the issue (beyond partial-birth bans), would likely be less beneficial than many believe. Social conservatives need to come to terms with the fact that the abortion is settled; women are free to choose life and social conservatives should do more to reach out to these women with help and guidance rather than try to change the law to their liking. Social conservatism has many positive attributes that society would be foolish to ignore. However, we are, and will remain, a secular country in which people of all religious beliefs (or lack thereof) are granted equal rights to their own thoughts and morals. While we should encourage more social conservative living, this should happen outside and away from the ballot box. When Americans willingly choose social conservatism, the country and its people, regardless of ideology, will live better and happier lives. A&E 10 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Chromatics “Kill For Love” As the Chromatics’ outspoken front-man and the record label leader of Italians Do It Better, Johnny Jewel knows how important uniformity is. He knows that his band’s 90 minute album is of such extravagant length because he deals almost exclusively in the field of extravagance. Nothing in Jewel’s musical world goes unpolished or stretched beyond its length, and it shows in Jewel’s commitment to the record. He has not only released a dark, moody masterpiece streaked with rock n’ roll ethos and neon light, but he even released a drum-less version for remixes and a substantial mixtape of demos and b-sides to the record. Listeners have received more Chromatics than they ever know what to do within one year, but “Kill For Love” and its singular purpose—that commitment to synth-shaded imagery and the mystery of rock artists—goes farther than even Jewel could have anticipated. Whether it is the inner dancing heart of the title track or the looming shadows in the lonesome crawl of coda “The River,” Ruth Radelet’s sultry voice compels listeners to take as many detours as it takes to consume the entirety of “Kill For Love.” Killer Mike “R.A.P. Music” Try as he might, Killer Mike’s mighty figure cannot shake the political implications that followed in the wake of “R.A.P. Music’s” dominating messages. In interviews Killer Mike poises himself as the sociological protector, often striking at both politicians and oblivious eyes for overlooking his community’s individual problems in the same furious verse. The crux of the record undoubtedly falls to the hands of “Reagan,” the most politically-tinged song of Mike’s record, where Mike swings heady verses like wrecking balls through Reaganomics and the deceit of political figures. It was hard to predict what would come from the meeting of geographical lines when northern producer and rapper EL-P signed on to a southern heart such as Mike’s, but “R.A.P. Music’s” sinister gaze ensures that the duo’s collaboration bred one of the most critical and passionate records of the year. Fiona Apple “The Idler Wheel Is Wiser Than The Driver Of The Screw & Whipping Cords Will Serve You More Than Ropes Will Ever Do” Fiona Apple’s percussion-centric new record is an honest hurt, celebrating both keen self-awareness and Apple’s clever mind. The layers on “The Idler Wheel” are bulbous, requiring a delicate knife through the skin of Apple’s intimate nature. Even when pierced, her innards can be baffling to the wisest, most emotional being. It is difficult to ascertain when the wordplay ends and the sincerity begins, but loosing one’s self in the sharp nature of her lyricism is cathartic—patiently absorbing her effusive nature with the jumping, erratic start of many of her songs. The songs on “The Idler Wheel” may be cloaked thrice with shrewd words, but the scattered persona and pin-point accuracy with which Apple tears down the walls of the heart, reveals how knowing and personal Apple’s mind can be. Hundred Waters “Hundred Waters” Hundred Waters had their debut this year, but one would not immediately recognize that upon first listen to their self-titled piece. It takes bands years to reach this sort of lucidity in their direction and production, but Hundred Waters opened the doors of their career gently, revealing in the process their crystalline brand of pop and jovial mysticism. Perhaps it is the lavish production with which “Hundred Waters” is adorned with, but to use that excuse is an insult to the splendid vocal harmonies and delicate melodies that permeate the record. Hundred Waters did what most bands in their nascent stages cannot: carve out a unique record into the minds of listeners, entirely detached from the trends currently thriving within the scene they have just entered. Beach House “Bloom” Beach House’s deliberate pacing may be their undoing for many listeners unwilling to be dragged from the cement-reality of their world to the bedazzling lights of “Bloom,” but few will contest the statement that this year’s release from the duo is their finest yet. Perfecting a form can often be aimless, with bands jumping from one execution to the next desperately seeking that ambiguous “something,” but Beach House never wavered. Dream-pop may have exhausted listeners this year, but Beach House remain its king and queen, grandiloquent enough to be vilified by those who reject them, and successful enough to deserve the throne. Whether it is the blinding light of a gem such as “Lazuli” or the cradling arms of “On The Sea,” Victoria Legrand’s deep, cottony tones pierce through dream-pop’s usual fog to the most blinding white sand Beach House has ever reached. Best albums of 2012 part i Kyle Minton Staff Writer photo courtesy of criminal_aurora/flickr of small things/flickr photo courtesy of touchvinyl flickr A&E WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 11 Best albums of 2012 part iI Flying Lotus “Until the Quiet Comes” Until the Quiet Comes is not so much a collection of songs as a collection of moods, brought together to form a distorted stream of consciousness. Steve Ellison’s fourth album is a worthy follow-up to his masterpiece Cosmogramma. Ellison smartly decides not to try and build on what he achieved with Cosmogramma, but instead to take it back to the beginning, and build from there based on what he has learned. The result is a grand journey through different feelings created through a wide sense of dreamy sound and subtle sense of motion. Perhaps this leads to FlyLo’s most accessible album, but it may also be his best. Frank Ocean “Channel Orange” Some may say Channel Orange, Frank Ocean’s debut studio album, received unanimous critical praise and was met with good album sales solely because Ocean created a marketing ploy: by publishing a letter on his Tumblr days before the album was released, wherein he came out, while resisting labels like “gay” or “bisexual,” and recounted his first love. Though it was a groundbreaking, brave, honest, and heartfelt message in an industry that traditionally shuns outsiders, there is only one reason for the success of the album: Ocean is an immensely talented guy. Ocean’s poetic confession is mirrored in one of the most devastating songs of the year, “Bad Religion,” where Ocean confides his heartbreak to a cabdriver across a language barrier. “This unrequited love. To me it’s nothing but a one-man cult.” This language barrier serves as a means for Ocean to explore his own barriers, and to breakthrough them, revealing who he is and what he feels. Though the various tracks on the album focus on different subjects, they are linked by one common theme: a failed effort to forge meaningful connections, be it by means of a language barrier, drug addiction, privilege, or spirituality, Ocean’s view on relationships is bitter to be sure, but Ocean radiates compassion and warmth, creating a mood that makes Channel Orange different, and more rewarding, than any other R&B album in a long time Liars “WIXIW” Liars seemingly change their sound with every album, and with WIXIW, their sixth album, they show another, perhaps defining, facet of their identity. There is an uneasy pop sensibility that makes the album initially appear rather straightforward, but upon additional listens WIXIW’s layers can be pulled back, unveiling an album with subtle depths, based Brad Dillard Staff Writer heavily in electronics, drawing comparisons to Radiohead’s Kid A. Whether it be the 80’s synth pop simplicity of “No. 1 Against the Rush,” or the jarring electronic organs of “WIXIW,” Liars have masterfully created an album that’s equally enthralling and ominous. Blondes – Blondes Often described as “hipster house,” meaning dance music being made by “rock” or otherwise non-dance types, Brooklyn duo Blondes transcend that rather dismissive label, and their music could more aptly be described as “experimental house.” The duo of Zach Steinman and Sam Haar improvise on live instruments, and record tracks in single takes. They approach making house tracks with an outsider’s disregard for convention. The results on Blondes, a collection of their music, are equally stunning and challenging. Their songs begin with an idea or two and gradually accrete more layers, steadily drifting toward a prolonged climax before fading out piece by piece. This is not club music so much as it is headphone-music, and, if one chooses to take the time and deconstruct the differing sounds, Blondes is endlessly rewarding. Kendrick Lamar “Good Kid, M.a.a.D City” Kendrick Lamar’s debut album is stunning, and upon multiple listens it becomes clear that K.Dot has learned well from his West Coast predecessors. Lamar ties his lyrical virtuosity, quotable lines, and pulverizing beats in perfectly with his narrative, creating an album that is as adept at providing great singles as it is at creating a compelling story. Lamar’s portrait of his youth in Compton is uncompromising, and his storytelling abilities are unmatched in the current rap scene, as he allows us an uncensored look into his life growing up in his hometown. Lamar transitions effortlessly from braggadocio laced rhymes to introspective slow jams. His varied soundscape reflects the different stages of his maturation, until the album ends in a triumphant declaration that he has successfully matured, and left the violent Compton streets behind. photos courtesy of criminal_aurora, MisInfoTV1, ‘Cause i need it, & rc.../ flickr A&E 1312 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Amour (Dec. 19, in NY and LA) German auteur Michael Haneke’s (“Funny Games,” “Cache”) new film about an elderly couple, and their bond of love that is tested when the wife suffers an attack,”won the Palme d’Or at this year’s Canne Film Festival, and looks to be positioning itself as a serious Oscar contender. Haneke is a polarizing filmmaker, but whenever he has a new movie come out, attention must be paid. Zero Dark Thirty (Dec. 19 in NY and LA, expands Jan. 11) From the Academy Award winning team behind “The Hurt Locker” (writer Mark Boal and Director Kathryn Bigelow), “Zero Dark Thirty” is a chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy SEAL Team 6 in May, 2011. If Bigelow’s film, coming so soon after such an emotional event, can avoid the knee-jerk, sensationalist, emotionally manipulative trap that Paul Greengrass’ “United 93” suffered, then it may just be the Oscar frontrunner. Since no one has seen it yet, this can not be confirmed, but considering the strong trailer, and Bigelow’s pedigree, this appears to be a film that will be emotionally resonant, and politically aware enough to avoid the trappings that have plagued so many “based on a true story” films. Django Unchained (Dec. 25) Quentin Tarantino needs no introduction, and anytime he chooses to release a new movie, it is like a national holiday for cinephiles everywhere. Following what just may have been his masterpiece, “Inglorious Basterds,” Tarantino is putting a fresh twist on the historical film again, this time setting his sights on slave times. Jamie Foxx plays Django, a slave turned bounty-hunter who, with the help of his mentor (Christoph Waltz), sets out to rescue his wife (Kerry Washington) from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner (Leonardo DiCaprio). This has all the makings of a classic Tarantino film; a great cast, a plot centered around revenge that will be sure to include Tarantino’s trademark violence, and a setting that is ideal for some wonderful and distinct dialogue. Though it may not be an Oscar frontrunner (the movie has yet to be seen by anyone), Tarantino’s new outing is sure to be the most visceral and exciting movie of the rest of the year. End of the Year Movies Brad Dillard Staff Writer With the holidays already here and their exhibits of the accidental mummies of Guanajuato getting ready to close at the end of the year, the Natural Science Center has big plans for the holiday season. From laser light shows to 3-D short films in the OmniSphere Theater, audiences of all ages will be sure to enjoy memorable holiday experiences with the science center they will never forget. “Laser Holidays” is a dazzling laser show with dances across the 40 foot dome in the OmniSphere Theater of the science center. This fun-filled show is a mix of classic and modern holiday tunes including “Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer,” “Deck the Halls,” and “Jingle Bell Rock’ synchronized with laser lights that bring our favorite holiday characters to life. With the creative use of technology and laser lights, this 45 minute show is sure to put anyone in the holiday spirit. The laser show runs daily through December 30 and admission is $3 per a person in addition to their general admission. The newest addition to the Natural Science Center is “The Light Before Christmas 3D.” This 3D film tells the story of how young Katie and Makean learn the meaning of Christmas from a Candleman. When the two children get lost on a cold Christmas Eve night, the Candleman comes to their rescue and tries to lift their spirits by reading “The Night Before Christmas.” The children find themselves magically transported into the story where they get to meet Santa and tour his home at the North Pole. At the end of the film, Santa and Hob the Elf give audience members a bonus, behind-the-scenes tour of the magical workshop where this 3D festive tale was made. This 30 minute show is perfect for young audiences, but is opened to children of all ages. “The Light Before Christmas” shows through Dec. 30 at 2 p.m. every day. Admission to the show is $3 per a person in addition to general admission. A variety of shows are offered in addition to these holiday specials. Guests are transported into the world of sea turtles in the special “Turtle Vision” that runs every Saturday at 11 a.m. “Wildest Weather in the Solar System” is a full-dome experience that airs daily at 1 p.m. Guest will experience a variety of breath-taking, unusual weathers within the solar system. “Sea Monsters,” presented in 3D, takes guest to the bottom of the ocean where they meet some of the biggest, as silliest, monsters of the sea. Attendees can learn about sea creatures they never even knew existed as they swim right towards them every day at 3 p.m. The final daily show in the OmniSphere is at 4 p.m and features a 3D experience of “Ultimate Wave: Tahiti.” More information about holiday shows as well as regular shows can be found at www.natsci.org. Megan Christy Staff Writer Holiday Shows at the Natural Science Museum cinemabh/flickr MacGuffinPodcast/flickr The film chronicles the decade long hunt for Osama bin Laden after the 9/11 attacks Jamie Foxx plays a slave turned bounty-hunter who sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Missippi plantation owner With the Christmas future, inside of holidays of his and this performed at holiday professional Christmas downtown Stage. this variety the department. Be your December include opening sign Student for $10 office an performance. and found at call the 0160. Shakespeare on production of The from has and Special include the preview what you vary the tickets for tickets tickets contact 3001 On A&E WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1312 The classic tale of Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” has entertained a variety of audiences through its stage adaptations for many years and continues to be a tradition for families in the Triad as they prepare themselves for the holidays. Performances of the show are offered at a variety of locations this holiday season. Triad Stage of downtown Greensboro and the North Carolina Shakespeare Festival of High Point will be presenting professional performances of the holiday classic for audiences of all ages to enjoy. The novel “A Christmas Carol” was written by English author Charles Dickens and published on December 17, 1843. After successfully publishing “Oliver Twist” and a variety of other popular novels, Dickens was inspired to write a Christmas story which would highlight the troubles of the poor and appeal to those better off to donate to charities. Having experienced hardships and poverty during his childhood, Dickens reflected his personal feelings of social inequalities in his text. Characters in the novel were even inspired by people he knew and grew up with. One of the icons of the story, Tiny Tim, was inspired by Dickens’s sickly brother “Tiny Fred.” The novel’s first three hour public reading took place on December 27, 1853 and has since then inspired a variety of stage adaptations that follow the cold past of Ebenezer Scrooge. In the infamous tale Scrooge is a very stingy, cruel man who has no joy in the holiday season, following the passing of his business partner Jacob Marley. With the help of ghosts from Christmas past, present, and future, Scrooge finds reason inside of himself to celebrate the holidays and cherish each moment of his life by giving generously and living fruitfully. Local renditions of this holiday classic are performed at a variety of venues this holiday season. The closest professional production of “A Christmas Carol” is showcased downtown Greensboro at Triad Stage. Directed by Bryan Conger, this production consists of a variety of talent directly from the UNC-G theater department. Be sure to go out and support your fellow students from December 2 to 23. Premier bonuses include four preview nights, an opening night post-show party, and sign language interpreters. Student tickets can be purchased for $10 at the Triad Stage box office an hour before the performance. More information and production dates can be found at triadstage.org or you can call the box office at (336) 272-0160. High Point’s NC Shakespeare Festival is also putting on their annual production of “A Christmas Carol.” The performance runs from December 6 – 23 and has a variety of afternoon and evening productions. Special performance benefits include signed interpretations of the show, a final dress night, preview nights, and three “pay what you can” nights. Tickets prices vary by night: $10 tickets for the final dress night, $12 tickets for previews, and student tickets selling for $15 each. For tickets or more information, contact the box office at (336) 887-3001 or visit ncshakes.org. Megan Christy Staff Writer photo courtesy of icybrian/flickr The closest professional production of “A Christmas Carol” is showcased downtown at the Triad Stage “A Christmas Carol” Lives On In the infamous tale, a stingy and very cruel Scrooge finds reason inside himself photo courtesy of meetminneapolis/flickr to celebrate the holidays and cherish life by giving generously and fruitfully Features 1514 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM tHE PSYCHOLOGY ISSUE: THE HUMAN BRAIN, SANTA CLAUS, AND MEMORY Nadia Stevens Staff Writer Every holiday season, beginning at the stroke of midnight on the morning of Black Friday, lasting all the way through the New Year’s Eve, there is a conglomerate of advertisements attempting to maximize profits in the booming holiday market. A common icon utilized in order to access the gift giving mentality of the season in these advertisements is, of course, Santa Claus. In any context, he is a widely recognizable figure who is known to represent the quintessence of this special time of year. Beneath the widespread influence he has as a marketing tool, there are specific and detailed experiences that many individuals have had with Old Saint Nick. Many people that grew up with him think of him as an important, yet conflicting part of childhood life¸ and as matured adults tend to feel a contradictory sense of longing to be able to believe once again. As a child believing in Santa Claus, life can be an infinitely breathtaking and magical thing. To live with the notion that there is a utopian land farther North than man can travel, where everything is happy and anything is possible, is to live in a reality where there is no conceivable reason to ever lose hope or faith in humanity. In the mind of a child, Kris Kringle is the perfect best friend, parent, grandparent, sibling, and role model that they never had. He is always thinking of them, all year long he is paying attention; and when the time comes, he gives rewards when they have done well. As long as you stay off of the naughty list, he will never insult you, forget you, or think wrongly of you. He even knows who treats you badly, and makes sure that they receive punishment. What could make a kid feel better than that? Unfortunately this period of infantile bliss cannot last forever, and eventually is corrupted by real life, and the boundlessly stubborn preteen psyche. For some, the realization comes from a classic Freudian slip on the part of a careless adult that destroys the illusion, while for others it might just be a series of clues that add to mounting suspicions. At this confusing age, when we are not quite a child but not quite an adult, we long to grow up; to be treated with respect and not as a lesser human. Accompanying this impatient urgency to mature is the undying need to decide once and for all whether or not Santa Claus is real. It is an arduous task to completely write him off because of how wonderful it once felt to believe, but as the knowledge of his inexistence grows, it is equally challenging to continue believing as the capacity to maintain faith in him inevitably shrinks. Immediately following our raucous, bewildering, and sometimes shameful teenage years, we finally turn into adults. We start finding answers to so many questions that used to pester us so deeply; but perhaps the most significant thing we all learn is that we were barely young for a minute, and now we will get older and older for the rest of our lives. Paradoxically, for so many of us long awaited adulthood is accompanied by a profound desire to once again live like a kid; to not pay rent, to eat cookies every day and not get fat, to have our moms clean up after us, and, of course, to once again have the ability to believe in Santa Claus the way we did when we were not smart enough to doubt him. A mug shot of dear old Saint Nick. kevin dooley/ flickr The psychology behind our belief in Santa Features WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1514 Robert Ross Staff Writer Imagine being stuck in a single moment, with no recollection of your past and unable to think about your future. A world surrounded by strange faces and unfamiliar places. As you begin to comprehend the world around you, all knowledge is quickly forgotten. A terrifying thought, is it not? Well for Clive Wearing that is his reality. After Clive fell ill to an encephalitis infection he lost the ability to retain any memory for more than a few seconds. He has been left permanently confused and tormented. According to Dr. Oliver Sacks of The New Yorker, this is the worst case of amnesia ever recorded. However, the baffling part Clive has not lost a sliver of his incredible musical talents. Clive Wearing was a prodigious English musician and musicologist but after being struck with a severe brain infection has lost all of his memory. His wife, Deborah, takes care of him and loves him the best she can. She wrote a memoir of her husband’s affliction called, “Forever Today.” In a sample from her memoir, Deborah describes Clive’s amnesia: “his ability to perceive what he saw and heard was unimpaired. But he did not seem to be able to retain any impression of anything for more than a blink. Indeed, if he did blink, his eyelids parted to reveal a new scene. The view before the blink was utterly forgotten. Each blink, each glance away and back, brought him an entirely new view.” Clive began to journal, desperate to hold reality and some form of continuity in his life. He thought it might help exercise his memory and reduce the constant dread of feeling lost. It was a courageous but unsuccessful attempt to improve his mental state. In his journal entries Clive would write “I am awake” or “I am conscious,” entered again and again every few minutes. He continually felt as if every moment was his first waking moment. Clive’s affliction began to grow worse and any hope of a recovery grew dimmer. Deborah was left with little choice but to move him into a psychiatric unit. He would inhabit the home for the next six and half years. He became both a prisoner lost in his mind and to the bare white walls that confined him. The only moments of relief were when Deborah visited him. The pathetic and tragic thing was that when she would leave he would leave voice messages begging her to come visit him because he had not seen her in a terribly long time. The couple did find a way to connect: by the way of music. Deborah had been an accomplished musician as well. Although Clive had no recollection of his musical abilities he was still capable of exercising them. Deborah needed to put the music in front of him and encourage him to action. There is a disparity between the conscious memory of events (episodic memory) and an unconscious memory for procedures, which might explain Clive’s untouched musical ability. He is still able to sight-read, play the piano, sing and conduct a choir because remembering music is no longer remembering. Music had become so habitual to Clive that it was as natural as walking or riding a bike. Repetition of things builds long-term memories and after continuously performing them they become habits. Habits are different than long-term memories as they are stored in the Basal Ganglia, whereas long-term take place in the Hippocampus structure of the brain. The reason being for Clive’s unharmed talents is that the affliction exclusively damaged Clive’s episodic memory, which is critical for storing experiences, facts and information and not the other. People often try to capture the beautiful moments. They want to forget their past and ignore their future for a moment. Escaping the restraints of space and time and enjoying the beauty of now is something we admire. Phrases like You Only Live Once (YOLO) and Carpe Diem stem from the idea that time is fleeting and to make the best of every moment. For Clive Wearing, living in the moment is his curse: a plague that haunts him every day. He will never be able to remember experiences or anticipate events. He will never live a normal functioning life, but there still is hope for his happiness: by the power of music. With Deborah’s unconditional love and the power of music Clive is able to transcend his amnesia for a fleeting moment. Man struggles to remember his own life Very Hard Very Hard Sudoku Features 1716 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM one they will with maybe), my and they and backcourt in instead shoulders where Thunder- been young Jeremy also which always The got chance always a did future of us worked Harden have Perkins) Thunder for the best for happy would just happy finishing Armstrong Miller) put said it is on is the down and play wants can’t go us, that have to team.” Korey Weaver Staff Writer Chi Omega Fraternity hosted its first annual “Wings for Wishes” event on Wednesday, Nov. 14 to raise money for the “Make-A-Wish” Foundation. Participants raised nearly $1,000 in support of the non-profit. The chapter created a warm and friendly environment which was open to discussion, games, and laughter. Around the several round tables set up in the room sat friends, students, and families. The sisters who were not joining in the fun were helping guests find the room, selling tickets at the entrance, serving food, and having a good time. They tried to set a positive example, which led to a laid back atmosphere for anyone who attended the event. Another key element to the atmospheric success of the party was the music. The sisters played several popular hits. Overall, the combined friendliness of the sisters, good food and fellowship, and great music helped to make the “Wings For Wishes” event a big success. The event’s organizers were Amber Gutterson (a junior studying Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources and minor in Communication studies) and Nicole Santonastaso (A junior studying Nutrition). They both serve as co-philanthropy chairs of Chi-Omega Fraternity. Together, they secured wing donations from local businesses like Hooters, Zaxby’s, Spring Graden Pizza, Buffalo Wings and Rings, and East Coast Wings on Tate Street. They also encountered logistical trouble when the venue for the event had to be changed last minute. Fortunately, they were able to secure a room in the campus ministries building, which Amber expressed much thanks for. They were able to go through the entire event without incident. Iva Wepner (a junior studying Business Administration and the President of Chi Omega) thanked Amber and Nicole for handling the preparation. She emphasized that she had nothing to do with the success of event and was only there as a helping hand. The chapter is individually attempting to grant one wish to a child through the Foundation. In order to grant a wish, they must raise $6,000. In the past, they have raised enough money to grant two wishes, and they are well on their way to being able to grant a third. The first wish is to be granted in January 2013, and the paperwork for the second is being completed. While being interviewed, Ms. Gutterson explained that the process for granting a wish is not as simple as raising money and sending it into the “Make- A-Wish” Foundation. Amber explains that the sorority has to fill out a form and send it to the foundation with all of the money for the wish. After a fundraising event, the sisters deposit the money into an account they have through the Foundation. When the money is in this account, it cannot be withdrawn until the full amount of $6,000 is present. Once “Make-A-Wish” has the money, they go through their own process in selecting who the recipient of the donation will be. The chapter does not always find out who the child is, because sometimes it is kept a secret. If they do, they throw a wish granting party for the recipient in celebration of their accomplishment. Yhe women of Chi Omega proudly attempt to raise money for the philanthropy event. Chris mccracken / THE CAROLINIAN Greek Legends: Chi Omega serves the community at “Wings for Wishes” event Do you belong to a Greek organization and want your next event covered in our new bi-weekly “Greek Legends” column? If so, e-mail Features editor Chris McCracken at features. carolinian@gmail. com, and you could wind up on the pages of the Carolinian! Sports WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28- Dec.4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 17 Spartans tame Bulldogs Joseph Abraham Staff Writer Going into the game versus Gardner Webb, UNCG women were 0-2 and hoping to get their first win on their home court. UNCG won a very physical and sloppy game against an undefeated Gardner Webb team. Both teams combined to have 56 turnovers, with both teams coming out very defensive. In the end, UNCG came out on top, 55-49. The Spartans started out on fire, taking a quick 9-3 lead. The Bulldogs would dominate the next few minutes, jumping up to a 16-14 lead. Both teams struggled to find some type of rhythm for the remainder of the first half, with the Bulldogs leading 22-20 at the break. Gardner Webb had a quick spark in the first minute of the second half, when Bulldog guard Jessica Heilig drove to the lane for a layup and a foul to increase GWU’s lead to 25- 20. The Spartans would respond with seven straight points to gain a 31-27 lead. Both teams went back and forth for the next few minutes as GWU responded to tie the game at 31 all. UNCG would not allow the Bulldogs to take the lead, and went on a 9-1 run, to go up 40-32. Gardner Webb would not quit, making another push to cut the UNCG lead to 42-39. UNCG would once again extend their lead, with two clutch jumpers by Lucy Mason and Janae Stevenson to put the Spartans up 46-39. The Bulldogs, smelling desperation, moved to a half-court defense, trying to create turnovers by double or triple teaming whichever UNCG player had the ball. This tactic worked for a bit, as the Bulldogs slowly cut UNCG’s lead. The game was at its closest in the closing minutes when GWU’s Jasmine Dale hit the team’s only three of the game, making it 52-47. Even though, the Bulldogs made a run towards the end, the Spartans managed to close the gap with some clutch free throws, and win their first game of the season, and making the Bulldogs 3-1. Coach Palmer assessment of the game is as followed, “Today’s win was hard-fought and certainly not pretty,” head Coach Wendy Palmer said. “What I saw tonight that I did not see the first two games from our kids was fight all the way to the end of the game. After a pretty bad first half I thought we came out and played really hard in the last 20 minutes.” While it was good that UNCG picked up their first win of the season, the team is still very young, meaning there is still plenty of room for improvement. While UNCG forced over 30 turnovers for the first time in almost two years, UNCG also had 25 turnovers of their own, which will need to change if they want to compete for a SoCon title this season. UNCG will also have to stop settling for so many jump shots and start trying for more success in the paint. A nice achievement all the sports at UNCG can be happy with is that this win for UNCG was the first win over a Division I opponent since Oct. 27. the Spartans effectiveness on the offensive boards and Armstrong’s outburst that helped UNCG build what was at one point a double digit lead. The Spartans out rebounded Rutgers 22 to 13 over the first 20 minutes including 11 rebounds on the offensive glass leading to 10 2nd chance points. It was not enough to overcome the duo of Myles Mack and Eli Carter who paced the way for the Scarlett Knights. The two guards combined to score 49 with Carter knocking down 9 WBB Home Opener UNCG 52 Gardner-Webb 47 you have an extremely young team already competing for championships that could have won five or six over the next ten years. Now, Harden is gone, having a nice little “You guys had no idea how good I was” season with Houston, and the Thunder will be stuck winning 50-60 games a year and losing in the Conference Finals/NBA extensions was running out. If the Thunder wouldn’t have traded James Harden when they did, he would have made his huge payday somewhere else and left the Thunder with nothing in return for their all-star. Sending James Harden to the Houston Rockets was the best move for every single person involved in the deal. James Harden gets to leave the shadow of his superstar teammates and prove that he is the next best shooting guard in the NBA. He gets his payday and he gets to be the star. Even if Kevin Martin leaves after his contract is up the Finals. They might pull off one championship but now they will be stuck with competing with the Lakers, Clippers (maybe), Spurs, Minnesota (mark my words, when Love, Rubio, and Pekovic put it together, they will be a force), Memphis, and Houston (scariest backcourt in the league) in the West instead of staying head and shoulders above the pack. A world where we get five straight Thunder- Heat Finals would not have been a bad one. Too bad. davis from page 19 foster from page 19 Thunder now have a young shooting guard also in Jeremy Lamb. The Thunder also obtained some draft picks which is great for them as they always seem to draft great players. The other benchwarmers that got sent to the Rockets get a chance to actually play which is always a nice add on. Overall the Thunder did the right thing for the future and Harden. I know a lot of us wished they could have worked something out and kept Harden (I really think they should have amnestied Kendrick Perkins) but in the end the Thunder made the right decision for the team and only want the best for James harden. of his 15 shots and Mack going 9 for 11 for 24 points, including a late 3 point basket that seemed to take the wind out of the Spartans sails. “They are quick with the ball, they are good guards, and they were able to get good shots coming off ball screens.” Senior guard Korey Van Dussen said. “They are just good players, give them credit for knocking down shots.” The loss overshadowed a superb effort from senior Derrell Armstrong who scored a game high 25 points on 7 of 11 shooting. 16 of those 25 points came in a first half that saw UNCG lead by as many as 10 points. Rutgers however made it a point of emphasis to limit the duo of Trevis Simpson and Armstrong in the second half and held the Spartans leading scorers to just 16 points over the final 20 minutes of play. “I think they just picked up their intensity and were pressuring the ball a little more,” Armstrong noted when asked what Rutgers did to slow Simpson and himself down in the second half. For Rutgers coach Mike Rice, it came down to keeping the pressure on the two standout guards. “I thought we crowded them and made them drive it into our help, and we did a decent job with them. Armstrong was a load.” With Simpson and Armstrong harassed on every possession Korey Van Dussen stepped up to contribute ten points while Kelvin McNeil helped keep the Spartans in the game with his second double-double in as many games with a 10 point, 11 rebound performance. For the Spartans though the string of late game breakdowns leaves a sour taste in their mouth. “Obviously we are not happy with the record, but I would just say more so we are not happy with how we have been finishing down the stretch.” Armstrong said. “I know coach (Miller) put the blame on himself and said it was his fault, but I feel it is on us as players, because that is the time you just have to dig down and fight through the pain and fatigue and sit down and play defense, get rebounds. “Even though he says he wants to prepare us for it, he can’t go on the court and do it for us, that is something we each have to look in ourselves and as a team.” rutgers from page 20 Sports 1918 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec.4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports Edition win popular the Sam virtually all last five me him in Rockets Lamb picks made completely spell Harden but place Olympians Heat, are all among NBA, want after that and on the rival for amidst fans were fuel when this would market win play 12- year, in a still merchandise Los Brooklyn Thanksgiving aesthetic. too, but column), but City Volleyball season ends in 1st round of SoCon Jose Torres Staff Writer The UNCG Spartan volleyball team entered the Southern Conference Tournament with a four game losing streak and as the fourth seed from the North Division going up against top seed from the South Division Georgia Southern. After winning the first set, the Spartans dropped three straight sets to the Eagles, losing out in the first round and eliminating themselves from the tournament. UNCG finishes the season with a 13-16 overall record as Georgia Southern advances to the semifinals with a 25-6 record. Citing the Spartan’s lack of offensive aggressiveness in the last couple of sets, head coach Patrick Nicholas said “We worked all week on being very offensive today as we knew offense was Georgia Southern’s strength.” He continued with, “We knew we could dig and block with them as we were one of the best defensive teams in the conference, but we had to bring our offensive game to them today. We worked our game plan perfectly in game one as our offense was very aggressive and opportunistic but games two, three, and four we got passive offensively.” The Eagles out-blocked the Spartans 9-0 and also recorded 57 kills to UNCG’s 48. The Eagles hit .283 for the match while the Spartans were down to only .160. Individually, UNCG was led by junior Karrian Chambers with a team-high 14 kills and 13 digs while senior setter Ari Lysacek accumulated 38 assists and 11 digs in her final match of her career, posting another double-double. Junior libero Kellie Orewiler notched up a team-high 20 digs. Junior Morgan Freeman also chipped in with 10 kills and a team-high four blocks. Junior Olivia Humphries added 12 kills to the stat sheet. Freshman Katherine Santiago also accumulated some defensive stats with 12 digs. In the first set, the Spartans trailing 7-6 used an 8-2 run to not only take the lead but the set as they were never behind for the rest of the set. UNCG took advantage of Georgia Southern’s errors but the Eagles cleaned up their mistakes after the lost set. Although UNCG jumped to a 7-1 lead in set two, Georgia Southern came back to take a 13-12 lead. The Spartans and Eagles traded runs, with Georgia Southern getting the last laugh with a 9-2 to take set two. Set three was another back-and- forth set with each team trading points up until UNCG trailed Georgia Southern 13-12. The Eagles closed the set with a 12-3 run to defeat the Spartans and take the lead 2 sets to 1. In the fourth and final set for UNCG, Georgia Southern raced to an early lead before UNCG came back to tie it at 4-4. UNCG committed some key errors, giving away a run that lead the Eagles to a 17-9 lead over the Spartans. Even though there were two long rallies by each team, one won by each team, the Spartans still lost this set 16-25. The Spartans battled until the final point but to no avail. The Spartans end their disappointing season on a season high 5 straight losses. UNCG was 8-8 at home but an abysmal 3-7 away with a 2-1 record on a neutral site. ranging from underclassmen with their UNCG apparel on to upperclassman sitting with their Budweiser beers. The excitement was elevated when UNCG scored first off a Trevis Simpson dunk. UNCG’s starting momentum came to end as Virginia Tech was making three point shots like Steve Novak, to go up 23-9 early in the game. It looked as if it was going to be a long night for the Spartans, but momentum quickly swung in UNCG’s favor. The Spartans went on a 26-9 run led by Darrell Armstrong and Kelvin McNeil to take a 33-32 lead. Virginia Tech answered back by going on a 10-2 run, to take a 42-35 lead. UNCG continued being relentless by coming back and cutting the Hokies lead to 45-41. Halftime was a nice scene, as some kids did a nice jump rope routine to keep the fans energized. This was followed by some entertainment provided by one of those upperclassmen with the Budweiser getting tossed from the arena as he was getting a bit too rowdy. Talking to some of my friends at halftime, we agreed that UNCG had to try and penetrate Virginia Tech’s defense, because they settled for the three point shot way too often in the first half. Even with these mistakes UNCG was only down four to an ACC opponent with a whole half of exciting play left.Virginia Tech came out fast and furious in the second half, to jump to an early 65-51 run, as once again things looked tough for the Spartans. However, UNCG once again answered the challenge going on a 26-8 run led by Trevis Simpson, who at one point scored twelve straight points for the Spartans. At this point, UNCG had a 77- 73 lead. The Hokies responded by scoring ten straight points and took a 83-77 lead with 2:55 remaining in the game. While UNCG continued to fight, the Hokies kept the lead, scoring 13 of their last 16 points from the free throw line to win 96-87. Wes Miller’s comments after the game were as followed, “This is a really been a tough week for us as we played really well at East Carolina and did a lot of good things here tonight, but we weren’t able to come out with a win in either game. If we keep taking steps in the right direction, things will work out for us in the end. We have to stay together and keep fighting trying to get better each and every day.” While this may seem like another loss in the books, it was far from it. Virginia Tech may not be one of the top teams in the ACC, but still a school with more recruiting power and experience in a superior conference. UNCG brought out the best of Virginia Tech in this loss, as the Hokies shot an unbelievable 63.6 percent from the three point line, and shot 81 percent from the charity strike. SoCon 1st Round UNCG 1 Ga. Southern 3 va tech from page 20 falling off.” After an outstanding performance at the NCAA Regionals in Charlotte, the two young men had to step up their game as they headed to Louisville, Kentucky on Nov. 17 for the NCAA Championship. Sophomore and first time NCAA Championship runner, Paul Katam produced a worthy performance, by finishing 77th overall with a time of 30:33.30 in the 10,000 meter race. As a sophomore, Katam will receive more chances to out shine his opponents in the NCAA Championships as well as enhance his overall performance. The 2012 NCAA Championship was a time of opportunity and education for the young runner. Katam’s counterpart, Chelimo, finished with an admiral 10th place and his second All-America Honor. Even after battling with an injury this past month, Chelimo is still the only UNCG runner to earn the All-America honor as well as improve his placement by three spots from last year’s performance. Chelimo’s performance during the NCAA Championship resulted in UNCG honors by setting a school record 29:29.80, seven seconds better than the previous record holder. Not a single individual can wrongly mock the performance of UNCG’s star performers Paul Chelimo and Paul Katam. These two men have set the standards high for future UNCG runners in relation to NCAA Championships. If you are walking down the halls, or stopping in the food court at the EUC and run into Chelimo and Katam congratulate them on a job well done. These are the individuals who contribute to making this University as outstanding as it is. Well done Paul squared, well done. cross country from page 20 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Nov. 28-Dec. 4, 2012 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 19 Sports Arguing with the Editor: Thunderstruck Edition Ian Foster Sports Editor Everick Davis Staff Writer When the Oklahoma City Thunder traded James Harden to the Houston Rockets, the move left a bad taste in a lot of people mouths. It definitely wasn’t the popular move but it was the right move that the franchise needed to make. The NBA is a business and this was strictly a business move. Ever since LeBron James went on TV and made his decision the NBA has been a different place. When LeBron left Cleveland for Miami it changed the way general managers around the lead approached free agency. Teams are now fearful of free agency approaching as they don’t want to lose their players to other teams for nothing at all. Players now demand trades and force their way to big market teams leaving small market teams struggling to keep decent players. Being a small market team in the NBA seriously sucks as they cannot even pay their players properly sometimes with the luxury tax rules as shown with this trade. The idea of losing a big player to another team and not receive anything back is a scary thought to most GM’s and that is exactly why the Thunder made a great decision. Even though James Harden played the sixth man role for the Thunder, he was their number 3 offensive threat. Having Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden on a team together was almost equivalent to the Miami Heat Big 3. James Harden is a legit all-star type player and was definitely the X-Factor in Thunders run to the Finals. Hardens skill set worked perfectly with Durant and Westbrook which made them such a dangerous team. Adding defensive anchor Serge Ibaka in the mix and the Thunder are a contender, but the problem with this team was youth. These guys were playing at high levels on rookie contracts so when extension time came everyone was looking to get paid. Kevin Durant got his contract extension first followed by Westbrook. This summer came the time for Ibaka and Harden to get their paydays also. Having all summer to work things out it seemed as if Harden was waiting it out to see how big of an extension the Thunder would give him. Soon Ibaka got his extension and the spotlight went to Harden. He is definitely worth a max contract but at the same time the Thunder couldn’t afford another huge contract on their pay roll. Things weren’t working out between the two sides and the timeline on contract James Harden was horrible in June’s NBA Finals. Oklahoma City was the last best hope at keeping LeBron James and his handpicked trio of all-stars from their first NBA title. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant did their part, winning game one before Miami rolled off three straight close ones and dominated the Thunder in Game 5 and winning their first title. I watched Game 4 with former Carolinian Sports Editor Ryan Hecht, and it was obvious to both of us just how much Harden was actually hurting the Thunder when he was on the floor. He turned the ball over, he missed wide-open looks, and just overall never got going in Miami. Harden shot 2-of-10 in Game 3, did the same in Game 4, rarely got to the free throw line and doled out a grand total of 8 assists to 6 turnovers. Basically he failed at the things coach Scott Brooks brings him on to do in crunch time. Further, Oklahoma City is a small market team. One of the smallest actually, ahead of only two NBA markets (New Orleans and Memphis) and just ahead of our fair city of Greensboro. Conventional wisdom states that a small market team cannot afford three max contracts for guys like Durant, Westbrook, and Harden. One of them had to go. Finally, one of my favorite GM principles is trading a guy when his value can climb no higher (a big distinction from highest), no matter how insanely popular he is. When the Minnesota Twins did this in the middle of last decade, they traded Johan Santana and Torii Hunter at their primes and kept winning division titles. Recently they started to fold under fan pressure, kept Joe Mauer and Michael Cuddyer a little too long and now struggle to win 65 games. Trading a popular Harden would seem like the right move for a GM in Sam Presti who has made virtually all of the right moves in the last five years. So when Ryan texted me after the Thunder traded him in October to the Houston Rockets for Kevin Martin, Jeremy Lamb and two future first-round picks saying that OKC had made a good move, I completely disagreed. Wait, but did I not just spell out all the reasons Harden should be traded? Sure, but when you have a team in place that consists of three Olympians (no team, not even the Heat, had more than two) that are all under the age of 25 and among the top 15 players in the NBA, why on Earth would you want to break that up? Further, after game 5 of the NBA Finals, that trio of Durant, Westbrook, and Harden made sure to stay on the court and watch their rival for years to come celebrate amidst the streamers and Miami fans and David Stern. They were soaking in the moment to fuel them for future years, when this Heat-Thunder matchup would repeat itself. What about that small market argument? Well, when you win 65 games a year and play 12- 16 playoff home games a year, that money starts to roll in a lot easier. Sure, OKC is still at a media and merchandise disadvantage to teams like Los Angeles, Miami, and Brooklyn (I went there over Thanksgiving break. They nailed the aesthetic. The team is pretty good, too, but that’s for another column), but that ceases to matter when See davis, page 17 photo courtesy keith allison/flickr See foster, page 17 Without James Harden, the Thunder might be farther from a title. On the other hand, they may have made a smart long-term decision. Davis: OKC smart to trade Harden Foster: Harden trade sets back rising Oklahoma City 20 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports Hannah Nystrom Staff Writer Chelimo 10th at NCAAs This was certainly the season for UNCG on the track. The Spartans Cross Country team positively made an impact at the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regional as well as the coveted NCAA Championship by setting personal as well as school records. Paul Chelimo and Paul Katam, both native to Kenya, were the most outstanding of the fleet. During the NCAA Southeast Cross Country Regionals at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, NC Chelimo finished second overall while Katam finished fifth overall. This is the second straight year for which Chelimo qualified for the NCAA Championships. Finishing with an UNCG and personal best in the 10,000 meter race with a time of 29:36.37 he nearly reduced his time by three seconds. Last season, Chelimo was deemed the first male runner to advance to the NCAA Championship. According to head coach Linh Nguyen during the NCAA Regional “Paul Chelimo has been slowed by injury and he ran really tough today through the pain…He was trying to win but he was hurting too much in the final push. Placing second two years in a row is a great result though, especially in such a tough region.” Paul Katam also produced an outstanding performance during the NCAA Regionals by earning his first invitation to the NCAA Championship by placing fifth overall with a personal best time of 29:43.62 as a sophomore. Katam’s performance during the NCAA Regionals earned him the Blue Chip Performer of the Week sponsored by Blue Cross and Blue Shield. When asked about Katam’s performance during the NCAA Regionals, head coach Linh Nguyen stated, “Paul Katam ran a strategically perfect race today…We wanted him to stay with the pack during all of the breaks and he was able to stay in the lead group all the way to the end when other runners were Two BCS schools, two tough losses Joseph Abraham Staff Writer Calvin Walters Staff Writer Mon UNCG 87 Va. Tech 96 Sun UNCG 80 Rutgers 87 Coming into their game against the Hokies, UNCG was 1-2 and had just lost a thriller against East Carolina by 3 points. Many critics may fell like this was a terrible start for a young Spartans team with such high expectations. However, their loss to the Pirates was not that bad considering ECU is predicted to finish third in Conference USA this season. Still, the Spartans could have used a win to get up to .500 after four games. Sadly, the Spartans lost to Virginia Tech, but many positive can still be taken away from this game. Sitting in the crowd at the Greensboro Coliseum was a cool experience in this game, as the fans were amazing. Spartan fans were screaming and chanting for much of this game, not just for free t-shirts or pizza, but because of their excitement for their men’s basketball team. Many students filled the stands and were a really diverse group, A dangerous trend is beginning to develop for the UNCG basketball team, and it is one the Spartans will hope to find an answer for quickly. Once again UNCG could not find a way to close out a tight game in an 87-80 loss to Rutgers Sunday afternoon in the Greensboro Coliseum. “I feel really bad for the guys in our locker room,” Head coach Wes Miller said, “I have got to do a better job coaching them.” UNCG trailed their Big East opponent by four points with only 2:15 to play, but the Scarlett Knights used back to back buckets to push their lead to 9 on the next two possessions, forcing a Spartan turnover in between the two baskets. It was part of a late game pull away for the visitors from New Jersey. “We haven’t closed a game out correctly this year, with the exception of Winston-Salem State,” Miller said, “I have got to do a better job of preparing us to compete and I haven’t done that.” Both teams looked a little rusty coming off a long Thanksgiving break and the teams traded missed shots early on. It was See va tech, page 18 See rutgers, page 17 Chelimo and Katam continue UNCG cross country excellence with strong NCAA championship meet photo courtesy uncg sports information Paul Chelimo with his medal from placing 2nd at the Southeast Regional ahead of the NCAAs See cross country, page 18 |
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