The Carolinian [November 28, 2012]

              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
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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
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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
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Features 1716 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Nov. 28- Dec. 4, 2012 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM one
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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
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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