The Carolinian [December 5, 2012]

              News Page 2 Opinions Page 6 A&E Page 10 Features Page 14 Sports Page 20
Wednesday, December 5 - January 16, 2013 • Volume XCIII No. 15
Happy
Holidays!
The Carolinian
Established 1919
Box N1 EUC
UNCG
Greensboro, NC, 27413
Phone: (336) 334-5752
Fax: (336) 334-3518
Editorial and Business Staff
Derrick Foust
Publisher
Publisher.Carolinian@gmail.com
Kaycie Coy
Editor-in-Chief
Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com
Olivia Cline
News Editor
News.Carolinian@gmail.com
Emily Brown
Opinions Editor
Opinions.Carolinian@gmail.com
Tristan Munchel
Arts & Entertainment Editor
AE.Carolinian@gmail.com
Ian Foster
Sports Editor
Sports.Carolinian@gmail.com
Christopher McCracken
Features Editor
Features.Carolinian@gmail.com
Autumn Wells
Advertising Manager
Ads.Carolinian@gmail.com
Corrections Policy
The Carolinian never know-ingly
publishes any mistakes. Please
promptly notify us of any errors by
e-mailing the Editor-in-Chief at
Editor.Carolinian@gmail.com, or
calling (336) 334-5752. Corrections
will be published on page 2 in sub-sequent
issues of The Carolinian.
Mission Statement
The Carolinian is a teaching
newspaper that is organized and
produced by students of the Uni-versity
of North Carolina at Greens-boro.
It is our objective to teach
young writers journalistic skills
while emphasizing the importance
of honesty and integrity in campus
media.
News
2 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Corrections
In the November 28, 2012 issue
of The Carolinian, the article
titled “Bill threatens lives of
Uganda’s LGBT community”
was not properly attributed.
Staff writer Devon Lail was the
author.
With Christmas only a
month away, people are coming
together to help provide food,
clothes, and gifts for families
who are struggling. A recent
initiative, Giving Tuesday,
which urged charities, families,
businesses and individuals to
give back on the Tuesday after
Thanksgiving, was launched
by New York’s 92nd Street
YMCA and the United Nations
Foundation. On their website,
the organization notes that their
mission statement is to create a
national day of giving at the start
of the annual holiday season.
It celebrates and encourages
charitable activities that support
nonprofit organizations.
The initiative resulted in
about $10 million in donations
(a 53 percent increase from
the donations received on the
same day last year) and over
2,500 businesses and charities,
according to a statement released
by the UN Foundation. There are
many ways to become involved
with this initiative, either as an
organization or an individual,
and more information can be
found at givingtuesday.org.
All over North Carolina one
can find a variety of charities
to which to donate or events
to attend. Charlotte hosted
its annual Jingle Bell Bash on
December 1 from 7-11pm at
Christmas brings opportunities for giving back
the Wells Fargo Atrium and
featured live music, a silent
auction, and more. Funds raised
from this event will go towards
Safe Alliance, formerly known
as United Family Services,
including their domestic
violence services.
In Raleigh at the Marbles
Kids Museum, the 3rd Annual
Merry Mingle Holiday Party
will be taking place on Tuesday,
Dec. 4 from 6-9 p.m. The
event’s proceeds will benefit the
Triangle Spokes Group, a non-profit
organization who gives
out new bikes and helmets to
less fortunate families during
the holidays, and has distributed
2050 bikes since they began in
2006.
The local campaign of the
U.S. Marine Corps Reserve
Toys for Tots Foundation has
begun on campus with boxes
for toy donations. They will
continue to collect toys until
mid to late December, along
with all the other campaigns
across the country. The Marine
Toys for Tots program collects
new and unwrapped toys from
October until December and
then distributes these toys as
Christmas gifts to less fortunate
children. Families in need of toys
for their children can request
a toy from the Toys for Tots
website, where those who would
like to donate can also go to find
a drop off location. On Thursday,
Nov. 29, the Greensboro Toys
for Tots campaign held their
2012 Marine Corps Reserve
Toys for Tots kick-off campaign,
“Operation Toy Drop”.
From now until Dec. 24, every
Macy’s across the country has
a letterbox to collect letters to
Santa Claus. People can bring
their stamped letter addressed
to Santa Claus in the North Pole
and drop it into Santa’s letterbox.
For every letter they receive,
Macy’s will donate $1 to the
Make-a-Wish foundation, up to
$1,000,000. Macy’s has currently
received 368,710 letters. Make-
Elisabeth Wise
Staff Writer
a-Wish is one of the world’s
leading children’s charities and
has been granting children with
life-threatening illnesses their
wishes since 1980, when the
foundation was started.
With thousands of individuals
in Greensboro facing the
possibility of no heat or shelter,
little food, and increasing
energy prices, the Greensboro
Urban Ministry’s annual winter
fund helps to support families
and individuals who face
these problems. Donations to
the winter fund support the
Greensboro Urban Ministry
Winter Emergency shelters
and also go towards providing
heating assistance and
preventing homelessness for
families and individuals in crisis.
To make a donation, individuals
can make checks payable to
Greensboro Urban Ministry or
call Marie Whitfield at (336)
553-2643 to make a donation by
credit card over the phone.
Image courtesy Norm&Debra/Flickr
Shoeboxes filled with gifts through Operation Christmas Child wait to be distributed to children in need.
News
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 3
A ceasefire was established
on both sides of the Israel/
Gaza conflict on Nov.21 at 9
p.m. local time. This decision
came a week after the start of
aerial warfare that left more
than 160 dead between the
two sides. Gaza fired many
rockets in the first few hours
of the truce, but Israel showed
no retaliation. Israeli schools
close to the Gaza strip were
kept closed the first day of the
truce as a precaution, but so far
the truce has remained intact.
The truce was mediated and
sponsored by Egypt’s President
Mohamed Morsi. Mohammed
Kamel Amr, the foreign
minister of Egypt, announced
the cessation of hostilities at a
joint news conference in Cairo
with Hillary Clinton, the US
Secretary of State.
Hamas chief Khaled Meshaal
issued a warning to the people
of Israel following the truce. “If
you commit, we will commit. If
you do not commit, the rifles
are in our hands,” he said. “We
will continue to arm ourselves.”
Ehud Barak, the Israeli defense
minister, issued a similar
warning. “The ceasefire could
last nine days, or nine weeks,
or more, but if it doesn’t hold,
we know what to do and of
course, we will consider the
possibility of resuming our
activity if there is any firing or
provocations.”
Even though the ceasefire is
still intact, the war continues
online. About two hours before
the ceasefire, supporters of
both sides intensified their
barrage of distributed denial
of service (DDOS) attacks
against each other, according
to CloudFlare, a U.S. company
that provides DDOS protection
services to websites that come
under attack. The volume of
attacks continuing after the
ceasefire has outpaced those
occurring during the offline
hostilities. The attacks may not
harm anybody, but the fact that
they have outlasted a formal
ceasefire raises the question
of what constitutes the end of
hostilities.
Many people agree that this
is just another ceasefire among
many, and the conflict will
continue after a period of time.
This recent round of fighting is
just the latest one in the Israel/
Palestine conflict that began in
the beginning of the twentieth
century. The two sides have
many issues with one another,
including border rights,
security, control of Jerusalem
(and the Gaza strip), Israeli
settlements, and Palestinian
freedom of movement.
Many attempts at peace
between the two sides have
taken place. The most well
known are the Oslo Accords,
The Camp David Summit, and
The Arab Peace Initiative. The
Oslo Accords happened in 1993
and stated that Israel would
give Palestinians back their
land little by little in exchange
for peace. President Clinton
oversaw the agreement to make
sure it would go as planned. The
deal was shaky at best and in
the end failed when no further
agreements could be reached
at the Camp David Summit
meeting in 2000. President
Clinton convened a peace
summit between Palestinian
leader Yasser Arafat and Israeli
Prime Minister Ehud Barak.
Barak had many ideas for
negotiations, including that
Israel receive over 90 percent
of the West Bank and the entire
Gaza Strip, a Palestinian capital
in East Jerusalem, and that
69 Jewish settlements (which
comprise 85 percent of the West
Bank’s Jewish settlers) would
be ceded to Israel. He also
proposed “temporary Israeli
control” indefinitely over
another 10 percent of the West
Bank territory, an area that
held more Jewish settlements.
The remaining area would
be under Palestinian control,
though Israeli bypass roads
and checkpoints would divide
certain areas. Depending on
how the security roads would
be configured, these Israeli
roads might prevent free travel
by Palestinians throughout
their proposed nation. Arafat
refused this proposal and
never offered one of his own.
The Arab Peace Initiative was
proposed in 2002 and agreed
on in 2007. It outlined borders
for the two sides that were
based on what The United
Nations decided on in 1967.
While Palestinians seem to be
favorable, Israel is still unsure.
This conflict continues to
be a point of interest for all
countries around the world.
Ideas for conflict resolution
are always being bounced back
and forth, not only between the
two sides, but between other
countries not involved in the
conflict. The whole world is
holding their breath, waiting
to see if this will be the time
that the conflict will finally be
resolved.
Israel/Gaza cease-fire leaves
both sides hopeful for the end of
drawn out conflict
Devon Lail
Staff Writer Protests spread across
Egypt this past week after
the newly elected Egyptian
President Mohamed Morsi
issued a sweeping decree above
any court in the country. The
action is seen as a presidential
overreach, as the country
is trying to draft a new
constitution. Morsi was at the
center of the peace brokerage
between Israel and Gaza, but
this news indicates that Egypt
is still a part of the Arab Spring.
Egyptian President Mohamed
Morsi issued a decree stating
that he has powers over the
federal courts and over any
oversight after helping to broker
peace between Palestinian
forces and Israeli forces. The
President stated that the
decree is only temporary and
that they were not meant to
concentrate more powers into
his hands permanently, but
many of his critiques disagree.
Hamdeen Sabahy, the leftist
leader of the Dignity Party
who finished third in Egypt's
2012 presidential race, said of
the decree: “The president’s
decisions are considered a direct
upheaval against democracy
and a total monopoly of power.
A country that seeks solutions
has a president that is pushing it
towards trouble. The revolution
will not accept a new dictator.”
Others spoke similar
statements. Mohamed Habib,
who was the former Deputy
General Guide of the Egyptian
Muslim Brotherhood, said “I
totally agree with the President’s
appointment of a new Attorney
General and the holding of
a revolutionary court, but I
totally stand against fortifying
Egypt leader’s power-seizing
decree leads to mass protests
throughout the country
the president’s decisions against
appealing, because this is called
absolute tyranny.”
These actions have
understandably caused alarm
in Egypt. The country was
ruled for almost 30 years by
Hosni Mubarak, who was
ousted by two and a half weeks
of demonstrations in 2011.
Mubarak ruled as a dictator,
and the people had no say in
their own government. Many
fear his actions may be reflected
in Morsi’s new declaration.
Mohamed ElBaradei, an
Egyptian law scholar and
diplomat, said that Morsi had
“usurped all state powers and
appointed himself Egypt's
new pharaoh.” Human rights
groups, including Amnesty
International, Human Rights
Watch and Freedom Watch
have all condemned the move.
The democracy is new,
and protestors are furious.
According to The Guardian,
over 100,000 protestors took
to the streets against President
Morsi’s declaration. Haytham
Mohamedeen of the Egyptian
Revolutionary Socialists
movement says Morsi is now
a dictator. Mohamedeen
said, “Today's protests are to
overthrow oppression and
stand up to the new dictatorship
of Morsi, his decree and a
constitution far removed from
the revolution…He has to back
down. The revolution and the
streets will dictate what he will
do. If he stands in the way of
the revolution, he will share the
same fate as Mubarak.”
Four fatalities have been
recorded since the protests
began in Tahrir Square in
Cairo. Morsi has asked to speak
with opposition leaders about
all of his new powers.
Aaron Bryant
Staff Writer
News 4 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM International News Briefs
Israel settlement
plan thought to
violate cease-fire
United Nations
evacuates
conflicted Syria
Compiled By: Olivia Cline
Military-grade
explosives require
civilian evacuation
The United Nations
announced on Monday that
the current situation in Syria,
particularly around the outskirts
of the capital, is too dangerous
for its staff.
All “non-essential” staff have
been ordered to pull out of the
country until the situation is
resolved.
Eight UN personnel and 18
other volunteers have been
killed in the country since the
ongoing Syrian conflict began in
March 2011.
As many as 25 percent of UN
workers are expected to leave the
country by the end of the week.
Radhouane Nouicer, the
United Nations regional
humanitarian coordinator
for Syria, said that the United
Nations has to consider the
safety of its workers as well as
the aid they could potentially
provide.
“The security situation has
become extremely difficult,
including in Damascus,” Noucier
said.
Noucier’s statement also
said that the United Nations
is keeping the staff that must
remain in Syria close to the
capital.
The rebel uprising against
President Bashar al-Assad has
resulted in internet blackouts,
shootings around the capital
and delayed or cancelled
international flights.
The United Nations is not the
only organization to pull out of
Syria in recent months. Most
other aid-based organizations
have drastically cut back on their
involvement in the country in
the past months.
Israel’s newly authorized
settlements along the West Bank
have caused protest from those
who feel that it goes against the
cease-fire agreement signed with
Palestine last week.
This would provide over 1000
housing units for Israelis.
France and the United
Kingdom have summoned
Israeli ambassadors to formally
object to the new development,
An official representative
from Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s office said that
the cease-fire does not mean
that Israel will not continue to
protect its interests, and that
it probably will not change its
decision, despite the United
Nation’s warning that the re-zoning
would be catastrophic
to the area’s newborn hopes for
peace.
United Nations General
Secretary Ban Ki-Moon said that
“it would represent an almost
fatal blow to remaining chances
of securing a two-state solution.”
He added that the plan would
almost certainly have to be
rescinded.
France, Russia, the United
Kingdom, Germany, and the
Palestine all stand against the
zoning decision.
Nonetheless, Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu is resolved
to continue.
“We will carry on building in
Jerusalem and in all the places
that are on the map of Israel’s
strategic interests,” he said.
It remains to be seen whether
the newly formed peace
agreement between Israel and
the Palestine can survive such
a controversial move on Israel’s
part.
6 pounds of M6 artillery
explosives were found stored
unsafely and illegally in the
Louisiana town of Doyline.
The explosives were discovered
during an inspection following
an October blast at Explo
Systems.
The town has been evacuated
until officials can secure the
materials.
Schools are expected to remain
closed until Wednesday.
Police investigators initially
believed that there was only
1 lb of explosives, but found
more while attempting to move
the explosives into a bunker for
safekeeping.
The explosives were “hidden
on the property” at Explo
Systems, according to state
police spokesman Captain Doug
Cain, rather than in the storage
bunker, where they are expected
to be stored.
State police superintendent
Col Mike Edmonson called
Explo Systems “careless and
reckless” and said that their
disregard made it unsafe for
their own employees, for
schoolchildren in Doyline, for
the town of Doyline.”
The artillery explosive in
question, M6 propellant, is
used in high-grade explosives,
including howitzers.
It can be unstable, particularly
when stored in large amounts,
and it is illegal to store without
authorization, particularly
when it is unlabeled and outside
designated bunkers.
The owners of Explo Systems
are out of the country, but the
operating manager has been
willing to work with the police,
says Col Edmonson.
UNCG and NC A&T are
coming together this January
for a joint celebration of Martin
Luther King Jr. In the past, each
university has held a separate
celebration. This year, however,
Dr. Mark Villacorta, the director
of multicultural affairs at UNCG,
felt that bringing the schools
together was very much in
the spirit of diversity Dr. King
inspired.
“Part of Dr. King’s dream was
to bring people together from
all different parts of society,”
Villacorta said. “I think he
would be pleased to see this
partnership.”
Gerald Spates, director of
A&T’s Multicultural Student
Center, agreed, saying that the
joint celebration will do a great
deal to bridge the gap between
the two schools, which are
geographically close, but tend to
stay otherwise disparate.
Dick Gregory, a comedian
who worked alongside Dr. King
during his lifetime, will be the
keynote speaker at the event.
Gregory says he was taught a
principle of nonviolence from
Dr. King, and has therefore
worked towards humanitarian
efforts for the last 50 years. He
has donated over $1 million
to the fight to end hunger, is a
UNCG and NC A&T to hold joint
MLK celebration
nutritionist, and has written 15
books.
His MLK-inspired spirit
is reflected in his statement
towards those who threaten
violence and injustice: “We will
march through your dogs! And
if you get some elephants, we’ll
march through them. And bring
on your tigers and we’ll march
through them.”
The celebration of Martin
Luther King, Jr. Day on the third
Monday in January has been
observed since President Reagan
made it a national holiday in
1986. The continuation and
evolution of the celebrations is
very much in the spirit of the
holiday, particularly considering
Greensboro’s long connection
with the civil rights movement.
The 1960 sit-ins at
the Greensboro Woolworth’s
department stores helped
end Woolworth’s policy of
segregation and brought
immense amounts of national
awareness at an extremely
crucial time in the civil rights
struggle.
The keynote address will take
place at 7p.m. on Jan. 23 in
UNCG’s Aycock Auditorium.
Doors will open at 6 p.m. The
address will be followed by the
presentation of UNCG’s MLK
Service Award and A&T’s MLK
Scholarship Award.
Olivia Cline
News Editor
Congradulations to our newest
editorial staff members:
Olivia Cline- News Editor
Emily Brown- Opinions Editor
Tristan Munchel- Arts and Entertainment Editor
News
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 5
Weekly
Forecast
Today
H: 62°
L: 34°
Thursday
H: 51°
L: 36°
Friday
H: 55°
L: 41°
Weekend
H: 64°
L: 51°
Partly Cloudy
Monday
H: 62°
L: 42°
Showers
Partly Cloudy
Sunny
Showers
Many workers and
managers cut time from their
Thanksgiving holidays for the
busiest shopping period of
the year. In-store and online
retailers tried to increase profits
this year with earlier hours and
promotions for Black Friday
2012. As the most profitable
season before Christmas,
bargain hunters stood and
waited in long lines to catch the
‘best’ deals from their favorite
retailers.
Hours of operation pushed
back earlier this Black Friday,
helping company profits stretch
even higher than previous years.
“Black Thursday” is what some
call the new tradition created
out of the Black Friday frenzy.
Many stores that attract the
most holiday shoppers, such
as Wal-Mart, Target, or Sears,
opened the eve of Thanksgiving
Day, causing frustration for
some workers who wanted to
spend the day with family. Some
employers provide little to no
benefits and dish out minimum
wage jobs. These circumstances
brought hundreds of protests
from groups such as OUR Wal-
Mart, who demonstrated outside
of store locations against unfair
worker pay and benefits for
those working the Thanksgiving
weekend. On the other hand,
stores like Best Buy took the
opposite direction. Best Buy
announced the store would
not require workers to clock in
before midnight, when the store
opens its doors for shoppers.
“Our goal was really this holiday
to be able to give employees time
with their loved ones. That’s why
we are opening at midnight,”
said Erin Bix, a company
spokeswoman.
Despite the personal toll of
working over the holiday, some
part-time workers have used
Black Friday as an opportunity
to gain more hours. Yana
Walton, spokeswoman for the
Retail Action Project, a group
which advocates for rank and
file retail employees, provided
a description of the mentality
of some part-time workers.
“Everyone is part-timed to death
at these stores,” Walton said.
“When they sign up for these
shifts, it’s “I don’t get enough
hours, I’m dying for hours, so I’ll
work these shifts.”
2012’s Black Friday sales were
the largest to date, despite the
current economic recession.
Shoppers positively responded,
spending $59.1 billion over
Thanksgiving weekend,
according to the National Retail
Federation. In addition, “Cyber
Monday” gradually changed
from one day of discounted goods
to become a full week of promos
and offers. Online sales this past
Cyber Monday skyrocketed up
to 26 percent compared to last
year’s 15 percent, according to
the consulting firm Comscore.
For those who wanted to avoid
the crowds, the Monday after
Thanksgiving proved to be a
powerful competitor against in-
Black Friday brings chaos, profits for retailers
store Black Friday bargains, as
Amazon was confirmed to have
the largest Cyber Monday sales.
Top merchandise purchased
online included electronics,
magazine subscriptions, and
music, showing an increase
in purchases in the electronic
category to 21 percent since
2011. U.S online consumers
alone broke records, with $1.042
billion spent on Black Friday.
The best deals this year
included consumer electronics
such as TVs, cellphones and
iPads, also accounting for a high
percentage of sales. Stores like
Wal-Mart offered customers a
“one hour- in store guarantee”
for select digital items, including
the Apple iPad 2. Although Best
Buy maintained their regular
hours, they offered deals such
a Lenovo laptop for only $190,
which dropped the cost to less
than half of its retail price.
Popular newly released DVD’s in
Wal-Mart were incredibly low,
where movies such as The Green
Lantern went for $2. .
As with any Black Friday,
many locations experienced
problems with shoppers who
would do just about anything
to get what they came for. In
Tallahassee, FL, two people
were shot and wounded outside
of Wal-Mart after a nearby
altercation over a parking spot
sent bullets flying into the air.
Anthony Perry of Springfield,
MA was charged with reckless
endangerment of a child after
shopping at a K-Mart for a flat-screen
TV. He purchased the
TV, and then walked home,
forgetting the two-year old in
the car. In Annapolis, MD, a 14
year old boy was robbed of his
merchandise by 5 men, one of
whom assaulted the teen.
The outrageous and fatal
incidents, which continue to
occur around Black Friday,
have resulted in disdain for the
traditional shopping day.
Stephanie Cistrunk
Staff Writer
Black Friday shoppers crowded Walmart, Target and dozens of other major retailers this Thanksgiving.
Image courtesy djlicious/flickr
Opinions 6 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM New authority in state legislature
With the 2012 Presidential elec-tion
behind us, there has consid-erable
discussion of the ‘fiscal
cliff ’ and how Republicans and
Democrats will ‘compromise’ to
avoid ‘falling off’ the fiscal cliff.
But in North Carolina, our state
didn’t just go red in the Presi-dential
election, but it went a
deeper shade of red for our state
politics. With redistricting, US
Congressional Republicans
will compromise 9 out of the
13 congressional seats, this is
a huge turnaround from 2010,
when Democrats held 7 out of
13 seats. However, these Repub-lican
gains were also reflected
heavily in our state government.
Come this January, North Caro-lina
will have its first Republican
governor in over 20 years, and
an even more Republican con-trolled
Senate and House. For
the first time since the 1800s, the
Republican Party will have con-trol
of the executive and legisla-tive
branches of North Carolina’s
government. In the Senate, Re-publicans
will pick up only one
seat, but in the House, Republi-cans
picked up 9 seats. This was
largely credited to redistricting
and the GOP’s campaign fund-raising.
But what does this mean
for North Carolina moving for-ward?
Expect more of the same,
which frankly has me worried.
Since the 2010 midterm elec-tions,
North Carolina Repub-licans
made a point of shoving
their social conservatism down
North Carolinian’s throats. The
biggest of these points was their
crusade against same sex mar-riage.
With a Democratically
controlled House and Senate,
Democrats were able to keep
North Carolina the last state
in the Southeast to not adapt
a Constitutional amendment
stating marriage is between
one man and one woman. For
at least 6 years, North Carolina
Republicans kept trying to push
this legislation through and each
time it was blocked…till last
year. Amendment One being on
the referendum signaled a turn-ing
point in North Carolina pol-itics,
and where we were headed
as a state.
Women’s reproductive health
and rights were under attack
under a Republican controlled
House and Senate these past
2 years as well. The biggest of
these attacks came from the
‘Women’s Right to Know” law
that was passed in June 2011.
This law tightens abortion re-quirements
for women seeking
an abortion. Women now have
to wait 24 hours before having
an abortion, makes them see a
sonogram and tells them of the
possible ‘risks’ associated with
abortion. Beyond the unneces-sary
requirements North Caro-lina
women have to face to have
an abortion, Republican legisla-tors
slapped these women in the
face by assuming women haven’t
considered other options before
having an abortion, hence the
title of the law.
Planned Parenthood was also
on under grave attack in North
Carolina. Around the same time
the “Women’s Right to Know”
law was passed, legislators over-rode
Governor Perdue’s veto of
last year’s state budget that cut
funding for Planned Parenthood
in North Carolina. Only 2% of
Planned Parenthood’s activities
are abortion services, with the
other 98% coming in the form
of screenings, medical care, and
preventive services. Never mind
that the majority of Planned Par-enthood
does not even involve
abortion, but no federal money
is given to abortion services in
the United States, thanks to the
Hyde Amendment. For Repub-licans,
this wasn’t about pro-tecting
women from abortion,
but about setting the stage and
making a point that they were in
charge.
From 1898 to 2010, Republi-cans
had not held control of
both house of North Carolina’s
Congress. Now that the GOP
has both the legislative and ex-ecutive
branches controlled,
we’ve lost the last line of defense
against Republican mandates,
the veto power. Even if Repub-licans
overrode Perdue’s veto
more often than not, that line of
defense is gone. Governor-elect
Pat McCroy doesn’t seem like
the person to side with the more
radical parts of his party. How-ever,
I don’t believe he will break
party line to be the Governor for
all the people of North Carolina,
he has waited too long to take
this office and he’s not letting it
go anytime soon.
With that in mind, we can see
more cuts to education and so-cial
programs under the guise of
fiscal responsibility. But when
you hear about these cuts, which
will come, think about the po-litical
statement Republicans are
making when doing so, because
with politics, it isn’t just about
passing or blocking laws, it’s
about putting your agenda on
the line. Sadly, now that Repub-licans
have a mandate among
multiple branches of North
Carolina government, they are
going to fight till 2014 to make
sure their agenda is pushed
through. I’ll be waiting till 2014
for a change.
Samantha Korb
Staff Writer
Will Democrats and Republicans compromise for North Carolina?
Photo Courtesy DONKEYHOTEY /FLICKR
Opinions WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 7
Consumerism is rampant,
and while there are cries for
attention to be drawn towards
animal rights and the environ-ment-
what about the workers?
There is no doubt a need for
nothing short of an overhaul
in the ways livestock animals
are treated in the U.S., and
there is a great need for compa-nies
to “go green” and respect
the earth’s inability to support
greediness. There is, however,
a piece to the puzzle that is of-ten
left out of the discussion.
Working conditions are rarely
discussed in the manner that
cruelty-free eating is tossed
around the dinner table. Be-ing
vegan or vegetarian is a
lifestyle choice, is supported
socially, and is sustainable for
an individual. “Going green”
is a lifestyle choice, is sustain-able,
and is also supported so-cially.
There is no “stance” to
make about protecting work-ers.
Cruelty-free refers to no
animals being harmed in the
process of production, but
what about people? Who made
that Adidas t-shirt you wear to
the gym? What companies are
taking advantage of a valuable
resource, and why is there so
little spotlight on “human-cru-elty”
in terms of consumerism?
Recently, a Wal-Mart suppli-er
in Bangladesh had a fire that
killed 112 employees. This fire
has directed attention to Wal-
Mart and has workers-rights
groups up in arms. A petition
was gathered by SumOfUs.org,
and according to The Huff-ington
Post, has over 85,000
signatures. The Huffington
Post went on to say that “sur-vivors
of the Saturday blaze at
the Tazreen Fashions Ltd. fac-tory
said emergency exits were
nonexistent, fire extinguishers
The price of some commodities is not a dollar amount
didn’t work, and supervisors
ordered employees to keep
sewing even as alarms rang out
out, according to reports.” The
Washington Post reported that
“the Bangladeshi factory also
made clothes for Disney, Sears,
Sean Combs’ Enyce and other
labels.” The fact that 112 peo-ple,
not just faceless, nameless,
“employees,” died because a
factory that major U.S. brands
relies on for production did not
have emergency exits or work-ing
fire extinguishers is an out-rage.
There were 112 deaths to
help keep the price down on
clothing that the major U.S.
brands will profit from. While
this is a recent and tragic inci-dent,
worker mistreatment is
not something to be considered
“out of the ordinary.” While
clothing companies and suppli-ers
are most often highlighted,
many of the overseas markets
that major U.S. brands rely on
have conditions unfair for their
workers.
Money is a powerful thing,
and consumers continue to buy
from companies that are under
scrutiny for worker mistreat-ment.
It’s easy to go to Wal-
Mart “anyway,” because it is
cheaper and because it’s hard
to relate to things that aren’t in
the foreground. To consume
in a way that protects animals,
the environment, and work-ers-
is expensive. That is how
these injustices go unpunished,
because bad publicity is bad,
but Wal-Mart is still packed
around the holidays. There is
no sense in pointing fingers
because how could this cycle
be broken? What solution is
there? Consumers want cheap
products, products are out-sourced
to meet this need, and
the factories overseas abuse
the workers- but the shelves
are still filled with affordable
products. There is no solution,
but there is a way to counteract
this damaging mentality- buy
less. Buy what is necessary, but
if three boxes of cereal aren’t
necessary, than the buy 2 get
one free isn’t important. The
“more, more, more!” attitude is
damaging beyond animal cru-elty
and the environment.
Buying locally stimulates the
economy and supports better
mindsets. Greensboro has
wonderful local options like
Deep Roots which is a natural
food cooperative, the Piedmont
Triad Farmer’s Market, and
the Greensboro Farmer’s Curb
Market. All of these are great,
Emily Ritter
Staff Writer
Photo Courtesy Vermin inc,/flickr
Coca-Cola is one of the largest companies in the world.
reasonably priced options, and
support those that are working
to better the product and the
production process. Money is
powerful, and in turn, consum-ers
are powerful.
Opinions 8 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM There are numerous works of
fiction that depict the twenty-first
century as a place that the Jetsons
would recognize and call home.
Although we are only about a
decade into this new millennia,
it is likely that, based on current
research, the world will have cars
that drive themselves, affordable
trips to space, and perhaps some
kind of mind reading device by
2100. While the opportunities do
seem endless, some people are
impatient to wait for the coming
waves of modern technology.
Nowhere is the more evident
than in our classrooms.
Many of us born prior to
2000 have grandparents or great
grandparents who like to begin
conversations about school
with talks of their journeys
through inclement weather.
A look back even further will
conjure up images of one room
schoolhouses, personalized
chalkboards, and maybe even no
school at all. It is doubtful that
individuals who lived through
these eras could image a world
where teachers take away cellular
phones, computers, and other
electronic devices. In the same
way, students of the future may be
unable to fathom such a scenario.
Throughout the United States
and the rest of the world, there
is a major push to incorporate
technology into the classroom.
This began with smart boards that
allowed professors or teachers
to place images or texts on
electronic screens for student to
see. This was just the beginning;
students have learned to use
technology in almost every aspect
of their educational experience,
and this will likely be infiltrating
the classroom as well. States
such as Mitt Romney’s very own
Massachusetts and Angus King’s
Maine have begun to provide
all public school children with
their very own laptop computers.
Some schools, such as Orlando
Science schools, began giving
all students tablets in August
2012; teachers are mandated to
use these technologies in the
classroom.
Yet another example of
technology in the classroom is
the hope to see touch screen desks
in classrooms. Researchers at
Durham University hope to show
that these desks inspire more
student participation and thus
learning than more traditional
learning tools. The push towards
using more technology in the
classroom is an obvious one. The
question is, however, whether or
not these technologies actually
do what their supporters hope
they will.
The evidence is inconclusive at
best and possibly even repudiates
the technological trend in
classrooms. The Kyrene school
district of Phoenix, Arizona has
been a pioneer in advancing
technology in education; the
district has spent over thirty
million dollars on technology
since 2005. Tests scores that
followed this investment showed
a stagnation of reading and math
scores while the state on average
has seen an increase in these
areas. In a time when schools are
being forced to lay off teachers
and crowd classrooms with too
many students, it makes little
sense to be spending so much
money on technology that has
had little if any positive effect on
learning.
Why isn’t the technology
paying off? Some people believe
that more, or more advanced,
is always better and that is just
not the case. Google co-founder
Larry Page has been concerned
with the number of studies
about the difference between
learning from a book rather
than digital sources. Study after
study indicate that people retain
information at a much slower rate
when using internet or eBook
sources instead of old fashioned
paper. Although the steepness of
memory curve exists in nearly all
studies, they do differ in size with
some research showing a smaller
learning curve than others. Either
way, these findings should give
pause to further technological
investments until new research
can be done.
There are other criticisms of
technology in the classroom
as well. Qualitatively, English
Professor Mark Bauerlein has
written a book about education
in which he credits technology
with the decline of knowledge
retention among students. In our
own lives, we can see the benefits
of technology, but also must
realize the numerous pitfalls
that we can fall into if we allow
ourselves. The internet is vast
and its resources endless both
for educational and recreational
purposes. Thus, use of technology
in a crowded classroom where
little individual attention can
be given should be viewed quite
skeptically.
I am not a Luddite; this article
was written on one of my two
computers. After I finish this,
I will likely text a friend, pop
in a movie, or dance around
embarrassingly to whatever
is playing on my iPod. We are
all aware of how technology
has made life more enjoyable.
However, there seems to be
too much of a utopian view of
technology in the classrooms.
There may come a day when
students will be able to tap their
desk and bring the works of
William Shakespeare to life. Still,
that time won’t come until we
have better managed the financial
costs, have more evidence of the
Photo Courtesy SEBASTIANLUND/FLICKR
Are we seeing the pay-off for technology?
Joseph Winberry
Staff Writer
Technology sometimes does more harm than good
educational benefits, and have
done more to get the most out
of traditional classroom tools
such as textbooks and group
discussions. Are we up to the
challenge? That is the question.
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 9
Newspapers are impor-tant,
and a school is only as
good as its paper. Not ev-eryone
cares about the inner
workings of a school, but for
those who do a paper is es-sential.
It is what keeps ev-erything
else honest. Papers
today are not what they used
to be. I do not doubt that
within a few years newspa-pers,
both on the university
and national level, will have
to change.
The Carolinian is changing
now, and I’m grateful to have
been part of it. I look for-ward
to seeing the website
expand in the coming years.
I am sure that The Carolin-ian
will find its place among
the newspapers that are not
chained to the past. In doing
so it will be doing a favor not
only to the future journal-ists
who will no doubt work
on it, but also to everyone
Ashley Northup
Opinions Editor
around it.
I could wax philosophical
about my time here, but that
seems entirely too much like
a cruel punishment in this
time of finals and missing
brains. I have loved my time
here. I hardly expected to get
a staff writing position, let
alone eventually end up be-ing
an editor.
The Carolinian has al-lowed
me not only a lead-ership
opportunity, or a job
experience opportunity, but
also a voice. At the risk of
sounding like an advertise-ment,
that’s what it can do
for you, too.
We are college students.
Now is the time to begin to
care about everything that is
going on in the world around
us. The Carolinian helped
me connect to politics in an
important, hands-on way. I
hope it continues to do the
same for many years, and for
many others.
Arve Byrd
A&E Editor
When I first began writing for
Arts and Entertainment back
in 2010, I was a first-semester
sophomore at UNCG. I was ec-static
when I received my posi-tion
as staff writer, since I had
applied during the spring of my
freshman year. With that long
stint that it took me to even snag
my position, I learned early on
that perseverance and dedica-tion
is the key to working at The
Carolinian.
For the remainder of my
sophomore year, I worked under
the A&E editor Ashley Johnson,
who may I add was essential in
my growth at The Carolinian
and very influential in my prog-ress
and style for how I edit. My
most memorable article that I
wrote during that year was about
Comedy Central’s then new sit-com
“Workaholics.” I was able
to actually chat with the cast
members in a telephone confer-ence
that their press established
for college media outlets. It was
through writing that article that
I realized that The Carolinian
was much more than a student-ran
newspaper; it is a legitimate
publication that has enough
clout to have even Hollywood
shows seeking it for press cov-erage.
After Ashley left, James Mieck-owski
came in as editor. Under
James, I discovered and acquired
a quintessential trait that will
carry over into any job:different
people have different ways of
doing things, and like any job,
you must adjust. Moreover and
quite funny I may add, men and
women have utterly stark differ-ences
when it comes to leading.
My most unforgettable, and per-haps
favorite article that I wrote
under him was on the Gate City
Roller Girls. I had never even
heard about roller derby, let
alone knew that it was an actual
sport; so the experience in in-terviewing
the teammates, wit-nessing
an intense practice, and
being exposed to a multiplic-ity
of ranging personality types
that actually get along, gave me
a new perspective on the aspect
of interpersonal relationships.
As the saying goes, “there is no I
in team,” and writing that article
definitely showed me that.
All of my experience as a
staff writer (and later promoted
senior reporter) prepared me
for the most toughest job of all
with The Carolinian: as A&E
editor. Filling the shoes of my
forerunners gave me insight
into just how time consuming
and demanding, the job really
is and thus, I gained the upmost
respect for them. As editor, I
learned fast that the writers and
photographers are pieces to the
puzzle, but I am essentially the
glue that holds it all together. I
determine how the finish prod-uct
will look to you, the readers.
Design, wasn’t my forte in the
beginning as well, so my skills
of perseverance and dedication
played a key role in my devel-opment
as well. I also realized
the importance of not being too
proud to simply ask for help to
anyone along the way. With that
being said, I have truly valued
the experience I’ve gained here
and I would like to personally
extend a special thanks to every-one
that I’ve worked with, from
the previous and current Editor-in-
Chief and publisher, to the re-mainder
of editors, writers, and
photographers, to all of the read-ers
who I’ve influenced along the
way. it’s been real!
Laura Brewer
News Editor
You know that phenomenon
when a span of time feels like for-ever
but also a blink of an eye? That
describes my time at the Carolin-ian.
One day I’m wondering who
will read my writing and the next
day I’m saying goodbye as a de-parting
editor.
I wanted to be a news writer be-cause
I wanted to tell the truth and
tell a story. The Carolinian may
have a small reach, but I couldn’t
pick a better paper to foster that
experience. These days, the media
industry is confined and clouded
with ulterior motives. Many aspir-ing
writers do not get the oppor-tunity
to work for a publication
which allows room for growth.
Instead, most are introduced to a
cookie-cutter formation of writing
for the boss rather than the people.
As a news writer, I was able to
get involved with so many amaz-ing
and hidden subcultures across
campus, meet inspiring people
who deserved a voice, and chal-lenge
the transparency between
the administrative and student
body. Each story gave me the op-portunity
to fine tune my voice and
solidify my craft. I even got to write
a story on the healthy benefits of
masturbation that was apparently
so fine-tuned and crafty, it wasn’t
printable. They let me stay, though.
That’s another story, another day…
By the time I was offered a posi-tion
as News Editor, I was working
full time and didn’t know wheth-er
or not I’d be able to commit.
Thanks to my experience at The
Carolinian, I secured a full time
job writing social media that sent
me places like celebrity launch
parties in NYC. (Not such a small
reach, after all.) Needless to say, I
realized my work schedule was not
conducive to the position. I don’t
regret accepting it, though. The
Carolinian sparked such a passion
for the field, I couldn’t bring myself
to turn down the opportunity to
take a greater part in it. I learned
a lot as an editor, particularly time
management, but most impor-tantly
to always keep digging for
the truth.
As far as the future… I’ll be on
board with the Carolinian next se-mester,
working from the shadows
as the web editor, plugging away
at my big girl job and trudging to
graduation. I look forward to see
the news section develop in a new
editor’s hands. Whether I find my-self
writing blogs or bylines, my
education as a writer began here
that experience is invaluable.
A final farewell to our board members
A&E 10 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Local news station WFMY
News 2 annually sponsors
a variety of events in the
community. It’s annual
“Winterfest” is a select range
of winter activities downtown
Greensboro has to offer. Here are
some of the highlights students
can enjoy over the holiday break.
Outdoor Ice Skating
Rink
The centerpiece of Winterfest,
this outdoor ice rink consists
of a 100 foot ice slide that
guest enjoy all winter long.
It is located at Festival Park
in downtown Greensboro, in
between Center City Park, the
Greensboro Culture Center and
the Greensboro Library. Regular
admission is $9 per person and
includes skates and an ice slide
saucer. Hours of operation are
Monday – Thursday: 4-9pm;
Friday: 4-10 pm; Saturday 10-
10pm; Sunday: 12-7pm. More
information can be found at
http://www.piedmontwinterfest.
com/.
Festival of Lights
Presented by the News
and Record and Grassroots
Productions Limited, this 24th
annual community festival
consists of various venues and
activities for a variety of ages.
A community sing-a-long and
tree lighting ceremony will take
place on December 7, 2012 from
6-9pm on downtown Elm Street.
The UNCG Tuba Band will be
performing at 8:30pm in front of
Glitters at 300 south Elm Street.
Parking and admission is free!
More information can be found
at http://festivaloflightsgso.org/
index.php .
Carolina Theatre:
This historic theatre in
downtown Greensboro will be
showing a selection of classic
holiday movies. Films include
“White Christmas,” “Miracle on
34th Street”and“It’s a Wonderful
Life.” Tickets are $6 for adults and
$5 for students. For a complete
list of dates and times, visit the
Carolina Theatre calendar at
http://www.carolinatheatre.
com/events-calendar.aspx.
Greensboro Ballet
The local Greensboro Ballet
will be performing the annual
tradition of “The Nutcracker.”
This professional ballet company
will present their work in the
Carolina Theatre December
7-9 and 14-16. Special events
like “Tea with Clara” and
“Muttcracker Nite” featuring
dogs through the performance
will be held throughout out
the run of the show. Tickets
range from $15-$35 with a
$5 student discount with ID.
For tickets or to see the list of
events, please visit their website
at http://greensboroballet.org/
store/?page/86902 .
A wide variety of events are
being held this holiday season
and it is important that you
go out and share the holiday
cheer with your community.
For a complete list of events,
including some that feature
the local North Carolina A&T
State University, please visit the
Winterfest website at http://
festivaloflightsgso.org/events/
index.php . Happy holidays!
Megan Christy
Staff Writer
Winterfest 2012
photos courtesy of Carmyarmyofme, Grasroots Productions, & rob franklin/flickr
The commercialism of
ornaments and fake Christmas
trees have taken over the
market today as a symbolic
representation of what is
supposed to be a religious holiday.
Being sold as early as October,
Americans increasingly seem to
not acknowledge the tradition by
making the Christmas tree more
of a popular necessity instead
of an appreciated and respected
custom.
Believe it or not, evergreen
Christmas trees have been
around for a very long time.
Long before the commercialism
of these trees for the holidays,
plants and trees that remained
green all year held a special
meaning for people–especially
in the winter. Back in ancient
times, people would hang
evergreen boughs over the doors
and windows of their home. In
doing so, it was believed that this
act would ward off evil spirits
and illnesses.
During the winter solstice on
December 21, ancient people
of the Northern hemisphere
believed the sun was a god that
became too sick and weak to
provide warmer weather. The
evergreen boughs remind them
of all the green plants that
would grow again when the sun
god’s health returned, allowing
summer to come back.
During the times of primeval
Egypt, Egyptians celebrated a
similar tradition. Instead of a sun
god, they worshiped Ra. During
the solstice, they would celebrate
the recovery of his illness by
filling their homes with green
palm branches that signified the
triumph of life over death.
Romans marked the solstice
with a feast that honored the
god of agriculture. The solstice
reminded farmers that crops
would soon be green and fruitful
again. To celebrate, Romans
decorated their homes with
evergreen boughs.
It was Germany who was
officially credited with starting
the Christmas tree tradition as
we know it today. During the
16th century, Christians would
decorate trees and bring them
into their homes. Some even
built pyramids out of wood to
signify a Christmas tree.
It was widely believed that
Martin Luther, a 16th century
Protestant, added the first
lighted candles to the tree. He
was inspired by the stars in the
night sky. To recapture them, he
wired a tree in the main room of
his home with lighted candles.
The first recorded Christmas
tree on display in America
was in the 1830s by German
settlers in Pennsylvania. Most
Americans believed the trees to
be pagan symbols and refused
to participate in such traditions.
Any observation of December
25, other than church services,
were marked as an offense,
causing those involved to be
fined for hanging decorations.
It was not until 1846 when
Queen Victoria was sketched
with her German Prince
Albert and their children
around a Christmas tree when
Christmas trees were finally
accepted in America. By the
1890s, Christmas trees were
decorated with ornaments from
Germany. In the early 20th
century, Americans started
decorating their trees mainly
with homemade ornaments. The
invention of electricity has since
then made Christmas tree lights
a tradition in many American
homes.
Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas
Tree, where doth you come from?
Megan Christy
Staff Writer
A&E
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 11
Opening with an avant-grade,
experimental credit
sequence, “Killing Them Softly”
immediately positions itself as
this year’s “Drive,” an art-house
action film that has got more on
it’s mind than the advertising
campaign, which promoted
the movie as a straightforward
Hollywood actioner.
Guttural, industrial sounds
and quick cuts to black are
intercut with images of Frankie
(Scoot McNairy) walking out
of a tunnel, smoking a cigarette
and looking disheveled, while
billboards of Barack Obama and
John McCain can be seen in the
background. The sight of the
down-on-his-luck man serves as
quite the contrast to the message
of hope and economic change
that Barack Obama’s voice over
speaks of.
The film is set in 2008, amidst
the economic meltdown and
lead-up to the presidential
election. Brad Pitt stars as Jackie
Cogan, an enforcer hired to
restore order after three dumb,
bottom of the barrel criminals
rob a mob protected card game,
causing the local criminal
economy to collapse.
“Killing The Softly” is based
on on George V. Higgins novel
“Cogan’s Trade,” a pre-Watergate
novel that captured that era
impeccably. Higgins (whose
novel “The Friends of Eddie
Coyle” was adapted in the 70’s by
Peter Yates into a brilliantly bleak
crime drama) wrote novels about
petty criminals and their broken
dreams and back-stabbing
betrayals. Director Andrew
Dominik successfully moves the
down-trodden proceedings into
a time of economic uncertainty,
aligning the economic system
of the criminal world to that of
the entire country. The crime
story unfolds with a thorough
underlying of TVs and radios
playing news of the financial
collapse, along with public
addresses from George W. Bush
and Obama. Nary a scene goes
by when there is not some sort
of diegetic object serving as
a means for discussion of the
economic state of America.
There is one legitimate knock
against the film: that Dominik’s
aim using a criminal caste system
to metaphorically stand in for
America’s economic system, is
laid out entirely in plain view.
There is no subtlety in Dominik’s
approach here, but the point
could be made that the political
and economic metaphors, which
basically boil down to “Crime
is business, and business is
crime,” are merely a cover for
the existential meanings that
Dominik is striving for.
After all, Dominik is an
incredibly visual filmmaker, and
his last film “The Assassination
of Jesse James by the Coward
Robert Ford,” was a meditative,
existential, Malickian journey
about myth-making in a time
where the quest for fame and
fortune will inevitably lead
to death. Dominik’s new film
aligns with the thematic bent
of “Jesse James,” and Pitt, who
played James in that film, plays
a similar character in “Killing
Them Softly.” Pitt does not
show up until a half-hour into
the film, and when he does,
Johnny Cash’s apocalyptic “The
Man Comes Around” plays him
in. Pitt owns every scene he is
in, and his character storms
through the flick as a stand-in
for everything that is wrong
with America. He is brash,
charismatic, and unrelenting, a
larger-than-life figure who only
comes into a situation when
the established order has been
broken.
Jackie states that he prefers
to kill people softly, because if
you try to do it face-to-face,
emotions inevitably get in the
way. This is a world emptied
of feeling, and dominated by
impersonal greed and blunt
violence. Greig Frasers gorgeous
cinematography leads to several
stunning set-pieces: the initial
holdup, which is accomplished
with numerous intricate
Steadicam shots, and one of
Cogan’s hits, scored by Ketty
Lester’s “Love Letters,” turning
the violent hit into a slow-motion
ballet of shattered glass
and flying bullets.
Dominik’s story of graphic
bloodshed and a heist-gone-wrong
is close in spirit to a
70’s art-house flick, making
this chilly and nerve-wracking
experience one of the bleakest
portraits of America seen on
screen in quite some time. This
is only the third feature from
the 45-year-old New Zealander,
positioning Dominik as a
director who works deliberately,
and only releases a movie when
he feels his vision has been
accomplished. “Killing Them
Softly” may falter in some
areas, and may not reach the
profound heights that Dominik
was striving for, but it is an
uncompromising vision, and it
shows that Dominik is one of the
most unique directors working
today.
Brad Dillard
Staff Writer
Killing Them Softly: A Movie Review
photos courtesy of bloggme, myETVmedia, & Eponerds/ Flickr
This is a world emptied of feeling; dominated by impersonal greed and blunt violence.
A&E
1312 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM The universal sounds of jazz
resonated through the Recital
Hall of UNCG’s Music Building
on Friday, Nov. 30. Under the
guidance of directors Chad
Eby and Steve Haines, the
university’s jazz ensembles
took the crowd from up-beat
classics of the jazz genre to
extensive jam session’s where
selected students improvised
melodic tunes while
accompanied by percussion.
The group of students
delighted the crowd with their
talent while honoring some of
jazz’s greatest composers such
as Duke Ellington and Wes
Montgomery.
Jazz Ensemble II began the
night with a very difficult, fast
paced, big band tune called “The
Kid From Red Bank,” featuring
student Jared Weinstock, who
made his way across the piano
keys playing very challenging
solos with great accuracy. Wes
Montgomery’s “Four On Six”
was performed later by the
band featuring a number of
solos by several of the band’s
musicians which were always
followed by excited applauses
from the crowd who watched
and listened with intense
energy and was moved by the
performance and immense
talent of the young band.
A nostalgic song called “The
Star-Crossed Lovers” by pianist
Billy Strayhorn followed
featuring Annalise Stalls
on the alto saxophone who
played the song’s melody with
honest passion, captivating
the audience. The group ended
their stint with a powerful
“Union Pacific Big Boy” written
by famous American jazz
musician Wynton Marsalis.
The song rhythmically
imitated a steam locomotive.
With solos by trumpet player,
Tyler Pfledderer and tenor
saxophonist, Melvin Holland,
the group ended with a bang
and with the crowd on its
feet, greatly appreciating and
applauding the talent and
passion they witnessed on
stage.
After a short intermission,
Jazz Ensemble I took the stage
to continue a night of jazz.
Their first tune, “Freedom
Jazz Dance” by Eddie Harris
featured solos from Alex
Smith (soprano saxophone)
and Chris Evernham (tenor
saxophone). Both students
allowed their music to
transform them, as their
fingers travelled with facility
across their instruments. “We
want to play like it’s the last
time we’re ever going to play,
we want to celebrate music”
said band director Steve Haines
after introducing himself and
his students, following with
“My One and Only Love” by
Guy Wood. This piece was
accompanied by student
soloist and trumpet player
Michael Gillespie, who wanted
to dedicate the song to his
mother who was sitting in the
audience. Gillespie moved
through difficult scales and hit
tough, beautiful notes while
charming the crowd with his
humble dedication.
As the night drew to an end,
Jazz Ensemble II seemed to
save the best for last. Songs
that everyone is familiar with
such as “Luck Be A Lady”
and “I’ve Got You Under My
Skin” made famous by the
recognizable voice of Frank
Sinatra reached the crowd’s ears
through the vocals of student
Angel Gonzalez. Gonzalez
reached impeccable notes and
interacted with the crowd like a
young Sinatra, making his way
through the stage and singing
in honor of the American
artist. Members of the crowd
were inevitably touched by the
performance and Gonzalez’s
talent. Some sang along while
others even got up and danced.
It was a night devoted to
the celebration of music, as
director Steve Haines hoped
and intended. The Jazz I and II
ensembles once again, and for
the for their last time in 2012
delivered the crowd with an
unforgettable performance that
took the Recital Hall through a
history of jazz compositions,
all the while honoring some
of the greatest jazz composers
and performers of American
history.
Maria Perdomo
Special to The Carolinian
UNCG’s Jazz
Ensembles end the
Year on a high note
year
A&E
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1312
Video game players of all
ages won a long-raged, silent
conflict last Thursday, when the
Museum of Modern Art decided
to allow fourteen video games
into its exhibit on Architecture
and Design. Ubiquitous pieces
such as “Pac-Man” and “Tetris”
are included, and the Museum
had this to say about whether or
not games exist in a place of art:
“Are video games art? They sure
are, but they are also design, and
a design approach is what we
chose for this new foray into this
universe.”
It is a sensible side of the
argument, and its variegated
choices that range from the
aforementioned “Pac-Man”
to the small movements of
the independently-developed
“flOw.” Creator of “flOw,” Jenova
Chen may now be immortalized
in the gaming world for having
his small interactive world based
on evolving microorganisms
become recognized as modern
art, but his accomplishments
of this year reach far beyond
even such heady titles. Chen,
co-founder of developer
thatgamecompany, is responsible
for the game this year that might
one-day appear in the halls of
the Museum of Modern Art,
“Journey.”
“Journey” is a climactic
release not solely for its own
accomplishments, but because
of its timing and placement.
Unlike most independently-developed
games, “Journey”
never aesthetically compromises.
Players are placed in a gorgeously
surreal world of sand and sky
that looks as though it has been
adorned with the brightest of
watercolor paints, a truly lush
realization of director Chen’s
vision with the game. Whereas
most popular independent games
go the route of two-dimensions or
niche artistic directions, “Journey”
teeters along the edge of having
the quality of an animated film.
It is instantly recognizable as a
visual accomplishment, a problem
that more restrained independent
developers often face when trying to
convey their art to a larger group of
people. Moreover, Chen published
a tale of a noncombatant at a time
when video game violence is being
dissected further than ever. Players
never shoot guns, kill others, or
even witness death in “Journey.”
In an era where video games run
the risk of being remembered for
their “Call of Duty” sensibilities,
“Journey” serves as a pacifistic
oasis.
In the game players assume
control of the robed traveler, a
small human-like figure whose
single objective is to reach the large
mountain of light that is nearly
always off in the distance. Players
cannot jump, talk, shoot, take cover,
damage, or even communicate
with the other players they will
encounter in their time with
the game. The only inputs the
game recognizes are jumping,
which acts more like a brief
moment of flying as players
are dictated by the length of
the character’s magical scarf
for how long they can jump,
and singing mechanic that
allows players to pleasantly
chirp. The latter plays into
the game’s multiplayer, where
other players will randomly
appear in the sole form of
communication, which is
the sing-song nature of the
traveler’s sounds. This forces
players into an anonymous,
cooperative social-contract
on their journey, where two
travelers naturally depend on
one another to make their way
together to the mountain. This
innovation neutralizes one of
the biggest problems plaguing
games: the vile hate-speech that
is often propagated by players
armed with anonymity and a
microphone. “Journey” strips
players of their right to speech,
arming them only with a jovial
chirp and the determination to
make it to their destination.
“Journey” is the game to
walk away from this year
knowing about because, despite
its innovations and modern
ambiguity, the product serves
as a metaphorical statement in
itself. The gaming industry as a
whole has such a singular vision
of moving from one product to
the next, always abandoning the
last expensive purchase for the
next in record time. “Journey”
patiently makes one request
of its players: to be pensive
for the moment at hand, and
consider the importance of
the in-between rather than the
necessity of reaching an end or
arbitrary conclusion.
Kyle Minton
Staff Writer
photos courtesy of psmania/flickr
journey: video game of the year
Features
1514 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Going Away: tips for when traveling,
going to New York, and “self vacations”
Jonathan Waye
Staff Writer
Despite plans to “take it easy”
during the Holidays, for many,
this time of year is dominated
by packing luggage and waiting
in frustratingly long lines at the
airport. I can only imagine what
airports across the nation looked
like during Thanksgiving; who
knows what they will look like
by the end of the travel season?
Without proper knowledge and
preparation, you may be looking
at not only wait, but a wait in a
long line full of angry people.
We all want the same thing
when we go to the airport: to
dash through security as quickly
as possible and get to our gate.
How can you speed a process
that is mandatory for everyone,
even children? The levels of
security are seemingly endless,
and the hassles of wrangling
with carry-on baggage, calming
down rambunctious kids, and
fumbling with documentation
only make them worse.
So, what can one do in the face
of these obstacles? Although
admittedly there are not many
options when you have to stand
in line, there are still some key
things you can do to make
passing the checkpoint easier.
The best preparation for a
flight is to simply be prepared.
Make sure to give yourself
time for everything: eating,
showering, packing, bagging,
driving, etc. It will make your
life easier. Just the simple
knowledge that things are taken
care of will ease those traveling
tensions.
Next, collect all forms of
necessary ID for security
checkpoints. Passports,
driver’s licenses, and other
documentation are an absolute
must. Imagine how infuriating
would it be to discover, after
getting to the front of security,
that Billy forgot his driver’s
license at home? While the
TSA can ascertain one’s identity
without such identification by
using databases, simply having
your ID ready will dramatically
decrease any wait at this point in
security. Remember to keep all
documentation readily available
and easily accessible so you
aren’t hung up at the TSA desk.
Also, while standing in line for
the metal detectors, it would be
wise to go ahead and take off
your shoes, belt, jewelry, and
any other accessories which
may trigger the alarm. Not
only will you be able to throw
your valuable straight onto the
conveyor, but you’ll also be able
to step right up to the metal
detectors, as well. You will save
both time and patience not only
for yourself, but for those in line
behind you, as well.
Another thing to keep
in mind is the TSA’s list of
prohibited items. This list
includes everything from drill
bits to spear guns (probably
wise just to leave that last one at
home), so be sure to check it as
you pack. While most of these
items are prohibited for carry-on
baggage, nearly all are okay
for checked luggage.
Keep in mind that certain
items, like firearms, may
be subjected to additional
screening, and while TSA
allows them to be stowed in
checked luggage, you should
still check with your airline to
see if they are permitted, as the
TSA website notes it is left to
their discretion.
Lastly, although it may be
difficult, try to remain patient,
courteous, and compliant. Every
single passenger that enters the
airport must first go through
TSA checkpoints, every one of
them in just a big a hurry as
you are which means keeping
a cool head is necessary, if for
nothing else, sanity’s sake. So
when the TSA officer asks you
to step through the scanner
again, simply do it. It will take a
painless five seconds compared
to the excruciatingly awkward
frisking you will receive instead.
Remember, be safe and be
patient as you fly these holidays!
A friendly TSA agent scans a passenger’s bag.
mobile edge laptop cases/ flickr
Tips for traveling during the holiday season
Features
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1514
Robert Ross
Staff Writer
America is a highly
individualistic society. A
place where hard work and
determination is stressed if
one is to find achievement and
fulfillment in their life. This
pattern of thinking becomes
draining on individuals and
after time wears them out. That
is why it’s of equal importance
to vacation and change scenery.
Nevertheless, picking where to
vacation is the first step in an
unforgettable journey. It could
mean the difference between
delighting in a breath taking
new world and a colorless time.
New York City (NYC) the
world’s capital offers everything
you could possibly want
and more. There is a special
uniqueness about the city-that-
never-sleeps that unites
everyone. It doesn’t matter what
age or what background your
coming from because there is a
rarity about the city that offers
everyone a reason to relish.
A classic tourist attraction
is Central Park. The 843-acre
park located in the center of
Manhattan has innumerable
ways for you to spend a day
relaxing. The speed and
commotion of the Big Apple
can sometimes feel frazzling.
If you need to take a breather
and escape: Central Park is the
perfect oasis to get in touch with
the natural world. There are
areas of lawn where you can put
down a blanket and soak up the
afternoon sun. Another option
is to take a peaceful boat ride on
the beautiful ponds and lakes.
If you are feeling adventurous
you might even consider seeing
The Central Park Zoo. The
zoo offers a variety of exhibits
such as a tropic zone and polar
circle where animals such as
polar bears, snow leopards, red
pandas and penguins are on
display.
If you’re feeling even more
intellectually curious or perhaps
seek world culture: perfect!
Because the world’s famous
Metropolitan Museum of Art
is around the corner from
Central Park. This spectacular
museum is home to two million
works of art that are divided
into 22 departments. Anything
from American painting and
sculpture, arts of Africa, Egypt
and Asia, European paintings,
musical instruments and so
much more can be found.
Another great way to immerse
you in NYC culture is to see a
broad way show. Broadway is a
street in Manhattan but it is best
known for its theater industry.
It features a variety of musicals
and straight performances that
can be enjoyed by any age group.
Performers such as Scarlett
Johansson and Al Pacino have
starred in Broadway plays.
Broadway is a must go to place
for anyone who loves or even
has a slight interest in the
performing arts. In addition, if
you are looking to enjoy a wild
night of revelry and awesome
music, New York is definitely
the place for you.
NYC has some of the best
nightclubs and music venues in
the country. Once the sun goes
down you are in for a special
treat. It is hard to compete
with NYC’s nightlife. A really
well known music club is The
Mercury Lounge located in
the Lower East Side section
of Manhattan. A number of
prominent musicians have
played here just to name a few
The Strokes, The Yeah Yeah
Yeahs and Interpol. If what
you had in mind was a bigger
venue but with the same quality
acts Terminal 5 is the place
to be. This multi-level venue
located in Hells Kitchen has
a 3,000-person capacity and
hosts hundreds of underground
and mainstream musicians.
If the urban lifestyle appeals
to you there is no reason why
you shouldn’t enjoy the NYC
nightlife. You just have to know
the right places.
New York City is a great place
to spend your few days or weeks
off. If you haven’t ever taken the
trip make sure to do so because
it is an unforgettable city. You
may still be asking yourself why
New York? Don’t other cities
around the world offer the
same experiences? The truth
is, yes, but they certainly don’t
compete in scale or grandiose.
There is no other place where
you can soak up the best of
both worlds simultaneously.
You have both nature’s beauty
and the impressiveness of the
metropolitan at your door step.
The only question left for you to
answer is when you will decide
to go.
New York is one of the biggest and most gorgeous cities on the planet.
cj isherwood/ flickr
Empire state of mind: exploring NYC
Features 1716 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM opener
Nadia Stevens
Staff Writer
The notion of taking a
vacation is something that exists
far too often in conjecture, and
far too seldom in reality. During
busy times, such as the end of
the semester when final exams
and papers are all happening at
once, we yearn for a vacation;
just a quick break from reality
to collect our thoughts, desires,
and feelings. Unfortunately
all too many of these stressful
times consist of too much
will, too little luck, and even
fewer resources, making it near
impossible to plan a trip when
all the costs of food, stay, and
transportation are taken into
account; not to mention the
impracticality of finding an
adequate amount of time to
dedicate to such a venture. My
intention of course is not to
condemn travel, but perhaps
rather than going through the
added stresses of planning, it
might be worthwhile to explore
alternative possibilities for those
times when it just isn’t possible
to get far enough away. One
alternative that I happened to
come across is the concept of a
silent vacation; something that
can allow relaxation anytime, and
anywhere. Instead of providing
a person literal distance from
everyday life, taking a temporary
vow of silence can be a type of
internal vacation which allows
you to take a break from the
rigid routine and tensions of
your life, simply by renovating
the way you interact with your
pre-existing surroundings.
In order to fully understand
this somewhat unusual idea, and
to be sufficiently knowledgeable
about the subject, I decided that it
was best to garner some personal
experience with the topic.
Consequently, it is about time
for final exams, and every college
student, including myself, is
feeling the pressure of the looming
closure of the fall semester. As I
obviously do not have the time or
the money to go much farther than
ten minutes away, a silent vacation
is an ideal way to take a step back
from everything that is going on.
I found twenty four hours in my
schedule which I could dedicate to
my little reprieve; I turned off my
cell phone, I avoided social media,
and naturally, I did not once speak
or use my vocal cords in any way. I
allowed myself only books, music,
and a couple movies to entertain
myself. At the beginning, I must
say I was somewhat skeptical;
I was doubtful that I’d even be
able to stay silent for that long.
Despite my distrust however, I
quickly figured out that this was
going to be a very enlightening
experience. My first destination
in my silence was a coffee shop.
I sat, I drank, I read; but I did
not speak unless absolutely
necessary. In researching
vows of silence, I came across
the blog of a girl named Anel,
who concluded from her
own silent rendezvous that
the most foundational aspect
of not speaking is observing
where you would normally be
participating. Keeping this
in mind, I sat with a friend in
the middle of the coffee shop,
and when we would normally
be chatting away, we simply
relaxed, and enjoyed each
other’s company.
In this instance, silence was
a way to feel peaceful in the
middle of a bustling place. It
was unexpected, but I felt more
at ease than I had in weeks. As
the day went on, I did find dif-ficulty
communicating, and at
first was very tempted to give
up. I persevered, however, and
eventually got used to being
quiet. When I needed to por-tray
a sentiment, my facial ex-pressions
and gestures did their
work; other than that, I stayed
mostly in seclusion, allowing
myself to be removed from the
world. Although it only lasted
a mere twenty four hours, I
emerged from my silence feeling
more rejuvenated and carefree
than if I had actually boarded a
plane and flown to Hawaii. In
spite of its unorthodox nature,
a silent vacation is a wonderful
experience, and a fantastic way
to take a break from everyday
life without taking on the added
difficulties of travel.
The “self vacation”: a vow of silence Sports
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 17
Unfortunate events took
place for the UNCG Women’s
basketball team when the
Spartans faced the Liberty
Flames on Tuesday November
27, 2012 at Liberty University
in the Vine Center. The lady
Spartans travelled to Liberty to
only fight back from a double
digit deficit, losing 76-56.
The first half ended when
the Spartans at 20 points and
the Flames at 34. Freshman
point guard Lucy Mason scored
the majority of points with 11
completed shots on goal. The
start of the half began with an
11-0 lead to Liberty. With a
continuous advantage over the
Liberty engulfs UNCG in non-conference play
Hannah Nystrom
Staff Writer
Spartans, the trail to take the
lead was a distant dream. As the
clock rounded closer to the half
time buzzer, Natalie Headley,
guard, scored 4 points which
ultimately enhanced the half
time score.
After coming back from
the locker room, the Spartans
placed an immense amount of
effort into their game plan, but
the effort did not translate into
a win. UNCG was able to make
38 percent of their shots with 32
percent inside the field during
the 2nd half. The Spartans were
able to reduce the overall deficit
via the important players to
19-12 with a little less than 9
minutes remaining in the half.
Head coach Wendy Palmer
stated “I saw some really good
things tonight. I hope our effort
tonight shows how special this
team can eventually be. We got
down early but continued to
fight back. I told the team that
this game would be won with
defense and rebounding and we
just fell short in those areas.”
Liberty ladies maintained
their status as one of the top
rebounding teams in the nation
with a 55-36 advantage. The
Flames had a total of 21 assists
in relation to 29 successful shots
on goal. Forward, Devon Brown
of Liberty scored 5 of the first 7
points in the game.
Not everything was at a loss;
the UNCG Women’s basketball
team had an outstanding
defensive effort in terms of
turnovers. The Spartans drove
Liberty into 27 turnovers. The
excessive amount of turnovers
resulted in 17 steals. Sophomore
Jarae Savage forced 4 of the 27
turnovers, which is the Spartans
career high. Along with stepping
up against the Flames, freshman
point guard Lucy Mason set a
career high with 18 points. The
Spartan point guard scored the
only 3 point field goal during
the game against Liberty.
Junior guard Breonna Patterson
achieved her season best score
with 14 points, scoring 12 of
those points in the second
half when they were most
needed. Junior Janae Stevenson
accomplished the team’s best of
7 (4 offensive) and fell just below
scoring double digits for the
Spartans with 8 points.
“Lucy is a bright spot. I also
think Breonna Patterson did
very well tonight as well” stated
Head Coach, Wendy Palmer.
Opportunities are on the
horizon for the Lady Spartans
as they continue their journey
to the SoCon Conference. As
they approach future games,
the Spartans will focus on
improving their rebounding and
defensive skills.
Women’s Bask., Tue
UNCG 	 56
Liberty 76
Lady Spartans come up short in conference opener
Jose Torres
Staff Writer Women’s Bask., Sat
UNCG 	 44
W. Carolina 47
The UNCG women’s
basketball team travelled for
their conference opener against
Western Carolina. Starting the
season 1-3, the Lady Spartans
battled to not find themselves
in a two game losing streak.
Unfortunately for them,
Western Carolina with their late
push gave UNCG their fourth
loss of the year and first of the
conference.
Coming off the bench,
freshman Ciara Morris scored
a career high 13 points which
made her the top scorer of the
game. Ten of those points came
in the second half. She also led
the team in rebounds, with 8,
and in steals with 5 (alongside
Breonna Patterson).
UNCG was abysmal on
the field in terms of shooting
percentage. Where Western
Carolina shot 45% (going 18-
40), UNCG shot 27% (going
17-63). The Lady Spartans were
also outrebounded by the Lady
Catamounts 32-42. However,
the game was a close one all
the way through due to UNCG
forcing 25 turnovers, scoring
23 points off of those turnovers,
while only committing 12
turnovers and giving up 10
points on those turnovers.
With a back and forth affair
between both teams, Patterson
nailed a three pointer at the 11th
minute mark. Western tried to
answer with a triple of their own
but after a pair of turnovers by
both teams, freshman Jazmine
Missouri made a layup to give
UNCG a 14-9 lead with 10
minutes left to play in the first
half.Western Carolina took their
largest lead of the first half
after going on a 17-4 run over
the next nine minutes. But
with 42 seconds left in the half,
freshman Diamond Cooper
scored her first collegiate points
to cut the lead down to 20-26 in
favor of the Lady Catamounts.
After forcing another turnover
via shot clock violation, the
Spartans had six seconds to cut
the lead down further. However,
Patterson couldn’t quite get her
shot to drop as her fist shot was
blocked.
After several missed attempts
in the first 3 minutes of the second
half, Diamond Hunnicutt from
Western got fouled and headed
to the free throw line. Making
1 of 2, Western increased their
lead to 7 points, the highest lead
they would have for the rest of
the game.
The Lady Spartans came
roaring back in the next four
minutes with a 10-4 run,
capped by a three by sophomore
Jarae Savage. After a steal
by Patterson, senior Sidnei
Harmon scored a jump shot to
give UNCG their first lead of the
2nd half with 11 minutes left to
go. Afterwards, freshman Lucy
Mason nailed a triple to give
UNCG their biggest lead of the
game at 35-31.
Each team gave up small
runs near the end of the second
half. After going down 35-31,
Western Carolina went on an 8-0
run to go up 39-35 followed by a
UNCG 9-2 run to take the lead
44-41 with two in a half minutes
left to play the game. The Lady
Catamounts scored twice late to
take the lead to 45-44.
With nine seconds left,
Harmon missed a jumped shot
while Western got the rebound
and was instantly fouled. UNCG
forced the Lady Catamounts to
the free throw line where they
scored both shots to go up 47-
44. With four seconds left in the
game, the Lady Spartans were
not able to get a good look at a
triple as the buzzer sounded and
the game was over.
UNCG started the season
with a conference game loss and
an overall record of 1-4 as they
go back home Monday to host
College of Charleston.
Check uncgcarolinian.com/sports for continuing coverage of UNCG men’s and women’s
basketball over Winter Break, including games against Wake Forest and NC State
Sports
1918 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM
Sports
David Stern’s punishment of Spurs a power trip
Joseph Abraham
Staff Writer
It is well known that NBA
Commissioner David Stern,
as quiet as he may appear, is
a very powerful and prideful
man. Stern does not like to
look bad or be one upped in
any situation, which is exactly
what San Antonio Spurs coach
Greg Popovich did to him last
Thursday night when he sent
four of his five starters home to
rest before a nationally televised
game versus the Miami Heat.
While I am not one to start
conspiracy theories, but those
who are in charge of making
NBA schedules have clearly
shown favoritism to the Miami
Heat going into this game. The
Heat had only had five games
in the last two weeks, including
no away games since November
17th. The Spurs on the other
hand had nine games in this
span, including six straight away
games in eight nights.
San Antonio is an older team,
with many of their stars being
close to or over the age of 35.
So this decision by Spurs coach
Greg Popovich seems like a
smart one. Playing this many
games back to back puts players
of any age at a higher risk for
injury, but it has an even larger
effect on older teams.
If the Spurs lose a star
such as Tim Duncan, Tony
Parker or Manu Ginobili, they
could still compete in the
Western Conference, but their
championship chances would
be crushed. This is why logically
David Stern should have no
problem with the Spurs resting
their stars. However, David
Stern does not see it this way.
Stern promised that there would
be “substantial sanctions” to
the Spurs organization for this
decision and that is exactly what
he dished out. The Spurs were
fined $ 250,000 for their actions.
David Stern claims that
these actions by Popovich were
“unacceptable” because it is
unfair to the fans that paid for
the game to not be able to see
the stars play.
However, I do not believe
this is why Stern was angry.
Fans who pay to go to Miami
Heat games in majority want to
see the Heat play, and with the
likes of LeBron James, Dwyane
Wade and Chris Bosh on the
court, the Heat could be playing
the Harlem Globetrotters, an
non-NBA team and the crowd
would be happy. If a true Spurs
fan went to the game in Miami,
they would understand why
Popovich made the decision he
made, and still got a competitive
game as the Heat only won by
five.
The real reason why Stern is
angry is money. A game between
two teams as good as the Heat
and the Spurs brings in a lot
of ratings, which equals more
money to the NBA. When the
Spurs announced that four of
their five starters would not play,
it may have persuaded some
people at home to not watch
the game in fear it would be a
not enjoyable blowout. If this
is the case, Stern has no reason
to complain because the Miami
Heat alone bring in ratings, as
no athlete in the NBA is as loved
or hated by each individual fan
as LeBron James. Basketball fans
either hope LeBron will win
or hope he will lose and crack
under some form of pressure.
It is because of these factors
that I feel David Stern should
not have gotten involved in
this situation. Fining the Spurs
$250,000 is too extreme for a
decision that should not be seen
as punishable.
Stern has now opened a
Pandora’s Box, because this
means he should also give out
a punishment every time the
Lakers decide to give Kobe
Bryant the night off or every
time the Heat want to rest
Dwyane Wade’s knee. Stern
did not have a strong enough
case to take action against the
Spurs besides the fact that he is
the Commissioner and has the
power to do so.
chipping in 14 points,
alongside 4 rebounds and 3
assists. The best part about his
game was Simpson became the
19th player in UNCG history to
drop 1000 points in his career.
UNCG shot a great 52% from
3 point range and 59% from the
field. For Citadel, Mike Groselle
had a game high 20 points and
4 boards.
After the game, coach Wes
Miller had a few words “I was
really pleased with the way
we responded to a poor effort
earlier in the week against
North Carolina A&T, we had
some really defensive-minded
practices Thursday and Friday,
I know they weren’t easy
practices, they weren’t normal
game preparation practices, but
I thought our guys really carried
the effort they had Thursday and
Friday into tonight.”
Overall great team effort and
excellent win for the Spartans.
overlooked by the media is
the Atlanta Falcons. With four
games left in the season, the
Falcons are 11-1. Yet there are
many critics who believe they
won’t make it far in the playoffs.
Count me in as one who doesn’t
believe.
There are many players on
this team I root for. After
Michael Vick left the Falcons
in a bad state, the team drafted
Matt Ryan, hoping he would be
their savior. These past couple
of years has been great for him
in terms of production. Tight
End Tony Gonzalez is a future
Hall-of-Famer that has yet to be
a part of a team that has won a
playoff game. Michael Turner is
proving that he can still run the
ball even though he’s aging quite
a bit.
So yes, there are many players
on this team that I root for, but
how can I believe when these
past couple of years the Falcons
have failed in the postseason.
Last year they could only muster
two points against the New York
Giants. The year before that,
after going 13-3 and earning
a bye, the Falcons lost by 27
against the Green Bay Packers.
They missed the postseason in
2009 but in 2008 they went 11-5
to lose again in the first round
against the Arizona Cardinals.
Three postseason games, three
losses. You can argue that each
team they lost to advanced to the
Super Bowl that year. However,
we cannot ignore the ineptness
the Falcons showed during
each playoff loss. After years
of getting burned by backing
the Falcons, this year I’m going
to have a “show-me” attitude.
Show me they can be great and
then I’ll believe. All it takes is
one playoff win.
Although the season
somewhat stabilized itself, this
football season has been great.
We have had our share of ups
and downs throughout the NFL.
From the disappointing seasons
from the Eagles, Panthers,
and Chiefs to the emergence
of the Houston Texans as
the AFC South power house
and surprising performances
from rookie quarterbacks like
Tannehill from the Dolphins,
Luck from the Colts, and
Griffin from the Redskins, this
season has had it all. It would
be impossible for someone to
successfully predict how the
season would go. But that is
what makes the NFL such a fun
league to follow.
citadel
from page 20
nfl
from page 19
crosstown
from page 19
the future.”
Still Miller knows that the
freshman is not a finished
product as of yet and must
continue to work to improve.
“Kayel, like the rest of our
guys, just needs to bring it more
on the defensive end of the
floor.”
The result was disappointing,
but the emergence of another
offensive threat, especially
one inside the paint, gives the
Spartans hope for more success
deeper into the season.
Online This Week
Joseph Abraham covers the
women’s basketball team’s
conference home opener
against College of Charleston
on Monday.
Ian Foster takes a look at the
progression of Wes Miller’s
men from the start of the
season and their prospects
going forward over the Winter
Break.
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 19
Sports
See NFL, page 18
It was hard for the Spartans to
find any positives following a 90-
79 loss to cross town rival North
Carolina A&T Wednesday night
at the Greensboro Coliseum.
UNCG never led in the second
half.
This year’s result was not as
lopsided as a season ago, but
still stings for a Spartan team
that held second half leads
and almost knocked off East
Carolina and Rutgers.
“You have to give A&T so
much credit.” UNCG head
Coach Wes Miller said. “They
came out here and outplayed us.”
UNCG actually outscored
the Aggies in the paint, won the
turnover battle and outscored
A&T on points on turnovers,
and scored 14 second chance
points while limiting A&T to
just 5.
It was not enough though
to overcome a 5 for 29
performances from behind the 3
point line and a listless defensive
Lack of effort, shooting haunts against Aggies
Calvin Walters
Staff Writer Men’s Bask., Wed
UNCG 	 79
NC A&T 90
effort.
The visitors from 3 miles
away outhustled, outshot and
outworked the Spartans.
“I’m really disappointed in
our effort, first and foremost,
I’m disappointed in our poise,”
Miller said, “and I am really
disappointed that we are not
taking the things we are doing in
practice and carrying them over
to games on the defensive side of
the ball.”
The team and fans will most
likely look to forget the outcome
and pretend it never happened.
But there was one bright spot
that offers promise for the rest of
the season, the play of freshman
Kayel Locke.
While the rest of the Spartans
were shooting around 30%
from the field the 6’5 forward
During my Midseason Review
where I made 5 Bold Predictions
last month, I predicted the
Eagles would win 10 games
and make it to the playoffs.
Since then, the Eagles lost four
straight and look like a team
that will probably get a top 5
draft pick. In one of Coach
Jim Mora’s infamous rants, he
told a member of the press who
criticized Mora’s conservative
approach in running the team
that clearly he, the journalist,
had no idea what he was talking
about. “You don’t know what
Projecting NFL regular season’s final month
Jose Torres
Staff Writer
happened. You really don’t
know. You think you know, but
you don’t know. And you never
will.” That pretty much sums up
that terrible prediction I made
about the Eagles. In my defense,
the rest of my picks aren’t as bad.
This year has been crazy.
After all, the Arizona Cardinals
started the season with a 4-0
record. However, as I predicted,
the season tends to get more
consistent near the end of the
season. That’s why the division
leaders from a month ago will
still head to the postseason as
such. Though it was a closer
battle a few weeks ago, it now
looks as though each division is
pretty much locked up. The NFL
will try to sell you the “anything
can happen” line but the only
division that looks up for grabs
is the NFC North. Every other
division leader is at least two
wins better than the 2nd best
team in their respective division.
As for the teams in contention
for the Wild Card slots, you can
call it parity or you can call it
mediocrity around the middle
of the pack but in the NFC, only
two games separate the Packers,
Seahawks, Buccaneers, Vikings,
Redskins, and Cowboys from
playoff contention. I made a
prediction that a 10-6 would
miss the playoffs from the
NFC but it doesn’t look like
that will happen. In the AFC,
there are fewer teams that
look realistically in playoff
contention. Two games separate
the Colts, Steelers, Bengals, and
Dolphins from each other. My
prediction that an 8-8 team
would make it into the playoffs
as a Wild Card looks good.
The most important
prediction is the Super Bowl
one. I mentioned the Houston
Texans were going to win it all
against the Chicago Bears come
February. Since then, the Texans
have the best record in the AFC
while the Bears lost two games
with a healthy Jay Cutler. The
Bears third loss came in a game
where Cutler was out with a
concussion and Jason Campbell
had to take over at quarterback.
Barring any significant injuries
to both quarterbacks, the Bears
and the Texans still look like
they belong at the top of the
NFL with the amount of talent
on both sides of the ball for both
teams.
One team that seems as
though they are always being
scored a team high 22 points on
4 of 9 shooting, while grabbing
nine rebounds. Perhaps the
most impressive aspect of the
breakout performance was his
ability to get to the free throw
line where he converted 14 of 16
attempts.
With a lack of a dominant big
man this year it will be crucial
for the undersized Locke to find
a way to get to the free throw
lines. The inside game from
Locke was one of the few areas
that worked Wednesday night
where the Spartans outscored
A&T 24-20. Locke’s inside
presence also contributed to
forcing two A&T players to foul
out of the game.
“(Kayel) has a chance to have
a special career here,” Miller said
of the Maryland product, “He
really has a knack for scoring
the ball, and he will be a great
rebounder.”
“He is going to have some
really good night’s right now and
will have a ton of good nights in
See crosstown, page 18
rachel sanders/carolinian
Head Coach Wes Miller contemplates during UNCG’s 11 point loss to crosstown rival NC A&T
20 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Dec 5, 2012 - Jan 15, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports
Spartans pound Bulldogs in conference opener
kept snapping. Before long, the
Spartans were up by almost 20
and this came off of almost all
long two and three pointers.
Nobody from UNCG was really
taking it to the rack, but it wasn’t
needed the way they shot the
ball. UNCG did not take a single
free throw until right before the
half ended. The ball movement
was amazing as everyone was
making the extra pass therefore
everybody was scoring.
Guys literally walked onto the
Everick Davis
Staff Writer
So after going to a few of the
UNCG men’s basketball games
I have discovered something
about the team. They get
buckets! It was just one of those
kinds of games for the Spartans
on Saturday when they hosted
Citadel at the Coliseum.
From the opening tip it
seemed like this was a different
team than the one we saw on
Wednesday when they played
North Carolina A & T. From
the very beginning Citadel
tried running a full court press
but it really did not do much
as the Spartans were still able
to progress the ball and turned
the pressure into wide open
jumpers.
Shots kept flying and the nets
court, drained a shot and kept it
moving, UNCG was that nice on
Saturday.
They were beasts on the
boards also in the first half and
outrebounded Citadel by a good
margin, probably because they
were having the exact opposite
kind of night. These guys were
terrible from the field, with only
3 players on their team scoring
at the time.
Things were so one-sided
that the assembled press had to
check out some football during
halftime just to see some real
competition. The second half
was better for Citadel as they
came out more aggressive and
got more points and production
from other players. Even though
Citadel played noticeably better
in the second half it didn’t make
Men’s Bask., Sat
UNCG 	 84
The Citadel 54
much of a difference because the
Spartans were matching them
point for point.
Every time Citadel made a
play, UNCG came right back
throwing daggers. Citadel did
not once give up, they kept the
same intensity from the first full
court press until the buzzer went
off but it simply wasn’t their
night.
It was Drew Parker’s night
though. He led the team in
scoring with a solid 15 points on
6 for 8 shooting and didn’t miss
a shot until midway through the
second half. He also added in
4 assists and 5 rebounds in 24
minutes.
Trevis Simpson had a pretty
quiet night by his standards,
See citadel, page 18
rachel sanders/carolinian
Simpson scored his 1000th point on Saturday