The Carolinian [March 27, 2013]

              News Page 2 Opinions Page 6 A&E Page 10 Features Page 14 Sports Page 20
Realigning:
A MFA Dance
Performance
IIoan Opris/ The Carolinian
A&E - P.g. 12
Wednesday, March 27 - April 2, 2013 • Volume XCIII No. 26
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
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Editor-in-Chief
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News Editor
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Opinions Editor
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Arts & Entertainment Editor
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Joseph Abraham
Sports Editor
Sports.Carolinian@gmail.com
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Features Editor
Features.Carolinian@gmail.com
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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 Mar 27-April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM See ohio, page 5
The controversial Steubenville,
Ohio rape case is finally over
after months of debate. The case
involved three teenagers; the
victim, age 16; Steubenville’s high
school quarterback, Trent Mays,
age 17; and Ma’lik Richmond,
age 16, the high school’s wide
receiver. The incident occurred
last August during a high school
party that included alcohol. The
victim was from West Virginia
and came across the state line
for the party. The victim was
intoxicated and unable to walk
or talk during the party when
she was assaulted. The trial
began Mar. 13 and ended Mar.
17 with the two attackers found
guilty in juvenile court.
The victim was sexually
violated through digital
penetration. Under Ohio law,
this attack is considered rape,
since it was not consensual. The
boys also tried to have the victim
perform sexual acts on them,
though she was unable to due to
her intoxication. There was no
physical evidence left behind,
but pictures were found of the
victim lying face down, naked on
Mays phone. His twitter feed had
posts from that night as well, to
include “the song of the night is
definitely ‘Rape Me’ by Nirvana.”
Verdict reached in Steubenville trial
Photo Courtesy of Marsmet523/Flickr
Protesters march in support of the prosecution in Steubenville, OH last week.
The boys in the video afterwards
named themselves the “Rape
Crew,” pleased with their actions
from the night.
Three students testified that
they saw the attack and took
video of the boys afterward
and pictures of the girl naked.
They were not charged for child
pornography because they
testified on behalf of the victim.
Elizabeth Yarrington
Staff Writer
News
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27 - April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 3
On Wednesday, Governor
Pat McCrory proposed a $20.6
billion state budget plan for the
2014 fiscal year that would give
state employees and retirees
a 1 percent raise, in addition
to fixing and improving state
reserves as North Carolina
recovers from the 2008
recession.
McCrory used his budget
plan to promote some of his
Republican Party platform
policies in the areas of education,
economic competitiveness and a
more efficient government. “For
too long, North Carolina’s state
government has been broken,
relying on short term patches
and fixes,” McCrory said in his
budget letter to state lawmakers.
“Now it’s time for the state to
rebuild and better serve its
people,” he said.
In his version of the state
budget plan, the governor
proposes to close two prisons
in the Cape Fear region,
Bladen Correctional center in
Bladen County and Robeson
Correctional center in Robeson
County. His justification for
shutting down the prisons, as
well as three more prisons in NC,
stems from the states decrease
in inmate population, as well
as the expensive renovations
and repairs required by these
particular prisons.
The budget also cuts spending
in the education field, $264,000
for a botanical lab operated
by Fayetteville Technical
Community College. Budget
writers searching for programs
they could afford to lose have
targeted the lab in the past,
despite Fayetteville lawmakers’
fight to save the lab program.
The budget plan also includes
initiatives to add 5,000 at-risk
4 year olds to the state’s pre-kindergarten
program, costing
$26.2 million per year. The
program would total at 29,400
students.
Some of these budget
proposals towards education
have raised concerns. Although
McCrory seeks to hire 1,800
teachers over the next two
years and provide district
funds for teacher assistants
in kindergarten and pre-kindergarten,
he would also
proposes cutting funding
which provides for teacher
assistants in the second and
third grade, which would in
total eliminate 3000 teacher
assistants. In addition, despite
state employees’ paychecks
being raised, state agencies
would have to cut spending by
1 to 3 percent.
More of McCrory’s measures
include continuation of state
funding of Drug Treatment
Court, increased spending
on mental health programs,
compensation for people
sterilized in a state-ordered
Stephanie Cistrunk
Staff Writer
McCrory’s new budget plan cuts education funding and does little to affect the wealthy.
Photo Courtesy of James Willamore/flickr
eugenics program, making
Saturday a service day at 30
Division of Motor Vehicle
offices over the next 2 years
and building up the state’s
emergency reserves to more
than $800 million. When
asked about his opinion of his
fellow Republican counterpart’s
budget plan, Rep. John
Szoka, a Cumberland County
Republican, said he’d make no
comments until he reviewed the
plan himself. On the opposite
end of the political spectrum, a
Hoke and Cumberland County
Democrat, Sen. Ben Clark,
opposed eliminating the estate
tax, one of McCrory’s major
initiatives. McCrory suggests
that by eliminating the tax,
North Carolina’s tax revenues
would be reduced by $104
million over the next two years.
Critics of the estate tax refer
to it as a “death tax,” because
it would affect individuals’
inheritances. Clark noted that
the estate tax only applies to a
small number of high-income
See Budget, page 5
McCrory budget proves to be controversial
News 4 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27-April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM International News Briefs
New DreamWorks
theme parks to
open in Russia
Pope Francis I
replaces Pope
Benedict XVI
Compiled By: Elizabeth Yarrington
Syria conflict drags
on, involving United
States intervention
Pope Benedict XVI resigned
on Feb. 28, leaving the Vatican
to select a new pope.
On Mar. 13 the decision
was made, and Jorge Mario
Bergoglio, from Buenos Aires,
Argentina, was selected to
become the 266th Pope at the
age of 76. Bergoglio is the first
Latin American pope.
Bergoglio, who is now
named Pope Francis, had an
inauguration which was attended
by 6 monarchs, 31 heads of state,
and 132 representatives from
across the globe.
Pope Francis will lead over 1.2
billion Catholics from across the
world.
Pope Francis has been
nicknamed “the Unpredictable
Pope” due to his changes to the
Vatican since his inauguration.
His new approach to the
changing world is based on
the principles of humility and
simplicity.
Pope Francis is calling for
reformation in the Catholic
Church, moving the church
toward serving the poor and
weak and protecting the
environment.
The pope will be washing
feet at a youth detention center,
breaking away from the normal
feet washing at the Vatican for
Pre-Easter Mass.
As a Cardinal of Argentina,
Pope Francis worked covertly
to support civil unions
between homosexual couples,
speaking for their rights to the
Catholic Church. Though he
believes homosexuality is a
sin, he supports homosexual
rights. Argentina legalized gay
marriage in 2010.
The fighting in Syria is
continuing daily. President
Bashar al-Assad refuses to resign
from his position as head of
government.
New bombings at a mosque in
Damascus, Syria’s capital, have
left 41 dead and many more
wounded.
15 were civilians, and many
were religious participants.
The bombing killed a
prominent supporter of
President Assad, Sheikh
Mohammed al-Buti, leading
many to believe it was rebel force
terrorist attack.
However, the rebel force,
known as the Free Syrian Army,
denies the attack and places
blame on a suicide bomber who
snuck in to the mosque on Mar
21.
The Syrian government
and rebels are also under
investigation by the United
States government, and the UN
for using chemical weapons
during warfare.
The United States has no
participation in the civil war in
Syria, but said chemical weapons
would be a “game changer”
forcing the United States to take
military action.
The United States government
is waiting on investigative proof
that chemical weapons were
used by either parties to step in.
Syrian government and rebels
may have stores of mustard gas,
and sarin a toxic nerve gas.
It is curently estimated that
there are over 460,000 refugees
in Jordan, who have relocated
after fleeing from the Syrian civil
war.
DreamWorks Animation
Company, the creator of “Shrek”
and “Madagascar,” are teaming
up with a real estate company in
Russia to build some of the first
theme parks in Russia.
The parks plan to be open
by 2015. The three parks will
cost about $1 billion and will
span 10.7 million square feet all
together.
They will be built in
Moscow, St. Petersburg and
Yekaterinburg. Each city’s
approximate population is 20
million people.
DreamWorks expects about
11.7 million visitors from
surrounding areas per year, and
plans to charge about $50-$80
for the entire theme park.
The companies expect to turn
a profit after being open for ten
years.
Surrounding the new theme
park will be hotels, malls,
restaurants and over 11,000
parking places.
The theme parks will likely
become a major tourist attraction
and thus a source of revenue for
the country.
DreamWorks holds a vast
following in Russia, even more
than Disney or Universal
animation studios.
Nevertheless, Universal plans
to open their first theme park
in Russia. Construction on the
project will begin shortly.
They also have plans to open
much smaller Angry Bird-themed
parks across the country.
According to Pricewaterhouse
Coopers, Russia will be the
largest entertainment market in
Europe by 2014, out-ranking the
current market in Spain.
Women’s Rights activist
Charlotte Bunch spoke at the
UNCG Alumni House last
Tuesday on a variety of topics,
ranging from her beginnings
as an activist, her involvement
in the feminist movements
around the globe and her impact
on feminism. Women’s rights
campaigns have experienced
a renewed energy recently as
women both in the U.S. and
around the world have taken
steps to re-assert their social
equality.
Bunch, who is an author, editor,
and women’s rights activist,
spoke in the Virginia Dare room
of the Alumni House last week
on many topics dealing with her
active role in feminism. She first
talked about her childhood, and
her upbringing in an era of the
South in which her church was
beginning to allow black citizens
to integrate along with whites.
Bunch, who was born in North
Carolina, witnessed racism and
oppression first hand, and she
said that this impacted her for
the rest of her life. In her early
years, Bunch became active
in her church’s Methodist
movement, a cause inspired
by the Civil Rights Movement
that began in the 1950s, with
the purpose of integrating the
Methodist church she attended.
Audience members noted the
importance of this movement
lay in pre-empting similar
nonviolent protests that would
follow in the next decade.
Bunch later joined with on
campus organizations in the
1960s at Duke University to
further advance her goal of
full social justice. According
to the New York Times profile
on Bunch, “After Duke, where
Ms. Bunch studied history and
political science and participated
in the early sit-ins, she accepted
a fellowship at the Institute for
Policy Studies, a left-leaning
research group in Washington.”
Today, Bunch is considered a
major theoretician for women
and gender studies, and is
most popularly known for her
statement that “Women’s rights
are human rights.”
In her speech to students,
faculty, alumni and
constituencies from the
community, Bunch also
emphasized the importance of
feminist movements around
the globe. Bunch said, “We as
humans are not the same, but
must have the same access to
rights.” Bunch talked about of
the importance of the World
Conference on Human Rights.
Bunch said this United Nations-sponsored
conference was
“putting women’s theory into
practice.” This year marks the
20th anniversary of the Women’s
Conference.
Bunch’s speech provided
an intersectional analysis
of women’s oppression, and
stated that the global women’s
movement has empowered
women, and treated them not
just as victims, but citizens. “The
biggest success of the global
women’s rights movement is
awareness,” said Bunch, citing
the fact that just two decades
ago, the U.N. and many other
countries did not recognize or
legitimize calls for protection of
women in the workplace and at
home.
While Bunch said there was
plenty to be happy about when
it comes to feminist movements,
she said women and other social
movements face a plethora of
challenges. Bunch spoke of a
“cultural backlash” that develops
soon after tremendous change
occurs. Specifically, Bunch
Feminist author Charlotte
Bunch speaks on campus
Aaron Bryant
Staff Writer
See Bunch, page 5
News
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27-April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 5
he claims is another way
McCrory is making sure the
very wealthy aren’t taxed. “It’s
become quite clear to me that
we need a significant priority
adjustment,” he said. “Instead
of repealing the estate tax for
the wealthiest of the wealthiest
... we should exempt from
North Carolina income taxes
the military retirement pay of
all veterans.” Other Democrats
such as Representative Larry
Hall and Senator Martin Nesbitt
believe McCrory’s proposals
are a mere attempt to hide tax
reform plans to cut taxes for
millionaires while increasing
taxes on the middle class and
small businesses. Although
McCrory calls for “revenue
neutral” tax reform, other than
eliminating the estate tax, his
budget proposal laid out no
specifics to the issue.
As there have been mixed
reviews on the new budget
layout, many believe the mostly-
Republican legislature will work
in his favor and allow some of
his initiatives as they align with
their political agendas. The
legislature reviewed the budget
proposal Wednesday and will
decide if they would incorporate
them into its version of the state
budget.
budget
from page 3
Those three students deleted
the video and pictures, and
said they were sorry they ever
took them. Many more people
may have witnessed the attack
considering 16 people would
not talk to police about the
incident. Ohio’s district attorney
is looking into the prosecution
of those that witnessed the
incident and did not report it.
They are also looking into those
that may have participated,
and were not in the videos
or photographs. The district
attorney promises not to stop
until all the stones have been
“turned over.”
Mays was sentenced to 3
years in juvenile prison for the
rape, and 1 year for taking and
distributing the demeaning
photos of the victim. Richmond
was sentenced to at least 1 year
in juvenile prison for the rape.
Both boys may be held in prison
until they are twenty-one. They
must register as sex offenders
at the end of the incarceration.
The offenders are not allowed
to contact the victim until they
are twenty-one. When found
guilty they collapsed and wept,
profusely sorry for what they
had done. Both of the boys
apologized to the family and
community that was greatly
divided by the trial.
“No pictures should have been
sent out, let alone been taken,”
said Mays after the trial. The
victim’s mother was present at
the ruling, commenting, “You
displayed not only a lack of
compassion, but a lack of any
moral code.” She also said her
daughter would persevere and
continue on with her life, and
was ready to put this behind her.
Steubenville has about 18,000
people, and the division was felt
throughout the town. Many of
the community members felt that
the boys were being protected
by police and coaches because
they were well-known football
players. Football is an important
aspect to the community
members of Steubenville. Critics
of the case believe they were
being protected because of their
ability to play football.
A leading hacker group,
Anonymous, helped bring light
to any cover up the community
was partaking in. The group
found a video that many police
had missed with a teenage boy
comparing her to being, “deader
than Travyon Martin.” The group
also found some proof that many
of the football coaches may have
possibly known about the rape
and did not feel the boys had
done anything wrong. The boys
were not suspended from the
football team, or benched. The
group brought national attention
to a case that may have otherwise
gone unnoticed.
ohio
from page 2
made reference to the
significant changes in civil, social
and economic equality achieved
by the New Deal era and other
growing social movements of
the 1960s, such as the anti-war
protests and gay rights, and
social backlash in the form of the
Reagan Era and the decades that
followed. On culture, however,
Bunch said, “Culture is dynamic
and always changing, and the
pursuit of human rights always
changes culture.”
Critics of these kinds of
social movements say that
they infringe on a group of
peoples culture, and that people
should not be attacked for what
has traditionally been a part
of their community. Bunch
responded to this by saying
that it was the culture in the
South to discriminate against
African Americans, and that
social movements changed that
culture.
Feminist theory stems
from many philosophical and
theoretical fields. For many
women, equal rights are not easy
to come by. Bunch’s speech was a
re-affirmation of the importance
of the fight for equal rights, and
what the definition of equality
truly is.
Bunch
from page 4
Partly Cloudy
Partly Cloudy
H: 63°
Mostly Cloudy
Weekly
Forecast
Today
H: 48°
L: 30°
Thursday
H: 53°
L: 31°
Friday
Weekend
L:45°
Monday
H: 65°
L: 45°
Mostly Cloudy
H: 55°
L: 35°
Mostly Cloudy
Our campus is beautiful.
Let’s keep it that way.
Recycle.
Opinions 6 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27-april 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Photo Courtesy OF 401(K) 2013/FLICKR
I have found myself doing
it a lot lately. Whenever I find
myself in a voting booth, I look
at options made available to
me. Those who know me might
consider it funny that I give
each candidate’s name a good
look since I am something
of an arch-Republican. The
reason I look at all the names
and labels, besides as a hat tip
to the democratic process, is
that my mind is not made up.
Yes, I used to be an arch-
Republican. As early as
December 2006, I proclaimed
that Sarah Palin would be the
Republican vice presidential
nominee in 2008 (although I
incorrectly thought she would
be running with Giuliani). Still,
as I waited in line to vote on
Election Day 2008, surrounded
by a sea of individuals wearing
Hope and Change shirts, I
knew with confidence that I
would be voting for the old guy
and his bespectacled running
mate. Fast forward to 2010,
and things had changed.
I was an enthusiastic
supporter of the Tea Party,
although status as a movement
conservative eluded me. As
someone who supports gay
rights, a woman’s choice on
abortion, and marijuana
legalization, it is unlikely that
you will see me dining at Rick
Santorum’s table anytime soon.
Still, it wasn’t these issues that
lead me to vote for Michael
Beitler over Richard Burr in
2010 or Gary Johnson over
Mitt Romney in 2012. The
Republican Party’s failure to
seek substantive cuts after
years of fiscal insanity during
the Bush Administration, as
Joseph Winberry
Staff Writer
well as continued support for
the erosion of American civil
liberties has cost them my
loyal support; in future elections, I
will look at the libertarian candidates
before placing my vote. If the party
can construct a modern platform,
the rest of the nation will give them
a second glance as well. In that
vein, I offer up three realistic goals
that the Libertarian Party should
consider adding to their platform
in forthcoming elections. These
include improving privacy measures,
implementing a flat tax, and cutting
back on international intervention.
We live in an era of unbelievable
technology. Someday, cell phones
from the turn of the century will seem
as foreign to people as Whitney’s
cotton gin or Edison’s phonograph.
In 2013, you can basically run your
entire life with iProducts and Google
apps. Thanks to the internet and
social media, people are connected
in ways that people living just a
generation ago could have possibly
imagined. Despite, these great
innovations, there are drawbacks; the
main drawback is a lack of privacy.
You can find nearly anything
online about someone including their
address, phone number, perhaps
their social security number, and
numerous other personal facts. I once
spoke to a professor who told me that
he doesn’t use a computer because he
fears privacy breaches. Despite this,
there are still a number of Facebook
pages dedicated to him, and his
personal information is available on
a variety of websites. Libertarians
should do what the Republicans
and Democrats have failed to do:
protect individual privacy. This can
be done by regulatory measures but
also the government’s own policies
on surveillance have a role in this.
President Obama ran as the civil
liberties candidate in 2008, but has
since proven to be even worse than
Bush on this matter. As drone use
becomes increasingly frequent,
Libertarians could have a big opening
in this area.
Taxes have been an issue of great
contention in recent years.
Republicans have become
the party of tax cuts, while
Democrats have been branded
as the pro-tax party. Meanwhile,
regular people continue to
be put at a disadvantage with
our complicated tax system. I
believe an overhaul is needed.
There already exists strong
political and grassroots support
for the FairTax. While I prefer a
more basic flat tax, the FairTax
is a move in the right direction
and it would change the
relationship between people and
their government for the better.
Also, it would even the playing
field because there would no
exemptions for people who
could hire the best accountant.
By paying tax on what you buy,
you don’t have to worry about
hidden IRS charges; April 15
will just be another beautiful
spring day.
Libertarians are correct in
wanting major spending cuts.
However, the public is not ready
to part with all the benefits
that taxpayer money provides
them. The party must be wise
in choosing spending cuts
and there is no better place
to start than in the arena of
international interventionalism.
After a near-decade of war
in the Middle East with little
tangible accomplishments,
Americans are weary of war
and of internationalism in
general. A 2009 Pew Poll
found that 49 percent of the
country supported a non-interventionalist
foreign policy,
up from 30 percent in 2002. Just
last week, Senator Rand Paul
gave a well-received policy
See taxpayers page 9
The Realistic Libertarian: working towards the mainstream
The Libertarian platform experiencecs the struggle between implementing major spending cuts, but still desires the
tax payer benefits.
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27-april 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 7
Opinions
Thomas O’Connell
Staff Writer
There was a surge in support
for libertarian ideas in the last
4 years. Rand Paul’s recent
filibuster of John Brennan
protesting the drone program
has made conservatives and
progressives think they should
make common cause with
libertarians. With disastrous
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq,
bailouts of banks and car
companies, a weak economy
and a progressive agenda that
has yet to fulfill its promise, who
would not turn to a movement
calling for isolationism, freedom
and less government? The only
problem is that we have seen
what happens in a libertarian
society and it is not pretty.
I am talking about a time when
we went from an agricultural
society to an industrial one.
During this time urbanization
lead to people fleeing their farms
and small communities to live
in cities, the only place where
work was becoming available.
This rush of labor and advances
in technology helped to create
some of the first millionaires
such as Andrew Carnegie,
John Rockefeller and George
Pullman. Never in the history
of mankind did such capital rest
in the control of such few men
and was utilized so well. This
was the Gilded Age. Rugged
individualism guided by the
invisible hand of the free market
to create prosperity for all. But
it didn’t end that way. Instead,
poverty grew as people’s homes
were taken by banks and people
like I said before, were forced
into polluted and crowded cities.
Factories for the most part were
harsh with long hours, low
wages and dangerous working
conditions. All of this was
famously documented in Upton
Sinclair’s book the Jungle. In the
book Sinclair documents the
unsanitary and vile conditions
in a meat industry at one point
describing how pigs were chained
and hooked to a wheel tossing
them into a slaughter room. This
was unfortunately the norm of
the so called Gilded Age, a world
without the Food and Drug
administration, the department
of labor or any concept of animal
rights. Protecting consumers
and workers was not a priority
for the industrialists and it
would not be if increasing profit
was the only incentive.
Then there is the gold
standard. Many libertarians
like Ron Paul are calling for a
return to an era when monetary
prices were fixed to the price of
gold. The argument is since the
creation of the Federal Reserve
we’ve increased the number
of financial panics by creating
artificial bubbles in different
sectors of the economy. The role
the Federal Reserve has played
in these crises has been debated
and there is no doubt that the
FED needs to be under greater
congressional oversight. But
most libertarians will have you
believe that financial panics and
depressions were non-existent
before the creation of the FED.
Funny then how there were three
bank collapses before the FED
ever existed. In fact according,
to Mark Koban from CNBC, the
crash of 1907 helped to cause
a, “massive run on the banks”
which resulted in--the creation
of the Federal Reserve.
Libertarians after discussing
economics will often sight their
support on social issues as
reason for progressives to make
common cause with them. Even
though libertarians may speak
out in favor of reproductive
choices and gay rights, whenever
efforts are made to expand
these rights libertarians will
support candidates like Ron
and Rand Paul who support
state amendments to ban gay
marriage. Even Gary Johnson
whose in favor of marriage
equality doesn’t support federal
hate crimes legislation. Patterns
of libertarian policy making
on these issues go back sixty
years. Barry Goldwater a self-described
libertarian abhorred
segregation but voted against
the Civil Rights Act because
violated state rights and private
property rights. When every
minority groups have called for
greater equality and protection
from the federal government the
libertarian movement has either
been silent or valued economic
rights over political and social
ones.
Thinking about libertarian
brings to mind the recent Batman
movies. In the movies Gotham
city can be described as unequal,
corrupt, decadent, crime ridden
and poverty stricken. The movie
has been accused of having both
a conservative bias and a liberal
bias. However, I think fairer to
say Gotham represents a version
of an Gilded Age type society.
Throughout the trilogy is the
idea that one man, even rich and
powerful Bruce Wayne can’t fix
his city by himself. After seeing
his father Thomas Wayne devote
such private money into the city
he believes such public good
works are meaningless. By the
end of the trilogy Bruce comes
to see that not even Batman
himself can right the moral ills of
Gotham. People of Gotham have
to improve their institutions and
agree to a set of ideals to which
to live by communally. Like
the Waynes Andrew Carnegie
and John Rockefeller built
public libraries and schools and
invested much in transportation.
Their wealth at the time could
have funded the entire federal
government. Even the richest
man private citizen cannot keep
public education, control crime,
create a private Medicare system
or keep water clean. Only public
investment and government
oversight can do that. Let’s face
it: it sounds a lot cooler riding
around in the bat mobile than
inspecting the food supply.
Photo Courtesy OF Elecé’s/FLICKR
Libertarian agenda: silent under social pressures
Money may be able to grant you super powers, but money cannot fix everything.
Opinions 8 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27- April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM This article is very hard for
me to write. As I punch my
fingers to the keyboard, the
knowledge that every two
minutes someone becomes a
victim of sexual assault in the
United States, with only 54
percent of rapes are reported
to police and 97 percent of
rapists will never see any jail
time. A small microcosm of
this sobering statistic was a
national headline, for all the
wrong reasons in Steubenville,
Ohio. Local and national
media reports centered their
coverage on the division that
this case and its trial brought to
the small town of Steubenville
where its high school football
team was the focal point of
function. Candy Crowley of
CNN and many other news
stations (I’m looking at you
FOX and MSNBC) wondered
how the 2 convicted high
school football players would
ever move on with their lives,
how would they recover?
This is disheartening ,
because in a perfect world,
this case would not be about
the rapists and their ‘ruined’
lives, but about the victim.
In a perfect world, this case
would not serve as a tragic
tale to the ‘unholy’ mixture
of social media and alcohol
use, it would be about how a
community came together to
demand justice. But we do not
live in that world, we’ve never
lived in that world, because it’s
too easy to question the victim,
her clothing, her alcohol and
substance consumption. It is
easy to look at the victim and
blame her (or him) for their
assault. To step back and really
take a long look at how we’ve
raised a culture that rape is
funny or a joke to national
comedians and Steubenville
high school students would
be too hard. It would be too
hard to try to understand why
our culture continues to raise
women to not be raped instead
of men to not rape in the first
place. But I digress.
For many now, the
Steubenville case is closed.
Legally, the book is done. Some
will say justice was served
since these two young men
were a part of the 3% that were
convicted. In some way, justice
was served, but let us not
forget that this case was almost
out of the national attention,
not unless crime blogger
Alexandria Goodard took the
time to expose the Tweets and
Instagram photos from that
night, then we might not even
be talking about this in the
first place. Let’s not forget that
initially only a few select high
school football players were
suspended for only one game
and the coaching staff covered
up the case, yet they still have
their jobs. Let us not forget that
the victim has not only been
called a whore, a slut, and worse
on social media, but has been
threatened by Steubenville
residents, the rapists’ families,
and across the web.
Justice was served tempo-rarily,
but we cannot be naive
to think the Steubenville case
will be the last time our rape
culture will continue to thrive,
nor has it been the first time
that such a cover up of rape has
existed. Within the past five
years, high profile cases that
were covered up initially have
shown us how rape is still very
much a central piece of our cul-ture.
Sadly, there are too many
name, but a few that are on the
front of my mind: Sandusky,
Michigan State basketball team,
and assaults of two women at
Marquette by athletes at the
University. All three received
sharp criticism of the school’s
handling of sexual assault and
rape reporting, and shown a
harsh light on who we are pro-tecting
in the end. Currently, a
UNC student faces explosion
because when she accused an-other
UNC student of rape, the
University felt that her accusa-tions
were displaying ‘ “disrup-tive
or intimidating behavior”
to the alleged rapist. Who and
what are we really protecting
here?
Why a rape culture you ask?
Our culture still thrives on
the idea that rape is about the
rapist, not the victim. When
the conversation is not about
how she was ‘asking for it’ or
how she should have expected
it by ‘hanging out with boys
while she was drunk’, then we
cannot exist outside of it. A
criticism of this term is that it
expects all men ‘to rape’, this
is far from the truth, but it
teaches men and women that
rape is not a serious matter;
that it is on the victim. When
our legislators use terms like
legitimate and forcible rape,
then were in trouble. In the
Samantha Korb
Staff Writer
end, our culture teaches us,
to an extent, that rape is a
laughing matter, either by the
likes of national comedians or
by the assaulters themselves.
By the time I finished this
article, I just saw another
eerily similar case to the one in
Steubenville, where two 18 year
old football high school players
in Torrington, Connecticut are
accused of raping two 13 year
old girls. People have come to
the defense of the players, not
the young girls, and the high
schools’ administrative staff
wishes the press of this story
would go away. No, I would say
we are far from living outside
of a rape culture.
Rape Culture:The media’s focus
on the wrong victim
Photo Courtesy of divinenephron/Flickr
IThe vocie of the victim frequently is forgoten in the media frenzy.
Opinions
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27- April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 9
speech calling for a cut
back on interventionalism.
As China and India rise
and the War on Terror
continues without a
certain ending point,
more and more Americans
will prescribe to the non-interventionalist
view.
While it might be harder at
this point to cut domestic
programs, the timing
seems ripe for cut backs in
foreign aid, the military,
and federal departments
dealing with foreign
policy. Libertarians should
push this issue in the
forthcoming elections.
The Libertarians have
a long way to go before
TAXPAYERS
from page 6
Emily Ritter
Staff Writer
Do you know exactly what
you will be doing once you toss
your square cardboard hat into
the air? Many students do not,
and when the ever-looming fin-ish
line approaches, it does not
always look so friendly. We live
in a time of catchy slogans and
advertisements. Colleges and
universities are on billboards,
and in ads, and everything has
a price tag. Parking, textbooks,
and honor societies are expen-sive.
The idealistic all-night
parties and photogenic Frisbee
games on a manicured campus
lawn are not always a reality, and
the very real money-making ma-chine
that is a university is well
hidden under smiling faces on
pamphlets.
Is it really “senioritis”, or are
we exhausted? Many students
work multiple jobs, have fami-lies,
and very real commitments
that have nothing to do with
a classroom. For many, being
a student is at the top of a very
hectic list of priorities. Even
more students accept their di-ploma
hoping they will be able
to pay back student loans. A de-gree
has become a necessity in a
competitive and struggling job
market, but it seems like a col-lege
education could just as well
be a very expensive lottery ticket.
We are preparing ourselves for a
chance to “strike it big”. Where
does this mindset come from?
The push for bigger, better, faster
is surrounding us from every
angle. We have been checking
boxes and pushing forward for
so long and now, for some of us,
it is here.
The pressure to not only suc-ceed
in college, but to mold that
success into something palpable,
something with a paycheck, is
harsh. Is the race just begin-ning?
According to the College
Completion website, in North
Carolina, 19 out of every 100
students attending a public uni-versity
complete their four year
degree. The average cost of that
very education is $79,580- now
does that degree completion
number seem more understand-able?
College is pricey, and the
media pushes the average high
school graduate to do it in style.
The ads for dorm accessories
start early, and the college expe-rience
depicted in pop culture, is
often very different from the real
deal.
Do you have enough friends?
Are you creative enough? Is
your degree practical enough?
How many leadership roles
have you held? How active are
you on your campus? Do you
look the part? Are you politi-cal
enough? Are you getting the
most out of your “college expe-rience?”
Probably not, since the
standards for a “college experi-ence”
are unrealistically diffi-cult.
When “Occupy” university
movements started popping up
nationwide it was no surprise
that students were beginning to
ask questions. This “vital” piece
of paper is coming at a high
cost, and it seems that campuses
are more and more commer-cial.
Being “fit” is a fad for col-lege
campuses, but many do not
sport healthy options, and why
would they? The most beneficial
partnerships are with major cor-porations.
Colleges are quickly
becoming more and more part
of the commercial model of suc-cess.
It is interesting that the place
where we are taught to analyze,
question, and motivate change
is a place that participates in so
much of what is critiqued. This
comes full circle, and it’s no won-der
students feel worn out, and
the finish line is intimidating.
There is a lot to worry about, it
has been hard enough to keep up
the past four years, what about
the next four? How will we af-ford
graduate school? Will we
find a good job? What is going
to happen next? No one knows,
but the black hole waiting for us
is not so large. A college cam-pus
is not an oasis, or an abyss,
and this commercialization and
cost is something that we will
be dealing with throughout our
lives. Colleges are little worlds,
but they reflect a bigger world,
and we will all have a lot of ad-justing
to do. We should just
step into the next chapter with a
more realistic view than the one
we marched off to college with.
becoming mainstream.
However, they remain
the nation’s third largest
party in a time when more
and more Americans are
looking for alternatives to
the two-party system. In
1972, John Hospers wrote
that libertarianism was
the ideology of the future.
The book Declaration of
Independents has showed
how libertarianism is
changing the country and
will shape the political
debate going forward. It
is time for the Libertarian
Party to ascend to the level
that their ideology has in
American political and
cultural life. By supporting
privacy measures, a flat
tax, and foreign cuts, the
party can finally do so.
University life: balancing idealistic and realistic
The Carolinian is looking for its
next Advertising Manager!
Looking for a little business experience and
potential growth? Send a cover letter and
resume to Publisher.Carolinian@gmail.com
A&E 10 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27- April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Cakalak Thunder,
Greensboro’s own radical
drum corps, knows the
advantages of swirling music
and politics.
The percussive group
possesses three mission
pillars--politics, music, and
community--and a decade-long
history of protests
against racism, patriarchy
and other oppressive systems
that go against their equality-driven
platform. This Sunday
they began an open season,
extending until May, to invite
new members.
Their political rhythm of
choice is Samba, a Brazilian
dance rhythm that compels
both music-lovers and
protestors alike. In the heat
of Cakalak practicing the
basic Samba rhythm of “4/4,”
it is easy to forget that radical
political opinions unify the
small protest band. Samba’s
roots in the West African
slave trade fit with the group’s
dedication to reminding
the public of inequality and
injustice. Since Samba is both
easy to learn and instruct,
Cakalak Thunder does not
require its members to have
musical training before
joining.
The group’s weekly
practices on Sunday are
open for those interested
in Cakalak’s cause, and the
simplicity of percussion
makes a passion for change
Cakalak’s only membership
requirement. “Drums are
what make you move,” said
Nego Crosson, one of the
Thunder’s original members.
“Drums are the heartbeat
of the music, and it’s what
inspires people to dance and
instinctively compels us to
move as one.” Cakalak’s size
can total twenty when it
comes to events, but small
practices involving a handful
of people make for easy
opportunities to learn the
group’s basic sounds.
Cakalak officially began in
2004 after several Greensboro
protestors attended the Free
Trade Area of the Americas
protest in Miami and
participated in ad hoc musical
groups. “This was at the peak
of the anti-globalization
movement,” said Crosson.
“There were other radical
street bands at the time...
Infernal Noise Brigade was
probably the most well-known
one.”
Community is the third
pillar of Cakalak Thunder’s
mission statement, and
Greensboro’s involvement
in the civil rights movement
makes the city a particularly
important element to the
group.
“There’s been so much
suffering and so much
struggling in this city,” said
Juan Miranda, Cakalak
member and UNCG grad
student. “The best example is,
if you go to [The Civil Rights
Museum] here’s something
that happened in Greensboro
that’s not mentioned: the
Greensboro Massacre in
1979, when the Ku Klux Klan
and Nazis came and attacked
protestors.” Said Juan
Miranda. Greensboro has
social and political growing
to do, according Cakalak’s
members, but Miranda cites
the community’s drive to
change as a promising start.
Part of the community pillar
includes the diverse range of
members that participate and
play for the group. Practicing
members can include middle-aged
adults, college youth
and even notable Greensboro
musicians. Singer-songwriter
Laila Nur performs on guitar
outside of Cakalak Thunder,
but within the drum corps
Nur is just another committed
force of percussion. One or
two of the members often
take the reins when it comes
to leading Cakalak Thunder
Practices, but the group
refuses to pin the title of
leader to any individual in
particular.
The constantly changing
lineup makes it nigh
impossible for the group to
keep a consistent number.
“People get jobs all of the
sudden and they have to work
on Sundays,” said Crosson.
“There are a lot of things
that tend to keep people from
practice.” Those interested,
however, only need to email
Cakalak (cakalakthunder@
yahoo.com) to get involved at
a practice.
When it comes to notable
protests, the members of
the Thunder best remember
their impromptu march
in downtown Greensboro
to honor Trayvon Martin’s
death.
“We held a presence on Elm
St. for close to an hour that
afternoon,” said Crosson. “It
felt like we really transformed
the story around what that
event meant here, locally.
For people to see that there
Kyle Minton
Staff Writer
were people here that felt that
strongly about it was very
important.” Said Crosson.
Coincidentally, the group’s
most recent rally revolved
around the anniversary of
Martin’s death.
For all of the radical politics
and divergent opinions that
drive Cakalak Thunder, the
drum corps is filled with
warm faces looking to bring
more members to their cause.
A diverse set of percussive
instruments are available
for those seeking to bang
out their political passions,
and the members of Cakalak
Thunder are anxious to find
those willing to express, learn
and incite change.
Cakalak Thunder Tristan Munchel/The Carolinian
Greensboro’s radical drum corps begins its open season.
Laila Nur (right) leads new and old Cakalak Thunder members in a simple cadence at their
practice space near Bennett College.
A&E
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27- April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 11
Asking around the campus,
one would be hard pressed
to find a Spartan who didn’t
visit Tate Street Coffee House
on a regular basis. Opened in
1993, the delicious pastries
and weekly jazz nights have
helped this cozy local hangout
become a staple of the UNCG
student experience. But not
just the menu makes Tate
Street Coffee so popular.
Regulars will tell you that the
familiar atmosphere would
not be complete without the
eclectic décor that lines the
walls.
It could range from a
mannequin’s leg hanging
from the ceiling, a bust of
Abraham Lincoln sitting
in a mug, or a cat offering
up a cup of stirring straws,
but each design is somehow
an essential part of the
experience. However, if you
look long enough a pattern
starts to emerge: coffee,
coffee, coffee. The annual Tate
Street Coffee Community Art
Show has brought in many of
these designs, and as it rolls
around once again look out
for even more pieces devoted
to lattes, Americanos, and of
course the classic cup of Joe.
This spring will mark the
twentieth year Tate Street
owner Matt Russ has presided
over the Community Art
Show. Submissions are open
to the public until April 1,
with no limitations but the
theme of coffee.
When asked if he had
a favorite piece, Russ was
clearly torn. After much
deliberation he pointed to a
few on the wall opposite him,
including one entitled “More
Fun than a Barrel of Monkeys”
and a hand-drawn “Joltin’ Joe
DiMaggio”. He observed that
the greatest pieces often come
from surprising places.
“I love it when someone
like a doctor or lawyer comes
in with something that they
have created,” said Russ. “A
lot of times the art is really
unique and cool, plus it’s so
unexpected.” The community
art show has become a
tradition for not only the
coffee shop and its patrons,
but local artists as well, who
often submit a new piece
each year. One participant
has entered a different retro-inspired
movie poster every
year, with installations such
as “Night of the Caffeinated
Dead” and “Blood-Splattered
Barista” now occupying the
back corner of the shop.
The opening night of the
Art Show will be on Saturday
April 6, from 5 to 7 p.m., and
everyone is encouraged to
grab a drink and view the art.
Many of the works will be on
sale through April and May.
When asked why and
how he began the show,
Russ said, “Especially with
a college campus so close
and everything, I just really
wanted to create a sense of
community, and I figured
what better way to do that
than have people bring in
their stuff, the art that they
create.”
Tate Street Coffee House
truly is a part of the
Greensboro community, an
essential place for pre-exam
pick-me-ups and catching up
with friends. The next time
you stop in for a latte and a
game of checkers, take a look
at the name on the picture
above you. It might belong to
somebody you know.
Wall space is available
throughout the year at Tate
Street. Artists interested
should call the store at (336)
275-2754.
Mary McLean
Special to the Carolinian
Tate Street Coffee celebrates
20th Community Art Show
Tristan Munchel/The Carolinian
Many of the artworks lining Tate Street Coffee House come from the annual
Community Art Show.
His name is Lorenzo Hall.
These nights, some know him as
hip-hop artist Mack Papers, but
over the years this rapper, multi-instrumentalist,
visual artist and
business owner has had a hand
in about every part of Greens-boro’s
arts scene.
Earlier this month Hall
dropped “Liquid Real Estate,”
his third mix tape as Mack Pa-pers,
on bandcamp.com. Hall
wears the badge of local hip-hop
master with ease, but his
path to it has been anything but
straightforward.
Along the way, Hall found
experience in a variety of musi-cal
gigs he. “I was previously a
member of hardcore punk out-fit
Cold Tony,” said Hall. “I also
performed as the bassist in local
surf rock syndicate Switchblade
85.”
He also co-owned and oper-ated
the now-defunct venue
Seven Day Weekend with Na-than
Casper. Seven Day Week-end,
an underground live music
venue, sought to raise an effort
towards unifying Greensboro’s
local music community. Hall
holds some of the scene together
himself—in addition to his other
projects, Hall has contributed to
country rock outfits Israel Dar-ling
and Friend House, experi-ences
which helped make him
the artist he is today.
Being from the beaches of
Wilmington, Hall couldn’t help
but brag about his home town.
“I love the beach more than any-thing,”
he said, beaming. He has
since then moved to Greensboro
to develop his career in addition
to studying sociology at UNCG.
“I began performing hip hop fol-lowing
the dissolution of my surf
rock project in 2012,” explained
Hall. “I have performed with lo-cal
veteran hip hop artist Daily
Planet for a number of shows
at NYP, The Flat Iron and The
Blind Tiger.”
As Mack Papers, Hall released
“Liquid Real Estate” following
previous tapes “Fear the Wreath”
and “Peacoat Stalker.” His next
mix tape, “High Seventies,” is
projected to come out in April.
Megan Christy
Staff Writer
See pAPERS, page 13
photo courtesy of lorenzo hall
Hip-hopper Mack Papers has been in Greensboro’s music scene for years.
One-on-One with
MACK PAPERS
A&E 1312 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27- April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM At the end of their careers
at UNCG, every third
year MFA dance student
must create a final project
to showcase what they’ve
learned. On Friday Michele
Trumble, a student with a
passion for choreography,
had the chance to perform
both a solo and an ensemble
piece for her thesis concert,
entitled “Realigning.”
As Trumble stepped
on stage for her solo
performance titled “Sorry
for the Inconvenience,” all
that was visible was a big
spotlight on stage left. She
began to move calculatedly,
performing a sort of test
on that one light present in
the room. Then, the initial
spotlight disappeared, a new
one appearing across the
stage. Trumble repeated the
same serious of movements,
testing the new light, but a
little frustrated. As the piece
advanced Trumble would
look at the crowd as if to
plead forgiveness. Her face, full
of expression, projected a sense
of desperation to the audience.
Towards the end of the piece,
Trumble’s movements grew
tired, her body language
expressing unfulfilled desire.
“My solo came out of a a
big frustration,” explained
Trumble after the concert.
“I made it in one really long
night.” This process, Trumble
explained, is different than how
she usually choreographs. She
said she began by trying out
the movements, playing with
them and listening to what they
said to her. This process was
reflected through Trumble’s
two pieces, which carried
through them the notion of
dialogue.
The second performance was
a group piece titled “Sifting.”
Six dancers appeared on stage,
each in grey pants and brightly-colored
shirts reflecting
beautifully in the stage lights.
The wide openings in the backs
of the shirts further emphasized
the dancers’ human figures.
The performance began with
the seven dancers engaging
Maria Perdomo
Special to the Carolinian
Realigning: a look at one student’s MFA dance thesis
in the same motion over and
over, repetition which can be
seen elsewhere in Trumble’s
work. As the performers
moved onstage, they drew
different reactions from the
crowd. Although humor was
always present, the dancers at
times performed in ways that
also projected frustration and
pain. As the piece progressed,
the dancers began to shout
commands: “Don’t step!”
“Don’t play with your food!”
“Use your inside voices!” As
they spoke, the dancers evoked
emotions related to their
movements.
Both laughter and tears came
from the audience. Trumble’s
work had different effects,
but touched everyone. “I love
finding that line that rubs up
against two extremes,” said
Trumble.
“It’s how life is. You can laugh,
cry, or do both. Often times
you cry and laugh about the
same thing.”
Both her pieces were not
only beautifully made and
performed, but Trumble and
her dancers found ways to feed
the crowd intense emotion. The
calculated, dual-natured pieces
were a joy to experience for
everyone present.
Ioan Opris/The Carolinian
Ioan Opris/The Carolinian
Ioan Opris/The Carolinian
In MFA Dance Student Michele Trumble’s piece “Sifting,” six dancers expressed humor and frustration.
Michele Trumble’s thesis concert, “Realigning,” featured a solo and an
ensemble dance piece.
The unusual costumes emphasized the dancers’ forms.
A&E
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27- April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1312
pAPERS
from page 11
Director Harmony Korine
has described “Spring Breakers”
as having a “liquid narrative,”
wherein images and sounds
are repeated. Is the movie
experiencing a hangover,
trying to piece together sounds
and images it can barely
remember? Is all this energy
and light meant to replicate a
drugged-out bender? Whatever
your chemical narrative, the
hallucinatory, propulsive and
murky “Spring Breakers” turns
the college fantasy of spring
break into a candy-colored
nightmare of excess and
debauchery.
Ostensibly an art-house film,
“Spring Breakers” boasts a cast
one might expect from Disney
movie. The film follows four
college girls (Selena Gomez,
Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley
Benson, Rachel Korine) who rob
a restaurant to fund their spring
break vacation. Once in Florida,
a serendipitous encounter with
rapper/drug and arms dealer
Alien (James Franco) takes the
girls into a world of sex, drugs
and violence they might not
escape from.
The film opens with a montage
of kids partying on the beach
- jumping around, funneling
beer, topless - all set to Skrillex’s
“Scary Monsters and Nice
Sprites,” an abrasive and jarring
dubstep song that edges the
scene into a sort of apocalyptic
vision. This image is revisited
throughout the film, later cut in
with grimy home video footage
of even more hardcore partying,
and serves as a kind of ideal,
perfect image of spring break.
Before the girls leave they talk
about spring break as an escape
from reality, a way to break free
of the mundane, everyday life
that surrounds them.
It should be pointed out
that Korine has never had any
mainstream success whatsoever.
Until now, the director has
stayed purely underground.
His early films like “Gummo”
and “Julien Donkey-Boy”
portray small town life and
psychological disorders with
such nihilism that Korine is
considered something of a
“dangerous” filmmaker. “Spring
Breakers” reflects Korine’s
staunch Nihilism.
Moviegoers who are not
familiar with Korine or not
Brad Dillard
Film Critic
“Prior to 2011, I worked with
Justin Tallent (Racecar Jesus) in
a project called Touch Y Feely,”
said Hall. “We produced a hand-ful
of singles, including ‘Jesus is
Waiting’ and ‘Family Matters.’”
Hall continues to work with
many artists in developing mix
tapes and music videos.
With DJ Trill McCoy, Hall
produces under the name Mack-port.
He also raps and produces
with hip-hop collective Delo-rian,
whose members, said Hall,
include rappers Daily Planet,
Current Event, Ace, Zeek Cut-ta,
Racecar Jesus and Kev Nice
and producers Trill McCoy and
CBOT. To date, Delorian has
produced one mix tape and are
working on a follow-up.
“Liquid Real Estate” features
a variety of contributions from
Delorian crewmates. Hall is not
shy, however, about his out-of-town
influences.
“I personally feel like Rae-kwon,
Earl Sweatshirt, Kanye
West and Action Bronson have
influenced my rapping style the
most,” he said.
In addition to performing,
Hall has directed his own music
videos, produced beats, drawn
logos and fliers for other bands,
booked shows, raised funds,
and done about everything that
needs to be done in local music.
For his videos for “Frank
Ocean,” “Satin Linens” and
“Massive Silence,” Hall collabo-rated
with producers Wil Davis
and David Row of Without Wax
Productions. He plans to work
with Davis once more on a video
for new single “Shark Walker,”
as well as a short film that will
accompany next month’s “High
Seventies.”
Hall has a non-publishable
show April 5 (ask around!) and
another April 19 at New York
Pizza. His music can be found at
http://soundcloud.com/favorth-ewreath
accustomed to films with such
abrasive style and elliptical
narrative should probably not
seek out “Spring Breakers.”
Despite the mainstream cast
and relative wide-release, this is
in no way a mainstream film and
is likely to send more viewers
leaving with confused looks on
their faces than anything else.
Taken at surface value “Spring
Breakers” is one of the more
sumptuous films to be released
in quite some time. Korine and
cinematographer Benoit Debie
have crafted a world filled with
neon colors and highlighted
by experimental camera
angles. The film’s drugged-out
aesthetic is heightened by
chiaroscuro lighting. The sound
design weaves voice-over and
dialogue together with Cliff
Martinez’s pulsating, electronic
score and a soundtrack that
also features Skrillex, Gucci
Mane and Ellie Goulding. All
this combines into a modern
wasteland wherein immediate,
sensory gratification and
overindulgence have all but
erased any semblance of order.
The real question here is:
what exactly is Korine trying
to say? The film is filled with
juxtapositions, at once reveling
in this sort of lifestyle and then
subtly making fun of it. The girls
have posters of Lil’ Wayne in
their apartment and constantly
act as if they are holding guns.
They watch fighting videos
and have a general appetite for
destruction and anarchy.
In the film’s best scene, the
girls, sporting pink ski masks
and large automatic rifles,
dance around and sing while
Alien plays Britney Spears’
“Everytime” on piano. The
song then serves as the score
for a slow motion montage of
Alien and the girls robbing
people and torturing them.
This, the defining moment
of the film, is likely to cause
the most confusion among
audiences. Korine combines
such disparate elements here
that his film turns into a post-
MTV generation’s wet dream,
a world for privileged white
girls to be gangsters, even if
only in their minds. “Spring
Breakers” features a standout
performance from Franco,
and though Korine’s film may
not have much more to it
than meets the eye, this film
demands to be seen.
Movie Review: “SPRING BREAKERS”
Photo Courtesy of beinggossip/Flickr
In “Spring Breakers,” avant-garde filmmaker Harmony Korine takes on an
American fantasy.
Realigning: Features
1514 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27- April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM The First In Flight Issue: The Biltmore House, pirates
of the North Carolina coast, and our urban rural divide
Jonathan Waye
Staff Writer
While many are satisfied
with the fictionalized romance
of pirates and their quests for
guns, gold, and glory, these
expeditions only capture a
fraction of the their total
story. Beneath all the fabled
tales of treasure hunting and
ship seizing, a complex web of
political and economic factors
contributed to the escalation
of the pirate era, specifically
in the North Carolina coastal
region.
Besides harboring such
infamous figures as Blackbeard,
also known as Edward Teach,
the North Carolina Outer
Banks essentially served as
a pirate hub throughout the
height of piracy operations in
the 18th century. While pirates
were certainly a menacing
threat, there were perks to
harboring the mal-aligned,
oceanic vagabonds. For
example, after said vagabonds
seized (or more appropriately,
stole) cargo from merchant
vessels and trade ships, they
would then sell it to local
traders at extremely reduced
prices. While pirates certainly
put a damper on shipping
and trading, the benefits of
their presence seemingly
outweighed the toll of their
activities.
While harboring pirates
was an admittedly unsavory
practice, they soon became
deeply entrenched in both the
colony’s politics and economy,
and uprooting them proved to
be more than difficult. Peter
Leeson, in his publication
“Rationality, Pirates, and the
Law: A Retrospective,” notes
these factors, and adds that this
difficulty was compounded by
short-sighted governmental
legislation, which ultimately
proved too costly and
troublesome to be regularly
enforced. One such anti-piracy
initiative, the “Offenses at Sea
Act” of 1536, actually required
that apprehended pirates be
sent to England for trial. While
these trials had more oversight
and afforded less stringent
conviction requirements, the
most active piracy zones were
located far away from Europe,
occurring most commonly
in its distant colonies and
controlled territories. It was
impractical and ineffectual
to halt pirate activities. As
Leeson summarizes: “Colonial
Governments were interested
in prosecuting pirates. But not
if they had to foot the bill.”
How then, if not through
judicial channels, could pirates
be brought to justice? The
answer came in the form of
maritime mercenaries, also
known as privateers. While
not directly affiliated with the
government, privateers were
often commissioned by local
governments to chase down
troublesome pirates. Privateers
operated and outfitted their
own ships, and were permitted
to engage enemy ships during
times of war. Privateers were
crucial in ending the criminal
careers of several renowned
pirates, such as Edward
“Blackbeard” Teach, Stede
“Captain Thomas” Bonnet,
and “Calico Jack” Rackham, all
of which were based out of or
frequented the North Carolina
coast, operating off the eastern
seaboard of the United States
and the Caribbean.
The North Carolina
History Project, a free
online encyclopedia of
recorded historical events
and important figures of the
state, offers some interesting
narratives on these infamous
individuals. Stede Bonnet, for
example, was a planter before
he became a pirate. As the
North Carolina History Project
notes, Bonnet’s transition into
piracy was rather atypical,
since many pirates had either
formally been privateers or
worked on various trade and
merchant ships. Despite his
reputation as the “gentleman
pirate,” Bonnet “abandoned
his family – wife and three
children” in order to pursue
his new career as a marauder
of the seas. After acquiring a
ship, titled the Revenge, and a
small crew, Bonnet took to the
seas, harassing and plundering
trade ships along the Atlantic
coast. Bonnet’s crew, however,
appeared to lose respect for
him and later abandoned him
to join Blackbeard’s ranks.
After escaping prison only to
be recaptured just days later at
Sullivan’s Island, Stede Bonnet
was sentenced to death, and
was hanged in Charleston,
South Carolina.
Blackbeard, the superstar
of the pirate era, was more
successful. Previously a
privateer for Queen Anne’s
Royal Navy, Teach eventually
fell under the leadership of
Benjamin Hornigold, who was
also considered a legendary
pirate captain. He was given
command of a stolen French
slave ship in 1717, renaming
it the Queen Anne’s Revenge.
An “observant manipulator,”
Blackbeard essentially owned
several North Carolina
government officials, giving
them a cut of his spoils in
return for their turning a blind
eye to his activities. Teach was
apprehended by Lieutenant
Robert Maynard in November
of 1718, and was beheaded to
serve as a warning to other
pirates.
Despite North Carolina’s
checkered past, the wealth of
pirate lore, history, and artifacts
have attracted boatloads of
tourists and historians alike,
making the North Carolina
coast one of the most important
regions during the pirate era.
Blackbeard, a fearless North Carolina pirate.
photo courtesy of wikimedia comons
The men who haunted our coastline
Features
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27- April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 1514
Nadia Stevens
Staff Writer
Among the most famous and
significant pieces of architecture
in not only North Carolina,
but in the entire United States,
is the Biltmore Estate of
Asheville. It is known as one
of the world’s most paramount
architectural monuments
from the Gilded Age. Since it
was commissioned by George
Washington Vanderbilt II in
the late nineteenth century, its
ownership has stayed in the
Vanderbilt bloodline; it is now
known as the largest privately
owned property in the United
States at 178,926 square feet.
Surrounded by dense forest
which now belongs to the
Pisgah National Forest, the
area as a whole serves today
as one of the most popular
tourist attractions in Asheville.
Because of its innate beauty
and historical relevance, it has
even been featured in a number
of major movies and television
shows such as Patch Adams
(1998) and Hannibal (2001).
Renowned New Yorker
Richard Morris Hunt was the
main architect responsible for
designing the house. Hunt had
a longstanding relationship
with the Vanderbilt family and
designed many buildings for
them. It was Vanderbilt’s desire
for the architectural elements of
the main house on the estate to
mirror the French Renaissance
chateaux architecture of the
Loire Valley; this style is known
as Châteauesque. It alludes to
the traditional conventions of
French country houses that
were between the fifteenth
and the seventeenth centuries.
Hunt was the first American
to study at École des Beaux-
Arts in Paris, and he was also a
specialist in the Châteauesque
style, making him the most
The Biltmore House is one of the biggest and most recognizable landmarks in our gorgeous state.
photo courtesy of jersey jj/ flickr
The venerated Biltmore Estate of Asheville
qualified American architect
for the project. The Biltmore
House is one of very few
examples of this style in the
United States, and it is certainly
the most noteworthy.
The eloquent gardens
immediately surrounding the
mansion were designed by
Landscape architect Frederick
Law Olmsted. His design for
the grounds of the Biltmore
Estate is reminiscent of the
jardin à la française and English
Landscape garden styles. The
architects of these types of
landscapes were principally
focused on symmetry; their
intention was to defy the
disorganization of nature
in favor of a more stylized,
orderly appearance. Jardin
à la française, or the French
formal garden, is a concept
which was first forged in the
creation infamous gardens of
Versailles. Commissioned by
Louis XIV during the mid-17th
century, the aesthetic value of
the gardens of Versailles served
as inspiration for the landscape
designs of the Biltmore Estate.
Just past the gardens, there is
immense woodland; in contrast
to the iconic formal gardens,
Vanderbilt wished for this
section of land to remain natural
and relatively untouched.
Although this area was officially
acquired by the family after
the initial land purchase,
when George Washington
Vanderbilt II passed away,
his widow Edith Vanderbilt
sold the forested region to
the federal government. The
great Biltmore woodland now
represents the center of the
Pisgah National Forest.
Adjacent to the entrance of
the Biltmore Estate is Biltmore
Village. Vanderbilt planned for
it to include a small collection
of shops, restaurants, a hospital,
a railroad depot, other various
small businesses, and even its
own Episcopal church called
the Cathedral of All Souls. The
village was established with the
goal creating an entirely self-sufficient
Biltmore community.
It was an area specifically
designated for those that
worked at the Biltmore Estate
so that they could have every
necessity within reach. The
layout and architecture of
the village was designed to
imitate a small English village;
undoubtedly it harbors its
own unique atmosphere and
appearance which is evident
to every individual who passes
through. The Biltmore Village
as part of the Biltmore Estate is
still open to visitors, and still
includes an array of functional
shops and restaurants.
The Biltmore Estate was
and is an important part of
North Carolina culture and
history. During the time of its
construction, it was a relevant
architectural feat that was
the only one of its kind in the
southeastern United States.
Today, it is a historical remnant
which not only allows visitors
to partake in North Carolinian
culture, but it is also exemplary
of artistic and architectural
styles which are internationally
pertinent. As long as the
Biltmore Estate remains in
existence, it will continue to
represent the many important
ephemeral components which
contributed to its monumental
creation.
Features 1716 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27-April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Emily Brown
Opinions Editor
The Old North State has a rich
history. We have stellar academic
institutions, prestigious
basketball programs, the
legacy that is Doc Watson and
Cheerwine. But North Carolina
is more than a countdown
of namesakes in Our State
Magazine. We have beaches,
mountains, unpaved roads and
city skylines. Most of all, we have
people. We have communities
with diverse cultures that were
shaped by their past. Those
communities vary in part by
their region, but mostly by the
distinction between “rural” and
“urban”.
By U.S. Census Bureau
standards, 39.8 percent of
North Carolina can be classified
as rural. In 2003, the overall
U.S. population was only 21
percent rural. To put it simply,
we topped the list. 22 percent
of our counties are classified
as 100 percent rural. Another
26 percent of our counties are
between 67 and 99 percent
rural. But being “rural” does
not define a community. There
are stark differences between
the Eastern and the Western
part of the state, although both
house our most rural counties.
Wilmington, for example, was
a port used in the slave trade.
At one point in the early 1800s,
there were twice as many blacks
in the city as there were whites.
Once all of our neighbor states
had joined the confederacy,
it made sense that they
immediately had their eye on
the Wilmington port. However,
the Yeoman farmers in the
western part of North Carolina
did not own plantations, and
few owned slaves. Their lack
of investment in the Civil War
played a large role in how long
it took for North Carolina to
become involved at all.
Co-dependent regions of North Carolina
But we did get involved.
And that shaped much of what
North Carolina has become
since reconstruction. When the
large minority population from
the coast began to find work in
their home counties or move
closer to the center of the state,
the demographic shift in North
Carolina became the foundation
for our current communities.
Between the Piedmont and our
coast, there are many Historically
Black Colleges and Universities.
In the 1960s, the famous sit-in in
downtown Greensboro became
a catalyst for the Civil Rights
movement. The manifestation
of our urban cities’ participation
in that era still exists annually in
Raleigh, such as at the Historic
Thousands on Jones Street rally.
And just as our cities have
developed in social justice and
inclusionary policies, we have
developed in labor markets and
infrastructure. Our populations
have grown, institutions of higher
learning have opened their doors
or expanded their campuses, and
the heart of our state has become
the home to banking, research
and legal agencies. In fact, the
population of 4-5 counties is
represented by over half of the
total North Carolina House
of Representatives. Our coast
relies on tourism, the military
base, and imports. But the rural
communities in the western part
of the state, especially beyond
Asheville, are a very different
North Carolina.
For someone who lives an
hour west of Asheville, there are
an upwards of four other state
capitals that are closer by than
Raleigh. The Atlanta airport is a
more practical departure location
than the Charlotte airport. The
Farm Bill is a prevailing piece
of legislation that determines
much of their annual profit,
as does each season’s weather
and temperatures. Counties
beyond Mecklenburg and Wake
have higher rates of poverty,
lower property values and less
per-pupil school funding. But
we have been the number one
supplier of several popular
crops, such as sweet potatoes,
in recent years. Watauga and
Ashe County are known for
their Christmas tree production,
and this year supplied the White
House with their own. Not only
has this manifested itself in a
large immigrant labor-force that
helps put food on our plates
throughout North Carolina, but
also in a quaint and in some
places outdated practice of a
family-managed farm, with a
passed down trade.
But for all of their differences,
the two are interwoven not
merely by their identical license
plate. Rural North Carolina
was the home of the minority
populations that are now a
staple in our cities. Rural North
Carolina feeds urban North
Carolina, it is the home of the
famous musicians and artists
who fill our galleries and stand
upon our stages during summer
music videos. And urban North
Carolina is home to a majority
of our schools, our best sports
programs, and our state capital
where we pass legislation
that fights for North Carolina
farmers. Despite the tension
between the two, they are both
still unequivocally dependent on
one another.
To describe North Carolina as
“diverse” paints the portrait of
a racially mixed demographic,
but does not tell the story of
the number of women opening
businesses and obtaining a
degree, or the early, middle and
community college system that
has been modeled around the
nation. But for all of the different
factions of North Carolina, there
are two starkly different worlds
in our state, one named “rural”
and one named “urban”.
What would Mayberry be without Charlotte or Raleigh?
photo courtesy of wikimedia comons
Features
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27-April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 17
Sudoku Co-Easy Medium
Sports
1918 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27-April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM
Sports
UNCG splits series with Wofford last Friday
Calvin Walters
Staff Writer
The UNCG baseball
team bounced back from a
disappointing sweep at the hands
of rival Elon with a strong week,
defeating No. 16 NC State 8-5
and Princeton 9-7. The Spartans
then hit the road for their first
weekend series away from home
with a visit to Wofford.
UNCG split a doubleheader
with the hosts after the teams
agreed to play two on Friday to
avoid potential bad weather over
the weekend.
In the first contest UNCG
jumped on the board early
with 6 runs before holding off
the Terriers late to win 10-9.
Wofford outhit UNCG 10-9, but
five Terrier errors helped the
Spartans come out on top.
A catcher’s interference
started the inning for UNCG
before a hit batsmen and a walk
loaded the bases with no outs.
Transfer Zac MacAneney then
doubled down the left field line
to push across the first two runs
of the game.
A Wofford error on the next
play allowed two more runs to
score and left the Spartans with
a runner on second when Ray
Crawford singled. Zach Leach
then reached first on a bunt
single, bringing in another run
for the Spartans. A balk moved
the runners over to second and
third, and following another
walk, a sacrifice fly from Eric
Kalbfleisch scored Crawford
to give the Spartans a 6-0
advantage.
Wofford would answer with
three runs of their own in the
bottom half of the inning off
starting pitcher Max Povse.
The teams traded scoreless
innings until the Terriers tied
the game up with three runs in
the fifth inning, before taking a
brief lead with a run in the sixth
inning.
The Spartans responded to
the Terriers rally though and
plated four runs themselves in
the seventh to retake the lead for
good.
Trevor Edwards doubled to
start the inning for UNCG and
moved to third on a Cambric
Moye groundout to short.
Wofford elected to change
pitchers, but the newcomer for
the Terriers immediately walked
the first two batters he faced to
load the bases with only one out.
Another pitching change
resulted in an infield single
from Lloyd Enzor scored
Edwards to even the game again.
MacAneney followed with a
single of his own to score two
more runs for UNCG.
Benigno Marrero drove in
the final run of the game for
the Spartans on a sacrifice bunt
to push the Spartans to double
digits.
Wofford was not done
threatening however as the
Terriers plated two runs in the
final inning to draw within one
with the tying run on base.
After Wofford led off with a
double, Tyler Frazier struck out
a Wofford batter, before giving
up another single and giving
way to Dylan Hathcock to close
the game out. Hathcock gave up
a single to the first batter he saw,
but calmed down and struck out
the next batter, before getting
the final out with a fly out to
right field.
Frazier earned the win for the
Spartans throwing 3.1 innings
of relief work while Hathcock
earned his third save of the
season.
In the nightcap Wofford
tallied one run each in the first
two innings and collected a pair
of runs in the seventh as the
Terriers went on to defeat the
Spartans 4-1.
Lee Gilliam took the loss for
UNCG giving up two runs (only
one of them earned) over six
innings of work.
The Spartans were only able
to score in the eighth inning as
MacAneney opened the inning
with a double and Eric Leach
doubled to bring him in two
batters later.
It was the only offensive threat
the Spartans were able to muster
as they were held to five hits in
the game.
Men’s Baseball, Fri
Game 1
UNCG 	 10
Wofford 	 9
Men’s Baseball, Fri
Game 2
UNCG 	 1
Wofford 	 4
UNCG clawed down by Towson Tigers at home
Hannah Nystrom
Staff Writer
The UNCG Women’s softball
team played a single game
against the Towson Tigers
Tuesday March 20, 2013 at 5:00
p.m. on UNCG soil.
The Spartans allowed the
visiting team, Towson the
opportunity to win when
Tiger, Senior Bina Aboott, hit a
homerun. This was a tough 1-0
loss for UNCG.
There was speculation the
Spartans would get an easy
victory over Towson since the
Tigers played a doubleheader
against SoCon team, Furman
Tuesday. It could have been over
confidence or the idea of a single
game, but the Spartans were
unable to declaw the Tigers.
Due to the loss against the
Towson Tigers, the Spartans
have a record of 21-5 this season
while the Towson improved
their overall record to 15-4-1.
Unfortunately this checks in
as the third one-run loss for the
lady Spartans.
During the game, Tiger
pitcher, Katie Lingmai
completed her game allowing no
earned runs for the Spartans with
two strikeouts. UNCG pitcher,
red-shirt senior Raeanne Hanks,
allowed one earned run and it
was that run which sealed the
deal for Towson even with eight
strikeouts under her plate.
It was the top of the second
which marks as the supreme
moment for Towson, when
Senior Bina Abbott hit her
fourth home run of the season.
Even with a point advantage, the
Spartans never gave up.
During the fifth inning Junior
Toni MacReynolds separated a
no hitter with a bunt single down
the first base. Freshman Nicole
Thomas, then progressed with
a single to first base which setup
runners on the first and second.
Following Thomas’ progression,
Junior Aisha Figueroa set up a
walk to load the bases.
With all of the build-up,
Freshman Danielle Vega, fouled
out to the catcher and right
away Lindsay Thomas struck
out causing the threat against
Towson to dissipate.
The seventh inning, during
a last chance of redemption,
Junior Toni MacReynolds sent
the ball out to center whilst
Freshman Allison Geiner hit
a single which was thrown out
and caught during a run down
from first to second.
In a last attempt, Junior Aisha
Figueroa, ended with a fly to
center field which was then
caught by a Towson Tiger.
This was an unfortunate loss
for the Spartans, but UNCG
maintains high spirits because
they know they have strong
players and an unbreakable
team.
UNCG would follow this loss
with a two game win streak. The
lady Spartans went on to defeat
in city rival North Carolina
Agricultural and Technical State
University 11-8 and then 10-1
in a doubleheader on Thursday.
The Spartans would then face
Furman in a doubleheader on
Saturday, which saw UNCG lose
both games by more than five
runs.
UNCG would end the week
with a 23-7 record overall.
Women’s Softball, Wed.
UNCG 	 0
Towson 	 1
WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Mar 27-April 2, 2013 T h e C a r o l i n i a n 19
Sports
Kansas and Louisville are NCAA tourney favorites
Everick Davis
Staff Writer
It is about that time of year
again. When everyone goes
crazy for college basketball
and all the NBA fans are put
on the back burner until about
the time the Finals begin. This
is because it is time for the
NCAA Tournament, where its
basketball all day every day.
The best part about the
single elimination format of the
tournament is that if a team does
not put forth their best effort,
they will receive an unwanted
early exit.
Every year there has to be
some breakout players and
teams who ruin the infamous
brackets that everyone fills out.
Favorites fall and underdogs
prevail, it is the perfect way to
show the world who you are and
what you can do.
Already there have been
favorites fall from the graces of
the tourney and right back to
campus.
The most disappointing loss
occurred before the tournament
when Kentucky fell to Robert
Morris and did not even earn a
bid to the big dance. This is the
perfect representation as to what
fans both love and hate about the
tournament. Little schools such
as Robert Morris can take out
a big name school, which truly
gives the term March Madness
some meaning.
A big storyline of the first
round was UCLA’s twenty point
loss to Minnesota. It is not that
UCLA was a great team but
rather all the potential that their
star player Shabazz Muhammad
was supposed to have.
Another upset was
Georgetown falling out in the
first round after a loss to Florida
Gulf Coast, who have rode
momentum all the way through
the early half of this month.
The team with the most
impressive first round victory
was Harvard. Many fans do
not think of Harvard for their
athletics but after their routing
of highly ranked New Mexico,
people should surely start
paying attention.
Now for the Final Four
predictions, in the Midwest
region, the clear favorite is
Louisville. The Cardinals strong
sense of defensive, mixed with
the discipline instilled in them
by legendary coach Rick Pitino,
instantly makes Louisville a title
contender.
After Gonzaga was upset in
the second round by Wichita
State, Ohio State has emerged as
the favorite to win the West side
of the bracket .
From the South region,
Kansas is the hands down
favorite. Every time they play
it is impressive and their star
player Ben McLemore is a stud,
who will have a nice NBA career.
From the East region, it is all
about Indiana. Those boys at
Indiana definitely are not going
to come up short and the only
team I can see doing anything
else from that region is Miami
but overall the clear edge goes to
Indiana.
As for the Finals, it should
feature Louisville versus Kansas,
with the Jayhawks taking the
championship. This matchup
would feature two of college
basketball’s most successful
coaches, Rick Pitino and Bill Self
trying to out coach the other.
While it would be nice to see
that happen, this is one crazy
and unpredictable tournament,
so the final game could easily
feature two teams who not many
sports fans have heard of.
photo courtesy tennessee journalist/fLICKR
After a shaky start to the season, the Jayhawks and Bill Self are favorites to win the title.
photo courtesy bradjward/fLICKR
Rick Pitino’s Cardinals took the Big East by storm this year, and are poised to make a run.
20 T h e C a r o l i n i a n Mar 27 - April 2, 2013 WWW.UNCGCAROLINIAN.COM Sports
NFL is looking into gay rights issues
Hannah Nystrom
Staff Writer
The year is 2013 and as a
society we are still faced with
discrimination in terms of
sexual orientation. In recent
news, the issue of gay rights has
become the topic of discussion
amongst the “macho sport,” the
NFL.
In lieu of recent remarks,
spokes persons of the NFL
and NFL players have stepped
forward on the area of gay
rights.
Due to some suspect remarks
during a scouting session for
future NFL players, a team
employee casually asked a
high school student if he liked
girls. Robert Gulliver, the
NFL’s head human resource
executive, stated this “chatter
was inappropriate…not part of
a formal interview process.” A
athlete’s sexual orientation has
nothing to do with how they
can perform on the field.
As a result of
this “casual banter”, an
investigation has taken place
in order to determine how
many people have come across
this type of conversation and
the repercussions of those
involved.
Beyond these behind the
scenes conversations, the issues
of gay rights in the NFL have
been plastered in the public
eye.
Katie Couric asked two
NFL players, Chris Kluwe
(Minnesota Vikings) and
Brendon Ayanbadejo
(Baltimore Ravens), if Manti
Te’o was gay after the catfish
scandal took place.
The NFL has become “the
awkward vessel for grappling
with one of the sports’ most
stubborn taboos that of the gay
athlete, and for the country’s
larger debate about gay rights.”
Gay rights has been
a “hot-button” issue for the
NFL. The league will be hosting
a diversity session at their
annual meeting with coaches,
general managers, and other
participants.
The NFL has a “collective
bargaining agreement [which]
was completed almost two
years ago, it added ‘sexual
orientation’ to a section that
forbids discrimination.”
In addition to the annual
meeting, Troy Vincent, the
NFL’s senior Vice President for
player engagement, will meet
with six prominent groups
within the gay community in
order to review the league’s
policies in terms of sexual
orientation.
Robert Gulliver has also
stated the NFL will be adding
a gay issue presentation during
the annual rookie symposium.
Robert Gulliver put
everything into perspective
by stating “I think there have
certainly been instances where
there have been individuals that
have made poor decisions, that
were ill informed, ill advised,
and showed lack of education
about L.G.B.T….If anything
there are opportunities to
educate more players about our
expectations from a diversity
standpoint, but I would not
say we’re painted with its brush
where there is broad-based
homophobia.”
Steps have already
been taken by players within
the NFL, such as Brendon
Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe
who publicly support gay
marriage. This duo has recently
filed an amicus brief with the
Supreme Court arguing against
the ban on gay marriage
in California. Ayanbadejo
stated “I just think that there’s
obviously gay players in the
NFL …There’s gay players
that we’ve played with gay
players and you’ve seen gay
players come out post career
and what not. So we’re just
slowly progressing every day,
every month, and every year
to players being comfortable
to be themselves. If they can
be better players they can have
longer careers.”
The steps taken by some NFL
personnel and players such
as Ayanbadejo is a step in the
right direct for gay rights in
major sports.
Stepping out of the closet
should be and will be easier if
the NFL continues to make gay
rights in their sport a major
priority.
photo courtesy KEITH ALISON/fLICKR
Linebacker Brendon Ayanbadejo has been a leader for the NFL’s investigation of gay rights
SPORTS
FROM
UNCG
AND
BEYOND
• UNCG junior Paul
Chelimo won the respected
Bob Davidson Mile race in
High Point on Saturday, with
an impressive time of 4:08.06.
This race was a nail biter as
Chelimo barely managed to get
by Davidson’s Andrew Lantz to
get the win.
• The UNCG women’s
track and field team were
able to achieve five individual
personal-best times at the
High Point VertKlasse meet
at Vert Stadium Saturday.
The most impressive of these
performances was that of junior
Shannon Hall. Hall finished the
400 meter race with a career
best 58.11 seconds.
• It was a good week for
UNCG men’s tennis, as the
Spartans shut out SoCon rival
Furman 7-0, while also winning
a close 4-3 matchup with East
Carolina. With these two wins,
UNCG improves their overall
record to 9-2.
• A new season of MLB
baseball is set to start Sunday
March 31 when the Texas
Rangers battle their in state
rival, the Houston Astros.
• The major NBA news this
week belongs to the Miami
Heat and Denver Nuggets who
are both holding on to major
win streaks, with the Heat’s win
streak at 25, while Denver has
won 15 straight games.