Dr. John Cox. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte.

A year ago, UNC Charlotte students met in the Student Union rotunda, carrying signs that protested president’s travel ban. Muslims, Latinos, blacks, whites, female, male, gay and straight, all united, and among them, one white, middle-aged man stood out, as he made his way into the center of the crowd.

With all eyes on him, Dr. John Cox removed his jacket, revealing his T-shirt that read “Refugees welcome.” Cheers and clapping filled the building, many of which belonged to his students.

One of those students was Casey Aldridge.

“Dr. Cox does a good job supporting students by showing up and most importantly, by recognizing and deferring to student leadership,” he said. “He knows how to show real solidarity, not just lip service.”

Cox’s interest in social justice stems from his childhood. Growing up just a few blocks from where the Greensboro sit-ins took place in 1960s, he was actively aware of racism.

“I was fortunate that my folks really educated us to be vigilant and sensitive and knowledgeable, but also to be a force against racism,” he said.

However, his interest piqued at Appalachian State University, where he took classes about Latin America and the Holocaust and wrote as the opinion editor of the student newspaper. After graduation, he took a break from schooling, worked as a labor organizer and got involved in human rights issue and an anti-war movement. In the late 90s, Cox decided to attend graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill. Following graduation, Cox founded and directed the Genocide and Human Rights Center at the Florida Gulf Coast University. He was there for five years when he heard of an opening at UNC Charlotte. When offered that position, he didn’t hesitate.

“I accepted within like one minute,” he said. “When you’re offered a job as a professor, you’re suppose to kind of delay and negotiate … but I was very happy to come back out here cause I’ve spent most of my life in North Carolina … this is really my home.”

He’s published two books while working as the Director of the Center of Holocaust, Genocide and Human Rights at the university. In February 2016, he published “To Kill a People: Genocide in the Twentieth Century,” one of the only small, concise books that overviews holocaust and genocide. He was inspired to write a book that covered the history in a broader context.

“Even still today in 2018, the holocaust is often taught as if it came out of nowhere and is a complete aberration in human history,” Cox said. “When in fact, it was really the culmination or it was the product of all sorts of terrible trends in European and in Western history. That is, Hitler and the Nazis didn’t have to invent anything, whether antisemitism, racism, even the conception of trying to kill a people because of who they are.”

His book took about three years to write.

“[My writing process is] probably similar to my students’ processes of writing their papers, which is that I work better when I have 12 hours before deadline. It is kind of ironic,” he said, jokingly. 

Chapter by chapter, he received feedback from other experts in the field. One of his graduate professors at UNC Chapel Hill, Chris Browning, read the book.

“John is an example of someone who has managed to combine scholarship in the form of publishing several books, teaching and dedicated civic engagement and activism that utilizes his historical knowledge,” Browning said.

Even with help from others, though, Cox jokes that the book is not perfect.

“You know what, still a typo will slip through no matter what,” he said. “I tell my students, I really do, you have to proofread everything ten or 15 times.”

Cox’s keeps a sense of humor despite teaching courses on heavy topics. He says what keeps him going is his study of resistance.

“I see resistance and rebellion,” he said. “I see people in small and large ways asserting their dignity. I see other people extending solidarity to oppressed people … I don’t think anyone is immune and definitely no society is immune from being lured into mass violence and support for mass violence … Fortunately, there’s never been a regime that ever came to resemble George Orwell’s “1984” where independent thought and solidarity and resistances were completely snuffed out.”

And what keeps him happy is Carolina basketball and Barcelona soccer. He also enjoys reading, working out, traveling and music. His newest hobby, though, is hanging out with his stepkids. Cox said “I do” a few months ago to a professor he met while she was teaching at UNC Charlotte.

Both are involved in immigrant and refugee rights in Charlotte. Their most recent project is with Queen’s University’s new social justice center. Cox also works at the Latin American Coalition, where he provides testimony for people at risk of deportation. He’s also been involved at the International House. On a recent visit there, he ran into four of his previous students. He says surprise interactions with alumni like those students are some of his most gratifying experiences as a professor.

“Those are the kind of things that sustain all of us professors,” he said. “There are days when all of us professors and instructors come out of a class and feel slightly down, we’re like ‘man half the class was zoned out’ … but I just always see evidence that I’m reaching people and I’m learning from my students too.”

Cox plans to stay at UNC Charlotte until his retirement. What keeps him here is the people, but also the city. It’s not one that he’s always gravitated toward, but he has come to love it.

“I had an image of Charlotte as a big city of bankers and yuppies,” he said. “But fortunately in the last 20 years or so I guess, Charlotte really has become more diverse.”

Currently, he’s working on another project, co-editing a book with historian Adam Jones called “The Routledge Handbook of Genocide Studies” that will publish in either 2019 or 2020.

Last December, Maxwell Gruver, an 18-year-old freshman at Louisiana State University, died during a Phi Delta Theta ritual in which he was forced to drink alcohol. An autopsy found his blood alcohol level was .495 at the time of his death, which is more than six times the legal limit.

Gruver is one of four fraternity pledges who lost their lives to hazing in 2017. Recent incidents have placed a national spotlight on Greek life and sparked much discussion. The Interfraternity Council (IFC) executive board at UNC Charlotte has taken this influential time to address its own members.

“The main goal was education,” said IFC President and Sigma Alpha Epsilon brother Jake Curtis. “Our idea was that we really can’t bring in new members into our community if our current members are not prepared or educated enough to do so.”

Within the past year, IFC has lost four chapters: Delta Chi, Lambda Chi Alpha and Sigma Phi Epsilon. Phi Sigma Kappa is interimly suspended and has been required to cease activities both on and off campus. If suspended, that would mean 25 percent of UNC Charlotte’s Greek life was suspended due to hazing related incidents such as providing alcohol to minors, physical injury, disruption of University Activities and failure to comply with the Office of Student Conduct.

“Hopefully this will open up some honest conversations that the IFC executive board can have with these chapters one-on-one, to kind of talk about what problems they’re seeing within their chapter and the community and how to address those, specifically with hazing,” said Curtis.

The discussions resulted in a delay of IFC recruitment for the spring semester.

“The goal was not to push back recruitment, the goal was to bring in an expert consultant. Due to the time that it took for him to go to each chapter and the community as a whole, recruitment ended up being pushed back a couple of weeks,” said Curtis.

Phi Delta Theta Vice President, Greg Rush, acknowledged the fact that the national attention has hit home for the Greek community at UNC Charlotte.

“It’s affecting us a lot. There [were] only 119 kids signed up for IFC recruitment for the spring. I’ve been here for four years and that is the lowest it’s ever been. I think it’s a combination of rush being pushed back and the bad publicity that IFC fraternities have gotten over the years.”

Despite the media portrayal, UNC Charlotte administration believes that IFC is headed in the right direction – especially Director of Student Conduct and Academic Integrity Jonathan Adams.

“Our IFC has done an outstanding job in providing opportunities for members of our fraternities to have sincere conversations about the culture of the organizations and the alignment of decisions and values,” he said. “By continuing those conversations and helping members of the community better understand the policy, IFC and the Office of Student Conduct can collaborate to create an environment centered on responsibility, accountability, development and community.”

Goodbye to managing multiple tabs, scribbling down course times and keeping a list of ID numbers all in order to craft the perfect schedule. UNC Charlotte has a new web-based registration tool for students: Schedule Wizard. Now undergraduate and graduate students can block off time for breaks and other commitments, generate possible schedules and register for classes all from one website.

According to Beth Dawson from the Office of Registrar, who helped with the development of Schedule Wizard, UNC Charlotte switched to the new tool in order to promote graduation by maximizing the number of credit hours students can take. Over 200 other universities already use the service, including ECU, NC State and UNC Chapel Hill.

For those skeptics out there, this website is actually easy to use. As soon as the course listings are available, Schedule Wizard can be accessed from the My UNCC Portal under “Quick Links” or under the registration menu in Banner Self Service. Before searching for classes, students can apply filters like open or waitlisted classes, uptown or main campus locations and face-to-face, hybrid or online type courses. They can also choose to search by instructor. Students can then add their desired courses, add breaks for the gym, meetings, personal time or anything else, and then generate schedules. Students will receive different combinations of schedules. In order to reduce the number of possible schedules they can “lock in” certain courses or delete specific schedules. They can also “favorite” their top schedule or label them to distinguish which ones they prefer. Once students choose their schedule, they can send it straight to their shopping cart and register from there when registration opens.

Dawson said the ability to add breaks is the tool’s best feature.

“Students are able to better plan around those times they are not available to attend classes and still have the ability to maximize the credit hours for the term.”

Schedule Wizard was chosen as the new registration tool for UNC Charlotte because it streamlines the registration process by automating schedule planning, enables students to maximize their credit hours while balancing personal priorities, allows students to easily identify their breaks and time conflicts and creates optimized schedules that increase credit hours, term over term persistence and graduation rates.

Students are already loving the new registration process.

“Schedule Wizard is actually a lifesaver,” said Chiamaka Okonkwo, who used to write down all her of class sections and times and generate a schedule herself. If students encounter difficulties with the new registration service, Niner Central and the ITS help desk are trained and available to assist students with trouble shooting.

On Wednesday, Police Chief Jeffrey Baker conducted a webcast to answer questions submitted by students concerning campus safety.

Baker was joined by Dean of Students Christine Reed Davis and Student Body President Tracey Allsbrook.

The webcast follows multiple incidents at the university, including an armed robbery outside 0f the Student Union in February and a hit-and-run that resulted in a shooting near Lot 27 at the edge of campus on March 3. No one was injured. On March 12, police were also informed of a student who threatened to “shoot up” the school. That student has since been removed from campus. Earlier in the month, on March 9, a sexual assault occured on a walkway near campus heading towards Campus Walk Apartments.

During the live stream, Baker discussed safety measures taken by university police to prevent incidents from occurring.

“Although we’ve had some alarming incidents recently, violent crime is really rare on campus,” Baker said.

He emphasized that UNC Charlotte is a public campus and that having people who aren’t affiliated with the university on the premises is common. In some cases, incidents on campus don’t involve students. At a Student Government Association Senate meeting on Thursday, Baker revealed that 90 percent of crimes committed on campus are done by non-students.

To protect students, officers are strategically placed throughout campus to patrol areas around the clock and keep an eye out for suspicious activity.

Because of recent events, some students submitted questions regarding the university’s plan of action in the event of an active shooter. Baker explained that officers on campus go through active shooter training when the university is closed. Student organizations can also request to have law enforcement train them.

“Nothing is more important to us than the safety and security of our students, faculty and staff,” said Baker.

Students also submitted multiple questions about how the addition of the light rail stop will impact campus safety.

The police chief explained that the light rail has a contract with the security company G4S Secure Solutions, which allows for armed officers to keep watch over things. In addition to that, there are numerous high-resolution cameras placed inside the trains and at the light rail stops. Law enforcement officers are also stationed at every stop along the rail line.

A few of the questions also dealt with student’s safety after hours. Baker urged students to take precautions when moving about campus during late hours, including walking in groups and in well-lit areas.

Baker also addressed student’s concern with security in parking decks. There are no security cameras in the decks on campus, however Baker explained that there is almost no crime in parking decks. According to him, the number of vehicle break-ins has dropped dramatically in the last few years.

Throughout the stream, Baker highlighted the importance of the LiveSafe app, a tool that students can use to contact campus law enforcement directly. The app has features like police escort requests and an anonymous tip line for reporting suspicious activity. It also contains a GPS tracking system so that police can locate users in the event of an emergency.

Niner Palooza will once again be coming to campus Monday, March 26.

Niner Palooza is a series of events that gets students involved with the Student Government Association (SGA) annual spring elections, starting with a “Why Fair” and a session to meet and greet the candidates for the upcoming election, followed by the annual election debate which will be conducted by the SGA Board of Elections Monday at 5 p.m. in the Student Union rotunda. Free pizza and refreshments will be available to students at the debate.

The first event is the annual “Why Fair” for campus department, an opportunity for students to ask campus departments questions about why they exist on campus and what they can assist students with in the future.

The SGA candidates running in the election will also be present during this time, as Niner Palooza also serves as a final campaign event before online voting opens.  

Goldfinger’s and FunOhCakes food trucks will be free for the first 150 students who arrive to the event.

One SGA presidential ticket, Niayai Lavien and Chandler Crean, say they couldn’t be more excited for Niner Palooza and debate.

“We’re looking forward to tabling and getting to know students on a personal level at the candidates fair,” Crean said.

Naiyai Lavien, who is running to be the student body president, added on to her running mate saying, “In the debate, Chandler and I are looking forward to hearing concerns and interacting with more students. Our platform #StrikeGold was created to increase student participation within the campus community and SGA. We aim to amplify student voice, increase transparency and address student concerns, and this debate and Niner Palooza is the perfect place to do just that.”

The other ticket running for student body president and vice president is just as enthusiastic about Niner Palooza. Mildred Martinez who is running for president and her running mate RJ Chisolm said they are looking forward to being able to talk to the other candidates, as well as meeting with students that they have yet to meet during the election and campaign cycle. They are also really excited for voting to start.

Niner Palooza will take place in the CHHS/COED plaza directly in front of the Student Union from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. The election debate will follow taking place in the Student Union rotunda at 5 p.m.

The general election for SGA will begin Tuesday at midnight and conclude Wednesday at 5 p.m. Students can vote at Vote.Uncc.edu. The positions being elected include student body president and vice president, the senior, junior and sophomore class president and college senators as well as a vote on two constitutional amendments to the student body constitution proposed by the Senate.

Mildred Martinez and RJ Chisolm. Photo courtesy of Mildred Martinez.

Mildred Martinez, a junior biology major and economics minor, is running for student body president. She’s been with Student Government Association (SGA) since she was a freshman.

“That’s when I learned about all the changes being made on campus,” she said. “There are a lot of things that administration does and we just get a heads up. I want to keep up that relationship where they communicate what they’re doing with us.”

Martinez continues to serve SGA as the secretary for academic affairs in the executive cabinet.

She says SGA has helped her to gain an appreciation for campus-wide affairs. “I want to demonstrate to other students this is what we’re doing and why. Students need to know where their money is going.”

She is also the secretary of Allied Health, a member of the National Society for Leadership and Success, and a former orientation counselor, where she got to know her running mate RJ Chisolm.

Chisolm, an exercise science major, is running alongside Martinez as student body vice president. He currently serves as the IT secretary for the executive cabinet, the program coordinator of the Campus Activities Board and a SAFE Counselor.

“I firmly believe that if you want to make a change to your environment you have to take that step instead of waiting on someone to take action for you,” he said. “I have a lot of connections to utilize and make a change to the campus and make it better for those who come after me.”

The two are running on a platform of “Comfort, Commitment and Comfortability.” They stress the importance of students feeling comfortable and able to express who they are during their time at UNC Charlotte. They also want to be accessible and serve as a liaison between students and administration.

Martinez and Chisolm agree that the university’s rapidly growing population presents a large organizational problem. However, as they see it, there could be a bright side. Chisolm thinks this could be a chance for students to get more involved in student government while Martinez pointed out her academic experience is far more diverse than of her friends who attend smaller universities.

“I have been able to see the community grow just even interacting in a library,” said Martinez. “Students make this campus a great place. It’s something I will always be happy about because other friends of mine can’t see students from as many different backgrounds like I can.”

However, the team agrees it’s not enough to be diverse. “We have to connect students from different backgrounds.”

“A lot of the organizations are afraid to mix with different organizations,” Chisolm said. “Latino organizations cosponsor events with other Latinos and Blacks with Blacks. There can be a bigger way for students to be heard if they collaborate.”

They are running against Niayai Lavien and Chandler Crean. “It’s going to be a tough challenge,” Martinez said. “They’re strong people; they know what they want and their platform is well thought out.”

The election will take place online at vote.uncc.edu on March 27 and 28. Students can also vote for sophomore, junior and senior class presidents as well as senators.

If elected, they will be sworn in April 12.

Niayai Lavien and Chandler Crean. Photo courtesy of Niayai Lavien.

Niayai Lavien, a junior political science and philosophy major, is running for student body president. She’s been with Student Government Association (SGA) since she was a freshman.

“I’m qualified for the position and I know that I have the passion and the drive to do it,” she said. 

Lavien has lived in the University City area for the majority of her life. She serves as speaker of the Senate, a Students Advising Freshman Excellence counselor, a member of College Democrats and runs a beauty YouTube channel.

Her running mate is Chandler Crean, a pre-business major and political science minor. He currently serves as SGA chief of staff, president of Pi Kappa Phi and has been a Niner Guide for two years. 

The two met at a leadership retreat in high school when Lavien was a senior and Crean was a junior.

“When he decided to go to UNC Charlotte, I encouraged him to join SGA,” Lavien said. “Ever since then I think we’ve both grown through the organization and we’ve seen the real change and progress that SGA can have on the student body.”

The two are running on the platform “Strike Gold,” which consists of three tenets: amplifying student voice, increasing transparency and creating a legacy on campus.

“Our platform is dedicated to making [student’s] voices front and center,” Lavien said.

Lavien and Crean think students feel like they can’t actively contribute to campus decisions.

“A lot of decisions that are being made are being made without students actually understanding why they’re being made and they don’t feel included in the process,” Lavien said.

To fix this, they want to strengthen the connection between students and SGA. One way is to create a website where students can voice their concerns as opposed to voicing them solely on social media and holding more town halls students can speak at.

The second part of their platform, increasing transparency, was created to “bridge the gap” between administration and students with more events where they interact.

“There seems to be a gap where staff and faculty knows something is happening but students aren’t completely aware of that,” Lavien said.

They also want to utilize more social media to communicate and make sure students don’t “feel left in the dark” when it comes to topics such as construction, new initiatives and programs.

Another issue they want to face is the university’s “identity crisis” and lack of traditions. To do this, they want to encourage more participation at events such as International Fest, Homecoming and Week of Welcome as well as create new events and work with athletics.

The team is running against Mildred Martinez and RJ Chisolm.

“Mildred and RJ are both experienced SGA members and I admire them very much … but I think our platform is more centered on the students,” Lavien said.

The election will take place online at vote.uncc.edu on March 27 and 28. Students can also vote for sophomore, junior and senior class presidents as well as senators.

If elected, they will be sworn in April 12.

UNC System president Margaret Spellings. Photo courtesy of UNC System.

During Monday’s State of the University at UNC Charlotte’s Center City Campus, the University of North Carolina System president Margaret Spellings spoke before an audience of city officials, members of education and local leaders. Each stop on the tour will offer a report on the current state of the campus, as well as the direction of the UNC system.

In the first appearance of her 2018 State of the University tour, Spellings highlighted UNC Charlotte in the community. “It’s fitting that we’re kicking off this State of the University tour here in Charlotte, at a university in a city both defined by growth, innovation and potential,” she said.

Touching on the university’s more than 70 year history in Charlotte, Spellings remarked on the institution, speaking to the bridge it offers to the diverse communities in the area and its connection to “the heart of uptown.”

Margaret Spellings arrives at UNC Charlotte Center City via light rail with UNC Charlotte Provost Joan Lorden and Philip Byers, a member of the UNC Board of Governors. Photo courtesy of UNC Charlotte.

According to Spellings, graduation rates system-wide have risen by more than six percent over a five-year period, placing degrees in the hands of more than 2,000 additional students this year. With the system having produced an increase in yearly graduation rates of 29 percent since 2011, Spellings made clear that there is more work to be done, saying, “We’re pleased, but not satisfied.”

Following a report in 2015 by the Equality of Opportunity Project, Charlotte placed last among 50 of America’s largest cities when it comes to upward mobility in children born into the lowest income quintile. According to Spellings, “Higher education is a proven route for upward mobility.” She also reported that college students from the lowest quintile have a six percent higher chance of moving to a higher quintile than a student that doesn’t.

Spellings pointed out that with the growing amount of jobs requiring a degree, there is a need to provide workers with options. “I’m not a believer in college for all … but I am a believer in education and training beyond high school for everyone, whether that is in school, on the job or through military service,” she stated.

Spellings also addressed how the university system can improve beyond enrollment growth. “Right now, we reward enrollment growth but if we care about graduation rates, achievement gaps and creating a 21st century work force, our resources have to come together along those priorities as well,” she said.

As Spellings wrapped up her address, she pointed out the current climate of the divided public and the role that universities play in working with students. “What we do every day as public institutes and teachers matters. We have to stand behind the core values of free expression, intellectual diversity and patient engagement with new ideas. Our campuses bring together people from different backgrounds, together in the same place, debate the same books and navigate the same social life,” she said.

When speaking of these students and the impact they want to have on the world, Spellings said, “Anyone who says college students have lost their heads, their desire to be good citizens, just isn’t paying attention. But I promise you this: our students are paying attention to us.”

She followed this up with a call to action, pointing out that students are watching the actions of their community leaders, public officials, figures and institutions, and that there is a responsibility to strengthen the belief in what those groups stand for.

A vigil for Blake Brockington was held Friday night at the star quad. Photo by Alexandria Sands.

Blake Brockington walked the UNC Charlotte campus open and proud of who he was.

He was a role model for the transgender community, regularly participating and speaking at rallies, and was crowned North Carolina’s first transgender homecoming king at East Mecklenburg High School.

Yet, his friends still laid flowers down in front of his picture Friday night at the star quad. They still lit candles and spoke kind words of him. They still cried and comforted each other and stood silently, mourning his death.

Brockington chose to end his life three years ago.

His death serves as a reminder of the struggles people in the LGBTQ+ community face, often discriminated against and ostracized.

Three years after his death, a group of students are requesting a space on campus that can provide resources and support to the university’s LGBTQ+ community.

The UNC Charlotte LGBTQ+ Coalition was formed to campaign for the LGBTQ+ Center. They got the Student Government Association (SGA) on board. SGA passed legislation March 1 that approved the center, which doesn’t ensure the center will be created but communicates to university administration the center is wanted by students.

“We hope to have space secured for the LGBTQIA Resource Center by the end of our term,” said Bryan McCollom, student body vice president.

The coalition is hoping the space will be put in Cone, preferably and envisions it will have resources for students. They specifically want to partner with Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS).

“I feel and I want it to be a space where anybody who is struggling, like Blake, is able to come in and see that they are welcome and that they’re in community,” said Clover Barin, a member of the coalition.

Other schools have spaces like this, including Appalachian State, East Carolina University, North Carolina Central and NC State.

An online petition titled “UNCC Needs an LGBTQ Center” has over 1,000 signatures. Many students and faculty have voiced their support in the comments.

“I believe LGBTQIA+ students (including ally’s) on campus should have a place to be themselves with students on the spectrum and promote inclusion and diversity,” wrote Junior Estevan Torres. “This is the step in the right direction to promote community.”

Michael Denton, who was UNC Charlotte’s assistant director of new students and academic programs from 2003 to 2010, wrote: “Students deserve a space where they can be themselves freely and in safety. North Carolina, Charlotte and our country is still very hostile to queer people despite limited gains. I implore you to be an institution even more welcoming, affirming and contributing to LGBTQ+ students lives and academics.”

“This is important,” wrote Kara Stephens. “Everyone deserves to feel safe.”

With the recent Parkland shooting, debate over the minimum age to buy AR-15s and even a UNC Charlotte shooting threat, people are questioning the safety of our nation’s schools. Many point toward our federal gun laws as a contributor to so much violence. So, what are UNC Charlotte’s rules about firearms? What action is your own school taking to protect your rights and keep you safe?

It might not shock you to learn that no one — except for police officers — is allowed to carry a firearm on campus. What may surprise you, however, is that according to university policy you can store a gun in your car.

There are some conditions, of course. You must have a concealed handgun permit, known in North Carolina as a CWP. In addition, the firearm must be stored inside a locked box within the vehicle. A locked glove compartment does not suffice. It is a felony to improperly store a gun in your car (i.e. to not lock it up). The statute was established by the General Assembly for all UNC campuses and confirmed by Chancellor Philip L. Dubois in 2013.

All other firearms policies are in accordance with the state. It is a class I felony to carry any firearm, concealed or open, on educational property and a class I misdemeanor to carry any BB gun, stun gun, air rifle or air pistol. Even if you have a permit, it is a felony to carry in places where guns are prohibited, like UNC campuses or certain stores. Sworn police officers may carry a gun anywhere in the state of North Carolina – including college campuses – but they can only carry out their duties as police officers within their jurisdictions.

So how effective are these laws? UNC Charlotte Chief of Police Jeff Baker thinks they promote a safe environment on campus. Since he started working here in 2009, he has never experienced any gun violence or dealt with any students violating the firearms policy. However, people unaffiliated with the university who cut through campus have been caught with assault rifles in their vehicle. In his nine years at Charlotte, he says, he has only seen about nine cases dealing with firearms.

In March, a UNC Charlotte student was committed to a hospital and then arrested after threatening to “buy a gun and shoot the university up.” Police officers seized blueprints, composition books and posters from the student, but did not recover any guns. The student has since been released from jail and spotted at other campuses, including an elementary school in Carroll County, Virginia.

The threat of school shootings has stirred the whole country. On March 24, Charlotte residents joined the millions of people across the United States marching for stricter gun control. The rally was organized by students and attended by Sandy Hook survivors Criss and Ella Berke.

What do students think of our firearms policies? UNC Charlotte College Republicans Chair Keith Maples envisions different regulations for UNC Charlotte. “I think we should have concealed carry with extreme exceptions,” he said. “There needs to be tough vetting. There needs to be mental and psychological exams. We should only allow pistols. All you need to stop an intruder is a pistol. They should be allowed everywhere on campus including dorms, but students should report their weapons to officials, including professors.”

UNC Charlotte College Democrats Treasurer Bryan McCollom takes a different stance: “I think the gun safety laws in regards to college campuses are suitable as is,” he said. “[The College Democrats] would be against anything that weakens these restrictions.”

The safety of our campus is contingent on more than just gun restrictions. Blue light phones, for example, are an important part of our safety network. According to Baker, it takes 10 to 15 seconds for a police officer to show up to the site of a blue light activation. UNC Charlotte also offers the LiveSafe App, which allows students to call and text police officers, use GPS services to locate nearest buildings and utilize a location service that allows selected contacts in your phone to temporarily track your movements while you walk to your destination.

Both Maples and McCollom believe that too many students are unaware of our firearms policies. While no student wants to memorize the Code of Conduct or sift through the Information Technology Policy, it is prudent that students know about the policies that affect their own safety.

The UNC Charlotte Student Government Association (SGA) is gearing up to wrap up the school year, elect new representatives and go out with a bang.

Updates

As of March, 17 new student organizations have been approved by the SGA legislative branch.

Niner Engage has officially replaced OrgSync and is live and running.

Information on newly approved organizations and how to join can be found on Niner Engage. All senate meetings begin at 5 p.m. every Thursday in Popp Martin Student Union room 200. Senate meetings will also be streamed live on Instagram and are open to the public.

SGA has begun a weekly social media campaign on Twitter and Instagram. Every day of the week will represent a different theme. Wednesdays will be used to announce the speaker at Senate for that week.

Legislation

SGA passed the LGBT+ Resource Center Act in favor of dedicating a space on campus for a LGBTQ+ Resource Center, preferably in Cone University Center. University administration has until April 2 to make a decision.

All legislation can be found on https://sga.uncc.edu/legislation

Upcoming Events

Niner Palooza will take place Monday, March 26 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It will be located in the College of Education and College of Health and Human Services Plaza and will feature food trucks, free food, raffles and Norm the Niner. Niner Passports collected at Niner Palooza can be turned in for a chance to enter a raffle. The winners will be announced before the debate.

The SGA candidates debate will begin at 5 p.m. in the Student Union Rotunda following Niner Palooza.

Follow SGA on all social media platforms to stay updated and connected to your campus and representatives:

Twitter: @UNCC_SGA

Facebook: UNC Charlotte SGA

Instagram: @uncc_sga

Email Press Secretary Ana Valdez at avaldezc@uncc.edu for any further feedback and questions.

Left to right: Malik Alim, Robin Hayes, Ray McKinnon, and Stephen Kent. Photo by Chimena Ihebuzor.

Charlotte’s first ever political expo took place April 5 as participants with different political leanings all came together to share a dialogue. The event was comprised of a panel of four guests representing a lineup of political and civic organizations with a moderator facilitating the discussion. The panelists conferred over a number of topics that are pertinent to today. The event took place in the Lucas room inside Cone.

Dr. Gregory Weeks, chair of the political science department, served as the moderator. He began the expo by stating “tonight’s event is a first step in what we hope are more events these young leaders will organize that bring people together.” From there, he asked the speakers a series of questions that were to be answered round robin style. After giving their perspectives, he asked follow-up questions or allowed the panelists to expand upon their initial statements. The issues included gun control, immigration, race relations and political polarization.

The representatives for each organization included the Illinois organizer for the Roosevelt Institute Malik Alim, former U.S representative from North Carolina’s 8th congressional district Robin Hayes and chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party Ray McKinnon and the spokesperson for Young Voices and a libertarian activist Stephen Kent. They each represented the Roosevelt Institute, College Republicans, College Democrats and Young Americans for Liberty.

The Student Government Association (SGA) and National Society of Leadership and Success (NSLS) sanctioned and hosted the event. The initial idea to put on the expo was originated by NSLS president Elijah Acosta, who helped spearhead the process.

The central theme was to promote discussion and not debate. As such, there were a few ground rules to follow to allow a smooth flow of ideas. Assume good faith on the part of others, assert your own views without disparaging and listen to other’s views so as to see more clearly what our main points of disagreement are and therefore perhaps how to “bridge the gap,” were among those rules.

While the viewpoints and opinions of the participants might have differed, the general accord shared by both audience and panelist was that the conversation was unabated yet civil. Each panelist discussed their preferred policy position (which may have reflected upon their own organizations) and their sense of how those who share their views can contribute to moving toward consensus. What are productive ways of moving forward?

One of the more poignant moments of the event was toward the conclusion, when the topic of political polarization was brought up during a time of great divide and virulence in our country. McKinnon, a pastor at a local United Methodist Church in Charlotte, said that the best thing to happen to his career, as a self-identified liberal, was to lead a service of mostly conservative congregants, because it forced him not to caricature those he disagrees with; It allowed him to listen and get to know one another sans the labels.

Photo courtesy of Maiah Dixon.

Imagine walking into your first professional interview. Your interviewer greets you with a smile but you can feel your nerves climbing up your spine. You take a seat and the interview begins with the dreaded “what makes you a good leader” question. You take a second, but all you can think about are all the math and science classes you took.  You think back to your engineering lectures or history classes and wonder how they prepared you to answer this question right here, right now. You look around the interviewer’s office and draw a blank. You rush to answer the question with some story about a group project, but you really aren’t sure.

This is a situation you should never have to experience. You wish at this moment for advanced business skills. UNC Charlotte Belk College of Business seeks to fulfill this wish with the new Master of Science in Management (M.S. in Management). The program will begin this summer and is the first of its kind in the UNC System.

In the current workforce, more employers are seeking out well-rounded business professionals. Employers recognize the value in all degrees, such as the arts,  sciences, and engineering. Business acumen simply adds another layer of value for the professional world.

The M.S. in Management program at UNC Charlotte will give new graduates the chance to enhance their business skills and jump-start their professional career. Even better, students are not required to have prior business experience or pre-reqs (unlike the MBA, which requires previous work experience).

This fast-track, 10.5-month program will provide unique learning opportunities through professional development sessions and personalized career coaching.  Students will enjoy networking opportunities with Belk College alumni who represent many industries across the country. Students will leave this program prepared to participate in innovative problem solving, create and present compelling ideas, and engage in dynamic leadership roles.

Now, imagine walking into an interview and having an interviewer ask you “what makes you a good leader?” You look back at your potential employer and smile. You have spent the last 10.5 months preparing for this question. You take a moment and answer with confidence.

Chandler Crean (left) was elected student body vice president. Niayai Lavien (right) was elected student body president. Photo courtesy of Lavien.

Niayai Lavien and Chandler Crean were announced the 2018-19 student body president and vice president April 5. They won with 54 percent of the 1435 votes and will officially be sworn in Thursday.

Niner Times: What was your reaction to finding out you had won?

Niayai: I couldn’t help but cry because I was so overwhelmed. I could barely get my words out to express my excitement. This campaign was tough and long and I’m so happy with the outcome of everything. Chandler and I are incredibly excited for what this year has in store.

Chandler: I was lost for words. I couldn’t help but to stop and think that all the hard work paid off.  If you would have told me back in 2014, when I first met Niayai, that we would end up at the same university and campaign for SGA office together, I would not have believed it. However, our fellow peers believed in us to serve the student body.

What is the first thing you want to work on in office?

N: The first thing that we would like to do is make the SGA website more user friendly. We want to place our updates, minutes and photos there so that people will have more access to everything that we’re doing. Too many people don’t know all of the meetings we have and things we can accomplish and we want everyone to stay in the loop.

C: The first thing I want to work on in office is making sure that every Forty-Niner knows that we will be available in our office to hear any concerns that they may have. With an open door policy, students will have a direct form of communication with Niayai and I.

One major project I will be taking on is working with our information technology services on the alumni email project. This project will allow degreed alumni with having an @alumni.uncc.edu email account via Gmail, the university’s current email service.

A year from now when you look back, what do you want to have accomplished?

N: I hope to have effectively completed each of the tenants of the platform of amplifying student voice, increasing transparency and creating a legacy. I hope that every student feels like they can actually communicate with SGA administration and feel like their voice is equally important.

C: I want to be able to look back and feel that every Forty-Niner has had the opportunity to stake their claim here at UNC Charlotte. Students should be able to have a say in major decisions that are being made as our university continues to grow.

What do you want students to know going into this administration?

N: I want students to know that they can always approach me with any concern or question that they have. This position was created to be a resource and liaison to the student body and we can’t wait to serve. My office is always open and I’m here to not only help but to ensure your experience is a good one. Every part of our platform we plan to execute is based on helping Niners.

C: I will put this position at the front of my responsibilities going into our term. I want to make sure that I have ample amount of time to listen to concerns from students. Our administration will be made of students that will continue to make changes to better our university.

What would you like to say to everyone who voted for you? 

N: Thank you for believing in Chandler, I and our platform. We love UNC Charlotte and want to create a sense of community and improve the student experience. We won’t let you down and we can’t wait to start our term.

C: Words cannot describe how thankful I am for the amount of support Niayai and I have had over the past few weeks. With having to vote not once, but twice, you have all stood behind us through our campaign. It would not have been possible without the connections that I have made on campus from various organizations and leadership opportunities.

The UNC Charlotte Foundation has taken a significant step in the expansion of the university.

A plan approved and funded by the UNC Charlotte Foundation has been released detailing a 226-room, full-service Marriott hotel with a three-meal full-service restaurant and a 15,000-square-foot conference center. A terraced pedestrian plaza links the light rail bridge on Tryon to the Charlotte Research Institute campus. A campus bus stop would provide access to the rest of campus.

The hotel will serve as a “home” for visiting alumni who may be in Charlotte for university business or otherwise. Over time, the goal is for the hotel to become an important alumni engagement opportunity.

Niles Sorensen, president of the UNC Charlotte Foundation, believes the project is vital to the growth of the university community.

“We believe an on-campus hotel will offer an important amenity to the campus — drawing parents and families for move-in days, commencements, family days and other campus events, serving as a gathering place for out-of-town alumni who visit campus, particularly on football weekends and again, thanks to the light rail linkage, the hotel will draw a diverse set of visitors to Charlotte who will have the chance to experience our campus,” he said.

The project is privately funded by the foundation.

Sorensen also commented on the Chancellor’s role and stance on the project stating “the accomplishment of the project is among the chancellor’s priorities.”

The project will bring the university up to par with the other major research universities in the state, such as UNC Chapel Hill, NC State and Duke, which all have similar on-campus facilities.

The project also will fix a long-term problem for the university. UNC Charlotte is currently restricted in the number and size of academic conferences they can host, because of the lack of conference facilities near the campus. The 15,000-square-foot conference center that is included in the plans would allow UNC Charlotte to host a number of conferences in the coming years.

The newly-opened light rail station directly across the street from the proposed site, which creates a convenient linkage to the center city, helped fuel this project. The foundation believes this project overall can be an important opportunity and way for our faculty and alumni to connect the larger community for executive education, certification courses and campus events.  

The hotel will house a three-meal restaurant which will include outdoor seating, both activating the corner of J. W. Clay and Tryon and providing a university destination for Charlotte residents and visitors on the light rail line.

Some students are opposing the creation of a hotel and requesting money go to academic or parking projects.

“Again, it is important to note that this is a project that is privately funded by the University-affiliated Foundation, and not by the University or the State of North Carolina,” Sorensen said. “Academic buildings have, in every case, I think, been funded by the State of North Carolina through either appropriated dollars or bond proceeds that are state, not campus, obligations. Parking is a service funded by the parking fees that faculty, staff and students pay.”

The Charlotte City Council will hear more about the project in the coming months and will be crucial in approving the project for construction.

Photos by Chris Crews and Leysha Caraballo.

On April 7, hundreds of people gathered in Halton Arena where they would dance for 12 hours to raise money for the Levine Children’s Hospital. The night marked the culmination of a year and a half of fundraising by UNC Charlotte Dance Marathon. The group is the largest philanthropic organization at UNC Charlotte, joining 300 universities nationwide to raise money for their local Children’s Miracle Network Hospital.  

The organization was founded in 1991 by Indiana University in memory of Ryan White, a student who passed away from HIV/AIDS. Dance Marathon has become one of the most widespread student-led philanthropies and in 2016, all Dance Marathon organizations raised a combined total of  $32,434,341 with nine campuses raising over $1 million annually. The UNC Charlotte group was founded by the first class of Levine Scholars as “Dance Mine” in 2013.

Sarah Richardson, development officer for the Levine Children’s Hospital, was a senior for that premier 12-hour dance. Now, she serves as an advisor for Charlotte’s Dance Marathon. “It’s been really cool to see how the program has grown and evolved,” she said. The group has gone from raising $35,000 in their first year to their largest fundraising effort yet: $101,761.

The realization of the group’s goals that night was clear: the night was filled with activities and performances that uplifted miracle children, families, dancers and volunteers. Family Relations Chair Cassandra Campagna began the event by dedicating the 12 hours to Brooke Hair, a miracle child who had survived traumatic brain injury after a car accident, but passed away in March of 2017 from a complication during surgery.

With Brooke and other miracle children in mind, dancers were challenged to raise $1,000 during “power hour.” By calling friends and family and other fundraising efforts, the goal was exceeded by $652.

There were several miracle families in attendance who shared their stories throughout the night. One of the parents was Melissa Brown, mother to four young boys. Daeton has cystic fibrosis, severe tracheomalacia, a gastronomy tube to help with eating and is also hearing impaired. His brother Ryder has a VP shunt because he has an overproduction of cerebrospinal fluid. He has had 31 major hip surgeries and is only 8 years old.

Levine Children’s Hospital provides these children with crucial treatment, but Dance Marathon provides them with valuable support. “It’s fun to be here. They get to be kind of like the star and get special attention, but not for their illnesses,” said Brown.

The children and dancers enjoyed the wheelchair basketball game between Charlotte Rollin’ Hornets and a few Dance Marathon members. There was also Zumba, a bouncy house and an organized dance to keep up the morale every hour. Around 3 a.m. when people were at their most competitive, there was a DJ challenge in which dancers had to pick the best songs for certain occasions, followed by a lip syncing challenge.

Miracle child Madi, age 9, said, “I like the fun activities. You can eat; you can dance.” This was Madi’s third year eating and dancing at Dance Marathon.

The event lasted until 6 a.m., when the final amount of funds raised was revealed. The Dance Marathon directors and chairs fell into tears of exhaustion and happiness: $101,761. The group had more than doubled their funds from last year and exceeded their goal of $100,000. All of the money will go to the children’s hospital where it will be used for life-saving equipment that does not get covered by their budget.

In addition, the Levine family challenged the Charlotte community to raise $500,000 for the Levine Children’s Hospital. The Dawson, Sklut, Howard Levine and Leon Levine families will match every donation, dollar for dollar, up to $500,000 until May 17. This means that all of the money raised the night of Dance Marathon was doubled.

Development Director Megan Woody attributes the fundraising success to individual efforts. “There was a big push on personal fundraising this year and we really tried to involve all of our dancers,” Woody said. Woody says her favorite part of Dance Marathon is when they reveal how much money was raised.

Zeta Beta Tau was recognized as the largest group donor, contributing over $6,000. But the biggest source of money wasn’t any single sponsor: it was the dancers themselves. Each person at Dance Marathon has a large impact and Dance Marathon always need more help. You can get involved next year by registering to dance, serving on a committee or raising funds for the miracle kids.

Jamal Ibrahim and Salema Merza, two members of an ancient Middle Eastern ethnoreligious minority, the Yazidis, were among few to immigrate to the U.S. and escape their hometown of Sinjar before attacks by ISIS.

They visited UNC Charlotte last week to share their experiences. Merza is the deputy director of women’s affairs for the global organizations Yazda. She travels on behalf of the organization to help survivors share their stories and raise money for the organization which funds aid to refugee settlements in the Middle East and abroad. Before the 2014 attacks, Merza taught science at local schools and Ibrahim ran food distribution centers that worked with the U.S. government.

After the 2014 attacks, their homes, businesses and former lives ceased to exist. Sinjar was a community in mountains of northern Iraq bordering Syria that has been home to the Yazidis for centuries. Though Yazidis have been no strangers to persecution, the atrocities that occurred after ISIS invaded Sinjar on August 3, 2014 caught them by surprise.

“Before this, Christians, Muslims and Yazidis were co-existing in Sinjar,” she said. “After the fighting, locals supported ISIS.”

The level of crimes committed against the Yazidis can be considered genocide, but were largely ignored by the international community until they were brought into the limelight by international human rights lawyer Amal Clooney.

Merza and Ibrahim spoke firsthand of men being systematically killed and women and children taken for sex slavery. “7000 people were killed within the first hour,” said Merza, “Suicide bombers were sent into the community. ISIS attacked the Yazidis with the intent to exterminate them.”

Those who made it to safety from the attacks became homeless. “Approximately half a million fled their homes and were stranded on Mount Sinjar without food or water,” said Merza. “170 children and elderly died of heat exhaustion and dehydration. 3,000 children became orphans. Many elderly were left behind. Thousands of Yazidi children were taken to ISIS training camps and brainwashed. Yazidi boys were forced to carry out suicide missions. ISIS conducted the largest sexual enslavement of Yazidi women. Yazidi girls as young as nine were raped and sold for sex multiple times.”

The entire Yazidi population has been displaced in refugee camps. ISIS held guns to the heads of Yazidi men and boys forcing them to convert or be killed. “74 crude mass graves have been discovered in Sinjar, most bodies haven’t been identified or families notified,” said Merza.

Ibrahim shared his personal experience during the attacks with Merza translating. On August 3, he received a call from a friend in south Sinjar, where ISIS attacked first, warning him to flee. Ibrahim and his family were especially in danger because ISIS knew his family worked with the U.S. military to distribute food supplies and aid. He got a call from ISIS threatening to take his markets and homes and kill him and all his family if he did not convert to Islam. He and 14 family members then squeezed into a car meant for five people. His elderly father and uncle decided to stay behind in order to provide space in the car for more women and children.

“They did not believe it would progress to the degree that it did. They believed that their non-Yazidi neighbors would protect them,” said Ibrahim, eyes welling.

When their car made it to the border of Kurdistan at 2 a.m. that morning, they discovered that it had been closed. “I saw an old woman holding the hands of two kids getting ready to commit suicide if they didn’t let them in,” said Ibrahim.

Eventually when the Kurds opened the border, Ibrahim and his family sought refuge in one of the settlements. Ibrahim, his wife and his 15-year-old daughter were lucky enough to secure a visa to come to America.

“Some of his family still live in Iraq in camps and are in a dangerous situation because they worked with the U.S. military and are considered ‘infidels’ by ISIS,” translated Merza. “His wife and daughter both have severe trauma and struggle to live a normal life.”

When Ibrahim returned to Sinjar to try to locate his father and uncle, an old man told him he saw them being forced into a car by militants. Ibrahim visited one of the mass grave sites and found his father’s ID on one of the bodies and recognized his uncle’s keys on another. The police granted his request to keep the keys to his family home. Upon returning to the area, he found his home and his family business had been destroyed. Ibrahim closed, “Now the question is ‘what was the fault? What did I do?’ People should think of others as human no matter who they are.”

To many Yazidis, the future of their homeland looks dim. Most of the little infrastructure they had was destroyed. Hospitals closed due to lack of doctors, medicine an electricity. The U.N.  used to help with essential items and some financial support, but no longer do, according to Merza.

“Most Yazidis don’t want to be refugees in other countries. The homeland is where you want to live,” said Merza. “They do want to stay in the homeland in case they get support from the big countries. I hope you can go to the government and tell them to help the most vulnerable.”

In front of a crowd of over 300 of North Carolina’s top healthcare executives, former congressman Patrick Kennedy, son of late Sen. Ted Kennedy, opened up about his struggles with a disease facing over 21.5 million Americans today: substance abuse disorder.

He recalled growing up in a household with alcoholic parents where mental health issues were swept under the rug.

“Even in the most liberal households,” Kennedy said, “stigma can be very real.”

He called for an end to the stigma and denial not only in families and communities but in the healthcare system.

“The denial that this is a disease in families and communities translates into denial by insurance companies in the form of denial of reimbursement claims for treatment of those disorders,” he said.

Kennedy expressed outrage at Congress, stating that 24 billion was spent researching HIV/AIDs, but only 500 million was spent researching addiction when addiction affects 40,000 more people each year.

“If Congress cared, they wouldn’t allowed our jails to jam packed with people with addiction and psychological disorders,” he said.

Kennedy believes investments in mental health will pay off across the board.

“Early interventions and social interventions can reduce the costs of your jail systems and prison systems,” he said. “Just ask the Republicans of Miami Dade County, by supporting community housing, they haven’t had to fund a new prison in Miami Dade. Spending on mental health is a value add that leads to overall savings.”

Kennedy related the issue back to education, saying, “What is more fundamental to the education of our young people than the ability to manage stress? That ought to be taught in schools.”

Medical Director of Atrium Health, psychiatrist Dr. Stephen Wyatt, echoed Kennedy’s concerns about the stigma surrounding the disorder and took time to address misinformation in the public.

“We have to change the paradigm,” he said. “We have to understand this is a chronic illness. Treatment works, we just have to be able to recognize it is a brain disease.”

Kennedy expressed hope after speaking with Dr. Rahul Rajkumar, chief medical officer of Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina. Rajkumar was one of many VIP panelists gathered for the event by the Charlotte Chamber of Commerce. In a panel on healthcare innovation, Rajkumar touted Blue Cross Blue Shield North Carolina’s new direction as “the most aggressive move towards value based care” and stressed the need to “move away from a system that rewards volume to one that rewards efficiency.”

Rajkumar stated the goal as “trying to design a payment system that rewards the highest ideals of medicine.” He believes that accountable care organizations are the future, explaining that in such a model “[Payers and providers] both have skin in the game. We’re both sharing costs and benefits. We’re both sharing data both ways.”

Mayor Vi Lyles was also in attendance, moderating a panel on “Transformational Leadership” seeking the insights of Novant Health CEO Carl Armato, Atrium Health CEO Gene Woods and Premier Inc. CEO Susan DeVore.

When asked what comes to mind when she thought of transformational leadership, UNC Charlotte alumna DeVore said, “You have to be ready at any moment to change what you are for what you might become.”

The panel was also asked about what change in the healthcare system they would most like to see. Armato responded, “I believe it is in empowering physician leaders, nurse leaders, administrative leaders…it’s not about micromanaging, it’s about turning them loose.” DeVore stated, “I don’t think the government can fix this. I don’t think insurance companies can fix this. I think the only way it can be fixed is from inside the system itself.” Woods expressed excitement at the advancements in technology propelling telemedicine: “Today, [Atrium] will have 14,000 visits happening virtually.”

Lyles concluded the panel by asking the panelists for the words of advice they have to offer “future transformational leaders.” The panelists kept their responses concise. “Courage,” said Carl Armato. “Be Brave,” stated DeVore. “Do the right thing,” capped Woods.

Students from architecture course pose for an on-site photo at the RailYard project.  Photo courtesy of Charles Trowell.

At the base of every great building is a solid foundation. For a considerable number of employees at The RBA Group, Inc., that foundation is UNC Charlotte.

Charles Trowell, an associate architect at the firm, received his bachelor of architecture from UNC Charlotte in 2017. Trowell is staying true to his 49er roots with his latest inception.

“Coming out of school, because architecture is kind of a studio-based thing, a lot of the work that you do is really just on paper. So there’s sort of a gap between academia and then trying to translate that to the actual workforce,” said Trowell. “You kind of get thrown to the wolves, essentially, when you get out in the field. I still have good ties with UNC Charlotte, so I just told them like, ‘Hey, I see the opportunity that you all are missing. Give these students something that I didn’t get or we didn’t get when we were in undergrad.’”

Trowell’s blueprint hopped right off the page and into action.

On March 13, David Thaddeus and students from his Structure of the Everyday course visited The RailYard project. Thaddeus, also a registered architect, has been a professor of structures and architectural design at UNC Charlotte since 1999.

The RailYard is one of the most anticipated commercial spaces under construction in the Carolinas. The eight-story, two building project will include 300,000 square feet of creative office space, an outdoor plaza, rooftop park, ground-level restaurants and incredible views of Uptown, South End and Dilworth. The $100 million project is expected to open in January 2019.

“The most important thing is they get to see what they’re drawing,” Thaddeus said. “Getting to see the stuff and how it goes together is just an invaluable lesson that they don’t get in school. RBA is giving back to the community in many ways by hiring UNC Charlotte students and mentoring students. Their engagement and involvement in the professional community is the true definition of leadership.”

The site visit consisted of a brief overview and on-site view of the project, in which students were able to meet with the contractor and see steel going up. The visit ended back at the RBA office where the staff held a networking open house for the students to ask questions and learn more about what the architecture firm does.

UNC Charlotte senior Maura Witzel appreciated the real world interaction.

“The opportunity to engage so fully with the professionals in and around our intended field has been both invaluable and relevant,” said Witzel. “Not only have we seen the physical nature of architecture and its construction, we’ve learned so much about the collaboration that brings it all together. It’s really important in deciding the next step in our education and careers.”

Fellow classmate Shane Zimmerman thoroughly enjoyed the inner workings of a large-scale building.

“Having the opportunity while in school to visit job sites is extremely beneficial in understanding the process of construction,” said Zimmerman. “It also makes it very clear to see all the parts that we as students heading into the workforce will be drawing and detailing. What better way to learn and understand a connection than by seeing it be put together.”

Trowell believes his initiative will improve the network between the collegiate and corporate world for years to come, especially for 49ers.

“We’re primarily creating a bridge and getting a little more notoriety for UNC Charlotte,” he said. “Now their architecture program is bigger than NC State’s and we’re in a city that is growing crazy fast, so really making that connection is sort of a no brainer for me. We have a company with all these UNC Charlotte grads, so why not cultivate these relationships and get a little more strategic about giving the new students better resources and better access to opportunities that they wouldn’t get otherwise?”

SoVi. NT File Photo.

Students are fed up with dining hall hours, or at least that’s what a recent survey indicates.

A Student Government Association (SGA) survey of 1,254 people conducted during the spring elections found 96 percent of students are in favor of extending dining hall hours.

SGA passed a bill to recognize these grievances. The legislation, sponsored by freshman at-large senator Jacob Baum, calls for Crown Commons and SoVi to extend their hours until 10 p.m. starting in the fall semester of 2018.

Sahithi Meduri, sophomore class president-elect, was a sponsor of the bill alongside Baum. She said current dining hall hours are not fair to students with late classes.

“Many students have things going on until 9:15 p.m. and dining halls close at 8:30 p.m,” she said. “[We] didn’t think it was fair and wanted more options [for students] than fast food.”

While Chic-fil-A is open until 10 p.m. on weekdays, Atkins café until 11 p.m. and Wendy’s until 12:30 a.m., SoVi and Crown Commons dining halls both close at 8:30 p.m. Next semester, classes will run as late as 11:15 p.m. SGA believes students should have access to healthier foods throughout the day.

Meduri thinks students have the right to the extra hours because other UNC schools have better dining options.

“I believe it should already be included in what we already pay in our tuition because other schools in our system have longer hours and more dining food options,” she said.

UNC Charlotte’s cheapest meal plan is $1,185, although students must have 90 credit hours in order to qualify for this option. The cheapest meal plan for freshmen is $2,125. UNC Chapel Hill’s cheapest plan is $1,378, but their latest dining hall is open until 12 a.m. NC State’s cheapest plan is $1,750 and their dining halls are open until 9 p.m. The cheapest plan at East Carolina University is $1,925 and their last dining hall closes at 11 p.m. Although UNC Charlotte does offer the cheapest meal plan, that plan is only available to upperclassmen and freshmen have to pay the most expensive plan of these four schools. In addition, Charlotte offers the shortest dining hall hours.

Freshman Soleil Maynor disagrees with many of her classmates about extending the hours.

“I wish they wouldn’t do it,” she said. “I feel like it might mess with the dining hall employees’ shifts in a very undesirable way and I’m sure they already get home late because they have to clean up afterwards.”

Meduri said she is unsure whether dining hall employees would be paid overtime for working past the current closing times.

The bill is a formal suggestion and does not ensure dining hours will be extended. However, Meduri is confident that the university and the regional district manager of Chartwells Dining — our long-standing catering company — will collaborate to meet student demands.