Scratching the surface of DJ
Hero...An inside look at the latest
UNC Charlotte auxiliary services
embraces new social media
Corey Conner
News Editor
bconner5@uncc.edu
Foursquare, a new social
media application/game, has
come to UNC Charlotte, the first
university to implement the new
technology campus-wide.
Foursquare takes advantage
of location-aware technology in
users’ mobile phones. With the
application, users can update
and share their location from
their phone by checking-in at
nearby venues.
Jason Keath, Charlotte area
social media consultant and
UNC Charlotte alumnus, talked
about Foursquare on Charlotte’s
campus in a recent blog post. He
said, “While [college students]
love their smart phones and
Facebook, they are not in tune
with much else in the social
space. However, Foursquare
is similar to Facebook in the
fact that it let’s you see up to
Student charged as sex offender
One of many sex offenders now living around the University
Ryan Freeman
Editor-in-Chief
uteditor@uncc.edu
Hugh James Passerini Jr.,
a UNC Charlotte engineering
student, pleaded guilty in
Louisiana State court Tuesday,
Jan. 5 to indecent behavior with a
juvenile. Passerini admitted that
he attempted to solicit sex from
a Louisiana state trooper who
posed as a 15-year-old girl.
Passerini was charged with
online solicitation of a minor and
indecent behavior with a juvenile.
He received a suspended five-year
prison sentence and was placed
on five-year active supervised
probation. The state judge also
ordered him to register himself
as a sex offender.
According to prosecutors,
Passerini entered a chat room
and attempted to solicit sex from
what he thought was a 15-year-
old girl.
There are 99 registered sex
offenders within five miles of
the university’s 28223 zip code
from the “Hero” collection.
The University of North Carolina at Charlotte • www.nineronline.com
the second information about
your friends... I can see college
students, who are always looking
for the next party, latching on to
the ‘where is everybody at’ aspect
of Foursquare pretty easily.”
In an interview with Keath,
Brain Baute, the IT Director
for Business Services at UNC
Charlotte said, “The main
thing we’re really trying to do
is engage students and connect
with students. They’ve told us
consistently that they want us
to be there with them in New
Media- where we can go where
they are. It seems like Foursquare
really seems to be a place where
students go and interact. We
want to be there to interact
with them as well.” When asked
about why Charlotte chose
Foursquare instead of other
location-aware applications,
Baute said that Foursquare offers
better advertising opportunities
compared to services such as
Gowalla.
according to the North Carolina
Attorney General’s website.
One of these offenders lives
in Campus Walk apartments.
These infractions include not
only minor offenses but also
such infractions as “rape,”
“prostitution of a minor” and
“second degree sex exploitation
of a minor.” Mecklenburg
County has the highest number
of registered sex offenders at 663
and there are 1261 incarcerated
sex offenders in North Carolina.
Concerning sex offenders
living around UNC Charlotte’s
campus, University officials
have said, “The university does
not have the power to keep sex
offenders off of and away from
the campus area.”
They continued to say,
“We have had students denied
admission to the university
because they were registered
sex offenders and we have some
students at here who are under
the age of 18.”
Chivalry may be dead in reality,
but when it comes to Hollywood
Page5
Got a tip? Give us a call at 704.687.7148
Currently there are almost
two dozen check-in locations on-
campus. When more students
begin adding more venues on
campus, students will be able to
check-in at almost any campus
location.
For organizations and
businesses, Foursquare offers
the opportunity to advertise
products and services based on
location.
Whenever a user checks-in to
a venue, a message may appear
telling the user how to take
advantage of a special offer.
One example on UNC
Charlotte’s campus is checking-
in at Halton Arena. Whenever
a student checks-in during a
basketball game, they can show
their phone to an attendant at
the merchandise area and receive
a free 49er rally towel.
Another incentive for
students to check-in is the
ability to become the mayor
of a location. The mayor is the
Location of sex offenders within a five mile radius of UNCC.
movies, it is very much alive.
Photo/Corey Conner
person who has checked-in the
most at a location and may have
special privileges at the venue.
For example, the mayor of Main
Street Market will receive a free
drink for them and the person
behind them in line.
Kevin Rose, founder of
Digg.com and a Foursquare
investor, along with other
online entrepreneurs, are calling
location-aware applications the
next step in social media. In a
recent video blog Rose said, “I
believe that location sharing is
one big thing that hasn’t really
been tapped...It’s exciting and
very experimental at the same
time. Everybody is trying to feel
out what’s possible with these
technologies.”
A Foursquare application
is currently available for the
iPhone, Palm, and Android
based devices. Others can use the
service throught text messaging.
Kindle DX, it was supposed
to allow students easier and
cheaper access to their textbooks;
however, a pilot program at
Princeton University did not go
over smoothly.
Electronic Show in Las Vegas
NC Department of Justice many companies released new
e-book readers hoping to give
Page 4
TUESDAY
January 12, 2009 Vol 22, No. 23
Partially Funded by Student Fees Published twice weekly
Charlotte police
officer charged
with sexual assault
Ryan Freeman
Editor-in-Chief
uteditor@uncc.edu
A Charlotte Mecklenburg
police officer Marcus Jackson
has been accused of sexual
abusing at least 6 people. Two
women came forward Jan. 8
and alleged misconduct from
the officer. The two new vic-
tims, both 21-years-old, were
stopped by the 25-year old of-
ficer at 11 p.m. on Dec. 28 on
Matheson Avenue where Jack-
Courtesy of Mecklenburg County
son allegedly groped them, Sheriff’s Office
investigators say. Investigators
Marcus Jackson after being ar-
also say they have evidence that rested on December 30, 2009
Jackson acted inappropriately
that may have been gathered sex offense, extortion, kid-
from the dashboard mounted napping, indecent exposure
camera in the police officer’s and two counts of felonious
vehicle. restraint but new charges are
Earlier last week, two other continuing to be added.
victims came forward who had Jackson had received a
actually been arrested by Jack- domestic violence protective
son. According to the victim, he order that should have pre-
and his girlfriend were arrested vented him from being hired,
after confronting the officer but had somehow been missed
fondling his girlfriend.
by Charlotte Mecklenburg po-
According to the Charlotte- lice according to Chief Rodney
Mecklenburg Police depart- Monroe. Jackson is under ar-
ment as of Dec. 30 the charges rest and his bond has been set
brought against Jackson are at $423,000.
sexual battery, second-degree
Africana Studies
Department
offers colloquium
‘The Presidency of Barack Obama’
Corey Conner Obama Across the Disciplines.
News Editor The keynote speaker has not yet
bconner5@uncc.edu been announced.
Colloquium topics include,
Starting Jan. 20 the Africana
The Obama Phenomenon: Race,
Studies Department, along with
Racism, and the “Browning of
many co-sponsoring departments,
Terror;” The Gender Factor
will offer the spring semester
in Obama’s White House;
colloquium, “The Presidency of
Rhetorical Practices of the
Barack Obama.”
Obama Presidency; and Obama,
Sixteen faculty members from
Progress, and the Taming of
various academic departments Public Memory.
will give weekly presentations The events are opened to
on Barack Obama, his ideas, faculty, students, and members
and his political philosophy and of the community, excluding
practices. The colloquium will April 14, which is open only
be held every Wednesday in
to registered students. The
Fretwell 128, from 5 to 7:45pm. department recommends pre-
The series will conclude registering by sending an e-mail
on April 21, with a day-long to ogundiran@uncc.edu
symposium, Interrogating Barack
CES 2010
introduces many
new e-readers
Corey Conner Amazon some competition.
News Editor Almost a dozen new devices
bconner5@uncc.edu were introduced at the show.
One of the devices creating a
When Amazon released the lot of buzz on the tech blogs is the
Skiff e-reader. The Skiff e-reader
has an 11.5 in e-ink screen, much
larger than Amazon Kindle’s
6in screen. E-ink is different
than traditional screens in that it
doesn’t emit light and is easier on
This year at the Consumer the eyes.
See E-Reader p. 2
PAGE 2 ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
ninernews
Students save money by leasing
Colleges transition from buying books
Holly K. Hacker
The Dallas Morning News
DALLAS-- You can rent an
apartment, a car or a DVD. Now
add college textbooks to the list ex-
pensive items that people are rent-
ing because they are short on cash
or looking for a better deal.
Students at the University of
Texas at Arlington and the Univer-
sity of North Texas can lease some
textbooks through their campus
bookstore, while others can find
deals through a growing number of
online rental sites _ think Netflix
for English lit and calculus.
Meanwhile, a few professors and
colleges are experimenting with free
online textbooks.
There’s good reason for the de-
mand. College students can expect
to shell out more than $1,000 on
textbooks over the academic year,
according to the Southern Regional
Education Board. While that’s still a
fraction of tuition and fees, the high
cost prompts plenty of gripes.
“It comes to a point where you
feel like you have to take out a sepa-
rate loan just for your textbooks,”
bookstore manager. “It went
well. Everybody’s happy with
it,” he said.
Internet startups are
jumping on the rental band-
wagon, too. A California-
based company called Chegg
lets students order textbooks
online and then ships via
UPS. The four-year-old com-
pany has rented more than
1.5 million textbooks this
year.
So many sites have
popped up it’s hard to keep
them straight: bookrenter.
com, cam pusbookrentals.
com and textbookrentals.
com.
Not every textbook can
MCT Campus be rented. Experts say books
need to have a decent shelf
life so they can be rented sev-
eral times. A bookstore won’t
recoup its costs if the fourth
edition of a book is quickly
said Branden Scott, a sophomore at replaced by the fifth. A 2005
UNT. federal study reported that publish-
Scott rented a $70 textbook for ers revise textbooks every three or
his English class through UNT’s four years.
bookstore. The price for a semester- Nor does renting always make
long rental: about $25. sense. Students who need their
“I was in a rush to get my text- books beyond one semester class
books for the cheapest prices I are better off buying. If a student
could,” he said. needs a book immediately, waiting
UNT and UTA were among for books from Amazon.com and
seven colleges nationally to offer half.com might not be possible.
textbook rentals this fall through Consumer advocates say text-
their bookstores, which are man- book rental programs help by offer-
aged by Follett Higher Education ing more choices. But it shouldn’t
Group. This month, the program stop there.
will expand to 22 colleges across “We think that open-source
the country. textbooks are the ultimate solu-
In general, a $100 new textbook tion,” said Nicole Allen, textbook
rents for $42.50 per semester. Stu- advocate for the Student Public In-
dents must be at least 18, provide terest Research Groups, a coalition
a credit card and sign a contract of student consumer organizations.
agreeing to return the materials on Allen cited a company called Flat
time. Otherwise, they’re charged World Knowledge, which publishes
75 percent of the new book price, about a dozen business e-textbooks,
plus a 7.5 percent processing fee. with more titles in the works. Stu-
Users can highlight and write in the dents can read the books online for
books, but they must be returned in free or buy a printed version (rang-
good condition. ing from about $20 for a print-it-
At UTA, just over 4,000 students yourself copy to $60 for a soft-cover
rented more than 6,000 books this color copy).
fall, said Bill Coulter, the campus At Cedar Valley College in Lan-
caster, Texas, students taking Intro-
duction to Business all use the same
e-text from Flat World. Professor
Diane Minger said she likes the
book, and not just because it’s easy
on students’ checkbooks.
“I found the book to be ex-
tremely thorough, covering material
in much greater depth and detail
than current books on the market,”
she said. “So far, I’m getting good
comments from students.” Courtesy of MCT Campus
Still, experts say don’t expect
e-books to replace printed books
E-Reader
continued from p.1
any time soon. Even though young
people today are more likely to The larger screens are mostly driven by
download music rather than buy a newspapers and magazines, however, textbook
CD, or to get their news online, Stu- manufacturers may be more willing to produce
dentPIRGS found that most would electonic versions of textbooks for the new
e-readers..
still rather buy a low-cost textbook Read the rest of this story at Niner-
than read one free online. Online.com
Texas lawmakers are expected
to join the debate, too. The House
Committee on Higher Education
has been ordered to study ways to
lower the cost of instructional ma-
terials, including electronic text-
books, open source books and other
online resources.
Other attempts to lower text-
book costs _ such as exempting
them from sales tax _ have failed in
the Legislature.
As for rentals, they’re expected
to expand rapidly. The Higher Ed-
ucation Opportunity Act of 2008
included $10 million for textbook
rental pilot programs, with anoth-
er $10 million allocated this year.
The National Association of Col-
lege Stores estimates that 200 of its
member campus bookstores offer a
rental program.
Scott, the UNT sophomore,
said he’d actually prefer digital
textbooks. “I don’t think a lot of
students in this day really do care
whether or not it’s physically in
print or if you just have to access a
Web site,” he said. “Both are just as
convenient.”
And while he had a good experi-
ence renting, Scott found one major
downside.
“I’m a little sad I have to return
it, because I enjoyed a lot of the sto-
ries in it.”

Recent college grads
need perseverance in
tough market
Claudia Buck
McClatchy Newspapers
Baby, it’s cold out there. And
we’re not just talking about the
weather.
At the University of California,
Davis, and California State
University, Sacramento, where
hundreds of graduates picked
up diplomas this month, it’s a
decidedly chilly job climate.
With unemployment still
hovering in double digits,
December graduates are
facing one of the grimmest job
environments in decades. “I
constantly remind students: They
only need one job,” said career
adviser Marcie Kirk-Holland
with the UCD Internship and
Career Center. “There may not
be as many offers out there, but
you only need to find one.”
But no one’s saying it isn’t
tough out there. “It’s a very soft
market ... the toughest I’ve seen
in 27 years,” said Eva Gabbe of
the CSUS Career Center. “We’ve
been through recessions, but it
would hit only one sector. But
this one’s hit all of them.”
For the 2,600 CSUS and 900
UCD students who graduated
this month, there are glimmers
of hope.
“There’s still no massive
movement to increase (college
student) hiring, but there’s a
slight shift. Each month has been
slightly better than the previous
month,” said Edwin Koc with the
National Association of Colleges
and Employers.
An estimated 33 percent of
employers surveyed in December,
according to Koc, said they expect
to hire more college graduates in
the next quarter. That’s up from
17 percent in August.
“This is first time I’ve seen
more employers say they’re going
to increase, rather than decrease,
hiring since August 2008,” Koc
said.
One of those hiring is
Triage Consulting Group, a San
THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ PAGE 3
Francisco-based health care
consulting company. “We hire
young, bright minds straight
out of college,” said principal
Andy Stemmler. “They are very
trainable, very motivated and
incredibly willing to learn.”
Triage, which hires mostly
business and economics majors,
is actually upping its 2010 hiring.
With health care a relatively
robust job sector, Stemmler said
Triage is recruiting 75 or 80
students next year, compared
with 70 this year.
For the iPhone generation,
accustomed to following a
scripted path through school,
finding a job takes some new
thinking, say career experts. “It’s
a very messy, unclear system,”
said Duncan Mathison, a San
Diego career consultant and co-
author of “Unlock the Hidden
Job Market.”
This crop of graduates may
be Web-savvy and accustomed
to social networking online, but
those connections may be ill-
suited for finding jobs, he said.
“What do you do when your
network is the same as you:
unemployed?”
Yet the holidays, when
friends and family are gathering,
can be an ideal environment
for getting a jump on jobs, he
said. Mathison recommends the
“100-person rule,” which means
creating a list of 100 people you
want to contact.
More so than in previous
years, new graduates need to be
willing to take jobs that aren’t
their ideal fresh-from-college
posts, but are the first rung up
the ladder.
Instead of getting hired as a
staff accountant, for instance,
many CSUS accounting majors
are starting in training-level
positions, such as accounts
receivable/payable, Gabbe said.
Plenty of history, sociology,
psychology and English majors
are “jumping in wherever they
can,” including jobs in insurance
claims and underwriting
departments. “Their
communication and writing
skills, organizational abilities
and computer (savvy) can lend
themselves to any (position),”
said Gabbe.
“I was open to moving
anywhere and doing anything
that was applicable to my major,”
said the Sacramentan, who’s now
home for the holidays. “It may not
be your first choice, but you have
to be open to doing anything
with that first job. Some of my
friends who graduated in June
are still looking.”
Some December grads are
getting hired, though. One of the
lucky ones is Brian Henrikson, a
23-year-old December graduate
from California Polytechnic State
University, San Luis Obispo. The
industrial engineering major
has two job offers, including a
scheduling supervisor position
at Diamond Foods Inc. in
Stockton.
Sometimes it takes pushing
yourself forward. Kathryn
McDaniel, 23, graduated earlier
this year from UCD with a double
major in English and biology.
After months of job searching,
she applied for a receptionist
position at the Glenn County
Office of Education, near her
hometown in Orland.
“When I didn’t hear back,
I called HR. They said, ‘Oh,
you’re overqualified,’” McDaniel
said. But the staffer put her into
another pool of candidates for a
part-time job as a records clerk
for a Glenn County foster youth
program.
“During my interview,
I pulled out my college
experiences,” such as dorm
resident adviser and a math-and-
science camp counselor. That led
to a second part-time job offer as
a high school lab technician for
chemistry and biology classes.
As of November, McDaniel is
happily working both jobs.
viewpoint
PAGE 4 ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
Ryan Freeman E
Dana Nigro Managing Editor
Josh Carpenter Sports Editor
Rob McCormick Jr. Features Editor
ditor-in-Chief
Corey Conner News Editor
Brian McCormickw A&E Editor
Shannon Morgan Photo Editor
Sarah Jones Layout Editor

Hollywood’s view on romance can sour reality

Today’s relationships can be placed under enormous amounts of pressure to perform just as well
as the actors who portray the stereotypical ‘perfect’ couples on the silver screen
jILLIAN mULLEN
Staff Writer
jmullen9@uncc.edu
Chivalry may be dead in reality, but
when it comes to Hollywood movies, it
is very much alive--and too convincing.
Advertisements for romantic movies
are on every billboard, television, and
bus across the country, constantly
reminding us about perfect dates, soul
mates and true love. However, these
plot lines are extremely unrealistic and
are causing men and women everywhere
to dream up far-reaching scenarios and
false hopes.
 is simple and happy in life, instead of
In 2009, movies like “The Ugly
Truth,” “The Proposal,” “The Time
Traveler’s Wife,” “Love Happens,”
“Couples Retreat,” and “Twilight: New
Moon,” raked in the money at the box
office. These films contain fairy-tale, movies, relationships are under more scenarios and then expect them to
idyllic plot lines that appeal to the pressure than ever. Men and women actually happen in real life; at the same
hopelessly romantic men and women in expect more from their significant time, Hollywood should not be
society. By appealing to that emotional, other because of the “cute” stories that pretending that these story lines
seem to occur everywhere. People in could actually exist outside of the
empathetic part of human beings,
this generation are no longer drawn movie set. With all the problems
Hollywood worms its way into our
to simple; instead, extravagant is the in this generation, pressure on
hearts. The romantic, heart-warming,
norm--even in relationships. Simple is relationships is the last thing we
funny movie plots stick with us; we
not good enough anymore.
 need to worry about.

watch them over and over and the tales
However, having too high of A note to Hollywood: cool
remain in our mind.

expectations in relationships is rarely it with the seemingly-realistic
People like watching realistic
a positive thing, especially when romantic movies. There’s a fine
films. We like seeing stories that could
those expectations are rooted in fake, line between entertainment and
actually happen to us. And, because of
unrealistic plot lines. Society needs to brain-washing, and it seems that
the myriad of romantic movies that are
take a step back and refocus on what recent films are tip-toeing that
released every year, these perfect couples
line. Movies are an escape; they
seem normal. These overdone story lines
looking for love in the wrong places. are not a “How-To” for dating
have become so familiar in society that
Hollywood makes movies to entertains and relationships. Simple is key.
men and women have begun to believe
us--not to give us high hopes about Extraordinary should be just that-
that extraordinary circumstances are
our significant others. People cannot -extraordinary.
common and, unfortunately, expected.
rely on Hollywood to create romantic
Thanks to Hollywood and romantic
MCT Campus

UNC Charlotte students

confused by winter storms
Jamie Brown
Staff Writer
jbrow318@uncc.edu
The winter blast seems to be taking over the
United States. This past weekend, North Dakota
saw wind chill of 45 below zero, making it nearly
impossible to leave the house. People weren’t even
able to travel south to avoid the frost. Florida saw
temperatures in the 30’s. The frost in the sunshine
state has killed most of the crops, which means less
fresh fruit this month. No place seems to be safe
from the frigid air. I realize it’s winter but there’s a
reason I chose to live in Charlotte, North Carolina
and not in Alaska.
Despite the below freezing temperatures, there
are still those select few individuals who don’t
know how to dress for the weather. The theory may
be obvious, but when there is a chance of flurries
and you are able see your own breath, shorts and a
t-shirt are not the proper outfit. I call these people
the ‘stubborn ones’.
week the weather is calling for snow in the charlotte
area, and the next week the temperature is suppose
to reach the 50’s. Even I don’t know what to wear
in this season they call winter. However, I am not
the only one confused, animals are just as puzzled.
The temperature was barely 20 degrees and there
was a robin in my backyard, although, it isn’t like
they can go south to escape the cold.
In fact, there was a story recently where iguanas
are falling out of trees in Florida. These reptiles
have become so confused by the brisk air that they
are unable to form a grip around the branch. They
then slip into hibernation, and simply fall out of
the tree. Tourists assume the iguanas are dead, but
they are merely sleeping until the weather becomes
a little more stable.
Honestly, who knows when that will occur,
definitely not the weatherman. Last week Charlotte
was suppose to see flurries, even calling on the salt
trucks to prepare the roads. Paranoid Carolinians
stocked up on their milk and bread, only to be
disappointed with a whole bunch of nothing.

An emergency response
These individuals want you to think you’re
crazy for thinking it’s cold but the sheet of ice
on my car reassures me that they are actually the
crazy ones. When you can see your own breath,
While some people experienced inches of
snow in other areas of North Carolina, staying in
the Charlotte area over the break only gave me a
bad attitude towards winter. The last few weeks

drill over winter break

it is cold outside and when the grass is white, it
is cold outside, end of story. So please ‘stubborn
ones,’ retire the flip-flops until the summer, and
put on some pants, because your lack of clothing is
making me cold just looking at you.
provided me with a dirty car from the unnecessary
salt on the roads and a sinus infection from the
unpredictable weather. Is it summer yet? Who
knows, maybe we’ll see snow in the summer time,
because mother nature can’t seem to make up her

With no students on campus, is a practice However, flip-flops and shorts may be able to mind.
make a reappearance sooner then expected. One

without participants really a practice at all?

jILLIAN mULLEN everyone else? Wouldn’t it be more effective if
Smoke free venues in
Charlotte leave students
Staff Writer students, staff, and faculty were actually on campus
jmullen9@uncc.edu when it happened?

The simulation took place over break to
The lack of students, staff, and faculty on ‘minimize confusion.’ That’s understandable; it

happy with the change

campus during break didn’t prevent police and
emergency personnel from practicing safety.
On Jan. 5, at approximately 9:25 am, an “active
shooter” simulation took place on UNC Charlotte’s
campus. According to the UNC Charlotte news
release, police and emergency personnel rushed
across the UNC Charlotte campus to confront
two fake gunmen “who had opened fire in a
classroom building before one of them took several
hostages.”Following a directive from UNC system
President Erskine Bowles, all UNC institutions
must conduct this type of drill this school year.
 pleased with the newly implemented ban on
The simulation was deemed a success; “we did a
lot of things very well,” said Chancellor Dubois. In
the years since the shootings at Virginia Tech and
Northern Illinois University, taking precautions
such as these has become a pertinent part of school
safety.
It is extremely important to be cautious on
school campuses across the country. The point
of this simulation was to prepare UNC Charlotte
for an ‘active shooter,’ were one ever to emerge on
campus. Staging it during winter break prepared
those who participated in the drill, but what about
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style and content.
would create confusion all over UNC Charlotte’s
campus if the precaution were to happen during
when classes are in session. On the other hand,
it will be just as confusing if it actually does
happen and we don’t know how to react. Reading
instructions, would not be as effective as witnessing
it and learning how to react. Reading about what
happened can educate us, but the best way to learn Dana Nigro tobacco has taken a backseat to human health
Managing Editor concern.
is to experience it.
 dnigro@uncc.edu
It is critical to know what to do in those Freshman Tessa Grogan who suffers from
asthma believes it to be a healthy choice for not only
situations; to better educate the university’s UNC Charlotte students couldn’t be more
population, the drill should have taken place herself, but fellow students as well. “Secondhand
during the semester instead. It would have been smoke is not only dangerous to me but also to other
smoking in restaurants and bars, even if it’s in the
more confusing, It would have created traffic students who might have medical problems, and
nation’s largest tobacco growing region.
problems and, possibly, panic for those who didn’t even some of those who don’t,” said Grogan.
Earlier this month a law to ban smoking from
know what was occurring. After the law was passed Gov. Bev Perdue said,
all restaurants and bars with the exceptions of
At the same time, UNC Charlotte’s population “By banning smoking in our restaurants and bars,
private clubs and cigar bars was put into effect.
would have been better educated on how to be we will greatly reduce the dangers of secondhand
A fine of up to $50 for smoking in a bar or
safe and prepared in dangerous situations. The smoke and lower health care costs for families.” The
restaurant and $200 fine for owners who neglect the
simulation involved numerous state and local law EPA estimates that secondhand smoke exposure
new policy was put in place to ensure compliance.
enforcement, fire and rescue personnel. In the causes approximately 3,000 lung cancer deaths per
The days of walking into a smoke filled bar
event of any danger, we are well protected by many year.
while a cancerous haze loomed over head have
different outlets; however, next time UNC Charlotte The nights spent downtown are filled with fun,
come to an end. Though tobacco was king in the
conducts a simulation like this, the experience and it’s the time you forget about classes and tests. It
Carolinas, students are happy to breathe the fresh
knowledge could be worth the confusion. isn’t the time you should be worrying about having
air once more.
your lungs filled with poisonous fumes that you
“I don’t care if people smoke, but it honestly
don’t even want in the first place.
can ruin food and was never separated by ‘non
Next time you go out make sure to stop and
-smoking’. I’m happy for sure,” said sophomore
smell the fresh air. Be thankful that you can finally
Justin Balser.
breathe smoke free.
In North Carolina, the land of J. R. Reynolds,

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 THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ PAGE 5

arts&entertainment
DJ Hero passing or failing?
UNC Charlotte students get their chance to test the newest edition to the ‘Hero’ collection
Photo/Jackson Sveen
Jackson Sveen
N.O. Executive Editor
jlsveen@uncc.edu
Have you ever wondered what it takes to be
a DJ; To be the center of the party while mixing
and scratching your favorite tunes? Thanks to the
latest release in the Hero line by Activision, gamers
can get a taste of what it feels like to be a DJ Hero.
While the game follows a recognizable format
to its predecessor, Guitar Hero, there are many
noticeable and challenging differences.
The biggest thing that sets DJ Hero apart is
the music featured in the game. The soundtrack
is a eclectic mixture of rock, hip hop, electronica,
pop, R&B, soul, and more, featuring the likes of
artists such as The Jackson 5, Justice, Marvin Gaye,
Beastie Boys, Blondie, Beck, and Public Enemy to
name a few.
Players are able to play preset sessions or make
their own comprised of their favorite mixes. Each
mix is made up of two songs which are “mashed-
up” to compose a new song that were all made
exclusively for this game. Some mash-ups just
seem like they go together, such as Jay-Z’s “Change
Clothes” with 2 Pac’s “All Eyez On Me” or Vanilla
Ice’s “Ice Ice Baby” with MC Hammer’s “Can’t
touch this.” Other mash-ups seem like they could
never work, but still bring the songs together in a
way that is modern and just plain fun to listen to.
Some of the more insane mash-ups are Eminem’s
“My Name Is” with Beck’s “Where it’s at,” Queen’s “It makes me appreciate what DJs do,” said see it getting picked up by the masses.”
“Another One Bites the Dust” with Daft Punk’s Willie Frazier, one of our student testers. “I think If you would like to have a chance to find out
“Da Funk,” and 50 Cent’s “Disco Inferno” with it would be a great party game. Invite your friends if DJ Hero is the game for you, we will be holding
David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance.” All of these mash- over, pop some popcorn, turn off the lights and the second demo sessions in the Student Union,
ups and many more are available to check out at turn on the DJ Hero.” during the first week of the spring semester. Not
djhero.com/music. Others were not so pleased with game. “I didn’t only can you come by and test out the game, but
When playing story mode, players can choose love it,” said Dominique Steward, a Sophomore and you can enter our free drawing to win a copy of
between a variety of characters and actual real- self-proclaimed game enthusiast at UNC Charlotte. the game. Follow us at twitter.com/nineronline for
life DJs to play as. DJ Jazzy Jeff, Daft Punk, DJ “It doesn’t really compare to Guitar Hero. It has more information about the demo and giveaway.
Shadow, DJ AM and Grandmaster Flash are just the basics, but besides that its far from it and I don’t
some of the DJs you can play as you unlock them
through the game. Other unlockable features
include different turntables, music venues and of
course, more songs to play.
To master the mash-up, players will need to
put down their guitar controllers for a faux DJ
turntable. The turntable features a silver cross-
fader which allows players to mix the two songs
playing. Keeping the cross-fader centered will play
both tracks simultaneously. To play just one of the
tracks, move the cross-fader either left or right,
depending on the mix. For instance, while playing
the 2Pac/Aranbee Pop Orchestra mash-up, moving
the cross-fader to the left will single out the vocals
of 2pac and moving it back will bring in the familiar
instrumentals of “Bittersweet Symphony.”
The effects dial is a knob that allows the player
to tweak certain parts of the song, similar to the
whammy bar on Guitar Hero. The platter, which is
the part that looks like a record, is used to perform
the scratching function and it also contains three
stream buttons (green, red and blue), which must
be hit whenever you see the corresponding icons
enter the “Hit Zone.”
While the DJ controller uses many of the same
ideas as the guitar controller, it doesn’t necessarily
mean your skills will translate over to this game.
The controller is a little awkward at first, but once
you get a hang of it, DJ Hero may be your new go
to game to during your next party. However, if
your still having trouble convincing your buds to
cut and scratch with you, it is possible to hook up a
Guitar Hero controller to play mash-ups that have
more of a rock sound, like Weezer’s “Beverly Hills”
with Evidence, The Alcemist, Aceyalone, Rakaa &
88 Keys’ “Fresh Rhymes and Videotape.”
During finals week of the fall ‘09 semester,
Nineronline.com held open demo sessions at the
Student Union, to allow students to test out the
game and give us feedback.
Photo/ Jackson Sveen

‘Avatar’ versus ‘Pocahontas’;

films can show
striking similarities
Alicia Wiles
Guest Writer
awiles3@uncc.edu
James Cameron’s Avatar is hanging in the
number one spot according to the box office
charts on “The Internet Movie Database”. The
film’s main characters include: Sam Worthing-
ton, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana, Stephen
Lang, and Michelle Rodriguez. With a stagger-
ing cost of just over $280 billion Cameron’s ten-
year production of Avatar makes it one of the
most expensive films ever made.
Originally slated for 1999, Cameron’s Avatar
struggled to get off the ground. With the mas-
sive amount of special effects Cameron wanted
in the film, it was hard to find a studio willing
to front the then estimated $400 billion price
tag. After being put on hold for just shy of a de-
cade, Avatar has rocked the box office with its
stunning scenery and special effects, becoming
the fastest film in history to reach one billion in
ticket sales, reaching this goal in just seventeen
days. To date, Avatar has grossed $429 billion at
the box office and has also nabbed four Golden
Globe nominations including: Best Director,
Best Motion Picture, Best Original Score, and
Best Original Song.
Although the stunning visual effects pre-
sented in Avatar boggle even the most avid
movie watcher, many question the originality of
the films plot. Avatar can be seen as a close com-
parison to the 1995 Disney movie Pocahontas.
As rumors of the similarities arise, Avatar has
been plagued with such comical names as “The
Futuristic Pocahontas” and “Pocahontas 3000”.
Although, there is an exceptional time gap be-
tween Pocahontas (based in 1607) and Avatar
(based in 2154), the messages portrayed in each
movie are very similar.
Within both of the films there is an under-
lying theme of destruction through colonialism
and the accumulation of wealth. The settlers in
Pocahontas wanted to find gold, whereas a pow-
erful and very resourceful Earth corporation in
Avatar was determined to exploit the mineral
unobtanium from the fictional planet Pandora.
Continuing with this comparison, Pocahontas
and Neytiri both strive to help a man see a world
full of life, beauty, and peace amidst the destruc-
tion of their worlds.
Although Avatar can be described as a “Fu-
turistic Pocahontas”, despite the similarities, vio-
lence and war is no match for the strength and
willpower of a society that loves their land and
home.
PAGE 6 ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
ninersports
Freshman Chris Braswell drew a crucial charging foul in the final
seconds to seal the win for Charlotte
49ers drop Atlantic 10
opener at La Salle, 70-68
The loss to Duquesne dropped the Niners to 7-8 on the
season, just 1-5 away from Halton Arena
Josh Carpenter
Sports Editor
jacarpe1@uncc.edu
The Charlotte 49ers women’s
basketball team dropped their
A-10 opener on the road at
Duquesne 70-68 in double-
overtime Saturday. Shannon
McCallum, Ashley Spriggs and
Jaquaria Forney all recorded
double-doubles in the loss.
“It was a tough way to lose,”
Charlotte coach Karen Aston
said following the loss. “I was
pleased with our effort except at
the beginning of the second half.
Once we got going in the second
half and in the two overtimes
were played ver y hard.”
Forney led Charlotte with
14 points and 14 rebounds,
Spriggs was right behind her
with 13 points and 13 rebounds
and McCallum notched her first
double-double of the season with
Photo/Jackson Sveen
14 points and 13 rebounds. Aysha
Jones also added 14 points.
A 12-3 run early in the first
half by Duquesne gave the
Dukes an early lead, but the
49ers came back with a 9-0 run
to tie the score at 25. Duquesne
closed out the first half on a 5-0
scoring run to give the Dukes a
30-25 halftime lead.
To begin the second half, the
Dukes scored 13 of the first 15
points to stretch their lead to
43-27 with 15:50 left. Charlotte
used a small 10-3 spurt to cut the
lead to nine points over the next
three minutes. With Duquesne
leading 49-39 at the 8:03 mark,
Charlotte went on a 9-0 run to
cut the Dukes’ lead to one.
After scoring exchanges by
both teams over the next two
minutes, the game was tied at
53 with just under two minutes
left. After two Alex Gensler
free throws, Duquesne regained
the lead at 55-53. A tip-in by
Charlotte escapes Bonnies
57-54 in A-10 home opener
Senior DiJuan Harris left the game early in the second half with
a bloody left eye but returned to spark Charlotte to victory
Corey Conner
News Editor
bconner5@uncc.edu
In a hard fought game
Saturday night, the Charlotte
49ers came out on top against St.
Bonaventure, 57-54.
It was Charlotte’s first home
game since losing to Tennessee
last week and the first conference
game of the season.
Charlotte (11-4; 1-0) opened
strong, leading St. Bonaventure
(7-8; 0-2) 21-9 early in the game.
Before the end of the first half,
St. Bonaventure responded with
nine straight points and had cut
Charlotte’s lead to four points,
26-22.
Dijuan Harris was injured
about three minutes into the
second half. After the Bonnies
had taken the lead 29-28 on Ogo
Charlotte’s Spriggs with 24
seconds left tied the game and
forced overtime.
Charlotte began the first
overtime period on a 4-0 run,
pushing their lead to 59-55.
However, the 49ers weren’t able
to hold the lead and allowed the
Dukes to score the next four
points, sending the game into a
second overtime.
Yet again, the 49ers scored the
first four points of the overtime
period and following a similar
trend, allowed the Dukes to tie
the score at 63. This marked the
seventh tie during the game.
With the game tied at 65,
Forney nailed a three right in
front of the 49er bench to give
Charlotte a 68-65 lead with
just 28 seconds left. Soon after,
Duquesne’s Rachel Frederick
knocked down a three of her
own from the corner to tie the
score at 68 with 14 seconds left.
Two free throws by
Charlotte takes on Xavier in crucial
A-10 showdown Wednesday night
Josh Carpenter
Sports Editor
jacarpe1@uncc.edu
After holding on for a hard-
fought 57-54 win over visiting
St. Bonaventure on Saturday
night, the Charlotte 49ers
men’s basketball team travels
to Cincinnati, Ohio to take on
Jordan Crawford and the Xavier
Musketeers Wednesday night.
Crawford, who is probably most
well-known for dunking over
LeBron James in a summer
camp, is leading the Musketeers
in scoring at 19.4 points and 4.9
rebounds per game.
Also having a strong
season for the Musketeers is
sophomore Terrell Holloway.
The Hempstead N.Y. shooting
guard is averaging 10.4 points
per game and is Xavier’s leading
free-throw shooter at 90 percent.
At 10-5, Xavier is only three
losses away from equaling their
SPORTS SCHEDULE
Men’s Basketball @ Xavier Wed. Jan. 13, 7:30 p.m., Cincinnati, OH
Women’s Basketball vs La Salle Wed. Jan. 13, 7 p.m., Charlotte, NC
Women’s Basketball @ GWU
Men’s Basketball vs St. Louis
Adegboye’s second 3-pointer,
Harris drove the ball down
the left lane. Harris was fouled
hard by Adegboye and his head
slammed against the Halton
Arena floor. With a bloody left
eye, he left the court and received
five stitches on his brow. After
the game Harris commented,
“I’m ok, I guess. I’ve got a huge
headache right now, but that’s
about it.”
With Harris in the locker
room, Derrio Green took over
the point and scored six straight
points to give the Niners a 34-29
lead
While Harris was out,
Charlotte head coach, Bobby
Lutz, said that “Derrio handled
the point fine.”
Harris returned strong. With
Charlotte four points down,
the senior sparked Charlotte to
Duquesne’s Vanessa Abel made
up the final margin of 70-68 to
give the Dukes the win. The
49ers return home for their
A-10 opener against La Salle,
Wednesday, January 13 at 7 p.m.
Jaquaria Forney
2008-09 season total, but are
still protecting their home court
like always. The Musketeers are
7-0 at home but are just 2-5 away
from Cintas Center.
After longtime head coach
Sean Miller left to take over for
Lute Olson at Arizona, Chris
Mack stepped up to take over the
Musketeers.
Mack, who turned 40 years
old on Dec. 30th, is the 17th head
coach in Xavier’s program history
and recorded his first A-10 victory
against La Salle on Jan. 7. He was
also a two-time team captain as a
player for Xavier and has spent
the previous five seasons as an
assistant under Miller.
Xavier and Charlotte split
two meetings in 2008-09. B.J.
Raymond scored 28 points to
lead Xavier to a 69-47 home win
over Charlotte on Jan. 28th.
In Feb., Charlotte got 16
points from junior Ian Andersen
on their way to a 65-60 home
a 12-2 run to give the Niners a
52-45 lead with four minutes
remaining. Harris also recorded
his 400th career assist by the end
of the game.
Charlotte was up by one,
with seven seconds left on the
clock. St. Bonaventure passed
the ball to Jonathan Hall, who
raced upcourt, however, Chris
Braswell was in the way. The
freshman planted his feet and
took the charge, giving the ball
back to Charlotte with three
seconds left.
After a foul on the Bonnies’
Marquise Simmons, Charles
Dewhurst drained two free
throws to seal the win for
Charlotte.
“I was really proud of our
guys for making good plays,”
Lutz said of his team’s effort.
“We tried to be aggressive. The
Players to
watch
Derrio Green
The sophomore has been
a pleasant surprise for Char-
lotte this season and is really
coming into his own. Scored
a career-high 31 points in the
loss to Georgia Tech and has
averaged 20.7 points over the
last four games. Shooting 33
percent from behind the arc,
Green is starting to remind
people in the Charlotte area
of a young Leemire Goldwire
win over the 15th-ranked
Musketeers.
This game will feature two of
the top teams in the A-10 as well as
two teams coming off conference
wins. Jason love scored 19 points
and pulled down 13 rebounds
while Crawford scored 18 and
grabbed eight rebounds to help
Xavier overcome an 11-point
halftime deficit to beat George
Washington 76-69 Sunday
afternoon. Charlotte got their
first conference win the night
before when they held on against
St. Bonaventure, 57-54.
To get a rare win over Xavier
at Cintas Center, Charlotte
will need to start taking more
high percentage shots and not
committing as many turnovers.
Charlotte scored more than 80
points in seven of their first nine
games of the season, going 8-1,
but since the Gardner-Webb
game, the 49ers have broken the
80-point plateau just once and
Sat. Jan. 16, 2 p.m., Washington, D.C.
Sun. Jan. 17, 4 p.m., Charlotte, NC
game was physical, but we hung
in there.”
St. Bonaventure fans
made their presence known at
Saturday’s game, filling section
227. A few St. Bonaventure fans
attempted to sit in the lower bowl,
but were relentlessly heckled by
Niner fans and forced to move.
When forced to move, one of
the St. Bonaventure fans made
an obscene gesture towards the
student section. St. Bonaventure
head coach, Mark Schmidt,
said, “We’ve got a great alumni
base down here. We’ve got great
fans.”
With the win, Charlotte
equaled their win total for the
entire 2008-09 season (11) and
will now move into the meat
of their schedule with three of
their next four conference games
coming on the road.
Shamari Spears
Charlotte’s leading scorer
at 16.7 points per game, Spears
has imposed his will on teams
this season. The sophomore
transfer from Boston College
scored a career-high 28 points
against Yale and is poised for
an explosion during confer-
ence play. Scored 18 points
in Charlotte’s comeback win
over St. Bonaventure on Sat-
urday night.
are averaging just 65 points per
game. Charlotte is shooting just
under 43 percent from the field
this season and just 31.6 percent
from behind the arc.
For the Niners, it’s pretty
simple. Get high-percentage
shots inside with Chris Braswell
and Shamari Spears and slow
down Xavier’s high-octane
offense led by Crawford.
If Charlotte can feed the
ball into the paint to Spears and
Braswell, it should open up the
outside and allow Derrio Green
and Shamarr Bowden to have a
big night from behind the arc.
This is a very important game
for Charlotte. The Niners play
three of their first five conference
games on the road and a win at
Cintas Center against Xavier
would do a lot for the players’
confidence and would look
good on Charlotte’s NCAA
Tournament resume’.
 THE UNIVERSITY TIMES ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ PAGE 7

downtime
What do tigers dream of when they take their little tiger snooze?
Do they dream of mauling zebras, or Halle Berry in her Catwoman
suit? Don’t you worry your pretty striped head, we’re gonna get
you back to Tyson and your cozy tiger bed. And then we’re gonna
find our best friend Doug, and then we’re gonna give him a best
friend hug. Doug, Doug, oh, Doug, Dougie, Dougie, Doug, Doug!
“The Hangover”

The Comic Corner

Horoscopes
Quick astrological advice about your
life, love and everything in between
By Nancy Black and Stephanie Clements

Today’s Birthday (1/10/2010) Improving your appearance this year can become a source of
great pleasure. Although you gravitate toward black or darker colors, try to liven things
up with bright accents and distinctive accessories. Try a new hairstyle for 2010! You just
grow more gorgeous.
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most
challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 7 -- Associates present problems as their imaginations
have gone in a completely new direction. Independence is good. Gather ideas together
for tomorrow’s meeting.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Creative thinking centers on basic, logical
outcomes. Everything you do today helps to complete a longer-term project.

Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Give yourself permission to try more than one
idea today. Use your imagination to transmit them to a distant contact. Then move on.

Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Your direction changes by the end of the day.
Therefore, consult your own thoughts early, share ideas, and invest personal energy to
manage the shift.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Take time to listen. Associates have some wild ideas,
but one or two fit with your long-range goal. By day’s end, your plan takes shape.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 5 -- Please yourself today and let others do their own
thing. Stimulate your imagination with games or a romantic movie or book.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 5 -- If you’re a writer, today’s great for getting ideas
on paper. If you’re not, take time to answer e-mails or to phone family and friends.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 5 -- You need personal energy to get through the
day. Others drag emotionally and lag behind intellectually. Tomorrow brings fresh minds
to the situation.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- You feel more in your element later today
after you start out facing confusion. Details fall into place, hour by hour.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- Accept a challenge from your group to devise
a more interesting party plan. You’ve done all the ordinary stuff. Now try something
unique.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 5 -- Your imagination is working overtime. Take
advantage by recording your thoughts or sharing them by phone or e-mail. Later today
you embark on a new journey.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Big changes are possible using unique methods.
Even though untested, these new ideas carry you a long way. Act based on personal
values.

classified ads Travel

To Place a Classified Ad: $8 for first 20 words; 25¢ for each additional word; 20¢/word for bold or CAPS.
Log on to www.nineronline.com and click on “classifieds” to place and pay for your classified ad.
For additional information, call 704-687-3681.

Services The University Times cautions

BAHAMAS SPRING BREAK $189 for
5 DAYS or $239 for 7 DAYS. All prices
include: Round-trip luxury cruise with
food. Accommodations on the island at
your choice of thirteen resorts. Appala-
chia Travel. www. BahamaSun.com
800-867-5018.
Help wanted
Survey Takers Needed: Make $5-25
per survey. www. GetPaidToThink.com
www. ACTtranscriptions.com Aca-
demic Transcription Your online tran-
scription resource
Dental Assistant Training The DAA
of Charlotte offers nighttime classes to
become an entry level dental assistant
in 12 weeks. XRAY certification/ busi-
ness classes included. (919) 532-4444
our readers about sending
money in response to ad-
vertising. When responding
to ads in any publications to
purchase information, items
or services, you may wish
to request written advance
documentation of what the
advertiser is selling. Though
we take precautions to pro-
tect our readers from false or
misleading advertising, The
University Times is not respon-
sible for the validity of adver-
tisers’ claims.
PAGE 8 ❚ January 12, 2010 ❚ THE UNIVERSITY TIMES
intersection
On track to staying motivated in 2010
A new year brings new resolutions for UNC Charlotte students
Rob McCormick Jr.
Features Editor
rmccor12@uncc.edu
Only a brief time has passed since millions of
Americans have made the ritualistic New Year’s
resolution in hopes of improving their quality of
life. Gym memberships will skyrocket, many will
vow to pay off credit card debt, and more people
will be hiding a nicotine patch under shirtsleeves.
Sadly, the odds are against the majority and
most of these people will not accomplish what
they set out to do. We have all seen what happens
with most of the claims made on New Year’s Day;
they fizzle out like the fireworks in Time Square.
However, you are not the majority and you will
accomplish what you intend to do if you follow the
advice I will give you in this article.
First, let us look at what happens to a great
deal of people when they first make a new year’s
resolution: They get excited, they are focused on
the task at hand, and they have motivation. These
are the ingredients for success. But then what
happens shortly after? The excitement dies down,
the focus is lost, and whatever motivation they had
is thrown away like your crazy Aunt’s fruitcake.
The thing to understand in this situation is
the drastic change of thinking between when
MCT Campus
the resolution was created to the point when the
plan is scrapped. In the beginning, the excitement
comes from a vision of the future with no regard to
present state.
Let us say Jane wants to lose 30 lbs by the end
of 2010 and she has it all planned out from her
workout routine to her change in dieting habits.
She is focusing on what she needs to do while
working hard and making progress. One week she
becomes swamped at work, to save time she eats
fast and unhealthy, and skips out on her visits to
the gym. Later in the week Jane looks at herself in
the mirror and becomes depressed with her body
and her self. The seed is planted.
At the exact moment Jane criticizes herself
in the mirror, her mental process has just made
a complete 360. She went from focusing on the
future, to the unhappy thoughts of being trapped
in a body that does not make her feel good.
When Jane looks at herself in the mirror, her
mind is filled with negativity and self-criticism.
Jane has given up. The depression increases her
need to eat comfort foods and she goes from being
on the path from getting in great shape and healthy
to putting on additional weight and additional
health risks.
This scenario sounds awful, but this happens
to thousands of people all the time and will
surely happen to many men and
women who are trying to better
Top 12
themselves in 2010.
I am using this example for
the simple fact that it is simple
to illustrate since obesity is a
serious issue in our country. An
important thing to note is that
New Year’s resolutions
my advice can be applied to any According to USA.Gov
goals, both of the physical and
mental nature. • Drink less alcohol • Reduce stress at work
When on your quest to tackle
your new goals, it is vital that you • Get a better education • Save money
become excited about them. This
is often easier said than done • Get a better job • Take a trip
once the going gets tough, but
you know what they say about • Get in shape • Volunteer to help others
the tough (and you are tough).
While it is true that you need • Lose weight • Manage debt
to be excited, but this does not
mean you are going to be ecstatic • Quit smoking • Reduce stress overall
to put in the work every single
day of the week. If this were
always the case, then what you
have is a hobby!
One thing that has always small you think it is. Personally, I have struggled
helped me is to look for inspiration wherever I can with beating myself up regularly and forgetting to
get it. Inspiration breeds motivation and vice versa. see the gigantic leaps I have made in my life. When
Anyone who knows me personally will tell you that I neglected to acknowledge my accomplishments I
I keep things that inspire me absolutely everywhere placed myself in a dark emotional abyss; not a fun
in my apartment. place to be.
I have pictures of my team and favorite people, As a former distance athlete at this university,
usually something inspirational on my desktop my life once revolved around a sport where one
background, and nine times out of 10 I will have endures pain every single day of the week. People
some phrase I read or created printed and taped would constantly say to me, “I sure wish running
on my door to be seen each time I walk out of my was fun for me like it is for you,” or “how do you
room to go into the world. Currently, my door stay motivated all the time?”
reads, “Yesterday Means Nothing,” because if The truth is, while I love running with all my
we stop and think, today is the only day you have heart, I was not always running through the trails
control over. each day with a big smile on my face or jumping for
I am constantly reading books that inspire me joy when my mileage plan said I had over 100 miles
and listening to music that I feel sends good energy. to run this week. I try to make things as fun as
Many people tell me they have trouble finding possible (which it often is), but work is not always
inspiration and you may be in the same boat. fun and we must accept that.
Inspiration most certainly does not have to It is important to acknowledge that sometimes
come from a famous person, in fact it does not have inspiration runs out temporarily and sometimes
to come from a person at all. Try to find something the motivation has to be the simple fact that it is
that is amazing and beautiful to you and embrace something you need to do.
it. Use this to get excited about your life and your Don’t think about it, don’t question it, just
goals and you will unlock the key to motivation. get out the door and do what you need to do. It’s
Inspiration is vital, but without focus you will not always going to be fun but the rewards of
just be spinning your tires in the mud. Decide what your accomplishments will always outweigh the
you want to be and how you are going to achieve hardships, or as a friend of mine use to say, “the
it. Then focus on the future, create this image of juice is worth the squeeze.”
yourself in your mind and walk through the world I wish everyone prosperity and the strength to
with this image; not an image that makes you chase their dreams in 2010. Remember, it is never
unhappy. Focus on the gains you have made and too late to be who you want to be. When will you
reward yourself for them. start?
Always, acknowledge a gain no matter how