Smooth Operator Creepy Campus Happenings Fantasy Football Kick-off Queens to launch very own Radio station and club. Page 6 Have you heard the Queens ghost stories? Page 5 Find some local fantasy foorball teams right here at Queens. Page 8 The Queens Chronicle Vol. XXIII, Issue III October 31, 2011 Dr. Rice comes to Charlotte By William Boyd and Elizabth Heffner [email protected]. edu elizabeth.heffner@rexmail. queens.edu Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice impressed students with her self confidence and commitment to education during Oct. 25 appearances in Charlotte sponsored by the Learning Society of Queens University. In the first appearance, several hundred Queens students and others filled Myers Park Baptist Church’s Heaton Hall as Dr. Rice encouraged students to find their passion. She also discussed foreign policy and the U.S. position in the global economy with students and during an evening speech for the general public uptown at the Blumenthal Theatre. “She emphasized that we need great teachers and that she would pay great teachers a lot of money because she viewed education as very important,” said Olympia Agnew, a junior biology major. “I think her message was very relevant to me because I want to teach high school, and she mentioned that being a teacher is a great, fulfilling profession, especially since teachers have the ability to influence students.” Kathleen Wile, a senior thought symposium student, said she found Dr. Rice “very straightforward and real with the audience. I have never seen a speaker so confident and Former Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice speaking with students on Oct. 25. self-assured.” Samantha Duke, also a senior thought symposium student, added, “I enjoyed most the manner in which she presented herself. She spoke calmly and confidently, so much so that I was hard-pressed to disagree with any of the statements she made, regardless of my prior thoughts on the subject.” Teresa Gil, a senior psychology major, had a different perspective. “I wish I could have asked her about her view on the U.S. involvement with the drug cartel issues in Mexico,” she said. Dr. Rice was asked many other questions during her visit. Queens Marketing and Community Relations department utilized social network Twitter to provide questions for her to answer live during the evening speech. Attendees were allowed to ask questions by passing written questions to ushers or tweeting @QueensUniv, Queens official Twitter handle, questions for Rice with the hashtag #Condoleezza. It wasn’t the first time this was attempted. Stu- Photo provided by Queens dents were encouraged to tweet questions when Fareed Zakaria spoke in the Chapel but it wasn’t made well known so very few took part, according to Vanessa Willis, director of communication in MCR. This time the information was announced by moderator, Dr. Lynn Morton, the Dean of Arts and Sciences College, and shown on the screen right before the Q&A session began. At both events, students in the Critical Thought Symposium, a year-long class dedicated to developing critical thinking and leadership skills using role play to address case studies, initiated the Q&A portion with their questions and before the session was opened to the general audience. The Learning Society, a group of influential Charlotte locals who work to bring renowned speakers to Queens and the Charlotte area, brought Rice here. During her speeches, Dr. Rice called the education gap between the U.S. and the rest of the world a complicated, Continued on page 7 By Aniyah Pendleton aniyah.pendleton@rexmail. queens.edu Esera Tuaolo, a former 300-pound defensive lineman in the National Football League, came to Queens to recount the trials and tribulations about being gay in an ultramacho world. As a reminder of the prejudices that continue to follow him, some greeted his arrival by defacing posters promoting his appearance with homophobic and derogatory slurs. “These slurs tear at the fabric of any community, but are particularly repugnant on a college campus dedicated to higher learning,” Dean of Students John Downey said of the defaced posters in Wireman Residence Hall. In his Oct. 20 speech at Queens, Tuaolo recounted his fear of rejection and ridicule during his nine years in the NFL before finally deciding to disclose that he was gay on “HBO Real Sports” in 2002 after his retirement from football. He played for five teams, including for the Atlanta Falcons in the 1999 Super Bowl, and a stint with the Carolina Panthers. A Samoan who grew up in Hawaii, Tuaolo also was known as the first player to sing the national anthem and then start an NFL game, when he played for the Green Bay Packers. Tuaolo said he hid his Continued on page 6 Esera Tuaolo speaks to inspire Esera Tuaolo with Chelsey Sanderson and Gabrielle Keleher. Photo By William Boyd The Queens Chronicle 2 October 31, 2011 Paper vs. Electronic: One professor moves into the digital age completely By Cameo Kizzie [email protected]. edu Carrying stacks of paper from home to class and back home is the ideal profile of most professors at Queens – but not Justin Cary. Cary is an adjunct English professor teaching Composition 1 to freshmen. The focus of his class is music and history. The main difference between his class and other freshman writing classes is his class is totally digital. Cary wasn’t satisfied with just “using technology just to use it” so he revamped the way his class would use the blogging sites by allowing them to post on specific topics that interested them. “Students would record a video response to an article read on YouTube then post it on their blog,” he says. Other than using Tumblr, Facebook was used for missed assignments. Cary uses a variety of social network sites to engage his class in as he calls it “live writing,” which he defines as the ability to write “to an audience outside of the room they’re in.” This live writing has pushed Cary back in the classroom and has brought students forth as independent students and authors of their own work. Cary likes the fact that students don’t need him in the picture, but he also doesn’t want that to get too out of hand. Live writing refers to the student being able to write to live audiences through the media, social networks, newspapers, etc. In reference to him being pushed back in the classroom, Cary means that he is not playing the role as the traditional teacher. “They don’t need me to stand in front of the classroom and tell them what to do,” he says. Cary believes in the teacher being in charge, but also believes in the students taking the lead in the classroom -- showing him what they’ve learned through blogging and teaching each other concepts through social networks. Live writing differs from the traditional writing in English classes by directing the style of writing to an audience that is not in the class. So, this means students have to expound more on details that wouldn’t need to be expounded on in a Queens classroom. Cary also encourages students to create professional Facebook accounts outside their personal accounts. He has taken protective privacy measures when creating the class Facebook group by making the group private. For students who are strictly opposed to using Facebook, Cary says, “I accommodate them.” Cary accommodates his students by emailing them the assignments. Although everything is digital in his classroom, Cary still has room to leave comments on his students work. “I prefer making comments electronically versus putting a big red letter grade at the top of their paper. Leaving comments digitally gives me room to highlight confusing text and ask them questions.” Cary, not only being an adjunct professor at Queens, works for UNC Charlotte and has worked for other colleges part time. The idea of moving from a print classroom to a digitial classroom came from him watching other teachers carry around huge briefcases filled with papers. “I didn’t want to be that type of teacher,” he says. Cary moved toward making his classroom fully digital the spring of 2011, but most recently incorporated it this semester. This semester will make the first semester that Cary has a fully digital classroom. Clarke Eaves, one of Cary’s former students, switched to his freshman English class after previously signing up for another that did not interest her and required her to write “thousands of papers” she says “I was in a different English class before his and my teacher expected me to write thousands of papers about the environment and politics which I do not really care for. I wasted so much paper and I felt like I was not really learning from my other teacher but when I switched over to Professor Cary's class I got to discuss things I liked.” In addition to the Facebook group, Cary’s students create a Wix account. Wix is a site that allows the user to create different websites of their choice. It’s free and easy to use, for a creative way to present a project or assignment. His class also uses Tumblr, Blogger, YouTube, Gmail, Google Docs and Word Press. Cary also uses Twitter By Ashley Spinner [email protected]. edu I never understood the importance of time until I grew older. Now, at the age of 27, I get it and I had to learn what was important and what wasn’t. My choice to party and live way beyond the scope of my means proved to be disastrous. At the age of 18, I choose to be another cliché’, a small town girl with big time problems, who drowned her miserable circumstance with Jack Daniels and Mad Dog 20/20. I was in and out of colleges, my mother gave up on the illusion that one day I would actually finish my degree and have a decent career. Through my cloud of hangovers, I learned that the idea of ‘finding yourself’ was a croc. The only thing I found was that I was a moron. The bills weren’t going to stop coming and my friends weren’t going to put food on the table. Eventually, I settled on building a reputable career in Early Childhood Education. In my mid-20’s, I managed to settle on starting a degree program at Queens focusing on Creative Writing, a passion that I had since I was a pre-teen. To me when I listen to conversations or being told an overly dramatic expose’ on the woes of campus life, I find incredibly comical and sometimes annoying. The one complaint I my first encounter is with a two year old child and by 9 a.m I have 18 more. Once they leave my classroom, the rest of my morning is teaching Pre-K children literacy, math and social skills. I also have to say things such as “it is never a good idea to eat paste” or “you will never see another marker again if I catch you putting it up your nose.” At nap time, Photo provided by Justin Cary Professor Cary posing at a Barnes & Noble book signing for his book, The Twinning. in the classroom to engage his students in discussions, “I do ask them to talk during class discussions but if they don’t want to then I allow them to get on the hash-tag on Twitter and tweet their response.” He believes this method allows for more interesting class discussions and freedom of speech in the classroom. Social networking sites are integrated in Cary’s classroom to make class work fun and easy, but Cary doesn’t neglect the fact that the school has websites such as Moodle set up to share information with students. “I do use Moodle to put up important documents because I feel like in a way it’s a requirement.” Eaves says, “I think an English Comp class is more than just writing a bunch of papers. It’s about actual learning. I think it is truly amazing that he is making his class all digital. We’re all growing up in a world where writing papers is old news and he is preparing us for the future,” she says. My drive to campus is not any easier either. Cars whiz by me as I am doing 70 miles an hour on Providence Road. In the car, I manage to eat a snack I stole from work and finish up reading at a stoplight. Once I have spent 20 minutes searching for parking, I have three minutes to make it to McEwen and two minutes to use the bathroom. I manage to get a quick glimpse in the mirror and realize that my hair makes me look like Charles Manson’s love child. When I finally make it home, which is right on the outskirts of Blakeney in Ballantyne, I catch up on General Hospital and Modern Family, shoveling a spoonful of cereal in one hand and finishing a linguistics assignment with the other. I do this four days a week for five classes. To be frank, I am exhausted. However, my assignments get done and I do it with no complaints. I have to make it work because I have to work, which for the most part is the general consensus for adult learners. Do I have regrets? Yes. Do I dwell on them? No. I have to consider the bigger picture and I fully understand that my choices led me here and this is only temporary. In order to help further integrate Traditional Undergraduate students and Hayworth students there needs to be a stronger level of understanding. I want to urge the TUG students to find a Hayworth student on campus, offer them a little encouragement or a cup of coffee. Talk to them about your scheduling conflicts and then listen to theirs. Consider that your circumstances could have been different and learn to use your time wisely. Hayworth students, I urge you to find the time to talk to TUG students and get a sense of what they have to say. You may be surprised to learn that although your experiences may be different, your feelings about your current situation may be the same. The essence of time “In order to help further integrate TUG students and Hayworth students there needs to be a stronger level of understanding.” -Ashley Spinner hear most often is ‘when I am supposed to find the time to do this?’ I just want to shout ‘You don’t have time? Try living my life for one day!’ My day starts at 5 a.m. Monday through Friday. By 6 a.m I am driving out to Weddington, N.C. On a good day it takes me 15 minutes to get to my job. Once I get there, I am typing up lesson plans and workshop responses for my Writing of Fiction class; I am preparing for parent teacher conferences and reading The Sun Also Rises. On my lunch break, I am napping in my car out in the parking lot trying to catch up on at least one hour of the four hours of sleep that I missed the night before. The Queens Chronicle 3 October 31, 2011 Entertainment Why do we fear the Monster Movie? By Adam Raby [email protected] Someone’s opinion on horror movies is a very private and subjective matter. I for one believe that 95 percent of all horror movies that get made, have been made, and will be made are absolute rubbish. Terrible bodice-rippers armed with a glinting hatchet and an unsettling smile. The kind that makes you think you are in on its little joke until you turn around and there’s another jump-cut that leads to a particularly gory death. The thing is, horror movies are very important to people because no two people have the same opinion or thoughts on what make a horror movie good. There can be close enough overlaps between people’s tastes that bring them together to enjoy a similar movie, but when it comes down to it all horror movies rely on the simple linchpin of scary. Is it scary? Who is it scaring? Why are we scared? Obviously, the single most important crux of a horror film rests on the assumption that whatever it is that is driving the plot is menacing enough to strike fear in the hearts of the viewers. Because that’s the whole point. People don’t go see the new slice-anddice paint by numbers horror thriller because they are mildly amused at the nubile teens slashed to pieces. They do it because it touches a deep part of them and shakes them to their core. Fear tends to break down into two types – the fear that irks and bothers you and the fear that makes you physically incapable of breathing. I have a certain friend who saw the first Child’s Play (a run of the mill 80’s slasher movie about a spirit of a killer possessing a kid’s doll that has spun-off into a ludicrous amount of sequels) movie when he was at the ripe young age of way too young. And even to this day he is completely unsettled around dolls of any type. He will flinch when seeing certain dolls. I can watch Child’s Play and laugh myself silly. It’s a movie about an evil spirit possessing a doll that can easily be run through a shredder. This fear holds no sway over me. Every horror story tries it’s hardest to tap into a shared collective fear. An overarching fear that can bring people together through their collective revulsion. Aliens involve the fear of the other. It’s the horrible feeling that comes with meeting new people and wondering whether they are actually going to play nice. Zombies evoke the fear of large amounts of people and falling irreversibly into a group that does nothing but wrong to other people. Murderous monsters that rend normal people limb from limb are bad enough to begin with, but what really sets people off is the deep unconscious dread that resides within Photo provided by Wikipedia Frankenstein’s monster: The most famous “monster” of all ourselves to begin with. Horror movies take the most shameful part of ourselves, what we really dread in society and then turn them inside out and reveal them to the world. So what is your favorite Horror film or monster? What do you think this means about you and your fears? E-mail us at [email protected]. I always think about the music video and how scared I was when I first saw it. It gave me a nightmare when I was a little kid. The memory of seeing it for the first time is timeless for me. Hearing the song brings me back to that childhood memory. It renews that childhood fear that we can come to appreciate in our lives. I was so young and innocent and afraid. Also, it’s on my bucketlist. I will learn the entire dance of Thriller before I die. It’s really fun. Not scary, but a lot of fun to listen to. Got that old sound to it. Who you gonna call??? The time of ghosts and ghouls are upon us. The Chronicle staff gathered and reminisced about some of the “classic” Halloween tunes that are sure to be shrieking at any self-respecting party Ghostbusters Theme - Ray Parker Jr. Adam Raby: GHOSTBUSTIN’ MAKES ME FEEL GOOD! Elli McGuire: It brings back pleasant childhood memories. Watching Ghostbusters was something my whole family did. It wasn’t a Halloween thing, it was a family thing. It reminds me of more than just Halloween, that’s why I like it. Will Boyd: I always think of Bill Murray, and he’s so funny. What a funny guy. Also that song is so 80’s, is it not. It’s pretty 80’s. I like it though, it’s uptempo and interesting. And of course whenever you hear it in the first five seconds you know it’s Ghostbuster. I would say Ghost-Bustin’ makes me feel good. Alex Stocking: If I tell you what Ghostbusters theme means to me, you might slap me. I have never heard it all the way through. Ehhh, it’s not bad. I just can’t form an accurate opinion without seeing the movie all the way. (Adam’s Editor note: This is Ghostbustin’ sacrilige. Booo I say. I am a ghost. Prepare to bust me) Liz Heffner: I don’t think I know the ghostbusters song, wait the “who you gonna call, Ghostbusters?” That one? It’s Monster Mash - Bobby “Boris” Pickett Photo provided by Huffington Post Picture of the famous “Ghostbusters.” hard to give an opinion because I haven’t heard it in forever. It was such a big deal in the 90’s when I was growing up listening to it. I can gurantee you I haven’t heard the Ghostbusters song or seen the movies in the past 10 years. Elli: I’m a little done with Thriller to be honest with you. It’s a little overkill since he died. There was just an overkill of all of his music and I have just been burned out on it. I appreciate it, but I just can’t listen to it anymore. Adam: I ain’t afraid of no ghosts. Alex: I share the same views with Elli. It’s kind of an overkill now. Thriller - Michael Jackson Adam: Now it’s time for me to make a horrible confession. I hate Thriller. I hate that stupid little dance that the zombies do. It’s too long. It’s too much the same. The only thing that’s even slightly redeemable is the Vincent Price part at the end because I can listen to Vincent rattle on about anything. But this song is like a zombie, slowly shambling towards an over-bloated end. And it just. Won’t. Die. Liz: I actually didn’t really like Thriller until I got into college. I think it’s a fun song to dance to, and I remember my freshman year one of the RA’s got a group of random people together to do the dance and learn the choreography and do it at the Halloween dance. That really triggered my appreciation for the song. It’s sort of become a classic Halloween dance song for me. Will: Michael Jackson’s Thriller, obviously it’s a bit overplayed. Elli: It might be my favorite, well it’s not my favorite, but it’s close. I would say it’s perfect in the right setting. It’s not something I’d listen to on the fly. It’s something I’d have to hear in a specific Halloween environment. Adam: This song. If there ever was a encyclopedia article of the song that will never leave your head once it’s caught in there, it must be the Monster Mash. It’s so cheesy. It’s so 60’s. It most certainly is a beautifully cheesy product of it’s time. Yet there is so much fun hidden behind the veneer of cheese. It caught on in a flash, and I will probably listen to it again and again and again before November 1st. Liz: It’s not my favorite Halloween song. But I can still appreciate the childhood nostalgia it brings up. That’s about it. Will: I don’t know much about the Monster Mash, but I’ve danced to it on Just Dance 2. Alex: I like it but I feel like it’s another one of those overplayed ones. I don’t really have a. . . Yeah that’s about it. Favorite Spooky/Scary Song: Will: Somebody’s Watchin’ Me by Rockwell. It’s so groovy, and it’s Michael Jacksonesque without being overplayed like Thriller. Liz: Come Little Children from Hocus Pocus. I like the lyrics as well as the accompanyment. It’s not extremely creepy, but it has the little edge to it. And it’s a song from one of my favorite Halloween movies, which helps. Elli: Grim Grinning Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion. It’s the first Halloween song that I remember hearing. I have a lot of good memories of playing when I was getting ready for trick-or-treating. Alex: I don’t really have a favorite Spooky song. I was a sheltered child. Adam: The Shankill Butchers by the Decemberists is not really a Halloween song. Instead it’s a whispered warning from the unknown narrator. No joy lies in the voice of Colin Meloy as he warbles about the titular Butchers and how “killing is their only source of joy.” It’s human, and haunting in a way that monsters are not. The Queens Chronicle 4 October 31, 2011 Commentary Occupy Wall St. spreads across the country By Michael Schramm michael.schramm@rexmail. queens.edu The news media will finally be compelled to give the overarching Occupy movement the greater coverage that it warrants following the police raids of Occupy Atlanta and Occupy Oakland on Oct. 24 and 26. Evictions in both cities and violence in Oakland are regrettable, but Occupy now stands a solid chance of rebounding its way into a more permanent place in newscasts. This is important because although discussion of Occupy has intensified between some of my peers, I’m aware just how unaware the majority of our generation is on the issue. I confess that it wasn’t until a friend of mine returned from a Teaching Fellows trip to Boston over fall break with stories to tell about Occupy Boston that I ever batted an eye on the subject. Since then, I’ve engaged in the Occupy conversation and discovered a disturbing lack of knowledge about the movement. Whether I support Occupy or not isn’t relevant. What matters is learning about it for ourselves. Unfortunately, that’s been tough to do until recently. Occupy was strangely ignored by major media outlets throughout its first month. This makes sense, though: one can’t expect that a news outlet, funded through corporate money and interests, would cast an illuminating light on a nascent movement driven to reform the very institutions that the media relies upon. Now, rapidly growing affiliate movements and the greater police responses they incite are finally holding America’s attention, and it’s a good opportunity to learn about this call for change. At the bottom of everything, Occupy Wall Street and its various, loosely connected affiliates are intent on expressing their dissatisfaction with the way things are. Common items of focus have been the grossly unequal distribution of wealth, the stranglehold that big corporations have over government, and the lack of voice that middle and lower class America have to shout with. It’s a sense of discontent over what they see as an unfair and systematic exploitation of the common people. True, the complaints of several critics that the movement has failed to produce a unified set of demands and intended reforms are completely accurate. They’re also completely irrelevant. I agree with the observation of an editorial published Oct. 8 in The New York Times on the issue. “At this point, protest is the message...it is not the job of the protesters to draft legislation. That’s the job of the nation’s leaders, and if they had been doing it all along there might not be a need for these marches and rallies...because they have not, the public airing of grievances is a legitimate and important end in itself.” Protest is long overdue. As a nation, we’ve suffered recession, financial collapse, bailouts, absurd amounts of personal and national debt, a lack of jobs, and a seemingly broken political system. These are burdens under which the common class American is limping, but it is our own temerity that has suffered most. Finally, it seems that people have had enough with the status quo and want to talk with others to find out how things can get better. I don’t know if I’ll end up agreeing with the issues and means of resolving them that will come forth from Occupy. The question of whether to support Occupy or not is one that the media brings up and will soon be a common point of discussion for our generation. That’s a shame, though. I don’t think that our first obligation is to support or decry Occupy. That decision-making part comes later, and will be different for each person. What matters more, at least right now, is that our generation listen to what they and our peers are saying, pay attention, and think Photo provided by International Business Times: United States Edition Protesters gather at a march in New York, N.Y. The group, known as Occupy Wall St., was the first group to appear in the United States. about it. Maybe Occupy will further polarize the country, and maybe we’ll identify our political allegiances by whether we were there on Wall Street, or perhaps supported it from afar, or maybe just exclaimed how insane we thought the whole thing was. I can’t say that I don’t care whether people support it or not; I’d be lying, and worse, I’d be engaging in the same kind of apathy that has gotten our nation into most of its messes. Whether I support it or not is a sentiment wholly supplanted by a more immediate sense of gratefulness. I’m grateful to know that there can be solidarity if one desires it, that there can be expression if one demands it, and that there can be progress if we bolster and engage one another in discourse. Our country’s not had a discussion or display like this in decades. It’s a civil obligation to read up on it, think about it, and most importantly talk about it. That’s the democratic discourse that is so sorely missing today. Now it’s your turn to think about and pass along, because an idea’s only relevant if it’s being thought upon. The Queens Chronicle Photo provided by 90.9 WBUR Police talking with protesters in Boston. Protestors are arrested by Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officers. Published by students of Queens University of Charlotte, 1900 Selwyn Ave., Charlotte, N.C. 28274 Editor-in-Chief: William Boyd ([email protected]) Managing Editor: Elli McGuire ([email protected]) Layout and Production Editor: Alex Stocking ([email protected]) Sports Editor: CJ Deberg ([email protected]) Features Editor: Adam Raby ([email protected]) Online Editor: Josiah McGinnis ([email protected]) Layout: Ashley Autrey ([email protected]), Josiah McGinnis ([email protected]) Staff Writers: Autumn Cutter ([email protected]), Angel Rouson ([email protected]), Elli McGuire ([email protected]), Reilly Sowka ([email protected]), Elizabeth Heffner ([email protected]), Ann Tapia ([email protected]), Sabrina Basile-Paquette ([email protected]), Cameo Kizzie (cameo.kizzie@rexmail. queens.edu) Aniyah Pendleton ([email protected]), Ashley Spinner ([email protected]), Jessica Bunch ([email protected]), Ashley Autrey ([email protected]) Advisors: Ken Gepfert ([email protected]) Mike Weinstein ([email protected]) and Laruen McKinney ([email protected]) Photo provided by Charlotte Observer Letter Policy The Queens Chronicle welcomes letters to the Editor concerning any topic, as well as feedback regarding articles and photographs and corrections for articles containing factual errors. The Editor reserves the right to edit letters for brevity, clarity and fair play. Letters to the editor, editorial columns reflect the opinion of the authors and are not necessarily the opinions of the Chronicle staff. Send letters to MSC 892 or email them to quoc.chronicle@gmail. com The Queens Chronicle 5 October 31, 2011 Paranormal activity haunts Queens People will always argue whether ghosts are fable or fact. But no matter what the actual truth is, there are many stories told by both students and faculty about their own experiences with the haunting at Queens. Morrison Hall: Albright: Student Life Building & Dining Hall The Queens community has learned to live with these hauntings in different ways. Warfield and Newman have both found unique ways to work around these chilling situations. Warfield admitted to making loud statements assuring her that everything is OK and to not be afraid. Newman found her comfort through humor. “We decided to name the ghost Penelope,” said Newman. Residence Hall Legend has it… Back Photo provided by Facebook Albright tends to be the home of freshman Photo By Jessica Bunch A look from the side of Harrison Hall. Sarrin Warfield, associate director of Residence Life, tells of witnessing some spooky activity in Morrison Hall. And it’s not just a one-time occurrence. She says it’s not uncommon for her to see the strange activity. “Sometimes I come in and my drawers are open, and I don’t know if it’s just the desk, but it’s interesting,” said Warfield. Occasionally, Warfield will work into the late hours of the night after the doors of Morrison have been locked. Knowing that no one else is in the building, she’ll hear the floors creek as if someone is walking down the hall. “It’s like someone is just moseying down the hallway,” Warfield said. Albright Residence Hall, one of the oldest all-freshman dorms on campus, has a reputation for frequent paranormal activity. Freshman Clay Goodman encountered frightening happenings while in Albright in the late hours of the night. “I was sitting in the hall with a friend, and all the sudden we started to hear someone running down the adjacent hall. We went to check who was making the racket, and when we got down the hall, the running suddenly stopped, and there was no one there,” said Goodman. Another freshman living in Albright, Sophia Newman, has her own story of ghostly encounters. “During the night, from inside my closet, I’ll sometimes hear rattling, like someone would be inside the closet trying to get out,” said Newman. Newman says that she often will see her door knob twist as if someone is about to walk into her room, but will check and open the door to an empty hall. The strangest occurrence that Newman has seen was when she once returned to her room to find a used towel that she had left on her bed folded and placed back on her towel rack. “My roommate said that she didn’t do it,” said Newman. when Queens was still an all girls’ school, what is now known as Morrison was one of the residential halls. A young girl who lived in the residential hall was in a relationship with a military boy. Not long after the relationship ended in tragedy, she was found hung on the back stairwell; the area where they found her is now barred to prevent such an incident from happening again. Warfield’s office, room 218, and the adjoining office, room 220, is where her dorm was located. She is believed to haunt the halls and the area where her dorm was located. Legend has it… Years ago in Albright Residence Hall, there lived two roommates who fell in love. One of the girl’s parents found out about their lesbian relationship and didn’t approve, so the heartbroken girl hung herself in her closet. The girl is believed to haunt the floors of Albright, still broken hearted. Nichols architects Queens master plan Photo provided by Bill Nichols Bill Nichols is responsible for the way campus looks. By Elli McGuire [email protected]. edu The beauty of Queens campus has been one of the university’s biggest selling points to prospective students. However, many still don’t know who is behind the curtain, orchestrating the plans to transform the campus while preserving its beauty. The man behind the plan is Bill Nichols, who joined Queens six years ago with the intent of creating a master plan. It will govern campus development and will involve growth and change on the Main Campus, the Sports Complex, Fifth Street and North Residence hall, including landmarks already under construction such as the Rogers Science & Health Building and the Levine Center for Wellness and Recre- ation. For Nichols, these multi-million dollar projects and large-scale landscape changes are just the beginning of his vision, and he’s enjoying every minute of making it happen. “It’s just a passion of mine,” he says. “I love construction; I love building and I love architecture.” When Nichols came to Queens, he was no stranger to designing for the college setting. He previously worked as a partner with Lee-Nichols Architecture and specialized in university projects, including on much larger campuses including the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. But it was important to him to start with a completely new slate. “The first thing I did when I came here, was I sat down and interviewed faculty, staff, students, alumni,” he says. “I did over 100 interviews, just trying to learn what exactly the needs were here.” The first projects were mostly renovations based upon these findings, such as turning the bottom of Morrison from a storage room into the Lions Den. At the same time, Harris House was fixed up and the admissions office was moved. West Residence Hall was also renovated to match the first buildings ever built on campus. The projects were about to get a lot bigger. As he had done for many campuses before, Nichols developed a master plan for Queens, a process that took roughly a year. “We presented the master plan to the Board of Trustees in the Spring of 2006, and they approved it,” he says. Queens is well-known in the Myers Park community for its calm atmosphere, and naturally some concern was expressed over the magnitude of construction that would be taking place all at once. Yet the majority of the concern among students has been not about the construction itself, but the appearance of the campus when construction is completed. “The aesthetic appeal was actually a huge deciding factor in my choice to attend this school,” says Taylor Park, a freshman and Teaching Fel- low. “I had a lot of other options, but Queens’ small, old, historic feel allowed me to see myself living year for the next four years.” Senior William Ward III had similar feelings when he came to school almost four years ago. “When I first set foot on campus, it was very small, yet homey, and that’s what made the institution attractive to me. With these changes, I think that’s going to attract more students. I only hope that we continue to have that homey, close family feeling.” Nichols agrees it’s important to preserve the feeling. “Just like I went to University of Virginia because of what the campus looked like, I think young people today make that same kind of decision.” Asked how it feels to be in charge of a university’s growth for the next 10 or so years, he replies with a smile, “I’m just glad to be a part of the process, being a part of the leadership. It’s going to be an amazing place when all of these buildings are done. I wish I could be a student here.” The Queens Chronicle 6 October 31, 2011 Defaced posters mar Queens visit Continued from page 1 true sexuality from the world to the point it began to eat away at his happiness, beginning in his childhood. Every time he thought it was safe to come out, he would hear negative comments, causing him to crawl deeper into his shell of secrecy. Tuaolo was constantly paranoid about having the world learn he was gay, fearing that piece of information would cause him to lose everything he held dear. Having growing up in a Pentecostal church, music became his life starting at the age of 5. He said music also helped to save his life, crediting the song “In the Arms of An Angel” for preventing him from committing suicide. He said his decision to come out in 2002 was for the sake of his two children, a boy and a girl. Tuaolo felt as though he had been “set free from prison” when he came out. “If I didn’t take that step forward, I would be a statistic. I would be 6 feet under.” Tuaolo said a change can be seen in the way people act toward homosexuality, particularly when they are held accountable for the things they say. Still, he added, slurs can lead to deadly consequences and must be taken seriously. “Words don’t hurt,” he said. “Words kill.” As for the defaced poster, Jade Kulick, RA on Wireman’s third floor, agrees with Dean Downey. “I think it’s a good idea that people are taking [the vandalism] seriously. It’s good for Queens to build up a gay-friendly community.” Campus Union Board members Chelsea Sanderson and Gabrielle Keleher brought Tuaolo to campus as one of their required events. Sanderson says, “We recognize that this year our community is extremely diverse and we wanted to make sure we represented [the LGBT] community as well as other styles of life. We brought in Esera because he isn’t just a LGBT activist he is also a Pacific Islander and an athlete, someone applicable to many different facets of the Queens community.” Campus police knocked on every door in the residence hall to gather more information about who could have been responsible. By Elizabeth Heffner elizabeth.heffner@rexmail. queens.edu Hip-hop music pulses in the background of West Residence Hall lobby. Students congregate around the couches chatting among themselves. Junior Max Kaczynski clears his throat and pauses the music. Thus begins the first meeting of the Queens radio club, officially named Project Airwaves. Kaczynski, the mastermind behind this latest attempt, believes he has a plan to finally get on the air. Again faced with resistance for funding for a traditional radio station, Kacyznski is planning to create a website in which podcasts of the shows and music will be available for students, faculty, staff and the surrounding Charlotte area. In order to gauge what genres of music and shows students were interested in, Kacyznski created an online survey last month. Approximately 134 students responded. Based on the feedback, he found that over 50 percent of the survey takers wanted Top 40 music, followed by hip-hop. Kacyznski hopes to also incorporate music from various cultures as well to diversify the mix. The survey also found that students preferred an evening and late night show. Kacyznski’s goal is to have the podcast run twice—once during the hours between 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. as well as from 9 p.m. Students, as well as faculty members and special guests, would be heard. One of the ideas club members had for podcast topics was to incorporate study sessions into the programming. “If there was a Core test coming up, we would have the study guide answers available to stu- dents,” said Kacyznski. Students could also tweet their questions, allowing upperclassmen radio club members who had taken these courses to respond. Prize incentives were also discussed at the meeting. One idea an anonymous survey respondent gave was to create a campus scavenger hunt, thus promoting listener interaction. During the meeting, Kaczynski gave the example of hiding something in Diana Fountain. In the podcast, students would be given a clue, signaling when to begin the hunt. One benefit of creating a website to host the podcasts is that blogging could also be incorporated. Club members could blog about upcoming music performances and events around Charlotte that might interest the Queens community. Senior Emily Koll fully supports creating a radio program on campus. “I think it’s a great idea because we have a lot of physical expansion going on across campus. It makes sense that we would have more communication mediums offered since we’re trying to become a better matriculated institution,” said Koll. Project Airwaves member and junior Whitley Holbrook is also enthusiastic about the radio program. “Lots of schools have them, and it would be something cool for people to listen to and hear their friends. A lot of cool discussions could get started that way, and it would help keep people informed about world issues and stuff that's going on around campus,” said Holbrook. She also feels that student musicians could also share their talent through this new medium as well. Initially, Holbrook had some doubts about putting the program online as opposed to a physical station. “At first I wasn't really into that idea, but then Max explained how it would cost more money to use an actual radio station. Although it would be cool to be able to drive around Charlotte and hear our school, it's not practical right now,” said Holbrook. She adds that in using a website as a medium, people have more freedom to listen to the program in various locations. For Kaczynski, the initiative is the latest chapter in a life immersed in the music culture. “I’ve been singing all my life. It’s my passion,” he said. He began singing career in elementary school, progressing into more experienced groups as he grew older. After assisting a DJ in 2007 for a year, he moved onto becoming a full-time DJ. His love for music is apparent in his dedication to various music venues. “You’re picking songs that tell a story. Music can make it or break it, and I love that,” said Kacyznski. Starting a radio station, Kacyznski says, is just another way to channel his passion for music. “The idea is to form a club and get everyone on board with the same goal and vision,” said Kacyznski. In the past few years, students have made attempts at forming a radio station for the university. “I know in the past that there wasn’t a club [for the radio station],” said Kacyznski. Junior Brie Singletary, a member of the former radio club, explained that their biggest struggle was how to market the station. “We didn't want to be a club. We wanted to have more creativity than being under a Queen's program because Anyone with information about the defaced poster are encouraged to call Campus Police at 704 337-2306 For more on Tuaolo’s story, see his autobiography, “Alone in the Trenches: My Life as a Gay Man in the NFL” anywhere books are sold. Photo provided by OutSports Esera Tuaolo singing the national anthem at an Atlanta Falcons game. Project Airwaves takes flight Art provided by Max Kaczynski Project Airwave meets next on November 9th at 8:30pm of the stigma we would have to uphold. Not that it would be raunchy, but we wanted to be able to play the music we wanted and talked about anything we desired like a real radio station,” said Singletary. Kaczynski’s ultimate goal is to transform Project Airwaves into a paid position for students involved. “Through this venture, we’re not only serving the community, but empowering college students to voice their opinions and express their creativity. It’s also a great way to build your portfolio.” Interested in joining Project Airwaves? Email Max Kacyznski at max.kacyznski@ rexmail.queens.edu. The next meeting will be held on Wednesday, November 9 at 8:30 p.m. in Dana 110. Want to talk about the radio program on Twitter? Just add #projectairwaves to your tweets. Want your opinion heard? Take the survey by using the QR Code below! The Queens Chronicle 7 October 31, 2011 Miss The Penguin? Try Pinky’s! By Autumn Cutter [email protected]. edu If you are opposed to an awesome place, with cool people, that serves great food for prices cheaper than McDonalds. no offense, but I’d stop reading here because this place isn’t for you. I’m talking of course about Pinky’s Westside Grill. Some of y’all may have already experienced Pinky’s or may have just seen the place whilst venturing around the Charlotte area (the old-school Volkswagen Bug on the roof makes it hard to miss!). For some, you may just now be hearing about this place. Feel lucky. Lets get the basics out on the table first shall we? Pinky’s Westside Grill, if you haven’t already guessed, is a restaurant and bar. It is located on the Westside of Charlotte in a comfy sized place that was once an automotive shop that has now turned fabulous. It’s definitely not a fancy-type restaurant. Most employees have intriguing tattoos and there’s crazy cool stuff hanging on the walls. For example, there’re a few paintings done for Pinky’s by local artists as well as the hood of a car and other randomness. They also have a photo-booth, a Miss Pac-Man arcade machine, and a jukebox for excellent tunes. The menu at Pinky’s is certainly an interesting one. They don’t necessarily have your typical “bar” foods because they’re not really a bar, but neither could I say they have “American”style food because, well, they have things like Falafel Balls. But, they sure have some southern roots. My first experience in Pinky’s was one long overdue. I looked over the menu, but couldn’t help but be distracted by its categorical lingo and witty names for every menu item. It’s all so creative and humorous and you can’t help but to look at everything on the menu twice over. Particularly, the Wiener Wonderland. I also couldn’t help but wonder about the Kinda Fried Turkey Sandwich, or Da Pimp, and thought to myself “what the hell is a Stray Dog?” “ Corn Dog Shrimp?” Please and thank you! The cherries on top of the already wondrous sounding menu were the Fish Tacos. Everyone loves tacos! Pinky’s keeps such a vast Photo provided by Yelp.com Pinky’s is a great replacement for the beloved Penguin. It can be found on the corner of West Morehead Street and Freedom Drive. Interested in going to Pinky’s? Address: 1600 W. Morehead St. Charlotte, N.C. Phone #: (704)332-0402 Hours of Operation: Mon. - Thurs.: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri. and Sat.: 11 a.m. to 12 a.m. Sun.: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. variety of foods and beers that are always changing throughout the year. For example, this past Monday they offered a MexiBurger and then on Tuesday had Carnitas. I have consistently gotten Pinky’s White Trash Burger (pictured right) every single time I’ve gone. This burger has rightfully earned Pinky’s label of Championship Burger. We’re talking a 5 oz burger topped with provolone cheese, fried pickles, onion rings and a spicy ranch sauce. Again, Pinky’s pulls at my Southern heart strings. The onion rings are superb on this burger, and how could I ever deny spicy ranch! Also, this burger is only $4.50! That’s cheaper than McDonalds! For those who have been to the Penguin and had their fried pickles - Pinky’s are better! Not a doubt in my mind. They aren’t saturated in grease like the Penguin’s, whose pickles typically soak through the brown paper bag you get them in, and have a warm crunch we all love so much. Truly perfect. I’m desperate to try so many other things though including the Viking Corn Dog, The Pinky Dog, the Stray Dog, and any burger done Ding Dong Style; crunchy peanut butter, honey-cilantro slaw and hot sriracha sauce! I’m sorry, I barely know what half that is but yes, I do want it in my mouth. The fried squash is very delectable as well. Sliced soso thin, basically squash chips, and again fried to perfection! Go to Pinky’s if you know what’s good for you. I’m completely serious too. It’s fan- Photo provided by Creative Loafing: Charlotte The White Trash Burger at Pinky’s. (Looks better in color - we swear) tastic food, a really comfortable cool atmosphere, good beers, great people, phenomenal prices; you can’t really go wrong. But also, it’s impressive how local they really are. So much of their food is locally made, is a local favorite; a vast selection of local beers; display opportunity for local artists; and events that promote local scenes around the Queen City. I’ve been nothing but impressed by this place and I know you will be too. If you haven’t been, GO! If you’ve been, GO AGAIN! America’s continued success, she said. Several large, growing nations like China, Brazil and India are positioning to surpass the U.S as the leading global economic leader in the future, she warned. However, each has its own problems to fix. Rice posed Queens students a thought-provoking question about China’s fear and rejection of the Internet: “If a country is so terrified of the Internet, can it lead the knowledge-based revolution? I think not.” Condoleezza Rice answers questions Continued from page 1 troubling issue. “It’s puzzling and a little ironic that the United States’ tertiary education is the gold standard. There’s no place that people would rather send their kids than the United States of America.” Talent, innovation and creativity will set the U.S apart from the rest of the world, she said. Yet, she added, “the crisis in K-12 education may well be our greatest national security crisis.” If Americans are denied the ability to improve their lives through education, as she did when she moved from segregated Birmingham to Stanford University and then to one of the top positions in the U.S. government, “we will turn on each other. And we won’t be confident. And we won’t lead.” Repairing the U.S. education system will be essential to The Queens Chronicle 8 October 31, 2011 Sports High rankings bring high expectations By CJ Deberg [email protected]. edu Three years ago, five inexperienced freshmen jumped on board the Queens Men’s basketball program with hopes of rebuilding a team. Today, on the brink of their senior seasons, Sean Eads, Preston Newlin, D.J Cheek, Josh Twitty and Dan Bailey are set to make one last push to imprint their legacy on the Queens basketball program. “We want people to remember us as the players who turned the program around,” says senior co-captain and point guard Sean Eads. “Hopefully our work ethic over the past years will give future players the foundation of what needs to be done every single day. It’s hard to believe it’s our last year, but we expect it to be the best year yet.” Expectations are high. In preseason rankings, Queens is 15th in the country in NCAA Division II and second in Conference Carolinas, just behind Limestone College. The Royals set a program record last year with 13 consecutive wins en route to the conference regular season title and a 16-2 conference and 21-8 overall record. Four starters from last year are back, though the team will miss Reggie Hopkins, who graduated as Queens’ all-time leading scorer. The Men’s Basketball Team at Queens is currently ranked 2nd in the conference (15th overall) “We have our own personal and short-term expectations, but we want to live up to all our hype,” says Eads, originally from Greenville, S.C. “We’re an older team; we have played with each other for years now and most importantly we’re confident in our abilities. We can play with any team when we do the right things.” While the Queens community has high expectations for their basketball team, the players have their own expectations for this year’s fan support. “We want to see the support continue to grow. Hopefully Queens can do a better job getting the word out about our games and come up with a means of transportation for the students. This year could be special. We want everyone to have a part in it,” says WHO SAID THIS? Not only is this a big year for Queens basketball on the court, it’s also the first year Under Armour is serving as the team’s main clothing sponsor. “This will definitely help our recruiting process in fu- Photo prvoded by Queens Athletics ture years,” says wingman Josh Twitty. “Being represented by such a great company like Under Armour will allow us to bring in better players. We just get a lot more gear. Who can complain about that?” The team’s second preseason game is scheduled Nov. 5 against Clemson. Football fans explore their fantasy: students compete By Kristine Kapatos kristine.kapatos@rexmail. queens.edu Although Queens does not have a football program, many students are still cheering for their own team come Sunday afternoon. We’re talking about Fantasy Football. For those who don’t know, Fantasy Football is a fun, yet competitive, virtual interaction in which people build and manage their own football team. Before each football season, league members get together and have an online draft in which teams are decided. Each person is allotted a certain amount of position players –quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers, tight ends, kickers, and defense. Each position has a different scoring system and has the potential to contribute to the overall team score that’s added up at the end of the week. Over the course of the season, each team will play each other and at the end season, the team with the best re- cord is crowned champion. “The draft is fairly important so you get a solid foundation for your team,” says Maryland freshman, Justin Gayo. “And a lot of work goes into deciding who to play,” adds Jimmy Chickerella, a freshman from Ohio. “You have to base it on past success your players have recently had, and how good the team you’re playing is.” Why is this fantasy league so appealing? Because it is just that –your football fantasy. It gives every fan the opportunity to draft their favorite players from various NFL teams, onto a single team which they represent. “I have players from the Detroit Lions, Baltimore Ravens, Green Bay Packers, Atlanta Falcons, San Diego Chargers, Arizona Cardinals and Minnesota Vikings,” says Gayo. “Fantasy Football lets you feel like you have complete control over NFL players.” “We play because it’s fun,” adds California native, Casey Hock. “It keeps us busy and makes the games more interesting to watch. We play mainly for bragging rights.” With Queens’ students hailing from all around the nation, it’d be hard to find an NFL team not represented on campus, making for a diverse array of teams being watched every Sunday. So instead of sitting in the stands at the Sports Complex, cheering with foam fingers for a Queens’ football team, fans gather ‘round from Barnhardt to Belk, laptops in hand, ready to record their own teams’ tackles and touchdowns. “During the regular season, it gets really competitive,” Austin Oswinkle, a freshman from Rhode Island explains, “especially when you play someone you really want to beat. When I get matched up against my dad it gets real heated.” “Friendships have been lost due to Fantasy games,” Gayo jokes. Six Strategies for Fantasy Football: - Draft a lot of Running Backs- RBs touch the ball more, which means they get hit a lot more. Having the right late round running back is like having a fantasy football golden ticket. - Reach for the players you want- Don’t play it safe! Follow your instincts and snag the players you want in the early rounds of the draft. - Don’t draft a Quarter Back in the first round- This is a rule that is old and being questioned often, but any position where you only start one player needs to be waited on. - Draft a backup Quarter Back- Quarterbacks are easily injured, so to have a little breathing room, drafting a back-up QB is smart. -Don’t draft a tight end until you have all your starting RBs, WRs, and QB- there is no reason to reach for a top tier tight end. There were 57 points separating the top 10 tight ends last season, whereas there were 113 points separating the top 10 running backs, so grab your tight end in the 3rd through 5th rounds. - Always fill a RB/WR/TE spot with a running back- There will be times during the season that you’ll have to throw a receiver or a tight end in there, but don’t draft with that as your goal. A running back with 15 touches will often rack up more points than a receiver with 5-10 targets. Tips courtesy of Fanduel.com: <http://www.fanduel.com/insider/2011/07/21/fantasy-football-2011draft-strategy-tips-to-live-by/>
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