Solo shows a personal journey
It only takes one person to break down the barrier between a stage and an audience.
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It only takes one person to break down the barrier between a stage and an audience.
Celina Chapin knows Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Veronique King dances slowly in a circle to a French pop song playing on the radio in her shop, Crêpes Véronique. A sugary smell wafts through the small café after the lunchtime rush.
Jeff Nieman might look comfortable in his suit and tie as he works in a courtroom, but on Friday nights he has no problem ditching them for a set of headphones and a turntable.Nieman, a Chapel Hill native and an assistant district attorney for Orange County, has also worked as a disc jockey at Players for the past six years. During this time he has managed to find time to cater to his two biggest passions: music and law.“Sometimes people will see me in Players and say, ‘Don’t I know you from somewhere?’ And I tell them, ‘I have a brother who looks a lot like me,’” Nieman said. “I just tell them that so I don’t have to go into explaining myself — I’m actually an only child.”Nieman’s interest in music grew during his high school and college years.“I guess I would say in high school and college I was a mixed tape guy,” Nieman said. “After a while I got more and more creative with the tapes I made for my friends, and that eventually progressed into DJing.” Nieman, 32, attended N.C. State University for his first two years of college before transferring to UNC. All four years, he spun records at dorm parties, fraternity parties and even weddings. Once he started law school at N.C. Central University in 2002, he decided to DJ solely at Players in order to dedicate more time to studying.“I was able to start my legal career and didn’t have to have the same level of work and coordination necessary to keep the private things going,” he said.While Nieman said he gets satisfaction from helping the people of his hometown and county in legal affairs, he enjoys being a DJ at Players because he gets to pump up a room full of people with his very own music mixes.“It’s a pretty cool feeling when you put on that song that seems to hit a chord with the crowd,” he said.Aaron Cecil, Nieman’s friend who is also a DJ, said Nieman seems more natural in the DJ booth than when he’s arguing in front of a judge.“He has a lot of fun DJing, but I think he’s super fulfilled professionally,” Cecil said. “He’s really focused and on the ball, standing up in front asking the judge all of these detailed questions.”Drew Smith, co-owner of Players, said Nieman has always been a good DJ, playing a wide selection of songs and acting friendly with the crowd.Smith also said knowing of Nieman’s other career only improved his positive perception of him.“I know I’ve got some help if I ever need to get out of a traffic ticket,” he said.Nieman plans to get married next year and eventually wants to start a family. For now, he said he’ll continue to DJ until it interferes with those plans.Cecil said he believes Nieman will continue to DJ because he shows a lot of talent in the field.“He’s a music guy, and I don’t think he’ll ever just shut that off,” Cecil said. “I think he’ll still find himself behind the turntables.”Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
Judy Swasey, a nurse practitioner in UNC’s Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, is known as “Coach Judy” outside the walls of her workplace.Swasey earned this title 10 years ago when she created the Sole Sisters, a beginners’ exercise group that prepares participants for the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in Raleigh each June.The group now has about 100 people and encourages breast cancer survivors and other women to develop good diet and fitness habits while raising money for breast cancer research.“She’s definitely the leader of the team,” said Susan Palmer, a nine-year breast cancer survivor and seven-year member of Sole Sisters. “She is very supportive and encouraging — not pushing — but encouraging you to do more than you think you can.”Swasey and other group leaders provide encouragement and advice for a diverse set of women who are united by their interest in promoting breast cancer research and have in some way been affected by the disease.Cecilia Minden, another runner in the program, said Swasey inspired her to get back into walking after her cancer treatment made changing the channel on a TV remote a daunting task.“She really is the soul of Sole Sisters. She organized it and is there every Tuesday — even after working a horrific schedule at the hospital,” Minden said.Swasey’s work at UNC and her personal interest in exercise, especially running, inspired her to introduce the program in 2000.Since then, more than 900 women have walked or have run in the Komen race after three months of training with the Sole Sisters. And although the program is open to all women, Swasey said nearly 15 percent of the group members each year are breast cancer survivors.“Several participants who have breast cancer have, over the years, commented to me that what they liked most about Sole Sisters was that it made them feel normal again,” she said. “They liked being just part of the group and not being someone with breast cancer,” Swasey said.This June, more than 100 women participated in the Komen N.C. Triangle Race for the Cure in Raleigh with the Sole Sisters, Minden said.In addition to exercising more often and eating healthier, Palmer said Sole Sisters has allowed her to gain a group of friends that she still keeps in touch with.“I have formed friendships with people that I might never have met in any other thing I do in my life,” she said. “We’re all somehow tangentially involved in Sole Sisters through breast cancer, but the women are from all walks of life and all have different interests.”Though Swasey acknowledges that working with cancer patients can prove difficult and painful at times, she believes that the personal satisfaction far outweighs the negative moments.“I stand at the finish line, and when they are done with their race, it’s kind of like watching your kids graduate from high school or college,” she said. “It’s very satisfying to see them be successful and really feel good about their accomplishment.”Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
As a Duke law student, infamous partier and self-proclaimed jerk, Tucker Max spent most of his time in Chapel Hill.He went out on Franklin Street five nights a week, drawing affection from dozens of women.“We went to bars, and I eventually got in with a sorority,” Max said. “And you know how sororities are — if you hook up with one, all the rest get jealous. It’s a gift that keeps on giving.”Max gained fame for his New York Times bestselling book, which chronicles those outrageous sexual escapades, drunken nights and tangles with law enforcement.Max and his memoir have already left their marks on North Carolina. Now he’s back.The author, blogger and infamous bad boy’s comedy and stories return today in his new movie, “I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell.”The movie debuts at select theaters, including some in Raleigh, Charlotte and Durham. If profitable, the film will later be shown nationwide.Max said he hopes his fans will enjoy the translation of the stories into movie magic and that word-of-mouth promotion will draw more crowds.“It was an extremely different process from writing the book, which was a very singular and individual process,” Max said. “A movie has its own rules and boundaries, and it took us a long time to figure out those rules.”Some students have already had a chance to see Max’s film, which is based on the book.Max kicked off a monthlong promotional tour for the movie on August 11. He and his crew traveled across the country to meet fans, to answer questions and to preview the movie to small audiences.And, of course, to party.One of the early premieres at N.C. State University in late August ignited protest and accusations that Max had created a “rape culture” with his book and movie.“I liked it, but I’ve read the book multiple times, and didn’t like it quite as much,” said sophomore Alex Lopez, who saw the film at N.C. State. “But I guess it’s like that with a lot of books. Like ‘Lord of the Rings’ — you read things and see them play out in your mind, and it’s always different than the movie.”Sophomore Alexandra Perez also said she preferred reading Max’s book to seeing the film version.“I know a lot of people who love the book are going to love the movie, but it was a little ‘American Pie’-esque,” she said.Perez took the opportunity to meet Max, take pictures with him and ask a question during the Q-and-A session before the premiere.“I asked him if a girl had ever asked him what her rating was on ‘The Tucker Max Female Rating System,’” she said. “He said he’s only honest if he wants to sleep with her.”Though the protests at the N.C. State premiere made national news, Max said he still enjoyed the chance to interact with his fans.“The university administration and film society were very happy to have us there,” Max said. “The protesters and weirdo kooks weren’t.”In spite of all the controversy surrounding his film, Max said he believes that the success of his book and the dedication of his fans will draw crowds to theaters today — both men and women.“It is unassailably true that I have a lot of female fans,” Max said.Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
For $60, students can purchase and wear the scent of the Old Well. They can have a musk that simply emits all that is UNC.
If history has taught UNC and Duke students anything since the conception of the duo’s infamous rivalry, it might be to hate thy neighboring university.
Ultraviolet rays produced by tanning beds have been added to the list of top carcinogens, officially ranking the quick and popular method for developing a tan alongside smoking cigarettes as a cause of cancer.Since a report linking tanning salons to skin cancer and other skin diseases was published in the July edition of The Lancet Oncology medical journal, several UNC students said they are worried about their health.Those who once looked to popular salons like Planet Beach and Palm Beach Tan for bronzed skin may now feel safer getting darker from self-tanning lotion instead.UNC sophomore Kate McGonigle said she knew even before the new list of top carcinogens that tanning beds were not for her.While in the salon, she said she noticed that tanning businesses never stated the dangers of exposing skin to ultraviolet light.“They were really just pushing their product by saying that using a tanning bed makes you feel better because you feel like you’ve been in the sun,” McGonigle said. “It seems like they’re trying to hide the risks.”Efforts to contact local tanning salons were unsuccessful.Beth Goldstein, a dermatologist at the Central Dermatology Center in Chapel Hill, said tanning salons can no longer claim safety or health benefits.“The salons have claimed that using their beds only exposes you to UVA light, which doesn’t cause burning, and that the exposure provides you with vitamin D when you’re not getting enough,” Goldstein said. “However, now we know that UVA light gives you cancer as well and that there are plenty of other sources for vitamin D besides light exposure.”After hearing the news of how dangerous tanning beds and sun exposure actually are, McGonigle said she made more of an effort to protect herself.“I was working at a pool teaching swimming lessons, and every day I’d put on at least SPF 30 sunscreen and constantly re-apply because I was outside for so long,” McGonigle said.Goldstein said she is hopeful that the new report will cause a social shift away from worshiping bronzed skin and make tanning beds obsolete.“Slowly, I think the desire to be tan can be reversed as people learn to embrace the natural color of their skin and stop making it look like leather — or worse.” Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
When Sarah Fallin first worked with a mutt named Lily at the Orange County Animal Shelter she tried her hardest to convince herself that she didn't need a new puppy.But when potential adopters also took an interest in her particular pick of the litter she knew it was useless to restrain herself. Fallin took Lily off the adoption list and brought her home that day.As the volunteer and programs coordinator at the shelter Fallin like other employees and volunteers" experiences what they call ""compassion fatigue"" on a daily basis. Fallin said she couldn't think of an employee who hadn't adopted. As caretakers of abused" neglected and lost animals they must quickly learn how to keep their hearts open to the pets while at the same time knowing how to maintain distance.And with spring in full swing the number of strays brought into the shelter is at its peak with more animals reproducing" increasing the need for new adoptions.""I just couldn't resist falling in love with her friendly and loving personality" Fallin said. She would crawl in your lap and fall asleep in any position" and I just couldn't believe what a laid-back puppy she was.""Paula Morales" an animal care technician believes rewards she gets from helping animals in the shelter offset the hardships: seeing animals put to sleep" injured or abandoned.""We go through an emotional dance every single day" Morales said. Though it's hard seeing animals that have been through so much stuck in the shelter sometimes for months" it's a high when we see people fall in love with an animal and then take it home.""She has also taken in pets from the shelter" including two dogs and several birds. She can't bear to see animals stuck" she said. And she knows birds are often the last to leave.""Whenever we have birds brought in" everyone here usually just looks at me" Morales said.Volunteers say their attachment can develop from spending a few moments with a shelter dog or cat.First-year Caroline Johnson, a volunteer with Campus Y's Helping Paws, learned first hand when she started walking a pit bull.She used to be afraid of pit bulls, but time with Petunia changed her mind.Whenever I'd walk her and we'd stop to sit in the grass" she'd jump right into my lap" Johnson said.Kim Holcomb, a former animal care technician at the shelter, believes that when people pass through the shelter to find a new pet, the animal is the one who does the choosing.These dogs know when they get adopted"" Holcomb said. You can almost hear them telling you that they're going to love you for the rest of your life.""Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
For the past few months the pain of an empty stomach has plagued Emmanuel Jal.With a self-imposed diet of one meal a day Jal denies his body's hunger to feed his current dream: to construct a school for refugee children in Kenya.Tonight" Jal will visit UNC as a speaker and entertainer for ""Performances for Peace: A Diary of Darfur"" hosted by Students United for Darfur Awareness Now. As an ex-Sudanese child soldier, Jal's current mission to erect a school is only one example of his dedication to aiding and educating those who remain in war-torn areas of Africa.He said he feels satiated knowing that the money he would spend on two meals daily will buy a few more bricks for the school's building. Raising the needed money isn't the only reason he skips meals, though.I'm missing out on my meals because it reminds me this one cause is something I need to achieve right now" Jal said.We need food" but with no vision you perish.""Since his escape from Sudan through the aid of a British volunteer" Jal has achieved success as a hip-hop artist" starred in the documentary ""War Child"" and served as a powerful voice against what many have deemed genocide in Darfur.Jal's autobiography"" ""War Child"" which will be released this spring, expresses in print the horrors that he and thousands of other children in Sudan witnessed during war.My music tells my story also" but in the book every chapter is a movie of its own Jal said.Some people may not believe what's in it but in the end they'll know that I'm still here" and testifying to what I've seen and been through.""Julian March" the media coordinator for S.U.D.A.N." said that both Jal's personal experience as a child soldier and the efforts he's made to help Darfur pushed the group to involve him in the event.""Jal says in his music that he believes he's here to help people and touch lives"" March said. We felt he was the perfect speaker for ‘A Diary of Darfur.'"" Stephen Lee" who works for St. Martin's Press the publisher of Jal's book" said he has witnessed Jal's passion to help firsthand.""The fact that he's willing to eat only one meal a day shows what kind of devotion he has"" Lee said. He's just one of those guys who wants to lead by example.""Lee was a major advocate for the publication of Jal's memoir.Though his past still weighs on him"" Jal has managed to retain a buoyant attitude. He hopes that students will hear his story and feel compelled to move to action too.""I believe in people. I believe they can make things happen" Jal said.I have a message of peace and hope" and I want to inspire people to carry on this message as well.""
With a flutter of glittery eyelashes Lee Becker performing as Juan Andonly rushed onto the stage in a pair of tight checkered pants as the audience screamed his name. His time to air rock had arrived.Rapidly wiggling his fingers on his imaginary guitar he fell to the ground and convulsed in a fit of pelvic thrusts.Gerrard Hall boomed with this energy during the second annual Air Guitar Competition on Friday. In an atmosphere reminiscent of metal and glam rock concerts of the 1980s ten performers battled for the chance to be proclaimed UNC's ultimate air guitarist.Professional air guitarist Dan Crane performing under the pseudonym Bjorn Turoque hosted the event and opened the show with his own display of fast fingers. The judging panel comprised professor Mark Katz author Chuck Klosterman and Daily Tar Heel Diversions Editor Jamie Williams. Each ridiculously dressed air guitarist was judged on technical prowess" stage presence and air-ness.Song choices ranged from Queen's ""Fat Bottomed Girls"" to the Power Rangers theme song.Performer Mr. Fingers — sophomore Austin Douglas Johnson — started his performance in a suit and then stripped to a shirt and boxers while Daisy LaDeaux — sophomore Holli Crawford — ditched the air guitar and performed instead on an air banjo in her cowgirl boots" fringed leotard and hat.Air guitar wouldn't be the same without the ability to take on the unique qualities a performer displays during the time on stage said last year's winner" Ross Mckinnon.""The greatest thing about air guitar is the utter freedom"" Mckinnon said. There's no restrictions to your performance because there's nothing there. You're working with air.""Michael Foote" performing as GangstAIR" won the competition after humping both sides of a speaker.""It was a very sexual performance" so I give you a 5.69 (of 6) Klosterman said.Foote said he never expected to triumph over his opponents but wore an ecstatic grin as he was presented with the $100 prize.The audience was absolutely incredible Foote said. I beckoned" and they followed. I feel honored to be a part of the tradition.""Foote joined with those who didn't win to air-play Freebird at the end.""Air guitar is a performance and a motion to peace" Becker said. Make air" not war.""Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
First-year Rachel Carrier lost her voice and couldn't stop coughing. She didn't know what exactly was wrong with her" but it wasn't long before her suitemate started coughing" too.""After I had been feeling really sick" my suitemate started showing the same symptoms I had" Granville Towers resident Carrier said. She probably got it from using the bathroom we share."" College campuses — with their frequently trafficked bathrooms" study areas and residence halls — provide the perfect setting for the spread of infectious diseases and viruses. And as students settle back into residence halls staying inside because it's cold infectious diseases proliferate" experts say. ""Living in close quarters with lots of people can put you at a much greater risk of catching things like upper respiratory infections"" said nurse Michelle Camarena, co-chairwoman of Campus Health Services' Infectious Disease Control Committee. Disease surfaces aren't limited to dorms — from the stairwell railings in the Undergraduate Library to chairs in the Student Union, many areas on college campuses are easy spreaders.Sharing bathrooms can raise the risk of the spread of bacterial infections such as toe fungus and skin diseases.Unfortunately bacterial and fungal elements are everywhere in our environment"" said Dr. Thevy Chai, co-chairwoman of the Infectious Disease Control Committee.But, she said, respiratory diseases are the ones to worry about, not fungus.Only when the conditions are right would you be able to get that sort of infection.""Lately"" Campus Health employees say they've noticed an increase in the number of patients seeking treatment for flu-like symptoms.""There's a wide variety of symptoms" Chai said. Body aches fevers" belly discomfort.""The best thing you can do is get the flu vaccine.""Even though the flu shot won't guarantee immunity from influenza" it will significantly reduce any symptoms said Dr. Peter Leone" a UNC Medical School physician and expert on infectious diseases.Concern over acquiring sexually transmitted diseases from touching objects that have been touched by the infected also worry some who live on campus.""You can't get HIV" herpes or pubic lice just from sharing a living space with a person who might have those diseases Leone said. If you're sleeping with them yes" but you mostly acquire them through skin-to-skin contact.""Despite public perception that dorms are hot spots for spreading the common cold" the possibility of getting sick shouldn't raise fear among those who call the residence halls home Leone said.Good hygiene greatly reduces the likelihood of most illnesses. And Chai Camarena and Leone all agree that a few simple habits can protect against a medley of illnesses: wash hands thoroughly keep up with important vaccinations — and don't skip the shower shoes.Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
As songbirds slowly disappear with the onset of fall master's student Crandall Hicks keeps the whistling going.Last week Hicks started standing in the grass each day in Polk Place whistling entire orchestral concertos by Vivaldi and other Baroque composers.He emanates trills and complicated changes in pitch that echo across the grounds while keeping the music's tempo with his hands. As Hicks performed in front of South Building he could be heard from behind Lenoir Hall.Though it's a new type of performance to many students on campus Hicks has been developing his unique musical skill on college grounds since 2004 when he attended the University of Minnesota.He listens to songs on a set of headphones and whistles along with the melody" attempting to mimic the sounds of the instruments.""I found I could approximate the pitch" trills and flowery elements of the flute performance especially" Hicks said. Hicks invested up to two hours of practice each day to develop his skills while at the University of Minnesota, and debuted his campus performances there. When he moved to UNC to earn his master's degree, he practiced alone and learned new songs until he felt ready to share his talent with the South.Hicks whistles in front of crowds so he can see people's reactions. He has noticed facial expressions that range from confusion to delighted fascination. It's very reinforcing"" Hicks said. I wonder what they're thinking to themselves. When little kids walk by they're completely affixed because it's probably nothing they've seen before.""His wife Pankuri Hicks-Gorakfha said the whistling mesmerized animal species as well. ""I always noticed when he would practice inside the house" the birds outside would start going crazy and banging themselves against the windows trying to get in" Hicks-Gorakfha said.Junior Katelyn Brown-Gomez, who works at The Weathervane at A Southern Season with Hicks, didn't believe him when he said he was a skilled whistler. But Hicks took her and their coworkers outside to showcase his talent.When he started to show us he got really into it" Brown-Gomez said.Freshman Deanna Santoro instantly noticed Hick's unusual performance when she was walking to class through Polk Place.He was just dancing and singing it was great Santoro said.If he was bad it would bother me" but he's really talented.""Hicks likes knowing that he provides a new take on whistling for the people around him. ""Whistling sets me apart from other musicians who are playing musical instruments. I don't have those skills but this is what I have" and I might as well do something with it" Hicks said.Breathing in and letting out that much air gives me a sort of euphoric high.""Contact the Features Editor at features@unc.edu.
A documentary debuting at The Varsity today focuses on the transportation of the 280-ton house — a feat that required steel beams chains and back roads.Midway Plantation's Big House built in 1848 and passed down a North Carolina family for six generations was uprooted and moved 3 miles north in 2005.The building made it without dropping any rooms.The owners Charlie and Dena Silver said that as the area around the 4000 square-foot historic house became developed" they decided that moving it to a more secluded area would preserve its history.""I knew that if we had shopping centers all around" if I had a choice to live there I would say no" Charlie Silver said. It's not a good place to live.""In addition to documenting how the house was moved" the film delves into the history of the house.Development of Midway began during the 1800s under Charles Lewis Hinton. The 34-acre plantation the Big House and several outbuildings were a wedding gift from Hinton to his son David Hinton Jr.The cotton plantation rested on the Raleigh site for more than 150 years.The Hinton family from which Charlie Silver descends has helped shape North Carolina history from early days of colonial settlement.John Hinton arrived in North Carolina holding a royal land grant in 1739 and since then several generations of descendants carrying his name have continued to establish their identity within the state.A cousin of Silver Godfrey Cheshire a New York critic journalist and filmmaker" said he knew filming a documentary about the plantation mansion of his childhood could tell the extensive story of his family's history and the significance Midway has for them.""I think a lot of people in North Carolina will identify with this as a family story and with Midway as an element of the past" Cheshire said. Southerners have a particularly strong feeling about their home" place and land.""A New York University professor of Africana studies" who is descended from slaves at the Midway plantation" signed on as chief historian of ""Moving Midway.""Robert Hinton" who had long been interested in researching his family's roots" came back to his home state and the land that his ancestors cultivated for the project.""As a historian" I had to work very hard to keep my professional facade and not let my emotions get a hold of me when we went to Midway" Hinton said.Charlie Silver says the mansion's new setting looks like the house was transported back to the 18th century.Silver said the readjustment has happened easily — the ghosts who haunt Midway even managed to make the move.The family was concerned that the ghost of Miss Mary Mimi"" Hilliard Hinton" the eccentric storyteller who owned Midway during Cheshire and Silver's childhoods would be vexed. But so far the spirits of Hinton ancestors have seemed pleased" Silver said.""We haven't had any problems with the ghosts since we moved" but they've been around Silver said. We don't really mind though" because they're family and we're comfortable with them.""