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January 29, 2008
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Lifestyles
Vol. 80 Issue #16
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RIC Students Get Ripped For Ripping Music By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Editor Twenty-two Rhode Island College students have been sent pre-litigation settlement letters from the Record Industry Association of America. The letters were sent on the behalf of the major record companies to 407 students and/or faculty at 18 universities nationwide as part of an ongoing campaign against online music theft. Jonathan Lamy, Senior Vice President of Communication at the RIAA, said that “college students are among music’s most tech-savvy fans. The latest legal alternatives now come bundled with fan favorites such as social networking features, music videos, and movies. The many alluring legal options currently available are free or deeply discounted and going legal means that students avoid getting in trouble with their university and the law.” “Bringing lawsuits has never been our first choice,” Lamy added. “But for those who continually ignore enticing legal alternatives and plentiful warnings, it’s a necessary part of the equation.” When the Anchor contacted the Public Relations office at RIC, it was the first that anyone in the office had heard of the matter. College spokesperson Jane Fusco then contacted the college legal team only to learn that they had not been alerted to the matter either. At this time, the college has not released a statement on how they will react to the RIAA. In past cases, a major issue has become of how the college reacts. First at hand will be the question of if the college will turn over the names of the students using the computers mentioned in the letters. The RIAA does not know the identity of the downloaders, only the accounts they used. Some schools like Harvard, Boston University and Maine have been very strong defenders of
their students while others have not. It is also important to note that since no investigation is made to ascertain that the defendant is actually someone who engaged in peer-to-peer file sharing of copyrighted music without authorization, there are many defendants who have no idea why they are being sued. In past cases, defendants have included people who have never even used a computer. In one famous case, the RIAA sued a dead grandmother. Also many people who say they have used a computer have never engaged in any peer to peer file sharing. The Anchor has yet to learn the identity of any of those named in the suits at RIC. We were, however, able to learn some details about students at Massachsetts Institute of Technology also being sued. One MIT student who has received a letter from the RIAA said that he plans not to settle and that he would fight all of the RIAA’s attempts to learn his identity. To date,
To Fund or Not to Fund? By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Editor The December 12 Student Community Government meeting was highlighted by yet another lively discussion, this time on funding for the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. Yet, that was not the only important decision made in the last meeting of the fall semester. The meeting opened with a presentation by Sarah Courtemanche, the outgoing student representative to the Board of Governors of Higher Education. She was able to provide detailed information on the inner workings of the Board, the entity which governs RIC, URI, and CCRI. Courtemanche was followed by the SCG officer’s announcements. President Nicholas Lima reported on his Student Parliament “Two-Part Plan” that was begun at the start of last semester. Phase I was to gather information and fill remaining student seats on Parliament and Council committees. The second phase has now begun. Now, SCG will be using the information they collected to implement their new goals for this semester. Vice President Christopher Giroux then announced that a Town Hall meeting will be held on Feb. 27 at 7:15 p.m. in the Faculty Center, next to Donovan. This forum will be an opportunity for students to get information and share their thoughts with a panel of SCG officers and College administrators. Later in the meeting, Ericka Atwell, deputy speaker and chair of the Conditions and Services Committee gave her report on the condition of many areas of the campus. The run-down states of CraigLee Hall and Adams Library were highlighted. She also added that Physical Plant has been advised of SCG’s concerns, and she announced that they will be
working on as many issues as the ever-tightening budget allows. The Diversity Resolution was the next major topic on the agenda. It was passed with unanimous support from Parliament. The resolution stated that there should be an increase in RIC’s support for multicultural affairs and staffing on campus. “The resolution was long overdue,” said Lima. He added that Parliament would here RIC President John Nazarian’s response when he addresses the body, scheduled for the next meeting on Feb. 6 at 7 p.m. This unanimous action of Parliament was shortlived. Next up was the contentious issue of funding the National Society of Collegiate Scholars (NSCS). Sunny Intwala, chapter president, and other NSCS officers presented a case to Parliament in an attempt to attain funding for the honor society. Intwala stated that the policy that kept them from receiving funding was outdated, and should be changed. Many representatives on Parliament disagreed, including Parliament member Jennifer Almeida, president of Sigma Iota Theta, a sorority that also gets no funding from SCG. She argued that exclusive groups shouldn’t receive funding, and added that it has not kept her organization from holding several successful events. After more than an hour of debate, all but a few Parliament members voted to continue to deny funding to honor societies such as NSCS, and leave the policies as they are. According to SCG officers, there were many important decisions made at this longer than usual meeting. Parliament member Joe Roberge may have summed it up best, when he said, “It was a very long meeting… but we got some important issues resolved.”
no MIT students have gone to court to settle. On top of letters to RIC and MIT, the RIAA sent letters in the following quantities to eighteen schools this week including: Arizona State University (33), Bowdoin College (11), California State University, Monterey Bay (25), College of William and Mary (15), Duke University (16), Mount Holyoke College (15), Saint Mary’s College of Minnesota (13), Stanford University (15), Texas Christian University (14), University of California, Berkeley (26), University of California, Los Angeles (26), University of Connecticut (25), University of Iowa (24), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (22), University of Texas at Austin (50), and Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (36). Any RIC student who wishes to settle will most likely pay $3,000 to $5,000. For any RIC student wishing to fight their lawsuit there are many options. Robert Mitson, an attorney at Mitson Law Associates was unable to return our calls by print, yet he has fought cases with the RIAA in the past. Many of these college cases have been challenged. The first challenge of which we are aware that has been made by a college or university itself, rather than by the affected students, is Arista v. Does 1-17, where the Oregon Attorney General has filed a motion to quash the RIAA’s subpoena directed to the University of Oregon, seeking student identities. The motion argues that the RIAA’s identification evidence is flawed, so that the University could not respond to the subpoena without either violating privacy laws by divulging private information about students who are not shown to have committed any copyright infringement, or by conducting an elaborate investigation on the RIAA’s behalf. This developing story will be followed in future editions of the Anchor.
Do these emergency phones work? Story on Page 4...
Photo Caption: THE BLUE LIGHT IS ON, BUT NOBODY’S HOME A faulty Residence Hall “Lot L” Blue Light phone, above, is marked as not working by a piece of caution tape tied to it. Anchor photo by Mike Shiel
F.Y.I @ RIC
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Tidbits Sherlock Center on Disabilities PBIS Project Tuesday, January 29, 2008, 8 a.m. 3 p.m. in Alger 110 Sponsored by the Sherlock Center on Disabilities
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January 29, 2008
Ducey Student Media Center Student Union Plaza Rhode Island College 600 Mount Pleasant Avenue Providence, R.I. 02908
Blood Drive Thursday, Jan. 31, 2008, 11 a.m. - 6 p.m. in the SU Ballroom. RIP TRIP: Museum of African American History and African Film Festival Saturday, February 2, 2008, 9 a.m. 5:30 p.m. Bus pickup at the Student Union Loop Tickets on sale at SU Welcome & Information Center $3/RIC student, $8/Non-RIC Men’s and Women’s Basketball vs Keene State Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008, 1:00 p.m. in the Murray Center. Open to the general public.
contacts & fine print General ...............401.456.8280 Advertising...........401.456.8544 Fax.....................401.456.8792 Web ...........www.anchorweb.org General Info .info@anchorweb.org The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed by the college. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body. The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. All rights reserved. Copyright © 2007, The Anchor. If you are a student organization and would like to have an event covered, please contact The Anchor at managing@anchorweb.org.
News
January 29, 2008
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THE ANCHOR
It’s a Family Affair for the Clintons By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Editor The Clinton family has been out on the stump for Hillary a lot in the last few weeks. While her husband Bill gets much of the limelight, her daughter Chelsea is out there as well. And last week she came up to the northeast to visit Boston College. Chelsea is out working the college-age voters as she travels to many universities. This event was hosted by the BC College Democrats and she took part in a question-and-answer session titled, “Coffee with Chelsea.” During the chat, Clinton fielded students’ questions mainly on the presidential candidate’s stance on issues ranging from college affordability to gay rights. She was able to address many issues that are important to all college students, including the RIC student body. On the issue of the raising cost of a college education she said, “I think it’s fantastic that we talk in Democratic debates a lot about college affordability.” She also added that in the Republican presidential debates, it is a topic that is never covered. Clinton then discussed her mother’s own struggle with student loans, saying if Sen. Clinton had not been able to receive financial aid, she most likely would not have gone to college and wouldn’t be in a position to be the first female president of the United States. She then added that “if she had to worry about her debt, she might have made a very different choice.” She said the senator plans to eliminate the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and replace it with a check-box on the family’s income-tax form. She also was able to get a laugh from the crowd as she told a story of her mom struggling to help a niece fill out the FAFSA. Although issues directly related to college life were the main topic, other major issues were covered. On universal health care, Clinton told how proud she was of her mother for “fighting for health care before it was fashionable;” a comment based in Hillary’s failed push for universal coverage in the mid-90s.
As she got ready to leave, Clinton encouraged students to join in the election and prove that this younger generation can make a difference and step up to be leaders. “You talk about how engaged young people are in this election,” Clinton said. “If we’re going to prove the narrative right, we’ve got to show up.” She then added, “I hope you vote for my mom, but I really hope you participate. Get informed, get out and talk to friends.” This is a new approach at reaching young people. In the 2004 election, the Rock the Vote campaign used major music stars. Although the concerts were a hit, there was no statistical impact on young voter turnout. Here at RIC, the RIC primary provided further evidence for the ongoing push for young voters.
Douglas Cureton, a nationally known facilitator will be presenting at this year’s Rhode Island College Student Leadership Weekend. RIC students are invited to participate in A World of Difference: Rhode Island College Student Leadership Weekend which will be held the weekend of Feb. 8-10, 2008. The main goal of the A World of Difference Leadership Retreat 2008 will be gaining understanding of and promoting the celebration of the many cultures and backgrounds that make up the leaders at RIC. Specifically, the retreat will focus on the connection of building authentic community by developing inclusive, collaborative and valuing leaders. The three day retreat has been attended by many RIC students who have become leaders on and off campus. The Student Union has said that “our opening session on Friday evening will challenge you to examine your own cultural awareness and how diversity impacts your priorities and the decisions you make as a leader. You will be challenged to explore and learn about the multicultural backgrounds of other leaders from the RIC Community.” Innovation, creativity and diversity of thought will be infused throughout the weekend with interactive activities, thought-provoking exercises and media,
meaningful discussions as well as some more lighthearted moments throughout. Kristen Salemi of the Student Union stated that “the students who attend can tell you it is a positive experience for them for a lot of reasons.” Registration for first time attendees began on Jan. 22. Registration for those students who have participated in the Rhode Island College Student Leadership Weekend in the past begins Mon, Jan. 28. Students are required to submit a completed registration form and $10 fee to the Welcome & Information Center in the Student Union in order to attend. Students will be refunded $5 of that fee at the start of the conference. The registration fee includes transportation, lodging, all meals, t-shirt and all programs/workshops. Transportation is provided from RIC to Camp Woodstock in Conn. and back. Douglas Cureton is the founder and senior consultant for
By Jessica Albaum Anchor Editor January 28 National Kazoo Day I know everyone has been waiting for a day when they can pay homage to their favorite instrument; the kazoo. On this day play you kazoo loud and proud for everyone to hear. January 29 National Puzzle Day On this day make sure to utilize the Sudoku puzzle on the inside cover of this newspaper. If you couldn’t wait and did it already pick up a crossword puzzle, the most popular in the puzzle family. January 31 Inspire Your Heart with Art Day This is the perfect time to go to a museum or make some art of your own. This art can be used to inspire your own heart, as well as being used romantically to inspire someone else. February 2 Ground Hog Day How much longer till spring? That is what the Ground Hog is for. On Feb. 2 he comes out of his home. If the Ground Hog sees his shadow there will be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t see his shadow, spring will soon be arriving.
Leadership Retreat By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Editor
What’s Special about Today?
CreativiTEAM. He brings over 20 years of professional education, training and development experience to create and present innovative, humorous and interactive programs for a variety of clients including colleges and universities, corporations, social service agencies and community organizations. Cureton is an invited speaker and presenter at many national and international conferences presenting keynote addresses, workshops and training seminars. Cureton served as the Associate Director of Training and Services for the Rhode Island College Campus Center and has spent over 15 years in the area of higher education administration in Student Activities, Residential Life and Student Life.
February 3 The Day the Music Died On this very sad day we remember great musicians who died too young. Buddy Holly, Richie Valens and the Big Bopper all died in a plane crash on this day in 1959. These musicians were idols in their generation and are mourned by many.
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News
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January 29, 2008
THE ANCHOR
No Dial Tone on New Blue Lights Newer Emergency Phones Still Not Online By Nick Lima Anchor Editor Blue Light emergency phones recently installed in the residence hall parking lot, Lot L, are still not operable, according to comments made by campus officials late Monday. The phones, part of a campus-wide system designed to improve the safety and security of students, faculty, and staff on campus, were the latest addition in an expanded project which began several years ago at Rhode Island College. As new buildings have been constructed and renovated, efforts have been made to add blue light locations as part of each project. According to Fred Ghio, deputy chief of Campus Police, the system is a valuable tool for any RIC community member in distress on campus. Whether someone is in a dangerous situation, observing suspicious activity, or reporting a fire or medical emergency, the Blue Lights are the fastest way to get in touch with dispatchers at Campus Police. “All you have to do is walk up to it and press the button,” Ghio said. “The phones provide an immediate, direct communication line to our dispatcher who can send help from any of our 4 patrol areas.” He added that the flashing blue light that goes off on the phone during a call can, by itself, scare off a potential attacker while police respond. Also, he said the location of an activated Blue Light phone is immediately transferred to Campus Police via a caller ID, which increases response time. “It’s faster than pulling out your cell phone and calling our number, and the response time of Campus Police is immediate, as opposed to off-campus emergency services.” Campus Police, who can be contacted by dialing 401-456-8201, advise to also call 9-1-1 in an emergency, though the close proximity of RIC officers can make the difference between life and death in some situations. The growing Blue Light system fails to be effective, however, when the phones stop working. While previously established locations throughout RIC continue to work, nearly all of the new phones in Lot L behind the residence halls are inoperable, despite having been installed last fall. According to Ghio, a number of calls have been placed to Physical Plant, the College’s department of facilities and operations, to fix the faulty phones. “When they are fixed, they will be the most effective on campus,” Ghio explained. The high quality cameras added to the residence hall parking areas to thwart break-ins last year have
the ability to zoom in on an activated phone, giving officers in the dispatch center a live view of an emergency situation. Ed Brady, director of facilities and operations, said that his staff is exploring a warranty issue with the contractor that installed the phones. At present, he is not aware of the exact cause of the phone’s inability to function. “We are in the process of finding out the depth of the problem,” Brady said. He added that he wanted to get the new phones online as soon as possible, and would be following up immediately. The general consensus among campus officials was that the phones should be repaired within a week, depending on various controlling factors. Meanwhile, the broken phones behind the residence halls remain lit in a bluish hue that shadows the lot. The only notation that they don’t function is a small strand of yellow caution tape tied to each phone’s base unit. Though there have been conflicting reports, Ghio stated that there are approximately 7 new phones in and around L-lot. For the future, Ghio said new phones will continue to be put online as buildings are refurbished. Also, plans exist to implement a speaker system on all of the phones to allow officials to communicate mass messages in an emergency, in response to the Virginia Tech massacre and RIC’s Emergency Response Steering Committee’s desire to construct a campus-wide notification system. “The system would be extremely beneficial if implemented,” Ghio said. He added that funds must be obtained in order to purchase loudspeaker modules for the phones. According to a map provided on the RIC web site, Blue Light emergency phones are located sporadically across campus. Locations include the rear of the Murray Center, behind Willard Residence Hall and throughout L-Lot, in front of Sweet Hall, between Donovan Dining Center and the Student Union, behind Gaige Hall, adjacent to Fogarty Life Science, next to Craig-Lee Tower, between the Henry Barnard School and the Art Center, to the rear of Whipple Hall, near the bus port on the south end of Lot B, between the Recreation Center and the Payroll Office, and in front of the School of Social Work.
Black History Month By Barry Nickerson Anchor Editor Every February, North America celebrates a rich history and culture of a people who live, work and dream here. This is Black History Month, whose purpose is to enrich and enlighten everyone about a history that, until recently, was nearly absent in books in favor of the history of the dominant cultures. The first Black History Month was celebrated in 1976 and was begun by the modern-day Association for the Study of Afro-American Life and History. The month-long observance began because the history of Africa (beyond parts directly affected by dominant cultures) was hardly common knowledge to many students and citizens. The month celebrates the many contributions that AfricanAmericans have made to American society that had been previously overlooked and also helps to increase awareness about many aspects of African-American culture. It is a glimpse into the history of an entire continent whose story had been overlooked for far too long. This year, Rhode Island College is kicking off its celebration of Black History Month with a trip to the Museum of African American History in Boston this Saturday, Feb. 2. The trip costs $3 for RIC students and $8 for non-RIC students. Stay in tune with the Anchor as we cover the events and celebrations of Black History Month all month long! If you attend an event and would like to write about it, contact Kameron Spaulding at news@anchorweb.org.
Sports
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January 29, 2008
THE ANCHOR
Walsh for Welsh? Sad But True By Kameron Spaulding Anchor Editor Sometimes you just don’t know how well you have it. Coaching in Rhode Island College’s basketball program is one of those situations. We have a coach in Bob Walsh who, flat out, makes teams better. That cannot be said for a lot of teams, namely, (cough cough) the Friars. I have to admit that I am trembling as I write this one. You may be asking why? What is scary about having a great basketball coach? The reason would be the simple fact that as Tim Welsh sits over at PC performing about as bad as a coach can, right across town the Athletic Department at Providence can look across Smith Street and see good coaching. In 2006-07, Walsh led Rhode Island College to a 27-4 overall record, establishing the best season in school history for wins. The Anchormen went 12-2 (first place) in the Little East Conference, capturing the program’s first-ever LEC Regular Season Championship. The Anchormen hosted the Little East Tournament for the first time in program history, going undefeated with a 3-0 mark to win the tourney title and advance to the NCAA Tournament. RIC advanced to the Sweet 16 and then to the Elite 8 where the Anchormen lost to the eventual National Champion (Amherst). It was the program’s first appearance in the NCAAs in 28 years. The fear is that at the end of another season were the Friars lose to bottom feeders like DePaul, the coaching search will be on. There is no way they can bring back Welsh. He is just plain awful. Now I know it’s far-fetched but Walsh would be the perfect coach for that program. First, he knows the inner workings. He spent 7 seasons as an assistant coach with the Providence College basketball program before coming here. Now PC fans here have some hard pills to swallow. Pitino isn’t coming back and Donovan isn’t leaving Florida. So that means
your search will be a tough one. There is no way I would feel comfortable giving the job to any assistant in that program now. Nothing is going well there so you need to search outside. So right there sits Bob Walsh, a coach that actually wins games. Just look at how his freshmen are playing, he can sure find some talent. That’s another thing PC could use as they are locked up to get no better as they are bringing in one of the first freshman classes in the Big East next year. Here is a funny quote from the Friars website: “In 11 seasons as a collegiate head coach, Tim Welsh’s squads have produced an impressive 197-136 mark (.593). Since his hiring at Providence in 1998, Welsh has led the Friars to a 127-114 record, which includes 2 NCAA and 2 NIT appearances.” How is that impressive? During the last few seasons, he has been taking good teams and throwing them in the toilet. I knew as I watched Seton Hall come back from down 14 to put a straight beat down on the Friars that Welsh is just horrid. He suffers from what I call the Slow Rot Coaching Theory. We will call it SRCT for short. SRCT is when there is a small problem, and said coach does nothing to stop it. It then keeps rotting until the whole damn tree falls over, killing all the poor cheering fans underneath it. The only good part in that game happened when a fan hit a half court shot at halftime for a car. Maybe they should start a contest for a new coach. If you can call a timeout and then not waste it yelling at officials and not coaching up your players, you’re the new coach. So there it is. A lot of the time, RIC students talk down about the college. If you ask them to show why they are better off than PC, they struggle. Well, I am sure any Providence basketball fan would gladly trade our coaching situation with the one they have in a minute.
Mad Mike’s Mind
Women’s Gymnastics
Dana Jacobson returns from Suspension By Mike Simeone Anchor Staff I was watching ESPN this past Monday and Dana Jacobson, co-host of “First Take” on ESPN 2, came on and apologized about the remarks she made at The Roast of Mike and Mike. Mike and Mike in The Morning is a live radio show broadcast on ESPN Radio and can be viewed on ESPN and ESPN 2. Out of curiosity, I went on a Google search to find out what she said. I found an article on the Huffington Post’s website which answered my question. According to the article, Jacobson reportedly said “F*** Notre Dame,” “F*** Touchdown Jesus,” and “F*** Jesus” in attempt to insult Mike and Mike, both graduates of Notre Dame. Mike Golic, in fact, is a former Notre Dame football player. In her defense, she was drunk. Pictures show her standing on the podium throwing vodka down her throat. She had this to say as her apology: “I am very sorry. My remarks about Notre Dame were foolish and insensitive. I respect all religions and did not mean anything derogatory by my poorly chosen words. I also deeply regret the embarrassment I have caused ESPN and Mike and Mike. My actions at the roast were inappropriate and in no way repre-
sent who I really am. I have personally apologized to many of the people involved. I won’t make excuses for my behavior but do hope that I can be forgiven for such a poor lack of judgment.” A poor lack of judgment is correct. Truly, I don’t feel that you should be forgiven for getting drunk and then making a stupid statement. At 36, you should know how to act responsibly. It’s inexcusable to get drunk and act in a foolish manner. I understand it was meant to be an event where everyone is having fun, but getting extremely drunk and then making a fool out of yourself in front of a bunch of your co-workers is just childish. What she did is akin to a professional player using performance-enhancing drugs. Nobody gains anything from it and all you’re doing is hurting yourself. Jacobson not only embarrassed herself but ESPN. She can say that she was under the influence of alcohol and that what caused her to act to foolishly, but I still have lost all respect for her. Drunken words are sober thoughts.
By Marah Roach Anchor Editor Rhode Island College’s gymnastics team lost to State University of New York in Brockport and Springfield College this past Saturday at a meet held here in our Murray Center. SUNY Brockport had a final score of 184.1 while Springfield trailed behind with 183.67 points. RIC ended the meet with a score of 171.57. To quote the movie Stick It, “It’s not called gym-nice-stics.” Despite the tough competition, the Anchorwomen finished with a team-best performance, breaking 170 points for the first
time this season. RIC logged season-highs on vault (43.650), bars (41.625), beam (41.700) and floor (44.600). Freshman Robyn Albert and senior Melissa Demirjian took second and third place in the all-around, with scores of 35.750 and 35.350. Albert earned the team’s highest scores on vault (9.075) and bars (8.925) while Demirjian was tops on beam (8.700) and floor (9.300). The Anchorwomen’s overall record this season is 1-6. In upcoming action, RIC will compete at Brown with the University of Rhode Island on Sun., Feb. 3 beginning at 1 p.m.
January 29, 2008
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Men’s Basketball By Bobby Kazarian Anchor Editor Electricity was surging through the Murray Center this past Tuesday evening with an enormous matchup between RIC and an undefeated nationally-ranked UMass Dartmouth Corsairs. UMass Dartmouth, currently ranked 8 in Division III Men’s Basketball entered Tuesday’s game with a flawless record of 15-0 and 5-0 in the LEC. The Corsairs are 1 of just 2 undefeated teams in D-3 hoops and bring with them the highest scoring margin in the Little East Conference at a point differential of 12.1 ppg. RIC, also 5-0 in the LEC and 13-2 overall on the young season, were the toughest test thus far for the Corsairs and a team very capable of spoiling their perfect season. RIC got off to a slow start in the contest, trailing most of the half until a layup by Kaseem Johnson with 8:43 left in
the first half to give RIC their first lead with a 2-0 lead. The two teams flip flopped the lead for the rest of the half until 5 seconds left before halftime and down 1 point, RIC’s super freshman Antoine Gray hit an acrobatic layup to give the Anchor-
men a 37-36 lead at the half. Midway through the second half, RIC took their largest lead at 57-50 with 11 minutes left and their swagger and confidence at the peak. All signs led to an upset and RIC taking a very important game in the LEC to get a leg u p
on the rest of the league. Unfortunately, their confidence was short lived and RIC went ice cold from the field down the stretch whereas the Corsairs caught fire and turned a 7 point deficit into a 7 point victory over RIC by as score of 77-70. Sure, RIC lost in the end but they proved that this year’s team will be just as formidable as last year’s team. If not for ice cold shooting and poor executing at the end, this Anchormen team would have easily taken down Dartmouth. It wasn’t a total loss for RIC with their freshman point guard Antoine Gray having a solid performance in the first big game of his college career. Gray had 10 points and 5 assists in 27 minutes.
Women’s Basketball By Amanda Hooper and Bob Kazarian Anchor Editor & Staff All in all, it was a great week in RIC Women’s Basketball. The Anchorwomen, coming off 3 straight losses following last week, were looking to regain some momentum against 2 inter-conference foes. First up was UMass Dartmouth. RIC stormed out of the locker room, shutting down Dartmouth with a 4431 lead at halftime. RIC maintained pressure and converted clutch free throws at the end of the game to post a 70-60 vic-
Photos courtesy of Bob Kazarian and Mike Simeone
tory. Leading the game in scoring was Sarah Coughlin with 15 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Sherri Heard added 13 points in 29 minutes of game play. The Anchorwomen, upping their record to 8-7, looked to start a win streak and keep momentum on their side heading on the road to UMass Boston. Led by Sarah Coughlin’s double/double of 10 points and 11 assists and Tyla Martin’s game high 18 points, RIC stunned the home crowd en route to a 69-57 win.
Now 9-7 and 3-4 in the LEC, RIC’s next opponent is Western Connecticut State University on Tues. Jan. 29.
Opinions
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January 29, 2008
THE ANCHOR
Heath Ledger’s Death: Should the Pills Prescribed Have Been Doctor Recommended? By Mery Vieira Anchor Staff When the radio host announced the death of Oscar nominated actor Heath Ledger (Brokeback Mountain), I almost bumped the driver in front of me. The cynic in me automatically thought: “what now? Britney Spears losing custody of her kids isn’t enough? This is going to be a long and crazy year.” Then the host mentioned that Ledger left behind his two-year old daughter Matilda, (conceived with former Brokeback Mountain co-star M i c h e l l e Williams), and something struck a chord. I couldn’t understand what I felt. It was part pity, part sadness, and surprisingly – part anger. Yes, I was angry. I was angry at the doctor who prescribed the sleeping pills, angry at the Hollywood system that thinks it’s normal for an actor to isolate himself in a hotel room for almost a month in order to prepare for a role - knowing that he suffers from depression, and I was angry at Ledger himself. Yes, I was angry at Heath Ledger for behaving like the typical self-absorbed, self-sabotaging, self-effacing yet talented actor that so many of them are. With all due respect, (may he rest in peace), and my sincerest condolences to his family (and fans), what the heck was he thinking? Does he not keep up with the news? It was only recently that Jack Nicholson almost died from the exact same sleeping pill - Ambien. Did Judy
Garland, Dorothy Dandridge, Elvis Presley, Marylyn Monroe, and let’s not forget the much sensationalized account of Anna Nicole Smith’s death not make him reconsider, or perhaps further investigate the adverse side effects of the combination of
pills he was taking? How many celebs have to die before the tabloids stop focusing their attention on possible reasons for suicide and real journalists start asking the hard questions like “why is this a reoccurring phenomenon within the Hollywood system? Why are these stars not doing their research about the combinations of drugs they are taking? Why are these doctors not taking a stand against celebrity quick fixes and asking their celebrity patients to take a closer look at their overall mental and physical conditions before prescribing these pills?” With just a few words and couple of clicks on the Google search bar, I found this warning against the adverse side effects of taking Ambien:
“Serious adverse reactions including severe anaphylactic [exaggerated allergic reaction…to the substance], abnormal thinking and behavior, complex behaviors, withdrawal effects, amnesia, anxiety, and other neuro-psychiatric symptoms and CNS [central nervous system]-depressant effects have been reported” – www.RxList.com I would like to believe that Heath Ledger did NOT intend to commit suicide. But I’m not so convinced that he really wanted to live – I mean really want to live. This line of thinking is what prompted my anger. There is no excuse for an “accidental death” if he was NOT intentionally trying to kill himself. Again, I am not arguing that he did want to commit suicide. What I am arguing that he did not want to live badly enough. If I was Heath Ledger and wanted to live badly enough, my thoughts about taking Ambien would be: “hmmm…I’m already a depressed person who also suffers from anxiety, AND I have pneumonia…maybe taking this sleeping pill isn’t such a good idea.” Another warning: “Sleep disturbances may be the presenting manifestation of a physical and/or psychiatric disorder…[Ambien]…should be initiated only after careful evaluation of the patient.” – RxList.com
Why would an actor who is in the middle of shooting a movie that requires him to be completely out of whack (The Dark Knight) further dig a whole into the back corners of his psyche by taking a pill that could possibly do more damage? Another warning: “Cases have been reported in patients after taking …subsequent doses of sedative-hypnotics, including Ambien…[whereby]…some patients have had symptoms such as throat closing…[which] may be fatal. – RxList.com If Ambien is the prescription drug of choice for sleep deprived celebrities, than Adderall is the prescription drug of choice for college students suffering from attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. While TMZ.com and other entertainment news sources are fighting for exclusive interviews and live footage of his corpse and fans are grieving for the loss of another potentially great star, and his family grapples with the suddenness of his death – one can not help but ask: when are we going to realize that prescription drugs can be just deadly as illicit drugs? tainment news sources are fighting for exclusive interviews and live footage of his corpse and fans are grieving for the loss of another potentially great star, and his family grapples with the suddenness of his death – one can not help but ask: when are we going to realize that prescription drugs can be just deadly as illicit drugs?
S/he Becomes E By Paula Richer Anchor Staff Language not only expresses who we are but informs us about whom we are. Another way of seeing it is that language imprisons us. It forms the walls within which we formulate ideas and opinions of ourselves. It supports the suggestion, for example, that an alien from outer space who visits our planet to ingest our textbooks and our media in order to learn about who we are may conclude that we are a planet made up mostly of authoritative, selfreliant men because, with few exceptions, our language has rendered women unimportant or invisible. History books and religious texts are largely written by and about men, women’s surnames and bloodlines often disappear upon marrying, the word “he” is considered sufficient to reference every human being, and the word “man” is preferred to describe humankind as a whole. This assertion, inspired by Bonnie Hill in her essay Liberated Language, joins the ranks of other pronouncements from noteworthy scholars and historical figures over the last 150 years. Renowned feminist Elizabeth Cady Stanton illuminated some of the earliest sexism in language by challenging the Holy Bible. In her book, The Woman’s Bible, she asserts that the holy book demonizes, degrades, and subordinates women through its language, depictions, and accusations against them, and that its claim of being the “word of God” has been its false backbone from the
beginning. Not only did clergymen, statesmen, lawyers, and the press all practice oppression of women with this holy stamp of approval, but women themselves endorsed their own subordination because they too believed it was Divine Law. The Bible has been referenced as the basis of truth for ages, so its delegation of men as ultimate human authority should not go unchallenged. Mary Daly also confronts the Bible in her book, Beyond God the Father. She contends that the use of the word “man” to describe everyone is unacceptable because it allows men to understand the term belongs to them, while women must constantly question it. In her book, Man Made Language, Dale Spender states that while some still trivialize the consequences of using male generic language, studies repeatedly confirm that it has significant implications in the shaping of our thoughts, meanings, and reality. She describes the history of the public argument over male-dominant language (from which women were excluded). This ultimately led to an Act of Parliament in 1850, which legalized the use of “he” to stand for “she.” Spender says that men enjoy a direct line of identity through the use of male-gendered terms. But women must perform “double-think” because after they first read or hear a term they must then spend time negotiating their identity into it. Over 30 years of research on this subject has produced several strategies to combat the problem. Examples include alternating pronouns (“he and she” followed
by “she and he”), pluralizing pronouns (“they”), and rephrasing text altogether. But there are problems with each of these alternatives. Some are grammatical, some lower text quality and make speech cumbersome, and one (the suggested “s/he”) is virtually impossible to pronounce. However one strategy is superior to the others - the creation of all new pronouns (neologisms) that refer to both sexes equally. This idea has been tossed around for over 100 years, and several researchers have offered their suggestions (such as “thon”, “co”, and “ne”) hoping that theirs will be accepted and implemented. To date however, there has been no conclusive decision; well, no official one anyway. Researchers haven’t produced a solid winner, but apparently the GLBTQQ community quite possibly has. Welcome to the ideal solution – now emerging in some GLBTQQ publications. It is the use of the new gender-neutral pronoun “e”, which stands for a person of any gender. This all-inclusive term appears to be working beautifully and is growing in popularity. Its use has brilliantly kicked off a clean sweep of outdated sexist language while gently infiltrating an all-inclusive term. Sometimes we just need to take matters into our own hands. Bravo to the GLBTQQs for helping us tear down our language walls and kudos to those who will continue to carry the torch. How about you, will you join the language revolution?
All opinions in The Anchor are those of the individual writer and do not necessarily represent the views of The Anchor. We urge all members of the RIC community to take advantage of The Anchor’s editorial pages and send us their opinions. We remain true to our motto “free access to ideas and full freedom of expression”. Submissions must be under or around 700 words. Since we receive so many letters each week, entries will be published based on relevancy and time sensitivity. All entries are considered and carefully read.
Opinions
January 29, 2008
Page 13
THE ANCHOR
All Aboard the Failcopter By Andrew Massey Anchor Editor For any of you who were wondering, the failcopter is a metaphorical device in which the occupants have done so poorly a job of being human that they have no hope of ever being looked at as equal. This week’s occupants of the failcopter are the members of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC). The members of the Westboro Baptist Church reside in Topeka, Kan. (Not to be confused with the Westboro Baptist Church in Westborough, MA, or Ontario, Canada.) Their sole purpose is to spread their hate-mongering of LBGT people, which they call the “Word of God.” The reason I am talking about them today is because I recently saw a flyer from them announcing that they would be picketing Heath Ledger’s death, as he played a lead role in the movie Brokeback Mountain. In this flyer, they call the movie a “sordid, tacky bucket of slime seasoned with vomit.” Truly, with reviews like that, the members of the WBC should belong to the elite ranks of critics like Ebert and Roeper. They say so much with so few words. Unfortunately, what they have to say is not worthwhile. With several run-on sentences and comments like “God Hates Fags! & Fag-Enablers!,” I learned something else: God Hates Grammar! & Grammar-Enablers! Sorry, English majors, but you are going to Hell too. Soon after this flyer was printed, another came about from them saying that they (who “they” is was not clarified) were trying to hide Heath Ledger’s body so the
WBC could not picket the funeral. I could never guess as to why. They went on to say that “it is a great privilege to have the servants of God present to spread a little Gospel truth.” Now, unless you are my girlfriend or I (who view having the WBC picketing our funerals as a sign of accomplishment), no one wants a bunch of crazy protestors waving signs like “God Hates Fags” or “God Hates America” at their funeral. Instead, the lovely members of the WBC will be waving these signs at the memorial of Heath Ledger at the Screen Actors Guild Awards, where actors go to pat themselves—I mean each other—on the back. If the media is smart, they will refuse to acknowledge the presence of the WBC. Negative attention is the only attention these bigots can get. Now while I realize I am contributing to this, my column is called “The War on Ignorance”
and I had to write something about these folks. Now the WBC is much worse than I have depicted them here. They rejoiced over 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and the Virginia Tech Massacre, viewing them as acts of God against all LBGT people. They picket the funerals of American troops, since they defend a gay-supporting country. According to a statement by Betty Phelps (wife of Fred Phelps, the founder of the WBC) on Tyra Banks’ talk show, that while she does not believe all of the members of her church are going to Heaven, she does believe that if you are not a member you are going to Hell, guaranteed. I found this amusing because very few, if any, Baptist Churches recognize the WBC as a legitimate church. When a religion that has been used to persecute all sorts of minorities at one time or another, including the LBGT community, refuses to recognize you, you have a
problem. The one thing that scares me the most about the WBC is the amount of hate they draw towards them. According to Betty Phelps, they have been vandalized, assaulted, and shot at. While I believe the group deserves all the scorn they can get, I am afraid that one day someone is going to take it too far, such as attempting to assassinate their members. I do not believe they deserve to die, just to be severely humiliated. If someone did start trying to kill them, they would look like the victims. No one wants to argue with a victim over beliefs. In this sympathy, they may be able to corrupt more people and bring them into their cause. I do not want to see this happen. All in all, what the WBC preaches is nothing short of pure evil. What makes me happy is the fact that, if there is a Heaven and Hell, when the members of the WBC pass on from this world, as we all do sooner or later, they will be in for a nasty shock when they reach Eternal Damn- excuse me, “Salvation.” I am sure there is plenty in store for them down there. Of course, the WBC might just be right, and they might go to heaven, in which case, I will proudly go to Hell and have fun skating on the ice with the penguins. God may love them, but I don’t. Andrew Massey is a third year Psychology major and is the current Opinions and Lifestyles editor of the Anchor. He is proud to be a “Fag-Enabler,” and hopes others are a part of his cause.
ROVING REPORTER By: Kellye Martin
:
Last week, The Anchor Newspaper ran an editorial about parking. What is your opinion on the possibility of eliminating reserved parking for faculty and staff?
Lindsey Rogers English 2009 I don’t think it’s a good idea. I think they reserve the right to their own parking. They are teaching us.
Gennaro Oliano English 2012 I think it’s a good idea. The parking lot is too big and unoccupied. It’s space I could use myself since I commute.
Kristin Palardy English 2009 They should remove the reserved parking because the faculty doesn’t seem to actually be utilizing the space. There are actually many free spots students could use if they weren’t reserved. Plus, it would be great not having to walk a mile in the snow to get to class.
Carrie Anne Perez English 2010 There should be no faculty or reserved parking except for handicap parking.
Do you have a question you want answered? Send your question to photography@anchorweb.org
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Opinions
January 29, 2008
THE ANCHOR
Letter from the Editor Outlet for the Student Voice
By Jessica Albaum Anchor Editor I have noticed as I walk around campus that students are talking. I know that you, the student body have an opinion and important things that people would like to know about. These opinions deserve to be heard and fortunately there is an accessible outlet for these opinions and ideas. The Anchor Newspaper is here to be a voice for the students but far too often I notice that the students at large are not taking advantage of this. We, as the student newspaper, cannot properly do our job without the help of the people who study at RIC. Faculty and staff are not exempt from this either. We welcome anyone involved on this campus to write for this paper. We want to serve your needs. We cannot do that if we do not know what they are. Believe it or not The Anchor has some pull around this campus and you as the reader can contribute to it. Just last semester Barry Nickerson, our Managing Editor, wrote an article about classes being run during free period without permission. This drastically changed this semester’s class schedule and now there are no longer classes being offered during this time. There are more advantages than just having your voice heard if you write for your college newspaper. Once you start writing and attending meetings in the Anchor office (located in the Ducey Media Center), you become part of the media community on campus that becomes like your second family. Every Thursday we hold an Anchor night in which all the editors and staff get together to either watch movies, play board games, and just about anything else that you can think of to do for fun. Also when applying to jobs it looks good on a resume to see that you were a staff writer for a newspaper. It provides good networking skills as well. We have two professional advisors who come in and critique the paper during our meeting. They can help anyone who is interested in a career in journalism. Writing weekly for a newspaper will help create stronger writing skills and will help you be a more aware student on campus. When I started writing for the Anchor my writing skills were very poor; through the years my abilities have improved a lot. The bottom line is that you, the student, can get a lot out of writing for your college paper. My college experience would not have been nearly as good had I not gotten involved with the Anchor. My time spent here is something I am not likely to soon forget.
Complain All You Want, Nothing Will Change By Nick Lima SCG, Inc. President I’ve been a student at Rhode Island College for nearly 4 years now (and not surprisingly, I still have 2 more to go). In that time, I’ve taken full advantage of the $45 per semester Student Activity Fee I pay, along with all other undergraduate students. I’ve served as a DJ, Reporter, News Director and Production Director for RIC Radio 90.7 WXIN-FM. I’ve written a food critic column for the Anchor, called Cuisine Corner, and have written many other articles for news, features, sports, arts and entertainment, and, like this plea to the Student Body, opinions. I also restarted the Chess Club and participated in numerous other activities that, in the end, I paid for. To top it all off, I’m the senior most member of Student Parliament and have served as Student Community Government, Inc. Secretary, Deputy Speaker, and Student Body President. This isn’t a list of my accomplishments – it’s a list of what I’ve gained from being a student at RIC. My only question is: where has everyone else been? Is it just that students don’t care? Apparently not, for as SCG President, I hear complaints from dozens of people on a daily basis about what’s wrong with RIC. And yet so few people have the courage to act. Well, perhaps courage isn’t the right word – they don’t have the motivation to act. It’s there if you want to find it. Between the Anchor and WXIN, there are more than 25 paying student jobs to compete for. Student Parliament members only need to have a small petition signed, ranging from 1 to 50 signatures, at most, and are paid $20 per meeting for just showing up every other Wednesday night for a couple of hours. And this year, more than ever, Student Government has proven that positive change on campus is a realistic goal to have. With more than 25 Parliament members, we have started the ball rolling on plans that will hopefully better student parking, student representation, Donovan Dining Center, facilities on campus, lighting at night, multicultural affairs, expanding the Student Union, and the more than 80 clubs that any student can join. But what’s the point of doing all of this hard work if no one takes advantage of it? Now more than ever, the clubs and organizations that SCG funds struggle to just gain new members – never mind trying to get them to become active, involved members of the campus community, participating in events and aspiring to better themselves as individuals.
This year, I am confident that SCG will finish the semester having made great strides in improving every issue we are fighting for. However, I’m not sure how many people are listening. Worse still, I’m equally confident that few students, at all, will notice. The evidence of change is out there – but when you’re not involved in your own college, you, as a student, are blind to everything you stand to benefit from it. I refuse to accept this as the status quo. If last semester’s class elections are a good indicator, we have truly hit rock bottom as a Student Body. Of 9,000 + students at RIC, we didn’t even get 1,000 people to vote. We also didn’t get 500. We failed to have a turnout of 100, as well. Folks, we didn’t pass single digits in each class’s election – and some classes had fewer than 5 people vote. On a campus that just gained more than 300 residents with the opening of the New Residence Hall, this RIC Apathy is unacceptable. The job of a leader is to use the lessons of the past to effectively manage the present, but more importantly, to provide a vision and a foundation for the future. This year’s Executive Council, and Parliament, like no other before it, have looked to the lessons of the past in order to not repeat the same mistakes. They have spent countless hours in making sure you, the individual student, have a loud voice to the RIC Administration. And, most importantly, we all have a vision for the future. But without YOU, all of that will be for nothing. My biggest fear is that the inactivity in our class election system will weave its way into Student Parliament in the coming years. If you haven’t realized it, a Parliament that only has 10 of its 40 seats filled would be free to be controlled by the College Administration at the best, and by a select group of individuals who have no interest in representing all of you, at the worst. On the other hand, a full, active Parliament can work with the Administration, and stand up to it when necessary, and a Parliament composed of a broad range of students from all aspects of the College community has the most potential to benefit you. We send out emails, we hang banners, we pass out fliers, and we post ads on WXIN and in the Anchor. The information to become involved is out there. The only person who stands to benefit from taking advantage of your $45 per semester Student Activity Fee is YOU. I only hope that you will wake up, step up, and realize your potential before it’s too late.
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Lifestyles
January 29, 2008
Page 15
THE ANCHOR
Haunted America: The Stanley Hotel By Robert Lefebvre Anchor Staff The Stanley Hotel, located in Estes Park, Colo., has nearly a century of history. The hotel was also the inspiration for the Overlook Hotel, the setting for Stephen King’s masterpiece The Shining. It has also hosted some famous names such as Stephen King, Theodore Roosevelt, and even the Emperor and Empress of Japan. But the Stanley may be hosting more than just guests. It has been the site of numerous reports of supposed hauntings. The Stanley was built in 1909 by Freelan O. Stanley, inventor of the Stanley Steamer automobile, after coming to Estes Park when he came down with tuberculosis. When he found that the town was economically poor, and with the amazing view of the Rockies, he decided to have the hotel built using his connections he had made from the success of the Steamer. He also had a new road built into the town. To help christen it, he had the first visitors come in on steamers. In 1940, the year he died, he finished having a sewer, water, and power company developed for the town. Since then, the hotel had become a major success. The hotel still stands and is still in operation today. Many reports have come from the guests of the hotel that they had seen strange images and
had unexplainable things happen to them. Some believe that F. O. Stanley haunts the hotel himself. He has been seen most often in the lobby and the Billiards room, which was his favorite room when he was alive. He has also been seen in the bar but quickly disappears before anyone can get a better look. It is also believed that F.O.’s wife Flora haunts the hotel as well. When she was in the hotel, she used to entertain the guests by playing piano in the music room. Though there have been no actual sightings of her, the keys of the piano have been seen by several guests to be moving by themselves. Guests have also reported hearing
children playing in the hallway when no children were present, one couple even checking out because of the noise. Various employees have reported hearing voices when no one was around and seeing impressions in beds in rooms where no guests have stayed in for awhile. One guest claimed to have recorded a faded image of a man in a cowboy hat in his room, standing in front of the window. It lasted for a few minutes and then faded away. Another incident occurred where a guest attending her sister’s wedding wrote “REDRUM” on a mirror with lipstick in her sister and her groom-to-be’s room a joke. Later, as she was walking down the grand staircase to the lobby, she felt some-
A Crazy Little Thing Called Love By Ashley Dalton Anchor Staff Since the dawn of time, people have sought out love. As the times changed, so did the methods. Women no longer have to fear being hit over the head with a stick anymore, thank God. Most men have outgrown their cavemen days; to those who haven’t, good luck to you. Flowers, candy and mixed tapes soon evolved to “poking,” instant messaging, and burned CDs. Nothing says “I love you” like illegal music. Anyways, the problem that I’ve been noticing more and more is the dramatic display of romance in our culture. Nowadays, we settle for a “poke” or a “flirt” on Facebook, along with its other million and two applications set up to meet local singles. What I’d like to know is this: where did all the sincerity go? No work or thoughts are required to push a button. People would talk and get to know each other for more than just “a roll in the hay.” What happened to those guys who would do anything wild and crazy to get the girl? What happened to the kinds of things that would make other girls say, “I want one of
them?” Now it’s just expected that they’ve got her if they go out a few times. No wooing is involved. My theory on the situation is that people have gotten comfortable playing it safe while others settle for what they can get rather than what they deserve. People these days rush around trying to find someone as if being single were the plague. Let me just state for the record, it is not. Everyone just needs to chill out and embrace life. You’ll eventually find someone. Just be patient and wait for him or her to get their act together. Relationships can be wonderful but they can also be emotionally draining and a lot of hard work to make last. Until that “one of a kind” romance finds you, just have fun being you. Don’t settle for less than you know you deserve. We’re in college! We have the rest of our lives to look for the “right one” and be tied up in relationships. For now, embrace being young as it’ll only happen once. Act immature and be just plain silly. Growing up is a big headache we don’t need right now. What’s meant to be will find a way of happening whether it’s today, tomorrow or 10 years from now. Be happy in the moment and where you are in life because once the moment is gone, you’ll miss it. Don’t be afraid to take chances every now and again. Who knows what little surprises life has in store for you.
one shove her and she fell down the stairs. After being helped up, she looked to see who shoved her, but no one was around to have done so. Many strange events seem to take place in the Stanley Hotel for sure. Some are certainly less explainable than others. Why people believe they see the Stanleys has no reasonable explanation. Noises that guests and employees hear could be the creaking of heaters that they think might be ghosts, or the shifting of the pine wood that some of the hotel is made from. Voices that they hear could be echoing through the floors and walls from other rooms. That could account for the children that are heard as well. Or they could actually be children that hide when someone tells them to stop or keep it down. The guest who recorded the ghost wearing the cowboy hat would be more reliable if he showed this recording rather than say he did. And the girl who claimed to be shoved could very well have lied. After all, she was in the process of pulling a prank when it happened. The Stanley Hotel has managed to stand as the very essence of the haunted hotel story, even before Stephen King used it for inspiration. It has also been visited by the T.A.P.S team, aka the Ghost Hunters on the SciFi channel. But does the Stanley still have guests that have not checked out?
CAMPUS TIPS GETTING INVOLVED By Kellye Martin Anchor Editor It’s a new semester and you find yourself sitting in your dorm room bored out of your mind once again. In case you’re looking for something to do and you didn’t read my article last semester, or simply forgot what it said, I offer you some simple ways to get more involved on campus. If you want to get to know some of the people who live in your building and you’re tired of lame events in your lounge, I would like to put forth the suggestion that you join the Resident Student Association (RSA). This group is responsible for many inter-hall events as well as the Spring Cotillion. Also, RSA will be involved in bringing the Relay For Life to our campus this spring. Another suggestion would be that you join the Hall Council in your building. Each hall has its own Hall Council and these members are responsible for planning the events that take place in their respective buildings. If you want to be more involved, or if you simply want cooler events in your building, this is the organization for you. If you want to make a difference on campus, but don’t live on campus you could join Programming or Student Activities and help plan events, or maybe join Student Community Government (SCG), the group responsible for making many important decisions about our school. Like the media? Venture into the Ducey Media Center and join an organization such as The Anchor (which you are reading right now), WXIN – the student run radio station which broadcasts on 90.7FM and will be launching a new Internet station this February, or RIC TV which airs on Channel 3 on all on campus TVs. Are you athletic? Would you like to get out there and compete? There are several sports and club sports to choose from on campus. Drop by the Murray Center to get information on how to join these, or log onto the RIC website to find out when the games are if you just want to go watch. Have a specific interest? There are approximately 80 groups on campus which focus on topics ranging from groups celebrating culture to special interests such as dancing or the environment, or even playing chess. If you want more information on these clubs you can either visit the SCG office upstairs in the Student Union, or go to Student Activities Day on February 13 in the SU Ballroom during free period. Many clubs will be showcased. No matter what your interest, I’m confident that you can find the organization for you, so get out there and get involved!
The Anchor Newspaper presents
RIC Love Connection Date Show and Karaoke February 13th, 7pm Student Union Ballroom
Free Admittance Bakesale BE IN THE SHOW! Now searching for date show contestants Contact Jessica Albaum at
executive@anchorweb.org if interested
January 29, 2007
Arts + Entertainment
Page 17
THE ANCHOR
Andino’s Worth a Try By Nick Lima Anchor Food Critic Atwells Avenue on Federal Hill is renowned for its wide variety of Italian cuisine, ranging widely in price, selection, and quality from cheap to outrageous. Located at 171 Atwells in Providence, Andino’s is the embodiment of your moderately above average Italian eatery. From the beginning, our dining excursion began on a rough note – we happened to waltz in without reservations on a somewhat busy Sunday evening. This, however, presented no problem for the Andino’s staff, who seated us at the vibrant, retro-looking bar before promptly having a table ready for our party of 2. When it comes to atmosphere, Andino’s truly excels. Romantic music booms from overhead speakers (though not always wanted), but the white tablecloth, compact setting keeps noise down and presents a classy background. Elegant lighting and a highly attentive wait staff only add to the intimacy of the restaurant. It just so happened that, when we made our visit, the restaurant had just been adorned in a pink, white, and red Valentine’s Day theme, complete with giant sparkly hearts and “romantic” gelato selections doused in chocolate. Nothing says romance like heart-shaped gelato! After being placed at a table, we immediately delved into the wine list and appetizer menu, both of which are extensive. Unlike some of its expensive Federal Hill counterparts, Andino’s doesn’t focus just on expensive or inexpensive wines. Our Pinot Grigio selection, for example, ranged in varieties from $20 a bottle to more than
$50. For appetizers, Andino’s specializes in a wide assortment of seafood, including calamari salad, shrimp scampi and Francaise, and a half dozen different clam dishes ranging from clams casino to Giovani to zuppa. Of course, we sampled the mozzarella sticks, a Cuisine Corner staple, which were a great hit. Fresh, homemade breadcrumbs adorned gooey piles of fresh mozzarella, steaming with the scent of just enough spices to give a zingy flavor to every bite. The marinara, I dare say, outdid the sticks at Andino’s, and was one of the few sauces I have ever enjoyed eating by itself. With an intense flavor in every drop, the fresh sauce went perfectly with the mozzarella and with the spicy fried ravioli, which we also sampled. Normally, fried cheese ravioli tend to dry out, but Andino’s version stayed moist and chewy, and provided quite a peppery kick well after the first bite. For entrées, we tried out the chicken marsala, which was really quite good; covered in white mushrooms and a delicious wine sauce. The chicken piccata, an Italian staple. The piccata, unfortunately, was a little below my high expectations, and was served in a somewhat watery lemon butter white wine sauce. While tasty, the chicken was well-prepared and thoroughly marinated, though could have been tenderer. Still, it was quite good, aside from the obscene amount of capers that were swimming in my lemon-butter ocean. It seriously felt like D-Day. Served with my chicken was a hearty penne pasta, absolutely drenched in a creamy pink vodka sauce that was top-notch. Andino’s offers a wide variety of pasta, chicken, veal, steak, and seafood dishes, and even broiled
pork chops, all of which are prepared to order and tend to have an unique twist. If you’re going to visit Andino’s, make sure you bring an appetite, as the portions are sure to leave you stuffed and asking for a take-out container. You should bring a full wallet, as well, for the bill at this moderately high priced restaurant racked up quickly to $100 for our romantic dinner-for-two, including appetizers, meals, wine, and a generous tip. Calling ahead for reservations is also a pretty good idea, as it was pretty clear to us that Andino’s is a Federal Hill hot spot. If you’re looking for a pricy dinner that’s going to leave everyone satisfied, it’s a hot spot you have to visit at least once. Service: 4.5 / 5 Atmosphere: 4.5 / 5 Food: 4.5 / 5 Mozzarella Sticks: 4.5 / 5 Overall: 4.5 /5 FEDORAS
G. LOVE & SPECIAL SAUCE BRING THEIR “PHILADELPHONIC” SOUND TO LUPO’S By Rob Duguay Anchor Staff On Friday, Philadelphia’s own G. Love & Special Sauce came to Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel in Providence and put on one of the most memorable concerts I’ve ever borne witness too. The show started off with The Wood Brothers; comprised of Madjeski, Martin & Wood’s bassist Chris Wood and his brother, guitarist Oliver Wood. They proved to be an awesome opening act, playing some bluesy folk with Oliver singing with a southern drawl. Their great set included a cover of the Allman Brothers’ “Midnight Rider” that really set the mood for the rest of the concert. There was a 10 minute intermission after the Wood Brothers finished their set. Then the lights came up again and the pandemonium that electrified the crowd shook
Lupo’s to its foundation. G. Love & Special Sauce started in on “Holla!!,” a track off the band’s most recent album Lemonade (2006). The “Rappin” Blues rhythm of G. Love & Special Sauce flowed through the audience like water through a river, with everyone in the audience dancing to the groove. During the middle of the set, G. Love brought out The Wood Brothers back to the stage for a little jam session. It started off with a bass duel for the ages between Chris Wood and Kingston’s own Jimi “Jazz” Prescott, the bassist for G. Love & Special Sauce and then they went into a duo of covers including “Can I Kick It?” by A Tribe Called Quest and then “Gin & Juice” by Snoop Dogg that was off the hook. G.Love and the band then started playing “Roaches,” a song off of one of the band’s fourth album, Philadelphonic, (1999). After playing “Roaches” the band went right into “Rodeo Clowns,” a song off of the same album that G. Love recorded with
Jack Johnson. Johnson was an unknown at that point and this collaboration proved to be one of Johnson’s first big hits in 2003. The band left the stage, and the crowd started chanting for an encore. G. Love & Special Sauce delivered with nearly another hour of music including playing some of their early hits including “Cold Beverage” off of the selftitled 1994 debut album as well as their famous song “Milk & Cereal” which a couple of Virginia Tech students made a video about. I was completely blown away by the music and spectacle that G. Love & Special Sauce put on. If you ever hear about G. Love & Special Sauce coming to your neighborhood I highly suggest you buy yourself a ticket and check them out. You will not be disappointed.
Arts + Entertainment
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January 29, 2008
THE ANCHOR
The Freaks and Geeks Hit the Right Note in ‘Juno’ By Andrew Stewart Anchor Contributor Once upon a timeslot, in the wonderful world of NBC Primetime, Freaks and Geeks was a critical darling that no one really watched often. Even with an Emmy under its belt, the show was canned after 18 episodes. Flash forward to 2005, where the old cast has kept in touch and had walk-on roles in each other’s television and films, and add a little box-office gold from a silly little comedy called The 40 Year Old Virgin. Mixed steadily over the next several years, with a continual sprinkling of all these former stars being in each other’s films, and you have a certifiable new group of comedic and acting talent that have matured into a genuine acting troupe, similar to the Not-Quite-Ready-For-Primetime Players or the Frat Pack. After a string of marketable, successful, but admittedly low-brow comedies delicately create the icing on the cake, a sweet coming-of-age story that is very familiar brings something new to an old dramatic cliché. Add an Oscar nod for Best Picture, and you have Juno, the surprisingly wonderful story of a young girl, her boyfriend, an unwanted pregnancy, and Tic-Tacs. Juno MacGuff (Ellen Page) is curious enough about sex she asks her friend Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera) to help her see what the big deal is. Not necessarily out of love, per se, though there is some electricity, but more just to see what the big deal is for the rest of Juno’s friends. Needless to say, a few weeks later it turns out their little experiment has had some unintended side-effects. The film then follows Juno, with her oh-
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so-level-headed view of the world, as her life is flipped completely upside down. Since this comes in the same year AND some of the same participants, the most obvious film that Juno can be compared to is Knocked Up. Whereas Knocked Up was a comedy with some emotional moments, some of which crossed over into the realm of pretentious as the characters trudged through the same steps all problem pregnancy films do, Juno’s journey is different. Split into quarters demarked by the seasons, the film is less about having a child or matters of pro-life versus pro-choice as it is about love, family, loyalty, and responsibility. This film is not going to reinvent a genre, and it certainly is not the most technically-challenging film. However, Juno does not need to be. All of its faults are covered by a wonderful script with unique layers of message and performances that deserve every award they have been nominated for. Especially vibrant are the somewhat off Jennifer Garner as a potential adoptive mother and Allison Janey and J.K. Simmons as the elder MacGuffs; parents who seem more alive than the usual caricatures offered up in Eugene Levy’s admittedly tired shtick in the seemingly endless American Pie series. Certain films scream to be seen on the big screen to be truly appreciated. This is not one of those films; I could easily get as much out of Juno watching it on a TV as I did at the theater. So while it is not dire you see this film immediately, remember this film at some point and watch it, you will be happy for it afterwards. Honest to blog.
AFFORDABLE APARTMENT TO SHARE LOOKING FOR MALE, OLDER STUDENT, CLEAN LIVING ROOMMATE. $425/MONTH INCLUDES HEAT ELECTRIC AND HOT WATER. ONE MILE FROM RIC. ADDRESS IS 136 POMONA AVE, PROVIDENCE, OFF OF MOUNT PLEASANT AVE. PARKING AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL 243-3237. A FEMALE OWNER WILL ANSWER, YOUR ROOMMATE WILL BE MALE. 3 Bedrooms $1300 Bright and Spacious! This apartment features a bright double parlor with hardwood floors. Dining room with pantry, large bedrooms with oversized closets, each with cable hookups. Private driveway with plenty of parking! Bring your own furniture or use ours! Call Rachel today for an appointment at (401)789-4400
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3 Bedrooms $1000 This apartment is close to downtown and all its shops and restaurants. This sunny 3 bedroom has a large eat-in kitchen with a dishwasher and hardwood floors. Bring your own furniture or use ours! Call Rachel for an appointment at (401) 789-4400
APARTMENT FOR RENT 1 Bed/studio, 1st floor. 2 big rooms. refrigerator, stove, dishwasher, alarmed, parking, coin laundry and storage in basement. New floors throughout apartment. Full bath, cable ready. Non-smoker, small pet okay. NO utilities included. Gas heat. High ceilings, clean, modern. $550.00 month-to-month lease. ERIK 556-7246. Address is 150 Harold St. Providence.
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Fall 2007 Spring 2008
January 29, 2007
Arts + Entertainment
Page 19
THE ANCHOR
The Chalice By Mery Vieira
A Dirty Secret Best Left Unkept By Craig Larson Anchor Contributor In hip hop, there are a few givens that occur on a regular basis. We learn a new dance. Jay-Z retires and then un-retires. We learn yet another dance. 50 Cent beefs with the world. Underground heads proclaim superiority to mainstream fans. Then there are the CunninLynguists who drop another stellar album that shatters any pre-conceived notion of southern hip hop. This is what occurred recently as the ‘Lynguists have just dropped the fourth full-length album of their career – Dirty Acres. Gone are their days of the carefree, slapstick humor rap-filled Will Rap For Food or SouthernUndergound. In is the mature, musically enriched style that began with the masterpiece “A Piece of Strange”. Dirty Acres takes you on a journey through ‘the south so dirty, you’ll wanna be given a bath.’ Officially joining the original duo of Deacon the Villain and Kno this time is Natti. The lyricism present for the duration of the album is top notch speaking on the condition of the south, life, spirituality and politics. Like “A Piece of Strange”, Dirty Acres is completely produced by Kno. Throughout the album, you will find synth-infused soul samples that create a sonic canvas for all the emcee’s to paint a work of art on. Opening the CD is a spoken word poem from Big Rube of the Dungeon Family. When “Valley of Death” arrives, you are ready to be put into the world of emcee’s Natti and Deacon. Deacon puts this in full effect with his opening line: “Imma wear your confederate flag and be a rebel, burn this witch down, Gretel with Heavy Metal.” “K.K.K.Y.” opens your eyes to the world of Kentucky with lyrics like: “Makers of Woodford Reserve that curve ya nerves, We country, coming with fists while you armed with words, Field ***** brand hands that’ll slap you to sleep, from the land of hard liquor and tobacco that’s cheap.” Natti and Deacon trade verses on the misconceptions and racism that engulf their home state over a haunting yet up-tempo beat. The next two tracks feature the most prominent guest appearances. “Wonderful” features Devin the Dude and “Yellow Lines” features Phonte (of Little Brother) and Witchdoctor. Both are quality laid back tracks that you can just relax and vibe to. These songs shift into “The Park” which is just what its name provokes. It brings you back and gives you vivid imagery of a weekend at the park hanging out with friends and family. But soon “Summers
Gone” and the vibe of the album changes to a more serious tone. “Gun” is a reflective look both into the war – “So show us your hands and show us the plans, the weapons biological so show us the cans” and police brutality – “Diallo, 41 shots 19 hits, In a dark hallway make the light seem lit.” Kno shines on his first verse on the album and which also features Sheisty Khrist. On “Georgia,” Kno picks up the mic again and rhymes about his home state and the pressures he felt growing up with friends of different races: “But if they have the time to hate a whole race, how do y’all have the time to tell me about my faith? Do ya’ll have time to discuss God’s grace, if you’re too busy studying the color of a face?” Natti joins Kno on the track. Not being born or raised in Georgia the state, Natti speaks about the state his life was left in when his mother, Georgia, passed away. This could be one of the most passionate filled songs on the entire album. If you believe in the old adage ‘save the best for last,’ you won’t be disappointed in the album’s finale, “Mexico.” It brings the mood right back up with a catchy sung hook from Deacon and best use of a Kalimba in a rap song. To understand Kno’s genius in producing albums, you must listen closely to the transition into Mexico from “Things I Dream.” The sample “I wanna live the real life, I don’t want to dream any longer” leads perfectly into the hook of “Mexico”: “I know these dreams seem make believe, but I don’t think we should let ‘em go. Can’t promise you Rome or St. Tropez, but one day we might make it to Mexico.” Deacon’s singing abilities go too far under the radar, which is a shame. “Mexico” could be, and should be, a huge radio hit for the trio if the world would wake up to good music. They are not forcing the issue of a single; however it has huge crossover potential. Kno also gets his best impersonation of David Bowie on, which even the man himself would be proud of. Clocking in at just over 46 minutes, the length of the album is another positive note. There are no filler tracks, the tracks do not drag on, and there are no forced radio singles like found on most releases. Each track is produced, including two well-placed interludes, to continue the overall flow creating a true album in its most pure form. Each listen makes you want to come back for more and more. To hear more about CunninLynguists check out their MySpace page at www.myspace.com/cunninlynguists or www.qn5.com
An empty chalice does not justice serve, For glory be to thy name, God, deserve. Oh, the life you gave, such sacrifice, No, Wine for blood will not suffice. A troubled mind is much confused, For true faith was never infused. Its thoughts scatter as do sheep, Dancing in tormented sleep, Wanderings while awake, Searching each daybreak. Please do cleanse of me, All consuming impurity. Willingly lips touch, a symbol ofmuch, Honor and regard. This cup of wine, all sins of mine, discard. Any student or faculty is welcomed to submit any form of creative writing to Writer’s Block. Please send all submissions in .DOC format with size ten Times New Roman font attached to an e-mail to arts@anchorweb.org with the subject line “WRITER’S BLOCK”.
Rental Raves: By Adam D. Bram Anchor Staff This week, Rental Raves takes a look at a comedy directed by Ron Howard (former child actor from The Andy Griffith Show and Happy Days; director of Apollo 13 and The Da Vinci Code) from 1982 entitled Night Shift. Chuck Lumley (Henry Winkler, Happy Days) never stands up for himself. His fiancée (Gina Hecht, St. Elmo’s Fire) is hopelessly neurotic, and his boss at the city morgue just gave his job away to a nephew, moving Chuck to the night shift. His new partner, Billy “Blaze” Blazejowski (Michael Keaton, Beetlejuice, in his first film role) constantly records ridiculous ideas he comes up with. Enter Chuck’s neighbor, Belinda Keaton (Shelley Long, Cheers). Belinda is a prostitute, and work has been rough since her pimp was murdered. Finding a replacement isn’t exactly the most appealing choice either. Having similar working hours, Chuck and Belinda strike up a friendship, and Billy suggest that he and Chuck become the new pimps for her and her friends. At first, Chuck is disgusted by the idea. It becomes more appealing once he realized
how much he can change the business for the better. He cooks up a system where he and Billy act as managers, only asking for a measly ten percent of profits. They work on getting the girls health plans and work benefits. But Chuck still doesn’t quite know how he feels about the situation, or about Belinda, whom he finds himself falling for. Despite the lurid subject matter, this film is a relatively tame comedy. However, that’s the way it works best. There are a number of just plain absurd moments, mostly centered around Michael Keaton’s insanely wonderful performance. Winkler is fantastic and Long manages to create a great mix of a “girl next door” sensibility with a worldliness that comes with her character’s profession. All that, plus a wonderful score by songwriting legend Burt Bacharach (“Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head”), makes this an enjoyable experience. Wi t h appearances by Richard Belzer (Law & Order: Special Victim’s Unit) and an obligatory cameo by the director’s brother, Clint Howard. R Rating: 3.5/5
Arts
Entertainment
RIC EVENTS Art: “The Kimono” Tuesday, January 29, 2008 Gallery Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday, 11:00 am - 5:00 pm Thursdays 12:00 pm 9:00 pm Closed Weekends & Holidays Bannister Gallery in Roberts Hall Performing Arts Series: Muir String Quartet Monday, February 4, 2008 8:00 pm Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center for the Performing Arts Fat herDaughter Duo Wednesday, February 6, 2008 1:00 pm Sapinsley Hall, Nazarian Center
Page 20
The 2008 Lineup
By Robert Lefebvre Anchor Staff 2008 is definitely looking a lot better than 2007, at least when it comes to movies. Sure, 2007 had some great films like No Country for Old Men, Michael Clayton, Knocked Up, Juno, and Zodiac. Then there are some that were not so good, like Bug, The Number 23, Smokin’ Aces, Reign Over Me, and Lucky You. The problem with 2007 was that it was dedicated to sequels. It wasn’t very original. Some of them were great. Spiderman 3, POTC: At World’s End, and Live Free or Die Hard are some memorable examples. However, many of them were terrible. Rush Hour 3, Are We Done Yet?, and Saw IV come to mind. There were just way too many regurgitated plots and characters. This year is looking much more original. There are some fresh, great looking films that look very promising. The first film that I have been waiting for is called Jumper, starring Hayden Christensen and Samuel L. Jackson (Feb.15). Though it is scheduled to come out the day after Valentine’s Day, this is no date movie; unless you both like sci-fi action and a blond Samuel L. Based on the controversial novel by Steven Gould, the film is about an abused teenage boy named Davey Rice (Christensen) who discovers he has the ability to teleport. As he grows up, he uses his ability to steal money and fight a couple of punks who are causing trouble. But soon he is discovered by Roland Cox (Jackson), the head of a government group called the Paladins dedicated to terminating people like Davey, out of fear that these Jumpers will use their ability for criminal activity and possibly terrorism. Davey becomes embroiled in a war with the Paladins, allying himself with other Jumpers in a worldwide fight for their very lives. Another promising film is Leatherheads (Apr. 4), starring George Clooney and Renee Zellweger. Clooney stars as Dodge Connolly, a war hero and former football player who has come home to coach a team in the 1920s. He is looking to add some new attitude to the team and hires Carter Rutherford (John Krasinski) whom he is sure will capture the country’s attention. However, newswoman Lexie Littleton in her quest for her big break, is determined to dig up some dirt on both of them even while they flirt with her. This film is definitely not your average inspirational sports story. With the awkward situation of Connelly, Rutherford, and Littleton, it will create very funny moments between them. It should create a great mix of comedy, drama, and sports action. The big superhero film for the year is looking pretty good as well. Iron Man (May 2) starring Robert Downey, gets a very modern day spin. The film is about Tony Stark, a genius industrialist who is kidnapped by terrorists and forced to build a very innovative weapon for his captors. He does just that and creates a battlesuit which he uses against his kidnappers to escape. Realizing the things he can do, he refines the suit and uses it to combat criminals and other terrorist threats. Whether it will be the next Spiderman or Transformers is still up in the air, but many superhero films as of late have proved to be amazing spectacles, especially visually, and this may be no different. One film that will probably get some serious feedback will be The International (Aug. 15). This film looks as if it could have some serious Oscar potential. It stars Clive Owen as an Interpol agent and Naomi Watts as a New York prosecutor searching for the funding source of a terrorist organization (yes, more terrorists) that takes them to many different countries. Meanwhile,
the very people they are looking for are hoping to neutralize them so they can protect their own interests. This film will probably create quite the stir about how the source of evil could be all over, and possibly much closer than we think. Though the year is looking more original, there are some sequels in the works, some looking better than others. The Dark Knight (July 18) is looking very well as Batman aka Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) takes on the psychopathic and vicious criminal known as the Joker, played by the late Heath Ledger. Some believe that the chain of events that led to Ledger’s unfortunate demise began after he played this role. But just after seeing the previews, it is easy to tell that he is no Jack Nicholson from the original Batman. Another highly anticipated sequel is The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (May 16). This time around, the Pevensie children return to the wardrobe a year after the events of the first film to discover that over 1000 years have passed in Narnia and that a new war has erupted. They join forces with Prince Caspian (Ben Barnes) to overthrow the evil king Miraz and bring peace to the magical land once again. But the most eagerly-awaited sequel of the year might be Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull (May 22) with Harrison Ford reprising the role of the title character and Steven Spielberg at the director’s helm once more. Whether this film would come to be was a hot topic for a long time. But will these two prove that they’ve still got it? Some other sequels coming to theaters to watch out for are Saw V (Oct. 24), Step Up 2 (Feb. 14), The Incredible Hulk (June 13), and Hellboy 2: The Golden Army (July 11). In addition to sequels, there are several remakes coming for 2008, most of which are of sci-fi classics. One of which is The Day the Earth Stood Still (Dec. 12), starring Keanu Reeves, about an alien coming to visit Earth asking to not bring our wars to outer space, or his world will have no choice but to retaliate. Another is of the David Cronenburg classic, Scanners (Oct. 17), about people with deadly telekinetic and telepathic powers. One rogue is looking to build an army, destroy all people, and create a world ruled by Scanners. This film pushed the envelope when it came to graphics, even for our time, so for a film like this to be remade, it will have to bring something serious to the table. One other remake of a classic will be Journey to the Center of the Earth (July 11), starring Brendan Fraser. The story is based on Jules Verne’s classic works about a science professor in the mid 1800’s who leads an expedition to the Earth’s interior and finds much more than rocks and bones. The film will also be in 3D. Other remakes coming for the year are Hellraiser (Sept. 5), Motel Hell (Oct. 31), and The Women (Oct. 10). Several Japanese anime shows will be made into American live action films as well. These include Speed Racer (May 9) which will be directed by the Wachowski brothers of Matrix trilogy fame, and Dragonball (July 15). These films may prove to be great or they may end up being stinkers. The only true judges of that will be some critics and us, the people who watch them. Other films to be on the lookout for: Starship Dave (May 30), The Happening (June 13), Wall-E (June 27), 10,000 B.C (March 7), The Ruins (April 11), Where the Wild Things Are (Oct. 3), and Paranoid Park (Feb. 29).
Ani Defranco Concert Review By Sally Peixoto Anchor Editor Ani Difranco is entirely beyond amazing. She was extraordinary in 1990 when she first started recording, and she was even better last Tuesday when she played a live concert at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel. Her fans are loyal but her politics are universal. She is not a phase or a fad—if you like Ani, you like Ani, period. The evening started with Anais Mitchell, the up-andcoming singer/songwriter/guitarist/folk-opera-writer from Ani’s Righteous Babe record company. Although I was previously unaware of her, as were the groups around me, everyone fell in love with this adorable woman before the first song was over. In her sweet flowing voice she sang poetic songs mostly from her recent album, The Brightness, but also included slightly older songs and even one from her new folk-opera. The only instrumentation was two acoustic guitars, and that was perfect.
When Ani finally came on stage the crowd was ecstatic. The moment she reached her guitar she started strumming without introduction. Her band consisted of a young girl on drums, a guy on upright bass, and another man on everything else (which usually meant marimba). The band produced great energy which filled into the furthest corners of the building, giving Ani a magnificent platform for her intense songs. The sheer passion of her music was impressive. Ani made the mistake of asking for requests, a fantastic set approach for the audience which seemed to get on her nerves when they wouldn’t shut up after six songs. Because of this, there was a perfect mix of new, old, and really old songs. Some of everyone’s favorites were played, including “32 Flavors,” “Gravel,” and “Origami” (some of my personal favorites). She even included “The Slant” as a spoken verse without music. Although this is not at all standard for a concert, it is trademarked enough as Ani’s style that it fit in very well. This verse was especially powerful as it is at once very personal and fully universal: “I am a work in progress/Dressed in the fabric of a world unfolding/Offering me intricate patterns of questions/Rhythms that never come clean and/Strengths that you still haven’t seen.” Much of what we heard at this concert was a little different than what we’re familiar with on the albums, as is true for most concerts. Her new project, Canon, is a remake of many of her older songs and is probably closer to what we heard on stage. For any of you not yet familiar with Ani, this twodisk set is the way to go. It includes some of her most expressive songs across the span of her musical development (all of it is awesome). Ani is extremely skilled with recording, however nothing can compare to a live performance. There is something more to it than just the music, a sort of intensity that can only be perceived on a personal level.