The Rhode Island College women’s basketball team after their 50-44 victory over Southern Maine in the 2012 Little East Conference Tournament championship game. The Anchorwomen are headed to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1985 after winning the first LEC title in program history last weekend.
Champions!
Anchorwomen win first-ever Little East Conference title
It was a journey four years in the making for the Rhode Island College women’s basketball team. From a losing record in 2008, to a pair of By Dan Charest tough losses in the Sports Staff Writer Little East Conference Tournament quarterfinals each of the past two years, senior forward Rachel Riley and classmate guard Stephanie Coro persevered though the tough times knowing that their moment would eventually come.
It finally arrived when the Anchorwomen defeated Southern Maine 50-44 to capture the first Little East Conference title in program history last weekend. Riley and Coro are the two seniors responsible for turning around the program by working tirelessly under head coach Marcus Reilly. Fittingly enough, the clinching shot came from Riley’s hand, as she eliminated any hope of a Southern Maine comeback with a 10-footer that kissed off the glass and dropped in to put the Anchorwomen up by five with just over a minute to play in the game. With the victory, the Anchorwomen
see
CHAMPS page 16
NCAA Tournament Preview
Choice injury dampens title hopes for Anchormen; Coro and Riley look to make lasting impact for Anchorwomen
By George Bissell Editor-in-Chief
The Rhode Island College men’s basketball team is headed to the NCAA Tournament for a sixth straight season, an accomplishment that only four other programs in the country can boast. Head coach Bob Walsh has built a dynasty over the course of his seven seasons at the helm, but the one item missing from an
see
Photo Courtesy // Hayden James – News
Week of February 27, 2012
www.theanchoronline.org
NCAA page 17 and
Public Relations Vol. 84, Issue #22
The Anchor
February 27, 2012
This Week in Anchor History
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Actions of Student Community Government questioned By Jill A. Usenia, Staff Writer
Lifestyles Editor
The past two Wednesdays marked a very heated debate within Student Parliament. The meetings revisited the Nov. 30, 1999 issue of The Canchor, a controversial photo included in it, and Student Community Government, Inc.’s decision to revoke half of Executive Editor Peter Forsstron’s stipend. The debate erupted after William Dorry and Daria D’ Amore questioned the procedures and actions taken by the executive board concerning the controversial issue, and has now provoked The Anchor to file a lawsuit against student government. SCG, Inc.’s actions stemmed from complaints by students that the photo used by The Anchor was racially insensitive.
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February 27, 2012
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College’s associate vice president resigns
Renee Vachon Danho exits RIC as abruptly as she arrived
Photos Courtesy // What’s News
Associate Vice President Renee Vachon Danho has resigned her position in Rhode Island College’s administration, effective last Friday. Her resignation also appears to have left RIC’s newly acBy Nicholas J Lima quired Chief Executives Club Anchor Editor of Rhode Island without an executive director. Danho, who started at RIC on Sept. 26, 2011, served as associate vice president for professional studies and continuing education, reporting directly to President Nancy Carriuolo. Calls placed last Thursday to Vachon Danho’s office seeking comment were not returned as of press time. When The Anchor learned last Thursday of Vachon Danho’s impending resignation, we contacted Carriuolo, who referred us to the Office of Human Resources, citing the nature of the resignation as a personnel matter. The office’s associate director, Maggie Sullivan, confirmed Vachon Danho’s resignation in a telephone interview with The Anchor Thursday afternoon. Sullivan said she had no further information related to Vachon Danho’s departure, other than that her resignation was effective at the close of business on Friday, Feb. 24. Vachon Danho was the first person to hold the newly created associate vice president position at RIC. In an email to the campus community sent early Friday morning, Carriuolo said she does not expect to see any “disruption of service” from the departments that reported to Vachon Danho. “We thank her for her service this past fall,” Carriuolo said. “I have assumed overall supervision of the unit.” While the reasons behind her departure remain unclear, Vachon Danho said she was enthusiastic about her role with RIC in an interview with The Anchor last October. “My goal in leading the newly formed division of Professional Studies and Continuing Education is to showcase Rhode Island College as the premier professional development resource in the Ocean State,” Danho told The Anchor shortly after taking office. “With record unemployment figures, we recognize the vital role RIC
Vachon Danho,
can play in helping Rhode Islanders retool for a challenging and evolving job market. I intend to facilitate the formation of strategic partnerships between RIC and key business, legislators, and social service agencies in order to realize this goal.” According to an Oct. 3 story in What’s News Online, Vachon Danho oversaw “the college’s offices of continuing studies and summer sessions, outreach programs, the news bureau, and the Chief Executives Club of Rhode Island at RIC.” Carriuolo said in her email that continuing education and professional studies will be overseen by Dante Del Giudice, interim director of continuing education and summer sessions; outreach services will be overseen by Jennifer Giroux, director of workforce development and training in the Office of Outreach Programs; and public relations will be handled by Alysia Harpootian and Director of News and Public Relations/College Spokesperson Jane Fusco. It is unclear who will take over Danho’s role as executive director of the Chief Executives Club of Rhode Island, which the college acquired on Sept. 8, 2011. A call placed to the club’s office, which is based out of the Office of Continuing Education and Summer Sessions, was not returned as of press time. According to the club’s website, it is “one of the nation’s premier forums for the exchange of ideas on business leadership issues.” The club, which was founded by Robert Fiske in 2006, is “where progressive chief executives of multi-million and billion dollar companies gather regularly to expand their perspective, stay current on the latest thinking and learn from each other and acclaimed thought leaders in a safe, intimate, no-sell environment.” Carriuolo announced on Sept. 9 at a meeting of the Council of Rhode Island College that RIC had “taken on oversight” of the club, according to the Council’s minutes. Former Providence Schools Superintendent Thomas Brady was announced as executive director of the club. It is not clear when Vachon Danho took over the position from Brady, however her name and biography have been removed from the club’s website as of Sunday night. According to its website, www.cec-ri.org, “The Club works in partnership with the College’s School of Manage-
second from right, watches
President Carriuolo’s Mid-Year Review
on
Feb. 15.
ment to promote the professional development of chief executives who are leading mid-sized to large companies in the greater RI area and thereby promote the economic development of the state.” “The club will be under the aegis of the college’s School of Management,” Providence Business News reported on Sept. 7. Those descriptions run contrary to Vachon Danho’s now former role as the club’s executive director. David Blanchette, dean of the School of Management, referred The Anchor to Vachon Danho when we called him last Thursday about the school’s relationship to the club, before news of her resignation had become public. “[She’s] probably the one that’s going to give you the most information about it, since she’s running it,” Blanchette said. He did note – as did a staff member who we spoke with from the Office of Continuing Education – that Vachon Danho had been out most of the week. And, while Providence Business News reported that students at RIC will have the chance to learn the “ins and outs of economic development [from the leaders] of the state’s leading companies,” membership in the club is restricted to chief executives of multi-million and billion-dollar organizations, its website says. The site also makes a point of promoting the club’s exclusivity. No membership data is available; however annual dues are $2,400 per year. The Council minutes also noted that Carriuolo is a member of the club. Past guest speakers have included Gov. Lincoln Chafee and former Gov. Don Carcieri; the club’s next meeting, scheduled for March 1 at 7:30 a.m. at the Crowne Plaza in Warwick, will feature Emily King, author of “Field Tested: Recruiting, Managing and Retaining Veterans.” It is unclear whether the club is in the process of restructuring to encompass a relationship with students in the School of Management, as was reported, or if that remains a future goal for RIC’s new affiliate program. Vachon Danho’s sudden resignation, however, leaves those questions unanswered for the time being.
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February 27, 2012
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Matsumoto seeks to justify V-J Day Biology professor hosts event centered around his Japanese heritage On Aug. 14, 1945, it was announced that Japan had surrendered unconditionally to the allies, effectively ending World War II. Since then, the second Monday in August has been known as “Victory over Japan Day,” or simply “V-J Day.” Rhode Island remains the only state in the union that recognizes Victory Day as an official state holiday. There have been many arguments and debates regarding the name and nature of this holiday. Veteran groups and their supporters believe that there is a need for such a day to commemorate the sacrifices made by American soldiers during World War II. However, others believe that the day itself is offensive to all Japanese Americans, particularly those who were sent to internment camps and discriminated against during World War II. Biology Prof. Lloyd Matsumoto, who is also faculty advisor to The Anchor, hosted his event, “Efforts to change Victory Day to Peace and Remembrance and the Japanese Internment Camp Experience.” Matsumoto, a Japanese American who was born and raised in Hawaii, was not aware of the internment camp experience until he attended college. Shocked by what he heard, he confronted his parents, who then finally told him of their experiences. “They had to live in a society with a great deal of prejudice,” said Matsumoto. “No more than five people of Japanese descent could congregate together at the same time.” Japanese Americans were faced with a rather difficult and heart-breaking decision: either deny their Japanese heritage, or embrace it. “Different families respond differently in different types of crisis,” said Matsumoto, recollecting his childhood. His parents chose to separate themselves and their children from Japan all together. Although his parents were Buddhist, they raised their children as Christians, and only spoke English, rejecting their native language. Some families however, like Matsumoto’s wife’s family, embraced their Japanese heritage to the fullest. “My wife’s family stopped speaking English,” he said. “The children all had Japanese first names, and English middle names.” His wife’s family was living in Sacramento during the war, and was transferred to live in California. It wasn’t long before the government threatened to separate the family, unless they agreed to move to Heart
Mountain Internment Camp. Heart Mountain is 30 miles away from the Montana border, and 70 miles east of Yellowstone National Park. Winters at Heart Mountain were almost unbearable. The lumber used for the hastily constructed barracks left gaps between the boards. Windows often would not open or close properly, and the tarpaper was no shield from the severe cold. Each barracks had a stove, but not a bathroom. To use the bathroom, inmates had to walk to another building. “By the time you walked back to the barracks, it was so cold, your hair would be frozen,” Matsumoto said. Conditions were especially hard for pregnant women. Matsumoto told his audience a story of the night his wife went into labor. As he was rushing out the door to take her to the hospital, he saw his mother-in-law, huddled in a corner, in a state of panic. “She was remembering what it was like when she gave birth to my wife in the camps,” he said. “All she could remember was screaming.” Women were forced to give birth with the help of no medicine or anesthetics, suffering excruciating pain. The upsetting stories weren’t what made Matsumoto realize that it was time for him to try to make a difference. It wasn’t until he witnessed hate with his own eyes that he decided to become an activist. It was on the 50th anniversary of the beginning of World War II when Matsumoto’s family fell victim to a hate crime. “A man came up to the front of my house, pulled his pants down, and urinated on my property,” he said. The man vandalized Matsumoto’s property and insulted his family, simply because they are of Japanese descent. The event caused Matsumoto to open his eyes and realize that it was time he spoke up for what he knew was right. “That incident changed my life,” he said. “I could no longer be silent.” In 1993, Matsumoto met up with a professor at Brown University and became very active in the cause. He got people involved from RIC, Brown and high schools. He started to write letters, making people aware of the unjust treatment of Japanese Americans in the camps, and why they should consider changing the name of such an offensive holiday. The day that Matsumoto and his colleagues finally managed to get a hearing at the Sate House, The Providence Journal had it in their headlines, on the front page. It was all over television and radio, getting well-deserved publicity.
“We had the support of churches that were interested in social justice. Many professors at RIC testified at the hearing,” said Matsumoto. But, they could not win against the vets. “We lost in committee 11-0,” he said. “We didn’t even get one vote.” Rhode Island has a large population of veterans, so it is no surprise that the legislature sided with them. Many of these veterans feel that if the name of V-J Day were to be changed, it would mean that they were no longer going to receive recognition for their service in the war. “For veterans, the idea is that they fought in World War II and didn’t receive recognition because as they were aging, the original aggressor became the victim,” said Matsumoto. To end World War II, the atomic bomb was used in Japan over the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Over the years, the world began to see the consequences of radiation poisoning. After being horrified by atomic weapons, the world began to see Japan as the victim. It is because of
RIC
biology
Prof. Lloyd Matsumoto
this that many veterans take offense of the thought of changing the holiday’s name. Despite this loss, the struggle is certainly not over for Matsumoto. He is still actively fighting to promote a positive image of Japanese Americans, and continues to hope that one day, V-J Day may be renamed or abolished in Rhode Island. “I stand for any minority group, because we all need to do that,” Matusomo said. Marissa Weiss, assistant director of Student Activities, said that she posted an article on her Facebook that discussed the changing of VJ Day. Even though several people wrote hateful comments in response, she still feels it is better to talk about it. Matsumoto concluded his presentation on a an inspirational note. “I have always tried to live my life believing in peace,” he said. “Peace is very important. If everyone in the U.S. practiced peace, forgiveness and hope will be in the future. We can leave bigotry and hate in the past.”
advocates
“Peace
and
Remembrance Day” “V-J Day.”
as a potential name change for
Anchor Photo // Angelica Dubois
By Sarah David
News Staff Writer
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February 27, 2012
5
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The transformation of Malcolm X
Unity Center presents legacy of civil rights icon
Anchor Photo // Angelica Dubois
When people think of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, they often think of Martin Luther King Jr. and the “I have a dream” speech. However, the movement for equal rights has many unsung By Kyle Grant heroes, and one often overAnchor Editor looked icon is Malcolm X. Last Tuesday, the Unity Center hosted a seminar on the life of the controversial figure called “The Transformation of Malcolm X.” The seminar occurred on the 49th anniversary of Malcolm X’s assassination. Located in the Fortes Room on the second level of the library, the seminar was hosted by justice studies senior and self-proclaimed “Unity Center groupie” Peterson Carto. While Carto was nervous at the start of the speech, he
RIC
senior
Peterson Carto
seminar,
hosted the
“The Transformation
Unity Center’s
of
Malcom X.”
went on to tell the audience about the appeal of Malcolm X. “I first came across Malcolm X while working on a semester-long project,” said Carto. “At first I was going to do the project on Dr. King, thinking it was an easy A. But I saw Malcolm X’s name above his and chose to do him at the last second.” “I am not pretending to be a scholar or expert, but I hope by this presentation’s conclusion you will have curiosity and want to do research on your own,” Carto added. Malcolm X was born in 1925 in Omaha, Neb. with the name Malcolm Little. Before his birth, Omaha was wrought with racial problems, with many lynchings and threats against African Americans. Malcolm’s father was a preacher who was a subject of much controversy, and his belief in civil rights led to many threats. “By the time he was four, Malcolm Little already moved around twice,” Carto said. In 1929, The Little home was burned to the ground, and in 1931 Malcolm’s father was found dead on trolley tracks. The police called both an accident and a few months later Malcolm’s mother suffered an emotional breakdown. Malcolm and his seven siblings were separated and put into foster care. Malcolm excelled in junior high, but dropped out of school after one of his teachers told him that being a lawyer was not a realistic goal for him. After the remark, Malcolm dropped out and started a life of crime in Harlem. He was arrested for armed robbery in 1946, and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. However, his sentence in prison proved to be a great sense of transformation, as Malcolm converted to the Islam in 1948. In 1950, Malcolm changed his last name from Little to X, claiming that Little was a slave name. In 1952 Malcolm X was let out of prison early for good behavior, and joined the Nation of Islam. He became the assistant minister in the organization’s Detroit temple, but quickly rose through its national ranks and vastly helped the organization recruit. “When Malcolm X joined the Nation of Islam in 1952, they only had 500 members,” Carto said. “By the time he
left in 1963, the number swelled to 30,000.” While involved in the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X swelled to a national figure. However, his radical views on race and his belief that whites and blacks could never live in harmony led to controversy. Perhaps the biggest controversial moment of Malcolm X’s career came with the CBS interview with Mike Wallace titled “The Hate that Hate Produced.” The interview gave Malcolm X massive attention, but was skewed to make him look hateful and bitter. In 1963, Malcolm X discovered that his mentor Eijah Muhammad was dwelling in licentious behavior, and left the Nation of Islam. “Malcolm saw Muhammad as more of a prophet, and was devastated to discover he was an infidel,” Carto said. However, despite the trauma, the event led to another transformation in Malcolm X’s life. In 1964, he formed the Muslim Mosque Inc, and took a pilgrimage to Mecca. “The pilgrimage was a really eye-opening event for Malcolm X,” said Carto. “He met people of many different beliefs and races and shared his ideas with cultures across the world and received strong support. He came back and said for the first time he was able to call people with blue eyes and blond hair brothers, and believed integration was possible.” After his pilgrimage Malcolm X played a pivotal role in the Civil Rights Movement and bringing people together. However, many had grown to hate him, and this hate would lead to his downfall. On Feb. 14, 1965, his house was firebombed, and on Feb. 22 he was shot 15 times while giving a speech. “Malcolm X was only 39 when he died, leaving his legacy cut short,” said Carto. “But he still had many triumphs. Also, new material from Malcolm X is being found to this day.” Last year, a student from Brown found a speech from Malcolm X that was lost for over fifty years. While Martin Luther King Jr. may be the most well-known civil rights activist, the perplexing life of Malcolm X and his inspirational turnaround is one that has changed the world for civil rights and equality, even if it is often overlooked.
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February 27, 2012
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Participate in job shadowing this Spring Break Link-In program gives students a glimpse at various careers
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A hands-on experience, making personal connections and keeping in contact with professionals in the career of your choice is a vital part of gaining insight into the work force. The Career Development By Katelyn Hurd Center at Rhode Island College News Editor is launching its third annual Link-In program to expose students to a career path to help them decide what major is right for them, or to just gain experience in a future job. The program, conducted in partnership with the RIC Alumni Association and the college’s Office of Academic Support and Information Services, is held during Spring Break. It consists of partial day visits as well as multipleday shadowing programs and structured information panels. “It gives students who have not decided on a major the opportunity to take a close look at a variety of careers,” said Kathryn Sasso, assistant director at the center, who is coordinating the program. She continued, “and, of course for all students, this is a great opportunity to begin building their networking skills.” “We’ve gotten great feedback from the students,” said Linda Kent Davis, director of the Career Development Center, “and it impacts local employers’ impressions on RIC students as well.” From March 12-16, at least seven businesses will take on eager students, and the Career Development Center is still working on coordinating more businesses to add to the program. Since the site visits were scheduled over a three-day period, students could potentially visit multiple businesses. The business can take anywhere from three students to 15, though there are sometimes exceptions to the rule. “If students can really articulate why they want to be in the program, the cap is usually ignored,” said Davis. As of press time, the sites chosen were AAA, America
News, City Year, GTECH, the Massachusetts Department of Correction, Providence Performing Arts Center, the Sherlock Center on Disabilities, and the Town of Johnston Controller’s Office. “We are still in talks with a couple of other sites as well, so these may be added soon,” said Sasso. “I am excited about new locations that have been added this time around.” On March 13, students will be allowed to intern at AAA as well as City Year, a program that tutors and mentors some of Rhode Island’s most underserved children and youth. The Mass. Department of Correction program will take place on March 12. Over the last five years, five students were able to visit for a day, where they were assigned to shadow with correctional program officers. “Students love that one,” said Davis. “They were even allowed to go into the jail.” Providence Performing Arts Center, the Sherlock Center, and GTech – for those interested in graphic and website design – will all be a part of the program. as well. “Students dress professionally and really go in and treat it as a learning experience,” said Davis. This is the program’s third year operating. During the pilot year, only 25 students participated in Link-In. Last year, the program doubled to nearly 50. This year, Davis hopes to expand the number of students along with the number of businesses involved. “Visiting a site can help clarify for a student what might appeal to them and give them an idea for a direction in which they might want to go with future course work here at RIC,” said Sasso. “Other students who have already decided on a major may find it helpful to spend a day looking at the field they have chosen to confirm for themselves that they have made a good choice – that the job feels right.” Job shadowing during Spring Break could help you explore or feel more comfortable about the major of your choice. Spots are limited, and it is recommended applicants apply at least one week prior to break. Apply at www.ric. edu/careerdevelopment/ under your Destinations account.
UPCOMING EVENTS Feb. 29
Free Period Adams Library Fortes Room
The Symbolic Economy of Policing
Tryon Woods, assistant professor in the Department of Sociology/Anthropology/ Crime & Justice Studies at UMass-Dartmouth, examines how policing precedes law and explores the continuities between slave patrols and racial profiling.
Feb. 29
7 to 9 p.m. Forman Theatre
“When Fate Comes Knocking”
Mixed Magic Theatre
delivers a perfor-
mance of the play about the life and times of
Martin Luther King Jr.
through a criti-
cal and humorous lens of men and women gathered on porches talking, singing and laughing.
March 1
4 p.m. Fogarty Life-Science 050
“Translating Knowledge into Therapy: The Story of Inter-alpha Inhibitors”
Yow-Pin Lim, from the ProThera Biologics Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University, hosts this event as part of the Biology Symposia Series.
and
March 1
7 to 9 p.m. Clarke Science 128
The Wilderness Debate: Humans and Nature
The second Critical Issues in Sustainability Event hosted at RIC by Numi Mitchell, lead scientist and project director for the Narragansett Bay Coyote Study, and Karl Jacoby, history professor at Brown University.
Save the date!
News to you
February 27, 2012
7
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Occupy movement tackles problems in our education system
Professors speak out at RIC’s Occupy Teach-In
Although it seems the Occupy movement is starting to fade out, it is still active By Justin Goslant on the RIC News Staff Writer campus. To further the cause, a teach-in was held in preparation of the nationwide March 1 “Occupy Education” event, with the purpose of creating better education not just for colleges and universities, but also for K-12. Similar events will be held at other schools including the University of Rhode Island, Providence College and Brown University. The event was hosted by three guest speakers, Prof. Richard Weiner, Assistant Prof. Mikaila Arthur, and Simon Moore, the director of College Visions, which provides prospective students with better access and information to higher education. Moore began the event with information and statistics about higher-education costs. State schools receive some funding from the state, but states have begun to encourage schools to generate more income themselves. However, when schools achieve that goal, states have shown as an indication that if schools receive less funding, they’ll be able to autonomously make up the difference, and thus state governments lower funding again. According to Moore, despite lowering education funding, spending has gone up in other areas, most notably corrections. Over the last 30 years, tuition prices have risen 368 percent, with 72 percent in last decade. Tuition inflation may not actually be the most concerning issues with education, due to discrepancies between advertised prices and what students actually pay, with an average cost around $8,000 per semester. Another issue presented was the current public mentality towards higher education. People don’t want their tax dollars to pay for someone else’s degree, which is thought to only benefit the individual degree holder. Arthur presented information stating that nations with better accesses to and quality of education have lower prison populations, lower crime rates, better health, higher tax revenues and fewer social safety nets,
since they are needed less often. Thus, higher education is not only beneficial for individuals, but is a public good. Prof. Weiner elaborated on mentality issues further. He believes the mentality began to change after 1945 and steadily grew until the 1970s, where it began to become recognizable to students of today. The philosophy in society is that everything should be run like a business. Schools have adopted this philosophy, and now advertise themselves – some changing logos every few years. Wiener recalled when he was a student in New York and paid roughly $50 to attend college. No one took out loans, and if they did it was a much bigger deal. He said he has also seen employees from banks handing out credit cards at orientations. The issue at the core of all of this, according to Weiner, is the current “acceptability of indebtedness.” “You need to demand colleges treat you seriously,” said Weiner. Director Moore initiated his time to speak by reiterating some earlier points, calling higher education “vitally important public good.” Aspiring graduates have significant financial issues they may need to overcome. Depending on what college and financial aid they get, some students leave college with loans they may never be able to pay back. That is to say graduating college with a degree may actually be a burden, and may not improve a degree holder’s financial wellbeing. And, students take out loans at the same rate regardless of their socio-economic status, meaning for every person who can afford to pay back a loan, there is one who probably can’t. Plenty of people will also default on their student loans, but even bankruptcy won’t erase them. While the default rate is from 6 to 9 percent, Moore believes that these numbers may be quite low due to the methodology and criteria used to collect the data. And for those searching for financial aid, there’s more bad news: not only is availability limited, but the buying power of some financial aid, like Pell Grants, has declined. When Moore finished, one student asked what they could do. “I would urge everyone to be vocal advocates when these issues come up,” Weiner said.
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Women’s Center re-establishes itself on campus
Center hosts open house to celebrate its reconstruction it.” “There are a lot of students who come in and talk about all kinds of problems,” said Wilson. The staff members eagerly listen and refer students to the Counseling Center on campus if they feel it is needed. They also referred to the center as a “safe and judgmentfree zone.” “It’s a stress reliever,” said RIC student Angela Garcia, a staff member of the center who is also a part of Feminists United. “Especially to talk to a stranger, or if you just need quiet. We keep the doors open, but also get the student other forms of support.”
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After a few semesters of inactivity, the Women’s Center is planning on leaving its doors open to the public. The center, located on the Lower Level of Donovan Dining Center, plans on becoming By Katelyn Hurd better known and actively News Editor involved in the Rhode Island College community, thanks to the hard work of a few pro-active individuals who made it their own project to get the center up and running again. The Women’s Center held an open house last week to present that work and future plans created by its staff. The center is run by about 10 female students, most of whom are a part of the Feminists United organization. The makeover for the center, complete with a new Facebook group, plans to become more known and active around campus. “Most people just come in for resources,” said Katherine Wilson, an intern at the office. “We have tampons, condoms and all sorts of books.” The staff members explained that the center’s purpose isn’t specifically defined. Students who come in just looking for resources generally end up hanging out at the center, they explained. Interestingly enough, there are plenty of guys who seem to stop in, as well. “We are here as a resource and for peer support,” said Vilna Peralta, the center’s coordinator, who is a master’s degree candidate at RIC. “There’s a lot of people who need
We are here as a resource and for peer support. There’s a lot of people who need it. – Coordinator Vilna Peralta
The staff also works hard on getting the word out about the center and, starting now, planning events. On March 22, the center is planning on hosting a dinner with different speakers revolving around various topics. Also look for the upcoming popular Vagina Monologues, which the center coordinated with the Feminists United club to put on. The center will also be holding a women’s health screening for HIV, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression. Other events include bringing the Clothesline Project
to RIC. The project is a program started on Cape Cod to address the issue of violence against women. It is a vehicle for women affected by violence to express their emotions by decorating a shirt. They then hang the shirt on a clothesline to be viewed by others as testimony to the problem of violence against women. During this semester, the center will be doing its own version of the project on the Quad. Next month, the center is working on bringing in the author of “Our Bodies, Ourselves,” a book about a women’s body as it grows and develops. “The book covers both women’s mental and physical health,” said Tony Gomes, the center’s advisor. “That’s why it’s so great.” The center is also working on creating a women’s support group this month. The group will discuss problems having to do with home, school and more. More information can be found by emailing womenscenter@ric.edu. The Women’s Center has eager goals this semester after two semesters of remaining fairly dormant. The center has goals of promoting women’s health, diversity and leadership while preventing sexual harassment and domestic violence. “Before it was never steadily opened, or just opened on and off,” said Wilson. “There wasn’t enough student involvement and support. Now we will really need to keep it open all of the time.”
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February 27, 2012
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Cryptogenic ascidians may sound like aliens from the X-Files, yet they are more terresBy Justin Goslant trial in nature News Staff Writer and were the latest topic in the ongoing series of biology lectures last week. Lauren Stefaniak, who attended Cornell University and is now a graduate student at Connecticut University, presented the findings from her doctorate research dissertation. Species move around, as living things tend to do, and can often end up somewhere far away from their native habitat. When this happens they are introduced as invasive species. This can happen naturally, or from human actions. Creatures can travel on ship hulls, they can be stowaways, or humans may deliberately bring them someplace new. It is not known where a species is from, and thus it is not known if it is a native, or invasive, species. These are cryptogenic species which in Latin means roughly “from mysterious origins.” Ascidians are a group of sea creatures more colloquially known as sea squirts. Two issues arise when concerned with ascidians: they can have large negative impacts on aquaculture, and no one was sure where several species of ascidians originated. With aquaculture, such as
mussel farming, sea squirts will grow on the same surfaces that humans intended for something else, like mussels. However, the mussels become smothered by these creatures and will die. Sea squirts have an amazing ability to cover whatever it is they grow on, and occasionally leave no room for anything else. The severity of the problem then depends on where they are originally from. In Japan, where Stefaniak conducted some of her fieldwork, the problem is less severe, possibly because of predators. But, if the species is not from there, or is moved, there may be fewer or no predators around. The aquaculture industry suffered losses of $120 billion in 2005 from invasive pests. Didemnum is a type of ascidian with an unknown origin. A number of sea squirts were identified as didemnum, but taxonomists and biologists argued about whether they were all the same, or different species. The difficulty in identifying and classifying these organisms stems from the fact that morphology, colony size and color can vary from members of the same species, and sometimes the color may vary within a single colony. To counter this, Stefaniak and her colleagues dissected several zooids (individual members of a colony) to look at the spicules, number of coils in the spermoducts, the stigmata, or filter feeders, along with the shape and location of larvae. They also preformed DNA tests on
Lauren Stefaniak
Fogarty Life-Science as Biology Symposia Series.
presents her thesis in part of
specific genes looking for insertions and deletions of base pairs, making it similar to DNA barcoding. Before this research, the didemnum samples were all classified differently, then lumped into a group called Species A. Now they are all confirmed to be a single species. Next came tracking down the origins of didemnum. Ascidian samples were collected from around the world and had their DNA tested. Stefaniak found that Japan had numerous species of ascidians, while other areas, including North America and New Zealand, had only three or four. High biodiversity is a good indicator of geographical origins because of the Founder Effect, where a few individuals may start a new group elsewhere, but the variation will be lessened because the
RIC’s
spring
individuals that left did not have genetic representation of all genes within that original species group. The DNA can also show the relatedness between species, and can often shed light on introduction order by showing decreases in similarities of different genes. Stefaniak was thus able to create a phylogenetic tree showing the relations between ascidians, including didemnum. This tree can show what’s related to what and how closely. From this research, not only was the taxonomic problems solved, but it is also now believed that the origins of these sea squirts are from Japan.
Anchor Photo // Stephanie Jobin
Cryptonic species from mysterious origins discussed during spring Biology Symposia Series
Your opinion matters
February 27, 2012
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Is civilization mankind’s biggest mistake? Our world is a cornucopia of bovine excrement. Storms pound the Earth; tsunamis wipe man from its surface; volcanoes and forest fires transform towns into ash; landslides bury By Justin Goslant people alive; avalanches ruin Anchor Staff Writer ski vacations. As I said, it’s a cornucopia. And those are just the environmental stressors, which humans must react to and deal with. Fortunately, we are resilient. We will mourn and rebuild. However, our environment has changed. It’s now largely artificial in physical, social, technological and psychological ways. Such artifices frustrate our ability to pursue happiness. Before I wrote, I checked my assignments on blackboard, messages in my personal email, RIC email and Facebook. And I found a couple things. Did you know food is engineered and manufactured instead simply grown. Why do I mention this? I do so to show an example of human contrivances with nature. A similar contrivance is the pressures which result from our social norms and expectations. Human beings require basic intellectual and emotional needs be met, but for most it’s not enough. No, we want more. We in our modern world want schedules filled to the brim with classes, work, money, success and as little sleep as possible. It’s an elaborate hamster wheel. These desires fill the void left by agriculture, do-
mestication and argo-business. These are in essence the problems and the paradox of contemporary, “first world” culture: we are the greatest nation on the planet yet we can’t fully educate and provide stimulating, rewarding careers and lifestyles for the general public. Life has been different ever since our ancestors made the change from nomadic lifestyles to steady farm life. Despite the technological progress since the Neolithic revolution, it’s come at a cost. It’s safe, menial yet highly competitive. Depression is now common. Chemical imbalances in the brain have been identified as the source of depression, biologically, but what about the psychological problems? Those incessant pressures are constant and nagging unlike a sudden catastrophe, which peeks rapidly and then dissipates with time. The seasons act in a similar manner with winter being the harbinger of depression: seasonal affective disorder, or SAD. If the change in sunlight can influence the general populace what might the side effects of the steady chaotic hum of civilization be? So what is the end of man? Were we “made” for the rigmarole of the rat race? Or for a lifestyle that puts a premium on well-being rather than income? I don’t think most will find any satisfaction pursuing that former. Indeed, job satisfaction elusive for many that is unless one is able to make exorbitant amounts of money, or secure a dream occupation. Otherwise, our capitalist system is a form of indentured servitude. In order for a job to be satisfying employees should enjoy what they do, but also they must be able to see the tangible results of a job well done. Simply put workers
must accomplish something and feel as though they are an important contributor in order to be satisfied at work. Unfortunately reality and media are very different. Stories in all their forms present life as an adventure and video games offer tangible results of progress through leveling up accompanied by upgrades. Should human existence resemble something more fun and exciting? Is it possible? I think it is, and I am convinced that our curious and ambitious nature must be indulged. The difficult question is what can we do when we have all these other obligations? First, we must know ourselves. What are we passionate about? What do we like to do? Second, and perhaps most important, we must send a message through our actions to the system. Fly without checking with “air traffic control,” dance naked in the rain, inhale exotic, green tobacco on the quad. We can remain sedentary. We can remain insatiate. But I think we would prefer to have the time and means to do and be what we love. Was civilization a mistake? No, it wasn’t. But our approach which over emphasizes restrain, achievement and competition was.
The inevitability of gay marriage The state of Maryland is about to become the eighth state to legalize gay marriage By Robert Santurri Jr. after a close Anchor Columnist 25-22 vote in the state senate’s General Assembly this past Thursday. Gov. Martin O’Malley has been a strong advocate of the proposed law and is expected to sign it into law soon. This comes on the heels of Gov. Chris Christie’s recent veto of a proposed gay marriage bill in New Jersey. Personally, I believe Christie put politics ahead of the people of New Jersey. He is trying to shore up his “conservative” credentials for his rumored 2016 Presidential run. He instead proposed the question be put to the voters as a referendum. Christie called this, the “bargain of their life” referring to gay marriage proponents. This after Christie apologized for a similar statement in which he claimed that civil rights activists would have been
happier to put their rights to a vote. Of course, Christie is ignoring history and reality to have believed that civil rights legislation that was passed would have passed a significant number of recognitions. The two statements reveal Christie’s most flagrant misconception on the issue: the idea that civil rights or civil liberties should be up for the majority. If that had been the norm, the minority would have no rights. James Madison in his famous essay, “Federal No. 10,” warns against minority abuse and the need for ensuring its protection in the face of the majority. This past Wednesday, United States District Judge Jeffrey White of San Francisco ruled the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) unconstitutional. DOMA denies federal benefits to same-sex spouses. It is interesting to note that President George W. Bush appointed this judge. There is a larger reality that Christie and some others seem to miss however: gay marriage is inevitable in all fifty states. While a proposed gay marriage law may not pass in New Jersey, gay marriage will soon be a reality in New Jersey and
the rest of the country too. Last May, Gallup found for the first time in their polling that the majority of Americans (53 percent) support gay marriage. This includes a 9 percent increase from 2010 and is up from 27 percent supporting gay marriage in 1996. However, there is an even more important statistic to look at. In the same poll, 70 percent of those between the ages of 18 to 34 favor legal gay marriage. This is in stark contrast to those over the age of 55 where only 39 percent favor legal gay marriage. Contrary to the belief of what some may believe gay marriage has not and will not bring about the destruction of society or even the institution of marriage. But I do have a question for all those proponents who wish to keep marriage between a man and woman only. Will you follow your beliefs further to stay consistent? Will those same proponents argue in favor of other religious-based laws? Will those who oppose gay marriage support legislation, which outlaws adultery? How about divorce and contraceptives?
The other interesting thing is Americans like Rick Santorum who oppose gay marriage on a religious foundation at the same time always rail against the evils of “Sharia Law.” I have to wonder if the irony is lost about speaking out against an Islamic theocracy while advocating for a Christian theocracy. I personally do not like basing our laws on scripture even if it is my religion. Although it was recently booed at a Republican debate, the golden rule is still relevant today. One should treat others as one would like others to treat his or her self. I think the evidence strongly points to the fact that gay marriage will be fully legal one day in the United States. It’s no longer a matter of if but a matter of when.
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February 27, 2012
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Strategy time
For those of you who read the Decision 2012 column, you’ve probably noticed that Rob and I generally tell you the major news items you should know and then give our spin on it. By Jonathan Lamantia This week, I would like to try Opinions Editor something different. To be frank, the GOP drama hasn’t really had any big developments. Santorum is still, shockingly, ahead of Romney. Yet, talk of a brokered primary persists, as it’s not certain whether Romney or Santorum will have enough delegates by the time of the convention. President Obama didn’t really have an interesting week on the trail. So let’s put our politician hats on and do a little strategizing. Okay here’s the question. If you were advising whichever Republican does get the nod, how would you advise him on how to attack the record of the president? Full disclosure, I’m a Democrat. That’s a mean question you say? Why not just focus on the Republican candidate’s own abilities? You see despite the public saying it wants more positive campaigns, it responds extremely well to negative campaigning. Politics is an extremely delicate activity, which requires precision, but it is also a full contact sport. Okay. So in laying out a negative strategy, you’ll want to focus on three areas: first, honesty; second, normality; and third, effectiveness. Notice, these concerns are very broad. Average, middle of the road voters do not have the time to do the research which more extreme voters do. Voting, especially in the US, is often based on sentiment or the ability to relate with a candidate not ideology or specific policy/moral stances. Great, you now have your areas of concern. Let’s
now find what are called “liabilities.” A political liability is something, which a candidate has done or said which can later be spun by an opponent and used against them during an election. For example, two years ago I worked on a gubernatorial campaign. The candidate had a public outburst in which he spoke some pretty harsh words towards President Obama. This statement was picked up by his opponents and used as a line of attack. Let’s take the first area of concern, honesty. Immediately, one incident should come to mind. Remember the massive government backed loans, which were shadily lent to Solyndra, the solar panel company with close ties to the Obama administration, there you go. Even if nothing corrupt happened per se, the mere appearance of unethical behavior is hard to dispense with. Another liability, which one could fit into this category, is the bailouts, both TARP and the autos. Yes, I know, TARP began under President Bush, but President Obama continued it. Regardless, many have great difficulty with the fairness/ethicalness of these policies. Is it okay for your neighbor to lose his home while those responsible are bailed out with his taxes? The same logic can be applied to the GM and Chrysler bailouts. Now, what about normality? People want to know that they can relate with their leader. On this issue, Rick Santorum has already found a liability. Santorum has noticed a very common current in mainstream American. There is an anti-intellectual/elitist streak a mile long. Santorum has accused the president of being an elitist presumably because of his education; he did attend to Ivy leagues and edited the Harvard Law Review. Now, granted some will not see this as a liability, I certainly don’t, but the electorate seems to be in a populist mood this cycle, so Santorum, from a strategic perspective may be making a smart move in emphasizing the president’s elite side. Here’s the big one, effectiveness. This is especially
important when your opponent is an incumbent, a person who is still in office. Without question, the biggest liability for President Obama is the economy. The chances are that by November unemployment rates will still be above eight percent. Specifically, though, gas prices could be a major issue. Gasoline is expected to top five dollars per gallon by the summer. A Republican candidate can spin this in any number of ways. John McCain attempted to in the summer of 2008 with the “drill baby drill” comments. This cycle, the Republican could do the same by highlighting the administration’s refusal to approve the Keystone pipeline and the yearlong moratorium on drilling in the gulf. Would approving the line or allowing for drilling actually help alleviate prices, probably not, but what does that matter, the average person only knows that they pay too much at the pump and they’re angry. That’s political gold. Also, health care is another issue. Granted most of it hasn’t gone into effect. But, again, what does that matter; the most people don’t know that. All they know is their premiums keep rising. Some will mistakenly correlate the two. Last, don’t forget the 16 trillion dollar national debt. It’s not under control. The average person does not understand the intricacies involved in the process. They’re naïve enough to believe that balancing a government’s budget is like balancing a checkbook. Well that was a fun strategy exercise. Hopefully, I haven’t made you too cynical. But you should know how this stuff works. It’s a façade. Anyway, let’s do this again next week except we’ll reverse the scenario. And strategize against the Republican.
Have you been diagnosed with Linsanity? By Kevin Martin
New York Knicks starting point guard, Jeremy Lin, is the most talked about athlete in America since Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. What makes Lin so special? Why should anyone care to know about Lin? Perhaps it’s because the Lin came off the bench and put the Knicks on his back, carrying them on a seven-game winning streak after taking over the starting job. Amazingly enough, Lin and the Knicks continued to win despite the absence of their highest-paid “superstar” Carmelo Anthony. The NBA is desperate for a star in New York City. It is the largest market in professional sports and everyone knows that star athletes in New York City receive the most media attention and are under the brightest spotlight. These two factors alone are what made the Knicks a contender for LeBron James when he became a free agent two years ago. If James were smart, he would have went to New York City. He would be an even bigger icon today if he had, just because the Knicks and their rabid fan base have been deprived of a true superstar since center Patrick Ewing nearly a decade ago. What makes Jeremy Lin such a captivating figure is that he is the most unlikely of superstars and he’s doing it under the biggest spotlight in the NBA. Lin was overlooked despite an outstanding college career at Harvard and ended up bouncing around the benches of several franchises and NBA development league teams last year before ending up on the Knicks roster this season. Nobody saw this coming and to be honest, nobody has ever done this before in the game of basketball. Never before has a fringe Anchor Contributor
NBA player turned themselves into a superstar overnight like Lin has done. Lin is also the first Asian American to become an overnight household name in the NBA. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard is averaging 14.3 points per game this season at the All-Star break. The most impressive thing about Lin is that he has risen to the occasion against the best the NBA has to offer, including a 38-point performance against Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers on Feb. 10. Not only is Lin a force to be reckoned with on the court, he’s becoming the most marketable player in the league at the same time. Lin’s jersey is currently the top-selling jersey in the NBA. In New York City, Lin is going to be mentioned alongside other famous New York athletes like Eli Manning and Derek Jeter. Lin is also making waves in social media circles, becoming one of the biggest sensations on Twitter. Celebrities are tweeting about Lin constantly. As of press time, Lin has in excess of 575,000 followers on Twitter. Lin has also been linked to YouTube stars: Nigahiga, KevJumba and Smosh since breaking out. The lasting impact that Lin has the potential to leave is that he is breaking down stereotypes and inspiring young Asian Americans to aspire to become professional basketball players. Lin is an inspiration to everyone who has ever been overlooked, who has ever been told that they weren’t good enough; because despite all of the adversity, he has overcome it and emerged as a star. You couldn’t write a better script than what Lin is doing these days. Enjoy it while it lasts because we all may never see anything like this ever again in our lifetime.
Letters to, the O ur issues YourEditor issues
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A clarification of complaint on “The Man Cave” but I assume that this is the point of the satire – albeit not very sophisticated. Furthermore, menstruation is not a “condition” (which is a term commonly used in place of “disorder” or “handicap,” i.e. mental condition) but (as Nice Guy has been so kind to point out) is “just nature.” As a woman who knows many women, in and out of relationships, I can attest to the fact that going through menstruation is not as ugly as many chose to paint it. In fact, the most uncomfortable part about it (aside from the dampness) is trying to hide it because everything that mentions menstruation paints it in a negative, disgusting light. Granted, as in everything, there is a scale with degrees of severity (some women have more severe symptoms than others) but this is no excuse to assume that all women are subject to severe mood swings and irritability. Quite frankly, the most irritable thing about menstruating, for me personally, is everyone assuming that I am going to be “bitchy.” But I have strayed from my original point. I would hope that the writer of “The Man Cave” rethinks the level of humor that he is trying to achieve in a college-level newspaper. Perhaps I have incorrectly assumed that the editors would choose examples of well-educated, well-thought-out writing to attest to the level of intelligence that the students at RIC strive for. Just as racial slurs, intended for humorous purposes, are insulting to the joked-about group, gender stereotypes and misrepresentations are insulting. They perpetuate the stereotypes themselves by belittling problems that exist on a grander scale.
Crystal Kusma The author is a junior majoring in English and gender studies at Rhode Island College.
Letters to the Editor Policy The Anchor welcomes letters of up to 450 words. The editor reserves the right to reject letters or edit for clarity brevity, good taste, accuracy and to prevent libel. No poetry, attacks on private individuals, or letter-writing campaigns, please. Due to the volume of letters, writers are asked to limit submissions to one per week. Include a phone number where you can be reached during the day.
E-mail letters to: editorinchief@anchorweb.org
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As an English major, I have studied satire. A quick Google search for those who do not quite grasp the term will bring something like “the use of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc.” Generally, satire is witty and clever and can be appreciated, perhaps even by the group or individual whose faults have been exposed by such kinds of writing. Perhaps this is the intention of characters of [The Anchor’s] “The Man Cave,” a satire on the stereotypical “masculine” point of view, specifically on women. As a writer, I understand the difficulties faced in writing such satire, especially in such controversial topics. In a sense, from one writer to another, I respect the attempt made. However, this column is by no means satirical. I would compare the level of “humor” to that of an individual attempting to pass off a racial slur as a joke – more specifically, trying to pass off racial slurs that play into the stereotypical view on a certain group, as “good fun.” While gender is not a “race,” the “joking” stings in the same manner – belittling and degrading a group of people who share common physical makeup. In saying this, the characters of “The Man Cave” belittle and degrade both men and women – as opposed to providing humorous satire. For example, I will discuss one of the many attempts at humor, “[The Man Cave] Takes on The Apocalypse,” which I will keep rather brief. Naturally, the character “Ponyboy” puts in a rather enlightening comparison between a business and a woman’s vagina. “There’s nothing more refreshing than hooking up with a new girl for a week every month while you wait for your girlfriend to open up shop again.” This is putting a woman on the same level as an object, something that is used for one purpose only. Ponyboy goes further by saying “just because one of your girlfriend’s most important parts is temporarily out of commission doesn’t mean you can’t find other stuff to do to keep both of you satisfied until her condition blows over.” This is intentionally discrediting the complexity of another human being, reducing their value to whether or not they can provide sexual pleasure. I am sure that this is not the most flattering depiction of a “male point of view” to reduce the mindset of a male to caring only for sex,
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Lazy when it comes to parking After reading a piece that one of your editors, Jonathan Kmieciak, wrote entitled, “RIC Parking needs more than a convenient fix,” I felt obligated to send in my rebuttal. I do not agree with Mr. Kmieciak on many of the issues he brought forward in his opinions piece, and thought that my particularly cynical way of viewing the world would help to shed a new light on this “problem.” In his article, Mr. Kmieciak quotes Vice President for Administration and Finance William Gearhart. Mr. Gearhart states, “With the number of spaces given the number of students, we are confident we have enough spaces. They just aren’t preferable.” Mr. Kmieciak quickly disagrees, stating, “...there are not enough spaces, or at least none in a legal place.” He then goes on to tell his short tale of parking woes, only to contradict himself two sentences later by begrudgingly admitting that “There are spaces in back of the dorms, but this is the least suitable place to park.” You see, the real problem for Mr. Kmeiciak, and fellow students that feel the same way he does, is not parking, it’s walking. Many young people today avoid any type of physical activity like the plague. There are plenty of parking spaces available at Rhode Island College. Each and every day I park in A-Lot. Ever heard of A-Lot, Mr. Kmieciak? Well, in case you haven’t, it is one of the first parking lots that you drive by on College Road if you are coming from the Mt. Pleasant side of the campus, and it is almost always only half full. Why is it only half full, you ask? People refuse to park there because it is about a five-to-ten minute walk to the main Quad, and for most people today that is simply too far.
As for Mr. Kmieciak’s solutions to his parking dilemma, he suggests RIC build a three-story parking structure or implement a shuttle service. Both sound costly and will probably raise tuition prices if it was implemented. As long as we are brainstorming silly parking solutions I have a few good ones for you. Ever thought about complimentary valet service? How about RIC hires a team of strongmen to pull rickshaws? How about the strongmen just carry people to and from their cars? How about RIC hires a team of scientists to finally invent that Star Trek transporter we have all been waiting for? As you can see, I don’t take complainers like Mr. Kmieciak very seriously. My over-the-top comments are meant to poke fun at the subject, and I respect Mr. Kmieciak for his opinion. I will be the first person to admit that I am not in peak physical condition myself, but I have no qualms about walking the approximate quarter mile or so from my car to the classroom. As my dear old Dad always told me, “Sometimes we just have to man up, and take the shoe leather express.”
Samuel Capron The author is a junior in the secondary education history program.
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Anchorwomen sail into uncharted waters
CHAMPS
finished the season undefeated (13-0) at home in the Murfrom page ray Center and are headed to the NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament for the first time since 1985. “We set our goals early on,” said Reilly. “The girls set the goal high and we knew winning the LEC wasn’t going to be easy.” The win was far from easy. Southern Maine junior forward Haley Jordan put the Huskies up 12-9 with 12:11 to go in the first, until RIC senior guard Nicole Girard scored her only bucket of the game seconds later to tie the contest. After Girard’s bucket, both teams clamped down defensively. Southern Maine held the RIC offense, which came into the contest averaging over 70 points per game, down for the most part until the final minutes when the Anchorwomen went on a 7-0 run to end the half. First junior forward Courtney Burns hit a layup, and then senior guard Cynthia Gaudet connected on a 3-pointer. To round it out, Riley knocked home a layup to put the Anchorwomen up 25-18 at the break. RIC came out hot and stretched the lead to 11 points, 38-27, as the 13:31 mark after a 3-pointer from Coro. The Huskies began to mount a comeback as their two top scorers, senior forward Courtney Cochran and senior guard Nicole Garland, combined to bring the lead back down to just three points, 38-35, with 10:52 remaining. RIC junior guard Ashley O’Dell and Burns scored back-to-back possessions to put RIC back on top by 10, 45-35, with 5:38 left in the contest. However, defensive lapses and Jordan’s efforts allowed the Huskies to make it a one-possession contest. Jordan’s 3-pointer made it 47-44 with 1:56. Once again, with the game on the line, Riley rose to the occasion. Gaudet fed Riley down low. With Riley now one-on-one with Cochran and the shot clock tick-
44 50 (24-3)
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STARTERS Courtney Cochran Haley Jordan Erin McNamara Renee Nicholas Nicole Garland
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STARTERS Rachel Riley Courtney Burns Cynthia Gaudet Stephanie Coro Nicole Girard
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Abby Hasson Stephanie Gallagher Kim Rivet Brooke Stevens Jordan Grant
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Ashley O’Dell Melanie Cline Stephanie Prusko
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Photos Courtesy // Hayden James – News
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ing down, Riley maneuvered to fire a turnaround jumper to her left over the outstretched Cochran to bank in the 10-footer off the glass. It was the perfect highlight that summarized the LEC’s tough competition this season. Top paint players, the 6-foot-1 Riley and the 6-foot-1 Cochran battling down low and the game on the line. “She does not make scoring easy on me, and I do not make scoring easy for her,” said Riley. The basket not only sealed the LEC title for the Anchorwomen but also the argument for best player in the league. Reilly took home the tournament MVP honors with her after her 14 point, nine rebound performance. “I can’t even describe it,” said Riley. “This has been such a journey; I would not trade this feeling for anything.” In the 50-44 win, RIC held the opposition to 31 percent shooting and forced 18 turnovers. Southern Maine’s trio of Cochran, Jordan, and Garland that averaged 46 combined points per game this season ended the contest with just 31 combined points. “The team defense was tremendous,” said Reilly. “We relished today’s battle. Nicole Girard did an awesome job taking away the three point opportunities by Nicole Garland. Overall, though, it was team defense all the way through.” For the Anchorwomen, Gaudet and Burns scored 11 apiece and O’Dell chipped in with six points off the bench. All five RIC starters played at least 33 minutes in the victory. The LEC champion Anchorwomen will have to wait and see what this weekend’s NCAA Tournament will have in store for them. The brackets will be revealed Monday afternoon, and there is the possibility that the Anchorwomen could host first round action on Friday and Saturday this week. “We’ll enjoy this win tonight,” said Reilly. “Monday we’ll find out who we’ll be playing and the staff and I will begin to break down the tapes then.”
RIC
senior guard
Cynthia Gaudet drives into the lane against Southern Maine in the Little East Conference championship game. Gaudet finished with 11 points.
RIC
Rachel Riley puts up a jumper against Southern Maine. Riley was named the LEC Tournament MVP.
senior center
Sports
February 27, 2012
17
sports@anchorweb.org
Anchor Photo // David Okon
RIC
senior guard
Nicole Girard
will be counted
on to run the point and knock down key shots.
RIC
Mike Akinrola will be relied Anchormen in the NCAA Tournament.
senior center
upon by the
otherwise sparkling resume is a national championship. Armed with the best from page defensive team in program history, Walsh and the Anchormen are poised to make a run at the first national championship in program history when the NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament tips off on Friday, March 2. The transformation of the RIC women’s basketball program under head coach Marcus Reilly over the past four years into a contender in the Little East Conference culminated with the program’s first-ever LEC regular season and tournament championships last weekend. Led by a veteran core group comprised of seniors Rachel Riley, Stephanie Coro, Cynthia Gaudet, Nicole Girard and junior co-captain Courtney Burns, the Anchorwomen will be making their first NCAA Division III Women’s Basketball Tournament appearance since 1985. While the Anchorwomen are guaranteed an appearance in the NCAA Tournament by way of the LEC’s automatic bid, the Anchormen will be vying for one of the 19 at-large bids into the Big Dance when the seedings for the tournament are announced on Monday, Feb. 27. The Anchormen, who were ranked fourth in the D3hoops.com Northeast Regional Rankings released Feb. 22, are one of the best teams in the country not to earn an automatic bid and will most likely be seeded in the No. 10-13 range. The Anchormen have advanced to the Sweet 16 in each of the last two seasons, and despite losing a plethora of veteran, tournament-tested veterans like Antone Gray, Nick Manson, Darius Debnam and Carl Lee, they are headed back to the Big Dance once again this season thanks to the play of senior center Mike Akinrola and classmate forward Mason Choice. The trademark of any Bob Walsh squad is its stifling defense, and that proved to be the case once again this season as the Anchormen ranked in the nation’s top-10 in field-goal percentage defense for the second consecutive year. Unfortunately for the Anchormen, their championship hopes may have suffered a serious blow in last weekend’s Little East Conference Tournament championship game loss against Eastern Connecticut State. Choice drove in for a contested layup with 4:47 remaining in the game and went over the top of Eastern Connecticut State senior guard Chae Phillips and landed hard on his right hand. Choice dislocated his right thumb on the play and had to have it popped back into place by trainers on the sideline. After the game, Choice insisted that he was fine, but was still icing the thumb in an attempt to prevent further swelling. There is no doubt that Choice will play in the NCAA Tournament, but there is also no question that the thumb injury to his shooting hand will affect his game and limit his effectiveness. Injuries are a part of the game – every player and every coach knows they will have to overcome an injury to a key player at some point – but it is nearly impossible to overcome an injury to a key player this late in the season. If Choice is at all limited, which appears likely, the Anchormen will need to rely heavily on the contributions of perimeter sharpshooters like sophomore guards Tom DeCiantis, Avery King and Michael Palumbo. More than anything, the Anchormen will need Akinrola, who is averaging 18 points per game this season, to be the best player on the floor on every possession. While the Anchormen have plenty of NCAA Tournament experience on their side, the Anchorwomen are
1
RIC
senior forward
Mason Choice
is a major question
mark after dislocating his thumb in the
LEC Tournament.
venturing into uncharted waters – with one notable exception. Senior guard Cynthia Gaudet, a transfer from Division II Franklin Pierce, led the Ravens to Final Four appearances in back-to-back seasons before transferring to RIC. Gaudet’s experience and leadership at the point guard spot will be invaluable if the Anchorwomen are going to make a deep run in the tournament. Gaudet led the team in scoring this season, averaging a team-high 16 points per game during the regular season. Riley and Coro will also play a major role for the Anchorwomen in the tournament. Coro heated up down the stretch, leading the team in scoring in four of their last seven games coming into the NCAA Tournament. Riley, who is averaging a double-double on the season (13 points and 10 rebounds per game), became just the third player in program history to record 1,000 points and rebounds for her career, and has the size and experience to take over a game in the paint. If the Anchorwomen’s “Big Three” are playing at the top of their game, the Anchorwomen have the potential to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Regardless of the outcome, for the first time ever both basketball programs at RIC will be competing in the NCAA Tournament in the same year. The credit goes to the student athletes who have worked hard all year to get to this point, but their success is a result of years of work put in by Walsh and Reilly, building their respective programs the right way.
Anchor Photo // David Okon
Photo Courtesy // Hayden James – News
and
Public Relations
NCAA
February 27, 2012
it's a way of life
18
lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Money
Upco min g St ude n t Act ivit ies
and the
pursuit of happiness
see page 20 see page
Ran Zan: authentic Japanese cuisine
Trip t o Mys t ic Aquariu m
see page 20 see page
The Man Cave:
When: March 3 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Cost: $8 Children (ages 5-17), $12 RIC students, $20 non-RIC Price includes bus
on
the first date see page 21 see page
transportation and
twitgoo.com
aquarium admission
When: March 28 5 to 11:30 p.m. Cost: $45 first 10 RIC students, $55 RIC, $65 non-RIC 18+ event. Price includes bus transportation and game admission
Ga br i e l I gl e si a s P er f o r m a n c e When: April 18 8 p.m. Where: Roberts Auditorium Cost: $15 in advance, $25 at the door Tickets will be on sale at the Roberts Hall Box Office
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Trip t o Ut ah Jaz z vs. Boston C e lt ics
Saving Dimes
Getting to campus edition
It’s happening again folks: gas prices are rising to almost $4 a gallon and it’s becoming more difficult for us, as college students, to afford filling our tanks. It may seem like a lost cause, and some of us are asking ourselves, “Is it even worth it to fill up our tanks at all?” Unfortunately there isn’t a definitive answer to this question. There are alternative forms of By Alexandra Weston Lifestyles Editor travel, but if driving a car is your only mode of transportation then you’re forced to find ways to make each gallon go further. If you have close friends that go to RIC and happen to live nearby, or are on your way to campus, try carpooling. Each of the people traveling with you can contribute a certain amount towards gas money each week, or day (however you decide to pan it out) and save all of you a significant amount on gas. The logistics can get a little dodgy, like when you all need to be on campus by and if someone needs to leave campus earlier than others, but it’s worth it to figure it all out when you consider the money you’ll be saving. Another way to save some money on gas is to use Stop and Shop’s point system, especially if you shop there often. Each dollar you spend at this store earns you one gas point, and after you have 100 you save $1 off per gallon of gas. These points can either be used at certain Shell stations or at Stop and Shop gas stations that are located at some of the grocery stores. This way, your “expensive” groceries end up actually saving you money in a different way.
The cost of gas is also cheaper in certain areas where the cost of living is lower than others. These areas are usually where you’ll also find cheaper housing, among other things. While the gas may only be cheaper by a few cents, when it’s added up on a per-gallon basis you’ll actually be saving a few dollars. Do some research, and find a place that works for you. Even to a little out of your way, it’ll be worth the effort to save the money. As I mentioned before, there are many students that have access to other forms of transportation that work very well for them. If you’ve walked around campus lately, you may have noticed that there are many bike racks that have recently sprung up around campus. If you live close enough, as the weather gets nicer get yourself on a bike and use that as your primary mode of transportation. There are obvious flaws with this, as the weather may not always be so nice, but it’s still worth it when you notice how much money you’re saving. Last, but not least, students have the option of utilizing public transportation (i.e. RIPTA). The RIPTA busses numbers 26 and 55 both go to and leave right from campus; there is also the 57 which is on nearby Smith St., the 56 which stops at the Stop and Shop on Manton Ave., and the 27 stops on Fruit Hill. So there are a variety of options available to students using the bus to get to and from campus. The RIC’s Campus Bookstore also offers half priced bus passes (either a one month pass or two 15 ride passes) for RIC students with a valid student ID. These are only a few options available to students, but they’re some great and accessible ways to get more bang for your buck.
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lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Dieting and the Donovan
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So when did Twinkies stop being a delicious snack food? Probably around the same time you became an adult and your nutritional needs as well as your metabolism started changing. I found myself struggling with my weight my freshman year of colBy Heather Nichols lege, because I also thought that Helpful Heather’s Advice Taco Bell and Wendy’s were the most delicious and convenient foods to grab. When I found that I had trouble zipping up my jeans that were loose fitting only a month or so beforehand, I decided to do something about it. I signed up on a diet website called Sparkpeople, it’s free and it helps not only if you’re trying to lose weight, but also if you’re just trying to eat healthier. Signing up is easy; all you need to enter is your age, gender, and weight and it will estimate your dietary needs. For more accurate numbers I’d recommend talking to a doctor or nutritionist, but the website can give you a decent estimate. There are two options when it comes to tracking your meals: one is where you enter in manually what you ate and the site gives an estimate of calories and nutritional value. The other gives you an example of what to eat for three full meals as well as a snack so that you get adequate nutrition. It also tells you how much is in a serving and there’s an option where you can substitute items. So say, for example, that it recommends that you eat one banana and you either don’t like bananas or the Donovan is out of bananas; it can recommend another item so you get the same nutrients. This is where the Donovan comes in because I’ve heard time and time again that people don’t think they’ll be able to eat healthy when they’re forced to buy a meal plan. To that I say it isn’t the Donovan’s fault that your lunch was
www.ric.edu
Part I
two hot dogs, french fries, hostess cupcakes, and a 32 oz. soda. You need to be smart when selecting the components of a meal. The RIC website features nutritional information at www.ric.edu/collegedining/nInformation.php on what is served in the Donovan so it’s definitely worth checking out. A lot of people don’t eat breakfast and it really is an important meal. It’s the one that jump starts your metabolism and gets you going in the morning. Sometimes it’s hard waking up early and sitting down to a meal which is why if you’re just going to grab something quickly, you need to look at the label. For example, the Sarah Lee muffins range anywhere from 370-460 calories per muffin, you can add a Naked brand juice to that and your breakfast could total around 800 calories. Keep in mind women are typically supposed to consume between 1250 and 1500 per day. Not to mention, you’re not really getting any nutrients from the muffin; instead try having a breakfast sandwich from the grille line, most of them have less calories and contain important nutrients such as calcium and protein.
Add a cup of coffee or caffeinated tea to that, because the caffeine will boost your metabolism, and you have a solid meal. Going back to the juices, look at the labels and be sure to pay attention to the sugar contents because some of those juices are worse for you than soda. Even Vitamin Waters can add up when you drink a bunch of them in a day. The healthiest beverage besides water is the diet lemon Lipton iced tea; they have no sugar or calories so they’re a good alternative to water. When it comes to soda, having it every now and then isn’t a bad thing but ask yourself if you really need the biggest size. Grab a small and get a large herbal tea if you’re still thirsty. There’s a decent tea selection and if you add your own sugar and let it cool you’ll have a healthy and delicious drink. Next week I’ll tackle lunch and dinner. Also if you’re interesting in submitting a topic for a future article, e-mail HelpfulHeatherLifestyles@gmail.com.
it's a way of life lifestyles@anchorweb.org
I’ve heard on more than one occasion that “money makes the world go round,” and honestly I find that statement to be quite true. It certainly makes us human beings seem like a bunch of money hungry nitwits, but that’s just the way the world came to be. Without money life becomes increasingly difficult and at the point By Ashley St. Louis existing no longer becomes about living T.I.L.T. your life to the fullest, but simply trying to make ends meet. So what does that make of those who wish to pursue dreams that offer them no reward other than the satisfaction of a job well done? Well, let’s take a look at Television for the answer shall we? “Ghostory” (Find the title a little confusing? Look at it this way: Ghost Story) or “Bakemonogatari” in Japanese, follows a third year high school student who, after nearly surviving a vampire attack, suddenly finds himself face to face with what are known as “Oddities” (basically it’s just a fancy word for monsters or ghosts) and the many people they inhabit. Though unwilling at first, our hero comes to find out that he thoroughly enjoys his little job as a monster exorcist, even though he doesn’t get paid for it. After every successful job, he feels that the accomplishment and his satisfaction come from the fact that people appreciate the work he does. What I can take away from “Ghostory” is the fact that despite the fact that my chosen profession is scarce when it comes to money, if I can enjoy what I do then that’s a reward in and of itself. Money is nice, sure, but I don’t need it to do what I love. As long as there’s a way for me to continue doing that then money shouldn’t be the problem, I can find other ways to get that – legally of course. I guess what I’ve come to understand is that getting paid for doing something you love doesn’t make it a job, and that money just ends up being icing on the proverbial cake. I’ll do it whether I’m making money off it or not. Of course, loving what you do for work doesn’t mean it isn’t a real job; it’s more about doing what you love without the need to acquire money. Of course if we all did what we loved without being guaranteed a paycheck that would seem a bit odd, or stupid for that matter, after all this world revolves around money and if you don’t have money you’re basically reserving a ditch in the sewers with your name on it. Don’t let that get you down though, just work hard and sooner or later, you will be rewarded for the work you take pride in
Ran Zan: authentic Japanese cuisine This past weekend I was hankering for some Japanese food and decided to check out Yelp for some advice on a new place to go. I ended up going to Ran Zan which was By Rashaa Al-Sasah in the top three rated Dishing Out: A Food Lover’s Guide for Japanese food in Providence. Ran Zan is located on the Pawtucket /Providence line on Hope St. Walking into the place it’s rather small but not in a bad way. Instead the size makes it feel intimate and homey. You are greeted upon entering the restaurant by the sushi chef behind the counter to take a seat anywhere you want. Once seated the environment just feels really comfortable and light. No heavy and tacky décor either, just simple and peaceful, like the food itself. The food is the best thing about this place. I find smaller authentic Japanese restaurants generally have the best food; so far I haven’t been let down. In the case of Ran Zan the food was so good I could’ve eaten a whole other serving. I started with a Shumai shrimp dumpling appetizer. The dumplings are on the smaller side than what many would think of as standard dumpling size, but the taste makes up for it. Savory little bites that had the shrimp ground with spices and onion to a fine consistency that was absolutely perfect. I then ordered a spicy tuna roll since it’s one of my favorite sushi rolls. The sushi was fabulous, quite simply some of the best I’ve eaten and trust me I’ve tried a lot of different places. The rolls are small since the traditional sushi seems to be slimmer in comparison to what I like to call “bulky American sushi.” Don’t get me wrong, American sushi can be good sometimes but you can’t beat the real thing. The real reason why this sushi is so
good is its perfect mix of fresh ingredients. The tuna was very light in flavor and was mixed very well with the spicy mayonnaise so that it was just the right balance. What I ordered for my main course was the chicken teriyaki bento box. The bento boxes are the early bird special for dinner, which runs from 5-6:30 p.m. The dinner comes with Miso soup, salad, rice and more Shumai! At first I didn’t know that it came with Shumai, but the dumplings are so good that getting more to eat unexpectedly was a great surprise. The teriyaki chicken was good, a great mix of sweet and savory sauce but overall nothing really stood out about it. I got to have a couple pieces of my boyfriend’s tempura bento which included the same things with the exception of tempura fried shrimp and veggies instead of chicken teriyaki. The tempura is satisfyingly crunchy and light. You can always tell the difference between good and bad tempura by how greasy it is. A good tempura won’t be greasy, while badly made tempura will make you feel like you ate a bucket of KFC instead of a nice Japanese meal. The bento boxes also come with a scoop of ice cream which is a lovely palate cleanser. I chose the green tea flavor which tastes exactly like green tea with sugar and milk in it, which I think is delicious. If it’s not your cup of tea then you can chose from a variety of the other flavors they offer including mango. The price range of Ran Zan is pretty fair with the most expensive dinner meal at $25 everything is pretty affordable. The Bento box dinners however are in the $10 range, and for all the things that are included it’s certainly worth getting there for the early bird special. I would definitely recommend people to go to Ran Zan it’s a fantastic little place that serves amazing food for a good price. What more could you want?
www.ranzan.net
Money and the pursuit of happiness
20
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www.wallpapervortex.com
Things I Learned from Television
February 27, 2012
February 27, 2012
it's a way of life
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lifestyles@anchorweb.org
On the first date dwasylow.wordpress.com
By Nice Guy and Ponyboy Nice Guy Anyone who reads our column may have noticed that last week we were too lazy to write. Well, that’s not actually the case. Thanks to Ponyboy’s little hissy fit last time the Anchor decided to move us to being twice monthly since they obviously need to make sure they go over Ponyboy’s section with a fine toothed comb. So I guess you should keep an eye out every other week for “The Man Cave.” Sorry about that. Seeing as last time we wrote was Valentine’s Day and some of us were too busy calling out critics to care, I decided that maybe something relationship based would make up for “our” little oversight. The first date has to be the most daunting part of starting a relationship. Sure the flirting over Facebook was fun, but now she’s sitting in front of you over a candlelit dinner and the highbrow fart jokes that your buddies find hilarious just won’t suffice. My first pieced advice is to keep your calm. She’s sitting there for a reason so you’ve done everything right so far. The tenser you are the more uncomfortable she’ll be, so crack a few jokes even if they don’t have her rolling on the floor with laughter. They’ll break the ice. Treat her like a lady, but don’t put
Courtesy //
The Man Cave
her on a pedestal. Everyone likes a few compliments now and again but if they’re showered constantly they may come off as insincere and that you’re only looking for one thing. Compliment her on her appearance rather than looks. You can tell her she looks nice but don’t say that she looks hot or that dress makes her chest looks more perky than usual. Also rule number one, and really pay attention to this one guys, eye contact. No girl likes to be treated like a piece of meat, least not one I’d want to date. If you spend most of the date talking with her cleavage over dinner, you’re most likely just going to have a drink splashed in your face. Ponyboy Hey what can I say, I don’t like haters.
Style Watch Danielle Franciosi is a freshman majoring in radiology. Her favorite stores include Hot Topic and Newbury Comics, but she especially likes borrowing eclectic pieces, like western style boots, from her grandma. “I like to dress uniquely. I don’t follow any one person or trend,” said Franciosi.
I’m totally fine with only writing this every other week. It will give me more time to scout for chicks and work on my new dub step album. Maybe I’ll make a Twitter so I pass on my words of wisdom to you without having to deal with those pesky editors. We’ll see. I just want to say this I don’t have first dates. I’m just too much of a player for that. Who wants to blow $40 over an awkward candlelit dinner that Nice Guy seems to love so much, when you can just take a girl to a party and spend the night making out with her after a few rum and cokes. I’m not looking for any kind of relationship so why would I want to know how many cats she has and how each one has a distinct personality and describe them in depth for 20 minutes.
For players, a first date means you did something horribly wrong. She’s thinking less of simply sleeping with you and actually wants an emotional relationship. That means you dropped the ball and displayed some kind of humanity rather than portraying the sex god you really are (or claim to be). If you find yourself on a formal date listen to Ponyboy here and compliment a girl’s tits, they love that. Least every girl I’ve ever met after a night at the club. Staring at her blouse just means you find her attractive, and who doesn’t want to feel that they’re attractive. Plus nice eyes are over rated anyway. You can’t see them clearly in the dark, or at the end of the night when you take her into your room.
By Courtney Woods Style RX
Liz Conway is a senior communication major who loves to accessorize. “I like to dress different. I put pieces together that you wouldn’t expect,” she said. Her style icons are Mary-Kate and Ashely Olsen.
Eric Hanson is a senior majoring in communication. He describes his style as, “vintage inspired, fun, and classic... With the occasional hint of old man.” Hanson likes to shop at TJ Maxx and the Life is Good store.
Alex Jamon is University of New Mexico Theater major. He is at RIC as part of the National Student Exchange Program. Jamon isn’t afraid to mix men’s and women’s clothing and calls his style, “Eclectic.” He likes to shop at vintage stores, H+M, and Forever 21.
February 27, 2012
it's a way of life
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lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Your answers in 30 words or less: Junior junction Dear Ari, I’m a nursing major in my junior year who doesn’t want to do it anymore. I want to switch my major but am already too far into the program. How can I get out without spending another four years at RIC? – Stuck, RIC junior
By Arielle Rogers
Dear Stuck, Your best bet is to see your advisor and see what major would be suited to the classes you’ve already completed. Good Luck! Dear Ari, Is there any information on who won the Powerball in RI? – Envious, RIC junior Dear Envious, I have absolutely no idea. I’m sure it’s a question Google can provide an answer for.
Ask Ari
Dear Ari, After reading your response to the “Special Question” about the lesbian in love with a guy, I have to say that’s a particularly good way to go about it. I’m a lesbian and felt it totality deemed appropriate. – Sarah, RIC junior
Dear Sarah, Thank you so much. I’m glad to know it worked out as good advice, one can be nervous about these things sometimes. Dear Ari, My boyfriend’s argument is that I’m overly dominant in our relationship. I’m three years older than him and he thinks I’m constantly mothering him. How can I make it stop? – Lana, RIC junior Dear Lana, Well are you mothering him? Considering you aren’t, take the time to listen to every word he says and make sure he’s an equal part of the relationship.
Special Question of the Week Dear Ari, I’m all for equality amongst the genders, but the other day I saw a man being completely abused, both verbally and emotionally by his girlfriend. The worst part is he just sat there and took it. How is this okay when it’s not okay if a man is abusive towards a woman? – Saddened RIC Junior Dear Saddened, You have every right to be saddened, as a man has every right to counter react to an action made towards him. It’s awful that this happened as well as the many cases like this that do. How is this okay when it’s not okay if a man is abusive towards a woman? The answer is it’s not ok, at all. What we women forget sometimes is that we fight so hard to be equal with our gender opposite. Equal job opportunity, equal pay, equal rights etc., the list goes on. We are fighting so hard, that we
completely forget the equality part. Now, I’m all for women’s rights and equality. I’m for having women become presidents, CEO’s and Executives, but I am not for women who will degrade men to get to that point. Why become what you’re fighting against in the first place? Instead of a flip flop in society, making men the new societal victims, we all need to work to make it so we are completely equal on all the levels humans have created for success and acceptance. I want to see men and women be executives and parents and anything you can think of together! When it comes to relationships it’s not just about equality but respect for yourself and for each other. When we can finally find that balance all will be well.
Have a question? Email them to lifestyles@anchorweb.org or go on Ari’s Formspring: http://www.formspring.me/AskAriAnchor
Q & Anchor
By Kelly Beshara-Flynn
What do you think of not having a winter?
Name: Everton Carter Major: Communications Year: Senior
Name: Matthew Neel Major: Communications Year: Senior
“It was great. It wasn’t “I thought it was too cold and the best awesome! I really part: No snow.” enjoyed having sunshine and warm weather. Yay!”
Name: Vivian Lima Major: Criminal Justice Year: Sophomore
“We’re so used to preparing for a cold winter that we prepared for something that didn’t happen this year.”
Name: Jesse Rhinehart Name: Abigail Falney Major: Political Science and Major: Nursing English Year: Freshman Year: Sophomore
“I’m all for it. Growing up in New England, less winter is better. The longterm effects of global warming may be terrible, but the short-term situation is fantastic.”
“It’s New England you know? You could freak out about it or you could be excited. Either way, spring will be here soon.”
Name: Michelle Lane Major: Nursing Year: Freshman
“I personally don’t mind any snow. I love not having to shovel or clean off my car.”
February 27, 2012
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What’s
funny? graphics@anchorweb.org
For your entertainment
February 27, 2012
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arts@anchorweb.org
Performances Now Playing Art: Acquire/Inquire: A Group Exhibition March 1-29 Reception: 5 to 8 p.m. Bannister Gallery Free
Pianst Frederic Chiu March 4 2:30 p.m. Sapinsley Hall $5 RIC, $34 non- RIC
Art: Roger ShimomuraLithographsl March 8 -April 6 Reception 5 to 8 p.m. Bannister Gallery Free
Upcoming Campus Arts Calendar
Performing Arts Series:
Music: RIC Spring Choral Concert March. 9 8 p.m.
Sapinsley Hall $10
Performing Arts Series: Barynya March 20 7:30 p.m. Roberts Hall Auditorium
$5 RIC, $35 non- RIC
Ancient Greek’s gift to art
“Skip Beat!”
see page 26
see page 29
RIC Dance Company astounds with 53rd Annual Spring Concert By Joelle Jacinthe A&E Staff Writer
The Rhode Island College Dance Company has dazzled the audience at Sapinsley Hall once again with their presentation of the 53rd Annual Spring Dance Concert. The concert featured works from choreographer, Adele Myers, Rhode Island multimedia artist Jamie Jewett, renowned jazz dancer and choreographer Danny Buraczeski, Rhode Island contemporary ballet choreographer Colleen Cavanaugh, Rhode Island College student and choreographer Courtney Asselin and Rhode Island College faculty members Kathy Smith and Angelica Vessella. “The goal of this concert is to give students a diverse language and a different perspective on dance as an art form,” said Vessella. This goal was certainly reached and achieved on the night of Friday, Feb. 24, when dancers took to the stage and executed the different dance styles of “jazz, swing, modern, tap, and ballet.” On that night each choreographed dance brought to the forefront a diverse set of issues we all could relate to, whether it being “sexuality and young adulthood or the human condition.” Furthermore, a few choreographed dances in particular made references to the history of the Jewish culture and touched on the topics of Film Studies and Comic entertainment. The program began with a piece choreographed by Adele Myers in collaboration with the dancers entitled “This Dance Is What You See II.” In this piece, the dancers take the stage one by one in a way to express their individuality. A few dancers expressed
themselves with flips and break dancing whereas others expressed themselves in an animated fashion. The eclectic music style by Kyle Olson set the tone for the piece; it was free, fun and diverse. Myers once described this particular piece as being “seventeen minutes of fun as all get out and dancey dance.” Following Myers’ eclectic choreography in the program was a piece choreographed by Jamie Jewett entitled “4 Sides.” Jewett, the director of Lostwax Multimedia Dance, is known for utilizing technology in his work and “4 Sides” was no exception. In this piece, Jewett utilized Digital Media and the imagery of live video to depict a group of 4 girls dancing. On stage danced the same group of 4 girls to a ballet routine. The dancers moved gracefully to the sound of “Four Square” originally composed by Polly Hall. The dance concert continued with a piece choreographed by senior Courtney Asselin entitled “Taking the Plunge.” The meaning of the idiom signified the ability “to commit suddenly to doing something new and beginning an unfamiliar venture after hesitation.” Taking the Plunge also signified the movement of “throwing one’s self into a certain state or condition wholeheartedly.” Asselin is described as soon having to “Take the Plunge into the real world” as she prepares for graduation in May 2012. This particular piece was a symbolization of taking a leap of faith into the unknown. At the end of the piece, the dancers held hands and jumped to the musical sound of “Chainman’s Waltz” by John Williams. The Write fortoThe Anchor! audience reacted this act of confidence and bravery with a round of applause. During the ten-minute intermission, the
audience sat quietly as they waited patiently for the dancers to return to the stage. Hands clapped and mouths cheered when the curtains were finally lifted and two males and two female dancers took the stage dressed in black suits, black ties, and white buttoned shirts underneath. The “Dualing-isms” piece began with what appeared to be a poker game gone badly. The choreographed dance by Kathy Smith then shifted gears into a battle between males and females. The initial message was that women could also dance like men. The drama in the routine was intensified by the background music which was “Astor Piazzolla, arranged by Pablo Gonzalez Jazey.” As the routine continued, slow dance music blew through the speakers and similar to Jewett’s piece “4 sides,” Smith utilized technology and the imagery of live video to show dancers mimicking the dances in the video. The stripping of sexuality at the end of the piece symbolized through the removal of the suits, left audience members in amazement. The atmosphere in the hall shifted with the three final performances of “Love, A La Mode” by choreographer Colleen Cavanaugh, “Waiting Room” choreographed by Angelica Vessella, and “Swing Concerto” choreographed by Danny Buraczeski. “Love, A La Mode” was a passionate ballet dance routine that signified the ups and downs of young love; “Waiting Room” was a tap dance routine that brought comical entertainment and relief to the audience; and “Swing Concerto” was a highly energized jazz dance that signified the Jewish culture and their youth that were integrated into American culture. The concert overall was an educational, enjoyable and memorable one.
Arts & Entertainment Review films, books, albums and video games! Attend the latest RIC Theatre performances! Get access to the hottest concerts in Providence! Whatever entertains YOU, we want to know! For more information or to submit a story contact Anchor A+E Editor Kyle Grant at: arts@anchorweb.org
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RIC’s own big fish rocks Met crowd
The Anchors headline, but Whaleshark steals the show
Anchor Photo // Mandy Wray Dion
With a very thin crowd and lots of room to venture, The Met Café in Pawtucket’s Artisan Village played host to a show that defiantly had its share of interest whiplash. Dartmouth band The Anchors headlined the show, but when their lead singer was nowhere to be found an unsuspecting By Timothy Hordern opener took hold of the stage. A&E Staff Writer The four bands that challenged the Bruins game last Wednesday were The Quahogs, The Washingtons, Whaleshark and the headliner, The Anchors. A British Invasion/ Surf Punk band hailing from Dartmouth, Mass., the headlining Anchors took the stage without lead singer and bassist Ian Motha. Their remaining members of the band honestly should not have taken the stage, they proved to be the anchors to their own performance. First off, the tone of the band was horrible. Out of the four songs they played, three of them were covers which included two Beatles covers followed by a punk song. These songs were done so badly the crowd was dispersing to the Bruins game. Though this performance was bad, this may be attributed
Despite
not headlining, the band
Whaleshark
stole the show
to the fact that Ian Motha, the bassist and lead singer, was completely absent from the show. Though from what I saw, a second shot is not warranted. Another band that played was The Washingtons. This band was a four-piece set featuring Liam Hamel, Ian Arieta, Tim Early and Dan MacKnight. The Washingtons are a punk influenced band hailing from Providence. My comment on this band was that the instrumentals were good, but the music was just not interesting. The crowd reacted in the same way as the area in front of the stage was barren until a few intoxicated individuals filed in to dance. I would give this band another try, but would attend a show in which they were headlining. The opener of the night was The Quahogs, a folk/ country/ rock band from Providence. This four piece band featured Steve Delmonico on guitar and vocals, Ethan Kerrigan on bass, banjo and melodica, Charlie Weber on guitar and Jim Galvin on guitar. With this band, the instrumentals were great and the crowd seemed generally interested, though there was one thing I noticed. The band was almost a rip-off of Deer Tick. At one point I noticed the singer sang a song to sound similar to Deer Tick, and then changed his voice again to sound differently. As the set continued, the crowd dispersed and one member of the crowd even asked what their name was as they did not announce when they came on stage. This band was okay, but it annoyed me that the singer changed his voice noticeably to sound like another band. Last but not least the band Whaleshark. Whaleshark is a rock/ R&B influenced band from Providence. This three piece band features Brian St. Pierre on drums, Sam Brunner and Cory Waldron on guitars, basses and vocals. With two members having ties to RIC, Whaleshark proved to be the best band out of the four. Whaleshark seemed very together and uniform on their playing ability. Also, the vocals were solid where the entire band was balanced and in tune throughout the show. Remarkably, this was only the bands third show together. “Well Sam and I played in a band together before this, it was called Stalemate. After that band broke up, our only musical step seemed to form a new band with our friend Brian.” Said Cory Waldron, “I like to listen to Al Green for the blues and R&B while Sam and Bryan bring an influence of Indy and experimental rock into the band.” Whaleshark plans on playing music as long as it is fun and interesting. They also have an album in the works and plan on going into the studio in a few weeks. “Well the name actually came from Sam’s girlfriend,” Cory said when asked how the band name came about. “We were hanging out in the music wing in the Nazarian Center when she turns to him and says, ‘You know Sam, you would be a Whaleshark if you were an animal.’ And that’s how the name stuck. Cause a whale shark is kind of docile and we match up, it just fits.” In all the night had really only one bright spot that was worth the time while the other bands disappointed. If given the chance, I would go to the show again but only if Whaleshark was headlining. You can check out all the bands mentioned in this article by searching them on Facebook.
Frederic Chiu brings an international blend to campus By James Lucey
Anchor Contributor
This Sunday, world renowned pianist Frederic Chiu graces the stage at Sapinsley Hall. Chiu is set to perform pieces from Chopin to Debussy and promises to be an aural delight. American born with a Julliard pedigree, Chiu gained international recognition during his 12 year residence in Paris. He has since returned to the United States where has toured extensively, appearing at such venues as Place des Arts in Montreal, at the Ambassador Theatre in Pasadena, the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, Lincoln Center and the Mostly Mozart Festival in New York. The diversity of his background may be the greatest attribute of Chiu’s playing; a medley of influence from Asian, American, and European disciplines. Though focused in the European tradition, his cocktail of cultural influence has leant to his reputation as a virtuoso of contemporary piano. Naturally, Chiu is a master in his own right, receiving awards such as the Petscheck Award of the Juilliard School, the American Pianists Association Fellowship, and the 1996 Avery Fisher Career Grant. Beyond his career as a musician, Chiu has a degree of notoriety as a teacher. In his workshops, “Deeper Piano Studies,” Chiu emphasizes the importance of methodology and philosophy to piano. He takes a holistic approach to instructing his students; discussing psychological factors of performance, like stage fright, transposing reciting pieces from memory, and even cooking as a means of improving piano technique. Chiu has released over 20 studio albums, and has committed himself to record the complete piano music of gargantuan composer Sergei Prokofiev. Perhaps not coincidentally, Prokofiev’s “Three Movements” from Lieutenant Kije Toccata as transposed by Frederic Chiu is at the core of the upcoming performance. Chiu’s playing is as emotionally provocative as it is mentally stimulating. Sure to be an unforgettable appearance, Frederic Chiu is not to be missed.
For your entertainment
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“The Merchant of Venice” at Trinity Rep By Nick Collete
Anchor Contributor
Most college students slave away all week reading, writing papers and studying for their slowly approaching midterms. When the weekend arrives the only desired goal is having mindless fun with friends and transforming into the reckless weekend warriors our society breeds. Hence, thou are not likely to call upon thine local theatre for playful jest and merriment. However, the showing of William Shakespeare’s ‘The Merchant of Venice’ at Trinity Repertory Company is a tasteful, entertaining, conceivable representation of the over 400 year old comedy that will make for a fun night for all. The Merchant of Venice today is much more complex than in the late 1500’s, making the show all the more captivating. In its time the feeling of anti-Semitism was very strong and ran rampantly through the veins of most Christians’, and was not seen as bigotry; it was the common, accepted conception of Jews. Therefore, it is meant to be a joyous scene when the character of Shylock, a Jew, is left withering and sobbing on the stage after everything
is stripped from him: his daughter, his wealth and his faith. Consequently, as anti-Semitism is strongly frowned upon today, this scene is viewed in an entirely different light than Shakespeare intended and creates a distinctly different dynamic, arguably even changing the genre from a comedy to a drama. Attending this show with a few friends, I was utterly disappointed with the turn out. The abundance of people was not unsettling however, but the demographic. Aside from my friends, the crowd was primarily a dichotomy between a group who looked like college English professors and an assortment of wealthy business executives each out for a night on the town with their best girl enabling the obnoxious flaunting of her newest furs. William Shakespeare is inevitably turning over in his grave at this disservice. New forms of media and entertainment may be the rationale, but plays were not meant to be viewed exclusively by the wealthy and “cultured”. Shakespeare was a commoner, he was not a part of high society and in his time plays got as rowdy as concerts do today. It is sad that more people do not venture to the theatre due to the mistaken notion of its reservation for the elite.
Many may argue that Shakespeare, as it is written in Elizabethan, is too hard to understand and is innately another language. After seeing the play first hand I can honestly concur that the first fifteen minutes or so are quite strenuous and may give the audience a quasimigraine. However, I am able to then contest that after a few more minutes the language is quite attainable and by the end the audience swears that Elizabethan is their native tongue. In conclusion, I urge anyone looking for a fun night to attend the Merchant of Venice before it vanishes from the stage of Trinity Rep on March 11th. Regardless of any assumptions forged from contemporary ideas of theatre, the performance is extremely entertaining and at many points is laugh out loud funny. While attending, do not let the stiffs who frequent the theatre be intimidating in any way, if shouting, belly laughing, or snickering seem appropriate indulge. If anyone complains about being a boisterous, deranged patron retorts that that is how Shakespeare would have wanted it.
Ancient Greeks’ gift to art
world today? The idea is simple for an artist; to recreate what you see and not what you think you see. Confused on the difference? Drawing what you think you see, for example, would be not looking at an object when you draw it. For example, say you are drawing a person. If you don’t actually look at the person, then will you see it in its natural form? No, you will be creating what this person probably looks like in your head, making it look entirely different than it does in reality. It is a common problem many new artists have. Creating what you actually see is really looking at an object and trying to get a feel for what it looks like. This is called ‘naturalistic art,’ and it started during the Ancient Greek Classical period, around 480 B.C.E. - a time when the society flourished. It seems simple- you draw something, so you look at it, but the idea didn’t exist in any other culture than the Greeks. That’s because many cultures had a formula of how they made things. The Egyptians during this time period, for example, had a certain method of depicting a human, even though it didn’t look realistic. Their big, thickly outlined eyes and noodle-thin bodies looked nothing like a human, but for hundreds of years, their culture depicted them this way.
Even Greek art prior to this time was not very naturalistic. The period just before Classical Greek Art emerged, called the Archaic period was based off of a scheme of many ideas stolen from other cultures such as Egypt. The scheme has a style for creating hair and facial features that one can tell is Egyptian styled. The cartoon-like figures have certain features out of proportion such as larger than life hands, feet or even eyes. The Classical period focused on making things look less like a certain styled ‘formula’ for creating a figure due to a new sense of unity the Greeks felt after defeating the Persians, even though they were outnumbered ten to one. This victory happened twice over a ten year span and the Greeks came together and seemed to really create an identity for themselves. Also, rebuilding after the destruction caused a burst of new art and architecture. The Greeks wanted to embrace their identity by creating their own style for doing things. For the first time ever, artists strived to be better than those around them, rather than just creating art for a specific purpose or following the scheme other artists created. This leads to more examination of figures. Nude male sculptures had more accurate organs on them and females, which usually weren’t depicted nude, advanced in having a shape under the cloth they wore rather than just being a square of cloth with arms and legs. Although the idea of becoming more naturalistic was played around with for hundreds of years during ancient times, it is still an issue present in many drawings today.
The
On
sculpture,
“Metropolitan Kouros,” from the Arachic period, is very unrealistic.
the other hand, this
Classic Greek sculpture, “The Kritios Boy,” is much more human-like
Courtesy//employees.oneonta.edu
By Katelyn Hurd
Art for the Average Joe
The culture of Ancient Greece, which existed over 2,500 years ago, has provided many great contributions which our society uses today. The Greeks invented the map, the thermometer and even plumbing systems. Did you know the Greeks are responsible for cultivating one of the most commonly used ideas in the art
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Discovering “The Secret Life of Bees” Welcome to this week’s Matt’s Movies. This time, I wanted to review a film that I don’t think got the attention it deserved. It’s called “The Secret Life of Bees,” and it is an adaptation of the novel of the same name by By Matthew Leo Sue Monk Kidd. Matt’s Movies The movie came out in 2008, and it follows the coming-of-age story of Lily Owens (Dakota Fanning), a young white girl from Georgia. Her mother had died when she was a young girl leaving her in the care of her abusive father T Ray (Paul Bettany) and their black housekeeper Rosaleen (Jennifer Hudson). Now things would have continued the way they were if something extraordinary hadn’t happened. The President of the United States extended the vote to black women and Rosaleen decided to register. After getting into a fight with some white men who insulted her, Rosaleen is arrested and placed in a hospital to treat her wounds. Lily breaks her out and the two escape together. Following clues to Lily’s mother’s past, they eventually make their way to the bright pink house of three sisters, August (Queen Latifah), May (Sophie Okonedo), and June (Alicia Keys) Boatwright, three black bee-keepers. What follows is a moving and heart-wrenching story that will stay with you for years to come. Does
Lily learn about her mother’s past? Does T Ray drag his daughter home? Does everyone live happily ever after? You’ll have to watch to find out. Let me just say that this film is one of the best and most accurate adaptations of a novel I have ever seen. From the very first scene, I fell in love with the characters, from the tough June to the vulnerable May. Set to the background of the civil rights movement, the story shows not only the power of love, but the power of acceptance. This book has parts sweeter than the honey the Boatwrights sell, and it has parts darker than a Southern night. The acting is done well, with the entire cast outdoing themselves. The chemistry between all the characters is wonderful, and I could honestly believe that Queen Latifah, Sophie Okonedo, and Alicia Keys were sisters. And speaking of Sophie Okonedo, her portrayal of the vulnerable and depressed June Boatwright is nothing short of awe-inspiring. She moves audiences with her fragility. You feel what she feels, her emotions always right there on the surface for the world to see. She did a wonderful job, and she deserves praise. The rest of the cast also performs wonderfully. Rarely do I see a film where every cast member performs admirably, but there was no weak link in this chain. I honestly can’t praise this movie enough. It’s one that everyone should see, and in the genre of coming-of-age tales, I have to give it 5 Stars out of 5. Until next time, enjoy the show!
Local Events Ice skating in Downtown Providence Jan. 23 - Mar. 17 Bank of America Skating Center Free One of the most exciting and popular winter events in Providence is back for all to enjoy. Ice skating at the Bank of America Skating Center during the winter months can be charming date for you and that special someone.
“The Merchant of Venice” Feb. 3- Mar. 4 Trinity Repertory Company $15-$66 The timeless classic from William Shakespeare comes alive at Trinity Rep with a modern retelling of a man who must pay a debt with a pound of his own flesh. This dark medieval comedy has entertained audiences for centuries in finds new light on the Chace Theater.
For your entertainment
February 27, 2012
arts@anchorweb.org
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As I’ve said before, I’m a fan of the downloadable and indie titles. There is great ambition and uniqueness in almost everyone. It’s an opportunity for developing game companies to get their foot in the door or for successful ones By Robert Lefebvre Rob’s Game Shelf to take a chance and not lose too much if things don’t work out. And this brought me to “Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet.” This game came out in August of last year and was developed by newcomer Fuelcell Games. The game was released on Xbox Live as well as Microsoft Windows. ITSP tells the story of an alien who must travel to a planet that is the source of a widespread infestation and enveloping and corrupting surrounding planets. The alien flies in his spaceship to the planet to stop the infestation. The story isn’t particularly grand and nothing is really explained, but then again, it’s not really the focus of the game, so it didn’t bother me. You control the alien’s spaceship as he flies around the shadow planet. It follows a style of gameplay similar to that of “Metroid” and “Castlevania” where the entire game is one giant level that you slowly unlock area by area, each increasing in difficulty that you can revisit later. However, this is where I had a major problem as most of the rewards that you unlock are concept art. I’ll never understand why game developers think concept art is a prize worth going out of your way to find. Ooh, I want to see how the game looked on the drawing board! I’ll never
sleep until I can! You explore the planet while defeating enemies and solving enemies to get yourself deeper into the planet. As you do, you pick up weapons and tools that can get you further. There is a scanning beam that can determine whether something is hostile or not and what to use against it if it is. Your weapons include rockets, bullets, and lasers. The one downside to using the weapons is that when you want to equip them, a large menu comes up to show you. This normally wouldn’t be a problem, but when you bring up the equip menu, the game doesn’t pause. So when you’re trying to equip new tools or weapons, you have a giant menu blocking your view as enemies could be coming down on you. It can get frustrating, especially when you need to equip something in a pinch. All in all, the gameplay is very smooth with simple controls that I had no problem with. The visuals are what really help the game stand out. They were very bizarre but at the same time they were simple in their design, which kind of brought me back to the concept art problem. The whole game looks like concept art. Why would I want to unlock more? Anyway, the colors are also what bring out the designs. And despite their simplicity, they bring out a lot. For example, one part later in the game has you trying to power a device in the dark. Every time you do, the
Courtesy//ther4g.com
It’s an insanely twisted shadow planet
resulting light reveals a giant eye that’s been watching you the whole time. Stop looking at me like that, I think it’s interesting. The music is fairly simple as well, bringing an ambient tone like games such as “Mirror’s Edge” and “Limbo”. Although, I didn’t think this soundtrack was as great as those. The entire game is only about four hours long, but I actually think that’s just the right length for a game like this. I don’t think I could stick around with something like this for more than a day. So it would be great game to play on your day off or something like that. In the end, I have to recommend “Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet”. “It’s fun, simple, and unique. It’s not particularly outstanding, but it was definitely one of the better games of last year. So don’t be afraid to go a little insane and get a little twisted.
“Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” and the meaning of life By Ashely Massotti Anchor Staff Writer
The dolphins tried to warn us. For decades, the dolphins tried to warn mankind that the Earth was going to be destroyed, but we never listened. Their clever backflips and parlor tricks were encoded messages – and due to our ignorance and refusal to listen, the Earth no longer exists. Arthur, one of the last surviving humans, is forced to confront this reality in “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.” Arthur was in no way the chosen one. His backstory contains no examples of survival instincts or cunning: he is merely taken to the bar one day by his neighbor, given several beers, and then thrust into space. In his defense, Ford Prefect may have broken the news to Arthur in a gentler manner, if he’d only had time.
Douglas Adams has not crafted the best book in the world, but he has created something that is delightful and fun to read. My favorite moments in the book featured Marvin the robot, who suffers from depression and loathes the “smug” doors aboard his owner’s ship. Adams does not give a large amount of backstory on each character, instead highlighting things about each one as they become important. Not much is known about Arthur except that his house was set to be demolished, and then his home blew up instead. Yet strangely, this lack of information does nothing to deter from the book. One warning to offer to readers is there is some rather serious information contained within. If you, as a human, find it difficult to accept that there are life-forms more intelligent than you, or you’ve sought never to learn the meaning of life, you shouldn’t pick up Adams’ book. Discovering the secret intelligence of Mice, or the truth
about Earth may be too much for your weak constitution to take. (Let’s just say Pluto isn’t the only thing posing as a planet.) However, anyone unafraid to confront the true meaning of the galaxy, who wants to read something light-hearted and fun should look no further. Originally, I was terrified to pick up “HGTTG.” I had always been curious about it, but feared the book would never live up to its praise. (After all, I loathe the widelypraised film Young Frankenstein, despite my love of Mel Brooks). After reading the first book of this “four-part trilogy,” I can safely say that it was... not bad. At times I found myself disinterested in the plot, but Adams’ sparkling humor kept me engaged with the book regardless. Although it isn’t one of my favorite books, I had no reason to fear reading it.
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“Skip Beat!” So I’ve been trying my best to watch, well, more accurately finish watching more anime as to give you, my loyal audience, better and more accurate reviews. Unfortunately, as I’m sure those of you here at college to learn and study will know, time is a By Christian DeCataldo precious commodity and as such Christian’s Anime Corner the content of this column will be changing slightly in the weeks to come. As it has become apparent I won’t be able to finish an anime series every week I’ve decided to instead give you all a first look. I’ll sample a few episodes of one or more anime and give you my take on them, this week; however, I’ll be sticking to the norm and reviewing an anime I completed a while back called “Skip Beat.” “Skip Beat” isn’t the type of anime I usually get into;
there is virtually no action and a ton of drama. However, there is also an enormity of comedy I have never seen in an anime before. Kyoko Mogami is a young girl in her teens who is essentially working to pay for her childhood friend Shotaro Fuwa’s living expenses while he works or more accurately performs his way to the top of the pop music charts. Kyoko believes herself in love with Sho, as he is often referred to, but it becomes apparent to her that he has been using her as his personal maid and has no feelings for her whatsoever. This betrayal hurtles Kyoko over the edge and she vows to join the entertainment industry to become more famous than Sho. Kyoko essentially transforms from being a rather typical (of this type of anime called a Shojo) “cutesy” and submissive female character to being a headstrong and powerful protagonist. Her change also results in the appearance of small, ghostly apparitions of herself which show up from time to time to attack anyone Kyoko is angry at, including herself.
These apparitions are imaginary, of course, but add a dimension of comedy and emotion to the anime I found quite refreshing. It wasn’t the same old angry stares or happy chibi faces (though there are plenty of both) that adorn almost all other anime of its type. Skip Beat went for a new approach to showing emotion in addition to the tried and true methods and it has my respect for that There is also a bit of romance involved but Skip Beat the anime series ends before much can come of it. The manga does continue and I’ve read a bit of it but the art style is different from that of the anime and I don’t like it as much. I do, however, highly recommend that all of you watch and read Skip Beat, it is well worth it. Oh, and it may be a good idea to watch it with a few friends, I did and we had a ball.
Upcoming Concerts
My Ticket Home
Chevelle
Tyga
Firehouse 13 Monday, Feb. 27 7 p.m. $8
Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel something really Friday, March 2 cool. 8:30 p.m. $25
This is a Preveiw of
Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Saturday, March 3 7 p.m. $25
Sports
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Individual highs lead gymnastics to highest team score in three years By Shawn Patrickson Anchor Contributor
Anchor File Photos
The Rhode Island College gymnastics team posted their second win this season as they beat Wilson College for the second consecutive week a meet hosted by West Chester University. Several Anchorwomen posted career highs on individual events to contribute to the highest team score in three years, 173.975.The Anchorwomen win sends then to 2-6 in Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference play. Rhode Island College started on one of their strong events, floor, where freshman Jess Mushinsky posted a career high score of 9.275. Mushinsky was elected as the ECAC rookie of the week last week after her all-around performance at the Ithaca College Invitational. “Jess has great form, beautiful tumbling and stuck jumps,” said senior captain Kate Bachelder. “She’s really proved to be a crucial part of the floor line up.” Closely trailing Mushinsky was, Captain Sarah Chrane scoring a 9.250. Chrane is the definition of consistency on the floor even as she anchors the team on floor weekly averaging a 9.243. Also posting big numbers on floor for the Anchorwomen was sophomore Caitlin Elliott and freshman Jamie Krywinski who both recorded scores of 8.650. The Anchorwomen moved on to vault where the underclassman paved the way as the team posted its highest event score of the day with a 45.075. Mushinky, Elliot and Fresh-
Freshman Mary Ocel
has made an impact on the bars
this season with an average score of
8.186.
men Cory Bridges all led the way on the event as they all scored a 9.150. Sophomore Melanie Goes also had a shining moment in the event, posting her career high 8.850. Bridges, Bachelder, and freshman Ashley Ravo were the highlights for Anchorwomen on bars as they recorded their weakest score of the day on the event. Bridges posted just her third best score on the year while Bachelder posted her career high for the event with a solid 8.400. The Anchorwomen put up a 40.725 before rotating to their last event. Rhode Island College finished the day up on beam. The event has not always been a strong point for the Anchorwomen but the team recorded no falls en route to a season high 43.875 on the event. Elliott rocked the line-up as she broke the 9.000 mark on the event for the first time in her career. Chrane and Bachelder followed suite and were close behind with 8.900 and 8.775 respectively. Final results had Rhode Island College with the victory over Wilson College with a 161.525, an ECAC rival but recording a loss to Ursinus College who scored a 187.2. Division-II West Chester University posted the best score of the meet with a 189.15. The team will look to get their third consecutive win over Wilson College as both teams will compete at SUNY Brockport on Sunday, March 4. With both ECAC’s and nationals right around the corner, every tenth counts from here on out.
RIC
freshman
Ocel
Mary Ocel
has a season average of
recorded a score of
8.375
RIC
Sarah Chrane has a 9.243 average on the floor event this season.
senior captain team-high
9.014
in the vault event this season.
on the vault at the
West Chester Invitational.
Sports
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LEC
sports@anchorweb.org
Tahrike Carter opened up the scoring up when from page he poked the ball away from Eastern Connecticut State senior forward Hamilton Levy and raced down the court, slam dunking over Levy to put RIC on the scoreboard. A pair of 3-pointers from RIC sophomore guard Tom DeCiantis and sophomore guard Avery King followed by an acrobatic lay up from senior forward Mason Choice put the Anchormen up by eight points, their largest lead of the night with 12:36 remaining in the first half. The Warriors went to work, slowly chipping away at the Anchormen lead, but it wasn’t until 3:07 left in the first when they took their first lead off of a long distance 3-pointer from senior guard Nick Nedwick. A pair of points from the charity strip would put the Anchormen back up for the final time as the Warriors closed the half with the monster dunk from Kohn, that energized the home-crowd, and never looked back. RIC came out strong to start the second half, but missed a handful of good chances to get themselves back into the game. Eastern Connecticut State shot a lights out 55 percent (12-for-22) from the field in the second half and extended their lead to doubledigits with eleven minutes to go. The Anchormen wouldn’t pull it any closer than 13 in the closing
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CKS I P K QUICQUESTIONS
minutes and were outscored 48-28 in the second half. Foul trouble played a major part in the second half RIC collapse as the Anchormen committed 17 fouls, which led to easy points for the Warriors who converted 21-of-25 attempts from the charity stripe in the second half. “Give Eastern all of the credit,” said Walsh. “They were the better team in every area and answered everything we threw at them in the second half.” The packed house at the Francis E. Geissler Gymnasium on the Eastern Connecticut State campus came alive when Nedwick sank a pair of free throws to become the programs all-time leading scorer with 1,597 points on his career. The noise would cease on the next Anchormen possession after a scary injury occurred. Choice drove hard to the hoop and was flipped over the shoulder of a Warrior defender, landing directly on his thumb. The senior co-captain instantly came up howling in pain and would not take his free throws as he was attended to by medical staff. Choice would return momentarily to the game but was clearly affected by the injury, as he would fail to score for the remainder of the contest. Choice finished with a team-high 21 points. Carter added 14 points and senior center Mike Akinrola, who averaged 18 points per game during the regular season, was held to just 12 points in the loss. Eastern Connecticut State had five players in
O ADAM JACK Editor s Sport
LL BISSE E G R GEO in-Chief r-
Edito
60 82 (22-6)
(22-5)
STARTERS
STARTERS
21 14 12 3 0
Mason Choice Tahrike Carter Mike Akinrola Tom DeCiantis Ethan Gaye
16
Nick Nedwick Chris Robitaille Jamie Kohn Hamilton Levy Joe Ives
15 14 5 3
BENCH
BENCH Michael Palumbo Avery King Steven Roberts Keith Hamilton Jacob Page
4 3 2 1 0
Chae Philips Brian Salzillo Brandon Yarborough Tyler Hundley Justin Nunez
15 11 3 0 0
double figures, Nedwick (16), junior center Chris Robitaille (15), senior guard Chae Phillips (15), Kohn (14) and Salzillo (11) and their incredible depth led to 20 points from their bench, as the Warriors cruised to the easy 22-point win in the second half. Both teams will begin their quest for a national title when the first round of the NCAA Tournament begins on Friday, March 3.
st iter an Chare iter AM ALLEN iter ark s Wr s Wr t t AJ Cl Sports Wr D S r r o o p p S S chor chor chor An
An
An
OVER/UNDER Rachael Riley has 16 points in NCAA first round?
UNDER Coro and Gaudet shine
OVER Lock it up
OVER Drops at least 20
OVER Another MVP performance
UNDER
Does women’s basketball win both thier NCAA first and second round games?
YES 1st NCAA tourney, big wins
YES Don’t see an upset here
YES Momentum
YES I believe that we will win!
YES
OVER/UNDER Men’s team gets an 8th seed in the NCAA tournament
UNDER Would have been over had they won LEC’s
UNDER 10-13 range seems about right
PUSH Their right around there
UNDER Losing by 20 in LEC finals hurts
UNDER
NCAA Tournament: First round who finishes with a higher total? Carter: points or Akinrola: rebounds?
CARTER @________________________
CARTER
CARTER He’ll come to score
CARTER
Needs to play big with Choice hurt
AKINROLA I think he’ll play well
Career Record
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February 27, 2012
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Warriors upset Anchormen in LEC championship With 28 seconds left in the first half, Eastern Connecticut State sophomore guard Brian Salzillo stole the ball from Rhode Island College sophomore guard Michael Palumbo and tossed it By Jack Adamo ahead to senior forward Sport Editor Jamie Kohn, who threw down a one-handed slam dunk to put the Warriors in front. Kohn’s dunk was the key play that swung the momentum fully in the Warriors favor in front of a raucous home crowd, as Eastern Connecticut State ended the Anchormen’s bid for a third-straight Little East Conference title with an 82-60 win. With the victory, Eastern Connecticut State, the LEC regular season champions for the first time in program history, captured their first LEC Tournament title since 2000. The Warriors also secured an auto-
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matic berth into the 2012 NCAA Division III Men’s Basketball Tournament. The Anchormen, who made their sixth-straight in the LEC Tournament championship game appearance, failed to come away with an LEC regular season or tournament title for the first time in six years. The Anchormen will have to rely on an at large bid into the 62-team tournament when the field is announced on Monday, Feb. 27. “We played in our sixth straight league title game this year and on Monday we will receive our sixth straight bid to the NCAA Tournament,” said RIC head coach Bob Walsh. “We now move on to play for a national championship.” Eastern Connecticut State came out with a lot to prove after being downed by RIC in last year’s LEC title match, but it was the Anchormen who jumped out to a quick lead thanks to their stifling defense, which carried them all season long. RIC junior guard
see
LEC page 31
RIC
Tahrike Carter silenced the Eastern Connecticut State crowd with a slam dunk on the game’s opening possession.
junior guard
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Eastern Connecticut State ends RIC’s bid for three straight LEC titles