Week of March 21, 2011
Spring Sports Preview insert inside
Vol. 83, Issue #22
Chafee’s budget proposal increases funding for higher education By Rita Nerney News Editor
Governor Lincoln Chafee recently proposed a $10 million budget increase to higher education. The additional funding, if supported by the General Assembly, would affect the University of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College and the Community College of Rhode Island. “If the legislature accepts the budget, RIC will still face a $4.6 million budget gap, which will necessitate some belt tightening and most likely a modest tuition increase,” said President Nancy Carriuolo. Tuition increases are still unknown at the state colleges,
except for CCRI. Chafee has assured members of the community college that the tuition there will stay the same, since it affects a large number of the state’s students, about 17,800. Tuition at Rhode Island’s state colleges has increased by more than 30 percent since 2008, and it will continue to increase next year at RIC and URI. The State Higher Education Executive Officers Association reported that Rhode Island is ranked lowest in the nation in higher education support. The majority of funding for URI, RIC and CCRI comes from student tuition.
Anchor Photo/Hayden James
Gov. Lincoln Chafee at Rhode Island College for the gubernatorial debate last fall.
See BUDGET Page 5
Parliament creates Student Entertainment Committee By Rita Nerney News Editor
After a controversial debate that spanned multiple meetings, Parliament approved the Student Entertainment Committee and its accompanying policy with little fanfare. The passage means that, beginning next year, committee members will be able to plan an end-ofthe-year entertainment event on campus within a set structure. The Parliament meeting was held on Wednesday, March 9 in Parliament Chambers, Student Union 307. A few changes were made to the agenda before the meeting began. Deputy Speaker Kyla Pecchia announced the next Town
FEMA on campus to help prevent tragedy By Kyle Grant Anchor News Writer
Anchor Photo/David Okon
Pres. Escobar, center,
says he is happy with
Hall meeting is set to take place on March 30 at 7 p.m. in the Student Union Ballroom. Parliament voted to make it mandatory for all Parliament members to attend in order to
SCG’s progress.
reach out to their constituents. Members of the By-Laws/ Adjudication Commission, who ironed out the details of See COMMITTEE Page 6
Hundreds of educators, first responders, police operatives and federal agents packed the Student Union Ballroom for the Rhode Island Higher Education Preparedness Seminar with one major goal: they plan to prevent tragedies like the Virginia Tech shootings of 2007 from happening on Rhode Island campuses. The seminar, a collaboration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency and Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency, illustrated how
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to prevent disasters from occurring on college campuses. All Rhode Island colleges were represented and colleges from as far away as New York travelled to RIC to learn how to prepare for and prevent catastrophes from occurring on campus. The seminar was the first FEMA event to occur at RIC and the first of many major steps RIC is taking to make the campus as safe as possible. President Nancy Carriuolo personally invited FEMA to hold these events at RIC to further her goal in making the See FEMA Page 7
What’s Inside?
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 2
Lifestyles, cont.
News 1
Chafee’s budget proposal allocates funds to higher education
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Brewtownusa.com A sad day for Dogfish Head fans
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FEMA on campus to help prevent tragedy
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Passion for Fashion Fabulous colors to wear this season
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Governor Chafee proposes $10 million for higher education.
President Carriuolo wants to continue to ensure the safety of the campus and students. RI Writing Project conference
The 15th annual spring conference drew the biggest crowd yet, attracting nearly 200 people.
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Parliament passes Student Entertainment Committee
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The Steam Plant
5
16
After causing controversy at previous meetings, the Student Entertainment Committee finally passed with little debate.
Melissa talks about the hottest colors for spring.
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Go to Purgatory
Reasons Chasm.
Yellow Cottage renovations planned for summer
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Tragedy in Japan
Japan struggles to recover from the magnitude 9.0 earthquake the nation suffered more than a week ago.
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Lifestyles
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Ari looks at fixing relationships in this special editon of her advice column.
A&E
The Yellow Cottage will finally be internally renovated thanks to donations.
Rhode Island College goes LIVE with new email system
The Anchor’s technology director previews the features of RIC’s new email system. Redneck RIC Turkey Hunting, part 2
Carmen goes over the best equipment to snag the perfect kill.
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Anchor File Photo
Ask Ari Relationship repair
The steam that rises around campus is a result of the Steam Plant that powers heating and cooling at the college.
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Dogfish Head pulls out of four states.
to
visit
Purgatory
Spring choral concert hits a high note
The first choral concert of the spring semester is a hit, as the highly anticipated “Metropolis” performance did not disappoint.
A&E, cont. 24
Tango with “Rango”
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Artisan Anime “Murder Princess” succeeds the throne
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Rob’s Game Shelf Losing the home field advantage in “Homefront”
Rob’s Album of the Week The Strokes “Angles” lives up to hype
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Anchormen’s late rally falls short in Sweet 16
RIC men’s basketball loses to Amherst College 78-74 in the Sweet 16 round of the Division III NCAA Tournament.
The Anchor learns what the wellknown supergroup has in store for the future.
Mike’s Movies Sherlock Holmes vs. Nazis
Dan reluctantly watches this anime series and is pleasantly surprised.
Sports
Anchor exclusive with super group Middle Brother
Rob reviews the first album the hit garage rock band has released since they returned from hiatus.
A look at the new Johnny Depp animated western.
Rob takes the time to sit down and dig into a recent release, despite not being a big war buff.
Chester Award Concert yet another success
The concert master John Sumerlin and the RIC Symphony Orchestra wow with their March 7 performance.
Campus Climate
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Mike continues his WWII themed month with his look at the classic 1942 propaganda film, “Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror.”
Gauthier named All-American
RIC junior wrestler Brendan Gauthier finished seventh at the Division III Nationals to earn All-American honors. Sports Shorts
The Anchor recaps a busy opening weekend for RIC spring sports.
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Saturday Sunny High 41° Low 26°
Saturday Rain High 41° Low 26°
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Week of March 21, 2011
Page 3
RI Writing Project conference draws 175 By Rita Nerney News Editor
The Rhode Island Writing Project held their annual spring conference to offer students and teachers resources and teaching methods for the classroom. The conference drew a crowd of almost 200 people, despite the timing right before spring break. The conference was held on Saturday, March 12 in Donovan Dining Center. There were over 175 attendees. Registration was $20 for students and $75 for walk-in teachers. Breakfast and lunch were served. “It was our largest RIWP conference ever with over 175 teachers, student-teacher candidates and administrators from Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts,” said Jennifer Cook, director of the RI Writing Project. “Of those 175, 40 of the
participants, both students and professors, were from RIC. 80 of the teachers, students and admins were from Rhode Island.” The conference has been held every year for the past 15 years. It is a chance for teachers and education majors to learn ways to implement literacy learning in their classrooms. “The purpose of the conference,” said Cook, “is to bring together teachers of reading, writing and literacy for a day of educational programming, presented and delivered by teachers and for teachers, to improve the teaching of writing in K-16 education.” The RI Writing Project, sponsor of the event, has been in existence for 25 years. It is associated with the National Writing Project and is focused on improving writing throughout education. Cook has just recently be-
come the director of the project.
“
The purpose of the conference is to bring together teachers of reading, writing and literacy for a day of educational programming...” – Jennifer Cook, director, RI Writing Project “The role works very well with my joint appointment in
English and in educational studies,” said Cook. “I teach writing in the English department, I prepare teachers of English in the school of education. So the Writing Project allows me to extend my work with teachers and my work on the teaching of writing into the schools and into professional development work with classroom teachers.” Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Pitt was in attendance, along with a number of RIC English and education professors. Author Kelly Gallagher was the keynote speaker. He has written “Teaching Adolescent Writers” and “Readicide.” His speech at the conference was entitled “The Importance of Modeling in Building Writers.” Tim Kenney, the technology liaison for the RI Writing Project, blogged during the conference about Gallagher’s
speech. His notes can be found at https://sites.google.com/sit/ riwpinteractive/home/2011spring-conference. “The adolescent writer is the most endangered species of all,” said Gallagher. “seventy percent of all students in grades 4 to 12 are low achieving writers.” “Modeling and conferencing are the only two things that can make kids better writers,” continued Gallagher. Cook emphasized the importance of the RI Writing Project’s motto and its relation to the conference. “Effective teachers possess a complex mix of sociability, valuable craft knowledge and classroom wisdom,” Cook said, “and thus are the best trainers of other teachers.”
News
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 4
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Inside the Steam Plant A journey through RIC’s most mysterious building By Katelyn Hurd Anchor News Writer
Occasionally, steam can be found escaping from underground in certain areas around campus. Passersby may wonder where it is created. It turns out the vapor is actually more important than it may seem. The steam is released from underground piping that is used to heat and cool most of the buildings on campus. It comes from boilers in the Steam Plant, located under and adjacent to Whipple Hall. “We supply all of the steam that is used to heat the buildings and heat the water,” said Ken Deady, chief power plant operator. It is used to air-condition the campus through a process called steam absorption, as well as providing steam for cooking in Donovan Dining Center. All of the buildings on campus from the Murray Center to Whipple Hall, as well as the residence halls, are supplied by the Steam Plant. Buildings on East Campus are supplied with their own heating systems, similar to what would be located in a standard house. The plant itself is 15 to 20 feet underground. Located under Whipple Hall, the plant has been on the campus since it was built in the ‘50s, but it has undergone many renovations since then. The original two boilers, built between 1950 and 1970, are currently slated for demolition, and are set to be removed within the next couple of months. Since they first came online decades ago, three additional boilers were created. Boilers three, four and five are still in use. Boiler three was installed in 1976, but was upgraded and rebuilt in 1997. Boiler four was built in 1969 and was recently renovated in 2005. Both of the boilers are used in conjunction
Anchor Photo/Kelly Beshara-Flynn
during the summer and winter seasons when the demand for steam is heavier to regulate the temperature. They heat in the winter and cool in the summer. During the spring and fall, the campus relies only on boiler five, which was built in 1990, because the workload of the plant is much lighter, saving a lot of energy for the college. Currently the plant is in good condition, but the college is looking for an infrastructure upgrade. “We definitely need to be more efficient,” said Athletic Director Don Tencher, who is overseeing the Steam Plant’s operations, among other duties. The average life expectancy of each boiler is approximately 25 years. Due to the amount of heat and pressure on the boilers, the metal corrodes with time, which is why boilers one and two are no longer in use. “You can change a metal’s property when you apply an amount of heat,” said Deady. Deady also explained how
The inside of the Rhode Island College Steam Plant. the process works. The first then used to heat the buildings humans to think of the idea to during the heating season and heat water and create vapors as cool the buildings during the air an energy source were the early conditioning season by using Greek inventors millennia ago. steam absorbers. The process boils the water, Many other colleges, such changing its state to steam as Brown University and the which expands 16,000 times as University of Rhode Island, use it is released. a similar steam plant. Rhode “It is an impressive physical Island Hospital and Women and change,” said Deady. Infants’ Hospital also receive The steam is produced and power through steam-generated carried to buildings, which is boilers. This process is similar
to that of a real power plant that is used to supply electricity for cities and large residential areas. “We are like our own little power plant,” said Tencher. Deady referred to the plant as looking like something you would see in a horror film. It appears to be a network of pipes accompanied by big boxy boilers with gauges and switches. He said it is a “maze of pipes and valves, insulated and non-insulated. It’s quite the lattice-work.” The plant is constantly monitored by someone to make sure it is working and to respond to it if needed. It is important that someone is there to address issues promptly. “The plant runs 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year,” said Deady. One of the biggest concerns is making sure the boilers do not run out of water, but employees also check for leaks and repair them, grease equipment and change valves. They also check the levels to make sure everything is operating well. The job of the employees makes a huge difference to the campus community, though few people at RIC even know about it. “The students are the spirit of the campus and the power plant is the heart,” said Deady.
Anchor Photo/Kelly Beshara-Flynn
Page 5 News Yellow Cottage renovations to be completed this summer
Week of March 21, 2011
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By Rita Nerney News Editor
There have been a number of renovations going on at Rhode Island College recently and the Yellow Cottage is the next building on the list. The refurbishing should begin May 1 and will be completed by Aug. 1. A few years ago, from 2005 to 2009, the outside of the cottage was remodeled. Funding has been difficult to acquire for the inside, however. The project will cost somewhere between $200,000 and $310,000. “In order to do so, we relied on the generosity of the community,” said President Nancy Carriuolo. “The cottage was originally built by the Gilbane Construction Company. I asked some visitors from Gilbane if they would be willing to solicit donated materials from their contractors and organize volunteers from the network to do the construction work. They agreed to do so.” A Roger Williams Univer-
BUDGET from page
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Since 2007, the funding these colleges receive from the state has decreased by $38 million. Of that $38 million, the Board of Governors for Higher Education had requested that $31 million be restored from the state for the next school year. Chafee’s proposed budget doesn’t go that far, but proposes an appropriation of $154 million to cover operating costs across all three schools. “Student government won’t have to sort of go against the state legislature,” said Student Community Government, Inc. President Travis Escobar regarding the budget proposal. “In the past, it’s been tuition
sity faculty member donated the architectural design for the cottage. “I asked President Ron Champagne of RWU to send us one of their architects to help and he sent us a man who is talented and generous,” said Carriuolo. “Their generosity and the follow-up work by Vice President Salmo, Don Tencher and our facilities division are allowing us to undertake this important work.” The cottage will have some classrooms as well as museum space for the RIC community. “The upstairs will be open office space,” said Carriuolo. “On the first floor there will be a gender-neutral bathroom accessible to persons with handicaps, and a limited-use bathroom will be on the second floor. I have not designated the space for use by any particular classes or faculty.” The Yellow Cottage has been unused for a while. It was originally built in the 19th century and it was used as an orphanage.
rallies to fight against the major cuts we’ve had to deal with.” With a budget increase, RIC and CCRI would be able to hire new faculty. This would help offset the layoffs that have been made over the past few years with massive budget cuts. The proposed budget would open up 65 jobs at CCRI. Carriuolo has said that RIC would hire 17 new academic positions, helping to fill many full-time faculty positions that have been cut or left vacant over the years. The increase in RIC jobs will help to ready the college for accreditation in 2011. The New England Association of Schools and Colleges will visit RIC to assess its performance later this year. “My initial reaction is that this is a good thing for RIC,” said Escobar. “The student body
Anchor Photo/Devin Noll
The Yellow Cottage on the East Campus is expected to have its interior renovated. “Those most likely to benefit are the students and faculty of RIC,” said Vice President for College Advancement Jim Salmo. “It will provide an additional two rooms for small seminars and another classroom. Less obvious will be the children who lived at the orphanage, their family members and the Rhode Island public.” The cottage will be open to the public for outside visitors to
see the history of the structure. “This allows the history of the home to remain alive,” said Salmo. The Rhode Island Historical Preservation and Heritage Commission and Rhode Island’s Congressional delegation have provided funding for the renovations. A donor’s $10,000 gift will fund the outside landscaping. “We are in the process of
Photo Courtesy of turnto10.com
Gov. Lincoln Chaffee address R.I. about his budget plans. should see that our governor is supporting higher education and hopefully he continues his
support in the future.” However, there need to be changes in order to get Rhode
securing the proper licenses and paperwork to begin the construction,” said Salmo. “Our hope is that actual work will begin by May 1 and be completed [by] approximately Aug. 1.” The college plans to have the Yellow Cottage ready for the RIC community by the fall.
Island out of debt. Chafee plans to broaden and readjust the sales tax in the state. He will also make cuts in various state departments. “I don’t like taxes any more than anyone else,” Chafee told the Providence Journal, citing that Rhode Island must find new ways to generate revenue in order to move forward. “Governor Chafee’s budget recommends that the downward trend of state support for the past several years be reversed,” said Carriuolo. “We should be cautiously optimistic.” She continued, “However, we should be grateful that the new governor acknowledges the importance of higher education and is trying to be supportive despite the economic times.”
News
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 6 COMMITTEE from page
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the Student Entertainment Committee proposal, presented their work to Parliament on the committee, which will officially be part of the Student Community Government, Inc. By-Laws when the amendments take effect on June 1. “What we did was, the committee was at eight members,” said Rep. Michael Hartley. “We did not want to expand that because we felt that it had seven voting members, so we didn’t want more.” “We decided to keep it right there at that small contingent,” said Rep. Nicholas Lima. “The committee itself was good, as it was presented as a small, concise group to plan events.” “We didn’t want to make it get so out of hand so that it was run only by Parliament so we decided on only one Parliament seat,” said Hartley. “We made it look a lot more like our other committees,” said Rep. Barry Nickerson. “Basically it looks a lot more uniform.” The committee will have
Anchor File Photo Rep. Mike Hartley was a key supporter of the new committee.
a college staff member, a member of each WXIN, RSA and Programming, a Parliament member and three other non-Parliament members, and will be charged with planning a major concert or entertainment event every spring, with a budget of up to $70,000. After some discussion about the semantics of the new committee, Parliament passed the amendment to create it, a vote which easily achieved the twothirds majority needed. “One of the major responsibilities of the committee is to offer a major entertainment
event at the end of the year at RIC,” said Lima. “The language leaves it open to interpretation for the committee to have some leeway, but not too much.” One friendly amendment was made to the Student Entertainment Committee Policy and that passed as well. The policy is intended to guide the new committee through financial practices, while the By-Laws change spells out the committee’s task and membership. Later, Lima brought up a new resolution to encourage the administration to revise RIC’s general education program in a
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timely fashion. Vice President for Academic Affairs Ron Pitt visited one of his classes and students asked him questions, said Lima. “Dr. Pitt said the general education program hasn’t been substantially renovated in 18 years,” Lima said. “He admitted himself that he was concerned that it had been that long. The college is beginning the process to revamp it, but sometimes faculty can slow it down. I felt that we as a Student Parliament should take a stance on this.” The resolution was approved. Dean of Students Scott Kane updated Parliament on the advancement of the Student Union renovations. “The Student Union Expansion Feasibility Study Committee has been meeting to select an architectural firm that will make recommendations,” he said. “We have made a recommendation to State Purchasing. That process is moving along pretty quickly. I think that in the next few weeks after spring break, that an architectural firm will be selected.” “It will probably be another couple of years anyway before we would even put a shovel in
the ground,” he added. In his closing remarks, SCG President Travis Escobar said, “Our past two meetings have been done within an hour. I don’t want to jinx it, but I’m really, really happy how we’re moving forward.”
SCG Notes The minutes of the March 2 Finance Commission meeting were approved. Harambee President Morganna Mitchell presented a synopsis of the club’s attendance at the National Black Student Leadership Conference. The constitution for the Engaging Visual Arts Collaborative was presented by SCG Secretary Amanda Berno and approved. The STORGY Awards budget passed Parliament with unanimous consent and passed the Finance Commission earlier in the day.
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FEMA from page
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campus a safe environment. The major focus of the seminar was to prepare colleges on how to prevent violent acts before they occur. After the 2007 Virginia Tech shootings, where student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and injured 29 more, colleges across the nation are doing all they can to make sure violence on that scale never happens again. The seminar was kicked off by Gene Deisinger, deputy chief of police and director of threat management services at Virginia Tech. A licensed psychologist, Deisinger lectured on behavioral threat assessment and how higher education institutions such as RIC can use threat assessment to stop violent atrocities before they can form. He said that campus attacks are not impulsive. Over 75 percent of attackers consider, plan and prepare before engaging in violent behavior and over 75 percent also discuss plans with others before the attack. These facts are vital in showing that violent acts can be prevented. Deisinger also said that a subject’s behavior is the telling sign of whether or not campus authorities should be concerned. “There is no unique profile of the campus attacker,” said Deisinger, “but most have concerned others with troubling behavior before attacks and most are suicidal or at a point of desperation prior to attacks.” Deisinger continued to explain that violence is a dynamic process. There is a progression between the idea of violence and the implementation of violence, and the evolution can take weeks, months or even years to form into a violent attack, giving opportunities for the progression to be observed and properly handled. FBI Special Agent Gary Coffey discussed active shooter incidents. Coffey took the basic points discussed by Deisinger and applied them to recent shooters, such as Seung-Hui Cho or the Columbine shooters.
Coffey said that attacks are almost never spontaneous and often mental health issues are reported in victims. According to Coffey, the goal of higher education officials is to piece information together based on irrational behavior by individuals. “Let’s say a student draws a picture or writes a poem about killing someone,” said Coffey. “It may be disturbing, but on its own it doesn’t mean much. Now, say that same student has also been reported to be acquiring weapons or building explosives in their backyard, now you have a serious potential threat.” Coffey explained that officials should not use profiles, but rather should look for changes in behavior to indicate a problem. If a student who is normally well-behaved begins to act irritably, or a student who normally does well in classes begins doing poorly, there might be an issue forming. It is important to deal with potential offenders correctly. For example, when Jared Loughner began to show disturbing behavior at Pima Community College, all the college did was expel Loughner, telling him he was not allowed back unless he sought medical help. A few months later, Loughner killed six people and wounded 13 others in the Tucson, Ariz., tragedy. “One thing that needs to be understood is that these students are often suicidal or in a very desperate position,” said Coffey. “While we may see a million other options available besides committing murder, these people feel like they have no other alternatives.” Coffey then showed a clip of Seung-Hui Cho recorded moments before the Virgina Tech shooting. The shooter told the world, “You had a million chances to avoid today, but you chose not to. You backed me into a corner, now I have no other choice.” “Who is the ‘you’ he is talking about?” said Coffey. “What were the million chances? There was so much that could have been done to avoid that day but in his mental state Hui
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Week of March 21, 2011
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could not see them.” Michael Mulhare, the director of the Office of Emergency Management at Virginia Tech, discussed the advancements made in campus safety, such as the Emergency Networking System (ENS). The purpose of ENS is to contact students and the community about alerts in the quickest, most effective way possible. Using emails, voice messages, websites and text messages, ENS makes it possible for campus authorities to contact and direct students and faculty on what sort of emergency is occurring and how to act. After the Virgina Tech shootings, RIC established campus-wide emergency email and text message response systems to alert people on campus of critical information. Regarding the seminar, “I felt that it was excellent and provided really good information on how to prevent tragedy,” said Carriuolo. “I’m very proud of how the seminar went,” said seminar director and FEMA member Robert Pesapane. “Over 100 attendees came from the federal, state and local level and from all sorts of occupations to help prevent crises from occurring.”
FEMA director William Craig Fugate. The seminar, the first why we’re here.” FEMA-orchestrated event on Carriuolo first contacted campus, was the first of three FEMA to hold the seminar at FEMA events set to occur RIC after a region-wide seminar in the coming months. At a was held in Boston. yet-undisclosed date, RIC au“Safety has been a major thorities, alongside with FEMA theme of my presidency,” she and RIEMA, will begin a “table said, “and with 90 percent of top” exercise. The purpose of RIC students being Rhode this exercise is to use a model Island-raised I feel that I hold version of RIC to determine the a responsibility not only to RIC best way to act in response to a but to the local communities in hazardous situation. keeping Rhode Island campuses The third event will occur safe and prepared.” in June and will be a full-scale Since being elected, Carsituational scenario involving riuolo has made safety a top the entire campus. Using what priority at RIC. Using leftover was learned in the seminar and funds from her inauguration, what plans were developed at Carriuolo increased the number the table-top stage, the scenario of emergency blue-light phones will be the ultimate test to see from East Campus to the how RIC would react in a residence halls, each with direct hostage or shooting situation. A contact to Campus Police. panel will review how campus Carriuolo also introduced the officials treated the scenario RICAlert emergency message and the results will create a final service to the campus. plan for how RIC officials and According to the Daily faculty can prepare for a crisis Beast, RIC is ranked second in situation. safety in New England and 34th “The main goal is to make in the nation among college and practice a plan against campuses. catastrophe,” said RIEMA’s “We did not request FEMA Raymond Laprad. “RIC has the because I didn’t feel the campus Campus Police and an active was safe,” said Carriuolo. “We relationship with community want to make sure that the police forces, but needs an campus continues to stay safe.” infrastructure to be prepared when things get bad, which is
The Anchor
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 8
The end of a dynasty?
The Anchor Editor-in-Chief Kameron Spaulding editorinchief@anchorweb.org
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Good things happen to good people. That’s not what you hear every day, is it? But anyone that watched Coach Bob Walsh lead Rhode Island College over Oswego State and back to the Sweet 16, for the third time in five years, knows exactly what we mean. Walsh is great at giving all the credit away. “Darius [Debnam] and Antone [Gray] became the only players ever to wear a RIC uniform to play in 4 NCAA Tournaments. Simply put, they built a dynasty at Rhode Island College,” he said. But you can’t look at what has happened here
in the last few years without noticing how important Coach Walsh is to the program and this campus. Let’s not forget to mention that the reign of RIC basketball is far from over. Even after this great senior class moves on, stars like Mike Akinrola and Mason Choice look ready to lead the Anchormen to another deep run next season. Walsh and the Anchormen never seem to rebuild; every year they just reload. They give this campus a rallying point every winter and something we can all cheer for. Want another cliché? Hard work pays off.
That is something anyone that plays for Coach Walsh has learned – it’s something he ingrains in his athletes. However, this is the part that’s going to hurt to read, Anchormen: We really hope it pays off for Walsh this spring. A few weeks ago, The Anchor ran a story about how good Walsh really is and it looks like we are not alone in holding him in such high regard. Last year, both Dartmouth College and St. Francis came asking about Walsh when their head coaching jobs opened up. This year, Monmouth and Colgate have both been rumored to be interested. Who
knows if Walsh will finally get rewarded for his hard work, but after all he has given RIC, it’s hard to be selfish, so we hope he does. Either way, one thing is for sure. Next season, we will all be back in the Murray Center. We’ll be back to cheer on our Anchormen, the best team a college could ask for – built by the best coach RIC could have ever had the chance to hire.
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Letters to the Editor
Same-sex couples are being discriminated against in Rhode Island As a group of concerned social work graduate students, myself and my colleagues are acutely aware that oppression is still alive in 2011. The problem, at its core, is that basic civil rights are being denied to the LGBT population in Rhode Island. Currently, all other New England states legally support committed same sex relationships. Rhode Island does not support marriage equality, however. Due to this fact, Rhode Island is promoting state-sanctioned discrimination. At present, Rhode Island law is targeting minority groups who have already experienced a history of discrimination. During the 1960s civil liberties were granted to racial minorities, yet somehow the LGBT community was overlooked. They
are still struggling to obtain the same rights that the heterosexual community currently takes for granted. There are at least 1,138 federal benefits gay and lesbian couples aren’t able to access as a result of the prohibition of gay marriage. Gay and lesbian couples who have been unable to legally marry may find themselves with large financial burdens, as they are unable to claim social security, benefits, inherit property without a will, or even make medical decisions on behalf of their partner. There are many people who believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman. I wonder if these same people know a friend’s child, a coworker’s sibling, a distant cousin that has dealt with the injustice previously discussed. Often,
once there is a personal connection, one can begin to empathize with another human being’s struggle. Can you imagine living a life where you cannot disclose your true identity? Living in constant fear of discrimination, harassment, persecution and ridicule is something that the majority of people don’t have to think about. If you were unable to make important life decisions with your spouse, what would you do? How would you feel if you were treated as a second class citizen?
Week of March 21, 2011
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Classifieds Reliable Sitter Needed to care for 18 months-old child in my home. 20-30 hrs. per week, schedule will vary. Off Sundays. MUST be willing to work flexible schedule. $550/week depending on hours worked. If interested, please email chelseabrownish@gmail.com.
Receptionist/Personal assistant Part Time; This position is an entry level receptionist offer. Responsibilities include, directing calls, taking message, preparing reports, taking errands and more of admin duties. Earn $50 per hour/3hours daily. Email resume to Bradcoley123@hotmail.com.
Kelly Sheehan
The author is a student in the MSW program.
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. E-mail letters to: editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Customer Service Rep. Must have experience learning and knowing various products Be able to work 30-40 hours per week Must have Microsoft word, excel, and good date entry skills Strong written and verbal communication skills Pay range: $2000-$3000 Monthly. For more information reply to this ad with you attached resume for consideration, email me at needajob252@gmail.com if interested.
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Week of March 21, 2011
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Comics
Week of March 21, 2011
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Week of March 21, 2011
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Follow The Anchor on Twitter News @anchornews Sports @anchor_sports Lifestyles @anchorrilife SU ES CC S.
P . INS IVE DR
RIC
Job & Internship Fair
. WORK . PRO IRATION F E S S IO N AL IS
Wednesday, March 30, 2011 S.U. Ballroom
M
.P R
. ION AT
11:30am – 2:00pm
AR EP
Arts and Entertainment @anchorriarts
. PR ID E.
All STUDENTS OF ALL MAJORS WELCOME! Meet with employers to discuss job and internship opportunities. Industries include: * Business * Human Services
* Education * Not for Profits
* Healthcare * Financial Services
A list of attending employers and their anticipated vacancies is available on Destinations. Pre-registration on Destinations is encouraged! Go to www.ric.edu/careerdevelopment and click on Destinations. Suit Up In Professional Attire!
Wear a suit or business coordinates and your nametag.
Show Up Prepared!
Bring copies of your resume to guide your discussions. Research participating organizations in advance. Schedule an appointment with a Career Development Center advisor (401.456.8031) to map out your job fair strategy.
Lifestyles
lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 13
Rhode Island College goes LIVE with new email system By Aaron Buckley Anchor Editor
On March 21, Rhode Island College launched a brand-new email system and communication platform for RIC students. This new online experience, dubbed Live@RIC, marked the replacement of the college’s aging webmail interface with Microsoft’s Live@EDU solution. Student emails have been changed from “astudent_1234@ric.edu” to “astudent_1234@email.ric.edu.” Live@EDU brings a host of new services and tools to the student body – especially email. Until this week, students have used a webmail interface (accessed via opening a web browser to http://webmail.ric. edu) that gave them a 100 MB inbox and required students to sign in via the Internet Explorer browser for the full experience. Students also needed to preface their log on credentials with “ric-acad/,” which generated some confusion for students both new and veteran to the interface. Live@RIC gives each student a massive 10 GB inbox and students will be able to keep their new email address
Anchor Graphics/ Casey Gaul
The new LIVE@RIC email system. even after graduation. Now students may access their new email by navigating to http://live.ric.edu. A pop-up window will appear asking for credentials; students now simply need to type their username and password and they will be signed in. This is similar
Anchor Graphics/Casey Gaul
to logging into RIConnect, or onto a computer lab machine. It no longer requires typing ric-acad before the user name and it works in all modern web browsers, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox and Apple Safari. Some of the other benefits expand the accessibility of the college’s web platform. Mac OSX users, long left out of the old webmail due to being forced into using Outlook Lite, now have the same exact experience as their Windowsusing peers. Live@RIC also works seamlessly with smartphones since it uses the latest version of Microsoft Exchange. Students who have an iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Android or Palm device can add an Exchange account to their phones and input their Live@RIC credentials to sync their email, contacts and calendars. Students who have Microsoft Office Outlook installed on
their computers can also connect their Live@RIC accounts to Outlook, providing the same professional functionality that the college faculty and staff now enjoy on their office machines. Live@RIC features a cloud-based version of Office called Office Live, which allows students to open versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and OneNote within their web browser of choice, without the need to have Microsoft Office installed on the computer. Tying into Office Live, students are now given 25 GB of free online storage called a Windows Live SkyDrive. Any files can be stored on SkyDrive and if students save their documents to their SkyDrive, they are accessible from any computer they log into Live@RIC from and can be viewed and edited right within the browser. Instead of students needing to remember to save their paper for class on a USB Flash drive, they can simply save it to their SkyDrive and have constant
access. There are other, less academic benefits to Live@RIC. Every RIC student’s email address is now a Windows Live ID, which means that it can be used to sign into Xbox Live, Zune, Bing, Windows Phone 7 or many other Microsoft properties. A Windows Live ID also enables the student to create a Wordpress blog with their college email for personal use, or for creating an online portfolio. User Support Services has put together a detailed FAQ and toolkit for students to use, which can be found at http:// www.ric.edu/technology/liveatric.php. In addition, students can call the USS Help Desk at 401-456-8803 with any questions and issues about Live@ RIC. – Aaron Buckley is The Anchor’s technology director and a troubleshooter at User Support Services.
Lifestyles
Week of March 21, 2011
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lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Your answers in 30 words or less: Relationship repairs the breaking up. How do I get her back without seeming like a complete ***hole? - Jack, RIC Sophomore
By Arielle Rogers Ask Ari
Dear Ari, My boyfriend and I had a giant fight about a week ago and the tension has yet to leave. I want to tell him something via your column, so he knows how much I care for him. “Dave, I love you so much! You are the most amazing person and I truly love you with all my being!” Thanks! -Sarah, RIC Junior
Dear Jack, You are seriously going to have to work like a dog to get her back. Don’t expect her to automatically take you back after you dumped her. Good luck, though. Dear Ari, I’m Puerto Rican and my girlfriend is white. I’ve never been with someone of different race. Is it much different than dating someone of the same? -Jessica, RIC Freshman
Dear Sarah, This is incredibly sweet. Thanks for using the column to get your love across! It makes me “awwww” for you both!
him stop? - Ben, RIC Freshman
Dear Ari, My boyfriend thinks that buying me things or random food will smooth things over when we bicker . . . which is constantly! How do I make
Dear Ben, The most common answer ever . . . TALK TO HIM! You both need to tackle your problems, rather than just put them to the wayside.
Photo courtesy ofgizmofusion.com
Dear Ari, I think my girlfriend is cheating on me. How do I confront her without making a huge thing of it? - Richard RIC Sophomore Dear Richard, Since becoming a guest on Maury isn’t for you, admit that
you’re worried. Seeing your honesty might trigger hers. Knowing how to handle the worst will definitely come in handy. Dear Ari, I recently broke up with my girlfriend of 2 years. I desperately want her back but I did
Dear Jessica, Culturally yes. There will be differences between you both, but they should be celebrated rather than divisive. Other than that, no; as long as you are yourselves everything will be awesome.
Special Question of the Week Dear Ari, My boyfriend plays video games nonstop! It is really causing a major problem in our relationship. He would rather play XBOX than spend quality time with me. What should I do? -Marie, RIC Junior Dear Marie, Dump him! . . . No, just kidding. As much as I despise video games your relationship is still salvable. I assume you have tried talking to him but trying again doesn’t hurt. If he is hesitant or straight out doesn’t care about what you have to say, then the problem isn’t his video game playing, it’s his general lack of respect for you. Maybe ignoring him for a bit will give him a taste of his own medicine. If he needs you for something or wants to hang, just respectively decline and hopefully he will feel the ignorance. Give it time and he might just cut back his gaming hours and add on some girlfriend hours. Hope all works out!
Send all of your questions and problems to lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Lifestyles
lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Week of March 21, 2011
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Turkey hunting A guide to equipment By Carmen Vignoli Redneck RIC
Now that the basics for turkey have been covered, let’s go into detail about the right type of ammo, the right number shot and the right gauge for the job. While there are many different brands of shotguns out on the market, to pick the right one you need to actually hold it and see how it fits for you. One of the more popular models of shotguns is the Remington 870, a very well made shotgun, albeit extremely heavy. The Mossberg 500, another wellmade shotgun, tends to be light and something that will be more
comfortable when you hunt. Now that you have figured out what brand you want to hunt with, choosing the right gauge should be your next step. The two most popular gauges for turkey hunting are 12 or 20. If you have the opportunity to shoot either a 20 or a 12 gauge, you should do so. Only then are you going to be able to make the honest opinion of which you prefer. I shoot a Mossberg 500, chambered with a 12 gauge and I swear up and down by this gun. Another factor in choosing what shotgun will best suit you is whether it has camouflage or not. Having a camouflage pattern on your gun will make that little difference in your hunt that will go a long way. Any sudden movements quickly alarm tur-
keys or any flash of light, this will be your main concern. When choosing the right ammo, you want to look at the shot size, or the size of the pellet in your shell. It refers to the diameter of the cluster of pellets coming out of your shell. Most hunters won’t shoot a bird more than forty yards away. So the best shot sizes to use are four, five and six. Whenever you are trying ammo out for the first time, make sure you pattern the way the pellets hit a target and that you are more than comfortable with the way it fires. The last thing to remember when shooting at a turkey, make sure that you hit your turkey in the neck area; this causes no pellets to land in the body area and results in a clean kill. Photo courtesy of turkeyandturkeyhunting.com
The Abbey presents:
Sad day for Dogfish Head lovers By Mike Simeone Brewtownusa.com
If you haven’t been informed already, I’m sorry I have to be the one to break the news. Announced Friday, March 11 in a blog post on Dogfish Head’s website, Dogfish Head Brewery will be pulling distribution to Tennessee, Indiana, Wisconsin and Rhode Island. If you are like me and live in one of these states I understand what you are going through; crying, yelling and throwing hissy fits like a 5-year-old are some of the things I personally did. I understand I can drive five minutes up the road to Massa-
Photo courtesy of lifeshouldbelived.piles.wordpress.com
chusetts and still purchase the off-centered ales. However, a piece of me has died knowing I won’t be able to sit down at The Abbey and enjoy one with an even more off-centered crowed. In the blog post godsend founder and creator of Dogfish Head Brewery, Sam Calagione
writes, “The most taxing component of this challenge is that having demand so far in front of our supply has gotten [to] a point where we need to make some changes, as we are not even close to meeting the requests from our fantastic See DOGFISH Page 14
Fabulous colors to wear this spring By Melissa Benevides Passion for Fashion
Spring has arrived and you know what that means. It’s time to pack away those winter clothes and update your wardrobe for the new season. Here are the hottest colors you will see this spring. Pink and baby pink: These colors are both sweet and girly. It works as a great base color for many different looks. You could pair a pink top with an orange or yellow tank; layering always enhances an outfit or keep your look classic by wearing it with khakis or denim. Coral: This is one of my favorite colors to wear this spring. This color can be worn
with almost any skin tone. It looks gorgeous and can be worn any way: bikinis, sundress, jewelry, wristlet, tanks or tees. This color will be a big hit, so invest in a few pieces this season. Mustard yellow: This color can brighten up any look. It looks great paired with eggplant purple. Yellow hues are a trickier shade to wear, so if you decide that this color is for you then look for it in a dress, clutch, skirt, flats or even a basic top. Blues: Whether its turquoise or regatta blue, these are two beautiful shades to wear this spring. Pair it with white and you will have the ultimate springtime look. Look for this color in a top, bag, bracelets, sandals, skirt or a dress. Lavender: If you want a less bright color for your See SPRING Page 14
TRAGEDY IN
Get more infor
US Environmental Protec http://www.epa.gov/rpdweb
JAPAN Devin Noll Anchor Staff Writer
An earthquake with a magnitude of 9.0 hit near the eastern coast of Honshu, Japan, on Friday, March 11, according to the United States Geological Survey. The quake caused a massive tsunami reaching heights of at least 30 feet and caused billions of dollars worth of damage, leaving thousands of people missing or dead. The tsunami struck Japan’s eastern coast about 30 minutes to an hour after the first earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey states that there have been at least 30 aftershocks with an average magnitude of 6.0, with more still hitting at the time of reporting, since the initial 9.0 quake. The quake was originally thought to be an 8.9, but has since been upgraded to a 9.0, making it one of the most powerful earthquakes in the last century. Ross Stein of the U.S. Geological Survey said on NPR, “Magnitude 9.0 earthquakes are very rare. And unlike California and the Pacific Northwest coast, they have a long history. So there’s 400 years of earthquake records. Offshore the Tohoku area, where this earthquake struck, there’s nothing like this in the record.” He went on to explain that it was the tsunami, not the earthquake, which caused most of the damage. Any earthquake where the Pacific plate shoves itself underneath the island of Honshu, Japan, causes the sea floor to move up and down, both rapidly and permanently, and excites the tsunami wave, he said. The combination of the earthquake, aftershocks and tsunami has caused the death count to climb dramatically. The Washington Post reported the death toll to be over 8,000 people with more than 12,000 people missing as of March 20. In what is being called by the Japanese government “the worst disaster in Japan since World War II,” the Fukushima I Nuclear Power Plant, with six reactors, has been gravely affected by the tsunami.
The reactors were built to shut down in case of an earthquake, but the 30-foot tsunami caused the shut down generators to fail. Just under seven hours later, the Japanese government declared a state of emergency at the plant. In order to help relieve the pressure in the reactors, the Japanese government opted to vent some radioactive steam. An area of 20 kilometers was evacuated in order to protect the citizens of the area. Since that time, there have been several hydrogen explosions at some of the reactors and questions have arisen as to just how the Japanese government, with the aid of other governments, plan to cool the radioactivity down. The government tried using salt water from the ocean to rapidly cool the radioactive cores down. This action was a last resort, because the salt will eat away at the plant, making it unusable in the future. It has yet to show any positive result. As of March 21, smoke started to pour out of reactor units two and three. It is unknown what caused the smoke and is under investigation, but Gary Was, a professor in nuclear engineering, said that it is very possible that there is radiation attached to the smoke as, in the past, any smoke has been a signal of the control rods not cooling correctly. The Japanese government, with the help of the United States military, has been hard at work trying to cool the reactors down, rescue those who were trapped due to the tsunami and rebuild the nation of Japan. Governor Yuhei Sato of Fukushima said to the citizens of Fukushima, “Don’t give up. We know you are suffering.”
1
US Geological Survey http://www.usgs.gov/news
How Stuff Works http://science.howstuffwork power.htm
NPR http://www.npr.org/sections
The Christian Science Mo http://www.csmonitor.com/
2
The Telegraph http://www.telegraph.co.uk
3
BBC http://www.bbc.co.uk/
4
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MONDAY, MARCH 14
After additional explosions and malfunctions in Reactor 3 and 2, respectively, which cause more radiation to be released, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano says, "Now we are
talking about levels that can damage human health." 3
TUESDAY, MARCH 15
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Feature design by Casey Gaul
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as of Monday, March 21 4
Week of March 21, 2011
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DOGFISH from page
13
distributors.” It seems that Calagione is happy with where the brewery is right now and doesn’t want to grow any further. He writes that in order to meet the demand that the consumers are asking for would mean the company needs more money and would have to grow enormously. Something he just isn’t willing to do. Calagione and the rest of the Dogfish Head crew get the message, as their Facebook, Twitter, website forums and inboxes have been riddled with messages of, “ Please send more Dogfish Head,”
SPRING from page
13
wardrobe this season, then this is the color for you. It can be worn many ways like a dress, blouse, scarf, pumps or even eye shadow. White: You will see a lot of this color this season. This is a classic color that can be worn with anything. Eyelets and crocheted tops are the new thing this spring. You could wear white in a cute top and
Lifestyles Go to Purgatory
lifestyles@anchorweb.org
or “When will Dogfish Head be coming to my state?” Dogfish Head stands by their philosophy on balancing growth versus the health of the company. Calagione writes he wants Dogfish Head to grow smart and strong, instead of at a rapid pace and become just a 60 minute brewing company. In order to keep experimenting and pushing the envelope on craft brews, this necessary evil must be taken. For those of us who love Dogfish Head, we are sad to see it leave, but understand that to retain the quality and off-centeredness we have grown to love, there seems to be no other option. Fair well my love, hope to drink you soon. pair it with other great colors for spring. Also white can be worn as a dress, skirt, shoes, shorts or capris. Other colors that are wonderful to add to your wardrobe this spring are magenta, chartreuse and scarlet red. These are great colors to wear as tanks or to accessorize with. They can add a pop of color to any look. So when you go shopping this season, look for these fabulous hues to add some color to your new wardrobe.
By Christine LaChance Anchor Contributor
At long last, spring has come. This season means warm weather, plenty of sunshine and a great chance to get outside and work off those winter blues. If you are in the mood to get outside and enjoy nature, check out Purgatory Chasm. Purgatory Chasm, a state reservation located just off of exit 6 on 146 in Sutton, Mass., has two miles worth of trails through the woods and around the chasm. Activities include picnicking, rock climbing, hiking and much more. There’s even a playground for the kids. Purgatory Chasm, famous for its Loop Trail, goes through the rocky chasm. Taking this trail will bring visitors to the famous landmarks of the reservation such as Lover’s Leap, a tall rock face, Devil’s Coffin, a small cave visitors can climb into, Fat Man’s Misery, a short narrow trail between two large rock faces and many others. If you feel brave, veering off the trail will take visitors to the river running through the reservation. Visitors are encouraged to
Photo courtesy of mass.gov
wear sturdy shoes and to never hike alone. Also, be aware of other hikers and make sure to study the map at the entrance to the chasm before beginning any hike. A map of the reservation’s trails can be found at http:// www.mass.info/images/parks/ purgatory_chasm_state_reservation_trail_map.gif. Purgatory Chasm is open from the spring through the fall, sunrise to sunset and closes during the winter due to potentially hazardous condi-
tions. However, snow and ice have been seen around the reservation well into the summer months. The start of spring is a great time to go and see the remnants of this past winter. Icicles hang like chandeliers off of rocks and snow frames them like a picture frame. The entire reservation is like a masterpiece out of Mother Nature’s sketchbook. After a winter of hell, Purgatory Chasm will feel like heaven.
Week of March 21, 2011
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RIC Events Narragansett Brass Quintet
March 23 Sapinsley Hall 1 p.m. See RIC box office for ticketing info The Narragansett Brass Quintet takes the Sapinsley Hall stage for a free period performance. The event is part of the Wednesday Chamber Music Series. Don’t miss out on this classical performance while you’re sitting around waiting for your next class on Wednesday.
“So you want to be a dance major in college?” March 24 and 25 Roberts Hall Auditorium 7:30 p.m.
The competition begins for RIC’s dance majors looking to win a one year full scholarship. Celebrity guest judge Mandy Moore from the television show “So you think you can dance” comes to RIC to judge the scholarship hopefuls. Sadly it is too late to apply for this competition. Best of luck to all those who are competing.
Muir String Quartet with guest Lucy Shelton March 28 Sapinsley Hall 7:30 p.m. See RIC box office for ticketing info
The Muir String quartet returns again to RIC after the Valentine’s Day performance as part of the Performing Arts Series. Their last performance was well received by campus critics and this upcoming show is not to be missed, with the addition of special guest soprano singer Lucy Shelton.
Arts & Entertainment
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Spring choral concert hits a high note By Timothy Hordern Anchor A&E Writer
With the last of the snow finally melting away and the warm air of spring beginning to win out against the winter cold, RIC needed a concert to help ring in the change of the season. The first choral concert of the semester, that took place on Friday, March 11, was happy to deliver. The event, hosted in Sapinsley Hall, drew a full house. There also seemed to be an air of excitement surrounding this concert. Word had gotten out that the RIC Chorus was going to sing to the movie “Metropolis,” a silent film from 1927 directed by Fritz Lang.
The RIC Women’s Chorus started the night off perfectly. The performance was spot on. The vocals were pleasantly matched by the piano and the balance throughout was great. The two pieces that stuck out in the performance were “The Baby’s Dance” by Ann Taylor and “Heart, We Will Forget Him” by Emily Dickinson. The way the songs came across was memorable. They were powerful yet soft. I almost imagined that the way they sang the songs were the actual feelings of the author. Next up was the group “Will Sing for Food” and they chose to sing a Michael Jackson medley. I have to say that their performance
Courtesy of What’s News
really wowed me. Although I’m not a huge Michael Jackson fan, the group hit this one out of the park. The vocals were stellar, the beats made by the backing voices were spot on and everything was clear and entertaining. I would happily see these guys again. I was very
Chester Award Concert yet another success By Arielle Rogers Anchor A&E Writer
The hustle and bustle of an anxious audience came to a quiet halt when concertmaster John Sumerlin walked onto the stage. In professional concert attire, he initiated the tuning process of all the instruments, preparing them for their conductor’s lead. A lead that would allow the audience to experience an extraordinary musical passage, one that the Rhode Island College Symphony Orchestra truly delivered on. On Monday, March 7 the Roberts Hall auditorium hosted the 16th annual Samuel and Esther Chester Performance Award Concert. The Chesters, in a concerted effort to aid young talent from New England, have generously given the Rhode Island College Foundation a sum of $50,000 to establish this award concert. Because of their donation, one concert a year is completely paid for and free to the public. The program consisted of
works more intimately known within the classical music spectrum. No works by Mozart or Beethoven, but Arvo Part and Jean Sibelius. Conducted by RIC’s own Dr. Edward Markward, the program began with “Festina lente,” composed
Courtesy of What’s News
impressed. The third performance of the night was “The Perfect Fourths.” With this group, I found my first real qualm of the night. Even though the singing was powerful and the tone was good, I do not think See SPRING Page 24
Anchor exclusive with super group Middle Brother
by Arvo Part. The orchestra created beautiful sounds, keeping the “Festina” distinguished and emotionally moving. Dark, suspenseful and mysterious were only some of the adjectives that came to mind. Last on the program was a composition entitled “Symphony No. 2 in D major, Opus 43” by Jean Sibelius. This piece being in four movements has no actual reason for its compositional beauty; since its world premiere in 1902, it has received a range of ideas from reviewers of what the piece is actually about. Between the genuine musicality written into the piece and the suave beauty the orchestra added, the Sibelius was a success. I interpreted it as a forbidden love story, music that is fit for a sad romantic film. The ever so professional Markward allowed for a drama-elaborate performance, especially when it came to the dark perfection of the low string sections. The highlight of the
On March 4 I saw one of the best live concerts I’ve ever seen in person. Crowd going crazy, awesome tunes, special guest performances, watching a drunk girl hit on a friend of a friend after I turned her down and the encore ending with everyone that played going back on stage rocking like there was no tomorrow. The show was Middle Brother, an indie alt-country super group consisting of Matt Vasquez of San Diego rock n’ roll band Delta Spirit, Taylor Goldsmith from Los Angeles band Dawes and Providence’s favorite son, John McCauley, who you might know from his band that’s been selling out shows in Rhode Island and nationwide, Deer Tick. In fact,
See AWARDS Page 27
See MIDDLE Page 27
By Rob Duguay Anchor Columnist
arts@anchorweb.org
Arts & Entertainment
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 21
The Strokes “Angles” lives up to hype By Rob Duguay Rob’s Album of the Week
After a five year hiatus that saw a flurry of solo albums, side projects and collaborations from all the members of one of the best bands to come out of New York City in the past decade, The Strokes released their long-awaited fourth studio album, “Angles.” One of the pioneering bands of the garage rock revival during the early 2000’s, The Strokes have gained fame all around the world with their sold out shows, stunning music videos and awesome albums that have left their mark on what’s expected from music brewing in The Big Apple these days. Iconic lead singer and lyricist Julian Casablancas put out a new wave-inspired solo album in 2009 called “Phrazes for the Young” while The Strokes went on hiatus. Bassist Nikolai Fraiture actually wrote a song about Providence in his side project, Nickel Eye’s debut album, “The Time of Assassins,” the same year. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti spent his hiatus starting up two bands with two great musi-
cians, Little Joy with Rodrigo Amrante of Brazilian indie rock band Los Hermanos and Megapuss with Argentinean anti-folk superstar Devendra Banhart. Guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. put out two solo records, “Yours to Keep” in 2006 and “Como Te Llama?” in 2008, while guitarist Nick Valensi collaborated with Regina Spektor, Devendra Banhart and Sia on their respective albums. “Angles” shows an excellent combination of the band’s garage, indie and punk rock roots with a new wavy rhythm that reminds me of Casablancas’ solo album, proving how much the band has grown since pleasing the masses with their hit single “Last Nite” back in 2001. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Hammond explains the purpose of the album title by saying, “It’s what the record sounds like. It comes from five different people,” and that is definitely the perfect way to describe the sound of “Angles.” No particular member of the band is dominating the songs, everything is in rhythm and groove, it has the feel of a demo you just got from the band rocking in the lead singer’s parent’s garage down the street from your house. Synth beats that
Courtesy of newsfall.com
exemplify new wave bands like A Flock of Seagulls, New Order and Kraftwerk are present in every song on the album, which mixes well with the raw guitar sounds provided by Hammond and Valensi. My favorite songs off of “Angles” are “Metabolism,” “Gratisfaction,” “Life Is Simple in the Moonlight,” “Two Kinds of Happiness” and, the single off the album, “Under Cover of Darkness,” but every song
is guaranteed to make you play it numerous times. The Strokes are supposed to be going on a world tour later this year to help promote the new album, but only a few dates have been announced, including a performance in The Big Apple at Madison Square Garden on April 17, at The New Orleans Jazz Festival on May 7 and at Bonnaroo in Manchester, Tenn., during June 9-12. Hopefully The Strokes will
someday grace New England again with their awesome music, but only time will tell. Until then head to your local record store or online at your friendly neighborhood legal music download website and grab a copy of “Angles,” it’s a purchase you don’t want to pass up.
Album Quick Picks Rise Against “End Game”
Interscope Records
The highly anticipated sixth studio album from Rise Against hit store Courtesy of freecodesource.com shelves on March 15. “End Game” has been received well critically since its release and the album is described as being just as politically driven as the band’s previous albums.
Duran Duran “All You Need is Now” EMI Records
The iconic pop group returns with their thirteenth studio album. The Courtesy of sceper.eu group, who has continued to record and tour since their formation in 1978, has made airwaves with the upcoming release that is due out on March 22.
Yellowcard “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes” Hopeless Records
The seventh studio album from the well-known alterCourtesy of reybee.com native rock group will hit store shelves on March 22. “When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes” is the first full length album from Yellowcard since their two year hiatus.
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Arts & Entertainment
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Sherlock Holmes vs. Nazis By Michael Martins Mike’s Movies
We l c o m e back folks to another week of Mike’s Movies. After the past two reviews for this month I realized that a theme has developed. Films made during World War II and are basically light propaganda. So this week’s film choice occurred to me almost like a piece of divine inspiration. It is the 1942 film “Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror” from Universal Pictures, starring the brilliant Basil Rathbone as The Great Detective and Nigel Bruce as the good Doctor Watson, roles they stepped into two years previously at the 20th Century Fox studios. In those two films the famous duo were in their own era of Victorian England. However, in this start to the Universal Studios franchise, Holmes and Watson are in war torn London. The plot is pretty simple but as complex as any Holmes fan could want. As the Nazi powers continue to bomb London and try to break the English spirit an unknown male voice is broadcasting from Berlin on the radio to the people of Britain.
The Voice of Terror, as he calls himself, is a Nazi supporter who announces attacks on British soil by Nazi spies. Derailed troop trains, explosions at fuel facilities, the list of damage is endless. But no one knows how this Voice can give the orders so quickly. Literally broadcasting his hateful propaganda and announcements at the exact moment the disasters occur. Enter Sherlock Holmes. At request of the English Defense Committee, Holmes is to investigate who the Voice is and how to shut down his spy network before his next broadcast. With the clock ticking Holmes find himself in the darkest parts of London asking the lowest of the low to help him in his hunt for the Voice. Now obviously this is a propaganda film, Britain’s most brilliant mind fighting and triumphing over the Third Riech. The film even has what would become a standard wartime Sherlock Holmes films: a few minute long monologue in which Holmes tells Watson about his dreams and pride in the nation of England and the great triumph he sees for his nation against the evil plaguing the world at that time. In the DVD releases of the film they still have the War Bond advertisement at the end, making it
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even more powerful. With the recent resurgence in Holmes-mania I suggest this and the rest of the Rathbone and Bruce films for all you movie viewers. This is a brilliant look
at what the world was like at the time and how strongly behind the war Hollywood finally stood. I give the film a four and a half out of five and, as always,
wish you good movie viewing.
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Arts & Entertainment
Week of March 21, 2011
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Arts & Entertainment News
Charlie Sheen Nate Dogg dies at the age of 41 goes on tour
The famous rapper died March 15 at the age of 41, according to Spin.com. The cause of death has not been released, but the rapper was reported to have suffered a stroke in 2008. The rapper got his start back in 1991 when he was a member of the rap group 213 along with other well known hip-hop artists Snoop Dogg and Warren G. Nate later got the attention of Death Row Record’s co-owner Dr. Dre. Upon the news of his death fans and fellow rappers took to Twitter. “We lost a true legend n hip hop n rnb. One of my best friends n a brother to me since 1986 when I was a sophomore at poly high where we met,” Snoop Dog tweeted.
The “Two and a Half Men” actor, who has been a media staple in recent weeks, has set out on a “biographical” tour named “Violent Torpedo of Truth,” according to YahooNews. Posting five more dates in the tour that was described as a spur of the moment production, Sheen has been attracting audiences, with his most recent dates in Detroit and Chicago selling out in five minutes. Sheen is also said to have booked dates in Novia Scotia, E! News reported. Courtesy of aceshowbiz.com
Singer Kelly Clarkson kept from buying iPods for orphans Original American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson was kept from buying iPod shuffles from a Best Buy that were intended to be given away to orphans, according to the consumerist.com. Clarkson was kept from purchasing the mp3 players due to the excessive amount she wished to purchase and a story policy barring a single customer from purchasing more than a certain number of the devices. The policy was meant to keep one single customer from purchasing an entire stock of products in order for other customers to purchase them, but Clarkson was able to acquire the iPod shuffles she needed from a Best Buy store. The singer took to Facebook to vent on the event, which quickly garnered an apology from the store. Best Buy has also been said to have donated to Clarkson’s charity, according to TMZ.
Monty Python’s “Spamalot” returning to PPAC The Tony Award winning production returns to the Providence Performing Arts Center stage from April 15-17, according to a press release from the venue. The production, a parody of the 1975 film “Monty Python and the Holy Grail,” has been well received by critics and die-hard Python fans. This limited engagement includes five performances over three days, with tickets ranging in price from $36 to $63. The production is part of the TACO/ The White Family Foundation Contemporary Classics Series. See PPAC’s official website or call their box office during normal hours at (401) 421-2787 for more information.
Manchester Orchestra and Cage the Elephant “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2” head out on tour The alternative rock group Manchester Courtesy of robotceleb.com
teaser released
The trailer for the final Harry Potter film hit the internet earlier this week and quickly went viral, according to NME.com. The trailer features not only scenes from the upcoming release but also monologues from the actors about their characters and the journey that the series has taken them on. “Something has got to give. Harry’s aware that this is going to be it, that the floodgates are open and he’s going to have to be the one that deals with Voldemort,” said Daniel Radcliffe in the trailer. “It’s going to be fantastic!” The film is set for release July 15.
Orchestra announced that the band will embark on a co-headlining tour with rock group Cage the Elephant, according to a press release from Big Hassel Media. The tour is an effort to promote Manchester Orchestra’s upcoming album, “Simple Math,” due out for release on May 10 by Columbia Records. Beginning on April 29 in Memphis, Tenn., there are confirmed dates extending to June 12. The tour is listed to be performing at Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel at 79 Washington St., Providence on May 13.
Week of March 21, 2011
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SPRING from page
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program their song choice was the best match for them. It seemed to me that the song was just not appealing and dragged down the performance. Still, these talented musicians managed to stick through it and make the performance work. Next on stage were the RIC Chamber Singers. The song that impressed me was “The World is Too Much” by William Wordsworth. It was creepy and dark, but in a good way. The singing was masterful, really the high point of this section. The three poems that they sung by T.S. Eliot were still nice, but they did not completely jump out at me like the previous song. The final song by the Chamber Singers was “The Prophet’s Song.” I would first like to applaud the instrumentals. I found them to be pleasant and a perfect match to the song. The only real part I questioned on this song was when the bass singers started to sing high. The song was running smoothly, then that happened and I was taken aback. After that small infraction, the song turned back to the previous pleasantry and continued. I would like to know what the purpose of it was. I am not saying it was a disaster because it was miles from it, I am just questioning why having this part in it is necessary. It makes a weak point in the song. However, other than that the performance was Grade A. The final performance of the night was the RIC Chorus. The first song was “Quoniam”. It seemed like it may have been slightly outdated and traditional sounding, but the chorus made the best of it. The sound was still fullbodied and tone was great. If you were to forget the traditional fact, there were no problems at all. After a short intermission, the hype of the night took place: the showing of
Arts & Entertainment “Metropolis” with the RIC Chorus providing vocals to the movie. The first problem was the placement of the movie screen. It was small and off to the side, away from the Chorus. I found it distracting to keep moving back and forth from movie to stage. It took away slightly from the enjoyability of the performance. Another problem I found, even though the tone was great, were the soloists. They sung beautifully, I think. The problem was that the soloists were in the chorus and not brought up in front of the stage to make them stand out. From where I was sitting, in the way back, their parts were lost. I think that if they were brought up and out of the group, their voices would have been heard and beautiful. Otherwise, I found the overall piece to be great. The vocals added to the movie and everything went well with each other. As stated by Robert Cleasby, “I thought that the text and the music was most appropriate to ‘Metropolis,’ the movie. As a silent film, adding the dimension of the words and the music and the percussion and so forth really brings the horror and the story to life and gives that a whole new dimension that it did not have before. So that’s very important. This is a very exciting concert and it shows where choral music is going. You had everything from Michael Jackson to this new piece. It’s very exciting and invigorating and it shows acoustical music without amplification has a bright and very exciting future.” With the conclusion of the show, I found that the majority of it was excellent. The problems I found seemed to stem only from it being a live show. The performance was worth the price of admission and I didn’t mind spending my Friday night seeing the performance, and I would happily attend this show again. The show was a great way to ring in Spring Break, which I felt ended far too quickly.
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Tango with “Rango” By Rob Lefebvre Anchor Columnist
Usually I do game reviews, but I thought I’d give reviewing a movie a chance because I had a particularly unique experience with this movie. I went to go see “Rango” with some of my friends. At first I really didn’t think I would like it that much, especially considering Nickelodeon has not had a great track record when it comes to their movies, at least with me anyway. I actually wanted to go see “The Adjustment Bureau,” but I ended up very pleasantly surprised by this movie. “Rango” tells the story of a clumsy chameleon (Johnny Depp) who has aspirations of being an actor. However, he is only recognized as a lowly chameleon living in a small tank. His only friends are a wind-up fish toy and a naked Barbie doll that’s missing its head and legs. Upon reflection, that sounds more like Ted Bundy’s basement than a chameleon’s tank. Anyway, the tank is in the back of a car when an accident launches the tank out along with the chameleon and he finds himself lost in the desert. After following the advice of an old armadillo (Alfred Molina), he heads across the desert and arrives in the town of Dirt. After putting some of his acting skills to the test to pass himself off as a tough drifter, and naming himself Rango, he impresses the locals with his stories. After taking out a menacing hawk, through sheer luck alone, he wins the respect of the town. So much so that he is made sheriff by the mayor (Ned Beatty). As the new sheriff, Rango learns that Dirt is suffering through a terrible drought and must find the reason behind the lack of water, as well as protect what little is left. As he unfolds the mystery, Rango begins to realize what it means to be looked up to, as well as the responsibility of being a hero. Joining Rango is quite a fun cast of characters. There’s
Beans (Isla Fisher), who brings Rango to Dirt after meeting him in the desert. She’s a rancher determined not to sell her land despite the trying times. She also has a terrible habit of having absent seizure-like episodes where she suddenly freezes, even in the most serious of situations, apparently due to a malfunctioning survival mechanism. Then there’s Priscilla (Abigail Breslin), a young little desert mouse who adds a humorous tone while at the same time bringing everyone around back to reality. There’s also Rattlesnake Jake (Bill Nighy), who has to be one of the scariest looking villains I’ve seen for a kids movie and adds a menacing tone even when he is off-screen as we learn his notorious deeds. The overall story is fun, if a little cliché and following a well paved path at times. It is surprisingly thoughtful at others and becomes a movie for people who love movies, especially westerns. There are a lot of subtle nods thrown in to other westerns such as “High Noon,” “True Grit” and the “Man with No Name” trilogy. The animation wasn’t particularly spectacular, but it was very well done, treating every detail with respect from the fun action sequences down to Rango’s nostrils flaring as he breathes deeply. The voice-acting was probably the strongest part of the film. This had to be some of the best I’ve seen, or heard rather, for any animated film. Each voice was well done and well matched with each character. If anything, the weakest performance was from Depp. While it was by no means bad, sometimes it seemed to be all over the place. Sometimes he sounded like he was channeling Jack Sparrow, other times it sounded like he was channeling Kermit the Frog. The one major complaint I had with this movie was that it was marketed as a kid’s film, but it really does not feel like one. There are a lot of jokes
in here that would go straight over kids’ heads, especially in the references to other films. There are many big words used that I know kids would never understand. I guess the producers just felt the sound of Jack Sparrow’s voice would make it all seem okay. Putting aside the marketingto-kids thing, a lot of the jokes are actually funny. Rango’s improvising actor attitude along with his clumsiness is a major source of humor, along with the wackiness of the residents of Dirt. However, some of the jokes feel unnecessary, such as one about an enlarged prostate for example. Again, what kid would know what that is? There’s also this one fifteenminute segment where they seem to try and cram as many “Pirates of the Caribbean” references as possible. It was one of the few series of jokes a kid watching this would get and they proved to be the most irrelevant to the movie. It was as if the producers were trying to ram it down our throats that some of the people who made this were involved in “Pirates of the Caribbean.” Oh, by the way, Gore Verbinski, the director of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, is at the director’s helm for this as well. But other than those issues, I really did enjoy this film. Even though it’s PG, it’s really not a kids’ film. What “Rango” is, is a love letter to anyone who’s ever loved anything about westerns, or loves movies in general. It manages to tell a fun story with clear influences and references to other films, but still holds true to itself without becoming a parody. I really didn’t think I’d like “Rango” but now I find myself recommending it. It’s definitely one of my favorite movies of the year so far. So if you didn’t catch this film during Spring Break, I’d definitely recommend you get yourself to the theater to see it.
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Arts & Entertainment
Week of March 21, 2011
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“Murder Princess” succeeds the throne By Dan Rohelia Artisan Anime
Every so often, my friends may suggest that I try watching a “princess” type anime. As much as I try to enjoy all genres of anime, it does not really change the fact that I’m a male in my early 20s. I don’t really want to be watching a fifty-episode ordeal about tea parties, ballroom dancing with over-idealized love interests and some sort of flashy magical girl powers. But then my girlfriend asked me to watch an interesting production called “Murder Princess,” and I suddenly felt the need to rethink my idea of royalty. As even the title itself suggests, “Murder Princess” breaks the mold of upper-crust anime. This six-episode Original Video Animation (OVA), produced by Marvelous Entertainment in 2007, is based on its manga predecessor that spanned only two volumes. Rather than focus on the imaginative desires of a royal youth, “Murder Princess” involves a brief story arc through the fictional highfantasy kingdom of Forland, and the ill-fortuned fate of the royal family that governs it. “Murder Princess” follows the exploits of Princess Alita, heir to the Forland throne. When her kingdom is
ransacked by a traitorous scientist and his legion of engineered abominations, Alita flees her home and happens upon Falis, a rogue bounty hunter who unconsciously switches bodies with her following a near-death experience. In exchange for a promised bounty, Falis agrees to reclaim Alita’s kingdom and restore her family’s reputation. Aided by her allies Dominikov and Pete, Falis claims the throne through her unparalleled fighting ability, only to be faced with a threat that wishes to claim more than a kingdom. Falis and Alita will take their viewers on a mixture of action and narration in their attempts to save the kingdom. The anime presents itself in a manner not unlike a Japanese Role Playing Game, featuring a kingdom reminiscent of that seen in “Tales of Vesperia” (and a villain almost criminally similar to the main antagonist of Final Fantasy IV). This is thanks in part to Marvelous’s reputation as a video game developer. In fact, one could argue that the entire anime is a bunch of RPG cut scenes strung together. If there was, in fact, a game behind it, it would feel completely appropriate for the story and narrative structure. While the series isn’t as gruesome as the title suggests, there is a satisfying amount of action here. The combat sequences, while few in number, are quite thrilling. Falis’ reputation as a bounty hunter
comes into full swing against the towering shamblers she and her companions are faced against. Of course, it does seem a bit one sided, as most of these monsters hardly put up a fight. Still, seeing werewolves being ripped in half by the torso is enough to make anyone’s day. Right? I would feel like I’m selling “Murder Princess” short if I said the story was simple. More appropriately, I would vouch to call it “accessible” to many different audiences. The plot and characters are easy enough to understand, which may be a sigh of relief for those looking for something light-hearted. But because the series is only six episodes long, Marvelous has to cut corners and skip around the timeline. Many mandatory, vital points of character development had to be skipped over entirely, and numerous questions are half-heartedly explained in a single sentence, perhaps less. It is essentially a 30 episode anime squeezed into three hours, which takes away from the amount of depth that could have potentially been there. The lack of depth does lead to a rather crippling flaw, however. The series relies heavily on the same old conventions that we’ve seen dozens of times already. Most of the characters are cookie-cutter archetypes, lacking any real personality outside of what the animators found on the first ten pages of a Dungeons and Dragons class
guide. Falis is a bounty hunter who works for money, Pete is a silent brute, the main villain is an evil wizard of some sort. You know where this is going. Many of the plot advancements are extremely predictable; even the main climax will feel all too familiar. I’m sure the question on your mind is: “Will I enjoy ‘Murder Princess?’” And frankly, I’ll say it largely depends on your experience with anime. If you’re someone who is fairly new to the trade, then you will find that this series offers a quick,
satisfying adventure that covers the basic formula. It’s a great entry-level experience for that one friend who’s been unsure of venturing into the wide world of anime. However, if you are an experienced connoisseur of Japanese animation, then you might be in the market for something a bit more fleshed-out. Regardless, “Murder Princess” manages to get the job done at the end of the day, even if it had to borrow its neighbor’s dusty old lawnmower.
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Arts & Entertainment Losing the home field advantage with “Homefront”
Week of March 21, 2011
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By Robert Lefebvre Rob’s Game Shelf
As I said in my “Soviet Strike” review a couple months ago, I never really have been a fan of war games. However, when I heard about “Homefront” my fancy was tickled. It felt like it had the potential to be a very story-driven war game. It wouldn’t even be about war; it would be about resisting an occupation. And with the setting taking place mostly in suburban areas, the atmosphere had the potential to be deliciously unsettling. However, as the release date drew near, there were some warning alarms going off. First of all, the person who wrote the game was John Milius, the co-writer of “Apocalypse Now” and writer/director of “Red Dawn,” the latter of which I thought totally sucked. Second, there was more media whoring of this game than I could shake a twenty dollar bill at. Seriously, commercials for this were everywhere, which is usually a sign that the game is covering for something, like that the game is not as great as it is being portrayed. Despite that, I decided to press on and see just what the game had in store. “Homefront” was developed by Kaos Studios as well as THQ and was released on March 15 for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Microsoft Windows. “Homefront” takes place in the year 2027. North Korea and South Korea have been unified after the rising power and influence of Kim Jong-Un, son of North Korean dictator Kim Jong-Il. After a swift invasion of Japan that led to their surrender, United Korea quickly invaded and occupied the United States after launching an EMP that blacked out the entire country,
rendering our military defenses useless. You play Robert Jacobs, a former combat trained pilot living in the small town of Montrose, Colo. You have been captured by Korean troops and are about to be sent to a re-education camp. However, a resistance group who has been looking for you rescues you and you are quickly embroiled in a battle to reclaim the United States, one suburb at a time. There’s a lot of political back story to the setting and you can actually find out a lot about it through hidden newspaper articles found throughout the game. Although, sometimes it feels like there is too much explanation. Background never hurts, but there can be such a thing as too much and sometimes that shows here. The gameplay was actually pretty solid. The game is a first-person shooter. It becomes pretty immersive and realistic. There is practically no HUD as the only stats you see are your ammo and the point of your next objective. You can only carry two guns at a time with quite the variety to choose from. You also have regenerating health, but you can only take a few hits. There are a great number of action sequences with plenty of intensity. There are also elements where you can operate remote controlled vehicles like the “Goliath,” which can take out tanks or other huge obstacles. There are also points in the game where you must employ stealth rather than combat. These scenes can be pretty intense as well. The setting, which was the game’s biggest draw, is actually very interesting. The opening is quite disturbing as you see troops forcefully bringing people to re-education and labor camps, and the fact that it takes place in Small Town, USA makes it all the more unsettling. The high octane battles on
Courtesy of IGN.com
cul-de-sacs and school football fields are just as creative as they are intense. The immersion really makes you feel like you’re fighting in your own backyard. The action of the game makes the multiplayer fun as well. With its variety of game modes and unique maps, it becomes a fun alternative to other war games such as the “Call of Duty” and “Medal of Honor” series. Unfortunately, the game comes with some downsides. First of all, the game suffers from what I call Gordon Freeman Syndrome. That is, the main character is a silent protagonist, yet he is regarded as a hero and key figure in the resistance despite the fact that everything he does is under someone else’s orders or instructions. But what’s worse is that unlike Gordon Freeman, Jacobs doesn’t have a face or any kind of identity. This actually plays into a problem with the gameplay. You have your hand held throughout the entire game. Someone is always telling you what to do. There’s only one mission where you’re on your own and what you actually do is overhear instructions from your team so
you can help them without them realizing. While the setup for the game is well-developed, the story is not. It doesn’t even feel like a story. It feels more like a series of events. The pacing is all over the place, dragging at some points and rushing by in others. I feel absolutely no emotional attachment to any of the characters, not even the one I’m controlling. At least with Gordon Freeman we had a little attachment to him with the very character-driven story of “HalfLife 2.” But here, there is none. One other gameplay qualm I had was that some firefights depended on constantly respawning enemies. They just keep on coming until you achieve a certain goal in the scene. It leads to some pretty cheap deaths as suddenly you get swarmed and end up getting new bullet piercings. The game is full of trial and error and it can get frustrating. But the thing that cranked me the most, and I think this is the fifth time in a row I’ve complained about this, was that it was way too short. The singleplayer campaign lasts about six hours max. Here I was, ready for a nice long campaign that I could spend my nights during
Spring Break playing and I beat it the same day I bought the damn thing. Talk about a letdown. “Homefront,” like “Enslaved,” could have been a good long game. The setting and story had the potential to be a really good journey through an occupied America, especially since at one point the team must trek from Colorado to California. It was a chance to see how the occupation is affecting more than one particular group of people. It really was an opportunity wasted. And what’s worse is that “Homefront” felt like a short game. At least with “Enslaved” it was a well-developed plot. But here, it felt like the game drove by me, shouted the story and then took off. In the end, “Homefront” was fun while it lasted. While the game lacked the depth of story and emotional charge that it really should have had, the action and settings were fun to take part in, despite some gameplay hiccups. While I was disappointed with this game, I didn’t hate it and probably will play it again, if anything to get more achievement points. Home is where my heart was broken.
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Goldsmith and McCauley’s bands were opening for their super group that evening, but it was a lot more than just three bands playing three sets. First up was Dawes, with who other than Goldsmith on vocals and guitar, Tay Strathairn on the keys, Wylie Geiber on bass and Taylor’s brother Griffin Goldsmith on drums. Their set mostly consisted of songs from their debut album, “North Hills.” During Dawes’ set, I was privileged to interview John McCauley backstage and here is how it went: Rob Duguay: So you are on tour right now with Middle Brother and Deer Tick, what’s it been like playing two full sets with two different bands? John McCauley: It’s only day three so it hasn’t gotten exhausting yet, but I’m sure it will. It’s been a lot of fun, it’s kinda split up traditionally like Dawes plays, Deer Tick plays, Middle Brother plays, but there’s a lot of interaction between all the members and people kinda come and go on stage throughout the whole night in every band’s set so it feels more like a revue than a regular show, which is the first time we’ve done something like that, something I personally have always wanted to do. R.D.: You don’t see much stuff like this these days anymore, you know? J.M.: Yea I know, it’s unfortunate, too. I’d rather see something like that than just,
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came right before intermission, in a piece by well-known composer Richard Strauss entitled “Vier letzte Lieder (Four Last Songs).” For this piece special guest artist Diana McVey joined the orchestra.
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Week of March 21, 2011
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you know, band plays, second band plays, third band plays, thanks for coming. R.D.: I hear what you’re saying. So how did Middle Brother get started with you, Taylor and Matt? Who came up with the idea? J.M.: Dawes opened up for Deer Tick in 2009, that was the first time we met those dudes, Taylor and I kinda hit it off, we have similar influences. I came up with the idea of recording together sometime, writing some songs or whatever and I feel like people say that to people in different bands and it never happens. Dawes and Deer Tick managed to have January of 2010 off, so my friend Adam had a studio and I said, “You really wanna do this? we can hang with my buddy Adam, make some songs.” Taylor said, “Yea” and then he got there. The first two weeks it was just me and him, just writing and while we were writing, he got a call from Matt, who I never even met before. I guess the conversation went something like, “I know what you’re up to, I wanna come out”. So Taylor ran it by me, I think he played me a couple of Matt’s demos. I, of course, heard of Delta Spirit before that, Matt came up on the first day we actually started recording. R.D.: Where did you guys record? Was it in California where Matt and Taylor’s bands are from? J.M.: The studio is in Nashville. R.D.: That’s a great place for music that has a lot of history. J.M.: This place wasn’t like your typical Nashville studio, it was literally a garage.
R.D.: Oh alright, that’s about as rock n’ roll as you can get. J.M.: It was super great, man. So Matt came up the last two weeks of the project, he brought some songs that didn’t fit in with Delta Spirit and we Middle Brother-ized them. R.D.: Sounds great, I’m a big fan of the new record and I’m sure a lot of people are. Can we expect anything more from Middle Brother in the future? Any more tours and another album? Or is this just a one-time deal? J.M.: I think we’re all hoping to do more stuff, it’s just kind of a logistical nightmare having the three main members of Middle Brother in three extremely busy bands. I’d really like to at least get one more record out of it; I don’t know how much touring we’ll actually get to do in the future. The fact that we were able to pull this tour together is actually a bigger surprise to me than being able to make the record in the first place. I’m going to remain positive and see how it goes. R.D.: We’re all hoping you guys put out another album. Again I’m a really big fan of the record and everybody else is. This past June you and Deer Tick got to play a great performance on “The Late Show with David Letterman,” your network television debut. What was it like performing in such a legendary place like the Ed Sullivan theatre? Did you guys get to talk to David and everything? J.M.: We didn’t talk to Dave really at all, but apparently he liked it. We have a socialite friend in New York that was at a party with him, she mentioned
that we played on his show and he said something to the effect of “Oh yea! those guys were great!” (laughing) He shook our hands which all the union guys said, “If he shakes your hands that means he likes you.” It was kind of a trip man, they film it in the early afternoon and that already is kind of uncomfortable for us, we’re all night creatures. R.D.: Pretty hungover? J.M.: I don’t remember being hungover, the people that worked backstage were kind enough to get us exactly enough beer so everybody could get comfortable but not too drunk to play. They were smart about that, so we hung out for a few hours, talk to Emeril Lagasse and shit (chuckles). I didn’t get to meet John Goodman, he was a guest on the show, but I did wave at him and he waved back. R.D.: Who picked the song you guys played? You played “Baltimore Blues No. 1.” J.M.: We battled it out with the network as to what we wanted to play, at the time, our keyboard player Rob [Crowell], is Canadian and his visa was still being processed so he couldn’t come to the States. They of course wanted something off, “The Black Dirt Sessions,” but we felt like without Rob, it just wouldn’t be as good. We picked a couple songs that we thought we could do really well without the keyboards and we came to a compromise that led to us playing “Baltimore Blues”. R.D.: What’s in the future for Deer Tick? You guys had a really great year in 2010, played on “The Late Show,” had “The Black Dirt Sessions” come out and toured all over the place, so what can we expect from you
guys this year? J.M.: After this Middle Brother tour, we’re gonna start working on our next record, and when we have that done we’re taking it really easy over the summer, just a few festivals here and there. R.D.: Which ones? J.M.: Bonnaroo, I heard a rumor we might play the Kentucky Derby in May. R.D.: Woah, that’ll be crazy, you all should get dressed up in suits just to fit in. J.M.: Oh yeah, if we end up going we’re going to be real assholes, it would be a really fun trip. There’s talk about going to Spain for some festivals this summer, just random stuff here and there just to make some money then we’ll be doing another tour in October. Then we’ll release the record and do a humongous tour revolving around that.
A soprano, McVey has performed with opera companies all over the country including Opera Providence and Ocean State Lyric Opera. She is also known for her impressive work in oratorio settings as well as solo works with symphony orchestras. Singing in German, she projected her voice over a full orchestra, without microphone. Full human power
is what allowed her voice to travel to my seat, the center seat in the last row. Every word was heard clearly and interpreted with the utmost of emotions. Being in German, McVey had the responsibility of expressing what Strauss wanted to an audience foreign to the language. This she did exquisitely. Strauss would have been proud. Markward did a wonderful job
maintaining a perfect blend of voice and orchestra. Between Markward, the orchestra and McVey this concert was a fulfilling experience for the ear, mind and soul. This concert, as well as many others here at RIC, are prime examples of what music can be, more than computerized sounds for Lady Gaga’s next 8 word mega hit. Music can actually play with
emotions and make a person think. So did you miss another great performance? Without a doubt! Be aware of RIC’s upcoming performances, including the Rhode Island College Chamber Orchestra on April 10 and always remember that the best music is live music.
It was a lot of fun going backstage and interviewing John. Don’t let his rock star status fool you, he’s a really cool guy and if you ever see him in a bar you should buy him a beer. To view the rest of Rob Duguay’s Middle Brother exclusive, including a review of the show itself, see The Anchor’s official website, www. anchorweb.org. If you are a band or solo project that would be interested in an interview with The Anchor, please contact Eddie Taylor at arts@anchorweb.org.
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 28
Arts & Entertainment
arts@anchorweb.org
Under the Radar Eliza Doolittle Capitol Records
Local Events Join the Rhode Island Audubon Society for this educational tour of Prudence Island. The day begins with a ferry ride to the island from Bristol where you will be greeted by an educator from the Narragansett Bay Research Preserve. At the preserve you will learn about the latest conservation technology and get to visit a popular seal haul out at low tide. Spotting scopes and binoculars will be provided. The trip concludes with a van tour of Prudence Island, before you return to Bristol by ferry. Pre-registration is required for this trip. See www.asri.org for more information.
Seal Watch and Prudence Island Tour March 30 9:45 a.m. $20
Prudence Island
“The Mob and Me,” book signing April 7 7 p.m. - 8 p.m. Free
The Providence Public Library 150 Empire St., Providence
Arlene Violet will be visiting the Providence Public Library for a complimentary book signing and discussion for her novel, “The Mob and Me,” which the former attorney general co-wrote with former U.S. Marshal John Partington. The novel discusses the formation and build up of the witness protection program and how the Providence mafia has been involved. While the event is free to the public, the Providence Public Library does encourage donations to help support future artist visits.
While this pop artist has seen mainstream success across the pond, most listeners here in the states still haven’t learned about this breakout artist. Doolittle, who was born to a family of successful theater performers, began her musical career in 2008. Starting off humbly, she went on what would later be called the “Playground Unplugged” tour where she performed in secondary schools around the country. Her self titled debut EP received some success with her first single, “Skinny Genes,” garnering media attention and fellow musicians remixing several of the tracks on the EP. After recently releasing her debut studio album of the same name, Doolittle’s single, “Pack Up,” has become a runaway hit and has graced the U.K.’s top 25 pop charts. Eliza Doolittle blends mainstream pop with both soul and jazz, giving her standout sound. Doolittle is far from what could be considered unique, but she does go down a different path than most pop acts today. Her music is a little bit on the cutesy side which may not suit the tastes of all listeners and I feel that her music is mostly geared toward teenage girls or women in their early 20s. However, as a 20-year-old guy, I have to say that even I like a few of her songs. There is some great music to be heard from Doolittle if you don’t mind the slightly immature vibe of her music. — By A&E Editor Eddie Taylor
Upcoming Concerts Thursday, March 24
Saturday, March 26
Saturday, April 2
Lotus
Grace Potter and the Nocturnals
Sara Bareilles
The Met 1005 Main St., Pawtucket
Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel 79 Washington St., Providence
Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel 79 Washington St., Providence
Tickets $20 Doors 8 p.m., show 9 p.m.
Tickets $25 in advance, $30 day of Doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m.
Tickets $22.50 in advance, $25 day of Doors 6 p.m., show 7 p.m.
Featuring Keys in Karates and Mongo
Featuring Blues and Lasers
arts@anchorweb.org
Arts & Entertainment
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 29
H.B. James Photography •Weddings •Events •Model Shoots •Photojournalism
Photo Blog http://hjamesphotos.wordpress.com/ Portfolio http://picasaweb.google.com/hjamesphotos/
Email- Hjamesphotos@gmail.com Phone- (401)626-1183
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 30
Decision time. “I’m taking my talents to the Media Center.” The Anchor newspaper is looking for sports writers.
Sports
sports@anchorweb.org
Gauthier earns All-American honors By Geoff Riccio Anchor Sports Writer
Rhode Island College junior captain Brandon Gauthier became the first Anchorman wrestler to earn All-American honors since 2008 by placing seventh at the Division III Nationals held in Wisconsin. Gauthier scored a huge upset on the first day of competition by pinning Jacob Scholten of Augustana, the number four-ranked wrestler in the country. Gauthier fell in the next round to Riki Reynolds of
Mount Union, which bumped him to the consolation bracket. In a back and forth match, Gauthier secured his AllAmerican status by winning in overtime against Jordan Alfaro of the Merchant Marine Academy. On the second day of the tournament, Gauthier lost his first match in overtime to Dave Colagiovanni of SUNY Cortland, dropping him down into the seventh and eighth place round. In his final match of the tournament, Gauthier pinned
Cornell College’s Tim Hood in just 17 seconds to take seventh place overall. Gauthier’s career at RIC has been nothing short of inspiring. In just two years he has gone from being a back-up wrestler to an All-New England wrestler to a New England Champion and All-American. Gauthier leads the Anchormen by example through his tough as nails style and never give up attitude. He will truly be an asset to RIC in his final year of competition next season.
Week of March 21, 2011
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Sport Shorts Baseball
The Rhode Island College baseball team wrapped up their Florida road trip to open the regular season this past weekend, finishing with a record of 5-4. The Anchormen won their first three games before suffering their first setback of the season to Westfield State College. The Anchormen will play their first game in New England on Wednesday, March 23 at Roger Williams University before their home opener on Thursday, March 24 versus Salem State University.
Softball
After three consecutive losses, the Rhode Island College softball team won their final six games of their Florida road trip to open up the regular season. The Anchorwomen capped off the successful road trip with a 7-1 drubbing of Ithaca College. The Anchorwomen return to New England this week to face off with non-conference opponent Brandeis University on Wednesday, March 23.
Women’s lacrosse
Juniors Nicky Drolet and Molly Voyer along with freshman Jessalyn O’Neill each scored three goals as the Rhode Island College women’s lacrosse team defeated Emmanuel, 15-4, at Roberto Clemente Field in the Anchorwomen’s season opener on Saturday, March 19. The Anchorwomen face Worcester State College on the road on Tuesday, March 22 before squaring off with Lasell College in their home opener on Thursday, March 24.
Men’s tennis
Courtesy of Goanchormen.com
Junior Brandon Gauthier at a recent match.
Senior Mike Aiello and freshman Alex Werchadlo earned straight set singles victories as the Rhode Island College men’s tennis team defeated Emerson College, 6-3, at the RIC Tennis Courts on Thursday, March 17. Junior Jason Morin and sophomore Brian Gil also earned key singles victories for the Anchormen. The Anchormen will be back in action on Wednesday, March 23 when they face Newbury College on the road.
Sports
Week of March 21, 2011
Page 32
arts@anchorweb.org
Anchormen’s late rally falls short in Sweet 16 RIC junior Mason Choice reaches 1,000 points in 78-74 loss to Amherst College By George Bissell Sports Editor
Anchor Photo/Hayden James
RIC senior Carl Lee attacks the rim in the first half against
Amherst College.
The Rhode Island College men’s basketball team saw its incredible run in the 2011 Division III NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament come to an end with a 78-74 loss to Amherst College on Friday, March 12. The Anchormen mounted a furious second half comeback, but ultimately came up short and saw their season come to an end at Chandler Gymnasium on the campus of Williams College in the Sweet 16. Trailing by 12 points, 6048 with 9:46 remaining in the game, the resilient Anchormen mounted a furious comeback fueled by six points apiece from senior guard Antone Gray and junior forward Mason Choice. A 17-4 RIC run gave the Anchormen their first lead of the game at 65-64, with 3:31 remaining. Amherst freshman sensation Aaron Toomey drilled a 3-pointer on the ensuing possession to give the Lord Jeffs a 67-65 lead, which they never relinquished. Gray scored a game-high 22 points in the loss and
Choice became the latest Anchorman to eclipse 1,000 career points with 17 points, while classmate center Mike Akinrola scored 18 points in the loss to Amherst. The Lord Jeffs were led by freshman sensation Aaron Toomey who scored a gamehigh 22 points coming off the bench. Senior guard Conor Meehan scored a majority of his 20 points in the first half for Amherst in the victory. The Anchormen finish the season with a 21-8 record and saw the incredible careers of their five seniors Gray, Darius Debnam, Nick Manson and Carl Lee come to an end without a trip to the Elite Eight. “This senior class has built a dynasty here at Rhode Island College,” said RIC head coach Bob Walsh in a postgame interview. “There is no other way to put it.” The Anchormen, one of just five programs in all of Division III basketball to make the NCAA Tournament in each of the past five seasons, will have a solid senior class returning next season headlined by First Team All-Little East Conference selections Choice and Akinrola.
Anchor Photo/Hayden James
Anchor Photo/Hayden James
RIC junior Mike Akinrola’s layup beats the first-half buzzer.
RIC President Carriuolo’s family cheering on the Anchormen during their Sweet 16 game.