Vol. 82, Issue #27
The Anchor Rhode Island College
April 27, 2010
Anchor Photo/Devin Noll
(From left) Deputy Speaker Christopher Volcy, SCG President Joshua Laguerre, Secretary Shawn Andrews, Rep. Shane Spinner, Rep. Nikhol Bentley, Rep. Anike Akinbulumo, and Finance non-Parliament Members Elizabeth Sullivan, Diamonte Tavolaro and Jordan Day at the Parliament Budget Meeting last Wednesday.
Budget battle Parliament debates the financial fate of 18 organizations at epic meeting. By Frank Wellington Anchor SCG Bureau
After months of turmoil and speculation, the unsatisfied Budget Meeting for student clubs finally took place last Wednesday. Nearly every club that came forward saw some kind of an increase, ranging from a few hundred to over $10,000 granted by Student Community Government, Inc. The budget that was granted the largest boost was the Resident Student Association. They received an increase of over
$10,000, most of which came in the community programs and Carnival line items. Community programs are how RSA provides activities in the residence halls for on-campus students. The organization had been seeking a large increase in that line for several years, ever since the New Residence Hall was constructed, but was consistently denied an increase by the Finance Commission, club officers said. “We haven’t gotten the increase needed since New Hall opened,” said club Treasurer Alex Devers. RSA also had the long-held Carnival, held on Monday on Weber Beach, added as an an-
nual event to be funded with $10,000 next year. The measure passed after extended debate. The other big winner of the night was L.I.F.E., or Live, Inspire, Fight, Educate. The break-out club is coming off a very active second year, including an Organization of the Year STORGY nomination, where they held the third-most events on campus, according to records provided by SCG Secretary Shawn Andrews’s office. They had requested over $7,000 and received only $425 from the Finance Commission at the Budget Hearings in February. See BATTLE Page 4
RIPTA to
increase fares By Kelsey Gamble Anchor Contributor
In order to balance the state budget, authorities say an increase in RIPTA fares is necessary, with the possibility of route decreases. John Rudd, board chairman, said that there is more than one factor resulting in the increased bus fares, but factoring in most importantly are rising gas prices. The way the system is currently set up, RIPTA is funded by the state’s gas taxes. It is based on the amount of gallons of fuel sold rather than the amount of money produced. An additional concern is that the revenue found from gas
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prices is unstable and predicting the outcome is difficult. Funding a transit system based on those who choose not to ride public transportation is a challenge, according to Rudd. “It’s ridiculous,” Rudd said. “The more riders we get, the less money we get in gas tax revenues.” Essentially, the more people that ride the bus, the less money RIPTA gets. RIPTA is projecting an increase of 25 percent to the already high $1.75 per ride. However, Rudd says that adding 25 cents to the initial price is small in comparison to other bus companies. In addition to a See RIPTA Page 6
What’s Inside
April 27, 2010
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News
Lifestyles cont.
A&E cont.
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Budget battle Unsatisfied student organizations go before Parliament for funding.
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Lament of the action figure collector The fine (articulation) points of action figures.
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A ballet from Santa The Aspen Santa Fe Ballet comes to RIC on Saturday.
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RIPTA looks to increase fares Higher fares, less routes needed to balance budget.
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It’s that time again How to survive the next few weeks until finals end.
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Cats Don’t Dance Rental Raves: Feline sings for fame and stardom.
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R.I. flood recovery update How Rhode Island is recovering from the flood.
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Best roller coasters within 200 miles Travel Tips: The best roller coasters in the northeast.
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Review forecast: Heavy Rain Soak up the powerful interactive drama.
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Get the skinny Robert Hamel visited RIC for discussion on healthy living.
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Challenges on the job market for grads A suicide prevention and resource center.
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All jakked up Rob’s Game Shelf: The best PS2-era game: “Jak II”
Want a leg up over the competition in your next interview? Maintain a personal blog.
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Editorial 12
Why is RIC an apathetic campus? This is why RIC administration’s Block Party decision an outragous failure.
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Samaritans of Rhode Island A suicide prevention and recovery center.
Sports 32
A&E
Opinions 13
Nobody here but us chickens Political problems with a poultry-based economy.
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Lifestyles 15
Your answers in 30 words or less Ask Ari: CamPo, boob rash, children on leashes, ecstacy and cougars.
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Up-to-Date: Bleach Chapter 400 Spoilerific review of the manga’s latest chapter.
At the Greek with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill The Anchor sits down with the riotous comedians. Rock Hunt Night 3 best so far Most recent night of WXIN’s hunt rocks.
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The lyrical pipes of Pippin RIC’s “Pippin” production comes to a close.
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Coach Morin joins 400 Club Softball coach secures 400th career victory. Warriors sweep Anchormen Men’s baseball loses doubleheader in Conn. Anchormen suffer winless week Three games, three loses for men’s baseball. Relax, Red Sox fans This won’t be the first or last time Red Sox Nation feels let down.
Anchor Photo/Carissa Williamson
Kelly Beshara-Flynn and Alexandra Weston at RIC Otaku’s Game Night.
Campus Climate Tuesday Showers High 53 Low 37 Wednesday Showers High 52 Low 42 Thursday Partly Sunny High 62 Low 45 Friday Sunny High 71 Low 51
Contact General Information 401.456.8280 info@anchorweb.org
Advertising 401.456.8544 ads@anchorweb.org
Editor-in-Chief 401.456.8790 editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Fax 401.456.8792
If you are a student organization and would like to have an event covered, please contact managing@anchorweb.org.
The Anchor is student-run and published weekly during the academic year. Editorial decisions for The Anchor are made by a majority vote of its student editorial board. No form of censorship will be imposed by the college. Any material found to be unsuitable or unacceptable in the board’s opinion will not be published. The views expressed in The Anchor, unless otherwise noted, are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent those of The Anchor or of Rhode Island College’s faculty, administration or student body.The first copy is free. Each additional copy is $2.25. Copyright © 2010 The Anchor. All rights reserved.
News
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April 27, 2010
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R.I. flood recovery update By George Bissell News Editor
Last month, Rhode Island was battered by torrential rainfall that left a large portion of the state underwater, and a state of emergency was declared by Governor Carcieri. When the floodwaters receded throughout the state on April 1, Interstate 95 reopened that afternoon, undoing two days of gridlock. But, a majority of the damage caused by the flood was going to take significant time and money to rebuild and repair. State officials claim that the total costs from damage as a result of the Great Flood of 2010 will exceed $200 million. Many residents, businesses and the government are still trying to recover from the damage. Many are still trying to determine the extent of the damage, and decide what to do next. According to FEMA, more than 2,000 people remain out of their homes, and U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Shaun Donovan plans to visit Rhode Island April 26, a trip that Sen. Jack Reed’s (D– R.I.) office said will remind the Obama administration of the long road to recovery still ahead in the Ocean State. FEMA spokesman Leo Skinner said that the agency has awarded $27.5 million in grants to 12,518 homeowners and renters hit by the flooding. He says FEMA is providing rental assistance for 2,227 people who can’t go home because of damage, and an additional unknown number are staying with family and friends. A spokesman for the FEMA said last week that approximately 2,000 residents in the state still haven’t been able to return to their flood-damaged homes. The agency says it is providing housing assistance to many of these people, but some complain of being caught in an endless maze of red tape and insurance forms. In a letter to United States Secretary of Homeland Security Jane Napolitano, Providence
Mayor David Cicilline called on Congress and Homeland Security officials to continue the post-Katrina reform effort on disaster relief. Citing local residents who aren’t getting the financial help they need and are frustrated by an overly complicated application process in the wake of the flood, he said more reform is clearly necessary. “As a mayor, I have seen first-hand, in case after case, that flood victims are not receiving the assistance they need to get back on their feet. I have nothing but praise for Secretary Napolitano’s quick action and the FEMA officials who are working diligently to help us recover, but it is clear that the current system often does not provide the help needed especially by small businesses,” said Cicilline in the letter, sent to The Anchor via press release. “At the top of the list is the need for direct flood assistance in the form of grants for affected businesses. Cicilline urged FEMA to expand the criteria now required for grant qualification, and also to expedite the approval process
for those affected by the flood. “The hardships being experienced by the victims of this disaster are still very real. In fact, their concerns about their ability to recover have only increased due to uncertainties and frustrations,” Cicilline said. Cicilline also pointed out that Rhode Island remains one of the hardest-hit states by the recession, with small businesses already struggling to retain employees and stay open. He explained that there is a feeling of basic unfairness when big businesses are rescued from disasters of their own making, while small businesses receive minimal help after a natural disaster. “People who are already struggling hard every day to support their families in the most basic ways cannot withstand any additional economic burden. They need help to avoid homelessness and nutrition emergencies,” the mayor said. “It is our nation’s moral duty to help them, and it is in our economic interest to give help now before they require much more later.”
Last week in the R.I. Senate, a resolution proposed by Sen. Hanna Gallo (D–Cranston) passed unanimously. The measure, in an effort to aid the struggling local economy, urges state businesses engaged in recovery and restoration work due to the March flooding to hire Rhode Island residents to do the work, and urges home and business owners needing recovery work to give preference to Rhode Island contractors and firms. The major hope for the bill is that, as Rhode Islanders rebuild and recover from the record flooding of late March and early April, they use the opportunity to help other state residents who are struggling. “Some good can come from all the devastation of the floods,” said Sen. Gallo. “In times of crisis, people need to pull together. In this crisis, our state needs to pull together and extend helping hands. Firms needing extra workers because of additional restoration work can extend their hand to Rhode Islanders desperate for jobs. Homeowners can patronize companies in their own towns
or nearby.” “This is not about being selfish. It’s not about helping only ourselves,” she continued. “It’s about helping our neighbors who have been affected by the natural disaster or the ongoing economic disaster, and about helping our state at the same time.” The resolution will be sent to the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation, which Gallo hopes will play a role in the overall recovery effort. New England is susceptible to flooding because of its large coastline, major rivers and large urbanized areas, and last month’s flood may serve as a reminder that we are all subject the whims of mother nature and the destruction her wrath can incur at any moment’s notice. The deadline to register with FEMA for public assistance is May 8; the deadline for individual assistance is May 28. Those affected can apply for assistance at www.FEMA.gov or by calling 1-800-621-FEMA from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. seven days a week.
Anchor Photo/Katie Larsh
The area around the Benny’s factory in Smithfield remained underwater following the recent flood.
News
April 27, 2010
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BATTLE from page
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After a short debate over whether the club was “exculsive,” meaning they cannot receive funding at all, the club wound up getting the full amount they were looking for – $6,520. Finance members took the floor first, stating that they felt the club did not demonstrate a lot of activity. Finance nonParliament Member Jordan Day said she “had questions about [the club’s] constitution at the Budget Hearings,” particularly a section that refers to honorary members. Speaker Nicholas Lima, in a surprise move, took the floor and said he was “appalled” by the Finance Commission’s actions regarding L.I.F.E. He said the organization’s officers, who passed out a packet to all 30 Parliament members detailing what the club does and the many events it has held this year, should not have had to been forced to sit through the unsatisfied hearings given their activity on campus. “As speaker, it is my job to fairly moderate debate, and I am so appalled by the way Finance handled this organization’s budget that I cannot in good conscience do so,” Lima said. He added that it was “unbelievably inappropriate” for Finance to have analyzed the club’s constitution, as the Commission is “in no way granted that power.” Lima made a motion to allocate what the club was requesting and passed his gavel to Deputy Speaker Christopher Volcy. Rep. Kameron Spaulding, who is also editor-in-chief of The Anchor, had the harshest words for Finance. “This decision disgusts me. You want to know the reason why we printed the budgets in The Anchor, clubs like this is why,” Spaulding said as he held up his yellow budget packet. The Anchor became embroiled in a controversy following the February Budget Hearings when this newspaper printed budget recommendations after they were leaked by
SCG, but before club’s received official recommendations from Finance. In the ensuing political fallout, Spaulding and other members of the media were escorted out of a Finance meeting by Campus Police by the order of then-SCG Treasurer Christopher Kelly, who was soon thereafter removed from office in a non-confidence vote. In a roll-call vote called by Lima on L.I.F.E.’s budget, every single member present voted to give the organization what they were asking for, with the exception of the three non-Parliament Finance members present. Jordan Day, Diamonte Tavolaro and Elizabeth Sullivan were the only ones who opposed. Anchor TV came forward earlier in the night to request a large increase in their stipend line item. Next year will be the first year that the club’s members have ever received stipends, and they had requested $9,400 to cover five officers, only to be allocated $4,400. This debate would be one of the longest of the night, and in the end a middle ground of $7,200 was found and the organization left satisfied. The organization was also seeking a moderate increase in their repair and maintenance line item in order to maintain a large amount of new equipment. That request was granted with little debate, increasing the line item by $500 to $2,500 to cover next year. The increases, along with an overall budget that exceeds $13,000, up from just $1,290, marks a turning point for television at RIC. Anchor TV’s predecessor, RIC TV, existed on campus since the early 1980s, only to be shut down by SCG in the fall of 2008 for failing to meet its mission. The increased financial support and stipends for Anchor TV – both things which its predecessor never saw – is a change of direction for Parliament. Many representatives said they felt confident in Anchor TV’s new direction and thought it appropriate to see what the organization can do with its new resources. When budget numbers were first released by The Anchor two months ago, one that stuck
out the most was the $0 budget for Amnesty International. The reason their budget was eliminated at the Budget Hearings was a mix-up in paper work. The officers on file with SCG didn’t match some of the paperwork on their budget. This caused the Finance Commission to cancel their funding for next year, deeming them a “noncompliance organization.” While Amnesty did not get the $14,100 budget they requested, they were given the same $7,050 they operated with this year, a decision by Parliament that Amnesty’s officers said they were satisfied with, given the alternative of being capped at $2,000 total for next year.
“As speaker,
it is my job to fairly moderate debate, and I am so appalled by the way Finance handled this organization’s budget that I cannot in good conscience do so.” – Speaker of Parliament Nicholas Lima The Anchor and WXIN also each appeared before the Parliament-and-Finance combined Budget Meeting to request funds be restored to their operating line items that were cut by Finance in February. The Anchor had $1,000 added back to its printing budget, bringing annual printing costs to $40,000 – an all-time high. WXIN requested thousands of dollars of funds be restored to the radio station’s engineer consultant, DJ service, janitorial, repair and maintenance and books and
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magazines line items. All of the requests but janitorial – which was kept at just $1 to keep the line open for reallocations – were approved, following nearly an hour of debate. The body also unanimously approved removing the freeze on future stipend increases for both organizations. Parliament, which voted two weeks ago to increase its own stipend line in order to pay members of non-Parliament committees, sympathized with the media groups’ argument that the fiveyear cap, which began in 2008, prevents the clubs from adding new positions and stunts future growth. A heated debate took place around the budget request for the Communication Club, as Tavolaro berated club President Alycia Astarita. Tavolaro said Finance had made cuts to the Communication Club’s budget because it “appeared the club was being run by the department,” more specifically, club Advisor Valerie Endress, a communications professor. Astarita refuted that, saying that it was the club officers, not Endress, that compiled the budget request, and that members of Finance “twisted” her words at the Budget Hearings. Astarita pointed out that all advisors are supposed to assist clubs with their budget requests regardless, as advisors are required to sign the same SCG budget packet that club officers must sign. Parliament agreed, restoring funding for Communications Day and the club’s co-sponsorship line item, over the objections of some Finance members. Other clubs appearing that night that saw at least some form of increase were the Visiting International Student Association, Cape Verdean Student Association, Latin American Student Association and Ultimate Frisbee Organization. CVSA saw an actual-deposit (actual funds minus anticipated revenue) increase from $2,325 to $3,027, and UFO had $2,000 added to their bus fare line item to cover the cost of transportation to tournaments. It was discovered that one new club, Out of Bounds, was
poorly informed about the way a budget should be constructed, and Parliament, while recommending a small operating budget, advised the club’s officers-elect to meet with the new SCG treasurer next fall. Another organization, the English Club, had to wait for hours at the unsatisfied meeting simply because they had turned in the wrong form to the SCG office. English Club officers said they were, in fact, satisfied with their Finance-recommended budget, which was quickly passed by Parliament. Some clubs failed to return a letter at all. Women of Color, Women’s Rugby, Intervarsity Christian Fellowship and Bachelor of Social Work all had to wait to after 11 p.m. to be heard. Each organization was passed after a representative explained why no letter was returned. One club, the History Club, which had a budget of $950, was zeroed out by Parliament after they both failed to return a letter and failed to provide representation, an automatic action according to SCG’s Funding Policies. They will be considered “non-compliant” and capped at $2,000, if officers decided to request funds next year. The final action of the night was for the body to approve the entirety of next year’s budget, including the budgets approved at each of the two Wednesday Budget Meetings. In all, Parliament saw 50 funded organizations between the two nights, an all-time high. A total Fiscal Year 2010-2011 budget of $752,136.98 was approved. SCG expects a revenue of at least $55,115.60, making the actual deposit of Student Activity Fee monies for next year $696,441.38, according to figures provided before the final vote, which took place shortly before 12:20 a.m. Up next for Parliament is the final meeting of the year, Sine Die, on May 5 at 8 p.m. First, however, Parliament meets at 6 p.m. on that day to elect officers for next year. Sign-ups officially begin on April 27 for the positions of president, vice president, secretary, treasurer, speaker and deputy speaker.
The Anchor is Hiring for the 2010-2011 Editorial Board News Editor Inform the community of all events that affect their lives.
Sports Editor Follow the Anchormen and Anchorwomen as they smash the competition.
Lifestyles Editor Help students find the best campus clubs and give tips on travel and health.
Photography Editor Snap shots at all the latest games, concerts and campus events.
Arts & Entertainment Editor Help preview and review the latest concerts, plays and movies on and off campus. Graphics Editor Manage graphics and the comics section for each week’s issue.
Layout Editors Using Adobe InDesign CS4, help build the newspaper for print. (Two needed.)
Copy Editor Edit articles and help The Anchor be its best.
Ads Manager Help earn revenue through ad sales.
Circulation Manager Manage the delivery staff and deliver the paper across campus.
Technology Director Manage computers in the office and www.anchorweb.org.
Sign-ups will be outside The Anchor office Wednesday, April 28. Interviews will be determined by the 2010-2011 Anchor Executive Board.
News
April 27, 2010
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RIC gets the skinny By Rita Nerney Anchor Staff Writer
On April 21, Robert Hamel visited Rhode Island College for the first time since he graduated as a nursing major in 1977. He led a discussion entitled, “Get the Skinny – Current Perspectives on Eating Disorders,” sponsored by the Office of Health Promotion and the Women’s Center. Students were given tickets upon entrance, and an iPod shuffle was raffled off at the end of the presentation. There were approximately 70 people in attendance for the event. Hamel is a registered nurse with over 20 years experience in the field of eating disorders. He currently works at Butler Hospital. He began by profiling a person with an eating disorder. Ninety percent of people with eating disorders are women. Most people affected are high achievers, perfectionists and girls aged 16 to 24. “Eating disorders are probably not biological because they mostly occur in industrialized countries,” Hamel explained. “Sometimes, a mother has an
RIPTA from page
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price increase, RIPTA is looking to decrease their services. While it’s inconvenient to bus riders to remove routes, they are looking to remove early-morning routes
eating disorder and so does the daughter. So it’s possibly a learned behavior.” Hamel used whiteboards during the talk to highlight key points. Some of the behaviors of people with eating disorders include irritability, counting calories, and avoidance or anxiety around food. “The worst holiday of the year for someone with an eating disorder is Thanksgiving,” Hamel said. “It’s all about food.” People with eating disorders are obsessive about their appearance. “They’re constantly asking, ‘Do I look fat?’ Or, ‘Look at these thighs. They must be 800 pounds apiece,’” Hamel said. Eating disorders are most common within the college population. Students think they are overweight, and will work to lose those five pounds. “People will comment, ‘You look good!’ So they lose five more. They go from 125 to 120 to 115 pounds. They don’t have the switch in their head to know when to stop,” Hamel explained. “The magic number with people with eating disorders is about 100 pounds
or size 0.” Eating disorders often occur alongside other problems. People with anorexia or bulimia usually have a history of physical, sexual or emotional abuse. They often turn to cutting, and they struggle with depression. “It’s a scary disease physically, mentally [and] socially. More people die from anorexia than from depression,” Hamel said, her voice wavering. “I’ve seen a couple kids die. It breaks me up to see smart kids just drop dead.” “What are some indicators of anorexia?” Hamel asked the crowd. Students began yelling out descriptions: “Bony,” “Skinny,” “Pale, “Thinning hair,” were among the answers. People with eating disorders usually have a blood pressure around 90 over 60. A normal blood pressure is 120 over 80. They develop severe osteoporosis, cardiac problems and vitamin and mineral deficiencies. “The average person eats about 2,000 calories per day. Someone with anorexia eats about 400-600 calories. That’s only four olives,” Hamel said.
that less people take to cut back on gas costs. The $5.2 million predicted deficit in 2011 can be partially covered with a $3 million stimulus, but officials believe this is only a temporary solution. The problem is finding another concrete source of revenue for public transportation.
RIPTA also faces another problem: union contracts. The authority has been trying to negotiate a solution to wage increases with Local 618 of the Amalgamated Transit Union, the largest union representing the authority’s bus drivers.
People with bulimia will appear healthy because they are not skinny. They binge, and then they purge. “They’ll eat mass quantities of food that goes down easy and comes up easy: ice cream, twinkies,” Hamel said. “When they go out to eat, they’ll eat with their friends or family, and then they’ll immediately get up to go to the bathroom and purge.” Purging does not just include vomiting. Laxatives, extreme exercise, diuretics and diet pills are all versions of purging. Treatment for eating disorders is extremely difficult, and not many treatment options are effective. Medicines, hospital stays and meetings with psychologists do not work very often. “The only treatment that really works is cognitive behavioral therapy,” Hamel said. “We try to find out the triggers – people, places, things, time of the day – that set people off. What thoughts arise, and what leads them to binge and purge or not eat at all? We can then try and change their feelings and hopefully the behavior, eventually.” A member of the audience
asked Hamel, “How do you approach someone with an eating disorder?” Hamel turned the presentation over to Saeromi Kim, a psychologist from RIC’s Counseling Center. There were handouts available for students to take home, but Kim highlighted a few tips for dealing with someone who has an eating disorder. “Talk with the person at an appropriate time and place, in private. But don’t talk about weight food, calories or appearance. Don’t make any comments on what the person looks like.” Kim also mentioned a new club that may be starting on the RIC campus. Active Minds is a group designed to “increase students’ awareness of mental health issues.” RIC student Grace Moore is working on organizing the club, which is not yet recognized. “I talked about the bad, bad cases,” Hamel emphasized at the end. “But Dr. Kim is offering prevention tips, which is much more helpful.”
Anchor Photo/Laura Horton
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TUESDAY
Classroom Management Workshop 6:30 p.m.
Event Calendar
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WEDNESDAY
Underserved Elderly Populations Conference 8:30 a.m.
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THURSDAY
Annual Student Exhibition, MA Candidate All Day
April 27, 2010
Page 7
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FRIDAY
Annual Student Exhibition, MA Candidate All Day
Student Union 307
Faculty Center
Bannister Gallery
Bannister Gallery
Open to: Public
Open to: Public
Open to: Public
Open to: Public
Sponsored by RIC Middle School Association
Sponsored by College Lectures Committee and AGES
Sponsored by Bannister Gallery
Sponsored by Bannister Gallery
WXIN Rock Hunt Night 4 8 p.m.
Dr. Dawn Flood, “Emergency Room, Code R! Second Wave Feminism and the Changing Treatment of Rape Victims 12:30 p.m.
WXIN BLT Party 9 p.m.
Bon Voyage Choral Concert 8 p.m.
Ruffstone Tavern 17 Metcalf Ave., North Providence
Sapinsley Hall
Adams Library 407 Open to: Public
Open to: Public (18+)
Sponsored by Department of Music, Theater, and Dance
Firehouse 13 41 Central St., Providence Open to: Public $5; $3 with RIC ID Sponsored by WXIN
Sponsored by RIC History Department Outdoor Movie: The Hangover 7 p.m. Henry Barnard Soccer Field Open to: Public Sponsored by Student Activities
$5; $3 with RIC ID Sponsored by WXIN
Open to: Public
April 27, 2010
Page 8
National Student News
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Students protest commencement speaker NSN
Courtesy of Tom Rich
The University of Georgia campus was littered with garbage after a recent tailgating party.
Students protest tailgating ban NSN
University of Georgia students expressed their frustrations regarding tailgating bans on an historic part of campus, arguing that they should be included in such decision-making. University alumnus Danny Brown created a Facebook group titled “Michael Adams Extravaganza (Myers Quad)” as a forum for the 1,400 fans of the group to protest the restrictions. Brown also encouraged fans to bring banned items such as tents, kegs, televisions and grills to areas on North Campus to Myers Quad. The tailgating restrictions were instated in response to problems with waste and damage to the surrounding environment, but Brown argues that the administration could have found others solutions to the trash problem. “I just feel like the administration needs to be a little more understanding that there will be trash, and that there are some alternatives they could have considered other than just going ahead and pretty much banning tailgating altogether on North Campus,” Brown said. “With the amount of money
that alumni and students spend on game day, I think that the Athletic Association and the administration have plenty of funds to institute better trash pickup on North Campus,” he added. He also said that North Campus is one of the prettiest and historic places on the university grounds, and people have been tailgating there for years to enjoy that atmosphere. However, Dexter Adams, director of the grounds for Physical Plant, insisted that the restrictions are necessary. “It goes beyond just picking up the trash,” Adams said. “We were seeing actual physical damage to the grounds and damage that we couldn’t fix, like tree loss.” Students have fought to be represented during further tailgating decision-making. “Our biggest problem is that there was no student voice in the making of the decision,” says Josh Delaney, president-elect for the Student Government Association. “We want every decision to be justified to students.” Danely says that although students did not have representation in the first meeting, the administration has agreed to allow a student representative
on the panel that reviews the restrictions. Delaney also expressed concern about the push from Brown and others to move tailgaters to areas such as the Myers Quad, a student residential area. “Since people won’t be able to tailgate like they used to on North Campus, they will move to residential areas like the Myers Quad,” Delaney said. “We really don’t want those students in residential areas to be facing trash problems.” Adams expects that students will find other places to tailgate, but said that at least the bans are protecting the “historic grounds of the oldest university in the country.” He added that relieving pressure from those grounds will enable fans to enjoy North Campus as a more park-like area. Still, students remain steadfast in having their voices heard. “I just want the administration to fully realize that game day is a tradition,” Delaney said. “It’s not just an alum thing, it’s a student thing and students want to be included. This is something that affects the students heavily, and we need to consult the people who live on this campus.”
Syracuse University students are petitioning the college to remove this year’s commencement ceremony speaker, JPMorgan Chase & Co. Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jamie Dimon. More than 1,000 students, alumni and parents have signed an online petition posted by the student group Take Back 2010 Syracuse University Commencement – a number representing over one-fifth of Syracuse’s senior class. According to the petition, students are “against using the 2010 commencement to restore the public image of the banking industry and validate the anti-environmental and anti-humanitarian interests of JP Morgan Chase.” Students also planned to throw a protest dance party April 14 on the Quad, according to the Daily Orange, the school’s student newspaper. The students were careful to note that they were protesting the financial industry rather than trying to personally attack Dimon. “A lot of members of my graduating class aren’t going to be able to afford to graduate because of the industry Mr. Dimon represents,” said Amelia Pernell, a senior at Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Public Communications and one of
the authors of the petition. Dimon’s name was on a list of candidate speakers compiled by students, and he was chosen because of his rare, extensive experience with a “major global challenge,” said University Chancellor Nancy Cantor. The university won’t rescind Dimon’s invitation, said Kevin Quinn, the university’s senior vice president for public affairs. “We’re aware of the student concerns, but Jamie Dimon is our commencement speaker,” he said. The protest group is planning for more direct action to raise campus and national awareness of their concerns. Their ideas include finding a different speaker who would not be as polarizing, and holding a vigil in which students walk toward the administration building, snapping wooden pencils and dropping them on the ground. “We want to have a vigil for everyone who had to drop out and everyone across America who is suffering from what JPMorgan represents,” said petition co-writer Adrienne Garcia. “When we feel wronged,” said group member and senior journalism and geography major Ashley Owen, “we have the idea that we can raise up.”
Courtesy of telegraph.co.uk
JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon.
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National Student News
April 27, 2010
Page 9
UW students, faculty plan free speech rally By Peter Baumann The Boomerang
While the U.S. Federal District Court in Cheyenne has yet to respond to a filing by Dr. William Ayers and University of Wyoming student Meg Lanker seeking an immediate injunction against the University of Wyoming allowing Ayers to speak on campus April 28, many students and some faculty are mobilizing to voice their discontent at UW’s blanket ban against Ayers speaking at UW. Much Internet chatter, both politically left and right, has arisen out of the Ayers controversy in recent weeks, but very little has been done outside of Web sites to voice opinions and speak out. A new Facebook group – Wyoming Students for Free Speech – is organizing a noon rally Thursday at or near Prexy’s Pasture with faculty and students scheduled to speak. UW sociology professor Dr. David Ashley said he plans to speak at the rally because he finds the idea of denying anyone – Ayers or otherwise – a right to speak on the UW campus incompatible with the underlying mission and philosophy of higher education. “What happened is that these thugs threatened the university, and people said that if you have him on campus, ‘we’re not going to donate money,’ and that was enough to get policy changed. That is simply outrageous,” Ashley said. “If we’ve got a situation where somebody is prevented from speaking because of threats or because of money, let’s not even pretend that this simulates a university…in a public institution, in a public university, it doesn’t all come down to money and power. That’s not a Marxist claim, that’s actually a liberal claim; and that’s why I think it’s a First Amendment issue.” Students and Wyoming residents have voiced numerous opinions surrounding Ayers – memorable to most from the 2008 presidential elections and controversial for his role in the radical ’60s group the Weather
Underground – but faculty response has generally been no response. Ashley said that if he weren’t tenured, he “certainly wouldn’t” be speaking out in support of Ayers and UW students’ constitutional rights. “I think many of the faculty are cowed and fearful. There’s not much they can do to me, but I certainly wouldn’t be speaking out if I weren’t tenured,” Ashley said. For many campus controversies, there are a number of institutional resources available to students and faculty, such as the Social Justice Research Center, UW Faculty Senate and more. But Ashley said if those seeking redress against social injustice – perceived or actual – are denied such channels, as in the case with Ayers, he doesn’t see the point of having the resources available in the first place. When asked if he thought those channels are merely paying lip service to the constitutional issues raised by Ayers’ ban from speaking at UW, he said: “Absolutely.” “This is the way things operate: ‘You can have dissent, you can have debate, but it better be within the institutional framework. That’s what we expect to see,’” Ashley said. “If you want to talk about something closer to the bone, something that might actually affect the interests of people who live in the state or challenge the interests of people who live in the state, you’re going to have a much more difficult time of it.” For Ashley, the solution to all of the issues surrounding Ayers would have been to involve and engage those who were opposed to Ayers’ visit in the first place – give the opposition a chance to question and engage Ayers on his beliefs and ideas. “What (UW President Tom Buchanan) should have done is say ‘We’re going to bring Ayers and we’re going to put together a panel of all the people who oppose him and they’re going to have at it. We’re going to give them every opportunity to raise any issue they want, ask him any questions they want. Let’s
Courtesy of flickr.com
William Ayers is being prevented from speaking at the University of Wyoming. see how he handles himself.’ Now that would be educational,” Ashley said. “Maybe Ayers would fall apart; maybe he’d be exposed as someone who can’t defend himself, as someone whose ideas are ridiculous.” Students at UW have also been thinking about and questioning the controversy surrounding UW denying Ayers the opportunity to speak on campus amongst colleagues and faculty. Meg Lanker, the UW student on whose behalf the suit was filed, said both friends and strangers have been coming up to her, asking questions about it. “What I’m finding is a lot of people who were opposed to Bill Ayers coming are now in support of the suit because it has become a First Amendment issue, even people who are very conservative,” Lanker said. “One of my friends who’s going to be at the rally is very conservative but he’s worried about the implications (of the ban) for future speakers.” Something that has bolstered Lanker spiritually in recent
days, she said, is that students are leading the movement to have Ayers speak on campus as opposed to following faculty’s lead. “It’s the students that are going forward and the faculty that are coming on board, instead of the faculty coming forward and the students coming on board. It’s a very small group of students – it’s nothing like Berkeley in the ’60s – but there seems to be an awakening that college isn’t just for getting a degree and getting out of here, it’s also for expanding minds, for lack of a better term,” Lanker said. Alex Sullivan-Brink, one of the UW students who is helping to organize Thursday’s rally, said he sees the rally – which he said will be “Planned, professional and peaceful” – as a way to further organize student response to free speech issues on campus. “We really feel like this isn’t just about Bill Ayers. This is about freedom of speech altogether. They could be anybody who is controversial,” Sullivan-
Brink said. “I would still advocate and hold a rally for them because I don’t think an institution that’s funded by our government should be having any feeling on where freedom of speech ends.” What he and other students at the rally hope to communicate to UW students, faculty and staff Thursday is that feeling comfortable or not with what someone says or believes does not affect that person’s freedom to express their opinions in a public forum. “I don’t think freedom of speech is always comfortable with everyone and I think that’s something we live with as Americans,” Sullivan-Brink said. “I think maybe it’s an issue of maturity. When we kind of grow in our citizenship, I think we realize that there are different views and we’re not always going to be right, even when we empirically believe it. And I think we have to defend our views, but we also have to listen to other views and criticize them.”
Comics
April 27, 2010
Page 10 Somewhere, in some galaxy, thousands of lightyears away...
What does it say?
We think it’s best if you hear it for yourself...
Big Ideas by zachary serowik
Mr. President, I have something you need to hear.
e you up! Never gonna giv you down! Never gonna let
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Your science team picked up this strange signal from the planet known as “Earth.”
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Asserting our place in the universe.
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April 27, 2010
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The Anchor Editor-in-Chief Kameron Spaulding editorinchief@anchorweb.org
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Editorial
editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Why is RIC an apathetic campus?
This is why
Next week, a great event will happen at RIC that’s entering its fourth year. But this year, it’ll be different – and not for the better. The Rhode Island College Block Party, sponsored by Donovan Dining Center, Student Community Government, Resident Student Association, WXIN and Programming, among others, has worked its way into the fabric of RIC’s end-of-year student culture. It has become as synonymous with late-spring activities as the STORGY Awards, Carnival and RIC End are. And, unlike those three outstanding events, the Block Party is attended by thousands, not hundreds, of RIC students. No social event at Rhode Island College even comes close. Yet, this year’s Block Party will be absent one big piece – a concert at night. For three years, RIC’s radio station has put on a concert in the Quad, in front of the Murray Center, where local music talent has been given an opportunity to close out the year on campus with something very few RIC students ever get to see – a fun, entertaining rock concert at their school. In years past, local bands were invited to play on a stage in front of the Murray Center, soon after the buffet cookout put on by Donovan ends and while the inflatable rides and other fun activities begin to wind down. This year, student organizations, armed with funding from SCG, intended to make the concert a little bigger, bringing in an up-and-coming national act to headline for the local bands. But that’s not why this concert won’t be happening. No, this concert isn’t happening because the RIC administration has decided that outdoor concerts aren’t suitable for college students – regardless of their size. RIC’s student leaders – including SCG officers, club leaders and others – have been denied the opportunity to work together to bring you such a concert, because the RIC administration is more concerned about RIC’s neighbors. The very same neighbors who live more than a half a mile away, and have no basis to complain about a concert that is over before 10 p.m. – well within local noise ordinances. Their concerns outweigh those of the students. After all, it’s not as if other colleges have big, outdoor concerts to allow students to unwind at the end of the semester, right? As we all know, college students at Brown, URI and Johnson & Wales spend their end-of-semester nights studying away, not attending social events. That would distract from the academic objective of college, of course! And of course, we are being facetious. And of course, other institutions not only have a concert and other end-of-year activities for their students – they encourage them. Why? Because others institutions acknowledge the fact that letting student leaders plan and coordinate events is a good exercise in student leadership. Because other institutions recognize that students need to unwind with the stresses that come tumbling at them at the end of the semester. Because other institutions, most importantly, realized long ago that in order to attract and retain students on their campuses, they needed to strike a balance between solid academics and a strong, vibrant student life. But the Office of Student Life at RIC, headed by Dean of Students Scott Kane, doesn’t see things like other institutions do. Kane – who is the administration-mandated advisor to SCG – turned down the pleas of student leaders last week to keep that big part of RIC’s now-traditional Block Party alive. So there won’t be a concert on the Quad on the night of May 6. It won’t be because of cleanup or security costs – student organizations had thousands of dollars of your Student Activity Fee monies set aside to cover that. It won’t be because of academic
issues, either. After the administration turned down requests for the Quad, staff at Residential Life and Housing – who, mind you, actually encourage student life on campus – stepped up and suggested Weber Beach as an alternative location. But the administration stepped in and cut down that idea, too. At least there, with the residence halls, a golf course, trees and a vast parking lot serving as a buffer, there could be no realistic complaint from neighbors, or even from the few professors that actually hold classes at 9 p.m. on the last Thursday of the semester. With dozens of student leaders representing the interests of thousands of students moving towards the common goal of a concert to celebrate student life at RIC, one would think the administration would be more supportive. But alas, no matter what assurances were given, no matter what conditions were guaranteed, the answer from the college administration, and Kane, in particular, was the same, “…an outdoor venue will not be approved.” Instead, two alternatives were provided. The Student Union Ballroom was suggested by Kane. But there, only 200 students can attend. And, in place of a free concert open to the entire RIC community, tickets would have to be sold at a price, and in advance. But is it worth it to hold a major concert with your Student Activity Fee money when so few students can enjoy it? Certainly not – especially when Student Union Director Kristen Salemi and Assistant Director for Operations and Services Mark Paolucci explicitly stated that their support for such an endeavor would not be forthcoming. The Student Union Ballroom, they correctly pointed out, is not the place for concerts. The other alternative, Gaige Hall, also seats a limited number, and being within an academic building, a number of impossible conditions would need to be met – such as not even starting any concert activities (like sound checks) until 10 p.m. Where else, then? Roberts Hall doesn’t have the staffing available, the Rec. Center isn’t up to fire codes, and the Murray Center – perhaps the most logical place to have a concert, given its layout, “will not be approved,” student leaders were told by Kane. Of course, none of these issues would be of concern if college students were allowed to be college students and have an outdoor concert on their campus in the first place. The message here is clear: for the administration, this is not the students’ campus. The misdirection and obstacles thrown in front of student leaders are purposely put there for the sole objective of discouraging students from organizing a concert at all, regardless of its location. So, the status quo is maintained. RIC Apathy lives on, the reputation of RIC as a commuter school where “nothing fun happens” persists, and, most importantly to the all-too-cozy administration – people like Kane, Salemi and Paolucci – no one has to deal with the problems that concerts bring. And the administrators who have it in their very job descriptions to support and embrace student life will continue to stand in its way, wasting the time of students who seem to be the only ones that hope and dream of something better. Once again, those hopes have been crushed, without recourse. Instead, they can go on telling students “No,” because for them, to say “No” a thousand times is much easier than saying, “Let’s work together to make this happen.” And that, we now know, is why it never does happen.
– The Anchor Editorial Board
Opinions
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April 27, 2010
Page 13
Nobody here but us chickens By Adam D. Bram Stark Raving Mad
Have you read this? Have you heard about this? A few weeks ago, Nevada’s Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden suggested that one way to bring down huge health-care costs was to barter with your doctor. Now, nobody was surprised that a Republican was trying to shift the blame off of unfair insurance company practices, but people were wondering: did she actually mean “barter?” She couldn’t have, it was just a slip-up, right? Apparently not. Lowden said this to a news show on April 20 (4/20, what does that tell you?): “I’m telling you that this works. You know, before we all started having health care, in the
olden days, our grandparents, they would bring a chicken to the doctor. They would say ‘I’ll paint your house’…[That’s] what people would do to get health care with their doctors. Doctors are very sympathetic people…I’m not backing down from that system.” You really aren’t kidding, are you? I don’t know anything about how inflation works. I don’t know how to fix the cost of health care overall. I know that a universal health-care plan, or at least a public option, would lower costs for the average schmoes out there. You know, the ones you expect to vote for you and who you lie to about this stuff to get them to keep voting? But this is the best you can come up with? Of course, according to Lowden, it’s her opponent in this election, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who is to blame for people thinking this is a stupid idea. Not, you know,
Steve Barthelemy, Kelly Beshara-Flynn, Nate Chorney, Rob Duguay, Laura Horton, Hayden James, Bethany L’Etoile, Rob Lefebvre, Julie Kessler, Jesus Mendoza, Devin Noll, David Okon, Arielle Rogers, Edward Taylor
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the fact that it actually is stupid and unfeasible in modern times. And other Republicans and conservative commentators who actually agree with the rest of us on this point are trying now to make it look like it was all Reid’s idea in the first place, once again proving that they are unaware of this little invention called “video recording” that actually plays back events that happened before. So you won’t have as much money in your own pockets. Big deal. Money isn’t everything. Health care is a human right, not a privilege. Stop trying to bring back the Red Scare so you can keep conning people out of their money. In the meantime, if you want to have a good laugh, the joke Web site www.lowdenplan. com will calculate the number of chickens one would need to bring for various medical procedures. Courtesy of suelowden.org
Nevada Republican Senate candidate Sue Lowden.
April 27, 2010
Page 14
Letters to the Editor
editorinchief@anchorweb.org
America is not giving in I was driving home from the RIC campus on Wed., April 21, when I noticed a bumper sticker on the vehicle in front of me that read, “MARINE, EARNED! NEVER GIVE IN!” As a veteran of the United States Marines and Army, this simple, concise phrase suddenly struck me as the epitome, or “root cause,” of our country’s current domestic problems in politics today. (Of course, I am using the bumper sticker in a different context than its original intent – an intent I completely agree with.) To me, this slogan or phrase – whichever you prefer – is straight out of the cold war mentality which dominated this country’s thought processes for most of my lifetime and is now becoming counter-productive for the world as a global community. No longer is it enough or even productive for the world as a global community. No longer is it enough or even productive for the United States to be engaging in the “saberrattling” of the past. Now, before the ultrapatriotic-wing starts to curse me for being anti-American, a socialist, or even a Nazi, let me explain where I am coming from. In November 2010, we had a presidential election in which we as a nation overwhelmingly voted for change in the status quo, effectively relieving Republican’s of their government control. I believe it is very difficult for anyone to argue, if they followed the politics of the campaign, that they did not know prior to the election of
President Obama what types of changes were going to occur or where they were going to take place in society. Candidate Obama spelled out very clearly what his priorities were, and most voters, as evidenced by the election returns, were in favor. Immediately following the election, it was a time of jubilation around the country and the world as the United States led the world once again with the election of the first AfricanAmerican president. As steps were being taken to reform the country’s financial and health-care systems, Republicans stuck hard and fast to the bumper sticker slogan, NEVER GIVE IN. I’m not going to take the time here to even attempt to narrate the past 16 months of politics, since anyone who has been somewhat awake during this time knows what has transpired since the inauguration of President Obama. The point I am making here is that the same right-wingers who argue that President Obama is a socialist or Nazi, and is somehow weakening the country’s defenses by engaging in diplomacy, are in fact themselves weakening America from within. While they hold their Bibles in one hand and their guns in the other as they engage in inflammatory rhetoric towards the “gangster government,” as Republican “Senator” Michelle Bachmann of Minnesota recently did at a tea-bagger rally in Washington D.C. and Sarah Palin’s “don’t retreat, reload”
are – no matter how many disclaimers or caveats they try to use to the contrary – promoting anarchy toward the duly-elected government of the United States of America. As a veteran, these actions bother me, as I would think they would, or should, bother many others who have served, are currently or have relatives and friends serving in the armed forces, and anyone who is supporting our troops. Actually, what bothers me more than the rhetoric being used is who is using it! This is no way for elected officials to be acting! There was a time in our history when elected officials served the people not only as politicians but also as role models, instead of serving as “side-show freaks” being financed by corporations and Fox news making believe it is a grassroots effort. What is most surprising is the overall make up of the tea-baggers. According to pretty much everyone who has done polls with these people, they are predominantly white, middle-aged Republicans – no real surprise there – many of whom are collecting social security and Medicare. The fact that some of them are collecting from these government programs tells me they are not totally against them, because I would expect anyone who is truly against something to refuse it. Also, these people, because of their age, at least in my view, should remember to some extent the riots and murders that occured during the 1960s-1970s
and the divisions that were created in society by some of the same sort of demonstrations and inflammatory language. Political disagreements in a democracy are expected, but they should be courteous and constructive rather than discourteous and obstructuve. Unless, of course, these folks can’t function in this manner because of some hidden or notso-hidden agenda here. What could it be? To be clear, I am not saying that diplomacy is the only way. It does, however, need to be the first course of action. Then, if it fails, the sabre-rattling should commence in earnest and all resources should be brought to bear for a quick, decisive resolution. The United States cannot afford, nor should it want, any more Vietnams. The bottom line here is: politicians should respectfully disagree, always with the goal of working together. Diplomacy, with very selective sabre-rattling as the last resort, should be America’s diplomatic policy. And corporations and phony news networks should stop using people and making them look like fools or worse! America is on the right track for the future, thanks to President Obama and the Democratic Congress. Now is the time for all Americans to unite behind OUR elected government, working toward peace and prosperity of OUR COUNTRY!
Bill Wambolt Class of 2011
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 and accuracy, and to prevent libel. No poetry, attacks on private individuals, or letter-writing campaigns, please. Due to the volume of letters, writers are asked to limit submissions to one per week. Include a phone number where you can be reached during the day. E-mail letters to: editorinchief@anchorweb.org
Questions? Call 401-456-8280
Lifestyles
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April 27, 2010
Page 15
Your answers in 30 words or less By Arielle Rogers Ask Ari
Dear Ari, I walk to work around 3 a.m. I was wondering if Campus Police would escort me to the edge of campus because at that time I feel much safer in a vehicle than walking. – K. Kmon Dear Kmon, If you called Campus Police, they cannot deny you a ride. You pay them to make sure we’re in a secure environment, so they are technically supposed to help you. Dear Ari, Ok, so my boobs and all around them and the middle of my back have this horrible
rash! It’s itchy, smells weird and becomes scaly! I need a cure. How can I get rid of it? – Itchy Dear Itchy, You might be allergic to your bra! Find out if you are sensitive to underwire or certain materials. Otherwise, it’s called severe dry skin or eczema. See your health provider. Dear Ari, So…children on leashes. Why? – Anna Dear Anna, Parents plete control whereabouts. degrading. It parents are control their humane way.
wanting comover their kids’ It’s stupid and shows that some lazy and can’t kids in a more
Dear Ari, My Girlfriend is starting to use ecstasy and I have tried every way to stop it. Is there any way else? – Will Dear Will, It could be an attention thing. Drug use is a serious matter. The best thing you can do is to have her get help from a counselor. Dear Ari, What do I bring to a house warming party besides booze or sticky finger foods? – Undecided Dear Undecided, Make something. A big batch of cookies, magic bars, etc. Things like this that are personally made show that you care enough about the people at the party – start baking!
Special Question of the Week Dear Ari, What is the exact age a female has to be in order to be considered a cougar? I date a guy that’s still in high school and I’m a sophomore in college. Does that make me a desperate youngerman stealer? – Possible Cougar Dear Cougar, Nope. The category of women known as cougars was probably appointed by some younger women or girls who had men who left them for older women. Some men like a cougar rather than women of their age or younger because cougars are known for knowing what they want in life. They also have lots of experience in other relationship departments (ahem). Also, stereotypically speaking, cougars enjoy a younger man as arm candy. This means that in some cases, older women love having a younger guy as an accessory – something they can flaunt. As for you, remember that you can’t help who you fall for, and you’re not supposed to prevent your feelings. If you are having sex, always use protection. So, remember, cougar, love is love.
Courtesy of thecorner.typepod.com
Send all questions and problems to lifestyles@anchorweb.org
April 27, 2010
Page 16
Anchor TV Lineup
Campus Vibe
Channel 3 / anchortv.org Schedule subject to change without notice.
April 27 - May 3 Tuesday
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Night Train
NEWSPAPER KILLED THE RADIO STAR The Anchor newspaper crushes WXIN to the tune of a 68-54 win
Last Thursday night, The Anchor took on WXIN in the fourth-annual Media Center Basketball Game, held for the first time on center court at the Murray Center. Leading the way for The Anchor was paperboy Dante Lopardo, who dropped 18 points against WXIN in the fourth-annual contest. Lopardo also threw down a couple of
monstrous dunks, which kept the momentum in The Anchor’s favor. Also helping The Anchor was Captain Kameron Spaulding, who had 10 points and one crucial three to keep The Anchor on top. WXIN’s lead scorer was Malik Taylor, who had 15 points and hit a few 3-pointers that kept WXIN in the game. Captain Mike McKenna also
stepped up for WXIN, leading several offensive comebacks that fell short as The Anchor led the entire contest. Also scoring for WXIN was General Manager Nicholas Lima, who sunk a basket late in the second half. The Anchor, now 3-1 all time, took the victory, 68-54. –Anchor Staff Report Anchor Photos/Devin Noll
Lifestyles
April 27, 2010
Page 18
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Lament of the action figure collector By Adam D. Bram Lifestyles Editor
Courtesy of notimybook.blogspot.com
I’ve loved action figures since I was a kid, which is why I keep up the practice today. Unlike most collectors, however, I don’t keep my figures in a package to collect dust and someday sell. I still actually play with them. This stems partly from giving me something to do with my hands and therefore helping me focus, and also helps me with my art, be it my comics or even my directorial forays. Plus, I just love that my favorite fictional characters are in a more tangible form. In my opinion, the thing that makes the best action figure is articulation. The more you can pose them, the cooler they are. The more naturally they can move, the more realistically you can set up their scenes.
In the early 2000s, the best action figures by far were those based on Marvel Comics characters and sculpted by Toy Biz. They stood about six inches (give or take, depending on the character in question) and had incredible detail, especially on the film-based figures. Best of all, they routinely had 30 or more points of articulation: knees, elbows, fingers, toes, biceps, forearms – the works. Then, about three years ago or so, Marvel left Toy Biz (which is odd, since Marvel owned it) and went to Hasbro. Hasbro, based in Pawtucket, has been making fun and reliable toys for decades. They also absorbed Kenner, and thus got to distribute all of the Star Wars and Transformers merchandise – but something happened. See, while Transformers by their nature had decent ranges
of movement, the Star Wars characters had been stuck with “legs, arms, head, waist only.” Then, about a year before the Marvel deal, they released some experimental characters that, while nowhere near Toy Biz’s articulation, were still wildly articulated compared to what they’ve been since the late 1970s. But they were still small, like they’ve always been, about half the size of Toy Biz’s model. Therefore, when Hasbro started to release Marvel figures, they didn’t have the articulation or detail of the Toy Biz figures. Also, they started to shrink so that, today, they’re indistinguishable from the Star Wars line. That’s not to say that there aren’t tall, highly detailed figures out there. But while the action figures made by the likes of MacFarlane Toys and
NECA look incredible, their articulation potential is so low that they aren’t really toys as much as they are glorified statues. Mattel seems somewhere in the middle, copying the Hasbro method but releasing limited special variants that, while still less than Toy Biz ever had, are the best we have right now (although Play Arts, Square-Enix’s own company, is releasing incredibly detailed and posable figures based on their video games, albeit for twice the price). I know by employing my collection for its intended use is rare among collectors. However, as such a collector I am calling for a return to ultra articulation. Any other collectors out there who feel the same way, please let me know.
It’s that time again By Adam D. Bram Lifestyles Editor
Yes, it’s that time again. Finals are approaching. “Finals Week” isn’t technically for another two weeks, but many classes here forego a formal final and prefer to have their exam on the last day of class. Therefore, once again, The Anchor will give you successful study tips. Pay attention: This first step, of course, is to pay attention in class – which involves going to class. It might be too late for some of you, but that’s where it starts. I’m not going to stress notes, because I personally find I remember better when I focus on the professor instead of my notebook. However, notes can be useful, so make sure you take good ones. Break it up: It’s better to study a little bit at a time over a long period than to try and cram it all in last minute. If you look at a piece or two of what you
need for about an hour or two every day, you’ll take it all in much better. To that end, try to schedule the time each day, and don’t vary the time too much so that you’ll remember better. Make a plan: General wisdom states that you should get the part you’re really struggling on over with first. I know many people for whom the opposite works better. In truth, both methods are correct in different situations. Find out which one you are in either way, and make a study plan accordingly. Cut down on distractions: I, for one, find things go more smoothly with a little background music, but for most people this is counterproductive. No TV, no computer (unless it’s needed for the task), no games and unless you’re one of the rare people for who it gives focus, no music. Concentrate on the task at hand, and you’ll recall easier. Read aloud: If you have to
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get through a daunting textbook, perhaps hearing the words as you’re reading them will help your recall of the information. So as you’re reading, say the words as you’re seeing them. Make sure you’re in a private enough place so you don’t disturb anyone. Ask for help: If there’s something you just can’t grasp, call someone in class, or talk to the professor sometime well before the exam or project due date. Or, utilize the Internet,
where you can find pretty much anything anyway (just be careful to avoid the temptation to surf when you’re supposed to study). Multiple heads are usually better than one. Make educated guesses: It comes down to the day. You’ve followed the above steps. You think you have a grasp on the material. All of a sudden you get a question you just don’t know the answer to. Fortunately, many professors use multiple-choice format, and
in this instance you’re better off guessing. You may not know what the answer is, but you might be fairly sure what it isn’t. An omission counts as a wrong answer, so at least give yourself a shot. If it’s another format, you should still try to answer to the best of your knowledge. You’ve heard these before, and you’ll hear them again. That doesn’t mean they’re not useful tips. Good luck, and start studying now.
Lifestyles
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April 27, 2010
Page 19
Best roller coasters within 200 miles By Laura Horton Travel Tips
Staying on topic from last week, if you like roller coasters, summer is the time to release some screams that have built up over winter. With a number of amusement parks within driving distances taking a day to put a smile on your face after this long period of hibernation could never be easier. After spending summers looking forward to that trip to Six Flags or another park, I know roller coasters. The following is a gathering of some of the best rides within a 200 mile radius and are ride worthy. Boulder Dash – Lake Compounce, Bristol, CT: The Boulder Dash is the first and only roller coaster built on the side of a mountain. The track whips through the trees and goes with the natural curvature of the mountain. This wooden roller coaster opened back in 2000 and has been a fan favorite ever since. According to the Golden Ticket Awards, the Boulder Dash has been ranked in the top 5 of all wooden roller coasters for the past nine years. Kingda Ka – Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ: Kingda Ka is the tallest and
fastest roller coaster reaching 456 feet tall and speeding by at 128 miles per hour. At first sight your jaw could drop at this steel coasters height. Although the ride duration is very quick topping out at a minute, the ride is a pure rush. Only after three seconds of being launched, you’re racing down the track at its top speed about to head up the forty-two story tower towards the sky. After opening in 2005, Kingda Ka hasn’t been in the list of top roller coasters, but fans have been known to wait in line for hours trying to get the rush that Kingda Ka gives its riders. El Toro – Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ: This wooden roller coaster has a steel twist added to its layout. The steel added to the tracks makes it almost as smooth as a steel coaster and gets rid of the bumps and jerks that a wooden ride can have. El Toro features the second steepest drop of all wooden rides at 76 degrees. It is also the third fastest wooden roller coaster at 70 miles per hour. The ride tosses you around like you are on a bull especially at the end where the ride twists and turns giving the rider that weightless feeling. Since opening in 2006, El Toro has been near the top of the list of top Wooden rides on the Golden Ticket list. Superman – Six Flags New
England, Springfield, MA: Even after the many malfunctions, changes in the ride, and a name change, Superman – Ride of Steel has been the top steel roller coaster on the Golden Ticket list since it opened. Last year it was painted purple and given the name Bizzaro and honestly, it’s still the Superman to me with a little theatrics added to the mix. The heart stopping lift and all the ups and downs of this steel beast makes your stomach reach your mouth. Coney Island Cyclone – Brooklyn, NY: You cannot mention the Coney Island Cyclone in this list. It’s an American coaster classic. The Cyclone opened up June 26th, 1927 and still runs to this day. As of 1988, it became a New York land mark and also was placed on the National Register of Historic Places list in June of 1991. There is nothing like an old “woodie” roller coaster. Before there was steel, high speeds, or insane heights, the simple in and our style of the wooden roller coaster is king. Next time you are in the New York area, check out this American classic. So get out there, get a season pass and go ride some roller coasters. Scream your lungs out and feel the wind in your hair. Just make sure you keep your arms and legs inside the car at all times and keep your seat belt fastened tightly.
Anchor Photo/Laura Horton
The Kingda Ka at Six Flags Great Adventure in Jackson, N.J.
Wr i t e fo r Th e A n c h o r !
Lifestyles
The Anchor is looking for students who know the best:
Food
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Student Clubs
Travel
Sex
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For more information or to submit a story contact Anchor Editor Adam Bram at: lifestyles@anchorweb.org
Lifestyles
April 27, 2010
Page 20
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Challenges on the job market for grads Red Starr Wire
2010 is going to be another tough year for graduates. The economy is still in downturn and competition for jobs is as fierce as ever. No one said graduating was ever going to be easy! The top five challenges facing graduates in 2010: Competition: Here is the scenario…You have graduated college with a good looking degree; you feel on top of the world and ready to pick and choose your dream job. The reality, however, is that you’re one of many in the same boat. While you feel as though you would be best suited for a particular role there can be hundreds of other people who feel the same way as you. I often tell the story about my days as a recruitment consultant where I used to recruit for graduate positions. I would post a graduate position on the job boards and by lunch time I would have 200 applicants in my inbox. So what can you do to differentiate yourself from the rest of the crowd? You need to ensure that your resume is in the top 5-10 percent of all resumes. A single mistake in your resume can be the difference between it ending up in the interview stack or in the deleted folder. Downturn in the economy: We are all sick and tired of hearing about the global financial situation, sluggish economic growth and rising unemployment. Unfortunately, this is the situation which new graduates find themselves facing when looking for a job in 2010. My best advice is to network, stay patient and increase the effort into the job search. You are going to have setbacks and days when you feel like the whole world is against you.
The real challenge will be ones of continuing perseverance and confidence. Lack of real-world experience: My advice to all graduates (and those preparing to graduate) is to seek work experience. I personally hated this advice while I was at college, but looking back now my work experience helped me plan out my career and gain vital experience in competitive industries. When the time came to put forward my resume, my previous work experience set me apart from many of my competitors. Expectations that are too high: Many graduates complete college and expect to hand pick the job that they want. Furthermore, in 2010, graduates have an expectation that they know what is best and should actually be the boss rather than working for the boss. So many times I have had graduates apply for job positions which are so unrealistic, only to get despondent because they are not getting interview requests. It’s important for graduates to realize that they need to gain the experience before they can call themselves the boss. Debate between further higher education and job seeking: Do you continue to study or start straight away with job seeking? Many graduates don’t have a choice in this matter, but for those who do, continuing to study can lead to greater results in the long term, and also further help to distinguish yourself from other graduates. On the other hand, is it better to start working and get your foot in the door? There’s no better education than the real-life experience of learning on the job.
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Lifestyles
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April 27, 2010
Page 21
Want a leg up over the competition in your next interview?
Your answer: blogging
By Matt Buffardi Anchor Contributor
Are you looking for a way to stand out among the competition in your upcoming interview? I have a simple solution – maintain a professional blog. As you arrive at the interview, you hand over your resume to the big, scary interviewer behind the desk. In the header of your resume, you write the URL of your blog, and as the torturous session of question upon grinding question is over, you point out your blog in your closing remarks. Fast forward a week, and your interviewer is trying to make his final decision as to which of the candidates he’s going to hire. As he is re-reading the resumes of his multiple candidates, your resume comes up in the pile with your blog URL glaring at him dead in the eyes. He types the URL into his Web browser and pulls up not the same generic page full of bul-
lets containing the hackneyed “highlights” of your former work experiences, but rather, an online collection of your professional thoughts, goals and opinions in your desired (and this potential employer’s) line of work. Your blog, which can be made on at least half a dozen free Web sites including wordpress.com, tumblr.com and blogspot.com, should be an online collection of your professional thoughts on the industry. In other words, let’s say you just applied to a job in the fashion industry. In that case, your blog should organize your professional thoughts on fashion. For instance, one post reviews the latest color trends for the upcoming spring season, while another contains a link to a hot article from Glamour magazine with your opinion on the topic and a third blog post describes where you envision Armani and Vutton going with their new line of handbags. But let’s say you’re not
into fashion. Instead, you’re fresh out of college and you are applying for a position as an elementary school teacher. Your blog can be full of awesome material. First, it has a section of blog entries chronicling your experience as a student teacher. These could include the highs, lows and moments of gratification in your first experience as a student teacher along with reflections on what you’re doing to improve you skills as an educator. Then there’s a post commenting on the latest findings in The American Teachers Journal that kids really do learn better after recess when they’ve had a chance to expel the pentup energy that comes from being a kid. Say you’re not even applying for a job, but applying to med school. The interview panel decides they have an extra few minutes after your admission interview to check out the blog you listed in your application packet. They see that you’ve written journal entries
on your blog about what you learned when you volunteered to give flu shots to orphans in Haiti last Spring Break, along with a video blog post of what motivates you to be a doctor. Finally, there’s a hyperlink to press releases you wrote while working with the non-profit public health campaign that you volunteered for last fall. Do you understand what I’m getting at here? Can you see the importance of having an online, easily accessible professional blog that will flesh out an employer’s sampling of information on you? Moreover, suppose you’re not the world’s greatest interviewee. After all, isn’t it hard in an interview to show the employer everything you’ve got when you know that this is your one and only chance to impress? It would feel much better to leave an interview knowing that your employer can now log onto the Web and read your blog to see a sample of your ideas on topics in the appropriate profes-
sional field – posts that can show your genius and passion in your line or work. And even better, people who view the blog know that you have first-hand experience with technology and the Internet – the all-powerful tool that plays a role in practically every professional position on the planet these days. A blog is an awesome supplement to the resume. In actuality, I think it will overtake the resume in time to come. Say you’re an employer. Wouldn’t you want to know the stream of consciousness, thoughts, goals and tangible passions of your potential employees, rather than reading the same generic list of trite, cliché-filled accomplishments that saturate the traditional resume? Do you have interviews coming up after graduating in the spring? Why are you waiting? Start writing a professional blog today.
Lifestyles
April 27, 2010
Page 22
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Samaritans of Rhode Island By David Simpson Anchor Contributor
The Samaritans of Rhode Island suicide prevention and resource center has been helping troubled lives in the state since 1977. For 33 years, they have been there to lend an ear to those in need of someone to talk to. Their Rhode Island branch is just one of the more than 400 branches spread out over 32 countries. They work hard to inform others about their beliefs, as posted on their Web site. 1. Those who are at risk for suicide should not be stigmatized from seeking help. 2. Voluntary befriending those in need can be the gateway to a lifetime of family and community support as well as health and mental health services. 3. Seeking support, by those
“survivors” who are left behind by a loved one’s suicide, should be viewed as a strength, not a weakness, and the first step in working to resume a full life. 4. Community-based partnerships in information and awareness raising helps reduce the stigma of suicide. 5. Community service in suicide prevention is key to supporting those in need. Their motto, “We care, We listen, We help,” is proven through the work and dedication of the volunteers who work their 24-hour crisis hotline and listening line. Besides this, they offer several other programs to those whose life suicide has affected. They have a safe place support group that meets every Tuesday night and is a nonthreatening place where people who have lost loved ones to suicide can go to talk and share
their feelings. Also, each year they work to prevent suicides by giving presentations in schools and in the community to spread public awareness of suicide and its risk factors. The backbone of the Samaritans is their volunteers who work all hours of the day and night to provide people with the support they need in the dark times they face. Many would think that volunteering for suicide prevention may be depressing, but in reality it is the opposite. The Samaritans hotline is really about hope – the hope that a volunteer can be there for a caller who just needs someone to listen to them. This positive outlook on things is the mentality that has volunteers coming back for the 33 years the Samaritans of RI have been around. If you are interested in volunteering or would like any more information about the Samaritans, visit their Web site at www.samaritansri.org.
The massive multi-pleasure and multi-pain of multi-player By Adam D. Bram Weekly Warcraft
World of Warcraft is an MMORPG. The “MM” stands for “Massively Multiplayer.” The reason there is a monthly charge is to maintain the servers that allow people from all over the country (and, indeed, the world) to play together. This lends a certain fun and a certain frustration to this game. I dislike people. I absolutely adore persons, and I give everyone a chance, but on the whole I hate “people.” I see the way the human race acts, and I can’t help it. This seems to work out since my own personality tends to be too much for most people anyway. The Internet gives people like me a chance to relax and be more open and generally extroverted and kindly than
otherwise. Unfortunately, the anonymity brings out the worst in people. Lately, I’ve been leveling my Draenei Hunter through PvP Battlegrounds and FiveMan Dungeons. Since most of the people I know who play the game play on different servers, I go into these at random. While a lot of people I end up with are personable enough, there’s usually a weak link or two. Let’s talk about the Battlegrounds first. These are player-versus-player minigames of sorts within the world, where multiple Alliance players and multiple Horde players meet on the battlefield for honor points. The objectives of each Battleground follow those of a lot of multiplayer games. There’s a Capture-the-Flag ground, a Base Conquest ground, and
an Assault-Everything-ThatMoves ground (I’ve never been in the grounds for any of the expansions, so I’m not sure how they work. However, the three classic ones are still the most popular anyway, so that’ll do for this article). More often than not, the Horde players in any single instance outmatch the Alliance ones. My Alliance toons have had to fight hard for a rare victory, while my Horde toons just have to stand there. The longer you’re in a ground, though, the more you start to see the best strategies. Or at least, you’d think so. Unfortunately, few people on my Alliance server listen to the advice of the leaders who know what they’re talking about and just run willy-nilly into a tight group of Horde, and I’m sure many Horde players
know this problem, too. I’ve mentioned a general aversion to PvP. Even though I admit the battlegrounds can be fun, they’re mostly frustrating because fighting another player is a whole different kettle of fish compared to the predictable AI enemies I’m used to as a PvE. That’s why I love Dungeon runs. Except that if you use the dungeon finder to find a group, which given my situation I and most lower-level players kind of have to, that’s just as much of a crapshoot. People getting into stupid arguments, leaving halfway through after a tantrum forcing the rest of us to wait for someone else, pulling in more enemies than we can handle at once, etc. But the worst – the most infamous – is the Ninja Looter.
I’m fortunate enough that I’ve only been a witness to this once or twice, and never on an item I really needed. However, Ninja Looting is as big a problem as ever. For those who don’t know, this is when someone in the group exploits the “Need-Over-Greed” system to snatch a rare item from under the noses of the others and then immediately leave. You can report them, but rarely do they see justice, mostly because it’s a very fine line between a fair loot roll and a Ninja roll. In the end, I suppose, I wish more people I knew in real life played on my realms. At least then I’d know I wasn’t getting stuck in a sub-standard group.
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Arts & Entertainment
April 27, 2010
Page 23
At the Greek with Russell Brand and Jonah Hill By Justin Wilder A&E Editor
The Anchor sat down with comedians Jonah Hill and Russell Brand to talk about their latest collaboration “Get Him to the Greek.” Written and directed by “Forgetting Sarah Marshal” director Nick Stoller, “Greek” brings this pair together again in theaters June 4. Hill, who releases the “really honest, grounded” Sundance comedy “Cyrus” a month later on July 9, said “these [interviews] are so much more fun with college students than adult reporters. You guys seem more genuinely interested. It’s exciting to talk to people who actually care what you’re doing. I talk to like 8,000 people every day who do this, and they’re completely uninterested in what you’re saying.” Having performed stand up the night before, Brand loves improvising material from set, stage and beyond. “I enjoy spontaneity. I think a lot of the best stuff comes from that. Obviously, when you’re making films things need to coordinate with the overall arc. I can’t improvise a bit like: ‘I’m an astronaut now! Cut! Cut! No, you’re not! Oh, I am!’” Brand said to himself. Could this be the next big comedic duo?
Get Him to the Greek Coming June 4 Rated: R
Stars:
Jonah Hill Russell Brand
Directed by: Nick Stroller
“I love that boy,” Brand said. “Yeah, me and Jonah kissed. I don’t even think that’s in the film – we were at home when that happened. He’s a very tender boy.” Hill said that “Nick Stoller, the director, noticed a very unique chemistry between Russell and I during that movie [“Marshal”].” While Brand continues his character Aldous Snow, Hill said “[my] character in “Sarah Marshall” wouldn’t have been interesting to see throughout a whole movie. I hate to say a character I created was one dimensional, but he was more a funny weird stalker-ish guy.” But in this film Hill plays “a character that represents the audience, so it felt like the audience was this person going on a journey.” Brand’s revival of Snow twists his character from sobered, semi-steady bard to addiction-indulgent rocker. “Because I was a junkie for a long time I was able to mine that rich resource of my own madness. They don’t muck about, these Judd Apatow people; they would ask me ‘What was it like? Tell us stories.’ And so there are things in this film that have happened to me,” he said. Rounding the main character set out was a surprising performance from P. Diddy, who Hill said “really helped me get into character. He and his friends took me and my best friends to Vegas the weekend before we started shooting and gave us the full P. Diddy experience for 72 hours. And I recommend, if you’re ever about to start a four-month shoot as the lead in a movie, the three days before should not be spent partying with Diddy in Vegas.” Diddy’s hilarious one liners and seasoned music industry experience added a sense of realism to the film, but Brand’s sordid history and musical input were also strong.
Anchor Photo/Justin Wilder
“I sang all of the songs obviously, out of my face. I opened it up and out came the vibrations. The only times I’ll change it [lyrics] are if people are deliberately trying to write things that sound English, but don’t. I’d go, ‘We would never say that. That is not our attitude toward the monarchy.’ I did a film with Julie Taymor [who] did “Across the Universe.” She was doing an adaptation of “The Tempest” and said, ‘If you want you can improvise over that dialogue.’ Well, err, Shakespeare wrote that, so um, no, I won’t,” he said. Music plays a big part in the film, as it’s centered around the industry and one star in particular, but music also plays big for Hill. “I try and wear T-shirts of bands I really like that are newer that are coming up in the films, and put their music in the movies. Like Dr. Dog gets a lot of exposure from me wearing a Dr. Dog T-shirt in “Funny People.” I was telling Judd I like their music so much they [Apatow
Productions] used their song for one of the campaign ads for “Funny People,”” he said. Hill says if he could hang with any musician ever, “It would have to be John Lennon, and I would probably just walk around New York City and talk to him.” A former New York City resident and performer, Hill has great regard for New Yorknative Woody Allen. “To anyone who makes comedic films, [Allen] is pretty much the premier comedic filmmaker of all time,” he said. “I think he achieved so much emotion and reality to the relationships and so much beauty in these films while still making them hysterically funny and complete films.” Allen’s stage play, “Riverside Drive,” can be seen May 8-9 in the Nazarian Center’s Little Theater. Brand takes his influence from his observations of culture and accent. “I’ve been observing you Americans on a Petri dish called Earth,” he said.
His findings are that “both countries are interested in manners and protocols of different types. We’re thought of as very polite, and some people say as sexually oppressed as English people. I’m fighting very hard to overcome that impression. I am a one-man public enemy of sexual libertarianism, and that’s what I want on my tombstone any time in the next two weeks. We [the English] don’t have the same racial tension, because we didn’t keep slavery until the last possible second.” Brand doesn’t mind being imitated, but “They do that a lot! It happens all the time. Let me preempt the ones [that] say ‘You sound like you’re from London.’ That’s not my line, and ‘bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.’ They’re the ones people do the most and neither of those are my lines. I don’t mind – I like it because it’s sort of a tribute.” If you haven’t already done so, rent “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” and get ready for this summer’s sure comedy hit, “Get Him to the Greek.”
Arts & Entertainment
April 27, 2010
Page 24
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Rock Hunt Night 3 best so far By Edward Taylor Anchor Staff Writer
WXIN’s annual Rock Hunt continued with its third show in the competition last Tuesday. Taking place once again at Firehouse 13 on 41 Central St. in Providence, the night saw local bands Sons of Sedition, June and the Ocean, Wicked Variant and Stalemate rock the stage for a fun night of locally grown music. The third show was probably the best of the hunt so far. The first band up for the night was Wicked Variant. This quirky, three-piece group had a good sound, with the female singer admitting most of their songs being about her past relationships. The band’s tattooclad singer’s odd-ball nature made this band a little easier to watch. The singer joked that she was like a character from a
Still want to hear local music? If you missed the last Rock Hunt, or are just craving for more local music clashes, the next round of WXIN’s annual Rock Hunt will take place on Tuesday, April 27, at Firehouse 13. comic, even to go as far as to wear a masquerade mask while performing, but it bothered me that she didn’t stay in character. The band’s songs sounded similar, and while they had good instrumentals, something just felt like it was lacking. Don’t get me wrong, this band is talented, and definitely deserves their time on stage. The second act of the night was June and the Ocean. The
five-piece band kicked the night into gear with a harder sound than the previous act. They had excellent instrumentals and a talented vocalist. The vocalist of Ocean was sometimes drowned out, especially during their heavier songs, which was a shame because he had a seriously good set of pipes. One of the band’s amps kept picking up a radio station between their songs, which made for some humorous moments on stage. All in all, this band was very good. The third performance was the two-piece band Sons of Sedition. These guys had a great, heavier sound, despite only having two members. The bass wasn’t missed from Sedition, which only had a guitarist who performed vocals and a drummer. The band’s instrumentals were top notch and their vocals were very good. The band also
had a good stage presence for such a small band. The final act of the night was probably one of my favorites of the Rock Hunt so far. Stalemate is a four-piece band that has to have one of the best stage presences I’ve seen – especially for a local band. This group really rocked the stage, having great instrumentals, and the band’s two members who served as vocalists did a great job. The band also had a talented bassist who showed off his skills in an extended bass solo that was rather impressive. What really made this band was their personality. Stalemate’s pianist and co-vocalist was a hyper character jumping around and just being goofy. The pianist spent time walking around the crowd during their set, interacting with the audience while he sang. Creating funny, awkward moments
and egging on the audience to move and get involved with the music, these guys had a great crowd reaction. Stalemate was a lot of fun, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see them return in the final round on May 4. All four of the bands who performed did a great job, and made night three of our college radio station’s Rock Hunt a fun time. The competition has showcased some quality talent coming out of the local scene, and the next show is sure to be no different. Vulgarrity, Glowkid, The New United and The Intel will wrap up Night 4 this week. Whether you have attended every night of the competition so far or have missed the first three shows, don’t miss out on the next round of WXIN’s Rock Hunt at Firehouse 13 on April 27. And, don’t forget the Rock Hunt Finals on May 4.
Stalemate: 56.80 | Sons of Salvation: 37.78 | June and the Ocean: 28.27 | Wicked Variant: 23.28
The lyrical pipes of Pippin By Justin Wilder A&E Editor
The stage was lit and seats packed as RIC’s spring musical production of “Pippin” ended its run to a hearty audience. Set on a glamorous Las Vegas stage, this show within a show transcended time and location. The story begins as The Leading Player, or stage showman (Joey Nicastro), leads the ensemble around the stage and informs the audience of the magical show they’re about to see. Nicastro’s strong presence brought reality to his role in the show, as audiences followed his lyrical narration. Every night a different person has their chance to perform the role of Pippin (Naysh Fox), the son of Holy Roman Emperor Charles Charlemagne (Frank Toti). Pippin, a young man trying to find his way in this world and put meaning in his life, takes the stage as the show begins. Production aesthetics
brought in the Vegas life as colorful lights, synchronized dancers, lavish show costumes and a massive stairway hiding an orchestra band (led by Anthony Torelli) executed the show’s setup. But, it was the performances and humor of the cast that made the show come alive. Pippin’s eager enthusiasm to gain his father’s approval was sharply refused by Charlemagne’s heartless, almost business-like way of family relationships. Even to his new wife Fastrada (Marissa Silva) and stepson Lewis (Adriano Cabral), he was cold and judgmental, but rightfully so, as no so deep down they were after his money and throne. Silva delivered a strong voice as the scheming plotter of misdeeds, and Cabral’s character’s love for himself and technique had the hall in hilarity. Great storytelling techniques were employed for things not-so-stage kosher. Director
Bill Wilson’s delivery of war slaughter and sexual bumbling were as comical as they were expressive. The use of props to manipulate the space helped transform the cast to various locations. But, what’s a musical without dancing? Choreographer Angelica Vessella set it up as the often-oddly dressed ensemble knocked it down. Each ensemble member brought individuality to their character, causing audience members to dart their eyes around stage to see what they were up to. Other strong performances were in the liveliness, wisdom and humor of Berthe (Talia Triangolo), Pippin’s grandmother, and the tender care and growing affection of Catherine (Shayna Eisemann), Pippin’s eventual lover. A bleak ending came as Pippin finished his story, growing more and more disappointed and unfulfilled with the potential of life. But, on the horizon there was hope in the…no, I won’t give away the ending.
Courtesy of moviegoods.com
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Arts & Entertainment
April 27, 2010
Page 25
A ballet from Santa Fe By Justin Wilder A&E Editor
Courtesy of aspensantafe.com
Roberts Hall hosts the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet this Saturday, May 1, at 7:30 p.m. This internationally known ballet company showcases its contemporary style with a European twist as part of the Performing Arts Series. If your girl enjoys dance and you want to take her on a classy night out, just don’t mention the ticket price of $for RIC students. Company artistic director Tom Mossbruker is dedicated to presenting an eclectic repertoire while still striving to attain a balance between creative freedom and uniformity. Their sophisticated and entertaining dances have been created by a number of the world’s foremost
choreographers, including Jorma Elo, George Balanchine, Paul Taylor and Anthony Tudor. Founded by Bebe Schweppe and led by executive director Jean-Phillipe Malaty, the group started as the Aspen Ballet Company in Aspen, Colo., in the 1990s. Renamed Aspen Santa Fe Ballet after moving to Santa Fe, N.M., this group has lit up venues such as New York’s Joyce Theater and Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, as well as stages in Italy, France and Greece. Jennifer Dunning of The New York Times described the Aspen Santa Fe Ballet as a “twinge of wonderment that might charm the most cynical of New York dance fans…They raise the bar, and then they jump over it.”
Cats Don’t Dance By Adam D. Bram Rental Raves
W e l l , readers, there are only two Rental Raves left before the column retires (three if you count the special Commencement episode, which I don’t). I will be doing something special for the last installment. However, I had originally considered using this week’s film as the final, as it encompasses many of my own passions: acting, music, art, animation, funny animals, equality and pop-culture references. This is 1997’s “Cats Don’t Dance.” The year is 1939. Danny (Scott Bakula) is a cat from Kokomo, Ind., who dreams of becoming Hollywood’s most famous song-and-dance man…err…cat. His unbridled optimism and enthusiasm lands him a part in the newest Darla Dimple (Ashley Peldon, sing-
ing voice Lindsay Ridgeway) picture. He soon learns two hard truths, however. The first is that Darla “Hollywood’s Sweetheart Lover of Children and Animals” Dimple is actually a spoiled, hateful brat. The second is that, in this town, cats say “meow” and that’s it. Hollywood is paved with the broken dreams of animal actors who never made it simply because they are animals, and humans get the speaking roles. This doesn’t get Danny down, however. He begins to inspire a small group of actors-turned-cynics: Pudge (Matthew Herried), a young penguin working as a delivery boy, Cranston (Hal Holbrook), a crabby old goat who used to tango like nobody’s business, Frances (Betty Lou Gerson), a fish who used to be Cranston’s dance partner and who’s been through more husbands than films, T.W. (Don Knotts, singing voice Rick Logan), a turtle who went from Shakespearean
actor to timid follower of fortune cookies, Tillie (Kathy Najimy), a kind-but-pushy hippo, Woolie (John Rhys-Davies), an elephant pianist whose only noteworthy gig is playing Mammoth Studios’s mascot at every film’s title card, and finally Sawyer (Jasmine Guy, singing voice Natalie Cole), a cat whose fall from singer to secretary left her the most downtrodden and doubtful of all. Danny’s confidence and buoyancy begins to get them all remembering why they came to Hollywood in the first place, and to begin to fight for their parts. This doesn’t sit well with Darla, whose fear of being upstaged drives her to make sure none of them work in this town again. This animated film from Warner Brothers has got to be one of the best non-Disney films of the medium (thought it follows similar formats). The animation is fantastic. The story is engaging and captures the feeling of old Hollywood.
Courtesy of fanpop.com
Using animals to tell an antiracism story is clever enough and doesn’t quite feel as heavyhanded as it technically is. The songs by Randy Newman are fantastic, and don’t necessarily sound like Randy Newman songs as much as something like “Princess and the Frog” did (I find his work likable enough, but it does have a tendency to sound like the same song or two over and over). Darla Dimple is a
TURNER : ‘CATS DON’T DANCE’ SCOTT BAKULA JASMINE GUY JOHN RHYS-DAVIES k MARK DINDAL
wonderful villain, being sort of Shirley Temple’s evil twin, and putting such a demonic soul in a little kid’s body. The voice cast is amazing (who knew Scott Bakula could sing so well?); it manages to be laugh-outloud hilarious one second and poignant the next. Definitely a must-see for any fan of animation or classic Hollywood. Also starring the voices of Rene Aberjonois and director Mark Dindal.
Arts & Entertainment
April 27, 2010
Page 26
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Review forecast: Heavy Rain By Sami Masadi Anchor Staff Writer
As water pours in continuous showers, it constantly changes and shifts. It’s never the same from moment to moment, yet we still know it by one name: rain. We also know developer Quantic Dream’s latest title by one name, “Heavy Rain,” but just like rain, it too is amorphous with its “fluid” story that changes with every play through. It’s so shapeless, in fact, that I find it difficult to describe. I suppose I could call it “interactive drama,” but what the hell does that mean? Is it a game? Is it cinema? A combination of the two? I’m not entirely sure. One thing’s for sure, though: “Heavy Rain” offers an amazing experience – whatever that experience is – that PS3 owners won’t want to miss. Right from the very start, the game presents some of its most captivating moments, as its exposition sets the tone for the rest of the story. Against the backdrop of main character Ethan Mars’s ideal life, the title introduces you to the distinctive, adventure-style gameplay. At first glance, it has you guide Ethan through his seemingly ordinary life: you’ll have him go to the bathroom, take a shower, shave, brush his teeth and so on. Your control, however, is rife with emotion, as you feel what the character feels. I found, for example, Ethan’s playtime with his kids later on quite fascinating. Though I am not a parent myself, I still felt the joy of being a parent through my interactive control of Ethan. The way every action makes you truly empathize with the character makes even the most ordinary ones feel extraordinary. As you advance through the narrative of Ethan and the other three characters, the simple actions further complement the more meaningful events. During certain dire situations in the latter part of the narrative, Ethan can still go to the bathroom,
wash his face and do other apparently menial things. They only mean anything because of your interactivity, which not only allows you to empathize with a given character, but also lets you imbue story situations with character actions that you find realistic and plausible. The actual game controls, meanwhile, represent one of the most impressive elements that greatly enhance the player’s empathy with a given character. As you move a character around an environment, icons appear over objects that indicate specific controls allowing for context-sensitive actions. The developers clearly took great care to make your control input resemble the characters’ corresponding actions. As an example, in the scene where character Scott Shelby cradles a baby, you must slowly move the analog stick in half circles to mimic the action and successfully have Shelby rock the infant to sleep. In addition, the game uses arguably the best implementation of the PS3’s Sixaxis motion controls ever for actions that make you truly feel in tune with the characters. Your frantic tilting of the controller during one tense scenario helps you feel unity with Ethan’s abrupt turns of the steering wheel as he drives against traffic on a highway. And character Norman Jaden’s forensics tool, ARI, provides some cool “Minority Report” style with fun uses for the Sixaxis. The motion controls, button presses and the stick movements feel incredibly intuitive, as they add to your emotional investment in characters by actually making you emulate their physical movements. As I’ve hinted, something drastic happens that dramatically leaves Ethan’s initially ideal life in shambles, and the general aesthetics of the game greatly reflect the tonal shift. While the sunshine and bright colors of Ethan’s pristine architectural spectacle of a house make wonderful use of
Courtesy of heavyrainps3.com
the PS3’s graphical power, they really serve to make the rainsoaked darkness of the drama more effective by contrast. After a serial killer known as the Origami Killer kidnaps Ethan’s son, the rest of the tale depicts Ethan’s desperate struggle to face the killer’s trials so that he can rescue the boy. Most of the story reflects the intrigue of a fine crime drama, though some parts, such as Ethan’s blackouts, seem too convenient and aren’t fully explained. You’ll also play as three other interesting characters whose stories tie intricately with Ethan’s: Norm, the FBI agent, Shelby, the private investigator and Madison Paige, the reporter. Without a doubt, “Heavy Rain’s” most intriguing aspect must be its experimental focus on interactive storytelling. True, the game showcases the more traditional, cinematic “quick-time” mini-games during fast-paced action scenes, but really they are only a small portion of the main event. The way you direct the characters, essentially, is the game. There’s nothing more heart-pounding and exciting than when, during a climactic
police chase across rooftops, Ethan gets cornered on a ledge, and because you make your decision, he stretches out his arms and falls backwards off the building. Through a combination of your successful (or unsuccessful) completion of the quick-time events and your direct choices, you ultimately determine the outcome of the story. And perhaps the reason why I find the title’s interactive storytelling so amazing is that it largely shatters traditional preconceptions of protagonist and antagonist. I think I can safely spoil one detail: one of the four playable characters is the Origami Killer. Unlike most narratives that blur lines between hero and villain, the revelation hits the player much more personally. Because I played as and directed the character, I not only grew to care for the person, but the villain, in a way, became a reflection of me. A brilliant move by the developers, the revelation of the killer reflects a marvel of interactive storytelling. The fact that the developers thoroughly authored a nonlinear storyline means that the results of major events change depend-
ing on your choices, yet still surprisingly feel satisfying no matter what you do. Some of the best scenes in the game, in fact, arise only when you “fail” to perform certain actions. You can completely miss, for example, Norm’s daring escape from a vehicle compactor and the resulting fight scene. I enjoyed my first play through, but when I purposefully played events differently in my second play through – even killing off Norm, my favorite character – I actually liked the resulting storyline far more. “Heavy Rain” conveys a wondrous achievement in interactive storytelling. Although it does use its fair share of non-interactive cut scenes, the experience on the whole suits the shifting rains of the player’s imagination. Unlike most games, it doesn’t compromise character development in favor of interactivity, and employs the development to create some of the most sympathetic and empathetic characters in video game history. Indeed, Quantic developed an extraordinary title, one of the best the PS3 has to offer.
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Arts & Entertainment
April 27, 2010
Page 27
All Jakked up By Robert Lefebvre Rob’s Game Shelf
Once upon a time when I started the Game Shelf, my first review was of “Jak & Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.” A couple years after this game’s release, a sequel came out called “Jak II,” and it changed the whole scope of the series and has been hailed as one of the best games of the PS2 era. “Jak II” was released in October 2003 by Naughty Dog and SCEA for the PS2. The story continues the adventures of Jak and Daxter, though for some reason Daxter is left out of the title despite him always being the show stealer. Anyway, Jak, Daxter and their friends have discovered a strange portal and do what any sensible people would do: construct a vehicle to jettison themselves right through it. Shockingly, things go wrong and Jak and Daxter find themselves separated from their friends and dumped in a place called Haven City and captured by guards. Daxter escapes but Jak is taken away. Fast forward two years later, and it turns out Jak has been used in experiments with something called dark eco, an incredibly harmful substance. Daxter finds Jak and they escape. Afterwards, they meet up with an underground resistance movement fighting Baron Praxis, the totalitarian leader of Haven City, who is fighting an aggressive species called the Metal Heads, but is actually secretly helping them. The duo join the resistance and get caught up in the three-way war against the baron’s forces and the Metal Heads. Two things that really stand out about this game are the gameplay and the setting. They really take a turn from the kidfriendly, E-rated gameplay and setting of the first game. In the first game, you were in a peace-
ful little land with your typical settings of snowy areas, creepy caves, inside volcanoes, underwater areas and the like. Now we are in a dystopian city where the outskirts are war-torn ruins or dangerous wildlife-ridden areas. Also, the game incorporates sandbox-style gameplay. When you are in Haven City, you are free to roam around and do whatever you want. However, cause too much trouble and guards will come after you. Attack a guard and they will turn up the heat big time. So you have to get out fast or become bullet-stuffed Jak. One other change from the first game I really liked is that Jak is no longer a silent hero. He actually speaks to the other characters, allowing for more interaction than the last game. The video game gods are gracious. The gameplay in the first game consisted simply of handto-hand combat and harnessing eco to bring out different kinds of powers, while staying away from dark eco. In “Jak II,” dark eco is the only eco you use and you can harness it to turn into a beast and unleash even more powerful attacks. And when you are not in dark eco form, you can still use hand-to-hand combat, but now you are allowed to use guns, all with various firepower. “Jak II” is rated T, while “Jak & Daxter” was rated E. No one’s afraid to curse up a storm or turn up the violence. Also, while the first game was only about 8-10 hours long, this game goes 30 hours easily. And the story is surprisingly deep and well-written. I know I was bashing it a bit in the beginning, but it does quickly grow into a compelling narrative. One other added feature is that of a hoverboard that Jak uses from time to time. It’s used to get away from enemies when no vehicles are around and to reach otherwise unreachable areas. Oh Jak, you bojo. Hoverboards don’t work on water, unless you’ve got power.
One thing that “Jak II” keeps is the 3D platforming levels, which always manage to be pretty good. But there are a few flaws that do come with this great game. First of all, the camera is not always cooperative, and it can be a matter of life and death as you can’t tell where your enemies are in proportion to you. Second, the reaction time is not always up to speed. When you need to whip out a certain weapon, or the hoverboard on the spot, sometimes this little problem shows up and you become bullet soufflé yet again. It’s more abundant with the hoverboard controls and it’s really frustrating, as a slow reaction almost certainly leads to exploring a bottomless pit headfirst.
But the problem that gets to me the most with this game is the failure of it to restore the ammo in my guns after I’ve died. That’s right – if you die, when you’re restored to the checkpoint, your ammo is not restored. You have to start again only with the ammo you have left. How could something like this be overseen? Ammo is abundant throughout the game, but there are some areas where there is none around and you need it badly. It’s just so frustrating because you can quickly run out of the ammo you need and each retry will become harder and harder. This problem even carries over into “Jak 3” and “The Lost Frontier.” But despite a few minor flaws, this is definitely a very good game. It had a great
story, a very good blend of several gameplay elements, and an awesome setting. It’s definitely one of the best games for the PS2 I’ve played. If there’s one thing “Jak II” did that I can appreciate, it’s that it decided to grow up with its original audience. All the 12 and 13-year-olds who played the first game were a couple years older and probably thinking that guns and dark stories are actually pretty cool. Naughty Dog seemed to get this and managed to come up with something that all the players of the first game would appreciate, and it worked perfectly. Now if only they could do the same with “Tomb Raider,” “Final Fantasy” and our economy.
Courtesy of gamespot.com
April 27, 2010
Page 28
Arts & Entertainment
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Up-to-Date: Bleach Chapter 400 By Julie Kessler Anchor Staff Writer
After a brief hiatus, I have returned. This week, Tite Kubo’s manga, “Bleach,” takes the spotlight with its 400th chapter. A warning to dedicated fans: there are spoilers ahead. In the last few updates of “Bleach,” Ichigo finally enters the battle against Aizen, attacking with the full power of his sword. Although Ichigo manages to slice Aizen, it appears Aizen possesses a power similar to high-speed regeneration. Aizen later reveals that he has inserted the Hōgyoku into his chest, which is how he is able to heal so quickly. Continuing with the banter, according to Aizen, every battle Ichigo has fought was planned, “play[ing] out in the palm of [his] hand.” When Aizen elaborates on his revealed information, he claims to have “assisted in [Ichigo’s] development” for his research. Further, he mocks Ichigo for not noticing the coincidences in his battles: that Ichigo “fought with each [opponent] when [his] power was in such a condition to do so,” rather than being overwhelmed. The new information horrifies Ichigo, who attacks in rage, but to no avail. Finally, Aizen discloses a deeper secret, that he has been observing Ichigo “since the time [he] was born.” In the last two pages, a truth implied from the beginning is confirmed
again to the readers, and for the first time to Ichigo: that Ichigo is actually part Shinigami. In the final panel, Ichigo’s father, Isshin Kurosaki, finally appears, garbed in a Shinigami uniform. Isshin’s first act when arriving on the scene is head-butting his son, which Aizen comments is a smart way to keep their distance. Although Isshin offers to explain everything about their lineage, Ichigo responds that it can wait until Isshin is ready, as Isshin must have had good reasons for not telling him before then. Isshin is amazed at how much Ichigo has matured, but Ichigo admits his words were borrowed, remembering when Rukia told him something similar. Finally, former Captain Gin Ichimaru enters the fight (as he has been watching the entire time), and Ichigo suddenly appears behind him, sword drawn. Ichigo attacks Gin, as Isshin fights Aizen. As Isshin and Aizen exchange blows, Ichigo and Gin exchange words. Gin recalls the first time they fought when Ichigo first entered Soul Society. Gin initially thought Ichigo was interesting, but now says “you’re just creepy.” He then describes his bankai, the highest sword level, claiming his sword is the longest of all the zampakuto, stretching thirteen kilometers. Showing off, he cuts buildings of the fake Karakura town in half. Ichigo uses his bankai to stop Gin’s from hitting him, and the last
Courtesy of ourmanga.com
panel shows Gin confirming his thoughts on Ichigo, claiming once again, “You really are a creepy kid.” The most recent update, chapter 400, begins showing Rangiku, Gin’s former friend, watching the battle from her position on the ground, wounded. Gin claims he should kill Ichigo quickly, showing off his sword to reveal its fast return to a compact size. Ichigo is startled by the retraction, as he had been watching the sword the entire time, not noticing how small it had become. As the two battle, Ichigo
realizes length is not Gin’s bankai; his bankai is how quickly the sword can extend and retract. Gin claims there is no way Ichigo can defeat him, as he has the fasted sword, but the two continue to fight. Meanwhile, Isshin seems to have worn down Aizen. Aizen admits, “I am at the end of my rope…At least, as a shinigami.” In the final panel, it appears the Hōgyoku is altering Aizen in some way. As “Bleach” appears to be reaching the climax of the current arc, Kubo is placing all of the proverbial pieces on the
chessboard. The inclusion of Isshin has been long awaited by many fans who wondered where he was, as Karakura town was his home. Kubo’s take on the father-son dynamic between Isshin and Ichigo is well done, as their relationship manages a comedic mixture of immaturity and seriousness. Additionally, Gin and Aizen, the two major antagonists, are finally included in the battle. Next chapter, we will see Aizen become even more powerful. Oh, joy.
Sports
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April 27, 2010
Page 29
Relax, Red Sox fans By Kelsey Gamble Anchor Contributor
Another year, another heartwrenching six months for Red Sox fans as they go through the twists and turns of the baseball season. Currently the Red Sox, with their new-look offence, defense and pitching staff, have managed to look subpar at best. Currently, they sit in fourth place in the very strong AL East, already dropping six of seven games against the Yankees and the Rays at home. They were once deemed to have the best pitching rotation in baseball. By the way their pitching has been most recently, it seems that even a high school girl’s softball team could outdo them. Let’s start with the big three: Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and newly acquired and highly overpaid John Lackey. They have a rudimentary two wins combined in the first 17 games, with ERAs above 4. With all the money being given to these three pitchers, you have to
expect more from them considering the competition they have already begun to face at the beginning of this season. Flat out, they need to step up their game if the Red Sox are going to have any chance towards making it to the World Series. And then there is Tim Wakefield. The ageless wonder himself, with every start he looks more and more like he’s ready for a nursing home. At the age of 43, he’s posted a winless season with more than six runs so far. Maybe his recent demotion to the bullpen, making way for Daisuke Matsuzaka, will help put Wakefield back on track to his former self. The Red Sox picked up a whole new side of the infield with the additions of perennial Gold Glover Adrian Beltre to play third base for the injured Mike Lowell and, for the fifthstraight year, a new shortstop, Marco Scutaro, who is coming off his best season as a pro. Also, they added a brand-new centerfielder in Mike Cameron, whose acquisition is designed
to help solidify an already solid outfield. The Red Sox philosophy this year was defense and pitching to win games at the expense of the offense. The new players, as of now, have not shown as well as they have in the past, by making errors that little leaguers wouldn’t make, putting more stress on an even morebeleaguered pitching staff. It’s looking more and more like the moves that Theo Epstein are making haven’t worked out so far and if it doesn’t work out soon, more moves are needed to be made. And now for the fun part – the woeful hitting. A team that in the past years seemed to just slug homeruns and score at will, always seeming to get the big two-out hits, have seen a stretch where in a four-game sweep at the hands of the hated Rays the Red Sox go 0-for-32 with runners in scoring position. How can you win games like this? The answer is: you can’t. They are getting no production from anyone other than Dustin Pe-
Courtesy of zimbio.com
Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett. droia at this point in the season, and with the injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Mike Cameron the offense has to rely on minor leaguers to pick up the slack. On the bright side, it is early in the season. The pitching will come around; they have five solid starters that are proven in the league. They have a solid closer and a good defense, even though they are not playing well right now. All they need to do
is hang around in the division until the All-Star Break where they can acquire a big bat to help bolster the offense and put this team back on track to where we thought they would be. So relax ,Red Sox fans, we have the team in place to challenge for a title. We’ve been through this before – the ups and the downs. The ups are coming; we all just need to be patient.
April 27, 2010
Page 30
COACH from page
32
UMass Boston had two of their first three batters reach base to have runners at first and second with only one out. Taryn Asta then singled off Berard, scoring the runner from second, cutting the lead to 4-3. However, that is all they could generate, and Coach Morin’s 400th career victory was a 4-3 win over the Beacons. In the second game, Rhode Island College wasted no time and quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead within the first three innings. Perrin’s RBI and an error by the Beacon’s defense gave RIC a 2-0 lead after one inning. In the bottom of the
Sports third, Chelsi Panarelli and Emily Johnson each had a RBI single to extend the lead to 4-0. Kyla Puccini took the mound for RIC and was dominate over her 5.2 innings of work. Within those 5.2 innings, Puccini gave up one run on eight hits, leaving the Anchorwomen in a great spot to complete the sweep. Berard then took over for Puccini to finish the final 1.1 innings. Berard gave up two runs on three hits, but it was still good enough to earn the save, as the Anchorwomen defeated the Beacons 4-3 in the night cap, sweeping the doubleheader. Coming up next for the Anchorwomen is a doubleheader on April 24 starting at 5 p.m. against Western Connecticut State at RIC.
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WARRIORS from page
32
way, and the Anchormen were unable to close the deficit, with a final score of 13-8. Paul Jim Schult was awarded the win for the Warriors (4-1) and Paul Vatter (2-2) was credited with the loss for the Anchormen. The second game of the afternoon gave the Anchormen a chance to even the score, but yet again the Warriors struck first with an RBI double by Jim Schult that scored John Parke. Stone scored for the Anchormen in the top of the third off a groundout by Tim Schabowski to even the score. The Warriors fought back with three runs of their own in the bottom of the inning to take a commanding 4-1 lead. In the top of the fifth,
Think Summer.
Gary Levesque sunk a deep homerun for the Anchormen to cut the Warriors lead to 4-3. The Warriors returned fire with a thunderous two-run homerun of their own by Andrew Dewing to increase their lead to 6-3 in the bottom of the inning. The game remained a defensive battle, with little action on either side until the Anchormen’s eighth inning. With Bracchi and Levesque at the corners, Greg Palmer was brought in to pinch hit for Andrew Sceeles. Palmer connected with the Matt Fontaine pitch and knocked in both runners to cut down the Warriors lead, 6-5. The Anchormen made quick work of the Warriors in the top of the eighth and came up to bat for the last time of the game. With runners on second and third, Rossi came to the plate.
On a crucial pitch, Will Musson struck out Rossi swinging. With two out and two on, down by one run, Levesque came to the plate. With a chance to win the game, the RIC star came up short when he grounded out to the first basemen to end the ballgame. Levesque (2-1) had the chance to win the game back for the Anchormen but was credited with his first loss instead, and Fontaine (4-1) received the win. Will Musson was credited with the save for his efforts in holding the Anchormen at bay in 1.1 innings of work for the Warriors. This loss marked a five-game losing streak for the Anchormen, the worst of the season, who are 1-7 in their last eight games. RIC fell to 17-12 (6-4 in the Little East) with the loss.
Think RIC.
Two 6-week summer sessions: Summer Session I: May 24 - July 2 Summer Sessions II: July 6 – August 13 For a complete list of summer course offerings and detailed information on how to register for summer classes, go to www.ric.edu and click on the Summer Sessions 2010 icon >
COURSE HIGHLIGHTS Business Law | The Bebop Era | Sport in America from 1945 to Present | Latin American | Mestizo Culture Women’s Stories across Cultures | Calculus | Organic Chemistry | Underworld and Upperworld Crime | East Asian Popular Cinema | Estate Planning | Field School in Archaeology | Crime and Criminal Justice | Ethics Power and Community | Contemporary Black Theatre Dreamweaver | The Holocaust and Other Genocides Astronomy | Women, Crime, and Representation Introductory Psychology | Theories and Methods of Counseling | Twentieth-Century Art | Public Speaking Computers in Management | Macroeconomics Adolescent Literature | The American Presidency
Sports
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Spring sports stats RHODE ISLAND COLLEGE INVITATIONAL (GOLF) Name
Place
Front Back
Total
Par
Kyle Garcia (Fr.)
2nd
38
40
78
+6
Bryan Picinisco (Jr.)
5th
43
39
82
+10
Barrett Kern (Fr.)
5th
42
40
82
+10
Kyle Harper(Fr.)
10th
42
42
84
+12
Justin Coffey (Fr.)
12th
40
45
85
+13
Rhode Island College won the match with a team score of 326.
WOMEN’S TRACK TEAM RESULTS 200 Meter Dash Brooke Iby (Sr.), 8th, 29.06
4x100 Meter Relay Rhode Island College, 4th, 55.02
400 Meter Dash Brooke Iby (Sr.) , 3rd, 61.69
4x400 Meter Relay Rhode Island College, 4th, 4:22.84
1,500 Meter Run Katie Desrosiers (Jr.), 7th, 5:11.42
Triple Jump Brooke Iby (Sr.), 1st, 10.84m; 35-06.75
5,000 Meter Run Nicole Poirier (Jr.), 6 th, 22:37.07
Shot Put Kristen Donovan (Fr.), 15th, 7.48m; 24-06.50
10,000 Meter Run Brittany Richer (Fr.), 5th, 44:47.49
Discus Throw Kristen Donovan (Fr.), 9th, 27.31m; 89-07.00
100 Meter Hurdles Kayla Diblasi (Jr.), 3rd, 16.00 Jamie Nunes (Jr.), 10th, 16.83
Javelin Throw Ashley Nyzio (Sr.), 4th, 32.86m; 107-10 Kristen Donovan (Fr.), 9th, 22.78m; 74-09
400 Meter Hurdles Kayla Diblasi (Jr.), 3rd, 67.80
MEN’S TRACK TEAM RESULTS 100 Meter Dash Aloysius Togbah (Fr.), 18th, 11.90 Michael Cole (Fr.), 27th, 12.11 Christopher Da Luz (So.), 40th, 14.08 200 Meter Dash George N’Tow (Fr.), 4th, 23.29 Michael Cole (Fr.), 11th, 23.74 Aloysius Togbah (Fr.), 21st, 29.94 Christopher Da Luz (So.), 32nd, 29.80 400 Meter Dash George N’Tow (Fr.), 1st, 49.43 Steve Roberts (Fr.), 12th, 52.98 800 Meter Run Matthew Macedo (Fr.), 7th, 2:00.67 Austin Pena (Fr.), 10th, 2:01.99 1,500 Meter Run Conor McCloskey (Fr.), 7th, 4:12.47
Conor Breagy (Fr.), 10th, 4:20.51 Ethan Leary (So.), 16th, 4:41.68 Christopher Allegretta (Jr.), 17th, 4:52.65
April 27, 2010
Page 31
Anchormen suffer winless week By Nate Chorney Anchor Staff Writer
The Anchormen took on three teams last week on the baseball diamond. They faced off against Roger Williams, UMass Dartmouth and Worcester State. The Roger Williams Hawks fought hard to stay afloat against the Anchormen. This proved to be a tough, tooth and nail, extra innings ball game, back and forth the whole way through. Matt Thadeio was brought in to close the game while the Anchormen held a tight lead of 8-7 in the top of the ninth. Thadeio gave up two hits, but the blame was to fall on the third basemen John Stone who committed two errors that allowed runners to advance and then allowed P.J. Gouthro to score, which sent the game to extra innings. In the top of the tenth inning, the Hawks scored one run on a fielder’s choice, and Kyle Dumont walked in a run to give the Hawks a 10-8 lead to put the Anchormen in a do-or-die situation. Unfortunately, the Hawks picked off the Anchormen one-two-three to end the game. The UMass Dartmouth Corsairs played the Anchormen on Anchormen Field in another nail-biting, close
matchup. The score remained tight throughout the whole game. The two teams were keeping up with each other and the Anchormen went into the top of the ninth inning with a minimal 7-6 lead over the Corsairs. Bobby Venditto gave up a double down the right field line that allowed J. Granahan to score. Thadeio was brought in for relief to minimize more damage, but gave up a single to Matt Ryan to left-centerfield which scored Zak Talis. Down by one run, the Anchormen came up for their last bats but again went out in three straight at bats to end the game. On a two game, skid the Anchormen were on the road against the Worcester State Lancers. Both teams were swinging the bats hard in this high-scoring shootout. Despite the amount of hitting and runs scored the Lancers kept control of the score the entire game. Shaun Slattery (4-0) remained unbeaten thus far this season while Andrew McKeon (1-3) continued to struggle and dropped another game. There were a total of five homeruns in this game, three by Worcester State and two by RIC. The Anchormen dropped their third-straight game in this 15-10 loss against the Lancers.
10,000 Meter Run Mike Macedo (Jr.), 4th, 33:39.48 400 Meter Hurdles Sean Ceccofiglio (Fr.), 5th, 59.65 3,000 Meter Steeplechase Kyle Mann (So.), 6th, 10:49.10 4x100 Meter Relay Rhode Island College, 4th, 44.75 4x400 Meter Relay Rhode Island College, 2nd, 3:28.58 High Jump Steve Roberts, 3rd, 1.76 m; 5-09.25
Anchor Photo/Devin Noll
Sophomore Kyle Allaire slides into second base.
Sports
April 27, 2010
Page 32
sports@anchorweb.org
Anchor Photo/Devin Noll
Sophomore Kyle Allaire batting against UMass Dartmouth last week.
Coach Morin joins 400 club By Andrew Augustus Sports Editor
Rhode Island College has been lucky to have a coach like Maria Morin stay around the team for as long as she has. Over this semester, her efforts have paid off once again, as the Rhode Island College softball team swept Little East Conference foe, UMass Boston, in a doubleheader over the weekend. What made those wins even more special were that they were Morin’s 400th and 401st career victories as the head coach. The Anchorwomen took the field looking to continue their dominance. However, the Beacons had other plans.
Rhode Island College sent Jenna Deveines to the mound, where she quickly seated two Beacons. Sue Killilea stepped up to the plate and rattled off a double to keep the inning alive. Then, Maria Nasta got hold of a Deveines pitch and sent it over the fence, giving the Beacons an early 2-0 lead. Instead of losing her composure, Deveines struck out the next batter to end the inning. Over the next few innings, the Anchorwomen and the Beacons kept each other at bay, and neither team could score. Rhode Island College switched Amanda Berard in for Deveines and Berard kept the Beacons scoreless. The scoreless streak
ended when RIC’s Amanda Perry singled, which drove in Allyson Durkin, putting the Anchorwomen within one in the bottom of the fifth inning. The very next pitch, Marisa Jandreau hit a single that scored Kristina Gingell to tie up the game. Kayla Jandreau then flew out to right, recording the first out of the inning. After the Jandreau at bat, Michelle Perrin grounded out to short but, was hit well enough for Perry to score, giving the Anchorwomen a 3-2 lead. Another single by Donielle Mattoon drove in Jandreau, giving RIC a two-run lead. In the top half of the sixth, See COACH Page 30
Warriors sweep Anchormen By Nate Chorney Anchor Staff Writer
Last Saturday, the RIC Anchormen were on the road again for another doubleheader. Men’s baseball squared off against the Eastern Connecticut Warriors at the Mansfield Complex in Mansfield, Conn. The Warriors were the first to put runs on the board in the bottom of the first inning with an RBI double by Melvin Castillo that scored John Parke. RIC wasted no time and took over the lead with two runs off singles hit by Justin Corso and Kevin Carey. Eastern Connecticut fired right back with an explosive homerun by Joe Cousineau to inch ahead of the Anchormen 3-2 at the end of the second inning. The Anchormen made
some mistakes in the bottom of the third, which allowed for three unearned runs. Corso allowed a Matt Thadeio pitch to slip past him, which let Travis Bass score, and an error by the third basemen John Stone caused the additional unearned runs. By the end of the inning, the damage to the Anchormen was severe, and they began sinking dramatically – down 8-2 when the third inning finally came to a close. The top of the fourth showed some offensive life for RIC with an RBI single by Carey, who ended up scoring on a wild pitch. The Anchormen struggled throughout the rest of the first game of the doubleheader. The scoring was here and there the rest of the See WARRIORS Page 30