csu men’s BaseBall Preview by Steve Thomas

The The

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Cauldron TUESDAY | February 19, 2008

csucauldron.com

T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F C L E V E L A N D S TAT E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 9 2 9

CSU Men’s Baseball Preview

Refuses To Settle For Less With 24 New Faces Viking’s Baseball Sets Sights on National Title

The Melting Pot Andrea’s Anecdotes Page 3

News

Chelsea Clinton Speaks at Cleveland State Page 8

Culture

Elements Bistro Review! Page 12

Sports

No.9 Bulter Sneaks Past CSU

Page 19

>> PLUS

Reminiscing “The Shot” of March Madness

Five Questions with Bryce Drew Page 20

Volume 106, No. 6

This Week

Tuesday February 19, 2008

Ilustration by Michael Quintero

Contents T he Melting Pot

Feature

One Year Since Britney Spears has Shaved Her Head What Have We Learned Since? Andrea’s Anecdotes

Sports Refuses to Settle For Less by Reid May

News Army Begins $40,000 Recruit Bonus in Cleveland Student Lottery for Democratic Debate SGA Updates Chelesa Clinton Speaks at Clevelan State Obama Campaign Rallies Supporters in Cleveland Homeless Stand Down

The For the Students...By the Students

Editorial Staff: Andrea Mitchell, Editor-In-Chief Laura Dynda, Managing Editor Jayson Gerbec, Advertising Manager Katie Shoemaker, Advertising Rep. Ebony Cash, News Editor Ilona Westfall, Culture Editor Nick Camino, Sports Editor Steve Thomas, Layout Editor Michael Quintero, Cartoonist Brian Thomas, Distribution Manager Anne Werner, Business Manager

Culture

No. 9 Butler Sneaks Past CSU Vikings Roll Past Ailing Crusaders Viking Swimmers Looking for title Revenge Cavs GM Danny Ferry seems well on his way Reminiscing “The Shot” of March Madness

Elements Bistro on Euclid brings an upscale touch to the Cleveland State campus Are They Worth a Listen? Nothing spells love like death metal Mere Witness art exhibit melds faith and art

Staff Writers: Reid May, Mark Jablonski, Faith Larraine, Jamie DuBois, Mark Katzbach, Chris Enoch, Scott Arko, Robert Ivory, Sabrina Peacock, Roman Verzub, Emily Ouzts, Whitney Maddox-Foster, Dan Hallowell Contributing Writers: Shanette D. Buford, Francis X. Bova III, Sairah Zaidi, M.P. Beller The Melting Pot The Cauldron reserves the right to edit letters for space and clarity. All entries must include your name, year-in-school, and daytime phone number for verification purposes. All entries must be submitted by Friday at 5 p.m.

To submit cauldroneditors@hotmail.com

regarding campus issues, positive or negative, and will be sent directly to President Schwartz in order to bring more student awareness.

Campus Life Releases 100 words or less: Organization name and phone number must be included. Releases are for student organizations only and should include the event date, time, and location.

Advertising Policy For advertising inquiries e-mail cauldronadvertisements@hotmail.com or call (216) 6872270.

Letters to the Editor 800 words or less: Letters must be in response to a written article or campus issue.

Contact Us: Cleveland State University 4th Floor Cole Center Cleveland, Ohio 44115 (216) 687-2270 / (216) 687-5155 www.csucauldron.com

editorials, articles, etc.:

Student Columns 600-800 words: Columns can be submitted by students

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One Year Since Britney Spears Shaved Her Head What Have We Learned Since? Story by Laura Dynda

t has been one year since Britney Spears shaved her head. I am sure that all of you know exactly where you were at the moment when you found out that the once bubbly pop star turned into a nut…so to speak. I was at work and could hear CNN Headline News talk about it incessantly every hour on the hour, sometimes more. At the time I was praying that someone…anyone could make some news, so that I did not have to listen about the Anna Nicole Smith death over and over again. I still do not know what the obsession about her death was about. Her death got more news coverage than President Gerald Ford’s, which is sad. After a year, what has the American public learned since? Well, for starters that Spears has more problems than anyone including me cared to know about. In a way I feel sorry for the woman who has been carried out of her house on a stretcher. No one deserves the media coverage that she has been getting. The paparazzi is getting away with stalking her in such big groups that

at times they mob her. It must be quite an experience to be Britney Spears, who is a news event in herself though she doesn’t do anything. Her silly actions like buying Starbucks or going to the gas station make more news than anything else. Why is that? Why do people care what she does? Since after all everyone just butchers her in the media. I am so tired of hearing ‘Britney Spears did this today,’ or ‘You just won’t believe what we caught Britney Spears doing today.’ Her life is a ticking time bomb, at some point she is going to crack, if she hasn’t already. It seems that no one wants to help her. Her mother and father just let her continue in her actions. I wish news organizations could cover something else that is more important than the daily trials of Britney Spears. There are more important things in life. Why are Americans obsessed with celebrities? It used to be that celebrities were only photographed at premieres and award shows. Now nothing is off limits to photographers

After a year, what has the American public learned since? Well, for starters that Spears has more problems than anyone including me cared to know about. and magazines. Photos of their children are usually always in the tabloids. Things that used to be considered private are now in the public domain. When will it stop? It was thought that after Princess Diana’s death that the paparazzi would stop hounding people in the public life, but that was probably too wishful of thinking. As for now, I will not be a member of the society that cares about the trials and tribulations of a Ms. Britney Spears. It is hard to do this, because eventually information is filtered in a way that it is hard to not listen to.

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Andrea’s Anecdotes Story by Andrea Mitchell

he four and a half mile stretch that is the Euclid Corridor Project in Cleveland State University’s front yard is a success? The Plain Dealer has reported that the sum of $4.3 billion in investment has been contributed to the project that runs from Public Square to University Circle. Despite this seemingly great news I still have yet to see fore myself the success of the project. I haven’t seen a blossoming of business on Euclid Avenue through the completed sections. As for the sections still under construction, good luck even finding your way around them. I don’t mean to be a cynic still, but whenever I drive down Euclid Avenue I can’t seem to figure out what lane is the turning lane and where it is okay and not okay to park. Even worse than my driving incapability is the fact that with the center divider, where people sit to wait for the bus, more people seem to be jaywalking. So upon my frustration with this “appar-

ent” success I would like to break down my pet peeves of the Euclid Corridor piece by piece. First of all I am completely distracted by the buses’ private stoplights. Whatever system of white dashes and triangles that the buses are running on does not make sense to normal people. Where I think they each just stand for green, yellow and red, I still wonder why they have to be different from the normal lights. I know they are just there for bus drivers, but seriously are we expected not to look and try to figure out what the symbols mean? Secondly I am really annoyed by the buses’ private lane. The bus lanes are the whole point of the Euclid Corridor Project, but with their creation I find myself driving in the bus lane more often than not. Why is it that these lanes always look like two left turning lanes? Which one do I use? And when I finally have figured out which lane I should put my compact in, why is it that the SUV next to me is still driving and making right-turns from the bus lane? Thirdly I really just don’t understand the concept of the whole idea. While generating business in Cleveland is what I would consider one of the most important things this city needs to do, is spending over four billion on buses really necessary? The RTA has always been great at linking together the city and making

5 $4.3 billion in investment has been contributed to the project it accessible to everyone. Therefore spending money that could be used on schools, fixing up lower income neighborhoods and paying Cleveland police on another bus lane just doesn’t seem to be necessary. All in all I really think that next time the geniuses at RTA or whatever Federal Transportation Administration decide to tear up a huge section of a city they should let the commuters decide if it’s necessary. And while The Plain Dealer marvels at this success I still think about the businesses that couldn’t make it long enough through the total demolition to see it. But in the end maybe I’m just upset at the fact that I get cut-off every time I drive down Euclid, I’ve recently parked on a sidewalk and haven’t a clue as to how to make a left turn or where it’s okay to make a U-turn for the entire stretch of Euclid Avenue. So I just have to assume that it’s my driving skills that are the problem and not that of poor layout, right?

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Army Begins $40,000 Recruit Bonus in Cleveland Story by Ebony Cash

ast Tuesday, the Army began the latest incentive of offering $40,000 in bonus money to new recruits. Cleveland is one of five test markets for the newly dubbed Army Advantage Fund. As you know some things are too good to be true, so the trick is the bonus money has to be put toward buying a home or launching a business. After falling well short of its recruiting goals in the last two years, the Army had to come up with a plan to get more recruits and have more soldiers re-enlist. Therefore, the Army set higher targets, hoping that bonuses as high as $40,000 will encourage recent graduates to join. A recruiting officer at the U.S. Army Recruiting office who asked to remain anonymous stated, “This new incentive is needed to keep the Army competitive with other branches of the military as well as having more soldiers re-enlist.” While the maximum enlistment bonus for active Army recruits is $40,000, the exact total will vary based on what job the enlister chooses and the length of the enlistment. Recruits receive their money in installments; getting some after they finish their training, report to duty and complete early portions of their service. Army veteran Michael Butler says, “It’s still not worth the money, but it’s a lot more than the $3,000 I got 15 years ago. But what the new recruits don’t know is, they take 40 percent off the top, then they give you half up front, a fourth after half of your enlistment, and another fourth when your term of service is over. It’s not really worth it. What if you don’t survive to collect the rest?” The incentive also encourages the soldiers to be the best they can be. It’s sort of like the saying, “a happy worker is a hard worker.” Like the creation of the GI Bill given to World War II volunteers and draftees, those men came back from that fight and helped America be the nation that it is today. Will this be the case for our soldiers fighting in Iraq? Prior to this new incentive, the maximum payment allowed to new active duty recruits was $20,000. The re-enlistment bonus for active duty soldier would also increase from $60,000 to $90,000. The incentive is being tested in Cleveland,

Ohio; Montgomery, Alabama; Albany, New York; Seattle, Washington and San Antonio, Texas. If the Army Advantage Fund proves successful during the next six months of test marketing, it will be expanded nationwide. Per their website, the Army offers many other incentives in addition to the signing bonus. Army College Fund

The Army College Fund (ACF) is an enlistment incentive option designed to aid in the recruitment of highly qualified soldiers for critical or shortage Military Occupational Specialties (MOS). The ACF supplements the basic Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) entitlement, and awards up to $50,000 in education benefits to those engaged in such critical specialties. To take advantage of this program, you must enlist for the GI Bill and ACF option. To participate, you must meet MGIB eligibility criteria, have an Armed Forces Qualification Test (AFQT) score of 50 or above, be a high school diploma graduate prior to entry on active duty, and enlist for a qualifying military occupational specialty (MOS). Benefits will vary depending on your enlistment term. College Loan Repayment The Army’s College Loan Repayment program allows you to pay off your federally insured student loans when you enlist in the Army in a qualifying job. To be eligible, you

“This new incentive is needed to keep the Army competitive with other branches of the military as well as having more soldiers re-enlist.” must enlist for three years on Active Duty or six years in the Army Reserve, and your loan status must not be in default. For Active Duty Soldiers, you can receive up to $65,000 to repay your college loans. For Army Reserve Soldiers, you can receive up to $20,000 to repay your college loans. The following loans qualify for the Army’s loan repayment program: Auxiliary Loan Assistance for Students (ALAS), Stafford Student Loan, formerly know as the Guaranteed Student Loan (GSL), Parents Loans for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) (must be incurred for the use of the individual contracting for the program (not others such as relatives), Consolidated Loan Program (only covers Soldier’s education expenses), Federally Insured Student Loans (FISL), Perkins Loan, formerly known as the National Direct Student Loan (NDSL) and Supplemental Loans for Students (SLS).

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Student Government Updates Story by Mark Jablonski

t last Friday’s Student Government Association (SGA) meeting, Cleveland State University Bookstore manager Keith McCann addressed the Senate, and fielded questions regarding the practices of the bookstore. According to McCann, since July of 2007, students saved $555,747 by purchasing used textbooks instead of new ones, and made over $416,000 selling their books back to the store. Students saved over 30 percent more on books than during the same time period in 2006-2007, said McCann. McCann also said that the bookstore has increased the amount of used textbooks it carries since last year by communicating better with academic departments, faculty and staff. When College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences Sen. Becky Carlton asked McCann why textbooks are so “high priced,” he replied that because only a few publishers have a hold on the market, competition is stifled, resulting in higher prices. “There’s really three or four major publishers that control 80 to 90 percent of the textbook publishing market,” he said. “Shareholders want a better return on their investment, so they raise the price of that book.” McCann also acknowledged the fact that students have other options when it comes to purchasing books. “The competition isn’t the store down the street,” he said, “it’s the Internet, and we fully realize that. There’s nothing I can do to fight that, other than to make sure that I’ve got the right book, and the

Student Lottery for Democratic Debate Story by Andrea Mitchell

leveland State University’s Wolstein Center is hosting the democratic presidential debate between Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama. While this has been the obvious news circulating around campus for the past week or so, more and more students are wondering how exactly they can get their hands on a ticket to the historic event. A student ticket lottery will be held for students starting on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Students

right quantity, at the best price I can...” SGA Treasurer Neda Abuaun announced that the Finance Committee had allocated $19,125 in General Fee dollars to 14 different student organizations. Latinos Unidos, a Hispanic culture organization, took the biggest slice of funds at $2,300, although that’s significantly less than the $4,000 the group requested. The Political Science Association, a recently formed group, was at the bottom of the dollar ladder, receiving $450. A resolution urging Gov. Ted Strickland to support a bill in the Ohio Legislature that would provide more financial aid to veterans seeking a college degree was introduced at last week’s SGA meeting. The issue came to the attention of the SGA last semester, when Cleveland State student

and Army veteran Dan Langshaw voiced his concerns in a letter to the editor in The Cauldron. Lanshaw wrote that after the funds provided to him from the G.I. Bill ran out, he was having difficulties paying for college. Langshaw has since been lobbying the Ohio General Assembly, hoping that Ohio will follow the lead of other states in providing more funding for returning veterans like himself who wish to attend college. The resolution was sent to the Investigative and Legislative Committee for further study. State of the SGA: SGA President Blake Almaguer will give the annual State of the SGA speech this Friday, Feb. 22, at 5:00 p.m. in BU 118 in the Business Building.

will be able to enter the lottery online the morning of Feb. 19 and winners will be announced on Friday, Feb. 22. A similar lottery will be held for public tickets, but both lotteries are offering a very limited number of tickets. The size of the convocation center is attributing to the limited number of public tickets. The Wolstein Center has the capabilities of holding up to 15,000 guests for any event. However, if you feel you just have to be in the Wolstein Center for the debate Cleveland State is looking for 200 student volunteers to help with the debate. Online sign-up to be

a volunteer will open on Thursday Feb. 21. The duties of the volunteers will be “runner” activity, staffing the spin room, media filing center and whatever other needs the debate may require. Although getting into the actual debate may be harder than getting a hold of Hannah Montana tickets, other activities on campus include Hardball with Chris Matthews to be broadcast live from the practice gym of the Wolstein Center. Other events include Campus Watch Parties that will be set up around campus for students to attend to watch the debate with their peers.

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Chelsea Clinton Speaks at Cleveland State Story by Laura Dynda

Chelsea Clinton visited Cleveland State University on Feb. 14 for a question and answer session in the University Center Atrium. Ms. Clinton who is the daughter of former president Bill Clinton and Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, came to Cleveland State to help promote her mother’s campaign. Her visit signals the start of political and public figures that will be coming to Cleveland for the upcoming Democratic Debate that will be held at the Wolstein Center on Feb. 26. The question and answer session started around 11:30 a.m. since Clinton’s flight arrived late at the airport. After introductions by Student Government president Blake and Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones’s son Jones II, Chelsea Clinton made her much anticipated appearance to a large crowd of students, faculty and staff. It was a great turn out of a crowd, especially due to the late notice of the event. It was not known that Clinton would be at Cleveland State until the day before. Cleveland State was added to an Ohio college tour that Clinton was on. She had already visited The Ohio State University the day before, and was going to speak at

The University of Akron after she was done speaking at Cleveland State. Clinton, 27, spoke to the crowd very eloquently. She was well prepared, and answered each question with great enthusiasm. It was sometimes hard to hear her due to the sound in the UC Atrium being too low. The sound quality was not the best, but Clinton could still be heard, even if not very well. Questions from the crowd ranged from the War in Iraq to the economy. A couple of people asked questions that were a little off topic, but Clinton was able to spin them into something useful. One of the things that Clinton first spoke about was how if her mother were elected, she would have a better foreign policy than the current president. Clinton said that President Bush’s foreign policy is unacceptable due to the fact that he has only ever been to the Middle East once to speak with leaders of other countries. She said that if her mother were president she would have done it a long time ago, and multiple times in fact. Clinton also said that if her mother were elected, she would declassify federal documents, and let the general public have access to them online. She said that her mother would eliminate Guantanamo Bay and restore the right to habeas corpus to suspected terrorists. Clinton spoke about education reform. She said that if her mother were elected Sen. Clinton would throw out the use of the FAFSA form. This measure would be

Obama Campaign Rallies Supporters in Cleveland Story by Chris Enoch

ith both candidates for the Democratic nomination vying for Ohio votes and delegates, Cleveland has once again become the center of attention for at least the passing moment- and the moment can’t last long enough. Having won every primary since Super Tuesday (with the exception of New Mexico, which finally fell to Clinton), and with Mar. 4 and Ohio waiting right around the corner, Barack Obama is gearing up to pull off victory in the Midwest. Cleveland, and more specifically, Cuyahoga County, are sure to be pivotal for either candidate, much as they have been in past elections. And so it was that on Friday, the Obama campaign organized a rally of supporters at Cleveland’s own Antioch Church. The rally, which featured a number of local pastors and politicians from the area including the keynote speaker of the evening Reverend Marvin McMickle, was designed to draw more attention to Obama from Cleveland’s East Side. Many of these local figures were pledged delegates to Obama. Coincidently, Cleveland’s East Side is also the most delegate-loaded area of Ohio. While the rally may not have attracted the same size crowd as Mrs. Clinton’s rallies regularly do (the same evening at Brush High School Hillary held a rally), the factions and crowd that arrived at Antioch were more than ready to be passionate for their candidate of choice. “Obama is the reason I’m here. I never did politics

much before, but this is a man I can believe in,” said 26-year-old rally-goer Gelisa Ofree. This sentiment was shared by a myriad of volunteers and supporters, most of them “getting political” for the first time in their lives. “I know this sounds cliché’, but he (Obama) gives you a reason to hope, a reason to believe things can be different. I think he’s the candidate who can best change Washington,” said Earnest Sorley, a rally-goer among legions of others who echoed his same sentiments. Quite simply, morale was high Friday evening. Rev. McMickle gave a stirring speech to this audience that evening, outlining the need for change and the candidate most able to provide it: Barack Obama, in his words. The core group of Obama delegates flanked McMickle during the speech that shared his enthusiasm. Apparently, so did the audience who swayed and swooned to Obama camp’s tune of change. Largely made up of college kids, young professionals, a few seniors, and plenty of blue-collar representation, the crowd was an accurate portrayal of the bases a candidate for the Democratic nomination would have to cover to ensure victory in March. As the rally came to a close excitement was traded for anticipation. “We’re going to introduce Barack Obama to the rest of Ohio. The people of Ohio are ready for change. They know they’ll get it with Barack,” said one of the Obama campaign staff that asked not to be named. “The race is on,” he said.

taken along with doubling Pell Grants and bigger tax credits for families putting their children through school. There have been over 200,000 jobs in Ohio that have been lost to outsourcing. Clinton says that her mother would bring jobs back to Ohio by eliminating job breaks and subsidies that companies, starting particularly with oil companies. The job market is not good and Clinton said that money needs to be reinvested in economically depressed cities like Detroit and Cleveland. Also Clinton said that her mother would push for minimum wage to go up nationally to $9.50 an hour. The foreclosure crisis has hit Cleveland the hardest out of any other city. The current federal policy for stopping foreclosures is to give the home owner a 30 day period of time to talk to their mortgage lending company to work out a better payment plan. Sen. Clinton wants to extend this to 90 days if she is elected. Some of the things that Clinton was most happy to speak about were her mother’s reform efforts, like Sen. Clinton’s push for national health care in 93’ when she was First Lady. And also about how her mother was one of the first people to ask the Pentagon if they had an exit strategy out of Iraq. Chelsea Clinton was not able to stay at Cleveland State long, since she had to go speak at another college, and eventually get on a plane to go to Hawaii to campaign for her mother there. As she left, Clinton was able to meet some students and take photos with them.

Homeless Stand Down Story by Andrea Mitchell

Cleveland State University’s location of a downtown urban area makes homelessness a regular observation for students, faculty and staff. The Student Government Association (SGA) is holding the Homeless Stand-Down this month in order to help the homeless in the surrounding downtown area. SGA had student organizations and groups of students donate personal care kits on Wednesday Feb. 13 to the Student Life Department to be distributed to the homeless. Personal Care kits were in groups of 30 (15 for men, 15 for women). Each kit contained soap, washcloths, small shampoos, toothpaste, toothbrushes, small lotion, chapstick and deodorant. The top five needs of the homeless are fitted sheets, sleeping bags, hygiene items, socks and shoes and undergarments. Especially at this cold time of year, the aid of warmer clothing and volunteerism at soup kitchens makes a great impact on the lives of the homeless. As of January 2005 there were over 2,100 homeless people in the city of Cleveland. Over 250 of them were on the streets without emergency shelter or help. While walking down Euclid Avenue the homeless may be the usual sight, but still every year more and more non-profit organizations are putting forth the effort to help those in need. Overall SGA is spent general fee dollars and put forth an effort to make the event a success. Cleveland State students can help by contacting Student Life or SGA for more information.

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Refuses to Settle For Less

With 24 New Faces Viking’s Baseball Sets Sights on National Title Story by Reid May

With 24 New Faces Viking’s Baseball Sets Sights on National Title; Refuses to Settle for Less

hen Head Baseball Coach KevinKockscametoCleveland State University before the 2007 season he started with nothing. He had inherited, as he puts it, “Thirty-two kids that I knew nothing about.” But in the short time he’s been here, Kocks has never lost faith in his team, city, or university. “Baseball’s great in this town,” Kocks says, “I truly believe that this school needs passion [for baseball]. This school can win, and I’m the person to lead them.” Kocks believed this from the beginning. He was hired late in the winter of 2007, and when he arrived, no recruiting had been done. The season would begin with the same 32 players the previous one had ended with. “We didn’t have time to get any new faces in here,” Kocks said.

“There were no expectations on last year,” adds Kocks. “After we saw the kids we knew we had a rebuilding job. It’s tough to change right away.” But Kocks knows exactly what has to be done. He’s coming from Spalding University in Louisville, Kentucky where he had built a baseball program from the ground up. Hard work turned Spalding into a perennial contender, and Kocks left the program after six straight postseason appearances. Kocks says the first step is to change the image of Cleveland State baseball. He redid the locker rooms in the PE Building, repaired heating systems, and found his team a new ballpark. The team’s new stadium, called The Pipeyard, is located in Lorain, about thirty minutes from Cleveland State. Kocks refers to The Pipeyard as home. He said, “The city of Lorain has rolled out the red carpet for us.” The next step for Cleveland State’s rebuilding was a new core of players. “We play our certain style of baseball,” Kocks said. “We need to recruit certain kids who can do that.” The first wave of this new core is being seen this year, when the team will walk out with

twenty-four new faces. “We’ve got ten transfers, and fourteen freshman,” comments Kocks. Junior Sam Suitca, a transfer from Tri-City College adds, “It’s a completely different team than years past. The general makeup is completely different.” “After last year, we needed to increase the talent level at every position,” said Kocks. “We’ve started filling the funnel with good quality kids that are going to develop, and we’ve got to keep doing that every year.” Kocks doesn’t see much difficulty acquiring good baseball talent in Northeast Ohio. The talent pool in Louisville wasn’t nearly as deep, yet the team was still a winner. “In Louisville I had thirty high schools to recruit out of, up here I have 130 high schools,” Kocks adds, “if I get six or seven good players a year we’ll have a great program.” The number one concern for this team is to focus in on the five to six county radius around Cleveland State. In Kentucky, Kocks says, “everybody dribbles a ball, but up here there’s a lot of great baseball talent.”

With all the changes, this team will take an entirely Fronczek-Fronczek is crucial as the go-to right- his position. The catcher is the quarterback of the different look onto the field. Mainstays of years past hander in the bullpen. His presence will be even more baseball diamond. If Cleveland State begins its turnwill be challenged by the influx of talented new faces important if he moves into a mid-week starter role. around this year, Geric must lead the charge. Right Field—With right field under the conjoining the ranks. “We’re in a situation where we’ve He will be counted on for increased leadership, by changed every position except our starting catcher,” playing in multiple roles. trol of two inexperienced players, a position usually says Kocks. reserved for a strong defender Nearly every spot on the field will becomes suspect. Strong play Projected Starting Line-up: be a constant battle this season, with from the winner of this battle new players in the running to start at will give the team an unexpectCatcher—Josh Geric, Senior each and every one of them. “There ed contribution. Geric, who caught 58 of 60 games last year will again get the majority of the is no definite starting lineup,” adds starts behind the plate this season. However, Kocks says, “We don’t want him Kocks, “Things won’t be determined The Biggest Series to have to catch 58 games again, and wear him out.” Geric adds, “We brought until we get down to Louisville [for the Cleveland State’s schedule in some young catchers, so I don’t know if I’ll have to do that again.” opening series.]” will start off strong, with two First Base—John Foco, Junior vs. John Brown, Junior While competition for skill positop 25 teams in the first two A highly competitive, season long battle. tions rage on, Kocks and his staff weekends. The schedule keeps Second Base—Bobby Cash, Senior vs. Alex Kerins, Senior Cash, who held the highest average of everyday players last season, and have formed a solid picture of the the Vikings on the road through Kerins, who followed Coach Kocks from Spalding University, will be pitching staff. The three-man rotation March 19th, with the opener at engaged in a constant battle. will feature two returnees, although the Pipeyard. Third Base—David Hurd, Junior one remains unproven. In the bullpen, The first four weeks will be The hot corner clearly belongs to David Hurd. He is new to the team from Kocks has a variety of options. He the team’s biggest test. “We’re Lakeland Community College and is native to Strongsville, Ohio. has four freshmen that he describes not really concerned about wins Shortstop—Tom Carter, Freshman vs. Brad Buell, Junior as “four pretty good arms that need and losses,” Kocks says, “We Carter joins the Vikings from Shaler Area High School in Glenshaw, experience.” want to see our competition Pennsylvania. Buell, a transfer from Kalamazoo Community College in against great teams.” Michigan is also the leading candidate for Center Field. The elder members of his pen Left Field—Kyle Bischof, Senior Backup: Nate Radtke, Junior create the core that will make or break Bischof is another Spalding transfer. Radtke a returnee who hit .259 Here are four series to games for the team. The current in 34 games last season. arrangement will leave several players watch out for thisseason: without a distinct role. Juniors Jeremy Center Field—Brad Buell, Junior Backup: Dustin Mills, Senior Louisville 2/22-2/24 Hartman and Jonathon Sprowls, along Right Field—Adam Heideman, Freshman vs. Travis Miller, Freshman Anytime you match up with with Sophomore Kyle McGuire will a team that played in the colbegin the season in a constant battle for lege world series the year preProjected Pitching Rotation in Bullpen: playing time. This logjam of pitchers vious, you get a good idea of reflects the talent of this year’s 24 new Starter #1—Josh Hungerman, LHP where you stand. This seasons athletes. Hungerman was the one man on last years ball club as well. His two and first series with the Cardinals The specifics aside, the Vikings have nine record should improve with a better team, such as this year’s, behind him. will give Cleveland State a great made one thing very clear: Nothing Starter #2—Brian Long, RHP idea of what four months of short of a collegiate championship While Long had experience last year he still hasn’t proven he can turn preparation has done to mold talent into production. The improved defense should help him as well. is acceptable. This group of players this team. Starter #3—Sam Suitca, LHP simply will not tolerate another losing Charlotte 2/29-3/02 Suitca transferred into Cleveland State in May of 2007. He has never pitched season. Going 14-44 was just plain The second of tough back at this level and will be interesting to watch in live action. embarrassing, and this team is not to back weekends, Charlotte will Starters #4 and #5—Leading the battle for this position is Dylan Henry. going to fall that far again. Henry is described by Kocks as “really unproven in this program. He’s a once again test Cleveland State’s “Our goal is to get to Omaha,” junior, he needs to step it up.” Others meriting consideration are Nate ability and preparedness early in said Kocks. “We want to win a nationBlankemeyer, Anthony Sambula, Josh Raggi, and Solomon Haberkost. the season. Success against these al title. We have to win our conference, Middle Relief—Drew Fronczek, RHP and Vasili Pahoulis, first two teams will set the tone our region, and our super region and LHP are the “go to” middle relievers for the Vikings. Fronczek could move for the following games. that’s what we strive to do.” in and out of the bullpen—possibly into the midweek starters role. Wright State 4/04-4/05 Suitca says, “From top to bottom Closer—Chris Bauman, RHP Wright State is considered Bauman is the third player who followed Kocks to Cleveland State after it’s the most talented team I’ve been by many to be the conference he accepted the position. on. But baseball’s a funny game. You favorite. Cleveland State will be can play your best and lose, or play over a month into their seayour worst and win.” son by the time they face the He continues, “I think we can win Raiders. If the Vikings start off a lot this year…we set the bar high. We’re aiming for Buell-His ability to play two positions will allow well they may be in a position to challenge for the it all.” more flexibility with lineup changes and defensive conference lead with good play here. Illinois-Chicago 5/02-5/03 setups. Additionally, as a player who will see time in The Five Key PlayersHungerman If Cleveland State remains in the running when both center field and at shortstop he has to play rock His leadership and example as the first weekend solid defense. The defense in the middle commonly they meet UIC at the Pipeyard, this could be the starter will set the tone for the rest of the team. If he series that decides the conference. Aside from Wright sets the tone for the rest of the field. meets expectations, he will be a big part of the turnGeric—The senior is the only starter from last State, UIC is the only serious obstacle between the around. If not, the team will struggle to find a leader year who will again take the majority of the time at Vikings and a Horizon League title. to rally behind.

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Elements Bistro on Euclid brings an upscale touch to the Cleveland State campus Story by Laura Dynda & Ilona Westfall

leveland State University students are now going to have more of a choice in where to eat on campus with the opening of Elements Bistro on Euclid. Elements is located on the first floor of the University’s Parker Hannifin Administration Center at 2300 Euclid Avenue. According to a CSU press release the name for the eatery comes from, “The title of the mathematician Euclid’s Elements – regarded as the most influential textbook ever written and a play on the restaurant’s university setting and its address on Euclid Avenue.” The interesting thing about Elements Bistro on Euclid is its use of local products in its menu offerings. Some of the products come from Cleveland’s West Side Market, such as sausage and pasta from Ohio City Pasta. Also the restaurant features Amish cheeses and will eventually carry Ohio beer and wine. “Using local products will help raise awareness that Cleveland produces high quality products, and it also helps support the local economy,” said Frank Hurley, Executive Chef, CSU Dining Services. “Local food can also be tracked to easily determine where all of the products came from – start to finish.” Elements is going to help build a sense of community according to Ned Hill, Vice President of Economic Development at Cleveland State. “Elements is the start of a village node that is growing at Euclid with the renovation of Fenn Tower, Howe Mansion, the Administration Center and Shops at Trinity Commons: Cafe Ah-Roma, Sacred Path Books and Art, and Ten Thousand Villages. They all create a triangle of convenience that is forming here with education, housing, retail, dining and access to the RTA Silver Line.” The restaurant’s look is very sophisticated. It is very spacious and has a great contemporary atmosphere. Located in the front of the restaurant is a circular bar. The bar blends in with the rest of the restaurant, which is made up of tables and booths. In the spring and summer, it will be nice to have the beautiful French doors of the restaurant to open to an exterior patio, which will seat 52 people. The restaurant’s menu is very eclectic with choices ranging from West Side

Market Sausage and Pierogis to a make your own sandwich option. With the range of menu selections, it was decided that this restaurant review would have to be a twoperson job. Culture Editor Ilona Westfall and myself went to Elements for lunch. Here is what we think. Laura Dynda: What I expected: I expected the restaurant to have a good atmosphere and have tasty food. What I ordered: GREAT LAKES BEER BATTER-FRIED TILAPIA FILLET ($7.50) and MAPLE CRÈME BRULEE ($4.95) What I think of the pricing: I thought that overall, the pricing was all right. It is not somewhere that I would go all the time, but it was a great place. How the food was: I thought that the food was really good. I decided to try something new, since I have never had tilapia before. The meal was very filling and I was happy with my pick. And the dessert was also very good.

Ilona Westfall: What I expected: Basically I expected a more upscale Café AhRoma. What I ordered: ELEMENTAL SANDWICH ($8.50) – A build your own sandwich accompanied by a side dish (mine had a Portobello mushroom, basil pesto, Amish cheddar, tomato and lettuce on kalamata olive bread with a side of fresh-cut fries) and of course, I had to share some of Laura’s MAPLE CRÈME BRULEE. What I think of the pricing: A little more than I would like to spend for lunch on a daily basis but cheap for the quality of food. How the food was: Pretty good, overall. My portobello had a really good texture but

marinating it would have been an improvement. The dessert was delicious. THE VERDICT: A nice place to go for a sit down lunch with some friends or even for a business lunch. However, Elements is not so good for those of us who are grabbing a quick bite to eat between classes. I felt that it could have been a bit quicker and if I were on any time constraints I would have been anxiously checking my watch. Our server informed us that, fortunately, the menu is available for takeout if you call ahead. While we’re on the subject of service, it was good. A little bit uneven, which is expected for a newly opened restaurant, but good, overall. The food was very good and the selection was awesome. It’s a bit pricier than most of our other on-campus dining options but way cheaper than most sit down restaurants, especially for the quality of food. It would be great for dinner but is, unfortunately, not open during dinner hours at this point. Ultimately, Elements is recommended. But you’re better off stopping elsewhere if you only have a few minutes between classes. Elements Bistro on Euclid is open Monday – Friday from 7 a.m. – 4 p.m. Call 216-802-3131 for mation or check the web at www. neuclid.com

more inforthem out on elementso-

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Are They Worth a Listen? Story by Faith Larraine

“We’ve come this far. Not backing down. Can’t stop it now. FIGHT OURSELVES ANOTHER WAR!” Yes, yes aren’t those lyrics amazing. Well, you have to listen to the whole song to get the real jist of it all. This band can seriously blow your mind, or simply leave you wondering. They’ve done a lot of great things in their time, but they still haven’t reached that great stardom. But, this is simply because they are up and coming but always ready to rock. So do those awesome lyrics make this band worth a listen? Band of Choice: Dropping Daylight 10 Reasons Why You Should Listen to Dropping Daylight 1. Sound: The sound I must say is interesting. Sometimes it has a jazzy feel, not just rock. That is possibly because the lead singer, Sebastian Davin, plays the piano. Yes, it is a little bit of piano rock… but it’s more rock than anything. 2. Lyrics: The lyrics that I posted above are from their song titled “War Song.” But those aren’t the only lyrics that are pretty amazing. Most of the lyrics are quite clever and indulging. 3. Album: Their debut album Brace Yourself is good as a whole. Their first single “Tell Me” as well as their other song “Blame Me” have seen a lot of airplay lately. 4. Childhood Times: Sebastian has been playing the piano since he was five. I guess that means that he has been pretty well trained. I’ve always thought it was best to start out early in life than wait for being really good at something. 5. Brothers: Sebastian’s brother Seth is in the band as well. Seth plays the guitar. I know that I usually crack on brothers and sisters being in the band together, but this band seems like they could go somewhere…so I’ll give them a thumbs up for double talent skills. 6. BB: Dropping Daylight has toured with my number one favorite band Breaking Benjamin. Sebastian also sang and played piano for Breaking Benjamin’s most recent album Phobia. He and lead singer Benjamin Burnley collaborated their talents to make the acoustic version of the song “The Diary of Jane.” Sebastian also sang back up for the songs “You Fight Me” and “Dance with the Devil.” 7. Rumors: The band has been spreading the word that they might be releasing a live DVD of their performance in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania at Wachovia Arena and Kingston’s Joe Nardone’s

Gallery of Sound. 8. Dedication: These guys must have a pretty good fan base already. Their street team consists of at least 5,000 people. That’s intense! 9. Tour: The guys gave a free concert last September in Austin, Texas as part of the McDonald’s Live Tour. I wonder if they got free food? There was probably free food. 10. Appearance: And last but not least, Dropping Daylight will be appearing at the infamous House of Blues on March 13. Therefore, you can go and make a first hand decision on whether they are worth a listen or not. 10 Reasons Why You Shouldn’t Listen to Dropping Daylight 1. Band Names: This band has gone by many different band names. They started out as Associated Mess. Then they went with Sui Generis, which they later had to change because it was the name of a Latin group. They changed a few letters and decided to try Sue Generis. Then they finally went with Dropping Daylight…that still isn’t that spectacular. 2. Come On!: There is a video on the band’s MySpace page that is really immature and you would think that most of these guys would be old enough not to write stupid things on their hands and show them on a camera. Which brings me to my next con. 3. Seth: I know, I know! I said I was going to crack on the brother relationship, but Seth was only 16 when he joined the band. 16! Nobody thought he

was too young? I mean …geez wait until he graduates at least. He’s 18 now…but come on! 4. Confusion: I don’t know how you could have a concert with Papa Roach one day, and then have a concert with Jason Mraz a few days later. Yeah, I think they need a new tour manager or something. 5. Accidents: Their MySpace page confirms that the band has been in a few accidents with their tour bus, and it has a few dents. Maybe they should stop partying so hard, pretending like their rock stars, and grow up a bit. 6. Erm: Again I pose the question, what is even in Minnesota! All these bands are coming from like B.F.E and I just don’t get it. 7. Cover: The album cover for Brace Yourself is kind of on the creepy side. Baby crash car dummies make me sad and a little freaked out. 8. Toured: They have toured with Monty Are I. That reminds me of Monty Python. Monty Python was good. Monty Are I…not so good. And a serious bad name choice. 9. Single/EP: I really don’t think you should put out an EP with a random Christmas song on it. Who puts out an EP with “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”? Granted, it was a holiday EP…but… but…no. Just no. Piano-rockers think they can do whatever they want, don’t they. 10. Verdict: Their listenable. I know that’s probably not a word but it’s true. Maybe not the best name choices and not the best band mate choices but…still…Dropping Daylight could be a good choice for you. Or a horrible terrible waste of your time. YOU DECIDE, VIKINGS!

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Nothing spells love like death metal Story by Scott Arko

pparently, even the national day of romance can’t hold back fans of extreme music. The people came out in droves; a line that stretched around the building in the frigid cold, the uncommonly high amount of couples donning t-shirts bearing the names and artwork of various hardcore and metal bands. Most, if not all came to see a band being increasingly regarded as a front-runner for today’s metal scene: Michigan’s own the Black Dahlia Murder. Though the band’s headlining trek in support of their latest slab (2007’s Nocturnal) had been pinned down with bad weather, resulting in openers Decrepit Birth and direct support 3 Inches of Blood dropping from the bill, modern death metal legends Hate Eternal braved the storm, while TBDM’s good friends in revolutionary mathcore act The Red Chord jumped on to fill the void left in the direct support slot. As is Peabody’s custom, local talent dotted the three stages; though it’s damned near impossible to hit EVERY band for a fair review, this reviewer can safely say that To Envy the Horrid as well as Seven Year Dungeon Beard stood out from the pack and seemed to have something going for them. The show got rolling quickly when extreme metal producer extraordinaire Erik Rutan’s own mighty Hate Eternal took the stage. Some of those in attendance appeared solely for the sake of the band’s incredibly brutal death metal assault; Rutan’s growl is better described as a roar, a commanding howl that only compliments the rapidfire music behind it. Unfortunately, the crushing, thunderous music and booming stage presence simply does not translate as well to disc, where the songwriting and standout tracks runs slightly thin. Still, I would well advise checking out Erik Rutan and his death metal stalwarts on April 24th when they return on their headlining run with Soilent Green and Skeletonwitch, for those interested in straightforward modern death metal. Amidst mutterings of “3 Inches of Blood would be better...” and “didn’t we just see this lineup in September?”, The Red Chord came out in typically good-humored fashion; vocalist Guy Kozowyk, a smile ever-present on his face, leads the pack with his brutally heavy vocals, a bellow that blurs the line between a death metal growl and hardcore shout. The band is simply one of the most creative and eclectic forces in the scene today. They have been deservedly media darlings

The Red Chord

since their groundbreaking technical grind debut in 2002. Epic instrumental “He Was Dead When I Got There” from 2005’s Clients album opened the show, before the band blared through songs mostly hailing from the aforementioned Clients as well as last year’s Prey For Eyes. Highlights included the anthemic title track from Prey For Eyes as well as the classic “Dreaming in Dog Years” from the debut LP Fused Together in Revolving Doors, with the brooding, distraught finale of “It’s not gonna be alright, it’s not gonna be okay” inciting near riotous action from an already revved crowd. If The Red Chord got the crowd moving, the endlessly improving talents of the Black Dahlia Murder turned the floor into a death trap. Amidst several obscene allusions to Valentine’s Day, the band came out to retro dance music before launching into “Everything Went Black” from Nocturnal, perhaps the band’s most well received disc to date. This was evident, as the entire crowd could be heard over vocalist Trevor Strnad’s devilish screech during the mighty chorus; the entire audience lamented, “Where did it come from? How can it be stopped?” Not stopping to take a breath, the band immediately burst into what was immediately a highlight of the set, “Thy Blackest Incarnation” from the debut LP Unhallowed.

Strnad crept the stage like a demon, proving himself to have inherited the traits that make a frontman truly great: the entire audience felt included without forced recognition; every person fed from his energy, every man and woman swayed to his demonic poetry. In true Valentine’s fashion, the cryptic love ballad of sorts “Deathmask Divine” was most assuredly the show’s ultimate highlight, reaching almost surreal heights of turmoil and emotional intensity while still retaining metallic brutality. The Black Dahlia Murder has certainly reached what may be the peak of its career; with a headlining slot on the second year of the highly anticipated “Summer Slaughter” tour already secured and near-sold out crowds under its belt, the band only sharpens its collective skills further and grows tighter as a unit. This is the sound of a band truly loving what they do, a band who knows they stand out and only care to push themselves further, craft a more perfect album, move in the right direction. If they keep their current path, we may see Black Dahlia ranked among their forefathers in At the Gates, Exodus, Meshuggah, and countless others as the metal world’s true champions. Hope you all had a good Valentine’s Day; I spent mine with extreme music.

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Mere Witness art exhibit melds faith and art Story by Emily Ouzts

ome wear white gloves and hats adorned with small flowers. Others have cornrows and wear thick gold chains. Some are singing for joy, their eyes lifted to the sky. Others are weeping, their faces worn down by a lifetime of hardship. They may differ in age, occupation, and lifestyle, but the subjects of Michael S. Levy’s Mere Witness share a much stronger bond – faith. The photography exhibit, currently showing in Gallery C in the Art Gallery at Cleveland State University, is a collection of digital prints taken at AfricanAmerican churches. Levy was given permission to document worship at several of these churches, most of them deep in Cleveland’s inner city. The artist shared his personal experiences behind the photos at a reception on Thursday afternoon in Gallery C. CSU students James Williams and Timothy Sullen introduced the photographs with a performance of spoken word, each flawlessly delivering two poems on black struggle and empowerment. Levy spoke fondly of his experience photographing Cleveland churches, a project that started in 2002 and took him nearly four years to complete. After a divorce left him

emotionally devastated, the Cleveland-bred Levy took on the project to explore the social link between church and the African-American lifestyle. After years observing the churches, however, Levy realized that he had found something unexpected – healing. “I was looking for something to hang on to,” says Levy of the rough time after his divorce. He had heard of a series of Cleveland homicides that took place in the neighborhoods that housed some of the city’s oldest churches. Curious from a journalistic standpoint, he sought to identify the Church’s responsibility in the deaths of Cleveland’s young men. He did not anticipate how much of a personal effect that the churches would have on him. The project, said Levy, then saw an “evolution of process” from a journalistic venture to an artistic catharsis. It is unsurprising that Levy found healing in the churches, which include the Pentecostal Church of Christ and Bethany Baptist Church. His photographs have a palpable sense of acceptance. The churches may not always be packed, but they are seeped in tradition, and the congregation’s unwavering faith resonates through the still black-and-white photography.

“Faith,” found Levy, “Enables people to persevere.” The artist discovered that violence, poverty, and discrimination were no match for the congregation’s faith, a revelation that both stunned and inspired him. “People need to find balance and inner peace,” continued Levy. “Those are nurtured by religion.” He added that his exhibit’s message was especially important for the contemporary youth. His work, like the spoken word that introduced the photos, employs universal story-telling elements that are simple at first glance but strike the conscious at a much deeper level. Levy, who plans to consolidate his work into a book later this year, provides a succinct answer when asked about the motives behind Mere Witness. He spent years as an unobtrusive guest in Cleveland’s most traditional African-American churches because, he simply states, “they accepted me.” This moving tribute to Cleveland’s faith community is showing at CSU’s Art Gallery through March 8th. The art gallery is located at 2307 Chester Ave. and is open Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. and Saturday from noon - 4 p.m. Call 216-687-2103 for more information.

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CSU Ends Road Woes With 71-58 Victory at Valpo

Vikings Roll Past Ailing Crusaders Story by Nick Camino (VALPARAISO, IN) – The Cleveland State men’s basketball team received a unique home remedy on the road Thursday as they defeated a virus infected Valparaiso (14-11, 5-8) squad 71-58 ending a five-game road losing steak. The Vikings who have been less than stellar on the road this season (4-6) played as if they were at the Wolstein Center in downtown Cleveland, where they are 10-3 this year. They came to life in the second half as they outscored the Crusaders 37-23 on Bryce Drew bobblehead night (See my accompanying story on him in this issue). Despite falling behind just before halftime 35-34, the Vikings came out after the half firing on all cylinders. Junior forward J’Nathan Bullock hit back-toback three pointers to help the Vikings regain the lead, control the tempo, and never look back. This caused legendary Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew to call time out with 15:10 still to play in the second half with his team now trailing 45-39. Bullock finished the game with 19 points, and shot 50 percent on the night (8-of-16) for the Vikings, who would win for the first time on the road since Jan. 12 at Wright State. “This road victory puts us in the right mind set,” Bullock said. “When we were down at half, we knew we had to put things together to try and win an important road game, and we were able to do that.” After Bullock’s two three-pointers, the Crusaders trailed Cleveland State (17-10, 10-5) the rest of the way. But after Valpo’s Shawn Huff trey and a careless pass by Cleveland State’s Kevin Francis to junior George Tandy that sailed out of bounds, the Crusaders and their crowd of 3,338 began to believe their ailing team, only down by two at 51-49, had a chance to steal a victory from the much more athletic Vikings. However, after CSU head coach Gary Waters displeased with his team’s play took a timeout, his men came out ready to run the floor with 11:09 still to play. Not surprisingly, that is what they did. “We knew when the game got close at the end, we were going to have to buckle down, play defense, and makes some shots,” Waters explained. The team responded with just that. Following back-to-back steals by Cedric Jackson (15 pts., seven assists) and Joe Davis (11 pts.) unexpected offensive threats came out of the wood work for CSU, but ultimately locked up the game. With Jackson covered by workhorse defender Jake Diebler and Bullock facing a constant double team due to his early shooting extravaganza, the senior

A packed house saw the Vikings defeat the Crusaders

duo of Breyohn Watson and Francis put the Vikings victory well in-hand. After Watson hit a long baseline jumper, with his toe on the three-point arc, Francis hit a deep three-pointer to make the score 56-51 in favor of the Vikes with 8:42 left to play. A few minutes later, Valpo center Urule Igbavboa shuffled his shoes trying to back down Bullock in the paint and was called for traveling. On the ensuing Viking possession, Watson leaped over Huff to clean up a Bullock miss laying the ball in and extending the forest green and white lead to 60-53 with just 6:23 to play giving CSU a comfortable lead they would never relinquish. Following the Watson lay-in the Crusaders called a timeout, but the game plan of Coach Drew was to foul the Vikings and pray that they miss. Those prayers were never answered as freshman D’Aundray Brown, Bullock, and Jackson all nailed a number of free throws to give the Vikings their third straight win. The Valpo faithful were headed to their vehicles after Bullock hit his third trey, pushing the Vikings lead to 69-56, which brought a smile, yes just a little one, to Coach Waters’ face. Three main factors helped CSU come finish on top; the continuous strong play of Bullock, the overall team shooting, and a virus that had spread through the entire small town of Valparaiso. Coming into the game Cleveland State was shooting just under 29 percent from behind the three-point arc. Against Valpo the Vikings made nine-of-17 (52.9 percent) from the very same arc. The forest green and white also finished shooting exactly 50 percent from the field and hit eight-of-10 from the charity stripe. And Coach Homer Drew knew the Vikings weak-

ness and tried to capitalize. “We ran a 1-3-1 zone against them (CSU) because they typically do not hit shots that consistently from the field,” Drew explained. “Give Cleveland State all the credit in the world, they hit their shots and took advantage, that is why they won.” According to Drew, many players on his team were battling a flu virus that had whipped through the campus of Valparaiso University. It was even evident during the post-game press conference. “Fellas, I don’t have any players for you,” he told members of the media. “They’re all in the training room and we have sent two of them to the hospital.” “The last three games we have not had a healthy team on the floor, and as you can tell with the quickness in this conference, we have to be healthy just to compete,” Drew added. Despite being sick or not, the Crusaders were simply outplayed by the Vikings for the second straight time. Valparaiso was not only slower than Cleveland State, they just could not cope with the “in your face” defense the Vikes applied. The road victory Thursday night virtually locks up a home game for the Vikings for the first round of the Horizon League Tournament, and that pleases Coach Waters and his staff. But with CSU in the hunt for second place, two byes and a guaranteed spot in the semifinals of the tournament suddenly seem very attainable. If that happens, and the Vikings win just two games, Cleveland State will be punching their ticket into the NCAA Tournament, where they haven’t been in 22 years, and March Madness may once again reign on Euclid Avenue.

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Poor Shooting Costs Vikings another Upset Opportunity

No. 9 Butler Sneaks Past CSU Story by Nick Camino (INDIANAPOLIS, IN) – When a team shoots 31 percent from the field against the ninth ranked team in the country, it is difficult to belive that the contest may still be close. Well, Saturday afternoon at historic Hinkle Field House, the Cleveland State men’s basketball team did just that before falling to the ninth ranked Bulldogs 51-46. Once again the Vikings (17-11, 10-6) used defense as their weapon of choice to contain the hot shooting Bulldogs (24-2, 12-2), but only mustering six points in the final 13 minutes, made the difference in a hard fought contest between both Horizon League Conference foes. While first-year Butler head coach Brad Stevens felt that both teams played well defensively, he called it a war, CSU head coach Gary Waters felt a little different about his team’s loss. “We didn’t execute,” Waters explained. “We turned the ball over two or three times at the end of the game. We had them on their heels in transition, but we just didn’t capitalize. That’s something I’ve got to go back to the drawing board and evaluate. We had our opportunities.” The visitors displayed a lot of tenacity as the Vikings came back from trailing by 10 points early in the second half. They would actually take their first lead since 14:20 in the first half with just 13:00 to play in the game, only to have it taken away by head official Chris Beaver. At halftime Butler lead 33-25 and extended their lead quickly to 38-28 on back-to-back A.J. Graves three-pointers. However, the Vikings fired back lead by juniors Cedric Jackson and J’Nathan Bullock and would tie the game at 40-40 with 14:22 to play. On the ensuing Viking possession Breyohn Watson dished Bullock a pass down low, the junior forward powered his way up and scored with a lay-in and was fouled by Butler center Matt Howard. However referee Lamar Simpson’s initial call was reversed by Beaver, calling Bullock for a charge taking the points off the scoreboard, and giving the ball back to the Bulldogs. This would turn out to be the changing call of the game. Just 12 seconds later, Butler senior guard Julian Betko hit an unlikely three-pointer giving the Bulldogs a 43-40 lead, a lead that they would never relinquish. Pete Campbell who

Cleveland State’s Cedric Jackson and Butler’s Mike Green went at it all afternoon

was once again shut down brilliantly all day by freshman D’Aundray Brown, got loose with 9:00 to go and buried his only three-pointer making it 48-42 in favor of the nationally ranked team. Game, set, match. From there on, extremely poor shooting by Cleveland State who missed a number of layups, and good defense by Butler was enough to give Butler a hard earned victory in the Horizon League Conference showdown. The Viking faithful can only hope for a rubber match, which could only come in the Horizon League Tournament semi-finals or finals. The game was a toss-up, Waters said. “I felt that each team had an opportunity to put it away,” he said. “Both teams played hard and I thought either team could have won the game.” Freshman big man Howard paced the Bulldogs with 17 points and Graves dropped in 15 to lead Butler in scoring, but power forward Drew Streicher was huge on the defensive end. Despite the loss, CSU received strong performances from Jackson and Bullock who would combine for 31 points on the afternoon.

Jackson improved his free-throw shooting woes with a 10-of-11 effort from the charity stripe. For Bullock, it was a frustrating afternoon as he would only make five of his 15 shot and have only one free-throw attempt. The win guarantees one of the top two seeds to Butler, which means they will have two byes and a spot in the semifinals of the Horizon League Conference Tournament. The Vikings on the other hand are fighting for that second spot with Wright State who now own a one game lead over CSU for second place. However, the Raiders still have to travel to Hinkle Field House to play Butler. This week is a big week for CSU as they try and grab one of the top two conference spots. But even third place in the conference would have the Vikings hosting a home game in the first round before traveling back to Indianapolis. This Wednesday the Vikings host fourth place Wisconsin-Milwaukee at 7:00 P.M. at the Wolstein Center. The game is an all important conference showdown with major seeding implications for the upcoming Horizon League Conference Tournament.

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Squad Ready for Horizon League Championship

Viking Swimmers Looking for Title Revenge Story by Reid May

ith a defeat over the University of Illinois-Chicago in early February, the Men’s Swimming and Diving team remained unbeaten at home, and concluded their regular season with an impressive 784 points and a hold on the top of the Horizon League Conference. But the Vikings have already tasted this before. Last year’s title may not have gone to the Vikings, but the team is focused to bring the title home this time, making it two Horizon League Championship titles in three years. “Our strength will be qualitative, we will have more than one [of our swimmers] at their best performance,” head coach Wally Morton said of the upcoming Tournament held at Cleveland State’s

Cavs GM Danny Ferry seems well on his way

Robert F. Busbey Natatorium, Feb. 21 through Feb. 24. Coach Morton, who has led the Viking swimmers to double digit wins over the last seven seasons, is very proud of the legacy the graduating seniors will leave on Cleveland State swimming. “They have come in second place twice, and have won the title once. That is a very impressive achievement, but we haven’t won this year’s title yet,” Morton explained. He is correct about the success of his seniors, though, posting one of the greatest four years of the program in Cleveland State’s rich tradition in the water. Most success has come from the 100 and 200 breaststroke event. “I feel we have the two strongest swimmers in the Horizon League,” Morton would go on to say of sophomore Jakub Dobies (who is close on qualifying for the NCAA Championships), and senior Dave Duecker. Coach Morton also sang the praise of diver of senior Dave Baiko. “He went from diving only six weeks in high school, to becoming one of the best

to be dominant this year, and worst of all, the Celtics Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett seem to be looming over the former Eastern Conference Champion’s shoulder. Suddenly, it seems like every GM in the NBA has had a stroke of genius at the exact same Story by Chris Enoch time. That is, except Danny Ferry. After an offseason spent doing nothing, it looks like fter playing ten unexceptional sea- Ferry may reserve the right to do more of just sons for the Cleveland Cavaliers as that for the Cavs again this season. What do a player, Cavs GM Danny Ferry LeBron and the rest of the Cavs roster have seems well on his way to leading to do to catch a break in this town? the Cavaliers through another decade of disFerry’s solution is to wait. Wait until this seaappointment. After failing to pull the trigger son is over. After all, the Cavs are perpetually on any available free agent or trade option rebuilding. Championship caliber teams don’t yet to come about this past year, Cavs fans fall to number 14 in power rankings during the have to question whether or not their General regular season. If somehow the Cavaliers make Manager is truly an asset to the organization. a run again this year, LeBron James would have After a championship caliber 2007 Season, to take the whole mantle of responsibility playthe Cavaliers really shouldn’t be talking about ing with the exact same roster he had a year ago rebuilding. Heck, they shouldn’t even be against a much-improved Eastern Conference. mumbling about it. A lot of stuff was moved So Danny Ferry says wait. Until next offseason, around during this last NBA offseason and and then the one after that. Wait until your current season. Plenty of superstar players franchise’s star player is on a private jet making found themselves in good company with other his way to New York or California. superstars. In the West we have Steve Nash Well, in the NBA, good things never come and the Diesel. Most impressively, even Kobe to those who wait. Champion teams aren’t put got appeased this season. The East is bound together by General Mangers that fail to make

divers,” Morton said. In another one of his successful years as coach (he has had a winning season since the 1998-99 campaign), could be his most insightful ones form himself, as he became a coach for a women’s team. “I am very proud of the women, they have displayed an excellent work ethic, discipline, attitude, and they swim the best they can,” the Coach said of his first women’s squad at Cleveland State. The women will finish the season in the middle of the pack in the Horizon League Conference, but more importantly improved on their record from last year. Only two years removed from a 9-7 record, the Vikings will look to next year without the services of their four seniors, Alexandra Bagi, Lesley Jones, Deanna Raedel, and diver Trisha Simon. Now is the time to get on the bandwagon, let’s fill the Busbey Natatorium and see one of the country’s fastest, and improved swimming programs.

the necessary adjustments in the offseason or fail to pull the trigger during trade deadlines. Teams that live by such lazy schools of thought are better remembered for being beaten than accomplishing the incredible. LeBron James was brought to Cleveland to embody the incredible. He’s here and he’s done incredible things all by himself. I’m still volatile about Cleveland’s first Finals appearance. All the while James has smiled, remained calm, and put the team on his back. He’s gotten them closer and closer- all by his lonesome. He’s been promised help time and time again. Lies, lies, lies, but he’s a good sport. He even committed to this franchise until 2010- the year he turns 25. James has already sat patiently and will continue to sit patiently until the Cavs give him help or until he gets around to demanding some. As if on cue, that’s where Danny Ferry comes in to shrug and say, “Wait.” Wait until next year. Well, in the next few years LeBron James may decide not to tolerate the Cavs thriftiness and that old waiting game. The question is when that particular next year arrives will anyone blame James for catching the next flight out? I won’t.

Spo rt s F e b r u a r y

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Five Questions with Bryce Drew

Reminiscing “The Shot” of March Madness Story by Nick Camino

uring the first round of the 1998 Men’s NCAA Basketball Tournament the nation witnessed one of the most remarkable finishes to any college game ever played. The small school of Valparaiso University, seeded 13th in the NCAA Tournament and despite finishing with one of the best regular season’s in school history, was facing 4th seeded Mississippi. A victory seemed impossible. The Crusaders were down 69-67 with just 2.5 seconds left to play, no timeouts, and the full length of the floor in front of them to score. After Ole Miss’ Ansu Sesay missed his second free throw attempt, the ball sailed out of bounds off the rim. With only a couple ticks away from a disheartening loss, a 94foot inbound play needed to be called by Valparaiso head coach Homer Drew. With his son Bryce tallying 19 points to lead all scorers, Dr. Drew quickly drew up the play that will forever be revered in NCAA College Basketball: “The Pacer”. Small forward Jamie Sykes tossed a long pass in to Crusaders power forward Bill Jenkins, who quickly flipped the ball to Bryce Drew, who immdediately launched a 23-foot game winning three-pointer at the buzzer giving Valparaiso a stunning 70-69 first round upset victory. After qualifying for the Sweet 16 that season, Bryce graduated from Valpo and was selected in the first round of the 1998 NBA Draft by the Houston Rockets. He also played with the Chicago Bulls, and towards the end of his career was signed by the New Orleans Hornets. Today Bryce is back at Valparaiso, and is an assistant coach for his father at Valparaiso. Thursday night after Cleveland State defeated the Crusaders 71-58 in Valparaiso, Indiana, I caught up with Bryce for five quick questions that he was more than happy to answer. NC (Nick Camino): How does it feel to have the shot you made in 1998 in

Nick Camino was able to chat with legendary Valparaiso basketball player Bryce Drew after the Vikings victory

the NCAA Tournament against Ole Miss known as “The Shot of College Basketball”? BD (Bryce Drew): Well first of all, you are very nice in calling it “The Shot of College Basketball” because obviously there have been many great shots throughout the history of college basketball. But when it happened back in 1998, we had no idea that they would still be showing it 10 years later. I think that I can definitely speak for myself and for everyone else who was part of that play that when we see it again, it brings a smile to our faces. NC: Talk about playing for your father Homer Drew at Valparaiso when you had offers to attend other big colleges to play on a bigger stage? BD: It was a very special time for me. My brother Scott was also the assistant coach there at the time, so those four years we were always together, and that is something that we will all take with us forever.

just like we scripted it in practice and thankfully with us all being seniors it worked out perfectly. NC: You mentioned your brother Scott Drew who is having a great season as the head coach at Baylor University. Is head coaching something you would like to pursue as well one day? BD: I am really excited with what I am doing now. I really enjoy working with my dad because I learn a lot everyday from him. Hopefully one day that opportunity will present itself. But right now I am very happy sitting on his side and watching the great things my brother Scott is doing over at Baylor.

NC: Finally Bryce, you played for your father, and now you two work together everyday doing what you love, talk about the special relationship you two have together? BD: We love it when we win, but when we lose we look at each other and say why are NC: The play your dad called, “The we doing this? (Laughs) No, but seriously it Pacer”, was that how it was supposed is something very special. Being able to go to to be executed or did Jenkins have the work everyday with your dad, going through the good times and the hard times only builds option to take the shot himself ? BD: (Laughs) There were no changes you closer, so we have a very special relationmade to the designed play. We carried it out ship, and we really enjoy doing it.