the cauldron Can It Get Any Better For CSU Volleyball? • Page 13
monDAY, November 2, 2009 • ISSUe 11 Free
Viking Fever Runs Rampant That’s right; it’s that time again! By Robert Ivory
The Great Misdirect By Paul Kahan
PaGe 11
the cauldron Volume 109 • No.11 • november 2, 2009
The Staff
Editor-In-Chief Chris Enoch Managing Editor Emily Ouzts Advertising Manager Jayson Gerbec Copy Editor Reid May News Editor Samantha Shunk Arts & Entertainment Editor Jonathan D. Herzberger Sports Editor Rob Ivory Layout Editor Steve Thomas Features/Copy Editor Laura Krawczyk Business Manager Anne Werner
Mission Statement
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The Melting Pot Apple Tablet: iWonder or iDon’tCare? • Page 3 Windows 7: Worth It? • Page 3 Federal stimulus program assists College of Science • Page 3 Tips to Help You Budget For This Holiday Season • Page 4 IllumiNation: Ohio Issue 3; Fox News v. Whitehouse • Page 4 Steve Phillips Affair: Do You Think He Learned His Lesson Yet? • Page 4 News Cleveland Public Library Hosts Prison Reform Discussion • Page 5 Celebration Honors Native American Heritage • Page 5 Wellness Center Promotes Healthy Relationships • Page 5 CSU Students Work to Make a Difference • Page 6 Hawkins’ “Cowboys and Spacemen” Lecturer displays changes in environmental attitudes • Page 7 Arts & Entertainment Pixel Patrol Games to tide you over until the holiday feast • Page 10 The Great Misdirect• Page 11 Showcasing the Human Subject • Page 11 Leonard Cohen Gives Allen Theatre Night to Remember • Page 11 Concert Picks of the Week • Page 12
As Cleveland State University’s student run, managed, and operated alternative weekly paper, The Cauldron is dedicated to delivering information to the student and professional body of CSU; doing so without bias, without constraints, and without fear. Presenting news, entertainment, opinion and other media that originates organically from within the student body, our distinctive media will organically flow and adapt to suit that body’s needs. The Cauldron prints according to sound journalistic principles of accuracy, accountability, integrity, transparency and with a recognition of press freedom and student expression. The Cauldron shall remain a forum; maintaining a strong connection to the diverse campus community, regarding but not limited to Cleveland State University, the city of Cleveland, the United States, and the Global Community.
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Cleveland State University 4th Floor Cole Center Cleveland, Ohio 44115 phone (216) 687-2270 fax (216) 687-5155 www.csucauldron.com
Sports Can It Get Any Better For CSU Volleyball? Vikings Have Finish Line In Their Sights• Page 13 Revenge of the sporting geek • Page 13 Indians’ Acta Positioned to Rebuild • Page 14
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Federal stimulus program assists College of Science By Gloria Eadeh, Staff Writer
Apple Tablet:
I Wonder or iDon’tCare? By Courtney Jones, Contributing Writer
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pple is said to be coming out with a new product called the Apple Tablet. This new device is supposed to be a combination of the iPod, iPhone, and MacBook. Now that’s a lot of technology in one device with just a 10” screen. Some of the features of past Apple products may be features of the Apple Tablet, including a touch screen, Wi-Fi access, media playback, and desktop applications. It is also rumored that the Apple Tablet may be available through Verizon with a multiyear contract, which could mean that the tablet will have calling capabilities. With the screen being about 10 inches, it has the ability to play HD movies as well as the ability to run multiple desktop applications. All of these extra features allow the Apple Tablet to have a better gaming experience. There are also supposed to be two editions of the Apple Tablet, one of which includes a webcam, while the other is to be used for educational purposes.
Along with all these fun facts, the cost of this new wonder is said to be between $700 and $900. I don’t know about you, but I think that’s a little too expensive for me. It seems that the prices of all the new devices keep increasing. I don’t understand what the big hype about Apple products is. Why are people so keen to buy the next new thing from Apple? The failure rate for the iPod is 5 percent, but Apple has sold almost 70 million iPods in the last five years. That still leaves millions of consumers with affected devices. What makes even less sense is why people who like Apple products are buying each new Apple product as they are being released, though they already have fairly recent Apple products. I myself have a Zune and am perfectly fine with it. I don’t see any point in going out and buying the bigger and better kind of Zune when the one I have works just fine. You can count me out on this new iWonder. I am perfectly fine with my little Zune that can only hold 8GB.
Windows 7:Worth It? By Paul Kahan, Staff Writer
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emember the simple days. About a decade ago, all we cared about is if our computers would run the newest copy of Myst, and how many minutes it would take to log on to the AOL dial-up connection (you know you had it). Now its almost 2010, and it is of course no longer that simple. We have integrated the usage of computers so tightly in to our lives that we now must begin to scrutinize every little problem and bug so that the time between turning the "on" button and getting your first tweet of the day out, is as long as it takes to think up a tweet (that was a cheap shot to you Twitter folk if you didn't get it!) And now, as of Oct. 22, the world was introduced to Windows 7, the newest Operating System for Microsoft. What really set the release of Windows 7 apart from most new OS releases, is that this time around, Windows had something to prove. Its previous OS, Windows Vista had been met with a tremendous amount of criticism, including bad drivers (rendering expensive graphic, sound cards and other components, for a time, utterly useless), its compatibility with many popular programs (which for a time, included iTunes) and of course junk applications that cluttered the screen and made start-up times unbearably slow. Whether Windows 7 is going to sink or swim was the major question in the months leading up to the release. But with record breaking pre-orders on Amazon.co.uk, shattering the previous holder, Harry Potter 7 (seeing a number trend here perhaps?), it looked like millions were showing their faith in Microsoft. Boy, did they deliver. When I had my roommate install my laptop with Windows 7 (I cannot be trusted to do anything further than using Microsoft Word, listening to music on Winamp, as well as checking Facebook, and e-mail), I was focusing on a few extremely important aspects. One was all the junk
applications and widgets that had previously cluttered my laptop when I first installed Vista. To my surprise, they were nowhere to be found. Microsoft had definitely learned their lesson in that aspect. But for those who liked such programs as Windows Live Toolbar, Windows Live Movie Maker, and the other tools, I certainly didn't need for my computing experience, they are available for download, free, on Microsofts website. The next thing I was looking for was, how long it would take me to go from the "on" button to live Internet. Relief, it was far quicker than Vista ever had been. What really seems to be a key part of Windows 7's positive reception, is how light and swift the OS really is. Even CNET, one of the Internets most trusted websites for information on new technology gave Windows 7 a 4.5 out of 5, mostly praising Windows 7 new capability, Aero Peek. Aero Peek allows you to have multiple windows without cluttering up your tool bar. Simply put, if you have seven windows open on Mozilla Firefox, just hover over the Mozilla Icon, and it will give you screen caps of all 7 windows to choose from. The first time I played around with it, I was extremely confused on what was happening, especially coming from Vista. But once it all sunk in, I became a spoiled brat, choosing the "new window" option, over the "new tab" option, not because I should, but because I could. While Windows 7 is not the great second coming, it is clearly the upgrade Microsoft users have deserved since Windows XP came out. I apologize to the tech guys, who were hoping for an depth look at Windows 7, but this is for those who use the computer for simple necessities and are curious about whether or not the upgrade is worth it. In this writers opinion 7 is most certainly worth the time and money (currently retailing at about $210 on Amazon.com for the Ultimate Upgrade).
The Melting Pot
"Though Apple has not yet confirmed the release of the Tablet, anxious fans are swarming the Internet with fake images, like this one, of what the device is supposed to look like."
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hio State University racked in $76 million in stimulus funding, The University of Cincinnati received $26 million, $55 million went to Case Western Reserve University and Cleveland State University received a whopping, $2.5 million in government stimulus spending. Many are asking: what’s up with that? When the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was enacted in February 2009, lobbyists around the country came to the drawing board and sent out as many proposals as possible justifying their share of the $787 billion being dispersed for several causes, including education. Ohio has received well over $1.9 billion in education expenditure alone. CSU researchers worked diligently on proposals mitigating their need for the government’s financial backing. Dr. Bette Bonder, dean of the College of Science at CSU said, “Individual researchers or programs had to submit proposals to the National Institute of Health, The National Science Foundation, The Department of Defense, or other federal funding agencies. Those agencies made it clear they were looking to fund projects that could be implemented quickly.” Many are listless about this figure because it seems so miniscule compared to other universities sums. In fact, the $2.5 million awarded to the university will help substantially with research contribution in the role of genetic factors in health and disease. Not only is the college of science working on genetics, but they are making progress on environmental issues as well. The outcome was very encouraging for researchers at CSU, because this amount would have been impossible to obtain in a matter of a few months without the proposals and the stimulus fund. Dr. Bonder said, “While CSU’s numbers look small relative to some other institutions in the state, the $2.5 million is actually a very good outcome for us.” Grants for the health and science departments play an important role in the economy. It has been shown that strong medical and science departments lead to a stronger local economy and higher employment rates, hence the need for funding in this department. So, a seemingly small amount of money going to the College of Science could be beneficial to Cleveland’s economy and employment? Doubts linger, as they should, but something is better than nothing, and supporting research is as vital as breathing. In a rapidly changing world, knowledge may truly be power for one community.
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IllumiNation:
Tips to Help You Budget For This Holiday Season
Ohio Issue 3; Fox News v. White house
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By Reid May, Copy Editor
By Adam Burr, Contributing Writer
Okay, you may not want to talk about that jolly old man coming down your chimney yet, but he is coming whether you like it or not. Times maybe hard, but we enlisted the help of Esther Holtwick, financial education director at WECO Fund Inc., to give you some tips to help budget your holiday spending money. That way you can spend more time actually enjoying the holidays, and less time calculating how many months it’ll take to pay everything off. 1. Be organized-Plan ahead this holiday season. Know whom you are buying for and what you are buying them before you go out. 2. Stay within your spending limits-It seems simple. You’re in college, you understand living on a budget, but it is easy to overextend yourself. Especially when shopping for the people you love. Remember that those people love you for you, not for what you buy them. 3. Stick to the two credit card limit-If you are going to put it on your cards, be careful. The convenience of paying for it later will cost you. So help your cause, and only take two credit cards at the most. Use the two cards that give you the best perks. 4. Watch the sales this year-In this economy, stores are offering some great sales. You just have to look for them, which is easier than you think. For example, the other week I was in the doctor’s office when a news story ran on the TV stating that Walmart is offering 100 brand name toys for just $10! Speaking of sales… 5. Have Your Holiday After the Holiday-The best sales happen, can you guess? Ding! Ding! That’s right! After Christmas! So if you are looking to get the most bang for your buck, consider pushing Christmas back a few days. The kids won’t care as long as there are presents under the tree, and the adults will be much happier with a few extra bucks in their pockets. 6. Email is Free-Don’t have cash to fork over for postage? If your relatives have a computer and can, well, turn it on, then email is a great way to send Christmas cards for free. You’re in college; they’ll understand you being a little cheap. 7. Have a Grab Bag Holiday-Probably the easiest way to save your entire family money, is to have a grab bag holiday. Simply have everyone write his or her name on a piece of paper and put it in a bag. Then let each person draw a name from the bag. Whoever you pick will be the person you buy a Christmas present. Now you only have one gift to buy instead of ten. 8. Don’t Forget to Pay All Your Other Bills on Time Too-Hey we all get caught up in the spirit of Christmas, but don’t let your bills get lost in the pile of Christmas cards. Make sure you have your monthly bills in check before you get sloshed on eggnog this holiday season. So now you have eight great tips to get you through all your hectic shopping for the holiday season. However, there is one more tip we’d like to share with you. It may seem simple, but many people have forgotten it entirely: 9. The holidays are not about presents, they are about family- My mother always says to me, “Your job will not be there for you when you die, but your family will be.” Just remember that the people you love will not always be here, so cherish the times when you can all get together as a family. That’s what is truly important.
"Both Phillips and Letterman recently admitted to having extramarital affairs with female coworkers. Letterman managed to keep both his marriage and his job, unlike Phillips, who lost both."
y far the most publicized and most advocated (both for and against) ballot measure in Ohio is Issue 3, which will allow the construction of four casinos in Ohio, one each in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. Some of the advertisements, paid for by the Ohio Jobs and Growth Committee, suggest that a ‘yes’ vote on Issue 3 will bring $34,000 new jobs and $1 billion dollars in revenue that would have otherwise been spent in other states. Others, which are paid for by a variety of opponent organizations including TruthPAC question the validity of those ads and argue based on these points, all of which are, in fact, part of the legislation. First, more than half of the jobs associated with the casinos are temporary and will probably only last for two or three years. Many of the projects that will ensue as part of casino building will include new infrastructure like roads and bridges. The legislation makes no mention of who will cover those costs—the casino developers certainly will not—and leaves the taxpayers on the hook. Essentially, Ohio taxpayers will be giving outof-state developers their money so that those developers can build a casino and make most of the profits. Supporters advocate Issue 3 as an opportunity to have out of state developers invest their money in the state of Ohio, but the reality is less illustrious. As stated, taxpayers will be on the hook for most of the costs and the tax rate on these casinos will only stand at 33 percent—among the lowest in the nation among states with legalized gambling. Maryland recently agreed to allow a casino to be built within their borders, at a 67 percent tax rate. Why is Ohio only asking for less than half of that? That 33 percent rate is a cap, meaning it cannot be changed without amending the Ohio Constitution. Most states allow the government to have jurisdiction over casino management and tax rates, but Ohio’s legislation gives all the power to the casinos. Even worse, cash bets are not factored into the profit calculation, so casinos would pay no tax on cash bets. Casinos hurt in other ways too. The legislation prevents anyone other than the four casino operators from conducting casino gambling. That means your annual church or charity’s casino-night fundraiser is illegal—and no more.
Steve Phillips Affair:
Do You Think He Learned His Lesson Yet? By Adam Burr, Contributing Writer
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s of Sunday, Oct 25, Steve Phillips was fired from his analyst position at ESPN. The former Mets GM and, more recently, baseball analyst for ESPN, was fired after the news broke that he was having an affair with Brooke Hundley, a production assistant with the network. Phillips went to the police claiming that the affair had turned into “fatal attraction." Hundley had tried to reach Phillips wife, Marni Phillips, several times and contacted his son through Facebook about the affair. The family claims they were terrified that Hundley might do something. In the end, who knows what really happened? Who really cares? The more important issue is Phillip’s termination at ESPN. In light of the recent Letterman scandal, one cannot help but make comparisons between the two. Let’s be honest with ourselves - both men used their status at their networks to coerce these young women into sexual situations. Yes, we are all upset with David, but we’ll forgive him eventually. As long as he keeps us laughing late at night, we can overlook his “mistakes." However, Phillips will not get the same chance at redemption.
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Listen, I am not against casino gambling. However, we must ensure the legislation is written without loopholes and the deal is right for Ohio and not the developers. We do not need permanent casinos that have autonomy written into our constitution and we definitely do not need to be under taxing those casinos by half. Ohio has seen casino gambling on the ballot so many times in the last decade that many voters have reached a point where they would rather just pass the legislation that seems inevitable. This time though, we need to take a stand for the right kind of legislation. Yes, at some point Ohio needs to stop losing money to out of state casinos, but we must make sure we are not losing money to an in state casino first. In national news, Fox News and the White House have an interesting war-of-words taking place this week. Essentially, the White House has ridiculed Fox, calling it, “a wing of the Republican Party,” and criticizing the station for biased reporting and a heavy smear campaign against Pres. Obama, particularly during his election campaign, according to the NY Daily News. The White House also believes Fox mocked Obama’s Nobel Peace Prize and gloated over the loss of the Olympic bid for 2016. The administration has reportedly told Fox News that it will grant no interviews with Pres. Obama until 2010. As part of the standoff, the president gave Sunday interviews to every major news network except Fox last month. Fox alleges that the White House is struggling to distinguish between news and opinion, which explains the allegations against the network. I agree with the assessment that Fox News does, at times, report with bias. However, MSNBC, CNN and other cable news shows are much the same way, to the point that it is a wonder that the White House has called out only Fox. Are they particularly conservative minded? Perhaps, but MSNBC definitely leans to the left, and nobody said anything about that. While it is understandable that the White House is tired of the unfair journalism, picking a battle with a media source is a waste of time. The president and his staff have much bigger fish to fry, while the news network can dwell on this for weeks. The media always gets the last word and the administration will never be pleased with the outcome of this battle.
That says something about us, and our society. We are willing to overlook certain “mistakes” in one case, but not in another. The only difference between Letterman and Phillips was their position in the hierarchy of network television. Consider this, statistics shows that 90 percent of people in the U.S. think infidelity is wrong. Yet, according to the same statistics, 30 percent to 60 percent of all married people will engage in infidelity at some point in their marriage. Let’s face the facts, a lot of people are (ahem) doing it these days. However, most people aren’t losing their jobs over it. Their marriages are another story. Phillips lost that as well in the midst of all the chaos. His wife filed for divorce on Sept. 14. Phillips and his ex-wife have four children together. So let Phillip’s mistake be a lesson to all of us. If you are going to have an affair, make sure it doesn’t become media frenzy. Your boss may feel compelled to take immediate action. Unless of course you are the boss (a.k.a. Big Dave), in which case go have a ball. Don’t worry if you are caught with your pants down. We will understand. You messed up, and you are deeply sorry. You will never, ever, do it again.
NEWS
Celebration Honors Celebration Honors Native American Heritage By Chris Enoch, Editor-in-Chief
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repare for an illustrious display of the heritage, history and legacy of America’s indigenous peoples. An imminent cause for both celebration and education next week, Cleveland State University’s Office of Diversity and Multicultural Affairs will be sponsoring the university’s annual Native American Heritage Celebration, which will commence Nov. 10 and continue on until the final laps of the fall semester. The celebration, entitled, “Dreaming Our Future Generations” is free and open to the public and will conclude on Dec. 5. Including a lecture by an award-winning Native American author, a film screening, art exhibits and what is sure to be some tasty Native American cooking, the event is intended to facilitate cultural education in an evocative and enjoyable way. The first event of the festivities will be a lecture by Elizabeth Cook Lynn, member of the Crow Creek Sioux tribe and Professor Emerita of English and Native American Studies at Eastern Washington University in Cheney, Washington. Lynn has sought to lift up the stories of contemporary Native Americans and particularly Native American women through her distinguished work as an author of books and anthologies on these subjects. Lynn will be present in the Fenn Tower Ballroom, from noon to 1:30p.m. With an emphasis on the oral tradition of Native American
culture, the event will feature song and dance presentations by the Crooked River Dance Nation Troupe, a group which strives to preserve the rich legacy and history of Native Americans while also battling the harmful stereotypes that are often disseminated throughout Western culture. Navajo tacos made by Mary Jane Buckshot of South West Favorites Catering in Cleveland will be also be served at the event. On Nov. 12, students are invited to Fenn Tower Theater at 6:00 p.m. to screen the film “The Exiles,” an account of one night in the lives of young Native American men and women who reside in the Bunker Hill district of Los Angeles. The film, directed by Kent Mackenzie, was originally released in 1961. The screening of the film will be facilitated by community educator Marie Toledo. An art exhibit by Rachel Allen, entitled “The Thin Red Line” will be held from Nov. 13 through Dec. 5. “As an artist I share my personal experiences and history. I hope that by doing this I can cultivate understanding and acceptance between those who see the work and myself,” said Allen, a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, in a written artist statement at csuohio.edu/artgallery. A reception and gallery talk will be held on Nov. 13 at 11:30 a.m. Additionally, Allen will also host a family printmaking workshop at the CSU Art Gallery on Nov. 14 from noon to 2:00 p.m.
Cleveland Public Library Hosts Prison Reform Discussion
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Wellness Center Promotes Healthy Relationships By Kristen Mott, Staff Writer
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elationships are a part of everyday life. Most of our relationships are healthy and functional; however, this is unfortunately not always the case. Sometimes we find ourselves in abusive or dysfunctional relationships with those around us. Cleveland State University has provided ways to combat these relationships through its Campus Guide to Sex, Safety and Healthy Relationships. Hosted by the Health and Wellness Center, along with the Student Women’s Association and the Mareyjoyce Women’s Center, the session took place last week in the Main Classroom Auditorium. The speakers at the event covered a wide variety of topics from campus safety to STDs. Upon entering the auditorium, students received a folder filled with pamphlets and information on all the topics to be covered. Once inside, information was presented through lectures, movies, power points, and personal accounts. The speakers made the program interactive by allowing students to ask questions and become engaged by playing games or answering trivia questions. The topics covered at the event were those that most affect college students. These issues included healthy relationships, AIDS/HIV, safe sex, sexuality and domestic violence. One topic that was heavily focused on is sexual assault. According to RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network), one in six college-age women are sexually assaulted and 70 percent of the time the victims know their attackers. These frightening statistics show that women, as well as men, need to be aware of their sur-
roundings and only go into safe environments. Tips to avoid date rape and sexual assault include practicing safe drinking, going to parties with a group of responsible friends, and trusting your instincts. A second popular topic was the issue of STDs. According to a study conducted on college campuses in 2000, 50 percent of college students receive their first STD within their first two years of college. Speakers at the event emphasized the importance of safe sex practices and how imperative it is to receive a medical check-up after being sexually active. In addition to providing a multitude of information, the event supplied numbers to hotlines and local services, like the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center and the Free Medical Clinic of Greater Cleveland. Student groups on campus were also represented, such as the men’s and women’s issues groups and LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender). These groups provide a safe community for students to talk with others about common issues affecting their lives. Students seemed responsive to the session and to really pay attention to all the information that was presented. When asked about the event, Diane, a freshman, said “I thought it was really informative and educational.” A second freshman, Chad, felt that “the information pertained to my life and made me think about my relationships.” The event hopefully made students examine their own relationships and provided tips to build healthy relationships in the future.
By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer
here is a very serious topic up for discussion on Saturday, November 7th. That topic is prison reform in America. The main branch of the Cleveland Public Library will host a public discussion on the issue in its Stokes Auditorium starting at
3:00 pm. The program has been arranged by Social Sciences Librarian Sequoia C. Brown, and it will illuminate such topics as; the rapid increase in the rate of incarceration in the United States, the disproportionate amount of minorities behind bars due to inequities in the justice system, and the impact problems with our prison system have had on us culturally. The discussion will be lead by a panel of three guest speakers and one moderator; Dan Moulthrop (host of WCPN’s Sound of Ideas) will be the discussion moderator, and guest panelists include Mansfield B. Frazier, (Community activist and author of Behind the Wall), Alan Elsner (Award Winning Journalist and Author of Gates of Injustice) and Frank Shewalter, (Warden of the Northeast Pre-Release Center). Why does this topic need to be discussed? Here are some sobering statistics: The United States has the highest prison population in the entire world. Recidivism rates for released inmates are as high as 70%. Most ex-offenders find it extremely difficult to find work once they have been released which means most of them return to illegal actions because of lack of opportunity. With a prison population of 2.38 million and growing, U.S. prisons are acknowledged by many to be dangerously overcrowded. Three strikes legislation has lead to a large population of non-violent offenders with extensive or life sentences. Basically the way three strikes laws work is no matter what your third offense is, be it violent or non-violent if you have two prior felonies you are required to be given a long term or life sentence. As well as being a social sciences librarian, Ms. Brown is also the official United Nations librarian for the Cleveland Public Library, as such; she plans programs each year on topics of concern to the UN. Ms. Brown says that she takes it upon herself to arrange these sorts of programs every year, to teach the public about world culture and to shine a light on pressing topics that are often overlooked in mainstream media. Next year she plans to create a program around the topic of modern day slavery and to invite a guest speaker to talk about his or her own experience on the subject. Save the Date: Let’s Talk Prison Reform will all be taking place on Saturday, November 7th, 2009, at the Cleveland Public Library, in the Louis Stokes Auditorium, (525 Superior Avenue. Cleveland Ohio 44114.) The program will last from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and is FREE to the public.
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Student volunteers stacking bricks on a palate at Standard Farm site
Clearing out the Standard Farm site
Chuck digging up some bricks
Mailk (student) and James (from City Year) using their strength to move a lot of bricks
CSU Students Work to Make a Difference By Samantha Shunk, News Editor
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few Saturdays ago, before the mass amounts of candy and the crazy costumes, students clad in lime green t-shirts congregated in the Main Classroom Atrium. After waiting in a line that literally went out the door, the students were ready for a day of community service. This day is entitled Make a Difference Day, and it is the largest annual service day in the country. Sandra Emerick, associate dean of students, said of the participants, “180 volunteered, about 40 of which were CityYear volunteers. A record high!” The 180 volunteers that left from CSU that day were divided into five groups that each went off to different sites throughout Cleveland. Some volunteers painted, some cleaned up gardens, and some made a dent clearing out the ruins of a demolished school. The demolished school was located on East 53rd and Standard
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near St. Clair. The site is over an acre and planned to be used by the Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities as a usable urban farm for those with developmental disabilities to work as gardeners. The Cuyahoga County Board of Developmental Disabilities is recycling as much as they can from the ruins of the school to be green and save some green in this endeavor; therefore, the volunteers at the site organized scrap wood and stacked the bricks and pieces of bricks on palates for storage until the farm is ready to use them. The project is slotted to be completed so crops can be planted this coming spring. To achieve this goal, the site of the future Standard Farm will need to see quite a few more days of manual labor to clear out the ruins of the old school. Then the two feet of topsoil will be added over the land and the farm will be ready for planting. Maybe next year we
will see the crops of the Standard Farm at the CSU Farmer’s Market. To make such a big difference in Cleveland, CSU students partnered up with the City Year volunteers. The bright green t-shirts next to the red jackets of the City Year volunteers’ uniforms made it look like Christmas in a way, and the spirit of caring and helping out that Christmas has for some was seen that day. Everyone felt good about what they were doing because they knew that others were benefiting from the service performed. Alex Brinkman, Vice-President of Alpha Lambda Delta said, “As a member of ALD, a service oriented society, Make a Difference Day was a great opportunity to give back to the community. We had a ton of fun as we helped clean up the future location of Standard Farm. By working in the heart of the city, we felt like we really made a difference in Cleveland.”
Hawkins’ “Cowboys and Spacemen” Lecturer displays changes in environmental attitudes
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By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer
ast Monday evening the Town Hall Speaker Series, presented by Cleveland State University, featured George Hawkins at the Ohio Theatre in Playhouse Square. Mr. Hawkins is the director of the District Department of the Environment in Washington D.C., and chair of the Green Building Advisor Council. Hawkins opened the seminar by recounting a field trip when he was a little boy back in 1969. He recalls seeing the Cuyahoga River and the half-inch crust of pollution that floated on its surface. He said the smell was terrible, but at the time no one was doing anything about it. That was the same year the river caught fire for a week and Hawkins said that it was also the same year he decided to become an environmentalist. Vast improvements have been made since the ‘50s and ‘60s, but Hawkins has an explanation for how things got so bad to begin with. He has come up with a chart that shows cultural parallels between the old way of thinking and a new way, which is steadily emerging. He calls this comparison “Cowboys and Spacemen.” The cowboy mentality was the mindset people had when this country was first being founded, the idea was that there were limitless natural resources, so if you were using it, it was yours. There wasn’t really any conservation or worry about deprivation because, to the best of everyone’s knowledge, the good times would never stop rolling. So there was lots of development and people set up their colonies and that’s the way it was. But those communities were centered on the resources they used most, their churches,
hospitals, and shops. And because everyone lived so near to these amenities, people mostly walked, also, horses were expensive to take care of so only the rich had them back then. About one hundred or so years later, with the invention of the train, suddenly people are a little more spread out, but most still lived within walking distance of the train station because it was public transportation. Jump ahead another forty plus years with the invention of the car however, and everybody’s all over the map because they no longer need to live so close to their resources. Now they can drive anywhere they want, or at least, that was the notion. But one of the key points of this seminar was that if we spread out without considering how much it affects the ecosystem, then the planet winds up exploited and depleted. We build things we don’t need, we drive way too much and we aren’t as social with one another as we used to be. The new way of thinking is the spacemen mentality, and that is the conservation mentality. This mentality is one that envisions everyone aboard a space ship where we can clearly see the limitations of our resources and know that we must ration what we use to insure that we still have water and energy in the years to come. Now seeing how costly the cowboy mentality has been, we are trying to salvage what we have left. One of the best ways to do this is to re-utilize our resources that have been neglected. As it turns out, being green is actually a lot easier than it sounds.
James I. Robertson Jr
November 2, 2009 • csucauldron.com | 7
Viking Fever Runs Rampant
That’s right; it’s that time again! By Robert Ivory, Sports Editor
8 | csucauldron.com • November 2, 2009
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ith less than a week until the new basketball season tips off at the Wolstein Center, pandemonium has hit the campus of Cleveland State. Memories of last year’s Cinderella run by the men’s team have brought hope and great expectations for the 2009-2010 basketball seasons. Both the men’s and the women’s basketball teams have the right tools for success, but can they put them together and run with a well-oiled machine in the Horizon League? Everybody knows about the dream run that the men’s team had last year, concluding with the loss of many of their top players, including J’Nathan Bullock and Cedric Jackson. Head coach Gary Waters is going to need his players to stand out and be able to duplicate the rough and gritty team that was on the court last year. Last year, Bullock led the team with 15.2 points a game, 7.1 rebounds a game, and set the momentum for the team. Jackson put up 10.9 points per game and had 200 assists, so someone on this year’s roster is going to simply have to makeup for these two key players. Here are the players to look out for during the season: Norris Cole, Guard, Jr.: Last year he started every game at off guard and was second on the team in scoring as he had 24 double figure games. Cole led the team in 3 pointers last year and average 13.3 points per game as he contributed game in and game out as became a key figure in the Viking offense, but had a big presence on the defensive side of the ball, having the second most steals on the team. Cole will be the veteran on this team that Gary Waters will look at as the guy to become the face of the team. Should we mention he was picked on the 2009-10 preseason All-Horizon League team? D’Aundray Brown, Guard, Jr.: Brown was plagued with injuries last year, including a MCL sprain that kept him out of the Horizon League Tournament. But this year, he’s in revenge mode for what he was not able to do in the tournament. In only 24 games last year, he was able to grab 136 rebounds and had 40 steals. Again, it’s going to be a year for the junior to get his CSU career back on track after last year’s tough season. Joe Latas, Center, So, Kevin Anderson, Center, Jr, and Jared Cunningham, Forward, Jr: You can call these guys tall, taller, and tallest, but that is nothing coach Waters will be complaining about. Cleveland State always seemed out of sorts with other Horizon League opponents that towered over the Vikings. Now Latas (6-11), Anderson (6-10), and Cunningham (6-9) have the upper hand in the starting lineup and coming off the bench. The Vikings helped themselves out last year with a great nonconference schedule, and the 2009-2010 has gotten nothing but tougher. Late November and December will be a rugged test of where the Vikings are in preparation for the Horizon League portion of their schedule. What are the key dates you should circle on your calendar? November 24 and 25: If you are looking to take a break from the crappy Cleveland winter, then you can jet down to Cancun, not only for the sun, but also for some great college basketball. As part of the Cancun Challenge, the Vikings will face off against the Kentucky Wildcats (20-13 last year; 8-8, 5th in SEC East Division). The Wildcats are ranked 4th in the AP Poll’s Top 25 to start the 09-10 campaign. If that wasn’t enough, the next night the Vikings will face off against either Stanford (8-23; 6-12 9th in the PAC-10) or the Cavaliers (no, not LeBron’s team), but the University of Virginia (1018; 4-12 11th in the ACC.
December 19, vs. West Virginia, Wolstein Center, John McLendon Classic: Last year, the Vikings had a four point lead at the half in Morgantown last year, but could not hold on. This only two days after losing to Butler at home on a last second, buzzer-beater shot. Bob Huggins’ squad had a tough year in the ACC, but their win over the Vikings was part of winning six games out of seven during their year. This year, the Mountaineers will use their game versus CSU as a tune-up for a December 23 match on ESPN2 with Ole Miss. The Vikings are looking to revenge last year’s loss to Kansas State during the second annual McLendon Classic. December 23, at Ohio State, Columbus, OH: From West Virginia to Ohio State to Kansas State, the Vikings will have a swing with these three teams in a matter of 10 days. This middle of these fixtures features two Ohio teams looking to duplicate their good league play fro a year ago. These two teams met last in 2007-2008 when the Buckeyes beat the Vikes 80-63 at Quicken Loans Arena. The Vikes will not let the Buckeyes off that easy this year, as they look to hold bragging rights on Thad Matta’s team right before the Christmas Holiday. Can Christmas come two days early to Cleveland State? January 14 and February 13, @ Butler, @ Cleveland State: There is no better matchup then the Vikings and the Bulldogs. Both teams know each other well and both teams will surely be ready for this league matchup. Butler beat the Vikings on a buzzer-beater last year in Cleveland then clinched the Horizon League with a 58-56 victory in Indianapolis. But, the Vikings had the last laugh. One thing is sure, both games (and possibly a third) will come down to the wire as they did last year. As for the women’s basketball squad, this year will answer many questions that fans have pondered for years. The most asked question is where will Kailey Klein finish among the greats of women’s basketball at Cleveland State, not to mention how the Cleveland State program can transition between the four seniors that will leave after this year and how the underclass players get ready for next year. Head coach Kate Peterson Abiad knows hat she has a lot to accomplish over what will seem to be a short basketball season. Again, the 2009-2010 will be a chase to keep even with the Green Bay Phoenix, as they are again picked to win the Horizon League. With 4 first place votes, the Vikings are looking to finish second (where they have been picked to finish), but are always eyeing the regular season Horizon League title. Finishing 19-13 last year, the Vikes need to get to a hot start to get close to the Phoenix, as they won 29 of 33 games and a trip to the NCAA Tournament last year. The Vikings may have the right personnel to do so, as Klein has been named the HL’s preseason pick of player of the year. Also on their preseason list is Shawnita Garland, who received First Team honors and seems to be the one who will take over the reigns at year’s end. Get ready to meet the 2009-2010 Cleveland State most important players: Kailey Klein, Guard, Sr: What can you say about Kailey Klein that has not been already said? Coming into her final and most important year in Cleveland, there are not enough adjectives to explain how well Kailey can play. 16.9 points per game, 99 assist, 5.4 rebounds a game (including over 60 offensive rebounds), and impressive stats keep going on like a broken record. Now that the University of Milwaukee-Wisconsin’s Traci Edwards has graduated, this maybe the year that Klein will have little competition for Player of the Year of the league if she can keep up the rate of play she has been for the past
several years. Jessica Roque, Angel Roque, Guards, and Stephanie Crosley, Forward, Senior Class: These three seniors will be the core of players that make or break this year’s championship hopes. Jessica Roque has been a steady gun for the Vikings, as she has exploded and become the leader of the team. Not only does Jessica have the task of leading this year’s team, but she has also taken the underclassmen under her wing to teach them the ins and outs of the squad. An injured Angel Roque put her behind the ball last year, but looks to be in more than the 22 games that she was in last year. With 11 starts last year; she will battle for time with the underclassmen as they prove to Peterson that they can contribute to the squad. As for Crosley, her presence under the hoop is needed for the team to win. After the Vikings lost Dominique Butler, Crosley has to step into the role of enforcer and has to be ready to be a scrappy player. Look for Crosley to put her body into harms way to get those tough rebounds lat in the game when they are most needed. Now you know why these three are keys to success. Vikings Underclass: To pick just one or two underclassmen that will make an impact on this team is simply too difficult. Add in the play of Garland, who averaged over 12 points a game and 88 steals over the course of the year and you have a team that can not only score, but defend. Peterson upgraded her size with Shalonda Winton. Combined with sophomore Destinee Blue, this team upgrades to a big physical team under the basket, something the team was criticized for not having last year. Keane, King, and Adams give the team a balance up and down the roster. Although the Vikings got to play Arizona State in the Women’s NIT last year, this year’s opponents are just as good. Much like the men’s team, it is all about the Vikings putting a tough non-Horizon League schedule together for when they get to their Horizon League opponents November 22, at Wisconsin: A big time opponent from the Big Ten. Coach Peterson has ties with the school and the area, so this will be a big game that she will have her team pumped up for. The last time these teams met, it opened the Vikings season and we showed how well one team has to play to win in Division I. This time it will be interesting to see how far the Vikes have come along since that time, as the Vikes will matchup pretty well with the team that finished middle of the pack in their Conference. November 26 and 27: Thanksgiving will be spent this year eating pavo instead of turkey. The Vikes will take on Marquette and Iona in the Caribbean Challenge in Cancun, Mexico during the Holiday. The Vikings have a chance to showcase their talent on an international level. If the Vikings can do well, this may not be the only tournament that they will dominate in last year. January 2, vs. Green Bay: As stated before, this Green Bay team is excellent. ‘Rebuilding’ is not in their vocabulary and the team keeps pumping out winners. The Vikings have always had a tough time against this team, but did win the Horizon League tournament on their home court in Green Bay. These two teams meet on the last game of the year, but if the Vikings can beat the Phoenix in Cleveland, they can hold their destiny in their hands. No matter what team you root for at Cleveland State, expectations get higher and higher every year. Many people on campus are wondering if both teams can win the Horizon League this year. There is only one way to find out. Basketball season starts next week, so rush to the arena and get ready to enjoy your Cleveland State Vikings!
November 2, 2009 • csucauldron.com | 9
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
Pixel Patrol
Games to tide you over until the holiday feast By Jonathan “Killstring” Herzberger and Adam Burr The Cauldron A&E Editor and Contributing Writer The post-Thanksgiving season is a crazy one in American retail. Everybody rushes to have their best foot forward for the sacred ritual known as Black Friday – which sounds way more heavy metal than it actually is – and the gaming industry is no exception. Developers labor all year to have their prize projects debut – investors are told year round that the Q4 sales will make up for a sagging fiscal year – blah blah blah. Unless you're an accounting major, you don't really care about that, though. You might not even if you are an a counting major. Very well then: let us talk games. It's no secret that most of the triple-A titles are released between early November and mid-December – and the Pixel-Patrolling Cauldron staff is hard at work on some in-depth preview work. But having said that, the flood of blockbuster titles has already begun – so here are two games to whet your appetite, and distract you right through finals week.
Uncharted 2: Among Thieves By Adam Burr
Out this month
is one of the year’s most anticipated releases for the PS3, “Uncharted 2: Among Thieves.” The sequel to Naughty Dog’s “Uncharted: Drake’s Fortune,” which was voted PS3 Game of the Year (2007), “Among Thieves” has some big shoes to fill. After nabbing my copy on release day and playing the game entirely through once, I offer you my humble review. “Among Thieves” follows the formula that projected “Drake’s Fortune” to Game of the Year: give the player near cinematic graphics, apply an intriguing plot full of twists and turns that lead the player through stunning landscapes and add enough gun battles to fulfill the appetite of even the most hardcore players. On top of that, there are a variety of different puzzles that will require you to think a little to progress through the game. Just apply the amount of mental energy you put into your Monday morning class and you should get by just fine. On a more critical note, “Among Thieves” is, in many ways, an imitation of “Drake’s Fortune.” Sure, the story is “different” and new characters are introduced, but the plot is almost exactly the same: Drake has to find a certain treasure (which again has supernatural powers) before it is taken into the wrong hands. As if killing soldiers was not enough, there have to be some zombie like characters to spice up the story. That aside, Naughty Dog did make an attempt to add some new features to the “Uncharted” franchise, offering the player online game play. You can play through the story mode in co-op with people around the world, or play in teams against other players in various game modes such as team death match and plunder. Overall, “Among Thieves” delivers what fans have been craving, and that is a new action adventure game starring the one and only Nathan Drake. Warning: This game will draw you into the story, so do not be surprised if you cannot put down the controller until the credits roll. It is okay though, everyone will understand. After all, who has not had the urge to search for lost treasure, take down a small army, and save the world? It beats studying for a test any day.
10
Brütal Legend By Jonathan Herzberger
I
f you somehow missed this one until now, Brütal Legend stars Jack Black as Jack Black Rock & Roll Guy, on a violent tongue-in-cheek journey through the land that Heavy Metal comes from, with writing and direction from Tim Schafer: better known as the dude who made Psychonauts, Grim Fandango, and the Monkey Island games. If that paragraph elicited an unsolicited squeal of glee, than Brütal Legend is for you. Possibly specifically. If it sounded intriguing, then read on. If that sounds like a terrible idea, or you're still clinging to 1980's-era southern baptist Metal=Satan values, then you might wish to skip ahead to Adam's review of the new Uncharted game. I heard you get to kill people with absolute moral certainty in the virtue of your actions. Cool. Now that I've alienated half of you, let's get you mad enough to write angry letters to the editor: Brütal Legend is nothing if not an emphatic love letter to seventies metal – this game riffs (get it?) on the concept that the Sabbaths, Zeppelins, and Skeletonwitches make up the 'good' guys of metal – which is to say, the more awesome kind of evil, with everything from hair-metal to nü-metal cast as the antagonistic less desirable, corporate sort. The script begins on an absolutely hilarious first act – and grows progressively more intense as the tale progresses. Those of you wondering if Schafer's pen can still work magic can rest easy. Metal in-jokes abound, and everything from the mythology of the world, to the political scenarios is packed full of detail, and the blood, sweat, and (black) tears really show. The landscape consists of - well, to be honest, classic Metal album covers, painstakingly crafted into three dimensions. Black's Eddie Riggs can literally melt faces with a guitar solo, and an astonishingly intelligible Ozzy Osbourne cameos as The Guardian Of Metal. Okay, so that's a lot of concept – all of which is nice, but the question remains? Is Brütal Legend any fun to, you know, play? A lot of that depends on who you are. While it might appear to be a standard third person action game, somewhere between God of War and Fable, that's just the tip of this particular iceberg. Full scale army-onarmy battles make up the meat of the story mode, and for those who might be thinking that sounds a little uncomfortably like a real-time strategy game, give yourself a prize – that's exactly what it is. To be fair, it's not a particularly difficult one, so even people who cannot abide the RTS genre (like, for example, your humble narrator) can plow through it quick enough, bringing Hot Metal Doom in person with a minimum of micromanaging. This, I feel – is negated by the inclusion of Giant Laser Panthers. Honestly, it depends on how you derive your enjoyment from a game. Strip away the brilliant music, spot-on art design, and the best voice-acting I've heard in anything – anything, in quite some time, and you have a fairly average action game, slapped on top of a pretty bad RTS. Alternatively, if you strip all the noise, steel, fire and leather off a biker gang, suddenly they're just a bunch of hairy dudes. Bottom line? The ümlaut-happy Brütal Legend may not be a great game. It might not even be a good one. It's less concerned with being good, opting instead to focus on being awesome. At which, it succeeds.
The Great Misdirect By Paul Kahan, Staff Writer
I
n a genre crowded with sound-alikes, retreads, and just plain unimaginative acts, the modern metal band needs something to make them stand out. Otherwise, they run the risk of being lost in the crowd of faces, doomed to obscurity. Something that really stands out about the North Carolina based progressive metal band, Between the Buried and Me, is that when the band ripped into "All Bodies" like they did on October 1 at Mr. Smalls in Millsvalle, PA; is that all those divided - whether by elitism (metal sub-genre), belief, or religion - were suddenly silent. They shut their mouths and stood in awe of the raw power of metal, and perhaps even rock and roll's future. The band began in 2000, founded by Tommy Rogers (Vocals/Keyboards) and Paul Waggoner (Guitar). They were signed to Victory Records in 2003. The rest of the current lineup was rounded out in 2005, with the addition of Dustie Waring (Guitar), Blake Richardson (Drums), and Dan Briggs (Bass). The band truly began gaining momentum with the release of their 2005 epic, Alaska. Before the band had been slowly gaining steam from their previous release The Silent Circus. But it was the element of adding members Richardson, Waring and Briggs that truly completed the forumula that was BTBAM. Since, the band has released a covers album, The Anatomy Of, which featured surprising covers such as Counting Crows "Colorblind" Montley Crew's "Kickstart My Heart" and Smashing Pumpkins' "Geek U.S.A.", as well as not so surprising covers like "Blackened," "Cemeterary Gates" and "Territory", by Metallica, Pantera and Supultura, respectively - as well as what is regarded as their masterpiece, 2007's Colors. Since the release of Colors, there has been one topic that has not strayed far amongst the fanbase of the NC quintet; How would the band top Colors? The album featured 65 minutes of heart racing prog metal that borrowed elements of arena rock, jazz, polka, and everything under the sun. Dream Theater's Mike Portonoy even lauded it as his favorite release of the year. Which was clearly more than just a passing comment, as Dream Theater would later take BTBAM on tour with them on their
North American festival, Progressive Nation, along with Swedish prog masters Opeth. So, how do you top that? The world got its answer on October 27 when The Great Misdirect hit shelves. What can be said about the 60 minutes of prog tastiness we have been blessed with? Many bands make the mistake of making the same record twice. Between the Buried and Me was careful to not let each song bleed into each other like the previous record, letting each song take a personality of its own. Opener "Mirrors", is actually one of my favorite tracks, though the shortest song by far at 3 minutes and 30 seconds, its somber opening with Tommy Rogers' almost uniform croon at the beggining of the song turns in to a breezy jam that leaves a menacing tone toward the end to lead us right to the second track "Obfuscation." The record, like Colors, has a toy chest full of elements that the band plays with throughout the recording. At a few points, throughout the record, it feels like Misdirect begins to get a little dry, and even boring. The band is known for being highly experimental, but it feels like at a few points they get lost within their own ideas, which come out half-baked. Do not get me wrong though, the CD is brilliant and they have surpassed Colors in some ways - but not in others. Is it a better record? No. But perhaps an appropriate progression in the band's style, and there are parts on "Fossil Genera - A Feed From Cloud Mountain" that absolutely give me the chills. And the themes on the record are also some of my favorite the band has covered, dealing with alien abduction, the human brain and magic. Also a special mention to "Swim to the Moon," perhaps the moodiest song on the record. Though it is no surprise as the song comes in at a whopping 17 minutes and 54 seconds. Still, the insane rhythm and guitar solos will leave you bleeding. For the full Between The Buried And Me experience, pick up The Great Misdirect, pop it in your stereo, shut out the lights, open your mind, and prepare for harmonic abduction: a prog encounter of the fourth kind.
Leonard Cohen Gives Allen Theatre Night to Remember By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer
Showcasing the Human Subject By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer
The "Human Subject" is now featured at the university art gallery. Art lovers know that this subject is one of the most complex and captivating. Work that is on display includes pieces from artists like Susan Hauptmanand her self-portraits. Others include Sean Henry and his bronze statuary, and Baila Litton’s detailed face paintings. Each artist at the exhibit brings his or her unique talent to the subject of human beauty, ugliness or both, reflected back and forth through each other on canvas, paper and panel. There’s no medium that cannot show the inner truths of the human being, nor would an artist in this showing be unwilling to delve those depths to excavate those truths for all to see. In Misha Klingman’s portraits, we see that the images are faded and rubbed out. In some, the canvas has even been cut and sewn over. These pieces together are called the erased, and are meant to represent the forgotten people of the Russian immigrant, Jewish Diaspora. Baila Litton’s pieces are about the representation of an individual’s energies. She has chosen to express this by painting their faces on huge collages of paper. She adds into the portraits various symbols and maps and things that hide behind the faces and jump out at the viewer as they scan over the pieces. With each face you see hanging there on the wall, you get a new story and a totally different feeling of wonder than you got from the last one. The eyes that look back at you are always soft, kind and above all else, human. Stopping to look and linger in front of one of Susan Hauptman’s self portraits, one is immersed with the sense that here is a woman unafraid to show herself raw and unguarded to the world. Her portraits hide nothing of human flaw or readily exposed feeling to the onlooker. She creates more of a truth about herself as a person than most artists care to give away. The quality and depth of her work only deepens this fact until some of her fine charcoal works start to look like photographs taken from her everyday life. Look closely enough though, and you’ll end up reading a little label that tells you this piece was done in charcoal on paper. You still might not believe it. Or take a look at Jenny Scobel: her work brings to light emotion and character using watercolor paints and a little wax. She manages to turn panel boards into magnificently drawn portraits, depicting people who look honest, or at least honestly human. The slightly washed out colors and shy demeanor of her subjects makes each one feel like a reluctant piece of the artist’s consciousness trying either to hide or to find its way out of the canvas. Most pieces either have their hands clasped behind their backs or hands folded on their laps like patient spectators. The opening night, there was talk from the featured artist, Virginia Konchan. Konchan has been an artist most of her life, being a published poet with an MFA in fiction writing, but she has only been a painter for about sixteen months. She says that, she’s found, “a more immediate way of expressing myself with paint.” This show is not just for art-lovers. It’s for anyone that simply wishes to get a better understanding of the world around them, because the world is there, in splotches and strokes and smudges. Come, stand in front of a canvas for a moment and feel that the eyes looking back at you are really your own, or as one artist put it, your own perception. Feel that you are faced by your own perception and then try to understand it. That is the human subject!
On October 25th, Leonard Cohen came to Cleveland and he gave the Allen Theatre quite the show. Put simply; the concert was awesome. Cohen refuses to lose his grace or style, and his voice has only gotten richer with the passing of time. He stopped in Cleveland to perform the old favorites like “I’m Your Man” and “Anthem.” The master performer managed to make a concert that was scheduled to last only two hours go on for nearly four due to all the encore performances. He brought his whole band with him, a huge ensemble, and with each band member being a master at his or her craft, it was a special treat. It was easy to lose count of how many times Cohen and the band got a standing ovation from the awe-swept crowd. He sang “Hallelujah,” “Waitin’ on the Miracle,” and so many other favorites. Cohen continues to prove that he is an amazing showman by performing songs that never lose their edge. Then again, Cohen himself has not lost a single step. At the age of 75, he continues to be one of the most celebrated names in music. It is no surprise Cohen's lyrics are so meaningful, considering Cohen did not even start off in music, but poetry. The poet always shines through in his songs, like the opening lyrics to Anthem, “ring the bells that still can ring, forget your perfect offering, there is a crack, a crack in everything that’s how the light gets in….” The man is a unique and exceptional performer. To sit in the audience and watch him perform is like no other concert experience-- his voice, his band, and his magical words made the show unforgettable. After going to the show, one comes to understand the beauty of well-crafted message. He moved across the stage and sang with all the timing and rhythm of a man many times younger, and through it all he kept a smile on his face and in his voice. The best part about going to see this tour was knowing that after sitting in the dark for three and half hours, there was not a single minute wasted. Every moment spent in that dark theater felt like magic being seen and heard first hand.
November 2, 2009 • csucauldron.com | 11
concert picks of the week
By Alexes “Texas” Spencer & Jonathan “Killstring” Herzberger, Staff Writer & Arts & Entertainment Editor It is going to be one of those weeks, concerteers. November means academic crunch time – it is do or die. We at The Cauldron have a suggestion for you: Do not die. Instead, blow off some of that steam with one of the many, many, many fantastic shows this week. All work and no play means your brain will explode, and nobody wants to clean that up. Nobody.
I have to admit (and hope that no one stones me) that I wouldn’t typically recommend a Hawthorne Heights show. Don’t get me wrong, Hawthorne Heights is a good band. They stayed together after the death of guitarist Casey Calvert, where most bands would have probably called it quits. Speaking from experience, their shows are pretty solid. However, they are not the most amazing band you will ever see live, which is why they tend to fall by the wayside when I am making my “bands I would recommend to people” list. So, what could possibly convince me that this show is worth telling you to spend $14? Three words: Monty Are I. What’s so special about those guys? You will just have to go to the Grog Shop tonight and find out.
Alexes’s Pick:
11/2 Hawthorne Heights w/ Monty Are I @ Grog Shop
Ye gods, but there are a lot of amazing shows this week. The almighty Guster is in town. OK GO is coming, sans treadmills, but the rock is intact. Foxy Shazam is hitting the House of Blues with The Sounds – this show has approximately zero chance of not thrilling you. Also, for all my scarf-wearing, indier-than-thou posturing, there is a special little place in my heart marked “Wu-Tang Clan.” Back off, man, just... just let me have this one thing, ok? Ghostface is rocking the Beachland, and it should not be missed. Unless of course, you are at this week’s pick, which for pure entertainment value, still beats this incredibly top-heavy week of shows. Toasters, Mustard Plug, Deals Gone Bad, Voodoo Glowskulls, Green Room Rockers, $12. Grab a fedora and one of those tweed jackets with the leather shoulder pads (Goodwill has your back on this one) and go dance the night away.
Jonathan’s Pick:
11/5 Ska is Dead IV w/The Toasters @ Peabody’s
11 /2
The Sounds
w/FOXY SHAZAM, Semi Precious Weapons, DJ misterbradlyp @ House of Blues, $20
OK GO
w/Princeton, All The Day Holiday @ Grog Shop, $15 Cartel
The Black Dahlia Murder w/Skeletonwitch @ Peabody’s, $15
Hatebreed
11 /5 11 /5
Guster
@ House of Blues, $22
@ House of Blues, $22.50
Devil Doll
w/The Hi-Risers @ Beachland Ballroom, $10
11 /5 11 /5
Ghostface Killah w/Fashawn @ Beachland Ballroom, $23
Clare & The Reasons w/Lowly The Tree Ghost (yeah, we know you just saw them) @ Beachland, $8
Raquy & The Cavemen (Crazy Egyptian Percussion!) @ Beachland/Waterloo Tavern, $10
White Denim
w/Brazos, Mother Country Madmen @ Grog Shop, $10
Tech N9ne
w/a bunch of people you don’t care about @ Peabody’s, $25
Gallows
w/Above This Fire, Wreak Havoc! @ Grog Shop, $10 12 | csucauldron.com • November 2, 2009
11 /6 11 /6 11 /6 11 /6 11 /6 11/7 10/27 11 /8 11 /8
Vikings Have Finish Line In Their Sights By Robert Ivory, Sports Editor
C
leveland State Volleyball is good…really good. With their 12th straight win coming in Chicago this weekend, the Cleveland State Volleyball team is heading towards towering heights in their program. First place in the league has been their goal and it looks like they may get to that plateau. A 3-1 win over Loyola on Friday put the team at an 11-1 Horizon League record, two games better than the second place Valparaiso. Head Coach Chuck Voss said after the match, “I am really proud of the way we battled tonight. We didn't play our best tonight, but we hung in there and did enough to win." The Vikings beat Loyola with scores of 25-21, 21-25, 25-14, and 32-30. 12 straight games may seem like a lot, and it is. The longest
such streak in CSU history belongs to the 1976 team that won 16 straight. If the Vikings want to win 16+ plus matches, they will have to beat UIC, Green Bay, and Milwaukee on the road, then Youngstown State at home. That match against the Penguins is the last match of the regular season, so the Vikings will have to get to a winning streak 18 games to get to the NCAA Tournament, if they do not lose the remainder of their matches. However, just one more win will give the Vikings of 2009 the most wins ever by a Cleveland State volleyball team. Ironically, it would be with the 2007 Vikings that won 23 games and made it to the dance, the NCAA Tournament, the first ever volleyball team to make it from Cleveland State. These stats are also looking to break records, too. With a
SPORTS
Can It Get Any Better For CSU Volleyball?
.256 hitting percentage, that would be good enough for a school record. CSU lead the league in opponent hitting percentage (.151), and are in second in assist per game (12.71), blocks (2.27), service aces (1.39), and kills (13.82) coming into Saturday’s action. Individually, the team is just as explosive as the team stats. Beth Greulich leads the league in hitting percentage (.347), with Amy Benz in third, and Jordan Goad leads the league in assist per game. To say that this is the best volleyball squad is probably not true, but they are pretty close. Teams are usually remembered and ranked by the championships that they win, and these Vikings may be on that road.
Revenge of the sporting geek
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By Jonathan “Killstring” Herzberger, A&E Editor
ey again. Remember me? Maybe not, but that's ok. I know you don't see me around here often, but that's ok... I'm not around often. I'm the guy who would rather see the game from the box score than the box seats. The guy you wind up asking for advice on your fantasy team. They guy who finds the byzantine, labyrinthine structure of the NBA's collective bargaining agreement more interesting than the games themselves. Yep. It's the nerd again. Spoken with a degree of pride, no doubt, but it's the truth. The same flak you might get from your football buddies if you mentioned missing the game to go play Starcraft, or Dungeons & Dragons – those are the kinds of looks I get when I'm watching said game instead of Firefly reruns. But it's ok – I have discovered common ground between your world and mine. For those of you who might not be comfortable with that kind of thing, those who wish the sacred institution of sport to remain untainted by such flagrant and wanton geekery, it might be best to skip this, and move on to Wodka's story about the Tribe's new manager, or something. Because for the rest of you, I have what might be a somewhat uncomfortable revelation: When you play fantasy sports, and the geek community plays tabletop RPG's, we are doing the same thing. Ok. Now that I've got your attention, let's talk about this. Sure, some people play in fantasy leagues for money rather than fun, but that's motivation, not the activity itself. Think about it for a second: when you go through the motions of assembling and managing a fantasy team, what are you really doing? Creating a roster of individual units. Depending on factors beyond your immediate control for their performance. Juggling different statistical categories to assault opponents with your strengths, and attempt to cover for your weaknesses. There's emotional investment, micromanagement that might look tedious to an outsider, but is secretly fun, and addictive - hell, there's even an element of role-playing to it, as you take on the 'character' of a general manager. At this point, I don't even know if I'm talking about Fantasy Football, or Warhammer 40K. That should say enough right there. Now, faced with these facts, we find ourselves at an interesting crossroads. But, as my solemn duty as the Sporting Geek demands, I am not here to divide, but rather, to point out not differences, but similarities. And much as I issued a call for our geeky fringe brethren to stop looking down on something simply because it's different, I here reiterate the claim to one and all: stop worrying about what people might think, and get in on all the fun you're not letting yourself have.
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Indians’ Acta Positioned to Rebuild
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By William Wodka, Staff Writer
s if enough was not going on in Cleveland sports already. With the beginning of the Cavaliers season and the Browns trying to find sticky glue to catch passes, the Indians have selected and hired a new manager for the 2010 season. Their pick was none other than Manny Acta. Many are quick to ask who Acta is. Before this promotion, Acta was the Washington Nationals manager this past season before getting yanked from the job. This move not only begs the question, what is Mark Shapiro doing but also how will this move help the Indians at all? The Indians used to be the team to beat. They were one game from the World Series just a mere two years ago and since then the team has fallen apart losing two star aces. Shapiro has cleaned house since then and is looking to rebuild. This move can be seen at as a good one, after all, Acta has plenty of experience coaching. He led the Dominican Republic to five wins out of seven games in the 2006 World Baseball classic. He also led the Class-A Kissimmee Cobras to a Florida State League championship in 1999. He was hired as the third base coach at Montreal and for New York Mets. Though he worked under two managers that were later fired he moved on and was given the managerial job in Washington. Under Acta the Nationals had two losing seasons, with one year having over 100 losses. He was later fired half way through this season. About to take an offered that the Houston Astros gave him, he was contacted by Shapiro. The two parties later agreed to a contract and Acta signed a three year deal with an option in 2013. Finally, the Indians have found a new manager and things can only go upward from here. But maybe the signing of Acta was a little premature considering who the Indians were looking at. The Indians started out with 35 different managers in mind and narrowed the list down to only a few. In the running, besides Acta was Bobby Valentine and Torey Lovullo. I saw Lovullo coach the Triple A Buffalo Bisons team for years before going to the Columbus Clippers and he was great. He led the Bisons to a couple playoff runs and seemed to be the best candidate for the job. Bobby Valentine has experience in the majors and the teams outlook on next season seemed to be right up Valentine’s alley. But one name that struck a chord was Don Mattingly. According to an article written by MLB.com’s Anthony Castrovince, the Indians were setting up a formal meeting with the former Yankee coach when Shapiro heard the Astros offered Acta a job. This means that the Indians had the potential to possibly sign Don Mattingly who has been under Joe Torre’s regime since the Yankee days in the late 1990’s. Mattingly would have been a perfect fit for the Indians too because he could get the Indians bats going again. The deal would have been a long shot but if Mattingly was there with the experience he has and if the Indians past pitching coach Carl Willis was rehired then maybe the tribe could make a run to the playoffs. Do not forget Willis did coach two Cy Young award winning pitchers who are now pitching in the World Series. It is much too early to say if the hiring of Manny Acta was the right move but only time will tell. Perhaps this transaction will be just one of the many moves that Shapiro makes to drive the Indians back into the playoffs.
14 | csucauldron.com • November 2, 2009
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