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MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2009 // ISSUe 7 // Free
NEWS • ARTS • SPORTS • OPINION
Cleveland State ‘Flips the Script’: Vikings Athletics Makes About-face
By Robert Ivory
Vikings in the Mist PAGE 8
the cauldron Volume 109 • No.7 • OCTOBER 5, 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 Opening Statements • Page 3 There’s a word for people like Tucker Max, but we can’t print it • Page 3 Surviving a College Roommate• Page 3 IllumiNation: Obama fails in Chicago Olympic bid; Blair to be European President? • Page 4 The Cauldron Editors Talk Halloween • Page 4
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News Conversation Partners Aid English Learners • Page 6 Medical Use of Cord Blood Offers Hope to Patients • Page 6 Lifting, Climbing and Connecting with Others: Panel Lecturers Discuss Higher Education and Community • Page 6 Student Organization Spotlight: Dramatic Arts Movement Ensemble sponsors Capoeira dance workshop • Page 7 Vikings in the Mist • Page 8 Events in Iran Stir Analysis • Page 8 Student Government Association Sets Agenda • Page 8
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Arts & Entertainment The Invention of Lying: Charming and Honestly Predictable • Page 12 Setting the Stage: Franklin Stein’s Project • Page 12 Great Lakes Theater Festival’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’ Musical dazzles and entertains from beginning ‘til the end of your choosing • Page 12 Halo 3: ODST Feast or Famine? • Page 13 Concert Picks of the Week • Page 14 Sports Vikings Crawl Back To Tie Flames, Panthers: Harpel Passes 200 Save Mark • Page 15 There Goes Another Promising Year • Page 16 Pigskins & Pigtails: A Woman’s Guide to Football • Page 18
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Opening Statements By Reid May, Copy Editor
Surviving a College Roommate
By Krista Daugherty, Contributing Writer
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Erin Ludwig and Tucker Max
There’s a word for people like Tucker Max, but we can’t print it By Alexes Spencer, Staff Writer “Five weeks and lots of sex later, she thought we were dating. I knew better, but she was way too hot to bother correcting her assumption,” writes Tucker Max in “Tucker tries butt sex; hilarity does not ensue,” one of many stories on his Web site. Max, a “writer,” has “written” lots of stories like these, stories that chronicle the ups and downs of life as a single, male, beer-guzzling douche bag, some of which are included in his book, I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell, which will soon be adapted to the big screen. Add in the fact that Max loves to be drunk nearly constantly, and you’ve pretty much summed up why people hate – and unfortunately adore – this guy. Any intelligent person could read through the remainder of this story and be completely blown away by how manipulative this guy is with the girls he dates. A “d” word that rhymes with “stick” may even come to mind. What is more unfortunate than the scores of people that are angry with Tucker Max for being a drunken, manipulative womanizer, is the fact that some men (emphasis on “some”) idolize the guy. And worse still, he is to some women what Joe Jonas is to their little sisters. It is plenty obvious why people hate Max. It may even be pretty easy to imagine guys idolizing him. He is, after all, a guy himself, meaning that there’s probably another male out there with a pretty similar mindset to Max’s, no matter how repulsive that mindset may be. But why women love him is another mystery entirely, especially to the extent that some of these women go. Women fawn over him like a new pair of shoes and proposition him constantly. One woman even went as far as to sleep with Max and follow it with two lines of words
permanently inked on her body commemorating the event. Of course, she had only actually met him hours before. Even more disturbing is the fact that this badge of honor she placed on herself isn’t simply due to the fact that Max is a celebrity. The girl, according to Max’s The Tattoo Story, literally considered Max a hero, and said that this tattoo (and presumably sleeping with Max) “defines [her] existence.” I wonder what kind of existence one has to have for sleeping with someone, especially Max, to define it. Maybe there is something just so charming about a man who thinks all women are whores (in his defense, the women he seems to hang with don’t appear too inclined to change that opinion) and that fat girls aren’t real people (can I get some scientific evidence on this one?). But the real reason why Tucker Max posts these stories and makes all of these bold and controversial statements, the reason that Tucker Max is Tucker Max, stares blatantly at all of us from “The Famous ‘Sushi Pants’ Story,” a real gut-buster about how he and his friends somehow lure women into talking to them by bringing a portable breathalyzer to a bar: “Four people at the bar have tried my breathalyzer, both of the fake-breasted women included. Everyone wants to know their BAC. I am the center of attention. I am happy,” writes Max at timestamp 9:23 pm. And at 10:04, Max writes, “The novelty of the portable breathalyzer has passed. The table has moved on. I am no longer the center of attention. I am not happy.” Max proclaims that he is an asshole. He tells stories that degrade women. He tries his best to outwit all who take a stab at him, and yet, at the bottom of everything, we have just one more egocentric man hell-bent on being the center of attention. And there is no doubt that Max is getting what he wants, from men and women alike, whether those who despise him like it or not.
The Melting Pot
fter 18 years of living the same way as everyone in your house, you're forced to cohabitate with another person who was raised completely different from the way you were. Living with someone can be fun and exciting, but without rules and communication, it can be a disaster. When first moving in, let your roommate know your pet peeves and ask if certain things you know you tend to do will bother them. It's ideal to talk to your roommate before you move in together. You'll need to figure out who is bringing what, anyway. As soon as an issue arises, don't just call your best friend and complain, talk to your roommate. Try to stay calm and remember that they were raised differently from you. Neither of you are right or wrong. However you were raised to act, be even more cautious and respectful. There are always going to be things you don't like about the way the other person lives. Keep in mind that they most likely will not agree with some things you do either. Be more than willing to compromise. If your roommate is a neat freak, and you won the award for messiest locker in high school, be ready for some giveand-take. Try to clean up as much as you can. Your roommate should realize, however, that your unmade bed doesn't have anything to do with her. Just because she doesn't like the way you live doesn't mean she has a say in the things that don't affect her. There are some basic roommate rules. Let your roommate know when someone is staying over and what room they will be sleeping in. The last thing your roommate wants to do is to walk into the living room to see a half-naked person randomly sleeping on their couch. It would help if you would even clear it with them ahead of time. Be sure to always clean up after yourself and your guests. If your roommate is sleeping or studying, be as quiet as possible. If you come home while your roommate is sleeping, don't flip on the lights. Tiptoe to your bed, using your cell phone as a flashlight if necessary. If you want to watch TV while your roommate is sleeping, watch it in the living room or ask your roommate ahead of time if the light or sound bothers him or her. The worst thing you can do is gossip about your roommate or tell their secrets. It's more mature to talk to your roommate about the things they do that annoy you. Nothing gets solved by telling your mom that your roommate is a slob. Try to accommodate with each other's schedules. You don't want to be fighting over the shower at the same time, or making a ton of noise while your roommate is trying to sleep. Never, ever, eat your roommate’s food without asking. Deal with their tastes in music, hobbies, clothes and friends. They have to deal with yours. One of the most important rules is to not touch your roommate's things. Ever. It's one thing to accidently bump into something, but to pick up their picture frame to look at a picture is another. If their alarm clock is too bright, tell them. Don't flip over their alarm clock in the middle of the night. Once a person's things are touched, it starts to feel personal. The moral of the story is to try to accommodate your roommate, and they will – hopefully – try to accommodate you. The more friendly you are with each other, the better living together will be. It's easier to talk to someone and to be honest with someone you happen to consider a friend. And if you end up being best friends, that wouldn't hurt.
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ometimes I hate Cleveland State University. Not because I actually hate Cleveland State, but rather because I love it too much. See, I love it to the point that I hate seeing this university squander its limitless potential. The important thing to remember about potential is that without effort, drive and purpose, all you get is "could have, would have, should have." Sometimes--too often in fact--I see that here at Cleveland State. We have a university that is literally the heart of a major American city, the strongest force in an urban area, and we are only just now beginning to capitalize upon that. There is so much more that can be done. For the most part, we are trying to capture the opportunity, doing our very best to build new facilities, increase campus life and residency, stimulate community growth through increased co-op initiatives and partnerships while also increasing our academic standing. Yet, I see disheartening missteps in some other areas. Not all are to blame on one entity, but are a cumulative missed-opportunity. These are simple things, for example: why did we build a state-of-the-art parking facility on what was once a student lot--one of the biggest on campus--and then tell students their tags would not
be accepted there after the project was completed? Why was our Student Government Association not all over the decision with information sessions for students? Why are they being reactive instead of proactive? That brings me to another example: What does our SGA do, exactly? Are they not supposed to advocate for student rights, keep tabs on greater University plans like a community watchdog group and ensure fair treatment for all? Lately, they seem to be solely focused on event planning--and I thought we already had a Campus Activities Board. And hey, what about Dining Services? Ask around campus and you will find a great disdain for the cleanliness, quality of service and overall presentation put forth by our dining locations. Dare to ask about the food-general quality, nutrition standards and cost--and you will hardly believe your ears. If we want to be more residential (and we sure say we do), we better get a dining program that is not the reason that residents move off campus. Think I am crazy? See for yourself. My point is: I will not stand for this anymore. From now on when I see our potential being squandered, I will call it out right here in the pages of this publication. Try to remember, this is not personal. I write because I care and because this what is best for Cleveland State. No matter what, the Cauldron will be doing it's job--keeping our campus accountable to the people who should matter to it most--the students.
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IllumiNation:
photo courtesy of thedailybeast.com
The Cauldron Editors Talk Halloween
I like candy and I like Jack Daniel’s, and there’s only one night a year when it’s socially acceptable to have both at once: Halloween. I also like false eyelashes and fishnets, both of which attract negative attention under most circumstances, so Halloween is usually a pretty spectacular night for me. The weeks leading up to Halloween night, however, can be stressful. There’s a lot of thought that goes into picking the right costume. If you’re a guy, you’ll want your costume to be funny, clever and slightly offensive. If you’re a girl, you’ll want to be sexy and playful without being The Girl Who Just Wore Underwear and Heels. There’s no faking it either - if you don’t plan ahead, you’ll end up being the dude at the party wearing a t-shirt saying, “This is my costume.” And that dude’s night is not going to be spectacular. Luckily for you, the editorial staff at The Cauldron spent the past week ignoring our studies so we could conjure up some in-depth thoughts on Halloween, including costume ideas, musings on Halloweens past and motherly advice. You don’t have to thank us - this stuff comes naturally. -Emily Ouzts Remember: wet fabric clings My favorite Halloween costume was worn by my friend last year -- she went as a pigblood soaked Carrie. Not only did she spend less than $20 on it (the most expensive part was the fake blood, the dress she found at Value World), she also got a ton of compliments on originality, a ton of comments on how hot it was (wet fabric clings), and she even placed in a costume contest. But I really admired it because she didn't have to be half-naked to have fun and look awesome on Halloween. It’s not all about figuring out how little you can wear without 1) getting hypothermia that night, and 2) not being charged with indecent exposure. -Laura Krawczyk
Obama fails in Chicago Olympic bid; Blair to be European President? By Reid May, Copy Editor
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resident Barack Obama, his wife, the First Lady, Michelle Obama and several members of his cabinet made the trip Friday to Copenhagen, Denmark to support the United States bid to make Chicago the host of the 2016 Olympics. Chicago did not even come close, however, ousted in the first round of voting by eventual bid winner, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; runner-up Madrid and also-ran, Tokyo. Republicans are all over the President’s decision to make the trip, calling it, “really embarrassing,” according to CNN. The critics argue that the President’s place is at home arguing for issues that affect the country, not just the President’s adopted hometown. President Obama, however, was not the only head-of-state present at the IOC conference. In fact, all four heads of state were at the event. President Obama was originally intent on advocating for Chicago from the United States but was pressed to travel when all three rival cities had presidential representation. Therefore, evaluating the decision and the criticism, this can just be chalked up as another case of Republicans finding something—an insignificant something—to complain about. Yes, the United States and Chicago lost the bid, but it was not the President’s fault, nor is it “embarrassing” that he advocated for this country. Are the citizens of Spain and Japan arguing that their leaders should never have gone to Copenhagen? Or that it was embarrassing that they lost? It is almost as if these outspoken Republicans are suggesting that an event like this— which allows nations to advocate for the opportunity to host an event that promotes worldwide community, sportsmanship and friendly competition is below our President. In fact, it almost seems as though they are suggesting that our President is that much more important than Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Spanish King Juan Carlos. Considering the current global disdain toward the United States—which some say was the reason Chicago was eliminated so quickly, it probably is not a smart idea to place our President on a pedestal so far above everyone else. President Obama is trying to change our standing globally, with talking instead of fighting and equality instead of big versus small. It is about time the Republican Party got on board—it certainly cannot hurt to reverse some of the disdain developed in the Bush years. In other news, the European Union is said to be mulling over the idea of a ‘President of Europe’ or a single executive to represent all 27-member states internationally. Interestingly, the man said to be the frontrunner for the new position is none other than former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair. Sources say Blair brings the kind of leadership charisma and global recognition factor that is not typically associated with the European Union. If Blair is made President, he will have the power to largely shape the role as he sees fit, and could possibly become more powerful than many of the individual member states’ rulers. In fact, if Blair developed the kind of popularity he once had as British Prime Minister, he would rival the leaders of the United States, China and Russia as the most powerful executives in the world. Further, the increasing unification of Europe would leave the world divided into three all-powerful continental blocs—the United States, China and the EU. While decisions are still being made and no official placements will come until the end of October, this is certainly something to observe closely in the coming weeks.
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October 5, 2009 • csucauldron.com
Costume Choices from the Editor-in-Chief "Exploitative Capitalist Pig": People are fed up with Wall Street. Scratch that. People are furious with Wall Street. Take advantage of widespread economic pandemonium and lighten up the mood simultaneously! The great thing about this costume is the relative ease with which this hilarious image is achieved. Start by donning a suit (don't forget your "power" tie!) and carry a shining jet-black briefcase. Stuff Monopoly money into all visible pockets and tape it to the interior of your sleeves. Grab a fake pig-nose, a piggy tail and you'll be a hit in this otherwise terrible season for the market! "Evil Ronald McDonald": In a recent commercial launched by the organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), actor Andy Dick portrayed a sadistically venomous version of the popular food chain McDonald's marketing mascot -- the iconic Ronald McDonald. This evil McDonald is fascinated with finding new ways to kill farm animals and ends up promoting of a crueler way to kill chickens included waterboarding these birds to death. Grab your Ron McDonald get-up, put it on and apply liberal amounts of white non-toxic face paint to your visage. Blacken the eyes, rough up hair with various eco-friendly hair products and blast those follicles with orange-red spray-on dye. Look deranged! "King of Pop": In a Halloween season sure to be defined by various emulators of Michael Jackson; get the one-up on these posers by taking this expression a bit too seriously. Lace together soda cans with yarn or fish line and place these candid accessories around your eager neck. Add to the regality a crown, a scepter and a purple cape and you have the literal king of pop! -Chris Enoch The Downer When I sat down to jot out a few ideas about Halloween I was not sure I would know what to say. It has never been a holiday of much importance for me. Sure, I participated in the trick-or-treat festivities as a young child, but as I have gotten older, I have outgrown both the costumes and the overall enthusiasm for the day. In part, I am not a huge partier, so the idea of a big Halloween party is not all too glamorous or exciting. While I am a willing participant in costume wearing, I do not typically go over the top with any of my costumes, preferring something simple like “three hole-punch Reid” played off The Office’s “three hole-punch Jim.” -Reid May Let’s have fun and not look too slutty When it comes to Halloween, I have always been more of a DIY kind of girl. Last year I was a hippie with my boyfriend because we were not on top of our game when Halloween rolled around, but this year I am going to up the ante. As of now, Sean, the boyfriend, and I are still trying to decide what we’re going to wear. He’s been wanting to go as characters from the Rob Zombie’s House of 1000 Corpses, and I think that would be a great idea if we can get enough people together to do it with us. But since the recent dawning of the game Civilization IV in our lives, Sean is pumped about the idea of going as world leaders. I was so down for being Napoleon, but apparently he’s male and I ought to be a chick. We will see… In the past, I have had so many great costumes thanks to the thriftiness of my mom. I usually can pull out the costume box and put something together that looks sweet. From a clown as a little girl to a fifties girl with the poodle skirt in elementary school followed by Cleopatra, an array of hippies, a princess, a cowgirl, and a borderline naughty schoolgirl my senior year, I have tried many different options. The Halloween box is still awaiting Little Bo Peep, a biker chick, a vampire, and an infinite number of possibilities. But this year, as every other year, I am saying “no” to wearing my underwear in public just because it is Halloween and I can. I feel Halloween is the time to show my creativity, not the time to find the costume with the least amount of material to cover my good parts. Plus, I want to be able to tell my mom about my sweet costumes and show pictures without feeling ashamed about the unnecessary amount of skin showing. Plus, it’s cold on Oct. 31st. It’s Halloween, let’s have fun and not look too slutty! -Samantha Shunk
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Real. College. Journalism.
Medical Use of Cord Blood Offers Hope to Patients
Conversation Partners Aid English Learners
By Gloria Eadeh, Staff Writer
By Kristen Mott, Contributing Writer
News
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magine being a student in a foreign country without knowing anyone or even how to communicate with the native people. This difficult communication barrier can present quite a tremendous problem. The way this barrier can affect a college education presents another. Cleveland State University considered how foreign students on our campus felt and tried to find a way to make them feel as welcome as possible. Cleveland State’s latest endeavor is the Conversation Partners for English Learners program. This program, which is a part of the English as a Second Language (ESL) program, runs each year in the fall and the spring. According to Alevtyna Kolomiyets, who is an ESL program assistant, the main purpose of this program is "to help ESL students improve their speaking skills, learn about new cultures, and make friends”. The students in the program come from a wide variety of countries, including Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Kuwait, China, Spain and many others. This wide array of nationalities creates a highly diverse learning community and allows students to expand their knowledge about customs and traditions around the globe. Through this process, ESL students are paired up with a CSU student. The CSU students help the ESL students improve their English language skills, along with making them feel more comfortable and accustomed to speaking the English language. ESL students
are able to progress their listening and speaking skills which will be beneficial as they continue on with their academic careers. In addition to breaking down language barriers, the conversation partners have become close friends with the ESL students. The program sets up a range of activities and trips to help the students become involved and develop relationships. Events vary by season and upcoming activities include going to the movies in October and a trip to a Cleveland museum in November. The events allow ESL students the chance to be put in a non-formal setting where they can relax and have fun in the city. Alevtyna comments, “Students can learn more about American culture in a non-formal setting. We want our students to have some American friends, so they are not alone in a foreign country.” These activities also enable the ESL students to make an easier transition to living in the United States. CSU students who are interested and would like to get involved should look out for the "Campus Mailbag" sent to their school email. The program is advertised through the mailbag and contains contact information. Once a student contacts the ESL department, he or she will be asked to fill out a short application in order to properly match them with a current ESL student. Any student who is personable and motivated is encouraged to apply and help make an ESL student feel like CSU is their home away from home.
Over the past ten years, cord blood banking has become a successful medical practice. Not only is cord blood used to cure various cancers, but research is coming out with new developments proving cord blood can regenerate organs, cure diabetes and sickle cell anemia. Cord blood, which is taken from the mother upon delivery, is filled with stem cells which are preserved and used as needed to treat various genetic and hematopoietic disorders. The Cleveland Cord Blood Center started collecting cord blood in January 2008. Dave Clements, Director of Business Department and Government Relations, spoke about the importance of cord blood. “In the last ten years there has been 30,000 transplants using cord blood. It now has about an 85 percent success rate, which is really phenomenal considering bone marrow is about a 50 percent success rate.” The cord blood is usually used by the child, but family members can use it if they are a match. Although cord blood is relatively effective in curing and treating about 70 different diseases and disorders, it is only used once all other options have been exhausted. Clements said, “It’s the last resort because medical science takes a while to come up with things, some day it probably might. A lot of it is just the fact that it has only been around for ten years, a lot of it is education too, the physicians being educated and understanding this is a value” Once the cord blood receiver has been matched and the transplant is executed properly the patient is cured of cancer, but not all conditions can be cured, some conditions become more manageable for the patient after the transplant. As for ethical concerns, cord blood is ethical because scientists are not destroying embryos in order to obtain the stem cells. Until 1992 when Pablo Rubinstein set up the first bank freezing cord blood, cord blood was deemed medical waste. Removing the cord causes no harm to the child. Once the cord is removed the blood is drained and frozen. What is important to understand for those considering cord blood is the difference between public and private cord blood banks. Private banks will take the cord blood and save it for the child. It is never used for research purposes. It costs the family approximately $2,000 with fees assessed every year it is stored. However, most public banks are free for the mother, and the cord blood given to the public bank is considered a donation. As a donation, the cord blood can be used for research or given to a person who is a match with the stem cells. It is not saved for the person donating the cord blood.
Lifting, Climbing and Connecting with Others: Panel Lecturers Discuss Higher Education and Community By Chris Enoch, Editor-in-Chief
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he idea of “lifting as we climb”, quoted from the historical graces of distinguished social activist Mary Church Terrell, has long been a fundamental theme in higher education within the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. If “lifting as we climb” requires community interaction and activism alongside peers and colleagues, then last Thursday Cleveland State students did some heavy lifting. Engaged in a panel discussion offered by the sociology department at Cleveland State entitled “Living the American Dilemma: Inspiring Excellence Despite Adversity,” students and faculty were invited to the Main Classroom Auditorium to listen to Dr. Maryjoyce Green and Dr. Louis Brownlowe, who shared individual accounts from their experiences attending different Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Associate Professor Dr. Robert Kleinman moderated the event. When asked what he most hoped students took away from this interactive event, Kleinman was compelled to lift up the connections students should be making with other students. “I’d like students to keep making con-
nections between their struggles, other groups struggles and struggles of other racial-ethnic groups while trying to understand at an individual level how we can inspire ourselves and other people, how we can act toward a larger interest to equalize opportunity more in our culture,” Kleinman maintained. Emphasizing the role of education in advancing progress for the black community and the community at-large; Green admonished students who did not take their education as seriously as they should have. “While you are here getting your degree, get your education,” she stated. Brownlowe encouraged students to not allow their environment to limit their opportunities and accomplishments. He also stressed that students must leave behind a mentality that he believes too many young people hold too often-- that being smart isn’t being “cool.” As the panel spoke and students poignantly reacted, conversation naturally turned to the celebrated African-American Civil Rights Movement. “I think there needs to be a re-embracement of that movement. I think students nowadays have so many other challenges. See, I was dealing with segregation. Segregation was quite clear. Now there are a whole new set of challenges that students have to deal with. What students want to do is deal with those challenges but also not be prevented from doing what they want to do in terms of their own aspirations. I think it’s important to reach
back and help someone. People must contribute from where they sit. That’s what young people have to do,” Brownlowe said. With talk of the civil rights movement looming large, Brownlowe promoted the notion of students paving their own way, remembering the movements of old but also creating new movements for progress as well. “You don’t have to do it like someone else, you don’t have to do it like my generation, but contribute from where you are, to the best of your ability,” Brownlowe insisted. Brownlowe was not alone in his community-driven ideals nor was he alone in his criticism of the complacence of the modern generation. “America has developed through the years because different leaders, black and white, were willing to stand out and make different changes. They were willing to accept the role of being leaders to make those changes, said Cleveland State senior, Latia Vales. “Right now, I don’t feel that young people understand the importance of being the leader. If no one is going to take on that role, it is just going to fall by the wayside. I’ve noticed that young people are willing to complain about what is not getting done but we are also so complacent in our ways we are unwilling to say, “I will be that leader, I will step in and take that role of leadership,” she asserted. The message of Thursday’s popular event was clear. “You don’t have to change the world, just one person,” Brownlowe concluded.
Student Organization Spotlight:
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Dramatic Arts Movement Ensemble sponsors Capoeira dance workshop By Laura Krawczyk, Feature Editor
“That’s how long I cut all my toenails,” jokes Taliesin Haugh after a student clips a toe jumping over a three- or four-foot-long bench, a warm-up exercise to the capoeira movement workshop he taught last Friday, sponsored by the Dramatic Arts Movement Ensemble. Through the exercise, he hopes to teach the participants “how incredibly debilitating fear and hesitation are.” “Hesitating, being afraid, thinking this is weird, thinking this is different,” says Haugh, “it’s not something to be self-conscious about, it’s something to be excited about.” The Dramatic Arts Movement Ensemble was officially made a student organization at the beginning of this year, formed by a group of theater students who had all taken DRA 326, Voice and Movement, together last fall. This workshop, following a hip hop class also hosted by the group a few weeks ago, is one of several they intend to plan for this semester. Holly Holsinger, who taught Voice and Movement to the group members, is also the adviser of the ensemble. “In the class I teach all kinds of movement designed to free the body, and aid young actors in using their bodies in new and effective ways in performance.” The movement aspect stems from the work of experimental Polish director Jerzy Grotowski, whom she studied with at University of California, Irvine in the early ‘90s. “Many of my students really gravitate toward this work and wanted to continue doing it. A group formed last spring and they met once a week through the summer. When fall came, we realized that this group is very serious and dedicated and chose to become an official organization.” “She introduced this idea of physical training – it’s basically just this mind and body awareness,” said Brittany Gaul, vice president of the group. “Just standing here saying ‘Oh, I’m so angry’ is a lot less powerful than going ‘Argh!,’” as she lunges forward with arms up and face contorted. “Most people when they act, they act from their head, but it lets you be more impulsive with your whole body,” added Stephanie Wilbert, president of the club. “It teaches you how to improvise and be alive and present during a scene.” The class focuses primarily on breathing, speaking and various exercises, with less of a focus on training. While the group was started to develop more of the physical training aspect, Stephanie and Brittany still strive to incorporate several rules and guidelines they were taught in the class, such as no unnecessary talking or laughing (though you wouldn’t guess), and practicing in a secluded space, to respect the integrity of the work. Before the workshop, the girls do a quick routine exercise. It is one in a set of several warm-ups that help actors acknowledge their surroundings and partners. This one is acting and reacting to each other’s movements, helping them to build off of each other’s energy. The interaction and interdependence between the two resonates later, when Haugh advises the students that capoeira is “not dancing with each other, but dancing at each other.” Capoeira (cap-oh-we-rah) is an Afro-Brazilian type of dance, involving elements of multiple disciplines. “There are a lot of theories behind it,” said Gaul, “but it was mainly martial arts influenced. These African slaves in Brazil, they were training to fight, but they were hiding it as a dance.” “Capoeira is a uniquely interesting art form because it is inherently multicultural and very hard to describe,” said Haugh. “In essence, it was developed in Brazil by the descendants of African slaves who were brought there by the Portuguese.” He goes on to explain a rough set of militant practices such slaves practiced around 400 years ago, in a circle to drum beats. “It has a combination of fighting and dancing and competing and playing.” The music itself has African, European and Native American influences. Haugh has studied capoeira for nearly 12 years, has had performances in several different countries, and works for a local nonprofit organization teaching. “My mother did yoga, my father did martial arts. Capoeira got me into other types of dance, like break dance, African, salsa, stilt walking. Then I started getting into things like modern, flamenco, ballet.” Haugh is also a CSU student, an anthropology major and dance minor, and is part of an unofficial club that practices dancing on the grass Tuesdays and Thursdays. “The basic practices of the art form involve a lot of tuck, rolls, kicks, escape – it can be pretty aerobically intensive,” said Haugh. While he belongs to an international capoeira school and explains that there are now techniques for the dance, he notes that they are hardly a quarter of the age of the art form itself. “It was just something to do if you were a street kid in Brazil.” The class ends with freestyle experimentation of the moves they have learned. Looking ahead in the semester for the Dramatic Arts Movement Ensemble, they plan on having several more workshops in different disciplines; it will mount to what they hope can be a specific Arts Movement Day, with a series of workshops throughout the day, open to the public. The group itself also plans on creating an elaborate original movement piece to be performed in the spring or early next fall.
Real. College. Journalism. csucauldron.com • October 5, 2009
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Vikings in the Mist
Student Government Association Sets Agenda
By Jonathan “Killstring” Herzberger, Arts & Entertainment Editor
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lass was a drag. Outside, the weather is cold, windy and miserable. The autumn doldrums have taken hold with a relentlessly crushing grip, as you shuffle through Main Classroom. Suddenly, you are accosted by a group of marauding viking raiders, led by a round, boisterous pit bull of a man. One of two things has happened. One, you ate Rascal House pizza before going to bed. Or two, you happened to be on campus for North East Ohio Viking Productions' viking re-enactments this past Wednesday, September 30. “We really want people to get the feel of what viking culture was actually like,” says Tristan Kujanpaa, the founder of N.E.O.Vik Productions. So on the thirtieth, and at the behest of the Anthropology department, Kujanpaa – or if you prefer, Konung Finngrom, the name he uses in viking re-enactments – brought his group to the Chester building courtyard, to set up a viking encampment in miniature. The group actually first had the idea while attending the Pennsic War in 2005. For the uninitiated, Pennsic is an event hosted by the Society for Creative Anachronism, or SCA, annually. According to their website, the SCA is “an international organization dedicated to researching and re-creating the arts and skills of pre-17th-century Europe... with over 30,000 members residing in countries around the world.” Now, four years later the group has established a community they call Vulksgaard. Situated on fifty acres of land in Austinburg Ohio, the group intends to one day run a year-round viking village on the property. But on Wednesday, that dream was realized in miniature, as Finngrom and company erected a shelter, prepared a traditional viking meal – shared with any curious CSU students who happened to chance by. The group also showed examples of their specialty – recreating the traditional combat styles of the viking era. Finngrom and Ken Lazo – who uses the stage name “Jarl Kenrik Kjarsson” - treated the students in attendance to several videos of their exploits, as live demonstrations in such a cramped but public space were abandoned due to obvious safety concerns. Still, the presentation showcased the company's skill in recreating traditional Norse tactics and styles – sword, axe, and spear styles were demonstrated, as well as the intimidating viking 'shield wall' tactics that enjoyed such military success in the tenth century and beyond. And just for amusement's sake, Finngrom and company decided to roam through the halls of the main classroom aviary, stroll through the computer lab, and generally bring a touch of the viking life to CSU. “It's fun, really, and it's something we love,” said Finngrom, adding that the group was “always looking for new members,” as the progress toward their goal of founding a more permanent viking village in northeast Ohio. If you're interested – or just curious, you can find out more about the group at www.myspace.com/neovikproductions, or http://neovik.club. officelive.com, but one thing is certain – after an encounter with N.E.O. Vik Productions, the words “Viking Pride” take on an entirely new meaning.
Events in Iran Stir Analysis By David Edwards, Staff Writer
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ast week the wires reported that a nuclear facility has been found 100 miles from Iran's capital. Furthermore, the Washington times had reported that Iran has successfully tested two of its medium-range missles; Shahab-3 and Sejil. While Iran claims its use of nuclear technology is for peaceful purposes Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he does not agree. “A nuclear armed Iran is not just a threat to Israel it is a threat to the world,” said Cleveland Hillel representative Gary Coleman. Stephen Cory, assistant professor of Middle Eastern studies agreed “We don’t want them to get nuclear weapons.” Cory does not believe that Iran is acquiring nuclear technology for peaceful purposes. Not everyone agrees. “Iran could have already attacked Israel if it wanted to,” said Maryam, an Iranian immigrant who has lived in America for half of her life. For Maryam there is a peaceful demand for nuclear technology. Maryam said that the people suffer from the electricity shortages. “Sometimes we go 3 hours a night without electricity” Maryam said “My brother was trapped in the elevator for one hour because the power went out.” One solution to the ostensible problem Iran poses is to implement sanctions. However, Cory does not believe sanctions are really effective. “All we really can do is input sanctions on them. It did not change Iraq policies,” Cory said “There are always countries against sanctions. I think Obama’s approach to try to dialogue is good but I don’t know if it will get anywhere.” “Saddam was not hurting. He used the sanctions to target his opponents and made the Shiites feel the brunt of the sanctions,” Cory explained.
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October 5, 2009 • csucauldron.com
Maryam agreed “Iran is self sufficient and it cannot be hurt by sanctions anymore, We do not need imports,” as Maryam explained that Iran does not need traditional food imported like barley or wheat. According to Cole there are three stages that both Israel and America should take in response. “The first step is diplomacy if that fails sanctions and if that fails a military struck but it would have be as a last result, Israel has to do what is in the best interest of Israel,” Cole said. While Cory said that he is almost certain that Iran is trying to get a nuclear weapon, he says he is more worried about Iran’s neighbor. “I do not see Iran using it for peaceful purposes but I am more worried about Pakistan with Taliban leadership whereas Iran has had a stable government. Although Iran is more repressive, if they launched an attack they would get bombed to oblivion,” Cory stated candidly. Iran is willing to kill 72 of its own people in a protest . "There was once a professor who was killed 10 years ago," Kaveh Keshtkaran, an Iranian student said. "He didn’t know what happened to this man but stated that he was killed after the UN found his equipment buried. Although he believes that Iran is creating a bomb he thinks that it is merely symbolic. He also understands why Iranians support the current president “Ahmidinjad helped get access to 20% of the Caspian sea,” Keshtkaran continued. “I think that the main point is that the world fears a nuclear Iran because Iran has stated that it wants to wipe Israel and possibly other countries off the map and Iran also supports terrorist organizations,” Cole said “All means are needed to deal with Iran from diplomacy to sanctions to other available avenues.”
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By David Edwards, Staff Writer
he presidential inauguration, reading day, students luncheon leader, and the GSLBT symbol “safe space” were among the issues discussed at the Student Government Association (SGA) cabinet meeting two Fridays ago. The meeting began with a discussion about the president’s inauguration. James Drnek, Dean of Students, had informed the other students that the president would like to see at least a hundred students attend the event and that the president might give out some prizes to students. The members of the cabinet discussed where the event should occur and how the time would be allocated. he meeting took a slight change of course as Ursuline graduate Kiera Turner from Jobs and Growth came to talk about issue 3 and getting students registered to vote. Turner is in support of issue 3 which would allow casino gambling and wants to get students involved and vote for the issue, but because she is not a student she has turned to SGA for counsel. The president Mohammad Faraj told Turner that while they can not advocate for a position they could open up a table to get students involved in registering to vote. Drnek said that they could possibly set up a private table by reserving one from the Conference services but that SGA could not take sides on the issue. “There is a free speech area, You can rent a table from conference services,” Drnek said. Turner wanted to know where the most students tend to congregate besides the first floor of the MC. “A lot of students from the Urban Affairs and Business buildings rarely come over to the Main Classroom,” undergraduate-at-large senator Ray Izard told Turner. “Safe Space”, the sign that is sometimes placed near the window of the door of an administrator or faculty’s office that signals to GBLT students that they can express themselves freely, was brought up by Senator Izard. Izard said that while there is already a presence of acceptance of GLBT students on campus it is not as promoted as it could be. The rest of the members of the cabinet decided that “safe Space” is a good idea for student senators to place on their desks but it should not be mandatory. Senior class senator Holly Jackson suggested that the senators could decide individually if they want to place the message visibly on their desk. “Some senators either because of religion or whatever might see this as condoning,” Jackson said delicately. “So I think that senators should decide individually if they should have the sign put on their desk rather than have it mandated.” The members of the cabinet agreed and Izard responded by agreeing to have the issue brought up during the Senate meeting. Half way through the meeting Student Luncheon Meeting was discussed. Secretary Shauna Jackson said that for the luncheon meetings students should be more informed about what the topics are being discussed. The cabinet also focused on sponsoring the event because Student Life did not have any funds to support it. “There was once a presentation by campus architects on what the new campus is going to be like which turned out pretty good,” SGA Advisor Steven Liss said referring to a previous luncheon engagement, “ I would hope Dr. Berkman would come to it.”
Cleveland State ‘Flips the Script’:
Vikings Athletics Makes About-face By Rob Ivory, Sports Editor
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Beatles once sang, “I’ve got to admit it’s getting better, A little better all the time.” That must have been the motto of Lee Reed, Director of Athletics, and the rest of the athletics department at Cleveland State for the past seven years, as the many teams that compete in Cleveland have turned around a failing program. “I don’t know if it was difficult,” Reed admits, “certainly there was a challenge, but I think what made it really easy is that we have had some really good staff members here.” Reed mentions that the entire staff of Cleveland State athletics is where the change has come from. “I think our coaches get all the credit, we have a great group of coaches, top to bottom. I think every program is making advances, every program is getting better. So when you get a group of people that are willing to row in the same direction and that buys into the direction of the University and the mission, I think great things can happen.” Reed, who started in August of 2002, has seen a total reverse of fortunes since coming back to the school he graduated from. In that time, the athletic programs have exploded with confidence and overall performance on the field. In the past couple of years, the Vikings have been into the NCAA tournament, into the Horizon League finals, or deep into the Horizon League tournament. “It’s been a long process,” he said. “Things like that take time to change culture, so we’ve been very patient. It’s been fun to watch it evolve.” Teams that have won the Horizon League tournament include the men’s tennis program that won back-to-back titles in the 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 seasons. Head coach Brian Etzkin was honored with the Division I Midwest Regional Coach of the Year by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for his efforts last year. The year before Etzkin made his debut as the Vikings coach, the men won only four
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October 5, 2009 • csucauldron.com
matches in a twelve year period, which included a six year period without a program. “When you have a group of people that are committed to the welfare of student athletes, I think the sky’s the limit for what can happen in an athletic program. By in large, it’s everybody that works on this campus, as they are committed to the mission of Cleveland State and we all want to see our students do great things.” In 2006, the CSU men’s golf team captured their first Horizon League title since 1998, and then returned to the NCAA Tournament only to recapture the title in 2008 and earlier this year. ‘06 was a breakout year for the men’s soccer team too, as they won six more games then the previous year. In a program that was one of the best in the nation in the 1960s and 70s, a trip to the Horizon League championship and a great start to the current season look like head coach Ali Kazemaini has the program on the right track. The women’s volleyball team did capture their first NCAA appearance in 2007, when the Vikings beat Valparaiso, 3-1. Before current head coach Chuck Voss took over the reigns as coach in 2000, the team never won more than five conference matches n a single year since 1988, including losing all their conference matches three years in a row (from 1989 to 1991). Now, Voss has had double digit league wins twice, and is in the final stages of the league tournament every year. Flying in the water at Busbey Natatorium is head coach Wally Morton’s band of swimmers that have been bringing the Cleveland State name around to the country and around the world. Not only did Jakub Dobies make a splash when he became the Vikings’ first All-American in swimming, but he has been swimming furiously in the pool and set both a CSU and league record by winning his third straight title in last year’s Horizon League Championships. Also, Nedim Nisic swan under his county’s colors at the Beijing Olympics and as an ambassador for the Viking Village. But, the team has a whole have won several championships in heated battles with Wright State over the past several years. Similar success stories are rampant on the Cleveland State community, including softball making their first appearance in the NCAAs last spring after a Horizon League title, women’s soccer coming out strong in their past two
seasons, but the two biggest success stories that not only the Cleveland State community, but also the city of Cleveland have gotten behind, is the play of both the men’s and women’s basketball programs. Both head coaches Gary Waters and Kate Peterson Abiad have been able to put the spotlight on their teams in the community, but also create winning programs as well. Thanks to Coach Gary Waters and his new mottos every year (which included ‘flip the script’ as his first year in charge), he has been able to go on different media outlets in the Cleveland area and get the word out about the team. These outlets include a guest spot on the Indians’ telecast last week, a radio show on WTAM 1100 with Andre Knott, and a weekly Viking program on SportsTime Ohio throughout the season. But, the coach knows that talking about his team is not just good enough, you have to put a quality program, a winning program on the floor. Everybody knows of the success that the team had last year heading into the Horizon League tournament. 23 years of history had passed between the Vikings making the NCAA Tournament, but they were finally there. A three point victory over Butler, in what is now one of the best rivalries in the league, and the Vikes were dancing all the way to Miami. A victory over Wake Forest in the first round and had every Viking fan on the edge of their seat. This coming after only four wins in the 2003-04; Just a microcosm of the change that has been occurring on the shores of Lake Erie. For Peterson Abiad, her job has been much tougher for a program that has exceeded well with their play on and off the court with help from one of the best players in the league, Kailey Klein. However, despite the great play, the team still struggles to get the support of the Cleveland community. Home crowds for the team have been dismal in their early stages of the past few years, despite winning the league for the first time during 2007-08, and attracting big schools to play at the Wolstein Center (including Wisconsin of the Big Ten, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, and Toledo). Not to mention a trip to Arizona State last year in the Preseason WNIT. But both the men’s and women’s teams have problems getting mid-major programs onto their schedule, now that both teams have made it big time.
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Anybody can play with the bigs, but to have that caliber of competition to come to Cleveland State, says a lot... Not only are we playing these teams here, but we are beating them, too.
“On the one hand it is a problem putting together a schedule because people just don’t want to play you,” Reed exclaimed. “On the other hand, it has opened some opportunities that we did not have in 2002-03. Now we are getting into tournaments, like Cancun, where we can play Kentucky, Virginia, Stanford, people like that. It’s a difficult challenge, but it’s one that you embrace. It’s a good problem to have.” The Director put it quite bluntly, “In the past, we would have not been invited to those tournaments.” This is not solely for basketball, either. The women’s volleyball team host both Michigan State and Syracuse in Woodling Gym earlier this year and was able to beat the team from the Big East. “Anybody can play with the bigs, but to have that caliber of competition to come to Cleveland State, says a lot,” Reed also added an important part to the argument: “Not only are we playing these teams here, but we are beating them, too.” The crowning achievement of the athletic bliss that the teams have given to Cleveland State was the University winning the Horizon League’s James J. McCafferty Trophy for the 2007-2008 campaign, for the best athletic team in the league, which is based on a point system. In that span, CSU took home five Horizon League championships, which included volleyball, men's golf, men's tennis and women's basketball claimed post-season tournament titles while softball won the regular season crown. “In a way, it was a validation for the hard work that the student athletes and coaches have put in,” Reed said. “Were headed in the right direction, but it’s only a one
year award, so we have to start all over again.” Prior to the winning seasons of 2007-08, CSU had totaled just two sport championships in the last eight years, in both men's golf and men's swimming in 2005-06. “I think it was a great reward for this University to show that with hard work, commitment, consistency of purpose, and a focus on a goal, that we can have success here at Cleveland State.” Where the Cleveland State community exceeds from other athletic programs in the nation is their ability to excel on the field of play, but especially in the classroom. As a whole, last year the athletes GPA were better than a 3.0. “Our student athletes are great,” the director explained. “That credit goes to our coaches for their ability to attract quality students and athletes. But I think that our faculty is really underrated. I think they are a great group that works with our students. ” Reed says there are credentials to becoming a true member of the athletic program at Cleveland State. They include “being serious about their academics, being the best student athlete they can be, and really take in the diversity of the campus and the community,” he continued. But staying at one place is no good if you are looking to compete with the best schools in Ohio, as Reed mentioned. You have to continue to look to get better and reach for the sky. “Our new goal for our student athletes, because they have done so well we have had to raise the bar, I’d like to get us to a 3.25 GPA. I think that it’s achievable, but it may take us some time.”
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Much of the credit also goes to the coaches that deal with everyday tardiness of students that are in classes. Reed also points out that the coaches accept that and encourage it to make sure that the student athletes are not missing class. But, for competitions, the athletic department does the best job that they can to schedule away games so that the athletes do not miss class. Looking into the future of sports at Cleveland State, a big goal for the program is to get a baseball field onto the campus, since Reed says that them playing on the West Side of Cleveland is unacceptable. Growing on campus population and the development of the north side of campus is in the University’s future, which may include a place for the team to call their home, after several homes in the past couple of years. But as a whole, Reed has some lofty expectations for his clubs and the city of Cleveland. “I want people to embrace us as their team because we truly are Cleveland’s team. We are THE Cleveland State University. More than anything, I think we belong to the city. In fact, when we play on national television, our jerseys say Cleveland across the front. We’d love for the city to embrace us, and that’s our goal.” Despite the success that all teams have found on their fields, courts, and classrooms, the job is never done. There is always room to get better. “We are nowhere near where we ultimately want to be,” Reed exclaims with confidence. “I believe that our program, top to bottom, can be one of the top two programs in the entire state of Ohio. I really do think we can be that competitive.”
csucauldron.com • October 5, 2009
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Great Lakes Theater Festival’s ‘The Mystery of Edwin Drood’
The Invention of Lying Arts & Entertainment
Charming and Honestly Predictable By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer “The Invention of Lying” has a solid cast and an uncompromising charm which makes itself apparent from the roll of the film’s opening credits. The film is set in alternate reality where no one has ever heard of lying; they are in fact, incapable of saying anything other than what is on their minds at the moment. This device serves as the backbone for the movie’s comedic fiber, but rather than use it as a crutch to fall back on, the director builds on it so that for a while this is the entire premise of the film, and it works brilliantly. The main character’s (Ricky Gervais) life is a downward spiral; he is alone, short, overweight, and everyone around him hates him. One day, while withdrawing money from the bank, something in his mind clicks and he utters the world’s very first lie. From this moment on, he begins to use lies to make his life better, and to get the girl of his
dreams. However, this is also where the movie begins to fall short. No one around him ever questions his lies, it is to be assumed that they all believe him because no one has ever lied before, but it seems that the writer has forgotten that people can still be mistaken, no one ever said “What?” or “Are you sure?” when he told them something completely outrageous. After a while it seems like the IQs of everyone in this film have dropped by half because of how willing they are to believe the tall tales. Another fault of the film is that with such a great narrative and cast, it could have gone anywhere, but it chose to be another allegorical love story. Jennifer Garner’s character seems ditsy and a little cold throughout the entire movie; she is almost childlike and completely unguarded about everything happening around her. On a more positive note, Rob Lowe is hilarious as the stuck up, self absorbed rival. He pushes this commonly used persona over the top and gives it a breath of fresh air. Overall, the movie does not disappoint too greatly, but from the moment you realize it is a love story, you know exactly how it is going to end.
Setting the Stage Franklin Stein’s Project
By Ricardo Derrek J. Brown, Staff Writer
We all know and love the annual holiday shows that the theater department at Cleveland State puts on for students and visitors alike. This year, they have something outrageously fun in store for everyone. There is a new show that is about to start at Cleveland State, and just in time for Halloween. A gory, hilarious, emotional ride called Franklin Stein’s Project. A little bit like a teen drama, and a little bit like a classic horror flick sewn together, it combines extreme gore with teen angst and comedy to keep the audience on the edge of their seats. The setting is a high school like any other; there are the familiar faces of the locker rooms, the jocks, the cheerleaders, the geeks and the stoners, all normal parts of the high school body.
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Then there is the main character, his name is Franklin Stein, and he is a young student who does not quite fit in with the crowd. Stein is too smart to be one of the cool kids, but not spastic enough to be one of the geeks. The result is that he is constantly pushed around. One day he gets pushed around a little too much, and builds
a monster to be his bodyguard, which is, of course, when things go downhill. One of the most impressive elements of this production is that the writers, Jean Paul and Lou Wallis, are both themselves Cleveland State students, the play is also being produced and performed by students. The play is Cleveland State at one of its shining peeks; it showcases individual student initiative and drive. “It’s engaged learning,” said co-writer Jean Paul with a smile and a nonchalant shrug. Both writers have been hard at work getting this play together for more than five months, but its been a labor of love that has “grown into something completely new from what we started out with, thanks to the cast,” says co-writer Lou Wallis. This show promises to be at least twice as gory as last years show, with the added bonus of tons more blood. As if that weren’t enough to get you excited, The Steampunk band, Queued Up, will be playing between the 8pm and 12am showing, so if you like wild costumes and good music, you’ll definitely not want to miss this peculiar and fantastic performance.
Musical dazzles and entertains from beginning ‘til the end of your choosing By Alexes Spencer, Staff Writer
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round 1870, Charles Dickens began working on a new novel entitled The Mystery of Edwin Drood. In June of that year, Dickens died leaving the mystery incomplete. Completing Dickens’ last work is the premise of the novels musical counterpart. Set up in sort of a play within a play format, the production is wholly entertaining. The comedy is right on cue, causing laughs throughout the theater. Each character seems to be done very well, inciting precisely the right reactions from the audience. Some roles in the play were especially wellcast and well-played. Jonas Cohen shines in the role of Jasper, stirring feelings of hatred accompanied by boos and hisses all around. Aled Davies is incredible in the role of the Chairman and Mayor Sepsea, gingerly walking the line between making the audience laugh and keeping the story going. Laura Perrotta is also exceptional in the role of the Princess Puffer. Her interaction with the audience and clever use of props is very well-done and well-directed. In terms of the musical aspects of the play, some of the songs are absolutely incredible. In the role of Rosa Bud, Emily Leonard’s voice is hauntingly beautiful during Moonfall. The timing of Cohen and Davies is impeccable during Both Sides of the Coin. And the resounding “Boom” during Don’t Quit While You’re Ahead is done so well that it is almost scary. Where there is so much good, there must be bad, and The Mystery of Edwin Drood, good as it is, is not without faults. There are some points where Leonard had her back to the audience. The music was overpowering at some times to the point where actors and actresses could not be heard. I also felt that it would have been funnier if Sara M. Bruner, playing a professional male impersonator filling the role of Edwin Drood would have attempted (rather horribly) to talk with a deep voice. With all that said, the play is a great watch for young and old alike. People will find themselves enraptured by each character, each song, and each movement as they try to figure out the mysteries behind The Mystery of Edwin Drood. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is a part of the Great Lakes Theater Festival at the Hanna theater, runnin from September 24 through November 1. Student tickets are $11 for any seat at any performance.
Halo 3: ODST Feast or Famine?
By Justin Brenis, Staff Writer
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lright, I have good news and bad news. The bad news? Hate to break it to you folks but summer is most definitely over. I mean, not that I had to tell you that, this is Cleveland after all, so summer ended roughly in April (or at least it felt that way this year). The good news? Welcome to what I like to call the “Gamers’ Thanksgiving season.” What does this mean you ask? Come early September through the middle to end of October gamers get an early present of sorts with five to six new titles that are all fairly award worthy to hold us over until the Holiday titles release in November. Much like a Thanksgiving feast you can have a bite of new Adventure games (Brütal Legend), a little taste of some Superhero games (Batman Arkham Asylum, Marvel Ultimate Alliance Two), and a heaping scoop of Platformers and afterwards, much like Thanksgiving, you find yourself disappointingly overweight and exhausted, alone on the sofa, but oh so very satisfied. The only downside to all this is sometimes you also end up with leftovers that are not nearly as impressive, but still just as good, and they do not always wait until the end of October to start showing up. The box art for ODST sports the saying “New Hero. New Campaign. New Multiplayer.” Therefore, I will break this review down the same way, as these are the only things that really separate ODST from just being Halo 3, Part 2. New Hero: One of things that “Halo 3: ODST’s” advertising campaign kept touting was a constant reminder to the gamer that you would no longer be playing as Master Chief. Other than making us sad, this served the purpose to let us know that you would not be able to single-handedly run into a room full of Covenant and wreak havoc without consequences, like you once did. Your shields and health react significantly differently and therefore, for the first time in the Halo universe, you actually have to think before you act. Now if you remember my review of “Batman: Arkham Asylum,” I used Master Chief as an example of the opposite of stealth game play. If there were one game in which I could never imagine having to play stealthy, it would have to be any Halo game. Instinctively, I am just too ready to run in, guns and grenades firing, and hope that when I am done, the Covenant bloodstains will eventually wash out of my armor. Therefore, I still found myself doing the same old thing and, surprisingly, succeeding. It didn’t take me long to realize that nothing has really changed in this regard, and is part of what makes this game so good and so bad at the same time. The “ODST” team consists of: Buck (voiced by Nathan Fillion), Romeo, Mickey (voiced by Alan Tudyk), Dutch (voiced by Adam Baldwin), Dare (voiced by Tricia Helfer) and The Rookie. If you are not already drooling at the “Firefly Reunion meets The Fifth Cylon” cast then shame on you. Bungie has always done such a great job with voice acting in the past and doesn’t falter in “ODST.” The only down side to hearing these familiar voices is that the characters they inhabit are not very likable. At no point in the game did I find them all interesting as developed characters. For some reason, they all just lacked the charisma and charm that made Master Chief (I know, weird right?) and Cortana such a likable pair of protagonists. New Campaign “Halo 3: ODST” takes place during the events of “Halo 2.” Immediately after Master Chief boards the Covenant’s ship that jumps into slip-space, a team of highly skilled ODSTs drops into New Mombasa. There is only one problem though, they were not aiming for Earth, they were aiming for the ship and now it is gone. The EMP from its jump wrecked their pods on the way down, causing an emergency crash-landing. Awakening six hours after crashing, you realize your team is nowhere to be seen and cannot be reached over coms...you are all alone in the Covenant controlled city. During your search you are quickly acquainted with The Superintendent, New Mombasa’s AI, who controls nearly everything in the city and helps you silently through maps and audio sequences in finding your team. While the game does approach a very artistically motivated type of game play, focusing a film noir style adventure, it is full of plot holes, and is only about 8-10 hours long. This could easily have been downloadable content that you could have used the original “Halo 3” disc to play. Other games have managed to release campaign DLC add-ons at $20 dollars a piece with playtime about the same length as “ODST,” so I’m not sure why Bungie saw this as a justifiable full-retail release in the downtime between “Halo Wars” and “Halo: Reach.” As for the plot holes, as you explore the city you come across pieces of things that belong to your missing teammates such as Dare’s helmet, Romeo’s sniper rifle, et al. When you find one, the Rookie examines it and then you experience interactive flashbacks that explain how the item got where you found it, through the perspective of the character to whom it belonged. What bugs me about this is that when it is over, the Rookie looks at the item as if he understands exactly what just happened and the mystery becomes a little clearer. How is this possible? There is no way he could have actually experienced anything you just played through, and besides that, very few of the flashbacks actually end with some kind of explanation as to where your team may have gone next. This was a major plot-hole and sort of ruined the whole film-noir experience
for me. Finally, even worse, is the transition between single-player and co-op game play in the campaign. If you start a game and decide to change any aspect of it, such as single-player to co-op, you lose all your previous content. “ODST” allows you to pick-up from your last checkpoint, but you have to then go back and replay THE ENTIRE GAME regardless of what part of the storyline you decided to start with. This was frustrating as my friend and I had played through at least half the game before discovering this, and we lost it all having to play through the whole game again. I do not know what Bungie was thinking in this regard, but I hope they develop a patch to fix it. New Multiplayer This probably constitutes the biggest, if not the only, difference between “Halo 3” and “ODST.” The new multiplayer is set up over two discs. The first disc, which also contains the main campaign, has the newest addition to the Halo multiplayer family, a game called Firefight, reminiscent of Horde Mode from “Gears of War 2.” The second disc houses the multiplayer/matchmaking features from “Halo 3.” Your XBOX will recognize the second disc as “Halo 3” and all of your stats, downloaded map packs, custom content and so on will carry over. So if you’re still clinging to your scratched up old “Halo 3” disc simply for the multiplayer and haven’t dusted off the campaign in two years you should probably trade it in while it’s still worth anything. The new additions to this disc include the long over due second half of the Mythic Map Pack including the maps: Heretic, Longshore, and Citadel. It is important to add though that you will NOT be able to play these new maps on the original Halo 3 disc, they can only be played on the ODST disc. Now when it comes to Firefight, you are looking at a whole new experience altogether. In teams of up to four players, your goal is to survive onslaught after increasingly difficult onslaught of Covenant forces for as long as you possibly can. Gameplay in this mode is broken up into waves in sets of rounds. A “set” is made up of three “rounds,” which consist of five “waves” apiece. Your team is given a pool of lives to tap into and gameplay stops when these run out, but each round you complete will earn you extra lives. This mode is a lot of fun and almost makes the purchase of the game itself worthwhile. Overall All I can say is that I have mixed feelings when it comes to passing judgment on this game. I am admittedly a Halo fan boy, and was really looking forward to this. There had been so many interesting improvements made from “Halo 1” to “2” to “3,” including a complete genre change for “Halo Wars,” that I had come to expect more from “ODST.” At the same time however, part of me does not want to complain because the things that made “Halo 3” such a great game are present, for the most part, in “ODST.” The game play, while nothing special and occasionally frustrating was fun both alone and in co-op. The graphics were as good as I expected they would be, and the multiplayer gives the game nearly infinite replay value...but I could have said these exact same things about “Halo 3,” and in today’s age of video game development you can’t just repackage old stuff, regardless of how good it is, and expect us not to notice. So, if you liked “Halo 3” chances are you’re going to like “ODST,” but that is only because it really just “Halo 3” “leftovers” in a sense...and unlike Thanksgiving leftovers, no amount of gravy is going to make day-old Brutes any more attractive. Halo fans – Buy it. Anyone else – Fry it.
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csucauldron.com • October 5, 2009
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concert picks of the week By Alexes “Texas” Spencer & Jonathan “Killstring” Herzberger The Cauldron Staff Writer & Arts & Entertainment Editor Howdy, concerteers! We have reached October, which means two things: Wind, cold weather, midterms and a bevy of enjoyable, yet stiffly priced concerts to blend with our usual Thrifty Rock Bargains. Okay. More than two. Still, we at The Cauldron are always happy do the scouting for you – so if perchance, you are sitting on a stack of bills, you will always know your options. Midterms are stressful. School is hard. Study intensely, and reward yourself with sweet, sweet music. Remember, all work and no play makes Jack a burnout come finals week.
Immortal Technique
10/05 Living Color
w/Second Skyn, Downforce
Living Color
@ Grog Shop, $20
10/06
Westbound Train w/The Pinstripes Hanson w/Hellogoodbye, Sherwood
10/7 Affiance at Peabody’s
@ House of Blues, $28
Erin McCarley w/Landon Pigg Hanson
@ Grog Shop, $12
10/07
Kate Voegele
w/ Green River Ordinance, Kevin Hammond @ House of Blues, $15
Kate Voegele
10/08 Revolting Cocks
10/09 10/10
Jonathan’s Pick:
10/5 Yo La Tengo @ The Beachland Ballroom
You went to see “Built to Spill” on Monday, right? Well done. You also, being a faithful reader, know to pay attention to those shows put on as a joint venture between the Grog Shop and the Beachland, yes? Two for two – this is the easiest exam you’ll have all year, I know. So. Pencils out. Write this down: “Yo La Tengo” is playing the ballroom on Monday – yes, one night after “Built To Spill” played. “Indie Rock Mainstays” does not even begin to describe YLT’s 20-year legacy – consider that people were still feeling out the term ‘alternative rock’ when the trio was starting out, and you start to get the picture. They are lovely, nothing short of a joy to witness. $20 –think about this in terms of classic, genre-defining bands in their 20th years – you think you’re going to see “U2” or “Pearl Jam” for $20? Thought not.
@ The Beachland Ballroom, $18
@ House of Blues (Cambridge), $10
Alexes’s Pick:
In my humble opinion, there is nothing better than supporting local musicians. They are the show you can afford when you can’t shell out $50 for “Nickelback” (why you would want to do this is a complete mystery). Essentially, local musicians are the backbone of the music scene in your area. With that said, “Affiance,” some home-grown good ol’ local boys, are putting on a display of impeccable musical talent at Peabody’s this Wednesday. For only $8, you can go see the band play. This will accomplish (count ‘em) two things. Numero uno: You support local music and help keep the scene alive. Numero dos: You can rock out with a smile on your face, because “Affiance,” local or not, is pretty frickin’ amazing. See you there.
Shooter Jennings w/JJ Grey & Mofro
Revolting Cocks
w/Jim Rose, Blownload, Left Spine Down
@ Peabody’s, $15
Strike Anywhere
w/Polar Bear Club, Crime in Stereo, Ruiner @ Grog Shop, $12
B.B. King
@ House of Blues, $65
Th’ Legendary Shack Shakers
w/Whiskey Daredevils, Lords Of The Highway @ Grog Shop, $10
Th’ Lwgendary Shack Shakers
Lights
10/11
Lights
w/Stars of Track and Field @ Grog Shop, $10
Vikings Crawl Back To Tie Flames, Panthers: Harpel Passes 200 Save Mark By Robert Ivory, Sports Editor
nifty give-and-go on the top of the UIC box. Before DiFranco could get the ball back, he was fouled in the half circle on top of the box, getting the whistle from the referee. Several Vikings hovered over the ball waiting to take the free kick for Cleveland State, but Slavisla ended up taking the free kick, putting it into the defending wall and created no shot on goal, and no worries for the Flames keeper, Jovan Bubonja. Cleveland State got as lucky as can be only a few minutes before the end of the first half, when the Flames looked like they were going to score the first goal of the match. Great play with the ball and several passes had the ball on the foot of the Flames’ forward Kevin Stoll, only ten yards from the CSU goal. The forward hesitated the shot, finally firing it, but Harpel was well up to the task, stopping the point blank shot. The ball bounced from the Cleveland State keeper’s hands onto the Flames’ Francisco Alvarez head, but again Harpel stopped the shot. The Flames were not done with their chances in the first half, as they got a foul call on the edge of the box, only a few yards from being a penalty. The Flames’ Trout took a rocket shot from the spot, got it over the wall, but put it over the bar with Harpel’s hand there if needed to stop the whizzing shot. Harpel finished with two saves in the first half, bringing him to 199 in his career. The Vikings again did a great job of leaving their opposition from Chicago off the board in a fast first half, but were unable to score themselves. After the half, the Vikings were the first team to give up a goal, less than five minutes from the start of time. UIC’s Derek Huffman took a long look at the goal then fired a low missile that beat diving Harpel to his right in the left hand corner of the goal, 1-0 UIC. The traveling UIC fans gave a great burst to their enjoyment, but now the Vikings had to go to work to at least get some result from the match. “It felt like we had them on the ropes at some point in the second half, if we could have gotten the second one, but we didn’t, but that’s a compliment to them,” UIC’s head coach John Trask said after the draw. “They bent and they did not break and they made the plays to stay in it.” That push would pay off in the 69th minute when Justin Mancine would score his second goal of his career and the weekend, as the one touch from Audric
Kilroy would find a cutting Mancine, as he would put it away under the keeper for the equalizer that the Vikings were looking for. The Vikes were not content as Slavisa was able to wrestle the ball from the Chicago defender and sprint to the box, once there, he made a no-look pass to Macine, but the ball was kicked out for a corner. On the corner, a running Josh Williams headed the ball towards the net, hit the keeper’s legs and just barely bounced wide, keeping it a 1-1 game. On the ensuing counter attack, the Vikings had the game winning goal in their sights. A 3 on 2 breakaway between Mancince, Slavisa, and Brain Donnelly created a Donnelly shot as he tried to poke it over the goalie’s head, but it sailed wide. Cleveland State protested that the ball deflected off of the defender that Ginacarlo Fasano was running with, but the ref stayed firm with his decision of a UIC goal kick. A loud band could be heard from the Cleveland State sideline from a foot kicking a part of the bench in protest. The Flames had a last grasp to win the match in regular time. Coming off a corner, Harpel had to make a fingertip save with less than ten seconds to keep the game tied and send it into extra time. In that extra time period, Cleveland State escaped the Flames pressure and even when the Flames’ Kevin Stoll had a breakaway, Harpel stood tall to keep the score line the same. Again, it was CSU’s Williams who set a massive header towards goal from a corner, but again was well wide. It seemed that the Vikings had woken up late, too late in the match, as the Vikings and the Flames ended in a 1-1 tie on a beautiful autumn day in Cleveland. The Vikings took four of a possible six points from the league’s champs and the nationally ranked squad over the weekend. As for the next weekend of play in Wisconsin, a scoreless draw from the team saw their unbeaten streak continue in Horizon League play. Freshman goalie Brad Stuver was on the mark, as he notched ten saves against the Panthers, including stopping a penalty shot in the first half hour of play. Vikes could only muster 13 shots, but it was enough to put them at 3-3-3 (1-0-2 in Horizon League play). The Vikings return to Krenzler Sunday, October 11, but not before facing the Ohio State Buckeyes in Columbus on Friday night.
csucauldron.com • October 5, 2009
Sports
T
he Cleveland State Vikings bit and clawed their way back into a 1-1 draw against the University of IllinoisChicago Flames last week in a match between two of the Horizon League’s favored teams. After beating Loyola only two days before in the last minute, the Vikings faced a premier team of the nation. The team also drew in a tough match in Milwaukee Friday night, as they finish a two game set in Wisconsin. “It’s about heart,” Harpel said after the match with UIC. “Our guys believed in their selves.” This match between Horizon League titans led off in similar fashion to last Friday’s match with Loyola, a bit of midfield play, with plenty of quick touches and passes. The game, however, was filled also with rough plays and rough tackles. Only ten minutes into the match Cleveland State goalkeeper Nick Harpel took a tough knock when he went up to get a crossed ball, then was brought down by a tough challenge by a UIC forward. The junior goalkeeper again kept his composure throughout the tense opening half an hour, as UIC set in with plenty of early chances. “I am just proud of the guys for knowing that you played 90 minutes on Friday and then go down second half,” Cleveland State head coach Ali Kazemaini said after the match. “It’s not east to go down and come back when you are exhausted. I think it took a lot out of us this weekend.” Harpel’s most impressive action of the first 15 minutes was controlling a 30 yard free kick by UIC’s Charlie Trout. Trout took a shot from the dead ball and put it just wide, but with Flames surrounding the keeper, Harpel gathered the ball with a grasp from the Cleveland State supporters. Harpel had been pushed hard throughout the day and throughout his career in Cleveland, but on the day, he recorded his 200th career save in a Cleveland State uniform. “It means a lot to me,” the goalie said after the match. “The team knows that I have their back and they have mine. I just want to improve on that and go from there.” The Vikings’ first real chance of the match occurred half way though the first half. With the Vikes possessing deep in UIC territory, midfielders Marco DiFranco and Slavisa Ubiparipovic hooked up with a
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There Goes Another Promising Year by William Wodka, Staff Writer
T
he Cleveland Indians season officially came to an end on Sunday, and for most, this season has been filled with ups and downs and a lot of heartache. The Indians who were talked as being one of the contenders for the division this year have been anything but contenders. The Indians started the season off poorly going 0-5 but looked like they were finally starting to get the bats to come around. When they finally did, the pitching faltered. This wasn’t all to blame on the starting rotation which included Fausto Carmona and Cliff Lee. Both would take a game into the seventh inning with either the lead or a tie but the bullpen could not help out. Signing Kerry Wood for the closer spot looks now to be a stupid thing to do. The guy is on his last leg of his career and even then it was a risk getting him. He has had multiple arm injuries in the past and does not have the arm that he used to. On top of an already bad season, the Indians faced a lot of injuries. At one point, Victor Martinez, Grady Sizemore and Asdrubel Cabrera were on the disabled list at the same time. One upside came during the All-Star break when Victor Martinez was named as a starter in the game, and even though Cliff Lee was not getting the wins he was building another great performance as pitcher. His numbers were better than what he had during his Cy Young award winning season a year ago. With the team not producing, General Manager Mark Shapiro had to do something to get more talent to build a playoff caliber team. In order to get some players the team had to give some up. The trading deadline was a sad day, during the time leading up to the July 31st deadline the team traded Ryan Garko, Cliff Lee and Victor Martinez. The team did not get a lot back from these deals and sank lower in the standings.
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October 5, 2009 • csucauldron.com
There is also the recent news of the firing of the entire coaching staff including manager Eric Wedge. The firing of Wedge seemed inevitable, he had one great season in Cleveland where he got the team to the playoffs and has yet to get them back. It’s a little surprising though that the entire staff will be fired. Pitching coach Carl Willis is the first coach to have a Cy Young award winning pitcher two straight years yet they are getting rid of him. Jeff Datz, who will also be fired, replaced Wedge for a couple games coached the team to a couple of wins. Though the Indians season has had a lot of downs their farm systems have been in almost the complete opposite situation and have made positive strides toward success. -The triple-A affiliate Columbus Clippers had an ok year but having to send players up and down all year this hindered their chance for any postseason. Yet their Huntington Park stadium was named as park of the year. -The Single-A Lake County Captains recently signed a contract extension with the Cleveland Indians and will be in the farm system until at least 2014. Though they ended the season on a high note by winning their last two, but they missed the playoffs. -Another Single-A team the Kinston Indians had a good season and a great manager. The manager Stephen Watson was named the Carolina League’s Manager of the Year. -In double-A news the Akron Aeros won the Eastern League Championship for the third time in six years. The Aeros were on a roll all season that included great pitching and sound defense and the team is looking forward to defend their championship next year. The Indians have a lot of talent in the farm system and with the overhaul of the team, fans can look forward to a crazy offseason and hope that the Indians can make it to the playoffs next year.
Fausto Carmona (left)
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Real. College. Journalism. ‌Continued on Page 19
Pigskins &
Pigtails: A Woman’s Guide to Football By Gloria Eadeh, Staff Writer
Most men are in agreement that the only thing women need to know about football is learned in the kitchen. Supply them with food and cold beverages, and be sure to bring out more snacks during half-time. Most women know better than to bow down to these demands, even if you abhor football and prefer keeping busy in the kitchen. Here you will find a simple guide to football which will turn your Sunday afternoons into a fun-filled event, rather than another day spent at the mall or in the kitchen. • First, a football game consists of four, 15 minute quarters. This one hour event generally lasts about three hours with time outs, dead balls, and TV commercials. The object of the game is to move the ball down the field in order to score a touchdown. The offense is given four tries to get the ball down the field. Each attempt is called a down, when the ball is in play. The defense will attempt to stop the ball carrier by tackling him or running him to the out of bounds line. • The offense is trying to get to the ten yard line and the yellow line indicates how far a team has to go to get a first down. This is seen only on TV. Now there are indicators telling viewers when the ball is in the red zone which means the offense could be scoring very soon. • Understanding downs is simple, just keep in mind a down is just another term for an attempt to get the ball to the other side. If you hear the announcers say something like it’s “second and ten.” This means that it is the second down with 10 yards to go. Remember, the offense gets four downs. If it’s fourth and 10, the offense may punt the ball or if they are inches away they may take the down and risk losing the ball to the other team if they don’t make it. • You may wonder, what is with the yellow flag? And that red flag we see sometimes? A yellow flag indicates that the referee is calling a foul on the play. If you see a coach throw down a red flag, this is known as the “coach’s challenge.” This means the team disagrees with the referee’s foul call. If the referees review it and the foul was warranted then the team which threw down the red flag loses a timeout. Now let’s get to the points. A touchdown is worth six points. Teams can go for a two-point conversion, where they get another play to make it in the end zone, rather than kicking the ball. A field goal is worth three points and safeties is worth two points, but keep in mind a safety is when a player with the ball is tackled into his own end zone. Now that you understand the basics of football, crack open a cold one, sit back and enjoy the game. Just remember ladies; don’t sport the pink team jerseys, authentic team colors are the only way to go.
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October 5, 2009 • csucauldron.com