Volume CXIX No. 137
» INSIDE
www.dailycampus.com
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Feminist writer finds support Various feminist groups and members of the UConn community stand by outspoken author By Jackie Wattles Staff Writer
‘PAIN AND GAIN’ ALL GAIN AND NO PAIN ‘Pain and Gain’ is not your typical Michael Bay movie. FOCUS/ page 5
HERE COME THE PIONEERS Baseball looks to rebound from sweep. SPORTS/ page 12 EDITORIAL: BOARD HAS RIGHTFUL RESPONSIBILITY TO APPOINT PRESIDENT The president of the CT state university system should be up to board. COMMENTARY/page 8 INSIDE NEWS: POLICE BLOTTER Local arrested documented.
NEWS/ page 2
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After becoming the target of violent threats and online harassment, the University of Connecticut senior who wrote a feminist letter to President Susan Herbst has since elicited support from various feminist groups and members of the UConn community. Carolyn Luby, who wrote an open letter to Herbst criticizing the university for focusing on rebranding the school’s husky mascot and logo rather than addressing the culture of violence among its male athletes, received violent and often degrading threats via email and comments on the male-targeted website Barstool.com in response. Undergraduate Student Government President-Elect Edward Courchiane and the chairperson of the USG Student Development Committee, Hailey Manfredi, both issued statements expressing their support for Luby and their plans to take “measured and deliberate action.” “Any student should be able to voice their opinion in any form and not be afraid of people attacking them for it,” Courchaine said. “We should be cultivating discussion.” Manfredi said she thought the threatening responses Luby received were disgraceful and shocking. As Student Development Committee chair, Manfredi wants to increase the frequency of events like Take Back the Night that raise awareness of sexual assault issues, as well as hold larger awareness events that can incorporate a variety of groups on campus. Courchaine said USG has been working directly with Luby on concrete steps to take toward a broader cultural change. “It won’t happen over night, but if we start taking steps now, hopefully things will change for the better,” he said. “Everyone should feel safe on their own
By Stephen Underwood Staff Writer
the short statement, which was issued on April 26, and she has not specified any actions that the university will take in response. UConn spokesperson Stephanie Reitz said the university has been involved in “discussions” regarding an investigation by Community Standards, the university’s department that enforces the UConn code of conduct. Community Standards can impose sanctions on students who violate the university’s code whether or not the action is deemed illegal. However, because Barstool.com is a national website and permits users to post comments anonymously, sanctions may be difficult to administer. Luby spoke with UConn police following the incident and filed a report, and the police reportedly responded by telling Luby to keep a low profile and wear a hat, saying they could not actively protect her because she lives off campus. Deputy Chief Hans Rhynhart of the UConn Police Department denied comment for this article As a member of a Violence Against Women Protection
Program class, Luby has worked all semester on “Project Unbreakable,” in which she and her classmates photographed posters with quotes shared by victims of sexual assault. On Monday, the photographs were displayed for the first time on Fairfield Way. Zia Kanner, a senior psychology and women’s studies major who worked with Luby on the project, said the quotes came from attackers or police officers that were offensive to the victim. One poster reads: “‘I am an Eagle Scout and you’re a blonde, who do you think they’ll believe?’ The Judge believed him.” Kanner said it was just a coincidence that the group displayed the project on the week following online harassment directed at Luby, but Kanner said she was glad it worked out that way. “[The threats] were definitely a little appalling and hard for me to understand.” Kanner said she thought the degrading comments came from ignorance and a misinterpretation of Luby’s letter.
the short run,” said Metin Cosgel, the way we deliver education,” the professor who heads UConn’s Kazerounian said. “I think it will economics department. “I believe attract many entries.” most faculty already have suffiThe Minerva Project drew attencient incentives, either as expected tion among the education commaterial rewards, like tenure or pay munity last year when it landed raise, or intrina $25 million sic joy of seeing investment from other learn, to be Benchmark as good as they Capital and can be.” began hiring K a z e n distinguished Kazerounian, faculty memthe interim dean bers from the of the school likes of Harvard of engineering and Stanford. agreed, sayThe organizaing teachers are tion’s purpose already motiis to address vated by “the what Nelson opportunity Kazen Kazerounian, calls a “scarcity to spark intelresources” Interim Dean of lectual growth, problem by takexcitement ing quality eduand learning cation online. among dedicated students.” But Nelson plans to launch Minerva Kazerounian also praised Minerva University, a for-profit research and its stated effort to focus on university where teaching is done the research component of higher online, but students live together education. in dorms, in 2015. “In my opinion the Minerva Margaret Lamb, the direcProject, and other initiatives like tor of undergraduate research at it will, over time, better inform UConn, said it is within the con-
text of Minerva’s broader goals that makes the decision to offer a financial reward interesting. “I think they’re trying to associate themselves with the highest quality of education,” Lamb said. “[The award] places Minerva at the center of a debate about what excellence and innovating in teaching at a university means. They’re not defining innovation, they’re letting innovation define itself competitively.” Lamb said Minerva’s plan to launce a research focused online university is an idea that is not without its complications. She said things like virtual science labs and experiments may be possible, but is not sure it can provide as rich of an experience that students can get in-person. “I’m not convinced – yet anyway – that the Minerva University will provide undergraduates with a research experience as rich, deep, and diverse as our wonderful notfor-profit research universities with existing science labs, archives, and opportunities for observational experiments,” Lamb said.
UConn’s McMahon Dining Hall was recently awarded a LEED Gold certification for demonstrating leadership in energy and environmental design on March 21, 2013. The certification comes after a major renovation featuring a 5,000 square foot addition to the 14,000 square foot dining facility. The renovations include greater cuisine choices, use of low emitting adhesives in construction, recycling of buildable materials, high efficiency lighting and appliances, large window space and a decrease in water usage. The renovations were designed by Prellwitz Chilinski Associates (PCA) with the intention of converting the 1960s cafeteria into a more modern dining and gathering area while also being more efficient and sustainable. Due to these renovations and the efficiency in construction, McMahon Dining Hall was also the recipient of an award by the State of Connecticut for energy efficiency. UConn won one of two First Honors at the “Power of Change Award” ceremony which gave a total of seven energy efficient awards to projects in the state of Connecticut. The Dining Hall was recognized with the “Most Energy Efficient Top Building Award.” According to the “Power of Change Award” website, “The Power of Change Award celebrates the best achievements and innovations in energy efficiency across Connecticut’s state and municipal buildings.” The award, sponsored by the Emily Hall Tremaine Foundation, Hampshire Foundation and the Common Sense Fund, “recognizes and advances Connecticut’s leadership in energy efficiency.” C. Dennis Pierce, Director of Dining Services at UConn, commented on receiving the LEED Gold certification and how it came as a bit of a surprise. “When the McMahon renovations were proposed the university had a standard of maintaining LEED Silver in construction and building which meant a certain degree of efficiency had to be reached. The project then engaged a third party that oversees the construction and looks at the design, electric efficiency, windows, lighting, kitchen equipment, etc.… After final inspection we found out that we had maintained a LEED Gold Standard… Which of course made us all very excited,” Pierce said. Pierce also mentioned the “Power of Change Award” and its significance in maintaining energy efficiency standards at UConn. “We then applied for the newly created “Power of Change Award” in Connecticut, which gets a group of distinguished individuals that review all the entries and look at the merits, cost cutting techniques, efficiency, and environmental impact of the projects. McMahon Dining Hall was then decided to be given top honors as a leader in energy efficiency since it met their qualifications…. We were rewarded at the State Capital and many people came up to us and told us how much they liked what we had done and congratulated us.”
Jacqueline.Wattles@UConn.edu
Stephen.Underwood@UConn.edu
Screenshot from Barstool.com
Carolyn Luby gains local support from her community and from the online feminist community, including TheFeministWire.com, where she originally posted her letter. A screenshot of TheFeministWire.com, pictured above, shows a supportive response from the website’s administrators.
campus.” Luby’s letter has also triggered support from online feminist communities. The administrators of TheFeministWire. com, where Luby originally posted the letter, wrote a joint letter expressing their “unequivocal support” for Luby. Additionally, a petition started on Change.com has gathered over 650 signatures since it was posted. The petition calls for Herbst to issue a statement against the violent statements, write a response to Luby’s original letter and work with UConn staff to develop a zero tolerance policy for sexist acts. Herbst did release a brief statement following the incident saying, “As an institution, the university takes these issues very seriously, supports the right of free speech among all members of our community and stands strongly against harassment or intimidation of any kind. When a student is subjected to harassment, the university works closely with him or her to provide any resources they may need.” But Herbst said little beyond
Jacqueline.Wattles@UConn.edu
$500,000 will be rewarded to innovative educator
By Jackie Wattles Staff Writer The Minerva Project, a heavily funded venture to redefine higher education by attempting to bringing Ivy-level education online, announced last week it will pioneer a $500,000 annual award to an educator who demonstrates innovative teaching. Roger Kornberg, a Nobel Prize winning chemist from Stanford who has been tapped to head the honorary institution that will select award winners, said the one-of-akind prize is an attempt to evaluate the work of educators while incentivizing them to develop new and exciting learning experiences for students. Ben Nelson, Minerva’s founder, told the New York Times he hopes the prize will serve as “the Nobel Prize of teaching.” But UConn faculty are mixed in their reactions to the prize, saying faculty members already have incentives to be innovative and enhance student learning experiences. “It is highly unlikely [the prize] will have a big effect, at least in
Dining Hall awarded for environmental design
“The Minerva Project...will, over time, better inform the way we deliver education.”
What’s on at UConn today... UConn Project Unbreakable 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Fairfield Way This event works to empower survivors and raise awareness. The photographs are powerful and poignant; reminding us that gender-based violence happens at UConn and to UConn students, and re-affirms our commitment to a campus and a world free of violence.
LGBTQ Youth Peer Support 12 to 1:30 p.m. Student Union, 403 This seminar will focus on the concerns of being a young person within the LGBTQ community and about trying to understand oneself and understand different sexualities though open discussion about personal experiences with dating, relationships in general and coming out.
Softball vs. Boston College 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Burrill Family Field Admission is free to watch the Huskies take on the Eagles at home.
El Instituto Book Reception 4 to 5:30 p.m. Co-op, 2nd floor Meet the authors, Jacqueline Loss, Odette Casamayor-Cisnernos and Robin Greeley, and discuss their new books. Admission is free.
– ELIZABETH BOWLING
The Daily Campus, Page 2
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
News
DAILY BRIEFING » STATE
Dirt bike rider charged with spitting on priest
NEW HAVEN (AP) — A New Haven man has been charged with spitting on a local Roman Catholic priest while recklessly riding his motorcycle. City police say 20-year-old Leron Stone was charged with threatening, reckless driving and other crimes after officers obtained an arrest warrant for him Friday. Authorities say Stone spat on the Rev. James Manship of St. Rose of Lima Church on April 21, after Manship took a picture of him riding a dirt bike dangerously on city streets and sidewalks. Manship is the priest who was arrested in 2009 while videotaping East Haven police officers in an attempt to document alleged harassment by officers against Latinos. Stone posted $30,000 bail. There’s no phone listing for him and it’s not clear if he has a lawyer.
Licenses for immigrants wins broad support in Conn.
HARTFORD (AP) — A proposal in Connecticut to expand access to driver’s licenses to immigrants regardless of their legal status has received the support of the governor, legislative leaders and mayors from across the state. Eight mayors were joined by House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney and other legislators at a Monday news conference at the state Capitol to endorse the initiative. “When we place artificial restrictions on the access of any member of our community to the full fruits of what we have to offer here in Connecticut, we are holding ourselves back,” said Sharkey. He said he expected the proposal to pass in coming weeks as an amendment to other legislation after three bills proposed earlier in the year failed to make it out of committee. Governor Dannel P. Malloy, speaking at a separate news conference at the Capitol, endorsed the goals of the initiative. “Why do we even ask where somebody is coming from? I don’t feel obligated to do that,” he said. “What I feel obligated to do, is to make sure that our highways and byways are being driven by people who have a skills set necessary to drive on our roads.” Proponents of the initiative say allowing people to receive driver’s licenses regardless of their citizenship status would increase public safety, lower insurance costs and generate additional revenue for municipalities by broadening the property tax base. Looney called the proposal “entirely a commonsense issue,” and said the only opposition to it is “based upon a sort of unrealistic, ideological approach.” Rep. Juan Candelaria, D-New Haven, met late Monday with House Minority Leader Larry Cafero to discuss the initiative. Cafero said he was open to the proposal but would push for background checks and more frequent renewal periods to prevent abuse of what he called the “privilege” of having a driver’s license. He said that he wouldn’t want convicted felons to be eligible and insisted on having a way to prevent licenses from being used to vote. The mayors of Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Waterbury, Meriden, Willimantic, New London and New Britain have endorsed the proposal.
Judge: Cop can challenge video at brutality trial
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A federal judge ruled Monday that a Meriden police officer charged with brutality can challenge the use of a video of the incident as evidence during his trial. U.S. District Judge Janet Bond Arteron rejected a pretrial request by Officer Evan Cossette to bar prosecutors from using the video, which Cossette said was altered to leave out key moments and shouldn’t be shown to a jury. But the judge said Cossette can object during the trial to the video being admitted into evidence. The ruling put off a decision on the video’s admissibility until after the trial begins. Jury selection is set to start May 7. Cossette is accused of using unreasonable force by pushing a handcuffed hit-and-run crash suspect in the police department lockup in 2010, causing the man to fall and fracture his skull on a concrete bench in a cell. The man, Pedro Temich of Meriden, said in a federal lawsuit against Cossette that doctors had to put 12 staples into his head while treating the injury. Cossette, who is the son of Meriden Police Chief Jeffry Cossette, has pleaded not guilty to using unreasonable force and lying in a report about the incident. The lockup surveillance video, which has repeatedly been shown on TV news reports, shows Cossette pushing Temich. It also shows Cossette, after Temich fell, repositioning him several times but not giving him medical care or calling for help. Cossette has said the video was doctored to leave out several seconds that would show Temich failing to obey Cossette’s orders to sit down. Prosecutors denied the allegation. A fellow police officer, Leighton Gibbs, testified during a deposition in Temich’s lawsuit last year that he believed police internal affairs investigators altered the video to remove four to six seconds that showed Temich’s disobedience. Cossette’s lawyer, Raymond Hassett, argued the missing portions of the video would weaken the state’s claim of unreasonable force.
The Daily Campus is the largest daily college newspaper in Connecticut, distributing 8,000 copies each weekday during the academic year. The newspaper is delivered free to central locations around the Storrs campus. The Daily Campus is an equal-opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. All advertising is subject to acceptance by The Daily Campus, which reserves the right to reject any ad copy at its sole discretion. The Daily Campus does not assume financial responsibility for typographical errors in advertising unless an error materially affects the meaning of an ad, as determined by the Business Manager. Liability of The Daily Campus shall not exceed the cost of the advertisement in which the error occurred, and the refund or credit will be given for the first incorrect insertion only.
The items below list charges filed, not convictions. All persons appearing below are entitled to the due process of law and presumed innocent until proven guilty. Individual police blotters will be taken off the website three semesters after they have been posted.
after he was found to have received a $1,444.96 payment from UConn for work he did not perform while working as a contract employee with Sun Services at the West Hartford Regional Campus. His bond was posted at $5,000 and his court date is May 2.
April 22 Nicholas Serrano, 18, of Storrs, was arrested at 10:50 a.m. at the UConn Co-op and charged with larceny in the sixth degree. Officers arrested Serrano after the Loss Prevention staff saw him open the package of a cell phone case valued at $29.95. The staff then saw him put the case in his pocket and exit without paying. His court date is May 7.
April 25 Haidan Huang, 22, of Storrs, was arrested at 12:37 a.m. at North Eagleville Road and charged with failure to drive right and driving under the influence. An officer observed Huang’s vehicle cross the double yellow line and failed the field sobriety tests police subjected him to. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is May 6.
April 23 Michael Szymanski, 28, of Newington, was arrested at 8:15 a.m. at the UConn Police Headquarters and charged with larceny in the second degree. Szymanski was arrested in response to a warrant issued by the Hartford Superior Court
April 25 Matthew A. Rode, 20, of Gales Ferry, was arrested at 11:17 p.m. at Hillside Road and charged with criminal mischief in the third degree. Officers observed Rode break an exit sign with his fist while walking through the Student Union. His
bond was posted at $500 and his court date is May 7.
April 27 John T. Kelleher, 21, of Windsor, was arrested at 7:24 p.m. at North Eagleville Road and charged with procuring alcohol for a minor. Police observed Kelleher exit Ted’s Spirit Shop with two bottle of alcohol and give one to an individual police found to be under 21. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is May 8.
April 26 Thomas Finstein, 21, of West Hartford, was arrested at 9:30 a.m. at Celeron Square Apartments and charged with breach of peace in the second degree. Police arrested Finstein after responding to a disturbance call at Perraugaux Place at Celeron and observed him yelling at an individual and making threatening comments. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is May 7.
April 28 William Michael Conley, 21, of Ellington, was arrested at 1:42 a.m. and charged with breach of peace in the second degree, criminal mischief in the third degree and reckless burning. After observing several individuals running from a fire at Stallman Place of Celeron Square Apartments, police determined Conley set a couch on fire which caused damage to an adjacent dumpster. His bond was posted at $5,000 bond and his court date is May 8.
April 26 Jared Knecht, 21, of Washington, was arrested at 7:58 p.m. at North Eagleville Road and charged with procuring alcohol for a minor. Police observed Knecht exit Ted’s Package Store and provide items to another individual waiting outside. Upon investigation, police found Knecht provided a 1.75-liter bottle of vodka to an underage individual. His bond is posted for $1,000 and his court date is May 8.
April 28 Aidan F. Baranow, 18, of Quinebaug, was arrested at 2:52 a.m. at Storrs Road and charged with driving in the right hand lane and driving under the influence. Police saw Baranow driving a motorcycle and swerved to avoid hitting a parked car behind Shippee Hall. He failed the field sobriety tests that the police administered. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is May 6.
» REGIONAL
New England fishermen rally for relief from cuts
BOSTON (AP) — New England fishermen and their political allies rallied at a Boston fish pier Monday to make an urgent call for relief from deep and imminent cuts to their catch limits. As of Wednesday’s start of the 2013 fishing year, fishermen who chase bottom-dwelling groundfish — such as cod and flounder — will absorb a series of cuts that regulators acknowledge will be devastating, and fishermen say will ruin them. The worst of the reductions is a year-toyear cut of 77 percent in cod in the Gulf of Maine while the catch limit for cod on Georges Bank will be cut 61 percent. Regulators have said the cuts are mandated under the nation’s fishing law because key stocks are in bad shape and recovering too
Police arrest 7, give out 1,200 tickets at UConn
slowly. But fishermen question the science behind the cuts, saying it’s too unreliable to use as a basis to bury the centuries-old industry. They note that they’ve fished within the limits recommended by science for a decade, and things have only gotten worse. Gloucester fisherman Vito Giacalone said “years of sacrifice, forced reinvestment and compliance with every catch limit should not be rewarded with bankruptcy and apathy.” “By continuing to knowingly sacrifice fishermen and their shore side support businesses while we wait for science to catch up to the realities of this ever-changing ecosystem, we are destroying the future of our fisheries,” said Giacalone, policy director of the Northeast Seafood Coalition, who was joined by scores
of other fishermen at the rally. U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren called for federal disaster relief, arguing Washington should be as quick to respond to a disaster for fishermen as it is to respond to disasters that strike farmers. “A disaster is entitled to relief, and that’s true whether we’re talking about crops or whether we’re taking about fish,” Warren said. “Washington rushes in to help our farmers. Washington needs to rush in to help our fishermen.” Among the lawmakers joining Warren was fellow Democrat, interim U.S. Sen. William “Mo” Cowan, and members of the state’s allDemocratic U.S. House delegation, including U.S. Rep. John Tierney and U.S. Rep. William Keating.
STORRS, Conn. (AP) — University of Connecticut and state police say this year’s Spring Weekend celebration at the school was relatively quiet, but seven people were arrested and about 1,200 traffic tickets were issued. Police say there was no rioting or drunken crowds like there had been in past editions of the four-day span of festivities on and around the Storrs campus. UConn officials have imposed strict measures over the past several years. UConn police arrested seven people Thursday to Sunday on charges ranging from drunken driving to buying alcohol for minors to setting a couch on fire at an off-campus apartment complex. No injuries were reported. State police say about 1,200 tickets were handed out around town for violations ranging from using hand-held cellphones while driving to failing to wear seat belts.
Corrections and clarifications Elizabeth Crowley, Editor-in-Chief Brian Zahn, Managing Editor Brendan Fitzpatrick, Business Manager/Advertising Director Nancy Depathy, Financial Manager Michael Corasaniti, Associate Managing Editor Kim Wilson, News Editor Katherine Tibedo, Associate News Editor Tyler McCarthy Commentary Editor Jesse Rifkin, Associate Commentary Editor Joe O’Leary, Focus Editor Kim Halpin, Associate Focus Editor Jeffrey Fenster, Comics Editor
Dan Agabiti, Sports Editor Tyler Morrissey, Associate Sports Editor Kevin Scheller, Photo Editor Jess Condon, Associate Photo Editor Cory Braun, Marketing Manager Amanda Batula, Graphics Manager Christine Beede, Circulation Manager Mike Picard, Online Marketing Manager
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In the April 25 issue, an article titled, “Source of funds for new rec center debated” stated that 30 undergraduates were in favor of a new gym, but there were members of the audience that were in the opposition. The Daily Campus regrets the error.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013 Copy Editors: Amanda Norelli, Kyle Constable, Dan Agabiti, Matt Stypulkoski News Designer: Elizabeth Bowling Focus Designer: Jason Wong Sports Designer: Matt Stypulkoski Digital Production: Zarrin Ahmed
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News
» NATIONAL
Pa. abortion trial stirs debate on when life ends
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The high-profile murder trial of a Philadelphia abortion provider sparked courtroom debate Monday over when life ends, a tweak of the politically charged question of when life begins. Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, faces capital murder charges in the deaths of four aborted babies, described by prosecutors as viable, born alive and then killed at his busy West Philadelphia clinic. In closing arguments, Assistant District Attorney Ed Cameron called Gosnell’s oper-
ation an assembly line where a stream of poor, mostly minority women and teens endured hours of painful labor and delivery because Gosnell did not successfully abort babies in utero. He instead killed them with scissors after they were born, authorities said. “Are you human?” Cameron asked Gosnell, “to med these women up and stick knives in the backs of babies?” The doctor sat calmly at the defense table, as he has throughout the often graphic six-week trial.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Siri may be feeling a little job insecurity. The sometimes droll assistant that answers questions and helps people manage their lives on Apple’s iPhone and iPad is facing competition from an up-and-coming rival made by Google. The duel began Monday with the release of a free iPhone and iPad app that features Google Now, a technology that performs many of the same functions as Siri. It’s the first time that Google Now has been available on smartphones and tablet computers that aren’t running on the latest version of Google’s Android software. The technology, which debuted nine months ago, is being included in an upgrade to Google’s search application for iOS, the Apple Inc. software that powers the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. It’s up to each user
to decide whether to activate Google Now within the redesigned Google Search app, which is available through Apple’s app store. Siri tried to dismiss the competitive threat. When asked for an opinion about Google Now, Siri responded: “If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather Google later.” Mike Allton, a St. Charles, Mo., resident who has owned an iPhone for four years, could hardly wait to check out Google Now, even if Siri might interpret it as a betrayal. Siri “is looking a little green with envy,” Allton, 36, said with a laugh after he installed Google’s new app. “I love Apple products, but I like to see the competition because it probably will lead to even more improvements. I believe this technology is going to be even more deeply ingrained in our lives a few years from now.”
Google invades Siri’s turf with iPhone, iPad app
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
» INTERNATIONAL
Kosovo: 3 get jail time in organ trafficking case
PRISTINA, Kosovo (AP) — A court in Kosovo found two citizens guilty of human trafficking and organized crime Monday in a major trial against seven people suspected of running an international organ trafficking ring that took kidneys from poor donors lured by financial promises. A panel of two European Union judges and one Kosovo judge sentenced urologist Lutfi Dervishi to eight years in prison and his son Arban Dervishi to seven years and three months. Both also received fines, while Lutfi Dervishi was barred from practicing urology for two years. A third defendant, Sokol Hajdini, was sentenced to three years in jail for causing grievous bodily harm. Two others received suspended sentences, while two were freed. The defendants can appeal the verdicts and they are not kept in custody. Organ transplantation is illegal in Kosovo’s private clinics. It is also rare in public health facilities because of poor conditions. The trial began in December 2011 and included more than 100 witnesses. All the donors and recipients were foreign nationals. Seven donors who testified were from Israel, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Belarus and Turkey. They described how they were flown into Kosovo from Istanbul and then quickly wheeled into surgery in a medical facility named “Medicus” on the outskirts of Kosovo’s capital, Pristina. The victims were promised $10,000 to $12,000 in return for their kidneys, but many said they were never paid.
AP
Kosovo Albanian doctor Lutfi Dervishi, center, flanked by defense councils, sits in a court room, in Pristina, Kosovo, Monday, April 29, 2013. A Kosovo court has found two ethnic Albanians guilty of human trafficking and organized crime in a highly publicized trial against seven people suspected of running an international organ trafficking ring. A panel of two European Union and one Kosovo judges sentenced Lutfi Dervishi to eight years in prison and his son Arban Dervishi to seven years and three months in prison on Monday for extracting kidneys from poor donors who were lured by financial promises.
“At least two were cheated out of the entire amount and went home with no money and only one kidney,” the court said in its reasoning. The donors’ kidneys were removed for transplantation into people who paid up to 130,000 euros for the procedure. The recipients were mostly wealthy patients from places such as Israel, Poland, Canada, the U.S. and Germany. The court ordered that Lutfi and Arban Dervishi pay partial compensation of 15,000 euros to each of the seven victims who testified during the proceedings. The victims may later seek additional compen-
sation in court, the panel said in its reasoning. At least 24 kidney transplants, involving 48 donors and recipients, were carried out between 2008 and 2009, the period the case covered. The donors “were alone, did not speak the language, uncertain of what they were doing and had no one to protect their interest,” the court’s reasoning read. “Some donors had severe second thoughts at the clinic, but were given no opportunity to back out and were psychologically pressured into going forward with the surgery.” Most of the names of donors and recipients were traced
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2 Bedroom Apartment, close to UConn, nice location, 24hr security system, A/C $1050.00 per month H/HW included (NO PETS) 860-974-1433 Willington 3-4Bedroom House Student friendly. Live with friends. Easy parking, yard. Flexible lease, $1050/mo. plus utilities. Call Clyde 860-429-5311 or see UConn Housing Site. FOR RENT-STORRS Fabulous three & four bedroom apartments for rent all within 3 miles from UConn campus. For details email us at properties@mindspring.com or call 860429-8455 Walk to Campus Apt Furnished, 4 Bdrm/2 full bath, great floor plan. Move in date, 8/17/13. Also, 2 Bdrm condo, $950/mo. Call: 413-348-9450. Email: oneminn@aol.com Storage free upgrades to Climate Controlled Units. Units starting at $49/month. Call for details and to reserve your unit TODAY. www.coventrystorage. com 860-742-5540 2 1/2 BEDROOM HOUSE AVAIL 6/1/13 - 2 FULL BDRMS & 1/2 BDRM OR SMALL OFFICE. LARGE LIVING /DINING RM, EAT-
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SUPPORT Staff Seeking part-time energetic and engaging individuals to provide support to young woman with autism who resides in Ashford. Must have a reliable car and clean driving record. We use a person-centered relationship based support approach. Candidates should be willing to make a one year commitment. Person should be strong swimmer. Weekday early morning hours, evening hours and weekends available. Send letter of interest and resume to ashfordsupport@ gmail.com Seeking House Mate male or female as a Live-In Companion to reside with a young
through documents seized during a police raid into the clinic in 2008 acting to verify a statement by a Turkish man that his kidney was removed. The man caught police’s attention when he collapsed at the Pristina airport. The defendants are believed to have profited $1 million from the transplants. It’s unclear how many total donors and recipients there were. “In every sense this was the cruel harvest of the poor and weak in our society,” Jonathan Ratel, a Canadian prosecutor who brought the charges as part of European Union’s rule of law mission in Kosovo, said after the verdicts.
Classifieds are non-refundable. Credit will be given if an error materially affects the meaning of the ad and only for the first incorrect insertion. Ads will only be printed if they are accompanied by both first and last name as well as telephone number. Names and numbers may be subject to verification. All advertising is subject to acceptance by The Daily Campus, which reserves the right to reject any ad copy at its sole discretion. The Daily Campus does not knowingly accept ads of a fraudulent nature.
help wanted
man who has Down Syndrome. He is outgoing, enjoys sports, and routinely spends time at the gym. He also enjoys being actively involved in his home and community. During the day, he works at a local university, and enjoys going to sporting events on campus. This would be a unique opportunity to reside in a lovely newer home in a quiet neighborhood 6 miles from the UCONN campus. You will reside RENT FREE in a bright bedroom and bathroom of your own with agreed responsibilities and duties. You would reside in the home with this young man, and you would be responsible for being present overnight from 9:00PM to 6:30AM, MondayFriday, unless other specific arrangements are made. You would be free during the day, and would have the ability to attend jobs or classes. His home will always be drug, alcohol, smoke, and pet free. He will be seeking a commitment from you for one year. We are looking for someone who is responsible to ensure the health and safety of this young man, as well as someone who would be willing to serve as a companion and pursue a friendship. Our desire
help wanted
for him is to lead a fulfilling and productive life in his home and community. This can be a very rewarding experience and fulfilling opportunity. Kindly email me at norma. lomonaco@gmail.com or call 860-933-6172 or 860-428-2425 COLLEGE PRO is now hiring painters all across the state to work outdoors w/other students. Earn $3k-5k. Advancement opportunities + internships. 1-888-277-9787 or www.collegepro.com. CHILDREN’S RECREATION Moosemeadow Camping Resort is looking for a person to handle our recreation program for the summer. Full/part time weekends and holidays a must 860429-7451 services
Do you want your house to sparkle and shine? Call Renee’s Cleaners LLC at 860377-6401 or email at renee43@earthlink.net. Fully insured.
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Daily Campus Editorial Board
Elizabeth Crowley, Editor-in-Chief Tyler McCarthy, Commentary Editor Jesse Rifkin, Associate Commentary Editor Chris Kempf, Weekly Columnist John Nitowski, Weekly Columnist Sam Tracy, Weekly Columnist
» EDITORIAL
Board has rightful responsibility to appoint president
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2011 Connecticut law consolidated several governmental agencies dealing with higher education, in the process creating the new Board of Regents for Higher Education. Nearly every public institution besides UConn is covered: Eastern, Western, Southern, Central, Charter Oak, and 12 community colleges. The 15-member board recommends the president, which the governor has the authority to confirm or reject. This led to trouble last year, after the system had hired its first president Robert Kennedy, who was president of the University of Maine before he took the job. Once leading the organization, he unilaterally approved executive pay raises without board approval. The story originally broke last October by the Connecticut Mirror. Executive Vice President Michael Meotti also resigned in response to the scandal. A new piece of legislation removes the governor from the appointment process, leaving the presidential selection at the sole discretion of the Board. House Bill 6648 was passed by the state House 129-14 on April 10, by the Senate 28-8 on April 18, and signed by Governor Malloy last Monday. We support the decision to make it the responsibility of the Board of Regents to appoint the president of the Connecticut state university system, rather than the Governor (the interim president is former UConn president Philip Austin.) It is worth noting that Governor Malloy signed a bill which limited his own power. Of course, this step is hardly an easy action for any leader to undertake. One is reminded of Malloy’s predecessor Jodi Rell signing a 2009 bill removing the governor’s power to appoint a U.S. Senate vacancy should one arise in Connecticut. Most of the no votes on the measure were cast under the argument that it gives the Board of Regents too much power. Perhaps this argument is valid. Only time will tell if such a fiasco as the embarrassment last fall will be prevented by this new law. Other proposals have been floated, such as having the legislature confirm the Board president, or having an independent and unrelated commission choose. Are those better options? It’s hard to say. What we do know is that the status quo resulted in a failed choice and a public relations nightmare, and a step was taken to fix it. The Daily Campus editorial is the official opinion of the newspaper and its editorial board. Commentary columns express opinions held solely by the author and do not in any way reflect the official opinion of The Daily Campus.
How I long for the days when coloring was considered a homework assignment. Damn Michael Jordan is still the man at 50, as much as it pains be to say it. Seriously though, if I could go back to middle school for like A DAY I would crush it. If I here Tim Tebow’s name one more time over the course of the next two weeks I can’t be held accountable for my actions. Jason Collins came out Monday...as probably the best writer Sports Illustrated has ever seen. I’m jus going to wear the same outfit for the next 50 years until the fashion world finally catches up and deems my taste “in.” One day beard, I will grow the crap out of you. The day seersucker suits make the news for negative reason is a bad day for me and all of mankind. LOUD. NOISES. Listening to Sunday Morning by Maroon 5 because it’s the only song that helps me forget that I have 6 finals for some reason. Drinking games in the middle of class? Looks like it’s that time of year. I don’t know why you’re all hating against mom jeans. I look damn good in them. Way to go Jason Collins, you are more of a man than I will ever be.
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The best learning takes place outside the classroom
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s I prepare to graduate next week, I can’t help but reminisce about my time at UConn. Most transitions are bittersweet, but I’d say that graduating is 95 percent sweet and 5 percent bitter. That’s not because I hated UConn – quite the opposite, in fact. But I’m incredibly excited to move on to the next stage of my life, where I will be running communications for a startup, nonprofit think tank in Washington, By Sam Tracy D.C., as well as continuing my Weekly Columnist work as Chairman of the Board at Students for Sensible Drug Policy. People are often surprised to hear that I have a job at all, let alone one that I’m actually happy about. In today’s job market, political science majors from public schools outside of California don’t normally do too well. But I know that I wouldn’t be moving down to the nation’s capital and starting by dream job if it wasn’t for my time at UConn, and I’d like to use my final article in “The Daily Campus” to give some advice to students who will be returning next Fall. To be honest, I wasn’t always a huge fan of UConn. I never had negative feelings towards it, but I wasn’t excited to enroll either. I was just ambivalent. Coming from a suburban Connecticut town, I thought of UConn as the default, where I would be able to get a good degree without going too far into debt. The one thing I was truly excited about was the huge number of student organizations. Once I arrived on campus, I went to the first meetings of a bunch of different groups that lined up with my interests. I only went to the second meet-
ings of a handful of them, but it was in these organizations that I found my best friends – and had the experiences that helped me get my first post-college job. Now, these weren’t all professionallyoriented organizations that I joined in order to get a job in four years. I joined UCTV because I loved making short movies with my friends, and wanted to continue that hobby of mine. I was an active member of EcoGarden during my freshman year because I found plants fascinating and thought that growing your own food was a great experience. I joined Students for Sensible Drug Policy because I was passionate about ending the War on Drugs, even though I originally (and thankfully, mistakingly) thought that my affiliation with the group would hurt, not help, my job prospects. Within these and other organizations, I met a lot of amazing people. I won’t attempt to name them all, more out of fear of surpassing my 750-word limit than forgetting anyone, since they have all made me the person I am today and are permanently etched into my memory. Not to belittle UConn’s increasingly strong academics or my many inspirational professors, but I learned way more within these student organizations than I ever did in the classroom. I lobbied my elected officials, organized lectures and events, served on the board of directors for two nonprofit organizations, traveled across the country to countless conferences, and much more. It was these
experiences that I put on my resume and talked up during job interviews. Hiring managers cared much more about how I managed a team or dealt with a crisis than how well I could memorize landmark court cases. And in those interviews, my seemingly non-professional experiences found a way of coming up. Part of my new job is organizing lectures and debates, then recording them and sharing them online for people who weren’t able to attend. Thanks to my work with UCTV, I know my way around a camera and professional-quality video editing software, something few political science majors can claim. While this factor didn’t single-handedly get me the job, I’m sure it helped me stand out among the dozens of other applicants. As a student, you should always be thinking about where you want to work after graduation and trying your best to get there. But don’t ignore everything that seems to be off that path, whether it’s making a sketch comedy show or skipping classes to help legalize medical marijuana. These unique experiences can give you an edge when competing for that job you’ve always wanted. And even if they don’t, they’ll be great memories that you wouldn’t trade for anything.
“As a student, you should always be thinking about where you want to work after graduation and trying your best to get there. But don’t ignore everything that seems to be off that path.”
Weekly Columnist Sam Tracy is an 8th-semester political science major. He can be reached at Samuel.Tracy@UConn.edu.
Why Christians should support the State of Israel
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his year marked the 65th anniversary of Israel’s Independence. Although this is a relatively short period of time compared to many of the nations around the world, Israel’s constant fight for its freedom and security has lasted much longer than most By Kyle Gearwar n a t i o n s are accusStaff Columnist t o m e d to. The Palestinian/Israeli conflict has existed for most of Israel’s existence. The Israeli struggle in the Middle East has existed for thousands of years, dating back to biblical times. Yes, this article is directed at believers in the JudeoChristian God, and furthermore, to Christians. In the past, Christians have had their fair share of conflicts with the Jewish people, but today it is
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more important than ever for Christians to realize the significance of Israel within their faith. It should be noted that Israel is not solely a Jewish nation. Instead, this article focuses on the geographical importance of Israel and the Christian faith. The most obvious reason that Christians should support the continued existence and security of Israel is because that is the land God promised to his Chosen People, the Jews. Regardless of the fact that salvation is available to everyone now through Jesus Christ, the Jewish heritage is still the Chosen People of God according to the Christian faith. In Genesis 17:7-8, God says to Abraham, “I will always keep the promise I have made to you and your descendants, because I am your God and their God. I will give you and them the
land in which you are now a foreigner.” God’s promise of a land for Abraham’s descendants still stands today; despite the fact that Christians believe that Jesus is the savior of the world. Another important concept for Christians to remember is that ultimately, much, if not all, they stand for and believe in came from the Jewish people. They worship a Jewish Savior and read a Jewish book. The Bible states that “salvation is from the Jews.” If it were not for the Jewish people, Christianity would cease to exist. Israel and the Jewish culture there is an integral part of the Christian faith. Christians can show their love for Israel, as well as their God, by supporting the security of the land of God’s Chosen People in Israel. Despite the Christian support for an Israeli state, they
do not blindly support any decision that Israel makes. There is conflict in the Middle East, and there may always will be. A story in the Old Testament tells of the disputes between Isaac and Ishmael, the fathers of the Jews and Arabs, respectively, according Judeo-Christian and Muslim traditions. The Bible has already warned that there would be tension between the descendants of these two men. Christians should be able to tell when Israel is overstepping its boundaries and suggest alternative methods for peace agreements. In essence, Christians should support the existence of Israel, but not necessarily everything it does. Staff Columnist Kyle Gearwar is a 4thsemester geoscience major. He can be reached at Kyle.Gearwar@UConn.edu.
“New Jersey Governor Chris Christie was in Texas today for the dedication of George W. Bush’s presidential library. The library is already it done, but they brought in Christie for a second ground breaking.” –Jimmy Fallon
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
BORN ON THIS DATE
1945 Holed up in a bunker under his headquarters in Berlin, Adolf Hitler commits suicide by swallowing a cyanide capsule and shooting himself in the head.
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1933 - Willie Nelson 1975 -Johnny Galecki 1982 - Kirsten Dunst 1986 - Dianna Agron
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Tuesday, April 30, 2013
‘Pain and Gain’ all gain and no pain
By Randy Amorim Staff Writer I never thought I’d find myself so intrigued by a Michael Bay movie, and never did Iexpect this to be a 10-outof-10 movie, but I stand by it. For a man who has made movies about alien robots, the director seems to have a lot to say about American culture, the American dream, male vanity, masculinity and religion, among other themes. Bay can’t help but include his crude visual style, but surprisingly it works here because of the bizarre story that it compliments it. The style creates an experience similar to “Natural Born Killers,” and like that film I would argue the emotional response to the grisly images and characters is the main cause for the film’s mixed response. “Pain and Gain” is one of the most intelligent films I have ever seen, although it is purposely disguised in a juvenile and crude tale due to its juvenile and crude characters. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a self-described “do-er.” He believes in fitness and the American Dream. He is a selfish, narcissistic sociopath. He plans to kidnap and torture his personal training client Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) into giving him and
Image courtesy of lostinreviews.com
Mark Wahlberg, left, stars as Daniel Lugo alongside Dwayne Johnson, right, who stars as Paul in the dark comedy ‘Pain and Gain.’
his friends all of his things. He recruits his right hand man Adrian (Anthony Mackie) for the scheme. Adrian blindly worships Daniel and although he is content with his life as a steroid using gym rat working at Daniel’s gym, he immediately buys into Daniel’s dream not because he wants it as bad, but because Daniel does. The second recruit Paul (Dwayne Johnson) is an excon and cocaine addict who
is now sober and has found Jesus. Paul wants no part in it, but unfortunately it is hard to make money as an ex con and a horny priest’s attempt to seduce him leaves Paul without his job at the church or his faith in it, solely relying on his job at Daniel’s gym. They’re all bad people. While Johnson’s performance of the troubled reli-
gious man conflicted by faith, morality and desperation buys him some sympathy, he still makes his choices and refuses to stand for what he believes in which earns him his end. It is hard to believe the story is true because the three are so stupid and their mistakes fuel the plot, but it’s unfortunately all true. They try
Pain and Gain 10/10
What I’ll remember from UConn: the good and the bad
By Joe O’Leary Focus Editor
What a long, strange trip it’s been. Three years and eight months to the day after I arrived at Towers for the first time, I sit at the copy-editing computer in “The Daily Campus,” writing a final farewell to the Huskies I have grown to know in the meantime. Now that I’m in full-on nostalgia mode, I figure I’ll devote one of my final pieces in the DC to what I’ll always remember about my time as a University of Connecticut Husky. However, as a cynic from the womb, this won’t exactly be a warm and fuzzy recollection; instead, I’ll treat my college experience as a journalist: objectively. Above all else, I’ll remember the devolution of Spring Weekend. As a freshman filled with naivety, Spring Weekend happening to coincide with my birthday nearly killed me back in 2010. I’ll leave the gory details out of it, but I hate, hate, hated the Gestapo-like treatment of students in years since. The fateful weekend that claimed the life of Jafar Karzoun made me a
bit more understanding as to the administration’s stance on things. I’ll remember the UConn music scene, or the relative lack of it. Sure, there were a few shows I loved: 2010’s show by Girl Talk and Kid Cudi were fantastic at face value, though lacking in hindsight. I can’t stand DJ shows without any actual performing or artists who try to get off stage as soon as humanly possible. Otherwise, as a four-year Spring Concert attendee, twice as a Daily Campus reporter, I couldn’t help but feel the shows were lacking. Maybe it’s that UConn didn’t bring a single relevant rock artist to campus while I was here, barring St. Vincent’s late-2010 opening act for (ugh) All Time Low, instead aiming for the tooold-to-be-very-nostalgic Third Eye Blind and Three Days Grace and frat-rockers O.A.R., none of whom I’d listened to since around 2006. (“Heard the World” is still my high-school jam, though.) Maybe it’s that Kendrick Lamar’s album coming out five months before his performance was likely the shortest release-to-appearance any artist
at UConn has had, showing a clear lack of relevancy in previous events. Finally, in future years, SUBOG, please remember that a fairly large subsection of the students you represent enjoy musicians other than rappers. I’ll remember the professors, both good and bad. I’ve had fantastic professors in my time at UConn, including Wayne Worcester, Marie Shanahan, Steven Kalb and John Reynolds just to name a few, but for every professor who cares about his or her students, there have at times been professors who almost seemed to enjoy the infuriating reactions their incompetence or overly strict natures could cause. At the same time, I’ve met dozens of wonderful friends I can’t imagine having gone without over the past four years. The jerks and jerkettes who loved pulling themselves up by putting others down stick in my mind just as much. I’m not going to name names, but for every time a friend has helped me through a tough time, there’s been the person who came into my room while I was in the hospital with mono, wore my clothes to make
Amazon implements new survey approach with pilot episodes
By Zach Lederman Staff Writer
If you’re like me and don’t keep up with the workings of Amazon.com, I suggest you head over to Amazon Instant (their digital distribution service) and check out what’s been going on lately in the world of television. Last week, Amazon decided to try something basically unheard of; they decided to give the viewers control over selection of their shows. The site has uploaded 14 original pilot episodes to their website for anyone to watch free of charge, and based on a quick survey, Amazon will choose which shows will be developed, and which will be thrown away. For those unaware, a pilot episode is typically the first episode of a television show that is shown to network heads, who then decide whether they’d like to pick up the series. As far as I am aware, never before has any major network (or in this case, website) given such a degree of control to their viewers.
The pilots are divided into two categories: children’s shows and comedies, and features both live-action and animated series. Each show is free to watch, and lasts between 25 and 30 minutes, longer than the typical commercial-laden show. Although each show is an Amazon-original, at least two of them are based on already existing franchises. There is “Zombieland: The Series,” which is based on the hit 2009 film, developed in lieu of a sequel, and the ‘Onion News Empire,’ developed based on the Satirical news organization. Honestly, I’m not sure why these were the two categories chosen, considering most parents aren’t going to pay additional costs in order to purchase individual episodes of TV shows, but hey, it’s their website. Overall, I see some potential here, but I’m not sure whether or not Amazon is going about this correctly. Surveys are completely optional, and unless one really wants to see the series developed, they’re not going
to waste the five to 10 minutes to express their opinion. Someone who dislikes the series isn’t going to bother, and anyone with a basic knowledge of statistics can see that this is inevitably going to skew the polls. I can’t say exactly what’s going to happen as a result, but if asked, I would predict that Amazon may end up with some television shows on their hands that aren’t actually generating any profit. However, I do give Amazon series credit for taking a leap that has not been taken before. Along with Netflix, they’re helping to blaze the trail for the future of TV with original series’ free of commercials or time constraints. If they figure out a better way to determine what shows to pick up, this could possibly revolutionize the industry, and deal a serious blow to the cable companies that currently dominate.
Zach.Lederman@UConn.edu
fun of me and then sent said pictures to me. Or the people who ridiculed me during freshman year for spending my weekday nights indoors getting work done or relaxing with friends instead of getting a fake ID and heading to an overcrowded, overpriced bar. I realize this is getting petty, but hear me out. If UConn’s going to rise in the national collegiate ranks further, becoming a flagship university alumni nationwide can become more proud of every year, we need to treat our fellow students with respect; otherwise, you get the disastrous black eyes on our reputation like the recent unfounded attacks on Carolyn Luby for simply writing an article stating her opinion. Above all else, I’ll remember UConn as the place where I truly learned more than I ever had before, not just in the classroom. I’ve learned how to party, how to study, how to work my tail off and how to be a better human being. My time here has taught me college is a melting pot and an experience more than it is just a simple school. As I take the next step into the real world, whether I end up in Brooklyn, Cali or my parents’ basement, I’ll always remember that UConn made me who I am today.
Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu
to first kidnap Kershaw several times and fail until they get it right, which actually happened, then later try to kill him, but the idiots mess up again and he lives. Kershaw is not smart either and is the worst victim ever. The police do not believe his absurd story and he is rude and arrogant to all those trying to help him, causing them to care even less. He hires a private investigator (Ed Harris), but treats him terribly
and doesn’t make his job any easier. The private eye may be the one intelligent character in this entire movie and is technically “the good guy.” It’s not an enjoyable, beautiful and moving crime tale like “Place Beyond the Pines,” but really an ugly and dirty movie like “Natural Born Killers.” The film mocks Hollywood as an instigator. Daniel says, “Trust me, I’ve seen a lot of movies.” He has misinterpreted the movies of his heroes like “Scarface” and “The Godfather” and mistakes ambition for intelligence and ability. It’s a deep exploration of evil and the dark side of human nature. The characters narrate throughout and justify their actions and Bay exceeds in at the same time showing us that their actions are not justifiable and allowing us to understand them without liking them or sympathizing for them. The film’s black comedy works as we are not laughing with these killers but at them, and it never manages to lighten the mood or take away from the grisly, violent images on screen meant to show us how bad these men are. I have to say as ugly as it is, it’s fascinating and is a very intelligent film. It is a recent addition to my list of personal favorites.
Maurilio.Amorim@UConn.edu
NY, Israel museums jointly buy Hebrew manuscript
NEW YORK (AP) — The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and the Israel Museum in Jerusalem have jointly acquired a 15th-century illuminated Hebrew manuscript, they announced Monday. The Mishneh Torah is a rare manuscript with text by the Middle Ages Jewish philosopher Moses Maimonides. It is a synthesis of Jewish law and the second of a two-volume manuscript featuring six large illustrations plus 32 smaller images and marginal decorations. The first volume is housed in the Vatican. The two institutions said they would share the Mishneh Torah on a rotating basis. The manuscript was created in 1457 in the style of Northern Italian Renaissance miniature painting. It was restored at the conservation lab of the Israel Museum, where it has been on loan since 2007 and on public view since 2010. “The Mishneh Torah is a rare treasure that unites Jewish literary heritage with some of the finest illuminations from the Italian Renaissance,” said James Snyder, director of the Israel Museum. Met Director Thomas Campbell said the document is “of great historical and literary importance” and “will be a major addition to the museum’s permanent and encyclopedic
collection.” The manuscript was the highlight of an auction Monday at Sotheby’s from the collection of investor and philanthropist Michael Steinhardt and his wife, Judy Steinhardt. The announcement of the joint purchase was made shortly before the auction started. The Mishneh Torah had been estimated to bring $4.5 million to $6 million at the auction. Sotheby’s declined to say how much the two museums paid beyond that it was more than the $2.9 million paid for a Hebrew Bible in 1989 at Sotheby’s London, which set an auction record for Judaica. The Met also acquired an Italian silver Torah crown, circa 1740-50, for $857,000, Sotheby’s said. Also sold at the auction was a North German bronze lionform aquamanile, or ritual vessel, from the late 12th century. Sotheby’s said it was bought by The Jewish Museum in New York for $377,000. The Steinhardts began collecting objects of Jewish history and culture three decades ago, eventually amassing a trove of manuscripts, textiles and art worth millions of dollars. The 500-piece Judaica material spans thousands of years, from antiquity to modern times, and contains objects from all over the world.
whom have also won awards for their pieces. To sweeten the deal, the Long River Review will also be providing refreshments for the reception in the way of cake from a bakery in Willimantic and candy from Sweet Emotions. Students and staff are encouraged to come for the refreshments and to meet the staff, writers and artists. The literary and arts magazine represents months of student work and contributions. The Editor in Chief of the Long River Review is an eighth semester English major, Alyssa Palazzo. “Everyone should pick up a copy,” she said. “After all, the magazine is a collaboration of over seventy-five different students.” Pedestrians might have seen the group on campus in past couple of days promoting its launch party. Last week the group held an event near the library to attract students and share information about the
magazine. The Long River Review’s website allows students to submit written and visual pieces from December until the deadline in February. The LRR staff consists of 21 undergraduates who begin working on the magazine in December when submissions begin. After selecting a written work, the staff collaborates with “a design team from the art department – a group of seven students – to bring the magazine to life” said Palazzo. The groups website is also active year round, as they continue to have students blog about topics relevant to students and to provide updates on the magazine. Copies of the Long River Review are available for purchase at the Co-op for $5.00 and will be available during the launch party. Their website also offers information on acquiring copies through the Creative Writing Program.
Long River Review to launch tonight
By Kim Halpin Associate Focus Editor
The Long River Review will be celebrating the launch of its annual magazine publication with a reading and party hosted at the Co-op bookstore at 6pm on Tuesday. The Long River Review literary and arts magazine showcases student works of poetry, fiction, nonfiction and original translations, according to its website. The written works are also accompanied by visual art created by UConn students. At the launch party, 11 of the 30 authors that are being published in this year’s edition will be reading their work. Many of the student authors have won awards for their work including the Collins Literary Prizes and the Jennie Hackman Memorial Award for Short Fiction. In addition, all of the visual art included in the magazine will be on display. This year’s editions feature 16 different student artists’ contributions, many of
Kimberly.Halpin@UConn.edu
The Daily Campus, Page 6
FOCUS ON:
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Focus
Movie Of The Week
Interested in writing movie reviews?
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Come write for Focus! Meetings at 8 p.m. on Mondays.
MOVIES
Upcoming Releases » FILM REVIEWS By Joe O’Leary May 3 Focus Editor
‘The Big Wedding’ lacks humor
Iron Man 3
By Brendon Field Staff Writer
May 10 The Great Gatsby (2013) Tyler Perry Presents Peeples
A quick summary of the opening scene of “The Big Wedding:” There are some exterior shots of an upper class lakefront home, and monologue about the family who once lived together in it. Diane Keaton enters the home of her former husband (Robert De Niro) and his girlfriend (Susan Sarandon), and contemplates the changes. De Niro and Sarandon enter and begin discussing the word “cunnilingus,” and proceed to put the word into use. That gives you a sense of “The Big Wedding” as a whole. It has the potential to be a decent, upbeat romantic comedy, but small series of increasingly stupid decisions drags the entire piece down. The story is more or less a combination of individual characters arcs revolving around a family reuniting for the wedding of their adopted son Alejandro (Ben Barnes), and Missy (Amanda Seyfried), who comes from a heavily Catholic family. Alejandro’s biological mother, who is stringently religious and believes divorce to be a sin is coming up from
May 17 Star Trek Into Darkness May 24 Epic Fast & Furious 6 The Hangover Part III
Films About the End of the World: a.k.a Finals Week The Matrix (1999)
I Am Legend (2007)
familiar rom-com traps. The dialogue has some good quips, but often tries too hard and forces vulgarity. The characters exposition is good at creating framework, but drops important details abruptly and at the wrong time. Some of which feel inserted only to unnecessarily raise the stakes. As a result the scenes meant to be purely dramatic fall flat. The film also makes the mistake of giving each character a conflict heavy enough to be the center of a whole script, which is exacerbated when are all resolved within ten minutes. The actual comedy leaves a lot to be desired. A lot of it just doesn’t make sense, like one scene of De Niro falling into a pool from the back of a diving board. Like the opening scene, several jokes feature disgusting visual humor, minus the humor. Toward the end, the film reaches a point where it ceases to be charming, and is just obnoxious. The style is reminiscent of “Parks and Recreation.” It elevates awkward moments with sharp tongued wit and a brisk pace; which I would be
Stallone was nominated for an Oscar? I didn’t think so. “A Good Day to Die Hard”Why are we in Russia? Why does the action all look awful? Why is John Moore allowed to still direct movies? Did anyone watch this or even read the script before diving into production? Yippie Ki No Bruce Willis. Yippie Ki No. “Snitch”- Dwayne Johnson has been really stepping his game up lately. “Snitch” tells an important story with strong intensity and brings light to real life issues. Johnson gives a good performance and the action is solid. It feels rather hollow and like it’s missing something, but it certainly exceeds all expectations. “Olympus Has Fallen”One of the better surprises this semester. Sure, it’s over patriotic and basically a “Die Hard” remake, but I was so far on the edge of my seat the whole movie that several times I actually fell off and had to finish an intense scene on the ground before sitting back up. I may even have cried and sang the national anthem at the end.
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”- The first one was one of the worst things I’ve ever seen, so I guess this is an improvement, as it’s only just a really awful movie. Can we stop trying to make overly complicated, intelligent plots in movies based on toys? It’s really beginning to seem like an insult to our intelligence. “Place Beyond the Pines”Nobody has seen this movie, but you all should. You all saw “G.I. Joe” and “Die Hard 5” in ridiculous numbers, and don’t say you didn’t because their sequels didn’t green light by themselves, but you all skipped out on this tense, heavy, and moving film that will really impact you and really means something. Don’t apologize. It’s still in theaters. You still have times to change your ways. “Evil Dead”- Cut the opening scene. Recast everyone. Fix the first act and make more sense of things. Un-censor all the gore. Cut the silly final plot twist, but keep the chainsaw through the mouth shot because that was cool. Do that
rollicking good time. The original film’s Starfleet cast returns, meaning the perfectly cast crew of the Enterprise will be back quipping away like they never left. Add Benedict Cumberbatch as a largely-hidden villain with a dark revenge fantasy against Kirk and crew and the series’ introduction to IMAX 3D (postconverted, but a preview looked great before “The Hobbit”) bodes for new expressions of explosive energy from both crew and special effects. May 24 Three movies, three target audiences, one very interesting weekend. Both “Fast and Furious 6” and “Hangover Part III” are popping into multiplexes almost two years to the day after their respective franchises’ highest-grossing films, each carrying some question marks. “Fast and Furious” and “Fast Five” brought new, recharged life to the car-chase franchise, turning it into a heist franchise in the latter, so expectations are high for “6” even before considering its stacked cast and impressive setpieces in the trailer. I’m in the theater for Ludacris’ line reading of “Uh, they’ve got a tank” alone. “Hangover Part III” has a more difficult job ahead of it. “Hangover Part II” made a lot of bank, but it also killed a lot of goodwill with the series;
with critics calling it simply a darker retread of the first film, its Rotten Tomatoes score fell to 34 percent from the original’s 79, more telling its IMDB user score plummeting from a verywell-received 7.9 to a clearlyinferior 6.5. Its plot allegedly takes a turn from the second, placing Zach Galifinakis’ Alan in a mental institution; the introduction of John Goodman as the newest big boss and director Todd Phillips’ promise of death, presumably not just that of Alan’s father (Jeffrey Tambor) in the beginning of the film, may define the series’ finale separate from its predecessors. Last this week is “Epic,” a Fox animated adventure set in a colony of leaf-men. Every few years, an environmentallyminded film is released and largely forgotten; 2009’s “Battle for Terra” flopped, while Fox’s “Ferngully” did tepid business for a kid’s film for 1992. Sure, there’s the usual outlier like “WALL-E,” but these films largely fail to hook viewers because who wants to pay to watch what looks like a public service announcement for two hours? “Epic” will find an audience. Just don’t expect it to be very big. May 31 Had he wanted it, the role of Django in Quentin Tarantino’s
The Big Wedding 5.5/10
Summer films to look out for
Image courtesy of wikipedia.org
‘The Big Wedding’ opened with $7.5 million at the domestic box office.
very happy with. If the writing had strength to back it up. Fortunately, the performances manage to turn a droll mess into a romp that’s often amusing, but rarely funny. “The Big Wedding” will best be remembered as a golden slice of wasted talent. This so easily could have been a fun, easygoing comedy, but it decided to, quite literally, vomit all over itself.
Brendon.Field@UConn.edu
Best and worst of this semester’s movies
By Randy Amorim Staff Writer
The Day After Tomorrow (2004)
Columbia. Alejandro can’t bring himself to tell her his parents are divorced. So they try to fake a marriage, and shenanigans ensue. Faking romance is an all too familiar rom-com plot, and its success often depends on the chemistry of the actors and the ability of the writers. “The Big Wedding” has the former, but not the latter. The film’s bill is robust, all the roles are cast flawlessly. De Niro is a brash, cynical patriarch. Sarandon is the lively second wife, always the smartest person is the room. Katherine Heigl is bitter and aggravated woman in a struggling relationship. And Topher Grace is a 30 year old Eric Forman. All give energetic performances and are able to salvage some unfunny pieces of the script. I don’t really care for Heigl or Seyfried, and I almost want to say this is the best work their careers. The characters they portray are also good. None are stereotypes, and each has reason to exist. What causes the film to fall apart is the screenplay, which is inconsistent and falls into some
“Gangster Squad”“Gangster Squad” may lack the substance of a Martin Scorsese crime film or The Untouchables, but it provides “dumb fun.” The characters and plot are underdeveloped as it’s all style over substance, but if you like silly action movies and are looking for quick entertainment you’ll have a good time. “Movie 43”- The title is misleading as it’s not so much a movie as it is a really long waterboarding. The huge plot twist at the end is that the movie wasn’t a movie, but was a waste of time and the big joke is that you were somehow convinced by the cast list to waste your time and money even after seeing the awful trailer. “Bullet to the Head”There’s not a single scene in this movie that doesn’t contradict the film, its tone, its characters, the plot or anything you’ve ever thought to be true about life. Remember when
and we may not have another crap horror reboot. Maybe the unrated version will be a little better. “42”- The important story of a true American hero and his struggle against racism on his path to greatness. The movie does a great job of bringing it back to life. Robinson’s story will leave you cheering at the end. “Pain and Gain”- When I hear Michael Bay, I expect nothing more than a juvenile film about special effects. You probably don’t believe that this is a 10-out-of-10 movie and neither would I before I saw it. It tells a real life story with real-life consequences and real-life themes. It’s a very ugly, dark and disturbing look at the American dream, American culture, masculinity and the dark side of human nature. For the first time in his career, Bay has given us something that actually has some worth, but I still expect an apology for “Pearl Harbor” and “Transformers 2” and “Transformers 3.”
Maurilio.Amorim@UConn.edu
May movies you may want to see - and to skip
By Joe O’Leary Focus Editor
Shaun of the Dead (2004)
Independence Day (1996)
Sure, “Iron Man 3” will rake it in this weekend, but there’s a lot of time left in the summer movie schedule. Here’s what to watch for and what to avoid through early June. May 10 Pushed back from its original December 2012 release date to ensure the visual effects would wow, Baz Luhrmann’s adaptation of “The Great Gatsby” will be his first film in five years. While his work can be uneven, Luhrmann if nothing else knows how to create spectacle, perfect for the giant, lavish, flapper parties of the 1920s “Gatsby” is chock-full of. The director has also collected a stellar cast; Leonardo DiCaprio’s distinguished career will serve him well as the title character, while Carey Mulligan should be a stellar Daisy. I’m most excited for Tobey Maguire’s third on-screen appearance since “Spider-Man,” but the role of Nick seems wellaligned with his demeanor. May 17 J.J. Abrams’ long-awaited follow-up to 2009’s “Star Trek” comes just as the filmmaker jumps from hard sci-fi to fantasy with the “Star Wars” series, but the sequel promises to be a
last film could have easily belonged to Will Smith. Instead, the actor stuck to his guns. Back in 2007, the actor told Time Magazine of his friend who examined a list of the top ten movies of all time in the ‘90s; all ten had special effects, nine had special effects with creatures and eight had all that and a love story. Smith hasn’t strayed far from that formula, whose latest result is “After Earth,” where the actor headlines with his son Jaden as two futuristic citizens stranded on a post-civilization Earth. The love story’s probably out, but it’s got its special effects and creatures, so “After Earth” will likely continue Smith’s streak of successes, though it’ll also continue his streak of unchallenging roles. “Now You See Me” is a film about magicians pulling off a heist while a team of FBI agents tries to stop them. Its cast is a strange ensemble of great actors who can’t open a film themselves, including Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson and Mark Ruffalo. That will likely be the downfall of “See Me.” If a bunch of actors can’t get peoples’ butts in seats by themselves, the package deal probably won’t be able to attract them either.
Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu
The semester is drawing to a close, right as blockbuster season begins in Hollywood. Last year’s summer releases powered by DC and Marvel are probably impossible to top, but here are a number of summer films to be on the lookout for. And once again, no sequels, because we all need to learn they will only go away once we ignore them. “Now You See Me”: This is a heist film where the robbers are stage magicians who target corporate banks and return the loot to their audience. The class warfare message is blunt, but the premise is too brilliant for me to care. It stars Jessie Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Morgan Freeman and many other A-list and talented actors. It’s new ground for large scale action director Louis Leterrier, but with the actors and five writers, he should have plenty of clarity. If the film even slightly lives up to its trailer, we’ll have a very good picture. “Much Ado About Nothing”: It’s been awhile since a Shakespeare adaptation targeted a wide audience, with the last incarnation of “Much Ado About Nothing” last done in 1993 starring Denzel Washington. This one will be similar to the 1996 “Romeo + Juliet,” in that the setting will be contemporary. The big draw with this version is that it’s being directed by Joss Whedon. I don’t know why Whedon is departing so far from science fiction, but there no director I would have more confidence in. “Monsters University”: Technically this is a prequel, so I can talk about it, and even if it wasn’t, Pixar is excused from my rules. Featuring the same principal cast along with a slew of new faces as its predecessor “Monsters Inc.,” “Monsters University” shows how Mike and Sully met in college. The film’s shining feature is the university itself, an elaborate and, as far as I’ve seen, brilliant parody of a modern liberal arts school, right down to the website and the trailer, which is styled like a recruiting video. Pixar’s last two films (“Cars 2” and “Brave”) didn’t quite live up to expectations, but “Monsters University” looks like the perfect turnaround. “World War Z”: Continuing America’s obsession with the flesh hungry undead, “World War Z” is the biggest zombie production since the remake of “Dawn of the Dead.” An adaptation of an acclaimed novel and starring Brad Pitt, “World War Z” focused more on the political side of the apocalypse, particularly how it affects the media and the United Nations. Although with a budget rumored to be $200 million, it certainly won’t be taking place behind closed walls. “Pacific Rim”: This is best described as Transformers vs. Godzilla, with larger than life battles between robots and lizards, but without Roland Emmerich or Michael Bay to ruin it. Instead we have visual mastermind Guillermo Del Toro, best known for “Pan’s Labyrinth.” Movies with giant destructive monsters are common, but “Pacific Rim” looks to be drawing inspiration from the classic Japanese gargantuan films of the 1950s. Del Toro himself called it “a beautiful poem to giant monsters.”
Brendon.Field@UConn.edu
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Focus
The Daily Campus, Page 7
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Daily Campus, Page 8
Comics
PHOTO OF THE DAY
COMICS Classic Kevin & Dean Adam Penrod
NATALIA PYLYPYSZYN/The Daily Campus
Trees are in full bloom for Spring at East Campus and all around Storrs.
Classic Editor’s Choice by Brendan Albetski
Lazy Girl Michelle Penney
Horoscopes by Brian Ingmanson
To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging. Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- The next solar month brings a phase of compassion, spirituality and helpfulness. Ride these winds to build positive community structures. Beauty, art and love seduce. Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- Save big bucks by making something beautiful for your home. Balance physical work with social demands. Settle on individual roles. Gain respect and status. Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 7 -- With the encouragement of someone you trust, your drive helps your career take off like a rocket. Big rewards usually entail some risk. Keep your promises. Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Don’t give your money away, even if tempted. Balance studies with socializing. Enjoy a delicious meal. Chocolate figures in the plan. Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- You’re especially keen for business. Create new opportunities for you and a partner. Add artistic flair to the work. Others are saying nice things about you. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Someone’s in love. Add a touch of adventure to your routine. Your creativity’s welcome, even if it doesn’t feel that way. You do great work. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- It’s all about new partnerships until the middle of March. Go out and meet new people. You’re growing more attractive with age. Show respect and gain love. Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- Being polite gains you extra points. It’s easier to deal with problems. You’re lucky in love. You get more with honey than vinegar. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Family’s extremely important right now. They can support you in your goals. Love’s getting interesting. Accept an invitation while you can. Find beauty. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Keep your eyes open for income opportunities, but don’t get greedy. Others love your ideas, so keep them coming. Be thankful for what you have. Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is a 9 -- Go ahead and chase a white rabbit. Your curiosity gets rewarded in the next four weeks, but you may have to take some risks. Are you ready? Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 6 -- You could rake in a lot of money. Don’t sprint before you’ve warmed up your muscles. You might find some bumps along the romance trail.
Answer: Superbad
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
The Daily Campus, Page 9
Sports
Kings seems set for Sacramento stay
Here they stay. In an emotional saga that has dragged on for nearly three years, the Sacramento Kings finally appear to be staying put in California's capital city. The NBA's relocation committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that owners reject the application for the Kings to relocate to Seattle, the latest - and by far the strongest - in a long line of cities that almost landed the franchise. The committee made the decision over a conference call and forwarded the recommendation to the NBA Board of Governors. The board, which consists of all 30 owners, will convene during the week of May 13 to vote on the matter. While the recommendation doesn't guarantee the Kings will stay put, it's difficult at this point to imagine how they don't. Moments after the league announced the committee's recommendation, Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson wrote on Twitter: ''That's what I'm talking about SACRAMENTO!!!!! WE DID IT!!!!!'' At a packed pep rally at a downtown restaurant, fans serenaded Johnson with chants of ''Sac-ra-mento!'' He called the recommendation a ''big day for the city of Sacramento'' but stopped short of declaring victory. ''We do not want to dance in the end zone. We do not want to celebrate prematurely,'' Johnson said. TIBCO software chairman Vivek Ranadive, the head of the Sacramento investor group Johnson assembled to mount a competing bid to keep the Kings, also expressed excitement.
''I'm speechless. Thanks to all of the amazing people who supported this great effort,'' tweeted Ranadive, a minority owner of the Golden State Warriors who could become the first Indian-born majority owner of an NBA team. He would have to sell his share in the Warriors if his group's bid for the Kings is successful. ''We did it, baby,'' said California Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. The Sacramento Democrat joined Johnson and Republican state Senator Ted Gaines at the rally in a show of bi-partisan support. Barbara ''Sign Lady'' Rust, as she has become known by Kings fans, waived a sign as Johnson spoke that read: ''Love found a way. Now here we stay.'' ''You should have seen me a few hours ago,'' she said. ''I totally lost it. First I jumped like a crazy woman for a minute. Then I cried.'' Who will own the Kings next season is still unclear. The Maloof family reached an agreement in January to sell a 65 percent controlling interest in the team to a group led by investor Chris Hansen at a total franchise valuation of $525 million, topping the NBArecord $450 million that Joe Lacob and Peter Guber bought the Warriors for in 2010. Then Hansen increased his offer to $550 million, which implies buying the 65 percent stake for about $357 million. Hansen hoped to move the team to Seattle and rename it the SuperSonics, who moved to Oklahoma City and renamed the Thunder in 2008. Instead, those plans have suddenly
crumbled. The NBA Board of Governors is expected to follow the recommendation by the relocation committee, coincidentally headed by Thunder owner Clay Bennett, already a reviled figure in Seattle. The other owners on the committee are Miami's Micky Arison, Washington's Ted Leonsis, Utah's Greg Miller, Indiana's Herbert Simon, Minnesota's Glen Taylor and San Antonio's Peter Holt - who's also the chairman of the board. Even still, the Maloofs are not bound to sell the team to the Sacramento group. Johnson said he was unsure what the next step is in the process or whether the NBA would - or could - take a role in streamlining the team's sale. In a letter sent to the relocation and finance committees last week, the Maloofs said they preferred to sell to the Seattle group and expressed discontent with Sacramento's latest bid, saying it falls ''significantly short.'' NBA Commissioner David Stern has said the offers
AP
Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, center, jokes with a reporter at a news conference Monday. The NBA’s relocation committee voted unanimously Monday to recommend that owners reject the application for the Sacramento Kings basketball team to relocate to Seattle.
are in ''the same ballpark.'' Stern said owners felt leaving Sacramento just didn't make sense. He also reiterated his long-held stance that expansion is unlikely at this time. ''As strong as the Seattle bid was, and it was very strong, there's some benefit that should be given to a city that has
supported us for so long and has stepped up to contribute to build a new building as well,'' Stern said on NBA-TV. Spokesmen for the Maloof family and Hansen declined to comment on the committee's recommendation. Seattle Mayor Mike McGinn pledged that his city will continue to
fight for an NBA team. ''I'm proud of how Sonics fans have rallied together to help Seattle get a team,'' McGinn said in a statement. ''We're going to stay focused on our job: making sure Seattle remains in a position to get a team when the opportunity presents itself.''
Lakers future remains Avalanche win lottery, get No. 1 pick in upcoming NHL Draft uncertain after failed season EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers have stepped off their wild ride. Their largely disastrous season is finally finished after a first-round playoff sweep. But the drama that always surrounds this club is merely paused for a few weeks maybe less. The Lakers' offseason could be just as crazy for a franchise that finished one of the most disappointing seasons in NBA history with a winless whimper, not a run at a 17th NBA title. Dwight Howard's unrestricted free agency, coach Mike D'Antoni's job status, Pau Gasol's tenuous future, Metta World Peace's amnesty possibilities and the injury comebacks of Kobe Bryant and
Steve Nash are only the biggest issues facing the Lakers as they decide whether to try this grand experiment again. ''We had our sights set on something bigger than this,'' Nash said Monday. ''In many ways, it feels like we never even got started. ... I think the core pieces, with this season under our belt, could come back and form something special. As we saw this year, it's not a perfect fit, but we have great pieces, and we have terrific players that can find a way to make this work.'' The Lakers began last fall with championship aspirations and the NBA's largest payroll after adding Howard and Nash alongside Bryant, Gasol, World Peace and a decent group of reserves.
TORONTO (AP) -- The Colorado Avalanche won the NHL draft lottery on Monday. The Florida Panthers own the second pick for June's draft, while the Tampa Bay Lightning have the third selection. Colorado had an 18.8 percent chance of winning the lottery after finishing the regular season with a 16-25-7 record, worst in the Western Conference. The Panthers, who finished last in the NHL with a 15-27-6 mark, had the best odds of winning the lottery at 25 percent but had to settle for the No. 2 pick. Portland Winterhawks defenseman Seth Jones is the No. 1 ranked North American skater according to the NHL Central Scouting Bureau.
Jones is the son of former NBA player Popeye Jones. The lottery adopted a different format this year, with all of the 14 non-playoff teams having a shot at the first overall pick. The remaining 13 squads will be slotted in reverse order of their regular-season points. In previous years, the lotterywinning team could move up no more than four spots in the draft order. Edmonton picked first overall in each of the past three years, becoming the first team to do so since Quebec (1989-1991). The Nordiques franchise went on to capture the Stanley Cup five years later after moving to Denver.
The Daily Campus, Page 10
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sports
Men's track prepares for Big East Championships By Nick Danforth Campus Correspondent In their meets before the Big East Championships, the UConn men’s track and field team performed well at both the Penn Relays and the Yale Invite. The meets began Thursday when 16 members of the squad traveled to Philadelphia to compete in the 119th annual Penn Relays. One of the largest and most prestigious meets in the U.S., the Penn Relays, with 119 Division I schools, posed a challenge that the Huskies haven’t seen all season. Junior Eric Masington posted a top-five finish in the shot put for the second year in a row at the Penn Relays. Last season’s toss of 16.48 meters placed him in fourth place. He improved to 16.59 meters, finishing in fifth and giving the Huskies their only individual top-five finish of the meet. Masington added a 12th place finish in the discus, recording a toss of 52.76 meters.
The Huskies’ other top-five finish came from the 4x100 meter relay team. Composed of freshman Robert Hovanec, sophomore Selwyn Maxwell and seniors Kevin Smith and Jess Drinks, the team finished the IC4A in a time of 41.50 seconds, good for fifth place. The 4x800 meter relay team finished in ninth place. The last relay squad to perform for the Huskies was the distance medley relay team, claiming an 11th-place finish. The only Husky to compete in an individual event on the track was senior Chris Whyte, who finished the 400 meter hurdles in a time of 53.64 seconds, good for No. 25 out of 52 competitors. Rounding out the three-day meet were sophomore Chris Ackell and senior Josh Faboyede in the hammer throw. Ackell recorded a throw of 57.12 meters, placing sixth, while Faboyede took seventh with a toss of 56.42 meters. The Huskies weekend did not end with just the Penn Relays, since the rest of the team traveled to New Haven Saturday to compete in the Yale Invite.
Freshman Harley Lacroix led the way for the Huskies in the field events with a leap of 6.85 meters in the long jump. Other notable performers in the field were junior Jesse Chapman and sophomore Oluwatosin Edwards. Chapman recorded a toss of 46.46 meters, claiming a second place finish in the discus. Edwards followed that up with a silver medal of his own in the hammer throw with a throw of 49.08 meters. In the field events, junior Claudio DelliCarpini posted a firstplace finish in the 110 meter hurdles with a time of 14.59 seconds. Junior David Kenney posted a second-place finish in the 100 meter dash, crossing the finish line in 10.79 seconds. Junior Kyle Twombly, sophomore Bryan Folwer and freshman Nick O’Leary also contributed top-three finishes to the Huskies’ day. The Huskies travel to New Brunswick, N.J. for the Big East Championships Friday, May 3.
day, week or month, is the amazing energy of the Storrs student body. For the Brandon-Jennings-in-theheadlights look on all of the Terry Hall freshmen I shared a building with when I arrived in Connecticut in 2009, to the greatest friend group I could ask for with whom I spent my final Spring Weekend in Celeron just a couple days ago, and everybody I’ve encountered in between, I’ll keep it simple: You’ve all made these four years of my life unforgettable and phenomenal. Mainly, it’s just really difficult to walk around and not smile at UConn. And with that, let the mic roll slowly off my oversized fingertips and onto Jonathan’s face at center court in Gampel. I’m going to miss UConn, but I’ll never forget all of you.
wonderful people I have met. The last five years of my life is where I have experienced the most growth and maturity as both a writer and a man. And for everyone who has been there for me over the last half decade, I am eternally grateful. I have been dreading the moment when I finally had to write this column for quite some time. In a little less than two weeks, I will graduate. For as exciting as it will be to walk across that stage and get my diploma, the final step in completing my education, it will be just as bittersweet. As cliché as it sounds, college was some of the best years of my life. It seems like just yesterday I was signing up for my freshman courses,
Souhlaris: Too many memories, not enough time
from INSPIRATION, page 12 Maybe it’s the “you had to be there” level of craziness that was Spring Weekend 2010. Maybe it’s getting chosen to cover the UConn men’s basketball team for “The Daily Campus” with two good friends in tow for the ride. Maybe it’s crowd surfing for the first time and Dougie-ing my face off outside of the Union after the UConn men’s team won the ‘ship in 2011. Maybe it’s attending every single class freshman year and getting a 107 in one of my gen-ed courses. (Okay, it definitely won’t be that because that didn’t happen. I just wanted to make my mother happy.) Maybe it’s the atmosphere of Thirsty’s, where the immortal amateur DJ Butter—also known as fel-
Softball starts homestand with Eagles By Kyle Constable Staff Writer UConn softball is set to begin a five-game home stand to close out the regular season, starting today with a crucial game against regional-rival Boston College in Storrs. UConn (24-24 overall, 7-12 Big East) dropped two of three this weekend at Seton Hall, where the Huskies’ offensive barrage was countered with an equally impressive performance by the Pirates. The two losses brought the team’s overall record back down to .500 while dealing them two additional Big East losses. Boston College (13-33 overall, 2-16 ACC) is coming into the game in even worse shape than the Huskies, however, having been swept at home by N.C. State on Saturday and Sunday. The Eagles are 5-12 on the road this season, and are only 3-7 in their last 10 games. Connecticut comes into the game with a 41-26 all-time advantage against the Boston College. The Huskies fell to the Eagles in tough loss in April 2011, the last meeting between the schools, with pitcher Kiki Saveriano giving up seven runs in the fifth inning – ultimately costing UConn the game. A win in this game would bring the Huskies back over .500, which is where they have spent most of their season. With only five games remaining, UConn would need to win three of their last five to clinch a winning season. And should the team advance to the Big East Tournament, they would have to win four out of their last six to achieve the same feat. Only one game against UMass and three against DePaul remain on the regular season schedule following today’s matchup. Every game will carry more weight than the previous for the Huskies as they try to secure their first winning season since 2009. Today’s game against Boston College is scheduled to be played at 3:30 p.m. at Burrill Family Field in Storrs. Live streaming of the game will be available on UConnHuskies. com.
Kyla.Constable@UConn.edu
low “Daily Campus” writer and good friend Jamil Larkins—spun the ones and twos like a first ballot hall of famer. Maybe it’s trying to cram 11 large males from UNH into my Lilliputian North dorm room for Halloweekend a couple years back. Maybe it’s live-tweeting and finishing in third place out of about 200 participants in a campus-wide Super Smash Bros. Melee tournament last fall. I can’t definitively say if any of those moments/phases of my life will be the first event I think of when I reminisce about my UConn career. There’s no Royal Rumble to sort the order of notable experiences, so it’s difficult to call any occasion the “most” memorable. However, the sole thing that has remained static over my four-year career at UConn, no matter the
Thomas.Souhlaris@UConn.edu
Nicholas.Danforth@UConn.edu
Colangelo: UConn gave me the most important years of my life
from THANK YOU, page 12 gathered, wept and mourned together, I never felt closer to strangers. And for all the students who passed while I attended this university, you will never be forgotten. You are all Huskies forever. Writing those last few paragraphs was one of the most difficult things I have done. It was not because I wrote some eloquent story. In fact I do not think I articulated my experience as well as I wanted to. It was difficult because each time my fingers hit the keyboard to form a new word, I relived an old memory. This was a time of reflection. It was a chance for me to think about all the good times I have had and all the
and now I am getting ready to leave. Time is a funny thing. When you want it to speed up, it moves impossibly slow, but when you want it to last, it disappears faster than you can count. With that said, to all those graduating this spring, congratulations and best of luck to you in your future endeavors. To those who still have some time left here before graduating, enjoy every moment. Take nothing and no one for granted. Most importantly, thank you to the University of Connecticut, for the greatest years of my life.
Carmine.Colangelo@UConn.edu
TWO The Daily Campus, Page 11
Stat of the day
PAGE 2
What's Next Home game
95
The number of stolen bases the UConn baseball team has this season in 44 games and 125 attempts.
» That’s what he said
The Daily Roundup
“I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.”
Away game
- The opening line of NBA center James Collins’ Sports Illustrated story Monday,. He is the first male athlete in American team sports to come out as gay while still active.
Baseball (25-19) Today Tomorrow Sacred Holy Cross Heart 3:00 p.m. 3:30 p.m.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
Sports
Obama calls, offers support for Collins
AP
James Collins
» Pic of the day May 3 Rutgers 3 p.m.
May 4 Rutgers 1 p.m.
May 5 Rutgers 1 p.m.
May 4 DePaul Noon
May 4 DePaul 2 p.m.
May 5 DePaul Noon
Coming out
Softball (24-24) Today Boston College 3:30 p.m.
Tomorrow Boston College 4 p.m.
Lacrosse (13-2) May 2 Big East Championship TBA
Men’s Track and Field May 3 Big East Championships All Day
Women’s Track and Field May 3 Big East Championships All Day
Rowing May 10 Dad Vail Regatta All Day
Can’t make it to the game? Follow us on Twitter: @DCSportsDept www.dailycampus.com
AP
Jason Collins, left, guards the Pistons’ Greg Monroe in a game this past season. Collins came out as gay on Monday, and in so doing became the first openly gay male athlete in American team sports.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- A groundbreaking pronouncement from NBA veteran Jason Collins - ‘’I’m gay’’ - reverberated Monday through Washington, generating accolades from lawmakers on Twitter and a supportive phone call from President Barack Obama. Hours after Collins disclosed his sexuality in an online article, Obama reached out by phone, expressing his support and telling Collins he was impressed by his courage, the White House said. Collins, 34, becomes the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. He has played for six teams in 12 seasons, including this past season with the Washington Wizards, and is now a free agent. Collins’ declaration in a first-person account posted on Sports Illustrated’s website garnered particular attention from Democrats, many of whom have recently announced their support for gay marriage despite opposing it in the past. Obama announced his support last year during his re-election campaign. Organizing for Action, a grassroots group run by Obama loyalists that grew out of his 2012 reelection campaign, offered its support for Collins as well, writing to Collins on Twitter on Monday that the group’s supporters ‘’stand with you today.’’ And first lady Michelle Obama chimed in on Twitter on Monday afternoon to applaud Collins. ‘’So proud of you, Jason Collins! This is a huge step forward for our country. We’ve got your back!’’ the tweet read. It was signed ‘’mo’’ signifying that the first lady personally wrote the message. Former President Bill Clinton also voiced encouragement, releasing a statement that asks fans, NBA colleagues and the media to support and respect him. Clinton said he has known Collins since he attended Stanford University with his daughter Chelsea. Clinton said Collins’ announcement Monday is an ‘’important moment’’ for professional sports and the history of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community. Collins is ‘’a good man who wants no more than what so many of us seek - to be able to be who we are, to do our work, to build families and to contribute to our communities,’’ Clinton said. ‘’For so many members of the LGBT community, these simple goals remain elusive.’’ Chelsea Clinton also tweeted her support for Collins Monday, saying she was proud of her friend for having the strength and courage to be the first openly gay player in the NBA.. Earlier Monday, White House spokesman Jay Carney said Collins’ decision was another example of progress and evolution in the U.S. as Americans grow more accepting of gay rights and same-sex marriage. He said he hoped the 34-year-old center’s NBA colleagues will also offer support.
» NBA
Collins comes out as first active openly gay male athlete in U.S.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- With the simplest of sentences, NBA veteran Jason Collins set aside years of worry and silence to become the first active player in one of four major U.S. professional sports leagues to come out as gay. In a first-person article posted Monday on Sports Illustrated’s website, Collins begins: ‘’I’m a 34-year-old NBA center. I’m black. And I’m gay.’’ Collins has played for six teams in 12 seasons, most recently as a reserve with the Washington Wizards after a midseason trade from the Boston Celtics. He is now a free agent and wants to keep playing in the NBA. ‘’I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport. But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation. I wish I wasn’t the kid in the classroom raising his hand and saying, ‘I’m different,’’’ Collins writes. ‘’If I had my way, someone else would have already done this. Nobody has, which is why I’m raising my hand.’’ Saying he had ‘’endured years of misery and gone to enormous lengths to live a lie,’’ Collins immediately drew support for his announcement from the White House - President Barack Obama called him - along with former President Bill Clinton, the NBA, current and former teammates, a sponsor, and ath-
letes in other sports. Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant tweeted that he was proud of Collins, writing: ‘’Don’t suffocate who u r because of the ignorance of others,’’ followed by the words ‘’courage’’ and ‘’support.’’ ‘’We’ve got to get rid of the shame. That’s the main thing. And Jason’s going to help that. He’s going to help give people courage to come out,’’ said Billie Jean King, a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame who confirmed she was gay after being outed in the early 1980s. ‘’I guarantee you he’s going to feel much lighter, much freer. The truth does set you free, there’s no question. It doesn’t mean it’s easy. But it sets you free,’’ King said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. The Wizards, whose season ended April 17, issued a statement from President Ernie Grunfeld: ‘’We are extremely proud of Jason and support his decision to live his life proudly and openly. He has been a leader on and off the court and an outstanding teammate throughout his NBA career. Those qualities will continue to serve him both as a player and as a positive role model for others of all sexual orientation.’’ Collins’ coach with the Celtics, Doc Rivers, drew a comparison between Monday’s announcement and Jackie Robinson’s role when
he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947, breaking the color barrier in Major League Baseball. ‘’I am extremely happy and proud of Jason Collins. He’s a pro’s pro. He is the consummate professional and he is one of my favorite ‘team’ players I have ever coached,’’ Rivers said. ‘’If you have learned anything from Jackie Robinson, it is that teammates are always the first to accept. It will be society who has to learn tolerance.’’ Collins says he quietly made a statement for gay rights even while keeping his sexual orientation a secret. He wore No. 98 with the Celtics and Wizards - 1998 was year that Matthew Shepard, a gay college student in Wyoming, was killed, and the Trevor Project, a suicide prevention organization, was founded. According to the General Social Survey, the public has grown increasingly accepting of gay relationships since the late 1980s. That survey found in 1987 that 76 percent of Americans thought sexual relations between adults of the same sex was morally wrong. That fell to 43 percent by 2012. ‘’I’m glad I’m coming out in 2013 rather than 2003. The climate has shifted; public opinion has shifted,’’ Collins writes. ‘’And yet we still have so much farther to go. Everyone is terrified of the unknown, but most of us don’t
want to return to a time when minorities were openly discriminated against.’’ While some gay athletes have talked in the past about concerns that coming out would hurt their earning potential, 12-time Grand Slam singles champion King said she thinks Collins’ openness could have the opposite effect. ‘’I have a feeling he’s got a whole new career,’’ King said. ‘’I have a feeling he’s going to make more in endorsements than he’s ever made in his life.’’ Sports equipment maker Nike released a statement Monday saying: ‘’We admire Jason’s courage and are proud that he is a Nike athlete. Nike believes in a level playing field where an athlete’s sexual orientation is not a consideration.’’ On Monday evening, hours after his story appeared on the web, Collins wrote on Twitter: ‘’All the support I have received today is truly inspirational. I knew that I was choosing the road less traveled but I’m not walking it alone.’’ Momentum has been building toward this sort of announcement from a pro athlete in a top league in the United States. NFL players Brendan Ayanbadejo and Chris Kluwe were outspoken in support of state gay-marriage amendments during last year’s elections. Obama spoke about his support for gay marriage during his re-election campaign.
» INSIDE SPORTS TODAY
P.11: Collins becomes first openly gay male athlete / P.10: Track preps for Big East championships / P.9: Kings likely to stay in Sacramento
Page 12
The courage of Collins
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
www.dailycampus.com
HERE COME THE PIONEERS Baseball looks to rebound from sweep By Matt Stypulkoski Staff Writer
Mike Corasaniti NBA free agent Jason Collins etched his name into the timeline of athletic history Monday with an announcement that had never before left the lips of an active player in one of the four main American professional sports. “I didn’t set out to be the first openly gay athlete playing in a major American team sport,” said Collins in the “Sports Illustrated” article set to hit newsstands on May 6. “But since I am, I’m happy to start the conversation.” Collins, the 7-foot center who has played for six different teams in his 12-year NBA career, has always been a vital force to his team’s frontcourt. He may not have been able to call himself a star thus far in his career, but just being a well-known, active player in professional sports is enough the make his announcement mean so much for American sports. “Jason Collins’ courageous act will impact many lives and help to create more tolerance in sports,” tweeted former Chicago Bulls guard Steve Kerr. “[I’m] proud to have him representing the NBA.” In his time with the Nets, Hawks and Celtics among others, Collins has averaged 3.6 points per game along with 3.8 rebounds. He’s played punishing defense against Shaquille O’Neal, Tim Duncan and some of the other best big men to play pro basketball in the past decade. Collins has never been a star, but has always been a player who is ready and willing to work hard and excel in whatever role he has taken on. The support that came out for Collins upon his announcement has been incredible. Players, commissioners and organizations across the country have been voicing their support for the courage Collins showed in the face of uncertainty. There was opposition too, of course, as there always is in response to someone standing up for something they believe in. I thought about quoting some of the tweets or outbursts from dissenters to show the other side of the announcement. Unfortunately, it was too difficult to find any dissenting tweets or outbursts that did not come across as hateful, unintelligent or, at the very least, usable in a newspaper that appreciates the grammar of the English language, so we will be sticking with positive messages for today. “Jason has been a widely respected player and teammate throughout his career and we are proud he has assumed the leadership mantle on this very important issue,” said NBA commissioner David Stern in a statement. My hope is that Stern’s comments will prove to foreshadow the legacy that Collins leaves behind for years to come. He should not be remembered or defined for the content of his announcement, but for the audacity it took to make it in the first place and for the many who follow in his footsteps, who are now at least a little less afraid. Collins will inspire others to be confident, proud and unafraid of who they are and who they want to be. My hope is that some day, the world won’t bat an eye when a player comes out with a similar announcement. Because Jason Collins didn’t announce to the world Monday that he was unlike anyone else. Collins’ announcement was a declaration that, as a matter of fact, he is no different from any one his colleagues, teammates, friends, brothers or any other human being on this earth. He’s just another player looking to play his role in the game.
Michael.Corasaniti@UConn.edu
After being swept for the second straight weekend, the UConn baseball team is looking to turn things around against Sacred Heart. The Huskies (25-19, 8-10 Big East) have lost six of their last eight due to sweeps by South Florida and Notre Dame. The back-to-back weekend sweeps mark their first six-game conference-losing streak since 2003. Despite the team’s struggles, second baseman LJ Mazzilli continued his superb season with a 6-for-11 weekend and two RBIs. His performance against the Irish extended his lead as the team’s best hitter, pushing his average to .343 on the season. But their opponent Preview Tuesday, the Pioneers (20-20, 15-9 NEC), are also coming into the game cold, as they dropped a series to Monmouth last weekend, taking just one game and losing the final three of the set. Shortstop John Murphy leads Sacred Heart at the plate and has hit .360 on the season with 21 runs scored and 32 RBIs. Both teams have had impressive pitching staffs so far this season and rank within the top-100 in the nation in earned run average. UConn currently sits at No. 50 in the ranking with a 3.37 ERA on the season, while the Pioneers are ranked No. 79 with a 3.67 ERA. The game is set for a 3:30 p.m. first pitch at J.O. Christian Field and can be heard on WHUS.
BASEBALL
TROY CALDEIRA/ The Daily Campus
UConn takes on Sacred Heart on Tuesday after being swept by Notre Dame this past weekend. The game is set for 3:30 p.m. at J.O. Christian Field.
Matthew.Stypulkoski@UConn.edu
What’s my inspiration? Fenway Park
TJ Souhlaris Let me be frank: My farewell column isn’t about how sports can change the world, transcend race, socioeconomic status or anything else. Nothing against the people who have written about both today and in the past at this esteemed newspaper, as they’ve often been spectacular ways to drop the microphone on incredible college careers, but I wanted to keep the tone light and fun for my final piece. So as the great Canadian poet Aubrey Graham once said: “I done kept
it real from the jump.” Corny Drake quotes aside, along with “Soul, where did you disappear to last night?” and “Are you okay, please respond,” the most common questions I receive on a daily basis are: “So what inspired you to be a sports writer?” and “What are you going to remember most about your four years at UConn?” Let’s tackle the first one. I grew up in Derry, a fairly sizable town in southern New Hampshire (which isn’t the stereotypical, “let’s go snowmobile to class and then shoot our double-barreled shotguns at unsuspecting small animals after school” type of municipality you might be expecting from N.H., unfortunately). Derry is only about 45 minutes from Boston, so it was a manageable commute for my pops, who worked at Fenway Park from 1999-2003. Because of this, he’d take me into the timeless ballpark on three or four occa-
sions per season while I was still in elementary school. Some of my favorite sports moments were harvested while I was in attendance at Fenway – Trot Nixon’s walk-off in Game 3 of the 2003 ALDS stands out more than the others – and I can’t thank my father enough for bringing me there when he likely knew he’d be scolded by his bosses for doing so. Once my father moved on from Fenway, I realized that I had to figure out a way to fuel my obsession with the Red Sox. I asked myself: “How can I continue to attend Red Sox games without my dad working there?” My wallet was (and still is) as empty the Lakers’ locker room today, so purchasing any tickets was completely out of the question. However, the next idea that came to my mind was to become a professional baseball player. “That’d be easy,” little TJ thought. As you might be
able to discern, I was absurdly incorrect. Admittedly, I was a replacement-level infielder in high school and received a couple of phone calls from desperate, need-to-fill-the-roster Division III schools in New Hampshire, but as the seasons passed, it became quickly evident that this dream was on the same plane of existence as Lennay Kekua. So I kept racking my brain, trying to figure out a way to get into Fenway without paying. (This is probably a solid time to let the readers know that, thanks to this fixation with the BoSox, I can count the number of girls I talked to before I got to high school on my right hand, if my right hand were Jaime Lannister’s.) And then it hit me: Writers get into ballparks for free, so why not do that? I was always somewhat decent with words and I was at least getting passing grades in my writing classes at
Gilbert H. Hood Middle School. So that’s where I stand now. It wasn’t about wanting to tell people’s stories or the desire to win a Pulitzer. Nope. It was simply about a young, emaciated and disproportionate TJ Souhlaris (if you’ve seen me in person, you know that some things never change) wanting to get into his favorite ballpark for free for the rest of his life. And that’s it. That’s what inspired me. Things have evolved over time, my values have changed and I recognize that life isn’t all about getting into Fenway. Every day I strive to become a better writer and someday I hope to publish a few books; however, sitting in the press box at Fenway Park will always be the ultimate goal. To get to the second part of that question, “What are you going to remember most about your four years at UConn?”
you, once I become a semiadequate professional writer, you will not get the pleasure of critiquing my new stuff by saying it is just as bad as my old stuff. The joke is on you. Only 107 words so far, this going to be tougher than I thought. I would like to think that my UConn experience was original because my five years on this campus came during a transitional period for the university. I enrolled as a naïve freshman in 2008 and I am leaving in 2013 as a grizzled super senior, giving myself a victory lap to enjoy the last little bit of the college lifestyle. I am the last of a dying breed. I am one of the few students still left on this campus that can say, “I attended Spring Weekend.” We are like the last of the Mohicans or the White-Headed Langur
monkeys (Google that one, you will catch my drift). When I say Spring Weekend, I am not talking about the police state of Storrs, where food trucks do not have enough food for everyone, I am talking about the pandemonium that current freshmen, sophomores and juniors can only dream about. I experienced the infamously mythic time where tens of thousands of students would gather like a drunken army into Carriage, Celeron and the fabled X-Lot to drink like they have never drunk before. They were reckless and dangerous nights, but they were some of the best nights that I will never wholly remember. I have arguably seen more basketball history than most students who have attended UConn. I have seen four national championships and a 90 game win streak. I
watched Kemba Walker get his number retired in the rafters of Gampel Pavilion and I watched Jim Calhoun retire in the very same building. I also had the luxury of covering the men’s team this season when Kevin Ollie took over as the new coach of the Huskies. I unfortunately was also here for the destruction of the Big East, the greatest alignment of college basketball I have ever watched. I also saw my beloved Jonathan logo changed. Although the new logo has grown on me, it was not an easy change for me to accept. Growing up in Willington, Conn., I lived only 10 minutes from campus. Basketball is everything around here and to be a part of it, as a member of the student section or as a beat reporter for both teams, was both an honor and a privilege.
I remember my first game in the student section. It was Feb. 11, 2009, the winter of my freshman year and then No. 1 UConn was taking on No. 23 Syracuse at Gampel. I was finally there, in the thick of the craziness that was the student section during a game against the rival Orange and just 4:16 into the game, Jerome Dyson tore his lateral meniscus. The Huskies still won 63-49, but we all know how that season ended. This game was a reminder that for as many good things I have seen while at UConn, I have experienced my fair share of depressing moments. I was there for Jasper Howard’s last game and his candlelight vigil. I never knew Jazz personally, but for those few moments as hundreds of fellow students
» SOUHLARIS, page 10
Thank you, UConn, it’s been a great ride
Carmine Colangelo Sum up your entire UConn experience in 1,000 words or less. That is about as easy as bear hunting with a butterfly knife. Here goes nothing. I would first like to start off by saying thank you to anyone who has ever read one of my articles over the last three years, it’s nice to know somebody besides my mom reads my writing. For those of you who did not, unfortunately for
» COLANGELO, page 10