Volume CXVIII No. 121
» INSIDE
www.dailycampus.com
Thursday, April 5, 2012
USG reconsiders funding changes By Jimmy Onofrio Senior Staff Writer
A CHat with vik sahay We caught up with Vik to ask him about ‘Reunion,’ ‘Chuck,’ and more... FOCUS/ page 7
back to business After setting out fall season, Adams returns with a clear view of future. SPORTS/ page 14 EDITORIAL: ENDING CHILD ABUSE BEGINS WITH DISCUSSION OF AWARENESS A growing occurrence of child abuse warrants exploration.
Two weeks ago, the USG Senate passed an overhaul of Tier II group funding, but, following a veto by President Sam Tracy, the Senate reconsidered the policy Wednesday. “The new plan was going to be too rushed to train staff and students,” said Tracy as he expressed concerns about the timeline of the recently passed funding policies. The funding board also ended up with a much larger surplus than expected, which affected policy. Funding board task force chairman Ed Courchaine said that the last projected surplus was $257, but, due in part to the moratorium on oncampus events during Spring Weekend, the new forecast is “at least the $44,000 that we originally predicted” at the beginning of the year, and possibly more than $100,000. Tracy said that the previous version of the policy was crafted “in crisis mode” when the funding board thought it would run a deficit, but the new data caused him and the task force members to rethink the policy. Senator Joe Gasser expressed concern over using budget numbers to justify a veto, saying, “It’s purely an accident that we have this money left over.” He cited the moratorium, groups spending less than they requested and applications that were rejected as causes that are not reliable predictors of future funding needs. A presidential veto returns legislation to the Senate, where it can be overridden. At the request of Tracy, Courchaine and funding board chairman Syed Naqvi, the Senate upheld the veto. The new plan keeps most of the details of the previously passed policy. The
ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
Sam Tracy addressed members of USG at a meeting Wednesday. Tracy vetoed the proposed changes to Tier II organizations, believing the new plan to be too rushed. With a larger surplus than expected, USG members are rethinking their policy to cut back on funding for organizations.
major difference is that implementation will be pushed back to Spring 2013, so that the Funding Board will have an entire semester to prepare staff and students to understand the new process of applying for funding. The Senate approved the new measure by a vote of 23-3. Chief of staff Corey Schmitt, along with Tracy and program coordinator Grace Collins, met with two editors
day registration were considered, among other policies. On Wednesday, a constitutional amendment was introduced in the Assembly to allow “no excuses” absentee voting, which would allow any registered voter to cast an absentee ballot without providing a reason.
of The New York Times regarding the Readership Program, one of USG’s biggest expenditures. USG plans to scale back the program, which costs around $50,000 a year. External affairs chariman Ethan Senack reported on his committee’s meeting with student governments across the state in the Secretary of State’s office last week as part of a discussion about voter registration policy. Electronic and same-
James.Onofrio@UConn.edu
UConn group campaigns for safe NY School of Law professor: partying on and off campus Change the world one goal at a time
COMMENTARY/page 4
By Loumarie Rodriguez Staff Writer
INSIDE NEWS: WA SENATOR INTRODUCES FACEBOOK BILL
A campaign titled “Rage on the Same Page: A Safer Way to a Better Weekend” is currently being held in order to promote responsible drinking on campus and quality decision-making when students are out partying. The campaign is not only aimed toward UConn students, but also the Mansfield area according to their website www.rageonthesamepage. org. The campaign’s mission is to keep an ongoing partnership with Mansfield residents, students and UConn in general to improve the quality of life of the community. Rage on the Same Page received a grant of $22,000 from the state in order to help provide training for cops and landlords on how to handle situations, as well as other necessities to enhance the campaign. The goals of the campaign are to reduce problems that are related to students drinking at parties and instead focus on making a safer party environment. They also hope to increase enforcement of alcohol-related laws and policies. They also have a list of alternatives that can help with responsible partying and reduce the risk factors that contribute to poor decision making. “This campaign is to help students have responsible parties and we provide information with how to provide for a safe party environment,” said Jim Hintz, director of Off
This bill would bar employers from asking for Facebook passwords during job interviews. NEWS/ page 3
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Professor Kris Franklin of the New York School of Law advised students to foster global change in a Wednesday lecture in the Classroom Building. Franklin told students to break down problems into achievable steps to make a difference.
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By Elizabeth Morrissey Campus Correspondent What changes do you want to see in the world? For students who attended the lecture given by professor Kris Franklin of the New York School of Law Wednesday night, those changes ranged from getting rid of terrorism around the world to improving gender equality. Franklin gave her lecture, titled “Getting Things Done: Making the Changes You Want to See in the World,” at 7 p.m. in room 306 of the Classroom Building. She began her lecture by providing several different definitions of change. She explained that defining change as a radical transformation might lead some to believe that they have been unsuccessful in achieving it. She spoke of the importance of even the smallest change, and of making it fun. She instructed to make change sustainable, then “the other part is to make it fun.” David Golfin, a 4th-semester chemical engineer-
ing major, was encouraged by that idea. “She was motivating, I like how she talked about how you don’t have to accomplish the big things, a little bit of change matters,” he said. Many students connected with Franklin because she encouraged the idea that anybody can achieve change. Naila Razzaq, a 2nd-semester history and philosophy major, agreed. “I am an idealist so I like thinking about how we can change things, and it’s very empowering to have a speaker who can encourage us to change, even if we aren’t going to change the world, but just a little change,” she said. Franklin broke down the steps of achieving change into easy to follow steps. First she told students to approach the problem they want to change methodically, and divide their goals and objectives into manageable chunks. She urged students to consider what they really want to achieve, whether that be publicity, or a change in
» STUDENTS, page 2
Campus Student Services and co-chair of the Mansfield community campus partnership. The campaign first piloted at Celeron apartments, since it’s the largest single complex. With cooperation from management, their goal is to make the property safer and improve its image. Other local apartment complexes will be looked into to spread the campaign. The group received the grant last February, and emailed surveys and met with student focus groups in order to figure out how best to campaign. The campaign officially launched this semester. Members have already gone door to door informing off-campus residents of the campaign, provided freebies and hosted an information booth at the Student Union. According to Hintz, currently the group is trying to figure what works and what doesn’t. Hintz also said they want to make sure that there is a balance, and emphasized that this campaign is not a crackdown. “We feel that the overall campaign is being well received by students and that they seem to take it to heart,” Hintz said. “Students are able to host parties that don’t negatively impact the community.” For more information on the campaign there is a Facebook group (Rage on the Same Page: Operation Party Smart) and students can follow them on Twitter (@UConn_OPS) or look at their website at www. rageonthesamepage.com.
Loumarie.Rodriguez@UConn.edu
What’s on at UConn today... Breakfast To-Go Morning Welcome 7:30 to 9 a.m. Y Parking Lot Look for the pink hippo. He’ll have bottled water, NutriGrain Bars, oatmeal bars, apples and bananas so you can enjoy breakfast to-go.
The UConn Libraries’ Spring 2012 Forum 10 to 11:30 a.m. Konover Auditorium Nancy Fried Foster, director of anthropological research at the University of Rochester, will explain trends in academic libraries.
Friends and Family Plan Discussion 12 to 1 p.m. SU, Rainbow Center The Friends and Family Plan allows for an open discussion about feelings and thoughts, the coming out process and resources. It will meet every first Thursday of the month.
Free & Confidential Rapid HIV Testing 6 to 9 p.m. SU, 403 The Rainbow Center is place to get a free and confidential Rapid HIV/AIDS test which allows for results to be known within the half-hour.
– KIM WILSON
The Daily Campus, Page 2
DAILY BRIEFING » STATE
Conn. suit vs. exec Linda McMahon dismissed
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit by the widow of a World Wrestling Entertainment performer against the company’s former chief executive Linda McMahon, who’s running for the U.S. Senate. Martha Hart sued WWE and McMahon in 2010 during her first run for the Senate, which the Republican lost to Democrat Richard Blumenthal. Hart said the company used the image of her late husband, Owen Hart, in videos and other materials without her permission and despite her objections. Owen Hart died in a televised stunt in 1999, when he fell from an apparatus while being lowered into the wrestling ring from the ceiling of Kemper Arena in Kansas City, Mo. He was 33 years old.
“No excuses” absentee ballot clears Conn House
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A resolution that would change Connecticut’s constitution to possibly allow more people to vote using absentee ballots has cleared the House of Representatives, but not by enough votes to place the issue before voters in November. The proposal passed 97-to-50 on Wednesday. It needed to pass both the House and Senate with three-quarters of the vote in order to have the constitutional amendment question placed on the November ballot. In the House, that would have meant 114 votes. The state constitution currently restricts absentee ballots to people who are out-of-town, ill, disabled or forbidden by their religion from secular activity on Election Day. The resolution heads to the Senate. If approved by a simple majority, and reapproved during next year’s legislative session, the question will appear on the 2014 ballot.
Thursday, April 5, 2012
News
Students make strategies for social change from NY SCHOOL, page 1 policy or practice. The next step was to develop a plan to use the tools available to them to get more. “Never be afraid to use them,” she said of the tools students have at their disposal, such as social networking, cell phones and Internet. “Everybody has power potentially.” Halfway through her lecture, Franklin passed around strips of paper and invited students to write down any sort of change they wanted to see happen in the world. The papers were collected, then randomly selected and read aloud. Then she had the students gather in groups and strategize ways that they would solve the given problem.
Students discussed various ways in which they would solve the problems, and the ideas flowed freely. “I thought it was really interesting, and it was great how it was interactive,” said 2ndsemester political science major Molly Rockett. Franklin urged students to have fun with the process of making social change, and to go out and make those changes happen. Rockett agreed, “I took away from the lecture the fact that you have to make things fun for people, so you will never be able to advance a cause if you can’t make it fun and engaging.”
Elizabeth.Morrissey@UConn.edu
» BUSINESS
New Yahoo CEO sweeps out 2,000 employees in purge
Conn. denies responsibility for murder-suicide
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — State police are denying any role in the death of a Newington police officer who was killed in a 2005 murder-suicide by her state trooper ex-boyfriend, according to a new court document filed by the attorney general’s office. Assistant Attorney General Matthew Beizer on Monday filed the state’s response to a lawsuit brought last month in Hartford Superior Court by the family of Ciara McDermott. The 30-yearold West Hartford resident was shot to death in her home in November 2005 by Trooper Victor Diaz, who then killed himself. Authorities say Diaz used his own personal .40-caliber handgun in the shootings. State police officials had seized that gun in March 2005 after Diaz was arrested while off duty in Cromwell on charges of drunken driving and resisting arrest, but returned it to his brother in July 2005 after the criminal case was resolved and after an internal affairs investigation was finished.
Conn. state police union bashes ‘ticket blitz’
EAST HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Leaders of the Connecticut State Police Union are bashing what they’re calling ticket-writing quotas by management and have revealed the location of the next increased traffic enforcement effort. Union officials held a news conference in East Hartford on Wednesday to protest the quotas as illegal under state law. They said troopers want to make state roads as safe as possible, but that can be done without quotas and competitions. The state’s commissioner of emergency services and public safety, Reuben Bradford, determined this week that there was no illegal quota system in place, after Gov. Dannel P. Malloy asked him to review the matter.
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SEATTLE (AP) — A Washington state senator has introduced a bill barring employers from asking for an applicant’s Facebook password during a job interview. Democratic Sen. Steve Hobbs of Lake Stevens filed the bill Wednesday. He says society is more connected than ever, but “that doesn’t mean employers have a right to read your email or drop by to take a look around your house.” The Associated Press reported recently that some employers around the country are asking applicants for their social media credentials. The practice has alarmed privacy advocates, but the legality remains murky. Two U.S. senators have asked the U.S. Department of Justice to review the legality of the matter.
Burger King apologizes to Blige over ad
Push to end Conn. death penalty faces key hurdle
HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A push to abolish Connecticut’s death penalty is facing a key hurdle with a vote Wednesday in the state Senate, where supporters say they have the votes to kick-start the process toward repeal. The legislation would eliminate capital punishment for all future cases, but would not directly affect sentences of the 11 inmates currently on Connecticut’s death row. Many officials insisted on that as a condition of their support for repeal in a state where two men were recently sentenced to death in a brutal, highly publicized 2007 home invasion. If the measure is passed by the Senate, it will go the House of Representatives, where it is considered to have a high level of support, and then Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, a Democrat who has said he would sign it into law.
WA senator introduces Facebook bill
AP
In this Jan. 4, 2012 file photo, the company logo is displayed at Yahoo headquarters in Sunnyvale, Calif. Yahoo Inc. on Wednesday, April 4, 2012.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Yahoo’s turnaround attempt is going to be messy. In his first three months on the job, CEO Scott Thompson has imposed the largest layoffs in the company’s 17-year history, reshaped the board of directors, picked a potentially disruptive fight with a major shareholder and sued Facebook for patent infringement. He says there’s even more upheaval to come. Thompson delivered a painful jolt Wednesday with a payroll purge of about 2,000 workers, or about 14 percent of Yahoo’s 14,100 employees. The cuts will save about $375 million annually as Yahoo tries to boost
its earnings and long-slumping stock price. More shakeups loom as Thompson reshuffles divisions and considers selling an online ad-placement service and other operations that don’t fit into his strategy. Those potential changes will follow a tumultuous time for Thompson, an affable and well-respected executive who held the top job at eBay Inc.’s thriving PayPal service before being lured away to help salvage Yahoo. Thompson “definitely seems to be taking a very broad and bold view of what needs to be done at Yahoo,” said Standard & Poor’s Capital IQ analyst Scott Kessler. “He seems to know it isn’t going to be easy and it isn’t going to be pleasant.”
NEW YORK (AP) — Burger King is apologizing to Mary J. Blige and her fans for releasing an ad that garnered the singer serious fan backlash. The clip featured Blige soulfully singing about the fast-food chain’s new chicken snack wraps. It immediately went viral when it was released Monday, and some in the black community said it was stereotypical. Burger King pulled the ad Tuesday over what the company said was a music licensing issue. The company explained Wednesday the spot was unfinished. In a statement, Blige said she understood why fans were upset. She said the ad didn’t come across the way it was planned and she would never put out an unfinished spot. Burger King said it was released prematurely and they hope to have the final ad on the air soon.
Judge orders psych exam for JetBlue captain
LUBBOCK, Texas (AP) — A federal judge on Wednesday ordered a psychiatric exam for the JetBlue Airways captain accused of interfering with a flight crew when he disrupted a Las Vegas-bound flight after he left the cockpit and screamed about religion and terrorists The order U.S. District Judge Mary Lou Robinson in Amarillo signed will send Clayton Osbon to a medical facility for federal prisoners for tests to determine if he was legally sane when passengers wrestled him to the floor after witnesses said he ran through the cabin yelling about Jesus and al-Qaida. The exam also will determine if he’s competent to stand trial. The prosecution’s motion filed Wednesday comes the day Osbon’s attorney asked another judge to reschedule a Thursday detention hearing. That judge set the hearing for Monday. The motion seeking the psychiatric states that events enumerated in an FBI affidavit “establish a likelihood that Osbon may be suffering from a mental disease or defect.”
In a motion filed earlier this week, prosecutor Christy Drake asked that bond be denied to Osbon to assure the “safety of any other person and the community,” according to court documents. Osbon, 49, is alleged to have committed a “crime of violence,” and should remain in custody until his trial, documents say. Osbon was taken to a hospital for a mental evaluation March 27 after the plane he was piloting made an emergency landing in Amarillo. Passengers had restrained him with seat belt extenders and zip tie handcuffs for about 20 minutes until the plane landed. A call to Osbon’s attorney, Dean Roper, was not immediately returned. Drake declined to comment. Under federal law, a conviction for interfering with a flight crew can bring up to 20 years in prison. The offense is defined as assaulting or intimidating the crew, interfering with its duties or diminishes its ability to do operate the plane.
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Investigators say Osbon told his co-pilot “things just don’t matter” and incoherently rambled about religion shortly after the flight departed from New York. His behavior became more erratic as the flight wore on, prosecutors say, and ended with a tense struggle in the cabin after Osbon abruptly left the cockpit. Passengers said the pilot seemed disoriented, jittery and constantly sipped water when he first marched through the cabin. Then, they said, he began to rant about threats linked to Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan after crew members tried to calm him down in the back of the plane. A flight attendant’s ribs were bruised while trying to restrain Osbon, but no one on board was seriously hurt. A day after the incident JetBlue suspended Osbon pending a review of the flight. Osbon, who lives in Richmond Hill, Ga., was in the custody of U.S. marshals at the Randall County Jail on Wednesday.
Corrections and clarifications This space is reserved for addressing errors when The Daily Campus prints information that is incorrect. Anyone with a complaint should contact The Daily Campus Managing Editor via email at managingeditor@dailycampus.com.
Thursday, April 5, 2012 Copy Editors: Elizabeth Crowley, Dan Agabiti, Michelle Anjirbag, Jason Wong News Designer: Kim Wilson Focus Designer: Amy Schellenbaum Sports Designer: Gregory Keiser Digital Production: Ashley Pospisil
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Thursday, April 5, 2012
News
Ariz. bill says unlawful to ‘annoy’ others online
Texas residents sift through rubble from tornadoes
PHOENIX (AP) — Arizonans venturing online may want to think twice before leaving a comment on a website. Words that someone could view as “annoying” or “offensive” on Facebook or Twitter, for example, could be deemed a criminal offense under a bi-partisan bill that’s moving swiftly to Gov. Jan Brewer’s desk. The bill would update telephone harassment and stalking laws by adding the use of computers or smartphones. Supporters say the measure would help victims of online stalking and harassment whose cases have been dismissed in court because state law has not caught up with the technology. “There’s a bona fide need to protect people from oneon-one harassment,” said Rep. Vic Williams, a Tucson Republican who helped sponsor the bill. Critics say the proposal goes too far.
Ham prices high heading into Easter holiday
AP
Ashley Quinton walks through the tornado damaged home of her friend Sherry Enochs in hopes of finding personal items that can be salvaged Wednesday, April 4, 2012.
FORNEY, Texas (AP) — As a twister bore down on her neighborhood, Sherry Enochs grabbed the three young children in her home and hid in her bathtub. The winds swirled and snatched away two of the children. Her home collapsed around her. Miraculously, no one was seriously hurt. Enochs, 53, stood Wednesday amid the wreckage of what was once her home in the North Texas city of Forney, among the hardest hit by a series of tornadoes that barreled through one of the nation’s largest metropolitan areas a day earlier. No one was reported dead, and of the more than 20 injured, only a handful were seriously hurt. “If you really think about it, the fact that everybody who woke up in Forney yesterday is alive today in Forney, that’s a real blessing,” Mayor Darren Rozell said. The National Weather Service is investigating the damage caused by the tornadoes, which appeared to flatten some homes and graze others next door. The twisters jumped from place to place, passing many heavily
populated areas overhead and perhaps limiting what could have been a more damaging, deadly storm. Most of Dallas was spared the full wrath of the storms. While tornadoes can strike major cities, having two major systems strike a single metropolitan area is highly unusual, meteorologist Jesse Moore said. The Texas twisters would have done more damage had they stayed on the ground for more of the storms’ path. But weather experts and officials credited the quick response to tornado warnings for preventing deaths or more injuries. In the Diamond Creek subdivision where Enochs’ home was destroyed, residents put on work gloves Wednesday and began cleaning up. Many noticed things in their front yards that didn’t belong to them. Enochs doesn’t have a clear memory of exactly how things happened Tuesday, but she was found holding her grandson in the bathtub, which had blown into the area where her garage once was. A 3-year-old she was watching was found wandering around the
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STORRS Clean, quiet, Two, Three and Four bedroom apartments for rent. All close to campus, one year leases begin June 1st, properties@mindspring.com or 860429-8455 for details
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backyard. A neighbor pulled another child Enochs had been taking care of, 19-month-old Abigail Jones, from the rubble. “I heard the rumbling from the tornado and I didn’t even hear the house fall,” Enochs said. Abigail was taken to the hospital but released. The blonde, smiling child with bows in her hair was bruised on her cheek and forehead, but not seriously hurt. Her mother, Misty Jones, brought her back Wednesday to see what had happened. Seven people were injured in Forney, none seriously. An additional 10 people were hurt in Lancaster, south of Dallas, and three people in Arlington, west of Dallas. National Weather Service crews in Forney, east of Dallas, spotted storm damage that suggested the twister there was an EF3, with wind speeds as high as 165 mph. Other tornadoes in Arlington and Lancaster appear to have been EF2 tornadoes, with wind speeds up to 135 mph. Tornadoes can range from EF0, the weakest, to EF5, the strongest. An EF2 or higher is considered a significant tornado.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Ham will be the centerpiece of many Easter dinners this weekend, but the cost of that traditional main dish may make it harder for families to live high on the hog. Ham prices have been higher than usual for the past two years because the cost of hog feed has gone up, and some major pork producers are spending millions to convert barns as they phase out cramped cages used to confine pregnant sows. Ham has been selling wholesale for 75 to 80 cents per pound this spring, which is in line with last year’s prices but well above the 55 cents per pound average for the previous five years. A recent check at one
Rates:
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Omaha-area supermarket found boneless Hormel hams selling for about $2.20 per pound, with bone-in hams slightly cheaper. With sales offered this week to attract Easter shoppers, it was possible to get a bone-in ham for as little as $1.28 per pound. Paula Vejvoda of Omaha said she’s had her Easter ham in the freezer since Christmas, when she bought it on sale so she could economically feed her two daughters, two exchange students and husband. “You really have to watch the ads and see who has the best price,” Vejvoda said. That’s good advice for families, but hard to do when you’re trying to provide ham for hundreds of people at a food pantry.
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“Speaking to annoy or offend is not a crime,” said David Horowitz, the executive director of the Media Coalition, a New York-based First Amendment advocacy group, adding that the measure is unconstitutionally broad. If the bill becomes law, he said, speech done in satire, political debate or even sports trash talking could get people in unnecessary legal trouble. “Somebody who posts on their Facebook page and they happen to be an Arizona Diamondbacks fan ... whoever their rivals are, they can say ‘Hey your team stinks, and I hope you lose,’” Horowitz said. “Is that an intent to offend or annoy? There’s a lot of common banter this would potentially apply to,” he said. The group has asked Brewer to veto the measure. So far, Brewer has not publicly commented on their letter. Williams said he welcomes groups like the Media Coalition to weigh in.
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Contact Michael at 602-759-9153, email holdemtex55@hotmail. com today! TOWN OF MANSFIELD Parks and Recreation Department Aquatics Staff The Town is currently seeking Lifeguards and Swim Instructors for the 2012 summer season. All applicants must hold current certifications in Lifeguard training, First Aid training, and CPR for the Professional Rescuer. Part time and full time hours are available for the summer season. Lifeguards $8.67-10.54/hr, Swim Instructors $9.4511.49/hr, no benefits. Please submit application on-line at www.mansfieldct.gov. Application review will begin immediately. Applications must be received by 4/27/12. EOE/AA
Business/Sales opportunities
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POUCH FOUND on Sunday 4/1 in King Hill parking lot with several pieces of jewelry. Holds religious significance. Call 860208-4732 to identify/ claim.
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The Daily Campus Editorial Board
Melanie Deziel, Editor-in-Chief Ryan Gilbert, Commentary Editor Tyler McCarthy, Associate Commentary Editor Michelle Anjirbag, Weekly Columnist Chris Kempf, Weekly Columnist Jesse Rifkin, Weekly Columnist
» EDITORIAL
Ending child abuse begins with discussion and awareness
E
very month seems to be all about raising awareness for something, but in April, we should all take a moment and understand why this month has been designated National Child Abuse Prevention
Month. Since the 1970s in this country, there has been a growing occurrence, as well as a growing awareness of child abuse and neglect. In response, Congress designated April of 1983 as the first National Child Abuse Prevention Month. Since then, many events and initiatives have occurred to continue to raise awareness about the child abuse that occurs in this country and how to end it. The obvious question is why this should be important to UConn students. Few, if any of us, have or are responsible for the care of children while we are a part of the UConn community. But we are a community composed of many future health professionals and many future teachers – both of whom are considered mandatory reporters. Also, given this campus’s penchant for community service and volunteerism that centers around working with children or students, we need to recognize that there is a high possibility that many of us may have to face a situation where we need to recognize the signs of abuse or neglect. The national site, childwelfare.gov, hosts a comprehensive database on different types of abuse, the rate of occurrence by state and how these abuses may be recognized. What it explains, which most people don’t necessarily realize, is that abuse and neglect are not only physical. Medical, educational and emotional abuse are just as prevalent as physical abuse, but less recognized and reported. The web site also lists resources for reported cases of suspected child abuse or neglect. In Connecticut, those who wish to report an incident should call the Department of Children & Families Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-842-2288. Child abuse and neglect are things that don’t often cross our minds while in our collegiate bubble. But when we consider that over three million children are reported as victims of child abuse each year, and about 1,700 of these cases become fatal, we need to make sure that this issue is something we know how to recognize and respond to – just as we would learn to perform CPR or the Heimlich. There is no good reason that the United States should top the rankings in child abuse fatalities of all industrialized nations. But with awareness and diligence, this can change. 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.
Why yes, I am walking epically into the wind. InstantDaily, grant me the courage to ask out my crush.... and yes I realize this isn’t highschool, don’t remind me -_That awkward moment when your professor types her password into Google instead of HuskyCT, and the projector screen is on. Beastly Falcon: 1 Unfortunate Squirrel: 0 I don’t want to graduate. Now I won’t be able to take a date out using points. Library cubicles should be scent-proof because somehow the guy who bathes in bad cologne always sits next to me. HOW did I get a sunburn yesterday? It’s always the ones that know nothing about sports that win the bracket pools. I often find myself thinking how much better life would be if I were Beyonce. I went on a date with a boy and learned he was a “Brony,” or a male fan of My Little Pony. I think I want to see him again. Is Vitamin Water really a reliable source of the kind of stuff that keeps you alive? Who wants to come see Hot Chelle Rae with me in June?
Send us your thoughts on anything and everything by sending an instant message to InstantDaily, Sunday through Thursday evenings. Follow us on Twitter (@ InstantDaily) and become fans on Facebook.
Republicans cannot erase progressive era
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ashington, D.C. is a mess. The walls separating government, commercial lobbying and elected officials are gone, and the same small elite, composed of the rich and well-connected, trade jobs, favors and money. Overpaid and pampered federal officials pretend to manage expensive programs that don’t work. They tell ordinary Americans what to do and how to do it and don’t care about the cost or what we think. How did this happen? The conservative answer is very loud and certain: “It’s the Democrats’ fault. We need Republicans, the more conservative the better, to clean up this colosBy Ryan Gilbert sal mess before it Commentary Editor crushes us.” That’s the part that seems baffling. Over the past 30 years, Republicans have controlled the presidency and both houses of Congress for six years, and either the presidency or both houses of Congress for 20 years. In those 30 years, the only time that more than two out of nine Supreme Court justices were appointed by Democrats has been the past two years. If Washington is a mess, then the Republicans have been making that mess for decades. So how have they avoided taking any responsibility? Well, when was the last time a politician took responsibility for doing anything wrong? That’s a bit of bipartisanship we would all like to get rid of. But blaming the Democrats is not just typical political hypocrisy. What the conservatives hate is mainly due to Democrats, but not entirely. They hate the 1960s.
Republicans avoid talking about their lead- in America. Republicans are now trying state ership and power in Washington for the past by state to reverse the expansion of the fran30 years because they are fighting to undo the chise to poor people that developed out of the changes in our political system that came ear- voting rights protests of the 1960s. lier, during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Conservatives lost the battles in the 1960s Conservative Republicans want to do away to stop these reforms from being put into with the environmental protections that have place. They have tried for decades to obstruct, safeguarded our health since the 1960s. The weaken and defund them. They point to every Clean Air Act was passed in 1963, and the problem with programs that they have been in Clean Water Act in 1972. The Motor Vehicle charge of for most of the time. Their message Air Pollution Control Act set the first stan- is not, “We failed.” It is, “These programs dards for vehicle can’t ever work. Let us get rid emissions in 1965. of them.” “Barack Obama, The Environmental One person represents son of a foreigner, a Protection Agency everything that conservatives was proposed by hate about the 1960s. Barack community organizer, Richard Nixon and Obama, son of a foreigner, a created in 1970. community organizer, somesomeone black and The Consumer one black and liberal, could liberal, could not have not have become president if Product Safety Commission, the it hadn’t been for what the become president federal agency that American people accomprotects citizens plished in the 1960s, over the if it hadn’t been for from dangerous vocal protests of conservawhat the American products, was cretives. ated in 1972. The But they won’t succeed. The people accomplished Energy Department revolution in American poliin the 1960s, over was created in the tics that was won by American 1970s, because the voters in the 1960s and 1970s the vocal protests of oil crisis of 1973 still commands majorities. The made us realize the most recent Gallup polls show conservatives.” need to consolidate that the majority of Americans energy policy. support same-sex marriage, The movements for equality that conserva- stricter gun control laws, abortion rights and tives are so angry about, the women’s and gay stricter environmental protection. rights movements, grew out of the popular Even after the poor and the immigrants recognition in the 1960s that inequality was are excluded from the polls, even after the rooted in American laws and customs. Roe v. unremitting barrage of billionaire-financed Wade affirmed women’s constitutional right TV ads, most Americans want the rights, the to control their own bodies; it was decided freedoms and the securities for us that the by a 7-2 vote, with five of the affirma- 1960s brought. tive votes coming from justices appointed by Republicans. The Office of Economic Commentary Editor Ryan Gilbert is an 8th-semester Opportunity was created in 1964 to adminis- journalism major. He can be reached at ter new programs designed to reduce poverty Ryan.Gilbert@UConn.edu.
Meaning of ‘Calm’ poster should not be lost in time
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e’ve all seen it. That curious red poster telling us to keep calm and carry on. Some of us have it in our dorm rooms (including myself) and others have seen the image and parodies of it posted on Facebook. What many don’t know is that the phrase has a great deal of historical significance. Surprisingly, By Alex Welch few people actually seem Staff Columnist to know the origins of the poster, which is essential in explaining its ubiquity. Although it may seem strange to some given how spontaneously the poster found its way on the walls of college students, “Keep Calm and Carry On” is not a new phrase. It’s more than 70 years old and was developed during World War II by the British government to help inspire average citizens. By late 1939, Western Europe was engaged in a savage war against Nazi Germany for control of the continent. After Hitler invaded Poland, both France and Great Britain declared war on the Germans and World War II was in full swing.
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In order to maintain morale for month when it would have been the war, which would soon enter extremely difficult for the British its darkest year as Nazi Germany to stay calm and collected. extended its control over all of But in the face of seemingly Western Europe, the British gov- insurmountable odds, the British ernment produced a superb piece managed to withstand the treof propaganda, a solid red poster mendous air assault and repelled with the British crown on it read- the Luftwaffe. The Nazis, as ing, “Keep well as the rest of calm and the world, were “... I try not to carry on.” stunned at this seaparate the The phrase turn of events, was simple, given how easphrase from the concise and ily Germany had context ... Doing so to the point. managed to subOrdinary due the rest of is a disservice to British citiEurope. the history that lies zens, many While it of whom had behind the phrase.” seems facetious already been to claim that a sent into composter won the bat to fight the Germans, should Battle of Britain for the English, not back down from the coming we can see that the poster has fight and try to continue their much more significance behind lives as best they can. The poster it than most young people (or and its effect on the British popu- adults for that matter) appreciate. lation points to the legendary It helped the British keep their stoicism of the English. chins up while their homeland By 1940, Hitler had conquered was being destroyed. Poland, the Low Countries and The importance of this poster all of France, before setting his during for the British in World sights on the British Isles. In War II is certainly clear. But October, he launched his air in the contemporary world, the force, the deadly Luftwaffe, on poster still has much meaning. a campaign to comprehensive- The stagnant economy has left ly bomb the British into sub- many citizens across the world mission. October, 1940, was a unemployed and unsure of their
futures. For those individuals, a phrase encouraging them to weather the storm may be of great comfort. Wherever I see this poster, I try not to separate the phrase from the context in which it was inspired. Doing so is a disservice to the history that lies behind the phrase. Instead, I’m reminded that if the British can courageously stand firm against Nazi Germany in the world’s darkest hour, I can certainly keep calm and carry on through my undergraduate career, a slightly less formidable endeavor. These words should always be viewed in their historical context. “Keep Calm and Carry On” is much more than a recent college fad and should never only be viewed as such; it harkens back to a people who did not waver as they withstood a ruthless attack on their homeland when despair seemed the easier option. It encapsulates quite well the wartime spirit of the British, one of perseverance, courage and wit that no German bomber could tame. Staff Columnist Alex Welch is an 8th-semester political science major. He can be reached at Alexander.Welch@UConn.edu.
“W elcome , lotto losers . R emember , you ’ re not just losers . Y ou ’ re mega - losers ! I f it makes you feel any better , the odds of winning it were 176 million to 1 — about the same odds the S upreme C ourt will pass O bamacare .” –J ay L eno
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Comics
The Daily Campus, Page 5 I Hate Everything by Carin Powell
Stickcat by Karl, Jason, Fritz and Chan
Monkey Business by Jack Boyd
Froot Buetch by Brendan Nicholas and Brendan Albetski
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 -- Finish a job carefully, and think about the larger impact. For the next month, cash flow improves and it’s easier to make money. Check results and celebrate! Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is an 8 -- You have the advantage. You’re in your element. Gain respect, as well as status. Tardiness will be noticed, though. Face to face works best. Gemini (May 21-June 21) -- Today is a 6 -- The next month’s great for finishing up old projects behind closed doors. Continue your studies, and with a loved one’s encouragement, your career takes off like a rocket. Cancer (June 22-July 22) -- Today is an 8 --Team projects thrive, and it’s party time. Your natural social skills get a boost. Balance studies with socializing and delicious flavors.
Editor’s Choice by Brendan Albetski
#hashtag by Cara Dooley
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Something or someone wants your attention, but this doesn’t outrank love. For a little while, new opportunities open up. Education could be involved. Include artistry. Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Double-check your data before taking the next step. You’re itching to move. Seek new territory, and expand your base. A hunch could be profitable. Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 7 -You discover an error that requires your immediate attention. Review the budget, and increase organization. This moves your dreams into action.
UConn Classics: This Banner Hasn’t Been Changed in MONTHS Superglitch by John Lawson
Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 9 -- A romantic phase begins so be ready. Focus on love over money. Delegate to others who can do better than you. Have faith. Breathe in through your heart. Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- If you’re feeling blue, take advantage of the color. Paint a picture, write a poem, bake cookies or go dancing. Let your spirit sing. Don’t be afraid to take creative risks. Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- You may want to take on a large creative project to complete. A romantic partner could play an important role in your endeavor. Why not?
Rockin’ Rick by Steve Winchell and Sean Rose
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Spend extra time with family now. Get creative together, and strive for the best. Working for yourself goes great. Increase productivity. Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 9 -- There could be friction with an authority. You’re going to need your best communication skills, with some help from an analytical person. Stay respectful.
Questions? Comments? Other Stuff? <dailycampuscomics@gmail.com>
The Daily Campus, Page 6
Thursday, April 5, 2012
News
» INTERNATIONAL
Egypt Brotherhood hopeful promises clerics a role in legislation
CAIRO (AP) — The Muslim Brotherhood’s candidate for Egypt’s presidency is lobbying hard for support of ultraconservative Muslim clerics, promising them a say over legislation in the future to ensure it is in line with Islamic law, as he tries to rally the divided Islamist vote behind him. The campaign dealmaking is a sign of how the Brotherhood, which is Egypt’s strongest political movement and presents itself to the public as a moderate force, could be pushed into a more hard-line agenda by competition from the ultraconservatives known as Salafis. Giving Muslim clerics a direct say over legislation would be unprecedented in Egypt. Specifics of the Brotherhood promise, which Salafi clerics said Wednesday the candidate Khairat el-Shater gave them in a backroom meeting, were not known. But any clerical role would certainly raise a backlash from liberal and moderate Egyptians who already fear Islamists will sharply restrict civil rights as they gain political power after the fall last year of President Hosni Mubarak. It would also damage the image that the Brotherhood itself promoted for the past year, insisting it does not seek a theocracy in Egypt or to quickly implement Shariah. El-Shater, a strongman in the Brotherhood, is pushing heavily to prevent a split in the Islamist vote in the May 23-24 vote to elect the first president since Mubarak’s ouster. A single Islamist candidate could enjoy a widespread popular base, since the Brotherhood and Salafis together won more than 70 percent of parliament in elections late last year. The Brotherhood alone holds nearly half of parliament and, alongside Salafis, dominates a new commission formed to write a new constitution. It is hoping for the presidency to seal its power. But there are multiple candidates running on their Islamic agenda, dividing the vote and raising a possible window of victory for a non-Islamist figure. El-Shater faces tough competition from a lawyer-turned-TV preacher, Hazem Abu Ismail, who is the favorite of Salafis. Abu Ismail has become ubiquitous in the campaign, plastering what seems like every other lightpost and wall in Cairo with campaign posters showing his cheerfully smiling face and long, conservative beard. After el-Shater announced his candidacy over the weekend, Abu Ismail rejected
AP
In this Friday, March 30, 2012 file photo, supporters of Egyptian presidential candidate Hazem Salah Abu Ismail, a prominent Salafi, celebrate in front of a giant campaign banner at the Higher Presidential Elections Commission, in Cairo, Egypt.
pressure to quit the race and many prominent Salafis announced they were sticking with him. “There is grave fragmentation among ranks of Islamists and its getting worse with strong polarization between the two camps of candidates,” Khaled Said, a Salafi leader, said. Salafis are the most hard-line of Egypt’s fundamentalists, depicting themselves as the “guardians of Shariah” and touting a strict interpretation of Islamic law similar to Saudi Arabia’s. Many of them see the Brotherhood as too willing to compromise on implementing Shariah and despise its political pragmatism. Leading clerics with their trademark long, bushy beards and robes have become regular guests on TV talk shows and issue fatwas or religious edicts attacking secularists, saying Christians and women can’t run for president, and calling for greater segregation of the sexes. El-Shater met for four hours Tuesday night with a panel of Salafi scholars and clerics, called the Jurisprudence Commission for Rights and Reform, trying to win their support. The discussion focused on “the shape of the state and the implementation of Shariah,” the commission said on its Facebook page Wednesday. “El-Shater stressed that Shariah is his top and final goal and that he would work
on forming a group of religious scholars to help parliament achieve this goal,” the statement read. The commission is an umbrella group of Islamist factions, mostly Salafis, set up after last year’s antiMubarak uprising. A Brotherhood spokesman could not immediately confirm the offer and attempts to reach the head of the commission went unsuccessful. The promise resembled an item in a 2007 political platform by the Brotherhood, when it was still a banned opposition movement. It called for parliament to consult with a body of clerics on legislation to ensure it aligns with Shariah. The proposal was met with a storm of condemnation at the time, and the Brotherhood backed off of it. Mohammed Habib, who was the Brotherhood’s deputy leader at that time, says the platform item was for a body of clerics simply to advise lawmakers, but that some in the group wanted it to have a more powerful role to vet legislation. Of el-Shater’s reported proposal, he said there were many questions. “Does it cut powers from parliament? Would it have the power to impose anything on parliament?” he said, speaking to the Associated Press. Tharwat el-Kherbawi, a former Brotherhood member who fell out with the group, said the council appeared simi-
lar to Iran’s system of clerical “guardians” over the elected government. “El-Shater wants to give Salafi clerics what they want,” he said. “The clerics will work on moving the Salafi mountain from Abu Ismail to el-Shater but first they need some melting of the ice. And this is the way to get through it.” The Brotherhood announced el-Shater’s nomination over the weekend, breaking a yearlong promise that it would not run a candidate for the presidency. The move raised accusations that the Brotherhood is trying to monopolize all levers of power. It also angered many Salafis because it would split the Islamist vote. Another Islamist candidate in the race is Abdel-Moneim Abol-Fotouh, a longtime Brotherhood member from its reformist wing who was booted out of the organization last year when he announced he would run for president. His campaign has drawn support from young, reformmembers of the Brotherhood. El-Shater has held multiple meetings with Salafis trying to win support and pressure Abu Ismail to drop out, said Salafi cleric Amin el-Ansari, who is close to Abu Ismail’s campaign. Some Salafis do see an appeal in elShater because the Brotherhoods’ more disciplined organization could be more likely to bring results, el-Ansari said. “This is reassuring to the clerics and to the voters,” he said. “The Muslim Brotherhood members are like cogs in a machine and like soldiers who wouldn’t violate the decisions of their leadership.” So far, however, Abu Ismail is staying in the race. In a meeting in the Mediterranean city and Salafi stronghold Alexandria, Abu Ismail was asked to withdraw. He refused, replying, “the one who created sedition is the one who should put it down,” in reference to el-Shater’s nomination, according to his aide Gamal Saber. Saber also threatened that unless the Al-Nour party, the Salafi’s main political arm, endorses Abu Ismail, hundreds of young party members would break away. Abu Ismail faces a possible hitch. Opponents are demanding an investigation into reports that his mother holds American citizenship. If true, it would disqualify him from the race, since the rule bar any candidate with a foreign parent. Abu Ismail has insisted his mother is not a U.S. citizen.
Somali theater bombing kills 10
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) — Two weeks ago, Somalia’s National Theater reopened for the first time in 20 years for a concert that drew an audience in festive colors in a city trying to rise above war. A welcoming banner proclaimed: “The country is being rebuilt.” On Wednesday, the theater was turned into a scene of screams, chaos and blood when a suicide bomber attacked another highprofile event, killing 10 people, wounding dozens and shattering a tentative peace in the capital of Mogadishu.
Guyana seeks public opinion on laws
GEORGETOWN, Guyana (AP) — Guyana is launching a national debate on whether to eliminate its death penalty and overhaul laws that discriminate against gays, lesbians and transgender people. Town-hall-style meetings will be held across the socially conservative South American country as part of a promise that Guyana made to the United Nations Human Rights Council. The government plans to analyze public opinion before deciding whether it will submit any bills to revise current laws. “Government has no line or position on the gay rights issue,” Presidential Adviser Gail Teixeira told The Associated Press on Tuesday. “We will hold the consultations, and if the recommendation is to change the laws, then that will be taken into consideration.”
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
BORN ON THIS DATE
1968
Martin Luther King Jr. was fatally shot while standing on the balcony of his room at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee.
www.dailycampus.com
Colin Powell – 1937 Agnetha Faltskog – 1950 Christopher Reid – 1964 Krista Allen – 1971
The Daily Campus, Page 7
Thursday, April 5, 2012
A chat with Vik Sahay By Joe O’Leary
He played a member of the Nerd Herd on NBC’s ‘Chuck.’ On Friday, he makes a splash as Stifler’s boss in ‘American Reunion.’ We caught up with Vik to ask him about ‘Reunion,’ ‘Chuck’ and more... The Daily Campus: “American Reunion” is the first “American Pie” film to be released in nine years. Do you think the film did a good job of updating the setting and characters with all of the cultural change that’s come in the past decade? Vik Sahay: I think that in regards to that, the film did an incredible job of updating that world. More importantly for me, I think it updated the characters and the humanity in a good way. I think that the writing is so spectacular because it reaches back into the iconic franchise and brings it up to date in a manner that updates the social media but more importantly brings the characters back into today. DC: The “American Pie” series has always been known more for its large ensemble casts than any specific lead characters. As this was your first “American Pie” movie, did that make it easier to get into the swing of things on set? VS: Well, yes and no. When it’s an ensemble piece, you’re looking at people who have been doing it for a long, long time. If it was a single star, everyone else would be new. It had elements that were daunting; Sean William Scott is a star, a veteran of the game, and on top of that he’s playing somebody he knows inside and out in an environment inside and out. It’s daunting, and you have to buck up and jump in. The directors, the actors, led to an open, collaborative set; it’s very surreal to be in the same room with all of these characters you’ve watched for so many years. DC: You played Sean William Scott’s boss in “American Reunion.” What was it like working with him? Was it a bit strange to boss Stifler around? VS: I don’t know if I would consider it strange, but you’re in a bullfight because it’s such a strong character. But I like a mountain climb and a challenge, and I needed to dive into the circumstances and forget that he’s Stifler. He’s my underling, and my character doesn’t respect that character; given the circumstances, I had to eliminate my vantage point, knowing it’s Sean, and it’s Stifler, and just sort of go into that world. DC: “Chuck” had famous problems with renewals. What was it like not knowing if you’d be back at the Buy More year after year? VS: It was both difficult and simple. It was difficult because that precariousness is a tough environment to relax in, but at the same time it’s relaxing because you enjoy the
»VS IS, page 10
Photo Courtesy WEHEART-TV.COM
Anthropologist looks at ‘souls of black Jewish folk’ By Colin Neary Campus Correspondent According to Dr. John L. Jackson, Jr., professor of communication and anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania, not all black nationalists consider themselves African. At his lecture The Souls of Black Jewish Folk, Jackson discussed how the Hebrew-Israelites renounce their African heritage and claim to be direct descendants of Israelite patriarchs such as Abraham. “They are re-envisioning their genealogical history,” he said. The lecture was held in the Student Union Ballroom on
Wednesday and hosted by Dr. Martha Cutter, associate professor of English and director of the African American Studies Institute. The event was the final installment of the “Critical Issues” lecture series. “African American Studies is supported by interdisciplinary pursuits, and Dr. Jackson is able to cross disciplines fluidly,” said Cutter. Cutter told the audience about the two documentary films Jackson is currently working on, one about contemporary conspiracy theories in urban America, and the other examining the history of state violence against Rastafari in Jamaica. In addition to these exciting scholarly pursuits, Jackson has pub-
lished four books. His newest title “Black Judah: Race, Gender and the Twelve Tribes of Transnationalism” will be released in late 2012 and was the topic of the discussion. Jackson explained the deadline for his manuscript is in less than two weeks and said, “I am writing the book right now. This is a bit of an out-of-body experience.” He spoke of the importance of visual anthropology, and showed a short film made by the Black Hebrew Israelites to inform their second-generation of the cultural heritage. The film described the second-generation descendants of those who expatriated from
» JACKSON, page 10
JOHNATHAN KULAKOFSKY/The Daily Campus
John Jackson, an anthropologist and author, speaks to students at the SU Ballroom.
One-woman show delves into identity Argentine poet lauds Latin literature
By Loumarie Rodriguez Staff Writer
The Rainbow Center, African American Culture Center and SUBOG presented a Sima Shakhsari’s one-woman show, “I Am Always the One I Wanted to Marry” at the Student Union theater last night. Shakhsari is a motivational speaker on sexuality and self-awareness. Mildred, a.k.a Dred (her male persona), performed a serious of monologues and poetry that was accompanied by various genres of music. Starting off the show with an unorthodox introduction she came on the stage dressed as a man in a white garb. However she caught the audience off guard when she said hello in a high pitched voice. She then continued with an explanation of how she became who she is today. Mildred told stories of the many complications she faced when she was younger especially about her sexuality and being comfortable in her own skin. She one day decided to dress as a man and take on the streets to see what is was like. After this experiment it soon led to her doing gender expressions and drag king shows
By Kathleen McWilliams Campus Correspondent
then stripped onstage into women’s clothing and vamping herself with a more feminine touch. She addressed subjects such as personal identity, self-confidence and knowing who you truly are. “Do you love yourselves?” she asked audience members, and then continued with more
Wednesday afternoon, Argentine poet Sergio Chejfec served as this year’s Eyzaguirre lecturer. The lecture took place at the Dodd Center, and was presented by the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies. Chejfec lived for 10 years in Caracas, Venezuela, before moving to New York in the early 2000s. The annual lecture features a prominent Latin American writer to commemorate the life of late UConn emeritus professor of modern and classical language, Luis Eyzaguirre. Eyzaguirre was born in Chile in 1926 and emigrated to the United States in 1958. He taught at UConn for 32 years, after receiving his PhD in languages from Yale University, and worked with the Latino community in Hartford promoting Hispanic writing and leading poetry workshops. The Eyzaguirre family requested that his life be continually remembered on campus by bringing in guest lecturers to spread the beauty of Latin American writing in the same way Eyzaguirre shared his passion. Marcos Overmeyer-Velasquez, director of the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, welcomed audience members by expressing how truly passionate Eyzaguirre was about his teaching career and how the lectures are “an opportunity to experience the excitement and humanism behind the poetry and writing.” Chejfec’s work is written entirely in Spanish and has only recently been translated in French, German and Portuguese. Up until 2011, Chejfec’s novels had not yet been translated into English, but that changed when the University of Rochester Printing Press decided to translate and print his novel “My Two Worlds.” Although Chejfec’s novels garner most of the international attention, he has published works in all genres. According to Dr. Osvaldo Pardo, who teaches upper level Spanish classes at UConn, Chejfec writes “novels, essays, poetry and works that defy classification.” Pardo also noted that Chejfec “is one of the most prolific Argentine writers
» TO MILDRED, page 9
» CHEJFEC, page 10
JESS CONDON/The Daily Campus
Sima Shakhasari is a character actress whose show talks about identity and self-confidence.
(opposites of drag queens). “I think the most important message from the show is to be who you are regardless of how society perceives you,” said Meaghan Stuke, an 8thsemester horticulture major. The show exhibited selfexpression from the start. The actress started off dressed as man, including facial hair, but
Great American Food Challenges Some may call them the epitome of gluttony; others may see them as epic battles of will. Either way, eating challenges throughout America have gotten some more glory since “Man vs. Food” graced the Travel Channel. Now, I’ve seen my fair share of that show (I completely ripped it off by using the name for this column), and the host faced some pretty insane challenges. He had six full milkshakes, ate 15 dozen oysters or a seven pound breakfast burrito. Some are just too intense for poor Adam Richman, and he doesn’t finish them all. But there are some challenges out there that nobody’s won, ever. Sometimes, it’s the time constraints that become people’s downfall. Usually, though, it’s just a whole freaking lot of food. At That Bar in Danville, Calif., That Bar is serving up a burger challenge that 40 people have tried and nobody’s finished. The burger, which is a foot in diameter, has two Angus beef patties with a grilled cheese sandwich stuffed into one of them. Each patty is then topped with four different cheeses, and a woven bacon patty is placed on top of each as well. Then, a slew of shoestring fries and barbecue sauce is put on top. But even if you manage to get through the burger, you also have to scarf down a half pound of fries and onion rings on the side. Then proceed to digest for the next four days. But on the upside, if you finish, you get t-shirt. Then there’s the other food factor that will stop a competitor in his or her tracks: spice. At Nitally’s ThaiMex Cuisine in St. Petersburg Fl., you have both volume and spiciness working against you. They’ll serve you up a 48 oz. bowl of soup that’s got 12 different peppers inside, one of them being the elusive ghost chili. So far, 116 people have attempted the Inferno Bowl challenge, and one person got within two spoonfuls before calling it quits, according to the owner. Anyone even attempting has to eat it outside, since almost half the people who’ve tried have thrown up during it. However, the $800 prize the restaurant offers to the first person who finishes it keeps the challengers coming. If heat isn’t your thing, then you can head down to the Cowtown Diner in Fort Worth, Tx. and try to finish off a 64 oz. chicken fried steak that’s so big it’s served on a pizza plate. Then, you’ve got to make room for four pounds of mashed potatoes. The meal costs $75 to attempt, but it’s free if you finish. Unfortunately for the 175 people that have tried it however their failures have resulted in a hefty cost for a meal. J&J’s Kitchen Sink Challenge at J&J’s Pizza Shack claims to be one of the oldest eating challenges in the country. In the 27 years since it’s inception, the closest person to finishing was a 12-yearold girl. The 16-inch, deep-dish pizza, earned its name by shoving everything from Canadian bacon to green peppers to pepperoni on a pizza until it weighs a heaping six pounds. If you can eat all 20 slices in under an hour, you get the pizza free. Last but not least, the Hail Mary Challenge at Stadium Grill in Columbia, Mo., where an 8 inch tall burger has defeated over 150 people. The burger itself doesn’t look all that impressive compared to the other behemoths on the list, but it’s the full pound of fries you have to eat along with it that gives people trouble. I’ve discussed my open love affair with food many times on this column, but even I have my limits. For all of you out there who would like to achieve everlasting fame for your endless hunger, one of these challenges may be just the ticket.
Rebecca.Radolf@UConn.edu
The Daily Campus, Page 8
FOCUS ON:
MUSIC Same Name Playlist:
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Focus
Album Of The Week
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Inside In / Inside Out
» CD REVIEWS
Macy Gray’s ‘Covered’ is stuff of nightmares “Bloody Mary” Lady Gaga
“Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)” Silversun Pickups
“Home”
Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Heros
“Home”
LCD Soundsystem
“Wake Up” Arcade Fire
By Joe O’Leary Senior Staff Writer It’s not often you discover an album that leaves you perplexed and frustrated in a bad way. It’s even more rare for someone to not only butcher a cover song, but do such a bad job on it that you end up hating the original because you can never un-hear the cover. Thankfully, Macy Gray’s new album “Covered” has attained this rare goal. Her new release is chock-full of terrible covers of otherwise great songs, which come with some absolutely terrible skits and interstitials. I honestly cannot come up with a single reason this album should exist, but unfortunately, it does. The album opens with a double-whammy of bad covers. First, Gray slows down Eurythmics’ “Here Comes the Rain Again” just enough to suck out any energy before her smoky, painful vocals even come into the picture. Of course, that’s nothing compared to her next cover, one of Radiohead’s classics, “Creep.” Her damage here is unfixable even beyond the terrible synth treatment; by changing a few words, she completely removes the emotion and feeling of the song. The original’s “I don’t care if it hurts, I wanna have control” becomes “Though it may hurt, I wanna have control.” A revealing out-
“Rise” Eddie Vedder
“Rise” Flobots
“I Want You” Bob Dylan
I’m a cynic when it comes to this whole 21st century roots revival. Every band, from the Avett Brothers, to Mumford and Sons to Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeroes, sounds like a rounded off version of the next. Their lyrics lack irony, sexuality and honesty, instead relying on worn-down clichés and forced sincerity. The instrumentation is too reserved, too predictable, especially in the past three years. There was a clean studio sheen over “I and Love and You,” “Sigh No More,” and “Up from Below,” making it all feel oh-so-radio-friendly. Any sort of emotional peak sounds like an afterthought, like constructed spontaneity. It’s an amorphous, interchangeable subgenre with no real charisma. I assumed that The Lumineers, a Denver-based folk rock band, would follow suit. The group is fronted by Wesley Schultz, with Jeremiah Fraites on drums and Neyla Pekarek playing every-
- JOE O’LEARY Photos Courtesy Amazon.com
Upcoming Shows Toad's Place, New Haven 4/5 Prodigy of Mobb Deep 9 p.m., $20 Webster Theater, Hartford 4/9 Say Anything 6 p.m., $16.50 Calvin Theater, Northampton, Mass. 4/14 Don Mclean 8 p.m., $25
3/26/12 16 tracks
The ballerina and her band
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burst of emotion in a song about a spurned lover refusing to take no for an answer becomes “Eh, whatever” in Gray’s version. This is not an improvement. The first skit, where comedian JB Smoove just keeps mispronouncing “sword” and hoping it’ll get funny eventually, is nothing compared to the disastrous cover that comes next, Sublime’s “Smoke Two Joints.” It’s terrible by itself, considering Gray changes “man” to “woman” without making sure the next line rhymes right and she decides to scat-sing in the vocal breaks, but it’s absolutely reprehensible considering the next two tracks are a vocal clip from Gray giving young girls singing lessons and a completely rewritten cover of My Chemical Romance’s “Teenagers,” where she sings the song from the perspective of the teen’s mother. It’s an interesting treatment, and I’d give her credit for it despite the strange-at-best jaunty piano accompaniment, but when a
Photo Courtesy AMAXON.COM
Macy Gray’s latest album, ‘Covered.’
song with an anti-drug message and a clip of a singer teaching young girls to sing are right next to Gray’s gleeful cover of a stoner classic, there’s no overlooking the lack of sense. Next up are two hilariously overwrought covers of songs Gray should never have touched, Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” and AWOLNation’s “Sail.” She approaches the first with an almost lounge-singer treatment, complete with tambourines and triangles. It’s a
Metallica cover, so it’s extremely obvious that’s not the right approach. The latter? Well, when a 40-something woman is covering a scream-sung dubstep-pop song featuring the recurring line “Blame it on my ADD,” you can tell it’s not going well. Another awful skit with one of the Pussycat Dolls precedes the two songs on “Covered” that has made me dislike Gray for
» MACY, page 9
thing else including piano, mandolin and cello, to name a few.
these kids are nothing like the over-calculated, faux-nostalgic
The Lumineers The Lumineers 4/3/12 11 tracks
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If you’ve never seen the Schultz clan, you’re in for a not-surprise. They’re three of the cutest little mountaineers to ever wear felt hats, suspenders and vintage Gunne Sax. Photo-ops include: The Lumineers in the woods, in a field of flowers and in your neighborhood bar. Gag me. I went into their debut, selftitled album with the lowest of low expectations and came out pleasantly surprised. Never judge a band by their image –
acts that they’ll inevitably be compared to. Opening with “Flowers in Your Hair,” an Americana ballad that kicks into a thumping barburner, it’s clear things are different. There’s a sense of motion, revelry and unpretentious intellect. The Lumineers don’t use whistling or melodramatic acoustic swells as filler. Instead, songs like “Classy Girls” features undecipherable whispers and shuffling feet as backdrop;
they translate the aesthetic of a live show into a studio recording. Schultz’s inflection is sometimes Dylanesque, other times poetic and almost always humble, but in any sense his voice is an instrument all its own. Pekarek plays with vigor; Fraites is steady, strong and churning. No member steals the spotlight, but everyone demands attention. The Lumineers are a refreshing band riddled with the passion and candor that’s been missing from their genre. I went far enough to call my musical savant friend and tell him to download their single, “Ho Hey” (it’s free on iTunes right now; I’d suggest getting a copy for yourself). There was some initial reluctance (“I don’t like folk revival”) followed by a Google search that left him less than impressed (“This looks like it’s going to suck, Julie”). But in the end, even he had to admit, “That wasn’t half bad. Kind of heartwarming, actually.”
Julie.Bartoli@UConn.edu
Stalley explores American ideals in latest album By Tom Teixeira Staff Writer
“I Want You” Cee-Lo Green
Macy Gray
The Lumineers’ debut album surprises By Julie Bartoli Senior Staff Writer
“Wake Up” Rage Against The Machine
Covered
Stalley’s latest free release, “Savage Journey To The American Dream” is at once the Ohio rapper’s personal account of his own search for a dream and is a complex discussion of a topic that has occupied a space in every American mind, living or dead. “Savage Journey To The American Dream’s” success begins and ends with production. Block Beattaz sets the tone for the tape producing the first eight tracks and establishing a dreamy, at times spacey, at other times soulful sounding flowing string of songs. Lupe Fiasco collaborator Soundtrakk hijacks the album’s tail end with a the quiet “Seen It All” and the gorgeous “Live At Blossom,” which serves as the album’s true end, discounting “BCGMMG” and “Party Heart” as Maybach Music bonus tracks. While production weaves the album to a cohesive piece sonically, it is Stalley’s rapping, not his beat selection, that distinguishes “Savage Journey.” His ability to
toy with flow, rhyme complex words that make logical thematic sense within context and navigate in and out of various topics in what sounds like an organic way makes track verses incredibly listenable. His skits, mostly clips from the
a relationship with the everyday struggle of working toward more deeply rooted goals. The end of the tape’s strong middle trio portrays an escape from the everyday over a retro, relaxed beat on “Island Hopping.” Each track, in
Savage Journey To The American Dream Stalley
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film Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, help to put forth an image of the American Dream. Each track on the other hand, presents one aspect, fragment or step in one man’s journey. In the nightmarish and intense “Lover’s Lane” our speaker dreams of escaping from the bad relationships of his past. The adjacent track, “Home to You,” articulates the difficulties of balancing
its own unique way, provides one aspect of a dream for life elucidated by Stalley, shared by much of America. The middle three mentioned above, along with “Petrin Hill Peonies” and “Live at Blossom” are album highlights. While the bulk of the tape provides for a stellar listen, “Everything New” is a definite lowlight, largely due to questionable, obnoxious pro-
duction. Featured verses from Curren$y, Wale and Rick Ross all work with the album, while a pair of hooks by Anthony Flammia are nearly flawless. Despite a relatively high number of guest appearances, the album manages to maintain its concept. Stalley raps hard, but never comes off as ignorant or onedimensional. He remains simultaneously socially conscious and constructive. His character never gives way to cynicism, hopelessness or defeat, while still acknowledging the difficulties, road blocks and bumps along his “Savage Quest.” Though he never clearly affirms a belief in the American Dream as attainable, his album makes it clear that a belief in the experience and knowledge gained by the “Journey” is valuable. Stalley’s ability to discuss the American Dream without destroying it, exalting it, romanticizing it or tearing it down while still clinging to it’s inherent ideology and existence makes “Savage Journey” a rap album worthy of multiple, start-to-finish listens.
Thomas.Teixeira@UConn.edu
Music paired with dance: one of the best combinations to grace the face of the earth before Gotye and Kimbra, Drake and Rihanna. After seeing the Moscow Festival Ballet perform “Swan Lake” at Jorgensen last week, I couldn’t help but wish that the radiant dancers had been accompanied by a live orchestra. Pyotr Tchaikovsky’s composition for the production is one of the most legendary theatrical scores of all time. Even after 137 years, audiences are awestruck by how quickly the music goes from being sprightly and rapturous, to tragic and passionate. The “Swan Lake” theme has made a resurgence in recent years, thanks to a commendable adaptation by Darren Aronofsky’s favorite composer Clint Mansell for the film “Black Swan.” Ballet is a stunning form of art, no doubt. But the extent to which it can move an audience up and down the emotional spectrum depends on the music. Take the movie “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” for example. While Cate Blanchett did take an admiral stab at deboulés and pliés to fit into the role as Daisy Fuller, she is not a virtuoso of toe slippers and tutus. Yet the scene in which she dances in a moon-lit pagoda is immortal, largely because of the soundtrack that goes with it. Another popular Hollywood composer, Alexandre Desplat, takes credit for this one. His piece “Daisy’s Ballet Career” is a triumph of strings, bells and woodwinds. The cluster of instruments moves accurately under his direction, and follows the exact patterns of Blanchett’s dips and twirls. My first memory of going to the ballet is from the New York City Ballet’s “The Nutcracker.” The story was one that I had already read and heard a hundred times. Plus, at the time I was still too young to understand the intricacies and gratification of repetitive motions. The element of the performance that kept me going through the night was the Lincoln Center orchestra, which accompanies the dance troupe for all of its North American productions. The music from “The Nutcracker” – also written by Tchaikovksy – can be found everywhere during the holidays. Target commercials have sampled “Nutracker Suite,” while Christmas comedies have used “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” as the backdrop for scenes that are just the opposite of graceful. Still, hearing Tchaikovsky’s classics reflect off of Lincoln’s glass walls was a monumental experience. I remember “Waltz of the Flowers” being particularly exciting to my amateur ears. Maybe it was the little girl in me responding to the ethereal dancers on stage, or maybe it was me wondering how trumpets and piccolos could complement each other so flawlessly. Ballet is not the only genre of dance that benefits from having a musical counterpart. The classical Indian dance Natya is generally teamed with Carnatic singers or sitar, harmonium and tabla ensembles. In Mexico, mariachi bands tend to perform with polka and sone dancers. And in America, live music is a must for vintage renditions of the jitterbug and samba. But everything leads back to the masterpieces of Tchaikovsky and the elegance of the ballet dancer. The bond between the swan and the violin, the soldier and the horn is proof that there is a symbiosis between all styles of art.
Purbita.Saha@UConn.edu
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Gray’s album one of ‘neutered covers’ from MACY, page 8 life. The masterful indie classic “Maps” by Yeah Yeah Yeahs is robbed of its powerful drumline and is given an off-tune, vocodered treatment by Gray. Combined with the nonstop speeding-up and slowing-down of the song, it’s a dreadful cover that’s almost ruined 10 years of Karen O for me. Then she adds her own lyrics during the solo to rub it in. The piece-de-resistance of “Covered,” though, is her poppy, happy soul cover of Kanye West’s “Love Lockdown.” Her version of West’s tormented ode to dying love comes complete with record scratches and organs, and she sings the lyrics in speedy, jazzy couplets. I will hear it in my nightmares. Her cover of Colbie Caillat’s “Bubbly” turns the happy song about girlish love into a slower, sad tune that isn’t much better
The Daily Campus, Page 9
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than the rest of her covers, but as it actually makes sense I’ll give her a pass. Unfortunately, it leads right into a cover of a song that actually harmed my soul. “Wake Up,” the triumphant anthem from Arcade Fire’s “Funeral,” a melancholy song full of fury and pride that blows me away every time I hear it, has been turned into an offkey, choppy, neutered cover, complete with a backup chorus. Macy Gray took my favorite song and turned it into something from a second-rate Disney movie. I’m not talking “The Lion King” quality. This would be lucky to get onto “Oliver and Company.” I have no idea what anyone involved in this album was thinking, but they probably weren’t. If you hate yourself, I recommend it.
Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu
With ‘Pink Friday,’ Minaj is unimpressive By Zarrin Ahmed Campus Correspondent Nicki Minaj’s “Pink Friday; Roman Reloaded” has received bad ratings from reviewers since being released April 3, and for good reason. I’m not even sure how Minaj has come so far since “Pink Friday.” Maybe it’s the ever growing need for dance music and stupidly repetitive but catchy tunes, which she definitely feeds to her listeners. Maybe people just don’t get tired of listening to Minaj constantly talk about her ass and how she’s better, prettier and richer than any other girl. Maybe people mistake her weirdness and cries for attention through her wardrobe and multiple personalities as cleverness. Or maybe people just need to read an article about how terrible her latest album was to get the hint. Before getting into the album itself, there’s a lot to be said about Minaj’s alter egos and the roles they play in her songs. She focuses a great deal on “Roman Zolanski,” Minaj
claims that Roman is her twin brother that was born inside of her, out of rage, and she becomes him when she’s angry. First, what does she have to be so angry about? For a long time it was Lil’ Kim bad mouthing her, but if Minaj claims she’s the baddest of them all, why
bulldog and trying to be a rebel without a cause. That’s exactly what the album starts off with. On “Roman Holiday,” she calls herself a lunatic. Following is “Come on a Cone,” a stagnant and repetitive track that gets boring after the first verse. For half her songs, I have no
Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded Nicki Minaj 4/3/12 13 tracks
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should she even care? It’s not like she’s angry about something concrete or substantial – Roman is just her way of stepping up with the big players like Eminem and his alter ego, “Slim Shady.” That being said, the Roman that appears on the album is simply Minaj sounding like a
idea what she’s talking about. “HOV Lane” is literally her repetitively telling her listeners that she’s in the H.O.V. Lane, except she pronounces H.O.V. as if it’s a word and not an acronym. In more than half of her songs, Minaj sounds autotuned. “Champion,” though meant to be a shout out to those
from her “hood”, has a chorus that eerily makes her sound like T-Pain. And in almost all of her songs, she refers to all females as “bitches” and “hoes” and claims that she’s the best, or just constantly talks about her ass – such is the case in “Come on a Cone,” “Beez in the Trap,” “I am Your Leader,” “Roman Reloaded,” “Sex In the Lounge” – you get the point. In comparison to so many other female artists, Minaj lacks quality in every possible way. In her appearance, something similar to Lady Gaga’s unusual outfits, Minaj comes nowhere close to the artistry of Gaga in attire, lyrical genius or visual genius in music videos. Compared to other female rappers like Missy Elliot, Minaj’s only source of entertainment and “versatility” comes from her weird voices instead of flow and style like Elliot. Compared to other female singers like Beyoncé, Minaj lacks the singing ability and a sense of class that Beyoncé is known for.
Zarrin.Ahmed@UConn.edu
Daniel Rossen shines in solo debut To Shakhasari, By Aaron Burstein Campus Correspondent I’ll admit it. Despite their current position as indie royalty, I have mixed feelings about Grizzly Bear. However, within this past year, two excellent Grizzly Bear side projects have arisen. The first was a synth-pop project from electronics man Chris Taylor called CANT. The second is the solo material of guitarist Daniel Rossen, which is the subject of this review. His debut EP, “Silent Hour/Golden Mile,” may have surpassed both “CANT” and Grizzly Bear in a mere five tracks. In terms of sound, “Silent Hour/Golden Mile” contrasts the dense psychedelia of
Grizzly Bear and the electronically-induced haze of “CANT.” Rossen opts for concise, tightly-arranged folk-pop. Perhaps it’s somewhat comparable to Grizzly Bear’s “Veckatimest” album, but “Silent Hour/ Golden Mile” definitely harnesses the earthy folk element to a greater extent. Drums, bass and strings all accent the arrangements, but at the core of every piece is a guy singing over an acoustic guitar. That simple, ground-up approach to songwriting allows for a new level of honesty and emotional accessibility. “Silent Hour/Golden Mile” is a five track EP that barely clocks in at 23 minutes. Yet the ground Roseen manages to cover throughout that 23 min-
utes is incredible. Each track is
an ethereal ballad marked with
Silent Hour / Golden Mile Daniel Rossen 3/29/12 5 tracks
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flowing, catchy and evocative in its own unique, but cohesive way. “Up On High” begins as a humble acoustic piece, steadily moving towards the powerful, exalted sound of its namesake. “Return to Form” is
shapeless acoustic guitars and carried by a tentative bass line. The title track has a tense, circular feel that makes use of a highly effective force-restraint dynamic. However, the true master-
piece of the album is “Silent Song,” the extraordinary lead single, which is as melodically infectious as it is foreboding. It begins as a warning against the uncovering of memories best left undisturbed, culminating into an anthem of loss and regret. All in all, “Silent Hour/ Golden Mile” is an impressive debut solo effort. Though it makes me eager for a fulllength effort, it may be brevity that makes it all the more special. For now, anyone in need of some delightful (but still occasionally gloomy) folkpop will surely take a shine to Daniel Rossen’s new solo material.
Aaron.Burstein@UConn.edu
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fear is ‘False Evidence Appears Real’
from ONE-WOMAN, page 7
monologues of what it means to be yourself. She used comedy, movement and various other approaches in order to get the message across. She also redefined fear as F.E.A.R.: False Evidence Appears Real. Mildred is a world renowned performance character actress and has been lecturing, performing and doing workshops since 1995. She has performed in various countries such as Brazil, Switzerland, Holland, and many others. She is a self-love educator, LGBTQQIA supporter and has been doing her One-Woman Show since the early 2000s. “I thought it was very uplifting talk about self love even though she has had bad experiences,” said Jennifer Yik, a 4th-semester nursing major. “She still builds herself back up and found who she really was which was the whole point of the lecture.”
Loumarie.Rodriguez@UConn.edu
WRITE FOR US. MEETINGS ARE MONDAY NIGHTS
The Daily Campus, Page 10
Focus
Mars Volta avoids overproduction in 'Noctourniquet'
By Aaron Burstein Campus Correspondent The Mars Volta is not quite the hot item that it used to be, but at the very least, it has always been an interesting band to follow, even when its material did not suit the tastes of rightthinking individuals. There’s little question that the Volta is capable of some explosive, progressive rock majesty, but for the past several years it seems that its otherwise good musical ideas became mired down in overproduction and experimental self-indulgence. Fortunately, in the case of “Noctourniquet,” their latest release, the band takes a more tastefully subdued approach. “Noctourniquet” continues in the vein of the band’s previous 2009 release, “Octahedron.” This isn’t particularly surpris-
ing, since much of the material was recorded around the same time. The three-year delay is primarily due to the rest of the band’s inability to keep up with Omar RodriguezLopez’s breakneck songwriting and recording pace. In terms of sound, “Noctourniquet” maintains the electro-psychedelia of “Octahedron,” albeit it’s a bit more mellow. For the most part, the guitar and electronics are mixed relatively quietly, with crisp vocals from Cedric Bixler-Zavala at the forefront. However, the true star of the show is Deantoni Parks’ loose, but highly technical drumming. The music is prone to numerous shifts in rhythm and time signature, but Parks’ smooth, jazzy shuffle prevents the songs from becoming too spastic. In terms of Bixler-Zavala’s vocals, “Noctourniquet” opts for
a very clean production. This is a thankful contrast to the vomitlike mess of vocal manipulation that marred their 2008 album “The Bedlam in Goliath.”
Noctourniquet Mars Volta 3/27/12 13 tracks
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Unfortunately, the vocals on “Noctourniquet” are lacking in the visceral energy of his work on earlier Volta releases and At the Drive-In. In this sense, the album sacrifices punk rock energy for pop accessibility, even in
spite of The Mars Volta’s heavily experimental nature. Notable exceptions to this are “The Malkin Jewel” and “Trinkets Pale of the Moon,” which feature tense, whispery vocals that add up to a wonderfully insidious atmosphere. Naturally, they’re two of the best tracks on the album. “Trinkets of the Pale Moon” represented the kind of song “Tourniquet Man” (off of “The Bedlam in Goliath”) could have been with a more tasteful production; one of the band’s best and most malevolent ballads. Other highlights include “The Whip Hand,” the album’s invitingly unsettling opener, “Molochwalker,” a frantic rocker featuring some snazzy guitar work and “Zed and Naughts,” the bombastic closer. Unfortunately, it seems most of the album lacks the energet-
ic high points that even some of the band's sloppier musical efforts benefitted from. In spite of the dense, experimental sounds, too much of the album just sits without making any bigger impression. Nothing is offensively bad, but the album needs something more. “Noctourniquet” is still The Mars Volta’s most focused effort in a long time, even though it upholds its reliance on in-studio experimentation and unusual production work. At its best, the album is a force to be reckoned with, but the majority of the songwriting and composition fails to make the album truly quintessential. Nevertheless, it’s a step in the right direction, and is likely to please fans of the band.
Aaron.Burstein@UConn.edu
VS is thankful for fans' UConn hosts Irish school teacher who is also Fulbright Scholar loyalty to 'Chuck' from A CHAT, page 7 moment; ‘let’s be as brilliant as we can in each moment and each scene.’ It means you can’t make long-term plans, but so be it; we’re on a show we love so much, and when the season’s over, you wait. There wasn’t an anxiety; it was, ‘let’s work in this moment and love it.’ That was the vibe on set. DC: “Chuck” was also known for its product placement savior Subway and its rabid fanbase who ensured the show went five seasons. Was it weird when the show suddenly started shilling sandwiches? VS: I think there is an element to the future of television in that way; you may get to a place where you have a product completely behind the show and it becomes a pseudo-hybrid of a commercial and a show. It’s one of the elements that kept the show on the air, and the writers were fantastic at making it sort of part of the storyline. It was what it was. DC: Do you have any great fan experiences you remember? VS: So many. I loved being around the people keeping the show alive; I never imagined that I’d be singing a Queen song in front of a rabid fanbase of the TV show I was on [at Comic-Con, where Sahay hosted “Chuck” panels]. We owed so much to those people, and they came out in the auditorium, singing us on, and as fun and delirious as it was, it was always very emotional because we owed them. That kind of loyalty and dedication lives on, and the fans helped carry us up that mountain. DC: In “Chuck,” you were one half of Jeffster!, a fictional band. Was it harrowing or exciting to sing songs that would be shown to millions of people? VS: I needed to block out the idea it would be shown to anyone. It was incredibly harrowing at first, because I have no experience putting music together like that, but this was a whole different ball game. Over the course of the series, it became less “pure terror” and more of a hybrid of terror and excitement. I liked the challenge, and I learned a lot putting the songs together with all of these wonderful musicians. I never took singing lessons over the series because I didn’t want my ego to get in the way of how Lester sang, more jagged and insane. By working and working on these songs with an incredible music guy like Tim Jones, you learn your moments. After the show, he said he felt he and I had been in a band for five years. That was so gratifying to hear because I respect the guy so much. It was really special in the end, but the adrenaline and terror were always present. DC: Your character in “Chuck” was a self-described “Hin-Jew.” What’s it like being an actor of Indian descent in Hollywood, and does humor make things easier to deal with? VS: I’ve been very lucky because I’ve gotten to play a lot of characters, and this was my first “Hin-Jew.” I almost got cast as Morgan, then they gave me Lester; there was no specificity of his background. For me culturally, I lead with being an actor first, not an Indian actor; but I thought the “Hin-Jew” stuff was brilliant. On an artistic level, I thought it was fantastic. DC: You’re a pretty famous Canadian actor, having gotten your acting start on “You Can’t Do That On Television.” There isn’t too much crossover from Canada to the US; what was it like getting into acting in America? VS: It was a little like starting over; the crossover from Canadian television and film hasn’t yet fully translated into broader international success. What I had going for me, I think, was experience; even though I was the same age as everyone else, I had time in front of a camera auditioning compared to someone coming in with no experience, but it was like “now you’re climbing a bigger mountain.” And the [Canadian] credits aren’t going to mean as much; when someone can recognize a credit, it has bigger emphasis. DC: What’s next for you after “American Reunion?” VS: There is a movie I should be shooting overseas in Europe; it’s a dark, different, dramatic role for me to do. I got offered a great pilot that I turned down, tragically, because of the film; I’m changing gears to try something new, and it’s pretty exciting for me, I think.
Joseph.O'Leary@UConn.edu
By Zarrin Ahmed Campus Correspondent UConn has been hosting a Fulbright teacher since the beginning of last semester, initiating an international exchange of culture through language and learning. Cuan Oflatharta is an elementary school teacher in Ireland who has been awarded the Fulbright experience to travel to another country and teach for a year. Sponsored by the United States Department of State Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs, the Fulbright Program provides funding for students, scholars, teachers and professionals to undertake graduate study, advanced research, university teaching and teaching in elementary and secondary schools. It’s a very competitive program that few get to experience, but both Oflatharta and UConn’s Brendan Kane, an associate history professor, have had the chance to travel abroad and immerse themselves in the culture of their host countries. This is the first year UConn has worked with Fulbright, an accomplishment that Kane sees as a way to put UConn on an international map. “Very few universities have this kind of program,” Kane said. “We have things covered in a very unique way.” Kane described how only a handful of colleges around Connecticut have integrated into
the Fulbright program. Kane himself applied for the program in the past and had a chance to live with a family in Ireland for a week, taking classes at a local university where the main language spoken is Irish Gaelic. Having taught Irish Gaelic for six years as a part of an on campus club, Kane saw Fulbright as an opportunity to bring in a native of Ireland to teach a credited course in the university. Working with his colleagues Mary Burke and Professor Fred Biggs, Kane made this possible. “Fulbright has worked very nicely at UConn. It’s been a give and take relationship,” Kane said. “When I heard about the program, I thought this would be fantastic since I’ve been teaching Irish Gaelic at UConn, but just as a club.” UConn is currently offering two Irish courses, beginner course one and beginner course two, both of which are taught by Oflatharta. These courses will be continued next year, but by a different professor. Fulbright, at its base, is interested in providing as many opportunities for different people, focusing on educational experience and international relationships as more people can live abroad and interact with different people. Though Fulbright will send a different teacher, the courses are open to all students who are interested. Oflatharta has been teaching elementary school children in Ireland for a couple of years now,
but enjoys teaching the college students in America. He’s studied in Ireland his whole life and speaks the native language. “I love to be in education as it is, and I’d like to continue doing a Master’s,” Oflatharta said. “We have both long term and short term goals; the short goal this year has been to have people enroll in this class, and the long term goal would be toward a minor.” Since opening the class in the fall, there are over 30 students enrolled in the classes, and hopefully with the addition of more Irish studies classes there can be a minor in Irish studies. In addition to An Cumann Gaelach, an Irish language club led by President Tiffany Touma, a new club called Husky Hurls takes on the traditional Irish sport of hurling – Irish culture has integrated into UConn through student and faculty run organizations. Oflatharta and Kane hope to expand the number of classes available for Irish studies next year and encourage anyone interested to sign up. “A university should really be one of those places that has benefits that you can’t see immediately,” Kane said. “But that doesn’t mean that they aren’t there. People can experiment with these classes to see if they like them, and it’s always an educational experience.”
Zarrin.Ahmed@UConn.edu
Chejfec read from 'The Music of Anomalies' essay from ARGENTINE, page 7 of the modern time.” Chejfec read an essay he wrote, “The Music of Anomalies,” that described both Argentine emigration literature and his own experiences as a writer abroad. He began the reading – which he did completely in Spanish as he is less comfortable reading in English – by saying, “I am not linking both topics to offer a neat account but, rather, something of a disorder; a biased partial look aimed at connecting the way I understand my literature.” The essay discussed Chejfec’s time spent in Venezuela and how it influenced him as a writer, and compared his experience to
the idea of exile in literature. Although Chejfec’s emigration to Venezuela was voluntary, many writers have been forced into exile by the politics they embrace or by their sheer force of influence. Chejfec used the Polish writer Gombrowicz’s work as an example of how his personal
experience differs from many writers who choose to live abroad. Chejfec, unlike many ex-patriot writers, does not fear his return to Argentina because he stills feels that he is a part of Argentina.
Kathleen.McWilliams@UConn.edu
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Jackson: Black Hebrew Israelites are 'like Rastafarians' from ANTHROPOLOGIST, page 7
Chicago to Israel as uncompromising and unconquerable. Their dedication to tradition has been strong, though the narrator acknowledged, “These children had no need to stay.” “The Black Hebrew Israelites are now on four continents and have been in Israel for over 40 years,” said Jackson. He challenged the limitations of cultural anthropology to study and analyze when he said, “Ethnography was designed to study ‘primitive’ Africans, not a modern, skeptical and secretive community.” He explained that Black Hebrew Israelites are already doing their own ethnography. “They are a very self-conscious people,” he said. Black Hebrew Israelites are also conscious of what they eat. Each member is a vegan. In fact, the Black Hebrew Israelites have integrated into societies around the world through their vegan restaurants. The Black Hebrew Israelite philosophy states that their cleansing diet will eventually grant them eternal life. They justify this view with the Book of Genesis by claiming that the diet of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden was vegan, and only after they began to eat meat were they going to die. “They think through the body’s capacity for what is or is not possible,” said Jackson. Jackson distinguished the Black Hebrew Israelites and Black Jews in Ethiopia. He explained that Black Hebrew Israelites are a nation-building, anti-religion community more closely related to the black-nationalist Nation of Islam. During Q&A, Clementine Adeyemi, a 6thsemester physiology and neurobiology major, asked, “Why does a group that is not religious pray to the spirit Yah?” “Like Rastifarianism, the Black Hebrew Israelites disconnect from the religion of the larger culture to a world saturated with spirituality,” answered Jackson. “They’ve always done whatever they wanted.” “I enjoyed learning about other people’s views and goals,” said David Best, an 8th-semester pre-communications major. Antoine Gary, an 8th-semester African American and urban studies major, said that he had not been aware of the Black Hebrew Israelites before the lecture. “I think their veganism will have short-term health benefits, but their goal of immortality is not practical in the long term,” he said.
Colin.Neary@UConn.edu
Thursday, April 5, 2012
The Daily Campus, Page 11
Sports
» MLB
Cards spoil Marlins’ debut in new ballpark, 4-1
MIAMI (AP)—The sellout crowd in the Miami Marlins’ new ballpark cheered the introduction of their starters, who were accompanied by women dressed as Latin showgirls. There was another roar for Muhammad Ali, who delivered the first pitch. Then Kyle Lohse and the World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals went to work, and the place grew quiet. Lohse held Miami hitless until the seventh inning and pitched into the eighth to help the Cardinals win the first game in Marlins Park, 4-1 Wednesday night. The Marlins’ new animated home-run sculpture never budged. It was the fourth inning before they even managed a baserunner, and by the time they scored in the eighth, they trailed 4-0. “It’s a good ballpark for a pitcher, obviously,” Lohse said. “It’s pretty hard to get it out.” The crowd of 36,601 included newly retired Cardinals manager Tony La Russa, who quietly rooted for his former team from the press box. He watched Lohse retire the first 10 batters before hitting Emilio Bonifacio with a pitch. The runner was erased when Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play. Newcomer Jose Reyes singled for Miami’s first hit to start the seventh, and Omar
AP
St. Louis Cardinals' Rafael Furcal follows through on a double as Miami Marlins catcher John Buck watches during the ninth inning of the Opening Day baseball game, Wednesday, April 4, 2012, in Miami.
Infante scored the Marlins’ run in the eighth on John Buck’s double. Lohse went 7 1-3 innings, allowing only two hits and one run. The right-hander led the Cardinals last year in victories and ERA but got the call for opening day only because ace Chris Carpenter is sidelined with nerve irritation that has caused weak-
ness in his pitching shoulder. David Freese, the World Series MVP, had a two-run single in the first inning to give Lohse the cushion he needed. Freese and Rafael Furcal each had three of the Cardinals’ 13 hits. “Tonight was fun,” Freese said. “It’s always nice to get the season going and to open
up here, beautiful ballpark, the fans were excited about it and so were we.” Jason Motte earned the save with a one-hit ninth, completing the four-hitter and sending the Cardinals to the clubhouse to celebrate first-year manager Mike Matheny’s debut win. “We gave him a little water shower,” Lohse said. “Most
Adams makes triumphant return to tennis court from BACK, page 14 recently, Adams crushed Bryant University’s Peter Hart Callahan, beating him in straight sets 6-2, 6-0. The result was reminiscent of Adams’ freshman year, when he burst onto the scene and was a major contributor from the start. Adams went 21-10 in singles and 21-8 in doubles as a freshman, despite the fact that the adjustment to the college game wasn’t as smooth as it may have appeared. “It was a lot different, a lot more intense,” Adams said. “The competition was a lot harder, I wasn’t used to losing that much.” Adams said that his career record at Andover High School in Massachusetts was something like 50-1 or 50-2. “It was a lot of wins and not a lot of losses,” Adams said. “I have no idea.” But it wasn’t his gaudy numbers in high school that got
Adams noticed by Division I college programs. Adams said that the college recruiting process in tennis is a lot different than it is for football, because college coaches consider the competition in high school tennis to be relatively weak. Its in the independent tournaments where blue-chip prospects can make their names, and that’s how Adams made his. After practice every day, Adams drove down to the Woburn Racquet Club in Woburn, Mass., a 25-minute drive, for private lessons. His coach, Kempton Smith, worked with him on every aspect of his game, and helped Adams become one of the top 20 players in New England. It didn’t hurt that Adams was easy to spot in a crowd too. “I said ‘man he’s tall,’” Marshall said, referring to the first time he saw Adams play. “That’s the first thing you think when you see him, you see a big, tall, lanky kid with great reach, a huge serve,
a huge forehand, and just out of the gate you see his attributes right away, you can see the type of game that he could possess.” Shortly after arriving in Storrs, Adams aggravated a shoulder injury that would end up holding him back for the rest of his career. After his strong freshman season, Adams’ record in doubles matches held steady at 20-11 in his sophomore year, but fell off significantly to just 13-13 in singles. His junior year it got worse, he posted losing records in both singles (7-11) and doubles (10-12). “It’s kind of something I’ve found a lot of tennis players have to deal with, from excessive playing and a lot of work on that shoulder,” Adams said. “It happened really in high school I guess, I let it rest, got some rehab but it came back to bite me, I guess I didn’t do enough, and in college it started to hurt again.” The injury will likely affect
Adams as long as he plays tennis competitively. But with a great job offer in hand, Adams seems content to move on to the next chapter of his life, though people have pestered him about the idea of playing professionally. “A lot of my friends are like ‘Oh you should check it out and dabble in it,’” Adams said. “But it’s really expensive to travel to all these places and I’m pretty comfortable with how my tennis career has been and I’m happy with it.” Marshall said that he is happy for Adams, adding that it was a no-brainer to let him take the fall season off given everything he was working towards professionally. “He’s the kind of kid that we take pride in,” Marshall said. “We’re happy when these guys go out and get great jobs and still learn from their experiences.”
Michael.Cerullo@UConn.edu
people go with the adult beverage but we went with the water.” Things were so bad for new manager Ozzie Guillen’s team that Marlins ace Josh Johnson recorded the ballpark’s first strikeout—but as a hitter. Johnson allowed 10 hits and three runs in six innings. The 2010 NL ERA leader was pitching for the first time since last May 16, when shoulder inflammation ended his year. Ramirez, making the switch to third base from shortstop, had an especially rough night. He drew scattered boos when he pulled up rather than dive for a grounder to his left, and he failed to throw out Furcal on a bunt that went for a hit. Ramirez also struck out with a runner aboard in the ninth to finish 0 for 4. Both teams began the season with a new look. The Marlins, anticipating better attendance and higher revenue in their new home, acquired three All-Stars in an offseason spending spree. The Cardinals, coming off a thrilling late-season charge to the World Series title, lost slugger Albert Pujols to free agency and La Russa to retirement. La Russa visited with Matheny before the game. Also on hand was baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, who said his reaction to the ballpark was, “Wow.” Among the eye-catching features is the colorful home-run sculpture beyond the center-
field wall, but the Marlins failed to activate it, although Giancarlo Stanton did send two flies to the warning track. The retractable roof, which is expected to be closed for all but about 10 games, was opened 30 minutes before the first pitch, revealing a nearly full moon on a 79-degree evening. Surprise guest Ali delivered the first pitch, which Ramirez gently took from the champ’s hand. The first pitch from Johnson to Rafael Furcal caught the outside corner for a called strike. Furcal then grounded to new shortstop Reyes for the first out. Cardinals newcomer Carlos Beltran followed with the first hit, a sharp single to right. He took third on a double by Lance Berkman, and Freese drove in both runs with a two-out single. Furcal’s two-out RBI single in the second made it 3-0, and a 50-foot groundout by Daniel Descalso brought home an insurance run in the eighth. NOTES: The Marlins drew 41,237 for last year’s home opener, then went on to finish last in the NL in attendance for the seventh consecutive year. … Before the game, Guillen said Ramirez has a chance to be the NL MVP. … The only no-hitter on opening day was thrown in 1940 by Hall of Famer Bob Feller for the Cleveland Indians against the Chicago White Sox. … Lohse pitched five shutout innings in his only other openingday start, which was in 2008.
» NBA
Heat win 17th straight at home, top Thunder, 98-93
MIAMI (AP)—LeBron James had 34 points and 10 assists, Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and the Miami Heat avenged a loss at Oklahoma City last week, rallying to beat the Thunder 98-93 on Wednesday night for their 17th straight home victory. Mario Chalmers scored 13 points, and Chris Bosh had 12 for Miami, which trailed by 11 in the first half before a comeback fueled in part by Russell Westbrook pulling James down from behind on a fast break in the second quarter. Kevin Durant scored 30 points for Oklahoma City, and Westbrook added 28, but shot 9 for 26. James Harden had 12 for the Thunder, who lost despite holding Miami to 37 percent shooting. The win moved Miami (39-14) within two games of Chicago (4213) in the race for the NBA’s best record. Oklahoma City fell
to 40-14. Durant could have given Oklahoma City the lead with 1:30 left, backing down James and then trying a turnaround from the left side. His shot was way off, hitting the top of the backboard. Bosh, who had been 3 for 13 to that point, made a jumper on the next Miami possession to make it 96-93. Kendrick Perkins then missed two free throws with 43.6 seconds left, the first Thunder misses from the line all night after starting 18 of 18. And after James couldn’t connect on the ensuing Miami trip, it was still a one-possession game. The Thunder called a timeout with 19.5 seconds left and went for the quick 3, Durant’s try hitting the front of the rim and going out of bounds. Wade made a pair of foul shots, stretching the lead to five, and it was soon over.
The Daily Campus, Page 12
Thursday, April 5, 2012
Sports
Memphis Grizzlies: A bona fide sleeper
By Chris Zielinski NBA Columnist
With the playoffs quickly approaching, contenders and pretenders alike are emerging from the pack. Having already clinched playoff berths, Chicago and Miami are setting the pace in the Eastern Conference. In the Western Conference action, Oklahoma City has officially established itself as the team to beat, with San Antonio right at their heels deserving an honorable mention. Although they are worthy of the spotlight, the legitimate title chances of these contenders is nothing new, it is simply what we all expected. Instead it is the potential playoff sleepers that are generating more interest, with one team epitomizing the definition of a dark horse. Without question, the rapidly improving Memphis Grizzlies are this year’s main playoff sleeper. Currently, the Grizzlies boast a record of 30-22, which, if the season ended today, would be good for the fifth seed in the playoffs. They barely trail both of the Los Angeles teams, and with some luck, could move even higher in the playoff seeding. Nonetheless, the Grizzlies have easily exceeded expectations, justifying their status as a sleeper. So how exactly have the Grizzlies been so successful?
For starters, they have taken the Oklahoma City recipe for success, building the core of the team around explosive young players. This year, the Grizzlies have been led by forward Rudy Gay, who has demonstrated serious improvement to his allaround game. Widely criticized for being undeserving of his massive contract, Gay has average better than 18 points and six rebounds per contest, and proving Memphis’s investment in him was worth it. Aside from Gay, the Grizzlies have benefitted from Marc Gasol’s and Mike Conley’s inspired play, with both individuals establishing themselves as legitimate threats at their respective opinions. In arguably his best season, Gasol is averaging better than 15 points and nine rebounds per contest, while Conley has posted averages of 12 points and seven assists during the season. Clearly, Memphis has benefitted from the maturation of its young stars, and may not be done yet. Furthermore, the Grizzlies impressive performance has stemmed from the coaching job done by Lionel Hollins. Aside from getting his young players to buy into playing two way basketball, Hollins has also dealt with injuries and free agent acquisitions. Most prominently, Hollins has had to deal without star player and team leader Zach Randolph, who was injured early in the season. Looking a polarizing figure
like Randolph was undoubtedly no easy task, but Hollins has handled the injury in stride, and has successfully adapted around the loss of Randolph in creating his current rotation. Likewise, in acquiring Gilbert Arenas, the Grizzlies took a major chance. With a reputation of being a divisive force in the locker room, there was serious risk involved with signing Arenas, but Hollins has Arenas buying into the team concept. In time, Arenas growing familiarity with the offense could pay serious dividends, and Hollins will deserve all the credit. All in all, gaining the status of a bona fide sleeper is one thing and actually delivering results is another. Yet if the Grizzlies recent performance is a harbinger of things to come, these Grizzlies need not worry. Recent victories over the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers illustrate the Grizzlies ability to compete with the best of them. More importantly, with a healthy Randolph soon returning to the lineup, and a gradually improving Arenas coming off the bench, the Grizzlies have great room for improvement. As the saying goes, it is all about peaking at the right time. The Grizzlies have taken this to heart, and have one message for its fellow opponents: “consider yourself warned, we’re coming for you.”
Christopher.Zielinski@UConn.edu
AP
Memphis Grizzlies' Rudy Gay shoots over Houston Rockets' Courtney Lee in the first half of an NBA basketball game, Friday, in Houston.
Callahan: Huskies, Fighting Irish establish newfound rivarly from RIVALRY, page 14
ED RYAN/The Daily Campus
Junior guard Kelly Faris battles with Notre Dame guard Brittany Mallory during the Big East Championship in Hartford on March 6. UConn won, 63-54.
Will the Marlins or Nationals be the bigger surprise this baseball season? from WHICH, page 14 Chris: I’ll admit the return of Strasburg will provide a huge boost for the Nationals, but one thing they do lack is the manager to lead them to victory. On the contrary, in signing Ozzie Guillen, the Miami Marlins have given themselves a top five manager. Along with his knowledge of the game, Guillen has widely been referred to as a player’s coach, and has the ability to get the most out of his players. On most teams, this might not be such a worry, but with a star-studded roster, having the proper manager will make all the difference for Miami. Still don’t believe me? Look no further than Hanley Ramirez’s statistics from last year, as he posted career lows in batting average, home runs and runs batted in. With a new manager, one can expect an entirely different Ramirez and an entirely different team. Nate: Davey Johnson does not have the same list of accomplishments as Ozzie Guillen, but his young talent can match any other team in the league. First baseman Mike Morse is quickly becoming one of the most potent offensive
first basemen in the National League, leading the team last year with a .303 average, 31 home runs and 95 RBI. Also, catcher Wilson Ramos is growing into a solid game managing catcher and also has great pop for his position, belting 22 doubles and 15 home runs in his rookie campaign. These two will be able to hold down the fort until heralded prospect Bryce Harper comes into league. Harper is said to be able hit the ball a mile and is being renowned as the best thing since sliced bread. Chris: The Nationals may have developing young talent, but the Marlins boast bonafide young talent unlike any other team in the league. Rarely have so many “x-factor” players been assembled on the same roster. First, the Marlins arguably have the best shortstop in Jose Reyes, who is a threat for the league batting, steals and runs title. Likewise, Hanley Ramirez is one of the best young players in the league, and should vastly improve over last year’s campaign. Last, Mike Stanton, perhaps one of the most underrated players in the league, provides the Marlins with a powerful bat needed for to hold down
the third or fourth batting spot in the league. Altogether, the Marlins, like their basketball counterpart the Heat, have the highest potential when all of its stars are clicking, which guarantees to provide results. Nate: Even though the Marlins are the flashy, popular team with a couple bandwagons for the fans they have attracted thus far the one thing they are lacking is the calming veteran presence in the locker room. The Nationals have two reliable players that balance out the highs and lows that come with every long baseball season. Ryan Zimmerman and Jayson Werth both have a plethora of experience and coming from the Phillies Werth knows what it’s like to be on a winning team and how to handle that success. It’s highly doubtful that the Nationals can reach the ceiling that the Marlins, but consistency is key and that is one thing that the Nationals have in their favor. Chris: Undoubtedly, we can admit that both teams will be on the rise this year, and certainly be in the spotlight. Each team has their respective X-Factors, and only time will tell which will pay greater dividends.
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In fact, prior to last Monday’s matchup, when asked about how well the teams now know each other, Skylar Diggins joked that she knew what UConn had for breakfast. Then again, after all their years coaching against one another, Geno could probably script Muffet’s favorite motion plays in a medically induced coma. That kind of familiarity can’t even be found in sibling rivalries. More importantly, after the game ended in Denver, each of the Irish team leaders said the taste of victory was sweeter because it came against UConn. Those quotes were almost identical to those scribed following their Final Four upset in Indianapolis a year ago. How’s that for spicing things up? That right there is animosi-
ty – the final ingredient. Not to mention, anyone who attended one of the eight games would tell you the atmosphere had a “This one means just a little bit more” feel to it. That rivalry is indubitably good for the world of women’s college basketball. The best days of the sport were when UConn and Tennessee took center stage, trading punches and titles; when Auriemma jokingly referred to Pat Summit as the “evil empire” and record crowds showed up at Final Fours, Goliath met Goliath over and over again. Now, it’s nice to win them all – there’s no doubting that. Winning and doing so until the point of growing dominant is the goal in any sport – there’s nothing that will change that. But there is magic in a rivalry, especially a good one. Just like there is in a dance.
Moving in the same direction for so long slowly lessens the steps you took to get there and expedites the meshing of memories all together. Having a partner to push you back and work for the next stride makes your journey better. For every swing, glide and step or win, tie or loss there’s later counter. When the dance or rivalry is all over, it’s makes everyone else stand in awe. Those who were around for UConn-Tennessee can tell you. This episode of the rivalry may not last as long as the first go-round did; Notre Dame is losing a lot of seniors. But I sure hope it does. Sports are better with rivals, no matter who or where you are – UConn women’s basketball included. Plus, who likes to dance alone? It’s time to tango. This rivalry is on.
Andrew.J.Callahan@UConn.edu
» NBA
Spurs hold on, beat Celtics 87-86 for 9th in a row BOSTON (AP)—Paul Pierce got the shot he wanted. Tim Duncan got the result. Duncan prevented Pierce from driving to the basket, forcing him to take a fadeaway jumper that clanged off the rim at the buzzer and the San Antonio Spurs held on for their ninth straight win, 87-86 over Boston on Wednesday night. “It was make or miss. I just didn’t want him to go by me,” said Duncan, who had 10 points and 16 rebounds. “To be honest with you, he probably got the shot he wanted.”
Pierce had 15 points and 10 rebounds, but he couldn’t maneuver into open space after Boston inbounded the ball with 7.9 seconds left. The 6-foot-11 Duncan stayed on him, forcing the 6-foot-7 Pierce to step back near the top of the key for a floater. “I think I got to a good place. Just missed the shot,” Pierce said. “These things are not really prescripted. You get into pressure situations, sometimes they make and sometimes they don’t.” Danny Green scored 14 points, and Gary Neal had 13, including
a 3-pointer with 2 minutes left that put the Spurs back in front after they blew a 17-point, first-half lead. Rajon Rondo had 17 points and 11 assists for Boston, which had won five in a row. Avery Bradley scored 19 points off the bench for Boston, and Kevin Garnett had 16 points, seven rebounds and five assists. Ray Allen returned after missing six games with a sore right ankle and added seven rebounds and five points, including a 3-pointer in the final minute that brought Boston within a point.
TWO Thursday, April 5, 2012
PAGE 2
What's Next Home game
Away game
Tomorrow Pittsburgh 3 p.m.
April 7 Pittsburgh 1 p.m.
April 7 Villanova 12 p.m.
Next Paper’s Question:
“Who is the best outfielder in baseball?”
–Andrew Chan, 6th-semester economics major
» That’s what he said – Kentucky coach John Calipari addressing rumors regarding NBA job offers.
April 9 April 11 Quinnipiac Brown 3 p.m. 3:15 p.m.
April 7 Villanova 4 p.m.
April 10 UMass 4 p.m.
April 11 Quinnipiac 3:30 p.m.
» QUICK HITS AP
John Calipari
» Pic of the day
April 14 Notre Dame 11 a.m.
April 20 Cincinnati 3:30 p.m.
April 22 Louisville 1 p.m.
April 27 Villanova 4 p.m.
Men’s Track and Field April 7 LSU Invitational All Day
April 10 Husky Decathalon 2:30 p.m.
April 11 Husky Decathalon 2 p.m.
April 14 Dog Fight All Day
April 21 Larry Ellis Invitational All Day
Women’s Track and Field April 7 UConn AllRegional All Day
April 13 Sea Ray Relays All Day
April 14 Sea Ray Relays All Day
April 21 April 26 Princeton Penn Relays Invite All Day All Day
April 14 April 15 Knecht Cup Knecht Cup All Day All Day
May 5 April 22 Holy Cross New Englands All Day All Day
Rowing Tomorrow UMass All Day
Men’s Tennis April 10 Marist 3 p.m.
April 12 St. John’s TBA
AP
Miami Marlins’ Josh Johnson delivers a pitch in the first inning of the Opening Day baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals, Wednesday in Miami.
April 14 Sacred Heart 12 p.m.
April 19 Big East Championships All Weekend
Women’s Tennis Today St. John’s 3 p.m.
April 7 DePaul 10 p.m.
April 14 Hartford 12 p.m.
April 19 Big East Championships All Weekend
Can’t make it to the game? Follow us on Twitter: @DCSportsDept @The_DailyCampus www.dailycampus.com
Mania sets records over weekend By Mac Cerullo Managing Editor
Lacrosse (6-4) April 7 Columbia 1 p.m.
Tweet your answers, along with your name, semester standing and major, to @DCSportsDept. The best answer will appear in the next paper.
The Daily Roundup
OPENING DAY
Softball (14-14) Tomorrow Villanova 4 p.m.
The Daily Question Q : “Who do you think is the World Series favorite?” A : “The Boston Red Sox.”
“I’ve made statements that I’ve got the best job in basketball and I’m not going to change my lifestyle. I’m not leaving.”
Baseball (15-13) Today Pittsburgh 3 p.m.
The Daily Campus, Page 13
Sports
After rewriting the UConn record books to begin the outdoor season, junior distance runner Brigitte Mania earned Big East Women’s Track Athlete of the Week honors. Mania made a splash at the Raleigh Relays this past weekend, winning first place in the 800m race with a time of 2:04.86, which is both a new UConn school record and the top time in the nation. Mania also won second place in the 1,500m run with a time of 4:22.72. That time is good for 10th in the nation and third in the Big East. “This is a great honor for Brigitte when considering the other great performances this week from such a challenging conference as the Big East. Coach Andrea Grove-McDonough did a great job in preparing Brigitte for what I believe was her best race to date,” said head coach Bill Morgan in a statement to UConnHuskies.com. “Working in tandem with Heather Wilson, they are both arguably the best tandem in the country in the 800, but it was Brigitte’s day and a hard fought victory. She had an outstanding performance.” UConn baseball junior centerfielder Billy Ferriter tore the cover off the ball last week, hitting .524 on the week while going 9-for-12 during the Huskies’ weekend series against Seton Hall. Ferriter was named Big East Player of the Week for his efforts. Ferriter scored seven runs, drove in five more and stole four bases during the week. During the Huskies series opener against Seton Hall, he had a season-high four hits. UConn men’s basketball commit Omar Calhoun took home MVP honors at the All-American championships this past Sunday in New Orleans after he led his team to an 84-72 victory. Calhoun scored 26 points for the East team, hitting 8-of-12 shots from the floor and 10-of-11 free throws. He also grabbed two rebounds and dished out two assists. Calhoun is a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Brooklyn, N.Y. He signed a letter of intent to UConn this past November and is ranked among the nation’s top 30 prospects in the class of 2012. Women’s basketball sophomore guard Bria Hartley was named to the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association/State Farm All-America team this past weekend, joining Baylor’s Brittney Griner, Notre Dame’s Skylar Diggins, Delaware’s Elena Delle Donne and six others. Hartley is the 15th UConn player to be selected and is only the fourth sophomore, joining Svetlana Abrosimova, Diana Taurasi and Maya Moore. The more you know.
Michael.Cerullo@UConn.edu
» MLB
Votto’s big payday sets up Reds’ opening day
CINCINNATI (AP)—Former Reds infielder Doug Flynn remembers opening day 1975, when he sidled up next to Pete Rose by the dugout railing and checked out the capacity crowd at Riverfront Stadium. His first opening day in Cincinnati was one of his best. “I was in the big leagues,” Flynn said, standing in the dugout at Great American Ball Park. “I was so pumped up! “You remember the good ones, and the bad ones.” Flynn’s team started on its way to a World Series championship in 1975. The current Reds have reason to think they could be a contender as well when they get started against the Miami Marlins on Thursday. They’ve already had their first big payday. First baseman Joey Votto agreed to a contract on Wednesday that added 10 years and $225 million while keeping him under contract through 2023 and makes him the face of the franchise. Fans will get their first chance to recognize the long-term commitment during pregame introductions. “It means a lot not only for the franchise but also for the city,” manager Dusty Baker said. “It means kids can grow up emu-
AP
This March 25, 2012 file photo shows Cincinnati Reds’ Joey Votto in the dougout during a spring training baseball game, in Scottsdale, Ariz.
lating him and pretending to be Joey Votto.” The Reds won’t be the only big spenders on the field. The Marlins changed their name, moved into a new ballpark and spent $191 million to acquire NL batting champion Jose Reyes, lefthander Mark Buehrle and closer Heath Bell in the offseason. They also hired manager Ozzie Guillen to oversee the on-field transition.
After opening their new ballpark against the defending World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, the Marlins were looking forward to getting into a routine in Cincinnati. “Get out of here and relax a little,” Guillen said. “The last couple of days have been crazy. There has been a lot going on. I felt like I was in the World Series again a little bit.”
After their game on Thursday, the Reds and Marlins have a day off before getting back into a more normal schedule. “I think everybody is going to look forward to getting on the flight and getting to Cincinnati, especially with that off day,” said Buehrle, who goes against righthander Johnny Cueto in the opener. First, they’ll get to experience one of baseball’s most traditional openers. Baseball’s first professional team gets to open at home each year, and turns the day into a spring holiday complete with a downtown parade—former Reds third baseman Aaron Boone is this year’s grand marshal—and children skipping school. Shortstop Zack Cozart is in line to become the Reds’ first rookie shortstop to start a season opener since Frank Duffy in 1971. “It’s something that coming up as a baseball player—ever since I was 6 years old—you dream of it,” Cozart said. “And it’s finally happening for me. I’m excited for me. I’m also excited for this team. We believe we’re just as good as anybody.” He’s got about 10 relatives coming up from Tennessee, and they’ve researched the history of opening day in Cincinnati so they can fully appreciate it.
» INSIDE SPORTS TODAY
P.13: Mania named Big East Track Athlete of the Week. / P.12: Zielinski: Gay, Grizzlies are contenders. / P.12: Spurs top Celtics, 87-86.
Page 14
Thursday, April 5, 2012
BACK TO BUSINESS
Rivalry restored
www.dailycampus.com
After sitting out fall season, Adams returns with a clear view of future
Andrew Callahan They say it takes two to tango. It also takes two to tangle. After a five-year hiatus, the UConn women’s basketball is back to tangling with a true rival – the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. The Irish have battled their way to the status of “equal” with the program against which all others are compared. Now, there’s something to talk about. Stepping back for a second, the title of “rival” is indeed a sticky label to tangle with by itself, so we should give it proper due. True rivalries feature teams not only consistently equal in ability, but also win-loss records against one another over recent history. They also must meet regularly and a dash of mutual animosity always helps. Through that definition, the Huskies’ series with Stanford in recent seasons, featuring infrequent meetings that typically finish in UConn victories, is ruled out. Rutgers hasn’t kept their half of the winning bargain since Maya Moore was on freshman orientation, so they’re out too. In fact, the only team ever to hold a candle consistently to UConn as a real rival was Tennessee from 1995-2007. Yet, a candle is being held at this moment and it’s putting some serious heat on the program. As of last Monday, the Huskies have now dropped back-to-back Final Four games to the same Notre Dame squad. We’ve all heard about that. But in case the opening sentence caught you off guard – first, that is one glacial mineral you’ve been living under and second, don’t worry, you missed little in regards to the men’s season. This isn’t the first time the Huskies and Irish have faced off. From 2001-2005, Geno Auriemma-led clubs went just 5-4 against Muffet McGraw’s teams, including a loss in the 2001 Final Four. But from 2005 to January of 2010, the Huskies had the little Leprechauns in line with everyone else in the college basketball world. UConn notched nine straight double-digit victories over the Irish and collected nine consecutive cries of “Uncle.” Then, the Big East enemies began their current stretch where they have split their last eight contests evenly. Six of those games have been decided by a single-figure and two went to overtime. As of late, Notre Dame has shown the talent difference between the two to be negligible.
» CALLAHAN, page 12
By Mac Cerullo Managing Editor
RACHEL WEISS/The Daily Campus
This past summer, Dave Adams had a tough decision to make. The soon-to-be senior on the men’s tennis team was suffering from both a nagging shoulder injury and a dose of reality. His job hunt was shifting into high gear, and with an increased course load, intensifying job interviews and a big commitment to an upcoming business school project, it became apparent that he could not devote all of his attention to both his commitments in the classroom and to tennis. So Adams took a break. Adams sat out the fall season, devoting his time to schoolwork, his job search and the Student Managed Fund, a project that put him and a group of his peers in charge of a $1 million portfolio to invest in the stock market. The break paid off, Adams’ recently received a job offer from Moody’s Investors Services in New York City, and his shoulder is the healthiest it has been since his freshman year. With his future squared away, the 6-foot-6 senior is now back on the court playing some of the best tennis of his career. “This season has actually been one of my better seasons surprisingly after coming back from not playing,” Adams said. Glenn Marshall, the head coach of the men’s tennis team, has been impressed by Adams’ demeanor since his return, saying that he has matured a great deal and plays with a lot more control than he did before. “[He’s] taking his time,” Marshall said. “He’s an animated kid on the court, like a lot of tennis players can be, but he kind of got a hold of what’s important, when to concentrate the most, and when to let things come off him.” Since returning to the team in February, Adams has gone 6-4 in singles play and 4-6 in doubles. Most
» ADAMS, page 11
Senior Dave Adams takes a forehand shot during a match against Fairfield on March 20 in Storrs. UConn lost, 7-0.
Baseball travels to Pittsburgh for Big East game By Matt Stypulkoski Staff Writer The UConn baseball team will head to Pittsburgh to continue its Big East conference schedule this weekend. The Huskies will look to keep pace with Louisville and South Florida, with whom they are locked in a three-way tie for first place in the conference. At 2-4 in the conference, the Panthers are tied for seventh place in the league. Unlike UConn, which is coming off an 8-5 loss against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Pittsburgh is in the midst of a three-game winning streak, which began last weekend in their conference series against Cincinnati, and continued with a win over Youngstown State at home on Wednesday.
Though they are coming off a loss, the Huskies have won nine of 11 coming into the weekend. Over the stretch, second baseman LJ Mazzilli and center fielder Billy Ferriter have been outstanding for UConn – including a nine for 12 weekend from Ferriter against Seton Hall in the team’s first home Big East series. The Panthers have lost five of their last eight. Typically, Big East series’ begin on Friday and end on Sunday, but because of the Easter holiday this Sunday, the series will begin and end a day early. The two teams will begin play at 3 p.m. on Thursday, and continue the series at the same time Friday before wrapping up with a 1 p.m. start on Saturday. ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
Matthew.Stypulkoski@UConn.edu
Freshman pitcher Jared Dettmann throws a pitch during UConn’s 11-6 win over Hartford on March 27 in Storrs.
Which MLB team will be the biggest surprise this season? Miami Marlins
By Chris Zielinski Campus Correspondent When it comes to the MLB, rarely does improvement come overnight. Rather, the ascension from the cellar to league leader occurs more gradually through smart drafting and free agent signings. However, this season many teams are primed for a drastic improvement in their play and subsequent record. Among these teams, the Miami Marlins has the greatest potential to improve. With an influx of talent, a new manager and a new ballpark, everything in Miami is pointing up. Will Miami be this season’s suprise?...
AP
Christopher.Zielinski@UConn.edu
» POINT/COUNTERPOINT
Chris: When it comes to baseball, it all starts with pitching. In past years, the Marlins have suffered from injuries and a lack of depth, but that has all changed. First and foremost, the Marlins boast a healthy Josh Johnson this year, giving them an actual frontline starter. Moreover, the Marlins also have a well-rounded staff, thanks largely in part to the off-season acquisition of Mark Buehrle. The Marlins also have the explosive Anibal Sanchez and Carlos Zambrano, who, when inspired, has proven he can pitch with the best of them. Last, the Marlins have one of the league’s best closers in Heath Bell, who will provide a renewed late-game confidence on the mound. Nate: Although they have been bothered by injuries
the past couple of years, the Nationals pitching staff has gotten stronger each year. The biggest improvement may have come this offseason with the addition of the coveted free agent Gio Gonzalez. He was an all-star for the Oakland Athletics, which is a pretty big accomplishment considering the lack of help he had surrounding him. Chien-Ming Wang was a significant signing for them a couple years ago who hasn’t been healthy long enough for him to make an impact. With his return, and the comeback of phenom Stephen Strasburg from Tommy John surgery, the Nationals could boast one of the strongest starting rotations in the league.
» WILL, page 12
Washington Nationals
By Nate Zielinski Campus Correspondent
The climb from the cellar of the league has been an arduous process for the Washington Nationals. However, this roster for the Nationals will make that long wait worth it. The team has steadily improved over the past couple years, as shown by the combination of the chemistry they have formed and young, promising talent they possess. All these factors will make them a scary opponent for any team and no longer an automatic win, as they have been in the past.
Nathan.Zielinski@UConn.edu
AP
... or will Washington finally start winning?