The Daily Campus: August 29, 2012

Volume CXIX No. 4

» INSIDE

www.dailycampus.com

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Cases remain open in motorized scooter thefts

By Katherine Peinhardt Campus Correspondent

FALL INTO A SHOW AT JORGENSEN Regina Spektor, Punch Brothers among Fall 2012 concerts and shows.

FOCUS/ page 7

Students were notified of several thefts of motorized scooters that occurred at the University of Connecticut recently.

Greeted by this message through the UConn Alert system, students returned to school with the advice to “stay alert,” while a still-unresolved case lingers over the campus. According to the Alert, “UConn Police investigators, working a specialized detail to stop the thefts, apprehended two males attempting to steal several motorized scooters near Bolton Road.”

“It’s still an open investigation. We still have officers on the case.”

Huskies look to get back to bowl A new quarterback compliments an experienced defense.

SPORTS/ page 14 EDITORIAL: NEW YORK TIMES JUSTIFIED IN FRONT PAGE GRAPHIC Although disturbing, images serve to inform.

COMMENTARY/page 4 INSIDE NEWS: COLO. THEATER VICTIM FAMILIES QUESTION FUNDRAISING Families not given say on how money is to be spent.

NEWS/ page 2

» weather wednesday Sunny skies

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» index Classifieds 3 Comics 5 Commentary 4 Crossword/Sudoku 5 Focus 7 InstantDaily 4 Sports 14

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– Lieutenant Fournier UConn Police Department According to the UConn Police Department’s Lieutenant Fournier, “It’s still an open investigation. We still have officers on the case. Two people were arrested a couple weeks back,” and an “additional three males,” still remain to be approached by police. The events occurred, according to reports, “throughout the campus,” and were not

LINDSAY COLLIER/The Daily Campus

Motorized scooters are parked outside buildings across campus. The UConn Police Department is working to resolve cases of motorized scooter thefts that they say are not isolated.

isolated. Details released to the public regarding the ongoing case were limited.

Students reacted to the alerts with surprise and concern.

“It makes me kind of nervous…we’ve been getting a lot of alerts this summer. It makes me wonder what’s going to happen when we’re on campus,” said Ashley Peterkin, a 6thsemester communications and

» PREVIEW

sport management double major.

Outside of drug- or alcoholrelated crimes, burglary and larceny are among the most common crimes on campus, with nearly three hundred verified incidences of larceny in 2005 alone, according to the UConn Police Department’s Uniform Campus Crime Report, published on their website. The incidences of burglary on cam-

pus rose between 2006 and 2008, as well.

However, many students feel unaffected by these events.

“I’m not scared for my safety, but it does seem out of the ordinary, [these] thefts on campus,” said Alexandra Nelson, a 4thsemester biology major.

While UConn continues to struggle with relatively high prevalence of larceny, a large

number of students remain comfortable, or even uninformed of the recent thefts. In the meantime, it is recommended by the Alert system to trust one’s gut feelings, drink in moderation, “avoid walking alone at night, turn down electronic devices [which] can distract you from potential safety hazards.”

Katherine.Peinhardt@UConn.edu

» GOP

Metanoia program to Romney sweeps to nomination; focus on civility convention raps Obama

By Stephen Underwood Staff Writer

This week, the university will be kicking off UConn Metanoia 2012. The program will feature a series of lectures and events scheduled throughout the fall semester aimed at civility and what it means to be civil and take part in a civil university.

This UConn tradition dates back to the 1970s.

According to the UConn Metanoia website, “A day of Metanoia – as described in The Connecticut Daily Campus in October of 1979 – is a concept meaning ‘change of attitude’ that was introduced at UConn in 1970. As an institutional tradition, programming is developed to promote university-wide reflection and engagement with a critical issue.”

During each UConn Metanoia, an issue of importance is chosen which allows the university community to both engage and reflect upon. In 2009, UConn’s Metanoia was aimed at sexual assault and violence towards women.

“This year’s metanoia is aimed at being more civil, ethical, and nicer to each other. We are putting on a range of events to raise awareness of civility and the campus community will be getting involved,” said Jamille Rancourt, head of Recruitment and Retention on SUBOG Outreach Committee.

“We are hosting a lecture series, a Metanoia art show, and FYE classes will also be partaking in the events. This will be a campus wide movement.”

Randy Cohen, acclaimed col-

umnist for the New York Times, will be the first speaker in the lecture series. Cohen will address such issues as plagiarism and academic civility and the ethical issues surrounding a university.

“On campus, sometimes we get lost in our own lives and we forget to consider others. We forget there are other students around us and sometimes we may also see things that are unethical. This series of events is aimed at raising awareness and reminding us to be more civil in our everyday lives,” Rancourt said.

Other events will include a panel discussion on Sept.

5, featuring UConn President Susan Herbst, Dr. Roderick P. Hart, Dean of the School of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, and Bradley Honan, CEO of KRC Research. Also, on Nov. 1, Dr. P.M. Forni, an acclaimed professor at John Hopkins University, is scheduled to lecture in Keller Auditorium at the UConn Health Center.

“A program like this makes us stop and take a look at the way we live day-to-day. When something doesn’t seem to concern us directly, it’s usually easiest not to get involved, but that can be a dangerous attitude,” said Aaron Carta, a 5th-semester math and physics major. “The difficulty comes in figuring out where to draw the line between trying to police each other’s behavior and trying to protect our community. It’s great to have an opportunity to discuss where the line should be drawn.”

Stephen.Underwood@UConn.edu

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney swept to the Republican presidential nomination Tuesday night at a stormdelayed national convention, every mention of his name cheered by delegates eager to propel him into a campaign to oust President Barack Obama in tough economic times.

Romney watched on television with his wife, Ann, at a hotel suite across the street from the hall as the convention sealed his hard-won victories in the primaries and caucuses of last winter.

“I read somewhere that Mitt and I have a “storybook marriage,” she said in excerpts released in advance of a primetime speech meant to cast her multimillionaire-businessmanturned-politician husband in a soft and likable light. “Well, in the storybooks I read, there were never long, long, rainy winter afternoons in a house with five boys screaming at once.”

“A storybook marriage? No, not at all. What Mitt Romney and I have is a real marriage,” she said.

Aides said her husband of 43 years would be in the hall when she spoke.

Through the evening, a parade of convention speakers mocked Democratic President Obama mercilessly from a made-fortelevision podium, as if to make up for lost time at an event postponed once and dogged still by Hurricane Isaac.

The Democratic president has

AP

California casts their votes for presidential candidate Mitt Romney during the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla., on Tuesday.

“never run a company. He hasn’t even run a garage sale or seen the inside of a lemonade stand,” declared Reince Priebus, chairman of the Republican Party.

Said House Speaker John Boehner, “His record is as shallow as his rhetoric.”

To send Romney and ticketmate Paul Ryan into the fall campaign, delegates approved

a conservative platform that calls for tax cuts – not government spending – to stimulate the economy at a time of sluggish growth and 8.3 percent unemployment.

Polls make the race a close one, to be settled in a string of battleground states where neither Romney nor the president holds a secure advantage.

What’s on at UConn today...

Research Conference 1:30 to 6:15 p.m.

Library, Class of ’47 Room The sixth annual history graduate research conference will include a speech by Thomas Scheinfeldt of George Mason University and two panels.

How to Be Good With Randy Cohen 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Jorgensen Emmy winner Randy Cohen will meld humor with a discussion of ethical issues as the Civility Metanoia Keynote speaker.

Go Greek Barbecue 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Northwest Quad Those interested in going Greek can come to socialize and meet the members of UConn’s fraternities and sororities.

Go Greek Info Session 7 to 8 p.m.

Student Union Theatre The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life and other Greek leaders will present information about going Greek.

– VICTORIA SMEY

The Daily Campus, Page 2

DAILY BRIEFING » STATE

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

News

2 islands off Conn. put up for sale

Suspect held on $3M bail in store killing

EAST HARTFORD (AP) — A man accused of killing an East Hartford convenience store clerk has been ordered held on $3 million bail.

Twenty-five-year-old Kezlyn Mendez of Hartford faced a judge Tuesday.

Relatives and friends of 47-year-old Luthfur Tarafdar, who was fatally shot in the chest on Saturday, attended Mendez’s arraignment on charges including murder.

One friend said Tarafdar was a loving father who also reached out to his community.

Police say a cell phone, fingerprint evidence and surveillance video helped identify Mendez, who has served prison time for larceny, assault and reckless driving.

Feds object to dad visiting fugitive killer

NEW HAVEN (AP) — An 80-year-old Connecticut man who helped his son flee to Mexico after he was convicted of a killing should not be allowed to visit him in prison, federal prosecutors said.

Frederick Zachs wants to visit or write his son, Adam, who is serving a 60-year sentence at Cheshire Correctional Institute. Frederick Zachs recently served a six-month prison sentence for helping his son flee and sending him money. He was also barred from contacting him for three years.

Prosecutors said Frederick Zachs helped a convicted murderer escape justice for more than 20 years, and they called his sentence “fair and reasonable.”

Adam Zachs was convicted in the 1987 shooting death of Peter Carone. He posted bond after sentencing, missed a court date in 1989 and wasn’t seen by authorities until the week of his capture last year in Mexico.

Body of hiker recovered near Snowmass Mountain

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) — Rescuers have recovered the body of a Connecticut man killed by a rockslide on Hagerman Peak near Snowmass Mountain.

The Aspen Times said the body of 24-year-old Rob Jansen of New Canaan, Conn., was recovered on Monday by a National Guard helicopter from the High-Altitude Army National Guard Aviation Training Site in Eagle.

Rescue crews were called to the scene Saturday afternoon after reports of two injured hikers, one with chest wounds and the other with a broken ankle. When they arrived, the hiker with the chest injuries was dead.

The 13,800-foot Hagerman Peak rises above Snowmass Lake and is about 11 miles from Aspen.

» NATION

Police: Mich. student attack not likely hate crime

DETROIT (AP) — A Michigan State University student said he was attacked at an off-campus party by two men who asked if he was Jewish, and when he said he was, punched him and then stapled his mouth.

“It’s shameful that in 21st century America, such religious hatred exists in our country,” Zach Tennen, a 19-year-old sophomore, said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press. “No one should ever be subjected to the horror I experienced.”

But police in East Lansing said Tuesday the incident probably isn’t a hate crime, and neither police nor Tennen’s statement provided details about the attack, including how many people were present.

East Lansing police did not return several calls from The Associated Press asking for more information. The department’s statement said the assault was “not likely a hate crime,” but did not explain the criteria for classifying a case as a hate crime or why the Tennen assault did not rise to that level.

Yosemite officials say 1,700 visitors risk disease

FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — The rustic tent cabins of Yosemite National Park – a favorite among families looking to rough it in one of the nation’s most majestic settings – have become the scene of a public health crisis after two visitors died from a rodent-borne disease following overnight stays.

On Tuesday, park officials sent letters and emails to 1,700 visitors who stayed in some of the dwellings in June, July and August, warning them that they may have been exposed to the disease that also caused two other people to fall ill.

Those four people contracted hantavirus pulmonary syndrome after spending time in one of the 91 “Signature Tent Cabins” at Curry Village around the same time in June. The illness is spread by contact with rodent feces, urine and saliva, or by inhaling exposed airborne particles.

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AP

This Aug. 2012 photo released by William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty shows Belden Island, one of the Thimble Islands off shore from Branford in Long Island Sound.

Secluded properties off of Branford selling for $3.95 mil, $2 mil NEW HAVEN (AP) — A woman who amassed a collection of small islands off the Connecticut coast is selling two of them.

Christine Svenningsen, a widow of a party-goods magnate, is selling Belden Island for $3.95 million and Jepson Island for nearly $2 million, her real estate agents said.

They are part of the Thimble Islands off Branford, which have attracted celebrities and the wealthy for generations.

“For anybody looking for privacy it’s got great appeal yet it’s very close to the mainland,” said Clint Rodenberg, an agent at William Pitt Sotheby’s in Madison, where listing agents

Donors standing by Lance Armstrong’s foundation NEW YORK (AP) — Lance Armstrong’s reputation may be permanently stained but in the eyes of corporate and individual donors, his charity still wears an unsullied yellow jersey.

Armstrong announced last week he would no longer fight the doping allegations that have dogged him for years. He was subsequently stripped of his record seven Tour de France titles and banned from professional cycling.

But in the days following the announcement, the Lance Armstrong Foundation was showered with donations and pledges of continued support for its mission of promoting cancer awareness and research.

Public relations professionals say that while the famous cyclist and cancer survivor remains a polarizing figure, even his naysayers will have a hard time turning their back on the foundation and its trademark Livestrong yellow bracelets.

Armstrong’s decision not to contest the doping charges may allow both him and his charity to finally move on, they say.

“He never said he’s guilty, he said he’s sick of fighting,” said Peter Shankman, a vice president at the public relations firm Vocus Inc., noting that none of the allegations against Armstrong have been proven. “He becomes a hero in this.”

Margaret Muir and Tony Nuzzo are handling the sale.

Svenningsen, an artist who has restored many of the properties, spent around $33 million to buy about 10 islands in Long Island Sound.

“They’re like little pieces of art. I get to put my brush to them,” Svenningsen said in 2006.

She does not plan to sell the other islands she owns, Rodenberg said.

“She’s looking for someone who will respect them and enjoy them as much as she does,” Rodenberg said. “She’s simplifying her life somewhat.”

The houses are seasonal and rely on gas lights and solar

William H. Taft and actor James Earl Jones were among the visitors, while “Doonesbury” cartoonist Garry Trudeau and his wife, newscaster Jane Pauley, own an island home.

Svenningsen’s late husband, John, bought a home on the islands in the late 1970s. After he died in 1997, she began to buy more islands.

She bought the house where circus star Tom Thumb courted “Miss Emily.” Local legend has it that his boss, P.T. Barnum, ordered Thumb instead to marry “Miss Livinia,” another of his performers.

Tom and Emily’s names remain etched in a rock near the house.

Colo. theater victim families question fundraising

AURORA, Colo. (AP) — Anguished family members of some of the Colorado theater shooting victims lashed out at a fundraising campaign Tuesday, saying it collected more than $5 million “using pictures and names of our murdered loved ones” but so far has given no more than $5,000 each to families facing bills for medical treatment, travel and other expense from the attack.

The families also said they’ve been shut out of decisions on how the money should be spent and that fundraisers were unresponsive to their questions and suggestions.

“When you generate donations for a fund called ‘the Aurora Victim Relief Fund’ using pictures and names of our murdered loved ones, it would stand to reason the fund is for victims of the Aurora shooting,” said Tom Teves, whose son Alex was one of 12 people killed in the July 20 shootings. Another 58 people were wounded, and many of them face long recoveries or permanent disability.

At a sometimes-emotional news conference, Teves read a seven-page statement demanding the fundraisers give the victims and their families a say in how the money is used and questioning why so far only a relatively small portion, $350,000, was being distributed

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power, Rodenberg said.

Jepson Island is a little over one-quarter of an acre and has a 1,100-square-foot house with a wraparound deck. Belden is slightly over an acre and has a 1912 colonial with about 2,100 square feet and clam beds.

Of the hundreds of Thimble Islands, about 25 are considered habitable. Tour boats have taken sightseers among the islands for generations, while treasure hunters have combed them for Captain Kidd’s buried riches.

Houses on the islands have long served as social gathering spots for the wealthy and famous, as well as summer vacation sites for families of more modest means. President

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Dave Hoover, bottom center, hugs Caren Teves, bottom right, after a press conference by the relatives of the victims of the Colorado theatre shooting in Aurora, Colo., on Tuesday.

to the victims.

Teves said the statement was on behalf of 11 families.

Eighteen other people crowded onto a small platform behind him, some dabbing their eyes with tissues, clasping hands or leaning on each other.

The Community First Foundation, asked by Gov. John Hickenlooper to operate the relief fund, said on its website it has raised just over $5 million for the Aurora Victim Relief Fund. The foundation announced on Aug. 17 that it would give $350,000 to the Colorado Organization for

Victim Assistance to distribute among the surviving victims and the families of those who died. Earlier, it said another $100,000 was given to 10 nonprofit groups.

Marla J. Williams, president the Community First Foundation, said a gag order imposed by Arapahoe County District Judge William Blair Sylvester made it difficult to find all the victims and their families.

She said a group has been set up to recommend how to spend the donations but no victims’ representatives have been chosen yet.

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.

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The Daily Campus Editorial Board

Elizabeth Crowley, Editor-in-Chief Tyler McCarthy, Commentary Editor Jesse Rifkin, Associate Commentary Editor Chris Kempf, Weekly Columnist John Nitowski, Weekly Columnist Sam Tracy, Weekly Columnist

» EDITORIAL

New York Times justified in front page graphic photo

5

8-year-old Jeffery Johnson, a disgruntled women’s apparel designer, went on a brief shooting rampage last Friday morning in front of the Empire State building in New York City. Because of the nature of the situation and the location in which it took place, Johnson’s actions made national news on almost every major media outlet.

One of these outlets was The New York Times which covered the story live on their website with breaking news updates and photos. Among these photos from the Times’ website was a graphic image of Johnson’s intended target, Steven Ercolino, laying lifeless in a river of his own blood.

Immediately following the posting of this image, the newspaper received complaints from some readers who felt that the image was too graphic and believed that the Times was acting in poor taste by showing it. The paper eventually moved the image into a slideshow and removed it from their homepage as the lead photo of their coverage.

David Carr, writer of the Times’ Media Equation column, Tweeted his feelings about the photo’s backlash saying, “Just showing survivors weeping after gun violence does not tell full story. Sometime you have to go there.”

Carr is right. The New York Times has, for decades, been a beacon of reporting excellence. All news stories come with a different set of ethical issues. While some people may have found the images disturbing, the idea of watering down the news to show only what is acceptable for the most delicate of sensibilities is far more disturbing to what should be an intelligent and learned public.

The entire ethical debate behind disturbing images is becoming more and more moot as smart-phones find their way into every person’s pocket. The photo of Ercolino was one of a litany of others taken by witnesses on the street. While it’s tragic to think that Steven Ercolino’s surviving family members have to face the reality of those pictures being public, the Times is in an unfortunate position of having to report the news as accurately as it can. Therefore, the reality of the situation had to be taken into account and the photo had to be published, if for no other reason than to keep up with what could be found on various Twitter, Facebook and blog pages of non-journalists who were able to gather content in one of the most heavily populated areas in New York City.

This is not to say that the Times had amateur photographers in mind when publishing the photo, it is simply a reason that backlash for publishing the photo is unfounded in a modern age. The newspaper made the extremely difficult ethical decision to run a graphic photo in order to confront the public with the reality of the situation. A reaction against that is tantamount to an advocacy for burying people’s heads in the sand in order to avoid controversial subject matter. Such mentality should have no place in an intelligent society.

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.

So how many upperclassmen have already walked on the east side of the library and found themselves trapped by the new dead end?

Is Oak Hall two buildings or something? What’s with this weird underpass?

If only the mosquito that bit me on the bottom of my foot could realize the terrible dilemma I’ve been put in: ignoring the itching vs. tickling myself.

Almost hit a turkey while driving in Storrs...Yep, I’m in CT again.

To the young lady (grad student?) who left a note saying “Nice FSM :D RAmen! <3” on my windshield on the roof of North Garage Monday afternoon: leave me another note with your phone number. We have much to discuss!

When my fan is off, I’m too hot. When my fan is on, I’m too cold. #thirdworldproblem That moment, when you woke up early and then walked 20 min through the pouring rain to get to a class, only to find out that you’re in the wrong place when the professor hands you an Agricultural and Natural Resource Economics syllabus.

Bring on the Freshman 15!

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.

Moneyball: Why the Olympics shouldn’t happen

I

have a lot of different opinions about a lot of popular topics. One of these things happens to be the Olympics.

You know it: it’s the worldwide sports event where we get together in the name of humanity and peacefully compete in dozens of sports competitions in one of the finest cities in the world. This summer the Olympics were held in London. Four years ago, they were held in Beijing.

I’m not really into sports, so the Olympics usually don’t concern me.

What did interest me were the ramifications of the games. I liked reading about

By John D. Nitowski the 1936 Games Weekly Columnist in (Nazi) Berlin, the 1972 Munich Massacre, or the boycotts between 1976-1984. After all, these are things that have something of an effect on the world. So this year, I suddenly wondered why a lot of these cities even want to host the Olympics.

Some developing countries, like China and Brazil, want to display that they are a power on par with the United States and Europe. For the United States and Europe, it’s a chance to bring new business, tourism, and an economic boost.

But I really have to question what kind of an economic boost the games really create. Maybe for a place like Rio, it would give the Brazilian government an excuse

to clean the city up, or pump some funds into their most populous city. But for a well-established place like London, Rome, or Barcelona, could the games really bring enough money to keep the government out of debt, or at best just break even?

Put simply: they don’t bring in ANY money.

In 2004, the games were hosted in Athens, which you’ll remember is where the original Olympic games were held in ancient times. Greece is a tiny country, and the nine billion Euro pricetag for the games ended up being 5% of their GDP. If we spent that much proportionally on the Olympics in the United States, it would be $750 million. In other words, we would have to sell the entire State of Florida to pay for the games. Now that we have enough data points to look at the formerly assumed economic boom the games don’t bring, it’s rather obvious what caused the Greek financial collapse.

Vancouver, Canada hosted the last winter Olympics and spent 4 billion Canadian dollars on their Olympic village. Because of the ambitious project, the city is still CA $740 million in debt because of the housing project, and has given up on breaking even. The city will be happy if they restrict their losses to a measly CA $100 million.

Having seen what kind of a financial terror Vancouver faced, the people of Bern, Switzerland must have breathed a sigh of relief when their city was passed over hosting the 2010 Winter Games.

Of course, aside from the fact that your taxes increase and your city’s stadium may

never get built (the Montreal Olympic stadium wasn’t completed until 11 years after the games. Today it’s used as a skate-park and a concert venue. The only two mildly useful projects beginning are the urban agriculture initiative and the city zoo), there’s the possibility that if you live in a host city, you’ll be forced out of your home.

After all, when a city is building new infrastructure for the games (stadium, transportation system, Olympic village, etc.) they need to put it somewhere. And the original city architects probably didn’t have such a feat in mind when they designed London, Athens, or Beijing. So who gets the short stick and has to move so people all over the world can finally find out which country has the better gymnasts?

Easy: the poor.

In America, it’s called eminent domain.

The government will come in and give you a paltry sum of money and tell you when you need to leave. That’s what happened in 1996 when 30,000 people were forced out of their homes in Atlanta, Georgia. Those numbers are dwarfed by the 1988 Seoul games (720,000 people) and of course, the 2008 Beijing games (1.5 million). Given China’s behavior toward their Tibetan population in 2008, I doubt they bothered with eminent domain laws.

The only thing good about the Olympics is that they only happen every four years.

Weekly columnist John Nitowski is a 7thsemester english major. He can be reached at John.Nitowski@UConn.edu.

Legalized marijuana supporters deserve a better reputation

M

any people who have known me for years are surprised to learn I support the legalization of marijuana. They point out how anti-drugs I was in high school and wonder how I could have changed. However, I still am anti-drugs in the sense that I have no desire to ever use them. That doesn’t, and shouldn’t, make me anti-drug in terms of the law.

By Gregory Koch People have a Staff Columnist misconception that everyone who supports legal marijuana is pro-drugs, or as they might say, a pothead or a druggie. This belief is both false and harmful. No one assumes that all supporters of same-sex marriage are homosexuals themselves. There are plenty of supporters of marriage equality who have no intention of ever marrying someone of their own sex. Likewise, not all pro-choice women plan on eventually having an unplanned pregnancy and seeking an abortion (irony intended). Therefore, it is unfair for people to assume that everyone who supports the legalization of marijuana does so because they want to get high.

There are many valid reasons for opposing the War on Drugs.

Even conceding the argument that using marijuana once has

lifelong adverse effects on the individual, the same is true of incarceration and the creation of a criminal record. Even if marijuana is harmful under all circumstances, throwing the user in jail simply creates a second punishment for a “crime” which only harms the offender.

Even President Obama admits he smoked marijuana when he was younger. Perhaps this was just an act of youthful foolishness and he is wiser now.

That’s fine. I’ve certainly committed some acts of youthful foolishness. However, Obama supports incarcerating young people for making the same mistakes he made and branding them with a lifelong criminal record. That is unfair to those young adults. Carrying a criminal record harms an individual far more than smoking marijuana once.

Furthermore, drug prohibition creates inner-city and cross border violence among criminal gangs. This is bound to happen under any form of prohibition. Consider the lesson we should have learned (but evidently have not) from alcohol Prohibition in the 1920s. Prior to the passage of the 18th Amendment, the American Mafia was little more than a loosely connected group of small street gangs. By the time Prohibition was finally repealed, it had grown into

the largest organized criminal organization in the country.

Under marijuana prohibition, there are frequent clashes between rival gangs along the US-Mexico border, fighting for the opportunity to bootleg marijuana into the United States. Marijuana is the largest cash crop in California, followed by grapes. However, as popular as wine is in California, drug gangs aren’t killing each other in order to smuggle Pinot over the border. After all, anyone 21 or older can buy wine quite legally in California.

There is no opportunity for a crime-laden black market.

Of course, during Prohibition, there were plenty of bootleg gangs illegally transporting alcohol around the country– including those controlled by notorious gangster Al Capone.

Many people support drug laws on the grounds that drugs cause violence. However, the violence caused by draconian drug laws far exceeds violence caused by drugs.

Furthermore, by bringing marijuana into the legal market, it can be taxed by the government. That money can then be used by the government for public benefit, like drug education. The merit of any specific tax is beyond the scope of this article. However, currently drug dealers pay no

tax on their illicit sales. They don’t report it to the IRS and they don’t make the buyers pay sales tax. By bringing marijuana sales into the legal market, the government could increase tax revenue significantly. This money could be used to fund education instead of incarceration.

Clearly, there are many perfectly rational reasons to support legalizing marijuana. I have chosen not to use marijuana, for multiple reasons which I will choose to keep private. However, I do not support the War on Drugs either. It increases the violence it was supposed to stop, it designates people “criminals” for “crimes” of which they are solely victims, and it takes away potential tax income that could be used to fund drug education instead of incarceration. The misconception that pro-legalization equals promarijuana has harmful effects.

Speaking from personal experience, I can say it has created a public reluctance to support the former. Legalization of marijuana would have many positive effects, even for those who never plan on using it.

Staff Columnist Gregory Koch is a 5th-semester actuarial science major. He can be reached at Gregory.Koch@UConn.edu.

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Hurricane Katrina makes landfall near New Orleans as a Category 4, causing the city up to $150 billion in estimated damage.

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Richard Attenborough - 1924 John McCain - 1937 Michael Jackson - 1958 Lea Michele - 1987

The Daily Campus, Page 5

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Fall into a show at Jorgensen

» From The Writer’s Desk

Universal writing tips for every major

By Jason Wong Staff Writer

Photos courtesy of jorgensen.uconn.edu

Clockwise from left: singer Regina Spektor, folk musicians the Punch Brothers and comedian Ron White. They, and many more artists, will be coming to the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts over the upcoming fall semester.

Tickets for many shows at the venue are as low as $10 for students.

By Focus Staff You may not know it, but here at UConn we have a fantastic concert hall that hosts everything from concerts to comedy to arts performances. On the corner of Glenbrook Road and Hillside Road, across from the Student Union, sits the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts.

The only thing better than such a nice venue on campus would be student-ticket prices, you say?

Well, you’re in luck – every show has a discount if you show a student ID. Prices for nonstudents can rise above $50, but students rarely have to pay more than $25. Frequently, tickets are as low as $10.

Here are some selections from this fall’s calendar you’ll want to keep your eyes on. Tickets are available at the box office and online at jorgensen.uconn.edu, where you can also find the full fall schedule.

September 15 – Mary Chapin Carpenter The season begins in mid-September with a performance by Mary Chapin Carpenter, who has won five Grammys, including four straight for Best Female Country Vocal Performance from 19921995. Touring behind her new record “Ashes and Roses,” a night with Carpenter is a night well spent. Student tickets start at $20.

October 4 – Punch Brothers Fresh off an inclusion in this spring’s massive “Hunger Games” soundtrack, the fantastic “classical bluegrass” band Punch Brothers comes to Jorgensen.

Expect a raucous night of Mumford & Sons-esque southern-twanged folk rock. Tickets start at $10.

October 6 – Regina Spektor Famed singer-songwriter and pianist Regina Spektor hits Jorgensen as October comes into full swing. Riding the success

Is free-to-play killing the subscription MMO?

By Alex Sferrazza Campus Correspondent When “Star Wars: The Old Republic” launched last December, the MMO was perhaps the largest and most ambitious video game project ever undertaken. With a development period that lasted over five years and a budget rumored to be in the hundreds of millions, it’s understandable that publisher EA was a bit worried that their investment wouldn’t pay off. To console themselves, and fans everywhere, EA was assured the most competent developer of modern role-playing games on the planet, Bioware, was on the job. The developers of “Mass Effect,” “Balder’s Gate” and “Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic,” they seemed up to the task.

The goal for “Star Wars: TOR” was to create a massively multiplayer open world RPG in the same vein as such games as “Everquest” and “World of Warcraft.” However, it would be different; it was to feature cutscenes with fully voiced dialogue in conversations with almost every single non playable character, also allowing the player freedom to select their response. The choices would have potentially farreaching consequences later in the game. This required over 200,000 lines of dialogue to be written and recorded, the most ever in an MMO. The game launched very strong, receiving one million subscribers in three days, peaking at 1.7 million total.

By August 2012, numbers dropped well below one million. While still a lot, that is a massive amount of subscribers lost in less than nine months.

As a result, Bioware has laid off much of its staff on the

project.

Some say that the massive loss is due to a lack of content after the player has completed the game’s story and quests, and then interacts with other players. While possibly a contributing factor, the more likely cause is much simpler.

In the modern world of microtransactions, it has become increasingly hard to convince consumers to pay $40-$60 for a game like “TOR” in addition to a monthly fee of $14.99.

This is no isolated incident either. Even “World of Warcraft,” has dabbled into the free-to-play realm. Starting in 2011, Blizzard allowed people to play the game for an unlimited amount of time until their character reaches level 20, at which point they might subscribe. It was recently revealed that Blizzard’s subscription numbers have dipped nearly one million subscribers to 9.1 million. It’s not hard to imagine them expanding upon their free-to-play model.

The free-to-play trend has extended well beyond MMOs. Valve’s popular online shooter “Team Fortress 2” went freeto-play in 2011. The game itself is free and income is generated when players purchase character modifications at minimal prices. According to Valve, revenue has increased twelvefold since the change.

While details are currently limited, EA has stated that players will be able to play “TOR” to level 50 at no cost, while still requiring the monthly $14.99 for future content. With this latest casualty however, the world of the subscription-only MMO seems doomed to end sooner rather than later.

Alex.Sferrazzar@UConn.edu

of her album “What We Saw From The Cheap Seats,” which debuted at #3 on the Billboard chart in May, Spektor is sure to put on a show when she comes to Storrs. Tickets start at $25.

October 14 – Pat Metheny Unity Band Jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, who brings a whopping 19 Grammy wins with him to Jorgensen tonight, will perform with his band and his 42-string guitar. Tickets start at $10.

October 19 – Staff Benda Bilili You’ve never heard of these guys, but you don’t want to miss their performance. A group of disabled street musicians from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, they play rumba music with elements of reggae and rhythm and blues. Their story of triumph must be seen. Tickets start at $10.

October 26 – Ron White They call him Tater Salad!

Blue Collar Comedy king Ron White brings his unique style of comedy, his scotch and his “Moral Compass” tour to Storrs this weekend. If you’re a huge fan of White, you can purchase a VIP access pass to meet him after the show for $178. Otherwise, tickets start at $25.

November 1 – Pilobolus This unique dance group will amaze the Jorgensen audience in tonight’s performance, which blends gymnastics, dance, striking imagery and humor. The New York Times said their performances are where “acrobatics are liquefied into poetry.”

Tickets start at $10.

November 10 – Dr. John and the Blind Boys of Alabama Dr. John, a five-time Grammy winner inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year and famous for his song “Right Place, Wrong Time,” brings the gospel group The Blind Boys of

Alabama with him to Jorgensen for a night of jazz, blues and gospel. Tickets start at $20.

November 29 – Jake Shimabukuro Coming back after earning rave reviews last year, ukulele superstar Jake Shimabukuro returns to Jorgensen with a set mixed between original music and classic covers (“While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Bohemian Rhapsody”). Tickets start at $10.

December 1 – Boston Pops Holiday Concert & Winter Gala The New York Times calls the Boston Pops “the best-known, most recorded and arguably most popular orchestra in the United States,” and they’re back in town for their yearly holiday concert.

Come see your favorite holiday carols in impressive form, and Santa might even make an appearance! Tickets start at $35.

Focus@dailycampus.com

New McMahon Dining Hall receives rave reviews

JON KULAKOFSKY/The Daily Campus

Students grab a bite to eat at the newly-reopened and renovated McMahon Dining Hall. The newly revamped menu, geared toward international students, can be enjoyed by all in the southwest corner of campus.

By Juliana Massa Campus Correspondent Although the new McMahon Dining Hall was designed to accommodate the growing number of international students on campus, there is no doubt the entire UConn community is excited about its grand opening.

“It’s definitely a step up,” said junior Taylor Byrne. “I like the new contemporary style.”

With the new café style seating lounge and top-to-bottom windowed patio, McMahon Dining Hall appears to be attracting students now more than ever.

The new design is not the only change that can be seen at McMahon. An extensive new menu now features an “International Fare” theme.

However, for students looking for a more traditional American meal, the salad and sandwich bars remain accessible.

“The international menu is designed to accommodate the growing number of international students here at UConn, and also to serve as an educational opportunity for the entire community,” said McMahon Area Manager Eric Janssen.

More than 3,000 International students from over 120 countries study at UConn, according to the Office of Undergraduate Admission’s 2011 International Viewbook.

“The new pizza tastes like it’s from Bertucci’s,” said senior David Switala.

In order to accommodate the new menu, several new kitchen appliances were purchased, including

a stone oven, similar to the Pompeii Oven used in the Student Union Marketplace. A wok station for Asian-inspired dishes and a Tandoori oven for Indian-inspired dishes were also added.

The open kitchens concept is another new feature in McMahon Dining Hall. This brings the previously behind-the-scenes cooking platforms to the central dining area to give students a more interactive experience.

“Students will now have the ability to ensure the freshness of their meal by watching the preparation from start to end,” said Janssen.

“It’s good being able to watch the chefs make your food, and see them actually wearing gloves,” said 1st-semester Monica Dahlgren. “It’s kinda like going out for Hibachi.”

In light of the renovations and menu changes, McMahon also opted to change their service styles.

“Really, the main reason we’re doing the preplated foods on smaller plates is to reduce the unnecessary amount of food wasted and the resources used to make it,” Janssen said.

“Yeah it will definitely help save food, but I like being able to just go up and get your own stuff,” said junior Ryan Tracy. “I feel like it’s understaffed because there are way too many long lines for the different stations. Hopefully they can fix that.”

“All around, the new McMahon is absolutely better than before,” said Byrne. “It ‘s definitely living up to its ‘McMansion’ reputation.”

Juliana.Mazza@UConn.edu

Regardless of what your major is, at some point in your college career, you are going to either have to write something or you’re going to want to write something. It could be something dry, like a research paper or an essay, or it could be something more creative.

Whichever it is, having decent writing skills is important. Developing them is, unfortunately, the difficult part. For this article, I am going to focus mostly on creative writing, but I think some of these tips are universal.... at least universal-ish.

I hate to bring it up, but spelling and grammar are important, unless you are doing some creative writing where the spelling and/ or grammar is intentionally wrong for an artistic reason.

As that is generally not the case, using proper spelling and grammar is essential to making sure your work is not only professional, but also easily comprehensible.

Many employers will not hire prospective employees who turn in mistake-ridden cover letters because those prospective employees are essentially letting the employers know that, in over sixteen years of schooling, they have yet to figure out the difference between “then” and “than.”

Now that all that unpleasantness is over with, let’s talk about how to improve your writing. It might seem obvious, but writing is an art where practice makes perfect.

It is said that a person has to write one million words before he or she is ready to write a novel.

Luckily, everything counts.

Keep a diary. Have a pen pal.

Get back at that person who sends you chain e-mails by sending them made-up ones of your own. Or, if you have aspirations to be the next big author, write poems, short stories, memoirs. Ask an English professor for a fun creative writing prompt. Utilizing one or all of these techniques will invariably help your writing.

Another thing I think is extremely important in the process of writing is reading.

I am not saying that reading a lot will instantly make your writing better. What I am saying is that reading a lot will give you a larger vocabulary, different insights, and so on and so forth.

An important thing to note about the process of writing is that it is deceptively difficult to do well. Try not to let yourself become discouraged. I cannot say the feeling universal, but I have friends who are not English majors (shame, really) who dread writing papers, much preferring the idea of a multiplechoice exam.

Writer’s block happens to everyone. The trick is to take a break, have a conversation with someone and then get back to it.

What else is there to say about the basics of writing?

Only this, I think: writing is perhaps the clearest way human beings have of communicating with each other.

Good writing can amuse, comfort, depress and inspire.

It can bring about revolutions.

To me, writing is all of those things and more. So pick up a pen and add to humankind’s legacy.

Jason.Wong@UConn.edu

The Daily Campus, Page 6

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Focus

FOCUS ON:

Game Of The Week

GAMES

The Bible Game PS2

Your game reviews could be here!

Stop in to a Focus meeting, Mondays at 8 p.m. at the DC Building.

Ashes to ashes...

Recently Reviewed

Courtesy of Gamespot.com

Rock Band Blitz - 7.5/10 Bullet Run - 5.5/10 Madden NFL 13 7.5/10 Transformers: Fall of Cybertron - 7.0/10 Retro/Grade - 7.0/10 Darksiders 2 - 8.0/10 Papo and Yo - 7.5 Sleeping Dogs - 8.0/10 Score data from Gamespot.com

Upcoming Releases Week of August 29 Guild Wars 2 (PC) Madden NFL 13 (360, PS3, VITA) Rock Band Blitz (PS3, 360) Ratchet and Clank Collection (PS3) Mass Effect 3: Leviathan (360, PS3, PC) September 4 The Sims 3 Supernatural (PC) Mark of the Ninja (360) Dogfight 1942 (360) Modern Warfare 3 Pack 4 (360) Zen Pinball 2 (PS3)

The uncertainty of the hundredmillion-dollar budget Photo courtesy of gamespot.com

‘Dust: An Elysian Tail’ had been in production for more than three years, but the beautiful hand-drawn graphics, fun combat and emphasis on discovery makes it well worth a download from the Xbox Live Arcade now that it’s finally released.

By Joe O’Leary Focus Editor Xbox Live Arcade Marketplace has been around as long as the Xbox 360 has (seven years now). Almost since its inception, it’s been releasing a new game every Wednesday, sometimes more. That’s a lot of games.

Often, there’s a game that simply slips through the cracks in the difficult world of indie gaming. The money runs out, the team hits a wall, the endeavor dies. What’s rarer is a game that manages to survive a development cycle of more than three years and not only makes it onto the Marketplace, but shines next to its competition when it’s released. “Dust: An Elysian Tail” is one of those games.

It’s a simple game with a decent amount of features and addictive, combat-driven gameplay. The development team consists of one person – his name is Dean Dodrill – has worked since 2009 to hone the game.

His efforts have paid off.

Though the side-scrolling adventure game’s graphics are like a Flash cartoon, they’re beautifully drawn with loving detail.

The protagonist is a silent swordsman named Dust, and his silver frame clashes

beautifully against the countrysides, caves, frozen tundras and other locales he visits to find his past.

The plot is basic, with missions strewn about. Dust has amnesia; he needs to not have amnesia, pretty simple. (Admittedly, I am horrible at the game, so if there was a late plot twist I didn’t make it there yet.)

And between Dust and his chance at not having amnesia, there are thousands of enemies to fight. Luckily, he has Fidget, a weird flying cat thing who is as equally annoying as Navi from “The Legend of Zelda.”

Dust: An Elysian Tail Xbox 360 7/10

Combat is simple yet expansive, as Dust has some basic sword moves (and unlocks more as he goes). It’s all about keeping combos in the game; the higher the combo, the more experience you get (until you gain a level, in which case mild RPG elements come into play as you raise your attack, defense and HP). But keeping combos, or pushing them into the hundreds, is just as entertaining as it’s always been, whether the game was “Devil May Cry” or “Tony

expansions may change that.

The downside to Dawnguard is just like Skyrim: once you adjust to the difficulty, you’ll start finding yourself repeating the same winning combination of moves over and over again. Although the enemies are stronger, their weaknesses are easily exploited.

If I would recommend “Dawnguard,” it would either be for a “Skyrim” addict looking for a fix or players looking for more story. The Dawnguard side is pretty linear and unimaginative, but the joining the Vampires in castle Volhikar will embroil the player in a lot of courtly intrigue.

All in all, if you liked “Skyrim,” you will love “Dawnguard.” Like “Skyrim,” it has a lot of bang for your buck, at 20 dollars for 20+ hours. And it’s a great way to show your support for an innovative game company.

Hello, UConn! I’m taking the reins of the Gamer’s Piece from Jason Bogdan, who graduated last year. It’ll be hard to follow in his footsteps, but I hope to do the best I can. Over time, I’ll touch on topics like games I’m playing or revisiting, drama in the gaming atmosphere and changes occurring to modern gaming culture, which has definitely changed a lot since 1997, when I got a Game Boy Pocket and “Bugs Bunny’s Crazy Castle 3” for Christmas to begin my gaming career.

One of the things that have changed is the size of a modern gaming budget. For instance, “Max Payne 3” was widely reported by sources such as Destructoid to have a budget topping $100 million in late 2011. Now, that’s the budget of a triple-A game from Rockstar, and it doesn’t help that it took the game about 9 years to come out. However, that doesn’t excuse the budget; it’s simply too much spent to make anything back.

After it came out in May, “Payne 3” was reported to have moved somewhere around 3 million units by its publisher, Take Two Interactive, but NPD reports placed them much lower, at only 440,000 actually sold at retail in its first month (PC sales notwithstanding).

Now, I don’t know about you, but it doesn’t seem like that’s nearly enough money to earn Take Two back its $100 million, and it’s not the first hit they’ve taken. The company lost $107.7 million in its 2011 fiscal year, after “LA Noire” failed to be the massive hit “Red Dead Redemption” was in 2010.

And that’s just one example.

I know the sample size is small, but the evidence is overwhelming. If Take Two is losing $100 million and all they have to save them is their “Grand Theft Auto” lifeboat, one failure could sink the entire studio. And it’s happened a lot recently. Remember Bizarre Creations, who created “Geometry Wars” and “Project Gotham Racing”? Two classics, right? They were shuttered in 2010 after high-profile games “Blur” and “James Bond 007: Blood Stone” were lost in the shuffle (one released opposite “Redemption,” the other went up against “Black Ops”). Team Bondi, who made the aforementioned “LA Noire,” closed in 2011 after that game underperformed and its budget couldn’t be covered.

There are dozens of other stories here, including ones that include sheer incompetence (oh, Curt Schilling, why did you try to make a “World of Warcraft” killer and fail miserably? State of Rhode Island, how did you ever pay $75 million to make it?), but they all seem to be leading to the same conclusion. If one or two slowselling games can kill a company, four or five could kill a major one.

And in a world where only “Call of Duty” and “Just Dance” can stay on the top 10 charts, why couldn’t that happen?

Deepti.Boddapati@UConn.edu

Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu

Hawk’s Pro Skater.” Simple yet addictive, the swordplay is great, and things are made more exciting when you use Fidget’s magic to send a flurry of white goop at your enemies, racking up immediate 20-hit combos with the first hit. Add in dashing, and make these controls well-made, and you’ve got a very fun game.

The exploration of the game is also fun, as it’s a cross between the “Metroid” map system, Castlevania’s exploration and emphasis on 100% completion and Zelda’s combat. It’s complicated but fun to wrap your head around.

Unfortunately, it’s not close to perfect.

It’s easy to get lost or meet up with enemies who will immediately slay you; the game’s difficulty curve is a bit harsh. Plus, the game’s pretty basic; it could be easy to become bored of the combat once its pretty shine wears off.

Overall, though, considering its history, it’s more than impressive that “Dust: An Elysian Tail” made it to Xbox Live Arcade in the good shape it’s in. It’s not a “Call of Duty” killer by any means, but if you want a new experience on the cheap, “Dust” is a good deal at only $15.

Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu

Vampires don’t sparkle in ‘Dawnguard’

Focus Favorites

‘Pokemon Trading Card Game’ (GB)

Hey, wanna know a secret?

Those open lectures where your professors read off slides and let you have your laptop out aren’t for studying or note-taking. That’s what last minute cramming is for. Instead, with a few seconds of Google-Fu, you could easily be playing hundreds of games that have been turned into Flash ROMS, hosted on a website for your convenience.

Some even save. My personal favorite is “Pokemon Trading Card Game,” which was ten times more fun than the actual cards ever were with snappy gameplay and addicting collecting.

-Joe O’Leary

Photo courtesy of gamespot.com

‘Dawnguard,’ the new downloadable expansion for November’s “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim,’ is unfortunately uneven; while it adds vampires and a new faction to the game, it can become as tedious as the original. Fans of the game shouldn’t feel bad spending $20 on the expansion, though.

By Deepti Boddapati Campus Correspondent Have you logged hundreds of hours into “Skyrim?” Have you joined every single guild? Even the Cannibalistic guild? Did you beat every single dungeon and become Thane for all the Jarls, only to find that you want more “Skyrim?” Have you been living in withdrawal? Well, never fear, because Bethesda has finally released the “Dawnguard” add-on.

“Dawnguard” extends the Skyrim world to include two new factions, the Vampires and the Dawnguard. If you enjoyed playing on the side of righteous good, joining the game’s companions and sympathized with its Vigilants, the Dawnguard is the faction for you. On the other hand, if you massacred everyone in the Hall of the Vigilants and bathed in their blood, the Vampires are your people. Either way, the quest line begins with a city guard telling you about the

new Fort Dawnguard, which is recruiting people to fight against the rising vampire horde. If you don’t receive the quest from the guards, a non-player-character named Durak will approach you with the quest when you reach level 10.

Difficulty-wise, “Dawnguard” is definitely for the experienced player.

The Vampires are incredibly difficult to defeat.

They soak damage while constantly leeching you of health and throwing incredibly powerful spells at you. The Dawnguard is no easy match either. If you choose to join the Vampires you will find that they have several weapons, and armor, designed to be extra effective against you and your blood-sucking bretheren. The crossbow, while it doesn’t have as much range as a bow, is lethal, packing enough damage to one-hit-kill a char-

acter. The environment is much harder as well. Step carefully in the dungeons, because they feature more traps than ever before. One lovely trap was a pit of spikes, which could only be escaped via a corridor of swinging axes. The light level was also dimmed, so you might find yourself fighting enemies that you can barely see.

Although most companions are about as useful as a sack of flour, Serana, a vampire companion introduced in the expansion, proves to be very different. She is skilled in both magical and melee combat. And because she is essential, she requires no babysitting. Her personality is enjoyable as well, as she acts like a princess, even requiring the Dragonborn to earn her trust.

Unfortunately, she is not available for marriage; you’ll only get rejected if you try. Future

Skyrim: Dawnguard DLC: 360, PC 7/10

By Joe O’Leary Focus Editor

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Focus

The Daily Campus, Page 7

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Comics

HOROSCOPES Today’sBirthday (08/29/12).

Embrace priorities and release unnecessary fluff.

This year’s potentially brilliant for your career.

Creativity, expression and communications shine, and your circles open new doors.

Relationships get particularly interesting after autumn.

Love’s the new currency: spread it around.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

The Daily Campus, Page 8

Side of Rice

by Laura Rice

Aries (March 21-April 19) -Today is a 7 -- There’s plenty of work to be done, and it’s the lucrative kind. But there are also plenty of distractions. Add a dash of fun and spice to keep it interesting.

Stickcat

by Karl, Chan, Fritz, Jason

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -Today is a 7 -- Feed on other people’s ideas, and add your personal brilliance. Others look to you for advice; see how you can make it work for you, financially.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Go for it.

There’s really nothing stopping you, even if it seems so. You may fail, but you won’t know if you don’t try.

Restore your power through yoga.

Editor’s Choice

by Brendan Albetski

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -Today is a 5 -- Reinvention is called for. Your intuition and creativity come to the rescue.

Co-workers get inspired and join the project. At the end, you’re all stronger.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -Today is a 7 -- Do the necessary research, and find the very best deal so you don’t spend the money that you’ll need later. Don’t overthink it, though. Trust your instinct.

Add respect.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -Today is a 7 -- Make an educated decision. They’re saying nice things about you at work. Ask for more (and get it). Friends help you get the word out. There’s fun going on, and you’re in the thick of it.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Take on a leadership role. With your excitement, everything seems easier now. Close the door for more privacy.

Discard junk and gain creativity.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -Today is an 8 -- Improve your home with a touch of love.

Listen for miracles. Don’t force the issue, though. Your fame precedes you. Walk the walk.

by Brian Ingmanson

WOULD YOU LIKE TO DRAW OR MAKE GAMES FOR THE DAILY CAMPUS COMICS?!

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Dedicate some time to write, as you’re very persuasive now. A walk outdoors helps clear up your ideas. Play the game, listen to your intuition and score.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 6 -- It’s worth the extra effort to put your ideas in action. You’re getting more and more curious.

Revamp your wardrobe. All it takes is a little juggling.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Work from home, and use money to make money. Your friends cover for you, but you have to ask them. A happy secret gets revealed. Provide information.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 5 -- Your genius and efforts are appreciated.

Grasp the new opportunities coming your way. Don’t be afraid to assume authority.

A familiar routine is comforting.

Email 3 of your best sample comics to Dailycampuscomics@gmail.com!

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

The Daily Campus, Page 9

Sports

» MLB

Tillman leads Orioles to 6-0 win over White Sox BALTIMORE (AP) — It's hard to determine which was more impressive: Chris Tillman's domination of the White Sox, or the how the Baltimore Orioles mistreated Chicago ace Chris Sale.

Tillman allowed one hit over seven innings, Nick Markakis drove in three runs and Baltimore cruised to a 6-0 victory Tuesday night to extend its winning streak to four.

Lew Ford homered for the second time in two nights and Adam Jones hit his 100th career home run for the Orioles, who moved a season-high 14 games over .500 (71-57) and remained atop the AL wild-card standings.

The only hit against Tillman (7-2) was a dribbler by Dayan Viciedo in the fifth inning that shortstop J.J. Hardy couldn't snag with an attempted barehanded pickup.

"If J.J. isn't making the play, then no one's making the play," said Tillman, who lamented his four walks more than that one scratch hit.

"There were plenty of games where I had better stuff," the right-hander insisted. "There were some spurts there when I kind of got out of whack."

Brian Matusz worked the final two innings, allowing one hit in completing Baltimore's seventh shutout.

Sale (15-5) gave up four runs and six hits in four innings, his shortest start of the season.

Coming off a 13-strikeout win over the Yankees, the left-hander lost for the second time in six starts since July 21.

Asked why he was removed after only 75 pitches, Sale replied, "Just came to me after the fourth and said that's it for the night. You don't want to get that call. I didn't do anything to help our team win tonight. I kind of put them in a tough spot, pulling the starter after four. I got no one to blame but myself. That's as bad as it gets."

Chicago manager Robin Ventura said, "It was just one of those evenings it didn't look like he had it."

It was the fifth straight road loss for the White Sox, who won six in a row at home before dropping the first two of this fourgame series. It was Chicago's most lopsided shutout defeat of the season.

The Orioles have won 12 of 15 at home as they continue toward

Wreh-Wilson leads the UConn defense into the season from HUSKIES, page 12

AP

Baltimore Orioles' Nick Markakis (21) follows through on a bases-clearing double to score three runs as Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski watches during the second inning

their first winning season in 15 years, but their scintillating play has not attracted large crowds at Camden Yards this week. Only 12,814 showed up for this one, slightly more than the 10,955 on Monday night.

Those in attendance saw an impressive pitching performance

by Tillman, who has as many wins this year as in his previous three seasons combined.

"Tillman shut down one of the game's best offenses," Jones

said. "Those guys are hitting . He shut that lineup down."

After Sale struck out the first two batters in the second inning, Baltimore used a single by Nate McLouth and two walks to load the bases for Markakis, who drove in three runs with a double to center.

"It was almost like I hit a brick wall," Sale said. "The first couple of (batters) I felt like I was dialed in, throwing strikes.

Then it just got away."

times we were inconsistent against the pass,” Pasqualoni said, “I hope we can continue to do against the run what we’ve done and eliminate some of those big plays on defense.”

The Huskies will need to make up for the loss of defensive tackles Twyon Martin and Kendall Reyes. However at defensive end, UConn will return senior Jesse Joseph who has recorded 106 tackles in his Husky uniform.

At linebacker, the Huskies are led by redshirt senior Sio Moore who has 202 career tackles. As a freshman last season, Yawin Smallwood started each game, recording 94 tackles.

In the secondary, UConn cornerback Blidi WrehWilson will look to be a

leader after missing part of last season due to injury.

He has 171 interception return yards, ranking eighth in school history. Senior Dwayne Gratz started all 12 games for the Huskies last year and will look to continue his success in the secondary this season.

On special teams, the Huskies will return redshirt junior Cole Wagner who punted his way to a Second Team All-Big East pick last year. Senior Nick Williams will be returning both kickoff and punt returns for UConn, to build on an already solid career with 1,556 kickoff return yards.

UConn will open up the 2012 season taking on UMass at home on August 30. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

Tyler.Morrissey@UConn.edu

There will be no paper on Monday, but be sure to come to our meeting at 8:30 p.m. at the DC building!

Who will help Percy in Vikings WR corps?

EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. (AP) — Down to their final preseason game, the Minnesota Vikings are still searching for a reliable complement to star receiver Percy Harvin.

The Vikings will use their exhibition finale against Houston on Thursday to take a long look at several receivers vying not only for spots on the roster, but positions that could bring with them plenty of responsibility in the passing game.

The opportunities will be there for Stephen Burton, Jarius Wright, Devin Aromashodu and Manny Arcenaux, if only because no one has been able to really sand out in the first three weeks of the preseason. So much for just trying to avoid injuries and shore up the last few spots on the roster.

"It's a big game," coach Leslie Frazier said Tuesday. "We're trying to determine depth along with who's going to line up opposite of Percy in that first game ... and whether or not we need to look outside of what we have to try to find someone to give us help."

Free agent speedster Jerome Simpson has shown some promise and a downfield threat, but he will be suspended for the first three games. Veteran Michael Jenkins is steady, but hasn't shown much of an ability to make big plays, leaving second-year quarterback Christian Ponder with only Harvin, one of the most versatile receivers in the league, as a dependable game-breaker on the perimeter.

No receiver on the roster has more than three receptions in the preseason, with two tight ends, a running back and a fullback all hauling in more passes.

So even though Ponder and many of the offensive starters will be sitting out, Burton, Wright,

@dcsportsdept

AP

Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin (12) runs the ball during a punt return drill in the morning walk-thru of NFL football training camp in Mankato, Minn.

Aromashodu and Arcenaux will be trying to make a major impression.

"I would love to see, all of us would, love to see one of those guys make some big plays for us down the field or beat man coverage," Frazier said. "Houston plays a lot of man coverage so that would be good to see if we can find someone who can show that they can separate and beat oneon-ones and maybe between those four playing, we'll find that."

Frazier said the Vikings likely would keep five receivers and Simpson, who won't be in action until they play at Detroit on Sept.

30. Jenkins' spot appears to be safe right now, and he took a pay cut to try to help his chances even more.

Harvin is a lock, but after that it's up in the air.

Wright is a fourth-round rookie whose ability as a punt returner helps his cause. Burton's 88 yards

receiving are tops on the team this preseason, but he is likely battling with Arcenaux and Aromashodu for two spots.

"I think we feel confident there," offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave said. "We have a good corps of wide receivers so we're going to be OK until Jerome returns. We'll be excited for his return but we're going to do our best in his absence to remain effective through the air."

But the Vikings struggled mightily to get Harvin some help last season, with Bernard Berrian, Jenkins and Aromashodu all proving to be non-factors as the season progressed. They signed Simpson from Cincinnati in the offseason, then drafted Wright and Greg Childs in the fourth round to try to add more depth. Childs tore the patella tendon in both knees in training camp and will not play this season.

The Daily Campus, Page 10

Sports

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Pirates rough up Cardinals in 9-0 win PITTSBURGH (AP) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Josh Harrison provided the pop.

Pedro Alvarez provided the power. The reeling Pittsburgh Pirates eagerly accepted both.

Alvarez homered twice and drove in four runs after Harrison barreled into St. Louis catcher Jadier Molina and the Pirates rolled to a 9-0 victory over the Cardinals on Tuesday night.

While Alvarez crushed his 24th and 25th home runs of the season, it was Harrison's violent collision at home plate with Molina in the second inning that sent the message the struggling Pirates aren't quite finished just yet.

Harrison broke from second on Jose Tabata's single to right with two outs and dashed for the plate. By the time he got there, Molina had the ball in his hands. The second baseman lowered his left shoulder and plowed into the catcher's head.

Molina somehow held onto the ball to end the inning It also ended his night.

Molina got up slowly and went to the clubhouse with neck, back and shoulder injuries and was replaced by Tony Cruz.

Watching Molina walk off the field was difficult, but Harrison insisted he had no choice.

"There was no way to slide around him," Harrison said.

"I felt my only way was to go through him."

Molina, who complained of a headache afterward, doesn't believe the hit was malicious.

"I never saw the guy coming," Molina said. "I was concentrating on catching the ball. I never saw him coming, but the real pain was in my head. I don't know if he was (targeting) my head or not."

The play seemed to energize the Pirates, who snapped out of a weeklong funk and drew within two games of St. Louis for the NL's second wild-card spot.

"It can spark a team," manager Clint Hurdle said. "But it will be up to us to play better baseball than we've played lately and play along the lines that we did tonight."

Having the streaky Alvarez heating up once again certainly helped. The third baseman hit a two-run homer in the third to give the Pirates a comfortable lead, added an RBI double in the fourth then hit a 469-foot blast to center in the sixth.

"The second one, the ball looked like it was going to hit the (Clemente) Bridge," Hurdle said. "That's 400 and I don't know how many. That's a whole bunch of feet. It goes to show you he can shrink a ballpark."

It was more than enough offense for James McDonald (12-6), who gave up two hits in seven efficient innings, walking one and striking out six to beat the Cardinals and Jake Westbrook (13-10) for the second time in the last two weeks.

Using his curveball to keep the surging Cardinals off balance, McDonald looked like the pitcher that was one of baseball's biggest surprises during the first half of the year, not the one that has stumbled at times over the last six weeks.

"I think it's just part of the growing process," catcher Mike McKenry said. "He's just starting to come into his own. He had a tremendous first half and every pitcher struggles at some point and he just happened to struggle at the wrong time. He just enhanced it and we just had to take the world off his shoulders."

McDonald had little trouble against the Cardinals' surging lineup, surrendering only a two-out single to Molina in the second and a two-out double to Jon Jay in the sixth. Other than that he was flawless, allowing Pittsburgh's weary bullpen to get a needed break.

Playing with a cushion for once didn't hurt. The Pirates came in losers in six of their last seven since a dramatic 19-inning victory in St. Louis on Aug. 19, forced to play catch-up most nights while the starting pitching faltered.

This time, the Pirates jumped out early.

Garrett Jones hit a sacrifice fly to give Pittsburgh the lead and the Pirates continued to build.

Alvarez hit a two-run shot to the notch in left-center to make it 3-0 in the third and got things started in the fifth with an RBI double to score Andrew McCutchen.

McKenry added a runscoring single to make it 5-0.

Westbrook exacted a little payback by drilling Harrison in the leg with a fastball, drawing a warning to both dugouts from home plate umpire Adrian Johnson.

Harrison took no offense at pitch, calling it "a part of the game." He didn't stay at first for long anyway. Clint Barmes followed the plunking with a two-run single the Pirates were up 7-0.

That was more than enough for McDonald. The Cardinals failed to get a runner to third

while McDonald was in the game while getting shut out for the second time this month and the seventh time this season.

Westbrook has been a key part of the Cardinals' rise during the second half, winning six of his previous seven decisions.

He could do little right on a night the Pirates snapped out of their swoon in a big way.

The veteran right-hander gave up seven runs and 11 hits in five innings, tying a season high with four walks while striking out two. He threw just 61 of his 103 pitches for strikes.

"I haven't been very good the last couple outings and I can't ask the offense to pick me up that big like they did last start," Westbrook said. "It's just a matter of figuring it out."

AP

Pittsburgh Pirates' Josh Harrison (5) collides with St. Louis Cardinals' catcher Yadier Molina on a play at the plate in the second inning of the baseball game on Tuesday, Aug. 28, 2012, in Pittsburgh. Harrison was out, but Molina had to leave the game.

TWO Wednesday, August 29, 2012

PAGE 2

What's Next Home game

Sept. 8 N.C. State Noon

Sept. 3 Michigan State 1 p.m

Sept 7.

Washington 7 p.m.

“What will the score be of the UConn football season opener against UMass?”

–Mike Chapman, 7th-semester sports promotion major

» That’s what he said – Rafael Soriano after converting a save against Toronto

Sept. 15 Maryland 12:30 p.m.

Next Paper’s Question:

Sept. 22 Western Michigan 1 p.m.

Sept.

29 Buffalo Noon

Sept. 9 BU 7 p.m.

Sept. 14 Harvard 4 p.m.

» MLB

AP

Yankees beat Blue Jays 2-1

Rafael Soriano

» Pic of the day

All Smiles

Women’s Soccer (2-1-0) August 31 North Carolina 5 p.m.

Sept 2 Santa Clara 11 a..m.

Sept 5 Marist 7 p.m.

Sept 9 Central Connecticut 1 p.m.

Sept 13 Syracuse 7 p.m.

Sept 15 Rutgers Noon

Sept 16 Yale 2 p.m.

Sept. 4 Hartford 7 p.m.

Sept. 7 New Orleans 1 p.m.

Field Hockey (2-0-0) August 31 Penn State 7 p.m.

Sept 8 Michgan 2 p.m.

Volleyball

Sept 9 Albany 2 p.m.

(1-2)

August 31 Sept. 1 Dartmouth Fairfield 7:30 p.m. 12:30 p.m.

Sept. 1 Michigan State 7:30 p.m.

Men’s Cross Country Sept. 15 UMass Invite TBA

Sept. 22 CCSU Invite 11 a.m.

Oct. 6 N.E. Champ.

Noon

Oct. 13 Conn. College Invite TBA

Oct. 19 CCSU Mini-Meet 3:30 p.m.

Women’s Cross Country Sewwpt. 8 Sept. 22 Dartmouth CCSU Invitational Invite 11:30 a.m. 11:00 a.m.

Sept. 29 Griak Invite 1:10 p.m.

Oct. 7 New England Championships Noon

Men’s Swimming and Diving Oct. 13 Oct. 20 Homecoming- Fordham And Alumni Meet Bucknell Noon TBA

Oct. 26 Army TBA

Nov. 3 Rutgers, Villanova and Georgetown 4 p.m.

Can’t make it to the game?

Follow us on Twitter: @DCSportsDept @The_DailyCampus www.dailycampus.com

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

“The best day I had all year,”

Men’s Soccer (1-0-0) August 31 Dartmouth 7 p.m.

The Daily Question the Tampa Bay Rays catch the Yankees in the AL East Q : “Will pennant race?

Bay and Baltimore both could, but I think the Yanks hold A : “Tampa on.”

Away game

Football (0-0) August 30 UMass 7:30 p.m.

The Daily Campus, Page 11

Sports

AP

Texas Rangers’ Ian Kinsler smiles as he heads to the dugout after hitting a solo home run off of Tampa Bay Rays’ James Shields in the fourth inning.

NEW YORK (AP) — When Mariano talks, Rafael Soriano listens.

The career saves leader was watching when his fill-in gave up a three-run homer in the ninth inning of the Yankees’ extra-inning loss Monday night and had some thoughts. So the injured star sought out Soriano when he visited the clubhouse Tuesday afternoon and gave him some advice. “’Why you got to throw too many sliders, when you got a good fastball?’” Soriano said Rivera asked him. “I said, ‘Forget about last night and let me do something different.’”

Soriano stuck to the new plan Tuesday and struck out two in the ninth, closing out a fine home start for Phil Hughes that sent New York to a 2-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Hughes (13-11) won his sixth consecutive decision at Yankee Stadium, allowing only Adeiny Hechavarria’s first major league homer in seven effective innings. Then he turned it over to David Robertson and Soriano to finish off the four-hitter.

Soriano was not available to reporters after he gave up the go-ahead homer Monday night to Colby Rasmus — on a slider. A day later, the reliever blamed the Yankees’ public relations staff for not telling him the media wanted to talk to him. But he was ready at his locker after notching his 34th save in 37 chances, one of his best outings this season.

“The best day I had all year,” Soriano said.

New York catcher Russell Martin said Soriano appeared to be pitching with “a little anger. He took it out the right way.”

Nick Swisher had an RBI single in the third and Curtis Granderson hit a sacrifice fly in the fourth to help the Yankees to their fifth win in 12 games. They handed Ricky Romero (8-12) his 11th straight loss and beat him for the third time during his winless skid.

The left-hander has not won in 12 starts since June 22. The Blue Jays have provided little help, though, giving him just 17 runs of support in his last 10 starts.

“He was very sharp tonight,” Toronto manager John Farrell said. “He was efficient and I think he benefited from a couple of extra days’ rest.”

Romero did rebound from a wild outing against Detroit in which he walked eight in 5 1-3 innings. This time, he walked two and yielded five hits and two runs in seven innings.

“I’ve been working hard all week, the guys, everyone has kind of been helping me out through this,” Romero said. “I’m just going to build off of this.”

THE Storrs Side

THE Pro Side

Men’s basketball heads to Maui, women’s basketball stays home

Health and youth setting stage for exciting 2012 NFL season

By Tim Fontenault Campus Correspondent UConn football is expected to have a better season than last year. Field hockey is looking to redeem itself after their trip to the Final Four last season. The men’s soccer team is the preseason No. 1 after just missing out on last year’s College Cup. Those are always the three headlining sports but there is another fall team that is ready to emerge on the scene and make it known that they are for real. That team is the UConn women’s soccer team.

After finishing the 2010 season in the Top 25, the Huskies fell off a bit in 2011, finishing the season 7-8-1. However, Len Tsantiris’ side has started the season hot and is showing why they are the preseason No. 2 in the Big East Conference.

The biggest statement UConn has made so far this season didn’t even count. The season began a week before anyone moved on to campus as the Huskies took on No. 6 UCLA. In the 58th minute, Senior Danielle Schulmann had just scored her second goal of the game to give the Huskies a 3-2

lead over the Bruins. However, the game was stopped on account of lightning, and since the game didn’t go 70 minutes, it didn’t count.

While the game didn’t contribute to the Huskies’ record, they showed that they could compete with the nation’s best.

They did so again when they went back and forth with No. 10 Boston College in a 4-3 loss.

The Huskies dominated against Vermont and Maine, climbing into the discussion for the Top 25, currently sitting at No. 44, and will now get ready to take on two extremely tough tests.

Four times, the Huskies have played in the National Championship Game. Four times, they lost to North Carolina, the 20-time national champions. UConn will seek the upset against the No. 19 Tar Heels on Friday before taking on No. 24 Santa Clara on Sunday.

Win or lose, if the Huskies can hang with two of the nation’s elite, there’s a great chance they can make a deep run into November or farther.

Timothy.Fontenault@UConn.edu

By Andrew Callahan Senior Staff Writer With the exception of a handful of top-tier offensive linemen, the injury bug it appears, will claim very few players this NFL pre-season.

The fourth and final week of exhibition play begins tonight with the Patriots and Giants, kicking off a week where most starters across the league will simply kick back.

The most recent news of misfortune striking was of Pittsburgh Steelers rookie guard David DeCastro sustaining damage to his MCL in the team’s last game against Buffalo. However, early reports of a lost season were premature and it appears the former first round pick now should return late this season.

Speaking of comebacks, wide receiver Mike Wallace made his debut in Steelers camp yesterday and could now push them to Super Bowl favorites.

Meanwhile, the lone other injury of note was Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard David Joseph who suffered a broken kneecap in Week 3 against

the Patriots. The Buccaneers will be amongst the youngest teams in the league and their inexperience is not limited to the playing field. Former Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano is now pacing the sidelines in his first year as an NFL head coach, having led the Bucs to a 2-1 record so far in preseason play.

The NFL will be sporting a lot of inexperience for starting quarterbacks across the league. Roughly half of the NFL’s 32 teams will employ signal callers in either their first or second year. Most notable amongst the youngsters under center are this year’s No. 1 and No. 2 overall picks, Andrew Luck of Indianapolis and Robert Griffin III of Washington.

The NFL season kicks off in one week when the reigning Super Bowl champion Giants play host to the Cowboys at 8:30 p.m. on NBC.

Andrew.Callahan@UConn.edu

» INSIDE SPORTS TODAY

P.11: / P.10: / P.9: Tillman leads Orioles to win over White Sox

Page 12

Missing piece of last year’s puzzle

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

www.dailycampus.com

Huskies look to get back to bowl

A new quarterback compliments an experienced defense

By Tyler Morrissey Associate Sports Editor When looking back at the 2011 UConn football season I can’t help but think about the biggest inconsistency on the field; the position of quarterback. Last year the UConn offense featured three different quarterbacks under center, yet none emerged as the overall starting quarterback.

One might argue that Johnny McEntee was the definitive starter after posting the most passing attempts of the 2011 campaign, but often the Huskies would look to their bench depending on the situation, which would break up whatever flow the previous plays may have created.

This year however, is a clean slate. Head coach Paul Pasqualoni has named a starter, Chandler Whitmer. Arriving at UConn in the spring of 2012, Whitmer participated in the annual blue vs. white scrimmage and threw for 187 yards, including two touchdown passes. Pasqualoni expressed throughout the summer that he was impressed by Whitmer’s performance, as well as by the rest of the quarterbacks during team practices as well as individual drills.

We won’t truly find out if Whitmer is the answer to UConn’s quarterback dilemma until he has at least a few games under his belt, but the fact that the Huskies have named a starter is a step in the right direction.

The quarterback is one of the most important positions on the gridiron. A good quarterback is vocal and must have a keen sense of decision-making to lead the offense effectively. In a recent press conference Pasqualoni expressed some concerns about Whitmer attempting to do too much, too quickly. “I think that Chandler, like a lot of young quarterbacks at times, tries to do too much, and he’s getting better at that sometimes. That’s not the worst thing though,” said Pasqualoni.

A quarterback who tries to do too much is not always a bad thing. You want someone under center who is willing to take chances and attempt the big plays down the field. However, you also don’t want your quarterback to throw the ball into double or triple coverage in an attempt to create a highlight reel worthy play.

Luckily for Whitmer, he will have a solid cast of characters around him to help make the adjustment to the starting quarterback position. Senior widereceiver Michael Smith will be back this season after missing the 2011 campaign because he was academically ineligible.

The Huskies will also get a boost to their receiving core from Boston College transfer Skakim Philips. With players like Smith and Phillps at wide receiver, I expect the transition to starter to be much smoother for Whitmer, though it is impossible to control variables such as injury.

Many eyes will be on Whitmer and have been since he was named the number one quarterback this summer. If you ask me, naming a starter was the best move for this football team; the excitement and anticipation around the team has only increased since that decision was made.

After a long, hot, New England summer, I think it’s safe to say that everyone is ready for Husky football again.

I know I am.

Follow Tyler on Twitter @ TylerRMorrissey

Tyler.Morrissey@UConn.edu

By Tyler Morrissey Associate Sports Editor

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Campus

Sophomore Lyle McCombs and the Huskies hope to earn a bowl bid for the first time since 2010. McCombs led the Huskies in rushing last season.

The UConn football team looks to return to a bowl game this year after falling short of the six win mark last season.

The Huskies finished the 2011 campaign with a 5-7 record overall and a 3-4 record in Big East play. It was the first time in four seasons that UConn did not go to a bowl game.

UConn only faced one opponent ranked in the Top 25 last year, a 43-16 loss to No. 16 West Virginia.

This season the Huskies will play five out of conference games including a key matchup at home against North Carolina State on September 8. Other opponents at home include UMass, Buffalo, Temple, Pittsburgh and Cincinnati.

UConn will have to deal with the loss of some key components on offense, including the school’s all-time leader in points, field goals and extra points kicker, Dave Teggart.

Another big loss on the offensive side of the ball will be the Huskies’ top two wide receivers from the previous season, Kashif Moore and Isiah Moore.

In the backfield, redshirt sophomore Chandler Whitmer, has been named the starting quarterback. He will be backed up by senior Johnny McEntee and sophomore Scott McCummings. UConn has always excelled at the position of tailback and this year will be no exception. Redshirt sophomore Lyle McCombs will look to continue the success he found last year where he was named a Freshmen AllAmerican and rushed for over 1,151 yards.

On defense, head coach Paul Pasqualoni hopes to tighten up the pass defense and eliminate giving up big plays down the field. “Last year we played consistent against the run. At

» WREH-WILSON, page 9

QB, or not QB: That is the Question

By Mike McCurry NFL Columnist It does not take a man with the last name of Einstein or Newton (referring to the scientist here, not the Panthers quarterback) to understand the importance of possessing an elite quarterback in the NFL. With the style of play rapidly shifting from a groundand-pound game to an all-out aerial assault, front offices everywhere are beginning to realize that the Rex Grossmans and Colt McCoys of the world are not going to be lifting the Lombardi Trophy anytime soon. Sure, there are a handful of quarterbacks in the league who are solid game managers and can sneak into the playoffs with a little luck. That being said, if you want your team to still be playing in February, you better make sure you have one of the best behind center.

After extensive research, a rare strip-club visit with my boy Dez Bryant and a few jogs in the rain with Mr. Tebow himself, I have compiled a list of the top-15 quarterbacks in the NFL. I then grouped the signal callers into three tiers: “Elite,” “On the Cusp” and “Not Quite There Yet.” Keep in mind that my rankings do not necessarily reflect stats, but rather who I would want to be my starting QB in Super Bowl XLVII (this year’s) based on skills, experience, weapons, and all the intangibles. And sorry RGIII, but I do not value “number of appearances in commercials before ever taking a snap” above, well, anything.

ELITE 1) Aaron Rodgers: Critics say Rodgers is only a system quarterback, with former Packer Matt Flynn’s two video game-like performances as their evidence. First off, A-Rod has been doing it for four years, not two games. The reigning MVP would instantly make the Seahawks Super-Bowl con-

tenders. And didn’t Flynn just lose his job to a former second baseman in the minors?

2) Eli Manning: When Eli told ESPN Radio that he considered himself an “elite” quarterback prior to last season, many snickered. No one is laughing now, as Manning has collected a second ring and must be drooling over the thought that both Hakeem Nicks and Victor Cruz are still reaching their prime.

3) Tom Brady: Eli Manning has something of Brady’s that many teenage girls dream about: his number. It must stink having to refer to the Giants QB as “Daddy,” but hopefully Brandon Lloyd will put up Moss-like stats and get Tom his fourth ring.

4) Drew Brees: Bounty scandal or not, what Brees did last year is downright ridiculous.

5,476 yards, 46 touchdown passes, and 13 games of at least 300 yards through the air. The Saints were marching straight to Indianapolis last year until the 49ers pulled off the huge upset. Expect Brees to return with a sour taste in his mouth, along with a “Free Sean Payton” T-shirt.

5) Peyton Manning: Before you spill your coffee and get all flustered with this pick, please allow me to explain. Peyton was elite before the neck surgeries, he looks good in preseason, and now he goes to a team with a young but talented receiving core as well as a great defense. As long as he can get that deep ball going again, look out for 18.

ON THE CUSP 6) Ben Roethlisberger: Roethlisberger did win two Super Bowls in his first five years in the league, but what has he done since then? Big Ben did his best frat-boy impersonation in 2010 by fooling around with a college chick, which led to a suspension.

Later that year, he was outdone

by Aaron Rodgers in the Super Bowl. With all the bones in his

AP

After leading the Packers to a Super Bowl win in 2010 and earning NFL MVP in 2011, Aaron Rodgers is arguably the best quarterback in the NFL.

6’5”, 241-pound frame unofficially broken, it’s time for Roethlisberger to get healthy and start winning big games again.

7) Matt Ryan: With more weapons than a small country in Julio Jones, Roddy White and others, Matt Ryan has no excuse not to compete with Aaron Rodgers and Tom Brady as the NFL’s poster child. I think this is the year “Matty Ice” finally breaks through.

8) Matt Stafford: Some would put Stafford a lot higher on this list, but most of those people are unaware of Stafford’s middle name, “Injury.” The first overall pick in the 2009 draft, Calvin Johnson’s best friend played just thirteen games in his first two NFL seasons. Yes, he threw for over 5,000 yards last year, but Stafford also had more passing attempts than any other gunslinger due to a dreadful run game.

9) Tony Romo: When Romo

isn’t fumbling snaps, dating blondes or getting reamed out by Skip Bayless and other sports analysts, he actually plays pretty darn well. With a 3:1 touchdown to interception ratio last year, the Cowboys shot caller quietly had a great season. The fact remains, however, that Romo will forever be associated with CPR until he wins the big one.

10) Michael Vick: Now that the cancerous Vince Young is gone, as well as his premature “Dream Team” label, I see Vick being able to finally relax and just play now that expectations are lower. Plus, did you guys hear DeSean Jackson say he’s actually going to try now?

NOT QUITE THERE YET 11) Jay Cutler: Cutler got married to MTV star Kristin Cavallari and remarried to wide receiver Brandon Marshall. It’s a shame he divorced an entire offensive line.

12) Philip Rivers: The Chargers quarterback had an abominable 25 turnovers last season. It’s about time he takes advantage of tight end Antonio Gates again, especially with Vincent Jackson departing to the Bucs.

13) Cam Newton: Newton’s 14 rushing touchdowns was the most all-time for a QB. Panthers fans can breathe easier now that Megatron is on the Madden cover; now all they have to worry about is a sophomore slump.

14) Joe Flacco: Flacco told a Baltimore radio station that he is indeed the best quarterback in the NFL. Period. Hey, at least Billy Cundiff got let go!

15) Andrew Luck: Peyton Manning’s rookie year entailed 28 interceptions and a 3-13 record. I believe Luck is the real deal.

Michael.McCurry@UConn.edu