Volume CXVI No. 74
» INSIDE
Doctoral student receives fellowship award
By Kate Smith Staff Writer
MARCUS GIVES OFF GOOD VIBRATIONS SUBOG kicks off new semester of comedy.
FOCUS/ page 7
‘WALKING’ AWAY Samarie Walker leaves women’s basketball team. SPORTS/ page 14 EDITORIAL: NEW READING DAY ILLOGICAL, INEFFECTIVE Reading days should held before final exams week. COMMENTARY/page 4 INSIDE NEWS: GOOGLE CO-FOUNDER PAGE TO REPLACE SCHMIDT AS CEO Page will reclaim the role he held three years ago. NEWS/ page 2
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Laramie Smith, a doctoral student in social psychology at UConn, was awarded the prestigious National Research Service Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Award from the National Institute of Mental Health. The grant is for a total of $32,690 which will fund her training as a researcher within the field. Smith researches patients with HIV who neglect proper treat-
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» index Classifieds 3 Comics 10 Commentary 4 Crossword/Sudoku 10 Focus 7 InstantDaily 4 Sports 14
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ment, which is recommended to be one visit every three months. “Life challenges, such as not wanting to admit you have HIV, having other family and life commitments that require your time and money, dealing with depression or addiction, or not having enough support to deal with these things in your life), can make getting to your doctor once every [three] months can be a lot harder than you’d think,” said Smith. “When patients are not seen
frequently enough by their doctors they are not getting the medications and medical treatments that help them to live longer, healthier lives. In fact they are at a higher risk of poorer health outcomes including death.” With the grant money, Smith intends to test the different types of information, attitudes, and social support that are indicative of a patient that would fall into this category. She will be carrying out inter-
views in a community clinic in the Bronx to see whether certain behavior will predict which patients will not follow through with their medical treatment. “My final dissertation study would be to pilot test such an intervention at this clinic to see if it can give patients likely struggling with these life challenges the kinds of personal tools and resources they need to make it easier to come to their next few appointments,” said Smith. Smith credits three main cri-
Austin endorses moratorium on Spring Weekend By Garrett Gianneschi Staff Writer President Philip Austin endorsed the recommendations made by the Spring Weekend Task Force to “deescalate” Spring Weekend in upcoming years, according to a letter from Austin to the UConn community. The recommendations include prohibiting guests in dorms during Spring Weekend, cancelling university-sponsored events like the Spring Concert, preventing non-university students from attending on and off-campus events, a voluntary moratorium – or suspension of activity – on Spring Weekend, and engaging area landlords, according to a Jan. 20 report by the Spring Weekend Task Force. Austin said that although he supports all the recommendations he particularly endorses the moratorium. A plan which advises “all students who are able to should be encouraged to go home for the weekend.” The moratorium’s ultimate goal is to mitigate Spring Weekend partying. The report justified the moratorium by invoking the names of Jasper Howard and UConn student Jafar Karzoun, who died due to injuries sustained during an assault outside Sgt. Pepperoni’s last Spring Weekend. The report mentions that Easter falls on the usual time for Spring Weekend. It is too early to tell how students and community members are reacting to the report’s recommendations, according to Tom Haggerty, USG President. “I’ve gotten mixed reactions from students, friend and community members. Some RAs are in support of it, other people say they don’t know if they
FILE PHOTO/The Daily Campus
Students join in on the festivities in X-Lot on Saturday of Spring Weekend 2010. This year, President Austin encourages students to voluntarily take a moritoium on Spring Weekend in light of the deaths of two students on campus last year.
agree,” Haggerty said. USG will be sending out a draft of their statement of position on the issue over the weekend, according to Haggerty. Marc Igdalski, an 8th-semester human development and family studies major agreed that Spring Weekend in no way benefits the UConn community, and that the only recommendation that will have an effect is to prohibit guests in the dorms. “Canceling university events
will totally hand over that weekend to those who want to binge drink. And [In regards to the moratorium] it is not fair to tell people to leave who are not doing anything wrong,” said Igdalski. Peter Nicholls, Provost and Executive Vice President and member of the Spring Weekend Task Force could not be reached in time to comment. UConn administration has struggled with the four-decade-
old celebration since it became a mass gathering during the 1990s, but is not advised to use “mass force” to “prevent anyone from gathering at all” according to the report. “We firmly believe that a hyper-aggressive approach such as this would come at a terrible cost that would far exceed its value,” the report said. The report suggests that the
» GUESTS, page 2
Students speak out about Spring Weekend
By Liz Crowley Campus Correspondent
Snow ending around noon
www.dailycampus.com
Friday, January 21, 2011
USG held a community forum to give students and community members the opportunity to voice their opinions about Spring Weekend on Thursday. Currently, USG has no official stance regarding Spring Weekend. They have held two forums where students are invited speak about the UConn tradition and share their thoughts, concerns and suggestions. The final forum will meet Friday at 4 p.m. in room 304C of the Student Union. Wednesday Jan. 26th the student government will announce their position on the university’s somewhat controversial event. “What student government is trying to do is get feedback from students on Spring Weekend,” said Tom Haggerty, 8th-semester political science major and President of USG. “We’ve gotten 3,500 [online] responses… we are reading them now, try-
ing to get themes from them.” Haggerty said they are collecting this information so the USG can accurately represent the viewpoint of the student body. Approximately a dozen students attended the forum, the majority of whom were Resident Assistants and their residents. None of the students felt Spring Weekend should be canceled, however they all said it could be revised. A few RAs expressed the need for increased security, especially in the dorms. Two said that the RAs are not qualified to deal with some of the overwhelming situations that arise. Kathryn O’Connell, 6th-semester RA in Hilltop dorms, said, “I like the idea of Spring Weekend, I just don’t like how it is now.” She said that the university should add more positive activities to the weekend, which might reduce the amount of drinking. “My main concern about Spring Weekend is the guest policy. If you look at the statis-
DANA LOVALLO/The Daily Campus
USG President Tom Haggerty, right, and Vice President Clive Richards, left, listen to student feedback about Spring Weekend at an open forum on Thursday.
tics, the most students arrested are guests,” said O’Connell. “I just think we need some changes. If you bring more to it and build it up a better, more positive image I
think that’d be better.” Chris Varanelli, 2nd-semester business major, said he has looked
» USG, page 2
teria for her recent achievement. They include UConn’s abundant resources to support her proper training, the expertise of her advisors—Dr. Fisher and Dr. Amico—and that her previous research that lends itself to novel contributions to the field in the future. Smith recognizes that UConn faculty has helped her gain success in her path through academia. She is the 10th psychology gradu
» AWARD, page 2
Dem congressman in Conn. to run for Senate in 2012
HARTFORD (AP) — The roster of candidates for Connecticut’s second U.S. Senate seat continued to grow Thursday, the day after Sen. Joe Lieberman announced he won’t seek re-election in 2012, with Democratic Rep. Chris Murphy announcing his candidacy. Murphy said he would bring a “fresh, progressive” voice to the Senate, be a stronger voice for issues that matter to the state and work to end partisan gridlock. “What I’ve heard is that people feel that the Senate simply doesn’t work anymore. It’s become an unjustifiable barrier to positive change,” he said, adding how he believes the Senate needs some fresh voices that will end the “old boys’ club” and respond to the country’s needs. Lieberman, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats, announced Wednesday he would not seek a fifth term. His planned departure creates the second Senate election in a row in Connecticut in which an open seat has been up for grabs. In November, following a grueling and expensive race, former Attorney General Richard Blumenthal won the seat held for years by former Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, who decided not to seek re-election. Besides Murphy, former Democratic Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz has announced her candidacy. “I welcome Congressman Murphy to the race,” she said in a statement. “I look forward to a spirited discussion of the issues over the course of this campaign, focused on creating jobs right here in Connecticut.” Others are also expressing interest in the race. Former Republican Rep. Rob Simmons, a Republican candidate for Senate in the 2010 race, told The Associated Press on Thursday that he is “not ruling out” another run in 2012. However, Simmons said he is not interested in running if the GOP backs another wealthy candidate, a reference to the party’s nomination of former wrestling executive Linda McMahon. McMahon spent more than $50 million of her own money on the race, but was still soundly defeated by Blumenthal. She said this week that a 2012 run remains an option. “In the last cycle, it seems like the Connecticut Republican Party simply went with the money, whoever had the biggest checkbook. That was the person they wanted to run and have represent them and that’s not me,” Simmons said. “If in fact the Connecticut Republican Party wants to have another round of millionaires, that’s not me.”
What’s on at UConn today... Information Session 2 – 3 p.m. BUSN, 106 Current undergraduates interested in admittance to the School of Business should attend this information session about the application process.
Easy A 6 and 9 p.m. Student Union Theatre A high school student uses gossip and hearsay to advance her own and other students’ popularity. Admission is free.
Ice Hockey 7 – 9 p.m. Mark E. Freitas Ice Forum The men’s ice hockey team goes head to head with the Air Force. Call 1-877-AT-UCONN for ticket info.
Comedy Show 8 – 10 p.m. Jorgensen Theatre Funny man Gabirel Iglesias takes the stage tonight. Admission ranges from $20 to $30. - VICTORIA SMEY
The Daily Campus, Page 2
Friday, January 21, 2011
News
DAILY BRIEFING Google co-founder Page to replace Schmidt as CEO » STATE
HCC doctor receives first Petit Award
NEW BRITAIN (AP) — An internal medicine physician at the Hospital of Central Connecticut has been named recipient of the first Dr. William A. Petit Jr. Physician Service Award. Dr. Anthony Ciardella, associate chief of medicine at the hospital’s Bradley Memorial campus, was recognized for his extraordinary commitment and service to the hospital, the community, the medical staff and patients. Ciardella helped coordinate a medical mission to Haiti last year to help care for earthquake victims. The award is named after former HCC doctor Petit, whose wife and two daughters were killed in a 2007 home invasion in Cheshire. It goes to a doctor who embodies Petit’s spirit of altruism, commitment and excellence.
Conn. panel backs Malloy’s new budget chief
HARTFORD (AP) — Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s pick for state budget director says there’s been a slight improvement in state revenues but Connecticut still faces a daunting budget deficit of nearly $3.4 billion. Benjamin Barnes was speaking at his confirmation hearing before the General Assembly’s Executive and Legislative Nominations Committee on Thursday. His nomination received unanimous approval from the Senate members. His appointment now moves to the full Senate and House of Representatives. Barnes, the former operating officer for the Bridgeport Public Schools, says the state remains in “a big hole” and it could take another year or two for the state’s economy to significantly improve.
» NATION
Classified satellite launched from California base
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — The largest rocket ever launched from the West Coast blasted off Thursday with a classified defense satellite on board. The 235-foot-tall Delta IV Heavy Launch Vehicle lifted off at 1:10 p.m. carrying a payload for the National Reconnaissance Office. The booster rose into the sky over California’s central coast and arced over the Pacific Ocean, a spectacle visible over a wide area. United Launch Alliance, the joint venture of rocket builders Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing Co., said in a statement that the launch was a success. The launch was pushed back two minutes to avoid an object in space that could have been in the path of the rocket, said Michael J. Rein, a ULA spokesman.
» WORLD
Swiss collector returns 4 ancient mummies to Chile
GENEVA (AP) — A Swiss collector has returned four pre-Columbian mummies to Chile, including two that are believed to be up to 7,000 years old. The Swiss government says the unnamed collector agreed to voluntarily hand the mummies over to Chile. They were discovered near the country’s northern Atacama desert. Two of the mummies date back to the Chinchorro period that lasted from 5,000 to 1,500 B.C. This makes them older than the famed 3,300-year-old mummy of ancient Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun. A third mummy belongs to an unspecified pre-Columbian period while the fourth dates to the time of the Spanish arrival in what is now Chile in the early to mid-1500s.
UN: 2010 tied for warmest year on record
GENEVA (AP) — The warmest year on record is a three-way tie: 2010, 2005 and 1998. So says the U.N. weather agency, providing further evidence Thursday that the planet is slowly but surely heating up. Average temperatures globally last year were 0.95 degrees Fahrenheit (0.53 Celsius) higher than the 1961-90 mean that is used for comparison purposes, according to World Meteorological Organization. That’s a bit lower than what the U.S. National Climatic Data Center announced earlier this month, but the World Meterological Organization also uses figures based on data collected by Britain’s Meteorological Office and NASA. “The 2010 data confirm the Earth’s significant long-term warming trend,” said Michel Jarraud, WMO’s top official. He added that the ten warmest years after records began in 1854 have all occurred since 1998. The average worldwide temperature for the 20th century was 57.0 degrees Fahrenheit.
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Eric Schmidt, a technology veteran brought in as Google Inc.’s “adult supervision” a decade ago, is relinquishing the CEO job to Larry Page, one of the prodigies who cofounded the company behind the Internet’s dominant gateway. The surprise shake-up announced Thursday appears to be driven by Schmidt’s desire to tackle other challenges as much as Page’s personal ambition. “Day-to-day adult supervision no longer needed!” Schmidt wrote on his Twitter account moments after Google dropped the bombshell that upstaged its fourth-quarter earnings. Schmidt, 55, will still be available to advise Page, 37, and Google’s other 37-year-old founder, Sergey Brin, as the company’s executive chairman. Under the new pecking order effective April 4, Page will reclaim the CEO job that he held for three years before Google’s investors insisted that a more mature leader be brought aboard. That led to the 2001 hiring of Schmidt, a professorial engineer who had previously held top executive jobs at Sun Microsystems Inc. and Novell Inc. After initially resisting Google’s overtures, Schmidt bonded with Page and Brin to form a brain trust that
proceeded to build the Internet’s most powerful company. Google now boasts a market value of more than $200 billion, a success story that has minted Page, Brin and Schmidt among the world’s wealthiest people. The three men are Google’s largest individual shareholders, stakes that turned them all into multibillionaires.
The management reshuffling appears to be amicable. Both Page and Schmidt had high praise for each other during a Thursday conference call with analysts, with Schmidt describing Google’s co-founders as his “best friends.” “I believe Larry is ready” to be CEO, Schmidt said during the call. “It’s time for him to have a shot at running this.”
Page hailed Schmidt as a “tremendous leaders” whose contributions exceeded all expectations. “There is really no one else in the universe that could have accomplished what Eric has done,” Page said. Schmidt may have been growing weary of all the attention and prosaic duties that come with running one of world’s most scrutinized companies. For the first time last year, he started to sit out Google’s quarterly calls to discuss its earnings. More recently, he has expressed irritation about how some of his public remarks have been picked apart to support the idea that Google is an arrogant company that can’t be trusted to protect people’s privacy as its search engine and other services collect vast amounts of personal information. In October, Schmidt drew fire for responding to a hypothetical question posed at a forum in Washington, D.C., about an implant that would let Google know what its users were thinking. He responded that Google’s policy is to “get right up to the creepy line and not cross it,” and an implant would cross the line. He also said that as users voluntarily share information online, it doesn’t need users to type in search queries for the company to tailor the results.
HARTFORD (AP) — The state Supreme Court opened a new avenue for prisoners to appeal kidnapping convictions Thursday, causing concern among prosecutors and victims’ advocates about the potential for guilty findings being overturned. The justices issued an unanimous decision that inmates can file habeas corpus appeals based on 2008 rulings by the high court that made it harder to prosecute kidnapping charges, even if they were convicted before 2008. Prisoners generally use habeas corpus appeals to challenge their incarceration after initial appeals fail. Prosecutor Jo Anne Sulik,
who represented the state in the Supreme Court case, said she is disappointed but won’t ask the justices to reconsider the ruling on habeas corpus, a standard legal right that allows courts to determine whether a prisoner is being held illegally. “Essentially this means that convicted inmates, some of them convicted 20 to 30 years ago, will be able to go into a habeas court ... and argue that this decision should serve to reverse their kidnapping convictions,” Sulik said. She added, “I’ve got to feel for the victims in Connecticut because there’s no statute of limitations in seeking habeas relief. Victims are held hostage. There’s always one more
chance that a (convict) can try to obtain relief.” Thursday’s decision came in the habeas corpus case of former Manchester resident Peter Luurtsema, who was sentenced to 45 years in prison in 2000 for kidnapping and attempted sexual assault. The kidnapping conviction comprises 20 years of his sentence. Luurtsema, 53, previously served a 14-year prison sentence for a 1978 rape conviction involving a 7-year-old girl in Vernon. The Supreme Court ruling means his habeas corpus case can continue. “Mr. Luurtsema is pleased to be able to go forward with the challenge to his kidnap-
ping conviction in habeas corpus,” said his public defender, Adele Patterson. “And we’ll be doing that.” Patterson said it’s unclear how many other Connecticut inmates serving lengthy sentences for kidnapping would be eligible under the 2008 rulings to file new habeas corpus appeals. She said issues related to the 2008 decisions have already been raised in at least a half-dozen habeas corpus cases. Of the state’s 17,900 prisoners, 370 are serving sentences involving first- and seconddegree kidnapping and 41 are awaiting trial on those charges, according to the Department of Correction.
AP
In this July 8 file photo, Google co-founder Larry Page arrives to a morning session at the annual Allen & Co. media summit in Sun Valley, Idaho.
Conn. court says kidnap rulings are retroactive
Award recipient Guests big problem USG seeking input about Spring Weekend enjoying Storrs on Spring Weekend from STUDENTS, page 1 from DOCTORAL, page 1
from AUSTIN, page 1
ate student at UConn in as many years to have won an award of this nature. Not a native to the East Coast, Smith received her undergraduate degree at Western Washington University, where she was involved in a peer sexual health education and program development. After her graduation, she gained her first research opportunity in the field while working at a detox center with the SeattleKing County Public Health in its HIV/AIDS program and later worked as a research assistant at the University of Washington Seattle. As a women’s basketball fan, Smith has found her home here in Storrs. “I was very happy to be moving into one of the best places for women’s basketball in the world!” said Smith.
largest problem comes from those who are not affiliated with the university. “Of the 84 individuals arrested by UConn police over the three day period in 2010, 70 of them – or 83 percent – were not UConn students…Of all the individuals treated for medical issues during Spring Weekend…UConn’s Health Services Director Michael Kurland has said that between 80 and 90 percent are non-students,” according to the report. It goes on to say that between 6,000 and 7,000 registered guests, and an unknown number of unregistered guests, made up the estimated 10,000 to 15,000 who attended the 2010 Spring Weekend. Haggerty said that if the recommendations are enacted then this year will set the precedent for whether certain aspects of Spring Weekend will be able to be de-escalated.
Katherine.H.Smith@UConn.edu
Garrett.Gianneschi@UConn.edu
forward to the “fun atmosphere” of Spring Weekend ever since his step-mother, a UConn alumnus, spoke fondly of it. He said the drinking should be regulated but that it could still be a good time for students.
“The fact that we lost a UConn student... changed how Clive and I feel about it.” Tom Haggerty USG President “If you could take some proactive steps to regulate [the uncontrolled drinking] but keep the fun [it’d be better],” Varanelli said. Jarvis Graham, a 8th-semester economics major and RA for Hilltop dorms, said that although
he was not very interested in drinking or partying, he enjoyed Spring Weekend his freshman year. He said it is a tradition for UConn that freshmen should be able to participate in. This is the first year USG has held a forum for Spring Weekend. “This year in particular [we are holding forums] because a lot has changed this year. The fact that we lost a UConn student last year changed how Clive and I feel about it,” said Haggerty. Clive Richards, a 6th-semester political science major and Vice President of USG, said they are trying “to reach out to as many students as possible.” Richards said he is looking for more open-ended responses so the organization can get a better understanding of what the students want from Spring Weekend. Next Wednesday the student government will present its stand on the tradition, hold a debate and allow for more student comments. Then, they will pass Spring Weekend legislation.
Elizabeth.Crowley@UConn.edu
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Friday, January 21, 2011 Copy Editors: Joseph Adinolfi, Melanie Deziel, Sam Marshall, Dan Agabiti News Designer: Victoria Smey Focus Designer: Brian Zahn Sports Designer: Colin McDonough Digital Production: Ed Ryan
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Campus, Page 3
News
Smart phones foster dumb habits among pedestrians NEW YORK (AP) — It was a miserable morning in New York, rain falling heavily and a 30 mph wind that made holding an umbrella difficult. Yet a man walked briskly up Fifth Avenue, balancing his umbrella and dodging pedestrians as he texted from his smart phone. As a sheer physical act, it was almost Olympian in the strength, dexterity and concentration required. It was also completely ridiculous. It was RAINING. And cold. The man was, let’s presume, minutes from some destination. At any moment, he could spear a fellow pedestrian with his umbrella because he was only marginally paying attention to where he was going. What message could possibly be so important that it couldn’t wait? While smart phones and other electronic devices changed popular culture by offering an ability to always stay connected, they have so swiftly turned into such a compelling need that a simple walk down the street is considered wasted time. One too many times stepping around a shuffling pedestrian immersed in e-mail led me to conduct a social experiment. I decided to count the number of people I saw distracted by their electronic devices during my
25-minute morning walk to work from New York’s Grand Central Station to the far West Side. Some ground rules: Cellphone conversations count, along with texting and looking at the devices. I didn’t consider listening to music to be a distraction – that, um, would require counting myself – but people who looked at their iPods while walking made the list. Pulling over to the side to use an electronic device didn’t count, because that’s what a courteous pedestrian should be doing. So those three construction workers who stood together talking on their phones off Fifth Avenue were safe from wrath. Same for the woman who frequently asks for spare change next to St. Michael’s Church on 33rd Street when she’s on her cell. She’s usually sitting. In 15 mornings of counting in late November and December, the average was 48.6 people. The most was 67. The fewer was 28, on the rainy day our Fifth Avenue textlete felt he had room to maneuver. Generally speaking, it was about one in 10 pedestrians. In that time, I saw a woman nearly flattened by a taxi when she stepped off a curb into traffic while looking into her cell phone. A bicycle messenger rode and talked on his phone at the
BAGHDAD (AP) — Three suicide car bombers struck Shiite pilgrims south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 51 people and wounding more than 180 in a third straight day of attacks across Iraq. The string of assaults, reminiscent of the bloodiest days of the Iraq war, shattered a two-month lull and presented a major challenge to the new government of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, who must soon decide whether to ask U.S. forces to stay after the end of the year. Thursday’s attacks were particularly significant because most of the victims were Shiite civilians, the government’s core constituency. A lawmaker allied with anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, whose support for al-Maliki was crucial in enabling him to remain prime minister, accused government security forces of “not acting in a professional manner” to protect the pilgrims. “I expect the attacks will continue ... due to the negligence of the security forces,” the lawmaker, Hakim al-Zamili, told The Associated Press. The attacks took place at midafternoon Thursday at three security checkpoints – one north and the two others south of Karbala, where millions of Shiite pilgrims are converging for rituals marking the 7th century death of Imam Hussein. He was a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, who was slain near
the city by Muslim rivals. Ali Khamas, a pilgrim from the Shiite neighborhood of Sadr City in Baghdad, said he saw a car speeding toward one of the checkpoints, its driver refusing to stop despite warnings shouted by Iraqi soldiers. “He sped up and blew up his car near the checkpoint,” said Khamas, a 42-year-old truck driver. “After the explosion, people started to run in all directions, while wounded people on the ground were screaming for help. I saw several dead bodies on the ground.” The dead included a dozen Iraqi soldiers and policemen as well as an undisclosed number of women and children, officials said. No group claimed responsibility, but suicide attacks are the trademark of the Islamic State of Iraq, an al-Qaida front group believed made up mostly of Sunni religious extremists. Such groups have frequently targeted Shiite civilians, in part because of religious differences and because Shiite parties used their ties to the Americans to gain power after the 2003 U.S.-led invasion toppled Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-dominated regime. “The enemies always develop their tactics and improvise new plans to make use of any security breach,” said Karbala provincial councilman Shadhan al-Aboudi. He blamed the blasts on al-Qaida and Saddam loyalists. “They have apparently found
AP
This Jan. 4 photo shows a pedestrian walking while using a phone in New York. While smartphones and other electronic devices changed popular culture by offering an ability to always stay connected, it so swiftly turned into such a compelling need that a simple walk down the street is considered wasted time.
same time. One gabber pushed a baby stroller. One morning two police officers were on the phone. A man nearly bumped into me after swiveling his head mid-step from his screen to watch the backside of a woman passing by. Even people not using their
smart phones kept them in their hands, like drawn weapons. It’s become an accepted part of urban posture. Mind you, this is winter in the Northeast; the temperature was finger-numbing on many mornings. No problem: I pass by a bus shelter with an advertisement
for gloves specially equipped to work touch-screens. There are also smart phone apps that encourage texting while walking, using the device’s camera to show a picture on the screen of where a person is walking, visible as a backdrop behind what they’re typing.
Smart phones have replaced tourists as New York pedestrians’ biggest headache. We used to disdain people from out of town when they wandered slowly on the sidewalks, looking skyward at tall buildings and muttering as we walked by with purpose. Now we’re the menace. We also used to walk with a certain amount of hyperawareness. Remember muggers creeping from dark corners? Pickpockets who worked the crowds? Now many people walk down the street oblivious to their surroundings, fiddling with an electronic device worth hundreds of dollars. One New Yorker who followed my daily Facebook count of distracted pedestrians admits she’s one of them. In fact, she often walks down city streets with her husband, both engrossed not in each other, but in their smart phones. “I find that my walk to the subway or home at night is the only time I can actually focus on myself,” said the woman, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of looking silly. “All of the other times of the day I’m surrounded by people who are constantly grabbing for my attention. I am the classic multitasker.”
Car bombs kill 51 in attack on Iraqi pilgrims
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a gap today in the security measures and they carried out an evil act against innocent believers who were practicing religious rituals,” he said. Since the end of Saddam’s rule, Shiite politicians have encouraged huge turnouts at religious rituals, which were banned under the former regime as a demonstration of Shiite power. Last month an alliance of Shiite parties took control of the government following elections in March, during which the Sunni-backed Iraqiya party won bragging rights by finishing first with a two-seat plurality. With Iraqiya given a role in the new government, hopes were high that the Iraqis might be able to set aside sectarian ethnic and religious differences and begin the arduous task of rebuilding the country after nearly eight years of war. Those hopes began to fade Tuesday when a suicide bomber struck a group of young men seeking to join the police in the northern city of Tikrit, killing 65 people. The next day, a suicide bomber blasted a police compound in the eastern city of Baqouba, killing another three. Al-Maliki adviser Adil Barwari said the attacks show extremists’ determination “to undermine the new Iraqi government.” He also said the insurgents were trying to frighten neighboring countries from sending
AP
A destroyed car after a bombing in Karbala, 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of Baghdad, Iraq, Thursday, Jan. 20.
delegates to the Arab League summit in Baghdad in March – the first time Iraq has hosted the meeting in 20 years. “They want it to fail,” Barwari said. “But al-Qaida will not succeed in achieving this goal.” Although the government was formed a month ago, al-Maliki has yet to appoint ministers of defense, interior or national security, leaving him in charge of Iraq’s entire security force. The
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attacks have increased pressure on al-Maliki, whose power base is in Karbala, to fill those positions – a task which will require hard-bargaining with the parties in his government because of the power those ministries wield. “We have said more than once that the security situation is fragile and security violations will increase,” said Amir al-Kinani, a Sadrist lawmaker. “The prime minister and other
political blocs are responsible for these security violations. They have to take care of the situation.” If large-scale attacks continue, they will likely sharpen the political debate over whether to ask President Barack Obama to extend the presence of U.S. forces beyond the Dec. 31 deadline for their withdrawal set down in an agreement reached with the Iraqis in the final months of the Bush administration.
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Page 4
www.dailycampus.com
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Campus Editorial Board
John Kennedy, Editor in Chief Taylor Trudon, Commentary Editor Cindy Luo, Associate Commentary Editor Michelle Anjirbag, Weekly Columnist Arragon Perrone, Weekly Columnist Jesse Rifkin, Weekly Columnist
» EDITORIAL
New reading day illogical, ineffective
O
n May 3, 2010, the University Senate decided that they would revise the academic calendar for the next academic year, ultimately creating a reading day starting next semester. In Fall 2011, students will find themselves with a reading day, that is, a day when no exams will be scheduled, giving students time to study, on the Thursday of exam week. Instead of spanning Monday through Saturday, exams will now occur from Monday through Sunday, with the exception of Thursday. Establishing this reading day is highly illogical and ineffective for the majority of students. The purpose of reading days should be to allow students some time to digest material that might be taught the last week of classes, and to prepare for as many of their upcoming exams as possible without worrying about taking exams at the same time. Rutgers University has two reading days that begin before exams occur, which is parallel to our current situation of Saturday and Sunday as de facto reading days. If we want to create reading days for the week of exams, this is the only time frame that makes sense for reading days: before students actually take them. Because this is the beginning of the week, students would have an opportunity to divide their time as necessary. They would be able to prepare for all of their exams, allotting study time to whichever exams need the most preparation. Many students have the majority of their exams before the Thursday of exam week. In the past, only large, introductory classes had exams on Friday or Saturday. A small percentage of students have exams Friday and Saturday – and many of these students have already taken at least one exam. Perhaps extra studying time would have been better served for their Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday exams. In theory, having a reading day occur in the middle of the week would make sense, but only if it were directly correlated with the middle of actual exams. For students who have exactly two exams before Thursday and exactly two after, this reading day might be helpful. But for the remaining students, their exams are not evenly divided and skewed in favor of the early half of the week. If anything, the reading day delays their vacation unnecessarily, if they must remain on campus on Thursday with only a single exam on Friday to await. The illogical and ineffective nature of this reading day should cause the Senate and the Office of the Registrar to reconsider its creation. 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.
Has anyone actually MET Jay Hickey? I bet he’s married to whoever picks the InstantDaily. Whoever made the Husky snow sculpture in front of Brock, will you marry me? So I graduated last spring. In retrospect, this was a huge mistake. To be honest... getting in the InstantDaily twice in a row made me happier than finding out i got all As last semester. So this weekend I don’t just have to worry about falling drunk but also have to put ice into the factor....wonderful. More toilet paper is consumed cleaning off the toilet seat than physically wiping. If it gets any hotter in Buckley Dining Hall, pretty soon they’ll be serving oven-roasted students. To the girl at the gym wearing jean shorts: maybe you should invest in some workout clothes to go along with your New Year’s resolution. My roommate hasn’t gotten a haircut in months. I think he’s trying to grow a mane like a lion. To the cute girl I was looking at during the fire alarm early in the morning I admire you wearing nothing but your sports bra and short shorts in the freezing cold outside just to look pretty. To the person who lives above me...there is no reason you should be bouncing a ball at 2 a.m., just saying.
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.
Americans can learn from Chinese parenting
I
magine a childhood with no sleepovers or play dates. TV watching isn’t allowed and computer games are out of the question. It is unacceptable to earn any grade less than an A, not be the No. 1 student in every subject except gym and drama and you must be able to play the piano or violin (but no other instruments). No, this isn’t hell— it’s how Amy Chua, professor at Yale Law School, raised her daughters. In her now infamous essay published in the Wall Street Journal titled “Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior,” Chua attempts to answer the question of how the Chinese raise By Taylor Trudon such stereotypiCommentary Editor cally high-achieving children. To say that it has garnered controversy would be an understatement, as some individuals compared Chua’s parenting tactics to abuse. Chua recalls forcing her daughters to play piano pieces until perfection while denying them bathroom breaks, and calling them “garbage” when they showed disrespect. But at the end of the day, these children come out on top because “what Chinese parents understand is that nothing is fun unless you’re good at it.” Chua continues to bluntly critique the Western way of parenting, claiming that parents in America care too much about their child’s self-esteem. “Chinese parents can order their kids to get straight As. Western parents can only ask their kids
to try their best,” says Chua. Likewise, “Chinese mothers can say to their daughters, ‘Hey fatty—lose some weight.’” If I were one of Chua’s daughters, I would be scared to breathe the wrong way. I could talk about how no child should have to sit at the piano for three hours until his or her fingers hurt. I could talk about how letting your child have a slumber party (or five) when they’re 10 years old, won’t affect their ability to get into Harvard when they’re 18. I could talk about how ridiculous it is that Chua believes the piano and violin are fine instruments, but God forbid a kid wants to play the guitar – the horror!
“Academic success and having fun do not have to be mutually exclusive.” As much as I whole-heartedly disagree with much of Chua’s parenting views and hate to admit it, she might actually be on to something here. America is no longer the superpower we like to think we are. While we take one step back, China is taking two steps forward, quickly pushing its way to the forefront. China’s weapon of choice? Education. Bloomberg reported last month that out of 34 countries, 15-year-olds in the U.S. ranked 25th on a math test and in the middle for science and reading. The scores of Chinese students were at the top, suggesting that American students may not be prepared to compete on a global scale. Perhaps even more revealing is a recent USA Today article showing that high school students are not only falling
behind, but a whopping 45 percent of American students showed no significant gains in learning after two years of college. If that’s the case, then why are we in college? According to the study, college students spend more time socializing than hitting the books. We have to be doing something wrong. I would be hesitant to say that Chua’s way is the only way, but clearly our “Western way” just isn’t cutting it. Test scores can’t measure a person’s happiness or quality of life, and while it’s no doubt impressive that Chua’s daughter has played at Carnegie Hall, we won’t ever know if she secretly wished she could have gone to all those birthday parties like a normal kid. We don’t need to be in competition with China. We should want to be competition with ourselves—to push our students to be the best they can be, regardless of how we stack up against other nations. Yes, it takes discipline and sacrifice to achieve the standard the Chinese have set, but I don’t think you have to give up every Saturday night with your friends in order to do so. Academic success and having fun do not have to be mutually exclusive. Instead, there needs to be a balance. The question is, how do we get there? Our fear shouldn’t be that China is going to take over as the superior country, but rather our fear should be that we’re too comfortable settling at the standards we have set for ourselves. Let’s not stand in our own way of reaching our potential for success.
Commentary Editor Taylor Trudon is a 8th-semester journalism major. She can be reached at Taylor. Trudon@UConn.edu.
Without repeal, no honest debate over Obamacare
J
an. 5 marked the beginning of the 112th United States Congress, adding 96 new members – 87 Republicans and nine Democrats – to its ranks. Less than two weeks later, a bill is being debated on the House floor with the title, “Repealing the JobKilling Healthcare Law Act.” Not surprisingly, the bill By Tom Dilling is sparking Staff Columnist much controversy and rightfully thrusting the topic of health care back into the national spotlight. The act to repeal the health care law is clearly a symbolic measure, since even if the act were to pass both chambers of Congress, it would still require the approval of President Obama. But regardless, if there is to be an honest debate over the merits of Obamacare, repeal cannot be taken off the table and ought to be included in the debate. In The New York Times, columnist Paul Krugman called the Republicans’ claims that the health care law is job-killing a “war on logic.” House Majority Leader John Boehner responded with a list of 200 economists – including former Congressional Budget Office directors, White House economic advisors, and Office of Management and Budget directors – who agree with the use of the term “job-killing.” But the clash
QW uick
it
over the bill’s title is a distraction from the real issue, which is the effect of Obamacare on America’s health care system. Obamacare is set to force an irresponsible and impossible mandate on all Americans as they are required to purchase health insurance starting in 2014. This is irresponsible because the price of health care is expected to rise at twice the rate of inflation for the foreseeable future, as it has already done for the last four decades. This rate is not expected to decrease anytime soon. If Obamacare were to be fully implemented, Americans would be forced to have an ever-increasing percentage of their income taken out of their wages and spent on health insurance. Worse, health insurance plans that meet the mandate’s minimum requirements will see this base rise according to federal and state laws, which will further increase the costs for enrollees. Obamacare alone sets new standards on minimum requirements like the prohibition of spending caps, which by itself created a 23 percent rate increase in some plans for Connecticut insurers. More than half of the states are now pursuing lawsuits against the upcoming individual mandate. The Joint Committee on Taxation attempted to quell Americans’ fears of the upcoming mandate by explaining there are no criminal or
civil penalties for refusing to pay the fine for lack of insurance. The IRS will not be able to put leans on people’s accounts that refuse to pay fines and interest does not accrue on late payments. In other words, it is a mandate with no enforceable penalty, which is even worse because insurers will still have to provide coverage.
“If Obamacare were to be fully implemented, Americans would be forced to have an ever-increasing percentage of their income taken out of their wages...” Without a penalty on people who refuse to comply with the mandate, there is no reason for them to enroll in an insurance plan at all – until they need care. This would undermine the purpose of insurance all together. Insurance providers would be mandated to provide coverage to anyone, regardless of condition, while consumers utilize services without paying into the insurance pool. In this way, the mandate is impossible and fatally flawed. Obamacare does not address
underlying problems, will not decrease medical spending, will not improve the quality of care and will not curb national spending. It increases costs by adding further requirements on patients, doctors and insurers while adding more enrollees who are expected to double their medical care consumption. It will make the outcome worse as resources are taken away from current safety net programs. Soon, the supply of medical services will not be able to accommodate the influx of demand. This will create more budget problems as programs created under Obamacare will require more funds or face insolvency as medical inflation continues to rise. Politicians often use vague rhetoric like “it is not perfect” and “it is a step in the right direction” when describing the current health care law without defining what that intended direction is, what the expected sacrifices are in order to achieve that end and whether the course of action would even achieve the desired end. If there is to be an honest debate over the merits of the legislation, repeal cannot be taken off the table and ought to be included in the debate.
Staff Columnist Tom Dilling is a 6th-semester biology major. He can be reached at Thomas.Dilling@ UConn.edu.
“T he R epublican - controlled H ouse voted to repeal the healthcare bill . I f that goes well , they ’ ll see what they can do about this whole ‘ women voting ’ thing .” –C onan O’B rien
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Campus, Page 5
Commentary
Current grant system wastes money on drop-outs W
hen congress passed the health care law back in March, they also made drastic changes to the student loan system. But they neglected to make one critical change: restructuring Pell Grants. The By Taylor Poro current Pell grant sysStaff Columnist tem helps students pay for college. They make it easy to start college, but not complete it. Restructuring the grant system on a sliding scale would prevent dropouts and save taxpayer money. Thirty-seven percent of college students dropout, and 35 percent dropout within their first year. Most students who drop out do so during their first two years, yet they receive almost as much aid in their freshman year as their senior year. This means the billions in Pell grants invested in these students’ education were wasted. In addition to Pell grants, it’s also estimated that across the U.S., $9 billion in state funded aid to students has been wasted by students dropping out. This shows that dropouts are not cheap and the losses have to be compensated through extra taxes, or spending cuts. That’s before the implications for the students are
even considered. Those who drop out have little to show for their efforts, with no degree, in debt and students can’t even say they learned anything academic. A recent study suggests that because of the university focus on research over teaching, students don’t actually learn until junior and senior years. This means dropouts walk away with little more than the right to check “some college” on paperwork. Restructuring the Pell grant system is a step toward fixing these problems. The way the Pell grants work now is that a student is given a maximum $5,500 grant every year for college, depending upon their financial need and class status. Freshmen receive $3,500, sophomores $4,500 and juniors and seniors $5,500. A better system would be to focus the aid on the last two years of their collegiate career rather than the first two. The amount of total aid given to students would remain the same, meaning they would have the same amount of debt. But increasing junior and senior Pell grants to $8,500 would provide more incentive for them to continue their education. Barring a cataclysmic event, it’s difficult to rationalize dropping out of college halfway through when almost $10,000 in free aid is coming.
By reducing the first and second year grants to $500, it forces teens to confront debt earlier in their lives. The hands-off academic approach isn’t for everyone. Some people are better suited to be entrepreneurs, learn a trade or any other number of options - yet these options are ignored. Having to face debt earlier on would prompt students to consider all options available to them.
“A better system would be to focus the aid on the last two years of their collegiate career...Increasing junior and senior Pell grants... would provide more incentive for them to continue their education.” There is a large drawback to restructuring Pell grants: more debt to dropouts. The ideal
is that when faced with covering the cost of the first two years of college, primarily through loans, students will decide whether college is truly for them, or work harder to make sure they graduate. But all of these changes were based upon the belief of a logical, rational student body, comprised of mainly 18 and 19-year-olds. If dropout rates were to remain unchanged, with students leaving at greater rates of debt than before, the system would have to be either changed back or altered further. But this seems unlikely because students are not as irrational as some believe. They are rational people who realize that if more aid is coming next year, it makes sense to remain in class to get a degree, and that if they can’t rely on government aid in their first year, they will decide whether or not college is for them. If college is for them and they are aware of the debt they are accruing, then it will act not as an obstacle but as a motivator to encourage better work, a higher graduation rate and a better life for students.
Staff columnist Taylor Poro is a 2nd-semester masters student studying political science. He can be contacted at TGPoro12@msn.com.
» THUMBS UP OR THUMBS DOWN: No Oozeball
Waiting for a treadmill
Spring Weekend Moratorium
Go to class. Get syllabus. Leave.
Totally saw that coming
Totally bad
Two snow days in the first week back?
Totally rad
Loughner’s actions unrelated to libertarian ideas O
n January 8, a gunman named Jared Loughner brutally murdered six people and wounded 13 others, including Arizona congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords. In the wake of this tragedy, many have blamed the politic a l positions By Sergio Goncalves a n d Staff Columnist rhetoric of rightwing and libertarian movements for the shooting. Although I lament the tragedy and am revolted by Loughner’s actions, I believe that much of criticism of the political right is unjustified. There is no evidence that right-wing movements or thinkers influenced Loughner. In fact, Loughner’s favorite books were “The Communist Manifesto” and “Mein Kampf.” The former is widely considered a “left-wing” work. Loughner has nothing in common with the right in this respect. The latter work, however, is generally regarded as “right-wing.” But is this really true? The political right generally advocates limited government and free markets, yet Adolf Hitler advocated big government and
interventionism. As the Austrian economist Ludwig von Mises detailed in his book “Omnipotent Government: The Rise of the Total State and Total War,” there was little difference between the economic systems of the Soviet Union and of Nazi Germany. Both Stalin and Hitler practiced some form of socialism. In Mises’s own words, “The German and Russian systems of socialism have in common the fact that the government has full control of the means of production. It decides what shall be produced and how.” Furthermore, Mises added, “[Germany] maintains private ownership of the means of production and keeps the appearance of ordinary prices, wages, and markets. In fact, the government directs production decisions, curbs entrepreneurship and the labor market and determines wages and interest rates by central authority.” Hitler’s philosophy is not right-wing at all. Furthermore, a former classmate of Loughner’s has described him as “left-wing, quite liberal.” In short, there is no evidence of ties between Loughner and right-wing politics. Indeed, all evidence points to the contrary. Furthermore, although many Tea Party protestors do use incendiary rhetoric, Loughner clearly did not sup-
port the Tea Party. Therefore, there is no evidence that suggests he was influenced by its rhetoric. Of course, I am not insinuating that the left wing is in any way responsible for the shootings. It is no more responsible than the right wing.
“The non-aggression axiom is the one core principle that unites all libertarians.” Since the Tea Party has strong ties to and many core values in common with the libertarian movement, it is worth considering whether there is anything in the libertarian philosophy that could have possibly motivated Loughner to use violence against 19 fellow human beings. Even the most basic, rudimentary study of libertarianism proves that there is not. On the contrary, the non-aggression axiom is the one core principle that unites all libertarians. In the words
of economist Walter Block, the non-aggression axiom is “the lynchpin of libertarianism.” The axiom states “it shall be legal for anyone to do anything he wants, provided only that he not initiate (or threaten) violence against the person or legitimately owned property of another.” There can be no doubt, then, that by shooting 19 individuals, Loughner was acting in violation of the libertarian philosophy. As Dean Russell of the Foundation for Economic Education eloquently stated in 1955, “In popular terminology, a libertarian is the opposite of an authoritarian. Strictly speaking, a libertarian is one who rejects the idea of using violence or the threat of violence – legal or illegal – to impose his will or viewpoint upon any peaceful person.” Thus, Loughner was not a freedom-loving right-winger but an authoritarian who employed aggression in order to punish those who disagreed with his views. Finally, after falsely accusing libertarians of believing in “the great Federal Reserve conspiracy theory […] that there’s a Zionist world plot to control the money supply,” journalist Chip Berlet speculated that Loughner may have
targeted Congresswoman Giffords, who is Jewish, for this reason. Although it is possible that it may have motivated Loughner, who is mentally unstable, this particular criticism of the Federal Reserve is completely false, ludicrous and hateful. That idea is not the criticism libertarians have regarding the Fed. Rather, libertarians have legitimate concerns regarding the Fed’s role in causing the business cycle. These concerns are justified by decades of stud-
ies by economists such as Ludwig von Mises, who was Jewish himself. In fact, libertarians are incapable of bigotry because bigotry is a collectivist notion. Libertarians believe that each individual is unique, regardless of ethnicity or religion. Clearly, the right wing has nothing in common with Loughner.
Staff columnist Sergio Goncalves is a 4thsemester political science major. He can be contacted at Sergio.Goncalves@UConn.edu.
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What is your favorite snow activity? – By Ed Ryan
“I like to sit inside and drink tea and watch other people have fun.”
“Watching individual flakes flutter innocently to the ground and gently kiss my cheek.”
“I like to stay inside and drink hot cocoa... Amy stole mine.”
Amy Schellenbaum, associate managing editor, 4th- semester journalism and anthropology double major
Colin McDonough, senior staff writer and page designer, 6th-semester journalism major.
Melanie Deziel, associate focus editor, 6thsemester journalism major.
“I like to make snow angels.” Joe Adinolfi, news editor, 6th-semester journalism major.
The Daily Campus, Page 6
Friday, January 21, 2011
News
More than 120 busted in Northeast Mafia crackdown
NEW YORK (AP) — Federal authorities orchestrated one of the biggest Mafia takedowns in FBI history Thursday, charging 127 suspected mobsters and associates in the Northeast with murders, extortion and other crimes spanning decades. Past investigations have resulted in strategic strikes aimed at crippling individual crime families. This time, authorities used a shotgun approach, with some 800 federal agents and police officers making scores of simultaneous arrests stemming from different mob investigations in New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island. They also used fanfare: Attorney General Eric Holder made a trip to New York to announce the operation at a news conference with the city’s top law enforcement officials. As of late Thursday, 125 had been arrested, including four who were already behind bars. Holder called the arrests “an important and encouraging step forward in disrupting La Cosa Nostra’s operations.” But he and others also cautioned that the mob, while having lost some of the swagger of the John Gotti era, is known for adapting to adversity and finding new ways of making money and spreading violence. “Members and associates of La Cosa Nostra are among the most dangerous criminals in our country,” Holder said. “The very oath of allegiance sworn by these Mafia members during their initiation ceremony binds them to a life of crime.” In the past, the FBI has aggressively pursued and imprisoned the leadership of the city’s five Italian mob families, only to see ambitious underlings fill the vacancies, said Janice Fedarcyk, head of the FBI’s New York office. “We deal in reality, and the reality is that the mob, like nature, abhors a vacuum,” she said.
AP
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, left, is joined by federal and local law officials at a press conference announcing organized crime arrests on Thursday in New York. More than 120 organized crime associates were arrested Thursday on charges including murder, extortion and narcotics trafficking in one of the largest Mafia crackdowns in FBI history.
However, the FBI has gained a recent advantage by cultivating a crop of mob figures willing to wear wires and testify against gangsters in exchange for leniency in their own cases. “The vow of silence that is part of the oath of omerta is more myth than reality today,” she said. In the latest cases, authorities say turncoats recorded thou-
sands of conversations of suspected mobsters. Investigators also tapped their phones. In sheer numbers, the takedown eclipsed those from a highly publicized assault on the Gambino crime family in 2008, when authorities rounded up 62 suspects. All but one of the arrests resulted in guilty pleas. The deluge of defendants Thursday forced the FBI to move
processing – normally done at its lower Manhattan headquarters – to a gym at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn. The defendants, most arrested in raids at dawn, stood in line in handcuffs while waiting to be photographed and fingerprinted. In Brooklyn, three judges in three separate courtrooms were needed to enter pleas and decide bail for dozens of defendants. Normally, one is on duty.
Among those arrested Thursday were union officials, two former police officers and a suspect in Italy. High-ranking members of the Gambino and Colombo crime families and the reputed former boss of organized crime in New England also were named in 16 federal indictments unsealed Thursday. The indictments listed colorful nicknames – Bobby
Glasses, Vinny Carwash, Jack the Whack, Johnny Cash, Junior Lollipops – and catalogued murders, extortion, arson and other crimes dating back 30 years. One of the indictments charges a reputed Gambino boss, Bartolomeo Vernace, in a double murder in the Shamrock Bar in Queens in a dispute over a spilled drink. Another charges an alleged Colombo captain, Anthony Russo, in the 1993 hit on an underboss during the family’s bloody civil war. Russo, 49, and Vernace, 61, pleaded not guilty in federal court in Brooklyn and were ordered held without bail. Outside court, Vernace’s attorney, Gerald Shargel, said his client was facing charges similar to those he beat in a state case in the 1990s. He also questioned the splashy way the charges were brought. “It seems there was a public relations aspect to it,” he said. Luigi Manocchio, 83, the reputed former head of New England’s Patriarca crime family, was arrested in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. He has long denied having mob ties. A judge on Thursday ordered Manocchio sent to Rhode Island to face charge he collected protection payments from strip-club owners. Also arrested was Thomas Iafrate, who worked as a bookkeeper for strip clubs and set aside money for Manocchio, prosecutors said. Iafrate pleaded not guilty Thursday in federal court in Providence, R.I. Other charges include corruption among dockworkers in New York and New Jersey who were forced to kick back a portion of their holiday bonuses to the crime families. Members of the Colombo family also were charged with extortion and fraud in connection with their control of a cement and concrete workers union.
New GM product chief to Australian flood crisis focus on speed, quality threatens city and towns
AP
AP
In this Sept. 2, 2010 photo provided by General Motors, then, Vice President Global Human Resources Mary Barra poses with a 2011 Chevrolet Cruze at GM World Headquarters in Detroit.
Lorraine Lucic uses a jug to scoop water that is trickling through the sand bags protecting her house from rising flood waters near Euchca, Australia. Up to 1,500 homes in Kerang, in the north of Victoria state, could be affected if the Lodden River rises any further.
DETROIT (AP) — The new chief of product development at GM holds what is arguably the most important job in the company: coming up with cars and trucks that people want. There also are a few extra goals on Mary Barra’s list: Make the stuff faster and raise its quality. Barra, a 30-year veteran of General Motors, was named head of global product development on Thursday. She replaces Vice Chairman Tom Stephens who was moved aside after GM’s CEO grew unhappy over the speed with which new vehicles reached the market. She’ll look for ways to more efficiently run a giant operation that includes 36,000 people across the globe, she said in an interview with The Associated Press. She also wants vehicles with more compelling exterior designs, the latest technology, and she promises to work with
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rural towns in Australia’s southeast and the nation’s third largest city were on flood watch Friday as rivers surged in a weekslong flood crisis that has created widespread devastation across the continent. Residents of Brisbane, the capital of northeast Queensland state which was devastated by flooding last week, were sandbagging low-lying homes again as a high tide was expected on the main river that snakes through the city. People living in low-lying areas were urged to be prepared, according to a statement issued by Brisbane Mayor Campbell Newman. The Brisbane River is expected to remain high until Sunday. In southeast Victoria state, rising rivers expected to peak on Friday were threatening homes
manufacturing and parts supply companies to boost quality. Barra wouldn’t say how much time she’d like to shave from product development, which typically takes four or five years. With other automakers cranking out new models faster and faster, it’s critical for GM respond with fresh cars and trucks because older models don’t sell as well as those with the latest designs and gadgets. The typical five-year wait for new models probably is too long, but GM could do significant updates in a much shorter period, said Rebecca Lindland, director of automotive research with consulting firm IHS Automotive. “Everybody is going to be coming to market with products sooner,” she said “With technology being more and more integrated into a vehicle, you can be obsolete before you know it.”
New Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson told reporters last week that GM’s 2009 bankruptcy put the company a year behind in vehicle development, and he wanted to bring out new cars and trucks faster. He said in a statement that Barra will bring a “fresh perspective” to the critically important job. Bankruptcy sidetracked new pickup trucks, among GM’s topselling vehicles, and it delayed a replacement for the aging Chevrolet Impala large sedan. Barra, 49, has been vice president of global human resources since 2009, helping the company through management turmoil that included four chief executives in less than two years. She also served as a plant manager and held a number of engineering and management posts, even heading internal communications.
in the small towns of Jeparit and Beulah, which cannot be reached by road because of flooding, the State Emergency Service said in a statement. Hundreds of local residents are watching nervously on Friday from high ground at emergency evacuation centers. Upstream in Victoria, a river that flooded the town of Kerang had peaked on Thursday but the State Emergency Service continued to monitor a straining levee that serves as the main protection between the muddy waters and residents’ homes. Eastern Australia has endured weeks of massive flooding that the government says could be the nation’s most expensive natural disaster ever. It shut down much of Queensland’s lucrative coal industry and has caused 30 deaths. Australia is the driest continent after Antarctica and was
recently in the grip of the worst drought in more than a century. But 2010 was Australia’s third wettest year on record, despite the country’s drought-stricken southwest region enduring its driest ever year. The government has yet to estimate the cost of the damage which will reach billions of dollars, but Prime Minister Julia Gillard said she was considering introducing a flood tax to pay for reconstruction. Some estimates already were at $5 billion before muddy brown waters swamped Brisbane last week. Walls of water miles (kilometers) wide are surging across northern and western Victoria in the wake of record rainfall last week. Seventy-two Victorian towns have already been affected by rising waters, 1,770 properties have been flooded and more than 3,500 people have evacuated their homes.
THIS DATE IN HISTORY
BORN ON THIS DATE
1977
President Jimmy Carter grants an unconditional pardon to hundreds of thousands who evaded the draft during the Vietnam War.
www.dailycampus.com
Thomas Jackson – 1824 Jack Nicklaus – 1940 Geena Davis – 1956 Baby Spice – 1976
The Daily Campus, Page 7
Friday, January 21, 2011
Marcus gives off good vibrations I’ll be up in the gym just working on my fitness
The aid you need for filing your financial aid
By Amy Schellenbaum Associate Managing Editor
By Melanie Deziel Associate Focus Editor
Anybody who has gone to the gym this past week can attest to the fact that the already cramped quarters of the Recreational Facility have become overrun with huffing bodies. New Year’s resolutions have yet to become obscured by exams, readings and new episodes of “Glee.” We’re sticking to our brand spanking new day planners and every workout plan we optimistically scribble in them. We’re going to lose five pounds, give up online shopping and stop swearing for good, damn it. Unfortunately, this means nabbing a treadmill becomes a game requiring more strategy than a competitive game of Risk, more stealthiness than a Black Op and much more patience than I have. Did I say game? I meant sweaty onus of Hell. And that’s before the actually running part. “The First weeks coming back from winter break and the couple of weeks leading to Spring Break are crazy,” Student Rec employee Marissa Gialopsos said in an e-mail to me. “There will be a line…sometimes six people deep waiting to get on the treadmills.” Between 10:30 and 11:30 on Wednesday, 300 students were swiped into the gym. That’s over twice as large as the class size of my biggest lecture. I don’t know about you, but waiting in line is not an acceptable use of the precious minutes I have to get my workout on. I simply don’t have the two hours to devote to what should be a 45-minute session. So I’ve compiled a few ways to cleverly navigate the next few weeks without sacrificing a workout or going “Katie Kaboom” on the girl who was on the elliptical for 35 minutes. First things first, avoid the danger hours. From about 4
Welcome back Huskies. After several weeks of Winter break and a nice bonus day, hopefully you are all feeling well rested and ready to dive in to a new semester. With classes still getting underway, the most important thing this week is not unpacking your clothes, labeling your notebooks or rearranging furniture. No, Huskies. This week, we tackle the FAFSA. I know what you’re thinking. “It takes too long.” “I did that last year.” “I don’t deal with the financial stuff.” “I don’t have the paperwork I need.” “My parents make too much money for me to get anything.” Misunderstandings about the purpose, process and requirements of the FAFSA cause too many students to lose out. A recent study by Sallie Mae and Gallup—a financial institution and a polling organization, respectively—revealed that 28 percent of families with collegeaged dependents did not fill out the FAFSA for the 2010 to 2011 school year, many of them for the above reasons. True to its purpose, Husky Finance is embarking on a two week mission to dispel all the misconceptions. Call it “FAFSA: Demystified.” This week, you will learn what exactly the FAFSA is and why it is relevant, when you should start working on it and what your options are for filing it. The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Filing this document not only gives you access to federal financial aid, but also to state aid. Many universities, including UConn, use the FAFSA to determine their university specific financial awards too. The FAFSA works by collecting personal and financial information via a questionnaire. It contains around 130 questions about your family size and income, tax information and more. It uses this information to determine your Expected
» AVOID, page 8
STEVE SWEENEY/The Daily Campus
Comedian Marcus began a long, storied tradition of free comedy at UConn on Thursday night, the first of many free Thursday night comedy shows at the Student Union to come.
Jokes are tattooed on audience members’ brains By Kim Halpin Campus Correspondent SUBOG kicked off the semester with the first of their bi-weekly comedy shows Thursday night with the comedian Marcus. He is well known from having participated on Last Comic Standing, and has since released a number of DVDs and CDs with material from his show. Marcus began by explaining how things change as you get older and get married. “Everyone starts getting too comfortable,” Marcus said as he explained the lack of boundaries him and his wife now have. There were rounds of “ews” and laughter as he started listing the now acceptable activities. Marcus then focused on how he has noticed that he is getting older. “I find myself saying phrases like, ‘Honey, I’m going to
do a load of towels,’” he said chuckling. “No one here has enough towels to constitute a load.” He knew his audience as he commented that most college guys only have a single towel that they won’t wash until it is too disgusting to still soak in water. He also said how sad he felt that he had to stretch before playing “fake sports” on his Wii games. Marcus suggested that the audience follow him on twitter so that they could read some of the absurd tweets that he doesn’t even remember posting. He read off a couple of his favorites from the past that he had printed out, which were well received by the crowd. One that he particularly laughed at was about him trying to reel in a fish, but it was “off the hook.” He prefaced it by saying that it was stupid, but still “a great one.” Audience member Rahul
Darwar, a 2nd-semester molecular and cell biology major, said that Marcus’s tweets were “exactly like what my friends tweet.” Marcus then went on to muse about whether or not people can trace the origins of some of the strange expressions that we commonly use. Technology can attribute for modern epidemics of words like “shnizzel” being used after Snoop Dog says it on MTV he said. But what he was interested in was how phrases like, “don’t put all your eggs in one basket” and, “don’t look a gifted horse in the mouth” came about. The audience laughed as he acted out possible scenarios. He ended his show discussing a 12-hour television marathon he once watched called, “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant.” The show dramatically reenacts the situations that women have gone
The Golden Globes: What does it all mean? By Steph Ratty Staff Writer On Sunday evening, actors and actresses swept the Golden Globes and films that had been celebrated as award-worthy long before they were released in theaters. As predicted by critics such as E! News and Access Hollywood, Natalie Portman took Best Actress in a Movie Drama for her role as a mentally tormented perfectionist in “Black Swan.” Colin Firth eloquently delivered his persona of stuttering King George VI in “The King’s Speech,” and was rewarded with Best Actor in a Movie Drama. “The Fighter” produced both the Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress in a movie with Christian Bale and Melissa Leo. Their roles as boxer Micky Ward’s selfcentered brother and mother ensured the statues each brought home. “The Social Network,” a film depicting Mark Zuckerberg’s creation of social media giant
Facebook surprised many when it stole the show with wins for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Score. Yet, as we transition from the Golden Globes to next month’s Academy Awards, how reliable are last weekend’s winners as predictions for those hoping to take home Oscars? To start, one must consider the deciding factors for each award show. The members of the Hollywood Foreign Press choose the winners of the Golden Globes, while Oscar winners owe gratitude to the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences. In the past 10 years, many Academy Award winners have been consistent to those of the Golden Globes, with a handful of exceptions. Only twice in the past decade has an actor who did not win the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actor go on to win the Oscar (2004 & 2006). With such a dependable trend, it’s relatively safe to assume that Christian Bale will once again accept the award for his
portrayal of Dickie Eklund in “The Fighter.” On the other hand, Best Supporting Actress isn’t always so steady. Only 50 percent of the nominated actresses swept the category at both shows. With such an unpredictable trend, the race is far from over for Helena Bonham Carter and Amy Adams, earlier Golden Globe favorites. The same odds stand for Best Picture, where “The Social Network” took the first award but leaves the door open for “The Fighter,” “Black Swan,” “Inception,” “The King’s Speech” and others to take the Academy Award on Feb. 27. When it comes to Best Actress, the Academy and the Hollywood Foreign Press are almost always spot on with multiple wins. If history repeats itself, Natalie Portman may very well prepare herself to polish an Oscar for her collection. Colin Firth, however, should stay on his toes because just over 50 percent of Golden Globes Best Actors continue to also win the Oscar.
Johnathan Jacobs, a senior at Georgetown University, doesn’t believe that relying on past awards shows is a viable predictor for future winners. He thinks, “A more accurate predictor would be the Guild Awards or the Broadcast Film Critics awards. That being said, I think there will be more similarities this year than in others,” Jacobs said. Jillian Castrellon, a senior Pre-Law student at SUNY Buffalo, also ignores media outlets that suggest a connection between Golden Globe winners and Oscar winners. “I think the Golden Globes aren’t as prestigious and I think the Oscars will take more consideration the difficulty of the roles as well as the film itself,” she said. While nobody can guarantee a win for next month’s Academy Awards, it is worthwhile to consider the trends we’ve seen in Hollywood in the past ten years. Be sure to tune in Feb. 27 to see if your favorites will take home an Oscar.
Stephanie.Ratty@UConn.edu
through when the suddenly find themselves in labor, not even knowing they were pregnant. Again pointing out the absurdities of modern culture. Another show he talked about was “Man vs. Food” and how the host of that show must be the only person not benefiting from being on T.V. He chuckled as he wondered how hard it must be for him to pick up girls. The crowd was receptive to Marcus’s style of crude humor as he pointed some of the absurdities in everyday life. Chelsea McCallum, a 4th-semester management major, said that his style “reminded [her] of Dane Cook.” She also expressed that “the two comedians have similar personas.”
Kimberly.Halpin@UConn.edu
» KEEP, page 8
Gabriel Iglesias to perform at UConn tonight
Photo courstesy of The Jorgensen Center for Performing
Iglesias will perform at Jorgensen at 8 p.m. Student tickets are $20.
The Daily Campus, Page 8
Avoid crowds or avoid the gym altogether from I’LL BE, page 7 p.m. to 8 p.m., students flood the facility, the hour between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. being the most stifling of all. But as seen on Wednesday, going during “off-hours” does not guarantee a crowd-free environment, at least for the next couple of weeks. Now might be the right time for you to explore other parts of the gym besides the cardio rooms. I, for one, adore the rowing machines, located above the basketball courts toward the back. I’ve never had an issue getting a rowing machine, mostly because they’re lined up where most occasional gym-goers never go. Rowing is a great fullbody workout, engaging your arms, shoulders, core and legs. Nearby are the squash courts and the rock climbing facility, both are also fine options, but you should call the gym ahead of time to make accommodations for reserving a space. The rock climbing facility also requires basic training available at the beginning of every semester. Of course there is working out in the freezing weather, but I cannot recommend running in these icy conditions for anybody. But next week, I plan to write about what to wear in order to brave a New England winter for a workout. Another viable option is exercising in your dorm. Many fitness magazine websites, including those of “Self” and “Women’s Health,” have workouts you can do without any equipment. Jillian Michaels has a great yogalike workout that made my shoulders and quads ache like the selectorized weights in the gym. There are also plenty of websites and YouTube channels that offer really great workouts. YouTube videos are limited in time, which can be aggravating and disrupt your groove, hampering your motivation. Exercisetv.tv has hundreds of videos available to stream onto your computer, but for a price (usually about $2.99). Sparkpeople.com is also a good resource for workout videos. See? You don’t need to submit yourself to the grief exercise machine lines cause and the havoc they play on your inspired color-coordinated 2011 planner. While others let their New Year’s resolutions fade, you who have not grown fed up can rise victorious, able to conquer anything you set your mind to… except maybe the swearing thing.
Amy.Schellenbaum@UConn.edu
Friday, January 21, 2011
Focus
Globes host Gervais says he was just doing his job NEW YORK (AP) — As host of the Golden Globe Awards, Ricky Gervais took sharp, arguably cruel jabs at targets including Charlie Sheen, Cher, the nominated film "The Tourist" and even the sponsoring Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Just doing his job, Gervais insists. "If they didn't want me, they shouldn't have hired me," he said on Piers Morgan's CNN talk show airing Thursday.
"I don't think I did anything wrong," Gervais said. "Those were like gibes at these people, and I'm sure they've got a sense of humor." Morgan asked if any topic is ever off-limits for a wisecrack at a celebrity's expense. "Do you care about what they may be going through in their private lives?" he inquired, perhaps referring to Robert Downey Jr., whom Gervais introduced at Sunday's awards show by say-
ing, "Many of you in this room probably know him best from such facilities as the Betty Ford Clinic and Los Angeles County Jail." "I don't have an addiction," replied Gervais, adding, "I'm not judging them for what they did." "You're mocking them, aren't you?" Morgan pressed. "No, I'm not," Gervais said. "I'm confronting the elephant in the room. ... Like I'm going to go out there and NOT talk about
Keep an eye on financial aid deadlines from THE AID, page 7
the issues in their industry. Don't forget, I've got to be an outsider there. I mustn't come out there as everyone's mate and schmooze — that's nauseating. I've got to come out there, and I've got to roast them." There has been no official word on whether Gervais, who was making his second appearance as Golden Globes host, will be back next year. "Piers Morgan Tonight" airs weeknights on CNN at 9 p.m. EST.
IFPI: Growth in digital music sales is slowing LONDON (AP) — The growth in digital music sales is slowing considerably, falling into the single digits for the first time since record companies began making significant amounts of money online in 2004, according to figures released Thursday. The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry said in its annual report that digital sales increased by 6 percent in 2010 — only half the growth rate registered in 2009 and far from the explosive expansion seen in earlier years. The federation values the market in legal digital music at $4.6 billion, but says the trade in unauthorized content remains much more important. "As an industry we remain very challenged," federation chief executive Frances Moore told journalists before the report's publication. "Something like 95 percent of downloads are still unlicensed." The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry is a dogged opponent of illegal file-swapping, which it claims is ravaging the world music business. Its annual reports have charted its campaign to crack down on pirates — as well as the growth of the industry's digital offerings, which now account for nearly a third of the industry's flagging revenues. Fighting piracy and expanding the digital market is crucial to making up for declining sales at bricks-and-mortar retailers such as HMV, which earlier this month announced plans to close about 60 of its U.K. stores. Thomas Hesse, the president of Sony Music Entertainment's global digital business, said the industry was "fighting against the backdrop of the continued decline of CDs, the continued decline of retailers who sell music." The IFPI counted some qualified successes last year: Britain followed the lead of countries
AP
Thomas Hesse, left, the president of Sony Music Entertainment’s global digital business and Max Hole, the chief operating officer of Universal Music Group International.
such as France and South Korea by enacting a law that could eventually lead to persistent illegal file-sharers having their Internet access limited or suspended outright. China, one of the music industry's biggest problem areas (music piracy rates there are estimated at virtually 100 percent) said it was working to tackle the issue. There was some good news for the IFPI on the legal front as well. In October a U.S. District Court issued an injunction preventing Limewire — which the IFPI accuses of being the country's biggest source of illegal music downloads — to stop supplying its software. The next month, Sweden's Court of Appeal upheld the convictions of three men operating The Pirate Bay, one of the Web's most notorious file-sharing sites.
But all that has failed to quash illegal file-sharing, which the IFPI blames for taking 31 percent of its revenue in the past six years. Piracy is threatening jobs across the creative sector, starving independent labels of cash and debut acts of attention, the IFPI said. The group renewed its appeals to governments and Internet providers worldwide to help put a lid on the problem. And while providers have traditionally resisted such calls, the report highlighted one development which may help bring them over to the other side. Increasingly, they're the ones supplying the music. The IFPI singled out Nordic countries, where Swedish and Finnish provider Telia offers a four month free subscription to streaming music Spotify Ltd. and Denmark's TDC offers unlimited
music downloads to its mobile and broadband customers. Italy's FASTWEB and Ireland's Eircom have also recently begun offering subscribers similar access to millions of songs. Moore described the music industry's emerging partnerships with providers as a win-win situation, with those who supply the Web access getting a new source of revenue, and those who supply the music getting a new ally in its campaign to get consumers "to be responsible in their use of the Internet." The IFPI did not provide estimates for how much such arrangements could win for the music industry, but it said that, in the U.K. alone, partnerships like the one in Sweden could earn Internet service providers more than 100 million pounds ($160 million) annually by 2013.
Family Contribution (EFC), the awards you are eligible for and the loans you will be offered. No matter how much your parents make, the FAFSA is not necessarily useless. Having siblings in college, for example, reduces your EFC, making you more likely to get aid. Not convinced? Head to www.fafsa.ed.gov and look for the “FAFSA 4CASTER.” This is an ultra-condensed version of the FAFSA that (while not official) will produce a rough estimate of your EFC and your anticipated loans and awards in less than five minutes. It is not guaranteed to be accurate, but the results might motivate you to complete the official fullsize FAFSA. And the time to start the FAFSA is now. The national deadline to file is not until March 1, but the Connecticut deadline is fast approaching. Applications for Connecticut are due by Feb. 15. But the sooner you submit it, the happier you will be, as much of the aid is dispersed on a first-come, first-served basis. When it comes time to actually fill out the FAFSA, you have more options than ever before. The most common method of completion is the online form at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You create an account with a PIN, which allows you to save progress as you complete this year’s application and to sign back in to update the information when next year’s application rolls around. And, starting Jan. 30, applicants will be able to transfer their 2010 tax information from the IRS directly to the FAFSA application, which will save time and aggravation. Don’t want to create an account? You can fill out a PDF copy of the FAFSA on your computer or print it, or you can print it first and fill it out by hand. That paper copy must then be mailed. Just note that you cannot save progress as you fill out the PDF version on your computer. If you don’t have access to a computer or prefer to do it by hand, you can call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800433-3243) to request that a paper copy of the form be sent to you. Like the previous option, you must then mail the completed form. Contact your parents about the impending deadline and their preferred method of filing. Try to arrange a time to fill it out together – in person, via Skype or over the phone. Send them an email with the FAFSA website (www.fafsa. ed.gov) or a link to this column. Get the conversation started. Check Husky Finance next week for more FAFSA info. Learn what information you need to complete the form, what happens if you are chosen to be “verified,” what resources are available to help you and some basic tips on getting through the whole ordeal.
Melanie.Deziel@UConn.edu
Wendy Williams to host GSN’s new ‘Love Triangle’ Jesse James says he’s engaged LOS ANGELES (AP) — Wendy Williams will host a new series, "Love Triangle," a game show-talk show crossover that will put participants to the test with a lie detector. In the series debuting April 18 on the Game Show Network, Williams will act as adviser to a person trying to choose one relationship over another. Williams, host of a daily syndicated TV talk show, said she won't change her style for the GSN series but will rely on humor as she tries to help people untangle romantic quandaries. "I never consider a relationship a game, but certainly there will be some fun injected into the show as people try to help themselves and I guide them in making the best choice in their relationship," Williams said Thursday. She's eager to get help from the lie detector device, dubbed the "Truthbuster," that will be used as people answer such
questions as, "Do you want marriage and children?" "I would give everybody a lie detector test," from her 9-year-old son to TV's "The Bachelor," if she had her way, Williams said. GSN programming executive Kelly Goode said "Love Triangle" fits in with the channel's other dating and relationship shows, "Baggage" and "The Newlywed Game." Williams is having a big year, and it's only January. It was announced last week that "The Wendy Williams Show" was renewed for a third season. Also last week, Aretha Franklin called in to talk with Williams on her TV show, one of the first times the Queen of Soul was heard since undergoing surgery Dec. 2 for an undisclosed condition. In a strong voice, Franklin said she was feeling "superb." Williams didn't press her, she said Thursday, because, "I respect the legend that she is."
to marry Kat Von D
AP
TV and radio host Wendy Williams attends the launch party for “The Wendy Williams Show” in New York.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Motorcycle man Jesse James is engaged to tattoo artist Kat Von D. “It’s true,” James told The Associated Press on Thursday. No wedding date has been announced. James and Von D began dating over the summer after his very public split from Oscarwinner Sandra Bullock. The 41-year-old biker-businessman and reality TV star called Von D his best friend. Von D, whose real name is Katherine von Drachenberg, says James is the one. The 28-year-old stars on the TLC reality show “LA Ink.” The engagement was first reported Thursday by People.com. James told the magazine, “2010 was actually the best year of my life because I fell in love with my best friend. An amazing woman who stood behind me when the world turned their backs.” James and Bullock were married for five years. Their
marriage collapsed amid allegations of infidelity just after Bullock won an Oscar for her role in “The Blind Side” in March, 2010. James apologized publicly to the actress and his three children from previous relationships for causing them “pain and embarrassment beyond comprehension.” He later told ABC’s “Nightline” that he was the most hated man in the world for capping off Bullock’s career high with a deeply personal low. The couple separated in March and their divorce was finalized in June. James began professing his love for Von D on Twitter earlier this month, writing on Jan. 9: “I have Never Felt so Loved! I’m The Luckiest (man) in the World!” Von D posted on the microblogging site Thursday that she is “overwhelmed with joy.”
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Campus, Page 9
Focus
Police: Hollywood publicist killed by lone gunman
NEW YORK (AP) — From Hollywood studios to Japanese TV makers, powerful business interests are betting 3-D will be the future of entertainment, despite a major drawback: It makes millions of people uncomfortable or sick. Optometrists say as many as one in four viewers have problems watching 3-D movies and TV, either because 3-D causes tiresome eyestrain or because the viewer has problems perceiving depth in real life. In the worst cases, 3-D makes people queasy, leaves them dizzy or gives them headaches. Researchers have begun developing more lifelike 3-D displays that might address the problems, but they’re years or even decades from being available to the masses. That isn’t deterring the entertainment industry, which is aware of the problem yet charging ahead with plans to create more movies and TV shows in 3-D. Jeff Katzenberg, CEO of Dreamworks Animation SKG Inc., calls 3-D “the greatest innovation that’s happened for the movie theaters and for moviegoers since color.” Theater owners including AMC Entertainment Inc. and TV makers such as Panasonic Corp. are spending more than a billion dollars to upgrade theaters and TVs for 3-D. A handful of satellite and cable channels are already carrying 3-D programming; ESPN just announced its 3-D network will begin broadcasting 24 hours a day next month. Yet there are already signs that consumers may not be as excited about 3-D as the entertainment and electronics industries are. Last year, people were willing to pay an additional $3 or more per ticket for blockbuster 3-D movies such as “Avatar” and “Toy Story 3.” But that didn’t help the overall box office take: People spent $10.6 billion on movie tickets last year, down slightly from the year before. People went to the theater less, but spent more. 3-D TV sets were available in the U.S. for the first time last year, but shipments came in below forecasts, at just under 1.6 million for North America, according to DisplaySearch. Nevertheless, TV makers such as Samsung Electronics Co. and Panasonic are doubling down on 3-D and introduced more 3-D-capable models this month at the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Those models cost more than regular ones and require glasses, just like in theaters. Research into how today’s
3-D screens affect viewers is only in its early stages. There have been no large-scale scientific studies. A study of 115 South Koreans watching 3-D screens close up found that 3-D caused more eyestrain than 2-D. The research prompted the Korean government to recommend that viewers take a break of up to 15 minutes after an hour of 3-D viewing. But that study was based on glasses with red and green lenses rather than the ones used in theaters and with TVs. Based on an unscientific, online survey, the American Optometric Association estimates that 25 percent of Americans have experienced headaches, blurred vision, nausea or similar problems when viewing 3-D. TV makers do their own testing, but don’t publish results. Samsung warns on its Australian website that its 3-D TVs can cause “motion sickness, perceptual after effects, disorientation, eye strain, and decreased postural stability.” The last part means viewers risk losing balance and falling. “We do not recommend watching 3-D if you are in bad physical condition, need sleep or have been drinking alcohol,” the site continues. Nintendo Co. says children aged 6 or younger shouldn’t play with its upcoming 3DS handheld gaming system with 3-D technology, because it might affect vision development. 3-D screens and glasses create the illusion of depth by showing different images to each eye. That simulates the way objects that are at different distances in real life appear in slightly different places in each eye’s field of view. That’s enough for most of us to perceive a scene as having depth. But our eyes also look for another depth cue in a scene: They expect to need to focus at different distances to see sharply. More specifically, our eyes track an approaching object by turning inward, toward our noses. Bring something close enough, and we look crosseyed. 3-D screens also elicit this response when they show something approaching the viewer. The problem is that as the eyes turn inward, they also expect to focus closer. But a screen isn’t moving closer, so the eyes have to curb their hard-wired inclination and focus back out. This mismatch between where the eyes think the focus should be and where the screen actually is forces them to work extra hard. “That causes at least part of the discomfort and fatigue
that people are experiencing,” says Martin Banks, an optometry professor at University of California, Berkeley. The problem is magnified if the screen moves close to the viewer — exactly what’s happening if 3-D viewing moves from the movie theater to living rooms to game gadgets like the 3DS. There is at least anecdotal evidence of a growing problem. David Hays, an optometrist in University Place, Wash., says patients came in after seeing “Avatar,” complaining of eyestrain or the inability to see the 3-D effect. He expects to see more as the technology spreads. Roger Phelps, an optometrist in Ojai, Calif., says viewers who suffer the most with 3-D are those who have trouble getting their eyes to converge properly in normal life. “If you tend to get carsick easily, you might be one of those,” Phelps says. Yevgeny Koltunov, a 39-yearold New Yorker, has gone out of his way to find theaters showing 2-D versions of such movies as “Iron Man 2” and “Alice in Wonderland.” His daughter, 13, also refuses to see 3-D movies. “It doesn’t look all that spectacular to me,” Koltunov says. “For the most part, they give me a headache and make me dizzy, by the end.” Moviemakers do hold back on 3-D effects to minimize eyestrain. “Avatar” avoided gimmicks such as objects suddenly appearing to jut out of the screen. Filmmakers also try to make sure that the most significant part of a scene, such as the lead actor’s face, appear to be at the same distance as the screen. That way, the eyes are less confused. But this approach also limits moviemakers’ creative freedom, and it doesn’t solve the eyestrain problem entirely. Banks is working on a longer-term solution. He and his team at Berkeley’s Visual Space Perception Laboratory have put together 3-D “glasses” — really, a desk-bound contraption — with lenses that accomodate the eyes’ natural inclination to focus at different distances. He says the setup reduces eyestrain and mental fatigue from 3-D images, though it may not eliminate them entirely. A reporter who tried the device found it provided a very lifelike illusion of a box coming toward him on a track. At the University of Arizona, optical sciences professor Hong Hua is working on wearable, helmet-like displays that also allow the eyes to focus at different distances. Commercial versions of these setups are at least several years away, and even then, are more likely to be professional tools for remote surgery or industrial design rather than consumer items. Even further away is the prospect of live holograms, which could create 3-D images that could be viewed without glasses, from all angles. Until then, Phelps recommends sufferers sit as far back as they can in 3-D theaters. Another solution: close one eye, or put a Post-It note over it like an eye patch. That way, 3-D goes back to being 2-D.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — An ex-con acted alone in gunning down Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen during a botched robbery, police said Thursday, ending speculation that he may have conspired with someone to kill her. The case against Harold Martin Smith, a career criminal, was concluded, although it will be a couple more weeks before it is formally closed, Beverly Hills Police Chief David Snowden told The Associated Press. Smith, 43, killed himself Dec. 1 when police arrived at a Hollywood apartment building to question him about the shooting. Chasen, 64, was shot multiple times in the chest on Nov. 16 as she drove her Mercedes-Benz through Beverly Hills after attending the premiere of the movie “Burlesque.” Speculation about possible motives bubbled after the killing and ranged from road rage to a gang initiation killing. A popular theory whispered around Hollywood was that Chasen was targeted by a hit man, but a tip to the show “America’s Most Wanted” led detectives to Smith.
Snowden said there was no conspiracy. Many of Chasen’s friends initially had difficulty accepting that Smith, a small-time criminal living on the edges of society, could have shot Chasen repeatedly then slipped away without anyone seeing him. Snowden’s comments came after he first spoke to the Hollywood Reporter on Wednesday and said a final ballistics report showed Smith shot Chasen. Still somewhat skeptical, Chasen’s longtime friend, Oscar-nominated songwriter Carol Connors, said she respected the police and would have to accept their conclusion. “To have something as outrageous and beyond comprehension as this be what it is shows that life is not always what we think it is,” she said. “A true tragedy.” A phone message left with Chasen’s sister-in-law Cynthia Costas Cohen was not immediately returned. Chasen was an influential behind-the-scenes player in Hollywood with a long track record in promoting films such as “Driving Miss Daisy,” ‘’On
Golden Pond,” ‘’Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps” and others, as well as their stars. She also promoted movie soundtracks and songs. Hours before she was killed, Chasen had been promoting “Burlesque.” One of the honorary pallbearers at her funeral, songwriter Diane Warren, won her first Golden Globe last week for “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” from that movie. Warren dedicated the award to Chasen. Police believe Smith, who had a rap sheet dating back at least 25 years, rode a bicycle and tried to rob Chasen. Nothing was stolen, most likely because she tried to get away as she was being shot. Investigators have portrayed Smith as a desperate man with little going for him at the time of the shooting. Smith told neighbors at the apartment building where he shot himself that he would never return to prison. Court documents show Smith was a double felon who had been convicted twice of burglary and most recently had been released from prison in 2007 after serving time for robbery.
Amazon buys European movie rental service Lovefilm NEW YORK (AP) — Amazon.com Inc. is buying Lovefilm, a European movie rental service akin to Netflix Inc. The deal announced Thursday heralds Amazon’s entrance into a market where Netflix doesn’t yet do business, and it left analysts wondering whether Amazon might mount a bigger challenge to Netflix in North America, too. Terms of the purchase were not disclosed. Lovefilm operates in the U.K., Germany, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. Much like Netflix, it is a subscription-based service through which people can rent movies by mail or watch them on TV or any other device with a high-speed Internet connection. The company also offers TV shows and games. Amazon already has an ondemand service that lets peo-
ple rent movies by streaming. However, it does not send movies in the mail, as Lovefilm and Netflix do. Netflix so far only offers its service in the U.S. and Canada, with an estimated 19 million subscribers. Now that Amazon has a toehold in Europe, it might be more difficult for Netflix to expand there. Loveflim currently has more than 1.4 million subscribers. Netflix’s subscriber growth has accelerated in the past two years, partly because its Internet streaming feature became more appealing as its availability expanded to video game consoles, Blu-ray players and a variety of set-top boxes that easily connect to TVs. Starz Media LLC gave Netflix’s streaming library a boost in 2008 by licensing its movie catalog for a relatively
inexpensive $30 million a year. Liberty Media Corp, Starz’s parent company, is expected to demand substantially more money when that three-year contract expires in October. The price for the Starz streaming rights could rise even higher if Amazon decides to bid against Netflix — a scenario that Stifel Nicolaus analyst Benjamin Mogil believes is more likely now that Amazon has snapped up Lovefilm. “Although the service currently is European based alone, we would be surprised if Amazon did not have North American ambitions for the service,” Mogil wrote in a note to clients. Netflix’s stock fell $8.50, or 4.5 percent, to $182.37 in early afternoon trading Thursday. Amazon shares fell $4.36, or 2.3 percent, to $182.51.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Michael Jackson’s estate is seeking the shutdown of a website that is selling a book written by the singer’s mother and has released music attributed to the late pop superstar. The singer’s estate sued businessman Howard Mann, who operates the website www. jacksonsecretvault.com, on Thursday, claiming both are infringing on copyrights and pose unfair competition. The website features a book of Katherine Jackson’s recollections of her son and released a remix of a Jackson song shortly before the release of a posthumous album last year. The copyright infringement lawsuit asks a federal judge to turn over the website to the estate. It also seeks all profits from the website, which would go to the multimillion estate that supports Katherine Jackson and the singer’s three children. An e-mail message sent to the site’s operators was not immediately returned. The complaint alleges Mann and the site are using Jackson’s likeness improperly, including images from the film “This Is It” and five sketches the singer drew. The lawsuit states Mann has created a false endorsement by including a “special thanks” to the estate in Katherine Jackson’s book despite not receiving permission for the use of copyrighted works. Several of the Jackson Secret Vault releases have occurred at
the same time as estate projects were being released, including the anniversary of Jackson’s death and the release of the album “Michael” in December. That album sold more than three million copies. “The Estate had hoped Mann would voluntarily cease his conduct but that was not to be,” estate attorney Howard Weitzman wrote in a statement. “People who trade off of Michael’s personality, copyrights, and trademarks should
not be allowed to exploit the legacy of one of the world’s most recognized talents for their own benefit.” Jackson’s estate, overseen by attorney John Branca and music executive John McClain, has earned millions and some experts estimate it will eventually rival the lucrative estate of Elvis Presley. Several lawsuits over Jackson’s likeness and copyright have been filed by the estate and merchandiser Bravado.
The Daily Campus, Page 5
Friday, January 21, 2011
Comics
Down 1 State of matter 2 Fighter who was a dove 3 Emulate 2-Down 4 Ruinous 5 F equivalent 6 Blubber 7 Slightly gapped 8 Ricochet 9 Long-odds track wager 10 Stalk 11 Insect that can mimic a leaf 12 Cargo on the Edmund Fitzgerald when it sank in Lake Superior 13 Recipient of an annual baseball award since 1983 21 Rodeo prop 22 “Casey’s Top 40” host
23 Bad Ems attraction 24 Give a leg up 25 Showman Ziegfeld 29 Chest muscles, briefly 30 Oldest musketeer 32 Zadora of “Hairspray” 35 OAS member 37 Zookeeper’s main squeeze? 38 Lassitude 39 DuPont’s Fiber A, now 40 Worn symbol of support 41 “Billy Budd,” e.g. 42 Wee bit 44 Certain lounge frequenter 45 SFO listing 46 Soak up some rays 48 Tough test 50 Object of a kicking game 51 State of matter
JELLY! by Elise Domyan
Across 1 Cape Cod feature 6 Valentine trim 10 Embezzle 14 Medicinal plants 15 Comet competitor 16 Plantation near Twelve Oaks 17 Like ESP? 18 __ avis 19 Prince William’s alma mater 20 Heavy metal mimic? 23 Exotic guided tour 26 Subway co. in a 1959 song 27 Flop 28 Nickname for a pharmaceuticals czar? 31 Aim high 33 Commotion 34 Chapeau’s perch 36 One bearing down 37 Surfing-induced torpor? 40 Williams of ‘’Happy Days’’ 43 Peevish, as a puss 44 One shooting the bull? 47 Sharp Italian cheese 49 Sailor’s pocket bread? 52 11th-century date 53 Mantel piece 55 Crankcase reservoir 56 Heavenly food on the nightstand? 60 Bit of plankton 61 C-3PO worshiper 62 Where to see government programs 66 Nat or Card 67 Sparkling wine city 68 Elicit a :-) from 69 Dismally damp 70 “Lolita” star Sue 71 Pram occupant’s wear
I Hate Everything by Carin Powell
The Daily Crossword
54 Like a thorough update 57 Cutty __: historic clipper ship 58 Agent inspired by Chan 59 Like, with “to” 63 Minor crying wolf? 64 Egyptian viper 65 Napoleonic Wars marshal
Your Comic Here!
If you would like to write a comic for The Daily Campus email: dailycampuscomics@gmail.com
Include your name, the name of your comic, how many comics you would like to write per week (2, 3 or 5), and a few comics!
Horoscopes Aries - It’s a good day to clean your desk or start that organizational project you’ve been putting off. Persevere and you’ll be grateful for the improvement.
Dismiss the Cynics by Victor Preato
Taurus - To successfully manage today’s goals, you need to pay attention to what others think and allow them to make changes to improve the design. Gemini - Decisions could be tricky, as you don’t get a clear picture of what others really want. Ask them to explain, and really listen for hidden gold. Cancer - You’re just about ready to take a vacation, but the choice of destination is still undecided. Compare locations and travel dates for the best price.
By Michael Mepham
Jason and Rhedosaurus
the
Leo - You’d love to be done with a particular project. Don’t push so hard that you break something. Instead, spark someone’s curiosity about how it could all come together.
Classic
Virgo - Unusual new ideas send you back to the drawing board. Take time to think about possible applications, and restructure the group to manage it all. Libra - Imagine that everyone feels loved and respected. Then make it your business to create that atmosphere around you. This may be easier than you thought. Scorpio - Although you act independently now, your compassion flows. Personal needs and help for others aren’t mutually exclusive. You can do both. Sagittarius - Someone else appears to be in charge, but you pull the strings from backstage. A family member provides unusual costumes and props. Enjoy the show! Capricorn - If someone else feels under the weather, try simple home remedies. It may not take a prescription. Sometimes some chicken soup and kindness go farther. Aquarius - The last of yesterday’s requests gets fulfilled early, through independent action. You may not even know how it actually happened. That’s okay. Pisces - Use your skills to formulate a question. Sensitive feelings require compassionate consideration. Create an atmosphere of trust that values independence.
Pundles by Brian Ingmanson www.cupcakecomics.com.
Classic Why The Long Face by Jackson Lautier
Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Campus, Page 11
Sports
Agassi elected into Tennis Hall of Fame
LAS VEGAS (AP) — The sport that has given Andre Agassi everything is giving him something more. The baseliner known for his aggressive returns and career Grand Slam announced Thursday that he will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, telling hundreds of students at a prep school he runs in Las Vegas that tennis has given him much more than eight major titles. “Tennis has given me everything in my life,” Agassi said. “It’s given me my wife — it’s given me my life’s work by allowing me the resources to build this school for you.” Agassi is married to Steffi Graf, who entered the Newport, R.I., hall in 2004. He will be inducted on July 9. The 40-year-old Las Vegas native set a precedent off the court in terms of fame and endorsements, and won his first major title in 1992 at Wimbledon — where he beat Goran Ivanisevic in five sets. He went on to win Australian Open titles in 1995, 2000, 2002 and 2003, U.S. Open titles in 1994 and 1999, and the French Open in 1999. In 1995, Agassi spent 30 weeks as the world’s No. 1 player, a ranking he lost when he fell to rival Pete Sampras in the U.S. Open final. Agassi said Thursday Sampras was the best player he faced most of his career, until he met Roger Federer. “I just realized that he was
Andre Agassi, center, reacts at the Andre Agassi College Preparatory Academy in Las Vegas after it was announced that he will be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
going to be the giant of the game,” Agassi said. Agassi said his proudest moment on the court was win-
ning the 1999 French Open to complete the career Grand Slam, because it came after he had fallen below the top
100 in rankings after knowing what it felt like to be No. 1. He said he didn’t really believe at the time that
he could win the French Open, and was intimidated after going down two sets to Russian Andrei Medvedev.
“I was so scared, my feet couldn’t move,” Agassi said. “Somehow, I put it all behind me.” The win made him the fifth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. It also marked a comeback from a deep slump during which he was ranked as low as No. 141. Agassi revealed in his 2009 book “Open” that he was depressed in 1997, when he was using crystal meth and failed a drug test. The result was thrown out, he said, after he lied by saying he took the drug unwittingly. Agassi said in the book that when he got to Paris in 1999 the desire to win the French Open had been haunting him for 10 years. “I can’t bear the idea of obsessing about it for another 80,” he said in the book. “If I don’t win this thing right now, I’ll never be happy, truly happy, again.” Agassi told The Associated Press on Thursday that he hoped his personal struggles and style showed people that tennis can be more than just a country club sport. “I think a lot of us are searching for our identity and a lot of us are searching for ownership of our life,” he said. “I think there was a connection that hopefully left people better off.” Agassi had a career record of 870-274 after turning professional in 1986, with 60 total titles and $31.2 million earned in singles and doubles.
Bulls beat Mavs 82-77 CHICAGO (AP) — Derrick Rose scored 26 points as the Chicago Bulls beat the Dallas Mavericks 82-77 on Thursday night. Rose shot 9 for 28 from the field, shouldering a larger-thanusual share of the offensive load in the absence of injured forward Carlos Boozer. Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points to lead Dallas, while Jason Terry, Tyson Chandler and DeShawn Stevenson added 12 points apiece. Stevenson took all 10 of his shots from 3-point range, hitting four. After Rose's pull-up jumper gave the Bulls an 80-77 lead
with 55 seconds to go, Terry missed a tying 3-pointer with 15 seconds to play. Chicago's Kyle Korver then made two free throws to seal the win. The Mavericks were coming off a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night that snapped a six-game skid. The Bulls tied the score at 66-all in the fourth quarter as Rose penetrated the lane in transition and hit a twisting, reverse layup. After a timeout, Nowitzki missed a jumper for Dallas and Chicago's C.J. Watson hit a 3-pointer from the corner, to put the Bulls ahead. Watson added another 3-pointer a couple of
possessions later, pushing the Bulls' advantage to four points. Dallas stayed close, but never led again. The Mavericks shot just 29.7 percent in the opening half were 4 for 19 from the field in the second quarter. Dallas opened the second half with a 20-8 run and held the Bulls to 12 points in the third quarter, seizing a 60-56 advantage heading into the fourth. Foul trouble plagued the Bulls in the third quarter, with starting big men Taj Gibson and Kurt Thomas both picking up their fourth foul and finishing the period on the bench.
The Daily Campus, Page 12
Thursday, January 21, 2011
Sports
Kendall Reyes to return for senior season By Mac Cerullo Sports Editor Star defensive lineman Kendall Reyes will forego the NFL Draft and return to UConn for his senior season, the Hartford Courant reported. Reyes, a two-year starter who played at both defensive tackle and defensive end this past season, was a first-team All-Big East selection who finished the year tied for second on the team in sacks with 10. Former coach Randy Edsall announced after the Fiesta Bowl that he would be submitting Reyes’ and running back
Jordan Todman’s information to the NFL to be evaluated. Reyes opting to return to school will give him a chance to improve his draft stock, and will Notebook be a huge boost to new coach Paul Pasqualoni, giving him an established playmaker on defense around which to plan.
FOOTBALL
Coaching conundrum begins to clear up
Desmond Conner of the Hartford Courant reported today that Miami Dolphins tight end coach George DeLeone is set to join the Huskies’ coaching staff, likely as the offensive coordinator. DeLeone and Pasqualoni have worked together previously, first at Southern Connecticut State in the 1970s and then at Syracuse from the ‘80s until Pasqualoni’s last year in 2004. It’s unclear what DeLeone’s pending hire means for Joe Moorhead, offensive coordinator under Edsall. What is clear, however, is that UConn will need to
bring in a new defensive coordinator. Former defensive coordinator and inside linebackers coach Todd Orlando is set to become the new defensive coordinator at Florida International University. UConn had previously lost outside linebackers coach Lyndon Johnson, as he followed Edsall to Maryland.
LILIAN DUREY/The Daily Campus
Michael.Cerullo@UConn.edu
Kendall Reyes tackles Zach Collaros during UConn’s win over Cincinatti on Nov. 27 at Rentschler Field. Reyes decided to stay in school and not enter the NFL Draft.
Men’s hockey hosts Air Force Women’s hockey faces Maine played in 16 of the Falcons’ games earning a GAA of 3.01 and a save percentage of .907. “We have always had good The Huskies will host their games against Air Force. This first home game of the year game is a chance to improve 2011 this Friday against con- where we are in the standings,” ference opponent Air Force. said Coach Marshall. “The seaUConn has lost their past four son is flying by and it is time to games which have all been on pick up some more wins.” the road. Wins for either team UConn went 2-5 over winter in the two game series will break and lost in the chamhave a strong impact pionship game in on the AHA standthe Toyota UConn ings. The Air Force Classic Tournament. Falcons are currently Following the tourfourth in the confernament the Huskies ence with 17 points. on Mercyhurst, vs. Air Force took The Huskies are two splitting the two Fri./Sat. points behind in sixth games. “Despite place. the win against 7:05 p.m. Mercyhurst we The Air Force did Frietas Ice not play very well,” Academy and UConn have played 21 Marshall said. Forum games in which the “The same goes for Falcons have led the Dartmouth.” UConn series with a 15-3-3 record. then lost the next two games In the two games series to Robert Morris both by two against Air Force last year the point deficits. Huskies tied and lost to the “We have been making Falcons. Air Force has seen good adjustments in practice,” major change in its goaltend- Coach said. “We cannot get ing since last year. Freshman too high or low. We need to Jason Torf from California have the same approach as has taken the spot of last the first half of the season.” year’s senior goalie. Torf has In the first half of the season
By John Shevchuk Staff Writer
MEN’S HOCKEY
the Huskies picked up key wins and ties against major teams, keeping their winning percentage around .500. “We may have had a false identity in the past few games,” Marshall said. The 9-9-3 Falcons have proven to be a solid comefrom-behind team. Four of the nine wins have come after being down two or more goals. The 76 AFA goals on the season have been wellbalanced throughout 19 players and 11 of the players have ten points or more. Paul Weisgarber leads the team with 10 goals while Jacques Lamoureux leads the team with 21 points. With the winter break over UConn students are expected to attend this weekend’s games in higher numbers hopefully reaching those of the first few home games of the year. “We have been on the road a lot,” Marshall said. “When the students are on campus it is a great atmosphere. It’s a good environment for the team and for the fans.”
John.Shevchuk@UConn.edu
is going to be creating havoc and if we aren’t creating havoc and are just standing around they will take advanThe UConn women’s hock- tage of that.” ey team heads north this This weekend could have weekend for a crucial pair enormous implications for of Hockey East Conference UConn because they have an games against the opportunity to colUniversity of Maine. lect some valuable The Huskies enter in-conference points the weekend in a and, perhaps, take three-way tie for sole possession of at Maine third place. third place in the conference with “This weekend 7:05 p.m. Providence and could put us in the Alfond Arena ‘haves’ grouping Northeastern. Although UConn Orono, ME and separate us from is riding a 13-game other teams catchunbeaten streak ing us,” Linstad against UMaine, the Black said. “Every point in Hockey Bears also find themselves East is really important and in the thick of a tightly con- right now we are in a fivetested conference race, sitting way race.” at sixth place in the conferWith 10 games remaining ence and will present a true on the regular season schedchallenge to surging Huskies. ule, the Huskies are becoming “We have to be consistent,” quite aware of their playoff said coach Heather Linstad. picture. “It seems like every game we Six teams make the Hockey have one line going but the East playoffs, with the top other two aren’t going so well two seeds receiving a bye so I think that we have to be into the quarterfinals. While consistent in that and get a the goal of securing one of lot of shots on net. We have those coveted slots is still to attack Maine. Our strength intact, nationally ranked
By Peter Logue Campus Correspondent
WOMEN’S HOCKEY
Boston University and Boston College are closing in one locking up the No. 1 and No.2 seeds, respectively. If the Huskies are able to clinch a three or four seed, they will earn a quarterfinal matchup on their home ice. Eight of the Huskies 12 losses have come on the road. “We would love to come in first or second but is to have a home playoff game for the quarterfinal rounds,” Linstad said. “I have a hunch that we play a little bit better at home than on the road.” Although the postseason lingers in the near future, the Huskies know that they need to keep their focus on their upcoming game and not get ahead of themselves, as Linstad explained. “You have to get into the playoffs to win the playoffs,” Linstad said. “That is where we are at.”
Peter.Logue@UConn.edu
UConn looks to extend win streak to four games versus Vols from NO. 8, page 14 close to a double-double with 11.1 points and 9.4 rebounds per game. Freshman Jeremy Lamb has emerged as an offensive asset, averaging 7.6 points and 4.2 rebounds a game. Lamb had 14 points and eight rebounds in the win over Villanova. Calhoun was asked about comparisons made between Lamb and former UConn great Richard Hamilton. “He has some similarities in that both look like a 2-iron build-wise,” Calhoun said. “Beyond that, they do both play erect, and it’s unusual to see players play erect. I think the big difference would
“He has some similarities in that both look like a 2-iron buildwise.” Jim Calhoun, comparing Jeremy Lamb to Richard Hamilton be Rip had an innate ability to see and feel everything around him, whereas Jeremy
doesn’t do that. But conversely he’s an incredible athlete with a 7-4 reach. But there are similarities. Rip is much more cerebral, came with that and developed it into a science that he still uses today in the NBA. Jeremy, I think athletically is more talented. But it is not a bad comparison, certainly as they both can get some special things done. I truly believe that Jeremy has a chance to be a terrific, terrific player for us.”
ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
Matthew.McDonough@UConn.edu
» WOMEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
Huskies ending hiatus against Hall
By Carmine Colangelo Campus Correspondent Just over two months since their last event, the UConn women’s swimming and diving team is set to return to the pool this weekend to take on Seton Hall. The Huskies will square off against the Pirates at home this Saturday, Jan 20. This will be their first meet since the Terrapin Cup, where they finished third out of eight universities. It is also their first home event since Nov 6, when they beat Army 164-127. If these Pirates are anything like the real ones, then they must thrive in water. Seton Hall seems to be playing the part this season as they hold a record of 8-1, as well as a fifth place finish out of nine teams at the Patriot Invitational. The Pirates are 1-1 in Big East play, beating the Providence Friars 173-112, but falling to Villanova 111-186. In their eight victories this season, the Friars have beaten their opponents by an average of 65 points. The Huskies have won by an average of nearly 98 points in their single team meets. The Pirates had nearly a month between meets with their last one coming on Tuesday when they faced the Wildcats in a losing effort,
ED RYAN/The Daily Campus
The UConn women’s swimming and diving team will host Seton Hall this weekend.
their second Big East matchup and only loss of the season. The Pirates had only a few first place victories in that meet, but still were able to escape with two first place finishes from their stronger performers. Freshman Jane Ehret came in first in the 100-yard butterfly and freshman Kerrie Kolackovsky took first place in the 200-yard breast stroke. Both of these athletes may be names to watch for at this weekend’s upcoming meet. After a long winter break, the Huskies are finally ready to shake off the dust and swim
competitively for the first time in months, hoping that this break in competition will not affect their performances in the pool. Although the Pirates have some strong talent, the Huskies are not without some weapons of their own. Including junior swwimmers Erin DeVinney and Caitlin Gallagher and sophomore diver Danielle Cecco. These are just a few of the Huskies stand out swimmers this season.
Carmine.Colangelo@UConn.edu
Jim Calhoun coaches his team during the final seconds of UConn’s 61-59 win over Villanova Monday at Gampel Pavilion. Calhoun wants Jeremy Lamb to stay productive for the Huskies.
Men’s swimming takes on Seton Hall By James Huang Campus Correspondent The UConn Men’s swimming and Diving Team will take on the Seton Hall Pirates at home this Saturday afternoon at 1 P.M. for their first meet of their second half of the season. It will be a challenging one against a tough Big East Conference opponent. Seton Hall has a record of 7-1, and the Huskies are 4-1, making UConn the underdog in this matchup. That does not mean that the Huskies are intimidated by the Pirates. UConn always puts in as much effort as needed to win and head coach Bob Goldberg has high expectations. “Our team has performed well up to this point in the season,” Goldberg said. “We are performing well because the team has trained hard and our new
assistant coaches are doing a great job. Our goals are to win the remaining three meets and be ready for the Big East Conference meet.” With only one loss to the Harvard Crimson, the Huskies feel confident going into the meet on Saturday. In that loss to Harvard, several swimmers and divers made excellent achievements. Sophomore, Jeremy Ramshaw won the 200-yard Freestyle with a career best flat start time of 1:40.05. The divers swept their opponents, with junior Brad Schott winning the one meter with 293.92 points and sophomore Grant Fecteau winning the three meter with 334.58 points. UConn has experience taking down talented teams. The Huskies were able to beat a strong Army team by six points and a strong Penn team by 50 points. In both meets, they
swam and dove superbly, proving themselves to be among the elite teams. Seton Hall will be a dangerous opponent. The Pirates have won convincingly in every match except for their only loss to Loyola. Their results include wins over Drexel, Providence, Iona, and Rider. The Pirates have many talented swimmers and divers that will pose a threat in the meet. Senior Kevin Webster currently holds the school’s fastest 500-yard Freestyle time at 4:26.17 and junior Will Penny, has earned multiple first-place scores in the one and three Meter Events. The Pirates are confident now, but UConn looks to put an end to that.
James.Huang@UConn.edu
Blair: Pasqualoni is a good hire from PASQUALONI, page 14 Paul, welcome aboard, I wish you all the best. Randy, enjoy College Park while you can, but don’t be surprised if they
show you the door after a series of 8-4 seasons. They may have flown here at UConn, where you could hide behind the fact that you built the program, but Maryland’s program is already
built, try not to let it crumble too fast.
Russell.Blair@UConn.edu
TWO Friday, January 21, 2011
The Daily Question will finish as men’s college basketball’s leading scorer this Q: “Who season?” A: “Kemba Walker is, and will always be, the best.”
PAGE 2
Away game Gampel Pavilion, XL Center
Jan. 29 Louisville Noon
E-mail your answers, along with your name, semester standing and major, to sports@dailycampus.com. The best answer will appear in Monday’s paper.
The Daily Roundup
“I have struggled with this for some time and remaining here would not be fair to my teammates or the coaching staff.”
» NFL
Feb. 5 Feb. 2 Syracuse Seton Hall 7:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m.
– Samarie Walker on leaving UConn women’s basketball.
AP source: Brady doing good after foot surgery
Samarie Walker
» Pic of the day
BOSTON (AP) — A person with knowledge of the operation says Tom Brady has undergone surgery on his right foot. The surgery for a stress fracture took place on Thursday, and the New England Patriots quarterback “is doing good,” the person said on condition of anonymity because an official announcement had not been made by the team. Comcast SportsNet New England is reporting that a screw was inserted in the navicular bone, one of the small bones on the mid-foot located at the instep. Brady was listed on the Patriots’ injury report with a foot injury for the last eight regularseason games and a playoff game, a 28-21 loss to the New York Jets. Brady led the NFL in passer rating, touchdown passes (36) and fewest interceptions (four). He also threw for 3,900 yards.
Saddle Up
Women’s Basketball (17-1) (6-0) Tomorrow Jan. 26 Jan. 31 Feb. 5 Jan. 29 Pittsburgh Rutgers Duke DePaul Cincinnati 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 2:00 p.m. 7:00 p.m. 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Hockey (8-12-3) Today Tomorrow Air Force Air Force 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
Who will win the Super Bowl?
» That’s what she said
Men’s Basketball (15-2) (4-2) Tomorrow Jan. 25 Tennessee Marquette 2:00 p.m. 9:00 p.m.
Monday’s Question:
– Briana Crowe, 6th-semester marketing major
What's Next
Home game
The Daily Campus, Page 13
Sports
Jan. 29 Feb. 4 Jan. 28 Army Holy Cross Holy Cross 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m. 7:05 p.m.
» NBA
Hawks’ Horford could miss two games
Women’s Hockey (10-13-1) Today Maine 5:00 p.m.
Jan. 22 Maine Noon
Jan. 29 Jan. 28 Boston Boston University University 7:00 p.m. 4:00 p.m.
Feb. 4 Boston College 2:00 p.m.
Men’s Track and Field Today Jan. 29 Feb. 4 Tomorrow Feb. 5 UConn Great Dane Saturday Night Collegiate Giegengack Heptathalon Invite Invite at the Armory Invite TBA 5:00 p.m. 9:00 a.m. 9:00 a.m. 5:00 p.m.
Women’s Track and Field Tomorrow URI Invite 10:30 a.m.
Feb. 5 Feb. 19/20 Jan. 28/29 Feb. 4/5 Penn St. New Balance Giegengack Big East Champ. Invite Invite Invite All Day 2:00 p.m. All Day All Day
Men’s Swimming and Diving Tomorrow Seton Hall 1:00 p.m.
Jan. 29 Feb. 11 Feb. 5 Jan. 28 Bucknell Big East Yale Bucknell Invitational Championship 1:00 p.m. 1:00 p.m. Noon All Day
AP
A detail of the leather work on a saddle made by boot and saddle maker M.L. Leddy is shown in Fort Worth, Texas.
BIG EAST Standings THE Weekend Ahead
Women’s Swimming and Diving Tomorrow Seton Hall 1:00 p.m.
Men’s Standings
Feb. 11 Jan. 29 Feb. 5 Jan. 28 Big East Bucknell Yale Bucknell Championships Invitational 1:00 p.m. 6:00 p.m. All Day All Day
Team 5Pittsburgh 3Syracuse 7Villanova 19Louisville 8 UConn Marquette West Virginia 16Notre Dame St. John’s Cincinnati Georgetown Seton Hall Rutgers South Florida Providence DePaul
What's On TV NFL: Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, 3 p.m., FOX Aaron Rodgers the No. 6 seed Packers are rumbling into the Windy City after dismantling the Falcons in the Georgia Dome. The Bears are coming off a win over the Seahawk and Soldier Field will be rocking when one of the fiercest rivalries in the NFL decides a trip to the Super Bowl.
Women’s Standings
AP
NFL: New York Jets at Pittsburgh Steelers, 6:30 p.m., CBS The Jets walked the walked and upset Tom Brady and the Patriots in Foxboro 28-21. Now they will have to beat another quarterback with multiple rings.
AP
ATLANTA (AP) — Al Horford’s sprained ankle could leave the Atlanta Hawks without two starters for at least two games, but there was no sense of panic Thursday. The Hawks are confident they can withstand this latest test to the team’s depth as they chase Miami in the Southeast Division. In fact, the Hawks believe their 93-89 win at Miami on Tuesday night was an important indicator they have better depth than the Heat, who have also had a recent rash of injuries. “I would think that it does,” Hawks coach Larry Drew said Thursday. “I think, not trying to compare both teams, the bottom line is any team that loses a player that started, there has to be other players to step up. They have got to elevate their games.” The Hawks are only two games behind the first-place Heat, who have lost four straight. While Miami has stumbled, Atlanta has won eight of its last 10 despite playing nine straight games without starting forward Marvin Williams. Horford hurt his right ankle early in the third period against Miami. Mo Evans had 11 points and Jamal Crawford had 19 off the bench against Miami to take pressure off top scorer Joe Johnson. “We’re playing with a lot of confidence,” Evans said Thursday. “We’ve got guys on our bench who are hungry for an opportunity and hungry to prove their worth. We’ve got a lot of depth and hopefully we’ll take advantage of it.” Horford did not practice Thursday and is listed as doubtful for the next two games, including a home game against New Orleans on Friday.
The Steelers also beat a division rival to make the AFC championship. The comeback against the Ravens earned Pittsburgh the chance to host the Jets.
Team 2UConn 13DePaul Rutgers 11Notre Dame 9West Virginia Marquette Louisville St. John’s Georgetown Providence Syracuse Pittsburgh Cincinnati South Florida Villanova Seton Hall
Overall
Record
18-1 18-1 16-2 15-3 15-2 13-6 12-5 15-4 11-6 16-3 14-5 8-11 10-7 7-12 11-8 6-12
Pct.
.947 .947 .889 .833 .882 ..684 .706 .789 .647 .842 .737 .421 .588 .368 .579 .333
Overall
Record
17-1 17-2 11-6 16-4 18-1 15-3 12-7 14-5 14-5 9-8 13-4 9-8 8-9 9-10 8-10 7-11
Pct.
.944 .895 .647 .800 .947 .833 .632 .737 .737 .529 .765 .529 .471 .474 .444 .389
Conference
Record
6-0 5-1 4-1 4-1 4-2 4-2 3-2 4-3 4-3 3-3 3-4 2-5 1-4 1-5 0-6 0-6
Pct.
1.00 .833 .800 .800 .667 .667 .600 .571 .571 .500 .429 .286 .200 .167 .000 .000
GB
– 1 1.5 1.5 2 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 3 3.5 4.5 4.5 5 6 6
Conference
Record
6-0 5-0 4-0 5-1 4-1 3-2 3-2 3-3 2-3 2-3 1-3 1-3 1-4 0-5 0-5 0-5
Pct.
1.00 1.00 1.00 .833 .800 .600 .600 .500 .400 .400 .250 .250 .200 .000 .000 .000
GB
– .5 1 1 1.5 2.5 2.5 3 3.5 3.5 4 4 4.5 5.5 5.5 5.5
Compiled by COLIN MCDONOUGH
Men’s basketball and NFL’s championship this weekend By Matthew McDonough Associate Sports Editor Storrs Side: The games to attend. The men’s basketball team takes on Tennessee in front of a national audience. The Saturday afternoon contest in Hartford will be broadcasted on CBS. UConn is coming off a dramatic win at Gampel Pavilion over Villanova. Junior guard Kemba Walker’s runner through the lane with 2.5 seconds remaining gave the Huskies a 61-59 win over Villanova and improved their Big East record to 4-2. No. 10 UConn is 15-2 on the season. Tennessee enters the game unranked and coach Bruce Pearl will be coaching his first game in four contests. The coach admitted to misleading NCAA investigators and was suspended for the first eight SEC games by the league commissioner. Pearl and his bright orange suit will be courtside with the Volunteers at the XL Center. The men’s hockey team takes on Atlantic Hockey power Air Force at Mark Edward Freitas Ice Forum on Friday and Saturday night at 7:05 p.m. UConn sits
in sixth place in the conference at 7-7-1 and 7-12-3 overall. The Falcons, who normally compete for the conference’s automatic NCAA berth, is 7-5-3 against Atlantic Hockey foes and 9-9-3 overall. The Huskies enter the weekend series having lost four in a row. Pro Side: The games to watch. The New York Jets, after going on the road and knocking off Indianapolis and top seeded New England, will try to do the same at Pittsburgh against the Steelers in the AFC Championship game Sunday at 6:30 p.m. The Jets will try to reach its second ever Super Bowl, having previously won Super Bowl III. The Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears face off in the NFL Championship game at 3 p.m. The NFC North rivals will take Soldier Field with a Super Bowl berth on the line. Chicago has won one Super Bowl while Green Bay has been crowned Super Bowl champions three times.
MatthewMcDonough@UConn.edu
» INSIDE SPORTS TODAY P.13: Pats’ Brady has foot surgery. / P.12: Kendall Reyes returns. / P.11: Agassi elected into Tennis Hall of Fame.
Page 14
Friday, January 21, 2011
‘WALKING’ AWAY
Pasqualoni ‘girl next door’
www.dailycampus.com
Samarie Walker leaves women’s basketball team By Michael Hogan Campus Correspondent
Russell Blair
Despite the lack of fanfare upon the announcement, I must admit that I’m a big fan of the Paul Pasqualoni hire. Sure, UConn didn’t land an up-and-coming hot young coach, or a sexy offensiveminded guy like Rich Rodriguez or Mike Leach, but the Huskies pulled a veteran head coach, with NFL experience, and I couldn’t be happier. Those that say the Huskies are taking a step backwards need to take a step backward themselves. If Randy Edsall had stayed any longer, that would have been a step backward for the program. Edsall was never a good recruiter, and it was only through the occasional diamond in the rough that the program had any success. Dan Orlovsky led the Huskies to their first-ever bowl game, the backfield of Donald Brown and Andre Dixon led UConn to a share of the 2007 Big East title, and Edsall rode Jordan Todman to the 2011 Fiesta Bowl. But Randy never was able to capitalize on the success of any of these recruits, including a few who landed in the NFL, to draw more young talent to Storrs. So about Pasqualoni. He’s won at every level, he’s been to multiple BCS games, and the Orange actually finished the season in the Top 25 while he was at the helm, a feat the Huskies have yet to accomplish. He may not be a sexy hire, but he’s a damn good one. Perhaps the best way to put this in perspective is to compare Pasqualoni to some of the other things we’ve all encountered in our lives. If Pasqualoni were a car, he’d be a K-car, slightly outdated, but cheap, efficient and reliable. Sure, it may be the car you remember your parents driving, and it’s certainly nothing flashy, but it can get you from point A to point B. If Pasqualoni were a girl he’d be the girl next door, cute, but not overwhelmingly so – an attainable goal. Sure, he might not be a sexy centerfold, but Pasqualoni is committed and someone that you could picture yourself spending the next few years with. He’s not your dream girl, but you could do a lot worse. If Pasqualoni were a cereal, he’d be Cheerios – the regular kind. No apple cinnamon, no sugar and no honey oats. Nothing fancy. Not as delicious perhaps as Captain Crunch or Trix, but healthy, nutritious and with the ability to lower your cholesterol. Well, in the case of football, maybe Pasqualoni can lower the blood pressure of the fans by winning a few more games and not losing to teams like Rutgers or Temple. If Pasqualoni were a restaurant, he’d be an Applebee’s. Sure, the menu may not be eye popping, but if you take the time to look around, you’ll likely find something you like. Just like an Applebee’s, you wouldn’t be embarrassed to bring someone to Rentschler and introduce him or her to Pasqualoni, but if you were trying to impress them, you might opt for the Olive Garden down the street. Nobody was blown away when they heard Pasqualoni was going to be our next coach, and I’m sure there were more groans than cheers. But things could be much worse. Would you rather have a coach who has won a couple big-time bowl games in his career and is committed to staying at the university for the next five seasons, or a coach who has been flirting with numerous job opportunities for the last several years and finally jumped on the only school that was misguided enough to accept him?
» BLAIR, page 12
JOHN LEVASSEUR/The Daily Campus
Samarie Walker makes a low post move during UConn’s 78-55 win over Louisville Jan. 15 at the XL Center in Hartford. On Thursday, Walker informed the women’s basketball program that she intends to transfer from the university.
Freshman Samarie Walker informed the women’s basketball team that she intends to transfer from UConn. “I want to thank Coach Auriemma for the opportunity to be here but right now I can’t give the team the energy and commitment that it needs to be successful,” Walker said in a statement. “I need to go and figure out what my future holds. I have struggled with this for some time and remaining here would not be fair to my teammates or the coaching staff.” Geno Auriemma said that looking back, he saw signs of Walker’s struggles. “The coaching staff has known for quite some time that Samarie is struggling with her commitment level to basketball,” Auriemma said. “We have attempted to work with her and help her through this. I wish Samarie all the best in her future endeavors.” Walker appeared in 17 games for the Huskies and averaged 6.2 points per game and 5.8 rebounds. The forward from West Carrolton, Ohio immediately played an increased role for UConn. In her second career game Walker was handed the task to guard 6-foot-8 Brittany Griner of Baylor and helped carry the Huskies to a one-point win. Although UConn is losing a contributor to the cause, Auriemma said the Huskies goals are still within reach. “We’re going to be fine,” Auriemma said. “I’m not worried about this.” Auriemma and his staff will have to do some mix and matching in the rotation of eight players that now is down to only seven. “We’ve done it before but I think we’ll have to see and learn as we go,” Auriemma said. “Having seven won’t affect accomplishing our goal.”
Colin.McDonough@UConn.edu
» HUSKY HOOPS
No. 8 Huskies face SEC foe Tennessee in Hartford By Matt McDonough Associate Sports Editor
ally with a win against Pittsburgh on its tournament resume, has slipped out of the polls. The Volunteers are 12-6 with a 2-2 The No. 8 UConn men’s SEC record. The four conference basketball team will play its games have been played without last non-conference coach Bruce Pearl, game of the seawho was suspended son Saturday vs. for the first eight unranked Tennessee SEC contests due to at the XL Center. admittance of lying A sellout crowd is to NCAA investigaexpected to be on tors and committing hand for the 2 p.m. infractions. tip-off. CBS is tele“We’re going up 15-2, 4-2 casting the contest against a very good between two squads Tennessee team coming off gamethat’s had some upswinning shots. and-downs as far The Huskies as the scoreboard defeated Villanova would show, but 61-59 on a gamecertainly not upswinning floater by and-downs as far as Kemba Walker on talent,” said coach 12-6, 2-2 Monday. The win Jim Calhoun in the gave UConn a 15-2 Saturday, 2 p.m. Big East Coaches’ record and improved weekly conference XL Center its Big East confercall. “They’re a very CBS ence record to 4-2. talented team. I’m The Volunteers sure the fact that defeated Georgia 59-57 on a Bruce Pearl has been in-and-out tip-in buzzer beater Tuesday. of coaching has been difficult Tennessee, once ranked nation- for them. The bottom line is he’s
MEN’S BASKETBALL
VS.
ASHLEY POSPISIL/The Daily Campus
Kemba Walker dribbles the ball during UConn’s 61-59 win over Villanova on Monday at Gampel Pavilion. The Huskies will play Tennessee Saturday in Hartford.
going to be there coaching them on Saturday. It doesn’t affect me one way or the other. I’m sure he’s talked to his kids and he’s talked to his assistants.” Tennessee has been inconsistent this season. Aside from the win over Pitt, the Vols have knocked off Villanova and Memphis, but have lost to Oakland and College of Charleston. Junior guard Scotty Hopson leads the team in scoring with 16 points per game. “Once again it’s the talent on the floor and he’s put that program together and that team together, so that’s not really a major issue,” Calhoun said. “The major issue simply to us is Tennessee is our last outside game. We’re 11-0 outside the conference with some very good wins. Hopefully we can stand up to a very athletic Tennessee team.” Walker, the National Player of the Year frontrunner who is averaging 25.5 points per game, has received help from his teammates as of late. Sophomore center Alex Oriakhi is averaging
»UCONN , page 12
No. 2 Women’s basketball hosts Pittsburgh By Andrew Callahan Staff Writer Moving on without freshman forward Samarie Walker, the UConn women’s basketball team will take on the Pittsburgh Panthers tomorrow night at 7. at Gampel Pavilion. Following an outstanding 83-57 victory over No. 11 North Carolina last Monday, the Huskies appear ready to ride their momentum back into conference play. “You know, I wish I could explain it,” said head coach Geno Auriemma. “Shoot-around down there was really, really good. There was just something there and in the locker room that hadn’t been around since Christmas. It’s like we’ve got a bit of our mojo back.”
Down in Chapel Hill, N.C. four out the substitution and matchup days ago, the Huskies faced a kinks against Pittsburgh. unique challenge going against a Picked pre-season to finish 13th Tar Heel team that was much larg- in a conference of 16 teams, the er, yet still liked to 2010-2011 Panthers get out in transition. have struggled to But despite being win on the road. A without one of their team consisting of strongest post playseven freshman and ers in Walker, the vs. Pittsburgh four seniors, the Huskies hardly faced team has managed 7:30 p.m. adversity over their just a single Big East best 40 minutes of Gampel Pavilion victory over the conthe season. In limited ference’s worst club, WHUS time, Tiffany Hayes Seton Hall. Redshirt knocked in 29 points senior Brittaney and Maya Moore Thomas leads her cruised to a total of 26. team with just over 15 points per While repeating that per- game. formance with essentially In their last matchup, the Huskies just seven players going for- trounced the Panthers in their own ward may indeed be difficult, house by a remarkable 42 points Auriemma will be able to work as Moore posted 22 points, eight
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
assists and seven rebounds. The senior forward was only outscored by former teammate Tina Charles, who notched 24 points on the night and eclipsed 2,000 for her career. On the other bench it was Panther forward Shay Scott getting it done with 18 in the losing effort. Scott will be back for tomorrow’s visit to Storrs along with the rest of her tenacious ballclub. “They’re very aggressive, “ Moore said. “They like to attack the rim, play a physical game and just attack when they’re on the floor. But like other teams, if they overplay then we can take advantage with back doors and things like that.” Blocked shots have been the most positive product of Pittsburgh’s aggression. They are 17th out of 333 teams in the cat-
egory. Scott and forward Chelsea Cole each average more than one swat per game. Moore and Stephanie Dolson counter for the Huskies as UConn’s main shot but in the absence of Walker, Dolson will likely be doing much more. Now as the lone leftover post player, the freshman will endure additional minutes but looks forward to the challenge. Auriemma is confident in his young center. He said the problem is now finding what exactly he’ll need from her come game time. “She sees the floor well, knows and understands the game and often sees stuff before it happens. Each game we’ve just got to figure out what the best spot is for her,” Auriemma said.
Andrew.Callahan@UConn.edu