vol104issue06

Klekolo World Coffee The Original Quirky Cafe

NEWS Drug Penalty Hinders Higher Education - Page 2 OPINION In the United States a Christian Nation? - Page 5 SPORTS Pioneers First to Explore the Net - Page 8

- Page 14

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Volume 104 No. 6

Faculty’s No-Confidence Vote Falters

: m o o r h t a ex Libraarvyen B S s u o m y n o n for A

Melissa Traynor

News Editor The Faculty Senate mulled over the idea of taking a vote of noconfidence in President Jack Miller, but disagreements among faculty prevented it from getting off the ground.

Professor Matthew Warshauer of the history department was scheduled to propose a vote at Monday’s meeting. According to the agenda, Warshauer had intended that the Senate schedule a vote which would determine whether “the faculty lacks confidence in the leadership of President Jack Miller.”

“The question of confidence does not mean that I disagree with everything Miller has done on this campus,” Warshauer opened.

He instead suggested that the faculty, not limited to the Senate, participate in the vote and that time be allowed for the faculty to approach their own departments to discuss the matter.

“I’m not asking anyone to vote today, but if this vote does happen, and even if 30 or 40 percent vote noconfidence, at the least it will send a message to Miller,” Warshauer said.

He had also originally written into his resolution that the vote of no confidence would take place 15 to 30 days from the original deciding vote by the Senate and that it be conducted by the Elections Committee.

When several members of the Senate and SGA President Alexander Estrom requested that Warshauer give some background for the vote and a possible “whereas” clause, which could possibly deter-

Hidden H

Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Melissa Traynor

News Editor With a few quick strokes of the keyboard and some browsing through personal ads, Craigslist.com opens up a concealed section of the CCSU campus where an ordinary bathroom serves as a place for students and non-students to participate in anonymous sex.

The first-floor men’s bathrooms in Elihu Burritt Library are the host to sexual endeavors ranging from carefully planned meetings to chance encounters, some organized by complete strangers on Craigslist.

The library staff and the Central campus, however, appear unaware of such happenings.

Le’a Gleason, a theater major who works at the coffee shop in the library, said she had no idea such a thing was happening in the library.

“People work here and see everyone going by, not knowing anything,” she said. “It is a library; a lot of

things can go undetected.”

Investigations conducted by Recorder staff writer Joe Zajac exposed a pocket of over 12 students and non-students who had previously known about the library bathrooms as a place where they could meet up with college students looking for sex.

Initially he had visited the alleged bathroom, but discovered only “peep-holes.”

Under the alias “Jack,” Zajac described himself as “a bronze-skinned, supple young Adonis looking for a quick romp in the [library] bathroom,” when he posted an ad on Craigslist and subsequently responses from interested users had confirmed his suspicions.

“Only one of those non-students was wary about coming onto campus for the sole purpose of anonymous sex. The rest had no qualms whatsoever, saying that they had ‘done it before,’” Zajac said of his investigation.

As of Tuesday, Oct. 9, a post on the website on

Devils Washout Crimson Harvard 0

Sports Editor In their last tune-up before their first conference game, the CCSU women’s volleyball team labored for a 3-0 (30-28, 30-26, 30-23) sweep of the Harvard Crimson at Detrick Gymnasium last Tuesday night.

The Blue Devils (14-4) managed to fight off a persistent Harvard (5-9) assault throughout all three games. Central has now won two in a row and has not lost a single game since falling to Iona in the fifth game of their September 26 match-up.

The Blue Devils did finish strong, closing out the Crimson with a 14-5 run after falling behind 18-16 during the third game.

“What we said was, ‘You’ve got to close this match out right now. We’ve got to handle the ball and bring the game to them; don’t sit back,’” explained Coach Linda Sagnelli. “Next time out it was at 28-20. So we totally took control of the match.”

It wasn’t the first time the Blue Devils went on a run. Central started the first game on Conrad Akier / The Recorder Freshmen Lauren Snyder collected a team-high 14 kills

mine consequences, he responded that he had intentionally gave no reasoning for the vote.

Defending Warshauer’s decision to keep mum about his reasoning, Katherine Hermes of the history department commented that any reasoning will restrict how people vote.

“I don’t think it’s typical to add a list of grievances to the vote,” she said. “It can put pressure on the faculty.”

Prof. Jerold Duquette of political science questioned Warshauer’s purpose for the vote, explaining that he believed if no reason was specifically given for the vote then faculty could apply any reason they wanted.

See Vote of No-Confidence page 3

See Library Bathroom page 3

Peter Collin

Conrad Akier / The Recorder Warshauer suggests the faculty vote no-confidence to send a message.

CCSU 3 a 10-2 run only to see Harvard rally to come within 29-28. The second game started in a similar fashion, with the Blue Devils jumping in front 12-5 before the Crimson rallied to tie at 21-21. Sophomore Jamie Baumert led the CCSU assault during both games one and two, totaling six kills in the first game and five kills in the second.

Harvard started the third match strong, forcing a 7-7 tie during the opening salvos. The Crimson then took their first lead of the match, pulling ahead 14-13. Central trailed as late as 16-18 before rallying to take the lead at 19-18.

Harvard then called a timeout in hopes of preventing a Blue Devil run; however they could not slow down freshman Lauren Snyder, who totaled three kills in the next five points.

The Crimson attempted one more run but fell short as senior Katie Karkow slammed home the final point.

See Devils Washout Crimson page 8 http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/

CCSU’s Gay Community Asks:

Where is the Support from the Administration?

Erin McAuliffe

Staff Writer Recent debate regarding diversity at CCSU has brought a number of minority groups on campus to President Miller’s door, demanding action. One of these groups, often overlooked, is the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

All current programs that actively support the LGBT community are sponsored by and funded by Pride, a student organization.

Many say that it is time for the administration to start making the effort to solve the numerous obstacles that LGBT students encounter at the university.

There are currently issues with how the university conducts roommate complaints against LGBT residents.

One lesbian student recalled her freshman year at CCSU: “My first roommate here was awful and my hall director made it my

See Where is the Support? page 2

2

News Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Recorder

Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 T 860.832.3744 F 860.832.3747 ccsurecorder@gmail.com http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/ Editor-in-Chief Mark Rowan Managing Editor Christopher Boulay Art Director/Designer Jamie Paakkonen Associate Layout Editor Conrad Akier Copy Editor Samantha Sullivan Lifestyles Editor Stephanie Bergeron Sports Editor Peter Collin Entertainment Editor Edward Gaug Opinion Editor Justin Kloczko News Editor Melissa Traynor Web Editor John Vignali Staff Amanda Ciccatelli Karyn Danforth Jeff Hayden Matt Kiernan Susan Kondracki Erin McAuliffe Brian Morache David Pember Ryan Yeomans Joe Zajac

Drug Penalty Hinders Higher Education Melissa Traynor

News Editor In its campaign for revised laws for students convicted with drug charges, the Students for Sensible Drug Policy group is taking on the Aid Elimination Penalty.

The AEP under the Higher Education Act, which was signed into legislation by Congress in 1988, requires that students who apply for federal aid must reveal past drug convictions.

SSDP is asking for a full removal of the AEP. According to the SSDP’s report titled Harmful Drug Law Hits Home, “the Aid Elimination Penalty automatically strips financial aid from students with any drug conviction, including misdemeanor marijuana possession.”

The SSDP says that “affected students have already been dealt with by the criminal

One-Car Crash Proves Fatal Near Campus Melissa Traynor

News Editor Currently the New Britain Police are investigating the identity of the driver of who died in a one-car crash which occurred around 2:30 a.m. Sunday morning on East Street, police said.

The driver, who was determined to be female, was driving a stolen 2004 Cadillac and traveling at high speeds when she crashed into a tree on East Street near Essex Place and Cedar Creek Apartments, according to police.

They have yet to identify the driver whom they say was wearing a double hoop-type earring on her left ear and bracelet on her left wrist. She is also believed to have been wearing dark-colored sweat pants.

The Cadillac had been stolen from Wethersfield at some point overnight and when a Wethersfield police officer attempted to stop the vehicle as is it traveled through Newington the driver refused and proceeded to New Britain.

After entering New Britain city limits, the stolen car crashed and “burst into flames as a result of the impact and the operator died at the scene,” according to a press release by Sgt. Gary Chute, Traffic Bureau Supervisor.

While the police had been investigating the scene of the crash, East Street had been blocked off for the remainder of the night.

Officials are requesting that anyone with information as to the identity of the driver please call the New Britain Police Department at (860) 826-3000.

justice system. Taking away their access to education after they’ve already paid their debt to society is unnecessary. This violates the ‘double jeopardy’ clause of the Fifth Amendment.”

In addition, the AEP is said to deny the individual who is looking to rectify his or her past by disqualifying them to receive aid for an education.

In terms of aid offered by the federal government, 2,242 applicants in the state of Connecticut were turned away due to drug convictions out of the total 804,689 who applied, according to numbers by the United States Department of Education.

Connecticut is tied with North Carolina for the sixth highest rate of rejections and both states follow Indiana, California, Oregon, Washington and Rhode Island.

The CT Department of Higher Education says that 90 percent of state financial aid is ad-

ministered by individual colleges and universities which means that the decisions to accept or reject applicants are in the hands of their schools.

At CCSU Bursar’s website on which tax credits for tuitions are listed, one out of three specify restrictions based on drug convictions.

Under the eligibility requirements for the Hope credit, “students convicted of a federal or state drug felony before the end of 2006 are not eligible for the credit.”

“Students with a felony have not been eligible to apply most of the time, as in nine times out of ten,” said an employee at the Financial Aid Office at CCSU. The employee also said that decisions on a student’s eligibility are made through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is a division of the Department of Education.

Student Editor Keeps Job after Controversial Editorial Aaron Hedge

Rocky Mountain Collegian (Colorado State U.) (U-WIRE) -- After nearly two weeks unsure that he would keep his job after becoming a national figure of controversy for printing an editorial that said, “Taser This ...

FUCK BUSH,” Collegian Editor in Chief J. David McSwane got a slap on the wrist and will keep his job.

The Board of Student Communications (BSC) presented their decision to the Collegian editorial staff Thursday night after a factfinding hearing, during which the BSC asked the editors questions about why they decided to print the editorial and whether they still thought it was the right thing to do.

They decided not to fire McSwane because “the September 21 editorial was an expression of opinion, which we regard as protected by the First Amendment,” the BSC said in a statement.

The BSC decided to “admonish” McSwane. Admonish is defined in the BSC Manual as a reminder to the editor of his responsibilities and an encouragement to “modify” his behavior.

But they held in the letter that “It is our judgment that your decision was unprofessional and unethical.”

The Collegian editorial staff is jovial about the decision.

“I’m just overwhelmed and overjoyed with pure happiness just because nobody could take Dave’s place,” said Managing Editor Hailey McDonald, who would have taken McSwane’s place as editor in chief had he

been fired.

“His journalistic and leadership abilities are out of this world and I think the paper would have gone down in quality a couple notches,” McDonald said.

She looks forward for trying make up for the unintended consequences of the controversial editorial.

Some CSU students were angered by the editorial. One student supports the editorial staff’s cause, but said that the Collegian abused its First Amendment rights.

“They could have done it a nicer way ...” said human sciences senior Matt Lorenz. “The First Amendment is something to be cherished, not abused.”

CSU journalism instructor Donna Rouner believes the BSC made the right decision. She said she hopes the BSC’s decision resonates in the community and keeps CSU students talking about important issues like free speech.

McSwane said he is relieved that the ordeal is over.

“The last two weeks has been a series of falls and triumphs and emotional stress,” McSwane said.

He thinks the Board made the right decision.

“I think that they made the best decision they could have in their situation -- they know that they need to uphold the First Amendment and what it means to students,” McSwane said. “They also have to save face in this media circus.”

McSwane looks forward to get back to the grindstone and start publishing without the pressure of possibly losing his job. He also joked that he could now start going to class again.

Where is the Support?

Continued from page 1

The Recorder is a student-produced publication of Central Connecticut State University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of CCSU’s administrators, faculty, or students. The Recorder articles, photographs, and graphics are property of the Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without the written permission from the Editor-in-Chief.

The purpose of the Recorder is to approach and define issues of importance to the students of Central Connecticut State University.

problem to go. She literally gave me the names of people in the hall … that did not have a roommate at the time and she said, ‘You need to talk to them and see if they’d be alright with you moving in with them.’”

The student added, “That’s not my fault that you matched me up with someone [who] obviously has an issue that’s an ‘ism’ and now it’s my problem to have to find a new roommate?

That’s ridiculous.”

Alexander Estrom, the President of the Student Government Association and former Vice President of Pride, contrasted this to the way the university deals with race issues between roommates.

“When it’s an overly hateful thing there needs to be a policy in place so we can deal with that,” Estrom said.

“What I’m worried about when I come here next year is where I would be housed,” said a transgender student who is transferring to CCSU next year. Currently, there is no transgender or queer housing available at CCSU. In addition, the issue of public restrooms is equally important to transgender students. It

is illegal for a transgender person to enter a restroom that does not match their physical sexual identity. They may be arrested for going into the “wrong” one or harassed for going into the “right” one whose sex they do not psychologically identify with.

LGBT faculty members also deal with harassment on campus and receive little support from the administration and campus police, even when official complaints have been issued.

Dr. Joanne DiPlacido of the psychology department has been actively involved with Pride for the past 10 years and remains the most outspoken faculty member on LGBT issues at Central.

She experienced an onslaught of harassment from a number of students and faculty members in 2004 after sending out a campus-wide email concerning a protest against homophobia that she and a few students from Pride had participated in.

“When I sent it around I got some really nasty emails sent back to me … and there had been what, for me, seemed really like hate

speech from a student. There was also a staff member who was really the first one to have written something, saying ‘homosexuality is an abomination,’” she said.

The faculty member who sent the hateful emails is currently employed at Central today and suffered no consequences from the administration for her hateful speech.

As for the response from President Judd, who was head of the administration at the time, DiPlacido said “I wanted them to make a statement about it and they wouldn’t. I really just wanted them to say ‘we condemn anybody who is engaging in homophobia and who is sending this openly to a faculty member,’ but they wouldn’t.”

Estrom said that the administration should be offering more support and more funding for LGBT programs.

One program in particular that was discussed at a recent Pride meeting is the opening of a LGBT Center that is funded by the administration and staffed with professionals who are able to provide students with adequate counseling and other resources.

3

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Facebook to Play Role During Crises at U. Minnesota Emma Carew

Minnesota Daily (U. Minnesota) (U-WIRE) -- As part of a campus-wide initiative to improve emergency notification, the University News Service staff created the Facebook group University of Minnesota Emergency Notification and began inviting students to join last week.

“What we look for is a number of means to potentially reach people (during emergencies),” University spokesman Dan Wolter said. “This is one way we’re trying to do that.”

The group joins a system of tone-alert radios, phone trees and campus-wide e-mails as part of the University’s emergency notification protocol.

Following the Virginia Tech shootings in April, college campuses around the country began looking for ways to improve emergency notification, Wolter said.

“Some of the lessons of Virginia Tech were (that) you need multiple mechanisms to have an effective emergency communication system,” University Police Chief Greg Hestness said.

A report commissioned by the governor of Florida revealed four basic elements that a strong campus notification system needs, including text messages, mass e-mails, weather alerts and a public address system.

The University employs two of those methods, e-mail and weather alert notifications, Hestness said.

During the University’s April bomb threat shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings, the University sent a campus-wide e-mail in an attempt to quickly inform students, staff and faculty.

Unfortunately, the e-mail took nearly three hours to reach all of its intended recipients, Wolter said.

The Office of Information Technology has since worked out some

kinks in the system, he said, and the University can deliver an e-mail message to about 50,000 people in 10 to 15 minutes.

The Facebook group has about 500 students as members and is modeled after a similar group at Purdue University.

The Purdue group has about 6,000 students in it, Purdue University spokeswoman Jeanne Norberg said. The group was started shortly after the Virginia Tech shootings.

The Purdue officials learned Facebook was a powerful tool when they had a student go missing, she said.

“We used what we learned, and set up this Facebook group,” Norberg said. “Thousands joined immediately.”

Facebook started coming up in conversations among administrators over the past two years, Amelious Whyte, chief of staff in the University’s Office for Student Affairs, said.

“It serves a unique role bringing people together in a tragedy like Virginia Tech,” he said, “or how we’re using it now, as a supplement to how we notify people in terms of an emergency.”

The University will not rely on Facebook as its sole means to communicate with students, Whyte said.

“It puts a burden on the University to make sure that we don’t use it more than it needs to be used,” he said. “People would leave the group if we used it to send messages that are not emergencies.”

Minnesota Student Association President Emma Olson said she supports the University’s foray into the world of Facebook.

“We should use as many avenues as possible to keep students safe,” she said. “I kind of commend the University of using younger methods of communication for issuing announcements.”

Police Blotter from September 28 to October 4 Wayne F. Anton, 22, of 30 Sefton Drive, was arrested at 3:40 p.m.

Friday, September 28 by Officer Orlando Oliveira. He was charged with operating an unregistered vehicle, no insurance as well as operating under a suspended license. He has an October 10 court date.

Brad M. Cunningham, 23, of 5 Iron Forks Road, Clinton, was arrested at 3:38 p.m. on Saturday, September 29 by Officer Jerry Erwin.

He was charged with failure to wear seatbelt and failure to carry registration/insurance ID card. He had an October 5 court date.

John W. McGrath, 21, of 20 Battery Street, Springfield, Mass., was arrested at 3:05 a.m. Sunday, September 30 by Officer Jerry Erwin. He was charged with operation under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane. He has an October 12 court date.

Elliot Bowen, 19, of 27 Lorraine Drive, Tolland, was arrested at 7:31 p.m. Friday, September 28 by officer Orlando Oliveira. He was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle. He has an October 12 court date.

James M. Habacker, 19, of 4 Hemlock Lane, Salisbury, was arrested at 1:00 a.m. on Sunday, September 30 by Officer Ronald Lickwar. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance or less than four ounces of marijuana.

He has an October 10 court date.

Brian Mulhall, 23, of 56 Carlton Street, Apt. #2, was arrested at 10:47 a.m. on Monday, October 1

by Officer Robert Virgulto. He was charged with criminal trespass in the third degree and larceny in the sixth degree.

Conrad Akier / The Recorder Justin Kloczko poses in the library’s bathroom to demonstrate the visibility of a hole in the bathroom stall divider.

Library Bathroom Continued from page 1 Sept. 28 offered a “CCSU library hookup,” and said that the person would be waiting in the bathroom.

The poster requested the responder to “just knock on the second door before coming in.”

Zajac responded to each of the interested people, directing them to meet “Jack” in the library at a specific time when he could observe the area from a distance. He said that a dozen of his responders appeared at the designated time.

“Ten of them [were] of the ‘creepy older man’ category, looking

a week and also did not know of the events happening in the bathrooms.

“It’s probably older guys looking for younger guys. After that Larry Craig thing, maybe it is one of the things that have been going on for a while,” he said in reference to the accused Idaho senator.

The campus police were not available for comment.

Writer Joe Zajac and Opinion Editor Justin Kloczko contributed to this story.

‘Grim Reaper’ Protests Marine Recruitment at Ga. University Bryan Smith

The Colonnade (Georgia College and State U.)

Conrad Akier / The Recorder Faculty Senate President Timothy Craine speaks at the senate meeting.

Vote of No-Confidence Continued from page 1 Others had voiced their thoughts on the time limit proposed by Warshauer, reasoning that the departments would need more time to discuss the proposed vote.

It has also been said that the timing of such a vote may garner more support for those who wish to see the vote of no-confidence pass, which comes in light of recent events and verbal charges against Miller.

“We really need to get people to go to their departmental meeting behind closed doors so that faculty who aren’t tenured can speak freely and so

out of place. They milled around for 20 minutes - faux browsing books before leaving disappointed. All 10 of them stuck out like sore thumbs, but it was clear that they were not strangers to this place,” Zajac said.

Chip Marlor, who is a CCSU librarian of six years and works on the lower level where the bathrooms are, said he had not known that anything was happening.

“Sick stupid people do sick, stupid things,” Marlor said.

Brett Freiburger, a senior in history, frequents the library twice

we can get more discussion going,” said Cassandra Broadus-Garcia of the art department.

It was also brought up as a point of procedure that any decisions made by the Faculty Senate can be overturned by a minimum of 25 faculty members who disagree, according to Robert’s Rules.

Faculty Senate President Timothy Craine of the mathematics department responded that should faculty who object to any votes come forward; the constitution of the Senate would preside over and determine the course of events.

(U-WIRE) -- Death stared down Georgia College and State University students last Thursday when an individual dressed as the grim reaper stood outside of Arts & Sciences in protest of Marine recruitment.

A local chapter of the U.S. Marines set up a booth near the fountain outside of A&S. Many students literally passed by the chance to get information, but a few others stopped to chat or actually sign up. Things proceeded that way for two hours.

However, this would not turn out to be a normal day at GCSU. Seemingly out of nowhere, the reaper (who, cooperating with The Colonnade under the condition of anonymity will be referred to as GR) appeared, and a crowd began to form.

He said that he was spurred by “the lack of attention the booth was drawing” and that he also “found their presence there to be a shocking reminder of the thousands of people ... being utterly destroyed, emotionally and physically, by a war for oil

and strategic positioning in the Middle East.”

Many students looked on, some in amusement and others in disgust, as the individual donned in the drapes of death wielded and waved his scythe as a warning to those who passed.

An older student, himself a veteran, held the scythe in a show of solidarity with GR. Other students stood in strong opposition to the protest, throwing vulgar sentiments at GR and his cause. He caught these vicious verbal blows passively and fearlessly, continuing his protest.

The marine recruiter seemed to take the events in stride.

“I wish my buddies were here,” he said.

Some went as far as calling GR un-American, questioning his right to protest.

While these students saw the display as a serious matter, others seemed to approach it in a lighthearted fashion, laughing amongst friends and posing for pictures. One even offered a hug.

Many students were not as open to GR’s presence, opting to view from a safe distance. They quietly discussed the protest and the

war amongst themselves, choosing to remain a calming force amidst the chaos in the area.

GR stated that he hoped that in protesting, “somebody might think about war ... this war, all wars and the carnage and death they require.

Some wars may be necessary or just, but this ‘front line in the War on Terror’ is a disgrace to us all.”

While those who saw the actual demonstration will note that there appeared to be a struggle between GR and the recruiter, GR refutes that.

“The recruiters themselves and others that volunteer their service to our country were not the subject of the protest or of the critique,” he said. “The function of this action was to encourage thought and discussion on the nature of war, on our general complacency, and on our ability to speak up and out if we want to.”

By the time mid-afternoon classes ended, the Marines had shut down, and GR had left. Classes proceeded as normal without any further demonstration. There was no word on when the marines would return, or whether or not GR would be there to continue his protest.

Editorial/Opinion

4

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Editorial In the past month, there have been a handful notable circumstances where college newspapers, including this one, have been backed into a corner. The Rocky Mountain Collegian was recently held to the fire for printing a four-word editorial, “Taser This…Fuck Bush.” Grambling State University’s student newspaper, The Gramblinite, conceded to the president by taking down photos of children with nooses around their necks depicting the racism of Jena Six. Recently, the board that monitors the Colorado student newspaper’s editorial oversight failed to evict top editor J. David McSwane. We applaud their decision to not “make right” of what they perceive as unethical. Although the blunt headline was meant to correlate the censoring and abuse of student Andrew Mayer by police with the intruding policies of the Bush administration, this is not a new sentiment. The only difference is CSU had the moral fiber to put what a lot of people we’re thinking into print.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian, which is distributed under a state-supported university, has come under fire from the campus community. School administrators and faculty,

along with institutions in the real world, make the mistake of seeing newspapers as a toolbox to prop up their own needs.

Is there no God if people can’t deal with a single expletive that these days usually coincide with the name “Bush” anyway? You can’t help but turn on the TV to stand-up, late night talk show hosts or comedies openly ragging on our president.

It is sick and negligent that people become outraged when they see this viewpoint on a piece of paper. The fact that McSwane was not ousted out by the school board only reaffirms the power of the First Amendment. Nowhere does it say that a person’s feelings can’t be hurt when reading something.

What should be much more loathed is the blatant censorship of photos that showed nooses around the necks of children to symbolize the racism of Jena Six. As previously noted by Editor-in-Chief De’Eric Henry, his staff was doing their job by reporting the news, not making it. It could be considered ironic because the editor is black, along with a majority of the school and their president, Horace Judson.

Judson called for the story and pictures to be removed from the school’s website, but he has failed to provide any rea-

sons for the demanded censoring. Judson clearly lacks the understanding of journalism. Even though he personally might be offended and disagree with the whole event, it is still the job of a journalist to report what is happening, regardless if it is perceived as good or not. The Gramblinite was not taking a stance; it was merely informing the uninformed.

What if photos of the injured and dead coming home from Vietnam were never allowed to be seen? Would that have stunted the aggressive anti-war effort? Would people be ignorant to feeling the pain they should have felt? And what about maniacal footage of Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui, which NBC decided to play amongst a raucous of opposition. Even though the footage was disturbing and pathetic, it gave us key insight into the mysterious shooter.

The point is that people should not be afraid of pictures and words. They also have to understand that this world isn’t always going to be a pretty picture and the media will often look ugly, if only because it is refracting back the very fabric of our often disgusting society.

Joe Biden: 2008’s Straight Talking Candidate I have been an officer over 19 years. I do not agree with her assessment of the TASER being more fun than a gun. Any time an officer is involved in a physical confrontation with a suspect, it is automatically a gunfight. There is always a gun present on the officer’s belt. The TASER has the potential for abuse just like any other weapon system. But let me assure you, the TASER is not a lethal device as defined by state statute. I have high blood pressure and suffered from two transient ischemic attacks. I have been subjected to numerous TASINGS as an instructor. I have taken the probes in my back and the full five second cycle. I am none the worse for wear. Most confrontations are violent and evolve rapidly. The TASER allows officers to gain compliance from a combative arrestee much quicker than a physical fight. The shorter time you are engaged with an opponent, the less likely to the suspect or the officer is to suffer serious injury or even death.

Unfortunately, the media focuses on the TASER many times in a negative light. I encourage, no I implore you to research the TASER for yourself. Read the independent studies available online then make an informed decision.

If I have the choice between using my gun and killing someone, or using my TASER and putting them down quickly and safely, I choose the TASER. Robby Bacon Police Officer Certified TASER Instructor To the Editor:

Staff writer Steve Hart could not be more correct in his entertainment review of Soulja Boy’s “Crank That” debut single and subsequent coat-tail tracks. ‘Artists’ like 17-year-old Soulja Boy are a joke--I don’t listen to much hip-hop (nor am I against it; I think some hip-hop artists are excellent musicians), but this nonsense one-hitwonder seems to take the genre to an all-time low. I can’t help but sigh when I see oblivious 14-year-old girls dance to a song with lines like, “super-soak that ho,” and “superman that bitch (you)”. Soulja Boy should look into enrolling in some of CCSU’s future mandatory sensitivity training if he decides he wants to stop profiting from patronizing young girls and if he actually graduates high school. Again, excellent review.

Timothy Paskowski

Brian Morache

Staff Writer Back in the 2000 campaign, Senator John McCain traveled around the country on his “Straight Talk Express,” taking advantage of his image as a politician not afraid to speak plain language and “tell it like it is.” This year we have a Democrat who is doing the same thing: Senator Joe Biden.

Looking at his campaign and his performance in the debates, it becomes clear that if you want a straight answer, he is the one to give it. After all, how many politicians will actually give a “yes” or “no” answer to a “yes” or “no” question?

When the Senator is questioned about the genocide in Darfur, he plainly states that while we are talking, thousands of people are dying.

When people question why Congress, or the children of those in government, are not volunteering for service in Iraq or Afghanistan, Biden talks about his son, who has served two tours in Iraq. When asked about a political solution to the quagmire that is Iraq, he puts forth a simple, straight-forward solution that actually makes sense. That solution, which called for a federated Iraq allowing for some local autonomy of ethnic groups, passed through the Senate with large bipartisan support.

And when Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki criticizes the right of Congress to express their opinion, Senator Biden again speaks very plainly: “For Maliki or other Iraqi leaders

to suggest we don’t have a right to express our opinion, I don’t know who the hell they think they are.”

He also said, “The right is that we’ve expended our blood and treasure in order to back their commitment to their constitution. That’s the deal.”

While everyone may not agree with him, anyone can understand him because he speaks clearly.

All this straight talk worked very well for John McCain in 2000, but so far for Senator Biden the results haven’t been the same. The Senator is running a distant fourth in the Democratic race and is overshadowed by “the big three”: Hillary, Obama, and Edwards. Still, it is a breath of fresh air to hear a politician who does not mince words or give lengthy explanations to questions that are really quite simple. If Biden believes something won’t work, he’ll say so, plain and simple. He has remained in the Senate for so long for this reason; whether he’d make a good president is for the people to decide.

As the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, the Senator would make an excellent running mate for Obama or even Hillary. He would also make a very good Secretary of State, or he might just choose to remain in the Senate; based upon the current poles, his chances of becoming the Democratic nominee for President are pretty slim. Straight talk and “telling it like it is,” at least this year, only gets you so far.

joebiden.com

London Got Used to Being Watched, So Can Americans Danny Friar

Staff Writer In an article recently published by The New York Press, it is claimed that parts of New York City are becoming more populated with Closed-Circuit Television cameras (CCTV). Many people are in uproar at this development, as they feel it invades their privacy and civil liberties. Conversely, there are those people who are in favor of the increased presence of CCTV cameras, believing it increases safety and crime deterrence.

England, the country in which I was raised, reportedly has approximately 4,200,000 CCTV cameras

in operation. London alone has an estimated 500,000 cameras watching one’s every move. Although this may sound like an excessive amount, it’s really not as much of an intrusion as someone may assume. People go about their daily life as usual, without any paranoia about being constantly monitored.

The most prevalent debate about CCTV cameras is one concerning safety versus government intrusion. One may claim that these cameras allow the government to intrude upon your privacy; however, with the 2001 Patriot Act, privacy is effectively nonexistent anyway.

In the act, the government is legally allowed to obtain financial informa-

tion, wiretap phone conversations and intercept emails from “potential terror suspects.” At least, with the majority of CCTV cameras, you know when you’re being watched because they are so big and noticeable!

It would be naïve to think that the government doesn’t already monitor emails and phone calls.

CCTV cameras have been proven to be a useful tool in apprehending criminals. Many high profile cases in England have been solved by the footage of CCTV, such as the train bombings of July 7, 2005 and the kidnapping of Jamie Bulger.

CCTV also acts as a psychological crime deterrent as well. If people see a camera, they are less likely to com-

mit a crime, especially more minor crimes such as theft or vandalism.

CCTV is also used as a public health and safety measure in such places as subway stations and amusement parks.

Ultimately, CCTV cameras are a benefit to society and, in the long run, the economy. Personally, I feel safer walking down a street that has CCTV cameras in operation because you have less chance of being attacked or mugged. I can understand that people don’t want to feel like they are being watched in a ‘Big Brother’ kind of way, but if you have nothing to hide, what is there to worry about?

5

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Is the United States a Christian Nation?

Jennifer Tirado

staff Writer It’s funny when someone who’s running for President of the United States makes an obviously bigoted statement at the risk of alienating potential voters. Despite this, Republican Senator John McCain took it upon himself to make this mistake when he, according to CNN, proceeded to mention that our country is clearly a “Christian nation.” He made this statement with a complete disregard or respect for the millions of citizens who adhere to other religions, such as Islam, Judaism and Buddhism.

The “Christian nation” stance is not only based on a common myth but a dated argument that evangelicals and others of the religious right bring up time and time again. I find this sort of strange, considering that the First Amendment refutes this argument right away when it clearly states, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” At least, in my humble opinion, that constitutional tidbit, which is not only in the First Amendment itself but is also the very first sentence, should end the discussion right there. Based on this alone, you would think the argument would fail from the get-go; but unfortunately, many of these zealous rightwingers continue to stubbornly beat this dead horse to a bloody pulp.

Although I do admit that the nation was certainly based on Christian principles, this does not automatically warrant the belief that our country has any sort of national religion. It is also worth mentioning that some of our founding fathers were not even practicing Christians.

According to historians, some of these men adhered to Deistic beliefs; among them were George Washington, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and Thomas Paine.

Paine, who first popularized Deism when he wrote The Age of Reason, actually presented it more as a philosophical stance than a religion.

Also, much like Christianity, it is a belief system that values respect for human dignity and freedom. The credo also asserts that “all men are created equal” and puts a high premium on man’s responsibility to be moral.

The issue of alienating those of other faiths and even those without traditional religious faith, such as Atheists and Secular Humanists, is also something to consider when we so quickly assume that the United States is a Christian nation. Many believe that McCain’s comments seemed to imply that Christianity is the only religion that truly values humanity.

Is there no sense of human dignity in religions such as Judaism and Islam, both of which teach their followers compassion and respect?

Whatever happened to that “melting pot” that we all take so much pride in? The Council on American-Islamic Relations is one of the major organizations that expressed discontent at the candidate’s comments. Though Islamic extremists and Jihadists have unfortunately given the faith a bad name, it is worth noting that most American Muslims are not any more violent or hostile than followers of other faiths, including Christians.

This is a country that encourages diversity and freedom of expression, so where does this man get off thinking he can make such statements and not have people be offended by them? Though McCain did try to take back some of what he said in an attempt that probably had a lot to do with saving face, his statement still resonates with the public. We’re only getting closer to the 2008 elections and we’ve already lost almost eight years with a bigoted President running the show. Do we really want to risk another?

Dear Students, In the last two semesters CCSU has seen several events that have caused much debate regarding our university. Especially recently, the issue of our campus climate has been called into question: As a university, are we welcoming? Does each of us feel welcome and safe? What can be done to make the campus more inclusive?

I have been asked by President Miller to present students’ recommendations for addressing these and other concerns. This is our chance to make sure that our needs, concerns and ideas are presented. We now stand poised to be the change that we want to see on our campus. I urge ALL students to send me their ideas--by email, phone or direct conversation. I assure you that your ideas will be heard and respected. I am meeting with President Miller on a weekly basis in order to discuss these issues directly.

I look forward to working together to help our university reach its full potential.

Alexander Estrom Student Body President E-mail: Estroma@ccsu.edu Phone: 860-982-8896

Time for Republicans to Put Their Money Where Their Mouth Is Brian MoraCHe

staff Writer The President vetoed a bill that would have extended healthcare to a great number of poor and middle class children last Wednesday. As a fiscal conservative, he just couldn’t bring himself to approve a bill that would cost 23 billion dollars; this while he is seeking another 200 billion dollars for his wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. One needs to ask where this fiscal conservatism starts, and where does it end?

The White House constantly declares their support for our troops, yet they oppose giving them sufficient leave time, while they extend their deployments. The White House cuts veterans benefits and healthcare, leaving Veteran Affairs hospitals underfunded and understaffed.

Rush Limbaugh, the mouthpiece of the administration, declares that wounded troops who oppose the war in Iraq are “phony soldiers,” as if he or anyone in the administration has ever been in harm’s way. Why is it that those in power are so willing to send others off to fight, while they keep their children and friends close to home where it’s safe? Mitt Romney’s five boys certainly aren’t rushing to volunteer, nor are any others in the administration or Congress.

The problem is not limited to the Oval Office. Three Democrats in the House of Representatives have proposed a tax to pay for the Iraq war: two percent on 99 percent of us and 12 to 15 percent on the wealthiest one percent of Americans. They make this proposal based upon the fact that the money for the war has to come from somewhere; if not from us, then from our children or their children. They also see the brunt of the war being born by the military while the rest of the country enjoys tax breaks and makes absolutely no sacrifices.

At no time in our nation’s history have we cut taxes in wartime. One would think that the fiscally conservative Republicans would rally

around this bill to pay for their war. Yet here, their fiscal responsibility deserts them as they harshly criticize the “tax and spend” Democrats. As if the “borrow and spend” Republicans are doing us or our children any favors.

This war, which the Bush administration and Republicans are intent upon continuing indefinitely, is bankrupting our country. The Republican Party is supposed to represent family values; what kind of value is it that calls for dumping money into a war at the expense of healthcare, education and other programs that would help the middle class? Why is $23 billion for children too much, but $200 billion for a war without end is just fine? Are these the values that Americans stand for? Are Republicans bankrupting us morally as well as financially?

As the Republicans in the House and Senate continue to block proposals intended to bring the troops home or at least provide them with the time off they need before they are sent back; as they oppose paying for a war that they continue to support; and as they continue to oppose domestic programs that they deem too expensive while consistently rubber stamping President Bush’s requests for more money, they, too, take ownership of this war.

That war that Bush said would “pay for itself.”

One has to wonder when Republicans will put their money where their mouth is.

For Republicans, the Debate is a Black-and-White Affair sHaun WerBeloW

Pipe dream (suny-Binghamton) (U-WIRE) -- An ominous stage was decorated with empty lecterns last Thursday, and the Republican Party was sending a message. There were no segregated bathrooms at Morgan State University and the blacks in the audience were not forced to sit in the rear.

Nevertheless, the feeling of disjunction between minorities and the party of white elitists was tangible, and four Republican candidates chose not to give a damn.

Flashbulbs were poised, a live audience was fidgety and the nation was ready to observe the Republican candidates field some questions of actual importance. The debate at Morgan State University was intended to give black and Hispanic journalists a voice and to allow Republicans to show they actually cared about the topics most significant to the minority community. While the recent blunders of the Republican Party have been shocking, nothing was more bewildering than the decision of four Republicans to simply blow off such an opportunity.

To be fair, it was only the four Republican candidates who actually stand a chance who decided not to show: Mayor Rudy Giuliani, Sen. John McCain, Gov. Mitt Romney and Sen. Fred Thompson. Also, let us be understanding -- all four absentees did claim to have “scheduling conflicts.”

But shouldn’t the four most important Republican candidates be the ones most willing to interact with those they seek to represent? And hold on, but weren’t the candidates invited in February, eight months in advance, to attend this debate? Could it be as plain and

simple as it appears? Could these Republicans simply not care about minorities? Evidence seems to point in such a direction.

Minorities are not the core of the Republican voter base and candidates do have busy schedules. However, those who had the time and desire to truly represent all Americans seemed to be less sympathetic: “I’m embarrassed for our party and I’m embarrassed for those who did not come,” Gov. Mike Huckabee said. Even President Bush criticized the decision of the four absent candidates.

This was not a special occurrence. Over the summer, the NAACP held a forum to promote minority awareness and only Republican candidate Tom Tancredo showed up. Similarly, a Republican debate on Univision, a Spanish television channel, was attended by only one candidate. Republicans are electing to allow their actions to speak louder than their words, and the message is pretty disturbing.

The issue of inequality, especially in politics, is one that requires attention. As much as the war in Iraq, federal spending and health care, candidates have an obligation to address the problem of minority representation in our government.

Though Republicans are taking steps in the opposite direction, hopefully this will serve as a wake up call. The days of segregation are long behind us, yet minorities still struggle to be heard. As stated by Sen. Sam Brownback, “I think it’s a disgrace for our country, I think it’s bad for our party and I don’t think it’s good for our future.”

Where will our nation be if it is to be led by those with “scheduling conflicts” in the struggle to achieve political equality?

Sports

6

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Blue Devils Trade Punches with Quinnipiac Bobcats Peter Collin

Sports Editor Sophomore Racheal Caneen scored her fourth goal of the season dropped as the Blue Devils fell in their first conference game of the season to the Quinnipiac Bobcats 2-1 in a brutal battle in New Britain.

Quinnipiac 2 CCSU 1 Central is now 3-6-1 overall (0-1 in the NEC) while the Bobcats improved to 8-2 overall (1-0 in the NEC).

Central struck hard and fast to get on the board first.

Freshman Beth Lloyd set herself for a cross, but as she struck the ball it was deflected to Caneen. Caneen possessed the ball at the corner of the 18-yard line.

She then turned and fired a bullet into the far upper corner for the goal.

Five cards were issued during the match including four in the first half. The only red card of the match went to Central junior Hannah Bromley, who was sent off after an altercation in the 16th minute.

“A moment of madness from Hannah,” said Coach Mick D’Arcy. “I have no problems with the card, but it changed the complete course of the game and it’s a long time to play a man down.”

Bromley’s ejection left the Blue Devils playing a man down for the remainder of the game.

Quinnipiac freshman Lauren Peacock was issued a yellow

flipping the ball over Central goalkeeper Caity Casey for the equalizer.

The Blue Devils did have a chance to pull ahead going into halftime when sophomore Leah Blayney got the ball just outside the 18-yard line. Blayney’s first shot was stopped by the Bobcat defense but she managed to corral the deflection and shot again, only to see it sail wide to the right.

Central played the Bobcats even until the 58 minute when Quinnipiac received a throw-in deep in Blue Devil territory.

Peacock threw the ball in to Lawlor. Lawlor got her head on the ball and managed to lift it over Casey who missed her opportunity to pull it in. Freshman Meagan McLoughlin settled the ball just in front of the goal line and pushed it just under the diving Casey.

The Blue Devils didn’t waver over the final minutes though, controlling the ball with the help of sophomore midfielders Ciara Crinion, Leah Blayney and freshman Clio Tregear.

“I thought we took control of the game with 10 minutes to go,” said Coach D’Arcy. “We had a couple of chances but it Conrad Akier / The Recorder just didn’t fall. I thought if we Blue Devil forward Rachel Caneen scored CCSU’s only goal in the got the second we had good 2-1 loss against Quinnipiac on Sunday. chance to win.”

Central will next host the card on the same play, when she to capitalize on the out-manned St. Francis Red Flash in New tripped Bromley as they chased Blue Devils. Nine minutes later Britain on Friday, October 12 at after a ball headed toward the the Bobcats struck when sopho3 p.m., which will be followed sideline. As the two were on the more Sara Lawlor took a throw by a match versus the Robert ground Bromley responded to in from freshman Amanda BiMorris Colonials on Sunday, the trip by kicking Peacock. las just outside of the box. LawOctober 14 at 12 p.m., also in Quinnipiac didn’t wait long lor beat one defender before New Britain.

MLB, TBS Partnership Makes Fans Cry Bush League Christopher Boulay

Managing Editor We are quickly reaching the point where professional sports leagues stop caring about their fans and are only caring about money.

Major League Baseball has succeeded again in upsetting their fan base by putting the ALDS, NLDS and the NLCS on TBS. This is the first time that the MLB will have the majority of its games broadcast on something other than basic cable. And, if by any chance any of the early games go long, the games that start up after it will be played on TNT until the first game finishes.

This is a calamity that will leave many fans that do not have cable with only the alternatives of listening to it on the radio or to use a score update online. This is NOT the way to follow playoff baseball. Why would they do this; for money? Come on, Commissioner Selig. I thought the MLB held their fans to a higher standard than other sports.

It is no joke that October is baseball month. This is the most important month of the year for millions of Americans and it seems that now many of them can’t even watch the games. But wait, it gets better.

USA Today asked readers what their thoughts are regarding the new baseball coverage, and some of the responses were

a bit alarming.

Some cable systems don’t even have TBS. If a person lives in the U.S. Virgin Islands, or any other United States island territory for that matter, they are subsequently blacked out from TBS. Their only way to watch it is on Spanish-language CNN-E, which apparently cuts out at the top and bottom of the hour, regardless of what is happening on the field. The best they can do for an English broadcast of the game is to turn on ESPN radio and listen to the game with the impending delay between coverage.

Again, good job, Bud. If it couldn’t get any worse, let’s take a look at TBS’s coverage. Not only are the play-by-play and the color commentary absolutely atrocious, the presentation leaves quite a lot to be desired. Advertisements seem to come up on the screen at the most inopportune times, TBS has missed both pitches and whole outs in favor of showing longer commercials during commercial breaks, and interviews with managers and pitching coaches going long into the play during what seems like every inning really kill the flow of the game.

Oh yeah, I almost forgot: If you happen to like watching baseball in high definition, forget it. TBS doesn’t have that either.

We have already seen sick jokes like this with other sports. The NFL Network

shows games that would be premier lateseason games with playoff implications that should be shown on regular television, thus further robbing out-of-market fans from seeing their teams in a playoff push. The NFL also recently moved Monday Night Football to ESPN, further robbing people without cable of good sports coverage. The NHL also threw their hat into the ring of joke coverage by penning a deal with Versus, a station known for kayaking, bull riding and extreme bullfrog catching.

While the NFL seemed to do it because they are by far the number one sport in the United States and they pretty much do whatever they want, the NHL did it because they were stupid enough to think people actually watch Versus. But why did the MLB do this? What do they have to gain?

To be honest, I miss Tim McCarver. I never thought I would say that as a self-respecting baseball fan, but this is what horrible playoff baseball coverage does to you.

I have a suggestion to TBS for the remainder of the playoffs: Don’t talk, don’t go to commercial, just give me crowd noise.

I think fans of the MLB will have a better time figuring out what the hell is going on for themselves.

Football Wins Big on the Road at St. Francis (PA) CCSUBlueDevils.com

Central Connecticut opened its Northeast Conference schedule with a convincing 43-7 victory on the road at St. Francis (PA) on Saturday. The Blue Devils led 26-0 at the half and improve to 3-2 overall and 1-0 in the NEC with the win. CCSU will return to NEC play next Saturday hosting Robert Morris at 1 p.m. on Homecoming in New Britain. CCSU is 2-0 at home this season and has won a school record 10 straight at Arute Field.

CCSU 43 St. Francis (PA) 7 The Blue Devils wasted little time scoring in the first half as Jermaine Roberts’ 28-yard touchdown run on the first drive of the game gave CCSU the 6-0 lead.

The extra point by freshman Dennis Bien was no good.

He had made 16 straight PATs to start his freshman campaign. St. Francis (PA) drove the ball deep into CCSU territory on its first possession but defensive back Marcus Dorsey blocked a field goal attempt with 7:53 left in the first quarter keeping the Red Flash off the scoreboard.

The Blue Devils scored again on their next drive going 85 yards in nine plays capped off by an Adrian Hull seven-yard touchdown run. The extra point made it 13-0 with 3:01 left in the first quarter. CCSU was forced to punt on their next offensive drive but on the following drive Jermaine Roberts caught a 61-yard touchdown pass from senior Ryan Holmes for the third touchdown of the half. Bien missed his second extra point and made it 19-0 with 7:56 left in the second quarter.

On their final drive of the half CCSU redshirt sophomore quarterback Aubrey Norris’s 24-yard scoring pass to Nick Colagiovanni made it 26-0 with 2:08 left in the second quarter. The touchdown pass was the second of the game for the Blue Devils and gave CCSU the big lead heading into halftime.

On the first drive of the second half for the Blue Devils Bien kicked his third field goal of the season from 25-yards out to give the Blue Devils the 29-0 lead with under six minutes to play in the third quarter. The drive was extended for the Blue Devils on a fake punt from Blair Smart to co-captain Michael Bailey which gave CCSU a first down inside the St. Francis (PA) 10 yard line.

In the fourth quarter Norris scored his second rushing touchdown of the season from 20 yards out to make it 36-0 in favor of the visitors. The rushing touchdown capped a 12-play, 80-yard drive for the Blue Devils and took 5:37 off the clock.

On the next St. Francis (PA) possession Bailey blocked a Red Flash punt and the offense scored its sixth touchdown of the game on their second play from scrimmage when junior Jo Jo Freeman scored his fifth touchdown of the season from 19 yards out to up the lead to 43-0 with 10:22 to play in the game.

St. Francis (PA) scored their first touchdown of the game with 1:37 to play in the fourth quarter denying the Blue Devils their first shutout since the 1998 season.

The Blue Devils were led by Norris who posted a team-high 81 yards rushing on seven carries including one touchdown. He was 3-for-6 for 45 yards and a touchdown in the victory. As a team the Blue Devils rushed for 302 yards on 53 carries. They had 460 yards of total offense in the game while St. Francis (PA) amassed just 236 total yards of offense on 60 offensive plays. They rushed for only 136 yards on 33 carries in the game.

The 43 points moves the Blue Devils to 20-1 when scoring 25 or more points in a game since the beginning of the 2004 season.

The Blue Devils return to action again on Saturday at home versus Robert Morris beginning at 1 p.m.

CCSU has won 10 straight home games and 10 straight home games versus conference opponents entering Saturday’s homecoming contest.

7

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Major League Baseball Division Series Preview American League

National League Peter Collin

Sports Editor

C.C. Sabathia plans to continue his recent playoff success against Boston this weekend.

Cleveland vs Boston

Colorado vs Arizona

Cleveland Indians

Colorado Rockies

Last 10: The Indians stepped up big and rolled the Yanks with a little help from some bug buddies. None the less their big two, C.C. Sabathia and Fausto Carmona proved to be a formidable dynamic duo. Not only that they proved their lineup can swing with the biggest and baddest the AL had to offer.

Last 10: So much for momentum not meaning anything in the playoffs. The Rockies are cruising right now winning 17 out of their last 18 games including their postseason sweep of the Phillies.

The Rockies embarrassed Philadelphia, who in all likely hood had a bit of a let down after finally overcoming the Mets and actually making the playoffs for once. Colorado out scored the Phillies 16-8 and used superior pitching, that’s right pitching, to tame a lineup that scored the second most runs in baseball this year.

How They Matched Up: Cleveland didn’t fair well against the Sox this year, dropping five of the seven contests between the two. The good news is that the aces were their usual dominant selves even against a Red Sox lineup that included Papi and Manny. The bad news is that they only won one of those starts.

What to Watch For: Cleveland has three Achilles heels: Jake Westbrook, Paul Byrd and Joe Borowski. The Indians need solid performances from these three to have any shot at beating out the Nation.

Boston Red Sox Last 10: The Sox demolished the Angels cutting them down in a brief and brutal sweep. Beckett looked like the Beckett of 2003, pitching dominant postseason baseball and gives the Nation a collective tingly feeling all over. Not to mention how Big Papi and Manny made the Angels think they should go back to the minors for some tune ups.

How They Matched Up: For the Red Sox things look pretty good, although, the Yankees had the same type of dominant success versus the Indians only to watch the dreams of a 27 title fall to the wayside. Boston hit Cleveland’s mediocre pitching but had trouble handling Sabathia and Carmona.

Daisuke Matsuzaka will have to pitch even better against the Indians if the Sox want to keep rolling.

What to Watch For: Matsuzaka is a big cog in this Red Sox rotation. The 103 million dollar man will have earn his cash this October as the Sox will need someone to step up behind Beckett to match the Indians front two. If Matsuzaka matches Carmona then the Sox will roll with Schilling in the three spot and the knuckleballer Tim Wakefield getting a shot.

Prediction These two teams had two classic pitchers duels in late July that both ended in 1-0 scores.

That’s bad news for the Indians as it shows that Boston has the big arms to match them blow for blow. The teams match up pretty well offensively but the Indian’s rotation drops too far to keep up with the Red Sox stellar front three. The Nation advances in six.

How They Matched Up: These two teams know each other well. They faced each other a total of 18 times during the regular season with Colorado squeaking out the season series 10-8.

The Rockies hit well against Arizona batting .280 for the season against them, but those hits never had too much on them. Colorado only slugged an underwhelming .404 off of D-Back pitching and only totaled nine homeruns in 18 games. The good news is that their unheralded pitching shut down Arizona’s weak lineup, only accumulating a 3.86 ERA.

Manny Corpas hopes to close the door on the Diamondback’s World Series hopes.

What to Watch For: Those young arms are an impressive sight to behold. Colorado’s bullpen has been a shutdown force and they should breeze through this thin D-Back lineup. Set-up man Brian Fuentes and closer Manny Corpas own Arizona as the combined to strikeout 21 in only 18 2/3 innings. The D-Backs have lived off of timely hitting all season, but these Rockies relievers are almost unhittable right now. If Corpas and Fuentes are on their game, then the end of these games will be very dull.

Arizona Diamondbacks Last 10: The D-Backs played their game to perfection against those lovable cursed Cubbies.

Timely hitting and superior pitching led an easy sweep of the Cubs. Arizona was in control at all times, only trailing for half an inning during the entire series. The D-Backs have looked next to unhittable through the three game set as they limited the Cubs to five runs in three games.

Brian Fuentes and the Rockies aim to continue their magical run to their first World Series appearance.

How They Matched Up: It was a pretty even series between these two division rivals. There was some blowouts and there was some pitching duels with neither team finding a rhythm against the other. During the series Arizona was out hit and out pitched but still managed to stay in games and to win games. Few D-Backs hit well during the season series but both Eric Byrnes and Tony Clark put together decent numbers. Combined they hit seven homeruns and drove in 27 runs, by far they were the only Arizona players to do any real damage against the Rockies.

What to Watch For: Arizona is going to live or die on the arm of Brandon Webb. Colorado was the only team to beat Webb three times this season. No team had a higher batting average against Webb than the Rockies .287 and no hit as many homeruns off Webb as the Rockies total of four.

If Webb groves his sinker then the D-Backs have a chance, especially since the Rockies haven’t hit Doug Davis or Livan Hernandez very well. Webb will have to live up to his Cy Young title if Arizona is to continue its quest for a second World Series appearance.

Prediction David Ortiz hopes to bathe in more champagne in the coming weeks.

Webb has to be his usual dominant self for this series to be truly competitive. Even if he does dominate in his usual manner, I just don’t buy into Davis and Hernandez staying effective against a lineup this good. The Rocks have a pen that can match Arizona’s and these games should be relatively tight and low scoring but The Rockies have the bats and the arms to break into the Promised Land. Rockies in six.

Brandon Webb aspires to continue his dominance, this time against the Rockies.

8

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Pioneers First to Explore the Net CCSU Fall to Sacred Heart in Overtime, 1-0 Karyn danforTH

staff Writer Sophomore goalkeeper Paul Armstrong made five crucial saves but couldn’t prevent the Blue Devils (36-0, 1-1-0) from falling 1-0 in overtime to the Sacred Heart Pioneers (5-4-1, 1-1-0), Sunday afternoon in Fairfield. Armstrong weathered through a relentless Pioneer assault that totaled 16 shots on the day but could not make the final save in the second half of overtime.

Blue Devil Shorts Women’s Golf Finishes 11th

Central Connecticut held its 11th place slot in the 15-team ECAC Championships field, taking five strokes off its opening round 336 on day two at the par-72 Kiskiack Golf Club in Williamsburg, VA. Sophomore Lucie Sarochova shot 77, three strokes better than her opening round 80, to post a tie for 15th and lead CCSU. Junior Deborah Kim followed her opening round 80 with an 81, finishing in a tie for 29th. Freshmen Meghan Brunswick and Chelsea Woods, meanwhile, shot 88-83 and 88-90, respectively. Senior Daniella Duque rounded out the Blue Devil field with rounds of 90 and 91. (credit: CCSUBlueDevils.com)

CCSU 0

Buczak Ties for 15th at Macdonald

Sacred Heart 1 Sacred Heart finally managed to break the deadlock in the 106 minute of play when senior Ricarti Mendes found himself in open space with the ball just outside the 18-yard line. Mendes dribbled through an exhausted Blue Devil defense and fired from beyond the penalty to marker.

His shot moved beyond Armstrong into the right corner of the goal for the game winner.

There were several golden opportunities for the Blue Devils, who totaled 12 shots in the game. Central’s best opportunity came in the 84th minute when junior midfielder Yan Klukowski served a corner kick into the box. The ball deflected off of a Central player toward the Pioneer net, only to ricochet off the post and out of bounds to end the threat.

Central wore down as the heat and humidity took its toll during their final road contest before returning home. The Conrad Akier / The Recorder Blue Devils have not had a Senior Pioneer Brice Victor launches the ball over CCSU’s junior midfielder Nick Allegro, sending home game since their season the ball in the other direction. opener against Hartford on September 1. Since then they went either way,” he said. “We that has been a long time Northeast Conference play at have played eight straight probably had some of the best coming for Central and they home against Quinnipiac on away games, traveling to Buf- chances to score goals.” plan to make their homecom- Sunday, October 14 at 3 p.m. falo, New Hampshire and Klukowski led the Cen- ing pretty interesting.

Several activities have been New Jersey on a road trip that tral attack with three shots “During half-time there planned for the Blue Devils Coach Green admits “has tak- on goal, while freshman are going to be some youth homecoming, which Coach en its toll” on the team.

Chris Brown, senior Andrew games and penalty kick Green hopes will lead to “We looked very tired Cooper and freshman Robert competitions against the greater campus involvement today; we weren’t as sharp as Cavener all contributed two Blue Devils,” said Green. “It in the Men’s Soccer program. we normally are,” said Coach shots. The Blue Devils will should be a good atmosphere, Shaun Green, “It was a very play three of their next four a good crowd.” close game; it could have games at home. It is a return Central will continue its

Tim Buczak followed an opening round 74 with a threeover par 73, leading Central Connecticut to a 15th place finish at the Macdonald Cup on the Yale Golf Course. The junior tied for 15th in the individual standings.

The Blue Devils slipped four spots in the overall standings after posting a team score of 311 on Sunday. They opened with a 306 on Saturday, when the course was playing to a par-71.

Freshman Eric Hawerchuk matched his opening round 78 to finish second amongst CCSU participants. His two-day 156 was one stroke better than fellow freshman Tom Ursa, who shot 79-78. Senior Bryce Fearon shot 76-83, while freshman Sam Pelletier carded rounds of 78 and 82.

Buczak finished in a four-way tie for the most birdies in the tournament, carding seven over the two rounds. (credit: CCSUBlueDevils.com)

Men’s Cross Country Ry Sanderson finished 43rd in the 291-runner field to lead Central Connecticut at the New England Championships in Boston’s Franklin Park. The sophomore crossed the line in 26:04. Junior David Hunt was the second Blue Devil to finish, completing the 8K course in 27:55. As a team, CCSU placed 33rd in the 43-team field.

Four freshmen - Luke Albertson (28:01), Nate Lovitt (28:23), Robert Weston (28:48) and Anthony Marceau (31:17) rounded out the Central Connecticut finishers.

Boston College senior Patrick Mellea won the event, completing the course in 24:45. Brown picked up the team victory, totaling 95 points.

The Blue Devils will host the CCSU Mini Meet in Stanley Quarter Park on Saturday, Oct. 20 at 10 a.m. (credit: CCSUBlueDevils.com)

Upcoming Events

Here are all of the scheduled Blue Devil home and local games during homecoming week and until our Oct. 17 issue.

Friday, October 12

Women’s Soccer vs. St. Francis (PA), 3 p.m.

Saturday, October 13

Women’s Swimming (Blue Devil Duals), 10 a.m.

Football vs. RMU, 1 p.m.

Sunday, October 14

Women’s Soccer vs. RMU, 12 p.m.

Men’s Soccer vs. Quinnipiac, 3 p.m.

Sunday, October 14

Men’s Soccer vs. Yale, 7 p.m.

Devils Washout Crimson Continued from page 1

Year: Freshman Age: 18 Major: Psychology From: Burnley, England Role Model: Steven Gerrard Hobbies: Golf and Ping Pong

If I had a million dollars...

“I would buy my Golf GTI, and some more clothes.”

Favorites: TV Show: Friends or The O.C. Car: Golf GTI Sport Junk Food: “No, my body is a temple, don’t really do lots of junk food.”

Movie: Goodfellas Team: New Castle

Connor notched his first career goal for the Blue Devils earlier this season during a match against St. Bonaventure. It proved to be the game winner as Central defeated the Bonnies 1-0.

Conrad Akier / The Recorder

The Blue Devils’ young squad has improved, as the year has progressed, at putting teams away when they have the advantage.

“To watch them mature as a team, the upperclassmen mixing with the underclassmen, has just been great,” said Coach Sagnelli.

Snyder led Central with 14 kills during the match with Baumert’s 13 kills a close second. Baumert also had a match high .400 average to accompany two blocks.

Freshman Amanda Bayer orchestrated the Blue Devil assault providing 43 assists, two aces and seven digs.

Central will not resume play until Saturday, October 13 at 2 p.m. when they will travel to Wagner to take on the Seahawks in their first Northeast Conference match of the season.

9

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

UniWatch Central - MLB Playoffs Boston Red Sox

edWard gaug

entertainment editor

Arizona Diamondbacks

After a successful (and colorful) first week of UniWatch Central, I got the OK to continue the column and see where I can bring it. All this week, I have been glued to the TV watching the four playoff games and just like any other time I watch sports, I get distracted by the pure gloriousness…or horrendousness of certain uniforms. Jason Varitek is the epitome of a person wearing a uniform right and looking good. No pajama pants, no oversized jerseys and one of the only two players in the MLB to have a captain’s “C” on his chest.

In this installment of UniWatch Central, the playoff teams of Major League Baseball go under the microscope.

New York Yankees Another team, another four jerseys. Why is this necessary? The D-Baacks, yes that is spelled correctly because the way their home and alternate jerseys look on players, you can see the “a” that is supposed to be hidden under their jersey placket. Outside of this stupid mistake, the Diamondbacks look exactly the Astros. Same colors are used, the same white, gray, red and black jersey lineup and red and black hats. They salvage respect for having a really awesome “db” snakehead logo.

Everything about the Red Sox uniforms are classy.

Snow white homes and the classic baseball road grays, just how baseball should be. The only downfall of the Red Sox is the fact that just about everyone wears their uniforms two sizes too large (see Manny Ramirez) and everyone has the pajama pants look going on. I can only hope they bring back the 1976 throwbacks next year that consisted of v-neck pullover jerseys, rather than button downs. Slight loss of points for red alternates, but it’s gained back by their green St. Patrick’s Day jersey.

Chicago Cubs

Cleveland Indians

It absolutely pains me to write something good about the Yanks, but they have the best uniforms in the game hands down. Simple home and always that work with the quote, “You play for the name on the front, not the one on the back.” There are no player names on any jersey, which is a thing that has almost disappeared.

The Yankees win more points for having a single cap and no alternates.

The Indians committed on of the worst crimes when it comes to baseball uniforms, having a colored third jersey, which gives off that bush league, softball team look. The Indians white jerseys aren’t that bad and luckily they don’t wear their home alternates, which are an even worse looking vest jerseys. The roads gray have “Cleveland” writing in the same script text as the home jerseys which works for consistency. Minus points for having three hats though.

Philadelphia Phillies

Most of the time I cant stand alternate jerseys, but the Cubbies’ blue jerseys are their best offering. The reason this one presides over the white pinstripe and solid gray is the fact that possess the leagues best logo.

The cub inside the “C” is my favorite logo and it doesn’t get nearly enough wear-time. Either of the Cubs’ hats go well with this jersey, but I prefer the solid blue over the blue and red. Alfonso Soriano gains them points for going old-school and wearing the pants up socks showing.

The Phillies join the Yankees as being one of the only two teams having just home and away jerseys. White with pinstripes gives the same timeless feel that Yankees do and their road grays do the same thing. They outdo the Yankees here simply by the fact they use a script text rather than boring block letters. The Phillies are also one of the few teams, if not the only, remaining that have numbers on their sleeves. They gain even more positive points for having a completely unique number font. The Phillies wins this contest hands down.

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

Colorado Rockies

The Rockies have outdone all teams in terrible uniforms. They lead the pace in having five distinctive jerseys, all of them being awful. Pinstripes white and gray, a gray pinstripe vest, a black vest and a solid purple jersey make up their menu of jerseys this year. The smorgasbord of jerseys are topped of with three hat designs that equal in awfulness. They have absolutely nothing good going for them…I mean outside of winning 17 of their last 18 games.

And the Winner is...

The Angels decided on four jerseys and all of them suck. The worst one being their red alternate, which actually uses red text. A red jersey with red letters, fucking brilliant, Anaheim. The white vest with red undershirts comes in at a close second in the sucking order.

The one thing the Angels do right is having only one cap.

Vlad Guerrero stands out though, for having no batting gloves and a pine tar covered helmet, so plus points for that.

After browsing the Internet and sorting through every jersey possible for the original eight playoff teams, I decided there are just far too many jerseys. There really isn’t any need for more than two jerseys, three is even acceptable, but five is outrageous. You are on notice Colorado, eliminate some threads and change your weak-ass hat logo while you’re at it. Phillies win this, with the Yankees right on the back of their spikes. While the Red Sox will win the World Series, they sadly haven’t won UniWatch Central’s look at the playoffs.

10

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Pick Your Poison

NFL Predictions for Week 6

Well, after one horrid week most of us were able to bounce back, if only that were true for four out of the eight MLB playoff teams. The undefeated question was answered for one team: the Green Bay Packers. The Colts, the Pats and the (barely) the Cowboys still have yet to receive a tally in the loss column. Kevin Petruzielo, who is beginning to get comfortable in first place, says the Colts will be the last undefeated team of the season, despite being a Cowboys fan. Jonathan Lundie, who fell to last place this week, says “New England will be undefeated the longest because they are the better all-around team. The others are one dimensional with their passing, but at least the Patriots have an above-average defense to go with their dynamic offense.” Who should we believe?

Either way, we are guaranteed that there will be only two undefeated teams left by weeks end. The Patriots and Cowboys face off against each other Sunday, while the Colts get the week off. If Tony Romo’s performance Monday night was any indication, Jon Lundie won’t have to worry about being wrong for one more week. As always, send your picks to ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

MarK roWan

PeTer Collin

edWard gaug

CHrisToPHer Boulay

editor-in-Chief

sports editor

entertainment editor

Managing editor

Tampa Bay

Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee

Tennessee at Tampa Bay Minnesota at Chicago Houston at Jacksonville Miami at Cleveland St. Louis at Baltimore Washington at Green Bay Cincinnati at Kansas City Philadelphia at New York Jets Carolina at Arizona

Miami

Cleveland

Cleveland

St. Louis

Baltimore

Baltimore

Baltimore

Green Bay

Green Bay

Green Bay

Green Bay

Cincinnati

Kansas City

Cincinnati

Cincinnati

New York Jets

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Arizona

Arizona

San Diego

Oakland

New England at Dallas

Dallas

New England

New England

Dallas

New Orleans at Seattle

Seattle

Seattle

Seattle

New Orleans

New York Giants

New York Giants

Atlanta

New York Giants

Dallas def. New England

Kansas City def. Cincinnati

Houston def. Jacksonville

Oakland def. San Diego

The NFL was already hyping up this game as the battle of the undefeateds before the Cowboys even started playing the Bills on Monday night.

Despite both teams sporting pretty good defenses, it should be a highscoring affair between two ridiculous duos: Tom Brady and Randy Moss versus Tony Romo and Terrell Owens. What it comes down to is where one team has a clear, distinctive advantage and that is the running game.

Sorry New England, but Sammy Morris doesn’t exactly worry me.

Kansas City can’t score. Cincinnati gives up a ton of points. Something has to give and since the Bengals are atrocious against the run look for LJ to finally crack the end zone and put up big yards.

In a game that means nothing to anyone, especially me, I am going to pick the Texans to win over the hapless Jaguars. I can care less what the Jags do until the one week I have to start David Garrard when the Lions get a bye week. Go Texans…

San Diego’s rout of the Denver Broncos was nothing more than a fluke. I don’t think they are that good this year. Oakland isn’t all that stellar either, but I think they can hang with the likes of SD. Oakland by a field goal.

The number of people who picked the Chicago Bears to beat the Green Bay Packers.

The number of games the Philadelphia Phillies won in the 2007 playoffs.

The number of games the New York Mets played in the 2007 playoffs.

The number of donuts in The Recorder office as this is being typed.

13

Cleveland

Carolina

Why

∞

Chicago Jacksonville

San Diego

Pick of the Week

0

Chicago Houston

Arizona

New York Giants at Atlanta

0

Chicago Jacksonville

San Diego

Oakland at San Diego

1

Chicago Jacksonville

The number of those donuts that will actually be consumed, and subsequently regretted.

This Week’s NFL Prediction Leader Board Total Points

Current Week (of 16)

Rank

Name

1

Kevin Petruzielo

53

12

2

Jason Beaumier

49

10

3

Steve Hart

48

12

4

Alyssa Smollen

47

9

5

Kyle Dorau

46

10

5

Kyle Robbin

46

10

7

Matthew Jurkiewicz

45

11

8

Charlie Sorenson

44

10

8

Mike Luchene

44

9

10

Edward Gaug

43

9

11

Peter Collin

42

10

12

Mark Rowan

42

7

13

Chase Proctor

41

11

13

Rob Messer

41

11

13

Mike McDonald

41

8

13

Nick Viccione

41

7

13

Marc Chouinard

40

8

18

Christopher Boulay

38

7

19

Jon Lundie

36

9

E

Entertainment

11

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Returning to a more familiar acoustic sound, Dashboard released The Shade of Confessional their sixth album, The Poison Trees Shade of Poison Trees, recently. Starting the band in 1999 as a side project, lead singer Chris Carrabba’s music has exploded in the pop and emo world. Carrabba originally intended the band to be a solo project, but in 2002, he decided to keep the lineup he had used for live shows and record with them. Their fifth album Dusk and Summer sold over a million copies and I’m sure the sixth will follow in its footsteps.

At first listen, I do not quite know how to describe the album’s overall sound. Although it is acoustic and is supposed to be “emo,” I would describe it as an upbeat anger. The lyrics are dark and angry, yet the background music and rhythm is faster and brighter. Opening with the song “Clean Breaks,” Carrabba highlights the familiar theme of broken hearts. “And I crave you more / Under the heat of your touch / And I need your skin,” are some Carrabba’s best lines.

These lyrics illustrate his distraught emotional state and set the tone for the entire album.

Although the other songs have a more upbeat sound, the theme of heartbreak remains steadfast. I also noticed that he likes to highlight being haunted by one’s own mind, images of a lover, or death Overall, the album does an excellent job acoustically, but I find the background music odd considering the lyrics. The songs clearly represent an emotional struggle or roller coaster that Carrabba experiences in his personal life, but each songs tells a great story. If you are looking for some classic emo music, this may not be the best album to run to, but it’s definitely worth a listen regardless.

- susan KondraCKi / staff Writer

Dashobard Confessional

Everytime I Die

While it is definitely not in The Big Dirty the same class as their previous album Gutter Phenomenon, Every Time I Die’s follow-up offering rehashes many of the same guitar riffs, but without any of the great, catchy vocals.

Most wouldn’t think that a hardcore band could have catchy lyrics, but ETID pulls it off and it was something I appreciated from them.

They still maintained the brutal metal side that was infused with a Jethro Tull-esque southern rock vibe that made for an amazing listen.

While The Big Dirty holds some of the same downing Budweisers and Jager, “duderock” feel, it just doesn’t stand up to the band’s previous albums. The vocals have become a little incoherent and the instrumentals have become a bigger attraction on the album. I’m not hating on them for that, just the fact that they haven’t improved or made something drastically different enough to make me forget about how awesome Hot Damn! was when I first listened to it in high school.

Keith Buckley still possess one of the better voices in the new southern metal scene, but you can only make the same-sounding song a few times before people catch on and start judging you based on your latest offering, not your whole record.

While The Big Dirty didn’t do it for me, many people unfamiliar with Every Time I Die will be blown away by it. When you are done listening to it though, go seek out Gutter Phenomenon and see what this band can really do.

- edWard gaug / entertainment editor

Keyshia Cole has taken the R&B/ hip-hop world by Just Like You storm, as her sophomore album, Just Like You, proves there’s nothing but success in her forecast. Her sound is nothing less than stunning, while her album magnifies maturity and one hit after another.

Although the album is centered on the theme of a relationship hitting rock bottom, breaking up and kissing off your ex, it does not take away from the album’s value.

Cole expresses disappointment, pain, empowerment and honesty in a way that many artists fall short. You can’t help but want to take a listen. When these lyrics fuse together with such an edgy sound, the result is explosive.

Cole displays her vocal abilities without missing a single beat, making it seem effortless to integrate silky R&B, hip-hop and a dose of soul into the album’s tracks.

The tracks “Let It Go” produced by Missy Elliot, “Didn’t I Tell You” featuring Too $hort, “Shoulda Let You Go” introducing Amina (a new artist on Imani Entertainment) and “Was It Worth It” are the perfect prescription to get you out of your seat and straight onto the dance floor. Charged with energy and raw emotion, these tracks will have your attention in no time. Just Like You also includes the well-known collaboration with Diddy, “Last Night.”

“I Remember,” “Heaven Sent,” “Just Like You” and “Work It Out” illustrate Cole’s vulnerability that seemed to have remained solely in her private thoughts before they ever met paper and leaked into these heartfelt songs.

Just Like You as a whole is entirely infectious and is too good of an album to pass up as it exposes Cole at her absolute best.

- asHley andriulli / staff Writer

Keyshia Cole

The New Amsterdams

When I first heard of the New Amsterdams a couple of years ago, the At The Foot person referred to Of My Rival them as the “the guy from the Get Up Kids new band;” and unlike other bands that spawn from the ashes of older bands, the New Amsterdams’ sound isn’t much of a departure from the Get Up Kids, maybe just a bit poppier.

At The Foot Of My Rival could be one of the best indie pop albums this year and I am definitely glad I gave it a second chance. The first time a listened to the album last week, I thought it was too much like everything else that is popular right now.

Later on, I came back to the album and found a new appreciation for it and Matthew Pryor’s ultra-smooth vocals that flow brilliantly throughout the album. It’s amazing that Pryor spent a full 10 years with the Get Up Kids before moving on to the New Amsterdams and putting in another seven years with them.

That’s a pretty solid career for a musician in a small genre with an even smaller following of fans.

To his defense, he makes amazing music that draws in the listener and won’t let them go. His words engage your senses and before you know it you’ll be tapping your foot and nodding your head to the drum beat. It’s completely addicting. While they wont be in the nearby area, they do make a stop in Boston on the 19th of this month and I wish I could make the journey.

- edWard gaug / entertainment editor

It’s always exciting to discover Welcome To The a band that is on your front doorFamily Zoo step. Weigh Down, a band residing in New Haven, Conn., is fiof the original fe- nally releasing an album they had finished two Siouxsie malesOne of punk rock and an years ago. Possibly hoping it would age like a MantaRay icon for Goth fashion, it’s fine wine, the 11-song amazing to me that MantaRay marks Siouxsie’s concept, entitled Welfirst solo album. come To The Family At 50 years young, the enchantress of punk Zoo makes the listener has expanded her horifeel like they’re a part zon far from the sound of a traveling circus. that originally made Vocalist Matthew her popular. MantaRay Thomas sings of unicyis an album that com- cles, cannonballs, trampolines and clowns to bines elements of rock, the tune of lush arrangements of lighthearted pop and electronica. I guitar, upbeat drumming and an eclectic mixguess that’s expected ture of percussion instruments. Band members when you work with Goldfrapp contributor Trevor Healy and Emily Lee back up Thomas’ Charlie Jones. vocals with impeccable harmonies that dance I must admit that any Siouxsie and the their way through each song.

Banshee fans had to have been apprehensive Each song flows into the next one as upon hearing the first single from MantaRay smoothly as scenes in a play, which what this “Into a Swan.” The song is so perfect though seems to be, a conceptual story of a life full for the first single and the opening track. May- of pretending, acting and putting on a happy be a late bloomer, but Siouxsie’s once jarring face. A cold reality also resides behind the style is now a little softer and a lot poppier. frills and thrills.

But if you thought that was poppy, you “Where The Lifeless Go” seems to speak haven’t heard anything until you’ve heard for itself. Circuses, fairs and the like often at“Here Comes That Day.” The song combines tract individuals who felt like “everybody in a symphonic sound with an industrial beat and every town never wanted them around.” an unmistakably catchy chorus.

The songs progressively have a darker Perhaps the album doesn’t really come to- theme, yet if you weren’t listening to the lyrgether until the slow developing ballad “If It ics you wouldn’t be able to tell because of the Doesn’t Kill You.” If there was ever any doubt poppy happiness in the music. The final track if Siouxsie influenced artists like Garbage or talks about a clown, J. Calamity, and how he Poe, this track solidifies it. supposedly killed everyone. Did he theoretiOverall, the album is much more success- cally or physically kill them? It’s up to the lisful than one would think out of an aging punk tener to decide. icon. It’s nice to see her expand on her sound As of recently, Weigh Down is trying to with out losing her trademarks or compromis- play more live shows. Trevor Healy has recenting herself. ly relocated to California, so guitar and vocal- adaM Morgan / special to the recorder ist Brad Amorosino will be filling in for Healy while he is away.

Welcome To The Family Zoo is a very addictive, catchy album. I would definitely recommend Weigh Down for listeners of The One AM Radio and The Promise Ring.

- Karyn danforTH / staff Writer

Weigh Down

Band of Horses

I really don’t know Cease to Begin how country-tinged pop has become one of the most popular genres in the past year or two, but when done correctly it can be so good, while at other times it can be so terrible. Band of Horses’ newest release Cease to Exist definitely fits into the first category.

With Ben Bridwell’s soothing voice being backed by talented musicianship of Rob Hampton and Creighton Barrett, Band of Horses created an absolutely brilliant album that clocks in just over 33 minutes, a timeframe usually reserved for punk bands.

BoH pulls in similar styles shared by another Sub Pop Records band The Shins, with vocals sounding a lot like James Mercer and backing instrumentals that give the same floating feeling. While The Shins mastered this style, Band of Horses isn’t too far behind.

The only downfall throughout the whole album is the track that possesses the best name. With a track name like “Detlef Schrempf” (yes, that Detlef Schrempf, the former Seattle Sonics power forward) you would expect something better than a mediocre country song in disguise on an indie rock album. As much as I would love not to say anything negative about these guys, this song is terrible.

While they might not take over The Shins or Bright Eyes on my most played bands list, I will definitely see Band of Horses in a new light. I might even go check them out at Toads Place in New Haven on November 6 considering their usually isn’t anything better to do on a Tuesday night at Central.

- edWard gaug / entertainment editor

Say Anything

After hearing the two newBaseball est songs from Say Anything this week, I decided to dig through my music library and pull out the band’s first album and see where Max Bemis has brought the band in the last six years. I can honestly say that the band has grown, but ultimately remained true to their sound.

Baseball was first released back in 2001 and has since become Bemis’ bastard child and has been locked away from the public since it was deemed unfit for consumer consumption. I don’t quite hear what Bemis hears because I feel Say Anything’s earlier albums were incredibly talented and maybe even better than …Is a Real Boy. One thing that remains as a constant is the disdain that flows throughout all Say Anything’s albums. Bemis sings about the loss of friends with lines like, “My friends are just neighbors / That steal from me when I’m not home / I am so damn trusting I do not see their malice / In this blackened wonderland I am the darkened Alice.” With lines like these on a debut album, it’s not hard to understand why Bemis has become one of my favorite lyricists.

While Baseball isn’t the album that most people think of when Say Anything is mentioned, it still serves as a solid base to an amazing band. While there are only a few hundred physical copies of Baseball, it is possible to find it online with enough searching. Just don’t expect to hear any of these songs live the next time Say Anything comes around to Providence, Rhode Island on November 1.

- edWard gaug / entertainment editor

12

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

The Good Life: A Good Show Edward Gaug

Entertainment Editor While it is difficult for some people at Central to leave campus and travel to go see a good show, I have the advantage of having a car and bunch of friends that love live shows as much as I do. Going to see The Good Life was an easy decision.

After I got off from work around three in the afternoon, I headed straight up to UConn to pick up my friends who bought the tickets. After some quality time wasting, we started our adventure to Boston’s Middle East Club.

After doing 65 mph down the Mass Pike out of fear of getting another speeding ticket, (92 in a 65 in February of 2004) we finally arrive at the Riverside Train Station and hopped on the “T.” The weird thing about seeing The Good Life last week was the fact that it was my first show in ages that I’ve gone to that I wasn’t directly part of the press and actually got to enjoy the show without having to jot down notes and spend the night behind my camera lenses. It was refreshing, but I wish I had some shots to go along with this article.

After about 15 stops, we get off, search for some quick dinner and hop back on the train to the club.

When we get to the venue we present our tickets, ID (18+ show) and we proceeded to get attacked by a man wielding a giant black sharpie.

With two large black Xs on my hands and absolutely no chance of getting a drink tonight, I head down stairs and scope out the place. In front of me were a small floor area, a decent size crowd and two bars flanking the room. Both were serving Pabst Blue Ribbon Tall Boys and assorted mixed drinks, I felt the need for a cold one

which I knew would never get.

The music started around 8:30 p.m. with Fourth of July, a five-piece indie band out of Lawrence, Kansas.

They were playing their last night with The Good Life and decided to just have a lot of fun. With a smooth voice and poppy instrumentals, they played really engaging music for 45 minutes. I decided to check them out the next day and found that are even more inviting on their album.

The music took a complete face plant after this though. Luke Temple was up next with his horrid combination of acoustic guitar and douchebaggery. The weirdest thing wasn’t his uncanny ability to sound like an even worse Jack Johnson, but the fact that the crowd was having conversations that were much louder than his music. He basically failed all the way around. The sentiment to wrap this up was stated by a friend of mine, “It’s like going to coffeehouse, but I’m not high and there isn’t any coffee.”

The headliners for the night was The Good Life, one of my personal favorite bands and one I haven’t been able to see live before last night. They salvaged the rest of the night easily.

The great thing about seeing them

live is the stage presence of front man Tim Kasher. The crowd always loves him and he loves them back, unless you’re a jerk frat-boy type that won’t stop yelling in between songs. Believe me, there were a few. Then he hates you, as does the rest of the crowd. Beyond that, TGL played an absolutely amazing set that covered everything from their new album Help Wanted Nights to their first album Novena on a Nocturn. After the first hour, the band left the stage to a roaring chant for an encore, to which they quickly answered with another 30 minutes of music. This time around, it involved some more beer and a round of shots from the openers Fourth of July. This made for a drunken, fun mess. Exactly how I would want to see The Good Life.

The club cleared out quickly after and the trek home began. This is really the worst part of any late-night show, especially when it’s at 1 a.m. I should really stop going out of state for concerts on school nights because it kills my attendance in my classes and overall makes me tired. Oh well, it’s too damn fun and I’ll do it again for Say Anything and Bright Eyes in November.

Bruce Springsteen Does the Impossible, Temporarily Makes City of Hartford Cool Again Justin Kloczko

Opinion Editor I’m not going to lie, the night started off shitty. Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band were in Hartford last Tuesday, and the Hilton restaurant where we went to eat before the show was absolutely clueless. I guess they had no idea why Hartford was swarming with people in the streets, and they got slammed.

Our waitress had a hard time keeping up with our alcohol consumption rate; every time she would bring our drinks we would order the next ones right away because she took so long. Maybe we drank too fast, but that idea never dawned on us. I think we racked up a bill of $200 something dollars, and stiffed the waitress with a seven dollar tip because our food took way too long, and she overcharged us on drinks.

Though the Hartford Civic Center isn’t the ideal place to hold a concert, Bruce and friends rocked a packed house to kick off their world tour. Our seats were as far as you could get from the stage, right next to the scoreboard in the 300 section, but that didn’t matter, it felt like we were right where the action was.

I damn near lost my voice singing along. At a Springsteen show, you get the feeling of what church should be like, a bunch of people in rock and roll commune held by a common bond, reciting the words like a prayer.

You learn how to live life through his songs.

Through out the two and a half

hour show, the E Street Band rarely took breaks in between songs – mostly steam rolling from one song to the next without pause. Springsteen presented his new songs with confidence and power, while interweaving favorites and rarities from his venerable catalogue. “The Ties That Bind” was a nice surprise as song number two and “Reason to Believe” was reformed from a spare acoustic strum into a blues laden John Lee Hooker riff.

The few times Springsteen took a breath, he managed to say something in plain talk, like when he introduced his new song, “Magic” while offering the arena candor about our Orwellian moment in time, “When what’s true can be made to seem like a lie and what’s a lie can be made to seem true.” Before performing “Livin’ in the Future,” a song about the American need to be ahead of the curve, Springsteen assailed “illegal wire tapping, rendition, black sites, an attack on the constitution.”

The E Street Band is truly a cast of individual, ego tripping, wehave-no-fear players that somehow are glued together to form one lethal and cohesive unit. They’re all in their fifties and have more endurance than most bands today. Clarence Clemons wailed on his saxophone and Max Weinberg’s atomic drumming made it seem like he didn’t want to go back playing on Conan O’Brien. Born to Run classics like “Night” and “She’s the One” were played flawlessly and Springsteen still posses the fearless vocals of a hyena.

During the entire 23-song set, people were drinking so heavily that I went to fetch a beer and they were tapped out. The night’s climax came when the roof of the Civic Center almost blew off with “Born to Run.” The place totally lit up as everyone joined in song: “Baby this town rips the bones from your back, it’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap, we gotta get out while we’re young, cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run.”

For one glorious night, Springsteen made Hartford feel different from the rest.

Rental Essentials: From The Hip Brian Morache

Staff Writer Most of your movies about lawyers take place in LA or New York, so the Boston locations in From the Hip provide an interesting and different backdrop for what turns out to be a very funny film. Robin Weathers is a first-year lawyer who scams his way into trying what is supposed to be a no-win lawsuit.

The young lawyer gains a reputation as ‘Stormy’ Weathers, as he turns the lawsuit into a freedom of speech fight over the acceptability of the word “asshole.” As a reward for his good work and the business his antics have brought the law firm, he is made a partner and given what most people deem an unwinnable murder case.

Judd Nelson plays the young, obnoxious Weathers, embodying everything that a young, 1980’s gogetter is supposed to look like. John Hurt plays Douglas Benoit, the college professor accused of killing a woman. The choice of Hurt turns out to be ideal as he plays the brilliant, cold and mildly insane character perfectly. Beatrice Winde, who would later go on to prominence as

a poet and actress, plays a minor, but important role as the judge in the murder case. In one scene, to prove that it is possible that someone cannot know something is under a seat, or even in one’s own briefcase, Weathers takes a vibrator out of the prosecuting attorney’s bag. As he turns it on and places it on the table he says, “We will assume that you did not know that this was in there!”

As the vibrator does its thing on the table, the judge just looks and says, “Don’t look at me. It ain’t mine!”

There are plenty of laughs to go around in what could otherwise be a very serious film. A murder case is no laughing matter and the issues of guilt and the responsibility of a lawyer are both major topics that are dealt with in the film. But what sets From the Hip apart from more serious films has to be the antics of Robin ‘Stormy’ Weathers. And even though the film was done in 1987, it hardly looks dated and certainly the issues it presents are just as relevant today.

So if you’re in the mood for something funny but are tired of the same old copycat comedies, give From the Hip a try.

13

Wednesday, October 10, 2007 = recommended

WEEK OF OCTOBER 10 MUSIC 10/16

VooDoo Glow Skulls

Webster Theater / 6 p.m. / $12 In their sixteen years of existence, the Voodoo Glow Skulls have an impressive list of achievements. Seven albums, one million records sold, appearances in exotic locations like Brazil and Japan as well as the creation of a record store, record label, recording studio and a music venue attests to the remarkable creativity and energy of the band. Formed in 1988, Voodoo Glow Skulls meshed hardcore punk, traditional ska, tough guitar riffs and the Mexican music of their roots to create the prototype for the West Coast ska-core sound, influencing a wide range of bands from Sublime to No Doubt. Opening Band: Musturd Plug

FILM

again by looking at serial processes as they are articulated across media, culture and the last 35 years of contemporary art.

THEATRE 10/12, 10/13

Extremities

Hole in the Wall Theater / 8 p.m.

Extremities by William Mastrosimone is a searing look at how a woman confronted by a rapist turns the tables on him and faces the violence in herself. Turned into a successful film in the early 1980s, Mastrosimone’s drama explores the chilling boundaries of truth and violence.

This play is a visceral examination of the primal human forces within us all. How far would you go?

Now until 10/14

10/10 and 10/14

I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry

Vance Lawn / 8 p.m. / FREE Adam Sandler (Click) and Kevin James (Hitch) team as two straight guys who stumble down the aisle with the best of intentions in I Now Pronounce You Chuck and Larry. Chuck Ford (Sandler) and Larry Allensworth (James) are the pride of their fire station: two guy’s guys always side-by-side and willing to do anything for each other. Salt-of-the-earth widower Larry wants just one thing: to protect his family. His buddy Chuck also wants one thing: to enjoy the single life.

10/11

The Borinqueneers

Cinestudio / 7:30 p.m. / $7 After noticing that Latino soldiers were “missing in action” in movies like Saving Private Ryan, directors Noemi Figueroa Soulet and Raquel Ortiz dedicated eight years of their lives to the making of a film that would honor the never-before-told story of the Puerto Rican 65th Infantry Regiment, the only all-Hispanic unit in the history of the U.S. Army. Their film explores the fascinating stories of courage, discrimination and controversy of the men of the 65th, through rare archival materials and compelling interviews with veterans, commanding officers and historians.

ART Until 10/11

Art Faculty Exhibition 2007 Chen Gallery, Maloney Hall 1-4 p.m. Mon-Fri Until 10/21

For the Love of the Game, Race and Sport in America

Wadsworth Atheneum / 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.

“For the Love of the Game” juxtaposes The Amistad Center’s collection with the work of more than twenty artists who have addressed sport as medium and metaphor. The joy of athletic endeavors and their mass appeal as spectacles is acknowledged along with the turbulent and emotional elements of race, class and identity. Stop for some brief gallery talk with exhibition curator Franklin Sirmans on September 21 at 12 p.m.

Until 12/30

again: serial practices in contemporary art

Wadsworth Atheneum / $5 w/ Student ID again: serial practices in contemporary art features work by 15 artists drawn from a gift of 125 photographs to the Atheneum from collector Mickey Cartin, together with works from The Cartin Collection. Works from On Kawara, Ed Ruscha, Hans-Peter Feldman and Jonathan Monk anchor the central premise of

Driving Miss Daisy

Theater Works / $35-$45 TheaterWorks celebrates the 20th Anniversary of the Pulitzer Prize-winning classic that was adapted into the beloved Academy Awardwinning film. After she crashes her car, Daisy Werthan’s son gets her a new Oldsmobile... and a driver. Resolutely opposed to the idea, the strong-willed Daisy refuses to warm up to the affable Hoke, her new chauffeur. Over the course of 25 years, a surprising kinship develops between the Jewish schoolteacher and the African-American man hired to drive Miss Daisy.

WEEK OF OCTOBER 17 MUSIC 10/17

RJD2

Toad’s Place / 8 p.m. / $20 RJD2 originally began his career in Columbus, Ohio, DJing in 1993 with a pair of turntables bought from a friend.

He went to high school at Fort Hayes School of the Arts and graduated in 1994. He claims his name originates from another friend who referenced him as “RJD2” in his raps, and the name stuck. Originally working the role of DJ in the Columbus rap group MHz, he later signed to Bobbito Garcia’s Fondle ‘Em label, releasing the self-proclaimed “mix CD” Your Face or Your Kneecaps.

Opening Band: Elevated Thoughts

just about anything else they felt like including. They were known for their energetic live shows, albeit with an amateurish element on their recordings at that stage.

Opening Band: Modern Life is War 10/21

Big D and the Kids Table

Webster Theater / 3 p.m. / $12 Big D came together ten years ago when the members converged at college in Boston.

Thanks to the insane live show they put together, the band built up a huge local following almost immediately, packing clubs, halls, dorms, basements — you name it — all over New England. They formed their own label, Fork in Hand Records, to put out their first album, Shot

By Lammi, in 1997, and before long they were releasing albums by a stable of popular Bostonarea bands, building a vibrant punk/ska scene around themselves.

Opening Band: The AKAs, Whole Wheat Bread 10/22

Jesu

Trinity on Main / 7 p.m. / $12 A couple of years back, after passing through the world of electronica, he (Justin K Broadrick, ex-Godflesh) settled on Jesu, his shoegaze-metal collaboration with ex-Swans skinsman Ted Parsons, and managed to top even himself. With somber requiems built from two guitar tones at a time, their self-titled album transcended mere melancholia to reach a far loftier despair.” “If Godflesh was a deliberation on Industrial Society and Its Future, Jesu is the aural equivalent of Siddhartha.

Opening Band: Torche, Fog

FILM 10/17-10/20

The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters

Cinestudio / 7:30 p.m. / $7 When the history of the video-gaming wars is told, the rivalry between Donkey Kong champions Billy Mitchell and Steve Wiebe will be

Porcupine Tree

Webster Theater / 7:30 p.m. / $25 Porcupine Tree was founded as a self-indulgent creative outlet for Wilson, and the first major release was ‘On the Sunday of Life...’ in 1992, an album of psychedelia and studio experiments which bears little relation to the band’s current sound. From here, Wilson expanded the sound, creating the progressive rock/ambient trance fusion on the 30-minute long single “Voyage 34.” One of the only constants in Porcupine Tree’s music is how it continues to evolve and confront the expectations of the band’s fans from album to album.

Opening Band: 3 10/20

The Bouncing Souls

Toad’s Place / 6 p.m. / $15 The Bouncing Souls are a punk rock band from New Brunswick, New Jersey formed in 1987.

By the time of their acknowledgment by the national punk scene, they had reignited a “pogo” element to New Jersey punk rock by playing fast light-hearted songs, a model followed by various other local bands (e.g. Blanks 77 and the Bristles). In the early stages of their career, they played a hybrid of punk, funk, metal, and

The 11th Hour

CineStudios / 9:10 p.m. / $7 A bold new documentary featuring Leonardo DiCaprio blasts through the chatter over climate change, to present unforgettable images of a planet - and its inhabitants - in trouble.

And while An I nconvenient Truth sounded a needed warning bell, The 11th Hour energizes audiences with creative solutions that challenge us to transform the way we live. DiCaprio travels the globe, seeking out a forward-looking group of climate pioneers, including Stephen Hawking, Mikhail Gorbachev, green architect William McDonough, marine biologist Sylvia Earle, and environmentalist Paul Hawkins, who offers up these hopeful words: “What a great time to be born! What a great time to be alive! Because this generation gets to essentially completely change the world.”

COMEDY 10/24

Horatio Sanz

Toad’s Place / 8 p.m. / $20 Dark-haired and portly, with the energy and manner of a madman and seemingly limitless comic potential, Horatio Sanz joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live” in 1998 and was immediately compared to the late “SNL” great John Belushi. Raised in Chicago, Sanz became the first Latino cast member in “Saturday Night Live” history, but those familiar with his groundbreaking comedy theater work were disappointed with the mostly background work Sanz was getting in his first season, appearing infrequently with often reigned-in impersonations of celebrities including Larry Flynt, Meat Loaf and Jerry Garcia.

THEATER 10/23

The Grapes of Wrath

required reading or downloading (or whatever).

Back in the early 1980s, while Ronald Reagan was busy scaring the pants off the rest of the world, Billy Mitchell ruled the arcade universe after setting a seemingly unbeatable record of 874,300 points for Donkey Kong.

10/17 & 10/21

10/19

10/21-10/23

Transformers

Torp Theater / 8 p.m. / FREE A long time ago, far away on the planet of Cybertron, a war was being waged between the noble Autobots (led by the wise Optimus Prime) and the devious Decepticons (commanded by the dreaded Megatron) for control over the Allspark, a mystical talisman that would grant unlimited power to whoever possessed it. The Autobots managed to smuggle the Allspark off the planet, but Megatron blasted off in search of it. He eventually tracked it to the planet of Earth (circa 1850), but his reckless desire for power sent him right into the Arctic Ocean, and the sheer cold forced him into a paralyzed state.

10/19-10/28

DocuWeek

Real Art Ways Starting at 12 p.m. / $6.25 A full week of Academy Award qualifying runs of documentaries chosen by the International Documentary Association. These films will be shown exclusively at Real Art Ways and will only play in 11 other states.

Black Box Theatre (Maloney Hall) 7:30 p.m.

Frank Galati’s award-winning adaptation of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath affords us a glimpse into the heroic and determined hearts of the Joad family as they escape the killing effects of 1930’s Oklahoma dustbowl, with hopes of thriving in California’s “land of plenty.” Their incredible journey shines light on the saving power of family and community and the incredible resilience of the human spirit in the face of life-threatening circumstances. A tourde-force of theatrical performance and music, The Grapes of Wrath is not to be missed.

Did we miss something?

Know of an event we should list here?

Contact us at ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

STSTRAVEL.COM Join America’s #1 Student Tour Operator

CANCUN, ACAPULCO, JAMAICA, BAHAMAS, PUERTO VALLARTA, SOUTH PADRE, FLORIDA, CRUISES Sell Trips, Earn Cash & Travel Free

www.ststravel.com

STUDENT TRAVEL SERVICES

1-800-648-4849 www.ststravel.com

Lifestyles

14

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Dan Collin

Special to The Recorder Long before Main Street in Middletown became a bustling evening destination lined with trendy restaurants, Klekolo World Coffee was serving gourmet coffee in a unique atmosphere.

Its 13-and-a-half-year existence seems all the more remarkable considering the ubiquity of Starbucks and Dunkin Donuts. If you really care about the coffee you drink, want to enjoy it in a place with a little personality, and aren’t afraid to venture beyond the sterilized confines of corporate chains, Klekolo may be the place for you.

During my college years in the mid-90s, I spent many an evening reading, socializing and people-watching at Klekolo. Its slightly odd location on Court Street, about 100 yards from the main road, made it the perfect hang-out for

people on the margins and in the mainstream alike. Not much has changed; on any given day, one can find punk and goth kids hanging out on the sidewalk, bankers stopping in for their morning cups and Wesleyan students doing homework.

The walls still display the work of local artists. On my most recent trip, the exhibit consisted of a small sampling of detailed pencil drawings by Alessandra Pisano. The subject of the work - the female form and emotional portraits - is typical of the art found at Klekolo and is likely to push more buttons than what might be displayed in your average Starbucks.

I am forgetting about the coffee. If you are a coffee purist, such as I am, Klekolo boasts rich flavorful brews from all over the world. Each day features four varieties: one regular, one decaf, one flavored and one with extra caffeine. If you prefer your coffee or espresso dressed up with frothy milk and flavorings, there is a list of

nearly two dozen concoctions of Klekolo’s own design. In the interest of fairness, I sampled one regular coffee and one designer drink. In the interest of my sanity, I didn’t finish them, lest I get over-caffeinated.

For my coffee, I selected the Guatemalan: the regular, caffeinated brew of the day, which I drank black. The rich texture and chocolaty notes were quite satisfying. The finish was smooth, without a hint of bitterness.

Choosing my next beverage proved to be a little more daunting. The variety of offerings on the specialty drink list was a bit overwhelming.

I finally settled on something called an Ozone Layer consisting of espresso and steamed milk flavored with vanilla and almond syrup. It was a little sweet for my liking; but, as I mentioned, I am a bit of a coffee snob. The drink could have benefited from perhaps another shot of espresso to balance out the sweetness of the syrups. However, I could definitely understand

the appeal of such a beverage.

To polish off my trip, I felt I needed a confection of some sort. What is coffee, after all, without a pastry, muffin or piece of cake? After perusing the sweets, I settled on a dinner platesized peanut butter cookie with a sort-of undercooked dough consistency - not that that’s a bad thing. It had the sweetness one would expect, but also retained some peanut-y saltiness that both surprised and pleased me.

All of this came to a total of just over six dollars. Try getting a small coffee, espresso drink and dessert for six bucks at a chain café.

If you’re “jonesing” for some coffee - and who isn’t - take a few steps off the beaten path and stop by Klekolo World Coffee. Grab a magazine or board game off the shelf, and hang out for a bit.

Klekolo World Coffee is located at 181 Court Street in Middletown; open seven days a week, 8 a.m.-11:45 p.m.

Hartford Remembers Anne Frank Vicky Sawtelle

Staff Writer Sixty years have passed since the publication of the most famous Holocaust narrative ever written. The Diary of Anne Frank captures a time of oppressive fear and hatred that no one has been able to replicate. The Charter Oak Cultural Center in Hartford, however, manages to replicate Anne Frank’s hideaway in its newest exhibition that is on display now.

In 1942, Anne Frank’s family went into hiding in the back section of an office building.

It was in that Secret Annexe that Anne wrote stories of her incognito life. In 1960, her family’s hideout in Amsterdam was converted into a public museum. But now, the famous historical place of refuge can be seen in Connecticut.

When I first arrived at the Cultural Center, I rang the doorbell and a woman let me into a somber foyer. It was dimly lit and void of people except for the two of us. I inquired about the exhibit and she led me back to a bookcase hinged on to a plain white wall. She held the bookcase ajar for me, and I stepped inside.

The first room that I entered was the bathroom. All of the items in the sparingly outfitted room looked native to their period. The hairbrushes and shaving accoutrements were neatly arranged on the table next to the sink.

The bathroom looked as if it could have been functioning.

I then moved on to Anne and her sister

Margot’s room. There were two adjacent single-sized beds, each with a teddy bear on top of the pillow. The room was very small, and it is quite understandable how daily squabbles occurred. According to Ms. Frank, the arguments were frequent incidents. They were usually between the Frank family and the Van Daan family, whom with they shared the compact quarters.

The hostess let me roam alone through the exhibit because it was almost closing. I was the only one there, and the silence seemed to amplify the ambience a thousand fold. That penetrating stillness was probably more powerful than a guided tour would have been. It was almost like walking through a deceased friend’s house.

The final room I happened upon was the bedroom of Mr. and Mrs. Otto Frank. It was similar to the setup of the daughters’ bedroom.

The room contained two beds and simple furniture. There was very little room for any frivolity beyond that. In her diary, Anne talks of her mother and Mrs. Van Daan lamenting over their lost china and other heirlooms that they could not carry with them.

As I was in the middle of a reverie, the woman who let me in asked if I had any questions; and of course, being naturally bookish, I had a few. From my curious prodding, I was surprised to know that the Anne Frank house replication is the only one on the East Coast.

The Secret Annexe took a full days work of the entire Cultural Center’s staff, and it has been

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder months in the making.

The exhibit truly gives an honest display of everyday life in confinement. It is most definitely a worthwhile trip for history novices and connoisseurs alike. Literature about Anne Frank and the Holocaust are distributed to patrons to help better understand the historical

backdrop of Eastern Europe in the 1940s.

The museum is located at 21 Charter Oak Avenue in Hartford. The exhibit runs until November 4, and five dollars is the suggested donation. For more information about the gallery, please call the Charter Oak Center at (860) 249-1207.

15

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

A Free Drink Sounds Nice The Day the Earth Stood Still until You’re in an Ambulance Brian Morache

Raya-Gabrielle Ramsey

Oklahoma Daily (U. Oklahoma) (U-WIRE) -- I could barely speak. My head bobbled around as the taxicab bounced through downtown Dallas. I puked again. My friend made sure it landed in my purse instead of on the cab’s floor mats. I could barely open my eyes. I felt like I was slowly leaving the planet.

When we stopped in front of the hotel, someone opened the door I was leaning on. I rolled out of the car and fell onto the concrete. Its coldness on my arms was a fleeting moment of relief from the dizzy dream world I was a part of.

Only 20 minutes prior, I was having a really good time. I was clicking around in my high heels with two of my best friends in the VIP section. We were giggling, tossing our hair, and relishing in the attention all around while sipping our free drinks in a club. After that, I have only a handful of sporadic memories. In the ambulance, I remember asking for the needle to be stuck in the back of my hand instead of the inside of my arm and someone saying, “she’s not responding.” I remember the nurse pulling out the catheter in the hospital. And I remember wanting to tell her to be careful when unsnapping the buckles on my shoes. (I like my shoes handled with care.) Lastly, I remember catching a glimpse of my dad as the doctor mentioned something about “GHB.” “I knew it,” I thought. I was drugged that night, but I was lucky. I puked on myself. It doesn’t sound lucky, but it was.

Date rape drugs, such as Rohypnol, GHB and Ketamine, can cause women to pass out and become unconscious. They lose all recollection of the evening and can’t remember anything the next day. It is the epitome of an ideal setup for rape. And while statistics don’t always establish the number of rape cases that involve date rape drugs, the problem became so rampant that in 1996, Congress passed legislation. The DrugInduced Rape Prevention and Punishment Act established federal penalties for dispensing controlled substances to victims without their consent.

What statistics do prove is that there are a startling number of rape cases on college campuses compared to other age groups. The American Association of University Women reports nearly 25 percent of college women are raped. Ninety percent of those cases involve alcohol use, and on a weekend like OU-Texas when getting drunk is half the fun, women (and sometimes men) need to be especially careful.

Often, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey of 2005, victims are sexually assaulted by someone they know. Thirty-eight percent of perpetrators were a “friend.” No need

to eye each friend suspiciously all night, but be aware that heavy drinking can cause people to do things they wouldn’t normally do sober. And drinking can cloud your own judgment, too.

I only had one full drink that Friday night last year. It’s how I knew something was really wrong. I started a second drink. I had a few sips, put it down and took a visit to the deejay’s booth. (I’m sure you already see the problem.) I picked my drink up where I left it and got halfway through before I felt the effect. The room started spinning and I began having a hard time understanding what was going on around me.

And it wasn’t “drunk” that I was feeling. Immediately I turned to one of my friends.

“Somebody put something in my drink,” I told her firmly.

In less than five minutes, we were out of there and outside waiting for a cab to pick us up.

My memory goes downhill from there, as date rape drugs often cause.

If you’re out and suddenly feeling very odd, some signs you may have been drugged include: unexpectedly feeling very drunk and you’re not quite sure how it happened, abnormal dizziness, feeling drowsy out of the blue and memory loss the next day.

If you are worried you or a friend has been drugged, react immediately. Find a safe place and contact police or a hospital. Let them know there are concerns of drug involvement.

If you’ve been sexually assaulted or you’re not sure because of memory loss, there are sexual assault examinations, which collect evidence. It is recommended that you don’t shower or bathe, eat or drink, or wash your hands or clothes, or brush your teeth after the incident in order to keep evidence in tact.

But avoiding these situations is sometimes possible, even simple. First, pay attention to your surroundings. A free drink sounds nice until you’re in an ambulance. Don’t accept drinks from anyone. Bring your own drink if you can. If not, watch how your drink is being made. Hold your drink in toward your body and keep one hand over the opening. Keep it with you at all times, even in the disgusting bathroom. A little germ infiltration is better than ending the Dallas weekend in a hospital gown.

(The socks are pretty cool, though.) Don’t drink anything that tastes or smells funny and avoid punch bowls and other community drinks.

I consider myself fairly smart, feisty and fiercely independent -- not someone to be taken advantage of -- but a little GHB later; I was a rag doll, incapable of giving a friend even my dad’s cell phone number, which I usually know by heart. So pay attention this weekend and keep an eye -- even a drunk one -- on all of your friends.

s album review g in d a e r f o Sick s heard of? a h e n o o n s of band

ed in ters interest oking for wri lo ly covered is vi r ea de h y or The Rec not alread s re n ge ectronic. in c d usi , R&B, an el op -h reviewing m ip h as aper, such in the newsp er. If you’re the newspap h it w . d te ar to get st er@gmail.com A great way at ccsurecord s u l ai m eease interested pl

Staff Writer It used to be said that Americans didn’t worry about a Russian suitcase bomb because the Russian’s didn’t have the technology to make a suitcase! October 4, 1957 changed that, for on that date, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik, the world’s first artificial satellite.

Transmitting a series of beeps in such a low orbit that it was visible in a clear sky, Sputnik was the first salvo in what was to become known as The Space Race.

That the Soviets would have the technology and the scientific know-how to beat the United States into space was a shock to everyone, from President Eisenhower to the average Joe on the street. Sputnik would become the pride of the Soviet Union and would begin a series of early victories over their rivals, the United States, in gaining mastery of space.

Sputnik brought a renewed importance to the exploration of space, pushing the United States to create NASA, the agency devoted to our space program. Beyond government interest, the tiny satellite sparked the interest of the general public as well. The signals emitted from Sputnik could be picked up by anyone tuning into the right frequency. This was not an achievement the Soviets wanted to keep a secret.

Fifty years ago, people looked to the sky.

All over the world we looked up and wondered,

“What’s out there?” A country took pride in its ability to reach out beyond the confines of the earth, and space exploration became a symbol of strength and ability. As the interest in space currently wanes in the United States, many blame the lack of interest on the lack of a competitor. The Space Race was a way for two superpowers to flex their muscles in a way that did not involve warfare and, in the end, benefited all mankind. If only such opportunities existed today.

Central Faculty Brings Borders Back to its Essence: Reading Justin Kloczko

Opinion Editor Bet you didn’t know that Borders Books and Music, a venue that has fatally become a playground for college kids to falsely sip their cappuccinos while trying to pick up chicks and “study,” was actually made useful with reading from various CCSU professors, last Sunday evening.

Sequestered away in front of the history section and adjacent to the literature books, CCSU’s English department, including David Cappella, Mary Collins, Rob Dowling, Tom Hazuka, Jack Heitner, Steve Ostrowski and Ravi Shankar along with senior writer at the Helix, Maurice Ledoux – shared personal readings of their work to about 25 people.

Though it seemed evident that the faculty’s glory days of cavernous coffee shop readings and open mic nights have been long out of site, professors managed to bring intimacy to the juggernaut chain that has become of Border Books. The past few years, Borders has become one of the last places one might want to go to read and get anything done because of the increasingly annoying social scene.

It was odd when the introductory speaker, a man named Jeff who people referred to as the “unofficial mayor of Borders,” started introducing the segment only to be interrupted by an overhead speaker that was essentially saying the same thing, only louder.

Stoically standing on front of a red draped Borders shawl, each reader brought a different genre of literature, from impulsive prose to sonnets to confessional poetry, but was occasionally disturbed by annoying rings of the in-house telephone nearby.

Professor Shankar diligently recited excerpts from Instrumentality and the sonnet Misty Blue with alliteration and rumination.

He also included inspiring readings from Hartford poet Wallace Stevens. Professor

Heitner put forth the brave attempt of trying to carrel the audience into a sing along, repeating verses from Cosmic Carol. He also read a selection from his previously published book, Songs of the Spirit.

After briefly thanking students who had come, Professor Cappella read the first three sonnets from Gobbo: A Solitaire’s Opera, which attracted critical notoriety by winning the 2004 Bright Hill Press Poetry Chapbook Contest. Gobbo is a nod to Giacomo Leopardi, the Italian writer who led a very sad, but creative life.

Professors Collins and Dowling presented unique works of non-fiction. Collins’ part memoir, part social history was critical of cookie cutter, assembly line America.

She wrote about the Utz potato chip factory in Penn., saying procedures were no different than the vicious, meat packing factory methods of Henry Ford and the Model T. Dowling was quick to confess that he was not the creative writer like his contemporaries, but conveyed an interesting take with his interpretations of literary history. A particular section from his book, Slumming in New York, examined the way writers reflected or helped shape their environments. He read about Manhattan life at the turn of the 20th century which acquired an incessant and hilarious addiction to betting on dogs eating rats as a national pastime.

Professor Hazuka recited an epitaph about the Sept. 11, 1973 coup d’etat in Chile, comparing the deaths to our own 9/11, while Professor Ostrowski gave maybe the most entertaining reading with two poems called Weird Boys and Married Sex. Ledoux, senior editor at The Helix, gave an ode to Jackson Pollock by reciting a poem attempting to crystallize his artwork into words.

This was the first local authors forum at Borders, which will be continued on Nov. 12 with kid readings.

16

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Stephanie Bergeron

Lifestyles Editor This year the Berlin Fair said hello to their 59th year. For some, it is the only time of year where the fat content in the food you consume doesn’t matter. For others, it is a time to run into everyone you left behind in high school. For me, it was a little of both, but it was also a realization of how quickly time flies.

Like many who go to the Berlin Fair, it is an annual tradition for my friends, family and I. It is a place I hold dear to my heart, and look forward to every year. For some reason, though, things seemed different this year.

I guess you can say my first mistake was driving to the fairgrounds by car. After all the experience I have in going to fairs, I should have known better.

It was Friday, October 5 around 5 p.m.; the first day of the fair and by far the busiest. Berlin High School even gets the day off. As I finally made my way off of the over-crowded Berlin Turnpike, packed like sardines with people dying to Whac-A-Mole, I entered yet another line.

This time around, the traffic was to get into the fairground parking. As I neared the first gate, the sign read “closed.” Nearing the back lot gate, I was happy to see no sign indicating it being full. Suddenly, with only two cars in front of me and my wheels almost touching the parking area, the cop put up a sign.

“Closed,” it read, as I rolled up my windows, cursing up a storm at the sign’s very existence. With my ears piping hot, I lowered the window just enough to ask the cop where to go now, selfishly hoping he would take pity on me and usher me in the

lot instead. What a fool I was to think that.

Twenty minutes later, after sitting in traffic to get to Corbin Russwin just so I could take the shuttle bus back to where I just was, I began to think of my childhood.

Sitting on that yellow bus, rubbing my feet over the small coating of sand underneath my sneakers, I felt old. Meanwhile, kids fought for the backseat, a place where only the older kids were “privileged” enough to sit back in my day.

As the time approached half past six, the sound of nearing arcade music and teenage gossip filled my ears.

“Do you think Matt will be here? I think he likes Susie,” said one of the girls sitting behind me. An hour and half after my journey to the fair had begun, and finally taking that last high step off of the bus, I had made it.

Lesson number one: Don’t try to be slick and attempt to get a parking spot at the fair around dinner time.

Always take the shuttle bus to the fair.

Being it was my first year legally drinking at the Berlin Fair, my first stop was most definitely the beer booth. Low and behold, standing there were half of my friends, along with everyone else who just met the 21-year-old mark this summer.

I got the bracelet to indicate my age, pounded my first beer to get rid of my “sitting in tons of traffic forever” blues and made my way over to the pierogies.

If there is one reason to go to the fair, it is for the food. Although the Berlin Fair doesn’t have the biggest variety in fantastic, heart-attack food, they have the essentials: fried dough, Philly cheese steaks and the chicken nuggets that keep us coming back.

The prices were the same they’ve always been - a rip off. Don’t get me wrong, the prices are typical fair-food prices usually ranging in the vicinity of five bucks, but, still, a rip off. This is where I made my second mistake.

Unaware of how much money I needed to rock a big enough buzz to get my ears pierced once again, I brought more money than was actually necessary.

Lesson number three: When it’s your first time legally drinking at the fair, and you can buy the four dollar beers they offer you, make sure you don’t bring all your money with you.

You will not only spend it all on beer, but food and other useless trinkets you pick up along the way. This lesson applies to even those who can’t buy beer.

This year was the first time getting my ears pierced at a fair. I felt like the young girls I always see when I walk by Claire’s in the mall, except shadier and wondering if my ears would fall off by the end of the night.

I felt youthful again, wanting to show off my new bling. And there I was, a 21-year-old kid making my way from the piercing booth over to the cows.

In any fair, not only the Berlin Fair, it essential to go see the cows, rabbits and poultry. After a few beers, I stood there picturing myself letting all the rabbits and roosters out of the cage. I breathed in the cow aroma and it brought a smile to my face, reminding me of Canada where all of my family lives.

In years past I would go on some of the rides. This year, I became just an observer. The Ferris wheel is always a cutesy-wootsy thing to do with a boyfriend or girlfriend. It’s also quite daring seeing as those the rides are installed in a matter of five minutes by most likely drunken fair people, or “fairies,” the night before.

Lesson number four: Never ride the Gravitron if you don’t want to spin yourself into a sickness that won’t go away for hours.

I always get sucked into playing a game, and I refuse to lose to a 13-year-old little tough guy. I always seem to get shown up, playing against one of those, and I end up spending way more money than I should for a stuffed animal that will end up a dog chew toy.

Lesson number five: Refer to lesson number three.

What’s great about the Berlin Fair is that if you don’t have a good time on Friday night, you can try and make up for it on Saturday, which was the case for me this year.

There is always a ton of stuff to do, and plenty to eat. You can meet great people, and run into people that you wish you never did. But either way, everything and anything goes.

You deal with whatever comes your way, and if you can’t handle it, your friends put you in the Funhouse.

Going to the Berlin Fair for me means running into old friends, family and acting like a kid. You go there feeling old, and suddenly find yourself climbing a rock wall.

Walking around you realize you aren’t the only adult acting like a child. Parents walk around hand-inhand with their young ones, eating candy apples and cotton candy.

You can volunteer to work, exhibit your artwork or just go to stuff your face until next year comes around when you can do the same.

It is one weekend a year, and it’s the one weekend a year where anything goes. And no matter how old you get, the fair is always there to make you realize that age is only a number.

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder