vol104issue21

OPINION

Candidate Merchandise

Nintendo Doesn’t Disappoint with Smash Hit

- Page 5

LIFESTYLES

A-Z of Spring Break - Page 14

- Page 11

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/

Making Room for Art Space Downtown

Volume 104 No. 21

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Investigation Findings Released to Mixed Responses Aril Grain Staff Writer Debate and criticism followed the release of Provost Carl Lovitt’s investigation to the Faculty Senate on Monday.

The report concerns the issue of whether or not Dean Siamack Shojai of the School of Business made racist comments about or acted inappropriately toward guest speaker Dr. Trita Parsi after his Middle East lecture in late January.

The four related incidents under investigation by Lovitt included comments made by Shojai during the question and answer portion of Parsi’s lecture, the alleged refusal of Shojai to sit next to Parsi at a dinner held that evening as well as the alleged misattribution of statements to Professor Norton Mezvinsky.

In his report, Lovitt said Shojai also made an appearance on the Persian Pars TV & KRSI radio program in Los Angeles the following day during which Shojai remarked on Parsi’s skin color and intelligence .

He reviewed four separate translations of the transcripts from the Persian radio program and conceded that Shojai did make mention of Parsi’s skin color in relation to his potential mixed heritage, but could detect no intention on the part of Shojai to demean Parsi and found no evidence of any racial slurs.

According to Lovitt, since Shojai never identified himself on the program as a dean at CCSU, Shojai’s remarks are protected by the First Amendment.

In regards to the private conversation held between Shojai and Mezvinsky, during which Shojai claims Mezvinsky apologized for Parsi’s lecture, Lovitt said the facts of who said what are impossible to verify.

Lovitt concluded by saying that since Shojai as a dean is perceived as a representative of CCSU, it is important for Shojai to be mindful that he is a model of behavior. Guests to the campus should always be treated with respect regardless of their beliefs or background, said Lovitt.

See Findings Released Page 3

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Christopher Boulay Business Manager The art department is in the process with administrators at CCSU to expand classroom space to downtown New Britain for the fall 2008 semester, specifically into the school’s Institute for Technology and Business Development building, providing ease after the continuing space issues for students involved in art classes.

The push began in October, when art students became upset with the lack of space and protested.

“We put up posters regarding the need for space, spoke with the facilities coordinator and other administrators, as well as putting paintings in President Miller’s office,” said Mike Golschneider, a senior and art major.

Golschneider, along with Brielle Dubois, Sean Kinne, Kenny Valentine and Stephanie Bergeron, with the help of Professor Mike Alewitz, have spearheaded the initiative to get more space for the art students.

Cora Marshall, the art department Chair at CCSU, is very pleased

with the progress and the respectful nature the students have shown.

“There are still challenges that we have to work out, but we are busting out,” she said. “It has been a success. I am proud of the very committed students that expressed a need and desire to complete the work in a more cohesive space.”

Due to the lack of space in Maloney Hall, new space in downtown New Britain is being prepared for the advanced students to have extra room.

“It is a challenge to make everything fit and work at CCSU. If it is a

SGA Denies Ice Hockey Funding

See Art Space Page 2

‘The Guerilla Girls on Tour’ Celebrate Femininity Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor

“The Guerilla Girls on Tour” shared their feminist views of politics, men and sex in Torp Theatre last Tuesday, while playing the roles of deceased female artists.

The goal of the Guerilla Girls is to address issues of discrimination and racism without revealing their true identities to their audiences.

They want to keep what they call the “herstory” of accomplished historical

women alive rather than let it be pushed aside and forgotten.

“The Guerilla Girls on Tour” is a touring theatre company that began in New York City. These self-motivated women write and perform their own comedic plays to honor historical female figures while expressing their radical feminist views on society.

The internationally-renowned Guerilla Girls have traveled all over the world, including parts of Europe and Asia, to express their theatrical-

ly-driven minds to portray the rights of women.

Famous female writer Gloria Steinman once commented about the Guerilla Girls.

“Their message celebrates each woman’s uniqueness. They can laugh and fight, and be both happy and strong,” she wrote.

The Guerilla Girls theatre company holds workshops and works with surrounding towns to create productions of the town history.

They have performed over 200 times

See Guerilla Girls Page 3

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Peter Collin Sports Editor The CCSU Student Government Association voted 9-8 against allocating additional funds to the Ice Hockey Club last Wednesday in the third such vote since the Club earned a berth to the National Tournament.

The Ice Hockey Club had requested an additional $4,000 to supplement their trip to Fort Myers, Fla. for the Division II American

Collegiate Hockey Association National Tournament from March 12-15.

The additional funds were to be requisitioned from the co-sponsorship fund. The $4,000 represented 44 percent of the remaining money in the co-sponsorship fund.

The first vote on the matter ended in a tie, while the second vote resulted in nearly two-thirds opposition. The debate about the Ice Hockey Club’s role among the other university clubs and in the SGA budget has

See Hockey Funding Page 3

News

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, March 12, 2008

The Recorder

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Staff Editor-in-Chief Justin Kloczko Business Manager Christopher Boulay Art Director Jamie Paakkonen Associate Layout Editor Stephen Meszaros Copy Editor Samantha Sullivan Photo Editor Stephanie Bergeron Lifestyles Editor Karyn Danforth Sports Editor Peter Collin Entertainment Editor Edward Gaug Opinion Editor Dan Ivers News Editor Melissa Traynor Assistant News Editor Amanda Ciccatelli Web Editor John Vignali Illustrator Sean Kinne Comics Mike Golschneider

Staff Writers Marissa Blaszko Peter Decoteau Chris Demorro Kyle Dorau Aril Grain Matthew Jurkiewicz Marissa Mancini Rob Messer Brian Morache Victoria Wall Jody Wiles Ryan Yeomans

About The Recorder is a studentproduced 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 Editorin-Chief.

T he pur pose of T he Recorder is to approach and def ine issues of impor tance to the st udents of Centra l Connecticut State Universit y.

Experts Share Views on Terrorism Brian Morache Staff Writer Since 9/11, terrorism has been a prevalent concern on the minds of many Americans. It was with great anticipation then that CCSU welcomed two of the world’s foremost experts on terrorism: Yonah Alexander of the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies and Spain’s Ambassador to the United States, Javier Ruperez.

The first to speak was Alexander, the author of numerous books on the subject and a pioneer in the study of terrorism. His presentation, entitled Terrorism: Will Civilization Survive?, focused on many of the psychological aspects of terrorism.

“Terrorism is not only Eastversus-West but a worldwide problem,” he said. Alexander reminded the audience that terrorists have struck in many countries around the world, and despite the diversity of terrorist groups worldwide, they all use the same basic weapon: fear.

With regard to the legal aspects of terrorism, Professor Alexander was quite clear.

“If you are a terrorist, you violate international law,” he said, adding that while there is no universal definition of terrorism, there are definable terrorist acts. Many of these acts stem from ethnic or racial intolerance and from extreme national or fundamentalist religious views.

Speaking on religious fundamentalism, Alexander stressed that Islam is not a terrorist religion, proclaiming: “It is not Islam, it’s terrorism.” The professor pointed out that there are fundamentalist groups in Israel, the Middle East, Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. While many in the Middle East claim Islam

Ambassador Javier Ruperez outlined the role of the UN against terrorism. as their faith, many more around the world do not.

When offering solutions, Alexander suggested that groups need to assess what works and what doesn’t. He described a battle of ideas, changing the way people think and view each other rather than suggesting military operations.

“The military option should be the last resort, not the first one,” Alexander said.

He stressed the need for nations to balance civil liberties with security. Certainly to give up the values and foundations of a nation would be a victory for terrorists everywhere and a blow to civilization.

Ambassador Ruperez has worked extensively with the United Nations on their counter-terrorism

Art Space

Continued from page 1 priority for [the students], then it is a priority for us,” Marshall said. “It will be nice to have advanced studios, and it is part of the downtown art district.”

Currently, New Britain is home to the Greater New Britain Art Alliance, the New Britain Museum of American Art, the New Britain Art League and the soon-to-beopened Hicks Artist Cooperative.

The department has no intention of abandoning Maloney but wants to make it available to primarily beginner art classes. Most students currently have to carry around most, if not all of their artwork because there is no room for storage in the building. By expanding, Marshall hopes to alleviate or eliminate this problem.

“The downtown space has almost 1,300 square feet. We have to do some planning, but we want the building to be retrofitted with seats, hire security, possibly add a CCSU shuttle stop, as well as figure out a possible parking situation,” she said.

Golschneider, who is graduating at the end of the semester, believes that the way the art students approached this problem was a good model for students of the university.

He said, “If you get angry, you can change the university if you go about it the right way. I am happy it happened, but still a bit bitter because I won’t be able to enjoy it.”

Because of the new space to be utilized, there are now preliminary talks regarding the possibility of an art graduate program that could be started at the university that will take place in the building.

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

committee and is the author of seven books. He noted that terrorism is easy to recognize but difficult to define.

“Why is it that 192 countries can’t define terrorism?” he asked.

He pointed out that part of the problem is that one person’s terrorist is another’s freedom fighter. While some have difficulty defining what terrorism is, the United Nations recognizes and has outlawed various terrorist acts.

Ambassador Ruperez pointed out the more active role that the UN is taking against terrorism. United Nations Resolutions 1267 and 1377 created a list of terrorist organizations and also a code of conduct in the case of terrorism.

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

One of the most important aspects of fighting terrorism, according to the Ambassador, is that there must be no justification for terrorists. No state should sympathize with or recognize groups that utilize terrorism as a method of enforcing their will.

Ambassador Ruperez pointed out that the mindset should be that any terrorism is unacceptable.

The Ambassador’s method of fighting terrorism included combating poverty and hunger, but he also stressed the importance of standing upon firm legal grounds.

“We have to fight against terrorism within the rule of law,” Ruperez said. It is vital that countries that are fighting terrorism do not resort to the same kinds of tactics utilized by the terrorists themselves.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / NEWS

Findings Released

3

Guerilla Girls

Continued from page 1

Continued from page 1

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Mezvinsky shared a different set of transcript translations with the Senate, which he said showed Shojai’s word choice conveyed a “demeaning and racially unacceptable” message to some listeners. Mezvinsky also criticized Lovitt for not questioning Parsi during his investigation.

Mezvinsky denied the claim that he was apologetic for inviting Parsi to the Middle East lecture series and said that not only has the claim harmed him professionally, but the entire issue has damaged an already shaky climate of diversity on campus.

“There is absolutely no basis for the accusations that I have made racial remarks. I’m not that dumb,” Shojai told the Senate in response.

According to Shojai, all of the various transcript translations referenced by Lovitt and Mezvinsky contained numerous holes in the

conversation, which take his comments out of context. Shojai expressed concern that some of his colleagues are ashamed of him as a result.

“But, when truth comes out, justice prevails,” Shojai said.

Professor Benjamin Sevitch was among the Senate meeting attendees who passionately voiced their opinion on this matter. Sevitch admonished Lovitt for brushing this and all of CCSU’s recent diversity issues under the First Amendment carpet, an act that Sevitch considers blatant hypocrisy.

“Provost Lovitt for shame,” said Sevitch. “You are part of a cover-up.”

Several others, however, agreed that Shojai did not act out of line and that the right to voice a different opinion is an integral part of maintaining an air of open academic debate.

Ice Hockey Funding Continued from page 1

been ongoing for more than a semester.

On two prior rejections of the Ice Hockey Club’s request for additional funds, the team began fundraising for additional cash needed for the trip which the team had failed to do during the earlier portions of the season.

But the fundraisers came too late with little money being brought in and the team having to pay most of the bill out of pocket.

“It hurts that they’re not supporting us, but we’re not going to let it get us down. We’re gong to nationals and we’re going to play hard,” said Ice Hockey Club President Joe Dabkowski. “They supported us all year so we can’t be angry.”

Opposition within the SGA countered that the Ice Hockey Club is already the most heavily-funded club, accounting for nearly 10 percent of the SGA’s budget.

The most vocal resistance came from SGA Senator Wesley Strong, who prepared the brief for the opposition. Strong cited the Club’s exclusive nature, the lack of proper procedure in requesting funds and that the Ice Hockey Club fails to resemble a club, acting more as a team.

“One point that I find particularly important when analyzing this argument is the point that the ‘club’ does not resemble a club, but rather a sports team,” said Strong in his brief.

“I would remind those that I, as well as others who agree with this position, do not want the club to fall apart, but rather transform into something that is more towards the direction that would represent a club.”

Currently the Club cannot be made into a team due to restrictions in Title IX. Title IX was passed in 1972 to create equal opportunities for women in academics and sports.

It was also noted that the Ice Hockey Club had failed to do enough fundraising earlier in the season to prepare for the possibility of a trip of this magnitude. It is a problem that many in SGA feel would be solved by eventually making the Ice Hockey Club a team sport under the Athletic Department.

“I personally believe it would be best for them to be a team. That way they can have the benefits and they can get the scholarships,” said SGA President Alex Estrom. “Their need is growing and growing and it’s really going to be best for them to be a team.”

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

and have held approximately 100 workshops.

At the performance last Tuesday night, they took on the roles of three strong, intelligent and influential women who have left their inspiring legacies behind: Aphra Behn, Julia Child and Eva La Gallienne.

Behn holds the title of the very first professional female author who became an English spy and even wrote several plays. Child was a legendary French cook who accomplished a great deal in the world of cooking, including the publication Mastering the Art of French Cooking.

As one of the most involved women in American theatre, La Gallienne was an actress, director, producer, teacher, memoirist and even a translator over several decades. In 1926, she opened the Civic Repertory Theatre, called so because of her yearning to make a change to theatre during that time.

During the performance, three hilarious, energetic women randomly broke out into something they called “spontaneous street theatre,” which allowed the women to let frustrations out about various political issues that irked them.

The women expressed their immense concern for gender discrimination.

“Sexism is everywhere. Every month there is discrimination. We are a touring theatre that fights discrimination,” they said.

One portion of the Guerilla Girls performance was directed toward a more serious issue that left out humor completely. The Guerilla Girls created posters to show a concern for the discrimination of women, specifically rape victims.

The posters depicted images of women age seven and older who were going about their daily lives and do-

ing normal woman things, while a headline stated boldy on the poster, “This is not an invitation to rape me.”

Along with emotional approaches, the Guerilla Girls also created humorous political posters mocking supposed anti-feminist politicians such as Rudy Giuliani, George W. Bush and Arnold Schwarzenegger. On these posters were phrases such as “Welcome to My New York,” directed toward Rudy Giuliani, and “If You Can’t Pronounce it, don’t Bomb it,” directed toward President Bush.

The 2008 presidential election is an especially active time for such dedicated feminist political activists as the Guerilla Girls. They set aside a portion of their performance, called “It’s about time,” to reflect on the opportunity of America having a wom-

an president. They also honored women in office, including female Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.

Although the Guerilla Girls are feminists, they made it clear during their performance that they don’t have a problem with the male gender.

“We love men; some of us are married to men. Some of our best friends are even men and they are married to men,” they said.

4 THE RECORDER Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Editorial

Editorial/Opinion

The Recorder isn’t sure if you’re aware of this, but America is in the middle of the process by which we will choose the next President of the United States. We didn’t want you to miss it; as we heard somewhere that it’s pretty important. In fact, it must be so important that it relegates all other news to the status of, well, non-news.

It is our job to stay abreast of the news so we can try to bring issues to the attention of others. There’s no doubt that primary season is important, and it can even be exciting—to a point. But trying to keep up with all the primary news has jaded us, and wecan now honestly say that 90 percent of all the coverage is nothing but a load of inconsequential excess.

At this point in the primary season, we have one race still up in the air, which makes all the commentators on the news stations just giddy. It seems that they can’t talk about Clinton vs.

Obama enough, and the over-analysis is maddening. Every night

they go on and on about her new campaign ads and his eloquent speech in whatever state he happens to be in that day. Every couple of weeks or so, actual ballots are cast, mostly by people who haven’t heard one tenth of what the news media has been droning on endlessly about. At this point, the newspersons will usually discuss how surprised they are at the results and how all the polling they’ve been talking about for the last month didn’t seem to mean anything at all.

Meanwhile, there’s a war going on in Iraq, in case you forgot. The only way that ever gets discussed anymore is through the lens of how presidential candidates are going to deal with it if they get elected. Bush is still around too, although you would hardly know it by watching political media. At this point, he only seems to be good for shaking the hands of sports teams and vetoing a bill every now and again. And who knows what other stories are getting lost in the media’s overkill coverage of the election?

Stories like the civil wars in Africa and an escalating conflict between Venezuela and Columbia are buried under coverage of which candidate Hulk Hogan is endorsing.

The media’s job is to inform the public about things they need to know. It is incredibly important that citizens know where each candidate stands on issues before they cast their votes, but both the amount of coverage afforded to this election cycle and the kind of coverage are obscene and irresponsible. Stories like that of Hillary Clinton mocking Obama’s speaking style and his retort are not important when compared to more pressing world issues. Moreover, they are aimed solely at a concentrated base that has a seemingly insatiable appetite for anything and everything related to the upcoming election. While this goes on, the majority of the public is trying to pay attention while growing more and more tired of all the hype.

Letter to the Editor Dear ccsurecorder@gmail.com,

In your article”Europeans Provide Insight to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”Bruno Ficili and Dr.Wolfgang Vorwerk are Right about The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict,The U.S.Cannot Shoulder the Blame going it alone,but That Countries from NATO including Sweden,Denmark,The Netherlands,Germany, France,Canada and Great Britain with help

coming From Egypt,Jordan and Should they Participate LEbanon and Syria should all be involved in The Peace Process that would not only end The Violence There,But lead to The recognition of the Two States of Israel and Palestine sitting Side by Side,Neighbor to Neighbor at The Table of Brotherhood.

John Huerta Warren, Arkansas 71671

Anonymous

vs.

Church of Scientology Joe Zajac Staff Writer

Voter Insignificance Leads to Suburban Mayhem Dan Ivers Opinion Editor The Environmental Liberation Front, a radical environmental group that operates in the Pacific Northwest, recently set fire to three multimillion dollar unoccupied homes in a wealthy suburb outside Seattle. While this attack amounts to arson and, as some would say, domestic terror, I must say I harbor a slight sliver of sympathy for the group. Let me stress that this is very slight, and I by no means condone their destructive actions. While I can’t see myself perpetrating the same kind of crimes to get a message across, I can imagine where they might see its necessity.

It isn’t strange to hear someone say that they won’t vote because it doesn’t matter. In a country of over 350 million, one vote is but a blip on the overall zeitgeist. While the ideological differences between Republicans and Democrats may seem vast through the lens of the two-party system, to groups like ELF they may seem negligible, even barely existent. How do those with views that border on the extreme make their voices heard while living in a country with an ideology so different from their own?

Countless history lessons teach us the power of violent insurrection against tyrannical rule, with examples like our own American Revolution or the victory of the Third Estate in the French Revolution. They also teach us all to respect and value American democracy and present it as a panacea to any kind of violence against the status quo. In 1776, the United States had a population of 1.5 million people, and only white men were allowed to vote. It’s reasonable to say that one vote counted for a lot more then than it does now. One vote now

seems hopelessly impotent to many people, especially when the candidates available most often appear to be carbon copy Washington types with not much difference between them.

I do not believe that people like the Environmental Liberation Front are violent terrorists by nature, nor do I believe that the methods they have employed to get their message across are either effective or justifiable.

Unfortunately, they feel that the government does not represent them or their views, and this brings them to violence. This sentiment is shared by even those with views much more mainstream. Recently we’ve heard that the field of Republican presidential candidates has left certain Christian, social and fiscal conservatives feeling under-represented. And yet, most of those groups (and most environmentalists, for that matter) are content to simply moan and groan until the next election comes around.

The reality is that the country is moving in a more environmentally-friendly direction, albeit slowly. While it may not be as drastic as members of ELF might wish, they should be happy to have a real chance for hope that future generations may be more conscious of things like conservation of resources and alternatives to fossil fuels. But with acts of destruction like the ones carried out outside Seattle last week, they push their cause backward in the eyes of most Americans.

The feeling of impotence—that our votes are almost meaningless—is shared by nearly everyone in this country. Unfortunately, no one has invented a better system for us to make our voices heard in government. Trying to affect the direction of our civil discourse is an important and admirable duty, as long as the attempts are civil. ELF fails to understand that, and they will continue to be written off until they do.

She was a pretty young thing, no more than 18 years old when she first committed herself to Scientology. Her inviting smile and cheerful demeanor hid the uncertainty of a young woman looking for answers in life.

Undoubtedly swayed by the promises of “spiritual truth and freedom” made by the Church of Scientology, she eagerly leapt aboard.

Eighteen years later, indeed an entire lifetime, things suddenly came to a head. On November 18, 1995, after walking away from a minor car accident, she began behaving erratically and was subsequently taken to a hospital, where it was determined by doctors that psychological care was necessary. But her Scientologist beliefs prohibited her from engaging in any, fearing such care was “destructive” and “injurious,” according to their Web site.

Upon learning of this diagnosis, Church members whisked her away to Fort Harrison Hotel, where less than a month later she would die in squalid, deplorable conditions. Her name was Lisa McPherson, and she is emblematic of why Anonymous fights against the Church of Scientology.

The initial coroner’s report described her as “gaunt” and “dehydrated,” also noticing dark lesions surrounding the area north of her right wrist, surmised as being cockroach bites.

Detailed logs kept by her Scientologist overseers in the two weeks prior to her death described her behavior as thoroughly erratic and occasionally violent, actions symptomatic of a mentally ill person. But the quality of care she received during her rehabilitation, a persistent diet of “protein shakes [and] vitamins,” and the isolation that her cabana offered were not a suitable means of recovery. Yet this questionable method, known as “Introspective Rundown,” is just one part of the Church of Scientology’s official practices.

The worldwide protests that occurred on February 10 th were organized to coincide with Lisa’s birthday by the group Anonymous, a loosely knit confederation of Internet users united in their opposition to the methods and practices of the Church of Scientology. Few, if any members, are hackers as Mr. Ivers claimed in his opinion piece “Time for Scientology to be Treated Like Any Other Religion.” Shunning any manner of hierarchy, Anonymous instead

relies on its collective judgment. Actions undertaken by Anonymous are done under a veil of anonymity, which allows Anonymous to ward off the Scientology’s most potent weapon—litigation.

The spark was lit on January 16, 2008, when the Church of Scientology claimed copyright violation against YouTube upon the leakage of excerpts from a top secret indoctrination video featuring Tom Cruise. Anonymous saw in this action the trappings of Internet censorship and decided that, after a brief illegal distributed denial-of-service attack on Scientology Web sites, confronting the beast through legal means would be the most constructive course of action. What followed was organization and action generated at the grassroots level; a worldwide protest was organized—human rights organizations such as Amnesty International were petitioned, as well as Congressional representatives. Well over 9,000 protestors gathered at Scientology centers worldwide, making clear their message.

In no way is Anonymous protesting against the common adherents of Scientology or their beliefs, but rather the Church organization itself. On the Enturbulation.org Web site, one of many organization points for Anonymous, it is made clear that Anonymous believes in a “basic… right to a personal religious creed” and opposes the Church proper, described as being “harmful to society, and its members.” Scientology’s religious beliefs, ridiculous or not, are immaterial in Anonymous’ fight against the CoS. What Anonymous is protesting is much more than simply Internet censorship. The CoS’s masquerade as a religious organization while maintaining the auspices of a business is another source of contention. Running one’s religious organization deigned as one that allows individuals to attain “true spiritual release and freedom” is akin to a business abusing its awarded tax exempt status and makes a mockery of those religious organizations who, too, promote such ideas…for free.

Anonymous is protesting the bodies that lay in the Church’s wake; the indoctrination and threats; the harmful practices and harassment of critics through its “Fair Game” policy.

Anonymous finds beauty in truth and freedom and abhors fraud, delusion and defamation, ideas which the CoS traffic in.

5

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / OPINION

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Candidate Merchandise

In America, Everyone’s Up For Sale Marissa Blaszko Staff Writer A couple of decades from now, when we look back on the 2008 presidential election, it will be known for a couple of things. For one thing, ‘change’ seems to be playing an important role in almost all of the candidate’s campaigns—because although we have yet to find out whether or not anything will in fact change, it’s the unofficial buzzword of 2008. But 2008 has changed elections, a fact that will, more than likely, separate this November from all the ones that came before.

In a society that elects Austrian body builders into positions of power, last October’s “I’ve Got A Crush on Obama” video racking up over six million YouTube hits shouldn’t have surprised anybody—and it didn’t. Turns out ObamaGirl didn’t even vote for her man in the primaries. But ObamaGirl was just the first in a long string of independent advertising that has not only taken the election by storm but also changed the way a generation looks at politics.

Senatorobamas.com is a Web site that, like ObamaGirl, supports the Illinois senator by poking fun of him. For just $27.95, one can buy any one of the thirteen T-shirts featured on the site, all of which feature a picture of the senator’s face with a quick, ‘witty’ slogan underneath. One, with a picture of an ear-less Obama, says “Van Gobama”; another, with basically the same picture, says “Ghettobama.” In that one, the presidential candidate sports a baseball hat and “grillz.” Likewise, DIY-or-die.net sells everything from Obama necklaces to tote bags and earrings.

Already established clothing sites have found support in the growing number of young voters. Busted Tees have begun making Gore

2008 shirts; for anyone that remembers 2004’s VOTE OR DIE campaign, they’ve introduced a VOTE OR DON’T shirt. The always-funny T-shirt Hell has begun selling pro-Obama “Bros Before Hoes” shirts, as well as seemingly proClinton ones, featuring the Dems’ donkey and the phrase “Tits and Ass.” Unsurprisingly, it’s Senator Hillary Clinton who seems to be getting hit especially hard by not only the media but by the nation’s new political atmosphere. Chain store Spencer’s Gifts is still selling Hillary Nutcrackers, while Merch-bot.com is selling a Hillary toilet bowl for $19.95 and Hillary air fresheners for $2.95.

“Bitch is the new Black” shirts can be found all over the Internet.

But it’s not just the current crop of presidential contenders that’s taking considerable blows by the mass-marketing crossfire. After the 2003 CIA scandal, Bush’s ex-Deputy Chief of Staff, Karl Rove, can be found on Valentinesthemed thongs, wall clocks, baby bibs, “leakfree” diaries, teddy bears and (of course) T-shirts. His unofficial fan site, IloveKarlRove. com, has been posting regularly for the past couple of years. Conservative pundit Bill O’Reilly is facing an entire movement against himself, filled with protest dates, a small pile of books and coffee mugs that proclaim “Sweet Jesus, I Hate Bill O’Reilly.”

Whether or not the 2008 election will give the American people the regime change they want remains to be seen; but what is becoming apparent is the fact that democracy is now synonymous with not only capitalism but also with the consumer-culture that follows. Because in 21st Century politics, it’s no longer enough for politicians just to explain where they stand on an issue or buy a couple of commercial slots— they need to be able to sell, sell, sell.

Equal Contempt for Animal-Killers Dan Ivers Opinion Editor

This has been a rather trying year for athletes and their relations with animals. Of course, Michael Vick is sitting in a jail cell right now for numerous felonies pertaining to the dogfighting ring he was running. Baseball pitcher Pedro Martinez was embroiled in a small controversy after he was caught on video at a cockfight in the Dominican Republic. And just recently, pro golfer Tripp Isenhour has made the news for firing golf balls at, and killing, a federally protected species of hawk that was annoying him while he filmed an instructional video.

Unless you pay close attention to sports news, chances are you would have missed the latter two stories completely, as opposed to the Michael Vick case, which you would have had to be cryogenically frozen for the last year to have missed. Only animal rights activists and groups like the Humane Society have spoken out against Martinez or Isenhour, and neither the PGA Tour nor MLB have reprimanded them. Vick was suspended indefinitely from his former employer the NFL. Martinez earned a legal free pass because he was outside of the United States, in a country where cockfighting is fairly common (although not unheard of in America, as a recent Manchester bust has shown). Isenhour is facing misdemeanor charges that carry a maximum of 14 months in jail (which won’t happen) and a $1,500 fine (which might).

The reason most people haven’t heard about crimes like Isenhour’s isn’t because people are tired of sports scandals. Nor is it racial, as many people tried to make a case for during Vick’s trial, but aesthetic and sentimental.

People love dogs because they’re our pets and we can easily form emotional attachments to them. The same cannot be said of chickens or hawks. People called Michael Vick despicable and monstrous because it was hard to fathom how he could look into the eyes of a dog and still carry out acts of such cruelty upon them.

However, society or the media is not judging

those who practice similar cruelty to other animals so harshly, and this is unfair.

Vick’s actions were contemptible, but not too much more so than Isenhour’s. He reportedly took great pleasure as his golf shots zoomed closer and closer to the bird he eventually killed.

Keep in mind that this was for the sake of an instructional golf video by someone who even golf fans had probably never heard of before this incident. He has apologized for killing it, saying that it was accidental and was “mortified and extremely upset.” This apology is pretty suspicious, considering the eyewitness accounts that say he was aiming for the bird and fired multiple shots before hitting it. A similar half-hearted apology came from Vick after his initial indictment, which he was crucified in the media for, and rightfully so. What’s not right is that Isenhour slips through the cracks because almost nobody cares about a bird.

Isenhour added in his apology that his family owns three cats, which they adopted from an animal shelter. He characterized himself as an “animal lover” in almost the same breath. Owning three cats does not make someone an animal lover; it makes them a pet lover.

Sadly, this guy has no respect for any form of life that doesn’t purr and rub up against his leg seeking affection. Even more sadly, that appears to be the case for a lot of people in this country.

Chickens and hawks can’t fetch your slippers for you or roll over when you tell them to, but this doesn’t mean that they don’t deserve our respect. When we kill these animals for money or pleasure, we overstep our bounds.

Actions like Vick’s and Isenhour’s border on the sadistic and psychopathic, and they should be treated as equally deplorable. People often wonder why rich and attractive murder victims like Natalee Holloway or Laci Peterson get so much attention and sympathy. The reason is right there: people are more compelled by crimes against things they find cute or attractive, and clearly this applies equally to animals.

Tripp Isenhour should not get away without getting similar treatment from society as Michael Vick received.

Ice Hockey Deserves Support Regardless of Unofficial Status Kyle Dorau Staff Writer The CCSU Hockey Club recently qualified for Nationals, one of just 16 teams in all of Division II ACHA Club Hockey to do so. It’s the program’s first trip in five years, as well as the first under current Head Coach Jim Mallia.

The team has seen its share of bad calls this season, but some members of the CCSU Student Government Association made one worse than any referee or linesman ever could.

The SGA’s Mission Statement says their purpose is to “promote the enhancement of the University experience for all.” Those values are simply not being met by a few senators who are proving to be just as enamored with red tape as their Washington, D.C. counterparts.

The problem is, while some senators fight for the team, others resisted even hearing them out. In what was posted as an emergency meeting last Friday, not enough senators even showed up to vote, which is just another roadblock on the team’s route to a potential national title in Florida.

In an interview earlier this season, Coach Mallia commented on the financial situation,

showing respect for the SGA and their previous aid. “With success comes more financial needs,” he said. “The student government has supported us immensely this year and in the past.”

Recently, he spoke with an increased sense of urgency as the trip grew closer. “The financial situation is tough,” said Mallia. “We’ve got to bear down. Yeah, obviously when you’re trying to raise some money, it does wear on the team, but as I told them, we’re going to figure out a way to get out there.”

Freshman defenseman Adam Goldstein put it this way: “I cannot imagine that this university would not want to help a club representing its name, very proudly, at a national event that will attract thousands of spectators, and undoubtedly bring nationwide notoriety to our university.”

The University of Connecticut Club Hockey team qualified for the same National Tournament after a string of upsets. Despite having a lower seed than CCSU and a far less established program, their governing body footed the bill.

Central’s team was able to raise over $800 with a public skate fundraiser this past weekend, but that will not lower the cost per player

significantly. Originally, the team started the year with $29,000. Later on, they applied for contingency funding, and received $6,000 more. “It’s an ongoing battle. We went in and asked for money for nationals, and they decided not to give us any money,” said team President Joe Dabkowski in a phone interview. “We had a couple senators who were fighting for us, and they tried to bring it back up, but that vote got turned down.”

The team had a petition drawn up urging the student government to reconsider their decision and filled it with signatures in support of their cause. When the team presented it, they were denied again. “A lot of our players were hurt by this,” said Dabkowski. “We were trying to do the right thing, trying to take every form of action we can and doing it the right way.”

Student Government Association President Alexander Estrom echoed Dabkowski’s sentiment. “I commend them for doing everything they can to go about this the right way and dealing with our democratic system.” But he stresses that it all comes down to the fundamental question, what exactly is CCSU Hockey?

While some senators are resisting giving hockey any further aid, others are supportive.

Going to the top of the organization, Estrom knows just how complicated this issue is. One can point out the new financial bylaws and jealousy of other clubs as issues, but Estrom believes that it all boils down to one question. “Is the Ice Hockey Club a club or a team?” It’s much more involved than that, because to be a team it would have to be affiliated with the Athletic Department, which would bring Title IX into the equation as well.

The SGA still had a chance to help the team fund their trip to Nationals. They could have allocated them money from the co-sponsorship fund. Members of the team were present for the critical vote, but unfortunately lost out 9-8.

These guys have an opportunity to proudly represent CCSU on a national stage. The program is not affiliated with the Athletic Department. There are no scholarships. The coaching staff sells these kids on the program’s reputation, but more importantly, Central Connecticut State University itself. Hopefully someday the SGA returns the favor by selling itself on this team.

Sports

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Tesseyman Leads Blue Devils to Second Straight Win CCSUBlueDevils.com Central Connecticut overcame a two-run deficit and senior right John Tesseyman picked up his first win of the season as the Blue Devils topped Navy 5-3 on Sunday afternoon. The win is the second straight for Central Connecticut (2-5). Junior catcher Sean Parker had a pair of RBIs in a four-run fourth inning for the visitors.

Navy took a 2-0 lead with single runs in the first and third innings off of Tesseyman. Trailing 2-0 in the top of the fourth inning the Blue Devils used four runs in the inning to take a 4-2 lead. Freshman Pat Epps doubled with one out and scored on a single to left field by sophomore Kyle Zarotney.

Following a fielder’s choice by Tommy Meade, senior Garrett Walker singled through the right side to put runners on first and second with two outs. Junior catcher Sean Parker doubled to right center scoring both runners and freshman Sean Miller-Jones singled to right scoring Parker, the fourth run of the inning for CCSU. The Blue Devils threatened with runners at first and third and one out in the top of the eighth inning.

Following a fielder’s choice in which

the runner was thrown out at the plate, Walker singled to right field to score the fifth run of the game for CCSU, giving the visitors the 5-2 edge.

Following the second Navy run of the game in the third inning, Tesseyman retired 16 straight batters including the side in order in the fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh innings. With two outs in the eighth inning he allowed his first baserunner, on a single, since the third inning. He let up two straight hits but recovered to retire the final batter of the inning and hold the Midshipmen scoreless.

Tesseyman allowed a solo home run in the ninth inning but still managed to pick up his first win of the season. He finished the complete game allowing just seven hits and three earned runs while striking out six. He walked just one in the game.

Parker led the offense with a pair of runs batted in and two hits.

Miller-Jones also had two hits and drove in one.

Central Connecticut is scheduled to return to action with a single nine-inning game at Hartford on Wednesday. The game that was postponed last week between CCSU and Hartford will be played on May 6.

Photo by Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Blue Devils Head to Nationals Kyle Dorau Staff Writer The Central Connecticut State University Ice Hockey team is in Fort Myers, Florida through March 16 as they represent the school at the ACHA Division II National Tournament. Central looks to win their first game at Nationals since 2000.

Their quest for a national championship begins at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, March 12 as they face the 18-9-4 University of Indiana.

CCSU Head Coach Jim Mallia knows that in order to be successful in that game, they must stop the Hoosiers’

Dan Karlander, who averages nearly two points per game.

“He carries the show for them,” said Mallia. “We know what to do, we know we need to mark that one center.”

The Blue Devils will then face the 17-16 University of Michigan.

Like Central, the Wolverines are heading to Nationals after a disappointing performance in their league playoffs. The puck drops at 6:15 p.m. on Thursday March 13.

“One thing we don’t have going for us is experience, but we’ve got some heart and we’ve got depth,” said Mallia.

That depth will be needed as they take on the National Champions

from five years ago: the 27-4-3 University of Colorado. The Buffaloes play a very physical style, proven by their penalty minutes, in excess of 900 as a team.

“We’re up for the challenge,” Mallia said enthusiastically. “We’ve had a great week of practice, real intense. A lot of hitting, a lot of aggression.” That game takes place on Friday March 14 at 4 p.m.

“We like our bracket. We like the three teams we’re playing—deep down we all believe we can make it to Saturday’s semifinals,” said Mallia confidently.

The tournament will be webcast on livesportsvideo.com for a small fee.

ACHA National Tournament Schedule March 12-16 ACHA National Tournament (Fort Myers, Florida) Date

Pool

Opponent

Time

3-12

Pool D

#2 CCSU vs. #3 Indiana

10:00 a.m.

3-13

Pool D

#2 CCSU vs. #4 Michigan

6:15 p.m.

3-14

Pool D

#1 Colorado vs. #2 CCSU

2:00 p.m.

3-15

Semi - Final

Pool B Winner vs. Pool D Winner

8:30 a.m.

3-15

Final

Pool A/C Winner vs.

Pool B/D Winner

8:30 p.m.

Photo by Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / SPORTS

Devils Have an Eye on Playoffs

Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Peter Collin Staff Writer The CCSU softball team will have a lot of new blood on the roster this season, as they are looking for major contributions from ten freshmen additions to the team. The key for the Blue Devils this season, though, will lie with their pitching staff.

The Blue Devils will be returning their big three from last season’s rotation. Senior Samantha Keltos returns, along with juniors Rachel Brenneman and Brittany Salvatore to form the top of the Blue Devil rotation. The three combined to start 41 of Central’s 43 games, going 18-24 in the process.

While the Blue Devils will bring back most of their pitching staff, it is their offense that was hit hardest by senior departures. Most importantly,

they lost their top two power sources in the lineup: Pam Shifrin and Alison Rossi. The two combined to hit 15 of the team’s 22 homeruns while compiling 52-combined RBIs. Returning for the Blue Devils is senior centerfielder Karen Costes, who led Central in both runs (25) and hits (45) all while playing flawless defense and hitting a solid .300.

Utility player Sara Budrick will have to step up in the middle of the order by improving on her four homeruns during the 2007 campaign. Along with Budrick, fellow sophomore Jaclyn Logan will be looked at to step up production.

The Blue Devils have been picked to finish sixth in the Preseason Coach’s Poll. They have never finished higher than fifth in the NEC and will be looking to make their first playoff appearance.

Head Coach Mandy Roczniak will be returning for her eighth sea-

son at CCSU. Roczniak has led the Blue Devils to at least 10 wins in five of her seven previous years as head coach, including 18 wins last season, the most for Central since 1994.

The Blue Devils fell in their season opener to Canisius 5-4. All of the Blue Devil runs were scored in the fifth inning, when Logan launched a grand slam to give Central a 4-3 advantage, but the bullpen was unable to hold the slim lead, and Keltos picked up the loss after surrendering two runs, one earned.

Rain troubled the Blue Devils all weekend, postponing their second game against the UMBC Retrievers in the middle of the third inning with Central trailing 6-3.

Central will be on the road until late March when they play six games in five days, starting with a doubleheader against Boston College at a location that has yet to be determined.

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8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / SPORTS

Sacred Heart Dominates, Ends Central’s Season Reigning NEC Champs Knocked out in First Round to Rival Pioneers Jen Burns Staff Writer

Blue Devils Sacred Heart

71 84

FAIRFIELD--In a rematch of last Sunday’s game, Sacred Heart University shut down the Blue Devils in an 84-71 victory on Thursday night. The Pioneers dominated the game, getting off to a quick start by taking the lead one minute into the first half, never allowing Central to regain the lead.

The Pioneers displayed a great deal of intensity hounding the Blue Devils on every possession.

“Some of our guys had a bit of a deer-in-the-headlights look on their faces like they didn’t know what they were getting into; tournament time is a whole lot different,” Coach Howie Dickenman said.

Sacred Heart shut down senior Tristan Blackwood from the start of the game, something they did not successfully do in their last meeting. Blackwood dominated the previous game scoring a seasonhigh of 32 points.

“He had his way with us; we wanted to disturb him a little,” Sacred Heart Coach Dave Bike said.

This time Sacred Heart came prepared to stop Blackwood. “We came up with a plan to try to contest all his shots,” Sacred Heart player Drew Shubik said.

The Blue Devils outscored the Pioneers Sunday on the road 100-84 but just could not produce the numbers needed for the win.

Lack of effort was not the case in Thursday’s game.

“At the end of forty minutes I want you to be exhausted; if you are, then you did the best you could,” Coach Howie Dickenman told his players. “They gave everything they had, it just wasn’t our night.”

In the first half Blackwood was quiet, missing four field goal attempts and two three-point opportunities. In the second half, Blackwood shot 2-6 from the field, with both baskets coming from behind the arc. He did manage to make 9-10 free throws, giving him 15 points in his final appearance in a Blue Devils jersey.

“I really don’t want to see the career of Tristan Blackwood finished at Central Connecticut, one of the great ones ever to wear a Central Connecticut uniform,” Coach Dickenman said.

Freshman Aaron Hall had 13 points with three assists, sophomore Joe Seymore went 4-4 at the line with 12 points on the night and Ken Horton finished with 11 points.

CCSU outscored Sacred Heart in the second half 47-45, but the early lead by the Pioneers who led by as

many as 21 points, proved to be too much for the Blue Devils.

“We established the game early,” Sacred Heart Coach Dave Bike said.

With Drew Shubik’s threepoint shot within the first minute of the game, Sacred Heart gained momentum, setting the tone for the game. Sacred Heart built a 12-point lead over the Blue Devils with just fewer than seven minutes to go in the first half.

A jump shot by Brice Brooks, two three-pointers and a lay-up from Corey Hassan sent the Pioneers into the locker room at the half with a strong 15-point lead.

At halftime, Central was 11-30 in field goal attempts making 2-7 three point shots and Sacred Heart was 16-35 from the field and 53.8 percent in three-point attempts.

Sacred Heart dominated the inside game, out rebounding the Blue Devils 21-17 in the first half while forcing four turnovers.

“They executed their offense very well,” Seymore said.

Brooks led the Pioneers in the second half scoring ten points within the first six minutes of play. The Blue Devils turned the ball over four times giving Sacred Heart additional opportunities to score.

The Pioneers shot 10-10 in free throws and went 45.5 percent on the night in three-pointers.

The leading scorers for the Pioneers were Brooks with 22 points, Corey Hassan with 18 points, 12 of which came from three-point range, and Drew Shubik scored 15 points with five threepoint field goals. Chauncey Hardy added 12 points to the mix.

After dropping the Championship game of the NEC tournament to the Blue Devils last year, the Pioneers are one of four teams left in the hunt for the title.

The Pioneers will face off against Wagner in the semi-finals on Sunday.

Central ends their season 14-16 and bid farewell to senior guards Dannie Powell and Tristan Blackwood, who was named the NEC defensive player of the year for the second straight season.

“Our goal was to win a championship, and it didn’t happen. It’s tough,” Blackwood said.

Central has a young and talented core of players, who have gained very important post-season experience that will serve them well down the road. With key freshmen Shemik Thompson and Horton each being named NEC conference rookie of the week three times, the future looks bright. While Thompson’s injury keeps him out of post-season play, the NEC rookie of the year will have a lot to look forward in the seasons to come.

Top: Junior Forward Marcus Palmer fends off a Sacred Heart player last Thursday night. CCSU ended the season at 14-16.

Above: Tristan Blackwood drives up the court in his final game wearing a Blue Devils uniform. He scored 15 points in the season-ending loss.

Left: Freshman forward Ken Horton looks to make an outlet pass to teammate Joe Seymore.

Photos by Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Overall Record

Overall

Home

Away

All Games

14-16

8-6

6-10

Conference

10-8

5-4

5-4

Non - Conference

4-8

3-2

1-6

The Who, What, Where and When on

Why?

ALSO INSIDE: Music Reviews - Page 10

- Page 16

Penelope Review - Page 11

10 THE RECORDER Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Entertainment

Los Angeles’ legendary electronic duo have come out with their fourth full-length album release, Drive. At first listen, the album is a spot-on reproduction of The Crystal Method’s sound, but one thing was interesting about it.

It seemed to have a bit of patterned continuity throughout the whole album. Come to find out, TCM worked with Nike in order to make the perfect album to listen to while running. A program called “Original Run” was partnered with Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland to take old and new tracks, remix them and make the album.

Drive certainly has the energy to listen to while running, and surprisingly enough, it seems almost entrancing. Listening to the album, one can envision themselves on a jog, which furthers the importance and purpose of the tracks. It may not be considered a breakthrough, but it sounds like it would work well.

An interesting track that will catch the listener’s ear before they hear the whole album is the remix of The Doors’ “Roadhouse Blues.” It is a very good remix that still respects the original song while putting on the familiar style that TCM brings to the table.

The best track on the album is by far “Brand New Kicks.” The guitar riff that is repeated throughout the song is extremely catchy, and this is the fun area of the album, where the workout starts to hit its peak.

There are also two different versions of the song “It Hertz,” both of which are very similar and different at the same time. The second version is a part of the additional four tracks that come with the CD when purchased. They include four remixes of this and other tracks on the album.

I am not convinced that this is their best album, as Vegas and Legion of Boom may be a half-step above the pack, but Drive is a very interesting concept album that every electronic fan or determined jogger should pick up. I am warming up to the album the more that I play it, and this will definitely be one to add to the collection.

Christopher Boulay / Business Manager

Does it Offend You, Yeah?

You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into

Del Tha Funkee Homosapian Eleventh Hour

Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig

The Crystal Method Drive: Nike + Original Run

When I saw that Del tha Funkee Homosapian was releasing a new record, I got excited to a level that hasn’t been reached in months. Del was one of the artists that introduced me to the world of hip-hop, with albums like Deltron 3030 and No Need For Alarm back a few years ago. Del’s style has a sound of its own and might seem familiar to those of you who remember the Gorillaz’ hit “Clint Eastwood,” due to his involvement in early Gorillaz tracks.

Eleventh Hour picks up where Del left off almost eight years ago when he released Both Sides of the Brain to an inception that was small compared to the success of his 2000 album, Deltron 3030. After the time off, Del comes back in full force and manages to hit just as hard as he has on prior albums.

Even though Del has signed with underground hip-hop label Definitive Jux, it doesn’t appear to have changed his style or sound at all, leaving the album pure and exactly what one would think of when anticipating a Del tha Funkee Homosapian album. For those of you might not be familiar with who Del is and what he sounds like, think of a lyricist and rhymeslinger like MF Doom and mix that with the sound that made Jurassic 5 popular almost six years ago with Quality Control.

While this album is sure to get a little bit of press from the mainstream media, most commercial rap radio stations won’t be touching this album, so it is up to you, the listener, to go search this one out; whether online or in your local record store, give it a spin. Those of you who love anything underground will be all over this album as soon as you can and ride it out until the newest thing drops, like Atmosphere or Cage later on in the year.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Every week I have managed to get my hands on something new, and this might be one of the few times where my over-the-top music downloading came back to bite me in the ass. Does It Offend You, Yeah? not only has an awful band name, to start things off with; they also make music that is similar to great acts like Daft Punk and Justice but can’t manage to keep their sound up to that high of a standard.

You Have No Idea What You’re Getting Yourself Into gives the listener all the parts necessary to make an amazing album but forgot to read the instructions when producing it, leaving a scrambled mess with a few good parts but a pile of garbage for the rest.

Lead singer Morgan Quaintance’s vocals are bordering on the bland side of dance music, leaving the usual chaos for a more elementary garage-rock band feel. In other circumstances his vocals would be very good, but they don’t fit in with his synth-heavy swirls and splashy cymbals backing from Dan Coop and Rob Bloomfield, respectively. There are certain tracks, like the album’s first song “Battle Royale,” named after the cult-classic Japanese horror flick, that keep me interested with heavy drum beats and spacey synthesizer lines, bringing to mind the aforementioned Daft Punk; but sadly they just aren’t refined enough to put up a real fight against the dance-rock veterans.

The songs that really bring down this album are the ones that rely heavily on Quaintance’s vocals, like “Dawn of the Dead,” which strips away the band’s dance feel and morphs them into a run-of-the-mill British garage-rock band without the outstanding characteristics that make them a decent listen earlier on in the album.

If you somehow like to mix your dance music with sub-par pop-rock vocals, then Does it Offend You, Yeah? will be right up your alley.

For me it remains offensive, as it should with any taste in music.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Now in its twenty-fourth year, Nick Cave’s spiritual rehabilitation and solo meandering is still possessed of the same fire that drove his previous thirteen musical reflections. Yet, gone is the painful soul-searching that obsessed mid-‘80s Cave, or the romantic complacency that marked his mid-‘90s albums. Instead, it is replaced by the musings of an elder statesman figure, a skin, which the brooding Cave seems accustomed to donning.

Dig, Lazarus, Dig! is Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds’ fourteenth studio offering, cut from a different cloth than his recent opus of Abattoir Blues/Lyre of Orpheus and earlier No More Shall We Part, both of which saw Cave treading unfamiliar, positive territory. This album indeed represents a stark counterpoint to AB/LoO’s joyous celebration of the human experience and NMSWP’s ode to the fragility of true beauty.

Cave seems content to sing his odes to the rustic charms and banal concerns of the everyman, who the flailing of modern thought have not yet touched. The recurring themes of sexuality, religion and remorse litter his meditations here, coming as little surprise to dedicated Cave fans. But where AB/LoO made peace with the bittersweet conclusions reached, Dig, Lazarus, Dig! ends on a meandering, uncertain note with “More News from Nowhere,” a winding and unsatisfying jaunt ultimately leading nowhere.

Mid-tempo rockers like “We Call Upon the Author” and “Today’s Lesson” never properly take off, both seemingly tacked on as an afterthought. They do, however, highlight the newfound prominence of the organ in Cave’s effort, which invokes an Animals vibe.

Luckily, Cave’s detour toward Arlo Guthrie territory is mercifully short. The playful, yet impulsive “Lie Down Here” and title

track are adorned with the residue of last year’s Grinderman side project. The moody, subdued “Hold Onto Yourself ” is more at home on Abattoir Blues, yet the reminder is not unwelcome here. The swaggering, hip “Midnight Man” is drenched in organ and occasional licks of stinging guitar and ranks as one of Cave’s catchiest rocking songs.

Certainly a solid album overall, yet doubtful to appeal to the unconverted. However, that’s not to say that the wagging of Cave’s honey tongue has lost its sweetness just yet.

Joe Zajac / Staff Writer In their first album since 2002’s Title TK, The Breeders—whose lead singer is former Pixies’ member Kim Deal—have an interesting innovative sound, with very simplistic and modern music.

Mountain Battles brings forth a sound that can be compared to their last release, except the voices are not pronounced as clearly, instead producing an older tape-recorded sound.

The album doesn’t start to get very intricate with its repeated, simplistically slow sounds for the first seven tracks. It leads listeners to believe that the album is somewhat boring at first, until the eighth track “Walk It Off ”, where The Breeders exhibit a more upbeat “post-punk” sound, and a catchy melody.

Possibly the most interesting track on this album is “Regalame Esta Noche,” recorded in Spanish as a romantic bolero- style ballad, considering it is a completely uncommon sound for The Breeders. They bring in a breath of fresh air for the album.

The better tracks, “No Way” and “It’s The Love,” with an ‘80s rock feel of raw guitars, the drums and vocals create a catchy, fun and nostalgic atmosphere.

Overall, the album is not The Breeders’ best effort, but comes off as a more acquired taste for fans of their particular sound, and may not be for the crowd who remembers the more fun upbeat sounds of The Pixies.

Eunice Rivera / Staff Writer

The Breeders Mountain Battles

Usually, a successful post-hardcore band cannot be comprised of less than four everyday members; Washington-state’s Idiot Pilot proves us wrong with only two permanent members and having the rest of the spots filed by guests. In the case of their newest album Wolves, those spots are taken by Travis Barker of nowdefunct Blink 182 and Chris Pennie of Coheed and Cambria and formally of Dillinger Escape Plan. Though they might not be a typical setup, Idiot Pilot can churn out some great tunes in a genre that is clouded with more garbage than New Jersey.

This album, which was actually released back in October, though it hasn’t come my way until recently so I still consider it new, starts of driving towards an electronic-heavy beginning with the track “Last Chance.” This song brings to mind some of the soft synthesizers that became overly popular on The Postal Service’s one and only album Get Up due to its slow, patterned drumming and unassuming background keyboard lines. The album’s obvious single would have to be “Retina in the Sky,” due to its heavy guitar riff opening which is followed quickly the taps of piano keys and is all brought together by Michael Harris and Daniel Anderson’s vocals. Subsequently, this track is also featured on the soundtrack of this summer’s hit movie Transformers, which is why it seemed really familiar when listening to Wolves.

While most the album stays pretty true to Idiot Pilot’s post-hardcore sound, the record’s fifth track, “Good Luck” starts off harder than anything else on the album and gives a glimpse into how close to metal and hardcore these guys could get with the help of Chris Pennie behind the drum set. Sadly, a glimpse is all you get as the track returns to its normal electronic-rock safe zone. While I don’t expect Idiot Pilot to change their sound frequently, a little bit of contrast could only make this album better.

Though Wolves is the band’s second fulllength release, the band still has a lot of im-

Idiot Pilot Wolves

provement in front of them if they plan on making it to the big time and separating themselves from everyone else making similar music. To that, I wish them good luck.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks Real Emotional Trash

Stephen Malkmus’ post-Pavement solo career has been varied from the freak-folksy Face the Truth to the more drawn-out, guitar-focused Pig Lib. To even call Malkmus’ output ‘solo’ is to underestimate it, as a backing band is needed to fill the vast and varied creative expanses he produces. That band is the Jicks (which now includes ex-Sleater Kinney drummer Janet Weiss), and they have never made themselves so noticed as they do on Real Emotional Trash.

This is definitely a band record and may help Malkmus cross over to more jam-friendly festival audiences. The offbeat, sometimes playful poetry is still there for the indie-wise acres (snarky lines like “Who was it that said the world is my oyster / I feel like a nympho stuck in a cloister,” peppered throughout), but the real focus of the album is the extended jagged-jam passages.

The crunching and grinding opener, “Dragonfly Pie,” switches quickly to bouncy xylophone notes backing Malkmus’ delivery of the chorus before launching into a three-minute sludgy sojourn that could make bong water bubble from across the room. Nearly every song crosses the five-minute mark, and only “Gardenia” seems like it could’ve gone on any other Malkmus or late Pavement album. The title track gracefully approaches ten minutes with its two major movements splitting it in half, as it’s just one of a handful of songs that would make Geddy Lee proud.

This album is the best solo effort Malkmus has released yet and the most musically engaging since Pavement’s “Wowee Zowee” in the mid-90s. Rather than revel in the postmodern poetry and indie fuzz, he and the Jicks crank it up to 11 and don’t shy away from the whammy bar. While it’s a little front-loaded, the number of times they get you past five or six minutes without a hint of impatience is an accomplishment in itself. It may piss off a few hippie-hating indie kids, but variance and experimentation are what Malkmus is all about, and indie wouldn’t be what it is without him.

Dan Ivers / Opinion Editor

Whiskeytown Strangers Almanac: Deluxe Edition

Some might call having to play country music after being in a punk rock band a form of punishment. “Well I started this damn country band / ‘cause punk rock is too hard to sing,” sang then 22-year-old Ryan Adams of his band Whiskeytown. That may sound like a copout, but mixing the two genres together turned out to be a beautiful marriage, creating a completely different animal.

Strangers Almanac was Whiskeytown’s major label debut in 1997, and it cemented the band at the forefront of the alt. country movement just before they burned out abruptly in 1999. There is the obnoxiously honky-tonk “Excuse Me While I Break My Own Heart Tonight” that sounds like a townie favorite, followed by the grungier, ‘90s rock-esque “Yesterday’s News.” Bandmate Caitlin Cary’s fiddle playing and rootsy vocals harmonize well with Adams, especially on the open road rocker “16 Days.”

This reissue serves as a good introduction to a band that has mostly flown under the radar, but the real grab is the additional 26 tracks of leftovers, covers and alternate versions that give you a sense of how prolific Whiskeytown was in such a short period of time. There’s a cover of Johnny’s Cash’s “I Still Miss Someone,” along with Barn’s on Fire Sessions, a series of songs that bootleggers can now have in good quality.

If you ever wondered what Ryan Adams sounded like before he went solo, or just want music to accompany some hard drinking, Strangers Almanac does the job.

Justin Kloczko / Editor-in-Chief

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

11

Nintendo Doesn’t Disappoint with Smash Hit Mark Rowan More Like a Six-Foot Turkey Unless you’re the type of person who claims the Nintendo Wii is for “kiddies” and believes the best game ever is Halo then you’ve probably heard of a little video game series called Super Smash Bros. Well, part three was released Sunday at midnight and seven years of waiting did not bring along many disappointments.

In 1999, Nintendo took a handful of their franchises and tossed them into one battle arena. Characters from Super Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, Star Fox and Metroid – to name a few – were brought together for the first time in the form of a fighting game. The concept is something you’ve probably joked about as kids – “Who would win in a fight Link or Mario!?” – but Nintendo made it happen. The third installment, Super Smash Bros. Brawl, delivers more characters, more levels, more unlockables, online play and a way better story mode then its predecessors.

I picked up my copy of Super Smash Bros.

Brawl with a different kind of reservation though – the worried kind. To be honest, I was never really a fan of the original or Melee and after I put my money down for the game a month ago I wondered why I just spent $49.99.

As I write this it has been exactly 24 hours since I’ve had the game in my possession and the number of hours I’ve spent playing it does not compare to the number of hours I spent sleeping. It’s about a 10-to-4 ratio.

To those people who haven’t been fans previously and are hearing the hype wondering what’s going on – let me explain. Online play makes this game worth buying. I know I took a jab at Halo earlier, but can you imagine that game without online play? It would hardly be worth your time. Unfortunately, Nintendo has been so far behind the times that Smash Bros. players are just getting that option now.

The online play is far from flawless, however. The awful creation known as Friend Codes still plagues a potentially smooth way to battle friends. You can play random strangers though and that makes it slightly easier if you aren’t looking to play people you know.

Don’t try to talk to them though – you can’t. Super Smash Bros. Brawl lacks any form of communication between players. So when you join a fight you have no clue if your friend has had enough or is in the bathroom. I can’t hate on Nintendo too much because I understand a lot of kids will be playing this game. I’ve watched my drunken friends play Halo too many times to know that if the game was microphone compatible some interesting conversations would be coming out of people’s living room televisions.

Nintendo could have fixed this issue if they wanted to though. Getting and then adding your friend’s unique code is enough of a barrier to prevent uncomfortable conversation between players. I don’t see much harm being done in that case.

Penelope’s PG Mediocrity Stephanie Bergeron Photo Editor For a movie with such a terrific cast and so much potential, I was left feeling a huge void walking out of the theatre—not to mention being quite disappointed.

Penelope is about a young heiress named Penelope, played by the talented Christina Ricci, who is born into a family curse that causes her to be born with a pig nose and ears. The only way the spell can be undone is if one of her own kind—a blue blood— is willing to accept her the way she is.

Her mother, played by Catherine O’Hara (Lydia’s mom in Beetle Juice), constantly invites young blue bloods over to court her daughter, but the majority end up jumping out the window after seeing her face.

The cast is extremely talented and hilarious, especially Peter Dinklage, who is better known for his role in Elf as Miles Finch. Dinklage, bearing a black eye patch, plays a reporter who “gave his right eye” for Penelope’s story. O’Hara proves, once again, that she is one of the best, and also craziest, comedic actresses in Hollywood. Reese Witherspoon, compared to her typical blonde, innocent, sometimes even dumb characters, plays a more refreshing role.

Witherspoon plays a tough chick with rock star quality hair, delivering sassy lines aimed at a more mature audience.

The colors in the film are extraordinary, with vivid, quirky and dreamlike qualities like that of the television show Pushing Daisies.

Penelope’s room is surreal, with lifesize red trees alongside bedroom windows that bear pictures of the desert. Penelope wears a purple coat with buttons of every kind going

down the front, adding to the whimsical nature of the characters.

In all, everything is visually appealing, right down to the way Ricci looks with her pig nose. I can guarantee that no other actress could have pulled off that nose. It took an awkward, yet sometimes pretty girl with dark hair and sparkling eyes; anything else would have failed. Still, even after casting Ricci—the perfect girl—something still lacks in the film.

Although a PG rating suggests a crowd of kids under the age of thirteen, Penelope seems more relatable for an older crowd. Every so often, the film wants to take a risqué turn, yet stops before it meets its potential.

Whether it is Witherspoon making a sexual joke, or scenes where characters are getting drunk and gambling, the film only goes so far. It feels as though they were teetering with the decision to keep it clean and PG, or take it to the next level and make it PG-13.

Had they continued pushing in the direction of making the movie for an older crowd, I think it would have been much more successful. The jokes could have been taken further, making the dialogue more cohesively funny. They also could have (you may hate to hear this) used a few swears, or at least something to compliment the darker scenes in the movie. The dialogue was like punch without vodka; it needed something to spice things up.

Overall, it’s not worth the money to see it in theatres; but it is worth seeing. Penelope had the potential to be something great, but it stopped short. Maybe someone with a little more guts will remake it and punch it up a bit. Go big or go home, Penelope.

Story mode, or as it’s called in this game Adventure Mode: The Subspace Emissary, is a treat. Brawl gives you a story mode that is worth going through for more than just the unlockable characters (35 in total, by the way). I’m about halfway through Adventure Mode, which allegedly clocks in at about eight hours long, and every cut scene will make you smirk or repeat, “Oh god, this is amazing.” I won’t spoil anything for you, but seeing characters from completely different franchises teaming up together or battling against each other makes for some excellent cut scenes.

My only real problem with Super Smash Bros. Brawl is the flaws in the online play, which are easily ignored. Not too shabby. Again, I don’t want to spoil anything, but some of the characters in this game are literally wishes be-

ing granted. I don’t think anyone believed we’d see some of these characters together when this series was first introduced.

If you already have a Wii and you liked the previous Smash Bros. games even in the slightest bit, you probably own this game or plan on owning it in the near future. If you fall into that category and don’t plan on purchasing the game then change your plans. Rent it. Invite yourself over to your friend’s house – one of them is bound to have it – and try it out. If you don’t own a Wii then you just ran out of excuses for not having one.

The following piece was originally written for More Like a Six-Foot Turkey. You can find the blog at http://morelikeasixfootturkey.blogspot. com.

12 THE RECORDER Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Lifestyles

Don’t Let the Bedbugs Bite Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor

Cafe Nine’s Burlesque Bust Karyn Danforth Lifestyles Editor For a theatrical entertainment movement that was born in the Victorian era, the concept of burlesque is not a commonality in the 21st century. With that said, the general audience is apt to misconstrue it as raunchy, or too hot to handle.

Having a hairpin of a clue about burlesque, I decided it was best to go out of my comfort zone and attend a burlesque act. After all, I had been awkwardly dragged to the Gold Club once, so I was naturally curious to see how the two were supposedly different.

As I freed my Saturday evening to attend Cafe Nine’s burlesque act, I pumped myself up, fantasizing that it was going to be an unforgettably wild night, and not just some walk in the park.

Burlesque, in simplest terms, means “in an upside down style.” It encompasses a hodge-podge assortment of clothing fashions with parodic concepts, and is meant to be particularly witty, often at times mocking the social attitudes of the upper classes. The working class society clashed with aristocracy often, and because of these tensions, a rather lowbrow humor followed suit.

Due to a social crackdown on the burlesque scene in the 1930s, the shows began to dissipate, and with the downfall of burlesque came the birth of striptease. With help from women wishing to keep the tradition alive, neo-burlesque was formed, which is the type of shows displayed presently.

As night fell onto New Haven, I opened the door to Cafe Nine and, quite frankly, couldn’t believe my eyes. If you thought I was talking about being engulfed in a crazy party, you are sadly mistaken, for the show had yet to begin. What confused me was the fact that the place was a crawlspace, and the stage nestled in the corner was definitely not going to fit the spectacle I had in mind.

A man made his way around collecting the $10 cover charge for the event, and I noticed the small bar being swallowed up. People were packing themselves into the place like sardines; I was trying not to be claustrophobic.

Meeting one of the dancers, Leroi, I felt a little reassured that the night would go smoothly. She looked

as if she had stepped right out of the 19 th century with a hair wrap and a floor length faux fur coat. When one of the managers received word that I was a first timer, he exclaimed, “Oh, you’re in for a treat!”

It wasn’t a treat, it was a downright headache, and even after five vodka cranberries, I couldn’t get over the fact that I didn’t have a buzz, and that the performance was 45 minutes late. My side was then being attacked by a woman’s long, bushy hair as she danced to every single song being blasted while we waited. Then, as luck wouldn’t have it, a stocky bald man jutted his glutinous maximus into me as he danced his way to the front of the crowd. My patience was wearing thin as my personal space had disintegrated.

The presenter, who had as much face make-up as a clown, finally took the stage. While nothing particularly witty sticks out in my mind, she was, for lack of a better word, “cute.” Her rather brief segment ended, and the first dancer emerged onto the stage, having fought her way through the jam-packed crowd.

“She is hungry for lesbians!” shouted the presenter as Leroi the Girl Boi began her routine. Leroi’s costume was out of this world: a mixture of Asian and Mexican culture had seemingly taken shape on top of her head, an extravagant headdress that was beyond words. The complexity and aesthetic wonder of it left me to ponder how long it took her to build such a piece. Matched with the headdress was a long, furry yellow cape, which she used to her advantage as she stripped off underneath, leaving the audience wondering if she’d show us the end result. After a mere three minutes or less, the cape came off, the boobie tassels twirled, and that was that.

It was Maiiah the Mistress of Serpents that left me very uneasy about being in such a confined space that could have easily had the fire marshal called upon. In the middle of her act, she pulled out a huge, live snake. Her act ended, and with the snake still slithering around her shoulders, she slowly made her way through the packed audience; bumping the snake into people and freaking them out. What I wouldn’t have given at that point for someone to have fainted, but in all honesty, what if something had happened to the snake?

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

As I struggled to see what was going on over taller limbs, I caught mere glimpses of the three acts, which spanned out to be what, a whole ten minutes? The presenter then announced that there would be an intermission. I thought to myself, “Are you kidding me? An intermission? That was nothing!”

I couldn’t stand to wait around for the next segment, there was no way. I was miserable, and the fact that I had spent over $30 to put up with these annoyances was weighing heavily on my thoughts. “That’s it, I can’t stand it anymore,” I said to my friends, signaling that I had to leave at once. We had the most difficult time getting out of the place; the crowd was so heavy set and unresponsive that it took a whole ten minutes to walk across a few feet of floor.

Walking back to the car, I exclaimed loudly, “Never again!”

If you want to go see showgirls, (which these dancers were most equivalent to) go to Las Vegas. If there is an act somewhere locally, check to see if the venue is large enough. Or, just don’t go anywhere and look up porn on the Internet— you’ll be all set.

Bedbugs are increasingly becoming a problem in houses, hotels, college dormitories and most cluttered small homes. Since bedbugs are a newfound reality, people often wonder what they are, where they live and, most importantly, what should you do if you find them in your bed?

Bedbugs are small, wingless insects that only feed on the blood of warm-blooded animals. They are able to survive for months with out food, which makes it difficult to exterminate these insects. Some are nest parasites that live in bird nests and bat roosts, while others have adapted well to living in a human’s home.

Nighttime is generally when bedbugs seek out people and animals to feed on because they look for shelter in dark places and a person won’t feel anything while they are asleep.

Baby bedbugs resemble the size of a poppy seed and adults are only a quarter of an inch long with flat, oval bodies and a white to a deep brown exterior. Identifying a bedbug can be difficult because they look very similar to mosquitoes and fleas.

According to Richard Pollack, Ph.D. of the Harvard School of Public Health, and Gary Alpert, Ph.D. of Environmental Health & Safety at Harvard University, bedbugs can live nearly anywhere. In the late 20 th Century, bedbugs almost disappeared, but since then their populations have grown in parts of North America, Europe and Australia.

The owner of Pest Away Exterminating, Jeffrey Eisenburg, was quoted in the recent New York Times article, “Just Try to Sleep Tight.

The Bedbugs Are Back,” as saying, “It’s becoming an epidemic.”

Pest Away Exterminating in New York has received approximately 125 bedbug calls in a week.

“People are being tortured, and so am I. I spend half my day talking to hysterical people about bedbugs,” said Eisenburg.

“It’s definitely a fast-emerging problem,” said spokeswoman for the NYC housing agency Carol Abrams.

In the past few years, bedbugs have become an epidemic in the New York area with approximately 450 bedbug violations.

They are most abundant in rooms where people sleep, and they generally hide nearest the bed or other furniture used for sleeping.

Bedbugs are most active in the middle of the night, but when hungry they will venture out during the day to seek a host.

Since bedbugs are comfortable in beds and cluttered places, one would think they would feel right at home in college dormitories.

Fortunately for CCSU, bed bugs have not made an appearance in any student’s room. “I have never heard anything like that,” said a CCSU nurse from Health Services.

Each bedbug needs only one full blood meal to develop to the next developmental stage, and they can readily wait months between feeding opportunities. Under ideal conditions, adult bedbugs can survive for more than one year between meals.

Meanwhile, a female can lay approximately 500 eggs in her lifetime, according to Pollack and Aplert.

A favorite hiding place for a bedbug is in bed frames, mattresses and box springs. People who live in a cluttered home increase their own risk of inviting the creatures in due to the many small crevices.

Bedbugs can also be found in luggage, clothing, pillows and boxes.

They can travel between adjoining apartments through holes in walls where there are wires and pipes, as that provides more cracks for the insects to find.

Hotels are also a popular place for bedbugs to live. “Anyone who stays in a hotel, rich or poor, can bring them home in a suitcase,” said Richard Kourbage of Kingsway Exterminating. The New York Times article explained that even some of the finest, most expensive hotels have bedbugs in their hotel rooms.

According Pollack, bedbugs look for folds and creases in the bed sheets, seams and mattress tufts. It is also common to find bedbugs in corners of desks and dressers, in wicker furniture and hiding in laundry strewn around the floor. A bedbug can sometime be spotted on bed linen or mattresses because of its dark brown or reddish color.

The New York Times article explained that bedbugs don’t just live in mattresses and box springs; they can fit in a wall or crack in the floor the width of only a playing card.

When a person is bitten by one of these insects, his or her skin can break out into hive-like bites that become even more irritated when scratched. This is caused by the injections of saliva into the skin and appears to look like a mosquito bite. The bug leaves behind a trail of red bumps that many dermatologists mistakenly identify as hives or scabies. Someone with these bites should avoid scratching because it could result in a serious infection.

Andy Linare, owner of Bug Off Pest Control, said, “People come in here and cry on my shoulder. They feel ashamed, even traumatized, to have these invisible vampires living in their home. Rats are more socially acceptable than bed bugs.”

In order to eliminate bedbugs from one’s house, clutter must be taken care of to reduce the places for the insects to hide. Infected rooms should be cleaned vigorously with a stiff brush and vacuumed in any small spaces or crevices. Desk or dresser drawers should be removed and furniture turned over.

“Exterminators recommend bagging and washing every bit of clothing and fabric in the room and taking apart bureau drawers and bed frames in preparation for the application of four kinds of chemicals,” The Times article explained. “The process often needs to be repeated.”

In order to take preventative action against bedbugs getting into a bed, the bed frame should be pulled away from the wall with sheets and blankets tucked in so that they don’t touch the floor. Also, make sure to seal holes where pipes and wires are visible through walls.

Although bedbugs aren’t wanted, there is no need to panic as the problem can easily be taken care of.

Consulting a pest control operator would be a smart decision because they can provide other ways to manage and prevent bedbugs from entering your home.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

13

Take the Blazin’ Challenge at Buffalo Wild Wings Karyn Danforth Lifestyles Editor Every sports fan’s dream is to drink beer, eat wings, sit and stare at a giant television screen and watch the game, whether it be baseball, football, or basketball. But whose significant other or roommate is willing to put up with a rowdy bunch of barbarians while having to feed them and then clean up?

Here’s an easy solution: round up the cattle and take them to B-Dubs, or formerly known as Buffalo Wild Wings in Windsor, Conn.

Formerly founded by two guys looking to duplicate a taste of hometown wings (think Buffalo, New York), Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery had been relocated to Kent, Ohio, and needed a permanent fix of those tasty finger foods, so with that they established their first Buffalo Wild Wings in 1982. Since then it has become one of the only two established BWW in Connecticut thus far, the place is always a happening, crowded place, but here, there is no need to worry about lack of seating; there is plenty.

Plenty can be the word describing most of what BWW has to offer: it has an exceptional selection of 20 beers on tap that rotate seasonally, over 20 televisions in the lofty bar (plasmas and projection screens), and most importantly, 14 different ways to dip your wings.

While the staff doesn’t even know why a flying Buffalo is the logo, what they do know is their sauces.

Listed on the first page of the menu is a rating bar that spans from the coolest to hottest sauces, meaning, if you decide on Parmesan garlic for your wings, chances are your macho friends will think you’re a pansy. Let them believe what they want. The Parmesan is amazing. The hottest wing flavor is aptly named, “The Blazin’.” There is a warning next to it,

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

The Fish Are Free Conrad Akier / The Recorder

which reads: “Keep away from eyes, pets, and children.”

Getting wings your way is never a problem around these parts: they come in a variety, from the original, boneless, to the naked! The naked tenders consist of just grilled chicken smothered in whichever flavor of sauce, which would be a surefire pick for someone watching the waistline.

The restaurant also features a stocked menu of salads, appetizers, burgers, and drinks.

“This restaurant is the flagship of the franchise here in Connecticut,” said Buffalo Wild Wings waiter, Dan Harrison. “There is another in Milford, and there are plans of building one in Newington.” With that, Central students would be able to enjoy BWW without wasting the gas in their tank.

The way the food is presented isn’t fancy, but that is the point. A table is given individual paper boats along with family-style servings of wings, so that the table can select and share with everyone, and plenty of the necessities are given as well (I’m talking about the celery and bleu cheese!)

“It’s humongous,” said Olivia Muench, a customer who spoke high-

ly of the bar area. “I come here rather frequently.”

As I sat in the bar, I happily munched on some boneless honey barbecue wings watching Uconn basketball’s biggest blow out ever as they massacred Cincinnati. Around the room, others were wearing different teams’ garb and were intently watching as well. Individuals can even participate in Buzz-time trivia, which consist of little electronic game devices. As different questions come up on the monitor, you answer accordingly and try to beat others who are around you eating.

Sports teams can even come in big parties and watch their own games on one of the giant projector screens, as I had witnessed a pee-wee hockey team cheer in excitement watching themselves score goals.

As the commercials for BWW suggest, “You have to be here.” It is definitely the place to get away from everything (including nagging girlfriends and wives, apparently.) The restaurant hosts two nights of specials on Wing Tuesdays and Boneless Thursdays, and if you don’t have a bad case of Alektorophobia (fear of chickens), then you are in need of a relaxing, satisfying night out. All the fun is here, and you’re missing it.

Drink and Be Merry

Local Guide to St. Patty’s Day Karyn Danforth Lifestyles Editor Whether you’re Irish or not, chances are you will be partaking in the global inebriation that is St. Patrick’s Day. Do it up a little differently this year by checking out some local festivities. Remember, if your tongue isn’t green from the food coloring, you haven’t drank enough.

Have fun, and be sure to bring along a designated driver.

Third Annual Tavern Night

Noah Webster House/ Museum of West Hartford History, 227 S. Main St., West Hartford Serving traditional Irish food, drink and entertainment in a classic, early American tavern atmosphere.

March 14th, 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

37th Annual Greater Hartford St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Connecticut State Capital Building, 210 Capitol Ave., Hartford March 15th, 11 a.m.

Parade Day at McKinnon’s

McKinnon’s Irish Pub, 114 Asylum St., Hartford Right along the parade route, stop in and have a few!

March 15th, 9 a.m.

Magically Delicious

Bobby Allen’s Nightclub, 915 Bank St., Waterbury Dance for 14 straight hours at this “Magically Delicious” event March 15th, 12 p.m. – 2 a.m.

Kegs & Eggs

Vaughan’s Public House, 59 Pratt St., Hartford Celebrate the day with eggs and beer!

March 17th

Don Sineti and Friends

The Main Pub, 306 Main St., Manchester Irish music with bagpipes, accordions, guitars and fiddle will be performed.

March 17th, 7 p.m.

Christina Janeiro Staff Writer

When it comes to online dating, PlentyofFish.com is one of the best ones out there to try. Your messaging, your profile and even the personality tests are all free.

Created in 2003 as a way to learn ASP.net, CEO Markus Frind said he was tired of people getting used by dating sites.

“I was tired of seeing faceless corporate dating sites preying on singles,” Frind wrote on the Web site.

“Finding love is not about handing over a monthly fee to a dating site that only cares about making sure you stay another month to pay them again.”

PlentyofFish.com is still run by only one person (Frind) out of his Vancouver, Canada home. He says he doesn’t need a crew of people to work under him since the Web site is at such a basic tone. To make money off the site, he simply uses the mass population that visit through advertisements. Left and right, people are willing to pay a hefty amount for an advertisement simply because his Web site is now the largest dating site on the Internet and is bringing in people by the droves.

Frind maintains the site well, with only a few rules and regulations.

Inactive and fake profiles are deleted as soon as honest complaints arise.

Harassment and profiles that pose a danger are also immediately deleted from the Web site. Even though he’s one man, he’s been keeping the site very well-maintained, and his effort shows.

Multiple features come with the Web site, including but not limited to forums, rating system, messaging, “roses” (which are like “winks” in that you express interest without a message), personality tests, searches based on a vast criteria, voicemails and more. Need I remind you that everything is completely free? There really aren’t any catches to this Web site, and that’s probably why it’s so popular.

As for online dating, a lot of people are nervous about the experi-

ence. After joining the Web site about a year ago, I found myself extremely nervous about the whole process.

Talking to someone you’ve never met in person is different, and to think of starting a relationship with that person seems ludicrous. I spoke with a lot of guys, met a few in-person and became friends with most of them.

As for the meeting in-person part, I always brought a friend and met during the day in a public place, like a restaurant or a bar. I wouldn’t recommend doing it alone or meeting at a private place like your home.

After meeting a few great guys, we became good friends but there wasn’t any chemistry. I felt a bit depressed about the Web site, but it gives a lot of great options to find a person you want to talk to. First, you can set age limits as to who can see you (for example, if you’re 18 and don’t want anyone over the age of 25 to see you, you can make your profile only allow people from the ages of 18 to 25 to see your profile). Next, you can set more limits to who can see you by their preference. Some people are looking for “intimate encounters,” and if you’re not into that, you can simply not allow people with that preference to see your profile. It’s probably the safest dating site I’ve come across personally; the privacy options that they give you allow for a feeling of safety much like that of Facebook.

Eventually, after a few months of searching and matching, I met a great guy named Brian. He was from New York—about two hours away— and was nervous about the entire online dating process as well. Long story short, he moved up to Connecticut once he finished college and we’ve been together ever since.

My friends also tried it out and a few of them are currently in relationships with people that they have met on PlentyofFish.com.

So if you’re willing to try something new and are tired of the bar scene, make a profile on PlentyofFish. com and see where it goes. Who knows, you might meet someone who goes to CCSU that you never would have met otherwise!

14

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

A-Z of Spring Break Illustrations by Sean Kinne

Nick Viccione Staff Writer With spring break beginning this weekend, some college students will use the week to catch up on sleep or finish up some late homework. Many will pack the bare necessities and head south for a week filled with high bar tabs and low self-respect. To make sure everyone stays safe and has a great time, I provide you with a comprehensive guide to get you through the week. And remember ladies, UGG boots are not proper beach attire. Good thing they make UGG sandals now!

E -Ladies, Egobe careful when you’re out having K -If Key West you are confronted by a native of Key a great time during spring break. There is one thing more dangerous than the water in foreign countries, and that’s other Americans with terrible haircuts and beefed up ego’s trolling the bars looking for their next “victims.” If they are tanner than you, have either a chinstrap or a blowout and are wearing a shirt that would fit a four-year-old, chances are they have an STD.

West claiming you can only buy a certain type of Key Lime Coconut cookies there in Key West at his little hut, punch him in the throat. They sell them at Trader Joes for $2.99.

R -If Regret there is one thing you should not have

after a great spring break week, it’s regret.

However if the rash on your penis will not go away, and your friends are telling you that you never had sex with some exotic Mexican poison oak plant like you had originally thought, then it’s acceptable to regret.

S -It Sunscreen is important that you keep sunscreen

with you at all times when vacationing. There is no doubt that you will be exposed to massive amounts of UV rays over the long course of the week and if we have learned anything from Al Gore it’s the fact that ever since the world is realizing we are destroying the atmosphere and the O-Zone, Coppertone has made bank.

T -OneTequila tequila, two tequila three tequila

A -Cliché?

Alcohol Yes. But what would a piece about

spring break be without mentioning the “be all, end all” crutch of most college students? Please drink responsibly. And to answer your question, waking up with a Heineken bottle lodged in your anus is not responsible.

B -Here’s Black Out a good way to judge if your spring

break was a success. If you planned a trip for Aruba, and when you got home you found souvenirs from Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Barbados without remembering how you got them, then it was a good time. Check for scars.

C -Cruises Cruise are just a fancy way to drink for

F -IfFake I.D. you stay inside the borders of the United

States and plan on going to some upscale bars during the week of spring break, your fake I.D. better be legit as hell. Because let’s face it, most bars will probably have a stricter door policy than what you’re used to at Elmer’s.

G -What Girls Gone Wild it is about spring break that makes

girls show their tits all over the place to random guys with cameras? Is it the atmosphere? I swear I’ve been going to parties and trying to film chicks for seven years and not one girl has talked to me, let alone gave me a nip slip. I need to move south.

L -TheLimes drink of choice for most spring break

enthusiasts is Corona. The citrus of choice for most drinkers of Corona is a lime. So by the transitive property of equality, wouldn’t that make most spring break enthusiasts love limes?

What the fuck am I talking about? Someone throw me down a flight of stairs.

M -TheMota Mexican natives will probably try

and sell you some mota during your week-long stay. And remember, these are the people who had earlier civilizations sacrifice humans for their hearts and thought eclipses we’re amazing. They’ve got to know what they are doing when it comes to sketchy shit. Smoke up!

N -Most Night of the partying will be done when

one too many drinks at the bar, some guy that looks substantially cuter and seems a little bit more interesting with every shot of UV Blue you do weasels his way back to your hotel room, and, well, you know the rest. Just remember, there are no Planned Parenthoods on every corner in Cancun.

V -TryVodka introducing Dubra to the natives of

Cancun just to see their response. Then try and explaining yourself to the nation when Mexico saw it as a terrorist threat and declared war on us.

O -I guess Ocean if you like getting stabbed through

the heart by a stingray, stung in the genitals by a Portuguese Man-O-War, or have your arm chomped off by a shark and use that as your lame gimmick to mask the fact that you can’t really surf worth a shit, then have fun swimming in the worlds largest cesspool. The ocean sucks ass.

H -With Hotels the economy taking a huge, steamy

storms and Jodi Rell not sending the plow trucks out on time, shouldn’t you reward yourself with some consistently beautiful weather?

Unless you are masochistic and prefer walking to class worrying about black ice and losing feeling in your face.

nophobia as “fear and hatred of strangers or foreigners or of anything that is strange or foreign.”

You have not lived until you’ve walked around the outskirts of Cancun at four in the morning and woke up in a native’s back yard.

I - It’sIllegal obvious that no one gives a shit about P - Peer Pressure the legal drinking age in Connecticut. Just ask Chug! Chug! Chug! Round of shots over everyone that lives in Cedar Creek. So since the New Britain police force has instituted some kind of “zero tolerance” policy when it comes to breaking the law, just get wasted in Cancun, the legal drinking age there is 18. And the age of consent is 14. Even better!

W -After Weather months of seasonal depression, ice

X -Merriam-Webster Xenophobia dictionary defines xe-

dump all over United States citizens recently, spring breakers may be looking to save a couple bucks by finding a cheap hotel. Here is a quick tip: if the guy checking you in has less than six teeth, a lazy eye, and smells like butt hole, there is a chance he gave you a room with cameras in the toilet.

500 is a bunch of stinky ass college students infesting the area with their filth for a week and getting drunk and pissing themselves in their tents as they camp out on the road surrounding the race track. I actually feel bad for the rednecks.

U -Ladies, Unprotected Sex I know what happens, you have

the sun sets and the moon is high in the sky.

Now the women that are beautiful on the inside, who hang out with the women that are beautiful on the outside have a chance with the guy who has been passed out in the bathroom for the past three hours.

free, eat for free, and have sex with strangers for free. Or in my case, drink for free, eat for free and scrounge up some loose change to get a hand job from girl of questionable character in the bathroom. I wish she had stopped whispering, “Don’t ever let go Jack” into my ear.

D -TheDaytona only thing shittier than the Daytona

floor. Five tequila, six tequila, seven tequila, waking up butt naked on the beach outside of a hotel that you didn’t check into and wondering why you have “Poncho Ramirez was here” tattooed on your inner thigh.

here! Don’t be a pussy dude! You’re being a pussy! Beers! Another shot over here! More Beers! More fucking shots! Fight that guy. He looked at you funny. He thinks he’s a tough guy—fight him! You can thank your friends for the nice black eye and bruised ego you’ve got in the morning.

Y -TheYucatan Yucatan Peninsula is one of the most

gorgeous destinations for spring break. Cancun lies on the tip of this beautiful region of the world. And for the entire month of March, the natives wait in anticipation for Americans to come flooding their soil. Hey, for them it’s a time to rip us off, take advantage of drunken women, and if they’re lucky, sneak on the cruise ship back to the U.S. Check your luggage carefully.

J -Jagermeister: Jagermeister Z -When Zima Making it culturally accept- Q - Quiet all is said and done, and you end up able to spend your spring break picking fights Not a fan of all the hoopla of spring break? with palm trees, having sex with jellyfish and peeing in hotel lobbies since 1935.

Too poor to give a shit? Then relax! Kick back, put your feet up and have a nice quiet week.

Hopefully they make “All of my friends are cooler than me and took an amazing spring break trip to Disney World and all they got me was this lousy t-shirt” t-shirts.

not going anywhere or doing anything for the week of spring break no one will know that you got drunk alone on Zima in your mother’s basement because you “think beer tastes icky.” At least that’s how I’ll be spending my spring break. Bon voyage, bitches.

16

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, March 12, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Edward Gaug: You personally have been in a couple different music outfits, including cLOUDDEAD. How did Why? come to be?

in some ways, or certain aspects can be. The part of the process where you’re recording has a little more craft involved, and you’re figuring out how to get the song across in the best way; and that part of the process can be really good to share with people. Different opinions can meld and merge into your production basis. I have been doing collaborating with not only my bandmates but with other hands on deck, like the recording engineer and mixing engineers and mastering engineers; those kind-of science guys. They really knew their shit and it made it really easy to be creative while they worried about the technical shit. I mean, they’re creative too; Eli Cruz really had a lot to do with how the record sounds.

Yoni Wolf: Well, I started recording stuff called Why? when I was younger, sort-of a solo project early on, and then kind-of evolved into a band later on over the years.

Gaug: Have you always taken that approach when recording—to look at all aspects of it, from the recording to the producing and mastering?

Gaug: You said you started when you were younger; what were your influences at that point? With a mix of indie-rock and hip-hop, Why? has a unique sound.

Wolf: This is actually the first time we had people helping us. Well, that’s not true; we always had people helping us record, but on the last record, which is called Elephant Eyelash, we had a mixing engineer helping us. His name was Tony Espinoza, who did a fabulous job.

We also had a mastering engineer on that as well. The recording process we did by ourselves at home, so this was the first time we had recorded in a studio and it has been a real pleasure.

Edward Gaug Entertainment Editor When most people think of rock stars, they think of the exuberant, over-the-top partiers. Yoni Wolf, the lead singer of Oakland, Calif. rock experimenters Why?, talks about how he manages to find time for himself on the road; getting his hands dirty in all facets of the recording of their newly-released record Alopecia; and how he plans on escaping the non-stop music extravaganza that is known as South by Southwest.

Wolf: I don’t know. I was watching a lot of Kids in the Hall and Monty Python when I was growing up, listening to a good amount of Bob Dylan and sort of that kind of older stuff a lot. It’s hard to say what your influences are because you are pretty much influenced by everything around you. It’s hard to pinpoint stuff that like; it’s just where I’m at at a certain place in time and what I’m around—that kind of stuff mostly.

Gaug: On the new record [Alopecia], the song that stood out for me was “Good Friday” just because of how the lyrics flowed. Is there anything that you do specifically when you write your songs that develop into something like that, compared to what you might hear in other bands?

Wolf: Yeah, I think I just try to block out any preconceived notion of what any song should be about or what it’s supposed to be or sound like. To be honest and true to the moment that I am in and try to just find how I might feel at certain moment and put that into words; to relay that to people, so that I can try to get something across to people while I am alive, without this filter of what everyone else does.

[It’s] my conception of what people would want a song to be about.

Gaug: You said earlier that you started off Why? as more of a solo project, compared to a band that is on this record. Are there any different approaches you have to take because you have more people working with you now?

Wolf: Yeah, it changes everything.

Every new person that you bring into the mix will change the dynamics. It’s weird to have social dynamic as the process of making any sort of art, I guess. It’s a tough thing. In some ways I feel like, it’s sort of a solitary pursuit

Gaug: Just to kind of switch it up, you guys have a month-and-ahalf-long tour in front of you; how do you personally try to get ready for spending that much time on the road and playing live almost everyday?

Wolf: That’s a tough one. It is really tough to transition into that type of lifestyle of being sort-of a vagabond traveling freak. We’re actually going to be out for longer than that, even; we won’t be coming back till midJune or July at the earliest because we

will be going over to Europe as well.

It’s tough, like yesterday I subletted my home out and I’m kind-of homeless right now and sort-of staying on my sister’s floor; and that’s fine, but I’m the sort of person that likes to have my own space and a place to think. It is hard to be in this type of lifestyle, especially traveling every day and being in a car for hours and hours and not really having your own time.

Gaug: Do you think the music you make, which is extremely difficult to play live, makes it that much more rewarding, especially when you’re touring right in front and right after the release of a new album? You get to see the reaction of the crowd when you start playing the new music you have been practicing for so long.

Wolf: I think it’s pretty cool; I just like to relay this to people. It’s a cool thing to do, to travel and meet all these people all the time, all around the world. It’s really overwhelming and difficult but extremely rewarding when you know you relayed your life and your story to some people and they got it and that connection was made. That’s a real satisfying thing, to make that connection to know that people are feeling that shit that I am talking about and those people feel the same way as I do.

Gaug: This is kind of a different question, considering I don’t know how or when you found out, but when the album leaked online, a few months earlier than the release date, what are your personal feelings when something you worked so hard on is released to the Internet before it gets an official release?

Wolf: I just feel like it is sort of inevitable these days and I’m not trying to be one of those guys. If you look back at history, any big thing that happened, there were always people competing or fighting against it. I just feel like this sort of digital revolution or whatever the fuck you want to call it; it’s just how everything is going, you can’t really fight it. I’m trying to be realistic with what’s happening; you can’t struggle too much against that, and that being said, I do still have a problem if our shit sounds like shit. I don’t want people hearing some sort of weird, bad quality versions of our songs, but I am sort of an audiophile. I like to listen to good mixes with good dynamic range, and we work so hard with that to make our music sound as good as possible and it’s a shame when people listen to it on just regular mp3s. It’s a real shame to me because I can hear the difference, but I don’t know if other people can. That is something I would actually fight for, to have technology actually have space for good-sounding music.

Gaug: I think it makes for a much better album knowing that you are an audiophile like that, and it’s something you might not get from everybody, so it’s special to get something like from Why? because not every record is going to have that sort of detail.

Wolf: Even our last album, which I still consider lo-fi because it was recorded at home and on pretty cheap equipment; but it is amazing how much time you have to put into it to get that sort of good sound—not that there’s anything magical about it, it’s just tweaking and listening to all the tiny little decisions that all add up to make something sound “good” and “correct.” It’s just a lot of tiny decisions.

Gaug: That’s something I was able to pick up with Alopecia, the little nuances, and I hope that I’m not the only one who does that while listening to this album. I can only

hope everyone else can pick up on the same things I did.

Wolf: Everyone will hear it to a different degree.

Gaug: Just so everyone that reads this will know, you guys will be up in our area on March 23 at BAR in New Haven with Cryptacize. Have you had the opportunity to play in New England lately?

Wolf: Well, I don’t think we played in New England since we were on tour with Yo La Tengo about over a year ago, maybe 16 months ago, and we did play New Haven and several other cities in the area. Our first show with them was actually in New Haven.

Gaug: Last question, you guys are playing five separate shows down in Austin, Texas for South by Southwest; I think personally SXSW is one of the two biggest things in music every year. How does it look from the band’s aspect of it?

Wolf: Well, from my perspective and other band’s perspectives from whom I get to talk to, it’s a real tough thing. I was saying earlier how going on tour is rough and it is such a change in lifestyle of never being by yourself. Well, SXSW is all that compounded into something even more mind-fuck-ish.

There are people everywhere; it’s like a five-day party you can’t really escape. As a band, it is real wearing and real tiring but really fun, too.

There are so many bands playing all the time in such a small space that there really isn’t anything like it. There is nothing like it, that’s for damn sure, but I don’t know if my constitution is made for that sort of thing. I’m more of a quiet person, I like to think, and that can be kind of hard for me. I think [for] more extroverted people, that type of thing is really fun. It is just a lot.

Gaug: For you personally, it might be tough. Is there anything you are going to try to do so it doesn’t become so overwhelming?

Wolf: I think that I‘m going to try this time around, since we have so many shows to try to disappear for a while.

I like Austin as a town, so I might try to sort-of get out of that little area that all the stuff is in and try to go out into the nature a little bit or back to somebody’s house to try to mellow out.