vol104issue24

OPINION

Texas-Sized Injustice - Page 4

The Recorder’s NBA Playoff Preview

LIFESTYLES Dorm Dishes 101

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Wednesday, April 16, 2008

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Volume 104 No. 24

Can Students Look Forward to Improved Gym Workout Space?

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Bob Dole Talks War and Elections with Students Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor

building new dorms and classrooms are a greater priority than building a new workout facility.

“In the master plan of the university, five to ten years down the road, there is talk of updating and improving the athletic facility. However, the priorities of the university are the classrooms, dorms and library,” Jones said. “Unless there is a 30-40 million dollar alumni donation, athletics takes the back burner to the other improvements the university is looking to make.”

“I think dorms and an updated gym are the most important because it will increase university revenue,” said Lecco. “Classrooms would be nice, but you’re only in them for a short while.”

Former presidential candidate Bob Dole entertained a range of questions at a forum in Founder’s Hall, where many students asked about his opinion about the occupation in Iraq.

He was quick to shrug off any immediate withdrawal from the region.

“A lot of young people appeal to the vision of a peaceful solution and the idea that we can all walk hand-inhand out of the war,” he explained.

“But the reality is, we are there.”

While Sen. Barack Obama claimed he could get the U.S. troops out in 60 days and Sen. Hillary Clinton said she can do it in 90, Dole didn’t agree with setting a timetable.

He pointed out that the question is not whether to stay or leave, despite poor progress in the region.

“I don’t like war,” Dole said, referring to his service during World War II. “I live with it every day. It changed my life completely.”

See Workout Space Page 2

See Bob Dole Page 2

Two Students workout at Kaiser Hall on Monday. Some say the campus is overdue for a new athletic facility.

Stephanie Moshier Special to The Recorder Central is a Division I school that makes fitness and wellness a required course to graduate. Looking at the facilities, an outsider wouldn’t think health and wellness is an important factor to the university. CCSU students are concerned as to whether they can expect an enhanced program and accompanying facilities.

“The college tries to promote wellness, but how can it when we don’t have the facilities to support it?” asked freshman Erik Lecco.

The university has approximately 12,000 students enrolled and roughly 2,000 residents. The

facility space is not adequate enough to accommodate that many students. However, the university is aware of the deficiency of a suitable workout facility, specifically in the weight and aerobic rooms.

The problem is that there are no funds or space to renovate or rebuild.

“We simply need a new facility. This facility has been here since 1965,” Charles “C.J.” Jones, Director of Athletics, said of the current Kaiser Hall, which has been redesigned and renovated many times since it was built. “[The university needs to] create a new building to house all the facilities.”

He recognized that the campus is landlocked and has no more room to expand, as well as that

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

No Education Without Taxation Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor Ned Lamont, James Stodder and Senator William Nickerson discussed problems with Connecticut’s taxes on Tuesday.

“We are a laggard when it comes to economic growth. Our salaries are down. Our taxes are up,” said Lamont.

He explained that Connecticut has the second highest property tax next to New Jersey, causing people and businesses to move out of cities and into suburban areas.

James Stodder, Clinical Assistant Professor in the Lally School of Management and Technology at Rensselaer in Hartford, explained his study of major tax concerns in the state of Connecticut. Although property taxes are very high, as a percentage of income, they are not considered that “high.”

Cities and towns across the state range from low to high income depending on the class of the town.

The average cost of a house in Greenwich is $700,000, when a hom-

eowner would only pay 1 percent in taxes. In a city such as New Britain, a house costs about half the amount of a Greenwich home and residents have to pay 3 percent of the property’s cost. What it comes down to, Stodder said, is that the tax rate is dropping and house costs are increasing.

On a national level, Stodder concluded that Connecticut is only a low-to-moderate state. In the past, residents used their homes as back-up money. In other words, if a person needed money, they could simply sell their house. “Those days are over,” said Stodder.

Education is also a huge concern in Connecticut lately.

“We have the best schools on average than any other state, but we are also one of the most unequal states when it comes to the distribution of wealth,” said Stodder.

As for college education, Stodder explained that Connecticut is in third place when it comes to granting Bachelor’s Degrees.

“We have the best research universities in the world, but our Kindergarten through grade 12 edu-

See Taxation Page 2

Ethics Code Stresses Respect, Responsibility Melissa Traynor News / Managing Editor

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Ned Lamont pointed out how salaries are down and taxes are up.

The latest version of the fivepage document known as the new Student Code of Ethics, written and compiled by the ad-hoc ethics committee of the Student Government Association, was unveiled Wednesday night as a set of standards for student clubs and organizations.

Ethics Committee Chair Ken Barone outlined the five major components of the code as individual rights, representation, respect, responsibility and diversity and equity.

Included in the list of ethically irresponsible behavior are the use of hate speech, disrespect and the disregard for personal rights. In addition to definition by negation, expected standards were named in a “golden rule” fashion, recommending that students treat each other with respect and that clubs make efforts to include all.

SGA Senator Kelley Fournier detailed the responsibility section and made special mention of an area devoted to conflicts of interest. It is a

See Ethics Code Page 3

News

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 16, 2008

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Fraternity Member Holds Contest to Find Formal Date

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Leah Carliner George Washington University (GW Hatchet)

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Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Former Sen. Bob Dole took questions from students for a little over an hour last Tuesday afternoon.

During the past several years he has worked constantly with Iraq war veterans.

“Each day I spend several hours with veterans,” he said. Dole feels that since the soldiers’ quality of life has changed so drastically, they deserve more money from the government.

As a young man, Dole came back from war and was able to get a college education because of the government.

They created the Montgomery G.I. Bill, which paved the way for veterans to attend college with federal money and has been in existence ever since.

“My parents had nothing,” he explained. “So the bill gave me the opportunity to go to college.”

He hopes to see the new President of the United States take charge of these under-treated issues, but the Senator is unsure that neither of the candidates’ political experience will improve the country’s economy or the situation in Iraq.

“Experience is important,” he said. “Obama is short on experience.

Hillary hasn’t had too much experience, but McCain has been in the White House for 21 years.”

One thing that the Senator wants the presidential candidates to understand is that “a day can mean a lifetime.” He explained that during his career as a politician in the White House, he has seen single moments change lives rapidly and drastically.

Along with much of the United States, Dole is excited about the up-

coming election. “Most of the excitement and money is on the Democratic side,” he said, but felt that John McCain can reach across the aisles to both sides. The Senator predicted that most voters don’t want America to lose in the war, implying that staying in is the only option.

Towards the end, Dole was asked by a student what it was like being senate majority leader. Dole agreed with Sen. Christopher Dodd’s words that “It’s like putting frogs in a wheel barrel.”

As majority leader, he was able to decide the agenda and said that compromise is the most important thing. “I can make you take the medicine if I’ve got the votes, but I can’t make you keep it down,” he told the audience.

able,” said Kerri Gaffey, an ECSU sophomore.

Central’s facility does not compare to others in the same division. The University of Connecticut is a Division I university with many more students and a strong athletic program.

UConn’s indoor facility has two floors. On the first floor are two free weight rooms and Brundage pool.

Students have access to Guyer Gymnasium to play pickup games of basketball, volleyball or badminton. UConn also has a field house similar to Central’s “bubble.” The second floor of UConn’s facility holds the aerobic equipment, as well as Nautilus and Precor equipment and windows overlooking the pool. Racquetball courts and rock climbing walls are also available in the facility.

“Those are the things students look for; those kinds of things are attractive,” said Jones. For example, a

workout room with windows and cardio machines looking out over a pool, as in UConn’s facility, would attract more students.

“I definitely do think having a better facility would attract more students. Now we [would] really have a campus,” said Jones.

Currently, CCSU students can workout in the gymnasium, dubbed “the bubble,” on the newly-resurfaced outdoor tennis and basketball courts, in the pool or in the Weight-Nautilus room located in the basement of Kaiser Hall. Athletes have an extra weight room dedicated to them that alumni helped to fund. It holds larger, heavier weights that are more helpful in their training.

The workout facilities are open Monday through Friday and Sunday.

The gym is often closed due to games because there are not enough staff members to both work the game and run the gym.

Myth one, Senator Nickerson said, states that Connecticut does not pay its teachers enough money. The Senator disagrees, since teachers in this state are actually paid just under $60,000 a year and is first in the nation for teacher compensation.

“We do not spend enough money on public education,” the Senator said, describing myth two. He stated that Connecticut is actually the third most “generous” state in the nation to public education.

Myth three reasons that the state does not adequately support education in cities. Senator Nickerson explained that most of the education in Connecticut’s cities is paid for by taxpayers. Hartford and Bridgeport are two cities that receive state help for public education. Bridgeport’s public education is paid for up to 81

percent, and Hartford is 65 percent covered.

The fourth myth Nickerson described was that state education in wealthy towns is draining funding for large cities.

“The state does not provide any significant money to wealthy towns, only to not-wealthy towns,” he said.

He added that Connecticut ranks 17 in the nation for per-pupil spending.

One of the biggest myths that the Senator explained is the positive relationship between money and education. He said that the truth is that in this state, there is no real correlation between educational spending and standardized test performance from students.

He emphasized the previously stated sentiment that Connecticut needs rigor, responsibility and relationships.

Workout Space Continued from page 1

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.

Lecco, who commutes and currently has a membership with Cardio Express in Wethersfield, said that he’d much rather go to the gym at CCSU for the convenience.

Compared to other CSU institutions, CCSU has the oldest building to house fitness and wellness.

Other universities in the CSU system have newer facilities that have been designed based on the growing student population.

Other schools in the CSU system have recently invested money in building a new facility for students. ECSU, which is in Division III, recently built a new student center to hold its gym. The gym was completed in the fall of 2007 after about 22 months of construction.

“Our gym last year was literally a room no bigger than my kitchen filled with about six machines. I would always wait a half-hour before the gym closed to go, since that was the only way a machine was avail-

Taxation

Continued from page 1 cation system is far from the best in the world,” he said.

International graduate students are coming to Connecticut from all over the world because they are the most intelligent and ambitious students where they live and strive to come to Connecticut for their degree.

Meanwhile, Stodder said, American students are falling behind.

State Senator William Nickerson (R-Greenwich) also shared his outlook on the current tax situation in Connecticut. He described his main concern as the “intersection of education and taxism.”

Figuratively speaking, Nickerson said many of the cars in an intersection are driving towards a myth that doesn’t exist. He described his view on Connecticut’s tax policies by examining myths made by Connecticut residents.

(U-WIRE) -- When Jackson Trugman couldn’t decide which of his five female friends to take to the Pi Kappa Alpha formal this weekend he told them to apply.

And this is 2008. So he created Not Your Normal Formal blogspot, a site asking girls to explain why he should choose them to go to the overnight event in Leesburg, Va. “I was stressing out kind of a big deal, and one night in bed I was like, I should have a contest,” Trugman said. “It made my choosing a little easier.”

Though none of Trugman’s original five options sent in applications, 13 other girls did respond to his blog that was advertised on fliers that he posted around campus.

Trugman also said he received 37 Facebook friendship requests from girls he didn’t know – including one from a mother asking him to meet her daughter.

“I just wanted to find someone who would eat and dance and have a good time and take pictures,” the sophomore said.

He said he was surprised at the response. Trugman posted 26 times on his blogspot explaining to applicants why he was holding the contest.

On March 26 he listed 13 personal facts such as his favorite color and his habitual Diet Coke drinking.

“It’s not because I’m desperate or awkward,” he said of the posts.

Maxine Peltz was one of Trugman’s applicants and when she saw his 13 facts, she said she knew that they would be a good match.

“I was like ‘wow, we have a lot in common,’” said Peltz, a sophomore.

Both are art history majors, have fathers who are lawyers and consider purple to be their favorite color.

Peltz met Trugman several days after he launched the blogspot and said he asked her to apply.

On April 6, Trugman wrote to Peltz in an e-mail, “Now that you’ve won, I guess the question is, will you come to formal with me?”

Peltz, a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma, said that she was surprised to hear she had won – though later found out that her friends had been telling Trugman she would make a good date. Peltz accepted and said that she had friends going and had been to the Pike formal in years past.

Trugman said he was very happy with his date search – both the application process and the ultimate winner – but said he probably wouldn’t do it again.

As for other guys looking for a good formal date, Trugman cautioned that this tactic worked with his personality, but “is really not for everyone.”

Correction: Last week’s article titled “Get Arrested on April 17” misidentified the Greek fraternity on campus as Phi Delta Beta. They are in fact Phi Delta Theta. The price for the arrest warrant is also $5, not $15.

3

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / NEWS

Ethics Code

Continued from page 1 concern for the committee, especially with students who take on many roles around campus.

“It’s deciding when it is appropriate to be something and when not to be something,” Fournier said.

The document is the culmination of efforts that have been ongoing for a year, and the committee originally began with the work of 10 students.

Currently there are five active members; Ken Barone, who is the Student Union Board of Governors Chair, SGA senators Kelley Fournier and Sam Martinez, as well as students Chris DiLauretis and Lauren Horsfield all sit on the committee.

This ad-hoc ethics committee was sparked by the incidents surrounding The Recorder last February and the committee was formed by then-senator Elizabeth Torres.

The purpose is to start a discussion for the students, because it is a document developed for the students, by students. As stated in the code itself, “As defined by the Student Ethics Committee, [the document] shall be a moral code for student clubs and organizations representing Central Connecticut State University.”

“We’re not trying to legislate your morals; we’re trying to set a standard for how you represent this institution,” Barone said. “These are things you’ve probably already learned from your parents.”

“I think it’s common sense on paper,” DiLauretis said.

After having been passed and supported by the SGA, the InterResidence Council and SUBOG, the committee visited the Media Board’s meeting on Friday to present the code.

“We hope other student organizations will follow our lead,” Barone said.

The question of how the code will be enforced arose quickly during the presentation.

Barone said that ideally, the ethics board as an overseeing body would consist of 13 active voting members from student groups, along with non-voting representatives from the faculty, administration, student center and other organizations, such as Student Activities/Leadership Development.

Should a violation of the code occur, a complaint has one month to be filed and the board will act as a forum for student leaders to discuss the next appropriate step to take and to make a statement as a whole united student front, generally as a recommendation to the university.

Barone said the current copy is a “watered down” version of the original copy, and in the beginning there was much debate concerning executing certain penalties for violations, especially removing students from office.

President Jack Miller had reflected on last spring when he said that students came to him, asking for advice.

“When they said, ‘Let’s throw Mark Rowan out of school,’ I had to tell them that we can’t do that,” Miller said. “I agree with a statement that will say, ‘We expect a certain level or standard of behavior’ from the students.”

He commended the committee for their devotion to producing the code.

“The work and efforts of this committee have been extremely worthwhile,” Miller said, repeating that he was in favor of such a community statement.

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4 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Editorial

Editorial/Opinion

A task force appointed by the administration at nearby Quinnipiac University has concluded that the school newspaper, the Quinnipiac Chronicle, should cut ties with the university, becoming independent both financially and editorially. While “independent” sounds like exactly what a good newspaper should be, this decision raises questions about what the future of the paper will be, whether they will be able to support themselves independently and just why the administration of a school known for its journalism department is attempting to do this.

The conclusion comes after much tension between the Chronicle and the school’s administration in the last year, over a school policy that prevented the paper from posting a story about a racial slur incident on campus on its Web site. In addition, there has been friction over another policy that forbids university faculty from speaking with the press without

Letters to the Editor (In response to “Dissent and What it Means to Be an American”), The Founding Fathers of the Republic created the 1st Amendment to protect people’s right to sound, reasonable criticism to address legitimate concerns before the government. America rightfully carries the tradition of the right to dissent to this very day. Unfortunately, much of what qualifies as “dissent” in many far-left circles today flies far beyond soundness and reason.

It is one thing to speak out against the treatment of detainees in Guantanamo. It’s another thing to accuse America of indiscriminately throwing people into “concentration camps.” It’s one thing to oppose the War on Terror. It’s another thing to accuse America of committing “genocide” against Muslims. It’s one thing to call for the return of troops from Iraq. It’s completely another to call for their murder at the hands of “resistance” fighters.

No one in any significant position of authority has seriously challenged the right to free speech, and rightfully so. However, dissent must be rational, grounded in truth and constructive in its purpose. Irrational, hyperbolized and untruthful “dissent” has no place in modern, democratic society, and those who engage in it deserve no place amongst history’s great dissenters; the Civil Rights Movement, the Abolitionists and especially the Founding Fathers.

Steven Bensics CCSU Student

school permission. Quinnipiac President John Lahey has expressed concern about sensitive matters spreading off campus.

To justify the task force’s conclusions, Lahey and his administration cite the “legal liability” they bear for what the paper prints, as long as it’s a university-supported organization.

However, legal precedent (as shown in cases like Doe vs. New York University) has been that private university newspapers are legally separate from the universities themselves. In addition, no member of the school’s journalism or communications departments was able to contribute to this “task force.” It was also recommended that a senior business major, paid by the university, be assigned as publisher for the paper. This publisher would be part of a publishing board with full editorial authority for the Chronicle, which is justified as a “real world experience” for the writers.

What this “task force” actually seems to

be trying to accomplish is to punish the Chronicle because it refuses to play puppet to an administration more concerned with image than journalistic integrity. What they propose as “independence” is actually subservience to a hand-picked publisher, paid by the university to impose their will on their version of “free press.”

The issues raised against the Chronicle have not in regard to publishing potentially defamatory or objectionable material. Rather, they have been criticized for practicing good journalism—gathering the facts and trying to get them to their readership with the greatest expediency possible. A campus newspaper’s voice should be that of the student writers on behalf of the campus population. The administration’s attempts to filter the paper are contrary to the very ethics their journalism program proposes to teach.

The Recorder, like the Chronicle, de-

pends largely on university funds to finance our operation. Thankfully, we can take advantage of our faculty advisers, who can help guide us along without exerting Orwellian suppression of our learning process. It’s no secret that some decisions have been called into question, but the ability to make mistakes and deal with them on our own is, in our own opinion, a far better “real world experience” than the one proposed at Quinnipiac.

For what it’s worth, it looks as though true journalistic independence, not the poor excuse for it proposed by this task force, is exactly what is needed for the Chronicle, for the freedom to call attention to Lahey and his administration’s thinly veiled attempts to control and suppress ethical journalism at Quinnipiac would then be theirs.

Texas-Sized Injustice

Child Abuse, not Polygamy, is the Real Issue Dan Ivers Opinion Editor The recent raid of a polygamist compound in Texas has caused shock waves throughout much of the nation. The images of the removal of over 400 children who lived there, who were dressed in antiquated, frontier-era style clothing as they marched out into police custody, was absolutely astounding. How communities like this function in complete isolation and anonymity is truly remarkable to most of us who live in the ultra-connected, information-rich modern world of mass media.

However, a lot of the attention given to this story has been geared toward either the polygamy aspect of the story, or to the just plain outlandishness of a community frozen in the past that seems to have been randomly unearthed like a time capsule. While these are undoubtedly issues that the media does not run across all that often, it is not what should be causing the outcry. This is not a story about polygamy; it is one of systematic child abuse.

The whistleblower on the entire compound was a 16-year-old girl who reported having been beaten and forced into having sex with a 50-year-old man, whom she was “spiritually” married to. Reports have stated that girls as young as 13 were forced into similar arrange-

ments; and yet, all the headlines on the story are centered on polygamy.

Polygamy is illegal in every state, although commonly not prosecuted in both Utah and Arizona. Generally, people associate it with abuse—whether mental, physical, or emotional—on the wives (however many) of one power-drunk man and this appears to apply here.

But honestly, polygamy, when practiced between consenting adults, could easily be defended as an odd, but potentially harmless, religious practice. It may defy conventional rules and ideas about “one man, one woman” marriage (imagine the uncovering of a gay polygamist community and the outrage that would cause), but how is it that much different from people who choose to take part in “open relationships” or something of the like? These may not be common, but it is well-known that these kinds of arrangements exist in our society.

The consenting adult women who embark on polygamous marriages often justify their decision by claiming that they were forced into it by the members of their community; they were abiding by the traditions under which they were raised. This also may be true for the men who take on multiple wives: it is part of their culture.

The same kind of pressure is applied to many who practice a tradition of arranged marriages, but no issue is taken provided the participants

are of age and enter into marriage of their own volition. While “pressure” is an understandable defense, the allowances stop when minors become involved. In no way can a 13-year-old girl consent to a marriage, or its consummation, to a man more than three times her age. “Culture” cannot justify the psychological toll an act like this takes on a girl who has barely reached puberty.

Another defense for what goes on inside communities like this one is isolation. Given the antiquated dress and their ability to function this way for decades without being bothered by law enforcement, could it be possible that these people had no idea what they were doing was a crime? You might think so, but one piece of evidence would shatter that claim. The girl who alerted authorities about the compound called on a cell phone. Wireless phone capability reflects at least a reasonable level of awareness of the modern world, and anyone who knows what a SIM card is knows that you can’t go around marrying 13-year-old girls.

While polygamy and the utter isolation of this Texas community is certainly an anomaly, the focus and concern should be directed elsewhere. Polygamy may pose a number of moral problems for society, but the rampant abuse and rape that allegedly occurred inside this compound is the real story.

Truckers Strike for Themselves, ‘Us’ Marissa Blaszko Staff Writer It’s not uncommon to see a bumper sticker that boldly reads “Without Trucks, America Stops” on the back of any 18-wheeler. Whether it’s on a plain white sticker or a $5.99 ribbon magnet, it seems that truckers are not only aware of the power they have, but think that others should be aware of it, too.

Big rig owners are a great symbol for the working class; often using their own trucks, they’re paid by the mile regardless of cargo or gas prices.

It’s because of this that they’re hit twice as hard by rising gas prices, because with the average price of gas projected at $4 a gallon this summer, truckers are making a fraction of the money they used to make.

Unfortunately, getting paid more means higher consumer prices; high consumer prices mean less spending; less spending, we’ve been told, is the problem with the economy to begin with.

The solution to their problem, it seems, needs to start with Congress.

Although truck unions seem to be in constant talks with Washington, it’s the independent strikers that are finally taking action. Cities all around the United States and Canada are coming to a standstill as loosely organized truckers simply refuse to work.

Unfortunately, because of how sparse the attempt, the U.S. Energy Information Administration doesn’t predict that diesel prices will decline—not with crude oil continuing to average over $100 a barrel.

The history of unions could be, very easily, tied in with that of the United States. When the Industrial Revolution hit, it changed the country more than anyone may have expected. Although wealth had always been created by labor, the change in working environments quickly created an even larger national gap between workers and those who benefited from their labor. It was up to the union to organize the workers into a collective force, because while

a factory could afford to lose three or four machinists, it was another thing entirely to lose several hundred.

What the right seems to forget is that it was unions that established minimum wages, eight-hour days, child labor laws and occupational safety. It’s organized action that has brought about every social change throughout history, and it’ll be collective movement that brings the “change” that everyone seems to be looking to November’s election for.

The truckers have the right to strike—no ifs, ands, or buts. Yes, it will hurt the economy; but if Congress wants to keep goods moving they’ll be forced to listen to the demands of workers and force oil companies to

slash profit margins and lower their prices. Because while banks are foreclosing on thousands of homes and a flurry of pink slips are flying around offices nationwide, Exxon Mobil is, once again, within striking distance of setting an all-time profit record.

How is it that the truckers who distribute oil are barely able to keep their machines running, while Exxon Mobil made $75,000 a minute in 2006, according to CNN? Why is everybody, from college students to retired workers, spending more money than they have on oil while the industry’s tycoons are boasting that their shareholders have never been better off?

The truckers are not only fighting for themselves but indirectly for all of us. Interest groups like AAA have tried talking to Congress, but they have little impact when seated next to the seemingly bottomless wells of money that are oil lobbyists.

Representative democracy isn’t going to bring about change fast enough, and although rioting and destroying gas stations clearly isn’t the answer, it’s time for some collective action. If Congress wants the economy to bounce back, they need to put pressure not only on oil companies but also other large corporations to begin giving back to the workers. The truck drivers seem to have the right idea: sit down, and watch oil prices drop.

5

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / OPINION

Denying Broadwater

Chalk One Up For the Environment

Abuse Claims Won’t Keep Adidas Off My Feet Sean Kittridge University of Wisconsin (The Badger Herald)

marinelog.com

Dan Ivers Opinion Editor Newly-appointed Governor of New York David Paterson has made his first big decision in the post-Spitzer era, and it’s a good one. He has recently rejected the proposal to build Broadwater—a huge liquefied natural gas plant that would float in the middle of Long Island Sound. The decision seems to have pleased quite a few people, as vocal opponents of the plant included Paterson, Conn. Governor Jodi Rell, and Conn. Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, as well as numerous environmental groups. While there’s still a possibility the decision could be overturned, it looks a lot less likely at this point.

This isn’t an issue of Paterson trying to assuage some wealthy Long Island shoreline dwellers’ concerns about their view. While plant advocates say it could provide additional low-cost energy to the area, issues raised about the plant include environmental risks, as well as the possibility that Broadwater could become a target of terrorism, not to mention the many millions spent in recent years to protect and beautify the Sound. Those are all major concerns, but this decision represents the concerns

of many that human beings’ infringement on the world around us knows no bounds.

You might think the open water would be one of the last places humans would want to develop. But that may be just the point with something like Broadwater—put one big symbol of industrial intrusion on the environment way out there in the Sound, just far enough from either shoreline to make it just a blip on the coastal horizon. That way it might be far enough from all of our minds that we won’t realize just how far we’re going to meet the perpetually-increasing demands our daily lives make on the world around us. In the ultra-developed megalopolis-land between Boston and Washington, D.C., water might be the only place left to plop something like this.

Those who suggest projects like Broadwater may mean well—more natural gas could save people some money, which is always nice, but they fail to realize the impact human activity and development has on the world around us. While I’m not a full subscriber to the theory that industrialization is causing global warming, it certainly can’t be helping. The pollution flowing from the Mississippi River has resulted in a “dead zone” in the Gulf of Mexico hundred of miles long, devoid of any sea life

(now that’s someplace for a natural gas plant).

The debate about drilling for oil in the Alaskan Wildlife Reserve continues to divide many in Washington, and hopefully the Broadwater decision and the support behind it will register there.

To a certain extent, we as a society have reached a point of no return in terms of our energy use. However, plans to develop places like the open water, where we otherwise have no business whatsoever, reflect a casual acceptance of this and an almost nihilistic view of the environment and its future. There are other ways to achieve lower cost energy, and one of them is to use less of it. If plants like these are absolutely necessary, there are other places to put them besides the middle of the water, just because it’s not anybody’s neighborhood.

Man is one of the only creatures on Earth with a sense of self, and it is approaching planetary proportions. The Earth does not exist for us; it was here before us, and I’m sure it will gladly get rid of us one day. The rejection of Broadwater grants some hope that this sentiment isn’t lost among our legislators, and it should be applauded.

(U-WIRE) -- There was no feeling of guilt as I slid on my Adidas brand shoes this morning. While tying them I didn’t stop once to think about the El Salvadorian child who labored over my cheap pieces of footwear. After all, these aren’t PF Fliers; they aren’t making me run faster. And I had the audacity to buy them from Adidas, a behemoth company screwing over its foreign employees. It had options; Nikes were one aisle over.

Fortunately, the University of Wisconsin Labor Licensing Policy Committee is working hard to keep Adidas on the straight and narrow.

As a major apparel sponsor, the company helps supply the university with necessities like athletic uniforms and shoes. But within the last two years, issues regarding the treatment of employees at a now-defunct textiles factory in El Salvador have led many to question the ethics behind our school’s agreement.

The company is said to, among many things, owe their former employees around $825,000 in pay and benefits, which is a big number to me, but hardly to Adidas. So why doesn’t Adidas just pony up and give people the money they’ve earned? They haven’t paid because they don’t have to.

I am not trying to undermine the importance of labor laws. Groups from all along the political spectrum, from the Communist Party to the Catholic Social Teachings, express the importance of the worker.

Sure, we could abandon our Adidas agreement, but one would be beyond foolish to assume companies like Nike or Reebok are giving their employees vacation time and Christmas bonuses.

The university should not allow itself to be represented by an organization refusing to pay its workers. It’s illegal, unethical and probably not good for karma. But abandoning Adidas will only result in acquiring a new contract with an equally shady company.

While reform is needed, it must come from a much bigger group than a licensing committee at a state university. Leaving Adidas won’t do us any good unless we find a viable alternative worker-conscious brand willing to step in. Besides, I don’t want to see the football team playing in hippie-hemp jerseys. They just don’t breathe well.

Corporate Welfare: The GOP’s Favorite Social Program Brian Morache Staff Writer The Republican Party has never been a big fan of “liberal” social programs, such as Head Start, social security and, of course, welfare. These are viewed as big government handouts that unfairly favor those who are either unwilling to stand on their own or expect others to pick up the pieces of their mistakes.

The exception to this attitude of Republicans towards welfare has to be in the area of business. The bailout of Bear Stearns is just the latest example of the GOP’s love affair with corporate welfare. Consider the 18 billion dollars in tax credits given to the oil industry, an industry that has for the last four years taken

in record profits while we, the consumers, continue to pay ever-increasing prices at the pump.

How about the farm subsidies given to corn farmers to develop ethanol while a weed that grows around cornfields has proven to be five times more efficient at producing ethanol than is corn? It’s something the corn industry doesn’t want anyone to know about. Whether it’s bail outs of financial corporations, tax credits to industries that don’t need them, or no-bid contracts to industries involved in the Iraq war or homeland security, Republicans just can’t help but extend a hand to big business.

When you or I make mistakes in life, we pay dearly for them (part of the supposed Republican credo of “accountability”). When big business makes poor decisions, they rely on

their Republican friends to bail them out, with the taxpayer taking on the burden while the CEOs vacation in the French Riviera. In administrations past, the Justice Department took great pride in prosecuting big businesses that broke the law. This administration, however, seems to have taken the justice out of the Justice Department when it comes to businesses. The New York Times recently reported that the administration has deferred prosecution of over 50 major corporations on charges ranging from bribery to fraud, preferring to simply allow the companies to quietly pay a fine and be subjected to a monitor. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft recently received a very lucrative contract to be one of these monitors. Meanwhile, someone who steals 20 bucks from a conve-

nience store rots in jail. It seems as though the gestures of “entitlement” Republicans constantly criticize as buoying irresponsibility among common citizens are perfectly welcome to corporate head honchos when they mismanage their own affairs.

The Bush administration hearkens back to the “gilded age” of business, that time at the turn of the twentieth century when business was left alone to do completely as it would. The result of this kind of Social Darwinism and Dual Federalism was the Great Depression. So why is it that Republicans love welfare for the wealthy, while the rest of us are on our own? It’s a very good question, one that can only be answered in the voting booth, which is one thing that we are, for once, entitled to.

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Sports

The Recorder’s NBA Playoff Preview

Sean Kinne

Projections are as of team standings on Monday night.

#1 Boston Celtics 62-16 (2-0 vs. Atlanta)

Where do you even start with this team? I mean the Boston Celtics have had the greatest turnaround in history, winning only 24 games last season. They rank third all-time in defensive efficiency, and their point differential on the season is plus 10 (100.5 points scored, 90.3 points allowed per game).

They have become the epitome of the word “team.” It is even more amazing to see three of the NBA’s highestprofile players come together and decide they will do whatever it takes to finally win a championship. After the massive trade for Kevin Garnett, they were written off as having no supporting cast whatsoever for the “Big 3.” It turns out one of their strongest suits is their bench play. In the season series, the Celtics have beaten the Hawks by scores of 106-83 and 98-88, with one game still remaining.

The Celtics overall are too much for the Hawks—I have the feeling it will be a very quick series.

#8 Atlanta Hawks 36-42 (0-2 vs. Boston)

Atlanta still doesn’t have a golden ticket to the playoffs; with four games remaining they still have to take on Boston and Orlando. They haven’t won a game against Boston thus far, mostly because they are completely outclassed and just cannot match up. Veterans Mike Bibby and former Celtic Joe Johnson do a good job of leading the team of youthful Hawks. Young talents Josh Smith and Marvin Williams will keep developing in the future, which is what they need to look forward to in the end, seeing as they have no chance at beating Boston in a seven-game series.

#2 Detroit Pistons

#3 Orlando Magic

If it were any other season, the Detroit Pistons would be ranked first in the league for most team defensive categories. Instead, they are only worse than the historic defense the Celtics have shown. They are all about defense and points off turnovers. Lead by Chauncey Billups, Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince, they like to run the court being extremely scrappy in the process. One of the scrappiest players is sixth man Jason Maxiell, who ignites his team by hitting the boards hard with in-your-face defense and backboard-breaking dunks. They also have power forward Rasheed Wallace, who can hit the three-ball at any point, making it hard for opposition to defend him one-onone. The Pistons are an all-around good team with tons of playoff experience. The two wins vs. Toronto were blowouts, with Rip Hamilton lighting them up for 22 and 39 points. Their only loss to Toronto came when Hamilton did not play, hint hint.

It has always been said that if you want to make any noise in the regular season and playoffs, you need a dominant center. Well, the Orlando Magic is case-and-point for that. This is the second year in a row they’ve made the playoffs, now the third seed in the East compared to eighth last year. Most of the credit can be given to arguably the best center in the NBA and possibly the most athletic center to ever step foot on an NBA court: Dwight Howard.

This massive man-child dominates the glass. He has become a nightly 20-20 threat after adding new post moves over the off-season. Turkey-born Hedo Turkoglu has really come into his own this season, with career highs in scoring, rebounding and assists, along with proving he can hit the big shot at the end of the game. To beat Philly, they’re going to have to play better perimeter defense and give up less than their 99 ppg against average.

55-23 (2-1 vs. Toronto)

#7 Toronto Raptors 39-39 (1-2 vs. Detroit)

Toronto has definitely moved on from the days of big names like Vince Carter and Tracy McGrady. Now there is one name you need to know in Toronto: Chris Bosh. The lanky power forward has made a name for himself as one of the best in the league. He can dominate in the post, step out for a twenty-footer or kick it out to his teammates Jason Kopono, Anthony Parker or Jose Calderon, who round off the best three-point shooting team in the NBA. They have faltered down the stretch, going 7-15 in their last 22 games and falling all the way to seventh place. If they can just shoot up to their potential, though, with Bosh getting offensive rebounds on the few misses they make, they can beat anyone in the East. That’s just what they’re going to have to do against the Pistons if they want to have any chance of moving on. Oh, and try to shut down Rip Hamilton somehow…

49-29 (3-1 vs. Philadelphia)

#6 Philadelphia 76ers 40-38 (1-3 vs. Orlando)

You’d think they were going downhill when they traded Allen Iverson to the Denver Nuggets; instead, it gave another A.I. the chance to step up and be the man.

Andrea Iguodala is that man, scoring 20 a game with five rebounds, five assists and two steals on the season. He is one of the most exciting players to watch in the NBA right now. Another key player for the Sixers is the man they got for Allen Iverson, Andre Miller, who has become the veteran leader on a very young, talented team. Iguodala needs some help creating turnovers the way they did in their win over Orlando earlier in the season when the Magic had 20 give-aways if they want to move on to the next round.

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / SPORTS

WESTERN CONFERENCE

#1 New Orleans Hornets

#3 San Antonio Spurs

Being a Celtics fan myself, it’s obvious I’d like to see Kevin Garnett get the MVP award; but how can you argue with the stats of Chris Paul? I mean, honestly, the guy frequently dishes 15 or more assists (20 twice) while scoring 30 points at the same time. David West and Tyson Chandler are having career years right now, undoubtedly due to Paul’s ability to attract defenders and then find a way to get them the ball. Peja Stojakovic is having a comeback year, finally staying healthy and shooting 45 percent from behind the arc. The Hornets cannot let the Nuggets reach 100 points if they want to move on; in two season series wins they only let-up 93 and 88.

The Spurs always seem to be in the mix with the way they play textbook defense every year. Two-time MVP and future Hall-of-Famer Tim Duncan has a throwback style of playing the game that is wonderful to see. Manu Ginobili comes off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 19.5 points per game, while retrieving five rebounds, dishing five dimes and accumulating 1.5 steals a game as well. He also shoots better than 40 percent from behind the arc, along with Brent Barry and Bruce Bowen, giving them a well-balanced game inside and out. Don’t forget about Tony Parker, either—he’ll hurt you in a hurry. The key for the Spurs in winning this series against Phoenix is keeping it a half-court game, not allowing the Suns to run the court and playing that amazing defense that has won them four titles since 1999.

55-23 (2-1 vs. Denver)

#8 Denver Nuggets 48-31 (1-2 vs. New Orleans)

Can someone please explain to me how two defensive monsters like Kenyon Martin (6.5 rebounds/1.25 steals/1.2 blocks) and Marcus Camby (13.3 rebounds/1 steal/3.5 blocks) can be part of a team giving up 101 points per game? It could be a lack of effort on that side of the court from their teammates, or it could also be that they are too tired from scoring 110 points per game to play D. Either way, this team is very dangerous with Iverson and Carmelo Anthony averaging about 26 points a night and swing man J.R. Smith hitting 40 percent from three-point land. If Denver can go out and shoot lights out, with Martin and Camby hitting the offensive boards, they can be pretty hard to beat. Not to mention the amount of turnovers they create, with four starters averaging one or more a game.

#2 Los Angeles Lakers 54-25 (3-1 vs. Dallas)

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers 43-35 (1-2 vs. Washington)

I’m not sure too many people would argue with me in saying that Lebron James is the best basketball player currently walking the earth. He has shut every critic up who said he couldn’t finish off games by absolutely dominating fourth quarters this year. It’s very possible King James will soon be the first player to average a triple-double on a season since Oscar Robertson; all he needs is a better supporting cast to actually win something. Well, the Cleveland front office gave their best effort in doing so this season, acquiring Delonte West, Ben Wallace, Joe Smith and Wally Szczerbiak. Along with role players Daniel Gibson and Anderson Varejao, hopefully these additions will give them the edge they need to get past the Celtics or Pistons in the Eastern Conference Finals. That is, of course, if they can turn around their 1-2 regular season record against Washington once playoffs come around.

#5 Washington Wizards 41-37 (2-1 vs. Cleveland)

Before the season even began most analysts wrote off the Wizards when Gilbert Arenas went down last season with a knee injury and did not return until just recently.

One thing, though: They’re better now than they ever were with him. Antawn Jamison is a beast, scoring 21 points, 10 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. The same goes for Caron Butler, who is having the best all-around year of his career with 20.5 points, seven rebounds, five assists and 2.2 steals per game. This team certainly isn’t shy on the offensive end of the court—it’s the other end that has always given them problems, giving up 99 ppg, the third worst among playoff qualifying teams. If they want to move on to the second round of the playoffs, they need to do what they do best: score, a lot. The Cavs do give up a lot of points, but they better find someone to contain Lebron in the fourth quarter.

As hateable a person Kobe Bryant is, you can’t help but love his ability to play basketball. He wanted to prove that he can actually win a championship without the Shaquille O’Neal. Well, this is the best opportunity to do so. The role players are stepping up around him in Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom. Andrew Bynum was having a breakout season before he got hurt, but he’ll be back for the playoffs. They also have one of the top benches in the NBA with hotshot three-point shooters Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic and energy-boosters Luke Walton and Ronnie Turiaf. This series will be just as exciting to watch as the season series was, with three games decided by four points or less, one being in overtime. For the Lakers to pull it off, they need to hop on the shoulders of the man who has carried them this far and see where he takes them.

#7 Dallas Mavericks 50-29(1-3 vs. Los Angeles)

After one of the most historic collapses in playoff history by a number-one seed, the Mavericks have something to prove this year. They have re-added veteran and future Hall-of-Famer Jason Kidd to try to push them ahead of the field toward the end of the season. It hasn’t amounted to much yet, but the constant triple-double threat of Kidd might come in handy come the playoffs. Josh Howard has shown what he can do on the court this year for an aging Mavs team. This could be one of the final opportunities for Jerry Stackhouse, Kidd and Dirk Nowitzki to win one. I guess you can’t really call it an upset since they are just four games behind the Lakers; but if they want to move on this year, there is one main thing they must do: shut down Kobe. If they can put enough pressure on him to force him to take bad shots and make turnovers, they have a fighting chance.

53-25 (1-2 vs. Phoenix)

#6 Phoenix Suns 53-26 (2-1 vs. San Antonio)

Speaking of two-time MVP’s, Phoenix has one of their own in Steve Nash, who has once again stepped-up his play, shooting a ridiculous 48 percent from three-point land while handing out 11 assists a game. He is absolutely the key to the high tempo offense of Phoenix. With the acquisition of the former MVP, Shaq from the Heat, Amare Stoudemire now gets to show his dominance against players his own size in the power forward slot. Even though Shaq is not nearly as dominant as he once was, you can’t deny the fact that wherever he goes, he wins. When you put those three together with role players Leandro Barbosa and Boris Diaw, along with defensive stopper Raja Bell, you’ve got a hell of a combination for success. Now all they need to do is score any way they can against one of the best defenses around. If you remember last year, this matchup was extremely rough and scrappy; with emotions running high, it makes for some great basketball.

#4 Utah Jazz

52-27 (1-1 vs. Houston)

Just as your memories of John Stockton and Karl Malone running the pick-and-roll play to perfection start to fade, here come Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer to bring them right back to the forefront. Big men Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko are able to step out and hit the three, which keeps opposing defenses very spread, allowing Deron to penetrate or dish the ball. They are almost unbeatable at home this season, but they are an alarming 17-23 on the road. Needless to say, if they want any chance of moving deep into the playoffs, they need to be able to pull off wins on the road.

#5 Houston Rockets 53-25 (1-1 vs. Utah)

Things were going great for the Houston Rockets; Yao Ming was leading the team in points and rebounding, taking the lead role with Tracy McGrady having health issues all season long. So, of course, Yao goes down for the season, and at that point they could have declared their season over. Instead, they strap down and play some of the best defense in the league, keeping them in every game.

They even had a 22-game win streak at one point. Tracy McGrady did what he could when Yao went down, knowing his team needed him, but the plays of Rafer Alston and Shane Battier and bench players Luis Scola, Luther Head and Chuck Hayes are what really gave the Rockets the boost they needed to make it to the playoffs. The key in winning this series is keeping the Jazz from scoring their 106 points per game in Utah; those away wins become more important when you factor in the way the Jazz haven’t been able to find much success on the road.

8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / SPORTS

Never Forget Peter Collin Sports Editor

After Almost Losing His Life, Men’s Soccer Head Coach Shaun Green Came out Reinvigorated to Win

It has been a long journey for CCSU men’s soccer Head Coach Shaun Green. Beyond his soccer endeavors, he has overcome many things to get to this point in his career and he has little time to slow down during the off-season.

He has to spend his large amounts of time traveling and recruiting to find new talent for his team. Sometimes it involves flying across the Atlantic to his roots in England. Men’s Blue Devil soccer pulls much of its talent from beyond American borders. Almost 40 percent of the team was born outside the United States.

This past soccer season Green’s team enjoyed more success than any other team in CCSU history, going on an unlikely run to an NEC Conference Championship and then all the way to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA soccer tournament, upsetting the 12th and 9 th ranked teams in the nation along the way.

“I rested for two weeks, but then I really got back on the band wagon recruiting again,” said Green.

Rest for Green isn’t exactly what you would call rest. He updates his personal Blue Devil Web site dedicated to his current and former players. It is always a work in progress, getting new updates all the time as Green finds new film of old games, and tracking player development.

Plus, he founded the International Coaches Association (ICA) whose Web site is the largest coaching site in the world.

But it isn’t just the recent success of the team that makes Coach Green so dedicated to his passion.

Two years ago he suffered a massive heart attack that nearly killed him.

It was Sunday, April 24, 2006 when Green awoke at 12:30 a.m. with what he described as a linebacker sitting on his chest. He had just come home from a week long recruitment trip in England and had problems breathing since his return.

Green knew he was in trouble.

He had recently decided to get certified in performing CPR with his 15-year-old son Kenneth so they could be ready for any potential trouble with their pool.

They had taught him how to recognize the signs of a heart attack and now Green could see he needed help. His wife Laurie quickly called for an ambulance and through a driving rain they rushed him to Southington Hospital.

“I just said to the surgeon, I was thinking about my three little boys at home, I just said, ‘Don’t let me die.’

As soon as I said that I was gone,” said Green.

The last thing he remembered was the surgeon reaching to grab something. It was the defibrillator and after four attempts they managed to get a faint heart beat.

It was while he was recovering in the hospital that he decided it was

Coach Green celebrating with his team last season.

The Blue Devils return home from the NCAA Tournament last fall. time to take some things a little more seriously than he previously had.

“We’ve had success here with the team, we’ve had some down years. But I decided to give it a go,” said Green. “Because my philosophy ‘Oh there’s always another season, there’s always another weekend, there’s always another Christmas, there’s always another opportunity’ but I don’t think that way anymore.”

His office floor is littered with old photos of former players, friends and family, displaced by his most recent and most recent and noteworthy coaching accomplishment.

Large framed photos of his victories at Monmouth University for the NEC Championship and the first ever NCAA Tournament victories for a CCSU men’s sports team adorn his walls.

Green is constantly reminded of his life-threatening experience.

Like many heart attack victims he wears a pacemaker to monitor his heart. It is situated on his chest like a badge commemorating a battle won.

It is a continuous symbol to never forget how he got where he is today.

“For me everyday is like 10 days. I use it kinda as a metaphor for everything I do now,” said Green. “I

went to the gas station this morning and filled up my tank half-full. I do that on purpose.”

“Not because I can’t afford to fill a full tank up. I do it because I don’t presume that I’m going to be around long enough to use that full tank,” he said.

That event led Green to push himself and his team harder during the subsequent off-season.

“Every recruit this was my pitch, ‘We’re going to do three things this season: we’re going to win a conference championship, we’re going to create some noise in the NCAA tournament and we’re going to finish in the top 25 in the country,’” said Green.

“And we achieved all those goals.”

But for the first half of the 2007 season it looked as though the Blue Devils would accomplish none of those goals. The team sat in a desperate position of 2-8-1. The one tie was a victory that was overturned by an NCAA rules interpreter who approved a challenge levied by the coach of Fairleigh Dickinson University.

Undaunted, Green pushed his team to go undefeated in the final seven games of the regular season finishing with an 8-8-2 record to squeak into the playoffs.

Photos by Conrad Akier / The Recorder

“I’m sitting there thinking, ‘how could I be so far off the mark?’” said Green. “It was really a big validation at the end of the season to have the season we had.”

This off-season is no different from last for Green. He is still pushing hard for new recruits and new sponsors to help develop his team.

The traveling has eased a little with certain budget restrictions, but he still makes the drive to local area schools to check players out and the Internet is a tool he has openly embraced.

“Soccer always was a passion for me. I love soccer. I love working with the kids. I’m at my happiest when I’m on the coaching field,” said Green.

“We’ve come a long way with this program. A long way. I feel that we’ve really put Central Connecticut on the map in terms of soccer this year. I want to see us stay on that map and I want to see us move forward,” he said.

It takes a lot for Green to look into the future. He likes to say that he doesn’t work so he can live, but instead he’ll live so he can work. But even with his live for today motto he is steady and determined in his preparation for tomorrow.

Blue Devils Go Stag Hunting, Take Down Fairfield for Sixth Straight Win Peter Collin Sports Editor

Blue Devils Fairfield

5 1

The CCSU Blue Devils (9-11) played efficient baseball this week, as four pitchers combined to limit the Fairfield Stags (8-19) to one run and six hits for a 5-1 victory.

Led by junior Brett Chachko, Central pitchers combined on a six hitter, confining the Stags to one run while six different Blue Devils contributed for nine Central hits.

“You know the kids are feeling a little bit good about themselves, and it’s always neat to get a lot of contributions from a lot of different places,” said Head Coach Charlie Hickey.

The Blue Devils managed to get on the board first in the third inning.

Sophomore Scott Intravaia started off the inning with a single through the right side and quickly advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt by freshman Sean Miller-Jones.

Junior Casey Walko then grounded a hard single up the middle to drive in Intravaia and give the Blue Devils a 1-0 lead.

Two batters later, senior Jak Kidd lined an opposite field double to drive in the first of his two RBIs of the night.

Central would get one more run off of Fairfield starter Rick Picirillo in the third inning. After striking out sophomore Kyle Zarotney, Picirillo surrendered a base hit to freshman Pat Epps.

After a fly-out, Intravaia lined a single to center field that was bobbled, allowing Epps to score all the way from first.

Central would add two more insurance runs in the seventh inning.

The first three Blue Devils reached base to start the inning, and after a pop-out to the Stags’ short stop, Kidd worked a walk for his second RBI of the game and his team, leading 18 for the season.

After a pitching change, MillerJones added a sacrifice fly to make the score a comfortable 5-0 as the Blue Devils’ pitching cruised for most of the game.

It was Chachko’s first start of the season, and he pitched efficiently in three innings of work. He allowed only one hit while striking out one and walking none.

Junior Taylor Kosakowski followed Chachko with two and twothirds scoreless innings before running into trouble in the sixth inning when he loaded the bases after recording the first two outs.

In came sophomore Chris Chagnon, who struck out Stags’ catcher Mike Weiner. Chagnon would pitch two more scoreless innings before giving way to sophomore Jordan Allen, who allowed one run on one hit and one walk to close out the game.

“What we got this past weekend in terms of our starting pitching— that doesn’t happen every week,” said Hickey, adding that he thought pitchers Chachko and Kosakoswksi earned confidence for future games. “There are going to be some important innings come Friday, come Sunday,

where that we may need to get five outs.”

The Blue Devils also split a four game set against Mount St. Mary’s over the weekend, losing the first two games 8-9 and 5-2 before salvaging the last two games by scores of 5-2 and 12-3.

Matt Gianini earned the first Central victory, winning the night cap of Saturday’s double-header 5-2.

Gianini threw a complete game eighthitter, striking out three and walking none.

Junior Shaun Parker’s two-run single in the top of the third gave the Blue Devils a commanding 4-0 lead which was all Gianini would need to run his record to 4-2 on the season.

Sophomore Anthony Scialdone was the star of the Sunday finale.

Scialdone drove in five runs on the day, three of which came during a seven-run third inning when he socked a three-run double to clear the bases. Freshman Sean MillerJones also added his first career home run, a solo shot with none on and two outs in the ninth.

The Blue Devils also received a solid pitching effort from senior John Tesseyman who allowed nine hits and three runs, two earned, during his complete game victory.

Tesseyman struck out two in the game and is now 3-3 on the season.

The next series for the Blue Devils will be against the Monmouth Hawks, starting with a single contest on Friday, April 18 at 3:00 p.m., followed by a Saturday double-header starting at noon and ending with a single game at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday.

Photo by Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder All four games will be played at Jak Kidd takes a swing against Fairfield. He leads the team with 18 Muzzy Field in Bristol.

RBIs.

9

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Photos by Edward Gaug / The Recorder

Folly’s Last Stand Edward Gaug Entertainment Editor Folly, the New Jersey-based Ska-Core (read: a mix of ska and hardcore) band played its last show in the state of Connecticut and thirdto-last show ever this past Friday night. Lead singer Jon Tummillo thanked the crowd of nearly 500 between almost every song, calling Connecticut the band’s second home.

It would be an understatement to say the band went out with a bang; they completely tore the Wallingford Knights of Columbus down to its foundation. Folly will be forever missed in the Connecticut music scene.

10 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Entertainment

Sadly, I cannot think of the last band I listened to that came from the land down under. I know that Australia has a pretty solid music scene, but it escapes me to think of another band, other than Cut Copy, that calls the island home.

Unlike some bands that instantly are categorized by the land they call home, Cut Copy displays no obvious signs of being something different than a normal indie-dance rock band that you would find in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

Cut Copy’s best aspect is hands down its beats, whether they are trippy, like the ones used for the song “Out There On the Ice” or more ’80s-esque like the Michael Jacksonsounding samples on “Nobody Lost, Nobody Found.” Dan Whitford’s vocals blend perfectly with the mixture of electronic samples, and the steady snare and bass play from Mitchell Scott.

Unlike a lot of albums that fit into this dance rock subgenre, Cut Copy strays away from the typical overuse of cymbals and overthe-top synthesizer lines, leaving them with a stronger instrumental basis to stand on, which proves to be successful for the Aussie trio. At 15 tracks, In Ghost Colours seems longer than most other albums I have reviewed recently that could quickly be lumped together with Cut Copy, but with enough contrast from track to track, the album flies by and eventually ends without warning. There is no slowing down as the record comes to end and leaves the listener on a pretty high note.

If you are solely looking for a single from Cut Copy, you should look no further than the album’s lead-off track, “Feel the Love.” While it’s kind of a cop-out to make the record’s first track a single, this one is hands down the best offered on In Ghost Colours. The song doesn’t come off as being too poppy or too weird to dance to, but at the same time it isn’t boring by any means. It uses all of Cut Copy’s tools in perfect order.

If you need to find a great show in the next month, I nominate Cut Copy and Black Kids for their show at Paradise in Boston on May 12.

Think of it as a great escape from finals.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Cut Copy In Ghost Colours

On their first release, Broken Boy Soldiers, The Raconteurs provided a semi-entertaining mishmash of rock and balladry that seemed a bit safe, given the track record of its most popular member Jack White, and grew boring after a couple of listens because of its mostly-generic song writing (especially on the slower tracks). It was merely an acceptable outing that found White toning his large personality and distinct voice down in favor of the band, and most of the album’s songs lacked a certain clout because of it. The group’s new album, Consolers of the Lonely, was a surprise release, dropped with almost no warning or marketing—which is too bad, because it’s much better.

On the new release, White seems to have finally taken reign of the band, lending his powerful strut to other lead singer/songwriter Brendan Benson’s knack for getting a little cornballish. This shift in the group’s sound gives them more of an edge and allows for the other members, including Benson, to free themselves up and have a little fun—as if simply listening to White gives them the panache to do a little strutting of their own. Many of the album’s thirteen tracks sound like full band cuts of a White Stripes release (a welcome for those who wish that the White Stripes were actually a full band), and though the influence of the blues isn’t as apparent as it is on White Stripes albums, the songs still manage to find a rock sound that was nowhere to be found in their first set of songs.

Still, the main flaw for The Raconteurs remains in its softer ballads. Although some have moments of brilliance, such as the end of “You Don’t Understand Me,” they continue to bog down an otherwise-consistent outing. It is in the real rock that the band shines the most. The first two songs, title track “Consoler of the Lonely” and “Salute Your Solution,” are stompheavy rockers that feature interesting beat

The Raconteurs Consolers of the Lonely

changes when least expected, infusing some experimentation in the group’s typical sound, while “Rich Kid Blues” finds White returning to his blues-rock roots. The album’s best and final track, “These Stones Will Shout,” is a slowbuilding burner that tells the story of a boy who has a murderous vendetta out against his mother’s boyfriend. White’s voice shakes and screeches as the story arrives at its bloody climax, and the band reaches a level only hinted at on Broken Boy Soldiers.

This last song illustrates just how much The Raconteurs have evolved their sound and, more importantly, their song-writing since their first effort, offering a more solid outing on Consolers of the Lonely. Though the album loses momentum with a few softer tracks and it certainly doesn’t break any new ground in the rock scene, it’s a promising follow-up to a less than promising debut that shows a band finding its niche and finally having some fun.

Peter Decoteau / Staff Writer I have always heard The Futureheads’ name thrown around when talking music with other people, but I never took the time to listen to what this UK band had to offer. While it wasn’t a huge mistake waiting till now, it’s also not a huge deal that I finally got around to hearing them.

Playing a mixture of toned-down punkrock and slightly aboveaverage indie-rock, these Brits took a combination that could have proven to be exciting and mellowed it to the point where it’s just not interesting to listen to.

Barry Hyde, the band’s front man, has a voice that remains on the pop side of punk, and his British drawl is prominent throughout the album. If the album was harder and fast, it could have brought back memories of bands like Sex Pistols and Buzzcocks, but This is Not the World rocks more like a lamer version of Psychedelic Furs.

The record’s 12 tracks all blend together upon first listen, and even after another listen, they don’t seem to separate enough to make them feel distinct. Hyde’s monotonous voice seems almost as a second thought on a lot of the songs, despite the instrumentals not being very good, either. The album really lacks anything special that would make it stand out from any other indie band toting their goods today.

With a lot of boring choruses and tamed vocals, tracks like the album’s namesake, “This is Not the World,” play way to conservative and forget that punk needs to rock in order to be successful. A shot of adrenaline and a kick in the ass could do a lot for these guys and, subsequently, their music.

While I never consider myself the final decision when it comes to how good or bad music is, I am confident that The Futureheads won’t be blaring through any radio speakers in the upcoming months. With so many other great albums this week, it won’t kill you to skip over this album and save yourself the 39 minutes you will never get back.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

The Futureheads This is Not the World

After waiting for nearly seven months, the final two installments of Thrice’s four-piece concept album, Air and Earth, have been released and they are recorded in true Thrice fashion.

This is no-frills rock that remains extremely technical without having to use any flash.

Volume III: Air starts off with “Broken Lungs,” a slower, more precise version of Thrice that more resembles Dustin Kensrue’s solo project from January 2007.

There is no screaming to be found, just solid rhythm drumming by Riley Breckenridge, faded guitar lines from Teppei Teranishi and, of course, Kensrue’s outstanding vocals, seeming almost distorted and grainy to give the recording a false sense of age.

Like “Broken Lungs,” the next five tracks on Air follow a lot of the same viewpoints, keeping true to the album’s concept of the four elements. “The Sky is Falling” is the only song that

Thrice Seventh The Alchemy Index: Volume III & IV: Air and Earth

really resembles any of Thrice’s prior sound, and even now, it seems subdued and matured.

While this half of the album is good, it is quickly outdone by Volume IV: Earth.

Earth is Thrice’s biggest departure from their original sound, swapping electric guitars and drums for acoustic guitar strums and piano lines. The recording is so bare-bones and organic that you can even hear Kensrue tapping his feet while playing. Melancholy is the best way to describe the fourth part of the Alchemy Index. The lyrical content is on the darker side, even for Thrice, and it hits the listener much harder due to the pure intimacy of the recording.

Thrice really shows off their musical ability on the album and it shows that the band is more than the guitar screeching, lyric shouting, post-hardcore band that they were originally thought of when they released Artist in the Ambulance. If you find yourself enjoying acoustic solo acts, then it would really benefit you to give Earth a listen to—you will never regret it.

While I had high expectations for Air and Earth after hearing the first two volumes in October, I never thought Thrice would surprise me with what I consider their best material todate.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor Another week and another band I discover because I was looking for shows to go to in the area. Foals, a five-piece dance rock outfit out of Oxford, England, is on their way to taking over the already-crowded dance-rock scene with their debut album Antidotes.

While some people are comparing Foals’ sound to acts like Battles or Bloc Party, I think they bring a new, unique sound to the table and are aspiring to make music fun again, after lead singer Yannis Philippakis and band mate Jack Bevan split up their last project because things were becoming “too serious.”

Words will not be able to do Antidotes justice, but since it’s my job I will give it a shot.

Foals takes everything you like about dance music and combines it with upbeat, British-tinged vocals that don’t try to hide the band’s background. “The French Open,” the album’s first track, introduces the listener to Foals’ distinct obsession with making solid, jazz-infused beats that are joined by a prominent tom and bass drum line until Philippakis’ vocals ring about a minute into the track. While this particular song is light on the vocals, the rest of the album uses them more traditionally.

“Cassius” brings out the band’s single-best track with a head-nodding set of instrumentals that play nicely with the more prevalent vocals.

While the lyrical material isn’t over-the-top intelligent, it doesn’t play dumb either. The band does a good job at telling a four-minute story with a few chant choruses thrown into the mix throughout the record.

The thing that really stands out as being different from most other dance rock albums is the length of the songs. While most dance tunes have severe A.D.D. and only last two minutes, Foals stretches its tracks out to a legitimate four or five minutes. The songs have great flow, so don’t worry about them feeling stretched out or forced.

Outside of Philippakis’ handsome vocals, the band’s drumming is amazing. It’s not incredibly technical like a European death-metal band, but it is catchy with just the right amount of pop flair to keep you moving throughout the entire playtime. If you don’t mind driving, you can see these guys at the Middle East Downstairs in Cambridge, Mass. on May 6.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Foals Antidotes

I volunteered to review Muse thinking that I was going to listen to a new-wave Pink Floyd, as someone convinced me they were; well, that someone was wrong. Muse is a prog-rock band from the UK not laudable of being compared to Pink Floyd. To be clear, Pink Floyd is a genre all their own.

Half of H.A.A.R.P was boring; the other half was funky fresh, and some parts severely constipated me and made me wish I was deaf.

This record is comprised of songs off their other five albums. As for H.A.A.R.P being a live CD, the recordings weren’t that bad; actually, they were better than most.

Muse H.A.A.R.P

Matthew Bellamy, the band’s vocalist, guitarist and keyboardist, has a high-pitched voice that goes great with their overall electronic, crazy, “I’m on acid” sound. Dominic Howard’s percussions are great, especially accompanied with the bassist, Christopher Wolstenholme.

Come to find, Bellamy is probably the most interesting part of Muse.

“H.A.A.R.P” stands for High Frequency Active Auroral Research Program,” 411mania. com, claims. “This program shoots a signal directly into the ionosphere to understand the natural processes and how it affects the radio signal. Since frontman Matthew Bellamy is heavily into conspiracy theories, he has suspicions about the program’s true plans.”

Bellamy is also into UFO’s and the apocalypse and seems like an awesome guy to have weird conversations with, making him right up my alley. His strange interests are definitely influential upon Muse’s lyrics, with lines like “Glaciers melting in the dead of night / And the superstars sucked into the supermassive.”

The CD also comes with a DVD of their sold-out performance from Wembley Stadium.

Although I did not check it out, the photos, along with what I have read about them online, show them to be pretty kick-ass in concert, with psychedelic lighting effects and the whole shabang (maybe their only real Pink Floyd-like trait).

When I first listened to Muse, I thought I had never heard of them before. But I vaguely recall drunkenly dancing to “Supermassive Black Hole” once, Matrix-style. Where that was, the world may never know. Chances are you’ve probably heard them at least once in passing; and chances are they were better on the dance floor under the beautiful spell of Tequila, while not caring what tomorrow may bring.

Stephanie Bergeron / Photo Editor

Neva Dinova You May Already be Dreaming

Everything I have read about Neva Dinova has focused on the band’s slow tempo and overall mellow demeanor. To say that Neva’s music is slow would be a complete understatement. You May Already Be Dreaming has become the most truthful album title I have ever seen as I struggle to keep my eyes from closing while I type.

I always enjoy a band that I know would make perfect music for the playlist that streams from my computer speakers as I try to fall asleep, and Neva Dinova plays the part to a tee. Even though Jake Bellows’ vocals are soothing, they can be enjoyed by the wide-awake just as much as the crowd gearedup to take a nap.

Bellows’ voice takes a note from Sam Beam of Iron and Wine in being the deep, mature voice that goes perfectly with a slow, folky album, giving the listener a perfect soundtrack for day dreaming as much as it would work perfectly for a small dinner party with your friends.

This is the essence of mood music, I guess.

The thing that amazes me about Neva Dinova is the fact that at any time during the album, there can be three separate guitarists strumming along and they all play flawlessly, not leaving any evidence of multiple axmen.

The coherence between all of the band members make for a near-flawless album, even though I was hoping for a Conor Oberst appearance, due to Bellows’ previous work with Bright Eyes on Cassadaga.

All of the album’s songs flow into each other with little transition, except for the few parts that call to front electric guitars, like on the track “Clouds,” where acoustic guitars could have easily taken their place. While most of the album plays out pretty mellow, there are a couple parts that sound a little harder, but not to the extent of alienating themselves.

While Neva Dinova will have their name tethered to the Saddle Creek label for the next few months, it is easy to look past the obvious emo comparisons to hear the classic rock inspirations that float throughout the entire 42 minutes of music. Whether you like Bright Eyes or The Beatles, you will be able to pick and choose the things in You May Already Be Dreaming to enjoy, but I suggest taking it in as a whole.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

11

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Surfer-Savior Worth a Second Look Peter Decoteau Staff Writer He came from Cincinnati (or so said his ID), with the intention to both fill the void that was left in Tony Soprano’s wake and, I’m pretty sure, to confuse the shit out of me. Creator David Milch (Deadwood) couldn’t have asked for a better jumping-off point for his new show, “John from Cincinnati”, which premiered directly after the mind-melting “Sopranos” finale. Despite the prime slot, the show’s fate was decided mere weeks into its run: it was to finish out the season and then fade away into the realm of cancelled TV shows that no one gives a shit about. Fortunately for us, I gave a shit, and it was just released on DVD after months of existing in TV limbo, ready to confuse you into giving a shit, too.

It is, on the surface, simply a narrative about three generations of a famous surfing family, the Yosts, all of whom are experiencing spiritual and emotional crises, as well as the mysterious John, who shows up one day and blows minds. John is like an alien being; he makes things appear in his pockets by will, doesn’t know what “taking a dump” is and seems to change everything and everyone around him. The show, which is steeped in religious allusions, presents him as a sort of God-like figure, perhaps as the actual God, the second coming of Jesus Christ (J.C. – John from Cincinnati – coincidence?), or even as the Devil, and that becomes the driving force of intrigue for viewers. Also, the youngest member of the Yost family seems to carry with him his own Christ-like characteristics, and the dynamics between him and John are some of the most weirdly mesmerizing scenes of the entire program. Without going into too many details, I can safely say that crazy shit happens, and the viewers are continually left to ponder exactly who John really is, what he came for, whether he’s good or bad and just what the hell is going on.

If anything, “John from Cincinnati” is a perfect contradiction. It’s mostly plot-less and mundane, yet extremely intelligent and profound. It’s confusing but simple: the show has moments of superb act-

To Ruin Your Life at the Age of 21 Edward Gaug Entertainment Editor Last issue I did a small list of different ways to kill some time on the Internet. This week I wanted to be a little bit more serious and give all of you some keys on how not to ruin your college life. While a few of these have directly affected the people close to me, it’s not too late for you to avoid them.

World of Warcraft

There is something about this game that brings out the worst in people. I don’t know if it’s the fact that it costs a pretty large sum of money to play WOW every month, not to mention all the time you have to spend glued to your computer chair going on raids and building your characters up.

While some people can escape this game’s devilish grasp and sell their previous Warcraft possessions for profit, others will remain too concentrated on their Paladin to notice they spent their 34th birthday guzzling Mountain Dew in their parent’s basement. ing and incendiary writing, as well as some horrible scenes of cardboard dialogue. Mostly, it was the best and most ambitious show of its television season and it deserved to have a large following, but nobody watched.

Blame it on the creators and writers for assuming that an existential show about the nature of religion, life and how we all get our “highs” would bode well in the American TV market. Even the usually flexible HBO viewers couldn’t get into it, and I’ll admit that it takes a few episodes to “get” what’s going on – but so do most shows worth watching. By the end of the third episode, though, the atmospheric production and sublimely meticulous structure finally comes into focus, and the show can be taken for what it is and what it is not. It is not a typical TV show, but was instead created to expand the

hbo.com

boundaries and formulaic ideas of what a TV show could actually be.

Like a David Lynch film or, more appropriately, “The Sopranos” before it, “John from Cincinnati” existed to break all the rules of narrative and instead express a wholly original, almost surreal production that rewards intelligence, attention to detail and actual analytic thought from the audience, not just mindless zoning-out.

Sounds pretentious, doesn’t it?

Well, to be sure, it is. It’s also confusing, frustrating, existential stuff that happens to be damn good.

Contradictions abound and some questions are never answered, but it’s fiercely sharp for American television (or any, for that matter), and definitely good enough to at least give a shit about.

The Ruins Ruined My Saturday Night Samantha Sullivan Copy Editor Stephen King described bestseller Scott Smith’s second novel, “The Ruins,” as “the equivalent of a triple axel that just misses perfection because something’s wrong with the final spin,” saying, in his review of the book on Amazon.com, “It’s the trappings of horror and suspense that will make the book a best seller, but its claim to literature lies in its unflinching naturalism.” It may seem like the undisputed King of Horror was dissing Smith’s work, but he actually loved it; and though I hate to question him, I can’t help but wonder if Mr. King would feel the same about the movie, which Ben Stiller’s production company bought the rights to and produced with a little-known Director named Carter Smith.

The Ruins is a story about four American travelers on vacation in Mexico. Alongside the pool at their resort one day, Amy (Jena Malone, Donny Darko), Eric (Shawn Ashmore, the X-Men series), Jeff (Jonathon Tucker, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre [2003 version]) and Stacy (Laura Ramsey, Lords of Dogtown) meet a German traveler named Mathias (Joe Anderson, Across the Universe), who offers to take them with him and his friend Dimitri to see ancient Mayan ruins at a site “off the map.” The quartet stupidly agrees to go, which the audience always knows is a bad idea but, of course, the characters are never smart enough to figure it out soon enough. They should have known

Five Ways

there might be trouble when they had to pay a local $20 to drive a yellow pickup truck with the word “Taxi” roughly painted on its doors to the area on their map, which was so far from civilization that no one could hear them scream. And scream they would. Upon arriving, a few Mayan men with guns, bows and arrows trap the group at the base of the ruins, screaming at them in a language they obviously don’t understand. When Dimitri steps forward, the real nature of the movie is revealed, and the blood doesn’t stop running from here.

I would say that this movie was great, everything I expected and more, but it wasn’t. Sadly, instead of the good-ol’ scares I was looking for, I got gore, blood, limbs, blood, knives, broken bones and more blood. Not that I don’t enjoy my share of blood, but I think there were enough unexpected blood-filled scenes to last me a few months. The gore was almost on a Saw level, although you don’t actually see as much as you know actually occurs; dare I say, there may have been too much in this movie, but I guess that’s what Smith was kind of going for. Other downfalls: you can basically predict the storyline sceneby-scene; it moves along quite slowly; nothing is every really explained; the ending is cliché; and Joe Anderson’s character dies. On the plus side, there are a couple of short, shocking moments – two, I think, that made me cover my eyes or jump in my seat, and one that made me say “I know that guy from…” (Remember the begin-

Country Music

No, I do not hate on country music because it is the popular thing to do, I am doing it because it becomes incredibly popular once teenagers move from high schoolers to college students and develop an uncanny taste for shitty beer. I don’t know how many times I have logged into my Facebook only to find photos of my friends wearing shitty straw cowboy hats at a country bar, downing multiple Coronas and riding the mechanical bull. These happen to be the same kids that blasted hip-hop from their cars in the high school parking lot as they left for good on graduation day.

Spray-On Tans

This one is directed more towards the dudes that need to get their tan on before hitting the clubs on a Friday night. You know your skin tone doesn’t matter if all the girls you are talking to are shitfaced and the lighting in the room consists of neon signs and a black light. If you are going to spend your time on the range in a can, just might as well just skip class and go lay outside on the grass and fall asleep. This way you will get that killer tan, but you won’t have to suffer the embarrassment of walking in to CVS to buy the stuff.

Terrible Beer

I know I already brought up shitty beer in the Country Music area, but I can never reiterate this enough: CHEAP BEER IS AWFUL! I know Coors Light only costs $13 for a 30-rack, and I know after seven or eight you can’t taste them anymore, but once you leave this campus, it is unacceptable to order Bud Lights. Develop a taste for good seasonal beers now, while your parents are still sending you money for food and supplies. I suggest grabbing anything by Brooklyn Brewery or a six of Newcastle Brown Ales.

Cocaine

ning scene in Men In Black, where Tommy Lee Jones and that old guy bust an alien posing as an immigrant by holding a head on a stick? Well, the owner of the head, Sergio Calderón, plays the lead Mayan in this film— just a fun fact.)

Unfortunately three moments just aren’t enough in a 91-minute movie, and another $20 and beautiful Saturday night are wasted.

I wouldn’t recommend paying the current ticket prices to see this, but it would be all right to watch on DVD when it comes out over the summer.

This should be a no brainer, but cocaine is bad for you. For some reason, this escapes some people usually, like people enrolled in expensive private colleges. I know it’s going to help you get super skinny, and yes, I know most of the musicians I love do it; but in the end, it’s going to fucking kill you. If you want to lose weight, try self-control. If you want to be like your favorite band, stop playing Guitar Hero and pick up a real instrument and play the hell out of it. Dave Chappelle and Rick James said it best: “Cocaine is a hell of a drug.”

If you made it this far and are pissed, then you didn’t get it. I know a lot of these things are perfectly fine, but they are all things that I see on a daily basis that annoy the hell out of me. While most of these things in moderation won’t ruin your life, overdoing any of them can.

If there is a topic you would like to see discussed in my Five Ways column or would like to include any of your own ideas, you can e-mail me at recorder. entertainment@gmail.com.

12

WEEK OF APRIL 16

MUSIC 4.18 KRS-One

@ Toad’s Place New Haven, Conn.

8 p.m. / $20 KRS-One (born Kris Parker) was the leader of Boogie Down Productions, one of the most influential hardcore hip-hop outfits of the ’80s. At the height of his career, roughly 1987-1990, KRS-One was known for his furiously political and socially conscious raps, which is the source of his nickname, “the Teacher.” Around the time of 1990’s Edutainment, BDP’s audience began to slip as many fans thought his raps were becoming preachy. As a reaction, KRS-One began to reestablish his street credibility with harder, sparer beats and raps. 1992’s Sex and Violence was the first sign that he was taking a harder approach, one that wasn’t nearly as concerned with teaching.

Opening Band: Nickel-P

4.18 Day 1 of Not Brooklyn Fest Cursive @ Heirloom Arts Theater Danbury, Conn.

6 p.m. / $14

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

4.19 Day 2.1 of Not Brooklyn Fest Dead Meadow @ Heirloom Arts Theater Danbury, Conn. / 6 p.m.

Dead Meadow’s unique marriage of Sabbath riffs, dreamy layers of guitars fuzzy bliss and singer Jason Simon’s high-pitched melodic croon have won-over both psychedelic pop/rock and stoner-rock fans alike. Although the band’s members met while attending allages punk shows in and around Washington D.C.’s punk/indie scene, the trio draws more of their sound from such classic rock legends as Pink Floyd and Black Sabbath.

4.18 – 4.24 Caramel

@ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn.

5:30 p.m. / $6.25 Named for a form of sugar-waxing hair removal, Caramel follows the intimate conversations among five women in a Beirut beauty salon. Like the sugaring process itself, the revelations can be painful, but ultimately lay bare the beauty of the women beneath.

4.18, 4.19 Funny Games @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn.

7:30 p.m. / $7

Opening Band: Grand Buffet

4.19 Shag Frenzy @ Sweet Jane’s

Hartford, Conn.

Shag Frenzy is Hartford’s only indie dance night club. It has been located at Sweet Jane’s on Pratt Street in Downtown Hartford for a year now, and the crowds are getting madder for it as time goes on. Johnny Strangler and Garage Flower are the resident DJs, playing the best in classic alternative-dance and post-punk, new indie dance-rock and the occasional campy disco number.

4.25 Girl Talk

@ Toad’s Place New Haven, Conn.

8 p.m. / $15 Girl Talk is the pseudonym of DJ and re-

Opening Band: The Appleseed Cast (only East Coast Show)

4.19 Day 2.0 of Not Brooklyn Fest Neil Hamburger

@ Heirloom Arts Theater Danbury, Conn. / Noon Neil Hamburger is the name of a stand-up comedian character played by Gregg Turkington.

Hamburger’s jokes range from variations of “Why did the chicken cross the road?” and celebrity targets, such as Michael Jackson, Paris Hilton, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and Diana, Princess of Wales, to jokes about his ex-wife.

His pacing is off, and he clears his throat nonstop through his entire routine (often to keep overzealous fans from shouting out his punchlines), which has caused critics to tag him as “the world’s ‘worst’ stand-up comedian.” He has performed his brand of comedy, much of it anti-humor, in front of audiences from the New York University Thompson Center to “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and is often compared to Tony Clifton.

Opening Band: Deer Tick

mixer Greg Gillis. A Pittsburgh native who works as a biomedical research engineer during the day, Gillis channels his other creative energies into Girl Talk, the sample-based dance tracks of which have made him the John Oswald or Christian Marclay of the mash-up generation. Each of his songs is built on recognizable samples of recent hit singles, recontextualized into an entirely new piece. Not just a geeky studio boffin, Gillis is also a manic, intense live performer known for his high-speed exhortations into the mic and tendency to strip to his underwear on-stage while dancing circles around his laptop and DJ setup.

FILM 4.16 – 4.19 Juno

@ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn.

7:30 p.m. / $7 It’s always fun to watch a movie where a new star suddenly jumps into our collective consciousness. Juno provides two such thrills: first, the funny, vulnerable, smart and quirky performance of Ellen Page as 16-year-old Juno, who is not just knocked-up, but pregnant-witha-plan: to find the perfect adoptive parents who should be both rich and fans of Iggy Pop & The Stooges. The second is first-time screenwriter Diablo Cody, whose fierce humor and girl power first surfaced on the popular blog she wrote while working as a stripper. Smart as any movie today on class, teenage sex, blended families and grownups unwilling to let go of their glory days.

Through 3.30 Mary Temple

@ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn.

11 a.m. / $5 Even though Temple is considered a multi-disciplinary artist, her background in painting remains a key part of her sculptural forms. Temple explores the visual qualities of light and shadow in any given room, displaying an uncanny awareness of everyday spaces.

Using a single piece of paper, she folds and cuts it to resemble a small room with windows; an exterior source of light is then cast into it. Then, working from memory, Temple paints the places that received light, while at the same time inventing and adding details from an exterior landscape.

5.2 – 5.9 Capstone

A “perfect” (read: educated, white, upper class) American family is tormented by two seemingly nice young men, who calmly transform their Crate & Barrel vacation home into a chamber of horrors. Director Michael Haneke (Cache, The Piano Teacher) has created a nearly shot-for-shot remake of his 1997 German language film. The reason? Funny Games not only avoids the egregious pitfalls of Hollywood remakes of European hits, it takes his question to a prime audience: what exactly do we get out of watching violent movies? Naomi Watts and Michael Pitt stand out as unsuspecting victim and chilly destroyer, locked in a dance by fate and the rules of moviemaking, from Alfred Hitchcock to Saw, I-IV. Be warned, while Funny Games has a minimum of bodies and shows little onscreen violence, it is shocking to the core.

4.20 – 4.22 Love Songs

After a steady diet of near-constant touring across three continents, including a stint opening for The Cure on the 2004 Curiosa tour, Cursive was a quintet on the precipice.

Their then-most recent record, The Ugly Organ, had racked up considerable accolades – named one of 2003’s best records by Blender, called “the best album of (the band’s) career” by The New York Times and given a 4-star rating by Rolling Stone, but the band, ragged and roadweary, opted for an ambiguous hiatus rather than forging onward to the daunting task of Follow-Up to Hit Record.

ART

@ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn.

7:30 p.m. / $7 A smash hit in France, Love Songs joins Once and Moulin Rouge as movie musicals for a new era. The gorgeously photographed film is set in Paris among a group of friends and lovers for whom everything, relationship-wise, is still possible. A young and beautiful couple (played

by Louis Garrel of The Dreamers and Ludivine Sagnier of The Swimming Pool) decides to expand their romantic variations by inviting another young woman (Clotilde Hesme) to move into their apartment. When unexpected tragedy breaks up the ménage-à-trois, the survivors look for comfort, distraction and even happiness in the arms of new lovers.

@ Maloney Hall 2nd Floor, CCSU New Britain, Conn.

Opening Reception: Friday, May 2, 4 - 7 p.m.

Free wine, appetizers and other refreshments Students graduating with a studio art degree exhibit their artwork in a variety of media, including ceramics, painting, sculpture, media, printmaking and an installation.

Through 5.4 Cathie Bleck: 13 Years of Artistic Expression

@ New Britain Museum of Modern Art New Britain, Conn.

11 a.m. / FREE Bleck is best known for her distinctive scratchboard illustrations, involving a process similar in concept to woodblock printing.

Working on clayboard, Bleck carves delicate yet powerful black and white illustrations that have become her trademark.

Through 11.9 Pop to the Present: New Questions, New Responses

@ Wadsworth Atheneum Hartford, Conn.

11 a.m. / $5 Featuring major works from the Atheneum’s extensive collections, this exhibition examines the multiple avenues of artistic exploration from the 1960s to the present. With the explosion of new modes of representation and new artistic, social and political concerns that became central to the language of art during this time, Pop to the Present will celebrate the amazing varieties of form that proliferated during the last third of the twentieth century and that continue into our own time.

Did we miss something? Know of an event we should list here? Contact us at ccsurecorder@ gmail.com.

14

Lifestyles

THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 16, 2008

The Good Samaritan Victoria Sawtelle Staff Writer

Dorm Dishes 101 Waffles

Samantha Sullivan Copy Editor The breakfast food at Memorial Hall on the weekends is served later than during the week and certainly not with as much care (even though the care during the week isn’t top-notch), so I suggest eating out or, better yet, making your own breakfast as often as possible. You can find a cheap waffle iron at a tag sale or thrift store in the area, and since it’s getting so much warmer out, tag sales will be held every weekend for the next several months. Find one soon and start enjoying your weekend breakfasts!

I realize that not everyone is a chef or even has cooking experience, so here are some cooking terms that you will need to know for this recipe (don’t be surprised, but some people don’t know the difference): c = cups T = Tablespoons t = teaspoon 3 eggs, beaten 2 c flour (best if 1 cup is whole wheat flour) 2 T baking soda 1 T sugar 1 t vanilla 4 T melted butter (about half of a stick) approx. 1 ¼ c milk (add gradually until batter is a good consistency for pouring onto waffle iron) Mix ingredients. Just before cooking, add 1 c mashed bananas or blueberries (or fruit of your choice, even chocolate chips!) for extra nutrition. I love using Hershey’s Chocolate or Strawberry Syrup instead of Maple Syrup on my waffles and pancakes; if you go that route, though, I recommend serving fruit on the side to set-off the sweetness of the syrup with tart fruit flavors. You can even sprinkle Confectioner’s Sugar for style points. Serves four.

Recipe as found in “The College Cookbook” by Geri Harrington, © 1988.

Digi Humanities One CCSU Student’s Ideological Take on the Internet Marissa Blaszko Staff Writer “We’re never going to stop using the Internet. We live in a world where the Facebook relationship status is not the archive of relationship status, but in fact the prime agitator. We’re not using it to say ‘I’m in a relationship with someone’ as a ‘Hey everyone, good news’—we’re using it to surprise this person. Change my relationship, and then we’re in a relationship.”- Alex Jarvis, CCSU student Even in a decade where it seems one out of every five newspaper articles is about either Facebook or MySpace, CCSU student Alex Jarvis seems to think there’s still more we have to discover about the growing phenomena known as Web 2.0. Jarvis is well on his way to becoming CCSU’s first digital humanities major— something he thinks is important for us not only as a generation, but as a school.

“I look at a place like Central and I see the possibility for this kind of improvement—for, rather than a paranoia about technology, an embracing of this technology, and you’d see radical changes,” he said.

The Internet, Jarvis says, is a tool—just like pen, paper, or paint brush. Even better, the Internet can act as a tool to bring people together (for those of us that check our Facebook five times a day just to keep up with our Walls), or as self-imposed morality police—as in the case of the mysterious online organization Anonymous. And thanks to tools like wikis, blogs and social networks—the tools that have been handed to us by that same group of geeks that you picked on in high school. The way we view humanities is changing.

The idea of user-controlled Internet is a big part of what Jarvis is

studying under digital humanities. It’s the democratization of the Internet— the fact that “code-monkeys” living out of their mom’s basement are no longer the ones who control what is being fed to us through the digital I.V. that is high-speed internet.

“Web2.0 is simply the existence of this platform. This idea that traditional Web is ‘I make something and you view it,’ [and] Web2.0 is ‘I make this table and everyone brings the food.’”

“There’s no leader; it’s an entire movement full of hundreds of thousands of people that are self-generating,” he said. The fact that the most visited sites online are social networks, blogs, or video archives is testament to what Jarvis believes will soon be the future of technology. “It’s truly communist, it’s incredibly communist.

And maybe that’s a good thing,” he said.

“Everything that’s happened to our lives thus far has wired us to understand. Our brains understand a social network, our brains can parse digital information. All we have to do now is take this mess of experience and formulate it.”

In his major, Jarvis is studying humans’ shift from traditional media, say, print on paper, to the Internet.

“Take what we know about Facebook and apply if to Frankenstein, HG Wells—classical works of lit. What happens when you take YouTube and throw in Casablanca? This is new media. All of this is new; it’s not even scabbed over yet, but it has an educational purpose! We can use it to learn more about ourselves, and that means that everything is relevant. That means even the Rick-Roll has cultural significance.”

If you’re like me, the “Good Samaritan” stories on the local news always get to you. You know the stories that you see and you think, “You don’t see kindness like that nowadays.” I have thought the same thing, but something that happened to me recently has made me rethink the rarity of noble deeds.

I had been missing my license for about a week and had been procrastinating on getting a new one.

One day, I came home from school and saw a note on the counter with the opened envelope underneath it. It read, “Dear Victoria, I found this on Corbin Ave. I thought you might need it. Kind regards.” My license had been returned. I know it’s not an epic tale, but I really did appreciate that someone would be kind enough to spare me $30 and another timeconsuming trip to the DMV. I wish that I could find some way to repay him or her, but since I can’t do this, I thought I would just pass the kindness along. It’s funny

when you think about all the times that people don’t hold open doors for you, or cut you off in traffic, or whatever the incident may be; we immediately think, “People these days are so rude.” But what have we done to disprove this notion? If we are cynical about people, then this inherently includes ourselves. The opportunities to exercise kindness are numerous throughout the day, but it is our choice to seize them. Else, we should be part of the unkind masses which we typify.

Mohandas Gandhi once said, “Be the change that you want to see in the world.” I really think that this quote’s relevance is apparent now more than ever. If you hate when someone cuts you off in traffic, then refrain from doing it to others. With economic recession and the rising cost of fuel, the stress level of the average person has increased tenfold.

Some small act of kindness can restore faith in humankind, even if it’s just for that day.

Chivalry isn’t dead yet, so why act like it is? I’m a waitress, so I appreciate politeness more than anything.

Even replying, “You, too” or “Have a nice night” makes me so happy because you acknowledged me. Often times, small things like this are ignored. Plus, if you’re polite, you’ll get better service, anyway. So how can you loose?

Maybe these things seem miniscule on the grand scale, but the small stuff still counts. So go ahead and pull out chairs, send a text to an old friend who needs it, or just say thank you. Eventually, it will all come back to you. This theory may seem a little too Pollyanna, and maybe it is; but it has never hurt me to go slightly out of my way for someone.

As New Englanders, we’re not exactly known for our gracious hospitality and kind manners. So, to some extent, rudeness is part of our culture. Sometimes we can be as cold as our infamous winters. If we take time to stand back and consciously analyze our behavior, maybe we could learn something. The old aphorism still holds true more than ever: “A little kindness goes a long way.”

Be Your Own Bartender Eight Ways to Mix it Up Heather Vendetta Staff Writer

with chilled club soda (or seltzer).

Add a lime slice and the remaining mint and serve.

Sick of drinking the same thing?

Do you find yourself ordering the same drink every time you go out and wanting something fresh and exciting for a change? With summer around the corner, it’s time to try something new. Here are some suggested alcoholic beverages that could help heat up your summer. These drinks not only taste good, but they make drinking even better. If you are staying in, make your own drink by following the recipe included.

Homemade drinks taste great and in the long run will save you a lot of money. If you are going out, recommendations for the best setting to have these drinks are also included.

For Hot Days, or on the Beach: Jamaican Hummingbird Ingredients: -3/4 oz coconut rum -1 oz dark rum -3/4 oz light rum -3/4 oz banana liqueur -1 oz pineapple juice -1 oz grenadine syrup -1/2 medium banana, sliced -2 cups crushed ice Preparation: Add rums, banana liqueur, pineapple juice, grenadine and banana to the blender. Blend with crushed ice.

For a Bar or a Club:

Dirty Banana Ingredients: -1 oz crème de bananas -1 oz crème de cacao -1 oz Kahlua coffee liqueur -2 scoops vanilla ice cream Preparation: Blend six ice cubes with ice cream in a blender until smooth. Add liqueurs and continue blending, again until smooth. Add more ice cream if needed (for milkshake consistency). Pour into a highball glass and serve.

Midori Sour Ingredients: -2 oz Midori melon liqueur -sweet and sour mix -Sprite Preparation: In a Highball glass, add Midori, fill to 3/4 with sweet and sour, finish by filling to brim with Sprite. Stir.

Sex on the Beach Ingredients: -1 oz vodka -3/4 oz peach schnapps -3/4 oz cranberry juice -3/4 oz grapefruit juice Preparation: Add vodka and peach schnapps to a highball glass.

Fill with equal measures of cranberry juice and grapefruit juice and stir.

At a Restaurant or Social Gathering: Cosmopolitan Ingredients: -1 oz vodka -1/2 oz Triple sec -1/2 Rose’s sweetened lime juice -1/2 oz cranberry juice -lime wedge Preparation: Shake liquid ingredients in a shaker with ice. Pour mix into the glass. Place lime wedge on the rim of the Martini glass.

Flirtini Ingredients: -2 pieces of fresh pineapple -1/2 oz orange liqueur (cointreau)

At a Large Group Gathering: -1/2 oz vodka -1 oz apple juice -3 oz champagne Preparation: Muddle the pineapple pieces and cointreau in the bottom of a mixing glass. Add vodka and pineapple juice and stir. Strain into a chilled cocktail glass and top with champagne. Garnish with a cherry and serve in a cocktail glass.

Mojito Ingredients: -3 fresh mint leaves -2 tsp sugar -3 tbsp fresh lime juice -1/2 oz light rum -club soda Preparation: In a tall, thin glass, crush part of the mint with a fork to coat the inside. Add the sugar and lime juice and stir thoroughly. Top with ice. Add rum and mix. Top off

Hop Skip and Go Naked Ingredients: -1 bag ice -1 can limeade -1 can lemonade -2 liters Sprite -1/2 gal vodka -1 case beer Preparation: Empty a bag of ice into a large cooler. Add the cans of limeade and lemonade, then the 2 liter bottle of sprite. Add 1/2 gallon of vodka and 20-24 cans of beer.

This is just a sampling of the best suggested alcoholic beverages.

For other drink recipes visit: www.webtender.com/ www.1001cocktails.com/recipes/ most-popular-mixed-drinks.html

16

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 16, 2008 /ENTERTAINMENT

Meet Century Nick Viccione Staff Writer

I had the pleasure to sit down with Carson Slovak, the father and mastermind of Pennsylvania-based metal band Century, which is going to be releasing its much-anticipated full length Black Ocean on April 29 via Prosthetic Records. Carson sheds light onto his life, how he manages dealing with Century and, most importantly, The Lord of the Rings.

Nick Viccione: So for our readers that may not be too familiar with your band, Century, would you like to give some insight or history that they should know?

Carson Slovak: Well, Century started in late 2004. I had just started recording bands and getting into audio engineering and Century started as a spare time, creative outlet, I guess. I actually had an album art layout that I had designed and I liked it a lot, so I did not want to give it to anyone else; but I did not have a band or any music, so I think that is why I started writing some stuff myself and recording it piece by piece. I had originally had in my mind a project along the lines of Snapcase and Cave In. The first EP was actually pieced together from a bunch of drumming that I sat down and recorded with no specific direction. I then cut and edited them in ProTools, and the songs were written around that and refined… It was also the first time I tried doing vocals, and they sounded like shit.

When I had enough material for an EP, I got it pressed up myself and just did it for a fun way to express my creative side. At that point, I had a few local bands that I had recorded under my belt and I was making new friends by meeting these bands; and as I started meeting new people a few of them took interest in what I had done with the EP and eventually we all got together and formed a “real” band.

Viccione: So pretty much the first actual “release” was all masterminded by you?

Slovak: Yeah, it was pretty much a pet project.

My two careers are in design and recording, so it was just part of the learning process of those two fields and teaching myself new things. The first EP was a product of that.

Viccione: So are you self-taught in all of the instruments? I know you said vocals were kind of a bust. Did playing the instruments come naturally?

Slovak: Well, I took piano lessons for a year when I was really young, probably around eight years old. Other than that, I have no real training. I don’t really think I am that great on any one instrument, to be honest. I started playing drums when I was 15; I got into bass in high school, and then I moved to Philadelphia when I was 18 for college and I picked up the guitar there. Unfortunately my vocals were still terrible. I thought they sounded like what horse shit

would sound like, given the scenario in which it could be made into an audible sound.

Viccione: Do you still live in Philly?

Slovak: Nah, I live in Lancaster, Pennsylvania now.

Viccione: Is there a decent “scene” out there, if you would like to call it that?

Slovak: I am not too sure, actually. I do not really go to shows anymore. Usually I’ll go if a friend’s band is playing. I just do not have the time. But, the people in the bands that I record seem to be stoked on music, and there are a lot of cool bands from around here.

Viccione: Do you have Century playing shows out there?

Slovak: Yeah, we have been playing lately. We play at this place called The Chameleon a lot, which is in Lancaster City and is the only real “venue” around here.

Viccione: Let’s talk about the new release you are getting prepared for. It is called Black Ocean and will be in stores on April 29 via Prosthetic Records. I am going to assume that you engineered most of it?

Slovak: [laughs] Yeah, I recorded it. A friend of mine produced the vocals for me, but all of the music was recorded over a year ago.

Viccione: With all of the newly added members playing the instruments?

Slovak: No. [laughs and pauses] Basically after we became a “band” we wrote a full-length and recorded it as a band and that was released in 2006. We did a good amount of touring… [pauses] I think about four months total in support of that record, and then we just stopped out of the blue—for no real reason. I think we all got busy with school and work, and our drummer moved to Texas. I did not think we were going to be a band again, and a year went by with jack-shit happening. So I just said “Fuck it” and wrote and recorded the music that would eventually be on Black Ocean on my own, the same way I did the original EP. And then right after it was done, the drummer moved back from Texas and called me up wanting to play again. We got some more people together and we are a band again.

Viccione: I think that may make this album that much more intriguing to listeners.

Would you agree? I mean, there are some bands who have five minds put together that cannot write a decent album for the life of them.

Slovak: [laughs] Yeah, I guess I could agree with that. I put a lot of work into it, and it is exactly the music I want to hear and I am very proud of it. It is funny to me, but I think that one person writing and playing the stuff has a cohesiveness that maybe four or five people cannot

attain together, unless they have some really ill chemistry. And I am not saying that myself and the other members of Century do not have chemistry, it just feels natural for me to do it.

Nothing else was going on, and I am always going to write music. So that is pretty much what happened.

Viccione: How did all the business with Prosthetic Records transpire? They are a relatively decent-sized label. Did they contact you?

Slovak: They got in touch with us about it. I was actually just going to put it out myself the same way as the original EP, but they wanted to release it. It was a nice bonus, I guess.

Viccione: Are there a lot of hoops to jump through when it comes to working with a label? I am assuming they help you out with publicity and touring?

Slovak: I guess it depends on the situation. I have heard a lot of bands having horrible relationships with labels. My approach has always been that a label only facilitates and expedites certain things. Obviously things like pressing, distribution and promotion are big considerations, as well as how much the label is willing to put behind the band. I think a lot of bands enter into a record deal under the incorrect assumption that a magic door has just opened. I think that when a label wants to work with you, that is when the real work gets accomplished.

The bottom line is this: the band sells the band, and the label helps out where it can… But to answer your question, in the Prosthetic deal, we have had a very smooth time. I have been through the process before and learned a lot.

We are very much on the same page with Prosthetic, and their willingness to help is directly dependent on the band. If the band and the label have limited resources, they are going to be in a tighter situation than a larger label, obviously. The label’s business is to sell records, plain and simple. The more records you push, the more the label wants to push you. Kind of a catch-22. Prosthetic is one-hundred percent on the level with us, and we have a great relationship with them.

Viccione: Are you planning on any significant touring to support Black Ocean?

Slovak: Yeah, we are planning some stuff right now. We are trying to get on some decent support runs for the summer.

Viccione: Well, that was a productive set of questions; now let’s have a little bit of fun.

These are going to be much more candid and random to let the readers get a feel for Carson.

Slovak: [laughs] I am ready.

Viccione: Steelers or Eagles?

Slovak: Is this a trick question?

Viccione: You tell me.

Slovak: I don’t play basketball.

Viccione: Candy Land or Sorry!?

Slovak: That is a tough one. [pauses] I guess I would have to go with Sorry! because that is what I always end up saying to the audience when I play shows.

Viccione: Rocky Road or Pistachio?

Slovak: Rocky Road because I always think of that asshole mutant from The Goonies and I laugh to myself whilst eating it.

Viccione: Do you care for The Lord of the Rings?

Slovak: I tried really hard to watch that movie.

Several times. I just end up getting sidetracked by something or walking away. It is not that I disliked it, I just had no idea what the fuck was going on the entire time with all the elves and shit. Not to mention that goofy sidekick who was played by that one other kid from The Goonies. He was always fist deep in Frodo’s ass.

What the fuck was his problem?

Viccione: If you could be the opening act for any classic rock band, who would it be and why?

Slovak: Probably Aerosmith.

Viccione: What is on your personal playlist right now? And don’t say your own album.

Slovak: Right now it is Ken Andrews, Decapitated, Annie Lennox, This or the Apocalypse, Rage Against the Machine and Nine Inch Nails. [pauses] Oh yeah, and The Baha Men. Viccione: The Baha Men are always a solid addition to any playlist.

Slovak: Excuse me sir, but can you tell me who it was that has enabled these canines to be “out”?

Viccione: Mike Vick possibly?

Slovak: I would shoot him in the face with my gun for what he did with those dogs. Given the chance and no consequences.

Viccione: Okay, okay, that is enough. [laughs] Is there anything you want to say as we wrap this up? Now is the time.

Slovak: Yeah, sure… [pauses] Black Ocean! April 29, Two-K-Eight! Plug that shit! Big up’s to my boys at Prosthetic!

If you would like to check out Century further, feel free to visit the band’s MySpace music page. [www.myspace.com/century] And if you appreciate the work that Carson has done, please purchase Black Ocean. The artists deserve it.