vol104issue25

OPINION

Paying Students Who Make the Grade Neglects Future Consequence - Page 4

NFL Draft Picks Square-Off

Entertainment

Blood Red Shoes Interview - Page 9

- Page 6-7

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

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

Volume 104 No. 25

Missing CCSU Student Spurs Search in Japan Melissa Traynor News/Managing Editor A CCSU student who has been missing since April 1 is now believed to be in Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan, where her family believes she has traveled to die.

After having been missing for a couple of days, junior Skye Lynn Budnick’s family became worried and checked her e-mail to discover that she had purchased a one-way ticket to Tokyo on April 1, according to her sister Megan Budnick. She also warned that Skye Lynn is suicidal.

“She loves everything that has to do with the [Japanese] culture.

She never told any friends or family about this trip, but she has been very depressed and has always said that she wanted to leave to go to Japan and just kill herself there,” Megan stated

on her blog on MTV Think, an Internet campaign based on the music TV network.

Her sister had also written that Budnick’s itinerary held that she would be entering Japan in Tokyo, then boarding another flight to Sapporo in Hokkaido, as well as that she had taken no belongings but her laptop.

A suicide note that they had found saved as a draft in Budnick’s email further emphasized the family’s suspicions.

Budnick’s sister had stated that Japanese authorities have been contacted and a missing person report has been filed; however, she is 21 and there are fewer options for police.

According to Associated Press reports out of Kyodo, Japan, Budnick’s sister and mother were in Hokkaido as of Monday aiding in the search.

See Missing Student Page 2

Current and Former CSU Students at Risk for Identity Theft

CCSU student Skye Budnick in a photo posted on her sister’s blog. She has been missing since April 1 and is feared to have traveled to Japan to commit suicide, her family believes.

Existential Status of Obama Equal to that of America Melissa Traynor News/Managing Editor As Election Day nears, many citizens are overcome with new information about candidates—such as whether one relies on a supposedly ignorant preacher as a spiritual mentor—and are left to sort out the mess before them.

Dr. Riggins Earl, Jr., Professor of Ethics at the Interdenominational Theological Seminary, attempted to organize the information presented, especially what presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has come to represent in the recent months, as he spoke to the crowd in Founders Hall on Thursday.

His discussion focused on the effects of Obama’s candidacy, including that his presence ultimately signals the inevitable drive to address the issues of race and equality; however, America must be willing to accept.

Earl said that Obama’s attraction is a new phenomenon, and a lot of people are asking, “Can he save us from our racist past?”

The temptation is to want to make him a “messiah.” This notion

made Earl nervous when he reflected on the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “America already had a black messiah,” Earl said, “and we killed him.”

He stressed that the American people cannot make Obama a savior figure, and maybe it’s because America can’t be saved from a racist past or that society is postponing the ultimate realization that it cannot escape racism.

However, Earl said, Obama remains a mystery to the American public, especially because his presence insists that race be addressed, though the candidate has been cautious in his approach.

“Obama has forced us to rethink what it is to come from a multiracial background. For the people who can say, ‘I’m half black, half white,’ or ‘half black and half Hispanic,’ what does it mean to them?” Earl asked.

The fact that Obama is the son of a white mother and a black father, Earl said, may cause some voter anxiety.

“A lot of people have asked, ‘Well, when he gets into the White

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Dr. Riggins Earl addresses questions aboutSen. Obama.

House, to whom will he be loyal?’ and that’s when we start to factor ethnicity into politics.”

“Half black and half white athletes are not a problem for us,” Earl said and asked for supporting reasons

See Obama Page 3

Consul General Talks Israeli and Palestinian Peace Negotiations Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Justin Kloczko Editor-in-Chief Letters have been sent out immediately cautioning current and former students at the four Connecticut State Universities of potential identity theft after a laptop with personal student information was stolen.

The stolen laptop, which contained the information of about 3,500 students from the Connecticut State University System, including around a 1,000 from CCSU, took almost a month to be reported missing by a data-services provider, said Bernard Kavaler, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs for CSUS. The laptop was property of a consultant at the SunGard Higher Education System, a data-provider for the CSU system. It was stolen on March 13 and reported to police, but SunGard did not notify officials at the CSUS until April 9, said Kavaler.

Data on the laptop affects students who attended Central, Eastern, Southern and Western Connecticut State Universities between September 2001 and December 2004. It contained student names, social security numbers and driver’s licenses information, said Kavaler.

The CSU system sent out letters immediately after becoming aware of the theft. “Everyone who was affected would have certainly received a letter by now,” said Kavaler.

Those who received such a letter are advised to obtain a free credit report and be attentive to any irregular transactions they might see. An FAQ setup on SunGard’s Web site can be accessed via http://www.sungardhe. com/laptoptheft.

According to the FAQ , “The stolen laptop has not been recovered but is protected with a strong password to access the operating system.”

The FAQ also reads that it is believed the laptop was stolen for the hardware

See Identity Theft Page 2

Asaf Shariv, Consul General of Israel in New York, spoke on Tuesday at the Middle East Insights Lecture Series to discuss the need for change between the Palestinian and Israeli situation in the Middle East.

He focused much of his lecture on the need for change not only there but in the world as well. He explained the original phases of peace that were created in order to better peace negotiation. First, Israel had to dismantle terrorist organizations, then they would make a temporary state and finally there would be a negotiation or peace agreement.

This system needed a change, according to Shariv. It was decided that a peace plan should actually start with negotiation.

In special situations between Palestine and Israel, both countries claim they want to negotiate, according to Shariv, and there have already been two negotiations in one week.

“The conflict is a religious one.

It is hard to negotiate with God,” he said. “… They don’t want to negoti-

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Consul General Shariv talking Israeli/Palestinian peace efforts. ate; they want us to leave. We don’t have plans to leave.” Gaza is the biggest obstacle for the peace organizations and negotiations.

The year 2005 came, and Shariv said that Gaza finally transitioned into a better place. In a specific example that turned for the worse, he

explained that the Jewish communities in Gaza took on the project of creating a very effective greenhouse.

They decided to sell their masterpiece to the Palestinians for $40 million, but it only took the Palestinians five hours to destroy the greenhouse and turn the land into military bases.

See Consul General Page 2

News

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 23, 2008

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Staff Editor-in-Chief Justin Kloczko Art Director Jamie Paakkonen Associate Layout Editor Stephen Meszaros Copy Editor Samantha Sullivan Photo Editor Stephanie Bergeron Lifestyles Editor Karyn Danforth

SGA Presidential Candidate Q&A: Zachary McGuirk

Elections for Student Government Association President will be held Tuesday and Wednesday, April 22 and 23. Candidate Zachary McGuirk sat down for a few minutes to explain his approach to campaigning, how he feels about the SGA and what he would do if elected.

and will actually affect what is brought to campus—speakers and stuff like that. So I figured if I ran something that was entirely unseen as a campaign, it might actually encourage more people to vote. That’s the idea. If it doesn’t work, it doesn’t work.

SGA President Alex Estrom is campaigning for his second term in office, along with running mate Brian Regan, who was a member of Pride.

The Recorder asked Estrom what he thought of the race and what he and his opponent will both bring to the presidency.

Justin Kloczko: What motivated you to get back into SGA and run (for president)?

JK: How has the response been so far?

Melissa Traynor: What is the most important difference between you and Zachary McGuirk, and what does that mean to students?

Zachary McGuirk: I’m going to try and fix some of the issues because there are some things…It’s very difficult to get through a lot of the bureaucracy that happens on campus. It seems like much of the system is set up to actually keep activities from taking place rather than promote them.

Sports Editor Peter Collin

JK: Any specific examples?

Entertainment Editor Edward Gaug

ZM: If you actually want to have a speaker on campus and actually put on some sort of presentation, you have to get two-to-three papers filled out. Each of them has three different signatures on it and so, if you are trying to go to class and do homework, you have to sprint around to class to find other people during their office hours or schedules and get a million different pieces of paper signed and re-submit them. You feel like a human ping-pong ball, and it doesn’t seem like it has much of a point.

Opinion Editor Dan Ivers News/Managing Editor Melissa Traynor Assistant News Editor Amanda Ciccatelli Web Editor John Vignali Illustrator Sean Kinne Comic Mike Golschneider

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

JK: So you’re trying to simplify the process?

ZM: I’m definitely trying to simplify the process. I’m looking to also redirect some of the funding towards activities that will be on campus.

There’s a lot of groups that get money for extra curricular parties that take place off of campus. I think the objective should be to keep more students here on campus.

JK: Yeah, I mean, Central is like a suitcase school—a lot of commuters, obviously. Have you done anything to get both commuter and resident students to vote? Voting has been kind of lackluster.

ZM: Yeah, no one really shows up to vote. I think there was six or seven hundred students who showed up last year to vote?

JK: Last year was 512 (votes). The year before that was like 600.

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.

Alexander Estrom

ZM: I’m actually trying to get a lot of people to vote. I’m trying really hard because that’s mostly what my campaign is about, but the campaign is kind of confusing. I’m hoping that people will look at [the fliers] and say, “I don’t know what this is,” and then try and figure it out. Maybe it’s a puzzle? You see a poster on the wall with vote for this or vote for that. I mean, it’s been ingrained into you since high school—you don’t even care. But at this point in time, the SGA is managing like three quarters of a million dollars; that’s a lot of money. That does actually matter, in some sense,

ZM: There has been a fairly good response from a lot of students. My favorite part about it is, a lot of the posters I put up actually get graffiti. I think that’s awesome ‘cause more of the campus community is participating in it, getting involved and actually responding to it. For example, I put up the poster that says ‘Which one doesn’t belong?’ One of the (students) circled the tether that said Central Connecticut State University.

Different people play with it. I think that’s entertaining. But that’s the point of the campaign—I want to see if people will get involved. I’m not sure if it will work, but we’ll find out.

I am going to try and continue the tradition and see if I can expand the power of the executive office of the SGA and see if I can actually start affecting decisions elsewhere. However, at the same time, much of the administration sort of views the SGA as kids playing in the sandbox. I mean, much of the SGA is children in clown suits playing in a sandbox, unfortunately.

But hopefully we can change that and bring attention to it, see if we can grab some more executive power and bring some things back to the students. However, I think we’re getting too lost in the bureaucratic rules system. I’m going to try and actually revamp the rules entirely. I think I might just go back, read the constitution and start over, get a three-fourths vote on it and push something through—see if we can cement a new beginning for the SGA. JK: What did you think of this past year and Alex Estrom?

ZM: He’s a great president, I think.

He’s a very nice guy. I actually have known him for a while, since back in the days when he was on SUBOG. He’s been very thoroughly involved in everything. The way I look at it, even if I lose the election, we still get a great president, so whoop-dee-doo.

I know a lot of senators were disenfranchised with the SGA this last year; I don’t think it was Alex’s fault, though. I think in general there was a lot of conflict and tension. There’s a bunch of people who said they are not coming back. I don’t know about that personally, though I wasn’t involved in any of it. We’ll see if we can get a more cohesive group together for the next year and see if we can push through a bunch of work. They did a pretty good job with the new financial bylaws; they’re trying to fix a bunch of problems that are obviously there. I think everyone agrees on the ends, just the means changes from person to person.

Missing Student Continued from page 1

Megan, who responded to e-mails from The Recorder, was not able to give an update on her sister’s situation as of Monday.

AP reports have indicated that the family was told by police there that the missing student was last seen on April 7 and was traced to an inn in Noboribetsu, where an innkeeper told them she was heading for Sapporo.

An announcement sent out via e-mail last Wednesday from the university alerted CCSU students and stated that Budnick is not currently enrolled in any study abroad program.

Anyone with information that may help in this search is encouraged to contact Mark McLaughlin of CCSU marketing and communications via email: mclaughlinm@ccsu.edu, by phone: (860) 832-0065, or by fax: (860) 832-1796.

Alex Estrom: There are some obvious differences… Zach has experience on SGA; he was a former SGA senator. I think he has potential to be a good leader, but I think his approach is very different from mine and I have the experience—I know people.

MT: It may seem like kind of a joke now, but what is the “experience versus change” factor here?

AE: If that’s really the question, he’s got a little of both. Zach’s very different from me, and I’m very different from the way that SGA presidents usually go. Usually you’re a senator, then you become the president or you might be the VP beforehand, so you’re slowly put into it. I went in and I was like, “Okay, this is how I think it should be done,” and people said, “No, no, no, we’ve done it this way in the past,” and I’d say, “Oh, that’s good, we’re going to do that.” But sometimes I’ve said, “Yeah, I know you’ve done it this way, but we’re going to change that.” And sometimes people don’t like that. So, having an outside perspective, I think we both have that but when it comes down to differences, I think I’ve been able to establish a report with the faculty and administration and the students, and with that Zach might struggle.

MT: What are the highlights of your presidency over this past year,

and what are your plans to let students know that they can expect more for next year?

AE: Security, or safety rather. That’s been my thing coming in, when we were campaigning. Around the time of last year’s election, Virginia Tech happened. Actually, the first thing I did as president was meet with Senator Joe Lieberman about security on college campuses. Some things have gotten done, some things are being done and some things are not being done. Whether it ends up being Zach or I, I want to be sure that things that we have been promised actually get done. The second highlight is diversity, which is, of course, a big theme over the past two years. And then the last is unity. Sometimes the students do one thing, the faculty does another thing and the administration does another. They all talk about each other behind each other’s back, and no one wants to work together.

MT: What is your plan to get more students involved in the SGA? AE: Student leaders are busy, so busy that they kind of trip over themselves sometimes. They hold multiple leadership positions, and I’ve done it myself. If you have multiple leadership positions and say you’re a junior or senior, you may have an internship and all of these things that are so much responsibility…It’s not that they don’t want to be involved; they just don’t have time. We also want to pull in freshmen, not just because we have four freshmen seats, because freshmen can run for more than those seats, but we really want to have them involved. We want them to reach out to their fellow incoming students and that gives them the step into student leadership; and if they go somewhere else, they can take that experience with them.

Identity Theft

Continued from page 1 and not the data, but did not explain why they were inclined to believe so.

Questions have been raised as to why it took almost a month for SunGard to notify the CSUS. In a release by the CSUS, Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said the company’s poor response to the theft was unacceptable.

“SunGard suppressed the truth for too long – failing inexplicably and inexcusably to promptly disclose a significant security breach that exposes thousands of students to identity theft.”

SunGard’s Media Relations contact Laura Kvinge did not return phone calls for comment.

Consul General Continued from page 1

Israel has since been sending supplies to the Hamas-controlled Gaza and helping them because they want to negotiate. Even though the leaders in Gaza have the ability to make a change for their people, Shariv explained that they are not heeding their calls.

He pointed out that the tensest situation that has taken place in years is between Seria and Lebanon, and American ships have begun patrolling the Lebanese border.

“It is like sitting on explosives and waiting for someone to light a cigarette,” Shariv said, later adding that the Israeli government doesn’t intend to go to war. “I personally don’t think it will happen.”

He compared the act of waging war and seeing the end to court. “You know you have to go in, but you don’t really know when you are going to finally get out,” he said.

After all his years working in the Prime Minister’s office, Shariv explained that his job is not an easy

one. “I have witnessed everything,” he said.

Born in Israel in 1972, Shariv has been working as a diplomat for just under a year after serving as director of media and public affairs for Prime Ministers Ehud Olmert and Ariel Sharon. He was also a media advisor to the Prime Minister, supervising the Israeli government’s press office and advertising bureau.

Shariv is the youngest diplomat to serve as Israel’s Consul General to New York. He started his work in public affairs in 1990 as a soldier in the Israel Defense Force, where he also worked as a reporter and senior editor for the Israeli military newspaper, called the BaMachane. He was promoted to editor-in-chief in 1993.

In 1997, he earned his law degree at the Interdisciplinary Center of Israel and became a lawyer. Shariv soon joined the Prime Minister’s Office as Senior Advisor to Ariel Sharon’s Chief-of-Staff.

3

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / NEWS

Obama

Continued from page 1 from the audience. He eventually pulled from the students that athletes are seen as intellectually inferior and sexually promiscuous. The result of these, he said, is interracial couples and, eventually, children of mixed races.

In contrast, Obama hails from an academic, scholarly background, which may come as a shock to the people who, Earl believes, forget history.

“It’s as if people have never seen an articulate, intelligent black man,” he said, pointing out that men such as Colin Powell are obvious examples.

But Earl also explained that while Powell’s résumé should have allowed him presidential fame, more so than the current president, it did not, and it may have had to do with race.

He said that there has also been a good amount of manipulation by the media in terms of portraying Rev. Jeremiah Wright and Obama’s relationship with the church in the South side of Chicago.

“They make him out to be a crazy buffoon and he’s going mad,” Earl said of Wright’s TV appearances.

The draw for Obama to Wright’s preaching, Earl said, was natural. He identified the Reverend as an erudite, well-educated preacher. He challenged people to take what he was saying and apply it to the changes they would like to see around Chicago.

Dr. Felton Best asked Earl to respond to the question that many people have been asking: “Is Obama black enough?”

Earl incorporated the answers to many questions into one when he said that Obama is perceived as tiptoeing around the issue of race and that may hurt him in the long run, in terms of black voters who would like to a president address “black issues.”

“He definitely is,” Earl said, “and I won’t know whether it would have been better for him to openly address it or to wait.”

Earl said that this election will inevitably have an effect across all social issues.

“This is the challenge; here it is,” Earl said, “and I dare say that this country can never be the same because we have put the issues of race and gender on the front stage of American politics.”

Reps. defend RIAA ways, face criticism Vanessa Santos The Daily Free Press (Boston University) (U-WIRE) -- College of Arts and Sciences sophomore Paul Sawiya created a Facebook application to allow students to add music to their pages, and later received a letter from the RIAA, forcing him to take down his application because it contained illegal files.

Sawiya said the files had been added by application users and were not his, but when he tried to talk to the RIAA to better explain his situation, the music industry organization ignored him.

Sawiya, along with about 60 other Boston University students, turned out to hear RIAA representatives explain the tactics the group uses to discourage copyright infringement and prosecute violators and field questions last night.

RIAA representatives Mitch Glazier, executive vice president for government and industry relations, and Jonathan Lamy, senior vice president for communications, said they could not comment specifically on Sawiya’s question because they were not familiar with his case since it technically concerns the illegal activities of a business, not an individual.

“Do you think people have rights when they are in fear?” Sawiya said after the representatives left.

“They are using a legal instrument as a means of intimidation.”

“It’s good that students are asking questions to make sure that what the RIAA is doing is morally ethical at the same time that RIAA is trying to find out if what we’re doing is morally ethical,” Union Technology Committee Chairman Jonathan Pasquale said.

“They were dodging some questions, no doubt,” Pasquale said. “It’s unethical to circumvent the legal system, and they have no real proof that the person is downloading illegally until they issue a subpoena.”

Glazier and Lamy told attendees subpoenas are only issued after an individual fails to settle a lawsuit with a payment that is usually between $3,000 and $5,000.

“I still don’t think they gave good reasons that what they’re doing is effective,” Chris Jordan, a College of Communication junior, said. “I think it helps people in figuring out ways to go around it.”

They also said the association does not target individuals in any specific network, such as colleges and organizations.

“It still seems like they are targeting, principally, university students,” Jordan said.

Campus Leaders Criticized for Endorsing Obama Student Gov. Leaders from Penn, Villanova, Haverford, Temple Make ‘Personal’ Endorsement Kathy Wang The Daily Pennsylvanian (University of Pennsylvania) (U-WIRE) -- The governor of Pennsylvania and mayor of Philadelphia aren’t the only political leaders endorsing a candidate for the upcoming presidential primary.

Last week, student government leaders at several Philadelphia universities, including Penn, Temple and Villanova Universities and Haverford College, jointly authored a letter endorsing Sen. Barack Obama as the Democratic candidate for president.

The letter, which highlights Obama’s ability to motivate and his financial aid plan for higher education, states that the students are presenting their personal views, not speaking on behalf of their student bodies or governments.

And while the endorsement has drawn criticism from some students and Undergraduate Assembly members who think the leaders are using their campus influences to advocate personal positions, the endorsers stand by their decision.

“This is coming down to a really close election, and in talking to other student body presidents and the Obama campaign, we thought we would demonstrate support from student leaders,” said College senior and UA chairman Jason Karsh.

The letter has been sent to several national and local media outlets, including The Philadelphia Inquirer and student newspapers at all four schools, as well as national blogs.

Some UA members have expressed frustration with Karsh’s endorsement.

“I see this as the best-written media ploy on his and other student government leaders’ behalf,” said College sophomore and UA member Zac Byer, who also serves as president of College Republicans. “If he’s not writing [the endorsement] as a student body president then nobody really cares.”

But other UA members have come to Karsh’s defense.

“I support the idea that student leaders can publicly endorse candidates, just as private citizens can,” said Wilson Tong, Wharton and College senior and UA vice chairman for external affairs.

Other student leaders did say they were concerned about making their personal views so clear.

“The only hesitation I had about endorsing was … [that] we represent diverse constituencies and I’ve always supported staying unbiased,” said Juan Galeano, senior and studentbody president of Temple University.

Galeano emphasized that the main purpose of the endorsement was to encourage students to vote.

Von Euw echoed Galeano in saying that the campus leaders’ intention was to promote political involvement –he thinks most students already know whom they are voting for.

Still, some students have criticized that goal.

“I think you can promote political dialogue through other forms, such as soapboxes, and putting out a personal endorsement doesn’t really promote much dialogue – if anything, it cuts it short,” said College junior Phil Shecter.

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4 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Editorial

Editorial/Opinion

Here at CCSU, there has been a proposal for all student clubs and organizations to be guided by the Student Code of Ethics, which is intended to serve, as it reads, as “a model for ethical student leadership.” It covers such important issues as respect, responsibility, equity, diversity and individual rights. The Code of Ethics is periodically revised and submitted for approval by campus organizations such as Student Union Board of Governors, the Inter Residence Council, the Student Government Association and the school Media Board. The initial draft of the code, which is still pending full approval, has begun to circulate, and it unfortunately falls short of clearly explicating what it defines as ethical. In fact, it even violates some of the supposed ethics it purports to establish.

Documents such as a Code of Ethics can sometimes be tedious to read, but they are nonetheless necessary to establish the limits under which university affiliated organizations will work.

Being so important a matter, it should not be filled with any vague-

Letters to the Editor Dear Editor Kloczko: I’m writing to respond to an article in the Recorder (“Anonymous vs. Church of Scientology” by Joe Zajac, March 12). One of my parishioners brought it to my attention, and asked me to help dispel some of the internet rumors; like the ones about cell phones spontaneously exploding and the madman spreading AIDS through gasoline pumps, some of the rumors about my religion just keep floating around in the on-line community.

First of all, the reporter brings up Lisa McPherson. She was a Scientologist who died suddenly from a blood clot as a result of a car accident. Some corrupt individuals tried to profit from this young woman’s death. The facts are these: Lisa died of a pulmonary embolism (blood clot) caused by an injury to her leg in an auto accident, other statements first made by Medical Examiner Dr. Joan Wood were unfounded (as she herself agreed when she was presented with all the evidence), and all charges against the Church were dismissed by the prosecutor.

Next, Anonymous claims to preserve freedom of speech on the internet by demanding that material which is protected by copyright be made generally available. Per Article 27 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a document adopted by the United Nations in the wake of the atrocities of World War II, copyrights are to be protected – and keeping copyright laws strong is of interest to artists, authors and musicians everywhere. Every day, artists of all types, companies and groups request that their creations be pulled from internet sites to protect their copyrights.

For more details on Scientology facts vs. fiction, see www.

Scientologymyths.info. For more details on Scientology, see www.

Scientology.org. For more information on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, see the United Nations website at www.un.org.

Information is our defense against intolerance and fear. Your campus is active in promoting diversity, and, in this spirit, I invite your community to learn the facts about my religion.

Sincerely, Rev. Carol Yingling Church of Scientology

Got Something to Say? Write a 200-300 word letter to the editor and send it to ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

ness. In the section regarding discriminatory language or “hate speech,” it states that “this speech will not be tolerated,” but it fails to identify what penalties persons or organizations who engage in discriminatory conduct would face.

In the very same section of the document, it is stated that discriminatory language “fosters the general prejudicial belief of campus that is untrue.” Apparently proofreading is not part of the ethics code, as this is just one of a few other grammatical errors in the document. Statements like this certainly aren’t helping the general belief that CCSU students aren’t exactly Ivy League material. One would hope that those drafting a campus ethics code would be capable writers, or at least care enough about its quality to reread it. While the purpose of the aforementioned statement on discriminatory language is certainly well-intended, it paints in extremely broad strokes regarding “general beliefs” toward campus.

What is probably the most important duty of those who are entrusted with establishing laws and codes like this one is follow-

ing it themselves. This is a document meant to guide university organizations, many if not most of which are of a scholarly nature.

And yet, in seeking to define a term such as “conflict of interest,” it cites Wikipedia, the bane of every college professor’s existence, as its source. Anyone who has written a college paper during the last few years knows Wikipedia can be edited by anyone and is thus not credible for a professional document such as this. Other definitions, such as for “discriminatory,” “respect” and “harassment” are attributed to Dictionary.com—hardly a go-to reference for scholars. Errors in judgment like these are, quite frankly, unethical, and reflect laziness and unprofessionalism in the drafters.

This new code of ethics aims to do positive things for campus organizations, but it needs to be given a more serious look. While it may be another obligatory piece of paper to hang on the wall to some, it should, at the very least, be important to those who create it. Its current incarnation would serve campus poorly, and it should be rewritten more clearly and professionally before it is approved.

Paying Students Who Make the Grade Neglects Future Consequence Marissa Blaszko Staff Writer Everyone remembers “that kid” in high school – the one whose mommy and daddy still paid him or her to get good grades. The idea was stupid, it achieved nothing, and usually even the kid knew it.

But next year, a new privatelyfunded program is allocating four million dollars to nine Connecticut schools to do the same thing. Bulkeley School in Hartford, Ansonia, Coventry, East Hartford, New Britain, New London, Putnam high schools as well as Westhill High School in Stamford, Wilby High School in Waterbury will begin paying students $100 for every AP test they pass in math, science, or English.

Even teachers will be getting financial incentives for their students to pass, although no monetary amount has been set just yet.

The Connecticut Business and Industry Association, in partnership with the state, created the grant entitled Project Opening Doors, pow-

ered in part by the ExxonMobil Corp.

“ExxonMobil invests in people and communities around the world because we believe that the world’s economic, energy and environmental changes require a development of the world’s most powerful natural resource—the human mind,” said the Chairman and CEO of ExxonMobil Corporation Rex Tillerson in a CBIA press release. (Tillerson then neglected to mention that a large part of the world’s economic, energy and environmental changes were due to oil consumption.)

It cannot be argued that the program is not “working” because similar to the president’s No Child Left Behind Act, the numbers of passing students have risen dramatically in the states that tried the program in previous years. But just like our fearless national leader, we are forced to ask the question: “Is our children learning?”

Critics of Project Opening Doors claim that financial incentives are simply Band-Aids over bullet holes—throw some money at the

kids that are already on top, graduate their class and watch the other kids fall back into the same pattern of underachieving. Because what happens when they hit college, or get a job— will Project Opening Doors simply continue to pay them off?

It’s no secret that in order to succeed at anything, from running a marathon to passing freshman composition, one must prepare. After all, isn’t that what Project Opening Doors is trying to do—bribe students to prepare? But what happens when the students enroll in college and realize that their school was grossly under-funded and because of that they’re completely ill prepared?

The largest commonality between all of the Project Opening Doors schools is their low Advanced Placement course enrollment and general rate of student success.

Although one could at least partially blame the “culture of poverty” that keeps the poor down, schools play into the cycle by doing simple things like lowering their standards or bribing their students. When students leave public schools, they often find it

hard to escape the lower class because of things like social behaviors and a “good enough” education.

One of the largest complaints about No Child Left Behind is its emphasis on standardized test scores and how the program wanted to directly link those scores with a school’s performance. By that logic, lowering the standard passing level would make a school look smarter—something we can see is clearly untrue, but looks great on paper. Thus, the culture of poverty.

The same idea holds true to Project Opening Doors. By paying off the top couple of students, underfunded and inadequate schools can easily brag about their large black or Latino graduation rates, while ignoring the fact that those students may never attend higher education. Low AP scores aren’t necessarily a problem, but more likely an indicator to a larger problem. Unfortunately, because of programs like Project Opening Doors, we may never know where our public schools truly stand.

Career Choices: CEOs and the Rest of Us Brian Morache Staff Writer With the semester winding down, many of us are beginning to consider what career we will pursue.

And while it may be great to go into science or the arts, from the way the business world is going, the prime job has got to be the CEO. The pay is out of this world, the benefits are great and, best of all, you really don’t have to do a thing. In fact, you could do a lousy job, run the company into the ground and still walk away with millions.

A recent Hartford Courant article pointed out the growing differences between the company CEO and the rest of us. While our pay is taxed at approximately 30 percent, a CEO slides by at 15 percent due to the fact that most of his pay is in the form of stock options, which are considered capital gains. If the businessfriendly Republican Party has its way, capital gains won’t be taxed at all, thus shifting the entire tax burden onto the poor and middle class. As employees of the company, our pay is based upon our work performance.

At every review we hope we’ve shown enough improvement to warrant that extra 25 per hour increase. A CEO can sink his company’s ship, thus causing thousands of workers to be laid off, and still receive a very hefty bonus. The only thing better than being a CEO might be the politics pro-

fession, but then again CEOs don’t have to run for office.

In the workplace, there are so many things that can cause an employee to lose their job. If they finally screw up enough to get axed, the CEO will get the kind of “golden parachute” that the rest of us can only dream of. When was the last time any of us were paid to get fired? And while we will certainly, and rightfully so, be fired for stealing or committing other illegal acts, the CEO can walk away virtually scot-free. Since 2002, the Bush administration has instituted a program of “deferred prosecution,” in which companies that commit fraud, bribery, or any other whitecollar—or what is now called “corporate”—crime can avoid any kind of public trial or charges merely by paying a fine and agreeing to be monitored. And who else might this monitor be but any number of Bush friends and former appointees. Most recently, former Attorney General John Ashcroft received a contract worth $52 million to be one of these monitors. There’s another nice job for you.

If all this wasn’t enough, consider the other perks that come with the CEO job. Extravagant parties, sexy secretaries and, of course, lunch with the other rich and powerful who are so far above us “commoners” that they need to visit oxygen bars to breath. The business community would like us all to believe that this is

just the way it is and has always been, but the fact is that this just isn’t true—not in American history nor in other countries around the world.

These CEOs don’t drive the economy or run the country, but they’ve got

the government and the rest of us thinking they do. Eventually it will blow up in their faces; but in the meantime, it’s a job any college grad would love to have.

5

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / OPINION

Culture of Entitlement Creates Imminent Student Loan Crisis Dan Ivers Opinion Editor

Sean Kinne

As the nation’s economy and credit market continues their decline, most of the country is caught up with the housing crisis—decreased home value combined with high interest rates, leading to massive debt and foreclosures.

However, the credit market affects other kinds of business as well, and one in particular could soon have a huge impact on college students.

Massive loan companies have less investment money to parcel out to the millions of students seeking it, so businesses such as Sallie Mae are beginning to pull out of the market for federal student loans.

By all accounts, the effects of the market on student lending have not yet sunk in, and no one who qualifies has been denied a federal loan. But a potential crisis is on the horizon, and the debate over what to do is beginning. The loan companies, Secretary of the National Treasury Henry Paulson and politicians such as Conn. Senator Chris Dodd have recommended tapping the Federal Reserve for more money to give to young college hopefuls in need of some assistance. Call it the scholastic stimulus plan.

This sounds noble enough; after all, how can we deny kids from less fortunate families the opportunity for higher education? But that is just the problem. Everyone and their brother now seems to attend some kind of college. Just as the former economic boom got lots of people into nice big houses that they couldn’t afford, a myriad of people are in colleges they can’t afford and, perhaps, they shouldn’t be in at all.

The devaluation of a four-year degree has been evident as they become more and more commonplace. Millions of recent graduates are either jobless or running on the entry-level corporate hamster wheel. They may be absolutely buried in debt, but at least they went to college, right? I’m sure it was a great experience for them—the best years of their lives. If federal loans (which carry lower interest rates) are cut and the demand for college money isn’t, students will have to take out more private loans, putting themselves in an even worse position post-college.

Going to the Federal Reserve for more loan money isn’t going to solve this problem.

This is just more evidence of the hole dug by the culture of entitlement growing deeper. Just like with the housing crisis, people need to drop the notion that everyone is deserving of a college education and be more realistic. Student loan debt can be crippling, and the degree it helped pay for often doesn’t get students that far ahead in the professional world. One in four students is now paying part of their tuition debt with a credit card, which, as we all know, bombards students with offers, knowing full well they may become trapped in this kind of a situation.

There is a very delicate balance here.

Cutting federal assistance for student loans seems to be inevitable, but colleges cannot revert to being places only kids from affluent backgrounds can hope to reach. Just as affluent families shouldn’t be able to get their dimwit kids into expensive private schools with money alone, a promising, intelligent student who can’t afford college should not be denied the opportunity. There needs to be a more detailed and studied plan to just who can receive federal loans, as well as closer monitoring of admission policies. Furthermore, students should not be able to get private loans for exorbitant amounts with the current, almost no-questions-asked policies. Credit card companies should be discouraged from preying on vulnerable, debt-ridden students.

Most of all, the sense of entitlement to an education, regardless of financial concerns or future career plans (or lack thereof), needs to be curtailed across the socioeconomic spectrum.

Parents need to be more honest with their kids and themselves regarding whether or not their kid can cash-in on a very expensive college degree. Most kids now go to college because it’s what’s expected of them, and more often than not they have no idea what they’re getting into —including the cost. This attitude needs to change, and it might take the money pit to dry up before it happens. College shouldn’t be just what’s expected, it should be seen as an opportunity that is earned.

Pope’s Visit Underlines Cycle of Hypocrisy Dan Ivers Opinion Editor Pope Benedict XVI’s visit to the United States has been reason to rejoice for America’s Catholics and a good deal of other Christians who admire him just the same. Among these is President Bush, who threw the Pope a huge birthday party on the White House lawn and seems to have welcomed him with the most open of arms. After all, part of the purpose of the Pope’s visit has been to offer a reminder of traditional Catholic morals to a country he seems to see as having lost its way. Much of Bush’s ever-narrower base is Christian, and an edict from the Pope to follow these tenets could help push some of his agendas, like anti-abortion and proabstinence teaching.

You might think that Benedict and Bush would be two peas in a pod on most moral issues, but you’d be dead wrong. Benedict is pro-life, and that doesn’t just mean abortion. He believes in the sanctity of life in every

situation— that means he opposes assisted suicide, the death penalty and, most importantly, the Iraq war.

Suffice it to say that he probably wouldn’t consider Bush too much worse than any baby killer down at the free clinic. He deserves a lot of credit, as most Americans seem to think death is just fine in some situations, but not others. Some believe the President can order people to be killed, but chronically ill elderly people can’t pull the plug on themselves if they so desire, and other contradictions abound.

It’s pretty curious how the subject of death got so nebulous. The termination of a human life seems to be cut and dry, so where is the divide here? As I mentioned before, Bush presents himself as a man of faith. He believes abortion and assisted suicide are violations of the sanctity of life, which is a gift from God. Common Christian morality would hold that one who presumes to take their own life, or that of unborn babies, is attempting to play the role of God. And

yet the president is the figurehead behind a war that has resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, many of which were of completely innocent survivors. Many Bush supporters are staunchly “pro-life” and support the war. Well, that’s war, we’re told. It’s a just war, and all those deaths aren’t in vain; they’re for the common good of both Iraqis and Americans.

People on the left aren’t immune from the hypocrisy, either. Of course, the Democratic Party has been called godless more than once, and generally it doesn’t base as much of its platforms on religious teachings as Republicans. However, most on the left are pro-choice, as they would call it, and yet anti-war. Some are vehemently against capital punishment.

So where is the line? Does the government have the right to decide who should die as punishment for a crime, or what country’s innocent population should become casualties of war? Or does the individual citizen hold the power to decide when they

aftermathnews.com

can expire, or whether or not they will give birth to another life?

While those who consider themselves defenders of Christian morality may see the Pope as the symbol of their beliefs, they should take a closer look to see if all their views truly fall in line. But hey, you know what? The Pope is back in the

Vatican now. This was just one more pious occasion aside from Christmas and Easter this year, and then we can all go back to our everyday lives of gluttony, greed and sin—everything that made him want to come here in the first place. I guess if you ask him, we’re all going to hell.

Sports

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 23, 2008

NFL Draft Picks Square-Off There is no greater way for a lowly NFL team to devise a way to suck fans in than with the annual NFL Draft. Even if your team sucks year after year the average fan will forever be enticed into believing that his squad is one more year away if they can just get that stud running back or quarterback with a cannon along with some decent late round pick ups. So, alas, we come to that time of

year when false hopes reign supreme and two days can make or break a franchise for seasons to come.

In honor of the occasion two of The Recorder’s resident draft experts will try their hand at guessing who does what on the big day. We have with us staff writer and hopelessly devoted Raiders fan Mike Luchene. His opponent and

fellow staff writer is Chiefs fanatic Nick Viccione.

What follows are Mike’s picks versus Nick’s picks. May the best man win and we’ll check back next week with a tally of which of our writers can carry the title of Draft Expert.

Michael Luchene’s Draft Picks ­­1.JakeMiami Dolphins Long, OT, Michigan The Dolphins may only be negotiating with Long in order to create a market for the first pick, but as of now, it looks like Long will be anchoring the offensive line in Miami.

2. St. Louis Rams

Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State Chris Long or Glenn Dorsey could go here, but the Rams settle on Gholston because he’s the best fit for their hybrid defense. He’ll shift to linebacker when St. Louis goes to the 3-4 on passing downs.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU Dorsey may be the best player in the draft, and with so many first-day picks, there is no need for Atlanta to reach on Matt Ryan; but Arthur Blank likes his quarterbacks, so anything is possible.

4. Oakland Raiders

Chris Long, DE, Virginia The buzz is that the Raiders are extremely happy with the progress of Michael Bush, so don’t look for McFadden to be the choice. Long, Gholston or Dorsey would give Oakland one of the best young defenses in the league.

5. Kansas City Chiefs Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

The Chiefs will address their offensive line in the second round. Ellis is much better than any of the available offensive tackles at the five spot.

6. New York Jets

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas McFadden won’t be another Blair Thomas. He has had some character issues, but his talent is off the charts. The Jets get a great value with the sixth pick.

7. New England Patriots (from 49ers) Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy

The Patriots are looking for defense, and they land the draft’s top corner after losing both of their starters at the position to free agency.

8. Baltimore Ravens

Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College I view Matt Ryan as a second or third round prospect, but this isn’t about me.

With McNair out, the Ravens will look to upgrade their QB situation.

9. Cincinnati Bengals

17. Minnesota Vikings

24. Tennessee Titans:

The Bengals aren’t going anywhere until they fix the defense. Derrick Harvey would also be a fine choice.

By the time you read this, the pick may belong to Kansas City in exchange for Jared Allen. I give the slight edge to Campbell over Phillip Merling due to concern over Merling’s hernia surgery.

Vince Young has tremendous potential, but he is only one man. Tennessee has to surround the talented quarterback with some explosiveness.

18. Houston Texans

Kentwan Balmer, DT, North Carolina

Keith Rivers, OLB, USC

10. New Orleans Saints

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee State New Orleans has been looking for a lockdown corner for years - they finally get one. Don’t be surprised to see their second rounder shipped to the New York Giants for Jeremy Shockey.

11. Buffalo Bills

Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas As much as Buffalo would like to select a receiver, there isn’t one worthy of being taken this high. Talib has the tool set to improve any secondary.

12. Denver Broncos

Ryan Clady, OT, Boise State Denver has always been known for their stellar front five on the offensive side of the ball. This year they probably look to keep that tradition alive. Clady played in a zone-blocking system at Boise State, so he’s an ideal choice to replace the retired Matt Lepsis in Denver.

13. Carolina Panthers

Branden Albert, OT, Virginia Albert can play guard, but the Panthers would most likely give him a chance to start at left tackle in order to improve on that middling offensive line.

14. Chicago Bears

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois Mendenhall played his college ball right in Chicago’s back yard. The Bears won’t pass on a chance to remedy their ground game.

15. Detroit Lions

Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida The depth of this year’s running back class allows Detroit to hold off and go with Harvey. He should be everything Kalimba Edwards never was!

16. Arizona Cardinals

Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida Jenkins isn’t the best value, but Arizona has a history of reaching for need; with Talib and McKelvin off the board, Jenkins is the next best thing.

Calais Campbell, DE, Miami

Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt The Texans finally acquire a left tackle to give Matt Schuab the protection he desperately needs. Williams is a perfect system fit, and the O-line is one of the last big problems for Houston.

19. Philadelphia Eagles

Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan State The Eagles have to make a tough decision between Thomas, Limas Sweed and Jeff Otah. Thomas is rising on a lot of draft boards and McNabb still lacks a number one target, but Andy Reid never drifts far from the offensive or defensive line in the first round.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Limas Sweed, WR, Texas

Joey Galloway isn’t going to play forever…Or is he? He hasn’t slowed down much over the years, but Sweed is a perfect complement and the lethal red zone weapon Tampa once thought it had in Michael Clayton.

21. Washington Redskins Phillip Merling, DE, Clemson

Merling is a relatively decent value for Washington, but the team would probably prefer it if Sweed or Thomas fell into its lap, or anyone who is bigger than 5-10 Santana Moss or Antwaan Randle El.

22. Dallas Cowboys (from Browns):

Jonathan Mayo, LB, Tennessee Mayo has the versatility to play at any of the linebacker positions for Dallas.

The Cowboys will be able to address their other needs with their later pick.

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon The Steelers have to find a way to reduce Willie Parker’s workload. Stewart would be a phenomenal selection to bolster the backfield.

DeSean Jackson, WR, California

25. Seattle Seahawks

Every mock draft in the world has Balmer going to Seattle, but mine is the only one that has this: Ichhhhiiirrrrrrroooo!!!

26. Jacksonville Jaguars Quentin Groves, DE, Auburn

This is a perfect fit. The Jaguars are in the market for an edge pass rusher, and Groves is the ideal.

27. San Diego Chargers Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh

The Chargers would be getting a steal if Otah falls this far. If he doesn’t make it past the two teams from Pennsylvania, San Diego could turn to Gosder Cherilus.

28. Dallas Cowboys

Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas Jones adds another explosive weapon to the Cowboys’ offense. He’ll act as a change of pace back to prolong Marion Barber’s career as long as he stays in town.

29. San Francisco 49ers

Dan Connor, OLB, Penn State Connor is one of the most underrated players in the draft. San Francisco will be glad to take him off the board this late in the first round.

30. Green Bay Packers Sam Baker, OT, USC

The Packers could go with a cornerback, but there should be good value at that position when they are selecting in the second round. Baker is a system fit.

31. New England Patriots Forfeit

32. New York Giants

Kenny Phillips, FS, Miami Sammy Knight isn’t a quality replacement for Gibril Wilson, and the G-men will have to fill that hole in their secondary. Kenny Phillips is the best safety in the draft.

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / SPORTS

Nick Viccione’s Draft Picks 1. Miami Dolphins

9. Cincinnati Bengals

17. Minnesota Vikings

25. Seattle Seahawks

With the way the Dolphins were last year, they really could take anyone at this pick and improve their team. ESPN has reported that the Dolphins have already been in talks with Jake Long, and drafting a quarter back would be useless without someone to anchor the offensive line.

Well, here it is: the pick everyone was waiting for. I see McFadden falling to the ninth pick and we’ll leave it to the Cincinnati Bengals to create some draft day drama (see Brady Quinn last year).

If McFadden falls this far, the Bengals will surely choose him; their offense will be that much more explosive.

Unfortunately, they will still suck.

The Vikings are a pretty solid team.

They have added some wide receiver depth through free agency this off season, so I project them to take a fierce pass rusher to help out the edges of their defensive line.

It will be surprising when Mayo falls this far into the Seahawks lap. They don’t need a linebacker, but just imagine a corps with Lofa Tatupu and Jerod Mayo. Yeah, I know Holmgren is fat, but he’ll be salivating at the thought of this too much to pass it up.

Jeff Otah, OT, Pittsburgh

26. Jacksonville Jaguars

10. New Orleans Saints

Matt Schuab has the potential to be a good quarterback in the NFL, but not if he is lying on his back constantly. The Texans saw increased success last season with Mario Williams, and I think they stick with the trend of upside guys.

I see them taking a big offensive tackle to help protect Schuab.

Phillip Merling has had injury concerns, but I do not think that will stop the Jaguars from getting a steal with this pick. Merling should be healthy and will keep improving over the summer.

Jake Long, OL, Michigan

2. St. Louis Rams

Chris Long, DE, Virginia They need someone to fill the vacancy that Orlando Pace left them, but Jake Long probably won’t be available. I’ll go with my gut feeling and say Jake Long will be gone and St. Louis will be happy to settle for Chris Long.

3. Atlanta Falcons

Matt Ryan, QB, Boston College Arthur Blank is crazy enough to look to trade this pick to someone looking to get up into the top picks to select McFadden or Gholston. However, since I’ll probably get every one of these pick predictions wrong, I am not going to start predicting which teams will start trading. Chris Redman is not the answer for the Falcons; Matt Ryan could be.

4. Oakland Raiders

Glenn Dorsey, DT, LSU With Warren Sapp retiring, I am making this choice because I feel like it is the logical decision. Will the Raiders look at Darren McFadden with this pick? Most definitely. But when it comes down to it, I see Al Davis looking to fill the void left by Sapp.

5. Kansas City Chiefs

Leodis McKelvin, CB, Troy The Chiefs’ most glaring problem is their offensive line, which was shredded last season. However, with the two better picks for the Chiefs gone (Jake Long and Matt Ryan), I would look for the Chiefs to make a move on a franchise CB to fill the shoes of the ancient Ty Law.

6. New York Jets

Vernon Gholston, DE, Ohio State The Jets could look at a handful of positions with the sixth pick; but when push comes to shove, I think it’ll be the beast Vernon Gholston who continues to impress scouts during his workouts.

7. New England Patriots (from 49ers)

Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie, CB, Tennessee St. Another team that will flirt with the Darren McFadden choice, but ultimately the Patriots should be thinking about improving their team where it needs the most help.

8. Baltimore Ravens

Mike Jenkins, CB, South Florida The Ravens will surely be looking for a quarterback in this year’s draft, but there are a handful of names that will be available in the second and third rounds that can compete and be successful in the NFL. Mike Jenkins will be able to bring that once-great defense back to prominence.

Darren McFadden, RB, Arkansas

Keith Rivers, LB, USC

The Saints will take who they think is the best pick available for the positions that they need to upgrade in this year’s draft. With that being said, I can see them taking the best linebacker in the draft: Keith Rivers.

11. Buffalo Bills

Devin Thomas, WR, Michigan St. Something tells me that the Bills will make the first questionable pick in the draft by reaching for a wide receiver to play opposite of Lee Evans. The Bills’ passing game was abysmal last season, and they may be weighing on the minds of the organization there in Buffalo.

12. Denver Broncos Sedrick Ellis, DT, USC

Sedrick Ellis should not fall this far, but with the history of unsuccessful defensive tackles taken in the NFL draft, I can see him fitting nicely into the Broncos’ scheme.

13. Carolina Panthers

Derrick Harvey, DE, Florida

18. Houston Texans

19. Philadelphia Eagles

Chris Williams, OT, Vanderbilt Have the Eagles ever drafted anyone flashy? As Pete, the Sports Editor here at The Recorder tells me, no they have not. Andy Reid will bolster up that offensive line to try and get McNabb back to Pro-Bowl form.

20. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan The Buccaneers will probably take a hard look at the best cornerback available, but for the life of me I cannot see them passing up on a talent like Manningham’s. Joey Galloway is, like, a hundred years old, and it is only a matter of time before his gears stop turning.

Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

21. Washington Redskins

Who was the Panthers’ running back last year? Who has the Panthers’ running back been the past five years? Are you seeing my point here? DeAngelo Williams is not the franchise running back for the Panthers. Mendenhall has the potential to be.

Here is a huge value pick for the Redskins. They need to take Baker to help out that line. A good line in front of Campbell is just what he needs to try and take that next step. I think he has the potential.

14. Chicago Bears

Sam Baker, OT, USC

Ryan Clady, OT, Boise St.

22. Dallas Cowboys (from Browns):

The Bears need all kinds of help. They could take a look at a wide receiver here or even reach for a quarterback. The choice should be Clady – he will be a beast on that offensive line and give whomever it is behind center plenty of time to find the open man.

Nobody is sure if Marion Barber is an every-down back. Nonetheless, his bruising running style has to take its toll sooner or later. With the other decent running backs already off the board, Felix Jones gets the nod.

Felix Jones, RB, Arkansas

15. Detroit Lions

23. Pittsburgh Steelers

I was tempted to throw in a wide receiver here as a joke, but it might actually happen. The Lions will make a pick that surprises everyone and may be a little bit of a reach. They will be looking to upgrade that atrocious defense and add a player that can help with the cover-2 system in Detroit.

Brandon Albert may or may not fall this far; if he does, the Steelers need to take him to help out that line. A good line in front of Roethlisburger is just what he needs to ease his mind after the loss of Faneca.

Calais Campbell, DE, Miami (Fl.)

16. Arizona Cardinals

Jonathan Stewart, RB, Oregon I think Stewart falls this far because of injury concerns, and hopefully this pick will work out in the long run for the Cardinals. They need a player so they can take that next step and get into the playoffs in the NFC.

Brandon Albert, OG, Virginia

24. Tennessee Titans

Malcom Kelly, WR, Oklahoma Vince Young will be lobbying for more weapons come the weekend of the draft. Malcom Kelly can be a possession receiver and a deep-threat guy.

Jerod Mayo, LB, Tennessee

Phillip Merling, DE, Miami (Fl.)

27. San Diego Chargers

Brandon Flowers, CB, Virginia Tech A big physical guy is what the Chargers will be getting when they draft Brandon Flowers. He will be a nice complement to the quickness of Cromartie and Jammer.

28. Dallas Cowboys Aqib Talib, CB, Kansas

Talib shined bright last year for the surprising Jayhawks, and his draft stock rose significantly. I cannot promise that Jerry Jones will still be here with this pick, but the Cowboys will take this solid cornerback to help secure a weak secondary.

29. San Francisco 49ers (from Colts) DeSean Jackson, WR, Cal

If the Cowboys do not take Jackson, the 49ers will gladly keep him in California.

Jackson can immediately start and make some plays for Nolan and the Niners.

30. Green Bay Packers

Gosder Cherilus, OT, Boston College It is Aaron Rodgers-time now in Green Bay, and what better way to take a little bit of the pressure off of him than to draft a large offensive lineman to protect him? The Packers will give the new kid a little bit of security back there.

31. New England Patriots: Forfeit

32. New York Giants

Kenny Phillips, S, Miami (Fl.)

The Giants need the most help in the secondary, and they will probably be able to find some good value at linebacker in one of the later rounds.

8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / SPORTS

Blue Devils Crush Blackbirds Take Three of Four in Weekend Match Up Peter Collin Sports Editor The Blue Devils (14-15, 9-3) split a Saturday afternoon doubleheader with the LIU Blackbirds (11-24, 3-9), dropping the first contest 6-0 before rebounding to crush the Blackbirds 16-3 in the second affair.

Freshman Pat Epps was the star of the day for the Blue Devils, going 3-3 with six RBIs and two runs in the second game of the day. Epps delivered the big blow of the game for the Blue Devils, crushing a grand slam to left field in the fourth inning to put the game out of reach at 12-3.

“He’s (Epps) going to be a good player for us. I like to think that it’s about time,” said Head Coach Charlie Hickey. “What we had to preach to him early on was to be aggressive.

Where, I think two weeks ago he would have taken that pitch.”

Sophomore Sean Allaire led off the fourth inning with a double to the left field corner. After consecutive singles by sophomore Anthony Scialdone and senior Jak Kidd plated one run, junior Casey Walko and sophomore Tommy Meade worked

back-to-back walks to score another run and put Central up 8-3.

That brought up Epps, who had already driven in one run on the day.

Epps bashed a grand slam to left centerfield that easily cleared the fence.

“What was key for us was when we got into their bullpen, we continued to put some pressure on them,” said Hickey. “We needed to get a hit to score some multiple runs. We were getting ones and twos but its always nice to get a six.”

Gianini had a rough start to the game. LIU centerfielder James Jones, the winning pitcher of game one, tripled to the right field corner and scored on an RBI ground out by junior Frank DiMasi.

Staked to a 1-0, Blackbird southpaw Eric Hinkle couldn’t hold the lead. Allaire laced a one out double to the left-centerfield gap. After a strike out by Scialdone, Kidd dropped a bloop RBI double in front of LIU centerfielder James Jones, who made a diving attempt at the ball.

Junior Casey Walko followed with the third double of the inning to score Kidd and later scored on a single by junior first baseman Tommy Meade to give Gianini a 3-1 lead.

Central added another run the second inning. Junior catcher Sean

Tommy Meade takes a swing at the plate on Saturday. He had three RBIs, adding to the onslaught against Long Island in game two.

Parker doubled to start the inning and advanced to third on a hard single by freshman Sean Miller-Jones.

Parker scored and Miller-Jones advanced to second when LIU southpaw Eric Hinkle balked.

The Blue Devils continued to pour it on the Blackbirds in the third, tacking on two more runs on RBI singles by Epps and Parker.

The Blackbirds put two runs on the board in the top of the fourth when catcher Chris Kievit hit a no doubt two-run home run to left field to make it a close affair at 6-3.

But after the Blue Devils’ big sixrun fourth inning Gianini settled down, not allowing another run and finishing with a complete game victory with four strike outs to his credit.

The Blue Devils faltered to open the double-header on Saturday, failing to capitalize on the momentum from their improbable ninth inning rally on Friday night when they scored five ninth inning runs to eek out a 7-6 victory.

The Blackbirds rode a six-run sixth-inning for a 6-0 to nail senior starter Ken Kerski with his team leading fourth loss of the season. But there were signs of life in Kerski’s outing that gave Coach Hickey confidence for future outings from Kerski.

“I thought that was probably Kenny Kerski’s best outing of the year. I thought he threw the ball very well,” said Hickey. “We obviously gave them some extra outs in that inning.”

In the bottom of the fifth the Blue Devils had their most serious threat of the game. Kidd led off the inning with a pop up into short center. The ball managed to elude both the LIU second baseman and the centerfielder for a single. Walko followed with a lazy fly ball to right cen-

Sophomore Sean Allaire scooping up a grounder last Saturday.

Game 1 Blue Devils Long Island

Game 2 Blue Devils Long Island

0 6

terfield that LIU centerfielder lost in the sun for an error.

But the Blackbirds avoided further trouble as Jones struck out Meade and induced a double play ground out from Epps.

The Blackbirds immediately threatened the following inning when junior Anthony Amatucci singled to left and Kerski failed to record an out on a sacrifice bunt attempt when his throw to second sailed into centerfield. Parker followed that by committing an error on the next bunt attempt by sophomore Greg DeSantis.

With the bases loaded and nobody out a bloop single put the Blackbirds on the board with a 1-0 lead. After a fielder’s choice caught the runner at home, DiMasi drove a sacrifice fly to Kidd in right field.

The killer blow came when senior Danny Etkin lifted a deep fly ball to right field that caught the wind and carried all the way over the wall for a his second homerun of the year.

The Blackbirds totaled six runs in the top of the fifth before Kerski finally managed to stop the bleeding.

The Blue Devils went quietly for the rest of the first game, only tallying one base runner over the final three innings.

Junior Brett Chachko provided two scoreless innings of relief for Central, allowing no hits and striking out one.

16 3

“It was a good day for us because we had to grind it out a little bit.

We hadn’t been asked to grind it out like this, but we’re able to do it,” said Hickey. “It’s nice to come back from that first loss. It’s hard, because 20 minutes later you have to go right back at it.”

Next up for the Blue Devils is a weekend series of four games against the Monmouth University Hawks.

The first of the four games will be played at Muzzy Field in Bristol on Friday afternoon at 3:00 p.m. The last three will all be played at Beehive Stadium in New Britain with a doubleheader starting at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and the finale starting at 11:00 a.m. on Sunday.

Central finished out the weekend with their third victory of the four games, thrashing the Blackbirds 18-3. Parker crushed a grand slam and centerfielder Kyle Zarotney recovered from a rough weekend by adding a three-run home run.

Senior John Tesseyman threw eight solid innings, striking out four and walking none to earn his fourth victory of the season. Junior Taylor Kosakowski wrapped up the game with one solid inning of relief, allowing one hit and striking out two.

Photos by Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

Budrick and Logan Lead the Blue Devils in Doubleheader Against Georgetown ccsubluedevils.com Central Connecticut split a non-conference doubleheader against Georgetown this afternoon. The Hoyas took game one 7-4, while the Blue Devils registered its 11th win of the season, 5-4. Sophomore Sara Budrick posted two triples, along with knocking in four Blue Devils while her classmate Jaclyn Logan registered three hits, scored two runs and drove in three run on the day.

The Hoyas posted the first runs in game one. Georgetown sophomore Samantha Peters knocked a ball over the left field fence, scoring classmate Demetria Cipriano to take an early 2-0 in the first. The Blue Devils answered with four runs in the bottom of the inning, taking a 4-2 advantage.

Logan hit a three-run home run, scoring classmate Tiffany Erickson and freshman Erin Kelley. Senior Jessica Caron singled

to drive in her sister Melissa Caron to score the fourth run for the home team.

Georgetown struck in the top of the fourth, scoring three runs to retake the lead 5-4. Freshman Jillian Webb drove a pinch-hit double to right to score two. Sophomore Jadig Garcia re-entered the game for Webb and scored off a Cipriano double to add to the Georgetown lead. The Hoyas added two more runs to end the fifth inning 7-4 in favor of the visitors, which stood to be the final score.

Senior Samantha Keltos struck out two Hoyas going four innings for the Blue Devils. Sophomore Caylee Johanson came in relief pitching to two batters, later to be relieved by freshman Liz Montemurro, who closed out the final three innings, striking out three.

In game two Georgetown posted three runs in the first inning to open a 3-0 advantage. Freshman Aimee Moffat registered two runs

batted in, and later scoring, to take part in the all three of the Hoyas runs. Georgetown added another run in the top of the fourth, making the score 4-0.

The Blue Devils got on the board when sophomore Sara Budrick tripled to center, driving in Logan and Caron. Budrick later scored on a Georgetown error, cutting into the lead 4-3.

Budrick struck again, registering her second triple of the game, driving in two Blue Devil runners, giving the home team the advantage 5-4 at the end of the fifth.

Junior Brittany Salvatore went five innings for CCSU with one strike out to pick up her second win of the season. Classmate Rachel Brenneman posted her first save of the year, closing out the final two innings, fanning three Hoyas in the process.

Game 1 Blue Devils Georgetown

Game 2 4 7

Blue Devils Georgetown

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Rachel Brenneman pitching in the middle of two scoreless innings she threw for the Blue Devils.

9

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

d o o l B ed R oes h S vie r e t In

Mark Rowan Special to The Recorder

we’d made one in the first year of being together.

What do Nirvana, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Babes in Toyland and Blonde Redhead have in common? Apparently a lot more than you think. Blood Red Shoes, a two-piece band based out of Brighton, England, have been tossed around with those names before and with the release if their debut album, Box of Secrets, expect to hear even more.

MR: Tell us a little about the album—what to expect from it and what went into putting it together.

Drummer and vocalist Steven Ansell was able to answer a few questions for me as he and guitarist/vocalist Laura-Mary Carter were touring Europe and Japan. They look young and cute in photo shoots, but don’t let them fool you. Ansell explained the band’s live shows where they occasionally play too fast and smash things up. Look for them, as well as their new record, coming your way soon.

Mark Rowan: You guys have been a band for around three years now, but are just putting out your debut album on April 14.

You’ve released a ton of singles, but why the delay on the full-length?

Steve Ansell: Well basically we didn’t feel ready to make an album until recently. We did lots of singles deals with lots of labels, and in that time we were growing as a band, and getting better at writing, and playing live, and just better friends. So once we felt like we were ready to think about an album, we did an album deal with a label (V2 in Europe/Japan) and went in and recorded it. It was finished in September 2007 but then because of some label buyout stuff that went down, we weren’t sure what our future was and it stalled the release a bit, which meant the album went back by a few more months. But ultimately it took a while because we didn’t want to rush into making an album, and we’re really glad we did it that way. Some bands get signed really fast and haven’t developed as a band, they don’t know what they can do yet, and they make a first album then “develop” on the second album but everyone loves ‘em for the first one and hates the second one—stuff like that.

Hopefully we’ve avoided it. I think our album sounds more like who we really are than if

SA: Well the songs are taken from over the first three years of our existence. “ADHD” is on there and that song was one of the first 10 songs we ever wrote. But then we have some stuff that we’d never played live on there, written just before we went into the studio. So I think it really represents us and what we’ve been doing and what our sound has developed into. Recording-wise, we just went into a studio and hammered it out. We wanted the music to sound rough and ready, kind of mean and heavy and live sounding. Then we wanted to bring out the vocals a bit with that too, because we write pop hooks a lot—well sort of weird pop hooks—and we wanted to add some emphasis to that. Often live it’s the vocal stuff that gets buried in the noise, and we wanted to get the Pixies-style balance dead on, with the aggression of the music but also the melody of the voices.

MR: The word grunge gets thrown around a lot when people discuss your band, but that honestly didn’t cross my mind until I read it. What is it about Blood Red Shoes where people can say, “Oh this is grunge” while others might focus more on the harmonies and call it indie rock/garage/etc?

SA: Well I think our sound owes a lot to grunge—Laura-Mary’s guitar style and sound is heavily indebted to grunge and other American underground rock stuff. The notes and chords she uses and the shifts are quite grungy. They’re not based on straightforward major/minor scales like a lot of British bands seem to. I also think that our music has a nagging sort of dark feel to it, that I hear in Nirvana, Babes in Toyland, etc. I think garage music is much more based in a bluesy feel, and although I think we have similarities to the energy of garage, I don’t think melodically it’s very similar and to be honest, I think indie rock is such a broad term I have no idea how much resemblance we bear to it. In England that means bands that sound like The

Libertines and that sure as hell has no relevance to us! And in the States, I think there are bands that get called indie rock that we take influence from, definitely—stuff like Sonic Youth, Hot Snakes, Blonde Redhead.

MR: How sick are you hearing the band compared to other duos simply because you’re also a duo?

SA: Very sick.

MR: Who do you think would be more fitting?

SA: Well some people compare us to Yeah Yeah Yeahs, another bass-less band who we’re much more similar to. Or my personal favorite is when someone said, “it’s like Blur crossed with Sonic Youth.”

MR: You were both in bands previously— full bands, I believe—what does being a duo allow for that being in a full band would not? Is the music-making process easier? Allow for more creativity?

SA: Well it leaves you with way more space to try out different things with your instrument.

It opens up possibilities and I think it allows us to use our instruments less conventionally.

We’ve found it makes us use our voices a lot more, too—one thing that I think it’s quite distinctive about our band, that not many people seem to mention, is that we both sing, and sing a lot. We use intertwining vocal lines and alternating parts, which is a lot harder in a four or five-piece band.

MR: I read somewhere your newest album, Box of Secrets, has been leaked since November. Does that bother you at all or is it just inevitable?

SA: Yeah, it is inevitable. I mean that was quite far in advance, but that’s only because the release date went back. In one sense it’s good. It actually means that more people have been coming to our shows and the audience often know more of the songs, but on the other hand we do know people have low-quality versions, versions in the wrong order, versions with extra or wrong songs on it (taken from

w

b-sides or EPs) so it’s kind of a bastardized form of the record. And the biggest issue we had is that people have got it without the artwork. Laura-Mary personally does all of the art, and that’s part of our package and who we are, so when you get the record without that, you are missing part of who we are—not to mention all the lyrics written out.

MR: Going along with that, it seems albums are leaking earlier and earlier every year and then you now have a handful of artists trying to follow in the footsteps of Radiohead’s pay-what-you-want release.

How is the Internet affecting how you make and release music?

SA: So far it’s not changed how we release things, but it is affecting everything else. We use the Internet a lot; putting up videos, blogs, bulletins and competitions. We’ve found that a lot of our audience have found us through word of mouth and checking us out on the Internet, and then come to see us live. So we use it a lot, but so far our release schedule has been very conventional—though we are already talking about the possibility of releasing an EP in between this and our second album, which is download only and maybe also availably physically at gigs. I like the directness of the Internet—it takes out a lot of stage of mediation between the band and its audience.

MR: You finished up a big tour in the UK right after the release of the record, what are your plans for touring then? Will we see you in the United States?

SA: Yes! We’re not sure when though. We’re talking to a bunch of labels about a U.S. release and for us it’s a really big thing because most of our favorite artists are North American. So we have this idea that U.S. audiences will (hopefully) really dig it, but we want to get over with a record and tour properly, and our plan is to break the back of Europe and Japan, where things are already kicking off and get that nailed before we head to the United States. Ideally it’ll be late this year and we can get some proper touring in.

10 THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Entertainment Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin Pershing

After the success of Why?, a band that became a personal favorite this year, it wasn’t a hard choice to check out their labelmates Subtle when I saw they were releasing an album. I don’t know if it’s me or not, but they actually sound a whole lot like Why?. This could be because they are linked to the band cLOUDDEAD, a band that Why? frontman Yoni Wolf was in prior to.

Subtle is usually linked into the hip-hop genre, but I feel that the band’s scratchy drum beat-heavy tracks are closer to the experimental side of music than traditional hip-hop, though there are parts in ExitingARM that come off as almost pure hiphop.

Tracks like “Day Dangerous” and “Sick Soft Perfection” have really heavy drum beats that could easily find a place in a rap album as soon as they would in an indie-dance-rock group, but it’s Adam Drucker’s vocals that keep it planted solidly in the experimental genre. He doesn’t have a flow; he rarely even rhymes, so it is really hard to classify this as hip-hop.

The album’s fifth track, “Hollow Hollered,” brings a soul feel to the earphones, and for a split second I can picture Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse making this song, but this dissipates quickly and Subtle’s unique sound flies right back. This track is also one of the few that has a true hip-hop verse.

The more I really listen to ExitingARM, the more difficulty I have talking about it. It’s one of those albums that really need to be listened to for the full experience. The album lives in a small space between Burial and Why?, and that is really the best way to describe what you are in for when you get your hands on ExitingARM. While this isn’t going to be the most popular album to be released in 2008, it will definitely stay on constant rotation on my iPod and be one of the most unique records you can get your hands on. While you might not get into it right away, after a few listens you won’t be able to stop.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Subtle ExitingARM

Colin Meloy Colin Meloy Sings Live!

While I’m not extremely well-versed on the history of The Decemberists, I know what the band’s music is all about and I knew how good Colin Meloy’s solo album was going to be before I even listened to it. Usually when that happens, more frequently with movies, I hype myself up and then become extremely disappointed—not so much with this album.

Colin Meloy Sings Live! follows The Decemberist front man through his 2006 solo tour as he plays originals, songs from both The Decemberists and Tarkio and even a few covers, including one from The Smiths. The only downfall is, as with any live album, you don’t get to appreciate the feeling of a live concert when listening to the album. I tend to enjoy DVDs of live shows better for this reason.

Meloy manages to fill the entire album with only his voice and an acoustic guitar, and even though I know some of the songs he sings as full version, they don’t lose anything important by not having the full instrumental backing. Something Meloy does that I haven’t seen before is including what he calls the worst song he ever wrote.

While I usually don’t like my music this much on the pop side, Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin mixes enough strong indie-rock to make the concoction tolerable, if not down right good. After receiving high praises from assorted music blogs over their first album, Broom, SSLYBY should be getting ready for even more attention with their newest record Pershing.

The album starts off upbeat, cheery even, and matures more and more as it plays through.

“Glue Girls,” the album’s first offering, brings together the band’s pop tendencies, which stem almost directly from Philip Dickey and John

Cardwell’s harmonized and masterfully paired vocals. The drumming isn’t over the top, but it remains steady throughout the track and doesn’t give way to the over stylized guitar parts.

SSLYBY stray off their own course a little bit on “The Beach Song,” which incorporates what sounds like a drum machine beat but might have just been pre-recorded and mixed in production, but nonetheless it straddles the line between pop and dance. It also does a decent job of staying true to title; I can see this playing through the speakers as I enjoy a lazy day at the beach. While they have a carefree air about them, they don’t give off the same vibe as a band like Vampire Weekend does.

“Dracula’s Daughter” starts off with Colin’s disdain for his own song, wondering why it even got past “the first two chords, let alone putting pen to paper after that.” After the first verse, he abruptly stops the song and asks himself why he didn’t just end the song there.

Good news for the listener: it only took him another line to call it quits on the track.

As the album progresses, familiar tracks from The Decemberists pop up at random, giving the album a good mix of new and old. While the live concert feel is there throughout the album in small doses, it doesn’t sound far different from his previous studio albums. Meloy has raised the bar for live albums, but his formula only works for the indie-folk band that relies heavily on picked guitars. Even if you aren’t familiar with Meloy’s previous work, you can appreciate this album for face value and without missing out on anything too important.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

was just a really good song. Much of the music on the new album by the Flight of the Conchords follows in the same grain—the bastard children of “Deborah” and 50-years worth of influences ranging from The Beatles to David Bowie to early hip-hop.

The tracks on the album are “joke” songs, but they’re also musically competent and funny in the same way that “Deborah” was funny— mainly in that they seem to take themselves dead serious while belting out insincere lines in falsetto like “you’re so beautiful, you could be a part-time model,” then following this to its inevitable conclusion (that she’d still have to hold a real part-time job). What helps the songs stay away from the annoying territory of “Weird Al” and his shitty peers is the fact that the two New Zealanders (Bret and Jemaine) actually compose music decent enough to be taken seriously, were it not for the lyrics. For example, “A Kiss is Not a Contract” pokes fun at soft guitar ballads while displaying an impressive melody and “Business Time” does a dead-on impression of sexy ‘70s soul.

Ultimately, the album isn’t breaking any new ground, but simply making fun of the world’s most popular and revered music, acting as a mirror to reflect just how crazily self-serious the music takes itself, and how simple tweaks in lyric and execution can bring this to light and make it out rightly hilarious.

On the other hand, maybe the two really are being serious. I mean, what woman that you know doesn’t want to be told that she’s so beautiful she could be a high-class prostitute?

Peter Decoteau / Staff Writer

After the song “California” was used for the theme song of Fox’s hit show The O.C., I knew only two things could become of Phantom Planet: they were either going to make it big and ride on the commercial success of their first single, or they were going to become disconnected from the track and disappear into pop oblivion.

Unfortunately, the second happened;,but they finally made their way back.

It has been over four years since Phantom Planet released its last full studio album, the self-titled record that had a single with moderate radio play with “Big Brat.” Outside of the single, this album didn’t have a whole lot to offer the listener, and neither does Raise the Dead, to be completely honest.

If Phantom Planet had called it quits after they got their big paycheck from Fox and walked away, they would have been considered a onehit wonder and no one would have cared, however they decided to continue making mediocre alt-rock songs that seem formulaic at best.

Lead singer Alex Greenwald has maintained his popularity with the garage-rock vocal style that comes off as lame, now that the sub-genre has past its radio popularity, sounding like a cheap, forced version of old Strokes songs. Others might compare it to the sound British invasion bands gave us, but I feel it falls short. While this might appeal to the drive-time radio crowd, it doesn’t make for good music when you purchase the album anticipating pop songs to the quality of “California” or “Big Brat.”

The real downfall of this album is the lack of anything catchy in its 53-minute run time.

There is not a single chorus or verse that makes me tap my feet. Distorted guitars and snare and bass-heavy drumming can only bring a band and an album so far, and on Raise the Dead it stays permanently buried under a large layer of suck.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Phantom Planet Raise the Dead

Way, way back in the 1990s Beck released a criminally underrated album named Midnight Vultures, and on this album was a song called “Deborah.” It was a ridiculously funny song but also a really good dedication to the ridiculously self-serious R&B ballads of the ‘70s and ‘80s that were funny without knowing it. Ultimately, it

Flight of the Conchords Flight of the Conchords

Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin does bring to mind other bands, but not the names you might first think of when you think of indie-pop music. Cult favorite Pavement is the first group that pops into my head when I first listened to Pershing. There are a lot of the same distorted guitars and bass-over-pop vocals that were well alive in 1995 when Wowee Zowee was initially released.

Even though their sound might not be entirely contemporary, people unfamiliar with indie’s past will have no problem embracing SSLYBY’s mellow, relaxed sound. I would definitely recommend checking out the band’s first album, Broom, if you have the opportunity.

Edward Gaug / Entertainment Editor

Do you like secret agent movies? Do you like movies about surfing? Dengue Fever, a Cambodian psychrock outfit from California, could very well provide the soundtrack for either or both of these movie genres—given that they were made in

Dengue Fever Venus on Earth

Cambodia’s version of Hollywood (CamBollywood)? The music is definitely not for the safe players who run at the first audible utterance of another language (much of the album is in Khmer), or for those without the time and patience to really give it a shot. I, falling into the second category, found myself close to turning off their new album, Venus on Earth, by the end of the third song, but couldn’t get up because of a fierce battle going on in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 07. This ended up being a good thing.

When I eventually stopped trying to figure out what the lead singer was saying and wondering what kind of a mish-mash of influences could’ve spawned such an odd child, I realized that the music itself is fun and complex, with shifting melodies and beats and a certain flow from one song to the next that seemed natural, maintaining momentum like a river. The stark contrast of cultures within the music—what would seem like a grating clash of cultures were it not performed with such serious zeal—is one of the reasons their music succeeds. It may at first be a little disconcerting, but ultimately becomes endearing and, most of all, intriguing.

Adding to the interesting concoction of sounds are brass instruments that jump out from nowhere, such as in one of the albums best songs, “Laugh Track,” while the slow and deceptively simple “Monsoon of Perfume” sounds as if it could be sadly belted out in any bar in Cambodia (but not in a shitty karaoke kind of way).

Venus on Earth probably won’t hit the billboard charts in America, nor will it find its way into my steady and decidedly discriminating rotation of music that I listen to religiously. It’s an interesting mixture of influences, definitely worthy of a bigger following than it will probably get—music for the seasoned and adventurous listener who knows no boundaries of culture and language. And, of course, music for lovers of secret agents and surfers... Cam-Bollywood style.

Peter Decoteau / Staff Writer

Girl Talk Mashes His Way to Toad’s Place Edward Gaug Entertainment Editor What happens when you take over a 100 Top-40 singles and mix them together into a single 40 minute album? You have a Girl Talk record. Pittsburgh-based mashup master Gregg Gillis a.k.a. Girl Talk will be stopping for his only Connecticut appearance this Friday night in New Haven.

Since his first album Secret Diary was released in 2002, Girl Talk has become a staple in the underground electronic scene with the likes of Dan Deacon and more recently, White Williams. If you are anticipating a typical concert, you will be extremely confused; Girl Talk consists of only Gillis and a beat up laptop on stage.

While this might seem boring or predictable, every Girl Talk show turns into a wild, drunken dance party and his set on Friday should be no different. If you want to experience one of the best live shows around, pick up some tickets for Girl Talk and save a few bucks for drinks.

11

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

The Lodge: Just Another Cliché Slasher 5 Ways To Spend Your Government Issued Stimulus Check

Samantha Sullivan Copy Editor Well, I was going to review the 2008 remake of the Japanese horror film Shutter, but I wasn’t about to pay another $20 on yet another possiblyshitty movie and I could only find the 2004 original version online. So, this review is of a movie called The Lodge, a 2008 slasher starring B-List actors and a predictable plot.

Julia and Michael, played by Elizabeth Kell (she played a nurse in one episode of the television series “According to Jim”) and Owen Szabo (there isn’t even anything worth mentioning in his career), booked a weekend at a deserted lodge somewhere in the U.S. (they never actually say where it is) with every intention of filling the cabin with memories of crazy, kinky sex. Little does Julia know, but Michael even planned the weekend to propose to her—well, come on, you had to have seen that coming.

When they get to the lodge, they find food and garbage all over the kitchen and the water running at the sink, as if the former tenants left in a hurry—or didn’t leave at all. A search around the house results in no answers, until a strange man bursts through a door and reveals himself as the caretaker, Henry Harper (played

by Kevin McClatchy, a soap opera/ daytime television actor with, again, no worthwhile experience to mention). Although frazzled, Julia and

Edward Gaug Entertainment Editor While browsing aimlessly through blogs the other day, I was reminded that there’s a free $300 check with my name on it coming in May. Some stores around the country are gearing up for this and are offering an additional 10 percent if you spend the whole check on a gift card for their store. While that is a terrible way of wasting 300 bucks, I have some ideas on better ways to help the struggling economy.

thelodgemovie.com

Michael agree to let Henry clean up the house while they get high—I mean, relax by the brook.

Henry appears to be a “laid back guy who likes to smoke a little weed,” so Michael thinks, and things seem to be going fairly normal—until that night, when Julia sees a girl outside one of the windows. When they find the girl hiding in a closet the next day, Julia and Michael’s fears only worsen, and “Henry” shows his true self—a psychopathic killer who gets off on raping and torturing young women before killing them and the lodge’s other guests, which he has every in-

tention of doing with Julia and Michael, just like he did to the former guests. Obviously “Henry” isn’t really Henry—and that poor girl in the closet? Well, she isn’t exactly “innocent,” either.

This movie sucks. There is no simpler or more eloquent way to put it. The story is one that has been done before, and the ending is so cliché that it makes me feel bad for future filmographers. The writers added corny lines throughout the movie, like Julia’s “I’m a dead woman” in response to Michael wanting to have sex in all 10 of the lodge’s rooms—

obviously a lead-in to Henry’s intention to kill her. There really is nothing original about this movie at all; in fact, the only thing I can say I responded to in The Lodge is the rape scene, which you don’t see much of, but even that’s plenty. I can watch “Law & Order: SVU” night and day and not be affected as much as I am affected by rape scenes in movies, which I think is because they have to be a little more, er, Kosher for television.

Anyways, don’t see this movie.

Ever. Don’t even rent it (unless you’re into shitty movies, then go for it).

STP Reunion Official, Velvet Revolver Left Limping Nick Gorra Staff Writer

Rumors and speculation surrounding the Stone Temple Pilots reunion has recently been confirmed.

According to MTVNews.com, the reformed Stone Temple Pilots have announced a 65-city summer tour.

All original members of STP have confirmed their involvement.

Guitarist Dean Deleo also confirmed in an interview with the Associated Press that STP will return to the studio to record a new album following the summer tour.

Although there is much positive buzz surrounding the STP reunion, the same cannot be said regarding the fate of hard rock super-group Velvet Revolver. It was also revealed that Velvet Revolver front-man Scott Wieland announced his departure from the group. Unfortunately, it does not seem to be a pleasant departure as both Weiland and members of Velvet Revolver exchanged not so kind words.

Tensions among Weiland and the rest of Velvet Revolver seemed elevated in recent times with members of the band expressing displeasure between Weiland. Recently, Velvet Revolver’s internal issues seemed to have taken their toll. During a Velvet Revolver concert in Glasgow, Weiland

announced that the current Velvet Revolver tour would be his last.

Following his announcement he walked off stage, leaving the remaining members of Velvet Revolver bewildered at his actions. Weiland later returned to the stage during the middle of a rendition of the song “It’s So Easy,” then apparently walked off again for good.

At this point it seemed Weiland’s departure from the band was absolute, although Velvet Revolver’s PR initially declined to comment on the status of the band.

Two weeks later Weiland’s departure from the band was confirmed. On April 1, the remaining members of Velvet Revolver, Slash, Duff McKagan, Dave Kushner and Matt Sorum, released a statement.

“This band is all about its fans and its music, and Scott Weiland isn’t 100 percent committed to either,” Slash said in the statement. “Among other things, his increasingly erratic onstage behavior and personal problems [Weiland recently finished a stint in rehab] have forced us to move on.”

Weiland was quick to respond with an email he sent to MTV the following day which read: “After reading the comment by Duff, Matt, Dave and the illustrious ‘Guitar Hero,’ Saul Hudson, a.k.a.

Slash, I find it humorous that the socalled four ‘founding members’ of Velvet Revolver, better known to themselves as ‘the Project’ before I officially named the band, would decide to move on without me after I had already claimed the group dead in the water on March 20 in Glasgow,” Weiland explained. “In response to Slash’s comment regarding my commitment, I have to say it is a blatant and tired excuse to cover up the truth.

The truth of the matter is that the band had not gotten along on multiple levels for some time. On a musical level, there were moments of joy, inspiration, fun... at times. But let’s not forget the multiple trips to rehab every member of the band had taken (with the exception of one member— no need to mention his name).

“Personally speaking, I choose to look forward to the future and performing with a group of friends I have known my entire life, people who have always had my back,” Weiland continued. “This also speaks to my commitment to my music and my fellow band mates [Stone Temple Pilots] and to the fans who I feel would much rather watch a group of musicians who enjoy being together as opposed to a handful of discontents who at one time used to call themselves a gang.”

Weiland concluded by giving advice on a potential new lead singer for Velvet Revolver: “Good hunting, lads—I think Sebastian Bach would be a fantastic choice.”

Sebastian Bach actually auditioned for the band before Weiland’s inclusion.

While Velvet Revolver’s future remains uncertain, Stone Temple Pilots seems to be heading in a more positive direction. The newly reformed band preformed for the first time in five years on April 7, at the former Hollywood estate of Harry Houdini. The band’s members also seem enthusiastic about the reunion.

During the April 7 press conference, STP guitarist Dean DeLeo stated; “I’m fond of our legacy, and I’m fond of our band—I’m a fan. I get off when I’m riding down the highway and an STP track comes on the radio.

I get off on that.”

The tour will begin May 17 in Columbus, Ohio, and will end August 31 in Seattle, Wash. Following the end of the tour the band is supposed to begin work on a new album, the first since 2001’s Shangri-La Dee Da.

Cirque Du Soleil’s Kooza Lights Up Hartford Heather Vendetta Staff Writer The King and his bald footman paraded around, interacting with the audience. The footman found a bald man, rubs his head and said “It feels like I’m touching myself.” The King demanded him to go touch himself outside. Immediate laughter filled the mostly-adult crowd last Thursday night at Cirque Du Soleil’s 8 p.m. showing of Kooza in Hartford.

Québec-based Cirque Du Soleil’s Kooza is a brilliant mix of entertainment for people young and old. The clowns are central characters who make the audience laugh while the main acts prepare for their show. One minute they are made foam balls disappear; the next they are picked attractive women out of the audience and brought them up to embarrass while humping their legs.

But the clowns are only the filler acts to the main performance. A boy, Mr. Innocent, takes the audience through the core acts. These segments include acrobats, stuntmen and performers who sing and dance.

The acts are aimed to entertain all, yet undertones of sexual innuendo are found throughout.

“It’s like watching a Disney Movie,” Shannon McGill from West Hartford said. “You know it’s made for kids, but it’s entertaining for adults, too.”

Members of the audience are fair game for the performers. Often the clowns run up and down the aisles, sometimes even through a row of people, all the while asking them to stand to let the jokesters by. The excitement of wondering who they are going to pick when looking for a volunteer is enough to make a little kid jump out of his seat.

The performances are quite a spectacle, and the gut-wrenching acts are so unbelievable and entertaining you can’t help but keep your eyes glued to the stage.

“There were so many great acts, but my favorite was the two guys in the hamster wheels,” said Nicholas Kosloski, a senior at Central and a first timer at the Cirque Du Soleil show. “They were so sick. They had my heart going for a little while when they were doing their jumps on the top of the wheels.”

Beyond the actual performances, the stage, costuming and music are incredible. The bright yellow and blue tent is located right alongside Interstate 91, capturing people’s attention as they drive by. This temporary structure supports routines like tight rope walking and two large hamster wheels connected in the center.

“There is always something unique about Cirque’s superstructures,” said Beth Suoza, a self-proclaimed Cirque Du Soleil junkie.

“Just the development of the Kiosk for the band is so amazing,” she added.

Kooza is just one of Cirque Du Soleil’s many shows. Some shows, such as Zumanity and Love in Las Vegas are specifically for adults. “[Kooza] is really classic Cirque. It is a classic family fair with really imaginative costumes, lush orchestra and choreographing,” said Suoza.

Even though Kooza has traditional jugglers and performers, it supersedes your average circus show.

Two-and-a-half hours of extreme entertainment surpass your expectations—Cirque Du Soleil’s Kooza is a must see!

The provocative, breathtaking, captivating Kooza is playing in Hartford until April 27.

Tattoos This is the most likely way I am

going to spend my free money. I have been putting off a few tattoos because I haven’t had enough extra money sitting around to do so. Now that the government is giving me some dough, I will spend it on a solid piece of art… that is driven into my skin with needles. While some of you might think this is a terrible mistake, my response is, “Who are you, my mother?” If you plan on doing the same as me, make sure you really think your decision through, because no one wants to be a 50-year-old with a badass tribal band around their arm.

Gas Holy crap! Gas has risen 25 cents since I began writing this article. Seriously though, it wouldn’t hurt if you spent your 300 bucks on a gas card. Since this school is comprised mostly of commuters, it is easy to say that filling our tanks every week has become downright painful. With this $300 card, you could fill-up for nearly two months without having to take money out of your actual checking account. While this isn’t the most exciting way of spending your money, it beats riding a bicycle around.

Debt Do you have a credit card state-

ment sitting next to you that you don’t plan on paying off anytime soon? Were those rims really worth having to work an extra 10 hours a week this summer to pay them off?

Either way, MasterCard is going to want their money soon, and this is a harmless way to take some of the stress of debt off your back. Sure, it probably won’t cover everything you bought recently, but it will make that balance go to zero a little quicker.

Now about those student loans…

Electronics This is perfect time to finally

upgrade from your busted PS2 to a next-generation console. If you have been feeling left out as your friends are playing Halo and Call of Duty online and you are still playing Guitar Hero by yourself, you can now afford to waste those 300 bucks on an XBox360 or Playstation3. If you are living in the dorms, though, I would go with the Wii. There isn’t a better way to make quick friends than playing Mario Kart and Smash Bros on the hardest-to-find console—but remember: always use the wrist straps.

A Huge Rager Ah, the best idea yet: throwing

a huge party! Nothing says you’re fun better than buying a couple kegs and throwing the biggest party of the semester. If you do it right, you will be talked about for the rest of the semester; if you do it wrong, you’ll be sitting in the holding cell of the New Britain Police Department. If you are going to spend $300 on a party, you might want to hold on to some of it for bail. IF you still want to party without the arrest, I suggest gathering a few friends and really indulging on the good stuff. Pick up some Grey Goose instead of the standard Dubra, or maybe try Knob Creek instead of Jack Daniels. You will still get drunk, but you’ll feel classier this time.

14

Lifestyles

THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Stressed Out? Laugh It Off

Dorm Dishes 101 Pizza

Samantha Sullivan Copy Editor There’s nothing better than a hot dinner at home with the people we love.

When we’re at school, either at our apartments or in the residence halls, we can only hope to make or eat food that tastes as good or fills our stomachs as well as our parents’ home-cooked meals.

So who doesn’t love pizza? I’ll admit, I prefer Domino’s to most other places around here, but homemade pizza is even better. Not only does this recipe make an amazing meal, but if you make too much dough or have leftover sauce, you can chill it and make more later in the week!

There are two sets of ingredients for this recipe because you have to make the dough, too. If you’re lazy, many grocery stores sell bags of pre-made dough that would work just as well.

Pizza Crust 1 package regular or quick active dry yeast 1 c warm water (105 – 115 degrees) 2 ½ c all-purpose flour (If you’re using self-rising flour, don’t use the salt.* One cup of whole wheat flour can be substituted for 1 cup of the all-purpose flour if desired.)

2 T olive or vegetable Oil ½ t salt* Cornmeal

Making the dough might seem like a big task, but it’s a lot easier than you’d guess. Dissolve the yeast in the warm water in a medium-sized bowl. Stir in the flour, 2 T of oil of your choice and the salt (see note in ingredients). Beat the mixture vigorously for about 20 strokes, and then cover the bowl with plastic wrap or a towel and let sit for 20 minutes.

For thin crusts: Move the oven rack to the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Grease two cookie sheets or 12-inch pizza pans with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide the dough in half; pat each half into 11-inch circles on cookie sheets with floured fingers. Prick dough thoroughly with a fork. Bake for about 10 minutes or until crust just begins to brown.

For thick crusts: Move the oven rack to the lowest position in the oven and preheat to 375 degrees. Grease two square pans, 8 x 8 x 2 inches, with oil and sprinkle with cornmeal. Divide the dough in half; pat each half onto bottom of pan. Cover and let rise in warm place for 30-45 minutes or until the dough almost doubles in size. Bake 20-22 minutes or until the crust just begins to brown.

Cheese Pizza Pizza Crust 1 can (8 oz.) pizza sauce (your choice of brand and style) 3 c shredded mozzarella, Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese (12 oz.)

1.4 c grated Parmesan or Romano cheese Spread the pizza sauce over partially-baked crusts and sprinkle the cheese over the top. You can obviously add any other toppings that you’d like on the pizza, like pepperoni, meatball, sausage, bacon, etc. Bake thin crust pizzas at 425 degrees for only about 10 minutes; bake thick crust pizzas at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes, both until cheese is melted and pizzas are bubbly.

If you make too much pizza dough, you can wrap the partially-baked extra pieces, label and freeze no longer than two months. When you decide to use the dough, heat the oven to 375 degrees and bake thin crusts on a greased cookie sheet uncovered for about 25 minutes or thick crusts for about 55 minutes.

Source: “Betty Crocker’s New Cookbook”

Students organize a list of how to overcome stress last Wednesday.

Amanda Ciccatelli Assistant News Editor Rebecca Straub, the area coordinator for Residence Life, and Mandi Scala, assistant to the director of SA/LD and RECentral, hosted a stress management workshop on Wednesday entitled “Who You Gonna Call? Stress Busters!”

The stress-busting program was hosted by the department of Student Activities/Leadership Development, which also sponsors many other “leadership lunches” during the year. Community professionals and faculty presented informative topics for club officers, student leaders and faculty advisors so that they can help others manage stress.

At this particular program, Straub and Scala discussed techniques using humor that can help people, specifically college students who deal with the stresses of life.

“Laughter is a great way to deal with stress,” Straub explained.

“Humor and laughter affect your mind, body, heart and soul.”

Not only can laughing help a person’s mentality, but laughing for a full hour can burn 500 calories.She discussed the impact humor has on a person’s wellbeing that gives he or she a chance to take a stressful situation and look at it in a completely different light.

“Someone once told me you should just smile and it will put you in a good mood,” Straub said. She said

laughter is a spiritual healer because a good laugh can lift a person’s spirit and immediately remind him or her of happy memories, positively affecting the mind.

According to the book “Humor Me,” a compilation of tips on the power of laughter by America’s funniest humorists, there are numerous benefits that laughter offers to the human body. The book states that laughter enhances our resistance to illness by boosting the immune system and provides a good aerobic workout for the heart and lungs.

Laughing also enhances romance, according to “Humor Me.” Today, sense of humor is, if not the most, a desirable trait in a mate.

She also recalled a statistic that compares the differences between children and adults: on average, Kindergarten-age kids laugh 300 times a day, while adults give-in to a chuckle only 17 times throughout the day.

During the stress management workshop, all the participants were broken up into groups to write down causes of stress and ways they deal with stress. One group claimed that deadlines, poor communication, family, bills, homework and many of CCSU’s policies stressed them out.

They also said that exercise, prioritizing, a good night sleep, eating healthy and keeping a journal were all ways they dealt with stress.

Straub and Scala handed out pamphlets with lists containing mul-

Stephanie Bergeron / The Recorder

tiple ways for people to deal with stress. One in particular was entitled 101 Tips for Stress Management at College.

This list is accommodating to a student living the college life and can help Central students get through the last few weeks of the semester and finals: Plan ahead, prioritize, stay organized and don’t take on more than you can handle.

Spend time with positive people and look on the bright side of things.

Schedule in healthy escapes, like listening to music, reading a good book or going to the movies.

Set realistic goals, be flexible and realize we all learn from our mistakes.

Take good care of yourself: eat sensibly, get enough rest and include physical activity in each day.

Avoid nicotine, excessive caffeine and other stimulants. This includes avoiding too much sugar.

Try to avoid or shorten your exposure to stressful situations.

Strive for cooperation, not confrontation. Learn to give and take to reduce the strain on yourself and others.

Practice deep breathing.

Breathe in to the count of five, and then breathe out for the same count.

Talk out your problems with a friend or relative. If you need more help, don’t hesitate to seek professional counseling.

Springing Into Action: Do’s and Don’ts Peter Decoteau Staff Writer In the winter when I’m late for class (which happens to be always), I bundle up and shuffle across campus, keeping my eyes to the ground and my mind focused simply on making good time. With the weather jumping up and our clothes jumping off, I find it harder and harder to keep my concentration as my eyes begin to wander, which means that I’m constantly later and later for class. It’s not your fault, girls; the New England winters force you to cover up for months on end, and when a cool and sunny day finally comes along – one in which any normal human being would be apt to wear a long-sleeve shirt and jeans – you bust out like a celebrity from rehab, ready to metaphorically jump back into a life of hard drugs and D.U.I.s (Well, I hope it’s just a metaphor). This decrease in fabric and increase in tardiness can mean only one thing: it’s spring!

Springtime in college is a wonderful thing.

Frisbees are rested from their winter slumbers spent underneath dirty shirts that haven’t been seen or washed in six months; dirty shirts that haven’t been seen in six months are found and worn (without being washed); car windows are

opened to let warm air in and horrible music out; potheads smoke and do nothing outside instead of doing nothing inside; expensive tickets are bought for a concert that you won’t attend because you’ll get too drunk while tailgating; romances begin with love and lust (and end with syphilis); women’s clothing disappears (did I already mention that?); and, most importantly, I, as a fifth-year senior and resident pompous ass, get to give you my sage advice on what to do and what not to do during the glorious season of spring.

DO – Check out all of the bars and restaurants that the surrounding areas have to offer. With the warmer nights it’s easier to convince your friends, and yourself, to get up off of your lazy asses and actually go out instead of sitting around drinking Miller Lite and playing Guitar Hero. Believe it or not, Hartford has a pretty decent night life, and places like West Hartford, New Britain and Farmington offer plenty of variety. Check out Black Eyed Sally’s in Hartford for good southern BBQ and live blues music, or its neighbor, the Pig’s Eye Pub, for cheap drinks, pool, a patio and masses of drunken twentysomethings. The West Hartford center and the new Blue Back Square is perfect if you’re on a

date and have money to blow, and places like Murphy and Scarletti’s in Farmington provide a laid back atmosphere and usually a good crowd.

DO NOT – Take allergy medicine and then drink all night. This one would seem like a nobrainer, but I’ve done it and I have friends who’ve done it and it always ends with one of two certainties – you either won’t remember all of the stupid shit you did the night before, or you’ll sleepwalk through the night and your friends will have to babysit you. Suck it up and deal with the runny nose if you want to drink.

DO – Try to join a sports team/club or at least try to get some people together and play some pickup games on campus. It’s a good way to get in shape for the summer and, if you’re like me, a good way to free your over-competitive streak and be the asshole who just has to win in kickball.

DO NOT – Let me join in.

DO – Study/read outside on the lawn. You can get a tan while learning – two of the most important things this life has to offer.

DO NOT – Go to class. It’s just too nice outside, and you’ll be so spent from studying while tanning that you’ll need a cold beer and a nice lawn-cozy tanning nap.

DO – Buy some expensive summery beer to keep in the fridge.

DO NOT – Drink your expensive summery beer. Buy a 30-pack of shitty beer and drink that instead - it’s easier and cheaper when you start drinking at noon.

DO – Have or attend a BBQ. If you don’t have a grill or know anyone that does, just drive around following the sweet scent of chicken and sausages and crash one - you can almost always get away with at least a beer and a hamburger before being tossed out.

DO NOT – Crash a BBQ that happens to be a child’s birthday party…unless you pick up a present first.

DO – Your own thing.

DO NOT – Listen to me. I’m an idiot.

15

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

Second Annual Jail ‘N Bail ‘Arrests’ Students, Teachers Vickie Wall Staff Writer

Swim, Bike or Run with CenTRI Heather Vendetta Staff Writer When he’s not practicing for hours each day, German-native Björn Boyer, a senior at Central, finds time to be the founding father for the Central Triathlon Club (CenTRI).

Last September, Boyer successfully completed the Nutmeg State Half Iron Triathlon—a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run—in 6 hours and 34 minutes. On June 1 he will be traveling to Switzerland to compete in the Half Iron Man 70.3 Switzerland.

Boyer started CenTRI last year to provide a fun and healthy lifestyle to students, faculty and alumnus of CCSU, as stated in the mission statement on the club’s Web site. The club encourages anyone to join, even if they do not want to compete in races or do a full triathlon. This year, CenTRI sponsored coaching sessions, bringing in a professional coach who spoke about basic training tips for each area of a triathlon: swimming, biking and running. Members also participate in many races throughout the state.

The Central Triathlon Club is sponsored by SGA, which purchased stationary training bikes and covered traveling expenses for those who competed this year. Boyer feels CenTRI is one of his biggest accomplishments.

“It’s a way to bring everyone’s experiences together. Some people aren’t perfect when they start, but improve. It’s a nice base of people who participate a lot and keep coming back,” he said.

Boyer is joined by Jane Natoli, a junior, and Rob Duguay, a senior, on the executive board for the club.

Natoli had no previous experience in triathlons, but when Boyer asked her to help start the club, she was excited.

She wanted to be a part of this to stay in shape, get healthy and meet healthy friends, she said.

“We’ve come a long way. There is a good core group of people who practice and stay active,” Natoli added.

When Boyer first started the club, he received over a hundred emails from people interested in joining. On a normal basis, there are about 15 active members participating during the club’s practice times and meetings, but there is a constant interest, Boyer said. Duguay, a very active member of CenTRI, recently completed his first full iron man triathlon—a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike, and 26-mile run—in New Zealand with a time of 11 hours, 13 minutes and 43 seconds. Duguay thinks the benefits of this club are huge. “[CenTRI] is a small, close-knit group that gives people the chance to train with other people. It is a unique experience because it is not segregated. Anyone can get involved,” he said.

All this would not be possible without Boyer, who is constantly trying to keep the momentum going and hopes to keep the club running and hand it over when he leaves.

“Björn is the kind of guy to jump in and do anything for anyone,” Duguay said.

“Björn is always my encouragement. I wouldn’t have done anything if he didn’t push me,” Natoli agreed.

With a donation of $5, any person on campus last week was able to nominate a friend, faculty member or persons otherwise associated with CCSU to be “arrested.” On Thursday, the nominees were found and brought to a jail cell, situated in the student center circle outside the Student Center, where a mock trial was held and bail was set for their release. The arrestees were then directed to call as many people as was needed to raise enough money to bail them out of “jail.”

The program—the second annual “Jail ‘N Bail” held by the CCSU Police Department and the Phi Delta Theta fraternity—was started by Officer Orlando Oliveira and Detective Christine Jameson with

the hopes to raise money for the Special Olympics.

“I think it’s a positive event and it’s a positive interaction with the Police Department and campus community,” Oliveira said, “and you get to know people on a more personable level. It also looks good for the university, too. We are raising money for the less fortunate.”

Nick Osborn, a volunteer for the Special Olympics, had hopes to raise a couple thousand dollars more than last year, during which time the amount raised by Central was about $4,500. “Everyone makes bail,” Osborn said as he described the event. Southern Connecticut State University and Fairfield University are holding the same event this week.

“It’s a great turnout, and it’s great weather. Everyone is having a blast,” said Sgt. Jerry Erwin.

“People were snagging their friends left and right and vice versa to get each other back and each time posting bail. We’re trying to raise more money than Southern made last year; it’s all for a good cause,” Jon Arpaia, a member of Phi Delta Theta, said. “The CCSU Police Department was serving the warrants around campus and was accompanied by brothers of Phi Delta Theta during the ‘arrests.’”

Professor Dan D’Addio of the music department was even “arrested.” With a bail set at $100, he had to make a few phone calls to faculty members and students in order to “make bail.”

“It’s for a worthy cause, and they almost gave me a heart attack. It was very serious - I was in class, and when I’m in class, I’m very serious about what I do. I parked my car le-

gally today,” D’Addio chuckled as he sat in the mock jail.

Amanda Kelly, a CCSU student, sat in the temporary cell halfan-hour before she finally made bail.

“It wasn’t planned at all,” said Kelly.

“One of the officers asked if I had been arrested yet, and I said no. Then my friend Kate got me.” Kelly’s bail was set at $40.

Michael Livingston, a volunteer for the Police Department and a member of the Phi Delta Theta, also sat in jail. “My friend Joe Palmucci arrested me. I was helping out before, and I was just standing there and had the cuffs put on me,” he said.

Livingston was in and out of jail also in about 30 minutes.

In demonstrating the department’s commitment to the cause, Oliveira said that one hundred percent of the money raised is going to the Olympians.

Tech News: Twitter This Marissa Blaszko Staff Writer marissablaszko: Self discovery #349: I’ve lost the ability to sleep, eat, or relax. #350: lolCats is my only source of constant joy.

EwKat: Wish my headache would go away. Need my own tv, the rest of the people here watch the most mindless stuff ever. I can feel my brain leaking.

Jesska1018: Singing Streisand songs and being Anne Sullivan until nine p.m.

The word ‘twitter’ used to be associated with a bad case of blabbermouth and the constant need to inform everyone around you of what you were doing at every second.

Sound like anybody you know, or perhaps a certain friend’s constantly changing Facebook status?

Communication just might be one of the most important tools that humans have, and it’s also the reason why the Internet has become such an important part of not only our generation, but also our culture. Blogs, social networking and wikis are some the most addicting tools ever created.

But what if they could capture individual snippets of the human consciousness? What if those blips could be instantly sent all over the Internet, from Facebook to your friend’s cell phone?

Enter Twitter.com. The Web site has quickly become an endless archive of people’s moods, feelings and spontaneous thoughts, and possibly even an accurate representation of the human experience. Think of blogging on speed, poetry meets lolCats. Users have 140 characters per post to express exactly how they’re feeling at a certain moment and are expected to update at least once every 24 hours.

Professor Jason B. Jones, who brought the phenomena to the attention of his digital lit class, summed up the site in a single tweet. “Twitter combines the detritus of everyday life with absolute attention to verbal economy – on your phone!”

Posts like his may seem strangely Zen for a blog – but, because of the word limit users are forced to truly think about their choice of words before hitting the ‘Update’ button. But at Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievement Day, a student brought up the idea of intellectual blogging that was originally proposed by blogger Tom Watson: Twitter Poetry.

It’s poetry 2.0. The form has been given to us as users, and all we need to do is fill in the blanks with our own thoughts and ideas. Simply decide on a topic—anything from Batman to all-night study sessions will do (For the purpose of example, we’ll use the latter). Poetry has never been easier: simply go to tweetscan. com and enter four key words that

have to do with your subject – like exhausted, caffeine, productive, or literature. Voilà! Instantly, the Web site generates an archive of recent posts that include your keyword. Simply take your favorite tweet from the search (verbatim), scramble the order of the four total posts so that they make sense, add some citations and you’ve become a poet.

Twitter is not only an incredibly addicting site but a perfect example of how the Internet is changing.

Through special features and applications, our blogs are talking to our Facebooks, which are talking to our emails; we can receive automated minute-by-minute updates on any one of our friends’ lives. And, whether it be literature or the Web, it’s changing on our terms.

Example: The Madness Exhausted.

At home and in bed with caffeine and no lights. Should stop the madness.

Just because I’m sick doesn’t mean I can’t be productive.

I’m 100% convinced that limiting my pace to 24hr days is unnatural. I stay awake as long as possible, coding and consuming literature.

Authors: noefool, blueeyedbanshee, angiolillo, choosetheforce Words Used: exhausted, caffeine, productive, literature Compiled by: Marissa Blaszko

16

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 23, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

Victor E. A Few Words With the Devil Himself

Photo By Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Karyn Danforth Lifestyles Editor Ever stopped to wonder what honorable Central student lies beneath the surface of the giant, fuzzy, loveable Victor E. uniform? Unfortunately, I cannot disclose this top secret information, but I did recently sit down with Victor E. to ask him some questions about what it’s like to represent Central, how being a mascot gives him the opportunity to let his personality shine and how he handles the heat.

Karyn Danforth: When were you first given the role of Victor E., and what propelled you to take on such a role?

Victor E.: I joined a fellow friend during winter break of ‘06-’07; I switched off and helped him out. I have fully taken over the role of Victor E. since spring of 2007.

KD: Is it a paid position?

VE: No, it is volunteer. I’ve received minor compensations and it has given me other opportunities, like mascoting for the New Britain Rock Cats, the Connecticut Defenders; I’ve even been contacted by the Eastern Minor League baseball team to mascot at the All-Star game, as well as doing things with organizations here on campus. I will also get to be participating in the WNBA Connecticut Suns Mascot Day on May 24th.

KD: What has been your most memorable moment, on campus and at a game?

VE: On campus, had to be my first time ever putting on the Blue Devils suit. It was around the time of the last basketball game of the season (Spring ‘07) and I was all over the place, passing out flyers. It was the first time the campus got to see Victor E. outside

of the court. I went into classrooms, went to the Devils Den; I was everywhere that day. I enjoyed watching people react to me.

My favorite game had to be last year’s final match-up of the NEC tournament. I ran up and down the court waving a giant #1 finger; everyone was hooting and hollering – it was great.

I had a special moment off-campus as well, at an away game in Michigan. I met two parents who were alumni of Central, but they had a daughter going to Western Michigan. They had on Western Michigan shirts and CCSU hats, and they wanted a photo with me.

KD: How have friends and family reacted to your profession?

VE: My friends and family love it – they find it hilarious. When my mom turned on the Ohio State vs. Central game on TV, they played a 15-second clip of me dancing, and she was like, “That’s my son!” and went and called all her friends; they have it all videotaped.

KD: Is it secretive, or do you let people know openly who you are?

VE: I can let some people know. If only 300 know out of the entire campus, that’s fine.

KD: How do students react to you in costume? Have you ever had a special moment with little children?

VE: I always get hugs from the little kids, but one time, at a SCSU game, some kids kicked my shin. I had to give them a finger wave like, “No, no, shame on you!” At a SCSU football game, there was a moment where after we scored a touchdown, I went behind and pretended to give the SCSU cheerleaders a little spank. I’m allowed to

have a little fun with it sometimes; I have a good head on my shoulders.

KD: Ever get any odd reactions?

VE: Some babies are scared, but that’s typical. Some people don’t like mascots and have a phobia, and there are wild ones who love mascots. They tend to slap my ass a lot.

KD: How is it inside the costume?

VE: The costume is all fleece, and it gets really hot. We’ve measured it to be over 100 degrees before; after a game I lost four pounds in body weight from being inside it.

I have to keep myself very hydrated. On hot days during the football season, the EMTs were checking up on me, making sure I wasn’t passing out.

organization. IRC has also given us onethousand. A new uniform is about fourthousand, and they’ve also made a recommendation to President Miller to make a donation as well. He helped out the hockey team when they went to their championship in Florida, and I was really happy to see that happen. I hope he can do the same for Central’s own son, Victor E. I’m really hopeful we’ll get the money for it by the end of the year.

KD: What kind of personality do you have, and how do you think it adds to the character of Victor E.?

VE: I have a very outgoing, daredevil-like personality. I’m not afraid, and I’m very bubbly and creative. It’s about being a cartoon and having the ability to make people laugh.

KD: That doesn’t sound like my kind of fun. What condition is the costume in?

KD: What are some specific things you do with your audience?

VE: It gets very dirty over time with all my antics. Because of the materials, we can’t use certain cleaners, so not all of the stains come out. This is why I’ve taken it upon myself to fundraise for a new costume. There are tears in the uniform, the head has been broken numerous times, the harness has been snapped and it is seven or eight years old. The average “life span” of a costume is five to seven years, so I would definitely like to see us get a new mascot. Not change the face of him – just so we can have a cleaner, newer uniform. Central has been updating its look, so Victor E. needs a makeover.

VE: I’ll go up to a couple and get a guy to put his arm around his girlfriend; if a girl is lonely I’ll get down on one knee and propose; I give little girls ballerina twirls; and I always play with the kids. If they have a ball, I’ll take it away, hide it from them, or just play. It’s all about being a little devil.

KD: Is the SGA helping you out with funds for a new one?

VE: They have given one-thousand dollars toward a new costume with the stipulation that the rest gets paid by a non-student body

KD: Anything you’d hope to see happen to Victor E. in the future?

VE: With all the recent successes of the athletic program at CCSU, I hope Victor E. will be on Sports Center someday.