vol105issue08 by The Recorder

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

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

Volume 105 No. 8

Devils Dethrone Dukes Blue Devils 35 Dukes 23

Junior Hunter Wanket peers over the line at the Duquesne defense.

The CCSU Blue Devils rebounded after a tough loss last Saturday to defeat the Duquesne Dukes 35-23 in front of a homecoming crowd of 3,514 at Arute Field. Central (5-2, 2-1) dominated Duquesne (2-4, 1-3) on the ground, racking up over 250 rushing yards for the third time this season. The Blue Devils started the game strong. Behind the strong running of junior James Mallory, Central marched down the field for a touchdown on their first possession of the game. Mallory rushed for 38 yards on the opening series, including a four yard run that ended the drive with a touchdown. “One of the things was to keep them off the field,” said head coach Jeff McInerney. “The quarterback is really good, they have a sound offensive scheme, they have good player, the tight end is good. They’re as good as anybody in our league and they just to a great job and our best weapon was to keep them off the field.” Peter Collin

Managing Editor

The Blue Devils also won the time of possession for the first half keeping the ball for almost seven more minutes than the Dukes. Overall during the game Central held the ball for a full 11 minutes more than the Dukes.

The Dukes countered immediately after the score. Sophomore Connor Dixon took the reins for Duquesne and connected on four of five passes during the 62-yard drive. But the drive stalled on the twoyard line when junior running back Cleodis Williams was stuffed by Central sophomores Dominique

Credit Crunch for Students Amanda Ciccatelli News Editor

An economically aware group of panelists, including Ned Lamont of the Central Arts and Sciences Public Policy Committee, spoke about the current credit crisis in the United States and examined what the future holds for improvements. Upon introducing the panel, Lamont explained that he was not sure the event would be relevant because it had been planned so long ago that Lamont hoped to see a change in the economy. “Sadly,” he said, “it’s still more timely than ever.” Lamont recalled the Great Depression as he compared the country’s current position to October of 1929. He stated that markets were down 90 percent and pondered whether America was going to move out of their current crisis or move into a recession akin to the Great Depression.

“We are probably facing the most severe downturn since the Great Depression when the banking system collapsed,” said Paul Altieri of the economics department. Looking at how people today have been borrowing 100 percent of money for loans to buy houses, Altieri recognizes that the financial crisis is a result of a systemic problem in the United States. He explained that the government has been lending huge amounts of money to banks, while the FDIC is insuring balances and accounts of that money. “You can’t spend more than you earn,” said Altieri. According to Altieri, in the 2008 fiscal year, the U.S. deficit is $455 billion along with the $1.5 trillion for rescue plans, and the U.S. trade deficit increases at a yearly rate. “We now need $2 trillion to cover our deficit,” he said. In regards to getting out of this mess, Altieri admits that the consumer is not a likely savior because the See Credit Crunch Page 3

Albums Reviewed: Between the Buried and Me, Keane, Oasis and more

Pg. 10

Remember Mr. Belding?

Rose and Jeff Marino and the Dukes were forced to settle for a field goal. “It’s just practice,” said Marino. “In practice all we do is focus on each job assignment. Coach (Ryan) Nielsen stresses, ‘Do your job, do your job.’ He puts in position to make plays and we just have to make them.”

See Homecoming Page 8

Professor Ravi Shankar Brings the East to the West Language for a New Century Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia and Beyond Hale Yalincak

Special to The Recorder

Poet Ravi Shankar, English Professor at CCSU, recently discussed the anthology Language for a New Century: Contemporary Poetry from the Middle East, Asia, and Beyond The Anthology is published by Norton Anthology Press and is the first of its kind to focus on Eastern poets and poets of the Diaspora. It is comprised of over 450 poets from 61 different countries in 45 different languages. “In some cases we worked with translators, others we commissioned and sometimes we did second translations,” Shankar said in regards to translating the numerous different languages into English. Shankar is coeditor and contributor along with Tina Chang and Nathalie Handal.

King of the Murals Pg. 14

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

Senior Ralph McKenkley celebrated with sophomore Jeff Marino after forcing a fourth quarter fumble.

dominates academic halls, Empire State Building

Pg. 16

The arduous struggle to get the anthology published paid off at the end. The anthology is a large collection of poets from East Asia, The Middle East, South Asia and Central Asia. The poems are very personal and give the reader a glimpse into the poet’s culture and life. The poets deal with childhood, identity, the avant-garde, politics and oppression, mystery, war, homeland, morality and eros. Shankar said the anthology was a great pleasure to be holding in his hands right now after seven years of endless work. Shankar said the idea for the book came after 9/11 when he was living in New York. “We felt like there was a monodimensional representation of the East and it was not true to what we knew of the East,” said Shankar. “We wanted to counter this flattened por-

trait of the East that was so prevalent.” The book gives 500 Eastern poets a voice to be heard around the globe. Shankar said that the most exhaustive part of editing an anthology was selecting the poetry and obtaining permission to print the poems. “Often times there would be four or five permission forms for one poem,” he said. Nevertheless, the work itself is a testament of cultures across the East. The only criteria to be published in the anthology are that each poet must have one book that has already been published and all poets must have been published after 1948. “This project allowed me to discover so many voices that I didn’t know existed,” Shankar said. He read a few poems from the anthology one entitled “The

Greek Week

CCSU Ice Hockey Defeats BC 4-2

Pg. 3

See East to West Page 3

Pg. 9

News

THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 22, 2008

The Recorder

CCSU BMS Dept. Gears New Britain Teens for Research and Beyond

Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 T 860.832.3744 F 860.832.3747 ccsurecorder@gmail.com http://clubs.ccsu.edu/ recorder/

Editor-in-Chief Melissa Traynor Managing Editor Peter Collin Art Director Geoffrey Lewis Associate Layout Editor Edward Gaug Copy Editor Aril Grain Entertainment Editor Nick Viccione Lifestyles Editor Jane Natoli News Amanda Ciccatelli Sports Editor Kyle Dorau Opinion Editor Marissa Blaszko Editor-at-Large Karyn Danforth Web Editor John Vignali Illustrator Stefano Delli Carpini

Staff

Brad Cooper Ryan Yeomans Caroline Dearborn Lindsay LeFort Steve Packnick Jeanne Bujalski Misbah Akbar P.J. Decoteau Sean Fenwick Michael Walsh Shauna Simeone Gabrielle Pierce Mike D’Avino Doug Duhaime Ryan Robinson Kareem Mohamed

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 Editor-in-Chief.

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

CCSU teams up with New Britian High school for a biomolecular science program. Kareem Mohamed

Special to The Recorder

Friday Sept. 5 kicked off the beginning of CCSU’s biomolecular science departments’ first semester-long research internship/mentorship program for local high school juniors and seniors. The CCSU funded program started by BMS chairmen/professors Dr. Thomas King and James Mulroney recruited students from Pathways/Senderos, a teen preventative program and youth center located in downtown New Britain. They selected Faith Roldan, Krystal Garcia, Brandon Carraro, Shaniqua King-Barrington, Marcelino Thillet and Emilio Martinez to participate.

These students, most of which are working on genetic and cellularmolecular research at the collegiate level, are also being provided undergraduate mentors as they come in for a three-hour period of laboratory work each week and are compensated with a stipend. Normally, these students would not be able to have such a rare opportunity, given that they are not provided with rigorous science preparation in their high schools due to insufficient resources. “Working with the rats has been really cool,” said Thillet, a junior at New Britain High School. “ We never get to do this sort of stuff at school.” One of the program’s standout mentors has been Damek Spacek, whom King mentioned as having a

Photo: Kareem Mohamed

vast amount of research experience since his freshman year and someone who’s made large contributions to the Pathways/Senderos students’ experience. The internship/mentorship progam aims to provide hardworking and intelligent local underprivileged students with a chance to experience real scientific research, and not just “cookbook work” as King exclaims. Some of the students will be working on determining if two mutant rat strains, named fuzzy and hairless possesses mutations in a certain gene while other students chose to do stem cell research. King adds that he wants to make high school students feel comfortable here (at CCSU), put college in their future plans, boost their science resume and allow them to ex-

plore the vast opportunities in the field. King, who describes the program as the “best thing he does all week,” feels that the program will not only allow the students to be on a level playing field but it will ease the transition from high school to college by making them more focused in high school. He hopes to prepare them for their upcoming first semester, a time in which many students find the most difficult. “These kids have the potential to be future researchers or doctors,” King commented. Shaniqua King-Barrington, a senior at E.C. Goodwin Technical High School and first year research internship participant, has already received letters of acceptance from the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia and University of Bridgeport physician assistant programs and has been nationally recognized for her academics. She explained that the program will get her ready for her first year introductory biology class that she is expected to take. King is proud to give back to the Greater New Britain community, especially those who will benefit the most. “Never have I worked with such a group of absorbent individuals and I’m glad they are getting a chance to be part of the CCSU community,” he said. In the future, the internship program has sights on increasing its participant size, making the mentorship program a course which BMS students can take and receive credit for, as well as gaining corporate sponsorship to provide more high school students with this opportunity. Many of these research internship participants are prospective Central Connecticut State University students. The program is expected to run until Dec. 5 of the fall semester with possibilities of running a spring session as well.

Breast Cancer Risk Increases Among College-Age Women Amanda Cicatelli News Editor

Lori Brownsword, a nurse at the Hartford GYN Center, spoke to Central students about the importance of breast cancer exams specifically among college-age women. According to Brownsword, not every woman does a self or clinical breast exam. “All it takes is two to three minutes and you do it once a month and you know your breast tissue and you know what normal is for you and know a change when it happens,” Brownsword explained. It is estimated that 15,000 women will be diagnosed this year with breast cancer. Young women such as actress Christina Applegate, 36, are at risk for breast cancer, explained Brownsword. Applegate was diagnosed with breast cancer where the treatment involved a radical mastectomy to remove both breasts. “You need to be doing self breast exams now,” Brownsword said. “… It is every woman’s disease.” By the time a lump in the breast is found, it has most likely been there for a while since breast cancer goes through several stages of growth. Brownsword explained that the stages start at zero and end at four. The zero stage means no cancer and just a cyst of fluid. The first stage is a two-sonometer-sized lump but doesn’t spread past the breast. The second stage is a two-to five-sonometer lump and may spread to lymph

nodes, but no further. The third stage can be any size and the cancer can spread to lymph nodes, breastbone and collarbone. The fourth stage is when the cancer spreads into lymph system and any other organ in the body. Within the stages there may be different types of breast cancer. Brownsword explained five types of breast cancer including Ductile cancer, which occurs in the ducts of the breasts, Lobular cancer that forms where breast milk is made in the lobules, Insitu, which is a stationary cancer, Invasive, which escapes the breast to other parts of the body, and Metastasis, a breast cancer that moves to other parts of the body with advanced stages. As Brownsword discussed, once breast cancer is detected there are a series of steps a doctor can take in order to ensure the patient’s survival. The doctor will detect how big the lump is and how normal the borders are, and then may perform a mammogram, which takes a picture of the entire breast. Anything that is abnormal shows up as bright white on the mammogram. Doctors will pull some fluid off the lump to find out if the cells are normal. Sometimes it’s cancer, while other times the lump is a fluid-filled cyst. The patient then may have the option of a lumpectomy or a mastectomy to remove one or both breasts if cancer is found. Once the tumor is removed, the doctor may recommend chemotherapy. “Sometimes just removing it is not enough to increase your chances of survival,” said Brownsword.

Breast cancer can spread to the lungs, liver, brain and even bones because the breast has a system of ducts to produce milk, said Brownsword. A tumor gets in the way of that system. “If it not self contained, it can get into this duct system allowing if to travel wherever it wants to throughout your body,” she said. When feeling for a lump, women should understand that a possible cancerous lump will have borders and you can feel all the way around it, according to Brownsword. The lump will be hard like a rock and can be large or very small. “It is not always just a lump,” said Brownsword. She explained that a breast may change shape or size, there may be pain in the breast or nipple that does not go away, or the skin may appear flaky, red or swollen indicating that cellular changes are going on underneath the surface of the skin. “I will definitely check myself more based on the statistics,” said Central student, Caitlin King, 21. As young woman in her twenties, King wants to be more aware of her body and realizes being young does not mean being immune to breast cancer. “Having an experience close to you can make you think other things can happen. If it happens close to home, it can affect them more,” said King. “If the statistics are getting lower and lower, I think they should lower the [age for] mammograms to 30 or 25.” King said that if young women feel breast cancer prevention is an important issue then they should choose

to get a mammogram before they are 40, the age when women are usually encouraged to start having regular mammograms. Women as young as King are being diagnosed with breast cancer more and more according to Brownsword, who shared the story of a college age breast cancer survivor who wrote an email to share her story in order to increase awareness in other women her age. She wrote that at the time of her diagnosis she was at the center of her life, having been a girl who grew into her beauty. She was “on top of the world” when she received a full mastectomy and full chemotherapy. “I lost my job, my boyfriend, my hair, my dignity and so much more,” read Brownsword. “When I tell people that I am a breast cancer survivor at 25 years old no one can believe it. I’ve heard the phrase you’re so pretty and so young way too many times as if you have to be ugly and old to be diagnosed with breast cancer.” According to Brownsword, exercise decreases the risk for breast cancer and ultimately, a healthy body decreases your risk. Besides doing monthly self breast exams, women should watch their alcohol consumption and keep off excessive weight. Brownsword recommends that women don’t get an x-ray unless it’s completely neccessary because of the exposure to radiation. It has been said that birth control pills increase the risk, but Brownsword corrected this misconception saying birth control pills have no affect on the risk of breast cancer.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / NEWS

Middle School Students Rock the Vote with CCSU Susan Kondracki Staff Writer

A five-hour long voter registration drive was held on Vance Lawn this past Wednesday. Sponsored by several Central clubs, the drive was a joint effort between Central students and faculty and the seventh and eighth graders of a group called Citizens In Action at Dr. James H. Naylor School in Hartford. Hoping to reach their goal of one hundred registrations, the CIA members patrolled campus with their CCSU mentors to pass along the message of how important voting is and to encourage any and all passersby to register. “I ask them if they are registered to vote. If they say no and go to walk away, I just keep pressuring them,” said Naylor seighth-grader Nermin Mustafic. Eighth grader and vice president of the student government at Naylor, Julissa

Echeuarria agrees with Mustafic. Even though she is not old enough yet to vote herself, she is doing her part in this upcoming election. “I’m going to try and get as many people as I can to register, so they can get their voices heard,” she said. The drive surpassed CIA expectations with almost 250 registrations. CCSU College Republican member Christina Scatchell believes it was a great accomplishment considering the drives that have been held on campus by Central students. “When I did a drive in the Student Center, we got fifteen to twenty people. Other drives have gotten more, but I think the Naylor drive has gotten the most,” Scatchell stated. Tim Clemons who runs the CIA program at Naylor states that he is very proud of his students and their efforts overall. “Each year my eighth grade class chooses a project that actively gives back to their com-

Greek Week Begins Melissa Traynor Editor-in-Chief

As of Monday, Greek Week began with events ranging from pie-throwing to a barbeque in an effort to promote CCSU’s sororities and fraternities. Members say that Greek life has gone without a large presence on campus and this semester they are looking to recruit with Greek Week. “The Week has been relatively small in the past on campus and we didn’t have a lot of administrative help,” said Sandra Finnimore of Phi Sigma Sigma and added that SA/LD graduate intern Connie Cabello has made a difference this time around. “She’s been just a ton of help and she really wanted to get Greek Week going.” She said that Cabello and other graduate interns who have helped organize the week all came from school where Greeks held a large presence and the week of events was tradition.

On college campuses where Greek Week is prevalent, tradition holds that the different Greek organizations hold competitions between each other, said Finnimore. “This is all recruitment for us, “ Keyla Rivera said. Rivera is a sister of the Hermandad de Sigma Iota Alpha, Inc. “We want people to know who we are.” This week’s events are the result of funding by and collaborations with the CCSU student Government Association, Central Activities Network and the Inter-Residence Council. The Greeks received $5,000 in event funding from SGA and they enlisted help from IRC for Tuesday for the barbeque and toga football and CAN for Wednesday and Thursday. They will close out the week with Friday as a clean-up day to beautify the campus. Other events planned for the future include a “car smash” next Wednesday, Oct. 29 in the student center circle. A car was donated to the Greeks, which they will then subsequently have beaten up by donors who “bought” a hammer or some other destructive object for $1.

GRΣΣK WΣΣK October 22nd- 24th

Wednesday, October 22: Apple Fest & Π a GRΣΣK Free Food! Come pie your favorite Sorority or Fraternity member! Events sponsored by CAN and SGA. Location: SC Circle TIME: 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Thursday, October 23: Greek Recess Join the Greeks in the Bubble for a Recess celebration. There will be open recreation activities, music, and FUN! Events Sponsored by SGA. Location: Kaiser Bubble TIME: 7:30 p.m. - 10 p.m. Fright Night @ Devil’s Den 10PM Then join the Greeks for Fright Night at Devil’s Den 10PM featuring Lorraine Warren- Ghost Hunter, and Fall Activities (Costume Contest, Pumpkin Painting, Mummy Wrap), and a special Greek Showcase. Events sponsored with CAN and SGA. Location: Student Center TIME: 10 p.m. - 1 a.m. Friday October 24: Greek Service Day CCSU Campus Clean Up. Help beautify OUR campus! Location: Meet at Student center Circle TIME: Noon-1:30pm

CCSU Police Department’s Adult Arrest/Citation Log Juan Crespo, 47, of New Britain was charged with operating an unregistered motor vehicle and several other charges Thursday, Oct. 16. Crespo has Oct. 31 court date. Michael P. Lyons, 19, of South Windsor was charged with reckless driving on Friday, Oct. 17. Lyons is scheduled to appear at his Oct. 29 court date. Brian C. O’Reilly, 20, was charged with possession of alcohol by minor in on Sunday, Oct. 12. O’Reilly has an October 24 court date. Alex T. Pedro, 19, was charged with possession of alcohol by minor on Sunday, Oct. 12. Pedro has an Oct. 24 court date.

munity. This year they have been learning about politics and they choose to get actively involved in the election,” said Clemons. “We began it at our school’s open house on September 11 and have been running drives in our school ever since. As of yesterday, we were up to 85 registrations.” Clemens not only finds the drive important, but also considers Naylor’s partnership with CCSU to be essential. “The next logical step for our drive was to come to Central considering our partnership with them. Our goal [in CIA] is to produce passionate active citizens in the community,” Clemons added. “Getting them involved in politics this early evokes passion and we want them to facilitate that passion and impact others in their community.” Bridget Walsh, a senior at Central and the main coordinator of the drive, agrees with Clemons. She believes that having the CIA kids

at Central not only showed them that college is attainable, but also how easy it is to get involved in their community. “I am really inspired… I saw the passion in the kids. They were such a powerful force because we have held so many [drives] that didn’t get many voters,” said Walsh. “It proves to me as a future educator that it is important to get my students actively involved in their learning.” “Don’t be reluctant to give kids a chance to give back to their community,” she added. Overall, the success of the drive has brought CCSU and Naylor closer together and highlights the potential for future projects together. “With the success of the drive, faculty and administrators at CCSU were talking about all kinds of possible projects that we can do with Naylor,” said Walsh.

Credit Crunch

“We are being blindsided by things that are phantasmagorical,” Stookey said. As she sees it, complicated or profitable things are attractive even without any examination or research behind it. As a teacher in higher education, Stookey believes educators should focus on embracing change and not “teaching recipes” as in the past. “We need to help students see roles, responsibilities and consequences for multiple processes while fostering critical thinking,” she said. Daniel Richard, the lone Central student on the panel, explained his position as a soonto-be college graduate facing the job market during this crisis. “Does my degree even matter?” he wondered. Along with finding a job, Richard expressed his concern for students like his roommate who are still in college with several loans to pay it off in the future. “My roommate estimated he will be $80,000 in debt,” he said. Having gone through it himself, Richard feels that college and university prices for students are out of control. “The people who can afford it are getting the best education, it’s not the best students.” He also shared his frustration with the lack of funding of state universities like Central. Nationally recognized as a leadership university, Central does not get nearly enough funding, according to Richard. “You cannot expect the education system to thrive with out state funding,” he said. Rachel Stein, a Central senior preparing to graduate in May, shared the same concern for her future as Richard. “Lately not that many people are hiring. Its amazing if someone can get a job,” she said. Even if Stein decided to go strait to graduate school she would still run into a conflict. “I would have to take out loans for grad school and it would just add more debt.”

Continued from page 1

price of gas, heating and food alone has put a burden on people’s lives at a time when many Americans are even getting laid off from their jobs. “Evidence points to a deep recession lasting at least until next year,” said Altieri. Larry Grasso of the accounting department explained the root causes of the market failure. Grasso said that the government did not care if mortgages were ever repaid after $1.3 million was given out in sub-prime cooperate mortgage loans. “The market is a giant casino that makes the entire gaming industry look like a church bingo hall in comparison,” Grasso bluntly stated. He blamed this on poor researching and reporting. Although some people may have seen this financial down turn coming, Grasso believes that the mass media drowned out the visions. “We should develop a balanced score card for the economy and report on it regularly,” said Grasso. Instead of using a “trillion dollar BandAid,” Grasso believes the nation needs a drastic transformation both politically and systemically, “or we will have another crisis in 30 to 40 years down the road,” he said. Feeling directly affected herself, Sarah Stookey of the management and organization department has observed that much of the crisis results from decisions made by people and social processes. “We have lost sight that businesses are social processes are complicated processes and affect people’s lives,” she said. According to Stookey, the American people have forgotten the definition of value along the way and have replaced the importance of value with profit. “I think that is a mistake,” she said.

East to West Continued from page 1

Silenced” by Nadia Anjumani, a female Afghani poet. Nadia was ostracized by her family for disgracing them by becoming a writer. In Afghanistan disgracing ones family is a crime and she was stoned to death. Her poem reflects optimism in the face of oppression: “Oh, I will love the day when I break out of this cage. I am not that weak willow twisted by every breeze. I am an Afghan girl known to the whole world.” “It was a Democratic process,” he said, but the editors still had to make decisions such as whether having more Indian poets than Chinese poets would raise any questions. “Israeli poets would not want to be next to a Palestinian poet,” said Shankar. He described

the process of picking poets as consensusbased. “Language for a New Century” allows the reader to learn of a lesser-known world and allows Americans in the U.S. who are of Eastern heritage to read into their own cultures. Shankar, who is of Indian descent, discussed his own childhood growing up in the U.S. and visiting family in India. He said that growing up was difficult for him because he had to assimilate into a different culture – American society. “I was made fun of for being too Indian in America, and being too American in India, which turned into some sort of exile.” The anthology contains work from poets like Bei Dao, Mahmoud Darwish, Naomi Shihab Nye, and Michael Ondaatje, as well as lesser-known poets. It reflects hundreds of different cultures and worldviews.

4 THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Editorial

Editorial/Opinion

In September, when the CCSU biomolecular science department began working on genetic and cellular molecular research, it began on something even more important. The Central students who work on the project are also working with New Britain High School students – giving the urban students, who otherwise wouldn’t be given the opportunity, the chance to work at a collegiate level. NBHS has a significantly lower graduation rate than schools in neighboring towns; the percentage of students who continue to college is equally slim. Giving these students a place to do original, creative research is an exciting chance for any high school student, not to mention ones that have grown up in a town hit especially hard by deindustrialization.

Bringing students into campus from New Britain neighborhoods effectively shows them that entering the school that might be several blocks from their house is an achievable reality. Not only this, but the program isn’t step-by-step directions, but experimental work - something that should engage and inspire students. The BMS program has all of the ingredients to effectively change the direction of students’ lives. More holistically, Dr. Thomas King, BMS chairman, started the program at an incredibly important time in political history. President Bush’s No Child Left Behind has transformed the school system; presidential candidates Senators. John McCain and Barack Obama have both stressed a need for increased support toward math and science.

But federal acts will take time to pass. The fact that King is taking the resources to help both students in need as well as promote the sciences is an incredible step that professors from all departments should mirror. The trend isn’t totally new for Central, but is still important. Greek life has taken part in multiple Park Street clean-ups, as well as a fundraiser for Hartford elementary school supplies. Student Government Association members worked with Charter Oak Elementary to paint diversity murals in the West Hartford school. Political science students, as a rule, have been incredibly involved with local political campaigns. As a school funded in large part by the state, students and staff should feel at least some communal sense of obligation. The CSU system is looked

upon as an investment by the state; most students who graduate from the schools will get jobs in Connecticut and a college degree would mean higher income, and more taxes back to the state. Although the profit motive might seem a little cold, it explains a basic truth: give and ye shall receive. Community service, if offered as optional general education credits, would benefit both students and community. Can’t get into the art history class for Skill Area I? Give some hours to a museum, or help the NBHS art teachers organize elementary school students to paint a mural. Need another three math credits in a subject you haven’t taken since junior year in high school? Tutor pre-algebra students in middle school. If just twenty students gave three hours

Something Wicked This Way Comes Joe Zajac Staff Writer

On the evening of Wednesday, Oct. 8, as I was returning to my car parked in the Student Center lot, I discovered an odd newspaper stuck underneath my windshield wiper. Thinking that it was a possible Chinese menu of some sort, I picked it up to examine it. But much to my chagrin, instead of a heaping portion of grease and MSG, it was a bite-sized portion of delusion, deceit and death, courtesy of the Church of Scientology. This pseudo-newspaper, which adorned the windshield of nearly every car parked in the lot, was a curious specimen, an archaic looking piece designed sometime in the mid-90s. It spoke of the dominance of the human mind, glorifying its potential, and claiming that it is man’s “most important weapon [and] his most valuable possession.” But naturally, the mind is irrevocably damaged and fundamentally flawed from the outset, akin to Scientology’s version of Original Sin. And naturally, only a bottle of snake oil with the “Dianetics” label may cure such ills – or so it told me. What the paper does not inform the casual reader is that it is the product of the Church of Scientology. Curiously, “Scientology” is not mentioned once, only the “Religious Technology Center,” the business arm of the cult. So what does a parking lot blanketed with flyers mean for our campus? Certainly the beliefs of Scientology are no more outlandish than any other group who has found a home on campus; the idea that the souls of dead aliens are engrained into our consciousness is as equally outlandish as an immortal Jewish zombie.

Stefano Delli Carpini / The Recorder

No, the fact that Scientology has made inroads onto our campus should be cause for concern because the Church of Scientology has proven itself to be a despicable business, hellbent on its own promotion and financial enrichment; morals and critics be damned. Most of us will have a vague recollection of the chaotic situation following the destruction of the World Trade Centers some years back. The lingering atmosphere of uncertainty

and apprehension fostered no small amount of distress, upon which the Church of Scientology was eager to capitalize. Sending their volunteer “ministers” down in swarms, these hucksters peddled shameful and expensive literature upon those distressed individuals who needed assurances and sustenance, not some garbage dreamt up by some D-level science fiction writer.

each a week to any in-need area, they would be making a serious difference. And the opportunity, of course, would teach students just as much – if not more - than any introductorylevel class. Campaigns, elections and politics aside, this fall could be the start of something new and important for CCSU. Hopefully other campus leaders start seeing this, too.

To add insult to injury, they purposely pushed away real mental health professionals, whom they equate with being part of an “Industry of Death.” The fact that they descended upon the area under the auspice of helping, but instead sold their anti-psychiatry stance and Dianetics snake oil, speaks volumes about the kind of organization we are dealing with. Furthermore, Scientology has no place where the protection and toleration of free expression is paramount, like the grounds of Central, for they do not fathom the concept of free speech. Rather, in response to questioning and criticism of their actions or beliefs, Scientologists target opponents and label them “suppressive persons”. Through the policy of “Fair Game”, an official Scientology practice until 1968, these people may be rightly “destroyed” according to L. Ron Hubbard. One need only google Arnie Lerma or Paulette Cooper to see the extent they are willing to go in order to silence those speaking out against them. It is important to note, however, that while officially the policy has been cancelled, unofficially it is still in enforced. In response to my article critical of the Church written for The Recorder last semester, I was followed home by a person I would later discover as a Scientology member, was harassed via telephone and more than stalked for the better part of the week the article came out. The Church means business, and it does not tolerate dissenting opinions – a belief that is contrary to our academic philosophy. Plainly put, the “Church” of Scientology is an organization whose questionable motives and outlandish beliefs do not gel in the least with our community and should be resisted by all students accordingly.

Art for Non-Majors Gets Pricey: Supplies Costs Spike Gabrielle Pierce Staff Writer

Art is expensive. Artists have to be prepared to spend an astronomical amount in order to keep their hobbies or careers afloat. Yet in spite of the near absurd cost of supplies, it seems that CCSU finds it fair to ask someone who has little to no interest in the area to spend a small fortune on things they will be using once and never touching again. This is, of course, in reference to the non-art major students who are required to take an art class. In Drawing I for example, a popular class among non-art majors, one can be expected to pay up to $200 on supplies at the beginning of the semester and an additional $100 to $150 to replace or replenish supplies. It’s true that these classes do not require books, but even in the event that a book is extremely expensive it is hardly ever as high as the cost of these supplies. The supply cost is in addition to the already expensive price of tuition and the added studio fee. Often, students outside of the department are not interested in drawing, design or ceramics, but need to take these classes simply fill a requirement. Such students will likely not use the required supplies outside of class, nor will they take anything extremely meaningful from the class as a whole. With all of these factors taken into consideration, one would start to question why there

isn’t a less expensive alternative for students who aren’t in an art related major. It seems only fair to offer such a thing, especially for those students who are already struggling to pay their way through college. A lot of students attend CCSU for the low cost and quality education; driving up the price with the unnecessary cost of supplies is only putting more stress on the student body and making it harder to graduate. Many departments offer an easier and alltogether less complicated class for the basic requirements for non-majors. In Biology there are different levels of Biology 111, one simple class for non-majors and one more in-depth class for science majors. The same is true for other departments such as Math and History. If these departments can find a way to provide a good base for an education with less hassle, then shouldn’t the same be true for the art department? It should not be necessary for non-art majors to invest hundreds of dollars into a field in which they have little to no interest. There should be a less expensive and less involved option for those who are taking the class to fulfill a requirement. A simple solution would be offer a broad class that covered things such as design principles and color theory without needing to tack on a pricey supply list. These things are easily taught with basic supplies the school could possibly offer, after taking the money from a lower, built-in studio fee.

And if Central were to give the art department a few hundred dollars more a year, it’s even possible for these ideas to be communicated via a textbook without any supplies at all. But, as it remains just as unlikely that the art department will get additional funding as it is the new art building will get windows that actually open, students will probably have to find a solution on their own. Thankfully, art history is a class that fulfills the Skill Area I requirement. In this class there is no need to spend hundreds of dollars on

supplies and there is no added studio fee. This course provides a basic knowledge of the arts without forcing the artistically inhibited to endure a class in which the basis is developing those specific skills. The problem of high supply cost for nonart majors is easily rectified with a little thought. If a few more people raised their hand to complain about this situation, the administration could hopefully deal with it in a timely manner.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / OPINION

Government Spending is Out of Control Shauna Simeone Staff Writer

The federal government has created a massive amount of debt, currently over $10 trillion, that continues to grow daily. This is an astounding number and, although we constantly hear politicians promising to cut pork barrel spending and lessen expenses, no visible progress has been made in order to minimize the debt. Instead, politicians continue to multiply their promises of new entitlements and programs for the American people. The major contributing factors to the federal debt are defense spending, health and human services, treasury and social security spending. Around $600 billion a year is spent on the Iraq war. The department of Health and Human Services, which pays for Medicaid, and social security payments both total over $600 billion a year. In the year 2006, the treasury department spent $406 billion in interest payments. The problem is that a large portion of the American people demand this kind of spending from politicians.

If they can’t afford health insurance, then they believe it’s the government’s fault for not doing enough. When gas prices have gotten too high, they think it’s the government’s fault for not penalizing the oil companies enough. The concept of personal responsibility has become lost on the American people. When they aren’t able to afford something, they don’t look at the possibility of it being a result of bad financial planning. Obviously the government should have done more in order to prevent them from having to cut back on spending elsewhere, yet the American people have become the spoiled sweet-sixteeners who demand everything from their parents. Sadly, the government has gladly filled the role of the overindulgent parent willing to give anything in order to prevent another tantrum from their child. The current presidential candidates are perpetuating this trend of pledging enormous spending proposals to the American people. Whether it involves climate change, health care, alternative energy, homeownership or national defense, spending more tax dollars is the proposed solution to these problems. At the second presidential debate John McCain announced his $300 billion plan to

help out homeowners with bad mortgages. I guess the “evil, conniving lenders” relieved these people of their fault for taking on a mortgage that they couldn’t afford to pay off. It would be pure wickedness for the government not to bail these people out. What’s next? The government starts to refinance car loans because the auto salesman “tricked” people into buying shiny new Ferraris? The government has been too accommodating to every hardship that the American people face and it has led to a state of dependency for the American people. Barack Obama is guilty of the same actions. If you look at some of his spending proposals, they total to over a trillion dollars. They include his $65 billion-a-year health plan, his $25 billion-a-year increase in foreign aid and $15 billion in green energy spending. The list goes on to include billions of dollars spent on education, social security and Medicare. This amount of spending is just excessive. We have never seen this colossal amount of spending from the federal government, and it isn’t doing much to help. Coming out of the Bush administration’s spending haul, we still face many problems including economic hard-

ships, poverty issues and problems involving the quality of public education. The only way that politicians can think of helping most of these issues is to just give more funding to various institutions. Giving more money will not help these problems in the same way that giving money to a drug addict will not reform him. Instead, the government needs to look deep at the root of the problems facing the American people and change the fundamental causes of these troubles. It is absolutely necessary that we cut out programs that are not being run efficiently and are not making great progress in helping the lives of the American people. The government should not become a public service organization that creates programs for anyone facing hardships. The American people need to stop demanding more entitlements from the government and realize that government spending hurts the American people in the long run. It is our generation that will be stuck with paying off this debt. We will be left to deal with major financial problems if our government continues to spend excessively. The government cannot continue to spend money blindly in hopes to reform the major issues facing our country. All this will do is leave us with increasing problems and add to our already enormous amount of debt.

Keeping the Peace or Ten Veterans Silenced Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor

During the final presidential debate, 14 Iraq veterans in full uniform walked toward the hall where Senators Barack Obama and John McCain were billed to face off. Of those 14, 10 were arrested, including one who was left unconscious after being trampled by a police horse. The veterans, part of Iraq Veterans Against the War, lead a protest near Hofstra University after CBS debate moderator Bob Schieffer ignored requests to allow at least two veterans inside the debate hall to pose questions to the candidates. After a short march with supporters, a Democracy Now! video shows, the veterans stood outside of the hall with a megaphone to ask their questions. “Barack Obama, you yourself have said that the war and occupation of Iraq is illegal,” began Army Sergeant Matthis Chiroux on the video, who chose to go AWOL last June. “If, by your words, it is illegal, then it is not the right of service members such as myself to refuse deployment and participation in Iraq; it is our responsibility. So sir, as President, are you willing

to go by your own words to back them up and support service members refusing to participate in what you yourself have termed an illegal occupation?” Chiroux then handed the microphone over to Army Sergeant Kristofer Goldsmith, who addressed McCain. “We currently have 1,000 service members, 1,000 veterans, attempting suicide each month in this country. We have an average of 17 or 18 succeeding in killing themselves each month in this country. Senator McCain, what are you doing? Are you prepared to fully fund the VA system?” he asked. “Are you prepared to fully staff the VA system? And what are you going to do about your poor voting record according to Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America and the Disabled American Veterans?” The questions were asked minutes before the Sergeants’ arrests. Of course, it is unlikely Obama or McCain will ever answer any of the questions posed by the consciously objecting veterans – never mind any questions posed in an article by a university paper’s Opinion Editor. Do we support the troops? If veterans on a much larger scale were to begin refusing deployment and going AWOL, would we the

people fight for their rights? Are we prepared to give a few more dollars a piece, per year, to ensure veterans are given proper medical treatment and retirement? Are we willing to change our stance on the Iraq war again? Although the media outlets claimed, through polling, that about 70 percent of the American public initially supported war with Iraq, we have quite clearly changed our minds since. The question is: when do timetables begin making less sense than immediate withdrawal? How many troops will die before we force “out now” onto the ballots? How much money are we going to allow politicians to spend on a post-war occupation? At the first presidential debate, Obama said, “we’ve got to deal with Pakistan, because al Qaeda and the Taliban have safe havens in Pakistan, across the border in the northwest regions.” On the other end, McCain has claimed multiple times throughout the election cycle that the threat from Iran is “grave” and that the U.S. should not meet with the country’s president unconditionally. Has either candidate been able to justify one of these claims enough to begin a new war?

In addition, it seems there has been a lot of talk about “lesser of two evils” voting. Individual Democrats may support semi-social ideals, but don’t “believe” in Obama, whereas certain Republicans might not support McCain because they don’t support spending. But what about the candidates’ foreign policies – is war with Pakistan or Iran the lesser evil? How much would another Middle Eastern War cost? As much as Iraq? More? Even if the next president finds a way of justifying a third invasion, how will we pay for this one? Higher taxes, cuts in social spending or more debt? And what about the bodies that would be needed to drive the tanks and fly the planes? What would a draft mean to our generation? These are questions about the Iraq War and occupation that students should be asking themselves before voting next month. This is not a critique of either one of the parties or candidates, but rather a few thoughts that should be echoing in the back of new voters’ minds Nov. 4.

Our Sonic Youth: Playlists Transform Dating Process Jillian J. Goodman

Harvard Crimson, Harvard

(U-WIRE) It’s a classic love story: Girl walks up to boy wearing headphones and says “Hey, what’s on your playlist?” As he recites the amazing number of artists stored on his tiny digital media player (this classic love story is also a commercial), time revs forward through their courtship, wedding, children’s birthdays and finally settles on the two of them with silver hair and bifocals. On the most superficial level, the spot simply advertises the tremendous storage capacity of Verizon’s latest phone. But what it’s really appealing to is one of our deepest, darkest, most neurotic obsessions: the playlist. “What’s on your playlist?” is the “What’s your sign?” of the new millennium. We’re too indie for astrology anymore. The playlist-check is the ultimate Information Age interaction. There, in glowing black and white, is a complete set of personal information. Conversation? Unnecessary. Just scan the iPod. Within it lies infinite personality indicators. What are his 25 most played? Is she a rater? How long did it take him to get the new TV on the Radio album? It’s like a fingerprint with nuance. There is no denying the link between music preference and personality. In a series of studies conducted in 2003, researchers at the University of Texas-Austin scientifically demonstrated the correlation not only between musical taste and personality, but also between artistic preferences and cognitive ability. According to the study, Joni Mitchell listeners are actually more likely to be wimpy liberals (music that was reflective and complex correlated positively with political liberalism and

negatively with athleticism), while Shania Twain listeners are usually redneck conservatives (upbeat and conventional music correlated negatively with both liberalism and verbal ability). We might still have to talk to each other to find out all of this information if not for the iPod. It’s like a dream: All the music you own (or, if you have the iPod Touch with wireless Internet, all the music you could ever want and then some) is in the palm of your hand. Constantly. Since its launch in Oct. 2001, Apple has sold over 140 million iPods, with sales quadrupling from 2003 to 2004, and again from 2004 to 2005. The iPod isn’t the only digital media player walking the streets, nor was it the first, but no one has been able to match its ubiquity. But as Apple’s control of the music player industry got more and more totalitarian, our musical taste got more and more democratic. Nirvana took indie mainstream in the 1990s, and once the Internet made it cheap for smaller labels and amateur acts to get their music to consumers, it was a sonic free-for-all. MP3 players, MySpace and Facebook all made it easier to display your taste, as well, and suddenly the hipster was a public figure. Question: How many hipsters does it take to change a lightbulb? Answer: You don’t know? This obsession is insidious. Science has proven that musical taste is a perfectly valid personality indicator, but the hipster persona has boiled it down to a dark, bitter, cynical syrup. Speaking as someone who is more confident in her personality than in her playlist, this cannot be healthy. Perhaps you think I’m overstating the level of the obsession. If commercials and studies haven’t convinced you that the playlist has

grown too large in the cultural mind, I’ll draw your attention to the recent film “Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist.” Two misunderstood teens fall in love over a series of break-up mixes and a passion for the indie-est of fictional indie bands, Where’s Fluffy? At one point, while scrolling through Nick’s iPod, Norah proclaims, “We are musical soulmates.” In a streak of wild coincidence, they are also regular soulmates. They are shy, defensive, insecure soulmates who never would have met had a screenwriter not thrown them together. Why? It was easier for her to listen to his mix

L R 5 ,

CDs than to get his number and give him a call. She could know him without actually getting to know him. In the information age — or the iPod age — or the indie age, or whatever, music is selfdefense. In his New York Times review, film critic A. O. Scott observed, “The tunes that play alongside their nocturnal adventure express longing, sadness, anxiety and joy with more intensity than they can muster themselves.” Sounds pretty good to me. Maybe I’ll put those tunes on my playlist.

L52,T

CROTCH SHOTS, NIPPLE SLIPS, CELLULITE LEGS! The Recorder is not looking for the above, but is looking for dedicated photographers to cover local and campus events. Contact us at ccsurecorder@gmail.com and make us forget that Britney picture.

Sports

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Blue Devils Send BC Back to the Ice Age Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

Coming into Friday’s contest against Boston College, CCSU head coach Jim Mallia was looking to get offensive production from people other than the top line. Junior forward Ryan Paglinco answered the call for the Blue Devils, netting a pair of goals to lead Central to a 5-2 win over the Eagles. BC, who had beaten the Blue Devils 4-1 just three days beforehand, was never able to get their formidable power play in sync despite numerous opportunities late in the game. In a key turning point, Central Connecticut managed to kill off an extended 5-on-3 disadvantage in the third period. “We shut them down,” said Mallia. “That could turn out to be one of the bigger situations of the season.” The Blue Devils got on the board early, as Mike Diclemente found the back of the net just 48 seconds into the game off a BC turnover at the blue line. Up 1-0, Central would never trail at any point during the game. Carmine Vetrano was strong in net for CCSU, as he stopped Eagles forward Jeff Sullivan on a clean breakaway in the first period to preserve the lead, followed by a point blank slapshot moments later. BC would not be denied though, as they were able to cash in on the

power play. With Central’s Dane Anderson in the box for boarding, the Eagles were able to set up in the offensive zone and scored on a broken play in front of the net to tie the game at one. Paglinco got his first goal of the season on a deflected wristshot from the blue line. “I just tried to seal up the boards and get a shot on net,” he said. CCSU took a 2-1 lead on the tally, and never relinquished control of the game. The West Haven native got his second goal of the night in the second period. The Eagles made an ill-timed line change, allowing Paglinco and Patrick Brennan to break on net in a two-on-none situation. “I was just going to the net hard,” said Paglinco. “It was a pass off my feet that I tried to get on my stick, but it ended up going in the net.” CCSU dealt the Eagles a major body blow a few minutes into the second period. Leading 3-1, Blue Devils co-captain Kevin Butler was sent to the penalty box for tripping. He was picked up by his former high school classmate and current teammate Erich Stoneman, who scored shorthanded. The senior’s first goal of the season extended the lead to 4-1. Central battled penalty trouble early and often in the third period, but was able to hold off the fearsome Eagles power play, including the game-changing 5-on-3 disadvantage. “It really showed me today that we do have a lot of guts in that [lock-

er] room,” said Mallia. “We’re going to be okay this season.” Maintaining offensive pressure in the third period, Central put the game away on a goal by defenseman Ryan Beaulieu to make it 5-2. Mike Diclemente assisted on the goal, one of three points on the night for the top line winger. T.J. Flynn had a goal for the Eagles, who fell to 2-1 on the season. CCSU improved to 3-1-1 with the victory. Central now turns its attention to their next game, a huge showdown with the Siena Saints on Friday. Gametime is 9 p.m. at the Albany County Hockey Facility in upstate New York. Many of the Blue Devils have a chip on their shoulder after the embarrassing 8-1 loss in the Super East Championship game there last season. “That’s still a fire under our feet,” said Paglinco. “We’ve got to come at them hard on Friday.” CCSU will be without goalie Craig Height for a period of time. The senior net minder has a lower body injury, sustained in last Tuesday’s loss at Boston College. Freshman Michael Pelligrino will step in to back up Carmine Vetrano. The next Blue Devils home game is on Halloween night, Oct. 31 against the University of Connecticut at 8 p.m. in Newington. The two teams tied 4-4 earlier this month in a game at Bolton Ice Palace.

Sophomore Jake Vitali fires a shot.

Women’s Soccer Falls on the Road at Long Island on Sunday CCSUBlueDevils.com

The Central Connecticut women’s soccer team had its four-game win streak snapped with a 1-0 loss on the road at Long Island on Sunday. The Blue Devils are now 7-5-4 overall and 4-2 in Northeast Conference play this season. Junior goalkeeper Caity Casey made four saves in goal for the Blue Devils in the loss, but it was not enough as CCSU lost for the first time since Oct. 3. After beginning the NEC season with a loss at St. Francis (Penn.) the Blue Devils had won four straight conference games prior to Sunday. The Blue Devils out shot the Blackbirds 11-8 in the game but the home team had a 5-4 edge in shots on goal, including the only score of the game. Edward Gaug / The Recorder

Sean Cunningham (2) and goalie Carmine Vetrano fight off a BC attack.

Olmstead and Bayer Guide Blue Devils to Conference Home Win CCSUBlueDevils.com

Central Connecticut (6-11, 1-1) collected a 3-0 Northeast Conference home win over Wagner (2-14, 0-2). Senior Amanda Olmstead led the Blue Devils with a match-best 11 kills, 10 digs and three blocks. Sophomore Amanda Bayer added a match-high 36 assists, 11 digs and five service aces in the win. CCSU swept the match with 25-15, 25-16 and 25-17 wins. The Blue Devils limited Wagner to a -.045 hitting percentage while totaling five total team blocks. Central Connecticut’s offense hit .219 and had 10 service aces. The Blue Devils stretched out a 9-7 lead to a 22-12 advantage in the first set. They scored four points on Bayer’s serve during the run. CCSU, which never trailed, closed out the set

Blue Devils (3) 25 25 25 Wagner

(0) 15 16 17

on an Olmstead kill. Olmstead hit .571 with four kills to pace the Blue Devils during the set. Junior Jamie Baumert and sophomore Lauren Snyder each added three kills. Bayer had 13 assists and two service aces. Central Connecticut again used a middle-set run to pull away from the Seahawks in the second set. Ahead 9-8, the Blue Devils went on a 10-3 run en route to the 25-16 win. Olmstead and Baumert both had four kills in the set. Freshman Sara DeLacey added three kills in three

swings, while Bayer totaled 15 assists. CCSU led from the start in set three. The Blue Devils went up 13-5 on freshman Danielle Gasser’s serve, posting seven points to stretch a 6-5 advantage out to an eight-point margin. Bayer had a pair of late service aces during a four-point run, and she assisted on sophomore Tori Vaughan’s match-ending kill. Olmstead and Snyder each had three kills in the set. In addition to the efforts of Olmstead and Bayer, Baumert and Snyder finished with eight kills. Baumert also had three blocks. Sophomore Kaitlin Petrella led all players with 17 digs. Freshman Stephanie Robinett led Wagner with five kills and seven digs. The Blue Devils will be back on the court Friday, Oct. 24 at Quinnipiac. The match is slated to start at 7 p.m.

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

Blue Devils 0 Blackbirds 1 Long Island’s Kayleigh Morgan scored the only goal of the game at 25:18 in the first half. She headed the ball by Casey on a first half corner kick, taken by LIU’s Nicole Allen. Long Island attempted five corner kicks in the game while the Blue Devils did not have any. The Blue Devils return home for their final two regular season home games of 2008 this week. They host Sacred Heart on Friday at 3 p.m. and will celebrate Senior Day on Sunday at 1 p.m. hosting Fairleigh Dickinson.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / SPORTS

Pick Your Poison

NFL Predictions for Week 7

Well this week we saw some movement in the standings. Despite a solid week Kevin Petruzielo could no longer hold off our hard-charging Sports Editor Kyle Dorau who put together a big week with 11 picks. Kyle put an end to Kevin’s recent run of dominance and his three consecutive weeks atop the leaderboard. Kyle wasn’t the only person to put up a big week. He was joined in the 11-pick club by Anthony Gonsalves, Ryan Kennedy and our Editor-in-Chief Melissa Traynor. Keep those picks coming and if you have any comments or questions email us at ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

Peter Collin

Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

Associate Layout Editor

Entertainment Editor

Tampa Bay at Dallas

Tampa Bay

Dallas

Washington at Detroit

Washington

Buffalo

Miami

Buffalo

St. Louis at New England

St. Louis

New England

San Diego at New Orleans

San Diego

New Orleans

San Diego

Managing Editor

Buffalo at Miami

Nick Viccione

Kansas City at N.Y. Jets

Kansas City

N.Y. Jets

Atlanta at Philadelphia

Philadelphia

Oakland at Baltimore

Baltimore

Oakland

Baltimore

Arizona at Carolina

Carolina

Carollina

Arizona

Jacksonville

Houston

Cleveland at Jacksonville Cincinnati at Houston N.Y. Giants at Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh

N.Y. Giants

Pittsburgh

Seattle at San Francisco

Seattle

San Francisco

Seattle

Tennessee

Indianapolis

Indianapolis at Tennessee

Pick of the Week

Seattle def. San Francisco

Seattle is pretty damn awful, but San Francisco isn’t much better. To add to the Niners woes they just fired head coach Mike Nolan. So not only do they suck but now they have to deal with a new head coach who has to figure out what actually works on the team which is next to nothing.

This Week’s NFL Prediction Leader Board Rank

Edward Gaug

Name

Total Points

Current Week

Kyle Dorau

Kevin Petruzielo

Anthony Gonsalves

Marc Chouinard

Carey Brimmer

Nick Viccione

Ed Gaug

Gary Berman

Ryan Kennedy

Edward Homick

Jason Beaumier

Peter Collin

Alex Waters

Melissa Traynor

San Francisco def. Seattle

Despite firing their head coach, the 49ers will beat the Seahawks. The Seattle offense looks completely inept right now to say the least. Mike Nolan’s sideline suits will be missed, though.

New England def. St. Louis

After a solid performance against the Broncos, the Pats will continueto win without Tom Brady under center. Goes to show everyone that Matt Cassell can lead a team of Pro Bowlers back to the playoffs.

Baltimore def. Oakland I just do not think the Raiders can win two games in a row. They pulled off a huge win over the Jets last weekend, and they should be brought back to earth by the tough defense of the Ravens, look for JaMarcus to be under pressure all day long.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / SPORTS

Homecoming Continued from page 1

The Blue Devils took control of the game after, scoring on their next two possessions while eating over 11 minutes off the clock. Immediately after the Duquesne score Central put together a drive that would define their strategy against the Dukes. After an illegal block in the back put Central on their own nine-yard line following the kickoff, the Blue Devils began a 91-yard march down the field. Junior Aubrey Norris took control of the offense and with Norris, Mallory and senior Josh Vargas alternating carries the Blue Devils pounded the Dukes with a punishing running attack. The Blue Devils rushed the ball 59 times during the game totaling 286 yards. Mallory had 133 of those yards and scored a season high three touchdowns. “That’s what we do best: power football,” said Mallory. “It feels real good to get that lose out of our head. To bounce back with this victory at homecoming in front of our friends and family.” The Dukes tried for a late rally in the fourth quarter. After a Dixon touchdown pass to Roberson in the early fourth quarter brought the score to 28-17, Duquesne looked to make it a one-score game when Mallory fumbled for the first time this season. On third down Dixon found wide out Alex Roberson who broke free for a 43-yard gain to the Central one-yard line. Roberson looked like he would find the end zone until senior Ralph McKenley caught him from behind and stripped the ball. Sophomore Dominique Rose recovered the ball in the end zone for the touchback. Just two plays later junior quarterback broke down the sideline for a 72-yard touchdown run

with just over three minutes remaining in the game. The Dukes would tack on one more touchdown, but after Dixon was stopped on two-point conversion Duquesne failed to recover their onside kick. “Anytime you can win homecoming and a conference [game] it’s special,” said McInerney. The Blue Devils will be on the road for the next two weeks. Their next game is Saturday, Oct. 25th at 1 p.m. at Monmouth University. After that Central will journey to Moon Township, Pa. where they will take on the Robert Morris Colonials at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 1st. Norris rushed for 53 yards on the day, giving him exactly 1,000 career yards. He is the 18th player in Central history to accomplish the feat…This was the 18th time in 29 games under Coach McInerney that the Blue Devils have rushed for over 250 yards in a game…This was the sixth time in seve games this season that Mallory has rushed for over 100 yards…37 carries is a season high for Mallory. Tables with plastic Solo cups, groups of chatting people in the aisles of cars, loud music and a whole lot of food covered Arute Field’s parking lot in the tailgating festivities. But among the crowd, there were also less-typical tailgaters with their own great reasons for being there. Jean Smith Lobaugh, CCSU class of 1954, and a few fellow classmates hold their yearly reunion held at the tailgating party. The class of ’54 looks forward to tailgating every year and had a spread out of the back of their cars that rivaled the college students’. With cookies, lemon cake, beer and various other snacks, the group settled into the parking lot while they waited for the game. Across the parking lot, but set enough away from the full-blown

Blue Devils 35 Dukes 23

Linebacker Tim Pratt rushes the quarterback.

party of college students sat CJ Bartolotta’s birthday party. Bartolotta and his friends, mostly face painted and jumping up and down, were eating snacks, throwing darts at a board set up on a pick up truck, and waiting to go down to the area of the parking lot set up with a moon bounce, obstacle course, games and free popcorn and ice cream floats. CJ’s family supports the Blue Devils: his cousin is a cheerleader and a neighbor is an alum of the school. Most of the boys at the party were football players themselves, for the

Cromwell Lions DT Mighty Mite squad, but aspired to play for Central someday – or skip college altogether for the NFL. CJ knew where to pick a party location to keep his friends happy. Party-goers Trevor Getek and Johnny Siena both declared that the free food was their favorite part of tailgating. Brent Robbins, another friend, said he has a sister who goes to Central but since she’s at work, he’s here representing her. President Miller was found by the Alumni 21+ tent, which was otherwise mostly deserted. Sipping out of a plastic cup and puff-

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

ing on a cigar, he seemed to be pleased with the turn out of the event. “Everyone is being sensible, having a good time and enjoying themselves,” he said from over the partitioning plastic fence. He and went on to say that four years ago, when he first came to CCSU, the Marching Band, which was playing nearby, had 37 members. “Now there are 125 and they have better uniforms and they sound better.” Jane Natoli contributed to this story.

Top: Wanket threw for 65 yards and broke a 72-yard touchdown run. Bottom: Dlue Devil fans CJ Bartolotta (center right) and his friends celebrated his birthday during the tailgaiting festivities.

Junior James Mallory calls for a block during one of his career-high 37 carries.

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / SPORTS

Blue Devils Can’t Hold Back Pioneers Blue Devils 1 Pioneers 2 Peter Collin Managing Editor

It has been a rough start for the CCSU men’s soccer team. On Friday the Blue Devils (6-5-2, 0-3-1) struck first against the Sacred Heart Pioneers (3-5-1, 1-1-0) but fell for their third consecutive Northeast Conference loss. On Sunday Central rebounded to tie the Farleigh Dickinson Knights (7-3-2, 2-0-1) 1-1. The Blue Devils managed to draw first blood against the Pioneers when junior Eddie Floyd found junior Raphael Guimaraes with a through ball down the sideline in the 36th minute. Guimaraes cut but into the box and beat Pioneer goalkeeper Matt Jones to the far post. But the Central lead was shortlived. Just over two minutes later the Pioneers managed to get the ball into the Central 18-yard line. Freshman Chris Brown was whistled for an illegal tackle in the box and the Pioneers were awarded a penalty kick. Sophomore Paul Armstrong guessed wrong on SHU forward David Backman’s shot and the Pioneers tied the game. “We had the momentum there and then a free kick inside the box – a stupid defensive error. It allows them in the game and now they have the psychological edge,” said head coach

Shaun Green. “It’s stupid fouls that you can’t concede if you expect to win games and advance to any postseason tournament.” The Pioneers didn’t wait long after that to jump ahead of the Blue Devils. During the 41st minute Central played a free kick into the middle of the field where the ball was deflected to the Pioneers. Junior Filipe Celikkaya controlled the ball before passing it ahead to senior Jason Tessitore. Tessitore cut past one Central defender before beating Armstrong to his left for his second goal of the season. The Blue Devils were strong in the middle of the field, possessing the ball for most of the second half, but after the Pioneers took the lead they dropped eight men back into defense and Central was unable to get any clear shots at the goal. “We had our best chances in the first half. We created more opportunities in the first half. We got behind them. Their goalkeeper held on to some good crosses and some good shots,” said Green. “We could have done better. We could have had at least one or two more goals in the first half.” The Blue Devils have been having a difficult time defensively since they lost senior David Tyrie to a hamstring injury more than a week ago against conference leading St. Francis

(NY). Tyrie will miss several weeks and could possibly be out for the rest of the season. The Blue Devils also lost sophomore midfielder Connor Smith to a knee injury during the game and were without him on Sunday as well. “It’s like a poor man’s blanket,” said Green when talking about his team’s ability to cover holes in the lineup. “We need to get our momentum going again and I’m confident we can do that. We did before and we’re no stranger to these situations.” The Blue Devil’s lone goal in Sunday’s game came from Floyd. Floyd scored on a one-timer from junior Persis Oware who crossed the ball from the endline. It was Floyd’s first career goal. Junior Paul Armstrong recorded six saves and allowed only one goal during 110 minutes in the net. Central’s next match up is at Quinnipiac University in Hamden on Oct. 26 at 3 p.m. The game will kick off a three-game road trip that will take the Blue Devils to St. Francis (Pa.) and Robert Morris University. Central will return home on Friday, Nov. 7 when they will host Mount St. Mary’s in New Britain. Right: Senior Yan Klukowski fires one of his two shots against the Pioneers. Photos: Conrad Akier

Top: Junior Hadji Diop (10) heads the ball forward to Klukowski (8). Bottom Left: Defener Chris Brown looks on as SHU defender David Backman captializes on a penatly kick. Bottom Right: Midfielder Raphael Guimaraes scored his third goal of the season against Sacred Heart.

Entertainment

THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Between the Buried and Me Colors_Live Victory Records October 14, 2008

Photo: Keith Kiiroja

The Secret Machines The Secret Machines TSM Recordings October 14, 2008

Let’s settle this now. Heavy production can make an average album seem good, but it can’t make bland songwriting better. Hard-stomping drumbeats can make a song kick a little more ass, but they can’t compensate for unoriginality. On their self-titled new release, The Secret Machines seem to have missed the memo. Though their music has always straddled the thin line between cool and self-serious, the group was able to change things up and maintain enough attitude to convince most fans that their brand of Pink Floyd meets late era Zeppelin was worth buying into. More importantly, the songs were both well written and well recorded. On the new album things get a bit mundane. The heavy drum beats seem to have been tapered a bit, the songwriting remains relatively uninspiring, and the production gets as self-indulgent as any release of recent memory. All of this is a shame, both because the group has shown promise in the past and because some of the new songs show promise before ultimately going nowhere. Opener “Underneath the Concrete” kicks things off in this exact fashion, setting the stage for another stomp-rock odyssey filtered through prog-rock lens, but it stalls in the middle and the album never seems to get momentum going again. “The Fire Is Waiting”, over ten-minutes in length, sounds like a band trying to appeal to stoned college students without realizing that even the highest students aren’t stupid enough to sit through ten minutes of crap (I could be wrong about that one; I did sit through two full hours of Charlie’s Angels once). What this amounts to is an album with ambition but a lack execution. The production and beats make things interesting but can’t make The Secret Machines better than average. P.J. Decoteau / Staff Writer

Copeland You Are My Sunshine Tooth & Nail Records October 14, 2008

There are certain things guys do for their girlfriends. Most take the standard gentleman route and open doors, pull out chairs and shower regularly while some guys tend to pretend to like certain things so their girlfriends won’t complain that they have nothing in common. My first encounter with Copeland came as a result of the latter. About three and a half years ago, I had gotten involved with a female, and she was obsessed with Copeland, and she made it very clear that I should enjoy them as much as she did. Often

It’s not until Between the Buried and Me’s most recent album, Colors, that they started getting the recognition they deserved. Colors is one of those albums that only comes around so often in metal. It didn’t just throw away any preconceived notions of a band, but pushed the limits of an entire genre. After amazing reviews and fan reaction, BTBAM decided to film their first full-length DVD, Colors_LIVE. The DVD features two set lists: the first being Colors in its entirety, the second being fan-voted songs from their past discography such as “Backwards Marathon” and “Shevanel Cut A Flip”. Musicianship really shines during the Colors set, which is a 64-minute continuation of music. Meaning: they don’t stop playing the entire first set. Don’t get me wrong, the second set is a furious reminder of the band’s roots, but seeing a band play that type of music, for that long, is a spectacle in itself. Sound: The main issue that I have noticed from these types of bands live is that the vocals get drowned in the mix. Opeth’s Lamentations is a victim of this. Fortunately, in this case the mix is flawless. If you are familiar with BTBAM’s music, you know that they blend heavy, subtle, melodic, bruta, and soft moments into their music, and occasionally, in the same track. Everything sounds perfect, from the structured

chaos in “Mordecai” to the ho-down in “Ants of the Sky”. Camera: From what I can see, there are at least five cameras running at all times. This includes a stationary camera in back as well as an ‘on-track’ unit in front of the stage. Though this provided great shots, the paramount aspects of camerawork come from the on-stage crew. Several guys just run around stage getting every shot imaginable. This creates an intimate feeling because you are so close to the band. However, the visuals are not without flaws. The editor decided it would be artistic to add a lot of unfocused shots that dramatically focus in on a band member. It happens too often to be unnoticed. Lighting and Crowd: Being a small club show, the lighting isn’t a huge production. With the resources available, the creation of an atmosphere came very naturally, as it does not falter throughout the show. One surprising aspect for me was the severe lack of crowd shots. It increases a bit during the second set, but not enough to please me. It’s disappointing because the shots they had were phenomenal; everyone was having a good time. Extras: Often enough, live DVD extras have some sway in deciding whether or not a purchase is needed. Colors_LIVE takes away any doubt you may have. Not only do you get a two-hour live performance, included in the

skeptical of her wacky antics, I submitted to make her happy. And wouldn’t you know it, they were actually pretty bearable at the time. We then broke up and I had not listened to Copeland once until right this very second as I am writing this review. Ah, memories. Copeland has a simple formula, they are a bunch of pussies who, I would venture to guess, since they come off as the most emo, sweetest guys on the planet, have never even touched a girl because they respect them too much or something dumb like that. For God’s sake, if you didn’t catch the title of this album before, let me reiterate it. You Are My Sunshine. Holy grow some balls Batman. No but seriously, if you are a single, heterosexual male, please do not listen to this album, because it will only make you do one of two things, cry or lower your standards and just date the first girl you come in contact with because you have come to the realization of how lonely you are. As you may have guessed by now, they bulk of this album is love-based. (By bulk I mean all). The worst part? I was not completely repulsed by what I was listening to as I was writing this review. For example, I did not skip a track, I did not laugh at any of the lyrics, and I actually found myself jealous of how pretty Aaron Marsh’s voice is. Yeah, I said pretty. The bottom line is simply this, You are my Sunshine is a really good album for what it is, but please, unless you know for sure what you are getting yourself into before you listen to it, stay away. And I hope this review helped guide you in the right direction. Nick viccione / Entertainment Editor

they are past their prime, and they should come to the realization of that. Just like Brett Favre will show flashes of the greatness he used to be when he is on the field for the Jets, Oasis, tries and fails. Good thing the English hate American football. As the masochist and seasoned reviewer that I am, I put myself through the entire album without skipping a track, and I must say, I was bored five minutes in and still when it finally finished up 45 minutes later. I understand that Oasis is still huge overseas and that I may get some hate mail from dirty ole’ blokes but that does not change the fact that this album is so bad that I won’t even use it as a coaster. My drinks deserve better. Nick viccione / Entertainment Editor

Oasis Dig Out Your Soul Reprise Records October 7, 2008

Remember Oasis? They just released a brand new studio album earlier this month. Dig Out Your Soul is Oasis’s seventh full-length since debuting with Definitely Maybe back in 1994, and their first since Don’t Believe the Truth hit the streets back in 2005. I could give a damn what people think of this statement, but frankly, they should have stopped making music after they lined their pockets with “Wonderwall”. That song always has and always will suck. Dig Out Your Soul, on the whole, is just forgettable. There is nothing overly catchy about any of the songs, and the vibe just feels flat. Dig Out Your Soul is the Brett Favre of music. Something with history on their side which will always claim them a solid, faithful fan base, but

Haste The Day Dreamer Solid State Records October 14, 2008

If it were not for the past history of Haste the Day, I would have immediately written off this album as a generic piece of garbage. With that being said, it is, in fact, a an awfully generic album but when it comes down to brass tacks, they have a solid background and with a few line up changes under their belt – most notably the departure of former vocalist Jimmy Ryan, who is now in the post-hardcore/ sludge band Trenches – and yet they continue to do what they do best, that is write poppy metalcore for mallrats to eat up. Dreamer, however, does have much more of a metallic feel to it than previous efforts which is the one and only reason that I was able to enjoy this album as much as I did. Yes, I know that I stated before that this album is generic garbage, and now I am saying that I enjoyed it. Which should be no surprise considering my extensive background and how many times before I have stated that I am a huge sucker for this type of nonsense. In the place of Ryan steps Stephen Keech and he does a formidable job on vocals, even though they are not as distinct as Ryan’s vocals, they do what they need to do. The clean vocals are bearable and often catchy. If you are a fan of Haste the Day, you will like this record. I would not call myself a devout fan of them, and I still found myself bobbing my head and tapping my feet to some parts. Haste the Day has been around for about seven or eight years and they’ve continually stayed the same and released the same style of music, so Dreamer fits the mold. The riffs are generic and fun and the breakdowns come and go as they please. This album does absolutely nothing new. However, it doesn’t need to. Nick viccione / Entertainment Editor

package is an audio CD of the Colors set, 20minutes of backstage/studio footage, 75 pictures and a Victory Records demo disk. What really makes this a unique package is the inclusion of video interpretations for Colors. Basically, this is a 64-minute music video. When it comes down to it, you are getting a live DVD/CD combo, along with a plethora of extras to keep you coming back again and again. It has to be expensive right? Wrong. I picked this up for under $15 at Best Buy. Colors_LIVE will be recommended by me for a long time to come. It highlights what makes BTBAM as a band: determination, talent, and extreme love for what they do. Bands should take notice; this is something to aspire to. Mike D’Avino / Staff Writer

Keane Perfect Symmetry Interscope Records October 13, 2008

The English know how to make music. Our brothers on the other side of the pond often are much more musically inclined than us lazy, fat Americans. Unfortunately, it has been that way since the days of the classical composers. And regardless of Keane’s previous material, Perfect Symmetry is 50 minutes of catchy, piano funk driven rock. The first track of the album “Spiralling” sets the tone for the remainder of the album as it quickly makes its way into swirling bass lines and catchy, vocal patterns akin to what you would hear in the heart of the 1980s rock movement. You can tell that Keane is confident in their song writing and that is a plus. The song writing from tight trio stays standard and consistent throughout Perfect Symmetry. As the album plods along, their influences are clear, U2, The Beatles, The Smiths and Radiohead all popped into my mind. But Keane keeps things upbeat and dare I say, at times, much more catchy than the aforementioned acts. Take that with a grain of salt, the previously mentioned bands are classics and I am merely stating that Keane is able to stand toe to toe with them on a handful of levels. In addition to all of the praise, I should mention that there were times where I found myself skipping over some tracks towards the end of the album after I had already listened to it all the way through a couple of times. This may be a sign of poor “re-listenability” as I like to call it. Perfect Symmetry seems like one of those albums that fans will pop in once a week, or once every two weeks and furiously enjoy it – but there may be more suitable albums that have come out recently that should occupy your play list more often. This is a fun album and worthy of a spot on your iPod. Nick viccione / Entertainment Editor

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Body of Lies Max Payne Scores High More Conventional Than Remarkable

Sean Fenwick Staff Writer

Photo: Warner Bros.

Michael Walsh Staff Writer

Anytime acclaimed director Ridley Scott teams up with A-list actors it’s worth keeping on eye on. Such is the case with Scott’s new film, Body of Lies, which has Scott working with Russell Crowe and Leonardo DiCaprio to tackle the modern espionage and terrorism genre. Based on David Ignatius’ 2007 novel of the same name, Lies follows covert CIA operative Roger Ferris (DiCaprio) and his work in Jordan trying to track down known terrorist mastermind Al-Saleem. With the help of stayat-home boss Ed Hoffman (Crowe), Ferris devises a plan to locate Al-Saleem. Ferris is also assisted by Chief of Jordanian Intelligence Hani Salaam (Mark Strong) who’s cultural differences with Ferris and Hoffman threatens the operation. While the concept behind Lies is rather fresh, this spy-game thriller turns up more conventional than remarkable. Don’t get me wrong though, Lies is a very interesting, convincing and engaging film with an at least mostly plausible story. Scott’s veteran presence shows off in the film as everything is very polished and technically well done. Being the landmark-reaching director Scott has been in the past sets the expectations bar that much higher. The film is not a masterpiece and groundbreaking reworking of the espionage genre much like the films Blade Runner and Alien revolutionized the science fiction genre more than 25 years ago, but it’s still a solid film. What kept the film a notch above average for me were the great performances by DiCaprio and Crowe. DiCaprio, the true lead in the film, plays the on-the-rise CIA agent very well. This performance is another sign of his maturation as an actor that has been shown over the past few years. Crowe gives life to what otherwise would be a prototypical military executive slouch of a character. Although the two mostly interact via cell phone I felt their relationship was a strong point for an otherwise average script. It’s not a relationship of stark nature that

will make you ponder for days, but it’s an enjoyable one to follow as plans unravel and everything gets laid out on the table. As I mentioned before, Lies places more into the conventional field. The main problem for me was that the film never got gritty or deep enough. Sure, there’s violence in the form of explosions, torture and weapon play in addition to a whole lot of tension filled danger, but not enough for the subject matter. In the end the screenplay by William Monahan doesn’t dig far enough into terrorist activity and only gives a partial look at the behind the scenes of both the CIA and the terrorist groups. The lens seemed primarily focused on DiCaprio and Crowe, which is no problem at all considering their excellent performances, but more might have been achieved by expanding a bit with the rest of the characters. For example, DiCaprio’s love interest Aisha was a cookie cutter version of what she should have been. The character simply comes off as something placed into the film to serve as a plot device. Outside of a few flaws, the film simply works as a whole. Lies consistently looks great as Scott’s experience took over and helped the steady shot nature of the film. The inevitable shaky cam syndrome shown in a lot of modern war and action films is kept to the extreme minimum which works wonders for this thriller. In addition to the technical merits, Lies is decently paced. Scott provides a good combination of excellent drama, smooth dialogue and intense action scenes. While Lies won’t be mentioned much come Oscar season, it’s still a solid entry into the espionage genre. The on-the-ground spy play is very fun to watch and could serve as a good basis for future espionage films. If Monahan’s script had scratched a little deeper more could have been achieved considering the films superb presentation. Regardless, Body of Lies is worth your time if you find the genre interesting or simply enjoy watching two actors put forth terrific performances.

Video games have always been a challenge to bring to the bring screen. Movies like Doom and Blood Rayne killed any hope of the studio companies producing a great flick. Max Payne is one of the few video game films that won’t waste your time. From beginning to end Max Payne keeps the audience fixated on the pent up rage inside Max (Mark Wahlberg). At random times throughout the movie you will get the chance to see Max just explode and kill everyone in the room. Wahlberg does a great job capturing the essence of the famous video game character. Max Payne is a bad ass and for some actors it is hard to keep that constant grief driven anger; Wahlberg had no problem in keeping his face stern and his gun ready.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

The story follows Max Payne who is overwhelmed by the death of his wife and child and is now dedicated to find the person responsible – pretty straightforward story. As the film progresses the story is shot to hell. There are many random, useless side stories and characters thrown into the mix. Surprisingly this does not hurt the film as Max dives into the world of underground drugs and gangs to find his wife’s killer. This is where he runs into Mona Sax (Mila Kunis) who is also looking for the same killer. The two discover a conspiracy and the real reason why Max’s wife was killed. The film is based in New York City and the director of this showcases the many effects of snow in the city. This keeps the set of the film dark, grungy, and cold much like the over all feel of the film. Max Payne will keep the fans of the game happy by not getting to crazy with talk of heaven and hell. As for the action, Payne is filled with it.

Sex Drive Doesn’t Perform Steve Packnick Staff Writer

One of the worst feelings that a person could have after leaving a theater is the feeling that they had just wasted ten bucks on a really terrible movie; if you would like to avoid this feeling I would strongly suggest that you don’t go see Sex Drive. Although the movie had a few really funny parts, as a whole the movie just lacked originality and was alittle dull. The basic plot of Sex Drive is something we’ve all seen before. The story is based around Ian, an 18-year -ld virgin (really original) who meets a girl online and steals his brother’s car and drives across the country with his two best friends Lance and Felicia, to have sex with this complete stranger. The movie is also ridiculously predictable, right from the start you can see the sexual tension between Ian and his “best friend” Felicia and you know what’s going to happen. Also Ian’s sex-obsessed friend Lance meets an Amish girl and from the way that the movie portrays her entrance you can see what obviously comes next. One actor that needs to be mentioned is Seth Green who played the

Amish Ezekiel. His character is very smart and sarcastic which makes him ridiculously funny without saying too much. Seth Green is the only thing that kept this movie together for me, without him the movie would have just dragged on. One thing that really brought this Sex Drive down was that the comedy didn’t seem to be natural. Much of the movie you have very awkward situations that leave you wondering, “was that actually funny?” If I’m watching a comedic movie I want to laugh, not wonder if I’m supposed to laugh. Another thing that put Sex Drive down was all of the nudity in the movie looked out of place and seemed to be a desperate plea for laughs. The one thing that made this movie a truly terrible movie was the fact that Fall Out Boy has an appearance in this movie. I mean, come on, Fall Out Boy is terrible. All in all Sex Drive wasn’t too terrible of a movie; it just came out at the wrong time. This year had some great comedies like Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Pineapple Express, which by comparison Sex Drive just couldn’t stand up to. But if you’re the type of person that is looking for a couple of laughs go ahead and see the movie because a couple laughs is all that Sex Drive’s got.

Director Profile: Jules Dassin Michael Walsh Staff Writer

Photo: Gawker Media

When communism was a threat to the United States in the 1950s, one of the outcomes was the Hollywood blacklist. The list consisted of actors, directors, producers, screenwriters, and other U.S. entertainers that were barred from work in the U.S. due to their suspected associations to the American Communist Party. One name that stands out among the accused is film director Jules Dassin. Dassin, born in Middletown, Conn., was forced to leave the U.S. in 1950 when he was accused of being tied to communism. Dassin was only briefly associated with the communist party in America but left in 1939. Before Dassin was forced out of America he made his early mark on film. I consider Dassin’s stretch of four films in four years to be one of the most impressive bodies of work in the film noir genre. From 1947 to 1950 Dassin created four pictures worthy of extreme critical acclaim. Brute Force, the 1947 prison film noir drama set the bar for prison films. This tense, shocking and suffocated drama that starred Burt Lancaster plays heavy on emotion. Films like The Shawshank Redemption that our modern

society celebrates undoubtedly learned a lot from Dassin’s landmark film. In 1948 Dassin brought film noir right to the streets of New York City with The Naked City. It was one of the first police dramas or film noirs shot on location in New York City leading to its extreme authenticity and lending to the film’s almost documentary-like style. The film also features one of the most clever film noir voiceovers. Dassin employs a unique third person voiceover that acts like the king of the city, talking to all characters involved. City is truly a testament to New York and an absolutely stunning time capsule of the era. The final two American films made by Dassin were Thieves’ Highway and the film noir Night and the City. This may sound strange but Highway is the most intense film about apple hauling and dealing you’ll ever see. On the inside of Highway is a dark and grim world, far darker than one might imagine considering the subject matter. Night and the City, on the other hand, is a film noir set in London. Much like Naked City, Dassin filmed this one on location as well. The film follows around an ambitious small time gangster trying to rise to the top of the crime syndicate. The lead is played by Richard Widmark and is one of the greatest performances in his heralded career as

he perfectly plays the clever and scheming gangster. When Dassin was forced to flee to France following Night and the City he didn’t stop creating gems. Five years after the previously mentioned film, Dassin made what many agree to be his masterpiece, the heist film noir Rififi. It is best remembered for its legendary heist scene. It is a 32-minute scene without a single line of dialogue. To this day it still holds up among the tensest of all heist scenes. Dassin’s technique was highly influential and has been mimicked many times. Jules Dassin is a truly remarkable figure who overcame everything that was thrown at him. When America forced him out he went to France and created a masterpiece. When he left Italy as an “undesirable” he went to Greece and became an icon. While I express the most interest in the five films of his I mentioned, his later works such as Never on Sunday and Topkapi are not to be ignored. Dassin’s life is an admirable one and his hard work should be seen and appreciated by all. Essential viewings: Brute Force, The Naked City, Thieves’ Highway, Night and the City, Rififi, Never on Sunday, Topkapi

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Man Man’s Crazy Man

Man Man’s Ryan Kattner at the Danbury, Conn. show. Karyn Danforth Editor-at-Large

Photo: Lion’s Gate Entertainment

W. Not as Intense as the Real Thing Ryan Robinson Staff Writer

To be honest, knowing Oliver Stone’s liberal standing I went into the theater thinking this movie would be a two and a half hour Bushbash-a-thon. Instead I got a jumbled up life story that was more determined to show the drama of George W. Bush’s life and his father issues that lead to his presidency. Stone has done biopic films before with JFK, Nixon and to a lesser extent of biopic Alexander. Like his other historical movies there is always the question about accuracy. With JFK there were complaints about conspiracy theories. So here is a movie about a man Stone disagrees with so how accurate could the portrayal be? The story starts out with Josh Brolin as President Bush with his caricature of a cabinet discussing what to do about the attacks on 911 and whether or not to attack Iraq. Richard Dreyfuss portrays a terrifying, oil hungry Dick Chenney. Chenney’s rival at the table Colin Powell was played by Jeffrey Wright who made me really end up liking Powell as a man who attempted to stand against the rest of the administration. And the most annoying character in the film ended up being Condoleezza Rice who Thandie Newton played Rice as if she was loaded up with enough botox to kill an elephant. From that scene on the movie flips back and forth through Bush’s life – his party days at Yale to owning the Texas Rangers and finally being President. This back and forth was more confusing than helpful to the progress of the film.

There seemed to be major cuts in Bush’s life that shouldn’t have been made. One scene has him talking to some blonde and tells her how he is going to marry her and a few scenes later without much explanation he’s getting involved with Laura Bush (Elizabeth Banks). Or one moment he’s running for governor and the next he’s deciding to run for president. Another issue I take with this movie is its purpose. What meaning does the viewer get out of this? It seems that Oliver Stone, though taking things a bit seriously, was still trying to get out that GW Bush was never qualified for president. The movie focuses a lot on the failures of Bush. There are dream sequences where Bush sees himself as on the Rangers Baseball team trying to catch a ball in the outfield, but fails. This inevitably shows that even in his dreams the man just sucks. There is another underlying mock theme given by Stone where Christianity is portrayed as the answer to everything. The focus on the born-again Bush and his religious take on politics are important points. Bush tells his reverend that the lord spoke to him about running for president and that something bad will happen and he will be needed to take charge. There is also a scene where he meets with his cabinet and prays to said lord. Perhaps the movie is just a biopic of America’s most hated president since Nixon or maybe its just Stone’s way of showing the true personality of Bush. In the end all we really get is a jumbled mess of scenes mixed with some great acting that in the end doesn’t save the movie.

“There’s nothing like putting on an old woman’s bingo shirt,” remarked Ryan Kattner as he casually smoked a cigarette outside after an intense performance. Ryan Kattner, a.k.a Honus Honus, is the frontman of the Philadelphia based-band, Man Man. The band, which has been compared to Frank Zappa and Tom Waits, is a theatrical marvel comprised of anything imaginable: face paint, costumes, plastic instruments, buckets, cans, even the simplistic jingle of keys on a keychain. Man Man performed recently at the Heirloom Arts Theatre in Danbury, Conn.with opening acts Tim Fite and Bottle Up and Go, and with the theatrical theme resounding in every performance; there was no room for anything that required perfection. While the openers impressed the audience with big hair, tight pants and ridiculously funny power point presentations, the final movement was yet to come. After Bobby McFerrin’s early nineties hit “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” played what seemedto-be ten times in a row during set-up, the musical circus had come to town. Adorning matching cut-off jean shorts with white t-shirts and painted streaks on their faces, the quintet jumped right into many of their newer songs off of Rabbit Habits, which was released earlier this year. Here’s the interesting factor in Man Man’s performance – they do not even once stop to talk to the audience. No cheesy “Hey Danbury, we’re here to rock!” exclamations. They stick to what is important: keeping the energy in the room alive and thriving from songs “Top Drawer” to “Big Trouble.” When exclaimed how his costume changes were similar to a pop diva’s “two songs and a new outfit” rule, Kattner laughed, “But my costumes are ratty.” Hence the old woman’s bingo shirts and throw in some feathers and sparkly sequined sashes.

Karyn Danforth / The Recorder

The audience was bedazzled by Honus Honus’ stage presence; one moment, he’d be jumping off a chair, the next, pouring water into a bowl and splashing it everywhere, or singing into a toy voice changer. Man Man didn’t have to say anything to the audience to interact. As if the performance wasn’t enough, they’d pat drumsticks on people’s heads, throw out random objects or stare at certain individuals dead straight in the eye. Like every band, Man Man left and made the audience chant and pound their feet like savages until they returned for more debauchery, and what an encore it was, especially with their frightful fairy tale “Engrish Bwudd,” with lyrical moments like “all I want to be is a bubbly gobbly gook” and “fee fi fo fum, I smell of the blood of an Englishman.” Sitting on the side of the stage after the show, Kattner shook hands with every fan that had gathered to express their complete awe of what they’d witnessed. After a quick change of clothes, Honus Honus (a pseudonym, if one wasn’t aware) walked outside with me to fill me in on the hectic life of a band with a low budget. “We make enough to live on,” he said. “We can only afford to take a month or two off [to tour], but then it’s back to work.” After pulling out his iPhone, a fan jokingly mocks him for owning the expensive, hip device. “Yeah, I have an iPhone but I don’t have a place to live,” Kattner replied. While the art of translating energy onto audiences was discussed, Kattner was quite the jokester. After describing his hometown of South Philly as a place of “sweatpant boners,” he spoke of how he wants “to go,” so to speak. “I want to be cremated and put into a piñata that looks like me,” he said, rather seriously. It is strongly advised to go watch a Man Man performance; the spontaneity will counteract the gloomy realities in which we currently live in.

CALENDAR WEEK OF OCTOBER 22

MUSIC 10.23 Underoath Saosin @ The Webster Theater Hartford, Conn. 6 p.m. / $20

EP This Is What I Know About Being Gigantic. The band comprised guitarist Dave Knudson, vocalist/ guitarist Jake Snider, drummer Erin Tate, and bassist Cory Murchy. Though the band entered the studio before they ever played a show, they toured aggressively in support of the EP, then returned to the studio to record 2002’s Highly Refined Pirates, their first fulllength album. Both the EP and LP were released by Seattle-based Suicide Squeeze Records. 10.25 Copeland Lovedrug, @ Heirloom Arts Theatre Danbury, Conn. 7 p.m. / $15

Since their inception, Florida’s Underoath has evolved from a run-of-the-mill Christian metalcore band into a fluid, dynamic and energized rock group that adeptly blends emotive melody, charged punk rock rhythm and chunky, engaging bottom end. Underoath formed in 1998 in vocalist Dallas Taylor’s bedroom. Within a year, the group -- with guitarist Tim McTague, drummer Aaron Gillespie and keyboardist Christopher Dudley -- had inked a deal with Alabama’s Takehold record label. In July 1999, Underoath released the six-song Act of Depression CD, which sold over 2,000 copies. The five-song Cries of the Past followed a year later, selling over 3,000 copies. 10.24 The Mountain Movers (CD Release Party) Kings @ Cafe 9 New Haven, Conn. 9 p.m. / FREE The Mountain Movers were started by Dan Greene and Rick Omonte of New Haven, Conn. in order to begin recording as many of Dan’s songs as possible. Dan has hundreds of songs. Some of those songs have been singles of the week in The London Times, NME, and Melody Maker, recorded for a John Peel Session, many live BBC (throughout UK and Ireland) and XFM (London) broadcasts, as well as stages all over the East Coast of America and Europe. 10.24 Deerhoof @ Pearl Street Nightclub Northampton, Mass. 9 p.m. / $14 Too Ragged, Too Unpredictable, Too Pop, Too Crazy, Too Polarizing, Too Happy, Too Bombastic, Too Risky, Too Japanese, Too High School, Too New, Too Angry, Too Dreamy, Too Uncontrolled, Too Rock, Too Volatile, Too Melodic, Too Art, Too Outre, Too Intense, Too Uncategorizable, Too Addictive, Too Deerhoof! Deerhoof is truly turning out to be one of the most unlikely success stories in contemporary pop music. An improbable group with nothing apparently in common starts a band, makes some of the most difficult and unclassifiable noise of the mid-nineties and unexpectedly rises to international prominence as one of indie rock’s most renowned and influential groups. How could this have happened? 10.24 Minus the Bear @ Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel Providence, R.I. 8 p.m. / $16

With catchy song titles like “Hey, Wanna Throw Up? Get Me Naked”, “Monkey!!! Knife!!! Fight!!!” and “Lemurs, Man, Lemurs” it’s hard not to be at least a little bit curious about this Seattle-based quintet. Featuring members of Botch, Kill Sadie, and Sharks Keep Moving, Minus the Bear emerged on Seattle’s music scene in 2001 with the release of their six-song

“Strip away all the fluff. Does the song still speak the same way when performed with just a voice and a single piano or single guitar?” This is Copeland’s test of a well written song. Lead vocalist and principal songwriter, Aaron Marsh was bred in the diverse Florida music scene where he started the band with his close friend, bassist James Likeness. During their search to finish off the line-up, Aaron found a kindred spirit in Maryland native guitarist Bryan Laurenson, with a mutual appreciation of quality pop melodies to push his writing to new levels. With a concerted effort to weave memorable melodies with insightful lyrics, the band began crafting their intelligent brand of anthemic pop songs in 2000.

FILM

ART

10.23-10.25 Frozen River @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. / $7

Through 11.2 The Shadow Boxes of Sarah Austin @New Britain Museum of Modern Art New Britain, Conn. 10 a.m. / Free

Not since Frances McDormand’s pregnant state trooper battled killers and whiteouts in Fargo has such a strong leading role in a film noir been played by a woman. Melissa Leo gives an impressive performance as the red-headed Ray Eddy, whose shaky economic existence on New York’s Canadian border gets desperate when her job at the Yankee Dollar Store (and her gambling husband) can no longer cover the bills. Channeling her inner warrior to hold onto her trailer and keep her son in school, she teams up with a Mohawk woman (Misty Upham) in a crazily dangerous enterprise: smuggling people by car across the frozen St. Lawrence River. The Grand Jury Prize at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival went to first time writer/director (and Columbia Film School grad) Courtney Hunt.

Sarah was born in Hartford in 1935 to a family connected to the city’s founding fathers. She attended Oxford School in West Hartford and grew up in the unique Austin home designed by her father in Hartford’s West End. She studied art in Boston, at the Hartford Art School and abroad, and is said to have nurtured a “secret life” as a collage artist, creating more than 350 shadow boxes during a span of about 25 years. Some 20 of those boxes will be on view in the exhibition.

10.24 - 10.25 Planet B-Boy @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 9:30 p.m. / $6.25

10.27 My Brightest Diamond Clare & the Reasons @ The Space Hamden, Conn. 7 p.m. /$12 My Brightest Diamond is spearheaded by Shara Worden, granddaughter of an Epiphone-playing traveling evangelist, fathered by a National Accordion Champion and mothered by a classical organist. Having a family of musical wanderers who migrated across the US every few years, the landscape and the musical influences were constantly changing. Spanish tangos, Sunday morning gospel, classical and jazz were the accompaniment to her home life. Her first song was recorded at age three and by age eight she was studying piano and performing in community musical productions. 10.28 Matisyahu Flobots @ Lupo’s Providence, R.I. 8 p.m. / $30

Featuring major works from the Atheneum’s extensive collections, this exhibition examines the multiple avenues of artistic exploration from the 1960s to the present. With the explosion of new modes of representation and new artistic, social, and political concerns that became central to the language of art during this time, Pop to the Present will celebrate the amazing varieties of form that proliferated during the last third of the twentieth century and that continue into our own time. Present - 01.04 Archeology of Wonder @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 2 p.m. / $3

Planet B-Boy tells the story of international groups in a world dance competition. An American dancer in Vegas looks for his big break; a Korean son seeks his father’s approval; a twelve-year-old boy in France confronts his family’s racism. All three groups meet in Germany, at the “battle of the year” finals, with crews from 18 nations vying for the title of World Champion. Incredibly absorbing and at times hilarious, it’s the kind of movie where you pick your favorites and root for them until the last frame. 10.26 - 10.28 My Father My Lord @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. / $6.25 The winner of Best Narrative Film at the Tribeca Film Festival is a new Israeli movie that shows an ultra-Orthodox family that is torn apart by the strict rules that govern daily life. First time director David Volach has made a tender portrait of a family and its faith that recasts the Biblical parable of Abraham and Isaac into a challenge to fundamentalism of all kinds. Abraham (Assi Dayan) is a rabbi who is as unbending with wife and young son Menachem (Ilan Griff) as with his yeshiva students. And it is his reaction to his beloved son’s small acts of rebellion - from keeping forbidden postcards to believing that animals have souls - that leads to disaster.

Matisyahu is the Hebrew and stage name of Matthew Paul Miller, an American Jewish reggae musician. Known for blending traditional Jewish themes with reggae and rock sounds, Matisyahu is most recognizable for being a member of Chabad-Lubavitch, a chassidic group of Judaism. As such, Matisyahu stands out for wearing the traditional clothing of Hasidic Jews and not performing on the Sabbath. Since 2004, he has released three studio albums as well as one live album, two remix CDs and one DVD featuring a live concert, and a number of interviews. Through his short career, Matisyahu has teamed up with some of the biggest names in reggae production including Bill Laswell and duo Sly & Robbie. Since his debut, Matisyahu has received positive reviews from both rock and reggae outlets. Most recently, he was named “Top Reggae Artist” of 2006 by Billboard.

Through - 11.09 Pop to the Present @Wadsworth Atheneum Hartford, Conn. 11 a.m. / $5

10.24 – 11.02 Mr. Foe @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. / $6.25 Jamie Bell (Billie Elliot, Flags of Our Fathers) is Hallam Foe, a troubled young man whose knack for voyeurism paradoxically reveals his darkest fears and his most peculiar desires. Driven to expose the true cause of his mother’s death, he instead finds himself searching the rooftops of the city of Edinburgh for love. This is a juicy character part for Bell, who is fast becoming an international actor to be dealt with. Splendid use of Edinburgh, Scotland’s cityscapes, a basket full of startling surprises in the screenplay and characters without a fleck of sentimentality.

Archaeology of Wonder brings together two disparate approaches to the past – archaeology with its meticulous discipline, and wonder with its radical subjectivity – to examine contemporary works of art. This exhibition was conceived and is being curated by Kristina Newman-Scott, Real Art Ways’ Director of Visual Arts. Central to the concept of the exhibition is the symbolic significance of archaeology: Freud used archaeological excavation as a metaphor for the process of remembering experiences in therapy. Indeed, such language has worked its way into our daily parlance; we often speak of “unearthing” facts and memories. Archaeology of Wonder posits questions about the way we use artifacts and art to approach those relationships to the past that are difficult to pin down, yet evoke inescapable reactions in the mind of the viewer, thus linking them to the world of wonder.

Did we miss something? E-mail us with your weekly campus event listings at ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

14 THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Lifestyles

Left: Dennis Haskins poses with senior Prince Prescott III. Prescott interviewed Haskins on-stage at the beginning of the night. Center: Senior Steve Schumacher gets reprimanded by CCSU’s favorite television principal. Right: Haskins takes a second from his presentation for a quick photo.

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

‘90s Mentor Mr. Belding Drops In for a Brief Dose of Nostalgia Karyn Danforth Editor-at-Large

Babies of the eighties remember the early ‘90s television at its peak. From the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles” to the “Power Rangers”, and every early morning cartoon in between, these Technicolor heroes always had positive messages underlying every suspense-filled episode. In 1988 however, a new mentor came to early morning cartoons, but wasn’t drawn onto paper. With his trademark laugh and his “Hey, hey, hey”, Saturday morning got its first sitcom on the air, and with “Saved by the Bell”, America’s favorite principal, Mr. Belding, played by Dennis Haskins. Years later, Haskins is still mentoring the younger adults by visiting college campuses, talking about his experience in the acting business, and giving advice about following dreams and achieving personal goals. Last Tuesday, Oct. 14, Haskins visited CCSU’s Welte Hall amidst a buzz of around 350 students, all eager to see the most adored principal in television history, in similar ranking with Mr. Feeny from “Boy Meets World”. Students yelled their favorite characters, episodes and quotes all throughout the two hour experience as Haskins stood on-stage, re-

calling memories of high school and acting tryouts and callbacks. In an interview conducted by Central senior Prince Prescott III, Haskins answered questions about when he first caught his big break, and when he almost didn’t get the spot for Mr. Belding. Hailing from Chattanooga, Tennessee, the 58-year-old actor dreamt of being an actor ever since he was in high school. In sixth grade, Haskins got a taste of his dream by starring in Pinocchio with college-aged students, and eventually became a theater major in college at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. “My first shot at television involved a Louisiana outdoor drama,” said Haskins. “I played a bad-ass in a show with cars jumping up in the air and girls in daisy dukes.” Haskins was speaking of cult classic, “The Dukes of Hazard”. After filming the pilot episode however, he was skeptical about the career path. “I called my mom on a pay phone and told her it wasn’t going to work,” he recalled. Wanting to go to California to catch what he thought would be his big break, Haskins drove there with only $1,800 in his pocket. “I slept on the floor for two years in a sleeping bag working part-time jobs,” he said. “I still have that sleeping bag.” Saved by the Bell started off as a Disney television show entitled “Good Morning, Miss Bliss”, which didn’t get far off of the ground.

Disney halted production, but were not tearing down the set, nor throwing away the costumes and props. “The wardrobe guy told me to keep my suits,” said Haskins, as he hypothesized that if he kept in touch with the producers, they’d let him in on the next project. Roughing it out to the final casting calls, Haskins was positive he could top his last, single opponent. The producer rejected him, and this baffled the young comedian. Haskins walked out of the building and called the producer from a pay phone while glancing up into his office window. “It’s a no-no to call a producer after a rejection,” he said, but in this case, his persistence paid off. The producer accepted, and Haskins was on the path to becoming the tough talking, yet lovable, Mr. Belding. “It was a good show with a message,” Haskins said of the new Saturday morning “Saved By The Bell”. It took a while to catch onto the rest of America, but Haskins recalled the specific moment when he knew it had become famous. “The cast went on a mall tour and got their clothes ripped off,” he said. “That’s when we knew it was a hit.” “What made the show successful?” asked Prescott III, during the interview on stage. Students in the audience started yelling out an-

swers, such as A.C Slater’s mullet and simply Kelly Kapowski herself, played by TiffaniAmber Thiessen. Favorite episodes were then discussed, and of those mentioned, students laughed at recalling when Screech’s pet salamander died, and when Jessie OD’ed on caffeine. Haskins favorite? “I have two,” he admitted. “The original graduation episode and the other is when Mr. Belding’s brother Rod ruined a prospective rafting trip.” In the rafting episode, Rod promised a trip to the students and blew them off. Mr. Belding scolded his brother for breaking a promise and takes them on the trip instead; it was one of Mr. Belding’s many fatherly moments. Not only did he pretend to be a caring individual, he showed the audience how much he cared about young adults striving to accomplish their dreams. “Life is a series of connect the dots,” he said. “If you want it badly enough, you will have it. Find what you love to do.” Haskins also connected the current state of the economy with being a college student on his final note. “The world sucks right now,” he said. “So stay here as long as you can.”

A Refreshing Look at Hartford’s Alternative Art Collection Jane Natoli

Lifestyles Editor

Jane Natoli / The Recorder

Every third Thursday Real Art Ways of Hartford holds their Creative Cocktail Hour, a social atmosphere to meet people outside the typical bar scene, observe alternative contemporary art and listen to live music all at the same venue. Upon entering 56 Arbor Street this past Thursday, patrons were greeted with noise and excitement from the small crowd already gathered. One man with a backward monster’s mask on his head so that bright red hair framed his face handed out candy to the guests as they walked in. Behind the entrance way the featured artist Tom Fruin opened the evening with his artistic collection of work called “American Landscapes” that he created using materials that, to him, represented Americans, such as various sized plastic drug bags and Budweiser cans. “I didn’t know what a drug bag was before I moved to New York,” Fruin said to the people gathered around his drug bag collage. He explained how he began collecting the bags off the street and saving them for his artwork. On the other two walls of the display, Budweiser cans were flattened and cut into shapes of hoods with permanent marker ghost eyes and arranged together in shapes of mountains and valleys. At one end a church hung that was shaped by a group of pointed cans. The “Bud Klan Church,” as the wall plaque called it, looked out over the landscape of “Klan” mountains. At first glance, the entire display appears to merely be a tribute to Halloween. It requires a closer look and the descriptions on the wall

plaques to grasp the intended meaning of each piece. Most of the attendees, however, barely glanced at the art around them. They were more interested in conversation, drinks and the spread of free appetizers. Some guests meandered away from Fruin’s main display to the rest of the gallery to view the display “Archeology of Wonder.” This collection contained pieces that hung on the wall, from the ceiling, sat on the floor, made noise and moved around and each required a closer second look. One wall displayed scenes of what some would consider child pornography: young girls experimenting with their stuffed animals, dogs and each other. Near this wall, what looked like a mound of black rubber sat on the floor. Close up, the rubber could be identified as countless small mice climbing on each other. Hanging from a ceiling nearby was a display that at first glance appeared to be only car antennae sticking out in all directions. The plaque on the wall informed the viewers that the artist and creator, Simone Leigh, was representing “Queen Bee” and suddenly the antennae became stingers; the odd rounded oblong shapes that held the antennae became bees clambering to get the center of the pack. A loud clanging noise drew guests into a room off the main gallery, where a chair sat tied up inside a wooden crate. Every once in a while the chair would begin to move by means of a discrete crank rotating the cords that held the chair from one corner. The imprisoned chair moved as if struggling to be freed from the cord that held it in the crate. At the end of the hallway off the main gallery, a black curtain separated an area from rest of the space. Inside this small room, furnished

with only two wooden benches, small video clips looped on a large screen, showing scenes of people being used for things that objects normally are used for, such as a frying pan, a ringing bell and soap at a sink. As interesting as the various displays were, the art pieces were not the main attraction of the function. Some people meandered throughout the gallery pondering the alternative art displays, but the main crowd stayed in the entrance way, near the concession stand and bar, chatting as if in any other social situation. At the sound of a piano and guitars warming up, people flocked to the in-house cinema. Sweeter Than Day, a piano based ensemble group led by Wayne Horvitz, began playing alternative music in the long theater. The music quickly became a deeper performance as the players acted out their songs through their bodies, sometimes looking painfully contorted as they reached for each growingly disturbing note as if the music, or perhaps Horvitz, controlled them. At one point, the band members literally began banging on their instruments: elbows on the piano, fists on the drums, leading the audience through a twisted journey as an intense drum solo melted back into a calm piano melody. “Archeology of Wonder” is on display until Jan. 4, while “American Landscapes” closes in late November, so there is time to spare to view these collections. Also, you don’t have to wait until the next Creative Cocktail Hour to see these displays. RAW is open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and on Sunday from 2-10 p.m. and Friday through Saturday from 2-11 p.m. The Creative Cocktail Hour runs from 6-10 p.m.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

The HCT: A Place to Personalize Your Plate Caroline Dearborn Staff Writer

It’s Tuesday night, the beginning to a never-ending crazy semester schedule. You are in the mood for a quick bite close to campus, or maybe you just want to chill out and have a few drinks at a local bar. Elmer’s and Tony’s are getting old, Domino’s is out and the whole Blimpie’s/Subway competition is just not going to cut it. Fast food is just not an option at this point, because you know that it will just sit in your stomach all night long, rocking up against your stomach walls as it tries to digest in your over tired body. What do you do for food then? Where can you go? Hardware City Tavern, right here in New Britain, is a good place for an alternative meal. Having been once was a furniture store, The City Tavern is located in an intricately designed building that its Web site boasts was designed by the city’s native architect, William A. Cadwell. The Hardware City Tavern, or “THE H.C.T.” as the restaurant’s Web site refers to it as, wishes to “bring you back to when good food, good times, and good people were as one.” This strong statement was validated by the pleasant server who greeted my table and truly

did try to make my friend and I have a good experience, despite notable mishaps. To start off, before my friend and I even ordered, we were sipping ice water and noticed something was not right. There was an odd taste of the water that may have come from the lemon if it had been cut on a cutting board also used for other vegetables. There seemed to be a hint of garlic in the water. Instead of looking at the menu choices, my friend and I were too distracted trying to figure out whether or not we had made an appetizing decision when agreeing on “THE H.C.T.” This water incident was not a very good first impression. Despite being so sidetracked from the menu, my friend and I finally were back on track when the waitress came over and asked us if we still needed a couple more minutes. The menu consisted of a page of the “Dirty Dozen”: chicken wings served with bleu cheese dressing and celery. Two entries that caught my eye were the $7.95 “Jamaican Jerk,” wings seasoned with a blend of jerk seasoning and teriyaki sauce, and the $7.95 “Peanut Butter,” which the menu claimed to be an “Elvis fav”: wings drenched in a peanut butter, hot sauce and spice mixture. To clarify what jerk seasoning is, according to Allrecipes.com, a “jerk” is a spice used in

Where’s the Coffee?

Barci’s Espresso Bar Serves Up the Sliced and Diced, Rarely the Caffeinated Caroline Dearborn Staff Writer

The quaint, old-fashioned, home-styled Barci’s Espresso Bar lies nestled in the middle of bustling Waterbury. Contrary to its name, Barci’s is much more than just an espresso bar that offers mostly coffee and perhaps a muffin or fancy pastry. Barci’s turned out to be a hometown type of restaurant that offered breakfast, lunch, coffee or tea and of course the obligatory selection of pastries. Even though their menu states that breakfast is served until 11 a.m. and lunch until 2 p.m., my visit at approximately 11:35 a.m. left me wondering, where was the coffee? Instead of an espresso bar, it was more of a Panera Bread Co.- styled experience where customers place orders at the counter and then wait for food. The case of what I imagine was once a pastry selection held the sparse remnants of cookies and a couple other baked goods. Anticipating an extensive coffee menu, I looked around Barci’s and could not find one. Upon asking for a cup of tea to go with my order, I was directed to pick out which kind I wanted. Looking around, I could not quite understand what the cashier meant, so I just specified that I wanted green tea. Since it was almost noon, I ordered the “Brass City Special” off the full sandwich menu. The sandwich, named after Waterbury’s nickname as the former the Brass Capital of the world, consisted of smoked turkey and ham

with your choice of Swiss or cheddar cheese on your choice of bread with lettuce and tomato. This $7.30 special, seemed a bit pricey, but when I saw the huge portion on my plate, I decided couldn’t complain. My sandwich tasted heavenly; a delightful blend of simplistic tastes hugged by crisp toast. Another appealing item was the grilled chicken and avocado sandwich. This consisted of grilled chicken, tomato, fresh avocado, mustard and “balsamic best” on ciabatta bread ($7.30). Despite burning my throat from the practically boiling water my tea was made with, the tea was notably good. I then finished off my visit with a chocolate chip cookie, as I can never refuse a dessert, even though there was not much of a dessert selection. The cookie was good for a moderate $1.95. This cozy luncheonette seemed to draw the suit and tie professional crowd, presumably from the courthouse, post office and other offices close by. The menu was very chic and the staff was more than wonderful. Parking, however, is extremely limited. If you are ever in the area, maybe visiting University of Conecticut at Waterbury or interested in a little bite before shopping at the Brass Mill Center, it is worth a try for lunch. However, if you are in the mood for an upscale coffee house, you’ll find Barci’s doesn’t support its name.

grilling meats. The traditional Jamaican jerk, usually contains thyme, allspice and Scotch bonnet peppers. It may include other ingredients, such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, onions, and garlic. This is a dish that I would be interested in trying if I go back to “THE H.C.T.” Some other interesting menu options included “Pre-Game Munchies”, “Half Time ½ Pounders” and the “Sandwich Board.” Most of the menu selection seemed pretty normal, but the “Nightly Specials” section, which runs from 6 p.m. until close, stood out. Unfortunately, Tuesday night offered no specials, but on Mondays the “Pound and Pitcher” special offers a pitcher of H.C.T. ale and a full pound of any style wings for $9.95. In addition, on Wednesdays, for a shocking $2.00, you can get Coronas, House Margaritas or Tequila shots, with free nachos and salsa. Fridays feature the $14.95 “all you can eat steamers and corn on the cob” special. And all day Sunday you can get ½ priced wings and $6 pitchers. After the first mishap with the waters, our waitress accidentally spilled beer onto my friend’s shoulder and our table. She apologized, but to my surprise did not even offer to sop it up from the table! While on the subject of alcohol, a Tuesday night at this bar appeared to be notably busy.

My friend and I could view it from the dining room and it seemed to be packed. For people who are looking for a new spot, or maybe are tired of the usual Elmer’s, taking a trip to the H.C.T. might be worth your while. Service and environment aside, the food was pretty darn good. My friend was easily pleased with a cheeseburger, while I was impressed with my choice of a battered buffalo chicken sandwich with a pickle and coleslaw. I chose to forgo the regular French fries for some sweet potato fries that were phenomenal even though they charged me extra. I made this sandwich my own by substituting cheddar cheese for the bleu cheese dressing. The original sandwich and fries costs $9.99. My concoction was great, so despite all, I will be back. The both of us were so full from our meals that we did not even have enough room for dessert. Had we room, two notable dessert entries were the “HTC Root Beer Float” and the “Avery Ice Cream Sodas” for $3.95 each. The H.C.T. is a place to consider visiting. It is close to school and seemed to have an active bar, even on a Tuesday night. Parking may be a problem during the day, when the city is full of people who are on errands or at work, but at night it did not seem to have a major parking problem.

Boston’s Quincy Has it All Except Yankees Memorabilia Jane Natoli

Lifestyles Editor

Faneuil Hall Marketplace in downtown Boston, Mass. offers tourists and Bostonians alike a place to eat, shop, socialize and enjoy the view whether you are splurging for a weekend or taking a day trip on a budget. Amanda Thompson, an Emerson College student, says that Faneuil Hall holds everything - every kind of store imaginable and every kind of food, American and international. “In addition to regular stores, there are little booths and kiosks outside that have interesting little knickknacks for sale, Red sox, Boston and college memorabilia,” she said. “And there are always people performing outside. They’re always really good and you can sit, drink coffee and watch them.” Thompson was able to identify some “must see” places during a day-trip to Boston, including a store called Funusual. “It’s a store that seems like it has a lot of kid’s stuff, but it is actually for adults,” Thompson said and added that all of her recent visitors have loved the store. She describes Funusual as a “funny Hallmark store” and a “clean Spencer’s [Gifts]” Dick’s Last Resort, a chain restaurant where the waiters are rude and make fun of the customers is located near the hall as well as Cheer’s, the bar modeled after the popular TV show, but for the real Faneuil Hall experience, Thompson suggests eating inside Faneuil Hall. “There is section upon section in a big long hall of all kinds of food. It’s just huge,” she said. If visitors are not already overstuffed after their meal of choice – Chinese, Thai, Italian, seafood, Clam Chowdah in a bread bowl or

whatever else to be discovered, Thompson suggests trying Joey’s Gelateria for dessert. Flavors such as cotton candy, coconut and chocolate, to just name a few, are all delicious, according to Thompson. Visitors looking for a trip with historical significance will be pleased to know that Faneuil Hall itself is rooted deep in American colonial history. It was built in 1742 by Boston’s wealthiest merchant, Peter Faneuil. It served as a market place for merchants as well as a common area for politicians to give speeches and raise awareness about British Imperialism. Quincy Market’s Hall building was added in 1826 as the demand for space grew, but the area had fallen into disrepair by the mid 1900s. In the 1970s a committee was formed to revitalize the area, one of the first projects of this kind in the country, and Faneuil Hall as we know it today was rebuilt and modernized. Thompson says that there is a lot to do in and around Faneuil Hall Marketplace for college students on a budget. “Watching people perform on the streets is free and the food inside Quincy Hall is much cheaper than a restaurant,” she said. “There is a museum, a little walk-in historical hall that is free, as well.” The largest obstacle is the cost of getting there. Thompson said that a round trip bus ride is $40 or $50, but she suggests driving to a suburb outside Boston that is on the T line, such as Newton. The Riverside Station offers parking for $5 and you can take the T into Boston. There’s also a stop right at Faneuil Hall. Or, tourists can drive all the way into Boston, and the cheapest place to park is under Boston Commons for about $10 a day. Massachusetts Avenue, which is nearby, has no parking meters.

King of the murals THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 22, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

Jamer Barbieri is Spreading His Art One Wall at a Time

Marissa Blaszko / The Recorder

Above: “Jamer” stands in front of “King Kong Mural”, a piece completed in 48 hours. Top Left: “Copernicus Mural” in the lobby of Copernicus Hall opposite Elihu Burritt Library. Marissa Blaszko / The Recorder

Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor

Marissa Blaszko / The Recorder

Above: James “Jamer” Barbieri displays “Meducation”, one of his numerous murals at CCSU. Below: One of Barbieri’s “Trompe-l’œil”-style murals on the wall opposite of “Meducation.”

Marissa Blaszko / The Recorder

James Barbieri, known as “Jamer” to most, spent a good portion of last Tuesday working on a “disguised self portrait” for his color drawing class in his favorite medium. “Oil pastels are a fairly new medium,” he said, “and a lot of painters… don’t look at oil pastels as an art medium.” Trying to prove wrong the “nay-sayers” isn’t anything new for the Central senior. As one of the mural-painting students on campus, Barbieri once had to complete two separate, full-size murals for a single project after refusing to listen to a professor. The piece he calls his “King Kong Mural”, which is located on the ground floor of Maloney Hall, was created in immediate reaction to an order to white-out his previous mural—or, the “Copernicus Mural”. The Copernicus Mural features the giant portrait of young man shoving a variety of objects inside of his mouth, including a street sign, a tree and a microphone. Barbieri says it’s about “sensory overload” – the fact that people in our culture live alongside a constant stream of influential commercials and advertisements. The painting is just inside of the entrance to Copernicus Hall. Before transferring a sketch from paper tto a wall, mural painting professor Mike Alewitz insists that students draw grids on both the paper and the space, to ensure that the transfer from small to large is done correctly. When Barbieri was working on the Copernicus Mural, however, he skipped the step. Two days before the end of the semester, Barbieri was given an ultimatum after his professor discovered the painting had been done by eye: white out the mural before repainting it correctly, or fail the class. Barbieri opted to do neither. Instead, he told Prof. Alewitz that he would do a second mural. “I had already finished the [Copernicus] mural,” he said. “I was worried I wasn’t going to be as happy as the first time around.” Then, came crunch time before is deadline to create a second mural. “Two days left – a 48-hour time span,” Barbieri set up the scene. “I didn’t even get a bite to eat.” At breakneck speed, Barbieri sketched out a new mural design, got the sketch approved by Prof. Alewitz, got it approved by the school, and painted the King Kong Mural onto a new wall.

The concept is directly related to his story. “It was my reaction to the whole thing,” he said. The mural features an almost life-sized portrait of himself, as King Kong, climbing up the Empire State building and reaching out toward the surrounding planes. But there’s a twist. “Instead of destroying the planes, I’m creating them,” he said. In his painted-self ’s right hand is a small paintbrush that touches the tip of one of the plane’s wings, giving it life in mid-flight. “King Kong was backed up against the wall,” Barbieri said. “He wasn’t able to let people know he wasn’t going to do harm.” In addition, the spring 2008 mural painting class virtually took over one of the Barnard stairwells, putting together a piece about education. Barbieri’s contribution, a piece entitled “Meducation” is about a pattern he says he’s noticed in schools. “If there’s a student in the classroom that has a hard time directing their attention, instead of the teacher modifying their teaching program, they take that as an ADD-ridden person. They take the easy way out.” By portraying the teacher as an aggressor, Barbieri blames what he believes is the source of the problem. “The recommendation for medicating the student has to come from somewhere,” he said. Barbieri was also part of last semester’s Mural Slam, a program that showcased students alongside of local street artists and covered the top of Welte Garage with large-scale paintings. All artists were given a 4-by-12 foot section of wall and eight hours to complete the piece. Barbieri left the event with the “most anticlimactic” award. On a lower level of the garage, he’s also done two gas masks (one of which has already been removed) in the style of Trompe-l’œil and a cell phone hanging from a string. The title? “Hang Up Your Cell Phone.” After going on a short mural tour with The Recorder, Berbieri headed back to Maloney Hall, presumably to continue the disguised self portrait for his color drawing class later that day. Although he still has some time left at CCSU, Berbieri hopes to eventually work as an illustrator, relying on the same determination that got him through mural painting to land his dream job.