vol105issue1 by The Recorder

OPINION

Giving Up Golf - Page 5

Entertainment

Summer Album Reviews

Tangiers International

- Page 10

- Page 16

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

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CCSU Is Getting Fit

Volume 105 No. 1

Miller Recognizes Room for Growth, Stresses New Goals Melissa Traynor Editor-in-Chief What began as an opening meeting by the university president and an opportunity to boast CCSU’s progress since last summer quickly became a pledge to complete seven goals in congruence with the strategic plan where vows were made to encourage more multicultural activities and focus on impacting first-year students promised. Beginning the speech on the strategic plan President Jack Miller introduced noted areas of progress spanning from a four percent increase in the first-time, full-time graduation rate to 44 percent to jumps in student employment and enrollment in online courses. While updated and appealing numbers in problem areas reflected that improvement was actually made, CCSU’s standing on the graduation rate within a six-year period, for example, highlighted the fact that the university is still under 50 percent “We believe that this fall, once we get the final data, it will be 46 per-

cent. Fifty percent plus will be good,” Miller said. “Forty percent for a regional comprehensive is not good – 50 is and we’re well on our way to getting there.” Attention quickly landed on the efforts of the graduation and retention council, which was responsible for implementing advanced planning measures for advising new students while in college and post-graduation. Miller said that included in the list is an academic warning system. Freshman academic performance will be monitored in order to keep track of dipping GPAs and to send alerts to the Learning Center to prompt some form of reach-out. The university president stressed perspective when he offered his view of collective work effort. Miller encouraged the community to find a suitable niche and chip away. “We’re not just talking about planning – we’re talking about progress now,” Miller said. “Everyone just needs to find a place to fit in and start working.”

President Miller addressed the CCSU community in Fall 2007.

Conrad Akier / The Recorder

Five hundred thousand dollars were allocated to the constrstuction of two state-of-the-art fitness centers. Amanda Ciccatelli News Editor After numerous calls for simply more space, a request that resonates loudly around the CCSU grounds and especially for more workout space, two new fitness centers will emerge this semester from within the bowels of Catherine Beecher and Sam May residence halls.

“Absolutely Beautiful” is how Recreation Specialist of Student Activities/ Leadership Development Ken DeStefanis described the new centers. They are expected to be ready for use starting the first day of classes on Tuesday, Sept. 2. DeStefanis explained that Central students have always been interested in athletics and have a need for fitness centers on campus.

“The fitness craze is only getting crazier,” he said. Although DeStefanis has done his part to get these two fitness centers started, he gave the majority of the credit to CCSU President Jack Miller, who DeStefanis says, “stepped up to the plate” to provide this new space. President Miller was a driving force behind this project because he

CCSU has developed and implemented an Emergency Notification System as of Friday, August 15 of this summer. ENS will ensure the safety of students and the rest of the CCSU community. According to the CCSU Web site, ENS is multi-dimensional emergency alert system that sends messages to individuals by phone, e-mail, Web site and outdoor speakers around campus. It will only be used

for emergency situations at CCSU to offer necessary information to students about what is currently happening on campus. These situations can include campus crime, dormitory fires and inclement weather as well as weatherrelated campus closings. Students will still be notified by e-mail and Web site of less threatening situations happening on campus. Participants issuing alerts via ENS include the CCSU Police Department and the President of Marketing and Communications.

Amanda Ciccatelli News Editor

Gas is up to $3.66 per gallon as a result of the massive increase over the summer. For a CCSU student body that is more than three quarters commuters, it means that organization around reducing the See Residence Halls Page 3 need for gas, therefore lowing overall spending, requires something more than carpooling. There is a trend, however, that may help America in the long run: the Either party can initiate emergency Energy Information Administration notifications because both parties stated that “U.S. consumption of oil have the ability to issue alerts. will reduce as demand decreases due As instructed on the Web site, to the prices.” in order for ENS to be successful, stuStudents around CCSU and dents must register with their contact colleges across the nation are information on the Web site: www. molding their lifestyles to the rising mir3.com/ccsu. Student information price of gas. Some students are registered on the Web site will be even changing their class schedules confidential and not released to any- that that they can cut down on one else in the CCSU community. commuting expenses, whether they All students are encouraged to regis- opt for Monday through Thursday ter as soon as they arrive at school for classes and eliminate Fridays all the start of the fall semester. together, or drive to campus one or See New Notification System Page 2 two days a week.

University Establishes System in Preparation for Emergencies Amanda Ciccatelli News Editor

Gas Prices Prompt Alternative Thinking for Students CCSU students said that they intentionally worked this summer to afford gas prices; they expected a price hike. Small luxuries that once required some extra cash now come second to the price of gas and student reported that they are chosing what vehicles they use for carpooling. Universities are making online courses more available to their students to accommodate the student’s financial needs. South Carolina students from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College are feeling the pressure of rising gas prices as well. According to OCTC, the classes are changing to a four-day week of class. Since 25 percent of the students and faculty commute almost 50 miles each way to school, this change should be a positive one. Students admit that gas prices make paying tuition more difficult, while some could not enroll in summer classes because they had to work all summer to make money. Since the gas prices have become almost unaffordable, students are

See Students Re-think Page 3

News

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

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Staff Editor-in-Chief Melissa Traynor Art Director Steven Spencer 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 Web Editor John Vignali Illustrator Stefano Delli Carpini

Staff Writers Brad Cooper Ryan Yeomans

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

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

New Notification System Prepared for Emergencies Continued from page 1

Students can register by visiting the Web site, www.ccsu.edu/ENS and continuing to follow the detailed directions that are posted. The FAQ web page is also an available link for further information and generally asked questions about CCSU’s new Emergency Notification System. Though students are curious as to whether their classmates will actually follow through in registering and become eligible to receive the text message alerts on their phones, they agree that the new system is the right move on the university’s part. According to CCSU’s Web site, devices that will be acceptable contacts for ENS are cell phones, home phones, off-campus business phones, and email addresses. This emergency system is designed to specifically notify people who are on the CCSU campus for the majority of their time on a daily basis. During the time of an emergency all emails, voice messages and text

messages will say, “CCSU Emergency Notification System” sent by the number (866) 609-8026. A specific message about an emergency will follow the official title for an individual to know whom the message is from. At times an individual does not need to reply or take action after an emergency message from ENS is received. It is possible that a message will describe a course of action to take. A message describing a specific action to take could be to leave a building or visit the CCSU website for more information on the emergency. Once the emergency situation is over, ENS will then send another message to verify that the emergency is over. For more information on CCSU’s Emergency Notification System please visit the official website, http://www.ccsu.edu/ENS/ FAQ.htm.

Non-Profit Objects to Use of Film Clips in Anti-Obama Ad Amy Brooks The Daily Californian University of California, Berkely U-WIRE—A Berkeley-based non-profit is demanding that footage from a documentary they produced be removed from a controversial TV advertisement attacking Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama. The Free History Project produced “The Weather Underground,” an Academy Award-nominated documentary about a radical group that bombed the U.S. Capitol and other sites in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Footage from the film is being used in an ad created by the American Issues Project. The ad is being shown in Michigan and Ohio. The ad claims Obama has a close relationship with William Ayers, a former member of The Weather Underground who is now a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

The commercial asks, “Why would Barack Obama be friends with someone who bombed the Capitol and is proud of it?” Obama has said that Ayers is no more than an acquaintance and that he was eight years old when the Capitol was bombed. A lawyer for the Free History Project sent a cease-and-desist letter to the American Issues Project demanding that they pull the documentary footage from the ads and return all materials to its owners. The American Issues Project replied that it has done nothing wrong and that the use of the footage is allowed under fair-use guidelines. “Our position is that the core of what counts as fair-use is when you comment on copyrighted material or transform it for some other purpose,” said Brook Dooley, an associate at Keker & Van Nest who is working with the Free History Project. “We don’t think either of those things has happened here, they’re just taking it and using it.”

But Cleta Mitchell, the lawyer representing the American Issues Project, said the ad transforms the documentary footage and is within the guidelines. “It’s a transformational use, it’s not identical to the very brief snippet that was used from the documentary,” he said. “We concluded that this falls well within the provisions of the federal law governing fair use of published work.” Sam Green, the documentary film’s co-director and a member of the Free History Project’s board of directors, said that the Free History Project has been in contact with the Obama campaign about the ad, but that its attempts to stop the ad are not partisan. “This is not about partisanship for me – it’s just about taking somebody’s work and twisting it,” he said. “It’s pretty slimy in my book and I’m upset because it seems like it could be effective too.” Green said he believes the ad is misleading because it exaggerates the relationship between Ayers and Obama.

“If you’re a politician in Chicago, you probably have a relationship with almost everyone who’s a mover and a shaker,” he said. “The fact that they have some relationship doesn’t mean anything. They’re taking two unrelated things and mushing them together and hoping some of the shit fits.” However, Mitchell said there is extensive documentation of all the statements made in the ad. “We have a 160-page research document that documents every assertion and every statement in the ad and it’s posted on American Issues Project Web site for anyone who wants to go and look at all the research that substantiates every single statement in the ad,” she said. “Every word in the ad is documented from more than one source.” Mitchell said the $2.8 million to pay for the ad’s airtime was funded by Texas billionaire Harold Simmons, who also helped fund the “Swift Boat Veterans For Truth” ad campaign that attacked Democratic Presidential Nominee John Kerry in 2004.

Youth Vote Momentum Shows Little Signs of Slowing Emily Schultheis U-WIRE U-WIRE – When University of Pennsylvania sophomore Mike Stratton traveled to New Hampshire last winter to campaign for presumptive Democratic nominee Barack Obama, he met a flood of students excited about their respective candidates. Some students even planned to put their course work on hold for a campaign.    But he isn’t the only one who has had an experience like this. This year, young people are playing an important role in the presidential election as they cast their votes and volunteer for campaigns in record numbers. “A new generation is coming up, and they are more engaged than their predecessors,” said University of Maryland Research Scholar Peter Levine. “They are already voting more and also volunteering at a higher rate.” Youth turnout was up in almost every state this primary season, and the overall youth turnout rate increased from nine percent in the 2000 primaries to 17 percent in 2008, according to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement. While the youth has surged in the past, this is the first time since the voting age was changed to 18 that

youth turnout has increased in three election cycles in a row. The excitement caused by the unique characteristics of this election as well as increased efforts on the part of the candidates to engage young people are largely attributed by analysts to the rise in the youth turnout this election. “The candidates actually have talking points to young people and used those in much bigger ways than they have in the past,” said Sujatha Jahagirdar of Student Public Interest Research Groups. With the advent of new forms of communication like Facebook, YouTube and the blogosphere, young people have much more access to information about the candidates, and more opportunities to get involved. While student campaign groups are active on campuses across the country, some students went beyond their own communities to support a candidate by traveling to other cities and states, even those across the country. In an election that has garnered so much attention both in the United States and across the world, the support of young people is more important than ever. According to CIRCLE, a total of 6.5 million people younger than 30 cast their votes in this year’s primaries - a group that could help make or break a candidate’s chance at the presidency

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / NEWS

Students Re-think Gas Use, Consider Web Courses Continued from page 1

testing out alternatives and getting college credit online is a real answer because this alternative is cheap, convenient and flexible. Numerous colleges and universities in the U.S. offer classes and degrees online in any major a student is studying. Now that high gas prices have triggered colleges and universities to make a change, schools are finally making that change to accommodate the majority of college students who rely on transportation to get to school with the struggle of balancing work and school, rather than paying to live on campus for four years. In only a few miles radius, gas prices can vary by a 20 cent difference. Web sites such as GasBuddy.com act as a guide to the lowest price in a given area by finding the lowest priced gas in a town or city to help college students save money.

Residence Halls Receive Two New Fitness Centers Continued from page 1

was able to allocate funding for both new fitness centers for students and faculty to use. The fitness centers in Beecher and in Sam May each have brand new state-of-the-art cardio and weight machines and a “cardio theatre” with four 32-inch televisions. This technology enables an individual to plug in their headphones and listen to any television channel they please. Rows of freestanding elliptical machines, stationary bikes and weight-lifting machines prominently line the two residence hall basements. President Miller also has enough funding for DeStefanis and the ReCentral staff to hire personal trainers available at these facilities. “It will be run professionally because it was funded the right way,” DeStefanis said.

DeStefanis said that having new fitness centers on campus for the convenience of students and faculty is a positive addition to CCSU. He believes that students’ overall health and well being will benefit from this change. The fitness centers are not only convenient, but are free of charge to the entire CCSU community due to funding by Miller. Promotions for the grand opening of the fitness centers will be 300 t-shirts designed by ReCentral. The first 100 students to visit each of the three fitness centers will receive a promotional T-shirt with a grand total of 300 T-shirts to be given out for the first to use the gyms. These shirts will have “Top 100” written on the front and “Get Fit at ReCentral” written on the back. The hours for the two new facilities in Beecher and Sam May will be Monday through

Thursday 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to11 p.m.; Friday 11a.m. to 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. DeStefanis stressed that these are the facilities’ starting hours but ReCentral plans to expand the hours to mornings eventually. Beecher Hall fitness center will be completed just in time for classes on Tuesday, Sept. 2, while Sam May will follow a few weeks later, DeStefanis said. According to Wayne Crossway of Facilities Management, most of the work at the Beecher Hall center hastened for a nearing completion date of the last four days. Along with the brand new fitness centers established in Beecher and Sam May, Kaiser’s gym has been improved by adding televisions and more cardio equipment including treadmills that were left over from the days of the former Clarence Carroll Hall gym.

Editorial/Opinion

THE RECORDER Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Editorial

Over the summer, when Sen. Barack Obama gave a speech at Wesleyan to over 20,000 Connecticut residents, CNN Money was there to cover the event. The news organization, however, looked less at what the Democratic presidential nominee said than where he said it – on a multi-million dollar campus where the average 4-year degree will cost students $200,000. Although that might seem a bit much to Central students, where our semester tuition pales in comparison, CNN made this point: since 1982 (the dawn of Reganomics), college costs have skyrocketed to 439 percent – much higher than inflation. Suddenly, that number seems even higher. In addition, enrollment rate has jumped up by 20 percent the past decade, which, CNN claims, is less of a correlation than causation. Not only does this mean that college students are paying more for their education because of supply and demand, but the odds of them getting a job that made the investment worth it is dwindling. To some, the extra expense is a sure-sign of educational value. An extra $5,000 a semester may be necessary to keep up with inflation, higher more experienced professors, or to renovate de-

Letters to the Editor I am writing concerning the historical funding inequities as they relate to Central Connecticut State University. The Connecticut Legislature has, for some unknown reason, treated CCSU as the “ugly step child” when it comes time for funding. On the other hand, UConn receives funds that are mismanaged and ill spent. CCSU athletic facilities are second rate compared to not only UConn but other like institutions. What little funding that does come CCSU’s way, seems to dry up leaving athletic facilities in even worse condition. The failure of the Connecticut Legislature to properly fund CCSU is disgraceful and embarrassing While the legislature is unable to see the value of CCSU, others have, for example: The Association of American Colleges & Universities selected CCSU as one of only 16 “Leadership Institutions” in the nation— and the only one in Connecticut; Princeton Review selected CCSU as one of “The Best Northeastern Colleges”; Honors Program called “Absolutely Outstanding” in the Princeton Review’s “The Best Northeastern Colleges”, 2006 edition; The college guide book, Great Colleges for the Real World: Get in, Get out, Get a Job, selected CCSU as one of the “best 201 colleges” in the nation; The Connecticut Board of Governors for Higher Education has designated CCSU’s centers of International Studies and of Public Policy and Practical Politics, and the School of Technology as “Centers of Excellence”. In addition, the economic and political inf luence of CCSU, its students and alumni should not be underestimated. CCSU commissioned and prepared an economic impact study which found, among other findings; CCSU’s annual operating budget exceeds $244.67 million; The university also spent $60 million on construction projects and over the next 10 years plans to spend about $200 million in capital expenditures. That money spent locally; The vast majority (92%) of CCSU students come from the region and state of Connecticut; Most of CCSU graduates and Alumni remain residents (and VOTERS) in Connecticut; CCSU’s annual economic impact from expenditures and student labor during the past year totaled $554.8 million; The estimated annual spending per student is $30,776.00 (not including tuition, fees and room/board) which generates an estimated economic impact of $65,554,324.00 for the region; Connecticut businesses rely on a wide range of internship programs. Interns provide nearly 300,000 hours of both paid and unpaid labor to area businesses, schools and industries. This translates to roughly $4,000,000.00 in “free labor”. The point is that we, the CCSU Alumni and Students are tired of these inequities. Further, Central Connecticut State University is a mirror of the State of Connecticut. It is amazing the jobs that CCSU does with inadequate finding. Imagine what it would do with adequate funds. Central Connecticut State University is a first rate university and should be treated as such. The athletic facilities are comparable to most high school programs rather than Division I programs. Each time visiting schools compete on the CCSU campus, they are receiving a visual message of the importance that our State places on CCSU. Let UConn play in Central’s facilities for one season and we would see funding! Sincerely, Thomas Dougherty CCSU

caying buildings. But funding for plasma screen TVs or two stateof-the-art fitness centers? Probably not. Most of these facts, one would assume, come to no surprise to most CCSU students. As a working class college, many of the students here probably came to the school because of its price tag, which looks like pennies next to our neighbors at Wesleyan or Yale – even if our degree has a lesser de facto value. Still, with most students working full- or part-time to cover their cost of living, the aid our university receives from the state is hardly enough to continue encouraging students to continue their education beyond high school. Our options, as a student body, look bleak. Drop out and try to find work in a post-industrial, un-unionized economy; stay in and hope to find a job that will pay off the 4-year investment (or most CCSU cases, 6-year). Of course, there is always graduate school, but in the current economic downturn, and after the initial loan most students had to take out for the bachelor’s, chances look slim.

Now, back to Barak Obama (and, for what it’s worth, Sen. John McCain). Although both candidates talk about the importance of our Millenia generation, are either willing to increase state funding to working class schools? What about universal healthcare, so that we don’t have to scramble before getting the job we really went to school for? Can we expect to get more energy help than a liberal’s public service announcement on keeping tires properly inflated? Something is not right with the educational system in this country, and the roots of the problem go deeper than No Child Left Behind. And, it would seem, that neither politician has the desire to help students. The options are this: vote McCain and get no help; vote Obama and get little help before being taxed to death; or vote third party and be told your candidate was a “spoiler.” It is unlikely, however, that many students will lose sleep over the problem, because in reality, we’re much too worried about how we’re going to pay next semester’s tuition to pay attention to petty things like politics.

100 Million Eyes Can See What You’re Doing The Daily Athenaeum West Virginia University UWIRE – Facebook is out of control. This isn’t a piece to ramble on and on about how it’s taking over people’s lives; it’s to identify the dangers of the social networking site. Facebook recently announced a record membership of 100 million members. That’s 99,999,999 other people who can find you on the Internet. That’s almost 100 million people who can know your business: who you’re dating, who your friends are and what you’re interested in. Facebook and MySpace would be better off being called “StalkerBook” or “StalkerSpace.” At least people will know what they are getting into. Day after day you hear horror stories about cyber bullying and online predators. These social networking sites are no different than finding a naive somebody in a chat room. According to ABC News, 42 percent of children have experienced online bullying. The site has

“100 Things” Author Remembered as Anti- TimeWaster Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor

Dave Freeman, co-author of “100 Things to Do Before You Die,” died Aug. 17 from a hard hit to the head after falling in his Los Angeles home. Freeman was 47 and, as many speculate, had done about half of the things in his noted book. The slim paperback, which has spawned a countless number of spin-offs (from 101 Places to Go to 100 Things To Buy), has made—one would hope—an equal impact on its readership. Although it’s hard to say exactly how many people actually went to the World Cow Chip Throwing Championship, or if anyone ever made the trip to the Running of the Bulls, the book is no less inspirational. Written as a travel guide, “100 Things” lists some of the most spectacular events in human history, from the ancient Hindu pilgrimage of Maha Kumbh Mela to New Year’s Eve in Times Square.

also decreased and nearly eliminated personal interaction among peers and generations. Instead of calling someone over the phone or visiting them in person, Facebook has become the quick-and-easy way to find out what’s going on in friends’ lives and what’s going on over the weekend. Facebook allows its users to post pictures and their interests. It has been reported that some individuals looking for a job don’t get hired because of incriminating details on their Facebook or MySpace accounts. According to an MSNBC article, Van Allen runs a company that recruits candidates to fill positions in health clinics and hospitals all over the country. He was happy to find a qualified candidate, but the woman didn’t receive the job when he found pictures of her taking her shirt off at parties on Facebook. While this is a smart move by employers to make sure they hire quality individuals, it’s not a smart move by Facebook users to exploit themselves – and sometimes others – on these sites.

With society becoming more and more technology-dependent and savvy, it’s important for users of all ages to be cognizant of the repercussions of joining such a site. If joining the Facebook and/or MySpace community is a must, it’s important to remember to responsibly use the accounts. Many are using the site today merely for networking. Others just want to keep in touch with old friends. It isn’t a forum to see John Doe’s crazy weekend, nor is it the place for account users to make their personal vendettas known by “venting” it on their statuses. It is a site that shouldn’t be abused and overused. It is important for individuals to know to be safe and only “friend” people they know. People need to remember the best type of communication is face to face - not Facebook. They need to know not to embarrass themselves. Sometimes there can be consequences to posting that picture from that crazy, drunken weekend two years ago.

Freeman seemed to know one thing, even if he never had to spell it out for his readers: the human spirit is spectacular. Even sitting down with the book, never mind visiting any of the hundred events mentioned in it, is an interesting experience. Although classics like Oktoberfest and the Burning Man Project have made their way into Freeman’s pages, so have lesser-known events like the Cannabis Cup. 100 Things calls to mind one of the catchphrases of the 1968 French student uprising which, after 40 years, may be as relevant as ever: vivez sans temps mort. “Live without dead time.” The uprising, which originated in Paris before spreading through the rest of the country, involved a series of student and worker strikes inspired by a group called the Situationalists—a small group of anarchic artistic and political agitators. Largely ignored by historians, the uprising went as such: after months of conflict between Parisian students and school administrators, the state closed down the University of Paris at Nanterre—an act that, within several days, snowballed into the largest national workers’ strike in history. The scene in Paris for those few weeks was one of near anarchy. After leaving the government almost completely powerless, students inspired workers to overthrow bosses and run their own factories. Once-corporate news broadcasters occupied their own sets, refusing to be a mouthpiece of the ruling class. For a brief moment, the entire city was run as a commune. And for once, workers had control of what they did in this life—something that, if we live in a world which needs a book entitled “100

Things To Do Before You Die,” we could all benefit from. The students and workers stood up not only to a government, but also to entire social structures, from the capitalist government to the Stalinist Communist Party. The strikers, like the Situationalists, fought against boredom with tools and spirit; they fought for de facto freedom of expression, both academic and artistic. For their efforts, workers were rewarded with higher wages, shorter workweeks, healthcare, and dozens more benefits than their American counterparts. Although Freeman would have been too young to remember the sprit that captivated France in 1968, his story and theirs share a similar theme. As Freedman’s death shows, life is short—and certainly much too short to spend forty years sleeping in a cubicle without seeing the World Championship of Cockroach Racing. The French students told workers to free themselves of their chains through revolution; Freeman urged people to break out of their everyday routine through cultural diversity and constant new experience. Unfortunately Freeman, like many of the original Situationalists, has passed. Raoul Vaneigem, one of the philosophers of the first Situationalist International, may have summed up the collective thoughts of all the above parties with a single line from “The Revolution of Everyday Life”: “Nous ne voulons pas d’un monde où la certitude de ne pas mourir de faim s’échange contre le risque de mourir d’ennui.” “We want nothing of a world in which the certainty of not dying from hunger comes in exchange for the risk of dying from boredom.”

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / OPINION

Noted Tennis Player Gives Up Golf Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor With the Bush administration threatening to veto any legislation that could actually help homeowners, and a McCain advisor calling the United States “a nation of whiners,” one might wonder just how in touch our elected officials are with the working class. As it turns out, however, we might not be the only country wondering just what, exactly, our leaders are thinking. Earlier this month, the British-based news service Reuters reported that South Korea’s president Lee Myung-bak has told his officials to give up golf—at least, until mid-September—to combat the administration’s falling popularity ratings since it took office last February. President Lee feels, apparently, that in the midst of the current global economic downturn, something that has clearly affected his country, politicians and political appointees would be sending the wrong signal to people by continuing to play the sport. On average, the resort-esque clubs surrounding the capital charge from $250,000 USD to $500,000 to join—never mind the $250 officials would be expected to pay per weekend to allow in a guest. With those rates, it might be cheaper to take off to, say, Cambodia for a few rounds. Unfortunately for the South Korean people, the only solidarity President Lee (a noted tennis player) is showing may be with our own Commander in Chief. Last June, the American President sat down with The Politico to explain how he pays personal tribute to the men and women over in Iraq. “I don’t want some mom whose son may have recently died to see the commander in chief playing golf,” he told the news source. “I feel I owe it to the families to be in solidarity as

Illustration by Stefano Delli Carpini

best as I can with them. And I think playing golf during a war just sends the wrong signal.” It is, apparently, “just not worth it.” This faux-unity proves one thing: if elected officials—in any country are either being told to or voluntarily giving up such an expensive activity, they clearly aren’t feeling the same pinch as the working class. While suburban parents find it a necessity to pick between work and family; while college students are eating buttered pasta for two meals a day; while thousands of young adults are being killed in an

Act Will Increase Accountability The Daily Nebraskan Editorial staff University of Nebraska-Lincoln UWIRE – Congress reauthorized the Higher Education Act this month, and the changes will clear up many issues bugging university officials and students across the United States. The revised act, which was ushered into law Aug. 14, marks the first time in more than a decade Congress reauthorized it. It’s about darn time. Better late than never, eh? Nebraska University System officials, including NU President J.B. Milliken, supported the final version of the bill to revamp the act because it requires greater accountability and transparency from colleges. We like that, too. While the 1,158-page act will do little to lower the cost for students to attend college, some major points of contention Congress is trying to fix with its changes include: questionable tuition and fee increases. The act now requires all schools, including the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, to be more accountable for these increases. U.S. colleges with the highest and lowest tuition costs will now be ranked. And the top 5 percent of colleges with the greatest tuition increases also will have to submit detailed reports to justify their hikes. Those same schools will have to explain how to control future surges, too. They will also work to eliminate a timeconsuming FAFSA process. Soon, the sevenpage application will shrink to two pages and fittingly be renamed the FAFSA-EZ. Students will have to only update the new FAFSA when needed now instead of every year. No longer will students be required to buy CDs, textbooks and online codes in packages. The act forces publishers and universities to sell all of those items separately now. Schools that encourage students to use certain loan providers now will have to suggest at least three lenders and explain why they are reliable. With the revised act, military veterans and students with disabilities will get extended benefits. Congress also will offer loan forgiveness programs for people in social service careers such as nurses, prosecutors, public

defenders and teachers. Low-income students now can snag Pell Grants year-round. All educational institutions that receive federal funding or aid - community colleges, private and public colleges and universities will have to apply the rules the Higher Education Act sets. We’re confident UNL and the three other NU System colleges will be hard at work to ensure the changes are implemented to alleviate unnecessary stress on students, parents, administrators and faculty members.

Sean Kinne

University of Nebraska

Army because of promises like free education and benefits, the elite class can still afford to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to play golf for a year. There is clearly a divide between the haves and have-nots that has been growing since the 1950s. If the ruling class seems grossly unconnected with the working class, that’s because it is. Just as there are clearly dominant cultures that exist solely on college campuses, ghettos, or the rural south, there is an equally strong sub-culture among the super-rich.

Because of socioeconomic differences, the different classes in any society simply cannot every fully sympathize with one another. But, if for some reason either President decided that they wanted to try, we the people might suggest to them that instead of giving up golf, they voluntarily lose their healthcare, education, or home instead. How else would someone show support for the victims of problems that they, themselves, have created?

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Sports

Former Blue Devil Scribner Making Major Splash in Minor Leagues Kyle Dorau Sports Editor Thankfully, there are no trades in college sports. A CCSU coach can’t call a student-athlete into their office and say, “we’re heading in a different direction. Pack your things, we’ve dealt you to Quinnipiac.” Very few former CCSU athletes can say that they‘ve been traded, but you can now add Evan Scribner to that list. Scribner, former ace of the CCSU baseball pitching staff, currently holds school records in career wins and saves for the Blue Devils. He is in the top three all-time at CCSU in complete games, shutouts, strikeouts and innings pitched. In June of 2007, he was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks in round 28 of the Major League Baseball Draft. That summer, he went 1-1 with a pair of saves and an ERA of 2.85 for the D-Backs’ Rookie League and Class A teams. This season he picked up right where he left off, getting promoted just 23 games into the season to the Class A Advanced Visalia Oaks of the California League. Just five games into his tenure there, he received a phone call. Scribner learned he had been traded from the Arizona Diamondbacks organization to the San Diego Padres. Not only had he been traded, but he’d been traded for Tony Clark. One-on-one: straight up—Clark, a man with 247 career major league home runs and a man who hit .304 with 30 home runs in 2005 while Scribner was pitching here for the Blue Devils. The trade filled a need

for both teams. Arizona, contending for the NL West this season, wanted a bat with pop for pinch-hitting duty off the bench. San Diego, dead last in the same division, was looking toward the future and opted to pick up a prospect in return. “I had no idea, but then they called me one morning and said ‘we’re trading you for Tony Clark,’” said Scribner. “I didn’t know what to think, really. I guess the Padres saw me and liked me.” Scribner has been putting up numbers that would merit attention from teams looking to acquire young talent. While sporting a deceiving record of 3-4, he has an earned run average of 1.79. In 65 and a third innings, he has struck out 91 batters while walking just 12. Since joining the Lake Elsinore Storm, the Class A Advanced affiliate of the Padres, he’s allowed just one hit in eight innings of relief work at home games, as well as limiting right-handers to a batting average of .119. As of press time, he had not allowed a walk since August 16. The talent level is not the only difference between amateur baseball and the professional ranks. “In college the coaches call the pitches from the dugout. In pro ball, you call your own pitches. The catcher calls it and you can shake him off,” said Scribner, who explained that his pitch selection really hasn’t changed much. “The pitching coach at Central [Jim Ziogas] knew me pretty well and knew what I liked to throw.” Scribner has made himself a contributor to winning teams throughout the years, and this season

Blue Devil Football Prevails out and we’re going to win this ballOver Bulldogs game.’” The 94-yard run was two shy Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

Central Connecticut State University Football prevailed 42-35 over the Bryant University Bulldogs in a wild home opener on Saturday at Arute Field. The game featured a fake punt, a fake field goal, a touchdown via a blocked punt, plus an onside kick. And that was just the first quarter. The rest of the game was the James Mallory show, as he nearly doubled his career rushing statistics in just one game. CCSU rushed for 270 yards, with 256 of those belonging to the junior Mallory, who had two touchdowns in a memorable home opener. The Blue Devils blew a pair of leads, including a 21-3 cushion in the second quarter, and were forced to fight tooth and nail the rest of the game. Junior receiver Nick Colagiovanni’s 70-yard touchdown catch from junior quarterback Aubrey Norris with 3:25 remaining proved to be the game-winner. “I saw Aubrey was running it and I stepped towards the middle of the field,” said Colagiovanni. “He got me the ball, then I turned around and took off. I had no idea nobody was around me,” he said about the winning touchdown. With CCSU trailing 28-21 in the fourth quarter, it was no surprise that Mallory was the one to step up and allow CCSU an opportunity to come back and win the game. The Blue Devils, battling special teams miscues most of the evening, were backed in at their seven yard line after a botched kickoff return. Mallory was stopped for a loss of a yard, then followed up with an electrifying 94-yard touchdown run to tie the game. With one Bulldog standing between CCSU’s running back and pay dirt, he ran over the defender en route to the tying score. “When I bounced it outside,” said Mallory, “I knew it was one guy looking me in the eyes. I said, ‘If I can beat him, I’m going to help this team

of the longest rushing attempt in CCSU history, a record set back in 1954 by Don Luke against Trenton St. Central was able to jump out to a 21-3 lead, but just couldn’t deliver the knockout blow quick enough to a gritty Bryant team. “We’re very fortunate to win the game. A win is a win,” said CCSU head coach Jeff McInerney. “Gotta give Bryant all the credit in the world.” The Bulldogs cut the lead to 11 via a 24-yard touchdown catch late in the second half by Vinton South from quarterback Jay Graber. CCSU made a number of mistakes over the course of the night, and each one proved costly. A 15-yard facemask penalty as the time expired allowed Bryant kicker Chris Bird to boot a school-record 46-yard field goal to close the first half and bring the Bulldogs a touchdown away from tying the game. The biggest gaffe came in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 21, CCSU set up in a punt formation, but forgot the most important part of the play, the punter. The Blue Devils had just ten men on the field, and the snap was fumbled for a loss of eight yards to the CCSU 16 yard line. Bryant cashed in with a Lindsey Gamble rushing touchdown to take their first and only lead of the game at 28-21. CCSU responded quickly and emphatically, putting up 14 points in the next 2:20. The Mallory 94-yard touchdown run was quickly followed up with Central blocking a punt for a score, their second special teams touchdown of the game. The two teams combined for 43 points in the fourth quarter. CCSU quarterback Aubrey Norris was 6-13 in passing for 113 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Mallory averaged 8.8 yards per rushing attempt for the game. Bryant, making their Football Championship Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-AA) debut, gave the Blue Devils all they could handle, but ultimately fell at the hands of CCSU’s potent offense.

Lake Elsinore’s Evan Scribner is in the top three all-time CCSU leaders in shutouts. is no different. He helped Lake Elsinore clinch a playoff berth in the California League this season, much like when he was one of the main reasons CCSU consistently made the NEC Tournament during his time in New Britain. “We were up towards the top of the conference every year,” he said. “We got to play in the conference tournament. That was a lot of fun.”

Photo: Dirk Hansen

For the vast majority of us, playing professional sports is nothing but a pipe dream. For Scribner, it’s a reality, even if he still has yet to grasp the concept. “I don’t even know if it’s set in yet,” he said. That reality came a little bit closer on August 27, when Lake Elsinore traveled to Petco Park in San Diego to play a home game. Scribner pitched a scoreless inning of relief at the home of the Padres, striking out two.

With a lot of uncertainty in the CCSU pitching staff next season, hardcore Blue Devil fans may find themselves longing for the durable arm and natural talent of an Evan Scribner. Only one CCSU player has ever had their number retired, former major leaguer Ricky Bottalico’s number 27. Evan Scribner is blazing a trail towards being the second, the way his pro career is starting.

25-16 in the set. Junior Sarah Wiener recorded seven kills for the Gaels in the set. Snyder led CCSU with five kills. In the final set, Central Connecticut broke a 2-2 tie and led from there until Iona tied it up at 12-12 on a kill by Wiener. The Blue Devils finished the match with a 15-13 win on a kill by Snyder. Senior Amanda Olmstead recorded 10 kills and 13 digs, while Mendizabal finished with 14 kills and seven digs. Bayer led the Blue Devils with 30 assists and Gasser chipped in with 20 to go with her eight digs. Petrella ended the match with a team high 16 digs. Wiener led Iona with 26 kills while sophomore setter Alyssa Erickson recorded 52 assists and 11 digs. Sophomore libero Allison Nieters tallied a game high 37 digs in the loss. CCSU started its contest with Stony Brook in back and forth action until the Sea Wolves had match point, leading 24-17. The Blue Devils then tallied eight straight points to take the lead 25-24 and send it into extra points. The squads traded points all the way until senior Jessica Graham recorded a service ace for the Sea Wolves to edge out Central 39-37 in the first set. Snyder and junior Jamie Baumert each had five kills in the set, while Bayer recorded 12 assists. The Blue Devils fell to Stony Brook again in the second set, this time it was 25-19 Sea Wolves. Olmstead and Petrella each had four digs in the set. CCSU rallied back to

win the third set 25-23 on five kills from Snyder and four from Olmstead. Stony Brook took the lead in the fourth set at 6-5 and never lost it as they defeated the Blue Devils 25-22. Bayer had eight assists and Baumert notched seven digs in the final set. Snyder finished the match with 18 kills to lead Central Connecticut. Petrella finished with 14 digs, while Olmstead and Baumert chipped in with 11 and 10 respectively. Senior Gulce Dikecligil led the way for the Sea Wolves with 23 kills. Freshman Kelsey Sullivan recorded an astounding 65 assists while junior libero Michelle Burrola led Stony Brook with 21 digs. In other action on Saturday Iona defeated Bucknell 3-0 (25-16, 25-21, 25-14) and Stony Brook won over Bucknell 3-0 (25-18, 25-19, 25-22). The All-Tournament Team for the CCSU Blue Devil Invitational was comprised of two players from CCSU, Iona and Stony Brook. Honorees included: From Stony Brook, Jessica Graham and Gulce Dikecligil. From CCSU, Amanda Olmstead and Lauren Snyder. And from Iona, Sarah Wiener and Alyssa Erickson. Dikecligil of Stony Brook received MVP honors. Central Connecticut returns to the court on Sept. 3 as the host St. John’s at 7:00 p.m.

CCSU Defeats Iona and Falls to Stony Brook To Finish 2-1 in Blue Devil Invitational CCSUBlueDevils.com Sophomore Lauren Snyder led the CCSU Volleyball team with 20 kills and 13 digs to get past Iona in the Blue Devils first game on the second day of action in the CCSU Blue Devil Invitational. Sophomore Amanda Bayer tallied 32 assists and eight digs in a losing effort against Stony Brook. CCSU finished the weekend tied with Iona and Stony Brook, each with records of 2-1. The Blue Devils got off to a slow start against Iona, with the Gaels breaking out to an early 4-1 lead in the first set. Central could never gain the lead and fell to Iona 25-14. Bayer recorded five assists while sophomore Kaitlin Petrella had seven digs in the set to lead CCSU. In set two CCSU got off to a quick start, beginning with a 6-1 run on three kills from Snyder. Iona fought back with a 9-1 run of their own to take the lead 10-7. Back and forth action continued until the Blue Devils finished the set with a service ace by sophomore Maite Mendizabal, making it 29-27. The outside hitter from Stratford, CT finished the set with five kills. The third set went into extra points again as the Blue Devils edged the Gaels 27-25. Bayer and freshman Danielle Gasser each record six assists in the set to lead CCSU to a 2-1 advantage in sets. The Gaels came out strong in the fourth set, starting with six straight points. Iona’s lead was never relinquished as they defeated CCSU

Game 1 Blue Devils Iona Blue Devils Stonybrook

14 25

29 27

27 25

16 25

37 39

Game 2 19 25

25 23

22 25

15 13

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3 2008 / SPORTS

Pick Your Poison

NFL Predictions for Week 1 Each week the following four editors will put their pick prowess on display against fellow CCSU students. Think you can do better? Send us YOUR picks before the start of the games each week and we’ll print the results. A top-10 leader board will be published and the leader at the end of the semester goes off to Christmas break with all the bragging rights and a prize to be announced. Send comments or questions regarding this weekly feature to ccsurecorder@gmail.com

Washington at N.Y. Giants Detroit at Atlanta Cincinati at Baltimore Seattle at Buffalo N.Y. Jets at Miami

Melissa Traynor Editor-in-Chief

Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

Edward Gaug Assoicate Layout Editor

Nick Viccione Entertainment Editor

New York Giants

Washington

Atlanta

Detroit

Cincinnati

Buffalo

Seattle

N.Y. Jets

Miami

N.Y. Jets

Kansas City at New England

New England

Tampa Bay at New Orleans

Tampa Bay

New Orleans

St. Louis

Philadelphia

Philadephia

Philadelphia

St. Louis at Philadelphia Houston at Pittsburgh Jacksonville at Tennessee Dallas at Cleveland

Pittsburgh

Jacksonville

Dallas

San Diego

Arizona at San Francisco

San Francisco

Chicago at Indianapolis

Indianapolis

Minnesota at Green Bay

Green Bay

Minnesota

Denver

None

Colts over Bears

Carolina at San Deigo

Denver at Oakland Pick of the Week Why

I just feel bad that Pete Collin is going to have to pick up this mess of a sub-week.

My pick of the week is the Colts over the Bears. Chicago is starting Kyle Orton at quarterback. Let me repeat that. Chicago is starting Kyle Orton. This is what’s called a no-brainer.

Patriots over Chiefs Patriots over Chiefs

After losing the Super Bowl in dramatic fashion, Belichick and his cut-off hoodie will lead the Patriots to another AFC championship. First stop: attacking LJ and the Chiefs’ ground game.

Jets over Dolphins

Favre will impress the NY media and give them even more things to praise him for with a convincing win in Miami against the Dolphins.

NFL PREVIEW

NFC

The 2007-2008 National Football League season was one no one will forget. The New England Patriots came charging into the Super Bowl with a perfect season on the line and the heavily doubted New York Giants pulled off an upset of epic proportions. I hope the 2008-2009 NFL season maintains the same amount of thrill. Unfortunately, I am a Kansas City Chiefs fan and personally will not have much to be excited about. There are already teams that seem to be emerging as consensus favorites in each conference. Here is a season preview with a rundown of all 32 teams and my candid predictions leading up to the big game. Nick Viccione Entertainment Editor

NFC NFCEast East

Dallas Cowboys (14-2) All Tony Romo jokes aside, he really is a decent quarterback and has a great supporting cast around him. The Cowboys, in my opinion, look to be the most balanced team in the NFL. Now all they have to do is be balanced, not make silly mistakes and fall flat in the playoffs. Even if they are in the hardest division in football, barring a catastrophe, the Cowboys should be still standing come winter.

Philadelphia Eagles (10-6) The Eagles are a hard team to gauge. I feel like they may either be very impressive, or very disappointing. I am going to take the high road on this one and judging by Donovan McNabb’s preseason performances, and say that the Eagles have their act together and will out perform the defending Super Bowl Champions. This pick may come back to haunt me.

New York Giants (10-6)

Detroit Lions (8-8) Will the Lions be good this year? Yes. Will they win as many games as they can? No. Go figure. Calvin Johnson is going to be disgusting as long as Jon Kitna can consistently get the ball to him. Their defense is still suspect and will probably lose them the majority of their games. Kevin Smith has rookie of the year potential if that shoddy offensive line can open up some holes for him. No playoffs for the Lions, but they will be fun to watch.

Chicago Bears (6-10) The Bears still have a nasty defense and Devin Hester, which should single-handedly put a few wins on the board this season. But their quarterback situation is pure garbage. Matt Forte will be the featured running back and he should do just fine. I just cannot see Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman leading this team to more than six or seven wins, especially with even less of a wide receiving crew than last year.

NFC NFCSouth South

The G-Men lost a handful of guys defensively and though Eli Manning stuck his foot up all of his collective critics’ asses when he got a ring, I do not envision a repeat performance. They will still be a force to be reckoned with. Justin Tuck should make the Pro bowl this year if he can carry over his performance from last season. The NFC East is rough, and the Giants have to be better than last year to make a dent.

The Saints will be much better than last year and will win the NFC South. They have way too many weapons on offense to stink it up like they did previously. As long as Shockey, Colston, and Bush stay healthy, Brees could end up putting up career numbers. I like the Saints this year. Let’s hope the defense can pull its own weight.

Washington Redskins (9-7)

Carolina Panthers (9-7)

The Redskins have the rough end of the stick by being in the NFC East. They are a good team and will win some tough games this year. However, the Cowboys, Eagles and Giants are just better teams. Jason Taylor will make their defense better. Jason Campbell, even though he seems to be getting the hang of it, is just not as good as Romo, McNabb, or Eli Manning.

Jake Delhomme needs to stay healthy in order for the Panthers to have any shot in the South. Steve Smith is getting old, but still has what it takes, and Jonathan Stewart should wreak havoc on opposing defenses as long as his toe stays in shape. I don’t think they will make the playoffs this year, but I can see them pulling off an upset or two if the offense has a great game.

NFC NFC North

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8)

Minnesota Vikings (11-5) If the Vikings had been able to get Brett Favre into a purple uniform, they would have been my Super Bowl pick. Their defense looks prime to do some special things with the addition of my homeboy Jared Allen and their secondary, which was great last year. Adrian Peterson will continue to make grown men look like babies when he touches the football. Here is the ugly wrench in the works: Tavaris Jackson is just bad. The Vikings have enough talent to win the North, but Jackson is not a Super Bowl ready quarterback.

Green Bay Packers (10-6) Packers fans can breathe easy, I promise. Aaron Rodgers will be fine and will win this ball club some games. They will not win as many as the Vikings, but they will beat the Vikings once this season. He is an NFL ready quarterback, and frankly, I would rather have him on my team than Tavaris Jackson. Their defense is one of the best units in the NFC as well.

New Orleans Saints (11-5)

Somehow, the Bucs made the playoffs last year, and then promptly shot themselves in the foot by losing at home to the eventual Super Bowl champions. This year they will not have to worry about that, because they will not be making the playoffs to begin with. Jeff Garcia and Joey Galloway are like 80 years old and have to start slowing down sometime. Their defense will be good, but not good enough to get above .500.

Atlanta Falcons (3-13) I honestly do not have much to say about the Falcons this season. They plan on starting Matt Ryan right from the get go, which I think is a good idea considering they are in a rebuilding mode anyway. I like the potential that Michael Turner has and he should be all right as a featured back. Roddy White is wasted talent on that team though, and soon he will realize that. It’s another dismal year for the Falcons.

NFC NFCWest West

Seattle Seahawks (11-5)

2008 2009 What a surprise, Seattle should win the NFC West again this year. Their running game may be a little shaky and their wide receiving corps is a little thin but Hasslebeck finds a way to get it done year after year. As long as his back stays healthy and their defense performs like the past three or four seasons, you can pencil in the Seahawks for the postseason.

St. Louis Rams (8-8) The Rams were embarrassing last season, and honestly I do not know why. Yeah, they had the worst pass rush in the league, but they still had Jackson and Bulger and some decent wide receivers. With the addition of Chris Long, and a healthy offensive line, the Rams should be poised to make the best turn around from last season.

Arizona Cardinals (7-9) The Cardinals have been everyone’s trendy wild card pick for the past three years and they have constantly let everyone down. In anticipation that they will crush everyone’s dreams this year, I will lump them in my ever-steaming pool of mediocrity. They look good on paper, but much like the Detroit Lions, they never seem to be able to get it done when it counts.

San Francisco 49ers (6-10) J.T O’Sullivan does not strike me as the kind of quarterback that can lead his team into big games and win when it counts. For that reason I have the 49ers dwelling at the bottom of the NFC West this season. Patrick Willis will make the Pro Bowl again because he is a beast. But the Niners just do not have enough firepower on either side of the ball to make a difference this year. Keep an eye in the next three or four years though.

NFC NFCPredictions Predictions NFC Playoffs

1.Dallas Cowboys 2. Minnesota Vikings 3. New Orleans Saints 4. Seattle Seahawks 5. Philadephia Eagles 6. Green Bay Packers

Wild Card Round Saints over Packers Eagles over Seahawks

Divisional Round Cowboys over Eagles Vikings over Saints

NFC Championship Dallas Cowboys over Minnesota Vikings

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / SPORTS

On the road to the Superbowl New New England (13-3) New England: The Patriots suffered a morale-crushing blow at the hands of the Giants last February. They are much weaker on the defensive side of the ball with the loss of Asante Samuel. However, I just do not see anyone else in this division being quite good enough yet to give them a run for their money. They will not go undefeated again this season. But they will win the East.

New York Jets (10-6) The Jets spent a boatload of money on a new offensive line and made the right moves to lure NFL legend Brett Favre into another green uniform. The Jets will be good this year and win some tough games. Thomas Jones, who was allergic to the end zone last year should be able to break the pylons much more this season.

Buffalo Bills (8-8) The Buffalo Bills are, once again, mysterious. On one hand, they have playmakers on both sides of the ball with Lynch and Evans anchoring the offense and an impressively stout defensive line holding down the defense. The question mark, much like last season, will be the play of the quarterbacks. Trent Edwards has shown flashes of great things, while J.P. Losman rides the pine. If Edwards can engineer the games effectively and minimize mistakes, I can see the Bills upsetting some decent teams this season.

Miami Dolphins (4-12) What much can you say or do after a 1-15 campaign? Bring in an NFL coaching legend? Sure. Draft a franchise left tackle? Okay. Promote Sticky Ricky Williams to the top of the running back depth chart? Check. Bring in an old division rival as your new starting quarterback? Got it. The Dolphins will win more than one game this season. But I would still take the under.

AFC AFC North

Pittsburgh Steelers (12-4) I like the Steelers this year. Big Ben knows what he is capable of. Willie Parker is healthy and they drafted a bruising back in Mendenhall who can spell him if his knee is acting up. Their defense is still scary and they have found some nice young talent for their wide receivers.They play a pretty brutal schedule but I just do not see anyone else in this division that can challenge the Steelers.

Cleveland Browns (9-7) I do not like the Browns this year. I only have them coming in second in the North because the Ravens and Bengals are going to be god-awful. Regardless of what Derek Anderson showed the league last year, I still just cannot invest too much of my trust in that guy to have a repeat performance again this season. They have weapons and Anderson will be able to find them. Their defense is still a little bit suspect and it could cost them some games.

Baltimore Ravens (5-11) Many have picked the Ravens to be the cellar dwellers of the AFC North this year. I beg to differ. The Ravens really have no offensive firepower whatsoever, and if McGahee re-injures his knee again, it’ll be even worse. But their defense, namely their secondary, is still a force to be reckoned with. They will win more games than the Bengals this year.

Cincinnati Bengals (4-12) Everything seems to be falling apart for the Bengals, at least in my eyes. Chad Johnson, T.J. Whoseyourmomma, and Carson Palmer have enough talent alone to win this ball club some games. Their running back situation is a mess and let us not forget about how atrocious their defense really is. It will still be embarrassing. Marvin Lewis will not be the coach of the Bengals after this season.

AFC AFC South

Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) This is the year where the Jaguars make the leap they have been building for. They have the talent and Jack Del Rio is arguably one of the best coaches in the NFL. His players play smart, tough football. I feel, even with their lack of wide receiver depth, they will still give the Colts a run for their money and take the division.

Indianapolis Colts (11-5) One bad hit to Manning’s knee and their season is lost. With Jeff Saturday out for the first four or six games of the season Manning will not have the protection that he is used to. Reggie Wayne will make the ProBowl because he is nasty and Marvin Harrison should be healthy for the regular season. Their defense is still underrated and full of playmakers. They will be good, like always, but Manning’s knee makes me nervous.

Tennessee Titans (8-8) They will be good, but not as good as the Jaguars or Colts and not as good as their surprising wild card season last year. Vince Young still has no one to throw the ball to. They drafted an impressive running back in Chris Johnson to have a more balanced backfield. It was a great pick and he will be a great player, but Young made it clear he wanted better targets than Roydell Williams and Justin Cage (who?).

Houston Texans (8-8) The Texans are in the same boat as the Titans. They are going to be decent, but not as good as the Jaguars or the Colts. If the Texans were in the NFC, I could easily see them contending for a wild card position. Alas, they are stuck in a tough division. They will make the playoffs in the next three or five years or so. Not this year though.

AFC West AFC West

San Diego Chargers (13-3) I do not think that the Chargers are going to be as good as many think they are going to be, but the West is still theirs to lose. They play some tough games and may lose their focus

in a few of the other ones, but as long as Rivers, Tomlinson, Gates, and Merriman stay healthy, they should win the West by a large margin.

Denver Broncos (9-7) The Broncos should win some games this year. I am pretty high on Jay Cutler and drafted him in my fantasy football league that I paid $100 dollars for to get in. Pretty much what I am trying to say is, if Cutler pulls a “Ryan Leaf ” all over the field this season, you will be able to find me in the stacks sobbing quietly. Let us not forget that Brandon Marshall is a freak and got his suspension cut down to one game. That dude better catch every ball Cutler throws to him.

Kansas City Chiefs (5-11) The Chiefs managed one of the better drafts in recent memory this past April. The only problem is that the young talent that Herm Edwards is making way for will not reach its full potential for another three or four years. And who knows if Brodie Croyle will prove to himself and the organization that he can win games. I love the guy, but probably not. Chiefs fans are in for a long season, even with the promising young talent.

Oakland Raiders (3-13) The Raiders are a team that many are picking to surprise people this season. There really is not anything surprising about them. They have two amazing corners, a solid defense around them, and a potential home run hitting running back in Darren McFadden. Teams will not be taking the Raiders lightly this year, nor should they.

AFC AFC Predictions AFC Playoffs

1. New England Patriots 2. San Diego Chargers 3. Jacksonville Jaguars 4. Pittsburgh Steelers 5. Indianapolis Colts 6. New York Jets

Wild Card Round Jaguars over Jets Steekers over Colts

Divisional Round Steelers over Patriots Jaguars over Chargers

AFC Championship Jaguars over Steelers

Super SuperBowl Bowl XLIII XLIII Dallas Cowboys over Jacksonville Jaguars

AFC

AFC East AFC East

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

THE RECORDER Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Entertainment Woah woah woah woah. What happened to the melodic, radio-friendly Bloc Party that I started listening to a few years ago? After hitting play on Intimacy’s first track “Ares,” I knew that the British four-piece is in the process of reinvention. As the album progresses through tracks like “Mercury” and “Trojan Horse,” Bloc Party sheds most if it’s typical indie-rock skin and embraces a more electronic feel that becomes very similar to fellow British rockers Radiohead. There are numerous points in Intimacy that brings to mind In Rainbows and to a lesser extent Thom Yorke’s solo album The Eraser. There are still songs on the album that are reminiscent of old Bloc Party like “Halo” which is a very straight forward rock song, void of the electronic aspects of the album’s first two tracks. Kele Okereke’s vocals are strong through

Bloc Party Intimacy Witchita Recordings August 21, 2008

Why is Ice Cube so mad? It is probably because of all of the garbage movies he has put out in the past three years since his last full length album. Whatever the reason, Ice Cube is thoroughly pissed off throughout his new album, Raw Footage, and it makes for a great listen. Raw Footage, which was released on Aug. 19, is Ice Cube’s eighth solo studio album and he comes off as if he has not lost a step since his early days collaborating with N.W.A. I am not an expert on gangster rap (surprising right?) but I am sensible enough to know what is a decent album and what is complete trash. Raw Footage is good and the 70,000 copies it sold in the first week on the shelves is a testament to that. People may not have seen Ice Cube’s theater gems like “Are We There Yet” and “Barbershop”—but they are buying his record. The majority of Ice Cube’s lyrics on Raw Footage deal with his distaste for the current state of America, fake gangsters and what he would do to change those situations for the better. “Dream ticket, Ice Cube and Obama. American dream, Ice Cube and your momma”: the line comes pretty close to summing up the entire album. It is rare that a hip-hop album makes it onto my playlist for more than a couple days at a time, but I have been listening to Raw Footage consistently since it came out. This album and the new Young Jeezy album have gotten far more plays than I thought they were going to. Give it a shot; it’s pretty good.

Ice Cube Raw Footage Lench Mob Records August 19, 2008

Nick Viccione / Entertainment Editor

Underoath Lost in the Sound of Seperation Solid State Records September 2, 2008

Underoath have been around for about ten years, been through multiple line-up changes and genre changes. Lost in the Sound of Separation is the band’s sixth full-length studio album and even though they do not sound like Underoath circa 1998, they are still one of the more decent post-hardcore acts going today. Underoath’s previous full length, “Define the Great Line” saw the band take a more experimental approach to song writing, and they continued this trend on Lost in the Sound of Separation—it is the best aspect of the album. I continually found myself interested in the musical style and feel of the songs because none of them sounded the same. Whether it was the guitar and bass tone, to the layered electronics, there is always something appealing to be heard from song to song.

I never considered Underoath to be a heavy band, but Lost in the Sound of Separation is a relatively heavy album for Underoath standards. The Every Time I Die and Botch influence is in full force in many songs on this album. It is laced with powerful vocal work from Spencer Chamberlain and Timothy McTague and fresh drum work and backing vocals from Aaron Gillespie. Christianity-based record label Solid State has released another decent album with Underoath’s Lost in the Sound of Separation as they continue to control that niche of the industry. The album will make old Underoath fans happy and newer Underoath fans happier. It’s nothing to write home about, but it is not a letdown. Nick Viccione / Entertainment Editor There are certain bands that you love to hate. The Acacia Strain on the other hand, is a band that I hate to love. It is as simple as that. Their fourth full-length studio album titled Continent, was released on August 19 via Prosthetic Records. I would not say that I was anticipating this album more than any other given album this year, but I have been listening to The Dead Walk, The Acacia Strain’s previously released full length more than normal prior to the release of Continent. With the release of Continent, The Acacia Strain confirmed my suspicions and did absolutely nothing to reinvent the wheel and I could not be happier. The guitars stayed tuned down while chugging away at will; the song structures stayed standard; he addition of Kevin Boutot sees the drum work more advanced than previous efforts. However, it is hard to explain to someone who has never heard The Acacia Strain how they are unique in their own specific ways. The Acacia Strain is a band that I hate to love because they are not overly technical and I would not really consider them as ones who excel at their instruments or write really interesting and in depth songs. What they do well, however, is write albums that are fun to listen to. Whether is it Vincent Bennett’s lyrical style, the overly abrasive production of his vocals or the thundering guitar tone, The Acacia Strain know what they do well and they stick to it.

The Acacia Strain Continent Prosthetic Records August 19, 2008

Nick Viccione / Entertainment Editor

Slipknot All Hope Is Gone Roadrunner Records August 24, 2008

The demented nine-piece from Iowa is back at it again with their latest studio album entitled All Hope Is Gone. Slipknot has been shattering eardrums and causing seizures with their obscene music

out the track, which has become, at least for me, Bloc Party’s strongest feature. Unfortunately, there still tracks on Intimacy that stray from either path and become a totally new realm and that rarely fares well. The song “Signs” is the album’s lightest track and comes off as being completely out of place. While it would make a great acoustic track on a B-sides album, it doesn’t quite have a home on this record. The gem hiding in Intimacy might have to be the album’s seventh track, “One Month Off.” Kele’s voice is dead on and it has all the ingredients of a great pop single. There is a little bit of glitch running through the center of the track that gives some added substance. “One Month Off ” also has the perfect pop-rock chorus that is both cacthy and chant-able if you are to see them live. All in all, Bloc Party has a solid record that will get lots of attention due to the way it was released (online with two days notice, very In Rainbows-esque) and because it is a good album musically. Is it their best work? I don’t

think it beats out their freshman album Silent Alarm, but it gives their fan base something a little different and mash-up artists some new material. If you want to check out Bloc Party any time soon, you are going to have to grab your passport and catch the next flight to Canada. Edward Gaug / Associate Layout Editor

since their debut self titled album in 1999. Unfortunately, if you’re a fan of early Slipknot, this may not be your favorite album. Don’t get me wrong, it’s certainly a great heavy metal album, but with Corey Taylor’s beautiful singing on most tracks, many would say Slipknot has toned themselves down a notch. A lthough All Hope Is Gone is not Slipknot’s hardest album to date, it may be their most complete. The album contains everything from the brutal assault of drums on “Gematria (The Killing Name)” to the soft, sweet lullaby known as “Snuff.” Taylor, lead vocalist, has once again pushed the boundaries of musical genres by combining insane metal songs with soft rock and maybe even pop vocals. Metal heads are probably angry with Taylor, but I am quite impressed. He has a great voice and his ability to sing in whatever manner he chooses is quite amazing. Perhaps the most impressive track without screaming is “Dead Memories,” which has a very intriguing verse with awesome drums that progresses nicely into an extremely catchy chorus. On the other hand, some of the best heavy songs on the album include “Psychosocial,” “All Hope is Gone,” and “The Cold Black.” “The Cold Black” is a viscous song with a solid, heavy beat. It is one of my favorite tracks because of its relentless drums and the nice metal guitar solo near the end. I will admit that at first listen I didn’t think I was going to like this album, but after a couple of passes through it has significantly grown on me. Anyone who is a fan of loud music with lots of noise will enjoy this album and I would recommend it to fans of hard rock, heavy metal and metal core.

could either be a good or bad thing depending on what type of rap you enjoy. Brad Cooper / Staff Writer

Ryan Yeomans / Staff Writer

Young Jeezy The Recession Def Jam July 29, 2008

Young Jeezy’s The Recession will quickly become one of the most listened to rap albums of the year that is available now. As a fan of East Coast rap and a hater of Young Jeezy, I did not look forward to listening to this album, but in the end I did enjoy the album for the most part. His single “Put On” took over radio stations and the rest of the albums is on pace with the single. If you enjoyed “Put On” then you will enjoy The Recession. For the most part, the album contains catchy hooks and beats that become enjoyable for the casual or mainstream rap listener. Jeezy doesn’t shy away from his past drug dealing endeavors and continues to make it the center of his focus. About 90% of the album is about drug dealing, money and criminal behavior. The album seems to sound the same in terms of beat, flow and lyrics for the most part which

You know that one friend who you hang out with once and have a great time, then they unexpectedly call you the next day wanting to hang out again? You end up hanging out with them again and this time around they get on your nerves a little bit more. This cycle repeats everyday for a couple of weeks until you start ignoring their phone calls and Facebook messages. Dragonforce is the band equivalent of this friend. Ultra Beatdown is Dragonforce’s fourth studio album in five years but frankly, who can tell? If you have heard one Dragonforce album, you have heard them all. Even before listening to Ultra beatdown, I knew exactly what to expect. What a surprise, I was right. Ultra Beatdown is textbook Dragonforce. I guess to most die-hard fans this is a relief. To me, it just gets tiring. Crooning vocals overlapping supercharged metal riffs and flashy solos encompass every minute of Ultra Beatdown, which clocks in at a gratuitous 58 minutes. I can already sense the inner rage of Monster-drinking, Guitar Hero-jocking fan boys building. So please, do not get me wrong; I am not criticizing Dragonforce’s talent. I am criticizing Dragonforce’s gimmick. Lead guitarist, Herman Li and drummer Dave Mackintosh could shred while they were wiping their asses with my face and it would not be a problem to them. They are talented—I understand this. But please understand that not everyone buys into your shtick. My two cents to Dragonforce: stop being such self-absorbed wanksters and write an album that everyone can enjoy, not just World of Warcraft rabble who still wear their backpacks on one shoulder. I wrote this entire review in the span of one of Li’s solos. Dude has to knock it off. Nick Viccione/ Entertainment Editor

Dragonforce Ultra Beatdown Roadrunner Records August 25, 2008

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

Hamlet 2 Tries Way Too Hard Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor Hamlet 2, the latest sociopolitical spoof from the co-writer of Team America and South Park: The Movie, seemed to be this summer’s comedy-of-choice. Full of wit, political satire and an occasional dash of lowbrow humor, the trailers promised non-stop laughs with occasional moments of pathos. The plot is this: Dana Marschz (played by Steve Coogan), a failed actor-gone-high school teacher, has been working at a run-down Tucson, Arizona school only to put on one failing play after another. After budget cuts send a group of under-privileged teenagers into his classroom, he is told by the school’s principal (the movie’s villain) that drama is to be canceled. So, in a radical move, Marschz—as well as his motley crew of young actors—take on the school board to create the musical, Hamlet 2. Their play, which features songs like “Rock Me Sexy Jesus,” becomes a national event once it’s canceled by the school board. Whoever directed the movie trailer clearly had more sense than that film’s actual director and writer, Andy Fleming. The two-minute-long previews promised radical political undertones, plenty of wit, and—of

course—Satan French-kissing the President. Instead, however, viewers were treated to an hour and a half of spliced-together sophomoric comedy that bore striking similarities to The Rocker, Wild Hogs, Knocked-Up, Superbad, or any other mind-numbing “comedy” that has been released since Napoleon Dynamite. Even then, it needed to rely on occasional slapstick humor to get a laugh in. (At one point, for no particular reason, Coogan’s character is punched in the stomach by one of his students. The gag lasts at least ten seconds.) As for the anticipated anti-establishment political humor, it was bigoted, sexist and homophobic at best; most laughs were more awkward and Freudian than anything. Of course, the film also featured gems of dialogue. At one point, a Christian protestor is enlightened to the cause of Marschz and his students: “I get it! Jesus kicks Satan’s ass!” The actors are also expected to explain large plotgaps to the readers. “He won’t even let me be in [the play], and I’m his girlfriend!” remarks actress Elizabeth Shue at one point. The only pseudo-irony in the entire film is that by putting on a controversial performance, the students’ play gets national attention—the same thing that happened to the film. However, neither are worth watching.

Either way, neither the movie nor its fictional counterpart is anything worth seeing.

moviefone.com

Madden 09 Reviewed Nick Viccione Entertainment Editor The Madden franchise is unique. It has captured a fan base by storm and there are very few other games released on a yearly basis that have such a large following. With the release of Madden 09 the franchise has integrated a system of intelligence and adaptation that caters to every player’s strengths and weaknesses. Most notably, when you first start the game you are prompted to whether or not you would like to take the “Madden I.Q.” test which is a set of four drills that assess your strengths and weaknesses in rushing proficiency, passing proficiency, rushing defense and passing defense.

After you are finished with each drill, the game then assumes your personal skill level and adjusts the game accordingly. So in short, the worse the game thinks you are, the easier the computer’s artificial intelligence will be. The game then tracks your progress game by game and if it sees your skill level improving, the game gets harder. Personally, I could not tell a difference between the artificial intelligence of Madden 09 and earlier Madden games. The game play itself seems quicker and more fluent than Madden ‘08 which was one of my biggest gripes. Also, there seems to be a far less number of interceptions and fumbles than Madden 08. Both of these areas are great improvements and make Madden 09 more fun than the one released in 2008. The rushing attack is best when the player is patient and waits

for his holes to open rather than trying to pound it right up the middle every play. The 2009 version gets back on the right track. The online play of Madden ‘09 sees one of the best improvements yet, with the implementation of the online leagues. You can create leagues of up to 32 people and it keeps track of scheduling, statistics, and player trades. It is great if you have a lot of your buddies off at different colleges and still want to be able to compete with them, and then some. This is my favorite aspect of Madden 09. All in all, 09 falls right into place where it should be. The new version does a great job with improvements and gets the players back to what Madden should be: an outlet for competitive dudes to talk trash to each other and another reason for them to ignore their girlfriends.

investing in the film that these “actors” are starring in. Cruise gets vulgar and down with his bad self in a small role that steals the show. The majority of the jokes in Tropic Thunder are clean and tend to steer clear from anything overly offensive however there was some controversy surrounding a short scene where Downey Jr. is trying to explain to Stiller why he did not win any awards for his role as a mentally challenged man in one of his “earlier” films as Speedman. In that scene Downey Jr. explains to Stiller that even if you are playing a “retard,” “you never go full retarded” and he rattles off some examples of some great performances of other well known actors that had roles as someone who was mentally challenged. Some thought this was very offensive towards

those with mental disabilities but in an interview with The Early Show, Ben Stiller defended his movie and the controversial scene. “With any comedy, anything you put out there, some people are gonna get it. Some people are gonna be into it, and other people won’t,” Stiller noted. All in all, Tropic Thunder is getting above average reviews from many critics and understandably so. It was outrageous, witty, and brought a few solid laughs. However, if you still want to see this movie, I suggest you lower your expectations slightly and then you will not feel let down. Unfortunately I did not take my own advice.

Tropic’s Thunder Stolen by Smaller Roles Nick Viccione Entertainment Editor Tropic Thunder, which hit theaters in midAugust, boasts an all-star cast, about a group of big-name celebrities trying to come together to make an action movie about the Vietnam war, and on the surface, there are a handful of laughs to be had, but ultimately it falls short of expectations. Tropic Thunder was written and directed by Ben Stiller starring himself, Jack Black and Robert Downey Jr. as the three main characters. There are also smaller roles played by bignamed Matthew McConaughey and Tom Cruise.

Ben Stiller plays “Tugg Speedman” who is an action movie star whose career seems to be fading before his eyes and is looking for some career revival. Jack Black plays “Jeff Portnoy”—a famous comedic actor who is known for his ridiculously stupid roles in movies. Robert Downey Jr. plays “Kirk Lazarus,” a world-renowned actor with plenty of awards on his shelf. When it boils down to it, these three actors have great on screen chemistry and their banter alone set up for a small amount of laughs, but after a while, their bickering alone couldn’t make the movie pull its own weight. Frankly, it was the supporting cast that stole the show. McConaughey plays “Rick Peck,” who is Ben Stiller’s outlandish agent, and Tom Cruise plays “Les Grossman” who is a movie studio mogul

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

CALENDAR WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 3

MUSIC 9.3

FILM 9.3

ART 9.4-10.23

@ The Space Hamden, Conn. 8 p.m. / $10

@ Vance Lawn 9 p.m. / FREE When wealthy industrialist Tony Stark is forced to build an armored suit after a life-threatening incident, he ultimately decides to use its technology to fight against evil.

@ The Down Town Gallery New Britain, Conn. 4:30 p.m. The exhibition is about finding what is missing. For artist Cora Marshall, two of the things that have gone missing are the stories from her family who were enslaved and the particulars of her African ancestry. To find these missing pieces, she uses paint and other materials, to adopt, adapt, and bring to life lost stories from the dark history of slavery as she fuses connections to her ancestry one stroke of the brush at a time.

The Low Anthem

IRON MAN

Dark Matter by Cora Marshall

COMEDY 9.5

NBC Stand Up For Diversity Comedy Tour @ Alummni Hall, Student Center 8 p.m. In its fifth consecutive year, NBC is proud to present another groundbreaking year of StandUp for Diversity. Through this initiative comedians of diverse backgrounds have been launched to new career milestones. Each year NBC selects 3-5 cities across the country and holds both auditions and live showcases of the top diverse talent from that area. At the end of the search a handful of comedians are brought back to Los Angeles to showcase for key industry players at NBC and industry-wide.

9.3-9.6 Shine A Light 9.5 The Ghost Sonata

@ The Space Hamden, Conn. 7 p.m. / $10 The Ghost Sonata seamlessly blends a thorough indie-rock sound into a tapestry of up-tempo beats, enchanting vocals, dynamic melodies, and perfectly executed harmonies. Bridging many genres and tastes with their unique sound, The Ghost Sonata is a group that anyone and everyone can listen to, and undoubtedly enjoy. Opening Band: Luke Temple, Aeroplane 1929, Quiet Life

9.6 Hat City Intuitive

@ Heirloom Arts Theatre Danbury, Conn. 7 p.m. / $5 Evolving over 17 years ago from the equally fertile and toxic fields of Western Connecticut/ Westchester, NY that spawned such acts as Tower Recordings, Bunnybrains, and CroMagnon, The Hat City Intuitive (aka HCI) have been experimenting with the purest forms of improvisation, dabbling in free jazz, noiserock, and just -sounds as sounds.

@ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. Martin Scorsese scores his dream job as stage manager to the Stones, joined by Jack White, Buddy Guy and Christina Aguilera for an intimate concert in NYC’s Beacon Theater. How could the set list not be great, with 40 plus years of music from Jumpin’ Jack Flash to Tumbling Dice to Shattered? Don’t miss one of the last chances to see Shine a Light on the big screen and the magic of Keith Richards’ steady rock and drummer Charlie Watts’ jazz-inspired roll.

9.4 Art After Hours by Christopher Mir @ The Wadsworth Athenaeum Hartford, Conn. 5 p.m. / $5 Phoenix Art After Hours invites you to unwind after work. Have a drink, enjoy dining at The Russell while taking in the sights and sounds of First Thursday at the Atheneum. Vibrant and visually compelling, Mir’s paintings present a world that is both futuristic and primal, populated by mythic figures, creatures, machines, and fragments of ambiguous forms. His paintings invite us to experience a series of paradoxical relationships and unsettling juxtapositions.

9.3-9.4 Roman Polanksi: Wanted and Desired 9.10-9.12 @ Real Art Ways Fierce Doubt by Sam McKinniss Hartford, Conn. Reopening a case that has inspired curiosity, controversy, and confusion for over three decades, Roman Polanski: Wanted and Desired is an extensive exploration of the circumstances that led up to – and the circus that followed – Polanski’s conviction for having unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor. Zenovich had unprecedented access to several of the key players in the case, including the lawyers representing the case, the media covering it, and the unusually clear-eyed and candid victim.

@ New Britain Meseum of American Art New Britain, Conn. The portraits of Hartford artist Sam McKinniss will be featured from Aug. 8 – Oct. 12, 2008 in Fierce Doubt, his first museum show. An opening reception will be held from 5:30-7 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 14.McKinniss says his work rarely strays from portraiture, exploring themes related to desire, love, pop music, the male gaze, and the history of painting.

9.6 The Last Mistress

@ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 5:30 p.m. / $6.25 The Last Mistress marks the monumental pairing of cinema’s premiere provocateur, director Catherine Breillat (Romance, Fat Girl) with the most fearless and explosive actor of our generation, Asia Argento (Marie Antoinette, Boarding Gate). The Last Mistress is a highly entertaining yet incredibly provocative film that has resulted in unanimous praise from audiences and critics across the world.

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

14 THE RECORDER Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008

Lifestyles

PLOW DOWN THE BRICK WALLS Dr. Randy Pausch delivers a speech at the University of Virginia School of Engineering. Karyn Danforth Editor-at-Large Murphy’s law and enlightenment go hand in hand down a yellow brick path that branches off to side-roads towards acceptance, change, and fulfillment. Carnegie Mellon University professor Randy Pausch took this scary, yet enchanting walk. Along the way, he picked up millions of followers, all eagerly willing to be taught how to live life battling the walls erected when society, an individual, or a mere uneasy feeling attempts to thwart a person from chasing their dreams. Dr. Randy Pausch, a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University, a leading institute in robotics technologies, passed away this summer from pancreatic cancer, but his story refuses to die with him as many have discovered his “Last Lecture,” a session during which he encourages the audience to break down their own personal barriers. When the loving husband and father of three first learned of his ailment in September of 2006, he was told the unthinkable with a very positive twist: he had maybe “three to six months of good health,” Pausch was surprised at how well attuned the medical staff was to speaking of negative outcomes in a calm, reasonable light. In his book “The Last Lecture” he spoke of himself

sitting in the waiting room with his wife, Jai. Instead of worrying about himself, he had random thoughts such as, “Shouldn’t a room like this, at a time like this, have a box of Kleenex? Wow, that’s a glaring operational flaw.” That was the kind of person Randy Pausch was—he simply couldn’t drone on the fact that he would soon have to part with his loved ones and colleagues. Because he was a professor and had the ability to impress knowledge upon others, he was given a chance to do a last lecture. He told his wife Jai, “I have a chance here to really think about what matters most to me, to cement how people will remember me, and to do whatever good I can on my way out.” The full lecture is available online, made viewable by CMU. Even through the computer screen, one feels as though they’re sitting in the auditorium waiting to be addressed by such a powerful figure. Walking into McConomy Auditorium at Carnegie Mellon on September 18, 2007 with the entire audience on their toes applauding loudly, Pausch, wearing a Disney Imagineer work shirt and name tag, shushed the applause with a humble, “Make me earn it.” Deep within the audience, a man shouted, “You did!” His presentation, entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” began by Pausch introducing the “elephant in the room.” Projected up onto a screen was the CT scan of

Photo: University of Virginia

his tumor-filled liver - ten tumors in all. “If I don’t seem as depressed or morose as I should be, sorry to disappoint you,” said Pausch. “I assure you, I’m not in denial.” Showing the audience how physically in shape he really was, he got down on the floor and started doing a set of push-ups. The lecture, lasting one hour and 16 minutes, was the only time he brought attention to his ailment. His discussion centered around his childhood dreams, and how he has been able to enable the dreams of others, but he mentioned that the lesson involved was that anyone can reach their own dreams and that we can help push others to succeed theirs as well. Pausch’s childhood dreams were captivating: being in zero gravity, playing in the NFL, authoring an article in the World Book Encyclopedia (growing up, his family had owned the entire collection), being Captain Kirk, winning the giant stuffed animals at theme parks and becoming a Disney Imagineer. Separating Pausch from accomplishing these however, were “brick walls.” “The brick walls are there for a reason,” Pausch explained. “They let us prove how badly we want things.” For Pausch, these came in all forms: his difficult yet fundamentally driven old school football coach, Disney executives refusing him in the most polite “go to hell” letters ever written, college administrators who wouldn’t let

him go on sabbatical to the “happiest place on earth,” and countless others. Pausch believed that his parents and his wife Jai were the reason he was so successful. He explained how they never let him off easy, so fighting for what he wanted was the only way to make it happen. “Experience is what you get when you didn’t get what you wanted,” said Pausch. While he certainly checked off the dreams on his to-do list (he didn’t become Captain Kirk, but Pausch got to meet and show William Shatner the virtual reality work he and his students were creating), the shiniest coins of inspiration he gave out lived in his amazing quotes. Pausch admits to loving quoting others, especially his father. “When you have someone like my dad in your back pocket, you can’t help yourself,” he said. “You quote him every chance you get.” Pausch followers dreaded, yet expected the day to come where the world would be informed of the passing of the wonderful man who catapulted through life without limitations. Sadly that day arrived on July 25, 2008. Everyone who knew of Pausch mourned the truly inspirational man. It didn’t matter that most of his followers have never met him; he still pushed them, as he once said, to decide whether they want to be a Tigger or an Eeyore.

Commuter’s Corner: Killing Time Between Classes Just Got Easier Jane Natoli Lifestyles Editor You’ve sat through your back-to-back morning classes, but you have an hour and a half before your next class starts. As you walk outside, you watch your classmates head to their dorm rooms to shower, go back to sleep, or work on their laptops. But where can you go? Your home away from home on campus is your car— but no one expects you to spend your downtime in the parking garage. For my fellow commuters, here are a few places around campus that I have found to be comfy spots to study, get a bite to eat, or take a nap: On a sunny day, you can find a crowd on Vance lawn. You’ll usually find a pick up game of football or ultimate Frisbee and the benches around the grassy field are perfect for reading a book while keeping an eye out for friends or the

next cute guy who takes his shirt off during the game. Sunburned after the beach on Labor Day? Head to the circle of benches in an outside oasis between Marcus White and Davidson Halls. Study in between classes or stretch out with your backpack as a pillow in one of campus’ quieter outdoor hideaways. To grab a quick bite or a cup of coffee to get you through your next class, cross the street to Central’s Plaza for Dunkin Donuts, Blimpie’s, Domino’s or Tony’s Pizza or the Underground Deli. Sit inside a restaurant, at an outdoor table, on the stairs between the upper and lower levels, or bring your meal back to the student lounge in DiLoreto Hall. Is the worst part of going back to school the fact that you’ll miss your soap opera? Settle in on a couch in the student center, right in front of a flat screen TV after grabbing a wrap, hamburger or Starbucks coffee. You’ll meet the

group of regular couch-dwellers that occupy these areas of the Student Center during the day and will be sure to talk with some new friends. For a quiet place to set up your laptop and write a paper that’s due in a few hours, stop at Jazzman’s Café for a coffee or a sandwich and then seek out the library’s stacks. There are desks around the walls of the stacks and you’ll be sure to find an unoccupied spot to listen to your iPod and get some work done with minimal disturbances. Plus, any extra research you need to do is right at your fingertips. Done with your paper? Rest your head on your arms and take a nap in this quiet place. Commuters, what are your favorite spots on campus to hang out in between classes or to meet up with friends? E-mail ccsurecorder.lifestyles@gmail.com to help other commuters get comfortable on campus.

Photo: Holzman Moss Architecture

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

Car Trouble

or My Everyday Problems With Owning an Automobile Karyn Danforth Editor-at-Large In this day and age, automobiles are becoming more painful than pleasurable. With fuel costs, limited usage to make our carbon footprints smaller, car accidents that up insurance rates and thieves targeting certain car models as their next steal, owning a car is more stressful than ever, especially for young adults with lower incomes. My experience with cars started off as normally as most American teenagers, I got my license at 17 years old after having taken my driving test twice (I buckled under the pressure the first time around). When my mother accompanied me to the Wethersfield DMV office, I had an unsightly red rash on my face, and watched it transferr onto a little shiny plastic card that would be with me for the next several years. The bad photo, however, hardly muffled my excitement for my driver’s license. Luckily for me, my mother was getting a new car, and I inherited her 1995 forest green Dodge Stratus. She even paid for me to be on her insurance, although I helped out with the “good student” discount. I remember getting behind the wheel for the first time on my own. Shaking a little, (two parts excitement, one part nervousness), I turned the key in the ignition and headed to the only place I knew to go: Highland Park Market, where I was a cashier. I ran inside and exclaimed aloud to all of my co-workers, “I have a car!” While my outburst didn’t elicit as much excitement as I felt, that feeling of accomplishment swept over me—I didn’t have to have a parent in the passenger seat and could blare music whenever I wanted! Fast forward to high school graduation. I moved to my father’s house in Southwick, Mass. and went through the obnoxious process of transferring my Connecticut license to a Massachusetts one. A cop stopped me one day and asked me, “Why on earth do you have a

Connecticut license and Massachusetts plates?” and some ridiculously long story shot out of my mouth, begging for his acceptance of the situation. The downside of moving was getting my own car insurance. State Farm held a bit of a monopoly in Massachusetts, and I had to pay over $2,300 a year. I worked and saved at a gradual pace, and the day that wad of money was erased from my checking account, I pouted and wondered if it was really worth it. One chilly autumn day four years ago, my stepsister, her friend and I decided to pick pumpkins at a local farm market. My father’s house is located in a very rural location, our street is unpaved and the foliage that lines each driveway easily swallows the view of the road so you must be extra cautious when exiting the driveway. It had begun to drizzle and the sky darkened. As I pulled to the end of my driveway, I peered as well as I could over the trees and bushes for oncoming traffic. What I didn’t see was the other car barreling down the road at 65 miles an hour, whose driver, a 50-year old woman, was obviously not paying attention to her surroundings. It all happened so fast. She slammed into the side of my car and killed the engine. Airbags unfurled. I screamed and began bawling. Luckily everyone was okay. The ambulance ushered me to the hospital with a fracture in my left arm. I came home, and later that night the Southwick police came to my door to report that the accident was my fault and I would have to pay for the woman’s damages. It was quite the blow after my car had just been totaled at the bottom of my driveway, but I sucked it up and dealt with it. At the time of the accident, the other driver had claimed she had no physical problems caused by the crash. Months later, long after I had paid for her repairs, she attempted to sue me with one of those Trantolo-Trantolo type deals you see on TV. At least when she found out I wasn’t under my fathers insurance but had

a plan of my own, she disappeared again. Me— have any assets? You’ve got to be kidding me. A couple months later I bought a new used car, a 2003 Dodge Neon, and dutifully paid car payments every month, along with insurance. When I left for my freshman year at Central in August, 2005, I signed my title over to my stepsister, since my father convinced me that living on campus, I wouldn’t need or be able to afford a car. I agreed, and it was goodbye to cars for me for an indefinite span of time. I spent four years at school without a car, and still managed getting around enough to lead a decently fulfilling life. I had to muster up a lot of personal strength I didn’t know I had, but in the end it was probably a good way of life to have experienced. I’ve been walking back and forth to my job on a busy street, but I’ve learned that you do what you have to do to get by. Recently, I finally bought another car: a 1995 Honda Civic with only 91,000 miles, and it ran beautifully. I was back on the road, and it felt amazing. By this time, most people find driving a boring mindless task, but I enjoy each and every road I venture down, feeling and understanding the true freedom a car gives you. Then one morning, I walked out of my apartment to go to work, and it’s gone. The freedom that I’ve waited for all those years disappeared before my eyes when I saw the empty

parking spot. My car, along with two other cars, was stolen in the night just a week after I had bought it. I sat on the grass in complete disbelief, calling in a police report, giving the VIN number and description, desperately hoping they’d somehow find it unharmed. I made my way to work, but I couldn’t function. They let me go home, and I curled up on my couch and went to sleep. They did recover my Civic, but it was damaged beyond repair. I’m currently waiting for my insurance money to come through, and now I have to start all over again. I’ve returned to walking and taking the bus, temporarily, and while it hurts to regress, I’ve done it enough to grin and bare it. It is hard for people to consider their lives without cars; they motivate us to work harder to afford them, but it’s still an unanswered question if it is really worth it. There’s a price to pay to reach the world outside of your town, and it affects every facet of your life. People need to understand, however, that being able to drive a car is not everything. It is up to the individual to live life to the fullest; it doesn’t matter if you do or don’t own an automobile. It shouldn’t place someone differently on the social ladder or make anyone any different from the next person, besides not having the freedom to drive around and blare music.

Apartments for Rent Immediate Availability & Spring Semester 2009 Availability Call to Reserve

Located on Farmington Avenue. Approximately 1 mile from CCSU campus. On site parking. On site laundry. Secure intercom access. Attractive 3-story glass atrium lobby entrance. Spacious apartments with oversized windows. Quiet residential setting. Meticulously maintained. Utilities NOT included.

1 BR’s starting @ $625/mo. 2BR’s starting @ $795/mo. Office: (914) 646-0893

TANGIERS

awful good falafel

Melissa Traynor Editor-in-Chief Having recently moved away from the in-exhaustible variety of everything, especially food, that is New York City, it became apparent that even though Connecticut is only a short Metro-North ride away, the latter is ridiculously lacking in something the former has a tasty abundance of: falafel. Surprisingly, not many know exactly what falafel is. Though categorized under Middle Eastern food in general, it has been served at Greek establishments as well, traditionally on pita bread with lettuce, tomatoes, onions and tahini sauce (a lemon-juice and sesame seed paste mixture). Chickpeas or fava beans ground together with onions, garlic, parsley, cumin and coriander become the base for the falafel “meat” of the sandwich and after having been rolled into balls or shaped into patties with flour, the concoction is fried. In New York City, it’s almost impossible to walk around a few blocks without spotting a vendor who relies on the aroma of the falafel’s fried coating to lure in passersby. With the chain of Mamoun’s Falafel restaurants downsized to only New Haven and New York, and nonexistent prospects of other chickpea and spice patty-bearing locations in the greater Hartford area, this reporter was experiencing a slight withdrawal and the pang for a warm vegetarian pita wrap worsened by the day. Falafel imitators sufficed for a night, until Tangiers International, which is actually a small grocery store, surfaced from the pages of Yelp.com. It received fairly encouraging online reviews, so it was reasonable to check out. Yelp was right. At first the sight of the corner store sitting on Prospect and Farmington Avenue in West Hartford isn’t promising. Tangiers’ inside shielded by thick white paper and signs pressed up against the windows doesn’t allow for much of an atmosphere. To be honest, it looked as though the place might be closing. On entrance, it’s apparent the décor isn’t really that of a restaurant, a deli or really even a grocery store – more of a simple storage area for food. A small diner counter in the back of the store drew me on and the further my eyes looked on into the glass cases of baklava and other desserts, the store revealed itself as a modest family-run establishment operating out of a small open kitchen (because people are always astonished by their food assembly) and a counter with more than a few regulars chatting up the staff. Brothers Zach and Winston Latif, who both graduated from CCSU, manned the establishment; Winston worked the counter, sprinkling vegetables and sauce over each sandwich creation while Zach was posted at the register and directed customers to the flavored halva dessert or Irish oatmeal products they were looking for. Though the deli section of Tangiers is exactly that, it delivered me a wholesome, crunchy falafel on pita wrap soaked in the creamy and pleasantly pasty tahini sauce that I’d like to think is rivaled by none, even those in the next state west. While most falafel dishes are served in an opened pita, Tangiers’ is a bit classier with a warm flatbread-style approach and the bread alone, it is safe to venture, has its own distinct floury appeal. Raw onions, which surrendered most of their potent taste to the falafel, provided contrasting texture to the pita and the right taste to support the falafel patties. Admittedly, the falafel takes on much of the tahini’s salty tang, but it’s owed credit for the non-crumbly, hence non-messy, stability that fried chickpeas and flour amount to. Imagine a similar flatbread wrap, only this time filled with vegetables, a cucumber yogurt sauce and the “right amount of juicy chicken strips” – according to a patron – in a gyro. And for dessert, a little went a long way. A small brownie-sized square cut from a sheet of baklava topped off the meal. The almond-flavored dessert was mostly flaky and crisp, but underneath a layer of baked phyllo dough, a jelly-like buttery layer of ground almonds and sugar proved the perfect sweet contrast to the salty falafel lunch. The dishes varied, but the overall response was generally the same: a collective feeling of one, fullness and two, a satisfied palate. Alongside falafel, for the vegetarian looking for taste beyond the everyday tofu and plain vegetables, are gyros with beef, lamb and chicken, soups, baked stuffed eggplant and various breads, rice, coffees and hummus for the adventurous customer in the West Hartford area. “[The clientele is] very diverse – everyone. If you sit at the counter on a Friday after lunch, you’ll see all the kinds of different people that come here – a lot of interesting people,” said Zach Latif. For the flavor, modest prices and everything else that remains undiscovered at Tangiers, I probably will be back on Friday.