vol105issue12 by The Recorder

Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Web Site Offers Grade and Professor-Rating Transparency

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

Volume 105 No. 12

Club Sports Board In the Making? Discussion and Plans for New Governing Board on the Senate Floor

amanDa CiCCaTelli news editor

CampusBuddy.com was officially launched on Nov. 12 with the largest collection of free official grades and a social connection for students and classmates across 250 college and university campuses nationally. Offering over 80 million official university grades of hundreds of college campuses, CampusBuddy.com has the most up-to-date and the most accessible collection of official school data. The grades give students an accurate and unbiased review of professors, courses and departments on their campus. CampusBuddy.com, owned by CampusBuddy.com Inc. in Los Angeles, began in February 2008 for California college students to see course and professor grades and reviews “CampusBuddy.com was created in order to help students make the most of school, socially and academically,” said CampusBuddy. com founder Mike Moradian. He explained that a student can see who is in all of his or her classes while meeting new people. Official grades from about 250 schools are offered on the Web site. According to the Web site, class and professor listings for 6,000 more colleges and 40,000 high schools worldwide are also on Campusbuddy.com These colleges and universities represent 40 percent of the U.S. college student demographic on Facebook. Moradian believes that grades are essential to the college experience because a student should be able to choose a class based on student reviews of both the professor and the class. There are features on the Web site that give students the tools they need to connect with other students on their campus. “A student can see official grades for any class they wish to take, meaningful professor reviews, and old class notes and files other previous students have added,” he said. According to Moradian, with official grades a student can specifically see how each professor grades on campus. “They can see how many As, Bs, Cs – everything,” he said. In his own experience, Moradian thinks the grading can be so different among college professors, even in the same class. “Knowing information like this helps the student avoid the class that is three times as much work for the same grade,” he said. Contrasted with Rateyourprofessor.com, Moradian said that CampusBuddy.com is different in that it is focused on quality reviews from students. “It’s not just rants and raves from students like other sites out there. We don’t rate

See Web site Page 2

The CCSU Ice Hockey Club stands to gain from the new Club Sports Board, should it be approved. meliSSa Traynor editor-in-Chief

The creation of a governing board for club sports is now on the table of the Student Government Association, but is expected to meet strong opposition and challenges. The finance struggles of the Ice Hockey Club throughout last year and the beginning of 2008 have spurred action and the SGA is now ready to seriously look into the idea of establishing a university Club Sports Board to preside over matters of budgets and general planning for the involved clubs. Teams such as the Equestrian, Ice Hockey and Lacrosse clubs would benefit from the board in that they would have control over their own finances, much like the existing Media Board and the Student Union Board of Governors, which control their own budgets. As proposed by SGA President Alexander Estrom, the sports board would be funded by increases in and the creation of a new student activity fee: a $5 increase for full-time students, all of which goes to the new board, and a new $4 fee for part-time student. One dollar of the parttime fee raise would go the Club Sports Board. If the student activities fee increases were passed by all levels of the CSU system, the amount of money directly contributing to the

Textbook Prices Under Maryland Legislation Review mariSSa lanG

The Diamondback university of maryland

University of Maryland students tired of paying more for textbooks every semester may soon find relief in state legislation or systemwide reform, discussion at the Textbook Affordability Summit held yesterday revealed. The University System of Maryland is devising ways to mitigate textbook costs for students, including requiring universities to publish book lists with ISBNs before class registration, as well as considering other “out-of-thebox” approaches to the ongoing issue, Chancellor Brit Kirwan said during the summit yesterday in the Stamp Student Union. The system-organized event attracted administrators, faculty members and a handful of students from universities across the state. Experts representing students, faculties, administrators and publishers sat on panels to discuss and answer questions about the issue of textbook affordability. The issue is particularly relevant because, for the first time in a decade, the university’s

contract with Barnes & Noble to run the University Book Center is set to expire in May. “We are certainly going to take away ideas for steps we can take to drive down the rising costs of textbooks and put together a plan of action for the system,” Kirwan said at the summit. “The Board ... will work with all of our institutions’ presidents to ensure that we post ISBN numbers early this year across the state,” he added, saying the system is taking the textbook issue “very seriously.” “This is huge,” Sen. Jim Rosapepe (D-Anne Arundel and Prince George’s) said immediately following Kirwan’s announcement. Rosapepe represents College Park and co-sponsored the textbook bill last legislative session. “Hearing the system commit to publishing ISBNs early and looking into textbook reform across the board - it’s great.” Kirwan’s announcement came as both a surprise and a relief to state legislators, who watched legislation addressing textbook affordability fall through last year due to late amendments that prevented lawmakers from reaching

See Textbook Prices Page 3

sports board would be roughly $40,000 from full-time fees and an extra $2,121 from parttime fees, according to the 2008-09 enrollment numbers. Currently there is no part-time student activity fee. According to Estrom’s proposal, club sports organizations were funded by $60,138 of SGA money in 2008-09, but the responsibilities could shift to the board and away from SGA. A separate, outstanding factor in the discussion for the Club Sports Board is the possibility that the SGA will pass a finance bylaw amendment that would eliminate club funding for clubs that are exclusive in nature such as the Ice Hockey Club. It was previously believed by the Senate, according to Estrom, that the SGA could not fund exclusive groups in order to obey State of Connecticut’s comptroller guidelines. SGA Senator Kelley Fournier said that the Student Activities/ Leadership office prompted them to research the exact guidelines and it was found that there was no clause that enforced their belief. “That had always been the justification for denying funding for clubs that are exclusive,” said Fournier. Estrom is now proposing that such a policy should be written into the SGA’s finance bylaws and See Sports Board Page 3

edward Gaug / The recorder

Estrom’s proposal: - Impose a finance bylaw amendment that would exclude clubs with selective membership from SGA funding. - Establish a Club Sports Board to fund, support and advise club sports teams. - Raise full-time student activity fee $5 and implement a $4 part-time student activity fee to help fund the board. -Sports clubs must decide whether to be competitive or recreational in purpose.

This Issue

In Sports

Blue Devils rebound Men’s basketball wins at home.

Page 16

In Entertainment Chinese Democracy Guns ‘N Roses finally releases Chinese Democracy. See review.

Page 10

In Lifestyles

Where’s the fan support? Fans presence at games leaves a lot to be desired.

Page 6

“A place to learn, share and interact with others who share and support ideas for a green lifestyle.” - Mark Erickson New social networking site looks to be green, spread green

Page 15

News

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

The recorder

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

editor-in-Chief Melissa Traynor managing editor Peter Collin art Director Geoffrey Lewis associate layout editor Edward Gaug Copy editor Aril Grain entertainment editor Nick Viccione lifestyles editor Jane Natoli news editor Amanda Ciccatelli Sports editor Kyle Dorau opinion editor Marissa Blaszko editor-at-large Karyn Danforth Web editor John Vignali illustrator Stefano Delli Carpini

Staff Caroline Dearborn Steve Packnick Misbah Akbar P.J. Decoteau Sean Fenwick Michael Walsh Shauna Simeone Gabrielle Pierce Mike D’Avino Doug Duhaime Hale Yalincak Kareem Mohamed

Web site Continued from page 1 professors by things like hotness either,” he said. The Web site also allows Facebook users to login using their Facebook account or a new member can create a CampusBuddy.com login. “It’s really easy to sign-up, all you need to do is sign in with your Facebook account, and the rest of the details just about auto-populate themselves,” he said. “With a profile picture and their friends already populated on the site.” He emphasized that CampusBuddy.com does not intend to take over Facebook, it is just a useful application for a better “Facebook experience,” according Moradian. CampusBuddy.com also has an application that offers Facebook profile features. Also available for high school students, CampusBuddy.com offers university admissions data, average SAT scores and percent admitted, and they are given the opportunity to interact with college students. Students that log-in to Campusbuddy.com can contribute to the grades of classes, professors, departments and campus life. According to the Web site, there is a “Campus Answer” board where students can participate in a question and answer session and share course materials and collaborate for class assignments. Since many students are registering for their spring semester, Campusbuddy.com was launched at a convenient time for students who are either applying to college or currently enrolled in college courses at any level. “I believe it’s a very under-rated resource and that’s why we spent two and a half years compiling this information from over 250 schools nationwide,” Moradian said. “We are very happy with the initial results. Many schools already have thousands of users,” he said. “But we also know it all won’t happen overnight. It takes time for the idea to grow and become a mainstay with students.”

Company Helps Students Find a Ride JoSh WalToViCh The Daily Collegian umass amherst

(U-WIRE) - Gas prices have decreased to about $2 per gallon in Amherst, Mass., but it can still be costly for students to get around, especially when it comes time for students to head home for the holidays. However, there is a way to minimize transportation costs if not eliminate them through the using Ridebuzz.org. Ridebuzz.org is a non-profit, community-driven ridesharing program that provides rides to anyone in the Pioneer Valley. The Web site allows users to submit posts in which they can ask for or offer a ride somewhere. Some users ask for carpoolers to chip in for gas while others will drive you for free. “We really hope that students will take the initiative to consider using responsible, economically and environmentally friendly ways to get around,” said Ridebuzz founder and executive director, Jeff Brown. “Ridebuzz is an option students have, which allows them to collaborate

with each other on a weekend trip, grocery shopping or vacations.” There are roughly 1.4 million empty car seats that travel 15 billion miles annually in the Pioneer Valley, according to a statement by Ridebuzz. “By sharing rides we can rapidly save on fuel costs and immediately reduce greenhouse gas emissions without significant changes or investments to our transportation infrastructure,” Brown said. Ridesharing can cut fuel consumption and gas bills in half, all while building community connections, according to Ridebuzz’s Web site. Ridesharing provides an opportunity to offer a ride to the disabled or the elderly, who might not be able to drive. The elderly population is expected to increase 80 percent from 2005 to 2025. “I think Ridebuzz is great idea,” said UMass senior Callah Sponheimer. “Thanksgiving is known for having tons of cars on the road and tons of traffic no matter where you are trying to get home to. I would much rather be stuck in the car with a student for a few extra hours instead of my parents.”

Textbook Prices Continued from page 1 a last-minute consensus by the end of the legislative session. Toward the end of the state legislative session last year, the state’s House of Delegates added two amendments favoring state universities that many senators refused to pass, saying the suggestions hurt students by not allowing for a competitive textbook market. The proposed amendments would have given universities a bigger window of time to publish textbooks’ ISBNs and other necessary information, as well as requiring them to expose students to nonschool-sponsored bookstores at freshman orientation. Rosapepe said many state universities fought against the bill last year because they did not want to be restricted by state legislation.

But after seeing the bill fall through, Towson University and this university instituted ISBN deadlines independent of mandates from the state or the Board of Regents. Doing so gave students more time to find cheaper alternatives to buying new textbooks at the campus bookstore, students said. “Having ISBN numbers posted is very helpful, because students can find the exact book their professors are looking for online [for less money],” Student Government Association President Jonathan Sachs said at the summit. Textbook costs continue to rise at twice the rate of inflation, with students paying a national average of $900 per year for books, according to the Government Accountability Office report. At this university, that figure equals about 11 percent of instate tuition and 4 percent of out-ofstate tuition.

Ridebuzz.org says it provides accessible and flexible transportation options that aid underserved communities, deliver significant fuel savings to carpoolers, increase social cooperation, reduce carbon emissions and fuel consumption and promote the use of more efficient transportation options. “I think that a community ridesharing Web site is a good idea, not only will it help people save on gas but it will also help in saving the environment,” said UMass senior Jen Fitzgerald. Ridebuzz.org also hopes to be a way for students to meet new people, providing users with anonymous opportunities for people to share information if they wish. There are no employees at Ridebuzz.org, it is a voluntary effort. In the spring Ridebuzz will be working with over 400 students offering them a community marketing and sales class. “This opportunity will allow college students to apply their skills to real world situations that will benefit UMass and the community directly around the college,” Brown said.

After tossing blame from publishers to faculty members to bookstores to students, all experts at the panel agreed other avenues for lowering the cost of books must be explored. Many ideas were raised throughout the discussion - which was broken up into various panel discussions - including creating custom textbooks within academic departments, unbundling course materials, eliminating course packets, using older editions of books, establishing a rental book program or going digital. “The state has done a really good job of keeping tuition costs from rising,” Sen. Paul Pinsky (D-Prince George’s) said during the discussion. “But if a student can’t afford to go to college, it’s not going to matter. We need to make sure students can continue to afford their textbooks as well as their tuition.”

about

The Recorder is a studentproduced publication of Central Connecticut State University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of CCSU’s administrators, faculty or students. The Recorder articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without the written permission from the Editor-in-Chief. The purpose of The Recorder is to approach and define issues of importance to the students of Central Connecticut State University. Meetings for The Recorder are held every Monday night at 7 p.m. in the Blue & White Room in the student center.

in Alumni Hall on December 10th from 10-5 Purchase your holiday or indulge your own shopping needs with vendors like The Body Shop, Mary Kay, Lia Sophia, Amber Forest and more! Check out the Facebook event “Vendor Fair” for more information and an updated vendor list.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / NEWS

Club Sports Board Continued from page 1 that the organization can deny funding for those clubs. Other student organizations that would be affected include the Greeks on campus because they are selective in nature. “It would be like closing one door and opening another,” Estrom said, referring to the bylaw change and the creation of the Club Sports Board.

The SGA president said that some senators are in favor of the board, some are not, but most fall into the gray. For example, some senators may agree with the independence of the new board and the clubs to be able to govern themselves, but oppose an increase in the student activity fee. However, a problem they encounter is that in order for the Club Sports Board to be successful, the fee increase and proposed part-time activity fee must be passed by the Senate and

edward Gaug / The recorder

ultimately receive approval from Student Affairs, President Jack Miller and the CSU System, including Chancellor David Carter. “My proposal is well-known up to Chancellor Carter,” Estrom said, adding that the system office knows of the proposal and that the other CSU schools are considering fee increases. With the bylaw change and the club sports board, sports clubs would be presented with new options. They would be urged to decide whether they want to play competitively or for recreation. The Club Sports Board would also be under the guidance of the director of SA/LD or the director of CCSU’s recreational sports, seeing as these positions already advise these clubs. Senator Fournier said that she doesn’t quite agree with the proposals as they stand now. She would like to see a group of students come together, not exactly by the SGA, who are heavily invested in the proposed Club Sports Board or something like it and go through the process of their own creation for club sports funding. “I’m not opposed the Club Sports Board and I want club sports to thrive, but this isn’t the best way to do it,” she said. “They’ve got to get together and go about it 100 percent on top of their game.” Forunier indicated that a group should come forward and complete the research and plans in order for them to be successful at every level of review up the CSU system.

“You can’t raise a student activity fee for a board that doesn’t exist,” she said. Fournier said that the collections of proposals, from the bylaw change to the student activity fee increase, seem rushed. She said that Senate has not seen exact wording proposed for the bylaw amendment and hopes to see something in writing before today’s meeting. President Estrom had introduced a motion to the Senate floor to amend the finance bylaws to cut funding for exclusive clubs at the Senate’s last meeting on Nov. 19. While both Fournier and Estrom believe that the flurry of proposals will not be passed by the end of this semester or next, Estrom remains optimistic. “I hope that the Senate will adapt a resolution to keep things stable – this will affect a lot of other finance decisions in the future,” Estrom said and added that he knows the proposal can’t make every party involved happy. Discussion will resume today at the 3:30 p.m. SGA meeting.

Exclusive club policy conflict: Precedent: If the SGA continues to fund exclusive clubs, other exclusive clubs can come forward to request money. According to the SGA, there are 21 clubs with exclusive memberships including Greek organizations and sports clubs.

4 THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Editorial

Editorial/Opinion

The CCSU Ice Hockey Club has gone from a group of relatively unknown athletes to Central’s hockey problem. Last year, the Hockey Club was funded more than any other club under the Student Government Association, which is not, in itself, a problem. After all, its athletes are some of the most active club members on campus, and if SGA proportioned their budget based on what the clubs actually produced, the Hockey Club would certainly be one of the most heavily-funded. The only problem is that as a competitive team, they are exclusive, which is against SGA guidelines. Every full-time undergraduate student pays a $70 student activity fee as part of their tuition ($44 of which goes to the SGA), which they are entitled to collect back by participating in the campus clubs. The clubs cannot exclude students because their funding comes from the same students’ pockets. Here, we have the fine line that the Ice Hockey Club has been forced to walk the past several years; con-

Letter to the Editor I find it pretty sad that there are still people who feel that “porn reinforces the pro-rape message,” as Estela Lopez stated in last week’s Recorder. I suppose 99% of heterosexual males (at least those who aren’t hardcore Evangelical fundamentalists) are closet-rapists. I wonder if Ms. Lopez is aware of the massive wealth of gay porn there is out there, or female oriented “empowerment” porn, or even of all the sado-masochist (S&M) porn in which men are whipped and beaten by women as they’re “performed” on. I wonder if these genres of pornography also harm women. Doesn’t Ms. Lopez realize that the worst and most egregious violence against women (stoning and burning adulterous or infertile women, “honor” killings of rape victims, slicing clitorises off of young girls before selling them off for marriage) occurs in countries like India, Iran, Nigeria, Afghanistan and Saudi Arabia; societies which are sexually repressive and, coincidently or not, where pornography is stifled? Is addressing the plight of these women less important than making sure young, straight men don’t “break [women] down into body parts.”? The sad truth is that abuse and violence against women will never be completely eradicated, but history proves that women fare far better in culturally and sexually free and open societies, and sexual freedom, like it or not, includes the right of men to enjoy the female form in print and in film. No sane person has the right to call that “abuse.” Feminists have a choice; continue the pointless, futile anti-porn crusade that the Christian Right fought and lost years ago, or, at least for now, tolerate their “abuse” in film and fantasy and direct their energies to the far worse, intolerable abuse and violence they face in real life around the world. Steven Bensics CCSU Student

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tinue receiving funding through the SGA by allowing any student with a slight interest in the sport entrance, or become a competitive team. If it were to leave the SGA, its only choices would be to be dissolved, or be absorbed by the athletics department. At this point in time, neither seems a likely choice. This year, the SGA finally voted down the Ice Hockey Club budget, giving them not only a fraction of the 2007-8 figure they received last year, but also a fraction of what the team needs to continue playing. Since CCSU doesn’t have a rink, players need to pay whatever fee each in order to even get time on the ice. Out of the ideal budget needed, the Hockey Club has gotten only $7,096 this year. The SGA’s latest proposal on how to answer the Hockey Question has been to propose a Club Sports Board. Although the SGA can’t raise student tuition on their own, they have suggested a five-dollar increase in the student activity fee that Central students are already paying in order to form a board for clubs like the

hockey, equestrian, lacrosse, rugby clubs, who are all stuck in club-sport limbo. A tuition raise, no matter how slight, is a daunting thing for students who are more than likely attending Central for the CSU price tag for the most part. But tacking on the cost of a foot-long Subway sandwich pays for more than just the rink fees of the Ice Hockey Club. Sports, hate them or love them, are an essential part of the college culture. The University of Connecticut went from being an agriculture school to owning their own shop in the Buckland Hills mall specifically for school merchandise due to success of its basketball teams. The amount of free national advertising the school received made them more than a household name; the University of Connecticut has become a product, and has set the bar for the rest of the Connecticut state schools. Funding the Ice Hockey Club, which has already attracted student athletes to the school, has the ability to boast Central’s credibility as a

school. Eventually, giving it its own Sports Board would help the team reach the point where it could pay for itself through advertising, ticket sales, and paid events at other schools. This would free up money for all of the other SGA clubs, and give more students the opportunity to make back the five dollars a dozen times over, through on-campus activities or club-related trips. Our non-existent campus life would also benefit. Having a steady calendar of games means not only guaranteed weekend events, but after-parties, tailgating cookouts and maybe even enough confidence in the school to keep students from constantly making CCSU the butt of jokes. Campus sports do, without a doubt, suck up funding. But whether the teams are viewed as local celebrities or appendages to the student body, sports are necessary to a school’s survival. If the Ice Hockey Club were to become a regional powerhouse, it would attract better athletes; attracting better athletes would make it a better team. The lifecycle of

a sports team is self-perpetuating, but the club-sports are being damaged by the limitations being imposed both on them, and on the SGA. The Club Sports Board, like the Media Board built for The Recorder, radio station, and literary magazine, would give the athletes the freedom to control their own teams. CCSU is not, as it stands, a sports college. That is not to say that it necessarily should be – plenty of great colleges have cut sports out almost entirely. But the value of our degrees isn’t going to rise anytime soon because of some sudden rise of academic interest in the general student body. The Hockey Question will need to be answered eventually, and the pressure is finally on the SGA to begin looking into it. The proposed Club Sports Board may not be the final solution, but it is a step in the right direction. Whether the CSU system will pass the proposal or not remains to be seen, but something will have to be done with the club sports sometime soon.

Bailout Culture is Unacceptable Shauna Simeone Staff Writer

A few weeks after the $700 billion Wall Street bailout was passed in Congress, the government is back in handout mode. This time, they are discussing giving money to the major American automakers: General Motors, Ford and Chrysler. Many industry insiders are warning that GM could go out of business within the next few months, and would be followed by Chrysler and Ford if the federal government does not step in. In an attempt to save their businesses, the CEOs of the Big Three flew to Washington in their private jets to ask for $25 billion of taxpayer money, either from the already-existing Wall Street bailout or from a separate plan. There is also talk of using the quarter trillion already set aside to help the auto industry make fuelefficient cars and use it to help restructure the companies. President George Bush does not support the auto bailout, and last Thursday Congress decided not to vote on the new legislation at this

time. As it appears, the Big Three may have to wait until President-elect Barack Obama takes office before they get any serious help, if they are even around that long. These automakers face an unfortunate situation, but it is not reasonable for the government to spend this massive amount of money to help out private companies. Most analysts are already viewing the Wall Street bailout as a failure – it has done little to stimulate the credit crunch and it has proven to have many structural shortcomings. We cannot afford to make such an expensive mistake again. One alternative that supporters of the bailout are suggesting is that the government actually takes partial ownership in the company and guides it back to prosperity. Not only is this an extreme violation of capitalist principles, but also the government is completely under-qualified for this role. If the federal government were a business, it would fail miserably. It has accumulated an unimaginable amount of debt and has not been able to run one government program

smoothly or efficiently. These are not the people who should be helping to run car companies. GM brought this upon themselves. They were piling up massive labor expenses and facing weak sales. Their retirement packages are some of the best in the nation – they include continued health insurance and hefty pensions for retirees. They also instituted deals such as paying laid-off employees up to 95 percent of their wages for the remaining time of their contract. GM could afford these lavish benefits when they were turning out huge profits, but now that car sales have dramatically decreased, this is too big of a burden. Decreasing car sales have also contributed to the companies’ difficulties. Radio talk show host Neal Boortz made an excellent point when discussing how the American people vote for what they want everyday, with their money. If they like a company and its products they will buy from them and help the company prosper. This isn’t the case at GM. They were facing sale problems even before the major economic problems hit the

US. The American people were not satisfied with GM’s products and they showed that by abstaining from buying from them. The taxpayers should not help to prop up companies who don’t produce what they want. CNN reports that up to 2 million jobs could be directly or indirectly affected if the car companies go under. Unfortunately, job loss is part of a contracting economy. It is unreasonable and impractical to look to the government to try and insulate job loss from happening. The majority of businesses in the U.S. are facing hard times right now. We cannot start down this slippery slope of helping all major companies in trouble. GM, Ford and Chrysler are failed companies. Their products have not proven to be competitive in the modern climate and they must deal with the repercussions. If America wants the freedom to succeed, then we must have the freedom to fail. If the government continues to promote this bailout culture, we will cease to have a free market economy, and growth and innovation will come to a screeching halt.

Dutch Decision Could Affect American Women Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor

Earlier this month, a draft bill came to the Dutch Parliament aimed at keeping women who have had a history of bad parenting from repeating the cycle of abuse. According to the proposed law, two years of forced birth control would be the first step in solving the problem of child abuse in the Netherlands. “It targets people who have been the subject of judicial intervention because of their bad parenting,” Marjo Van Dijken of the Dutch Labor Party, who spearheaded the bill, told London newspaper, The Guardian. “If someone refuses the contraception and becomes pregnant, the child must be taken away directly after birth.” The debate over whether the Netherlands should or shouldn’t pass this bill is more important to American politics than most may believe. It’s true that the women’s issues have been pushed onto the back burner since the Equal Rights

Amendment failed in the 1980s, but abortion was a major issue in the 2000 and 2004 elections, when the Republican Party ran George W. Bush on mainly social issues. What the bill points out, however, is that abortion is only a small portion of a larger question—even under the canopy of gender equality. It may be less obvious than ideal, but the abortion question is not pro-life v. pro-choice, but pro-state intervention v. pro-reproductive freedom. Being pro-life, all moral issues aside, ultimately grants the state the power to dictate to a woman what she can or can’t do with her body. By giving politicians the ability to decide when life begins, they have been given a divine right that many social conservatives agree isn’t a power career-bureaucrats should be allowed to have. Now, many pro-lifers may not agree with the bill sitting in front of the Dutch Parliament on a moral level. Their claim would be that we have a right to be born, and that abortion (and in some cases, contraception) is

murder – and whether or not they are right is an issue unto itself. But by giving politicians the ability to govern an individual’s body – of either sex – has opened up the door to legislation like that proposed in the Netherlands. If Congress can intervene in the limiting of abortion, then what sort of logic would be able to justify them staying out of forcing it? Conversely, there may be voters that support a pro-choice initiative as well as a bill that would keep “unfit” women from reproducing. The problem here is similar: why should the government interfere in a certain aspect of reproductive freedom, and not another? The argument is logically unsound, unless fought from the standpoint that we need to curb overpopulation. Clearly, the problems stemming from that claim have lead to everything from China’s one child policy to the Holocaust; the very stance is equally as worrisome as that of militant pro-life conservatives.

The law is, essentially, punishing women – which, no doubt, it aims to. But why only women? Are we expected to believe only bad mothers abuse children? What about the men that abuse both wives and children – should there be an indefinite moratorium on their ability to date? Reproductive freedom is not the same thing as the right to abortion, no matter how it is framed by any political party. It is a broad topic that primarily affects poor women, but seems to be the interest of anyone. It is a problem full of contradictions and binaries, and needs desperately to be looked at on a larger scale and in a more open context. Whether or not the Dutch will pass this bill remains to be seen. But if this isn’t a conversation that the people in our own country will start having soon, we may end up with reproductive restraints that neither side of our present abortion debate are happy with.

Sports

6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

COVERAGE STARTS ON BACK PAGE

CCSU ‘Fans’ Far From Fanatic

Attendance for men’s basketball games has steadily decreased over the first three home games of the season. Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

At the CCSU men’s basketball homeopener against Colgate, there were a few moments where it actually sounded like a Division I college basketball game. In the final minute of that game, 2,164 people made Detrick Gymnasium sound like the XL Center before Mike Venezia’s leaning jumper sucked the wind out of everyone like a punch to the gut. At the second home game against Binghamton, Aaron Hall’s second half breakaway jam should have torn the roof off of the building. Yet the reaction sounded more like a polite golf clap than the celebration of a nail-inthe-coffin dunk. On Sunday, David Simmons posterized a Lafayette player. Yet the play felt all but forgotten by the end of the night because of a lack of energy on the part of the fans, punctuated by an embarrassing student turnout. Maybe the Thanksgiving holiday played a role, but students usually don’t embrace the athletes and the teams. Sadly, that is the norm for the athletics programs here at CCSU in terms of fan follow-

ing. I walk this campus every day and see sports apparel of all varieties: baseball, hockey, basketball, football hats, shirts, hoodies and the like. Throw in the fact that our campus is directly between New York and Boston, there are plenty of reasons that this should be a sports-mad school. Yet the student following is pathetic. This isn’t on the athletics department, or the alumni, or the athletes. They all do the best they can day in and day out. This is on you, the students – the same students who claim to be sports fans, yet can’t be bothered to come to a men’s basketball game on a Tuesday night. Listed attendance from the first home game to the second dropped by 500 fans. From the second to the third was another decrease by 500. I find it hard to believe that the fans I was crammed into the stands with just two years ago for the men’s basketball NEC Championship game still even go to this school. Maybe they all graduated and the love of sports amongst the current crop of students has been misplaced. In reality, it’s fairly obvious that the sea of blue that night was comprised largely of bandwagon fans. Another party responsible for a lack of enthusiasm surrounding the sports programs is

Bulldogs Slip By Blue Devils Peter Collin Managing Editor

The CCSU women’s basketball team recovered from a slow start but failed to overcome an 18-point deficit as they fell to the Bryant Bulldogs(2-2) 64-61 at Detrick Gymnasium. The Blue Devils (1-3) were led by sophomore Leanne Crockett and her first career double-double as she tallied 12 rebounds and 11 points including a three-point basket that cut the Bulldog lead to one with only two minutes to play. Central played slow out of the gate and allowed Bryant to set the pace of play. The Bulldogs consistently worked the ball inside against the Blue Devils, scoring 22 of their first half points in the paint. “In the whole first half they took us out of our game,” said head coach Beryl Piper. “They switched on screens and we didn’t react at all.” The Blue Devils went into halftime trailing the Bulldogs by seven. Central was unable to stifle Bryant’s shooting as the Bulldogs managed to convert 51 percent of their shots during the half. The Blue Devils, meanwhile, could only muster a meager 32 percent from the field. The second half didn’t start any better for Central as Bryant opened

the half with a 13-2 run which was capped by a three-point play by sophomore Siamone Bennett. The run put the Bulldogs in a commanding position with an 18 point lead and just over 15 minutes left in the game. But Central battled back from the 18-point deficit and closed to within four with just over three and a half minutes left in the game. But foul trouble hurt the Blue Devils late in the game. “It’s a game we could have won and we blow it because we just play horrendous for 26 minutes or so,” said Piper. “This team has to be more consistent.” With seven seconds left and timing running out on their shot clock, Bryant junior Courtney Schermerhorn was fouled by freshman Christie Leverette. Schermerhorn hit both free throws to extend the Bulldog lead to three with seven seconds left in the game. Freshman Shontice Simmons drove down court and fired a threepointer for the tie but it was no good. Simmons had another solid game in her freshman campaign. The freshman guard put up ten points along with seven assists and six rebounds. Junior P.J. Wade led all Blue Devil scorers with 14 points.

the Central Activities Network. On their Web site, three of their six programming/service categories are social, recreational, and marketing/promotional – all of which apply to students attending CCSU athletic events. Yet there is minimal, if any, CAN presence at games (no t-shirts, no student section, nothing). By having no presence, they are making Detrick an easier place for opponents to play. That is, if it were not for the hardworking efforts of the teams that call it home. Students’ night classes and jobs affect this to an extent, but the failure to market these games as an event in themselves is disconcerting. In this case, CAN is an organization that is best reflected by its Web site – lots of style, but when it comes to substance, such as promoting the basic college experience of going to a basketball game, it brings nothing to the table. They put promotion for games on the same flyers for lectures and less appealing events. Are there aspects of the atmosphere that could be tweaked in order to make it a more appealing place for the student body to come? Absolutely. Let’s start with the music and sound effects that sound as if they were ripped

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

from a second-rate Las Vegas nightclub act. Scrap those and start over. Secondly, where is the halftime entertainment? Whether it’s students or little kids shooting baskets for a t-shirt or a free pizza, it’s more entertaining for the fans than watching the clock tick down. Finally, get a designated student section. Put CCSU students in their own section and let them be the mouthpiece of the crowd. Visiting teams will have to face an even tougher environment if the students team up with the band.

The sports department here at The Recorder consists of just two people. Clearly there is not much of an interest in writing about sports, but there should be an interest in supporting and attending them. This doesn’t mean just the men’s basketball team deserves support. This is a call for you to go to a women’s basketball game. They’ve improved vastly over last year. Go to Kaiser Hall and see the swimming and diving team defend their NEC Championship. Get out to a hockey game and support the Blue Devils as they head into a pivotal stretch in the new semester. This school’s teams are good. Get out and see them.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / SPORTS

Pick Your Poison

NFL Predictions for Week 10

Well the finish line is in sight but we still don’t have clear front runner in our Pick Your Poison competition. It may be safe to say that Kyle Dorau will live up to his title as Sports Editor this year but we are far from reaching a decision on which one of our contestants will take home our prize. It was hard for anyone to pull away this week as eight competitors scored nine picks or better with no one exceeding 11 for the week. Only one pick separates our top contenders Kevin Petruzielo, Anthony Gonsalves and Carey Brimmer. This is your last week to show your metal on the Pick Your Poison leader board so everyone needs to keep those picks coming and if you have any comments or questions email us at ccsurecorder@gmail.com.

Peter Collin

Kyle Dorau Sports Editor

Associate Layout Editor

Entertainment Editor

San Diego

Managing Editor

Oakland at San Diego Jacksonville at Chicago

Edward Gaug

Nick Viccione

Chicago

Jacksonville

Chicago

Minnesota at Detroit

Minnesota

Detroit

Minnesota

Houston at Green Bay

Green Bay

Cleveland at Tennessee Cincinnati at Indianapolis Atlanta at New Orleans

Tennessee

Indianapolis

Atlanta

New Orleans

N.Y. Giants

Kansas City at Denver

Denver

Miami at Buffalo

Buffalo

Miami

Buffalo

Philadelphia at N.Y. Giants

N.Y. Jets at San Francisco New England at Seattle

N.Y. Jets

New England

St. Louis at Arizona

Arizona

Dallas at Pittsburgh

Dallas

Pittsburgh

Dallas

Washington at Baltimore

Baltimore

Washington

Tampa Bay at Carolina

Carolina

Tampa Bay

Carolina

Pick of the Week

This Week’s NFL Prediction Leader Board

Chicago def. Jacksonville The Bears were simply embarrassed by the Vikings on Sunday night. Kyle Orton was finally brought back down to earth after throwing 206 consecutive passes without an interception when he threw three in the second half. Chicago will be looking for redemption and Soldier Field is a hostile place in December.

Rank

Name

Total Points

Current Week

Kyle Dorau

124

Kevin Petruzielo

117

Anthony Gonsalves

117

Carey Brimmer

116

Nick Viccione

114

Gary Berman

113

Ed Gaug

111

Ryan Kennedy

108

Peter Collin

100

Marc Chouinard

Edward Homick

Alex Waters

Melissa Traynor

Detroit def. Minnesota Call me cocky, call it hubris, but for me, I call it a gut instinct. And as we’ve seen this season, my gut instincts are right more often than not.

Pittsburgh def. Dallas After watching the Steelers dismantle Matt Cassel and the Patriots last week, it is very hard to pick against the black and gold. Here is to hoping we get to see Troy Polamalu completely ruin T.O.’s season and stupid grin.

Washington def. Baltimore After a disappointing and emotional loss at the hands of the Giants, I look for the Redskins to bounce back and cool off the Ravens who have been playing well lately.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / SPORTS

Blue Devils on the Rebound Continued from page 16

Freshman Robby Ptacek added a career-high 18 in just his fifth collegiate game, providing some much needed relief with Horton on the bench. “That just made us work harder,” said Ptacek. “We all just had to step up and do the right thing.” Thompson also posted a careerhigh, notching 11 assists while playing a team-high 37 minutes. “We ask Shemik to do a lot,” said Dickenman. “He just goes out and does the best he can.” The sophomore point guard also had three steals, tying his career high. Another solid game from David Simmons did not go overlooked by the Central coach. “Dave Simmons got numbers we would expect him to get,” said Dickenman. “He did a nice job offensively.” He may not have had the most points, but he certainly had the loudest. With 5:35 to go, he threw down a thunderous dunk in the face of a Lafayette player and drew a foul in the process. He had nine rebounds and eight points. Ptacek helped build an early lead, with 13 of his 18 points coming in the first half. The Blue Devils trailed 4-2 just two and a half minutes into the game, before exploding on a 17-1 run. Their lead would quickly dissipate and be cut to just four at the half. It would disappear early in the second half, as Central began to play sloppy and fell behind by as many as three points. “We turned the ball over way too much,” said Ptacek. Central’s problems holding onto their sizeable early lead were

largely due to Horton’s presence on the bench in foul trouble. The sophomore forward played just 12 minutes in the first half, and felt compelled to make up for lost time in the second frame. “When you come back in from sitting, you have the fouls on your mind,” said Horton. “You can’t let that affect you.” Despite the fouls, Dickenman was still proud of Horton’s effort. “We need to get the ball in his hands a little bit more,” he said. “Good things happen when he has the ball.” Despite playing just 24 minutes – only two thirds of his average playing time – he still managed seven rebounds and four blocks in addition to his 20 points. He was 5-5 from the free throw line and was economical with his shots, going 7-9 from the field. While Dickenman was complimentary of Horton’s effort, he warned about the dangers of foul trouble. “We can’t get into foul problems, because we don’t have as much depth as we would like,” he said. Three players for Central scored in double digits, including Hall who had 11 points. “I was proud of Aaron,” said Dickenman. “After the Colgate game he was down, but he kept working.” Hall hit double figures in points for the second straight contest. Jeff Kari of Lafayette led all scorers with 23 points. CCSU goes on the road to face Delaware on Wednesday, with game coverage locally on ESPN Radio 1410 and 1300 at 7 p.m. The team returns home to face defending Northeast Conference champions Mount St. Mary’s at 2 p.m. on Saturday. It is the first conference game of the season, and the only one until January.

Freshman Robby Ptacek scored nine of his 18 points from beyond the arc.

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

CCSU Defeats Bearcats Continued from page 16

“He’s the best athlete on the team,” said CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman. “He’s sometimes very electrifying.” He tied a career-high with 13 points and added six rebounds.

Binghamton big man Jaan Montgomery presented a problem for the Blue Devils on paper, as nobody can match up to the 6’11” senior in terms of height, but Central sophomore David Simmons, listed at just

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

6’5”, dominated the Bearcats’ senior center. At the half, Simmons had eight rebounds to Montgomery’s two. “He plays as hard as anyone,” said Dickenman. “He doesn’t try to do things he can’t do.” Shemik Thompson was another player who struggled early but came along as the game wore on. At the half, he was just 1-5 for shooting and had three turnovers compared to just one assist. By the end of the game, he had ten assists and two steals. Three-pointers were a crucial aspect of the game, with Central dominating from beyond the arc on both sides of the ball. The Blue Devils made six three-pointers, while Binghamton went 0-19 from threepoint range. “It was a fun game from our point of view,” Dickenman said. “We defended the three, obviously very well when they miss nineteen in a row.” Joe Seymore, who struggled the last game he played at Detrick Gym, came out firing, hitting back-to-back three pointers in the first half, part of his 14 points on the night. He led the Blue Devils with four of their nine steals. While happy with the team’s victory as evidenced by an ear-to-ear grin throughout the post-game press conference, he explained that there was still room for improvement. “We were still a little sloppy on our passing,” Seymore said. “Our offense still has to get a lot better.” As the game got out of hand, some of the bench players received playing time. Chris Baskerville, Kyle Desmarais and Ross Pentland all scored the first buckets of their CCSU careers.

Left: Sophomore Aaron Hall goes up for two of his 13 points. Right: Ken Horton tied his careerhigh with seven blocks.

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / SPORTS

[

“Good things happen when he has the ball.” - Howie Dickenman on Ken Horton

]

Edward Gaug / The Recorder

10 THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Entertainment It’s not every day that a sign of the apocalypse in music comes to fruition. You would be hard pressed to find a rock fan who doesn’t know the fairy tales of Axl Rose and his album that has been worked on for the better part of two decades. Recently, people around the world let out a simultaneous ‘huh?’ when they heard that Chinese Democracy would finally be released. I’m not a huge Guns ‘N Roses fan by any stretch, but if I was one, I would be a little bit annoyed that Rose ruined the band and waited this long to put out new material. For this reason, Chinese Democracy is bound to disappoint people right from the start. To make this record happen, Rose recruited a laundry list of musicians to play and record

in the band. This includes Buckethead, Robin Finck, Tommy Stinson and Bumblefoot. It’s fun to listen to the songs and pick out which guitarist is doing what sections. If you only give this album a shot for one reason, let it be for hearing Buckethead’s guitar work with a vocalist; it’s worth it. Rose’s voice has been a hot topic ever since he stepped into the spotlight. Some people hate the raspy wails that he lets loose, others love it. If you were hoping for a drastic change in vocal performance, you’re out of luck. Rose highlights his experienced songwriting ability throughout the entire album. Massive amounts of ideas and small intricacies are thrown into every recording; something new to hear each time you give it a spin. Chinese Democracy doesn’t have a “November Rain” or a “Paradise City”. Thankfully though, it does have “Better” and “There Was a Time” – phenomenal composi-

tions. Unfortunately, not every song really catches your attention. I don’t agree that the Guns ‘N Roses name is attached seeing as how at least 17 musicians have contributed, but when it comes down to it, Chinese Democracy is still a great Axl Rose album. If you’re not sure what kind of music you want to listen to, Chinese Democracy can come in handy. Styles range from blues to hard rock, with a healthy dose of industrial thrown in. If you can get over the fact that this album is a 17-year project, you’re in good shape to enjoy it. Sebastian Bach has been noted saying that this is part one of a trilogy, so we haven’t heard the last of Axl Rose.

necessary on this album, and that seems to be just the way Architect planned it. The vocal content varies from song to song, with some songs focusing on the conspiracy and the ill-fated state of this nation, while others take a more standard hardcore route, with topics like brotherhood and tour companionship along with an inspiring group vocal snippet in the song “Lamplighter”; “We walk these miles one step at a time / We face these trials one day at a time / We move these mountains with certainty / Fuck tomorrow, live for today /I would rather burn out than fade away.” I’d be lying if I said that when I listen to that song I do not get the urge to punch a kitten right in the face. And to me, anytime I get the inkling to decimate something adorable when I am listening to music, I consider that a successful album. Calm down, PETA, no kittens were harmed in the writing of this review.

The first disc of the album, however, gives you Beyoncé’s more soulful side. With songs like “If I Were A Boy” and “Ava Maria”, Knowles once again proves her ability to rock you with her vocals and charm. The first disc is on an entirely new level, giving you songs you would not expect an artist like her to sing. In fact, you find that the sounds are similar to those of pop and rock sensation Celine Dion.

your contemplating getting this album, go get it! You wont regret it. There is a little bit of something on there for everybody to enjoy.

Guns ‘N Roses Chinese Democracy Geffen Records November 23, 2008

Photo: George Chin

Deerhunter Microcastle Kranky Records October 28, 2008

No, Christopher Walken and Jon Voight did not form a band together. In fact Deerhunter, led by consummate introvert Bradford Cox, has much less to do with anything from the 1970s and much more to do with the right here and now. Their sound is a mashup of grunge and acid rock with just a little bit of pop thrown in to allow for hooks, and though influences are intermittently obvious, most of their work remains a unique, if a bit inconsistent, experience. Not fun enough to rock you or pretty enough to move you, Deerhunter’s new release, Microcastle, is an album to be admired from a distance and if that sounds like a rather backhanded compliment, that’s because it is. The best tracks, such as “Never Stops” and “Nothing Ever Happened”, sound like Pavement if they’d smoked more weed, but many of the songs, especially in the middle of the album, somehow seem interesting while at the same time falling flat. The subtlety of the songs is undeniable, but in many respects that’s like saying that the subtleties of a walk on the beach are undeniable; at some point they just blend together.

Regardless, Microcastle is anything but safe. Deerhunter loads the songs with reverb and fuzz that never overpower the melodies and there’s enough absorbing experimentation and track diversity to keep things unpredictable. With more of an attitude the album could’ve been much more, but like an attractive but alienated intellect who sits alone at lunch, it remains distinctly unapproachable. P.J. Decoteau / Staff Writer

A few issues back, I conducted an interview with Keith, lead vocalist of Syracuse, N.Y.based metal band Architect. We spoke briefly about their new record which would be released at the end of November entitled Ghost of the Salt Water Machines. He sent me a leaked version of the album when I did that interview, but to keep things timely, I had to wait until now to review it. I have been licking my lips for a month. Ghost of the Salt Water Machines is vintage Architect. It is not technical, but for God’s sake it hits harder than most bands that try to go over the top with technicality. The production of GOTSM is pinpoint immaculate throughout. The vocals stand out as the most bruising aspect of the music, and no Keith did not pay me to say that. The drums and guitar work is rudimentary, with the guitars focusing mostly on bar chords and southern dare I say, Pantera-esque riffage while the drumming is standard. There is nothing un-

Architect Ghost of the Saltwater Machines Metal Blade Records November 25, 2008

Nick viccione / Entertainment Editor

Eighteenyear-old country star Taylor Swift has recently hit record stores with her second album, Fearless. With her hit song “Love Story”, she tells a story of unrequited love that survives against all odds. It’s just a story along the lines of Romeo and Juliet, but the good news is they get to be together in the end. Although “Love Song” turns out perfect, many of her songs do not. From tracks “White Horse” to “Change”, her lyrics differ far from a happy ending. She clearly is going through a rough patch in her love life, but her lyrics are like her therapy. They are her diary screaming out loud. They also reflect her family life and take a trip down the memory lane of her childhood. Because she writes her own songs, all of them are very retrospective and introspective. She lets you into her head and heart and floods the music with lyrics that send a message of emotion. Overall, if you enjoy upbeat country music that tells a roller coaster story of crazy teenage love and loss, pick up her CD.

Taylor Swift Fearless Big Machine Records November 11, 2008

Susan Kondracki / Staff Writer

Beyoncé I am...Sasha Fierce Columbia Records November 18, 2008

A while back, Beyoncé introduced the world to a character, better yet a personality, who we never thought we would really get familiar with. Sasha Fierce is the name of the alter ego, which is adopted by Beyoncé when she is performing on stage. As cliché as it sounds, Beyonce decided that she would put this character in the forefront by releasing an album that allows her listeners to get to know this persona a little better. In 2003, Dangerously in Love earned Beyoncé five Grammy awards in a single night. Following that release came B’Day, which had great commercial success nationally and internationally and left her as an American music icon. Now lets see what will happen with her new two-disc album, I am… Sasha Fierce.

If you’re not really into that then don’t worry because the second half of the album will not disappoint you. We are given the Beyoncé that we all love, or should I say Sasha Fierce, that we all got when she was “Crazy in Love”. Beyoncé gets really sexy and in your face again with songs like “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”, a song glorifying women being “wifed-up” and “diva”, calling on all ladies to step up their, “female hustle game”. If that doesn’t do it for you, wait until she tells you why you should have a videophone.

Mike Theodore / Special to The Recorder

Kanye West 808’s and Heartbreak Roc-A-Fella Records September 16, 2008

It all started with The College Dropout, everyone’s favorite music of its time due to the rebellious “I don’t care” nature of the album. Then came Late Registration, an album similar to the first, however a little bit more conscious of its words and themes. Finally, we had Graduation, symbolizing a complete evolution in production, lyrics, and swagger for Kanye West. Now that the tentime Grammy award winning Kanye West is done taking us to school, he gives us 808’s and Heartbreak, an album completely comprised of melodic tones through electronic voice alterations and beats similar to something out of an old video game, only with some 808s, bass, and the T-Pain/ auto-tune effect, of course. However, the album is by far West’s best work ever, showing that is okay to be an artist, musician, rapper and a bit personal at the same time; that its okay to experiment with new sounds to keep yourself relevant. With head nodding mellow tunes such as “Love Lockdown” and “Heartless”, this album will have you rocking to it and interpreting some of hip -hop’s best work. You may be wondering why Kanye west would decide to do an album totally with a lot less rapping and more singing, well no one really knows. We can only assume that the death of his mother, Donda West, in November of 2007, his constant hunger for spiritual growth, and incredibly large ego, we can only expect nothing but the something new and innovative from Mr. West. So if you’re thinking that the album is totally slow and collective, there are a few great upbeat tracks such as “Robocop” and “Amazing” to give along with the voices of Young Jeezy and Lil Wayne to give the album a small edge. So if

Mike D’Avino / Staff Writer

Mike Theodore / Special to The Recorder

Toby Keith That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy Show Dog Nashville Records October 28, 2008

After the first run through of That Don’t Make Me a Bad Guy I had to re-listen to older Toby Keith songs to remember what made me a fan of him to begin with. The joke here is that this CD makes him a bad guy. Every song has been done before, and been done better. Every song echoes another performer: Brad Paisley, Tim McGraw, Sara Evans and Lonestar, except just not as well. Not that this is a surprise, sooner or later country had to run out of fresh ideas, but it would make them more enjoyable if they were sung in a new way. I don’t mean to hate on Toby Keith completely, there are a lot of songs he did really well. It’s just this CD. The single “She Never Cried In Front of Me” is just missing the mark of moving and brings the listener back to the stereotype of the unknowing, unperceptive male. It’s a ballad of the “coulda woulda shoulda”, which country is full of, but Keith has done this before and he should leave it to the whiners of country, namely Rascal Flatts. Keith is a big guy with a deep voice, not the sort who should be crying over not seeing the signs. The track “Cabo San Lucas” is like listening to the beating of a dead horse. Keith has a whole CD dedicated to songs with an island appeal; it’s called “Stays in Mexico”. The tequila and beach theme is done, Mr. Keith, let it lie there and stay dead. Maybe if someone who had never heard Toby Keith before bought this CD they might enjoy it. To those who have heard Toby Keith before, save your money or buy the greatest hits. Brittany Selvaggi / Staff Writer

ews g album revi Sick of readin of? d ar he s e ha of bands no on

sted in writers intere d is looking for heavily covere The Recorder not already ic. sic in genres and electron B, R& p, -ho reviewing mu h as hip suc , per pa ws in the ne ’re you If . wspaper d with the ne om. to get starte der@gmail.c A great way at ccsurecor us ail e-m ase interested ple

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

SHOW PREVIEW Ra Ra Riot in Northampton, Mass.

Photo: IGN.com

Good Plot Makes ‘Chrono Trigger’ for DS a Must-have Tyler Thomas

The Independent Collegian University of Toledo

(U-WIRE) - Back in the day, the Super Nintendo was the greatest system ever made for the role-playing genre. A decade later, this still holds true, as it gave people some of the best games to ever come out, such as “Secret of Mana” and the newly re-released “Chrono Trigger.” Having already been released for Playstation, fans will be pleased to know this is by far the best version of “Chrono Trigger” - so far, that is. Chrono is a boy who decides to go to the fair one day to see his friend Lucca’s new invention, a time machine. Along the way he bumps into a girl, Marle, who he helps and thus, the adventure begins. When Chrono tests Lucca’s time machine, everything is okay, as he successfully teleports from one machine to the next. However, when Marle enters the teleporter, her pendant reacts and she is thrown into a vortex where she disappears. Chrono, being the main character and hero, takes her pendant and steps into the machine to save her. He teleports back in time nearly 400 years to a time when monsters roam the earth. After searching through a mountain and a forest, he emerges near a castle only to see Marle standing in front of him dressed as a queen. Yes, you guessed it, the beautiful girl that Chrono was escorting around the fair was really the princess of his time. The reunion is short-lived, as Marle dissolves into thin air after talking with Chrono for a few seconds. Lucca shows up and confirms what players already know about Marle and they are off to save her. It turns out the real queen of this time era was kidnapped, and if they don’t find her, Marle will not exist in the future.

Remakes

The Modern Plague

Photo: MoviePulp

This is only the beginning of the story line. Once players progress through the game, there are multiple characters and several other ventures to explore. Among them are a strange frog, aptly named Frog, a cavewoman named Ayla and finally a robot named Robo. The amazing thing about “Chrono Trigger” is, for the most part, players can select any character during the game. Every character has strengths and weaknesses that you will need to learn to be able to play efficiently. For example, both Lucca and Marle have weak physical attacks but the second strongest magic power in the game. Ayla can’t use magic, but has the strongest physical attacks in the game. Because he is the hero, Chrono has equal strength and magic power. As an added bonus, toward the end of the game there is a hidden character who was also in the previous versions of the game and can be recruited. Players are given a choice to spare him or kill him. Sparing him lets you recruit him, while killing him gives you a different ending for a certain character. It’s hard not to spoil who it is, but allowing him to live grants you the best magic user in the game with the strongest spells. The DS version of “Chrono Trigger” adds a little bit onto the previous versions with a new dungeon that is unlocked near the end of the game. The dungeon isn’t essential, but it does give fans a new area to explore. Also added were cut scenes featured throughout the game at key moments, the first when you find Robo. While the scenes are normally short, they do add a little bit of fun to the game. Critic’s Conclusion: There is nothing that can fault this outstanding game. There are multiple reasons as to why this is one of the best games of all time in the role-playing genre. Go charge up your DS, find your stylus, and get ready for a lengthy adventure. Just try not to get stuck in a time where they don’t have an AC outlet so you can charge up your system before a long ride. Michael Walsh Staff Writer

Haven’t people these days heard the saying “Don’t fix what’s not broken”? On what seems to be a week-by-week basis Hollywood gives the green light to a new remake. While the concept of remaking films is certainly not new, it has become a disturbingly tired and trendy occurrence. No film is safe in this modern era of filmmaking categorized by countless remakes that double as cheap money grabbers. Everything is at risk of being remade – from science fiction classics such as The Day the Earth Stood Still to smaller films with strong cult followings such as The Crazies. In the past few months remakes have gone too far. Quarantine attempted to become one of the quickest remakes in recent history as it remade the superior 2007 Spanish film [REC]. This brings up remake type number one: the foreign language film made American. Other countries don’t do this. This type of remake is by far the most pointless of the bunch. Ninety-five percent of the Americanized versions are far inferior. The horror genre is especially to blame for the recent increase in this. For some unknown reason an inferior version of The Ring just had to be created four years after the initial film was released. Ripping foreign films from the cultures and subtexts they come from spell disaster for the finished American product.

Photo: Sarah Cass

Edward Gaug

There is not a better feeling for a music snob than being able to say they’ve seen a band play a small venue before they got big. Being able to say you’ve seen them three times in a week is an absurd idea, unless you followed Ra Ra Riot around to their three small venue shows in Connecticut this past winter. The Syracuse, N.Y.-based quintet played a trio of packed, yet intimate shows in New Haven and Middletown earlier this year before they signed with Barsuk Records in Washington state and released the acclaimed debut album The Rhumb Line late this summer. For those of you unfamiliar with Ra Ra Riot, they mix intelligent indie-rock instrumentals with John Pike’s smooth, almost swooning vocals that make you sway back and forth in your chair at every listen. There is something relaxing about Ra Ra Riot that makes every listen amazing and they play perfectly in the small venue atmosphere.

While Ra Ra Riot won’t provide music that you will want to drunkly dance to, they will give you a solid 60 minutes of catchy pop music, wrapped in classic rock instrumentals that incorporate a small string section of cello and violin. Despite signing the record label deal, Ra Ra Riot is continuing to play the small show (after playing the summer festival circuit) and this Friday they will play the Iron Horse Music Hall in Northampton, Mass, a venue that holds no more than 200 at full capacity and provides one of the most personal, up-close shows of any other local venue in the area. For a total of 25 dollars, you can escape New Britain on a Friday night with a few friends and check out the next big band to hit the indierock scene in a venue that will provide more intimacy than any other show you will go to this year. Do yourself a favor and check these guys (and two gorgeous girls) out this Friday night. For a sneak preview of what you can expect, visit Ra Ra Riot’s MySpace at : www.myspace.com/rarariot

Earlier this month it was announced that Will Smith and Steven Spielberg would be taking part in a remake of the 2003 Korean film Oldboy. Recently, Smith noted that the film wouldn’t be a remake as much as it is a reworking of the original material. Without the success of the initial release Spielberg wouldn’t dare delve into such dicey and taboo material. Oldboy, one of the best films this decade, is one third of director Chan-wook Park’s revenge trilogy. All three films embody a visual style personal to Park and performances that will be remembered for quite some time. Oldboy isn’t exactly a pleasant film. The film is as twisted as they come. I, for one, can’t even begin to envision how household names like Will Smith and Steven Spielberg will even begin to handle the source material. Not all remakes are bastardized gifts from the devil. John Carpenter’s The Thing is an example of how remakes, if necessary, should be done. Pairing a director like John Carpenter with a project like that is an example of a match made in heaven. Carpenter’s updated version and the original Howard Hawk’s production differ in terms of plot and style. I much prefer remakes that are the new director’s personal vision. Shot by shot remakes are extremely pointless and unnecessary. I still can’t believe someone allowed Gus Van Sant to remake Psycho. Another type of popular remake is the updating of one of our own classics. As referenced to earlier, The Day the Earth Stood Still remake

is being released this December. Rigid and awful as always, Keanu Reeves is set to play the iconic role of Klaatu that Michael Rennie immortalized more than 50 years ago. As if things couldn’t get worse for the project, director Scott Derrickson’s most notable film is The Exorcism of Emily Rose. Oh boy, I can’t wait. Year after year films fall off the never-should-be-remade list. Searching for a list of film remakes on Wikipedia says it all: “Due to the size of this page, the main listing has been split into two sections”. I’ll give any film a chance. I realize some remakes are the result of a director wanting to pay tribute to one of their favorite films or directors. The best way that can be done is to concoct an original film in the same vein as the directors you were influenced by, not from replicating their style or work. I’d recommend avoiding most remakes like the plague. If by chance the film you’re going to waste $10 on at the local cinema is a remake you should save your money and support the original. Remakes have the potential of ruining American cinema by sucking all originality out of films. Alright, maybe I’m overreacting a bit, but that doesn’t hide the fact that remakes are awful more often than not. I’d just like Hollywood to slow down a bit. I know it’s hard, but put the thoughts of piles of green money aside for a moment and think about what you’re doing to the industry you supposedly love. Each new remake is just another proverbial nail in the coffin of originality.

Associate Layout Editor

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / ENTERTAINMENT

CALENDAR WEEK OF DECEMBER 3

MUSIC 12.3 Kira Kira Dygn, Belly Boat and The Files and Fires @ The Space Hamden, Conn. 7 p.m. / $8 12.4 Mike Doughty @ The Space Hamden, Conn. 7 p.m. / $20 Mike Doughty’s new album, Golden Delicious, is a loose-limbed, freewheeling set that brings all the aspects of his singular muse together in one smart, humorous and eloquent package. Doughty’s last offering, 2005’s Haughty Melodic, was a sprawling, expansive set that took years to produce. On Golden Delicious, Doughty hewed close to his “dude theory” – the idea of making a relaxed record that sounds like a bunch of dudes playing music for the pure joy of playing. It was cut with his touring band: keyboardist John Kirby, drummer Pete McNeal, and bass player Andrew “Scrap” Livingston, who moved over to guitar for the recording process. Semisonic’s John Munson sat in on bass and recent Grammy winner Dan Wilson (Semisonic, Jewel, Dixie Chicks) returned as producer. 12.5 Boris Growing and Clouds @ Heirloom Arts Theatre Danbury, Conn. 7 p.m. / $12 Growing is a drone music/ambient music band formed in Olympia, Washington, and currently based in Brooklyn, New York. The group was founded in 2001 by Kevin Doria (electric bass guitar), Joe Denardo (electric guitar), and Zack Carlson (drums). Carslon left following their first album, and the band has continued as a duo since then. They play slow, instrumental rock with elements of noise and ambient music. Their live shows are known for being very loud, playing straight through their set without break or pause; the bassist generally plays with his back to the audience, and the guitarist generally plays seated on a chair, much like members of kindred spirits Spacemen 3 did. They have released albums on labels such as Kranky, Animal Disguise, Archive, Megablade/Troubleman, and they are currently on The Social Registry. 12.5 Ra Ra Riot So Many Dynamos @ Iron Horse Music Hall Northampton, Mass. 10 p.m. / $13 So Many Dynamos represents the ever more beautiful evolution of common music into something inherently interesting and cool. Unlike other bands that are attempting the same metamorphosis, SMD succeeds in bridging the gap, maintaining singable and danceable material, while bringing so much more intelligent interplay to the table. They lie somewhere between Weezer and Q And Not U; using radio friendly rhythms that change in the moment and widen the songs into multiple layers, while the vocals dance around, crisp and meaningful. - Hybrid Magazine 12.6 Constantines Tim Fite @ Heirloom Arts Theatre Danbury, Conn. 7 p.m. / $12 Shine a Light is Constantines’ second full-length and first for Sub Pop (Three Gut continues as the band’s home north of the border). And the new record is ambitious, combining a steady diet of ‘90s DC rock (like a Joe Strummerfronted Fugazi, it’s been suggested), with dubinflected bass, blue-eyed soul and a fundamental punk, anytime/anywhere aesthetic (perhaps best described by drummer Doug MacGregor as, “Like an unwelcome mix of a Memphis Clash and breakneck dub”).

12.9 Don Caballero Bloarzeyd @ Cafe Nine New Haven, Conn. $8 On Dec. 9, Manic Productions presents legendary Relapse Recording artists Don Caballero, mathy and heavy innovative rock impresarios. Once described as “what an M.C. Escher drawing would sound like if made into music,” Don Cab recordings often feature complex, multisectioned works loosely tied by unorthodox time and inside-out riffs. Spanning the same universe of excellence are New Haven duo Bloarzeyd who also join the bill.

FILM 12.3, 12.4 Religulous @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. No longer the love (of reason) that dare not speak it’s name here in God-friendly America, secularism gets a hilarious boost in the new film by director Larry Charles (Borat, “Curb Your Enthusiasm”). Comedian Bill Maher (“Politically Incorrect”), who is the product of a Catholic father and a (secretly) Jewish mother, goes on a world tour to ask believers about the quirkier details of their faith. Thankfully there is no shortage of material, as he not-so-innocently questions “Jesus” at a Christian theme park, “formerly gay” evangelicals, a Muslim rapper, Scientologists, the prophet Rael and a Senator who believes in the Rapture. “Bill Maher would have been burned at the stake if his hellishly hilarious satire on organized religion had played the Inquisition.” – Peter Travers, Rolling Stone. Through 12.4 Anita O’Day: Life of a Jazz Singer @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 5:30, 7:30 p.m. / $6.25 This is the definitive documentary on the life of the legendary vocalist. This film portrait captures all the magic that took this sly Chicago native, a girl who could hold her own against Billie and Ella, from Gene Krupa’s bandstand to solo stardom. 12.5, 12.6 Changeling @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 7:30 p.m. Angelina Jolie stays perfectly in character as Christine Collins, a single mother and telephone-company supervisor in 1928 Los Angeles whose nine-year-old son is kidnapped and who then has to suffer the humiliation of the L.A.P.D.’s trying to force her to accept a lookalike as a substitute. Clint Eastwood directed with extraordinary control--the mood and tone and lighting are precise. There’s also a creepy subplot about a mass murderer in the desert, one of whose victims may be the missing boy. John Malkovich plays an impersonally benevolent Presbyterian minister who helps Christine. J. Michael Straczynski’s screenplay is based on a true story. 12.5, 12.6 Viva @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 9:10 p.m. / $6.25 “A startlingly pitch-perfect reproduction of the kind of gauzy sex movies from the 1960s and early 1970s that preceded the hard-core revolution.” Manhola Dargis, New York Times A suburban housewife in 1972 is abandoned by her husband. She goes out to find herself in the middle of the swinging sexual revolution. Viva is a satirical commentary on the icons of the playboy-era sexual revolution and a tribute to the best of exploitation cinema.

12.5 – 8, 10, 11 A Thousand Years of Good Prayers @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 5:30, 7:20 p.m. / $6.25 A Chinese man travels to America to visit his estranged daughter after her recent divorce. Though his trip starts off as a mission to see his daughter remarry, he meets an Iranian woman who, despite their language barrier, captures his heart. 12.7-9 Ashes of Time Redux @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. 2:30 p.m. Because Wong Kar Wai knew that his 1994 reinvention of the martial arts epic deserved to be rescued from obscurity, he tracked down original negatives, restored the picture and the sound, re-edited and even added a new score by Wu Tong. While critics expecting the standard Hong Kong wuxia flick didn’t get it, fans of Wong Kar Wai’s movies (In the Mood for Love, Chungking Express) have a major treat in their future: an insanely gorgeous film about a solitary swordsman for hire (Leslie Cheung), who rarely leaves the desert where he seeks Zen serenity. “Should dazzle those who have only seen it on videotape, badly transferred DVD or – gasp – bootleg. This is an experience for the big screen!” – Michael Koretsky, Indiewire.

Kira Kira is on thumb piano, musix box, guitar, glockenspiel and laptop. And she’s playing The Space on Dec. 3rd.

ART Through 1.4.09 Archaeology of Wonder @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. Central to the concept of the exhibition is the symbolic significance of archaeology: Freud used archaeological excavation as a metaphor for the process of remembering experiences in therapy. Indeed, such language has worked its way into our daily parlance; we often speak of “unearthing” facts and memories. Archaeology of Wonder posits questions about the way we use artifacts and art to approach those relationships to the past that are difficult to pin down, yet evoke inescapable reactions in the mind of the viewer, thus linking them to the world of wonder.

Ra Ra Riot is supporting their debut album The Rhumb Line at the Iron Horse Music Hall.

12.4 Carol Padberg’s Face Value @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. 6 p.m. By using fragments of found typography to take apart and put back together language, Padberg creates visual improvisations. She often chooses materials that create a tension between the flat graphic voice of type and the fluidity of paint and handwriting. Sometimes comical, sometimes minimal, these images ask questions about design, nonverbal language, and the modernist lineage of abstract painting. Through 1.4.09 First Doubt: Optical Confusion in Modern Photography @ Yale University Art Gallery New Haven, Conn. 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. / Free Celebrating a major gift of over 200 photographs from the collection of Allan Chasanoff ’61, the exhibition explores the seldom-discussed phenomenon of optical confusion in photography. Drawn from the Chasanoff Collection as well as from the gallery’s permanent collection, “First Doubt” features approximately 100 photographs taken by a diverse array of 20th-century photographers. Seen together, they reveal the interpretive nature of the lens and the interpolative nature of the photograph.

Bill Maher is still politically incorrect.

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

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / ADVERTISEMENT

MUSIC

14 THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

Lifestyles Pulp Art Revisited at Chen Gallery Hale Yalincak Staff Writer

Marissa Blaszko / The Recorder

Christian Ayala displays “The Vice Snakes” at this year’s Art Educators Exhibit in Chen Gallery.

Art Ed Majors On Display Marissa Blaszko Opinion Editor

The Art Educators Exhibit, which will feature the best work of Central’s graduating art education majors, opens December 5. As with most events hosted in the Chen Gallery, CCSU students and faculty planning on attending the event can look forward to free food, wine and live music. “It’s a good idea for people to see an art ed show,” said Christian Ayala, a senior art education major. “A lot of people think that art educators don’t do their own personal work and focus more on teachers.” Ayala, who will be spending next semester student-teaching, is looking forward to graduating from Central and beginning one of two possible careers. Although he has been studying education for several years at CCSU, most of his art reflects another passion of his – tattooing. “I’ve been studying tattoo art for about six years and I really want to be an artist one day,” he said. Besides using classic tattoo imagery, Ayala has moved away from pen and ink to working with color-saturated markers and colored pencils, experimenting and pushing the colors as far as they can go. “I worked on a series on the last six moths called The Vice Snakes,” he said. “It’s basically a piece revolving around the human condition.” One piece depicting a yellow snakes wrapped in a banner proclaiming “addict” is about masochism. Although that may sound gruesome at best, Ayala’s snake is not only made up of vided colors, but it sits on a metallic gold background that’s more regal than obscene. Still, Ayala said, “inevitably, we’re all destroying ourselves and society as a whole.” Another student, Danielle Boulanger, took a softer approach to a similarly serious topic. Boulanger, who said she is obsessed with self portraits, is submitting an abstracted painting of herself. “It forces yourself to look at yourself, and I’m not always the most confident person,” she said. “The fact that you like one of

your self portraits is kind of ironic if you have a self-image problem.” A self-described “colorist,” she, like Ayala, pushes color theory to give her work a distinct feeling. Although Boulanger is an artist in her own right, she recognizes that there are differences between art majors and students that will leave Central with a degree in art education. “I think you have to be an artist, but you have to be able to put yourself in someone else’s position and be very empathetic and not expect students to turn themselves into you,” she said. “You have to let them turn themselves into their own artist.” Although the students have yet to see the other work that will be featured in the gallery, many are familiar with each other’s work. “There are a lot of amazing artists,” said Boulanger. “One of my favorite [artists] right now is Maryanne.” Maryanne Donagher, who will be graduating at the end of the semester, has not only been working in ceramics for several years, but has now begun using alternative firing methods to blur the lines between ancient and contemporary art. Donagher will be one of the students showing at the opening that will undoubtedly prove that although they are going into teaching, art educators are artists in their own right. Donagher, who is currently doing her student-teaching semester, admits even she is still constantly trying new things. “It’s really exciting because kind of like the alternative firing methods, you put work in and you never know what’s going to come out. The results are never consistent,” she said. “I’m hoping that my excitement translates through my work and the different techniques.” One example, the Pagan king and queen sculptures that will be shown at the gallery, features an orange color on their bodies – a direct result of flames hitting the clay. Another sculpture, an ox reminiscent of art from the Tang Dynasty, has markings on his face, which happened after the animal sculpture was hit with ash as it left the kiln. The exhibit of these and other art education students who are graduating in the near future opens Friday, Dec. 7, from 4 to 7 p.m. and is on the second floor of Maloney Hall.

Students can revisit pulp magazine classics at the pulp art display at Chen Gallery in Maloney Hall, where collector and lecturer Robert Lesser donated his collection of cover art from the 1940s through the 1960s. The pieces are named pulp art because they were published on very cheap wood pulp paper during their time. The impressive collection includes work by Paul Frank, Rudolf Belarski, Fredric Blakeslee and J. Allen St. John. The magazines on display feature fictional cover art by each of these artists, often times portraying war-like or futuristic themes to accompany the stories. During the time in which these pieces were created, the paintings served as cover art for very inexpensive magazines and comic books created for young adults. “Many original pulp art paintings are no longer available. The artists were producing so many at a time that there literally was no place to store them. So they were simply thrown out,” said gallery director Dr. Cassandra Broadus Garcia. Now pulp art has a larger following and is much more valuable. Today the pieces cost thousands of dollars and are auctioned off by renowned auction houses such as Sotheby’s. Paul Frank’s work, which was mainly published during the 1960s, deals with larger than life insects and plants, as well as life and technology on other planets. The sudden rise in interest of outer space during the 1960s was due to Russian space missions such as the launch of Sputnik and America’s own interest in outer space. Frank’s work was also was featured on the cover of “A City of Mercury” by Henry Gade, and features futuristic skyscrapers on numerous planets in the solar system. In one painting on display at the Chen Gallery small creatures that resemble foxes pop out from around and inside the skyscraper in an eerie science fiction portrayal of the future. The description on the cover of the novel reads, “Mu, capital city of Mercury.”

Other works by Frank include “Magnificent Alien Architecture” a bright painting depicting skyscrapers surrounded by numerous other buildings from the future, and “Marooned in Andromeda,” a novel by Clark Ashton Smith. “Marooned in Andromeda” depicts a chilling seen in which a Venus flytrap is about to eat a man while another creature is trapped by the flytrap waiting for his own fate. Frank’s work is especially colorful and the themes are mainly linked with science fiction. Artist Fredric Blakeslee’s work was published mainly during the 1940s, portrays threats of World War II. Rudolf Belarski’s work is featured as cover art for a story in the “The Thrilling Wonder Series” and also depicts war-like settings. Blakeslee and Belarski’s covers are often very realistic and portray men as heroes. Artist J. Allen St. John’s work was published mainly in the 1900s. His illustrations portray exotic lands and damsels in distress. St. John’s other works include illustrations for “Tarzan: Lord of the Jungle” and “Golden Blood” by Jack Williamson, which displays a man in an exotic desert protecting a belly dancer from danger. The intricate detail involved in all of these works such as the look of horror on the faces of the soldiers in Belarski and Blakeslee’s work or the detail in the architecture of Frank’s work certainly make them a sight to behold. The artist’s use of imagination and real life issues gives these pieces a timeless quality. Each artist calls on their own experiences to make realistic and sometimes not-so-realistic representations of the time in which they were painting. Broadus-Garcia says she finds these paintings captivating because they are timeless. “These themes are still relevant today. They allow the viewer to escape into an imaginative world, and enthrall our imaginations in a very powerful way,” said Broadus- Garcia. Some of his collection can be viewed year long in the New Britain Museum of Art. He is renowned for his expertise on the area of pulp art and his book “Pulp Art: original Cover Paintings for the Great American Pulp Magazines” was recently published.

U. Maryland Class Displays Public Art Tirza Austin

The Diamondback University of Maryland

(U-WIRE) - Bright blue poles now stretch across the lawn outside the University of Maryland Art-Sociology building, leaving some students wondering what they are and where they came from. The “Bridge to Nowhere” is one of five sculptures sprouting up across the campus as part of a new public art class. This semester marks the first time that the art department has offered a class in public art, taught by Foon Sham, a public artist and professor in the art department. The class coordinates with the university to design art in public locations on the campus. “Now they’re on a stage,” Sham said of his students in the class. “They are subject to 35,000 Maryland students. It’s good internal pressure.” The art is commissioned by Facilities Management. Frank Brewer, the associate vice president for Facilities Management, said he approached Sham because university officials thought the campus didn’t have enough public art mixed into the landscape. Sham, who said he really liked the idea, agreed to offer the class every semester. Students will install their artwork at the end of the semester, and it will remain until the end of the next semester when the next class of students will install their artwork at their own selected sites. This semester, 10 students created five art projects in teams of two. Four pieces are already in place: A gateway now sits in the middle of Hornbake Mall, a metal sculpture based off Greco-Roman concepts stands outside of the Eppley Recreation Center, the bridge to nowhere sprawls outside of the Art-Sociology Building and a turbine stands outside of the Kim Engineering Building. The last sculpture to be erected, a bar chart that will be located outside of Van Munching Hall, will be installed next week. There is also a possibility of a project being built

outside of the Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center. “It’s a great opportunity,” junior studio art major Anthony Comes said. “I couldn’t pass it up. It looks great in my portfolio and for graduate school.” Junior design major Tiffany Lin, who created the gateway on Hornbake Mall, said she spent the last five weekends working on her project. She was inspired by visiting college campuses in the Northeast with her brother, many of which had ceremonial gateways for students, she said. “I’ve never done anything at this scale before,” Lin said. “The stuff you usually do [as an art major] is in class, and then a professor usually just critiques it. “ Senior art major Timothy Thompson said he was inspired by the continual debate about the Purple Line, but added he wants his bridge to be open for interpretation. The class simulated the competition of applying to design public statues in the real world. Each of the students submitted an individual proposal and five were selected. Then students were paired up to work on the five projects. The students have learned “the idea of how to compete,” Sham said. The class helped students learn the practical elements of creating art, such as working with budgets, site approval, time management and scheduling, senior architecture major Joe Iwaskiw said. “This will help us as professional sculptures in the future,” Thompson said. “That’s what we want: our art in the public space, being seen.” The students are getting a lot of attention for their work. “Every day,” Comes said, “someone calls me up or sends a text message to say they’ve seen my piece.”

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, December 3, 2008 / LIFESTYLES

Battle for the Best Wings Domino’s Pizza overtakes Wings Over Newington in a surprising victory, while East Side Pizza slides into a miserable last place finish. Edward Gaug

Associate Layout Editor

In the next two weeks you will be sure to find yourselves locked in your dorm room or in the library trying to pound out those last six pages of that term paper and before you know it, the cafe is closed and the student center is nearly empty with no food in sight. What do you do? Pick up that cell phone and order some hot wings. Outside of pizza, there is no food that screams “poor college kid” like wings. They are quick, cheap and always good with a beer or six. While Wings Over Newington is the first place that comes to mind when debating where to get the chicken treat, it is hard to overlook all the pizza places in the area that cook and deliver wings in the same way they would do with pizza, but even faster. To be fair, we ordered from all seven places within a 10-minute period after 9:30 p.m. on a Thursday night and tried to order the same amount of wings from every place, but some places did their wings in sets of 10 and others did it by the dozen. Expect some small discrepancies. In The Recorder’s test of which is the best restaurant to order your late-night wings, we put seven local restaurants up against each other in a battle of who serves up the best wings. All wings ordered were graded on a 1-10 scale based on pure taste alone. Grades were as high as a nine and as a low a two and every grade in between. Taste wasn’t the only factor in our test, we also took into consideration how fast the wings got to us in the student center, one of the most accessible buildings on campus. To our surprise, many of the places had no idea where the student center was and had to be given directions on where to find us. Keep that in mind when order-

Time

Rating

1. Domino’s Pizza

21 min

7.4

2. Wings Over Newington

61 min

6.6

3. Elmer’s Pizza

26 min

6.5

4. Nick’s Pizza

23 min

5.6

5. Pizza Palace

26 min

5.3

6. Tom’s Pizza

28 min

4.5

7. East Side Pizza

43 min

2.5

Name

ing, as well as delivery minimums. Two of the seven places enforced 10-dollar minimums, making the order larger than others. Other than these two restaurants, all orders were under that 10-dollar line, keeping your meal affordable. After most of the 76 hot wings were devoured, we rated our meals and came to a conclusion. The winner of The Recorder’s Wing-Off was Domino’s Pizza. Surprisingly, the fast-food pizzeria delivered the hottest wings with the best sauce. They also made the delivery in just over 30 minutes. Dominos surprised everyone eating by making up for their history of being a lackluster pizza place and becoming the best place to get wings late at CCSU. Following Domino’s was wings mainstay Wings Over Newington, which delivered the biggest wings in the competition. However, their mutant-sized wings couldn’t make up for them taking over an hour to get us our food and because of their tardiness, the wings were lukewarm instead of hot like all the others. Elmer’s on East Street finished up the top tier of contes-

tants with the crispy, sauce-less wings that made them stand out from the crowd of others. A small lack of spice kept Elmer’s from winning this competition, though. In the middle pack of restaurants were Tom’s Pizza, Pizza Palace and Nick’s Pizza who all delivered what we expected from local pizza places in way of wings: nothing spectacular, but edible none the less. All wings were hot, had a decent taste, but provided nothing more than a sub-par experience. Grades ranging from 4.5 to 5.6 were issued, which made them disappear into boring oblivion. Sitting solidly at the bottom of the list is East Side Pizza, not to be confused with East Side Restaurant (amazing German cuisine). East Side’s wings not only tasted awful to the point that it hurt to finish one, but they made the entire office reak. They had a mix of hot and rancid taste that blended awfully with the low quality chicken wing they were starting with. Mostly dark meat and stringy at the same time made East Side the easy pick for being the worst. On

‘Café’ Promotes Green Online Jane Natoli

ideas will help spur green innovation, politics and effect positive changes in our members’ day-to-day living,” Erickson said. But one must think, is a brand new Web Another global warming advocate has popped up in the United States – this time in the site the way to go when existing social networkform of a social networking Web site, www. ing site may be able to provide a much bigger greenlifecafe.com. Organized much like Facebook, this social network has one major difference: its sole purpose is to exchange ideas and views on environmental sustainability. The homepage declares Green Life Café “a free social network to promote sustainable living” and “a place to learn, share and interact with others who share and support ideas for a green lifestyle.” “The way that Green Life Café started was a conversation among four friends that were likeminded people, concerned with the environment and global warming,” said Mark Erickson, co-founder of the Café. He explained that they wanted to find a way to facilitate change in the right direction in the world, and after a number of weeks of discussion, the full idea of a new social networking site audience? One of the biggest Facebook global was born. The site has been available to the public for warming awareness groups, “Join the Fight to about two weeks and already hosts 44 members Stop Global Warming,” began last April and who interact with each other on a much more now hosts 219,367 members from all over the world. personal level than typical Facebook friends. While Green Life Café may not experience Users share information and beliefs on living green and healthy as well as commentary on this kind of rapid member growth, it remains a current events and the occasional argument to Web site with a clear goal and purpose and has convince a non-believer of the dangers of global built a group of members who are committed to their ideals and discuss the environment and warming. “Our goal is that Green Life Café be a place green living habits on a regular basis. where the collective power of our members’ Lifestyles Editor

Erickson is confident that with some search engine optimization and through the nature of social networks, Green Life Cafe will take off as well, and provide a social environment. He hopes members can go to learn about the environment and global warming, share ideas about green living and ultimately be moved to make a difference in their lives by taking action towards helping the world around us. While Erickson acknowledged Facebook and MySpace as wonderful social networks, he envisioned something different for Green Life Café. He said his site is designed to be a “purpose-driven site where people can go there and exchange ideas and lift each other up.” “At the end of the day, Green Life Café is a platform and we will provide tools for our members to facilitate change,” Erickson said of the grass-roots movement. The ultimate goal is to change the way people behave toward the environment and help make the world a better place. Already, Green Life Café members post in-depth messages about their thoughts and beliefs on a range of topics through blogs, forums and even their version of a Facebook “wall”. Unlike Facebook, the content of Green Life Café is open to the public, so anyone can check out the Web site and learn about the environment, even if they aren’t ready to join as a member.

top of terrible was terrible service. East Side took over a half-hour to get their food here. After sampling seven separate kinds of wings, it was easy to determine where the quality is and what places should be avoided when making your late-night snack decision. For The Recorder, it will be Domino’s, Elmer’s and Wings Over Newington.

Have a favorite place to get your wings?

Share your reccomendations with the staff of The Recorder. E-mail us at: ccsurecorder@gmail.com

Sports 12.3

THE RECORDER Wednesday, December 3, 2008

http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder

Crowley and Miller Receive NEC Weekly Honors

Blue Devils on the Rebound CCSU Men’s Basketball Perks Up with Weekend Win

Simmons Named Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player

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Senior Erin Crowley and freshman Mallory Miller became the fourth swimmer and third diver, respectively, to receive Northeast Conference weekly honors for Central Connecticut this season. Both athletes received the accolades for the first time in their respective careers. Crowley won the 500 freestyle, while swimming well in three other events this weekend at the Terrier Invitational. Miller set a personal record for the three-meter dive, posting a score 203. Crowley touched in at 4:56.69 to take first in the 500 free final, but recorded a time of 4:56.53 in the prelim. This gave her a time over four seconds better than any other in the conference. She also placed conference best times in the 50, 100 and 200 freestyle events. Crowley finished fourth in the 200 free, recording a prelim time of 1:52.47 before touching in at 1:53.83 in the finals. The Plainville, Conn. native also took seventh in the 50 free in a time of 24.41 (24.33 prelim time) and swam to a 52.80 in the 100 free for another conference best time. Miller bested her top performance in the three-meter dive event by over 25 points to score a 203 at the Terrier Invitational at Boston University this weekend. She now has the best three-meter score in the conference with her performance this weekend. The meet at BU wrapped up the Blue Devils team competition for 2008. Crowley will be competing at the USA Swimming Short Course Nationals on December 4-7 in Atlanta, Ga. CCSU will return to team action on Sunday January 11 when they take on Vermont and Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass.

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SCORES Women’s Basketball

Sophomore Ken Horton puts an exclamation point on the day’s victory.

Bryant Bulldogs - 64

Blue Devils - 61

Blue Devils - 66 URI Rams - 58 Blue Devils -74 Cornell - 66 Men’s Basketball

Blue Devils - 76 Binghamton Bearcats - 51 Blue Devils - 82

Lafayette Leopards - 78

kyle Dorau Sports editor

With Ken Horton on the bench in foul trouble, a rotating cast of Blue Devils each stepped up their own game to hold down the fort on Sunday. Central Men’s Basketball (2-3) made key free throws down the stretch as they downed the Lafayette Leopards (2-4) 82-78 in front of 1,176 at Detrick Gymnasium.

Central led by as many as 14 at one point, but Lafayette fought back and forced the game to be decided in the final minute. “We survived,” said CCSU head coach Howie Dickenman. “Give a lot of credit to Lafayette. We couldn’t put them away.”

edward Gaug / The recorder

With the game tied at 75 and 2:19 remaining, the Blue Devils defended well down the stretch, forced a key turnover, and sealed the deal with free throws from Horton, Aaron Hall and Shemik Thompson. After the game, Horton referenced what had been learned from the heartbreaking losses of a week before. “We never want to lose like that again,” he said. “Everybody gave us a spark.” The offense was powered by Horton, who contributed 20 points. See Blue Devils Rebound Page 8

CCSU Bounces Binghamton Bearcats kyle Dorau Sports editor

edward Gaug / The recorder

Blue Devils Win Rhody Classic

There were a number of storylines to focus on after Tuesday night’s men’s Basketball game against Binghamton University. Focal points could include interesting individual statistics, a sloppy first half, or CCSU’s offensive explosion in the second half. Yet the only thing that mattered was the fact that Central earned its first win of the season and didn’t have to sweat it out down the stretch. Central Connecticut (1-3) rode a complete team effort to a 76-51 vic-

tory over the Binghamton Bearcats (1-2), ending their losing skid. After dropping three straight games to start the season, two in heartbreaking fashion, the Blue Devils were still trying to find themselves. In a crucial contest right before the players went home for Thanksgiving, the team waited until the second half, but showed what they are capable of when they are firing on all cylinders. Ken Horton led the way with 20 points and 10 rebounds, nearly completing the elusive triple-double by adding seven blocks. He struggled early, like most of his teammates, but

he turned on the afterburners in the second half. “When we came out in the second half, everything started clicking,” said Horton. “Everybody started hitting shots and playing real tough and intense.” Beyond Horton’s performance, the focus of the game quickly became Aaron Hall. His breakout game in a Blue Devils uniform exhilarated the fans at Detrick Gymnasium. His second half included back-to-back baskets and the foul, as well as a breakaway jam that brought the 1,673 in attendance to their feet. See CCSU Defeats Page 8

Central Connecticut (3-3) held off a late Rhode Island (3-3) rally to capture the Rhody Classic championship with a 66-58 win over the host Rams. Tournament MOP Shontice Simmons, who had 23 points in CCSU’s 74-66 win over Cornell, finished with 15 points, six rebounds, five steals and four assists in Saturday’s victory. Sophomores Leanne Crockett and Kerrianne Dugan joined Simmons on the all-tournament team. Crockett had her second double-double of the season, posting career-highs of 20 points and 13 rebounds in the win. Dugan, meanwhile, added 10 points, six rebounds and three assists for the Blue Devils. The Blue Devils raced out to a 16-2 lead, holding URI without a field goal for the game’s first 9:05. Crockett and Simmons each had three-pointers to highlight the Central Connecticut start. A jumper by freshman Lara Gaspar ended the Ram drought and started a 6-0 run. CCSU responded with a 12-4 stretch to take its biggest lead of the half at 28-12. The Blue Devils held their double-digit advantage heading to the break. They led 30-18. Simmons had 10 points and five rebounds to lead all players over the first 20 minutes. Crockett added five points, four rebounds, three assists and two steals for CCSU, which had a 21-19 rebounding edge and held Rhode Island to 7-of-31 shooting. The Rams, who had four players with four points, were also 0-of-7 on threepointers. Central Connecticut pushed its lead back to 18 points, 43-25, at the start of the second half. A threepointer from freshman Gabrielle Oglesby made it 47-28 with just over 11 minutes left on the clock, and the Blue Devils held off a late rally by the Rams to secure the win. The Rhode Island deficit dropped to single-digits with backto-back and-one plays, and senior Ebony Evans scored four points against a Simmons lay-up to make it a 61-54 game with 1:49 left on the clock. URI never got closer the rest of the way. CCSU shot 55.6 percent from the field in the second half to finish the game with a 45.5 percent mark. The Blue Devils out-rebounded Rhode Island, 37-34, and also had 15 assists on 20 baskets. The Rams improved their shooting in the second half, making 15-of-30 shots, but finished the game with just a 36.1 percent effort. Sophomore Megan Shoniker led URI with 17 points. She was named to the all-tournament alongside Bryant junior Kelsey O’Keefe, Cornell junior Lauren Benson, Crockett, Dugan and Simmons. Simmons averaged 19.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 3.0 assists over CCSU’s two wins. Crockett contributed 12.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.0 steals per game, while Dugan chipped in with 13.0 points and 7.5 rebounds per game. The Rhody Classic title is Central Connecticut’s second Thanksgiving time tournament win in the last four seasons. The Blue Devils won the Great Alaska Shootout during the 2005-06 season.