CENTR A L CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSIT Y Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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Lifestyles
Volume 106 No. 15
Faculty Senate Resolves to Send Message
‘Identity’ Opens at Chen Gallery
Page 6
AGAINST CENTRALIZATION OF POWER
Opinion
Bathroom Security and the Right Price for Spring Acts Page 5
MELiSSA TRAyNOR The Recorder
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Cafe Turns Lo-Fi Wednesday Night
Page 7
The faculty senate resolved Monday to make their opinions known to the Connecticut State University Board of Trustees that they don’t agree with centralization of power around the CSU system office, citing a policy enabling a Chancellor to easily remove a university president. Just in time for the BOT meeting today at 10 a.m. on CCSU’s campus, President Candace Barrington prepared a statement to voice the views of the senate. The statement
endorsed by the senate Monday states that the senate urges “the BOT [to] reverse its October 2009 policy so that the full Board shall initiate and be fully involved in decisions of non-continuation of university Presidents [and that] the BOT ensure the independence of the four universities by resisting further efforts to centralize decision making in the System Office.” While there was debate as to the wording of the statement, it was passed mostly in its original form, as posted on the faculty senate’s Web site. Monday’s vote to endorse the
Yankee Institute Shines Light on Taxpayers' Dollars MiChAEL WALSh
Movie and Album Reviews Starting on
Page 7
Sports
CCSU Rallies in the Third to Top Bryant
Page 12
The Recorder
The Yankee Institute launched a new Web site on Monday that allows Connecticut residents to look up the salaries of every state employee, every retiree's pension and every vendor payment made by all state government departments and agencies. CTSunlight.org is the culmination of a new project from the Yankee Institute after a massive Freedom of Information Act request for data covering calendar year 2007 and 2008. The Connecticut based think tank was formed in 1984 by Bernard Zimmern, a French entrepreneur, and is currently one of America's oldest think tanks. The institute is now located on the Trinity College campus. “We believe transparency and
disclosure of how government spends tax dollars puts downward pressure on spending, which in turn keeps taxes low,” said Fergus Cullen, the Yankee Institute’s Executive Director, in a press release issued by the Yankee Institute on Monday. The Web site, named because the institute believes that "sunlight is the best disinfectant," shines a light on the salaries of state employees ranging from Connecticut State University System professors to the highest paid employees of the University of Connecticut Health Center. The highest salaries on the Central Connecticut State University campus include President Jack Miller, who made $292,088 in 2008, and men's basketball coach Howie Dickenman, who made See Yankee Institute Page 3
statement by the senate would have been unanimous, except for two abstentions from faculty who wished for more time to review the statement on behalf of their departments or to consult with the other CSU universities. Barrington said that CCSU would be the second CSU faculty senate to endorse such a statement. “I think hesitation sends the message that we’re kind of feeble,” said Paul Karpuk of the English department. With the exception of the two abstentions, the faculty senate seemed to be in agreement that the
kENNy BARTO | ThE RECORDER
letter’s impact would not survive two weeks until the next scheduled senate meeting. “The purpose is too important to delay,” said Serafin MendezMendez, chair of the communication department. The statement by the faculty stems from the October policy revision by the BOT that allows the CSU Chancellor, currently David Carter, to non-continue a university president “without cause or explanation.” The language of the revision See Against Centralization Page 3
Former UMass Football Star Arrested on Gun Charges on Campus MiChELLE WiLLiAMS
The Daily Collegian | University of Massachusetts
(WIRE) AMHERST, Mass. “On Dec. 3 there was an illegal firearm in the hands of a criminal on this campus, what else needs to happen?” With fliers like the one above posted on bulletin boards across campus, students have expressed outrage at a University of Massachusetts student carrying a gun on campus. According to Deputy Chief Patrick Archbald of the UMass Police Department, Sean R. Smalls, 22, of Richmond, Va., a 2008 football captain and All-American
defensive back, was arrested as the result of a traffic stop on Infirmary Way on Dec. 3. A UMass police officer pulled Smalls over for crossing the marked yellow line between Sunset Ave. and Infirmary Way. After approaching the car, the officer reportedly smelled the strong odor of freshly burnt marijuana, which prompted the officer to call a K-9 unit. Both the passenger in the car, Sam Migdol of Amherst, Mass., and Smalls admitted to having recently smoked marijuana. In the backseat, the officers found a backpack, which the canine unit soon targeted, where the officers discovered marijuana, See Former UMASS Football Page 3
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News
2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 10, 2010
The Recorder
Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 T 860.832.3744 editor@centralrecorder.com centralrecorder.com twitter.com/therecorder
Editor-in-Chief Melissa Traynor Managing Editor Michael Walsh Art Director Geoffrey Lewis Copy Editor Elizabeth Mitchell Opinion Editor Christina LoBello Entertainment Editor Matt Kiernan Lifestyles Editor Samantha Fournier Sports Editor Christopher Boulay Carmine Vetrano, Assistant Brittany Burke, Assistant Web Editor Alex Jarvis Photographer Kenny Barto About The Recorder is a student-produced 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. Editorial board meetings for The Recorder are held on Sundays at 6 p.m. in the Blue and White Room in the student center.
Swastika Found in EMU Office ‘No sign of forced entry’ into LGBTQA office, where the spraypainted symbol was discovered last Monday
Alex Tomchak Scott Oregon Daily Emerald | University of Oregon
(WIRE) EUGENE, OR Janitors found a swastika spraypainted on the carpet of the University’s LGBTQA office in the EMU early Monday morning. As of 7:20 p.m. Monday, campus safety officers had not submitted a police report about the incident, in which a computer and television screen were also sprayed with black paint. University President Richard Lariviere said the University intended to “prosecute” those responsible. Members of the LGBTQA said the four-by-four-and-a-half-foot swastika was first discovered when EMU custodians entered the group’s office to clean it at about 2 a.m. Monday. They then notified the group’s leaders, who entered the office shortly before 8 a.m. Though a police report had not been filed, LGBTQA Director Alex Esparza said officers with the Department of Public Safety collected evidence from the office three times. University spokesperson Julie Brown said the evidence had included the two vandalized pieces of carpet cut out of the office shortly about 8:30 a.m. Brown said there was “no sign of forced entry.” EMU technical support administrator Mike Kraiman said the EMU had given DPS the names of those who carried keys to the office. Kraiman said the EMU would not release the names while DPS is investigating the incident. Esparza said that three members of the LGBTQA have keys, but that he didn’t know how many EMU
Photo Courtesy of the daily emerald
staff members also have them. A media request to speak with DPS was not fulfilled. Esparza said that he locked the office when he left it Friday night, but that it had been unlocked when custodians found the swastika. The appearance of the swastika came amid controversy over the Pacifica Forum, a campus-based discussion group that has invited speakers who espouse pro-Nazi views. Opponents of the Forum said the appearance of the symbol reinforced their fears of racially motivated violence on campus. “I know it’s impossible to 100-percent tie this in to the Pacifica Forum,” Esparza said in
an at-times tense meeting between students and administrators Monday afternoon. “But it’s clear that the environment here is making people feel like they can do this.” At the same meeting, Lariviere said the University had created a new policy in an attempt to keep the Pacifica Forum off campus, which University lawyers were reviewing. The University has been cautious about taking action against the group for fear that doing so might violate Forum members’ First Amendment rights and open the University to a lawsuit. Students who have attended protests against the Pacifica Forum were critical of Lariviere’s response.
Though she said she thought Lariviere was “on our side,” Sexual Wellness Advocacy Team member Devon Schlotterbeck said, “He talks about community response and responsibility, but he separates himself from the community” by not protesting against the group himself. Pacifica Forum member Dawn Coslow condemned the act, but called its being linked to the Forum “ridiculous.” “Any kind of hate crime is an absolutely disgraceful, despicable act, and I have sympathy for all the students in that office who have suffered this hideous act,” she said.
Sam McKiniss’ “Ike” (2009) is oil on canvas. It was featured in last Thursday’s “Identity” gallery opening.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / NEWS
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Despite Snow, Students Run for Haiti Lauren Ingeno
The Daily Collegian | Pennsylvania State University
(WIRE) STATE COLLEGE, Penn. - Running through mounds of snow on icy roads, Penn State students crossed the finish line of the 5K run and raised about $1,400 to benefit Haiti. Though 71 members had already pre-registered for the event when the snow began to fall Friday night, organizers worried there would not be a big enough turnout to reach their goal of donating $1,000 to a Haitian orphanage. But by Saturday morning, about 120 runners were at the starting line, in great spirits and fully prepared to take on the 5K loop around campus in the bitter cold. “To show up here and run three miles in the snow -- that really says a lot,” said organizer Rachid Haoues, class of 2009. Proceeds will go to the Brebis de Saint-Michel de L’Attalaye (BRESMA) orphanage, which was damaged by last month’s
earthquake. Haoues contacted his friend Penn State Marathon Club CoPresident Bobby Longenecker to help organize the event, along with other members of the Marathon Club and the Penn State Crew club. “The orphans are the country’s most vulnerable and youngest citizens,” Haoues said. “We want to give them a chance of success when they grow older.” The snow and ice seemed only to heighten the mood of the event and excite the runners. Many ran in shorts and T-shirts, barely worrying about goosebumps. “It’s a really different 5K race -- everything’s covered and it’s slippery,” Josh Sherry (freshmanenergy, business and finance) said. “Everyone’s just having a really good time.” Even in the midst of the fun, the runners kept the cause they were running for in mind. Longenecker (juniorkinesiology) said that his family travels to Haiti every year and he
Against Centralization of Power Continued from page 1 to the Human Resources Policies for Chancellor and University Presidents stipulates that the Chancellor may seek approval of his decision from the chairman of the BOT and notify the university president in question. Approved by the executive committee of the BOT, the Oct. 1 revision also maintains that a president hired before Dec. 8, 2006 can be discontinued with one-year written notice, and presidents hired on or after Dec. 8, 2006 can be discontinued with a three-month written notice. At the next meeting of the Board, it has the power to vote and overturn the Chancellor’s decision, but if no action is taken, the non-continuance remains.
“All CSU employees should be disturbed by this power shift,” Barrington wrote in a letter to the faculty. “It lets Chancellor Carter be the de facto, if not de jure, president at each of the four CSU universities by making it easier for him to dismiss a president who in any way resists or even questions the Chancellor’s wishes or vision. I presume that the Chancellor can then name the interim president, probably someone much more likely to carry out the Chancellor’s will.” Barrington closed Monday’s meeting by encouraging faculty to attend the Wednesday BOT meeting: “Our numbers are important - at least symbolic.”
was in the country three days before the earthquake struck. The race ended up raising about $1,400, but the coordinators’ efforts have not ended. Haoues said he and Longenecker will travel to
Pittsburgh to deliver donated food and clothing to sisters Ali and Jamie McMutrie, who run the orphanage in Haiti. As the runners crossed the finish line and others cheered
Photo Courtesy of the daily collegian
them on, Haoues and Longenecker didn’t seem surprised to see the enthusiasm for the cause. “That’s what Penn State’s all about,” Haoues said with a smile.
Former UMass Football Star Arrested on Gun Charges on Campus Continued from page 1 Adderall and a digital scale. Migdol admitted the backpack was his and stated that the driver, Smalls, did not know what was inside the bag. Migdol is currently facing possession with intent to distribute a Class B drug, charges for the Adderall, for which he did not have a prescription and a citation for possession of the marijuana. During the search of his car, according to UMPD, Smalls continually placed his hands underneath the driver’s seat. After noticing this multiple times, the arresting officer asked Smalls to step out of the car to see what was underneath the seat. Upon this search, the officer found a fully loaded .380 pistol.Smalls did not have a permit for the weapon, a Mass. firearms identification card or a permit for the ammunition. According to UMPD, it is currently unknown how Smalls came to own the weapon or purchase
the bullets without a permit. Smalls was charged with carrying a firearm without a permit, carrying a firearm on school grounds, possession of a firearm without a FID card and given a citation for the marijuana. Gun crime is not unheard of on the UMass campus. According to the UMass PD’s 2008 security report, there were 11 weapons law violations on campus in 2008. In 2007, there were four arrests and one referral for weapons, while in 2006 UMPD made one arrest and four referrals for weapons law violations. Although Smalls was a UMass student at the time of his arrest, the office of UMass Dean of Students Jo-Anne T. Vanin could not be reached for comment on Smalls’ current academic status. He is also a resident of the state of Va., though it is unknown whether Smalls had a permit for the gun or a firearms license in his home state. According to Massachusetts law, for non-residents to carry firearms in the state of Massachusetts, it
must be for the purpose of a pistol or revolver competition, for an organized meeting for firearms collectors or for the purpose of hunting. The gun owner cannot be convicted of a prior felony, past unlawful gun usage or possession or sale of narcotic or harmful drugs. Smalls’ criminal history in the states of Va. and Mass. is unknown. Smalls pleaded innocent at his arraignment Dec. 3. His next court date in Eastern Hampshire District Court is scheduled for Mar. 25. The 6’-1”, 205 pound Smalls started 36 consecutive games at cornerback for the Minutemen before he went down with a cracked hip bone last October, effectively ending his college career. In 2007, Smalls recorded 49 tackles, a Colonial Athletic Association best 12 passes defended, two interceptions and 10 break-ups, earning him All-CAA honors. According to the blog NFL Draft Scout, Smalls was rated the number 62 cornerback out of 224 available in the 2009 draft.
Yankee Institute Shines Light on Taxpayers' Dollars Continued from page 1 $236,748 in 2008. Following was Dr. Patrick Russolillo, a psychology professor and licensed psychologist, who made $183,285 in 2008. Russolillo taught two sections of one graduate psychology seminar in developmental psychology in the Spring 2008 semester and one
section of the same seminar in the Fall 2008 seminar. The Web site, which the Yankee Institute said was made as a tool for citizens, taxpayers, journalists and elected officials, aims to enhance the knowledge of the general public. For example, 1,137 state employees are paid more than the governor and
175 retired state employees collect pensions of more than $100,000 a year. "The more people who use the site, the greater the likelihood that someone will notice something that will save taxpayers money,” Cullen said in the press release. Residents can also easily look
up how much money was spent on food and beverage purchases by state government departments and agencies. In 2008 the state spent $2,582 at various Dunkin' Donuts locations and the Department of Corrections spent $2.8 million on milk from the Guida Dairy. The Web site also holds data
for a variety of other purchases made, such as the $3,193 spent on hotels in Nevada by the state in 2008 and the $10,609 spent at the National Amusements cinema in Berlin, Conn. by the Department of Developmental Services in 2009. This is the first time these facts are publicly available online.
Photo Courtesy of ctsunlight.org
Editorial/Opinion
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THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Editorial
Let the Sun Shine Ever want to know just how much your professors are paid? Well, as of today, you can: with the help of new Web site ctsunlight. org. The CT Sunlight Project, created by the Yankee Institute for public policy, is the first and only Web site where you can find out exactly where the state's tax dollars go through the payroll and pensions of professors and other state personnel as well has how much school and state accounts payable
Letter to the Editor My name is Asma Shahid and I am the secretary for the Muslim Student Association on campus. For the past few years our club has been shuffling around from board meetings to campus representatives trying to bring to attention the fact that our club desperately NEEDS an office/prayer room space. For devout Muslim students, prayer is not an option, it is a requirement and it is upsetting for us that we can not fulfill our religious requirements due to a mediocre reasoning that there is supposedly no space on campus. It may not affect all the readers of the newspaper directly however every student, faculty member and worker on campus compromises their rights and control over how their school funds are spent when the campus authorities can not even provide a simple (yet essential) room for a student’s religious needs. Asma Shahid Muslim Student Association Secretary
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spend on checks to other businesses and people. This Web site could not be any easier to get to if it tried. You would think, considering this is normally a private matter, that it would need some sort of password or code or something to keep it from being in the hands of the public, but it’s the exact opposite. The site is easily accessed, like public information should be. There are no sign-ups, but there is an option to open a subscription to receive emails from
the institute and log-in to comment on the expenses. There is no fee in sight. Anyone in the state, let alone the world, has access to these expenses. The best part is, you can see what goes on funding-wise at CCSU from the professors to the buildings, starting with as recent as last year. With this Web site, you can find out who is the highest paid professor at CCSU, how much the school has spent on Dunkin’ Donuts and even how much is spent on new material
for the school. For instance, CCSU spent $149,837 on Apple computers in 2009 alone. That is a lot of money, compared to how much they spent on general office supplies from Burst Communications Inc., which was the amazingly low cost of $149, among other things. They even have how much is spent on garbage disposals, as well as how much the school spent at Best Buy, which came to a grand total of $6,432 in the last year. The farthest these accounts go back is 2007. These numbers don’t
just pertain to CCSU; you can look up any professor in any state school in Connecticut. You can even look up the highest paid basketball coach in the state, also known as Jim Calhoun. All the facts are laid out, plain and simple. The CT Sunlight project opens a door that has never been opened before. It goes to show that transparency is extremely rare, we just have to take the opportunity to see where it all goes before it’s gone.
Bathroom Security
Where to Draw the Line Between Security and Convenience Kim Scroggins The Recorder
I feel that as college students who are paying to live on campus, there is always something to complain about, whether it is the food in the dining hall or roommate situations. In fact, it seems that at the beginning of each semester, Facebook statuses are filled with complaints about something campus related. This semester was met with the excitement of the newly installed bathroom keypads. Upon returning to campus after winter break, RA's were quick to inform those moving back should “test out” the new bathroom locks in order to get more
comfortable with the new system. Apparently, this new system has been added to a couple of the residence halls on campus and now requires the students to swipe their student IDs and enter the first three digits of their birthday followed by the pound key (for example March 25 as 325#) in order to successfully enter the bathroom. That’s all good and well, yet we have to deal with the obnoxious beep that it produces when being used. With my door being right next to the bathroom, it’s comparable to an alarm – never failing to wake me up every time. But now I ask: Why the hell were they even put there in the first
place? Were people that abusive to their bathroom privileges that they had to restrict our entry? From what I understand, the system keeps track of just who is scanning in and how long they’re in there for…but I don’t see how or why it needs to monitor exactly how long someone is in the bathroom for. I’m hoping that that’s an exaggeration. The rule of thumb in almost all the dorms has always been that personal items are not to be kept in the bathrooms. So, are these new locks a way for us to be able to keep our stuff in there? That would be so much more convenient. Instead of having to carry everything to and from the bathroom every time, we
would be able to just leave it all in there and not have to worry about people walking in and taking it. I guess that’s always a plus. I could understand putting them in if it was a matter of boys sneaking into the girl’s bathrooms , but that theory is shot since they put them in other dorms besides Barrows. They definitely wouldn’t be as bad if they didn’t beep. If they flashed green when they were working and red if there was a problem, there wouldn’t be as many complaints. Since it’s too late in the game to do anything about it now, they are just a matter of getting used to: but are a real inconvenience if you really have to pee.
Price is Right For Spring Acts Jason Cunningham The Recorder
No, I’m not excited that New Found Glory is the headlining act for the CAN Spring Week Concert. Yes, there’s absolutely no chance I’d go see them play under any circumstance. With that being said, the Central Activities Network picked the perfect band to headline this year. No matter how much I hate to admit it, New Found Glory will probably draw in a good chunk of the CCSU community. Yes, $70,000 is a lot of money, but not enough to fund bands like Green Day or Weezer, the two most desired choices as voted by the poll of students taken prior to CAN’s decision to book the once
again increasingly relevant poppunkers. Luckily, New Found Glory is generic enough to sound like the two acts students actually wanted to see, and they’re likely to share fans with them. After the facility fees and lighting expenses CAN is only left with $40,000 to pay for the musical artists, securing steadily rising rapper Wale as an opener. Though I’m not particularly thrilled about the upcoming concert, securing New Found Glory and Wale were great moves on CAN’s part. Having two artists of different genres perform may be able to attract a broader audience. That potential is further heightened because of the recent attention both Wale and
New Fond Glory have received in the past couple of years. Wale acted alongside UCB as the official house band for the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards and has gained national attention while touring with acts such as Jay-Z and N.E.R.D. His 2009 debut album Attention Deficit features big weight collaborators Lady Gaga and Pharrell to name a few. It came in at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and received mostly favorable reviews from critics. New Found Glory has also received a good amount of attention for their 2009 album Not Without a Fight. The band’s sixth studio album, produced by Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus, reached number one
on the Top Independent Albums and number 12 on the Billboard 200 chart upon its release. It did well within the alternative music press. Of course the regular grumbles will come from those who will always be disappointed with the artists the Spring Week Concert has to offer. Either way, expect to see a decent turnout this year. At around $15 a ticket for students, the price is very affordable. These are acts that have mass appeal for the right amount of buck. It looks like CAN has successfully arranged for the show for everyone under the “big tent.” After all, isn’t that the point of these things?
6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 10, 2010
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The Chen Gallery Takes on a New Identity Samantha Fournier The Recorder
Central’s Chen Gallery was swarming with students when the Identity exhibit opened Thursday afternoon. Young faces filled the room, eating cheese and crackers and sipping on wine and other beverages, while admiring the various pieces of artwork at the exhibit. The show featured works by Nina Bentley, Harriet Caldwell, Reverend Howard Finster, Shannon Gagne, Sam McKinniss, Kenneth Hayes Miller, Samuel Lovett Waldo and Nate Larson. While various mediums were used by the artists, the artwork on display felt like a cohesive collection of pieces that worked together. Harriet Caldwell’s “Labyrinth of the Mind” hung against the back wall of the gallery. Textured circular disks were strung on threads hanging down beside the many other strands like a beaded curtain. Each disk was painted differently and gave a different interpretation. A little farther down on the back wall, Caldwell had the Holocaust-motivated mixed media piece of two children made mostly out of latex called “Drawing-Out forcing In” on display. “The piece that I got the most from was the Holocaust piece. [It was both] the association and the medium she used,” said junior Staci Stamm.
As drawing Professor Terry Fader roamed around the room she said that “I think it’s very, very intelligent. [There are] a lot of different approaches to identity, not only in media and method, also in content.” “Corporate Executive Wife’s Service Bracelet II” by Bentley, which is part of the New Britain Museum of American Art’s permanent collection captivated onlookers. Polished shiny silver teapots were attached to a thick dulled metal chain. “I’m wanting to comment on the things I see making statements. [I’m] not interested in beauty,” Bentley says of her artwork. Bentley is a collector and, often, the collections inspire the work she creates. “I combine my collections with my ideas,” said Bentley. Gagne’s pieces were also exhibited in the center of the gallery on small black podiums. Each of her ceramic pieces was in tune with the other. “Its been my transition into motherhood making connections between the natural world and the human world and how they’re related,” Gagne said of what inspires her. “I really like Nate Larson’s pieces. Each one has a story behind it and you don’t have to guess it,” said student Shannon Staehly of Larson’s digital photography pieces. Larson’s work captured alumni Eric Capitao’s attention as well. Whether students enjoy mixed media works by Bentley, portraits by McKinniss,
Michael Sisko | the recorder
or the ceramic pieces by Gagne, the Identity palate. The exhibit runs through March 4th exhibit in the Chen Gallery provides and gallery hours are Monday through Friday something to please every visitor’s visual from one to four p.m.
A Carnivore's Comfort Food Paradise Charles Desrochers The Recorder
Charles desrochers | the recorder
The franchise restaurant is like a disease plaguing Central Connecticut. They fake their casual appeal with pictures of rock bands and old tennis rackets but offer low quality at high prices. A ‘mom and pop’ restaurant is supposed to counter this. They are supposed to be a familiar haven for locals to partake in conversation while offering delicious homestyle cooking. The Pit Stop in New Britain exudes this mystique by meeting the criteria of a hometown eatery. The walls are covered from top to bottom with photos of friends, family and smokers the size of a trailer while the aroma wafting from their rotisserie oven fills your head with images of pork swimming in sauces and meat falling off of the bone. When I stepped up to the counter to order my small pulled pork sandwich I was quickly surprised at the portion just five dollars had gotten me. The bun could barely contain the meat let alone its drippings and BBQ sauce. With the first bite I felt a warm sensation shoot up my back and settle in my head like I was with my abuela eating the slow roasted briskets she would cook. This is comfort food at its finest.
They offer all kinds of sandwiches like Cubans, pulled pork and some of the juiciest steamed burgers. Oh, the burgers. I have never had a steamed burger and was genuinely curious as to what the big deal was. But the burger is simultaneously juicy and lean while the cheese encompasses it like a warm dairy comforter. The average meal is around seven dollars, tax included. The Pit Stop offers mashed potatoes and coleslaw as sides but if the burger and pork sandwiches are good examples, you will not need them. The inside, while cozy with its ‘grandma’s basement’ décor, can feel cramped. I do not suggest eating in the restaurant. Whatever you order, make it to go since there is only one area to sit at the window and the standing area is so small that if you were to cartwheel across you would smash into the parallel wall. The quaint shelves filled with used books and VHS’s are pleasant to look at but don’t do much in way of function. For lunch and take out I can’t imagine another place so close to CCSU that can even compete. If not for the food- which you should really try eating- go for the idea. If you are tired of the tacky franchises, heartless food and long waits then do something about it. Support a local diner or restaurant and support The Pit Stop.
The Modern Family Searches for New Definition Matt Kiernan The Recorder
The new ABC sitcom Modern Family brings together the best of other hit shows Arrested Development and The Office, for a show that uses smart comedy to question, what is the normal modern family? Main character Jay, played by Married With Children star Ed O’Neill, is a man who’s reaching the later part of his life, but has recently married a young, beautiful Colombian woman named Gloria Delgado Pritchett, played by Sofia Vergara. Gloria has a son named Manny (Rico Rodriguez), a kid who can sometimes care too much and tries to do good by others. Jay's son Mitchell ( Jesse Tyler Ferguson), who is a conservative lawyer, is paired up with
the much more flamboyant Cameron (Eric Stonestreet). This gay couple with opposite personalities also have adopted a Vietnamese baby. Phil Dunphy (Ty Burrell) is a father who thinks he’s cool with what’s “in” with his children’s generation, trying to be the best father he can be. Claire ( Julie Brown) is a mother who decided to give up her career ambitions to be a stay-at-home mom to take care of her family. The show is rounded out by the Dunphy children, Haley (Sarah Hyland), Alex (Ariel Winter) and Luke (Nolan Gould), who attempt to hold their own against their adult counterparts and are mildly successful. Much of Family takes the set-up of The Office in that it includes interviews with the characters in-between scenes to give incite into what they’re thinking. This greatly
benefits the show because it shows their reactions to the absurd situations they get themselves into, which may have not been captured otherwise. The critic-loved comedy Arrested Development, for the most part, received very positive reviews while it was on the air. Modern Family is also seeing this from critics and fans, leaving one to wonder if both these shows are so similar, how is Family expected to succeed? This doesn’t really have an easy answer, but what the characters on Family have over those on Development, is obvious love for one another. Through all the selfishness that the characters on Development had, love could be seen if the viewer looked deep enough. The act of making this love more difficult to be seen was a strong fit for the Fox network,
seeing as it has since its beginning tried to have a cutting-edge style. ABC is a much more family-oriented network, so using an unconventional family setting, while keeping family-love much in the forefront, may allow the show to retain a strong following of viewers. This week’s episode entitled, “My Funky Valentine,” will see the characters trying to improve their love lives on Valentine’s Day, with accidents happening along the way. One can only hope that ABC doesn’t make the same mistake Fox did in canceling Arrested Development with Family, but then again, American audiences usually aren’t up for seeing witty comedy on television. Family is one of the best shows to be aired on ABC in quite a long time. Modern Family airs Wed.’s at 9 p.m. on ABC.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / UPGRADE
Cafe Turns Lo-Fi Wednesday Night Matt Kiernan The Recorder
Photo Courtesy of the new york rockmarket
Café Nine in New Haven is welcoming an assortment of lo-fi pop bands that include the Beets, Christmas Island, Beach Fossils and the Procedure Club. The bands will be performing this Wednesday at 9 p.m. in a concert that was put together by Manic Productions for those who are 21 years old and older. New York City’s the Beets received high praise last year when NYC’s L Magazine listed them in their “8 NYC Bands You Need to Hear: 2009.” The band formed less than two years ago, and released their debut album Spit in the Face of People Who Don’t Want to Be Cool on the label Captured Tracks. San Diego’s Christmas Island recently released their debut album, Blackout Summer, on Los Angeles’s In the Red records. The band has
previously released singles and 7”s on labels such as Woodsist and Captured Tracks. Beach Fossils of Brooklyn has a 7” out entitled, “Daydream,” which has caught the eye of the music news website pitchfork.com. New Haven’s own Procedure Club have released an album on Series Two records entitled “Music for the Leisure Time,” which can be purchased on insound.com, with a limited 300 copies available. Procedure Club has also recently signed to Captured Tracks. Like record labels such as Woodsist, Captured Tracks focuses on releasing noisier, more lo-fi recordings. The Beets, Christmas Island and Beach Fossils will be touring together until Feb. 20, ending in Williamsburg, N.Y., and then going their separate ways to continue their tours. Tickets can be purchased on cafenine.com for $6.
Carefully Crafted House of the Devil Reignites Classic Horror Michael Walsh The Recorder
Nothing about the horror conventions of Ti West’s satanic cult horror film The House of the Devil are wholly revolutionary or provoking. Hell, the film was made to replicate the classics genre titles of the 1970s and 1980s. And if you watched this film with no prior knowledge about it, you’d believe it was from the '70s or '80s. And yet, West’s The House of the Devil feels so incredibly right. What is revolutionary and provoking about West’s film is his technique. The House of the Devil was seemingly made by a hand dipped in the talent pool of Roman Polanski as the film is a perfect embodiment of suspenseful and terrorizing horror while replicating an absolute Hitchcockian sense. West presents us with a extremely likeable character, the endearing, struggling and downright pretty college-aged girl named Samantha. Samantha, who is charmingly played by Jocelin Donahue, is looking for any source of income to pay for a new house and settles for a job opportunity as a babysitter on the same night as a full lunar eclipse is scheduled. But when she arrives at the old house, things aren’t what they first appeared to be. As West slowly but surely
Photo Courtesy of MAgnolia Pictures
unravels his tale, the audience increasingly learns more about the situation than our main character does, something quite common of Alfred Hitchcock’s best films. In most of today’s modern horror goreporn films schlock value and twist surprises reign supreme. But here the true payoff comes in the form of West’s careful and tantalizingly slow pace that creeps into your conscious mind. You get the idea that each and every quick and long shot West included here means something to the value of the final product. West’s approach and technique has the same sincere patience as Nicolas Roeg’s Don’t Look Now or Polanski’s
Rosemary’s Baby. And like many of the greatest horror classics, West only occasionally plays his hand throughout the film’s main body of storytelling. Instead, he uses atmosphere and known horror conventions such as a creepy old house and a collection of strange and mysterious (yet totally believable) characters led by the creepy Tom Noonan to build a tense and unmistakable sense of fear, all leading to a conclusion more eventful and even more stylistic than the already technically proficient rest of the film. Part of West’s throwback to past
films is the fact that the film was made with 16mm film. This gives the movie a retro stylistic appearance leaving you to believe that the film was made in the 1980’s. But it also gives it a grainy look that does nothing more but greatly increase the gritty and haunting atmosphere West strives for. West also chose the perfect areas of Connecticut to film in. The seemingly isolated house Samantha spends the night in appears like a giant in the middle of nowhere with its grand porch and seemingly endless amount of doors leading to all sorts of strange rooms. West also used the campus of Central Connecticut State University to film the movie’s opening sequences, although I’m not sure what it says about CCSU’s campus when it can easily pass as a 1980s locale. Another item of importance is the way West uniquely tackles the concept of trying to mimic or recreate genre films of the past. West chose to genuinely replicate the styles used in horror films past, all of which is obviously visible in the many different shot choices and cinematography, among other stylistic values. No bones about it, it’s obvious that West was playing off the energy of films and directors he loves. This film is as much about him as it is anyone else. What West successfully doesn’t
do is parody the genre like the Scream series did. Nor does it exaggerate the genre like Robert Rodriguez’s Planet Terror ended up doing to the exploitation genre. And because of this choice what comes is a respectable homage that is still a completely original artistic take on the genre. West opens the door for more artistic integrity in the horror genre, something that has been seemingly been lost since the glory days of filmmakers such as Dario Argento and is something that only rarely pops up in modern horror filmmaking. While there’s definitely something very familiar about the babysitting job Samantha takes, the house she winds up in and the grainy view we as an audience get of it, it hasn’t been familiar for the last 25 years. And even so, the way West uses these common horror mythos is so outstanding and brilliant the film still manages to feel as fresh as it truly is. If you’re bored by the patient way true horror auteur Ti West reveals his story, you probably aren’t a true fan of horror films. I can’t imagine anyone that’s in love with the entire ever-growing work of body known as the horror genre to be disappointed by such a subtle film that so carefully, so willfully and so perfectly executes everything a horror film is meant to be.
Game review: MAG is Refreshing New Release for PS3 Kenny Barto The Recorder
MAG, otherwise known as Massive Action Game, is the latest and greatest video game released exclusively for the Playstation 3. It has broken all boundaries in terms of online gameplay, being the first to feature a 256-player battlefield. With this game, first impressions are everything, and I must say I wasn't too happy that I had to sit there and run through a required training. However, once that is done, you can jump right into 64 player battlefields that will get you ready for the real thing. Once you get into the battlefields, you notice one important thing, and that is absolutely zero lag, and completely smooth gameplay. Now, if you're a Call of Duty fan, this game will take some getting used to. Switching weapons is different, you don't have to "cook" your frag grenades, and you definitely can't run around and just kill people. This game requires
large amounts of strategy, and it's definitely recommended that you have a microphone to work with your teammates. In all cases, you have an objective that varies depending on the gameplay. The game is set in 2025, when defense expenses have become so high, countries have cut their military to the bare minimum, and each country in the world is required to stay within their own borders, forcing everyone to be at peace. However, three private military companies Valor, Raven, and S.V.E.R. are fighting for defense contracts so they can help countries still fight their wars without breaking international rules. The weapons used depends on which of the three companies you choose. According to GamersGuideToLife.com, S.V.E.R. has the most variety at 17 total, then Raven at 10 and Valor at 6. When you are first positioned against players in MAG, you will definitely notice that the game is utilizing somewhat realistic kill-zones. Basically, if you
shoot someone in the leg, they will not die, but if you shoot someone in the chest or head, they will go down much easier. Recoil is extremely realistic, and takes some practice to control it. One downside that I noticed was the lack of camoflauge while sniping. Even if you don't move, and are not shooting, people will still find you somehow and pick you off. The large-scale battlefields that hold 128 or 256 players are absolutely insane. Personally, I don't recommend trying them until you've gotten practice on the 64-player scale, or you will not have fun. All in all, this game is fun to play, but is not the perfect game by any means. It needs some work, which will hopefully be solved now that the game has been released for a few weeks. That being said, I encourage anyone who likes first person shooters, or massive multiplayer games to give MAG a try. I would give this game an overall score of 8.2/10.
Photo Courtesy of IGN.com
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / UPGRADE
REVIEWS Nick Jonas Who I Am Hollywood Records February 2
Midlake The Courage of Others 101 Distribution February 2
Beach House Teen Dream Merge Records January 19
Massive Attack Heligoland Virgin February 8
Kim Scroggins
Matt Kiernan
Jason Cunningham
The Recorder
The Recorder
Michael Walsh
After the news spread that the Disney sensation the Jonas Brothers were temporarily separating to tour on their own, I personally wondered if it could even be done. But while Kevin was off getting married, Nick and his side project band (aka The Administration) recorded Who I Am. The first single, coincidentally named “Who I Am,” sounds like something you’d hear off of a newer Bon Jovi record where Jonas starts off in a slow intro stating: “I want someone to love me/ for who I am/ I want someone to need me/is that so bad?” It eventually breaks into a full band anthem. In fact, much of what you hear off of this album can be comparable to music from Gavin DeGraw or even John Mayer, who are both respectable musicians in their own right. However, according to Jonas, he was looking for more of a style that mimics Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band. Though most of Who I Am stays at a basic and semi-enjoyable “classic rock” tempo, the slower tracks like “In The End” and “Tonight” don’t do too well to impress. “In The End,” a track about broken trust and heartache, is painfully slow and may only be suitable to listen to if trying to fall asleep. “Tonight” is slightly better, but Nick’s whiny falsetto is the song’s downfall and is enough to give you chills… and not the good kind. Having been a Disney based musician for a while, this new mature Jonas sound may take a while to catch on, though many of those who were fans of the trio seem to have no complaints. However, there is potential for a whole new fan base. I will give Nick Jonas credit, though. This solo project is his graduation from the “teenie bopper” sensation into a more mature musical style and I think that if he keeps at it, it may work well for him.
Alternative-folk band Midlake releases their third full-length album, The Courage of Others - an album that is, for the most part, stripped down to the core of their easy-going soft rock. The band’s greatly influenced by the folk and soft rock godfathers America and Neil Young, which shows in their deliverance of tightly constructed songs, led by the use of classical guitars. “Acts of Man” opens the album, a song that celebrates the existence of life, with the inclusion of lyrics such as, “Great are the sounds of all that live.” This track is followed by “Winter Dies,” with Tim Smith on vocals: “And full of spirit the villager starts again/ with one more year for a man to change his ways.” The song is about the new beginnings that come with winter coming to an end, and the start of spring and summer giving fresh starts for people. “Core of Nature” is a track that tells the story of a man going out into the woods to take in all that it has to offer, which takes on an essay of that of a Romantic writer. Lead singer Smith’s vocals sound very similar to that of the alt-folk band Iron & Wine’s Samuel Beam. Smith’s songs are performed with a tone that resembles that of a medieval bard, calling out poems about ancient tales from long ago. Midlake received a rise in popularity with their 2006 release The Trials of Van Occupanther, an album that weighed more heavily into psychedelics. This was released on the record label Bella Union, owned by dream pop band, Cocteau Twins’ bassist, Simon Raymonde. The album for the most part is a celebration of the world and life, sending a positive message within clever lyrics, sung through traditional music that may be different from what is known today as modern music.
Since 2006 the Baltimore-based duo Beach House has made their name as a dark and atmospheric pop band. Their third release Teen Dream is a collection of catchy and chillinducing songs that are as forceful as they are touching. Teen Dream has the unique quality of being accessible to a wide audience spanning generations, yet remains painfully fresh and reflective of the longing and desperate times it emerges from. Recorded and produced by Indie ace Chris Cody at upstate New York’s Dreamland, Teen Dream’s cohesive and consistent nature make its function remind us how captivating and consuming albums can still be. Victoria Legrand’s galactic swirl of heavy-hearted keys and Alex Scally’s crisp and melodic guitars make Teen Dream an attention-grabbing and memorable journey. The beats behind this force are the charming cymbals, crunches and crackles of a drum machine. The soul of this album emerges from this dark and delicate mixture of gorgeous melodies and arrangements. Each track is delivered with fury by Legrand, who sinks an arrow into the heart of this mood-setting album with her gripping vocal performances. The results lay out soft portraits of disappointment, change and growing pains that are universal. At this point, Beach House can shed the Galaxie 500 comparisons for new territories. Pinback, The Church and Fleetwood Mac all come to mind as possible influences on Teen Dream. Brilliant song writing and vintage warmth make this album a repeat listen that will constantly reveal new sides of itself. An additional bonus to the band’s first release on Sub Pop Records is a DVD that features a video for each of the album’s 11 tracks included in the packaging. The vinyl LP version of the album will also include the DVD.
A new studio album from trip-hop group Massive Attack is as significant as the most important artist in your favorite genre releasing a new album. And for Massive Attack, the widely-considered giants and trailblazers of the trip-hop genre, Heligoland is their first non-soundtrack release in seven years. It’s like clockwork the way musical guests join the duo behind Massive Attack, Daddy G (Grantley Marshall) and 3D (Robert Del Naja). The two, who are perceived as the absolute brain trust behind the project, don’t work all alone, inviting guest singers and musicians to join the hip-hop rhythm and very soulful and electronic mood their sound has been shaped into over the years. The most notable voice found on the group’s latest album is probably Tunde Adebimpe, better known as the lead singer of TV on the Radio. His vocals kick off the album with “Pray for Rain," a track that most closely represents Massive Attack and thus remains as one of Heligoland’s most impressive tracks. The rest of the album is a strong audio adventure through the duo’s most experimental sounds of the trip-hop kind. Daddy G and 3D have always paid great attention to the atmospheric collection of sounds throughout their albums and while Heligoland is no different, much of that atmosphere feels like more background noise than substantial work worth paying attention to. Still, this album is no waste. It’s just hard to compare to their most impressive work Mezzanine. “Splitting the Atom” features the vocals of both Daddy G and 3D, as well as the often-seen collaborator Horace Andy. The absolute sublime and deep style of vocals engages deeply. “Rush Minute” features 3D alone as the vocalist and complete with hooking beats does a lot for the later half of the album. I’ve got to say, I’ve never ventured too far into the trip-hop genre, but it’s easy to see why the innovative and influential Massive Attack is considered one of the pioneers of the hiphop and dub-based genre. Even from an album such as Heligoland, which doesn’t rank among their most brilliant work, can you hear and feel the absolute creativity Daddy G and 3D, along with their numerous guests, throw into their music.
The Recorder
The Recorder
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / UPGRADE
Calendar 2.10 - 2.17 MUSIC
FILM 2.10 - 2.13 Me and Orson Welles @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. $7.00 / 7:30 p.m.
2.12 - 2.13 The End of the Line @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. $6.25 / 9:30 p.m. “The End of the Line is an apocalyptic documentary that is as beautiful as it is damning.” - Kenneth Turan, LA Times “The End of the Line documents what threatens to become an irreversible decline in aquatic populations within 40 years. Opportunist species move in to take advantage. Oddly, the disappearance of cod has resulted in an explosion of lobsters, as they lose their chief rival for food.” - Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times
2.10 The Beets w/ Christmas Island, Beach Fossils, The Procedure Club @ Cafe Nine New Haven, Conn. $6.00 / 9:00 p.m.
an apolitical American (Humphrey Bogart) runs Rick’s Cafe. Although he is unfazed by his questionable customers (partisans, Nazis, emigres, swindlers and more), Rick’s cool is shaken when the woman who left him in Paris (a luminous Ingrid Bergman) walks in to his cafe. Before Casablanca, Bogart was cast as mostly criminals and cads, and his very modern ambivalence towards playing the hero keeps this classic on everyone’s top ten lists. Academy Awards: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay. 112 min. 2.15 The Pirate @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. $5.00 / 1:00 p.m.
2.14 Journey of the Lion @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. $6.25 / 2.00 p.m.
2.12 Tip the Van w/Call II Consciousness @ The Main Pub Manchester, Conn.
2.13 Trey Anastasio Band @ Oakdale Theatre Wallingford, Conn. $39.50 / 7:30 p.m.
2.14 Assembly of Dust @ Fairfield Theatre Stage One Fairfield, Conn. $25.00 / 7:30 p.m.
2.17 Citizen Cope @ Toad’s Place New Haven, Conn. $22.50 / 9:00 p.m.
Director Richard Linklater (Slackers, School of Rock, Before Sunrise) wastes no time in throwing overboard the typical biopic, which he calls “the lamest genre.” Instead, his independently produced movie looks at one week in the life of Orson Welles (Christian McKay) as observed by a young actor who has a bit part in Welles’ soon-toopen version of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. New York City in 1937 is a cauldron of art, desire, and ideas, and it is easy to get caught up in the obvious genius, as well as the selfdestructive whirlwind, of one of the movies’ most gifted directors. “Art is a fairy tale we choose to believe in, and this movie, a fiction confected about real people, is too good not to be true.” - A. O. Scott, New York Times. 113 min. 2.12 - 2.17 Four Seasons Lodge @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. $6.25 / 7 p.m.
After Bella recovers from the vampire attack that almost claimed her life, she looks to celebrate her birthday with Edward and his family. However, a minor accident during the festivities results in Bella’s blood being shed, a sight that proves too intense for the Cullens, who decide to leave the town of Forks, Washington for Bella and Edward’s sake. Initially heartbroken, Bella finds a form of comfort in reckless living, as well as an evencloser friendship with Jacob Black. Danger in different forms awaits.
CCSU
“Howard A. Trott, the subject of Fritz Baumann’s film The Journey of the Lion is a Jamaican Rastafarian who lives an impoverished existence with his two children in a shack on the outskirts of Kingston. Disgusted with modern civilization, Brother Howie, as he is known, dreams of repatriation in Africa. Out of the blue one day, he receives a letter from the sister he hasn’t seen in 30 years inviting him to visit her in London. Leaving Jamaica for the first time in his life, he embarks on a journey that takes him to England and eventually to Egypt and Ghana. [An] eloquently simple film.” Stephen Holden, New York Times (Critic’s Pick!) 2.14 - 2.16 Casablanca @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. $7.00 / 7:30 p.m.
From the darkness of Hitler’s Europe to the mountains of the Catskills, Four Seasons Lodge follows a community of Holocaust survivors who come together each summer to dance, cook, fight and flirt-and celebrate their survival. “It quietly chronicles what may be the last summer at a humble Catskills vacation colony a group of elderly Holocaust survivors have been visiting for decades. If that sounds like a bummer, think again — it’s more like a funny visit with your grandparents, multiplied by a dozen.” - New York Magazine “The film presents anything but a simplistic narrative, and brings the Holocaust to light in a compelling, personal and emotional package.” Sol Israel, The Boston Globe
2.16 New Moon @CCSU (Semesters) New Britain, Conn. Free / 7:00 p.m.
Dooley Wilson was right - the fundamental things do still apply: an excellent story, inspired acting, wickedly smart dialogue, and a timeless moral quandary that engages our minds as well as our hearts. In an occupied North African city during World War II,
A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate. Gene Kelly and Judy Garland star in this swashbuckling musical directed by Vincente Minnelli.
2.12 WFCS Freestyle Fridays The Throw Down (w/ Mikey D. and Kyle Mencel) and The Mix Up (w/ Earle “DJ B-EZ” Nelson) @ CCSU (WFCS - Student Center) New Britain, Conn. 4-8 p.m.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / SPORTS
SPORTS STARTS ON BACKPAGE
CCSU Dugan Misses Record Books, Not Legacy Carmine Vetrano The Recorder
Records are made to be broken. In this case, one more rebound was needed to start a new record at CCSU. Junior forward Kerrianne Dugan was one rebound away from setting a CCSU record for a triple double in a CCSU 79-61 win over Farleigh Dickinson University back on January 30. However, the Preseason All- First NEC Team select is going to have many more chances in her already storybook career with the Blue Devils. Dugan also recorded the first double double that game in points and assists since 1994 with 19 and 11 (she had nine rebounds). “I was told with about five minutes left that I was close. I was trying to get that last rebound and I'm very disappointed I wasn't able to get it,” Dugan said. “But now I'm that much more determined to get a triple double at least before I graduate. The Waterford native is in her third year at CCSU and was a NEC All-Rookie Team selection averaging 10 points per game. Her sophomore season brought her a trip to the NIT, as the Blue Devils were honored to have the best turnaround in NCAA Division history going 18-14 (425 her first year). Dugan also was selected as a member of the NEC All-Second team. This year though, with high expectations, the team is starting to pick it up after having a slow first half. The team currently sits 6-6 in conference play, 9-13 overall. “It is definitely tough having a losing record so far with all of the expectations we had for this season. It's not all about the record,” Dugan
kenny Barto | the recorder
Dugan was one rebound away from CCSU’s first triple-double at at the Fairleigh Dickinson game.
explained. “Despite all of our losses, we are playing really well as a team and doing some really great things. Besides, what matters most is making the tournament because anything can happen there.” To date, Dugan has lead the Blue Devils in scoring in seven games and leads the team in points per game with 11.8. Only adding to her legacy here CCSU basketball. “I feel that I have expanded my game a little bit each season and have really grown as a player,” said Dugan. “The things that I do come from what other players do on the court.” Even with a recent blow to the women’s team - two key players have been suspended from the team - Dugan is not worried though, as she feels everyone has stepped up their play after. “It's nice to see that everyone is stepping up, playing wise and also staying positive. It says a lot about the team as a whole having overcome some pretty big controversies throughout the season,” she said. “We are in great shape right now. We still have so many threats on the court and we didn't peak too early.” With the second half of the season supporting a 6-5 record, momentum can play a key factor heading into post season play. “I want us to win our last few regular season games to get us good placement in the NEC tournament,” said Dugan. “I want to win the NEC tournament and get to the NCAA tournament. I hope that I can continue to play well and help our team to continue our season for as long as possible.” With one more year and the rest of this year, watch out for Dugan and Central Connecticut State University.
CCSU Assistant Coach Stays Close to Home Carmine Vetrano The Recorder
Summer baseball to the college ball player means everything. It means more workouts, more repetitions at the plate or in the field; essentially, it’s the path to the higher leagues. Summer college baseball allows the college ball player to give up their summer in hopes that playing a 2 and a halfmonth schedule would leave a lasting impression in front of dozens of MLB scouts a night. However, to the baseball player who that, well, loves everything about baseball, he or she may know about the pretty historic summer league in itself with the Northeast Collegiate Baseball League NECBL. One man who hopes to guide the future of professional baseball
is CCSU’s own Pat Hall. Hall is the assistant head coach for the baseball team and has accepted a head coaching job with the expansion Bristol Nine of the NECBL. “Dan Kennedy is a friend and we done some business before,” Hall explained. “He is the general manager and he asked me to take the manager job and it’s a great opportunity to manage college kids.” Hall, who is in his second year with the Blue Devils, works mostly with the pitching staff after spending time with Fairfield University and their program. The Bristol native feels that the NECBL is one of the tops compared to other summer leagues and feels that it will serve as a great addition to the community. “The NECBL has come a long way since 1995 when I played,”
Hall said. “The NECBL gets players from all over the county, some of the best.” To date, the NECBL (which has been around since 1993) produced big time major leaguers such as Andre Either, Chris Iannetta, Andrew Bailey, and last years first overall pick in the MLB Draft Stephen Strasburg. Hall added, “I believe the league was just rated second behind the Cape [Cod League]. It’s continuing to grow from good ownership, good places to live in the summer and I think from that stand point the league has grown.” Even though summer ball may be thought as more for the individual play instead of playing for the team, Hall thinks that hard work will prevail regardless. “I am hoping that when the players come from their colleges that
their head coaches already have laid done the ground work,” Hall said. “All I am asking is for them to play hard and if I can tweak them then so be it, but they all want to get to the next level and my job is to keep them confident and on course.” Central is known to throw some of its own players on a summer league as Tommy Meade, Pat Epps, Richie Tri and Kyle Zarotney all traveled from home to play summer ball in hopes to continue their playing career. “Most of it is done by the college coach,” Hall said. “What me and coach Hickey done is being able to put them in the league in which they can benefit from. Younger guys may benefit from summer leagues to get more at bats and pitches to continue to develop.” In all, coach Hall is excited to take the summer job and help even
more players get from one level to another after taking the NECBL gig. “Connecticut is a great state,” Hall proclaimed. “I’m glad that Bristol stepped up and allowed us to come in there and play at Muzzy field. I think it’s going to be great for the community to come in and watch us play.” Summer baseball may just be a recreational time for some, but for those who dedicated their life to the sport (especially coaching) summer baseball is a pinnacle time of year to develop. “It comes with hard work and luck,” Hall said. “But I’m competitive and want to win but in the sense it important as a coach to develop these players over the summer and to remain healthy.” Congratulations coach, you’ll be fine.
Former CCSU Football Player Mike Cerullo and the New Orleans Saints Win Super Bowl XLIV CCSUBlueDevils.com
Another former Central Connecticut State University football player is going to be sporting a new ring very soon. Mike Cerullo, a former running back with the Blue Devils from 1987-90, is an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints. On Sunday night, Cerullo and the Saints defeated the Indianapolis Colts 3117 to win the first Super Bowl in team history. “For this franchise and the city of
New Orleans to have bounced back from the tragedy of Katrina, this is truly a great moment,” Cerullo said while heading back to New Orleans on Monday. “It culminates a long road back.” Cerullo has been a member of the Saints’ coaching staff for the past three seasons, beginning in 2007. This season he worked primarily with the defense after spending two years on the offensive side of the ball. Prior to joining the Saints he spent one season with the Atlanta Falcons. “For me personally it’s been a
long road and a dream that started a long time ago coaching high school football,” Cerullo said. “It’s surreal. I used to call Scott Pioli, my former teammate, for advice on how to get where he was. Hard work was the common theme. Thankfully he was always willing to lend advice and support.” Cerullo was a running back for the Blue Devils from 1987-90. He rushed the ball 86 times for 348 yards and one touchdown during his time in New Britain. He also caught seven passes. “I’m proud of where I came from
and where I am now,” he said. “It hasn’t sunk in yet, but when our victory parade starts on Tuesday I know it will be real.” Cerullo joins three other former Blue Devils who also have Super Bowl rings. Pioli has three (2002, 2004, 2005) from his time with the New England Patriots. Dallas Cowboys assistant coach Dave Campo has three (1993, 1994, 1996) during a previous stint as an assistant with the Cowboys. Frank Leonard, currently an assistant with the Rams, also has a ring from his time with the Patriots (2005).
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 10, 2010 / SPORTS
Second Time's the Charm for Blue Devils Continued from page 12
“Kerrianne had a good night; they couldn’t defend her off the drive. She was getting to the rim whenever she wanted to get to the rim,” said Coach Piper. Justina Udenze was the second person on the team to have double points, contributing 18 points to CCSU’s lead, 14 of which came in the second half. She helped solidify CCSU’s win, scoring 12 of the last 18 Blue Devil points. “Coach Piper is stressing that we should get the ball inside; work from the inside out because when you get the ball into the post a lot of good things are happening,” said Udenze of Saturday’s strategic efforts. Defensively the Bulldogs were right on top of the Blue Devils for most of the game, limiting them to a mere eight three-point
attempts, only two of which were made by Emily Rose and 49 field goal attempts. Despite the limited number of opportunities the Blue Devils managed to out shoot the Bulldogs 46.9 percent to 33.9 percent in field goals and 65.8 percent to 61.9 percent in free throws. “When we lost it’s kind of like, not a wakeup call because we’ve lost games throughout the season, but now we really start working a lot harder in practice because it’s getting important. All the wins we get now, and all the losses all really, really matter so we need to win every game and work harder,” Dugan said. The Blue Devils continue with their stint at home on Thursday Feb. 11 at 5 p.m. against Robert Morris and continue on through Saturday Feb. 13 at 3:30 p.m. when they face St. Francis (PA).
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Blue Devils Outlast Scrappy Bulldogs Continued from page 12
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of a 10-2 run for the home team to open the second half and help propel the Blue Devils to a much stronger second half. “I just think we were a little bit out of sync today. We weren’t totally there. We didn’t play hard for 40 minutes,” Seymore said. “When you do that, you get an up and down performance like we showed today.” Vlad Kondratyev led the Bulldogs (0-24, 0-12) with 14 points. Raphael Jordan added 12 points in a losing effort. “I cautioned the players yesterday in practice, last night at the meeting and in pregame, that Bryant is gonna win a game or two this year. We wanted to make sure
that it’s not Central Connecticut,” Dickenman said. “Well, I am not so sure that our players believed me. We were sleepwalking in the first half. Bryant outhustled us and outplayed us.” Bryant is one of only two winless teams in Division I, and also have the worst record in Division I. Alcorn State, of the Southwestern Athletic Conference, is the other winless team, with a record of 0-23. “It’s hard to realize that they haven’t won any games by the amount of effort that they put in,” Dickenman said. CCSU will host Robert Morris Thursday night at 8 p.m. The game will be televised on Cox Sports TV. The Blue Devils will have another home game Saturday, against St.
CCSU Rallies in the Third to Defeat Bryant Continued from page 12 play Williams, assisted by Brian Fay was able to tie the score at two when he took a chance and made a shot from the top of the circles. “I think it definitely boosted the morale of the team a little bit, and it seems like whenever we get a lead we put the foot on the pedal and keep on going,” said Williams, in regards to his goal which sparked the rest of the team. From that point on CCSU was attacking the net, making shots and stepping up on the defense. Williams’ goal was the start of their come from behind win. Less than three minutes after the initial goal, Dabkowski scored on the power play with help from the DiClemente brothers, Rob and Mike. Dabkowski’s second goal for the night put the Blue Devils ahead for the first time in the game. The fourth CCSU goal and final goal of the game came from Blewett, who scored with 11:41 left with help from Jonathan Knobloch
and Dane Anderson. “I think we got back to basics. Every one of our goals, except for Matt’s goal, was just purely getting pucks to the net, and crashing the net, which is if you’re having a hard time scoring that’s what you want to try to do,” said Adams. CCSU’s multi-talented lines were able to wear Bryant down, despite the noticeable absence of defensive powerhouse Thomas Carroll. He was unable to play against Bryant and NYU after being disqualified for the second time this season in the Western game. He will be permitted back in the lineup for Wednesday’s game at Holy Cross. CCSU is home again on Saturday Feb. 13 at 7:40 p.m. against the University of New Hampshire.
Right: Players celebrate a 4-2 win against Bryant after playing catch-up in the final period.
The Recorder
kenny Barto | the recorder
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Sports 2.10
THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 10, 2010
CCSU Blue Devils Tame Bulldogs WOMEN’S
MEN’S
Second Time's the Charm for Blue Devils
P.J. Wade scored five points against Bryant in Saturday’s game. Brittany Burke The Recorder
For the CCSU women’s basketball (9-13, 6-6 NEC) team second time’s a charm as they managed to push past the loss to the Bryant (10-13, 7-5 NEC) on Thursday night to top the Bulldogs 73-59, snapping their three game win streak. The Blue Devils traveled to Bryant just three days prior to their win on Saturday, with a much different outcome. While on the road, CCSU fell to the Bulldogs 80-71, a game in which the Bulldogs controlled the first half enough to carry them through to the win. In the second match up of the week yesterday Bryant was able to gain the early lead once again, having a five point advantage with 16:33 left to play in the first, but the lead didn’t last for long. "[I'm] just so pleased with the effort tonight, but a little frustrated that we go to their gym and we lose because we have a bad first half. We play a full game we win Thursday, we win tonight, and you know we blew that opportunity,” said Head Coach Beryl Piper.
kenny Barto | the recorder
The Blue Devils managed to recapture the lead when they went on an eight-point streak beginning with a layup made by Kerrianne Dugan, which closed the Bulldog’s lead to one. Thirty seconds later Dugan made another layup, pushing the Blue Devils to the advantage. Bryant hit their own hot streak when they managed to score five consecutive points, which put them in the position to tie the game at 31 with 2:07 left in the half. With 22 seconds left in the half freshman Kirsten Daamen hit the layup, which gave CCSU the momentum and minor lead going into halftime. “It was just important for us to put two halves together, and I mean last time we played them we started off terrible and gave them a big lead to go into halftime, and that’s always tough. When you go in with a lead you have that confidence and you feel a lot better going into the second half,” said Dugan. Dugan was the point leader in Saturday’s game contributing 23 points to the overall score. See Second Time Page 11
Blue Devils Outlast Scrappy Bulldogs
kenny Barto | the recorder
Freshman Joe Efese walked away with eight total points and two assists on Saturday. Christopher Boulay The Recorder
The CCSU men’s basketball team survived an early scare from the winless Bryant Bulldogs, to get their fourth-straight win 6148, in front of 2,279 at Detrick Gymnasium on Saturday. Junior Shemik Thompson scored 24 points to lead the Blue Devils (9-14, 6-6). Markeys Deans added 12 points and eight rebounds and Joe Seymore scored 10 points in the win. “Shemik carried us once again, and that was the real big key,” Seymore said. “Fifteen points in the second half is phenomenal, especially in this type of game, a league game. We were struggling a little bit and we needed it to pull us through.” The win gives CCSU two wins over the Bulldogs this season, and the second in a week. CCSU won in Smithfield, R.I. 61-34 Thursday night. “They have nothing to lose - 0-23, 0-24, I mean, what’s the difference? But we have a whole lot of things to lose,” Coach Howie
Dickenman said. “We had a three-game win streak that we had to work hard for and we took a step a forward, but we would have taken a step backward if we lost today.” CCSU had a very slow start, trailing Bryant 24-19 at the half, which was the second lowest point total at halftime this season. The Blue Devils shot an abysmal 29 percent from the field in the first half, and the team did not have their first lead until a three pointer by Seymore to make it 19-18 with 4:19 left before halftime. Seymore blamed the slow start in the first half to the team’s lack of poise after beating Bryant handily Thursday. “We just [weren’t] focused,” Seymore said. “I think that we did actually take [Bryant] for granted in the first half. They jumped out at us.” Joe Efese scored two of his eight points with 15:45 left in the second half, to give the Blue Devils the lead 25-24, and CCSU would not trail for the rest of the game. This was part See Blue Devils Outlast Page 11
CCSU Hockey Rallies in the Third for the Win Brittany Burke The Recorder
CCSU ice hockey topped off the Saturday sweep of Bryant University as they took on the Bulldogs, and won 4-2. The Blue Devils entered Saturday night’s home game looking to improve their weekend record to 2-0 overall after defeating New York University on the road 7-6, beginning the fourth and final ranking period undefeated. Despite the NYU win, the game itself wasn’t one of the Blue Devils’ best, starting out slow only to have to play catch up in the final period. “We didn’t have a very good game [Friday] for about a period, two periods and a half,” said senior Matt Williams. “And again
Inside This Issue:
The Bulldogs’ goalie we turned it on close to the was on top of his game end of the third yesterday Saturday, shutting out the and just popped in a couple Blue Devils in the first of goals.” period giving Bryant the The Blue Devils one-goal lead heading into seemed to be following suit the first intermission. as they took the ice against “I still think there the Bryant Bulldogs: slow was some residual from to warm up, only to turn it the previous night down around in the third. at NYU. We obviously CCSU took the ice didn’t play our best game, looking more sloppy and whether they weren’t tired than precise and kenny Barto | the recorder prepared or it was the big energetic. The team came out flat and remained that way through the lights of the city getting down there. I don’t entire first period. Goalie Greg Coco was know what it was, but I think tonight they coming up with big saves, but let the puck get came out flat,” said Head Coach Ben Adams. The Bulldogs continued to shut down past him with 4:14 left to play in the first.
Former CCSU Asst. Baseball Coach Takes Job Close to Home
Dugan Barely Misses Record Books
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the Blue Devils through most of the second period. In spite of CCSU’s multiple power play opportunities they couldn’t connect with the goal. The momentum changed when Joe Dabkowski scored a rebounded, unassisted goal sixteen minutes into the second, tying the score at one a piece. The good mood didn’t last long. Dabkowski was given time in the box shortly after his goal for roughing at 3:36. A minute and 24 seconds later Eric Blewett was called on contact to the head, presenting the Bulldogs with the power play, which they turned into a one goal lead. Again CCSU had to head into the locker room down a goal. The third period began with a bang, recharging the Blue Devils. With 18:13 left to See CCSU Rallies Page 11