CENTR A L CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSIT Y Wednesday, February 17, 2010
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Volume 106 No. 16
Muslim Students to Begin Search for Space Melissa traynor the recorder
Not enough space for student groups is a common complaint on campus. The Muslim Students Association is a recent group to come forward to voice their concerns about space needs. They seek a common interfaith space an established, open office or room where students can go to pray. They see it as a basic need met if they are able to pray in between classes in a free and designated location. “Ideally we’d want somewhere like a meditation space… Based on what we’ve heard, for Muslims, it’s the most urgent need because we pray five times a day,” said Ala’a Alsaqri, MSA president. They compare their need to that of other student groups that do have office space somewhere on campus.
“Some groups have multiple offices, like the LGBT office for example. They have two, but we deserve an office, too,” said Asma Shahid, the MSA’s secretary. MSA, which meets weekly on Wednesdays in the student center, has between 10 or 15 regulars and up to 10 new students who stop by their meetings each week. Alsaqri said she knows of up to 50 Muslim students on campus, but believes there could be 100 or more. Club officers said it is not uncommon for Muslim students to pray in their cars, open classrooms they find or in the library stacks to seek some privacy. Shahid said that the club has tried to arrange meeting spaces to sync with prayer times, but the diversity of the students’ See Muslim Students Page 3
CCSU NORML Chapter Prioritizes Semester Goals “Legalization would work. It just has to be regulated right.” - Ross Martowski to figure out what we need and what our tactics are going to be.” the recorder NORML is a non-profit group seeking to make the responsible The CCSU chapter of NORML, use of cannabis by adults no longer the National Organization for subject to penalty Reform of Marijuana Laws, met last “As far as decriminalization week to discuss their goals for the goes, the concept doesn’t really rest of the spring semester. make sense to me. I don’t see how The group came away from its something can be legal to own and third meeting with a use, but illegal to list of top priorities. sell and distribute,” Their main focus said Martowski. lies with a variety “Legalization would of events, such as a work. It just has to be few potential rallies, regulated right.” speaker events and NORML was not fundraising. currently represented Ross Martowski, in the state of president of the CCSU Connecticut before chapter of NORML, the CCSU chapter expressed strong became official. desire to have rallies “We are the Martowski both on the CCSU only chapter in campus, possibly on April Connecticut,” said 20, and at the state capitol. They are Martowski. currently in the planning process, While the group is currently researching the proper information official with NORML, as of press necessary for coordination of the time they have yet to become an rallies. official group with CCSU. Because “That’s the biggest event, that’s of this, the group must hold off on priority number one. It’s on state fundraising on campus until they level and we can organize with other have become officially recognized groups,” said David Allard, secretary See CCSU NORML Page 2 of CCSU NORML. “We just need Michael Walsh
kenny Barto | the recorder
The Blue Devils lost their second straight home game, following a Robert Morris loss on Thursday.
“[The trainer] said Shemik was banged up; he had cuts, bruises, and some vomiting. Even if he didn’t have big point numbers today, you could tell he was a warrior for us out there.” -Coach Howie Dickenman
Textbook Cost Dominates BOT Student Life Meeting terence steWart the recorder
Connecticut State University System’s Board of Trustees brainstormed ways to contain the rising cost of textbooks at their Academic Affairs and Student Life joint committee meeting last Monday. “We’ve been hearing a lot of concerns about textbook costs from our students,” said Louise Feroe, CSUS Senior Vice Chancellor for
Academic and Student Affairs, and moderator of the discussion. “The goal of this meeting is to find out what the scope of the problem is and ways to address it.” Meeting attendees also unanimously agreed that getting donors, alumni, and community members and organizations to establish textbook scholarships could be a feasible way to make textbooks more affordable for cashstrapped students. In addition, attendees discussed
other solutions such as making textbooks available for rent; shifting from the use of printed books to digital books and increasing the availability of electronic reserves. According to Selase Williams, provost at Eastern Connecticut State University, some students spend upwards of $2,000 a year on textbooks, depending on their major and course load. Trustees Alex Rodgriguez and See Textbook Cost Page 3
In The Recorder This Week:
Wolfman is All Howl, But No Bite
Page 6
Google a Buzz Kill
Page 5
George Clinton to Bring the Funk to New Haven
Stop by Narcissus Chocolate Café For Your Hot Chocolate Fix
Page 6
Page 8
FoR bREaKING NEWS VISIT www.centralrecorder.com
Album reviews: Peter Gabriel’s Latest record
Page 8
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NEWS
THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Recorder
Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 T 860.832.3744 editor@centralrecorder.com centralrecorder.com twitter.com/therecorder
NIU to Renovate Cole Hall 2 Years After Shootings
CCSU NORML Chapter Prioritizes Semester Goals
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 Editors Christopher Boulay Carmine Vetrano, Assistant Brittany Burke, Assistant Photo Editor Kenny Barto
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. T he pur pose of T he Recorder is to approach and def ine issues of importance to the students of Central Connecticut State Universit y. Editorial board meetings for The Recorder are held on Sundays at 6 p.m. in the Blue and W hite Room in the student center.
Paul Biasco
The Daily Illini | University of Illinois
(WIRE) - Sunday marked the twoyear anniversary of the shootings at Northern Illinois University that ended with five student deaths. On Feb. 14, 2008 a shooter entered the university’s largest lecture hall, Cole Hall, and opened fire, which injured 19 students and killed five. Plans for the building where the shooting occurred have been finalized. “Its hard to believe that it’s already two years,” said Brad Hoey, interim team leader for media relations at NIU. Jared Steger, NIU alumnus, said he was supposed to have class in the same lecture hall the day the shooting occurred. “It was like any other normal day until we heard the gunshots,” he said. “It was a pretty traumatic event.” Steger said he knew one of the students who was killed in the tragedy. “It’s just a horrible event, but the community and school has grown stronger and learned from it,” he added. Cole Hall has not been used for any classes since the shooting, and the question of what to do with the building has been debated for the past two years. The original proposal was to demolish the hall, but the university recently decided to re-purpose the hall, which will be a complete renovation of the building. In the new plans, the original lecture hall will be split into two rooms, Hoey said. The new plans for Cole Hall
include a lecture hall that will be half the size of the original with the remaining space to be used for non-academic purposes, Hoey said. He could not elaborate on what the university would do with the remaining space. “Soon after the tragedy of Feb. 14, 2008, we came to the realization that any comprehensive healing process on campus must incorporate efforts to re-purpose Cole Hall,” said John Peters, NIU President, in a press release. Construction is scheduled to begin in the summer and Hoey said the university hopes the projects will be completed by fall 2011. The university has faced “tremendous logistical problems” with the closure of the lecture hall, which forced larger classes to be “squeezed” into small spaces on the campus, according to a NIU press release. Gov. Pat Quinn released $10.3 million for the project on Jan. 27, 2010, which will be used for the construction of Cole Hall and renovations to another building on the campus, the Stevens Building. “It is difficult to overstate the impact that taking Cole Hall offline has had on the scheduling of classes around campus,” said NIU Provost Ray Alden in a press release. “We are delighted that these funds have been released, and we look forward to the day when our academic facilities are back at full strength.” The Stevens Building, will have a new 400-seat lecture hall to make up for lost classroom space. “Nobody thinks that something like this can happen on my campus,” Hoey said. “It’s been proven that it can.”
Photo courtesy of cannabisculture.com
Continued from page 1 by the school. “As far as fundraising goes, NORML basically hooked us up,” said Martowski. The organization provides the chapter the opportunity to purchase items such as t-shirts, lapels, bumper stickers and pins at manufacture price to sell in hopes of raising enough money that in addition to their budget will allow them to pull off the events they want to. The chapter is also looking at having a few speaker events, such as a “Feds vs. Heads” debate, similar to the porn debate held at CCSU last semester. The event might feature a
former editor from High Times, a cannabis culture magazine, against a former DEA agent. Also brought to the attention of the group is an upcoming forum at CCSU about the impact of drug policy on Connecticut’s economy, which will be held in Alumni Hall on March 18. All Connecticut gubernatorial candidates have been invited to the non-partisan event. A few of the anticipated speakers include Dr. Susan Pease, professor of criminology and dean of arts and sciences at CCSU and Dr. Robert Painter, policy analyst at CCSU. The group meets every Thursday afternoon at 12:30 in the Blue and White room.
scene @ ccsu A Weekly Stand-Alone Photo Captured at CCSU
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kenny Barto | the recorder
DanCentral performed multiple routines in their “Helping Haiti” fundraiser at Welte Auditorium Tuesday night. They raised almost $500.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / NEWS
Muslim Students Association Wants Space Continued from page 1 schedules often makes it difficult. Since Winter 2008-09, the MSA have attempted to collaborate with other faith organizations on campus, including Hillel and the Christian Students at Central, in order to lobby for an interfaith space dedicated to meeting and prayer. “The point of those dialogues is to show people on campus that students need a space here for prayer and spirituality,” said Alsaqri. Shahid explained that the collaboration has since dropped off and the MSA is largely the only faith group still asking for space. They have also tried to work with the Christian groups associated with the Newman House on Paul Manafort Drive. The groups have offered the MSA prayer space, but they are often hesitant to accept and do not want to impose on space that does not belong to them, Shahid said. She explained that representatives of each group have sought out administrators to speak with about their space needs and boards on campus with the power to appropriate space. Alsaqri said they met with Interim VP of Student Affairs Laura Tordenti and Susan Sweeney, assistant director of Student Activities/ Leadership development. So far, the group has two leads: approach the university Facilities Planning Committee and the Student Union Board of Governors. Alsaqri said she stopped by the committee’s meeting last week, but is still trying to get the MSA scheduled and onto an agenda. She has not made contact with SUBOG, but plans to. Though the MSA are not specifically looking for a room in the student center, they acknowledge that an office of room there would be most convenient for students.
Textbook Cost Dominates BOT Student Life Meeting Continued from page 1 Andrew Wetmore, who are full-time undergraduate students at Central Connecticut State University and Western Connecticut State University respectively, said they spend anywhere from $300 to $700 on textbooks each semester. Rodriguez and Wetmore said the price of textbooks, in addition to the rising cost of tuition and student fees, are making higher education a huge financial burden, especially for low income students. During the hour-long preliminary meeting, nine trustees, along with administrators from each of the four state universities, engaged in a lively discussion on ways to make textbooks more affordable for students. Rodriguez said professors are a key part of the solution: “Faculty needs to consider the cost in addition to the quality of the textbook. Faculty makes the ultimate decision as far as what text books are going to be given to students.” Rodriguez also said school
administrators should meet with textbook industry executives to discuss ways to reduce the cost of textbooks and the frequency of revisions. “I had courses where a new edition [of a textbook] was released and I wasn’t able to sell back the book that I had,” said Rodriguez. “When I looked at the new edition, there weren’t many differences.” Thousands of college students across the four state universities share Rodriguez’s frustration. Students suffer a financial loss when they’re not able to sell back an older edition of a textbook that still has relevant information. Feroe and trustee David Panciera urged administrators at each state university to facilitate meetings with students, faculty and library directors to discuss methods to contain the cost of books and submit the feedback to the Board of Trustees by the end of the spring semester. The Board of Trustees and university administrators will meet again to discuss the feasibility and implementation of the recommendations.
Photo courtesy of the MSA
The MSA door won for best application of diversity in the Door Decorating Contest 2009. Space in the center has not been south side of the student center. re-evaluated for student club use “SUBOG has not been contacted since May 2008, during which officially about the space issues with changes were made in four offices the Muslim Student Association, to accommodate different use and however myself, and several others student organizations. from both the Student Center and The only new addition since May SA/LD are aware of the issue and 2008 is the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual are working toward a solution,” and Transgender Center located on SUBOG chair Kelley Fournier the third floor in the drum of the wrote in an email to The Recorder.
kenny Barto | the recorder
HEALTHY MEN WHO HAVE 5 OR MORE DRINKS PER OCCASION NEEDED FOR ALCOHOL STUDY
Healthy males, 21-45 years old, who drink 5 or more drinks per occasion on several days per month, and have no history of substance dependence or psychiatric illness, are needed for a UConn Health Center study to evaluate an FDA approved medication, dutasteride, and common genetic variation on the effects of a moderate dose of alcohol. Dutasteride (Avodart TM) is not FDA approved for the purpose of this study. Participation involves blood samples, interviews, questionnaires, 7 brief study visits and 4 full day laboratory sessions where you will be asked to consume placebo or alcohol drinks based on your body weight. $555 paid for full participation. For information call 860-679-4186 or go to www. uchcalcoholstudy.com (refer to study #2) IRB approved on 4/20/09 (valid through 3/10/10)
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / ADS
OPINION
5 THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 17, 2010
A Clear Space Request Process Would Prevent Confusion Given that the student center is relatively new - compared to other buildings on campus - it is almost understandable that there is no real systemic, routine space evaluation for student clubs. But also, given that new student clubs form regularly, shouldn't that justify a regular way to evaluate which clubs need permanent space the most, and which ones can wait? With the Muslim Student Association's new quest for space, it seems as though they are experiencing a first-hand account of the run-around required to get space needs and requests heard. They seek an open prayer space, a room or an office that remains reserved for prayers so that Muslim students - or students of any faith - can come to pray in peace and
without distractions. But it seems there is no real system of making a formal request for student center space, or at least none apparent. Regardless of whether their request is legitimate and worthy, it still reveals the gap in student center functions or lack of response to space needs. The last student center space re-evaluation for student clubs was called in Spring 2008 by the Student Union Board of Governors and was conducted via space applications and finished with specific recommendations that were later enacted to accommodate more clubs. According to their February, 2008 meeting minutes, SUBOG cited the need for a review of efficiency of office space use, other
clubs’ office needs and the lack of use of some spaces as cause to reevaluate the student-specific spaces in the center. They judged the eight existing tenants and 13 new space applicants on criteria that included campus wide contributions to the group, funding, breadth and number of student membership in the organization and the uses by each club. SUBOG was justly concerned with these criteria in 2008 and did set up a schedule for space re-evaluation every three years. The problem is, it’s not very well publicized. The radio station, WFCS, has experienced a similar run-around in attempting to appeal the SUBOG mandate that certain political groups may share the station's
studio C. Their request would probably be heard, save for that there is no official meeting set each semester, or year, or two years for re-appropriating space. MSA club officers have also questioned why they may not receive space, or at least ask for it easily, when other groups have two offices. They refer to the apparent blending in members and functions of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Center on the third floor of the student center and the group PRIDE, which serves a similar if not exact same purpose. Certainly there is a need for office space for LGBT students, but the apparent nature of the overlapping groups and two separate offices does not seem necessary. If anything, the PRIDE office ceased to be necessary
as soon as the opening of the larger LGBT center. However, even apparent overlaps prose problems. A systemic and clearly announced evaluation of space would help avoid confusion and create a more transparent atmosphere. It would also provide a realistic timetable for clubs that plan to request office space and allow for them to set goals in order to meet the criteria for receiving it. The MSA are not the first group to come forward, and will certainly not be the last to ask for space, and therefore it is more important now than before to establish a real process. With CSU system-wide financial worries, clearly building and expanding on the student center is not going to be an option, but efficient, reasonable use of space is.
Kitchen Permission CCSU Might Have a Drainage Problem Christina LoBello The Recorder
As I walked into the lobby of James hall this past Monday, a huge sign in big bold colors read “ALL SNACK ROOMS ARE CLOSED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE.” I was struck dumb and then I remembered what happened. As most of you know, James hall is equipped with kitchens on each floor. Each kitchen has a refrigerator, two microwaves and a sink. During the first week of school, the kitchen was misused, at the same time, for two days in a row. Therefore, this caused a fire drill, at the same time, for those two days. This became extremely annoying to the residents. I had only been through one of them, not knowing that there was one the day before. Whilst it is not known exactly how or why this occurred, the irritations of residents increased when it was stated in bright colors that every kitchen was closed. Now, I understand that there are consequences to these issues, but do we all have to suffer? I would think not. Some students, such as myself, have night classes that last for quite sometime. The cafeteria closes at 9
and my class gets out quite late. I would rather warm up something in the microwave than have to walk all the way to Dunkin Donuts in the freezing cold at 9:45 at night. Now, there are some updates on the situation. The kitchens are closed until 2/19 then they are only open during RA office hours. Then, if there is “good kitchen conduct” they will be opened for good. Good kitchen conduct? Are we all toddlers? Are we not capable of being responsible? I guess not if we have to have “good kitchen conduct.” This is all because a kitchen was misused. We shouldn’t all have to suffer because of this. Not to mention, the snow day on Wednesday when no one, (including myself) wanted to go outside in the frigid, blustering cold air just to get a bite to eat. It would be so much easier if the kitchen was open. That way we could just warm up something and still be inside with the heat. It’s situations like these that make me wonder just how these things should be handled. Should everyone have to be blamed ? No. Could the situation be handled better? Yes. The moral of the situation is, people should think first before they act.
Don Weber The Recorder
As spring draws nearer, so does the sporadic New England weather. Judging by the meteorologists toss ups on snow totals and temperatures, spring could bring some very interesting rain storms. It should be no surprise that spring rain could very well mean some fantastic water drifts, especially as you embark across campus to Willard or DiLoreto. Every semester, there are a number of water overflows. There are even facebook groups and events dedicated to the most memorable ones. While they are at least entertaining during the day, they’re an entirely different story if you get caught in a night flood. Students can appreciate the scene after a 3:00 class on their way home, and many will find it a perfect opportunity to puddle-jump and enjoy our fine student center. However, when a student gets out of a 9 p.m. class at
night ready to rush home (or maybe it’s Thursday night), and has to be The Running Man (or Woman) just to survive the quest to an acrosscampus destination, everything is suddenly less appealing. Every semester, the situation arises and it is likely it will this semester as well. Even in winter, on-campus residents can enjoy the dainty path that becomes an ice slide on their way to or from Vance, Gallaudet and the like. One must assume that there is a future plan in store for the draining problem, or maybe not. Maybe the staff gets the same kicks that we students get from our adventures in these events. Maybe it’s the rain gods that get their giggles from our state university Slip-N-Slide. Maybe some emphatic Recorder reader that loves to read rants goes around and plugs each drain. Or, of course, there is always the possibility that the issue isn’t as relevant as the education and Division 1 athletics,
as the drifting water is a rare treat for all. Certainly, many people complain about the flooding and whoever has been blessed with the position of handling that task probably has heard plenty of opinion on the subject. I, too, seem to unwrap the present that is night time downpours and water flooding each time there’s a remote chance of it. Nevertheless, the water drifting events that take place do give us our own stories to tell to those dry individuals who are just reeking of sympathy. Perhaps the problem will be addressed at some point or maybe they’ll make it a CCSU icon. Either way, this spring is bound to have at least one more stair-flooding party before the terms end. Despite the enjoyment or irritation that comes with it, I would definitely warn everyone, if the meteorologist says there’s going to be a heavy rain, bring an umbrella.
Google Social Network a Buzz Kill Casey Goodwin
The Daily Cougar | University of Houston
(WIRE) - Google’s new service, Buzz, has the potential to be the next big thing in social media. Buzz, which was released Tuesday, is a service provided to all Gmail account holders. It allows users to share status updates, photos, links and videos, just like Facebook and Twitter. In fact, Buzz lets people import items from their Twitter and Flickr accounts, as well as several other social Web sites. Unlike most other social networking sites, however, Buzz defaults to public posts that anyone can view, not private ones aimed specifically at your friends. Google automatically suggests that each Buzz user separate groups of followers and people to follow, using a networking technique more like Twitter than Facebook. While it is possible to block people from following you after they start, there is no approval process (like Facebook’s “confirm as friend” option) through which users can vet who gets their personal buzzes (status updates) before they start receiving them. But perhaps the most privacyjeopardizing feature Buzz includes is the ability for users to post location-tagged messages from their cell phones. Since a user’s buzzes
are made public unless otherwise marked, anyone who looks at that person’s Google profile or happens to be nearby will be able to easily see what they have to say about a specific location. Anyone who has a Google profile page can display the people they follow and those who follow them on Buzz. Written in the Buzz privacy policy is the disclaimer, “If you are following someone who publicly displays their list of followers on their Google profile, then you will appear on that person’s public list. Likewise, if someone is following you and displays the list of people they follow on their profile, then you will appear on that public list.” While each user can decide
Photo Courtesy of Computerworld
whether to display their followers and who they follow, the policy does not provide any way for a person to avoid having their name shown on others’ lists. In this respect, the right to control one’s privacy is out of individuals’ hands and in the hands of others. Between blogs, Facebook, MySpace and various other social media Web sites, there are few people who do not have some sort of searchable presence online. Buzz simply makes this presence more obvious and easier to find. Before users post their first buzz, Google requires that they set up a publicly searchable profile page. True privacy is becoming more and more a thing of the past; that is by no means a good thing.
6 THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Upgrade
Toad's Gives Up the Funk Thursday Matt Kiernan The Recorder
Extremely influential funk legends George Clinton and the Parliament Funkadelic are going to perform at Toad’s Place this Thursday, for what should be a concert filled with dance-crazed fans, dying to hear the band’s classic tunes.
George Clinton’s bands Funkadelic and Parliament have been influencing dance music since the 1970s, writing classics such as Parliament’s “Give Up the Funk,” “Flash Light” and Funkadelic’s “Maggot Brain.” The bands combine funk, psychedelic and soul music to create hard-hitting jams that are undeniably catchy.
Clinton started out making music with Parliament, while also concentrating on the slightly less known, but still very influential Funkadelic. Parliament has released such classic albums as Mothership Connection, The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein and Funkentelechy Vs. the Placebo Syndrome. Funkadelic has also put
out classic albums, including Funkadelic, Maggot Brain, and One Nation Under a Groove. Both bands haven’t put out new full-length albums in many years, with Parliament’s last album Trombipulation in 1980 and Funkadelic’s 1981 album Who’s a Funkadelic? This doesn’t matter though considering both groups’ extensive
Clinton performing at Waterfront Park, in Louisville, Kentucky in 2008.
music catalog and ability to inspire musicians to this day. The band is on a tour throughout the East Coast and Midwest, with a show at the House of Blues in Boston, Mass. Feb. 19, and ending their tour in Charlotte, NC. The doors will open at 8:00 p.m., with the show starting at 9:30 p.m. Tickets run for $30 in advance and $33 the day of the show.
Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia
Wolfman's Bark May Be Bigger Than His Bite Kim Scroggins The Recorder
In a world where the vampire has become the most desired monster, a movie about the werewolf held some promise of bringing the beast back into the spotlight. The Underworld movies have tried to have the two classic monsters live harmoniously on the movie screen, but the credit still went to our favorite bloodsuckers. With The Wolfman, director Joe Johnston, who also directed Jumanji and The Pagemaster and took over for the original director, Mark Romanek, wanted to make it so the new thriller left quite an impact. From the beginning, it seemed as though the movie was going to keep you on edge. There wasn’t a lull in the story where after a good 20 minutes of suspense you’re sitting there asking yourself
whether or not you should get up and leave. Plus, the story and film had some potential with its strong cast. Benicio Del Toro stars as the Wolfman, Anthony Hopkins plays his father, Hugo Weaving takes the opposition as the Scotland Yard Detective and Emily Blunt assumes the role of the damsel in distress. For a thriller, The Wolfman was very simple. The funny thing about movies like this is that they hold the possibility of being very bizarre. That’s half the fun of it, really. Unfortunately, that’s not the case here. In fact, it was a very traditional style horror theme. Someone dies in a very violent manner and another family member (preferably one who was previously disowned) comes to be the one hero who finds out just exactly what happened. Oh, and more often than not the rest of the family resents the help and the one female you see in the entire film
Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
Photo Courtesy of Universal Pictures
ends up falling in love. I’ll give Joe Johnston one thing: at no point in the movie were you ever completely relaxed. You were always expecting something terrible to happen or to have something lunge out at you. But honestly, even with that factor, the movie was nothing more than a suspense film. Thriller isn’t the term I would have used. After a while of sitting there wondering just what the heck was
going on, it all suddenly made sense and you were able to figure out the last hour of the film. There was plenty of gore but when it came to the actual monster, the Wolfman looked more like an angry gorilla than anything else. I must say that that was a let down. With all the make-up and special effects available in Hollywood today, you’d figure they would have looked a little more convincing. But
it did have some similarities to films like Van Helsing in content and the same eerie, dim lighting that you might see in a Tim Burton film. Overall, the movie wasn’t a total disappointment. I’d say it works as more of a renal for those nights when you’re stuck in the house. It’s always frustrating when the trailer ends up being more exciting than the entire film, but it was a worthy effort.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / UPgRADE
Hunkering for Hot Chocolate? saMantha fournier the recorder
As the snow continues to fall and students hide from the cold beneath their hats and scarves they should make a visit to the quaint little red house in Old Wethersfield that has more than enough hot cocoa and chocolates to keep them warm and keep chocolate cravings at bay called Narcissus Chocolate Café. When entering the cafe you’ll feel like you stepped into a comfortable living room complete with board games, books set on a wire bookshelf in the corner next to a comfortable looking olive green couch, and the latest copy of the Advocate resting on top of a coffee table. The walls are adorned with colorful art and bags and tea that is for sale rest on a hutch in the corner. Up a few steps is a kitchen-like atmosphere. A group of women chat over coffee and chocolate around a large wooden table. More
importantly, past the table full of giddy women chatting is a glass covered counter filled with rich looking chocolate treats including vanilla bean truffles and peanut butter melts on one side and on the other side there are other enticing sweets such as Snickers pie, pumpkin praline cheesecake, and pumpkin squares. If there is one thing this cafe knows, it’s chocolate. The cafe has been celebrating community and chocolate for the past two years as of November. While this cafe has more on the menu than chocolate including delicious-sounding paninis, quiches and wraps, the chocolate will catch your attention first. The hot chocolate drinks offer more than enough cocoa to entice your palate and rid you of any cravings you were having. The “superlicious cocoa” is hot chocolate with a shot of Italian Sipping Chocolate topped with whip cream. At first sip this rich dark cocoa will have you coming back for more until the last drop and thinking about when
you’ll be stopping in next. Beyond the “superlicious cocoa” the cafe has many variations of hot chocolate to choose from including “white cloud mocha,” a white hot chocolate with a shot of espresso and whipped cream, “salted caramel,” a sipping chocolate, sea salt, caramel, and whipped cream, and the “Italian kiss,” which has Italian sipping chocolate, espresso, and whipped cream. The newest addition to the menu is the “Dirty Snowball.” This white hot chocolate is combined with a shot of espresso and coconut syrup and then topped with whip cream and coconut flakes. Your drink of choice comes in a large colorful mug, giving the cafe even more of that comfortable feel that Central Perk had for the show Friends. You’ll want to sit down and stay a while and if you had a chocolate craving when you came in, you won’t have one when you leave. The café is open Tuesday through Saturday from10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (and is sometimes open later on Friday for live entertainment).
saMantha fournier \ the recorder
Study abroad to Suit Your Tastes
christoPher Machnich the recorder
Students at CCSU now have more opportunities to study abroad than ever before. Study abroad programs at CCSU have evolved to comply with the busy lives of college students. Studying abroad no longer means moving across the globe for months on end. Students are still able to learn in another country for a full semester, but CCSU also offers trips as short as ten days. “The short programs were created to give those who have not traveled out of the country a more secure experience,” said Nancy Weissmann, coordinator of the exchange program at CCSU. “We offer a freshman trip to England where students don’t get credit, but are able to become accustomed to long distance travel and life in another part of the world.” CCSU offers trips all over the world, and there are trips that complement all lifestyles. Whether you want to study Italian culture or go on a trek through the rain forest, there is something for everybody. “I’d rather go to Peru and do something adventurous, than go to
a city,” said Alex Trueb, who went to Peru for seventeen days in the summer of 2009. Studying abroad also gives students an opportunity to earn college credits in an non traditional way. “I took trips to Peru and Chile to finish my Spanish minor,” said Liz Benfield, CCSU ‘11. Benfield plans to study abroad again during spring break, this time to Spain. “The type of Spanish spoken in Spain is different than in South America. I want to learn the different types of Spanish around the world,” said Benfield. There are very few places that CCSU students are not able to travel to. “We’re able to send students pretty much anywhere, as long as there isn’t a travel advisory,” said Weissmann. “Several students have wanted to go to Israel, but because of the travel advisory have not been able to.” There are a number of trips currently enrolling students, and those interested should go to the Center for International Education office located in room 123 in Henry Barnard Hall.
Film Series to Focus on Ava Gardner Matt kiernan the recorder
Photo courtesy of kulter
An Ava Gardner film series will commence in coming months for the CCSU community to enjoy the actress’s extensive movie collection, with 1951 classic Show Boat scheduled next. “I think there’s a place for contemporary films and there’s a place for indie exposé, and colleges are great places for that,” said chair of the English department Gilbert Gigliotti, who organized the series. The first movie showing, 1946’s The Killers, which was originally a Hemingway short story, saw a turnout of attendees that included students, faculty, staff and alumni. “One of the things that we have on campus is experts in different things that can provide some sort of introduction to each movie,” said Gigliotti. Each movie has a professor assigned to it to give a 15-minute introduction, that doesn’t have to follow any format, and the professors are given free range as to how they would like to present each film. This Friday, at 2 p.m. in Diloreto room 001, there will be a showing of Show Boat, with an introduction by CCSU professor of philosophy Dr. Felton Best. The movie will be presented with an analysis for the African-American Studies Black History Month lecture series. While establishing the idea of how to put the film series together, Gigliotti had to think of which professors to connect to each
movie. Professors’ specializations in various fields would provide different perspectives and ideas for how to present each film at a different angle. Pitching each idea to a professor seemed like it would be difficult at first, because Gigliotti wasn’t sure how much each professor knew about the movies, but he soon realized they knew quite a bit. Gigliotti’s favorite Gardner movie is the Barefoot Contessa, because in his mind, it is the quintessential Gardner film that sums up all of her characters. The idea for the series came about because Gigliotti will soon release a book by Entasis Press titled, “Ava Gardner: Touches of Venus,” named after her 1948 film One Touch of Venus. “I’d been working on her for a while, so I figured I’d try and have a series dedicated to her,” said
Gigliotti. Gardner never thought much of herself as a movie star and didn’t care for the studio industry. What Gardner had though was beauty and charm, with more acting talent than she gave herself credit for. After starring in most of her movies throughout the 1940s and '50s, Gardner stepped back from the public eye to work behind the camera. Eventually, she settled down in England where she eventually passed away in 1990. If the Gardner film series turns out to be a success, Gigliotti could see there being another film series next semester, with a different actor as the star. The series could perhaps focus on Frank Sinatra. After Show Boat, the series will continue on March 5 with Mogambo, March 12 with the Barefoot Contessa and April 23 with On the Beach.
Photo courtesy of Parnassus times
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / UPGRADE
REVIEWS Peter Gabriel Scratch My Back Virgin March 2
Michael Walsh The Recorder
While Phil Collins went on to bring Genesis to mainstream fame, I always found Peter Gabriel to be the more interesting and talented of the two. Of course, Gabriel’s bizarre theatrics and strange lyrical content was always going to clash with the audience Collins’ succeeded at securing. But Gabriel is the lyrical master behind Genesis’ Foxtrot, one of the greatest progressive rock albums of all time, and that alone makes his solo work worth looking at closely. And his latest project is no more of a strange endeavor and concept than we’re used to getting from the brains behind such masterpieces as the 23 minute progressive rock piece “Supper’s Ready.” Scratch My Back features the theatrical Gabriel covering tunes from well-known artists both young and old. But instead of being the typical cover album, Gabriel does his recreations with the help of only an orchestra and no guitars, basses or drums. The finely seasoned and honestly veteran voice of Gabriel still holds up while belting out his version of David Bowie’s “Heroes” or Arcade Fire’s “My Body Is a Cage,” the latter of which turns out to be one of the most powerful tracks on the album. While I wasn’t familiar with the original style and sound of every cover on the album, there were a few I had already been accustomed to and a fan of. His cover of Talking Heads’ “Listening Wind” is vocally brilliant and his version of Radiohead’s “Street Spirit (Fade Out)” is an eerily worthwhile listen. The backing concept of Gabriel’s Scratch My Back is that in turn, the artists he covered will scratch his back, covering a song of his in return. Now as much as I would love to see the legendary Talking Heads
reform and cover a Gabriel tune, it’d be nice to see even David Byrne do a Gabriel rendition. Not to mention Lou Reed and Neil Young. This album is strong enough to appeal to fans of Gabriel, the artists covered and music as general. It doesn’t get nearly as weird as the costumes Gabriel used to wear when he was the front man of Genesis. On the other hand, unless you really enjoy orchestral music, the album won’t last in terms of replay. Its luster wears off as a one and done, go back for your favorite track type release. Still, Scratch My Back is a worthwhile recording from a legendary vocalist.
Pantha du Prince Black Noise Rough Trade February 8
A style that Pantha takes on is dark-electronic music that seems to be giving a signal to the rest of the world from in a cave. Perhaps this also adds to the separation that Hendrick tries to make in his project from the rest of the techno groups in the music world. A notable track off the album is the 7-minute “Stick to My Side,” a synthesizer-based track that overlays the echoes of Hendrick singing, “Stick to my side/ why stick to the things that I’ve already tried.” “A Nomads Retreat” is a track that could have possibly been made into something that would be played in a techno club, but because the bass and drum volumes are lowered, the track retains Pantha’s minimalistic characteristics. Black Noise is an album that will be a great listen for techno fans that are tired of hearing repetitive beats blasting through the speakers, and are looking for something more experimental.
Liars Sisterworld Mute Records March 9
Matt Kiernan The Recorder
Pantha du Prince is the German experimental techno project that while falling into the category of dance music, does so barely by skewing the rules of what would normally distinguish music as being able to be played in a club. What makes Pantha’s music incapable of being used in clubs is the minimalistic direction that its artist, Hendrick Weber, decides to take it in. The down play of conventional bass and drumbeats takes away the thumping beats that are involved with most techno music. Weber’s been heard to say his influences on Pantha’s music include the shoegaze bands My Bloody Valentine and Ride. This may not immediately be heard in his records, considering the previous two bands use guitars and vocals heavily through most of their songs, but his ability to create atmospheres with instruments is comparable to them. Black Noise is a continuation of his last two albums, using distant electronic beats and instruments such as chimes to sprinkle notes into the listener’s head.
PJ Decoteau The Recorder
Ever since their critically acclaimed third album Drum’s Not Dead was released in 2004, Liars have specialized in a unique brand of dark, sludgy rock music that is often as frustrating and confounding as it is eclectic and thrilling. The group has a knack for taking albums to every dark corner of the musical map, and in doing so they offer collections that are cohesive in their balls out, stitched-together audacity. So it is with their newest and fifth full release, Sisterworld, which finds the band continuing the experimental post-rock sound presented on their self-titled 2007 release. Sisterworld opens up with two promising tracks, “Scissor” and “No Barrier Fun.” “Scissor” is a slowburner that goes from eerie, gothic singing into hard and heavy guitar
rock not once, but twice, while “No Barrier Fun” is a swaggering, beatheavy tune that’s complimented by a contrasting dose of lethargic strings that float in the background. Both tracks mislead listeners into thinking that they might actually be in for a fairly straightforward batch of songs. Wrong. Just as Liars did a few years ago, the album devolves into messy abstraction peppered by loud bursts of noise and a few bright spots. If there were ever a song that could be cited for onomatopoeia it would be “Drip”, with its oozing distortion and twinkling pianos that sound as though they just might be dripping from a faucet. Things stay weird and dark for the remainder of the album. “Scarecrows on a Killer Slant” and “The Overachievers” are fast and furious songs that are offset by soft, strange forays into noise-rock, all of which would amount to an intriguingly cerebral trip were they not missing one key component: melodies. Call me a traditional bore, but droning guitars and tuneless singing can get old pretty quickly, and Liars are at their best when they forgo the obtuse posturing for real melodies and structured songs. While every track on Sisterworld is undeniably interesting and the band should be commended for both their willingness to try new things and their adamant adhesion to a particular aesthetic, the lack of real tunes leaves the album feeling as bleak and detached as an industrial park. It may be eclectic and abrasively different, but there is often little enjoyment to be had in the darker, colder corners of the world.
H.I.M. Screamworks Sire February 8
with wimpy pop choruses for their newest release, Screamworks, an album that doesn’t take the band toward anything new, but is full of more songs similar to their previous work. H.I.M. (His Infernal Majesty) have always personified themselves as a dark and misunderstood band, leaving people to believe their music would be quite heavy, which is what I thought when I first heard of them. I was very much wrong when I gave Screamworks a listen and realized that all along the band was really into making pop music. I guess I was also wrong about their biggest skateboarder fan and promoter Bam Margera only being into heavy music. H.I.M.’s influences of metal bands Metallica and Pantera can be heard in their music clearly, although H.I.M.’s gothic point of view brings the music to a much more dramatic and emotional level. The opening track, “In Venire Veritas,” has a dark sound throughout the verses, but as soon as the chorus kicks in, singer Ville Hermanni Valo’s vocals are reaching clear high notes. “Heartkiller” is an obvious single off the album, and could easily be a song that would fit right in to the All-American Rejects’ poprock catalogue. One of the most emo-based songs is “Disarm Me,” with Valo singing in the chorus, “Disarm me with your loneliness/ just like always before.” Of course it would be expected that H.I.M. would make emo/ gothic music, considering on most of their album covers, and this one in particular, they include a drawing of their “heartagram” symbol. What makes this album a little bit different from the other records, is that the band completely immerses themselves in making pop music. Screamworks is an album that may fool people in the beginning into thinking it’s going to be heavy, but in actuality is a pop record covered up under heavy guitars.
Sick of reading album reviews for bands no one has heard of? Email suggestions to editor@centralrecorder.com.
Matt Kiernan The Recorder
Goth-rockers H.I.M. return with their goth metal sound mixed
Valentine's Day Another Cliché Yet Loving Romantic Comedy Samantha Fournier The Recorder
It’s not a shocker that the star studded movie Valentine's Day directed by Garry Marshall took number one in the box office this Valentine's weekend. Don’t be surprised if you feel like you’re watching Love Actually when you go see this movie. While Valentine's Day doesn’t measure up to Love Actually, it has a similar heartbreak to happy ending feel, and like Love Actually the characters all have some relation to one another. While most of Valentine's Day is cliché and predictable, there are a few surprises in there that you wouldn’t have expected.
The most notable part of this movie was the cast. It seemed that most of Hollywood appeared in this movie including Julia Roberts, Jessica Alba, Patrick Dempsey, Bradley Cooper, George Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Taylor Swift and the ever famous Twilight star Taylor Lautner. The cast lives up to their expectations in this movie bringing humor and love alive. The two Taylors played a believable lovesick teen couple (the kind of vomit inducing couple you would see out at the mall hanging all over each other). Swift, who played the stereotypical ditzy cheerleader Felicia, earned her laughs from the audience with her less than stellar
dance moves. The first couple to appear in the movie is Jessica Alba and Ashton Kutcher, who play Morley Clarkson and Reed Bennett respectively. From then on the stars keep appearing and it’s almost a, “who’s going appear on screen next” game. And what is Valentines Day without the token bitter single woman? Jessica Biel took on this role as the anxious and lonely Kara Monahan. “Today Was a Fairytale” by Taylor Swift, which is the first song on the Valentine's Day soundtrack, is the best way to describe the sappy feeling you’ll have when listening to this soundtrack full of love songs. The soundtrack is a collection of upbeat songs from various artists
including Joss Stone, Jools Holland and Jamiroquai, Maroon 5 and Amy Winehouse. While Valentine's Day won’t have the audience shedding any tears, viewers should be prepared for the cliché romantic feel the movie has. As do most romantic comedies, this movie brings a happy ending despite the heartache related distress that the characters face throughout the movie. Whether viewers are going with a significant other or groups of friends they’ll be sure to laugh throughout the picture and get that sappy feeling when they leave the theater.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / UPgRADE
Calendar 2.17 - 2.24 FILMS
MUSIC
2.17 - 2.20 An Education @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. $7.00 / 7:30 p.m.
2.19 - 2.25 2010 Academy Award Nominated Shorts @ Real Art Ways Hartford, Conn. $6.25 / 7 p.m. See the short films nominated for Oscars, in live action and animated.
of trust and friendship that led to a peaceful resolution and the ultimate release of Nelson Mandela. 2.21 - 2.23 A Single Man @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. $7.00 / 7:30 p.m.
2.24 Soul Power @ Cinestudio Hartford, Conn. $7.00 / 7:30 p.m.
2.20 - 2.21 Endgame @ Real Art Ways $6.25 / 7 p.m.
2.18 George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic @ Toad's Place New Haven, Conn. $30.00 / 9:30 p.m.
2.24 New Found Glory @ The Webster Theatre Hartford, Conn. $20.00 / 6:30 p.m.
As fans of Mad Men know, the early 1960s offered young women little space to explore their independence. The first screenplay written by author Nick Hornby (High Fidelity, About a Boy) is based on the memoir of a teenage girl in Britain who came of age just before the explosion of the Beatles and the youth revolt. Played by newcomer Carey Mulligan as an edgier Audrey Hepburn, the Oxford-bound schoolgirl stokes her personal rebellion with jazz, anything French, and the sudden attentions of a sophisticated man in his 30s. Philip Larkin (Peter Sarsgaard) may or may not be what he appears, but Mulligan's bid for freedom is real. Salon.com's Andrew O'Hehir puts An Education on his Best Movies of 2009 List, raving: "a pitch-perfect pre-feminist coming-of-age fable that ought to make Carey Mulligan a movie star."
Endgame tells the extraordinary little-known story of the secret meetings that took place in England at a time when civil war in South Africa seemed inevitable. In the end— against a backdrop of terrorism, spying, blackmail, and escalating unrest— seemingly intractable enemies forged a bond
The Recorder is looking to fill the following positions for the Spring Semester of 2010: Sports writers, news staff, Web staff, graphic designers
editor@centralrecorder.com
Best known as Mr. Darcy in the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice, Colin Firth finally gets the chance to show his acting chops in a starring role on the big screen. His Oscar-worthy performance takes us through one day in the life of a closeted English professor in Los Angeles, circa 1962, who tries to keep his grief over the loss of his lover from his best friend ( Julianne Moore) and his colleagues. Based on the novel by Christopher Isherwood, A Single Man is a powerful indictment of being forced to live a lie. Best Actor Award, Venice Film Festival. “We're always looking for those performances that truly define an actor, where we can sit back and simply watch the talent soar. For Colin Firth, A Single Man is that film.”
Synopsis: You hold in your hands a backstage pass to one of the most extraordinary concert events ever filmed. Featuring musical legends James Brown, B.B. King, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz and a host of others, Soul Power documents three-night Zaire '74 music festival planned to coincide with the nowlegendary and epic "Rumble in the Jungle" between Mohammed Ali and George Foreman. Much more than a concert film, Soul Power provides a dynamic fly-on-the-wall look into the turbulent proceedings, with on-the-spot commentary from the musicians themselves, concert organizers Hugh Masekela and Stewart Levine, Muhammad Ali and boxing promoter extraordinaire Don King, Soul Power will leave you breathless.
10
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / SPORTS
SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
Central Falls Short of Third Straight NEC Championship CCSUBlueDevils.com
The Central Connecticut State University swimming and diving team started the final day of the Northeast Conference Championships down 28.5 points. After the first three events of day three CCSU found itself up by 41.5 points, but Saint Francis (Pa.) won the final three events and went on to win the meet by 48 points. The Blue Devils, who had won the last two NEC Championships were the Runners-up with 508.5 points. The three-meter diving event started the finals competition on Saturday. Sophomore Madison Vestergaard had to absolutely stick her final dive and did, winning the six dive event by two tenths of a point over Sacred Heart’s Drew Mulvey. Senior Kristen Rossi took third in the three-meter with a score of 201.00. The 1650 freestyle was the
first swimming event of the night. Freshman Taylor Friedmann won the event by just under 17 seconds, breaking the CCSU freshman record with a time of 17:01.99. Friedmann, who also won the 200 and 500 freestyle events at the meet, was named NEC Co-Swimmer of the Meet and Co-Rookie of the Meet for her performances. She shared the honor with Bryant’s Casey Ostrander. Senior Kandra Kane, and freshmen Lauren O’Kelly and Christine Smith took third, fourth and fifth places in the event, respectively. Kane timed in at 17:33.04 while O’Kelly and Smith touched in within a second of each other (17:46.96 and 17:47.21). In the next event CCSU placed three swimmers in the top five. Sophomore Alex Czaplicki defended her crown in the 200 backstroke, winning in a time of 2:04.38. Freshmen Hannah Packer and Allison Rasile placed third and
fifth in the event, respectively. Packer finished in 2:06.27, while Rasile touching in at 2:09.64 for the Blue Devils. St. Francis made up plenty of ground in the 100 free, taking second, third, fourth and fifth places in the event. The Red Flash then earned gold and silver medalist honors in the 200 breaststroke to take the lead back from the Blue Devils. Sophomore Kristen Malski was the top finisher for CCSU in the 200 breast, placing fourth in a time of 2:26.97. Junior Alyssa Carlucci and Smith took eighth (2:30.75) and 10th place (2:33.06), respectively. Freshman Katie Lang came from way behind halfway through the 200 butterfly to tie last year’s NEC Champion Jessica Hart for second place in the event. Lang and Hart recorded identical times of 2:06.81. The final event of the night, and the meet, was the 400 freestyle relay. CCSU’s team of Czaplicki,
RMU Colonials Defeat Blue Devils Christopher Boulay The Recorder
The CCSU men’s basketball team failed in their bid to upset first place Robert Morris, 69-60 Thursday night in Detrick Gymnasium. Shemik Thompson led the way for CCSU, with 16 points and seven assists. Joe Efese and Markeys Deans also added 14 points each for the Blue Devils in the loss. CCSU went into the half down by five, after a wild ending to the half. A scoreboard buzzer went off with CCSU having the ball on the last possession. Play was stopped and the referees determined that CCSU would get the ball with 5.1 seconds left. The Blue Devils took advantage of the gaffe when Thompson dumped the ball off to Efese to get what was thought to be a momentum swinging dunk right before time expired, to end the half with the Colonials leading 37-32. Robert Morris entered the second half as strong as possible, with an 18-6 run, which was enough to hang on.
“Yeah, [The momentum] faded,” CCSU coach, Howie Dickenman said. “It was one basket. We went out kinda juiced up, but they have good guards.” Efese dunked with 28 seconds left to cut it to seven, but it was the closest the Blue Devils would get. “I think we do have fight in the team,” Dickenman said. “We battled, but if you don’t make shots, and your on defense, it probably takes a little bit out of you. They were patient and did good things, but [Robert Morris] played a little harder than we did.” Free throws were an absolute killer for the Blue Devils, going 1524 from the charity stripe. When asked about the lack of poise at the line, Dickenman didn’t have an answer to why the team couldn’t be more accurate, as they were more than prepared. “I know we spent last night in here for 30 minutes of shooting free throws. We shoot free throws during practice,” he said. “At the end of practice, everyone shoots a free throw. Of late, we have made
Shemik Thompson led the Blue Devils in scoring and took home 16 points.
10 out of 11, 9 out of 11, which is pretty good, I guess. But tonight, we weren’t very good.” CCSU also were atrocious from the three-point line, going 5-21 for the game, while the Colonials went an impressive 6-12 from downtown. “It’s not a good sign when you take as many threes as we did,” Dickenman said. “A lot of them were open shots, so I can’t say that they were challenging us that often.” Karon Abraham was the leading scorer for the Colonials, getting 16 points in the win. Rob Robinson also made a big impact, getting 14 points. Robert Morris was an impressive 50 percent from the field in the game, while CCSU shot a disappointing 38.5 percent. “In a game like this, it’s the little things. We didn’t do all the things we need to do to beat a team like that,” Dickenman said. “We need a little more mental toughness to beat a team like that.” The loss ended the four game win streak for the Blue Devils, their longest of the season.
Photos by kenny Barto | the recorder
photo courtesy of CCSUBLuedevils.com
Friedmann was named NEC Co-Swimmer and Co-Rookie of the Meet. Kane, Lang and Friedmann finished The CCSU team, which is made second to St. Francis , touching in at up of mostly sophomores and 3:30.81. freshman, should vie for the title The Red Flash finished with once again in 2011. For now, the 556.5 points to Central’s 508.5 Blue Devils will challenge for the and stopped the Blue Devils from ECAC Championship February 26winning their third straight NEC 28. Championship. Wagner, Bryant and Sacred Heart rounded out the top five finishers in the meet.
CCSU Women Fall to Saint Francis at Home
photo courtesy of CCSUBLuedevils.com
CCSUBLUEDEVILS.com
CCSU women’s basketball team fell to 9-15 on the season and 6-8 in Northeast Conference play, dropping a 64-45 home decision to Saint Francis (Pa.) Saturday afternoon. Junior Kerrianne Dugan led the Blue Devils with 12 points and seven rebounds, while senior P.J. Wade added 11 points in her 114th career game for Central Connecticut. Wade has played in every game of her four year career at CCSU and today broke the school record for games played in a career, passing Gabriella Guegbelet who played 113 from 2003-2007. The Blue Devils let St. Francis get out to a 10-2 lead start the game, including two straight threepointers by junior Samantha Leach. The run proved to be the deciding portion of the first half as the Red Flash held a 32-25 lead at the break. CCSU got within two points at 12-10 on two free throws by junior Justina Udenze and cut the St. Francis lead to three at 2219 with 8:37 to play on a three by Wade, but the Red Flash used an 8-2 run late in the first period to extend its lead back to nine points. CCSU opened up the second half with the first two baskets. Dugan connected on a jumper from the top of the key and then Wade got free
for a layup to cut the deficit to three at 32-29. St. Francis then went on an 11-0 run to get out to a 14 point lead at 43-29. Sophomore Rachel Chandler stopped the Red Flash run when she connected on a threepointer, getting the pass out of the post from Wade. After Chandler found Dugan for a layup off an inbound play to bring CCSU within seven at 45-38, St. Francis went on a 12-2 run behind the play of senior Britney Hodges and Leach to put the game out of contention. Hodges accounted for eight of the points in the run, while Leach finished two layups for four points to make it 57-40. Leach finished with a game high 21 points and added five rebounds and three assists. Hodges added 18 points, seven rebounds and six assists in the victory. The Red Flash forced CCSU into 28 turnovers and turned that into 23 points on the other end. Dugan and Wade led CCSU with 12 and 11 points, respectively, while Udenze and junior Leanne Crockett recorded double figures in rebounds, tallying 11 and 10. Udenze added eight points in the defeat. CCSU will next go on the road and play at Mount St. Mary’s on February 18 and at Wagner February 20.
11
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 17, 2010 / SPORTS
RMU Colonials Overrun Blue Devils Lose Heartbreaker to Saint Francis Blue Devils Continued from page 12 “He said Shemik was banged up; He had cuts, bruises, and some vomiting. Even if he didn’t have big point numbers today, you could tell he was a warrior for us out there.” CCSU outscored Saint Francis 36-29 in the second half, and was able to fight back to take their only lead at 57-56 with 54 seconds left. Saint Francis brought the ball back up the court, and Will Felder hit a three with 46 seconds remaining. CCSU had a chance on the next possession when Markeys Deans drove the baseline, and missed a contested shot from close range. Devan Bailey and David Simmons went after the putback, and it fell into the hands of Saint Francis. CCSU improved their field goal percentage in the second half to 43 percent, and also shot better from three-point range, landing 5 out of 8 (62.5 percent), which was a major improvement to their 2 of 10 shooting
in the first half. With CCSU hitting the road, they will look to improve their record against two tough teams in The Mount and Wagner. “The blue jerseys are just as important as the white ones,” said Simmons. “We’ve got two tough games ahead of us that we need to win.” Robby Ptacek saw his first action since Jan. 11 when he played seven minutes and missed all of his three shots from the field. “He definitely needs more game experience,” said Dickenman. “But I’m sure after a few games, he’ll start to feel comfortable.” After the road trip, CCSU will return home on Thursday, Feb, 25 against Long Island, and will also play Saturday, Feb. 27 against St. Francis (N.Y.). The Long Island University game will be televised on MSG, COX and Fox College Sports, and will also be heard on the CCSU ESPN Radio Network.
kenny Barto | the recorder
Junior Kerriane Dugan came in second with 12 points for the game.
Continued from page 12 Udenze, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds, Dugan, who had 12 points and eight rebounds, and Wade, whose all 10 points were in the first half. CCSU only attempted seven free throws and made five while RMU made 13 free throws on 17 attempts. “They did a good job with the zone and double teaming us,” said Coach Piper. “We
were struggling with that. We didn’t make the decisions. We didn’t play very well together as a team.” “We know we can play, that’s the thing, we can play with anybody,” said Coach Piper. “We’re just kind of beating ourselves. So we just have to keep working and getting better. [We are] just trying to build confidence in ourselves, try to get in the tournament, and hopefully we could do damage in the tournament.”
kenny Barto | the recorder
Men’s Olympic Hockey Picks Brittany Burke
Gold - Canada It will be surprising if Team Canada does not take home the gold in the 2010 Winter Olympics given their vast amount of talent. Their intimidation factor alone should help them skate into the medal round. Team Canada poses a threat to every opponent with their multidimensional lines, comprised of some of the best players the NHL has to offer, such as Sidney Crosby, Eric Staal, Martin Brodeur and Scott Niedermyer. Team Canada definitely has the talent to make it to the top of the podium, but to add fuel to the fire; the players have the home rink advantage. Leaving the 2006 Olympics seventh in the hockey standings gives the Canadian players an added desire to bring the gold back to Canada in front of the Vancouver crowd.
Silver - Russia The biggest obstacle Team Canada will have to face will be Team Russia. Like Team Canada, the Russian team is filled with stars such as Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk making the offense intimidating and virtually unstoppable. The problem for Russia will be their weaker defensive line. If they can’t defend the puck against the Canadian forwards, the number of goals they score won’t matter.
Bronze - Sweden Sweden will be looking for a repeat of the 2006 Winter Olympics. They have proven in the past that they have the abilities to make it to the top, and even though their lineup hasn’t varied since the last games the teams around them have become even more powerful. The Swedish team will have to skate hard and smart to capture the gold medal, but even if they cannot hold up against the Russian and Canadian teams, they are still medal contenders.
Dark horse - USA
The USA men’s Olympic hockey team hasn’t won gold since that momentous 1980 win, known now as “The Miracle on Ice,” in which Team USA beat all odds and left Lake Placid gold medalists. With a story like that in our team’s history I can’t believe that another upset isn’t in the cards for Team USA. Team USA GM Brian Burke has created a team of young NHL stars who have more power than experience, a combination that has worked in the past. With our powerful abilities on the ice and talent in the net coming from Ryan Miller it is a definite possibility to see the USA go all the way. Michael Walsh
Gold - Canada As much as it might pain me to say, Canada's group of forwards at the 2010 Winter Olympics are too strong and too deep to let the opportunity of claiming gold on home ice slip away. Canada offers up a mighty offense with forwards consisting of names such as Sidney Crosby, Dany Heatley, Jarome Iginla, Rich Nash and Joe Thornton. And to leave the rest out is to only save space, as I'd feel compelled to name the entire group if I went forward. The squad's defense is made up of sturdy veterans on the blue line with a dash of youth. And of course, the Canadian team features a strong trio of goaltenders, headed by the possibly all-time greatest, Martin Brodeur. Canada as a group on paper appears far too strong and far too deep. Should they play to their strengths, gold will be in their fortunes, and Canada will have reason to celebrate.
Silver - Sweden I believe in King Henry. That's goaltender Henrik Lundqvist for those of you outside the hockey world. A hot goaltender can steal a playoff or a tournament. And with Lundqvist coming into the Winter Olympics with a half-month's
worth of strong performances in net for the New York Rangers, Sweden's chances to repeat and defend their 2006 gold medal are strong. Lundqvist allowed more than two goals only once in February. Sweden's group of skaters are no joke either, but offensively they're going to have to rely on a select few rather than Canada's ability to rely on the entire committee. Daniel Alfredsson returns and will be joined by a group of gifted forwards including Henrik Zetterberg, Nicklas Bäckström and twin brothers Daniel and Henrik Sedin.
Bronze - Russia The sight of seeing Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeni Malkin and Ilya Kovalchuk on the ice at the same time will be terrifying to opponents. But something doesn't feel right about Russia's chances this year. Their blue line appears a bit thin and their group of forwards doesn't go as particularly deep as Canada's might. Still, this is a talented bunch, and they'll have a great shot at winning when they step on the ice. There's also no doubt in my mind that goaltender Evgeni Nabokov could ride a hot streak into the medal rounds. Keep a close eye on this bunch.
Dark horse - United States Not quite a homer pick, as I actually think the 2010 United States team is quite strong. It's just that questions remain as to whether it's strong enough to capture a medal. General Manager Brian Burke did a decent job in his selection process. There is plenty of young talent that has yet to be turned into household names on the roster, inlcuding Bobby Ryan, Dustin Brown and Paul Statsny. Not to mention young stars such as Zach Parise and Patrick Kane. Throw in role players such as Ryan Malone and Ryan Callahan, and you have a very strong bunch of forwards. The more and more I look at the United States roster, the more I think that they could pull of something special.
CHRISTOPHER BOULAY
Gold - Canada The Canadians are on their home turf for the first time since Calgary in ‘88. The Canadians were blown out 22 years ago by the Soviet Union in the medal round. They may have to face the Russians again, just like in 1988 and 2006. Gretzky lit the torch, but Brodeur will lead the team to stand on the podium. It will be the perfect end to a perfect Olympics for Canadians.
Silver - Finland Teemu Selanne broke his jaw about a month ago. He was back on the ice in three weeks. This will most likely be the last olympics for the Finnish Flash, and he has a very formidable team around him. Beyond him, captain Saku Koivu and defenseman Kimmo Timonen are just a couple of names on this completely loaded roster. Finland may be overlooked.
Bronze - Russia Thirty years ago, the United States pulled off one of the biggest upsets in sports history. Since then, as before, various Russians have owned North America. The United States may be another four years away from a medal, but with how tough the Canadians are, Russia’s bid to rule the hockey world once again, may be stopped. Ovechkin, Kovalchuk and Nabokov are elite, to say the least, but something tells me they are due for a slip up.
Dark Horse - Slovakia Some people may look at this and think I am absolutely crazy. You are probably right. But Slovakia finished in fifth in 2006. There is no reason for me to believe that they are not capable of getting even higher. This Olympics is a tough call. Remember, I didn’t mention the Swedes, or the Czechs. There’s going to be upsets, and there’s going to be disappointments. Slovakia can now hang with any nation in the world.
THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Sports 2/17
Blue Devils Lose Heartbreaker to Saint Francis Second Straight Loss at Home
David Simmons (left) and Joe Seymore (right) were the only double-digit scorers in the game against Saint Francis. Kenny Barto The Recorder
The CCSU men’s basketball team produced a rally in the second half to ultimately put them ahead by one, but fell short 59-57 in the final minute to Saint Francis (Pa.) in front of 1,264 fans at Detrick Gymnasium. After Saint Francis guard Devin Sweetney missed the front end of a one-and-one, CCSU’s Devan Bailey ran the length of the court in seven seconds, only to miss a contested floater from the middle of the paint. “I guess he thought he could make it,” said
head coach Howie Dickenman. “I don’t know if he could’ve dished it off for a lay-up, but we’ll look at the tape and find out.” This was CCSU’s second loss in three days, after losing 69-60 against a tough Robert Morris team on Thursday. “Now we have to go on the road and face The Mount, who is a good defensive team,” said coach Dickenman. “After that, we face Wagner who only has two conference wins, but they are going to be hungry.” In the first half, Saint Francis jumped out to an early 10-2 lead with 14:52 remaining. Their lead grew to 23-10 with 7:58 remaining, and it seemed like Saint Francis was going to
run away with the lead. “I think they just wanted it more than us,” said CCSU forward David Simmons. “Our offense looked sloppy, and we just weren’t comfortable.” The Blue Devils shot just 8 of 26 (30.8 percent) from the field in the first half, while Saint Francis hit 13 of 23 (56.5 percent). CCSU also missed four key free throws down the stretch, which could have been the difference maker. “It wasn’t one thing that lost us this game,” Simmons said. “It was a lot of little things, like missed free throws, turnovers and bad shots.” David Simmons led the Blue Devils with
Photos by kenny Barto | the recorder
14 points, which is the most he’s had since Jan. 11 versus Savannah State, where he scored 22. “It took David 2 or 3 games to come back from his injury,” said coach Dickenman. “He was 6 of 9 today, and he looks like he’s back to being David Simmons.” Joe Seymore added 11 points and Markeys Deans scored seven, while pulling down eight rebounds. Shemik Thompson scored only nine points, but pulled down five offensive rebounds. “The trainer called me after Thursday’s game to give me his report,” Dickenman said. See Blue Devils Lose Page 11
RMU colonials overrun blue devils
Andrew Ragali The Recorder
CCSU women’s basketball (9-14, 6-7 NEC) came out looking unbeatable at home last Thursday, making the extra pass, cleaning up the glass and cashing in on every opportunity, but failed to give the same effort for the entire contest. Their performance resulted in a 63-53 loss to NEC leading Robert Morris University (17-7, 12-1 NEC) on Thursday. Robert Morris thoroughly dominated the glass, though a glance at the final rebounding totals wouldn’t correctly tell the whole story. The Colonials had 44 total rebounds compared to the Blue Devil’s 41, but 26 of those rebounds were offensive, twice as many as Central had, 13. “There’s not really an explanation,” said junior forward Kerrianne Dugan when asked to explain the rebounding disparity on the offensive end.
Inside This Issue:
“No effort, it was ugly,” said junior forward with a three with 10:00 left in the half. Robert Morris’ 17 offensive boards Justina Udenze. “We didn’t make a conscious helped give them a 28-25 lead going into the effort to box out, get bodies.” After a Dugan jumper put CCSU up three break despite shooting 11-43 for the half. The Blue Devils with 16:40 left were forced into in the first half, “They did a good job with the a staggering 15 senior guard P.J. Wade put in five zone and double teaming us. We turnovers going straight points via were struggling with that. We didn’t into intermission, and had 24 total a fast break layup and a three- make the decisions. We didn’t play for the game. “When we pointer to extend very well together as a team.” have more assists the lead to 15-7, - Coach Piper than turnovers CCSU’s largest of or it’s even, we’re the game. CCSU was on fire, 7-9 from the field at winning games,” said Head Coach Beryl this point, but the breakdown began for the Piper on the Blue Devil’s turnover troubles. Blue Devils, as the Colonials stepped up CCSU only had 15 assists to go with their 24 their defensive intensity, forcing CCSU into turnovers. “As bad as we played in the first half giving multiple turnovers. The Blue Devils only got up two shots from the time of Wade’s three- up 17 offensive rebounds, we were only down pointer with 15:23 left until point guard by three.” “We have to do a better job of taking care Alexzandria Dowdy finally ended the drought
Staff Picks: Men’s Olympics Hockey page 11
Central Falls Short of Third Straight NEC Championship page 10
of the ball,” said Udenze. “Know where to pass it to, who to get it to at the right time. We need to handle pressure better too.” Down by 17 with 7:58 left in the game, CCSU staged an impressive comeback, bringing it back to a one-possession ball game with a Dowdy three, making the score 56-53 with 2:06 left in the game. It was too little too late though, and RMU was able to pad the their small lead with free throws and stellar play from Angela Pace. She had 16 points on 7-13 shooting to go along with five assists and five rebounds. “We were winning in the beginning but no one was really ready to play,” said Dugan. “It killed us they had 73 chances to score compared to our 51 and it was because of turnovers, and it was because of offensive rebounds,” said Coach Piper. “We beat ourselves.” Leading the way for the Blue Devils were See RMU Colonials Page 11