CENTR A L CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSIT Y Wednesday, October 20, 2010
www.centralrecorder.com
Volume 107 No. 8
Car Club’s Fall Show Helps Hearts jason Cunningham the recorder
Car enthusiasts, competitors and curious spectators came out for the Central Car Club’s Annual Fall Show on Sunday. Cars prepped and ready for display covered nearly every free space of the parking lots around the Student Center. The show had a mix of registered competitors in the categories of best import, best domestic, best Euro, best truck/SUV, best pre ‘84, best in show, sleeper and the the overall club choice. The winners of each category received prize trophies. Classic cars, tricked out cars, high speed cars and some massive trucks rolled in roaring for registration and parking directions during most of the morning of the show. Registration was $10 for automobiles competing. Judging was done by the members of the Central Car Club. Eric Chung has been a member of the Central Car Club for almost 10 years, boasting alumni status at the show which he still helps with regularly. “Some stick around to help out. I’m one of them,” said Chung. Patrick Folsom, the club’s founder, flew in from California on his vacation time to commemorate the club’s 10-year anniversary at the show. According to Chung, many alumni members of the club still have ties with one another and CAR SHOW | Cont. on 2
Brian Wilson’s car was on display at Sunday’s car club show. Wilson, who was a memeber of the car club, passed away in 2008 from a heart attack at the age of 23. His parents bring his car to the club’s annual spring and fall shows.
jason Cunningham | the reCorder
Mural Slam Attracts Artists From All Over alex syphers the recorder
The Central Connecticut State University Art Department held its fourth mural slam on Saturday morning allowing graffiti and mural artists from around the area to converge on the campus and create murals on the walls of the upper level of the Welte Parking Garage. “You wouldn’t think of CCSU as being on the cutting edge of making art, but through this slam we are able to get this stuff up here and people all over the world see we are doing some amazing and innovative stuff here,” said Mike Alewitz, the Mural Program Director at CCSU. Armed with respirators and spray cans, the artists hunkered behind their grey concrete walls out of the piercing wind. The rattling cans echoed along the top of the parking garage as over 30 artists continued the transformation of the once barren walls into works of art. The Mural Slam is an outgrowth of the mural and street art programs at CCSU which provides the universities’ students with the
instruction and support to practice the controversial art form. “There is very little support for this kind of work at any of the other universities. I don’t know of any other universities that have a mural program like this.” said Alewitz, a life-long mural artist. Many of the other artists at the slam reflected the thought mural painting is controversial and expressed remorse that their way of artistic expression is all too often misunderstood often being slanted as vandalism. “Unfortunately graffiti has a bad name and is very stereotyped, people don’t understand it,” said Ryan Christenson, a recent graduate of Naugatuck Valley and an eight-year mural artist, “They think of gang graffiti, they think of kids tagging buildings and destroying things, that’s not how a lot of us want it to be looked upon. Events like this definitely provide a chance to prove that the graffiti world is changing.” While many of the artists were CCSU students, the mural slam attracted artists from all over, with
With over 3 hours worth of painting behind him, Cris Carnes, 33, of Boston, continues to apply paint to his mural at CCSU Saturday. photo: alex syphers | the reCorder some traveling from as far as Boston to participate in the event in an effort to promote the good name of
the medium. According to Alewitz, mural painting is all about public
expression, the artists at the mural slam wanted to express themselves MURAL | Cont. on 2
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2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 20, 2010
NEWS
CAR SHOW | Cont. from 1
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 Michael Walsh Managing Editor Matt Kiernan Art Director Ashley E. Lang News Editor Jason Cunningham Opinion Editor Nicholas Proch Entertainment Editor Max Kyburz Sports Editor Brittany Burke Photo Editor Kenny Barto Copy Editor Sara M. Berry Staff Writers Christopher McLaughlin Adam Tulloch Ciara Hooks Chris Cox Ashley Foy Charles Descrochers
to the club. “From the very beginning, things like getting sponsorship alone, it’d be $100 if we were lucky,” said Chung. “Now the club can send people to the SEMA show in Nevada.” The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Market Association) Show is a premier automotive specialty products trade event. The show is globally recognized and not open to the general public. The club started with Folsom and few friends meeting at each others’ apartments off campus. Now it has 57 registered members along with alumni and area enthusiasts that attend meetings. “The first charity the show benefitted was FSMA (Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy). All of the show’s proceeds always go directly to charity,” said Chung. “Eventually a member died of a heart condition and now all of the proceeds go to the American Heart Association in honor of him…his name was Brian Wilson.” Wilson died suddenly at the age of 23 of a heart attack in December of 2008. Wilson’s parents, Tom and Linda Dezenzo, have been bringing his old car, a silver 2006 Pontiac GTO, to both the annual spring and fall Central Car Club shows since his death. Words in blue ink are written all over the car, dressing it with signatures and messages from loved ones. The open hood displayed a photo collage of Wilson that covered the engine.
Entries in the show included everything from trucks to SUVs to sports cars. “We used to come to these shows with him, we plan to keep going for as long as we can,” said Tom Dezenzo. The Dezenzos were stationed with the car near the registration table. They gave out free apples and shirt pins to promote better health as well as information about the 2010 Hartford Start! Heart Walk at Bushnell Park on Saturday. “He was our foster son for 10 years, but he was our son,” said Linda Dezenzo. “This is a phenomenal community. His
friends from car club still stay in touch with us, whether it’s calling or sharing photos on Facebook.” After expenses, the Central Car Club raised $1900 for the American Heart Association from the show. “Every show, donations and entry fees, goes towards the American Heart Association in [Wilson’s] memory. The show is now and forever in memory of him and his involvement with the club,” said Chris Reynolds, the president of the Central Car Club.
The only additional prize for automobiles beyond the trophies was for the category best in show, which received a $50 gift card for powder coating. A pizza eating contest was also open to everyone at the show that offered a $25 Mobile gas gift card to the winner. Folsom announced the show’s winners and handed out the trophies. Out of the 204 cars registered in the show, Cory O’Brien’s Chevy Suburban won the award for club choice. The Central Car Club meets on Thursday nights at 9 p.m. in the Student Center 1849 Room.
MURAL | Cont. from 1
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. Staff meetings for The Recorder are held on Mondays at 7 p.m. in the Blue and W hite Room in the student center 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.
jason cunningham | the recorder
Artists at the mural slam weren’t just students, such as the man above who spray painted a Sesame Street-themed mural. and make art in a public forum away from the studios and glittering fine art galleries. “Where do you get a chance to walk around and get to see artists
work?” he said. No one was there Saturday to further their careers or make money, Alewitz said. To the artists it’s about sharing an artistic idea,
kenny barto | the recorder
which everyone throughout the community should be able to enjoy. “Some of this stuff is really great art and should be supported; unfortunately not all communities
do that. One of the things that’s really good about this is that it’s a place where artists can come share, paint and not be victimized, and they can work under safe conditions,” said Alewitz. The slam provided the artists with a great opportunity to look at different work and learn from each other. Throughout the day cans of paint, spray novels and advice were traded between the artists. “There’s so much community to it, rarely have I ever gone out to paint alone,” said Cris Carnes, 33, who traveled from Boston to participate in the event. Some artists created works of art using letters, weaving them together creating a message only an open mind could decipher. Some used the slam as a forum to express political messages, some created scenic murals, while others were there to give people a laugh. “New Britain should be very proud of these artists, I’m very proud of these artists,” said Alewitz, “Art is something that should be cherished; it is a gift to the world.”
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Alex syphers | the recorder
Alex syphers | the recorder
ABOVE: Junior Brandon Robertson applies the finishing touches to his stenciled mural. LEFT: Racheal Cabaniol, a junior at CCSU, uses a paint brush to begin the outline on her mural.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / NEWS
WHERE IN THE WORLD ARE CCSU STUDENTS ? Hey! My name is Hilary Winiarski and I'm studying in beautiful Florianopólis, Brazil! The seasons are opposite here as you may know, so as fall has already started in Connecticut, summer is starting here. I've made many friendships here, as well as meeting other international students from Spain, Norway and Germany! Although I have been here a time before, as I continue to study and live here, I'm discovering new places and things that I hadn't before including the amazing food here, including chicken heart or chocolate pizza. I had a strange thought in my head when I heard of the two, until I tried them (not together of course)! It's great embracing the different lifestyle and erasing the language barrier. Indeed, it is an unforgettable experience.
A continuing series of submissions of CCSU students writing in from where they are studying abroad. Hilary Winiarski.
Pride Celebrates National Coming Out Day At CCSU Ciara Hooks and Sara M. Berry The Recorder
Pride made themselves noticed last week in the student center circle as the group celebrated National Coming Out Day. National Coming Out Day represents a time for people from every walk of life to come express themselves and be proud of who they are with a focus on raising awareness of the concept of coming out. This year Pride decided to incorporate a new element and make it about every type of diversity and identity. “Coming Out Day is a day traditionally celebrated by the queer community, but on campus we’re trying to make it so it’s open to other clubs, other students, everyone as a day to come out and be proud of who you are,” said Cali Babey, president of Pride. National Coming Out Day originated in 1987 as the March on Washington for lesbian and gay rights. Four months later, over 100 LGBT activists met outside of Washington and chose the anniversary of the March on Washington as an annual day of celebration of coming out and the LGBT community. The first official Coming Out Day was held on Oct. 11, 1988. Pride had a table decked with decorating utensils and chalk for people to write whatever they liked and a disc jockey playing all different kinds of music. Pride also had a decorated “coming out door” made of cardboard for the participants to walk through. Like a show there was a host who was a well-known drag queen in the queer community who was talking to and entertaining everyone. People straight and gay were hanging out, talking, dancing and having fun together, executing Pride’s mission. “We usually get a pretty good turnout; there’s a drag queen and a microphone so we usually get a lot of people, but this particular one we’re hoping to get clubs and student run groups so we’re hoping we’re going to get an even bigger turnout,” said Babey. “We had Laso come out, different sororities and fraternities and the Black Student Union. They talked about what it means to be who you are. What it means to be
proud of who you are because not everyone can relate to being queer, but everyone has an identity and everybody can be proud of that identity so to make it all inclusive that’s what we’re talking about today,” said Melissa Cordner, vice president of Pride. Vice President of Student Affairs Lisa Tordenti spoke to the CCSU community in support of LGBT students. There were also faculty and student guest speakers,
and an open mic for members of the community to share personal experiences and creative stories and poems. To go along with Pride Awareness Month there is a display case set up in the Student Center in which they incorporated present history with past history. There are pins, pictures, movies, magazines and t-shirts inside the display, as well as a flyer from the first annual Lavender Celebration
and a picture of the homosexual rights movement that took place on June 28, 1970. “There’s a pin in there from the march on D.C., which Coming Out Day is based off of, which is what we’re doing today so it all fits nicely. There’s a picture in there of the one in 10 Committee and the Pride E-Board with Judy Sheppard standing outside the space that is now the LGBT Center. It’s a part
of CCSU history because now there’s a center.” Pride has a Masquerade Ball coming up on Oct. 27, 2010 and in the spring they usually do a drag fundraiser. They also take part in the program True Colors, which is the biggest LGBT conference in the nation. Pride meetings are on Wednesdays at 7:15 p.m. in the 1849 conference room.
Have something to say?
Adam Tulloch | the recorder
CCSU Pride celebrated National Coming Out Day last week on the CCSU campus.
Send a letter to
editor@centralrecorder.com
Adam Tulloch | the recorder
Students and other members of the CCSU community were on hand to support the LGBT community.
4
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / NEWS
Women and Film Festival to Return This Month max kyburz the recorder
CCSU joins forces with the New Britain Museum of American Art once again for the annual Doris Honig Guenter Women and Film Festival. According to a press release, the festival is set to feature a multitude of screenings, international documentaries, and panel discussions, as well as presentations by four U.S. and
international women directors. The festival will begin on the 26th and will continue until the 28th, during which time 14 films (new and old) will be shown. The theme running through the lineup is Unlocked Images: Family, Warriors, and Art. The topics of these films range from issues of identity to women’s oppression, and from work abuse to gender transition. Most of these films cover the issues of
being a woman in male-dominated cultures. At the helm for discussion are four filmmakers, two of them Connecticut natives, who have their work on display at this year’s festival. They will be present to share background about their films, as well as provide further insight into their work. Such an opportunity is rarely afforded, and those planning on working in film (or are just plain interested) ought
The Most Dangerous Club on Campus ashley foy the recorder
At last September’s club fair, one group in particular stood out as new sign-up sheets continuously were being added to the table after students heard a brief description of planned activities. “[SALD Associate Director] Sue Sweeney told us at the club fair that we are the most dangerous club on campus,” said Drew Blythe, the club’s vice president. This popular and “dangerous” new club on campus is the Outing Club. “Matt [Vekakis] and I came up with the idea of an adventure club during winter break 2010. When we found out, however, that there was formerly an Outing Club which had held the same mission as us, we decided to reactivate that,” explains Liz Braun, president of the Outing Club. “Our club purpose is to enjoy nature in a respectful way, but we also throw in a relaxed sense of having fun and adventure. The main difference between us and the old Outing Club is the adventure we mix in.” One would think a club that’s main goal is respecting and enjoying nature should seem like a relatively low-risk club, but that is clearly not the case for the outing club. “We definitely throw a lot of adventure into the mix, with things like zip-lining and whale watching,” explained Vice President Drew Blythe. While the club is working on insurance issues surrounding some of their planned activities, they are promising exciting events
for their club members. With already around 50 members on Collegiate Link and a strong following of members at meetings and on their Facebook page, this club is quickly becoming a popular one around campus. The club is currently in the process of getting gear for all of their active members, and then will be giving out extra reusable bags and carabiners with an Outing Club logo to promote the club and thank the members for their support. These will be given out at a table they will have in the Student Center in the fall semester and at an event they are planning for Earth Day in the spring. Aside from their major whale watching trip during the spring semester, the club will have an overnight event this winter where members go rock climbing, sleep over, have pizza and hang out. The event will be held at Prime Climb in Wallingford, Conn. And before then, while Connecticut is still in its fall foliage stage, the club plans to go on a hike and will announce the time and place once they get the clearance from SALD. Important to remember is that the club covers many different nature activities from all walks of life. There is no expertise required to partake in any of the events. Beginners and experts alike will be accommodated at each event to ensure that all students are truly welcome to join in and will have a good time. Meetings for the outing club are every other Thursday. The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 21 at 6:30 p.m. in the Sprague Room in the Student Center.
to take advantage. Screenings will take place at CCSU and NBMAA, and admission is free. Free parking is available at both locations, and for you mobility-impaired patrons, there will be free shuttles available between the school and the museum (is anybody else seeing a trend here?). The festival, as always, is bound to be an enduring experience. Those who have attended previously can
attest to the festival’s celebration of human rights and individual empowerment, as well it serving as a reminder of how great art and expression is not only found in the political Hollywood system. Further information can be found at the Women and Film Festival’s website, which can be located at http://www. c o m m u n i c a t i o n .c c s u .e d u / WomenFilmFestival/default. html.
Edgy Comedy Show ʻFag Lifeʼ Supports LGBT Community ashley foy the recorder
Lesbian and gay awareness on Central Connecticut State University’s campus seems to be growing stronger by the day. With the opening of the LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) center at CCSU last fall, a lot of work has been done to provide support to the homosexual community. Following recent news of multiple gay teen suicides, a much different approach to gay rights was taken at the Fag Life: A Conversation with Fred Phelps comedy show at Central Connecticut State University. A very warm and welcoming atmosphere greeted students last Wednesday at 8 p.m. in Semesters. A multitude of students gathered around the stage to hear Brent Sullivan’s comedy show. Brent Sullivan is a 27-year-old gay comedian from Brooklyn, NY. The mood in the room stayed as Sullivan took the stage where he clearly looked like he belonged. The Fag Life show is a racy comedy act that has Sullivan commenting on sound bytes of Baptist Pastor Fred Phelp’s radical views on homosexuality. With the sound bytes he plays and comments he makes, his point of Phelps being ridiculous is made clear early on. He goes into detail about how insane this man seems to be, and that rather than being detrimental to the gay society he actually helps it, as the vast majority of straight people would be turned off by his extreme anti-gay antics. Those who didn’t get to hear Sullivan’s
raunchy jokes and Fred Phelps insults during the show he did at CCSU can catch it in New York City at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre on Saturday, Oct. 23. The next large event the LGBT center will be hosting on campus is the conference on Social Justice, on Oct. 27. All CSU (Connecticut State University) students and faculty are charged only $5 entry. Non-CSU attendees must pay $55. Breakfast and lunch are included in the price, as well as several interesting speakers including Jessica Pettitt.
Comedian Brent Sullivan.
THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 20, 2010
EDITORIAL
OPINION
5
COLLEGE STUDENTS NEED TO THINK OF HEALTH FOR FUTURE
On any given night in New Britain, during this economic downturn, there are several businesses which can’t keep up with their orders. These businesses are Dominos, Taco Bell and the infamous McDonald’s fast food chains. With the amount of individuals who are overweight and out of shape in this society, it’s no surprise to see this happening as you drive by. Watching television talk shows on any given day people can see the numerous young children who suffer from obesity from having improper diets. Being fed fast food daily can cause health problems at an early age that will lead to many complex weight disorders later on in life. Issues of personal weight aren’t the only problems in the area of medical health. We have STDs, cancer, diabetes and an endless list of problems which can go on for longer than this entire edition of the paper. With all that we’ve seen from this culture in the last twenty years you can certainly feel the pressure from all sides to become a healthier
country. It should be everyone's goal to eat healthier, exercise and live longer. This goal can only be achieved by today’s youth. The informed college student can start to make conscious health decisions before it’s too late. This is a perfect time to do it. Being surrounded by your peers can promote what you do on a daily basis. Make those around you work out with you, not eat McDonald’s at night and help raise money for something like cancer research. Being more knowledgeable on the topic of proper dieting can transfer to future generations that, let's face it, will be in the hands of the parents who give birth to them to teach them of what they should or shouldn't eat. Clubs and groups on campus have already started to do this. With the car club's fall show raising $1900 for the American Heart Association it proves that passions that you enjoy can be transformed into ways of fundraising for a good cause.It goes to show that a little commitment can
Democrats Hate State’s Capitol Charles desroChers
the recorder
This entire election season feels distant, not just the Senate race... like it’s happening in another state. It reeks of elitism. As Hartford’s blue-collar mayor is waiting for a higher court to hear his appeal the state has to watch two billionaire republicans, a man whose family owns the Empire State Building and the former mayor of Stamford haphazardly vie for our votes. Normally I would say voting for a thirdparty would be equal to eating the ballot. This year and in this election, seriously consider voting for a “fringe” candidate. They won’t win, but it will tell the two parties that they ran a bad campaign.
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wonderful, but they could certainly use the help of our entire student body. Of course, lending your time and money to an on-campus event is easy. Don’t be afraid to venture off campus and participate in area fundraisers. This weekend in Hartford is the 2010 Hartford Start! Heart Walk benefiting the American Heart Assocation. The goal is to raise $500,000 for heart research and they could certainly use the help from many more to reach this goal. How much time would it actually take to walk a three-mile loop? For a small amount of time and an optional amount of money, you can help raise awareness for something that is very important. No one should ever second guess giving their time for something that may extend their life or someone else's life in the future. You may not need help with your heart at the moment, but something can happen at any moment, and you’re going to want help when need it. Donate your time now and thank yourself later.
Looking Beyond Our Borders Isn’t a Miner Concern niCholas proCh
the recorder
Here’s a phrase you’re not likely to hear during the campaign season: this week’s fundraising event is in Hartford. Every major player for the Democratic Party has come to Connecticut, with the exception of Hillary Clinton - who is presumably in India yelling directly at Pakistan - in support of Attorney General Richard Blumenthal. What I would like to know is why they haven’t taken the drive up i-91 to Hartford. Both of the Obama fundraisers were in Stamford while Bill Clinton made it the farthest north by having his rally in New Haven. All of this separation between the rallies and our state’s capitol make the race feel like it’s off in the distance instead of on our doorsteps. The money could be the reason, but it’s not like Blumenthal can actually compete with the amount of money McMahon is willing to spend. Despite the big name support he’s only managed to drum up $2.1 million. McMahon’s probably spent more than that on pamphlets and flyers. Could the money he is raising from Stamford really be enough to supplant the Hartford area? Maybe not with its immediate population, but at least for the fact that Hartford is nearly in the center of Connecticut and an easy drive from anywhere in the state. It’s funny that the Democrats, the party that is supposed to be a champion for social equity, are pandering to the highbrow crowd along the Merritt Parkway. Our money and how we spend it is an extension of our speech and opinions. By not looking for money north of New Haven it sends the wrong message. By seeking many small donations Blumenthal and Dan Malloy could be sending a much stronger one. It may be a better strategy to get thousands of little handouts from the lowerto-middle-class. The Obama campaign was run largely with tiny donations made online and via text messaging and they broke every record for fundraising imaginable. Voter turnout in August was a pitiful 25 and 30 percent for the Democrats and Republicans. If we saw Ned Lamont or Malloy on Arch Street in New Britain instead of staying close to their southwestern roots, we could have all been more apt to vote that day. The perception is that the mid-term election has much less gravity and because of this voter turnout is going to be nowhere near what it was for a presidential election, but is it crazy to think that having a rally on the green of Bushnell Park would look infinitely better than some $1,000 plate dinner in Stamford?
go a good distance in the fight to combat health issues that Americans deal with on a daily basis. Mimicking the presence that the NFL, NHL and MLB have with supporting the fight against breast cancer and other cancers, our own Blue Devil sports teams have started to donate their time and efforts to raise money for research. Basketball, volleyball, and football have all raised money. The men's basketball team took part in the Memory Walk in support of the Alzheimer’s Association and raised $730. The football team's coaches have been taking part in a Coach to Cure initiative that raises money and awareness for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The women's volleyball team is hosting a Dig!Pink event against Quinnipiac on Oct. 23 in support of breast cancer. The team has pledged to raise $500 for the cause. While these amounts might at first seem small, they are beneficial in the long run. The standard set by the athletes is
This past week, every channel, website, and newspaper had nonstop coverage of the events that unfolded in Chile. For thirtythree miners, coming out from more than two thousand feet below the surface was a life changing event. For the rest of the world, it was entertainment, coffee shop talk, and possibly more gripping that any fictional television drama can be. During those few days the audience from the United States was fully vested in the heroic tales of the survivors. With countdowns on every station pertaining to the number of Chileans left in the mine, it became an event worth watching. This country’s focus has always been on the national level and notoriously not beyond our borders. It could be because we are such a large nation and that we have so much of our own news to cover. Every city, large or small, has a news syndicate of some sort. For newspapers, the city of New Britain has the New Britain Herald, Hartford has the Hartford Courant, and Boston has the Boston Globe. Each television network channel has a local broadcasting studio which primarily focuses on Connecticut stories. While each of these outlets will occasionally cover the international stories, it will take an earthquake in Haiti, a tsunami in Sri Lanka, or for coal miners to get trapped in their mine in Chile for it to happen. For an American news reader, the practice of demanding international news isn’t a common occurrence. Most want to know how political decisions will affect them, who is committing crimes in their area, and who won the baseball games that night. This is overly concerning. It’s worth comparing the European media structure to the American in that we were and still are organized differently. The countries in Europe are much smaller than the United States and are very close to one another, both geographically and politically. In fact, almost all of these countries share a common currency. The Euro binds these countries together economically, which
in politics and news can be the strongest bond. Each country cares about how the other is affecting their money, causing close attention to be paid to international stories. While the U.S. is much bigger and doesn’t share a currency with any other country, this is not a good excuse to not be internationally focused. Our country has insurmountable debt with several countries, we are fighting two wars, and we are spending copious amounts of money trying to rebuild impoverished nations. The average American seems to turn a blind eye to these issues and can’t look past the borders that define this nation. There are those who follow every detail that happens in Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, but they are a minority. They are usually investors or those with ties to these countries. They should be a majority, not a minority. We are often criticized for trying to make a profit off of an international disaster, such as the catastrophe in Haiti. Hardly anyone in the US paid any attention to the small island in the Caribbean until that day. It took thousands of deaths for anyone to bat an eye at the undeveloped country. Why should we have paid attention to them? They don’t offer anything to this country economically or politically, and they certainly couldn’t help us in a time of need. Even though this might seem rational on some level, this shouldn’t be the way that we think. It should be up to the citizen to be informed on a world issue. If one cannot rely on their local or national news to provide them with what they need, then they should read foreign news. The BBC has some of the best international coverage, and is very accessible on the web. When we are thinking about how great it is that the Chilean miners escaped their mine, and we continue to follow their stories, we should remember to not stop there. The culture of American news will not change overnight, but the audience can. If we start looking beyond the comfort of our borders, whether they are national, municipal, or communal, those delivering our news will have to listen.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / UPGRADE
REVIEWS Sensational King of Pop Impersonator Pays Tribute adam tulloch The Recorder
The only Michael Jackson-approved impersonator paid a visit to CCSU last Saturday to put on a show featuring all of Jackson’s most classic hits. Energy, excitement and passion radiated through Welte Auditorium as soon as impersonator Joby Rogers stepped on to the stage. The introduction to the show began with a short film of Jackson’s career including all of his greatest performances. As soon as the film finished, and the lights turned on, Rogers began his performance and opened up with “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’.” The back-up dancers were performing at a high level and Rogers himself was doing a phenomenal job capturing Jackson’s mannerisms. Rogers put on a display that had the crowd pumped with excitement. The performance shifted to Jackson’s classic “Smooth Criminal,” with the lights and dancers in perfect sync, putting out a strong display of talent with dance fighting. Rogers’s dancers showed a vast amount of talent as each had different scenes in which they put on a clinic of dance moves. Impressively, the dancers performed one of Jackson’s most famous signature moves, the 90 degree lean. As the performance continued Roger’s ability became even more impressive. For Jackson’s song “The Way You Make Me Feel,” Rogers brought out one of his stage dancers to play the role of the girl Jackson is following. Both Rogers, who was playing the role of the lovestruck victim, and his dancer did a great job. Rogers also used the crowd for his performance of “That Girl is Mine.” Rogers went into the crowd and invited fan Tiesha Hernandez to join him on stage to perform the song. During the performance, a surprise guest came on stage in the form of a Paul McCartney look alike. The duo performed an excellent collaboration. As the performance finished and Hernandez went back to her seat, Rogers returned backstage for the next
Nails
Unsilent Death
Southern Lord/Six Feet Under October 5 (Reissue)
Max kyburz The Recorder
Every so often an album comes along that reinvigorates my taste for sweet, stinky crust punk. Unsilent Death is one of those albums. Wielding ears for old school grindcore and blistering, brute powerviolence, SoCal noisebastards Nails brings the heat with this short and sweet sophomore follow-up to their debut 12”, Obscene Humanity. For those hearing the band for the very first time through this album (myself included), Nails just may be your new favorite soundtrack for punching random people on the street. OK, that’s taking it a bit too far, but you catch my drift. Just look at the cover of Unsilent Death gritty, eerie, subdued. At first glance may be misled into thinking Nails is a lo-fi Norwegian black metal outfit (given Southern Lord’s repertoire, I know I thought so). Though they are not by any means one of those suicidal/ homicidal frostbitten legions, Nails is just as
song, and what a thriller it was. As the darkness fell and creatures began to crawl, Rogers and his dancers put together a brilliant performance of “Thriller.” Rogers and the crew nailed the performance showing an array of emotion. The emotion Rogers put into this show exploded when he performed “Man in the Mirror.” Rogers walked through the crowd giving hugs to all the supporters who came out to see him and when he returned to the stage emotion was flaring and Rogers pulled off a classic Jackson move by by ripping off his shirt. Showing love for the people who came to see him, Rogers dropped to the floor in tears, showing how truly blessed he felt to be on stage. In the show’s closing performance, a young version of Jackson came on stage to perform “I’ll Be There.” Rogers also arrived on stage to do a duet with the young Jackson look alike. As the show came to an end Rogers gave his thanks to the Boys & Girls Club for raising him as a child. Rogers thanked the crowd and his dancers by introducing them one by one, just before they all gave a final bow after a phenomenal show.
Michael Jackson impersonator Joby Rogers performed at CCSU last Saturday night. Photos by Adam Tulloch.
angry and intense. Not to mention sinister. Now granted, this review is overdue, not only because their label Southern Lord released it earlier this month, but because their releasing is actually a reissue. Unsilent Death was originally distributed through Nails’ former home at Six Feet Under Records, but with a higher profile label (Southern Lord carries name-bands like Sunn O))) and Black Breath) Nails get the exposure they deserve. Unsilent Death features a more crisp audio quality than Obscene Humanity, but the overall sound is by no means compromised. If anything, it’s more aggressive and to the point, showing that even the smallest progressions are noteworthy. The album doesn’t really start so much as it explodes; the first track “Conform” forgoes any conventional beginning, has no lead-in, just gives it to you without a tease. Awesome. After that, the album pummels through, jarring your ears, scuffing your knees, annoying your roommates. What more can you ask for? Nails are by no means melodic. Their songs are feedback heavy and keen on the whammy bar-wails, yet the title track gives a brief glimpse into how “groovy” they can be. It’s a steady headbanger, a perfect track to spazz out Beavis & Butthead style. The closer, “Depths”, is an ideal final track. Retaining the heaviness of the previous ten minutes, the song begins with a sludgy lurking intro, followed by a part that dares you to mosh while singing along. A great conclusion sums up everything beforehand, and leaves you wanting more. As the ending doom-laced march wavers out into abrupt silence, we’re left wondering just what the hell happened, and why more doesn’t follow. Since it’s a reissue, the lack of any extra goodies is Unsilent Death’s major downfall (if it has one). Even if it were just a combo of this album and their previous record, it would have sufficed. But perhaps it’s all right in the end, since it only makes waiting for their upcoming release enjoyably antagonizing.
Belle and Sebastian Write About Love
Matador Records October 12
Chris cox
The Recorder
Write About Love is the recent album by Belle and Sebastian, an indie pop act out of Glasgow that formed in 1996. While I have never listened to Belle and Sebastian before, the music reminds me of ‘80s new wave such as the Smiths. You could say this band is The Smiths that ran away from pop music and went underground to escape the embarrassment of what pop music is in this generation. I’m more of the type of guy to focus on a song’s production, sound, and feeling instead of focusing on deep messages of what the song may be about so I wasn’t focusing that much on the songs’ lyrics. The music on the album is generally dreamy and uplifting combined with cello, saxophone and flutes. Stevie Jackson (vocals) sings great soft melodies that match the lyrics well. I really liked “I Want the World to Stop” because of the choice of
words. The melody line “I want the world to stop / give me the morning / the afternoon, the night”was memorable. The other song I really liked was “Sunday’s Petty Icons,” which had some cool synthesizers in it, great ambient synthlines and vocal melodies. These two songs stuck out for me on the album. While I’m generally not a fan of rockish indie music, this is a band that will appeal to many fans of bands like the Smiths, because I feel that they write music in a similar style. The thing I did like was that the use of synthesizers and the diversity of instruments was consistent with the album instead of being another band that chooses lame chord progressions. Another thing I liked was the vocals; most of the time they were dreamy ,soothing but with great production. Female vocalist Isobel Campbell is a great addition.
7
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / UPGRADE
‘Jackass’ Gang Ups the Mayhem in New 3-D Format nicholas proch The Recorder
Johnny Knoxville, Bam Margera, Steve-O and the gang have taken their talents, or their incredible ability to withstand pain and personal punishment, to the big screen yet again in Jackass 3D. The first thing you will notice, beyond the three-dimensional presence that this film has, is the much higher production value. Produced by Paramount Studios, it’s clear that they sank a lot into this film. For those who have seen any productions by the Jackass franchise, this is exactly what you would expect to see. If you haven’t seen either of the first two movies or their show, you’re in for a shock. The basic format of this film is familiar to those who have seen these guys before. There are dozens and dozens of skits which run one after another to keep you laughing, covering your eyes, and squirming around your seat. The 3-D aspect of this film really isn’t a huge gain. 3-D tends to be a gimmick in most movies and this is no different. There isn’t a single moment where you feel that what
you are seeing wouldn’t be as cool if it were only two-dimensional. Written almost entirely by Preston Lacey, the pranks and situations that these actors are shown in are much more creative than past releases. When you’re watching you can’t help but wonder how they got so inventive with their ideas. From little people fights in public places to letting professional football player Jared Allen hit you at full speed, there is both an element of old and a new feel that they want to be known as a more intelligent group. It might be a stretch to call anyone smart who is willing to put them self in these predicaments, but they are certainly taking a step in the right direction. There are a few moments during this film where you ask yourself if you’ve seen this same prank before. It wouldn’t be a Jackass film if you didn’t see Johnny Knoxville get run over by a bull or Bam Margera take cheap shots at someone followed by him screaming for his life at the hand of a garter snake. This film isn’t for everyone, and those on screen wouldn’t have it any other way. Their tactic is to shock and they do it well. Fortunately,
The guys from ‘Jackass,’ led by Johnny Knoxville, return to the screen in 3-D. they have such a reputation that they can push the limits knowing who their audience will be. This is
Netflix It: Dead Man Max kyburz The Recorder
The last couple of weeks have incidentally been filled with a certain Western twang. I don’t know how it happened, the pieces just seemed to fall into that order. Let me explain: two weeks ago I had the sudden urge to start reading Cormac McCarthy’s staggeringly violent epic Blood Meridian. As if that couldn’t satisfy my urges for atypical Westerns, I had to watch Robert Altman’s McCabe & Mrs. Miller for film class, and this week I was assigned to view Sam Peckinpah’s The Wild Bunch. After surveying these stories for their refusal to adhere to the conventions of the frontier classics, I had a yearning to view Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man. Jim Jarmusch has long been championed by film lovers, and is one of the undisputed masters of independent cinema. Of all the well-respected film directors, I haven’t always regarded Jarmusch in the most positive light. I respect him as a writer, but I’ve always found issue with his slow pacing and staging. I used to have this same issue with Dead Man. When I first saw it, I hated how drawn out it was. Perhaps then I was overanalyzing the film, which can often ruin or benefit a first viewing (in my case, it was the former). Watching it again recently, I had an entirely different view on it, and it is now one of my favorite films. My advice: Netflix it, and if it strikes out the first time you see it, you may wanna Netflix it a second time. Dead Man stars Johnny Depp, who gives one of his most understated performances as William Blake. A stranger in a strange new place, Blake is not just another one of Johnny Depp’s miscellaneous oddball film roles. He is at first straight laced and meek, and undergoes a deep transformation over the course of the film, almost as though he’s portraying two completely different roles. He slumbers through an endless train ride to a town called Machine, a dusty and chaotic town that lives more by the way of the gun than the law. After a surreal conversation with a soot-soaked Crispin Glover and an encounter with a paper flower-weilding prostitute, Blake becomes a wanted man. His crime, to any decent soul, can be considered permissible, but he is nevertheless given the role of most dangerous game. Credit must also go to Gary Farmer in his most famous role as Nobody, a transcendental
Native American who finds Blake and believes him to be the poet of the same name. Intent on this belief, Nobody offers to bring Blake (hanging on by a thread after being fatally shot) to the ocean in order to aid his rejoining of the spiritual afterlife. Nobody exists as William Blake’s guardian angel, offering wisdom and influence, and assists him in escaping the hunt led by cannibalistic hit men. This isn’t your grandfather’s Western; filmed in lustrous black and white, Dead Man is more of a reflection (and subsequent deconstruction) of the genre. Many of the opening shots are depictions of destruction and unruliness, a land abiding by outlaw order dressed up as civility. In the shots of decaying tribes and charred plantations, the viewer is clued in to the decadent elements of a burgeoning society. These images are often ignored in the classic Western mythology. Jarmusch’s film is as much a celebration of genre as an investigation of values. From the first scene onward, Dead Man ambles and takes its time; the film is uncompromisingly realistic in its emphasis on character and atmosphere over climax. The overall execution of Dead Man has attributed to the film’s categorization as an ‘acid western,’ one that emphasizes hallucinatory imagery and somnambulant mood, as well as its use of unsettling imagery. Though it is an uncommon subgenre in popular film, Dead Man is the most famous of the bunch. Whether it is the pinnacle of the sub-genre is unbeknownst to me, if only because I haven’t see many other same-labeled titles, but it is nevertheless worth viewing.
their best release to date and leaves you wanting to see more. If you’ve enjoyed the first two big-screen
releases from the Jackass crew, then you’ll be in for a treat next time you go to the theater.
‘R ed ’ M uch M ore T han A n O ld Folks C entral I ntelligence A gency michael Walsh The Recorder
John Malkovich comes running down the street at you wearing what appears to be a ticking time bomb. What do you do? Why laugh, of course. The fresh balance of comedy and action is the saving grace in director Robert Schwentke’s Red, a film that otherwise contains a rather weightless plot that follows former black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses (Bruce Willis), marked R.E.D. (retired and extremely dangerous), as he comes out of retirement and rounds up his old team of CIA operatives to help fight off the CIA’s attempt to kill him. Featuring an ensemble cast of welltrained, accomplished and aged actors, Red does put Sly Stallone’s pointless and meandering The Expendables to shame, showing that action films don’t have to be all brawn, all the time. Add into the mix Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, both stepping outside their comfortable acting zone, to a mix of Malkovich and Willis, and you have yourself a competent but more importantly intriguing cast. The scene stealer among the four is easily Malkovich. Think of a typical zany, crazy and loony Malkovich character, multiply that by about 10 and place a few guns and explosives in his hands. Malkovich plays Marvin Boggs, a paranoid conspiracy theorist who is worried about which satellite is going to steal his next thought. Boggs might be certifiably insane, and it shows as he becomes more perturbed at being called an old man than he is of the bullets and rockets flying at him. But Malkovich plays the character to perfect insanity and more importantly does so subtlety, always hitting the right level of crazy and never forcing it, just as he’s managed to do his entire career in a multitude of ridiculous roles. And while it might not be typical to see the likes of Freeman and Mirren in an action film like this, especially at their current age, it isn’t surprising to see Willis placed among the film’s heroes. He acts as a ringleader for the actors and characters, the been there, done that attitude of a trained CIA operative is similar to the attitude he as an actor of the action film might carry. Willis plays another version of himself, but this isn’t your typical John McClane of Die Hard fame. Moses is much more sensitive. Even Mirren’s character describes Moses as being gooey inside at one point. It’s true, too, as Moses’ entire
reason for rounding up the troops is to protect his new-found love, played by Mary-Louise Parker. And in the end what really what gives Red an advantage over other films within its action/comedy hybrid genre is the ability to keep the audience entertained and smiling. Being given the chance to watch these four actors team up and take on the CIA is a treat, almost just because of the unlikely nature of it all, let alone the charisma they share on screen. The other reason for enjoyment can be found inside the smart screenplay written by Jon and Erich Hoeber and based off a series of comics. Red avoids the cliché humor that most action/comedy films love to abuse, and none of what there is to laugh about is at all forced upon the viewer by way of one-liners from the heroes or smart ass responses from villains. It’s all very natural and clever, perfect for the actors at hand. While Red leaves a little to be desired with the story, it is fun to watch a former CIA employee in Moses go up against young CIA employee William Cooper. It’s not exactly standard fare, but the material won’t really have you on the edge of your seat, or wanting more. All you’ll want more of is this cast together again. They work together so brilliantly and their comedic timing is a pleasure to witness. As a group they absolutely propel Red into another level of enjoyment that wouldn’t be captured if they’d been replaced by other actors. This truly is a case of actors pushing content past where it might typically belong.
8
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / UPGRADE unseen; in another, wealthy guests sit around a table on toilets, only to excuse themselves to go into private cubicles to eat. "For my part, I see liberty as a ghost that we try to grasp. . . and we embrace a misty shape that leaves us with only a wisp of vapor in our hands." - Luis Bunuel.
Calendar THEATRE
10.20 - 10.27
10/19 - 10/23 Cat on a Hot Tin Roof @ CCSU Maloney Hall Black Box Theatre New Britain, CT Free/7:30 p.m. MUSIC 10/20 Senses Fail/Bayside @ Webster Theatre Hartford, CT $15/6:30 p.m. 10/22 Insane Clown Posse @ Webster Theatre Hartford, CT $26/7 p.m. Cute Is What We Aim For @ Webster Underground Hartford, CT $12/6:30 p.m. The Books @ Pearl Street Northampton, MA $20/9 p.m. Hostage Calm Halloween Show @ West Haven American Legion $8 (with costume)/6:30 p.m. 10/23 Tech N9ne @ Webster Theatre Hartford, CT $26/7 p.m. 10/24 The Corin Tucker Band @ Pearl Street Northampton. MA $18/8:30 p.m.
FILM 10/20 - 10/23 The American @ Trinity College Hartford, CT $8/7:30 p.m.
It's always a pleasure to be able to re-introduce movies that were marketed (and usually failed) as Hollywood action films, but belonged in art theaters all along. The American is more Sergio Leone/Antonioni than Salt, and George Clooney shows intriguing depth as a killer-for-hire with poise, intelligence, and an existential froideur. After learning that he has been set up by a shadowy enemy, he hides out in a gorgeous mountain village east of Rome. But even friendship and an intensely erotic affair cannot shake his sense of impending danger. Anton Corijn, who made the moody biopic of Joy Division's Ian Curtis (Control), cinematographer Martin Ruhe, and composer Herbert Gronemeyer combine to make the panoramic landscape an equal character in the drama - especially when experienced on Cinestudio's wide screen. 105 min. 10/24 - 10/25 The Phantom of Liberty @ Trinity College Hartford, CT $8/7:30 p.m. The penultimate film of the great surrealist director Luis Bunuel (Viridiana, Belle de Jour, The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie) returns to a subject that fascinated the 74-year-old artist all his life: the randomness, terror, and unexpected beauty of pure chance. The series of interlocking vignettes express Bunuel's ridicule of convention and a hilarious sense of the absurd. In one scene, a little girl is reported missing by her parents to the police, even though she stands in the room,
Time to take the next step
10/22 - 10/23 Jaws @ Criterion Cinemas New Haven, CT $5/11:30 p.m. Based on Peter Benchley's bestselling novel, Steven Spielberg's 1975 shark saga set the standard for the New Hollywood popcorn blockbuster while frightening millions of moviegoers out of the water. One early summer night on fictional Atlantic resort Amity Island, Chrissie decides to take a moonlight skinny dip while her friends party on the beach. Yanked suddenly below the ocean surface, she never returns. When pieces of her wash ashore, Police Chief Brody (Roy Scheider) suspects the worst, but Mayor Vaughn (Murray Hamilton), mindful of the lucrative tourist trade and the approaching July 4th holiday, refuses to put the island on a business-killing shark alert. After the shark dines on a few more victims, the Mayor orders the local fishermen to catch the culprit. Satisfied with the shark they find, the greedy Mayor reopens the beaches, despite the warning from visiting ichthyologist Hooper (Richard Dreyfuss) that the attacks were probably caused by a far more formidable Great White. One more fatality later, Brody and Hooper join forces with flinty old salt Quint (Robert Shaw), the only local fisherman willing to take on a Great White--especially since the price is right. The three ride off on Quint's boat "The Orca," soon coming face to teeth with the enemy. ~ Lucia Bozzola, All Movie Guide
The third in director Sam Raimi's stylish, comic book-like horror trilogy that began with The Evil Dead (1982), this tongue-in-cheek sequel offers equal parts sword-and-sorcerystyle action, gore, and comedy. Bruce Campbell returns as the one-armed Ash, now a supermarket employee ("Shop Smart...Shop S-Mart") who is transported by the powers of a mysterious book back in time with his Oldsmobile '88 to the 14th century medieval era. Armed only with a shotgun, his high school chemistry textbook, and a chainsaw that mounts where his missing appendage once
resided, the square-jawed, brutally competent Ash quickly establishes himself as a besieged kingdom's best hope against an "army of darkness" currently plaguing the land. Since the skeleton warriors have been resurrected with the aid of the Necronomicon (the same tome that can send Ash back to his own time) he agrees to face the enemy in battle. Ash also finds romance of a sort along the way with a beautiful damsel in distress, Sheila (Embeth Davidtz), and contends with his own doppelganger after mangling an important incantation. ~ Karl Williams, All Movie Guide
The Corin Tucker Band
Army of Darkness @ Bowtie Cinemas Hartford, CT $5/11:30 p.m.
Senses Fail
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9
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / UPGRADE
‘Cat on a Hot Tin Roof’ at Black Box This Week max kyburz The Recorder
CCSU Mainstage is back this Tuesday, and they’re bringing Tennesse Williams along. His contribution: the classic play Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1955. After 45 years of revivals, the play finally makes its way to the Black Box Theatre at Maloney Hall. Directed by Josh Perlstein, Cat is a portrait of a fractured family unit in the 1950’s American south. Its notability has been attributed to the play’s dealing with themes of homosexuality and domesticity, both hot-bottom issues during this particular time frame. Since the concept of the nuclear family was considered the norm, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof turned the contemporary values upside down. In a culture that still struggles with civil unions and sexual injustice, the play serves as a tiny peephole into decades past, and a look at how far (or short) we’ve come as a harmonious society. T h e playwright of Cat is Tennessee Williams (19111983), who most famously awarded the literary and theatre spheres with A Streetcar Named Desire, undoubtedly one of the most iconic and treasured plays ever conceived by an American.
Himself a homosexual and alcoholic, Williams turned to writing as an outlet for his frustrations, as such lifestyles were not discussed openly in public during his time. This week’s production will be performed by a wide array of CCSU students, featuring Bryan Kopp as Brick and Annie Capobianco as Maggie the Cat, with Theresa Degan as Big Mama and Mike DiChello as Big Daddy. Many of the actors appeared in the studentproduction of Quake, as well as Under Construction. Williams’ play was turned into an Academy Award-nomiated feature film of the same name in 1958, starring Elizabeth Taylor and Paul Newman. Performances begin on Tuesday the 19th and will continue until Saturday the 23rd, 7:30 pm sharp. Tickets for students and seniors are $5, all other patrons $10. To order your tickets in advance, call CENtix at 860-832-1989.
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10
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
COLUMN
Community Initiative Should be Commended and Followed brittany burke the recorder
As we all know, October is breast cancer awareness month. This means for 31 days everything that can be turned pink most likely will be. I have water bottles with pink labels, pink potato chip bags and pink yogurt lids to mention a few. Sports teams are also participating in the efforts, whether it be a top tier professional team or not. Television screens and newspapers are littered with pictures of athletes with pink shoes, pink socks, pink gloves, and in the case of the NFL, pink ribbons on the back of the players’ helmets. Fans can even buy merchandise in pink, which supports breast cancer awareness. Personally, I just spent $65 on a pink zip up track jacket with a patch that boasts, “NHL Fights Cancer” with the Bruins logo on the back, but I was proud to do it. I was okay with spending close to $100 on a jacket as a broke college student because the money was in support of a good cause, and will continually raise awareness for a disease that affects many, whether directly or indirectly, and that’s what Breast Cancer Awareness is actually what it’s all about. It’s not just about turning every consumer product pink for one month, it’s about making a difference and becoming one step closer to finding a cure, which is why in this month more than any I am proud to support and write about CCSU Athletics. In the past month the athletes at CCSU have shown a different side of the athletics program, going beyond the field and court to step out and help the community. On Sept. 25 head football coach Jeff McInerney, accompanied by his staff and football team participated in Coach to Cure, which raises money and awareness for duchenne muscular dystrophy. One week later the CCSU men’s basketball team headed to Bushnell Park to do their part in the Memory Walk in support of the Alzheimer’s Association. The Blue Devils managed to raise $730 for the cause in their fifth year of participation. A total of $200 million has been raised by the Memory Walk event. To close out October the women’s volleyball team will host the Dig!Pink event against Quinnipiac on Oct. 23. The Blue Devils have joined forces with the Side-Out Foundation to bring the Dig!Pink fundraiser to CCSU to spread the word and raise money for breast cancer research. The Blue Devils have pledged to raise $500 for the cause and have currently raised $275. The various charity participations show just what type of program CCSU has formed. It all comes back to what Athletic Director Paul Schlickmann talked about at the beginning of the semester. At the beginning of the year Schlickmann passionately spoke about his athletes being honorable while in uniform and out, which meant getting involved in the community. He wanted to teach them lessons that they could carry with them past graduation, so far he seems to being doing just that. This past month shows that the CCSU population can look to its athletes as more than just the men and women in a blue and white uniform, we can look to them to proudly represent our school. The athletes are doing their part, now everyone should take a page out of their playbook and get involved to make a difference. Volunteer, make a donation, support volleyball on Oct. 23 or buy something pink, no matter what you do or what organization you choose it will make a difference, not only in October but in the 11 other months as well.
soCCer | Cont. from 12 said Green. “Every time we got the ball in, they just defended well and then played long ball down the field. It’s hard to get a pattern when they play like that, but that’s their style of play, and it works for them.” The draw against the Blue Devils has helped improve the Bull Dog’s unbeaten streak to three. “Hats off to them,” said Green. “They’ve got a good team and played a tough game.” The Blue Devils return to action on Thursday Oct. 21 against conference foe Fairleigh Dickinson at Willow Brook Park, starting at 7 P.M.
Captain Robert Cavener gets checked by the trainer after breaking kenny barto | the reCorder his nose early in the first half.
FOLLOW THE RECORDER ON TWITTER @recordersports for liVe tWeeting from games hoCkey | Cont. from 12 while shutting the Blue Devils. Down 4-3, after a Bentley power play goal, CCSU pulled second year goalie, Greg Coco for the man advantage. Unfortunately CCSU wasn’t able to capitalize on the opportunity, but Bentley was, placing the puck right between the empty pipes. “We came out slow and we just never really got it going on mean Bentley’s a good team but I def think we could’ve come out with a better performance and we got to work on that,” said Ryan Stanley, one of CCSU’s stand out forwards. Thirty-seven seconds into the third period players on both teams were called for facemasks in front of Coco. The matching penalties resulted in junior Matt Siracusa and Captain Thomas Carroll getting sent to the box. CCSU forward Evan Mink was inevitably tossed from the game and named ineligible for Saturday’s match against Towson after continually arguing with the ref while being escorted to the box. The facemasks were just the beginning of the third period penalties for CCSU, which made it harder for the team to stage the needed comeback. “It’s very hard to come from behind or take the lead from the box, it’s almost impossible,” said Adams. “We took some bad penalties, some selfish penalties and that’ll all be corrected in practice.” Despite the loss, forwards Stanley and Jonathan Knobloch have emerged as offensive leaders. Skating on the same line, the combination was responsible for two of the three goals scored by CCSU. CCSU took the early one goal advantage with 8:30 to play in the first period when Stanley scored a glove side goal off the assist from Knobloch. The Knobloch-Stanley one-two punch was proven effective again in the second, to give the Blue Devils the two goal lead with under ten to play. “Well my first goal, Jon Knobs, he made a great pass to me and I just kind of slid it in so I’d have to give him the credit on that one, and the second one it was actually the same thing he drop passed it to me and I just shot it and it went in,” Stanley said. “We are kind of the veterans because we were here last year to make our run in nationals and we’re kind of looked as goal scorers on the team because you know we’ve been here and we understand our role and we just try to do it.” It is evident that CCSU still has some voids to fill. They’ve lost the power players that made up the team’s four strong lines, which gave them the edge, but the team needs to finish burying the puck on top of defensive
CCSU’s Aaron Durr and Bryant’s Dan Loreaux challenge eachother for a kenny barto | the reCorder header in the second half.
zone coverage. “We’re mixing some lines up all the time trying to find the right combos, we haven’t found it yet, but were still working for it. Luckily [ Jaime] Germaine scored for us giving our second line a little depth but we’re pretty much a one-dimensional team right
now and that’s got to change.” CCSU closed out the weekend in backto-back games on the road against DI school Towson, and returns to Simsbury on Oct. 23 at 8 p.m. in a match up against CW Post followed by a game on Sunday Oct. 24 at 11:50 a.m. against Boston College.
CCSU forward Jon Knobloch avoids a check from a Bentley defender
kenny barto | the reCorder
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 20, 2010 / SPORTS
11
Football Enters Bye Week with Sights on Albany Brittany Burke The Recorder
Entering the week seven bye, the CCSU football team sits on a 4-2 record, remaining undefeated in NEC conference play, which is exactly where Head Coach Jeff McInerney expected his team to be, heading down the final stretch. “I’m really pleased so far, we’re four and two. There’s nothing obviously ever goes as planned so there’s always disappointment and you always correct it,” said coach McInerney. “It starts with me I made mistakes and we got to correct them…you’ve got to evaluate it the last five weeks. “It’s up to the football gods. We just got to go out there and compete and let the chips fall where they may. We’re in position but we can’t guarantee anything, don’t know but we’ll try.” The Blue Devils faced two tough out of conference road opponents early in the season at New Hampshire and Youngstown State in Ohio, dropping to UNH 33-3 in week one and to Youngstown, 6324 in the third week. Despite those poor showings, CCSU has recovered and won four games, continuing a winning streak at home. “We knew with a new quarterback in this situation that New Hampshire was going to be tough we knew that the travel to Youngstown and their tradition was gonna be tough,” said McInerney. “We went into those games trying to win them obviously, but we knew it was gonna be hard and we knew we had to win Bentley, Bryant, Sacred Heart and Duquesne to get to our bye week.” The Blue Devils defense gave up a combined 645-yards rushing in the losses against UNH and YSU. The roughest time for the run defense might have been in the win against
NEC opponent Duquesne during homecoming weekend. Despite the win, the Blue Devils were almost forced into an overtime situation with under three minutes to play in the fourth, allowing the Dukes to score twice and shorten the lead to within the realm of a two point conversion. The Blue Devils managed to hold the Dukes, but the team took a step back in the recent progress made on the run defense. Running back Larry McCoy ran all over the Blue Devils defense in last week’s win, rushing for 246 of his team’s 290 yards. Whenever the ball was strategically put into his hands he exploded all over the field and managed the double digit runs continuously. “This week one of the areas we have to improve is the run defense. If we can stop the run we’ll have a great opportunity to win a championship. If we don’t stop the run our chances are going to be not great,” said McInerney. “We’re just not consistent. We’re not horrible, we just give up too many long runs. It’s ok to get an eight or nine yard run, but you can’t give up the 40, the 30, the 50, the 60 yard run and that has been a problem all year. At New Hampshire, at Youngstown and it reared its ugly head against Duquesne, and if we can stop those plays we have a chance and that’s all anybody could ask.” Offensively there have been some major adjustments in the CCSU roster this season, including transfers Gunnar Jespersen at quarterback and Everette Benjamin filling the void at running back. The two transfers have steadily gotten used to the CCSU style of play and have proven themselves as offensive leaders. Jespersen has made the start in all six games completing 74-for-114 attempts with 914-yards and five touchdowns with just two interceptions on the
season. The quarterback is second on the team in rushing with 341 rushing yards. Jespersen trails Benjamin, who made the switch from fullback, his position at Hofstra, to running back. Benjamin leads the team in rushing yards with a net of 690-yards. Richie Martin is the top receiver for CCSU with 354-yards, while freshman Chris Linares leads the team in interceptions with two. “Our offensive line has really gelled and played well which is the key, when your offensive line plays well. And we’ve gotten some receivers developed when Josue [Paul] was out which was the key so it’s not just them; they’ve got a lot of help,” said McInerney of
Jespersen and Benjamin’s impact on the team. Paul is back in the CCSU lineup, debuting in the win over Duquesne. Paul offers a new threat to CCSU’s receivers, giving Jespersen an outlet that can go deep and complete the long passes. “I think Josue will work his way back into it, but we’ve developed some other weapons and he’ll get his share of plays but the other guys will get their share of plays and it just gives us a deep threat that can catch a deep ball.” A bye week doesn’t mean a break for the team, who is preparing for longstanding rival, Albany, next week. The Blue Devils are reaching the meat of the season following
the bye, which consists of back to back road trips to Robert Morris and Monmouth in November. “We knew we’ve got to be at our best starting after this bye week. We have two tough games with Albany and Wagner. Then we have those two roads trips and ended up on senior day with St. Francis and you can’t take anybody for granted,” said McInerney. “So we’re right where we thought we’d be. Now we have to go out and play. We got an opportunity and it’s going to be October 22, we’re undefeated, what more can you ask for now we just got to make a play.” The Blue Devils return to CCSU on Oct. 30 when they take on Wagner at 12 p.m.
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The CCSU football team, pictured above before its game against Sacred Heart, is off to a 4-2 start.
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Newcomer Gunnar Jespersen has been one of the Blue Devils’ major offensive adjustments this season.
THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Sports 10/20
Men’s Soccer Draws Br yant 0-0 Kenny Barto The Recorder
The CCSU men’s soccer team (3-7-2, 0-3-2 NEC) has now gone five games and an accumulated 390 minutes without scoring a goal after Sunday afternoon’s 0-0 draw against Bryant (4-6-2, 2-2-2 NEC). “We’re trying to look for the positives in what we’re doing right now,” said head coach Shaun Green. “We’ve gone two games, with two overtimes in each, that’s 220 minutes without scoring a goal, so that’s a positive.” The last time CCSU put anything past the opposing goalkeeper was Sept. 25 when Terrell Whitting scored the game winning goal in the second overtime against Fordham. “We knew coming into the season that offense would be our problem,” said Green. “But I think if we were to add two goal scorers to this team, we could compete with anybody.” Bryant got off to a fast start, challenging CCSU and drawing a quick free kick just outside of the box. The free kick found a Bryant forward, and was put into the net, but linesman Boris Medvedeu put his flag up which indicated Bryant was off-side and the goal was disallowed. The Blue Devils only managed two shots on goal, while the Bulldogs challenged goalkeeper
CCSU’s Jesse Menzies battles Bryant’s Nick Parisi for a loose ball in the first half.
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Anthony Occhialini three times. Sunday’s match was the second shutout in a row for Occhialini, who has five combined saves in the two matches. “Anthony has been playing great,” said Green. “With him and the defense on the field these past two games, there have been very few mistakes.” The Blue Devils almost lost a key part to their defense, after midfielder Robert Cavener broke his nose early in the game when he and a Bryant player went for a header. Cavener was in obvious discomfort, but only missed about five minutes before he returned to the pitch. “Cav[ener] is a tough kid,” Green said. “He’s got a broken nose, but he played almost the entire game like that, and it showed a lot of character and resiliency to do that.” CCSU’s offense had plenty of chances in the second half, but they struggled to bury any of them. The defense continued to foil Bryant’s scoring chances, including one that beat Occhialini off of a corner kick late in the second half. Connor Smith was waiting on the corner of the goalpost, however, and headed the ball to safety. In overtime, both defenses seemed to find their groove, and neither offense was able to find the back of the net. “It was a frustrating game,” SOCCER | cont. on 10
Young Hockey Team Drops Game to Bentley Brittany burke The Recorder
CCSU hockey couldn’t hold on to a first period lead, dropping Friday night’s match-up versus non-ACHA team, Bentley 5-3. “I’ve got to give Bentley a lot of credit, they’re technically not an ACHA team but they’re trying to get recognized, and to their credit they play the better teams and sometimes they pull out some wins,” said Head Coach Ben Adams. CCSU entered the weekend’s first game in Simsbury following a three-game road stint against looking for the team’s first outright win since opening night against Merrimack. The three game road trips resulted in ties against Endicott and the University of New Hampshire and a loss against powerhouse William Patterson. Regardless of the need to win, CCSU took the ice for warm-ups defeated, which was noticeable through the entire 60 minutes. “I think that we have the team to beat them,” Adams said. “I think mentally we beat ourselves the whole entire game starting from warm-ups. We had a great week of practice and I think that just them seeing the other team warmed up, mentally they beat themselves.” The Blue Devils took the early advantage, leading the Falcons 3-1 with under 10 minutes to play in the second, but back-toback goals had the game tied entering second intermission. The third period was less productive for CCSU, as Bentley managed to score twice, HOCKEY | cont. on 10
Inside This Issue:
Zack Vidmosko gets denied on a breakaway in their 5-3 loss to Bentley
Column: Community Initiative Should Be Commended and Followed p. 10
kenny barto | the recorder
Bye Week Allows Football Team To Reflect On 4-2 Start p. 11