Vol 107 Issue 24

AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, April 20, 2011

CCSU Blocks Rate My Professor Because of Suspected Virus

Central Connecticut State University

Volume 107 No. 24

UNION PREVAILS

michael walsh the recorder

The CCSU information technology department has blocked the popular Ratemyprofessor.com until further notice because of a suspected virus the website was distributing.

The well-known website that lets students rate their past professors and others use these ratings a basis for which professors to take has been a standard class registration tool on college campuses across America.

Despite the perfect timing of the website’s block and CCSU’s registration period lining up, CCSU says there is no ulterior motive other than protecting the campus network and the computers of those who use it.

“I don’t think there is any way to do that in the CCSU policy,” said Mark McLaughlin, CCSU spokesperson, about blocking Virus | cont. on 3

Some Students Find Solace in Deactivated Facebooks Jessica english the recorder

What started as a way for college students to stay connected to one another has turned into a crazed, world-wide phenomenon that has everyone logging onto Facebook, an action that for some is an important part of everyday social life.

“I definitely could not live, or think about deleting my Facebook right now,” said education major Samantha Sasseville. “I need it for when I have group projects and it keeps me in the loop.”

But in a world where it seems crucial to stay socially connected, there are still a few who have chosen to log out of Facebook for good.

While those who habitually check their Facebook and wait for that next red notification to pop up, they might not be able to imagine how some in this day in age function without it, they do.

“It was a privacy concern more than anything,” said Mike Herz, a student at CCSU, of his decision to delete his Facebook account. “It started getting weird when parents started joining Facebook and they would friend their children’s friends.

They started creepin’ around on their kids and their kids’ friends pages.”

The shift in demographics is not the only factor which deters some college-aged students from using the site. The overload of posting personal information and being able FaceBooK | cont. on 3

A line of Union infantry fire shots at the opposing Confederate troops at the Civil War reenactment this past weekend.

Full story and additional photos on page 2.

Kenny Barto i the recorder

SGA Blue Devil Social Lets Students Interact With Senate Kassondra granata the recorder

The CCSU Student Government Association held its third annual Blue Devil social Monday night, inviting students to join the senate for free food while sharing their thoughts about the state of the campus community at the same time.

Clad in blue SGA shirts, the senators were easy to point out. The setting was casual with catered food available as students were allowed to enter freely and socialize with current senators along with other administrators. According to members of the senate and others present, this year’s social had the biggest turnout yet.

“This is something that former president [Andrew] Froning started two years ago for the purpose for students, administration and SGA to be able to mingle at an informal setting,” said Interim President Jamie Canny while standing at the door passing out raffle tickets to students entering the social.

“Students do not have the opportunity to talk to or even see the faces of the administration and they can meet them and report suggestions that we will share with Dr. Tordenti.”

President Jack Miller also joined the social in order to meet students on campus and have casual conversations with them about their majors and lifestyle here at CCSU. “There are more people here than I recall being at the first one,” said Miller.

All of the senators commented on the amount of students that had joined the social as they did not expect such a large turnout.

Lindsay Burton, a sophomore, enjoyed the social thoroughly.

“I love it,” she said. “I think it’s a great idea, everyone here is so positive around us and it’s a great vibe. This was a great idea.”

Miller was also very much satisfied with the turnout.

“Anything that we normally have where

Kassondra granata i the recorder

Current SGA senators and candidates for the 2011-2012 senate talk amongst each other and with students at Monday’s Blue Devil social. the students get a chance to get together and talk to SGA and other people is always a great thing,” said Miller. “There’s no agenda, just the opportunity to talk to people you normally wouldn’t talk to.”

Tables were full and filled with loud conversation between the senate and students. At almost every table there was a senator talking with students and getting

their feedback on the campus along with casual conversation.

“The purpose is to make it so all the students can meet the senate, the senators and the administrators on campus,” said unopposed presidential candidate Eric Bergenn.

The senate hopes that next year’s will be an even larger turnout than this year.

FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT: www.centralrecorder.com

2

NEWS

THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 20, 2011

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Civil War Reenactments Impress Crowds With Realism

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Above: Confederate soldiers return fire on the Union at the Civil War reenactment at Stanley Quarter Park this weekend.

Middle: President Abraham Lincoln walks the grounds while his troops engage in battle.

Bottom: A fallen Union soldier lays motionless in the water after being shot by a Confederate. nicholas proch The Recorder

A nine-year-old boy in his suspenders, wool pants and striped button-down shirt sits with his two older brothers washing their cooking utensils. The pot he is holding is cast iron and darkened from the use it gets over an open flame.

His oldest brother is stoking the fire. His outfit is eerily similar to the boys, with the exception being his bushy, red beard. These are the children of John M. Berry, who is off fighting for the Union against the Confederates.

“My father is off fighting. We’re to wait with our mother,” says the older son, John M. Berry, Jr. They’re sitting in the military camp with cannon fire and gunshots creating a loud soundtrack in the background.

If you look down the row of nearly 50 tents, you can see a top hat pacing back and forth over the white canvas. These make-shift shelters are simple. They’re made from two solid poles of timber and four metal stakes, each of which are driven into the ground at the four corners.

The floating top hat is attached to man who is tall, but thin in stature. He’s wearing an all-black suit, complete with coat tails and a thin, classic tie. Overlooking his troops, President Abraham Lincoln is worried about the casualties that he is watching pile up.

As he overlooks the small pond that is at his front, a cannon fires facing his direction. He doesn’t flinch. The Union artillery team fires back, with their cadence being about a shot every three minutes.

There are two groups, each of which has seven men, plus a commanding officer. As they pack the front of the cannon with each shot, the team readies itself for the bang.

All the men grimace as the reverberation rattles through their ears. A ring of white cloud shoots out the end, like someone who is doing tricks with their cigarette smoke. As you look down the right side of the pond, there is a set of several formations clad in blue.

These are the Union soldiers. They are in groups of 15 to 20.

These men are facing a line of Confederate fighters, also in neat

line formations. The fighting is slow paced. Each shot means that the men had to file to the back of the line. The inaccuracies from the rifles means they must all fire at once.

The outcome in this fight is inevitable. The Union soldiers outnumber the opposition by nearly two times. In the end, the odds are too big to overcome. The men of the Union infantry are greeted by three cheers of ‘Hip Hip Hazah!’ upon their return. They are filled with delight from their accomplishment.

As the infantry men look up, they are staring at crowds who are wielding expensive cameras and cell phones.

The onlookers are wearing jeans, hooded sweatshirts and running shoes.

For as much as this reenactment was fake, it seemed very real. Those involved lived their roles, if only for the day. Inside the camp, those left behind from the fighting were taking care of their tents and fires. Women and children were prepping beds for their husbands and fathers.

Across the street from Stanley Quarter Park in New Britain is our CCSU campus. This year marks the 150th anniversary of Connecticut’s involvement in the Civil War. For the length of one weekend this year, we will remember how we fought and what we fought for, as well as spark interest in younger generations in the hopes that they preserve interest in the past.

The faces of the children in the crowd told the story. Holding on to their parents hands as the cannons fire, they all have a look of bewilderment. You can see multiple children holding their hands over their ears during the displays of gunpowder and controlled sparks coming together. They are witnessing real looking gun fighting.

The deafening echoes bounce around the park, which is shaped like a bowl surrounding the pond.

As the participants leave, they are seen standing next to traffic lights and using the crosswalks.

A civil war general in his full garb standing next to a young family with their cellphones and music players reminds us how far we’ve come. We haven’t seen a war on our soil since battles like this 150 years ago, so these reenactments will be the closest we get to seeing them and keeping them in our minds for years to come.

Kenny Barto | the recorder

Kenny Barto | the recorder

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / NEWS

Master Planning Committee Hears Requests of Faculty, Public Justin muszynski The Recorder

The CCSU master planning committee held the second of three informational gathering sessions Thursday with the goal to acquire any and all questions or concerns that the university community has about possible future master plan projects.

While the entire committee was not actually present at the meeting, all of the public’s concerns were taken down in writing and will be reviewed by the committee.

The meeting was hosted by CCSU chief administrative officer Richard Bachoo, who said he was not there to speak for the committee or to give his own opinion of things, but simply to gather information about the public’s concerns and bring it back to the committee.

Most of the meeting was spent discussing

two main concerns, the first being academic buildings Emma Willard Hall and Frank DiLoreto Hall. The overall consensus from the public was that these buildings need to have something done with them and they cannot remain as is.

Stephen Cohen, associate professor of English and chair of the English department, says even though he knows you can’t physically do anything with the buildings until you have somewhere to move the departments to, he would at least like to get the planning phase of the process underway as soon as possible.

“I understand that the new classroom has to be done before Willard and DiLoreto can be done,” said Cohen. “Why is there a twoyear gap between the completion of the new classroom and the beginning of the Willard and DiLoreto plans?”

While comments floated around the room

Ratemyprofessor.com Blocked on Campus Network Due to Threat of Virus

VIRUS | Cont. from 1 websites on campus for reasons other than security.

McLaughlin said that the IT department on campus was notified of potential viruses that might be coming from the website’s advertisers.

“There’s apparently a security problem there. They were getting inundated with a really nasty virus,” said McLaughlin. “They were getting lots of e-mails and a lot of reports of viruses coming almost directly right from the Rate My Professor site. They assume it’s coming inadvertently right from an advertiser.”

McLaughlin noted the fact that the website has been around for a long time and that if the school wanted to actually block it and could even take that step in

policy, they would have done so or tried to do so already. McLaughlin said there’s simply no interesting overlying plot to be found and that the school doesn’t care if students use the website when registering for classes.

For now, CCSU students that want to check the ratings of the professors they’re debating about signing up for will have to use a different network, whether it be their phone or at home.

“They’re blocking it until such time as its been cleaned up,” said McLaughlin. “They’re checking periodically every now and then to see.”

Once the IT department is assured with the security of the site, it will be unblocked for student use.

How soon that will happen is not yet known.

Deactivated Facebooks More Common as Social Network Site Grows FACEBOOK | Cont. from 1 happening today online, how do those who don’t stay connected to see what people are doing all the with Facebook stay connected with time has turned many away. their friends?

“At the beginning it was On the one hand Facebook is everyone’s secret dream to keep tabs useful, as Shmid mentioned. on all your friends,” said Jeff Shaw, “I enjoy being able to keep in a music education major at CCSU. touch easily with that I don’t see, “Six months ago it struck me as I it’s nice to know what’s going on in was reading my news feed: why do I other people’s lives,” said Shmid. care so much about the stupid little For those who don’t use it, monotonous posts people put up?” staying up to date on friends is a bit With all the demands college different. puts on students, it’s shocking that “I am the only one out of my some can spend a lot of their time friends who has no idea when worrying about who broke up with someone’s birthday is coming up,” who, who rejected who’s friend said Herz. “Facebook was clutch request or who someone was tagged for reminding me of birthdays, but in a photo with. now I look like an awful friend.”

What was intended to be a Being a Facebook user has way of staying socially connected its perks, but some still delete with friends near and far could their accounts, or never engage in be considered a high-tech super Facebook at all and they might not stalking device. For some, Facebook be missing out on that much at all. has even changed what it means to “My friends have my number be friends. and still call when there’s things “On Facebook it’s completely going on,” Herz adds. okay to friend someone who is in Rebelling against what’s popular your class that you’ve never even in society always comes with risks, said a word to in person,” said Shaw. but Shaw says he’s proud he turned “This completely baffles me.” his back on Facebook.

Student Jessica Shmid disagrees “One of the best things about and says that friend requesting can not being on Facebook is others be useful. fully respect my decision,” said “There are lots of times that I Shaw. “I think it’s because they Facebook a friend from a class who’s know that it’s the social media number I don’t have,” Shmid said. platform that everyone loves to With so much social activity hate and hates to love.”

about possible renovation suggestions to Willard and DiLoreto Hall, Steven Kirstukas, professor of engineering, spoke about his own experience with the renovations made to Nicholas Copernicus Hall.

He says that renovating an old building is not always the best option considering the old systems that were put in years ago, including the ventilation, electricity and the progress that has been made in these fields, especially when the university is looking to minimize its carbon footprint.

“It seems like throwing good money after bad,” said Kirstukas. “Why not just start clean and avoid some of the problems that can happen with renovations?”

The other main concern that was brought up was the Elihu Burritt Library and what the university plans to do with it. While addressing this issue, Bachoo said it is the goal of the university to figure out what a

library should be in this day and age.

“Students are not taking out books like they used to, they are using far more electronic reserves,” said Bachoo. “Does the university need a brand new library, or can we renovate the current one? That’s the question we need to answer.”

Cohen warns the university not to underestimate the importance of a proper library for the students’ needs.

“If you were to build a brand new workable library, I know my students would be dying to go,” said Cohen.

Several other concerns brought up included the lack of space on campus for the fitness classes, conferences amongst faculty and parking for the students in the direct vicinity of their classes.

The master planning committee will host its third informational gathering meeting Thursday April 28 at 9:30 a.m.

Professors’ Union Mobilizes to Oppose Cost-Cutting Measures for higher education does not always work as intended. “The present proposal puts the cart before the horse,” the statement said. This statement, which was sent to members on April 13, stressed the need for a strategic plan for higher education “in order to address the emerging demands of the twenty-first century.”

However, the Higher Education and Employment Advancement Committee had already added a strategic plan requirement to the legislation. On March 17 reported favorably on a bill that outlines the creation thereof.

The bill contains some of the recommendations made by CCSU professor and AAUP representative Dr. Susan A. Holt of the Psychology Department. In a written testimony presented on March 10, Holt recommended greater representation from students,

said. “Now more than ever, it is critical to review what has caused these increases and whether savings in governance and administrative Leaders of the CSU American efficiencies could be put towards Association of University our budget deficit.”

Professors have spent a great deal The AAUP has voiced their of time and resources this semester collective opinion on other state coordinating mobilization funding issues as well. efforts and public information In a message to members campaigns. on April 3, the CSU-AAUP’s They are doing so in the face communication and research of austerity measures proposed by assistant evoked a message of the Governor Dannel Malloy. civil rights era in a call to action.

Now, a bill that would “Honor Dr. Martin Luther substantially reorganize the state’s King’s legacy,” the message said in all higher education system will travel capital letters. “Just a day following to the Appropriations Committee the anniversary of Dr. King’s after a favorable report from the assassination, the Appropriations Higher Education and Employment Committee is holding a hearing on Advancement Committee. bills proposing to restrict collective The bill seeks to implement bargaining rights, break state and pieces of Malloy’s plan to create a municipal contracts, [and] freeze Board of Regents overseeing the all state and municipal wages.”

CSUS, 12 community colleges, The bill, brought to committee Charter Oak State College, and the

by Republican State Department of Higher Rep. Craig A. Miner Education. from Litchfield, would The most current wages of all nonform of the bill includes “The central goal of any plan is freeze exempt state employees amendments originally Connecticut’s proposed by leaders to improve student education. Any until unemployment rate drops and members of the AAUP. Among them is reorganization that threatens the below recession level for a requirement for two integrity of the education offered at at least six months.

The umbrella AAUP voting students and organization sent a various alumni to sit on present should be rejected.” message to members on the proposed Board of -Susan Holt, psychology professor. April 11. It contained a Regents. The change statement from the State follows concerns Employees Bargaining that each institution’s mission may not be wholly faculty, and administration in the Agent Coalition expressing distaste understood by a gubernatorial strategic planning process. She for policies that fail to raise taxes asked the committee to consider on the wealthy. appointee. “[The] notion of ‘shared “Our voice on this issue has preserving institutional identities sacrifice’ makes sense,” the message mattered,” said the CSU-AAUP at system schools.

“The central goal of any plan said, “but true shared sacrifice in a statement. “However, despite some positive changes, [we is to improve student education,” means a budget which does not remain] opposed to the proposed Holt said. “Any reorganization ask so little from the very rich and that threatens the integrity of the the biggest corporations, and so reorganization.”

The AAUP has focused much education offered at present should much from struggling middle class families.” of its efforts on union members. be rejected.”

A statement from the CSUThe CSU-AAUP made news in They are hoping that they will take up the union’s banner and AAUP said that they can only February for transporting system influence state legislators to make support a plan that reduces upper students to the State Capitol for new policies more education- management costs, does not a public hearing on the higher friendly. Each communication include outcome or performance- education and budget bills. funding, “guarantees Students were provided bussing, sent to AAUP members has based dedication” to t-shirts and food free of charge. encouraged the recipient to contact continued The AAUP negotiates wages state legislators in an attempt to institution’s respective missions influence the legislation that may and provides more funding for and working conditions for all full and part-time faculty, counselors, arrive on the governor’s desk in the teaching and student services.

Republican Rep. Lawrence librarians, and coaches at the coming months.

Citing a lack of sufficient F. Cafero, Jr. generally supports Connecticut State Universities. involvement from “appropriate Malloy’s plans. In a statement The organization also advocates stakeholders,” Vijay Nair, president before committee last month, for issues in higher education in of the CSU-AAUP, said that the Cafero said that any attempt to the United States and maintains reorganization may undercut consolidate government services is a ‘Statement of Principles on Academic Freedom and Tenure.’ the identities of each college or a good one.

“Each year, the budgets of every The AAUP has more than university during testimony at the constituent unit of the [CSUS] and 48,000 members, 300 local campus state capitol last month.

The CSU-AAUP also believes the community-technical college chapters, and approximately 30 that performance-based funding system have increased,” Cafero state organizations. matt clyburn The Recorder

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / NEWS

Connecticut Poet Laureate Shares Wisdom, Experience With CCSU Crowd dennis brown The Recorder

Late Monday morning students and teachers sat in Founders Hall to listen to Dick Allen, the esteemed Connecticut poet laureate, read some of his own work and tell his story about how he became a poet.

It was just after 11 a.m. when Allen agreed to do a question and answer session, sitting down with about 25 listening ears before his noon poetry reading, in which he read nine of his favorite works of art.

Allen has had seven books of his poetry published over many years including The Day Before, which many students held ready to be signed.

“I had no idea who he was, I was surprised about who and what he was compared to what I thought,” said poetry student Dave Baker.”He talks about imagery and being more abstract. A lot of people think [poetry is] supposed to be vague. He shows me that I need to be more direct in my writing.”

The Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism appoints a resident as

the state’s poet laureate after deliberation and on the recommendation of a panel of poets and literary professionals. The position was established in 1985. Allen, who was appointed the honorary position in 2001, will serve as the poet laureate until 2015.

Allen began the question and answer session with a bang saying, “If anyone has anything I will answer it, including my sex life,” but the questions that followed were more tame than that.

“I write about 50 percent rhyme and meter and 50 percent free verse,” said Allen.

He then talked about how poetry is good when first appearing, “95 percent of all poetry disappears.”

The audience was very involved, asking Allen to explain how he became a poet “I grew up in a reading family,” Allen told the crowd. “My father was a revisionist and didn’t like poetry, and so I had to be a poet.”

Allen’s first poem was about cub scouts at the age of eight. He then continued to write poetry through high school.

“I felt that I was good even when I

wasn’t,” Allen remarked.

His very first published poem came his senior year of college at Syracuse University when one of his works was published in the New York Times.

“I have a sorting system,” Allen said when asked if he keeps all his poems.

“When the bin fills up I put it in a plastic container, drives my wife crazy. I’ve kept everything. It’s painful to go back because older stuff is so bad. Every mistake I could make I made.”

Allen then went on to speak about his take on time and life itself.

“I’m concerned in finding out what’s happening now,” said Allen, who went on to quote Simon and Garfunkel. “I think it’s all going way to fast, slowing down helps.

Part of me wants to see published books and poems, but the other part wants to slow down. I tell myself ‘You don’t have to be successful or make a lot of money, just live!’”

Allen stood up at the podium and read a poem of his own called ‘Loop Holes’ and described how he wrote it using Google and

specific words to describe an event taking place.

“Poems should mean, and mean a great deal,” Allen preached.

Still standing, he read the poem ‘After Reading Tichborne’s Elegy,’ another poem from his famous repertoire.

“This poem is great because it’s lasted forever and probably will last forever,” said Allen proudly.

The session ended with Allen telling the room how most of his poems take two or three years to complete because he’s always revising.

“He’s a magnificent poet and inspires me to write the best work I’m able to,” said poetry professor Leslie McGrath. “He also is a very generous person, and has inspired me to be that way with other people, particularly my students.”

“I want my students to see before them, a man who has never made much money, but who has lived his life doing no harm, has created beauty and who is hopeful for humankind. To me, this is true wealth,” said McGrath.

Author Cautions Young Writers About Rejection Danny Contreras The Recorder

Journalist and debutant fiction author Susan Schoenberger stopped by Central Connecticut State University on Tuesday to provide the campus with a reading of her first novel, A Watershed Year.

The story, which is about a woman who recently lost her best friend and secret admirer, Harlan, to cancer, has been released to great acclamation from the writing community.

Schoenberger is a journalist who has written for many national newspapers and magazines throughout her writing career.

She currently is editor for the West Hartford Patch.com website.

According to Schoenberger A Watershed Year took over two years to finish. It was first submitted as a one-shot essay, which later became the book’s first chapter, to a competition which she emerged victorious.

The book, which is for sale at the CCSU bookstore for a discount, used her skills as a journalist to drive the story forward.

“I researched everything in regards to the character I created,” said Schoenberger in regards to characterization.

Moments later, Schoenberger added that she thought in the mindset of a patient when writing.

“I did my research on cancer with an oncologist,” said the author. “I asked him questions that helped me along the way, for example, what would be things that a dying 30-year-old would do?”

“I even researched a cane store to see what it was like to own a cane and how the character would interact with it,” said Schoenberger.

Schoenberger, who got a degree in English from Dartmouth College, also gave advice to young and aspiring authors.

“You will be rejected over and over,” said Schoenberger. “I was rejected 40 times before

someone published it.”

The novel features a low amount of dialogue.

“I’m an eavesdropper,” said Schoenberger.

“And this helped see how people transmitted thoughts to one another, but I am not that good at dialogue.”

Schoenberger promised students that the literary world is not that cruel and that getting published means a lot of editing and the destruction of beloved lines which would all just benefit the manuscript.

She cautioned young writers about rejection that they will inevitably face.

“Like I said, it takes the strong willed to submit manuscript,” said Schoenberger. “I was denied publication by 40 editors.”

Schoenberger concluded that the best way to write characters is by describing and not telling.

“Description is the one thing where you show something that cannot be told,” said

Photo I facebook.com/pages/SusanSchoenberger-Author

Susan Schoenberger.

Schoenberger.

A Watershed Year was released in March.

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OPINION EDITORIAL

THE RECORDER Wednesday, April 20, 2011

5

Campus Publication Should Remember Mission Statement

As a country, state and university, we’ve come a long way in regards to racial diversity and the level of acceptance we have towards minority groups and their customs, no matter how different they seem to be. In most branches of mass media, there is an expected quantity of ‘political correct-ness’ that must be present.

For as frustrating as it may be for those of us in the media, at any level, we have to adhere to these standards. As a matter of fact, sometimes it’s almost comical the lengths we go to make sure we don’t offend certain groups.

Our paper has no choice but to follow suit. Just as the New York Times cannot run a story that attacks a certain race, even if this is only done in passing, neither can our group. A racial slur, or any type of general racist comments or feelings, cannot find their way into a true journalistic publication.

Here at The Recorder, though not by the mistakes of any current staff member, we have seen what

external sensitivity can do against your reputation.Our group's name, which is constantly burdened by a bad incident several years ago, keeps our integrity in the forefront of our minds at all times.

Several years ago, former members of this paper faced the threat of forced resignation and the wrath of a rightfully upset campus over a questionable and grotesque article. Though the decision to run the story was clearly the wrong one, the full responsibility taken afterwards and the discussion that followed was an educational one.

This paper also acts as a learning tool. Hopefully, it is an extension of things we are learning in journalism and other writing courses. Most of the staff has taken the responsibilities of journalism course offered here. We know that we cannot write things which maliciously throw slurs at certain ethnicities.

It should be known that we have to worry about things like libel. We are a real publication. If we publicly

defame a person or group, we can face the consequences. Furthermore, as a staff, we’re aware of this because we have an understanding of the amount of readers we obtain.

“Off-Center Magazine is a student-run publication that seeks to provide a balanced and respectful forum devoted to accurate information, student information and fair coverage of the many sides of a given situation.”

This the first line on the OffCenter Magazine Facebook page in the ‘about us’ section. The mission statement continues to talk about diversity and tolerance, an acceptance for everyone, no matter who they are. And given the fact that the magazine was the result of The Recorder's past mistakes, it's funny that they should fail to live up to their self-proclaimed values.

Given the fact that we often receive many complaints and letters about what we write in our paper, there are certain things that we, as a staff, have issues with in the one printed magazine that Off-Center

How We Got Here: Michael Walsh

michael Walsh The Recorder

I always felt that the luckiest people were those that knew their passion.

Heading into college I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do while I grew old. My first two years of schooling had me feeling the same thing. While I turned my undeclared major status into a communication major, it might as well still read undeclared.

When I joined The Recorder in the fall of 2008 I had no idea I would be where I am today, writing this column as the editor-inchief of a college newspaper and an intern reporter for the Hartford Courant. I knew I liked to write and I thought I could do it well. I joined with the full intention of writing film reviews because the ones I had been reading my first two years at CCSU had been less than acceptable in my sometimes snobbish cinematic mind. I apparently did that, as I was offered the role of assistant entertainment editor and then entertainment editor within the next few semesters.

Film has been a passion of mine ever since I watched George A. Romero’s Dawn of the Dead at the young age of 17. The zombie classic sent me spiraling into the highs and lows of cinema, leaving me to fall in love with arthouse auteurs like Ingmar Bergman and B-movie giants like Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman. My love for film knows no boundaries, except for maybe Michael Bay. But even as I joined the editorial board as a full-fledged member of the newspaper I never imagined that I would have the nose for news I do today and that I would find thrill in discussing ethical journalist boundaries of fairness and balance with my colleagues. I had the pipedream of becoming a film critic or arts writer. I soon learned how quickly that was a nearly impossible gig

to attain right away and realized my writing would have to be broadened. Over the past few years I found that passion I envied others for having and ever since I switched my major to journalism from the wallowing communication department I planned on making a low-paying career of it.

The experience I’ve gained in my many positions on this newspaper has been invaluable and I thank the university and those around me for providing it to me.

While being entertainment editor helped me break out of a shell and improve on my writing, taking the positions of managing editor and editor-in-chief on helped improve my news writing and leadership capabilities tenfold. While I still don’t fully understand how I got here, I encourage the rest of CCSU’s students to find an extracurricular activity or club to help them find themselves.

After all, that’s what college is about.

But I am here and most grateful for it.

While I’ve learned so much in the many journalism classrooms I’ve entered, I learned double that by applying it on my own with a group of other passionate students in a real and alive world. I get to create a newspaper each and every week with my peers and that’s something I might not ever get to do again.

I’ve spent 16 hour Monday production days that have me getting home on Tuesday morning at around 4 a.m. and I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. My friends might think I’m crazy for loving it so much, but that doesn’t stop me from getting excited every week in anticipation of putting out our next issue.

As editor-in-chief, I ultimately have final say in what goes in our newspaper and what doesn’t. Should any part of the newspaper falter, I take the blame, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. I read and edit every single story placed in the issue and my weary eyes won’t rest until that’s done. As much creative control as the job entitles me, I prefer to share it with my staff, whose points of view help me avoid disastrously ugly layouts, among other things.

I’ve been lucky to learn from and alongside many talented and smart individuals in this office and have also been lucky enough to teach younger writers a thing or two that I’ve learned from my time at the newspaper. And while The Recorder is most certainly considered a club under the school’s standards, it’s a different one. We create a living, breathing publication each and every week and if we make a mistake, no matter how small it might be, we’re accountable for it on a very real level.

This ‘club’ is a 24/7 product. It never sleeps and the same goes for its hard-working staff members who help me fill 12 pages of CCSU-related content each and every week of the school year.

has put out this calendar year. The problem lies with its complete disregard for, in words from their mission statement, “a balanced and respectful forum.”

On page 13 of the issue, which came out in March, there is a story titled “Sodexho or Swastixo?” Not only is Sodexo spelled wrong in the headline, but this is a direct reference to the Nazi party. Using a swastika as your reference is crossing the line. This offends people. We understand the fact that Seinfeld used the ‘nazi’ reference, but the actual symbol was never part of it.

The real issue lies in the body of the text. In what is promised to be a “balanced” magazine, the author chose to write completely against Sodexo and never completed the other side of his research. Balance means that both sides should have a say. Even in an opinion piece, there is research that must done for both sides, whether or not the author vehemently disagrees with it or not. Fairness and balance

aren't limited to hard news.

Moving forward, if anyone on our staff wrote the words “slantyeyed sauce” to describe the type of dressing Sodexo uses on its chicken like Off-Center Magazine did, we’d face an uproar from the Asian community. This isn’t ethical and there’s not really any other way to put it.

Our staff doesn’t have an issue with Off-Center’s existence, but it shouldn’t be using racial slurs and standing behind bad ethical decisions. We’re not sure if this was read and decided that it was passable enough to get into the latest issue or if it was even read at all. This undermines the credibility of writers at this university.

For now, we will do our part in making sure that a regular, weekly and high-quality publication hits the newsstands every Wednesday.

We will do our best to ensure fairness, balance and accuracy, and if any of these are missed, we will do our best to correct the situation.

Letter to the Editor Recently The Recorder ran an article about SGA senator Eric Bergenn, who finds it disappointing that nobody else is running for SGA president.

I’d like to say that it’s about time that nobody ran for the sham that is our student government.Tthe SGA is a student club that has elections that determine what people got their name on as many posters as possible.

The reason why nobody else ran for president is because the SGA does not represent the campus community and the students know that. SGA represents its own interests and that of the other clubs its members are involved in. Members of the SGA get paid for what they do and on top of that they all get to take expensive vacations that are labeled as “team building trips.”

I know that some clubs have their top positions paid, including The Recorder who pays its editors, but at least they are accomplishing something. All the SGA does is take our money and do whatever they want with it. Every person running for SGA president has said in the past that they want to change the campus community for the better and being a senior I have seen several presidents and not a single one has done anything to change the community at all.

I remember a few years ago when the state was increasing the tuition for school and The Recorder interviewed the three people running for president. Every one of them supported the tuition hike and one

person, who happened to be the president of the college republicans, thought that they should raise tuition even more.

Eric Bergenn, you say that you will change the campus community, but why should I believe you? I do not see how you are going to be any different than every other SGA president we have had. Can I at least hope that you will not quit halfway through your term as our most recent president and vice president did?

If you want to create a better campus community how about you tell clubs that they need to do more in the campus community, like the CCSU hockey team who get $7000 dollars and ask for more money, but apparently can’t be bothered to advertise when they have games or even where they play home games.

The school administration has also shown that if you ever make a decision that they don’t like they will just overrule you and do whatever they think is best. President Miller has as much respect for you and the rest of the SGA as he does for this school, its faculty and us as students, which is absolutely none.

The SGA is out of touch, unprofessional and most of all a joke and until the SGA makes real changes then nobody is going to take you seriously. In the end though the joke is on us because you get to go on a free vacation and get paid to give money to the clubs you are in, while all we get is the bill.

Nicholas Menapace

GOT SOMETHING TO SAY? WRITE A LETTER TO THE EDITOR

EDITOR@CENTRALRECORDER.COM

6

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / UPGRADE

New Britain Landmark Serves More Than Great Hot Dogs matt clyburn The Recorder

Main Street, New Britain is not the bustling byway that most Americans envision of a small New England city.

Storefronts and buildings are in disrepair and a large number of homeless people wander the streets.

Still, one tribute to a bygone era remains, reminding locals of how a great hot dog can bring the people of this fragile community together.

Capitol Lunch is a foodie landmark, one of the very few family-owned businesses deeply rooted in the community it serves. Right in the middle of Main Street, its customers are diverse and come for one thing: great food.

Capitol Lunch cooks up between 700 and 1,500 hot dogs each day, served up by an assembly line of vocal cooks, clattering cutlery and the sauce that has all the locals talking.

On the days I visited, customers were parking both BMW’s and shopping carts outside.

“The price is right,” said one resident. “It draws people from all walks of life here, from the top of the socioeconomic ladder to the very bottom. Everybody likes a hot dog, it’s an American thing, like apple pie, motherhood and baseball.”

Gus Ververis, Jr. is the third generation of his family to run the hot dog joint with the famous sauce. And it’s truly a family affair – Gus’s fiancé, brother and father are all behind the counter on most days.

“Their dedication and hard work; really talking to the customers and putting out a really good product at a good price...I think just over the years kind of caught on,” Ververis said. “Their hard work paid off.”

Ververis knows that Capitol Lunch owes

REVIEWS

I’m From Barcelona Forever Today

Mute Records April 19

Danny Contreras The Recorder

I’m From Barcelona is a Swedish, indiepop, 23-member strong group that produces music that, while catchy and melancholic, does not stand too far away from the other indie-pop music being released.

Groups like The Temper Trap, Two Door Cinema Club and Peter Bjorn and John have established themselves with a sound that, while very similar, is distinct enough to get away from a stale genre. Here’s where the band fails with Forever Today. The whole album never truly moves away from catchy lines, choruses and overused riffs.

The album, though, has enough perks to hold itself together as a good entry for the group. Opener “Charlie Parker” has a mellow, melancholic sound to it. There are some good synths in the song’s fills along with some great trumpeting that make it catchy. You’ll find yourself humming away to the trumpet and the other brass instruments. The fifth song, “Can See Miles”, opens up with a drum fill that feels almost unnecessary but the song’s main line, “Don’t let them get to you...” is pretty catchy and uplifting that it does away with the awkward transition.

“Come On”, the following song, follows a similar formula—it’s a simple chorus one can sing along to, “Come on to the city lights…” however, the brass section is very alive in this song with a similar melody to the opener. The last star of the album is

much of its success to the diverse and loyal customers that come to the establishment year after year.

“We have older customers that have been coming here for years, we have young and new customers that go to CCSU...[and] kids that come with grandfathers [who came] when they were kids with their grandfather,” said Ververis. “So everybody, all kinds of nationalities, they all love a hot dog.”

And the customers come from far and wide. One hometown girl and current North Carolina resident goes to the restaurant every time she comes home.

“I live in North Carolina so I don’t get to go to Capitol Lunch ever,” she said. “I come to Connecticut, I go to Capitol Lunch; last stop before I leave town.”

A sparkling reputation has even brought the Capitol Lunch name overseas – thanks to a few local fans in the military. Ververis recalls a customer that came in one day after arriving home from a business trip to Japan.

“He said he was in Tokyo at one of the local dining establishments and right on the front of the storefront there was a little piece of paper taped on to the front of the store saying ‘Capitol Lunch is number one,’” Ververis said.

“One of the military guys from New Britain or this area over here decided to plant that up here and he shared that story with me, which is wild.”

Capitol Lunch might be an abandoned building anywhere else, but here in New Britain, a community keeps coming back to Main Street for the family-run melting pot that transports them to a time long since past.

“What can I say, we’ve been here 82 years, I hope to be here another 82 years,” Ververis said.

And the delicious hot dogs certainly don’t hurt.

Photo I capitollunch.com

Capitol Lunch has been at its location in downtown New Britain for 82 years and counting.

the ending. “Forever Today” is a good-bye song that, while ambitious, showcases the band’s strength. It’s slow, epic and sad. You’ll probably want to make your life a movie and have this as the lead song in the soundtrack.

It’s about love, and there’s a lot of “Aaaahs” to sing along to throughout the song. The guitars are extremely chill in the song, but the sadness is a bit too much. Great song, however.

Forever Today is a mediocre album at best. Four out of 10 songs are good while the other six are almost identical repetitions of the songs that played prior and after them.

It’s an okay formula for this band—it works because they’re obviously trying to get on the next Fox Searchlight soundtrack or the next FIFA game; heck, even Pro Evolution Soccer is a possibility. The album is extremely short, most of the songs are less than three minutes long. The band has a future, they definitely have the talent to produce good music. It is, however, the paradigm of the genre that keeps them from stepping on the heels of the likes of Peter Bjorn and John, MGMT and The Temper Trap.

The Weeknd

House of Balloons

Self-released March 21

nick rosa

The Recorder

If you have never listened or heard of The Weeknd before, you’re going to want to start listening and following after hearing their first music installment, House of Balloons.

Abel Tesfaye is a Canadian R&B singer and along with producers Doc McKinney and Illangelo make up this new group called The Weeknd.

House of Balloons does a remarkable job in bringing a confident sound and relatable lyrics. Tesfaye brings a new embrace to R&B with production that mimics sounds by The-

Dream or even the mellow sounding tones of Noah “40” Shebib (Drake’s producer). I can tell you right now, if you enjoyed the sound to Drake’s 2009 mix tape So Far Gone you will enjoy House of Balloons.

With sounds of techno, some dub step and hip-hop R&B style, this is far from the average R&B number. Along with a few piano numbers and the intense entrance of drums throughout the album it brings a new unique sound that draws you in. Their approach is building a vibe and atmosphere to reel you in and then to keep you there with powerful riffs and smooth hooks.

An example is the song ‘The Morning,’ which at first feels like a smooth instrumental before moving into the intense digital drumbeat that introduces the massive chorus which enters your brain and refuses to leave.

The Weeknd’s druggy, atmospheric sound is mirrored within their lyrics, which touches upon sexual desires, lust and the late night party life. This is nothing new to R&B, except the drugs are harder and metaphors for love and sex are more vivid.

What makes this album work is the thematic elements and sonic sound that fit so well together, with morning after tales of lust, hurt, partying, love and over-indulgence. This matches well with the slow lush sound that is added to the music with Tesfaye’s amazing voice and ‘aching heart’ tone to the mix.

One line from the song ‘Wicked Games’ goes “Bring your love, baby, I can bring my shame…Bring the drugs, baby, I can bring my pain,” giving a good look into what is being said within the music.

You can download this nine song EP free from their website www.the-weeknd.com.

Don’t agree with our point of view?

Express your opinion on the latest entertainment releases!

Contact entertainment@centralrecorder.com

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / UPGRADE

Suspenseful ‘Scream 4’ Delivers Polished Horror Mockery nick rosa

The Recorder

It was a popular trend in the 1980’s to make a horror film which could be defined as a ‘slasher’. As we progressed, so did the genre.

The 1990’s brought a cinematic and slightly more elegant horror back to life.

Scream 4, with original director and master of horror, Wes Craven, and original screenplay writer, Kevin Williamson, who worked together on the previous three Scream films team up once again and go back to what has made Scream so effective.

By keeping the clean simple plot of hiding the killer’s identity, murder mystery, a high school set, Scream 4 was a slasher-comedy that worked.

While working in the new cast members: Emma Roberts as Sidney’s cousin, Jill, Hayden Panettiere as her tough horror-geek friend Kirby, with the original cast: Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell), who has returned to Woodsboro to promote her new ‘Out of the Darkness’ novel of her experiences; the awkward lawman Dewey Riley (David Arquette), once a deputy, now the town sheriff, and former newswoman Gale Weathers (Courteney Cox), now a bestselling novelist with a hard case of writer’s block, mesh together unlike many

other horror film sequels.

Even within the film they use some small humor to get the point across on how you never mess with the original.

Williamson is known for his, and a fiend for, the red herrings. The movie is wall-to-wall red herrings, with shots held on characters long enough to make you think, He’s the killer! No, she is! No, it’s both of them, aspect. You have that feeling till the terrific but utterly outrageous climax of the film. The way character portrayal is played it will have you guessing till the very end.

Scream 4 opens with the predictable shot of a ringing telephone, that can’t compete with the original, but Craven gives you an opening that shows this is not going to be a just average sequel like Scream 2 and Scream 3. It will probably be better if you pretend this movie kicks off 15 years after the original and forget about the crap in the middle. The witty opening with the added meta-joke works all too well for its first 15 minutes.

Once again, like the original, the ‘rules’ of horror films are brought to audiences attention.

The film occasionally mocks horror film clichés and refers back to the original rules of horror. But what makes this different from the

Netflix It:

already different Scream, is just like what the movie poster says, “New Decade, New Rules.” This makes it more interesting, now, instead of a killer nobody knows terrorizing the town of Woodsboro based on a set of rules, it changes to where there are no more ‘rules’. Along with a modern feature added in, which is an iPhone app that can duplicate the Ghost face voice, with the aspect of ‘no rules’, it’s hard to pinpoint which characters are actually in danger or are causing the killings.

Anyone and everyone have the tools to play this game now.

I’m going to stay clear of actual plot points because the movie all together would be best seen not knowing what’s going to happen right around the corner. For this film, the element of surprise is plays a pivotal role. Williamson brings out the best in Craven as a director: He knows how to work amazingly for wide-screen, allowing the killer to jump from unexpected places over and over again. Even at points where you know you shouldn’t jump, you’ll jump.

Wes Craven is also known for his blood, and this slasher has plenty of it. From his original horror films like Last House on the Left or Nightmare on Elm Street there will be disturbing images. You see knives go through doors, skulls, and

Photo I facebook.com/scream4

hearts. Even a gruesome scene of disembowelment Craven adds to spice things up.

The opening, story-line and climax all fit together to make one of the better horror films I’ve seen in awhile, in theaters. Guessing who will be killed next or the identity of the psycho behind the infamous ‘Ghost Face’ are two questions that last for the entire film. Neither question is easily solvable, to the credit of the director and filmmakers.

The only real complaints I had

were the easily recognizable Botox injections Courtney Cox had in her lips and some iffy acting from Emma Roberts, but that is as expected from a former Disney star. Not bad for a first horror film though. Overall, nothing to second guess the money you spent on the ticket.

If you are Scream fan I recommend you see the fourth installment of the series and, if you’re a person who loves a good twist with a guessing game all the way through, Scream 4 is for you.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare

Photo I facebook.com/rock-n-roll-nightmare

Max Kyburz The Recorder

The fourth season of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia featured an episode in which Rob McElhenney unveils ‘Project Badass,’ a series of ill-fated stunts such as driving dirtbikes sloppily into propped up mattresses and falling off roofs onto mattresses (they play a major role). Despite his evident misfires, he is stoked on how “bad-ass” it makes him look. Had this self-confidence been absent, the gag would have fallen flat.

Part of what made this moment so memorable is its perfectly chosen soundtrack: Whitesnake’s “Here I Go Again.” For those who spent most of their young adulthood teasing their hair and daydreaming about Tawny Kitaen dry-humping their Pinto, this was a song to get behind. It was a song for men, and those who believed in it felt their testosterone levels reach 11. But in reality, it was crap.

Pretty much all hair-metal was, which is why it’s still so enjoyable.

Whitesnake is undoubtedly a bad

band, but when that song plays I can’t help but to croon along.

The point is, few things tickle me more than watching failed attempts at “being a bad-ass.” Perhaps no other person made a career out of this than Jon Mikl Thor. Seek out his appearance on Merv Griffin in 1976 and see what I mean: this Canadian beefcake is not only flexing his muscles and vocal cords, but also makes a heroic attempt to blow up a balloon until it looks like Octomom’s 7-month pregnant belly. The best part being that Thor thought people actually admired it.

People did end up liking it, but for all the wrong reasons.

As an imitation of the famous Marvel superhero of the same name, Thor is a downright embarrassment.

Sword in one hand, microphone in the other, Thor has sung tales of Ragnarok and being a rock soldier for over twenty years. Though now he looks like the dude from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives, his glory days allowed the prettiest blonde bangs in the cock rock biz. He was a lifesize Singin’ He-Man action figure.

Since his badassery couldn’t have possibly just be portrayed through

records and TV appearances, Thor set out to conquer the film industry.

In 1986 he starred in Zombie Nightmare, a would-be horror/ zombie flick costarring Adam West that found its final resting place (and subsequent resurrection) in MST3K hell. Then along came Rock ‘n Roll Nightmare in 1987. Produced and penned by Thor himself, the film was a $100,000 vanity plate.

Watch and see what I mean.

RnRNM is a 4 minute music video ballooned up to 83 minutes.

Here’s the premise: John Triton (played by Thor, as if the pompous name didn’t give it away) cheerfully leads his band the Tritonz to the countryside of Canada, which he claims is a mecca of culture and art. Of course, none of that can be seen, since the entire film takes place in a barn/country house.

(This movie’s alternate title is The Edge of Hell. If one of Thor’s goals was to create an anti-travelogue, he’s certainly succeeded). Along with their manager, the band brings along their bimbo girlfriends, who seem to exist for two reasons: be constantly horny and wear clothing that allows their hardened nipples

to break through.

Oops, I forgot to mention the obligatory horror movie prologue!

The house (that would later become the shrine of Canadian art and culture) used to be inhabited by a small family that was consumed by an oven-dwelling demon! Ten years later, it seems to have been awaken by the breast-beating rock of John and his merry men of metal. They’re there to record an album, and the first scene in which they record is absolute gold. The recording of the anthem “We Live To Rock” is a producer’s wet dream: the band performs live, all decked out, and require only one take. Nobody seems to take into account the fact that midway through the song, the film begins to melt, causing the vocals to sound demonic and the scene to look Lynchian. No disc issues, no nothing. It’s really in the very film itself. (The alternate title is The Edge of Hell. If Thor is trying to reveal his alter ego as Satan, he’s certainly succeeded.)

After a series of monstrous possessions, each member of the Triton party gets picked off one by one. Most of it happens because the

women somehow turn into bloodthirsty succubi donning Party City masks. Or are they merely clones turning others into clones? Or is the whole thing an illusion? It’s never really explained, but the film’s focus is less on storytelling than it is on Thor’s greased up muscles and ass (yes, it’s there). The film is poorly edited, horribly acted (one actor wielding the worst British/ Australian accent in history) and populated by horror monsters that would make John Carpenter weep. But that’s OK, because in the final “twist,” Thor reveals himself to be the most athletic guy at the local live-action RPG. Surprise, surprise.

Rock ‘n’ Roll Nightmare is Jon Mikl Thor’s Project Badass.

His sincerity comes through more prominently than his overabundance of eyeliner. Many times you’ll question whether or not Thor is being supremely tongue in cheek (even I still can’t quite figure it out), but ultimately it doesn’t stop it from being the worst (and thereby best) 80s metal/ horror flick hybrid. Crack a few open, and enjoy.

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / UPGRADE

Calendar 4.20 - 4.27

MUSIC

4.26

4.20

Beats Antique @ Daniel Street Milford CT $20 adv. / 21+ /8pm doors

Grandchildren / M.T. Bearington @ BAR New Haven, CT FREE / 21+ / 9pm

4.27

4.22

Of Montreal @ Toad's Place New Haven, CT $20 adv. / all ages/ 7pm doors

Badfish @ Toad's Place New Haven, CT $15 / all ages / 8pm doors

FILM

4.23

4.20 - 4.23

Forever the Sickest Kids / Breathe Carolina @ Toad's Place New Haven, CT $15 adv. / all ages / 5pm doors

The King's Speech @ Cinestudio (Trinity College) Hartford, CT $7 with ID / 7:30pm

The Fad / We Are the Union @ The Space Hamden, CT $10 adv. / all ages / 6pm doors

Emmy Award-winning director Tom Hooper (John Adams) teams with screenwriter David Seidler (Tucker: A Man and His Dreams) to tell the story of King George VI. When his

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Photo I myspace.com/foreverthesickestkids

older brother abdicates the throne, nervousmannered successor George "Bertie" VI (Colin Firth) reluctantly dons the crown.

Though his stutter soon raises concerns about his leadership skills, King George VI eventually comes into his own with the help of unconventional speech therapist Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush).

Before long the king and Lionel have forged an unlikely bond, a bond that proves to have real strength when the United Kingdom is forced to flex its international might. - Jason Buchanan, Allmovie 4.22 - 4.27 The Woodmans @ Real Art Ways Hartford, CT $6.25 with ID / 7:30 PM

is a psychic risk in being an artist.'" - Stephen Holden, New York Times 4.24 - 4.26 The Soft Skin (La peaou douce) @ Cinestudio (Trinity College) Hartford, CT A haunting score by Georges Delerue enhances the mood in The Soft Skin, François Truffaut's dark and suspenseful follow-up to Jules and Jim. While on a business trip, married literary critic Pierre Lachenay ( Jean Desailly) meets a beautiful airline hostess (Françoise Dorleac) and begins an affair. As Pierre's behavior becomes increasingly impulsive, his infidelity sparks a devastating act of jealousy and revenge. A mixture of Hitchcockian suspense motifs and acutely observed drama, The Soft Skin is one of Truffaut's most penetrating works. Janus Films is proud to present this long-underrated film in a new 35mm print.

Artist Francesca Woodman, who committed suicide at age 22, was a precocious RISD graduate and daughter of artists Betty and Charles Woodman. The film examines Francesca's haunting work, her familial relationships and the cut-throat New York art scene.

Score by David Lang.

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"A haunting study in family dynamics." - J. Hoberman, Village Voice "If its message can be boiled down to one sentence, it is George's stoic observation: 'There

Photo I myspace.com/breathecarolina

Bands to Rock Out for Pot Max kyburz The Recorder

If you are reading this today, April 20th, you may want to stop and read this before you use this page for your next spliff (if you don’t know what that is, ask your parents).

In honor of the annual unofficial holiday, the CCSU chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws and The Arc Agency present 4/20 Fest, a day-long marijuana awareness event and concert in the student center circle. The event, the second that CCSU NORML has put on, will host several local bands from

the state and surrounding region.

Since the 1970’s, NORML has been the leading non-profit organization working towards the legalization of marijuana, as well as advocating its harmless effects.

The CCSU chapter will be handing out pamphlets educating attendees on marijuana and marijuana law reform. Vendors will be selling assorted goods, particularly hemprelated products.

The concert was scheduled to run until 8 p.m. but according to The Arc Agency, the concert will now run until 6 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

If you value your standing as a CCSU student, keep your stash at home.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Want to advertise in The Recorder? Contact ads@centralrecorder.com

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10

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE

COLUMN

Playoff Superstitions Enhance Atmosphere

Brittany BurKe the recorder

For me, the next month and a half will be the most stressful of my year.

Not because of finals, but because of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Yes, the NFL playoffs are heart attack worthy, but they’re a one and done deal. The chase for Lord Stanley’s cup is more drawn out, and the Bruins give me ample time and reason to throw things at my TV. However, what I love about any playoff season, and not only the NHL, is the crazy rituals and superstitions that fans and players carry out and believe in.

It’s common knowledge that NHL players and male fans (well I hope just male fans) will stop shaving their facial hair and grow beards until they’re team gets eliminated…well they try to grow anyway. One look at Sidney Crosby’s beard and you realize it’s not as easy for some to grow a beard as it is for others.

The point is, growing a beard is tradition. The practice began with the Islanders in the 1980’s and was resurrected by the Devils in the 1990’s. It has been a playoff staple ever since.

Taking part in growing a beard is like any other superstition during these pivotal times. They make the players feel confident and give fans a way of connecting themselves to the team on another level.

Growing a beard has been heightened with teams and fans coming up with rules of acceptable facial hair maintenance and many fans document its growth.

This type of dedication allows fans to be one with the team and a part of something bigger. Some people wear the same football jersey during the season until the team loses, then you switch it up until they win again. Some people eat the same things before the game. Or follow the age old joke of wearing the same socks and underwear until they lose (not the most hygienic, but whatever works, right?).

Do any of these rituals actually work? Does growing a beard, eating the same type of sandwich before each game or donning the same jersey for 16 weeks actually cause the players to play better? There is obviously no scientific proof, a playoff ritual is all mental.

Some people may think fans that have a ritual are crazy. However, as a girl who wears the same jersey every Sunday and the same Bruins bracelet all season, I can’t judge. If my best friend doesn’t wants to stop shaving her legs to make up for her lack of beard growth (thankfully) then so be it.

Playoff rituals are intense and over the top, but it just adds to the atmosphere of the sport, and everyone should have one.

Menʼs Track Earns Second Place Finish at UMass nicK rosa

the recorder

This past weekend, the CCSU men’s track team continued to show they are a force to be reckoned with. The team finished second overall with 114 team points at the UMass Minutemen Invitational on Saturday.

The Blue Devils’ second place finish left them behind the home team, UMass Amherst.

The Minutemen took the invitational with 192.50 team points, while the Blue Devils came out 10 points ahead of the third place school, Stonehill.

There were many strong performances from the CCSU athletes at one of the team’s few scoring meets this outdoor season.

Junior Rashad Williams finished with two

first place finishes in the shot put with a throw of 52-feet 8-inches and the discus with a toss of 145-feet 4-inches.

Sophomore Aaron Radden contributed two wins, in the 100 meter dash with a time of 10.83 seconds and the 200 meter dash in 21.43 seconds. Each top finish added 20 points The combo of Anthony Gonsalves and Robert Weston went one and two in the 3000 meter steeple chase. Gonsalves ran a 9:43.10 and Weston ran a 10:00.09.

The other field events also helped out in earning the Blue Devils squad a fair share of points. Matt Berube finished third in the long jump with a leap of 20-feet 3.5-inches. High Jumpers Nick Trifone and Eric Rathbun went two and three with Trifone jumping 6-feet

4.25-inches and Rathbun jumping 6-feet 2.25-inches.

Others also added to the Blue Devils second place finish. Mike Waterbury finished third in the 800 meter run with a time of 1:55.59, Jeremy Schmid finished fourth in the 1500 meter run with a 4:00.67, Nick Lindblom finished third in the 400 meter hurdles with a time of 55.72 seconds, and the 4-by-100 meter relay team finished second with a finishing time of 43.09 seconds.

The Blue Devils have maintained focus and look sharp so far this outdoor season. With times and performances only improving, the young team will return to action this Saturday at two different meets. With the majority of the team going to compete at Holy Cross, a small group will be heading to LSU to compete.

Baseball Wins Weekend Series stags i cont. From 12 Lowers. Caserta’s awareness on the base paths yet again, as he stole second, which also advanced Lowers to second. Jake Matuszak came through in a huge spot, and drove both runners in with an RBI single. Josh Ingham would throw a scoreless ninth for his fourth save of the year.

In game two, Nick Neumann and Harry Glynne combined for a nine hit shutout.

Neumann went only five innings, giving up five hits, and struck out seven. Glynne went four, giving up four hits, and struck out five.

“It was a tough day to pitch out there on Saturday,” said Hickey. “It was a chilly, windy day, and Neumann couldn’t go as far as we wanted him to, but we got lucky that both Nick and Harry were able to make some good pitches and shut them down.”

CCSU only had five hits on the day to net three runs. Anthony Turgeon homered in the third inning, while Mitch Wells had an RBI double, and Miller-Jones had an RBI single.

Fairfield returned the favor on Sunday, however, as another windy and chilly day troubled the CCSU offense. Fairfield’s offense started off quick against Tom Coughlin, as four doubles in the first inning netted four runs for the Stags. Fairfield’s Scott Gussaroff, a graduate student, tossed eight innings of scoreless baseball, giving up only six hits and struck out six.

“He just came out strong and straight up beat us today,” said Hickey. “He definitely stayed in longer than we thought we would, and we just couldn’t get anything going today.”

Roy Natoli came in after only two outs in the first. Natoli threw 5 1/3 scoreless innings while giving up only two hits and striking

Mitch Wells bats against the Stags on Sunday. out three. Jason Foster, Donny Crook, and Normand Gosselin all contributed to 8 1/3 innings of relief that only yielded one more run for the Stags.

“We’re doing good things out there, but we have to get better,” said Hickey. “Even though we get shut out, it gives us things to work on. You think you have everything figured out, then things like this happen.”

Tom Coughlin’s inconsistency on the mound may lead to a change in the fourth starter. Roy Natoli’s impressive showing in

Kenny Barto | the recorder

relief may make him a top contender for the spot.

“That’s definitely something we need to look at,” said Hickey. “Although sometimes it’s easy to pitch when you’re down four runs, he still went in and pitched a great game.”

The Blue Devils will continue their out of conference schedule against UMass on Tuesday, and will enter conference play again on Fairleigh Dickinson that will take place starting Thursday at 3 P.M. due to the holiday on Sunday.

Blue Devils Top Stony Brook With Timely Home Run chris mclaughlin the recorder

Backed by a late, two-run homerun from Anthony Turgeon, the CCSU baseball team came out on top 5-4 against Stony Brook this past week.

The homerun was the first of Turgeon’s career, which also gave the Blue Devils (1512-1) the first lead of the afternoon. Stony Brook (19-9) jumped out to early leads, but CCSU was always there to match. The Blue Devils trailed 4-3 in the fourth when Turgeon stepped up to the plate. His blast was enough to put CCSU up for good.

Though Blue Devil starter, Todd Savatsky gave up four runs in four innings, once CCSU took the lead, he shut down the Stony Brook hitters. The win against Stony Brook was the Blue Devils’ fifth straight win, and though this was a non-conference game, CCSU remains in third place in the NEC behind Monmouth and Long Island University.

“Sometimes when you play nonconference games you worry about having that edge,” said head coach Charlie Hickey.

“We could have maximized more of our opportunities on offense, but we got good help from our bullpen and closed it out.”

While coach Hickey was wondering if his team had its competitive edge, the first pitch of the game was smacked for a triple. Stony Brook was able to capitalize in the inning, picking up two runs, and putting the team on

top before CCSU’s first batter even stepped to the plate.

Despite the fact that the Blue Devils trailed early, the team proved just how competitive they could be, by storming back to tie it in the bottom of the inning. Pat Epps and Mitch Wells each had an RBI in the inning, and the Blue Devils picked up right where they left off from Tuesdays 16-2 affair.

“The first inning is one of the most important,” said Hickey. “We don’t want to get back on our heels to start the game, and luckily we were able to pick up some big hits to get it even.”

After a scoreless second inning, Stony Brook picked up another run in the third. The Blue Devils refused to stay down, tying it up in the bottom of the inning on a JP Sportman two-out single. Stony Brook threatened to have a big inning in the fourth, putting the first two hitters on base, but Savatsky limited the damage, only giving up one run.

In the bottom of the fourth, a lead off single by Dylan Delacruz put the tying run on base. After Delacruz was bunted over to second, Turgeon stepped up to bat. With two outs in the inning, Turgeon blasted an opposite field shot that wrapped around the foul pole, giving the Blue Devils the lead.

After missing three weeks due to injury, Turgeon was playing in only his second game back. Despite only being the fourth inning, Turgeon’s homer proved to be the game winner.

“Getting Turgeon back adds another quality player to our team,” said Hickey. “He needs to be more consistent in his at bats, but he’s more than just a freshman.”

With the lead in hand, Savatsky cruised through the next three innings. He didn’t give up any runs after giving up four in the first four innings. Savatsky went seven innings, striking out four to pick up his fourth win of the season.

“The first pitch of the game was hit for a triple, but the one thing Todd does is compete,” said Hickey. “He limited the damage, and did enough things right to pick up his fifth consistent start in a row. He was pretty good today.”

With Savatsky out of the game, Hickey went with Nick Boyd to pick up the six out save. Boyd retired Stony Brook 1-2-3 in the eighth, and repeated the feat in the ninth to close out the game.

“Boyd got three out in the eighth, and he looked good so we sent him out there for the ninth,” said Hickey. “We didn’t want to complicate things so we rode him out.”

The Blue Devils continue a six game home stand which began with a loss against Fairfield on Sunday. The stint at home closes out on April 27, against in-state rival, and the team that bumped the Blue Devils from last year’s NCAA Tournament, UConn.

The next game for CCSU is a match up against Massachusetts on April 19, at 3 p.m.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / SPORTS

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Former Shortstop Gets Call From Independent Wild Things kenny barto The Recorder

First team all-conference, first team all-New England, first team all-Eastern College Athletic Conference, Louisville Slugger third-team all-American and American Baseball Coaches Association third-team allAmerican. These are just some of the accolades that former CCSU shortstop Sean Allaire has earned.

Allaire finished his last year of eligibility in 2010 with style. He led the team in batting average (.426), hits (100), doubles (22), triples (6), RBI’s (tied at 73 with Pat Epps), total bases (173) and stolen bases (10). Despite his standout season that drew the attention of many teams, Allaire was missed in the MLB draft in June.

“I was actually laying in bed the two days the draft was on the Internet,” Allaire said while attending CCSU’s matchup against Stony Brook. “I was really excited, the Red Sox called me the night before the draft and said they might be interested, but I guess it didn’t work out.”

After the draft, Allaire shifted his focus to coaching. A native of Bristol, Conn., Allaire coached in his hometown for Bristol Collegiate, a member of the New England Collegiate Baseball League, a summer wood bat league that hosts college players from around the country. Bristol’s head coach, Pat Hall, is CCSU’s assistant coach/pitching coach.

“I was able to coach over in Bristol with Coach Hall,” Allaire said. “It was a great experience and I really noticed that I have a passion for coaching and it might be something I can definitely do in the future.”

CCSU head coach Charlie Hickey noticed Allaire’s frustrations, but also knew that he shouldn’t quit baseball.

“I know Sean was definitely disappointed at not being drafted,” Hickey said. “But I know he is a great player and there’s always been no doubt he can play at the next level.”

As it turns out, there was someone who wanted Allaire to keep playing. The call came from the Washington Wild Things, an independent baseball team with the Frontier league out of Washington, Penn., about 32 miles southwest of Pittsburgh.

“I thought I was never going to play baseball again,” Allaire said.

“But they contacted Coach Hickey and he contacted me and I decided I wanted to play again.”

As it turns out, the Wild Things weren’t the only offer that Allaire had received, as he actually rejected an offer earlier in the winter from another independent league team and member of the CanadianAmerican League just a couple hours away from Bristol.

“The Worcester Tornadoes called me and wanted me to make a decision in an hour,” Allaire said.

“I told them I wasn’t going to play again, but after that Coach Hickey

strived to get me to play again.”

The Wild Things begin play on May 12th and Sean Allaire will begin play with wood bats for the first time since he played with the Saratoga Phillies of the New York Collegiate Baseball League in the summer of 2009, where he led the team in games played (38), runs scored (24) Sean Allaire turning a double play in the NCAA Regionals last June against Florida State. and stolen Kenny Barto | the recorder bases (11).

“I actually like wood better,” Allaire said. been around hitting in the cages there every day,” Allaire said. “I just “I think that’s what made me lately,” said coach Hickey. “But can’t wait to get back out there and so successful with metal, after when you have a player that goes play baseball again.” being able to hit with wood in the out and makes a team like that, it’s Other Blue Devils that have summer, I just think it made me a definitely good for the program made the pro’s are Evan Scribner and it looks good all around.” better hitter.”

(2007), who was drafted by Although it remains uncertain Diamondbacks and now plays As CCSU’s own season continues, there’s no doubt that of what Allaire’s exact role will for San Diego’s Triple-A team, Sean Allaire’s role is missed on be with the Wild Things, it looks Robert Hosgood (2004) and a team that won the Northeast like Allaire will play infield and Barry Hertzler. Skip Jutze (1968) hopefully show teams at the next and Ricky Botallico (1991) are are Conference in 2010.

“He’s obviously still close with level what he has to offer. the only CCSU alums to play in the “I definitely missed being out major leagues. a lot of guys on the team and he’s

Old Time Baseball Showcases Age of Game

Five Home Games on 2011 Football Schedule

Kenny Barto | the recorder

Coach Mac has put together a schedule that includes FCS powerhouse James Madison, as well as key home games against Monmouth, Sacred Heart, Albany and Robert Morris.

Kenny Barto | the recorder

A member of the vintage baseball team that played during the Civil War reenactments on Saturday bats in his 1861-style uniform.

FOOTBALL I Cont. from 12 rivals Duquesne. “[The road stint will] put a strain on [the team], but we’ve got to mix steel with fire and we’ve got to go down there to JMU, get used to the road, play against a team which is opening up their new stadium, there will be about 37,000 there, it’ll be a lot of fun for them. Then come back home, come back regroup, coach ‘em up and at least we’ll be ready for the next week,” McInerney said.

The CCSU football team will finish the season on the road against Bryant on Nov. 19, playing the final home game on Nov. 12

versus Robert Morris.

“A lot of close games is what I’m looking forward to. We’re trying to three-peat, we want to win the league outright and get the automatic bid but we also want a championship and I think it’s like every year, they’re always tough, it’s always a struggle and you got to get your team better and you’ve got to get your team better for the long haul,” said Coach McInerney.

Football season is still months away, but before the Blue Devils take on the Owls the team will play each other in the annual blue and white game on Friday April 29.

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 20, 2011 / SPORTS

Seven Game Win Streak Snapped by Stags

Junior relief pitcher Roy Natoli pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief against Fairfield Sunday. It was not enough, however, as the Stags shutout the Blue Devils 5-0.

Kenny Barto The Recorder

Going into Sunday’s action against Fairfield, the Blue Devils boasted a sevengame winning streak, including two wins against the Stags in the two days prior.

“It’s nice to get a streak like that, but some of it had to do with the format,” head

coach Charlie Hickey said. “We were only playing one game a day, and we didn’t have to regroup for a doubleheader, so it was a little easier on us.”

With a 16-2 win and 5-4 win against Holy Cross and Stony Brook respectively, the Blue Devils traveled down to Fairfield on Friday and put their ace, Dave Krasnowiecki on the mound. The lefty battled through six

innings, giving up two runs, seven hits, and seven strikeouts. Krasnowiecki was taken out with Fairfield leading 2-0, but the Blue Devil offense finally came alive in the seventh.

J.P. Sportman reached on a walk, followed

by Dylan Delacruz’s single through the left side. Tyler Caserta had a sacrifice bunt, which set up A.J. lowers to hit a sacrifice fly to bring in the Blue Devils’ first run of the

Kenny Barto | the recorder

game.

The 2-1 lead would hold up until the ninth, when Sean Miller-Jones homered to left field.

Back-to-back strikeouts by J.P. Sportman and Dylan Delacruz gave way to Caserta working a walk. With A.J. Lowers at the plate, Caserta stole second, followed by another walk to STAGS | cont. on 10

Football Schedule Released, Team Eyes Possible Three-peat Brittany burke The Recorder

Spring may be a time for baseball, with the cracking sound of the ball hitting the bat and homeruns, but with the release of the 2011-2012 football schedule and upcoming

blue and white spring game, there can be nothing but football and touchdowns on the brain.

The Blue Devils will see action on Arute Field five times this upcoming season, including the scheduled opener. CCSU opens in the fall against non-conference

2011 Football Schedule Sat, Sept 03

Southern Connecticut

New Britain, CT

12:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 10

James Madison

@ Harrisonburg, VA

TBA

Sat, Sep 17

Wagner College

@ Staten Island, NY

1:00 p.m.

Sat, Sep 24

Monmouth

New Britain, CT

12:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 01

Sacred Heart

New Britain, CT

12:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 08

Massachusetts

@ Amherst, MA

TBA

Sat, Oct 15

Duquesne

@ Pittsburgh, PA

TBA

Sat, Oct 22

Albany

New Britain, CT

12:00 p.m.

Sat, Oct 29

St. Francis (PA)

@ Loretto, PA

1:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 05

Robert Morris

New Britain, CT

12:00 p.m.

Sat, Nov 19

Bryant

@ Smithfield, RI

12:00 p.m.

opponents, but in-state rivals, the Southern Connecticut State University Owls, who haven’t played together since the 2007 season.

“I think overall it is an excellent schedule.

Not only do we have our conference games, we have two excellent out of conference games against traditional FCS powerhouses, James Madison University and University of Massachusetts, which is good for our fans. That one’s on the road but it’s only an hour and a half away,” said Head Coach Jeff McInerney. “Then we get to play a traditional rival in Southern Connecticut which should be a lot of fun.”

The Division II Owls are set to take on the reigning Northeast Conference cochampions on Sept. 3. The Blue Devils are riding a 14 home-game win streak and are looking to continue the streak in the new season.

“You can never take [the win streak] for granted, we haven’t lost a home game in three years, but you can just never take it for granted you got to win your home games if you’re going to be a championship team and I think the guys feel comfortable, there’s a sense of tradition and I think that’s a big part of it,” said McInerney. “But the minute you think that just because you’re playing at home you’re going to win you make a grave error, because that just didn’t come easy.

Those 14 straight wins did not come easy by any stretch of the imagination.”

The Owls are a division below the Football Championship Subdivision Blue Devils, but the last time the two teams met on Arute Field the competition drew in a crowd of 4,136. CCSU won the game 56-34

and are looking to do the same in the new meeting.

“Do I think it’s always good to play a former rival that’s a level below you, not always, you have nothing to gain if you lose, anything can happen in football, but I think it’s a good thing,” said McInerney.

SCSU gives the Blue Devils the imperative fifth home game, but tough play won’t begin until the following week. For game two, CCSU travels to Virginia to play James Madison University in their second non-conference game.

The Blue Devils’ have two tough nonNEC games scheduled for the new season.

Midway through the season CCSU is set to travel to Amherst, Mass. to play the University of Massachusetts. Following a year in which the Blue Devils were named repeat champions, the two FCS football powerhouses will set a standard for CCSU to try and match.

However, two of the three Blue Devils’ losses came from non-conference opponents.

Last year CCSU lost the season opener to the University of New Hampshire 33-3 and the game against Youngstown State 63-24.

Both of the non-conference road games have been scheduled to be part of two backto-back road stints. The Blue Devils will play at JMU one week prior to playing Wagner on the road to begin NEC play. The same pattern is scheduled for CCSU two weeks later. Following two straight home games against Monmouth and Sacred Heart, the Blue Devils will travel to UMass and then Pittsburgh seven days later to play conference FOOTBALL | cont. on 11