Vol 108 Issue 10

AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Central Connecticut State University

Volume 108 No. 10

Conference Champions CCSU Men’s Soccer Earned a Share Of The Regular Season NEC Championship

kenny baRto | the RecoRdeR

Head Coach Shaun Green rode on his players’ shoulders following their 2-0 victory over St. Francis (N.Y.) that secured their regular season conference title.

SGA President Scrutinizes Administrative Practices During Power Outages kassondRa gRanata the Recorder

Due to the University being closed on Wednesday, the Student Government Association had to cancel their weekly meeting while administrators scrambled to make decisions about classes and events on campus.

Despite the meeting being missed, there were no crucial issues to be addressed or unfinished business to attend to, according to SGA President Eric Bergenn.

The due date for the financial request forms for clubs has been pushed back a week to Friday November 11. The corresponding hearing dates will be delayed until the 14th.

“It’s been an interesting week,” said Bergenn. “There were a lot of very tough decisions that had to be made.”

He disagreed with the University’s

decisions this week in regards to cancellations and facilities updates.

“There were a couple things that were handled well halfway through the process.

I appreciate the improved communications from the administration but I think that overall some of the decisions that were made were of poor judgment and wrong,” Bergenn said.

The method of notifying students regarding classes on a 12 hour basis instead of a 24 hour basis was claimed to be “misguided” by Bergenn, and in his opinion, it would have been more beneficial to have a 24 hour at a time notice.

Bergenn also disagreed with the decision to cancel all events held on campus and to only hold classes.

“The idea to make the decision to cancel all events, because they have no way to get a hold of all the people running the events to

see if they could still make it, should have been the same decision for the students and faculty to get here for classes,” said Bergenn.

Bergenn hopes that the University will keep the graduate and undergraduate students in mind, on and off campus.

“There are over 10,000 that don’t live on campus,” said Bergenn. “It’s great that campus got their power back, but it doesn’t affect the ability of people to get the information and to get here especially with only six hours notice that they may or may not have gotten.”

A main concern that Bergenn has is the safety of the commuting students and their commute back and forth to campus.

“It’s not a good situation, the state is still in crisis right now and we have students here from all across the state.”

He took the time to reiterate his

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appreciation towards President Miller and his Q&A with the students on Wednesday, but does not like how it was quickly planned and its location.

He was surprised by the amount of students that attended the meeting and the amount of commuters he saw, especially since Memorial is mainly known to oncampus residents.

Bergenn hopes that the University will be thinking of all possible options that can be taken in times of crisis, and wants the administration to form a more operational crisis system.

“What the University needs to do is assemble a team of people to scrutinize all sorts of emergency planning,” said Bergenn.

Bergenn plans on releasing a statement to the administration on his reaction to this past week and what he thinks can be changed at CCSU in similar future situations.

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, November 9, 2011

NEWS

Faculty Senate Debates General Education Plans With Committee jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

The Faculty Senate Ad Hoc Committee for General Education has four plans that would reform general education from its current state. The “goal program” is the most radical of the four and would take away the first-year experience for freshmen and English 110.

Those are just a few examples of what “Plan D” on the draft proposal changes.

It gets rid of all of the major categories for general education that we know today and changes or eliminates them.

Students would be able to pick classes from categories like “human cultures,” “ethical and civil engagement,” “physical and natural worlds,” “mathematics and statistics” and “writing across the curriculum.” These are much different categories from the current “arts & humanities,” “social sciences,” “behavioral sciences,” “communication skills” and “mathematics.”

The committee is made up by Thomas Burkholder, Robert Wolff, Mary Anne Nunn, Olga Petkova, Paul Resetarits, Thomas Burkholder and Rachel Siporin of CCSU. They saw from the online polling of faculty on campus that it’s time for a look at general education on campus, said Wolff.

Wolff mentioned that the general education system in place hasn’t been changed for more than 13 years. Burkholder added that the committee only has 44 credits to work with, at least one-third of the credits in an undergraduate degree, due to a state mandate.

Two weeks ago an open meeting was held and faculty were able to ask the committee questions about their draft proposals in an open discussion.

Under the “goal program” mathematics and statistics would still be a six-credit minimum, with a 12-credit maximum, but would require students to take at least one calculus class.

Stephen Cohen, English department

chair, asked the committee if they were prioritizing mathematics in the “goal program” by placing the “six credit minimum” on mathematics and statistics while only requiring a “three credit minimum” for all of the other categories in the plan. Burkholder quickly said that from the polling, faculty want students to have “good quantitative skills.”

That question sparked a debate about the category in the “goal program” requiring students to take at least one calculus class. Faculty in the room didn’t take that addition lightly, but Burkholder was quick to respond.

“The traditional calculus class has multiple pieces to it,” said Burkholder. He maintained that understanding those types of concepts is very important and that students need to have the ability to interpret graphical information. His thinking is to have more of an understanding than students just understanding algebra concepts.

The proposed “first-year critical inquiry

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seminar” was explained as a course to substitute English 110 and to allow students to choose a course that they would be interested in. It would be a writing course for freshman and incoming transfer students, but would have to be tailored by the faculty member teaching the course. Transfer students would have a separate section since they aren’t firstyear students. The committee said that the course would be taught by faculty from many areas of study so that students would actually be able to pick a course that they would like.

The goal is to allow students to get a wellrounded education, but keep them interested in the subjects that are being taught.

Another open meeting is scheduled on November 17 for the General Education Committee. Any further discussion, comments or questions can be addressed at the committee’s blog at www.you.ccsu.edu/ gened or email committee member Robert Wolff directly at wolffr@mail.ccsu.edu. In order to comment you have to register for the site.

3

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / NEWS

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 Nicholas Proch nproch@centralrecorder.com Managing Editor Kenny Barto kbarto@centralrecorder.com Art Director Ashley E. Lang

News Editors Jonathan Stankiewicz Kassondra Granata, Assistant Justin Muszynski, Assistant news@centralrecorder.com

Staff Writers Rachael Bentley Gunarso Nguyen Nick Rosa Dalton Silvernail Peter Stroczkowski

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About The Recorder is a student-produced publication of Central Connecticut State University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of CCSU’s administrators, faculty or students. The Recorder articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without the written permission from the Editorin-Chief. T he pur pose of T he Recorder is to approach and def ine issues of impor tance to the students of Central Connecticut State Universit y.

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Students Question University’s 12-Hour Cancellation Policy justin Muszynski the Recorder

nicholas PRoch | the RecoRdeR

ABOVE:One of the large chillers in East Hall that helped keep the dorms and Memorial Hall powered after the snowstorm. Go to www.centralrecorder.com for an audio story featuring the lead facilities engineer on how the situation was handled.

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After a rare October snow storm that left hundreds of thousands without power, CCSU decided to cancel classes for most of the week as campus was not exempt from the storm’s damage.

There were certainly mixed emotions, but the general consensus seemed to be negative towards this cancellation system that the school decided to impose.

CCSU’s decisions raised some eyebrows as they decided to cancel classes in two, 12-hour increments.

Morning classes were canceled at 6 pm the night before and afternoon and evening classes were canceled the morning of at 6 am. Classes resumed last week on Thursday at 12 p.m. But how exactly did students feel about their decision?

Alex Johnson, a junior who commutes, says that the school should have taken into consideration that most of CCSU’s population is commuter based and students may have needed more advanced notice not having normal access to resources at home.

“I didn’t like the whole 6 am and 6 pm cancellation thing,” said Johnson. “It was really a bad idea on their part. People with no power didn’t really have a way to determine if classes would be held and if they

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found out last minute and had to rush over here that in and of itself could have caused problems.”

Alyssa Reeves however, a senior who also commutes, says that she liked the way CCSU handled canceling classes. Her opinion is exactly the same as President Jack Miller’s was when he made the decision to cancel them in 12 hour increments. She asked the question that if power came back unexpectedly why shouldn’t the university have held classes?

“Some people want to go to class and get educated,” said Reeves. She added, “If there could have been classes and the school still canceled them then that would have upset me. I think the school did a good job using all the resources they could to get in contact with students, I got a bunch of messages at like four in the morning telling me classes were canceled.”

While Reeves has a point in that if the university had power there wouldn’t be anything to stop them from resuming all the normal activities on campus, but some students may have faced extenuating circumstances that were caused by the storm other than just not having power. Michelle LaMonica, who has to commute from Avon, is one of these students, the night the storm hit not only did her house lose power, but a tree fell on her car and smashed her windshield.

“I found it kind of irritating that I had to turn on my phone multiple times a day to see if classes were canceled and waste my battery,” said LaMonica. “The school should have thought more about the struggles their students would have faced if they all of a sudden found out classes were on for the afternoon and evening. I had to miss class on Thursday because a tree smashed my car, if they just canceled the whole day I would have been fine.”

President Miller, who said the idea to cancel classes in two shifts was completely his idea, stood by his decision at a conference during the week without power but may not have thought about residents who wished to return home.

Emily Miller, a freshman who lives on campus, said she would have liked to have been with her family during the tough week that they had, but feared she would have missed class if she left and couldn’t make it home on time.

“It was annoying that they couldn’t have been in better contact with CL&P in order to determine if they could have canceled classes for the whole day knowing they wouldn’t have power,” said Emily Miller. “I could have gone home instead of waiting for the morning to see if I had class.”

OPINION

4

THE RECORDER Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Don’t Bypass Anyone’s Opinion Our publication has chosen not to support or disapprove Robert Gates’ appearance on campus this week. As a student newspaper we try and voice the opinions and positions of our student body in relation to our administration, faculty and to society, but there is no good that can come out of publicly backing or opposing Gates and his practices while he was the defense secretary for this country.

The purpose of our institution is to give students an education. An education that is hopefully well-rounded. Based upon the negative, and sometimes public, reactions and protests to his appearance on campus as part of the Vance lecturer series, a memo needs to be written to some of the faculty at this University.

It’s childish and immature to think that your protests and outcries were meaningful.

You should be leading by example. That example should not be to shun someone

speaking to your students who might have an opposing view from yours.

Isn’t this why we embrace debate?

Wouldn’t this be the perfect opportunity to let your students do some research and make decisions for themselves? Faculty Senate tried to pass a resolution in disapproval of Gates from coming to campus. For the sake of hearing more than one side of politics, we should all be thankful that our Provost stopped that conversation from continuing.

Whether they agreed with Gates, thought he was wrong in every decision or simply didn’t care, our faculty should have been enthralled with the fact that his speech, and appearance on campus, gave students the chance to make their own verdicts about him.

Step back and look at what you were fighting against. You ask your students to write rebuttals and take in to account opposing viewpoints in their research

EDITOR’S COLUMN

papers, but when it came to Gates, some of you would have rather cut out the chance for any point, counter-point debate.

The journalism department, and the faculty in that department, have shown the majority of our staff how to be fair and balanced. They’ve taught us about fair comment and criticism. Those ideas are missing when you try and shut someone out just because you are worried about the fact that students don’t support him or match up with his ideologies.

We’ve now had the opportunity to hear him speak and pepper him with questions.

Didn’t that feel good? Participating in highlevel educational discussions with opposing view-points is so much better than just ignoring that the other side exists, or trying to prevent a protest.

The faculty, administration and even student body head-butted over one man, who is no longer in a position of power,

The McRib Is Back! jonathan stankiewicz the Recorder

Publications Should Embrace Technology, Not Fight It nicholas PRoch the Recorder

There’s a long, ongoing debate about what will happen to the news media. Will newspapers die? That is an idea that finds its way into my daily thought process and, quite frankly, scares me.

It seems like an obvious notion that they will never be what they once were, but how far will they fall? Is the New York Times going to be something that we tell our grandchildren about when we’re old and telling stories that make them roll their eyes?

We’re already at the point where some young adults have never actually seen a typewriter in person. I’ve personally seen one. It’s in my grandparents basement on display like some type of trophy from a time that once was.

Technology has taken over. It’s now quite easy to have yourself published online and to have your voice heard. Twitter is where some people get their news from. That’s right, Twitter.

When Apple released the new iPhone operating system, iOS 5, last month, I immediately downloaded it. This is partially because a number of years ago I decided that I would support anything that this company rolled out. I have yet to be disappointed, but that’s neither here nor there. I’m a consumer whore and that is a column in itself.

There are several major and welcomed additions to the operating system, but one has been mostly overlooked. ‘Newsstand’, as it is called, is not liked by the average consumer. I find it to be very useful.

Let’s take another jump. As a person who is overly concerned with the media and wants

more than they should have. It’s encouraged for the faculty to question decisions made by the administrators, but this was overkill.

We’re led by a group of outstanding individuals. This editorial is, by no means, an attack on the faculty or administration at this school. That is not our intention, it’s much simpler than that.

Your students don’t have an aversion to standing up for themselves. Some of us rallied, while some chose not to. If we feel that we don’t agree with something, don’t find it insulting when we stand up for ourselves.

We’re not standing up against the University, but to the ideals that we don’t agree with.

We don’t like being short-changed. Our student body can make decisions. We can handle hearing and conversing with someone who isn’t on the same side of politics as we are. Trying to block him out only made some of us feel like you didn’t think we could handle it. We can.

to make a career in journalism, the amount of time I spend actually reading the newspaper or its online counterpart, is laughable. Part of this is because I don’t have time to do this job, take five classes, work another part-time job and have a social life, let alone stop and pick up a newspaper.

In my newsstand is the New York Times digital publication. It’s my connection to the well-reported world. Twitter is not reliable.

Depending on what blog, that may not be reliable. They are great resources, but should always be taken at face value.

The Times, and other equally reputable publications, have codes of ethics, editors with experience, news teams and so on.

There is someone to check your work. That doesn’t exist at a blog. Heck, the internet allows someone like me to have a blog.

That’s a scary thought. Almost as scary as the thought of them winning the media war.

I was juggling my daily life, and texting while driving, when I saw Obama’s announcement about his plan in Iraq. The notification popped up at the top of my screen and I was looking at the story instantly.

It was well reported. It had access to the right sources. I trusted it. That’s what will be lost if newspapers disappear. They don’t have to, they just need to adapt.

The ‘old school’ shouldn’t be fighting technology anymore. It will allow their messages to reach people they would have never reached before. They’ve put up a fight for too long. Now they need to embrace the opportunity they have, before they fade in to memory.

Now someone needs to figure out how to make money on the digital production and we will all benefit.

Have something to say?

Send a letter to

editor@centralrecorder.com

I am at least 98% sure that I have never consumed one. The 2% is in case I slipped up somewhere. Every year the McRib comes back, and every year it seems to disappear. I’ve never bothered to take notice, until now.

You should know that I work at Little Mark’s Big Barbecue in Vernon, and we smoke our own ribs, coleslaw and have our own secret sauces. Little Mark’s may not be the best restaurant in Connecticut, but I know what real pork is. The McRib is not real pork.

Some would say that it’s delicious and are excited when they see it come back from its mysterious hibernations every year. I say it’s 26 grams of fat, 980 mg of sodium and 10 g of saturated fat of nothing.

People, the bun alone has 34 ingredients (from the company’s website).

The kicker is azodicarbonamide. I can’t pronounce it either, so do not worry. It is “a bleaching and maturing additive for flour,” says Ruth Winter in her book A Consumer’s Dictionary on Food Additives, in its seventh edition. “Used in amounts up to 45 ppm. The FDA wants further study of this chemical for both short-term and long-term effects. Although allowed as a food additive, this is no current reported use of the chemical, and, therefore, although toxicology information may be available, it is not being updated. This is a potentially serious problem.”

It’s a big, serious problem.

It should also be said that

azodicarbonamide is “most commonly used in the manufacture of foamed plastics like in gym mats and the soles of shoes,” says Meredith Melnick in a Healthland post on Time.com. It’s sad that reading that didn’t even surprise me.

At first I thought this was just for the McRib. I went through some of my favorite burgers; the Double Cheeseburger, Big Mac and the Premium Crispy Chicken Ranch BLT Sandwich all had azodicarbonamide in their buns. Burger King has it in all of their buns except the ciabatta buns. Wendy’s has it in some of their burger buns as well. For God sake, Subway has it in their sourdough and Italian (white) breads. All that was found online on the company’s own websites in their nutrition information.

They aren’t hiding anything from us. We just haven’t paid any attention.

Can we just make bread? I grew up on Home Pride Butter Top Wheat Bread, which has no azodicarbonamide.

Realistically, will this make me stop eating fast food? Probably not. Will this stop you? I don’t know. As we are trying to find more and more ways to eat healthier in today’s foods maybe we need to start demanding better quality foods.

Now, I’m not saying we should ‘occupy’ any of the fast food chains, but where do we draw the line here? This isn’t just a fast food problem, it’s a food problem in general.

Why are we worrying about the latest iPhone when we could be focusing on why we are letting people eat an ingredient that we use to workout on?

The McRib is back. Will you indulge?

Letter To The Editor In response to 'CCSU Professor Arrested On Fraud Charges', published on October 19, 2011: Dear Friends and Colleagues, I was truly saddened to see last week's Recorder article, as I’m sure everyone can imagine. While I can't respond to any of the allegations at this time because of the impending legal issues, please know that all of the facts have not yet come out – and I would ask that you withhold judgment until that time. I have sincerely given my all to CCSU for the last ten years, and I miss my students and fellow faculty members terribly. I trust that all of this will be satisfactorily resolved in due course; in the meantime, I greatly appreciate your help and support.

Most Sincerely, Ravi Shankar, Associate Professor of English

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / OPINION

Thankful For The Debates

Things Could Always Be Worse saRa M. beRRy the Recorder

jonathan stankiewicz the Recorder

Two weeks ago my editor wrote about “a need for less debate” when it comes to the GOP and their debate schedule. He has a point in many respects, but I don’t agree with him.

Keep in mind that I am an Independent and that I love the debates.

What I do agree with is the media frenzy over the presidential election that has started earlier and earlier. Having GOP debates a year and a half before we vote for our next president seems a bit irresponsible, but it may have a purpose.

We should be weeding out the people we don’t want running our country. Two weeks ago in Las Vegas, the country saw it’s most exciting debate yet.

The debates are being overshadowed

by Herman Cain’s situation, where women and others are coming forward about sexual harassment allegations against Cain from his time spent at the National Restaurant Association. Cain, who is currently at the top of the recent polls, is calling the claims “baseless” and has and will continue to campaign.

As Proch said in his column, the debates will be, on average, every 10 days until March once they start up again this week on November 5th. Yes, the bickering will start up again. Yes, the finger pointing will start up again. I can’t wait.

The bickering helps bring out the worst in people. That will only help voters decide for themselves who it is they will choose a year from now.

Many have asked what must other countries must be thinking when they see the quality of Republican candidates.

I say, ‘Who cares?’ Isn’t this why we are having all of these televised debates? Let’s see who has what it takes to act under

‘Power Outrage’

pressure amongst a group of people who are fighting for the same job. We need to have them prove themselves now.

When we look at previous campaign years, the number of debates is less than what we have had.

“By this point in 2007, Republican candidates had participated in 10 debates, two more than have been held in 2011.

(For Democrats, there had been 13.),” said Dylan Stableford and Chris Moody from The Cutline on Yahoo! “Right now, there are 13 more debates scheduled for the Republican presidential primaries, for a total of 21. There were a total of 26 Democratic primary debates and 21 for the Republicans in the 2007-2008 presidential election cycle.”

The debates also allow for certain candidates to have a national voice that otherwise couldn’t. The last presidential election had Mike Huckabee, who America liked so much he now has his own show on Fox News. And this year we have the likes of Michele Bachmann, Rick Santorum, Jon Huntsman and Ron Paul to voice their opinions. Their ideas may appeal to some people that agree with them and not the top tier candidates this time around.

Ultimately, all of this is fodder for Obama. All our current president has to do is sit back and watch what’s unfolding in front of him. The race has gotten too combative for some and if Obama is taking notes from the debates he should already be one step ahead of the Republican candidates. Right?

Republicans have the ability to take over the presidential campaign soon enough. Obama’s rating is steady, but below the 50-percent mark. And hopefully with a chance to spice up the upcoming debates even more, Republicans may try to find the most electable among them.

5

I have never been so happy to have to go to class as I was Friday morning, nor have I ever been so happy to take a hot shower (in my own bathroom!) as I was Friday night.

If there’s one thing we all can learn from the events of the past week, it’s how much we take the little things for granted.

As I spent the week in the dark, I realized how much I depend on things like electricity.

I lost count of how many times I walked into a room and reflexively flipped the light switch, momentarily forgetting that nothing was going to happen.

Making something to eat was suddenly a lot more difficult than pushing a few buttons on the microwave. Until my iPhone died and I had no contact with the outside world, I forgot how much we rely on the internet for communication. Once my laptop died, I gave up on homework for a while before I realized that I could always use a pen and paper to write my research paper. After four days of being trapped in my house with my family before my workplace got a generator, I realized how much I took even my job for granted.

I had no electricity from Saturday night until late Friday afternoon. It seemed like I was never going to get power back. Two streets away from my house, there was power as early as Wednesday evening. Once I saw it coming, it seemed like it was taking its sweet time getting to me, and I wasn’t sure it would ever make it back to my house.

It was a long week, and by the end of it, not only did I realize how much I took everyday things like electricity and the internet for granted, I also realized how lucky I was. As I slowly regained contact with other people, I realized that many people had fared the storm far worse than I had.

As I write this, half of my town is still without power, not to mention those in other areas of the state. Once I was able to get out of my house, I saw how many trees were down.

I’ve spoken with people whose houses got damaged to the point of being uninhabitable.

Many more people had trees fall on their cars. I’ve seen pictures on Facebook and on the news of places where there are still trees across roads. Perhaps the most poignant story I’ve seen was the desperate mother of an asthmatic little boy no older than three come into the store where I work and ask if she could use an electrical outlet to plug in her son’s nebulizer so she could give him a breathing treatment.

Two months prior to last week’s snow storm we had Hurricane Irene. It seems to me that Irene was the polar opposite of this storm. After Irene, many people said how much the media had blown the storm out of proportion. There was certainly damage from the hurricane and people without power, but not to the extent that was predicted.

Over the last week, many people said that we should have been more prepared for this storm, that snow storms like this don’t happen in October. But there are many years that we have had snow before Halloween. And truthfully, we knew this storm was coming.

Snow had been in the forecast since early in the week. But I don’t think that anyone expected the devastation that we experienced from this storm. Perhaps we were too let down by Irene to really worry about this one.

This time, we got what we seem to have wanted, and much more. In a way, we were lucky. While many of us were without power or heat for a week or more, the weather this week was rather mild. This could have happened in January. We could have been a whole lot colder.

If nothing else, we should use the experience of this past week as a lesson. We should look for a happy medium between blowing things out of proportion and underestimating them. We should realize how vulnerable we are to extreme weather conditions. We should take a moment to appreciate the little things, and to realize how lucky we really are. Because no matter what happens, things could always be worse.

By Eric M. Valad

6

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / UPGRADE

REVIEWS

‘The Rum Diary’ Teases The Audience With Potential nicholas PRoch the Recorder

Our love affair with Johnny Depp continues. Whether you’ve read Hunter S. Thompson’s book The Rum Diary or not, Depp shows he’s mastered the role of playing the late author’s characters, and subsequently, Thompson himself.

This time he gets a crack at playing Paul Kemp.

It’s 1960 and the problems that journalists are facing today aren’t much different than the ones they faced over a half a century ago. Set in Puerto Rico, and filmed there to give the piece its real feel, Paul Kemp, who is the unmatched star of the film, works for the San Juan Star. It’s a dying publication.

Depp is surrounded by fellow journalists, crooks, a feminine interest and military men. They all share a common bond; They suck at the nipple of the Puerto Rican economy and geography. Abusing their relationships until they are run dry, Kemp seems to be the only one who is actually looking for himself, and not to live off something or someone else.

In Depp’s previous effort as a Thompson character in Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas, he focuses on the crazed and supernatural power of the substances that “Raoul Duke” puts in his body. His actions and visions are drawn out and seen on screen. There is only one homage to that character in a scene where Kemp loses his mind on a drug that is administered like an eye-drop.

This character is based on the early days of Thompson. It’s before the suitcases full of drugs. Before he got lost in “bat country”. Before Gonzo. It’s pure Thompson.

Depp’s surrounding cast members sport big names, but some of them come up rather short.

Aaron Eckhart (The Dark Knight,

Photo i FilM distRict

Thank You For Smoking) plays Sanderson, who is a combination of two characters from the book.

Somewhere along the line of transforming this story for the big screen, it was decided that the character of Yeamon, among others, would be removed entirely from the script.

The tactic here was to make a combination of characters fit one of the major story lines from the novel and hope it stuck. If you’re sitting in the theater with a group of friends and you’re the only one who has read the text, you can’t help but think, ‘they have no idea what is

going on right now!’

It’s not until the second half of the film that the audience is given information that is in the first two paragraphs of the book. It feels as if Bruce Robinson, who wrote and directed the film, took a shotgun to the carefully written story path that Thompson laid out and didn’t fill the holes it left.

The best attempt that the producers and casting could do to fill those voids was cast Amber Heard (Drive Angry, Pineapple Express) to play Chenault. She provides enough eye candy in several scenes that you almost seem

to forget about the lack of acting skills she has.

The lone stand-out, besides Depp, is Giovanni Ribisi (Saving Private Ryan, Gone In Sixty Seconds(2000)).

Moburg is everything, and more, than the viewer could expect if they are familiar with the character from the book. Ribisi shows his commitment to character and is only overshadowed by Depp.

The film touches on common societal and psychological truths.

It’s not easy to find yourself, and even when you think you do, you can still find a way to lose it. If the

Coldplay

Mylo Xyloto

Columbia October 24

ashley e. lang the Recorder

Photo i MysPace.coM/coldPlay

For over a decade Coldplay has been streaming from our speakers, dancing through the air and finding their way into our hearts. With their newly released album Mylo Xyloto, they have most certainly proved why they have dominated the airwaves and will continue to do so for years to come.

Mylo Xyloto is beaming with whimsical rhythms backed by a strong vocal performance from lead vocalist Chris Martin. Every track on Coldplay’s latest is another one for the books.

The opening track, “Mylo Xyloto,” is 42 seconds of synthesized joy and a perfect introduction to Martin’s charisma bursting out of every track.

Declared a concept album by Martin, Mylo Xyloto tells the story of two

themes and direction were stronger this would be a contender in the spring, but alas, it’s not.

While there are holes in the story and poor acting performances, this, for some of us, is still worth seeing. See it if you’re interested in seeing a collision of free media and politics. See it if you’d like to see Johnny Depp tackle another role in a new way. Most importantly, spend the money and go to the theater if you’re a fan of Hunter S. Thompson. This could be the last tribute to his work, and that should not be taken lightly by any of his followers.

protagonists, Mylo and Xyloto, who meet and fall in love while living in an oppressed society. The album takes you through each stage of their lives from love to problems within society and the suffocation of higher powers where their only real means of escape is in their dreams. Martin sings “When she was just a girl she expected the world but it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep,” in “Paradise.”

“Major Minus,” an edgier track off of Mylo Xyloto, warns of the dangers of a government watchdog. “They got one eye on what you knew And one eye on what you do so be careful who it is you’re talking to.”

Coldplay takes on a soft acoustic rhythm in “U.F.O.” Although less upbeat musically, the delicateness of the instruments proves to be a perfect addition to Martin’s vocal performance on a more sensitive track.

With a surprising twist, Rihanna delivers an impressive performance on “Princess of China” with Martin. As Mylo and Xyloto battle the evils of everyday life, “Princess of China” chronicles the pitfalls when love becomes a battleground. “I could’ve been a princess, you’d be a king could’ve had a castle on a ring but no, you let me go. I could’ve been a princess, you’d be a king could’ve had a castle on a ring but no, you let me go…you stole my star…cause you really hurt me.”

In continuing the sorrows of a broken heart, “Up in Flames” beautifully captures the feeling of loss and the hopelessness of being alone after knowing what it means to truly love.

Mylo Xyloto is a brilliant album that not only captures the human psyche but also devours the illusions of the heart from every stage of love, loss, and rebirth.

Separately each track holds its own, but meshed together produces pure greatness.

This album does not disappoint on any level.

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / UPGRADE

Tips And Tricks For Flu Season make sure you have enough. If you are wondering, the recommended amount is eight cups/glasses of water per day. Drinking plenty of water is also beneficial for your skin, which can take a beating during the cold and dry months.

So, remember when you’re thinking about getting a drink from the school vending machines, to go for the healthy option and get a water and don’t forget to reuse your bottle if you can.

Getting good nights of sleep is an easy and effective way to keep yourself and your body in good spirits. There is growing evidence that links sleep and a healthy immune system. There is also a connection between happiness and the ability to fight away germs. A 2009 experiment by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University uncovered a correlation that people

20 Under 20: China Pan

This weekly segment features ideas of fun things to do that are $20 or less and under 20 miles from CCSU. Sarah Bogues The Recorder

Craving Chinese food lately?

It’s at China Pan that one can satisfy that craving with only the best, well--cooked Chinese food in the Hartford area.

China Pan, nestled in the shopping plaza near Michaels and TJ Maxx is located only a mere two miles from CCSU. Taking only about five minutes to get to the take-out or sit down restaurant, China Pan is definitely worth the trip.

Upon entering, one will quickly notice the Chinese decorations, two large, fake trees and booths normally filled with a ton of people.

Glasses of water and a bowl of noodles with sweet and sour sauce are served immediately.

Taking a first peek at the menu one might think it’s just another Chinese place, yet it’s more than

that. If the first couple pages of the menu clearly look like another take-out Chinese place, it’s because it does with only one exception: China Pan is much better. With a nice mixture of soups, chicken, beef, pork, fried rice, combination platters and much more on the menu, China Pan surely hits a homerun. The price is reasonable, costing a bit more than a normal Chinese take-out place, with a combination platter of Sesame Chicken costing $9.25, a small sweet and sour chicken costing $5.95 and a small chicken with broccoli costing $5.95.

The last five or six pages of the menu is entirely devoted to vegan and vegetarian foods with typical dishes such as Sesame Chicken and General Tso’s chicken turned into vegan foods such as vegan Sesame Chicken and vegan General Tso’s chicken. Mostly anything vegan or vegetarian can be found on China

Pan’s menu seeing as it is what the delicious restaurant is known for.

Prices for vegan and vegetarian dishes lie in the same range as “normal” China Pan dishes, $9.00 to $11.00 for combination platters, $4.00 to $8.00 for small portions, and $7.00 to $15.00 for large portions all depending on what the dish is.

If going for take-out at China Pan, one can get a scrumptious meal of vegan Sesame chicken and an appetizer all for under $20.00 with even some money left over; a definite deal. So, if you are craving not only delicious, typical Chinese foods, but also vegan and vegetarian Chinese foods then stop by China Pan and check it out.

China Pan is open for sit down, take-out, delivery, and catering seven days a week with Sunday thru Thursday open from 11:00 am to 10:00 pm and Friday & Saturday open from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm.

Netflix It: dalton silvernail The Recorder

I will be the first to say that I don’t enjoy subtitled movies.

It’s far too difficult for me to sit for an hour or two trying to read everything said while watching the events of the film. That being said, every so often it is worth it. Norway’s The Troll Hunter (2010)

by André Øvredal is easily one, if not the best, example of this.

Set in Norway, primarily taking place in the remote forest and mountains of the country, the movie is shot by a team of college students following a man whose job is to kill trolls. From deep woodlands to deserted mines, to the camping trailer the hunter lives in, the varied locations of the film are fantastically chosen and manipulated to give the appearance of the trolls presence within them. The migration from one setting to another also avoids the issue of film monsters being present in one place only, a premise I consider to be a major pit fall in monster films given that if people spend decades looking for the Loch Ness Monster they would do the same for whatever creature the film is portraying.

Taking a page from The Blair Witch Project and Cloverfield, the visuals and audio of the movie are recorded by the characters. By having college journalism students record the events, they avoid the issues of bad picture, audio quality and poor camera handling.

This simple act, of putting control in the hands of people with access to better equipment and at least some training in its use, drastically improves over movies in this format that become two hours of video that looks like it’s from YouTube.

The handling of the details about trolls, as well as the organization keeping them secret, is explained in fairly believable ways, keeping the viewer from having to disregard the films events as unrealistic.

Throughout the movie, the film crew slowly gets information from the hunter about the trolls and those keeping them secret.

And while certain characteristics of the trolls, such as a potential 1,000 year life span and their ability to smell the blood of Christians

who were generally happy, lively and calm were better able to fight off both cold and flu viruses than people who were anxious, hostile or depressed. So by getting a good night sleep, you’re giving your body a chance to relax and unwind after a stressful day and letting your immune system focus on keeping itself in tip-top order.

Something else that people may not realize is that what you eat has a great effect on how well your body functions. According to WebMD there are many foods that can help boost your immune system. Eating whole grains, spinach, salmon, green tea, fruits high in vitamin-c and having a good daily source of protein can help boost your immune system. The importance of having at least one hot meal a day cannot be stressed enough, even if it is just a cup of soup from

Memorial Hall with your custom made wrap.

Last, but not least, one of the most important and probably most obvious precautions you can take to prevent yourself from getting sick is a simple as two words. Don’t. Share.

That’s easy enough to remember when you’re in class and sipping on your own coffee, but when it comes to parties and social occasions always remember to keep your drink to yourself. Even your best friend may be totally harmless, but her germs that she got in English class might not be. Don’t forget that people can be carriers for germs, but not show side effects, so they might not even know they are sick.

Take it from someone who’s made the mistake and just keep your drinks to yourself and save yourself the sore throat and stuffy nose for a few days later.

Email editor@centralrecorder.com

You’re sitting in class, the kid behind you keeps sneezing down the back of your neck, and all you can think about is where is the closest hand sanitation station is. The truth of the matter is flu season sucks. There is no way you can escape all of the classroom coughs and sniffles, and in a small classroom of 25 people, it can feel like a germ incubator. Thankfully, there are some very simple and smart ways you can keep your immune system as strong as possible to fight those oncoming germs.

First things first, get a flu shot.

Don’t have time, or can’t afford it?

CCSU Health Services is making it even easier for you to keep a step ahead with many different

opportunities to get a flu shot, right on campus. The next clinic is Thursday, November 17th in the Blue and White room in the Student Center from 11am-2pm.

The fee is $20, which would be billed straight to your student account. If that time doesn’t work for you, you can just call the health Services Center at 860-832-1925 to schedule a time that does fit into your busy schedule.

Getting the flu shot can greatly decrease your chances of getting the flu, but doesn’t always help keep those pesky colds at bay.

One of the best precautions you can take to staying healthy is to keep hydrated, and that doesn’t mean your daily five cups of coffee. Drinking enough water is something many people don’t do on a daily basis, and during flu season it’s even more important to

Come turn heads.

The Recorder

Not Seeing what you want to see?

rachael bentley

The Troll Hunter

more readily than that of other people, are a bit more fanciful than scientific, the explanations for things such as multiple heads and their rather extreme reaction to ultraviolet are explained in ways far closer to realm of possibility.

As for the secretive TSS (Troll Security Service), I found the choice of refraining from explaining the full extent of their government connection and motivation behind their work to be more than satisfying. For instance, it’s oddly satisfying that when asked why trolls were kept secret, the hunter admitted that he didn’t know exactly why. The lack of focus on ‘the why’ of things left much more time to explore the emotion and humanity of the hunter with a lonely life and a job that he does because he must, not because he wants to. It also forces the film crew to have reason outside of wanting to expose the governments secrets (a rather cliché concept) as they continue putting themselves in danger.

Separately, these elements improve on a plot that is, for the most part, the basic monster movie story. W hat brings them together and what truly sets this movie above so many others of the same variety is the acting. Every actor portrayed their character so well that they truly appeared more real than acted. The director’s choice to refrain from the standard overly shocked reaction at the existence of the trolls, which is present in monster movies both good and bad, made the characters much more organic.

Overall, this is one of the best films I have ever seen. It may not be the most exciting, have the best graphics or be a film I’d watch on a regular basis, but it’s an amazing movie with a great plot and some of the most realistic characters I have ever seen. This movie is a fantastic reminder that film was once thought of as a medium of art more than a medium for fame and wealth.

I won’t say it’s the next movie you should watch, or that you’re going to want to watch it over and over, but this is a film in the form of art rather than just entertainment. I will say you should certainly take the time to watch it at some point—much like I would say you should take a break from looking at funny cat pictures online and visit a museum once in a while.

8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / UPGRADE

9

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE

Led By Horton, Men’s Basketball Is Ready For Tournament Run The Recorder

“It’s Time, March 7th, 2012.”

That’s the message that appears on the back of the CCSU men’s basketball team’s practice jerseys.

The date marks the Northeast Conference championship game, which the Blue Devils fell just short of last year with a 69-67 semifinal loss to the eventual champion, Long Island University.

“Motivation, inspiration,” Kenny Horton said of the meaning of the message they wear on their backs. “It’s a reminder every day of what we’re working for, March 7th, we want to get to the championship game, we want to win and get ready for selection Sunday on March 11th.”

Horton is the leader of the CCSU squad that enters the 2012 season predicted to finish third in the NEC. At practice last Thursday, Horton went 9-12 from threepoint range, and 18-28 overall.

The 6-foot-6 senior from Ossining, NY is carrying a lot of baggage, however.

According to the Hartford Courant, Horton is accused of punching his ex-girlfriend, Ronnie Caruso, in the face outside of a New Britain bar. He has a January court date and the Athletics Department would not comment any further on the situation.

Still, Head Coach Howie Dickenman spoke volumes about just how good Kenny Horton is.

The rest of the NEC seems to think so as well, as he was named to the preseason all-conference first team.

“He’s ridiculously good,” Dickenman said. “He has the green light if he wants to shoot 20 three pointers per game and he has the ability to do that provided that he’s got an open shot…I want him to shoot the three pointer if he’s open,

and if he doesn’t for one reason or another, I tell him that he’s hurting the team.”

Horton shot 37.6% from beyond the arc last season, which led the team. His overall field goal percentage was 49.2% and led the team with 35.4 minutes per game.

Horton also led the Blue Devils in rebounding with 275. The next highest was Shemik Thompson with 159.

“We can’t count on Kenny for everything, even though he’s by far our best rebounder,” Dickenman said. “We’d like somebody to beat him out for rebounds, but that’s highly unlikely. He’s catching everything, it’s like he has glue on his hands, he just comes up with everything.”

The Blue Devils had a full squad practicing with all 14 roster players being subbed in and out during a simulated game. Dickenman said that CCSU could go “9 or 10 deep” in a single game, something important to a Blue Devils squad that has only had seven or eight regular contributers in prior seasons.

“Dave [Simmons] and I were talking about it a little bit,” Horton said. “It was the first time that he’s guarded me and I lit him up a little bit. It’s competitive and we push each other out there. I would rather him guard me more than anyone else because he’s an aggressive player that goes out and pushes me every day.”

Dave Simmons returns to the Blue Devils after a one-year hiatus.

The long-armed, 6-foot-5 senior from Syracuse, NY wasn’t enrolled at CCSU during the fall semester last year, but returned for the spring semester. He spent most of the second half of the season out of uniform, but he did suit up for the last few games.

“Dave brings that toughness,

he brings that spark,” said Horton.

“You have to play tough against him because if you don’t, he’ll outmuscle you, out-rebound you.”

The three forwards will likely be made up of Horton, Simmons and Joe Efese. The guards could be De’Angelo Speech and Robby Ptacek. Coach Dickenman didn’t favor any one freshman, but said they are all working hard.

“They aren’t playing like freshman,” Dickenman said. “But, that doesn’t mean when the lights go on they won’t make mistakes.

They need to make those mistakes, that’s how they get better.”

There is more height available on the bench for the Blue Devils.

Sophomore Justin Alexander, who saw limited playing time, is 6-foot9, and freshman Erick Raleigh from Philadelphia, PA, measures in at 6-foot-8.

The Blue Devils open up against a tough opponent in Yale. They will face off on Friday night at Mohegan Sun Arena at the Connecticut Six Classic.

“I want them to be nervous,” Dickenman said. “I told them, they’re going to have trouble breathing. They’re going to have rubber legs when they run out there, but they need to be ready for that.”

CCSU will have an interesting out of conference schedule this year, with home matchups against Yale, Army, UMBC, Hartford and La Salle. Their road matchups are kenny barto I THE RECORDER at Niagara, Michigan State, Brown, Northwestern and UMass.

“We have a pretty good schedule Kenny Horton will lead the Blue Devils into the 2011/2012 season looking to this year,” Dickenman said. “We build on his impressive 2010/2011 campaign. almost added Maryland to that list, but it didn’t work out. We might try to go down in the same area next be tough games.” was when the ‘Selection Sunday’ year as it seems we might add two As for the message on their date was on them in the 2006-2007 more kids from the D.C. area, but practice jerseys, it’s something that season. In that season, the Blue we also added Michigan State and has been in place for years. But, Devils went 16-2 and won the NEC Northwestern on there, which will the last time a date was on them in front of a national audience.

Blue Devils Beat St. Francis (Pa.) And Robert Morris During Weekend Action.

VOLLEYBALL | cont. from 12 helped us push through to get the win today.”

In sets two and three, the largest deficit on any side was just three points. In the fourth set, the Blue Devils jumped out to a 18-16 advantage against the Colonials.

Robert Morris fought back, however, and worked the game to a tie score at 21-21. The game went back and forth, eventually getting to 24-24. The Blue Devils showed poise under pressure yet again, and were able to score two straight points to win the match

three games to one.

Both DeLacey and Gasser played extremely well in their last game on their home court.

DeLacey’s kill percentage was .471, which was second on the team to Rademacher for the match.

Gasser had a kill percentage of .286 while adding 11 digs, and a match-high 54 assists.

“It was definitely bittersweet,” said DeLacey. “We’ve been here so long, but I’m glad to come away with a win in our last match here at home.”

Both DeLacey and Gasser may have the opportunity to play

overseas in Ireland once they graduate. However, until then, they both agree that there is one thing they would like to do before the season is over.

“Beat Sacred Heart,” said both girls in unison when asked what their goals were for the rest of the season.

Sagnelli isn’t ready to look that far, however.

“We still have one more weekend left to play before the playoffs,” she said. “We have the opportunity to beat Long Island who is tied at the top with Sacred Heart. I’m more focused on that

right now; I don’t want to look too far ahead.”

CCSU faces Long Island on Sunday, one day after they travel to last-place St. Francis (N.Y.) who remains winless in the NEC. With the sweep this weekend, the Blue Devils continue on with a 5-game winning streak, their longest of the season.

“It’s a big weekend next weekend,” Sagnelli said. “[Long Island] hasn’t seen us play like we did this weekend. I know we can put up a fight, as long as we execute and do all the little things right.”

Mens Soccer Shuts Out St. Francis (N.Y.) 2-0 SOCCER | cont. FROM 12 The second half began with the Terriers maintaining more possession than the Blue Devils, as CCSU went into defensive mode.

Although St. Francis kept possession, they did not create many clear chances in the game and CCSU caught them many times on the break with some great counterattacks.

Between the 75th and 80th minute, CCSU had three chances to thrash the Terriers had it not been for bad finishing and good goalkeeping. The first chance came courtesy of A. Dioubate and Wilson, who ran down opposite

sides with only one defender in the way. Reece and A. Dioubate played a one-two down the left closer to the box but Wilson’s finish saw the ball go wide.

The third and final chance of the game came when A. Dioubate left three defenders on the floor following some amazing dribbling clearing himself and Stephen Walmsley of any defenders, but his back-pass was intercepted and cleared.

Green took the time to congratulate co-captain Aaron Durr, who began the program four years ago following the Blue Devils’ final play-off visit in 2007.

“I’m proud of Aaron, you know?

He’s a local kid from Meriden,

[Conn.], and for four years he’s put every minute of every game this season. He stood up and added a lot of leadership into this team, into this game. I asked him in this game that every other game counts for this one, and he’s been fantastic.”

CCSU, Sacred Heart, Monmouth and Fairleigh Dickinson University have clinched play-off berths with the winner going to the NCAA tournament.

“I feel incredible, man. To go from bottom of the league to finish first feels terrific,” commented Durr.

“Tony [Occhialini], first of all, has been our best player, hands down, this season. He’s been phenomenal.

Back there, Mamoudou, Bailey,

we’ve just had a connection this year, shutouts win the games and we were able to keep it up.”

The Blue Devils return to action in the NEC tournament at Sacred Heart this Friday at 3 p.m. They will face Monmouth, who was an early season favorite that earned votes for the top 25 rankings just a few weeks ago. The Blue Devils upset the Hawks 2-1 on the road back on Oct. 2.

This is CCSU’s first appearance in the NEC tournament since 2007 when they won it all. They later advanced to the Sweet Sixteen in the national tournament, which was arguably their most successful season to date.

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kenny barto

10

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / SPORTS

Men’s Cross Country Wins Th ird November Straight NEC Championship Gets Hairy

COLUMN

For A Cause

bRittany buRke the Recorder

In October, women post secret and confusing Facebook statuses about the color of their bras or where they leave their purses. The color pink is prominently displayed, even on professional football fields, all in the name of breast cancer awareness.

Now that October has come and gone, it is time for the women to step aside and to let the men take center stage. The month of November isn’t about posting statuses, it’s about putting down the razors and letting the facial hair grow.

While October is dedicated to breast cancer, the next month is all about raising awareness for cancers that affect men, most notably prostate cancer.

In past years I’ve heard about the “No Shave November” movement, which challenged men to grow beards (something usually reserved for NHL playoff season), but this year it seems to be all about growing mustaches and renaming November to Movember.

Being able to grow facial hair is usually something men pride themselves in, or at least from what I’ve heard from my guy friends and 17-year old brother who can have a full beard in less than a month, so it makes sense that to raise awareness from men they’d go scruff y for 30 days.

The men who participate are most notably called Mo Bros. The idea that began in Australia has spread quickly throughout the world, garnering more and more attention. It seems that having multiple men with moustaches is doing the same thing as the confusing Facebook statuses were, which is getting people to ask questions.

So far there have been over 1 million participants and $174 million raised in the effort to garner awareness for men’s health since 2003. The United States Movember foundation funds charities such as the Livestrong and the Prostate Cancer Foundation.

What makes this movement so strong is that it’s not just for men like breast cancer awareness month isn’t just for women. Larry Fitzgerald and multiple athletes and professional organization cast stereotypes aside and donned pink for awareness and in November there can also be Mo Sistas.

No, this doesn’t mean to stop shaving your legs or something crazy like that, that doesn’t help anything.

Instead, being a Mo Sista means putting up with a month of beard burn, supporting the Mo Bros and speaking about the cause.

It’s vital with causes like the ones in the past couple of months to be creative to draw even more attention.

NHL goalie, Jonas Hiller has started to wear a new mask in honor of the cause.

The mask was created with his Duck teammates’ portraits on it, but all the pictures have drawn on moustaches.

At the end of the month Hiller plans to auction the mask off and donate the proceeds to prostate cancer research.

You don’t have to be a professional athlete to make a difference, every conversation and dollar helps in trying to rid the world of cancer.

nick Rosa

the Recorder

Senior Sam Alexander and junior Craig Hunt took first and second this past weekend at the Northeast Conference Cross Country Championship, helping the Blue Devils to their third straight title.

Dealing with the cold weather, the team pulled together and had five Blue Devils finish in the top-20 and six in the top-25.

Alexander and Hunt finished second and third at the 2010 NEC meet last year behind former CCSU teammate Ry Sanderson. At this year’s meet, Alexander posted a time of 25:59.10, while Hunt ran the 8K course in 26:06.90. The duo finished a full 30 seconds ahead of the third place finisher from Sacred Heart, Jeffery Lusignan.

This championship also marks Coach Eric Blake’s third consecutive title in three years since he became head coach. Blake also led his indoor track and field team to an NEC Championship last winter and eyes another in the upcoming months.

“The team ran very well, especially in such tough conditions,” Alexander said.

In the top-20 along with Hunt and Alexander was, senior Jeremy Schmid who placed 12th, freshman Andy Pullaro placing 19th, and senior Ben Lazarus who took 20th to round off the Blue Devils’ score.

Schmid ran the course in 27:11.30, Pullaro ran a 27:27.0, and Lazarus posted a time of 27:28.70.

Other displacing finishers included junior John Krell who finished in the top-25 at 22nd overall in time of 27:46.4, freshman Brian Biekert who took 35th with a time of 28:09.40, and sophomore Andrew Hill who finished 36th in a time of 28:09.70.

CCSU’s low score of 54 points put them just thirteen points in front of second place finisher St. Francis (PA) with 67 points.

Mount St. Mary’s finished in third with 131 points, and the hosting team, Monmouth, took fourth with 133 points.

Alexander was very grateful for this championship as a team and not just his

Photo i aMy stRickland

The Blue Devils won the NEC championship in Monmouth during the snowstorm. individual accomplishments.

“It was a very fun experience. I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity and the support from everyone,” Alexander said. “Winning individually and as a team is special to me since the conference meet is so big for us.”

Aside from this being the team’s third straight NEC victory, this also marks the second consecutive individual title for CCSU. The women’s team also placed well, earning a fourth place finish overall with a team score of 99 points. Senior Alasia Griebel took the NEC title along with Alexander in a time of 18:42.10, placing five seconds in front of the runner-up, Eimear Black of Bryant to capture the title in her first NEC Championship meet.

CCSU finished behind Quinnipiac, Sacred Heart, and Monmouth. The Bobcats won this year’s title with a low team score

of 44 points. CCSU missed third place by only nine points.

Other Blue Devils that scored were sophomore Krisztina Dearborn in 13th, sophomore Elizabeth Eberhardt in 23rd, freshman Shannon McBride in 32nd and senior Amanda Asaro in 34th.

Eberhardt posted a time of 19:50.30, McBride with a time of 20:09.50, and Asaro crossed the line in 20:13.60 in this 5K race.

Coach Blake also helped the women improve one spot from the 2010 fifth place finish at last year’s NEC’s.

While the men keep winning and the women improving over these last three years, its obvious Coach Blake’s training methods mesh with his athletes. The teams will continue their training over the next couple weeks while they look to grow on their individual and team accomplishments at NCAA Regionals held in Buffalo, NY, on Nov. 12.

Club Hockey Splits Weekend Games bRittany buRke the Recorder

Back-to-back game days saw the CCSU club hockey team splitting their weekend matchups, losing at home before turning around the next night to win on the road.

Saturday night’s 7-3 win at New York University (9-2-0-0) was a redemption game for the Blue Devils (4-4-2-1) who lost at home to the Bobcats on Oct. 15. The initial matchup loss was a close game, which ended in overtime, but as CCSU took the ice at Sky Rink in New York things seemed to be different.

Even with 74 penalty minutes, the Blue Devils quickly got the early lead, burying the Bobcats 4-0 five minutes into the second period. Eight different players had a hand in the NYU defeat, and getting multiple lines rolling and productive is something that the CCSU team has been trying to do since last season.

Jon Knobloch and Ryan Stanley both had four points in the game, two goals and two assists, while Adam Mazurkiewicz, Nick Centore and Matt Siracusa all had a goal apiece.

Aside from the five goal scorers three others, Conor Stanley, Adam Goldstein and Sean Stoneman each had at least one assist.

After being rested from the night before, starting goalie Greg Coco took his spot between the pipes and had 37 saves on 40 shots on goal.

The win followed a late night game at the Newington Arena, in which the Blue Devils lost to longtime Super East rivals, the Siena Saints. With John Palmieri starting in net the Saints outshot the Blue Devils 30 to 23, with Siena (9-1-2-0) notching 2 goals against CCSU’s 1. “[Palmieri’s] been working real hard

in practice, he’s been looking real good in practice and with the history of Siena I figured it’d be good to throw a little curveball in and start somebody who has no idea what Siena’s about and maybe psychologically doesn’t buy into everything that’s been said,” Head Coach Ben Adams said.

It was CCSU who struck first, with a goal coming from C. Stanley. The Blue Devil rookie has 14 points in 11 games, and was fed the puck from older brother, Ryan, and Knobloch. With R. Stanley bringing the puck up the left side, he sent it sailing to his brother who managed to ding it in off the goal post.

“I knew [Siena was] a good team and they were going to have four lines that could play and they had quality defensemen and good goalies, and I knew it was going to be a battle and I knew we could play with them, so it was great to come out like that,” said C. Stanley.

CCSU dominated the first period of play, keeping the puck in their own attacking zone, but Siena came back out to the ice after first intermission with an additional fire they were lacking in the opening minutes.

“They’re a team that was expected to beat us, coming into the second it was 1-0 and we were winning so I think the coach had a few choice words in the locker room and they came out hard and you got to give them credit, but we should’ve matched their intensity and that’s on us I guess,” said R. Stanley.

A stick-side corner goal tied the game in the early minutes of the second period, but the Saints wouldn’t secure the win until the third.

After the initial Siena goal the game went back and forth, with CCSU having trouble clearing its own zone. The Blue Devils had the chance to take the lead when Siena’s Casey Hladik was sent to the box for five minutes off a hit made to R. Stanley in the CCSU attack zone.

“I think if you don’t score on a five minute it kind of gives the team momentum that killed off the penalty because it’s huge, especially with five minutes on the powerplay, I think that could have been a turning point [for us],” said R. Stanley.

CCSU began to fight back, but couldn’t capitalize against the Siena penalty killers, and eventually ran out of time for the come-frombehind win.

The Blue Devils will remain at home for the next two weeks beginning with the Nov. 12 game against Northeastern at 10 p.m. in Newington.

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11

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / SPORTS

A Bittersweet Senior Day Celebration

kenny barto I THE RECORDER

The CCSU seniors celebrated their last game at Arute Field with family and friends. The Blue Devils snapped their six game losing streak, beating Robert Morris 31-24.

brittany burke The Recorder

Fourteen graduating seniors took to Arute Field in front of family, friends and Blue Devils fans for the last time Saturday to play Northeast Conference rivals, the Robert Morris Colonials. In the final home game of the season, CCSU managed to snap a sixgame losing streak while handing RMU its fourth consecutive loss, 31-24.

Fifteen Blue Devils were honored in the pre-game ceremonies, despite only fourteen suiting up for the game. The atmosphere around Arute grew solemn as the seniors lined up on the sidelines with family members flanking them on either side. The first player honored was number 94, Rich Royster. The 2011 season was dedicated to Royster, who was killed in a car accident, and it was his mother who met Head Coach Jeff McInerney and Athletics Director Paul Schlickmann at midfield. “[Senior day is] sad, always sad,” said Head Coach Jeff McInerney. “There are some people you truly love whether you win or lose or draw. I always tell them this, the wins and losses, championships, come and go, but relationships stay for a lifetime and I’ve known some of these kids since right after they’ve shown up out of high school. I can tell you something about every one of them and they’ve all had tough and hard times.”

Many of the players on the CCSU football

(3-7, 2-5 NEC) team are recruited right from Connecticut, so it is always special to have longtime friends and family come see them play at home one final time. This senior class had a hand in the 2009 outright NEC championship as well as the 2010 coNEC championship.

“This is probably my last time ever playing football in New Britain,” said senior linebacker, Isaiah Boddie. “I mean I’ve been playing football in New Britain my entire life, since I was little. So it’s definitely special, especially since I’ve been with these guys … it’s special.”

Prior to the defeat of RMU (2-9, 2-4 NEC), CCSU hadn’t won since Sept. 17 at Wagner, and the fans hadn’t seen a home win since the season opener against the Southern Connecticut State University Owls. The early lead provided by Brian Fowler’s 9-yard run was also the first lead since Oct. 8 in the loss against UMass.

Fowler, a graduating senior, had two touchdowns in the game and 91-yards. He finished second in rushing for the Blue Devils behind running back Chris Tolbert.

Tolbert had an explosive game, finishing with 162-yards rushing and 23-yards receiving. While it may have been senior day, it was the sophomore who had a careerhigh game, breaking the 100-yard mark for the first time.

“Really just the line was opening the holes and I was just running through them

just making my reads, just opening up,” said Tolbert. “I thought we could’ve done this all season but it is what it is and the win today felt good.”

David Sabilia and Raul Debenendittis also had a hand in securing points for the Blue Devils. Sabilia scored with under two minutes to play in the half following a 15yard RMU personal foul. The seven points were the first for Sabilia, who plays both tight end and offensive linebacker.

Debenendittis on the other hand had the only touchdown in the third, which was dominated by the defense.

“We had a good scheme out there today,” said graduating quarterback Gunnar Jespersen. “We were opening up the run with the pass, opening up the pass with the run, the way we had our line blocking down at that front opened up for Chris and Fowl, and they looked good. They ran the ball well and we needed that. I think we got sick of where we were at and finally pulled out of it.”

Over the past six weeks the Blue Devils had gotten away from the nitty-gritty fundamentals of football, but offensively things seemed to click for CCSU. Aside from Tolbert’s record game, the Blue Devils also racked up a season high 279-yards rushing.

Defensively there are things that still need to be worked on, but the team is continually building foundations for next

year’s roster. While CCSU got up early, RMU managed to score 10 unanswered points, however following the half the team came out with an additional fire. “[I] had to yell at them at half time, the defense, which I hadn’t had to yell at a team in about four years,” said McInerney.

“The problem was handled and [the team] responded and went out and had a bunch of three-and-outs. I’m just happy for our seniors, and we needed that in a bad way to build on our future I think that was obvious.”

A Tyrell Holmes interception kept the Colonials out of the end zone and gave CCSU the chance to get more points on the board, resulting in a 31-yard field goal.

Prior to the half, RMU quarterback Jeff Sinclair had to be helped off the field and was later replaced for the remaining quarters by freshman back Matt Layman.

The Blue Devils now have momentum going into a bye week before traveling to Bryant to finish out the season.

“Us being 3-7, there’s been some things that I didn’t do well, there’s been things that the assistant coaches didn’t do well, and there’s things that some of the players, when you win two championships, not that they’re bad kids, they forget little things and the extra things it takes to win, you just don’t show up and it happens … I learned a valuable lesson so I’m excited. I’d like to end this season on a two game winning streak,” said McInerney.

Blue Devils Graduating Seniors

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

CCSU running back Chris Tolbert had a huge game for the Blue Devils. He broke the 100-yard mark for the first time, leading the team with 162 rushing yards while adding 23 receiving yards.

Raul DeBenendittis / 3 / WR London Lomax / 6/ DB Gunnar Jespersen / 8 / QB Isaiah Boddie / 13 / LB Justin Paradis / 14 / WR, LS Brian Fowler / 20 / RB Dominic Giampietro / 40 / DL Gene Johnson / 52 / DL Dewayne Dawkins / 58 / OL Garth Harrison / 64 / OL Casey Ryan / 72 / OL Brendan Brackett / 76 / OL Rich Royster / 94 / DL Jeff Logan / 95 / DL Charles Williams / 99 / DL

12

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 9, 2011 / SPORTS

Soccer Wins NEC Regular Season Championship With 2-0 Victory Danny Contreras The Recorder

“We believed in ourselves the whole season, and people came in the pre-season thinking we’d finish bottom. Give credit to our guys, we went from bottom to top in one year and not many teams can do that,” said men’s soccer Head Coach Shaun Green, who celebrated his 27th season with a Northeast Conference Championship, securing it with a 2-0 win over St. Francis (N.Y.) on Friday afternoon.

CCSU finished in a three-way tie at the top of the NEC with Sacred Heart and Monmouth, all having 21 points in conference play.

The Blue Devils (10-8, 7-3 NEC) had to travel to the University of Hartford to play the game against the Terriers (10-5-3, 5-3-2 NEC) due to the widespread power outages in New Britain.

Both of CCSU’s goals were scored in the first 24 minutes of the match, giving them the insurance they needed to win the match.

“The early goals were critical.

This team had to win the games to make it to the play-offs and this team knew they had to win to get into the play-offs,” Green said. “We knew early we needed to score early and then go into defensive mode.

Of course Eddy Bogle, a local kid, has had a massive impact in the games, and Reece Wilson stepped it up in the last three games and we’ve done well.”

In the 23rd minute, Bogle combined with Alpha Dioubate in the penalty box to score the first goal of the game. Bogle placed the ball in the bottom left corner of the goal with a sliding kick after a through pass from A. Dioubate leaving two Terriers’ defenders in their wake.

Just one minute later, following

a foul from Bryant Vargas on the 35 yard line, Wilson slotted home the set-piece effort with a free-kick that curled into the top right corner of the goal.

CCSU began the game with a high tempo, getting its first corner kick with only ten seconds on the clock. However, the corner kick did not materialize, but the Terriers rarely ever got a touch of the ball during the opening ten minutes.

The Blue Devils maintained possession, completing 80 percent of their passes. In the eighth minute, Bogle forced a heroic save from St. Francis’ Tyler Clarhaut after combining with Wilson and Thomas Obasi, which would have been a sure goal.

“It just takes time to understand your partners. Like in every relationship it takes time,” said Green. “I’ve felt every week as we got into training and the more games we played, the more players understood each other, appreciating each other’s strengths and weaknesses. Our attacking players [got] better as the season went on, understanding their idiosyncrasies.”

The partnership between Bogle and Wilson combined for 12 goals in 18 games this season.

As the game wore on, the Blue Devils’ fitness showed thanks to the tiredness of the Terriers. Of course, the Terriers never gave up and created a great chance on 33 minutes courtesy of Giorgio Ferrarra, who received a pass from just outside the CCSU box. Ferrarra tried a dipper shot on Anthony Occhialini, but couldn’t get it under control and the ball went high of the bar. The first half finished soon after with the Blue Devils ahead 2-0.

SOCCER | cont. on 9

KENNY BARTO I THE RECORDER

CCSU midfielder Nick Cianci fights against a St. Francis (N.Y.) defender during their 2-0 victory on Friday.

Volleyball Honors Seniors, Clinches NEC Playoff Spot kenny barto The Recorder

This weekend’s action brought two important conference wins for the CCSU volleyball team, but the mood turned bittersweet when seniors Danielle Gasser and Sara DeLacey took the court at Detrick Gymnasium for the last time.

“Words can’t express how important they’ve been for this program,” Head Coach Linda Sagnelli said. “You can’t replace them, there’s no way, but they’ve made a lasting impact and you can only learn from them. They’re so inclusive of everyone and they’re just great players on the court as well.”

On Saturday, the Blue Devils (19-9, 10-4 NEC) played host to Saint Francis (PA) (9-20, 4-10 NEC) and quickly sent them packing in three sets.

It was not easy for CCSU against the Red Flash, however, as they were at match point, 24-19, when a kill by Jamie Rademacher gave Blaike King the service opportunity. A block by Gasser and Rademacher led to backto-back kills by Emily Cochran, followed by an attack error from St. Francis’ Breanna Kochinsky to bring the game to 24-24. A perfect set by Gasser gave Rademacher yet another kill to put the Blue Devils in control, 25-24 with a need for just one more point to put the match away.

King would not disappoint, serving a rocket across the net which the Red Flash could not handle, ending the game with an ace, clinching a spot in the NEC

Seniors Danielle Gasser and Sara DeLacey were honored prior to the game against Robert Morris on Sunday. playoffs.

“We went to serve being down 24-20, and we won 26-24, it was just amazing,” said Sagnelli.

“Blaike’s nerves of steel combined with good ball movement and defense was the key to being able to sweep that match.”

CCSU’s comeback abilities were tested yet again on Sunday

as they played host to Robert Morris, who held the same conference record. The Blue Devils fell behind out of the gate, falling by as much as six in the first set before losing 25-21.

“It’s always tough facing [Robert Morris],” Sagnelli said.

“They’re a top four team yearin and year-out, and they really

showed it in that first set. We couldn’t put the ball down at crucial points, and we didn’t defend as well as we did in the other sets.”

With an increased crowd due to senior day, the atmosphere at Detrick was louder than normal, and had almost a playoff feel to it. All four sets were closely

KENNY BARTO I THE RECORDER

contested, and the crowd showed its appreciation with loud cheers every time the Blue Devils scored a point.

“That was awesome,” Sagnelli said with a smile. “It got the team pumped up and I really think it VOLLEYBALL | cont. on 9