Volume 108 Issue 12

AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Central Connecticut State University

Volume 108 No. 12

Malloy Grants Additional $275 Million For Busway Project justin muszynski

Governor Dannel Malloy signed a deal last week that will give the New Britain to Hartford busway the funding it needs to break ground in the spring of 2012.

Malloy, who was joined by Senator Joseph Lieberman, Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff and others, says even in times of economic uncertainty, Connecticut needs to be firm with developments like this.

“Now some folks might say, ‘in years of decline, which Connecticut has experienced in employment, why do we care so much about transportation?’” asked Malloy. “And I suppose if you are banking on another 22 years of decline in state government, then perhaps we shouldn’t commit to these investments.”

The funding that was approved was a grant agreement of $275 million which is a little less than half of the total cost of $567 million.

Eighty percent of that is from federal funding.

The busway is estimated to transport about 16,000 passengers per day between New Britain and Hartford. It’s also projected that the busses will only take about 20 minutes to get commuters to their destination, a trip that would normally take them between 42 and 52 minutes depending on the time of day.

Rogoff says he’s pleased that this vision is finally a reality, as it has been debated for years.

“This certainly is a great day for Connecticut, it’s a great day for jobs in Connecticut, it’s a great day for congestion relief on interstate 84,” said Rogoff. “After years and years of study and debate, after years of engineering and design, we are finally here to commit the federal government to $275 million to the Hartford-New Britain bus line.”

The busway is said to be complete by 2014.

Rogoff also says that travel time will be cut down and will allow people for more time to do homework, enjoy dinner with their families and make it to things like church and PTA meetings.

“These are the kinds of projects that really

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Senator Joe Lieberman (left), Governor Dannel Malloy (center) and New Britain Mayor Timothy O’Brien (right) sign the grant for the Hartford-New Britain Busway on November 21st in Founders Hall. improve the quality of people’s lives,” said Rogoff.

In addition to providing people with a better source of transportation, the busway is expected to increase travel speeds by 10 percent in congested areas of I-84. Malloy estimates that this project alone will create approximately 4,000 construction jobs, and an additional 100 jobs that will be permanent.

Lieberman says this is a great example of all parties working together to accomplish something for the greater good of the

community.

“This is a project that has been brought to a successful conclusion with the support of Republicans and Democrats, a great partnership between the federal, state and local government,” said Lieberman.

Lieberman also says that it was decided in 2001 that this would be the most cost effective and environmental friendly alternative to cut down on congestion. In 2005, he and others worked hard to make sure this would be seen through, he added. But he gives much

credit to Malloy who came into office and immediately worked to finish the deal and get things started.

The buses will feature dieselelectric hybrid technology to limit their environmental impact. They are scheduled to run more than 18 hours per day and only leave people waiting for three minutes during peak time and five minutes during off times.

The press conference, which took place in Founder’s Hall, had a strong turn-out.

Professor Arrested On Motor Vehicle Charges

Theatre Department Presents ‘Antigone’ Review On Page 7

justin muszynski

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Associate Professor of English Ravi Shankar was arrested on Nov. 5 on four charges in relation to a car accident that he was involved in.

Shankar was charged with illegally operating a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol and/or drugs, evading responsibility, failure to drive in the proper lane and illegally operating a motor vehicle without minimum insurance.

His arraignment took place on Nov. 22 and, according to the State of Connecticut’s Judicial Branch website, he has not yet entered a plea.

Shankar was traveling eastbound on Route 40 and was in the shoulder of two lanes when he struck a car in the rear, according to the accident information summary.

He evaded the scene and was later found by the police, who conducted a K9 track in the woods near the scene of the accident.

Shankar was then taken to

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Yale-New Haven Hospital for minor injuries. He was released on a $10,000 non-surety bond.

A non-surety bond means that Shankar signed an official document saying he would definitely be at his next court date and if he didn’t appear, for whatever reason, a warrant would go out for his arrest and he would have to pay the $10,000.

Shankar was also arrested in September on four separate charges related to a case of fraud that he was allegedly involved in. Those legal proceedings are ongoing and he is scheduled to appear in New Britain Superior Court on December 2.

Mark McLaughlin, associate vice president of marketing and communications at CCSU, says that because the case is pending the University cannot comment.

The driver and passenger of the car that Shankar struck were both taken to Yale-New Haven Hospital as well for minor injuries.

Shankar’s next court date in relation to the motor vehicle charges he faces is Dec. 5 in Meriden Superior Court.

2 THE RECORDER Wednesday, November 30, 2011

NEWS

kassondra granata The Recorder

The SGA Senate showed unity at last week’s meeting with the unanimous passing of President Bergenn’s resolution to the faculty senate.

In the resolution, Bergenn addresses the lack of student voice in the faculty senate and hopes to add student voters.He brought to the attention of the student leaders that the other three CSU schools have students who can vote on their faculty senate.

“We should have that representation,” said Bergenn. “The purpose is to create a sense of collaboration, teamwork and a sense of community.”

There were no points against Bergenn’s motion leading to a unanimous passing of the resolution.

They then passed four motions unanimously, allocating the French Club $500, the Outing Club $1000, the NAACP $420 and the Marketing Club $500. The unity then disappeared when Senator Jamie Germaine motioned to allocate $3,000 to the Student Advisory Committee.

Kevin Leaver came forth to the senate to represent the committee and address their need for the money. The Student Advisory Council is planing on hosting an annual “Thank You” event at a winery in Preston where the council will invite alumni and others from major corporations in the area. The event looks to help business majors network and thank alumni and executives for the opportunities they provide business students throughout the year.

“Doing anything to entice the alumni is

a good idea,” said Germaine on his motion.

“What really is an alumni dinner? It is to ask for money, and hopefully we get a lot in return.”

Senator Molly McLaughlin was against the motion, due to the fact that it was not directed to all students.

“This isn’t going to benefit all students, it is going to bring money to the school of business,” said McLaughlin. “I feel like giving them the money to do this will not bring return to the general student body.”

After a back and forth debate and the senate just making quorum, Senator Alex Kitchener motioned to put the debate on hold for two weeks. Kitchener felt that giving the senate an extra few weeks to get more information would help the senate make a better decision.

Treasurer Alaimo disagreed with Kitchener, stating that this should be addressed now.

“We shouldn’t wait any longer,” said Alaimo.

“All the information is here and it’s clear.”

During debate, Senator Kim Towler asked the chair how many people were needed for quorum. After Bergenn told her, Towler immediately got up and left the room, causing the senate to keep debating but making it unable to vote. Many senators, including Senator Jamie Canny were not happy with Towler’s choice to leave the meeting at that point in time.

“I think that it was out of order and inappropriate and in the future we shouldn’t allow inappropriate behavior like this to occur,” said Canny. “In the past, if we had something we didn’t agree with, we would raise our hand and speak against it, you do not do these ‘shady moves.’”

President Bergenn pointed out that they did not have quorum and could not vote on

Senators Baldassario, Sheehan, and Canny during the November 16th meeting. the motion. “What happened today was not out of order,” said Bergenn, reflecting on Towler’s actions. Bergenn plans on speaking to Towler about the choice she made during the meeting. He added, “I want to go over how I interpret something like that happening and how the senate interprets something like that happening and hope there is some mutual respect.”

Earlier in the meeting, Richard Bachoo, chief administrative office for facilities management came to the meeting to address

DANIEL SAUNDERS I THE RECORDER

SGA Senate Passes Five Unanimous Motions At Meeting

the senate about the circumstances of the snowstorm at the end of October and the power outage on campus. Bachoo noticed that there were several misunderstandings among the students based on the decisions the University had made in regards to cancelling classes and events.

“Safety is our highest priority,” said Bachoo. “If we thought that we could not get students here safely, we would not have made this decision. This was not a weather related issue; this was a power related issue.”

Police Report Fewer Alcohol Related Arrests justin muszynski The Recorder

The number of alcohol related offenses has gone down slightly this semester as a result of the efforts of the CCSU Police Department.

They are a contributing force behind the University’s push to ensure safety on and off campus.

As of November 18, there have been 30 alcohol related arrests/citations this semester, compared to that point last fall in which there were 34 on or around campus.

Sergeant Jerry Erwin of the CCSU police department says that this is no coincidence and it was a conscience effort put forth by the police to try and reduce the number of alcohol related incidents on campus.

“It’s something we’re aware of and some of it may just be regular policing, but either way society is saying that underage drinking is a big thing and they expect the police departments to really come down on it,” said Erwin.

He also says that every year an effort is put forth to try and pinpoint what types of crimes will be the most prevalent on campus and to try to figure out the best way to combat them. Alcohol is always a popular theme amongst college campuses, therefore he says there were several initiatives that the police engaged in this semester targeting it directly.

One of which was with the New Britain Police Department to cut down on underage drinking at house parties around campus.

“We put some guys out in unmarked cars and worked with the New Britain Police to break up some off campus parties,” said Erwin.

“At the most recent party that was broken up I believe there were forty something people cited for underage drinking.”

Another important factor that Erwin says helped was teaching students early that you may legally be an adult, but you’re still too young to possess alcohol. And that even if you are 21 years or older CCSU is still a dry

campus.

“We were out there early at orientations setting the bar that if you’re going to be drinking under 21 you’re going to get in trouble for it,” said Erwin.

He also says that the police are very pleased that there were less incidents this semester considering they were not able to get out as much as they would have liked at freshman orientation because the hurricane in the beginning of the semester cut those orientations short.

Another factor in educating students about the risks of underage drinking in college is the Alcohol and Drug Education program at CCSU. They are the ones who administer the online education sessions that each student must take before attending any classes.

Jonathan Pohl, the Alcohol and Drug Education coordinator, says that while he is pleased there are less alcohol related crimes this semester, he gives all credit to the

students for making the right choices.

“We only provide the students with the facts about alcohol and advice on how to socialize while in college without putting yourself in a position that may expose you to it,” said Pohl. “To hear that alcohol may be less of an issue than it was last fall is rewarding because we try to allow students to understand that if you stay away from those things you’ll most likely be more successful in your classes and be a better student.”

The police also say that many students think if they get caught drinking and are underage they will only receive a citation.

While this is true to a certain degree, Erwin says that technically a citation is an arrest and will show up on your record.

Erwin says that the Police Department will continue their efforts in trying to cut down on alcohol related crimes and that the University has and will continue to set their expectations in the sense that underage drinking won’t be tolerated.

What Happened To The Campus University Hour? kassondra granata The Recorder

Even though CCSU changed the schedule for this semester, the new campus “University Hour” is still not being utilized to its full potential.

Carl Lovitt, provost and vice president for academic affairs since May 2006, recognizes this and plans on emphasizing its importance to the Registrar’s office for the spring semester.

“There has always been an hour that we set aside where clubs can meet or we can schedule events that the University can attend,” said Lovitt. “Somehow, it got dropped.”

Just this semester Lovitt had redone the calendar and the schedule blocks due to its disorganization. Some class ending and starting times overlapped one another leading to the University not having enough classrooms for courses.

For this academic year, the “University Hour” was intended for Tuesday and Thursday from 3:05-4:20, but departments have

disregarded the new calendar and scheduled classes at that time.

While turning in the schedule block for the spring semester, Lovitt made it clear that the time slot for the University Hour will not have classes scheduled at that time.

“Hopefully in the future, we will not have classes scheduled at this time and we can really utilize the University Hour,” said Lovitt. “It would really be beneficial for oncampus involvement and for clubs. We are still working on what it can actually be used for.”

In terms of the new schedule, Lovitt stated that he has received positive feedback, with the only problem being night classes. Lovitt has been getting complaints from faculty and students that the time slot for the 7:20-9:55 class is “too late.”

“Even though its only twenty minutes later than the class used to end, people seem to think it’s a problem,” said Lovitt. “If I hear any more resistance, I will take it to the [faculty] senate and find a solution.”

Before the change to the block scheduling,

the University started off the spring 2011 semester with twenty to thirty classes without rooms due to over-scheduling. This semester however, only three did not have a meeting space which CCSU still managed to find space for.

“When we took away the competition, it nearly doubled,” said Lovitt. “We had doubled the amount of evening classes and increased the amount of day classes. This was a huge improvement on paper. We now have enough classes to fit all of the courses in.”

Other than addressing the “University Hour,” Lovitt is working hard to adjust the schedule to ensure that the University can offer all courses that students need in a “timely fashion.”

“If we took advantage of morning classes and Friday classes, we can find more room for students to take courses as well.”

According to Lovitt, the University schedule should not be driven by convenience, but by student need.

“If we as an institution want to make sure students get the courses they need, we

can’t act like we only have four days to use our classrooms. Our only way to appeal to the students is to spread out the schedule,” said Lovitt. “If you walk around campus on a Friday, there are more than enough classrooms open for courses.”

Lovitt has brought this to the faculty senate and will continue to fight for it.

“People are fighting me on this, but that’s my stance,” finished Lovitt.

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3

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 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

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Committees Struggle To Fill New Fuel Cell for CCSU Student Seats jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

Student participation has always been an issue on campus, but with recent talks of adding student voting members to the faculty senate on campus, one has to wonder ‘why the push?’ when student seats on committees on campus aren’t even filled.

There are 14 faculty committees on campus that have student seats. Those committees range from the library committee to the curriculum committee. As of this week, nine of the 14 committees have students on them and of the nine, eight are to capacity for the number of seats allotted.

Some committees have the SGA elect students to the seats while others don’t.

The diversity committee on campus has no limit on student members. After 30 days of being on the roster a student will receive voting privileges.

Some of those seats are SGA students.

SGA Vice President Liz Braun is on the Student Affairs Committee.

President Bergenn, with his recent resolution passed unanimously to remedy a lack of a student voice on campus, understands that filling those seats on committees throughout campus has always been a problem.

“The fact that we have more than half of the available seats full is, in recent history, unprecedented,” said Bergenn. He said that SGA and CCSU has been quite successful filling the seats this semester, but added that there hasn’t been much to compare it to from the past. Bergenn said that he has had faculty members come up to him recently and tell him that this is the first time that they have seen students in certain committees.

Faculty Senate Secretary Burlin Barr said that student involvement should really focus in the committees. “The real thinking on different issues goes on in the committees, and their reports are then funneled through the senate, which approve them or send them back for revision,” said Barr. “I think it is most important for students to staff those comittee positions that they are entitled to and already have access to.”

Adding, “By the time issues come before the senate, the work and thinking that goes into them has almost always been completed,” said Barr. “Students should add their voice before that point, and the committee system allows for that.”

An example of that would have been at the Nov. 14th Faculty Senate meeting where Bergenn asked for student consultation on the academic standards motion on grade appeal changes. “[The] motion would really have been a moot point if the two student positions on the Academic Standards Committee had been filled,” said Barr. He knows that students can gain a lot of skills that they can use in the real world. “Students have access to decision-making through the committees, and they generally do not exercise their voices there,” said Barr.

“If there were a pattern of disregard for issues important to students; if there was tangible malfeasance and unfairness that

Kassondra Granata

the faculty decision-making bodies were directing toward the students, then the SGA proposal would be far more grounded,” Barr said. He defended his point by adding that the Academic Standards Committee had students’ best interests in mind from the changes they had made.

SGA Senator Ryan Baldassario feels that there is a dedicated core of students at CCSU that would participate but they may not know how or where to go. Baldassario knows that it may not be the case that students are currently reading SGA’s minutes and following the senate committees. If students didn’t get into SGA then being on a faculty committee may be a way for them to get involved, said Baldassario.

Senator Christopher Marcelli, when Bergenn sent out what committees had student seats still available, said that half of the faculty committees meet on the same day as the SGA senate meeting. “It’s no one’s fault,” said Marcelli, who added that that fact even makes it hard for SGA senators to get to certain faculty committee meetings.

“If we can’t do it, someone else should,” said Baldassario on students sitting on faculty committees. He would have no problem with any student filling up those seats because it’s all about the students.

This year, more than others, Bergenn has been pushing harder for students to get involved. With the SGA newsletter, which he sends to every CCSU student, Bergenn tells students which faculty committees have seats available to students if they are interested in getting involved.

“I’ve only gotten two, maybe three responses from that,” said Bergenn. Not the showing that Bergenn is looking for with an undergraduate student body of just over 10,000 students. He has thought about sending it from his personal email, but Bergenn is worried that students see the email as spam and immediately delete it.

He doesn’t want to spam them, he wants to inform them.

“There’s a laundry list of reasons why people may not be doing it,” said Bergenn on the lack of student involvement. That list includes students having jobs, scheduling conflicts, among other things, Bergenn said.

Senator Shelby Dattilo doesn’t necessarily agree with Bergenn. “Their main focus is and should be their classes, work, and relationships,” Dattilo said.

“If they want to make a change they will join these committees. The truth is most people don’t want to make changes, they just want to complain about how nobody else is.”

With a goal of filling every seat, Bergenn is already mostly halfway there. He has asked his senators to ask around and try to help find people who would be interested in sitting on those committees.

“It’s everyone’s responsibility to get involved,” Bergenn said. That is why he has gone to so many Faculty Senate meetings, to work together to get the seats filled.

“Obviously, there’s a lot of people that could be doing more,” said Bergenn on getting the seats filled.

The Recorder

making it a big battery.

DC power will go through the liquid cooler where it will be converted into AC power.

The AC power will go into a step up transformer that will create 480 volts and then transfer it into a switch gear that will increase it to 4,160 volts.

Those 4,160 volts will then be transported by a cable system and will then be electrically distributed throughout the campus.

“We are constantly looking at how we can save money and improve our energy systems,” said Gagne. “We have a lot more control on how we can maintain our time clocks as renovations happen.”

The whole process of the project, once it is completed, will be monitored 24/7 by FuelCell Energy.

Gagne is very excited about the project and he and his team continue to look into more projects.

“It puts us on the map and makes us look really good. Everyone working on this knows the importance of renewable energy and how we need to get on board,” said Gagne.

“Anytime we can get saving and we can reduce our greenhouse gases, it’s exciting to all of us professionals that work in the field.”

The University, hosting the largest fuel cell project in New England, is beginning a new system that will increase CCSU’s sustainability and set us apart from the other state universities.

“It kind of fell on our lap over the past year and we just went with it,” said Rob Gagne, plant facilities engineer at a press conference Thursday. “This is going to be a very big score for us.”

The goal is to have the project done by the end of December, and so far, it is running smoothly. With an estimated 6 months to complete the project, the workers from FuelCell Energy will have it completed in 8 weeks.

“The professionalism they threw out here is great,” said Gagne. “It’s great to see how everything is coming together.”

CCSU will be buying energy from the company, based out of Danbury, and will be able to reduce the amount of energy purchased.

It is estimated that there will be around $100,000 in savings a year and the system will reduce energy by 1.4 megawatts.

“What this is going to do for us it is going to generate 1.4 megawatts of power. On a typical day, we’re using 4 megawatts,” said Gagne. “It’s a considerable amount. Based on an annual basis, the waste heat and the water we’re going to use, there are savings for the University.”

Mark McLaughlin, associate vice president of Marketing & Communications held the press conference in his office.

“This is going to be one of the critical things that the University does in terms of sustainability,” McLaughlin said. “There is a lot that the University does that other the emerging leaders MBa at Bentley. universities don’t do in terms of the opportunities you need to launch your career. sustainability efforts.”

The Emerging Leaders MBA is a program designed specifically for recent or soon-to-be college In the fuel cell system, graduates. This full-time, two-year program provides career development, hands-on learning experiences there will be three portions: and a strong business foundation to help prepare you the mechanical balance, the for a dynamic and successful career. electrical balance and the fuel to learn more, visit graduate.bentley.edu/mba/elmba. cell module.

The city water from East Hall will be deionized and transferred into a heat recovery unit with natural gas, which will go through a tank that will remove the sulfur to purify the gas. Natural gas companies add sulfur to the gas for safety reasons.

While water is going into a humidifier, the natural gas will be chemically combined and the waste heat from the fuel cell module will create steam that will humidify the natural gas.

The natural gas will then go Waltham, Massachusetts into the fuel cell module and © 2011 Bentley University air will go into the side of the module and create DC power,

YOU KNOW Where YOU WaNt tO gO. We’ve tailOred aN MBa tO get YOU there.

4

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / NEWS

Campus Health Service Sees Increase In Patients This Year kassondra granata the recorder

Since Dr. Christopher Diamond arrived at Health Services as director two and a half years ago, nearly twice the amount of patients have utilized the health services on campus.

“We used to see 6 to 9 patients a day,” said Diamond. “Our numbers nearly doubled at this point from four years ago of the number of students we see.”

Health Services, located in the Marcus White Annex next to the Marcus White Computer Lab, is open 8-5 Monday-Friday and provides a wide variety of assistance to students.

Before Diamond arrived, the hours were very limited. Now that it is open through lunch, the physicians can see more patients throughout the day, even with Diamond seeing patients every 15 minutes if need be.

To schedule an appointment, all a student has to do is call Health Services at 860-832-1925 and request a time. Or, students can go online and schedule a time through the CCSU website. Walkins are accepted, but it is preferred if a student calls and makes an appointment beforehand.

“We shouldn’t make it how we want to be,” said Diamond. “We need to make it how students want it to be.”

Dr. Diamond’s goal is to ensure that students have a successful academic career and claim that Health Services is a student’s “bridge to a person’s medical home.”

Other than direct patient care, one of Health Services’ jobs is to make sure that the University is in compliance with state regulations by confirming that each student is up to date with immunizations and other important health protocols. Health Services holds all of the student’s forms and can also put holds on a student’s account if they are not up to date on their health forms.

Health Services also works with the School of Nursing on campus by checking on the students that would be admitted into the hospitals for hands-on experience with patients.

“We help the students from the nursing program, along with athletics, by helping them meet their requirements,” said Diamond.

“We help create the system called pre-participation medical clearance process.”

When it comes to athletics, Health Services provides preseason concussion testing and sickle cell screening programs to the athletes, as well as making sure their forms are accurately updated as well.

Dr. Diamond can provide students with free allergy shots, free blood drawing for labs and free birth control pills. Currently Diamond is stocking up on chicken pox vaccinations for the spring.

It is free to be seen by Health Services, but some methods, such as strep throat tests cost $4.00 to students. Diamond has also introduced mono and flu tests costing less than immunizations into the program.

“I believe that we need to try as best as we can to accommodate to students,” said Diamond. “We’re figuring out ways to subsidize those costs for those who do not have insurance and cannot afford it.”

They also keep certain prescriptions available at a cheaper price, some being under ten dollars.

“I’m not trying to make it a luxurious convenience, I’m trying to make it a reasonable convenience so students can be successful in school,” said Diamond. “Health and safety has been a huge issue on campus, and there had been a lot of support from other key officers such as Dr. Tordenti to help us get here.”

Health Services does not do regular physical exams, but can try to meet students with a primary care doctor to do so.

Diamond has started a group called the Student Health Advisory Council that is student based where other changes can be discussed and formulated.

“I want to have ongoing conversations with students and learn what I can do to help them maintain a successful road here at the University.” said Diamond.

Textbook Review Maintains Classroom Ethics jonatHan stankiewiCz the recorder

Faculty who want to teach their own textbooks either have to donate their royalties to the University or to a charity of their choice.

If faculty want to keep their royalties they have to go through the textbook review committee.

They aren’t allowed to teach that book until it has passed.

Connecticut’s Office of State Ethics ruled that keeping the royalties from your own textbook that you have assigned to your class violates the state’s ethic’s code, unless they were previously reviewed and approved by a panel set up by the University. That policy was mandated in 2001.

At the beginning of each semester, faculty are sent an email providing them with the policy, what their options are and who to contact.

Michael Gendron, Ph.D. in management information systems, was the first chair of that committee in 2001. Gendron, who will be teaching his own textbook in 2012, said that most faculty just “write out a check” to the University for the same amount as their royalites are.” When a faculty member has a unique book that they want to keep the royalties from, Gendron said that is when that faculty member will go through the process with the textbook review committee. As the first chair, Gendron said that he reviewed about five to seven books with the committee per year.

“There is a panel on campus that you have to apply to,” said Gendron of the process. “It’s a faculty driven process, as it should be. That committee will take your textbook and review it for uniqueness.” That committee does extensive research

on the book and even talks to the booksellers to see just how unique it is, said Gendron. Most faculty opt for writing a check.

“It’s just easier,” said Gendron.

“Quite frankly, if you are writing a textbook the number you sell within the state of Connecticut is very small compared to the number you hope to sell worldwide because it’s a global market now.”

Dean of Arts and Sciences Susan Pease agrees with Gendron, in the sense that faculty aren’t trying to make money here. Pease taught her own textbook when she was teaching because she felt “it was the best on the market otherwise, I wouldn’t have written it.”

“Believe me, no one writes a book so they can sell it to 35 CCSU students each year,” said Pease. She added that if faculty didn’t selfidentify to the committee, how would anyone know that they are teaching their own textbooks.

Carolyn Magnan, special assistant to the president, said that the process is “self regulating because ethics violations are individual violations and not university violations.”

“If a faculty member decides to keep the royalties from assigning his or her own textbook to his or her class, without seeking prior approval of the [committee], this would be a violation of the State Ethics Code and would be a personal violation,” Magnan said.

“Any fine levied by the Office of State Ethics would have to be paid by that faculty member out of their personal funds.”

Some still may have a problem with faculty using their own textbooks. When that happens, Pease argues that those people really don’t understand academia.

“They are peer reviewed by

publishers who believe in the quality otherwise they wouldn’t invest in the publication,” said Pease. “As a matter of fact, why would someone write a book, have it published by a reputable publisher and then use someone else’s text?”

Cynthia Pope, professor of geography, who is the current committee chair, said that she wrote a book and has yet to make money off of it. That particular book, which was co-edited, took four years to write.

Gendron said that he will donate the royalties from his book to the University when it comes out. He hopes that he will sell more books in business driven data communications outside of the University than he does within.

Ken Feder, Ph.D. professor of anthropology, who is a member of the textbook review committee, also teaches his own textbooks.

One book that he teaches is in its seventh edition.

“It is used all over the US and Canada and, though it may seem like bragging on my part, it really is by far the most popular text on the topic of archaeological frauds and myths,” said Feder. “It would be silly to deny CCSU students the use of the best book on the subject just because the professor who wrote it is teaching the class and might make some money off of it.” Feder added that there are only three currently published books on the general topic.

On that particular book, Feder makes about $4 per student. And if his 30 students in that class buy the book new, since he makes no money off of used books, that’s $120. Feder said he writes a check at the end of the year to the Archaeological Conservancy for at least $100 even if less is due.

‘15 Minute Rule’ Remains A Myth jonatHan stankiewiCz and sara m. berry

Professors, says that it’s hard to a full professor more leeway time choose between which students to for being late than an associate dissapoint: the ones who need you professor. the recorder “The bottom line is to be on after class, or the next class that’s The ’15 minute rule’ isn’t in the waiting for you, especially if your time, but again people are people,” student handbook, faculty handbook next class is in another building. Kremens said. Being on time is a sign or even the AAUP contract. It only Either way it’s a delicate thing, said of respect and just like mechanics and doctors, students and faculty exists by word of mouth from both Jones.

If a student leaves before the need to be on time, Kremens said. students and faculty.

“The notion of the ‘15 minute late faculty member arrives it’s the He recommended that if students have an issue with late faculty in his rule’ has been around for years student’s fault, no?

“If one or two students were to school, they should report it to him and years. Certainly it was the conventional wisdom when I was leave, and the rest of the students immediately.

“Yes, there are certain in college,” says Vice President of decided to stay and the professor Student Affairs Laura Tordenti. showed up five minutes later, those exceptions,” Kremens said, “But “There is no such policy on our two students would miss whatever chronic tardiness is unacceptable the instructor covered,” said Provost and I will take care of it.” campus.”

Susan Pease, Dean of Arts and Every student has heard of and Vice President for Academic Sciences has heard “the little saying” some variation of the rule, where Affairs Dr. Carl Lovitt.

Lovitt added that, “It would since before she was in school and if a faculty member is more than best if the students of“probably before.” Before students Department of 15 minutes late for a class, class is probably be Department cancelled. Variations can include decided as a group to leave after a go to a faculty member’s department of time” and chair or dean, they should make Public Policy Public Policy different amounts of time for reasonable amount different ranks for instructors, often that “students could even bring sure that the teacher didn’t post giving those who hold PhDs or this up in class to ask the professor anything on Blackboard or tell the department’s Offering Master Degrees in Public Administration and Survey ReOffering Degrees Administration Survey Re-secretary, said Pease. he inorPublic she believes would and are full professors longer than Master the what “Smart students with ambition be a reasonable amount of time average instructor.

Dr. Candance Barrington, for students to wait in class for a wait as long as necessary,” said Pease. “If I have a meeting with the president of CCSU’s Faculty teacher to arrive.”

Thus, if a faculty member is president and he is late, I would Senate, said, “Though there’s never dreamofof telling him he has student orMPA “The UConn MPA program of- no official rule, it’s important to chronically late, that “The UConn program minutes.”to the att ention the15 remember that faulty members do class should bring it tofers fers students the flexibility to students flexibility “Chairs and deans need to department design a degree that fits their pro- their best to let students and their of the faculty member’s design a degree that fits their prothatprofeschronic tardiness is a fessional goals and a strong profes- departments know when unforeseen chair, said Lovitt. fessional goals and know a strong serious violation of a professor’s Most of the deans onnetwork campus in the sional network in the public, non- circumstances actually prevent their sional public, nonfeel the same way about late faculty; responsibilities. I have dealt with att ending class. ” profit, and private sector.” profit, and private sector.”

Barrington notes that a number it shouldn’t happen. All agreed that professors who are repeatedly late and am there isn’t a rule on campus and that of faculty members have set up - Diana Deng, MPA ‘11 - Diana Deng, MPA very ‘11 clear they are expected systems for notifying students when there never has been. All agreed to start class on time,” continues class is cancelled. Some professors that chronic tardiness needs to be Pease. In an email exchange with send text messages, while others reported to either the department Pease, she was adamant that she wants students chairAnalytic or the dean.

An Applied Analytic Program for Tomorrow’s Leaders email students or post cancellations An Applied Program for Tomorrow’s Leadersto come forward if Dean of the School of faculty are consistently late, and to on Blackboard Vista.

Thanks to the new CCSU block Engineering and Technology, bring it to her attention via phone scheduling, with classes ending and Zdzislaw Kremens, who came to call or email.

Students who are waiting more starting within a 10 minute time the U.S. in the late 90s, knew about the myth, but not the specifics for than once or twice a semester need period, some professors may be late dpp.uconn.edu dpp.uconn.edu to come forward, said Pease. “I see time allotments. going from class to class.

“My associate dean had to that as problematic and I want to Jason Jones, president orofcall or call the CCSU chapter of the CSU explain it to me,” said Kremens, know about it and I will not tolerate 860-570-9343 860-570-9343 who thought it was absurd to give it.”

American Association of University

University of Connecticut

University of Connecticut

OPINION

5 THE RECORDER Wednesday, November 30, 2011

The Media Needs To Stay Consistent With Scandals The Sandusky case at Penn. State, if true, is tragic. The fact that it took so long to come to light is troubling and will certainly change the culture at many universities around the country.

It also gives others in the same position enough confidence to come forward and that is not exclusive to cases of this nature.

When a woman claimed that Republican candidate Herman Cain had sexually harassed her, the accusations started to pour in.

Last week, Syracuse was faced with a scandal of its own. Three different men accused Assistant Basketball Head Coach Bernie Fine of molesting them.

Jim Boeheim originally stated that these accusations were false, but has quickly backed off from those comments. This is partly due to Fine’s wife saying that Fine, “needs help” in a taped phone conversation which was released on major networks.

More information needs to be gathered in both cases, but the allegations are nothing to take lightly. These are people’s lives and careers that are now being put in jeopardy. That goes for both the accusers and accused.

Even if Fine or Sandusky aren’t found guilty in any court of law, they’ve already lost in the public’s opinion. The alleged victims will be criticized if they are found to be falsely accusing these men. However, if that were to happen, those coaches will not get their jobs back. That will also extend beyond the schools in which they were employed. They’ve been blacklisted.

That’s irreversible.

We don’t have any reason to not believe the victims in this case, but that could change. It’s hard not to think about the case at Duke several years ago when lacrosse players were accused of rape. As the court proceedings came to an end,

and they were found not guilty, they went from villains to martyrs. The damage had been done. Their reputations shattered.

As media consumers we cannot forget to keep checking facts and updates on the evolving stories. They will change and new information will come out. It should be our responsibility to stay informed before we make up our minds. It may be too late for that.

Those who are controlling the media have an even more daunting task. Who do you take seriously? How do you make a judgment on what is a real accusation and what is someone after individual monetary gain? That’s not saying that these cases are either valid or not, time will tell in that regard.

The media has made the decision, and this is true only based upon past practices, that they will cover any and all accusations of this ilk. That is both good and bad. In

cases where the accusers are telling the truth, they are being given a voice that they normally wouldn’t have.

On the other hand, when it is a lie they will have aided in destroying the defendant’s career, social life and potentially their family. What should they do?

A responsible media, coupled with a sensible and honest citizen, can do great things. Together they can show society the truth on a number of issues. We cannot take that resource away from anyone.

Unfortunately we may have a few victims along the way, who were falsely accused, but the overall good of covering this type of story far exceeds the negatives.

We do not have enough information to comment on whether or not these men are guilty, but we do agree with the coverage of their cases. If the media is going to show one story, they must certainly show them all.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Our Amateur Government Strikes Again jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

Loyal Users Will Ruin Apple nicholas proch The Recorder

The meaning behind all advertisements and marketing campaigns inevitably change over time, but Apple’s ‘1984’ Superbowl commercial still holds the values that Steve Jobs had until his passing. Someone should make the current executive board watch the should-be outdated clip.

The lone airing for the commercial was during the third quarter of the 1984 Superbowl. That’s all it needed. It showed the world what Apple, and specifically the Macintosh computer, was all about.

They were about change and fighting the ‘man’. It was a reminder to never stop fighting for a better life, which was directly associated with their computers. You were prompted to go out and buy the best product available.

They built their empire on the phrase, “Think Different.”

At the turn of this century, the average Mac user was someone who went against societal norms and demanded a better product. They jumped off the Windows bandwagon. They ignored Linux. They didn’t quit until they found what they were satisfied with. The problem was that they hopped right onto the Apple bulldozer and have never looked back.

It’s that loyalty which will be the downfall of an empire.

Since 2007, when I convinced my parents to buy me a Macbook, I’ve been one of those people. When conversation arises about what computer a relative should buy during an otherwise peaceful Thanksgiving meal, I’m that guy screaming that there is nothing else that compares to my Mac family of desktops, laptops and smart phones.

While I’m doing my best lobbying, I keep thinking in the back of my head about how slow my iMac has been running and how several functions of my iPhone haven’t worked in months. I know this can’t be something that is exclusive to me either, which is where the problem lies.

That brief debate, which quickly turned into a one-sided shouting match, is just one

example of why consumers like myself will run this company into the ground.

When was the last time Apple did something truly innovative? Even if it’s only been a year, based upon their track-record, that is entirely too long. One of the amazing things about the company for the better part of three decades was that they pushed technology, and its role in society, further.

The iPad has become a cult product. I love them, but how do I know that I won’t become inseparable from an HP or Samsung tablet? I would never even give them a try let alone a serious consideration.

HP has had an all-in-one PC similar to the iMac for the past few years. What’s the only difference? While Apple has been making theirs prettier and prettier over that time, HP has made their product faster and given it a feature that Apple fans have been asking for…a fully capable touch-screen.

Apple has been dubbed the king of touchscreen technology, but is it really warranted?

Today’s loyal user more than likely didn’t even try the competition’s product. They were mesmerized by the elegantly simplistic storefront and the fact that they didn’t want to disappoint their fellow consumer brethren.

Without Steve Jobs as a figurehead and driving force, their engineers need to get creative on their own. Of course there is still an executive board, but remember what happened the last time they tried to operate on their own? They barely could.

The foundations for this company are still very strong. They have a great user support system and can still rely on their already strong operating system. However, the strides they’ve made in the past 27 years since the launch of the Macintosh computer will be quickly forgotten if they don’t keep pushing forward.

Any time that they spend idling will allow the competition to catch up, and quickly too.

As users we need to take a look at ourselves and make sure we are still demanding the best product and not just the least of all the evils.

We can’t let them get too comfortable. If we do, we will be the cause for Apple’s failure.

The Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction was put in charge to reach an agreement on how to reduce future deficits.

Last Monday the 12 lawmakers, comprised of six Democrats and six Republicans - three members of each party divided between the House and Senate, admitted defeat. Let the blame game begin.

Congress once again has proven that they do not have the ability to take on the tough decisions that face the United States.

“After months of hard work and intense deliberations, we have come to the conclusion today that it will not be possible to make any bipartisan agreement available to the public before the committee’s deadline,” said the Co-chairs, Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) and Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), in a statement last Monday.

The group was charged with issuing a formal recommendation on how to reduce the deficit by at least $1.5 trillion over the next ten years. Shouldn’t this have been done the right way? Our country was founded on unity and since President Barack Obama was elected we, the people, have seen none. It has been like this for too long. Lately, it seems that our legislative body’s relationship with the president is like an old married couple.

Obama being the nagging wife trying to get things done and Congress is the husband pretending to listen.

Consider it like this. Every family needs to pay their mortgage each and every month.

That family can lose their home for missing deadlines and payments. It’s something that they have to do. This committee had a specific job that they failed to do. This wasn’t as if they were debating to make their beds or not, this was a pressing issue that they couldn’t agree on. They had a way out if they couldn’t come to a consensus. They shouldn’t have had one.

Families don’t have ways to get out of paying their mortgage, do they? The group had to work together and they chose not to.

The underlying factor here is that Republicans and Democrats just don’t get along. There are exceptions, I’m sure, but this failure and the others before it are not minority examples. What both sides wanted was so different that this whole committee was doomed from the beginning.

Both parties are blaming each other, not that this is anything new to the American people. This disappointment will only add to

the criticism from everyone that politicians today are too divided to accomplish the most important of duties. Our country has a trillion-dollar budget deficit. A trillion-dollar budget deficit.

The committee’s task of $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction wasn’t an easy one. That we can all agree with. Investors are more worried about the crisis in Europe than what the committee was doing or not doing. But now that they have failed, we are set up for another year of great uncertainty on taxes and spending.

President Obama has already warned congressional Republicans that he will veto any effort to try to circumvent the automatic spending cuts that would kick in if the committee failed. He is not happy and the American people shouldn’t be happy either.

This is just unacceptable.

Democrats want to raise taxes since they believe it will increase revenue, while Republicans want to increase revenue by cutting taxes on corporations and the wealthy. These views are fundamentally different. Democrats think that the disparity between the wealthy and the poor has gotten to an extreme. Republicans want to get rid of wasteful social programs that benefit the poor and the middle class. Why did we think that this would work? We can blame both parties and we can blame everyone on that committee, but what good would that do?

I don’t want to say that the task in front of them was easy. We all know it was impossible.

This failure is just another example of how divided we are.

Obama, now with the upper hand, can now ask for a more specific program than what he has now. It would help Congress and the American people to make clear how he would combine stimulus over the next few years while putting the budget on a stable course. He could do this, but probably won’t.

We must also be mindful that he is now branding himself for election season. With the Republican candidates looking less competent after each debate, he may just sit back and allow the contrasts between them and him to continue. Hopefully we will not be subject to an extended period of apathy and dormancy from the Oval Office.

The citizens of this country are begging for our elected officials to fix the strained relationships before they completely deteriorate and we’re left with a broken system. It’s time to listen to our pleas.

Have something to say?

Send a letter to

editor@centralrecorder.com

6

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / UPGRADE

REVIEWS ‘Small Fry’ Is An Unexpected Treat

The Muppets Are Back!

nicholas proch The Recorder

Pixar is showing the world that recycling not only works, but that they can make it work well. Small Fry, a short-film which is featured before the opening credits of The Muppets, is fun and familiar, but not tired and worn out.

The cast of Toy Story, including their famous voice-actors, found their way onto the bigscreen for the fourth time and not a second of it feels forced.

A small toy, ‘Mini-Buzz’, finds his way out of a fast food restaurant, where he is supposed to be included in children’s meals, and tries to convince the rest of Andy’s toys that he is the real Buzz Lightyear.

The quick but effective story is just what the audience wants to see from Pixar; a children’s story sprinkled with jokes that adults can relate to. That humor mostly comes from a ‘toy support group’ which is modeled after a substance abuse support meeting.

The jokes may be subtle, but they are smart and tasteful. What can be seen as a dodgy subject in a children’s comedy, the studio knows how to handle a scene like this without upsetting parents.

This brief look at what our favorite group of toys are up to, presumably as they get ready for Toy Story 4, reminds us all that the Pixar brand got big on a diet of short-films.

Photo I walt disney pictures

Photo I walt disney pictures

nicholas proch The Recorder

Since the passing of Jim Henson in 1990, the amount of attention paid to the Muppets has been sparse. It took a leading man, such as Henson, to drive the lovable felt-covered crew to success. Kermit and the gang could do no wrong for nearly a half century. With Henson’s death came the end of an era. That was the case until Jason Segel got his chance to revive a forgotten brand.

Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, I Love You, Man) co-wrote and stars in the newest puppet adventure titled simply, The Muppets. This film is hands-down the best Muppet movie since The Muppets Take Manhattan, which also happens to be the last theatrical release that Henson directed.

Segel completely sold himself to his lead role. From his absurdly choreographed, but somehow unpretentious, dance numbers, to

his sometimes painful lack of vanity, you can’t help but embrace what he is doing on the screen. He’s taking a disregarded powerhouse and turning the lights on again for this generation.

It is Segel’s dedication and determination that made this movie both great and possible.

It took many attempts to get Walt Disney Studios to back his script. He worked and promoted until he created enough buzz around the web that the studio had to listen and get this project made. The studio underestimated how strong of a writer and entertainment machine Segel can be. That will certainly never happen again.

The film’s plot echoes the troubles that the Muppets have in today’s actual entertainment industry. They have been a dead brand for over a decade and receive little to no air time.

They are limited to being stuck in the bowels of YouTube where you can watch antiquated clips of Henson’s genius and making sporadic

appearances with celebrities in interviews or on award shows. Good clean fun is missing from today’s industry. The Muppets are here just in time to bring it back.

Segel plays Gary, the brother of a felt covered, muppet-looking Walter (voiced by Peter Linz who is a prominent voice actor in the puppeteering industry). As Segel ages and grows up, Walter is seemingly stuck in time. It turns out that puppets don’t get older.

As you could imagine any boy puppet would be, Walter is a Muppet fanatic. However, this isn’t the same story of Pinocchio trying to become a real boy; Walter wants to simply meet his idols. Unfortunately for Amy Adams (Catch Me If You Can, The Fighter), who plays Segel’s girlfriend Mary, he wants to do so on their anniversary trip to Los Angeles, which Segel invited Walter on.

The underlying, and sometimes subtle, conflict between Mary and Walter is a strong secondary story line in the film. It is only overshadowed by the main events throughout the 98-minute fun-filled affair.

It’s simple, the disbanded and out of touch Muppet crew needs to do one last show to raise enough money to save their studio. A studio which is scheduled to be demolished should they not reach their hefty goal of $10 million.

There are times when the writing gets overthe-top silly, but somehow you can look past it. After all, wasn’t that what made Henson so great? The film is filled with life lessons, realworld issues and reflects carefully on changes in society, but you never feel like you are being preached to at any point.

The emotional highs and lows are wellcrafted and fit nicely into the story line. One moment you find yourself cackling at the infamous old men, Waldorf and Statler, the next you need to look around to make sure you’re not the only person in the theater in tears during Kermit’s ‘Rainbow Connection’.

Whether you need to accompany a young family member or just happen to be a fan of the show, this is worth seeing. The clean, but very smart, brand of comedy has been missing from the industry for far too long, but we should all be appreciative of the fact that Segel may have just brought it back to the forefront.

‘Hugo’ Is An Award Season Contender Ashley E. Lang The Recorder

Filmmaker Georges Méliès revolutionized cinema in the late 1800’s using a variety of special effects to illuminate the screen. His illusions mesmerized audiences across Europe and now with the release of Hugo, Méliès is not soon to be forgotten.

Academy Award winning director Martin Scorsese truly outdoes himself with Hugo.

Set in 1930’s Paris, Hugo tells the story of an orphaned boy, Hugo Cabret played by Asa Butterfield, who lives in the walls of a train station tending to the towering clocks. His father, played by Jude Law, dies tragically and Hugo’s drunken Uncle Claude, played

by Ray Winstone, takes him in as an apprentice before disappearing. Left to fend for himself Hugo steals just enough to get him by. That is, until he steals one too many times from a local vender.

Georges Méliès, played by Ben Kingsley, spends his days tinkering with toys at a little shop inside the train station. After noticing his toys go missing he cunningly sets up Hugo, who falls straight into his trap.

However, Méliès and Hugo share much more than a few stolen nuts and bolts. What develops is an unlikely friendship, one fused together with the addition of Méliès’s god daughter Isabelle, played by Chloe Grace Moretz.

Isabelle quickly befriends Hugo and the two set off on an adventure to solve a mystery that has been plaguing him since before the death of his father. Hugo’s dad discovered an automaton, a self-operating machine, stored away inside the museum

he worked for. Broken and hidden, Hugo’s father takes the automaton home and with Hugo’s help begins to restore the antique.

When he passes away Hugo begins where his father left off, but the closer he gets to fixing the broken machine, the more questions and mysteries surface. Why does Isabelle’s necklace hold the key to the machines revival and what connection does the automaton have to Méliès?

Hugo is a beautifully written story of an orphaned boy who sets out to find his place in the world, only to help those around him find theirs. What unravels is a masterful and intelligent plot that will captivate audiences both young and old.

Asa Butterfield captures Hugo Cabret with precision. He will melt your heart from the first tear to the final smile. Butterfield brings Hugo to life with his sense of adventure and determination and his character is downright magical. Kingsley’s superb portrayal of coldhearted and seemingly broken Méliès and Moretz’s inquisitive nature transverse Hugo to a whole new plateau and all three breathe life into Scorsese’s vision.

The addition of Sasha Baron Cohen as the station inspector, whose own loneliness masquerades as ruthlessness, in an intense role for the first time since the funny man catapulted himself into the industry as Borat, helps make Hugo a must see this holiday season.

Scorsese’s latest film shines beyond measure. An inspirational journey of discovery, Hugo will entrance you as you watch the plot unfold. Scorsese has done it again. Do I foresee another Academy Award? I sure hope so, because he certainly deserves it.

Photo I Paramount Pictures

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) and Isabelle (Chloe Grace Moretz) watch with anticipation as the Automaton comes to life.

7

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / UPGRADE

‘Antigone’ Is A Masterpiece Of Turmoil niCHolas proCH the recorder

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

Giving an antiquated Greek tragedy a fresh look and tone is an intimidating assignment, but not for CCSU’s theatre department. Directed by Associate Professor Josh Perlstein, their interpretation of “Antigone” is memorable and somehow new.

Stories of oppression and violence are overused and, unfortunately, almost always miss their intended mark. This is one of the first attempts in a long line of similar stories throughout the history of humanity, but that is not what sets this production apart.

The basic elements of the original story, written by Sophocles, are there. Antigone’s brothers Eteocles and Polyneices died fighting each other in a civil war for the throne. Creon, the now-assumed ruler, has declared Eteocles a hero and Polyneices a traitor, meaning he will not be buried.

The audience is then pulled along as the story unfolds following Antigone’s decision to bury the body or not, a choice that would result in her execution.

CCSU’s theatre department took the original story and gave it more than just a facelift. They delicately added elements of many stories to reinforce the main theme.

At times it seems a bit overwhelming but, after you can digest it, you will see how beautiful chaos can be.

The originality starts from the moment you enter the black box theater that has been transformed into a decaying landscape. The set has an industrial feel to it, reminiscent of Orwell’s 1984. Dullness and uniformity are backed up in this way.

As an audience member it is not generally expected that you will become part of the story. When the doors open, you will be told where to sit by an abrasive guard. This is brilliant. There is no delay to immersing the viewers into the action.

The opening scene features a speech from Polyneices, who traditionally doesn’t have a part in the original play besides being a corpse. His speech is borrowed from Charlie Chaplin’s speech in The Great Dictator. It fits perfectly.

Attendees in the stands can feel the total commitment that the cast members and writers had to collaboration. Ideas

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

Creon (Conor Moran) stands over Antigone (Emma Brodginski) while deciding her fate.

The troubled Creon (Conor Moran) listens to his prophecy.

Gym Class Heroes

The Papercut Chronicles II

Fueled By Ramen November 15

asHley e. lang the recorder

Gym Class Heroes’ latest album, The Papercut Chronicles II, was worth the wait.

Front man Travie McCoy brings the band to the next level with inventive rhymes and a killer back beat that will keep you moving

throughout.

‘Za Intro’ provides a little taste of what is to come with the help of a mechanical voice over introducing the band. “Hi, have you ever wondered what it would be like to listen to some music? Well this is your big chance,” the monotone voice recites into echoing speakers.

‘Martyral Girl$,’ the first real track off the album, packs a punch right from the start.

“I’m officially going in and refusing to come out unless I’m bloody, let’s go...” Referencing the shallowness that has overrun society, Travie systematically releases verse after verse of hits. “Everybody here is extra hip like replacements ... I’d rather be sedated than conversate about whose sneakers are more outrageous or whose outfit’s the latest...”

‘Life Goes On (feat. Oh Land)’ is a nice change of pace. Offering up a strong reflection of past choices before quickly moving on because, as Travie points out, life is too short to live in the past. “Starin’ at an empty bed my ex-girl should’ve been in, thinking what I woulda done different, not a damn thing cuz finally I’m done with it...You take too much for granted I just can’t understand it...” he snaps back.

‘Solo Discotheque (Whiskey Bitness),’ not only produces a slew of impressive lyrics but also includes a surprising old school twist of vinyl scratching between verses.

A personal favorite, ‘Holy Horseshit,

and themes were sought out from popular culture and other mediums.

They were able to apply them to the classic story quite well, so well that at some points you’re wondering if they are referencing Tron or the original Sophocles text. The lines between certain tactics are blurred and that makes for a more coherent viewing experience.

There is a scene that is a direct excerpt from an Abbott and Costello skit. It’s done well enough, and more importantly tastefully enough, that it doesn’t stick out against the serious scene that preceded it.

Strong performances by Emma Brodginski and Conor Moran, who play Antigone and Creon respectively, drive conflict throughout the hour and a half production. They are aided by a wellrounded supporting cast. Ismene, played

by Kayla Teel, helps express to the audience the seriousness of the conflict the sisters are faced with.

You can’t help but cringe at the abuse and violence handed out by Creon’s military subordinates. It’s very believable and that is due to the passionate performances by everyone on the cast.

We are also given a lesson in special effects from the behind-the-scenes crew.

Music, lighting and sound are custom fit to each scene and never overpower the actors’ performances. In fact, they help enhance them.

“Antigone” will run in the Black Box Theater in Maloney Hall from November 29 to December 3 at 7:30 p.m. each night.

At $5 for a student ticket, there is no reason that you shouldn’t be in attendance this week.

Batman!!,’ is one of the strongest and deepest tracks off the album touching on the controversial topic of faith and God. “She reached her hand out with a pamphlet and I politely said “No, ma’am, I mean no disrespect and I apologize if this f**ks up your program.

You tell me I’m gonna burn for lying but that he can turn water to wine. Well if there’s a hell below then we’re all gonna’ be just fine...” He continues on to describe how questioning God created a turmoil within his conscious, posing the question of whether or not he is a lost soul in the world where questioning everything around us has become a way of life. “Maybe I would be a fool to think that somewhere in the sky’s a place for me,” he spits back.

‘Nil-Nill-Draw’ touches on the problem with romance these days. A possible self reflection of a past relationship of a corrupt and jealous affair emerging with a semi chauvinistic quality that arises in the track as Travie spits “I could have any girl but I stayed with you, I guess everybody plays the fool...”

‘Lazarus, Se Gitan’ is a creative twist, following Travie through his journey of falling in love, but not quite finding true love. “Oh, I’ve been looking for love in all the wrong places, oh somebody take me home,” he calls out.

Rounding out the album with the second to last track is ‘The Fighter (feat. Ryan Tedder).’ The Gym Class Heroes never let

their guard down churning out hit after hit, “Ya ever feel like your train a thoughts been derailed? That’s when you press on... half the population’s just waitin to see me fail. Yeah right, you’re better off tryina freeze hell. Some of us do it for the females and others do it for the retails, but I do it for the kids, life through the tower head on, every time you fall its only making your chin strong.” An inspirational journey of never giving up on yourself and following through with your dreams because the only one who can keep you down is yourself.

The last track on the album is one of the strongest. ‘Kid Nothing And The NeverEnding Naked Nightmare’ closes out the track listing with a vengeance, “This is me thanking you dearly, sincerely, from the bottom of what’s left of my misery magnet. Guess I’ve been too busy being stagnant and if I ever steer you wrong grab the wheel and jerk it left. I’m only human but admitted I’m such a beautiful mess,” Travie rips into the mic.

This album makes you think about what you want out of this life and whether or not you’re wasting your time on stuff that never really mattered. Travie is a lyrical genius and most certainly will not let you down. His band’s musical talents also will not disappoint.

Every beat, every rhythm, every word uttered into the mic will leave an imprint in your heart and your mind. Do yourself a favor and open yourself up to the Gym Class Heroes.

8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / UPGRADE

Between The Sheets: Sex Toys and Women raCHael bentley the recorder

While shopping on Black Friday, my friend and I couldn’t help but wonder if sex stores like VIP and Luv Boutique had any of their own special holiday deals.

“You know what I’ve noticed though…” my black Friday accomplice noted, “there never seem to be any women in the vibrator section of those places, and I have never heard of many friends even owning a vibrator”.

This observation raised a lot of questions, but the main one that struck me was, “How many women actually use things like vibrators and dildos when they masturbate?”

After being in college for over 3 years I’ve heard some pretty interesting (and sometimes scary) hook up stories about how when things got hot and heavy, girls had a hard time thinking about the consequences of their actions and just got “lost in the moment”. This usually never ends well, and if you get into a situation where you do something you

are ashamed or not proud of, it can in turn be detrimental to your confidence.

“I’ve tried doing things solo before, but it’s just not the same as having someone do the work for you,” one young woman admitted, and I’m positive that she is not the only one dealing with this kind of problem. However, she also added that she had never used a vibrator on herself, and that she couldn’t see how it would make much of a difference.

Well, I hate to break it to you dear, but masturbating and using toys of selfpleasure can really help out a gal.

Masturbation with sex toys can help improve sleep habits, increase the ability to have an orgasm, improve your sense of well-being and instill confidence, reduce stress, reduce sexual tension and the list goes on. It stands true for many women that masturbating with one’s hands just doesn’t do the job sometimes, and after not being able to sexually please yourself, it’s no wonder women have random latenight hook ups with strangers just to make sure their libido is still on the right track.

When it comes to long distance

Bookmark It! raCHael bentley the recorder

After reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (for the third time) I stand by my opinion that she is one of the greatest writers of romantic fiction to this day.

Her ability to take the everyday events that preoccupied so many women in her era, and turn it into one of the greatest romance novels of our time is one of many reasons why her works are studied in colleges and universities around the world.

Some believe her work to simply be good romance novels, whiles others like my self interpret her narrow focus as a critique of nineteenth century vanity, and cruelty that many upper class families fostered during that era.

This novel surrounds itself around the everyday events of The Bennet family, which include Mr. Bennet, Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth and her four sisters. It also surrounds Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy and Mr. Bingley, who are both highly sought after wealthy bachelors that Mrs. Bennet constantly tries to get her daughters betrothed to through out the novel, for advantageous reasons.

Elizabeth is the main character of this

diarrhea?

pleasure section. She was overwhelmed and could not stop giggling at the sight of all the neon blue and pink penis shaped objects.

After about 20 minutes of reading the backs of the boxes and trying to find the “right one”, a sales associate came and asked us if we needed any help, which made her turn even redder.

After spluttering out a sentence that sounded like “I’m just browsing, thanks,” she grabbed the closest one to her and headed straight for the counter. Luckily for her, there was no one else in line.

She purchased cleaning spray (very important, ladies) and a box of batteries (her bill came to a grand total of $25) and walked out of the door with her VIP bag , which she quickly stuffed in her trunk. When we finally got in the car and I stopped laughing at the color of face, she said, “I don’t care what color I am right now…I have never felt so liberated!” And for the record, she sent me a text later that week with a picture of the empty box and a suggestive smiley face.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

novel, and she is by far one of the most dynamic roles. She finds herself falling in love with Mr. Darcy, a man who she seemingly dislikes for being pompous and arrogant, and he finds himself falling in love with her, despite her being of lower class and awkward tendencies.

Throughout the novel they constantly butt heads regarding Jane and Mr. Bingley, who are madly in love but are too shy to tell each other. They also argue about each other’s obvious flaws and how their families treat each other. But when Elizabeth’s family is faced with a real crisis, Darcy comes and saves the day.

Soon afterward Darcy shows up again at the Bennet household with Mr. Bingley, much to Jane’s surprise. He admits to being a fool and humbly asks for her hand, to which she replied “Yes, a thousand times yes”.

A few days later when Darcy’s aunt, the Lady Catherine, declares that he will marry her plain and sickly daughter, it becomes obvious to her that he had someone else in mind.

She realizes that it is Elizabeth who has won over her nephew and corners Elizabeth says that she has heard that her nephew is

Suffer with frequent belly pain and in the bathroom many times a day because of

relationships, it is a real challenge to stay sexually faithful when you are surrounded by friends who are constantly having hook ups, not to mention when you have had a few drinks and the guy in the corner of the room is playing eye games with you.

But knowing that you don’t have to have a guy with you to help you reach that ‘O moment’ can help those of us who are in committed relationships.

So why is it then, that out of the 10 girls that I asked, only three have ever used sex toys to please themselves? The three that did say it was the best purchase they had ever made. Many of them found it just too embarrassing to walk into a store and purchase a dildo or vibrator from some strange person behind the counter, and found it too sketchy to purchase one online.

I convinced one friend to come with me to VIP to purchase her own vibrator.

She was convinced she would not regret the purchase after seeing all of the benefits on WebMD, but was still too shy to go on her own. After getting our IDs checked at the door, we headed for the women’s

planning to marry her.

Since she considers a Bennet an unsuitable match for a Darcy, Lady Catherine demands that Elizabeth promise to refuse him. Elizabeth spiritedly refuses, saying she is not engaged to Darcy, but she will not promise anything against her own happiness.

Soon after telling Lady Catherine to leave her house, Mr. Darcy shows up at Elizabeths door, outraged that his aunt would behave in such a manor.

A little later, Elizabeth and Darcy go out walking together and he tells her that his feelings have not altered since the spring.

She tenderly accepts his proposal, and she and Jane both get married.

One may assume that because this story is set in the 19th century, the content would be dry and uneventful, but it is in fact the complete opposite. Austen’s ability to capture and describe the real reactions and sentiments between her characters is one of the reasons her works are so notable in today’s literary society.

Though this novel was written in the turn of the 19th century, it still retains relevance for modern readers with issues like morality, education and marriage. This is obvious in

modern day culture as there have been numerous movies adaptions released, the most recent featuring Kiera Knightly and Matthew Macfayden in 2005.

What many may not know (and may be shocked to learn) is that Austen was never married. Yet, she was still able to write moving and deep scenes between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. She also had a great way of capturing the humor in many situations, such as how many of the Bennet girls had a tendency to laugh and giggle in inappropriate situations and how their insane mother always said the wrong thing at the wrong time.

With so many modern vampire romance novels being published these days, it was seriously a breath of fresh air to read about a perfectly normal young woman trying to find and fall in love with the right man.

There were some obvious bumps in the road like a family that did not approve of her, and coming from a lower class background, but those are situations that many of us can relate to and that’s what makes this such a great book. Jane Austen died in 1817 at the age of 41 from tuberculosis, but not before she created a name for herself and left her footprint on the literary world.

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9

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / UPGRADE

20 Under 20:

California Sushi

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

rachael bentley The Recorder

Going out to eat can really put a dent in a college student’s budget, especially when you’re looking to go somewhere more sophisticated with your friends or on a nice date with that special someone. You’ve got dinner, drinks and maybe a starter or a dessert, and it all adds up.

But did you know that only .1 miles away from Central’s campus is one of the

best sushi bars in the Hartford Area? This little Japanese restaurant is called California Sushi and it’s located in the Stop and Shop Plaza in Newington. Luckily for CCSU students, they do accept our school’s Blue Chip card, which will give you a 20-percent discount off of the already reasonable prices. Another reason this place is such a gem is that it’s B.Y.O.B. (Yes, bring your own booze). This may seem like a major hassle initially, but if you figure in the fact that most places significantly raise their

liquor prices to make a profit, it’s actually a great way to make the most of your money.

Did I forget to mention there is a massive package store right next door? It really doesn’t get any easier, or safer. Instead of making your friend be the designated driver for the night if you go into Hartford or to the Berlin Turnpike, California Sushi is a 5-minute walk from campus and many of the apartments that many of our students frequent.

If you’re thinking “Well I don’t even like

sushi...,” fret not. There are plenty of other options for those who do not like sushi (it is an acquired taste, after all). There are so many places around the area that sell subs, pizza and wings but after months of ordering from those places, it can get repetitive. Not to mention it can have quite a scary effect on your waist line. So if you’re feeling a little bit adventurous and want to try something new, or if you already love sushi, stop by California Sushi and give them a shot at being your next favorite place to eat.

Tips To Avoiding The Holiday Bulge sarah bogues The Recorder

With the holidays quickly approaching, eating healthy and working out is a far stretch for the average person. Most either give up on their healthy regiments or postpone it until the new year due to candy, cookies and sweets.

Holidays, parties and social gatherings all seem to focus on the food, presenting a challenge for those previously engaged in healthy eating. It is for this reason that CCSU’s dining services released a hint sheet for the holidays called “How To Eat, Drink, & Be Merry Without the Weight Gain,” suggesting different ways for everyone to enjoy the holiday festivities, yet also keep the pounds from packing on.

This list presents seven helpful hints to get through the fattening yet joyous holidays.

1. Do not skip a meal - Yes I know, the common solution to fighting back the urge to overeat is to skip a meal before “the big one.”

However, skipping that cereal will decrease blood sugar so by the time three o’clock rolls around two plates of food will be devoured within minutes and the scale will drastically increase by 10 pounds. Maybe that cereal doesn’t sound too bad after all.

2. Eat a light snack - When you are famished with no food in your system, it can be tempting to eat everything in sight. If you

want to fit into those size skinny 6’s the day after then eat a healthy snack such as a fruit, veggie or yogurt.

3. Focus on the fruits and veggies - Fruits and veggies might be a little dull compared to those delicious chips and dips but their one plus is that they’re low in calories. They are also abundant in vitamins and minerals, and will fill you up if you eat one half of your plate with those yummy F’s and V’s.

4. Drink plenty of fluids - Alcohol and high-calorie sodas and juices might be tempting, but water is the best choice, not only because it is zero calories, but also since it can fill you up before eating a plate of food. For once, water: 1 alcohol: 0.

5. Do not deprive yourself - Gaining weight doesn’t necessarily stem mainly from the type of food you eat, but how much of it you munch on. If one cookie looks delicious then go for it. But don’t gobble up the whole dozen. Telling yourself no to food will more likely make you over eat it and regret it the next morning. If you’re stomach says yes then go for it, but not too much.

6. You do not have to clean your plate - If you’re full then listen to your body and stop. No one is making you clean your plate. It’ll just make you full and will be counterproductive because if it’s a big plate then the pounds will definitely pack on. And regret will shortly come after. An easy way to make sure that your plate doesn’t become to full is to serve yourself. We all have that

one family member that always gives you an extra scoop, even though you asked them not to.

7. Bring a healthy dish - You never know what the host of a party or get together will have to eat, so preparing a healthy dish to bring isn’t such a bad idea. This will ensure

that amongst the saucy wings, fried food and fatty chips, there’s at least something you can snack on for the night.

With this list you can surely enjoy the festivities of the holiday season without having to begin a new diet on the new year to shed off those cookies, chips and sweets.

Join T h e Recorder Interested in writing for Thr Recorder? Have a knack for design? A passion for photography? Join our staff!

We are looking for writers, designers and photographers.

Join us Monday night at 7:30 p.m. in the Blue and White room in the Devils Den or email editor@centralrecorder.com to inquire about positions.

10

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / SPORTS

No sport is perfect. Players, fans and coaches realized this fact this past summer when labor disputes for the NFL were still brewing and again most recently with the latest NBA lockout. The notion of imperfection and turmoil in the sports world was also present when the 20042005 NHL season was cancelled due to unresolved issues.

The National Hockey League was the first professional sports league in North America to cancel an entire season. No season meant the Stanley Cup wasn’t awarded for the first time in 76 years.

Like any other lockout, certain things were shaken that season. Most noticed by everyone was that Alexander Ovechkin wasn’t allowed to make his major debut, which led to a rivalry with Sidney Crosby that could never be broken.

As a result of the labor disputes the teams were given a $39 million salary cap, which has moved upwards to $64 million this season … this is pocket change to some professional athletes in other leagues.

During the cancellation of the 20042005 season more than 300 NHL players traveled overseas to play in Europe or tried their skills in other leagues because, above all else, the players remained passionate and wanted to play the game that they loved.

In the seasons since, viewership of the NHL has declined in the U.S. mainly due to the fact that the league was sent to Versus rather than ESPN. Personally I believe that this NBA lockout was one of the best things to happen in the sports world. With the NBA out of the way and baseball season through, sports fans were forced to fill the void with NHL games. For once the general sports fan cared about Crosby and Ovechkin outside of the Stanley Cup playoffs.

It was obvious that the NHL players wanted to play hockey. It is still evident based on the amount of money that they get played.

I’m adamant in the fact that hockey players are some of the hardest working athletes, so it’s hard to find sympathy with the players in the NBA. It seems as if this entire lockout was based on money.

The multi-millionaires were convinced they weren’t getting paid enough and the multi-billionaires were convinced they were giving up too much.

I believe it all boils down to this: the NBA athletes should want to play the game they love. Instead they are more concerned with the amount of money that gets put into their bank accounts, despite the fact that the majority of them gain revenue from other avenues…do Lamar Odom and Kris Humphries ring a bell for anybody?

I didn’t care about the NBA lockout when it started, I was more worried about the Bruins Stanley Cup hangover, and I’m not ecstatic that the players and coaches have now come to an agreement.

Most NHL fans will agree with me when I ask, who cares about the lockout ending? In fact, I’m a bit upset about it.

Sports coverage will now be divided between football and basketball with hockey taking a back seat.

The NBA was no great loss, so why will it now be any great gain?

CCSU is led by Kyle Vinales, Robby Ptacek, and Ken Horton, who together have scored 320 of their 398 points. dan wanat

special to the recorder

With a 34 point drubbing of in-state rival University of Hartford, CCSU extended its winning streak to three behind their best overall performance of the year.

Offensively, the Blue Devils shot 62 percent from the field and 64 percent from three as Ken Horton, Robby Ptacek and Kyle Vinales combined to score 69 of the team’s 92 points.

Defensively, CCSU made the Hartford Hawks look like a small child getting lost in Wal-Mart on Black Friday holding them to just 13 first half points.

With the loss, the Hartford Hawks moved to 0-6 on the season losing by an average of 17.1 points per game and scoring an anemic 55.2 points per game, which is good for 332nd in the country.

The Hawks also started four freshmen and have seven freshmen on the roster for what Head Coach John Gallagher deems to be a rebuilding year for the program after losing four starters to graduation.

While Hartford’s winless record and young lineup promotes them to stand behind excuses and lackadaisical play, I give the Hawks credit for working hard and playing with spirit. They came out of the gate like puppies that had just been penned up all day

and finally got let out. The team was scrappy, feisty and hard-working with a lively bench standing and cheering every early play.

This excitement and hope was expelled quickly as the Blue Devils finished the half on a 42-7 run putting the game further out of reach then the idea of Kim Kardashian winning a Grammy.

Avoiding the temptation to play down to their winless counterparts, the Blue Devils weathered the early storm and played a relatively flawless first half of basketball.

On defense, they played tight man-toman coverage leading to what became an insurmountable lead for the offensivelychallenged Hawks.

On the offensive side of the court, hot shooting complemented the Blue Devils’ great defense as Ptacek and Horton both individually scored more first half points than the whole Hartford Hawks team combined.

As is usual with a Howie Dickenman coached team, different variations of the weave offense were run seamlessly.

However, what really caught my eye was the introduction of a new play, at least in the games I’ve seen, that allowed Horton to establish himself in the post.

It’s a simplistic play run by many coaches across the country where the two forwards set up screens to get the guards from the

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

the recorder

post area out to the wing. The screener then immediately has the post up position and a good angle to receive a bounce pass from the guard.

Again, this play is a basic, foundational type play, but Howie will be able to build variations off of it that will make both Horton and the Blue Devils offense more versatile and tougher to stop.

The lack of a legitimate post presence (Horton spent most of his time near the three point line in the early season games) left me worried about struggling against good defensive guards, but with the addition of this post presence from Horton, CCSU becomes much more efficient offensively.

Now I realize that it is early in the season, but CCSU is already beginning to play some good basketball. Their young freshmen guards are earning valuable minutes and adding depth to the team as De’Angelo Speech sits with an apparent foot injury.

The defense has shown signs of being suffocating and the sharp shooting guards have shown glimpses of versatility on the offensive end that give fans a lot to look forward to as the season progresses.

The Blue Devils may not have won any awards for beating a winless Hartford team, but the steps being made each game garners optimism for the upcoming conference games.

Emily Cochran Reaches Historic Numbers niCHolas proCH the recorder

As the Blue Devils prepared for NEC tournament this past weekend against Sacred Heart, the team’s focus never strayed as attention was given to junior Emily Cochran.

During the team’s match against Long Island University, Cochran scored her 1,000th kill in the second set. Time was stopped as scores were checked to make sure that she had reached the number before taking the ball out of play for her to keep.

Cochran, who was born and raised in Adel, Iowa, has enjoyed being able to call New Britain home for the past three years as she’s become one of highest scoring players in team history.

With her only focus being on a potential victory, she was not aware that she had reached the historic number.

“My mom had told me I was getting close to it,” said Cochran. “The coaches pulled me aside before the game and told me I would probably reach it that game, but I wasn’t focused on it while I was concentrating on the match.”

It was a moment for Cochran that only a handful of other athletes have seen before her at CCSU. She now stands just outside of the top-5 in career kills as a Blue Devil. The achievement was made note of as the officials and coaches paused to recognize Cochran.

“They actually stopped the play, they got the ball that I had hit it with and kept it aside and announced that I had reached my 1,000th kill,” she said. “It was really nice of them.”

It was that family feeling that made her choose CCSU over the other schools that she was deciding on, now over four years ago.

“When I first started getting recruited by schools, I took a lot of tours,” said Cochran.

“When I came out here, it was just a different feeling. The coaches are very open and they’re almost like parents to us.”

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

brittany burke

Upside Shows With Stronger Post Presence

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

An NHL Fan’s Perspective On The NBA Lockout

kenny barto i tHe reCorder

COLUMN

SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE

Junior Emily Cochran recorded her 1,000th kill to put her at 3rd in CCSU history.

That’s a feeling that is shared by the coaching staff as well. “Emily has matured so nicely over the years here and she is the complete player,” said volleyball Head Coach Linda Sagnelli. “Watching her, I’ve been able to see her grow up as a student of the game.”

Sagnelli realizes the importance that Cochran has in the team’s success. “She’s our go-to hitter, she’s the person that we look to when we’re out of system,” added Sagnelli.

“When the pass is not good, she’s going to get the most swings.”

It’s the work that Cochran has put in with her team and coaching staff that has made her the player she is now. “My freshman year I was really hard on myself when I would make a mistake,” she said. “But Coach helped me realize that you can’t dwell on those mistakes.

Learning to let go, and keep going, has helped me and the other girls the last few years.”

The Blue Devils were eliminated from the NEC tournament, falling to the second-seeded SHU, in four sets, but Cochran continued to lead the team. The junior, Second Team AllAmerican finished the day with 18 kills, 13 digs and four blocks.

With one year left for Cochran to play, she has the chance to leave CCSU with enough kills to be in the top three in Blue Devil history and she just needs over 350 next season to reach that level. This year she had well over 400 kills.

As for the ball that she hit her 1,000th kill with?

“I want the team to sign it, because I could never have done it without them.”

11

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / SPORTS

From Walk-On To NEC Champion nick rosa

Sam Alexander, a senior cross country runner, won the Northeast Conference Championship a little over a week ago, helping his Blue Devil team to their third straight championship.

Alexander has been training his whole high school and college career to achieve as many NEC rings and his individual title.

Going through some obstacles, he showed that passion, hard work and dedication go a long way.

Alexander first started running cross country at Clark Lane Middle School in sixth grade, but didn’t run again in an organized meet until his freshman year in high school.

Attending Waterford High School, this is where his running career began.

Being one of the best on his team and becoming captain in his final years, according to Alexander, he had a “pretty modest high school career and really didn’t do much.”

Never traveling to Nationals for cross country or track or going to New Englands, his most memorable moment at Waterford was setting the course record during a dual meet.

Having a quiet high school career isn’t the end all of a career, as he’s proven since being at CCSU. You don’t need nationals or AllAmerican status in high school to become a great runner in the future. Of course it would be nice to have, but Alexander’s years in high school paved the way for much better things to come.

A great coach was also a big part of Alexander’s future success. Coach Jen Merrill trained him his first three years. “I had the privilege of having a really terrific coach. She was a former world record holder in a few events and she didn’t want to burn me out in high school before college,” he said. “I talk to her now and she’ll take credit for not killing me in high school,” he added. Merrill ended up taking a position at Rutgers.

everyone is of each other,” Alexander said.

This team has been through a lot together and their experiences while together for four years has definitely helped.

Alexander has had quite the successful track and cross country career so far at CCSU. That’s also thanks to the now-head coach Blake.

“The training he believes in clicks perfectly with my body. What he has us doing is the right thing. There are different philosophies on coaching, but the results kind of speak for themselves and we do more volume than most teams in the conference.

As long as you do it smart that’s really what helped us so much,” Alexander said of his coach.

He spoke very high of Blake, even adding that he is a very personable guy and that his office door is always open for his athletes to come talk to him. “There’s no one else I’d rather be coached by, he just really gets it,” he added.

When asked what his most memorable moment in college was so far, there were a few that stood out.

In indoor track last year, Alexander won an exciting 5K race at the New England Championships, only winning by three hundredths of a second. He was runner up in last year’s outdoor IC4A’s in the 10K and missed qualifying for East Regionals by three seconds. He was even runner up at last year’s NECs behind former teammate Ry Sanderson, but the one that stands out the most is his new title as NEC Champion as of a couple weeks ago.

“IC4A’s was pretty significant for me since Photo I Steve Mcglaughlin

The Recorder

Alexander didn’t have the easiest time when it came to start getting ready to run at college. Former head coach Kawecki and then-assistant coach Eric Blake didn’t recruit Alexander; instead, Alexander contacted them to come run for the Blue Devils.

“I knew I was going here and I loved track and cross country so much, so they allowed me to come to pre-season, which was really big to me, I was really grateful for that,” Alexander said. He ran all summer before his freshman year to get ready for that because he knew he wasn’t one of the better guys going into the season.

The biggest influence for Alexander is his connection to his team and teammates. He drew a lot from his team in high school. “I do the same now, I can’t say enough about the guys on the team now and how supportive

it was such a high powered meet and winning the NEC Championship is very special to me, since it was a conference meet and was something I have dreamt of doing,” Alexander said of his achievements. This was also the second consecutive year CCSU had a NEC cross country champion.

Other things you can add to his resume include being part of last year’s indoor track and field championship and being a part of the amazing three-peat in cross country, which in 2009 was the first ever NEC championship in school history.

A total of three cross country and one indoor NEC ring makes for a considerably successful career and he still can add to that list going into indoor and outdoor season.

Trying to get a second consecutive ring going into indoor season in a couple months, Alexander is confident they can win once again. “I think we’re definitely going to be one of the contenders,” he said.

Alexander has had a successful running career at CCSU, beginning with being invited to pre-season as a walk-on athlete. It’s hard not having the recruitment and giving the coaches an idea of your running style, but Alexander never stopped pursuing a spot on the roster.

Barely getting an invite back, he made the team and didn’t look back, getting better and better every year by running hundreds of miles every summer and training hard in the winter.

His confidence in his team and himself made him a successful walk-on, setting a goal and achieving it.

He looks to run competitively after college and train at an even harder level than he is now, but after finding a job, of course.

Alexander looks to improve on his IC4A time in last year’s 10K this upcoming weekend and continues his journey to his second consecutive indoor championship and first outdoor championship in the spring. If he and the team are successful, he would be adding on to an already impressive college track and cross country resume.

MENS BBALL I Cont. from 12

WOMENS BBALL I Cont. from 12

Kenny Horton dunks during the first half against UHart.

Head Coach John Gallagher.

“Those three guys get 69 points and on our scat report the first thing was take away these three guys. You know [they’re] good when you’re trying to stop guys and they’re still scoring.”

Both the Blue Devils and Hawks had strong second halves, gaining 48 and 45 points respectively, but the deficit built up in the first half was too much for the Hawks to overcome.

CCSU had the win sealed, but Blue Devil Mark LaPorte still managed to sink a three-pointer with three seconds to go, pushing the team score to 92.

The Blue Devils won all three home games and now head to the road to open conference play at Bryant. The quick road stint comes to an end on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. when CCSU comes back home to take on NEC opponent Sacred Heart.

The Wildcats didn’t have much luck against CCSU in the second half as the blowout continued. They shot seven of 29 from the field and did not hit one three pointer.

The Blue Devils’ defense forced twenty turnovers, 12 of them being steals. The Babe sisters combined for seven of those steals.

“That was one of the main focuses in practice,” said Jaclyn Babe. “Doing what the coaches asked, trailing all ball screens, getting in the gaps and the passing lanes.”

Daamen currently leads the Blue Devils with 60 points, and Jaclyn Babe is a close second with 55. Babe, who had to sit out her sophomore year after transferring from Duquesne, has also played 140 minutes, the most on the team.

“I think it’s taken me a few games to get back into it,” she said.

“But, I think I’m in a good place now and it feels good to be out there and playing again.”

CCSU also showed how deep their bench goes. The Blue Devils played 11 of their 12 players, Amanda Harrington being the only exception. This allowed there to be fresh legs on the court at all times, as well as to give Coach Piper an idea of how she will handle games in the future.

“I’m starting to get an idea about substitutions,” said Piper.

“Today was Brooke’s first game back, and we missed Jessica for one game. But, as a whole everything is starting to fit together.”

The Blue Devils will return home on Wednesday for the “Pack the House” challenge, an NCAA program that is aimed at boosting attendance at division 1 women’s college basketball games. CCSU will be defending their Northeast Conference title, when they drew 1,800 fans to last year’s season opener against Hartford. They will open their NEC schedule on Saturday against Sacred Heart.

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

Women Crush University Of New Hampshire, 83-44

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

Men Top In-State Rival UHart, 92-58

Jaclyn Babe attempts a shot during Sunday’s game against UNH.

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, November 30, 2011 / SPORTS

CCSU Basketball Dominates Weekend Games Blue Devils outscore opponents by a combined 73 points

brittany burke

A strong first half against the struggling University of Hartford Hawks secured the third straight win at home for the CCSU men’s basketball team, 92-58.

Saturday’s meeting against the in-state CCSU (3-2, 0-0 NEC) rivals was the 41st between the two schools, and the first time the Hawks (0-6) have come to Detrick Gymnasium since 1994.

In last season’s meeting in the Connecticut 6, the Blue Devils scraped out a 64-62 win, but this was all about a strong CCSU team.

The Hawks opened up the game early with four unanswered points. It took Robby Ptacek’s two free-throws for CCSU to get on the board after going 0-for-3 in attempts.

“We saw on the board that [UHart was] starting the majority freshmen … even though they are starting freshmen we still can’t take them lightly,” said Kenny Horton. “We were a little rattled at first, they were getting under our shirts, but we tallied and it worked out in our favor.”

Despite the slow start, Ptacek’s three-point shot started a 10-point drive, seven of which came from Ptacek.

The senior guard had a major first half, scoring half of the Blue Devils’ 44 initial points. In the opening 20 minutes alone Ptacek went 7-for-10, 2-for-3 in threepoint attempts and was perfect from the line.

He finished the game with 24 points, five rebounds and seven assists, quickly cementing his spot as part of the CCSU “Big Three.”

“If one person on our team is getting hot like Robby was doing early, he was hitting shot after shot, you’re feeding off that,” said Horton. “He was getting us hype and as a team our confidence started to get up, started to pick

kenny barto I THE RECORDER

The Recorder

Kyle Vinales dribbles against Hartford’s Andres Torres during the second half of CCSU’s 92-58 win.

up momentum. I think that goes with any game if somebody is doing that in any game that gives the team that little fire and you can keep going and I think he did that early for us today and defense picked it up on D so everything just started clicking.”

Following quickly behind Ptacek in the first half was Horton.

Horton entered half time with 16 points. The 6-foot-6 Blue Devil was nearly perfect in the first half, sinking all six field goal and threepoint attempts. The only blemish in his first half stats was going 3-for-4 from the line.

Horton ended the game with 20 points and eight rebounds.

CCSU led UHart 44 to 13 going into halftime, exploding after the initial minutes. While the Blue Devils have a young back bone to turn to, the team’s starting veteran core was no match for the young Hawks.

Entering intermission the Hawks had more turnovers than points, and was shooting a 22.2 percentage with no free-throw attempts.

“We have a Big Three, I guess it’s kind of developing into a Big Three with two seniors and a freshman,” said Head Coach Howie Dickenman. “In less than three minutes in the second half Kyle [Vinales] had 12 points and one of them his foot was on the line, so when he gets going talk about streaky, and Robby, he’s just having a great year. He had seven assists last year, he had a total of 51 in 31 games and he had seven assists today…”

While Horton and Ptacek had an explosive first half, the two stepped back, and the third member of the “Big Three” stepped up. Vinales had only three points to begin the game, but ended as the game’s point leader with 25.

“You got to tip your hat when you have Horton, Ptacek and that young kid Vinales,” said UHart MENS BBALL | cont. on 11

kenny barto

The CCSU women’s basketball team had an impressive showing against New Hampshire, defeating them 83-44 on Sunday afternoon.

“When we played Hartford the other day we struggled executing offense because we couldn’t get into our initial offense after the first pass,” said Head Coach Beryl Piper.

“Tonight, we were able to execute our offense because we were playing better defense and getting easy looks.”

Junior transfer Jaclyn Babe led the Blue Devils (3-1, 0-0 NEC) with 22 points. The Wildcats (2-2, 0-0 America East) had only one player in double figures and turned the ball over 20 times. Jessica Babe had just four points but had seven rebounds, nine assists and five steals.

“Jessica had a really good game today,” Piper said. “To put up numbers like that as a guard, it’s just a huge help to our team.”

The game was tied at 18 with 7:58 to go in the first half. It seemed like the game would be back and forth all day. However, the Blue Devils mustered a 24-4 run to close out the half leading 42-22. Jaclyn Babe scored 13 of her 22 in the first half, and missed just one of her five shots from the field. Kirsten Daamen, CCSU’s leading scorer of the season, scored 10 of her 18 in the first half.

WOMENS BBALL | cont. on 10

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

The Recorder

Jessica Babe drives against New Hampshire during the Blue Devils’ 83-44 rout of the Wildcats on Sunday afternoon.