AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Central Connecticut State University
Volume 108 No. 18
Alabama Reverend Delivers Fiery Sermon To CCSU Community kassondra granata the recorder
Reverend Arthur Price Jr. visited Connecticut for the first time Thursday to speak at a civil rights lecture at CCSU. Price’s sermon pertained to the role of religion, and Christianity’s dominant role for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement. The Speaker Series from the Civil Rights Movement Project at CCSU was created by African American studies Professor Stephen Balkaran, who also brought Police Chief A.C Roper to CCSU in the fall. “The black church has been the flame bearer of the civil rights movement since the beginning,” Balkaran said, introducing Price. “Christianity has played a prominent role in establishing a moral conscious for the civil rights of blacks in America. There were many individual and collective efforts contributed to freedoms that we now enjoy as African Americans, but few institutions provided the united voice echoed by that of the black church.” Price has been a pastor for thirteen years and arrived at the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. in 2002. The church is known as a historical monument due to the place that it held during the civil rights movement in the 1960s. It was used as a meeting ground for civil rights leaders such as Martin Luther King, Ralph David Abernathy and Fred Shutterworth during the prime years of the movement. On September 15, 1963, The Ku Klux Klan bombed the church, killing four young girls. That event created a domino effect and resulted in many other civil rights actions well-known to history. “I want to engage us in the struggle and remind us that if we never had these ancestors in the past, we would have never had our rights that we have today, I think that’s so important,” Price said. “Too often we forget about those who brought us through history and we need to remember who has worked a mighty long way to get us here.” Price spoke on the dilemma African Americans went through during the 1960s, and when they had finally decided that “enough was enough.” “There comes a time in our lives when it is time to say we have to move on, we have to stop making excuses, we have to stop allowing our hardships hurt us and we need to say it is time to move to the other side,” said Price. “We are usually afraid to push the envelope. In the 1960’s, the black church said ‘we are going to hold white America accountable’ because they said all of this was so.” CCSU President Jack Miller
said that African Americans from the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church played a much more important role during the civil rights movement than just spreading their faith. “It’s far more than just a religious perspective, which is absolutely important. It has a much bigger and broader social influence,” Miller said. “The African American church was a social organization, a home for many civil rights workers and people of the past as well as the current, they had a very pervasive influence.” Price said that because the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church has the civil rights movement attached to its history, it is hard to juggle how to keep the community a functioning congregation rather than a tourist attraction. “We called the challenge, ‘bridging the ministry;’ we have had over 90,000 visitors touring the church,” Price said. “During the 1960’s the church was dying. When I got there in 2002 we only had 70 members as opposed to over 800 members in the 1960’s. Now we have over 400 members. [Tourists] only saw it as an extension to the civil rights museum across the street, but we are trying to keep it a ministry.”
kenny Barto | tHe recorder
Reverend Arthur Price, Jr. of the 16th St. Baptist Church in Birmingham, Ala. presented a fiery speech to CCSU students. He also answered questions from students and faculty.
Should The UPBC’s Constitution Be Called Into Question? justin Muszynski the recorder
After the recent matter of “transparency” in the Athletics Department was supported in the Faculty Senate and found to be an unpopular topic in the University Planning and Budget Committee it must be explored as to whether or not there’s an issue in the difference in views between the two committees. Guy Crundwell, a member of the UPBC, says this is a perfect example of why the committee isn’t doing what it was designed to. “It’s supposed to represent the voice of the faculty in an advisory capacity related to planning and budget but the problem is with the way the UPBC is set up, with an equal amount of administrators and faculty. Those administrators are supposed to be there as resources but not to be voting members,” said Crundwell. David Blitz, the former chair of the UPBC, recalls the process by which administrators gained voting privileges, and says it was more of a “courtesy” to them. If they were going to be present at the meetings then they might as well play a larger role. At a UPBC meeting last semester, Crundwell put forth five motions relating to the Athletic Department’s finances and possible solutions
that involved an ad-hoc committee budgeting and planning process public assessing their budget and finding cost and transparent.” Crundwell also says that some cutting measure that could be taken. However, only one of the five motions administrators have multiple avenues to was passed after Crundwell took get their priorities to the forefront. “I look at them crafting the voice the other four off the table because of the obvious negative feelings the of the faculty as two bites at the apple, because they get it before the senate committee had towards them. But when the Faculty Senate votes on it and then they can bend the got wind of this issue they seemed ear of the president individually, I can’t,” rather intrigued by it; So much so that said Crundwell. “I have to put something through they invited the shared Cr undwel l, “They’re in a tenuous governance P a u l Schlickmann, situation, if the provost r o u t e , through the Athletics D i r e c t o r , wants something passed and the faculty. The provost and another member of they’re relying on them for can put it the UPBC to a an evaluation it gets kind of through the faculty or future meeting give it to the where they sticky,” president.” will conduct a Jason more in depth Jo n e s , -Guy Crundwell discussion. President of “I wasn’t the CCSU there for the discussion, but I don’t understand why chapter of the American Association of they didn’t approve that especially if University Professors, says it’s a bigger it seemed to be a matter of interest to question involving ethics when looking at least some of the committee,” said at the UPBC’s arrangement compared Blitz referring to the UPBC. “Why the to that of the Senate’s. “In general there’s a principle that UPBC wouldn’t want to do that is a mystery to me, I don’t quite understand the Senate committees should be it because it’s just information. One faculty committees and the people part of the UPBC is to make the who propose the budget should not
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then have the opportunity to vote on whether the budget is acceptable to the faculty,” said Jones. Jones also says that the administrators’ presence can have an impact on whether or not members will speak out against something that they are in favor of. “I do believe that it constrains the speech of some senators and of some members of the committee, I don’t think there’s any question about that,” said Jones. “There are even members of the Senate who don’t feel comfortable taking stances that strongly contradict those of their dean or the provost.” He adds that members of the AAUP have language written in their contract about academic freedom and some still feel “anxious” about opposing the beliefs of the administrators. But he imagines it must be even more complicated for State University Organization of Administrative Faculty who doesn’t have the luxury of academic freedom. “They’re in a tenuous situation, if the provost wants something passed and they’re relying on them for an evaluation it gets kind of sticky,” said Crundwell. “It’s a weird committee. I’m not saying it’s happening but there is potential for a conflict of interest.”
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NEWS From Refugee to College Degree
THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 15, 2012
kassondra granata The Recorder
William Dhal came to New Haven not knowing his real name, his birthdate or the location of his parents. Dhal is one of the 20,000 boys of the Nuer and Dinka ethnic groups who were displaced or orphaned during the Second Sudanese War (1983-2005) where about 2.5 million were killed and millions displaced. Dhal was separated from his family around the age of seven and traveled by foot across three countries to seek refuge, eventually reaching Ethiopia. Over half of the orphans died along their journey due to starvation, dehydration, sickness and disease or attack by wild animals and enemy soldiers. Experts say they are the most badly war-traumatized children ever examined. After several years in Ethiopia, Dhal was again displaced and found himself in Kenya where he began to get his early formal education. “I didn’t know if my family was dead or alive,” Dhal said. “I quickly began to take advantage of educating myself, to make my life better.” Dhal arrived to the United States at the estimated age of 16 with the help of the UNICEF program, “The Lost Boys of Sudan.” Dhal immediately took an opportunity to receive an education at Gateway Community College, earning an Associate’s degree prior to continuing his studies at CCSU. Dhal will be graduating this May with a degree in economics and a minor in finance. He currently works overnight shifts at Target in order to pay his expenses. African American Studies Professor
Stephen Balkaran met Dhal several years ago when he was enrolled in one of his courses and has been his mentor ever since. “His story goes beyond borders, wars and college success, he constantly reminds me of the opportunities presented to him in America,” Balkaran said. “He came to America without knowing his real birthday, his age, any of that. The United States gave that information to him.” Balkaran said that being his mentor also reminded him that he did not face the same warfare that Dhal had faced. “We both share an arrival in a strange country,” said Balkaran, who immigrated from the Carribbean. “But William arrived without any family and friends, and I learned from his life and mine that life in America can be just as difficult as any war torn country.” Dhal hopes to become a teacher and hopes to go back to Sudan and see what has happened since he left many years ago. In returning to Sudan, he hopes to find out if his family is still alive. Dhal has a girlfriend, and said that he would like to marry her someday. In the Dinka tradition, it is customary to ask both sides of the family for permission and to accept and give a dowry. Dhal said an example would be 100 cows. Since Dhal does not know if his parents are alive, as well as his girlfriend’s family, he needs to go back to Sudan to find them. Dhal did not wish to give the name of his significant other. “I still have hope,” Dhal said. “I still have hope that they are alive, and I want to see my old home and talk to the people there and find out what has happened and tell them my story.”
Kenny Barto | THE RECORDER
William Dhal and his mentor Stephen Balkaran prior to the lecture by Reverend Arthur Price, Jr. of the 16th St. Baptist Church. Professor Balkaran said that mentorship and believing in students can play an immense role in enabling them to achieve their goal. Balkaran has nominated Dhal for the President’s Citation Award for this year and recently wrote a letter of recommendation to President Miller. “William shares his CCSU experience
with great admiration and immense support from faculty and staff,” said Balkaran. “His relationship with the School of Business and his new friends and mentors made CCSU a safe and a trustworthy new home. William also wants to give back to the CCSU community. He is an admirable man and deserves this more than anyone.”
Student Government Passes Bergenn’s General Education Proposal joe suszczynski The Recorder
Kenny Barto | THE RECORDER
SGA Vice President Liz Braun (left) and President Eric Bergenn.
Follow @RecorderSGA for live tweets of the Student Government Association meetings held every Wednesday
The Student Government Association passed President Bergenn’s general education proposal after tabling it last meeting. According to Bergenn’s proposal, general education would be divided into four areas: Arts & Humanities, Natural Physical & Computer Sciences, Social Sciences, and Personal Development. Each area would require a minimum of six credits and have a maximum of twelve. The graduation requirements would mandate that a student could not be able to graduate without passing with a C minus or above or being able to test out of a class. The maximum of six credits in areas one through three can be “double-counted” towards a student’s program. Transfer credits are counted towards the general education program as well. If any transfer credit is not recognized, it is to be transferred to the Chair of the department that the class falls into. If it does not fit the general description, the student then must submit it to the Curriculum Committee for approval. If the Curriculum Committee and chair of the department do not approve by majority vote, the class will not count toward general education requirements. When it comes to the guidelines for selecting classes in of the four areas of the general education, curriculum can be recommended by each department. The Faculty Senate must approve whatever recommendations that the Curriculum Committee makes, which the president of Student Government Association approves and is approved by a majority vote. No more than eight students can take classes per department in addition to thirty classes within each area. Departments may submit additional course offerings if areas are full to capacity. In order for a student to get an override into a full class, it needs to take the place of another course being offered. A course is still counted if it is removed from the General Education areas after a student has taken it. Senator Jamie Canny said in opposition that she didn’t like the tone of the proposal
or the way it was outlined. “I can certainly agree that it is frustrating to take extra courses, but it doesn’t take a toll on your education,” Canny said. “Now that I have taken all of my requirements for graduation this spring, my perspective has changed. I think it is imperative that we as students get forced to take classes, it helps us see and understand the world around us.” Canny said that the current General Education program creates a “well-rounded student.” “Not only does it create a well-rounded student having knowledge in the science and health courses, but it makes the students better citizens,” Canny said. “Without these courses I would be unprepared for graduate school and the rest of my life.” Bergenn gave the chair to Vice-President Liz Braun in order to speak on behalf of his proposal. “I actually agree with a lot of the points against the passing,” Bergenn said. “I understand the need for students to have a broad education like Senator Canny said, and on the same level, it’s very beneficial. I left out those specific things because there are different types of learners and degrees given here, Bergenn said. “This might not be perfect, and I am not against in making amendments or coming up with new ideas and making it better. It’s not a bad thing to have general education curriculum, but when you define what it is, it’s not a curriculum, it is a program.”
SGA meets Wednesday @ 3:05 in the Bellin Gallery in the Student Center
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / 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
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Bergenn Shot Down At Faculty Senate Justin Muszynski The Recorder
The Faculty Senate passed a policy Monday that will see CCSU departments examined by an external assessor as part of their five-year review that goes to New England Association of Schools and Colleges. In the policy statement it says that “approximately four departments each semester will complete a self-study based on the four most recent annual and assessment reports for each of their programs.” Paulette Lemma, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs, who gave the report to the senate, said this policy will satisfy one of the four goals NESAC set out for CCSU to accomplish before their next fifth-year review. “They wanted to make sure we will have a cycle of reviewing our academic programs,” said Lemma. “When they came in 2008 we were not able to say that we had any academic
review process going on, so they gave us five years to make sure that we do that.” Departments will compile a list of three or four possible external reviewers and from there the dean along with the provost will select one to conduct the assessment. SGA President Eric Bergenn expressed his interest that students be included in the process when the reviewer visits the school. “Considering the fact that two of the purposes, out of the three, of doing this assessment are based on enhancing student learning and effectiveness of curricula, it might not be a bad idea to include in the language somewhere the idea that there should be student input,” said Bergenn. “I do believe it’s what the assessment is trying to capture.” Edward Sarisley, Professor of Manufacturing and Construction Management, supported Bergenn’s suggestion. “I think it’s a wonderful idea what our student representative is suggesting,” said
Sarisley. He added that the American Council for Construction Education already “requires direct, unbiased independent student interviews without faculty present, without the dean. And I think what he’s (Bergenn) suggesting should be included in the NEASC report.” However, Lemma pointed out that the assessment portion of the department’s selfbased study already includes student input. Carl Lovitt, the Provost, made a motion that would require departments to include students in the external review process. It was amended by substitution from another motion that simply allowed them to do so as opposed to mandating it. However, this motion did not pass with only 14 votes for it and 27 against. Also at the meeting, a motion was passed supporting the Psychology department’s decision to change their name to Psychological Science. Jason Jones, President of the CCSU chapter of the American Association of
University Professors, encouraged faculty to come to two hearings this week to voice their concerns over two separate bill proposals. One is in regards to a legislative meeting that took place yesterday discussing a proposal calling for a system to be crafted that will allow transfer students from Connecticut state schools to carry over all of their general education credits from one school to another. The other is tomorrow in which the proposed bill would make it impossible to force students into remediation. Stephen Addair, CCSU’s representative on the Faculty Advisory Committee to the Board of Regents said the bill regarding General Education is under a tight time constraint. “The timeline on this is short,” said Addair. “The Board of Regents will be voting on this policy on March 15.” The meeting took place in Vance Academic Center room 105. The Senate’s next meeting will be Feb. 27 at 3:05 pm.
Students Disagree On What General Education Should Be Justin Muszynski The Recorder
With two separate General Education proposals currently on the table at CCSU, students are torn between different aspects of both of them and no one can completely agree on any particular characteristic of either. Most believe that neither system is perfect as is and that in the end there should be a compromise between the two. Both proposals would condense the the current system of eight study areas, down to four. However, SGA President Eric Bergenn’s proposal would leave more up to the student where the General Education Ad-Hoc Committee’s would still mandate certain classes. Alicia Marquis, a sophomore, prefers Bergenn’s proposal because of the freedom it grants students. “I think I would like the president’s one better so students can get more of what they are looking for out of school,” said Marquis. “The classes you take should depend on what you want to do with your life. Everyone’s different.” Bergenn’s proposal would only require
that a student take one college level math or composition course unless that particular department allows them to “test out” of that class. Hythem Bishtawi, a junior, also favors Bergenn’s proposal over the most current draft by the Ad-Hoc Committee. He believes students shouldn’t be required to take something that doesn’t directly relate to their career path. “That would be easier if you had the ability to make your own choices and focus on your major,” said Bishtawi. “If you were allowed to take all classes that you’re interested in, you’d probably be more inclined to take more classes and that would cause students to graduate faster.” The committee’s proposal would still require everyone to take freshman composition, which is a necessary learning experience for some students. Declan Gallagher, a junior, expresses how much freshman composition did for him in the long run. “It helped me a lot,” said Gallagher. “I still use the same writing techniques to this day that I learned in freshman comp.” A third option is also preferred by some
students. Colleen Brown, a senior, likes the current system in place saying she had no problems completing it in the designated time period. “I like the fact that students are required to take a number of courses that they should have to pass if they want a college degree,” said Brown. “Sometimes when you’re given too much freedom, you make bad docisions.” Despite many students’ opinion that the current Gen Ed system requires too many credits, most didn’t seem too ecstatic that Bergenn’s proposal would only mandate the state minimum of 40. “I don’t think that would make much of a difference,” said Brian Field, a junior. “If you’re trying to get out of here sooner I don’t think that is going to affect that. That’s like a single lab class.” However, he does think that if more students were allowed to test out of required classes, that could save a significant amount of time and would allow someone to graduate in a more timely manner. “The one thing I really like about his [Bergenn’s] system is that students who already know a lot about a particular subject don’t have to suffer through an entire course
that teaches them nothing because it allows people to test out,” said Field. While Bergenn’s proposal suggests that a student be allowed to test out instead of taking a required course, it would be up to the individual department as to whether or not they would approve of it. One element that students seemed to favor in the Ad-Hoc Committee’s draft is the ability to double-count more classes than the SGA President’s report. Allison Bernhard, a senior, feels that if the ultimate goal is to improve graduation rates, then this is a crucial aspect that will encourage that. Bergenn’s proposal only allows a person to double count up to six credits where the committee’s permits up to 12 in either your major, minor or a combination of the two. “A lot of courses you need for your major make you take a prerequisite,” said Bernhard. “If you can take that class and have it not only counts toward your major and Gen Ed requirement, but also set the ground work for your major path, that would be very efficient.” It’s also important to remember that both proposals are drafts and neither is guaranteed to be accepted as the new General Education system at CCSU, should there be one.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012
A Message From The SGA:
The SGA is giving out $30,500 in scholarships this year! Every fulltime undergraduate is eligible to apply! To apply, please pick up an application packet in the SGA office located in the Student Center, Room 211. All applications are due no later than March 14, 2012. Please direct any questions or concerns to the Scholarship Committee via email: CCSU.SGA. Scholarships@gmail.com
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OPINION
5 THE RECORDER Wednesday, February 15, 2012
It’s Time For This Campus To Speak Up About Gen Ed There’s a lot of hoopla surrounding the general education program in the CSU system. Faculty members are up in arms about what programs to cut and which to keep. They ’re mulling over different proposals to try to figure out what works best for the school and are hard at work doing so. They want to get this done in time to make changes for the next fall semester. SGA President Eric Bergenn is now trying to get himself, and the student body he represents, involved in the process. Beyond voting at last week’s SGA meeting whether or not to approve his proposal to the Faculty Senate, he’s had little to no support. That’s baffling. One of the biggest things that students complain about here at CCSU are the requirements for
general education. It contributes to students having to stay longer, study longer and pay more tuition. The fact that no one is lining up to help the SGA try to get student input into the discussion is a sign of weakness on behalf of us all. It’s frustrating that we can complain to our friends that a biology lab is keeping us from graduating, but when the opportunity is presented for us to say something to the faculty who will be making an overhaul of the system, we’re silent. Student turn-out at all of the General Education open forums has been poor at best. There was a time when a college campus was a soapbox to stand on for issues to be challenged. Now we hide behind our Twitter handles and complain about #CCSU, but we don’t have the gall to say it out loud. Have we
become weak? No, it goes beyond that. If you peruse the social networks and look at comments about this University, we have no shortage of opinions. Unfortunately, these are not making their way to any administrators in any fashion that holds a speck of validity. The problem lies in what our generation views as acceptable forms of communication. At this publication, we stress the importance of the wellcrafted and edited written word. We have an obvious outlet to do so where some do not, but our opinions can only enter this editorial box on a given week. As students, we have great power. Our opinions should be prevalent instead of hidden. W hether or not the administrators here would ever admit it, they work for us. We pay for our education and we are employing
them to teach us. Without completely throwing aside the respect we should have for all of them, we should remember that we have numbers on our side. We’re not advocating a riot here in any way, but if we’re not expressing to the faculty and administration what our desires are, then we are wasting time. At no point in our working careers should we be quiet and go with the flow if we don’t agree with what’s happening around us. College should be a proving ground for the rest of our lives. This is no place to be apathetic. If something is worth complaining about, then it is worth changing. By showing the administration that we care about decisions they are making, we will also demonstrate to them that we take ourselves and our futures seriously.
When Judging Goes Too Far Sara M. Berry The Recorder
When most of us were small children, we were told not to “judge a book by its cover.” Many of us figured out that our parents and teachers were not just talking about books, but about people. As human beings, it is natural to form impressions, essentially judgments, about people almost immediately, based almost solely upon their appearance. This weekend I had an opportunity to see how many adults have forgotten what we learned at that age. In my job as a pharmacy technician, I encounter a number of strange looking, and even stranger acting, people. This weekend, a reasonably strange looking man, with long blond hair, a yellow Old Navy sweatshirt and blue jean shorts dropped off a narcotic
prescription. In all honesty, he looked more like a California surfer than a Connecticut native in February. The prescription he dropped off was filled and picked up without incident. The next morning, I received a phone call from my boss asking if I remembered filling the prescription or the person that picked it up. The person that the medication was for was a hospice patient, and the nurse could not find the medication in the house. Yes, I remembered him and yes the script had been picked up. I could tell that the immediate speculation was that the man had taken it and not brought it back to the person it was for. “He looked sketchy,” said the person who watched the security video. The nurse later called and said that she had found the medication. What I didn’t tell anyone at first was that
I knew the man, quite well. He has been a friend of the family for several years. The person that the medication was for is his ex-girlfriend, who is dying of cancer, who he took so that she had someone to care for her. He fixes my car, and let me borrow his BMW for a week so that I would have a way to get to school while he was waiting for a hard-to-find part to arrive. He may not be one of the most typical people I’ve ever met, but he is one of the kindest people I know. This turn of events is just one example of how we make snap judgments about people based on their appearance, often without even having spoke to them. This is why we are expected to dress a certain way for job interviews or in the workplace, as if the way we dress has any bearing on how well we do our job.
As college students, we are exposed to a wide variety of people on this campus, some similar to us and many others who are not. As we walk back and forth between our classes, we pass by many people, a lot of whom we have never spoken to before. Often we make unconscious judgments about them or form impressions of them, like “that guy is so loud,” or “that girl’s clothes are so outdated.” We don’t usually think that he may have a disability, or that she may be struggling to pay for school and can’t afford new clothes. There are many people on this campus, and we can’t possibly know all of them. It’s important to realize that because we do not know everyone, we should avoid making judgments about people we don’t know when we don’t know all of the details.
New Haven Officials Deserve Criticism
Bryan Morales The Recorder
New Haven Mayor Joseph Maturo, Jr. has shocked many with his actions dealing with the Hispanic community and the New Haven Police Department when he said, “I might have tacos,” when reporters asked him what he was going to do for the Spanish community. Sgt. John Miller and Officers David Cari, Dennis Spaulding, and Jason Zullo were
reported to have a reputation of intimidating Hispanic residents of East Haven. They targeted Spanish immigrants with out a legitimate reason and arrested them. Federal prosecutors said, “... Sometimes slapping, hitting or kicking them when they were handcuffed.” The Spanish community should have every right to be upset and angered because as tax payers, their hard work should not be invested in protection that is not being given to them. Even though the Democratic Board of
Police Commissioners voted unanimously to fire Chief of Police Leonard Gallo, he was not terminated and will be keeping all of his benefits from his retirement plan. Maturo said, “The statutory requirements to terminate a chief of police, along with the legal costs of the likely litigation in response to a decision to terminate, weigh heavily in favor of accepting the chief ’s retirement as opposed to terminating his employment.” Not only did Maturo make a racial comment, but released Gallo without
any fair punishments. All four officers have pleaded not guilty to their charges and every officer was released on bail except for Zullo. They’re all facing maximum sentencing, but will be awaiting trail. New Haven Police Department should definitely plan to reform their goals as protectors of New Haven. Their job is to protect residents and keep order, not cause harm or take advantage of anyone.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / UPGRADE
Easy Way To Keep Up Your Energy Rachael Bentley The Recorder
One of the biggest complaints I hear from my college peers is about how they wish they could sleep more often. The second biggest complaint is that they wish they had more energy. Now, I can’t very well add hours to the day that don’t exist, but there are quite a few things we can do to help ourselves feel better for the days ahead. One of the biggest factors in how you feel during the day is what you eat, and more specifically how often. Eating smart is an easy way to make the most out of your day, starting with eating smaller meals. Your body has to work harder to digest larger meals, leaving you feeling more exausted after having a large lunch or dinner than when you started. It also helps to eat more slowly and to drink water before and after each meal. Taking your time to eat your meal may seem like a rare luxury, anyone with a six class work load can attest to that, but taking the time to slow down may have greater benefits than you realize. The next tip is pretty selfexplanatory, but should be mentioned none the less. Pick up healthier snacks. Complex carbohydrates and protein are much better for you, and their energy effects last longer. It’s tempting, with all of the vending machines filled with goodies around campus, but those sugary treats will only make you feel worse in the long run. Whole grain, fruits, veggies and foods high in fiber are easy to find in
Daniel Saunders | THE RECORDER
Monster energy drinks are filled with lots of sugar and carbs, which can be unhealthy. your grocery store, and with Stop n’ Shop just around the corner there is no excuse for any of us. And let’s not forget the most important healthy eating habit of them all, eating breakfast. Don’t skip it, and pop-tarts do not count as a real meal, so make sure to give yourself enough time in the morning to have a meal and start the day of right. Making sure you’re getting enough sleep
each night has been preached and praised by doctors and health officals for years, and we all know that six hours of sleep is the minimum we need to function at a proficient level, but there are other things we can do to give ourselves more energy. Taking a nap during the day for 20-30 minutes can help give you a quick energy boost when you need it, but don’t use this as an excuse to take a three hour
nap in the middle of the day, because that will make you feel drained for the rest of the day, and throw off your sleep schedule. Keeping a regular sleep schedule is also a key way to get the most energy during the day. Going to bed and waking up around the same time each day may seem pointless, especially when our schedules differ so much from day to day, so it’s important to keep in mind that even though sleeping in may seem like a great idea at the time, the long-term effects may not be so great. What you do before you go to sleep has a huge effect on how well you sleep at night, and giving yourself an hour or two before bed to step away from the computer, TV or tablet can have a postive impact on how well you sleep at night. Giving your mind a chance to chill out and unwind after a long day is great for your body, as well as giving your eyes something other to look at than a brightly lit screen. There are many students that have a drink or two (or more) to help them fall asleep at night, and while this does deliver the shortterm effects needed, it can cause the quality of your sleep to worsen over time. Try to avoid drinking alcohol beverages at least two to three hours before going to bed, to make sure you get the best quality sleep possible. What you eat and how you sleep are the two major factors in changing how awake and energetic you feel during the day, and with some small tweaks and changes to your lifestyle choices, it’s easy to wake up feeling like a million bucks.
REVIEWS
Netflix It: Taxi Driver Nicholas Proch The Recorder
As Robert De Niro is standing in front of the mirror in his studio apartment in Manhattan, he’s posing. This is something we all do. We look at our reflections. Sometimes we’re seeing how we look in the new outfit we bought. Sometimes nothing at all. This one scene is a perfect summation of Taxi Driver. De Niro plays Travis Bickle, who is a Vietnam War veteran. He’s got some issues; physical, mental and social. Bickle is, as the title would suggest, a New York City taxi driver. The only thing that can match his insomnia is his pent-up rage towards the world around him. Many would argue that violence and hate drive this film, but solidarity and isolation are the key elements, making Bickle more accessible to the audience. These are things that many people struggle with and he portrays this convincingly. While standing in front of the mirror, Bickle is talking to himself. This isn’t too strange in itself, unless you take into account what he is saying. He’s acting out a fantasy scenario in which he kills a pimp named Sport, played by Harvey Keitel. He’s yelling at the mirror in a fashion that one cannot fully understand unless they’ve seen this scene. As he’s doing so, he’s relaxing. Martin Scorsese has an enormous skill set as a director, but the best is his ability to create an intended mood using camera movement and placement. The camera pans from the perspective of the mirror to a poster on the wall, which Bickle is also talking to at one point, to a wide shot which brings the audience back into the lonely apartment. That’s intentional. As Bickle is becoming immersed in his fantasy, the audience has no choice but to be dragged along. This is entirely believable. While he is giving his speech to himself, you seem to understand that he is talking to Sport. As this is happening, the audio is
photo | columbia pictures
as important as the visuals. Busy street noises are being pumped in as the scene progresses. They get louder and louder as the audience and Bickle get more into his vigilante dream. Then they stop. The sounds were there, right? Or was that all in his head? Who’s the insane one now? This film isn’t completely about war veterans struggling with depression, but instead about a man who struggles with
his masculinity. He wants to fit in. He wants to be a hero. He wants people to know who is. That’s a permeating feeling in our society. This was as true in 1976 as it is today. There’s a point in the film when everyone is either looking up to or looking down on Bickle. Throughout, he’s trying to get on the same plane as everyone else. Is that so bad? Unfortunately, the only way he feels
he can get someone to notice him is by making front-page headlines. Not enough can be said about the careers of Scorsese and De Niro. They both have been a part of wildly entertaining projects, but none are better than the ones where the two team up. This was the second of their many films together, but had it been their last together no one could have argued that they didn’t go out on top.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / UPGRADE
‘Misfits’ Bring British Comedy To U.S. Rachael Bentley The Recorder
One afternoon, while trying to find a new TV series to become addicted to, I stumbled across a hidden gem called Misfits. The British science fiction/action/drama series is about five troubled teenagers in their early 20s who get stuck doing community service together. During a freak storm they get electrocuted and wake up with super human powers, and they soon realize that other people in their town have also obtained some strange new abilities. Their adventures begin when the probation officer working at the community center turns into a psychopath and tries to kill them after also getting struck by the strange lightning, and the story continues to get more and more interesting from there. After watching five episodes in a row, I found myself looking at a clock and wondering why it was already 4 a.m. and I had to force myself to put my computer away and go to sleep. Unfortunately for me (and any one else who is easily addicted to a good TV show) the series can be found on Hulu and it’s totally free. There are so many different aspects of this series that I love, but the main contender is the acting. It is a rarity to find truly excellent teenage actors in a day and age where all you need is a set of fake plastic fangs and a nice body to be considered talented. The cast members are diverse in the sense that they all have very different characters to portray. When writing a series based on teenagers with super-hero powers, it’s easy for writers to get overwhelmed by the amount of different plots and twists that occur episodeto-episode, and in this case season-to-season. But despite those challenges, writers Howard Overman and Jon Brown created a series that
not only exploded with success in their own country, but in other countries like Australia and the U.S. They have many different types of episodes that include the assassination of Hitler to fighting zombies, making it so there is basically something for everyone to love. As if it doesn’t get any better, just try to not to fall in love with the soundtrack, which includes “Echoes” by The Rapture as the opening theme. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that the show is British, but I can’t help but love all the variety in song
selection and make a point to look up every song used in every episode. If I had to describe Misfits to someone, I would instinctively say it’s the perfect combination of comedy and thrilleraction. The characters are relatable (minus the thick accents) and you will slowly find yourself developing what is known as an ‘English’ sense of humor, which, for the record, is about as dry, crude and witty as they come. When watching the series, it’s easy to see
how TV shows in the U.S. differ from shows in the U.K., and that isn’t just based on the amount of cursing and swearing that occurs. The content is much more mature. This is a refreshing change from TV shows like Glee that can’t even insinuate that gay couples are intimate without getting criticized. Perhaps you like the PG-rated Glee shows, and wouldn’t change that for the world. That’s totally fine. But, if you are feeling a little bored with what American TV has to offer, then take an hour and see if you don’t fall in love with The Misfits.
No Need For A Second Helping Of ‘Platanos’ Clement Eneh The Recorder
As an ending to “LASO Loves You Week,” Platanos and Collard Greens was performed last Wednesday at Torp Theater. The show was open to the public and admission was free, a wise decision by whomever made it so. Platanos is about a young African American man and a Dominican woman who are both in college and socially conscious. They like one another but are from two different worlds and must confront their family, friends and a cultural divide in order to be together. At least, that was what the poster promised. Sadly, the plot of this not-so-epic ethnic love story didn’t live up to expectation. I use “plot” loosely and am, perhaps, too generous in attaching such a word to this lengthy and slapdash production. The stage lights dimmed and within seconds the fourth wall was broken and an awkward half poem, half rap began. A line like, “Platanos and Collard Greens go together like macaroni and chicken wings,” didn’t leave me in awe so much as it made me hungry. That wasn’t a typo, nor was it me
accidently copying and pasting a dinner order. That was the first line and it didn’t get any better as the character went along. In fact, most of the poetry slams were weakly performed and forgettable. Though written with good intentions, they were a lazy attempt at depth. It was just a lot of emphasized word inflection, yelling and bad rhymes. The poems touched on topics including racial tolerance, the affects of African Diaspora, self identity, sex and love. The root of what they were saying was so good but it felt lackluster, oversimplified, rushed and poorly phrased. I wanted so badly to like this show. Looking back now, it didn’t leave me feeling anything other than upset that they wasted such a golden opportunity to touch on serious topics in a thoughtful and powerfully poetic way. I’m almost reluctant to criticize the actors; they didn’t have much to work with from the start. It was clear to me the writers took the easy way out. However, there were some good qualities. It was nice to see so many African Americans displayed in a positive way on the stage and discussing serious issues. Until I noticed a
pattern. They did nothing except talk about issues! Every other line was an explanatory historical fact crammed into awkward, unbelievable dialogue that was already going nowhere. It lacked fluidity. I didn’t believe it. I wasn’t invested in any of their futures. The blackout scene changes (my favorite part, as it meant they were one step closer to the end) were terrible and a loud Spanish song blared in the background whenever the only two Latino characters walked on stage. On many occasions the melody didn’t start right or the volume would change uncontrollably. It was like the stage tech was confused and deciding mid-scene whether or not it was worth playing. Platanos did a better job of informing than entertaining. I agreed with the, “know your history and love who you are,” message, I just hated they way it was presented. It wasn’t so much a real play as it was a two hour PSA on the dangers of ethnic and cultural stereotypes. Ironically, some of the same stereotypes they were trying to debunk were solidified in the supporting characters. One was a dramatic, sassy, young Hispanic woman whose ‘booty popped’, jumped around and played sidekick
to the main character. The other was an over the-top loud black man who spoke in slang, juvenile colloquialisms and made out-ofplace pop culture references. His character was annoying, as well as troubling. Must this be what passes for comic relief in a minority drama? An over animated, try hard, laughat-his-own-jokes, buffoon with a limited vocabulary? He managed to steal a few laughs from the audience, but when he didn’t it was like he was begging for them, trying even harder to be “funny.” Of the entire show, the only character I could tolerate was the female love interest. I thought she’d be the same as the rest. I was wrong. Her acting was superb, funnier than those meant to be funny and cancelled out the numerous flaws of her male co-star. Sadly, she was overshadowed by VH1 reality star Royce Reed, a.k.a the one who got the most applause for the least work. A good show will pull you in to the story and gently feed you useful life lessons. Platanos was theatrically over seasoned and force-fed to the audience as they smiled politely with mouths full, waiting to spit.
‘Chronicle’ Is A Thought-Provoking Psychological Thriller Eric m. Valad The Recorder
When I first saw the trailer for this film I thought it was going to be a waste of my time, but luckily for me I was wrong. When high school teenagers Andrew (a shy student), Steve (the popular class president) and Matt (the neutral philosophically inclined) come across a glowing ancient artifact underground, something involuntary happens to them and gives them the ability to use telekinesis. The mystery of the film is that you never know what really happens to them. Andrew documents all of their abilities from moving simple legos around, to playing football out in the clouds. Problems start to arise after they learn to move objects and fly far up into the atmosphere. While Matt and Steve rarely use their powers for their own benefit, they realize Andrew’s own obsession with
photo | 20th Century fox
self-documenting the use of his powers becomes abusive and dangerous. The whole film takes place in a firstperson view from cameras from the main character Andrew. The story mainly
revolves around his judgment in using the power while dealing with being the “unpopular” one in high school, having a dying mother and abusively drunk father. While this ability brings them together, it
also poses a conflict of abuse of power that Andrew does not limit himself to. Psychologically and philosophically, the idea that when one is given the power to do whatever they want comes into being is also pointed out as a thought-provoking sentient with decisions and consequences. The actors behave like realistic senior high school students would, but also dwell on the fabrics of how three personality types are able to control themselves with the unique power that no one else has. It almost feels like a philosophy class’ tale was the inspiration that made this film come to life. The attitudes and emotional attachment to each of the three young men also expand on what people in the world would do if they wielded such influence. Overall, the film is somewhat thoughtprovoking, emotionally attaching and has a balance of the good, the bad, and the meek, depending on the personal outcomes of an individual.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / UPGRADE
Bookmark It: Hilarity Ensues kenny Barto
is when the crew of the Time Bandit fishing boat made famous on the show The Deadliest Catch invite Tucker for a vacation full of shenanigans. Trust me when I say the price of the book is worth reading the stories from that trip. Max is now 36 years old. And as he’s gotten older, most of his friends have gotten married, which is where a lot of the other great stories are in this book. As you can imagine, bachelor parties and weddings that involve Max are not dull. Along with I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, Max released a free online book called Sloppy Seconds, available on Kindle and iBooks. In his words, it’s his version of deleted scenes. Even though Max announced his retirement, you can’t help but marvel at his ability to write and make people laugh. He has dominated the “fratire� genre, as he pretty much created it. Although I personally do not condone everything Max does, it’s literally impossible to not laugh at his stories, and even be thankful that you are not him.
the recorder
Everyone needs comic relief and there are definitely certain writers that are superior in their ability to make their audiences laugh. That being said, I have always been a fan of Tucker Max’s writing, not because I do what he does, but simply because his writing makes me laugh. Now, I am not the only person that enjoys his writing. His first book, I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, has been a New York Times Best Seller since 2006. His second book, Assholes Finish First, was on the same list for 14 consecutive weeks, starting in October of 2010. So, I jumped at the opportunity to read his latest book, Hilarity Ensues, and plowed through the 451 page book in just five days. After two full books of some of the craziest stories you will ever hear, involving drinking, sex, and more, you would think that Max would be fresh out of stories. Yeah right. Max takes it to a new level with Hilarity Ensues, by bringing out stories from the past as well as stories that are more recent. He opens the book with stories of how he worked in Cancun, Mexico while still being enrolled at Duke Law School. Yes, he still earned his JD from Duke, despite missing an entire semester. Duke, along with many other schools, have adopted the “Tucker Max Rule,� detailing mandatory attendance with the school reserving the right to force you to withdraw if you do not meet the attendance requirements. Another interesting and entertaining portion of the book are sections involving the ‘sexting’ that is sent to Max. Since he voluntarily put his phone number on the cover of Assholes Finish First along with it appearing in the movie I Hope They Serve Beer In Hell, Max gets a lot of these messages. And in typical Tucker Max fashion, he does an awesome job of simply screwing with the senders, using perfect grammar and punctuation. But, easily the funniest part of this book
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / SPORTS
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Blue Devils Swept By Rival Quinnipiac kenny Barto the recorder
Last week was dubbed “Rivalry Week” in college basketball, which meant the CCSU men’s basketball team had back-to-back matchups against Quinnipiac in just a four day span. Both campuses sit just 25 miles apart, and Quinnipiac (15-10, 8-6 NEC) has dominated the rivalry as of late, winning seven of the last eight games. Their last loss to the Blue Devils (10-14, 7-7 NEC) was on January 24, 2009. On Wednesday night, CCSU simply could not find any type of success at Quinnipiac, losing 72-44. The Blue Devils shot 26.8 percent from the field, while Quinnipiac lit it up from the field, shooting 46.7 percent. The biggest thing CCSU struggled with was the Bobcats’ big men; Ike Azotam, Ousmane Drame, and Jamee Jackson, who shot a combined 66.7 percent from the field for 37 points. “That was our worst game of the year,” said CCSU Head Coach Howie Dickenman. “And Quinnipiac made it the worst game of the year. We played without passion, we played without emotion, and quite honestly, we deserved what we got.” The Blue Devils made just 15 shots, with only three players making more than one shot. There was no question that the Bobcats dominated the game, and they made it clear nothing would change for their matchup on Sunday. “We aren’t going to change much, we’re probably going to play the same,” said Ike Azotam, who shot eight of 10 from the field for a team high of 17 points. “We know what worked for us tonight, so I think we’re just going to go back to that.” On Sunday, the Blue Devils showed a newfound intensity, coming out strong in the first half. They jumped out to a 17-9 lead in the first six and a half minutes of play, with Kyle Vinales scoring eight of those points. Quinnipiac battled back to tie the game at 19, and then went on an 11-2 run to bring the score to 30-21 with 6:47 remaining. With all of CCSU’s forwards with two fouls, Dickenman decided to go with Terrell Allen with a combination of four guards to close out the first half. Regardless of the Blue
daniel saunders | tHe recorder
Kyle Vinales goes up strong against two Quinnipiac defenders. Vinales finished with a teamhigh 27 points against the Bobcats.
Devils’ foul trouble, they went into half time down just 39-33. Vinales had over half of CCSU’s points with 17. “Kyle took on their entire team in the first half,” Dickenman said. “He had half of our points, and just kept us in the game.” CCSU played much of the game in transition, which helped keep the Bobcats’ size out of the game. The fast pace helped the Blue Devils fight back in the second half, as they tied the game at 48 with 13:30 remaining. In the next two minutes, CCSU scored nine points, capped off by Kenny Horton making a long 3-pointer. For the final 10 minutes of the game, CCSU made one basket on 20 attempts. “When you miss 19 out of your last 20 shots, it makes it very difficult to win the game,” Dickenman said. “We played good defense, we were very good on our ball screens and interior rebounding, but we just had to hit shots down the stretch.” Quinnipiac was able to hit shots down the stretch and outlasted CCSU for a final score of 67-59. Senior James Johnson was able to take over the game in the second half, and finished with 20 points, while Azotam finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. “Today was a real gut check for our team,” Dickenman said. “But, I was impressed with our effort…We have 160 minutes left in our season, and if we play like that, we’ll be okay.” The Blue Devils have now lost four straight games, and six of their last seven. But, they will go on the road this weekend to St. Francis (Pa.) and Robert Morris, who the Blue Devils have both beaten by double digits. Even then, there’s no doubt that CCSU needs to get out of this slump. They are tied at sixth in the conference, being the eighth team in the standings based on the current tiebreakers. The top eight teams make it to the conference tournament. “They were all very down in the locker room,” Dickenman said. “But, I was happy for that. You show me a happy loser, and I will show you a loser.” The Blue Devils will return home on Feb. 23 against Mount St. Mary’s, followed by their final home game on Feb. 25 against Wagner. The game against The Mount will be televised on MSG, while the Wagner game will be on CPTV Sports.
kenny Barto | tHe recorder
daniel saunders | tHe recorder
Right: Malcom McMillan tries to grab a rebound at Quinnipiac on Wednesday night. Left: Terrell Allen came off the bench and helped the Blue Devils with 8 points and 7 rebounds during their 67-59 loss on Sunday
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
COLUMN
A Sad Goodbye
Hockey Wins Big On Senior Night
Brittany Burke the recorder
We are taught as journalists to become observers, the fly on the wall that takes in everything around you. We’re told to tell the story, not become a part of the story, but after three years on one beat it’s kind of hard not to find yourself engrained in the very thing you were writing about. That’s the realization that hit me as I stood next to my mom behind the CCSU hockey bench. One by one I listened as the seniors were called over to the bench to pose with their parents. Each time a name was called and the picture was snapped the stands grew loud with cheers, but nothing matched the celebration coming from their own teammates. The senior night celebration didn’t end as the fifth and final skater went back to join his teammates, because then it was my turn. My name was announced and I joined my mom on the ice, handed her a flower and thanked her for sitting next to me weekend after weekend as I covered this team. As I stood there on the carpet I was thanked for writing about them, clapped for and even had one of the players skate over and shake my hand. The hockey community is so close and tight knit and on that Friday they let me into that circle and made me a part of their night, and I don’t think I’ve ever had a prouder moment serving as sports editor for the Recorder. It’s tradition that the graduating editors at this paper write a farewell column, this isn’t mine, but it’s close. I’ll have my final words at the end of the semester, but it only seemed fitting to write this as my hockey weekends come to an end. I’ve been covering the CCSU club hockey team since I joined the paper in my sophomore year. Three years later, I’m now known as the hockey girl and a club sports advocate, but I wouldn’t trade any of it. I’ve covered football, volleyball and basketball, but nothing compares to the time I’ve spent rinkside for CCSU, even if people tell me I’ve dedicated too much of my section to it. My first year I spent every game in the penalty box; learning the ins and outs of the team. My second season was spent travelling to Simsbury every game and in my final year the team came back to Newington and I took my seat at the top of the bleachers, mid-ice, surrounded by the hockey parents. Yes, the team benefited from my personal hockey obsession. As my old editor-in-chief pointed out, I helped put them on the radar, but it was a mutual benefit. I learned and gained so much from that team that it’s hard to imagine I won’t be the one covering them next semester. Club sports are very different than NCAA-sanctioned sports. Covering hockey, I learned just what it’d be like being a female in a male world when I was given weekly towel interviews my sophomore year and I learned how to cover a sport I love, which I hope to turn into a full time career when I graduate from CCSU. Like I said, after three years it’s hard not to become a part of the story. I’ve gotten to know the players’ parents and sometimes grandparents. I’ve talked with and become friends with girlfriends and most importantly I got to know the athletes I was covering. They are no longer just numbers on a roster, but good guys and I’m not just the girl who constantly bugs them with questions after the game. At some point I became a part of this community and as the season comes to an end and they fight for a chance to compete in nationals I’m quickly realizing that this has been the best part of being on the paper and will be the hardest part of saying goodbye.
kenny Barto | tHe recorder
CCSU senior Kevin Paglinco (left) celebrates with fellow seniors Zach Vidmosko, Mike Joy, and Tim Dillon after the final goal of the game. Brittany Burke the recorder
The Blue Devils all gathered at one end of the ice, helmets off and attention focused on the blue and white balloons that adorned their bench’s entrance to the ice. In alphabetical order, five seniors were called to meet their parents and were given a rose, which they all gave to their mothers. As Tim Dillon, Ryan Paglinco, Michael Joy, Zach Vidmosko and Adam Goldstein’s names were called, cheers erupted from the stands and the sound of hockey sticks smacking the ice echoed through the rink from their teammates. The 9-5 win over UConn (9-8-2-3) wasn’t your ordinary in-state rivalry matchup. It was one fueled with emotion for five guys whose CCSU (17-8-2-2) careers will soon be coming to an end. “ … being on the ice to start the game then to end the game with these guys who we’ve played with for four, sometimes four and a half/five years … it is emotional to know the season’s coming to an end and some of us may not be playing hockey anymore, some of us may not play together again so it is kind of emotional,” said Joy. With John Palmieri minding CCSU’s net, CCSU managed to get the early 4-1 lead less than three minutes into the second period. UConn was giving CCSU ample chances to capitalize on the man advantage, which
soon turned into their first two goals, but the Huskies aren’t a team known for folding. In the first meeting between the two teams, CCSU blew a four-goal lead to eventually walk away with a tie and it looked like history could be repeating itself in Newington. “They’re a talented team and they can put pucks away and last time we played them they came back from four goals,” said Paglinco. “So you always have that in the back of your mind that they can come back on ya.” Two back-to-back power-play goals cut CCSU’s goal advantage to one; however another CCSU power-play goal from Paglinco put the Blue Devils up 5-3 going into the game’s final intermission. The lead was short lived as CCSU allowed for an additional two UConn goals, which had the game all tied up at five. A breakdown occurred for CCSU as the game wore on and more penalties were taken. A goal from brothers Ryan and Conor Stanley put the home team back up by one, but with Brian Fay serving two minutes in the box UConn had another chance to tie. The penalty kill allowed CCSU to keep the lead and helped sway the momentum in their favor. “It was good to see that the penalty killers were able to keep the pressure and the shots to the minimum,” said Head Coach Ben Adams. “ … we were kind of nervous taking penalties late because we didn’t know how their power play was, but we made the proper adjustments and the guys battled.”
Soon enough CCSU was back up by two when Dillon took the puck up the ice, sent it backwards where he found teammate Matt Siracusa who netted it in the glove-side top corner with 7:57 left in the game. Siracusa finished the game with two goals and was one 14 Blue Devils to get on the score sheet. “The offensive contributions were pretty spread out, which was nice,” said Adams. “Contributions from pretty much everybody, it’s nice that they gutted it out. They could have folded the tents and it could have gone real bad real quick, but they stayed focused mentally they were tough tonight and we’re gonna need that down the stretch.” With the crowd cheering it was apparent from that point on it was CCSU’s game. Another huge penalty kill and an empty net goal made by Conor Stanley seemingly secured the win, until Paglinco notched his second goal of the night with 16 seconds left to play. CCSU needed the victory coming off of last weekend’s win drought, but the turnaround is quick. Following the weekend’s final road game at Boston University, CCSU comes back to Newington on Feb. 18 at 8:15 p.m. to play against SCSU. The game against the Owls was a late addition to the schedule to avoid a lull in competitive play before heading into this year’s regionals in Danbury the following weekend.
kenny Barto | tHe recorder
CCSU freshman Jack Johnson hits a UConn player during the Blue Devils’ 9-5 win against the Huskies on Friday night.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / SPORTS
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Women Drop Close Contest vs. Quinnipiac Nicholas Proch The Recorder
With 11 lead changes, the women’s basketball game fittingly came down to the final play, which CCSU wasn’t able to convert. The CCSU women finally fell to Quinnipiac this past weekend in the back and forth matchup, 64-59. The Bobcats continue to dominate NEC opponents, staying in second with a 10-3 record. As for the Blue Devils, they are right on the cusp of making the conference tournament. At 5-8, they are in tenth place. The top eight teams will make post-season play. Both teams had nearly identical nights statistically except for the fact that the Blue Devils gave up 18 turnovers, which the Bobcats turned into 25 points. Jaclyn Babe had the ball at the top of the three-point arc with four seconds left and QU ahead 62-59. “You can’t fault her for taking that shot,” said CCSU Head Coach Beryl Piper. “She is our go-to kid and it didn’t go in, but we did get the rebound…” The shot hit the backboard and Kirsten Daamen was there with the offensive rebound. As she came down, she was looking for Kaley Watras who had been standing in the corner. By the time the ball left her hand, Watras had already broken for the basket, trying to help get a rebound. “We could have had another opportunity, but it didn’t work, we didn’t get it,” said Piper as she followed that statement with a sigh. The Blue Devils were down by 11 with 6:34 left to play in the first half, 24-13. At that point, Quinnipiac standout Felicia Barron had more individual points than the entire CCSU team, with 14. “[Barron] scored in transition in the first half a lot,” said Piper. “It was transition defense
and taking away her right hand to force her to have to go left. We definitely did a better job in the second half.” Barron made one of six shots from the field in the second half as the Blue Devils stayed with the Bobcats much better than they did in the first. Quinnipiac was never ahead by more than five points in the final 10 minutes of play, but CCSU couldn’t muster up enough to take the decisive lead before the final possessions that concluded the game. “It’s hard because we did a lot of good things,” said Piper. “Offensively they were going at Kaley [Watras] when she was in foul trouble and trying to back her down. That was something that we really hadn’t seen on film and weren’t prepared for that. We tend to struggle when we don’t prepare for something.” Babe scored 19 points, but she was only 6-for-17 from the field. That was representative of the team, which shot just under 39 percent total for the game. Daamen was a standout on the boards with 12 rebounds, seven of them coming on the offensive end. As a team, they out rebounded the Bobcats 40-32. The Blue Devils play at Quinnipiac Wednesday night, Feb. 15. From there they head to Robert Morris and St. Francis (PA) before coming home on Feb. 25. “This is a real tough stretch for us,” said Piper. “Obviously having Quinnipiac back to back … then having to get on the bus on Friday playing on Wednesday when we normally play on Monday.” The Blue Devils are sitting at the fringe of the playoffs and this trip is not one that they’re taking lightly. “Going down to Robert Morris, if you ask any coach in the Northeast Conference, playing Robert Morris and St. Francis (PA) that’s a tough trip,” said Piper. “This is when you find out what we’re made of.”
Top: Jaclyn Babe goes up for a shot, she scored 19 points in the loss to QU. Bottom Left: Freshman Kaley Watras drives the lane for one of her 6 points. Bottom Right: Lauren Arbogast drives against two QU defenders. Photos By: Daniel Saunders | The Recorder
Bleak Future For UConn Men’s Basketball Dan Wanat The Recorder
For a section of the country that adores its college basketball more than Carrot Top adores not being funny, the enigma that is UConn basketball this season has been a tough pill to swallow. The Huskies are brimming with the talent that made this group of players a preseason top-five team in the country and yet two-thirds of the way through the season, UConn is floundering. For the past two weeks, I’ve been lamenting to family, friends and any UConn fan I can get my hands on about my prediction for the UConn basketball team. This act of palmistry has finally come to a head as it veers away from a nonsensical, hoax-like prognostication to a deadly accurate portrayal of the future. I started bellowing it a couple weeks ago and I’m sticking true to my guns: The UConn basketball team will not make the NCAA tournament this year. This cloudy forecast has never seemed more applicable than after UConn’s most recent loss to Louisville. For those of you who weren’t able to watch the game, I’ll give you a quick rundown: Louisville scored a lot of points, UConn did not. The loss to Louisville meant that
UConn has lost five of its last six games and seven of its last 10. Not exactly a strong resume for a team trying to make the NCAA tournament, especially when you consider that prior to these ten games Uconn played a cupcake schedule before conference play. Yes, UConn got off to a 13-1 start but that was solely due to the fact that they played nobody. They played one ranked team, Harvard, (Florida State wasn’t ranked at the time the two teams met) and if Harvard played in the Big East they would certainly not be 21-2 and thus would not be ranked. Beating up on teams like Fairfield, Holy Cross and Maine aren’t exactly qualifications for the NCAA tournament. Not only has UConn beaten just one Top 25 team but they are just 2-4 against teams that are currently firmly projected to make the NCAA tournament. Throw in the fact that they have lost to Seton Hall, Rutgers, UCF and Tennessee, all of whom are currently either teetering the line of bubble teams or completely off the NCAA tournament radar and this season is heading towards a splintering collision with the NIT. Once UConn finally got past the first part of the schedule, they received a rude wake-up call and their true colors showed. They are averaging a miserable 68.2 points per game
which is 174th in the country, but it gets worse. In their last ten games, the Huskies are meagerly scoring 59.8 points per game, including back-to-back games against Notre Dame and Georgetown where they couldn’t even break the 50 point threshold. Just to put this offense into perspective, 59.8 points per game ranks 319th in the country out of 344 teams. The most cryptic and frustrating part of this whole UConn season has nothing to do with the level of talent on the team. UConn is supremely talented and boasts two players, Jeremy Lamb and Andre Drummond, that are projected to be lottery picks in next year’s NBA draft. The Huskies returned everybody from last year’s national championship winning team, aside from Kemba Walker, and even added highly touted prospects to a team already oozing with young talent. However, the glaring quandary for the Huskies team isn’t the amount of talent; it’s the mentality of this talent. This team, quite frankly, just doesn’t care about winning and I’m not sure we can blame them. These are 19year old kids who have no senior leadership to guide them. They are coming off a magical championship season that may never
be replicated again. They have already reached the apex of their college basketball career because, let’s face it UConn fans, a championship this year would be nowhere near as amazing as last year’s run and that’s exactly how these teenage kids are playing. It is quite simply impossible to duplicate last year’s array of month-long emotions. Last year, these same adolescents were showered with glory and greatness. They were told how amazing they were and NBA scouts were left drooling over the prospects of them playing at the next level. They strutted around campus as if they were gods amongst men receiving shouts of praise from every passing student. They were living atop a mountain of glorified excellence with nowhere to go but down. It was inevitable and their lackadaisical play is not only human nature but it is an unavoidable attribute. Their lethargic play has nothing to do with the talent that they possess and everything to do with the fact that they know their college playing careers cannot reach a higher level than they have already accomplished. Mix that in with the NCAA tournament ban for 2013 and Jim Calhoun’s medical leave and UConn basketball is darkly shrouded with an aura of “Well, it was fun while it lasted.”
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 15, 2012 / SPORTS
Out Of Reach
Blue Devils fall twice to Quinnipiac during ‘Rivalry Week.’ Story on Page 9
kenny Barto | tHe recorder