AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, September 5 , 2012
Miller Lays Out University Goals
Central Connecticut State University
Volume 109 No. 2
CCSU Breaks Guinness World Record
amanda wEBstEr the recorder
President Miller greeted a packed Alumni Hall last Tuesday to present the Opening Meeting of the Academic Year to members and faculty of CCSU. Miller presented his goals for CCSU for the upcoming year and explained where the University currently stands in a plan called, “Surviving, Thriving, and Becoming Exceptional.” “We are surviving and surviving well,” Miller said. “But there are issues out there and I’m not going to minimize the issues that are on the horizon for all of us.” Miller went on to lay out what Central needs to do in order to continue to survive in a turbulent economy and what the school needs to change in order to thrive and become exceptional. According to Miller, CCSU needs to become an exceptional regional, public comprehensive university. Miller picked out a group of schools that he said exemplified that characteristic and that he would like to see Central compared with. The list of schools were, Boise State, East Carolina University, James Madison University, Indiana State, Northern Illinois University, Illinois State, George Mason University and Old Dominion University. According to Miller, in order to achieve this goal CCSU will need to make some changes, most of which were discussed in the master plan for CCSU 2020. Some of the plans mentioned during the meeting were the plans to increase residential space by at least double, create smaller residential spaces for students with special interests, expand Central’s presence in downtown New Britain, continue to advance the fuel cell technology on campus and to eventually connect the campus to the new bus way. However hopeful about the 2020 plan, Miller explained that the upcoming changes will be met by some challenges along the way. The school’s finances were one of the issues that Miller brought up during the meeting. According to Miller, the school’s budget has been cut about 8 million dollars since 2008. The General Fund Allocation for the fiscal year of 2012 is $40,423,000 compared to that of the fiscal year of 2008, which was $48,225,000. “Why haven’t we noticed big changes?” asked Miller. “Mainly because the students are paying the difference.” Miller said that one way to help the financial issue would to be to increase the number of students retained and graduated within the University. “Every time we have a hundred fewer (residential) students we lose over $800,000 in tuition and fees and over 1 million dollars in room and board,” Miller said. Additionally, Miller would like to see
see Opening Meeting- page 2
Erin o’donnELL | thE rECordEr
Students gathered on Vance Lawn last Tuesday aiming to break the Guinness Book of World Records for the most blown bubbles at the same time, and succeeded.
An Award Winning Finish For Incoming Students Erin o’donnELL the recorder
Freshmen and Orientation Leaders gathered on Vance Lawn on Aug 28 for an event that was sure to make an impression on the incoming freshman. CCSU students attempted to break the Guinness World Record for the most bubbles blown at the same time, which also welcomed time for the freshman to mingle. The event started off with music, dancing and chewing gum. Once a student signed up, they were allowed a piece of Dubble Bubble and entered the designated gathering area. From there the students kept on coming, with a long line of eager entrees. Simms Sonet, an SGA Senator and
Orientation Leader said that he was excited to see how the event turned out. “The Orientation Leaders had some extended time with our groups, and some information sessions to really get the freshman ready for the school year,” said Sonet. “We’re all really excited and have a lot of energy, and if we can make this record it will be a great indication to how this semester will play out.” Elizabeth M. McCall, the Prevention Educator of the Connecticut Counsel of Problem Gambling awarded a mini grant to CCSU to promote awareness and education on the risks of gambling. They provided beach balls for the event. About an hour into the event, 25 more students were needed to break the record of 305 people blowing a bubble simultaneously. The last students signed up, exceeding to
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348 students total. Everyone posed for several pictures while holding their bubble in place for 40 seconds, all hoping to break the record. Tyler Scott, a sophomore, said that he was disappointed that he missed orientation due to last years hurricane. “This is really great and I wish I had the opportunity last year, but it’s good to be here and be apart of it,” said Scott. The event was said to be a success with bringing the students together for a fun cause, and is said to leave a lasting impression for the year. “I think freshman orientation was great and the upper classman really made it seem like it wasn’t so scary,” said Erin Rosa, an incoming freshman. In the end, the group succeeded in breaking the World Record.
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NEWS
THE RECORDER Wednesday, September 5, 2012
Busway: Fastrak Construction Still Rolling Kassondra Granata The Recorder
photo | CTFAStrak.com
Diagram laying out the plans for the completed busway connecting New Britain to Hartford.
Arrest Log: Week Of 8/26 Jake Albrecht, 26, of 47 Hitching Post Dr. Torington: Arrested for failure to renew registration and operating a motor vehicle while using a handheld mobile device. Cameron George Cook, 18, of 31 Robin Ln. Killingworth: Arrested for third degree criminal trespass and breach of peace and interfering with an officer. Josheph Heck, 27, of 18 Burnham Dr. West Hartford: Arrested for failure to renew registration and operating a motor vehicle while using a handheld mobile device. Kyle Reutenauer, 26, of 41 Mashall Rd. Branford: Arreated for failure to renew registration and opterating a motor vehicle while using a handheld mobile device. Jeremy Sporbeck, 19, of 119 Great Plain Rd. Danbury: First degree criminal mischief.
The construction for CTFastrak, the busway estimated to bring around 16,000 passengers per day between New Britain and Hartford, is still underway. Back in November, Governor Dannel Malloy, Senator Joseph Lieberman and Federal Transit Administrator Peter Rogoff held a press conference at CCSU. At the conference, Malloy signed a deal funding $275 million towards the busway’s production. At the conference, Rogoff said that he was pleased that the project was now a reality, for it had been heavily debated in the past. “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 last fall. “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 HartfordNew Britain bus line.” According to the CTFastrak Stage website, construction activities will continue this week at the Downtown New Britain Station at the intersection of Main Street and Columbus Boulevard. Work will also
Opening Meeting Addresses Changes To Be Made At CCSU Continued from page 1 the percentage of out of state students go up as well; he said that if the percentage of out of state students were to rise to 15 percent the revenue generated would increase dramatically. Though the challenges that face CCSU are undeniable. Miller said that the University is doing well and thriving. Miller compared the University to where it stood seven years ago. The first time, full time student graduation rate has gone up from 41 percent to 50 percent, and the transfer student graduation rate is up 5 percent. “The total financial aid awarded at this institution is at 172 percent of what it was at
7 years ago,” continued Miller. The number of private gifts for the university has also gone up from 1.53 million dollars to 5.3 million dollars over the last seven years according to Miller. “The act of the matter is, is that many of the concerns have not manifested into problems,” said Miller. Along with the goals and challenges listed for CCSU the Distinguished Service Award was also awarded to two faculty members at the meeting. Louise Olszewski and Anthony Rigazio Digilio were recognized for their contributions to CCSU and were presented the awards during the meeting.
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be taking place on the Truman Overpass, leading to traffic shifts and sidewalk closures. There will be roadside construction where CTFastrak crosses East Main Street and Smalley Street. That work will also require temporary lane closures. The contractor and utility companies will proceed working around East Street, Allen Street, and St. Claire Avenue. In Newington, roadside construction will commence on Fenn Road, which is north of the Cedar Street intersection. In Hartford and West Hartford, the contractor and utility companies will work along Flatbush Avenue and New Park Avenue. This work will also cause lane closures and other setbacks. In Hartford, parking lot construction will continue near Broad Street, Capitol Avenue and Flower Street. The busway is projected to take only 20 minutes to transport commuters to their designated locations. The busway is also expected to increase travel speeds by 10 percent in jammed areas such as I-84. Malloy said that the project will create approximately 4,000 construction jobs, and an additional 100 other jobs. The CTFastrak website provides weekly updates on the status of the busway construction. Those interested can visit www.ctfastrak.com for notifications.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 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 Kassondra Granata kgranata@centralrecorder.com
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Committee Working Diligently To Meet Spring Deadline Justin Muszynski The Recorder
Representatives from 17 universities and community colleges around the state are working to create a system that coincides with the recent transfer and articulation requirements that the Board of Regents has put forth. The System Wide Core Competency Steering Committee, which was assembled in April, met over the summer once a week to make this plan a reality. Mark Jackson, Associate Professor of Biology and CCSU’s representative on this committee, says that it has been given a fairly daunting task. “We are charged with designing the plan and interfacing and working with our local universities,” said Jackson. He also says that the committee divided its responsibilities into two main parts, the first being a system that correlates with H.B. 5030, and the second dealing with the actual transfer and articulation policy. “I think we’ve come up with a system that meets our first goal,” Jackson said. More specifically, the first objective was to design a 30 credit common general education core. The second was geared towards fulfilling the Board of Regent’s vision of guaranteeing an incoming student with an Associate’s degree a “junior” status. The committee will be working on the latter until its deadline, April 2013. Many faculty and staff from
various colleges have expressed their worries about this deadline. They can be somewhat reassured by Jackson, who feels the deadline will more than likely be “flexible.” “We’re doing something that has never really been done before,” said Jackson. “Other states have done it over a ten-year period.” Another issue that the steering committee faces is the lack of resources at some community colleges. This also left many uneasy when the transfer policy was introduced in March. “Certain community colleges do not have the funding to fully participate right now and they simply can’t offer certain classes that they’re being asked to offer,” Jackson said. “We worked together extremely well and we’ve been putting together plans that not only work well for transfer students, but we’re hoping to also encourage a better distribution of funding to some of the community colleges.” The steering committee also designated members to sub-committees that were given the task of developing learning outcomes for eight different competency areas: Written and Oral Communication, Scientific and Quantitative Reasoning, Critical Analysis and Logical Thinking, Continuing Learning and Information Literacy, Scientific Knowledge and Understanding, Historical Knowledge and Understanding, Social Phenomena and Appreciation of Aesthetic and Ethical Dimensions of Human Kind. Candace Barrington, English Professor, served on the written and oral communication
committee. She says that it finished its assignment and has submitted its report. “It wasn’t easy, but meeting people from different colleges and finding out that we have a lot in common with what we want our students to achieve was nice,” Barrington said. “I feel very hopeful after the process.” Thomas Burkholder, who served on the Scientific Knowledge and Understanding committee, also says that his particular Committee completed its assignment before its deadline. It had to decide the particular goals in its designated field as well as outcomes. They are measured by a rubric that was created to determine whether or not a student has met the goals. “None of us wanted to have to work on it when we’re teaching,” said Burkholder. Jackson says that despite being exempt from the Board of Regents’ control, the system that the steering committee has come up with will more than likely fit with UConn’s Gen Ed program. But, it is up to the University to decide if it would like to partake in this process. Now that the semester has officially started, the steering committee’s progress will slow tremendously. Trying to get 17 representatives all in the same place is a nearly impossible undertaking. “What we still have to do over the rest of the school-year is work on what’s called the ‘common pathways’ for certain degrees,” said Jackson. “We’re hoping to meet once a month.”
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OPINION
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THE RECORDER Wednesday, September 5, 2012
objectivity is key in journalism One of the first things you learn as a journalist is to remain objective. When writing a story, it is crucial to keep your opinion hidden no matter where you may stand on a particular subject. As a publication, we will not endorse one candidate or party; we will ensure that each party will be covered equally and fairly in our weekly issue. Because of the upcoming election, there will be many instances where this publication will produce opinion articles, and even stories in relation to the 2012 presidential election. Recently, The Onion, an American news satire organization, published
an article targeting The Recorder in a spoof article titled, “College Newspaper Endorses Barack Obama.” Under the article, The Onion stated that our publication announced our endorsement for Mr. Obama, calling him “the best person to lead this nation forward.” The satirical article continued where our newspaper declared that it was our “duty as members of the press to ask tough questions,” and we expressed that our publication would “lend its support to Barack Obama, but not let him off the hook either.” Although the article was meant only for entertainment, and readers will know that it is entirely fictional, we do
not condone it, or condemn it. The fact that we were recognized by The Onion is neither a compliment, or an insult. Many college students might fall into the trap of getting a thrill out of being mentioned by an organization as well-known as The Onion. As a serious journalists we get our inspiration from reporting the news, not getting mentioned as part of a satirical article. We can’t entirely disapprove of the spoof. In no way is it slanderous or even meant to be taken with a hint of truth. If anything, the only good that may come out of it is that it gets our name out there where we can reach a bigger audience, which is one of the many goals of a journalist.
Even if the article drew one viewer to our website, that one person now has the chance to read the publication that we put our effort into every week. While balancing school as well as other job commitments, we strive to become better reporters of the news. We are the face of tomorrow’s media. If nothing else, The Onion’s article will further encourage us to maintain a professional approach to news. We will use that as an incentive to constantly remain neutral and make certain that our readers will deem us as a reliable source. In a way, it could be interpreted as a form of flattery. If The Recorder wasn’t a competent newspaper, then the joke would have no foundation.
Letter To The Editor
Editor’s Column: Simplifying Clutter Kassondra Granata The Recorder
Writing isn’t easy. Anyone who has written for a publication or even runs their own personal blog can attest to that. Sometimes, the words just will not come, and you’re sitting in front of a blank computer screen for hours. It’s frustrating. William Zinsser, an American writer and editor, started out his career as a journalist for the New York Herald Tribune, and has written eighteen books aiming to help aspiring writers. In his book “On Writing Well,” Zinsser’s objective is to guide nonfiction writers in circulating a successful product. I picked up this book for a feature writing class, and have been reading it frequently. As the weekend rapidly approached, and the hectic first week of school started to wind down, I attempted to brainstorm my weekly column; I had absolutely no idea what to write about. It may sound ridiculous to many, but sometimes, your mind is blank. I decided to take a break and picked up Zinsser’s book. In his second chapter, “Simplicity,” Zinsser opens up saying, “Clutter is the disease of American writing. We are a society strangling in unnecessary words, circular constructions, pompous frills and meaningless jargon.” I really couldn’t agree more with Zinsser. A writer’s mind is constantly flowing with different ideas, different thoughts, and there are times when the mind is so flooded you can’t hear them. Zinsser continues in this chapter explaining what one should do about clutter, and that it is always recommended
to simplify. He also suggests ways to free yourself from a cluttered mind. Zinnser says, “How can the rest of us achieve such enviable freedom from clutter? The answer is to clear our heads of clutter. Clear thinking becomes clear writing; one can’t exist without the other.” I took Zinsser’s advice and decided to take a walk to clear my mind. I grabbed my pocket-sized moleskin, a pen, and walked out the door. It is amazing how many writing topics you can discover just taking a walk around campus, observing a group of students laying on Vance lawn, watching the hustle and bustle of students going to and coming back from Memorial Hall or even sitting by the willow tree outside Marcus White. It clears your mind. Yesterday, I took a day off from campus and went to a family dinner. I grabbed my belongings and remembered to bring my small notebook with me, just in case I would stumble upon something interesting. My soon to be stepfather’s parents live in Old Wethersfield, and have an immaculate garden in their backyard. As I was venturing around the voluminous apple and peach trees, a sense of consolation came over me as different story ideas flooded through my mind and I scribbled it all down. There will be times when as a writer you will have trouble forming your thoughts. There are many tips and guidelines you can use in order to make it easier on you. Reading Zinsser’s “On Writing Well,” gave me a boost of confidence in my writing and how to manage the constant jumble working through my mind.
Before school starts, lots of groups are working hard to be ready for the new semester. The CCSU Marching Band is absolutely no exception. While you may envision a rag-tag group of nerds honking on clarinets, the marching band in fact works pretty darn hard to entertain football fans who may or may not even pay attention to the halftime show. This year, the band spent five hours per day sweating on the football field in 90 degree heat, literally running sets back again and again to prepare the half-time show for the first football game. The rest of the twelve hour days were spent eating or rehearsing and memorizing the music for the entire show. Some members did additional leadership training, leading to almost full weeks. The band is happy to work so hard to present a decent show for the football games, and various school events, but the University doesn’t seem to think enough of their efforts to budget for food for the band. Upon trying to eat in Memorial Hall, band members were
kicked out all week, and told that while the athletes, Orientation Leaders and RAs on campus were having someone pay for them to use Sodexo’s summer catering service all week, the marching band was the only one who had not. The Marching Band members take weeks out of work, volunteer for 1 credit, receive no money for the 12 hour days they put in, suffer through heat and vicious sun, and somehow the band is still the only group on campus not being fed (for the fifth year in a row). Members of the band tried to discuss this with the music department, they were blown off. Over the course of 12 days, members spent between $150 and $200 to pay for meals, not including gas costs and carpooling costs. Maybe this doesn’t bother you, but try telling the people who were suffering heat exhaustion and sunburn on the field all week that it isn’t a big deal to have the campus not care about you. ~Anonymous
Comic By Eric M. Valad
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / OPINON
Facebook: An Evil Entity Justin Muszynski The Recorder
A friend can be defined as someone of whom you share a mutual bond with. There is no way that anyone can share a bond of mutual affection with the hundreds and sometimes thousands of people that they claim to be friends with on Facebook. The social media site has totally changed our classification of what a friend is, and it is for the worst. Ten years ago we had a group of people ranging anywhere from five or so to 30 tops that we referred to as friends. We saw each other in person and helped one another out when it was necessary, and that’s what a friend is supposed to be, a person who you can count on. Try
to convince me that you could count on the 687 people on Facebook that you carelessly refer to as your friend. Facebook should adopt a method similar to the extremely unpopular Google Plus and have designated “circles” that classify your relationship to someone appropriately. We don’t have to be friends with everyone. What ever happened to acquaintances? The whole idea of having the most friends has caused people to feel the need to socialize 24/7. Checking your Facebook wall has become something as standard as using the bathroom. You’ll hear people complaining about being so busy that they don’t have the time to exercise or eat right, yet they have no problem updating their status to tell you how swamped they are at work.
Politicians Should Check Their Facts RACHAEL BENTLEY The Recorder
I’ve never been a big fan of politics. I dislike politics especially during the months leading up to the Presidential elections, and this is coming from someone who is minoring in Political Science. The political bashing goes into overdrive as we get closer and closer to November 6th, and I thought I had seen and heard it all. Then I watched the Republican National Convention. When “America’s Comeback Team” took the stage and Paul Ryan began his speech as Mitt Romney’s official running mate, I was curious to see what all the fuss surrounding this new political “braniac” was all about. In the end, however, I was not impressed. Ryan’s speech was, in a word, deceiving. Sally Kohn, a Fox News contributer, slammed Ryan and charged the congressman with trying, “to set the world record for the greatest number of blatant lies and misrepresentations slipped into a single political speech.” At one point during his speech, Ryan talked about how a GM plant was closed in his home town in Janesville, Wisconsin. “Right there at that plant, candidate Obama said: ‘I believe that if our government is there to support you, this plant will be here for another hundred years,’ That’s what he said in 2008. Well, as it turned out, that plant didn’t last another year. It is locked up and empty to this day,” Ryan said. Even though he does quote Obama directly, and with no factual errors, he failed to mention that Obama visited the plant as a presidential candidate in February 2008. According to an article in The Guardian, four months later GM announced the plant would drastically scale back production. The plant laid off most of its workforce before Obama took office. The “government support” Obama spoke of did not arrive early enough to save the Janesville plant.
As CNN describes it, the statement is true but incomplete. It poses a serious problem for Democrats and the Obama campaign, because now the conversation about Obama possibly closing a GM plant is in the air during a crucial campaign period. Ryan continued, stating that, “we have responsibilities one to another – we do not each face the world alone. And the greatest of all responsibilities, is that of the strong to protect the weak. The truest measure of any society is how it treats those who cannot defend or care for themselves. We can make the safety net safe again.” This, again, is a deceiving statement since Ryan’s budget plan is most notable for its cuts to Medicaid and other programs on which lowincome households depend. The “Ryan Plan” cuts spending on Medicaid and other health assistance programs for the poor from just over 3 percent of GDP to just over 1 percent. It cuts home mortgage deductions, veteran’s benefits, farm subsidies and other aid programs, according to The Guardian. Ryan also made misleading statements on issues including the president’s health care law and Mitt Romney’s record in Massachusetts. It seems that Ryan is trying to appeal to the fact that many Americans are dissapointed with the work that President Obama has done in the past four years, and since the polls are showing a 50/50 chance for either party, Ryan is doing and saying everything he can to try and sway those still sitting on the fence. I am extremely worried about what will happen if someone who is so eager to avoid the facts gets into the White House, and I am concerned about the message this is sending to the public and other politicians. I do not believe we should have to become our own political fact checkers because politicans aren’t willing or capable of being truly honest with the public.
This phenomenon has also desensitized the younger generation to what friendship really is. You’ll hear teenagers all the time claiming to be friends with various celebrities. But, the reality is that Snooki has never heard of you and she is not your friend. It also leaves kids unaware of the difference between being friendly and being friends. You’re friendly with someone to be polite, but being friends with someone means you share the intricate details of your personal life. You don’t belong doing that with everyone that can view your Facebook page. Where is the trust? Another epidemic that has partially been caused by our haphazard process by which we become friends is the erosion of people skills. You no longer need them.
You’re allowed to sit at a table full of people and never say a word. Your smartphone is the only tool required to socialize. Who needs the measly five people that I see on a day-to-day basis when I have hundreds of people on Facebook waiting for me to comment on their latest photo that they uploaded? The term, “we need to catch up,” is extinct. There is no longer any need to be out of the loop. If this idea of befriending everyone we’ve ever come into contact with and following their every move was introduced 20 years ago, it would have been looked at as borderline stalking. The days of living, breathing social interaction are long gone. Talking is prehistoric and Facebook is the majority shareholder in the blame category.
Ryan Could Make It Or Break It Joe Suszczynski The Recorder
For those who have not been following politics closely Mitt Romney has chosen Paul Ryan as his running mate to run against Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Paul Ryan, a Republican congressman from the first district of Wisconsin, was elected in 1998. He is also the chairman of the House Budget Committee. The congressman has a conservative stance on the most talked about issues. One of the main things that Ryan has accomplished is his health care plan, “The Path to Prosperity: A Blueprint for American Renewal,” or colloquially known as, “The Paul Ryan Plan.” Ryan, like other Republicans, has called for the repeal of Obamacare. According to www.poligu.com, the plan states as follows: “The Medicare system is completely overhauled in the Paul Ryan plan. It extends funds to seniors and allows them to use those funds to purchase health insurance on a market system where insurance companies compete for their business. Some refer to this as a voucher system, but Congressman Ryan calls it a premium based system.” Ryan’s idea is to have a voucher plan for those under the age of 55 instead of what President Obama has put in place. When it comes to social issues, Ryan is strongly pro-life, against gay marriage, opposes stem-cell research and was against the repeal of “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell,” according to the poligu website. I have the completely opposite view of those stances.
Women have the right to choose whether to keep the baby or not. I support gay marriage, gay couples should have the same rights as heterosexual couples. I am an advocate for the research of embryonic stem cells because of the potential cures that can be developed from it. I also support for the repeal of , “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” because homosexual individuals should be able to serve openly and not have to hide their sexuality. Ryan did an interview with Carl Cameron of Fox News. At one point in the interview he was criticizing the President on the uprising in Syria. He claimed his foreign policy was acceptable. “The way I would say about foreign policy is that I’ve been in Congress for a number of years. That’s more experience than Barack Obama had when he came in to office. I’ve voted to send people to war.” This is not acceptable because simply voting to send people to war does not cut it as foreign policy experience. Paul Ryan has never seen war or has ever served in the military. My philosophy on war is that it should only be used as a last resort when nothing else is a viable option. I haven’t seen war or been in the military myself, but I would not claim “expert status” over the President on foreign policy. I do not support Paul Ryan. His healthcare plan is abominable, his stance on social issues are backward, and his experience on foreign policy is weak. It should be interesting whether Paul Ryan makes or breaks Romney’s campaign.
Have an opinion? We are looking for writers who wish to share their views with CCSU! Email kgranata@centralrecorder.com
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / UPGRADE
Bookmark It! ‘Escape from Camp 14’ By Blaine Harden
Danny Contreras The Recorder
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MOVIE REVIEW Matt Aveni The Recorder
The Bourne Trilogy took on a new look when the announcement of a fourth movie came into fruition called The Bourne Legacy. This installment in the Bourne Trilogy tried to take on a James Bond approach. The producers had to make changes because Director Paul Greengrass and Matt Damon no longer wanted to take on the roles they once did. The reason that the movie is even coming into consideration among viewers is because a big name actor, Jeremy Renner, is taking on the role. Everyone knows Jeremy Renner from his acting in The Town and The Avengers. Renner plays an agent named Aaron Cross that Treadstone bred into being a killing machine for the NSA. The experiment went poorly, just as it did in the
Shin Dong-hyuk sat on a chair on top of a hill next to his father. The two never looked at each other. Below them stood his mother, his brother, two Poles and the North Korean People’s Army. Behind him, a large amount of people gathered as well. Bang! Bang! Bang! He told biographer and former Washington Post journalist, Blaine Harden, that he didn’t feel guilty until after his escape from Camp 14. Camp 14 is a North Korean labor camp that contains those the government considers to be below the last level of a caste. He was born of tainted blood. His father’s brother defected to the south, and when Kim Il-Sung took over the wartorn North Korea, he sent people who were affiliated with defectors to slave camps, like the one Shin grew up in. According to Harden, the family is supposed to be there for three generations so as to cleanse their blood from those of defectors. It’s a painful story filled with gory details of life in Camp 14. It begins suddenly with the death of Shin’s mother and brother at the hand of the NKPA. Then, it all starts from when Shin
was born, up until his escape from the camp. While the majority of the story is written from Shin’s point of view, it does have its journalistic moments, especially when Harden is describing what we know of North Korea. The prose is fairly easy to follow, but not vague. Shin’s grasp on Hangul is limited, but large enough for him to portray the painful memories he lived through. The book is devoid of emotion. Growing up in a slave camp never gave Shin the chance to develop the emotions the rest of the world experiences. It was all survival from the moment he was born, especially when it came to food. He would suffer beatings from his mother whenever he ate her portion of food for the day. He saw a girl beaten to death in a classroom after stealing five corn kernels. But never do we get an insight into how he felt—he couldn’t feel anything, except pain. One night, he overheard his mother and brother talking about escape. One of the rules of the camp is that anyone found or suspected of trying to escape will be shot immediately. It also said that if someone knew of an escape attempt that they will also be shot immediately. Shin told his professor about the escape plan which led to his mother and brother’s death at the hands of a
firing squad. Almost like Winston in Orwell’s “1984,” Shin began to question his surroundings after meeting a man named Park. Park was born outside of the camp, however, following trips outside North Korea and many other law breaking actions, they put him inside Camp 14. The two devised a plan to escape after Park explains to Shin the beauty of the outside world. The rest is as heartbreaking as it is encouraging. But one thing is for sure: he escaped. Now Shin works as human rights activist in South Korea and the United States. He still suffers from PTSD following all his years in Camp 14. But, while the story itself is interesting, painful and heartbreaking, a lot of credit needs to be given to Harden. He kept a steady pace, never too overly written, nor overly stylistic. He follows the traditional journalistic format, and manages to blend world-wide facts with personal experience really well. It’s a fairly short book with my version running up to 194 pages—it can be read in less than 5 hours. But once it is picked up, it can’t be put down. Such is the power of this amazingly written book.
The Bourne Legacy Leaves No Legacy original Jason Bourne movies. The story continues with the NSA trying to stop Cross from going rogue and falling off of the government’s map. Edward Norton is still in the movies as the government’s eyes to stop Cross. Yes, the plot line is very similar to the original movies, but this is where the movies are different. The Bourne Legacy could not stay up to par with the other Bourne movies. The acting was not bad; it was actually very good. The only problem is that the story line never differed from any of the other movies, and trying to replace Matt Damon with a different actor is almost impossible. Universal Pictures used this movie as a money making machine instead of trying to produce a quality movie. The producers were thinking about the dollar signs instead of keeping the Bourne Trilogy’s great name. In the opening
weekend of the movie it passed out The Dark Night Rises as the number one movie in the box offices. The Bourne Legacy does not even compare to the magnitude that the Batman Trilogy brought on. Universal Productions found an actor that could almost keep pace in Jeremy Renner, but the plot just does not compare to the original movies. As a viewer I wanted the same Bourne quality movies but with a different plot leading off the original. What made the original trilogy so intriguing was that it was unlike anything viewers had ever seen before. Viewers will still go and see the new movie based off of the name The Bourne Trilogy brought to its audience. However, the action scenes are way too long and as unreal as they come, even for a movie. The fact of the matter is there is no legacy to The Bourne Legacy.
photo | Universal Pictures
Jeremy Renner in The Bourne Legacy.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / UPGRADE
Huge Volume and Energy from P.O.D. Derek Turner The Recorder
was another of Connecticut’s sons, Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed, performing as Jasta. He and Dead By Wednesday were just added to the show five days ago, but they weren’t unprepared. Coming off his first European tour, the show in Hartford was described as a nice “welcome home.” The best message Jasta made the entire night was with the song “Nothing They Say.” He said people look at and think things about the people who listen to metal
After a long first day of classes I got in my car and drove to Union Station in Hartford. I wasn’t going anywhere from there, this was the destination. A rock show was taking place and I had to be there. P.O.D. definitely brought the “BOOM” Thursday night in the Great Hall at Union Station. The vocals, drums, guitars and even keyboard echoed through the concrete halls of the 123-yearold building, destroying ear drums in the process; it was all worth it. The heavy metal band from the west coast with reggae influences played one of the loudest shows I can remember. I walked in the entrance to the bus station from the back where a few travelers were waiting for their rides and I guarantee they did not expect to hear screaming from right up the stairs when they stepped onto the platform. C o n n e c t i c u t ’s own Dead By Wednesday was finishing up their set with a cover of the song “Peaches,” originally done by The Presidents of P.O.D performing Thursday night at Union Station in Hartford. the United States of America. If you know the original, just imagine it done in a and hardcore just because of the music they listen to,“This song is to prove we are hardcore version. Boston’s Lansdowne did their thing, nothing they say we are.” He even finished the set with two songs but the highlight before the main event
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by his other bands, “Buried In Black” from Kingdom of Sorrow and “I Will Be Heard” by the kings of hardcore, Hatebreed. The crowd didn’t want Jasta to leave the stage, but P.O.D. had to come on and it wouldn’t be the last we heard from Jasta on the night. From the beginning to the end, P.O.D. lead singer Sonny Sandoval has as much passion for the music as I have seen since I started going to concerts. You could
Sandoval perfectly. Being born-again Christians has great influence on their music, but it doesn’t hold anyone back. The crowd was going nuts; if it wasn’t for the “no moshing policy,” there would have been some serious pits forming because they went hard for over an hour and a half. “Hey Jasta, where you at?” yelled Sandoval. This was a special show for more than one reason, but it was also the only show since the new record, Murdered Love came out where Jamey Jasta could perform the song “Eyez” with the band. Cell phones rose out of the crowd to capture this moment and when it was over, Sandoval said, “Tweet those pictures, YouTube them, whatever,. This was a special moment.” One of my favorite songs at the moment is the new single, “Lost In Forever,” and the song that introduced me to the band back in 2001, “Youth Of The Nation” were amazing. Ending with “Alive” followed by the chorus from “What I Got” by Sublime, an ode to their faith and loving life. It was maybe not the best venue for a rock concert, but definitely Derek Turner | THE RECORDER one of the most unusual ones I have ever been to and probably ever will just tell by his intense facial expressions, go to. Jasta said it best: “We’re in a train station; this is pretty piercing screams and incredible energy on stage that he loves what he does and does cool.” it for the fans. The song “Alive” describes
Wilfred Morgan skovich The Recorder
photo | Prospect Park
Jason Gann (left) and Elijah Wood (right) star in the television series, Wilfred
Elijah Wood is Ryan Newman, a crazed and deranged depressed man. He is also the only person who sees his neighbor’s (Fiona Gubelmann) dog Wilfred as a full grown, pot smoking, advice giving Australian man in a dog suit. Played by Jason Gann, Wilfred is not as insane or harsh as he is in the Australian version, mostly because FX cut out a lot of the swearing his character did. Despite that factor, Gann’s role in the U.S. remake was still as astonishing and captivating as his role in the Australian comedy series. Excluding “The Big Bang Theory” and “How I Met Your Mother,” a good sitcom is difficult to come by. However, FX did it by bringing us a disturbingly
funny story of a suicidal man and his best friend Wilfred. Not only is this show hilarious and twisted, but every episode has a meaning behind it. Whether the lesson is about respect, honor, fear or loyalty, it is definitely a good show worth viewing. If you do not get the show, you are thinking too far ahead. It’s simple, funny and logical – don’t over think the scenarios; enjoy it while it all pans out. Admittedly, though, you do end up getting more questions than answers in most episodes. But even among all of the ambiguity and confusion, we’re still given plenty of chances to laugh. With each episode improving on the last, “Wilfred” is by far the most interesting comedy on FX and certainly one of the most mind boggling. The show is full of strange and awkward situations and laugh out loud moments. If you watch the series, you’ll become loyal to it.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / UPGRADE
Top Five Useful Apps For Commuters Acadia Otlowski The Recorder
Most commuters rely on their phone as a constant source of communication, no matter the location. There are multiple other functions that most smart phones can perform that can turn the average smart phone into a multifunctional tool. Here are the top five most useful apps for anyone driving a car for any length of time: 1. Sonalight Text: “Sonalight Text” by Voice is by far the most useful app out of the five on the list. For most drivers it is important to stay in touch, but calling from a hands free device is not always an option; texting w h i l e driving is a skill that no one can master safely. Text by Voice allows the user to photo | TLCsend and receive messages all without having to use the keyboard. The
operator must enable the app before they start driving. There are also options to have the app turn on when you dock it in your car or start traveling at over ten miles per hour. Both of these features are in testing and are not altogether reliable. When the user wants to send a text message, they simply have to say, “Text by Voice,” and the app will start automatically, guiding the operator through the texting instructions. When a text is received, the app will read the message aloud and let the user decide how to respond. Overall, the app is fairly accurate, though some words will constantly come up wrong. “Text by Voice” has a tendency to be buggy. It can either be working perfectly or not at all. This can be frustrating but will hopefully be worked out in later updates. Data and decent reception are both required for this app, causing the service to lose its function in some areas.
2. Gasbuddy: Rising gas prices plagues most of the photo | TLC commuting p o p u lat i o n. It is often hard to decide where gas will be the cheapest and sometimes one will stop for gas only to find out that the station down the road has an even lower price. Gasbuddy helps to stop this sort
of irritation. Not only will it list gas prices near your location, it will also find a gas price anywhere in the country as long as the name of the town or postal code is known. Gasbuddy shows the type of station, the price and the address of the station. In addition, it gives the time updated underneath the actual price so it is easy to determine the accuracy of the price shown. For ease of use, there is also a map view which shows the station photo | TLC the app is referring to. Data is also required for this app, but it will barely dent one’s data limit. 3. & 4. Pandora”and NPR News: Music and news are two huge concerns for most college students. W i t h the apps “ Pa n d o r a” and “NPR N e w s ,” photo | TLC streaming music and news can be streamed from customized
playlists. Both apps will give listeners a break from commercial-filled radio stations and give them some power over what they listen to in their vehicle. “NPR News” lets one create playlists either by story or by series. “Pandora” gives the operator the option to create a playlist related to a specific song, artist or album. Both apps are simple to navigate but use a large amount of data. Use with caution, or risk going over your data limit. 5. Waze: The final app “Waze” is dubbed by the creators, “A social GPS.” It has each user create an account and log details about their commute. For each activity that the user logs, points will be received. The events that the user can log can vary from traffic photo | TLC jams, police speed-traps, gas prices and map errors. It also allows the user to log their commute and be informed of accidents and delays along the route. The app works best on very heavily traveled routes, where more users log events. This app would benefit from advertising, which would bring in a larger population of users. This would make the map more accurate, and thereby more useful.
‘Here Comes Honey Boo Boo’ Hinders TLC Credibility Amanda Webster The Recorder
I think it’s time that TLC changed its title from the “Learning Channel” to something more appropriate, like the “Mindless Entertainment Channel.” There have been shows on the station in the past that just toe the line of contributing educational material, but with their newest program, “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo,” it’s time to stop pretending. “Here Comes Honey Boo Boo” is a show that stars a six-year-old pageant contestant, Alana Shannon, and her family who reside in Georgia. The title of the show comes from Alana’s infamous line, “A dolla makes me holla honey boo boo!” that was featured on another TLC show, “Toddlers and Tiaras.” The show is nothing more than an attempt to get a cheap laugh out of what is portrayed to be a “redneck” lifestyle, and it seems to be working. The show’s ratings topped those of the Republican National Convention, according to the Hollywood Reporter. In an
interview between Ryan Seacrest and June Shannon, referred to as “Mamma” on the show, Shannon said it was because the show didn’t mention “boring” issues like tax rates and legitimate rape.
photo | TLC
Issues like tax rates and controversial statements made by politicians may not bring the whole family around the television at night, but neither should TV programs that aim to make money off of promoting the worst qualities of what is considered a stereotypical “redneck” community. Maybe I’m alone in this but I’d much rather see a show that explains what is going on in our
government than a program that shows a 12-year-old bobbing for raw pigs’ feet. During the premiere of the show, Alana introduces the world to the rest of her family members; her three older sisters, her mother, her father and their pet pig. Although the family participates in the annual games, the older sisters are persistent that the family is not “redneck” because they all have a full mouth of teeth. During the annual redneck games the girls, including Honey Boo Boo, participate in jumping into a manmade mud hole in an attempt to have the best belly-flop. Later on, the 17-yearold sister Anna, who is referred to as “the pregnantest” by Honey Boo Boo and the 12-year-old sister Lauryn, want to swim in a lake that is infested with flesh eating bacteria. Surprisingly, Mamma protests at the girls’ request, however, the rest of the community didn’t seem to have a problem jumping right in.
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The entire show seems to just promote the overall sense of stupidity in a community that doesn’t seem to care about its appearance to outsiders. It’s almost ironic since the show is supposed to be about a little girl trying to win a title by competing in beauty pageants.
It worries me that this is the type of program that the rest of America is tuning into at night. It’s an election year and our economy is still struggling, yet people are more interested in seeing a little girl and her “crazy” family roll around in mud holes. The only thing that I can honestly find the least bit educational in this show is how Honey Boo Boo transforms from a screaming photo | TLC country girl into a made up Barbie doll that walks in front of pageant judges.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / UPGRADE
A True Connection: Taking Hula Hooping To Another Level not throw them and stuff, but I’m not kidding.” One of her favorite experiences was two summers ago when she got caught in a thunderstorm by the Farmington River. Seizing the moment as she always does, she realized that this was a time and place that she could make memorable with her hoop. “There is nothing like a cleansing from the rain, and there is nothing more invigorating as hooping,” she said. Merging them together definitely brings peace. She said that the tiny drops hitting her face and her shoulders reminded her that she is free. “There was no more oppression
PHOTO | MORGAN SKOVICH
Novak with her hoops. Morgan Skovich The Recorder
After her second anniversary of hoop dancing, Erika Novak cannot deny that she is still learning new tricks, improving her techniques, and feeling better than ever about herself. Novak’s passion for hoop dancing results in routines that are described by others as entrancing and hypnotizing. Her audiences often describe her as nothing they have ever seen before. She uses either her colorful handmade hoops or a customizable LED hoop. She performs in a variety of settings from parties, beaches, clubs, parking lots to her own
keeping me bound, I had true freedom from Mother Earth; it was such a beautiful feeling,” said Novak. Novak’s latest epiphanies about hooping are double hooping, LED hooping and fire hooping. While extending her original comfort zone of the art and spinning fire under a full moon, she realizes how infinite space is and how connected everyone truly is; including her and her hoop. Novak says she appreciates and is thankful that she has the chance to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants. “I am thankful for my hoop because it gives me serenity in a very, very chaos filled world.”
backyard. “Hooping is my meditation. It’s just me, my hoops, a little bit of music and an occasional audience. For the most part, it’s all just peace,” said Novak. Novak started hooping simply because it was an easy form of meditation, exercise and a personal way to gain self worth. Anyone that hoops can not deny that learning new tricks and getting better makes you feel good about yourself, but there’s more to it. Novak has been hoop dancing since 2010. After picking up a hula hoop at the age of 18, she said she was very astounded and pleased with what she had learned and at such a fast rate. According to Novak, the whole experience was
kind of just like learning how to ride a bike as an adult. “I taught myself things like the “vortex,” going counter clockwise, “isolation,” dropping it down to my shins and wiggling it back up, taking a bow, cart wheeling with it, neck rotations, “body twizzles” and a whole bunch of other things with whacky names that no one really understands,” laughs Novak. It appeared that she could not stress enough that these skills of hers did not necessarily come naturally, but from practicing for hours a day. “I feel like my hoops are people, too. I have such a personal connection with them,” Novak said. “People don’t seem to realize that, they laugh when I tell them to
PHOTO | MORGAN SKOVICH
Novak describes her connection with her hoops as “meditating.”
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According to Novak, “There is nothing like a cleansing from the rain, and there is nothing more invigorating as hooping.”
PHOTO | Morgan skovich
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
Tiger’s 2012 A Subtle Success Justin Muszynski The Recorder
He is the standard by which golf excellence is measured. But that is a burden as much as it is a compliment. Ever since he turned professional in 1996, Tiger Woods has dominated the game of golf like no other player before him, and often times draws unfair criticism; 2012 has been no different. Ever since the end of 2009, when it was revealed that Woods was involved in several extramarital affairs, his golf game has fallen off the map. He failed to win an official PGA Tour event in 2010 as well as 2011. Part of his woes could be attributed to a bad left Achilles tendon that has plagued him for a good chunk of his career., but the critics will tell you that he has lost a step mentally that used to earn him hardfought victories. He has always been one of the best grinders in golf, famously eking out wins with his C game. But perhaps the most unpublicized story in sports in 2012 has been the bounce-back year that Woods is having. Not only did he earn his first official victory since 2009, but he racked up two more. A feat only duplicated this year by the 23-year-old prodigy from Northern Ireland, Rory McIlroy. Woods broke the ice with an impressive five-stroke win at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March. He followed this up with another victory at the Memorial Tournament in June, and another at the AT&T National in July. In doing so he passed Nicklaus on the most PGA Tour wins list and currently sits in second place just eight behind Sam Snead. Coming into last week he was number one on the PGA’s money list, surpassed by
McIlroy Monday after he won the Deutsche Bank Championship. He is ranked third in the Official World Golf Rankings up from 23 in 2011 and is also second on the tour in scoring average at 68.87 a round.
Tiger Woods So why is he still attracting scrutiny from his critics? The only real worthy criticism of Woods this year is that he failed to win a major championship after being in contention a
couple times to do just that. It is widely known that ever since he was a young child learning golf, Woods set his sight on surpassing the most prized record in the sport of 18 major championships held by none other than Jack
PHOTO | tigerwoods.com
Nicklaus. Nicklaus is considered by many the greatest golfer to ever live. And the Tiger critics have put his legacy solely on holding this record when it’s all said and done. Fair? Maybe.
Woods has developed a nasty habit of starting off tournaments strong and floundering on the weekend, a trait that he used to contrast in his prime when he would take control after the halfway mark. But there’s a logical explanation that most golf swing aficionados can agree on. Woods made major swing changes for the third time in his professional career after severing ties in 2010 to his former swing coach, Hank Haney. Going by his track record, he typically slumps a little when revamping his swing. It happened in 1998, 2003 to 2004, and now again. When a golfer faces the severe amount of pressure that a big tournament brings on, their mechanics suffer. Woods is not exempt from this. This is more than likely the reason why his swing has let him down in tense situations. Once he is fully comfortable with his new swing we’ll see the vintage Tiger moments that have won him countless amounts of tournaments. Tiger is by no means done as a dominant golfer. Is it true that he probably won’t ever reproduce the run he went on from 1999 to 2002? Most likely, yes. But, he certainly has many great years ahead of him. He is one of the few names being mentioned for the 2012 PGA Tour Player of the Year honors, but somehow this year has been chalked up as a complete loss for Tiger by most sportswriters. He also has two more official events in the coming weeks where he will have the opportunity to capture his fourth win of 2012. But, the bigger year for him may be 2013. I expect it to be a career year for Woods that will finally silence his latest critics whom think his most recent swing change was a mistake.
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS
CCSU Blue Devils Women’s Soccer Fall To Providence Friars Matt Aveni The Recorder
The Central Connecticut Women’s soccer team (1-3-0) suffered a 2-1 loss to the Providence Friars (3-2-1) in their home opener this past Sunday afternoon. In the first half the Friars took a 1-0 lead in the twenty-sixth minute when Catherine Zimmerman scored off of a Laura DiClimente corner kick. “In the early stages of the game they (Friars) had their offense going quicker than we did and they capitalized on it, that’s what a good team does,” said Blue Devils Head Coach, Mick D’Arcy. The attack was not over for Providence. In the final thirty seconds of the first half they managed another goal when Amanda Webster pulled out Blue Devil goalie Nikola Dieter and snuck a shot right past her to push the halftime lead to 2-0. The second half the team gave the crowd what they have been anticipating to see; the pressure they immediately put on the Friars along with their good defense held the Friars scoreless in the second half. The Blue Devils offense came together in the second half and put pressure on the Friars when Kerriann Welch scored off an assist Allison Kelly. “Our attack was better in the second half and we had our opportunities to score,” D’Arcy said. With a few last minute desperation shots, the Blue Devils attempted to sneak one last goal past Providence, but that was all the scoring the Blue Devils would muster out of the Friars, even as they put five shots on goal
in the second half. “Both teams have similar styles of play and it was evident on the field they just scored one more than we did. We made our mistakes but this is what these games are for,” D’Arcy said. Both teams battled on the field, pressing for each shot and playing hostile defense. “I think you saw two teams today that were ready to go at each other,” D’Arcy said. In the end, the Friars managed to outshoot the Blue Devils with 15 shotson goal against CCSU’s seven, while both goaltenders finished the game with four saves a piece. The ultimate goal for the Blue Devils is to take home an NEC title. They have three more games, one of which is UConn, another Big East team. “Playing teams in the Big East is humbling, it really shows us what we need to work and what things we do pretty well as team.” said D’Arcy on the game against UConn. D’arcy said he was very pleased with his team’s performance. “I thought it was exciting, I thought it was end-to-end,” D’Arcy said. “There are a lot of positives we will take away from it.” According to D’Arcy, these games are preparation for when the Blue Devils open up NEC play against Monmouth. “We hope to learn from these games and build on them so that when we do open NEC play we are well prepared to contend in tough division,” D’Arcy said. The Central Connecticut Blue Devils women’s soccer team’s next game is home against UConn on Sept. 9.
PHOTO | Kenny Barto
Goalkeeper Nikola Dieter last season started in all 17 games of the season.
Men’s Soccer Shut Out Bulldogs In An Entertaining Display Danny Contreras The Recorder
Two goals at either side of the half gave the CCSU Men’s Soccer team their first home win of the season, and the new field to a crowd of 512 people. On 17 minutes, Eddy Bogle calmly poached a goal after a Reece Wilson shot was saved by the Yale goalkeeper, the rebound finding Bogle’s feet to give the Blue Devils the lead. Then, following the half time break, Jesse Menzies scored individually with a screamer to the top left corner of the net. Seeking revenge for their disappointing 2-0 loss last season to the Bulldogs, the CCSU Blue Devils were set on revenge. It started out on a high pace with CCSU dominating the midfield, and producing counter-attack after counter-attack. Bogle sent the first warning shot after his strike went just over the bar on five minutes. Minutes later Ben Walsh took his chance as well, but elevated it past the bar. The first shot on goal came in from winger Thomas Obasi who forced a neat save from Yale keeper Bobby Thalman. The deadlock was broken on 17 minutes when Wilson ran down the right following a turnover and shot from 17 yards out, forcing the Yale keeper to move out of his place to catch the ball. However, he fumbled it and Bogle took advantage of the dead ball and slid it past the line to put the Blue Devils in the lead. CCSU dominated the first half with multiple counter-attacks and shots on goal, while also keeping a high but compacted
defensive line. By the end of the first 45 minutes, CCSU led 1-0 with nine shots on goal to Yale’s one—an average of one shot every five minutes. The second half began in very much the same fashion, with Wilson threatening the Yale backline with a furious effort on 49 minutes which forced Thalman into a save. Six minutes later, Jesse Menzies would carry the ball from 39-yards in the midfield and into the nine yard box, slaloming past two players before taking his shot and placing the ball too far from Thalman and into the top left corner to give CCSU a 2-0 lead over the Bulldogs. This proved to be the final goal of the game, as CCSU went on to dominate possession in spectacular fashion and demonstrated it with 10 more shots on goal to Yale’s 2. Anthony Occhialini was forced into just one save, and completed his twelfth career shutout while playing for all 90 minutes of the match. Wilson led the team with five shots on goal and one assist while Bogle didn’t stray much, producing just one goal and four shots on goal. Thomas Obasi and Menzies also tied for shots on goal. The CCSU Blue Devils will go on the road for four straight following the match against Hartford on Sept. 3. The Blue Devils’ road trip continues to Vermont and ends with a match against Lipscomb in the Belmont University Invitational. CCSU will return home on Sept. 23 to face Stony Brook at 2 p.m.
AT Left : Photo of Eddy Bogle from last season. Bogle gave the Blue Devils the lead after Reece Wilson’s shot was saved by Yale.
PHOTO | Kenny Barto
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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS
CCSU Invitational Success For Blue Devils
Senior Jamie Rademacher and senior Jennifer Waddill blocking the opposing team’s spike.
MAtt Aveni The Recorder
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils volleyball team hosted the CCSU Invitational this past weekend, going 1-2, while the opponents from St. John’s went undefeated to take the victory. The tournament is made up of four teams, each team played three games in two days. The three visiting teams were St. John’s University, Brown and Holy Cross. Head Coach Linda Sagnelli wanted the tournament to be held with three different teams that each play a different style to prepare the Blue Devils for divisional matches. “We wanted to be tested early in the season, we look at this as a journey and we look at this as a preparation for NEC play,” explained Sagnelli In the Blue Devils’ first match they went up against Big East team St. John’s University. CCSU was defeated in four close sets but St. John’s was in control most of the games. In the match, senior captain Emily Cochran led the Blue Devils with 12 kills and was their primary ball striker. Defensively, Brittany Shumacher tallied up 15 digs followed up by Freshman Makenna Lommori. Lommori is believed to be one of the top NEC Freshman players in Head Coach Sagnellis’ eyes. “Makenna can do so many things well, when she is in the right position she made some really nice blocks and hard hits and we’re working on her consistency,” said Sagnelli. Lommori is one piece of this team that will play a pivotal role and help lead the Blue Devils throughout NEC play. In the Blue Devils second game of the tournament they defeated Holy Cross with ease, taking the first three sets to win the match. The second game was much the same as the first one. Cochran again led the Blue Devils with 17 kills and Shumacher led the team with 19 digs. Shumacher is one player Sagnelli really hopes comes into her own this year saying, “Brittany Shumacher really
stepped up. As a sophomore she has really come in and has taken control of the defense and passing. I think that will be key as we move forward, that her level of play remains really consistent,” said Sagnelli. The third game against Brown was not what the Blue Devils wanted in their final match of the tournament. They were hoping to carry on their momentum from the Holy Cross match earlier in the day, but the Blue Devils were swept and lost three straight matches to end the tournament with a split on day two. Shumacher again led with 18 digs and senior Blaike King came out with 11 kills. Cochran played consistently throughout the tournament and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Over the three games she posted double digit kills in every match and also had 15 digs in three games. She is the Blue Devils’ most consistant ball striker and will be the key to scoring points in division play. Sagnelli loves having Cochran on her team and is one of the leaders that this Blue Devils team needs. “Emily’s presence on the court all weekend is something that really stabilizes the team, she is a primary passer on this team and offensively she is going to carry our offense because she is one of our steady attackers. Emily holds a lot of responsibility on this team,” said Sagnelli. All around the tournament was a success for the Blue Devils. “We were definitely tested this weekend. We saw some things on the court that we really liked and some things we need work on,” said Sagnelli. The Blue Devils will continue play next weekend in New Hampshire in the University of New Hampshire Holy Young Invitational where they will take on NEC opponent, Holy Cross in day three of the invitational. The Blue Devils will return to Detrick on Sept. 29 to take on Robert Morris.
Erin O’Donnell | THE RECORDER
CCSU BLUE DEVILS 2012 Volleyball Schedule Sept. 7 @ William & Mary Sept. 8 @ New Hampshire Sept. 8 vs Holy Cross Sept. 14 @ Temple Sept. 15 vs Cornell Sept. 15 vs Navy Sept. 22 @ Saint Francis (N.Y.)* Sept. 23 @ Faireilgh Dickinson* Sept. 29 vs Robert Morris* Sept. 30 vs Saint Francis (PA)* Oct. 3 @ Sacred Heart* Oct. 6 @ Bryant* Oct. 7 vs Quinnipiac* Oct. 14 @ LIU Brooklyn* Oct. 18 vs Sacred Heart* Oct. 20 vs Saint Francis (N.Y.)* Oct. 21 vs Faireilgh Dickinson* Oct. 26 @ Saint Francis (PA)* Oct. 27 @ Robert Morris * Nov. 3 vs LIU Brooklyn* Nov. 10 vs Bryant* Nov. 11 @ Quinnipiac* * Conference Games Home Games in Bold