AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, September 12 , 2012
Central Grieves Student Loss kaSSondRa GRanaTa The Recorder
CCSU student, Anna Krasnowski, died on Sept 5 according to a campus-wide announcement released on Friday. Laura Tordenti, Vice President of Student Affairs, reported Krasnowski’s death in the news post, and said that she spoke with the family of the deceased. “It is unspeakably sad when a young person dies, and Anna’s death should remind us to cherish each other all the more,” Tordenti said in the announcement. State Police Investigator Joseph Becerra reported that Krasnowski jumped off of the Tappan Zee Bridge around 5pm on Sept 5, The Berlin Patch reported. Mark McLaughlin, Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications, said that he offers his condolences to the Krasnowski family. “The University community mourns the loss of Anna Krasnowski and offers our deepest sympathies to her family and friends as well as to the faculty and students who worked and studied with her,” said McLaughlin in an email. According to Tordenti, the University is still in the process of arranging a ceremony for Krasnowski.
NEWS: Bringing Back Student Life Page 2 UPGRADE: This Week in 1995 Page 6 SPORTS: LAX Coach Page 10
Central Connecticut State University
Volume 109 No. 3
University Reduces Punishments Against Soccer Coach JuSTin MuSzynSki The Recorder
CCSU soccer coach Shaun Green successfully appealed the sanctions that were handed down to him for his role in the trashing of 150 copies of The Recorder back in May. He was seen by CCSU police removing the newspapers from the Student Center because of an article that described the soccer team’s ineligibility for the postseason due to poor graduation rates. The original punishment given to Green included a 60day suspension without pay and a four-game suspension. After a grievance was filed, these sanctions were reduced to 14 days and one game, according to Green. “It was a poor decision on my part and I can only offer my most sincere apologies to The Recorder,” said Green. “I’m looking to move on at this point. I’ll stand by what I said before, ‘What I did was wrong.’” Nicholas Proch, former Editor-In-Chief of The Recorder, says he is disappointed by the University’s decision. “If all it takes is someone to appeal a sanction and lobby for it to be reduced, then that sets the precedence that anybody for any type of punishment can do that,” said Proch. “I don’t think that’s the situation that the University wants, and that diminishes any jurisdiction that the University has over its employees.” Green still has to reimburse The Recorder for its losses, which he was told was about $48. He has offered to pay that and is just awaiting word of whom the proper person to give it to is. However, Kassondra Granata, current Editor-In-Chief, doesn’t feel that financial compensation is enough. She says that the original punishments should have been sustained and that the school should have told The Recorder of its conclusion about Green’s appeal. “It was censorship and he acted unprofessionally,” Granata said. “I feel like
CCSU tried to hide this and I think Green should have accepted the punishment.” Proch also says that he wasn’t surprised in the least by the school’s backpedal. “I think the original punishments were made just to appease the public because of all the attention that this incident was getting,” Proch said. “A lot of people were telling me when the sanctions were handed down that the school wouldn’t uphold them, and they turned out to be right.” According to Green, his former assistant coach, Paul Wright, is also appealing the University’s decision to not renew his contract. They are expecting kenny baRTo | THe RecoRdeR a decision in the next CCSU Soccer Coach Shaun Green at a game last season. couple of weeks. The athletics must write a formal apology to The Recorder, department is unable to appeal the $100,000 the University community and the athletics fine that was put on it, according to Thomas department was retracted. Pincince, sports information director. Proch says that his most dissatisfaction “Not at this time,” Pincince said when comes from the choice he made to not file asked if the department had any course of a civil suit against Green because he felt the action towards getting the fine reduced or university sanctions were appropriate. It is thrown out. unclear whether The Recorder will reconsider Green also says that the stipulation that he its rights to a lawsuit.
Senate Endorses Teachers’ Strike aManda webSTeR The Recorder
Faculty Senate passed a motion to displaying its support for the Chicago teachers union which went on strike earlier Monday morning. Briann Greenfield of the history department asked to bring the resolution in front of the committee and President James Mulrooney in an attempt to show support to the union. “I think it’s important that we talk about these issues and we raise them with our colleges,” said Greenfield. According to CNN, Chicago public school teachers announced their plans to strike on Sunday night and took to the picket lines early Monday morning. The strike is the first one to occur in the city in 25 years and was the result of a failure to negotiate issues such as pay, benefits and teacher evaluations. The Chicago school district is the third
largest U.S. district, and the strike is affecting about 350,000 students and seems to be drawing attention from unions around the country. “It is most concerning that the Chicago education system is becoming increasingly privatized, with more and more charter schools and (it’s) pulling away from public education which I think we at Central Connecticut State University have long valued,” stated Greenfield. The Senate was asked to vote on the resolution before having an opportunity to address it with the rest of their department members in order to show immediate support for the teachers union in Chicago. Greenfield went on to explain that the reason for wanting to vote on the issue right away was because of the dramatic changes that occurred over a very brief period of time. She wanted to make sure that the support was known while the strike is still at large.
Follow Us On Twitter: @TheRecorder
“It’s an issue of timeliness for us here today,” said Greenfield. The members of the Senate recognized the need to show support for fellow educators and wanted to set an example for the students at CCSU who are pursuing a degree in education. Members also called for a stronger resolution from the union and the senate in the future but agreed that for now, the current motion is enough to show its support. After some debate on whether or not the motion should be voted on or to hold off until the next meeting, the majority voted to pass the motion which would represent the members of the faculty senate. The motion will also allow individual members from different departments to sign on to show their support. The senate recognized the fact that this is a real-world issue and it must take a stand on it and show its support. The meeting took place in Founder’s Hall Monday at 3:05 pm.
2
NEWS
THE RECORDER Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Arrest Log: Week Of 9/2 Juan Acevedo, 31, of 214 Standish St., Hartford, was arrested for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Sevilla Arturo, 35, of 285 Farmington Ave., New Britain, was arrested for operating a vehicle without a license. Adam M. Blake, 19, of 12 Cornfield Rd., Windsor, was arrested for possession of less than one-half ounce. Cameron George Cook, 18, of 31 Robin Lane, Killingworth, was arrested for 3rd degree criminal trespass, interfering with an officer and breach of peace. Taylor Darr, 18, of 400 Charcoal Ave., Middlebury, was arrested for possession of less than one-half ounce. Jenelis Diaz, 25, of 77 Ford Rd., Windsor, was arrested for illegal tinted glass. Alec D. Dirienzo, 19, of 21 Berle Rd., South Windsor, was arrested for possession of a controlled substance and or less than four ounces of marijuana, possession of alcohol by minor, interfering with an officer, assaulting a peace officer and breach of peace. Alexsis Edwards, 24, of 172 Allen St., New Britain, was arrested for traveling unreasonably fast. Elisabeth Ellis, 25, of 6 Timber Trail, Cobalt, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while using a hand held mobile telephone. Dena Ferrara-Wilson, 37, of 4602 Main St., Cromwell, was arrested for parking in a handicap space. Laura A. Fucci, 19, of Vance Hall, New Britain, was arrested for unauthorized display/ misuse of handicap plate. Effrosini Gavrilis, 25, of 134 Tremont St., Newington, was arrested for operating a motor vehicle while using a hand held mobile telephone. Alexandra Gregory, 26, of 130 Whiting St., Plainville, was arrested for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Angelica Hernandez, 26, of 273 Overlook Ave, New Britain, was arrested for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Kevin Kennedy, 18, of 860 Mountain Rd., Cheshire, was arrested for use of and possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of a controlled substance and or less than four ounces of marijuana. Alex P. Kulka, 18, of 20 Silver Beech Rd., Southbury, was arrested for possession of less than one-half ounce. Ashley Lana, 20, of 400 Charcoal Ave, Middlebury, was arrested for possession of less than one-half ounce. Edward Leonard, 27, of 246 Lyme St., Hartford, was arrested for failure to wear seat belt. Connor Mascia, 21, of 3 Cherrywood Ave, Milford, was arrested for failure to wear seat belt. Justin Morneault, 18, of 116 Hepworth St., Bristol, was arrested for failure to obey control signal. Andrew Peterson, 22, of 45 Wayne Rd., Milford, was arrested for restricted turns fail signal. Lindsay Revoir, 28, of 55 Magnolia St., New Britain, was arrested for operating an unregistered motor vehicle. Michael J. Stevens, 22, of 164 West St., New Britain, was arrested for failure to wear a seat belt. Catherine M. Velazquez, 20, of 8 Rabbit Rock Rd., East Haven, was arrested for unauthorized display or misuse of handicap plate.
Student Government Addresses Community On Campus Joe Suszcynski The Recorder
The Student Government Association wasted no time getting back into the swing of things at its first meeting of the semester. President Eric Bergenn introduced a guest speaker, Ken DeStefanis, Assistant Director of Recreation & Intramural Programming, of RECentral, who spoke on behalf of the program’s new, “Healthy Lifestyle Challenge.” According to DeStefanis, each week there will be a different theme, and that Wednesday there will be an activity held in Kaiser that corresponds with the particular theme. “Our goal is for the campus community to adopt a healthy lifestyle,” said DeStefanis. “Each week we want to throw a challenge out to the students, faculty and staff to adopt a healthy lifestyle.” DeStefanis also said that their plan is to make groups consisting of people who ride bicycles, run, and walk. The Healthy Lifestyle Challenge will start on September 10 and will go to November 19, 2012. There is more information on the issue on the RECentral website. Due to the lack of unfinished and new business the meeting went right to open floor.
Erin Odonnell | THE RECORDER
Senator Simms Sonnet speaks to the Senate of his idea for clubs to compete for food stamps. On open floor Senator Simms Sonet spoke about an idea he has for helping out food banks in surrounding towns. Sonet suggests to have a competition between the clubs at CCSU to see who can acquire the most food products.
“Having clubs compete against one another to raise canned goods or nonperishable food items will help show that Central cares, their clubs care, and it will also help get people involved on campus and just to do good in the local area,”
said Sonet. “We can target the local Newington, New Britain, Plainville just local towns and their food banks.” The senate closed their meeting taking a look at their newly revamped website.
Top Organizations Strive To Bring Back Student Life Kassondra Granata The Recorder
The perception that student life at CCSU is plummeting led to many organizations on campus devising different approaches to bring in students. “Our goal is to do whatever we can that’s practical and in budgetary means to make the halls as nice as possible for students, and to improve the quality of residential life,” said Laura Tordenti, Vice President of Student Affairs. Tordenti said that there has been a lot of discussion lately on the lack of activities to do on weekends, and it is their goal to encourage students on and off campus to attend these events. Jean Alicandro, Director of ResLife, said that ResLife has spent a majority of the summer reforming the eight residence halls on campus. Barrows Hall received customized furniture by a company called Foliot, and its bathrooms were refurbished. In the other halls, the bathrooms were also refurbished, and the working crew fixed the dents, leaks and any type of plumbing issues as well. “We’re getting a lot of rave reviews from the students,” said Alicandro. Alicandro has been meeting frequently with Fred Bonvicini, Associate Director of Operations, to discuss ways to improve campus life. Alicandro said that Bonvicini supports the facilities in the halls and stands as the liason for ResLife. In their latest project, Alicandro and Bonvicini will be collaborating with the Inter Residence Council by performing recreational facelifts, such as the redevelopment of the basketball courts on campus as well as installing
beach-like volleyball courts with sand. One route that Student Affairs is taking is an initiative called”Weekends Central,” where a group of leaders on campus will get together and plan activities on campus for students to do every weekend. “There’s real energy between the SGA, SALD, IRC and CAN to roll out this weekend programming schedule,” Tordenti said. “There will be something fun, interesting and engaging on the weekends to make students on and off campus have a reason to stay.” Student Affairs and SALD are also offering mini grants to clubs. The clubs can write proposals in order to receive money for programs, events or other needs. “We really want to encourage that dialogue and input,” said Tordenti. “Students are paying money and we’re here to serve students and make sure that the facilities are safe, and that there are activities to do. The more input the better.” This fall, CCSU will be breaking ground on a new 630 suite-style residence hall located behind the Student Center parking garage. Tordenti said that once the building is completed, she hopes more students will live in the new building, thus allowing the University to take older halls offline to give them “much needed facelifts.” The long term goal is to increase the number of students living on campus,” Tordenti said. “When we get the other buildings up to standard, the campus will be attractive enough to bring students back.” At the Student Center, Director
Otis Mamed, said that Central is losing students on the weekends, and that he is finding ways to generate traffic in the Student Center. Mamed calculates the amount of students who go in and out of the Student Center, and noticed that there were fewer student visits on Fridays. The usual goal is to have 2 million people come through the building per year. Last year the Student Center reached 1.9 million on Student Center stops. In order to do so, Mamed and his board have been making a lot of changes like adding charging stations, which was a student generated request. At these charging stations, students can approach the station and attach their phone to the many different connectors. “Each device is self protected, and within five minutes, you should be at about 70 percent charge,” Mamed said. “The idea is that you plug it in, go grab a cup of coffee, come back, and your phone is charged and ready for
class.” Mamed also said that the staff does its best to make the Student Center appealing to students. One example is keeping the building well-kept and maintained. “We try hard to keep the building clean and keep it maintained,” said Mamed. “I want students to feel comfortable here. We try to keep up with the requests, so we can give students what they want. My personal goal is to make this place more inviting.” Part of Mamed’s job is also to promote activities on campus. The Student Center places AMP (Activities and Monthly Programs) posters at 25 different locations throughout campus, as well as the residence halls. My main focus is on student activities and student programs, I will promote any type of events that is ‘official CCSU,’” Mamed said. “I’m trying to find out what is the best way to get to students.”
Not the normal minimum wage job, check out www.greatcollegejob.com
3
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 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 Managing Editor Justin Muszynski jmuszynski@centralrecorder.com
Art Director Sean Ferris
Upgrade Danny Contreras upgrade@centralrecorder.com
Web Editor Rachael Bentley rbentley@centralrecorder.com
Copy Editor Maxine Eichen
News Editor Amanda Webster news@centralrecorder.com Sports Editor Matt Aveni sportsed@centralrecorder.com
Photgraphers: Erin O’Donnell Staff Members Paige Brown Brittany Burke Skyler Magnoli Acadia Otlowski Morgan Skovich Joe Suszczynski Irene W. Yukash
About The Recorder is a student-produced publication of Central Connecticut State University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of CCSU’s administrators, faculty or students. The Recorder articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without the written permission from the Editorin-Chief. T he pur pose of T he Recorder is to approach and def ine issues of impor tance to the students of Central Connecticut State Universit y. Staf f meetings for T he Recorder are held on Mondays at 7:30 p.m. in the Blue and W hite Room in the student center and on T hursday at 4:30 p.m. in the Recorder off ice.
Advertising I f interested in placing ads, please contact T he Recorder’s Ad Manager at adver tising@centralrecorder.com. For more information including our rate card, please v isit w w w.centralrecorder.com.
‘One Book One Community’ Visits CCSU Skyler magnoli The Recorder
In the corner of the second floor of the Elihu Burritt Library, Venerable Khensur Rinpoche Lobsang Tenzin sat surrounded by students and faculty to discuss the Dalai Lama’s teachings in his most recent book. “Without students there is no explanation, with no teacher there is no explainer, and with that the translation of our world would fall apart,” explains Rinpoche’s translator Jeffrey Allen. Rinpoche is the retired Abbot of the Dalai Lama, which is one of the highest honors in Tibetan Buddhism. His visit to Central Connecticut State University’s campus was brought on in preparation of the Dalai Lama’s arrival on Oct 19 at Western Connecticut State University. The visit was part of the “One Book One Community” project at CCSU. The One Book One Community program is known all over the country, and was created to encourage schools, colleges universities and libraries to read one book written by the Dalai Lama in preparation of his arrival in Connecticut. “This is the first of many events for the One Book One Community program here at Central,” said Renata Vickrey of the Burritt Library Special Collections Department. “We have at least seven or eight other libraries in Connecticut reading the book.” The Central Forum for Contemplative Practices at CCSU brought One Book One Community here to help provide opportunities for individuals to practice mindfulness and
Skyler Magnoli | THE RECORDER
Rinpoche sits and discusses Dalai Lama.
meditation, and to examine the emerging theory and research of contemplative practices. “Like the Dalai Lama’s recent book states we all believe in religions, but we will find a common language to talk to each other beyond our religious beliefs,” said Vickrey. “So we can have the compassion for others, and create a more peaceful world, and I believe that is what this event was all about tonight.” During the event Rinpoche discussed the
meanings of dharma in the Buddhist religion, and the story of the Dalai Lama. He also gave listeners personal guidance and tried to shed light on the Dalai Lama’s teachings. “His Holiness is of the highest intellect, understands everything very clearly, and has an understanding of all the world’s religions,” said Rinpoche through his translator, Allen. Allen also explained that it is very exciting for the Dalai Lama to arrive in Connecticut because it can only happen if there is a lot of funding behind it. This is due to the fact that it takes an enormous amount of money to bring and house the Dalai Lama here because of all the security he requires to keep him safe. The Dalai Lama doesn’t allow any profits to be made from his appearances. This was once a problem because the Dalai Lama used to give all the profits to certain causes, which created competition for those profits. “The Dalai Lama is such an important figure it would be great if some time this college could invite his holiness, the Dalai Lama, to sponsor an event here,” said Rinpoche. Rinpoche discussed the significance of the arrival of the Dalai Lama in October and how it would be beneficial for universities to invite him to come in the future, because he is such an intellect and he could be surrounded by many other scholars at a university. The visit of Rinpoche is in great timing with the October 19th arrival of the Dalai Lama. Students at CCSU can view the simulcast of the Dalai Lama from Western in the Student Center and in Thorp Theatre.
Advertise Your Business Here!
Advertise Your Business Here!
OPINION
4
THE RECORDER Wednesday, September 12, 2012
University Ignores Its Better Judgement
When our publication heard that soccer coach Shaun Green was the person responsible for trashing our papers back in the spring, we were outraged. Our staff puts hours of their efforts into this publication each week, and to find out that 150 copies of our last issue of the year had been vandalized was perturbing. It was revealed that Green didn’t like an article that was published in that week’s issue regarding the men’s soccer team and their inability to make it to postseason. The story that we ran was 100 percent factually correct and most of which was taken off of a press release. Other news organizations ran similar pieces detailing the same scenario. As a result, The Recorder felt personally attacked by Green’s actions.
Days after the incident occurred, the University took a firm stance. It suspended Green for 60 days without pay and banned him from the first four games of the soccer team’s season. It also required that he write a formal apology to the community, the Athletics Department and The Recorder, as well as reimburse us for our losses. The Athletics Department was penalized $100,000. Assistant Coach Paul Wright’s contract was not renewed in June due to his involvement with Green. After the sanctions were released, President Jack Miller made a statement regarding the incident. “I believe our response sends a clear signal that acts which contradict our educational mission will bring serious consequences,” Miller said in May.
“We are troubled whenever one of our athletic teams at Central Connecticut State University has academic failure, since we consider academic success to be one of the most important parts of a coach’s work. Further, we have built a culture of freedom of expression and freedom of the press and personally defended those freedoms even when the result is criticism of us,” he continued. Consequently, The Recorder believed that the punishments handed down to Green were justified. It sent a message that inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated and that the University had our backs. When it was discovered that Green successfully appealed his sanctions we were disappointed to say the least. We felt disrespected, betrayed and deceived.
Judging by conversations between our staff and Green following the occurrence, he seemed sincere in his apologies. It is not Green that we are upset with at this point, it is the University. We thought it would stand by us, but in the end, it let us down. The University took a serious matter and made it a priority to satisfy the public rather than to do the honorable thing. The school swept this right under the rug refusing to notify the community of its change of heart. The Recorder should have been notified that Green had appealed his sanctions. Because our publication was greatly affected by this incident, it would have been ethical that the University would keep us in the loop. At this point, it seems like our publication has been belittled once again.
Sustainable Employment Is Needed For Prosperity Justin Muszynski The Recorder
Editor’s Column: Registering To Vote Should Be A Top Priority For Students Kassondra Granata The Recorder
Summer is finally coming to a close, and autumn is rapidly approaching. It’s finally time to pack away those shorts and tank tops and break out the cardigans and pea coats. The best aspect about fall is the crisp smell of the outdoors. Not only are the colors of the leaves alluring, but the sound of them crunching under my feet as I walk to class is an incommunicable feeling. During fall, I find everything in the outdoors more attractive; I am more likely to be outside sitting under a tree reading a book than indoors. Autumn, or fall, is my favorite season. Not only does the season hold my birthday, but it also consists of my favorite activities, or, “falltivities.” Apple picking is my speciality. The scenery is magnificent; the long arrangement of tall masses of trees, the families gathered together with their woven baskets, picking just the right apple to take a bite out of or make into a pie. Another feature about fall: pumpkin everything. It is always a special request of mine that pumpkin pie must sit at my kitchen table on my birthday. I take a trip to the nearest Dunkin Donuts and grab a medium pumpkin coffee, light and sweet. When it’s fall, I’m in pumpkin-patch heaven. Fall fashion is also a favored element of mine. If I were to picture my ideal outfit, it would consist of some comfortable Toms, a nice pair of skinny jeans, and an earth-toned cardigan topped off with a silk scarf and a coffee.
One can get overwhelmed with all of the excitement of the season, but it just so happens that this fall, another important event will be taking place. The other day, I went onto Rock The Vote and registered. Being only 19, this will be my first voting experience. It would be an understatement if I just said I was excited. Last year, I decided that it was time to stick my nose in some books and brush up on my politics. At first, it was very difficult to understand, but as time went on, I found myself checking The New York Times and other media outlets for the latest scoop. As students, it is crucial that we get involved and do our part. We are a significant piece in this nation, and a lot of debate that occurs between the parties involves our well-being as students. Our tuition and benefits is in constant dialogue, and it is essential that we let our voices be heard. I’ve heard from a few of my classmates that they are avoiding registering to vote because of their reluctance to participate in state procedures, such as jury duty. I am appalled that they are avoiding being a part of their nation solely due to laziness. As a student body, there are no limits as to how much power we can have if we give our say. We are preeminent over other groups. What we say matters and will be heard. Do yourself a favor and register to vote. Hope to see you at the polls come November.
Connecticut is not immune to the poor economic state that this country is in. The second-rate answers that our government has proposed to us need to be scrapped. For starters, the CTfastrak project is estimated to cost $567 million. One of the main arguments in favor of the busway is to reduce congestion in the Hartford area. While I agree with this concept, it is simply not the right time to be investing that kind of money into something that is designed to make our lives more convenient. Ultimately, the CTfastrak is a venture that Connecticut should undertake, but the timing is atrocious. Why pick one of the worst recessions that this country has ever experienced as a time to invest serious finances into a glorified railroad track? The claim that this will improve our economy is hollow at best. Any revenue produced by restaurants, bars and other establishments as a result of better transportation isn’t putting any additional money into the economy. It is a simple reallocation of funds. People aren’t suddenly going to start drinking more alcohol and eating more food because there is an easy route to Hartford businesses. It is just going to take income from another institution, whether it be a supermarket or another dining location. Even if the busway would encourage more spending, would you want college kids dumping their money into such frivolous activities? College students aren’t the answer. If you want to fix the economy, you’re not going to
do it by enticing more weekend partying. The state should be investing the money that is going towards the CTfastrak into something that will attract real businesses into Connecticut that can create stable jobs and real revenue. The 4,000 construction jobs that Gov. Malloy says will be generated through the production of this project will only be temporary. Another solution that has been offered to aid our economy was the repeal of the blue laws. The notion that this would have any positive influence on our economy is laughable. It benefits all the major supermarkets and puts immense pressure on the independently owned package stores. Most liquor store owners will tell you that since the repeal they haven’t seen any increase of sales. If anything, they are losing money because of overhead costs. They now have to pay employees a premium to work on Sundays in order to compete with other establishments. This has the potential to wipe out numerous small businesses. Besides, people that previously went to Massachusetts to get their alcohol on Sundays will probably still go just because of the cheaper gasoline prices. Our government needs to stop offering empty answers to the state’s financial crisis and come up with some solid solutions. The quick-fixes simply won’t work. Someone needs to step up and do something that isn’t designed to appease the public eye. The state needs to get its hands dirty and repair this predicament that we’ve found ourselves in. These inadequate remedies aren’t worth our time or effort and certainly shouldn’t be applauded.
Follow The Recorder on Twitter @TheRecorder for breaking news multimedia and live tweeting @RecorderSports FOR LIVE TWEETS DURING GAMES
5
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 2012 / OPINON
International Policies Should Be Avoided Danny Contreras The Recorder
I watched in awe as Antonio Villaraigosa banged the gavel to once again put Israel in their 2012 presidential race agenda—effectively buckling under pressure from right-wingers, and completely shutting out secular citizens of the United States. Even worse was the fact that he nosedived into one of the most controversial international issues. I don’t know what was worse: when the Democratic Party amended Israel back into their agenda or the way in which it was carried out. I’m leaning towards the latter because it was a disgusting approach; Villaraigosa commanded
people to scream “yes or no,” with the louder word deciding the fate of the Israel topic. “No” won all three times. He asked the audience to answer, however the motion was passed before the actual vote. I laughed in horror as I saw Villaraigosa hand the Republican Party international policy on a platter; and I cried in misery as he completely neutered the Democratic Party. Riding high on Michelle Obama’s wave from the night prior, everyone expected big things leading up to President Clinton’s speech, but that wasn’t the case. Villaraigosa hung the Democratic Party. A party which claims to stand for fairness and collectiveness became divided. Instead of focusing on the
McMahon Will Wrestle Her Way To The Top Bryan Morales The Recorder
Who said money doesn’t mean everything? Republican candidate Linda McMahon sure has proven that it does; she rose from the bottom to the top in the political field. Two years ago, the name “McMahon” would just be familiarized with the famous wrestling business WWE (World Wrestling Entertainment), but now, Linda has spent enough of her own money to become recognized in the 2012 Senate race. McMahon’s wealth has helped her advertise herself like no other politician has in a race. She’s spent well over $50 million of her fortune in the 2010 senate race, but lost to Democratic Candidate Richard Blumenthal. Linda McMahon is showing dedication to winning a seat; however, if she really wants to win votes, she should spend her money more wisely. As a Connecticut resident I’ve seen no change in our state regarding jobs. Our state continues to produce fewer job opportunities and state taxes are on the rise. Many may say, it’s her own money, why does it matter how she spends it? All that money she spends on advertisements is pathetic. Yes, it has benefited her campaign race, but let’s get one thing straight, if it wasn’t for her wealth, she would be known for being an owner of WWE. That ad money she spent in her 2010 senate race should have gone towards programs in the state. For instance, creating more jobs in Connecticut, improving the schools education systems, or even donating her money to charity in order to show her involvement with Connecticut’s communities would have given her a better image.
On the other hand, U.S Rep. Chris Murphy, who beat former Secretary of State Susan Bysiewicz in the primary, doesn’t have to spend much of his money in order to gain votes. Murphy represents Connecticut’s fifth district, which means he takes part in town decision making for New Britain, Danbury, Meriden, and Waterbury. Murphy also serves on the Committee for Government reform, Intergovernmental Relations, and National Archives Subcommittees. His political record shows his skills and his knowledge in being able to make important decisions. This year’s race will be very close. “By spending a combined total of nearly $65 million in the 2010 and 2012 Senate races, McMahon has nearly boosted her namerecognition to sky-high levels,” said in an article from the Hartford Courant. With her shocking spending spree on ads, McMahon isn’t going to give up just yet. She has shown progress in the race and the Democrat party should not take her lightly. Mathew J. Hennessy, a Democratic political strategist said that, “the pattern has been emerging throughout the year that Linda McMahon has been using her resource advantage to methodically push her favorables up and push her unfavorables down.” Buying votes isn’t the way to show interest in politics. An article from YardBarker.com it stated, “To win the Senate primary on Tuesday, she spent more than $1 million. Her opponent, Christopher Shays only spent $1.2 million. Since she’s not a senator yet, that means that Linda McMahon will be spending millions more on the next campaign.” I can’t wait to see how much she plans to spend this year on her campaign ads.
important domestic issues such as immigration and economic reform, Villaraigosa decided to speak about international policy, nonetheless, and about Israel and its place as the most volatile location in the world. Mitt Romney supports the moving of the Israel capital from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem, an extremely important city to Abrahamic religions. Villaraigosa completely forgot about the tension between the Palestine region and the Israeli occupation of it. He didn’t think it through, he just decided by himself that Israel would be debated just like the Republicans were doing. The debacle is almost painful to witness. Villaraigosa flip-flopped on an important issue that should not have
been discussed as part of the Democratic domestic agenda. He stole the momentum Michelle Obama created for President Clinton, and did nothing with it. He gifted many Jewish votes to Mitt Romney; they will use it against Obama. The president doesn’t care about his Jewish citizens or their heritage. And while all is fair in this race, no one will be to blame but Villaraigosa. But he showed something worse: the lack of a backbone in the Democratic Party. The party fell apart while striving for bi-partisanship. However, they never tried to fix themselves after the futile attempts. Villaraigosa’s lack of belief in his own party is unacceptable, and he can’t take it back.
Clint Eastwood Displays Lack Of Civility At RNC Joe Suszczynski The Recorder
Clint Eastwood’s speech at the Republican National Convention was the talk of the town, overshadowing Mitt Romney’s speech. It was not foreign to me that Eastwood was a Republican; I learned he supported John McCain in 2008. So when he was announced as the mystery speaker, it made sense. Needless to say, I found Eastwood’s speech to be despicable. To clarify, I think that he is a fantastic actor and a great director. But politically speaking I think he is an idiot. Eastwood began his speech with an empty chair placed next to the podium, and stated that President Obama was seated next to him. An invisible Obama was sitting in a chair next to Clint Eastwood. Eastwood continued about how substantial Romney is and how terrible Obama is. While he was talking he paused to look at the chair and talk to it as if Obama is speaking to him. One of the things that the “invisible Obama” apparently said was for Romney to go “F” himself. “What do you want me to tell Romney? I can’t tell him to do that. I can’t tell him to do that to himself,” said Eastwood. If Eastwood just came out to speak about Romney and disagreed with the President’s policies, that would have been fine, but he went a little over the top. It’s unethical to belittle the President of the United States. Show at least a modicum of respect. One may not like Obama’s policies, but one should at least give him the respect he deserves. He won the 2008 election fair and square. Eastwood seemed to be meddling with
some of the facts about Romney’s political positions. When on the topic of Afghanistan, Eastwood remarked, “I think you’ve mentioned something about having a target date for bringing everybody home. You gave that target date, and I think Mr. Romney asked the only sensible question, you know, he says, “‘Why are you giving the date out now? Why don’t you just bring them home tomorrow morning?’” The problem is that Romney does not support an immediate withdrawal of troops. On his website, mittromney.com, Romney’s official stance on Afghanistan is, “Upon taking office, he will review our transition to the Afghan military by holding discussions with our commanders in the field. He will order a full interagency assessment of our military and assistance presence in Afghanistan to determine the level required to secure our gains and to train Afghan forces to the point where they can protect the sovereignty of Afghanistan from the tyranny of the Taliban. Withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan under a Romney administration will be based on conditions on the ground as assessed by our military commanders.” That doesn’t look like a “Let’s bring the troops home tomorrow” plan to me. I could forgive and respect Clint Eastwood if he just showed a level of civility towards President Obama during the convention, but what he did was shameful. I still hold him in high regards in his work towards film. I just lost respect for him as a human being. If anything this is a note to self for any actor on what not to do at a political convention. Because if someone isn’t going to give one iota of decency and respect to the opposition, then what is the point of opening your mouth in the first place?
Have an opinion? We are looking for writers who wish to share their views with CCSU! Email kgranata@centralrecorder.com
6
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 2012 / UPGRADE
This Week In 1995 aManda webSTeR The Recorder
The 90’s; we all know it, we lived it. There are certain aspects of the decade that we remember made growing up in the 90’s amazing. Overalls, hair scrunchies and Furbies tend to come to mind when I think about the 90’s. There are certain things that we tend to forget with age; it’s inevitable. So just to make you feel a little bit old and nostalgic, here are some things that were going on this week in 1995. This week in 1995: *Michael Jackson’s song “You Are Not Alone” was number one on the Billboards Top 100, followed by Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” at number two and “Till I Hear It From You” by Gin Blossoms at number three. *Among the top ten were Hootie & The Blowfish with “Only Wanna Be With You,” TLC’s “Waterfalls” and “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette. *PlayStation debuted in North America and would change the gaming industry forever. Gran Turismo would become the top selling game for PlayStation. *The O.J. Simpson trial was underway and had Americans glued to their television sets. This week in 1995, O.J.’s lawyer Johnnie Cochrane announced that Simpson would possibly take the stand during his own trial to pronounce his innocence. *Madonna won Best Female Video for her hit “Take A Bow” at the VMA’s and was later interrupted in an interview by a very intoxicated Courtney Love who then proceeded to fall out of her chair while cameras were on her. *Michael Jackson opened at the VMA’s and later on won an award with his sister Janet for their song “Scream.” *Disney announced its plan to put a store in Rockefeller Center, which would later close in 2009. *Ebay had been founded a week earlier.
PHoTo | Sony
COLUMN
From The Outside Looking In iRene w. yukaSH The Recorder
centralrecorder.com
To find a fellow traveler, one doesn’t have to go far from home. They are among us on campus and in the likeliest of places-,the Center for International Education. Not only can you find an entire office of people bit by the travel bug ,but people who have devoted their careers to encourage others to start their own journeys. You can go to any country in the world and make it and you’ll be better for it,” said Aaron Faucher, University/ Study Abroad Assistant at the Center for International Education. Having visited eleven different countries and Connecticut to California in the continental U.S., Faucher uncovered his passion advocating studying abroad while abroad. “My favorite part of studying abroad, or really settling down to live abroad, is that moment when you let your bags off in your room, walk down the stairs, and explore the city for the first time,” said Faucher. “You breathe in that new air, you see all the new surroundings, and you start to learn where you’re gonna start a new chapter of your life; that feeling is unbelievable.”
He became smitten with travel during his first trip overseas shortly after high school graduation. What really took his breath away was the first sight of the Eiffel Tower. Since then he has been back to Paris on five separate occasions. According to Faucher, shopping around Europe for gifts for friends and family at Christmas time is one of his fondest memories. “I also had plenty of hot spiced wine to keep me warm as the snow started to fall,” he added. In addition to his euphoria with the Eiffel Tower, Faucher had long-term relationships with France. He has completed two semesters abroad in France. One was spent in the south in Montpellier, a student dominated city decorated with shops and little cafes. The other was spent in Normandy, a northern region of France that is described by Lonely Planet is “a place of churned butter and soft runny cheese, where broad fields and dry-stone farmhouses perch on the edge of chalk-white cliffs, and the salty tang of the sea is in the air.” His decision to pursue a Masters in French National Identity here at CCSU was driven by his first semester abroad. But his devotion to study abroad doesn’t stop there. Faucher is currently interning
with the World Affairs Council in Connecticut (WACCT). According to WACCT’s website, WAACT is a “nonprofit, nonpartisan (unbiased) organization promoting greater understanding of global ideas and issues.” Faucher’s work at the WACCT includes creating reports and presentations on studying abroad to present at conferences. Anyone interested in interning at the WACCT or getting more information should visit ctwac.org. For anyone wishing to study abroad, the next information sessions will be held on the twelfth, seventeenth and twenty-fifth of September from noon to one in the Blue and White Room in The Student Center. It’s not too late to apply for study abroad in Spring 2013, but students should apply immediately as the deadline is October 1. The CIE is open for appointments and strongly encourages walk-ins. As for Faucher, he’s gearing up for his next adventure to Columbia and can be found at the front desk of the CIE. “Whenever the bug bites you, you can come in and we’ll help you out,” said Faucher. Have specific questions or a study abroad experience to share? Contact me at <yukashirw@my.ccsu.edu”>yukashirw@
7
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 2012 / UPGRADE
GazettE’s Latest Album Lacking Yet Acceptable Danny Contreras The Recorder
Japanese metal and visual kei powerhouse, The GazettE, released a follow up album to their critically acclaimed Toxic with a weak, yet still entertaining album in Division. The Osaka natives’ follow up saw the band take a step back into their music evolution as the album is trademark generic “visual-kei” nu-metal blueprint. With overly done vocals (curse you auto-tune), and tame guitar work, not even the usual tight drumming and perfect bass could keep the album afloat. Regardless, the songs remain catchy and upbeat. Divided into two 5-song albums, the whole production clocks in at 48 minutes. “Ibitsu (Distortion)” is the very first song and a conflicting one. While it begins with thrash influenced guitar work, vocalist Ruki’s voice turns it into a gimmicky song that borders between radio-friendly and an anime opening. It hits really hard. The drumming is on point, perfectly synched and faster than many of the songs in their previous works. The bass is a different story; the guitars and voice completely drown out Reita’s effort on the bass. The band is known for their sentimental power ballads, and while they have pulled it off before (consider “Pledge”, and “Distress and Coma”) the efforts in Division are laughable. “Kagefumi (Treading on Shadows)” sounds overly generic—losing the sentimental effect in the process. The band has fallen prey to the 80’s hair metal movements in which every band needed the power ballad. And while the 80’s have provided us with a couple of good
ones (Poison, anybody?), the GazettE were unsuccessful in this attempt. “Derangement” is the first full song on the second part CD and one that channels German industrial metal band, Rammstein. The song sounds like its title, deranged. It’s a double bass drum drive song, with Kai truly standing out with the many fills within the song. Uruha and Aoi are both talented enough to provide a melody within the machine-gunning guitars that are all rounded with Ruki’s voice; singlehandedly winning the best song of Division. “Dripping Insanity” redeems the band’s effort with smart song-writing and usage of instruments. The muted riffs from guitars are apprehensive, but the mandolin sounding background melody truly makes it stand out. It is the perfect combination for Kai and Reita drumming and bass playing, distinctively non-commercial. It is a sound that only the Japanese artists can pull off, like their colleagues Dir en Grey. Overall, the album is not necessarily an amazing production. It is pretty catchy and it has its moments. Is it a must download? No, they have completely relinquished their evolution with this effort; they finished Toxic on a high, a musical cliff-hanger but could not recoup in this effort. Fans will definitely add this album to their collection, and that’s not a bad thing because they are the fans. However, if one wishes to introduce a new listener, this album should be scrapped from their list and possibly replaced with 2007’s Stacked Rubbish.
LOVE MUSIC AND MOVIES? BECOME A CRITIC BY EMAILING US AT ENTERTAINMENT@CENTRALRECORDER.COM
Centipede hz Displays Conformity
Photo | myspace.com/animalcollective
Animal Collective does not disappoint with their new album, Centipede hz. Tyler Scott The Recorder
Far from their original roots as an experimental, psychedelic folk band, Animal Collective ventures onward with a more electric and fast paced record. Released early this month, Centipede hz dawns a rather fitting album cover, consisting of a mouth transposed over grids of neon colors and blurred lights with a centipede making up part of the lips. The artwork goes well with the heavy electronic effects and shouted vocals. Each track of the album is separated by the previous track blending into sonic, white noise, as filter effects blur the song to confusion just in time for the next track to pick up. This makes listening to the album feel like a train ride where each song is a stop, taking the listener on a trip of polyphonic rhythms and nostalgic lyrics. The modern overtones in sound juxtapose with lyrics that sound like a middle-aged man raving about the “good ‘ol days.” In the concluding song of the album, lead singer, David Portner, sings, “Is tradition holding regularly in this town?/ If it’s going hiking, I’m going hiking.” Despite this tone of searching for something
in the past, this last album truly shows the band’s ability to stay current in the music business. The confusing overlay of melodic vocal tracks that may have turned off listeners of their past albums are absent in this release. However, the band still caters to long standing fans by keeping to their tradition of intricate rhythm sections, even though there is more uniformity in the melodic progression of the songs. It is still a challenge to make out many of the lyrics, but this album is a little easier to sing along to than their previous ones. Though the album is generally upbeat, songs like “New Town Burnout” and “Amanita” provide a smooth break in the pace and sound more reminiscent of their older material. The song “Wide Eyed” is another track that brings a more flowing bounce in the middle of this urban sounding record. It incorporates African drums behind a synthesized chord progression, mixing organic and electronic textures. This kind of variety is just one more token of Animal Collective’s eclectic sound. Overall, indie and electronica fans, alike, would find this aggressive and in your face album easy to listen to, as the band stretches their sound while retaining their distinctiveness.
CCSU A Cappella Groups: Out With The Old, In With The New
Paige Brown I The Recorder
The all male A Cappella group, Divisi, perform one of their songs at the concert. Paige Brown The Recorder
CCSU A Cappella Society held their annual Welcome Back concert and welcomed a large crowd as well as recruited new members. The annual welcome back concert held each fall gives freshmen and upperclassmen the chance to join or just enjoy each of the a capella groups on campus. There are three groups, two all female, The Acabellas and TGFI (Too Good For Instruments), and one all male, Divisi. This year, TGFI is losing three of their best. Teresa Lewis, Kaylah Smith and Ally Brown have all been with TGFI for years. Lewis is leaving the group due to a job student teaching, Smith graduated last Spring and Brown needs to focus on classes so she can graduate. “This is a big time commitment, but I need to graduate,” Brown said. “I have been
here for four years, I knew this time would come.” She explained why each of them were leaving and how it was a very emotional time for all of them. “It really hit me during our warm up. It’s exciting but sad at the same time,” Brown said with a glaze over her eyes. Smith, who already graduated, thought her last performance was at the end of last semester. “I studied abroad last spring and graduated. I came back tonight so that we could put on a good performance,” she said. Just like Brown, Smith was with TGFI for four years. Each group had a table set up where people could ask questions, talk with the members, and even buy CDs. Carley Meyer, member of TGFI said that the tables are set up for new people to sign up to audition. “We have grown more and more each year and have become more known around
Paige Brown I The Recorder
A Cappella group TGFI huddle before their Welcome Back performance. the campus,” said Meyer. “We hope we can get some new freshmen, or even some sophomores.” First up was the Acabellas, who showed their diversity in music singing Ke$ha, a song from the Disney movie Mulan, and Jessie James. Senior and two year veteran with the Acabellas, Erin Schanzer, explained that they were looking to have about 12-13 girls in their group. “We use this performance to get freshmen excited to join the a capella community or to just see us perform,” Schanzer said. Next up, the only all-male a capella group on campus, Divisi. Matt Hubbard, the treasurer of the group, explained this night as a way to build and improve Divisi. “We love to perform,” Hubbard said. “I wouldn’t trade this for anything in the world, and we want guys to join and feel this way, too.” They kicked off their show with a lively performance of Gavin Degraw’s “In Love
With A Girl.” Hubbard told the crowd, “If you like to sing, like to have fun, and like to hang out with bros, sign up!” The Divisi boys got into their performance and danced and joked around, singing songs like “Fat Bottom Girls” and Nsync’s “Bye, Bye, Bye.” TGFI finished off the night with their contemporary music, from Lady Gaga to Beyonce and Rhianna. They drew in many signatures, one including junior Alyssa Testa. “I love singing and I have been to all of TGFI’s performances,” said Testa. “I just became a music minor and want to get more involved.” The night ended with hugs, smiles and many new sign-ups. Welcoming new hopefuls was said to be very exciting to all of the group’s, and saying goodbye to old veterans brings on a lot of emotions, all shown throughout each groups performances.
8
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 2012 / UPGRADE
Bookmark It! ‘Turing Evolved’ by David Kitman acadia otlowski The Recorder
“Turing Evolved” by David Kitman is a rare sort of book. When it was released in 2010, it was offered for free in many different formats online. This led to its exposure to a vast audience via the Internet. Its unique outlook on virtual life sparked a sense of imagination amongst its readers. This experience all starts with the clean artwork on the cover. I was drawn to the book because it is so visually appealing. I’m a sucker for a good cover, and this is a rarity in the free ebook industry. Kitman’s main character in the novel, Jon Carlson, is part of an elite group of pilots who operates machines called “DEMONs” These machines are essentially full-body suits that the pilot can control with the aid
of semi-cognitive AI, or artificial intelligence. A conflict between Carlson and his amoral captain leads to a trial where he is thrown out of the service and forced to find another profession. In this alternate universe, there is a virtual world where people can go and interact with one another regardless of distance. This is called the “Mindspace.” There are some people that went into Mindspace with no intention to come out. These individuals are called “Lifers.” These Lifers stay in the virtual world until their real world body falls into disrepair or they run out of money to fuel the server that they are living on. It becomes Jon Carlson’s job to go into Mindspace servers and convince Lifers to come out willingly, making their removal from Mindspace safer and less painful. While on duty, he saves the “life” of
an advanced artificial life form called an “ANGEL.” He ends up in the hospital because of it, but in the process forms a close relationship with the life form who is called Rachel. The two fall into a peculiar sort of romance, one that lacks most forms of contact, as Rachel is an artificial life-form made of metal. She also lacks the capacity to speak, so they must resort to signs and other forms of communication. By getting wrapped up in Rachel, Carlson ends up in a situation beyond his control, where someone is trying to create weapons to control the whole planet. It becomes his job to stop the villains and in the process keep his relationship with Rachel. Although the romance was a bit beyond bizarre, it was interesting and unusual. Things were often awkward between the two, with a communication barrier as well as as one
partner being organic while the other was artificial. This became a non-issue by the end of the story, so the two are able to enjoy each others company more thoroughly. I particularly enjoyed this story because although none of the concepts were new, they were presented in a refreshing way. I didn’t feel like I was reading the same rehashed idea. The concept of Mindspace, for example, has been part of most science fiction novels and TV shows. But the concept of autonomous beings living within Mindspace added a flare that did not leave the idea feeling overdone. Overall, the book felt as if someone took many good components from various other science fiction universes and combined them to create a whole that stands out from the rest. It had a good balance of both romance and action, keeping readers of all interest levels
Opportunities Should Be Taken, Not Passed By MOrgan Skovich The Recorder
I finally managed to fulfill at least a portion of my wanderlust and get out of Connecticut, a less than boring state where the cop lights shine brighter than the hopes of getting out alive. It took almost 20 years but I finally was handed a once in a lifetime opportunity to go to an unimaginable place with my journalism class here at Central. A place with so much history, beauty and culture, Paris, France.
We departed from John F. Kennedy Airport on Friday, March 16, and anticipation resided within me. Having always been an independent girl, I knew that Paris was a good place to begin my journey. Spending a full seven days in France, as cliché as it sounds, was life changing. The most vital things that I acquired during my stay there was that love is the highest high, the good days happen because we let them, and you cannot see Paris in a week. I could not have asked for a more
Morgan Skovich | THE RECORDER
CCSU Journalism students took a cooking class a last year’s Paris trip.
beautiful time. I got to cross multiple desires off of my ‘before I’m a box of buried bones in the ground’ list (aka my bucket list). I was kissed by a beautiful boy, cried with one of my best friends on top of the Eiffel Tower, ordered a drink, antiqued, tried duck, saw the actual Mona Lisa, and went to Shakespeare & Company; I felt beautiful and alive. I will always treasure this experience. I did not want to leave, and would even go through ten stuffy plane rides for just one more day in Paris. The week I spent in France was a week that I know I could never relive. The way of life there – it just made sense. From the way people interact to the way people buy their food fresh off of the street, and the way they serve their meals. It all makes much more sense than the way things are in America. I was so thrilled that I got to experience this wonderful adventure with such imaginative people, especially with ones that I am lucky to call my good friends. I learned a lot about the folks I went on this trip with whether they were good or bad things, and I am still glad I finally got to see individuals true colors shine through. I was excited to see where my life would continue when I returned and where the Study Abroad Program at CCSU would bring me next. Having been back now for six months I can say that life has been excellent and the Study Abroad Program will be bringing me to three different cities in China this upcoming spring break in March. When I came home from Paris, for the first time in almost a year, I was happy and I have CCSU’s program to thank for that. The world is too beautiful to stay grounded, take every opportunity you can.
Morgan skovich | THE RECORDER
A Parisian man playing an accordian.
centralrecorder.com
9
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 12, 2012 / SPORTS
Blue Devils Verses UConn Huskies
Junior Cara Cavallari attempts to keep the ball from UConn opponent on Sundayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s game.
erin odonnell| THE RECORDER
www.centralrecorder.com
10
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
Nangle Wins NEC Coach Of The Year Matt Aveni The Recorder
Daniel Saunders THE RECORDER
Coach Nangle from last season. Nangle says the ultimate goal is to make the NEC tournament.
In her first year as the Central Connecticut head coach for Central Connecticut’s Women’s Lacrosse Team, Kelly Nangle led her team to a 7-9 record and a 5-4 record in the NEC. The team only suffered one loss at home. After the season was over, Nangle said she was honored for the great season here at CCSU and won the NEC Coach of the Year award. Nangle is the first lacrosse coach at Central to win the NEC Coach of the Year and she said that the award is more than just for her, but for the whole team. “It is a great feeling but I see it as a true testament to the coaches and the whole team, it’s a team award,” Nangle said. Nangle led a program that was considered to be insignificant to being a well respected team in the NEC. She prides herself on getting her team better every single week and putting them in situations where they can learn and grow as a person. “Everyone is on board and we’re trying to put everyone in a position to succeed,” said Nangle. Unfortunately, the lacrosse team did not make it to the NEC tournament last season, which would be the first NEC tournament they would be playing in. Nangle and her team have a lot to look forward to. She says she has very motivated seniors who are still upset over not making the NEC tournament. Nangle is bringing in her first recruiting
class and is very excited to see what they can do. “We are only a few practices in but I am excited to see how the incoming players blend in with the team chemistry,” Nangle said. “We brought in 6 girls, we brought in kids with the right mentality, they work hard and hopefully they can make a positive impact on our team.” Nangle said she is humbled by the award, but is excited for what it does to her program here at Central. “It’s nice for the program to get recognized because we haven’t been great in the past and its nice for everyone’s hard work to pay off,” said Nangle. Next year will be a very big year for the Blue Devils. It will be Nangle’s second year with the program and Nangle said that they are on other teams’ radars, so they will be taken seriously. “Our goal for every season is to make the NEC tournament, that is the reason why we practice and work really hard on and off the field,” said Nangle. She also said that she hopes her team performs well at home so they can show the opponent just how hard her team works. “It is more of an internal goal. They haven’t played well at home in the past and they wanted to show the school that they could win home games,” Nangle said. Even though the lacrosse season does not start for another few months, Nangle says the team is hungry and ready to go in the spring.
Blue Devils Take Two Out Of Three Volleyball Team Dominates Weekend Tournament MAtt aveni The Recorder
The Central Connecticut Blue Devils enjoyed a weekend in New Hampshire as they took two of three matches in the University of New Hampshire Holly Young Invitational tournament. The Blue Devils faced Holy Cross, The University of New Hampshire and William and Mary over the weekend. It was a big weekend for the Blue Devils as they were implementing a new set going from a 6-2 to 5-1, making freshman Makenna Lommori the primary setter and allowing seniors Jamie Rademacher and Emily Cochran to become the primary hitters. “Having Makenna as the primary setter really makes a big difference for offense and her setting ability helps with Jamie and Emily hits,” said Blue Devil head coach Linda Sagnelli. The change inthe Blue Devils’ style of play showed how dominant they could be when all players are performing to their ability. In the first match verses William and Mary the Blue Devils lost their first two sets as their offense came together. After the Blue Devils put everything together they swept the last three sets to defeat William and Mary. Rademacher led the team with fifteen kills; these numbers would not have been posted if Lommori did not post fifty-two assists over the five game match. Brittany Schumacher led the Blue Devils with twenty-one digs. “Using the 5-1 helps take pressure off of Emily and utilizes all of Jamie’s’ skills as a hitter, and she is a crucial part to our offense,” said Sagnelli. Day two of the tournament played out very similarly to the first. In the hot University of New Hampshire gym the Blue Devils played five intense matches verse UNH. Central took control of the match winning the first two sets
(25-22), (25-23) but lost three straight sets (25-19), (25-22) and (21-19). Cochran led the Blue Devils with twenty-two kills followed up by Schumacher’s’ twenty-one digs. “We need to work on closing out teams. We can’t allow any team to win three straight matches after we take the first two. A lot of this is a constancy problem and we need to work on that,” said Sagnelli. After the Blue Devils played a two and half hour match they had to take on the Holy Cross Crusaders. The Blue Devils took the first set, but followed it up with two straight losses. Central finished the tournament by defeating Holy Cross in the final two sets (25-12) and (15-5). Cochran again led the team with seventeen kills and Schumacher contributed twenty-one more digs. “Our last win in the tournament showed a lot of resilience. We put every ounce of energy in the last game and it was really nice to come out with a win verses a good opponent,” said Sagnelli. Coming into the weekend, the Blue Devils were curious to see how their new 5-1 offense would work after putting it into practice just a week before their tournament. The answer was found as they took two of three games. Makenna led the team in assists, which is crucial for the Blue Devil offense. Cochran reached the 1,000 dig mark in her Central career and also had the team lead in kills. “Emily is a great player with amazing athletic ability but with Jamie hitting the ball as she did it helps make us a better team,” said Sagnelli. Sagnelli is happy with how the tournament went for her squad and hopes to continue their solid play next weekend in a tournament at Temple.
Kenny Barto| THE RECORDER
Senior Emily Cochran last season led the team at New Hampshire this past weekend.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS
11
Blue Devils Fall To UConn Huskies
erin odonnell| THE RECORDER
Senior Erin Egan hustles to make sure that UCONN’s Linda Ruutu doesn’t steal the ball. Danny Contreras The Recorder
The Blue Devils Women’s Soccer Team fell to UConn at home 4-1. Danielle Schulmann completed her first career hat-trick and Jennifer Skogerboe tacked on another goal for the Huskies. Claire Walsh scored the lone goal for CCSU, which was her first career goal. The Blue Devils came into the game seeking redemption as they opened the season to losses at Boston University and University of Vermont. However, they defeated University of New Hampshire 4-0
before falling to Providence 2-1. The game started favorably for UConn, who controlled possession for most of the first half and found the net only 7 minutes into the game. UConn Senior Danielle Schulmann drew Australian goalkeeper Nikola Deiter out of her posts and slotted the ball home to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. Minutes later on 11 minutes, Schulmann would cross to Jennifer Skogerboe from the right flank, who headed the ball home to put the Blue Devils further ahead. CCSU could not get into the game and the half ended disappointedly for the Blue Devils. Following the half-time break, CCSU
drew blood when Claire Walsh lofted the ball over Huskie keeper Allison Saucier and closed the gap to 2-1. With an air of hope over their Big East rivals, the Blue Devils fell to two successive counter-attacks that gave UConn the win and Central the thrashing. At 64 minutes, Schulmann received an incisive through ball from their freshman midfielder Stephanie Ribeiro; easy pickings for the senior striker who lobbed the ball to the back of the net, leaving a helpless Deiter in her wake. Only ten minutes later, another successful counter-attack would diminish all hopes of a comeback for the Blue Devils
as Schulmann completed her hat-trick with a neatly placed curler on 77 minutes for a solo goal. Nikola Deiter, however, had an amazing game. The Australian keeper saved 11 shots throughout the match as UConn outshot CCSU 25 to 4. Walsh also had a good game, not only scoring her goal, but also having another shot on goal. Jewel Robinson also added 2 shots on goal for the Blue Devils. CCSU will meet Siena and Yale on the road on Sept 14 and 16 respectively. They will be looking to bounce back before they take on NEC powerhouse Monmouth for
CCSU Volleyball Team Wins Academic Award Rachael Bentley The Recorder
Kenny Barto| THE RECORDER
Brittany Schumacher gets ready to serve at a game last season.
If one were to walk into the Academic Center for Student Athletes in the library on a Monday morning, they might be surprised to find that all of the seats in the study hall were filled. Student athletes are required to attend a certain amount of study hall hours each week. Each team has their own academic advisor, and athletes are provided with tutors for all subjects. Its policies and services like this that helped the CCSU Volleyball team win the American Volleyball Coaches Academic Award. “I couldn’t be more proud of them, not only for this current team, but for all the teams these past six years,” Volleyball Coach Linda Sagnelli said. “When they won this six years ago it was very difficult, but they have managed to keep the tradition alive.” The volleyball team is the only Connecticut state school team to receive this award. Other recipients include schools such as Brown, Harvard, Marist, Yale and Stanford University. CCSU is one of 536 volleyball teams to achieve the award for the 20112012 seasons, according to the AVCA website. This year the AVCA broke the record with 536 teams being honored for academic excellence. The previous mark was in 2010-2012, when 481 school teams achieved the awards. The award, which was initiated in the 1992-93 academic year, honors collegiate and high school volleyball teams that display excellence in the classroom during the school year by maintaining at least a 3.30 cumulative team grade point average on a 4.0 scale.
“While it is undeniable that the sport we coach is zero-sum on the scoreboard, it is a tool for empowerment on other fronts,” said AVCA Executive Director Kathy DeBoer. “The coaches whose teams won this academic award understand the value of both playing to win and winning through play. A welldeserved congratulations to each team and coach.” The NCAA Division I teams make up 19.14 percent of the recipients of the awards with 103 teams to win the award. Sagnelli credits some of the success of her team to the services provided by Kevin Oliva, Director of ACSA and the team’s personal academic advisor. “Kevin does a wonderful job of creating an environment in the academic center which promotes learning, and the athletes that are either freshman or incoming transfers are required to do a certain amount of hours each week down in the academic center,” said Sagnelli. “When we travel we give the athletes the option to do study halls, and those hours can also count towards the requirement,” Sagnelli continued. But despite all of the excellent services offered to the athletes, Sagnelli said that in the end it all comes down to the students’ initiative. “I think the support services are phenomenal. Each team has their own academic advisor but the bottom line is that it all comes down to the student athletes,” said Sagnelli. “They have a great work ethic in the classroom and I think it shows. They set the bar really high for themselves and they work really hard to achieve success in the classroom.”
12
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 5, 2012 / SPORTS
Blue Out Game Blown Out MAtt Aveni The Recorder
After putting the agony of last season behind them, Central Connecticut’s football team tried to pick up their first win of the season on their home opener verses Lehigh. The home opener was spoiled quickly as the Mountain Hawks scored early, and often, making the final score 35-14. With the rain coming down periodically throughout the game, the Blue Devils fumbled five times, three of which were recovered by the Lehigh defense. Two of these fumbles were posted in the first quarter, putting a lot of pressure on the Blue Devil defense. “Mistakes happen, we just have to come back and pick up our teammates,” said running back Rob Hollomon. Lehigh capitalized on a slow moving CCSU offense and scored touchdowns on their first two possessions. It seemed like a third touchdown was in the making until junior linebacker Chris Linares intercepted a pass deep in Central territory. Head Coach Jeff McInerney said that his team is young and it’s a process. “This whole season is a journey, we need to take it game by game and learn from everything we do and put it together during NEC play,” said McInerney. The offense for the Blue Devils could not gain momentum and put solid drives together and entered halftime down 21-0. “I told them at halftime that we need to calm down, and if we do that and score a touchdown we are right back in this game. We just couldn’t get any offensive consistency,” said McInerney. The second half seemed to be a different game with the Blue Devils coming out strong and cutting the Mountain Hawk lead to fourteen when Rob Holloman capped off a fourteen play, seventy-two yard drive. The crucial play in that drive was when Central quarterback Andrew Clements converted a fourth down into a first down with a seven
Quarter Back and Wide Receiver Denzell Jones caught a pass by Rob Linares at Saturday’s game. yard rush, swaying the momentum towards the Blue Devils. The momentum was short lived once Lehigh opened the fourth quarter with a quick three yard touchdown run by quarterback Michael Colvin. However, Colvin was not finished. After forcing Central to punt on the fourth down he led his offense down the field to a touchdown pass to tight end Max Anderson on a screen play. Central responded to these two
touchdowns when Andrew Clements hit Denzell Jones in the front corner of the end zone to complete the drive carried by Rob Linares, who broke a few tackles for a gain of forty yards. “Andrew connected with me on a nice pass but we just have to keep grinding,” wide receiver Denzell Jones said. The Blue Devils finished with a final score of 35-14 in favor of Lehigh. With the loss, the Blue Devils fall to 0-2 on the season. The Blue Devils had three turnovers and
Steven mclaughlin i athletics
only went 3-14 on third downs, which does not convert to wins. There were a few bright spots for Central. Running back Rob Hollomon rushed for 111 yards and Nate Pagan tacked on another 50 yards on the ground. McInerney said he wants more consistency on both sides of the ball. “We had series out there where we looked like a defense,” McInerney said. They look to rebound from the tough loss on the road against New Hampshire next Saturday.
Men’s Soccer Pushed Away By New Hampshire
Kenny Barto| THE RECORDER
Anthony Occhialini prepares to block a kick from entering the goal post last season. Danny Contreras The Recorder The Central Connecticut Blue Devils fell 2-0 to the University of New Hampshire. New Hampshire outdid the Blue Devils on 41 minutes following a free-kick that Alex Hussain converted into a goal. Then, following the half-time break, Angel Maldonado drove home following a rebound from a Paul Bianchi shot on 61 minutes. The CCSU Blue Devils returned to the northeastern United States to participate in the 2012 University of Vermont Fall Classic. In a similar tournament a year ago, the Nike Soccer Classic, the Blue Devils fell to Army and Hartwick, 3-2 and 1-0 respectively. With morale on low following losses to Hartford and Vermont, CCSU entered the game on a sour note. This was reflected on
the field as New Hampshire went on to control the midfield for the majority of the match. Creativity lurked behind the Wild Cats for most of the first half as they outshot CCSU 12-10 with 7 of those shots being on goal, and two converted ones. The Blue Devils could not capitalize on their resilient front four, and they were outdone in 41 minutes. The Blue Devils fouled Thomas Jordan 35 yards away from goal. The resulting free-kick was turned into a goal as the high ball was met by Alex Hussain who headed the ball home to give the Wild Cats a 1-0 lead over CCSU. The half-time whistle blew soon after. Fifteen minutes after the break, CCSU would lament their goalkeeping as Paul Bianchi’s shot on goal would be saved but not kept and capitalizing on the loose ball, Angel Maldonado extended the
Wild Cat’s lead to 2-0. The game soon ended with a New Hampshire victory, and a pitiful performance from the Blue Devils. Regardless of the score, outstanding goalkeeper Anthony Occhialini had a great performance as he could not do anything about either goal. He recorded three of CCSU’s 5 saves. The frontline also performed well, and will kick themselves over as the chances that could not be converted. Thomas Obasi had two shots on goal throughout the match. Menzies and Bogle also had two shots, however they were wide from goal. Reece Wilson and Steven Bailey also had one shot on goal apiece. The Blue Devils will face Belmont University on Sept 14 before taking on Stony Brook as part of the Belmont University Invitational.
Kenny Barto| THE RECORDER
Jesse Menzies dribbles the ball down the field at last season’s game.