AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Central Connecticut State University
Volume 109 No. 19
erin o'donnell | the recorder
Students travel back and forth to classes on Wednesday afternoon on a desolate walkway in between Copernicus and the Elihu Burritt Library.
Where Have All The Students Gone? Administration Looks For Answers
AmAndA webster the recorder
For the second year in a row enrollment at CCSU has declined, leaving faculty and administrators asking "why"? According to the Office of Institutional Research and Assessment, enrollment is down by 3.1 percent. The Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education is projecting an annual 1 percent drop for higher education in the state until 2020. Faculty Senate President James Mulrooney conducted a phone survey to contact students who did not finish their education with CCSU in an attempt to figure out a pattern that would explain why students leave Central. "If you're looking for the smoking gun, the main reason, there isn't one," said Mulrooney. "Everybody had a different reason," he explained. According to the survey, the reasons
for students not returning to CCSU stemmed all the way from personal to financial reasons. Some students decided that college was not for them while others decided to take up a trade or enlist in the armed forces. "There was a very small group who were not happy here," said Mulrooney. The student unhappiness was again attributed to many different reasons. According to Mulrooney, some students felt that Central did not offer what they were looking for in their education while others just wanted a different social experience. The survey has been conducted three separate times, all during summer and winter months after the registration periods. The total number of students that were accounted for not registering for Spring 2012 was 398. Out of the 398 students, 152 were reached in the phone survey and gave a reason for not returning.
According to Mulrooney, the Spring 2013 numbers were just about the same with about 45 percent of students that provided responses. "Some went to community colleges but I suspect they'll be back," said Mulrooney. Part of the problem with measuring retention is that the school measures in cohorts, meaning that if a student decides to leave CCSU to finish their general education requirements at a community college before returning to complete their major classes, they will still be counted as a loss and later counted as a transfer student. Mulrooney said that doing the survey the second time around gave some students enough time to figure out their situation and they were able to re-enroll in the University. Because there is no single answer to the enrollment issue, different multi-pronged approaches are being implemented around
Follow Us On Twitter: @TheRecorder
campus in order to improve some of the issues students gave as reasons for leaving, said Mulrooney. Laura Tordenti of Student Affairs said that should enrollment continue to decline, the University will seek different marketing techniques. One of the biggest challenges faced by Connecticut colleges, however is that there are simply fewer students graduating high school than before. " We're certainly looking to increase our graduate student offerings," said Tordenti as a possible alternative marketing source. Tordenti said that the University is always looking for new ways to appeal to students and that as long as the school is seen as attractive then students will continue to invest in higher education here. "This is a terrific institution, we have so much to offer," said Tordenti. "I think we're positioned very well."
2 THE RECORDER
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
NEWS
Student Government Continues Steady Pace Banner Approved, Club Allocations Passed KAssondra Granata The Recorder
With no setbacks from winter storm Nemo, the Student Government Association picked up the pace this week approving $480 to create a banner protesting the tuition increase as well as passing six club allocations. President Bergenn gave his chair to Vice President Liz Braun to speak. Bergenn made a motion to allocate $380 for a banner to protest tuition increases. "I have a really big issue with the amount of a tuition increase that we are looking at," Bergenn said. Sen. Bobby Berriault moved to amend the motion to add an extra $100 in case the senate wants to use both sides. The amendment passed. Bergenn's motion eventually passed 155-4. The banner, which will be 5 by 20 feet, will be hung on campus from Feb. 21- March 11. Bergenn said that he hopes to hang it in a more noticeable spot, like in front of the library or Memorial Hall. In New Business, Sen. Chris Marcelli moved to pass the Education Club's line item change request to move $200 from Devils Den to Special Events. "This one is pretty straight forward," Marcelli said. "The club wants to use the money to help out a school system by participating in a beautification project at that school. I think that's cool, I see no reason why not." With no discussion, the motion passed unanimously. Sen. Brian Choplick motioned to approve the Lacrosse Club contingency for $3,000 in full. Sen. Matt Hubbard was in opposition of the motion. He said that $3,000 was a lot of money to be "dishing out." In a previous SGA meeting, the Lacrosse
Club was denied money to travel to North Carolina to participate in conference games. The price to travel was double the price they were asking now. In order to qualify as a club, the team needs to play three conference games.
said Braun. "Last year was different." The motion passed 31-2-1. Sen. Chris Marcelli then continued New Business by motioning to approve the Physics and Earth Sciences request for $300 for speakers. The
Erin O'Donnell | the recorder
President Eric Bergenn and Vice President Liz Braun at last week's SGA meeting. The team did some research and found that there was an opportunity in Philadelphia, PA.. If passed, the club plans on playing two conference games in PA. and one in CT. "I just don't see this as unforeseen events, said Hubbard. "I think it is a lot of money to be dishing out that isn’t certain. They don't know if they are going to qualify or not." Braun said that it is unforeseen in that last year that they were able to qualify without playing conference games. "Now that this is a new rule according to our minutes and their presentation, it is unforeseen,"
Finance Committee had denied their other request to go on an annual trip. "We did think that it was appropriate to allocate for speakers, we thought that it was an okay idea," said Marcelli. Sen. Bobby Berriault opposed the motion. He said that last year, the club asked for $800 for new speakers, and received $500. "Now, they are asking for $300 more that they asked for in the spring," Berriault said. "I do not see how this isn't a two contingency. The purpose of a contingency is to ask for money in an unforeseen manner. I don't think this is a
good idea to approve this. They asked for this money once before, and now they are coming back and asking for it again hoping that no one will notice." The vote passed 22-11-1. Sen. Ryan Baldassario then moved to pass the Phi Delta co-sponsorship for $380 determined by them receiving the Weekend Central grant. The motion passed 29-2-3. Sen. Bepin Mgushi motioned to allocate $1500 to the Chinese American Student Association for a trip to Boston and deny the rest. "The club wants to go to Boston and explore American history and discover new things," Mgushi said. Mgushi said that the Finance Committee told the club that they need to pitch in and that they are a new club. Sen. Baldassario said that because the CASA are a new club, it is "off " that they are receiving $1500 and having the ability to "do whatever they want to do." Treasurer Nick Alaimo also mentioned that the club signed up for a presentation but "never showed up." Sen. Kim Towler motioned to postpone the motion until the next meeting to give the club the time to present. "Even though they missed their presentation, they should be given a chance," Towler said. "It might have been from the snow." Sen. Baladassario responded in opposition to Towler's motion. "They signed up to present, but they didn't come," said Baldassario. "They didn't come but we are still motioning to approve it?" Towler's motion failed. Bergenn also said that the Chinese American Student Association was not approved this year to be a club. The motion passed with a close 16-15-2. The last allocation of the meeting passed was for the History Club for $2700, with $800 for the students activities and $1900 for the hotel room.
Are Students Getting Their Money's Worth? Amanda webster The Recorder
With increasing tuition on the horizon for Connecticut colleges, a question has begun to circulate about whether or not a college degree is worth the amount being paid for by students. According to Michael Fraser, an undergraduate who serves on the Board of Regents for Higher Education, a student's education is worth the amount that they put into it. However, Fraser did speculate as to what he thought students would like to see their money go towards. "I think that students want smaller class sizes and more course selection," said Fraser. Additionally, he said that he thought students would like to see more money invested into improvements made around campus, for example in dormitories and classrooms.
Fraser said that as a student who attends Western Connecticut State University, there are times when he notices chipped paint in classrooms, among other imperfections that he would like to see improved, although he knows that the increase in tuition is not necessarily going to go towards fixtures like that. CCSU IRC President Ian Mangione said that even with on-campus students paying more the college experience is still worth the price tag. "If the tuition gets increased or if it stays the same, we're always challenged as student leaders to meet the demands of the students. If students are starting to pay more and if they then expect more then we're just going to have to continue to do our best to work with the resources that we get and do the best that we can." "We can continue to spend to the best
that we can and let the students feel as great about the school as they can," said Mangione. One of the tuition options voted on by the Board of Regents Tuesday is to increase in-state tuition by 5.1 percent and to decrease out of state tuition by 2.6 percent. The reasoning behind this proposal is to increase out of state enrollment of students, however enrollment for Connecticut colleges has declined overall during the past two years. "I think it's completely counter intuitive and the reason that they're doing it is completely unjustified," said SGA President Eric Bergenn about the increase for in-state students. "There's no way, had those two things been thought through, they would be able to say with confidence that this proposal would have a positive effect on enrollment,"
Join The Recorder! We’re Looking For: -Writers -Photographers -Artwork/ Comics The Recorder Meets Every Monday at 7:30 p.m. in the Blue and White Room. kgranata@centralrecorder.com
stated Bergenn. Bergenn said that whether or not a student's education was worth the increasing price should be looked at situationally. "The only place where people can justify any tuition increase whatsoever is to try to make up for teaching faculty and student services so that people can get the same education that they've been paying for. You can make tuition increases sound good by saying it's going to keep services and education at a good level but you could also say that could happen by keeping state funding where it is," said Bergenn. "If they're able to keep the quality of education and student services as good as it is, but us students are paying more for it then there's really no argument that can be made against it not being worth as much as it was before because we're paying more for the same thing."
3
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / 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
Layout Editor Sean Ferris Web Editor Erik Durr, Assistant Copy Editor Maxine Eichen Photo Editor Erin O'Donnell photo@centralrecorder.com
News Editor Managing Editor Amanda Webster Justin Muszynski jmuszynski@centralrecorder.com news@centralrecorder.com
Upgrade Danny Contreras Acadia Otlowski, Assistant upgrade@centralrecorder.com Sports Editor Matt Aveni sportsed@centralrecorder.com Staff Members Paige Brown Brittany Burke Tommy Liljedahl Skyler Magnoli Alyssa Pattison Corey Pollnow Morgan Skovich Jacqueline Stoughton Joe Suszczynski Derek Turner
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.
Memphis Mayor A.C. Wharton Kicks Off Black History Month Lecture Series Kassondra Granata The Recorder
As a part of celebrating Black History Month, CCSU will be hosting the Carter G. Woodson African-American Studies Black History Month Lecture Series. The first lecturer to make a stop was Mayor A.C Wharton of Memphis, Tenn. on Feb. 7 in Torp Theater. The theater filled up ten minutes before the event started. University President Jack Miller and Mayor Tim O'Brien joined CCSU in welcoming Wharton. "I enjoyed learning about the civil rights movement as a student here and the power and importance that was there," said O'Brien to the audience. "I used that knowledge to build a better future for our nation. I hope you can take this with you as student leaders. As Mayor of New Britain I join CCSU in welcoming Mayor Wharton to our city and look forward to his exemplary efforts in Memphis. As an inspiration for our community we celebrate [Wharton] and thank him for contributing in such a momentous event at the university here today." Wharton began his lecture by asserting that he will not make a speech, but initiate a conversation. Wharton said that as a student, it is important to start making a difference when you are young. Wharton gave an example of a college-aged student forming and leading a rally. Diane Nash led a silent march where the mayor met her at city hall. "The student asked the professor, the mayor, a question. I say that to bring up a point. Usually it is the older folks asking questions, but she flipped the script," Wharton said. "She looked him right in
his face, and asked a simple question: 'Is it morally correct, is it right to discriminate against a person solely because of their skin color?'" Wharton said that the mayor said the shortest reply, and it had the biggest impact in Tenn. "Just a simple 'no,'" said Wharton. Wharton said that he began his speech because he wanted to encourage the students to get involved. "If you look around this great nation, there are battles for you to fight," said Wharton. Wharton then continued to touch upon children in the nation but mainly focused on those who live in inner cities. "These children who has sinned against nobody have done nothing but lived in the wrong zip code," Wharton said. "Unfortunately far too many are black and brown. I would think if Dr. King had to fight the battle again today he would speak for them, for they can't speak for themselves. Every child has a right to play on the front porch, walk the streets, that's merely a dream to gun fire that rips our cities." Wharton, a democratic politician has previously served as the first African American mayor of Shelby County. In 1980, before he was mayor of the area, he was appointed as Chief Shelby County Public Defender where he showed concern for the mentally ill in the criminal justice system which eventually led to the development to the Jericho Initiative, a national model program. He also chaired at the county's Jail Overcrowding committee which produced new ways to ease the overcrowding without sacrificing public safety. Wharton, a member of the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition, initiated an
kassondra granata | the recorder
Mayor A.C Wharton spoke at Torp Theater in honor of Black History Month on Feb. 7. Operation Safe Community and developed a program to connect prisoners with the skills to succeed in life and support their families. He also increased funding for the drug court. According to his web page, he is credited with working to toughen gun laws and seeking passage of lawas that make criminals pay into a special program. Wharton has been the Mayor of
www.centralrecorder.com
Memphis since Oct. 26, 2009. A special election was held on Oct. 15, 2009 when Mayor W.W. Herenton vacated the office during the middle of his fifth term. Wharton had won with 60 percent of the vote in a field of 25 candidates. Wharton is the fourth African American to serve as the Mayor of Memphis and the second to be elected to that office.
OPINION
4 THE RECORDER
Wednesday, February 2 0, 2013
REGENTS' SUBPAR STRATEGY WILL OSTRACIZE CONNECTICUT RESIDENTS The Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education was scheduled to vote yesterday on whether or not to approve a 5.1 percent tuition increase for in-state students and a decrease for out-of-state students by 2.6 percent. When this publication went out for print (Monday), our editorial staff was not aware if this proposal was approved or not. Nonetheless, the fact that this was considered did not sit well with our staff. The idea that in-state residents, who pay taxes to the state, will have to pay more to attend a state school is disappointing. Most students in high school in Connecticut have been in this state for most of their lives. Their parents have paid
taxes year in and year out. A chunk of every paycheck that they earned was taken away before they ever got their hands on it. Part of that money went towards education and now it’s not going to benefit them at all. Regardless of what happened at the Regents’ meeting Tuesday, state school tuition will still cost less for in-state residents, as it should, but decreasing the cost for those who don’t contribute to the state while increasing the price for those that do cannot be expected to be taken well. Under this proposal, loyalty is the last thing that comes to mind. If the state is dealing with declining enrollment then the last thing it should do is ask its residents
Editor’s Column: Take A Well-Deserved Break KAssondra Granata The Recorder
Everyone needs a break, whether it is a moment of silence shared between you and a cup of tea or going on a mini vacation and taking time to enjoy yourself. As a college student with six classes and an ongoing agenda, like many on campus, one would think that they simply do not have time for that. It is crucial that you give yourself time to de-stress before one goes completely insane. This weekend, as my Valentines Day present, I went to Newport, RI for a small, well deserved vacation. It was difficult at first to come to terms that I was going to put my busy lifestyle on hold, but I soon got over it the moment I began to drive over the last bridge and saw the remarkable city before me. I have been to Newport a few times every year for the past five years, and it is one of my favorite places to go. The neighborhoods, predominately wealthy, are so quaint; I mainly enjoy traveling to Newport for the sightseeing. The different colored houses and the historical significance of it all is very interesting. The fact that it is a city, and such a different type of city I have traveled to, is also interesting. The downtown on Thames Street is always bustling with people, and I find it quite enjoyable to just take a walk, people watch and take a glance in the unique shops. The sight of the Newport Harbor with the docks adds so much character to this city. I was never a very "nautical" person until I discovered Newport. I love the brisk smell of the ocean and the sounds of the waves crashing against the docks. The scenery at Newport is magnificent, and there really isn't one spot that doesn't have a certain beauty to it, whether it be a lamp post or the cobblestone streets.
The food was also a great change. One night we dined at The Red Parrot, which is one of the best-known restaurants in Newport. I was nervous upon arriving because there might have been a long wait, but we were seated as soon as we arrived. I have to say, despite the fact that we were seated at a small, wobbly table right next to the bathrooms and near the entrance, it was one of the best meals I have had in a while. The hostess stuck a wedge under the wobbly leg and I wore my coat the whole time. The clam chowder was delicious, and I highly recommend the Sicilian-style penne. Sunday, our last day, consisted of shopping and taking a tour of The Breakers, a mansion once owned by the Vanderbilt family. The Breakers is one of Newport's stunning summer "cottages" that has over 20 bathrooms and 700 doorknobs and counting. We took a self guided tour with our own headphones throughout the mansion. We walked through the Grand Hall, where there was a grand staircase and beautiful architecture, the breakfast room, the dining room, the music room, bedrooms and throughout each room there was a different type of style. Some rooms had real gold infused in the wood panels. I was astonished and privileged to be able to see this firsthand. I also came to the conclusion that I never want to own a house to this extremity. My significant other made a joke that "vacuum day" would be awful. As I passed over the bridge on the way back to Conn., I felt at ease. Taking a break and taking a time to enjoy yourself is one of the best things you can do for yourself. Try not to overwork yourself. If you plant yourself in an office and dismiss any idea or notion of having fun, you are missing out on great opportunities and consolation on your well being.
Send a letter to the editor! kgranata@centralrecorder.com
to pay more for a college education. Instate students are the CSU system’s bread and butter. Most people that attend state schools do so with the inkling that it costs less to do so. Not only is the tuition cheaper than private schools, but a lot of students commute from home to save on roomand-board costs. The amount of money that students can save is the main reason why they stay in state. To be quite frank, there’s not much that draws students from other states into the CSU system. But that is exactly what the board voted on; a second-rate strategy that attempts to lure students from out-of-state into Connecticut. The message that is being
sent to prospective Connecticut college students doesn’t exhibit any allegiance whatsoever. People should feel like their state is behind them, but this proposal throws Connecticut residents to the side for the potential market that is out-of-state students. It’s just like when a company offers new customers a slew of benefits while ignoring the faithful ones that have been with it through thick and thin. If this proposal was approved Tuesday, as many expect it to be, it will do nothing more to the declining enrollment issue that the state faces than to blindly throw a lousy solution at one of the many problems that Connecticut must deal with in the future.
Do Americans Understand The Drone Strike Debate? Justin Muszynski The Recorder
Unmanned U.S. drone strikes have been heavily debated over the past year or so and with good reason. There are a few different ways to interpret the constitution in regards to the laws that surround drones. Thus far, America has very loosely defended its actions concerning these attacks. Despite the enormous controversy that surrounds this issue, the Obama Administration hasn’t had to answer nearly as much as it should be expected to. This could be partialy due to the fact that research shows that the majority of the American public supports drone strikes. According to a study published by the Pew Research Center, 56 percent of Americans support missile attacks from pilotless aircrafts that target suspected terrorists in foreign countries. Only 26 percent say they disapprove while 18 percent are undecided. But do most of the people that support these attacks really know what they’re encouraging? Do we really want to embrace something that is this vague? As it stands, America can execute suspected terrorists using a drone and not ever have to produce evidence to the public that proves the accused was guilty. In some cases, the target of the attack is an American citizen. Doesn’t this ignore our civil rights as humans? What ever happened to a trial by jury? The Bill of Rights guarantees us as Americans the right to a fair and speedy trial by a jury of our peers. Does a drone attack really provide us with these rights that the fifth and sixth amendments promise? The loophole that the government has been operating under falls under an exception in the Fifth Amendment. The key words here are
“war” and “public danger.” This theoretically supersedes the normal course of action that befalls upon a suspected criminal. There’s an awful lot that is left up to one’s interpretation of the wording used in our amendments that decides a person’s fate. Perhaps the most controversial part of these attacks is that after the fact there’s no acknowledgement that the target was even killed. The government is under no obligation to even admit that it took someone’s life. There are also reports that innocent lives are sometimes lost in an attack. I go back to the question: Do people really know what they’re doing when they say they support drone strikes? Hypothetically speaking, the potential prospect of eliminating enemies and never risking an American soldier’s life is very enticing. It completely revolutionizes how wars are fought. But there needs to be a clearcut line that distinctly defines when these drones can be utilized. No longer should we read a story about a drone attack that doesn’t include the U.S. recognizing that it did away with a suspected terrorist. Not only should the public be aware that a drone strike happened, but it should also be entitled to the evidence at hand that led to the accused being executed. The decision should also not be left entirely up to the President. The idea that American lives can be ended at one man’s discretion completely negates having the Bill of Rights in place. One of the ideals that our country is built on is that someone is innocent until proven guilty. There must be some sort of policy put in place to assure that this principle is upheld otherwise, we’re no different than any country that we criticize for not providing its citizens with basic human rights.
Follow The Recorder on Twitter @TheRecorder @RecorderSGA for breaking news multimedia and live tweeting @RecorderSports FOR LIVE TWEETS DURING GAMES
Cartoon
5
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / OPINION
The Parent by Eric Valad
Obama Takes Stand In State Of The Union Address Joe Suszczynski The Recorder
On Feb. 12, President Obama gave his first State of the Union address of his second term. As an independent who voted for him. I highly anticapted his speech. This is Obama's last term and many were curious to see how he would approach the current hot issues. I had a hopeful but cynical reaction to his speech. Obama declared that in the spring the United States will take a supporting role in Afghanistan letting Afghan security forces take charge and have all the troops brought home from Afghanistan by the end 2014. It is about time we withdraw the troops from Afghanistan. I have been questioning why we haven’t been withdrawing from Afghanistan en masse since Bin Laden was killed on May 2, 2011. As much as I have been disappointed with that not happening when I wanted it to happen, it’s better late than never. Obama also spoke on about what his plan was regarding the environment. The president has stated that the last 12 hottest years on record came in the last 15 years. Obama said: “We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science – and act before it’s too late.” A smile came across my face because he’s finally calling out the opposition to this issue and making it clear that he believes the science rather than calling it a hoax and that we should probably do something before something dreadful comes. And if that wasn’t good enough, he also threatened Congress with executive orders if they do not come up with anything worthy. Bravo to Obama for showing some spine towards the people who constantly oppose him. Gun control, a very large topic, came up in his speech. He acknowledged that there are people who disagree with him on the issue and has made it clear that it is their choice to disagree, but the issues being brought up “deserve a vote.” With a centrist position on gun control, I agree with his statement for the issues at hand do deserve a vote and the people should be able to speak their opinion regardless of what side they take. One issue I did have in his speech was how he said he was keeping congress informed
about his actions. According to Obama, he said he kept Congress“fully informed of our efforts.” On his show, comedian Jon Stewart said that members of Congress have requested memos on targeted killing with the use of drones 18 times since 2011. Whether or not you agree on the use of drones is another issue; but it is disingenuous of the president to say that he was keeping Congress “fully informed.” As good as I feel about the propositions that Obama made in his State of the Union, I can’t help but feel cynical. He has laid out all these plans, albeit briefly, and wants to see them have some sort of progress being made on them. The problem is that there are Republicans both in the house and senate who will not work with Obama under any circumstances. They will stonewall and filibuster everything that has either Obama’s or a Democrat’s name on it. Republicans filibustered a secretary of defense nominee, former Senator Chuck Hagel, Republican who was praised by his fellow colleagues at one time. So if the Republican Party is going to filibuster that, it makes one very pessimistic about the other propositions that Obama has made in this speech despite me supporting them. It’s naïve to think that all of Obama’s promises made will be kept, but I’ll be satisfied with his duties as president if he keeps about half of them. No president can get 100 percent of what they want; it’s just a fantasy to think that. But in the end Obama has made this statement clear: “Let’s set party interests aside, and work to pass a budget that replaces reckless cuts with smart savings and wise investments in our future.” Issues on the whole should not be a party matter, but a public one. Let us remember that politicians should work for us and not for the special interests groups or their own party for that matter. The voters put them in power and if they don’t live up to the expectations of the people, then it is the duty of the voters to take them out of office. Some politicians have to realize that doing the right thing sometimes might be going against what their party wants and with what the public wants. I hope both parties can work together on the ideas and propositions that President Barack Obama laid out in front of them during his State of the Union speech.
Sandy Hook: The Movie? Joe Suszczynski The Recorder
Plans for a movie based on the shooting at Sandy Hook has been in the making. Yes, that’s right, a movie. You’ve read correctly. This tragedy has just reached two months and already someone is going to adapt a movie. It is absolutely asinine that someone would make a film so soon after what has occurred. According to an article in Time Magazine, Jonathan Bucari is planning to make a direct-to-TV movie called Illness, which is about a “thirteen-year-old boy with a terrible mental illness, and the ever-growing fear of his parents after they learn about the shooting in Newtown in December 2012". Granted, it won’t be about the shooter, Adam Lanza. A child with mental illnesses can be seen as more sensitive, because talking about the shooter will just bring up more pain. But, it doesn’t mean it is okay to do this right now. As of right now, this movie being released is a terrible idea. This event just happened; it still feels like it took place yesterday and families of the victims are still grieving. This is something that I don't understand. Why would something like this be done so soon? I understand where the director is coming from and he could have good intentions in making this film, but come on. Can’t Bucari wait a while until everything is said and done with? Why can’t there be a waiting period when all the facts are out and in the open and there has been ample time
for the families to mourn without having to go through with this? Two months is just too quick to do something about this event. Even if petitions are made to ban Bucari from making this movie, which is set to be filmed in Ridgefield, Connecticut, it would not solve anything. Bucari has a right to his own freedom of speech. So, it would be essentially pointless to ban the movie from being made as it would violate his First Amendment rights. Taking any hostile action against it won’t do any good because it is not the civil thing to do and it looks bad on the people doing it. The best advice I could give in regards to this movie is to simply not watch it. It’s smart that this movie is coming out directly to television because if this was put into theaters, I am willing to bet that hardly anyone would go see this and I am sure there would be protesters outside the theater. A movie about this event should be made because we cannot hide what happened and sweep it under the rug like it doesn't exist. A documentary about this event would be preferable because at least that would be real and not embellished with any type of fiction. It would show the truth and talk about the issues at hand and what we could do to move forward. But doing this two months after the event happening is unacceptable. There have been movies based upon tragic events such as Pearl Harbor and 9/11, but those movies were made well after the events happened when wounds were able to heal. It’s just not the decent thing to do right now.
Have an opinion? Email or Tweet us! @TheRecorder
UPGRADE
6 THE RECORDER
Who is Wednesday, February 2 0, 2013
Photo | vevo.com
Kendrick Lamar hits the stage at CCSU on April 26.
K e n d r i c k L a m a r Navindra Persaud The Recorder
With CCSU’s spring concert approaching it has been announced that one of the two performers will be Kendrick Lamar. Lamar is one of the hottest hip-hop artists in the industry at the moment and has created a long list of references in the music industry, earning the respect of many along the way. Lamar was born and raised in Compton, one of the most dangerous cities in the U.S., known for its gang-related violent atmosphere. At the age of 25, he has exploded onto the hip-hop scene, climbing his way to the top of the industry in just two years. In 2010 Lamar released a powerful mixtape titled Overly Dedicated. His first album, released in 2011 and titled Section. "80" was a refreshing mix of smooth, soulful beats paired with deep, heavier beats that would make any trunk rattle. But it’s not the beats that make this artist; his ability to formulate stories ranges from the struggle of a young girl raised into a dark world in “Keisha’s Song (Her Pain),” to the questionable demeanor he possesses in “Hiiipower.” Lamar’s music always seems to question aspects of his life and challenges the vices that influence human beings. In late Oct. of 2012 he released his second album from record label Top Dawg Entertainment (T.D.E.) titled, Good Kid, m.A.A.d City. The album, which peaked at number 35 on Billboard’s Top 100 Albums chart, explored life in Compton even deeper and featured collaborations with Drake and Dr. Dre. The album also contained a series of skits, funny at times and at other times illustrated the dangers he witnessed growing up. In 2012, Complex Magazine ranked Lamar number three among their “25 Best Rappers 25 and Under” list and has been
featured in a number of New York Times articles, most recently in the article “Hip-Hop Speaks to the Guns,” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. Coates praised Lamar for his true and eye-opening representation of the “senseless” gun violence that plagues cities all over the U.S. His hit single, “Swimming Pools (Drank),” which peaked at number 17 on Billboard’s top 100 charts, is sure to be a crowd pleaser on college campuses due to its catchy beat and hook. But the true meaning of the song is overlooked all too frequently, because Lamar uses his lyrics in a satirical representation of alcohol abuse and how badly the vice affects the judgment of those who abuse it. Lamar has appeared in features for a long list of artists, such as Drake, The Game, E-40, A$AP Rocky, Meek Mill, Big Sean, Mac Miller and many more. His ability to poetically transform music has been compared to Tupac Shakur. The use of similes and metaphors are uncanny next to many of today’s artists who rely on catchy beats to help them sell records. CCSU can expect a great performance from Lamar as he takes his audience through his story and his struggles growing up. Along with the amazing sound of his music, students can also expect a great lyrical experience from one of the most acclaimed rappers today.
Steve Aoki
EDM DJ/Producer Booked Fo r Sp r i ng Co n cer t Kevin Jachimowicz The Recorder
The rumors have been confirmed to be true. Steve Aoki & Kendrick Lamar will be performing at CCSU's Spring Concert for a stop in CT during their Verge Campus Tour, presented by CCSU & KarmaLoop, on April 26. DJ/Producer Steve Aoki founded his own label, Dim Mak Records, in 1996. The label has released music by other electro house artists such as Datsik, Infected Mushroom, Dada Life, Zeds Dead and others. Aoki’s latest solo album, Wonderland, was released last January and features guest vocalists and
musicians like recent CCSU performers LMFAO, as well as Kid Cudi, Travis Barker, Will.I.AM and more. Aoki's stage persona has proven to be quite the spectacle at times, including raft-surfing through the crowd, throwing huge sheet cakes into the audience and spraying massive champagne bottles. Amidst the theatrical chaos, Aoki's remixes feature artists from all different genres and should make for an enjoyable event for all types of music fans. Aoki has also been in the studio collaborating with fellow producers. Thus far, he has only shown teasers and has discussed future collaborations with Diplo.
He has remixed a laundry list of artists and bands, including Jackson 5, Drake, Kanye West, Eminem, Lil Wayne, Mike Posner, Girls Generation, All American Rejects, Refused, The Killers, Bassnectar, Lenny Kravitz, Bloc Party, Snoop Dogg, Robin Thicke, S.P.A., Kid Cudi, Chester French and Peaches. The show is on April 26, 2013. Between Feb. 11 and 25, tickets will be on sale for CCSU students plus one guest. Between Feb 26 and March 11, tickets will be on sale for CCSU students plus two guests of theirs. Tickets will be priced at $15 for full-time students, $20 for part-time/grad students and $25 for student guests.
What do you think about this year's concert? Send us your opinion! photo | musikbeats.com
Steve Aoki will be performing at CCSU on April 26.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / NEWS
ALBUM REVIEW
7
Fall O ut Boy Re tur ns Af ter Three -Y e ar Hi atu s
Acadia Otlowski and Jacqueline Stoughton The Recorder
Fall Out Boy fans rejoiced last week after the band officially released a statement saying it is back together, bringing with it a new album and a score of tour dates, after going on an indefinite hiatus three years ago. “This isn't a reunion because we never broke up. We needed to plug back in and make some music that matters to us,” said the band in an official statement on their website. Rumors of the band's regrouping surfaced weeks before the official statement. Band members denied any sort of reunion until last week. “I'd say … don't hold your breath that it's happening," said Pete Wentz, lyricist and bassist of the band, to The Chicago Tribune just 48 hours before the band announced the end of its hiatus. But on Feb. 4, the band came together, announcing tour dates and streaming a single that represents their reunion. “You can take a breath now,” Wentz tweeted, likely in response to his previous comments. Lead guitarist Joe Trohman also consistently denied reports of the band getting back together. “The rumors are still untrue, unreal, and totally out of this world,” tweeted Trohman back in January. “Seriously, it’s not going down.” Fall Out Boy’s first new single since ending their hiatus, “My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark”, was posted on iTunes the same day that they announced their reunion. The band is scheduled to release its first full-length album since 2008’s Folie a Deux. Titled Save Rock and Roll, the new album is set for release on May 6, 2013. This is also the tenth anniversary of their first full-length album, Take This To Your Grave.
During the band's three-year hiatus, album this May. Fall Out Boy's reunion tour tickets went each of the members tried to work on “I really like their new song. It's different on sale Friday, Feb. 8 at 10 a.m, all of their separate projects. Patrick Stump, lead from their older work but it still sounds like US tour dates selling out within the hour. vocalist, released his debut solo album a Fall Out Boy song, just more mature and The band kicked off their tour with a show Soul Punk in Oct 2011. Trohman and Fall updated. I'm very excited about the new in their hometown of Chicago the same day Out Boy drummer Andy Hurley branched album!” said Merrick. the news broke that the band reuinited. Fall out to create their own heavy metal group “Believers never die,” quoted Lehr, Out Boy is currently continuing their Save called The Damned Things and released referencing not only a song, but an album by Rock And Roll tour with dates in various an album with the group titled Ironiclast Fall Out Boy, which featured their greatest cities in the US and worldwide. in 2010. Wentz also went off to create his hits. own reggae-pop group turned electronic dance group called Black Cards. The group released an EP on iTunes titled “Use Your Disillusion” in July 2010. “Of course it feels nice," said Wentz to the Chicago Tribune regarding his reaction to the news of his band reuniting. “Honestly, I didn’t expect it. It blows my mind when people actually care and give a crap, which is good because it manages my own expectations.” Students at CCSU reacted to the new song as well as the news that Fall Out Boy had returned to the music scene. “I've been a fan of Fall Out Boy since I was 13 and I was so excited to hear that they reunited,” said Alyssa Merrick, 19, about the band. “People complain that they were gone," said Stephanie Lehr, sophomore. "But when they come back to do what they love, people bitch and moan. It's okay to not like something, but to just write them off and call them ‘sell outs’ is not correct." Lehr is reacting to complaints by other fans who have criticized the new song. Fans have called the band "sell-outs" and criticized the mainstream qualities of the song. This includes “2 Chainz,” a rapper being featured in the song. Lehr responds to these criticisms. “This is a remake of an old song. I don't find it bad. It may be a bit more electronically inclined, but then again, it still sounds like Fall Out Boy,” she said in defense of the new Fall Out Boy is back with their new single "My Songs Know What You Did In The song and its sound. Fans highly anticipate the release of the Dark."
8
The Aftermath: THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / UPGRADE
ALBUM REVIEW
A Good Story With A Disappointing Conclusion
Acadia Otlowski The Recorder
The only way to describe the first song on Coheed and Cambria’s album, The Aftermath, is haunting and beautiful. “The Hollow” features a piano part, which drifts quietly and unobtrusively in the background as a voice addresses someone he calls “mother,” asking if she is awake. Another more disembodied voice responds, telling him that she is always awake and asks what he requires. He asks if she will stay with him, in which the voice responds that she will be there every step of the way. The piano rift mixes from here, rising slightly, before fading away. The second song “Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute” has a solid minute of pure guitar rifts before the lead singer jumps in. I have never listened to Coheed and Cambria before, and I am struck during this song by its similarity to Avenged Sevenfold. Even though the two are not very similar, they use many of the same types of chords and even the notes that the lead singer hits are very similar. But the two are different enough that the thoughts here are not overwhelming. This song is long, finishing at over seven minutes, making it not suited for radio play. Those with a short attention span may find the song too long, but “Key Entity Extraction I: Domino the Destitute” has distinct parts that keep it from becoming too repetitive. “The Afterman” slows down the album, but overall, the rifts and lyrics are homogeneous so nothing sticks out, making it one of my least favorite songs on the album. With slower
songs, the majority of listeners who enjoy them are people who are really into the band. I am not, so I don’t understand the appeal of the song. I have the same sorts of feelings for “Key Entity Extraction II: Holly Wood the Cracked” that I had for the first part. This song criticizes Hollywood, which isn’t a new topic, but it does so in a very offbeat way, combining a devilish sounding voice with a cleaner sort of singing. The song compares Hollywood to a woman, calling her “Holly Wood,” hence the title of the song. She is a “cracked” woman, according to the song, and the song concludes with the broken and chopped bits of explosions and disembodied voices. A crackling flows directly into the third part of the song “Key Entity Extraction III: Vic the Butcher.” This is my favorite song on the album, mainly because it has a very metal edge, similar to some of my favorite bands. This song is also much longer than what is generally accepted, clocking in at just under six minutes. The “mother” voice returns, reciting the vital signs of an unknown subject. The song ends with a warning from the voice, “Caution, unidentified entity approaching.” The next track is yet another part of the same song, “Key Entity Extraction IV: Evagria the Faithful.” This is the most unspectacular part of the song, departing from the dark suspense that was contained in the other songs. This song is more uplifting and somehow is more pop-esque in nature, but it ends slowly, with a drum beat simply fading away. The album ends on the ninth song, “Subtraction,” which was a poor way to end the album. It was a boring generic song,
App Review: Wanelo Morgan Skovich The Recorder
Are you a lover of Pinterest? Do you enjoy spending hours browsing the web and admiring unique clothes, books, accessories, decorations, shoes, etc.? Even if you have no intention of purchasing what you’re viewing, people still love to do it. If you are one of these individuals, which I’ll assume you are because you’re still reading this, then check out an app that’s similar to Pinterest but with a kick – Wanelo. Wanelo app, which stands for Want, Need, and Love, allows you to buy what you see right then and there. On Pinterest you pin (in other words, bookmark) an awesome “wish-list” full of all types of things that you love, but it ends there. However, with Wanelo you can purchase the items that you like straight from within the app. It is more for girls than guys, but it can benefit men if girls allow them to see their “wish list” within in the app. Wanelo makes itself more than accessible to users by having the set up super easy to look at pictures and even easier to save the things that you like to your page.
After you have launched the Wanelo app, you can either create a new account or log in with Facebook. You can choose to get push notifications about your followers and others users too. If you tap the “Buy It” icon, you will be transferred to the page where you can buy the item, which can be any page on the Internet. The Wanelo app also has a web version that you can check out by visiting Wanelo.com. Like Pinterest, Wanelo.com offers a bookmark that provides ability to find things on the Internet and post them to your Wanelo account. During the present time, most users of the app are women from the ages of 15 to 25 so the variety of products on Wanelo isn’t too wide. Getting more users of different age and personalities to change the range of products would be good – but there are still a great number of items and brands are really great. I personally would like to see this app develop a little bit further. A prime example would be to email your top 10 items to a friend or a family member, if they were stumped on what to get you for your birthday or another holiday. Overall, I would give this app an 8 out of 10.
Photo | wanelo.com
Wanelo allows the user to browse clothing, books or shoes at the touch of a finger.
completing the album in a disappointing way. I lost interest in the song quickly, which is not how an album should conclude. Even the lyrics are generic and uninteresting. It’s a shame, as if
a very well-told story was rushed to its finish. I can’t say that it ruined the album for me but I wish that the album had finished on a different, more original note.
Coheed and Cambria's new album"The Aftermath" is described as hauntingly beautiful.
Netflix It! Clerks
Photo | Miramax Films
Clerks, a comedy from 1994, was directer Kevin Smith's first film. Chris Pace runs the video store next to the Quick Stop. Special To The Recorder There are discussions about quitting smoking, Dante’s high school girlfriend getting Kevin Smith’s first film, Clerks, is the staple married, Milk Maids (women who search for movie of his twenty-year career as a director. the longest expiration date) and the famous Financed by maxing out his credit cards, Smith Star Wars discussion about how the Death Star was able to raise $27,000 to budget the film that could not have been built without the help of was directed in 1994. private contractors. The film starts with a phone call from work, There are several scenes that can be obscene asking main character, Dante, if he can make it to some viewers, like when Randal reads off a to work, at a convenience store where he has list of movies the store needs to rent out in front decided to make a living rather than attend of a mother and little girl, but all of the movies classes at a local college. are pornos. There is also offensive language, but The film is edited into chapters, nine to it all adds to the genius of Smith’s script. be exact, which have been organized to pay This film can be enjoyed by anyone who has homage to Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy, ever had a job that involves customer service. hence the main character Dante. It’s cut into Smith went on to direct Mallrats and Chasing a series of vignettes, not having a very strong Amy after his success with Clerks. Smith has plot, but contains a very well-written dialogue. since become a pretty famous director in One of the greatest characters in film history Hollywood, and his films usually consist of is Randal, a co-worker of Dante’s and his good obscene content and language, so if you enjoy friend from high school. They work at the either of those, you’ll enjoy Clerks and any of convenience store together and Randal also his other films.
9
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / UPGRADE
Celebrity Influence Shouldn't Encourage Irresponsible Behavior chris Pace
Special To The Recorder
Have you ever been influenced by an actor, actress or musician before? Since the change from The Hays Code (strict film ratings) to the adoption of the MPAA ratings in the late 60s, filmmakers have been finding more ways to shock their audiences. Excessive violence, strong language, sexual content and drug and alcohol abuse have been growing themes in entertainment for over thirty years, but also have a life behind the scenes. Celebrities try to hide their personal lives from the media, but with paparazzi capturing more and more images of them doing drugs and partying, the rest of the world gets to witness the private lives of their favorite stars. Not so recently, celebrities were caught doing hard drugs like cocaine and heroin. Behind closed doors, actors and actresses working in Hollywood and specifically the porn industry experimented with many
different drugs like cocaine, heroin and ecstasy, which a lot of the time resulted in the spreading of sexually transmitted diseases or drug related diseases by sharing needles. The music scene of the early 90s including Grunge and underground punk rock music saw a lot of drug use, which many artists used to spike their creativity. Kurt Cobain was a struggling heroin addict for years before committing suicide in April of 1994. Several years later, Cobain’s suicide was followed with the death of Layne Staley of Alice in Chains from an overdose by mixing cocaine and heroin known as “speedballing." Bradley Nowell of Sublime also died of a drug overdose. Many musical icons were also experimenting with drugs in the 90s, including members of The Smashing Pumpkins, Stone Temple Pilots and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Entering the 2000’s, drug use in the entertainment industry became more and more obvious with arrests and convictions
printed in tabloids. Many celebrities are put under pressure to experiment with drugs and some continue into addiction. Heath Ledger died in 2008 from a prescription drug overdose just after editing of The Dark Knight concluded. The sort of behavior that the rich and famous display can sometimes influence fans to act just like their favorite celebrity. A lot of people start doing drugs or drinking because their famous idols do it. It’s similar to how younger siblings repeat what they see their older brothers and sisters do. I’ve noticed that some people, mainly younger celebrities like Miley Cyrus and Justin Bieber, have a huge influence on their younger fans. They really should be able to do whatever they’d like, like experimenting with drugs, but with everyone having smartphones and social networks, it’s hard to get away with doing that. After a picture of Justin Bieber was uploaded online, someone launched something called "CutForBieber", encouraging younger fans to self harm and
upload pictures in retaliation of Bieber smoking pot. Celebrities might not realize how much of an influence they have on their fans, but they attempt to keep their secret addictions or drug abuse hidden. Celebrities really should not be blamed for influencing their fans. If you have enough self-control, you can enjoy your favorite stars without following in their footsteps. Some people lose interest in their favorite actors or musicians because they smoke pot or do hard drugs but, it’s really no one's business what they do. People should focus more on what celebrities accomplish rather than their shortcomings. There is a lot that celebrities have that the average person doesn’t. Drug addiction costs a lot of money that celebrities have and some even experiment for a role in a film. But it isn’t their fault if someone were to continuously abuse drugs because they want to be like them, it’s the persons fault for having no restraint.
B o o k m a r k It! 'World War Z':
A Must-Read For Zombie Fans Amanda Webster The Recorder
As the obsession with apocalyptic scenarios and a world infested with zombies continue to grow, many books and movies have been made to feed the bloody carnage. No book satisfies that craving more than World War Z, soon to be made into a movie starring Brad Pitt. World War Z by Max Brooks is a documented account of how civilization across the globe quickly collapses as a zombie virus rages its way through every country, leaving far more undead than living in its wake. In this book, Brooks acts as himself and treks across what remains of the world in order to
‘World War Z’ by Max Brooks
salvage first hand experience of "the walking plague" from military personal, political leaders and everyday men and women. The accounts are taken down in order to preserve the historic event that almost wiped out an entire species: mankind. As you meet more characters in this book, the devastation becomes increasingly more realistic and vivid. Tales of cities in China being completely overrun by the walking dead and military forces from all over failing to control the virus are told in such a way that it's almost impossible to imagine any other outcome if such an event were to actually take place. Every possible angle of a potential zombie apocalypse was covered in Brooks' document. It
becomes clear that as more areas are infested there are many more potential dangers for the living to fear than just zombies. Disease, famine, psychological damage and government corruption are all explored and discussed in this book. The personal stories are haunting and stay with you long after you finish the book. This book is far more than your ordinary zombie tale. World War Z is more about detailed strategic measures that survivors must take in order to survive and rebuild a society that has completely crumbled. As the population number rapidly dwindles the stories told become more horrific and heart wrenching. For die hard zombie fans, this book is a must read.
Read a good book lately? Write a review!
10
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
Jaclyn Babe Reaches 1,000 In Loss To Quinnipiac dereK turner the recorder
erin o'donnell | the recorder
Jaclyn Babe driving up to the net after she reached her 1,000th career point in the game against Quinnipiac last Wednesday night.
Have a great event idea for students? Want to see your program happen on a weekend? Submit a Weekend Central grant proposal to request funding support! Proposal Forms available on The Link: https://ccsu.collegiatelink.net/organization/studentactivitiesleadershipdevelopment/availablef orms For questions please contact Colleen Powers at 860-‐832-‐1999 or cpowers@ccsu.edu
Central Connecticut won the offensive rebounding battle 19-8 against Quinnipiac, but couldn’t quite hold on in the loss Wednesday night. The Blue Devils fell to the Bobcats 6353 in a game that was postponed three times due to the blizzard that has crippled the state for over a week. Playing their first game in nine days, Central was held without a bucket for the first 3:40 of play time. Quinnipiac jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, but CCSU would tie the game at four on a Jessica Babe layup, but they would never lead. At the 10:17 mark in the first half, Jaclyn Babe hit a jump shot for her first basket of the night, giving her 1,000 career points. Fouls plagued the entire game (47 in total), but hurt the Blue Devils a little bit more. Central reached their 10th team foul with 6:26 remaining in the first half, but Quinnipiac did not benefit from the double bonus for the rest of the first half. Maria Napolitiano hit a three with 1:01 left in the first half after a Raven Mankins layup cut the CCSU deficit to three. Jessica Babe hit one of two free throws going into halftime trailing 20-24. “We really struggled offensively in the first half, we threw the ball away,” said Head Coach Beryl Piper. Central came out of the locker room on a 6-2 run, Lauren Arbogast hit a three and then Kaley Watras completed an oldfashioned three-point play, cutting the Bobcat lead back to one, but that would be as close as they would get for the rest of the game. Quinnipiac answered with a 9-2 run of their own led by four points from Brittany McQuain, the lead scorer in the game with 21. “She’s their go-to kid and we didn’t have an answer for that and that hurt us,” said Piper about McQuain. The fouls kept adding up in the second half. Quinnipiac reached the 10 foul limit 10:47 into the half and Central reached the double bonus just under the five minute mark. The Bobcats shot a perfect 14-14 from the free throw line in the second half. “It’s a rough game when you have all those fouls called and you have kids sitting on the bench,” said Piper. A 7-0 run led by the Babe sisters brought the Blue Devils within two with 9:13 left in the game, but Quinnipiac quickly shut it down, outscoring CCSU 17-9 for the rest of the game to stay perfect in Northeast Conference play at 11-0. Piper stressed the fact that they had to get offensive rebounds to stay in this game, but they also gave away 26 turnovers. “We felt like we needed kids that were going to get offensive rebounds and be active on the boards, Jameilia’s [Dillon] been doing that for us in practice, so we went with that,” said Piper. Central grabbed 19 offensive rebounds and turned them into eight second chance points. The 26 turnovers by the Blue Devils led to 22 points by the opposition. Jaclyn Babe finished the game with 13 points, leading the way for CCSU. Her 1,011 career (as of Jan. 13) points spans two different schools. 820 points have come as a Blue Devil, but her first two seasons were spent at Duquesne where she scored 191 points. “They did a really good job on her tonight staying with her, trying not to let her touch the ball and she still managed to figure out a way to score 13,” said Piper on senior guard Jaclyn Babe.
11
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 20, 2013 / SPORTS
Sports Opinion
Steroids Are A Part Of The Game Matt Aveni The Recorder
With every team in the major leagues reporting to spring training, the top stories are not about who will win the World Series this year or if the Angels' huge offseason moves will bring the title back to LA. The biggest conversation around the MLB is performance enhancing drugs. We no longer can focus on the game we all grew up loving, but just who is cheating and who is not. Ryan Braun has been linked again to PED’s. A more recent report has come out that he owes Anthony Bosch (well known supplier of PED’s) money for the performance enhancing drugs he received from him. Braun was not the only name on the list that was reported by yahoo.com. CY Young contender, Gio Gonzalez was mentioned along with Alex Rodriguez, Francisco Cervelli and Melky Cabrera. I am tired of players saying that they haven’t and will never take steroids. Rafael Palmiero lied to all of our faces. Barry Bonds claims he did not know a steroidal cream he was taking had steroids in it. Sammy Sosa apparently didn’t even know English when he was asked about his use of steroids. It kills me a little inside knowing that one of the biggest juicers and ignorant players of all time, Jose Conseco, is the only player to “completely” tell the truth about PED’s in baseball. With that being said, the last few years steroids and other performance enhancing drugs have stolen the headlines from every other aspect of the game. As fans, what can we conclude from all this? Unlike many other fans of the sport I am no longer surprised to see some of the best players in the world being caught taking PEDs or having their names associated with taking these substances. Not one circumstance can surprise me anymore. There is no way we can sit and judge these players. Cheating has been going on in baseball
as long I can remember: corked bats, too much tar on the bat, tar on the inside of the pitchers hats, trapping baseballs in the outfield to make it appear as if they have been caught, base runners stealing signs from the catcher and worst of all, players lying about their age. Performance enhancing drugs is just another way of cheating that we seem to frown upon more than anything. As fans we need to accept the fact that players take these substances and that it is not just one player. It is one of those things that we need to talk about as fans in the media, it is a part of sports. When we see a scrawny, scrappy player put on twenty pounds of muscle or a guy hitting ten homeruns in a month when he had a total of ten the year before, we all question inside whether he is cheating. But no one really brings it up or discusses whether that player is cheating. Blood testing is finally being put into effect for baseball this season. If players want to claim they do not take these drugs and do not cheat the game then they should prove it. Stop sitting behind the players union and take the drug tests that they take in the Olympics. It is the only way to take your name away from the list that categorizes questionable PED users. People who love the game say they would never take PED’s and cheat the game they love regardless if it is the difference between playing in A ball your entire career, or making it to the Big Leagues and making millions. The thing is, no one knows what they would do until they are put in that situation. Until baseball takes the next step and drug tests the players like they do in the Olympics, I will sit and watch history being made every day. We shouldn’t judge the players, we should take PED’s for what they are and not be surprised about who fails these drugs tests. For all we know Derek Jeter and Mike Trout could have taken them. Accept the fact that your favorite player could have taken them and enjoy the game you love and always remember the period of sports that we are in.
photo | nationalreview.com
Barry Bonds before and after his supposed steroids use.
Who Is The Greatest NBA Player Of All-Time? Corey Pollnow The Recorder
Over the past week ESPN used Michael Jordan’s 50th birthday as a gimmick to draw ratings and viewers, which inevitably spurred the never-ending debate: who’s the Greatest Player of All-Time? Is it Jordan, Magic Johnson, Bill Russell, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, LeBron James or one of the other all-time greats? You can choose a player and form an argument in many ways – rings, statistics, the eye test, technicality, athletic ability etc. The buzz heading into All-Star weekend was focused around an interview in which Jordan said: “If you had to pick between [Kobe and LeBron], that would be a tough choice,” said Jordan. “But five [rings] beats one every time I look at it.” James has been on a crusade in his past seven games; he’s averaging 32 points, 7.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists and is shooting 69 percent from the field in his past seven games and it has certainly added fuel to the Jordan versus James fire. My cynicism directed towards the greatest of all-time debate is solely because of time. Comparing Jordan to James is illogical for two reasons: James hasn’t finished his career and the two men played in different
eras. James said it best in a tweet to his 7.3 million followers: “I'm not MJ, I'm LJ.” He’s a different kind of player than Jordan. The game has evolved and so have its players. Jordan played in an era when handchecking was fair game, as was putting a forearm on your opponent. The rules were stricter on illegal defense prior to 2001, when it was outlawed. James plays in an era where defenses are more complex, the paint is more cluttered and players can gang up on a star player. Players today are more athletic in comparison to Jordan’s era, but players like Steve Nash, Michael Redd, Shaquille O’Neal and Grant Hill had their careers extended because teams like the Phoenix Suns are on the cutting edge of medical science. There is no formula to determine who the best player is. John Hollinger, currently the vice president of Basketball Operations for the Memphis Grizzlies, who was also an analyst for ESPN, created a formula, Player Efficiency Rating, to quantify a player’s performance. It’s the best tool we have to determine if one player is better than another. However, it has flaws, the most obvious being the failure to take into account a player’s defensive ability. People will often cite the eye test to determine how good a player is, but the eye test is really a memory test and our most
Michael Jordan dunks from the freethrow line in dunk contest. recent memories tend to sway our opinions. Many of us weren’t fortunate enough to have memories of Chamberlain and Robertson playing, therefore we tend to be biased to players who recently played the game and that we are familiar with. If you want to use measuring sticks as the basis for greatness, Robert Horry was a better player than Jordan because he has one more ring than Jordan. I think most sane people will disagree with that statement, but
Have an opinion about CCSU sports? Send us an email at sportsed@centralrecorder.com!
photo | jordansdaily.com
that’s how one can play devil’s advocate. To pinpoint one era or player as the greatest is naïve and near sighted. Rather than spewing hogwash statistics and debating whether Jordan’s “hang over game” (according to Jalen Rose) was the greatest performance of all-time, sit back and enjoy the nuances of different player’s games because basketball is a form of art, and there is no right or wrong way to create artwork.
Looking to rent a house? Park in your own driveway, walk to school & save money vs apartments/ dorms. The only choice for off campus housing Info@ccsuhousing.com or call/text 860-916-2255
12 THE RECORDER
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
SPORTS
Seniors End Strong Blue Devil Careers Despite Final Home Game Loss
Erin o'donnell | The Recorder
Graduating seniors (from left), Ian Schwalenberg, Rob Ribino, Brian Fay, Greg Coco,and Ryan Pereira as they are honored at their last CCSU Hockey game. Brittany burke The Recorder
This year’s hockey season may not have gone as planned, but as the graduating seniors lined up in front of the goal waiting for their name to be called, there was no doubt that they have CCSU careers to be proud of. The seniors this year, Greg Coco, Rob Rubino, Ryan Pereira, Ian Schwalenberg and Brian Fay have been through a lot with the Blue Devils. They’ve held the title as National Runners-Up, their names forever being displayed on a banner in Newington, and they’ve helped bring the Governor’s Cup back to CCSU. “Its definitely sad to close this chapter but we’ve accomplished a lot- a lot no one else has previously, so at the end of the day I’m happy with what I’ve done here,” said Coco. Before the start of the game against Siena not only was each senior honored, but so were their families. It’s tradition to have the players announced and to have their families come out to the ice with them. There they have the opportunity to present the people who have supported them with a single
flower as a way of saying "thank you." “They don’t get to see us in practice- they only see us from the stands,” said Ribino. “They don’t see the inner workings about what the team is really like so it was cool to bring them in and let them see a little bit of what we see and what we do every single day.” With emotions running high, CCSU couldn’t secure the win against Super East rivals and lost 6-2 for the final time at home. In following their seasonal pattern CCSU was down 2-3 going into the third, but let the final 20 get away from them. “We let the penalties get the best of us again and we couldn’t stay strong defensively again and we couldn’t score enough goals again," said Pereira. "It’s the most frustrating pattern ever and it definitely gets to us every single game." Too many penalties and not enough defensive production helped Siena escalate to a four-goal advantage while CCSU couldn’t find the back of the net. One major difference on the ice was the presence of Jon Knobloch. Last season Knobloch was one of CCSU’s leading point producers but a stint studying abroad and an injured shoulder took away from his playing
time. The final weekend was coincidentally his first time back and in his only home game of the season he managed to net the Blue Devils’ second and final goal. “It was good to be back,” said Knobloch. “I wish it could have gone a little better at the end there, but it was a good game. I thought we put it all on the line for the seniors but we just couldn’t just get the win tonight … Conor [Stanley] made a great pass and it started with Rex [Matt Reckdenwald] in the break out so it just went really well and I just happened to be there.” Despite the six-goals against Coco the defensive production in front of the net was the best it’s been all season. “For all three periods I thought they battled harder this game than they had in a long time,” said Head Coach Ben Adams. “They were more physical, they were winning 50/50 pucks, they were winning wall battles, things we haven’t seen for a long time this year they were doing tonight. Unfortunately its tough to get into a rhythm and keep things rolling when you’re constantly going to the box, but I thought they played hard tonight.” After losing so many defensemen over
the past few years it wasn’t a secret that this season was going to have a rebuilding focus and when things didn’t go the way the team was used to it could have been easy to just give up, but they continued to show up every weekend and battle. “It’s been hard because we’ve been through so much success from the runner up champions to regionals every year and Governor’s Cup," said Fay. "Then having a season like this is really frustrating because we’ve come so close and just have been so unlucky with everything. It really takes a toll on you." “One thing that really keeps me coming back is the love of the sport,” said Rubino. “I can forget literally anything going on in my life when I’m playing hockey. When I’m on the ice I don’t think about anything but what’s going on and that’s a cool escape. It's win or lose when you’re on the ice- you’re on the ice and it gets better.” The graduating seniors have seen a lot during their time playing for the Blue Devils and despite their losing record this season they’ve helped grow the program into one that has become well-known around the CCSU campus.