The Chronicle- September 4, 2013

The Chronicle

September 4th, 2013

The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York www.strosechronicle.com - @strosechronicle

Students Begin Planning For the Future

Volume LXXXII Issue 3

Saint Rose Loses Two Prominent Members

By JACKSON WANG Executive Editor Two important members of the Saint Rose community passed away last week—former Professor Fr. Anthony Gulley and former Board of Trustees member Carl Touhey. Both Gulley and Touhey devoted over 20 years of their lives to The College. Touhey was 95 and Gulley was 83. “[Touhey] was a really good friend of the college,” said Interim College President Maggie Kirwin. “He was always very active.”

Kirwin described Touhey as a

“very charming, very witty, very smart” man. In 2000, he made a generous donation to The College by giving $2 million to help build the Thelma P. Lally School of Education. In return, Saint Rose named the multimedia forum in the School of Education “The Carl E. Touhey Forum” in his honor.

Kirwin said Touhey was always about giving and helping. In 2002, Touhey had a large gathering at his home for a fundraiser to help build the School of Education. Once that building was comContinued on page A5

Saint Rose Boosts Up Security In and Around Campus Facilities

By VANESSA LANGDON Contributing Writer

KELLY PFEISTER

Sophomore Rayan Alshaia gets tips from the Career Center about dressing for success.

See page A4 for more photos News & Features Meet new area coordinator Julianna Hart.

See pages A2 Man shot on Ontario Street.

See pages A3

Arts & Opinion Kickin’ it with KJ returns with a review of music from summer.

See pages B8 The Obama administration and student debt: What lies ahead?

See page C15

With the upturn in criminal activity both in the neighborhood and afar, we now have to take precautions, warns Saint Rose Security Director Steve Stella.

During the summer, there were over 100 locks installed on doors across campus, with more intense pushbutton locks on various labs.

The catalyst for the updates stems from the change in the general trustworthiness of people. With

improved technology, security must also evolve with the times.

Since the Virginia Tech incident in 2007, college campuses have been steadily readying themselves if such a tragedy were to occur.

This past summer, security personnel, along with hardworking Saint Rose locksmith Rob Sweet, installed door locks on all classrooms on campus, just like the locks that have been installed in Continued on page A6

Sports Who ya got? - Heisman Hopefuls.

See page D18 Saint Rose senior goes semi-pro.

See page D20

News Meet New Area Coordinator Julianna Hart A2

The Chronicle

September 4th, 2013

By LAUREN HALLIGAN News Editor Meet Area Coordinator Julianna Hart, another new addition to the ResLife staff! Hart is the new AC for Zone 3, which includes Lima Hall, Golub Hall, Kelly Hall, Collins Hall, Kateri Hall, 188 Partridge, 210 Partridge, and Maginn Hall. A Mansfield University grad, Hart joined the Saint Rose Resident Life professional staff in July, and is eager to become involved with the community.

When a phone call from Director of Residence Life Joe Pryba came earlier in the year with a job offer from Saint Rose, Hart immediately accepted the position.

Upon her first visit, “I fell in love with the campus,” said Hart, adding that the overall vibe reminded her of a big family. Hart welcomes anyone to say hello on campus, or stop by her office to chat. One of her goals for the semester is to get to know not only her residents, but the other students and staff who also spend time on the Saint Rose campus.

Another of Hart’s goals is “to get to know Albany and become a part of the community.” Hart looks forward not only to exploring all aspects of the Saint Rose community, but of the Albany area at large. A self-proclaimed “foodie,” Hart hopes to try all of Albany’s dining hotspots.

Previously, Hart worked for a Resident Life office as a graduate student at Mansfield University in Pennsylvania. Formerly a gobetween for RAs and ACs, she has experience with staff meetings, roommate conflict resolution, room changes, key replacement, updating rosters, and a lot of administrative tasks. While administrative tasks are still a part of her job, Hart is eager to interact with students as well. “That’s why I love this job,” she said.

This is Hart’s first position as an Area Coordinator.

New Area Coordinator for Zone 3, Julianna Hart.

“I really have seen the difference here.”

Julianna Hart As an Area Coordinator, Hart’s job consists of three main types of duties: working closely with RAs whom she supervises, working with the facilities staff to make sure that residential rooms, buildings, and grounds are up to par, and working with the campus judicial system when situations arise.

Now an integral part of the Resident Life staff, a group of

LAUREN HALLIGAN

professionals who strive to make Saint Rose feel like a home, Hart can personally attest to the idea of the “Saint Rose difference,” on campus. “I really have seen the difference here,” Hart said.

New to the college herself, Hart’s best advice to incoming freshman, transfer students, or anyone on campus is to simply “keep an open mind.”

With the fall semester now fully in swing, Hart will be spending her time getting to know her residents and overseeing her staff of Resident Assistants. Overall, Hart hopes to make the Saint Rose campus and community a welcoming environment for all to enjoy.

Reach Lauren Halligan at halliganl567@strose.edu

Volume 82 Issue 3

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

In Brief

News

scene. Once discovered, he was transported to Albany Medical Center Hospital and his injuries were determined to be non-life threatening.

At the time of discovery (2 a.m. on Aug. 25), the 27-year-old

victim was attempting to drive himself to the hospital.

The investigation is still ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to call the Albany Police Detective Division at (518) 4628039.

Professor Hollis Seamon Debuts First Young Adult Novel: Somebody Up There Hates You Saint Rose English Professor Hollis Seamon is debuting her first young adult novel, entitled Somebody Up There Hates You, on Sept. 3. The book is being published in the U.S. by Algonquin Young Readers (an Algonquin Books imprint).

Somebody Up There Hates You is the story of a smart-mouthed, but deeply endearing adolescent hero, Richard Casey, who hates rules, has a crush on a pretty girl, and has terminal cancer. Or, as he calls it SUTHY Syndrome, standing for “Somebody Up There Hates You.” Casey and his also hospital-bound girl-next-door scheme to keep life in the hospice as entertaining as possible.

Seamon spent years visiting a children’s hospital caring for her own young son and was fascinated and touched by the young people she met there who remained teenagers. “No matter how ill, how miserably uncom-

The Chronicle

Executive Editor Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu

fortable, how very real the mortal danger, those kids remained, stubbornly and defiantly, teenagers: rebellious; foul-mouthed; irreverent; and wonderfully funny,” explained Seamon.

Seamon has been a member of the Saint Rose faculty since 1986, teaching writing and literature. Though new to the young adult genre, she has authored three previous books.

Somebody Up There Hates You is on sale at IndieBook, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Powell’s, Workman’s and as an e-book for the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook. An audiobook edition is forthcoming.

A reading from her new book will be held at the Frequency North kickoff program at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 12 at The Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza.

Features Editor Searching for Applicants

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Calendar of Events

Shooting on Ontario Street A wounded man was discovered in a vehicle by an Albany Police officer after a shooting that occurred on the 100 block of Ontario Street. The victim, who sustained a single gunshot wound to the torso, was treated at the

The Chronicle

Tuesday, September 3

4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 6:30 p.m. Student Association Standish 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Theatre Guild Lima Basement 8 p.m. Outside the [Box] Lima Basement 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary

Wednesday, September 4 4 p.m. SEB Standish 5 p.m. Mid-Week Mass Sanctuary 7 p.m. Spectrum Standish 7:30 p.m. BASIC Sanctuary

Thursday, September 5

4:30 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Nyack Plumeri Sports Complex 7:30 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. Caldwell Plumeri Sports Complex

Friday, September 6

5 p.m. Karene Faul Alumni Exhibition Reception Massry

Saturday, September 7

2 p.m. Women’s soccer vs. Felician Plumeri Sports Complex 5 p.m. Men’s soccer vs. Felician Plumeri Sports Complex

Sunday, September 8

6:30 p.m. College Mass St. Vincent de Paul Church

Monday, September 9

12 p.m.CREST Colloquium with Dr. Williams-Searle Standish 5:15 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 8:30 p.m. CEC Lima Basement

Additional Capital Region appearances are planned.

For more information, visit www.hollisseamon.com.

Business Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu

Managing Editor Opinion Editor Chris Surprenant ‘14 Zachary Olsavicky surprenantc572@strose.edu olsavickyz977@strose.edu

Advertising Manager Shawn Dixon dixons@strose.edu

News Editor Lauren Halligan halliganl567@strose.edu

Arts Editor Rachel Bolton ‘15 boltonr413@strose.edu

Web Editor Christopher Lovell ‘15 lovellc083@strose.edu

Layout Editor / Videographer John Janitz ‘14 janitzj140@strose.edu

Sports Editor Joshua Natoli ‘14 natolij477@strose.edu

Head Photographer Kelly Pfeister ‘14 pfeisterk953@strose.edu

Assistant Layout Editor Jennifer O’Connor ‘16 oconnorj984@strose.edu

Copy Editor Jenessa Matis ‘14 matisj311@strose.edu

Faculty Adviser Cailin Brown

Staff Writers Katherine Bakaitis Shawn Berman Blaise Bryant Nicholas Buonanno Asia Ewart Andy Gilchrist Kellie McGuire Kevin Jacob Lauren Klose Sam Maxwell Lauren Sears Michael Smith M. William Smith Drew van der Poel

If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events, please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.

ANY student can join The Saint Rose Chronicle The Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesdays during the academic year and once during the summer months. The Chronicle is published at the facilities of New England Newspapers in Pittsfield, M.A.

Official E-mail Address Chronicle@strose.edu

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Mailing Address The Saint Rose Chronicle 432 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203

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The Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor from any party. We recommend that submissions not exceed 1000 words. Letters, columns, and cartoons published in this newspaper represent the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of The Chronicle.

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The Chronicle

Career Carnival 2013

News

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Photos By Kelly Pfeister The Saint Rose career center was on hand Wednesday to help students begin preparing for their future. Students were also able to enjoy sno-kones, games, and even a photo booth.

Particpants at the Career Carnival entered for a chance to win a mini iPad.

Graduate Student Amanda Shaw helps serve Sno-Kones.

Freshmen Sierra Johnson, Emily Meeks, Alice Hayden and Bridget Blessie try on hats from the Photobooth at the Career Carnival.

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Continued From Page A1

would give Saint Rose $2 million.

“Everyone looked up to Carl,” said Sullivan.

Touhey joined the Saint Rose community in 1991 by becoming a member of the board of trustees. He served that position until 2005.

The College awarded Touhey with an honorary degree at its 79th Commencement in 2001, recognizing him for his example in giving back to the community.

He also received the “Spirit of Saint Rose Award” in 2004 for his contributions to Saint Rose and to the greater community.

In 1973, Touhey ran for mayor

Carl Touhey and Fr. Gulley

pleted, Touhey even held his 90th birthday in the Touhey Forum.

“He viewed Saint Rose as a college that helped people,” said former College President Mark Sullivan.

Sullivan said that Touhey knew his donations would make a difference to Saint Rose, which is why he not only donated money to The College, but also his time.

Touhey was also very active in helping Saint Rose get a new gymnasium and sports complex.

Sullivan said he almost fell out of his chair when Touhey said he

News

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COURTESY OF TIMES UNION

Board of Trustees member Carl Touhey devoted his time and effort to The College of Saint Rose for over 20 years of his life.

COURTESY OF THE SAINT ROSE LIBRARY

Fr. Anthony Gulley taught philosophy at The College of Saint Rose and was known for his outspoken personality as well as his kind heart.

against Erastus Corning II, who served eight terms as mayor.

Touhey came closer than anyone else ever did to taking down Corning. Kirwin actually helped Touhey campaign for mayor in that election.

But beyond the politics and philanthropy, Kirwin said Touhey was a very successful businessman. Touhey was the president and CEO of Orange Motor Co., the city’s oldest car dealership.

Around the time Touhey was serving on the board of trustees, Fr. Gulley was also making his impact on The College by making sure his students got the most out of his philosophy class.

Kirwin said Fr. Gulley always held his students at a high standard, while ruling with an iron fist.

“He was an outspoken person, but a very straight shoot,” said Kirwin.

Known to colleagues as “Tony,” Fr. Gulley was a “very kind, very warm, and very pas-

sionate person,” said Marguerite Lodico, a professor of educational psychology, who worked with Fr. Gulley for 20 years in the School of Education.

“He had a real passion for philosophy,” said Lodico. “It was very close to his heart.”

Fr. Gulley joined The College in the 1970s and retired from teaching in the early 2000s. But during his time at Saint Rose, there is one incident involving Fr. Gulley that both Kirwin and Lodico will always remember.

Fr. Gulley was teaching one of his philosophy classes one day when a baseball player came into his classroom wearing a hat. When Fr. Gulley asked the student to remove the hat, he refused. So instead of letting someone else handle the problem, Fr. Gulley took it upon himself to resolve the issue.

“Father Gulley was a strong man and he literally threw the baseball player out of the classroom,” said Kirwin.

But beyond his manner in the classroom, Lodico said Fr. Gulley was also an impeccable dresser.

She said she will always remember Fr. Gulley for his kindness.

“He would always ask about my family,” said Lodico. She added that family was very import to Fr. Gulley, especially his brother, who developed Alzheimer’s disease later in life.

Fr. Christopher DeGiovine, Dean of Spiritual Life and Chaplain, said Fr. Gulley was very dedicated to caring for his brother, as well as very everyone else in his life.

“Father Gulley was a man dedicated to his priesthood, to serving people, and especially to the ministry of education,” said Fr. DeGiovine.

The College will be holding a Mass at St. Vincent Church on Madison Avenue and Partridge Street for Touhey on October 13, and for Fr. Gulley on October 20.

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The Chronicle

Security Updates

Continued From Page A1 residence halls. This update will serve to maintain the safety that is customary here at Saint Rose.

The pushbuttons are in easy-to-see locations and are simple to use, allowing anyone to use them in the event of a lockdown.

All classrooms were updated with the simple door locks “including all classrooms at Picotte,”

News

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

said Officer Steve Stella.

In addition to the locks, all card-access labs have an added security feature. These labs each have a red lockdown pushbutton lock. The buttons are placed in card access rooms next to the door. The buttons are uniformly placed near the top corner of the door frames. The push buttons are easily found in CCIM, Science, Albertus, and Lally labs.

Although Stella indicated the location and easy functionality of the buttons, it was discovered that there were a few labs in Lally that had been overlooked, but in accordance with the Saint Rose attitude, Stella was understanding of the extremely dedicated hardworking locksmith and said the oversight would be corrected.

KELLY PFEISTER

The new emergency lockdown buttons are located inside labs around campus next to the door for easy access.

KELLY PFEISTER

Campus Security asks that students regularly check their email accounts for security updates and alerts.

The pushbuttons are in easyto-see locations and are simple to use, allowing anyone to use them in the event of a lockdown. The pushbuttons are red circles with the word “push” written on top, and set in a white plastic box. The button can be pushed with the slightest force. To release and resume keycard access, the button just needs to be turned clockwise.

Stella was adamant that anyone can initiate the buttons.

“It should be done whenever there is a college issued lockdown…and then anyone in that room can do it. It does not have to be the professor,” Stella said.

The truly beneficial aspects of the pushbutton locks are their ability to lockout and refuse entrance to those who hold keycards. Security Director Steve Stella cautions everyone to monitor their Saint Rose email accounts for a forthcoming email detailing specific definitions of the various security levels—shelter in place, lockdown, and evacuation.

These worthwhile updates did

not come at a low cost. According to John Bryant, Assistant Vice President of Facilities, the updates cost nearly $20,000.

“I think it is good to provide safety from the students themselves because somebody could fly off the handle. You hear all these things of students going crazy.”

Emma Belcher This sum includes the cost of labor hours, initial monies spent on the door surveys, and the installation of the new hardware, which totaled over 200 hours.

Fortunately, Saint Rose has been a relatively safe campus

with a Saint Rose security guard mentioning the most recent and only security issue he could remember was this past summer’s umbrella debacle which, thankfully, was no more than a misunderstanding.

The most important aspect of the updates is the safety of all who have the privilege of being on campus. If the features never truly get to be used it would not be too soon.

Freshman Emma Belcher said, “I think it is good to provide safety from the students themselves because somebody could fly off the handle. You hear all these things of students going crazy.

I am surprised that they didn’t have the individual door locks to prevent against people stealing classroom supplies or lab equipment. Even during the day, someone could just walk into any room and take anything they wanted.”

However, students and faculty can feel safer knowing that safety, if needed, is just a push of a button away.

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

News

The Chronicle

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Photos Around Campus Photos By Kelly Pfeister

The Career Carnival featured a matching game that helped students learn about building resumes.

On Thursday night, students brought their blankets and settled in to watch Identity Thief.

Students had a chance to show off their talents at open mic night.

MEISA’s Open Mic Night was part of the Week of Welcome.

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The Chronicle

Arts

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Kickin it With KJ: Summer Recap/Back to School Edition

By KEVIN JACOBS Staff Writer Welcome all to another school year here at The College of Saint Rose. Hopefully everyone had a good summer. Summer was pretty relaxing for the most part, but as one always knows, the job is never done as I was constantly hit with new release after new release of what was a great summer for music. Many things were amazing. A few things were good.

Some things were terrible. But I’m here to give you a quick recap of everything from the end of last semester to our current one.

Mac Demarco – 2 – I caught on to this album very late, as it was released last October. I came across it in May and I was really surprised at how laid back and chill it was. “Freaking out the Neighborhood” is amazing.

Rating: 8/10 Daft Punk - Random Access Memories - One of the first major records released this summer was Random Access Memories. Yet again the titans of house music came through with another amazing record. To keep it real, this s*** is funky. A feel-good dance record containing debatably one of the catchiest singles this year in “Get Lucky,” whether you love it or hate it. Daft Punk hasn’t taken much of a loss yet. Be weary, though; some of the album can feel a bit repetitive.

Rating: 7.5/10 Travis $cott – Owl Pharaoh – Travis finally released his long awaited debut, Owl Pharaoh. The project to me, for the most part, was pretty different. There’s a hint of trap here and there, some electronic overtones, crazy bass, and a lot of darkness throughout the project. The rapping isn’t his strongest point, but his beat crafting is amazing. It really reminds me of Kanye when he started out (because he has always been more known for his beats) and it

makes sense that he’s become a sort of protégé to the G.O.O.D. music king. “Uptown” is a great track to creep around to late at night in the whip, and in my opinion, “Bandz” would’ve suited as a great single to Travis, better than “Upper Echelon” did. Now that $cott is really blowing up due to his contributions to Kanye’s Yeezus and Jay-Z’s Magna Carta, it will be interesting to see where the dude goes next. Overall, it was a decent project but fell just a little bit short in my eyes.

Rating: 6.5/10 Dally Auston – The Wood – Released back in March, but again, I was sleeping on this project. Kid comes out of Chicago and I believe he’s associated with Chance The Rapper and his Save Money crew. Laid back lyrics with a great flow and impressive beat selection. “W$GTM” is worth a download alone. One of the best songs I’ve heard all summer.

Rating: 8/10 Chade Summerset and N.O.A.H. B. – Rare Options EP – My friend put me on to this instrumental EP by upcoming artists Chade Summerset and N.O.A.H. B. back in the end of May, and this thing is a banger.

If you’re looking for some innovative instrumentals to spit some bars on, then this is the tape to check out. Also be on the look out for Summerset’s “Red Panda” project releasing soon.

Rating: 9.5/10 Rich Kidd – In My Opinion – Rich Kidd, hailing from Canada, is gonna be next up. With his sharp lyrics and mostly self produced in my opinion, Rich has a home run. From “Can I get a bom bom” to “Fallout,” Rich Kidd is bringing some serious and muchneeded flavor to the game. My favorite track on here has got to be “I’d be Lying,” that came with a menacing beat from the great up-

and-coming producer, DJ Dahi.

Rating: 8.5/10

J. Cole – Born Sinner – Decent sophomore album from Cole World. Although I liked it in some areas such as “Villuminatti” and “Forbidden Fruit,” I hated it in others like “Power Trip” and “Trouble.” A decent amount of clutter on Born Sinner for me, but in some areas I found it to be listenable.

Rating: 6.5/10 Kanye West – Yeezus – To be blank about it, Kanye came through and changed the game again. Whether it is for the better or the worse is up for debate for some fans. I found it to be really good sonically, although a lot of the rapping on here is just “meh.”

Also, if you listen to Yeezus, do it with some good sound equipment. I played it on the amp in my house and it damn near shook the foundation.

Rating: 9.5/10 Mac Miller – Watching Movies With the Sound Off – A lot better than I expected it to be, it might be the album that surprised me most this summer. Don’t knock it til you hear it; it’s not the same Mac that you heard on “Blue Slide Park.” A lot more drugged out and trippy as hell, Mac’s got a winner. “Red Dot Music” also got some serious play for me lately.

Might be considered unhealthy as to how many times I’ve listened to it.

Rating: 9/10 Migos – YRN – The trio of Migos released one of the catchiest/ best mixtapes this year so far with YRN. From “Bando,” to the highly infectious “Pronto,” Migos were everywhere this summer, and for good reason. You may know them most famously due to the song dedicated to high brand clothing that everybody hates to love and loves to hate; “Versace,”

which also had a remix done with a crazy verse from Drake. Low key, these guys kind of ran the summer. Definitely the best Trap tape. Catch up.

Rating: 7.5/10 Asher Roth – Greenhouse Effect 2 – I don’t know why, but I couldn’t get into this tape at all.

I’m a huge fan of the first Greenhouse Effect, but I didn’t feel this as much. Lyrically it’s great.

Not liking the beats on this one, though.

Rating: 4.5/10 Wale – The Gifted – For me, Wale always has good songs but you can’t really stand a whole project from him. The same thing happened with The Gifted. Although there are some great songs on here (“Heaven’s Afternoon” being one of them), I just don’t feel the overall project. Some decent tracks here and there, though.

Rating: 6/10 PARTYNEXTDOOR – Self Titled Album – New OVO signed artist PARTYNEXTDOOR dropped his debut project back in July and I really enjoyed it.

Comparisons to the Weeknd and Drake will come to play. but I think that for the most part, he’s got his own sound. “Right Here” is flames.

Rating: 8/10 Joey Bada$$ - Summer Knights – Joey impressed many, including myself, with his debut project “1999” last June.

This July, he dropped his second full-length work in Summer Knights. If you know Joey’s music, you know that he’s got a real 90’s era sound to his music, which is refreshing to hear. He’s still growing in his sound but is proving why he’s one of the best up-and-comers out of the East coast with this tape. Check out “LongLiveSteelo,” the trib-

ute track to fallen friend Capital Steez. Some soulful s***.

Rating: 7.5/10 Jay Z – Magna Carta Holy Grail – I’m a huge Jay Z fan.

He’s one of my favorite rappers.

And this album helps to prove why. With most of the production handled by Timbaland, we’ve got Hov spitting a lot of raps about his wealth, which isn’t surprising since he’s been boasting quite a bit since “Watch The Throne.” A lot of people are going to say the lyricism is off, but I think Hov is still on the top of his game here.

Evidence shows this with crazy tracks such as “Picasso Baby” (especially that last verse, jesus), “F**kwithmeuknowIgotit” which I hear bumping almost everywhere around here, and “Heaven,” where Hov just has the stupidest of flows on. He’s the king for a reason.

Rating: 9/10 Portugal The Man – Evil Friends – Portugal The Man got producer DangerMouse to help handle their newest project, Evil Friends, and the results came out decent. Very catchy album and something chill to bump in the whip. “Creep In a T-Shirt,” “Modern Jesus,” and “Holy Roller” are just some of the good tracks on here. I was really feelin’ this one.

Rating: 8/10 French Montana – Excuse My French – I’ve known about French for a while. Before he blew up with Diddy, he was a rapper who rapped a lot with now-incarcerated-rapper Max B (free Max B, by the way). French rapped a bit different back then, and with the release of his new album, it seems that he’s getting away from the wave that he used to have. I give him props for having Max B on the opener, but the rest of this album just doesn’t work for me. Besides “Paranoid,” “Pop That,” and “Ain’t worried bout Nothin,” I think the album is

September 4th, 2013 Continued from Previous Page awful. Lot of terrible generic trap beats we’ve been hearing a lot of lately. It’s just bad. I hope French bounces back with his next project.

Rating: 3/10 Earl Sweatshirt – Doris – As a pretty big supporter of Odd Future, I’ve been waiting for this album for the better part of three years. Doris is worth it. Earl’s lyricism has really improved and he reminds me in ways as somewhat of a new age MF Doom. “Centurion,” “Knight,” “Burgundy,” and “Sunday” are all great tracks with different types of perspectives that range from violent, sincere, funny, and honest. More evidence that Odd Future still isn’t just hype. Doris proves OF is still a dominant force.

Rating: 9/10 Gucci Mane – World War 3 mixtape series: “Lean”, “Gas”, and “Molly” - Guwop dropped 3 albums worth of material with his new World War 3 series to bring some heat to the streets. “Lean” is probably the best out of the three.

If you like Gucci, you already know what you’re gonna get with these tapes. Hard Trap rap that includes dumbed down lyrics and ridiculous loud beats. Thank the Trap Lord I’m a Gucci fan.

Rating: 8/10 – Lean

7.5/10 – Gas

5/10 – Molly King Krule – 6 Feet Beneath The Moon – The crooner from across the way in the UK just released his debut album and it’s amazing. Album is filled with soul and is a really great blues album. “Neptunes Estate” and “Bathed in Grey” are the best tracks on here, but you can easily listen to this album from beginning to end, which is rare to find these days. Just too smooth.

Rating: 9/10 A$AP Ferg – Trap Lord – As a fan of the A$AP Mob, I was in-

Volume 82 Issue 3 terested in Ferg’s project, but was disappointed in the overall product. There are a few good tracks here. The “Work Remix” is still fire. I’m really feeling “Didn’t Wanna Do That,” and there are a few other good tracks, too. But there was more I didn’t like than what I did like. And I don’t care what anyone says; “Shabba” is an awful song.

Rating: 5/10 Big Sean – Hall of Fame – To start off this review, I’ve got to put my two cents in about the song that everybody and their mother has been talking about lately regarding Big Sean. And that song is “Control”. This song is about seven minutes long and includes guest appearances by Jay Electronica and Kendrick Lamar. This track is god level to put it lightly.

Everyone has a good verse but Kendrick raises the bar by just calling out every up and comer in the rap game with that verse. No I.D. laced the beat crazy as well.

Check that out before you listen to the album.

Now to the album. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t know what to expect of this album. I thought “Finally Famous” was ok and found “Detroit” to be decent.

Well, Big Sean has shown some growth with his sophomore LP and I found the results to be pretty good. “Fire” is catchy as hell, “Toyota Music” is straight crazy, and “Nothing is Stopping You” is a great track, especially with it opening the album. The only tracks I wasn’t really feelin’ were “Ashley” and “Milf,” mainly because both songs were kind of weak and didn’t really flow within the overall of the album very well. Big Sean surprised me with Hall of Fame, man. Pretty well done album.

Rating: 8.5/10 That’s all for this week’s edition of Kickin it with KJ. With some new releases coming up soon I should keep coming with the reviews. Hope you all enjoyed.

Arts

The Chronicle

Kickass 2: Impressive, But Not Good as First

By ALEX PECHA Contributing Writer

You either loved or hated Kickass. Its over-the-top violence and oddly placed introspection into the idea of superheroes, was either seen as a great movie self-aware about itself, or an annoying superhero flick with violence that might make Tarantino cringe. I fell into the first category with an almost childish glee. Sure, the first movie was horribly violent with a love for seeing its protagonists suffer, but it was also smart, and minus one oddly placed scene involving a mini-gun equipped jetpack, it tended to keep itself well grounded.

Kickass 2 is not that. Now that doesn’t make it a bad movie, it just makes it not as good as the first one.

After the events of the first movie, Kickass (Aaron TaylorJohnson) has retired from being Kickass to lead a normal high school life, though he changes his mind and asks Hit-Girl (Chloe Moretz) to train him in being an actual super hero and soon winds up joining a group of likeminded vigilantes named “Justice Forever”. Though Hit-Girl tries to give up her life of crime fighting to become a normal teenage girl, so she can’t join in on the justice league for fun. Meanwhile, Chris D’Amico, better known as “Red Mist,” wants to get revenge on Kickass for killing his father and starts putting together an “evil army” to take him down.

What follows is a romp of action scenes and blood.

The action scenes are fun enough, but they never quite reach some of the absolutely hair raising moments that the first movie’s action scenes gave. The last big climax scene is an exciting one; but only because it in-

volves large numbers and a shark, and the other scenes are just sort of…there. None of them quite hit the webcam or hallway type highs of the first movie.

The other parts of the movie lag behind as well. The characters aren’t as balanced as they were in the first; the titular Kickass is incapable of driving the movie forward himself. The very unJim Carey-like Jim Carey isn’t in the movie long enough to really uplift it or bring it down, making him feel more like an elongated cameo than anything. The real driving force behind this movie is Chloe Moretz as the ever badass Hit-Girl, who gets her own story arc of “trying to be a normal teenage girl”. Though this arc isn’t exactly bad, it ends in what is essentially a huge poop joke (And I mean that literally), though HitGirls badassitude (Which Urban Dictionary promises me is a real word) more than makes up for her arc’s weak ending.

The other characters almost feel like filler. The awkward friends of Kickass are back and even have their own arc. This arc, however, is not all that interesting and ends in both a plot hole and a heartwarming moment that didn’t warm my heart at all. The girlfriend from the first film, Katie, gets a whole one passing scene that writes her out of the movie entirely; which felt contrived and really awkwardly written. Donald Faison shows up as a member of the group of super heroes that Kickass joins but never feels like anything more than “Turk from scrubs dressed up like a super hero.” The other members of the group “Justice Forever” are rather boring and didn’t leave much of an impact, and while the evil group that Chris puts together is a bit more fun, they get little-to-no characterization.

That’s also a huge problem

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with Kickass 2 when compared to its predecessor. The first movie gave screen time to everyone, even the minor mobsters, so you felt something when they died or were in danger (even if it was just a chuckle). That doesn’t happen here. The characters are fully disposable for plot sake and leave little emotional impact on you.

The biggest thing that stands out, though, is the shift in tone and attitude from the first movie.

In Kickass, the movie had the attitude of “sure, this kid is trying to be a super hero, now look at him get the metaphorical crap beat out of him.” It was a movie that realized that being a super hero was a ridiculous idea beyond being a symbol and that the only ones who could even partially pull it off are people with a lot of guns, combat training, and a compromised set of morals; and even they have a high probability of getting set on fire.

In Kickass 2, however, everything is played nearly straight; sure, the movie occasionally laughs at itself with some of the people who sign up to be a super hero or villain being totally inept at being either, but in the end, it’s just a bunch of heroes (even if they’re not exactly skilled heroes) fighting a guy whose plan is to literally blow up the city. It just doesn’t feel as smart or at least as quirky as the original.

With how much I’ve been banging on about how Kickass 2 isn’t as good as the first, you’d expect me to hate it, right? Wrong.

The movie is still fun to watch, even if it wasn’t as good as the first movie. The action scenes are still fun, the comedy still manages to elicit laughs, and the gore is still plentiful.

All in all, Kickass 2 is a good movie, just not great. If you’re a fan of high violence action movies or superhero movies, you’ll probably enjoy it. Though if you’re looking for the same level of intelligence and self-awareness as the first, Kickass 2 had a mire of “just not quite as good” feelings that will leave you overall disappointed with the movie.

And no one can replace Nicolas Cage from the first movie. Not even Jim Carey.

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The Chronicle

Arts

September 4th, 2013

You’re Next:

Volume 82 Issue 3

Scary, Fresh, and Wildly Entertaining

By ANDY GILCHRIST Staff Writer The horror genre was dead.

For years, it was filled with only the goriest, most exploitive films imaginable, formulaic trash that everyone walked away from thinking about how they just wasted 90 plus minutes of their lives. But these people had no one to blame but themselves.

Year after year, torture-porn movies like Saw and Hostel and jumpscare king Paranormal Activity racked up millions of dollars and spawned handfuls of inferior sequels.

But within the past year and a half, there has been a minor Renaissance. After the genre-shredding The Cabin in the Woods made waves last year, this past August’s You’re Next has given horror fans something new to buzz about. Though it doesn’t rewrite the rulebook like Cabin, it does make audiences jump, scream, and somehow laugh, making it not just a solid horror movie, but a film that everyone will enjoy.

The film opens with the Davison family gathering at their parents’ fixer-upper in the woods for their 30th wedding anniversary.

Mom (Barbara Crampton) and Dad (Rob Moran) are joined by their four children and their significant others for the celebration.

Among the family is Erin (Sharni Vinson), master’s student girlfriend of the unsuccessful Crispian (A.J. Bowen), who’s a shy girl clearly out of place in such a close family setting.

The festivities quickly take a dark turn, though, when a houseguest is killed by crossbow the first night at dinner. Arrows quickly shoot through the dining room and the family is left screaming in chaos. Every method of escape has been eliminated;

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Sharni Vinson turned in one strong performance in the film. the neighbors are dead, cars have been sabotaged, and cell signals are jammed. As the night wares on, the family is picked off one by one, until Erin reveals herself to be more than just arm candy.

Like Liam Neeson, she too has a special set of skills, and the film quickly transforms from The Strangers to an R-rated Home Alone, leading to an appropriately bloody conclusion.

You’re Next is directed by Adam Wingard, an independent filmmaker whose work has gone under the radar for far too long.

Having helmed cult horror hits

like Pop Skull and A Horrible Way to Die, as well as contributing segments to the stellar horror anthologies V/H/S and The ABCs of Death, Wingard has carved himself a significant niche in the indie film scene, one that is now rapidly expanding. Having worked outside the studio system for so long, Wingard is able to make the film he wants, rather than the standard by-thebook movie that is guaranteed to quickly turn a profit at the box office before heading to the abyss of forgotten films.

His voice is clear from the be-

ginning, showing through in the dialogue between characters as they arrive at the house. The first act of the film, while containing some scary scenes, focuses on the family, authentically portraying the bickering and competition among siblings and making them seem like real people, not stock characters plugged into a horror movie formula. Even after the killing starts, two brothers continue to bicker about who can run faster when someone has to make a break from the house to try and find help. It’s scenes like this that make one realize that the film is actually pretty funny. Now, a lot of it is dark humor; after killing a victim, one of the killers sits down next to another corpse on the couch, as if they’re just two friends watching TV. Later on, another killer takes off his mask to reveal that he’s had his iPod on the whole time.

But this is a horror film, and it will scare you. It presents some of the most terrifying slashers, visually, in several years, made even scarier by the fact that it isn’t revealed until 2/3 of the way through the film how many of them there are. Each of them wears a plastic animal mask, such as a lamb or fox, and they’re all dressed in black from head to toe.

They don’t carry guns; they’re too sadistic for that. Instead, they carry weapons designed to draw the maximum amount of blood, such as knives, machetes, and that crossbow. They roam around outside the house, stalking their prey throughout the first act, until the killing begins and they invade. Their anonymity and question of motive makes them even more chilling, so much so that when it’s revealed why they’re at the house, it’s a bit of a letdown, a little air out the balloon that is a great film. But their identities are never revealed, only hinted

at, and the carnage they bring down upon the family cannot be ignored or easily forgotten. Never has the image of a white tiger reflected on a window been so petrifying.

Finally, one cannot talk about You’re Next without talking about Sharni Vinson. In a cast made up of relative unknowns, Vinson is the most famous; her biggest role so far is a supporting turn in Step Up 3D. So you probably don’t know her. Her performance in this film is a revelation, playing a woman who is just as dangerous as the blade-wielding, faceless men hunting her. While one might assume her character would luck into the cliché role of “final girl,” like almost every other female horror protagonist, she takes it willingly when she jumps into action after the arrows start flying. She doesn’t stay alive by getting lucky hits on the killer; she lures him to her and is the one who does the attacking. When she gets covered in blood, she doesn’t fall to the floor shrieking, she just keeps going. Vinson is convincing as the uncomfortable outsider for the first half hour, before immediately and forcefully transforming into a killing machine when attacked. With this film, she has clearly announced her presence in the acting world and it is hopefully a sign of great things to come.

We are living in a Dark Age of horror films. What do we have to look forward to? Well, there’s a remake of Carrie out this October, Paranormal Activity 5 already has a release date, and they’re developing a sequel to this summer’s dud, The Purge, for some reason. Though the outlook is dim, it’s films like You’re Next, filled with talented actors and filmmakers, that make the future seem a bit more promising.

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Arts

The Chronicle

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MISA’s Open Mic Night Photos By KELLY PFEISTER Ryan Carney took to the stage with his guitar with the song “Touch Me” from the musical Spring Awakening.

Brian Willis performs at MISA’s Open Mic during the Week of Welcome.

Many students were in attendance, enjoying the musical performances.

This was MISA’s first open mic night of the semester.

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The Chronicle

Arts

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

The World’s End Brings The Cornetto Trilogy to a Sweet, Satisfying Conclusion

By M. WILLIAM SMITH Staff Writer

It’s difficult to say when Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz officially became part of a “trilogy.” The two films work extremely well when viewed together, and exhibit much of the same style and sense of humor, but they follow different characters, skew different genres, and take on different situations.

What Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, and Nick Frost have accomplished is nothing short of remarkable: they’ve taken two relatively unrelated films (save for a few recurring jokes and themes) and managed to tie them together into their long-promised latest release, The World’s End, to form something that seems like a grand master plan, even if there wasn’t really one to begin with.

The World’s End follows Gary King (Simon Pegg), as he attempts to relive his glory days by gathering up his old friends and attempting “The Golden Mile,” a ritual in his hometown to have a pint in twelve different pubs across the village. In keeping with the other films in this loose trilogy, the film has a genre twist.

Where Shaun took on horror and Fuzz did action, The World’s End focuses on science fiction.

Like Shaun of the Dead, there isn’t an immediate jump into the genre; rather, the film shows it off gradually, letting the mystery of what is happening be part of the fun. Oh, and it is very fun.

Wright is one of the most dynamic directors working today, and maybe the most important comedic voice the cinema has seen in the past decade. I’ll admit to a trace amount of bias in this review, if only because Wright’s last three films (the aforementioned Shaun and Hot Fuzz, plus my favorite, the hyperkinetic energy ball that is Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) and his television

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Simon Pegg stars as pathetic man-child Gary King in The World’s End. series Spaced are some of my favorite works in any medium.

With that said, The World’s End is predictably a delight, and surprisingly sweet as well.

The World’s End isn’t just another entry into the Cornetto canon. Rather, the film takes Gary King and turns him into a pathetic figure, someone who is firmly stuck in the past and can’t function in the real world (he’s essentially where Shaun from Shaun of the Dead would have ended up if he didn’t have to fight his way through waves of zombies). This gives the film a twinge of inherent sadness that isn’t present in the other two films, and creates an interesting reversal on the dynamic between Pegg and Frost.

In general, Pegg tends to be the straight-man and Frost the buffoon, but here it’s the exact opposite; Frost’s Andy is a businessman, who genuinely pities Gary and is embarrassed to be around him. Both deliver incredible per-

formances and the chemistry between the two is still as fresh as ever. But this film also returns to the group dynamic seen in Shaun of the Dead rather than the buddy-cop duo on display in Hot Fuzz, and the actors rounding out the ensemble, including Martin Freeman, Paddy Considine, Eddie Marsan, and Rosamund Pike, deliver some great comedic work as well.

What sets these films apart from other films of their type is, contrary to what some may believe, these aren’t parodies or

send-ups of any particular genre.

All three are very, very funny, and all three pay homage to or reference other films of their kind, but each works as an entry into the genre they attempt to skew. The World’s End is no exception, and utilizes its science-fiction bent in a fun way that does what the genre does at its best.

That is to say, it makes the film not necessarily about the cool scifi stuff, but utilizes it as a metaphor for the real story underneath.

It’s a bit of clever screenwriting

by Wright and Pegg, and pays off

in a big way by the end.

But all this isn’t illustrating just how incredibly funny this movie is. Wright packs so much into a single frame and the jokes are so fast and so layered that it’ll be near impossible to absorb it all in a single viewing (Heck, I’m still catching jokes years later in Shaun of the Dead and Hot Fuzz).

The film may move a bit slower than its predecessors, but by taking its time it allows the absurdity of the situation to blossom to its fullest effect. Wright proved how well he could direct action in Hot Fuzz and Scott Pilgrim, and that trend continues here, as he delivers some of the best fight scenes in theaters this year (a trait which I’m sure will prove useful when he gets around to directing Marvel’s Ant-Man in 2015).

Plus, the climax is a Douglas Adams-esque piece of genius, and worthy of the price of admission all on its own. The World’s End, like its predecessors, works well as a standalone film. But, looking at the three as a whole, Wright has crafted something of a masterpiece in modern storytelling: three separate films, each tackling similar themes, dealing with different genres, and always with an incredible sense of humor. It could have been easy for one to be a weak link in the whole affair, but the Cornetto trilogy stands as a brilliant example of filmmaking at its finest, and The World’s End is the cherry on top.

Final Grade: A-

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September 4th, 2013

Arts

Volume 82 Issue 3

The Fandom Battle

By NICHOLAS NEGRON Contributing Writer

In the early 1990’s there was not a solid genre of books guided toward young-adults. Avid teenage readers were stuck in between Judy Bloom novels and their high school curriculum. The only semi-successful books with teenagers up until the 90’s were the Goosebumps series by R.L Stine, which appealed to all children and teenagers. The horror genre and the short novel length were a perfect recipe.

It was not until the Harry Potter series that literature “fandoms” became what they are today.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary describes the word “fandom” as “the state of attitude of being a fan”. Fandoms include conventions, social networking, and most recently the almost unhealthy obsession with a teenheartthrob (ex. Robert Pattinson, Liam Hemsworth). Harry Potter and Twilight ended with a huge bang at the box office and continue to make millions at bookstores.

The most recent worldwide successful young-adult novel turned film was The Hunger Games, written by Suzanne Collins. This fandom is relatively new, with the first novel being written in 2008. The Oscar winning actress, Jennifer Lawrence, plays a girl from a poor town.

Her sister is selected to fight to the death in a nationally televised competition. The series has gained much controversy over children killing other children.

The Rotten Tomatoes rating of The Hunger Games is 84 percent,

with 81 percent of the audience liking the film. This dystopian series has generated fans young and old. Dystopia and paranormal romance are now the two highest genres in demand for young adult fiction. Publishers want to find the new Hunger Games and Twilight.

The Divergent Trilogy is written by Veronica Roth. The first novel, Divergent, was published in 2011. The last installment of the trilogy will be released later this year. Divergent is a dystopian, science fiction novel. The main character, Tris Prior, has to choose between five different factions. All teenagers her age do. The choices are Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Candor (the honest), Amity (the peaceful) and Erudite (the intelligent). Right away, critics had compared it to The Hunger Games. But Susan Dominus wrote in The New York Times that the novel did not “distinguish itself” in comparison to The Hunger Games.

The upcoming film, starring Shailene Woodley, will be released March 21. Summit Entertainment is distributing the film under Lionsgate. This is the same company that has the rights to The Hunger Games as a film series.

The production company is almost trying to monopolize young adult novels turned film. The Divergent budget was increased by $40 million due to the success of The Hunger Games. The first film has already gotten backlash for its casting decision on the character Four. The actor casted is Theo James. He is 10 years older than his character. A decision like this,

despite the endorsement of author Veronica Roth, can rub fans the wrong way. Divergent’s best way at becoming successful is to stay truthful to the great book series that it is.

The Mortal Instruments is a book series written by Cassandra Claire. This fantasy romance is thus far a six part series. The books feature shadowhunters who are half-angel, and half-human. There are many characters and references pulled from religion including the angel Raziel and the demon Lilith. The series also features vampires, werewolves, warlocks, and fairies.

The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones, staring Lily Collins, was released August 21. Reviews for the film have been horrendous.

The film maintains 12 percent on Rotten Tomatoes.

The Hollywood Reporter’s Michael Rechtshaffen gave the film a terrible review. “Certainly not the first and very unlikely the last studio attempt at launching a Twilight/Hunger Games franchise of their very own, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones is a bona fide saga all right—just not in a good way”.

Critics are going to compare regardless, but a main way of becoming successful is to stay true to the novel when writing a script for the film.

Alynda Wheat, People Magazine movie critic, says, “While the book has an obvious Twilight meets Harry Potter framework (there’s even a Voldemortlite named Valentine), the film’s problems start when it steps away from Clare’s text, dropping much of the origin story and entirely

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Suzanne Collins is the author of The Hunger Games trilogy. rewriting the ending. What’s left are scenes that feel rushed and over-expository, with no thought given to pacing or logic. It’s a shame, but it’s a miss.”

The harsh reviews and semiundeveloped fandom have strayed people away from watching the film. So far, with a $60 million budget, the film has only made $25 million.

Book publishers will continue to publish thousands of young adult novels. They range from romance to horror to dystopian to fantasy. The key to making a successful book to screen adaptation is time. The book series need time to gain a fandom. Buzz has to be spread in bookstores before cinemas. The Hunger Games was released in theaters almost two years after the last book, Mockingjay, was published. All of the entertainment industry is waiting patiently at their desks to put their stamp on the cash cow that is a fandom. Time and patience are the only ways for a successful fan base to develop. Do not promote as if the book/film is known by the whole world. Do publicity

tours where the author becomes more involved.

Do not rely solely on the sexual appeal of actors and actresses.

Sex sells. However, Harry Potter was known for its brilliant story.

The Hunger Games does not rely on the romantic chemistry of Katniss and Peeta to sell tickets. The hard hitting plot is enough. This piece of advice goes specifically to Divergent. Tris and Four have a very special bond. However, the novel is so much more than their romance. It is about survival. Differentiate your book series from The Hunger Games, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, or Twilight.

These will be the four series that the new dystopian and romance books will be compared to, instantly. The world does not want the next anything. They want something new and fresh.

The Mortal Instruments and Divergent may still have a chance to become the next great American fandom. Promotion and expectations just need to change.

Critics count for little when it comes to teenagers. Just look at Twilight.

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Arts

The Chronicle

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Why Did She Die?The Death of Female Characters onTelevision Shows

By RACHEL M. BOLTON Arts Editor Women in the media have been getting more attention these days, from Miley Cyrus’ antics at the VMAs to Wendy Davis and her epic filibuster. I feel that now is a good time to talk about another aspect of the representation of women: the killing off of female characters on television shows.

The death of a well-loved character is always controversial, and can result in angry fans jumping ship. The loss of the character can have other issues when it comes to the gender of the deceased.

This is a wide reaching topic, so I will merely stick to two examples. *Spoiler Alert* for the third seasons of Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones.

The killing off of a female character is problematic when it is done to merely shock the au-

dience and to further the plot of a male character. Comicbook Writer Gail Simone termed this “Women in Refrigerators.” Not to say that killing a female character for shock value is intrinsically bad, it is simply a matter of doing it well.

The recent television season saw the deaths of Lady Sybil (Jessica Brown-Findlay) from Downton Abbey and Talisa Stark (Oona Chaplin) from Game of Thrones.

Both losses are similar because they were done to surprise the audience. They are also two of the most disturbing deaths I have seen on a television show, due to the fact that they took pregnancy and turned it into an element of horror. However, one was handled far better than the other.

Lady Sybil’s is a slow, building tragedy that made me bite my nails watching the episode because I knew it was coming. She

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Michelle Fairley plays tragic heroine Catelyn Stark.

had eclampsia, a form of high blood pressure in pregnancy, and sadly, the doctors tending to her argue whether or not she had it until it is too late.

The worst part is that she appears fine for a few hours after delivering her daughter, and then she goes into graphic seizures and dies, surrounded by her family in a matter of moments.

While audiences sobbed at the death of the kind-hearted Sybil, it moved the plot along and its far reaching effects drove the stories of the remaining season. It is a not perfect, but good example of how to kill off a character, make the audience mourn, and not screw it up big time.

Now we come to Talisa. My opinion on why her death was poorly done, is because I read the books Game of Thrones is based on.

The first problem is that Talisa was created for the show. Robb still breaks his vow to House Frey and marries another woman in the books, but she is very different from Talisa. Neither is she pregnant, nor does she die.

During the Red Wedding, the betrayed Freys stab a pregnant Talisa repeatedly in the stomach while she watches and screams.

Her death is overly violent, even for a blood-drenched show like Game of Thrones.

Her manner of death is unique to her in a moment where hundreds are being butchered. Talisa is singled out because she is a pregnant woman; it turns what is a normal part of the human existence into gore-porn.

Unlike Sybil, she was a character merely created to die, unlike her literary counterpart. Her murder is meant to shock the audience and clutch their own bellies, and that’s it. Sure, Robb gets to hold her after she’s dead, but that’s not the point of the scene.

It is his tragedy, and she is collateral damage.

Compare this to Catelyn Stark (Michelle Fairley), another woman who dies in the same sequence.

Her death is the culmination of

Oona Chaplin plays the doomed Talisa on Game of Thrones. her character arc and nor is it the end of it, unlike Talisa’s. Cat is also killed in a way that has nothing to do with her being a woman, and is still chilling.

The biggest difference between Sybil and Talisa’s deaths is that Sybil is mourned by the whole cast and discussions of it create good character drama. It is not a one-off that the audience rages at and is forgotten the next episode. The writers showed how it impacted her family and friends, and not just her husband.

That’s the problem with Talisa’s death. There is no one left to mourn for her. Poor Robb doesn’t get long to be sad, and he is the only one who is. Yes, this happens in reality, but this is television, where people expect fantasy, but instead it reveals bad choices by

the writers.

Why is this important you say?

Because violence against women is a huge problem in real life and we should be wary when it is turned into entertainment. While you may think that I am standing too high on my lofty soapbox, I believe that you must be critical of the media you consume. Do you want to watch things like a couch potato or someone with a brain?

In the future, I want writers to focus on creating good drama and to show that event A always leads to consequence B,C, and D. This is true of killing female characters, who need to die as developed characters and not as an unsettling “haha, made you watch that!”

Opinion

C15 The Obama Administration and Student Debt: What Lies Ahead?

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

By KATHERINE BAKAITIS Staff Writer

federal aid is awarded to colleges once the ratings are well developed. Students attending highperforming colleges could receive larger Pell Grants and more affordable student loans,” according to the Washington Post’s fact sheet. Since this plan is so new, it’s unclear whether it will actually penalize drop-out factories or schools that don’t educate poor students, or if it will just reward exceptional schools. This issue already seems to be somewhat addressed on the fact sheet; “The President will propose legislation to give colleges a bonus based upon the number of Pell students they graduate,” the fact sheet explains. “And the Administration will prevent the waste of Pell dol-

Welcome back to campus, everybody! While I know you’re all excited to start a new semester, a very depressing issue must be addressed: student loan debt.

Those three words are frightening enough to conjure up the strongest feelings of dread in most of us. President Obama and his administration have released a plan to help out future college students and graduates with this problem, but most people agree that it’s not enough and that something else needs to be done before it is too late.

The Guardian has provided some figures to make you cringe and think; tuition for a private nonprofit four-year college institution (such as Saint Rose) has risen 267 percent over the past 30 years, while the cost of a public four-year college institution has risen by 357 percent. Over the past nine years, the average student loan balance has risen from $10,649 to $20,326, the average debt now stands at $26,000 and the U.S. total for student debt is now $1.2 trillion.

What does our government plan to do about this? First off, in order to help future college students make smart decisions, Obama and his team have conjured up an idea that involves “college scorecards”. These scorecards will include the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants in that institution, average tuition, scholarships, loan debt, graduation and transfer rates, graduate earnings, and advanced degrees of graduates. Based on all that data, according to the Washington Post, the government will then rank that college in order to make the college decision easier on future students. But this new ranking system also serves another, more important, purpose.

“The Administration will seek legislation using this new rating system to transform the way

“While all of these plans sound great, the administration has failed to tackle one crucial issue: job availability after graduation.” lars by requiring colleges with high dropout rates to disburse student aid over the course of the semester as students face expenses, rather than in a lump sum at the beginning of the semester, so students who drop out do not receive Pell Grants for time they are not in school.”

What about the people who have already graduated? What do they get out of this? This plan will work to universalize incomebased repayment as opposed to interest rates. “The President has proposed allowing all student borrowers to cap their federal student loan payments at 10 percent of their monthly income,” the fact sheet explains. “Currently, students who first borrowed before

2008 or who have not borrowed since 2011 are not eligible for the President’s Pay As You Earn plan.” There’s also good news for people who are having a difficult time keeping up with their current payment: “Beginning this fall, the Department of Education will contact borrowers who have fallen behind on their student loan payments, undergraduate borrowers with higher-than-average debts, and borrowers in deferment or forbearance because of financial hardship or unemployment to ensure they have the information they need to choose the right repayment option for them,” the fact sheet reads. Only about 2 million people, out of 37 million federal student loan borrowers, currently benefit from incomebased repayment programs and that includes people currently ineligible for the specific “Pay As You Earn” plan. There is another act in play (probably a better solution) outside of the president’s plan, called the “ExCEL Act” (Rep. Tom Petri (R-WI), Rep. Jared Polis’s (D-CO)), which would make income-based repayment the norm for federal student loans. That plan would eliminate loan forgiveness after 20 years of income-based payments (10 years for public service careers), which could provoke administration opposition, but it also caps the amount of interest borrowers will have to pay. It would be a much bigger change, especially for low-income students, than what the administration is proposing here.

To tackle the issue of plummeting graduation rates, the administration wants to make aid accountable to progress at the student level, not just for the colleges. The fact sheet clarifies: “To ensure students are making progress toward their degrees, the President will propose legislation strengthening academic progress requirements of student aid programs, such as requiring students to complete a certain percentage

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of their classes before receiving continued funding.” The administration is also looking to experiment with “competency-based” models for college graduation (like Southern New Hampshire University). Under this model, students’ graduation is based less on the number of courses they’ve taken than on their ability to demonstrate proficiency in the subject they’re studying.

“To demonstrate what works, President Obama has proposed a new $260 million ‘First in the World’ fund to test and evaluate innovative approaches to higher education that yield dramatically better outcomes, and to develop new ways for colleges to demonstrate that they are helping their students learn. In addition, the Department of Labor is planning to grant an additional $500 million to community colleges and eligible four-year colleges and universities next year,” the fact sheet describes. “A portion of

these resources will be used to promote accelerated degree paths and credentials that would drive more high quality and affordable options for adult workers and students.”

While all of these plans sound great, the administration has failed to tackle one crucial issue: job availability after graduation.

Education is very beneficial to society and our economy because it improves the workforce. So if most businesses were outsourcing jobs because the overseas workforce is better educated (but mostly because it’s cheaper for them), then I don’t see why those jobs shouldn’t come back in the future. I know that most businesses aren’t going to relocate back to the US because their profit margins willl shrink, but what about specialty and technical careers?

On that note, I will leave you all thinking about your financial future.

PHOTO COURTESY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

What is President Obama doing to address student debt?

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The Chronicle

Listen to Liv!

By OLIVIA DECK Staff Writer Hello everyone, I’m Liv. This is my weekly advice column.

Each week I’ll be targeting a different problem faced by students on campus. This week’s topic is: #FirstYearProbs The Sucky Roommate: Unfortunately, being a firstyear student, you may not have the luxury of choosing your roommate. My first semester here, I was paired with someone who was completely different from me. While I was sitting home on Tuesday night studying for an anatomy test, she would be out for Tequila Tuesdays and bring home randoes for some adult entertainment. Need I say again, TUESDAY. She was studying a different kind of anatomy.

The way I dealt with this situation was that I told her what time I was going to bed. I said I would not be having any of her pissing and moaning about the time, especially the moaning. By telling her “I’m going to bed,” she respected me enough not to canoodle while I was in the room. Be upfront and confront situations directly before you get put into an awkward place you can’t get yourself out of. We never got into a fight, but our morals were very different. You, however, may have a roommate whose throat you want to be at 24/7. If honesty becomes a problem, just ignore them and pretend they don’t exist.

Loner Status: Are you ever in the dining hall alone, not reading the newspaper by choice, but out of necessity?

College is very different from home. At home, you might have a billion friends, but when you come to college, you start at the bottom. As a first-year, you’re stuck with other fellow first-years who you might have no interest in being around. If this is the

case, there are a bunch of clubs that you can join to meet people with the same interests as you (Colleges Against Cancer meeting Wednesday Sept. 4 at 8:00 in Lima Basement). This is an amazing way to make friends that will last a lifetime. Started at the bottom—now you’re here (with friends).

First Campus Crush: College starts a whole new chapter of your life. For some of you, you’ll want to find Mr./Mrs. Right. Stop right there. Don’t try to find them. They’ll come to you. When you’re going out every weekend dressing like a tramp, the only guys you’ll get are the one-hit wonders. Girls, I know how your minds work. It’s called We Have Attachment Issues. You’ll get the same guys asking you to “hang-out” when all they want to do is make out— amongst other things. Three simple solutions: Class. Patience.

Self-respect. If you don’t respect yourself first, no one else is going to respect you. Don’t make this year about getting your numbers up—unless it’s your G.P.A. Oh, and I know what you guys out there are thinking. You DO want to find the perfect lady, but you also want to compete with your friends for numbers. You’re better than that, and you deserve the perfect woman who will only be sharing spaghetti and meatballs, not syphilis.

As always, I’m here for you all. If you need advice on anything or just say HOLLA, write to me at Listen2Liv@gmail.com or on Twitter @Listen2Liv. If you do come to me with questions, unless directed otherwise, your situation will be printed in The Chronicle anonymously. Can’t wait to hear from you.

Love, Liv XOXO

Opinion

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

2013 Video Music Awards: a Recap

By KAYLYNN DAY Contributing Writer Sunday night marked the 29th annual MTV video music awards.

Everybody who is somebody put on their best and graced Brooklyn’s Barclays Center with their presence. The star studded audience watched the show unfold as the rest of the world watched from the comfort of their homes.

Every performance executed and moon man received sent social media sights into frenzy, as most music award shows do. Excitement, disgust and complete shock are just some of the reactions to the events that unfolded.

This is the good, the bad, and the sassy of the 2013 VMAS! The Good: With a very boisterous and exciting introduction from late night host Jimmy Fallon, (who just happens to be Saint Rose alum) Justin Timberlake adorned the stage with his soulful voice and effortless choreography. Taking us all on a trip down memory Lane, JT had almost every lady watching enter full fan girl mode. Kicking off his show, Justin literally brought sexy back by performing his 2006 hit “SexyBack,” followed by a steamy rendition of some of his greatest hits including “My Love” and “Rock Your Body.” And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, IT DID! Believed by many to be just a rumor, jaws dropped as four figures appeared on the stage behind JT. Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No! It’s ‘N Sync returning from the infamous boy band grave yard!

Joining Timberlake on stage were former ‘N Sync band members Joey Fatone, Lance Bass, Chris Kirkpatrick, and JC Chasez.

Although the other four members could’ve been mistaken as another set of JT’s back up dancers, the group performed a mesh up of some of their biggest hits. And although the bands reunion lasted all of less than three minutes, it was nice to see the five of them

hit the stage together once again.

Who knows, maybe all of us ‘N Sync fans still left in the world can look forward to a new ‘N Sync album; or maybe not. But hey, a girl can dream, can’t she?

The Bad: Jay Z wasn’t joking when he rapped that “Somewhere in America Miley Cyrus is still twerkin’.” Former American sweetheart-turned-bad girl Miley Cyrus shook the world up with her gyrating back side and thrusting pelvis. Performing her chart climbing hit “We Can’t Stop,” Miley showed us all everything that we did not want to see and more. Cyrus paraded around stage with her life sized bears and twerking back up dancers as she belted out what some could consider the summer hit of 2013. Fans sang along as the other stars in attendance stared in awe. Could this be the same girl that just a few years ago was on the Disney Channel that children idolized? I guess we all have to grow up at some point.

Just as we all were hoping this train wreck of a performance would end sooner than later, it got worse. Miley ripped off her bear inspired outfit to reveal a skin tight, flesh colored, and not to mention extremely unflattering ensemble. R&B singer Robin Thicke joined the pop star on stage to perform a collaborative version of his single “Blurred Lines.” Robin Thicke sang away while Miley showed him just exactly what she was working with.

Dancing, grinding on, and almost kissing Thicke were just a few of the surprises that Miley Cyrus had in store for the viewing audience.

And if I may speak for the general population, those were the tricks we wish she would’ve kept up her sleeve. One thing she did manage to accomplish through her performance was making social media a tad bit more interesting for the night. Following her performance came the hysterical statuses and memes. And after it was all said and done, one was left to wonder where in America

is Billy Ray Cyrus and what did he think of his darling daughter’s performance? Miley Cyrus’ performance was one of the most talked about of the night and possibly one of the most entertaining. It was nice to see she took some advice from another fellow musician. From the words of the great Sean Carter; “Twerk, Miley, Miley, twerk!”

The Sassy: With no surprise, Taylor Swift was awarded her very own moon man for “Best Female Video” for her visual work to her song “I Knew You Were Trouble”. Expecting her acceptance speech to be short, sweet, and to the point, much to our surprise, Taylor had an alternative motive. After thanking her “Swiftes” and those who helped her make the video, Taylor threw a jab at, as she refers to him, “the person who inspired this song”. Taylor showed us all the sassy little lady that we all knew she could be by continuing to take shots at the anonymous muse to her single, but we all knew who the mystery man was. Swift continued her speech by saying, “he knows exactly who he is, because now I've got one of these," And as if things weren’t awkward enough, the camera zoomed in on One Direction’s Harry Styles as he and his band mates smirked at each other. Instead of wining “Best Female Video,” Swift should have won “Sassiest VMA Acceptance Speech.” It looks as if Taylor took a page from Kanye West’s book on how to give memorable VMA speeches. But, “no harm, no foul.” All is fair in love songs, boy bands, and heartbreaks.

After all that singing, twerking, and jab throwing, the 2013 VMA’s ended and life returned back to normal. MTV never fails to deliver a night full of big entertainment and even bigger surprises. This year’s VMA’s effortlessly topped last years and I will be the first to say that I cannot wait to see what they have in store for us next year!

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Opinion

The Chronicle

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Flashbacks and Fast Forwards:

By LAUREN KLOSE Staff Writer As summer draws to a close there are a variety of feelings as students prepare to head back to school. Excitement to see friends after almost four months, dread at the thought of classes beginning again, and even fear for those just starting a new chapter in their lives. For some of us, though, the emotions are greatly mixed because this will be the last time we will experience any of this as we enter our final year at The College of Saint Rose.

Looking back on the past three years at Saint Rose, I have found that, although there has been plenty of drama, fights and rough times, I also have had plenty of wonderful memories that definitely outweigh all the negatives.

As I worked with some of my fellow students to move the new freshman class into their dorms, I couldn’t help but remember when I lived in Lima Hall. It seems both like a lifetime ago and like it happened just yesterday. There were the nerves that caused my stomach to churn as I climbed the stairs to my new room where I would meet the girl who I would be living with for the next year.

My mother had always said my college roommate would hate me because I could never keep my room clean for very long. I remember holding my breath as I walked into our room, seeing her sitting there on the bed, swinging her legs before I said her name and she turned to me with a big smile. We turned out to be very different in almost everything: movies, music, books, clothing styles. This didn’t matter, though, and if anything, made our friendship even more unique because we never ran out of anything to talk about. To this day, she is still one of my closest friends and someone I know I will always be able to rely on. Roommates

A Senior’s Perspective and Advice

always seem to cause the biggest amount of worry when it comes to starting college but the thing is, you don’t have to be best friends with them; I simply got lucky.

Really, you just have to learn to live with them by respecting them and their things. You may not get along as well as I did with my freshman roommate, and that’s okay, because you will make other friends during your time at

“Most people don’t know what they want to do with their lives when they are 17 or 18, so if you feel that maybe you aren’t following the right path in life, don’t be afraid to choose a different path.” school. You also have to remember that they are in the same exact boat as you, away from home for probably the first time and most likely they don’t know anyone on campus either.

My sophomore year I lived in Riley Hall, which is actually part of the transfer houses on campus. Although my roommate and I were not transfer students, we ended up living in Riley Hall due to complications with housing and our room assignment. My roommate, who is one of my best friends at Saint Rose, and I actually found it to be nice living with the transfer students. While we had to deal with a decent amount of drama among our friends, none of them lived in our dorm and the students who lived with us didn’t

really know anyone yet so there was less drama. I won’t lie, college is filled with drama, it’s part of life. With the amount of students living on or around campus, it can’t be avoided. The trick is learning how to handle it: knowing when to back off, stay out of it, stand up for yourself or ask someone for help. Most drama is something small being either taken the wrong way or blown way out of proportion. It’s best to just suck it up, apologize and explain what you meant. Talking about it constantly behind the other person’s back won’t help, I’ve seen what that can do to friendships and relationships and it isn’t pretty. Either talk to the person directly or seek help to find a way how to handle the situation.

When asking for help, it is better to talk with someone who isn’t involved in the situation, meaning that they don’t know the person and talking to them won’t put them in an awkward position. A perfect example are the Resident Assistants in your dorm, or if you don’t feel comfortable with this, an older student who may have been in a similar situation. With people who are drama obsessed or always seem to be the cause of it, it may be best to distance yourself so you aren’t dragged into the battle for every little issue.

Junior year was the scariest year I have had by far because it

was the year I switched my major.

I went from being a Communication Sciences & Disorders major to a Communications major with a concentration in Journalism.

This was quite a big switch and was not an easy decision. At the end of my sophomore year I had a conversation with my mom about the possibility and probability of switching my major. I had the typical worries: not being able to graduate on time, not fitting in with the new major as I thought I would, being a disappointment to my family. In the end I switched because, although I really liked the work I could do with a degree in Communication Sciences & Disorders, I realized I wasn’t completely in love with what I was learning. I couldn’t see myself being 100 percent happy in the future. Everyone had always told me that I was great with children and would make a great teacher, especially with my work with intellectually impaired children over the years. They were right in for my love for children and wanting to help them, but I had a love that was much stronger which was my writing. It was my mother who pointed out how much I loved to write and how I had originally looked into Journalism as a possible major when I first looked at colleges. I couldn’t have made a better decision, as I am now completely happy with

what I am doing and learning.

I have overcome fears and improved myself in many different aspects with the help of some of the best professors I’ve ever had.

I will graduate on time, but even if I didn’t, I would have still made the decision because it’s worth it to work a little harder and longer for something that will make you happy for the rest of your life.

Most people don’t know what they want to do for the rest of their lives when they are 17 or 18, so if you feel that maybe you aren’t following the right path in life, don’t be afraid to choose a different path. I know plenty of people who have changed their majors since we first came to school. So don’t be ashamed at the thought of switching your major; you are here for you and no one else so do exactly what you feel is right because it is your life after all.

I’m not sure what my senior year will bring. I know I will make plenty of mistakes, have tons of homework and deadlines to meet, worry about internships and jobs after college, but I do know that throughout all of that, I will be making memories that will last for a very long time with some of the most amazing people I have met here at Saint Rose.

Reach Lauren Klose at klosel463@strose.edu.

Interested in writing for Opinion? Here are some questions that may spark some interest. Send them in to chronicle@strose.edu!

+Is there a teacher here that has had an impact on you? +Should Saint Rose have online classes? +Is there an item, such as the ipad, that you absolutely love or hate? We want to know about it! Give your thoughts on it and influence those Black Friday shoppers! +What are your steps to studying? +What are your ways to deal with stress? +What is your favorite holiday and why? +What is your favorite Saint Rose event? +What would you like the next word search to be about?

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The Chronicle

Sports

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Who Ya Got? Heisman Hopefuls

By TARIQ KENDALL Contributing Writer

The college football season is upon us and with that comes a brand new race for the Heisman Trophy. This year, as with every other year in college football, the spotlight is on four or five “elite” players who are thought to be the best in the sport. Well, for this segment we are going to sift through that pool to get the crème of the crop and pit them against each other. This week, The Chronicle will be taking a look at the South Carolina Gamecock’s Heisman hopeful Jadeveon Clowney and last year’s Heisman Trophy winner Johnny Manziel.

I’ll start off in Columbia, South Carolina, where Heisman hopeful Jadeveon Clowney began his season this past Thursday night with a solid 27-10 victory over the rival Tar Heels of North Carolina.

The Gamecocks’ not-so-secret weapon posted a “resounding” three tackles. But that’s okay, because the effect a good defensive player has on a game is dictated by his effort. Somebody needs to tell that to Clowney because the six-foot, six-inch 274 pound man-child gave 100 percent for 50 percent of the game.

Last year, the Ted Hendricks award winner was second in the NCAA in tackles for loss and ranked in the top ten in every major defensive category, this according to Sports-reference.com.

Now we go from Columbia to College Station where reigning Heisman winner Johnny Manziel started off his 2013 campaign with a bang. After sitting out the first half of Texas A&M’s home opener against Rice, Manziel torched the Owl’s defense, racking up 94 yards on 6 of 8 passing with 3 touchdowns. Hmmm… so that’s 75 percent completion percentage, and of that 75 percent, half of those passes lead to points.

Sounds like a Heisman winner to me.

against No.1 ranked Alabama.

This may be a huge task for most, but according to Scout.com, Texas A&M’s schedule in 2012 was tougher than their schedule this year, and Manziel managed to navigate that schedule with only two losses by a combined 8 points, so it’s a fair assumption that he’ll be fine.

Clowney, who lead his Gamecocks to an 11-2 record in 2012, just doesn’t match up to Manziel when it comes to football intangibles. Although, he may have run a 4.40 over the summer and is without a doubt the best athlete in college football today, he’s often had his conditioning question and instead of rising to the occasion

and disproving the critics he’s simply continued to rely solely on his athleticism to make him a force. That may have worked in the past but now that he’s the vocal point of opposing offense’s game plans he’s going to have to dig deep and grind out a stellar season.

Clowney’s an amazing athlete, but unfortunately great football players aren’t just great athletes.

For this reason, Johnny Manziel is a better football player than Jadeveon Clowney, and if he keeps it up and stays out of trouble, he will repeat and become the 2013 Heisman Trophy winner.

WINNER: JOHNNY MANZIEL

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Johnny Manziel led the Aggies to a convincing win on Saturday.

However, Manziel couldn’t just take the win could he? After dropping his third and final Touchdown pass to receiver Mike Evans, Manziel was flagged for jawing at the Rice defense.

Now I can’t knock the man’s performance, he had a Quarter Back Rating of 84.6 (QBR is on a scale of 100), according to ESPN. That’s pretty good, but ever since Manziel captured the Heisman, he has shown more than questionable character and Saturday was just another reminder of that. Manziel’s summer included being carried out of a frat party, kicked out of the Manning Pass-

ing Academy and was topped off by a half game suspension by the NCAA for “inadvertently” violating NCAA rules. He has shown no respect for any authority and doesn’t seem to care.

Head-to-head there doesn’t seem to be much of a competition. Manziel has done it before, and despite a shaky offseason, seems to continue to keep doing it. Texas A&M’s schedule is significantly harder than South Carolina’s due to playing in the all-powerful South East Conference, or SEC to those who don’t know, the highlight being a showdown on Sept. 14 at Kyle Field

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Jadeveon Clowney is a skilled player, but not on Manziel’s level.

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Sports

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So Long, Dear Friend

By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor Have you ever seen a grown man cry? If you have not, a good place to start would have been my apartment last week. Ok, well I wasn’t crying, but I was indeed very upset. Why, you ask? I happened to have had the unfortunate pleasure of waking up to the news that my favorite player of all-time, not just in the NBA, but across all sports, Tracy McGrady, retired.

Now, I know to most of you that seems a little on the ridiculous side. Why would I be so sad a player retired? It’s not like I ever knew him personally. I have never even seen him in person.

But, trust me; it was much more than that. When I first picked up a basketball at ten years old, I fell in love with all aspects of the

game. I played in two, sometimes three, local leagues at a time; I played all the NBA video games, and watched on television as well. While I was a genuine fan of the sport and many of its stars, only one stuck out to me, T-Mac. McGrady was a player who could do it all. He lived above the rim, scored with more ease than anyone I had seen, passed efficiently, and defended anyone from Allen Iverson, Kobe Bryant, and even the seven-foot tall Dirk Nowitzki. Not to mention he posterized Shawn Bradley, the seven-footseven doofy-looking guy from Space Jam every kid remembers.

And who could forget the infamous game against the San Antonio Spurs when he dropped thirteen points in 35 seconds?

A seven-time All-Star, McGrady was drafted directly out of high school by the Toronto Rap-

One of the NBA’s greatest scorers, Tracy McGrady, retired last Monday.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Toward the end of his career McGrady bounced around the league.

tors with the ninth overall pick in 1997. He was awarded Most Improved Player, voted to the AllNBA First Team twice and lives among LeBron James and Larry Bird as the only players in league history to score 15,000 points, grab 4500 rebounds, dish out 3500 assists, and net 500 threepointers within their first eleven seasons. He also put together one of the single greatest seasons in NBA history when he averaged 32.1 points per game to go along with 5.5 assists, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.7 steals.

I was hooked. When playing NBA Live I would only play with the Orlando Magic just to use TMac. I collected four of his jerseys from three different teams, which now hang above my bed.

I had two pairs of his signature Adidas sneakers, which made me

feel like I could play more like McGrady whenever I stepped on the court. I stuck by my favorite player through many tough breaks, such as a trade to the Houston Rockets after a dismal season, back injury after back injury, and bouncing between the New York Knicks, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, and San Antonio Spurs before finally settling on retirement. You could say this period of fandom could be compared to a die-hard Lil’ Wayne fan sticking by Weezy through the past two years of subpar music he has been releasing.

I’d have to admit there have been rather sad attempts I have made to keep a fresh image of McGrady dominating on the floor. Watching old highlight tapes of T-Mac dominating the league certainly help, while at-

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

tempts by myself to make use of him in NBA 2K13 usually lead to mocking by my roommates.

McGrady still is and always will be my favorite athlete; however, Indiana Pacers swingman Paul George is growing on me fast, perhaps because he plays a very similar style of basketball to T-Mac. George is becoming a very efficient scorer and ball handler to go along with his shutdown defense. He also knows how to throw down just like McGrady. Needless to say that when George tweeted McGrady praising him about his career I was left with a warm fuzzy feeling in my gut. Laugh all you want at me, for I do not care. I am a die-hard TMac fan and there’s nothing you, career-threatening injuries, or retirement can do to stop it.

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Sports

The Chronicle

September 4th, 2013

Volume 82 Issue 3

Saint Rose Senior Goes Semi-Pro

By TORI ADDISON Contributing Writer

“At my first Christmas I got a soccer ball for a present so I started young.”

Saint Rose senior Paxton Ballard has had a more than exceptional athletic career. Beginning at age ten, he started to play competitive club soccer and has been playing ever since. Over the summer, Ballard experienced an opportunity of a lifetime by playing for a semi-professional league.

The league is called the Professional Development League, or PDL for short. Basically, it grants college-age players a chance to sustain an “amateur” status there-

fore they can continue to play in college, but at a very aggressive level. When asked how he gained access to the league, Ballard responded, “Before my spring season started last semester I went to my assistant coach and told him I wanted to play PDL this summer for a quality side so come preseason I’d be at the top of my game.”

After looking into various clubs, he found the perfect fit in the Real Boston Rams. The players on the team consisted of mostly athletes from NCAA Division I schools and a handful from Europe and Major League Soccer.

“Playing at the semi-pro level was a great experience for me,”

REAL BOSTON RAMS

Senior Paxton Ballard tried his hand with semi-pro soccer team Real Boston Rams this Summer.

SHARON BALLARD

Ballard has aspirations to play professionally some day.

said Ballard. “What was great about the Real Boston Rams was that it was affiliated with the MLS team, The New England Revolution. This meant that the affiliation agreement allows collegeaged Revolution Academy youth team products the opportunity to play with our team. The level that professional athletes brought to the table increased everyone’s expectations and quality of play.”

But of course, new opportunities bring about new challenges.

The transition from college level into semi-pro was shocking for Ballard, but he adjusted within a few games. “The pace (and) cleverness of players is much higher at the semi-pro level,” he said.

Ballard believes that the most

important quality to playing at a higher level is to ensure mental toughness. “Of course being physically fit and technically sound is essential to playing well, but constantly as a player you need to know what your next move with the ball is before you even receive it. That separates the top players from the rest.”

As for the future, Ballard is currently focused on his goals and working hard as ever to reach them. “At this moment in time I would like to keep my future endeavors with soccer to myself. However, I did make a lot of contacts this summer and turned some heads.” As for advice for younger players, Ballard has a thing or two to say; “If I

could give any advice to younger players about reaching their athletic dreams, it would be to never let a doubter bring you down.

Throughout my career, I’ve come across plenty of people supporting me, but there are always the select few that don’t want to see you succeed. Set your goal and go for it full-heartedly. Not a day goes by without me somehow bettering myself in hopes of achieving my goal. It is a very scary leap trying to become professional and the chances are slim but that’s what drives me every day,” he says. “I love this game and I’ll do anything possible to make it. That’s probably my best advice; you must live and breathe this game.”