Blue Devils Clinch Top Seed in NEC Tourney

Transcription

OPINION Television News Needs a Conscious - Page 5
Homophobia on the Hardwood
LIFESTYLES Style at Your Own Risk - Page 11
- Page 9
ENTERTAINMENT Hot Cross Show Review - Page 15
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Volume 103 No. 19
Blue Devils Clinch Top
Seed in NEC Tourney
CCSU Police, Students Address
Safety on Thursdays
Christopher Boulay
News Editor
Members of the CCSU community have
been stressing extra precautions in recent
weeks when going out on Thursday nights in
light of recent UConn tragedies.
At the University of Connecticut on January 20, Carlee Wines, a freshman, was hit by
a drunk driver coming back from a party on
campus. CCSU students and police both have
taken precautions so that nothing like this will
occur at Central.
Matt O’Brien, a sophomore at CCSU,
gave simple, but useful advice.
“I guess you just have to look both ways
before you cross the street. You have to be
aware of your surroundings at night,” he said.
The CCSU Police Department, with their
new grant that was received to deal with DUI
checks has taken greater measures in making
sure that an accident will not occur.
Sergeant Chris Cervoni, a member of
CCSU’s Police Traffic division, pointed out
that some of the $25,200 grant given to the
department from the Connecticut Department
of Transportation will be used to help quell
the amount of dangerous driving that occurs
on nights where a large student presence is
prevalent on, around and outside of campus.
“The CCSU Police Department is fully
staffed on Thursday nights,” Cervoni said.
See Safety on Thursdays, page 3
Connecticut Coalition Plans
Huge Environmental Investment
Christopher Boulay
News Editor
A coalition of Connecticut environmental groups has asked the state of Connecticut
to finance an environmental revitalization
program over the next 10 years totaling $1 billion.
The coalition is called The Face of Connecticut Campaign. Christopher Zurcher, the
director of media relations for the Connecticut
Fund for the Environment as well as Save the
Sound, stated the guidelines of the plan.
“To protect Connecticut’s character, the
campaign is designed to preserve our most
critical watershed and open space lands, farm
lands and historic properties. Restore historic
buildings and neighborhoods and clean up
brown fields. Plan responsibly for growth and
conservation and protect and maintain these
resources once they have been preserved or
restored,” Zurcher stated.
The plan calls for the state to donate $100
million each year to make sure that this plan
will run its course.
According to the State Director of The
Nature Conservancy in Connecticut, Lise
Hanners, “The needs addressed by this campaign are urgent. In many of our communities, the fate of every undeveloped acre will
be determined within the next 10 years. With
natural, agricultural and historic properties
facing the threat of development, we must act
now or they will be lost forever.”
Governor Rell has shown interest in
some of the proposals by the Face of Connecticut Campaign. She has previously listed
saving “open spaces” as well as “farmland” in
See Connecticut Coalition, page 3
Tax Refund for Phone
Bills This Year Only
Melissa Cordner
Staff Writer
Conrad Akier / The Recorder
Javier Mojica only put up 10 points in the loss against Fairleigh Dickinson on Saturday, but the
team clinched the top seed in the NEC tournament with a win against Monmouth on Thursday.
Alex Carr
Sports Editor
Central Connecticut State University
men’s basketball team traveled to West Long
Branch, New Jersey in hopes of extending their
then 11-game win streak against the Monmouth
Hawks. In what turned out to be a close game,
the Blue Devils pulled out the victory clinching
their third regular season Northeast Conference title last Thursday.
The win ensures that the team will play
in the National Invitational Tournament or in
the NCAA Tournament after the NEC Tournament. Central has also earned the top seed in
the 2007 NEC Tournament cementing homecourt advantage throughout.
While CCSU had previously exorcised
their demons against Monmouth earlier in the
season, the Hawks always pose a viable threat
for the Devils. At the games inception the Blue
Devils came blazing out of the gate behind
junior guard Tristan Blackwood’s hot 3-point
shooting. Hitting his first three 3-pointers for
the second consecutive game, Central was able
to secure an early 15-10 lead.
Shirking the Blue Devils early offensive
onslaught, the Hawks responded by eventually
tying the game midway through the first half.
Blackwood and senior guard Javier Mojica
would then mount a run of their own outscoring
Monmouth 13-1 over a seven-minute span. As
Monmouth began to make another comeback,
CCSU would respond with an 8-0 run to secure
a 37-23 halftime lead.
The up and down trend of the first half
would only continue as the Blue Devils upped
their streak to 12 consecutive games.
The government has introduced a $30 tax
return for all cell phones. This applies to all
who are not considered a legal dependent.
Even if students pay for their own phone
bills they cannot receive the extra money on
their return. However, their parents may be able
to claim it for them.
The new return is called the federal excise
tax refund. In the past, the government imposed
the Federal Excise Tax in 1898 in order to help
pay for the Spanish-American War when, at
the time, only the wealthy had personal phone
lines. The war ended, but the tax did not.
The amount a person pays is determined
by the length of the call and the distance it has
to travel. However, since phone companies are
now offering all-inclusive packages that bundle
domestic, local and long distance calls together
for one monthly price, the tax is invalid; call
costs have nothing to do with the distance or
time length of the call. In fact, since these services are taxed initially, the Federal Excise Tax
is a second, and therefore illegal, tax on your
phone lines. Cases against the tax began appearing in federal court, and the Internal Revenue Service began losing them. In May 2006,
See Top Seed, page 8
http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/
See Tax Refund, page 2
2
News
The Recorder
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University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of
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Recorder and may not be reproduced or
published without the written permission
from the Editor-in-Chief.
The purpose of the Recorder is to approach and define issues of importance
to the students of Central Connecticut
State University.
Campus Seeks Fresh Entertainment with ‘Love Jones Café’
Samantha Sullivan
Staff Writer
The atmosphere was calm and inviting at
Steven Fabius’s “Love Jones Café” where both
Central and non-Central students could participate in an open-mic event in Semesters this
past Monday evening.
Fabius, a CCSU senior majoring in psychology with a minor in sociology, said that he
wanted to provide young talent with a location
on campus where they could express themselves through any manner.
“It’s not just for Valentine’s Day,” he said,
“sometimes people have something they want
to express, whether it be religion, or love, or
just their feelings, and I wanted to give them a
venue to do that.”
The tables were all covered with a clean
black cloth, tiny metallic-red paper hearts
and one tea light candle. Each sat two to three
people, and the stage was dimly lit to keep the
Task Force Convenes to
Curb School Violence
Todd Szabo
Staff Writer
The New Britain School Safety Task Force
convened in response to a stabbing that took
place on the grounds of New Britain High School
back in October, as well as the hazardous mold
that was found at DiLoreto magnet school.
The task force set up a schedule, agreeing
to meet on Tuesdays and Thursdays every two
weeks. The task force also entertained questions
from parents in the public participation period
of the meeting.
Donald Gregory, the only parent to speak at
the event, highlighted a few ideas he felt would
be effective in solving some of the major problems within the school district. He supported the
creation of “drama classes emphasizing non-violent conflict resolution.”
“I also think we should provide parents
with parenting classes and use teens to mentor
other teens,” he said.
A major factor as to whether or not this task
force will actually carry out its mission statement is hinged upon support by the New Britain Board of Education. The BOE has exhibited
opposition to the plan and task force since the
Common Council recommended it. It seems,
however, that since some of the members of the
board have been appointed by Mayor Timothy
Stewart, BOE may be forced to at least cooperate
with any suggestions or favors asked of it by the
task force due to the mayoral support it enjoys.
A few members of the task force voiced the need
to acquire survey data from students, teachers,
janitors, administrators and others within New
Britain schools, including obviously NBHS.
Professor Salerno was leery of the “sensationalized prospective” given by the media. He
felt as though the effort to help these schools
should not be focused solely on the safety of
NBHS but rather on the community as a whole.
Salerno purported, “If the task force is
going to be successful, they are going to have
to change the mentality of the community as a
whole. If the mentality at home is changed, then
the school’s mentality will change as well.”
Alderman James Wyskiewicz felt that it
was important to change the atmosphere in the
home and school at an early age and to fix problems at the earlier grades so that they might not
trickle down into the high school, at which point
it will be harder to work on changing them.
The task force was created by a resolution
supported by Alderman Wyskiewicz, Alderman Paul Catanzaro and Alderman Larry Hermanowski. Carla Grimaldi was elected secretary
and former Alderman Fran Ziccardi as chairman
of the task force.
Other members of the taskforce included
Barbara Luchansky, vice chairwoman and
American Federation of Teachers member;
as well as Daniel Salerno, a sociologist at the
University of Hartford; Akintunde Sogunro, a
NBHS senior; Judith Grecko and a representative of the chief of police of New Britain, Officer
Joseph Pietro, who patrols the and monitors the
halls of NBHS.
mood intimate, much like the inspirational
café scene in Love Jones, the 1997 Theodore
Witcher film about finding love and sustaining
it throughout the obstacles.
“I took a History of Jazz class that really just opened my eyes,” Fabius said. “So I
wanted to bring what I learned together with a
movie that I’ve enjoyed to the campus.”
The setting was maintained after each
act, not by clapping to show appreciation for
the performer, but by snapping, as is common
with many cafés.
The acts themselves showcased an array
of artists including a Southern student by the
stage name of “Bamma” with spoken word,
who can be found at myspace.com/bammaspoetry, and CCSU student Sabrina Bjornson
with a soulful rap performance.
“Some people think they’ve done too
much in their lives to be accepted with the
Lord,” Sabrina said of her routine. “I’m here to
tell them that, no matter what you’re facing, He
will comfort you.”
Even Steven Fabius himself performed,
reciting “A Blues for Nina” from the decadeold film.
“Who am I? Well they call me the brother
to the night!” Fabius recited with verve and
sensuality. “And right now I’m the blues in
your left thigh, tryin’ to become the funk in
your right… Is that all right?”
Central student Kyle Reutenauer, who
attended the event, said that he had hoped for
there to be more jazz music.
“I’m into the Cherry Poppin’ Daddies,
Gordon Goodwin’s Big Phat Band-style of jazz
music,” he said. “I’m not a fan of spoken word,
but I thought the event was good for what it
was.”
Upcoming campus events can be found
on postings throughout the Student Center and
online at Central Pipeline.
CCSU Police Receives
Funding for DUI Enforcement
Melissa Traynor
News Editor
The CCSU Police Department has recently received $25,200 from the Connecticut
Department of Transportation. The money
will go to DUI enforcement, according to a
press release.
The extra funding will allow for more officers on patrol.
“Expanded patrol and other efforts in the
campus vicinity began this month and, thanks
to the DOT expanded DUI Enforcement Grant
program, will continue through September
2007,” said Sgt. Chris Cervoni of the Traffic
Division. “In the past we have reduced the
traffic accidents by 50 percent on some of the
surrounding roads using this funding to enforce the traffic laws.”
The CCSU Police Dept. applies for the
DOT grant annually as part of the program.
“This grant follows an earlier award
from the DOT and allows us to build upon our
earlier enforcement efforts and help reduce
the loss of lives or injuries by removing in-
toxicated drivers from the roads,” said Jason
Powell, Director of Public Safety at CCSU
and Police Chief.
Powell said each year thousands of lives
are lost, and many more people are injured as
a result of alcohol or substance abuse related
accidents.
The DOT’s 2007 Safety Plan had cited,
however, that fatal injuries from drunk-driving crashes have decreased over a five year
period from 146 in 2000 to 107 in 2004.
The DOT specifically noted that they
would like to “significantly reduce the number of alcohol-related crashes” under the “Impaired Driving” section of the safety plan.
“The CCSU Police Department is grateful to the state’s Department of Transportation
for this funding because it helps us maintain
a safer community for our students, faculty,
staff and city residents,” Powell said. In Connecticut, a person 21 or older is
considered to be legally intoxicated if he or
she has a blood alcohol concentration of .08
or higher. A person under age 21 is legally intoxicated at a .02 BAC or higher.
Tax Refund
Continued from page 1
the IRS issued a statement ordering telephone
companies to stop charging the three percent
tax by August 2006.
The tax was illegal, therefore challengers
wanted more than reform; they sought consolation. A one-time-only credit available for
the 2006 federal tax return was the end result
of this demand.
The tax credit has its own line on this
year’s tax return. If a person files as a single
independent, he or she can claim 30 dollars.
If a person is single and has a dependent, or
is married without children, he or she can
claim 40 dollars. If a person is married with
one child, he or she may claim 50 dollars; two
or more children make them eligible for a 60
dollar tax credit. Sixty dollars is the most a
person can claim, unless it is proven that the
government owes them more.
By using all the phone bills a person has
received between February 2003 and July
2006 to fill out special form 8913, he or she
is eligible to receive a full refund. All the person has to do is fill out the form and attach it
to his or her regular form before it is sent in.
The credit will be returned or will go toward
reducing the balance he or she owes, as part of
the regular tax refund.
The federal excise tax refund credit applies to cell, fax, computer and landlines.
Therefore, even if a student does not have his
or her own cell phone, the tax has been applied to the other phone lines that the student
or his or her parents use. The credit is available for this year only.
3
Connecticut Coalition
Safety on Thursdays
her budgets.
Bonnie Burr, the director of government relations for the Connecticut Farm Bureau, said,
“Last week, we heard from legislative leaders
who testified before the Environment Committee that we need to increase our efforts to protect
Connecticut’s farms from development.”
“We couldn’t agree more. The barns and
working fields of Connecticut are state treasures,
reminding us of our past and providing us with
fresh, locally grown produce, wines, Christmas
trees and wonderful scenery, all while also providing steady jobs and a way of life for many
residents,” added Burr.
Executive director of the Connecticut Trust
for Historic Preservation Helen Higgins said,
“This campaign makes a priority of investing in
our historic resources.”
“The municipal buildings, urban neighborhoods, village centers and historic industrial
buildings of our state can provide an economic
and cultural value that cannot be ignored,” Higgins said.
The American Farmland Trust, Audubon
Connecticut, Association of Conservation &
Inland Wetlands Commissions, Community
Development Financial Institutions Alliance,
Farmland Trust, Forest & Parks Association,
Fund for the Environment, Land Conservation
Council, League of Conservation Voters, Main
Street Center, Trust for Historic Preservation,
Housatonic Valley Association, South Central
Regional Water Authority, Farm Bureau, Nature Conservancy, Trust for Public Land and the
Working Lands Alliance are all members in the
Face of Connecticut Campaign.
“We have extra people on duty for DUI enforcements on Thursdays on all of the surrounding
streets of the school. Our main responsibility is
to stop these vehicles.”
In a CCSU press release, CCSU’s director of Public Safety and the Police Chief Jason Powell said, “This grant follows an earlier
award from the DOT and allows us to build
upon our earlier enforcement efforts and help
reduce the loss of lives or injuries by removing
intoxicated drivers from the roads.”
With that, the students should feel safer,
but their responsibility to preserve their own
wellbeing goes further.
Derek Mazzola, a sophomore, had much
to say on what students should do to watch out
for their own safety.
“Stay on the sidewalk and don’t ever walk
around in the road. Also, it is better to not be
out too late. Don’t hang out with people that
you aren’t really familiar with. It’s a lot better to stick with your friends,” Mazzola said.
“Walk on well lit streets so you won’t get hit.
It’s a lot worse to walk around on dark streets
because people and cars cannot see you.”
Mazzola’s roommate Neal Esposito, added, “Be in a group of people when you walk
around.”
Long-shot Bill Would Dry
Mass. State Campuses
Bobby Cummings
U-Wire
Looking to curb what he identifies as
safety issues related to growing alcohol abuse
by college students, a Massachusetts lawmaker has introduced a bill into the State House
that would ban alcohol -- even for students
over 21 -- at all state colleges and universities,
although he said the bill is unlikely to pass.
Rep. Frank Hynes (D-Marshfield), who
proposed a similar measure that failed in 2001,
said student drinking has become even more
prevalent since he first filed the bill. Hynes
identified binge drinking as a worsening trend
and said alcohol-related incidents, including
students’ deaths and the rape and abuse of
female students, prompted him to file the bill.
“Drinking is no longer confined to weekends,” he said in an email. “Weekends are
now beginning on Wednesday nights.”
The bill, expected to draw fire from college students, has also been questioned by
state college officials.
Hynes said some college officials have
argued alcohol should not be banned because
students must learn how to handle the newfound freedom that comes with the college
experience.
“Such destructive behavior should not be
tolerated under any circumstance,” he said.
“Most college undergrads are under 21 and
are thus violating the law if they choose to
drink.”
Peter Chisholm, director of External
Affairs at Framingham State College, said
although the university’s administration has
not considered the proposal, he was sure such
a bill would affect the climate on university
campuses.
“I think the goal can be achieved administratively,” he said, “but in light of actions
that have taken place on some campuses, I
can understand why [Hynes] filed the legislation.”
Chisolm said he expected students -- especially those over 21 -- would also oppose
the bill.
David Ostroth, vice president of Student
Affairs at Bridgewater State College, said implementing a law to curb underage drinking
would not be any more effective than existing
university policies.
“Some students who would violate the
[school] policy would violate the law as well,”
he said.
Representatives from several other state
colleges would not comment on the bill because they were not familiar with its specifics.
Hynes said the proposal has not met
much support in the House.
“The legislative committee that votes on
this bill has not viewed it as one that sparks
their interest,” he said. “It’s probably going to
go nowhere.”
Low-dose Birth Control Causes Fatal Blood Clots, Research Group Says
Lizeth Cazares
U-Wire
The public interest organization Public
Citizens sent a petition in early February urging the Food and Drug Administration to ban
the third-generation low-dose birth control
pills. They claim that these new contraceptive
pills double the risk of potentially fatal blood
clots, or thrombosis, in comparison to other
pills.
According to Dr. Sidney Wolfe, director
of Public Citizens’ research group, the new
type of birth control uses a specific type of
progesterone, desogestrel, which increases
the risk of fatal blood clots. In every 100,000
women who take low-estrogen birth control
pills, 30 develop blood clots -- compared to 15
out of 100,000 women who take the regulardose birth control pills.
While second-generation pills that do not
contain desogestrel are still prescribed more
often than those that do, approximately 7.5
million prescriptions of these new birth control pills are filled every year.
“We estimate that hundreds of women are
affected each year,” Wolfe said.
He said since sending the petition last
week, Public Citizens’ research group has received calls from three women who developed
blood clots and suffered subsequent health
problems when taking birth control pills -- two
of them specifically used the third-generation
pills.
“One said that after taking the pills for
six months, she developed pain in the chest
and rushed to the hospital. She said she was
minutes away from dying because [the clot]
went into her lungs,” Wolfe said. “She said she
wouldn’t have taken the pills if she knew about
the increased risk.”
He said the organization urges women to
visit the Public Citizens website to learn more
and sign the petition. So far, approximately
1,000 women have signed the petition.
Dr. Clara Paik, assistant professor in the
department of obstetrics and genecology at
the University of California-Davis Medical
Center, said the estrogen within the pills also
increases risks of deep-vein thrombosis or pulmonary embolus, which may lead to stroke or
heart attacks.
Even though there is risk associated with
using any type of oral contraceptive, it isn’t a
high enough risk to not prescribe them.
“The risk of these things is very, very
low, even in higher-dose estrogen pills,” Paik
said. “Obviously, we wouldn’t prescribe them
with such frequency if they were dangerous to
women. The risk is much smaller than getting
into an accident if driving a car, for example.”
Allison Jolda, a fifth-year senior anthropology major at UC Davis, said she has been
taking birth control pills for more than two
years and has not had any problems.
While she said her doctor informed her
of the health risks connected to birth control
pills, she is not sure exactly what they are.
“My doctor warned me about them, but it
was so long ago I don’t remember,” she said.
Even though people are warned beforehand about the potentially fatal risks and effects, she said she doubts that they would persuade many women from taking any type of
birth control pills.
“After hearing the number of women affected, it’s not really that impressive,” Jolda
said. “Plus, the benefits are definitely worth it.
That’s why I think I decided to take them even
after hearing the risks.”
Opinion/Editorial
4
Editorial
As American college students with jobs, lots to pay for
and ever increasing prices, it is hard for us to get out there and
protest for things we feel strongly for.
Just because you don’t see us outside marching in the
streets and holding up signs everyday, protesting the war or gas
prices, it doesn’t mean we don’t care. We have a million things
on our plates as it is and no one makes it any easier for us to try
our attempt at making a difference. Maybe society and those
in power keep it that way for a reason. They know how strong
we could be had we the time and the sole responsibility of just
being a student.
For instance, take the price of food in the Devil’s Den.
Have you ever noticed the prices? If you haven’t, just know that
they are over the top. We are students and the majority of us
who go here are paying for our own rent, our own food and our
own steadily increasing tuition. We shouldn’t have to pay such
ridiculous prices for food that will only contribute to clogged
arteries or the “freshmen 15.”
Most of us buy the food here because it is convenient, if
not anything else. There is no time to drive home to get healthier, cheaper food when a huge number of us here at CCSU commute.
Can we do anything about these prices? Do we think we
can do anything about these prices?
Sure we can do something, we can protest and sit on the
countertops and demand they decrease the prices. But, will
anyone listen to us when only a few dozen show up? Will even
a few dozen show up if we all have jobs essential to the paying of our bills? We can’t call out of work everyday to protest
because we risk the chance of getting fired. It is this mentality
that stops many of us from protesting.
Lots of us would love to stand up and do some sort of a
walk-out, sit-in or protest to try and get our demands met. We
want to stop the war, we want to decrease the prices of food
and we don’t want to pay more for our tuition! We know that if
we give the higher powers an inch, they are going to eventually
take a mile and we hate it.
Trouser Snakes on a Plane
Stephanie Bergeron
Opinion Editor
We’ve all thought about it, either in a wet
dream or experiencing it vicariously through
movies—having exhilarating sex on a plane.
Lately there have been more and more accounts of people having sex on a plane. People
who are caught either end up getting arrested or
getting into some sort of trouble for it. But the
real question is, why? If they are taking their
rendezvous into the bathroom, shouldn’t they
be able to join the mile high club?
I personally don’t see anything wrong
with it—that is, as long as they don’t leave a
mess behind because I’ll most likely have to go
in there at some point, maybe even to try to join
the club myself.
Many of you heard the story about the
California couple who was taking a flight to
Raleigh, North Carolina and ended up getting
arrested for an in-flight friskiness affair in November.
According to the Charlotte Observer the
couple is facing federal charges for harassing
the flight attendant who had asked them to stop
when other passengers complained. What the
news did not tell us was that everyone on the
plane was sexually frustrated and couldn’t bear
to hear the sound of anything remotely sexual
for fear of masturbating in public; an act known
to be most popular with the great Pee Wee Herman.
The couple was at first seen nuzzling and
kissing—not that big of a deal. Anyone who
complained about that has relationship issues
of their own or has a problem with public displays of affection. Later, the male was seen
with his head on his girlfriend’s lower body—
one step too far buddy. If he was, in fact, giving
her some action down there, they were asking
to get caught.
There are unwritten rules to the mile high
club; obviously that couple was completely
oblivious to them. The rules are very simple,
and it is all about location, timing and planning.
When booking a flight, always remember to book your seats towards the back of
the plane—this makes for easier access to the
bathroom and makes it less conspicuous. Keep
a low profile back there, but don’t go wearing
your Dylan shades because that is sure to cause
some sort of terrorist scare. You’ll end up getting strip-searched, which I guess is okay if you
are into that.
Next, never ever assume that you can
get away with sexy time at your seat like the
two morons going to Raleigh did. Chances
are someone is watching and chances are that
someone is an artist—a person who notices every single detail. You can’t hide anything from
an artist; if nothing else, remember that.
Plan ahead, the mile high club is a team
effort. I know the majority of people in college
are into the element of surprise and spontaneous sex, but sex on a plane is serious and you
can’t fuck around—pun intended. Know your
partner’s hand signals!
Take every precaution. Lining whatever
you are touching with your bare ass with toilet paper may not be a bad idea. Chances are
it hasn’t been washed for awhile, and the last
guy in there wiped himself with his hand and
touched everything.
Always remember to know where the flight
attendants sit, how long you have in between
peanut breaks and always, always remember
never to get up and go to the bathroom at the
same time. Allot for at least seven minutes in
between you and your partner to play it safe.
Bring a magazine. This can keep you
occupied while you are awaiting the arrival
of your companion. Not only that, but people
will assume you need the reading material for
something else, if you catch my drift. Doing
this, people won’t think twice about allowing
at least 15 minutes for that bad boy to air out
before going back there to knock on the door.
Sex on a plane = quickies only. Stay in
there too long and the cavalry is coming in
there after you.
If you, your girlfriend or boyfriend has a
problem with keeping your sexual intercourse
comments quiet, this may not be the act for
you.
Lastly, for best results book a flight at
night. There are less people on overnight flights;
therefore, there is less chance of getting caught.
Also, they shut the lights to set the mood, which
basically asks you to conduct in the liberating
experience.
So, if people want to have sex on a plane,
let them have sex on a plane. As long as they
go into the bathroom and don’t make a huge
scene, why the hell not? Sure, we may know
what they are doing, but we won’t stop them
because hell—it’s going to make a great freaking story to tell all your friends. Whoever you
tell the story to will smile, they will tell other
people who will laugh and then they will tell
more people.
If you get caught, you’ll be embarrassed—
I know. As long as you don’t get arrested, a few
minutes or hours (depending on what time you
do the deed and how long your flight is) of embarrassing remarks will be worth a lifetime’s
membership into the mile high club. And that’s
only if you don’t follow the unwritten rules and
get caught! Is that not worth it?
By having sex on a plane you are giving
this sad and sometimes dull society something
to laugh about. You are doing the public a favor.
That couple made the news and we all laughed
and thought, “Damn, I hope I don’t get caught
when I try that.”
The way American students have to juggle school and
tons of financial responsibility here is not fair. We hardly get
any help from the government and we should. After all, we are
the future of this “great” nation. If we spent less money on the
war, we could fund education and everyone would be able to go
to the school they wanted to go to. Financial aid sucks and we
will all be paying off college for the rest of our lives.
Maybe what we need is a petition, a petition to have a few
national protest days a year. What about a protest pass - something you could hand into your boss at work to tell him you are
fighting for the greater good today?
The reason we have to deal with everything we don’t like
is because we don’t have the time to fight for what we are passionate. The government keeps it this way for a reason. Imagine if we all had the time to fight, they would have to listen to
us and they would have to put an end to things. But, as it is,
they keep prices high and they make sure to keep us busy at
work to distract us from what is happening right under our nose
– Capitalism.
Letter to the Editor
I think if the U.S. mint really wanted the coin to be a success they would simply stop printing the paper dollar. I think they would save enough money over the long run by not having to
print the low denomination bill to more then cover the cost of printing bills that are identifiable
to the blind.
William Preston
Scarborough Maine
To the Editor,
Dan Gray’s tawdry article published on
February 14 erroneously depicts the life of
Frederick Douglass, but, it does exhibit evidence of ignorance and racism.
Gray falsely states that Douglass was
taught to read and write by his master’s wife.
According to Douglass’s narrative, he was
self-taught. As for the master’s loving wife,
Douglass states, “nothing seemed to make
her more angry than to see me with a newspaper” and she showed, “to her satisfaction, that
education and slavery were incompatible with
each other.”
Gray ineptly states that “people respected
[Douglass] because he was almost as sophisticated and well read as the most well taught
white man.” Gray expresses the perception of
most “whites” that blacks are intellectually inferior. Such thinking results from the socially
constructed concept of race.
Gray mentions Douglass’s marriage to
“a very attractive white woman, 20 years his
younger,” as perhaps a way of “…sticking it to
the white men who tortured his life as a slave
boy.” First, Douglass was tortured also as a
grown man. Secondly, this “white woman”
was feminist Helen Pitts, who Douglass married in 1884 after the death of his very attractive “free” black wife, Anna Murray Douglass
in 1882.
Gray insults the legacy of this brilliant
writer and orator. I suggest for Gray to read
book he praises, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Possibly,
Gray can then become “almost as sophisticated and well read as the most well taught white
man.”
Doris García
CCSU Alumni
5
Talking Points: Pundits versus Progress
Jeff Hayden
Staff Writer
Television News Needs a Conscious
Justin Kloczko
No wonder Bush and Cheney maintain
that confidant swagger of theirs—they watch
more Fox News than a brain-dead vegetable
On the eve of his departure from CBS in watches time fly by.
Think about it, do you ever hear about
1958, Edward R. Murrow, the man who gave
birth to broadcast journalism and nurtured its the number of Iraqis that have died in the war?
infancy, prophesized the future state of our me- Almost halfway around the globe, people in
the Middle East receive a totally different picdia.
“We are currently wealthy, fat, comfort- ture of the events unfolding. Just log onto Alable and complacent…our mass media reflect Jazeera or watch Control Room.
Another Murrowism: “One of the basic
this. But unless we get off our fat surpluses
and recognize that television is being used to troubles with radio and television news is that
distract, delude, amuse and insulate us, then both instruments have grown up as an incomtelevision and those who finance it, those who patible combination of show business, advertislook at it and those who work at it, may see a ing and news.”
Take the death of Anna Nicole Smith,
totally different picture too late.”
We are currently drowning in the sea of which has flooded our TV sets more than the
Internet has been flooded by hits of her naked
static distortion Murrow foretold.
pictures. This is the
Today, our media
Murrow enoutlets are mechanisms of
“Cable news, in particular, distraction
visioned. Forget stuff
the capitalist machine that
Fox News and CNN, have
that matters. Televilie in the hands of weapsion
entrepreneurs
ons-maker General Elecbecome cheerleaders
want stuff that makes
tric (MSNBC) and moninstead of watchdogs”
money, and expired
ey-hungry tycoons like
silicon titties sell.
Rupert Murdoch (News
If you ask me, the news is the best enCorp.), who are gutting the integrity Murrow
tertainment on television with its quick cuts
instilled almost 50 years ago.
Gone is objectivity. Further drifting is our devoted to fires, murder, war and disposable
bobblehead politicians wrapped in a sound bite
democracy into Orwellian consequences.
Unfortunately, the television news media of terrible, overdramatic music.
The news has become a cyclical tool used
have become preprogrammed pawns for political agenda in return for their journalistic by the people who have the money, and the
tenacity. Cable news, in particular, Fox News people who are run by it—politicians. The
and CNN, have become cheerleaders instead of news isn’t news anymore; it is merely created
by powerful people who need that sphere of
watchdogs.
Television has become the most influential influence.
Even CBS, Murrow’s brainchild, has
medium in our history, and it has been exploited to no ends. It is a proven fact that the more sunken into decadence after the Rathergate
television a person watches, the more a distort- meltdown in 2004. CNN throws out softballs
ed view they develop of the world around them. to any liberals on their program. Fox’s Hannity
Reality TV isn’t real, and John Stewart and Ste- and Colmes is down right ridiculous, with Sean
Hannity playing the fierce Republican along
ven Colbert are just there to make you laugh.
No longer can we make fair decisions on with his bitch colleague Colmes as the wimp,
the issues, instead our population is force-fed cocked-eyed Democrat who gets cut off and
propaganda from both the Democratic and Re- made fun of every segment. It is ludicrous.
Television news is so flooded with opinpublican sides. Nothing is “fair and balanced.”
And it is only driven deeper and deeper down ion that we don’t even realize it oozing into
our throats. We choose which truth we want to our psyche. I bet most people in college get
their news from The Daily Show and Colbert
hear by the remote in our hand.
Today the views we are supposed to hold Report.
Don’t watch the news; better yet, don’t
have been consolidated into left and right. If
you’re a liberal you watch CNN. If you’re a watch any television. Don’t end up like me
conservative you watch Fox News. I’m sorry, and hopelessly watch every news channel until
you develop a severe case of ‘doublethink.’ We
but the world isn’t black and white.
A perfect example of this is Vice President don’t want these opinions, just the facts. Our
Cheney, who looked at CNN’s Wolf Blitzer like democracy will not sustain itself with a puppet
an 8-headed mongrel when he asked him about media.
Murrow was our first and last real broadthe state of Iraq as being a “blunder.” With his
upper lip cocked and ready, Cheney said the al- cast journalist. He somehow had the intuitive
sense of ‘doing the right thing.’ When a dislegations were “hogwash.”
Cheney is in a mirage of his own denial, gruntled politician tried to scare us of invading
and I don’t blame him. He requests the TV communists in America, Murrow was there to
be tuned into Fox News at any hotel he stays. stand up. If someone tried to speak out and be
Over and over, talking heads with a twinkle in a Murrow today, that person would be crushed
their eye and caked-on makeup tell our Vice before he was able to utter truth.
“Ed Murrow had a child, and the damn
President in an assuring voice, “Things are gothing went wild.”
ing just fine.”
Staff Writer
The American political arena is a stadium built for competition; competition for
funding, minds and votes. Pundits have become the puppeteers of our governmental
policy and our societal values through their
tactics of framing, repetition and authoritative diction.
In the ever-increasingly warming climate of global and national debate between
morals, values, money and ideas, citizens
bred not only in American political thought,
as well as those of other nations, must strive
to take all values and ideas at more than face
worth. They must seek to understand their
underlying philosophical and intrinsic principles. Seeking citizens must look six moves
to the future and decide what to legislate upon
based on the determined consequences and
aftereffects of all decisions.
The political market is like a penny
stock; if enough people invest in one cause,
its value will rise and a pundit will take notice and call others to the fray. If the pundit,
in this case Jim Cramer, advocates for that
penny stock, millions will jump to it, and its
value will also henceforth rise. It’s a two-way
street. Pundits have the ability to make more
of nothing and less of something.
Case in point, the news last summer
that there would be a glorious celebration of
immigrant rights in “A Day without Immigrants” (read: Latinos). There were plenty of
angry Americans, especially when the pundits pointed out that being illegal aliens, they
didn’t have the right to assemble since they
were in fact not covered by the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States
of America. Or, take Abu Ghraib. The world
might not have known about the incidents if it
weren’t for pundits. Better yet, Newsweek’s
cover story about the flushing of a Koran by a
marine down at Club Git’mo. Perhaps that is
an example of the chicken coming long before
the egg.
Have pundits caused this new age of
political polarity on Capitol Hill? Initially,
the face value response is, “Of course not.
They’re not the power.” However, with closer
inspection, what is the cause of the current
partisan divide? In the last four years, it has
decidedly been, Iraq. Why?
The debate may rage about why we are
there, what we are doing there, and how much
longer we will be there, but one thing is clear.
We went to Iraq to scare the pants off of our
enemies, and ended up scaring the pants off of
ourselves. Why? Pundits. The word soldier
was replaced with troop. The words ‘Mission
Accomplished’ were taken out of scope and
applied to the greater effort. Terrorists be-
came insurgent freedom fighters, American
forces became occupiers and warring tribes
became a Civil War. Pundits.
If one thing is to be shown from the prior
four years, it is that semantics can change by
the second, and every time they do things get
worse. Pundits have that ability to cause the
political climate to shift and heat up, stopping
the congressional thermohaline circulation of
cross aisle bipartisanship which keeps legislation moving. In this respect, pundits’ styles
and tactics do have effect on the political climate.
Knowing one’s counter argument better
than the argument they are espousing is the
greatest way to explain themselves. Knowing
and anticipating the counterpoint of any argument is how minds are influenced and won;
knowledge increases both apparent and actual authority. People should use information
pundits given them in one of two ways: either
they should play the game, or they should get
off the court, take their ball and go home
If a person is going to play the game, it is
his or her task as a thoughtful citizen to gain
as much knowledge on the particular subject
as possible. Before they espouse a view and
become steadfast in their resolve, they must
comprehensively know why they feel as they
do, with an intellectual rather than emotional
or general argument. To do a lackluster job of
seeking out new information would be a disservice to all of those whom will meet the individual. They will have been given a quarter
of all the information by a person who knew
only half to begin with.
The other option for viewers is to be just
that. Viewers. They should simply be an audience. If they will make no attempt to educate themselves, and to possibly grow in the
process, then they should leave the court all
together. These viewers should not attempt to
convert others to their thinking, because they
are ill-informed. The position has been maintained that only an informed public should
vote, otherwise a democracy may become
illegitimate. If citizens are voting on blind
principle and emotional knee-jerk reaction,
then how is democracy advanced? If viewers
are simply viewers and not citizens as well,
they should go back to work and not try to
convince others of the validity of their claim.
When you start thinking about 2008 and
who you want to lead you, who are you going
to listen to? Keith Olberman? Bill O’Reilly?
Rush Limbaugh? Stuart Smalley? No. You
should listen to the candidates themselves and
look at their track records, not what they’re
saying now just to get elected. Next week I’ll
break down the real affiliations of Republican
and Democrat announced candidates and explain why they all suck. Don’t be a drone.
Think about it.
What the Hell Is Wrong With CCSU?
Stephanie Maldonado
Staff Writer
I woke up on Feb 14 expecting a school cancellation, only to
receive a notice of a “two-hour delay.” WHAT!? I looked outside and
couldn’t believe my eyes. The birds
were slipping and sliding, and
I thought to myself, “There is
no way I’m going out there,
this can’t be right.”
Checking the Weather
Channel I saw that all surrounding schools were closed.
Okay, if all surrounding districts are closed
that means the roads are not safe. Therefore, I
should not be driving on them.
My car even objected. It took one look at
me, standing there with my car keys and said:
“Oh hell no, not today chick, go home. Unless
you plan on attaching a plow to my face and skis
to my tires, we’re not going anywhere. Just for
the record, ‘I see dead people’ and I’m not talking about The Sixth Sense. I’m talking about the
people you’re going to plow into on your way
to school on those slippery roads. I’ll tell you
what, we’ll do this like Forrest Gump, ‘Run,
Stephanie, Run’ and try not to slip and fall we’re not in a supermarket, you can’t sue for
stupidity outside. You’ll definitely get a laughing audience though from the block watch and
your super-nosey neighbors. Now go home and
no, you can’t woo me with soft words, sweet
music or a jump start. It may be Valentine’s
Day, but I ain’t functioning for nobody today.
Just because I have four wheels doesn’t mean
I have four-wheel drive. I’m a Mercury, not a
Range Rover, and in case you haven’t noticed,
there’s a parking ban!”
That was the end of that.
As a student, I know the importance of
school. I pay to be here and the staff has to work
to make a living, but come on. Everything has a
limit and this is one of them.
I remember back in grade school when in
order for you to attend a certain school you had
to live within that district. If there was a snow
day, guess what - that meant you couldn’t get
from your house to the school.
As a college, we don’t have to be in a dis-
trict. We are coming in from
all over Connecticut, even
out of state. When deciding
whether or not school
should be closed,
where the students
are all coming from
should be taken into
consideration first.
The roads may be clear
on campus, but not in Hartford, Bridgeport, New Haven, Avon, Cheshire etc.
We don’t live around
the block, you know.
The personal safety of
the staff and students
should come first!
If my home is point A
and the school is point B, and
point B knows that the distance between point
A and B is too dangerous to travel on, then
why the hell is point B still open and demanding that I travel there? Especially when point
B knows that this snow storm is only going to
get worse.
Even the students living on campus should
think twice before exiting the dorms to travel
between buildings for class. I could just picture
it: looking like a deleted scene from The Day
After Tomorrow—ice pick in hand—wondering whether this was just going to be getting
from class to class or Vertical Limit.
So, onto the last resort. “Beam me up,
Scottie!” Scottie? Where the? Damn, he’s taking a snow day! What? His car told him to buzz
off too? His car is pleading El Niño and threatening to show his bumper a tree if he tried to
drive it? What a day!
Luckily, some time later in the day they
cancelled all classes and activities.
But, here’s my theory: if school is only going to be delayed, they better know for sure that
the storm is over! In this case, even the students
knew that the storm was going to get worse so
they chose to stay in. School should have been
cancelled first thing in the morning. The fact
that it wasn’t only shows that both staff and students could have been put into danger. If something would have happened, who would have
been responsible? What do you think?
If you have any questions or comments
concerning The Recorder, please feel
free to send a letter to the Editor at
ccsurecorder@gmail.com
Letters must include a name and
should not be much longer than 200
words. The Recorder reserves the
right to edit letters.
The Kennedy
Connection
Eugene Lee
U-Wire
George Will had some Valentine’s Day
advice for Barack Obama: “If you get the girl
up on her tiptoes, you should kiss her. The
electorate is on its tiptoes because (he) has
collaborated with the creation of a tsunami of
excitement about him.”
Standing in front of the Old State Capitol
in Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous “House Divided”
speech, Obama heeded Will’s advice last
Saturday and began his much-anticipated bid
for the presidency. Clever campaigning and
media fascination aligned Obama’s developing political persona with nostalgia for past
leaders.
Columnist Ruth Marcus called him the
“truly Clintonian figure running for the Democratic nomination,” surely to the chagrin of
that other Clinton. These appeals to historical
sentiment are overt; but when contrasted to
his perceived inexperience, many inevitably
question the comparisons as premature.
Newton Minow, a former political advisor, proposed another president: “I thought, ‘I
haven’t felt this same thing since Jack Kennedy.’”
Kennedy rallied a nation motivated by
fear rather than hope. With Cold War paranoia dominating the collective conscience, the
United States remained in the shadows of both
domestic and foreign enemies. But amidst the
turmoil, Kennedy optimistically implored
the nation to “ask what you can do for your
country.” With all due respect to NASA and
the Peace Corps, Kennedy’s greatest contribution was the restoration of the belief in our
broader identity amidst a period of tumultuous change.
Fast forward more than 40 years: Barack
Obama enters a presidential race in a country
jaded by years of war and corruption. Issues
like the Iraq war, Iran, nuclear North Korea,
budget deficits, health care and immigration
have exhausted Americans. To make matters worse, excessive partisanship and ethical
lapses in both parties have exacerbated the
situation. We are disgusted: According to a
6
recent AP poll, 68 percent of Americans do
not approve of the nation’s current path and
desire change.
While polarized party identities have solidified extreme bases and isolated the average
American, Obama evokes the unifying spirit
of JFK by reminding us that “there is not a
liberal America and a conservative America - there is the United States of America.” In our
time of national pain, Obama has assumed the
role of a political healer. Where many petty
politicians find temporary victory in political strife, Obama challenges the petty “politics of cynicism” with the “politics of hope.”
Obama’s motivation is non-partisan, appealing to ideologues in our nation’s time of need
to abandon their trivial identities in favor of
greater allegiances.
Pundits will counter my praise with
two pedantic responses: that he’s both inexperienced and young. While contrived, these
challenges do reflect the fact that, in this early
stage of the campaign, Obama’s presidential
hopes are painfully fragile. But these criticisms are short-sighted and far from insurmountable. For those who question whether
he has enough experience to have good judgment, allow me to remind everyone that it was
Obama who had the wisdom back in 2003 to
oppose a war with widespread Congressional
support. Arguments for the age issue succumb
to historical potholes: JFK and Clinton utilized their youth to provide a fresh outlook on
politics sorely desired by a wary electorate.
The greatest challenge for the senator is,
to borrow a concept from physics, transforming that potential energy he has accumulated
and redirect it into the kinetic energy of a tangible campaign. Obama’s political legacy will
come down not to charisma but substance.
Whether that happens or not is speculation;
but from an immediate standpoint, Obama
has already contributed to the national debate.
Amidst the thousands cheering in Springfield, it became clear that Obama has gotten
the United States excited about politics again
by resuscitating our belief in our personal efficacy.
He might not be able to walk on water,
but Barack Obama is messianic in his own
right. In a time where faith in politics has
flatlined, Obama has begun resurrecting our
hopes for a better future, uniting citizens
under a common cause -- much like a young
idealistic senator from New England did more
than 40 years ago.
7
Vending Machines: The Modern Day Rubik’s Cube
Todd Szabo
Olivier Simon
Staff Writer
The following is a familiar scenario for
students attending CCSU: It starts off with you,
the student. Overworked, underappreciated and
working hard to get to the weekend, you don’t
always have time to eat right. Instead of going
to Blimpie, the Underground Deli or heaven
forbid, Memorial Hall, you rely on one of the
several vending machines around campus.
One of the more popular machines by the
computer lab is friend to all who are writing a
term paper, making a PowerPoint presentation,
a spreadsheet or just talking online to friends.
You would never think a trip to get some snacks
would be a great challenge. But then again, no
one ever said it would be easy. The machines
seem to be made back when the Soviets had
missiles in Cuba.
You swipe your card then survey the food
options: Skittles, pretzels, Pop-Tarts, Snickers,
3 Musketeers, Reese’s Pieces and more. Obeying your sweet tooth, you decide to get a Snickers bar.
You slide your Blue Chip card again and
the machine takes out one dollar and thirty
cents. Now you really want that Snickers bar.
As soon as you make your selection, the little
metal spiral starts to twist, bringing the candy
closer and closer. Yet, just before the metal spiral allows gravity to pull your sweet confection
to the bottom of the vending machine—it stops.
In your head, you start screaming at the stupid
vending machine, “What a bummer!” This is
exactly how your week has been going.
Gravity is not enough to bring your Snickers to you so you do what any self-respecting
student would do, channel your anger like a
samurai master and kick the machine. Finding
this method poorly lacking in efficiency, you
opt for a different strategy - one that may even
get you to class on time.
In vain, you shimmy the vending machine
side to side, trying to free your high-calorie
lunch. Having expended all your energy and
having acted like a gorilla, needless to say—
your patience and your waist is wearing thin.
Looking at that completely unattractive
black box and cursing its very existence, you
think to yourself, “Why can’t all the vending
U-Wire
machines look as attractive as the soda machines in the Student Center? At least those
aesthetically add to the area that they are put
in.”
The little blue sticker with the Central
emblem on the side of the machine mocks your
attempts at the elusive candy. If only you had
taken the time to read the little sticker’s instructions: “You may receive a refund at the
card office.”
You think about it, but really you just want
the damn candy bar to fall and not have to go
through anything else. Plus, you have class.
Going to the card office is superbly unlikely to
happen.
Instead, disheartened and hungry, you
pick up your backpack and belongings and
give up. You begin your trek across the chilly,
tundra-like campus to class as your stomach
rumbles mercilessly. All the while you wonder
if people at UConn or Qunnipiac have to deal
with archaic vending machines. Chances are,
probably not.
Public Breastfeeding Deserves Protection
Anna Williams
U-Wire
If it wasn’t for the abundance of scantily
clad women splashed across television screens
all over the United States, one would think the
nation was stuck in the Victorian period by the
way many respond to public breastfeeding.
Women have been removed from malls, restaurants and airplanes merely for nursing because
others found the act to be lewd and offensive.
The culture of the United States is full of
contradictions and in no area is this more apparent than in the portrayal and view of the female body. The most visible and obvious concept of femininity is that women’s bodies are
sexual objects that should be flaunted.
We are bombarded with this objectification
of women from all angles, including television,
movies, fashion, and general societal expectations. In recent decades women have even been
encouraged to use this to their advantage, finding power in flaunting their sexuality.
On the other hand, we as Americans have
inherited the concept that the female body
is shameful and therefore something to keep
covered. Therefore, many people believe that
women who prominently display their sexuality aren’t taking power or showing pride in
their bodies, but are loose and immoral. This
idea has certainly been handed down from previous generations and stems from the religious
traditions in which much of the history of the
United States is rooted.
Nothing better epitomizes these oppositional views of women’s bodies than the debate over public breastfeeding, as it is often
thought either to be provocative and sexual or
something shameful that only should be done
in private.
However, when judging breastfeeding,
it seems society forgets the true function of
No Denying Global Warming Now
breasts -- not to be sexual objects but to feed
and nourish infants. The fact that even today no
formula milk matches the nutrition and benefits
of breastfeeding proves how natural the practice is.
In a Newsweek article, Karen Peters of the
Breast Feeding Task Force of Greater Los Angeles confirms, “Our society doesn’t recognize
the functional use of breasts. It only recognizes
the sexual aspects.”
We as a society have turned breasts into
sexual objects and a nursing mother should not
be punished because society has been taught
to see breasts as nothing more. It is a product
of culture and socialization when someone is
offended by a mother breastfeeding and these
social mores should not hinder a mother from
doing what is natural and healthy for her child.
However, some Wisconsin lawmakers recognize the opposition and intimidation mothers
face when nursing in public and have rightly
taken steps to encourage and protect a woman’s
right to breastfeed. Though Wisconsin courts
already recognize a woman’s right to breastfeed in public, “The Right to Breastfeed Act”
would make it so that people would face a fine
if they harassed a breastfeeding mother.
It is common knowledge that breastfeeding is healthiest for babies, from both a nutritional and an emotional standpoint and, if
passed, this law would help society begin to
realize that breasts serve more than a merely
sexual purpose.
A woman should be able to nurse in public without being leered at or judged as being
immodest. Perhaps passing this act will also
remind society that in general it is a woman’s
choice and right to decide what she wishes to
do with her body and how to use her sexuality, without being judged from either end of the
spectrum.
The first installment of the Fourth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change was released Feb. 2.
Painstakingly assembled and vetted by more
than 1,200 scientists and policy experts from
113 countries, it’s an 18-page rundown of the
meatiest observations, projections and uncertainties in modern climate change science -- a
preview of the findings of the larger report,
which will be hundreds of pages long and released in sections throughout the year.
The summary is not daunting to understand; it’s designed that way so nonexperts
can easily get the drift. All you need is basic
literacy with numbers and the ability to understand a graph. Conclusions are given in a
methodical, point-by-point, bulleted format.
You can download a PDF of it at Ipcc.ch.
What’s most encouraging about it, oddly
enough, is that it’s unambiguously alarming,
leaving virtually no doubt about a number of
important points. First, the climate system is
changing. The report reads,
“...warming of the climate system is unequivocal, as is now evident from increases of
global average air and ocean temperatures.”
Second, the report asserts that humans are the
main cause of this change, stating there is
“...very high confidence (greater than 90
percent certainty) that the globally averaged
net effect of human activities since 1750 has
been one of warming.” This is a big change
over 2001’s third assessment, which offered
only a 66 percent certainty that climate
change was anthropogenic.
The report also puts warming to date at
0.8 degrees Celsius and predicts global temperature to rise from 1.8 to 4 degrees Celsius
this century -- enough to shift climate zones
hundreds of miles poleward.
Why do I say this is encouraging? Because we finally have a verdict: Global warming is our responsibility to stop. This comes
from a source too authoritative for anyone in
his or her right mind -- forget about the Wall
Street Journal editorial page -- to ignore. This
report is a broad-based finding from a huge,
global, official group with extensive review
mechanisms to guard against conflicts of interest, falsified data or interference from individual or national ideologies. If people in
power will listen to anything, they’ll listen to
this.
Of course, we had a good idea in advance as to what most of its conclusions
would be. There have been more than enough
individual findings to make a strong case that
global warming is happening and worth serious global action. But these were small, uncoordinated voices. Now, a huge chorus has
spoken as one.
Actually, the monolithic quality of the
report means some recent findings that would
have made the message even more dire did
not make it in. For example, the report does
not take into account the release of methane
-- a greenhouse gas more than 20 times stronger than carbon dioxide -- from now-melting
tundra. Nor does it incorporate new evidence
that Greenland’s ice sheet is melting faster
than expected.
The world can no longer deny what must
be done and neither can individuals.
But meaningful action will take a lot
more than following the energy-saving tips at
the end of “An Inconvenient Truth.” Changing all the light bulbs in the world to compact
fluorescent and turning thermostats down 2
degrees will make only a small dent. Even if
we traded in all the 245 million vehicles in the
U.S. for Priuses, it would reduce global emissions a mere 3 percent, when an 80 percent
cut is needed.
This problem is frankly too big to be
dealt with by piecemeal changes in individual
lifestyles, however virtuous. Without regulatory action backed by the government’s power of enforcement, wasteful individuals and
companies will not go to the trouble of changing their ways, instead sucking up the benefits
created by those who do.
Now that global warming’s human origin is mainstream knowledge, we have to
hope that we the people can put enough collective pressure on our leaders to make them
transform our economy and lifestyle toward
low carbon intensity.
That transformation won’t be just about
what we do in our own backyard. The greatest challenge -- and the greatest opportunity
-- that global warming presents can be found
in its name. In order to tackle the problem,
all nations and peoples will have to cooperate.
We will have to communicate, trust and strive
together toward this huge goal. If we can pull
that off, a long promising future awaits our
species. If we fail, it might be proof that we’re
too immature to responsibly wield the vast
powers we’ve accumulated.
Inebriation Killed the Quiet Hours
Lindsie Dexter
Staff Writer
I don’t live in a dorm and for that I count
my blessings. However, I have the misfortune
of dealing with the disrespectful residents of
Sam May because that is where my boyfriend
is currently housed. During late nights the
hip-hop goes on, the repetitive bass line shaking the walls and the music spilling loudly
out into the hallway. Drunken idiots
meander through the hallways yelling obscenities and racial slurs to
each other from different ends of
the hallway at one in the morning. The quiet hours posted on the
walls that read 10 p.m.-10 a.m. on
weekdays and 11 p.m.-11 a.m. on
weekends go unnoticed by the vast
majority of the residents.
I am not one to condemn partying (though drinking on campus
is against the rules and underage
drinking is against the law), but
when I spend the night at my boyfriend’s and need to wake up at
8 a.m. the next morning I would
rather not stay up until 1 a.m. or
later the night before because
people are out in the hallways,
tossing tennis balls against the
walls (and sometimes against
our door), yelling obnoxiously
and committing acts of vandalism. Some students have
recently taken to keying
doors, as if doing so
raises their status of
“asshole” to “complete
douche bag.”
I feel badly for the janitors who have to
clean up after these Neanderthals, who trash
the halls with empty alcohol bottles and pizza
boxes, who vomit in the sinks, deposit excrement into the shower stalls and generally disrespect the building during their time spent
pretending to be more inebriated than they really are. I’m willing to bet half the people who
are making complete fools out of themselves
are either extremely lightweight, considering
they’re making out with their best guy
friend after one beer, or faking inebriation to excuse their idiocy.
If the loud, obnoxious guys
and the girls with sickeningly highpitched voices, screaming on their
cell phones about how they think
their jerk of a boyfriend is cheating
on them (and he probably is), would
just go out somewhere (a bar, an
18-plus club, etc.) then the nights
of respectable college students
across campus who have classes
before noon would be far better.
People drink, it’s a known
fact. Quite a lot of those people
are drinking underage; plenty of
people acknowledge that fact.
So everyone who drinks and
seems to think this is somehow
cool (and those are the people
who are posing with those
damn plastic, red cups in their
facebook pictures), it doesn’t
make you any cooler! In
fact, it makes you an annoying asshole (or bitch,
whatever works for
you), so shut the hell
up and let me sleep!
Sports
8
Lady Blue Devils Sink to 6-21 as Season Winds Down
Alex Carr
Sports Editor
The Lady Blue Devils have been struggling to
hold onto any game that they may have left.
The Lady Blue Devils sunk further out of
contention this week losing to both Long Island University and Farleigh Dickinson on the
road. The team is currently 6-21 on the season
with a 4-12 Northeast Conference record. Central is also tied for ninth place in the conference with St. Francis (PA).
Against LIU the Blue Devils played with
an intensity that has been absent for most of
the season. Central would open the game scoring the first four points of the game in addition
to preventing the Blackbirds from scoring a
field goal for the first five minutes. LIU, however, weathered the initial Blue Devil success
by knocking down three consecutive 3-point
field goals. Paced by senior Gabriella Guegbelet’s 17 first half points Central would make
several comebacks throughout the first half
before the Blackbirds would go on a final first
half run of 9-2. There were a total of eight ties
and three lead changes in the first half prior to
the team falling behind by a score of 31 to 24
at the half.
In the first three minutes of the second
half the Blackbirds upped their lead to 11
points within the first three minutes of action.
As Gabriella Guegbelet willed her team into
contention in the first half, she was swarmed
the remainder of the half as Guegbelet was
only able to score six more points. The Blue
Devils would eventually fall by a final score
of 58-46.
After having suffered a disappointing loss
to the Blackbirds, Central hit the road again to
rebound versus Fairleigh Dickinson in Teaneck, New Jersey. Though CCSU was unable to
snap out of their now five-game losing streak,
players such as seniors Gabriella Guegbelet
and Brittney Dixon helped to steady the team’s
effort. Guegbelet finished with 21 points, seven rebounds and two steals. Dixon added 17
points, eight rebounds and three steals. Senior
guard Denee Burgess was also solid scoring
10 points to go along with two assists and two
rebounds.
Having demonstrated flashes of the abilities that this team holds in its last two defeats
certainly suggests that Central has the potential to be better than their record suggests. The
Lady Blue Devils defeated Monmouth 64-48
in New Jersey on Monday, February 19.
There are just two games remaining before the start of the NEC Tournament in which
CCSU hopes to end on a positive note. The
next game will take place on Saturday against
Robert Morris before the season wraps up on
Tuesday against St. Francis (NY).
Blue Devils Clinch Top Seed in NEC Tourney
Coming into last Saturday’s game versus Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey, the 12-game
win streak was tied for the fourth best streak
in the country. Though Central was able to ascertain an early 16-2 lead, their killer instinct
waned late in the game.
Having limited the Knights to 1-for-13
shooting from the field for a stretch of the first
half, CCSU seemed to be in the driver’s seat.
Senior Obie Nwadike also fed the team’s attack, scoring 14 consecutive points after the
eight-minute mark. At the conclusion of the
half Central enjoyed a 13-point lead due in part
to Nwadike’s 16 first half points and Mojica’s
10. In the second half, the Blue Devils failed to
play with the aggression that had earned them
12 straight victories. At one point the Knights
scored six straight points before going on a 153 run.
Among the struggles for the Devils in the
game was a propensity to turn the ball over
in crucial situations as well as a sluggish offensive output. The CCSU backcourt played a
major role in the loss as Blackwood and Mojica
had trouble orchestrating the team’s offense.
Blackwood finished with nine points while
Mojica added 10. Blackwood, however, did
manage to dish out seven assists even as his
scoring was stymied to 4-of-13 shooting from
the floor. Freshman guard Joe Seymore, who
had been hot beyond the arch, scored only two
points.
While his teammates struggled to get on
track, senior Obie Nwadike matched his career
high of 27 points. The forward also grabbed
17 rebounds to record his 15th double-double
of the season.
While it’s unfortunate that Central was
unable to build upon its win streak, it may
have come at just the right time. The Blue
Devils now have two games remaining on their
schedule, both home games. CCSU will face
fifth placed Robert Morris on Thursday. Head
Coach Howie Dickenmen and the Blue Devils
will look to end the season on a positive note
versus Wagner on Monday before the NEC
Tournament gets underway. Central is now 1711 on the season and 14-2 in conference play.
Photos by Conrad Akier / The Recorder
Left: Senior Obie Nwadike matched his career high of 27 points in the game against
Fairleigh Dickinson in New Jersey. He was named this week’s Northeast Conference Player
of the Week for the first time this season.
Right: Senior Blue Devil Javier Mojica tallied 18 points and seven rebounds in the game
against Monmouth last week.
Remaining Schedule for Blue Devils Men’s Basketball
2/22/07
vs Robert Morris
New Britain, Conn.
7:00 p.m.
3/01/07
TBA
NEC Tournament*
TBA
2/26/07
3/04/07
3/07/07
vs Wagner
TBA
TBA
New Britain, Conn.
NEC Tournament*
NEC Tournament*
*The NEC Tournament will be held at CCSU’s Detrick Gymnasium.
7:00 p.m.
TBA
TBA
9
NBA Age Limit Fuels March Madness
Alex Carr
Sports Editor
espn.go.com
Kevin Durant is having a magnificent freshman
campaign with the Texas Longhorns.
For the better part of the winter months,
the sport of football has served as the epicenter
for the majority of our sports entertainment.
From college football to the National Football
League, teams have been cheered and jeered
all the way to the granddaddy of all events, the
Super Bowl. As we reluctantly allow the pigskin memories to seep out of our consciousness, there’s another sport that has been quietly jockeying for our attention.
Whether you’re into college basketball
or the NBA, both have much to offer. In just
a short time under the NBA’s new age limit,
which states that a player must be at least 19
years old by draft day and must wait a year after their class graduates high school, both levels of basketball have benefited from the new
rule. While the NBA has sought to clean up its
image after having endured more than a few
black eyes, college basketball is relishing in a
resurgence of new college stars.
Though the final verdict on the success of
the NBA’s new age limit has yet to be seen, one
can be sure that it has heightened the excitement of basketball fans across the country.
One of two shining examples of the new
rule’s effects can be seen in 6’9” freshman forward Kevin Durant. At this point in the season,
the Texas star’s freakish abilities have already
escaped and filled the ears of basketball fans
across the nation. Though Ohio State’s starting
center Greg Oden was predicted to be the best
freshman in the country, Durant has quickly
crumbled those beliefs with a magnificent
freshman campaign. It’s pretty hard to find an
analyst, fan or journalist who Durant has not
impressed.
So far the freshman has averaged 24.9
points per game in an addition to 11.4 rebounds
per contest. Durant has also hovered around
33 points and 14 rebounds in in-conference
games. Not only that, but the Longhorns are
25-7 on the season as of February 16. While
garnering comparisons as a mix between Tracy
McGrady, Kevin Garnett and Dirk Nowitzki,
Kevin Durant is clearly one of the best freshmen to have ever played college basketball,
and if he keeps it going, he may pose a serious
threat to opposing teams in March.
As Kevin Durant has managed to snatch
the spotlight away from Greg Oden, the socalled next Kareem Abdul-Jabar has not disappointed. While nursing his right wrist due
to surgery, Oden is averaging 15.3 points, 9.5
rebounds and 3.6 blocks per game. While from
a distance Oden’s numbers may appear to be
rather pedestrian compared to Durant’s, the
right-handed Oden has been shooting with his
left hand the entire season. While other players
may not have the skill level or desire to play
with their off-hand, Oden has done just that
Homophobia on the Hardwood
Mark Rowan
Editor-in-Chief
I would be perfectly content if my biggest aggravation with the NBA was with how Dwight Howard
blatantly got cheated during the slam dunk contest on
Saturday. I would be fine debating how the NBA AllStar game is one of the longest running jokes only second to the NFL’s Pro Bowl. However, the NBA has a
large problem. The league received another black eye
this past week and this time they only have themselves
to blame.
For those of you who don’t keep track of the NBA,
and I would say that is probably about 85 percent of you,
let me clue you in. John Amaechi, an NBA nobody who
averaged under three rebounds a game as a center in his
five-year career, made it publicly known that he is gay.
In response to this news a few days later, Tim Hardaway
went on a South Florida radio station and said he hates
gay people. He added, “I’m homophobic. I don’t like
it. It shouldn’t be in the world or in the United States.”
How can a former role model for countless kids and current spokesperson for an organization such as the NBA
be spouting such ignorance? Amaechi said that is just
how it is.
When asked on CNN’s Paula Zahn Now how
widespread homophobia is in the NBA he replied, “I
think it’s widespread in society. Not just homophobia,
but heterosexism is widespread, the assumption that everybody you come across is straight.”
Tim Hardaway may have been the first to say it, but
he certainly won’t be the last. If anything, this brings
the problem the gay community faces in sports to our
nation’s attention. It is all too easy to pull Hardaway
away from the spotlight and detach his name from the
NBA’s, which is exactly what David Stern, the NBA
commissioner, did. But what is even more disheartening may be the comments made from one of the NBA’s
well-known active stars and current role model, LeBron
James.
“LeBron James said it’s a matter of trust,” said
John Roberts on CNN. “That if you play on a basketball
team and you don’t tell your teammates that you’re gay,
you’re untrustworthy.”
Luckily, for James, his comments haven’t been
mentioned in this firestorm of media. He should be
thanking Hardaway that his stupidity has overshadowed his own, but I do not think we should overlook
James’ comments. While Tim Hardaway brought to our
attention that homophobia is a part of the sports world,
LeBron James checked its pulse and let us know that
it was alive and well. Comments from various young
NBA players confirmed that James train of thought is
not a rare case.
This leaves homosexual players in the NBA, and
for that matter, most professional sports, in a catch-22.
and done it exceedingly well. The freshman
is also shooting over 62 percent from both the
field and the charity stripe. As of Friday, February 16, the Buckeyes are 26-3 on the season
and are ranked second in the country.
As Durant and Oden converge on a collision course for player of the year honors there
is much speculation about their futures. Normally both players would already be in the
NBA, but because of the age limit the players get to continually tantalize NBA execs
and fans alike. Most argue that the seven-foot
Oden will be a once in a lifetime type center,
but it has also become increasingly difficult
to ignore the inhuman feats of Kevin Durant.
Though it may be hard to see the effects of the
new rule on the NBA, it has provided enough
fodder to at least get people excited about not
only the futures of the two aforementioned superstars but also of the NBA.
In a few years it may be Oden and Durant who will be the new caretakers of the
NBA. While there are whispers out of Texas
and Ohio that both superstars may be entertaining staying in school, it is unlikely that
both will abstain from the glitz of the NBA.
The superstars of tomorrow have altered the
college game today and are surely making an
unforgettable impact en route to their next pit
stop, the NBA.
Blue Devil
Shorts
CCSU Swimmers Finish Third in NEC
Central Connecticut State ended competition in the Northeast Conference Championships with a third place finish at the Aquatic Center
at Prince George’s Sports and Learning Complex in Landover, MD.
The Blue Devils totaled 577 points, falling short of four-time defending
champion Gardner-Webb’s 735-point performance. On the final day of
the tournament, junior Kristen Jurzynski capped a three-win weekend
with victory in the 1,650 free. The junior finished in 17:05.17 Classmates
Lindsey Snyder and Rachel Brookman added their second wins of the
meet, posting victories in the 200 back and 200 fly. Meanwhile, sophomore Kristen Rossi, who won the one-meter diving on Thursday, finished second on the three-meter board.
(credit: CCSUBlueDevils.com)
Men’s Win Streak Snapped at 12
cbc.ca
John Amaechi, a former NBA center/forward, is the first
NBA player to publicly come out of the closet.
Coming out will only bring ridicule from such players
as Tim Hardaway. Keeping it a secret will make you
“untrustworthy.” So what is one to do?
Someone needs to take the first real shot at knocking down this wall. While John Amaechi made a step in
the right direction, I feel he made it too late, four years
after his retirement. The NBA needs an active player
to come out for the organization to begin to rid itself of
its homophobic tendencies. I do believe Amaechi tried
to pave the way for active gay players to come out, but
Hardaway’s comments may have extinguished any sort
of desire.
The NBA is attempting to regain popularity and
is looking for acceptance from America, but the league
needs to start accepting their own before that can happen. One can only hope that Tim Hardaway’s comments
only made more homosexuals in the NBA aware that
their active participation and presence is needed for the
wall of homophobia to fall.
Central Connecticut saw its 12 game winning streak come to an
end and lost for just the second time in Northeast Conference play this
season dropping a 66-60 decision on Saturday night in Hackensack, NJ
to Fairleigh Dickinson. The loss drops CCSU to 17-11 overall on the season and 14-2 in NEC while FDU improves to 14-12 overall and 9-6 in
the league. Senior Obie Nwadike led the way for CCSU with his 15th
double-double on the season posting a career-high tying 27 points and
17 rebounds in the loss. CCSU returns to action next Thursday night at
home vs. Robert Morris.
Women’s Lacrosse
The Central Connecticut State women’s lacrosse season-opener
scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 17 versus Siena on Arute Field has been
postponed due to poor field conditions resulting from this week’s storm.
The game will be rescheduled for a later date. Please refer to the women’s
lacrosse schedule on CCSUBlueDevils.com for make-up information.
With the postponement, the Blue Devils will now open their season on
Wednesday, Feb. 21 at UConn. The game is scheduled for a 3 p.m. start.
Central’s first four games on the schedule are now road contests.
American will visit New Britain on Tuesday, March 13 at 4 p.m. in the
first of four straight home games for CCSU.
Nwadike NEC Player of the Week
Senior forward Obie Nwadike was named the Northeast Conference Player of the Week on Monday, it was announced by the conference
office. Nwadike joins teammates Javier Mojica and Tristan Blackwood
as Blue Devils who have earned the honor this season. Nwadike wins the
award for the first time this season and the second time in his career. The
Blue Devils, currently 17-11 and 14-2 in the NEC, play again on Thursday night hosting Robert Morris beginning at 7 p.m.
Lifestyles
10
Ariel’s
Celebrity
Report
Book Review
How to Become a
Straight-A Student
Susan Kondracki
Ariel James
Lifestyles Editor
Who could have seen this
one coming? Us Weekly reports that
Britney Spears’ exes, Justin Timberlake
and Kevin Federline are friends. Actually,
the two already knew each other before K-Fed
and Spears hooked up. K-Fed was a former
backup dancer for Timberlake. A witness to
their chumminess told Us, “K-Fed and Justin
were talking for at least 20 minutes. They were
laughing about Britney and how messed up she
is. They’re both more than over her.” How is
Ms. Spears handling the news? Apparently, all
is good. She was seen partying it up in NYC
for Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week, although
people have been saying she’s been partying a
little bit too hard.
Is there trouble in paradise for Nick
Lachey and MTV VJ Vanessa Minillo? According to In Touch Weekly, there is. The
magazine said the couple is “realizing that they
don’t have absolutely everything in common.”
Poor things. (Side note: If you have everything
in common with your partner, then you are just
dating yourself – and that’s weird.) They also
report that Minillo is “too needy” and should
give Lachey some space. Now, she’s even planning on moving to Los Angeles from New York
City just to be closer to him. (One more side
note: If he seems cold toward you when you’re
in a long-distance relationship, moving across
the country to be with him probably won’t make
things better.) I see a break-up on the horizon.
Ok! magazine reports that actress Katie
Holmes is getting too skinny. Personally, I
don’t remember her not being skinny, but whatever. Anyway, they think her “new roles of wife
and mother” are taking a toll on her body and
influencing her weight loss. After giving birth
to daughter Suri in April, she began a rigorous
phun.org
Katie Homles is getting to skinny according
to Ok! magazine.
exercise program to loose her baby weight, including “early morning runs, 200 sit-ups a day,
weight training and one hour of yoga” every
single day. But since shedding those pounds,
Ok! is now saying she’s “looking gaunt.” The
magazine also said other stars, such as Angelina Jolie, Reese Witherspoon, Nicole Kidman
and Claire Danes, are suffering sudden weight
loss due to stress. Whether they gain weight or
lose weight, stars can’t catch a break.
Guitarists John Mayer and John Fusciante from the Red Hot Chili Peppers are being called the “New Guitar Gods” from Rolling
Stone. They are being compared to greats such
as Eric Clapton and Keith Richards, and they’re
making quite an impression on the industry. “I
had this vision – sitting by a window on a rainy
afternoon, just playing guitar,” said Mayer to
the magazine. “I don’t need anything else.”
They must be doing something right because
they just recently won Grammys. Other musicians in the “New Guitar God” category include
Jack White of The White Stripes, Adam Jones
of Tool and Tom Morello of Audioslave.
Staff Writer
Okay, so it’s about a month into the semester and with that comes the realization
that every professor wants his or her assignment done on the same day! It’s only Tuesday
and you realize you have a huge test in music
class on Thursday and two papers due after
the long holiday weekend. What are you to
do?
Well knowing the average college student, you would wait until Wednesday night
and cram in all your music studying, rereading
your notes about 20 times before you explode
in a rage of frustration screaming “Damn you
Louie Armstrong, I don’t care who invented
jazz anymore.” Well maybe that only applies
to me, but I know the idea of cramming for
tests and putting off papers applies to the majority, if not all, of college students. That is
why every college student should read How to
Become a Straight-A Student by college grad
Cal Newport.
Upon opening the book, I was very skeptical about what the author was going to have
in store. It promises to include strategies in
which you study less and score higher grades.
This had to be too good to be true! I figured
it was just another one of those “self-help”
books written by “academic experts,” also
known as the bullshitters of America, but this
was not the case.
As it turns out Newport, also the author
of How to Win at College, had conducted interviews with numerous straight-A students
from the country’s top universities including
Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale, and he wrote
the book using a three-part system study basics, quizzes and exams, and essays and papers.
Part one, “Study Basics,” was definitely
the most effective for me because I am probably the least organized person out of my group
of friends. The first section addressed time
management and organizing your day in only
five or 10 minutes. I know that sounds absolutely insane, but I tried it and it surprisingly
worked. All you have to do is make a divided
list of things you need to get accomplished on
that day allotting time for lunch and sleep of
course.
The first column would consist of activities that are more urgent and the second
column would be activities that could be accomplished if you have some free time in your
crazy schedule. You then carry the list around
checking off things you get done, and, believe
it or not, I felt a lot better using the list because I knew exactly where my hours of the
day were going. This technique is especially
useful for those of you who allocate a lot time
to procrastination and then look at the clock
and realize it’s midnight.
Part two, “Quizzes and Tests,” focuses
on good study ideas. I found the first step to
better performance kind of ironic because it is
an everyday behavior that may seem insignificant when nothing is due until two months.
Have you figured it out yet? Well, if you’re the
type of person who hits the alarm clock every
10 minutes and slacks off on class attendance,
then I hate to break it to you, but you need to
go to class. I know, I know, when I first realized I was actually at college to learn something I was upset too, but the book correlates
class attendance with higher performance on
tests and quizzes.
Part three, “Essays and Papers,” offers great strategies for any student to write
better. The best one I found was to make an
outline ahead of time. NEVER sit down at a
blank screen and just hope that a compelling
persuasive argument will come to you. I’m
sorry, but it will never be that easy. If it was I
wouldn’t need to read this book, and I would
already be getting straight As!
Overall How to Become a Straight-A Student was a very effective book. Although not
every strategy will work for you, it’s worth a
read to see what you’re missing. You’ll never
know unless you try, right?
Valentine’s Day Observed
Andrea Obaez
Staff Writer
Maybe I’m a single girl reformed.
Or maybe I’m a hypocrite.
Last year, Valentine’s Day was a soulless
holiday meant to make ‘us’ single people feel
left out; this year I spent the day making my
friends nauseous.
See, here’s what I think happened: somewhere along the lines someone began praying
for snow during the holidays. Problem is, this
person didn’t specify that the holiday they
were referring to was Christmas, hence our
snow storm on Valentine’s Day.
Not that I’m complaining.
While I still maintained that Valentine’s
Day is just another day, I must admit I enjoyed
spending the day with The Boyfriend, lying
in bed enjoying my presents (Underworld and
Underworld: Evolution on DVD, thank you)
and eating chocolate for breakfast.
No class, no work, nada.
Then I realized I couldn’t hide it any-
more: I was in a couple. I couldn’t hide from
it, and, thanks to the snow, I couldn’t run. Instead I spent the day with the guy who took
me to my favorite restaurant for dinner.
I know, I know, not too shabby. But
here’s the thing about snow on Valentine’s
Day. Out go the slinky outfits and tight pants
and in come the snow boots, thermals and
jeans. It’s very hard to go out to dinner feeling
sexy when you’re wearing half your wardrobe
and you’ve got snow in your eyes. And, of
course, there’s the day after, when you have
to go to school/work in that snow. Ever fallen
in a snow bank? Slipped on black ice? Not romantic.
However, I remembered what I had forgotten: That a day is just as special as you
want to make it.
That company during dinner, whether
it’s a parent, a boyfriend or a friend is so much
better than a magazine.
And that your favorite Valentine should
always be you.
11
Spring Fashion: Style at Your Own Risk
Ariel James
Lifestyles Editor
Samantha Sullivan
Staff Writer
Dear Samantha,
I’ve been with this boy for a while
now and things were kind of rocky, but
the other day it got even worse. I just
found out he has been hooking up with
my cousin, who is also my best friend. I
don’t know how to deal. What should I do?
Sincerely,
Torn at the Seams
Dear Torn at the Seams,
Situations such as these are never easy to
deal with. I cannot even begin to relate with how
you are feeling, but I know how I would feel:
crushed.
If you’ve been with this boy for six months
or less, you have it a little bit easier. At least this
boy has revealed his true self to you early enough
for you to get out of a bad situation a bit easier.
With this short a relationship length (I say short
not to demean your relationship success, but to
help you move on), you should be able to pull
yourself away, look back and be happy that it
didn’t get too serious. Think to yourself, “Good
thing he didn’t meet my parents…” (But only if
it’s true).
If the relationship has lasted six to nine
months, it will be more difficult to deal with, of
course. Relationships with this amount of time
experience a greater deal of emotion and plenty
of memories. The pain may not be immediate,
but it will be there – nothing I could tell you
would allow you to avoid that. Take this time to
rely on your friends and family to support and
help you through your breakup. Just remember
that, no matter how much it hurts, you should
get out of a relationship where there is no respect
– and when your boyfriend is cheating on you he
is disrespecting you.
If the relationship has lasted nine months or
longer, it is going to be very difficult to get out
of. You will make excuses to yourself as to why
you should stay with him. “I know he cheated,
but I love him… and he really does love me.”
No.
He does not love you, and if you continue
to force yourself to believe that he does you’re
only going to hurt yourself more. Leave the situation with what little sense you can muster out
from all of the emotion and save yourself some
heartache.
No matter how long you’ve been in the
relationship, my advice is simple and the same
throughout: LEAVE HIM.
As far as your cousin is concerned, tell her
that she has disrespected you and that you will
not tolerate it. Family is family, but she crossed
the line, both as a relative and your best friend,
the moment she participated in his cheating.
Your relationship may be salvaged with time,
but I personally would cut her out of my life for
some time so that I could come to terms with
what she did and try to forgive her.
Please email me with your questions
and concerns at samanthasull@gmail.com. I
would love to try to help you!
Warning: This spring’s fashion trends
are not for amateurs. Style at your own risk!
Spring isn’t too far away, so it’s time to
get out to the mall and do some major shopping. There are so many trends to choose from,
so study this list like you’re cramming for an
exam to get a sophisticated college look. With
any of the styles listed below, remember to top
it all off with bold accessories and you’ll be
fashion forward.
Petal Power: Harper’s Bazaar wrote,
“Where would the summer be without flowers?” And they are so right. Flowers are being
seen absolutely everywhere, from dresses to
shirts. Don’t wear too much at one time. You
don’t want to look like a garden. Try pairing
a floral dress with a cropped jacket and peeptoe shoes. If you don’t want to look like you’re
going to church, wear floral button-down shirt
underneath a vest with some jeans and flats.
Très chic!
The Pinup Era: A lot of you may not
know this, but the pinup girl was all the rage
in the 1940’s. They were models that would
appear in magazines and posters, and they
gave soldiers from World War II something to
take their minds off of fighting. Betty Grable
was one of the most famous pinup girls. Don’t
know who she is? Watch How to Marry a
Millionaire. Anyway, everything they wore
was sexy and stylish. To make this look more
“now,” wear high-waisted shorts (this means
it comes over the navel) with a long-sleeved
blouse and a pair of heels. If that’s too ex-
treme, wear the blouse with a high-waisted
skirt instead. The pin-up look is very put together. Remember, it’s about revealing a lot
without revealing much at all.
I Love the 80’s: Rock band Blondie said
it best with their song “Rapture” from their
Autoamerican album, “Flash is fast, flash
is cool.” The 80’s were a time of excess and
excessive flashiness. For anyone who follows fashion, think the early days of Versace
(Gianni, not Donatella) when supermodels
reigned supreme. Fabric clung to curves of
the body, and the colors were bold: hot pink,
electric blue, traffic-light yellow. Don’t forget
the leggings (which are still in, might I add).
If you dare, wear colored jeans, like orange
or green. To achieve this look, just think of
Boy George hats, Madonna tops and anything
Debbie Harry. Also, new designers Proenza
Schouler have their clothes displayed at Target for affordable prices. They even have this
incredible red windbreaker (that’s right, windbreaker) that looks like it stepped out of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” video. Even if it’s
just for fun, put on the jacket and do the dance
in the middle of the aisles like I did. You’ll
turn heads no matter what.
Sporty Spice: Remember this look? It
came out circa 1996 after grunge. The look
can still be seen today in the form of hoodies
and track pants. But now the fashion industry is adding onto it by giving us high-heeled
sneakers and t-shirt dresses. To make this look
great, don’t wear the clothes like you just won
a softball game. Step up your “game” with
some class, maybe by pairing a track jacket
with leggings or a skirt and some sneakers.
freepeople.com
A Fine Romance: These are the cutesy
pieces, like a ruffled dress. They are styles for
special occasions such as a garden party in the
Hamptons, or, for us normal people, a wedding. Carry a clutch with a little bow. Also,
try anything with lace. If you work at an office and are tired of plain old button-downs,
replace it with a frilly top and some sandals
instead of clunky shoes.
Entertainment
12
Calla
Strength in Numbers
Elvis Perkins
Ash Wednesday
Hot Cross
Risk Revival
The One AM Radio
This Too Will Pass
Susan Kondracki
Justin Kloczko
Karyn Danforth
Staff Writer
The band Calla released their fourth album, Strength in Numbers, yesterday. Calla
shot up like a rocket after getting noticed on
the popular television show The OC when their
song “Swagger” played in the background of a
2005 episode. The song, off their previous album Collisions, outlines a girl who is fighting
her way back into a relationship but clearly not
getting anywhere. This is understood by the
lyrics, “a passive aggressive / you didn’t get the
message / a second opinion / a word that turned
into a crime / a massive offensive / you seem
to me obsessive / your version diversion.” Perhaps this was the song outlining the on again
off again style of Ryan’s relationships
Known for their very pensive lyrics, the
band makes no mistake in twisting their ideas
of suffering this time around. Almost immediately, they paint the image of being stabbed in
the heart by your lover for the emotional listener. Lead singer Aurelio Valle’s tortured soul
embodies itself in the listener’s heart with lyrics like, “You’ll never know I was there / I’m
gonna catch you unaware / I sympathize / Cut
you down to size...For you I do fall / For you all
this / It’s all, all for you / I fall…fallen.”
There is no mistaking that the band runs
with its heart on its sleeve. The entire album
is the emotional roller coaster of getting your
heart ripped out and stomped on by the love
of your life. Although this sounds completely
gruesome, it is actually very well done. Unlike
several other emo records of its time, Strength
in Numbers brings out the heartache without
screaming for attention. Other emotional albums use the screamo technique where they
yell until their lungs bleed, but Calla takes the
more subtle approach.
Each song is sung in almost an audible
whisper. A good example of this lies in track six
with their song “Stand Paralyzed” where they
sing out “I will praise you / I will praise you / If
you could see through my eyes, you would see
why I stand paralyzed by you and I will praise
you.”
Although most of the album sounds as if
the singer has gone into depression over this
breakup with his lover, the bands turns the tables around after the instrumental intermission
in track eight. In the song “Malicious Manner”,
the vocalist sings a different tune with his lyrics: “Cause you ain’t perfect and I knew this
from the start / If I knew this was something
/ I would have never let you go.” The intermission stands as a crossroads for the themes of
the album. Calla delivers both sides of a painful
breakup story applying their music not only to
the heart-broken, but also the heart-breaker.
Overall, for my first look at Calla, they
made an excellent impression. Singing of immense depression and sadness, it did become
strenuous to my mood, but the impact of emotion is delivered quite well. So anyone who is
into the emotional music genre without the
crazy screaming outbursts, pick up a copy of
Calla’s new album Strength in Numbers. It’s
worth the 14 dollars for sure.
Elvis Perkins and his debut offering, Ash
Wednesday on XL Recordings, is the showcase
of a man who has gone through hard times, but
still able to sing about the good. His father was
the late actor Anthony Perkins, and his mother
was a photographer for Life magazine who was
aboard American Airlines Flight 11 when it hit
the twin towers on September 11, 2001. Yet,
this album feels like a new morning, from the
first picks of “While You Were Sleeping”—a
song about a person completely oblivious to the
changing world around them—to the somber
meditation of the finale, “Good Friday.”
Perkins and his band, Elvis Perkins in
Dearland, transcend the folk tradition using
spare acoustic, drum and piano arrangements
augmented by the occasional violin and accordion. His music signifies a coming down to
earth, an alternative to the current condensed
market of automated pop-punk and cluttered
music. Here, Perkins’s airy sound and poetic,
troubadour-esq lyrics are reminiscent of Omaha’s Simon Joyner.
At the album’s core is the imagery of the
Catholic Church and in the title, Ash Wednesday, which is the beginning of reflection and
penance peaking on Good Friday—the end of
Lent and a day of mourning—a precursor to
the resurrection on Easter. His mother, who
kept iconic Catholic paintings and statues in
their home, surges likes a ghost throughout the
album in Perkins’s voice and words. “No one
will survive / Ash Wednesday alive / No soldier / No lover / No father / No mother.”
The piano tapping and bass-walking
thump of “The Night and Liquor” sounds like
Perkins had a bottle of gin while he was recording it—fueling his slurry vocals and lyrical
swagger.
“All The Night Without Love” is an exotic
jazz number complete with upright bass and
splashy cymbals. The most upbeat song on the
album is the only one with an electric guitar,
and “Emile’s Vietnam In The Sky” is an ode
to French romance—complete with violin and
accordion as Perkins ponders, “Did you ever
wonder where you go when you die?”
The album closer, “Good Friday,” is a gentle crescendo in the vein of other timeless folk
ballads i.e. “We Shall Overcome,” that sounds
like it could be sung in the emptiest of rooms,
by the loneliest people for years to come and
still maintain an intimate power.
If you’re looking to hear somebody you’ve
never heard, here’s a place to start. Perkins
offers music to the patient listener, and if you
stick with him you are rewarded. Ash Wednesday is an album of reflection, but also about
looking ahead to a bright future.
Elvis Perkins in Dearland has toured along
with Matt Costa, World Party, Cold War Kids
and My Morning Jacket. You can see Elvis
Perkins in Dearland over the next three months
touring in small pubs and theaters across the
Northeast, in the meanwhile check out www.
myspace.com/elvisperkins or www.elvisperkins.net.
Once upon a time in my senior year of high
school, I was at a basement show in a friends
house watching a peculiar band going absolutely nuts on their instruments. Skip to a year or so
later, when my boyfriend at the time was completely in love with this band and I just couldn’t
seem to get away from them. This was the band
Hot Cross, a four-piece that will probably make
your head spin a complete 360 degrees upon
seeing them for the first time live.
So the fairy tale goes that in the winter of
2000 Greg Drudy, Matt Smith and Casey Boland made beautiful music together. They compiled their first album, A New Set Of Lungs and
sent it in its entirety to Billy Werner (formally
of Saetia) who was studying abroad at the time
“working on his accent,” and sure enough came
back to the United States and started singing
with Hot Cross from day one.
Since then, Hot Cross has made two other
amazing albums, Cryonics and Fair Trades and
Farewells, which has flip out crazy songs such
as “Consonants” and “Better a Corpse Than A
Nun.” Hot Cross pushed the genre of hardcore,
and more specifically emo, into a new frontier.
This new territory included faster, more original guitar lines, cooler bass resolutions, and
faster and more interesting drums, all while
writing tight and catchy songs.
Fast forward to 2007, and here we are. Risk
Revival has been recorded and now released as
of Tuesday the 20th. Every single song has at
least one vocal moment that will be burned into
your memory.
Starting off with “Exits and Trails” we
receive the wonderful “...that makes my spirit
shake.” “Turncoat Revolution” has “I’ve never
met a traitor I didn’t like / Never criticized a
turncoat written off in spite” and “Blood on my
shoes.” These vocal moments last all the way
through the final track “Scrape Wisdom” with
“This is what you owe the dead / Again and
again.”
Whether you’re wild or not about the
slightly different sound of the band, there are
some truly well-written songs here. Also, the
album wouldn’t succeed as a whole if it weren’t
for the way the songs work together.
Putting all of the puzzle pieces together,
the end result adds up to Risk Revival being a
pretty great album. It doesn’t have the musical
or instrumental stunners that Cryonics did, and
overall feels simpler, but Billy Werner has really worked hard and stepped up his performance
to make Risk Revival a successful album and a
new chapter in the band’s history. Risk Revival
isn’t my favorite Hot Cross album, but I think
it’s essential for a fan of the band to own. The
band lived happily ever after, the end.
Have I gotten bored with mellow indie
rock? Or is it just becoming all the same?
When I listen to The One AM Radio, I feel
no emotion. He has nothing new to bring to
the table and nothing distinctive to make his
music stand out from the dozens of other indie/folk bands I listen to. The only thing that
impresses me about this 13-track, 49-minute
album is that Hrishikesh Hirway plays every
instrument on the album and even does some
mixing. Beyond this, the album is sub-par and
boring.
This Too Will Pass isn’t an awful album
by any means. It just doesn’t draw me in like
the previous albums I have reviewed this semester. I think that it will grow on me over
a few listens, but I was expecting more of his
electronic side compared to this mostly acoustic and folk sound. It would be a waste of time
to say Hirway has no talent, because he does,
but he doesn’t do anything to make him stand
out as a singer or musician.
The album starts off with “The Harvest,”
which is guitar and piano driven ballad done
in the almost same style as Sufjan Stevens’
Seven Swans album which makes it feel really
familiar when listening to it. The problem
is Stevens breaks out of his slow guitar play
with some quicker work that would normally
be saved for an electric. Hirway just keeps
picking and strumming at a snail’s pace and
it starts to melt all together and becomes monotonous.
Their vocals are also so very similar, both
having dream-like, ghostly values which could
put someone on a speed-high to sleep. On that
note, I don’t recommend listening to This Too
Will Pass while driving at night; it just leads
to dozing at the wheel and police suspecting
you of being drunk. Apparently, “This CD is
making me tired” isn’t a viable excuse to a policeman.
“Coming Back” is this album’s only departure from the typical guitar- and pianobased music that settles over this whole album.
Even this doesn’t last more than 30 seconds before it quickly reverts right back to the norm. I
say this because the song starts off with a synthesized drum beat and darker vocals, which
excited me, but then right as I was getting in to
it the song switched right back to where it left
off with soft vocals and guitar picking.
I can’t complete write off Hirway and The
One AM Radio quite yet. He will be playing
with his touring band tomorrow night at the
Wallingford American Legion along side local bands, Quiet Life and Greylyng. I plan on
going to this and seeing if his music is more
unique and personable live than it is on his
album. If it is, I will be following up with a
show review, but if it isn’t, I will stick to my
thoughts right here. If you like Sufjan Stevens
and Rocky Votolato, then I suggest this to you.
Just be prepared to take a nap in the next 45
minutes or so.
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Edward Gaug
13
Explosions in the Sky
All of A Sudden I Miss Everyone
Zozobra
Harmonic Tremors
Brain Failure and Big D and the Kids Table
Beijing to Boston
Ashley Tisdale
Headstrong
Dan Gray
Nick Viccone
Duncan Sanford
Karyn Danforth
The kings of sound art are back. Explosions in the Sky are one of the top instrumental
groups around today, diligently pacing neckand-neck with the Icelandic band Sigur Ros.
The reason I say EITS are the kings of sound
art and not Sigur Ros is simply because when
you listen to their new album, All of A Sudden I
Miss Everyone, it will paint images inside your
mind of vivid descriptions of nature consisting
of almost every ecosystem on Earth. These images strike up those that could be seen inside a
National Geographic magazine.
The album leads off with a track that picks
me up and places me standing in the center of a
floating glacier, located somewhere in the Antarctic. There is freezing-cold water gushing all
around me, and huge chunks of ice are slowly
drifting by the river on a cold and sunny day. As
the music picks up tempo, I’m starting to hear
the sounds of penguins diving off of nearby icy
cliffs and waddling back up the jagged peaks
in earnest enjoyment. Polar bears are stretching out their long and wooly frames on snow
drifts piled up towards the sky, hanging temptingly over the water. Their footsteps make loud
crunches through the snow. This enormous desire to drink the most refreshing and energetic
water on Earth causes me to scoop my hands
in the numbing water and bring them quickly
back to my mouth for a long gulp. I repeat the
process a couple of times and end it by splashing the water all around my face.
The third track is almost 14 minutes in
length with the title “It’s Natural to Be Afraid,”
I swear this song was meant to be the background music for the 14th century epic tale of
Beowulf. The first part serves as Beowulf’s
journey across the continent to get to the great
dining hall where his battle will be fought. You
can feel the nervous energy through the music
that Beowulf never feels.
As the music picks up you can picture
yourself as Beowulf, face to face with Grendel in the lord’s massive dining hall – a mere
mortal versus a hellish demon that has been
feasting off of soldiers and reckoning havoc
there for over a decade. The music then starts
to fade a little during the second part of the
song, serving as a contrast to the brute force
and violent depictions taking place during the
ultimate battle of good versus evil. Next, the
music starts to sound like a hero’s welcome, as
Beowulf defeats the demon and wins the hearts
of an entire country.
The fourth part comes around nine minutes
into it and is the best two and a half minutes on
the entire album. The band just goes crazy, and
it feels as if the gods above are tossing around
lightning bolts in celebration throughout the
sky in pleasing fashion towards Beowulf’s
victory. I’m telling you, those two and a half
minutes make this entire album worthwhile;
they’re better then any segment from any Sigur
Ros song you’ll ever come across.
What types of scenes and portraits will
form in your head as the rest of the album
emerges? Well that is for you to discover after
you go out and buy this album and experience
what I have laid out for you and the mystery of
this album’s second half.
In my opinion 2007 has been a rather dry
year so far for quality music. There have been
a couple of releases that I have not reviewed for
the paper that have been an exceptional listen.
This lull in attention grabbing releases has been
attacked full force by the debut full-length from
a band who calls themselves Zozobra.
Featuring members of two of my favorite bands, Caleb Scofield (Cave In / Old Man
Gloom) and Santos Montano (Old Man Gloom),
the thought of another side project in this genre
was exciting to me. If anyone knows anything
about any of the aforementioned bands, then
you could probably assume what Harmonic
Tremors sounds like. But for those of you who
have not, Zozobra has a sound that is as equally
crushing as it is pacifying.
The first thing that showed it’s face to me
when I was listening to this album was the extremely bass-heavy production tone. There is
barely a minute on this 37 minute record that
is not trying to emphasize the importance of a
devastating, thick, heavy bass tone.
However, there are parts on this record
where the bass seems to take a back seat to experimental guitar work. Take the second to last
track entitled “Caldera.” This four minute track
is a mixture of smooth bass and spacey, shrill
guitars.
The vocal work of Scofield is a familiar
combination of awkward, yet still fitting, singing and loud, brutal, throaty yells. Needless to
say, the vocals are perfect in every aspect.
Like I stated before, the guitar work takes
a back seat to the bass-heavy production on this
album. This, however, does not mean that the
guitar should be lost in describing the sound
of Harmonic Tremors. There are parts on this
record where I think the guitar comes through
the clouds as the dominate sound. Track two,
entitled “Kill and Crush” has an obnoxiously
heavy guitar line to open the song.
The drumming on Harmonic Tremors is
perfect in the sense that it is not over the top,
and still very effective.
In conclusion, Hydra Head Records is one
of my favorite record labels. I always seem to
be able to count on them to release great albums
from great bands. Harmonic Tremors, the debut doom rock full-length from Zozobra is no
different. This record will be in rotation on my
play lists for months to come.
A split album is both a blessing and a
curse. Often times you are stuck with half an
album that sucks, but you are also more likely
to end up with half an album you actually enjoy.
That is sadly the case with Beijing to Boston, a
split from Brain Failure and Big D and the Kids
Table. While Big D delivers a strong showing,
Brain Failure fails to provide a similar performance.
Beijing to Boston is a very appropriate
name for this split. Not only does it feature
the tracks “Coming Down to Beijing” and “I’m
Yours Boston,” but Brain Failure also hails
from Beijing, China and Big D is based out of
Boston. This naturally lends to an interesting
mix of sounds.
Brain Failure has the sound of a punkbased ska band without any real refinement or
the pure energy to pull it off in spite of that lack.
They don’t have any real stand out feature. The
instrumentals and vocals are just somewhat unexciting. The novelty of a band out of Beijing is
their main selling point. But that oriental mystique wore out for me with adorable pandas and
cheap manufactured goods.
There are some catchy instrumental lines
throughout their half of the album, but without
any real inspiration to back them up, it just isn’t
enough. “Coming Down to Beijing” is the perfect example, with a smooth instrumental line
that just can’t carry the song by itself, and receives no help from vocals that just don’t pack
the punch required for the genre.
Luckily, Big D and the Kids Table are there
to save the day. The last six tracks of this album
are all enjoyable. Despite being mainly a ska
band, the classification isn’t really fair, as Big
D has a distinctly unique sound. The energy
and tempo are certainly there, but experimental
instrumentals really separate them as a special
band.
“Digging In Your Nails” wonderfully
combines sharp and catchy vocals, ska beats
and undertones, and continues to develop into
a really interesting instrumental section featuring sounds you’d never really expect in ska. It
really highlights the creativity and talent this
band possesses.
This is your typical hit and miss split album. Big D carries the load on Beijing to Boston, and Brain Failure should really be sent to
the kids table. The six Big D tracks still make
the album worthwhile, but you’ll find yourself
skipping many a Brain Failure song.
Ever since the Mickey Mouse Club, Disney has actively bred teen divas whose sole
purpose in life is to be obnoxiously loud and
annoying. Ashley Tisdale is no exception to
this trend. Her career began with her part as
a desk receptionist on The Secret Life of Zack
and Cody. Later, her Disney stardom ignited
when she starred and sang in the surprise
hit High School Musical. Whether it was by
choice or being prodded into submission by
Disney music executives, Tisdale broke out
into the teenie queenie music scene with her
very first album, Headstrong.
Believing that the public did not get an accurate impression of who she was before, Tisdale claims in a cliché-dripping manner that
this album will open up her true life which,
judging by her lyrics, includes getting on up,
getting on down, playing the fool when she act
the clown, and making sure that you’d know
she’d do anything for you. It’s absolutely adorable stuff.
As a whole, Headstrong is weak-minded. The lyrics seem to have been extracted from
an adolescent prostitute’s journal, which depicts random flings with lyrics boasting, “I’ll
do that baby / I’ll do that / So much for you / So
much for you.”
There are only two songs worth mentioning on this album, tracks two and three. I will
refer to them by track numbers only because
they are not worth being known for their actual song titles, so I will spare our readers from
their true identity.
Track two was an instant classic with The
Recorder staff during our troubling times of
OpEd Controversy ‘07. This glorious track
provided much-needed comic relief and served
as an outlet for the release of copious amounts
of tension. Depending on the extremity of
required relief, we would allow track three to
follow after the playing of track two, but track
four and beyond were out of question. Playing
beyond three would only further the suffering from which we were struggling to recover
from.
From one of our particularly interesting
experiences, we learned that if an angry mob
is outside your door demanding to take back
something that was never taken away from
them (in our case, their student newspaper)
and wishes to have you hanging from a noose
tied around your neck, stay calm and do not approach or even consider opening said door. Instead, insert Headstrong into the nearest boom
box. Immediately skip to track two. Max out
the volume and press “play.” Sit down. Do a
dance in your chair. Spin around carelessly in
your chair if your chair can do so. Clap your
hands furiously to the beat, choosing to either
ignore or mock the lyrics. But whatever you
do, don’t be so careless as to let your Headstrong experience go beyond track three. If
you want the world, you got it.
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
14
Ghost Rider Not So Hot
Stephanie Bergeron
Opinion Editor
Jamie T.
Panic Prevention
Mark Rowan
Editor-in-Chief
I have never been a fan of UK hip-hop, but
after Lily Allen’s U.S. release a couple weeks
ago and now Jamie T’s Panic Prevention I may
have to rethink my earlier preconception. Then
again Jamie T isn’t just hip-hop. Depending
on what song you’re listening to you also get
reggae, acoustic and punk elements and that is
what gives Panic Prevention the lasting appeal
that will run until the end of 2007 when ‘Best
of’ lists are being compiled.
To give you an inkling of what you will
get out of Jamie T and his debut full-length
think The Libertines meet Bob Dylan meets
The Streets. The guy is as raw as Bright Eyes,
but without becoming taxing on the ears. And
while comparisons to Mike Skinner will be
made, when Jamie T switches from rhyming to
singing you won’t regret it.
Out of the 12 tracks there are only two I
don’t absolutely love and even those are still
good. “Brand New Bass Guitar” starts off the
album stripped down with acoustic bass and
backing vocals to give the listener a feeling of a
very naked Libertines track.
We’ll skip “Salvador,” just know it’s good.
“Calm Down Dearest” originally annoyed me
because Jamie T sounds drunk (rightfully so,
it’s a song about being drunk), but the chorus
is probably the best on the album and his slurs
become more bearable throughout. The chorus
sings, “Your heavy, it’s on my mind / She says
you feel just fine / Rackin’ and stackin’ them
lines / I say, calm down dearest.”
“So Lonely Was the Ballad” is our first
trek into genuine hip-hop territory. A simple
drum beat carries the track to the end and Jamie
T rhymes about youths out on the town. “Girls
singing on the bus / Fellas kicking up a fuss /
Crying out sighs but they’re still looking dangerous / Oh this is definitely all for you.” A selfhelp tape about panic attacks chimes in halfway
and the album title begins to make sense.
Next is another standout in form of the
acoustic track “Back in the Game.” I can easily
see fans of Against Me! picking this up and loving it. This is where Jamie T clearly outshines
Mike Skinner. Skinner couldn’t pull off a song
that relied mostly on his vocals and an acoustic
guitar. The track is also a great transition from
“So Lonely Was the Ballad” and the punk-influenced “Operation.”
The Libertines and even the Artic Monkeys come through on “Operation,” which may
be the most rock we get out of Panic Prevention. Guitar riffs you’d expect from the aforementioned bands and sing-alongs round out this
track to be one of the best on the album and
would make for a great live experience. “Take
your problem to United Nations / Tell old Kofi
about the situation / Tell him how you left the
whole congregation / Sittin’ in the pews, in the
pews, all alone,” sings Jamie T.
“Sheila” has been getting major radio play
in the UK after it was released as a single last
July. For those of you looking for more rhymes,
“Shelia” picks up where “So Lonely Was the
Ballad” left off. The beat is relatively simple,
but the rhymes are tight. Before the beat kicks
in Jamie T sings the chorus and after the line
“Drunk, she stumbles down by a river / screams
calling London” we get this scream in the background that reoccurs throughout the song and
while it is such a minor part of the song, it adds
so much.
The 21-year-old Jamie T just brought an
incredible album to the table. For those fans of
the artists mentioned in this review, or for anyone looking for something refreshing check out
Panic Prevention. I would honestly be shocked
if you came away truly disappointed.
Nicholas Cage, you hairpiece-wearing
sellout! What in the hell were you thinking
when you took on the character of Johnny
Blaze in Ghost Rider? Are you going through
a mid-life crisis and need to take on sub-par
rolls to fulfill some kind of excitement? In any
case, you took a step down, my friend. I am
ashamed.
Nicholas Cage, who wore a black hairpiece that took three hours to apply each day,
is—and will be—the only reason why people
go to see this flick.
Aside from the Marvel comic fans that
have to check seeing this movie off their list,
the guys who are all about Eva Mendes’ impressive rack (which we see a whole lot of in
the movie) and the Cage fans, the movie will
not be making too much money.
The movie starts off with what looks exactly like a Marlboro man commercial. A silhouette of a deep-voiced man on the back of a
horse tells the story of how Ghost Rider came
about. From that point on you cannot take this
movie seriously. And why should you? The
acting was terrible.
The lines were so cheesy that it was even
hard for Cage to take his roll seriously. In
some scenes it looks as though he is making
fun of himself and saying, “What the fuck was
I thinking?”
The movie’s special effects were what every other Marvel-based movie is like: nothing
special, yet always fun to watch. Yes, aside
from the fact that the movie was everything
that is to be expected from Cage playing a
skeleton riding a motorcycle while on fire, it
was fun.
In fact, I jumped a few times due to scary-
ass demons popping in front of my face when I
least expected it. Overall, the movie was good
for a few thrills like that. The demon’s mouths
were awesome; their sharp teeth looked very
much like the clown from It, which is probably
why I jumped. The makeup and graphics were
typical, but well done.
The most impressive part of the movie
was when Cage took his shirt off only to reveal the baddest six-pack I’ve ever seen on a
43-year-old man. That alone was worth my
money, holy cow. You men out there thinking
you’re shit is tight should check this guy’s out.
I bet none of you will look that good at his age.
And in tight leather pants? I think not.
Overall, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it
would be. I mean it was bad, but for what it
was, it was alright. One reason to go see it,
if not anything else is, it is just fun to watch.
Mendez and Cage have good chemistry
and some funny one-liners. Cage is hysterical when playing the motorcycle stuntman
because he overdoes it to try and get you to
laugh—a real Mr. Joe Cool with aviators and
lots of “Hey, how you doin’?” pointing. If you
are a fan of motorcycles like I am, they had
some hot ones in there, no pun intended.
If you aren’t looking for a serious movie,
go see it. It will give you something to joke
about at least. If you are a Cage fan, resist the
urge because, like me, you will be left with
needing him to fill the huge gap he created by
starring as Johnny Blaze.
The Messengers Delivers Scares
Samantha Sullivan
Staff Writer
“There is evidence to suggest that children are highly susceptible to paranormal
phenomena. They see what adults cannot.
They believe what adults deny. And they are
trying to warn us.”
If you saw any of The Grudge or The
Ring movies and enjoyed them at least for their
graphic effects, even if you didn’t care for the
quality of the movies themselves, chances are
you would very much enjoy The Messengers.
This is the most recent horror film from the
Pang brothers, Oxide Pang Chun and Danny
Pang.
Although I missed my absolute favorite
part of a movie (the previews) due to a late arrival, my favorite part of this particular movie
was the setup—that is, the beginning of the
film, when they display the movie title, along
with key names of crew members and companies who participated in the making of the
film. A song played in the background that reminded me so much of a jewelry box a young
girl might have, both innocent and eerie. The
screen was embossed with old-fashioned images in black, white and tones of sepia. It was
the perfect way to create the sense of ease, and
yet unease, needed to set off the movie.
I think most people know the basic premise of the story at this point, but let me fill you
in for those who don’t. The Messengers is
about a teenage girl, Jessica, who moves with
her family to a farm house in North Dakota
from Chicago. The house is obviously creepy
and suspicious, but Jess’s father’s goals for
the land blind the family’s fear. After a trip to
town, which is, of course, not close enough,
and a small quarrel with her mother, Jess finds
that adjusting to the small-town life is going to
be difficult for everyone.
“It’s so quiet here,” she tells her father.
Pretty early in the movie we establish
disturbing noises and an overall feeling of
apprehension in the old house, as our main
character discovers forgotten toys and locked
doors throughout it. None of this bothers her
until one night when she is left alone in the
house with her baby brother, Ben, and the
house’s ghoulish secrets begin to unravel.
In the series of events that follow, Jess’s
secrets are revealed as terror upon terror unfolds in the house. With only one friend that she
made from town, a boy her age named Bobby,
Jess and Ben are left to rely on each other to
fight the horror they face until their parents
can realize the truth behind the house—and
the truth behind a mysterious man who presents himself as trustworthy.
As many people might do, I questioned
why the family even considered moving into
such a disheveled old house. Don’t they know
Horror Movie Rule #1? “Never move into a
scary-looking or abandoned house because
shit is obviously going down in there.” Duh.
Besides the palpable lack of common
sense used by the characters, I really enjoyed
this movie. The storyline was clear and somewhat original, and the graphics were surpris-
ingly scary. I’ll be honest, I was anxious,
squeezing the life out of my boyfriend’s left
arm, peeking my eyes out from behind my
right hand briefly every time they showed
even a hint of an image that might frighten
me—and I’m a horror movie fanatic. It takes a
lot to scare me with a movie, so all I can say is
bravo, Pang brothers. Bravo.
Go out and see The Messengers, in theaters everywhere already. Go right now.
15
Edward Gaug
When was the last time you had live bands and over
100 kids standing around your living room? That’s right.
Never. Well, if you went to this past Sunday’s Hot Cross/
They and the Children show, you would know what it is like
to jam 100 kids and a full band with instruments into a living room. Let me tell you, if you weren’t there, it sucks.
I got to the house just as Connecticut’s own Call It
Arson was beginning to play. Since there were five bands
on the bill and the venue had changed from the Masonic
Lodge down the road to a living room, the band was limited to only six songs. Out of those six songs, three we’re
their most notable songs “Here Comes the Flood,” “The
Unmanageable Superstate” and “Hoopin’ and Humpin’.”
The last of these songs is a two-minute acoustic-driven
folk song that takes you on a quick tour of southeastern
Connecticut through towns like Old Saybrook and Deep
River. As usual Call It Arson played an amazingly fun set
and was the perfect opener.
Next up on the bill was hardcore band and overall
good guys They and the Children. Poor grammar aside,
these guys truly rock hard. I’m sure the crowd would have
been more energetic if there was actually room for them
to move. By this point in the night, there were a good 60
people crammed into the room with onlookers standing in
the kitchen and on the front porch outside. With a mix of
Chris Perrotti’s thumping bass lines and Brian Frenette’s
growling vocals, TATC played 20 minutes of raw, abusive
hardcore. I say abusive because someone got hit pretty
hard in the nuts...this someone was me. Most of you know
that the front of the crowd is the prime place to stand when
seeing a band and this still holds true. Usually the band
is above you and not face to face with you. While I was
up on the frontlines with my camera, taking the pictures
you see with this article, Frenette’s flailing arm managed
to get me square in the junk. Putting that aside, the set was
a great time and I’m going to make sure to go check out
They and the Children some more before they go on tour
this spring.
Transistor Transistor was the next band on the “stage.”
Nothing impressive here. I’ve seen these guys play a few
times over the past couple years and it the same shit over
and over. How these guys got on a show with such great
bands as Converge and The Red Chord is beyond me. Their
sound is a mix of punk, metal and some grunge that just
makes a stew of awful vocals, thrashy guitars and cymbalheavy drumming. Some people were genuinely getting
into this band, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Their
sound wasn’t that interesting and there definitely wasn’t
any stand-out talent to be seen. I wish I could be more
detailed on them, but I really couldn’t care less.
After this shitty set, I decided to go outside and get
some air and try to regain the feeling in my legs. This
was an awful decision, because by the time I got back in
the house, there was no room left to stand in the living
room and I was relegated to the sideroom where there was
a couch and some chairs so I took in the remainder of the
show from that spot. I know that’s not a great way to see
live music, but the press doesn’t get special treatment in
someone’s home. Panthers were the next band up and they
played some great stuff, but their songs seemed to blend
together and sound a lot alike. This is definitely due to the
vocals not being nearly as clear as they are on their new
album The Trick. These guys played a great set, but I sadly
find them more enjoyable on recording then live. There is
something about their clean vocals and instrumentals that
don’t seem to translate into a live setting. I can’t write Panthers off just because they didn’t sound great in a living
room. If you want a true feel for them, check out The Trick
on Vice Records.
Ending the show was the headliner Hot Cross. These
guys just signed a record deal with Equal Vision Records,
released a full-length album yesterday and are playing a
living room in Hamden. Yes, I know I keep bringing up
this living room thing, but it’s a LIVING ROOM! This
is a pretty big name band and they were cool with playing
with four other bands in some kid’s house. I respect that
a lot because house shows aren’t usually part of a record
release tour.
Back to the music. As you would probably guess, they
played a lot of stuff off the new album. While I haven’t
heard any of their new songs before this show, they are still
done in typical Hot Cross fashion, which mixes elements
of punk, hardcore and everyday rock-and-roll. They did
include a couple of their old favorites scattered among all
the new songs and the crowd seemed to love it considering
there were two rooms packed full of people by this time
of the night and everyone was paying full attention to the
stage. I wish I had a better chance of seeing the band then I
did from the other room. This is where the big news comes
in. Manic Productions has set up another show with Hot
Cross in New Britain on March 27. I highly suggest that if
you didn’t make it to this show, that you make it to that one.
They will be playing with They and the Children and Life
At These Speeds.
While this show could have been great if it was at the
Masonic Lodge down the street like originally planned, it
was an OK show that was put together on the fly by Mark
and the guys and it was a complete success. Two of these
five bands will be back in a month and I can’t wait to enjoy
them in a larger space with better sound. A group of bands
is sometimes only as good as the place they are playing and
this was proven last Sunday night.
Photos by Edward Gaug / The Recorder
Top Right: Bassist of They and the Children, Chris Perrotti
Middle Right: Vocals of They and the Children, Brian Frenette
Bottom Right: Garrison Nein, bassist of Transistor Transistor
Bottom Left: Frenette and fan at show in Connecticut
16
Dodge Caliber Lacks Quality
Chris DeMorro
Staff Writer
All new for 2007, the Dodge Caliber is
the geriatric Neon’s replacement. Starting at a
scant manufacture’s suggested retail price of
$13,575, the Caliber seems like the prize movie
at the bottom of the bargain bin at Blockbuster.
Unfortunately, reality sets in once you take the
Caliber on the road, and you quickly realize
just why it is such a bargain. And while it is in
everyway the Neon’s superior, that still isn’t
saying much for this love-it or hate-it crossover from the Chrysler folks.
The Caliber looks like the bastardized
offspring of a drunken one-night stand between a Durango and a Caravan. Apparently
crossover vehicles are the new ‘hot’ item, and
so Dodge threw the Caliber into the fray. On
one hand, the car certainly sticks out, although
not always for the right reasons. The distinctive Durango headlights and wide front fascia
give way to a smooth, streamlined hood and
body that peaks, and then drops off for that
distinguishing look. The model tested an SXT,
which starts at about $15,500 and is a noticeable step up over the base model. Standard
are 17-inch steel rims which give the Caliber
a much more aggressive look and stance over
the base model. For an additional $700, you
can upgrade the exterior with the Mopar Appearance package, which includes a spoiler,
chrome gas cap and body colored side-skirts.
The Caliber permeates an almost intimidating feel as one enters it, making the car
seem much larger then it actually is. In reality,
the car is about the same size as the Pontiac
Vibe, but inside the Caliber one would think
they were inside a Durango. The instrument
panel is cavernous and sweeping, much too big
for the Caliber. The windshield stretches out
like an artificial horizon, which leads to a very
disconnected feel from the road. The interior
is what you would expect for a low-priced
Dodge, cheap and plastic. The arm rests are
hard, the knobs and dials are oversized, and
the seats are as uncomfortable as seats get.
In fairness, the Caliber does offer a standard CD player with the SXT package, although that is little comfort when battling with
the awkward controls. The Caliber is very
roomy however, and the seating places you
higher than most cars, giving the crossover a
very SUV feel when driving. In an interesting
twist, while the Caliber provides plenty of rear
foot room, knee room is surprisingly lacking.
However, the plastic lined cargo bay offers
plenty of space for a keg or two, and getting
the rear open is a cinch.
Unfortunately, the Caliber is lacking in
many of the standard features found in other
cars. The four-speaker sound system is barely
adequate. The A/C and heating make due, and
the climate control is a nice feature that will
more often then not go unused. For those with
safety in mind however, it should be mentioned
that anti-lock brakes are NOT standard, and in
fact come at a premium of $400. Anti-lock
brakes are an incredible safety feature that
prevents the brakes from locking up should
you need to stop in a hurry. Without it, it is
much easier to lose control in a hard braking
situation, especially in slippery conditions.
The most disappointing aspect of the Caliber however, is its road behavior. Equipped
with a 1.8-liter four cylinder engine and a fivespeed transmission, the Caliber is a poor performer with worse handling. With only a paltry
148 horsepower on tap, the Caliber struggles
to get moving with only two passengers. The
engine is much louder than it should be, and
merging onto a busy highway may cause heart
attacks thanks to the eternity the Caliber takes
to reach 65 mph. The gearing in the transmission feels too long, prompting quick shifting
just to maintain acceleration. The only thing
worse than the performance, is the handling.
Steering is a chore, feeling heavy and cumbersome. While body roll isn’t what you would
expect from such a tall car, it is still noticeable. The Caliber manages to stick in the corners fairly well, although the car ends up feeling much bigger than it really is, prompting
some white knuckle turns. On the upside, the
Caliber manages a very impressive 28 mpg in
the city and 32 mpg on the highway, especially
considering the 3,100 pound curb weight.
The Caliber is offered in four separate
models; SE, SXT, Sport and R/T, in order
with the R/T being the only model offering
all-wheel drive. And while the Caliber is a
character in its own respects, there are far too
many shortcomings when compared to what
other manufacturers such as Scion, Ford and
Honda offer. Even on a tight budget, there are
better offerings than the Caliber, which fails to
impress on every level. If you are looking for a
true budget people mover, this is your car. But
if you want a car you will actually enjoy, take a
look elsewhere. Maybe the Neon should come
out of retirement if this is the best Dodge has
to offer. For poor performance, lack of standard features and a cheap interior, the Caliber
gets one out of five stars.
Engine Specifications
Engine Type
1.8L I-4 DOHC
Torque (lb.-ft. @ rpm)
125 @ 5200
Horsepower (SAE net @ rpm)
Compression Ratio
Bore and Stroke (in.)
Fuel Delivery
Recommended Fuel
148 @ 6500
10.5:1
3.38 x 3.05
Gas Engine / Sequential Electronic Fuel Injected
Unleaded regular, 87 octane
Fuel Economy
27/32 (city/highway mpg)
Fuel Tank Capacity
13.6 gallons
Transmission Type
5-speed manual
Chassis Specifications
Front Suspension
Independent
Brakes
Front disc, rear drum; Available anti-lock system
Rear Suspension
Steering
Independent
Rack and Pinion
Exterior Dimensions
Wheelbase (in.)
112.3
Overall Height (in.)
57
Overall Length (in.)
Body Width (in.)
Front Track Width (in.)
Rear Track Width (in.)
Interior Dimensions
70.6
59.6
60
Head Room - front/rear (in.)
39.8/38.9
Hip Room - front/rear (in.)
52.2/49.6
Shoulder Room - front/rear (in.)
Photos: Dodge.com
189
Leg Room - front/rear (in.)
54.2/53.4
41.8/35.7

Blue Devils Clinch Top Seed in NEC Tourney

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