Tensions Flare Between President and Faculty

Transcription

Volume 103 No. 4
http://clubs.ccsu.edu/recorder/
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Tensions Flare Between
President and Faculty
Laura Stalgaitis
News Editor
Mark Rowan
Editor-in-Chief
A recent tension has been growing
between the faculty and the administration
of CCSU regarding promotion and tenure,
the reorganization of Student Affairs and the
upgrading of athletic fields.
Various faculty members have expressed
concerns over these matters in Faculty Senate
meetings, which are held every other Monday.
At the September 11 Faculty Senate meeting,
Dr. Tim Craine, the Faculty Senate president,
gave a speech which addressed the concerns.
Craine began the speech citing an
incident that occurred last May, in which
President Miller overruled a unanimous recommendation from the Departmental Evaluation Committee, the Dean, and the Promotion
& Tenure committee in five promotion and
tenure decisions that involved four faculty
members.
Those same points were addressed in
statistics compiled by Dr. Kristine Larsen,
Promotion & Tenure committee chairperson,
comparing President Miller’s decisions on
candidates to the decisions of the DEC, Dean
and the P&T. Three times in the 2005-2006
year Miller overturned unanimous decisions
of approval. All three of the disapprovals were
female candidates. Out of the nine female
candidates for promotion, only one of them
was actually successful. However, nine out of
the 12 male candidates were approved.
“It can’t be healthy for either side,” said
Larsen when asked to comment on the tension
and disagreements between the faculty and
President Miller. “Like any problem, there has
to be some resolution.”
Craine reported five specific reasons
for why the action was problematic. “1. Only
on rare occasions in the past has a president
overturned a unanimous recommendation of
all three bodies. 2. Previously the President
had indicated that he was not about to apply
new standards to the candidates under review
in the current year. 3. The President failed to
discuss the dossiers of all four faculty members when he met with the P&T. 4. All four
of the individuals denied promotion and/or
tenure are women. 5. Above all, it seemed
that the “rules of the game” had been changed
at the very last minute for these four faculty
members, something we all recognized as
extremely unfair.”
Craine went on to discuss the events
leading up to the incident including meetings,
See Tensions Flare pg 2
CCSU Courier
Jack Miller receives the University mace at the official ceremony investing him as CCSU’s
President last December. Miller’s tenure has been marked by controversy since then.
Senate President of Puerto Rico Discusses Statehood
Christopher Boulay
News Editor
The Senate President of Puerto Rico
visited CCSU last Wednesday to speak about
the island’s current political and economic
situation.
Kenneth McClintock spoke in Davidson
Hall for his second time at Central. His first
trip here he spoke primarily about Puerto
Rico’s fight for statehood.
As a pro-statehood Puerto Rican, he
spent much of his time explaining the importance of his island to the United States, especially if it was granted a chance at statehood.
It is currently a United States Commonwealth.
McClintock mentioned Puerto Rico’s process
of becoming a bio-economic power in the
region.
“There has been a one million dollar
investment by Amgen to the Puerto Rican
government for its continued bio-economic
growth.” There is no current plan that Puerto
Rico has to use Amgen’s help, but they are
getting help.
McClintock also pointed to the Brookings Institution Report for information on his
nation’s growth.
He said, “This is the first time since the
1930’s that we are in the report because we are
now tax-help independent. The last time we
were in the report was because of our transfer
from an agricultural economy to an industrial
economy.” The fact that Puerto Rico has made
such great strides to be able to fend for itself
is a big reason why McClintock believes they
should be up for statehood.
Reports have been done to see if Puerto
Women’s Volleyball
Ricans really want to become a state or if
they would prefer to be independent. Many
Democrats, as well as some Republicans, in
Washington have pressed the idea of a vote for
Puerto Rican independence.
“Many American democrats like John
Kerry and Hillary Clinton have supported
Puerto Rico in bills put through the Congress
and Senate,” said McClintock.
McClintock stressed the need for Puerto
Rico to become a state, but knows there are
still obstacles to get around first. McClintock
said, “It is clear that the White House has
said that Puerto Rico is going to have to come
closer to self-determination.”
McClintock also expressed unhappiness
regarding the way that United States media
ignores his country during important times.
“In May, there was a two week government
shutdown and it did not make the United
States’ national news, yet Atlantic City shut
down for five days and it did make the national
news. Puerto Rico’s problems are America’s
problems.” McClintock did claim that the
shutdown in Puerto Rico was not needed and
if handled correctly, could have been avoided
all together. He believes that Puerto Rico is
moving forward from their situation in May
and will continue to prosper.
Colonization in the United States was
another topic he felt strongly about. Puerto
Rico is a United States Commonwealth and
McClintock feels that the Constitution makes
it illegal. “Puerto Ricans do not have control
of government and decisions are made for
Elton John Album Review
Page 6
Page 8
Danes Prove
to be Greater
UAlbany hands CCSU its first loss
Dan Savage
Sports Editor
The Blue Devils football team entered conference play this Saturday with
a 3-0 record and the school’s first national
ranking, at No. 23 in the coaches’ poll, but
would leave with their first loss of the season. Central lost 19-14 to the University at
Albany Great Danes in their first conference
game and drop to 3-1 on the year and 0-1 in
conference play.
“I’m proud of our kids cause they
fought, you got to give Albany all the credit
in the world,” said CCSU head coach Jeff
McInerny. “Playing on the road in the NEC
is always tough no matter who you are.”
Tough is an appropriate world to describe Saturday’s defensive struggle. Both
teams expressed their desire to run the football early on, as they both ran the ball early
www.senadopr.us
and often. Albany was the first team to get a
good scoring opportunity, when they drove
them.” He made clear that it is completely neces- the ball 80 yards to the Blue Devils’ 10 yard
line. But just when it seemed that Central
sary for Congress to sponsor a vote in order for
would fall behind, they got a big play from
any change to occur.
defensive tackle Devon Douglass, who
McClintock is a graduate of University of
stripped the ball away from a scrambling
Puerto Rico at Rio Piedras and went to Tulane
Daniel Bocanegra which Central recovered
University to study law. He is a member of
at nine yard line.
the New Progressive Party of Puerto Rico and
resides in San Juan.
See First Loss pg 7
Johnny Knoxville Interview
Page 10
Rachael Ray Review
Page 12
News
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2
Tensions Flare
Continued from pg 1
letters and reports. He quoted the CCSU
American Association of University Professors President, Cindy White, in a letter she
wrote on April 25 saying, “I am especially
alarmed at the possibility that individual
faculty are caught in the awful position of
paying a very high price for meeting the very
standards that, up until the President’s decision, they were led to believe were expected
of them.”
Craine and White held an open meeting
with President Miller on May 11 and “following that meeting the Senate officers considered calling an emergency meeting of the
Senate, but decided not to since the semester
was drawing to a close.”
However, Professors Norton Mezvinsky
and Felton Best held a closed meeting of
the faculty on May 18 to discuss the matter.
Craine reported, “close to 90 faculty members attended and 60 at a follow-up meeting several weeks later.” These members
voted to send a delegation to meet with the
President. Concurrently the AAUP filed
a grievance on behalf of the four affected
faculty members.
The meeting occurred with Miller on
May 30, in which President Miller acknowledged that misunderstandings had occurred
which he attributed to miscommunication. This meeting resulted in a resolution
announced on July 12, in which President
Miller agreed to have all of the five disputed
cases reconsidered after receiving more
information from the DEC, the Dean and the
P&T.
“He would consider whether or not he
would reconsider his decisions,” said Mezvinsky of President Miller.
President Miller was supposed to have
come to a decision by the September 25.
However, at the Faculty Senate meeting on
that day the Senate voted on a resolution that
expressed its dissatisfaction with his failure
to make a decision by the appointed deadline
for candidate notifications for promotion and
tenure for the next round of consideration.
The Senate supported the letters written
by Craine and White, which urged for timely
action on the five promotion and tenure
cases. The Senate also expressed its concern
for its colleagues who “are left in limbo by
the delay and for the appearance of gender
discrimination by the University.” The resolution passed 48-6.
“The fact of the vote definitely says
something,” said Mezvinsky.
At this meeting President Miller sought
input from the various parties who had previously reviewed the cases from last year. The
AAUP responded by saying that the input
could have been given at any time between
the last meeting and now, and they said the
September 25 deadline should have been
honored.
There have been a few other meetings with the President and Provost by both
Craine and White which has Craine hopeful.
“However, it will take some time to rebuild
trust. As we await the outcome of the rehearing of the five cases; faculty remain skeptical,” he said.
E. Coli Breakout Linked to Spinach
Mark T. Rutkowski
Copy Editor
An outbreak of the E. coli bacterium has
been linked to fresh spinach originating from
California’s Salinas Valley. Since September
14, 172 people have become ill, 92 have been
hospitalized, and one has died. In Connecticut alone, there have been three cases of the
illness.
Escherichia coli or “E. coli” bacteria live
in the soil of decaying plants. It can cause
many intestinal infections, bloody diarrhea
and kidney failure. This particular strain
has caused 27 incidents of hemolytic-uremic
syndrome, a disease that can cause acute renal
failure and a low platelet count in the victim’s
blood.
“Stay away from that shit,” warns Ally
King, a farmer at Urban Oaks, an organic farm
in New Britain. King has seen an increase of
organic spinach sales thanks impart to the E.
coli breakout. “By the time that food reaches
you, it’s been touched by many hands. A lot of
that industrial equipment is never cleaned.”
In an interview with the Houston
Chronicle, John McClung of the Texas Produce
Association says the California outbreak is
bad for industrial growers nationwide, “When
a crop goes through a food-safety scare like
this, the market is damaged for everybody. The
consumer doesn’t really know quite what to
do, and they avoid the product entirely.”
Devil’s Den retail manager Joseph Leal
says Central students can relax. “Sedexo is
not serving or purchasing any spinach. We
receive email ‘flashes’ warning us of outbreaks like this. Our provider in Hartford has
trashed all their spinach and, until further
notice, they won’t be purchasing anymore.
We couldn’t get fresh spinach if we wanted
to.”
The FDA has said that spinach grown
outside of the US is safe to eat, although the
country of origin is not labeled on most food
packaging. Therefore the FDA urges people
to avoid eating all fresh spinach.
Minority Enrollment May Skyrocket Nationwide
Heather Schwedel
Daily Pennsylvanian (U. Penn)
(U-WIRE) PHILADELPHIA -- Nonwhite students may still be in the minority at American colleges, but the rate at
which they’re enrolling far surpasses their
white counterparts. Statisticians at the U.S.
Department of Education predict that while
nationwide college enrollment will continue
to grow, among minorities, there’s going to
be a boom.
By 2015, enrollment in American colleges will grow 42 percent for Latinos, 30
percent for Native Americans, 28 percent for
Asian Americans and 27 percent for blacks,
according to a report from the National
Center for Education Statistics. In the same
period, white enrollment is only slated to
grow by 6 percent.
According to Thomas Snyder, a statistician at the Department of Education, the
projections only echo decades of population
and enrollment trends: Rates of minority
enrollment are not just now beginning to
outpace those of whites, but have been doing
so for many years, Snyder said.
Experts are unsure how the upswing in
minority enrollment will affect the Univer-
sity of Pennsylvania.
Though Penn has been a “predominantly
white institution from the very beginning,”
its elite status should also mean that it has
the resources to “adapt to a more diverse
America,” said Sean Vereen, associate director of the Center for Africana Studies.
Universities located in areas of greater
population growth – especially minority
population growth -- are predicted to be most
affected.
Enrollment among non-resident-aliens
is also projected to rise 34 percent. This will
all add up to a total enrollment increase of 15
percent.
The report also contained information
on teachers, spending and elementary- and
secondary-school enrollment. It report used
demographic data from the U.S. Census,
fertility rates and past precedent to predict
future enrollment rates, Snyder said.
Laura Perna, a professor in the Graduate
School of Education, said she hoped some
of the increases in minority enrollment were
due to recruitment efforts aimed specifically
at minorities.
Sarita Brown, the president of the nonprofit organization Excelencia in Education,
which works with Latinos in higher education, said the projections shouldn’t automatically be taken as fact.
She said the vast increases in many
minority populations will not necessarily
translate to increases in enrollment.
The nation’s large Latino population
represents a great number of potential college
students, Brown said, but unless colleges
expand recruitment and need-based financial
aid, potential students is all they’ll ever be.
“I think it’s exciting that we could have
this great growth, [but it’s] not a foregone
conclusion,” Brown said.
The annual report included separate
projections for different ethnicities for the
first time this year, although the Department
of Education has been gathering such data
since the 1970s. Their inclusion this year was
based on numerous requests, Snyder said.
“Individual campuses are going to
choose to respond in different ways,” Snyder
said.
3
Interview with Socialist Action Senatorial Candidate Jeff Mackler
Mark T. Rutkowski
Copy Editor
Socialist Action National Secretary Jeff
Mackler has been a political activist since the
US invasion of Cuba in 1961. He was a leader
of the anti-Vietnam War movement and a
supporter of the Nicaraguan, Salvadoran and
Grenadian revolutions. Now at 66, Mackler
is running for Senate in California against
Democrat Diane Feinstein, Republican
Richard Mountjoy, and Green Party candidate
Todd Chretien.
He will be giving a speech on the
socialist alternative to the two-party system
Thursday, September 28 in the Marcus White
Living Room at 7:30 p.m. The event is cosponsored by Youth for Socialist Action and
the Peace Studies Department.
Mark Rutkowski: Why are you running for Senate?
Jeff Mackler: I am running in order to
educate Americans about socialist politics
and ideas.
MR: Why should American workers
support immigrant workers?
JM: One of the socialist slogans is
“Workers of the World Unite!” The many will
overcome the few only through unity. This
current major influx of immigrants is due to
US economic polices such as the North Amer-
ican Free Trade Agreement that has destroyed
the Mexican economy.
MR: Can youth play an important role
in politics?
JF: Youth have always been at the center
of revolution. They are extremely curious
about new ideas and are free to explore new
viewpoints. Youth are not as burdened as
adults. They do not have to subordinate their
ideals to the day-to-day struggle for survival.
All members of the working class are important but the youth have always been and will
continue to be at the forefront.
MR: What is your plan to end the war
in Iraq?
JF: Bring the troops home now. I believe
in the right of self-determination; Iraqis
should have control over Iraq. Interference
by the Americans, the British, and the Turks
created the ethnic divisions that are destroying that country today. If the US and other
imperialist nations had abstained from Iraq, it
would have long been a democracy. How did
we get out of Vietnam? Well, there too the US
was up to no good. More than 57,000 young
Americans and 4 million Vietnamese died
in a senseless war. This was an unstoppable
struggle of the Vietnamese for the control
of their own land. It ended because 78% of
the American population opposed the war;
Black and Latino soldiers realized that this
was a racist war and led a soldier movement
inside the military against it. A draft today
would cause opposition to the Iraq war the
likes of which were not seen in the 1960s.
The Vietnam War took place while the US
was the most powerful nation in the world.
Europe was destroyed by two World Wars
and because of this there was no competition
for American capital. Today the US is not
the world’s greatest creditor but it’s greatest
debtor. Our technology certainly is not the
best. Our healthcare is poor and we are loosing millions of jobs every year. The working
class is getting angry.
MR: Didn’t the Soviet Union prove
that Socialism doesn’t work?
JM: Socialism did not exist in the Soviet
Union. Trotskyists called it a “worker state.”
After the Bolshevik Revolution of October
1917, the Soviet Union was the largest nation
on Earth. It redistributed the land to the peasants, the poor and the repressed. The Soviet
Union freed all the colonies of Tsarist Russia,
a country that was once known as the “prison
house of nationalities.” This is the only time
in history that a former imperial power has
given up all of its colonies. There was a belief
in the right of oppressed nations to self-determination. Workers were given control;
they ruled in their own name and from their
own institutions. However, fourteen countries
including the US invaded the Soviet Union.
They allowed for Stalin to takeover – a man
cut from their own capitalist cloth. The Soviet
Union eventually became a convenient caricature for the US to point to and say, “This is
socialism.” I come from the Trotskyist political current. I believe Socialism must create an
elagratatian and democratic society. Predictions about capitalism’s long-term success are
dead.
MR: What is your impression of the
Joe Lieberman/Ned Lamont Senate race
here in Connecticut?
JF: There is no hill-of-beans difference
between Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont, just
like there is no difference between the Democratic and Republican parties. Not a single
congressperson is in favor of getting the
troops out now. Ned Lamont claimed to be an
anti-war candidate, and then he changed his
mind. The Connecticut Senate race illustrates
that these politicians are liars and will always
take the popular position to win an election.
Cookout Aims to Promote Diversity Old State House Features New Exhibit
Jessica Carraro
Mark T. Rutkowski
Staff Writer
The Black Student Union sponsored
“The BSU Cookout” last Thursday from 5-10
p.m. According to the CCSU website, the
BSU “seeks to develop a black consciousness at CCSU and to improve the cultural
and social development of black students in
relationship to their past and future. It hopes
to promote social unity and intellectual fellowship among those of African heritage.”
BSU collaborated with the United Caribbean
Club and the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
The Vice President of NAACP, Natasha
Payton, explained that the purpose of the
event was to get more people interested and
involved. The President, Deidre O’Neal, said
it would be a good idea to do this event again.
Copy Editor
The one thing she would change is to begin it
earlier. This would allow more commuters to
attend and the clubs would not have to worry
that people will leave once it gets cold and
dark.
O’Neal believes the turnout was good but
it would have been better if the event was during the day. The next event for the NAACP is
a trip to Howard University in Washington,
DC, for both educational reasons as well as
entertainment.
This is the first collaboration between
NAACP, UCC and BSU. O’Neal says what the
clubs have in common is the wish to promote
diversity on campus. For more information on
these clubs visit http://clubs.ccsu.edu/.
For more than two hundred years the Old
State House in Hartford has been a witness to
American and Connecticut history. Completed in 1796, it was the first public building
in the United States and hosted, among other
events, the famous Amistad trials and the
Hartford Convention of 1812. Now some of
that history is on display in an exhibit entitled
“History is All Around Us.”
Located in the first floor Mortensen Gallery, this exhibit has something for everyone.
There are video and photograph installations
that reflect on Hartford’s urban renewal projects of the 1970s. Visitors can catch a glimpse
of the city’s pre-war Victorian architecture.
Familiar names from Connecticut’s industrial past such as Colt and Steinway are also
featured in the exhibit. Visitors young and old
will be amazed at Hartford’s development and
growth.
The Old State House was Connecticut’s
original capitol building and later served
as Hartford’s town hall. The building was
marked for demolition in the 70s, but thankfully an effort was made to preserve the landmark. It went through major renovations in
the 90s. In 2003, the Old State House merged
with the Connecticut Historical Society.
The Old State House is located at 800
Main Street in downtown Hartford. The hours
are Tuesday - Friday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and
Saturdays 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is free.
Call (860) 522-6766 for more information.
Chest poster, to a copy of the book Wicked,
to a Sega Dreamcast. Whatever hall found
the most items would be first and so on from
there.
These points would eventually be carried
over to the next event and up until the end of
the year. To decide who would win the cup,
every hall will compete on Super Saturday in
May. Super Saturday is an all day event and
whatever hall wins Super Saturday takes the
Cup and bragging rights up until the end of
next year.
Lisa Merrill is a Dean’s Cup devotee.
She said, “It’s a good way to get involved on
campus. Carroll Hall is really enthusiastic, so
it’s easy to get excited about it. Plus, I have
to help keep the Dean’s Cup in my building.”
Carroll Hall has won the Dean’s Cup four
times out of the past five years.
“A lot of people don’t go to Dean’s Cup
because they have class and the new freshman don’t even know what it is because there
was hardly any publicity about it. It’s a pretty
big thing once you get into it,” noted Merrill.
The Resident Assistants say that this is a
very unique event and not too many schools
have something like Dean’s Cup. They feel
that students here should take the opportunity
to participate, support, and take pride in their
buildings even if it is just once. They urge you
to go support your residence hall and come
out to next month’s Dean’s Cup event.
Dean’s Cup Returns
Victora Wall
Staff Writer
The nine residence halls at CCSU
competed in the first Dean’s Cup event of
the semester last week. Dean’s Cup takes
place once every month to encourage campus
unity, pride for campus residence halls and
gives students an opportunity to meet others
through friendly competition.
A scavenger hunt kicked off Dean’s Cup
this September. Each hall had an hour to
collect an assortment of 50 items that ranged
from a Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s
Opinion/Editorial
4
Editorial
The already tepid relationship between
CCSU faculty and the administration is being
put under further strain. President Miller’s
failure to accept unanimous Faculty Senate
decisions regarding the granting of promotions and tenure is disturbing. The fact
that each of these candidates were women
is opprobrious. Do the President’s actions
reflect a sexism inherent in all institutions or
is this partiality unique to Central’s current
administration?
In the 2000-2001 academic year nine
men and six women were recommended
for tenure. The decisions reached by the
Departmental Evaluation Committee, the
Dean and the Promotion & Tenure committee
were unanimous. Former President Richard
Judd approved of all the decisions. For the
2005-2006 academic year, four men and
seven women were endorsed by the Faculty
Senate. Miller approved one of the male candidates. No women were approved for tenure.
Overall, only one out of nine potential female
promotions were approved.
Professor Craine’s criticisms are well
founded. While we are hesitant to accuse
President Miller of outright sexual discrimination, at the very least the long-established
standards for professional advancement at
CCSU appear to have changed. Unfortunately, rather than addressing this controversy
with all deliberate speed, President Miller
is employing delay tactics and bureaucratic
procrastination.
We expect the office of the President to,
at least, meet the standards presented in the
faculty handbook and ensure “the employment and promotion of qualified individuals
without regard to race, color, religion, sex,
marital status, age, national origin, ancestry, veteran status, or the presence of any
sensory, physical or mental handicap.” Even
the appearance of sexual discrimination in
the granting of promotions and tenure should
require the administration to reexamine its
decision making process.
Sadly, the kind of prima facie discrimination that has taken place here at CCSU
appears to be universal in nature. While
research has shown that the wage gap issue
between men and women is, in large part, due
to the career choices made by the two groups,
decisions like President Miller’s aggravate
an already tenuous situation. Never mind
Tolerance is a Two-Way Street
To our readers, who may or may not be loyal,
James Driscolli
You can see your opinion in our Editorial/
Opinion section next Wednesday. Submit your
400-700 word piece by Friday at 5:00 PM to
ccsurecorder@gmail.com. Please remember,
we reserve the right of editorial control over all
submissions.
Pope Benedict XVI stirred a great deal
of controversy recently during a speech given
in Germany. The Pope quoted a 14th century
Byzantine emperor who said Mohammed
brought, “Things only evil and inhuman,
such as his command to spread by the sword
the faith he preached.”
In the aftermath of this speech, churches
in Gaza and the West Bank were attacked.
In Somalia, an Italian nun was murdered. In
the United Kingdom, angry Islamic protesters chanted slogans threatening the Pope’s
life in front of Westminster Cathedral. I do
not think additional violence would surprise
anyone.
Everyone has condemned the Pope,
along with most of the media outlets. Regardless of what you think about the comments,
does anyone notice a double standard?
Comments by the Pope have yielded the
same reaction as the incident with a Danish
cartoon depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
When Iranian President Ahmadinejad denies
the Holocaust, do Jews burn down a Mosque
in New York? When the Saudi daily newspaper Abha Al-Watan published a cartoon on
September 20 depicting the Pope as the devil,
did Catholics start murdering Islamic clerics?
If any of these events occurred in a
Western nation, it would be universally
condemned and the perpetrators would be
brought to justice. We wouldn’t explain their
actions as a result of being disenfranchised or
having a cultural difference.
Anyone who says that Islam is a religion
of terrorism is ignorant. Compared to the
1.4 billion people worldwide who practice
the religion, the number who are arrested for
We look forward to hearing from you soon.
- The Editorial Board
whether or not promotions in higher education are the place for affirmative action, it
shows an utter lack of human compassion to
not be aware of past discrimination by denying female professors their tenure at this rate.
Many people at this university are proud
of the working class roots of our campus. Our
student body reflects a emphasis on the value
of merit and not privilege. Despite otherwise
trying situations, much of the student body
works to earn their degree and, upon graduation, can know that the piece of paper they
receive is a recognition of their accomplishments and not a result of a silver spoon. How
much longer can that ethos continue if we
allow it to become overtaken by the ‘Old Boys
Club’ mentality?
Staff Writer
violent activities is quite small.
However, is there proof that the Islamic
community condemns violent behavior? I’m
curious to know what a poll on the issue
would indicate in places like Saudi Arabia,
Gaza or Pakistan. The results would likely
be frightening to the West.
In all fairness, there are Muslims who
have expressed their disapproval of the Pope
and, at the same time, made it clear that
violent responses are a wrong solution. These
are the type of people who should be leading
the Muslim community.
While the West is not theocratic, there
are plenty of Jews and Christians who feel
as strongly about their religion as Muslims.
Hypersensitivity by any of the three religions
is going to lead to violence.
In the aftermath of the Danish cartoon
fiasco and now this Pope controversy, many
Westerners seem to believe that we should
walk on eggshells as not to offend anyone.
We live in a society that grants freedom of
speech and that right should be upheld.
The Islamic community, particularly
those who hold fundamentalist or extremist views, must realize that we share a world
that is becoming smaller everyday through
technology. Resorting to violent attacks every
time you disagree with someone is ridiculous.
It boils down to tolerance. Tolerance is
a two-way street and we should all make an
effort to be understanding of other cultures.
At the same time, we should not for a minute
contemplate sacrificing our fundamental
freedoms to placate those with extremist
views.
Abha Al-Wattan (internet version) at http://www.alwatan.com.sa
Hear No Politics, See No Politics, Speak No Politics
5
Christopher Hutchinson
Opinion Editor
How many of us at CCSU are against the
war in Iraq? We know categorically, from
their advertisements around campus that
the CCSU College Republicans support the
war effort. What about the CCSU College
Democrats, what do they believe? Do they
want to continue this war, are they in favor of
a prolonged withdrawal of troops, or do they
want to bring the troops home now?
These two parties have continually voted
to send students and workers to war while
they ride around in limousines and kiss babies
pretending to care about working people.
Both parties are rarely held accountable for
their actions. Even when a scandal does come
to light, such as, lying or bribery, the punish-
ment is often a slap on the wrist.
Youth for Socialist Action is calling upon
these two parties to meet in a public forum
and join YSA in a debate. The Democrats
have not yet replied to YSA’s call. This is
somewhat shocking considering they are in
an election year and one would think that
any chance to present Ned Lamont’s platform
would be welcome. More disappointing
though is the lack of enthusiasm behind their
politics and their disregard for a third party to
be involved in political discourse.
Are the Democrats afraid that if their
platform were propped up next to YSA’s it
would be discovered that Ned Lamont is not
much different from Joe Lieberman? Since
being absorbed into the apparatus of the Democratic Party, Lamont is forced to push along
the party line, weakening any anti-war stance
he might have held.
On the other hand, the hawkish yet courteous College Republicans have responded
promptly to YSA’s call for debate. Again
however, it’s sad to say that they do not really
care about involving the campus in an intelligent political discussion. The Republicans
are too busy advocating for Nancy Johnson,
who accepts money from defense contractors
and is undoubtedly pro-war.
We are missing a great opportunity to
involve CCSU students in an event that can
make clear for us where each party stands.
While YSA is holding forums and engaging
the student body in open political discourse,
the two capitalist parties are avoiding the
opportunity to better understand the political
climate on campus, in Connecticut, and more
importantly, in the United States.
It is essential that third party alternatives
are allowed to participate and not be treated
like second class citizens. This is an open
challenge to Republicans, Democrats, and any
other group that would like to participate in a
debate. Democrats, stop making excuses or,
at best, give Youth for Socialist Action a call.
Let’s attempt to expand political awareness
and not hide our beliefs at meetings where all
who attend agree.
making slaves of the working class. Sure, it
sounds good, until you look at the reality of
the picture:
A) The United States as a whole is the
Bourgeoisie; we are the ones who make slaves
of workers in third world countries. Just
look at China, there’s a reason that crap is
so cheap. The American worker has it good.
Anyone who says otherwise should travel to
China, Taiwan, Hong Kong or Mexico, work
a 16 hour day in a sweat shop, and get paid 57
cents for their troubles.
B) This is a country of free will. We each
have a power over ourselves greater than all
the corporate fat cats. We have the power to
not be influenced. We have the power to not
buy. We have the power to save our money.
It’s all freedom of will; some people just don’t
have the will power.
Let’s name a few of the things that most
Americans now have that 10 years ago we
didn’t need, didn’t want, and couldn’t conceive of having. This is a list of all the crap
that drains electricity in my house.
We have; four desktop computers, three
laptops, four televisions, two air conditioners, three desktop stereos, three cell phones
at $71 a month (without text messages), four
vehicles, and a digital picture printer. I almost
forgot! We have the Internet, 147 channels on
the cable, a wireless router, and three MP3
players. I have a PS2, an X-Box, an N64, and
an original Nintendo. And to top it off, we’re
practically broke.
We have a lot of crap. And we really
can’t afford it. Whose fault is it? Did WalMart make me go to their store and buy a
bunch of garbage? Did Cingular hold a gun to
my father’s head and say, “You will buy this
plan or else!” Did Dell and Al Gore show up
at my house to brain wash us into buying six
computers and the Internet? No. It was of our
own free will. We let it happen, and the more
we continue to let it happen, the more we buy
in to the system and the harder it will be to
escape its pull.
Does a nine-year-old need a cell phone?
Does a family on welfare need a satellite
dish? Does a 1996 Dodge Caravan really need
chrome rims? Do we need all of these things?
No. Are some of them, like cell phones, also
life saving devices? Yes. Do I sound like
Donald Rumsfeld posing rhetorical questions
and then answering myself? Yes.
As a culture we’ve bought into this idea
of never being satisfied with what we have,
because there’s always something newer,
flashier, faster and cooler. It’s what makes the
world go round.
We have to buy things and spend money
so that factories and businesses can make
money, to pay people to work for them.
But it’s in the excess that we are stopping
ourselves from breaking out, spilling over
and becoming financially secure. The key to
our survival lies in finding a balance between
our checkbooks and our desires. If we are
to remain a solvent people, we must look to
tomorrow and decide which inventions and
products we can live without.
Think about it.
Debt Problem is Consumers’ Fault
Jeff Hayden
Staff Writer
Call me a cynic, but it’s not their fault.
Sorry to say, it’s yours. I’m not joining the
blame-America-first crowd, but I will start
a blame-the-American-consumer crowd.
The left has one thing right. Yes, catch your
breath, I said it. The Middle Class is disappearing. Only, it’s not Wal-Mart’s fault or
Halliburton, or the credit card companies.
It’s true. Today, more people are indebted
beyond their conceivable ability to repay than
ever. The government and country itself is
not a shining star, with $8,361,039,032,040.05
outstanding as of June 1, 2006 that boils
down to roughly $27,000 per citizen, babies
included. Of course, that burden is left to the
so-called top one percent, who account for
nearly 85 percent of all tax revenue. And why
is this? Why, in an age of economic prosperity and growth, are so many Americans made
slaves by their debts?
Socialists and Communists might say
that this epidemic problem is simply the
built in prison of a capitalistic system, that
it is those in control of production who are
Sports
6
Lady Blue Devils Volleyball Improves to 8-5
Michael Krafcik
Staff Writer
It finally appears that the pieces of the puzzle
are starting to fall in place for the CCSU women’s
volleyball team. In perhaps the turning point of the
season, the team showed its true colors, defeating the University at Albany Great Danes in the
opening match of the Courtyard by Marriot Classic
at Yale University. Central won the match against
Albany 3-1, as Senior Chelsea Magee recorded a
team high 16 kills, improving Central’s record to
7-4 on the year.
The Blue Devils dropped the first game of
the match but rebounded to win the final three,
30-19, 30-28 and 30-28. This culminated in the
fourth game in which adversity stared down the
Blue Devils’ back as they trailed 28-24. The Blue
Devils managed to rally with six straight points to
win the game 30-24 as well as the match.
“This is the one moment where we all finally
clicked,” said head coach Linda Sagnelli.
Central showcased a strong team effort in
order to overcome the deficit. “We showed a lot
of character, the bench was loud, and we focused
together as one,” said Sagneli. These intangibles
gave Central a clear edge enabling them to victory.
Central was led by senior setter and Northeast Conference Player of the Week Brynn Good.
Brynn had a show-stopping performance, recording her second triple-double of the season with 10
kills, 13 digs and 52 assists. Good was one of five
Blue Devils which posted at least 10 kills in the
victory.
The Blue Devils are an up and coming team it
is the younger players that stepped up and led the
charge. Sophomore Amanda Olmstead helped the
cause with 15 kills which was helped by Freshman
Jamie Baumert, who had 13 kills. Freshman Sara
Grona added 12 kills and a team-high 15 digs. The
Blue Devils had 15 blocks in the victory.
The defeat of Albany was the first of three
games in the Yale Courtyard by Marriot classic.
This round-robin tournament also included Yale
and the University of Rhode Island.
In the second game of the tournament, the
Blue Devils faced Yale. However, the Blue Devils
could not continue the momentum losing the match
three games to zero.
Magee managed a strong match with 11 kills,
while only making one error. Junior Milou Saxton
pitched in with 10 kills. However, Central hit an
abysmal .206 and only managed 43 total kills.
Central wrapped up the tournament with
another match on Saturday against URI. Central
struggled in the first two games, losing 30-23 and
then 30-17. Yet, Central persevered, just like in the
Albany game, to rally to win the next three games.
The victory over URI was highlighted by performances from newcomer Sara Grona. The freshman
setter had a team high 16 kills and a senior Ashlee
Gonzales chipped in with 15 kills.
Photos by Conrad Akier / The Recorder
The Blue Devils finished the Tournament 2-1
and after the successful weekend stand at 8-5 over- Top: Junior Milou Saxton (left) and senior Chelsea Magee (right) attempt to block a return from the UAlbany side.
all. They return to Detrick Gymnasium against
Bottom left: Senior Brynn Good sets the ball for an attack against the Great Danes. She finished the game with 10 kills, 13 digs and 52 assists.
Iona on Wednesday night beginning at 7 p.m.
Bottom right: Freshman Sara Grona (left) and Brynn Good (right) prepare for a serve.
A-Rod’s Woes Mount
Alex Carr
Copy Editor
At the conclusion of the 2003 Major
League Baseball season the most prominent
baseball team in the league made a move that
many thought would ensure a World Series
championship. The New York Yankees had
just signed Alex Rodriguez snagging the future hall of famer before the rival Boston Red
Sox could iron out a contract agreement.
The then Texas Rangers shortstop
was supposed to bring a truck load of stats,
defense and slugging to the Bronx but above
all else he was supposed to help them win.
For years Rodriguez had been known around
the league as the best and highest paid player
on one of the worst teams. A-Rod, as he is
affectionately called by fans, was fed up with
losing and wanted to play for a contender.
Fast forward to the 2004 American
League Championship series in which the
New York Yankees led the series against the
hated Boston Red Sox three games to none.
In what is considered to be one of the biggest
collapses in the history of Major League
Baseball the Red Sox were finally able to exorcise their demons by vanquishing the curse
of the Bambino en-route to their first World
Series Championship since 1918.
The lineup considered to be one of the
most potent in all of baseball had failed to
closeout the Red Sox. Even worse, their best
player had failed to step up when it mattered
most. Yankees fans across the North East
were discouraged yet optimistic when it came
to the team with the most World Series victories of all time.
After a rough start in the 2006 season the
Yankees have been able to turn an uninspiring first half of the season into an impressive
second half. Though New York has been surging as of late, Alex Rodriguez has not faired
as well. This season the Yankee faithful have
voiced their disappointment by filling the
ears of Alex Rodriguez with harsh criticisms.
Though he has mounted impressive offensive
numbers this season in batting .286, slugging
34 homeruns, and collecting 116 RBIs, he has
failed to respond in clutch moments.
After suffering through a series of offensive slumps and defensive lapses A-Rod has
also had to endure criticisms from his coaching staff as well as his teammates. Among
those in the Yankee clubhouse who’ve voiced
their displeasure with Rodriguez have been
Mike Mussina, Derek Jeter, Jason Giambi,
and Joe Torre. Mussina and Jeter have been
overly critical of their superstar third-basemen as they have reportedly been in a “cold
war” since the beginning of the season. In an
article published in last week’s issue of Sports
Illustrated Rodriguez expressed his frustrations of playing for the most famed franchise
in the history of baseball.
“[Mike] Mussina doesn’t get hammered
at all,” A-Rod lamented. “He’s making a
boatload of money. Giambi’s making ($20.4
million), which is fine and dandy, but it seems
those guys get a pass. When people write (bad
things) about me, I don’t know if it’s because
I’m good-looking, I’m biracial, I make the
most money, I play on the most popular team
...”
The 2006 season has offered a myriad
of trade scenarios revolving around one of
the biggest names in New York. Rodriguez
has had to withstand the jeers of the media as
well as an entire city. As the intensity of the
season has picked up Alex Rodriguez must
either shed his soft image and step up to the
plate or face the possibility of being traded. If
Rodriguez wants to cement his stature in the
annals of baseball history now is the time to
produce.
7
First Loss
Continued from pg 1
Both teams continued to struggle offensively in the second quarter until the Great
Danes finally broke the deadlock with 59
seconds remaining in the half on a Bocanegra
pass that connected with wide receiver Jason
Smith to make it 7-0 going into the second
half. In the first half Central managed just 83
yards of total offense on four possessions.
The second half began on a positive note
for the Blue Devils as they drove down the
field to tie the score at seven. On the drive,
junior quarterback Ryan Holmes connected
with a fifty yard pass before Jo Jo Freeman
ran into the end zone from about a foot out on
fourth down. On the ensuing Albany drive,
quarterback Daniel Bocanegra went out of the
game with a bruised ribcage forcing the Great
Danes to call on freshman back up Frank
Blasinsky. After Albany punted and gave the
ball back to Central, the Devils earned a first
down before going three and out and being
forced to punt it back. However, Chris Rose’s
punt was blocked and the Danes earned a
safety on the play making it 9-7.
Albany began the fourth quarter with a
58 yard drive that lead to a twenty five yard
field goal by Jason Fralicker to make the score
12-7. The game was slipping away from the
Devils but they were still only a touchdown
away from having the lead. Central managed
to get the deep into Albany territory with just
less than three minutes remaining but running
back Justise Hairston was stopped on a fourth
and three and Albany took over again.
Albany went three and out on their possession and Central took over at their own 11
after a solid punt. The fate of the Blue Devils
was sealed when Holmes was intercepted on
third down by free safety Eric Neugebauer,
who ran it in for the dagger touchdown, making it 19-7 with just 1:32 to go. Central managed to drive down and score a meaningless
touchdown with nine seconds remaining on
another Freeman rush, but the game was over.
Albany returned the onside kick attempt by
the Devils and Central was officially handed
their first loss of the year.
“The biggest problem for us was total
execution in the running game, but the biggest
problem was Albany’s defense, they’re good,”
said McInerny.
Central actually managed to out gain the
Great Danes with 325 yards of total offense
compared to 312, but the real difference
was the kicking game. Albany punter Chris
Lynch consistently pinned the Devils deep
in their own zone all day. On Central’s 11
possessions they began each drive on the 19,
9, 10, 20, 18, 6, 28, 15, and 32 respectively,
the 32 coming on a squib kick after the final
Albany touchdown.
“That’s a killer, to be backed up to your
own 10,” said quarterback Ryan Holmes, “It’s
tough to get out of there, you just have to stay
focused and try and get that first down.”
Holmes started his first game as a Blue
Devil in place of an injured Aubrey Norris
who is listed as day-to-day after an injury in
the game against Southern Connecticut.
“I was ready to go. I’ve been waiting for
this day, I just wish we could have gotten the
W,” said Holmes.
The Blue Devils will play their fourth
consecutive road game against St. Peter’s on
Saturday the 30th before returning home on
October 7th against St. Francis (PA).
Photos by Conrad Akier / The Recorder
Top left: Head coach Jeff McInerney expresses his frustration with a penalty given to his team.
Bottom left: Junior QB Ryan Holmes struggles to pass the ball while being challenged by Trevor DuPont of UAlbany.
Bottom right: Sophomore James Mallory attempts to tackle Rashad Barksdale of the Great Danes.
got it covered?
)FMQ$$46NPWFJOUIF
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Central Connecticut State University, in
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The Chickering Group is an internal business unit of Aetna Life Insurance Company.
Entertainment
Album Reviews
Mastodon
Blood Mountian
Elton John
The Captain and the Kid
Staff Writer
Editor-In-Chief
Nick Viccione
Blood Mountain is the sixth chapter in
the ever progressing book that Mastodon is
writing with their music. Since their last full
length, Leviathan, attained them critical acclaim and put them on the map back in 2004,
there have been countless number of metal
heads and musical elitists itching to hear what
Mastodon has up their sleeves.
As I listened to Blood Mountain, I was
glad to hear that they had not lost an ingredient that was vital to their unique sound; the
awkward, yet rewarding vocal styles of Brent
and Troy. With haunting yells, low pitched
singing, and screams galore, their range is endless. The listening process varies from person
to person. For example, if you are a drummer,
you focus your attention on the drumming and
shake your head in amazed disgust while listening to another man’s chops. The same goes
for guitarists who smile when they hear a great
riff. It is imperative that I express how much
I was simultaneously disgusted and smiling
throughout the listening of this record.
Blood Mountain has a genre-crossing
feel to it. The opening track, “The Wolf is
Loose,” has a very nostalgic Mastodon feel to
it, reminiscent of Remission and Leviathan.
“Crystal Skull” starts off with a tribal drum
lick into a guitar riff that could have easily
came from the fingers of Jeff Hannamen (circa
1986). This leads into “Sleeping Giant,” where
the first minute and a half lends comparison to
Neurosis or Cult of Luna, and then continues
to get interesting when the singing surfaces.
“Circle of Cysquatch” features a shrieking
opening riff which sounds like it could have
come from a Converge b-side, and finishes
with what is arguably one of the heaviest parts
on the record.
This record will not merit an A+ rating in
my book because of the songs “Bladecatcher,”
“Colony of Birchmen” and “Hunters of the
Sky.” Tracks six, seven and eight respectively
seemed to drag on for me. Aside from a wonderful guitar solo with double-kick backdrop
at the end of “Colony of Birchmen,” I found
myself drifting with these songs.
I found saving grace in the remaining
tracks. “Hand of Stone,” is an escalating
masterpiece with another masterful guitar solo
in the middle and a punishing display of drums
and sheer metal at the end. “This Mortal
Soil,” remains my favorite song. Anyone who
is a fan of Rush will know exactly where I
am coming from when I say this song sounds
as if Mastodon locked themselves in a room
and studied A Farewell To Kings and Moving
Pictures.
“Siberian Divide” is the most aggressive
song on the record with plenty of stellar drum
work and more guitar work that reminds me
of something Adam Jones of Tool should have
written for 10,000 Days. Blood Mountain ends
on a somber note with a folk filled jam.
Bottom line: Blood Mountain is a diverse
record that showcases Mastadon’s talent. If
this is your first encounter with Mastodon besides seeing the commercial on Headbanger’s
Ball while eating your bowl of Fruity Pebbles
at four in the morning, do yourself a favor and
buy this disc. I’d give this album an A-.
8
The Mountain Goats
Get Lonely
Chingy
Hoodstar
Mark Rowan
Matt Kiernan
Steve Hart
Elton John’s latest album The Captain and
the Kid is the sequel to his 1975 album Captain
Fantastic and the Brown Dirt Cowboy, and it
certainly still feels like the Elton John we’ve
all come to know and love after all these years.
Just like Captain Fantastic, Elton teams up
with his longtime songwriter and friend Bernie
Taupin on this new record.
The first time I heard this album I was
seriously disappointed. I couldn’t believe that
there were no signs of an instant classic. There
was nothing on the same level of “Goodbye
Yellow Brick Road” and certainly no “Someone Saved My Life Tonight.” By my third
listen I completely change my mind.
“The Captain and the Kid” is by far the
best track on the album and is a greater closer.
It’s actually a good song to sum up what The
Captain and the Kid is all about. The lyrics
give a nod to such past albums as Tumbleweed
Connection and Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,
as well as the song “Rocket Man.” But it also
sings, “And you can’t go back/And if you try
it fails.” The album on a whole also gives a
nod to the Elton John of the 70s, but does not
necessarily force itself to recreate it.
While other artists who have their best
years in the beginning of their career would try
to remake the “glory days,” Elton on the other
hand, embraces his illustrious past but starts a
new chapter with this album. That’s something
I came out of this album respecting Elton John
for.
“Blues Never Fade Away” is a moving
ballad where Elton sings about people who
have lost their lives over the years and Bernie
Taupin’s lyrics beautifully paint the picture
you know he wants the listeners to see. The
last verse ends with, “And I miss John Lennon’s laugh.” On Captain Fantastic and the
Brown Dirt Cowboy, Lennon was featured on
Elton John’s remake of “Lucy In The Sky With
Diamonds.” This was a nice touch to the song.
Two other noteworthy tracks, among
many, are “Postcards From Richard Nixon”
and “Wouldn’t Have You Any Other Way
(NYC).” “Postcards...” is a great opener and is
about the duo moving to Los Angeles. While
“Wouldn’t Have You...” sings of memories of
New York City. Both songs compliment each
other well and it takes you to those cities during the time period Elton sings about. “Postcards...” chorus sings “And we heard Richard
Nixon say/Welcome to the USA,” but ends
with “And we heard Richard Nixon say/I’ve
gotta go but you can stay.” Here, Taupin is
cleverly writing of Nixon’s resignation.
There really isn’t a track on this album
that I don’t like and you’ll find it hard to find
a track worth skipping. My only complaint
is the choice for the single. “The Bridge” is a
great track, but I just think the ones I mentioned above are much stronger. Of course,
this album will probably end up having more
than one single before it is put on the shelf. If
you were a fan of any of his hits throughout his
career, you’ll end up finding that Elton John
and Bernie Taupin still have a lot to offer, even
in 2006.
The Mountain Goat’s sole member John
Darnielle returns with his 14th album to date,
Get Lonely. For those speculating that the
Mountain Goats must be a polka group or that
they perform yodeling tunes, breath a sigh
of relief. John Darnielle is an indie, acoustic
genius whose lyrics are insightful as well as
catchy.
Compared to the rest of his collection of
albums, Get Lonely shies toward the lo-fi genre
instead of his usual eclectic song writing. The
theme of the album is the singer reminiscing of
a past failed relationship with a girlfriend and
his attempt to continue life without. In songs
such as “Half Dead,” “Get Lonely,” and “In the
Hidden Places,” he speaks of objects around
his house that remind him of what he used to
have. They give the listener a clear picture of
what they’re supposed to be feeling and seeing
as they listen.
Now for the die-hard cult fans of the
Mountain Goats, the songs are a departure from
what they expect from the poet. Darnielle’s former albums provided memorable acoustic chord
playing that consisted of four chords like on the
2002 release Tallahassee. Get Lonely still has
the four chords going for it, but they’re not as
memorable. He sings much more softly with
the guitar’s sound downplayed. In some parts
he decided to add a backup band to help out. He fills in the usual guitar playing with
background instruments such as piano, drums,
and violin. Even those instruments tend to fade
into the background from their lack of ability
to stand out. All of the instruments used on the
tracks lack originality and depend on the lyrics
to hold the songs together. In that manner, he
pulls through as always.
Besides the instrumentals, the lyrics are
also different from other Mountain Goats
tunes. Darnielle didn’t include his shout out
loud anthem choruses that his audience plans to
hear from most of his songs. These songs will
not make you want to scream out in defiance
about one thing or another. They’d sound very
subtle if you were listen to them while doing
something else. If you listen to what he is
saying though, the lyrics are quite simple, but
powerful. You’d more likely want to zip up in
your emo jacket at the end of your closet and
mourn the loss of a past love that has moved on.
He aims straight for your heart on this one.
The manner in which Darnielle speaks is a
reversal of his tone that he has based almost all
of his other songs around. He’s made everything else he’s ever written sound as though
they were written from an outsider’s view of
what’s happening to someone else. He sings
about things that sound like they’ve happened
to him through personal experience. It’s almost
as if he’s throwing his guard down to let people
into his life.
Get Lonely is a must have for any hardcore
fan of the Mountain Goats to add to their music
collection. This goes for any person who is a
fan of acoustic guitar songs or even emo, as
long as they don’t mind the quietness of the
singing replacing the screaming. Now go out
and buy this album and let out a good cry.
When you think of the Dirty South,
Atlanta and Houston usually come to mind.
But Chingy’s new album Hoodstar makes
you think about how serious the St. Louis rap
game is. Nelly has established himself as
someone from the STL that can sell tons of
records, and Murphy Lee is always lingering. Neither have lyrics with as much hate as
Chingy though. Hoodstar may have a couple
tracks worthy of radio play, but the meat of
the album still has that ghetto feel.
Looking over the track list of Hoodstar,
Chingy’s third album, you can’t help but notice the names of some of the biggest producers in southern rap. Beats by Jermaine Dupri,
Mannie Fresh and Hypnotize Minds make for
an album packing some serious bass. “Dem
Jeans (featuring Jermaine Dupri)” sounds a
lot like Nelly’s “Grillz” or Monica’s “Everytime Tha Beat Drop.” It is a typical So So Def
beat powered by bass and high pitched bells.
The major issue with this album is how
Chingy’s lyrics have not progressed from
his past two albums, Jackpot and Powerballin’. The majority of his rhymes are still just
about the club, clothes and girl’s asses. Titles
like “Brand New Kicks” and “Nike Aurr’s &
Crispy Tees” remind me of another St. Louis
rapper’s popular song about Nike shoes. The
Mannie Fresh chorus in “Brand New Kicks”
goes, “All I wear is brand new kicks/to match
my new outfits/I still run with project chicks/
and I know I make ya’ll niggas sick.” If this
doesn’t prove my point about Chingy’s message I don’t know what does.
“Ass n Da Aurr” and “U A Freak (featuring Mr. Collipark)” are great songs for the
strip club, but not so much for the radio or
for kids. Chingy does have a couple songs in
which he attempts to rap about more serious
situations, such as love and growing up in the
hood. His first single off the album, “Pullin
Me Back (featuring Tyrese),” is one of those
songs and has a great hook. It is nice to see a
serious side of Chingy, a sign that he is growing up to more than just material goods and
strip clubs.
Southern rap is more popular than ever
these days. Chingy still has that signature
STL accent and continues to transform words
into his own dialect. Words like air and there,
became aurr and thurr. If you’re looking for
some serious lyrics that make you think, go
get a Talib Kweli record. But, if you want
something that’s going to rattle your trunk
and make you move your head to the beat,
grab this album.
Staff Writer
Staff Writer
9
Ben Kweller
Ben Kweller
Ima Robot
Monument to the Masses
New Found Glory
Coming Home
Edward Gaug
Duncan Sanford
Jennifer Tirado
You might have noticed this shaggy
haired singer/songwriter’s photo plastered all
over your MySpace login screen over the past
couple weeks. That’s because Ben Kweller just
released his new self-titled album, Ben Kweller,
on September 19 through ATO Records.
This is Kweller’s third album, a followup to On My Own, which was released back
in 2004. On Ben Kweller, he really shows
maturity that is beyond his 25 years and a voice
that is the youngest sounding of all three of his
albums. His maturity is shown through the
mastery of the numerous instruments he plays
on this album (every instrument played on
this album is Kweller’s doing) and his intimate
heart-felt lyrics.
The album starts off with the piano based
“Run,” which tells the story of his overwhelming homesickness while he’s on the road. The
thing that is different now, even though he has
been touring consistently since March of 2001,
is that he has to leave a wife and child behind
when he sets off on the road.
“Sundress” is the next standout track on
this album, which draws in the listener with its
cheerful instrumentals and simplistic lyrics. In
this case, the simple lyrics work much better
than other songs you are accustomed to listening to, which are laced with numerous metaphors. The complete outwardness of Kweller’s
words makes the album touching and personal
to the listener.
After listening to this record a half dozen
times from front to back, I have come to love
the fifth track “Thirteen.” The one thing that
people will notice about this song is that it
doesn’t possess a chorus whatsoever.
According to Kweller’s website, Ben says,
“I just kept writing verse after verse and never
felt the need for a chorus. The words carried
the song home.” I don’t know what it is for me,
but there is something in the beautiful moments
that Kweller describes about him and his wife
and that it is only backed by a small piano and
a single harmonica that makes you feel like
Kweller is playing in a chair right next to you.
Ben Kweller definitely brings a great piano
based rock to people that don’t like their lyrics
and music sugary sweet like those that other
pop bands bring to the table. The simplicity
of this album is really what brought me in, as a
new listener of Kweller. Its beautiful depictions
of life will keep me listening and waiting for his
next record to arrive.
Ima Robot. Even the band name is kind
of annoying. Why couldn’t they have just used
“I’m a” instead? Either way, Ima Robot has released a new album, Monument to the Masses,
and it is just as annoying as their name. This is
12 tracks of unbearable electro-pop at its worst.
Ima Robot combines a mix of distortions and scratchy vocals with beats that are
never quite catchy enough. The result is an
abrasive album that grates on the nerves with
every listen. The album starts off with the
track “Disconnect,” a not so clever spin on
Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart,” but
without any of the emotion or hooks. “Cool
Cool Universe” features vocal lines that seem
to be half attempts at rap and an almost poetic
spoken word style. Both attempts fail.
The lyrics themselves also need some
work. Though they are the most creative and
most interesting thing Ima Robot has to offer,
it still isn’t enough. Too often their solution to
matching lyrics to a beat is simply to say the
same word over and over. There was never a
moment where I felt even slightly inclined to
sing along. The lyrical delivery is also lacking
at times. This album tries to keep a high-energy feeling throughout, but vocalist Alex Ebert
doesn’t seem to be up to the task, as he often
sounds just flat-out tired.
On the slower track “Chip Off the Block,”
not only does Ima Robot seem out of their
element, but this attempt at a slower more emotional track feels like it is missing the heart and
soul to really sell it.
This album just has a thrown together feel
to it. This is the kind of result I would expect if
I gave five guys a couple of beats one night and
expected an album the next morning. There
isn’t a single gem on this album, and more than
a few bombs. There is a unique sound to this
album, but that unique sound sucks.
Monument to the Masses is a more of a
monument to musical lows than anything else.
This album is a waste. If Ima Robot manages
to stick together for five more years, pick up
one of their new albums then. By then they
might have figured out what the hell they were
trying to do with their sound and they might
have actually managed to really get some lyrics
and beats with some kick. Ima Robot. What a
stupid name for a band.
The September 19 release of Coming
Home marks New Found Glory’s fifth fulllength album since 1997, a longevity that brings
them closer to being pop-punk veterans. The
band members have expressed a sense of pride
and accomplishment for their latest installment,
though it seems obvious as to why it might be a
disappointment for some die-hard fans.
While the album does succeed in being
catchy and demonstrating the collaborative
talent of the band itself, a listener might wonder
why the lyrical content lacks more of a variety.
With the exception of all but two tracks, the
entire album is basically a myriad of up-tempo
love ballads. After nine years, if the band was
making any attempt to convey a new found
sense of maturity, this particular album did
nothing for them.
Though, to the relief of some, New Found
Glory did succeed in outgrowing the pressure
to release more music that could be described
as “hard-edged.” Despite the romantic lyrics,
the music is instrumentally in a different place.
There is a softer quality to this album than to
any of the others preceding it.
Front man Jordan Pundik’s unique vocals
never falter in evoking the ephemeral passion
that is puppy love. Tracks such as “Hold My
Hand” and “Coming Home” are rhythmically
fun to listen to and show off the band’s playful
side. Meanwhile, tracks such as “Too Good To
Be” and “On My Mind” could be taken as a
hallmark for the new direction the band may be
heading in. However, the only track that truly
resonates emotional and creative depth would
be “When I Die,” a melancholic ballad about
the death of lead guitarist Chad Gilbert’s father.
While the band has moved in a different
direction musically, the lyrics of many of the
songs demonstrate nothing anyone could call
“growing up.” Coming Home is an album that
does represent change in New Found Glory’s
image and attitude; it just fails to propel them
forward as truly evolving musicians.
Staff Writer
Entertainment Editor
Staff Writer
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KT Tunstall
Eye to the Telescope
Karyn Danforth
Staff Writer
It’s funny when people associate a singer
with you and they assume you will like it,
kind of like judging a book by its cover.
When KT Tunstall’s Eye to the Telescope was
given to me, I assumed I would enjoy it as
well. The album cover art was quite enticing, but once I popped it in while folding my
laundry, I almost fell asleep in a pile of my
undergarments.
Don’t get me wrong, she is talented. Her
style typically leans more towards the adult
contemporary genre, and she has had a couple
top hits, like her tune “Black Horse and the
Cherry Tree.” Actually I’d be lying if I didn’t
tell you I found myself singing the ‘Woo
hoos’ in that song, as well as the ‘No No Nos.’
Got to love those little fill-ins that make songs
complete. “Silent Sea” is a decent little diddy
which serenely opens with “I was happy in
my harbor when you cut me loose/floating on
an ocean and confused.”
The more I write, the more I find myself
beginning to appreciate this album. Her lyrics are empowering but are mainly focused on
finding herself, or so I was lead to believe, so
this is a definite pick for you soul searchers.
Guys probably wouldn’t enjoy this album; it’s
like the chick flick of the music industry. On
the other hand you might be drawn towards
her because, to put it simply, she’s cute.
I guess this album just wasn’t laundry
folding music. I reconsidered what I was
initially going to write, meaning I’m actually
suggesting you give this album a try.
If you are interested in seeing KT
Tunstall perform, she will be at Toad’s Place
in New Haven on October 10th with Kevin
Devine.
10
J o h n n y K n ox v i l l e
Inter
view
Melissa Kieselbach
Staff Writer
Johnny Knoxville recently took part in
a college conference call in which we had
the opportunity to ask the Jackass star and
his cast mate Jeff Tremaine a few questions
concerning stunts, lifestyle and their new film
Jackass: Number Two.
Q: Is there anything that would influence you while you’re performing a stunt?
Knoxville: I just want to get footage and
I know some stuff can go really wrong. A lot
of times I don’t want to let anything influence
the stunts. I do though; otherwise you’re not
going to get footage.
Tremaine: The other guys do have their
fears. Steve-O in particular; the biggest thing
he fears is not getting footage.
Knoxville: And STDs. And he really
fears latex.
Q: Have you ever been arrested, if so,
for what?
Knoxville: Oh yeah, we deal with cops
all the time on Jackass. I’ve had four car
loads or more of cops with their guns on me,
drawn, numerous times. We deal with cops a
lot and they usually let me go.
Tremaine: In the early days of Jackass
we used to deal with cops all the time because
we didn’t really know what we were doing as
a production.
Knoxville: And now we still don’t know
what we’re doing.
Tremaine: We know a little bit better and
we try to let the police know what we’re about
to do. A lot of times word doesn’t get properly
spread around. Like in this movie [Jackass:
Number Two] we dealt with the cops a bunch
of times.
Q: We’ve heard about a lot of your
close-calls on filming Jackass Two; do any
of these things affect your mindset?
Tremaine: We did a stunt where we built
this rocket that Knoxville had to ride and it
exploded.
Knoxville: I didn’t have to- I got to.
Tremaine: It blew up on him the first
time we tried it and it really could have killed
him real easily.
Knoxville: With a long metal rod
that went really close to my side. If it went
through me, then, you know, you’d be talking
to Steve-O or somebody else.
Tremaine: So he walked up and was like,
“Let’s do it again” and unfortunately there
wasn’t enough left from the rocket engine so
we had to come back a week later and in that
week we watched it on a high-definition camera, frame-by-frame and realized how close
to death he was. So it was scary when we
went back to do it again and he was more than
ready just to jump right back on it and go.
Q: You’ve obviously done a lot of crazy
things, has there ever been something that
you thought about doing and said “no”?
Knoxville: Yeah, I don’t like cold
weather, cold water or filming at night, but
other than that I’m up for it. If I say I’m up for
something then I’ll do it.
Q: Was there ever an incident in your
childhood that made you want to do this?
Knoxville: My father was always pulling
pranks on me when I was growing up. That’s
where I get some of the asshole gene from.
Q: Do you ever think that you will
give up the Jackass lifestyle? Or is there a
certain age where it might be too much for
you?
Knoxville: You can stand in one spot and
get smoked by something at any age.
Q: What’s your perfect day?
Knoxville: It depends on what mood
I’m in. Days spent with my daughter are
always great. Days spent on an adventure
with the boys are great days. Scotch is always
welcome.
Q: What is your favorite stunt that
you’ve done?
Knoxville: I never really think of my
stunts that way. The favorite stunts, for
Jackass, are the ones like Ryan Dunn shoving a little toy car up his ass in the first film
or like the one we pull on Ehren McGhehey
at the end of this one. It’s a prank upon a
prank upon a prank and everyone’s involved.
Everyone knew about it except for Ehren and
it’s unbelievable to the level that the boys took
it and executed it and pulled it off because it
could’ve went wrong at any time.
Q: What stunt, if any, have you regretted?
Knoxville: I’ve got no regrets, but I
guess there are some that make me anxious
for the ones I haven’t gotten to do yet.
Q: What’s the next biggest goal you
want to complete before you die?
Knoxville: I’m pretty comfortable with
the life I’m living now, but probably to watch
my daughter grow up.
Q: How old is she?
Knoxville: She’s ten.
Q: Did the recent death of fellow thrill
seeker Steve ‘The Croc Hunter’ Irwin hit
close to home at all?
Knoxville: It’s all very sad. Jeff and I and
the whole cast were fans of Steve Irwin, but
it doesn’t affect our mindset. We know what
we’re doing and the repercussions but we are
just saddened by his death.
Q. Do you plan on seeking revenge
against the stingray species?
Knoxville: …No.
The Last Kiss
Angelina Morais
Movie Review
Staff Writer
Actors Zach Braff and Jacinda Barrett
star in The Last Kiss, a movie which explores
the anxieties which stem from fear of commitment in the relationship of a relatively
young couple. It premiered on September 15
and according to Yahoo! Movies it grossed $4,627,989 at the US Box Office at print time.
The movie realistically portrays the
actions, perceptions and complications of modern relationships. Far from cliché, this comical
portrayal of love, commitment, and fidelity
would absolutely appeal to college students.
The characters are humorous and entertaining. Not only does the film depict the complications between Michael (Zach Braff) and
Jenna (Jacinda Barret), but also intertwines the
story lines of a group of their friends, as well
as Jenna’s parents. This helps illustrate the
numerous other relationship issues faced by
young couples.
Viewers will receive insight on the consequences of ones actions, the complexity of love
and learn the simple lesson that, “what you
feel only matters to you, it’s what you do to the
people you love that counts,”
while laughing along on this
roller coaster of emotions.
Although the ending
turned out to be quite a
disappointment, I still recommend it to all college
students, especially those
currently involved in a
relationship.
Lifestyles
11
A Hot New Hangout
Ariel James
Lifestyles Editor
Summer may be over, but its taste can now
last all year long. The sinfully sweetness of
Cold Stone Creamery has magically arrived on
the Berlin Turnpike in Newington.
I heard such good things about this place
that, of course, I wanted to try it for myself. But
to my dismay, there were no shops around the
area. Lo and behold, I went to the grocery store
and what did I see? None other than Cold Stone
Creamery! I picked up my BFF so we could get
the scoop on this place. Could it really be as
good as everyone says it is? Answer: yes, yes
and hell yes!
As soon as you open the door, the workers
from behind the counters all look up and shout,
“Welcome to Cold Stone Creamery!” A little
creepy, but it’s a friendly gesture. Sometimes
they even break into a little song. The shop is
cute, but not that practical. The walls are painted red, and it’s very inviting. Pictures of people
eating ice cream adorn the walls. They look so
happy eating it, and I want to be happy too! It’s
furnished very modestly. It has two, count ‘em,
two tables with two chairs apiece. The line was
long, and it was awkward to stand there in line
because it was so crowded.
Despite the shop setup, what really caught
my attention was all of the ice cream flavors.
And they don’t have any old regular flavors that
you would find at your local 32 flavors shop.
Here’s a rundown of what they offer every day:
banana, white chocolate, cotton candy, cheesecake and sweet cream (just to name a few).
Some of their seasonal flavors sound so dreamy,
they made my mouth water on the spot (orange
dreamsicle, black cherry, amaretto, egg nog).
Customers can order one of their flavors
and have their favorite toppings (Butterfinger,
coconut, Heath, yellow cake, brownie, honey,
cookie dough…yum, cookie dough) mixed in.
They also have their own original creations that
sound so good, I didn’t know what to choose.
How about a Strawberry Shortcake Serenade
(sweet cream ice cream, strawberries, yellow
cake, and whipped topping)? Or what about a
Cookie Minster (mint ice cream, double Oreo,
and fudge)? Does Chocolate Devotion (chocolate ice cream, brownies, chocolate chips, and
fudge) sound good?
There’s no small, medium, or large here.
The sizes come in “Like It,” “Love It,” and
“Gotta Have It.” It’s a bit on the pricey side,
ranging from about $4 to $6, but it is all well
worth it.
I highly recommend Cold Stone Creamery as a well deserved treat. Visit the shop on
September 28 from 5 to 8 p.m. for a free serving
of Cole’s Creation (chocolate ice cream, yellow
cake, chocolate chips, and rainbow sprinkles),
which benefits the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
For more information, visit Cold Stone at 2997A
Berlin Turnpike, Newington, next to Chili’s.
Left: Kimberly Carvalho rehearses her role in Arabian Nights.
Right: Chris Coleman uses his commanding presence to play a character in Arabian Nights.
Photos by Marlene Koncewicz / The Recorder
Preview of Arabian Nights
Richard Alexander
Staff Writer
If you happened to walk by Maloney
Hall on the evening of September 13, you
might have seen a man and a woman wildly
humping each other while making sheep
sounds. You might have seen a man kneeling at the foot of a group screaming to the
heavens, “Praise Allah!” You could have
witnessed hysteria if you looked into the eyes
of the impassioned women seductively belly
dancing about a solitary chair. You could
have been sitting in said chair; lucky you.
What you were witnessing was the
overabundance of characters that showed
up to the final day of auditions for the fall
semester production of Arabian Nights. Cast
memberss such as Blanca Ayala, whose
beauty parallels her ability to enrapture the
audience through her unadulterated and
passionate possession of the roles she was
born to play. Blanca is a theater major who
thinks that “not enough people see theater”
and enjoys performing because she is able to
“release herself” and use her life experience
to channel her feelings out into her performances. She confesses that on stage is when
she feels “most alive” and promises to show
a part of herself that most people don’t get to
see everyday.
Next you have Chris Coleman, who
mixes a comedic element and a commanding
presence in his characters to create a warm
and respectable charm. The audience cannot
help but immediately be drawn to this big
teddy bear that could probably crush you
with one hand, but would much rather make
you laugh.
Chris thinks that, “the arts are very
important because they allow students to be
creative and express themselves.” He feels
that theater productions are also a fun and
safe alternative to other student activities
such as clubbing, bar hopping and pharmacological experimentation.
Undoubtedly, there is no dearth of talent
at CCSU and Arabian Nights promises to
seduce even the passerby theatrical enthusiast. The cast was meticulously picked from
the vast array of hopefuls that endured two
gruesome American Idol-esque nights filled
with tears, anxieties and as many three little
pig versions as you can imagine. The story
is an adaptation by Tony Award winning
playwright Mary Zimmerman, which focuses
on the lesser known stories of Arabian Nights
and is directed by Josh Perlstein, an associate
professor in the theater department.
With all this negative hoopla about
Arabian culture that seems to inundate the
airwaves, it is a much needed breath of fresh
air to be able to bring a positive light to that
corner of the world. Must we be reminded
that we grew up hearing most of these stories
and that at times they have been more so a
part of our culture than of some distant land?
Must we be reminded of the great Arabic
contributions that have been made to the
fields of mathematics, medicine, education, and astronomy? Of course not, these
contributions are part of our daily routines
and are constant reminder that we are not that
different from our Arabic brethren and that
our cultures have meshed many times over.
Of course we have not taken these for granted
over the years and we sit here today with
great despair witnessing their destruction.
Well, one would think.
So join the cast of Arabian Nights from
October 24 to the 28 and immerse yourself
in a distant world that has long been a part
of your world. The night will include other
entertainment aside from the production.
Musicians will be playing cultural tunes to
add to the ambiance of an evening, which
will certainly seduce you into wanting to
leave your old life behind and move to the
Middle East or at the least leave you questioning your sanity; which is always a good
question to ask.
Students can buy tickets at the CENtix
box office at 832-1989.
12
Mark Rowan
Editor-In-Chief
The sun is a great thing but let’s face it, it’s
also very dangerous to the eyes and skin.
That’s why getting the biggest glasses is completely necessary; wearing them at night and
looking like an idiot is not though.
I’m trying to figure out which is worse.
System of a Down signing off on someone
designing a t-shirt of them as cartoons riding a giant beetle-monster or the fact that
someone is actually willing to wear it at a
party. It can’t be good for either’s reputation in the long run.
Girls don’t like it when guys are blunt with
them. When you want to have sex with them
you say you want to “make love.” And when
you want them to dress up like sluts at your
apartment you say you’re having a “themed
party.”
an apartment, while the audience seats are
placed on a revolving platform, so that the
viewers can constantly see Ray as she moves
from set to set.
After Ray did her enthusiastic introduction she sat down at her “kitchen” table, and
began to share her list of “firsts,” along with
asking her viewers to share theirs. When
the audience shared their stories, Ray’s
inexperience in this genre started to show.
It continued into the next segment when she
joined a viewer and jumped out of a plane to
overcome the viewer’s fear of heights. Ray
hasn’t learned how to respond to the viewers
and show that she cares about what they have
to say. When Ray talks with the audience she
comes off more as if she is talking at them,
not to them. She hasn’t learned to balance the
attention between herself and the other people
on the stage.
Diane Sawyer was the first official
celebrity guest on Rachael Ray. The celebrity
segment is a portion where Ray and the celebrities exchange some of their favorite things.
The unfortunate problem with Ray having
someone as experienced in the television
industry as Sawyer on her show was that Ray
came off as unprofessional. Sawyer seemed
poised and a seasoned veteran, while Ray at
times seemed like an unruly child who was
trying to get attention. After Sawyer showed
her one of her favorite things, Ray responds
with her typically overly loud personality,
screaming “Shut up!” to Sawyer.
Ray did gain composure and mellow
down when she participated in her 60 second
snack, and seven-minute meal portion of
the show. Here, Ray shows that she knows
what she is doing and shows that she
is confident. The food that she made
looked good and seemed easy enough
to make. Though I enjoyed these
portions of the show, as I enjoyed
Ray’s 30 Minute Meals, I’m not sure
if people who don’t usually watch
her cooking show will enjoy the
cooking in her talk show.
As a whole, the show isn’t
terrible, but it definitely needs
work. As any show in the beginning, it comes
off jumbled and not yet unified. The transitions from segment to segment seem too
forced and choppy. And though her enthusiasm may be what makes her contagious, she
needs to tone it down a little bit for her talk
show. Most importantly, Ray needs
to learn how to interact and communicate with the people on her
show, and not make it all about
her. As the show progresses,
hopefully she will learn to
do that.
Also, Timberlake and his Cameron Diaz
had a run-in with the paparazzi in Hollywood
on September 19. Diaz was allegedly almost
run over by a photographer when he was
trying to take pictures of the couple. The situation is currently under investigation.
Denver Nuggets basketball star Carmelo
Anthony and MTV VJ Lala Vazquez are
expecting their first child in March. What?!
Vazquez, 27, and Anthony, 22, have been
engaged since December 2004 (what’s taking
so long?). They plan to wed after their baby
is born.
Kevin Federline is not only a father,
rapper, and slacker, he’s also a fashion model.
No comment.
Christian was the first girl booted off
“America’s Next Top Model.” Damn, it’s
tough and embarrassing to be the first to go.
Oh, well. Now only 12 girls are left in the
running to be the next big thing.
Premiere Magazine has named Gwyneth
Paltrow, Sally Field, Cate Blanchett, director Sofia Coppola, and actress Evan Rachel
Wood as the premiere women in show business. Why?
Going to the Devil’s Den on Thursdays
instead of going out is like watching late night
exercise infomercials instead of HBO softcore
porn. Both will get you through the night, but
only one will leave you feeling embarrassed.
Rachael Ray Talk Show Review
Gabrielle Byko
Staff Writer
You may know her as the bubbly, perky
cook on the Food Network, but Rachael Ray
is breaking away from food and hosting her
own talk show, simplistically titled Rachael
Ray. In case you have never heard of Rachael
Ray, she is a cook on the Food Network who
thrives on making meals in 30 minutes or
less. Ray began her television run back in
2001 with 30 Minute Meals where she coined
her signature phrases such as “Yumm-O,” (a
term to describe a good meal) and “EVOO”
(an acronym for extra virgin olive oil, a staple
of her kitchen). Since her start on the Food Network,
Ray’s popularity has earned her a spot as
a host for three other shows on the station,
along with writing numerous cookbooks,
acquiring a $6 million book deal, her name
endorsing knives with the cookware company Furi, and has even launched her very
own lifestyle magazine titled Everyday with
Rachael Ray.
The show which premiered on September 18, at 10 a.m. on WTNH in the Hartford area, was a composite of viewer video
submissions, a celebrity interview and two
segments dedicated to Ray’s infamous speed
cooking. The show is set up to look like
Weekly Celebrity Gossip
Ariel James
Lifestyles Editor
Are you ready for your weekly dose of
celebrity gossip? Here it goes…
For those people who still watch Saturday Night Live (and it makes me wonder
why), Chris Parnell, Horatio Sanz, and
Finesse Williams will not be returning for
the 32nd season of the show. Could it possibly
be because they weren’t funny?
Lindsay Lohan fell and fractured her
wrist at a New York City fashion week party.
There is actually an investigation going on
because the party hosts (Milk Studios) didn’t
take adequate precautions that prevented their
guests from slipping. Tsk tsk. Maybe she
should just stay home.
Three 6 Mafia are going to star in their
own reality show called “Adventures in Hollyhood” on MTV. Cameras will follow around
the Juicy J and DJ Paul (Crunchy Black has
since left the group) as they attempt to hold
onto their fading Oscar fame. The show will
air early next year.
Future Sex/Love Songs, Justin Timberlake’s new album hit the number 1 spot on the
album charts selling 684,000 copies. This is
the first time that he grabbed the top spot as a
solo artist, and it was also the biggest opening
this year for any solo artist.

Tensions Flare Between President and Faculty

Transcription

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