Volume 107 No. 17 Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Central Connecticut State University WWW.CENTRALRECORDER.COM FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT: www.centralrecorder.com SGA | CONT. ON 2 SARA BERRY The Recorder At the end of last semester, CCSU filled a necessary void by hiring Rosa Rodriguez as the school’s new chief diversity officer. Rodriguez, who began her time as a part of the CCSU community on Jan. 10, is filling the position vacated by Moises Salinas aſter his removal due to allegations of sexual harassment last year. e purpose of the Office of Diversity and Equity is to provide a “welcoming and safe environment for people from all walks of life.” Rodriguez said that diversity is a giſt and that in order to achieve excellence as a university, the CCSU community needs to honor diversity. Rodriguez says she is commied to helping the university grow and prepare students to work in a world that is becoming increasingly global. e position of chief diversity officer position entails a number of responsibilities Witness to Dr. King’s Death Encourages CCSU to ‘Dream Big’ Braun Chosen as Interim SGA Vice President TERENCE STEWART The Recorder Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, the only living person who was at Martin Luther King’s side at the time of his death, continued King’s legacy by encouraging more than 100 CCSU students, faculty and community members to “dream big” in a lecture he delivered last ursday in Torp eater. “ey say there’s six billion people in the world. But there is only one you,” said Kyles to an aentive audience that included CCSU President Jack Miller. “at makes you very, very special. I want you to use that specialness.” Kyles warned students that they will face adversity when trying to accomplish their dreams. Yet he encouraged them to dream anyway. New Chief Diversity Officer Committed to Helping CCSU Grow BRITTANY BURKE The Recorder Senator Elizabeth Braun has been chosen to serve as the interim vice president of the Student Government Association. “I really want the position, not just the title,” said Braun in her opening speech. “I’ve read the stipend contract for the vice president over and over again and I love the responsibilities of the vice president, and that is because I have a lot of qualifications that would push me toward being a very good vice president.” With the resignation of Student Government Vice President Chris Kyle at the end of last semester, the first order of business at the opening SGA meeting was to nominate and vote upon his replacement. Braun was one of four senators nominated for the position. Put on the ballot by Senator Drew Blythe, Braun was running against Senators Eric Bergenn and Ivonne Lopez. Blythe was also nominated but chose to decline. In her nomination speech Braun addressed her ideas to make improvements within the SGA, beginning with the club liaison program. “I have crazy organization skills and I think that’s incredibly important for the vice president’s job because it involves keeping “Sometimes we allow friends and others to shame us of saying what our dreams are,” said Kyles. “You don’t have to apologize for your dreams. ey’re yours!” Kyles added that because slaves, the Wright brothers and Martin Luther King dared to dream in spite of adversity, they achieved what was considered to be the impossible. “ey tried and they failed and they tried and they failed,” said Kyles of the Wright brothers. “But they wouldn’t give up. Because they didn’t give up on their dream, man has placed their footprints on the moon.” Kyles recalled the numerous death threats King received while pursuing his dream of social and racial equality. e airplane King took to Memphis, Tenn. in 1968, for instance, was guarded all night because there were so many threats against King’s life. In 1958, King WITNESS | CONT. ON 2 Ditching Comcast, CCSU to Debut New Cable Provider including issues concerning affirmative action, investigating complaints of discrimination and harassment on campus, supervising the women’s center, developing culturally relevant programming and professional development and acting as the Americans With Disabilities Coordinator on campus. Rodriguez says that she is still learning as her position is always evolving. Rodriguez, a native of Minnesota with a background in social work, has spent over 20 years working in higher education on issues of equal opportunity and access. While living in Minnesota she worked with a large minority migrant worker population. As farming technology advanced in the agricultural state, less labor was needed and those who found themselves out of work turned to new educational opportunities as a means of making ends meet. Rodriguez helped them gain access to higher education for themselves and their children. While in Minnesota she held positions DIVERSITY | CONT. ON 2 Changes for Spring 2011 Vice President: Elizabeth Braun Finance co-chair: Justin Blain Student Life co-chair: Ryan Baldassario Elections chair: Drew Blythe Elections co-chair: Kerrie Rowe KENNY BARTO | THE RECORDER MATT CLYBRUN The Recorder CCSU will be debuting a new cable provider this week that will allow students to access more content at a lower cost to the university. e new provider will bring expanded programming options to “Blue TV” and allow for greater flexibility in programming selection from term to term. “We went out to bid back in the fall to look at alternative cable providers because our contract with the existing provider, which happened to be Comcast, was coming due first of the year,” Chad Valk, digital media production coordinator, said Monday. “In doing so we received bids back from both Comcast and another company called Campus TeleVideo, which we ultimately chose as our new provider.” “CTV is a company that concentrates solely on higher education institutions, that’s the focus of what they do,” Valk said. “ey were able to bring in services to us at a beer price with more flexibility and more varied channel packages that I think the students are going to like.” Campus TeleVideo, or CTV, is a Greenwich-based company founded in 1984 that provides satellite-delivered cable television. According to CTV’s website, the company is the nation’s leading provider of television and telecommunication services to colleges and universities with a presence at more than 220 of our nation’s higher education institutions. While most national cable providers only group channels together in large packages, CTV allows campuses and student preferences to determine the individual channels they like to watch. CCSU will even have the ability to change the packages over time as student interests change. “In order to increase channels beyond the normal lineup Comcast gives to the community, and say, pull down ‘X, Y, Z’ channels, we had to go into a large package of another 100 or so channels,” Valk said. “We have the flexibility with CTV to more easily CABLE | CONT. ON 3 Reverand Samuel Kyles spoke to the CCSU community last week. Kyles was with Dr. King when he was assassinated.
Transcript
Volume 107 No. 17Wednesday, February 16, 2011 Central Connecticut State University
WWW.CENTRALRECORDER.COM
FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT: www.centralrecorder.com
sga | cont. on 2
saRa beRRythe Recorder
At the end of last semester, CCSU fi lled a necessary void by hiring Rosa Rodriguez as the school’s new chief diversity offi cer.
Rodriguez, who began her time as a part of the CCSU community on Jan. 10, is fi lling the position vacated by Moises Salinas aft er his removal due to allegations of sexual harassment last year.
Th e purpose of the Offi ce of Diversity and Equity is to provide a “welcoming and safe environment for people from all walks of life.”
Rodriguez said that diversity is a gift and that in order to achieve excellence as a university, the CCSU community needs to honor diversity. Rodriguez says she is committ ed to helping the university grow and prepare students to work in a world that is becoming increasingly global.
Th e position of chief diversity offi cer position entails a number of responsibilities
W i t n e s s t o D r . K i n g ’ s D e a t h E n c o u r a g e s C C S U t o ‘ D r e a m B i g ’
Braun Chosen as Interim SGA Vice President
teRence stewaRtthe Recorder
Reverend Samuel “Billy” Kyles, the only living person who was at Martin Luther King’s side at the time of his death, continued King’s legacy by encouraging more than 100 CCSU students, faculty and community members to “dream big” in a lecture he delivered last Th ursday in Torp Th eater.
“Th ey say there’s six billion people in the world. But there is only one you,” said Kyles to an att entive audience that included CCSU President Jack Miller. “Th at makes you very, very special. I want you to use that specialness.”
Kyles warned students that they will face adversity when trying to accomplish their dreams. Yet he encouraged them to dream anyway.
New Chief Diversity Offi cer Committed to Helping CCSU Grow
bRittany buRkethe Recorder
Senator Elizabeth Braun has been chosen to serve as the interim vice president of the Student Government Association.
“I really want the position, not just the title,” said Braun in her opening speech. “I’ve read the stipend contract for the vice president over and over again and I love the responsibilities of the vice president, and
that is because I have a lot of qualifi cations that would push me toward being a very good vice president.”
With the resignation of Student Government Vice President Chris Kyle at the end of last semester, the fi rst order of business at the opening SGA meeting was to nominate and vote upon his replacement.
Braun was one of four senators nominated for the position. Put on the ballot by Senator Drew Blythe, Braun was running against
Senators Eric Bergenn and Ivonne Lopez. Blythe was also nominated but chose to decline.
In her nomination speech Braun addressed her ideas to make improvements within the SGA, beginning with the club liaison program.
“I have crazy organization skills and I think that’s incredibly important for the vice president’s job because it involves keeping
“Sometimes we allow friends and others to shame us of saying what our dreams are,” said Kyles. “You don’t have to apologize for your dreams. Th ey’re yours!”
Kyles added that because slaves, the Wright brothers and Martin Luther King dared to dream in spite of adversity, they achieved what was considered to be the impossible.
“Th ey tried and they failed and they tried and they failed,” said Kyles of the Wright brothers. “But they wouldn’t give up. Because they didn’t give up on their dream, man has placed their footprints on the moon.”
Kyles recalled the numerous death threats King received while pursuing his dream of social and racial equality. Th e airplane King took to Memphis, Tenn. in 1968, for instance, was guarded all night because there were so many threats against King’s life. In 1958, King
witness | cont. on 2
Ditching Comcast, CCSU to Debut New Cable Provider
including issues concerning affi rmative action, investigating complaints of discrimination and harassment on campus, supervising the women’s center, developing culturally relevant programming and professional development and acting as the Americans With Disabilities Coordinator on campus. Rodriguez says that she is still learning as her position is always evolving.
Rodriguez, a native of Minnesota with a background in social work, has spent over 20 years working in higher education on issues of equal opportunity and access. While living in Minnesota she worked with a large minority migrant worker population. As farming technology advanced in the agricultural state, less labor was needed and those who found themselves out of work turned to new educational opportunities as a means of making ends meet. Rodriguez helped them gain access to higher education for themselves and their children.
While in Minnesota she held positions DiVeRsity | cont. on 2
Changes for Spring 2011
Vice President: Elizabeth Braun
Finance co-chair: Justin Blain
Student Life co-chair: Ryan Baldassario
Elections chair: Drew Blythe
Elections co-chair: Kerrie Rowe
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
Matt clybRunthe Recorder
CCSU will be debuting a new cable provider this week that will allow students to access more content at a lower cost to the university. Th e new provider will bring expanded programming options to “Blue TV” and allow for greater fl exibility in programming selection from term to term.
“We went out to bid back in the fall to look at alternative cable providers because our contract with the existing provider, which happened to be Comcast, was coming due fi rst of the year,” Chad Valk, digital media production coordinator, said Monday. “In doing so we received bids back from both Comcast and another company called Campus TeleVideo, which we ultimately chose as our new provider.”
“CTV is a company that concentrates solely on higher education institutions, that’s the focus of what they do,” Valk said. “Th ey were able to bring in services to us at a bett er price with more fl exibility and more varied
channel packages that I think the students are going to like.”
Campus TeleVideo, or CTV, is a Greenwich-based company founded in 1984 that provides satellite-delivered cable television. According to CTV’s website, the company is the nation’s leading provider of television and telecommunication services to colleges and universities with a presence at more than 220 of our nation’s higher education institutions.
While most national cable providers only group channels together in large packages, CTV allows campuses and student preferences to determine the individual channels they like to watch. CCSU will even have the ability to change the packages over time as student interests change.
“In order to increase channels beyond the normal lineup Comcast gives to the community, and say, pull down ‘X, Y, Z’ channels, we had to go into a large package of another 100 or so channels,” Valk said. “We have the fl exibility with CTV to more easily
cable | cont. on 3
Reverand Samuel Kyles spoke to the CCSU community last week. Kyles was with Dr. King when he was assassinated.
NEWS2THE RECORDERWednesday, February 16, 2011
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sga | cont. FRoM 1
cable | cont. FRoM 1
Malloy Calls for CSUS Reorganization
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
att endance, offi ce hours and the club liaison program.”
“I’m really good at taking something that is fl awed and improving it; that’s just kind of my thing,” said Braun. “I already have a lot of great plans for the club liaison program so it is more helpful for the clubs and for us so that the guidelines for them are all laid out so we know what we’re supposed to do. Th at way, we can help the clubs bett er.”
As the new vice president she also plans to use her organizational skills to clarify the SGA stipend guidelines. Now that she has been promoted to a higher position of power, Braun would like to make the guidelines easier to follow by laying out all of the rules so they know what to and what not to follow.
Th e vice president wasn’t the only position in need of being fi lled for the new semester. Th e SGA senators also needed to vote on a new fi nance co-chair, student life co-chair and elections chair.
Senator Justin Blain was voted in as the new fi nance co-chair aft er running against Senator Nick Alaimo, who was not present at the meeting.
“I put a lot into fi nance, I
work hard to try and get as much objective as we can and get as much work in as we can. I feel like I’d be fair to most of the clubs and again, I’d like to keep working, working with everyone in the committ ee,” said Blain.
Th e decision for the open position of student life co-chair was between Senators Ryan Baldassario and Evan Robbins. Aft er Baldassario offi cially announced his resignation as elections co-chair he was able to accept the position of the new student life co-chair.
“I plan on helping the senator whenever I can. I want to be here next year which is why I’m stepping down in elections. I feel like working with Senator Bergenn and his committ ee, we can get a lot of stuff done,” said Baldassario.
With Baldassario’s decision to step down from elections co-chair, fellow co-chair Blythe also stepped down and was then revoted in as elections chair. Senator Kerrie Rowe was nominated as Blythe’s election co-chair, fi lling Baldassario’s open position.
Th e new semester has brought upon a loss of a handful of other SGA senators. While not all of the offi cial resignations have been handed in, the SGA is expecting to have between 29 and 30 senators.
was stabbed in the chest with a steel lett er opener at his fi rst book signing in New York City.
Despite the death threats, King spent his fi nal moments helping others achieve equality. Kyles discussed the last two days of King’s life in which he was helping black public sanitation workers in Memphis obtain higher wages and fair workplace treatment.
Kyles recalled the “I’ve Been on the Mountaintop” speech King delivered the day before his death to rally community support for the black public sanitation workers. In this speech, Kyles said King predicted his early demise.
“We knew that [King] knew his time was short,” said Kyles. “He didn’t know when, but he knew. He didn’t know where, but he knew it was coming.”
King’s prediction was correct. Th e following evening while King, Kyles and civil rights activist Ralph Abernathy were socializing on the
balcony of their motel room on April 4, 1968, King was assassinated.
“I got about fi ve steps [from the balcony] and kapow!” said Kyles, as he remembered the chilling details of King’s murder. “Th e shot rang off . I looked back. [King] had been knocked from the railing and back onto the fl oor. I rushed to his side and there was a gaping hole in the right side of his face.”
Although they killed the dreamer, Kyles was quick to add that they could not kill King’s dream.
“Th e dream is still alive!” shouted Kyles as he received an arousing applause from the audience. “Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!”
Kyles ended his 30 minute lecture with a question and answer session from the audience. As Kyles exited the stage, he received a standing ovation.
Kyles’ lecture was part of CCSU’s black history month lecture series and was organized by CCSU adjunct professor Stephen Balkaran.
witness | cont. FRoM 1
Matt clybuRnthe Recorder
Governor Dannel Malloy announced a comprehensive plan Wednesday that will reform the way Connecticut’s higher education system is managed.
Th e restructuring will create a new Board of Regents for Higher Education that will govern the Connecticut State University System, Charter Oak State College and the Connecticut Community College System.
A press release issued Wednesday said that the reforms will “provide more resources for classroom teaching and instruction to help increase the number of students receiving degrees.” Th e statement estimates that the plan will save taxpayers and students tens of millions of dollars over time.
“Th ere are a lot of people...who believe things are fi ne just the way they are,” said Malloy in the press release. “I disagree, and that’s why I’m proposing this overhaul to help put more money toward teaching and less toward central offi ce and board hierarchy. We need to adapt to a broad and changing economy and this will help us do that.”
Th e University of Connecticut will be unaff ected by the plan and remain under normal operations and no schools will be closed or combined. Campuses will still operate under the leadership of their respective presidents and existing leadership structures.
Malloy called for an annual report from the Board of Regents that identifi es retention and graduation rates, resource allocation fi gures, cost-benefi t analyses and an “aff ordability index” tied to Connecticut’s average family household income. Th e report is expected to include information related to enrollment and completion fi gures sorted by program of study, credit transferability across institutions,
and employment outcome data provided by the Department of Labor.
“Th e students who att end one of our CSU campuses, community colleges or Charter Oak State College are most in need of a student-friendly pathway to overcome the challenges that prevent them from graduating,” said Malloy in the press release. “Th e lack of college readiness demands stronger partnerships with local high schools, the mobility of students’ demands the effi cient transfer of credits, and the interest in career-oriented programs demands responsiveness to employers.”
Th e plan will consolidate the state university and community college central offi ces, the Department of Higher Education management and Charter Oak State College into one offi ce, reporting to one chief executive. Th e CEO and Board of Regents were tasked with developing a plan for directing taxpayer support to campuses based on enrollment fi gures and the achievement of identifi ed policy goals.
Th e plan has gained bipartisan support in Hartford.
“Governor Malloy is to be applauded for taking much needed steps to downsize our bloated state government systems and to eliminate unnecessary, unsustainable bureaucratic functions,” Republican House Minority Leader Rep. Lawrence Cafero told NBC Connecticut Wednesday.
Malloy’s plan is based on the state university system model used in Minnesota. Th e University of Minnesota acts as an independent entity while the state universities and community colleges operate under a single board of governance.
A hearing has been set for March 10 with the higher education committ ee to review the governor’s proposal.
at Saint Cloud Technical and Community College and Metropolitan State University in areas such as student aff airs, diversity and anti-racism and investigations into allegations of harassment and discrimination. In her search for jobs, Rodriguez looked at the east coast and found CCSU having a need for a new chief diversity offi cer.
Rodriguez was att racted to the mission and demographics of CCSU. She met with students and university administrators and att ended meetings of the faculty senate and Town and Gown task force. As she learned more about CCSU, she said that the school’s values matched her own. She liked the openness and honesty of the administration in knowing that
progress needed to be made for the healthy climate of the campus. She also noted that CCSU has a unique sense of community, which was cemented by the recent deaths of and memorial service for students Britt any Mariani and Rich Royster.
In the near future, Rodriguez’s plans for CCSU include eff orts to diversify the workforce and revising the policy for dealing with discrimination complaints. Still in the fi rst weeks of the job, Rodriguez is evaluating what CCSU is currently doing in terms of diversity and equity and looking for ways that it can improve. She is looking forward to working with cultural groups on campus, as well as both student leadership and administration to make the CCSU environment a welcoming place for everyone.
DiVeRsity | cont. FRoM 1
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Rosa Rodriguez was hired as CCSU’s new chief diversity offi cer last semester.
3THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / NEWS
cable | cont. FRoM 1
NEWS BRIEFS
Spring Concert Tickets on Sale, Date of May 7 Set for Show
Tickets to the 2011 spring concert featuring J. Cole and LMFAO are on sale now for students only.
Until Feb. 28, CCSU students can purchase one student ticket for $10 and two guest tickets for $15 each.
Student tickets can be purchased at the CENtix box offi ce in the student center. Students must bring their Blue Chip card with them.
On March 1, tickets will be available to the general public, faculty and staff at the price of $20 each. Th ere is a limit of three tickets per person.
On the day of the show, May 7, tickets will be $20 at the door, fi rst come fi rst serve.No backpacks or purses are allowed into the concert and all att endees must pass
through a metal detector before being admitt ed. Th ere are no refunds or exchanges on any ticket sales.
Contact the CENtix box offi ce at 860-832-1989 for more information.
Four New Retailers Coming to Westfarms Mall
Urban Outfi tt ers is one of four new retailers that will make their debut at the Westfarms Shopping Center this year.
True Religion Brand Jeans, Free People and Anthropologie complete the list of retailers that are also all fairly new to Connecticut.
“We at Westfarms are thrilled to continue a long tradition of bringing unique, new-to-the-market retailers to our shoppers. Th ese new stores perfectly complement our merchandise mix and we look forward to welcoming them later this year,” says Westfarms general manager Kevin Keenan in a press release.
True Religion is set to open in May, Free People will open in August, Anthropologie will open in November and Urban Outfi tt ers will open in December.
CCSUʼs Faculty Expert List ExaminedJonathan stankiewicz
the Recorder
Some have pictures. Some are just lists with names and email addresses. Some even have profi les and backgrounds.
“Faculty expert lists started many years ago,” said Janice Palmer, CCSU’s media relations offi cer, “dozens of years ago.”
Th e listings are there to help the media fi nd someone with an expertise they need, Palmer explained.
Is someone certifi ed in a specifi c area? Does that faculty member have a Ph.D? What’s their work experience?
Th e list can answer those questions and more. Th e listing also serves another purpose.
“Colleges and universities use the list to promote their faculty...their experts,” said Palmer.
According to Palmer, CCSU’s faculty list is done the “democratic way.”
Teachers are able to e-mail the news and media relations offi ce, run by Mark McLaughlin, and request to be put on the list.
“All they have to do is share their background and we will put them on the list,” said Palmer.
Palmer’s only request to faculty who want to be on the list is that they need to be comfortable with interviews and possibly being on-camera.
CCSU’s faculty expert listing is easy to fi nd with a Google search. Th e list has topics ranging from the Russian langugage to astronomy.
“I’m not sure the list is doing what’s it’s supposed to do, but I don’t really know how it works,” said Michael Alan Park, CCSU professor and chair of anthropology.
Park was contacted several years ago and was asked for some information about himself to put on the list, but hasn’t heard anything more.
“I guess I can say it could work bett er,” said Park.
Th e faculty expert listing webpage for CCSU has only names, titles and phone numbers.
Quinnipiac University’s faculty expert list has pictures, backgrounds and mini-profi les of faculty members.
Th e University of Connecticut off ers a how-to guide for journalists who are looking for specifi c faculty.
Connecticut College allows someone to search for faculty by keyword and has links to select faculty members’ webpages.
“It took me awhile to get on the list,” said Charles Butt on, assistant professor of geography at CCSU. “Th ey don’t update it really...it takes a real long time to get anything even changed on it.”
Butt on noticed over six years ago aft er he began teaching at CCSU that there were some inaccuracies with the faculty expert list.
“I introduced who I was and gave them a list of things that were way out of date for other colleagues,” said Butt on. “It took them probably well over a year just to even take a name off of someone who wasn’t even here anymore.”
Butt on spoke of how every week he and other faculty members, who listen to WNPR, always hear people from specifi c universities.
“Hardly a week goes by that you don’t hear Quinnipiac or UConn professors,” said Butt on. “I’ve always wondered, ‘Why is that?’”
Park also noticed that a notable amount of articles in the Hartford Courant seem not to call on experts from Central, rather choosing faculty from Yale, UConn or even out of state schools.
“A lot of people really don’t think much of that list,” said Butt on. “Th ey don’t see it as what it could be, not that I don’t think its a good idea because it is a good idea.”
“Colleges and universities use the list to promote their faculty...their experts,” said Palmer. “Can we do a bett er job? You betcha.”
Palmer would like to see more information on the website to showcase what CCSU has to off er.
“It used to be standard to print experts lists in the 80’s and 90’s,” said Palmer, “and send them out to all the media outlets.”
Palmer added that being severely limited in staff and thus being overworked are to blame for the faculty expert list.
“We have lots of good faculty,” said Palmer. “We are just so overworked that it is the last thing on my mind.”
Palmer alluded to the fact that there is a bias for news outlets to go to UConn because
it is a research university and is the “fl agship” of Connecticut.
No matt er the reason, faculty aren’t happy.
“I certainly don’t think its being presented
or treated in a way that it could have a much bigger impact if it was handled properly,” said Butt on.
“Maybe someday someone will want some information I have,” said Park.
swap channels – if student interests change in the future, we have the ability to swap those in the contract much easier than we did with Comcast.”
“What we were able to do is construct a lineup similar in size to what we had with Comcast as a bulk agreement but populate it with the channels that the students indicated they had more of an interest in. We’re bringing on board…approximately 20 channels that are geared towards the channels that the students wanted,” said Valk.
Th ose new channels include another feature unique to CTV, a package of eight international networks that will be broadcasted into student residences once the change goes into eff ect.
Many campus residents have been critical of residential and business cable provider Comcast for poor video quality, lackluster customer service and service delivery issues in the dormitories. Sophomore communication major Tim Farrell lives in Vance Hall and was overjoyed at the change.
“Th ank God,” Farrell said, “Comcast is terrible, my room has horrible reception on the television and I’ve had fuzzy picture for I don’t know how long.”
CTV has edged out Comcast on many college campuses across the state. Along with the University of Connecticut, CTV serves WCSU, Trinity College and Sacred Heart University.
Valk cited feedback from residents saying there were issues with trying to get technicians in and out to do service calls in the past.
“Comcast is a very large company and the way they tend to handle service on a residential level doesn’t fi t as well over here on our campus,” said Valk.
“To go digital in any way, a full digital system would require the use of individual set-top boxes. Th ey are extraordinarily expensive, they could become a large security and damage assessment issue in the rooms. Residence Life was against that from the get-go,” said Valk.
Information Technology also consulted with other college campuses that had
experimented with the cable boxes and found dissatisfaction “across the board.”
Th e changeover to Blue TV will be almost entirely automated and requires very litt le installation from students. However, Information Technology has asked students to plan on auto-scanning or re-scanning their televisions in the “Cable TV” mode so that they can access all of the new programming. Most residents can plan on performing this function aft er they return from the long weekend on Feb. 22, though some students will see the change take place on Th ursday.
“It will be a transparent change,” Valk said. “If they were to just turn their TVs on, they probably will get 60 or 70 percent of the cable services, they’re just not going to be on the channel positions that they’re used to and they will be missing a good handful of them. A quick [auto-scan] will allow them to not only get all of the new channel placements, but pick up any of the new networks we’ve launched.”
New channels are being added to the residence hall lineup, including National Geographic and a host of movie options. Blue TV will play host to HBO, HBO2, HBO Signature and for the fi rst time the campus will have the Showtime service with Showtime and Showtime2. Th e HBO suite will be delayed one week and will become available March 1, a result of HBO’s contracting practices with all cable providers.
“We’re also launching a whole hodgepodge of sports networks – ESPNews, ESPNU, CBS College Sports, one channel dedicated to both NFL and MLB networks which will be switched between seasons,” Valk said.
Students will still see all of their local channels in addition to their digital counterparts. For example, NBC Connecticut off ers its main content on 30.1 and off ers additional digital channels 30.2 for 24-hour weather coverage and 30.3 for Universal Sports. High defi nition programming that is currently available over the air will still be accessible, but regular cable channels will be off ered in standard defi nition only.
Additional information and announcements can be found on the Information Technology weekly
announcement later this week, the IT website and the CCSU TV Facebook page. If students experience any problems with the transition, they can contact residence
assistants and residence directors as each hall will have information on troubleshooting and appropriate contact information for technical support.
Professor Charles Butt on, who is on the faculty expert list, says that while the list is a good idea, it could be more updated and improved.
ccsu.eDu
4 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / NEWS
Justin Muszynskithe Recorder
CCSU President Jack Miller spoke before a meeting of the faculty senate Monday to address concerns about the CSUS reorganization announced by Governor Dannel Malloy last week.
Miller said that the financing elements of the higher education restructuring will likely supersede organizational changes and reassured faculty that the newly created Board of Regents will probably have little effect on campus operations.
“No system is inherently going to work and no system is inherently going to fail,” Miller
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Malloy Proposes More Cost-Cutting Ahead of Budget AnnouncementMatt clybuRn
the Recorder
Less than a week before his budget address to a joint session of the Connecticut legislature on Wednesday, Governor Dannel Malloy unveiled another major restructuring Thursday that would reduce the number of budgeted agencies by 30 percent. If the reorganization is completed as currently proposed, it could be the largest of its kind in state history.
“I’m asking the people of Connecticut to do more with less, and we in state government need to as well. I’ve reduced my own staff in the Governor’s Office by 15 percent, and I’m proposing to reduce the number of budgeted state agencies by 30 percent,” said Malloy. “I am serious about these proposals, and I am ready to work with the committees of cognizance in the legislature to make this happen.”
The new proposals are no strangers to the state political landscape - both of Malloy’s Republican predecessors attempted to pass similar consolidations, but faced firm opposition from the perennially Democrat-controlled legislature. Many believe that the homogeneous political affiliation in Hartford
will allow for the plan to go through this year on the heels of other major reforms spearheaded by the first Democratic governor in nearly two decades.
“When putting together my budget, I had to ask – what sense does it make to split the Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and the Department of Public Safety? Or why are the Offices of Workforce Competitiveness and the Commission on Culture and Tourism stand-alone agencies, apart from the Department of Economic and Community Development?” Malloy said in his Thursday press release.
Gov. Malloy continued, “Why are all of the government accountability functions – the Elections Enforcement Commission, the Freedom of Information Commission, the Judicial Review Council, the Contracting Standards Board, and the Office of State Ethics separate entities when so many of their issue areas and jurisdiction overlap? It just didn’t make sense.”
Republican legislators recently proposed a similar plan that would consolidate 43 of the 81 budgeted state agencies into 11. Malloy’s plan would shrink the total number from 81 to just 57.
“I’m excited about it,” House Republican
leader Lawrence Cafero told the Hartford Courant Thursday. “I want to be very positive [because] just the change in attitude and mindset is exciting.”
While many Republicans seem to be happy with Malloy’s proposal, some used the circumstance to comment on a greater problem in the state’s government.
“It is absolutely a sign that our state is in very bad shape,” Republican State Senator John McKinney said. “Our government is too big and, as it is currently constituted, unaffordable for the citizens of the state.”
Malloy’s senior staff has reported that the plan will save a projected $10 million in a time when the state faces an estimated $3.7 billion budget deficit for the fiscal year beginning July 1. The figures do not include the anticipated savings attached to last week’s proposal to consolidate the state higher education system into a single Board of Regents with a chief executive officer.
Many of the larger state agencies will remain unaffected, including the departments of labor, education, public safety, social services, transportation, veterans affairs, motor vehicles and banking, among others. They will keep their department names and remain safeguarded from further consolidation - for
now.The functions of some merged agencies
will be distributed to new or existing agencies. For example, the Board of Education and Services for the Blind will be divided between the Departments of Social Services and Education, respectively. Among the new agencies will be the Office of Governmental Responsibility, Department of Construction Services, and Department of Emergency Responder Training.
The governor’s office said that job elimination decisions would be at the discretion of agency leadership once the reorganization has gone into effect. When asked if the merging agencies will result in job cuts, Malloy told Christine Stuart of CT News Junkie Friday “I assume that will, in fact, occur.” While most state union employees are protected by negotiated contracts, Stuart reports, there are administrative employees in state government that could be at risk.
“This is a large shake-up, and I know there will be a number of questions,” Malloy said in the press release. “In the coming weeks and months, I’m going to be talking to people all across the state about my plan for a more streamlined and efficient Connecticut state government.”
Financing Bigger Issue for CCSU, Says Millersaid. “The other side of it is the financing, and that I think is the bigger issue for us.”
Faculty members used the platform to discuss other financial issues related to CCSU in the midst of a serious state budget crisis. Philosophy professor Parker English puts part of the onus on CCSU faculty and alumni. He said that in the event a representative of CCSU comes into contact with an alumni they should “think about suggesting to them that they make a contribution to the foundation.”
Miller also took the occasion to point out that his speculation is based on the same information provided to the general public and that details regarding the reorganization will unfold over time.
“I probably don’t know a whole lot more about this than any of you do,” Miller said. “It hasn’t been a very forthcoming process.”
Robert Wolff, associate professor of history, introduced the results of a recent survey distributed to 230 faculty members about CCSU’s general education program. The survey found that of the 230 members surveyed, 61.3 percent either agree or strongly agree that the general education program should be re-designed.
“Based on the results of this survey, the committee believes that there is indeed a need or desire to redesign the general education program at CCSU,” said Wolff, who is also chair of the faculty senate ad-hoc committee.
A proposal to refine the course catalog language regarding final grades in major requirements was also discussed. A resolution was passed that creates three categories of major requirement classes and mandates a C- or better in courses that are designated “major courses” or “additional major courses.”
The faculty senate meeting took place in a nearly full lecture hall in the Robert Vance Academic Center Monday afternoon. CSUS bylaws indicate that university faculty is responsible for academic policies at each institution. According to the senate website, “the powers of the faculty are delegated to the faculty senate, which represents the will of the faculty.”
OPINIONTHE RECORDERWednesday, February 16, 2011 5
The Empty Theater: Malloy’s Proposed Tax Increase a Product of Ourselves
Malloy at Key Phase With CsUs BUdget annoUnCeMents
EDITORIAL
Matt clybuRnthe Recorder
The stage had been empty for some time. Many audience members have come and gone - they speculated about the lack of drama, they wondered why there were no heroes or villains to denounce or applaud. In time, they would give up hope for a refund and walk off to the next theater for a more entertaining show.
The governor’s theater has been quiet for many years now. The birthplace of great plays and actors became a graveyard for the same, forever haunted by phantoms of yesteryear.
That is, until last week. Great political theater has become a mainstay in Hartford once again.
Ahead of his Wednesday budget address before a joint session of the legislature, we are audience to a Governor Malloy wearing many masks - actor, director, stagehand. Like most tragic heroes, we are drawn to this man of intrigue. Lured in by promises of budget cuts and state agency streamlining, we fall prey to his beautifully delivered monologues and
gripping charisma.An unforeseen twist - tax increases, big
ones. The curtain falls, intermission.We are left chatting amongst ourselves
over our playbills, wondering what could come next. More cuts are coming, jobs will most certainly be lost and state services will be left unrendered. Tax increases, though, could be catastrophic in this economy.
Connecticut is last in the nation for job creation over the last decade. These taxes, if passed, may push Connecticut past New Jersey for the highest taxation rate in the country. We have remained relatively unscathed in the wake of this recession, but it’s not over yet. When we suffocate the disposable income of our friends and neighbors by implementing tax increases across the board - gasoline, property, estates, income, sales, alcohol and cigarettes, just to name a few - we will most certainly be due for a devastating blow.
I, for one, vehemently oppose the tax increases. Not on principle, but on the reality. Tax increases are not evil by their very nature, but almost always turn from temporary inconvenience to permanent parasite. Consider, if you will, the fact that two decades
bRittany buRkethe Recorder
“Who you are defines what you do.”That one line muttered by Max Carrigan,
a fictional character in Julie Taymor’s Across the Universe, can pretty much sum up how I made my way to becoming The Recorder’s first female sports editor.
Being a sports fan with a passion for writing led me to my job as sports editor. I didn’t wake up one morning and say, “Hey, I want to be a sports writer,” I just kind of fell into that career path.
There are a few things that I could’ve been defined as in high school; class valedictorian being one of them. I went to a technical high school, took health technology and became a Certified Nurse’s Aide.
All the CNA certification meant was I was allowed to take care of people in a nurse’s home. I could give bed baths, change diapers, feed them, move them and clothe them. While I didn’t mind spending time with the
This week’s announcement from Governor Dannel Malloy will draw the attention of faculty, staff and students alike, but it might be something that we are rushing in to too quickly.
In his initial breach on the subject, the governor expressed his plans to give the Connecticut State University System an overhaul. Hoping to capitalize on the dismal state economy, Malloy is trying to chop lines off of the budget. By combining the boards of the state university system and the state’s community colleges, millions of dollars could be saved over time. The 12 boards, as they currently stand, spend more than $394 million annually.
One board of regents would distribute that money democratically or through a process so that no schools are left out - hopefully. The problem with such an
overhaul is that consolidation could lead to the dilution of our university and college’s campus cultures. Issues present here at CCSU, for example, might not match up with those of Naugatuck Valley Community College. A single board might favor the larger schools, or worse, punish them for having their way for so long.
Our campus shouldn’t be subjected to a shrunken budget because another school in the system needs the same money we do. There could certainly be a tendency to balance things across the board, which will take away from addressing the urgent needs of our respective campuses.
In Malloy’s press conference, he mentioned that it takes too long to graduate from our state schools. This is entirely true and it’s about time someone with credibility mentions it. Faculty and staff should be
thanking Malloy for admitting that the system needs work, but making it easier to transfer between schools and sharing a budget might actually fight that progress. For a student to get out of CCSU on time, expansion needs to happen with professors, campus space and course selections, allowing students to be able to take their necessary credits sooner.
Funding should be rewarded on the timeliness and quality of the student body’s education. It’s not going to be easy to gauge levels of education between universities and colleges, but the board will need to fill that need. They come to find it a nearly impossible task to make decisions on several levels, when each school is so very different.
The most upsetting issue at play here is the general feeling of neglect that the CSUS gets in comparison to the University
of Connecticut. Students can likely walk in and out of UConn in four years without a problem. At CCSU that schedule hardly exists, save for a low percentage of extremely hard-working and fortunate students. While UConn is undoubtedly a larger and more prominent national school than CCSU, ECSU, WCSU and SCSU, the students at all five of these schools should be taken into the same consideration at the state level.
If Malloy’s intention is to bring Connecticut’s education levels to an all-time high, then he should be pushing for excellence across the board. Create the new budget with the students at the CSUS schools in mind. With the same attention and funding, the state might have several great universities worth bragging about. Until then, we’re alright with our great education at a lower cost.
How We Got Here: Brittany Burkepatients in the homes, changing their diapers wasn’t something I could exactly stomach and I never used my license.
Basically, I wasted three years in high school, pursuing something I would never use. Guess I just have to be thankful I didn’t waste my time in college.
Despite my apprehension and overall dislike for the medical world I still made the decision to ship up to Worcester and major in speech pathology. Within two weeks I learned that the whole science thing wasn’t for me, so instead I switched to teaching and English, while simultaneously making the decision to apply to CCSU.
The only good things that came out of my year Worcester State, also known as the Woo, were my two best friends and my love, which by the way has turned into an obsession, for the Bruins. Each week our trio would watch the games in the top floor of our freshman dorm, yelling when the B’s loss and celebrating when the team won.
When I got back to Wallingford I found myself religiously watching the Stanley Cup Playoffs, not because I loved Sidney Crosby, but because I loved the game and the men in black and gold.
You can blame this year of life for why my section happens to have an immense amount of hockey coverage. The best times I’ve had as a staff writer, assistant editor and now section editor have come from my late nights I’ve spent shivering at the Newington, Simsbury and Danbury hockey rinks. Don’t ask me why, but I love covering the team.
Looking back it probably now makes sense that I’m a sports writer, but in high school and even my freshman year, writing for
a living never really crossed my mind.My plan for transferring in to CCSU
was to major in English (my third career change if you’re keeping count) with a focus in secondary education and a minor in journalism.
During a transfer student session I saw an ad saying the paper was looking for sports writers, so I went on the website and emailed the editor-in chief. From that point on I’ve been a staff writer (see, it’s really not that hard to get involved with the paper, if you were wondering.)
The first article I ever wrote was a women’s volleyball preview, not exactly hard, but for a girl who came from a high school and college with no paper and no journalism experience it was a start.
Despite having to cover women’s volleyball and women’s basketball for my first semester I fell in love with journalism and began to find my voice. It also helped that I was the only one who wanted to cover the hockey team, making it my beat.
So for the fourth and final time and without my parents knowing I switched concentrations to journalism with a minor in English, getting rid of the idea of teaching all together.
I was able to keep my journalism major a secret from my parents for almost a year before a friend of mine said something in front of my dad at her graduation party. My dad had a hard time accepting I no longer want to be a speech therapist, making enough money to buy him a new set of golf clubs, never mind a poor sports writer. Luckily he eventually got past the switch and accepted my new major.
I spent a semester as a staff writer before being bumped up to assistant sports editor. Once my editor graduated it only made sense for me to take over the position.
As sports editor I’m lucky enough to have enough writers to delegate stories, whether it be game stories, news pieces or player profiles. I’ve gotten to see amazing wins, devastating defeats and even more devastating personal losses.
Being a journalist isn’t always the easiest thing. How do you speak to a football player after a member of his team was just killed? Or a coach who’s team just lost one of the most essential games of the season?
It may not always be an easy job, but it’s one I wouldn’t give up. There’s a reason why I willingly stay in the office until past midnight on Monday nights.
I’m not your typical sports editor, but that gives me a unique perspective on things. I can argue about sports with any man and hold my own, but I have a completely different side to me. I was a dancer for 12 years, read ESPN the Magazine and The Hockey News before reading the latest issue of Cosmopolitan and I flick to Sex and the City during Bruins commercial breaks.
Finding my way to The Recorder wasn’t initially a plan I had when I transferred to CCSU, but it has helped me realized what I want to do when I graduate next year.
Due to my job I have found my passion for hockey journalism, seen Kentucky, interned with Whalers Sports and Entertainment, met Gordie Howe, interviewed Phil Esposito and found who I am.
Not bad for someone who answered an ad on a college bulletin board.
ago there was no income tax in the state of Connecticut. Our inflated bureaucracy has been built on the foundation of band-aids and scotch tape rather than a much needed surgical intervention.
Our lead actor in the present day has given us exactly what he promised - a combination of taxes and spending cuts to deal with a very serious budget crisis. If we must learn
one lesson from this situation, let it be that actions have consequences; inaction can have indescribable consequences.
For this reality, let us not blame the actor, the director or the stagehand.
It is we, the audience, that has speculated, wondered and walked away while the theater remained empty. Sit back, relax and enjoy the show that we ourselves have written.
6 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / UPGR ADE
MogwaiHardcore Will Never Die,
But You WillSub-Pop
February 14
Danny contReRasthe Recorder
If anyone or anything should die, it’s this album by Scottish band Mogwai.
Coming from the ever-present Glasgow music scene, which has produced acts such as Snow Patrol and Franz Ferdinand, Mogwai has added strength to the post-rock genre - a form of rock music which fuses traditional rock sounds with non-traditional instruments.
Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will should be an album that anyone who is interested in the genre should skip. To say that the overall sound of the album is too general is almost a compliment to the sounds that Mogwai tried to go for. When you listen to it, you get the feeling that they were trying to go for some kind of melodic space rock. However, the end product is a messed up sound that tries to be uplifting, almost inspirational, using the most overused chords in rock music (think of Coldplay’s “Clocks”). They drill those four measures into your head so well that you will find yourself singing another artist’s song. More annoying is the fact that the majority of the songs clock in at over four minutes giving you the chance to hum a medley of all the
popular songs of the past decade.The silver linings in the album are songs
“George Square Thatcher Death Party,” which combines some of the albums fastest playing (not Slayer fast, but like Foo Fighters fast) with indecipherable lyrics and “You’re Lionel Richie,” which best summarizes the goal of what the album should’ve sounded like. It gives you a sense of being in space doings two things, just floating and seeing the billions of the stars, or shooting a promo for a NBC show where the main character is about to sacrifice himself. One thing all the songs are good at is providing 30 second clips of themselves for television ads.
Whether it was on purpose or not, Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, the album title accomplishes two things: It is a hardcore attempt at selling copies and reminds you that you will die, at an old age, and hopefully without having heard this “album.”
One would think that a band from Glasgow with a smart genre like post-rock stuck to them would provide you a general album of smart composition and arrangements. It does not. It leaves a void, almost a “what could’ve been” feeling. The aftertaste is one of those you hate - like the feeling of beer and pizza coming up your esophagus. If you don’t have to listen to this album, then be happy as it is a complete waste of time. Mogwai’s Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will, is a stain on the shirt of an otherwise spotless Glasgow music scene.
“It’s been a long winter,” sings Bright Eyes frontman Conor Oberst on their new
album The People’s Key, and for fans of Bright Eyes the end of winter is a double-edged sword. On one hand we get a solid album, but on the other, Conor Oberst has announced that it will be the last album for Bright Eyes.
The People’s Key is full of Oberst’s signature melancholy wavering voice, but adds a more upbeat and indie-pop sound to several of the tracks, most notably “Jejune Stars” and “Triple Spiral”.
One of the last songs, “Ladder Song”, is clearly an intensely personal ballad reminiscent of an earlier Bright Eyes song, “No Lies Just Love”. “Ladder Song” was purportedly written after the suicide of a close friend and Oberst writes from the standpoint of the one left behind, as opposed to some of his earlier works, “No Lies Just Love” included, in which he discussed suicide from the viewpoint of the one considering it.
The final song on the album, “One for you, One for me”, is Bright Eyes’ closing remarks to a loyal fan base. It is a charming, bittersweet and enigmatic close to the album, and perhaps Oberst’s career as a songwriter for Bright Eyes, encapsulating his persona almost too perfectly.
A Hawk and HacksawCervantine
L.M. Dupli-cationMarch 8
Max kybuRzthe Recorder
My biggest beef with A Hawk & A Hacksaw’s Cervantine is that while it’s not a bad album, it’s still very forgettable.
Considering how the New Mexican duo seems to exist only to emulate classic Balkan and Eastern European-influenced folk, it’s hard to expect anything less. Their greatest accomplishment, sadly, was making me forget that they are, in fact, from Albuquerque.
Jeremy Barnes used to beat skins for seminal 90s indie band Neutral Milk Hotel, and A Hawk & A Hacksaw has been his primary project since 2001. Aside from drums, he undertakes accordian duties. At his side is Heather Trost, violinist and part-time vocalist, along with an assorted cast of instrumentalists. They do a fairly good job; from the first song, “No Rest for the Wicked,” onward, it’s hard to call them musically inept.
I have no issue with instrumental tracks, but the lack of real progression dampens the overall experience, unless, of course, you’re as passionate about the genre as they clearly are.
I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy some parts of Cervantine. “Laszlo Lassu” is a soft, sweeping piece that gives the album to emotional heights. It’s a short one, but it shows the band’s genuine love for their music. They are a band that copies while managing
to have some soul. “Espanola Kolo” manages to bridge international waters by blending Mexican and European influences to flavorful effect. Alas, the prime moments are too few and far between to make the entire album viable.
I’m having a difficult time thinking of who to recommend this album to, except for loyal fans of the genre. If you already have reservations that Balkan folk is something to
listen to habitually, Cervantine will not change your mind. I guess if you already love the genre (or everything about the fellow New Mexican musical project Beirut but Zachary Francis Condon’s vocals), go for it.
Given their skill and passion, A Hawk and A Hacksaw make it difficult to hate them. Innovators they are not, nor do they seem to try. While this may not hurt them it doesn’t do much for them in the long run.
7THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / UPGR ADE
nick Rosathe Recorder
Enter this imaginary world with director Wes Anderson, who also directed comedy The Royal Tenenbaums, where there are wild ocean technologies and colorful animated sea creatures.
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou isn’t the best produced film, but I wouldn’t discourage you to see it. Rather than sticking to realism of oceanography, Wes Anderson steps into a make believe world with a funny outrageous story. Even with its okay production the film overall is delightful.
With a great cast lead by Bill Murray, The Life Aquatic is a film that all can enjoy. Other actors that work alongside Murray are Owen Wilson, who plays his estranged so-called son, Cate Blanchett, a reporter looking for that big story, Willem Dafoe, Zissou’s quirky left hand man, and Jeff Goldblum, his rival in the filmmaking business. These characters involve themselves in great plot complications on a ship that looks like it has seen better days from afar, but on the inside has many luxuries, including a spa.
The film follows oceanographer Steve Zissou (Murray) and his shipmates seeking the dangerous Jaguar Shark, who ate his beloved partner in their last documentary film. Roger Ebert compared it to Captain Ahab exacting revenge on the giant whale, while the long Zissou is trying to get revenge on the shark, or 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, if Captain Nemo were on drugs.
Currently in his glory days of making great ocean films, Zissou is near the end of that road and is looking for a new idea for a good film to resurrect his career.
Netflix It: The Life Aquatic
with Steve Zissou
While in this search for the rare Jaguar Shark, Zissou comes across strange obstacles and situations that seem like they would never happen or that he would be able to weasel out of them, but Zissou seems to always find a way. Despite being absurd, there is something about Zissou that reels you in. He is a child’s fantasy of adulthood brought to life.
The film has funny colored pastel-like sea creatures and strange gizmos that are blended with all the characters, but they don’t get in the way during dramatic situations. What really makes the film what it is, is the acting of Bill Murray.
One of the harder actors to get in a film, Murray did a terrific job
Max kybuRzthe Recorder
When you combine one of New Haven’s best bars with an organization responsible for the most kick ass shows in Connecticut, you’ve got yourself a hell of a Wednesday night. Best of all, it’s free.
The renowned BAR, located on Crown Street (which hosts Gotham and the now-defunct Hula Hanks), has been a staple of New Haven cuisine and nightlife since 1991. Why is it so special? Its classic, non-glitzy tavern-style appearance, for one, but two things make it stand out above all the rest: pizza and beer. If you haven’t already sampled either of BAR’s tasty treats, know they are not simply hocking Bud Light and Celeste. All the baking is done on the premises, and they’ve been micro-brewing since 1996, boasting themselves as “the place for any and all in downtown New Haven.”
Upon entering you’re bound to be distracted at first by BAR’s equally delectable sights and smells. To your left you have the Front Room, a classically outfitted bar with pool tables and flatscreens. It’s basically a beer snob’s version of Elmers. It’s widely stretched to avoid claustrophobia and the weathered walls are adorned with art. What’s more, the Front Room
Manic Productions and BAR Cure Hump Day Blues
Natalie Portman
20 Under 20: A Saturday at
Hooker BreweryThroughout the semester, we will feature destinations
and locations that you can enjoy for under $20 and within 20 miles.
kat bousheethe Recorder
What could be better than spending a Saturday drinking beer? Perhaps spending a Saturday drinking beer at a brewery while getting a guided tour and having it cost only $5. The Thomas Hooker Brewery in Bloomfield, CT, located just 13.2 miles from CCSU, is a great weekend destination for those interested in expanding their knowledge of the intricacies of brewing, or simply just trying some great local beers.
On Saturdays your $5 gets you a tour of the brewery and a sample of the beers brewed. If you particularly enjoy a certain beer you can purchase a “growler” for just $10 more. “Growlers” are 64 ounces of glass bottle perfection filled to order directly from the tap.
Fridays are a great day to head to the brewery as well, because on the
first and third Friday of the month, $10 will get you a tour, beer samples and a pint glass to take home. The beer samples come from the beer tasting bar, which usually has about four different options on tap.
At the Thomas Hooker Brewery you will not only have a great time sampling beers and learning about the brewing process, but you can feel good about what you are doing: the brewery donates a portion of the tour proceeds to The Village for Families and Children.
Notable beers to check out include their seasonal Watermelon Ale, which has a hint of watermelon taste to it, as well as their Blonde Ale, a light favorite among both the casual drinker and those with a sophisticated palate.
The Thomas Hooker Brewery is open for tours and sampling on the first and third Friday of every month, as well as every Saturday from 12-5.
thoMas hookeR bReweRy | FlickR
in The Life Aquatic by just being himself. He occupies nearly every frame of the film usually with a sadden or frowned look upon his face, which just makes the travels of his tense crew that much more awkward, but still funny.
Wes Anderson adds in so many details in the film that seeing how strange it is can be easily overlooked by the audience. It puts you into a childhood film for adults, which just makes the film that much more enjoyable to watch. This film is by far one of the more different movies I’ve seen, but it’s something I encourage, especially Bill Murray fans, to check it out on Netflix.
hosts the finest brews BAR has to offer. My particular favorite is the appropriately named Damn Good Stout, well worth the five dollar asking price. Also, you can grab a mug of their delicious hot apple cider (spike it with Jameson for a couple extra bucks). Yes, the place is a little pricey, but you won’t be sorry.
If you wish to make the affair more intimate, you may want to venture into the BruRoom, where you can grab a pie (or a slice after 11pm) of their brick oven pizza, fire roasted to perfection. The set-up is your classic pizza joint set up, except with a more London-influenced panache. The BruRoom’s many booths and tables enjoy a great widescreen view of the outside, reminding patrons to enjoy the great city of New Haven while they sample its eclectic culture.
Manic Productions, also based in New Haven, has been Connecticut’s harbinger of underground music since 2002. They’ve helped bring both legends and up-and-comers alike to any bar, veterans hall and arts space within reach. Manic even helped bring punk pioneer Jello Biafra to CCSU’s Torp Theatre in 2007. In most cases, if theres’s a punk, folk, metal or indie show going on, Manic’s likely to be fronting it. Just to give you an idea of the kind of prime entertainment Manic’s
brought to our fair state: Built to Spill, Dinosaur Jr., Man Man, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Boris, Jenny Lewis, Municipal Waste and Joanna Newsom. Need I say more?
BAR and Manic first shook hands in 2006 for a Jack Rose show, but their partnership never fully bloomed until January. Every
Wednesday night at 9 p.m., BAR has been Manic’s official hideout, starting with The Beets (sadly not the band from Doug) on January 5th. Shows are hosted in BARtropolis, the pub’s neon-lit dance club. If that sounds like an odd place to hold an Americana folk show, you’re correct. Thankfully,
you won’t notice once you’re there. The environment is chill and without any problems. Trust me, we drunk hipsters in thick framed glasses are as harmless as a box of kittens. With just a 21+ ID (fakes need not apply), plus a few bucks for pizza and beer, you can enjoy a night of fresh tunes and grub.
Bill Murray stars in Wes Anderson’s ‘The Life Aquatic.’
Along with free Wednesday concerts, BAR offers renowned pizza and their self-brewed beer.
8 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / UPGR ADE
Calendar2.16 - 2.23
MUSIC
2.16
Family Band@ BARNew HavenFREE / 21+ / 9 pm
Rooney@ The Middle EastCambridge, MA$15 adv. / all ages / 8pm doors
2.17
George Clinton@ Toad's PlaceNew Haven, CT$28.50 adv. / all ages / 8pm doors
Dr. Acula@ Heirloom Arts TheatreDanbury, CT$10 / all ages / 5:30 pm doors
FILM
2/18 - 2/23
And Everything is Going Fine@ Real Art WaysHartford, CT$6.25 with student ID / 7pm
While Spalding Gray was a gifted actor who gave fine performances in the films True Stories, The Killing Fields and King Of The Hill, he was at his best playing himself, without a supporting cast. Gray was a master of the seriocomic monologue, and he rose to fame with a series of one-man-shows in which, seated behind a desk, he would speak at length about various events in his life, his experiences making The Killing Fields in Swimming To Cambodia, his struggle with writers block in Monster In A Box, and his health issues in Gray's Anatomy. While Gray's performances were often quite funny, he didn't shy away from difficult subject matter, and never hesitated from revealing the painful side of his past and his own personal demons as he spun his tales before an audience or a camera. Filmmaker Steven Soderbergh worked with Spalding Gray on two pictures, and he's allowed his former collaborator to speak for himself in And Everything Is Going Fine, a documentary drawn from footage from Gray's monologues and interviews with the actor in which he talks about his life, his art, and the obsession with mortality that often surfaced in his work before he took his own life in 2004. And Everything Is Going Fine was an official selection at the 2010 Slamdance Film Festival. - Mark Deming, Allmovie
2.20 - 2.22
Night Catches Us@ Cinestudio (Trinity College)Hartford, CT$ 7 with student ID/ 7:30 p.m. First time writer/director Tanya
Hamilton has caught the attention of critics and fans with a new film that looks at life in
the scorched earth landscape of mid-70s Philly, after the intense racial warfare of the late 1960s. Anthony Mackie (Tupac, The Hurt Locker) plays Marcus, a former Black Panther who returns to his family brownstone to bury his father. But everyone he meets, from former militants, to the widow of his murdered friend, to a suspicious policeman
played by The Wire’s Wendell Pierce, is still haunted by the revolutionary fever of the past. “Tanya Hamilton’s moving debut takes us back to 1976, when Jimmy Carter was about to be president, funk was king and the Black Panthers were trying to pick up the pieces.” - Salamishah Tillet, TheRoot.com
George Clinton plays Toad’s Place on Feb. 17.
Spalding Gray is the subject of ‘And Everything is Going Fine.’
9THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011
SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
Blue Devils Football Team Announces Incoming Class
bRittany buRkethe Recorder
The CCSU Blue Devil football team ended the 2010 season with its second consecutive NEC title. Despite the conference win, the team hadn’t managed to win the recognition outright like it had the season prior.
However, with the announcement of 15 freshmen to add to the Blue Devils’ roster, it looks as if CCSU is on the hunt for its second out right championship.
Of the 15 additions, nine grew up in Connecticut while two others attended high school in state at preparatory schools such as Avon Old Farms. The remainder of the freshmen come from Washington D.C., Florida, New Jersey and Maryland.
“It’s been huge for me since I’ve been here,” said Head Coach Jeff McInerney in regards to recruiting in state.
“Fifty-two of our 80 players are from Connecticut. We feel it’s a big part of who and what we are and being Central Connecticut State University and having the second longest winning streak in FCS football. One of the biggest reasons is their support system is close to them and it means a lot to them they play with a lot of pride and its special and that means a lot,” said McInerney. “Being that we’re not a national school, we’re a regional school, we have students from a lot of places that help us win but the majority of the core come from Connecticut.”
With the loss of 18 seniors at
the end of the season, many of which helped build the CCSU football program into what it has become, it was important for the coaching staff to recruit athletes who can grow and fill the void, especially on offense.
This year’s graduating class marked the departure of offensive play makers such as wide receiver Josue Paul and transfer student running back Everette Benjamin. With the senior leaders gone it was vital for the team to find incoming
freshmen who will be able to fall in sync with the returning team, who McInerney still has confidence in. Returning veterans such as Brian Fowler, Chris Tolbert and Nate Pagan provide the Blue Devils with depth, but the wide receiver position remains unknown.
“We think that we’ve improved ourselves at wide receiver,” said McInerney. “Jordan Kittrell, a wide receiver from Friendship Collegiate Academy in Washington D.C., we think that he’s special and
that’s an area we felt like we had to improve on losing Josue Paul and Richie Martin and then Shawn Robinson from Trinity Catholic in Stamford Connecticut, he’s gonna be a special player.”
The main position needed to be filled by the new recruits was the defensive back position. The Blue Devils brought in three defensive backs and a handful of safeties to fill the gap created.
Many of the athletes signed are dual position players,
excelling at both the quarterback and defensive back spot. But with second year quarterback, Gunnar Jespersen returning to his position under center, the coaching staff is keeping its focus elsewhere.
“First of all, defensive back Gerry Basadonna from Xavier High School, I mean he’s a very good physical player. He’ll add a lot of dimension to our secondary, almost along the lines of an Alondre Rush so we feel really good about him. Josh Celerin, he’s a quarterback, defensive back from Brandon, Florida and we think he’s a great free safety. That’s what we really recruited him as, a free safety not as a quarterback.”
Spring training is on the horizon, but the new signees won’t begin to train with the Blue Devils until this summer. Despite not playing as part of CCSU, McInerney is confident in the fact that this incoming class is one of, if not the most talented class, they’ve brought during his tenure as head coach.
“Just on the ability level and who is recruiting them and just on the fact that we’ve done a lot of things here over the past five years…There’s a couple things that have changed here at Central,” said McInerney. “One is academics, which is huge, that’s a big to do, and I think our teams have gotten better. When you win back to back championships, people want to play for a winner.”
However, don’t let the confidence fool you. McInerney is careful to stress that only time will tell with how well the newcomers transition into full fledged Blue Devils.
Nate Pagan will provide depth at the running back position for the 2011 Blue Devils.
Blue Devil Signees AnnouncedFootball
Gerry Basadonna – 5-11, 175, Defensive BackXavier High School/Haddam, CT
Kathryn MalcomBranford, CTMercy High SchoolOutfield
Ashley BlackLevittown, PAHarry S. Truman High SchoolOutfield
Laura MessinaMarlton, NJCamden Catholic High SchoolPitcher
Alyssa McCoartLincoln, RILincoln High SchoolPitcher/First Baseman
TRANSFERS
Jordan TingleySophomoreSt. John’s UniversityPitcher
Courtney CollinsFreshmanUConnCatcher
Swimming
Karen NovakCheshire, CT The graduation of Everette Benjamin, a leader of this season’s NEC
championship team, leaves a hole at running back.
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / SPORTS 10
bRittany buRkethe Recorder
I’ll be the fi rst one to admit it - I am not a basketball fan. Yes, I root for the Celtics because I am addicted to NESN and had to even out my Boston to New York team ratio, but I am by no means an expert.
Like any other college student I am also busy. Th ere aren’t enough hours in a day to get done what I need to get done and I continuously realize this as I’m sipping on my coff ee writing my column at 11 p.m. on a Monday night…again.
Call it bad time management if you will, but I blame the fact that there are merely 24 hours in a day and while I consider my life hectic, as editor of this section I feel bad for not making it to more basketball games.
I made it through an entire women’s season last year when I covered the team, but since I get to pick and choose which stories I want, I embrace hockey and cast aside basketball (soon to be baseball - you can’t blame me for not loving the game, I’m a Mets fan).
As the season is coming closer and closer to the time of NEC Championships I have to take the time and applaud those students who have found the time to make it over to the Detrick Gymnasium and support the Blue Devils.
Th ese past few columns I’ve been warning readers of what type of fan not to be, but this week I’ve chosen to go a diff erent route.
As I walked back to my dorm room the night of the televised game I passed more than a handful of CCSU students who were proudly donning the white and blue CCSU colors. Not only were the students actually wearing things that said CCSU, but they had gone the extra mile to paint their faces as a way of showing support.
Th is type of fanaticism shouldn’t be ridiculed by anyone, especially me, and especially in a fairly small school such as CCSU. I am used to seeing the body painters on televised college games, but it’s always refreshing to see on the CCSU campus.
Like I confessed at the beginning of this column, I haven’t actually been to a basketball game since the beginning of the season, but I can tell you I haven’t passed people that enthused by a game once this season. If anything I saw fans that excited for the season opener, but they were all for UHart.
Maybe people were that excited because the game was televised (who wouldn’t want to try and see themselves on TV?), or maybe the Blue Devils have been drawing fans like that the entire season and I’ve just been blind to it.
Either way, the excitement is something the fans should consider carrying over as the teams reach the chance to play for the NEC title. I wouldn’t even mind some of the crazy behavior I’ve been writing about the past couple of weeks.
Well, I don’t condone tackling Victor E or having a bunch of “fan girls” descend on the gym, but it would make life interesting.
Not All Fans Are Crazy
COLUMN Struggling Club Team Denied SGA Contingency
nick Rosathe Recorder
Earlier this year, Blue Devil high jumper, Matt Berube set the school record in the heptathlon with 4,514 points.
Th is exhausting event consists of a 60 meter dash, long jump, high jump, shot put, 60 meter high hurdles, pole vault, and a grueling 1,000 meter run, which is any jumpers or sprinters worst nightmare.
Naturally a high jumper, Berube began his track career at Southington high school. While not doing track indoor his freshman year in high school, he began his journey that outdoor season, continuing with track his entire high school career.
“I tried sprinting,” Berube said with a lugh, “But I was like ‘screw this’ and went and tried high jump and dropped sprinting completely,” he added.
His coach then went on to tell him to continue with high jumping and to try other events like triple jump, long jump, and pole vault.
His sophomore year is when the fi eld events starting becoming his specialty by doing high, triple, long and pole. Going into his junior and senior years he stuck with high, triple, and long.
His senior year, Berube said he did a few track events like the 4-by-200 but only when the team needed him to. He also dabbled in the 55 hurdles and the 110 high hurdles.
Besides sett ing records at CCSU he also owns the Southington indoor high jump, triple jump, and long jump records and holds the outdoor records for the high jump, triple jump, and the decathlon.
Berube was the captain of his indoor and outdoor track teams his fi nal year. His best jump in college so far is 6 feet, 8.25 inches, .25 inches bett er than his high school record of 6 feet, 8 inches. His heptathlon record is now third overall in the North East Conference.
His parents were also behind him and his fi eld career. “My dad did track so he always wanted me to do that but he sprinted and was happy for me doing whatever,” Berube said.
His mother helped him put resumes together for colleges and recruitments from other schools including CCSU.
Berube’s recruitment began late indoor season his senior year when Coach Eric Blake noticed the young high jumper’s talents. Blake
bRittany buRkethe Recorder
After much debate and two separate motions, the CCSU ice hockey club was denied its contingency request of $5,000 for unforeseen costs by the Student Government Association with nine votes for and 16 against.
“This club definitely doesn’t have what they need to operate,” said Senator Eric Bergenn. “A point that I’ve made in the past for contingencies is for clubs to raise 10 percent of that contingency money, and while we don’t hold any other club to it and they actually are paying for 800 percent of what they are asking for.
“So in terms of sticking by any sort of standard for ourselves, I think we need to pass. I understand that we’re in a difficult position and we don’t have a lot of money, and we have to really start making some tough choices and say no to people that seemingly deserve money. But this is free money, it’s for them, it’s all the students’ money. I think they’re representing us in a national way that most other clubs on campus don’t do.”
At the end of last semester the CCSU hockey team submitted a request to the SGA for a contingency of $5,000, which is in addition to the club’s initial SGA budget of $5,000. As the final meeting came to an end the request was put on the back burner for the spring semester.
Senator Ashley Foy made a motion for the team’s contingency to be made specifically for rink fees. The amendment was passed and the SGA senators argued whether or not the new request fell under the guidelines for an allocated contingency.
While the hockey team is facing $10,000 in unforeseen costs, $8,000 in referee fees
and $2,000 for a trainer for visiting teams, the majority of the senators felt as if these costs did not fall under the amended request.
The hockey team’s budget ranked second in top 15 SGA budgets in the 2009-2010 academic year. This year, due to budget cuts the team dropped to number 37 on the list of SGA budgets.
“I was there for the original budget request and when the budget request went through there was a decision made that we basically had a little over 100 and so many thousands of dollars to give out. And we felt that it was fair to give them $5,000 because we had to cut every other budget that came through,” said Senator Dawson-Head.
“There’s only so much in the pot and it wasn’t fair that they were getting most of the money every single year for the last few years. So the reason was that we wanted all of the clubs to be allowed to have some sort of money in their budget this upcoming year.”
The SGA currently has an estimated $30,000 in funding to disperse according to SGA treasurer Asia Smith. However, during the debate she urged the senators to think wisely because $30,000 isn’t a lot of money given the amount of requests the SGA faces each semester.
Th e original motion for the hockey team to be allocated $5,000 for rink fees was denied with nine yes votes and 16 no votes. However it was then motioned that the team be granted the same amount fl at, meaning it would not have to go to any specifi c purpose.
Th e new motion did not hold up against the senators who still felt the contingency an unnecessary cost.
“I understand that it’s an expensive sport and there, are a lot of expensive things out
there but it doesn’t fall on the SGA to have to fund an activity to its fullest even if it’s say ten times more expensive than a normal club…it is something we’ve already funded, we didn’t deny but we already did give them money so it’s not something I would consider unforeseen. Th ey’re just trying to get something more out of the same title,” Senator Ben Haase of the initial motion.
Th e hockey club currently has $110 left of its SGA budget received at the start of the fall semester. Th e club has been able to fundraise, acquire donations and switch rinks to lower costs, while paying $1,500 in dues upfront. Th e donations and money raised, however, are not enough to alleviate the cost of $62,110.10.
“I know we can’t compare this to our other allocations in the previous semester but if we’re talking about a lot of other clubs asking for contingency and not raising 10 percent of everything and kind of just taking the money, you can see the amount of fundraising the hockey team does,” said Senator Ryan Baldassario. “Th ey may not be as active on campus as we necessarily want them to be but they work for what they have and they have a large budget because, unfortunately enough for their sport, it requires a large budget. And they do a lot of work fundraising like Ashley [Foy] said. Th ey’re not only gett ing the money from us and are like ‘Oh whatever,’ they’re working as hard as they can to get this type of money and I feel like with the amount of eff ort they deserve to be given at least a litt le bit more money.”
It was ultimately decided that the hockey team was not in need of the additional $5,000 and the contingency request for the rest of the academic year was denied.
Berube Sets Personal Bests on His Way to a Championship Ring
went to watch him at the end of the indoor season and the Class LL championship meet at the end of outdoor his senior year. Coming into CCSU he was awarded with an athletic scholarship.
CCSU was not his fi rst choice in schools, University of Hartford and Southern were his fi rst choices. Southern wanted him to go there but they didn’t have the major he wanted at the time which was architecture, and that’s when CCSU came into the picture. Berube doesn’t major in architecture here but now studies technology education.
Th e only injury in high school that kept Berube from performing at his best was at a meet while jumping his knee hit his tooth, chipped it, and needed stitches for his knee. Since then, besides some minor shin splints, he has been injury free.
“Th is year is by far my healthiest year, which makes no sense because I’m doing a hell of a lot more,” he added.
With a new training regimen for the many events he has to do for the heptathlon he has a new way at looking at the sport instead of sticking to three events. With fi nally having consistent coaching it is easier to focus on his events.
Berube had a diff erent track coach every year in high school and the fi rst couple years in college.
“It defi nitely didn’t help me but it helped me realize many diff erent ways coaches can
approach things, now I know what I need in coach,” Berube said. Th e Coach he has now is his seventh overall.
What struck me the most during this interview with Berube was when he said, “If everyone clicks this weekend we have the best chance of doing the best we’ve done so far in indoor.”
Berube went in with a positive att itude and came out with a positive result. Th is weekend at NECs, he helped his team in points by fi nishing third in the high jump and fi ft h in the triple jump.
Berube is expecting another top three fi nish in outdoor. “I want a ring bad,” he said. Aft er already receiving one this past weekend, it looks like another one is possible for Berube in outdoor where the Blue Devils fi nished third last year.
Berube looks to run the heptathlon in the upcoming weeks at New England’s and hopefully into IC4A’s. He also will begin training for the decathlon, which is 10 events instead of seven, come this outdoor season. He will look to break his own heptathlon record and look to break the decathlon record during the outdoor season.
While winning a ring earlier than he thought, and heading into more of the championship season and the beginning of outdoor, Berube will look to improve on his record sett ing heptathlon and on his personal bests in the jumps.
ccsublueDeVils.coMMatt Berube set a school record in the heptathlon.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / SPORTS 11w.ball | cont. FRoM 12
Forward Kenny Horton scores on a breakaway Saturday at Bryant. Horton scored 27 points and grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds while being named the NEC Player of the Week. Story on p. 12.
struggled with the rotations and Justina made them pay. She was 10-11 from the field today, she really stepped up big.”
Bryant closed the half with a 10-5 run to cut the lead back to 10. Bryant got hot shooting threes to end the half, and picked up where they left off to start the second half. With threes raining in, it wasn’t long before the lead was trimmed to two.
“They had kids hitting threes that don’t normally make threes,” said Piper. “I told the team we have to contain; we weren’t doing a good job trailing screens and left their players wide open.”
Though the lead was small, the Blue Devils never gave it up. With the presence of Udenze down low, Bryant was forced to send extra help, which opened up the perimeter for the rest of the team. With the score close, three pointers by Crockett and Jessica Babe gave the Blue Devils some breathing room.
Bryant was never out of the game, but
tRack | cont. FRoM 12
every time it got close CCSU would knock down another clutch shot. Dowdy had eight in the half, and Crockett had 16 points and four three pointers to help CCSU stay on top. Udenze also chipped in another 10 before fouling out, much to the delight of the Bryant home crowd. With Udenze out of the game, the Blue Devils still managed to hold on to the lead, and left Rhode Island with the victory.
“This was the first time we beat them in their gym,” said Piper. “We host them on Monday in what will be a tough series. It’s not easy to beat a team twice in a row. They’re going to make adjustments and we’re going to have to make adjustments as well. We had keys to this victory, one was out rebounding them, another was having three kids in double digits. If we can do that again then we’re going to win.”
The win was the Blue Devils’ sixth road victory of the year, and put them over the .500 mark for the NEC. CCSU is down in seventh place in the conference, but only one game out of contention for the NEC Tournament.
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
Madison Vestergaard dives for the Blue Devils in a match this season.
Vestergaard Continues to Excel in the PoolbRian Jennings
Sweat poured down the side of her face. The room was dark and the shadows on the wall recreated the images that played back in her head. Cold and still shaking, she was trying to catch her breath.
Madison Vestergaard dives for the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils, and if you have never seen her dive before, maybe you should… because she is something else.
The junior from Middletown, Connecticut earned her seventh Northeast Conference Diver of the Week Award by helping the Blue Devils defeat the Wagner Seahawks 190-101. She posted a score of 242.39 in the one-meter and 220.12 in the three-meter.
Vestergaard was in a class of her own, winning the one-meter by 46 points and the three-meter by 27 points. She also set personal records for herself in the process. Impressive.
Vestergaard is not just a diver for the Blue Devils; she is the diver.
It was her freshman year of high school at Middletown High School where Vestergaard would take to the pool and start diving. She grew up with a swimming pool in her backyard and enjoyed swimming, but never enjoyed it as much as diving. Vestergaard’s favorite part about diving is the feeling she gets from it.
“I love the thrill you get from diving,” said Vestergaard with wide eyes. “I never got that with swimming.” When asked to describe diving in one word, Vestergaard described it as exhilarating. “I love the adrenalin rush it gives,” said Vestergaard. “Getting a good dive, rippling through the water; it’s putting a smile on my face as I talk about it right now.”
Vestergaard’s brother was a talented diver in high school and would be her inspiration to take up the sport. But, it was her coach in high school, Coach Quin, who taught her how
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
to dive. Diving for Middletown High School was different than diving for the Blue Devils.
“We fooled around more on the diving team in high school,” said Vestergaard. “Plus, I was on the guy’s team in high school, and Central doesn’t have a men’s team.” Vestergaard feels that she was instructed to focus more on body position before you dive in college, where in high school you just dive, or as Vestergaard says, “Just chuck it.”
Even though she loved diving coming out of high school, Vestergaard didn’t initially plan on diving for the Blue Devils. She anticipated on playing soccer instead. However, it was her brother’s coach, Mr. Baldwin, who would change her mind.
He told her to talk with the Blue Devils diving coach, Dave Maliar. Vestergaard dove
in a summer program called Construct Diving that the coach ran.
“Coach Maliar was very focused and taught us the correct fundamentals before diving,” said Vestergaard.
Vestergaard came to the Blue Devils diving team as a walk-on. “I struggled, I was young, and I wasn’t that talented,” said Vestergaard. “But my diving coaches helped me.”
Vestergaard feels that she has a good relationship with Coach Maliar and even feels that the assistant coach is close with the team as well. She spent most of last season alone because of injuries the team had suffered. She had the opportunity to see why Coach Maliar did certain things the way he did them. “We have a very tight-knit team,” said Vestergaard. “It’s nice to go to practice and not wonder how’s it gonna go today.”
It’s easy to see why Vestergaard has such a good relationship with Coach Maliar, being named the NEC Diving Coach of the Year for the past two years. “We have coaches that go above and beyond,” said Vestergaard. “There is not as much frustration this season as there was in past years,” said Vestergaard. “This season is awesome and is much better.”
Vestergaard and the Blue Devils have faced some of the top competitors already this season, in schools such as Rutgers University, Florida International University and the University of Miami.
“We dove against girls that were much more talented than us,” said Vestergaard. “But, it’s much more beneficial and we use it to our advantage because we look at their techniques and everything they do.”
Vestergaard has now had a streak of six consecutive awards between October 26 and January 18. She accredits her impressive streak to determination and mental strength. Living with three girls that don’t play sports for the university, Vestergaard finds it hard to stay focused on diving. She feels that eating right, thinking about what needs to be done
to stick the dive, and lots of sleep all play a big role in the preparation needed before a meet.
Vestergaard is different than other divers and feels what separates her most is the fact that she is gutsy. “I’ll do anything,” said Vestergaard. “I don’t want things to stand in the way.”
When Vestergaard is up on the board, she blocks everything else out and thinks about one routine that plays back over and over again like a broken record in her head: legs, core, arms.
“As a diver, you gotta’ have legs, core, arms,” stressed Vestergaard. “Having a good push off the board, not looking like a hula hoop in the air, and getting a good summersault from your arms and legs,” said Vestergaard, are just some of the techniques that go into diving.
But there is one ritual that she practices before each dive only at the Blue Devils’ Jack Suydam Natatorium. Having the big scoreboard in front of her when up on the board before each dive, Vestergaard can see the word ‘time’ in front of her. “When I see the word ‘time’ I know that this is it, it’s time,” said Vestergaard. “It helps me to think positive thoughts.”
Even with all of the success and confidence, Vestergaard is still nervous about the NEC Championships at Massachusetts Institute of Technology coming up.
A nightmare haunted her about them the other night. “I’m nervous,” said Vestergaard bluntly. “I’ve never been to M.I.T. before. I set such a high bar for myself this past weekend, but I want to do better.”
One can only imagine how much better Vestergaard can possibly do after setting personal records for herself on Saturday against Wagner University. “I am excited for the whole team and think we will do awesome and win,” added Vestergaard.
“I never thought I would get this far. My dad has helped me a lot and is gung ho about everything I do. But, I feel like I’m on top of the world. I have a purpose, and it’s nice.”
Legairre Radden, Aaron Radden and Dan Hopper finished the 4-by-400 in 3:23.87, helping land a fourth place finish and five points, which clinched the Blue Devils the team championship.
Radden won the 60 meter in 6.89 seconds and the 200 meter in 21.75 for the second consecutive year, which helped him tie up the MVP awards once again.
Jones won the high jump earning 10 points for the Blue Devils with a jump of 6 feet 10.75 inches. Matt Berube added to the total score by earning six points in a third place finish with a jump of 6 feet 7 inches.
Berube and Jones teamed up again in the triple jump with Jones finishing third and Berube finishing fifth. Jones jumped 45 feet 5.25 inches and Berube had a jump of 45 feet .05 inches.
Junior Rashad Williams finished third in the weight throw with his best toss of 56 feet 9.25 inches. Williams had finished fourth in the shot put as well with a throw of 53 feet 5 inches.
Jeremy Schmid won the NEC title in the one-mile run with a time of 4:18.08 earning 10 points for the team, while Mohamed Hrezi took third in that race with a time of 4:18.74 earning the Blue Devils an extra six points.
CCSU earned points from a pair of
runners in the 400 meters. Legairre Radden finished second with a time of 50.23 and Nick Lindblom finished seventh with a time of 51.34 seconds.
Dan Hopper ended up grabbing six points for his third place finish in the 500 meter run with a time of 1:05.88.
Hrezi and Mike Waterbury earned some points in the 800 meters taking seventh and eighth with times of 1:56.94 for Hrezi and 1:57.51 for Waterbury.
In the 5,000 meter run Sam Alexander earned eight points for the team and Luke Albertson earned a point for his eighth place finish. Alexander ran 15:01.88 and Albertson ran a 15:22.99. Alexander also finished third in the 3,000 meter run with a time of 8:34.04.
The distance medley relay team of Robert Weston, Bud Ryan, Hrezi and Schmid earned seventh place points for their time of 10:23.21.
The young Blue Devil team managed to reach the championship spot after being ranked eleventh in the conference three years ago. The indoor championship is the second win for the Blue Devil runners this year after they had taken the top spot in cross country this past fall.
The Blue Devils look to continue their hot streak at the New England Championships Feb. 25.
CCSU Loses Overtime Thriller
Justina Udenze shoots a jumper against Bryant on Saturday. Udenze scored a career-high 29 points against the Bulldogs.
Win One, Lose One
nick Rosathe Recorder
The CCSU men’s track and field team won the Northeast Conference Championship for the first time in school history this past weekend in Maryland.
After the men were ranked fourth coming into NECs, the team came out victorious despite having other competitors such as Sacred Heart and LIU ranked in front of them.
The team finished with a combined total of 114 points, only five ahead of second place Sacred Heart, who finished with 109 points, and LIU a close third with 108 points.
Sophomore Aaron Radden was named the NEC’s most valuable performer and received most outstanding track performer honors for the second consecutive year.
Freshman Denzell Jones was named NEC most outstanding rookie after winning the high jump and placing third in the triple jump.
The Blue Devils came into the final event of the meet leading Sacred Heart by only eight points. The team of Shawn Buchanan,
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, February 16, 2011 / SPORTS 12
kenny baRto | the RecoRDeR
Women’s Basketbal l Pul l s Through On the Road
Br yant Takes Rematch in Over t ime Agains t B lue Devi l s
chRistopheR Mclaughlinthe Recorder
With monster performances from Justina Udenze and Leanne Crockett, the CCSU Women’s basketball team picked up a much needed road win defeating Bryant 78-70.
Udenze had a career high 29 points to go along with seven rebounds, while Crockett finished with 21 points and 14 rebounds to lead the Blue Devils (14-9) to victory. CCSU led by 16, but saw the lead dwindle in the second half. Though Bryant (8-16) cut it close, the veteran leadership of the Blue Devils willed them to a win.
“We got an unbelievable performance
from Justina, and Leanne was a monster on the boards,” said Head Coach Beryl Piper. “I’m really proud of how Dowdy played as well, her eight assists were huge. This is the type of game you hope for when you have seniors that understand how to win.”
While the Blue Devils had a well rounded overall performance, the story of the first half was unquestionably Udenze. She scored the first 11 of CCSU’s 13 points, and finished the half with 19 on a perfect 7-7 shooting, as Bryant seemed to have no answer for her.
“She was ready and we did a good job getting her the ball,” said Piper. “They
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chRistopheR Mclaughlinthe Recorder
Despite the late game heroics of Shemik Thompson, the CCSU men’s basketball team saw its seven game win streak snapped, falling to Bryant 85-80 in overtime on the road Saturday.
While the Blue Devils (17-8) were able to defeat Bryant (9-17) last Wednesday at CCU, the rematch didn’t treat them as well.
Bryant controlled much of the game but after Head Coach Howie Dickenman received a technical foul, the Blue Devils battled back. With a chance to tie in the final seconds, Thompson knocked down a three-pointer and sent the game to overtime. Though CCSU jumped out to a quick lead in OT, Bryant was able to respond and come out on top of this closely contested rematch.
“You saw two different teams than the two that played last time,” said Dickenman. “Last game we took it to them, but this game they took it to us.”
During the last game, Bryant was very successful shooting the three early, but the Blue Devils were able to shut them down. On Saturday, CCSU did not. Bryant was able to connect on seven threes in the first half, missing only five. After being shut out in the previous game, Bryant guard Frankie Dobbs led the Bulldogs with 10 points, including two of the three pointers.
“We were late getting out on shooters and late on our rotations,” said Dickenman. “Last game we were able to shut them down, but we couldn’t in this game. We looked lethargic on defense and we were missing that energy and emotion.”
The Blue Devils struggled on defense in the first half and if Ken Horton didn’t have another MVP type performance, they could have been blown out. Horton finished the half with 15 points, almost half of the team’s total.
Like the last game, Horton was able to score at will down in the thin Bryant front-court. Going 7 of 8 for the half, he kept CCSU afloat as Bryant shot lights out. Horton finished the game with his tenth double-double of the season, collecting 27 points and a career-high 16 rebounds.
“If you take away the performance from Horton, the rest of the starters were 11-44 for the game. We really can’t ask for much more from him,” said Dickenman.
The game was manageable going in to halftime but Bryant began to pull away at the start of the second half. The Bulldogs brought its lead up to 10 and frustration began to set in on the Blue Devils.
When a charge was called a blocking foul against the Blue Devils, Dickenman
erupted and was assessed with a technical. As the crowd was going nuts, the Blue Devil players met in the center of the court to regain composure.
Before Bryant had all day to shoot its threes. Now the Blue Devils were there with pressure. Prior to the technical Robbie Ptacek settled for jumpers, now he drove the lane for contested dunks. Before Thompson’s contested threes rimmed out, now they fell right in. It wasn’t long before CCSU brought the lead to one possession.
“I obviously didn’t get T’d up on purpose, but I think the effect was positive,” said Dickenman.
Down three with 18 seconds left, the Blue Devils faced a difficult situation: foul or play defense. Dickenman went with the latter and the full-court press forced a bad pass causing a turnover. Now with seven seconds left, the Blue Devils went with a play similar to the one used against Fairleigh Dickinson to send that game to overtime. Chris Baskerville threw the ball down court, where it was picked up by Thompson who ran beyond the arc and sank the shot.
CCSU rode that momentum and jumped out to a four-point lead but then went ice cold. In the final two minutes, the Blue Devils didn’t score once and Bryant capitalized. Led by Dobbs and Cecil Gresham, Bryant closed out the game with a 9-0 run.
“It was a disappointing game, but they deserved to win,” said Dickenman “They made a lot of threes, and it was the type that, when they shot them, you knew it was going in.”
Following this tough loss the Blue Devils will look to regain momentum in the next two games by coming back to Detrick Gymnasium, where they are 10-1.
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Men’s Indoor Track Makes History With First NEC Title
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The CCSU men’s indoor track team celebrates their first NEC title win.
