Volume 106 No. 23 Wednesday, April 14, 2010 www.centralrecorder.com CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY Inspiration By Poetry NORML Ready to Rally For Marijuana Laws on 4/20 Muslim Student Association Brings Multicultural Poet to Campus In Effort to Reach Out to Muslim Student Population Page 4 BOONAA MOHAMMED visited last Friday. JASON CUNNINGHAM | THE RECORDER BRITTANY BURKE The Recorder Last Friday’s press conference rang in a new era for the Blue Devils athletics department as CCSU President Jack Miller named Paul Schlickmann, 44, the new Director of Athletics. “e turn out today, I think, speaks to the passion and the pride that this campus has for their intercollegiate athletics program, and that’s a very important reason as to why I am here today,” Schlickmann said as he took his spot at the podium. “To say it succinctly, I am honored and thrilled to stand before you today as the next Director of Athletics at Central Connecticut State University. Honestly, I could not be happier to be back here in Connecticut. Looking out into this crowd I really just want to say I just don’t think it gets any beer than this.” Schlickmann was welcomed into the Blue Devils community with an assembly of the school’s top coaches, athletes and community members. As Schlickmann was welcomed to the stage by President Miller, he was presented with an official CCSU Blue Devils shirt and hat. “I think we were given excellent choices from which to choose and I think we made the very best one and so I’m excited today as we move into this new era here of athletics at CCSU,” said Miller. “is is a new beginning and as with all new beginnings there will be steps along the way where we will learn.” Both Schlickmann and Miller spoke about the three goals they hope to accomplish for the CCSU community, which includes graduating the student athletes, competing at the top level in NCAA Division I athletics and becoming economically viable athletics department. Schlickmann was announced as the new Director of Athletics nine months aſter former Director of Athletics, Charles “CJ” Jones officially retired last July aſter 14 years as AD. Since his retirement faculty member CCSU Welcomes Newest Blue Devil MICHAEL WALSH The Recorder CCSU’s NORML chapter will be rallying on campus and taking over the student center circle on Tuesday, April 20 for its inaugural 4/20 hemp and marijuana educational event. NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, is a non-profit group seeking to make the responsible use of cannabis by adults no longer subject to penalty. e CCSU chapter is currently the only chapter in the state of Connecticut. “Our short term goal is to educate,” said Larry Vitko, the club’s vice president. NORML plans to utilize the all day event to help educate the public on the benefits of hemp and marijuana. “Knowledge is power. ere is so much false information out there right now,” said Ross Martowski, president of CCSU NORML. “ere are a lot of educational sites out there that are disgusting.” “We will have merchandise but we’re also going to have pamphlets,” said Martowski. “We’ll have tons of information, more information than you could ever imagine, especially on industrial hemp. We have updated reports from NORML for 2010 for clinical apps.” e group also plans to have petitions ready to be signed that will in turn be handed to both school administration and politicians in the local governments. “As far as the big picture goes, we just want reform. e decriminalization bill 476 is going through. at’s a big thing,” said Martowski. Bill 476 would make possession of less than one ounce of marijuana punishable only by an infraction or fine. Currently in the state of Connecticut, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana can end in a fine of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail for the first offense. A second offense is considered a felony and is punishable by up to five years in prison. “e police will argue that not much will happen with the penalties, which is actually prey true,” said Martowski. “You might get some community service or something like that, but the record itself – you’ll lose federal funding. You won’t be able to get any state jobs with a drug charge on your record.” Aside from the decriminalization of marijuana and the reduction of penalties for those caught with it, CCSU NORML is also focusing on the use of medicinal marijuana. “Many, many times [marijuana is] a safer form of medicine. A lot of these patients are dying. We give them morphine which is worse for you. It’s a condensed opiate. What’s heroin? A condensed opiate,” said Martowski. “Yeah they do other lile things to it, but it’s far more horrible. It just destroys everything. It’s extremely addictive. Why do we have that legal when you can prescribe marijuana instead?” According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, medicinal marijuana exists already in the form of Marinol. Typically used in pill form, Marinol is a synthetic See Student Group Page 3 See Schlickmann Page 3 Paul Schlickmann Miller presents the new AD with Blue Devil gear. As part of their pro-gun protest that had lasted all last week, Central’s Riflery and Marksmanship club hosted National Rifle Association speakers last ursday to help inform students on how to become more effective activists both on and off campus. Suzanne Anglewicz and Seth Waugh came to speak on behalf of the N-ILA or the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action. e two-hour seminar was help in Torp eatre and provided those who aended with a history of their program and what they hope to achieve through campaigning across college campuses. e first half of the program was dedicated to the pro-gun debate which went through history of the N and the reintroduction of our Second Amendment. But it was when Waugh took the podium that the message became apparent: the N thrives on student group help. “We love seeing that,” Waugh emphasized. Election Volunteer Coordinators and the Eagle Program, which introduces children at a young age on how to handle situations where guns are present, were also groups mentioned that could be used to help spread beer understanding of gun use and the right to carry. e majority of his lecture was listing ways for students to beer their chances of geing a pro- gun candidate into office. “Personal visits are some of the best things you can do,” Waugh said. Also on the top of the list were making phone calls to lawmakers, writing leers to the editor and using social networking like Facebook or Twier. However, no maer which route you take, “be concise and well rounded on the issue.” He mentioned a few resources for pro-gun students on the CCSU campus; Waugh said dorms, the student center, campus bulletin boards and student or sporting events are effective ways to talk about a cause. He also said advised students to to never be afraid to try a tailgate campaign. “I can’t tell you how impressed I am,” Waugh said of CCSU’s Riflery Club. He praised their ambition and credits Sarah Adler, club President, for the gathering of such a group. However, he still made sure to advise those in the audience to work on a campaign and to “get involved at a young age, get these contacts now.” NRA Reps Stop By Campus Seth Waugh CCSU Riflery and Marksmanship Club Hosts N Speakers as Part of Empty Holster Protest Week KIM SCROGGINS THE RECORDER
Transcript
Volume 106 No. 23Wednesday, April 14, 2010 www.centralrecorder.com
CENTR A L CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
Inspiration By Poetry
noRML Ready to RallyFor Marijuana Laws on 4/20
Muslim Student Association Brings Multicultural Poet to Campus In Eff ort to Reach out to Muslim Student Population
Page 4
student memberships only $19.95 per month!
Ella Grasso Boulevardtowards Stop & Shop.Left at light at bottomof hill onto Fenn Road.Go 1/2 mile, then rightonto Commerce Court.
directions to the newington club:
only 2 minutes from campus
BOONAA MOHAMMED visited last Friday.
Jason cunningham | the recorder
Brittany BurKethe recorder
Last Friday’s press conference rang in a new era for the Blue Devils athletics department as CCSU President Jack Miller named Paul Schlickmann, 44, the new Director of Athletics.
“Th e turn out today, I think, speaks to the passion and the pride that this campus has for their intercollegiate athletics program, and that’s a very important reason as to why I am here today,” Schlickmann said as he took his spot at the podium.
“To say it succinctly, I am honored and thrilled to stand before you today as the next Director of Athletics at Central Connecticut State University. Honestly, I could not be happier to be back here in Connecticut. Looking out into this crowd I really just want to say I just don’t think it gets any bett er than this.”
Schlickmann was welcomed into the Blue Devils community with an assembly of the school’s top coaches, athletes and community members. As Schlickmann was welcomed to the stage by President Miller, he was presented with an offi cial CCSU Blue Devils shirt and hat.
“I think we were given excellent choices from which to choose and I think we made the very best one and so I’m excited today as we move into this new era here of athletics at CCSU,” said Miller. “Th is is a new beginning and as with all new beginnings there will be steps along the way where we will learn.”
Both Schlickmann and Miller spoke about the three goals they hope to accomplish for the CCSU community, which includes graduating the student athletes, competing at the top level in NCAA Division I athletics and becoming economically viable athletics department.
Schlickmann was announced as the new Director of Athletics nine months aft er former Director of Athletics, Charles “CJ” Jones offi cially retired last July aft er 14 years as AD. Since his retirement faculty member
CCSU Welcomes
newest Blue Devil
michael Walshthe recorder
CCSU’s NORML chapter will be rallying on campus and taking over the student center circle on Tuesday, April 20 for its inaugural 4/20 hemp and marijuana educational event.
NORML, the National Organization for Reform of Marijuana Laws, is a non-profi t group seeking to make the responsible use of cannabis by adults no longer subject to penalty. Th e CCSU chapter is currently the only chapter in the state of Connecticut.
“Our short term goal is to educate,” said Larry Vitko, the club’s vice president.
NORML plans to utilize the all day event to help educate the public on the benefi ts of hemp and marijuana.
“Knowledge is power. Th ere is so much false information out there right now,” said Ross Martowski, president of CCSU NORML. “Th ere are a lot of educational sites out there that are disgusting.”
“We will have merchandise but we’re also going to have pamphlets,” said Martowski. “We’ll have tons of information, more information than you could ever imagine, especially on industrial hemp. We have updated reports from NORML for 2010 for clinical apps.”
Th e group also plans to have petitions ready to be signed that will in turn be handed to both school administration and politicians in the local governments.
“As far as the big picture goes, we just want reform. Th e decriminalization bill 476 is going
through. Th at’s a big thing,” said Martowski.Bill 476 would make possession of less
than one ounce of marijuana punishable only by an infraction or fi ne. Currently in the state of Connecticut, possession of less than one ounce of marijuana can end in a fi ne of up to $1,000 and up to a year in jail for the fi rst off ense. A second off ense is considered a felony and is punishable by up to fi ve years in prison.
“Th e police will argue that not much will happen with the penalties, which is actually prett y true,” said Martowski. “You might get some community service or something like that, but the record itself – you’ll lose federal funding. You won’t be able to get any state jobs with a drug charge on your record.”
Aside from the decriminalization of marijuana and the reduction of penalties for those caught with it, CCSU NORML is also focusing on the use of medicinal marijuana.
“Many, many times [marijuana is] a safer form of medicine. A lot of these patients are dying. We give them morphine which is worse for you. It’s a condensed opiate. What’s heroin? A condensed opiate,” said Martowski. “Yeah they do other litt le things to it, but it’s far more horrible. It just destroys everything. It’s extremely addictive. Why do we have that legal when you can prescribe marijuana instead?”
According to the United States Drug Enforcement Agency, medicinal marijuana exists already in the form of Marinol. Typically used in pill form, Marinol is a synthetic
See Student Group Page 3See Schlickmann Page 3
Paul Schlickmann
Miller presents the new AD with Blue Devil gear.
As part of their pro-gun protest that had lasted all last week, Central’s Rifl ery and Marksmanship club hosted National Rifl e Association speakers last Th ursday to help inform students on how to become more eff ective activists both on and off campus.
Suzanne Anglewicz and Seth Waugh came to speak on behalf of the NRA -ILA or the National Rifl e Association Institute for Legislative Action. Th e two-hour seminar was help in Torp Th eatre and provided those who att ended with a history of their program and what they hope to achieve through campaigning across college campuses.
Th e fi rst half of the program was dedicated to the pro-gun debate which went through history of the NRA and the reintroduction of our Second Amendment. But it was when Waugh took the podium that the message became apparent: the NRA thrives on student group help.
“We love seeing that,” Waugh emphasized. Election Volunteer Coordinators and the Eagle Program, which introduces children at a young age on how to handle situations
where guns are present, were also groups mentioned that could be used to help spread bett er understanding of gun use and the right to carry.
Th e majority of his lecture was listing ways for students to bett er their chances of gett ing a pro-gun candidate into
offi ce.“Personal visits
are some of the best things you can do,” Waugh said. Also on the top of the list were making phone calls to lawmakers, writing lett ers to the editor and using social networking like Facebook or Twitt er. However, no matt er which route you take, “be concise and well rounded on the issue.”
He mentioned a few resources for pro-gun students on the CCSU campus; Waugh said dorms, the student center, campus bulletin boards and student or sporting events are eff ective ways to talk about a cause. He also said advised students to to never be afraid to try a tailgate campaign.
“I can’t tell you how impressed I am,” Waugh said of CCSU’s Rifl ery Club. He praised their ambition and credits Sarah Adler, club President, for the gathering of such a group. However, he still made sure to advise those in the audience to work on a campaign and to “get involved at a young age, get these contacts now.”
nRA Reps Stop By Campus
Seth Waugh
CCSU Rifl ery and Marksmanship Club Hosts
NRA Speakers as Part of Empty Holster Protest Week
Kim scroggins the recorder
NEWS2THE RECORDERWednesday, April 14, 2010
The RecorderStudent Center1615 Stanley StreetNew Britain, CT 06050
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A Weekly Stand-Alone Photo Captured at CCSUscene @ ccsu
Kenny Barto | the recorderThe Blue Devil social was held in the Constitution Room at Memorial Hall, and allowed students to interact with SGA officers.
charles desrochersthe recorder
The new health care bill will not change CCSU health insurance, says Aetna sales representative Darren Campbell, but the university anticipates more coverage in general for students who can remain on family health care plans for longer.
Campbell said the major insurer has reached an agreement with CCSU and that any changes due to last month's health care bill will not take affect until after the policy year of 2011, and after then a 5 percent increase in premium cost will take effect.
As it stands now, students are covered for 100 percent of costs up to $1,500 per sickness and $2,000 dollars for outpatient mental health sickness.
“It’s a less expensive health plan that covers both accidental and sickness and illness,” says Dr. Christopher Diamond, Director of Health Services at Central Connecticut State University.
“It’s a plan that is very affordable throughout the year and helps healthy young people, but doesn’t do things like preventative health care… It’s a great plan but it has its limits.”
The current plan won’t pay for visits like physicals, but will lower out-of-pocket costs for prescription drugs, Dr. Diamond says a drug that would cost $40 normally will cost $10 for a student under the Aetna Student Health Plan.
The reform may not affect CCSU’s plan until it is designed to include an exchange in 2014. An exchange is a way of grouping citizens so that when they search for a coverage their cost will be lowered because of the larger pool and lower risk for the insurer. Diamond says the policy with the biggest impact for students will go into action in
fall.“The real benefit is the extension
of coverage for young adults. It requires insurers to permit children to stay on family policies until the age of 26,” said Diamond, but also speculated that cost of family plans may increase because of this policy.
“If a person had a family insurance policy by the age of 19 they would have had to look for their own insurance policy, which is why we have our student insurance policy," Diamond said, and added that while the policy is “good” it does not cover costs that the average health care plan will.
The Democratic Policy Committee, a partisan organization that plans and carries out the Democrats agenda in the Senate, estimates that 315,814 young adults in Connecticut will be able to remain on their family’s plan this year. They also estimate, as stated on their Web site, DPC.senate.gov, that by 2014, 477,000 Connecticut residents under 30 will have access to catastrophic-only health insurance, a of plan with higher deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses for lower monthly rates.
The Republican Policy Committee states on their Web site, RPC.senate.gov, that $60 billion in taxes will be collected in relation to the bill before 2014, when 96 percent of its benefits start.
“You can’t have it both ways. We have responsibilities and we have things that are government health care plans already that work pretty well that are miracles and that in 1965 people were saying the same thing,” said Diamond.
“We just know our community is going to be healthier - 34 million more Americans,” he said. “...But the bottom line for us is that students will be able to stay on their parent’s plan and that’s amazing.”
Minor Changes to CCSU's Student Health Plan in 2014Photos courtesy of the White house
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / NEWS 3
The Blue Devil social was held in the Constitution Room at Memorial Hall, and allowed students to interact with SGA officers.
and former faculty athletics representative Dr. Paul Resetarits has taken over as Interim Director of Athletics.
“It is no small task to replace a legend, someone who has given his entire professional life to this profession, this University and who is synonymous with Central Connecticut and Central Connecticut athletics,” Schlickmann said. “…my goal is to build upon the great tradition and success that you have established here.”
Schlickmann is returning to Connecticut, where he worked as the Associate Director of Athletics for Sports Administration and Football Operations at Yale University prior to accepting a job at Stony Brook in 2003. At Stony Brook he served as
Chief Operating Offi cer, where he managed the day to day operations of the school’s athletic department.
While at Stony Brook Schlickmann implemented an $8 million renovation of the school’s facilities, while also planning other various projects equaling $30 million. He served on the NCAA Division I Women’s Soccer Committ ee from 2004-2008 and has served as the representative for the America East Championship/Competition Cabinet in each of the past seven years. Schlickmann was also a member of Stony Brook’s organization committ ee in 2006 when the school hosted the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse quarterfi nals.
“Th ere’s actually a lot of similarities between Stony Brook and Central in terms of both large
Photo courtesy ccsuBluedevils.com
Continued from Page 1 state institutions, and I think any time you make a transition it’s really just gett ing to know the school, trying to get around campus and meet everybody,” Schlickmann said.
Schlickmann will take over as Director of Athletics in June, during which time he will acclimate himself with his new surroundings.
“We’ll have what I like to call a 90-day action plan, and then the trademark of that is looking, listening and learning. So we’ll come in and we’ll meet with every staff member in the department and we’ll get to know a lot of people on the campus and we’ll get to know alums and a lot of the community members; get their perceptions on Central athletic and kind of pull it all together and move forward,” said Schlickmann.
Schlickmann Named New Athletic Director
PAUL SCHLICKMANN (left) will fill the AD seat left vacant by 14-year veteran Charles “C.J.” Jones. Student group Prepares for 4/20 as
Educational DayTHC that according to the DEA’s website, “has been found to relieve the nausea and vomiting associated with chemotherapy for cancer patients and to assist with loss of appetite with AIDS patients.”
Th e club will argue that Marinol will still get users high and is far more dangerous because it is a synthetic and isolated product compared to the natural state of cannabis.
“When you make Marinol with just the fake THC, which is a problem of its own, it will cause problems because it’s fake,” said Martowski.
Th e only lingering worry for the group is how the event might be perceived by both those inside and outside of marijuana culture.
“I don’t want to make it seem like this is just a pot culture event, a giant rally where everyone is going to be smoking weed,” said Martowski. “At the same time I don’t want to make it seem like some boring educational event where only three people will show up.”
Martowski said he is seeking a balance between the professional, educational route and the more fun,
pot culture route that is commonly brought to mind when the date 4/20 is mentioned.
“I’m just afraid that it’s maybe going to defer some of the other people who are more politically involved from showing up or more professionally involved or even people who are now just starting gett ing involved with it who actually have the bravery to go do stuff like this,” said Martowski. “And now they’re not going to do it because they think it will be just a bunch of potheads sitt ing there.”
CCSU NORML already knows what most of the entertainment will consist of. CCSU’s own radio station, WFCS 107.7, will be outside covering the event, playing pot culture music. Also scheduled is a magic show from 4 to 5 p.m. Martowski said the art club has been in contact with NORML and will be there to promote their upcoming mural slam. Th ey also hope to have a few vendors on campus to sell merchandise.
Th e event will begin at 9 a.m. and run throughout the day until 7 p.m. A rain date has been set for Th ursday, April 22.
Continued from Page 1
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 21a-267 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Eff ective October 1, 2010):
(a) No person shall use or possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia, as defi ned in subdivision (20) of section 21a-240, to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, test, analyze, pack, repack, store, contain or conceal, or to ingest, inhale or otherwise introduce into the human body, any controlled substance as defi ned in subdivision (9) of section 21a-240. Any person who violates any provision of this subsection shall [be guilty of a class C misdemeanor] have committ ed an infraction.
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Eff ective October 1, 2010) Any person who possesses or has under his control less than one ounce of a cannabis-type substance, except as authorized in chapter 420b of the general statutes, shall have committ ed an infraction.
Sec. 3. Subsection (c) of section 21a-279 of the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Eff ective October 1, 2010):
(c) Any person who possesses or has under his control any quantity of any controlled substance other than a narcotic substance, or a hallucinogenic substance other than marijuana or who possesses or has under his control one ounce or more but less than four ounces of a cannabis-type substance, except as authorized in this chapter, for a fi rst off ense, may be fi ned not more than one thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than one year, or be both fi ned and imprisoned; and for a subsequent off ense, may be fi ned not more than three thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than fi ve years, or be both fi ned and imprisoned.
Bill 476:
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 7, 2010 / NEWS4
EDITORIAL
don WeBerthe recorder
The CCSU Spring Career Fair took place last Thursday as a way for the university and the advising center to bring companies that are recruiting to students.
Due to the crunched time frame of four hours, students were also given packets with description and contact information on all of the featured booth organizations.
Students were encouraged to pre-register before the fair at Alumni Hall.
The spring career fair aimed to offer some options for soon-to-be graduates in a possibly unstable future. The event allowed students to register and meet with various companies like Comcast, Cigna, and many others.
Businesses at the fair ranged from local store franchises to state hospitals to private companies. Students soon graduating with a
Career Fair Brings Businesses to Students
Jason cunninghamthe recorder
There was a smaller than desired turnout at Torp Theatre for the Muslim Student Association's "Inspirational Memoirs of a Muslim Poet" lecture.
Still, the first few rows were packed with people from the area's Muslim community. The presenting poet, Boonaa Mohammed, had no trouble winning over the mostly Muslim audience.
"That's my disclaimer, there's nothing outwardly amazing about me," Mohammed started.
Mohammed started writing poetry in 2006 to combat the stresses he's felt growing up and living in Toronto, Canada. A child of refugees from Oromia, an oppressed part of Ethiopia, Mohammed balanced two cultures as he grew up.
"My parents grew with an insight of speaking out," Mohammed said.
Mohammed's parents left their country fearing the fatal
repercussions to their opposition of the government. Mohammed criticizes oppression he sees in society as well, using his background and strong religious convictions as themes to propel his messages.
"Small crowds make me nervous," Mohammed said with laughter instantly following. Though he claimed to speak to all faiths and all people, the audience heard less about his experiences as a Muslim and more about his religious convictions.
The MSA called the event outreach orientated before the poet took stage, saying that the main goal of the lecture was to eliminate stereotypes and to bridge the gap of cultural misunderstanding Muslims face in the West. Mohammed, however, mostly talked to everyone as if he was leading sermon, not delivering poetry that represented his struggles.
In his poem "How to be a Slave" Mohammed preached complete servitude to Allah.
"Some people worship money, only to see it go away... Some people are like pennies, two faced and almost worthless... Yes everyone will die, but not everyone truly lives...Why be a slave to this world when you can be Al-'Ubudiyyah," Mohammed rhymed.
"Al-'Ubudiyyah" translates into being God's slave. During the poem's recital Mohammed jokingly sang a verse from the Britney Spears' song "I'm A Slave 4 You." As he did with most of his work, elements of humor popped their way into the entirety of the night.
"I'm black and Muslim, so everywhere I go someone hates me," Mohammed said before the men in the audience took a break onstage for a group prayer.
Mohammed also preached caution to Muslims, bewaring them not to let people assume that they hate North America. Saying that since the United States and Canada are comprised mostly of immigrants, we all have an equal
Muslim Writer Expresses Self Through Poetryright to be here and thus can't hate where we choose to live. Mohammed believes that rather than hatred, love is actually proven for a place through criticism, which will hopefully inspire improvement. Mohammed said that through his poetry he documents the injustice he sees all around.
"This is the biggest event we've done in a while. This was our final event for the year, but our future
goals are to get a prayer space on campus and to continue to work hard to erase the misconceptions people have about Muslims," said Ala'a Alsaqri, the president of the Muslim Student Association.
"We want to reach out and show people we are more than what is shown in the media."
bachelor’s degree had the chance to speak with representatives from companies offering both local opportunities and those from around the country.
Also offered at the career fair were alternative opportunities, such as military positions and graduate school; the U.S. Army, Navy and Peace Corps had a table to attract those still unsure of what to pursue after college.
OPINION THE RECORDERWednesday, April 14, 2010
5
EDITORIAL
Is Wage-Free Work Worth Your Time?
CCSU Could Do Without Concealed CarryAt the close of the Empty
Holster Protest week, where students around the country were encouraged to wear bare holsters to show their support for concealed carry on college campuses, maybe now is a good time to take a look at what that would mean for CCSU. And maybe, why being able to bring concealed weapons to campus is not a great idea.
The local Riflery and Marksmanship club should be applauded for their efforts, for actually taking the step to get their message out, especially so because of its its unpopularity. Last year the discussion became heated after a CCSU student who spoke in favor of concealed carry in class was later grilled by campus police. The cause is extremely controversial at best, and may not carry with it the most sound reasoning and defense. Harmless holsters are fine, but the idea of the average student, faculty or staff bringing deadly weapons to campus seems too big a stretch and one crazy jump in the wrong direction.
In light of highly publicized and debated shootings such as those at
Virginia Tech and Northern Illinois University, the discussion over concealed carry laws on college campuses has gained prominence for second amendment supporters. If usual concealed carry (all permitted carry is concealed) was extended to college campuses, it would mean that the laws would allow those with weapons permits to carry a concealed weapon to a university like CCSU. Currently, state law prohibits carrying any weapon onto public or private school grounds, or to school-sponsored events, which extends to colleges and universities.
Amendment of such appropriately prohibitive laws would no doubt mean that more weapons would be brought to campus. Eliminating all illegal gun use, the fact that those with gun permits would be able to bring their weapons into classrooms is still a bit frightening.
Supporters for laws on concealed carry at colleges, though not necessarily the Riflery and Marksmanship Club, have developed the argument that allowing those with permits to carry concealed weapons on campus
would kind of level the playing field. They see it as a zone where shootings are more likely to occur simply because a deranged person could easily take out defenseless students or faculty or whomever. However, allowing legal concealed carry would change that situation, they argue - put a weapon in the hands of the shepherd, so to speak, so that if someone came after helpless students, some bystander packing heat would come to the rescue.
In regard to CCSU specifically, this argument leaves leaves out two very important factors. We have a police force who are actually trained to respond to emergency situations, and will no doubt handle the situations more calmly and directly than any other person who carries a weapon. Simply because a person who carries a permit has been to the range a few times and went through the basic NRA course to become licensed does not mean that in any way they are prepared to face a gunman.
CCSU is lucky to have a relatively low crime rate and most activity is drug or alcohol related in terms
of routine police calls. According to the 2008 Clery Act, CCSU has experienced no illegal weapons possessions in recent years, nor any type of manslaughter, homicide or aggravated assault. At least these are the numbers reported to the CCSU Police Department. If more guns are thrown into the equation, the only good that could come of it would be the intimidation factor. At best a gun-carrying member of the CCSU community could scare off someone who would have harmed others, but that is not likely to happen. If anything, a vigilante mentality could spark a more violent response.
Another factor is, we are also lucky that CCSU is a small school - a 120-acre campus. It only takes maybe 15 minutes on foot to get from one end to the opposite corner of campus, if police somehow found themselves without vehicles. Unlike the sprawling Storrs campus at University of Connecticut, police here have less ground to cover to make for a much shorter response time in an emergency situation.
The pro-concealed carry
personal safety argument, while a bit trickier to combat, still seems shaky. Police would still arrive quickly should something happen. This does not mean that that police will always arrive in time to save lives, as other infamous shootings have proven, but they have a much greater advantage in dealing with hostage or shooter situations that anyone else.
Without some type of landmark Supreme Court ruling to change the law, prohibiting concealed carry on college campuses is not likely to change soon. Legislation alone, nevermind the party battles, would keep the law pretty much the same for a while. Overturning prohibitive laws could take years, or a decade to accomplish.
Perhaps a concealed carry-friendly atmosphere would work for different campuses. They would have to be bigger, and prove some kind of good record in order to have more lenient carry laws. But in the case of CCSU, where the campus is relatively contained and orderly, concealed carry could not possibly help defend the community.
Jenna Beyerminnesota daily
(WIRE) - Our generation is a busy one. Stuck between the baby boomer generation’s mantra of stability and a working world increasingly unreceptive to a bachelor’s degree, the future of any graduate is uncertain. Though I’m ready to be done with college for a while, I’m secretly holding on to the predictability of collegiate life until my undergraduate career breathes its last breath.
In many ways, internships seem to be our saving grace and are readily available in a recession. They provide hands-on experience in the field, a chance to beef up a résumé or even get a job offer. Internships have become an expected part of one’s undergraduate education.
But who benefits the most from unpaid internships? A recent New York Times article reported that the Department of Labor is investigating employers that may be breaking minimum wage laws by putting unpaid interns to work in place of employees.
Using six criteria, the DOL defines unpaid interns as “unemployed workers” who do not displace regular employees. Interns, technically, do not perform crucial business tasks but merely work with employers to gain knowledge and to do work to their individual benefit. If these boundaries are broken, the employer is required to pay the intern for said work. One case the article cited resulted in $3,350 in back pay to two former unpaid interns at a solar panel company in Oregon.
Internships are on the rise: Stanford University’s listing of unpaid intern positions has more than tripled in the last three years, according to the New York Times article. It’s hard to imagine that all employers follow the
XKCD
Managing Editor Michael Walsh is to be commended for writing "Yankee Institute Shines Light on Taxpayers' Dollars" (2/10/2010). It is mind boggling to observe the number of obese, slothful taxpayers' employees at CCSU - especially library staff and rent-a-cops. Hopefully, Chancellor Carter will clean house and end the "soaking" of taxpayers.
richard Batornew Britain resident
Letter to the Editor
law when interns often don’t know their rights as “unpaid workers” or are afraid to speak up with their futures on the line. Popular depictions of interns only fuel the fire, making it seem acceptable that their job is to maintain work environments and caffeine levels for everybody else. Sweep the floor? Sure. Stuff envelopes all day? You got it! Just glad to be here. This attitude is what allows unrewarding environments to persist. That Hollywood image of the latte-carrying, errand-running, eager college graduate might be the most realistic depiction of the unpaid intern, but it’s not legal.
This is especially true in the publishing field. By the time Jamie Millard graduated from the University of Minnesota with a degree in English, she was a seasoned intern with Alive Magazine, a local publication dedicated to creating opportunities for women. An entrepreneur who has had five unpaid internships, Millard says the operations of Alive Arts Media, the nonprofit behind the magazine, depended entirely on its 10 interns and only two paid employees.
“I wrote 20 grant proposals and asked for over $400,000 in sought funds. What I was doing was very crucial to their operations,” Millard said.
Millard and another intern, Nicolle Westlund, were both offered jobs with Alive at the end of their internships. “The job description,” Millard said, “was exactly the same as what I was already doing. And it was unpaid.”
“They have good intentions,” Millard said. “Alive gave me a lot of experience, but at what cost — literally? I have been taken advantage of. I don’t feel like my services are worth value. I don’t feel like I can ask for money, even though I know I deserve it.”
Westlund said she knows she was doing work integral to Alive’s functioning — including writing, editing and designing the entire publication — but she bears no grudges. “I look at it as one of the best internships I’ve had because of the experience I was given,” she said. “It landed me my first publishing job.”
Professional experience certainly expands future career options, but unpaid internships don’t pay the bills, nor is the work always easy. To me, I’d rather keep my sanity, but many, like Westlund, feel there are no other options.
In reality, there are quite a few. What if, post-graduation, one instead put time and energy into something else — a personal project, short story, blog or even a trade? Or what if one dedicated the time to finding similar, but compensated, work?
The Higher Education Consortium for Urban Affairs is a campus organization that shapes study programs for students who want to gain experience while improving their community. Emily Jane Seru, manager of internships and community partnerships for HECUA, said that while administrative tasks are expected in any organization, they ask organizations to keep them below 20 percent.
Seru and Paul Timmins, career services director for the Career and Community Learning Center on campus, both said the best way to avoid landing in an internship that is unrewarding or illegal is to ask solid questions about job duties and thoroughly evaluate employers. When counseling or teaching students, Timmins promotes LinkedIn, a social networking site for professional connections, along with a theory called “planned happenstance.”
Coined by John D. Krumboltz, “planned happenstance” encourages curiosity and flexibility in career seekers who, Krumboltz
says, are more likely to be offered opportunities simply by being present in diverse social situations. According to the theory, those with diverse interests and experiences are more likely to come across fulfilling opportunities than those who plan every detail of the future.
Whether any Twin Cities businesses come under fire for wage violations remains to be seen. In the meantime, don’t work without pay unless other options fail and don’t trust that federal guidelines will protect you from modern wage slavery. Seek real opportunities, be aggressive when you find them and remember everything can’t be predicted. Good opportunities come in many forms, often out of happenstance and old-fashioned self motivation.
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UPgraDETHE RECORDERWednesday, April 14, 2010
Andronicus Thrash Toad's Sports Barmatt Kiernan
the recorder
Titus Andronicus brought their aggressive sound to Toad’s Place on Sunday, turning the show’s atmosphere into something similar to that of a hardcore concert, with kids throwing themselves around the room to the politically charged music.
Andronicus made a stop at the venue to promote their newly released LP, The Monitor.
“Let’s pretend we’re at the '80s dance party downstairs,” said Andronicus’s lead singer Patrick Stickles after the thrashing that was happening between the attendees got out of control.
It was a bit of a slap in the face for Titus
Andronicus, garage rockers the Babies, pop rock band My Heart is Joy and those who attended the concert to have to be crammed into the venue’s upstairs sports bar, while an '80s party was happening downstairs where most of the venue’s concerts are held.
Many people were forced to stand behind a glass divider or around a corner from where the bands were performing, either from avoiding going into the pit of people pushing each other or from the lack of room.
The lack of a proper stage also made it so that people in the back couldn’t see the bands perform, but could only listen to their songs.
The support of Andronicus’s music could be heard throughout their fans who attended, as they sung along to songs off their new album such as “A More Perfect Union,” “Titus Andronicus Forever” and “Richard II.”
At one point the thrashing got so out of control that the band had to say they’d only perform slower songs until they felt the crowd could control itself. This was followed by the band performing possibly the quietest song on their new album, “No Future Part Three: Escape From No Future.”
The connection between Stickles and the crowd could be felt as he solemnly sung into the microphone, “You’ll always be a loser.”
Right after this the band kicked into another song, and Stickles went into the crowd to perform, leading himself up to a glass divider, which he climbed on top of and crowd surfed his way back to the front.
Along the way he reached for anything he could find, a pipe lit by Christmas lights, wires and a disco ball hanging from the ceiling. The audience was overwhelmingly happy to toss
around the singer of a band they loved.This gave the crowd a recharge and caused
them to continue the pushing they were doing before the previous song.
Their performance ran well over an hour, with all of the members putting everything they had into their instruments and let the sweat ring out from them. Stickles' guitar playing was also greatly notable, with his guitar solos being perfectly shredded, while having no change in vocal quality between playing and singing.
The Babies, who consist of members of the Vivian Girls and Woods, were generally well received by the crowd who nodding along to their lo-fi, tambourine-filled music.
Andronicus and the Babies will be touring together until a final stop in Philadelphia, Penn.
Hold Steady Have No “Rock ‘n Roll Problems” in NoHo
Photo courtesy of rcrlBl.com
Peter rizzothe daily collegian | umass
(WIRE) - The Hold Steady is not a typical band. Its April 6 show at Pearl Street in Northampton was packed to the brim with fans openly discussing not just the band’s music but also their personal homemade comic books based on the band’s material, often while debating such topics as whether or
not the band’s 2005 album Separation Sunday would make a better book or movie.
In case you missed it, over the group’s four-album career, The Hold Steady has become one of those bands. Manna for the kind of nerds that can follow overarching character arcs about hood-rat American teenagers coming to terms with drugs, friendship and religion while taking wild joy rides across the Midwest. Minneapolis to be specific, in most
cases, although lead singer Craig Finn name drops western Massachusetts in more than one number. A homage to his Massachusetts roots was more firmly stated when Finn openly addressed family members within Tuesday’s crowd and referenced his baptism in Northampton’s own St. Mary’s church.
Looking around the crowd, one of the more interesting sights was the varying demographics the band attracts. Young professionals in three-piece suits and sandal-clad college kids are staples, but upon looking around was a noticeable change of the usual attendees. But the people had one thing in common, the mutual worship of Finn and his five-piece backing band. And with the kind of back catalog that can churn out multiple satisfying set lists, The Hold Steady made sure to mix it up just right for their fickle fans.
Opening band, The Oranges Band, had its fair share of trouble appeasing the fickle fans. Sonically the band reveled in the sort of power pop that The Hold Steady has always used as the base ingredient for its tunes, however without much variation the songs and energy provided felt almost mechanical. Leading off with opening song “White” and continuing on through a block of songs dubbed by the band as “Are Invisible rock block,” in reference one of the band’s albums which focuses on “obscure Baltimore music history.”
However by the end of the set the crowd had already grown restless for the main attraction.
Beginning with “Hornets! Hornets!” The Hold Steady needed no warm-up time. By the middle of the tune Finn was already hopping around the stage, animating his movements wildly with arm flailing and pogo dancing. Finn made sure that his facial expressions sent a message, turning his vocals into a sort
of method acting that made him a magnetic figure onstage. Rendering the backdrop of keyboardists, guitarists and amps emblazoned with white stencils bearing the band’s moniker were almost unnecessary. By the time the song’s protagonists got to “Southern Minneapolis” the crowd was fist-pumping along while Finn foamed at the mouth, the spit dripping down his chin and onto the microphone and occasionally on a lucky fan.
The Hold Steady then segued into “Hurricane J,” one of the singles off their forthcoming fifth album, Heaven Whenever due out later this year. The song’s opening riff reeked of classic Hold Steady Americana rock but fans were soon taken out of their comfort zone when the song swirled around and slowed down near the bridge.
With overlapping guitars and an emphasis on layering, the song both revels in the band’s past while giving a glimpse of their direction for the future. If songs like “Hurricane J” and “Weekenders” are any indication, “Heaven Whenever” may be the token sophomore album the band never quite slowed down to make.
The Hold Steady demonstrates what few younger bands possess, a comfort and knowledge of its own material. The proof lay in the members’ confident use of back tracks to buoy the set, which ran the gamut between newer tracks like Stay Positive’s “Navy Sheets” and “Magazines” and obscure older cuts such as Almost Killed Me’s “The Swish.” Thus, by the time the band hit its stride with big tracks like “Stuck Between Stations” and “Sequestered in Memphis” the choice for their new album cover became clear.
A pumping fist in the midst of a blurred-out crowd is one of the only things the band sees these days.
THE HOLD STEADYPhoto courtesy of theaxegrinder.com
michael Walshthe recorder
Aft er becoming a star for his role as Sheriff Seth Bullock on the excellent American western television show Deadwood, Timothy Olyphant assumed a number of intriguing roles, including being the main villain in Die Hard 4 and his turn as bald video game character Agent 47 in Hitman.
But until Olyphant assumed the role of confi dent U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens on the Graham Yost-conceived show Justifi ed, fans of the prematurely canceled Deadwood have been without the presence of a suave law enforcement badass.
Olyphant falls right into the role of Raylan Givens, a seemingly natural fi t for the man who played three seasons as a sheriff who had to calm storms between some of the meanest characters the old west had ever seen. Givens, dressed to cowboy perfection, a costume topped off by his signature hat, is a suave Marshal, a womanizer of the tenth degree that has so much swagger to his step it almost hurts to watch him work fugitives the way he does.
Th ere is more to Justifi ed than a 19th-century style law enforcement offi cer who with his smooth talk, tough demeanor and eloquent speech takes down perp aft er perp in old school western fashion. Th e show is tightly writt en, and each of the four episodes shown so far has introduced the audience to a new criminal. Much of the time they have some connection to Givens past, which reveals more about the mysterious individual’s past life.
Since the patt ern seems to be Givens taking down a new criminal each week, I expect the one tying together to be the divulging of information on his past. Th e relationship Givens has with his criminal father is already
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / UPgR ADE 7
being played off as one major and key point to the show.
Justifi ed shouldn’t be mistaken with the countless of dull and lifeless crime dramas seen around television. Th is FX show has life to it, much like the show Burn Notice, and the writing and dialogue is absolutely hilarious. Aside from quick funny jabs from Givens and the relationships he holds with his coworkers, the characters writt en into the show are fascinating. For example, episode four introduces us to one of the most badass dentists you’ll ever meet. And the pilot episode has us watching Givens track down an anarchist Nazi who enjoys using explosions as diversions to his bank robberies.
One of the most entertaining aspects of the show is when Givens fi nally meets these absurd criminals. Th e interaction held between him and just about every character is great in its own way, but there is nothing bett er when he faces off with the bad guys. Givens isn’t afraid to just get in the back seat of a car where two men are staking him out to tell them they bett er get out of town or they’ll be dead the next time they see him. It’s this kind of unrivaled confi dence that makes him one of the more likable characters I’ve had the pleasure of watching.
Still in its early ages, Justifi ed is in good form. Yost shows understanding of his character and writes him dialogue like he has been doing it for years now. I am still only unsure of the direction Yost wants to take with his characters. Th ere are a few side characters that have yet to be developed and as I mentioned before, no true overarching plot to carry things along outside of Givens’ past life and hidden agendas he may carry.
Justifi ed might not ease the nasty taste left in Deadwood fans’ mouths aft er HBO canceled the show, but Olyphant’s new character will give them a chance to remember.
samantha fournierthe recorder
Th e door to West Hartford’s La Petite France Bakery swung open with ease on this hot spring day. Th e dim lighting in the bakery and café off ered relief from the scorching sun outside. Scaling the walls of the small space were black and white photos from the streets of Paris.
Past a few small tables fi lled with customers enjoying light lunches was the glass counter that illuminated a variety of French baked goods. Th e glass case is home to a variety of sweets from chocolate croissants to fruit tarts and madeleines. Each dessert will seem more enticing than the next.
But before you decide to enjoy dessert at this bakery a variety of French sandwiches are off ered. Th e Marseille is served on a crunchy baguett e fi lled with sun dried tomato pesto, fresh mozzarella, thinly sliced prosciutt o, crisp lett uce, cucumber and tomatoes.
While the sandwich is not comparable to Subway size sandwiches, it is still fi lling and will satisfy your grumbling stomach. Th e Parisien is a litt le bit simpler but just as delicious. It consists of ham and cheese served on a baguett e coated in butt er. Sandwich prices range from six to seven dollars. Th e café also off ers vegetarian sandwiches and was serving French onion soup.
You can enjoy your sandwich in the European style café surrounded by the sounds of French music playing in the background or take it to go.
Before leaving, make sure to give in to your sweet temptations
by purchasing a French pastry. Th e chocolate croissant is perfectly crispy on the outside, but soft in the center, which is fi lled with rich soft ened dark chocolate pieces. La Petite France has 11 other sweet and savory croissants on the menu including a cheese croissant and a raspberry croissant.
Th e choco poire is the bakery’s signature tart. Th e crisp crust surrounds soft sweetened pears, crisp almonds, and areas of delicious dark chocolate.
Th ough it isn’t a bargain, this litt le bakery and café, which originated in Staff ord Springs is a great addition to West Hartford Center. It att racts many customers with its quality dishes and sweet pastries baked fresh each day. Come experience the magic of a Parisian’s palett e at La Petite France.
(RIGHT) The madeleine is a small sponge cake from the Commercy and Liverdun regions of France.
‘Justifi ed’ An old School Brand of Law Enforcement
alex antonetzthe lantern | ohio state university in columbus
(WIRE) - Cinema’s most popular superheroes are returning to the big screen at Gateway Film Center.
Th e “Late Night Movies” series at Gateway Film Center will be screening comic book and superhero fi lms every Friday and Saturday in April. Admission is $5 and all screenings begin at midnight.
“It’s a great tradition with a lot of the movie houses we admire,” said Melissa Starker, sales and marketing manager for Gateway Film Center. “A lot of great theaters have a history with late-night shows, and it just happens to work out that late-night business here is really good.”
Films screened in the series are part of a monthly theme based on what new releases are scheduled.
“It gives us a chance to try to think up some fun things and movies that people would really like to see again,” Starker said.
Past themes include Tim Burton fi lms for the release of his remake of Alice in Wonderland, and Nightmares on High Street featuring horror fi lms to promote the release of Nightmare on Elm Street.
Once a theme is chosen, Gateway Film Center staff pick the fi lms that will be screened.
“We just kind of start from [a theme] and brainstorm what we think people would really like to see again,” Starker said.
Comic book and superhero fi lms were chosen for April to promote the upcoming comic-based fi lms Kick-Ass and Iron Man 2. Kick-Ass hits theaters April 16 and Iron Man 2 will be released May 7.
Films screening in April include Th e Dark Knight, Sin City, Spider-
Man and Hellboy.With Iron Man 2 scheduled
for release in May, Gateway Film Center att empted to screen Iron Man as part of the series, but was unable to secure the rights.
“Usually with movies if they’ve got a sequel coming out or a remake coming out, the original is kind of hard to get your hands on,” Starker said.
Gateway Film Center also att empts to project prints of the fi lms, but that is not always possible. Some fi lms don’t have a quality print available. Others have been released on the high-defi nition Blu-ray format.
Evil Dead, which was screened as part of the Nightmares on High Street month, featured a new 35-millimeter print. However, Gateway Film Center resorted to a Blu-ray projection of Th e Dark Knight.
“A lot of times, if you’re looking at a movie that’s more than ten years old, you can show it on 35 [millimeter], but that 35-millimeter print is going to be in prett y rough shape,” Starker said. “We show stuff on Blu-ray, so that can look bett er.”
Success of “Late Night Movies” has prompted Gateway Film Center to continue the series into the upcoming months. Several possible themes in the works include a Quentin Tarantino month, a Coen brothers month and a mind games month to promote “Inception,” which hits theaters July 16.
Th e popularity of late-night shows is att ributed to dynamic Columbus night life, Starker said.
“Th e weekend late-nights are among our strongest,” she said. “I think people in this town aren’t afraid of going out late at night.”
‘Late Night Movies’ Selects Comic Book Th eme
Photo courtesy of fx
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / UPgR ADE 8
The pairing of Talking Heads frontman David Byrne and English DJ Fatboy Slim isn’t as strange as it might seem. Byrne has worked with a multitude of artists from all over the musical spectrum in the course of his lengthy career and the collaboration with Fatboy Slim strikes me as being rather appropriate.
What comes from the two musicians is Here Lies Love, a concept album of the strangest details. It focuses on the life of the former First Lady of the Philippines, Imelda Marcos. Now I’m not going to say that this isn’t important or worthwhile material, but it will take a little research about Marcos and her life to understand the point of album.
Most notable about the 22 tracks created by Byrne and Fatboy Slim is that they feature a grand total of 22 guest vocalists, combining solo performances with duets with the most notable names being Cyndi Lauper, Tori Amos, Santigold and St. Vincent. And what’s even more interesting is the choice to present the album with the vast majority of vocalists being female. Only two males appear on the album, Byrne himself and Steve Earle.
The actual music created by Byrne and Fatboy Slim really doesn’t compare to much of Byrne’s past creations. There’s even a polarizing difference between this and Byrne’s last project with Brian Eno. And this isn’t quite the You’ve Come a Long Way, Baby era of Fatboy Slim. Instead, Here Lies Love gives off a strong feeling of a vast amount of musical styles, touching on everything from salsa to soul vibes to the more experimental sound Byrne fans might be used to.
The 22-track album is packed with memorable tunes, but a notable stand out for me is “Please Don’t,” a powerful track featuring Santigold, who absolutely owns the song with her emotional vocals, even though Byrne and Fatboy Slim’s most experimental side seen on
matt Kiernanthe recorder
Ever since the beginning of his career with the alternative rock band the Wallflowers, Jakob Dylan has proven that his father Bob Dylan’s musical genes have carried over into him, and demonstrates it again with the folk/country album Women and Country.
Avoiding the rock anthems that his previous band’s known for, Dylan goes for an album that’s quiet and slow but with the richness of poetic lyrics that’s his main strength.
Reaching the age of 40, it may be that Dylan’s music has been given a new sense of richness that was seen on his previous albums, but is now flowing from him without much challenge. Dylan does find new ways though to create new albums that are just as clever as the last.
matt Kiernanthe recorder
Since the early 2000’s, Growing have been taking the mix of electronics and drone music to their limits in a very minimalistic sense. Pumps! takes the band into the direction of guitar feedback and distorted sounds to make tracks that are challenging but friendly.
Much like the musical progression of the space rock band Spacemen 3, Growing use the electric guitar and many other computerized instruments to find the simplicity that lies within them and throw them together to complicate them.
The album kicks off with the guitar heavy
David Byrne and Fatboy SlimHere Lies Love
NonesuchApril 6
Jakob DylanWomen and Country
SonyApril 6 Growing
Pumps!Vice Records
April 6
the album tries to dominate the tone.Also stealing the spotlight is the electric
“American Troglodyte,” a track sung by Byrne himself that will absolutely please his fans. The song becomes a commentary on the American way of life once you understand that a troglodyte is another word for what we might call a caveman, or more logically, someone who lives reclusive and under a rock. Byrne’s lyrics are catchy, using a repetitive style that almost reflects the repetitive way of life he seems to describe.
The only disappointing thing for the biggest fans of Byrne is that he only appears as the main vocals on two tracks and as a faint backup singer on another couple. I personally was looking forward to hearing Byrne’s voice a little more, as its one of my favorites in music.
It’s a good thing that I can’t possibly touch on all the highlights of this packed album. Here Lies Love provides thoughtful music throughout that stimulates but also simply entertains the mind.
“Nothing But the Whole Wide World” opens the album with the volume of acoustic guitar turned down really low, giving the song a focus on Dylan’s vocals and positive chorus.
“Lend a Hand” has a traditional jazz sounding trumpet and guitar, along with slamming drums that give the song a darker edge. Dylan uses a cast of characters to say that everyone needs to help another at some point or another.
The song about estrangement, “We Don’t Live Here Anymore,” uses the similar slamming drums and female backup singing to give off a feeling of withdrawal from a situation.
Perhaps the only song that features an electric guitar on the album, “Standing Eight Count” combines all of the instruments used on previous songs to perform a well-orchestrated folk song.
Although an album probably not meant for those who are fans of the traditional rock ‘n roll band the Wallflowers, Women and Country shows off Jakob Dylan’s passion for beautiful lyrics that come from within him with ease. He does his father justice with his combination of the genres of folk and country music.
“Short Circuit,” using phasers on guitars and vocals to give a digitalized sound for echoing effects. The chaotic song has words that are not understandable, and has a voice that’s changed to sound like a child and statements that seem to be sent into overdrive.
“Hormone” starts off with a crunchy looped synthesizer riff that leads into a wavy sounding guitar. Throughout the song there’s a child’s voice looped that although indecipherable, seems to be saying “here.”
“Camera ‘84” sounds like it’s from the year in which the title says and has a very Kraftwerkian synthesizer with a woman’s voice speaking in a different language reverberated at certain points.
The final track “Mind Eraser” takes a completely standard drumbeat that could probably be found on Garageband, and piles on layers of electronics beats and loops to “erase your mind.” The level of vocals and synthesizing are very intricate in its execution and ends the album impressively.
The album sees the band giving their music a new level of depth, taking the idea of dissonant electronic sounds and elaborating upon them. It shows that over the almost decade span of their career, Growing have become major leaders in the genre of drone rock and keep getting better with each release.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / UPgR ADE 9
Calendar4.7 - 4.14
THE APPLESEED CAST are performing this Thursday at the Space in Hamden. Photo courtesy of aloudmusic.com
MUSIC4.15The Appleseed Cast@ The SpaceHamden, Conn.$12 / 7 p.m.
The Appleseed Cast is an indie post-rock band based in Lawrence, Kansas, currently comprised of singer/guitarist Christopher Crisci, guitarist Aaron Pillar, bassist Nate Whitman and drummer John Momberg. The band’s predominately guitar-based music has gradually evolved in a relatively short space of time (arguably due to a combination of line-up changes and natural musical progression) from intense, heavy emo indebted to such acts as Mineral and Sunny Day Real Estate to a unique “post-rock” sound hinging on inventive, intricate drumming, subtle guitar arpeggios and impassioned vocals. For this special show they will be performing Low Level Owl I and II back-to-back, each in its entirety!
4.17The Thermals@ The SpaceHamden, Conn.$12 / 7 p.m.
The Thermals’ brand of simple, catchy, snotty punk-pop sounds all sweaty and covered in lint and crumbs and broken glass and whatever else was all over their practice space floor. And while the sound is still appropriately raw and in your face, there is definitely more of a pop to punk ratio. Although for every lilting melody and sugary sweet hook, the Thermals stomp it to bits within minutes. Lots of folks here think that this is what the Mountain Goats would sound like all drugged up and punk rock supercharged, with the vocalist’s nerdy whine, sung/spoken delivery and oblique wordy lyrics. Imagine the simple jangle pop of the Strokes, the skewed take on classic Beatlesque songwriting of Guided By Voices, the three chord stomp of the Ramones and add lots of packed basement, broken down van, DIY and punk rock snarl and you’ve got
The Thermals!
4.22Mastodonw/ Between the Buried and Me@ The WebsterHartford, Conn.$25 / 6 p.m.
FILM4.14Soundtrack for a Revolution@ Real Art WaysHartford, Conn.$6.25 / 7 p.m.
“[A] skillfully assembled history of the civil rights movement, with musical interludes. It’s civil rights’ greatest hits: Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham; “Eyes on the Prize,” “We Shall Not be Moved,” “We Shall Overcome.” It’s the kind of film that will have audiences clapping and singing along. And why not? The images and stories may be familiar, but it’s history worth retelling.” - Mike Hale, The New York Times
“The film puts a fresh spin on the issues and struggles of the civil-rights movement.” - Jennie Punter, The Globe And Mail
4.14April in Paris Film Festival: Money and Class - La Graine Et Le Mulet@ CinestudioHartford, Conn.$7 / 7:30 p.m.
LA GRAINE ET LE MULET (The Secret of the Grain) A brilliant family portrait about an aging immigrant from Tunisia, who spends his days delivering fish via motorbike in a French coastal village, but dreams of opening his own couscous restaurant. Director Abdel Kechiche says he started out with the idea of making “a popular fantasy, the kind of story they like to tell in the projects: the myth of those who made it.” But as he became more interested in the father and his children and the rich ambiance of his French/Tunisian culture, he decided the film should capture the more subtle drama of “a real family meal
or the beginnings of an emotion showing through on someone’s face.”
Other films include 4.15: Z at 7:30 p.m.; 4.16: Le Charme Discret de la Bourgeoisie at 7:30 p.m.; 4.17: L’Argnent de Poche at 2:30 p.m. and Un Capitalisme Sentimental at 8 p.m.
4.16The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers@ Real Art WaysHartford, Conn.$6.25 / 7 p.m.
“A straight-ahead, enthralling story of moral courage ... So many people risked their livelihoods to put the 7,000-page Pentagon Papers out there... We have not celebrated Daniel Ellsberg enough. Let’s begin.”- David Edelstein, New York Magazine
“Fortunately, the staunchly committed and controversial Ellsberg, now 78, is still around to tell his history-making tale, and he
lends the film gravitas as both its persuasive narrator and primary talking head.”- Gary Goldstein, LA Times
“Judith Ehrlich and Rick Goldsmith’s film deserves recognition as an exemplary piece of nonfiction filmmaking, it pulses with the suspense and momentum of a sleek thriller -- a wily caper flick that just happens to revolve around one of the most crucial chapters in recent American history.”- Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post
“This is meaty, dramatic stuff - see this movie with your teenagers and watch their jaws hit the floor.”- Ty Burr, Boston Globe
“A film I would see every other day if I had the time... I think Tati worked with sound and music better than most anybody I’ve seen. He can zoom in on the absurdity of life without losing his love for human beings.” – David Lynch.
“Some of the funniest and loveliest slapstick imaginable... casting off the tyranny of a plotline in favor of loosely associated tones, episodes, and images. The soundtrack, in which dialogue is subsumed by sound effects, is a masterful piece of musique concrète.” – Dave Kehr.
“When has a film so subtly and yet so completely captured nostalgia for past happiness? The movie is about the simplest of human pleasures: The desire to get away for a few days, to play instead of work, to breathe in the sea air, and maybe meet someone nice. It is about the hope that underlies all vacations, and the sadness that ends them. And it is amused, too, that we go about our days so intently, while the sea and the sky go about theirs.” – Roger Ebert.
10 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / SPORTS
SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE
ccsuBluedevils.com
The Central Connecticut State University women’s golf team placed fourth out of five teams at the Dartmouth Invitational this weekend. The Blue Devils finished with a team score of 690 on the Cape Cod Country Club Course in Falmouth, MA. Freshman Stephanie Bednar led CCSU with rounds of 78 and 83 to tie for 11th with a total of 161.
Harvard won the tournament after placing five players in the top seven overall. The Crimson recorded a two round total of 589, while Christine Cho and Claire Sheldon finished first and second with scores of 144 and 148.
Bednar recorded Central’s best score on
Bednar Leads CCSU at Dartmouth Invitational
both days of the tournament, while freshman Anna Ausanio was second on Saturday and Sunday. She shot 87 in round one action and carded an 84 in round two to place 20th with a 171.
Senior Natalie Jones and junior Chelsea Woods placed 26th and 28th with scores of 181 and 184, respectively. The former put forth scores of 90 and 91, while the latter recorded a 96 on Saturday and an 88 on Sunday.
Freshman Katie Reid and senior Lisa McCormick rounded out the CCSU golfers at the tournament. Reid placed 29th with a total of 187 on the tournament. McCormick finished in 214 to place 30th.
The Blue Devils will next compete at the Hartford Invitational on April 12 and 13.
Photo courtesy of ccsuBluedevils.com
ccsuBluedevils.com
Freshman Meaghan McCurry scored three goals, but Central Connecticut State University fell to Monmouth on the road by a score of 15-9.
The Blue Devils fall to 4-8 on the season with the defeat, while the Hawks improve to 7-7 with the victory. CCSU will next return home to host St. Francis (PA) on April 16 at 1:00 p.m.
Monmouth scored the first 10 goals of the game to take a lead that proved to be too much for Central to come back from. The Blue Devils did, however, outscore the Hawks from the 5:00 mark in the first half until the end of the game by a count of 9-5.
Freshman Mackenzy Ryan got CCSU on the board when she scored off of an assist by junior Jessica Roberts with 4:00 to play in the opening frame. Roberts kept the Central scoring going with a goal of her own off of a
free position attempt just before the break. Monmouth led 10-2 heading into the locker rooms.
The Hawks got things going again to start the second period with three straight scores within the first 10 minutes of play. McCurry connected on her first of three on the day with an unassisted goal to make it 13-3 at 15:00.
Then junior Michele Conway, McCurry and senior Lyndsey Mastandrea each recorded free position goals during Central’s 4-1 run to make it 14-6 with just under eight minutes to play. Mastandrea and McCurry scored again before sophomore Ashley Mara finished the game with a free position goal to make it 15-9.
Sophomore Ashley Perkoski led the Blue Devils with three ground balls and two caused turnovers, while Mara recorded a team high six draw controls in the defeat. Sophomore Erin DeLancey tallied 10 saves, playing all 60 minutes in the goal for CCSU.
Photo courtesy of ccsuBluedevils.com
Jessica Roberts scored one goal and recorded one assist on Sunday.
Blue Devils Fall to Monmouth 15-9 on the Road
ccsuBluedevils.com
The Central Connecticut State University men’s track and field team competed at both the Bucknell and UMass Invitationals this weekend.
Bucknell was an unscored meet and the Blue Devils finished sixth out of 11 teams at the UMass meet. Sophomore Rashad Williams recorded the top performance of the weekend, winning the shot put in Amherst with a distance of 47’10”.
CCSU scored 54 team points to place sixth at UMass. Albany won the meet with a score of 201.5, beating out the host Minutemen and Yale who recorded scores of 135.5 and 101, respectively.
Williams also recorded a fourth place finish in the discus with a mark of 141’6”. Sophomores Nick Trifone and Matt Berube
recorded the only other top five performances in the field, each doing so in the high jump. The former jumped 6’7” to place second, while the latter placed fifth with a height of 6’1.25”.
Freshman Aaron Radden placed fifth in the 400 meter dash in his first attempt at the event in his collegiate career. He recorded a time of 50.70 seconds. Fellow freshmen Mohamed Hrezi and Jon Krell also finished with top performances on the track.
Hrezi took second place, and was less than a second off of the school record in the 800 meters, as he crossed the line in 1:54.17. Krell took fifth in the 10,000 with a time of 32:24.29.
Sophomore Jeremy Schmid and senior Ry Sanderson were the top performers at the Bucknell Invitational for Central.
Schmid placed seventh in the 1,500 meters with a time of 4:00.00, while Sanderson ran the 10,000 meters in 30:24.38 to place ninth.
Sanderson, and sophomore Sam Alexander who placed 24th with a time of 30:58.27, both qualified for the IC4A Championships in the 10K.
Photo courtesy of ccsuBluedevils.com
LEFT: Aaron Radden placed fifth in the 400 meters at the University of Massachusetts meet.
Rashad Williams Wins Shot Put as Blue Devils Compete at UMass, Bucknell
Freshman Stephanie Bednar.
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, April 14, 2010 / SPORTS 11
Continued from Page 12
Continued from Page 12
Photo courtesy of ccsuBluedevils.com
Kenny Bartothe recorder
The CCSU Blue Devils (9-8, 5-3 NEC) beat the Iona Gaels (5-18, 0-6 MAAC) 12-5 Wednesday afternoon, improving their record to 9-8, and rising above the .500 mark for the first time this season.
Senior utility man Sean Allaire led the Blue Devils with four hits, four runs, and two RBI’s. Allaire leads the team with a .449 batting average, and has been red hot all season.
“I know you’re going to have some guys hotter than others,” said head coach Charlie Hickey. “But that’s the idea of having depth in the lineup, and making sure we get runs across the plate.”
Despite the win, head Coach Hickey was still not completely happy with his team’s performance.
“It’s funny how you can sit here and be frustrated with 12 runs and a win,” Hickey said. “It seems like our pitching has one good inning and can’t go out and do it again, but a win is a win.”
This was the Blue Devils’ second game against Iona, having faced them on March 21 in the 2010 Strike Out Cancer Tournament at Seton Hall and they beat Iona 10-8.
The Blue Devils did not give up more than one run in an inning, as the Gaels scored single runs in the first, third, fourth, fifth and seventh innings. On the reverse side, CCSU’s scoring came in threes. They scored three runs in the first, second, fourth and fifth innings.
Starting pitcher Normand Gosselin got into trouble early, loading the bases with one out in the first. He was able to get out of the jam with only one run, which was quickly answered by the strong Blue Devils offense.
With one out, Sean Allaire got his first hit of the game with a double to deep center field. After an Anthony Scialdone fly-out, Pat Epps drove Allaire in on a single to left field. Tommy Meade, who was named NEC
conference player of the week last week, hit his sixth home run of the season over the right field fence.
After a quick defensive inning, the CCSU bats went to work again. Sean Miller Jones drove in a run with an RBI single, but was thrown out trying to go for two. Allaire then hit his second double of the game to drive in Danny Hickey. After an Scialdone walk, Pat Epps reached on a throwing error by the shortstop that scored Allaire.
CCSU was shut out in the third, but came out in the fourth with another three runs. Allaire started the rally with a simple single to left field and was later driven in by a Scialdone double to right center field. After Tommy Meade and Mitch Wells drew walks to load the bases, Kyle Zarotney lined a single through the right side that scored Meade and Scialdone.
In the fifth inning, Sean Miller-Jones drew a base on balls, and immediately stole second. Allaire capitalized on the runner in scoring position, and lined an RBI single to bring the score to 10-4. Epps took advantage of the wind that was blowing out to right-center, and lined a home run that barely made it over the fence to give CCSU its last runs of the game.
Nate Sturgis and Donny white were able to hold Iona to one run over three innings. Zarotney, who was already three for five with two RBI’s, was brought in to pitch the ninth. Zarotney struck out the first hitter, and then back-to-back groundouts to the shortstop and second basemen ended the game.
“We decided to mix it up with Zarotney,” said coach Hickey. “It ended up being the easiest ninth inning we’ve had this season.”
The Blue Devils are now 4-5 in out of conference play with six more left to play, five of them being on the road. They play at Holy Cross, University of Massachusetts, University of Connecticut, University of Hartford, and Fairfield University. The only home game is against Fairfield on April 21.
CCSU Tops Iona
right field to win the game for the Bulldogs 6-5.
In game two, Meade took the hill and was able to hold the Bulldogs to five runs over eight innings while striking out six. The Blue Devils scored nine runs in the first eight innings, and had a comfortable four-run lead with three outs to go.
Bryant was able to load the bases, and score three quick runs against a struggling CCSU bullpen. With two outs, Bryant DH David Soltis hit a hard single to left, which was good enough to score the final two runs of the game, as Bryant walked off with a 3-1 record against CCSU for the weekend.
“Of course, you would like to split these games on the road,” said coach Hickey. “But, we’re 6-6 [in the conference], and we deserve to be 6-6.”
Bryant Takes Series With Three Walk-off WinsPat Epps was also able to continue his hit
streak to 15 games, and is now batting .321 with 21 RBIs.
“I think that’s where numbers lie,” said coach Hickey. “I don’t think he’s carried his responsibility at the plate, I mean, he struck out six times today.”
Miller-Jones was able to post impressive numbers against Bryant, hitting .500 with five runs scored, and seemingly hitting the ball hard every time.
“Everyone can look good when you’re winning ,” said Hickey. “It’s the ones who grind it out that are the difference between winning and losing.”
The Blue Devils will head to Worcester, Mass. on Tuesday to face the Holy Cross Crusaders in out of conference action. They will return to conference play this weekend at Sacred Heart with a four game series at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard in Bridgeport, Conn.
Pat Epps continued his hitting streak, and has now hit in 15 consecutive games.
Captain Robert Cavener earned All-Region honors in 2009.
Tommy Meade’s homerun swing in the first inning of a 12-5 win against Iona.Kenny Barto | the recorder
Kenny Barto | the recorder
praised the work of the midfield, namely Cavener’s solid play.
“I thought we controlled the ball very well,” Green said. “Cavener was outstanding as well. He looked like a professional player with amateurs.”
Monroe College, a junior college from New York, did not have many opportunities and did not pose much of a threat to either of the Blue Devils keepers, Anthony Occhialini and James Perkins.
“I was very pleased to get the shutout,” Green said. “Defense is our number one concern right now, and I think that we had a big confidence boost for both of our young keepers.”
The Mustangs best shot to bring the score level was late in the match when Richmond Adom entered the box one-on-one with Occhialini, but Occhialini made the difficult save to seal Monroe’s fate.
“It’s the first game of the spring season. We haven’t played in six months,” Green said. “I am happy with the result, we got everyone on the field, everyone played, and good crowd here for a Wednesday night. It’s good to see soccer on campus with a good crowd and good support there.”
CCSU plays two games this week. On Friday they play the Western Massachusetts Pioneers, a United Soccer League Premier Development League club in Burlington at 7 p.m. On Sunday the team will play Yale University at 10 a.m. in New Haven.
Strong Start With Wins over Monroe and Dowling
SportS 4/14
InSIdEThIS ISSuE:
THE RECORDERWednesday, April 14, 2010
Monmouth defeats Women’s Lacrosse
p. 10
Women’s Golf Places Fourth at Dartmouth Invitational
p. 10
Kenny Bartothe recorder
After the CCSU baseball team came back from two huge deficits last weekend, the Bryant Bulldogs gave them a taste of their own medicine.
Out of the four games played in Smithfield, R.I. this weekend, the Blue Devils won only one, and lost the other three all in walk-off fashion.
“Until you get the last out, the game isn’t won,” said head coach Charlie Hickey after Sunday’s pair of losses. “This was a team that kept themselves alive, but we didn’t do the little things that win baseball games.”
After being rained out on Friday, the Blue
Blue Devils Lose Three of Four on the Road
Devils were forced to play two doubleheaders in a row. CCSU’s bad luck started in game one, when Bryant’s Jamie Skagerlind sent Donny White’s first pitch of the bottom of the tenth over the right field fence to give Bryant a 3-2 victory.
The Blue Devils answered in the second game with a solid pitching performance by Dave Krasnowiecki, who was pitching only 14 miles from his hometown in Cranston, R.I. Krasnowiecki pitched all seven innings for CCSU, letting up only one run on seven hits while striking out four, which was good enough to improve him to a 3-1 record on the year.
“We got a solid pitching performance from Krasnowiecki,” said Hickey. “We were able to
rest our bullpen and worry about Sunday’s games.”
Going into Sunday’s action the Blue Devils sat at 6-4 in the conference, which was good enough for second place behind Mount St. Mary’s.
CCSU struggled in game one against Bryant pitcher Eric Polvani who confused the Blue Devils with a five-pitch repertoire. Polvani pitched 6 1/3 innings and struck out 13 while giving up eight hits.
Going into the seventh, and final inning, CCSU was down 5-2. Chris Renzoni was able to reach first on a dropped third strike, and Sean Miller-Jones followed with a bunt single. Sean Allaire continued the rally with an RBI single that scored Tyler Casserta who pinch
ran for Renzoni. Anthony Scialdone was then hit by a pitch, which loaded the bases with no outs.
After a Pat Epps strikeout, Tommy Meade came up in a must-hit situation. The team leader in batting average came through with a two-RBI single which was completed by an Allaire hook slide just ahead of the throw from the left fielder.
Bryant was able to record the final two outs without incident, and came back to take their hacks in the bottom of the seventh. With one out, Jamie Skagerlind came up, this time against CCSU’s Roy Natoli. Skagerlind came through again with a line drive home run to
Sean Allaire slides in safely to tie game one on Sunday, but it was not enough, as the Bryant Bulldogs won on a walk-off home run.
Midfielder Robert Cavener Sends a free kick into the box versus Monroe College.
Men’s Soccer Wins First Two Spring ContestschristoPher Boulay
the recorder
The CCSU men’s soccer team looked strong in two games this week, first defeating Monroe College 1-0 Wednesday night, then overpowering Dowling College 2-1 on Saturday at Arute Field.
The team improved to 2-0 on the spring season, taking out both opponents with little issue.
Captain Robert Cavener is pleased with the team’s strong start, despite the lack of scoring in both matches.
“Great start to the spring season,” Cavener said. “I think that we have a squad of players who are willing to come in and work wherever they’re put.”
Dowling College is a Division II school, which won the NCAA Division II title in 2006, and also were finalists in 2008.
Raphael Guimaraes opened up the scoring for the Blue Devils in the first half with a beautiful 20-yard shot into the top corner.
“We created a lot of chances,” Coach Shaun Green said. “I was happy with our defensive performances overall. Two wins, bang-on plan.”
The Golden Lions tied the score after Jared Spieker took a Dowling player down in the box, setting up a successful penalty by Stefan Draskovic.
Eduardo Ortiz scored after Joseph Laryea’s kick was blocked and Ortiz sent the ball into the net.
CCSU dominated possession throughout the game, and other than Draskovic’s penalty, the Blue Devils defense did not make many mistakes.
Green said, “I told the lads that this game was a team building exercise, and we came off the field a better team than when we started.”
In the opening game, Ortiz scored the only goal for the Blue Devils against Monroe in the 17th minute. Ortiz knocked in Joel Diamand’s rebound for his first goal of the spring.Green
