Central Recorder Issue 4 10/27/2021

Revival: The NBMAA’s Rise From Covid | Page 3 Greek Festival Greets New Britain | Page 4 Blue Devils Football Continues Losing Streak | Page 6

www.centralrecorder.org Central Connecticut State University

October 27, 2021

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The Recorder

Volume 131 | Issue 4

Connecticut Literary Festival 2021

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An image of James Hall during Autumn 2016

@JAMESHALLCCSU TWITTER ACCOUNT

Mold Growing in James Hall

BY KATHERINE NEILAN

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@CENTRALRECORDER

CONTRIBUTOR

everal students residing in James Hall are living with leaking air conditioning units and some claim mold is growing in their walls and ceilings.

At least one confirmed case of mold and several other students who claim it is in their walls and has made them sick.

Every room in James Hall has its own independent air conditioning unit, which gives the student’s the ability to control their own settings in their room.

Having this luxury was great until some residents, including senior Harry Schmitt, experienced water leaking out of their AC units during the first two weeks of the fall semester.

“I had water that kept leaking out of the air conditioner in my bedroom and it was not fixed for several weeks,” Schmitt said. “The university said it was coming from the bedroom above me, but it still took several weeks for it to fully go away.”

Schmitt said the university did very little to help his leaky air conditioner situation and said that he is still unsure if it is fully taken care of. According to Schmitt, he wouldn’t be surprised at all if there was mold growing in the walls due to the university’s disregard for their students’ living conditions.

“Even after I filed multiple reports and complaints after that they still didn’t come in person to check it out and make sure it was gone,” Schmitt said. “If there is mold then it’s most likely due to leaks that aren’t being actively fixed.”

Central Connecticut State University’s Environmental Health and Safety director Sal Cintorino, said that there were only a couple of isolated cases in James Hall that concerned failing air conditioning units and mold growth.

Cintorino said that a few students reported a leakage from their condensate pans in their AC units which raised safety

concerns. Water was reportedly all over the floors and the fan blowing on it resulted in extra moisture in the air.

There was certainly a detection of mold growing in this particular room and students were relocated immediately, Cintorino said.

“The mold mitigation team and I went and inspected it and we recognized that there was a problem there,” Cintorino said.

“We relocated the students. We made the repair. We took the mitigating factors and replaced everything that touched the walls and used special products that removed it all safely.”

The students who were relocated had money put onto their bluechip cards for the inconvenience and were explained in full detail of what exactly happened, Cintorino said.

Failure in some of the air conditioning units wasn’t the only thing contributing to the suspected mold growth in James.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 2

BY CHARLES HOSEK CONTRIBUTOR

inally, after 24 months, reading and writing have returned to Connecticut at the Annual Literary Festival, revitalizing the community-grown outreach of readers, writers, professors, students, professionals, and beginners looking into literacy in time for autumn spirits.

On Saturday, Oct. 23, the Connecticut Literary Festival took place at Real Art Ways in Hartford. The festival consisted of author readings, literary talks, panel discussions, and more.

The event made sure to mind Coronavirus guidelines, requiring each guest to either show a COVID-19 vaccination card or proof of a negative COVID-19 test. In addition, masks were required indoors at all times.

The event featured four main stage theatre talks with authors that took place throughout the day. One of the Theatre Talks featured Elizabeth Hinton, an African American studies and law professor at Yale University. Hinton discussed her book “America on Fire: The Untold History of Police Violence and Black Rebellion since the 1960s” with Trey Ellis. Her book, published earlier this year, takes people through some of the neglected stories of racial inequality of the 20th century, leading to the wake of the George Floyd murder protests in the spring of 2020.

“It was really difficult for many people to want to take these incidents seriously as political moments,” Hinton said.

The Yale professor spoke on how peaceful protests turned violent during MLK’s assassination, which she noted were akin to the responses of the protests this decade. According to Hinton, “We’re still living in the aftershocks of [these instances] today.”

Theatre Talks featured Central Connecticut State University Professor Aimee Pozorski, who talked with Mark Oppenheimer and his book “Squirrel Hill: The Tree of Life Synagogue Shooting and the Soul of a Neighborhood.” His book explored themes of approximation and how trauma resides in impacted communities.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

LBGT Center: New Space, New Programs

C

The entrance to the LGBT Center

BY FALLON REPETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

entral Connecticut State University’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Center just moved to its new home in Barrows Hall and is already planning new programs.

The LGBT Center is located on the first floor of the residence hall, and visitors can buzz in through the front door. According to the center’s website, the space will have “many new features at the Center for the 2021-2022 academic year.”

The Center has provided a welcoming, safe space for all members of the CCSU family, including those identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, nonbinary, queer, intersex, or allies.

In addition to the new space, the LBGT Center is facilitating new programs for students, faculty, and staff.

Among these programs is the LBGT Moveable Senior Center/WISE (Working together: Intergenerational Student/Senior Exchange) Program. The program will facilitate three workshop conversations between younger SOPHIA MUCE and older adults on Oct. 21, Oct. 28, and Nov. 8 from 3 p.m.

to 4:30 p.m. on Zoom. Students can register for the event online; more information is available in the News section on Central Pipeline.

CCSU professor Carrie Andreoletti initially designed the WISE program. The program works in partnership with the LBGT Center and local senior centers to help foster connection and conversation among young and old allies.

Over a dozen testimonials already sing the “Live Well” workshops praises.

One anonymous LBGT Moveable Senior Center participant said, “The welcome and outreach from the MSC to LGBT people has been wonderful. I have learned many new things, made new friends, and have a greater understanding of what the area senior centers offer in services and support.”

(CT Healthy Living MSC Testimonial).

The Listen Without Prejudice support group continues to be run virtually alongside the MSC workshops every Wednesday at 3 p.m. The support group is one of the center’s regular run on-campus talks. It is run by Victoria Ginter, a counselor from the Student Wellness Center, and is considered a confidential space.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 3

2

NEWS

October 27, 2021

The Recorder Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06053 (860) 832-3744 editor@centralrecorder.org centralrecorder.org

Editor-in-Chief Fallon Repeta fallon.repeta@my.ccsu.edu Managing Editor News Editor Lifestyle Editor Sports Editor Layout Editor Thess Johnson thessjohnson@yandex.com Copy Editors Alexis Dascher Damani Hough Amanda Kenny Sophia Muce Social Media Editors Melody Rivera melodyrivera@my.ccsu.edu Coordinating Editor Contributors Andrew DeCapua Charles Hosek Derek McLeod Katherine Neilan

THE RECORDER

Mold Growing in James Hall CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

To prepare for a full capacity school year, CDC guidelines for COVID-19 prompted colleges across the nation to have more outside air flowing throughout their buildings, Cintorino said.

Due to these guidelines being in place, more humidity and moisture traveled throughout campus buildings and helped promote mold growth, especially during the warmer months of August and September.

“During the summer months of August and September we were bringing in more humidity. That’s not normal but it’s something that we had to adjust to,” Cintorino said.

“As we reopen the university we have to realize that there will be some challenges. The few isolated incidents in James were partially caused by that humidity.”

Connecticut experienced a very humid and wet summer compared to previous years, CCSU’s Environmental Health and Safety assistant Kelly Selby said. She said this kind of weather made it more challenging to keep the moisture out.

Residents in James were emailed a notice back in September and that informed them on the importance of having their AC units on all

times and to not open their windows. This was to avoid humidity in the building and to not promote mold growth.

Some of James’ residents however, like Jeremiah Nugent, have even said that they think they caught a cold from the suspected mold in their room.

“A couple of residents that I am friends with had respiratory issues early on in the semester,” Nugent said. “We all thought it was something in the vents.

I had a bad cough for about a week.”

Cintorino shut this down immediately and said that there is no correlation between student’s getting sick and these particular mold cases.

Cintorino said each unit is independent and air vents are not shared in between each room.

He also said that his department works very closely with Residence Life and Health Services to ensure that there is no detection of mold or moisture.

James Hall was constructed in 1994 and is the largest coed residence hall with 415 students.

According to Residence Life, James Hall is a popular choice for new and returning students alike because of the two computer labs located inside the building and because it has air conditioning.

Despite its good reputation, some residents living in James Hall have said that their air conditioning system has not been properly taken care of during and in between semesters.

“I think there’s something in the AC system here in James that could be moldy,” Nugent said. “It doesn’t seem to be cleaned correctly between semesters and that could be the issue.”

All residential buildings, including James, were inspected thoroughly before school began, Cintorino said.

The alleged mold situation in James has students from other residential halls concerned for their own safety. According to Sam Wytas, a freshman residing in Sheridan Hall, his roommate heard about the girl in James who had mold in her room and wanted to have a mold inspection of their room done immediately.

“I know a girl living in James Hall that had mold all over one of the walls and onto the ceilings,” Wytas said. “My roommate started to freak out so he told one of our RAs to report it and have an inspection of the room.”

Wytas said the mold mitigation team didn’t find anything in their room and that he and his roommate were very relieved.

After the suspected mold situation started to get around campus, Cintorino said his office was flooded with concerns. His team had to inspect a couple of dorm rooms in Sheridan Hall to ensure the concerned students that they didn’t have any mold.

Most reports were concluded to be dust particles and spray paint marks that resembled black spots seen in mold.

Cintorino said that they had to conduct mold tests in front of the worried residents to prove that there was none detected.

CCSU’s Environmental Health and Safety department wants to assure students that they are staying on top of reports of mold and are actively trying to stay on top of this issue to prevent future outbreaks.

“Our job is to make sure that when there is a case, it’s all about how we respond to it,” Cintorino said. “We need to be responsive and quickly responsive and to always have a plan. We always have extra rooms set aside so we can do relocation if necessary. We also have a team that’s ready to jump in there and mitigate the situation so students can feel safe while on campus.”

NEILANK@MY.CCSU.EDU

LBGT Center: New Space, New Programs CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Students who identify with the LGBTQ+ community can discuss their challenges, develop coping mechanisms, and learn about their sexuality and gender identity. The Listen Without Prejudice group summary says, “The group offers ways to stay positive and help you realize that other students are on this journey with you.”

The LBGT Center continues to provide support groups, gender-neutral services, training, workshops, and scholarships.

In addition, the Center has a list of

resources for students both on-campus, off-campus, and on the national level.

These resources include community pride center information, human rights commissions, advocacy coalitions, LBGT education funds, counseling services, and over half a dozen hotlines.

The LBGT Center is open Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. While visitors can meet in the public meeting space on the first floor of Barrows Hall, center workers can also meet with students confidentially. In addition, the

Center encourages students to visit and make new friends within the community.

If you or someone you know is in crisis, please call 911 or the 24-hour Trevor Project Hotline (LBGT Resources and Suicide Prevention) at 866-488-7386.

For more hotline numbers, please visit the LBGT Center’s home page on the CCSU website.

FALLON.REPETA@MY.CCSU.EDU

About The Recorder is a student-produced publication of Central Connecticut State University and does not necessarily represent, in whole or in part, the views of the university’s administrators, faculty, or students.

The Recorder’s articles, photographs, and graphics are property of the Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without written permission from the Editor-in-Chief. The purpose of the Recorder is to approach and define issues of importance to students of Central Connecticut State University.

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Free books outside the LGBT Center

SOPHIA MUCE A TV and bookcase inside the center

SOPHIA MUCE

3 October 27, 2021 CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

LIFESTYLE

THE RECORDER

Connecticut Literary Festival 2021

Oppenheimer’s capturing of the reformative years of a neighborhood and its tight-knit community engages with the spiritual and historic aspects exclusive to Squirrel Hill while also ushering the power of proximity post-tragedy.

Six writer panels occurred during the festival, one of which was “What’s Real May Not Be: Fact, Fiction, and Cross-Genre Play.” Panelists Molly Gaudry, Marcos Gonzalez, and Charles Coe read snippets of their memoirs and explored the ideas of life, heart, and truth in recollecting the past.

Marcos Gonzalez asked, “How do you extend grace to those who have harmed you, to those who have hurt you?

How do you speak about that honestly?”

Gonzalez spoke through his piece about meeting his mother through old photographs, her youthful beliefs perhaps more open to the concept of her son’s sexuality.

Outside of the 2021 Connecticut Literary Festival

“She’s a woman I didn’t know, but If I did know, maybe that idea is a good impression of her - She might’ve been this woman who was so open to difference," Gonzalez said.

In between the panels and discussions were presentations by writers and musicians in the RAW Cafe.

Natasha Gambrell gave her all in her poetry reading, which restlessly honed on Connecticut politicians' details of indigenous injustices. She referenced the Eastern Pequot’s petition for federal recognition in 1979, which was discarded after 2005.

“I witnessed genocide firsthand that day," Gambrel said.

She was only 13 at the time. Since then, Gambrel continues to remind people of the past legacy and its erasure that she represents.

After each presentation, patrons were able to meet authors and writers outside for book signings and chat.

The courtyard was also home to Val’s Vittles, a food truck offering sandwiches, mac and cheese, and various food items. Locals said that the food was “a delight.”

Inside the event was an interactive type-writer gallery, which allowed guests to create their physical documents, just as was done many years ago when the room inside the venue was specialized for typewriters.

The event hosted many stories transcending the page, and people are anticipating even more stories in its arrival next year.

CHARLES.HOSEK@MY.CCSU.EDU

JULIA CONANT A person using an electric typewriter JULIA CONANT

OPINION

Revival: The NBMAA’s Rise From Covid

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BY FALLON REPETA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

laine Hobart did not seem to give tours for other people. The way she spoke, you would think it was all for herself—so she could fall in love with her museum's gallery walls over and over.

As I followed her around the New Britain Museum of American Art, it occurred to me that she was aware of this. She would often expel pieces of history to the room itself as if speaking it aloud would ensure its preservation.

"You would think it was all for herself—so she could fall in love with her museum's gallery walls over and over."

It was only when someone asked a question that the spell would break, and she would be launched back into reality—her dreamy eyes searching for whoever had spoken. “Oh yes,” she would reply as if the query itself was a gift.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, countless artists dove into their work, creating pieces reflective of our communities' struggles. As restrictions have lifted, the New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA) continued to shine a light on local voices. And his isn't the first time they've done it.

The NBMAA was famously one of the first institutions in New Britain to reopen publicly after the Great Depression— yet another time great tragedy brought great art.

I went to see that art on New Britain’s sesquicentennial birthday and consequently was led around by the lovely Elaine while visitors wandered the museum's halls.

Jennifer Wen Ma: An Inward Sea is currently in the William L. and Bette Batchelor Gallery until Oct. 24. The piece captures an oral history of New Britain residents' experiences during the global pandemic while displaying their silhouettes through a spotlight. The voices are enhanced by the sculptured sea around them and the giant swinging pair of pendulums.

Standing in the Inward Sea was like standing a storm. Listening to the voices on the interview audio track led you through a series of stories--all depicting the fever dream known as Lockdown. It was visible on the faces of visitors as well; the scars that the past few years had given us. As they listened to the stories of strangers in the spotlight, tears threatened to spill from a mothers eyes and a man held his partners hand just a little tighter.

The New Britain Museum of American Art (NBMAA) was founded in 1903 at the Landers House. It was christened the first museum of strictly American art in the country and helped support artists locally and nationally.

In conjunction with New Britain’s sesquicentennial year and the reopening of the Lander’s House, the NBMAA is presenting a yearlong installation comprising historical images and artworks from their permanent collection charting the museum's history and identity.

The “New Britain at a Glance” tour was on the city’s birthday weekend that was free to the public. It was a tour celebrating New Britain, artists architecture, Walnut Hill Park, landers house, stretch beauty, the museum grounds, which was very popular and may be repeated in the future.

They were three women, likely in their 60’s, who had toured with. They'd visited the NBMAA dozens of times.

They were self-proclaimed regulars and seemed to know almost as much about the place and the exhibits as the docents. Their banter and bickering brought humor to the pieces, as well as some much-needed breaks from Elaine’s adoring speeches.

There weren't many others. But I could still describe every single one—each reflecting a different facet of the city, and the art, itself. A pair of grandparents with their grandson; a young Asian couple; a Latin family, two women, three kids; a Polish father with his little girl; and an elderly gentleman.

"I could still describe every single one—each reflecting a different facet of the city, and the art, itself."

Visitors wandered the galleries without a docent or a guide—enjoying the art for themselves. I enjoyed watching them almost as much as the art. Something about the normalcy of it warmed me.

Along with local revival comes protective marketing— and who can blame anyone for that? Unfortunately, despite my many fruitful conversations with the docents and staff, there was only one person I could speak with on record: Lisa Lappe, the head of NBMAA Marketing.

“Our mission is to amplify the voices of all Americans through the presentation of our collection and the interpretation of the pieces. We hope that people become educated and acquainted with this city's history. As well as you know, how, how it's woven into the fabric of the museum's history and vice versa.” Lappe said.

"Our mission is to amplify the voices of all Americans through the presentation of our collection, and the interpretation of the pieces." --Lisa Lappe “Through all of the community outreach that we've done and special themed community days, we discover more and more artists, performing artists, fine artists. There is a vibrant arts community, in New Britain beyond anyone's imagination. Through these community events and community outreach, we try to engage these talented artists that live among us in our city and connect them with the public.”

Sol LeWitt's prints provide as many questions as they do answers. You'd look at them and think they'd be pleasing to any right-minded individual. Straight lines, mathematic equations, and bold boisterous colors. There is comething incredibly comforting in it's simplicity, and yet, the longer you look, the more complications you find. opposite colors, stitches, and notes hid in crevasses and corners. All of a sudden the order you found in his print because a piece of organized chaos, and it make you question everything you've seen all over again.

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LIFESTYLE

October 27, 2021

THE RECORDER

Revival: The NBMAA’s Rise From Covid

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3

LeWitt's Strict Beauty prints are staying at the museum until Jan. 9, adored by the same visitors who observed Jennifer’s piece. Before LeWitt graduated from Syracuse University, he was a New Britain native. It’s because of this that he donated a lot of his artwork to the NBMAA. According to museum docents, the museum has the most extensive collection of his work on the planet, not to mention the most comprehensive. The NBMAA has prints, etchings, and paintings from LeWitt’s entire life: from his later, more abstract images, to his first oil landscapes.

As I left the Museum, I passed a statue of Don Quixote

by Nathaniel Kraz. He was scrawny and tall—like he had been stretched on a cartoon torture device. Yet, despite the contorted and strained angles of his figure, his face seemed relaxed—proud even. He held a curved sword and an indistinguishable symbol on his head-sized shield. His tiny heart was visible as it beat within his chest.

Looking at it made me ask many internal questions on tour—but only one remained with me as I left. I wondered, what would happen if we all lived this way? With our heart puffed out on our chest—willing our art into a reality of our own making? I suppose, eventually, that someone might just notice...

FALLON.REPETA@MY.CCSU.EDU

A sculpture at NBMAA

FALLON REPETA Docent admiring a chandelier

FALLON REPETA

Greek Festival Greets New Britain

BY MELODY RIVERA

N

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

EW BRITAIN - St. George Greek Orthodox Church on West Main St. uniquely hosted its annual Greek Festival on Friday, Oct. 22, and Saturday, Oct. 23, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Due to COVID-19, the festival was held as a drivethru to have fewer people inside the building and limit physical contact with others. Visitors had to order food online from the church’s website or call the church ahead of time and schedule the date and time they would be able to pick up their meals. Everyone who participated in the festival this year had the option to get their orders delivered to them while in their cars or go inside to pick them up themselves. The menu of the event included several classic Greek dishes and desserts such as gyro (a wrap that contains meat, tomatoes and onions), pastitsio (baked pasta), baklava (a layered pastry made with filo, chopped nuts, and syrup), and rice pudding.

“Pastitsio is like Greek Lasagna,” the Rev. Spyridon Chatzis said.

Chatzis joined St. George Church in September of this year and said he was ecstatic to run the Greek Festival despite the changes made because of the pandemic.

“Due to COVID, we have a drive-thru. We’re trying our best to share our culture with our food and music,” he said.

Stephen Polezonis, a member of St. George Church, talked about what the festival would typically be like in a world where COVID-19 was not a considerable threat.

“We wanted to have a festival to feature not only the food but vendors of Greek items like jewelry,” Polezonis said. “The festival featured tours of the church, Greek music, and dancing.”

A Greek Festival is a special event for the members of St. George Church because of the significance of the church’s history. In 1951, immigrants came to the city from Greece to have their own place of worship and share their culture. This led to the foundation of the church’s community center in 1982 and the creation of their annual festival, which allows the members to share their Greek culture with the New Britain community. Although there

are many core aspects of the Greek Festival, St. George Church members were aware of the one factor that had to be included in this COVID-cautious event: the food.

“Probably the thing people look forward to the most is the food,” Polezonis said.

With this in mind, members of the church worked together to cook, prepare, and serve up their cuisine in Styrofoam containers. Niki Nasiakos, one of the chefs at the festival, talked about two essential ingredients used in many Greek dishes, such as the roasted chicken dinner.

“Greeks like to cook with a lot of oregano and lemon,” Nasiakos said. “If we don’t have it, it’s not Greek!”

The Greek Festival had many restrictions and limitations this year, but regardless, Nasiakos said the food came out good, and she, along with Polezonis, said they are hopeful about the future of the festival to be back to normal by May 2022.

“We’re proud and happy to be a part of the New Britain community and look forward to many more years of featuring our Greek food and culture,” Polezonis said.

MELODYRIVERA@MY.CCSU.EDU

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A Saint George church member prepares lamb for the Lamb Shank Dinner at the Greek Festival

MELODY RIVERA

5 October 27, 2021

SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE

THE RECORDER

Nobody Wins In the Ben Simmons-76ers Saga CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6

After all, his contributions as an all-around playmaker and defensive stalwart helped Philly has reached the playoffs in four of the last five years. The main issue is that playoffs Ben Simmons is not a compelling version of himself. Even up until the end of the 2021 season, fans still held onto this fantasy.

In 38 playoff games, Simmons has shot the three-ball twice. Eventually, opposing defenses stopped guarding Simmons altogether, and Simmons seems to lack the confidence to take open shots. As a result, each playoff exit is followed with the same empty excuse.

The situation peaked in a do-or-die game seven of 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals between the Sixers and the Atlanta Hawks.

Simmons' play was inexcusable. He got the yips.

He passed up a wide-open lay-up underneath the basket in the closing stretch of the game.

It was a game-defining moment that led to the Hawks winning the series. Simmons finished with five points on four shots. That is not the performance expected of an all-star, but it is one we have come to expect from Ben Simmons, the NBA’s most hypothetical player in recent memory.

The offseason that followed was turbulent as Simmons requested a trade citing for people in the organization who do not appreciate the positives that he brought to the team. Simmons was not wrong. He placed second in Defensive Player of the Year voting and secured another trip to the All-Star game in 2020-21. Unfortunately, none of that matters when the playoffs come around and Simmons finds himself unable to shoot a three-pointer with his defender sitting just outside the paint.

The imminent divorce got even messier when Simmons initially refused to show up to training camp. First, Simmons claimed it was not his job to get his low trade value up.

Then, he was kicked out of practice and suspended for the season opener against the Pelicans for refusing to participate in defensive drills. Three days later, Simmons has stated he is not mentally ready to play for the 76ers.

Athletes can take time to get their mental health in order, and Simmons should take his time returning to basketball if mental barriers are at the heart of this wild offseason. The problem is, this situation may only get worse until Simmons is no longer apart of the 76ers organization.

There is too much baggage. The players and Simmons have been petty this entire summer.

Was it as simple as Simmons coming clean with his feelings that saved the team's chemistry? It is wholly possible, but the best course of action for both sides is to move on.

Simmons is a highly influential player and someone who can push the right team to championship status. He will not find that in Philadelphia, not after all that has transpired.

The 76ers had Jimmy Butler on their roster to take over late in games, but they opted to keep Simmons because that is what Ben wanted. Only two years later, Simmons is deferring the role as the chosen one set for him the second he was drafted.

Simmons’ relationship with the organization may never be mended, and that is okay. Simmons can be a major playmaker on a team with a ready-made closer alongside him, and the 76ers can surround themselves with enough quality pieces around Embiid to push through the glass ceiling.

As the saying goes, if you don't want to get burned, stay out of the sun. Simmons and the 76ers need to part ways--fast.

DEREK.JUSTICE.MCLEOD@MY.CCSU.EDU

Simmons with the ball

BLEACHER REPORT

Game Corner (October 27, 2021)

6

SPORTS

October 27, 2021

THE RECORDER

Blue Devils Football Continues Losing Streak

CCSU playing against Sacred Heart on Saturday

A

BY ANDREW DECAPUA CONTRIBUTOR

road loss at Sacred Heart University on Saturday, Oct. 16, followed by a loss at home against Long Island University on Saturday, Oct. 23, extends Central Connecticut State University's losing streak to five games.

The Blue Devils went into Campus Field, home of the Pioneers, hoping to pull out a big conference victory over an in-state rival. The game against SHU started a streak of six consecutive games against Northeast Conference opponents.

Sophomore quarterback Romelo Williams led the Blue Devils in passing with 101-yards and completed ten out of twenty passes. Senior running back Nasir Smith led the team in rushing with 88-yards and a touchdown.

The Blue Devils were outgained in total offense by the Pioneers, 373-312, and lost the turnover battle 3-2.

CCSU was outplayed by SHU and lost the game with a final score of 27-17.

CCSU managed to score first with a 98-yard drive that lasted sixteen plays and was topped off with a 5-yard touchdown run from senior running back Nasir Smith for the first half 's only touchdown. The Pioneers eventually answered the Blue Devils’ touchdown drive with a second-quarter field goal from first-year kicker Sam Renzi.

ANDREW DECAPUA

The Blue Devils only held a narrow 7-3 lead at halftime despite winning the turnover battle in the first half. CCSU extended their information on the second half 's opening drive to 10-3 with a 23-yard field goal from junior kicker Joe Zoppi. However, SHU quickly answered back with a 22-yard field goal from Renzi.

The Blue Devils fumbled on their next two drives, opening the door for the Pioneers to pull ahead. Sacred Heart then jumped ahead and would hold the lead for the rest of the game thanks to three straight rushing touchdowns from junior running back Malik Grant on consecutive drives. Central tried to fight back into the game with a 2-yard touchdown run from junior running back Aaron Dawson in the fourth quarter but the Pioneers were able to hold off the Blue Devils comeback attempt.

One week after the loss to SHU the Blue Devils hosted LIU for another shot at their second victory in conference play. The Blue Devils went into the game against LIU with a 1-5 overall record and a 1-1 conference record.

Graduate student quarterback Shonn Mitchell replaced Williams as the starting quarterback against LIU and threw for 201-yards on 20-38 passing with one touchdown and one interception. Dawson led the team in rushing with 31-yards on eleven attempts. Senior wide receiver Tyshaun James led the team in receiving by hauling in six catches for 113-yards.

The Blue Devils struck first with a 25-yard field goal from Zoppi, but the Sharks responded with a 20-yard field

goal from senior kicker Paul Inzerillo. CCSU added three points to their total when Zoppi drilled a 42-yard field goal to put the Blue Devils up, 6-3, in the second quarter. The Sharks responded on their next possession with an 8-yard touchdown pass from junior quarterback Camden Orth to graduate student wide receiver Derick Eugene. A second field goal from Inzerillo gave LIU a 13-6 lead at halftime.

The Sharks started the second half scoring off with a long 47-yard field goal from Inzerillo and followed that up with a 3-yard touchdown pass from Orth to junior wide receiver Owen Glascoe before the Blue Devils could muster a single score. CCSU’s only score of the second half came with 8:15 left in the fourth quarter when Mitchell threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to James to make the score 23-13. LIU added one more touchdown in the final minutes of the game when sophomore running back Kevin Wilson punched it in for a 23-yard touchdown run to put the final score at 30-13.

After the loss to the Sharks, the Blue Devils now hold a 1-6 overall record and a 1-2 record in conference play. Head coach Ryan McCarthy takes blame for the team’s poor play on the field that has resulted in a losing record.

“We’re not a good football team, and it starts with me.

I am responsible for what was out there today,” McCarthy said. “It had to do with me, the staff, and not getting what we should be getting out of those players,” he said.

Up next for the Blue Devils is another conference matchup at Merrimack College on Saturday, Oct. 30.

ANDREWDECAPUA@MY.CCSU.EDU

Nobody Wins In the Ben Simmons-76ers Saga

OPINION

I

n 2016, when the Philadelphia 76ers selected Ben Simmons with the first overall pick of the NBA draft, the city of Philadelphia prepped itself for the next coming of LeBron James. Simmons stood 6 feet 9 inches tall with a knack for playmaking and defensive prowess that would entrench him as a superstar at the professional level.

All Simmons needed to add was a consistent jump shot.

With that, the upstart 76ers would become a fixture in the league for years to come. However, fast forward to five years later, Simmons became a public enemy in Philly. Despite the drastic turnaround in the relationship, Simmons and the 76ers attempted to mend their strained relationship finally.

But how did the relationship between the three-time NBA All-Star and the franchise

BY DEREK MCLEOD CONTRIBUTOR

turn sour in the first place? For Simmons, the answer to that question is as simple as looking into the mirror.

At first, there was a honeymoon phase.

Sixers fans saw the potential in the duo of Simmons and Joel Embiid, a star center out of Kansas picked third overall in 2014. Could they lead the 76ers to their first NBA Championship since 1983? The only thing holding the team back from this status is Simmons’s inability to attempt a jumper in-game. Still, fans gave him a pass.

“Once Ben Simmons gets a jump shot, it’s over for the league,” fans would say.

Basketball fans have held on to fleeting hope that Simmons would become the most dangerous man in the NBA. They have treated his evolution into an all-around threat like it is inevitable.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 5

A tired Ben Simmons on the 76ers

AP PHOTO