Volume 108 Issue 6

AWA R D-W INNING CENTR A LR ECOR DER .COM Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Central Connecticut State University

Speaking On Multicultural Education

kassoNdra GraNata the recorder

1300 out of 1800 seats were filled in Welte Auditorium as CCSU held the New England Conference on Multicultural Education on Sept 27.

The NECME promoted three internationally known keynote speakers that each had a common goal: multiculturalism in education.

The three speakers, James A. Banks, Lee Mun Wah, and Dr. Kris D. Gutierrez, all Education specialists, voiced their opinion of how educators should teach their students.

James A. Banks, the first speaker, known to be the “father of multicultural education,” holds the title of the Kerry and Linda Killinger Endowed Chair in Diversity Studies and is the Founding Director of the Center for Multicultural Education at the University of Washington, Seattle. Professor Banks is the past president of the American Educational Research Association and is widely known for his books in multicultural education and social studies education.

Lee Mun Wah is an internationally known Chinese American documentary filmaker, author, poet, Asian folk-teller, educator, community therapist and master diversity trainer.

Wah previewed his new film, “If these Halls Could Talk” where he brought eleven college students

Dr. Kris D. Gutierrez addresses the NECME audience last Tuesday. from around the country to document it with its release date Winter 2011.

The third speaker, Dr. Kris D. Gutierrez is known as Professor Emerita of Social Research Methodology at GE&IS and

UCLA. Gutierrez is an a leader in education and is also Professor of Literacy and Learning Sciences and holds the Inaugural Provost’s Chair at the University of Colorado, Boulder. Dr. Gutierrez is a member of the National

Campus Has Come A Long Way justiN muszyNski the recorder

The Burrit Library is in the basement of Willard, the parking garage behind the student center is nowhere to be found, and Vance Academic Building hasn’t even been thought of; this is the way CCSU was described by Dr. John Heitner, associate professor of English, when he started teaching here.

“As I remember the campus was very beautiful back then,” said Heitner. “It’s still beautiful today but it was different back then. There were many more trees and nature was more prevalent.”

He also says that most students wouldn’t even recognize the area behind the Student Center back then because the garage wasn’t there. Instead, it looked just like a scene out of a magazine.

“There was a lovely stream running behind the student center that was a beautiful place where students or faculty could go and enjoy,” said Heitner. “There was a bridge that went over the stream and a great big field.”

While Heitner isn’t the biggest fan of getting rid of nice scenery, he also knows it’s a necessary part in the growth and development of the University.

Volume 108 No. 06

“We were just getting so big that the school needed more room for parking,” said Heitner. “I guess it’s a good thing when you think about it, it means the school is experiencing success.”

CCSU was founded in 1849 as a teacher-training-facility and became a state college in 1959, only six years before Heitner started teaching here. It wasn’t until 1983 that the school officially became a university.

“I remember it was a very big deal around campus,” said Heitner when asked about the school becoming recognized as a University by the state. “Everybody was excited because the Governor was coming to campus and was going to speak about how much we’ve grown. It’s funny how most schools just call themselves a University but we had to earn it,” he jokes.

CCSU is the largest of all the schools included in the CSU system.

According to its website, Central serves almost 12,500 students in any given semester, 10,000 of which are undergraduates. In the last 15 years or so, there has been a new effort in international studies.

Many courses abroad are offered and encouraged as well as trying to be the recipient of foreign exchange students.

“I’d say that’s the biggest difference in the school now,” said Heitner. “There’s been a huge emphasis on international studies.

Most big schools are encouraging that now, CCSU is no different.”

He also says however, that becoming as big of a school that CCSU has become has some downsides. The primary one that he has noticed has been what he calls a depersonalization in the overall feel of the school.

“A lot of people don’t know that the class sizes used to be bigger, I know it’s hard to believe,” said Heitner. “But even so, there has still been a much more impersonal feel around campus since our growth. The doctor on campus was like a family doctor in the sense that everybody knew him. Most students today probably don’t even know we have one.”

CCSU has received a number of recognitions that support just how much CCSU has grown over the years. In a Princeton review, CCSU has been called one of the “best Northeastern colleges.” Octameron Associates say it’s one of the “great colleges for the real world.”

With about 100 majors offered, 400 full-time faculty, and more than 65,000 living alumni, CCSU certainly has come a long way since only being a teacher’s institution.

keNNy barto | the recorder

Academy of Education and is currently the President of the American Educational Research Association and President of the National Conference on Research on Language and Literacy. Dr. Gutierrez served as a member

of President Obama’s Education Policy Transition Team and was recently identified as one of the 2009 Top 100 influential Hispanics in the nation by Hispanic Business Magazine.

William Howe, Education Consultant for the Bureau of Accountability and Improvement Division of Teaching, Learning and Instructional Leadership of the State of CT attended to oversee the conference.

After the speakers presented, Howe was very satisfied with the turnout and the feedback that the sponsers and he recieved as well.

“This conference is not just focusing on race,” says Howe. “It is focusing on class, gender, sexual orientation..any different trait that an individual can have.”

“One of the problems we have with teaching students of a second language is that we have a tendency to make them forget about their first language,” Howe stated. “That is demeaning to the students, you cannot strip them of their culture.”

After sponsoring the event for 16 years around CT, CCSU finally had the opportunity to host the conference with guests from 16 states, including Hawaii and Japan.

“For the last couple of years we have been holding these conferences tradionally at hotels or other public areas due to expenses,” says Howe. “It’s an honor to have CCSU hold this conference here.”

The NECME will return next year on October 18th. The location is to be determined.

SGA Senate Allocates Funding to Two Clubs matthew clyburN the recorder

The SGA Senate allocated funding to three campus organizations last Wednesday during a three hour contingency budget request meeting.

The representative body passed several motions during the session, granting $2,700 to Hip-Hop Nation and $3,000 to DanCentral.

Motions to grant additional funding to the Karate Club and the Communications Club were withdrawn and defeated, respectively.

Hip-Hop Nation’s mission is to “unity, love and acceptance” through greater awareness of hip-hop culture. DanCentral is a student performance dance

ensemble that performs in several student showcases each year and hosts guest artists to promote dance on campus.

Senator McLaughlin submitted a motion after club presentations that made the additional funding possible. McLaughlin’s motion transferred $20,000 from the SGA’s reserve account into a base budget account.

In support of McLaughlin’s motion, Vice President Liz Braun said that funding clubs is a vital function of the SGA. “The SGA is supposed to be allowing these clubs to thrive...the right thing to do is to make sure that clubs do not die,” Braun said. “This motion would definitely allow for us to give clubs the bare minimum so that they can survive.”

keNNy barto i the recorder

The SGA listens to a presentation from DanceCentral, who was funded $3,000

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NEWS

THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 5, 2011

The Recorder

Student Center 1615 Stanley Street New Britain, CT 06050 T 860.832.3744 editor@centralrecorder.com centralrecorder.com twitter.com/therecorder

Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Proch nproch@centralrecorder.com Managing Editor Matt Clyburn mclyburn@centralrecorder. com Art Director Ashley E. Lang News Editors Jonathan Stankiewicz, Assistant Kassondra Granata, Assistant Justin Muszynski, Assistant news@centralrecorder.com Entertainment Editor Danny Contreras entertainment@ centralrecorder.com Upgrade Editor Kat Boushee upgrade@centralrecorder. com Sports Editor Brittany Burke sportsed@centralrecorder. com Photo Editor Kenny Barto kbarto@centralrecorder.com Copy Editor Maxine Eichen Sara M. Berry, Assistant Staff Writers Nick Rosa Peter stroczkowski

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 CCSU’s administrators, faculty or students.

The Recorder articles, photographs and graphics are property of The Recorder and may not be reproduced or published without the written permission from the Editorin-Chief. T he pur pose of The Recorder is to approach and def ine issues of importance to the students of Central Connecticut State Universit y.

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Study Abroad Fair Has Strong Turnout jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

Ever thought about going to London? How about Australia?

Cuba?

Few have probably thought about going to countries thousands of miles away, but at CCSU, with the help of the Center for International Education (CIE), students are able to go to those places and more.

Last week at the Bellin Gallery, the CIE sponsored the 2012 Study Abroad Fair where students were able to meet and talk with professors offering courses abroad as well as meet the CIE staff. Food and refreshments were provided and students were able to get information on trips offered by the CIE. Interim Study Abroad Advisor Melissa Pierce is expecting more people for the expanded programs the CIE is offering.

“We’re offering still a lot of upper level classes, but also some 100 level classes, which always gets a lot of students to come in,” said Pierce. Some programs are harder to go overseas, said Pierce, but this year the CIE has already seen an increase in interest.

Last year, CIE had 623 total students and professors go overseas: 412 students enrolled in courses abroad, 79 students in study abroad and 132 faculty.

“We are really striving to reach 1000 people from CCSU to go abroad,” Pierce said. “We are getting very close to that goal and I think this year is really going to be our best year that we’ve had yet.”

Pierce added that the most popular trips are those to Italy and the UK. So far this year, CIE has close to 70 students in the semester

Students and faculty met at the study abroad fair. abroad programs for this fall and next spring.

“This is our busiest year that I’ve seen yet and I’ve been here three years,” Pierce said.

The CIE had a slight decrease in the 2009-2010 year thanks to financial issues.

“People just weren’t willing to spend the kind of money that it takes to go abroad, but it was across the board for everything,” Pierce said. “There was less enrollment overall.”

The ones that are more in jepaordy are the more expensive trips, said Pierce.

A program to India was cancelled last year with a cost of

$5000.

“You can kind of see why a student wouldn’t be able to afford that and it’s unfortunate,” said Pierce.

The CIE isn’t asking for deposits anymore, a change from how they have done things in the past, due to the new convienence fee.

“We are basically just taking the paper application as like done deal you are going on the program,” said Pierce. “You can back out of the program, but once you submit your application you’re really serious about going.” Students can still bring in the deposit and the CIE will accept it, but they aren’t asking for it anymore.

Nicholas Proch | the recorder

Today, there are a couple ways to save on studying abroad.

Students should know that during the winter and summer programs cost extra for tuition fees, whereas going during the semester will have it covered by your other costs.

“We have scholarships up to $1000 and we have programs if you go during spring break. It’s technically a spring semester course so if you’re a full time student,” said Pierce, “you just have to register for a spring break class and then you don’t pay extra tuition because it’s included in your fees for the semester.”

Scholarships are available for almost all of the CIE’s summer programs.

The Kyung Hee Global Governance program, which runs for the entire month of July next year, runs for $2,995 and includes six credits of tuition.

Political Science professor Ghassan E. El-Eid is excited to go back to the United Arab Emirates.

“This will be our fourth year,” said El-Eid. “Last year there were six of us that went.”

Students were able to see the desert by going on a safari in the desert, see the second largest mosque in the world and the global city of Dubai.

“Students appreciate the old, ancient culture,” said El-Eid. “They are able to learn both academically and culturally thanks to this trip.”

The winter session program costs $3,000, plus tuition and fees, with scholarships available.

Next summer, on the other side of the world, the CIE is offering a 28-day Australia trip with both art and biology classes. Students that go on the program will be able to travel throughout Australia to national parks, city of Sydney and the famous Ayers Rock.

CCSU art professor Muriel Miller and biology Professor Sylvia Halkin are the faculty directors for the trip.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity for students,” said Miller.

Applications are being accepted now. The deadline for winter programs was October 1 and for Spring courses, the deadline is December 1. Students can register online like they would for their regular classes via CCSU’s WebBanner. The deadline for summer program applications is April 1.

For more information visit the CIE or their website at http:// www.ccsu.edu/page.cfm?p=546.

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / NEWS

Job Opportunities On Campus kassondra Granata The Recorder

Whether an individual is sliding blue chip cards for guest meals or for access to the Beecher Hall gym, it is uncommon to question how one recieves a job on campus.

Ken Poppe, director of CACE is a key sponsor in the effort to help undergraduate students find on campus jobs.

“This office got involved a number of years ago before we became CACE, just being ‘Career Services,’” says Poppe. “There didn’t seem to be one place that students can go to find jobs on

campus.”

The Central Connections website and online database was started by CACE in order for students to access an account and view available job listings for students and interviews free of charge. When one accesses an account, the student can visit the site to see what jobs are available.

“At first, you did have to go knock on doors to see what jobs were available at each department, there’s not a whole lot of advertisements with jobs.” says Poppe. “What we did years ago was group undergrad jobs along with our listings on the

Central Connections database.”

In late August before each new semester of the year starts, each department would reach out to CACE in order to present the available jobs that needed to be filled. However, this year fewer departments came through, thus leaving the listings on Central Connections short.

“We’re only as good as the information that the department shares with us,” says Poppe. “This year we haven’t recieved any responses.”

Poppe is concerned with how few responses they have recieved in order to help undergraduate students get jobs.

“My question is,” Poppe says, “are the departments now finding their students their own way? And if they are, are all students getting jobs? It’s been a question on all our minds for some time now.”

Lori James, director of Business Services, states there are more undergraduate students with on campus jobs than there were last year.

In President Miller’s strategic plan to increase opportunity for on campus jobs for students, it is stated that in the StudentEmployee Academic Roster that for the year 2009-10 year there were 953 students with jobs on campus. For the 2010-

comfortable the best thing to probably do is go straight to who said or did something that made you feel uncomfortable, but if they feel unsafe they should either come to my office, or the office of the provost. It doesn’t really matter where as long as you say something.”

CCSU has several policies put in place to assure acceptance among the University community.

According to Rodriguez these include a non-discrimination policy, a sexual harassment policy and a sexual misconduct policy.

She says all of these have either had or are having changes made to them right now.

“We’re always making changes to these,” said Rodriguez. “They’re usually minor changes but we always have to make sure the wording is correct so everybody knows exactly what we’re trying to say. We also have to make modifications according to what laws change.”

Despite how many policies are put in place, prejudices still occur and many times go unreported.

Jamie Beaver, a junior, experienced what she believed was unfair treatment of her classmate due to him being a minority.

“I knew a student who was very intelligent, but the professor assumed he wasn’t because he was African American and because of the way he dressed,” said Beaver.

“We were graded on our essays, and I read a lot of the ones he handed in. They were good, and when he would get them back he would have points taken off for ridiculous things. The professor would say he didn’t explain himself very well but his papers were very clear.”

When asked if the professor was possibly just a tough grader and if that could explain it Beaver said, “No, mine and other classmates’ papers were graded fairly but it was just this one kid who would always get a lower grade than everyone else for nonsense reasons. I didn’t know we had those types of things on campus until I saw it for myself.”

Godsgift Iyen, a sophomore who may be one of the fortunate who hasn’t had any issues with prejudices, feels that CCSU is much better off than the rest of the world when it comes to acceptance and diversity.

“I haven’t experienced anything bad when it comes to stuff like that,” said Iyen. “It may happen, but personally I haven’t experienced it myself and I don’t know anyone that has. I don’t think it’s a serious issue on campus.”

Senior Corey Waters says while he hasn’t seen anything that he can say is definitively discriminating he has noticed something that he’s not sure what to make of.

“I don’t see prejudices as a problem on campus,” said Waters.

“But when I think about it most of my professors have been white and I think I’ve only had one professor that was a minority in four years of being here. But I would hope this is just a coincidence that only I’ve experienced.”

Rodriguez admittedly says she is aware that there may always be an issue of discrimination and rejection of diversity, but promises the school has and will always try their best to make the University community a better place for everyone, no matter who they are or what they look like.

sara m. berry

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11 Academic year, there was an average of 1,017 students with on campus jobs.

Poppe, aware of this, is unsure about how the jobs are being found.

“It makes me wonder how departments are getting out their jobs without CACE’s assistance,” says Poppe. “In the end, we provide a service that departments can use when finding students to fill their jobs. In any matter, everybody wins.”

The Central Connections website can be found on the Central Pipeline. The CACE office is located in Willard, suite 103.

Prejudice At CCSU Moving On Up justin muszynski The Recorder

For some students it might be hard to imagine things like sexism and racism being prevalent on campus. Most go about their lives and come to college for about four years and never have any problems.

However, for others these issues are far too familiar, either experiencing them first hand or seeing it from a distance.

If you’re one of most that hasn’t ever had any issues you might not realize the sad reality that prejudices are around on campus, even to this day.

Jeniece Hernandez, a sophomore, says she hasn’t had a problem with prejudices herself but her roommate was singled out in a class where she was the only African American.

“She was the only black girl in her class,” said Hernandez. “The professor used to say things that would refer to her being black that would upset her all the time. I don’t remember specifically what they were but I just remember hearing them and thinking, ‘that’s messed up.’”

Hernandez says despite being upset by the comments, her friend never told any administrators or faculty because she just wanted to get through the class and not make an issue of it. However, Rosa Rodriguez, CCSU’s Chief Diversity Officer, says not saying anything is the worst thing someone can do in a situation like that.

“Most importantly, don’t keep quiet, don’t stay silent,” said Rodriguez. “Go to someone and ask for help. If the student feels

From the SGA

The fall SGA elections will take place on Tuesday, October 11 and Wednesday, October 12. Sign onto ccsu.collegiatelink.net with your BlueNet ID and password, and click on the banner for more information.

The final games to register for the CCSU Cheermeister award are; October th 7 at the Men’s Soccer game at Willowbrook Park, October 15th at the Women’s Volleyball game in Detrick Gymnasium, and October 22 at Arute Field when our Football team takes on Albany.

All financial requests for the month of October are due on Friday, October 7 by 5:00pm. This includes Base Budgets, Contingencies, Line-Item changes, CoSponsorships, and Fundraising Loans.

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact the Student Government at MySGA@ccsu.edu.

The Recorder

The newest enrollment data for CCSU was released on Sept.

22.

The newest freshman class is made up of 1374 students, 1303 of whom are from Connecticut.

This year’s freshman class is approximately 25 students larger than last year’s, but enrollment has been steadily increasing over the last few years.

“Overall as an institution, we’re a little larger than last year,” said Larry Hall, director of recruitment and admissions.

Large numbers of CCSU students come from some of the larger high schools close to CCSU, including Newington, New Britain and Berlin.

“I think that the major difference that we see is the makeup of the class. I think more cities and towns are represented,” Hall said.

Although he did not have specific data available, Hall said that he believes that more students from out of state are beginning to enroll at the University that are not athletes.

“Five to ten percent are coming from out of state, depending what profile you’re looking at. We’re still a very in-state focused school.

And our recruitment efforts are changing. We are certainly beginning to recruit a little more out of state.” Out-of-state recruitment efforts go as far south as Delaware and as far north as New Hampshire and Maine. “We always cover New England because we have the New England regional program, which is an incentive in terms of discounts by programs,” Hall said. Under that program, outof-state students wishing to attend programs that are not available in their home state are able to attend Connecticut schools for in-state tuition.

In addition to the incoming freshman, there are also 787 new transfer students at CCSU this fall, which is up 8 percent from last year. Between 35 to 40 percent of transfer students come from the Connecticut Community College system. The state’s community colleges and the CSU system have an agreement where graduates of the community colleges are guaranteed admission to the state universities.

“We want to promote the associate’s degree earners going on to four year institutions that have not historically progressed to the four-year schools,” Hall said The diversity among CCSU’s student body is also increasing.

“The female enrollment has increased a little bit… You’re going to see an increase in diversity in this class. Hispanic [enrollment]

is up I think 6 percent from last year, and African Americans are up 41 percent from last year.

Women [are] up 11 percent from last year, so women make up about 48 percent of the incoming class.”

Overall, Hall says that minority students make up approximately 50 percent of the student body.

Approximately 1/3 of incoming students arrive at CCSU with undeclared majors.

The Carol A. Ammon School of Arts and Sciences continues to be the largest school at CCSU, and houses some of the largest majors.

“As far as programs, some of it is related in the sense that because we’ve… added civil engineering, mechanical engineering, we’ve added nursing as a four year program, so you still see the shift. And as far as [programs} criminology is a very popular program. Psychology is a very popular program. Those are certainly the two most popular programs, as well as pre nursing, when you just look at sheer application numbers. When you look at enrollment, clearly by far crim and psych are the most popular programs and it just spreads from there,” Hall said.

In general, the popular majors stay relatively stable but fluctuate somewhat depending on the economy and what academic areas are seen as having the best job opportunities after graduation.

When comparing CCSU to other CSUs, Hall mentions a number of factors that continues to make CCSU the largest.

“Our location in the state has always made us attractive to all types of students. And then obviously, I think in CSU, we’re the school with the programs. I think we have the most programs at the undergraduate level I think we can accommodate at different levels. I think our facilities overall are decent, I think the res life component is probably the component that as we grow in terms of res hall space, I think it would give us more of an advantage. I think we do lose some students due to limited housing when they’re really interested in living on campus.”

As the University looks to build a new residence hall, more students will be able to live on campus, and somewhat decrease the high percentage of commuter students at CCSU. While the student body has definitely grown and expanded over time, the general picture of the CCSU student stays relatively constant. However, the University continues to gradually evolve.

We have come quite a ways from the early days of the Connecticut Teacher’s College that our grandparents might remember.

OPINION

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THE RECORDER Wednesday, October 5, 2011

EDITORIAL

Rumor: Copernicus May (Or May Not) Have Been On Fire According to some sources on Twitter and Facebook, Copernicus Hall burst into flames Monday evening and classes would be cancelled for the week. White smoke was billowing from the building, firefighters were on the scene and students were rejoicing that their beloved classrooms would be far too damaged for academia to occur within them.

This misinformation went on for some time. Two of our reporters were dispatched to gather information; one walked down to the scene of the alleged fire, the other called the University’s spokesperson for more details.

Almost simultaneously, they discovered that the white smoke was steam spewing from a broken valve in the building.

Firefighters and police officials laughed off questions about any emergency as they

left the scene almost as quickly as they came. The spokesperson confirmed that the situation was under control, going so far as to say that there was “no situation” at all.

Rumors spread much more quickly through social networking. Sometimes it’s a good thing: news of an east coast earthquake in August literally traveled faster than the earthquake itself thanks to Twitter and Facebook. Other times, students are jumping for joy in their pajamas to the thought of cancelled classes and burning academic buildings. While social networking can be a useful tool, it must be used with caution.

Students have a responsibility to exercise judgment and critical thinking as they digest the overload of information accessed through these networks. Retweeting,

liking and sharing can all be useful tools to disseminate accurate information, but dangerous when disseminating inaccurate information.

We feel it is important to ask a series of questions when absorbing any information.

Is the purported event possible within the details given? Do the details given validate the conclusions being drawn? Where is the information coming from? Is it a reliable source?

If a given student had asked these questions, they may have wondered why smoke from the alleged fire wasn’t black. They may have wondered why the conclusions being drawn by social networkers didn’t align with the given information and that many people spreading the information hadn’t seen the smoke firsthand.

On the other side of things, news sources have a responsibility to act as reliable sources.

When we caught wind of the rumors, we arrived on the scene and contacted reliable sources to gather more information. Upon discovering the information, we made a point to correct the inaccuracies being spread around by hopeful students awaiting class cancellations.

For news organizations, it is often easy to submit to sensationalism and use similar rumors as the basis for news stories.

Sometimes, our best work comes from correcting misinformation rather than disseminating new information.

Students must not only exercise better news judgment, but choose the right reliable sources that they can count on to deliver the real story.

EDITOR’S COLUMN

Take Advising Letter To The Editor Season Seriously

nicholas proch The Recorder

This is now my fifth year at Central. Five years of tuition, housing, books, gas, food and countless other monetary obligations that allow my degree to take shape. I thought about putting the time in to find out the exact cost of tuition, housing, books and whatever else I can find that I’ve kept the receipts for, but I didn’t. I chose not to do so, not because I am lazy and overwhelmed with the six classes I am taking, but I didn’t want to think about the amount of money that I’ve payed to this University.

What I can tell you is that this year, my fifth year at this four-year school, I’ll spend at least $15,000 on tuition, rent and my books. This doesn’t include food. Doesn’t include fuel in my car. Doesn’t even include my utility bills. With this money, I could pay off my credit cards, the remainder of my car payments and go on an all-inclusive trip for a week to Punta Cana.

Before this causes me to have a heart palpitation, let me move away from the amount of federal reserve notes that I’m going to spend this year because of my own decisions.

When I came to school, my path was not defined at all. I was thrown into a prebusiness program that didn’t get along with me, and I didn’t get along with it. It wasn’t that there was a lack of understanding for the program and material being taught, but it bored the life out of me. We all come to this campus to learn, but more importantly

be engaged, and this just wasn’t cutting it.

I needed to make a move, and I did, to the communication department. It was at this point that I actually got a fair and close look at what my path should be. However, this time it wasn’t from just myself, I actually had an advisor who went through and told me what I should be taking if I was interested in what to fulfill my major.

I had been getting advising before this change, but I wasn’t taking it very seriously.

Taking classes in whatever subject interested me seemed like more fun than actually taking a math class that I should have been taking.

At this point, my advisor told me that it would be nearly impossible to graduate in four years due to the fact that I had taken so many courses that didn’t fit and skill areas or fill requirements. That was a slap in the face. I was awoken to the fact that I actually needed to listen to what an advisor was telling me.

If you’re a first or even second year student at this University, pay attention to your advisor. You can think that you can figure out what you want to take to graduate, but then you’ll be in a position that a lot of us have been in. It doesn’t hurt to spend 15 minutes with a professor and have them tell you exactly what you should be taking.

You can save yourself a lot of time, money and stress by focusing on your end goal and continually make sure that you are taking what you should be taking. Advising season is upon us, don’t let it pass without making sure you have a plan for your next semester and beyond.

To the Editor: Responding to SGA stray out of order, I have a gavel which I Professionalism (rarely) swing to call the attention of the room back to me, and to direct the attention back We, as students and student organizations on to where it should be. That happened on only campus – from the individual student, to the two occasions during the 1 hour & 36 minute diverse collection of student run clubs and September 21st meeting that the article I’m organizations, to the governing body – are citing is in reference to. Yes, there were other all involved in a life experience of learning, isolated outbursts, but they did not disturb the growing, and preparing for some ever-elusive meeting to a point requiring my intervention. and soon to be obtrusive “real world”. Much Admittedly, Vice President Braun and I get like The Recorder has humbly mentioned frustrated at outbursts during meetings, but in multiple editorials in the past, we all will we are not embarrassed by the senate. We make mistakes from time-to-time, and we will – Treasurer Alaimo, the Vice President, and learn from them. However, this is the time in I – are very proud of this group for their which we learn to be accountable for mistakes productivity and their accomplishments. or inappropriate actions.

Still, more needs to be done, and I will not be satisfied with our group until we reach our full Drawing that comparison again to this potential. This may be an impossible task, but newspaper, as both our current and most it is an enduring goal. recently departed Editor-in-Chief have done at times, I take full responsibility for the All else aside, this is not an attack on the group in which I lead. Unfortunately, I don’t article. In fact, I commend Mr. Stankiewicz have the opportunity to give a read through for writing this piece. It’s always a positive before going public with Senate information. thing for our fellow students to come to our Our meetings are live-tweeted to the campus, meetings and lend us their opinions on how and scrutinized weekly by The Recorder. This we are doing. Jon is an excellent example of is a necessary burden on us, for the sake of the a proactive, involved student, and I would student body. encourage more students on campus follow his lead. His contributions to The Recorder Jonathan Stankiewicz makes a great point this year, both as a writer and a news editor, in his article titled “SGA Professionalism”, have been consistently interesting, poignant, appearing in the September 28 issue, that and relevant to this campus, and deserve “there needs to be a serious and conscious recognition. effort to conduct meetings in an orderly fashion”. Making that effort is my job, and On an ending note, to address the student I take it incredibly seriously. It is not my body and readers of The Recorder: I intention to condone poor behavior, nor is it encourage you to judge us. I also invite you to my intention to excuse it now. It is, however, take into consideration opinion articles such my intention to defend my Senate. as “SGA Professionalism”. I would challenge you, though, to personally attend one of our I am glad this article was written, because it meetings to formulate your own opinion and is important to know how we are perceived judgment should you choose to make one, and at meetings, even if it is only one perspective. I think that you should. Nowhere else, for the The article was also effective; the most recent rest of your life, will you have such easy access meeting was conducted at a higher level of and powerful influence on your representative professionalism, with less outbursts. Referring body as you do here with your CCSU Student to the Student Government Association as Government Association. I implore you to ‘a circus’, though, is what I would refer to as take advantage of this compelling opportunity. sensationalism, and I hold this position as a Our meetings are every Wednesday at 3:05pm matter of fact. I do say this with much due in Bellin A&B in the Student Center. All are respect to Mr. Stankiewicz, and confidence welcome to attend. that he will not take this personally, and I did not [overlook] that this page was marked as Sincerely yours, “OPINION”.

Eric Bergenn I am the one who is in charge of maintaining SGA President order at these meetings. When meetings eric.bergenn@my.ccsu.edu

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5

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 /OPINION

When You Are A Part Of The Story jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

I became a part of the story. As a journalist that is the last thing you want to happen. I know about ethics and I know about the “rules” we are supposed to follow.

I followed them. To the best of my ability, I followed them.

It all started last week with the two new Twitter accounts: @CCSUProblems and @CCSUProblems_. The first one to hit the Internet, @CCSUProblems, started two Sundays ago and @CCSUProblems_ followed three days after.

When I first saw @CCSUProblems I thought it was an authorized CCSU account.

CCSU has many accounts from @CCSU for school news, the automated @CCSUToday for events or @CCSUBlueDevils for everything CCSU sports. I thought it would be easy to assume that they had again started a Twitter feed to help students pinpoint problems on campus. Upon a closer look there is no possible way CCSU would have okay’d this type of twitter feed for the school. Never.

It should be noted that both unauthorized feeds are both under violation of the CCSU logos and CCSU name copyright infringement will not be tolerated, CCSU Associate Vice President of Marketing and Communications Mark W. McLaughlin said.

McLaughlin added that CCSU’s licensing company, Licensing Resource Group, will be sending the people responsible for both feeds a cease and desist letter. So far CCSU doesn’t know who to send them to.

“We are determined to find them,” said a confident McLaughlin. Believe me, he isn’t happy.

When @CCSUProblems came out they started a hashtag, #ccsuproblems and other students immediately started using it and tweeting their own problems. As of Saturday at 11:30 a.m. this feed had about 270 followers in less than a week. Granted not everyone at CCSU on campus is on Twitter, but CANccsu, Central Activities has 227 followers and they’ve been tweeting since 2009.

“One thing to look forward to when drunk: dominos #ccsuproblems,” said @CCSUProblems in one of the first tweets. “what to eat at memorial hall today? the greasy pizza, the molding

fruit or undercooked fries? decisions... #ccsuproblems,” they said in another.

No swearing by this feed, but stating the obvious on Twitter isn’t something to be proud of. Saying “who needs the gym when walking up the hill is enough of a workout,” isn’t something a rocket scientist alone could think up. Or even complaining about the kids in the student center with “that awkward moment when you pass by all the people dressed up in anime costumes in the student center” still is neither funny, nor a smart quip. With only 26 tweets, as of Saturday, @CCSUProblems may not be anything to really worry about.

The newer feed, @CCSUProblems_ is where things go really wrong for these two feeds. The easiest way to tell them apart, @CCSUProblems_ tweets in all CAPS for every single tweet. With less followers this feed has almost four times as many tweets except with mostly racist, insensitive tweets or a combination of the two. With a CCSU picture in the background of the newly renamed mascot Kizer, @CCSUProblems_ name is “Dat Blue Nigga Kizer.” Since I interviewed this feed they have changed the Nigga to Niggi.

They’ve also changed the background to a CCSU logo with @CCSUProblems_ underneath. I don’t like calling things blatantly racist, because as a journalist I greatly honor and respect The First Amendment, but this feed is beyond anything I thought someone could do on Twitter. I stopped counting the “n word” while writing this piece because it doesn’t matter. It shouldn’t be said and it doesn’t need to be. There is no need for the use of it.

Saying things like having sex with a girl “AND SEEING HER AROUND CAMPUS ALL THE TIME” isn’t really something that needs to be said, as important as this feed may think it is. Complaining about CCSU having “THAT ONE GROUP OF ASIANS” and that “ALL THE WORKERS THAT AREN’T TEACHERS ONLY SPEAK SPANISH” is blatantly racist and is abusing The First Amendment. It’s one thing for someone to think things in their mind and it’s another to say them publicly, while simultaneously using your university name and logo.

My editors and I wanted to find out what these feeds wanted to do.

I started talking to both via direct messages on Twitter since no emails were

provided in their profiles. They quickly realized that 140 characters isn’t a lot when trying to answer actual questions. I made myself known and I kept my integrity as a journalist in my words. Both feeds were asked the same questions. The answers were night and day.

The “nicer” @CCSUProblems took my interview quite seriously. They said they got the idea from other Twitter accounts from other schools. After looking one day they realized that CCSU didn’t have one so they decided to start one.

“I never made this twitter account in hopes for change or communicating with the actual school about issues I had,” said @ CCSUProblems. “I literally just made this for entertainment purposes. My tweets are inside jokes only Central students could understand and laugh at, and that is why I think it got popular so fast.” @CCSUProblems noticed that they had been getting a lot of attention quite quickly and offered a possible positive change for the account in the future.

“I personally didn’t start this account to help @CCSU solve/pinpoint problems, but maybe in the long run I could use this account for those beneficial reasons and incorporate it somehow,” said @ CCSUProblems.

Agreeing that the page could be offensive, @CCSUProblems said that everything is all in good fun and that the tweets are just random thoughts most Central students have. “I do think Central and the others against this account are making a big deal out of nothing,” @ CCSUProblems said. “If you don’t like what I’m saying, don’t follow me.” @CCSUProblems_ kept their answers in all CAPS, in case I couldn’t read what they were saying, I guess. They said that they started their feed as a way to express themselves and their discomfort to some of the unfairness CCSU has to offer, and added “AS FOR WHAT WE EXPECT TO GET WE JUST WANT GIRLS.” For a split second before they sent me the email back I thought they were going to take this seriously. I was wrong.

I asked them if they were trying to be funny and they came back with “IS SLAUGHTERING UNICORNS FUNNY? BE CAUSE THATS THE BIGGEST INJUSTICE GOING ON CAMPUS IVE SEEN SO FAR.” I asked them why are they doing this

and they responded, “TWITTER IS JUST A TOOL TO USE. WE MADE THIS JUST TO KEEP IT LIKE SCHOOL AND LIFE ARE HARD SO WHY NOT LAUGH AT A FEW FUNNY TWEETS ABOUT YOUR SCHOOL.” On early Friday morning @ CCSUProblems_ tweeted: “S/O to @ jonstank for running the account @ CCSUProblems.” After that, my Friday became very interesting. At first, I thought nothing of it. I went to work for 9 a.m. after I woke up and went about my business.

Thinking about it for a while I emailed my managing editor and editor-in-chief just to give them a heads up that I was mentioned in one of their tweets.

Just before noon on Friday, Dr. Vivian Martin, head of the journalism department and The Recorder faculty advisor, direct messaged me about the tweet and said that some in the CCSU administration thought that I was behind the @CCSUProblems account. I frantically started emailing Dr. Martin and tried to figure out what my next step was. I told Dr. Martin that it wasn’t me and that I need to fix this. She told me to call McLaughlin and that’s what I did.

McLaughlin and I spoke for almost six minutes and before we both hung up he believed me and I felt better. He told me that if I want to be a journalist someday that I would have to be an idiot, not his word, to be a part of anything like what both of these feeds are doing. I agreed. I thanked him profusely and told him that like him I want to find out who is responsible for these accounts.

I’ve never tried to be a part of the story.

I am an aspiring journalist and I take my work very seriously. I love journalism. More than food. I am a damn good reporter and my teachers and fellow writers will attest to that. I didn’t ask for any of this.

I transferred to CCSU from Manchester Community College and this is my home now. I’m a commuter yes, but this is my school and I respect it, love it, and stick up for it. No one can take that away from me.

When I graduate this December, no one will be able to take away that I graduated from here. I’m a Blue Devil for life.

To both accounts, I say this: you are part of the problem. This is why CCSU is dead on the weekends and this is why students don’t care as much as they should about their school. Complaining is useful only if you are trying to help find solutions.

A Smokey Campus jonathan stankiewicz The Recorder

I don’t mind smoking. It’s insanely expensive and terrible for your health and really annoying sometimes. If that’s what you want to do go for it. But please, please not in front of the buildings on campus.

It’s a huge pet peeve and it’s gross.

“Students may not smoke within twentyfive feet of any on-campus buildings,” says the CCSU Student Handbook.

Yes, smokers have the right and privilege to smoke on campus, that I can’t argue with. But can we please respect the 25 foot rule? Everyday walking out of Willard I am accosted by cigarette smoke and it sucks. No one can control the wind or that it may be cold outside, but smokers can back up and away from the doors, no?

They all seem to crowd around together as to make a wall of smelly doom. They stand at and around the doors to the other buildings on campus too. Twenty five feet doesn’t seem like a lot, but I beg to differ.

That’s five Danny Devitos, 50 dollar bills, or about 150 flat screen TVs back to back.

Have any of us been able to walk in and out of buildings on campus without getting hit by smoke? Ever? Didn’t think so. Shouldn’t it be common courtesy to just respect the rule?

I could bitch about how bad secondhand

smoke is and I could plead for the school to rally together and ban smoking from campus, but that’s not me. I could play the cancer card, but I was never able to meet one of my grandfathers thanks to lung cancer.

I just hate cigarette smoke, plain and simple. Never have, never will. Two of my cousins smoke and every single time I see them I call them out. Every time. No mercy.

Winter is coming and this problem will probably get worse, but something has to be done. I’m not asking for guards at the buildings or even designated areas for smokers. I guess I just want people to be more mindful of their smoke. I don’t even care about citations to students; I just don’t want smoke.

I won’t even play the asthma card or that this campus is a shared public space and should be a safe environment for everyone here. And I won’t bring up all the cigarette butts on the ground that smokers just happen to forget to throw away. Banning smoking from campus is not my goal here.

There has to be a middle ground here, either respect your fellow peers or bug off.

Oh, and goodluck with Malloy’s new tax on cigarettes because it’s going to raise taxes on cigarettes by 40 cents a pack from $3 to $3.40.

SPEAK YOUR MIND! Write for our opinion section!

Contact: editor@centralrecorder.com

6

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / UPGRADE

Central Authors: David Horan’s Battle With Multiple Sclerosis ashley e. lang The Recorder

Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic autoimmune disease that affects the central nervous system, which includes the brain, spinal chord and optic nerves. According to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society 1 in 750 people develop MS, although the likely hood becomes 1 in 40 if a close relative is also affected by MS. For David Horan, his battle with MS remains an ongoing battle, but his determination to tell his story prevails.

Students and faculty gathered Wednesday, Sept. 28 for Central Authors, a 12 segment series featuring local authors within our college community. This past week author and alumni David Horan and English professor Mary Collins, spoke about Horan’s debut book “Escaping Quicksand,” which chronicles Horan’s battle with Multiple Sclerosis.

“Becoming good writers you have to process your life, you have to come to some deeper understanding of why you are here and who you are,” said Collins, who served as Horan’s editor, helping him produce his book. “David has a very complicated story. I am talking to a person who loses movement every day and yet valued movement, every movement that he could do, more than anyone I knew.”

The process wasn’t easy. Collins explained that in order to tell a good story you have to be honest.

“I’m sharing my story, and mine alone,” said Horan. Life hasn’t been easy since his diagnosis; simple tasks that everyone takes for granted became a challenge, ones that aren’t always easy to meet. Simply walking became an obstacle. But Horan has remained optimistic, not only forcing himself to exercise as much as he can on a daily basis, but also, with the help of Collins and his

own inner strength, he wrote “Escaping Quicksand” to help inspire others who might be facing similar difficulties.

“We worked hard, this went on for weeks, hours and hours at a time, taping and listening. As editor it was my job to tease it out and pull it into a structure that made sense, but it was David’s job to deliver the story,” said Collins. “You could tell he really worked hard at it. He really thought through how every aspect of his life had been impacted by this disease.”

Excerpt from book: “Our sense of humor has really helped us see things through. I remember when I first got my diagnosis I told Mary [Horan’s Wife] I might not ever dance with her again, without missing a beat she said that’s okay David you could never dance anyway. And about five years ago when I had the flu getting sick is just awful when you have MS because your body just shuts down completely. I remember crawling upstairs and lying on the floor. I couldn’t get up. Mary just said to me wouldn’t it be great to just feel like shit again. I knew what she meant and agreed and laughed.”

Before his diagnosis and before he began writing, Horan was an award winning salesman in New England.

“The only thing I wrote before this book was sales forecasting,” he said. “I spent my whole career in sales and I never thought in a million years I’d write a book. I had no desire to write a book.”

When Horan was diagnosed with MS he began to write in journals chronicling his thoughts and experiences with the disease, but it was his encounter with Collins that made writing the book a reality.

“The only way I knew I was going to get the story out was if someone sort of pulled it out for me and that’s where Mary [Collins] came in…she sort of drew it out of me,” he said.

REVIEWS Mastodon The Hunter

Reprise September 27

peter strozzkowski The Recorder

Atlanta, Georgia natives, Mastodon, return to the progressive metal scene with The Hunter, their fifth studio album released on September 26th, under Roadrunner Record’s sister label Enterprise Records (yes, that Enterprise Records), all owned by Warner Music Group.

“I killed a man ‘cause he killed my goat” bellows Brent Hinds on ‘Curl of the Burl’, the second track on Mastodon’s latest album. He goes on to ponder the cruel and random nature of the world through the eyes of a drug addict amid Jurassic guitars and bone-crushing drum fills. If this had been any of the band’s previous albums (all connected by either conceptual themes or classical elements, starting with 2002’s incendiary Remission,) the album would likely be a sonic interpretation of a movie somewhere between Requiem for a Dream and Deliverance. The bad news is the goatkilling is kept to a minimum, as this is Mastodon’s first non-conceptual album.

The good news? Mastodon once again deliver a near-flawless barrage of progressive, off-kilter, captivating and absolutely facemelting music. Lead single ‘Black Tongue’ rips open the album with guitarists Hinds and Bill Kelliher locked in for a colossal riff that manages to be simultaneously catchy as all hell. Brann Dailor’s stickwork throughout the song (not to mention, the entire album) drives the guitar-play while providing perfectly-executed accents.

Many a drummer will quit out of frustration and jealousy of the man after encountering this album, especially after learning he also sings lead vocals of a number of the bands’ songs.

Mastodon has demonstrated numerous times in the past exactly how adept they are at merging various sub-genres of aggressive and alternative music. Previous album Crack the Skye blissfully merged sludge, technical metal, psychedelic and hard rock into one beast. That album’s comparatively airy vibe and texture are both captured and expanded upon here in many spots (specifically ‘Stargasm’, ‘Octopus Has No Friends’, and ‘The Hunter’). The group also possesses the ability to compose dynamic and beautiful pieces, utilizing synth and keyboards, acoustic guitar, and ‘lead’ bass guitar as on ‘Creature Lives’, propelled by bassist Troy Sanders’ chord proficiency. Producer Mike Elizondo (Maroon 5, Alanis Morrissette, Dr. Dre), was an unlikely choice to man the boards, but his experience and guidance only add to an already versatile group, providing the songs with a more refined sparkle and musical clarity while retaining nothing less than a seismic bottom end appropriate for heavy bands. Of course, the album doesn’t skimp on head-bangers. ‘Spectrelight’ and the jarring ‘Bedazzled Fingernails’ will keep listeners’ necks in a state of near-injury.

Closer ‘The Sparrow’ caps off the album on a melancholic tone, with mournful vocals and more spaced out instrumentation before a shoegazey solo signals the end of the ride. The only perceivable flaw found herein is that like any great art, Mastodon’s progression may be difficult for older fans as well as newcomers to immediately latch on to, as the real reward of the album is repeated listens.

There is an art to storytelling that fascinates Collins. “It’s not about you anymore, it’s about the power of storytelling and this is a very powerful story and it’s all because of the power of what they have to

say,” she said. “The best part about it, and a completely unexpected quality to it is the greatest love story ever- the way that they are committed to each other as a couple is so inspiring.”

Netflix It:

Visioneers

Photo i B.D. Fox Independent

peter stroczkowski The Recorder

It’s no secret that Zach Galifianakis is hilarious, bizarre and oddly charming.

What many of us may not know, however, is that the man did not simply appear out of fat air to play the role of ‘the bearded guy’ in The Hangover, and its miserably underwhelming sequel The Hangover II. As well as a film and television actor, Galifianakis is also a comedian and writerand lo and behold, he is the star of this hilarious, bizarre, and oddly charming independent film!

Visioneers (directed by Jared drake) is set in a dismal, not-too-distant future wherein George Washington Winsterhammerman (Galifianankis), is a low-level employee of the Jeffers Corporation, a massive conglomerate that runs the United States with its iron fist and ethos of mindless productivity.

A common one-fingered gesture now serves as the polite social greeting, coupled with the statement “Jeffers morning to you.” Winsterhammerman leads a productive and comfortable, but mundane life until people around him, including fellow employees, begin exploding. Yes, literally. Horrified at

what is going on and whether he may be at risk, he attempts to get comfort from his loveless marriage and absentee son. George soon learns from his doctor that the victims of exploding had similar symptoms to him: having dreams, bingeeating and sexual incapability. When George’s dreams intensify and become more frequent, he believes his explosion is inevitable. He quickly begins to doubt the path of his marriage, job, diet and life in general, and attempts to seek true happiness.

The film is equal parts love story, drama and absurdist comedy, and Galifianakis plays his role to perfection as the pitiable, relatable and ultimately lovable. The film is definitely more subtle and complex than what Galifianankis has become popularized for (no hookers, recreational drug use or wolf pack references here folks), so bros and brodettes looking for more accessible humor should await the release of the third Hangover flick.

For those who appreciate eccentricity, charming and unpretentious independent films, or overweight comedians with magnificent beards should give the film a try. At best, or maybe worst, it could leave you questioning the meaning of true happiness.

Photo i B.D. Fox Independent

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / UPGRADE

Photo Story: East/West Gallery: Contempory Printmakers

Photo I Aida Fung

The East/West Art Exhibit, featuring contemporary printmakers, has been going on since September 14 and will continue until October 14. The gallery is open from 1:00-4:00 p.m. from Monday to Friday in Maloney Hall. The East and West theme is derived from the art itself. Art from students around the country at various universities are featured.

Photos: Homecoming Week

Photo I Daniel Saunders

Left: Comedian Erik Rivera performed at Semesters as a part of CAN’s homecoming week festivities.

Bottom Left: SGA President Eric Bergenn and Senator Ryan Sheehan shoot t-shirts into the crowd at the PepRally.

Top Right: Students play on an oversized chess set during the CAN carnival.

Bottom Right: Football coach Jeff McInerney addresses the crowd at the Pep-Rally.

Photo I Aida Fung

Kenny Barto I The recorder

Kenny Barto I The recorder

8

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / UPGRADE

Rogenʼs Redemption Is Funny And Sweet

Dear Ellie,

matthew clyburN the recorder

Strangely enough, 50/50 is not Seth Rogen’s first cancer-centric comedy.

However, this is the first one that he was directly involved in off-screen.

If you go back through Rogen’s career just two years on IMDb, you’ll see that he was a supporting player in Adam Sandler’s Funny People in 2009. Funny People was an idea with lots of potential, but ultimately poor delivery. As with most Sandler movies, the first half hour were funny and the concluding ninety minutes was filled with contrived sadness and awkward plot points.

This new entry into the cancer comedy genre is everything that Funny People couldn’t be, smart, well-paced and wellblended. In other words, with Joseph Gordon-Levitt (500 Days of Summer, Inception) in a starring role and Jonathan Levine at the helm, 50/50 is a phenomenal film and nothing short of atonement for Rogen.

50/50 is not what the studio says it is.

It’s not about two friends making light of a dark situation, it’s much more than that. This film tells the story of a relatable character living with a disease rather than dying from it.

This movie is based on a true story; Will Reiser, author of the screenplay, tells the story of his own experience with a lifethreatening bout of cancer. Rogen plays himself as the friend of a mild-mannered twentysomething facing a rather grim prognosis. Gordon-Levitt carries the author’s narrative with the force and grace of a veteran actor. Rogen and Reiser are actually long-time friends and this film is based on some of their experiences together while Reiser dealt with his illness.

The astonishingly believable performances don’t stop there. Bryce Dallas Howard (The Village, Lady in the Water) plays Gordon-Levitt’s girlfriend with struggles of her own, among them fidelity and honesty. Howard, having moved out from under her father’s (Ron Howard) shadow and the grasp of M. Night Shymalan, has been consistent in several recent films.

My favorite of her recent work is Hereafter, a Matt Damon flick worth catching up on if you missed it in theaters. In 50/50 Howard plays with ease a woman that is loved, hated,

Ask Ellie I would prefer if I remain anonymous asking for this advice because I'm a private person. There's a guy I like, or used to like for that matter (I'm still not sure), and he liked this girl in high school. I thought they would be happy together, but then I found out from that same girl that even if they were a couple, it wouldn't work out due to their religions. In a way, I'm kind of happy that I might have a chance with him. The only problem is, I don't have his number and I don't want to stalk him at his college. Long story short, should I just wait until I see him again or move on with my life? I'm kind of considering each choice as a 50/50.

Signed, Anonymous Dear Anonymous,

Photo i maNdate Pictures

and forgiven by our main character and the audience.

Anna Kendrick (Up In The Air) takes on a new type of character as the 24-year-old therapist that Gordon-Levitt’s character sees during his struggle. A blossoming romantic tension and chemistry between the two hangs just below the surface throughout the movie, unleashing a brand of subtlety and care that few directors display nowadays. Levine truly saves the best for last by creating a foundation upon which to build our desires for these two complex characters.

Kendrick is definitely one to watch in the future. Her performance in Up In The Air was excellent, and this shows us a different side to her abilities that I can’t wait to see unfold in many films to come.

She is everything we want and nothing we don’t. In a word, perfect.

While Gordon-Levitt’s character spends several hours in the hospital awaiting chemotherapy, he befriends two older gentlemen undergoing treatments as well.

Played by Matt Frewer (Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, Dawn of the Dead) and Philip Baker Hall (Magnolia, The Talented Mr. Ripley), the trio engages in a bit of pot smoking and

a lot of sharing. The relationship built here extends beyond the hospital waiting room and one tragic turn in the friendship sets a foundation for the anxiety leading up to the film’s climax.

With all of these fantastic performances, it would be unfair to take any credit away from Gordon-Levitt’s approach to this role (perhaps his best to date). If you get a chance to watch the man in a noncharacter interview, you will see that he truly transformed himself for this role. We can each see a little bit of ourselves in him, and we should. This goes for everything the main character experiences, from laughs to awkwardness, and from silence to a painful scream that serves as a vehicle for raw human emotion.

The laughs are interwoven respectfully and artfully as we digest this difficult topic; they are all in the traditional Rogen style, but with less edge. The directing and writing are top notch. As we roll into a time of year when many Oscar contenders begin to debut in theaters, I recommend you see 50/50. This understated comedy might surprise you with its disarming charm, and will likely turn a few heads during award season.

First and foremost I want you to know that you are not alone in your circumstances. So many women feel like they've missed their opportunities with the guy of their dreams-or feel as though they're about to miss that chance--and feel like something must be done. Unfortunately, there isn't always a clear answer. You're absolutely right in not wanting to stalk this guy at his college, as that would undoubtedly be creepy. Given that you don't have his phone number, you're limited on your options. If you feel comfortable, I might try to get in touch with him through mutual friends or the almighty power of Facebook. If not, there is nothing wrong with waiting until the next time you see him. However, I want to clarify that waiting doesn't mean holding out. You can't put your life on hold in the hopes that something will happen with this gentleman down the road. In the meantime, forget about him! Put it on the back burner, live your life, and address it the next time you run into him. I hope this helps!

Much love, Ellie So I have been looking for a man for a while but my flirting techniques don't work. What should I try to draw the attention of a man?

Signed....Lonely at C Dear Lonely at C, Flirting never has been and never will be a science. Trust me, I struggle with that one myself! Different men like different approaches, and what one guy likes may turn off another. It's endlessly frustrating, but it's a fact of life. Still there are a few classic and safe moves to try. If you're engaged in a serious conversation, it's important to remind your guy that you're interested in what he has to say. Follow up with questions--even if he's discussing the scientific process of plant growth--so he knows that you're listening. If the conversation is casual, don't be afraid of playful banter. A little sass never hurt anyone!

Either way, eye contact is key. He's never going to realize you're interested if you're gazing out the window. Other than that, just be yourself! The last thing anyone needs is to end up in a relationship with someone who isn't what they seemed. Be proud of who you are, and it will show. Someone once told me "the sexiest thing a girl can wear is her confidence." So strut your stuff, Lonely, and I bet you won't be lonely much longer!

Need Advice ask Ellie!

Much love, Ellie

Need Advice? ask Ellie! [ The Recorderʼs new advice columnist]

Send your questions about love, [ The Recorderʼs new advice columnist] sex, money, school - anything to: upgrade@centralrecorder.com Photo i maNdate Pictures

9

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / UPGRADE

Moneyball Comes Out Swinging Nick rosa

the recorder

Moneyball begins with footage from the 2001 American League Division Series between the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees, showing their collapse to New York after being up two games to zero and losing three games to two. You see players like Johnny Damon, Jason Giambi and Jason Isringhausen in their prime days as the leadership of the young A’s team, and after that devastating series loss these big names wouldn’t be back in the 2002 season.

This is where the film takes off. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is the general manager of the lowest-salaried Major League Baseball team and needs to find a way to replace those huge names with the little money they have.

With the Yankees and Red Sox working with hundreds of millions of dollars, Beane and his A’s have to do their best with what they have.

Beane, who failed as a MLB player, moves into management and is driven by his urge to win. In 2002, he leads his team to a 20 game winning streak, which set an American League record after starting the season with an 11 game losing streak. Moneyball is much more about the conflict between intuition and statistics than it is about sports.

Having to rebuild an MLB team with a salary a little less than 40 million dollars, Beane and his team of scouts look to find the best players with the money they have.

After a meeting with the Cleveland Indians in trade talks, he meets young Yale graduate Peter Brand ( Jonah Hill) who he brings to Oakland to help with their situation. He persuades Beane with his number-crunching skills and his analysis of players to help arrive at a potential winning team of undervalued players that’s within their salary cap. He is hired by Beane as the assistant general manager for his knowledge of decades of statistical analysis and argues that scouts are lookingat the wrong attributes in players.

Brand is a stark contrast between the hard

headed scouts in the room who argue against this young man’s thoughts and say experience and intuition should be valued more.

Brand’s character is a composite character based on many individuals, representing people that helped Beane during this transition in 2002.

Pitt plays an excellent roll in Beane, who is a lonely man getting out of a divorce and trying to be there for his daughter. Never at a home game, he drives around listening to games on the radio, knowing that if his theories fail he will be out of a job at Oakland and maybe even baseball. He’s faced with opposition by the manager, Art Howe (Phillip Seymour Hoffman), who thinks his experience, just like the scouts, shouldn’t be insulted by the theories of a young Yale graduate who has only been around the game

for a very short amount of time.

The director, Bennett Miller, who also directed Hoffman in Capote, did an amazing job in showing a film not just about baseball but what the game is really about. He didn’t just make it for the sports fan, and it can be equally enjoyed by non-sports fans. He does a great job at capturing the big moments in baseball with beautiful and emotional visuals that put you back to the importance and greatness of that 20 game winning streak.

The film was also written by two accomplished screenwriters, Steven Williams (Gangs of New York) and Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network). Moneyball definitely reminded me of The Social Network in a lot of ways. The film does look like that film in its visuals, score and character conflict. The cinematography and scene selection give the

audience a more indepth look of Beane’s idea and what it did for baseball. After losing in the postseason again, with a subpar team nonethe-less, Beane is offered the highest contract for a GM in history by the RedSox. For those who don’t know the story, I won’t ruin it, but let’s say that the Red Sox won the 2004 World Series by adapting the theories of former bust MLB player and now great GM. Beane changed the game to having a computer assemble a team better than human instinct. He emphasizes that it’s not about the 20 game winning streak they had, but what’s most important is winning the last game of the season.

Even if you aren’t a baseball fan, sports fan or aware of baseball statistics, Moneyball is a film that delivers a performance for all to enjoy and understand.

Photo i columbia Pictures

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THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / SPORTS SPORTS BEGINS ON BACK PAGE

COLUMN

Real Men Wear Pink

brittaNy burke the recorder

As I sat and watched the Giants game from my couch on Sunday I couldn’t help but feel slightly conflicted. Don’t get me wrong, I wanted the Giants to win, but I also wanted Larry Fitzgerald to do well.

This hope has nothing to do with whether or not I like Fitzgerald, although I believe he is truly a class act. No, what drove my yearning for him to play exceptionally well against my beloved Giants is the fact that October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and Fitzgerald has vowed to help make a difference.

For every catch that he makes in the month of October he has pledged to donate $1,000 and for every touchdown he makes he will donate $10,000 for national breast cancer research. The pledge was made in honor of his mother, Carol, who died during her cancer treatments in 2003.

The NFL and American Cancer Society has once again teamed up for the “A Crucial Catch” campaign, in which players, coaches and officials don pink in hopes to raise awareness of how important it is for females to take care of themselves and get the recommended screenings.

Yes, Fitzgerald has gone above and beyond to help find a cure for breast cancer, but donating thousands of dollars isn’t the only way to make an impact.

Personally, no matter how small the change is, I can’t help but love seeing the football players wearing hot pink hats, tape, gloves and towels. Football is supposed to be an extremely masculine sport, but the players put the stereotypes aside for a month to use their celebrity to help.

It is expected of professional athletes to do these sorts of things, because that is what they are told they have to do, but it was nice to see players from CCSU and SHU wearing pink on homecoming.

It was even nicer to find out that the players did it by choice, without being told. The athletes did it because they truly wanted to help raise awareness.

So many people are affected by breast cancer, so it’s always encouraging to be reminded that doing what you can to help the cause is enough, no need for extravagance.

Last year the volleyball team wore white and pink uniforms and this year the football players join the professionals and added the bright pops of color to an otherwise dismal afternoon of Blue Devils football.

I know I keep writing about initiatives made by Paul Schlickmann and his idea of getting the players involved in the community, but again this is just another example of doing such.

Over the next month take a page from the athlete’s books and help those who have been affected not just by breast cancer, but all cancers. Specifically, breast cancer is the leading diagnosis in women and one in eight women will be identified as having it.

So think how much effort does it take to wear pink one day, preach awareness or even donate a few dollars? Just think if the athletes can conjure awareness in the prime of their season than any student can do the same.

CCSU Hockey Club Relying on Experience brittaNy burke the recorder

The 2010-2011 CCSU club hockey season could be labeled as a rebuilding year.

After losing over 10 athletes to graduation in the previous season, including many topliners, the young Blue Devil team entered the season facing mountains of adversity.

However, with another year of experience under their belts, a new president and a new ice rink to call home, the Blue Devils are confident going into the 2011-2012 season.

Unlike the year before, the Blue Devils are only losing a few athletes including former president Ryan Beaulieu, team staple and captain, Tom Carrol and CCSU veteran Eric Blewett. While the number of players may be small their size and contributions to the team lineup will be missed.

“We lost the backbone of our defensive core with Beaulieu and Tommy leaving but we got some guys that are going to step up into new roles and be able to pull it off,” said Team President Evan Mink.

Despite the losses on the roster, the team has a core group of returning veterans as well as a solid list of new players. Ryan Stanley, the Super East Collegiate Hockey League Player of the Year is returning for his junior year along with former linemate, Jonathan Knobloch.

While the two are no longer on the same line, their offensive talents remain an asset to give the team depth. Stanley lead the SECHL in points and assists, while coming in second in goals scored. Right behind Stanley was Knobloch, also taking top five spots in all three areas.

“Those guys are going to have the most points on our team,” said Mink. “You can expect Stan to score five goals when no one else is gonna score and Knobs, he’s just one of the grittiest players I’ve ever been with hell go into any corner and come out with the puck.”

Also returning are goalie duo, Ross Mocko and Greg Coco as well as the newly named president, Mink, and with at least 15 other Blue Devils from last year’s roster.

Having a stable returning core will help the team overcome its issues from last season.

“I think a year of experience under our belt is going to help us tremendously. Last year people didn’t know what to expect, we didn’t know what team we were this year we kind of got more of an identity as a dump and chase. We’re not going to have talent people but we’re gonna out-work them,” said Stanley. “Last year we’d play two periods pretty good and have a lapse of one period and that would cause us the game and you know we’re not gonna have, like I said a talent team so we’re not going to be able to only put in two periods we’re gonna have to play all three and really put a complete game together.”

Aside from losing a chunk of its roster, the other major shakeup for last season was the move from Newington to Simsbury.

While the Newington ice rink is just minutes away from campus, the team played at International Skating Center in Simsbury due to bidding costs. This caused a switch in team practices, which had a tremendous effect on the athletes once they took the ice on game day.

The problem has been remedied this year, with a move back to Newington. Now, instead of 9:45 p.m. practices, the team is back to 6 a.m. While the practices may be earlier and the games have later start times, these are tradeoffs willing to be made to skate less than two miles away. “[The dues have] gone up because Newington’s a little more money, but I mean it’s closer, so we pay for convenience,” said Mink. “The drive to Simsbury was just killing team morale, nobody wanted to go to practice, [but] people are definitely going way harder this year. [Being in Newington is] definitely going to help us out a lot, we’re gonna go more, we have

more of a drive to play to wake up every day and I think we’re going to have a more successful season.”

Another change that had to be made to get the team back to Newington was increased dues. This year’s team must pay $925 per semester for returning players and $1075 for newcomers, but the increase in amount per semester is worth the ease of Newington.

The closer rink should also help increase the amount of fan support at the games. “There’s a big difference between going one minute and going a half hour because people want to see us play, but we’re so far off campus, but this year it’s an easy selling point saying, ‘Hey we’re right down the road,’ opposed to, ‘Hey we’re 30 minutes down the road,’” said Stanley. “So I don’t know what to expect our first game, but hopefully we get a decent crowd and get good support from Central.”

CCSU’s first game of the season is against the University of New Haven. The Blue Devils haven’t played the Chargers since the 2009-2010 season, but the team knows no matter what they have to come out with the early season win.

Following the Oct. 7 game against UNH, the schedule really picks up, with a game at William Patterson followed by two home games the next week against the University of New Hampshire and New York University.

“We got to hit the ground running,” said Stanley. “We have five games in the first nine days so there’s no time to sulk or figure things out … The University of New Haven is a team we haven’t played yet, but from what we heard they’re not going to be our strongest opponent, but there’s no way we should overlook them. It’s our first game as a team together so it’s always special, and we see what we got then we have William Paterson who’s usually a powerhouse.”

CCSU plays at Newington against UNH on Friday at 8:50 p.m.

A Little Yoga Might Be Good For You Nicholas Proch the recorder

The first time that Ta’rin’ii got me into the ‘happy baby’ position I thought I was going to pass out. My legs, back, arms and core were under so much tension that I could have snapped into pieces. In case you’re wondering, I didn’t.

Yoga is one of the many classes that RECentral offers. They are taught by Ta’rin’ii who has been teaching classes at the school for quite some time.

“We offer about 50 classes a week between all the things that we offer,” said Ken DeStefanis who is the Recreation Specialist for RECentral, “everything from yoga, boot camp, cycling and even aquatone in the pool.”

This is the fourth year that RECentral has been in operation as a full-time initiative, according to DeStefanis.

In the winter of last year I started going to yoga classes to see what they were like. I had never taken anything like that before. At this point, I try and go once or twice a week. It’s a much harder workout than most people think it is.

I’ve done a lot of fitness classes and training and this is up there in terms of total body exertion. If you’re looking to get in shape and clear your head, this is a great place to go.

When I first started going, there were no more than ten people in the class every time.

Now I need to make sure that I show up at least ten minutes early to make sure there is a spot for me.

“We outgrew the small fitness center in the basement of Kaiser, then the dance studio,” said DeStefanis, “now we’re in Davidson just to accommodate the crowds.

Typically we turn people away once we hit 40 in the room.”

Guys, if you’re worried about going and being embarrassed by your female counterparts, don’t be. Not only is the environment very inviting and stress-free, but you won’t be the only male in the class.

Typically there are a good amount of men in each class.

If you don’t know the moves, it doesn’t matter. Ta’rin’ii will help you.

According to DeStefanis, “she has a great following and can really be teaching anywhere in the country; we’re lucky to have

her here.”

If you think that you’re too macho to come down and get intimate with the mats, then you should rethink that, I guarantee you will leave covered in sweat and completely relaxed.

This kind of stress relief is very important in a college atmosphere. Between the rush of classes, work and whatever else it is that you do, taking some time for your body and mind is never a bad idea. And if you don’t know what the happy baby position looks like; then you should look it up and imagine how it feels to sustain that pose for several minutes at the tail-end of your workout.

The schedule for yoga and other fitness classes can be found on RECentral’s website, which is on CCSU site. Yoga classes are taught in Davidson 123 throughout the week.

11

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / SPORTS

Volleyball Head Coach Looks For Elusive NEC Title Kenny Barto The Recorder

For twelve straight seasons, the Blue Devils’ women’s volleyball team has had a familiar face at the helm of the 26-year program. Linda Sagnelli, who has racked up 181 wins in her CCSU career, is the only coach in the program to last over five years.

“The sport here at Central is phenomenal,” Sagnelli said. “I think it’s when your athletes buy in and work hard for you, you learn things from them everyday, and I respect my athletes a lot.”

In the five years prior to Sagnelli arriving, the Blue Devils got over ten wins just once, and held a dismal 41-125 record under coach Leo Uzcategui. With Uzcategui out the door, CCSU decided to hire Sagnelli, who only had a .406 winning percentage at Iona College in New Rochelle, NY. “They were struggling when I got here, they were at the bottom of the conference in the five previous years,” Sagnelli said.

“But, my first season here, we were able to turn it around and get third place in the conference, which was extremely great for the kids at the time.”

Although Sagnelli posted a sub-.500 winning percentage as volleyball coach at Iona, she has been the only coach to be named coach of the year in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) in two different sports. She earned the MAAC softball coach of the year in 1992, followed by volleyball coach of the year in 1994.

“I had the double duty of coaching volleyball and softball, which had it’s own difficulties,” Sagnelli said. “I was there for 14 years, and had a great experience, and

learned a lot.”

Sagnelli also has an impressive professional career which supplements her many years of coaching experience. She is an alum of C.W. Post University, as well as a member of their athletics’ hall of fame.

She was a member of their storied 1982 team that went 47-5, which still holds up as the best season in school history. They were nationally ranked, and made a trip to the NCAA tournament in Division II. “Wow, my senior year,” Sagnelli said with a smile. “That was an awesome year!

Some years there are special teams, and I was fortunate to play on one. We set all kinds of records, went to the NCAA tournament. It was just a special, balanced team that doesn’t come around very often.”

Sagnelli was the captain and team MVP for three straight seasons (1980-1982). She was also named the MVP for the regional championship in 1982 by the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW). She was a member of a specially selected collegiate team that competed for the Viking Cup in Sweden. She also played against tough competition in 1983 in a national tournament as a member of “The Windchimes.”

So far at CCSU, Sagnelli has posted the most wins and is second in win percentage (.559) to coach Jing Pu (.716) who coached the 1993 and 1994 teams. From 2003 to 2007, she only broke double digit losses once when she went 19-10 in 2006.

The Blue Devils have made it to the NEC championship game twice under Sagnelli, but they have never been able to win it.

“We’ve been a top four team every year,” Sagnelli said. “It’s been elusive, but I know that we will eventually get it, we just need to be able to put all the pieces in place.”

kenny barto I THE RECORDER

Volleyball head coach Linda Sagnelli high fives every player during pregame introductions.

Photos of CCSU’s 37-24 Loss Against Sacred Heart

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

Chris Tolbert fights off a Sacred Heart defender. Tolbert led the Blue Devils with 66 yards on 19 attempts.

Kenny Barto I THE RECORDER

Gunnar Jespersen makes one of his 26 passing attempts.

VOLLEYBALL | cont. from 12 had to be ready. It was unfortunate that our middle went down on the first play of the game, Jen [Waddill] stepped on someone’s foot landing from a block, and we lost her for the rest of the match.”

With Waddill returning to the bench on crutches for the second set, the Blue Devils adjusted and beat the Pioneers 25-22. CCSU’s largest lead was five, and held Sacred Heart to just a .095 hitting percentage.

The next two sets were too tough for CCSU, however, as they were beaten relatively easily, 2517 and 25-14. The Blue Devils’ hitting percentages were just .121

and .065 respectively. The Blue Devils’ only successive points in both sets was in the third set, when the score went from 3-1 SHU to 4-3 lead by CCSU. “I thought in transition, we were right there with them,” said Sagnelli. “We just have to work on not giving up sloppy plays with the ball. I think we gave Sacred Heart plays that were lack of communication on our part, and it’s just inexcusable.”

The Blue Devils will hit the road for the first time in their conference schedule this weekend. They will face St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday, followed by the 4-0 Robert Morris team on Sunday.

Dan Saunders I THE RECORDER

SHU running back Greg Moore scores on a 9 yard run. Moore led the Pioneers with 12 rushes for 53 yards.

12

THE RECORDER / Wednesday, October 5, 2011 / SPORTS

Blue Devils’ Fire Dimmed

CCSU Turnovers Lead To Second Straight Home Loss Brittany Burke The Recorder

The cloudy sky and threat of rain that surrounded the CCSU campus Saturday morning didn’t divert the loyal Blue Devil family and friends from filling up Kaiser three hours before kickoff. Blue pop-up tents could be seen throughout the lot, occupied by alumni, fans, groups of students and the teams families.

The excitement heightened as the marching band made its way to the stands and the anonymous students in the blue and lime green suits ran around hyping up the tailgaters. All the commotion was in support of Blue Devils homecoming, the most highly anticipated home game of the football season. In spite of the dismal weather people had hope that the Blue Devils would rebound from last week’s loss and come away with a win over the Sacred Heart Pioneers, but that didn’t happen.

“I’m a senior and this one hurt man, it really hurt,” said London Lomax. “This is the last time me and Gunnar and a lot of us get to have a homecoming and I think we all got to take pride in that. We all got to take pride in not just about me or about Gunnar but as a team we’re tryin to build a tradition, trying to build a winning tradition. All this is done for us and we have to come together, we really do.”

As the afternoon wore on it was clear that the Blue Devils would not regain their momentum, and for the second straight week at home, CCSU lost, this time to the Pioneers 37-24. The last time the Blue Devils lost backto-back games was in 2003.

“I think this team, it started out okay, we got a little bit of a bad break when Gunnar broke his hand, but for some unknown reason when we win two championships we can’t get over the hump and it starts and stops with me,” said Head Coach Jeff McInerney.

“Obviously players have to hold on to the football, but when you get caught up about winning championships you forget the little things that you have to do to win games and unfortunately for this team we haven’t been doing that for the past two weeks and when you don’t do those things you won’t win.”

The Blue Devils took an early 14-0 lead in the first quarter with touchdowns coming from Chris Tolbert and Deven Baker. Tolbert came away with seven on the Blue Devils’ opening drive with a 15-yard run.

“It’s been apparent here lately that we get up on people and we can’t just run away with football games like we should,” said starting quarterback, Gunnar Jespersen. “I don’t know if we’re just getting in this lull where we just

Wide Receiver Nick Bacarella fumbles during the fourth quarter of Saturday’s game. The Blue Devils turned the ball over four times during the second half. play tight football games and that’s what we do here at Central, but that’s not how we win football games and we shouldn’t have had a sputter where we did.”

With Brian Fowler out of the lineup for Saturday’s game, freshman Darius Lee stepped in as his replacement, scoring in the second quarter off a Lomax forced fumble, the thirteenth for the Blue Devils this season.

In under a minute to play going into the half, SHU struck again with a 9-yard run from Greg Moore. Moore found the end zone twice against the Blue Devils, putting his team within one score of CCSU. The Blue Devils might have forged ahead early in the game, but the second half was an

entirely different ball game. CCSU allowed for SHU to gain momentum and outscore the home team 23-3, with 16 unanswered points.

“It’s been a challenge for this team. We just couldn’t do 60 minutes, we could do pieces then it’s almost like we get bored with it … that’s how you lose games, you get up 14-0 and we don’t do the little things right and again that starts and stops with me and that’s the only answer I have I don’t want to make an excuse because that’s very disappointing, I do not like mediocrity and that’s what I saw,” said McInerney.

A 50-yard touchdown completion from Tim Little to Robert Dim seemed to be the final strike as SHU took the lead from

kenny barto I THE RECORDER

CCSU for the first time all game. After Dim’s touchdown to make the game 28-24 the Blue Devils were never able to gain the advantage back.

Instead SHU found both the uprights and the end zone one more time before the game clock ran out.

Ball security was the main issue of the day, with CCSU’s Nick Bacarella, Raul Debenenditis and Tolbert fumbling the ball and Jespersen throwing two interceptions.

The Blue Devils may have lost the homecoming game, but the team can’t dwell on the two-time defeat. Next Saturday CCSU travels to UMass to take on the Minutemen in an out-of-conference game at 6 p.m.

Volleyball Drops Bac k-to-Bac k Home Games

Kenny Barto The Recorder

kenny barto I THE RECORDER

Emily Cochran attempts a kill during action against Long Island on Saturday.

Homecoming weekend brought in two tough opponents that sat atop of the Northeast Conference standings and both teams proved to be too tough for the Blue Devils volleyball team. Long Island (9-10, 4-1 NEC) and Sacred Heart (13-5, 4-0 NEC) both played outstanding on CCSU’s home court, beating the Blue Devils in four sets.

“We can’t make unforced errors,” Head Coach Linda Sagnelli said.

“When a mistake happens and it starts to snowball, and then you get three mistakes in a row, that’s when a point spread happens, we just can’t do that.”

The weekend doubleheader started with Long Island, a team that had two girls on the attack that had serious power behind their shots.

Annika Foit and Hanna Gibeau posted 25 and 21 kills respectively, and gave CCSU fits all game long.

Foit earned her third NEC rookie of the week of the year for her performance in both games that the

Blackbirds played.

“We knew about her coming in,” Sagnelli said. “We worked and worked in practice to try to get things right defensively for her, but we just struggled from the beginning of the first set.”

Foit got the first three kills in the first set putting the Blue Devils at a 3-1 deficit early. The Blue Devils were able to fight back during the entire set and were able to come within one point at 22-21 late in the set. Long Island fought back, however, and won the set 25-22.

In the second set the Blue Devils trailed by as much as five points. The team was able to fight back and Blaike King got a key kill with the match at 24-23 for Long Island. The kill forced “overtime,” but CCSU eventually fell to the Blackbirds, 29-27.

In set number three, the Blue Devils’ fast start eventually led to forcing a fourth set with LIU. CCSU scored nine straight points against the Blackbirds to take a 9-1 lead early in the set. LIU climbed back in with the score at 11-6, and

scored six points in the next seven opportunities. The rest of the set was back and forth, but CCSU was able to hold on 28-26.

LIU dominated much of the fourth set, as CCSU fell 25-20. The Blue Devils had the lowest hitting percentage at .207 at a time that was crucial to force a fifth set.

“We struggled from point one,” Sagnelli said. “Everything was a little off, but we still managed to get this thing to go four [sets]. Long Island played great, and we just couldn’t get into any type of passing rhythm, or defensive rhythm.”

Sunday brought in an even tougher opponent in Sacred Heart.

CCSU’s in-state rival had beaten big programs like Rutgers, UConn, Maryland, and Yale. The Pioneers did not disappoint, and simply dominated the first set, beating the Blue Devils 25-16 with an impressive .500 hitting percentage.

“They play a steady game of volleyball,” Sagnelli said. “They have players that can come in and take huge rips at the ball, so our defense VOLLEYBALL | cont. on 11