The Chronicle- October 30, 2012

The Chronicle

October 30, 2012

The weekly student newspaper of The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York Visit us on the web at www.strosechronicle.com

Volume LXXXI Issue 11

Students Show Golden Knights Pride for Midknight Madness See Page D20 for Full Story

Saint Rose students came out to show support for the men’s and women’s basketball on Thursday, October 25 for the annual Midknight Madness.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

Saint Rose Students Take Care of Their Own ‘You Think You’re Fancy, Huh?’

By KELLIE MCGUIRE ing and caused power outages in energy source, it is only good Well, You Just Might Be Staff Writer sections of the residence hall. for 90 minutes. Since it does not A sound similar to a gunshot and a flash startled students of Brubacher Hall, one of Saint Rose’s first-year residence hall buildings, on Monday night.

Two of the building’s three electrical feeds from a National Grid pole had stopped function-

News & Features

“National Grid received a call about an outage at Brubacher Hall on Monday evening around 7:30 p.m.,” said Patrick Stella, spokesperson for National Grid.

“We sent crews to the scene and found a faulty fuse on a nearby pole that caused the outage.”

While Brubacher has a backup

power the fire alarm system, the 314 students were asked to evacuate at approximately 8:30pm for their own safety.

Brubacher Hall is leased to The College of Saint Rose by the University of Albany. Residence Continuued on page A5

Arts & Opinion

By REGINA IANNIZZOTTO Opinion Editor

Harvest Fest Presents Fancy Fest 2012 was held in St. Joseph Hall on October 23, 2012. With a “Battle of the Fanciest,” tables upon tables of club activities, and other activities for students to do,

the students and Student Association officers gave rave reviews.

“I think the event was great!” said SA President Danielle Serrano. “It definitely had some unique aspects to it.”

SA Director of Social ActiviContinuued on page A8

Sports

Students surveyed on politics.

See pages A2

Cloud Atlas is a genre-bending film of epic scope and ambitious heights.

See pages B10

Staff Writer Michael Smith talks about the upcoming NBA season.

See page D16

Girls 4 God redefines beauty.

See pages A6

An update from a rosebud in London.

See page C15

Women’s volleyball wins a thriller in five sets.

See page D18

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News

The Chronicle

October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

Saint Rose Students Surveyed on Politics Dr. Paul Knudson and his students in political sociology conducted a survey of Saint Rose students in regards to the upcoming U.S. presidential election. A total of 182 students were surveyed during the week of October 4th through the 17th. The basic demographic make-up of the sample of 182 students was 61.5 percent female and 38.4 percent male. 19 percent of the students surveyed were freshmen, 18 percent were sophomores, 31 percent were juniors, 26 percent were seniors, and 4 percent were graduate students. The students surveyed were 64 percent white, 14 percent African American, 14 percent Hispanic, 4 percent Asian, and 4 percent other.

Below are the results of some of the questions asked in the survey: 1) If you are planning to vote in the upcoming presidential election, which candidate do you support?

Obama: 77.5% Romney: 18.1% Gary Johnson (Libertarian): 2.2% Other (Constitutional, Green Party): 2.2% 2) What political affiliation best describes yourself?

Strong Democrat or Somewhat Democrat: 51.6% Independent: 24.3% Strong Republican or Some what Republican: 17.7% Other: 6.6% 3) How much does religion play a role in shaping your political beliefs?

None: 42.9% Somewhat of role: 23.1% A fair amount: 17.6% A large amount: 12.1% A very large amount: 4.4% 4) How often do you follow politics?

Daily: 11.5% A few times a week: 23.1% Weekly: 20.1% A few times a month: 18.7% Monthly: 4.4% A few times a year: 11.5% Never: 10.4% 5) What issue is most important to you?

Foreign affairs: 9.7% Taxes and budget deficit:14.2% Jobs and the economy: 60.2% Health care: 15.9% 6) Please select the answer that best describes your opinion on abortion.

Abortion should be illegal in all circumstances: 7.2%

I support abortion under certain circumstances (exceptions for rape and the health of mother): 35.0% I support abortion under any circumstance, it is the right of the individual and her physician to make the choice: 57.1% 7) Please mark the option that best reflects your opinion on same-sex marriage.

Same sex marriage should be legal in the United States:77.3% I support civil unions but not same-sex marriage: 11% I oppose both civil unions and same-sex marriage: 11% 8) Please select the option that best reflects your opinion on President Obama’s health care law.

It is mostly positive: 32.4% Neutral: 32.4% It is mostly negative: 13.7% Don’t know: 20.3% 9) Please select the option that best reflects your views on the current war in Afghanistan.

The war needs to end, and we should bring all soldiers currently serving there back to the U.S.: 60% The war needs to end, but we should keep a few thousand soldiers in Afghanistan for peacekeeping: 30.6% The war should proceed but changes in strategies and tactics are needed: 9.4% Other main findings of the survey: 10) The strongest relationship between someone’s affiliations and their views came on Obama’s health care plan. 70.6% of Strong Democrats said it was mostly positive compared to 11% of Strong Republicans.

President Barack Obama

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11) African Americans (95%), Hispanics (84.6%), and Asians (100%) are more likely to support Obama for reelection than whites (69.6%).

Governor Mitt Romney 12) Women (81.6%) are more likely to support Obama for reelection than men (70.6%).

13) People who say religion plays a very large role in their life support Mitt Romney in higher numbers than those who say it plays no role, 27.8% compared to 14.5%.

14) Strong Democrats (88.2%) and Independents (88.8%) are more likely to support same-sex marriage than somewhat Republicans (63.6%) and Strong Republicans (44.4%)

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

15) Strong Democrats (76.5%) were much more likely than Strong Republicans to support abortion under any circumstances (11.1%) 16) Strong Democrats (70.6%) and Somewhat Democrats (74.6%) were more likely than Strong Republicans (22.2%) and Somewhat Republicans (40.9%) to believe that the War in Afghanistan should end and all troops should be brought back home.

Independents were in the middle (51.2%).

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News

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Calendar of Events Tuesday, October 30 2 p.m. Revision Strategies Workshop Academic Support Center 4 p.m. MAPS ALB 109 6:30 p.m. Student Association Standish 7 p.m. G4G (Girls For God) Sanctuary 7 p.m. Theatre Guild Lima Basement 8 p.m. Halloween Extravanganza Main Lounge 8 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary Wednesday, October 31 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m. Art Waves Massry 3:45 p.m. Environmental Club Community Service Office 4 p.m. SEB Standish 5 p.m. Mid-Week Mass Sanctuary 5 p.m. Upsilon Iota Interest Meeting CCIM 107G 7 p.m. Spectrum Standish 7:30 p.m. BASIC Sanctuary Thursday, November 1 10 a.m. APA Style Workshop Academic Support Center 3:30 p.m. Mind, Body, and Spirit The Counseling Center 6 p.m. Women’s Initiative Main Lounge 9 p.m. Survey Says Sign-Ups SEB Office Friday, November 2 10 a.m. Thesis Statement Workshop Academic Support Center 5 p.m. - 9 p.m. Advanced Painting Reception Picotte Hall Saturday, November 3 4 p.m. John Chandler Senior Recital Massry Sunday, November 4 4:30 p.m. Lauren Gailor Senior Recital Massry 6:30 p.m. College Mass St. Vincent de Paul Church Monday, November 5 3 p.m. Chicago Style Workshop Academic Support Center 5:15 p.m. Yoga Sanctuary 7 p.m. Outside the [BOX] Lima Basement 8 p.m. 21 and Over Night The Barrel Saloon 8:30 p.m. CEC Lima Lounge

If you have an upcoming event you would like to see in our weekly Calendar of Events please e-mail chronicle@strose.edu.

Correction

The Chronicle

In the student association profiles published in the previous issue, Myles Clendenin was incorrectly identified as the Director of Special Activities. Clendenin is actually the Director of Social Activities for the student association.

Executive Editors Sunshine Osella ‘13 osellas452@strose.edu

News Editor Zachary Olsavicky olsavickyz977@strose.edu

Jackson Wang ‘14 wangj847@strose.edu

Features Editor Lauren Halligan halliganl567@strose.edu

Managing Editor Rachel Bolton ‘15 boltonr413@strose.edu Layout Editor / Videographer John Janitz ‘14 janitzj140@strose.edu Assistant Layout Editor Jennifer O’Connor ‘16 oconnorj984@strose.edu

Copy Editor Malana Jojo ‘13 jojom304@strose.edu

ANY student can join The Saint Rose Chronicle

Faculty Adviser Cailin Brown

Staff Writers Business Manager Emily Robertson ‘13 Katherine Bakaitis robertsone307@strose.edu Shawn Berman Nicholas Buonanno Advertising Manager Opinion Editor Anonio Caban Caroline Murray ‘13 Regina Iannizzotto ‘13 Jaired Crofut murrayc014@strose.edu iannizzottor407@strose.edu Gigi Diffenback Kellie McGuire Arts Editor Web Editor Kevin Jacob Chris Surprenant ‘14 Christopher Lovell ‘15 Sam Maxwell surprenantc572@strose.edu lovellc083@strose.edu Rachael Pollack Lauren Sears Head Photographer Sports Editor Michael Smith Kelly Pfeister ‘14 Joshua Natoli ‘14 M. William Smith natolij477@strose.edu pfeisterk953@strose.edu Theresa Taylor

The Chronicle is published weekly on Tuesdays during the academic year and once during the summer months. The Chronicle is published at the facilities of The Daily Gazette of Schenectady, NY.

Official E-mail Address Chronicle@strose.edu

Submissions

Mailing Address The Saint Rose Chronicle 432 Western Avenue Albany, NY 12203

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Meetings are held every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the CCIM 122, the PC Lab.

All articles, advertisements and Letters to the Editor are due by noon the Saturday prior to publication.

All advertising inquiries should be sent to Advertising Manager Caroline Murray at murrayc014@strose.edu. The Chronicle offers free black and white 5-by-3 in. ads to student-run organizations.

The Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor from any party. We recommend that submissions not exceed 1000 words. Letters, columns, and cartoons published in this newspaper represent the opinion of the author, not necessarily that of The Chronicle.

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News Future Opportunities for Pine Hills Residents Through Service Learning The Chronicle

By ALYSSA DEGILIO Contributing Writer

Pine Hills residents will have the opportunity to take courses or get help with taxes, and learn about forensic accounting fraud in the upcoming months.

The State University at Albany plans to offer several graduate level courses that would require grad students at SUNY Albany to help Pine Hills residents.

Ingrid Fisher, a chair and associate professor from University at Albany’s Department of Accounting and Law, spoke at the monthly Neighborhood Association meeting about several courses that would be coming to SUNY Albany within the next year. These courses require that students get involved in service learning in the Pine Hills neighborhood. The three courses would be free programs located in the Pine Hills area in order to help with services such as income tax assistance on weekends, forensic accounting fraud prevention workshops, and financial literacy workshops.

Fisher explained that these courses for graduate students at SUNY Albany, are designed to help the community.

The income tax assistance class will begin in January of 2013, but the University is looking for an accessible facility with internet access as well as computers. A few suggestions had been thrown around by the members of the board such as SUNY Albany’s own Draper Hall, which would be easily accessible for the students, and possibly partnering with The College of Saint Rose in order to use one of the college’s computer labs.

Aside from these new courses, there are upcoming events in the neighborhood that were announced at the meeting that anybody could be a part of. On November 4th the community is hosting a Fall Clean Up of the

Pine Hills Neighborhood. Sign up is at 10:30 a.m. and goes from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m.

The Neighborhood Association members not only spoke about community service opportunities, but also about worrisome things that arise in the area.

Recently, several buildings have been found to have problems in their structure.

Representatives from the association spoke about a small building on the corner of Yates by Price Chopper. The small building was a garage, but after the previous owner died, the new owner has attempted to repair it and rent it out to another garage. Instead, he has claimed financial hardships and has asked to file a variance to keep it as a garage. The members of the Association said that the reason the new owner has found it so difficult to find a renter for the garage is because the rent is so high.

By working out some of the more noticeable problems in the neighborhood that had come up, Anton Konev, a city representative for the neighborhood, explained that he was able to bring some of the information from the neighborhood meetings and bring them up at city wide meetings to bring awareness.

During the meeting, it was brought up that there would be three public hearings for the citywide re-apportionment. The committee has planned one for next Tuesday in the Albany High School for all community members to attend and voice their opinions. Most people, like Maryanne Schrank, secretary for the Neighborhood Association, found that to be an interesting and new topic. Shrank said that she would be interested to see what would happen with that because that could create a change in the boundaries of the neighborhood.

Whether or not the change will be a good one has yet to be seen, but she thinks that anybody who has

October 30, 2012

an opinion about it should attend.

The Pine Hills Neighborhood Association is made up of residents who care greatly about their community and raise money in order to help create a better community for everybody to live in. The next meeting will be held November 15 at 7 p.m. at the LaSalle School.

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News

Brubacher Blackout Continuued from page A1

Halls that are owned by Saint Rose have backup generators.

UAlbany said that none of their near-by buildings experienced any problems, but they offered the loan of a tractor trailer sized generator if the need arose, according to Steven Stella head of security.

Saint Rose security went door to door informing students of the evacuation and asked them to grab a jacket.

By 10:30 p.m. it was clear that the issue would not immediately be resolved. Students were allowed back into Brubacher Hall with an escort to get overnight things, such as medications and other essentials. Students were then shuttled to the EAC. The College made use of email, Twitter, and Facebook posts to keep students informed.

Around 11:30 p.m., National Grid restored the power but they could not guarantee that it would stay on.

“The repair was made and electric service was restored to the dorm around midnight on Monday,” said Stella. “National Grid is replacing additional equipment this week but we do

Jotham Zak, who is from Albany, went back to his mother’s home. Brett Wilson from Poughkeepsie was too far from home, so he stayed with a friend down the street.

Joseph Pryba, Assistant Director of Residence Life, clarified that all the students who requested help finding accommodations were housed.

Shalon Bujan was one of the students who requested accommodations from the college. Bujan stayed in Maginn Hall, but as a first year student had no idea where it was, he and three friends were not provided with transportation to Maginn or back to Brubacher to get their things.

“The strose communication was pretty poor. They waited until 11:30 p.m. to tell us that we were basically going to be dormless for the night,” said Bujan. “I think being a freshman definitely added to the situation.

If you had no upperclassmen friends or even friends in Lima, a friend” is a common practice you were basically homeless for for colleges in similar situations, the entire night.”

Blair Caswell, from Newsaid Jennifer Richardson, Direcburgh, and Sarah Watson, from tor of Residence Life.

Clifton Park, stayed with a roomSome students who live in the mate’s sister on Hudson Ave. area went back to their parents, “There was lack of commuand took friends with them.

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not anticipate that work causing any additional outages.”

At that point, college officials asked students to think about going to their parents’ house or somewhere else, for the night.

“Asking students to stay with

“I think being a freshman definitely added to the situation. If you had no upperclassmen friends or even friends in Lima, you were basically homeless for the entire night.”

Shalon Bujan

JACKSON WANG

Over 300 students had to find a place to stay on Monday night because of the power outage.

One of the electrical feeds at a National Grid pole. nication,” said Caswell. “It was 1 a.m. before we knew what was going on. There should have been some sort of plan.”

“My mom called the school and they told her it was a transformer,” said Watson, who was texting with her mother. “I feel like my mom got more information.”

“There has to be a back-up plan,” said Dylan Tully of Poughkeepsie. “For $43,000, there has to be a back-up plan.”

“Make yourselves at home” was what Tully, who stayed at a friend’s on campus, was told.

“It was my friend Emily and she heard about the situation so she texted me asking if I need a place to stay and she allowed me to sleep on her floor. She lives in Lima.”

At 12:52 a.m., Saint Rose tweeted, “All students are housed.”

Community service is a goal of Saint Rose’s new President David Szczerbacki. A reason behind that is so that “students can develop an appreciation of the benefits of volunteering and ‘giving back’— thus learning important lessons of

JACKSON WANG

civic and social responsibility.”

On Monday night, 314 of Saint Rose’s freshmen were dislodged, take away the approximately 55 who stayed in accommodations supplied by the college, and the few who went to their parents or stayed in hotels, and that leaves in the range of 250 freshmen who were taken care of by their fellow students that night; supplied with beds and showers, given rides, and provided with support.

It seems that the benefits of giving back are known to a great many of Saint Rose’s students, both those who gave and those who received help Monday night.

The RAVE Alert system, which texts alerts, was not used, according to Dennis McDonald Vice President for Student Affairs, because a RAVE alert goes out to all students and faculty and not all were affected in this instance and email could be sent selectively.

To be added to the RAVE alert system follow this pathway: Login to to bannerweb.strose. edu Click on Personal Information Click on RAVE Alert Click the “Add” button in the Mobile Phone box, and follow process.

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News

October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

Girls for God (G4G) Redefines Beauty

By LAUREN HALLIGAN Features Editor

Homemade cardboard TV sets were placed around campus on by the Saint Rose club Girls 4 God. These displays featured magazine images of women being objectified, glued on the television screens, with words describing how women are falsely portrayed in the media. Alongside the TVs was the giant message: “You are more beautiful than this.” The displays, part of G4G’s second official club outreach, were, located in the dining hall, outside of Camelot, the commuter lounge, and the Lima lobby on October 25 and 26.

The displays, entirely handcrafted by the girls of G4G, included “pictures that both women and men may find degrading to the female population. All of these pictures were found in magazines—pictures ranged from women with barely any clothing

on to being placed in a sexual position with a male,” explained club member Christina Procida.

The outreach was intended to bring to light the stereotypes of women created by the media, while reminding the women on campus that they are beautiful, “actually … more beautiful than what society says,” said founder and project coordinator Tinamarie Stolz. “I feel that the media portrays beauty in such a narrow way, and women in such a negative way.

“We feel that the media portrays women in a negative light, and sets an impossible standard of beauty,” said Stolz on behalf of G4G. Contrary to the media perspective, “We believe that every girl is beautiful, and that the media shouldn’t set the standard,” said Stolz.

With the goal of a more confident female population, Procida said, “We want all women to see that beauty is found in every sin-

A collage of the degrading images of women found in magazines.

One of the signs that was created by members of G4G and placed outside the Camelot room in the Events and Athletics Center.

LAUREN HALLIGAN

gle person and in order for change to occur, we as women need to see it in ourselves as well.”

“As an outcome, the members of G4G hope that girls see that they do not need to live up to the standards that society has placed by needing to be too thin or too perfect in order for someone to love them,” said Procida.

“We feel that the media portrays women in a sexualized way—sexualized means as sex objects only with no feelings, thoughts, or emotions,” said Stolz, clarifying that “We are not against sex, but against the sexualization of women.”

While the issue at hand may be quite large, G4G's greatest hope is that the displays served as a reminder to women on campus that they are intrinsically beautiful.

For those walking past the displays last week, Stolz said, “I hope it made them smile, and I hope that people who walked by were reminded of how beautiful they are!” Stolz noted that the outreach was part of a larger

LAUREN HALLIGAN

fundamental goal of the club, explaining that “...our major mission is to spread love, and empower women who are like ourselves!”

G4G started their work as a club this semester, although the G4G blog has been running since December 2011. The fairly new group is comprised of over a dozen female students who organize monthly outreaches to help empower women.

Although the TV display idea started with Stolz, she said that it “could not have been executed without the hard work of the group,” adding “they’re really a group of wonderful and beautiful people.”

Future G4G outreaches will include a weekend retreat in Latham and a movie night during the spring semester.

G4G meets Tuesdays at 7 p.m. in the downstairs area of the sanctuary, and anyone interested is welcome to come to the weekly meetings, and get involved with the outreaches.

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Resident Evil: Zombie Quarantine

Zombies scaring thier victims from above.

Karleen Fernandes, a zombie actor, getting make-up applied in preparation for the haunted zombie walk.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

On Saturday, October 27th, Saint Rose’s Events and Athletics Center housed a zombie breakout to commemorate Halloween.

Definitely not for the faint of heart.

Christopher Lovell

Arleny Pimentel

Kaitlyn Rooney

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

Three zombie actors with completed make-up ready for thier victims.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

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The Chronicle

News

Fancy Fest 2012

Continuued from page A1 ties Myles Clendenin coordinated the event with his committee. “I have been planning for this event since I was elected in my Student Association position last semester,” said Clendenin. “I have made [my committee] a major part of this planning process because I want to get the opinions from the students.”

So, how did the event become so ‘fancy’? “I made a Harvest Fest Theme facebook group page over the summer to get some ideas…[and] a lot of great ideas were coming my way,” said Clendenin. Thanks to SA Comptroller Kait Rooney posting a picture of a tuxedo shirt on the page, Fancy Fest emerged. “I told myself that we were having tuxedo shirts at this event. After that, it evolved into this event that I didn’t expect to be so fancy!”

There were many differences

between past Harvest Fests and this year’s Harvest Fest. One is the switch of venue. Normally held in Nolan Gym, St. Joseph Hall was the home of this year’s

“I told myself that we were having tuxedo shirts at this event. After that, it evolved into this event that I didn’t expect to be so fancy!.”

Myles Clendenin event. “I definitely think this event would have been different if it was in the gym… The theme of this year’s event was Fancy Fest and St. Joe’s is certainly

more fancy than the gymnasium,” said Serrano. “The stage was super fancy and the atmosphere felt very intimate.”

Clendenin expressed his decision to be in St. Joseph Hall because of conflicts with Inauguration Week for President Szczerbacki. “Actually, when I was planning this, a lot of bands preferred having it in St. Joe’s because it has better sound quality than the gym.”

Speaking of the bands, the newest addition of Fancy Fest was the live voting available for the members of the “Battle of the Fanciest,” also known as Battle of the Bands. The winner of the battle got a guaranteed spot in Rose Rock next semester.

Amanda Daley, member of Step.Back.Eleven. was the first performer of the night. “Performing at Fancy Fest was amazing,” said Daley. “Definitely a dream come true. I’m so happy I got to

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The Meishlunday perform in the battle of the fanciest.

Students enjoying the chocolate fountain.

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Members of the Student Association were part of Fancy Fest.

show my friends and peers my talent.”

The Meishlunday, a staple at Saint Rose, was the winner of the Battle of the Fanciest. How did they become the winner? From 8:15 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. event goers were able to vote for the band they liked the most by texting in a code to a number provided by SA. The four choices were The Meishunday, Step.Back.Eleven., Brian Jay, and Between the Arctic. The Meishlunday won with Brian Jay not far behind them.

“In the past, there had not been as much live voting as there was this year,” said Serrano. “The performers were also from different genres so it was very diverse in terms of music.” The Meishlun-

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day is rock, Step.Back.Eleven consider themselves party rock, Between Teeth is a freshman alternative band, and Brian Jay is R&B and Hip-Hop. “As President of the Student Association, I was very, very pleased with how it came together. [Clendenin] and his committee did an outstanding job,” said Serrano. “I cannot wait to see what Rose Rock 2013 has in store!”

With the new ideas Clendenin and his committee have sprung out for Harvest Fest, Serrano is correct—we all need to prepare ourselves for Rose Rock 2013.

Will it be fancy? Will there be dinosaurs like the blood drive? Will there be something new? We can only wait to find out.

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The Chronicle

Students painting pumpkins during Fancy Fest.

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The Other Guys performing on stage.

Brian Jay and Maria Dimarzo hosting.

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Students enjoying the performance on stage during Fancy Fest.

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Lauren Klose and Myles Clendenin selling Fancy Fest shirts.

Brian Jay performing on stage.

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Students playing Giant Jenga.

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Arts

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Volume 81 Issue 11

Cloud Atlas is a Genre-Bending Film of Epic Scope and Ambitious Heights

By M. WILLIAM SMITH Staff Writer

I don’t even know where to begin when describing Cloud Atlas.

Cloud Atlas is an adaptation of the novel by David Mitchell, once thought to be impossible to be brought to film. What directors Andy Wachowski, Lana Wachowski, and Tom Tykwer have done here is one of the most massive achievements in recent cinema history.

“One of the most massive achievements in recent cinema history.”

M. William Smith The film spans six different stories, each featuring the same actors portraying different characters (sometimes of different races or genders), each taking place in different settings and different periods of time, from 1849 to the distant future. It’s a daunting task for any filmmaker, but the trio proves to be more than up to the task, blending their distinct styles into one of the finest films I’ve seen in a long time.

Cloud Atlas is at once a science-fiction epic, an extravagant fantasy, a grounded thriller, a period drama, an exciting escape film, and a broad comedy. The six stories in the film are divided amongst the filmmakers, with the Wachowskis taking up the segments taking place in 1849, 2144, and 2321, and Tykwer helming the segments in 1936, 1973, and 2012. It’s clear while watching that the three directors had a constant vision and, by working on the film separately with separate camera crews, they could each

NEHRAMS2020/WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

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They very talented Tom Hanks stars in the epic, complex film Cloud Atlas, playing a variety of different roles.

Halle Berry’s characters span several eras in the Wachowski siblings’ newest film, Cloud Atlas, co-starring alongside Tom Hanks.

retain their own styles and voices while making the film feel unified as a whole.

range of roles includes an assassin, an Asian man, a female nurse, and an evil satanic creature. Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, and Jim Broadbent all get significant roles throughout the film and handle them spectacularly, and Doona Bae makes Sonmi-451 a fascinating character all on her own, in one of the most memorable performances of the year.

An epic scope, a dense character study, and a stylistic marvel that keeps the viewer at the edge of their seat for the entire nearly 3-hour runtime. Some of the best performances so far this year.

Broad themes that encapsulate the entirety of the human spirit and life itself.

Cloud Atlas is a wonder to

“Cloud Atlas is at once a science-fiction epic, an extravagant fantasy, a grounded thriller, a period drama, an exciting escape film, and a broad comedy.”

The Wachowskis hold on to their slick visual style, and their previous science-fiction experience on The Matrix proves useful during the segments set in the

future. Tykwer’s segments often carry a sense of urgency, echoing the thrills of Run Lola Run. Tykwer’s sense of humor mixes well with the Wachowskis’ philosophy, and the film feels grander than the sum of its parts.

Cloud Atlas stars a vast ensemble of actors portraying multiple roles across the film, including Tom Hanks, Halle Berry, Jim Broadbent, Hugo Weaving, Jim Sturgess, Doona Bae, Ben Whishaw, James D’Arcy, Susan Sarandon, and Hugh Grant. The film grants each actor a chance to express a wide range of performances, and each handles their parts with great purpose.

Weaving, in particular, is consistently great (as usual), and his

behold, a magnificent beast of a film that sets lofty goals for itself and then achieves them. It’s a film that has 19th century sailors, wacky retirement home hijinks, and laser battles, and can switch back and forth between them at any moment.

Honestly, I have no words (other than the ones you’ve already read). The grandiose nature of the film may not work for everybody, and it doesn’t have to. For those who appreciate epic, sprawling tales and complicated narratives that leave the viewer contemplating their themes hours after the film ends, Cloud Atlas is for you.

Final Grade: A

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Volume 81 Issue 11

Kickin’ It With KJ: M.a.a.d. Edition

By KEVIN JACOB Staff Writer

Hello all and welcome to another edition of “Kickin it with KJ.” If you’re skeptical as to why I named this the M.a.a.d. Edition, it’s because not only do we have a ton of dope music this week, but we also have a new review of Kendrick Lamar’s amazing new album Good Kid M.a.a.d. City.

We’ve got loads to cover this week so let’s jump into things.

Vince Staples Winter in Prague: Vince Staples is back with his brand new project and his second project overall after last December’s Shyne Coldchain Vol.1, which was really good. Vince’s project is entirely produced by Michael Uzowuru, who has really come with some harsh sounding beats in this one. Staples kills most of the tracks on here, especially with “Traffic,” which sounds like an aggressive West Coast track with a well-executed Lil Jon vocal sample (remember that guy?). Other standout tracks were “Black Oprah” and “LORD.” If you like really dark, aggressive hip-hop that includes great storytelling, I definitely encourage you to check this tape out.

Rating: 8/10 Wiz Khalifa Cabin Fever 2: Before the Wizzle man decides to drop off his second official album in O.N.I.F.C on December 2, Wiz decided to put together Cabin Fever 2 for the fans so they had something to bump before the album was released. Although I appreciate Wiz’s concern for the fans such as myself, I don’t fully embrace this tape. You know why? Because it doesn’t have what made the original Cabin Fever so great. For instance, on this whole tape there is NO

LEX LUGER PRODUCTION. NONE. Lex Luger had production on five out of the nine tracks on the original Cabin Fever mixtape. To not have some of those instrumentals that made that tape great is upsetting.

Even though Taylor Gang inhouse producers such as Sledgren and Jerm provide a decent job beat wise, it can’t compare to what made the original so good.

As for Wiz? He hasn’t really changed it up much. Not just with song material, which I wouldn’t expect him to change, but his flow is sounding a bit bored to me on Cabin Fever 2. Some tracks on here like “Pacc Talk” and “Thuggin” just sound played out and tired. On the other hand, you have some really great tracks such as “Bout That,” which sounds like it could’ve been on Taylor Allderdice, the menacing “Smokin Drinkin”, and “STU” which eerily sounds like 2 Chainz “I’m Different,” but I like “STU” more.

All-in-all, even though I wasn’t blown away by this mixtape by any means, I think that as a Wiz fan, I’m satisfied that he just dropped some random cuts, called it Cabin Fever 2, and gave it to us before the album. If this stuff is just some cutting room floor material, then you’d think he’s about to have some fire for O.N.I.F.C. right? We’ll just have to wait and see.

Rating: 6/10 Kendrick Lamar Good Kid M.a.a.D. City: I’ve been a Kendrick Lamar fan since almost the beginning.

Ever since he released his O.D. mixtape my freshman year in 2010, I’ve been hooked. I even remember back when I introduced Kendrick’s music to one of my friends, I said this kid was gonna blow up. My friend tried to put me onto Hopsin at this same time. Guess who came up winning that one? Anyway, Section

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Quick Snippets Bodega Bamz P.A.P.I.:

Fellow A$AP collaborator finally releases his first project. Overall, I thought it was decent. Nothing really blew me away.

Tame Impala Lonerism:

Even though I usually review as many rap projects I can, I always dig a good indie record, and this record is really out there. It’s pretty psychedelic almost Beatle-like.

Gucci Mane Trap God:

ATL’s own drops a new tape, and it’s probably one of his best yet. The DJ does get a bit annoying though.

Sean Price Mic Tyson:

To sum it up, great underground/gritty album from Duckdown Records’ finest.

80. came out last year, and it just raised the bar even higher. Everyone praised it and people were taking notice of the prolific MC. The buzz is heavy, and for his official debut album, Kendrick Lamar delivers, and then some. It’s definitely a concept album, which has Kendrick mainly retelling his life being associated with gangbangers and eventually rising through the dangerous city of Compton, California and becoming the peoples’ champion.

On this album, out of all the songs on it, I think I found one song that I didn’t like which was “Real.” It’s a little too long and the chorus gets a bit repetitive, but even then, this worst track still is good. The whole album, from the beginning, where you find out about “Sherane,” who’s pivotal in this album, and you move onto how to stories such as why Kendrick doesn’t smoke weed in “M.a.a.D. city,” which is to me, the album’s best cut, because not only is it a banger, but lyrically, it’s one of the strongest tracks on here.

“Money Trees” I’ve literally listened to once every day since the album’s dropped, in all seriousness. The beat, Jay Rock’s outstanding guest verse, everything about it is good. Even though “Sing About Me, I’m Dying of Thirst” is almost 12 minutes long, it doesn’t feel like it when listening to it because it’s so deep and captivating that you have to listen to it. Kendrick demands your attention with this album and never lets go of the listener. Even if

you’re not looking for something laid back or super lyrical you should check out “Backseat Freestyle” in which hats go off to HitBoy who produced this because he hooked Kendrick up.

All can be said is that’s a banger. If you get the standard edition, in the album’s finale “Compton,” you see Kendrick and the legend Dr. Dre trade bars, and it’s not only a great finale to this almost film-like album, but it really gives you a sense of where Kendrick’s career will be heading in the future. To sum it all up, even though growing up I’ve heard albums that are classic, there haven’t really been any within at least the past seven years. And for the first time in years? Kendrick Lamar’s Good Kid M.a.a.D City to me is a CLASSIC ALBUM. One of the best albums I’ve heard this year. One last thing, don’t illegally rip this one. This rapper deserves your dollar.

Rating: 10/10 Meek Mill Dreams and Nightmares: Meek Mill, Maybach Music’s aggressive label mate, has officially released his debut album Dreams and Nightmares. I’ll admit, I was interested when checking this one out. Meek Mill’s buzz has gotten quite high since he released “I’m a Boss” and Dreamchasers 2 which crashed Datpiff this summer. Add that he was on Drake’s Club Paradise tour, and this guy has pretty much been everywhere the last couple of months. I had a rough idea of

what I was coming in with. A lot of trap beats, maybe some repetitive themes that MMG seems to do with a lot of their music lately, but this album kind of surprised me. Meek gets pretty personal on this one and it made me realize that he really is growing as an artist and doesn’t just have to go the money, hoes, clothes routine that you probably hear in about 85% of rap music today (even though that’s also evident in the album).

It starts off with an intro that’s at first piano-laced and sort of inspirational with Meek giving a relaxed story telling perspective, but at about 1:30 in, all hell breaks loose. The beat turns into a pounding and eerie thrill ride, and Meek’s lyrics get way more aggressive, which to me is when he’s at his best. The album continues with solid cuts such as “Who You’re Around,” “Polo & Shell Tops,” and “Traumatized,” which is the albums strongest cut with Meek, revealing how growing up without his father was so instrumental in his life.

Another high point about the album is the consistent production throughout it. It seems that even though some MMG albums may not bring it lyrically, they’re always consistent when it comes to their instrumentals. Although the album is solid, it does have some flaws with “Young and Gettin It,” “Lay Up,” and “Young Kings,” serving as some filler, but overall, the album wasn’t bad.

You should check it out.

Rating: 7.5/10

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Arts

Taylor Swift and Gary Clark Jr. Release Eclectic Albums That Will Suit All Ears

By CAROLINE MURRAY Advertising Manager

Young girls and early twentysomethings have been belting her country-pop tunes since Taylor Swift, debuted in 2006. She surpassed fans expectations when she released her breakthrough album Fearless in 2008, with top hits such as “You Belong with Me” and “Love Story,” climbing to number one on the Billboard charts. In 2010, the album Speak Now revealed a more mature side of Swift, featuring alternative rock hits rather than her familiar teeny-bopper music.

Now, her latest album which was released on Monday, October 22, has uncovered a more eclectic mix of musical talent and variety.

Red is a compilation of dub-step, pop, alternative rock, and country that showcases Swift’s ability to adapt to the ever-changing mainstream music scene while still sticking to her roots.

Although she hints at country chords and soft rock blues, Red is definitely her biggest transition into the pop genre. Her songs read like diary entries, but this album brings more than just teenage puppy love and “Dear John” letters. In total, the album features 16 tracks, each one with a different sound than the next. “I Knew You Were Trouble” could easily be remixed in any dance

club, with its up-beat rhythm and catchy lyrics. “We Are Never Getting Back Together,” is speculated to be about her love affair with Jake Gyllenhaal, and her collaborative track with Gary Lightbody, “The Last Time,” is sure to be a favorite amongst those looking for a sappy heartbreak melody, with a side of Ben & Jerry’s to wallow in.

However, her latest hit off the album titled, “Red,” reminds fans of the music they love to find in Swift’s collection. Rolling Stone Magazine even goes as far to compare this musical melody with some of the greats like Joni Mitchell and Carole King. With a banjo in the background, countrypop chorus, and truly symbolic lyrics, this tune is sure to top the charts in the future.

Taylor Swift isn’t the only talent hogging the musical spotlight.

Gary Clark Jr., an up-and-coming artists whose genius guitar riffs have been compared to the likes of Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan, released his first album with Warner Brothers the day after Swift’s. Under another studio, Hotwire Unlimited, Clark has created several albums from 2004-2010, yet none have made such a commotion as his recent creation, Blak and Blu. What’s the difference? Instead going down the usual, soulful, bluesy, classical-rock inspired

path that’s made way for him a long time ago, Clark decided on a much different-sounding route.

Clearly playing for a younger audience, a lot of his tracks are inspired by the stylings of hiphop and R&B. In fact, some of his songs like “Blak and Blu,” and “The Life” are straight out of those genres, which are a change from his edgier tracks on his E.P Gary Clark Jr. Dedicated fans might be disappointed by his decision to incorporate more modern and popular sounding tunes; however his bluesy beats are not discounted.

In songs like “When My Train Pulls In,” Clark reminds us of his raw, musical talent, whether it’s his lyrics such as “Wake up in the morning, oh, more bad news/ Sometimes I feel like I was born to lose/ And I, it’s driving me out of my mind,” or mean guitar strumming, his album definitely will suit the diehard blues fans.

As for the younger audience Clark is trying to communicate with, it may be a hit or miss situation. His R&B and hip-hop tracks aren’t genuinely like his style, it almost feels forced. However, for those waiting to hear the original music he/she has grown to love from Clark, they won’t be disappointed by his tracks that dominate the blues.

What’s that movie you’re dying to see? Is there a TV show you can’t stop talking about? Tell us! Chris Surprenant and Rachel Bolton will discuss anything and everything pop culture on The Chronicle’s podcast.

Email Rachel at boltonr413@strose.edu or Chris at surprenantc572@strose.edu with questions today!

October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

I Can’t Believe You Watched That: Repo!The Genetic Opera. (2008)

By RACHEL M. BOLTON Managing Editor On Halloween some people go trick-or-treating, other partying, and some pass out candy. But this Halloween, how would you like to go to the opera? I am not talking about the stereotypical fat lady in the Viking helmet; I am talking about a bloody dystopian horror film. But Repo is a true opera, 90 percent of the dialogue is in song and it is awesome.

Repo is set in a world where an organ failure pandemic nearly wiped out the world, but the day was saved by GeneCo. Lead by Rotti Largo, the company provided people with organ transplants and later with cosmetic surgery.

However, Rotti does not do this for free. If you cannot make the payments, a repo man is sent after you to reclaim GeneCo’s property.

“The wonderful part about Repo is that that the actors can actually sing, and sing well.”

The plot of the film revolves around one repo man, Nathan Wallace. A former doctor, Nathan was blackmailed by Rotti into becoming a repo man after accidentally poisoning his wife, Marni.

Rotti would block the murder charge so Nathan could stay free and raise his infant daughter, Shilo. However, in reality it was Rotti who had Marni poisoned because she left him for Nathan.

Years later, Rotti is dying and does not want to leave his company to his three children, the homicidal Luigi, the surgery addicted Amber Sweet (Paris Hilton) who wants to be a singer, and the creepy pervert, Pavi. Rotti wants to leave the company to now 17-year-old Shilo, but he has to clean up a few ends first.

Shilo has been raised by her overprotective dad Nathan, and has no idea that he is a repo man.

An ill girl, she believes that she inherited her mother’s “blood disease.” Curious about the outside world, Shilo escapes into a graveyard and meets the narrator, Graverobber, whose name describes his occupation. Now exposed to a life outside her house, Shilo is introduced to Rotti who says that he has a cure for her disease, only if she will help him capture a repo man…

The wonderful part about Repo is that that the actors can actually sing, and sing well. Unlike many recent musicals, Repo’s songs do not all sound the same. It is a rock opera, but the styles vary from mellow guitar, to metal, and one song of traditional sounding opera.

The film has a diverse cast and all are convincing in their respective roles. Anthony Stewart Head from Buffy—shows up as Nathan Wallace. Sarah Brightman, the original Christine Daae from Phantom of the Opera plays tragic singer Blind Mag. If you hate Paris Hilton, you will love her here as Amber.

Another thing that makes Repo good is that the characters are three dimensional and well developed. You feel bad for Nathan and Rotti despite the actions and personalities. Graverobber is a nice guy even though he is a drug dealer and lives in a dumpster.

I have seen a few operas and Repo follows some of the standard tropes, Graverobber serves as the all-knowing chorus, there is love and public betrayal, and the ending, to paraphrase Bugs Bunny, is what you would expect from an opera.

Fans of Tim Burton and The Rocky Horror Picture Show will enjoy this film. The songs are infectious and I can almost guarantee you haven’t seen anything like it.

October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

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Big Bird, Binders, and Bayonets: The Final Faceoff

By KATHERINE BAKAITIS Staff Writer Last Monday night’s debate marked the third, and final, of the presidential debates for the 2012 race for the American Presidency. Each event was different in its own way, and there actually seems to have been a pattern trending with each new presidential debate; Romney won the first, the second debate was close (but leaning Obama), and the President seems to have won the third, and last, debate Monday night. The first debate was forgettable (despite the fact it shifted the polls), and the other two were slight improvements. There were memorable quotes (nothing powerful, just amusingly notable), and its outcomes have influenced the polls. But with all the biased media out there taking polls, how do we even know who won? Just like beauty, victory is in the eye of the beholder.

Foreign policy is always an interesting topic; it is too bad the candidates hardly discussed it during the course of the debate. In a rare moment when they did talk foreign policy, both candidates seemed to hold the same positions (actually, Romney flopped again), which does not make for a terribly exciting debate. Romney is practically saying that he will execute the same policies as Obama, only better. I would like to have seen a one-on-one showdown between Rick Santorum (if he made it through the primary) and President Obama; now that would be undeniably entertaining to watch (or shameful if you are a Republican). But they differed on how to execute policy, so that stirred the pot a bit more. Fortunately, we now have Facebook and Twitter to commentate such special events.

The latter was blowing up Twitter at 105,767 tweets per minute when Obama mentioned how the military has fewer “horses and bayonets.” Speaking of which, Romney’s comment on how the US has fewer ships than

it did in 1917 (which sparked Obama’s “horses and bayonets” comment) is totally inaccurate.

The United States is the world’s greatest superpower in contemporary times, and we would not hold that title if we did not have a strong Navy that occupies and oversees every main body of water on Earth, and that this is “not a game of Battleship,” according to Obama. We have tremendous power over other countries and how they conduct their overseas business/trade.

So remind me again, Mitt, how we have fewer ships now than in 1917 before we were a large superpower? Romney’s plan also calls for more military spending (by about $2 trillion), so that’s no doubt going to have some negative impact on the already depressing state of the national deficit.

If that comment was not already embarrassing enough for the US, Romney’s poor geography is bound to take care of that.

The former Governor mentioned how Syria is Iran’s only route to the sea. First of all, to access the Mediterranean Sea, Iran needs to go through Iraq before it can reach Syria (some issues there) or they can travel north to Turkey.

Iran also has direct contact with the Persian Gulf, which eventually leads into the Arabian Sea. America’s Commander-in-Chief should know the basic geography of the world, don’t you think? I swear these politicians need to take a qualifying exam, or something before running for office.

Romney keeps insisting that “Russia is our No. 1 geopolitical foe.” While that might have been true in the past (and possibly much, much later into the future), it is not, and should not be, our main focus for now. To this, Obama quipped that the 1980s are “calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years,” Obama said, before accusing Romney of wanting “to import the foreign policies of the 1980s, just like the social policies

of the 1950s and the economic policies of the 1920s.”

Fox news and Governor Romney have accused President Obama of going on an “apology tour” for America during his 2009 foreign visits. It wasn’t technically an apology tour because actual apologies were given out, Obama was just merely saying how America should take responsibility for its actions, and blame for the negative outcomes of those actions, as any good leader would do. "The United States certainly shares blame" for the global banking meltdown, Obama told the French. The George W. Bush administration had "lowered our standing in the world," he told the English. And to the Turkish parliament, he said: "The United States is still working through some of our own darker periods in our history," which included slavery, segregation and treatment of American Indians. It is certainly better to recognize and admit our mistakes than to deny them, and that’s just what the president did.

Statistically speaking, more people thought Obama won this debate with 53% opposed to Romney’s 23%. After the debate, undecided American voters would trust Obama (71%) with an international crisis 22% more than they would Romney at 49%. With issues of terrorism and national security, Obama once again controls the board with 64% to Romney’s 36%. But the national polls tell a different story where Romney is leading Obama by 47-45%, and now that the gender gap is gone with 4747% (though I cannot see why, women’s approval rates dropped in CNN’s undecided meter whenever Romney spoke). Obama, on the other hand is leading Ohio 4944%, which is a key battleground state. With the numbers being as close as they are, it’s often difficult to determine the outcome of the election—it is certainly not going to be by a landslide.

A few nightmare-like scenarios could play on Election Day; the electoral college ties, Romney

barely wins the Electoral College over Obama, 270-268, but one or more Republican electors refuses to vote for him, likely by casting a protest vote for Rep. Ron Paul.

In this case the election is thrown to the House or Obama wins. The winner could lose the popular vote, as was the case with Gore and Bush in 2000, or there could be a recount in a key state such as Ohio or Florida.

The debates themselves are not just a classic example of American democracy, what goes on after the debates are. People can virtually say whatever they want about the president or other major leaders, and not worry about getting killed or imprisoned by the government! You have got to love this country. That actually seems to be where the great part ends, because frankly, we do not have a very great selection of candidates to choose from. Lies, promises, and finger-pointing, and the debates only exacerbate these actions, no matter how funny they may be.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

President Obama saluting two Naval Officers in Annapolis, MD to give the commencement address to 1,030 graduating Midshipmen in May 2009.

Opinion Its Only a Numbers Game

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The Chronicle

By ANTONIO CABAN Staff Writer It is no secret that many in this country believe the President is not handling the economy well and there are strong numbers to back that up. Our unemployment is still high, our debt continues to soar, spending is out of control, and our deficit is nearly uncontrollable. While those numbers might not be doing much for the incumbent, Obama is doing well with the numbers that truly matter: Electoral College votes.

These all-important numbers could spell out bad news for Mitt Romney, but that does not mean it is all over with for the G.O.P candidate. Allow me to explain.

First, let’s tackle the President’s numbers and his commanding lead over his opponent. In all honesty it is a comeback story that not many outside the political arena are talking about, which is surprising considering it is a good predictor for the outcome of President Obama’s reelection campaign. Do I embellish when I say “commanding lead,” some might say yes, but I would argue back by saying look at the map.

As of right now, according to projected models on a number of political websites across the Internet, Obama is leading in Electoral College votes. Meanwhile Romney, even if he were to get the swing states he appears to be doing well in, he still comes shy of reaching the magical number of votes (270) to win the White House.

To break down a few electoral models recorded on October 26th, according to the New York Times website, Obama leads Romney 237 to 206 with 95 toss up electoral votes. The Washington Post shows the President with an edge, 196 to 170. The Wall Street Journal also gives Obama the lead with 184 to 177 electoral votes, however, this model includes states like Montana, Oregon, Michigan and Minnesota as toss up states (these states are considered solidly in favor of either candidate in other models).

While these are just three models, I am pointing out, similar scenarios are playing out in many other electoral models as well, meaning the probability of Obama reaching 270 first is much greater than Romney at the moment.

Does this mean Romney does not have a chance? Absolutely not. There is still a week to go and as one famous politician once said, “A week is a life time in politics.” Romney has a number of avenues to 270, but getting there is more difficult than Obama’s path. Pundits and pollsters say that if Romney were to make inroads in Ohio and Iowa by election time, a Romney presidency is highly probable. Nevada is also another state that could be essential to a Romney win. All told, Romney does have a major advantage over the President in poll numbers in popularity. Romney has seen an unprecedented surge of support in October all thanks to his strong debate performanc-

es. His comeback was unlike any other, with polls showing a huge spike after his first debate against Obama earlier this month. Not to rain on the President’s electoral parade but, that surge seems to be continuing and could make a big difference by the end of this week especially in electoral numbers.

We’ll have to wait and see.

I, however, will stick to my assessment that Romney does have a numbers problem where the numbers matter most. We are less than a week out from election time and his inability to clinch even a slight lead in any of the key battleground states could spell out a loss on election night.

But the ball is not all in Obama’s court either. The President needs to maintain his lead in those states over the next few days or on election night; we might be hearing his concession speech from Chicago. Despite this mini-math lesson, I encourage you, as voters, to draw your own conclusions from the data and not write off either candidate at this point. The numbers presented above are facts, but it is important to remember that they are fluid numbers that should not distract from the notion that this election is going to be a close one. Both Obama and Romney have more to lose over the next few days than to gain.

But, when it comes down to numbers, the most important game is the Electoral College and right now the President appears to be winning.

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October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

CCIM EDITION Girl in CCIM: “Breakfast was so good this morning. They had strawberries.”

Guy: “You know why?”

Girl: “There were tours!”

Guy: “They had seafood payaya! There were mussels in the dining hall!”

Girl 1 in the DH: “There must tours—they have the second omelette station out...Yupp, there are definitely tours. They even have mussels.”

Girl 2: “No, that’s just the basketball team.”

Girl 1: “NOOO! MUSSELS like the seafood, not MUSCLES!” Girl in CCIM: “That’s why God invented technology. Or Steve Jobs. Same thing.”

Guy 1 in CCIM: “You don’t want to involve Pikachu because Pikachu is just awesome.”

Guy 2: “Do kids still use the wire for Pokemon?”

Guy 1: “Doubt it.”

Guy 2: “They’re missing out.”

Guy in CCIM: “I’m gonna get rich off my book and buy a yacht, a beemer, and a chocolate fountain.”

Girl: “You can get a chocolate fountain for like $20 in Walmart.”

Guy: “No way! I don’t even have to wait! I can go when I’m done here!”

Girl in CCIM: “‘I beat Hurricane Sandy and all I got was this T-shirt.’ I want that shirt.”

Girl in CCIM: “Some guy dressed up as the Frankenstorm.”

Guy: “I love Halloween.”

Girl in CCIM: “What do they do with us when they evacuate them?”

Guy: “The same thing they do with the rest of the human race.”

Girl: “No, they’re their own entity.”

Guy in CCIM: “Hi Halle Berry.”

Girl: “Why are you talking to Halle Berry?”

Guy: “Because we’re lovers...I hate that I just said lovers.”

Girl in CCIM: “I haven’t slept in a few days.”

I’m not taking responsibility for my actions.”

October 30, 2012

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An Update From a Rosebud in London

By KELLY PFEISTER Head Photographer

It’s hard to put into words how much I have loved my time in London so far, so I will rely on a song that Judy Garland sang called “It’s So Lovely to be Back Again in London” to describe it: “It's so lovely to be back again in London/I've a glow inside/I simply can't conceal/If I seem too sentimental/It isn't accidental/It's just that that's exactly how I feel.”

Three years ago, my family traveled to London over the summer for eight days to visit the city, as well as the town where my mom lived for a few years outside of the city when she was younger.

Immediately, I fell in love with England and told myself I had to come back some way or another.

I did not know what to expect or think before I left New York for London this summer. In fact, I could not believe I was going— sitting on the airplane waiting to depart felt like I was going on vacation! I was nervous that living and studying there would be different than visiting. I hoped that my “love” of the city from three years ago was real and not just something that my 16-year-old brain had made up. I was worried that I had changed in those three years and I would not feel the same way about it.

All of my doubts were gone as soon as I got into a familiar black taxicab from the airport where Lady Gaga’s “Pokerface” was playing from the radio.

Being here has been such a better experience than I could have ever imagined.

I have met Michael Ball, one of my favorite musical theatre performers, after his performance in Sweeney Todd. I have seen Julie Walters (Mrs. Weasley from the Harry Potter movies), Rupert Everett (from My Best Friend’s Wedding), and Imelda Staunton (Professor Umbridge from the Harry Potter movies) all perform in plays because of my theatre class.

One of my professor’s daugh-

ters works in Parliament, so she was able to give me and two other students a tour of the building. I have also toured Kensington Palace, the Tower of London, Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Leavesden Studios, and other various places around London.

Of course, there are differences between England and the United States—sometimes the fact that we share the same language can be a false sense of security! There have been many times I have embarrassed myself because of the language and cultural differences.

For example, laundry detergent here is not really used; they mostly use dissolvable packets of soap or powder to wash clothes.

After two weeks, when I started running out of clean clothes, I looked all over the stores for detergent. Workers looked at me like I was crazy when I wanted to know where it was. I was reduced to asking them if they had “the stuff that you use to wash your clothes with.” The entire process was frustrating, but it showed me how there are these tiny differences that make something like laundry such a big deal when you do not know the culture.

And, since I have never lived in a city before, it took me a while to get used to crossing the streets.

I lost count the first two weeks of how many times I nearly got ran over by a red double decker bus.

However, what I really like is that my school is not directly in the city, but tucked away in a park! It is relatively quiet, and the only sounds I hear are from birds (there are quite a few!) and occasional police or ambulance sirens.

As far as Regent’s College goes, I do not think I could have picked a better school.

The dorms are really nice— there is plenty of storage space, and I have been spoiled by not even having to take out my trash!

I just put the can outside my door and housekeeping empties and puts a new bag into it!

I have a lovely view of the pond in Regent’s Park from my

window—which has vines growing into it!

I could not have asked for a better roommate than the one I have. She is from Boston and has adopted me into her group of friends, which are from her college as well. We have done some really cool things together, like photo shoots by Big Ben and Regent’s Park.

And as far as photos go, I have done a few features for the college newspaper here, and I have been photographing students for various things—enior portraits and portfolios. It has been really fun, and I have met a lot of people with interesting backgrounds.

My classes on the whole have been fun. I love my theatre professor—the passion she has for her subject shows through whenever she speaks. In my art history class, every other Tuesday we tour a different part of London— by walking for three hours! It is definitely an educational workout!

I planned my schedule out so I would have my afternoons free: On Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I get out by 12 p.m.; and on Tuesdays I have class from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Thursdays, I do not have any classes.

I have never had such an empty schedule before, which was something that took me a while to get used to. This semester I am taking 12 credits, and last semester I took 18! This allows me to get the most out of my time abroad though, I think. I have enough time every day to do something exciting or new in London.

There is always something going on here, and I often find myself running into these things!

A few weeks ago, there was a huge protest going on by Parliament—I followed the protest down from where I was at Trafalgar Square, and back up again— it was a march, so people were continuously walking. It was unlike anything I had even seen before—protests in front of the business building last year could not compare to this! Thousands

of protestors held up signs advocating socialism and governmental issues. There were a few people with Guy Fawkes masks on (think V for Vendetta). One of the strangest things was seeing them directly in front of Parliament and Big Ben—because Guy Fawkes helped with the Gun Powder Plot, which had planned to destroy Parliament on November 5th, 1605. I played photojournalist, and photographed most everything I saw.

I kept thinking of my Journalism 1 class and how cool it would be to cover this.

Just the other day, I saw the Queen of England! It was an incredible surprise—I was walking along the Thames, which is the river you see by Big Ben. At first, I was not sure what was going on.

There were a few barricades set up and about a hundred people in the crowd with a small tent inside of the barricades right by Jubilee Gardens. I asked a woman who was standing by a barricade what was going on and she told me that the Queen was coming to open the gardens. I could not believe my luck! Minutes later, I saw Queen Elizabeth II in a dark purple outfit, complete with a matching hat and umbrella, nearly 20

feet away from me.

To make the moment more special, there were a bunch of school children in the crowd singing the national anthem. After the Queen was done shaking hands with workers and those involved with the event, she made her way down to the tent. On her way, she noticed the children singing so she stopped and waved at them.

It was a simple gesture, but there was something that was incredibly moving about it, although it is hard to explain. This was something that I have seen on television and in photos a million times. However, being in London, and seeing this happen in real life was so special and it is something I will keep with me forever.

I have a month and a half left here, and I am trying to make the most of it. London is an incredible city that feels like the center of the world. I wake up every morning so happy to be here and I try to make the most of every day.

Although I miss my family and Saint Rose a lot, I know that when I leave here, I will always be missing London until I can come back again.

KELLY PFEISTER

This is one of the places that I love to go and picnic with friends. It’s called Primrose Hill, and on a clear day you can see all of London’s skyline. It’s a good walk to the top, but the views are worth it!

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Volume 81 Issue 11

2012-2013 NBA Season Set to Kick Off

By MICHAEL SMITH Staff Writer There is a lot of anticipation surrounding the upcoming NBA season. Despite the disaster surrounding last year’s lockout, league popularity is on the rise, which should be capitalized upon this year.

The Miami Heat come into this year as the defending champions.

After falling to the Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, the Heat was a team on a mission to prove that they were not a bust. After they proved how formidable they could be last year, they only made one big move, adding the best three-point shooter of all-time, Ray Allen, stealing him away from their conference rival Boston Celtics.

However, there is still a lot of stiff competition, starting with their most recent Finals opponents, the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Thunder fell to the Heat in five games last year, but they are a young team who seem ready to take that experience and build on it.

In their own conference, there seems to be only one team with a legitimate chance at taking the conference crown away from the Heat before they even get to the Finals. The Chicago Bulls will be back at full force when they have Derrick Rose back in the starting lineup, unfortunately for them that may not be until at least January. The whole landscape of last year’s playoffs changed when Rose tore his ACL in the first game and was done for the rest of playoffs, leading to the Bulls getting knocked out in a six game series.

Of course, there is the team that everybody is talking about, the Los Angeles Lakers. After Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and company, lost in the second round last year to the Thunder, and they went out in the off-season ready to make a big splash. The Lakers added star point guard Steve Nash, via

free agency. They followed that up with the biggest move of the off-season, trading for Dwight Howard.

These four teams are the favorites, but there are others to watch.

The now-Brooklyn Nets are definitely a team to watch out for, though they lost out on Howard, they are a new look team, playing in a brand new arena, with some new players. Starting with a solid core made-up of Deron Williams, Brook Lopez, and Kris Humphries, they added Joe Johnson, and Jerry Stackhouse, along with Gerald Wallace who came to the team at the tail end of last year.

The New York Knicks, who will start the season without Amar’e Stoudemire due to a knee injury, feel confident that they have made strong improvements.

They still have Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, and Steve Novak, while adding Raymond Felton as their new starting point guard, and adding depth with Jason Kidd, and Marcus Camby.

In the Western Conference, the team to watch out for is the Lakers’ arena-mates, the Los Angeles Clippers. The Clippers have their star duo, Chris Paul and Blake Griffin, along with center DeAndre Jordan, and they have also added veteran help with Jamal Crawford, Grant Hill, and Lamar Odom.

In the end, the favorites will win out. The Heat and Lakers will be the best teams in their respective conferences. The Heat will win the conference title against the Bulls in five games, they were evenly matched, but the Heat got better. Though nobody knows for sure when Rose will be back, but he is determined to be back

by January. They will not be the second seed in the conference because they will fall behind without Rose, but come playoff time they will be playing like the second best team and they will get to the conference finals.

The Lakers will get through the Thunder in six games in a back-and-forth series, but the Lakers will prove to be too much for the Thunder.

The NBA’s dream will come true in the Finals, when fans will get what they’ve wanted for years, LeBron James vs. Kobe Bryant in the NBA Finals. A seven game series will see Bryant equal Michael Jordan’s six championship rings, and will also win his third Finals MVP. James will win the regular season MVP, giving him his fourth MVP trophy, tying himself for third all-time with Wilt Chamberlain, leaving him behind Jordan and Bill Russell who have five each, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who has the most all-time with six.

It should be a very exciting season for the NBA’s fans. The league has been building in popularity the past couple of years, and this year may turn out to be their best in recent memory.

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Future hall of famer Kobe Bryant is looking to win that elusive sixth NBA championship.

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October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

Sports

Two Teams, One City

By VINNY GINARDI Contributing Writer The New York Knicks have always been New York City’s team.

But now they may have some competition. The Nets have officially moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn, and for the first time in nearly a decade, look to, at least on paper, have the talent to be competitive.

Was it only a matter of time before an NBA franchise moved to New York, a city that has shown in baseball and football that it is plenty big enough to hold two professional teams? Maybe. But that doesn’t mean it’s going to be easy for the Nets to attract fans.

The Knicks were founded in 1946 and have been New York’s team ever since. That’s an established

fan base that won’t be easy to break into.

As the old saying goes, though, winning cures everything. And maybe, just maybe, providing a team that wins is all that it will take to persuade some of the more casual Knick fans to jump ship. That’s why Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokorhov didn’t shy away from breaking the bank to bring in some of the league’s most established stars such as three-time All-Star point guard Deron Williams and six-time AllStar shooting guard Joe Johnson.

So, with the season about to get underway, which team is likely to have more success on the court?

The Knicks are coming off a somewhat disappointing season.

Heading into the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season, Carmelo

Anthony’s first full year with the team, many picked New York to win the Atlantic Division and challenge the Miami Heat for supremacy in the Eastern Conference. Only it never happened.

The Knicks stumbled out of the gate, battled injuries all season long, and for the second consecutive year were eliminated in the first round.

In the offseason, the Knicks loaded up on veterans to help lead the team, bringing in Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Kurt Thomas, Raymond Felton and Rasheed Wallace while also letting the popular Jeremy Lin leave for Houston. But do these moves make the Knicks better? Not significantly. Most of these players are five to seven years past their prime and their age makes them

NHL players are going overseas to play during the lockout. During the NBA lockout, the only star players to go overseas were Deron Williams and Ty Lawson.

In the case of the NHL, you could create an all-star team with the players leaving for Europe: Nicklas Backstrom, Patrice Bergeron, Ilya Bryzgalov, Zdeno Chara, Pavel Datsyuk, Patrick Kane, Erik Karlsson, Ilya Kovalchuk, Evgeni Malkin, Rick Nash, Alex Ovechkin, Tyler Seguin, and Henrik Zetterburg, among many others. This would be like if the entire USA Olympic basketball team went to play somewhere else during the lockout.

Another aspect working against the NHL is the fact that hockey is not as popular in the United States as it is in Europe.

The league does not have an outcry for a resolution from the fans like there was during the NFL lockout. The leagues in Europe are legit, and many of the players that play in the NHL came from those leagues originally. During the NBA and NFL lockout, where were these players going to go?

Also, most of the players in the

NHL are from Europe, so playing in Europe is like going home to them.

Television networks are also finding other programming options. I was watching the MSG network last Friday, and noticed there was KHL hockey on.

The only saving grace so far is that the league has not yet cancelled one of the biggest spectacles in sports, the Winter Classic. It is scheduled for New Years Day in the “Big House” and will pin two of the oldest teams in the league against one another- the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs.

Last season, the NHL had arguably one of its best seasons to date in terms of interest in the United States. Finally, the NHL was relevant in all of the major cities (New York, Boston, Chicago), with the Stanley Cup being won by the Los Angeles Kingsanother big market. It seemed like the game was finally recovering from the disaster that was the 2004-2005 lockout, where the entire season was cancelled. It feels like here we go again.

If the NHL and NHLPA do

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more prone to injury. To make matters worse, a knee injury is likely to keep forward Amare Stoudemire out for the first few weeks of the season and Iman Shumpert, New York’s best perimeter defender, could miss the entire season recovering from an ACL tear.

It’s difficult to project how the Nets will perform because the players have such little experience together. But make no mistake, the pieces are there. Johnson was acquired this summer, small forward Gerald Wallace was acquired at last year’s trade deadline, and center Brook Lopez missed all but six games last season. C.J. Watson and Andray Blatche, two players expected to play key roles off the bench, were also signed this summer.

The talent is definitely there for Brooklyn, with the question being whether or not it will translate onto the court.

The Knicks and the Nets both play in the Atlantic Division, which should have four playoff teams this year. The Boston Celtics, despite losing Ray Allen, actually improved in the offseason and the Philadelphia 76ers now have the best center in the Eastern Conference in Andrew Bynum.

Realistically, any of these four teams could win the division.

Of the Nets and Knicks though, the Nets should have a better regular season. Brooklyn is full of players who are young, yet experienced while New York is a team with too many players past their prime. For now though, New York City still belongs to the Knicks, but that could all begin to change when the two teams face off to open the season on Thursday, November 1st at the brand new Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

not resolve their differences, and another season is cancelled, fans will not come back this time. The casual fan will find other ways to occupy their time, and not care about the league. Sure, the diehard fans will never go away, but no successful business can run on die-hards alone.

Even if it could run on die-hard fans alone, there aren’t enough of

them in this country to make it last. The NHL has to realize that it cannot keep taking one step forward, and five steps back.

In any negotiation, both sides eventually have to make some compromises, and realize both sides cannot get everything they want. The scary part about this negotiation is, neither side seems like they are willing to do that.

NHL Cancels All November Games

By SAM MAXWELL Staff Writer

It is official: the NHL will not have a full 82 game season. Like we didn’t see this coming?

Last Friday, the NHL cancelled all of the games for the month of November, making a full season impossible. Prior to last Friday, all games up to November 1st were already cancelled. Adding to the disappointment of fans was the news that the NHL pulled it’s latest offer to the NHLPA (NHL Players Association) off the table, creating a stalemate in negotiations.

Going into the lockout, it did not seem like many fans were optimistic about the possibility of having a full 82 game season given the history of the league during a lockout. However, with all of November’s games now being cancelled, and with the NHL seeming to have the most stubborn collection of owners and players in sports, there is a real chance that there may not be a season at all.

On top of everything is the fact that more and more prominent

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Evgeni Malkin is one of many players headed to Europe admist the NHL lockout.

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October 30, 2012

Volume 81 Issue 11

Golden Knights Claim Victory in Final Regular Season Home Game

By SHAWN BERMAN Staff Writer In their final home game of the regular season, The College of Saint Rose Women’s Soccer team suited up and hosted fellow Northeast-10 Conference opponent, The Falcons of Bentley College.

The Golden Knights generated a 23-5 shot advantage, which included an 11-1 shot advantage in the second half. The College of Saint Rose also manufactured 10 corner kicks, while not giving any up.

The College of Saint Rose coasted to a 1-0 victory over Bentley College, giving them their third straight shutout, and their 11th shutout of the season.

With this win, Saint Rose has shutout six out of their last seven opponents, outscoring them 15-1.

The game remained at a 0-0 tie going into the second half, until

junior midfielder Laura Taylor converted on a pass from freshman midfielder Kristin Carr at the 39:26 mark. Carr collected the ball out on the right flank and created some space from her defender. Carr then passed the ball to Taylor who one-touched the ball into the far lower corner.

This was Taylor’s first goal of the season, which turned out to be the game winner. Carr also recorded her fifth assist of the season on that same play.

Junior keeper Jessica Gerski only had to make two saves against Bentley College, giving her 48 saves on the season. Gerski lowered her league best goalsagainst-average to .46, raised her conference leading save percentage to .906, now also leading the Northeast-10 Conference with only five goals allowed.

Regarding this win, heading into the Northeast-10 tournament next week, junior midfielder

Laura Taylor said, “This win was good for us. We finished out the regular season really well, and the team is finally coming together and playing as a whole now.” Taylor added, “The team is young, but we are connecting well now. I think if we continue to work on playing more one-two touches, we will put ourselves in an even better position.”

With this 1-0 victory over Bentley College, The College of Saint Rose now improves to an overall 15-1-2, and a collective 12-1-2 in conference play.

Since American International won their game against Franklin Pierce, Saint Rose will now be the number two seed heading into the Northeast-10 tournament.

In their 2011 Northeast-10 quarterfinal game, The Golden Knights took on The Panthers of Adelphi University, where they won 4-0. The College of Saint Rose went on to clinch the North-

east-10 Conference title, outscoring Adelphi, Stonehill, and Merrimack 11-1.

Looking ahead, The College of Saint Rose is set to host a Northeast-10 quarterfinal game on

Wednesday, October 31 against an opponent yet to be determined.

Game time is set for 1 p.m. at the Plumeri Sports Complex.

SHAWN BERMAN

Syndey Bond makes a play on the ball.

Golden Knights Win Five Set Thriller to go along with six blocks, giving her 60 blocks on the season.

Sophomore setter Ariana Wilson had a season-high 35 assists.

Freshmen outside hitters Carissa Dube and Kelsey Lace combined for a collective 25 kills. Lace also recorded 12 digs.

On the opposing team, Penmen freshman middle hitter Emma Houlihan had a notable 22 kills.

Freshman setter Catherine Cotton also accumulated a matchhigh 51 assists for The Penmen.

SHAWN BERMAN Sophomore libero Kendra Mikuta The Golden Knights took their match all the way to five sets last Friday. also had a match-high 24 digs for Southern New Hampshire.

By SHAWN BERMAN ning in a dramatic five sets. The Houlihan proved to be too Staff Writer College of Saint Rose also had much for The Golden Knights three matches go to extra points to handle in the first set logging Last Friday night, The College against The Penmen, winning 3-2 seven kills on a .700 hitting perof Saint Rose Women’s Volley- (22-25, 26-24, 25-15, 24-26, 19- centage for The Penmen. Her ball team hosted fellow North- 17). seventh kill came from a Coteast-10 Conference rival, The Throughout the game, The ton pass, which proved to be a Penmen of Southern New Hamp- Golden Knights had many key game-winner for Southern New shire University. players that heavily impacted the Hampshire. Dube led Saint Rose In a back-and-forth match that game. Junior middle hitter Alex with five kills and a .714 hitting lasted the entire night, The Gold- Gagliano had a career-high 19 percentage in the first set of the en Knights were victorious, win- kills on a .357 hitting percentage night.

In the second game, The College of Saint Rose prevailed, winning in extra points. This was the first of three games that went to extra points. Earlier in the match, The Golden Knights went on an 8-0 run and jumped to a 19-13 lead over The Penmen. Southern New Hampshire fought back with the help of six kills from Houlihan. However, Gagliano, who recorded the game’s final two kills, overmatched those six kills, clinching the second set for The Golden Knights.

The third game turned out to be the most slanted of the night, as The College of Saint Rose took total control of the set, jumping out to a 2-1 lead. Junior outside hitter Christina Strezenec generated five kills to go along with Wilson’s seven assists. Saint Rose closed out the set with help from sophomore libero Katy Daniels, picking up two service aces to assure the win.

The Penmen picked up the victory in the fourth set, to force a

nail-biting fifth game. Mikuta produced ten digs for Southern New Hampshire. The Penmen also forced three attacking errors

by The Golden Knights in the final six points of the match.

The fifth set was entirely backand-forth, neither team willing to give up. Gagliano and Houlihan each had four kills apiece. Ultimately, it was Gagliano who had the last kill, driving The Golden Knights to victory as she found Wilson at the net.

“We are starting to come together as a team,” Gagliano said.

“We may be young, but we are putting ourselves in a great position heading into the Northeast-10 Tournament.”

Looking ahead, The College of Saint Rose heads to Manchester, New Hampshire this Friday to take on The Hawks of Saint Anselm. The Hawks are currently 8-11, and a collective 4-5 in Northeast-10 Conference play.

First serve is set for 7:30 p.m.

October 30, 2012

Sports

Volume 81 Issue 11

The Chronicle

Midknight Madness 2012

Students competing in the french fries eating contest.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

Students watching the men’s basketball team perform.

Students celebrating Midknight Madness.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

The ALANA Steppers showing off their pride.

YELFRI DE LEON

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

The Saint Rose cheerleaders.

Men’s basketball team holding signs made by fans.

The Golden Knight dancers.

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October 30, 2012

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

The Women’s Basketball team doing their routine at center court.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

Golden Knight mascot, Fear, put on a show for the crowd.

By JOSHUA NATOLI Sports Editor Last Thursday night, the Events and Athletics Center became packed with students looking to make their way into the Nolan Gymnasium for Saint Rose’s annual Midknight Madness to get a preview of both the Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. The line became so large that students were almost standing in the quad waiting to get in. Music blared as the gym began to fill up and the show was underway.

Senior Myles Clendenin emceed the event, introducing each act for the night. First up was the Golden Knights mascot Fear, who gave everyone a show by pulling out some dance moves for the crowd. The next event was a French fry eating contest. Whoever was able to eat the most fries in the given time limit won a gift

certificate to Paesan’s Pizza.

After the fry eating contest was cleaned up, the Golden Knights cheerleading squad took the floor.

Their performance involved coordinated moves along with high flying throws. To go along with the basketball theme, a free throw shooting contest was held in which two groups of two students competed against one another to see who could make the most free throws in a minute. The highest scores from each round moved onto another shooting contest later in the evening.

After the first shooting contest, the ALANA Steppers took the floor to perform one of their patented stepping and dance routines to the joy of the crowd. The act was swiftly followed by the dance team who performed to the tune of some classic rock songs such as Barracuda and Crazy Train.

ZACHARY OLSAVICKY

The Men’s Basketball team put on an aerial display at the rim.

After the dancing acts it was time for the second shooting contest to get underway. The two winning contestants from

the free-throw contest now had a much more difficult task at hand.

In the time given, contestants had to make a lay-up, free-throw,

Volume 81 Issue 11

three-point shot, and a shot from half-court shot in order to win a gift card to the school bookstore.

After all of the shows were said and done, it was time for the women’s and men’s team introductions. First up was the women’s team. After a player-by-player introduction, the team lined up wearing gray hoodies at center court. Along with a little participation from the men’s team, they performed a humorous, lip-synced rendition of Taylor Swift’s song Never Ever Getting Back Together. After the women’s performance it was time for the men’s team to be introduced.

After a similar introduction, the team formed two lines to begin a flashy dunk show, with each player expressing themselves in the air.

The show is not the only important part of Midknight Madness though. The celebration signifies the start of the 20122013 basketball seasons for both teams. The Women’s Basketball team comes into the new season off of an impressive 18-10 record last year in which they went 14-1 at home. Sophomore Gabie Polce is expected to be a team leader this year after averaging seven points last year in her freshman year.

The Men’s Basketball team has a tougher road ahead after going 7-19 last season and also losing three key seniors in former leading scorer Rob Gutierrez, and big men Sheldon Griffin and Brian Hanuschak. The Golden Knights do, however, return two of their top scorers in Dominykas Milka and Andre Pope.

Both teams kick off their seasons in early November in tournament play. The men’s squad will host the Saint Rose Tip-Off Tournament at home Saturday, November 10th against Mercy at 6 p.m. The women’s squad starts their season off away at the Queens College Tournament in Flushing, New York with a game against Post University on Friday, November 9th.