Volume 107 No. 1 Wednesday, September 1, 2010 www.centralrecorder.com CENTRAL CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT: www.centralrecorder.com Opening Meeting Cites Overall Campus Growth MATT KIERNAN The Recorder President Jack Miller’s speech at the opening meeting of the 2010-11 academic year on Wednesday gave a positive outlook for CCSU’s future, with Miller citing growing numbers in statistics for most of the central aspects of the campus. “One of the things that remains the same is that we’re changing all the time,” said Miller during his opening remarks in Alumni Hall. All across the board CCSU did appear to be growing, stretching from student retention rates, all the way to energy sustainability. e campus saw a growth of 414 undergraduates totaling 7,859 in fall 2009 from fall 2005. Miller aributes this not to greater numbers of students being accepted into the university, but to the work professors have put into retaining students and giving them incentives not to transfer. Extracurricular activities have also jumped in numbers of participation, measured by 63 percent of students geing involved on campus in 2010, compared to 47 percent in 2007. Graduation rates are still a troubling factor for the university though. Of students graduating within six years, only 51 percent of whites, 37 percent of African-Americans and 38 percent of Latinos do so in that period. Miller made predictions as to what the state of CCSU will be in 2015. He expects there to be 15,000 students as long as there’s proper funding, 20 percent of which will live in residential halls and 20-30 percent in private apartments. “We’re going to have a lot more facilities on campus,” said Miller. ere will be a new residential hall, police station and academic building, among other projects, according to Miller, to combat the increasing room shortage on campus. Environmental sustainability has drastically improved within the last few years. In 2010, 37 percent of the campus trash stream has been recycled, compared to 28 percent in 2008. Miller recalled a moment when he first took the position of president in 2005 when he asked where on campus he could recycle a soda can and was answered that there wasn’t such a place. Criticism is something Miller says is needed in order to improve the university, but must be delivered in a civil and proper manner. Without naming names, he briefly mentioned that most of the negative and difficult voices over the recent years have leſt, creating a much more positive atmosphere. Aſter the meeting, professors and students met outside of Alumni to discuss Miller’s presentation, and it appeared to have an overall warm acceptance. “ere was a lot of celebration of our success and what we’re trying to do,” said omas Delventhal, professor of theatre, on the general tone of the speech. “We [professors and students] should always be learning how to grow,” said Barbara Clark, assistant professor of teacher education. Gilbert Giglioi, professor of English, was granted the university’s Distinguished Service Award at the meeting for his exceptional work with students and the outside community. “I don’t want to make people think there won’t be any bumps in the road, but that we will be prepared for those bumps,” said Miller. JONATHAN STANKIEWICZ The Recorder Adjunct history professor Michael Bellesiles is no newcomer to scandal. Having released a controversial book on the history of guns in America and an article about a former student's loss of a half brother from war, he's now trying to give a second go at teaching. “I’m an adjunct, [I] was a full-time professor,” said Bellesiles. “I cannot get a full- time job in the U.S.” Before the firestorm, Bellesiles was a respected historian, now he is leſt trying to make a fresh start, a task which is proving easier said than done. “I wish I never wrien about guns,” said Bellesiles. e drama started with Bellesiles’s first book, published in 2000, titled Arming America: e Origins of a National Gun Culture. Bellesiles was a highly acclaimed historian at Emory University and was working full-time. Aſter Bellesiles’s book came out and he won the highly acclaimed Bancroſt prize in 2001, things began to unfold. e book showed that guns were not prevalent before the Civil War. Arming America challenged foundations that the National Rifle Association has thrived on for years. Gun rights activists were outraged and started to look through Bellesiles’s notes and sources very, very closely. Questions were raised about how Bellesiles used the records, who he talked to and even his counting of the number of guns was under fire. e use of probate records, which are composed of information about family Past Controversy Haunts History Professor relationships, property holdings and values, and land and building locations and descriptions, came into question, isn’t an exact science. Scholars know that wills and records wrien hundreds of years ago shouldn’t be taken for concrete fact. Soon other history scholars couldn’t replicate the numbers and they began to see misquotations. “Arming America is changing the way that some historians think about their own profession and how some scholars in fields allied to history regard historical research and publishing,” said critic James Lindgren, in a book review from April 2002 in the Yale Law Journal. ings were beginning to get out of hand and Emory’s dean, Robert A. Paul, decided to establish an expert panel of scholars to investigate the charges against Bellesiles. e panel consisted of three distinguished historians - Stanley Katz of Princeton University, Hanna Gray of the University of Chicago and Laurel atcher Ulrich of Harvard. e investigation concluded with a 40-page indictment, along with a 7-page response by Bellesiles himself. Among the findings of the panel they found that “Every aspect of his work in the probate records is deeply flawed.” “Bellesiles seems to have been uerly unaware of the importance of the possibility of the replication of his research,” said the panel in their findings. Soon aſter the investigative report was released in October, Bellesiles resigned from his HISTORY | CONT. ON 3 MATT KIERNAN | THE RECORDER President Jack Miller gives first public speech of the semester in Alumni Hall.
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Volume 107 No. 1Wednesday, September 1, 2010 www.centralrecorder.com
CENTR A L CONNECTICUT STATE UNIVERSITY
FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT: www.centralrecorder.com
Opening Meeting Cites Overall Campus GrowthmaTT kieRnan
The Recorder
President Jack Miller’s speech at the opening meeting of the 2010-11 academic year on Wednesday gave a positive outlook for CCSU’s future, with Miller citing growing numbers in statistics for most of the central aspects of the campus.
“One of the things that remains the same is that we’re changing all the time,” said Miller during his opening remarks in Alumni Hall.
All across the board CCSU did appear to be growing, stretching from student retention rates, all the way to energy sustainability.
Th e campus saw a growth of 414 undergraduates totaling 7,859 in fall 2009 from fall 2005. Miller att ributes this not to greater numbers of students being accepted into the university, but to the work professors have put into retaining students and giving them incentives not to transfer.
Extracurricular activities have also jumped in numbers of participation, measured by 63 percent of students gett ing involved on campus in 2010, compared to 47 percent in 2007.
Graduation rates are still a troubling factor for the university though. Of students graduating within six years, only 51 percent of whites, 37 percent of African-Americans and 38 percent of Latinos do so in that period.
Miller made predictions as to what the state of CCSU will be in 2015. He expects there to be 15,000 students as long as there’s proper funding, 20 percent of which will live in residential halls and 20-30 percent in private apartments.
“We’re going to have a lot more facilities on campus,” said Miller. Th ere will be a new residential hall, police station and academic building, among other projects, according to Miller, to combat the increasing room shortage on campus.
Environmental sustainability has drastically improved within the last few years. In 2010, 37 percent of the campus trash stream has been recycled, compared to 28 percent in 2008.
Miller recalled a moment when he fi rst took the position of president in 2005 when he asked where on campus he could recycle a soda can and was answered that there wasn’t such a place.
Criticism is something Miller says is needed in order to improve the
university, but must be delivered in a civil and proper manner. Without naming names, he briefl y mentioned that most of the negative and diffi cult voices over the recent years have left , creating a much more positive atmosphere.
Aft er the meeting, professors and students met outside of Alumni to discuss Miller’s presentation, and it appeared to have an overall warm acceptance.
“Th ere was a lot of celebration of our success and what we’re trying to do,” said Th omas Delventhal, professor of theatre, on the general tone of the speech.
“We [professors and students] should always be learning how to grow,” said Barbara Clark, assistant professor of teacher education.
Gilbert Gigliott i, professor of English, was granted the university’s Distinguished Service Award at the meeting for his exceptional work with students and the outside community.
“I don’t want to make people think there won’t be any bumps in the road, but that we will be prepared for those bumps,” said Miller.
jonaThan sTankiewicz
The Recorder
Adjunct history professor Michael Bellesiles is no newcomer to scandal. Having released a controversial book on the history of guns in America and an article about a former student's loss of a half brother from war, he's now trying to give a second go at teaching.
“I’m an adjunct, [I] was a full-time professor,” said Bellesiles. “I cannot get a full-time job in the U.S.”
Before the fi restorm, Bellesiles was a respected historian, now he is left trying to make a fresh start, a task which is proving easier said than done.
“I wish I never writt en about guns,” said Bellesiles.
Th e drama started with Bellesiles’s fi rst book, published in 2000, titled Arming America: Th e Origins of a National Gun Culture. Bellesiles was a highly acclaimed historian at Emory University and was working full-time.
Aft er Bellesiles’s book came out and he won the highly acclaimed Bancroft prize in 2001, things began to unfold.
Th e book showed that guns were not prevalent before the Civil War. Arming America challenged foundations that the National Rifl e Association has thrived on for years.
Gun rights activists were outraged and started to look through Bellesiles’s notes and sources very, very closely.
Questions were raised about how Bellesiles used the records, who he talked to and even his counting of the number of guns was under fi re. Th e use of probate records, which are composed of information about family
Past Controversy Haunts History
Professor
relationships, property holdings and values, and land and building locations and descriptions, came into question, isn’t an exact science. Scholars know that wills and records writt en hundreds of years ago shouldn’t be taken for concrete fact.
Soon other history scholars couldn’t replicate the numbers and they began to see misquotations.
“Arming America is changing the way that some historians think about their own profession and how some scholars in fi elds allied to history regard historical research and publishing,” said critic James Lindgren, in a book review from April 2002 in the Yale Law Journal.
Th ings were beginning to get out of hand and Emory’s dean, Robert A. Paul, decided to establish an expert panel of scholars to investigate the charges against Bellesiles. Th e panel consisted of three distinguished historians - Stanley Katz of Princeton University, Hanna Gray of the University of Chicago and Laurel Th atcher Ulrich of Harvard.
Th e investigation concluded with a 40-page indictment, along with a 7-page response by Bellesiles himself.
Among the fi ndings of the panel they found that “Every aspect of his work in the probate records is deeply fl awed.”
“Bellesiles seems to have been utt erly unaware of the importance of the possibility of the replication of his research,” said the panel in their fi ndings.
Soon aft er the investigative report was released in October, Bellesiles resigned from his
HISTORY | conT. on 3
maTT kieRnan | The RecoRdeRPresident Jack Miller gives first public speech of the semester in Alumni Hall.
NEWS2THE RECORDERWednesday, September 1, 2010
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LGBT Social Justice Conference Now Taking Registration
ashley foyThe Recorder
The LGBT Center’s Oct. 27 conference on social justice, which takes place on the CCSU campus and features special guest speaker Jessica Pettitt, has begun early registration for those interested in taking part in the activities.
Pettitt is well known as a diversity educator and has been nominated by the Campus Activities Magazine for Best Diversity Artist on two separate occasions. Pettitt offers very interactive and direct programs which are designed to educate the public on specific themes of
diversity. Diverse LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) topics such as privilege, gender and identity will be discussed at the conference.
Though the topics discussed are serious and quite sensitive for many people, Pettitt promises a mix of effective and active steps toward life changes for her audience and a good time, as she has been doing stand-up comedy for the last few years and incorporated it into her program. She has traveled all around the country to speak to college students about LGBT-related topics and make a change in their lives.
Pettitt’s academic background includes a Bachelor’s degree in sociology with secondary certification in social studies from Hendrix College and a Master of education administration from the University of South Carolina. In addition to her years of experience working in student affairs, Pettitt keeps her skills current by continuously gaining new certifications such as lead facilitator and certified mediator. In addition, she continues to regularly write articles for various publications and has been the recipient of several awards.
CSU students, faculty, staff or
anyone with a valid CSU ID will only have to pay $5 for a ticket. All others will be offered an early bird special of $35 until Sept. 27. The regular price $55 will be charged from Sept. 28 and on. To register and pay for tickets visit the CENtix Box Office located in the student center at CCSU or call (860) 832-1989.
For more information or questions on the event contact Kristin Van Ness (LGBT Center coordinator) at (860) 832-2091 or Sarah M. Rine (assistant director of Student Activities and Leadership Development) at (860) 832-1999.
jason cunninghamThe Recorder
BizQuest.com, known as “The Original Business for Sale Website,” recently showed a listing for a “Hartford County College Bookstore” that is “adjacent to a major university” and located in a “shopping plaza with strong student exposure and traffic.” This bookstore was none other than Another Bookstore, the abode of books that are guaranteed to always be cheaper than their competition’s, which is mainly the CCSU Bookstore.
“It wasn’t our intention to sell the business, we were actually checking to see what it’s worth,” said Rob Crosgrove, co-owner and general manager of Another Bookstore. “We’d like to open another store at another location.”
According to Crosgrove, Another Bookstore has been able to flourish based on its convenient location in the well-trafficked shopping plaza across the street from campus, a situation that he says will be difficult to replicate. Crosgrove, who has co-owned Another Bookstore for the past six years, can remember when the store was founded back in 1991.
“I’ve been working at this place since it was The Other Bookstore, so it’s going on 20 since I’ve been here,” said Crosgrove. “The store has been extremely beneficial to
the community. It was started by a former student and a professor with the student body in mind.”
That student’s name is Todd Szoka. The Hartford Courant published an article on Szoka in 1993 titled “Former Student In Competition With Alma Mater,” which highlighted the underdog store’s success at putting a major dent in the revenue of the campus bookstore. According to the article, Szoka credited his success to the excellent service provided at the store as well as the “countercultural atmosphere” that helped define it. Another Bookstore’s owners, all of whom are former employees of Szoka’s, have kept those philosophies alive and are eager to extend them to other students in Connecticut.
“If we find a good location we can offer [competitive] prices to another school. A lot of students from other universities come here for their books. Even when we don’t have them they can still order them here for less,” said Crosgrove.
Helping students save does come at a price however. The use of CCSU’s Blue Chip Card by students takes its toll on Another Bookstore every semester.
“We take a big hit for accepting Blue Chip. The cost is three times higher than most credit cards. We don’t raise prices which means we make no profit whatsoever,” said
Crosgrove. “We have to take because so many students use it.”
Bruce Seymour, co-owner and business development manager of Another Bookstore, says that no matter how hard it is to keep prices low, it’s a tradition that’ll be continued for as long as the store is in business.
“We’ll never raise our prices to compensate for what we lose because of Blue Chip. It’s rough to take an 11 percent hit, but the money goes back into the school and it helps keep us on good terms,” said Seymour.
Another Bookstore, Another Location
If all goes as planned, Another Bookstore will be able to bring their countercultural atmosphere and low prices to a second location. No worries to Another Bookstore’s loyal costumers, it will still remain right across the street, offering cheaper prices on books and providing a different type of environment for students’ back to school shopping.
“Hopefully incoming students will come down to check us out and ignore any bad things they might hear about us,” said Crosgrove. “They can save hundreds of dollars here.
Students line up to check in to their dorm rooms on Sunday, Aug. 30, in James Hall.
Another Bookstore is looking to expand its business.kenny baRTo | The RecoRdeR
jill jung | The RecoRdeR
3THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / NEWS
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saRa m. beRRyThe Recorder
Starting this fall the CCSU bookstore, run by Barnes & Noble, will off er students the option of renting textbooks rather than buying them.
Students traditionally saved money on textbooks by selling them back at the end of the semester. But now, says bookstore manager Jack O’Leary, “students can save money up front.” Students who opt to rent their textbooks may save as much as 60 percent as opposed to buying a new copy of a printed text. For example, O’Leary off ers one instance of a book that costs $100 new but $45 to rent for the semester. Students may rent new or used books for the same rental fee. Rental books may be used in the same manner as a purchased textbook that could be sold back as it can be highlighted and writt en in, and then returned.
Textbooks may be rented at any time throughout the semester, or prior to the beginning of the semester, and are to be returned by Dec. 27. Th e bookstore will send students fi ve emails to remind them to return their rented book. If the student fails to return the book, or the book is not in acceptable condition, they simply owe the bookstore the diff erence between the rental price and the purchase price. “It’s no diff erent than Blockbuster,” O’Leary said. And, if you end up with the wrong book, you can return it to the bookstore and exchange it for the right one, and pay the diff erence in rental fees.
So far, students at CCSU seem to like
the textbook rental option. According to O'Leary 20 percent of students typically buy their books before classes start. Th is semester, O'Leary said that 40 percent of students have bought their books prior to the fi rst day of class. As of the fi rst day of classes, O'Leary says that 3,000 online orders have been placed for rented textbooks. Th e aff ordability of rental textbooks and the fact that students are gett ing their books before going to class is likely to improve student academic success.
Students may still purchase both new and used books. O'Leary says 60 percent of the textbooks carried by the CCSU Bookstore are used. Used books save money for both the person selling them to the bookstore and buying them from the bookstore, but also contribute to sustainability by reducing the number of new textbooks that are being produced as well as the number of old textbooks that are being discarded.
In addition to the print textbook options, the bookstore also off ers digital textbooks. Th ere are currently 700 titles available for download. Students who enjoy interactive media may prefer e-books, where, for example, in a history book, a student can click on Abraham Lincoln and hear the Gett ysburg Address, said O’Leary.
Students may order rental textbooks, as well as e-books and new and used print books for purchase, online at the bookstore’s website, ccsubookstore.com, or get them at the bookstore.
Textbook Rentals Among Newest
Offerings From CCSU Bookstore
post at Emory.Today, Bellesiles wishes that the book
that caused him so much grief was never writt en.
“It was a horrifying experience,” said Bellesiles, “that was 12 years of my life.”
One would think that the troubles would be done, but Bellesiles’s story takes another turn for the worse.
Bellesiles wrote an article in June of this year titled “Teaching Military History in a Time of War" in the Chronicle Review. Th e story was about a student named “Ernesto” who had allegedly lost a half brother overseas.
No sooner was the article published that cynics were already trying to disprove his story. Skeptics fl ew out of the woodwork to try to fi nd loopholes and fabrications in it.
And those cynics found some.
A former critic named James Lindgren searched through military deaths and came up empty with anyone that could have been related to student “Ernesto.” Lindgren posted his fi ndings on the site Th e Volokh Conspiracy.
“In my review of several sites, but chiefl y ICasualties, I fi nd no Connecticut military killed in Iraq in 2009 or 2010 (and only one in 2008, a Marine who died from a non-hostile cause),” wrote Lindgren on the site.
Others piled on and Bellesiles’ hope for people to get that extra insight to living in a time of war was lost.
“Th at was the one unfortunate experience as long as I can remember,” said Bellesiles, “I have always trusted my students."
Bellesiles was especially upset about how bloggers and journalists alike acted.
“It was unfortunate that a few people felt that they should track down that student,” said Bellesiles. “No one benefi ted from them doing that.”
But now, Bellesiles is back, teaching here at CCSU as an adjunct. Th e history
department at CCSU denied to comment saying that it would be inappropriate to talk about faculty members.
Coming back to teaching wasn’t easy for Bellesiles.
“I have had gott en down to the point where I was signing the contract [to teach] and it has been yanked away,” said Bellesiles, “from coordinated complaints that I should not be teaching.
All of that is thanks to Arming America, said Bellesiles.
“I admire the integrity of CCSU,” said Bellesiles. “If they have received any sort of [outside] pressure they
have not buckled.Life for Bellesiles is easier, but there
are weekly, if not daily reminders of the past.
As casual as talking about how “cool” his neighbors are, Bellesiles described how he still gets hate mail roughly “two to three times a week” but “e-mail is more oft en than that.”
It’s been almost nine years, and Bellesiles has had enough, even going as far as to get rid of his home answering machine due to so much “cussing.”
“I don’t know what I did to them,” said Bellesiles, “just accept my apology to anyone I have ever hurt.”
And even leading historians want this behind them.
“What more is there at issue?,” asked David Hollinger, the president of the
Organization of American Historians. “I think the press should let it alone. Enough already.”
Bellesiles is back in the classroom, having just released his newest book, 1877: America's Year of Living Violently, an anecdotal study of one of America’s bloodiest years.
Taking just 18 months to write 1877, Bellesiles was not only teaching, but researching and writing for his new book. 1877 was a much easier write for Bellesiles and critics pending are not expected to cause any problems.
“I get so many ideas from my students,” said Bellesiles. “For me, intel lectual ly, students are full of ideas and especially in ways of relaying the past...it’s nice to constantly be reminded how exciting it is to be [a teacher].
B el l es i l es ’ past never seems to get far enough away from him though.
“Everything about him surprises me,” said Stanley Katz, one of the three historians on the investigation panel that looked into Arming America. “He’s very puzzling to me; I guess I’m a litt le surprised that he seems to be making a campaign now.”
Katz isn’t against Bellesiles writing a new book, he actually thinks that it's the “best thing he’s done.”
“He’s done the right thing,” said Katz, “reestablishing a professional reputation.”
But Katz isn’t convinced about everything that Bellesiles is doing right now.
“Test for him [Bellesiles] is peer judgment [on his new book],” said Katz, “but the other is Central. To what extent will it be diffi cult for him to do a proper job as a teacher, that’s for the students to fi gure out?”
Bellesiles isn’t fazed by critics or anything for that matt er; the man doesn’t read the stories about him.
“I never read about myself,” said Bellesiles. “Journalists have to do their jobs.”
B e l l e s i l e s pushes on even with his past ever so close behind him. He's in the middle of writing a book that should be out next year.
Th e future book will be about working with veterans. Bellesiles wrote a lot of the book based on personal interviews.
“ O n e of the great accomplishments of scholars is to record these memories,” said Bellesiles.
And like his books, Bellesiles will continue to live on and not without a great pride by having returned to teaching.
“I just cannot say enough about how much I like teaching at CCSU,” said Bellesiles, “I identify with [my students].
Bellesiles appreciates the situations of his students and the rest of the Central community.
“I’ve taught rich kids but they are diff erent; they’ve had it all,” said Bellesiles. “I like working with students who have to fi ght for it.”
“I have had gott en down to the point where I was signing the contract [to teach] and it has been yanked away,” said Bellesiles.
“It was a h o r r i f y i n g experience,” said Bellesiles, “that was 12 years of my life.”
HISTORY | conT. fRom 1
EDITORIAL
4 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / NEWS
Coexisting With Neighbors is Tricky
(WIRE) - Over the past decade, electronics have become smaller and faster. But future generations won’t be able to continue this progress without a significant change. Spintronics, or spin-based electronics, is the answer, and a professor and graduate student at the University have made a step forward in the research and understanding of this area. Hui Zhao, assistant professor of physics and astronomy, and Lalani Werake, a graduate student from Kandy, Sri Lanka, have discovered a way to recognize and measure
the spin current of electrons. The team works in KU’s Ultrafast Laser Lab, which is located in Malott Hall. Spintronics is a way to revolutionize next-generation electronics to make them faster and use less energy, Zhao said. It’s no secret that electronics have gotten smaller over the past few years. But soon, Zhao said, electronics won’t be able to get any smaller. “In order to get the next generation computers and electronic devices,” he said. “We need a dramatically different design.” Spintronics is the answer, Zhao said, but the method is still in its research phase. Electrons have two
properties: a negative charge and a spin. Current electronics are charge-based, so the charge carries information. But with spintronics, the electron’s spin carries the information instead. Ron Hui, professor of electrical engineering and computer science, said using an electron’s spin adds another dimension of freedom for carrying information. Electrons can only spin either clockwise or counterclockwise. Zhao said this works well with binary code, which is the use of 1s and 0s to represent information. Zhao said carrying information with the electron’s natural spin requires less energy than relying on the presence or absence of a charge.
He said to imagine people using baseballs to communicate with others. If someone was holding a baseball, that would mean that Kansas scored. If someone wasn’t holding a baseball, that would mean Missouri scored. This scenario represents charge-based electronics. “When I put the baseball away, it only takes a little effort,” Zhao said. “But if I had to do this one billion times a second, it would take a lot of energy.” But with spin, everyone would hold a baseball. If the baseball is spinning clockwise, Kansas scored. If the baseball was spinning counterclockwise, Missouri scored. “If I can just change the spin, it’s easier and takes less energy,” he said. The inability to measure the flow of spinning electrons in real time has been a barrier in the research of spintronics. Previous methods were like measuring the speed of a car by taking photos and analyzing how the position changed over time, Zhao said. But Zhao and Werake’s
Research Paves Way for Smaller Technology
kelly sTRoda The university daily kansan
(WIRE) - People from all over the state flocked to Champaign this Friday for the 5th Annual Sustainable University Symposium at the I-Hotel, 1900 S. 1st St., Champaign. About 400 people attended the event, which included speakers such as Gov. Pat Quinn, Robert Easter and Michael J. Hogan. William Kelleher, senior in Engineering, spoke on student led campus biodiesel production for carbon reduction because he has had experience in that field. “I was in charge of a group that turns our campus dining hall waste vegetable oil into fuel for university vehicles,” he said. This campus is an especially sustainably oriented, Kelleher said. “We have the student sustainability committee with the billion dollar annual budget now, so that’s really significant. We have the student farm, the student biodiesel movement, and Student for Environmental concerns,” he said. “They all do a lot of really great
things.” Other student speakers included Suhail Barot, graduate student and SECS member, spoke on campus climate action plans and how to effectively leverage students He said not many students attended the event because many had class while it was scheduled, which was disappointing. Barot’s favorite part of the day, he said, was hearing Leigh Sharp from the Illinois Green Economy Network speak about the different steps and amount of work it takes to get an environmental plan in action. Connie Churchill professor at Oakton Community College and co-chair of the Green Committee, has attended the event for the past few years. “I very much enjoyed the speakers this morning, including the governor, “ she said. “Everything was worthwhile.” Churchill said she plans on implementing things from the symposium to improve sustainability on her campus.
kaTie duRkin The daily illini
University Symposium Seeks to Improve Campus
Sustainability
discovery is like a “radar gun” for spin currents. Werake said it’s important to see the spin current when it’s happening rather than when it’s over. By using powerful lasers and a series of about 100 mirrors and lenses, the team discovered a way to know if spin current is present. If a red laser beam is shined at a semiconductor and a blue light comes out the other side, spin current is present. This occurs because of an optical effect known as second harmonic generation. “The intensity of the blue light is proportional to the strength of the spin current,” Werake said. This discovery will help propel future research of spintronics. The team’s findings will be published in the September print edition of Nature Physics, a leading peer-reviewed science journal. A CAREER award from the National Science Foundation funded this research. “This of course, it not the conclusion, but only the beginning of the research being done,” Zhao said.
OPINION THE RECORDERWednesday, September 1, 2010
5
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(WIRE) - Students who move into new areas are not islands. They will have to cope with the habits and routines of not only multiple roommates, but an entire neighborhood as well.
As a college town, Eugene is known for both its studies and its social life. Though it can be difficult to find a personal balance between the two, finding a balance for an entire neighborhood or apartment complex is often a never-ending battle.
University junior business major Danny Roth resided in apartments on 15th Avenue and Alder Street. He said he and his roommates were best described as “the loud ones,” occasionally being shushed by the neighbors upstairs.
“We liked to party and stuff,” Roth said.
He recalled a time where they had a get-together
Coexisting With Neighbors is Trickyat the same time a neighbor upstairs was working on a big project. The neighbor’s partner grew irritated with the noise and asked him to turn it down.
Though they fancied a good party, Roth and his friends would always turn down the volume at another tenant’s request and never really had any serious issues with them.
Roth probably had more issues with his 4 a.m. guitar-strumming roommate than other tenants.
“You have to be respectful of other people,” Roth said.
Whether students are night owls, study rats, or stuck somewhere in between, they are bound to run into issues when dealing with neighbors who may have different preferences and habits. They will have to cope with the noise or sacrifice their raging house party to keep things fair between neighbors.
Disturbances will
occur, but usually there is no need to get authorities involved.
“If people are being loud, I wouldn’t rush to call the police,” said University junior Sarah Gomez.
But she said if things get violent, you cannot wait around.
Gomez learned this just last year on the first night she moved into an apartment complex with three roommates.
Because they didn’t have any furniture, they were all camped out in their living room. It was about 8:30 or 9 p.m. when they began to hear yelling and screaming come from the complex next to theirs.
A girl and her boyfriend were in a shouting match about how she felt as though he was cheating on her and how she was pregnant. Before they knew it, he was threatening to hit his girlfriend.
Because one of her roommates had a father in the police force, they called him to see what they should do.
“We were freaking out... we never experienced anything like
TyRee haRRis oregon daily emerald
(WIRE) - Welcome to the opposition.Before I state my opinion, I want to say that I agree with the fact that the Muslim community has the right to build the mosque. I absolutely cannot argue with that fact. However, I absolutely do not agree with where they are planning to build it: in the ever-darkening shadow of Ground Zero. This mosque scheme has become a tension-filled controversy. On one hand the people of the U.S. cannot deny the rights of Muslims to build a sacred place of worship and gathering. But it was only nine years ago when a few Middle Easterners, who just so-happened to practice Islam, attacked the Twin Towers. Is building the mosque putting more emphasis on the terrible events that occurred on Sept. 11? Is this mosque placing an emphasis on the never-ending battle the
U.S. has engaged in overseas? I think so. Respect is my biggest argument here. A mosque two blocks away from Ground Zero is a sign of disrespect. The U.S. united with the families and friends of the innocent victims at Ground Zero, and because of that, I doubt the nostalgia will ever go away. It’s like rubbing salt into a wound that can’t heal. Building the mosque is the salt. The remnants of the Twin Towers are the raw wounds. Let’s get this out of the way right now: Speech, press, religion, assembly and petition are all part of our fundamental rights as stated in the Constitution. I am not trying to fight our Constitution and beg for amendments to be made. Those who practice Islam have the same rights as every other religion in this country, but like every other religious group, they have to follow the emotionally charged unwritten rules as well. Or face revolt. In my opinion, it appears that Feisal
Abdul Rauf, the imam behind the “brilliant” building scheme, is trying to stir the pot of controversy within American society. I have an idea for Mr. Rauf: Why not use the $100 million (which he still doesn’t technically have) to build the mosque in his hometown of Kuwait? He can build interfaith houses there and create a more tolerant energy surrounding international Islamic faith. We, as a country and global community, need to be sensitive to all peoples and religions. We also need to hold everyone to these standards, including Rauf and his wife who are planning to build the mosque. A mosque that is a couple of feet away from an obvious grave site is not at all sensitive towards the thousands that died in the rubble at Ground Zero. Build the mosque, but please build the damn thing at least a few more blocks away.
Devil’s Advocate: Anti-Mosqueally boRdas The daily Titan
that,” Gomez said.
They ended up calling the Eugene Police Department, who quickly neutralized the situation.
Gomez said the campus can be an unsafe area and that if neighbors looked out for one another in this fashion, it would reduce the amount of harassment violence. She doesn’t think there is a way to end it completely, though.
Students on campus have to either adapt to the loudness or prepare to speak their minds. There are plenty of housing opportunities in communities farther from campus, which tend to be much more tranquil and reserved.
Gomez said that wherever students reside in Eugene, they should always keep their eyes open.
“Be aware of your surroundings and focus on your safety,” Gomez said.
Research Paves Way for Smaller Technology
The opening meeting of the fall 2010 semester gave awareness to the fact that CCSU has expanded and improved greatly within the last few years, but has also increased the weight of responsibility that the administration and students have to bear to maintain those improvements.
A growth of 414 more undergraduates, totaling 7,859 enrolling in fall 2009 compared to fall 2005, measures the strong demand that exists for people looking to get an affordable education. President Jack Miller attributes this to professors providing incentives for students to stay.
This may be true, but it also comes from a new generation of students who are showing greater concern for their campus community.
Students are now becoming more
involved with extracurricular activities, as seen with 63 percent participating, a large jump from the 47 percent in 2007. Perhaps the university may need to look into extending the hours that the fields and Kaiser Annex ("The Bubble") are available.
The administration has already shown though that they're looking to meet these rising numbers by beginning the plans to construct a new dorm. Housing has become a growing problem on campus, and it's only expected to grow with each succeeding year. A new dorm would allow more breathing room for the university when it comes time to send out letters to students on acceptance into the dorms.
It may seem unfortunate to students that the cafeteria at Memorial Hall has moved to trayless dining, which began in the final weeks
of the spring semester and has now been permanently implemented, but it may be for the best. The administration has already said that thousands of pounds of food waste has been saved by taking away the trays.
Having the option of throwing on as much food as people want onto their trays removed forces students to think more responsibly about what they're eating and how much they're tossing out. There may be a factor of inconvenience, but it will be worth it in the long-run for better sustainability.
Miller's memory of arriving to CCSU in 2005 and not having a place to recycle a soda can indicates that it wasn't long ago that the university had hardly any system for recycling waste. Now that the administration has proven they have greater care for sustainability, students must equal it by doing what they can
to embrace the current system.The newly elected Student
Government Association president Matt Vekakis must be a leader in pulling together students to improve what they can of the university, and if needed, question university policies. With an increasingly tighter university budget, Vekakis will need to monitor expenditures for clubs and events, and make sure every dollar is accounted for and used wisely.
As a whole, CCSU has vastly improved within recent years, but in order to keep a hold on those advances, all members of the campus community must look to themselves to pitch in what they can and ask what needs additional development.
With University Expansion Comes Greater Responsibility
6 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / UPGR ADE
REVIEWSBrian Wilson
Brian Wilson Reimagines GershwinWalt Disney Records
August 24
Arcade FireThe Suburbs
Merge August 3
Iron MaidenThe Final Frontier
EMI August 17
Katy PerryTeenage Dream
Capitol Records August 24
maTT kieRnanThe Recorder
Besides having a reputation for being the godfather of beach-rock and a Wall of Sound innovator, Brian Wilson is also known as an overall musical genius.
Always pushing himself further throughout his solo career and time spent as lead singer for the Beach Boys, its not surprising that he would turn his eyes toward reworking classical composer George Gershwin’s pieces, which transcended genres at a level equal to Wilson’s art.
Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin is an exhilarating revamp of the early 20th century composer’s works, with Wilson breathing new life into them via his angelic vocal harmonies and perfected productions.
Wilson opens the album with his layered harmonies with himself on “Rhapsody in Blue,” before transitioning into jazz instrumentation. The record later goes full circle on the final track “Rhapsody in Blue (Reprise),” ending with a show tune-like finale.
Orchestrations are fully embraced on the record, which isn’t completely realized until “Summertime,” featuring a vocal jazz tenderness in Wilson’s singing.
“I Love You, Porgy” seems to show Wilson in his safest element of vocalization. The song is a singer’s paradise, demonstrated by legendary vocalists such as Billie Holiday and Nina Simone choosing to perform the track during the last century.
The album next goes in the complete opposite direction on “I Got Plenty O’ Nuttin,” by Wilson opting out of incorporating lyrics and
jason cunninghamThe Recorder
It’s hard to be the man with the microphone, but the Arcade Fire’s Win Butler does so with grace. In their third album, The Suburbs, Butler and team craft an elegant pop odyssey with a fierce political charge. The Suburbs, released Aug. 3 in North America, cries out to their fan base with unrelenting attention and grief. Within this grief is an array of complexities, ranging from the struggles of suburban families trapped within a shadowy and roguish system to the pain of those slipping into the lower class as an effect of it.
The suburbs that the album portrays can’t reject the world built for those at the top of the social hierarchy, so it must fight it with songs clutching to its empty dreams. The Suburbs’ depictions of neighborhoods where dead shopping malls are commonplace and prescriptions of abating our reliance on technology may leave a bitter taste in your mouth, but you’ll find your foot still tapping anyway.
The Arcade Fire do lay their sense of melancholy on a little thick at points in songs like “Wasted Hours” and “Sprawl II (Mountains Beyond Mountains),” but fortunately this heaviness is mellowed by Butler’s tone of honesty and wife Régine Chassagne’s infectious vocals. Yes, the times are changing at blistering speeds and the band’s ability to capture that intensity is impressive and moving, but the painful preachiness of The Suburbs does become a weakness. The cause is sincere, but as each whack on the head comes to leave a bump, the seriousness
jill jungThe Recorder
Iron Maiden’s 15th album, The Final Frontier, can truly be considered an epic ending that will result in an enduring legacy.
The Final Frontier is the band’s longest yet, with songs averaging six minutes a piece for a total of 76 minutes. As rumors swirl that this
ashley foyThe Recorder
A more fitting title than Teenage Dream for Katy Perry’s latest album would be hard to come by. In typical pop star fashion, Perry has stuck to what she clearly knows best which is selling her sex appeal and attracting the easiest targeted following: teenagers (girls want to imitate her and boys fantasize about her).
might be the band’s last album, it’s as if Iron Maiden saved the best for last.
The album opens with the two-part song “Satellite 15…The Final Frontier”. The lengthy two and a half minute long introduction starts off with a slow ominous mood and an electronic feel, building with an almost tribal sounding drum. This is a very new sound for Iron Maiden. “Satellite 15’ can easily be set apart from the rest by singer Bruce Dickinson’s sorrowful lyrics and the drummer Nicko McBrian’s pounding percussion. The two-second pause changes the feel of the song dramatically. The rest of the song follows true to the Iron Maiden name, ending off with a fading chant of “The Final Frontier”.
There are other incredible songs on this album, my personal favorite being “Mother of Mercy” with Bruce Dickinson’s expressive singing about the horrors of war. And “El Dorado,” the first single off the album, takes a bite at the economic troubles the country is facing. The lyrics reflect that perfectly; “The eternal lie I’ve told/About the pyramids of gold/I’ve got you hooked at every turn/your money’s left to burn.”
Overall, this album has diverse moods and sounds that all are unique to Iron Maiden. If you are passionate about metal, music in general, or are just looking to pick up an album full of amazing talent, I would highly recommend Iron Maiden’s The Final Frontier.
If you haven’t heard her first single, “California Gurls,” yet, then you must have been asleep the entire Summer. A catchy beat and provocative in-your-face lyrics attempting to give her pop music an edge managed without much effort to bring Perry back to the top of the pop charts.
“Teenage Dream,” the album’s title song, is her second single. Though it likely has no deep personal meaning to Perry the song connects to the American youth very easily playing on the sex sells and first love themes that are never ending in pop culture.
Perry certainly utilizes shock value tactics similar to pop stars such as Madonna and Lady Gaga in order to gain an audience but keeps them there with safe pop hits that keep her on a familiar level. “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F),” “Not Like the Movies” and “Circle the Drain” clearly fit Perry’s expected style of hits among the American youth and will likely ensure her future number one hits and a large following of devoted fans.
With a girl who became famous with a hit titled “I Kissed a Girl,” one cannot expect a whole lot of depth to Perry’s lyrics, such as “We’re so hot we’ll melt your popsicle” from “California Gurls” or “I want to see your peacock” from “Peacock.” But no intellectual awakening is to be expected from a pop star whose songs blast from teenagers’ cars and in clubs. Plan on having more cheap but guilty pleasure number one hits from Teenage Dream getting stuck in your head over the next few months.
focusing on a countrified instrumentation of harmonicas, violins and saxophones.
It wouldn’t be a Wilson record without at least one song that draws upon his classic beachy sound, and this one is no exception, as heard on “They Can’t Take That Away From Me.” It’s one of the most upbeat tracks on the album, having tambourine slapping and doo-wops culminating into a bright saxophone solo.
While bringing Gershwin’s tunes into the new millenium, Wilson has proven he has gracefully matured with each succeeding year and hasn’t lost an ounce of brilliance.
of it all begins to wear thin.The Suburbs aims at identifying the issues
of suburban life and exposing their bellies, but that aim misses the mark at points where the album drags along. While it’s admirable to stress the importance of the joy found in showing good art patience, the 16 tracks on The Suburbs nearly pushes towards overkill. The messages of The Suburbs are as lucid and charming as the music backing them up, but trimming down a few tracks would’ve elevated this album from a great third LP to an indisputable masterpiece.
maTT clybuRnThe Recorder
Scott Pilgrim vs. the World should really be titled, “Scott Pilgrim vs. Seven Evil Exes.” After some pondering, though, I decided that the title is telling. It ultimately shows us the real battle here – not one between our quirky Canadian hero and a slew of bizarre characters from his love interest’s past – but one between the creative minds behind Scott Pilgrim and the world of the flagging film industry.
The film (and I don’t use the term film lightly) thrusts us into a ‘comic book and video game’ world of gravity-defying physics and butt-kicking action. As far from a fan of video games and comic books as one can get, I was amused by the references to this late 80’s/early 90’s dream world. Even the references that I didn’t understand made me laugh because the script and visual effects burst with countless dimensions of wit and originality.
Detractors of the film will dislike it because
they found themselves walking out of the theater scratching their heads. If you can’t submit to the preconditions of this fantasy world early on in the film, then you will hate this movie. If you go to an amusement park and don’t want to take your little brother or sister on the teacups because you think you’re too grown-up, you’ll hate that too. But sometimes it’s best to just sit down and enjoy the ride.
As a language aficionado, I often criticize classmates that err in the creation of proper sentences. I am eternally frustrated by misplaced or misguided punctuation, especially when these blunders can often alter the very story they are trying to tell. In Scott Pilgrim, we are retold a story we’ve heard many times before, but the style and flare of the punctuation truly bring a brand new world to life. The creative minds behind Scott Pilgrim offer an irreverent rebellion against today’s status quo in Hollywood.
‘Scott Pilgrim’ Battles Film Industry Norm
image couRTesy of ainT iT cool
7THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / UPGR ADE
max kybuRzThe Recorder
I doubt that the first person to say ‘whatever makes you happy’ had characters from Gummo in mind; the outlets used for happiness in this film would make any bystander shudder.
Thirteen years after it was released in 1997, Harmony Korine’s controversial indie-cult classic continues to repulse and impress with its decadent yet refined nature. Domestic pimps, chair-wrestling skateboarders, politically incorrect Elmer Fudds, eyebrow shavers, cat killers, preteen embezzlers, etc., Gummo has them all. But Korine does not see them all in one light. He does not exploit their conditions, nor does he mock their abnormalities. Rather, Korine sees all of his characters as multi-dimensional human beings as opposed to cheap stereotypes.
Gummo takes place in Xenia, Ohio, which suffered a tornado in the mid ‘70s. Xenia is a film setting that is memorable, but not for its glamour (houses that look more like landfills, with bathtub water from the Cold War era). The devastated class landscape sticks like a leech on the middle of your back, and becomes a manifestation of the bleak precedent set by Mother Nature’s wrath. Some parts have been cleaned up, but the minds of many of the occupants remain damaged. Xenia is last in line, alphabetically and whatever else that may apply.
To explain the summary of Gummo is no easy task; in fact, it’s best to list it as an outline (which, for the sake of spoilers, I won’t do). In short, the film simply portrays Midwest hick-types in their dead-end town. It is devoid of typical film structure, which only adds to the realism of the film. Is it fair to mold our lives to fit chronological narrative? It’s more appropriate to simply describe the film as a test. Until you endure the process, you cannot fully understand why everything occurs.
Korine’s choice to score Gummo with heavy metal music may put off some viewers (if nothing else will), but it’s the cathartic release of the songs that encompass the aggression felt by the characters. Of all major pop culture figures, Korine seems to be the only one who takes the genre seriously. The music is not employed for ironic value; Korine understands the appeal of heavy metal and why people worship it. For those who have pent-up aggravation, it’s a secure source of freedom. It’s why the inhabitants of Xenia’s
twisted world wear Slayer patches on their vests to cover their Krokus t-shirts.
The pivotal scene in Gummo features Korine himself, in full wino form, drinking beer and having a heart-to-heart with a dwarf. Though his speech is swampy, he tries to let out his feelings and awkwardly embraces the dwarf. This scene displays exactly what Korine is doing with the film; he embraces the modern day lepers, harlots and blasphemers. What comes out is bizarre, and he falters in clearly getting his point across, but to read between the lines is the key to understanding what is most important. To be human, to be individual, to accept others for who they are – these principles are what make Gummo a more wholesome film than it lets on.
There are reprehensible moments (and mullets) aplenty in Gummo, and the characters’ behavior is of no merit. There’s enough animal cruelty and mercy euthanasia to turn smiles upside down. And yet, there are some oddly beautiful moments in the film, because in the end, Gummo is about people attempting to achieve happiness within their dead-end town. Whether it’s the scene with Korine and the dwarf, or the one in which three sisters affectionately bathe their cat, or the one in which Jacob Reynolds (the weird looking kid on the poster) lifts utensils as weights, there are moments that may make you smirk in delight. As the masterful closing montage set to Roy Orbison’s ‘Crying’ indicates, some will find bliss, others may not be so lucky. Whether they will find their rapture is unknown.
Harmony Korine, certainly one of the strangest figures in independent cinema (watch his Letterman interviews on YouTube), was 24 years old when he made Gummo. After scoring big with critics for Kids (which he wrote; it was directed by the far creepier Larry Clark), he directed Gummo as his first feature. While his attempts since have been notable (his most recent film, Trash Humpers, was shot on videocassette), he has yet to capture the surrealistic beauty of his debut. Unafraid to defy convention, Korine created the film out of dismay at the progression of film since its birth. Not surprisingly, Gummo was neither a critical nor commercial success, but has since developed a devout following, attracting attention from the likes of Werner Herzog and Gus Van Sant. You will certainly be charmed by some parts and disturbed by others, so if you’re looking for a change of pace, Gummo is worth your attention.
Netflix It: Gummo
michael walsh The Recorder
Once the fiery explosions settle and the screen is clean of blood and guts, all that's left of Sylvester Stallone's highly hyped-up action blockbuster The Expendables is a largely forgettable yet still serviceable mindless romp through the fictional island of Vilena, amped by quite possibly the most typecasted ensemble cast in the history of Hollywood.
Stallone's The Expendables was supposed to be the manliest of them all; the action film that makes other action films tremble in its leather boots. But when you get over the gnarly gore and the randomly interconnected action sequences, Stallone's film is in one ear and out the other, not creating more than a few merely okay moments of intestinal fortitude to leave impressed with.
The film was touted as having one of the best action casts you might have ever laid witness to, but when you realize that part of that star-studded cast is former wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin, UFC fighter Randy Couture and former football player Terry Crews, the excitement quickly subsides and rests on the shoulders of
headliners Sly Stallone and Jason Statham. While Jet Li makes a formidable addition to the group and Dolph Lundgren is just kind of silly to look at, other tough guy Mickey Rourke completely sits out of the action, resorting to drawing tattoos and telling old war stories, a complete disappointment of what
An Expendable Film
could have been a brilliant casting of a great actor who has turned a corner in his up and down career. The film's best scene is when Stallone is joined on screen with Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. Oh what a film it could have been with a committed John McClane and Terminator in focus.
The Expendables will absolutely fill the summer's quota for blood, guts, gore and dead bodies, but it doesn't do so in a memorable way. The film's plot is largely forgettable and is not even enjoyable in an absurd way. A motley group of secretive war veterans team up and head to a small island to overthrow a dictator and the ex-CIA controlling him, all the while trying to save a damsel in distress. Each character in the Stallone-penned screenplay has a personality and background that falls off the face of the earth by the film's conclusion. These characters are so secretive to their mission and their pasts that the deepest we get are a few muddy war stories and botched relationships. Give me something to remember them from outside of their possibly plastic faces, popping veins and deep bronze tans.
And in the end, isn't that what this film is about? The characters and personas that made some of these actors the biggest of the literally biggest action stars of the
1980's? None of these characters will have a legacy like those of Hollywood's past, and this comes at the expense of the film's decision to ignore even the slightest character development and personality. Even a tweak here and a tweak there of emotional toil would have made for a much more memorable and long-living film. Jean-Claude Van Damme wasn't kidding when he turned down a part in the film because there was no substance in the character.
Not much is being said in Stallone's kill for the sake of it joy ride, but there was so much more that could have been said as Stallone's screenplay balanced on the line of full-on action film and a sort of self-reflective meditation on old age, similar to Van Damme's wonderful film JCVD. But while Stallone was busy juggling acting, directing and writing, the film seemed to be unable to make up its mind. It's disappointing in many ways, as Stallone has writing credits on the classic First Blood, which introduced us to John Rambo for the first and definitely not last time. Even Stallone's 2008 Rambo was a thoughtful, maintained and explosive action film. Stallone seemed to be literally juggling the camera, as the film's action sequences often fall prey to the modern plague that is shaky cam. The same terrible camerawork that plagued titles such as the latest Bond film has seemed to infected Stallone's sense of judgement, leading to even more meaningless action sequences pieced together one-by-one in whatever order they felt appropriate.
And I realize that if a film accomplishes what the creators set out to do that you cut it a little slack in other production areas. But I'm also not so sure that The Expendables did accomplish everything it aimed to be. Perhaps one's personal expectations of explosions, blood, more explosions and more blood are met, but I don't think Stallone wanted it to leave viewer's minds so quickly. There's no doubt this film sold well on its star power, but these big names and this film's success was created on the genius of other films and is the only reason this film wasn't released as a B-grade level action film with a wasted budget. The attempted concoction of tough guys is underwhelming and just doesn't work. It's like if I poured my favorite 12 beers together in a pot and decided to drink it. It won't make for a miracle.
Jason Statham, Sylvester Stallone and Randy Couture star in ‘The Expendables’.phoTo couRTesy of eonline
image couRTesy of newline
8 THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / UPGR ADE
Calendar9.1 - 9.8
michael walshThe Recorder
For Filter frontman Richard Patrick, 2010 is all about a return to the style of music that helped make the industrial rock band one of the music world's most fearless bands in the mid-nineties.
"We wanted to really remind people of our now classic sound of the band since we’re now so old," said Patrick. "This was the return to the full-on Title of Record, probably our most popular record, and it was just important to get back to that."
Filter, who headlined the "Block Out Block Party" on Allyn Street in Hartford on Aug. 20, released The Trouble with Angels, their fifth album, on Tuesday Aug. 17.
But for Patrick and the band, the return to a sound more similar to the band's roots wasn't met with complete ease. The first single, "The Inevitable Relapse," had some critics questioning the choice to use auto-tune as a vocal effect.
"The only reason why we did it was because we thought it was fun. There’s nothing more beyond," said Patrick. "People are like ‘Wow, what are they doing, oh my god, is this some kind of attempt to get to the kids?' I'm like oh my god, stop talking, you’re such a ****ing
puritanical.""The funny thing is it’s the only time
I’ll probably ever do it. It’s not me, but it was interesting for what I was doing at that particular time in the song. It’s only 16 bars. Get the **** over it. I’m not even that precious about my voice," said Patrick.
Patrick went on to admit that he can understand the reaction as it was the first single released from the new album and that he puts his fans through a lot. He canceled a tour supporting the band's 2002 record The Amalgamut and was unable to support the album. He then came back in 2006 with the completely new band Army of Anyone, a group comprised of Stone Temple Pilots brothers Robert and Dean DeLeo and Ray Luzier, who is now with Korn. After 2008's tribute-style album Anthems for the Damned, Patrick gave his fans what they wanted.
"I give them a little old school but I throw on a little effect. It could have been a vocoder, it could have been any little thing sitting there. It was probably the first thing that popped up when we scrolled down in effects on the Macintosh," said Patrick. "But because I deviated from the pattern and tried to hinge it in 2010 it became this massive thing. It’s just ridiculously funny."
The attempt at something new shouldn't
come as a huge surprise for fans, as Patrick has a history of changing styles from mellow to heavy and being an eclectic musician.
"Back in 1997 my label was like 'So, let’s hear the record.' And I played them a little bit. They were like 'It’s a pretty big departure from 'Hey Man, Nice Shot.' Even on that record [Title of Record] I had some mellow songs like "Stuck in Here" or "So Cool," said Patrick. But you know what, I said ‘You signed an artist, and I want to be an artist.’ I envisioned people moving out of a genre and kind of owning different songs. I didn’t get into music to conform to some niche in society."
"Like 'Fades Like a Photograph,' there’s not one electric guitar in there. It’s all acoustic and that’s like the first time I’ve really done that since Short Bus," said Patrick. "Just don’t box me in. Don’t box me in."
The band’s show in Hartford was the group’s first on-stage appearance since the release of their newest album a few days prior to it.
“We have noticed, and this is a great thing for us, there’s a lot of people that want us to play the new stuff," said Patrick. "So we’re actually going to pull out a few new ones from the record and eventually, we’re gonna add two more songs. And plenty of old stuff. We even brought out ‘Under’ for
the first time in a long time."And when Patrick took the outdoor stage
in Hartford, it was a lot easier and more fun for him than it was during his early years.
“Back then it was just so brutal. I was always hungover or I was always really drunk. Living in that world there’s a ton of anxiety that goes with that. There’s all kinds of issues," said Patrick. "I was always forgetting lyrics in a bad way. It was very hard to get up there and sing and do everything. Now it’s just really easy, it’s just really fun. I get up there and sing and it’s a joy, it’s amazing."
Patrick is quick to admit how the quality of the shows have risen over the years, lending thanks not only to the in-ear monitors, but to the group of musicians he has surrounded himself with.
"I’m super proud of the record. It’s just really fun to be in this band and it’s really fun to be with these guys too. I’ve surrounded myself with some really talented guys," said Patrick of drummer Mika Fineo, bassist Phil Buckman and guitarist Rob Patterson.
"[Rob and Phil] have great voices and have such unbelievable chops on their instruments. I’m also proud of Mika Fineo because Mika played all the drums on this record. And this is his record. So it’s as just as much his as it is mine and all the other folks that worked on it,” said Patrick.
Reborn Filter Reclaiming Old School SoundFrontman Richard Patrick Talks New Album, Filter's Return to a Classic Sound and More
MUSIC
9.1Sam Adams@ Toad's PlaceNew Haven, CT$20 / 9 p.m.
9.3Built to Spill@ Toad's PlaceNew Haven, CT$25 / 9:30 p.m.
9.6Afroman@Webster TheatreHartford, CT$10 / 7 p.m.
9.7F*cked Up@ Toad's PlaceNew Haven, CT$14 / 8 p.m.
9.8The Sleeping@ Toad's PlaceNew Haven, CT$12 / 8 p.m.
MOVIES
9.1 - 9.2Let It Rain@ Real Art WaysHartford, CT$6.25 (with student ID)
"Let It Rain touches on class issues, feminism, immigration and the particular challenges facing a single, driven career woman in her 40s. But it's graceful in presenting its ideas, and what emerges is not a polemic but a kind of snapshot of modern-day concerns." - Mark LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
9.1 - 9.4Cyrus@ CinestudioHartford, CT$7 / 7:30 p.m.
Jonah Hill, the generously sized star of Superbad, The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up, gets a chance to expand his acting chops in a seriously creepy black comedy. Hill personifies arrested development as a stuck-in-teendom 20-something, whose perfect life at home with his mom (Marisa Tomei) is threatened when she brings home a goofy
boyfriend ( John C. Reilly). As Hill describes the challenges of playing the role, "the character has to be heartbreaking, twisted, manipulative, sweet, sad, f***ed up, dark." Marisa Tomei, whose role in last year’s The Wrestler won her an Academy Award nomination, shows no fear in the improvisation-heavy directing style (called mumblecore) of the cult favorite writer/directors, the Duplass brothers. "A freakishly engrossing black comedy about excessively mothered men and the women who enable them." Ella Taylor, Village Voice.
9.2Iron Man 2@ Philbrick, Student CenterCCSU10pm, free
With the world now aware of his dual life as the armored superhero Iron Man, billionaire inventor Tony Stark faces pressure from the government, the press, and the public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to let go of his invention, Stark, along with Pepper Potts, and James "Rhodey" Rhodes at his side, must forge new alliances - and confront powerful enemies. - IMDb
9.3 - 9.9Jean Michel Basquait: The Radiant Child
@ Real Art WaysHartford, CT$6.25 (with student ID)/ 7pm
After our September 9 screening of Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child, join us for a conversation with Basquiat's longtime girlfriend and muse, Suzanne Mallouk. Known as "Widow Basquiat" after his death, Suzanne Mallouk lived with the artist for many years and appears in Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child.
9.5To Kill A Mockingbird@ CinestudioHartford, CT$7 / 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Harper Lee’s well-loved novel by coming to Cinestudio to experience the original 1962 film on the big screen! Horton Foote won an Academy Award for his adaptation of Lee’s semi-autobiographical novel about a young girl named Scout growing up in segregated Alabama of the 1930s. It is when her father, attorney Atticus Finch, takes the case of a young black man falsely charged with raping a white woman, that Scout learns about integrity. A tender and courageous masterpiece with a demand – that everyone is treated equally under the law – that still challenges today. "I put everything I had into it – all my feelings and everything I’d learned in 46 years of living, about fathers and children. And my feelings about racial justice and inequality and opportunity." – Gregory Peck, winner, Academy Award for Best Actor.
9THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010
THE RECORDER / Wednesday, September 1, 2010 / SPORTS
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bRiTTany buRkeThe Recorder
It has been three and a half months since Paul Schlickmann officially began his role as the new director of athletics for the Blue Devils and already he is making strides in the department and community.
Schlickmann spoke extensively about bringing the community to the CCSU campus and getting the students and New Britain area involved and excited about CCSU athletics.
“One of the biggest things that I’m working hard to do is to get out in the community and market us as much as possible,” Schlickmann said. “I want to get as many people on campus as possible, I want our sporting events to become community events and in addition I talked about how important it is to get students, it’s also important for us to get the community here. So my biggest thing is just to get people on campus.”
In order to ensure that the community does in fact come out to support CCSU athletics, he and
the rest of his department have formulated a marketing strategy beginning with the 2010 football season.
CCSU plays five games at home on Arute Field, and it is Schlickmann’s plan to turn each home game into not only a CCSU event, but a community wide event as well. This entails assigning a theme to each home game to target a specific group of people, which will in turn heighten the support.
“So we have a chamber of commerce day, we have a youth football group that we’re talking to, some of the emergency and first responders. So we have different groups for different games and certainly homecoming is a big one so we’re trying to create themes for each game, we’re trying to make a football game an event,” Schlickmann said.
Gaining support must begin internally however, which includes getting the CCSU students to come out and show support for their fellow Blue Devils. Collaboration with the Office of Student Affairs has led to a new program for incoming freshmen during their initial orientation.
Schlickmann has stressed the importance of showing pride to be a Blue Devil, and that pride should begin early. His plan for the incoming freshmen has included bringing them to Arute Field on Friday, Aug. 27 to learn the Alma Mater with the school band while passing out memorabilia such as posters, t-shirts and team schedules, all to show that our Division I Athletics program is something to get excited about.
“Obviously we want students to come to our events because
that helps us, so we need and want their support,” Schlickmann said. “There’s nothing more important than having student support, strong vocal student crowds and everything that goes along with that. At the same time I think it’s mutually beneficial because it’s part of campus life and it’s a good outlet for students to have activities like that to go as groups and bond.”
Getting the community and campus involved has all been a part of Schlickmann’s initial 90-day action plan, in which he got to know all of the coaches, teams, staff and alumni.
Part of the 90-day plan meant meeting with the coaches and players to go over budgeting, rules and expectations for the year.
“One of the biggest things that I feel good about as far as accomplishments to date is I feel like we’ve put together a good budget for the year and I was able to come in at a time to have an impact on developing the budget for our program and department.”
The next phase, which he is in the midst of right now, would be to meet with the coaches for a second time in order to map out a plan of
action for the year and agree on the goals for the year. The goals he is trying to set span from financial, to academic, to recruitment goals.
When he wasn’t meeting with his staff, or his coaches, he was spending time with the back bone of his department, the student athletes.
“I’m meeting with them and talking to them about our expectations and how we want to operate as a department and our values and my expectations for them, generally speaking,” Schlickmann said.
“My rules are I want them to work hard; I want them to do the right thing. I want them to treat people with respect and I want them to understand what it means to be a Blue Devil, a loyal and prideful Blue Devil,” Schlickmann said.
As of right now, Schlickmann’s focus is on the preseason and beginning the fall season, his first full season since becoming director of athletics. From there he will put his other initiatives, such as community participation, into motion.
chRisTopheR mclaughlinThe Recorder
After being only one week into practice, men’s soccer head coach Shaun Green is very optimistic about the upcoming season.
“I’m very excited about the upcoming season,” said Green. “We’ve got both players and coaches who are willing to give 110 percent so it will make for an interesting season.”
W i t h r e t u r n i n g captain Robert Cavener and newly appointed c o - c a p t a i n Connor Smith, CCSU looks to have one of the best midfield tandems in the NEC.
“Each player brings a ton of leadership. It was a no-brainer to make Smith a captain this year; we’re really looking forward to them working together to lead the team,” said Green.
With about half of the new recruits being defenders, it’s clear that this year the focus for CCSU
Men’s Soccer Focuses on Defense This Season
another eighteen months. With the way construction is moving along, Schlickmann is hopeful to have the soccer field ready for play by the next fall season. The entire outdoor sports complex is projected to be completed in 2012.
Once the renovations are fully completed Schlickmann is confident that CCSU will be home to one of the best outdoor sports complexes in the North East Conference.
“I think it will be one of the better outdoor athletic complexes in our conference which is nice...it’s great for first and foremost for our athletes to have state of the art facilities to train and compete on, and it’s great for recruiting... I think it speaks to the progress we’re making as an institution,” he said.
As of right now, the main focus is for the outdoor athletic complex to be completed with no plans in the near future to begin refurbishments to the indoor complex, according to Schlickmann’s blog.
soccer will be defense.“We understand that we’re in a
building year,” says Green. “ We’re in the first year of a two year plan with the focus of this year being defense. Next year we will focus on recruiting more offense.”
By bolstering their defense Central looks to be more competitive in a very difficult NEC conference. T h e i m p r o v e d defense will take the pressure off of an offense that will retain four of its top five point p r o d u c e r s from last year.
Without taking a hit to the offensive production, the improved depth of the defense will help CCSU keep games closer and help CCSU pick up more wins as they look to come back strong after an off year last year.
After losing two senior goalkeepers the battle for the starting spot begins with Anthony Occhialini and James Perkins.
“Both men have worked really
hard for the starting spot,” says Green. “Each time it looks like it’s going one way, the other steps up and makes us reconsider.”
After winning the Nike New Hampshire classic last year to start their season, CCSU looks to repeat when they compete there at the start of September.
“Since we won the Nike Classic last year, we expect that bull’s eye to be on our backs when we go up there this year, but that doesn’t mean that our guys can’t pull out another win,” says Green.
The men’s soccer season begins on Sept. 4 in New Hampshire, and the first home game takes place on Sept. 22 vs. Siena. The game against Siena is a game that Coach
Green has already circled on his calendar and has begun to psych his team up for.
“Last season Siena beat us in a tough road game, so this year when they come to us we’re going to come out with a chip on our shoulders looking for redemption,” Green said.
With the start of the regular season looming, Coach Green and the Blue Devils are quickly getting ready. After winning a scrimmage over Hartford last Wednesday, Coach Green is really liking what he sees.
“We won a game in which we didn’t have our strongest
“Each player brings a ton of leadership. It was a no-brainer to make Smith a captain this year; we’re really looking forward to them working together to lead the team,” said Green.
squads on the field,” said Green. “Four of the goals were scored by new recruits so we are really getting excited to see what these kids can do this year.”
After a rough season last year the Blue Devils are looking to bounce back in a big way as they look to get off to a strong start and not let up.
“We realize that we’re in a tough division, we’ve got teams like Monmouth who were ranked 5th in the nation last year,” said Green. “We’ve got a tough schedule too playing good out of conference teams, but we still like our chances. Nobody’s won anything yet.”
Captain Robert Cavener. kenny baRTo | The RecoRdeR
Schlickmann.
New Athletic Director to Focus on Community Support
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THE RECORDERWednesday, September 1, 2010
new Athletic director Focuses on Building
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Defending Champs Fight Against the Targets on Their BacksbRiTTany buRke
The Recorder
As defending Northeast Conference champions, the CCSU football team enters the 2010 fall season projected to repeat their championship season in the coach’s poll, but number one is the last place head coach Jeff McInerney wants them to be.
“I told them to forget it. I told them the only thing that matters, whether you’re picked first or last, you still have to go out there and play and win,” said McInernery.
“It’s the first time in school history [being picked first], and I’m a guy who likes firsts. Beating teams for the first, we’re the only team in the NEC to ever be ranked, we’re the only team in the history of the NEC to beat an Ivy League team, we beat fully funded teams, we beat ranked teams. I like those things, the one I didn’t like is we’re picked first and I think it’s foolish.”
Despite being the 2009 NEC Champions, Coach McInerney stresses that this is not the championship team. The 2009 roster were champions, the 2010 roster still has something to prove.
The end of the 2009 season saw the departure of the team’s two starting quarterbacks, leaving a void at the most crucial position on the roster. Gunnar Jespersen, a junior transfer from Allan Hancock Junior College in California, is expected
to start in the season opener against the University of New Hampshire, while freshmen Denzell Jones will serve as a backup. Neither quarterback has had previous game experience in the NEC, putting the Blue Devils at a serious disadvantage.
“Gunnar knows the offense; Gunnar’s an extremely confident young man. Gunnar works extremely hard, he’s a competitor and he gets it. What he can’t do is put us in harm’s way, try to make the big play. When our defensive line is healthy we’re pretty good on defense. We can win games on defense, he just doesn’t need to turn the ball over and I think he’s been awesome,” said Coach McInerney of his starter.
While the offensive side of the ball may remain uncertain, returning seniors such as Jeff Marino remain confident in the defense’s ability to make plays and keep control of the game. Marino led the team in tackles last season with 93, followed by fellow senior Alondre Rush who finished the season with 78.
“The biggest thing I think with our defense is a lot of knowledge came back…the people that got reps last year…they’re coming up and playing this year like Dominic Giampietro, Ricardo Gibson, Dominick Tomanelli, Gene Johnson, all those guys,” said
Marino. “Now they’re stepping up, now they’re picking up. There was no drop off from last year at all. I think we’re a better team as far as the front seven, I think we’re a way better team than last year.”
The Blue Devils face a tough 2010 season opening against power house University of New Hampshire before opening the season at home on Saturday, Sept. 11 versus Bentley. Like any other defending champions they realize that there are other teams in the NEC who are now gunning to defeat them, but they plan to take it one game at a time.
“Honestly a lot of the teams on our schedule are rivals,” Rush said. “There’s not really one game or the other, we have a lot of big games this year, a lot. So if I was to say ‘Oh Oct. 22 is important because it’s against Albany,’ that’s an understatement because we have teams in our conference that are coming off to beat us.
“We’re playing two upper echelon Division I-AA teams that make the playoffs every year, and if we over look them for one second we’re gonna get beat,” said Rush.
Based on the Blue Devil’s scrimmage played on Aug. 24, the team still has some things to work on, including remaining consistent on offense and coming out explosive in their season opener against UNH.
bRiTTany buRkeThe Recorder
Driving by the athletic fields on Ella Grasso Boulevard there are two things that cannot help but be noticed. The first would be the brand new sign welcoming the passing cars to the home of the Blue Devils, the second happens to be the multiple construction trucks working steadily to renovate the new CCSU outdoor sports complex.
At the closing of the spring semester, the finishing touches of phases one and two of the multi-tiered renovation project were still being completed. Those phases, which included the reconstruction of the baseball and softball fields, as well as a new recreational field, have been finished over the summer hiatus and the next phase of the project has begun.
“We’re very fortunate right now that we have some great facility projects going on outside. Obviously I came in and they had just completed the baseball and softball field projects, so the next phase in that is working on the soccer/track complex which they’ve started,” said Paul Schlickmann, Director of Athletics at CCSU.
The soccer/track complex is an internal project, while the renovations to the football field
are to be outsourced to the Department of Public Works and worked on simultaneously with the soccer/track complex.
“They’re cultivating the ground and getting it all set up so they can put down the soccer field, so there’s a couple of different phases to that, but once that’s completed it’s going to be a great outdoor complex and I think it will be one of the better outdoor athletic complexes in our conference which is nice,” said Schlickmann.
Laying the artificial turf is the first step in completing the soccer project, which is set to be completed prior to laying down the track around its perimeter.
“From July to now they made a lot of progress,” said Schlickmann regarding the renovations. “So what they’re doing now, it’ll be an artificial surface for soccer and the next phase would be building the grand stands to go along with that for soccer and also the track so it’ll be a soccer field, track around it, grand stands for football and the grand plan would be for adding seats to the other side of the football stadium so it’s kind of like a multi-tiered multi-faceted phased project.”
The idea for the completed outdoor sports complex is to have a new soccer field with artificial
CCSU Sports Complex A Continual Facelift
turf, lighting, seating, half time facilities and track around the perimeter much like the CCSU sports complex in the eighties,
which has since been removed due to space restrictions.
The final phase of the soccer/track complex would be to add
the track, but the project is not set to be fully completed for
kenny baRTo | The RecoRdeR
kenny baRTo | The RecoRdeR
Quarterback Gunnar Jespersen.
The football team practices alongside the dug up soccer field. The soccer field is expected to be ready by next fall.
2010 Men’s Soccer Season Preview
p. 10
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