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Charger Bulletin The official student newspaper of the University of New Haven since 1938. Volume 95, Issue 16 | February 12, 2014 | West Haven, CT
Chinese New Year Takes to the Stage
Amanda Knox: What Comes Next?
By KARDELEN AKKUS
CAMPUS
STAFF WRITER KAKKU1@NEWHAVEN.EDU
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UNH’s Mock Trial had their best season yet, while bringing home an Outstanding Attorney Award after competing in the 2014 New Haven Regional last weekend.
SEE PAGE 2 LGBT community has received harsh treatment in Russia where this year’s Olympic Games are being held. Read about the discussion guest speakers and UNH students had on the topic.
SEE PAGE 5
OPINION With all the hype about Disney’s latest Frozen, do you think that it is all it is cracked up to be? Read contributing writer Katilin Mahar’s opinion on the movie’s new-found popularity.
SEE PAGE 6
SPORTS UNH held a welcoming press conference for their new head football coach, Chris Pincine, a true Charger at heart.
SEE PAGE 11
ENTERTAINMENT
By PATRICIA OPREA
STAFF WRITER POPRE1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– In the U.S., the New Year is always celebrated on Jan. 1, but this is not the case in other countries. In China, the new year began Jan. 31, and it marks the start of the year 4712. The Chinese New Year is a fifteen-day celebration, changing yearly based on the lunar calendar. Suitably for the UNH Chargers, it is also the year of the horse. It is said that Buddha asked all animals to meet on the Chinese New Year. He then named a year after all twelve that arrived. People born in the year of the horse are clever, popular, and love a crowd, according to legend. On Feb. 7, in Dodd’s Theater, students, alumni, faculty, staff, and
guests gathered to celebrate the New Year with a Chinese Spring Festival Gala. “This is the equivalent of July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas,” said Dr. Henry C. Lee, “a day with fireworks, family, and presents.” This event is actually sixteen years in the running, and is just as enchanting every time. Last year the festival fell on Valentine’s Day, giving people “two reasons to celebrate,” mentioned Karima Jackson, Director of the International Services Office. The show commenced with a video introduction by various people including Dr. Lee, Dean Alvarez of Arts and Sciences, Joseph Spellman, the Senior Director of International Admissions, Dean Harichandran of Tagliatella College, Jackson, Chris Moise, the International Student Advisor, along with many students and sponsors of the show. A count-
PHOTO BY PATRICIA OPREA
down in Chinese followed suit, from ten to one, and then fireworks flashed on-screen. Two colorful and ornate dragons appeared from the double doors, bounding down each set of stairs on the right and left. Both dragons had huge masks with smiling mouths that contrasted their deep-set eyebrows. Laden in colors of green, gold, orange and red, these dragons made their way over to the stage, where a dual began with a young boy. The boy, who is Henry Lee’s grandson, had a sword in each hand, and fought off the dragons. A group of young kids from the Wu Dang Kung Fu Academy then took the stage in a fast-paced performance with swords, staffs, chains, and vigor. Their performance was lengthy, albeit fascinatSee CHINESE page 2
The Lego Movie recently released is already a favorite and being compared to the iconic Toy Story. Read Film Editor Scott Iwaniec’s review of the movie based on the toys children love.
SEE PAGE 13
Check out Livewell’s Latest for a review of Justin Levinson who played alongside Teddy Geiger at The Space.
SEE PAGE 15 PHOTO BY ERICA NAUGLE
WNHU Celebrates Music History with Beatlemania
By ASHLEY WINWARD
MUSIC EDITOR AWINW1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– February 9, 1964 marked a day in history nobody could have ever anticipated; a night that would leave its imprint on music for years and years to come. It was that night, at 8 p.m., The Beatles would make their first of three appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show and bring “Beatlemania” across the pond here to the U.S. WNHU came together the night before this anniversary to com-
memorate the occasion with both history and entertainment, much to the enjoyment of the nearly packed house in Dodd’s Theater. The evening began with a history lesson, taught by UNH professor Wes Davis. Davis, who previously taught a course solely on the Beatles, was able to dictate the history of John, Paul, George and Ringo from inception sprinkling in known and little known facts alike. The crowd enjoyed testing their knowledge, making it more of a trivia game than a lecture. After learning more about The Beatles, the very clips of the first performances on the Ed
Sullivan show were shown. Of the three consecutive Sunday shows they performed, it was actually the third week’s performance which was taped first rather than the first performance, which was shown. The Fab Four played hits such as “All My Loving,” “I Saw Her Standing There,” and “She Loves You.” Davis pointed out interesting facts about the performance beforehand such as Ringo’s terrible head cold and the fact John Lennon wasn’t planning on letting the public know about his relationship to wife Cynthia when they decided See WNHU page 3
Alleged femme fatale Amanda Knox is the key to a controversy that has sparked the interest of a global community. First guilty, then not, and now guilty again: the sorrows of “Foxy Knoxy.” Knox is at home in Seattle, WA, since 2011 having been found not guilty for murdering Meredith Kercher in 2009, after being found guilty before, in addition of having spent four years in Italian jail. Prosecutors have appealed the verdict resulting in a sentence of 28 and a half years in prison. If it is upheld, Italy could have Knox extradited from the U.S. In order to shed light on the recent activity, two professors at the University of New Haven have been asked questions regarding the case. Dr. Tracy Tamborra, assistant professor working in the Criminal Justice department for nine years, holds a Ph.D. and uses her knowledge that is specialized in violence against women, race and class in the legal system as teaching material. Additionally she has written a manuscript titled, “Cultural Offenses and Italian Criminal Law: A Complicated Relationship.” She was a former apprentice of Dr. Joshua Sandman’s who taught her political science classes, while she attended UNH. Dr. Sandman has been a professor of political science and pre-law advisor at UNH for more than 40 years. 1. Which legal system is fairer (Italy or U.S.)? Would Knox’s legal process have been different in the U.S.? Tracy Tamborra: Yes it is, and no it isn’t; both criminal justice systems have some really good safe cards to protect the rights of the accused. However those who have power often abuse the systems. In the U.S. prosecutors abuse power, and in Italy judges abuse power. Both abuse the systems, so neither is better. The U.S. has much harsher punishments than Italy. Italy doesn’t have the death penalty and rarely puts someone to prison for life. The longest sentence should generally be to 20 to 30 years. So when talking about fairness from punitive standpoint, then yes, the Italian system is fairer. Some think the U.S. is fairer with the use of a jury, however; only five percent of cases in the U.S. ever see a jury. The other 95 of cases will be plea- bargained with a prosecutor. So in essence it’s the same exact thing: one person making a decision. Joshua Sandman: The U.S. system is fairer. The legal process would have been different and See AMANDA page 3
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Postcards from Prato
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SAMANTHA HIGGINS
PHOTO BYNELSON DILLAWAY
Mock Trial Team Has Their Best Season to Date
A CHARGER BULLETIN STORY
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The University of New Haven’s Mock Trial team competed at the 2014 New Haven Regional last weekend and came out with their best season yet, winning four rounds of competition out of a possible eight and bringing home an Outstanding Attorney Award. The UNH Mock Trial team is a member of the American Mock Trial Association, which creates and distributes a yearly case for all registered colleges and universities. Preparing for the regional tournament is a year-long experience for teams and takes a great deal of dedication and practice. Each round of competition involves two teams performing a trial simulation consisting of opening and closing statements, direct and cross examinations, rebuttals and presenting evidence. In addition, lawyers were tasked with arguing objections and witnesses had to learn their roles through affidavits. “The work that goes into being ready for regionals is more than any class I’ve ever taken,” said team member Emily McGinty. “Everyone on the team puts hours upon hours in learning the laws, their parts and finding a groove to be like a well-oiled machine.”
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In August 2013, Captain Liana Teixeira said, the UNH Mock Trial team was already hard at work learning their new case for the season, State of Midlands v. Whit Bowman, a criminal case regarding a robbery at the Racheterworld Amusement Park in the fictional state of Midlands. On Aug. 30, 2012, Cameron Poole robbed the park’s accountant, Haley Floyd, at knifepoint and escaped with thousands of dollars. The security guard, Winston Thomas, ran after Poole into the Tunnel of Terror ride where the defendant Whit Bowman was working. When Thomas and Poole ran into the ride, the lights suddenly went out; Poole was able to escape through a back exit, but Thomas fell, hit his head and has been in a coma for an entire year. The state charged Bowman with first degree robbery and theft by deception, claiming he conspired with Poole to commit the robbery, as well as run a scheme in the park earlier that summer. “It’s definitely not an easy case to prove or defend,” said Teixeira. “There are holes in each and every aspect of this case, and it’s our job to fill in the gaps for the judges. This year’s case in particular required us to think outside the box, which essentially made us act more creatively.” After weeks of practicing,
the team was invited to compete at its first out-of-state invitational tournament at Colgate University in New York. There, McGinty received a top witness award. Later in the season, the team scrimmaged Southern Connecticut State University and Queensborough Community College to ready themselves for the regional tournament, winning several rounds of competition in the process. The annual New Haven Regional tournament at Yale University occurred on Feb. 8 and 9, and the team consisted of Teixeira, McGinty, Nelson Dillaway, Dallas Newcomb, Dawn Marciano, Elle Cantelmo, Dan Davies, Victoria Heifferon, Jennifer Tremblay and Erin Murphy. The team competed against both Fordham University at Lincoln Center schools, Quinnipiac and Vassar. UNH reigned supreme against Quinnipiac and Vassar, resulting in a final score of four wins and four losses. While this was not enough to advance UNH to the next level, it is the best the team has ever done at regional competition since its inception. “I’ve been on the UNH Mock Trial team for four years, and our performance at regionals was the best yet. With a committed team and a great leader, anything is possible,” McGinty said. “This year, we may not have See MOCK page 3
By SAMANTHA HIGGINS
STAFF WRITER SHIGG2@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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This has been one crazy week here in Prato. So much has happened I feel like we are finally getting into what it is really like to live here. At the beginning of the week, we were able to play soccer; some played and others just cheered on their friends and roommates. Afterwards everyone goes to dinner together at one of the restaurants that are a part of the meal plan. It was such a great night because it gives us another opportunity to get together as a group. We were all laughing and cheering on each other regardless, and people who don’t have classes together or live in the same buildings have an opportunity to meet and start getting to know other students they don’t typically see. It’s a weekly event here that I have a feeling is going to continue to be very popular. Another thing the staff here does for us is arrange Family Dinners. It’s an opportunity for students who are interested to sign up to go to a Host Family’s house for dinner one night. You eat an authentic home-cooked Italian meal,
play some games and help them sharpen their English skills, while they help you work on your Italian. The host families all signed up through the school to do this for the students and are extremely happy to take the students into their home for a few hours to show them the culture. It is an amazing opportunity that is offered here and is just another thing that shows how extremely nice everyone is here. For those students who don’t want to go to Family Dinners on Thursdays, or who don’t sign up in time, Piero, the Italian language professor, offers a night where he teaches students how to play Italian card games. These games are extremely different from American card games and the students were really excited about learning these games. Once everyone gets more comfortable, there will also be tournaments and prizes to see who the champion at these Italian games is. This past Friday we went on a trip to Siena and San Gimignano. Both of these beautiful cities are only about an hour away from Prato by bus. We got a tour of all the sites, took more than enough pictures and were able to have free time
to eat, shop, and explore the cities on our own, which for some students included climbing to the top of the bell tower or Cathedral for a site of Siena you couldn’t get anywhere else. We were lucky enough to go on a day where the rain held out till we left, so there was a beautiful blue sky throughout the day. We learned about the Palio Races in Siena, saw the beautiful Cathedral, and learned all about the different neighborhoods and the process that goes into the races. We climbed a lot of stairs and hills in San Gimignano to get an absolutely breathtaking view of the city. Overall this week was, by far, an amazing week, and next week has so many other events happening that I am already looking forward to. I miss the U.S. sometimes- I am jealous of the snow that is there, but when I walk outside and see how beautiful it is here, I just know that this is so much better than anything that could have happened in the U.S this semester. I just can’t believe how fast time is flying; I have only been here three weeks, and I don’t leave for another three months, but I already don’t want to leave.
Samantha Higgins is spending a semester abroad at UNH’s Prato, Italy satellite campus. Follow her adventures this semester!
Chinese New Year Takes to the Stage
ing to watch. Two groups, younger kids, and older girls, as well as one older solo male each had different parts in the piece, and wore traditional Chinese martial arts costumes in red, blue, gold, or black. The UNH Chinese Dance team arrived to the stage next, dressed in ornate traditional costumes. They performed a Chinese folk line dance with ribbons and fans. Baritone singer Yue Cailunthen performed two solo songs in Chinese, with dancers and fans inn the background. Tap dancer Tyler Knowlin then blew the crowd away with his loose and carefree rhythm and quick feet as he tap-danced to a folk song from a Broadway play. It was back to vocals next as the Master of Ceremonies, Ms. Lisa Fan sang, “The Cloud in the Sky,” in Chinese.
A solo tap dance by Ms. Maisie Li then commenced, and then a piano solo “The Concerto of Love”, by pianist Zhaoyan Li. A group of UNH students taking Chinese donned in red, got together and performed “I’ll make a man out of you”
from the Disney movie Mulan. A male band comprised of UNH students Xiaoming Xu, Zizhen Guo, Kevin O’ Brien, and Ziwen Zhen, known as The Glasses (for their common eyewear) performed two songs.
Then it was back to Kung Fu with a routine of strength, speed, agility and flexibility by Teake, Marvin Quian, and Matthew Johnson. Lastly, six UNH students from China sang a few songs in Chinese folk songs to close of the show, solos,
duets, and trios. The show commenced with a group song in Chinese, and then it was time for a long-awaited Chinese food buffet in Dodd’s. Three raffles were also held, the last one being a flat-screen television! Presents were also given out to all people born in the year of the horse. People had mixed reviews about the show, often depending on their nationality. Sophomore Cassidy Burt just stumbled onto the event while waiting for the shuttle bus and said, “It was very valuable to get a look at the different aspects of Chinese culture that are represented in our society.” Other students, namely those who spoke Chinese and understood the show in its entirety, felt as if it was poorly prepared. In either case, being immersed in this language and culture for two hours was a unique experience for students.
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February 12, 2014
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Amanda Knox: What Comes Next?
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fairer in the U.S. 2. What if an alleged Italian committed Knox’s crimes in the U.S.? How different would the process be? TT: I don’t know because the U.S. has a very long and documented history of treating persons who aren’t citizens or don’t represent the status quo (white, middleclass etc.) harshly. It is difficult to compare cases with different judicial systems in different countries, it’s much more complicated. JS: He would be tried based on American law. Double jeopardy, as it happened here, would not be allowed in the U.S. Knox’s third trial contradicts the American system of justice, where we don’t charge a person twice for the same crime. 3. What role did the media play in Knox’s case? TT: I read both American and Italian newspapers, and except for when there’s a trial decision, I don’t see any coverage in the Italian newspapers about Knox. The media sensation is much greater in the U.S. than it is in Italy. JS: Knox was portrayed in the Italian media in a negative light. It wasn’t favorable to her and left an image that was harmful. She was made out to be promiscuous and was referred to as Foxy Knoxy. The American media is less oriented to sensational details about an individual’s personal life and it would look more into the nature of the crime and at DNA evidence against the accused not being conclusive. The Italian media in general focused on the symbolic nature represented by an arrogant American acting in a way that wasn’t in accordance with the Italian society and culture. 4. What do you think about Knox’s entry in Maxim’s top hot 100 list in 2012? TT: We have an obsession with criminals, even alleged criminals, so we have often made media sensations of individuals who are involved in the criminal justice system. Look at Charles Manson; there’s shirts, posters, and kids even dress up as Manson for Halloween, or Cops and Robbers and Bonnie and Clyde. We are a
country who gets obsessed with criminals when they fit a certain characteristic. JS: I am not familiar with Maxim or its hot top 100 list. 5. Many say that Knox has fallen victim to a sexual obsession. If she weren’t as attractive, her case would not have taken on as much negativity. Do you agree? TT: Data suggests that people who are more attractive tend to be more frequently exonerated or not found guilty. I don’t know if there is any research that claims the contrary. JS: If she has been stereotyped due to her physical appearance and sensationalism around it, then the trial wasn’t fair. Her reputation should not be brought into the trial; no media bias is allowed. 6. The evidence that was found is controversial: the confession, false accusation, alibi, computer and telephone records and staged break-in; any thoughts? TT: The Italian criminal justice system looks at the evidence as a whole. Once presented, is there another explanation? If you cannot think of another logical explanation, then the evidence in its entirety is used to move forward. Italian system seems to be certain that there is more than one party involved because of the nature of the crime scene. Therefore the Italian justice system creates a plausible explanation that has evidence. In the U.S. we might use any one piece of information to raise reasonable doubt. If they have weak evidence in collaboration with strong evidence they don’t use the one weak piece to exonerate, which is slightly different from U.S. systems. Whereas we take each piece at face value, they take them collaboratively. JS: The case should be based on legal and DNA aspects. We can’t allow a high-profile public media type of reporting to influence the case. The DNA evidence was questionable, and when Knox was in court she was unfamiliar with the culture, legal system, and additionally was under pressure. This could result in saying contradictory things.
We don’t know how well she was represented by legal counsel or how many opportunities she had to present evidence or testimony with her legal representative present. This could explain how confused she acted and how inaccurately it represented what she wanted to say. 7. What would John Kerry, U.S. State Dept., have to lose if he would extradite Knox? TT: He would have to extradite her because we have extradition agreements with Italy. Italy doesn’t violate human rights; have a cruel and unusual system or punishment practices, so there is no reason for us to extradite her. Just because we don’t like the outcome, we cannot say we don’t cooperate with you. That would be very bad politics. I feel 99.9 percent certain that if Kerry would be asked to extradite her, he would. JS: Kerry does not have much to lose by opposing extradition. I hope they won’t extradite her and if they do make such an attempt, I hope that she fights as strongly as possible to beat extradition. Just on the basis of double jeopardy there wasn’t a fair trial in Italy. Hopefully the judicial system here in the U.S. will work in her favor. 8. What about the ethical implications presented by the judge who found Knox guilty last week and talked to news reporters about his thoughts on the case? TT: No it couldn’t because that’s not the issue. You can’t be concerned with what the judges thought and felt. As long as you have an established system, with an established set of laws and you follow a process - that’s it. We don’t have a problem with how they found it, which is what governments are concerned about when they work together. Does the U.S. really want other countries to come in and say how we treat our prisoners? Or what our prosecutors or judges think? We don’t open that can of worms. JS: It’s totally inappropriate and totally contradictory to the American judicial system. That alone should work in her favor regarding extradition, as this behavior is a gross violation of U.S. law and ethical conduct.
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WNHU Celebrates Music History with Beatlemania
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to put the famous “Sorry girls, he’s married!” under his introduction, because he believed girls wouldn’t like it. The crowd really enjoyed watching the historical footage, some even reminiscing the first time they had seen it live. “My wife and I had just recently gotten married,” a man in the audience recalled, “I was in the service, but when I was home we’d watch the Ed Sullivan show together. We were watching together that very night.”
He, along with 73 million others tuned in, an astounding 60 percent of American TVs tuned in at the time. With the crowd warmed up, it was time to bring out the band. Cover band “Beatlemania Again” came out as spitting images of the boys from Liverpool. The performance came in three parts; “Meet The Beatles,” signifying their beginnings, up through their film “A Hard Day’s Night.” After a brief intermission, they went straight into the “Sgt. Pepper” era before changing once more
into their “Get Back” era. The evening covered all the monumental hits in the extensive Beatles song book, from “Please, Please Me” to “Help!” “With A Little Help From My Friends,” “Yesterday,” “Back In The USSR,” and more. The crowd, who had been singing from the second the video started playing earlier, kept the energy high in the room matching the band’s enthusiasm. The night was full of smiles, sing alongs, and clapping to the beat.
Mock Trial Team Has Their Best Season to Date
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moved on, but I don’t think I could have expected anymore from any person on the team.” “To others, it may look like we lost by a landslide, but if you understand how the scoring works, it truly shows how much we’ve improved over the years,” said Teixeira. “When I was a freshman, we could barely win a single round. Now, we’re winning just as much as schools like Drexel and the University of Pennsylvania.” Teixeira, now a senior, got even better news as the last day of competition came to a close. Teixeira won an All-Region Outstanding Attorney Award with a
perfect score of 20 ranks on the defense, beating out all other attorneys from the 24 schools in attendance, including Yale, Columbia and Quinnipiac. For Teixeira, this award could not have come at a better time. “This is my senior year and my last year doing mock trial. I never thought I would end up winning a personal award, let alone get a perfect score. I’m extremely proud of how hard the team has worked throughout the years and they will certainly continue to succeed,” she said. This was Teixeira’s first personal award, and the second personal award for the UNH team following
McGinty’s Outstanding Attorney win the previous season with 18 ranks. The team is coached by Thomas Geisler and Walter Bansley IV, with additional assistance from Donna Morris of the Legal Studies Department. Membership on the UNH Mock Trial Team is open to all students, regardless of major. If anyone is interested in participating in the 2015 season, email NewHavenMockTrial@gmail.com for more information.
Need Help Finding Good Scholarships? By The FEDS (Financial Aid) Paying for college can sometimes be a hassle, but don’t let that stop you from achieving your educational goals.
There are many ways in which you can receive financial help to pay for school. One of the easiest and often overlooked ways to pay for college is through outside scholarships. Outside scholarships are different from those given out by the University. They are provided by outside organizations such as Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, professional organizations, community organizations, and more. These scholarships give the extra financial assistance you may need when paying your bill, and there are so many different outside scholarships available for many different kinds of students. This week’s theme is about searching for outside scholarships, and the Financial Aid Office is here to teach you how. We can even provide you with some outside scholarships that we have already found! Searching for outside scholarships can be difficult if you don’t know where to look. The most common question people ask when looking for outside scholarships is, “Is this a legitimate scholarship?” There are websites out there that may try to trick you into paying in order to apply. If any scholarship asks you to pay, it is not a legitimate site and you should get off of the website immediately. According to the FTC (Federal Trade Commission), perpetrators of financial aid fraud often use the following telltale lines:
The scholarship is “guaranteed or your money back” You can’t get this information anywhere else “We just need a credit card” or bank account number to hold this scholarship We’ll do all the work There is a fee to apply for the scholarship Provides “exclusive” information You’ve been selected by a “national foundation to receive a scholarship” or “You’re a finalist”; in a contest you never entered
If you happen to come across a website with any of the above lines or something similar, it is most likely a fraudulent website and you should avoid it and exit the browser immediately. Be aware of scam “phishing” or “pharming”! “Phishing” entails unsolicited emails that appear legitimate and may bear the logo of your bank or credit card. This is a scam that is trying to lure you into giving out your personal or account information. “Pharming” includes unsolicited emails that encourage you to visit a website or click on a suspicious link. In order to avoid this, make sure your inbox spam filters are up to date. For more information, or to file complaint, you should call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1877-382-4357) or visit: www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscams . A good way to begin your search is by checking well known educational sites like www.collegeboard.com. Most students know CollegeBoard is a real organization because they may have used it to help search for colleges when applying as a senior in high school or when taking the SAT’s/ACT’s. Some other websites that provide good outside scholarship opportunities are www.studentscholarships.org, www.fastweb.com, www.collegeanswer.com, and www. cappex.com. The first step for most of the websites above is to create a log in name and profile. This will allow you to save potential scholarships you find to a favorites section of your profile, and you can also customize your profile so that the website can match you with scholarships that fit your needs. For example, if you’re an engineering major, and you create a profile based on that, the website will be able to match you up with scholarships related to your major. The same applies for business majors, criminal justice majors and so on. They can also match you based on your year in school, such as freshman or senior. This process is easy and quick, especially since once created the profiles are doing all the searching for you and sending it to your e-mail address. All you have to do is sit back, relax and let the outside scholarship matches come to you! Not only can you search for outside scholarships on your own, but if you are having difficulty finding them, then the Financial Aid Office can help! Recently, the financial aid student workers have spent a lot of time researching outside scholarships that can help any UNH student pay for college. We have created two binders full of outside scholarship information, so that anyone can easily access them. We’ve also created a bulletin board inside the office lobby that displays several of the outside scholarships that may be targeted toward your major! Outside scholarships can really help take the weight off your shoulders when trying to pay for college. Please take advantage of the information given above, and use these websites to help you find what you’re looking for. The outside scholarship binders will be located in the Financial Aid Office, Maxcy Hall Room 118B. Stop by during business hours, Monday through Friday 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m. and check them out! Also, check out our Facebook page, University of New Haven-Financial Aid Office, for updates and information regarding financial aid. You never know what you might find!
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The Sochi Games: Raising The LGBT Flag
By KARDELEN AKKUS
STAFF WRITER KAKKU1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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PHOT O BY LEILA DUTTON
The University of New Haven’s Institution for Social Justice along with UNH Pride held an informative social on Thursday, Feb. 6, in light of the harsh treatment of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender society in Russia, where the Winter Olympics commenced Friday. The event attracted about 25 people, including students, faculty members, and people outside of the UNH community. Guests were welcomed by the organizer and director of the ISJ, Dr. Tracy Tamborra, an associate Professor at UNH in the Criminal Justice department. Dr. Tamborra said, “Anytime a political system or institution oppresses one group, it’s not far until they start with other groups.” The powerful words refer to the oppression of the LGBT community in Russia, who are being hunted down and punished for a victimless “crime.” She clarifies that standing together as a group employs diversity and raising the LGBT pride flag symbolized a moment of solidarity and celebration of infusion. The next speaker, Dr. David Schroeder of the
Criminal Justice department, spoke on behalf of Dean Gaboury of Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science. “On a personal note, it’s kind of amazing to see this. When I was in college, this didn’t happen,” he said. Dr. Schroeder expressed that sexuality should play no part in the discussion as it is happening in Russia at the moment. Groups are being separated on the grounds of sexual preference; and policies have been put into place to maintain the separation.
He hopes to see continued change of conditions and laws in this country and set an example for other countries. The campus minister, Dr. Martin O’Connor of the Fire Science and Professional Studies department, introduced his speech by quoting Amos 5:21, “ Let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” As he elaborated, Dr. O’Connor mentioned how remarkable it is that people have used the phrase for centuries as a
reminder for social justice. Junior Brittany Bauch, criminal justice major and member of UNH’s victimology club, emphasized the importance of awareness of victimization. She specifically discussed sexual assault, of which anyone is capable of, and the higher rates of such in the LGBT community. Somewhat related, Bauch relays actress’ Cynthia Nixon’s statement, “Gay people don’t want to redefine marriage, but simply want to be invited to the table,” to the discussed
topic. Sophomore Mary Merena, forensic psychology major and member of UNH Pride, said even though people have changed their attitudes towards the LGBT mindset, “we still have a long way to go to achieve equality.” Freshman Robyn McBurney, member of the Institution for Social Justice, reminded the audience of what the Olympics stand for, “unity,” “peace,” and “celebration.” McBurney mentioned President Putin’s Gay Pro-
paganda bill and Adoption, which resulted in violent crimes against the LGBT community. Many renowned Olympic athletes, celebrities and Nobel laureates have spoken out. President Obama, Vice President Biden, German President Gauck, French President Hollande and EU commissioner Reding have all declined their invitations to the games as their own form of boycott.
Charger Bulletin Valentines Thank you to everyone for submitting your Valentines!
To that girl Gabby Nowicki There are tons of fish in the sea, but you’re the only shark for me ;)
Dear Andrea and Catherine, You guys are da bomb, and I’m so glad you guys are my roommates. Love, Brianna-Marie Barron
To Jeremiah, Happy two year anniversary to us! You’re not only my boyfriend but my best friend. I LOVE YOU! From, Hadiya
To my roomies, you guys are the best; 320 for the win! Love, the arts and crafts cabin.
Dear Ben, Whether you know it or not, you light up my whole world when you’re around. From, Anonymous
Dear Schmoopy, I love you so much! - From Me.
Shannon, My best friend. My rock. My better half. Happy Valentine’s Day. I love you.
Happy Valentine’s Day to my other half, my better half. I love you bug. - Jack
Alissa Wynne, you have such a big heart and I’m so glad to have a special place in there.
Ky, Every day is Valentine’s Day with you. You constantly make me smile. Thank you for showing me true love. I love you to the moon and back. Love,
Dear Soundview 307 ladies, May your Valentine’s Day be filled with love and kindness. I’m glad to call my roommates some of my daerest friends. With love, Melissa Love puts the fun in together, the sad in apart and the joy in a heart. Happy Valentine’s Day Jack.
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Opinion & Editorials
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Do You Want to Build a Snowman? Actually, No, I Don’t
By KAITLIN MAHAR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER KMAHA1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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Unlike most people I know, I’ve never seen Frozen. It’s not because I’ve been busy, broke, or couldn’t find a properly-working link to watch it online. It’s because I don’t want to see it. I don’t want to listen to the soundtrack on a loop. I don’t want to go to the special karaoke edition playing “in select theaters near you.” I have absolutely no clue why everyone keeps asking each other “Do you want to build a snowman?” Frankly, while many friends have tried to assure me that it’s very progressive for Disney - one even went so far as to call it “feminist” - I have to disagree. To me, it looks like just another Disney princess movie, and I genuinely don’t understand the hype. Even before its premiere on Nov. 27, 2013, feminists spoke out about Frozen’s negative portrayal of women. As blogger The Feminist Fan Girl wrote, “Disney… makes stories about the same thin, wide eyed white women over and over again, while missing out on any opportunities for diversity.” These attitudes were further supplemented when the head animator of Frozen, Lino DiSalvo, said that animating women is especially difficult because they must look beautiful no matter
what emotions the characters are displaying. But feminist opinions aren’t the sole reasons why the movie doesn’t seem worth seeing - I could deal with them if the movie actually had a good storyline. In comparison to the story Frozen is based on, The Snow Queen, by Hans Christian Anderson, the movie looks like a watereddown, anti-female story. The Snow Queen tells the story of a poor village girl, Gerda, who ventures out to save her (male) best friend, Kay, who has been kidnapped by the Snow Queen. Gerda succeeds in defeating the Snow Queen and saving Kay completely on her own. Knowing the background of this story and comparing it to Disney’s version, you’d never know that Frozen is the same story. While some changes are acceptable, like renaming characters to make things easier for younger fans, others are completely wrong. Frozen tells the story of Princess Anna and her sister Elsa, who has magical, wintery powers that she can’t control. Elsa accidentally puts their country into a state of perpetual winter, and Anna, who can’t fix any problems by herself because she only knows the comforts of being a sheltered princess, goes out to find her sister with the help of a brawny mountain man, his reindeer, and an asinine talking snowman. Now, in what way
could that possibly sound like Anderson’s The Snow Queen? Frozen not only sends a message that women constantly need to be saved and helped, but also that anyone and anything, even a talking snowman named Olaf, can fix a problem better than a woman. Don’t think that the point about Elsa having zero control over something remotely complex is going unnoticed either. Disney’s message about women being incapable of handling any kind of power or responsibility shouldn’t be overlooked. Of course, the movie has some good features - from what I’ve heard, the soundtrack is killer, so good that one of its songs, “Let It Go,” has received an Academy Award nomination for “Best Original Song.” And I’ve been told that there are messages of selflove and not agreeing to marry a guy minutes after meeting him, both of which are also understandable. However, I don’t see what would earn this movie the title “The Best Disney Movie in 20 Years,” as I’ve been told many times by friends, peers, and the media. Overall, nothing really seems that special about Frozen, which is why the hype is so confusing. Whether or not you see the movie is completely your call, but don’t be so quick to call it the greatest movie ever.
etarian option, sorry. Two weeks later, back at UNH, I went to Sandella’s as a last resort, and ordered the Vegetable and Provolone Panini. The ingredients of this option are listed as “spinach, red peppers, mushrooms, chipotle sauce, and provolone cheese.” Nowhere in the listing is there a combination of letters spelling “chicken.” Yet, when I took a bite out of my Panini, my taste buds detected that extra ingredient—any thing but a pleasant surprise. To break it down: just like turkey, chicken is not in the vegetable category either. If the Panini option has “V” for Vegetarian symbol next it, chicken should be nowhere in the order. Is it that hard to keep vegetarian foods vegetarian? Most dining locations offer such options rarely anyway, and it would be ideal if the
options that are offered can be eaten without worry of contamination. It isn’t too much to ask that workers pay attention to what they put in the food. If a student had allergies, an accidental slip-up like that could be deadly. Food should be clearly marked as vegetarian, vegan, or gluten-free, or “WARNING- contains beef broth” instead of letting students play guessing games. School is stressful enough; getting dinner need not produce the same level of stress. I want to have trust in the institutions that are receiving my money. Attentiveness must be increased, and, above all, poultry should not be thought of as a vegetarian option.
Turkey is Not a Vegetable
By PATRICIA OPREA
STAFF WRITER POPRE1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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Back in my hometown over winter break, I had dinner with my family at Friendly’s. Now, the staff representing anything but the name of their restaurant or a 10-minute wait to be seated, is beside the point, however when the waitress brought menus, and I asked about vegetarian options. She looked a little puzzled, but then confidently responded with, “We have turkey burgers.” I‘m not sure in what universe turkeys are considered vegetables, but it is definitely not this one. Turkey is an animal (a species of fowl to be precise) and, just like us humans, animals are comprised of meat. AKA: Turkey is not a valid veg-
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Jaws Has Feelings Too
By GABBY NOWICKI
CONTRIBUTING WRITER GNOWI1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
––––––––––––––––––---It’s been 39 years since the debut of Steven Spielberg’s nail biting thriller Jaws. The movie starred one massive great white shark haunting the waters of New England. Back then, little was known about great whites or sharks in general. The movie, based off a novel, ignited a new fear in many people across the world. I, too, admittedly, was terrified after watching it and refused to go to the beach that summer. While the movie had sparked a new era in film and directing, it also brought forward a fear that many people kept in the back of their minds when entering deep waters. Yes, this is just a fictional story of a maneating demon shark, but it is not abnormal to hear stories of people dying from shark attacks. The movie Jaws triggered negative stereotypes of sharks and their behaviors. People became more paranoid in the ocean and felt that it was best to kill all and any sharks as they could become a real life “Jaws.” It wasn’t until more discoveries were made about sharks and their lifestyles that helped scientists and conservationists start to convince people that they are not the demons that they are often portrayed as. Shark Week on the Discovery Channel helped spread the truth about sharks and allow people to truly learn their nature. I, included, started to realize their majesty and pure magnificence. Every August, I would watch the programs for the duration of the week and open my mind up to the beauty of each and every shark. As each year passed, my knowledge and respect for this animal grew and I became more and more passionate about their conservation. In the past couple of years, I have read multiple articles on shark finning and the useless killing of all different shark species. Shark finning is done mostly in Asian countries that net sharks and cut off their fins. The sharks are then dumped back into the ocean, left to die or be eaten by other sea creatures. The people who do this only consume the fin, which is typically used as a delicacy in soup. More recently, the Western Australian government has put aside millions of dollars for what is known as “shark culling.” According to the New York Times, the government set forth the “catch and kill” policy due to seven fatal attacks that happened within the past three years. Hunters are granted permission to catch large bull, tiger
and great white sharks and kill them, usually with a gun, and then dump them back into the ocean. The cull is supposed to end in April, but let’s hope that it will not last past February. I believe this to be, by far, one the most underdeveloped, primitive ideas that I have read about in a while. Sharks have been surviving and roaming the Earth’s oceans for far longer than any of our primitive cousins have. They continue to evolve and adapt, streamlined and perfect for their harsh oceanic environment. For over 450 million years they have been living in the oceans and it really bothers me that we, as the human race, assume that we own everything on this planet. The ocean is NOT a swimming pool. It is a habitat for billions of species that were living in peace before we had to leave our huge footprint. Sharks are not “maneating machines.” They do not think to themselves, “Mmh I’m in the mood for human, let me go swim along shorelines to get my dinner.” They live a simple life of swimming, eating, and reproducing. When we enter the water, we are entering THEIR domain. We are intruding THEIR home. This whole “culling” idea is so unbelievably stupid. There is no scientific evidence that murdering innocent sharks will stop shark attacks. In fact, great white sharks have been at a high risk of extinction since 1996 and tiger and bull sharks are slowly approaching that status as well. A major concept that many people are not aware of is that when sharks go extinct…so do the oceans. Because they are the top predators of the ocean, once they disappear, other more destructive species will rise in numbers and cause the depletion of more significant, supportive species. The entire oceanic ecosystem will be out of balance, which can significantly impact us. According to National Geographic, sharks surprisingly keep in check most of our food sources (from the ocean), produce more oxygen than a rainforest, and remove many manmade toxins from the atmosphere. They keep the ocean in check, and without them, most bodies of water would become a toxic environment. Considering the ocean makes up 60 percent of the Earth, this outcome would greatly impact us and potentially be our downfall. Slaughtering sharks for the pure reason to “protect” humans is selfish. The state premier of Western Australia stated, “I know that the many West Australians who love to use the ocean — divers, surfers,
swimmers and their families — want increased protection from dangerous sharks.” This makes no sense. Many Australians that do these activities have vocalized that they understand the risks they take when entering the ocean. They respect sharks and agree that they are vital to the ocean. I am not saying not to ever enter the ocean. I love the water, but there are ways to make everyone happy. Swimming during sharks prime feeding time; sunrise and sunset, will increase your chance of interacting with one. Wearing shiny jewelry or a swimsuit can confuse them into thinking a swimmer is a seal or fish. Over half of the attacks that occur are simply cases of mistaken identity. Because sharks have such poor eyesight, they use their mouth to touch. Unfortunately for us, most of the time a “test feel” can be fatal. Orcas (killer whales) are just as dangerous as a great white shark, maybe even more, and yet we swim with them! We put them in tanks and train them! This is a whole other topic, but my point is that just because sharks do not have the same mental capability as a killer whale does, does not mean that they are any more of a threat to humans. Thousands of humans get attacked by snakes, but we don’t jump to murder all snakes, do we? As humans, we are so territorial and feel the need to remove anything that we fear or feel threatened by. There are so many other threats in Australia other than shark attacks— Obesity kills 25,000 a year, smoking, 10,000, alcohol, 1,600, drowning, 290, lightning, 10, and sharks only 2. There’s no question that sharks should be feared. But amongst that fear, should be admiration and curiosity, and most importantly, respect. Sharks are killing machines—but wouldn’t you consider the human race a killing machine too? The shark image needs a makeover. Slowly but surely we are opening our minds up to the beauty that comes with the shark species. Scientists, celebrities, conservationists and Average Joes are learning of this madness and they are not happy. Even Western Australians’ are outraged; 82% of Australians disagree with the cull. On Feb. 1, thousands of Australians came out and rallied on the beaches, holding signs and wearing shark costumes to support sharks and their lives. Sharks don’t scare me. Humans do. End the cull.
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CVS Removes One of A Dangerous State of Many Harmful Products Mind from Its Shelves By PATRICIA OPREA
STAFF WRITER POPRE1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
By KARDELEN AKKUS
STAFF WRITER KAKKU1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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CVS is a wonderful place. Once you walk into CVS, you will find dieting supplements in one aisle and junk food in the next, Plan B contraception behind the baby formula aisle, and at the cash register you can buy nicotine patches along with your desired tobacco products. Well the latter is not going to be available after October of this year anymore. What’s behind CVS’s decision to sacrifice the annual $2 billion in sales? The second-largest drugstore in the U.S. that has over 7,600 stores nationwide is the first nationally recognized drugstore to drop tobacco from their assortment. CVS Caremark Corp. leaders said that the ban will allow the company to grow in terms of improving relations with doctors, hospitals and other care providers to improve the health of their customers. Or in other words: Photoshop the pharmacy’s reputation and image. President Obama encour-
ages the change and praised it in recent news. I for one don’t, but I don’t buy my cigarettes at CVS anyway. We are well aware the (fatal) harms cigarettes can cause. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that smoking is the leading cause of preventable illness and death in the U.S., accounting for one in five deaths and direct medical costs ranging from $50 billion - $73 billion annually. There’s no arguing with that. But research shows that obesity is overtaking tobacco as the leading cause. Will that stop them from selling junk foods ranging from chips to syrups? Not willingly, at least. Any kind of unhealthy foods are available at CVS containing large amounts of fat, sodium, corn syrup, sugar and cholesterol. What goes hand in hand with tobacco products? That’s right, alcohol. Alcohol and tobacco is a perfect match. The CDC reported that 88,000 people die from excessive alcohol use each year in the U.S. Along with that, alcohol can cause serious long-term effects. Yet beers will still be available at certain stores – and not
just a couple, there’s an entire aisle dedicated to beer. Whether CVS does or does not sell tobacco products is not going to have a detrimental effect on the U.S. retail sales of tobacco, as cigarettes sales at drugstores are less than four percent, according to researcher Euromonitor International. In fact, the share of Americans who smoke has fallen dramatically since 1970, from nearly 40 percent to about 18 percent. The share will most likely drop some more in the future. The appraisal that CVS received is undeserved – it’s simply a loss they can afford, while making themselves look better in the eye of the viewer. Products that harm health or have side effects are still available to anyone who walks in and preferably has a CVS card so the retailer can mine the data you provide them with. Cigarettes have taken the shelf-space behind the registers for decades, so the big question is: What can possibly replace the classic product in the exquisite shelf space? We’ll find out in October.
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There’s always one piece of advice that precedes the start of a new college semester. Two little words, three little syllables ingrained in my memory as I walk to my classes, walk to my dorm room; walk, and arrive, and leave anywhere at all—be careful. Paying attention to the time of day and the remainder of light outside is a vehement suggestion. Being aware of how many people are in the area, how many are strangers, and what those strangers are doing (or thinking of doing) are reminders that pervade my thoughts every single day. I am taught to be careful because, “New Haven is a very dangerous city.” These are my neighbor’s first words as I stop to say hello before returning to the University of New Haven for spring semester. I had not spoken with her since starting college in August 2012, but she does not ask how school is going, how I like the campus, or the people. Instead, I am forebodingly warned about potential dangers. I am taught to be careful and I am taught to be fearful, because it is always better to be safe than sorry. When mentioning to someone that I’ll be off campus and in the city, there is always a sense of disapproval and a sentence of discouragement. I take the city bus to work,
I’ve walked downtown New Haven at night. I’ve walked down the “bad streets” and through the “bad neighborhoods” with hardly a trace of discomfort. I have never once been intimidated in the city of New Haven because I do take precautions. Yet, other people try to push their fears onto me, as if making them my own would ease their worried minds. If there is a constant avoidance of a situation, distress will only build up, and the problem will never be addressed. Fear can hold people back from new accomplishments and experiences. It has held me back without a doubt, but I soon realized that there are other ways to address it. Other people’s fears had no reason to become my own. Being wary is certainly important, but letting constant trepidation affect your goals is no solvent. When you type in just the word “most” into Google, the first search suggestion is “Most dangerous cities in the U.S.” When browsing the 2014 “Ten Most Dangerous cities in the U.S.” listings on Forbes.com, New Haven did not place. On CNN.com’s 2014 listing of “Ten Most Dangerous Cities,” New Haven did not place. I searched five other websites and New Haven was nowhere near the top most dangerous cities in this country. The Examiner recently posted an article naming the ten most dangerous cities, as listed by the FBI. Yes, for small cities,
New Haven does place, but it is not among the most dangerous in the whole U.S., as people like to claim. About a year ago, as a freshman in college, I heard rumors that New Haven was the fourth most dangerous city in the entire U.S. The student body seemed to be convinced that staying inside the dorm room was the only way that we would graduate college alive. Is it more desirable to believe a fallacy rather than to do research and discover the reality? The downtown area is not the sole problem. The entire city of New Haven is not the sole problem. Dangerous things can happen anywhere at any time. They can happen in the home, they can happen in broad daylight. They can happen when you are alone or when surrounded by a crowd of people. The danger I see is letting your own alarming thoughts hold you back. A line exists between being aware and being frightened. Fear should never be an immediate reaction, but a circumstantial one. Until the day New Haven gives me any reason to be afraid, I will continue to enjoy the attractions this city has to offer with precaution; not apprehension.
The Charger Bulletin
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Since 1938, The Charger Bulletin has been the official student newspaper of the University of New Haven.
Staff Writers: Ileana Alvarez-Diaz, Courtney Brooks, Brenda Busuulwa, Erica Giannelli, Jennifer Harrington, Taylor Hauck, Samantha Higgins, Scott Iwaniec, Isaak Advertising Kifle, Shannon Livewell, Emily McGinty, Patricia Oprea, Jessica Pena, Samantha Salvio, Elissa Sanci, Christopher Schnabel, Katerina Sperl, Elyse Von Der Fecht, The Charger Bulletin accepts advertising from outside sources. Ad rate sheets are Ashley Winward, Nicolas Weilmann available upon request or by calling 203.932.7182 or via email at ChargerBulletin@ newhaven.edu. Advertisements must be either submitted on CD by mail, fax, or inEntertainment-Music Editor: Ashley Winward person, or preferably sent via email. All advertisements must be received by noon on the Thursday prior to scheduled printing. Due to school sanctions, The Charger Entertainment-Film Editor: Scott Iwaniec Bulletin is unable to accept advertisements from establishments that advertise human research. The Charger Bulletin reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Opinion Editor: Elissa Sanci Advertisements within The Charger Bulletin are inserted by outside sources identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the University of New Haven. AdSports Editor: Christopher Schnabel vertising material printed herein is solely for informational purposes. For the most up-to-date information. visit www.ChargerBulletin.com/advertise/. Sports Writers: Taylor Hauck Letters to the Editor Copyeditors: Elissa Sanci, Courtney Brooks The Charger Bulletin welcomes letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via email Photo Editors: Erica Naugle, Nicholas McDermott to ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu or online at www.ChargerBulletin.com. All letters must include the writer’s full name and phone number for verification and can Advertising/Marketing Manager: Shannon Livewell be withheld upon request. The opinions expressed in letters to the editors, poems, columns, or other submissions are not necessarily those of the staff. The Charger Distribution: Samantha Salvio Bulletin has the right to refuse to print any letter or submission. Final decisions are made by the Editor-in-Chief.
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Fun, Games, & More
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Crossword Clues
Across 1 Breadth of fresh hair? 4 2000s HBO drama set in Utah 11 “Figured it out!” 14 Longtime Parlophone record label owner 15 Valentine sender 16 Submerge 17 A 20 2002 World Series champs 21 Pawn 22 Author Carnegie 23 CPR provider 25 Library sect. 27 AA 32 Venerable ref. 33 Moving line on the ground, maybe 34 Places to perch 35 Rosebud, notably 36 Lean and sinewy 37 Good thing to pass 40 When Bloomsday, which celebrates Joyce’s “Ulysses,” is observed 41 “Just __ figured!” 44 AAA 47 Profound 48 32-Across cousin of arch. 49 River through the Czech Republic 50 Canadian brewery
53 Doughboy’s helmet 55 AAAA 58 Prefix with tonic 59 Restraining device 60 Carnival setting 61 Messenger developer 62 Office chair mechanisms 63 Email suffix
Down 1 “There was no choice for us” 2 “That’s mind-blowing!” 3 Laughed nervously, maybe 4 Scene of a lost glass slipper 5 Time to beware 6 Clock-setting std. 7 Stewed 8 Handel opera written in Italian 9 Not hor. 10 Consequently 11 Slow movements 12 Place to lie low 13 Make like 18 Command to Fido 19 Manhattan variety 23 Abbr. for dating enthusiasts? 24 Hood et al.: Abbr. 26 Common cellphone feature, briefly 28 Manservant 29 Italian : gennaio : Spanish : __
30 Patterned cloth 31 Sticks with a horn 35 Visit 36 Milquetoast 37 Pie material? 38 Of no help 39 Apply liberally 40 Foresail 41 Present and accounted for 42 Moderately dry, climatewise 43 Challenging opening 45 Twisty pasta 46 It’s mostly made of zinc 51 Some NCR devices 52 Spring occurrence 53 Starbucks order 54 Followers: Suff. 55 Pep 56 Service abbr. 57 Pre-A.D. (c)2014 TRIBUNE CONTENT AGENCY, INC.
Last week’s answers!
Last week’s answers!
The Answers for this week’s Crossword Puzzle and Sudoku will be available in the next issue!
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The
February 12, 2014
by Patricia Oprea
Page 9
Charger Battery
Positives
Negatives
Congratulations to all the girls who received bids from our sororities on campus! Hope everyone has an exciting journey during their process. Now may the fraternity recruitment commence!
The snow and ice and water makes it much easier to trip and fall around campus….almost too easy. I have a conspiracy theory that some spots are purposefully not doused with salt for comic relief.
Phenomenal job to everyone involved with the Chinese New Year festival in Dodds, Feb. 7. From martial arts, singing, bands, piano playing, and traditional dances, this show was an impressive display of culture by all! Plus all the Chinese food served afterwards was no shortcoming.
Twenty out of twenty-three of the Black Student Union’s signs for Black History Month have disappeared! The theory of snow-accumulation hiding them has been ruled out, but this case is far from solved. Who finds amusement in ruining a tradition?
The Battery Charge Four snow days? The groundhog was right this year, looks like several more weeks of winter are ahead. It may be spring semester, but spring is surely not anywhere in sight. I’m currently trying to rationalize if all the tuition money lost due to the absence of classes is worth all these free days. Then I remember that sleeping in until noon is so worth it.
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USGA & More
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USGA President’s Corner
Fellow Chargers,
Recently I stumbled across something I read some time ago and would like to share with you:
“If you sometimes get discouraged consider this fellow: He dropped out of grade school. Ran a country store. Went broke. Took 15 years to pay off his bills. Took a wife. Unhappy marriage. Ran for the House. Lost twice. Ran for the Senate. Lost twice. Delivered a speech that became a classic. Audience indifferent. Attacked daily by the press and despised by half the country. Despite all this, imagine how many people all over the world have been inspired by this awkward, bright— rumpled, brooding man who signed his name simply, A. Lincoln.”
Sometimes you just have to keep on going, even if all you want to do is give up. I wish you all well and a great week. Yours truly, Zani Imetovski, USGA President
USGA Treasurer’s Tip of the Week
“See what’s actually important and be prepared to compromise.”
You may have a vision for your organization and a philosophy for how it should be structured or operated. Those are important things to have, but at some point it will likely be put into opposition, either with your E-Board, club members or others. One of the hardest things to do as a leader is realizing the extent to which you should be fighting for what you believe in and at what point it may be necessary to make concessions. Even if you believe in your idea, continuing to fight everyone can begin to negatively affect your RSO and its members. Truly being a great leader means doing what’s best for your RSO and members; and doing that may require compromising a specific vision or idea.
-Isaak Kifle
This week’s USGA Meeting will be held in the Alumni Lounge at 10 a.m. Photo of the Week
Photo By: Joe Adams, Senior Taken December 2013 “I snuck down to the lighthouse on a clear night shortly after 12 a.m., capturing the illuminated light and the constellations above.” - Adams
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SPORTS
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Chris Pincince Named New Football Coach
By CHRIS SCHNABEL
SPORTS EDITOR CSCHN3@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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a long time for.” He will take over a Chargers team that finished 8-3 and third in the NorthEast-10 conference. Since Rossomando rebooted the Chargers in 2009, the team has gone 42-13 and won three NE-10 conference championships, and he will look to keep the success and tradition of Charger football going.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARGER ATHLETICS
On Thursday, Feb. 6, a new era in The University of New Haven football started. Chris Pincince took over as head football coach for the Chargers, and everyone got their first look during his welcoming press conference. “It truly is a homecoming for me,” said Pincince, who has had two previous stints at New Haven before under head coach Tony Sparano in the 1990’s. “It’s great to go home, especially when you’re away for a little while… There’s truly no other place I call home like the University of New Haven.” “We wanted a dynamic leader, who’s going to continue in our proud and winning ways,” said Athletic Director Deborah Chin about hiring Pincince, “We found our guy.” Pincince brings almost 20 years of collegiate coaching experience including two stints at Div. I FCS schools
and three stints at Div. I-AA schools, all as offensive coordinator. He also served as wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator for UNH, which is one of the reasons that he fits in so well. He was on staff for the 1995-1996 team that went undefeated and won their opening round match in the NCAA playoffs. When he was offensive coordinator, the Chargers averaged 350 yards per game and 30 points per game in the threeyear stint. “I think Chris is absolutely the right person for us at this time,” stated Ralph F. DellaCamera Jr., whose fathers name is on the field, “I think he will be a terrific addition to the UNH football program.” “We got to scheme it toward the talents of our kids,” said Pincince, when asked about how the scheme will change, “The first thing we have to do is figure out the talent of our kids… If we can throw it 50 times a game because that’s when our kids are best that’s what we will have to do, if we can run it 50 times a game because
that’s when our kids are best that’s what well have to do.” He also said that he’d have a lot of control over the defense and the offense, “as the head coach I’ll definitely be in charge of all three phases of the game… I’m
going to be my offensive coordinator.” He was very emotional during his press conference, for both coming back to UNH, where his career started, but also because he was away from his family,
stating that’s the most important part of his life, and that he’s been with his wife since his first stint at UNH. “I was very excited [when I got the call] I almost drove off the road… It’s been something I’ve been waiting
Hayes Double-Double Carries Women’s Basketball Over Saint Rose, 72-62 PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARGER ATHLETICS
A CHARGER ATHLETICS PRESS RELEASE
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Aquillin Hayes (Harlem, N.Y./Wings Academy) scored 23 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead the University of New Haven women’s basketball team to a 72-62 victory at the College of Saint Rose Saturday afternoon. The Chargers also connected on 17-of-21 free throws in the game to pull away late in the second half. New Haven improves 15-7 overall and 10-6 in the Northeast-10 Conference with the win. The Golden Knights drop to 9-13 overall and 4-12 in NE-10 play. Hayes connected on 10-
of-14 shots from the field and 5-of-6 at the charity stripe. She recorded seven offensive boards and six defensive rebounds, while adding two steals and two assists. Elizabeth Cruso (Westerly, R.I./Westerly) and Bria Moore (West Haven, Conn./Hill Regional Career) each added 12 points, while Moore added seven rebounds. Off the bench, Audrey Cunningham (Germantown, Md./Seneca Valley) went perfect from the field and foul line for 10 points. The Chargers controlled the boards, leading 38-33 on the glass. UNH led 19-13 in second chance points, but the Golden Lions 38-28 with points in the paint and 8-2 in transition points.
Saint Rose scored the game’s first basket and controlled the game for the first 9:05. Hayes put in a layup at the 10:55 mark to give New Haven its first lead of the game and finished an 8-2 run for the Chargers. The lead changed hands another two times in the next minute and the Golden Knights began another push in the next four minutes. Saint Rose went on a 13-1 run to open a 31-20 lead with 6:17 left in the first. Hayes and Moore then took over for the Chargers, scoring the game’s next 14 points and giving UNH a 34-31 advantage at the 1:49 mark. New Haven held a two point, 36-34, lead at halftime. The Chargers held the
lead for the entire second half. Saint Rose kept the Chargers within nine points until the final seconds and twice cut the UNH lead to one point. Cruso hit a threepointer at the 15:15 mark to put the Chargers ahead by nine, 46-37. At the 12:07 mark, Cunningham also put the Chargers ahead by nine with a triple. UNH went 9-for-10 in the final minute from the foul line and sealed the 10-point victory down the stretch. New Haven, currently in second place in the NE-10 Southwest Division, travels to Syracuse, N.Y. on Tuesday to take on Le Moyne in another divisional matchup. Game time is set for 5 p.m.
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“There’s truly no other place I call home like the University of New Haven.” -Chris Pincince
Six Top Three Finishers Propel Women at Giegengack Invitational
A CHARGER ATHLETICS PRESS RELEASE
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The University of New Haven Women’s Indoor Track & Field team boasted eight student athletes in the top-five in events at this weekend’s Giegengack Invitational hosted at Coxe Cage on the campus of Yale University. The two-day event kicked off on Friday with Ada Udaya (West Haven, Conn./ West Haven) winning the 200-meter dash with a time of 24.51 seconds. Marshae Holt (Orange, N.J./Immaculate Conception) and Ivy Watts (Waltham, Mass./ Waltham) also competed in the event. Holt placed third and Watts came in seventh with times of 25.69 and 26.17, respectively. In Friday’s field events, Camille Charles (Hartford, Conn./Northwest Catholic) placed third in the weight throw with a heave of 13.97 meters, while Briana Conyers (Derby, Conn./Hill Regional Career) came in sixth place with a leap of 5.19 meters in the long jump.
On Saturday, Holt continued her strong weekend performance by breaking the tape in the 60-meter dash, leading the pack with a time of 7.92. Watts also added a third place time of 57.46 seconds in the 400-meter dash. Competing in the 500-meter dash, Conyers added a ninth place finish in 1:21.10. Erin Fox (Dover, N.J./ Dover) turned in a time of 2:21.16, good enough for ninth place in the 800-meter run. Conyers, along with Monica Yanez (West Haven, Conn./West Haven) tied for fifth and sixth in the 60-meter hurdles, both crossing the line in 9.29 seconds. New Haven also saw Roxie Redwood (Millstone, N.J./Allentown) finish third in the triple jump by leaping 10.90 meters and Kelsey Palomino (Bay Shore, N.Y./ Bay Shore) finished fourth with a jump of 10.89 meters. The Chargers return to action next weekend on Saturday, Feb. 15 for the final meet of the regular season at the Scarlet and White Invitational, hosted by Boston University.
Febryary 12, 2014
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This Week in UNH Sports
MEN’S WOMEN’S BASKETBALL BASKETBALL
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2.15.14 | 7:00 PM
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V. PACE WEST HAVEN, CONN.
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AT SCARLET AND WHITE INVITATIONAL BOSTON, MASS.
AT SCARLET AND WHITE INVITATIONAL BOSTON, MASS.
V. AMERICAN INTERNATIONAL WEST HAVEN, CT
Hockey Season Wrap-Up
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARGER REC
By CHRIS SCHNABEL
SPORTS EDITOR CSCHN3@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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One year ago, the University of New Haven hockey club team made it to the top, winning the championship and earning a sport in American Collegiate Hock-
ey Association. After a championship, they move up to a higher level of hockey, which is a huge step in the program. The season did not turn out the way they would have hoped, but as previously stated, it’s a huge step. They finished the season
with a 4-11 record. The last couple games for them have not been great for the Chargers, but as you build a program, there will be some bad years. Even with 11 losses, they have played close games, only losing by one to three goals most games. The
future looks bright for UNH puck, as they have a young team that should develop over this offseason and will be better with one years experience under their belt. Six years ago when this program was first put together, no one would have thought that this is where the
program would be today, as it’s one of the most popular sports on campus, and even though they don’t play their home games directly on this campus, they still get a huge student turnout; showing not only that UNH Chargers love their hockey, but they have school pride and UNH
puck pride. With everything looking in such a positive direction, I don’t see this program doing badly or having to fold for many years to come. You never know, maybe one day they will get moved up to be an official sport on campus.
Saint Rose Holds off Chargers, 78-74
A CHARGER ATHLETICS PRESS RELEASE
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARGER ATHLETICS
Eric Anderson (Newark, N.J./Newark Tech) scored 15 of his game-high 25 points in the second half as the University of New Haven trimmed a 14-point Saint Rose lead down to just three on Saturday afternoon, but the host Golden Knights ultimately held on for a 78-74 decision. Justin Exum (Brooklyn, N.Y./Xaverian) added 19 points for New Haven. Following the loss, the Chargers move to 15-7 overall with a 10-6 record in Northeast-10 play. Saint Rose improves to 12-10 with a 9-7 conference mark after salvaging a split of the home-and-home divisional series. New Haven won the first meeting, 69-56, at Charger Gymnasium on Dec. 10. Anderson’s 25 points came on 10-for-16 shooting with one three-pointer and a 4-for-5 day at the free throw line. Exum knocked down four three-pointers on his way to 19 points. Jeffery Adkins (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) and Ashanti DePass (Baldwin, N.Y./Baldwin) also scored in double figures with 14 and 11 points, respectively. Adkins also distributed seven assists. Collectively, the Chargers shot 27-for-59 (45.8 percent) from the field, 7-for-23 (30.4 percent) from beyond the arc
and 13-for-19 (68.4 percent) from the free throw line. Cyrus James (Manchester, Conn./Howell Cheney Tech) pulled down eight rebounds to go along with his four points. New Haven was outrebounded, 36-29, and committed 10 turnovers while forcing nine Saint Rose giveaways. Dominykas Milka posted 24 points and eight rebounds for the Golden Knights, and Kareem Thomas and Tyler Sayre added 19 points apiece. Saint Rose shot 21-for-34 (61.8 percent) from the floor in the first half to construct the lead that it would hold for most of the contest. The Chargers built a 10-5 advantage over the opening four minutes of the game, but the Golden Knights netted the next 10 points to gain control of the action. An Anderson three-point play and
a Adkins layup knotted the game at 15-15 with 12:26 to play. However, New Haven would convert just one field goal over the next 6:39 as the hosts climbed in front by a double-digit margin for the first time. Saint Rose continued to put points of the board for the remainder of the half to take a 48-36 lead into the intermission. A Milka jumper started the second half and staked the Golden Knights to a gamehigh 14-point lead, but New Haven kept pace with Saint Rose in the second frame out to a 66-55 deficit with 8:47 to go. At that point, four different Chargers scored during an 8-0 run that closed the gap to a single possession at 66-63 with 5:05 remaining in regulation. However, Saint Rose was perfect from the line at 6-for-6 during the final five minutes and corralled seven
of nine rebounds – including four from the offensive glass – to hold on for a 78-74 victory. The Chargers continue their NE-10 Southwest Division road swing with a pivotal trip to Le Moyne on Tuesday, Feb. 11. New Haven currently shares second place in the division with the Dolphins, who dropped a 97-75 decision at Southern Connecticut State this afternoon. Tip-off from Syracuse is set for 7 p.m.
Interested in writing about sports for The Charger Bulletin? Email us at ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu and we’ll contact you with more info!
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Lego Movie Builds, and Builds, and Builds
AP PHOTO
AP PHOTO
Technology and Love
By DYLAN RUPPRECHT
STAFF WRITER DRUPP1@.UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
By SCOTT IWANIEC
FILM EDITOR SIWAN1@.UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
––––––––––––––––––––– The Lego Movie is a sincere and touching story that reminds us all about the simple joys in life in an Oscar level narration. Did you ever think you would hear those words being said? As shocking as it may sound, that statement is entirely true. Coming into its opening week, The Lego Movie received a whopping 100% on Rotten Tomatoes as critics dare to compare this movie to the throne of Toy Story. For me to tell you why this film receives so much praise would be a spoiler equivalent to releasing the Kraken. With that being said, I’m
going to avoid any details we already know. The story follows Emett, played by Chris Pratt, as he fulfills a prophecy predicted by Morgan Freeman to save the Lego world from destruction by the hands of President Business, played by Will Farrell. Along the way he encounters our favorite Lego Characters such as Dumbledore, Han Solo, Shaq O’Neill and, of course, Batman. The film delivers face-palm jokes and one-liners in their purest form; and it is hilarious. If you are like me, and grew up playing with Legos, you will be stunned by the architecture the creators have built for this film. I can guarantee if you thought to build it by time you were 13
years old, it is in this film. The film really masters the charm of Legos in every way; it hits you like a truck with a bull’s eye right to the heart. Maybe you won’t cry, but you will want to go home and pull out every bucket of Legos you have immediately. The Lego movie is a pure masterpiece from visuals, to humor, to heart. It is no wonder the studio gave a green light for the sequel just this past week. I can’t speak too soon for the rest of the year, but I don’t think it’s a far-fetched idea for this film to get a Best Picture nomination, and no, I am not kidding. It is the must see film for the next few weeks.
––––––––––––––––––––– Can love exist between two entities, one of which is bodiless? Director Spike Jonze displays, in his always-unique perspective, how love extends further emotionally and intellectually within people in his film Her. The futuristic setting portrays life twenty years from now in a world where the iPhones and iPads of today have progressed even further into human life. With electronics having even more influence in this world (as would be feasible at the rate technology is progressing even today) such is the question: what happens when technology transitions from being the means
to which people find love, to being the ends of love? In other words, when these iPhones become the “Apple” of people’s eyes? Theodore, played by Joaquin Phoenix, writes the ideal, seemingly authentic, handwritten letters for the clients of beautifulhandwrittenletters.com. To help cope with his extreme loneliness, he buys an artificial intelligence operating system (AIOS) with the purpose of keeping him company. What starts out as a plug to fill a lonely void, slowly evolves into much more as Sam, the AIOS, voice by Scarlett Johansson, claims to be falling in love with Theodore. What is striking about all of this is the concept of technology being programed to “feel” and relate to human beings. Sam explains her intuition that was programed
into her, and part of this installment allows her to actually “evolve” and, in a way, feel whatever would be conceivable for an electronic to administer. This is a fundamental idea that thrives within Her and is threaded with an unbelievably poignant soundtrack; it is difficult avoiding feeling emotionally involved with this film that evokes the myriad facets of any relationship. So, to any skeptic of the idea of a human being forming a relationship, one with love unabashedly at its fulcrum, I could not encourage highly enough to give Her a chance. This film is a garden of introspective quotes that anyone can relate to. Her has been nominated for five Academy Awards and is still in theaters.
By SCOTT IWANIEC
FILM EDITOR SIWAN1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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With Avengers stage 2 firing with all guns blazing, fans all over the internet and beyond can’t wait to see what Marvel has in store after Avengers 2. It appears stage 3 is entering the light. Avengers: Age of Ultron, will hit theatres in the summer of 2015, and we already know stage 3 will start with Ant Man. Besides that, Marvel scheduled three untitled release dates through the following two years. It is clear that two of those three sports will be occupied by Captain America 3, and Thor 3. It’s no wonder that Thor’s third installment lies in our future having both his films been
very highly regarded, and slam dunk money makers for Marvel Studios. Captain America: The First Avenger, proved to be one of the best movies of phase one, and the Winter Soldier has yet to come out. Wait, the second has yet to come out? And they’re looking at the third? Get this; Marvel Studio is so happy with the pre-screening critical reception, that they already signed the directors to return for the third film. Evidently, critics loved the Winter Soldier during pre-screenings. Pre-game hype and studio confidence is never a bad sign. This raises the question of who will take over the final spot in phase 3? The favorite to win is a Dr. Strange film. It’s the one that seems to be get-
ting the most inside hype, and Marvel has been talking about it for a while. It even makes sense from the story telling perspective: Avengers 3 is being built up to be the Infinity Gauntlet, which Dr. Strange plays a major part of in the comics. Sorry Black Panther fans, but you’re going to have to wait a little longer. The big thing to take out of this is Marvels confidence. We see time and time again that Marvel is confident in their products and aren’t afraid to take risks and move forward. These announcements just add more fuel to that fire, and prove how advanced their story plan is. To Warner Brothers and DC, this is just another hammer hitting them over the head.
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Captain America and Thor Earn Trilogy
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February 12, 2014
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Scope it Out! Ask Melanie Here are this week’s events for SCOPE!
Wednesday, February 12: Signups for the Flight Trampoline Trip (2/14/14) on Charger Connection open at 9 p.m. Friday, February 14: Weekly Movie: This Means War in Lee 301 at 9 p.m. Flight Trampoline Trip, see Charger Connection for details. Sunday, February 16: Step Afrika in Dodds Theater at 7 p.m.
Is there trouble in paradise? Do you have love or relationship questions? Ask Melanie! Submit “Ask Melanie” requests to chargerbulletin@newhaven.edu, our Facebook page or Twitter.
Dear Melanie, I think my boyfriend is cheating on me. I’m not sure if he has done anything physical yet, but I know that he is texting and “snapchatting” this girl a ton and I am nervous that if it hasn’t already it might turn into something. Any advice? With technology today it is almost impossible to keep a private life, private. Social media makes everyone a part of everyone else’s business, and sometimes that is unavoidable. There are some people I know who spend there days talking to people over Twitter or Facebook messenger that they have never met in person before, that’s why shows like Catfish on MTV can boom with business in today’s industry. The reason I am bringing this new age into perspective for you is because sometimes things that seem obsessive are innocent with the way society works today. I have girl friends that send out Snapchat after Snapchat to the same people in their contacts, and if my boyfriend was sitting next to me opening all of them up, I would definitely be annoyed. If he isn’t constantly answering them, it could just be a case of a girl addicted to taking selfies. That being said, texting isn’t a part of social media and can unfortunately be a different thing because that means he is actually having conversations with her. It is hard to tell what those conversations are about and if they’re innocent or not because you aren’t your boyfriend or the other girl. For all you know the girl could be constantly asking him about homework assignments because she doesn’t pay attention in class. The best piece of advice I can give you is to sit down and talk to your boyfriend. I say talk very strongly because accusing him of cheating on you right off of the bat could make him go and do that very thing if he hasn’t already. Guys tend to run in the opposite direction when they are wrongfully accused of something. Talking could solve everything and you may just find out that it’s his younger cousin from Vermont. However, if you get an answer that really hurts you, at least you caught it before you had to hear it from someone else. This is definitely a tough situation to give advice on because of today’s world. People that have never met face-to-face are going on “virtual” dates and falling love over apps. Then again people have easy access to classmates and friends for questions or companionship as well, and that could really be all it is. Talk to your boyfriend, state why it concerns you, and make him realize what he would feel like if the roles were reversed. I’m sure everything will work out and no matter the outcome there is someone out there for everyone.
February 12, 2014
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Page 15
Shawn Zyvoloski Talks Zombies, Dan Stroka Benefit Rocks UNH Critics and Surviving “This!”
By ASHLEY WINWARD
MUSIC EDITOR AWINW1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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ally. “We’re completely against all sorts of violence and we’re just…it’s offends me really, like it sucks…. for someone to come at me and tell me that I am offensive towards women and everything else, it’s like do you know who I am? I’m someone who’s completely against this and I’m trying to give a completely different message than what you’re trying to see me as. Listen to my record. I’m not a crazy person, you know, I’m speaking truths and trying to get feelings out not this pain that you’re trying to bring upon us.” These guys have such a genuine demeanor and it’s not only seen through their interactions with fans or their music, but in the overarching theme of “Survive This!” as a whole. “It actually originated, the silly thing is, the idea of it started from the fact that Dan and everyone like to watch survivalist reality TV shows, then when coming up with
the name, actually building onto it. It became the idea of how I was saying before, that society nowadays, especially kids younger and younger are so depressed and they’re hurting and people are talking about suicide it seems more than ever before or you know talking about money and debt and everything. So we have this great thing where we want to be and I look at it as, with us, you’re all survivalists and we’re all a big group together and together if we could stand united and really lift eachother up we can all survive this world together” Talking about being survivalists I had to ask….did the band have a zombie apocalypse survival plan? “Shoot things, kick things, burn things, fight, run a lot…” he said, chuckling. As always, I asked for some advice for our music majors with aspirations of breaking into the business. “Never stop practicing. If you think you’ve practiced too much, you don’t have a life, you’re probably not practicing enough. The greatest people in the world have locked themselves in a room and completely made their lives about it. If you’re passionate about something don’t be afraid to put everything into it because it’s going to pay off later.” Thanks so much to Shawn and Survive This! for chatting with me, it was an amazing performance and the record is fantastic! Be sure to check out The Life You’ve Chosen and for the full interview head on over to unhmic.tumblr.com!
PHOTO BY ASHLEY WINWARD
things that you go through inside that you consistently battle with when someone has demeaned or put you down or hurt you in such a long way that you have these bipolar moments and when you listen to the song that’s the whole point.” He also added how the critics have affected him person-
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ASHLEY WINWARD
“Every artist feeds off the energy of the crowds and other people that are involved around you. When everyone is on the same wavelength it’s like, I don’t know, it’s like this great euphoria,” lead singer Shawn Zyvoloski explained to me, coming off their set at the sold out Palladium in Worcester on the Bury the Hatchet tour (featuring Chelsea Grin, Escape the Fate and Falling In Reverse). He was practically beaming as we left the merchandise table to chat, especially as fans kept coming in waves, even upon leaving. It was so nice to just watch him interact with the fans, so genuinely grateful for each and every person who came to speak to him. “It’s such a rewarding and touching feeling that really, you can’t describe unless you get to go out and experience something like that,” he said. Vegas boys Survive This! have been out in support of their debut album The Life You’ve Chosen all winter and have been getting a lot of buzz for the release. When asked what kind of statement they were hoping to give with the album, Shawn put it very simply, “That we enjoy what we do, like our biggest statement is that we’re here to have fun and write songs. We’re not trying to be somebody, we’re not trying to be a sound, and we’re not trying to be the next big thing. We’re trying to give you great songs that we enjoy playing, we enjoy writing and we would hope that people would like.” The album, while being a generally heavy piece of
work, has so many different elements of pop, synth, chugging chords and growling vocals. Being someone who doesn’t naturally gravitate towards screaming or growling groups I was surprised how quickly I fell in love with this record. It’s a great balance with deep, personal lyrics that are easy to relate to. “I think the hardest thing for people is that everybody’s hurting and just having such a hard time these days and that’s what I’m there for. Shawn spoke of his lyrics, “I want to write my feelings out and I need to express myself so I’m not hurting as bad and it makes me feel better to get things off my chest and then other people can respond to what I’m doing and to interpret it in their own reflection to get things off of their chest by you know, singing along or listening to us.” One song in particular has come under quite a bit of fire, “Pardon Me.” The song is no longer available on Spotify, and has even been blasted by blogs like Property of Zack who claimed the song, “displays the band’s thoughts on being prosexism and abusive towards women.” Zyvoloski spoke out in support of his work. “As much as people want to put negativity on it, kids love that song, kids ask to hear it. What people are trying to perceive that song to be and what it actually is, is really just funny. That song is actually about trying to get the things out and how cheating can affect someone’s personal mind. It’s actually the mindset that you have from your inner thoughts and the
By CAROL SIMPSON
singing sad love songs. Similar to Koji, Vinnie Caruana performed acoustically. Although he is also part of a band known as I Am The Avalanche, he puts on a great show as a solo act. Vinnie brought humor to the stage with his commentary that engaged the crowd in between songs. Once Have Mercy hit the stage, their energy had captivated many and even people who had never heard of them before the show were tapping their feet along to the music. It was finally time for the headliner, Major League, to perform. This show was the first stop on their headlining tour and their first as a four piece band after recently parting ways with their vocalist, Nick Trask. They brought energy and good old pop-punk music to the stage. They were on fire...literally. Well only steam, but they really did produce a great set that would make anyone want to see them perform live again and again. Although Major League cut their set short by a few songs the show was still a success. Everyone in the room came together for a great cause supported by great music.
CONTRIBUTING WRITER CSIMP1@UNH.NEWHAVEN.EDU
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On Thursday, Feb. 6, The University of New Haven’s Music Industry Club held a benefit show for alumni Dan Sroka, who was diagnosed with thyroid cancer and has lost his job since. All of the proceeds from the show’s ticket sales and raffle earnings will be donated to help Sroka pay his medical bills. With Blue and Gold, Have Mercy, Koji, and Vinnie Caruana set to perform as openers, the show was sure to be a hit. To top it all off Major League were set to headline the benefit show. Doors were ready to open at 7 p.m. sharp. The first band on stage was Blue and Gold; a funky four piece rock band hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y. They brought their own style to the stage with their polished vocals and epic guitar skills. The balancing act of female and male vocals warmed up the crowd for the next acts set to perform. Koji was up next. His deep and soulful acoustic performance gave everyone in the crowd something to reflect on. He encouraged crowd participation on a couple of songs and filled the room with a cozy vibe even while
Justin Levinson: From Vermont to CT By SHANNON LIVEWELL STAFF WRITER SLIVEWELL@ME.COM
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PHOTO OBTAINED VIA FACEBOOK
Justin Levinson is a young singer/songwriter from Burlington, VT., with a vast catalog of songs that has continued to grow since the debut of his first album in 2005. Levinson performed at The Space in Hamden, CT a few weeks ago alongside the very talented, Teddy Geiger [interviewed in the Feb. 5 issue]. I was lucky enough to snag an interview with Levinson after his performance and ask him a few questions about his musical career. “My father is a music teacher so I started taking lessons on piano when I was six. By the fifth grade I wrote my first song and performed it with my Dad at a poetry slam,” said Levinson when I asked how he got started in the music industry. “I also took up the trumpet in elementary school. When I got to high school, I was introduced to legendary jazz trumpet player Lester Bowie and Motown legend Fontella Bass. They were both on a grant to bring jazz to rural areas and they happened
to come to Vergennes, VT, where I was in school.” Having such legends around him when he was at the age where he was able to recognize the musical world must have had such an immense impact on his career. “After high school, Lester wrote me a letter of recommendation that got me into Berklee School Of Music,” Levinson said. “Lester is the kinda cat that had a lot of pull in the jazz world.” “I ended up with trumpet as my principle instrument at Berklee but I changed directions and became a songwriting major. After school I just started pounding the pavement with touring out of my van. Nothing has changed.” Very rarely do I ask this two-part question and receive the same answer for both parts. When I asked who his influences were, both musically and personally, Levinson responded, “I think my parents are for sure. My Dad is also a songwriter so I think I learned how to write a hook from him. My Mom is also a music enthusiast. She got me into Electric Light Orchestra and Ben Folds Five. They both really believe in my music and have supported me unconditionally.”
“Lately I’ve been listening to a lot of the band Fun. and Justin Timberlake before shows. It helps to sing a long with those guys as a warm up too,” Levinson answered when I probed about his favorite “pump-up” artists or songs to listen to before he performs. “They sing so high which helps loosen up my vocal chords a little.” Levinson does not compare himself to any artists in the industry today, however. He simply says, “I think all independent artists are in the
same the boat these days. We need to work together and help each other. My belief is that if you put out authentic music people will see it and support it. I try to be as true to myself as possible.” My favorite song off of Levinson’s new E.P was Give it One More Try, which can be easily heard on Levinson’s website. Therefore, I wasn’t surprised when Levinson said that song meant the most to him off of his E.P, “A lot of my
tunes touch on deep subjects but have a sense of humor to them. I guess it’s kind of a cover up for me in a way. In this case I really just wrote from the heart. Was definitely a tear jerker!” A tearjerker it was for me as well and I didn’t even live through the same story. I guess it is one of things people can just relate to on a personal level. “Grammercy Theatre in NYC,” said Levinson when I asked his favorite place he’s ever performed. “I played a sold out show there on
The After Party Tour with Aaron Carter. It was just my piano, acoustic guitar, a thousand girls and me; talk about scary!” Somehow I think Levinson was about to accept the thousands of girls cheering him on. Lastly, I asked a question that normally tells a lot about an artist. If there was any artist dead or alive you could sit down to eat dinner with, whom would it be and why? “I think I’d have to pick John Lennon. Not too many people have had that kind of impact musically and socially. I think if he were here today he’d have a lot to say.” Like I said, that question speaks volumes about the kind of artist someone is and their musical knowledge and passion. Levinson is on the right track to greatness and if you haven’t heard his music yet, I suggest you utilize your technology right now and type his name into whatever you use to stream your music now-a-days.
Correction: 02/12/2014 1. Graduate Students Embark on New Challenges--Page 5 This article by Patricia Oprea was incorrectly titled. The article’s true title was Money, Power and the Lack Thereof
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