Volume 88, Issue 14 | January 27, 2010
the
Charger Bulletin The official student newspaper of the University of New Haven since 1938.
www.ChargerBulletin.com
Haiti Struggles After Massive Quake landing strips either destroyed or unmanageable, aid reached –––––––––––––––––––––––––– the country at an incredibly slow rate. News crews from all over Jan. 12, 2010 was just a nor- the world were able to traverse mal day for many. For the people the country, located in Hispaof Haiti, it was a day that will be nola, before doctors, food, and remembered for years to come. rescue crews. Even when crews In mere minutes, a 7.0 earth- arrived the damage seemed too By ERIN ENNIS
ASSISTANT EDITOR
Haiti has been disturbed by major problems for many years. Political unrest, health care worries, and the occasional natural disaster have tormented the French Creole people who live in Haiti. Originally known as Saint-Dominque, the country was known for its French culture
Controversy Ignites Sparks as Housing Policy Changes
By ZACK ROSEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Room selection is experiencing a huge change at the University of New Haven. In order to keep with UNH’s educational philosophy of students moving to a more independent living environment throughout their tenure at university, room selection will be reversed starting this coming year. Instead of the precedent of seniors picking first, followed by juniors, sophomores, and then freshmen, this year the current freshmen class will be picking first. The senior class, contrary to tradition, will be picking housing last. Since The Charger Bulletin broke the news about changes in the housing policies at the University of New Haven on Jan. 9, students – both those who will be affected and those who will not – have been raising, standing up. and expressing their opinions on the situation. From letters to the editor within this paper, to ChargerVoice.com, to emailing and calling administration, and setThis Jan. 12, 2010 photo shows an injured person being tended to at Hotel Villa Creole in Port-au-Prince, Haiti after a 7.0-magnitude ting up a Facebook group, UNH earthquake hit the Caribbean nation. (AP Photo/Montreal La Presse, Ivanoh Demers) students certainly know how to quake struck the economically severe: the dead outnumbered and abundance of sugarcane and express their views. Housing fopoorest country in the western the living and the injured tra- economical success in the early rums were established on Jan. hemisphere. Destruction rav- versed the streets. Makeshift 1700’s. However, after a slave 21 and Jan. 25 to give students ished the country, demolish- hospitals were created in aban- revolt in 1791 and the subse- an opportunity to speak directly ing Port-au-Prince (the capital doned buildings and alleyways quent renaming to “Haiti”, cor- with President Kaplan and many city) and destroying countless and medical methods reverted ruption and human right abuses campus administrators. Many homes, businesses, and families. to the bare minimum. Water and began to plague the country as asked questions, some heated While the death toll is yet to be food quickly ran out, even for political security remained un- and some not, expressing their finalized, the remaining Haitian workers, as millions worldwide found. Although things had start- concern and understanding over government has estimated that watched the destruction from ed to look up for the extremely the policy changes. 150,000 bodies have been bur- their living rooms. President Kaplan spoke sinunsettled people of Haiti, many ied. cerely at the forum, stating that As one of the poorest counWith major ports and airplane tries in the western hemisphere, See HAITI page 8 "this entire issue was not handled
as I would have liked to have seen it happen.” He continued, saying that “there is, simply, no excuse for what happened as far as when you were informed. It was wrong, [and] I apologize for that. You should have been told earlier and, frankly, you should have been told in a much different way. And more importantly, and I know you feel this way very strongly, you should have been included on the conversation. […] All I can say is it was very unfortunate, and it was wrong, that you weren't included in this process, [...] and I apologize for that. It was a serious mistake, and we will make sure that that doesn't happen again. We should have heard from you, we should have gotten your thoughts.” The change to housing will be seen throughout campus as residences halls that held specific purposes over the last few years change to house different students. The majority of the freshmen dorms (Bixler, Botwinick, and Bethel) will continue to house freshmen as they make their first steps at the university. Soundview Hall, the newest residence hall on campus, will now house equal percentages of seniors, juniors and sophomores. Most on campus residence halls that normally house upperclassmen, including Winchester, Sheffield, and Dunham, will become priority housing for sophomores and juniors. Off campus residences, such as Regency and Savin Court, will be options for juniors and seniors as the spaces become available. See HOUSING page 3
NBC Debacle Causes Late Night to Lose Big By MATT DIGIOVANNI
STAFF WRITER; PODCAST EDITOR
–––––––––––––––––––––––––– Recently NBC has had its hands full with the debacle between Jay Leno, of The Tonight Show With Jay Leno and The Jay Leno Show, and Conan O'Brien, of Late Night with Conan O'Brien and The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien. The root of this situation can be traced to 2009, when Conan O'Brien replaced Jay Leno as host of The Tonight Show and Leno received his own prime time talk show, The Jay Leno Show. Flash forward to January 2010, and due to both shows having lower than desired ratings, NBC and its affiliates wanted change. The new schedule proposed
by NBC was to shorten The Jay always been at 11:35 PM and Leno Show to a half hour and to changing that would damage the push it later to 11:35 PM, result- show. NBC's response to Conan's ing in The Tonight Show being refusal of the deal was less than amiable. All Headline News reported that NBC had stated their intention to keep Conan off the
air for up to three and a half years if he did not accept the agreement. Despite both NBC and Conan agreeing that this claim was false, it is spawned from NBC Universal chief Jeff Zucker's belief that Conan's contract contained a clause allowing
NBC to keep him off the air for an additional year after his contract expired. It is at this point where the massive outpouring of support for Conan O'Brien came into See CONAN page 2
President Kaplan Responds to Students For the full story, see “Housing” above
“There is, simply, no excuse for what happened as far as when you were informed. It was wrong, [and] I apologize for that. You should have been told earlier and, frankly, you should have been told in a much different way. [...] It was a serious mistake, and we will make sure that that doesn't happen again. We should have heard from you, we should have gotten your thoughts.”
pushed back to 12:05 AM, and getting an hour time slot. These changes did not violate either host's contract; however, Conan plainly stated that he would resign if the changes took effect, because The Tonight Show has
January 27, 2010
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National & Global News
Page 2 continued on pg. 8
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Team Conan vs. Team Leno
continued from page 1
play, and the polarization of the issue to back either Conan or Leno. Conan's support was centered around "Team Conan," which used the internet, specifically social networking sites, to push posters touting "I'm with Coco" and a headshot of Conan among others. Besides the internet support, Conan had physical support in the form of gatherings outside of the studio where his show is taped, where people wore orange and held "I'm with Coco" signs. Additionally, numerous celebrities such as Jim Gaffigan, Norm Macdonald, and Patton Oswalt have all taken Conan's
side, vocalizing their support. Perhaps even more significant are the fellow late night hosts who support Conan including David Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, and Jon Stewart. Jay Leno did not have the same show of support that Conan had, and it is not because he had no fans, it is because his show appealed to an older audience. Leno's audience, being older, is not as active on the internet. In fact, Leno's show had more regular viewers than Conan's did; however, due to the younger audience watching Conan, it is more likely that many of his supporters watch clips of his
online rather than actually watching the show during its airtime. The conclusion of this conflict came in the form of a $45 million dollar agreement between Conan and NBC. Specifically, Conan's agreement grants him $33 million and his staff $12 million, also stating that he cannot return to television on another network until September 1, 2010. Jay Leno's agreement with NBC states that he will become the host of The Tonight Show again beginning on March 1. Until March 1, it has been speculated that reruns of The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien will be shown.
execution. The first explosion struck at about 3:40 p.m. in the parking lot of the Sheraton Hotel, toppling high concrete blast walls protecting the site and damaging a number of buildings along the Abu Nawas esplanade across the Tigris River from the Green Zone. Two other blasts followed minutes later, striking near the Babylon Hotel and al-Hamra Hotel, which is popular with Western
metal and glass, which littered the lawns and courtyards of the popular fish restaurants along the river. The force of the explosion was strong enough to topple a row of 10-foot (three-meter) concrete blast walls along the road. Iraqi police sealed the area and Iraqi helicopters circled overhead. At the al-Hamra, two men in a car opened fire on guards at the hotel checkpoint before detonating the explosives, a third police
Deadly Blasts Rock Baghdad; “Chemical Ali” Hanged
By CHELSEA J. CARTER ASSOCIATED PRESS
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BAGHDAD – Suicide bombers struck near three hotels popular with Western journalists and businessmen Monday just as Iraq announced the execution of Saddam Hussein's notorious cousin known as "Chemical Ali." At least 36 people were killed and more than 80 injured, security officials said. The blasts — coming in
I’m With Coco
by Sam Sullivan, RD
Late night TV is one of the greatest inventions ever made: loved by insomniacs, stoners, and college students alike. It all started with Ed Sullivan and moved onto Johnny Carson (one of the best hosts ever). Now in the new millennium we have Jay Leno, Conan O’Brien, Dave Letterman, Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, Craig Ferguson, and Carson Daily. But let’s focus on Conan and Jay at this moment since they are in the media a lot lately. If you are unsure of what is going on, let me fill you in. A while back Jay Leno decided to move into the primetime slot. I believe he starts at 10pm or something to that nature. NBC decided that Conan O’Brien would move from Late Night to The Tonight Show to fill the open position. Who’s a better candidate than him! In my opinion I think Conan is hilarious and I loved “Late Night.” Everyone won in this situation: Conan moved up in time and Jay got a better show. Recently, however, things have changed. Due to poor ratings for both shows, NBC has decided to move Leno back to his old time slot and moving The Tonight Show to midnight. Everyone is giving Conan the bad rap and saying that he’s not pulling in enough viewers. However, he just came into this new position in June. He has not even had a year to prove that he can do the new show. I mean, Late Night took a bit to get started and he did that for about 15 years! Many rumors have surfaced saying that Conan will go over to FOX, similar to Letterman going over to CBS several years ago when Leno became Carson’s successor. However, Conan himself has squashed this rumor. On both shows, and even on Kimmel’s show, they have poked fun at this whole mess. But underneath, I don’t believe that they are joking. More recent of a rumor than Conan moving to FOX was that of a statement made by NBC president Jeff Zucker. He basically said that due to the rift between Conan and himself, once Conan is out of Late Nightt he will not be able to work the late night talk show circuit for three years! A little too much, I think. Luckily, that was proved also to be false. Thank Jesus! People on Twitter and Facebook (myself included) have become apart of this battle as well, posting “I’m with Coco” pictures all over the Internet. But alas, even though Conan has all this support, it is still not enough. Recently, NBC has decided to give the boot to O’Brien and keep Leno. But he is not leaving without a pretty penny to show for it, though numbers have not been mentioned. Like I stated before, I love Conan O’Brien and will be his fan for many years to come. I hope he comes back to late night somewhere and keeps us laughing. In my opinion, I think Leno is not funny at all. The only funny thing is his huge chin and stupid laugh. Well, we all wish you the best Conan. And I hope it all works out!
For more editorials, see the Opinion & Editorials section on page 6!
Obama Announces Initiatives for Middle Class
By JULIE PACE
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Iraqi police secure the site of a car bomb attack in Baghdad, Iraq, Monday, Jan. 25, 2010. Three parked car bombs struck near three Baghdad hotels popular with Western journalists and businessmen. (AP Photo/Karim
a span of about 15 minutes in downtown Baghdad — came shortly before state television announced that Ali Hassan al-Majid had been hanged. There was no claim of responsibility for the latest major attacks in Baghdad — about six weeks after a series of blasts killed 127 and brought outcry against Iraq's government for repeated security lapses as U.S. troops withdraw. Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the latest bombings "represent an extension" of the activities of insurgents linked to Saddam's regime. But he stopped short of declaring the blast as possible revenge for the
journalists and foreign security contractors. The officials said the death toll was expected to rise. All officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. According to initial tallies, 15 of the victims were at the al-Hamra, 14 at the Sheraton, and the remaining seven died at the Babylon, including two policemen. Outside the Sheraton, a high-rise tower with views of the Tigris River and the fortified Green Zone on the other side, the blast left a 10-foot-deep crater in the parking lot. Cars were torn apart by the spray of
official said. Baghdad's top military spokesman, Maj. Gen. Qassim al-Moussawi, said suicide bombers were involved in all three attacks. The government spokesman al-Dabbagh confirmed the execution of "Chemical Ali," but did not give other details or the precise timing of when it was carried out. The execution took place about a week after he was sentenced to death for the poison gas attacks that killed more than 5,000 Kurds in the Kurdish town of Halabja in 1988. It was the fourth death sentence against him for crimes against humanity during the Saddam era.
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama on Monday offered help for people struggling to pay bills and care for their families, appealing to a middle-class he says has been "under assault for a long time." In a partial preview of a State of the Union address that aims to answer voter angst about the economy and reconnect with the public, Obama outlined the series of proposals from the White House. The product of a middle class task force headed by Vice President Joe Biden, the proposals will also be included in Obama's budget request due to be submitted to Congress next week. Among the initiatives: a doubling of the child care tax credit for families earning under $85,000; a $1.6 billion increase in federal funding for child care programs and a program to cap student loan payments at 10 percent of income above "a basic living allowance." His initiatives also in-
clude expanding tax credits to match retirement savings and increasing aid for families taking care of elderly relatives. That program would also require many employers to provide the option of a workplace-based retirement savings plan. Obama is seeking to offer some attractive options to taxpayers, mindful of the painful implications of the loss of a traditionally Democratic Senate seat in Massachusetts to Republican Scott Brown. White House advisers see Wednesday's State of the Union speech as a key opportunity for Obama to recalibrate his message and reset his presidency after that stinging setback, which took away the Democrats' 60-vote supermajority in the Senate and put his main domestic agenda item, a health care overhaul, in doubt. Obama and fellow Democrats are trying to regroup to stem more losses of congressional, gubernatorial and legislative seats in this fall's midterm elections. Obama's poll numbers are also off — primarily because of the slow economic recovery and
double-digit unemployment. "Too many Americans have known their own painful recessions long before any economists declared that there was a recession," Obama said in remarks to the task force, gathered around a horseshoe-shaped table. The president said that creating new jobs and reducing unemployment is the "single-most important thing we can do to rebuild the middle class." "I won't rest until we're doing just that," he said. But, Obama said, "We also need to reverse the overall erosion in middleclass security, so that when this economy does come back, working Americans are free to pursue their dreams again." The White House says the new proposals are aimed at just that — the "sandwich generation" that is now struggling to care for both children and parents. The theme fits into the planned economic message of Obama's prime-time address to the nation on Wednesday, which promises to provide See MIDDLE CLASS page 8
January 27, 2010
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Campus News & Events
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O’Connor Follows the Footsteps of Oskar Schindler the greater campus community in bringing forth ––––––––––––––––––––– not only excellence in the classroom, but excellence Most students know in community service and him as a professor. The humanitarianism. A mem-
War II. Created from generous donations by the Bartels and Kaplan families, the Foundation’s awards have been an institution on this campus since
whom this fellowship is named teaches us that good behavior is often found in the most unlikely and extreme circumstances.” The Oskar Schindler Humani-
Class for the fall 2010 semester, he stressed that it would involve service opportunities in the greater New Haven area. As a lifelong resident of our local
sponsible, and caring human beings down from the college level and into middle schools, high schools, and the general public. Chosen by an elite
occasional criminal justice or fire science student knows him as an advisor. Those of us who have sat at convocation or a schoolwide memorial may know him as our Campus Minister. But Martin “Marty” O’Connor is much more to the University of New Haven than just those things. Marty O’Connnor, who has been employed at the university for 16 years, was chosen this year as the Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation Endowed Professor. A leader on campus, Marty has served
ber of the community service committee, Marty has worked non- stop to create opportunities for UNH students. From the Alternative Spring Break program to the President’s Public Service Fellowship, Marty has put in his time and effort to leave a lasting impression on the student body. The Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation was established by President Kaplan’s fatherin-law in the memory of the services of Oskar Schindler during World
President Kaplan’s inauguration. Although many know his name through the work of Steven Spielberg’s film Schindler’s List, Oskar Schindler’s legacy and humanitarian acts are now immortalized in the Endowed Professorship, which aims to give merit to those professors who, through teaching and the community, encourage students to be the living embodiment of responsible and caring human beings. Marty O’Connor said, “The exemplary conduct of the person for
ties Foundation Endowed Professor is expected to bring Oskar Schindler’s examples to life in their classrooms and through the community. Last year’s Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation Endowed Professor Dr. Mario Gaboury, a criminal justice professor, used his three year appointment to expand his research on victimization, human trafficking, and prisoner behavior. While Marty O’Connor has not picked the topic of his Oskar Schindler Humanities
community, O’Connor hopes to incorporate service opportunities with prisons, homelessness, and poverty into his classes to stress the importance of philanthropy and selflessness. Marty also hopes his tenure will push students to take the humanitarianism learned in service projects and in class to their reallife experiences outside of the University of New Haven. By stressing the importance of localized community service, Marty O’Connor hopes to see a trickle down of good, re-
group of administrators on campus as well as Dr. Mario Gaboury, Martin “Marty” O’Connor will serve the next three years as the school’s Oskar Schindler Humanities Foundation Endowed Professor. His dedication to service, human behavior, and student enrichment make him the perfect candidate. If you are interested in learning from this beloved faculty member and friend of the student body, make sure to look out for his class in the fall of 2010.
continued from page 1
Other aspects of campus will change with the room selection changes expected for this spring. Centralized freshmen and sophomores will live in more structured, regulated housing. Juniors will live in mostly apartment based complexes that allow for slightly more freedom from underclassmen living. Seniors will get the feeling of living on their own, a mirror image of the life to come for them. Parking will also change on campus. While the shuttle system (to be overhauled before this implementation) will be the primary focus of travel for most students, seniors
relocated to the Wintergreen complex will be giv-
as the semester draws to a close.
By ERIN ENNIS
ASSISTANT EDITOR
With the size of the current freshmen class, a percentage of the senior student body will be able to still have university housing. However, an amount of seniors will have to find their own housing options. A negotiation with the Wintergreen Apartment complex in Westville, which leases apartments to UNH students at a reduced rate, was created for seniors that would be forced off campus. Although still in the planning stages, a 14-unit seniors-only condominium complex is being added to the housing market. President Kaplan spoke out about the 250 dollar room deposit fee, normally due in February, and remarked that the deposit would be refundable to any senior required to relocate off campus due to the change.
UNH Changes Housing Policy
the influx of students, but be centrally localized on the administration felt as campus, a place necessary for a smooth transition from high-school to college life. The sophomore class, normally considered a “forgotten” class in terms of importance on campus, would be considered second to continue the nurturing process. But as students grow, the University of New Haven’s educational philosophy pushes to create more independent individuals, thus allowing for the movement of juniors and seniors. There is still much to be discussed involving the changes at the University of New Haven, such as the requirements of number UNH junior Rob Harvey speaks his concerns, and praises, at one of the housing forums. selection when an aparten commuter stickers to The changing of room if its philosophy towards ment is not all one class park on campus. Changes selection did not come nurturing underclassmen still has to be decided. across campus, meant to without careful consider- was the soundest road to But, overall, expect to see bring more focus and sta- ation. Many different op- follow. The new room a significant difference on bility across campus, will tions were examined when selection process allows campus come fall. become highly apparent deciding how to handle for incoming freshmen to
January 27, 2010
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Local
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Chimp Victim Can't Get Transplants WTNH CONNECTICUT
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An attorney for a Connecticut woman mauled by a chimpanzee a year ago says a hospital has told the family they can't perform
a face and hand transplant for her. Bill Monaco, attorney for Charla Nash, said the
plants at their facility. He said the transplants have to be done simultaneously and come from the same donor. Te l e p h o n e messages were left Monday with the Cleveland Clinic, which performed the nation's first face transplant. T h e 200-pound chimpanzee went berserk in February after its owner asked Nash to help lure him back into her house. The family is looking into al- animal ripped off Nash's ternative facilities after the hands, nose, lips and eyeCleveland Clinic said they lids. could not do both trans-
Business Bakes Up Help for Haiti
WTNH CONNECTICUT
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WTNH CONNECTICUT up everyday and see a Bakery. happy healthy baby that They also held a canned ––––––––––––––––––––– has a family and parents, goods drive giving in evI can't imagine what some ery way they could. A Connecticut legislative task force that's discussing ways to improve domestic violence laws is holding off from examining a West Haven murdersuicide. Rep. Mae Flexer says the case remains under
A lot of local folks are rolling up their sleeves and helping out the people of Haiti. The La Palette Bakery in Watertown offered up 10-percent of their sales of these tasty breads, cookies and cakes to " Save the Children ." They wanted to be one of the first businesses in their community to of these kids are going reach out to those in need. through right now," said "Just to be able to wake Carlos Perez of La Palette
The box was one of those larger plastic bins where coins spin around and bounce down metal Police in Meriden are slides. Police are asking investigating a break-in and theft at the Meriden Humane Society. Someone broke into the building on Murdock Ave. early Sunday morning and stole a collection box. Only the donations were taken. None of the animals were hurt. –––––––––––––––––––––
investigation. Once that's complete, she says the House Speaker's Task Force on Domestic Violence will decide whether to look into the Jan. 17 incident. West Haven police say 42-year-old Selami Ozdemir shot his wife, 25-year-old Shengyl Rasim, to death and killed himself hours after Oz-
demir was arrested for the second time in four months on domestic violence charges. Police say Ozdemir was able to post $25,000 bail and returned to his home, violating orders to stay away from his wife. State prosecutors are already looking into how the case was handled.
Saving Milford's Diner
WTNH CONNECTICUT
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People in Milford are on a mission to save the city's They say the response diner. The iconic Milford from their customers was Diner, was built back in 1946 and is getting a new overwhelming. life as a local information center in time for the summer tourist season.
Humane Society Donations Stolen
WTNH CONNECTICUT
Lawmakers Table Domestic Violence Probe
The diner has been neglected fot about six years, however News Channel 8's Crystal Haynes tells us how a non-profit group is stepping up and taking on the task of restoring the 1946 "Silk City" chrome diner. The Milford Diner committee say it needs
about $80,000 dollars and a lot of determination to transform the neglected restaurant into the cherished Milford landmark it once was. Organizer say that type of money does not come easy and that is why they are kicking off a major event to help raise the funds.
Police: Man Kidnaps Girlfriend, 2 Kids
businesses to check their large dumpsters to see if the thief or thieves threw WTNH CONNECTICUT the bin away. –––––––––––––––––––––
his girlfriend and her two young children. Angel Martinez was charged Sunday with firstdegree kidnapping, thirddegree a s sault, firearms crimes a n d Hartford police say they drug arrested a 24-year-old city possession. man after he kidnapped Police say a relative of
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the woman called authorities shortly after 2 p.m. to report that the woman was being held at gunpoint. The series of events began on Tredeau Street in the city's South End. Police say they later found Martinez's car on Madison Avenue in the city's North End. Police say Martinez had 20 bundles of heroin in his possession when officers arrested him. The victim's name wasn't released. It wasn't clear if Martinez has a lawyer.
January 27, 2010 By JOSHUA CAMINS-ESAKOV CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Jan. 4 is a day I will never forget. It is the day I set out on the journey of a lifetime. I knew, from the moment I arrived at John F. Kennedy International airport it would be amazing, but the experience was beyond my wildest dreams, an experience unlike anything I had ever done. My ten day hiatus across Israel was unique alright. From Jan 4 to the 14 I traveled a country that is barely larger than the state of New Jersey. The program, called “Birthright Israel” gives practicing and non-practicing Jews, of full and part Jewish descent ages 18-26 a chance to go to Israel for free, and explore their heritage up close and personal. What’s the catch? Absolutely nothing! Let me preface this article with a disclaimer, it is IMPOSSIBLE to go to Israel and not have a wonderful time. Of the 53 people (including staff) on my trip I know every sin-
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Finding My Birthright
gle person had an amazing time. In fact, a large portion of the group chose to extend their trip. Alas, I am getting ahead of myself; we shall now start at the beginning. The Israel experience began for real the day after we arrived. We were introduced to Noam, our medic/ guard, and the eight off-duty Israeli soldiers who would be touring the country with us. Introductions out of the way, the group climbed into the bus and set out to Tzfat, a small city in the northern part of the country. We got a taste of Israeli life and food while wandering around the Galilee Mountains, eating either falafels or shawarma (two well known Middle Eastern delicacies). We ended off the day with
wine tasting at a very old and famous winery. Day after day was packed with food, friendship and fun. We went all over the country, from north to south, and from east to west. As Jan 9
the Mahane Yehuda Market. The fresh fruits, vegetables and baked goods were like a dream come true. What felt like thousands of people wandered the streets buying supplies for the Shabbat (Sabbath)
dawned we headed into Jerusalem, the birthplace of all three western religions. The day was charged as we visited place after place. Many of us went to revel in the spirituality of the Wailing Wall, which is the only remaining piece of the second temple. To cap off an amazing day we were given free time at
dinner. For me the most amazing part of the trip was not the Tel Aviv, the Dead Sea, camping on Negev desert, the camel rides, or even the windy “snake” path up to Masada. The most powerful moment for me was Jan. 10, when our group went to a place called Yad Vashem, the National Holocaust Museum. The beauty of
New Food Choices at Sandella’s
the museum was marred by story after story, image after image of bigotry and hate. As we ended our walking tour I looked around and saw that I was not alone in weeping for those who were lost; there was not a dry eye to be seen. The day did not end with Yad Va s h e m ; from there we walked a short way to Har (mount) Hertzl. On the mountain we witnessed the graves and memorials of Golda Meir, Yitzhak Rabin, and others. Then we went to the northern side of the mountain, and there, simple yet dignifying stood the graves of the soldiers who had fallen to protect Israel. Each Israeli spoke. Some had friends buried here, some had family, and others were simply mourning their country. Many broke down as the stories of the heroes were told. The simple beauty offset the sad-
Page 5 ness of death. As I heard accounts of the death of American born Michael Levin I realized, there is more to this life than you or me. Tears fell as we sang the National Anthem; we swelled with pride as our mouths formed the words “Our hope will not be lost, the hope of two thousand years, to be a free nation in our land.” “Birthright Israel” is an amazing experience. There are opportunities to party and to sightsee, to work, and to have fun, to learn and to teach. But, above all else, this program helps us. When I went to Israel I was a Jew. Now, I am not just a Jew, I am a member of something bigger than any of us. Although the program I went on was limited to Jews, there are others, for Christians, Muslims, old, and young. I highly recommend a journey to Israel, at the very least you will get a new appreciation for the beauty of nature and ancient cultures, and, at the most, you will realize that you are part of something bigger than you or I, you are part of a community, a culture, and a world. As they say in Hebrew, “Shalom,” Peace.
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The University of New Haven's Department of Fire Science and Professional Studies is pleased to announce a new certificate program in Emergency Management. The program is scheduled to begin in the fall of 2010 and will be offered in a format designed to allow students to complete the program within one academic year. The program will incorporate online instruction together with traditional classroom learning using a weekend format designed to meet the needs of working professionals. This Emergency Management certificate program is designed to develop emergency management and related professionals grounded in emergency management principles, social and natural science knowledge, administrative and managerial skills, and technical and personal competencies. The program will contribute to the professionalization of the emergency management community and help cultivate a culture of preparedness and prevention through developing skills to build community capacity to solve problems in emergency situations.
•
Requirements: 12 credit hours • EMG 601—Catastrophe Readiness and Response EMG 602—Holistic Disaster Recovery: Creating a More Sustainable Future • EMG 603—Principles of Emergency Management • EMG 605—Principles and Practices of Hazard Mitigation For additional information please contact: Wayne Sandford, M.S. Practitioner in Residence Department of Fire Science and Professional Studies University of New Haven 203-479-4891 office 203-804-8364 cell wsandford@newhaven.edu
January 27, 2010
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Opinion & Editorials
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Oh, Hey! You’re an Idiot. By ZACK ROSEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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So…housing. I see both sides, and I fully understand both. But this editorial isn’t about which is the better decision. It’s about which is the “beter” decision. Let me explain in this week’s episode of… Learn To Be a Freakin’ Educated Adult, by Zack Rosen The word “better” has two T’s in it. The word effect is not the same as the word affect. UNH does not control the prices of the campus book store. UNH does not control the prices of the C-Store. While I wouldn’t venture in certain places alone at night, West Haven is not going to turn into a
By ERIN ENNIS
ASSISTANT EDITOR
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Let’s talk about housing…or actually, let’s not. While I think the housing thing is a HUGE concern on this campus, and something that’s incredibly important, I’m sick of hearing about it. So I’m taking a break. Flip to another page of the paper to hear about it! But…I guess what I want to talk about is perfectly tied to the housing issue. It’s also tied to that nauseating facebook group “You Know You Go to UNH When.” I want to talk about the people on this campus who are the real “problems”. I’m talking about THAT person, and any of you who have
By DAN SIOK
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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I still remember walking through the University of New Haven’s campus as an incoming freshman, nervous and excited to attend. My tour guide was explaining all the great things UNH was doing and why it was the best school for me to attend. One of these things really stuck out to me: My guide said that UNH would have a place for me to live on campus for all four years I attended. He seemed to really emphasize on that point. Most schools don’t offer that to their students, after all. As you can imagine, this was a large factor when I was choosing which school I would attend. Fast-forward a couple years, and I suppose I should have seen this com-
volcano and explode all over your new pair of kicks while a bunch of people come to attack you with knives and grenades…all within the very minute you walk outside of campus. If you don’t understand something, you should investigate it. Don’t assume, and don’t spread untrue rumors. UNH does not receive income from the pay-toprint program. Fees associated with this go straight to buying more paper, ink, and printer parts. That’s why you should stop printing so feverishly. Also, stop wasting so much damn paper. UNH itself has never guaranteed housing. Members of the A-Team may have done so, unfortunately, but no administration official has ever done so. Other schools that don't guarantee four years of housing include Quinni-
piac, UCONN, John Jay College, UC Berkeley, CCSU, University of New Hampshire, and USC. If someone is helping by providing information and facts for you, chastising them is probably not the most mature decision. Speaking of: props to Gil Rogers in Admissions for helping so many students on the “Change in UNH Housing” Facebook group. He continuously monitored the page so that students would be informed of correct information instead of rumors. He went above and beyond, and we are lucky to have him working on this campus.
wrong: there are a lot of great points being made, and a lot of mature discussions going on. But people are being extremely irresponsible. One individual stated that, although four years of housing are not guaranteed on campus in the student handbook, “people do not read the handbook.” What the hell kind of comment is that!? You sign something for a reason, not just to give the University your signature so they can compare the little loops to my little loops. Not to mention people can’t even write. You do realize you’re in college, right!? Hey, I have nothing against using a few u’s That’s just a few sug- and 2’s online, and I have gestions. Basically, I have nothing against writing been tremendously dis- in all capitals. But saying gusted by the maturity (or, that “there middle name is lack thereof) and content frank” is so horribly disof people on the Face- gusting to read. You do book group. Don’t get me realize there’s a freakin’
difference between there, their, and they’re…right? I hope so. You’re supposed to be an adult. But hey, it’s not just students on the Facebook group being immature. As many of you know, some local media picked up the UNH housing story. One of these, the New Haven Register, posted the story on their website. Comments were added at the bottom, and I want to share one of them with you. “How many Americans go to that school? If ya drive by, it seems there’s a lot of Middle Easterners. I’m sure they get to live on campus, or you might offend Muslims, and they will blow up the school.” How ignorant can someone be? It is disgusting that people actually think this way. Yes, I am attacking someone’s opinion. I wouldn’t normally, no matter how much I dis-
agree with them. But this is so incoherently unintelligent and defamatory that I have to express how wrong, immature, and ignorant they are. Not to mention, not every Middle Easterner is Muslim. I love how uneducated this guy is. Regardless, thankfully that wasn’t posted by a UNH student. Part of being an adult is that people really need to think first, that’s all. If you disagree with something, that’s great. Express your opinion. Hold a rally. Write to The Charger Bulletin. But defaming the University of New Haven and trying to contact prospective students is not going to do anything to better your cause: if any, it is only going to hurt the name written on YOUR diploma. PS: my little loops are better than yours.
spent any real time at this school know exactly who I’m talking about. I’m talking about the freshman who comments on “You Know You Go to UNH When” about how much UNH sucks when they’ve only been here for two months. When that junior, who goes to every school event possible in order to win prizes or have a good time, then talks about how much the “University of No Hope” does nothing for them after one misstep. For the people who leave Bartels complain about it really being “Barftels” just because they ate three greasy cheeseburgers when they should have only eaten two. I’m talking about every person who complains about this school merely
because they like to hear themselves talk. Frankly…I can’t take it anymore. As a senior, I have a TON of pride for UNH. This has been my home away from home for four years. My roommates, classmates, and office companions are the closest friends I have ever made. Unlike a lot of my friends back home, I have professors who know me by name and come to talk to us when we’re just hanging out. The Dean of Students comes into our office and addresses us as adults, not children. On Friday nights, instead of drinking until I can’t stand up straight, I can go to a comedian, or hypnotist, or to an off campus trip. And oh yeah, although it isn’t Michelin star quality, the
food is available almost 24 hours a day. I’m going to graduate this May with a great GPA, two fantastic degrees, endless opportunities in the “real” world, and thousands of memories that I’ll keep forever. I love UNH: regardless of construction, housing changes, or when “after an hour, your clothes are still wet”, to quote an annoyed student. To all of you who decide that complaining the way you complain will ever actually get you anything: please, please grow up. Making ridiculous acronyms about UNH to make yourself feel better? Really, that does nothing. Think Bartels food sucks? Calling it Barftels will do nothing, except maybe getting seniors to laugh at
you. Oh and think there is nothing to do on campus? Instead of moping around and writing about it on Facebook, get out of the dorm, go visit the SCOPE office, and actually DO something. Take a trip, go downtown, see an event on campus…but don’t complain that there is nothing to do on campus. Oh yeah, and those administrators you constantly plug your two cents about? Yeah have you ever talked to any of them? Cause chances are, you would then know they are some of the most student-driven, caring people on this entire campus. Now, I don’t think every person is like this. In fact, the people who complain with substantiated, fact based comments ac-
tually really impress me. Kudos to you to getting out there and getting your voice heard! Thank you for using Chargervoice, The Charger Bulletin, and USGA meetings! Thank you for attending the housing forum and actually being mature! For the rest of you, not everything will go your way. Sometimes, there are bumps in the road. Sometimes, life isn’t the way we choose it to be. But you chose UNH for some reason: whether it was major programs, price, proximity to your home, or some other reason. If you hate it that badly…the door is waiting for you. Those of us who have come to call UNH home and truly love it here will not miss you in the slightest.
ing. Watching the class of 2012 move into UNH in record-breaking numbers was quite interesting. I went into my old suite in Bethel Hall that year to see what it was like. They had tripled the rooms, squeezing eighteen people into a suite with two toilets and two showers. I thought that the administration had learned its lesson. I was wrong. The following freshman class was even bigger. Soundview Hall was opened though, and it created more room for students on campus. I was so jealous of the seniors that got to live in Soundview. All through my sophomore year, I had been awakened early in the morning by the sound of construction. My tuition was increased to help pay for a new residence hall that would be the best one on campus. I watched Soundview be built from
the ground up. When room selection came around that year, my lottery number wasn’t good enough to get me a room in Soundview. I took solace in the fact that when I was a senior, that building was mine. Imagine my shock when I found out that I would have a huge chance of not being allowed to move into the very building that I helped pay for. As if that wasn’t enough, it gets worse. Not only will I not get to live in Soundview, I won’t even get to live ON CAMPUS. It appears UNH has done it again. In an effort to expand rapidly, they have accepted too many students and can’t fit them all on campus. Today, I spent a lot of time discussing this situation with fellow seniors and UNH staff. The only thing I keep hearing from the UNH administration is that they need to guarantee
housing for freshman because they don’t know the campus and they aren’t as mature as we are. Admittedly, that is a fair point. What doesn’t make sense is that they are guaranteeing housing for the current freshman class for their sophomore year. I have a lot of friends who lived off campus their sophomore year and they did just fine. Having seniors choose housing directly after incoming freshmen would seem a more reasonable policy to me. Perhaps the reason they are picking on seniors is that they know they have us backed into a corner. If the current freshman class found out that they would not be guaranteed housing for their sophomore year, many of them would probably transfer to a different school. As seniors, we have invested too much time and money into UNH
to make that a feasible option. The administration knows this, and they are using it against us. I would like to close by making the point that while the prospect getting last pick for room selection as a senior is wrong and unjust, it’s not even what angers me the most. What really gets me and many other seniors angry is the way this whole situation was handled. We were told as freshmen that we would get to live on campus and get first pick as seniors. We were lied to. There’s no way around that. To all of the UNH administration reading this, I hope you realize that YOU created this problem by accepting too many students. YOU need to find a solution to it. As a caveat, I’d like to add that forcing seniors off campus is NOT a reasonable solution. To all the seniors reading this
wondering what is going to happen to them next year, we need to stand together and fight this injustice. What UNH is doing to us is not fair and immoral. Let’s stand together and let our voices be heard. We can’t stop until this problem is resolved.
Whining Students: The Real Culprits
Springing New Housing Policies on Students
Due to space requirements, we have shortened this editorial. Visit www.ChargerBulletin.com
to read Dan Siok’s editorial in its entirety.
January 27, 2010
The Drama of Housing
By JON STARKES STAFF WRITER
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It is 7:30 am in Danbury, Ct. A large group of students has congregated in front of a dilapidated Residence Inn. A coach bus pulls up in front of the hotel, and the students quickly file in, eager to reach their destination. And where might that be? No, it’s not a field trip. Nor is it an away game. These students, of which I was a part of, are headed to school for their first day of classes as freshmen at WCSU. Not quite the traditional freshmen experience I was expecting. I’ve been contemplating the drama surrounding our new housing policy a lot lately. Although I am a commuter, I feel as though this dilemma is affecting me just as much as those directly involved. During my research into the topic, I stumbled upon an online article featured in the New Haven Register about the new policy. Although the article itself offered nothing new, its crowded comment section really caught my attention. Here, UNH juniors, seniors, university alumni, and local residents all participated in a heated debate over whether or not the university did the right thing. Most responses
were one-sided, revolving around feelings of frustration, outrage, and disappointment. Concerns were raised about student safety, campus access, and financial aid. Amidst the bustle, however, I noticed that they only party unrepresented was UNH underclassmen. Contemplating back on my unorthodox freshmen experience, I soon realized that I fully support the university’s decision. Through emphasizing the importance of close academic support for underclassmen, President Kaplan has confirmed why I chose UNH in the first place. As an incoming student, UNH was a small establishment, a close-knit family, which truly looked after its new students. Having taken full advantage of its supportive environment as an underclassman, I am now on track to graduate in the fall. I urge all upperclassmen to remember all of the support they received as freshmen before they jump on the band wagon with this issue. If inadequate housing is the worst side-effect of UNH’s expansion, then I say we should all be grateful. We are, in fact, all part of the same family here, and sometimes family members grow through the sacrifices they make for one another.
Neutrality: Don’t Attack Me for It
By BILLY FOGARTY
ALUMNUS, CLASS OF 2009
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I still vividly remember logging into Facebook and seeing my friend Jess’s status: “Oh my. University can no longer promise housing for upperclassmen? Cue uproar.” I was mildly surprised with how quiet Facebook stayed for a few days. Then, a Facebook group was created and it all hit the fan. What was supposedly started as a way to organize students’ concerns quickly became a free-for-all with personal and immature attacks flying left and right at the administration, the faculty, and anyone who remained neutral. When I was a wee undergraduate at the university, I worked as an RA, a tour guide, an orientation leader, and a bursary student in multiple departments. One of the first places that I considered to be home, the university has long held my loyalty and I am shocked and perturbed by the number of students that turned against UNH. God forbid that someone take a neutral or positive position, because the entire population of the university will descend upon them and accuse them of not standing up for their fellow students’ rights. After all, there can only be
one valid opinion and it has to be the popular opinion that UNH has “once again screwed over its students.” Let me take a moment to say that I maintain neutrality. But when people begin attacking the university and the entire student affairs department (both of whom I owe a-plenty), I’m going to step in to defend them. In my opinion, this decision was inevitable and I’m honestly surprised that it took as long as it did. Many students posted on Facebook items suggesting they believe that universities guaranteeing housing for only 1-2 years is uncommon. I jumped onto Google and within a few minutes found a half a dozen schools that do follow this policy. I’m sure that if someone searched a little more extensively, even more would appear in the results. I realize that many of the tour guides have told incoming students that we guarantee housing for all four years. I was one of them. However, in “A”-Team, we’re trained by the older tour guides. So, the misconception of the guarantee was passed along generation to generation. However, the day came that I read through my housing contract more carefully and realized that
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Oh No! What Do You Mean There’s Going to be Change? leasing deal, and the same goes for the new condominiums that the university is working with for increased senior housing. With regards to those who think UNH accepted too many students, how do you think the funds are raised to build new buildings and update oncampus facilities? Many of the students who posted on Facebook with this complaint proceeded to suggest that UNH should simply not have accepted so many students, and the problem would never have arisen. Growth should be a goal of any school to some extent, and while some of the student body may feel that certain construction was unnecessary, I look at it as a way for UNH to become a better school. To those who suggested that the school builds the facilities prior to accepting the students to fill and use those facilities: that is just not a feasible plan, because there would not be the required increase in funds to start building in the first place. Moving on, I understand
that juniors and seniors, as upperclassmen, deserve the right to pick housing first, but think back for a minute to when you first moved in to UNH. Would you want to be pushed off campus and thrown into an apartment in New Haven? It just doesn't make sense to put underclassmen away from main campus. I firmly believe that I would grow and be more prepared for "real life" when done with college if I lived off campus. While not necessarily planning to live off campus next year, I have thought about that option for my senior year, and look forward to it. It might sound difficult and annoying, but it is definitely a worthwhile life change. There is a very simple reason why I love the complaint "I pay $40,000 a year..." and that is the fact that the total amount generated by tuition alone is not enough to cover all of the costs of the university. There's a reason for the fund raising done daily by on-campus offices such as the Phonathon, and it
is not so that President Kaplan can raise his salary. Yes, the amount that we pay to attend UNH is a large sum of money, but with the development that has been occurring for years now I have no issue with it. I would not attend UNH if buildings like the Rec Center and Soundview were never possible, and if smart classrooms and new iMacs in Dodds and the Vlock Center in Maxcy were not some of the available resources. Even though some students don't want to accept it, the new housing plan is an improvement, and despite its imperfections, overall it is a measure taken by UNH to aid in its growth and the growth of UNH students. Students need to understand that UNH has to consider what is best for the entire student body as well as the school itself, and that if you really want to get something done, take the mature route, get your facts straight, and talk to the people who matter, like The Charger Bulletin and USGA.
This post concerns the housing issue occurring right now. I am sure I am not the first expressing my anger with this ridiculous decision. I am junior student living in Sheffield Hall this academic year. During last year’s housing lottery, my roommates and I were not of the lucky 400 students who received housing in Soundview Hall. Although I was a little upset that I put my $40,000 towards the construction of this building and didn’t get to live there, I put my anger aside and dealt with living in Sheffield Hall. I had high hopes of living in Soundview Hall for the 2011-2012 academic year. However, after receiving the recently mailed housing changes for the 2011-2012 year, I am incredibly disgusted at the decisions being made at the expense of the students at the University of New Haven. A university is run because of the students. Without the students and the student’s money, there would be NO university. Therefore, every decision made should be made with the students in mind. But it seems that time and time again, decisions are made at the student’s ex-
pense. To me, this housing decision seemed to be made for the wrong reasons. The University of New Haven needed a “hook.” By offering incoming freshmen a brand new multi-million dollar residence hall, equipped with single bedrooms, AC, and a kitchen, incoming students would be sure to choose this school over other competitors. Personally, if I was an incoming freshman, that would be a great hook. However, when I was an incoming freshman, I was PROMISED by the University of New Haven Admissions Team that I would have ON CAMPUS housing for four years. That was a huge contributing factor for picking University of New Haven. If I wanted to live off campus at a college I would have gone to a city school and found my own housing. However, I DO NOT want to live off campus. Offering me “special” benefits to living off campus will not fool me. Maybe it would work for the incoming freshmen, but I have seen how this school has been run and I know the only reason junior and senior students will be moved off campus next year is so that they can accommodate more incoming students. What
happened to lowering the freshmen acceptance rate? Expansion is obviously very important for a university, however, I was under the assumption that the acceptance rate these past two years had been far too high and the acceptance rate would be lowered for next year. At this point in time, over 1300 freshmen students live on campus. Although some are tripled, they have housing in Bethel, Botwinik, Bixler, and New Hall. If the acceptance rate is lowered for next year, then where is the problem in placing these students in the same residence halls they have been in for several years? Using Forest Hills, Regency, and Savin Court may be necessary for a small population of student overflow, but underclassmen should be placed there. They are successfully living in these residence halls now and are shuttled back and forth to campus. It may seem like throwing junior and senior students off campus would be more practical because they have their own cars for transportation. Living on campus (particularly in Soundview Hall) should be a privilege. I believe junior and senior students have contributed enough of their time and money into this university to receive some
sort of benefit. I know that for many decisions made at this university, a small committee is formed where professors, staff members, and students can meet to discuss options as well as pros and cons for the decision at hand. In my opinion a committee should have been formed to discuss how this housing decision would affect the students. If a committee WAS formed, then clearly the opinions of students were not accurately portrayed. I know I am not the only student who feels that their money is going to a useless university that does not care about its students. This housing decision was gone about in completely the wrong way. Promises of on campus housing should not be made if they cannot be kept. The students should have been informed far in advance of these ideas so they could be involved in the decisions. The students at the University of New Haven are not happy. It is not fair to make us suffer when we are dedicating so much of our money to receiving an education. I can only hope that with so much concern, the university does something to render the terrible decisions being made.
what I was saying was incorrect and I adjusted my tours accordingly. Hopefully, this will be a lesson to everyone to read every bit of fine print before you sign something. Ignorance isn’t an excuse and definitely is not going to work in the post-graduation world. Do I think the univer-
sity poorly handled the way they broke the news to the students? Perhaps. One semester isn’t really a lot of time to figure out a new living situation. However, I found an apartment in downtown West Haven in three days this past summer. And I don’t understand why everyone believes West Haven to
be some insidious, crimeinfested place. I go out for a run every night and have yet to even see a sinister looking shadow.
By MATT DIGIOVANNI
STAFF WRITER; PODCAST EDITOR
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As many of you know, the university recently released its plans to revamp the housing system, and much like with the Pay-toPrint program, the student body reacted with anger. The complaints range from "too many students and now we're suffering" to my personal favorite: "I pay $40,000 a year and this is how they treat me?" Student body of the University of New Haven: grow up. I understand that change is scary, and that money can be an issue for some people, but a certain level of maturity should be maintained; a smear campaign against UNH is unnecessary. Honestly, I am not fully in love with this plan, and the method and timing of informing the student body of the changes could have been much better. However, UNH is trying to work with us to fix it. They could have released the new housing plan without including the Wintergreen Apartments
A Housing Concern...or Two
By COLLEEN KERRIGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER
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Want to learn more about the housing situation?
Check out “Housing” on page 1.
January 27, 2010
Quake Destroys Haiti
continued from page 1
feared that continue disappointment was around the corner. The 7.0 magnitude earthquake was no exception. After the initial damage, a reported 33 aftershocks ran across the country, varying from 5.0 to 6.1. The Richter scale, used to measure seismic activities, is the normal method of determining earthquake strength. With a 7.0-7.9 earthquake occurring usually only once every 18 years, the earthquake in Haiti will become infamous in this generation and the next. The United States has not experienced an earthquake of this magnitude in nearly eight years. Amongst the thousands of dead civilians in Haiti are several key political figures. The Archbishop of Port-Au-Prince Monsignor Joseph Serge Miot, Justice Minister Paul Denis, and Missions Chief Hedi Annabi are among the deceased. Opposition leader Michel Gaillard’s body was also found amongst the Haitian rubble. The deaths of prominent leaders will only make the recovery process in Haiti that much more difficult, as looting, distress, and political upheaval continue to run rampant. According to reports, 3 million Haitians were directly affected by the earthquake and its aftershocks. With a third of its total population in jeopardy, many fear the country of Haiti will have to be rebuilt from the bottom up. A CNN reporter spoke on the matter, stating, “In
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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SAN ANTONIO – Construction crews moved dirt to shore up a group of houses precariously perched on a crumbling hill in San Antonio on Monday as engineers tried to figure out why the land below was shifting and whether dozens of evacuated families could return
Middle Class Initiatives
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continued from page 1 of $100 million to assist The initiatives also fo- ployees in a direct deposit a sharper focus on jobs families caring for aging cus on savings, requiring retirement account, unless and is likely to cover fi- relatives by providing help employers that don't of- the employee opts out. The cost to emnancial reguployers would lations, enerbe offset by gy, education, new tax credimmigration its, and the and a push to administrachange the tion says the political tone smallest firms in Washingwould be exton. empt. U n d e r Obama will the proposalso call for als, families caps on some making unstudent loans, der $85,000 limiting a bora year would rower's paysee their child ments to 10 care tax credit percent of his nearly douor her income, bled. Families and forgiving making unall remainder $115,000 would also Specialist Kristian Loughlin is reflected in his screen as he works on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. ing debt after With the unemployment rate stubbornly high, people were already shifting blame for their economic woes to see at least President Barack Obama one year into his presidency. Last week, investors joined them. (AP Photo/Richard 10 years of payment for some increase Drew) those in pubin their tax credit as well. Obama will with transportation, adult fer work-based retirement lic service work — and 20 also call for the allocation day care and in-home aids. plans to enroll their em- years for all others.
3 minutes, the country of Haiti was propelled back nearly 100 years into the past. It will take years to pull them back to the 21st century, and that will only be with the help of the world around them.” Despite the sheer disaster and torment facing the people of Haiti, relief and moments of faith have also swarmed across the country. Although traumatic pictures have surfaced across the internet, many pictures have also surfaced as proof of the strength of the Haitian people. Young children smiling, women holding up their hands to the skies as aid come, and survivors being pulled from rubble unharmed are amongst the damage, lending hope that better days are to come. CNN’s Anderson Cooper lamented about the disaster, saying “This will soon just become another tragic story in history. People are just going to stop watching. People will for- By RACHEL D’ORO The school also will conducted in person by warms, Noorvik residents get.” The outpour of sup- ASSOCIATED PRESS serve as lodging for Groves census workers, who also will hunt for moose, cariport for the crippled nation ––––––––––––––––––––– and most of the 50 visitors, make personal visits to bou, seal, geese and ducks. says otherwise. Guided by who will bunk down in nonresponding residents They also will fill their George Clooney the Hope NOORVIK, Alaska – The empty classrooms. around the country. freezers with salmon, trout for Haiti musical telethon, U.S. Census Bureau is Census workers and It's easier to get cen- and other fish from the Kowhich aired on almost all launching its 2010 count trained locals are expected sus counters to the vil- buk River. network broadcasts on of the nation's Noorvik Jan. 22, raised over 57 milresidents in a Mayor Bobby lion dollars in aid. Even as remote Alaska Wells said a some rescue workers from village. handful of resaround the globe pull out Census idents spend of Haiti, hundreds of othBureau Dieven winter in ers are waiting to be sent. rector Robert their camps, Despite the usual temperaGroves is flybut they're exment of the news media ing to Noorpected to be to “forget” stories once vik in northin the compast their prime, the devwest Alaska munity for the astation and destruction on Monday to count because in Haiti will remain in the count the first of its influthoughts and prayers of household in ence on federmany long after coverage the Inupiat al funding and stops. Eskimo comcongressional munity of 650. representaGroves and tion. other arriving Noorvik, officials are Sled dogs and mushers run a trail in the remote Inupiat Eskimo village Noorvik, Alaska., Sunday, Jan. 24, just north of 2010. Mushers are practiceing for the arrival of the U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert Groves to formally scheduled to the Arctic Cirlaunch the nation’s 2010 count in Noorvik, Alaska, where residents are planning a huge reception of traditionbe taken to the al dancing and a feast of caribou, moose and other subsistence foods. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) cle, was cho-
You're Number 1: Alaska Village Up First in Census
Homes Evacuated in San Antonio as Hill Crumbles
By MICHELLE ROBERTS
www.ChargerBulletin.com
to their homes. About 80 homes were evacuated on Sunday after a resident in the northwest side subdivision reported that his backyard was sliding down hill. Gaping crevices, some 15 feet deep, cut across his and other yards as dirt cascaded into a two-story-high stone retaining wall that began to give way. Fences crumbled like accordions as the land fissured, splitting the nearby retaining wall nearly into two. No one has been injured since the soil started sliding beneath the homes on Friday, but aerial photos showed land had given way near the foundations of several homes in the upper-middle class neighborhood of sprawling two-story homes set among rolling
village school by sled dog teams driven by schoolchildren. The first to be counted will be Clifton Jackson, a World War II veteran and the oldest resident, according to residents. Villagers have prepared a day of festivities at the school to welcome Groves and other visiting officials. Residents plan to hold traditional dances, an Inupiat fashion show and a feast of subsistence foods including moose and caribou.
to take a week to interview the rest of Noorvik's residents, using the same 10-question forms to be mailed to most households on March 15. Census workers also will visit 217 other rural Alaska communities in the coming weeks. Alaskans in rural communities that, like Noorvik, are not linked by roads have been the first residents counted since the 1990 census. These communities are the places where the process is first
lages around Alaska before muddy conditions brought on by the spring thaw makes access more difficult, according to Ralph Lee, director of the bureau's Seattle region, which oversees Alaska. Many rural Alaskans also still live off the land, fishing and hunting for their food. Lee said it's important to reach villagers before they set off for fishing camps or hunting expeditions. After the weather
hills. Many residents evacuated from homes that were not directly on top of or below the crumbling hill were expected to be allowed to return home later Monday, District Fire Chief Nim Kidd said. Engineers were assessing each of the structures in the evacuated area, while fire officials escorted some families to retrieve belongings from the neighborhood. At least seven homes would remain vacant for an extended period, said
Kidd, who is also the head of the city's management office. Kenny Crawford, 32, asked fire officials to be allowed to retrieve his car and some belongings on Monday, but because his home is directly below the disintegrating retaining wall, he and his girlfriend were told it was too dangerous. By Monday, geologists and engineers hired by Pulte Homes Inc., the parent company of the subdivision's developer, had taken over monitoring
of land movement. Pulte spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said engineers were looking for a cause of the slide. Utilities were cut off in the area, and construction crews using heavy equipment were moving dirt to shore up not just the homes on the hill but also those below the retaining wall. Resident Lakeika James, 41, said she came home on Sunday to find her street blocked off, unsure what was going on. But she said had noticed
sen as the launching point after census officials met with leaders in a number of Alaska villages. Lee said Noorvik turned out be ideal because it is a good size and only 45 miles east of a hub town, Kotzebue, a destination for commercial flights. From the town of 3,100, the census travelers are taking a quick charter flight to Noorvik. Village leaders also were very open about wanting the enumeration to begin there, Lee said. odd noises over the three years she has lived in the house. "I would hear, laying in my bed at night, grumbling and vibrations. A few nails popped out lately," she said. James said she hadn't planned on staying in the house long-term, and now after the land movement, the mother of a 5-year-old girl wants out. "I'm just going to be uncomfortable and worried for my family," she said.
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USGA President’s Corner Linda McMahon: Political Novice or Executive Powerhouse? Welcome back, everyone!
I hope all of you had a wonderful break as I did. But not all of break was fun and relaxing for the USGA executive board. The USGA was busy working with the Office of Residential Life, The Charger Bulletin, and the Dean of Student’s office in response to the housing policy that was released in early January. The USGA executive board was also busy planning the 2010 USGA Spring Retreat. The USGA hosted a retreat for its members last weekend in Boston, MA. 35 members of the USGA were in attendance and sat through sessions on community relations, points, forms, line items, by-laws, and traditions. The attendees also enjoyed some fine dining at Boston’s own Fire & Ice, Dick’s Last Resort, and Maggiano’s Little Italy. The retreat was a great success and many great ideas came out of the discussions that were had. I would like to thank everyone who attended and made the weekend so successful. I would like to wish you all a great semester. Especially you seniors out there, make sure enjoy this one because it is you last! Have a great week, Christopher Rinck USGA President
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SCOPE It Out!
by Lindsay Lynch SCOPE It Out: your guide to what SCOPE has in store for you this week! Keep an eye out each week as to what we are planning for you. If you have any event that you would like to see on campus, feel free to email SCOPE@newhaven.edu. SCOPE also has weekly meetings at 4:30pm on Thursdays; anyone is welcome to come!
This week’s events will be: SCOPE’s Movie: Where the Wild Things Are, will be showing at 7:30pm on both Wednesday and Friday in the alumni lounge. Friday night our weekend’s committee will be hosting a bus to a roller skating rink. Come on out and skate like we all used to! This is the night when going to all those birthday skating parties will come in handy, so dust off those roller skates or let us rent you a pair on us and have a good time. Saturday our weekend’s committee will also be hosting a trip to New York City to see a Broadway show. This month’s Broadway show of the month is Mary Poppins and the tickets are on SCOPE! The bus leaves from the Maxcy parking lot at 4 pm on Saturday afternoon and the show starts at 8pm.
By MELANIE ROVINSKY STAFF WRITER
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In the political sea of Connecticut liberals, a conservative candidate is lucky to get a nod of acknowledgement in his or her direction. Fortunately, Republican Senatorial candidate Linda McMahon has already mastered the art of gaining public attention. McMahon, former Chief Executive Officer of the World Wrestling Entertainment company, has built a platform based on creating jobs, exercising fiscal responsibility, boosting the private sector, and minimizing the influence of special interests. However, many of McMahon’s strong points are being overshadowed by her involvement in the WWE. While some of McMahon’s critics claim that her campaign is nothing more than a joke, she takes her candidacy very seriously. Calling attention to Arnold Schwarzenegger in Terminator, McMahon believes that voters can separate her acting role from her genu-
ine political intentions. But McMahon’s past is not just working against her. In 1976, after a few failed investments, McMahon and her husband, Vince, found themselves homeless and penniless. Taking care of their 7-yearold son and expecting their second child, the McMahon’s filed for bankruptcy. “I think pain and embarrassment are two absolutely appropriate terms,” McMahon said in an interview at her West Hartford campaign headquarters. The McMahon’s bounced back, however, forming a multi-billion dollar company that created over 500 jobs and operated globally. McMahon’s supporters capitalize on her ability to financially rebuild her family as one of the reasons she will be able to manage a budget, create jobs, and stimulate the economy. And although McMahon is new to the political arena, she has always been active in public service. In 2005, McMahon was appointed to the MakeA-Wish Foundation of America National Advi-
sory Council. She supports various charitable organizations including the Starlight Children’s Foundation, United Service Organizations, and the Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation. In addition, McMahon created the Get R.E.A.L Initiative, which promotes youth education and literacy. In 2009, Governor Jodi Rell appointed McMahon to the Connecticut Board of Education. McMahon has carried her passion for public service into her own campaign. According to her campaign website, www. linda2010.com, “Linda has committed not to accept PAC money or special interest money,” and “She will limit contributions to her campaign to $100.” McMahon does not plan on cutting any corners, however. In an interview with ABC World News on January 9, McMahon admitted to saying she would spend 50 million of her own dollars on her campaign. “I’m willing to spend what it takes,” she said.
Did You Know?
by Joann Wolowowicz
Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Monday, Jan. 18, 2010, was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. The day was created to celebrate the birthday of the civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. However, not many people know the amount of time and fighting that went into getting the day set aside for a national holiday. King celebrated his last birthday on Monday, Jan. 15, 1968, for a pew short minutes followed by returning back to work on strategies to oppose the Vietnam War. Eighty days later his assassination occurred. On April 8, 1968, four days after the assassination, U.S. Representative John Conyers introduced legislation to create a federal holiday for King’s birthday. Most people would think that the emotions running high after King’s assassination would make it easy to make his birthday a federal holiday. However, it would take a lot of effort for this effort to succeed. Some of the reasons behind the opposition against the federal holiday ranged from a variety of reasons. First, people said that there were already too many federal holidays and adding another one would cost too much already. With nine already established, adding a tenth would cost an estimated $18 million. Another complaint was that people asked why they should put King above other people, since not very many federal holidays honored a single individual. Additionally, every activist group was trying to commemorate a day as a federal holiday, especially the feminists who wanted to honor Susan B. Anthony’s birthday. The bill went no absolutely no where. In 1970, six million signatures were sent to Congress to support a hearing to study the holiday issue, and the same was done in 1982 when another six million signatures were presented to the U.S. House Speaker. When Reagan was elected into office, he also opposed the bill. Finally, a compromise was proposed to help the situation along. Lawmakers decided to move the holiday from the original proposed date from January 15th, which was King’s actual birthday to the third Monday in January. The change was made because January 15 was said to be too close to Christmas and New Year’s. Finally, the bill passed on Aug. 2, 1983 by a 338-90 vote and the Senate approved it 78-22 on Oct. 18. The federal holiday was observed for the first time on Jan. 20, 1986, still however a number of states continued to resist the idea. It was actually not until 13 years, until 1999, when all 50 states adopted it.
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The Charger Bulletin 300 Boston Post Road West Haven, CT 06516 203.932.7182 ChargerBulletin@newhaven.edu www.ChargerBulletin.com
The Charger Bulletin is the official student newspaper of the University of New Haven since 1938. Editor-in-Chief Zack Rosen Assitant Editor Erin Ennis Staff Writers Stephen Acevedo, Glenn Altshuler, Michael Barone, Jason Beauregard, Mia Becker, Ashley Bogdanski, Miriam Correia, Liz De La Torre, Angela Eklund, Courtney Faber, Zach Gzehoviak, Stephen J. Johnson, Alex Kratman, Lindsay Lynch, Sara McGuire, Carole McFaddan, Dave McKinney, Ashley Niro, Sophie Omelchenko, Cara Petitti, Kait Richmond, Angelica Rodriguez, Melanie Rovinsky, Maideline Sanchez, Michelle Tapper, Jonathan Starkes, Kat Wilberding, Joann Wolwowicz Campus News Content Editor Courtney Faber Entertainment Content Editor Dave McKinney Environment & Animals Content Editor Maideline Sanchez Food & Culture Content Editor Stephanie Manganiello National News Content Editor Liz De La Torre National Music Content Editor Brittni DeHart Religion Content Editor Stephen James Johnson Science & Technology Content Editor Josh Van Hoesen Sports Content Editor Alex Kratman Staff Photographers Colin Bassett, Sam Claver, Kim Harman Feature Editors Tyler Salovin, Shawn Tremblay, Josh Van Hoesen Advertising Manager Michelle Blydenburg Distribution Manager Charles DiGuglielmo Arts & Entertainment Editor Sara McGuire Podcast Editor Matt DiGiovanni Podcast Reporter Dendra Abdinoor Advertising The Charger Bulletin accepts advertising from outside sources. Ad rate sheets are 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 in-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 Bulletin is unable to accept advertisements from establishments that advertise human research. The Charger Bulletin reserves the right to refuse any advertisement. Advertisements within The Charger Bulletin are inserted by outside sources identified in the advertisements themselves and not by the University of New Haven. Advertising material printed herein is solely for informational purposes. For the most up-to-date information. visit www.ChargerBulletin.com/advertise/. Letters to the Editor The Charger Bulletin welcomes letters to the editor. Letters can be sent via email to ChargerBulletin@ newhaven.edu or online at www.ChargerBulletin. com. All leters must include the writer’s full name and phone number for verification and can be withheld upon request. The opinions expressed in letters to the editors, poems, columns, or other submissions are not necessarily those of t staff. The Charger Bulletin has the right to refuse to print any letter or submission. Final decisions are made by the Editorin-Chief.
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Want to be an Orientation Leader? Did you have fun at SOAR? Are you looking for a summer job? Do you like to have fun? Do you have a positive attitude? Do you want to assist new students at UNH? Then be an orientation leader! If you are interested in applying, please stop by the Office of Student Activities. For further information, contact the OSA at StudentActivities@newhaven.edu or stop by our office on the top floor of Bartels Hall!
The Year 2009 in Technology: Inventing the Best By ZACK ROSEN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
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Hey, it’s true. 2009 had a ton of technology breakthroughs. Even Henry Ford would be impressed! So here I am, showcasing the best inventions of 2009 With the passing of another year, and another decade, comes the passing of another issue of Time that includes “The Best Invention of the Year.” Let me take you on a brief venture to see MY favorite picks of the top 50 best inventions of 2009. Lighting the world for only $10,000,000: Philips Electronics, the guys who make your favorite televisions, MP3 players, and electric razors, became the first company to enter the U.S. Department of Energy’s L Prize competition this past September. The L Prize competition, which seeks an LED substitute to the common 60-watt bulb, is a hopeful competition for those fighting to better our world’s use of energy. If all 60-watt bulbs were replaced by LED bulbs, the United States could save enough energy and electricity to light 17.4 million houses per year.
No worries if you lose a controller: Every video game is different; every video game system is unique. The one constant factor, however, is how you play the game: joystick, mouse, trackball, et cetera. In 2009, however, Microsoft exhibited Project Natal. This technology allows players to control video games using only body movements and voice commands; that’s right, no joystick. Beam me up, Scotty: Scientists at the University of Maryland’s Join Quantum Institute made a Star Trek-esque revelation this past year when they successfully teleported data from one atom to another a meter away. Certainly they’re not about to beam a human body (yet), but atom-to-atom teleporting certainly could enable computers to become even faster and more secure. Preventing 9,000 deaths per day: Over 20 years after the virus was first identified, researchers have devised the very first AIDS immunization to protect people from becoming infected with HIV. A six-year trial performed by these researchers has proved somewhat effec-
tive: infection was reduced 31% among those receiving the regimen versus those receiving a placebo shot. The vaccine is still under study and has not yet been approved for use, but it’s certainly a strong start to fighting the disease that killed about 2.1 million people in just the year 2007 alone. Curing blindness with technology: Researchers at MIT are working on technology that can help blind people regain partial sight: the microchip is to be planted onto a patient’s eyeball. The patient then wears a pair of glasses that, while recording with a tiny camera, communicates the images to the microchip. This, in turn, sends the signals to the brain. An outstanding development in the medical arena, this study is expected to begin on humans within the next couple of years. Fooling musical prodigies: Fungi was used on Norwegian spruce and sycamore and then given to a violin maker. This hybrid violin was matched up with a $2 million 1711 Stradivarius violin and 3 others. Listeners in this September 2009 blind test were asked to identify the
Stradivarius. 39 chose it; 113 picked the hybrid violin. Pedaling for snacks: Spanish company StereoNoise has come up with a great new way to make vending machines healthy: attach a bike! Stationary bicycles are attached to normal vending machines, requiring visitors to pedal a certain distance to get a product. According to developer Pep Torres, this would be a great new way for people to “eat their potato chips and still get in shape.” Seeing through your handiwork: Walleye Technologies may have the perfect solution for home improvement projects that require drilling into a wall: and potentially shorting a circuit by running into wires along the way. Walleye has developed a handheld microwave camera that allows users to see through the wall. Less than $500 each, it will be available in hardware stores later this year. Time also released a list of the worst inventions of 2009: these included the Jane Austen Monster Mashup Novel, snuggies for puppies, and the gasmask bra. Enough said.
What was your favorite 25. The Nissan Leaf invention of 2009? What 26. The robo-penguin would you like to see in27. The universal unitroduced in 2010? Email cycle us at scitech@chargerbul28. YouTube funk letin.com and let us know! 29. Dandelion rubber 30. Wooden bones Time’s List: 31. The living wall 1. NASA Ares rocket 32. The school of one 2. The tank-bred tuna 33. The no-punt of3. The $10 million fense lightbulb 34. The human-pow4. The smart thermo- ered vending machine stat 35. The handyman’s x5. C o n t r o l l e r - f r e e ray vision gaming 36. Meat farms 6. Teleportation 37. Packing, improved 7. The telescope for 38. The foldable invisible stars speaker 8. The AIDS vaccine 39. The levitating 9. Tweeting by think- mouse ing 40. The edible race car 10. The electric eye 41. The high-speed he11. The Mercury probe licopter 12. The personal car42. The supersuit bon footprint 43. The eyeborg 13. The solar shingle 44. Spiderweb silk 14. The handheld ul45. The sky king trasound 46. The smart bullet 15. The YikeBike 47. The fashion robot 16. Vertical farming 48. The 3-D camera 17. The planetary skin 49. The newest cloud 18. The $20 knee 50. The world’s fastest 19. A watchdog for fi- (steam-powered) car nancial products 20. The electric miEditor’s note: For more crobe about Time’s list of the 21. The bladeless fan best 50 inventions of 2009, 22. The custom puppy check out www.time.com 23. The Cyborg beetle 24. The biotech Stradivarius
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Tyler Salovin,
Get well soon! From all of us at The Charger Bulletin
Charger Chat It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do." Ralph Waldo Emerson
The Charger Battery by Josh Van Hoesen Positives
I don’t know about everybody else, but I am sure glad to be back at UNH (not for the classes don’t get me wrong). I really missed seeing everybody’s smiling cheerful face! One thing I have to say is I am glad that the housing forum was held, it seems to me that even though the university unveiled their new housing plan without telling any of the students, they do feel bad about the implementation and will not make the same mistake in the future. It’s really nice I have to say to see all the progress that has been made on all the new buildings while we all were off on vacation.
Negatives
I am sure that I am not the only one who was bothered by this, but will the university stop making big decisions that affect all the students when no one is here to say anything about it? Classes have commenced, need I really say more? Lots more work a drain on my time from playing call of duty, and let’s not forget the homework that is about to ensue.
Looking for Shawn’s Hotties of the Week? The Charger Bulletin is just too damn hot this week! The “S.H.O.W.” will be back next week!
January 27, 2010
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HOLLYWOOD – Hollywood is settling back to normality (as normal as Hollywood can) after the "holidaze." Big auction at the Hollywood Entertainment Museum with much showbiz stuff on the block. There were swords and Roman armor from Ben-Hur, David Carradine's harmonica from Kung Fu, Thing hand from The Addams Family, along with hundreds of original scripts, photographs, props and posters. Producer James Cameron is the man of the hour, what with the great success of Avatar and all his other blockbusters earning him a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame and being feted at many gatherings. I still think Titanic is his best, and will never forget that scene in the water with Kate Winslet and Leo DiCaprio. At the moment, Cameron has not announced what is next on his plate. At first I was fascinated with singer Susan Boyle, but now I'm tiring a bit of her overexposure. I'm sure she doesn't care. However, it will be fun to see where her career goes from here. Maybe a TV show or a movie about her. Certainly there is interesting fodder in her unfolding story. Aside to Harvey L. of San Diego: You ask about Richard Simmons. No, he hasn't been on the tube much of late, but he still has his fitness "digs" and takes many pupils through the rigors of his exercises. And bet on it that you will see him again soon on the tube. Aside to Ernestine J. of San Clemente, Calif.: No, Sheryl Crow and Russell Crowe are not related. As you can see, he has an "e" on the end of his last name and she does not. And yes, I do think Russell is one of our finer actors. I don't know him personally. And to Lillian M. of Montgomery, Ala.: Yes, I watch all the late shows. And yes, I think the emcees have their idiosyncrasies. Dave waves his hands; Leno keeps putting his hands in his pants pockets; Conan clasps his hands like he's praying. Susan Sarandon on a recent Late Show with David Letterman looking 20 years younger. (She had to have had a few tucks here and there.) She took great glee showing Dave her tattoos. One on her arm looked like a bracelet, another went down her back. Well, as I always say, to each his -- or her -own. This doesn't happen often. Disney has called off Wedding Banned, a romantic comedy starring Robin Williams and Diane Keaton. No reason has yet been given. Now Diane and Robin are looking for other projects, but with their backgrounds they won't be looking long or far. BITS 'N' PIECES: At a certain barber shop the reading material consisted only of paperback mysteries, thrillers and ghost stories. When the owner was asked why, his reply was that it made readers' hair stand up, thus making it easier to cut. ... How many of you know that Clark Gable and Loretta Young had an affair going for many years, but never married? ... AND did you know that Warren Beatty refused both leading roles in Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid? ... As of right this minute, no word from Paris, Lindsay or Britney, but we could have something at any moment!
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Q: I watched Panic Room with Jodie Foster the other night, and I wondered if that was Dwight Yoakam playing one of the robbers? He looked older, but his voice sounded just like Dwight's. -- Linda K., Columbus, Ohio A: That was indeed the country singer-turned-actor playing the part of Raoul, the most lethal of the band of robbers who threaten Jodie and a young Kristen Stewart in the 2002 thriller. If you like what you saw in Panic Room, you can also catch Dwight in Hollywood Homicide, Wedding Crashers and Four Christmases, to name just a few of his acting projects. *** Q: I've read the reports about Charlie Sheen threatening his wife, Brooke, with a knife over the Christmas holiday. What will become of him, and what of the couple's marriage and children? -- David G., Scranton, Pa. A: The Two and a Half Men star has a long history of violence and brushes with the law. This latest episode came when it had seemed the actor had settled into family life and fatherhood. Prosecutors in the case have said that they probably won't decide if they will file charges against him until just prior to his next scheduled court appearance on Feb. 8. Chief Deputy District Attorney Arnold Mordkin said that Charlie's second-degree assault charge is the most serious and usually carries potential jail time of two to eight years, with a fine of $2,000 to $500,000. Charlie's attorney, Richard Cummins, told People magazine of the couple's relationship: "They have two children together and they love one another, and they're going to work through what is a difficult time as privately as possible." *** Q: What has That Thing You Do actor Johnathan Schaech been up to lately? I haven't heard much about him since his divorce from the wonderful Christina Applegate. -- Holly J., via e-mail A: He's been busy falling in love. Johnathan, 40, popped the question to actress Jana Kramer, 26. The two met while filming the 2008 thriller Prom Night. They got engaged on Dec. 22 in Schaech's hometown of Edgewood, Md. This will be the first marriage for Jana, who presently plays Alex Dupre on the CW's One Tree Hill. She previously played Portia Ransom on the new "90210." *** Q: I am already upset to learn that Oprah Winfrey will be ending her show in 2011, and now I hear that Tyra Banks is ending her talk show as well. Is it true? -- Wilma W., Madison, Wis. A: What you've heard is indeed true. Tyra recently announced that the current fifth season of The Tyra Show will be the final season. She does, however, plan to stick with America's Next Top Model and has plans to form a movie-production company. Of her time spent hosting the popular gabfest, Tyra stated, "I've been loving having fun, coming into your living rooms, bedrooms, hair salons for the past five years." Write to Cindy at King Features Weekly Service, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475; or e-mail her at letters@cindyelavsky.com. For more news and extended interviews, visit www.celebrityextraonline.com and twitter.com/Celebrity_Extra. (c) 2010 King Features Synd., Inc.
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Sports
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Silver Bullets ignite crowd Hawks Slip by Chargers at UNH basketball 57-56 at Charger doubleheader Gymnasium and down the full court. ––––––––––––––––––––– Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, Horowitz was a member of the first WEST HAVEN, Conn. - varsity basketball teams at The University of New the University. He played Haven Department of Ath- in 1961-62 and 1963-64, letics hosted an exhibition during which he was best g a m e for the Silver Bullets of the Wa l l ingford Recreation on Saturday, January 23 during halftime of the men's b a s ketball game. T h e team is 45 men strong ranging in age from 60 to known for his long-range 84 years old and includes jumpers and ability to men from all walks of life. score points. Whether he Silver Bullets Basket- drained a three-pointer or ball is celebrating its 11th penetrated the paint and season and competed at dished out an assist, SatUNH for the sixth con- urday's exhibition proved secutive season. The play- to the crowd that Horowers include veterans of itz hasn't lost his touch. World War II, the Korean An inaugural member of War and Vietnam. Several the Silver Bullets, Horowmembers have received itz nearly reached the the Purple Heart, while 1,000-point mark at UNH one member, Bob Fortino, in just two seasons. Quite has earned the Bronze Star a feat when considering for his service to the coun- the three-point basket in try. The team also features college basketball didn't electricians, teachers, pro- existence until 1986. fessors, businessmen, law"It's like riding a bike," yers, factory workers, gov- said one of Horowitz's ernment employees, social teammates during a pracservice workers, lifetime tice at Charger Gymnasoldiers as well as politi- sium on Friday morning. cians. "You never forget how to University of New Ha- do it, but sometimes you ven alumnus and Athlet- have to fix the parts." ics Hall of Fame member Boisterous roars came Mel Horowitz can often from the 300-plus crowd be seen as the leader of when players connected the group as they go up from long-range, broke out
on fast breaks or ran set plays. However, no cheer was louder than when 84year old William Yopp, better known as "Dub", elevated and blocked a layup with a strong swat that reminded the crowd of the
in this city,” said coach Sean Payton, the architect of the Saints’ turnaround. “This stadium used to have holes in it and used to be wet. It’s not wet anymore. This is for the city of New Orleans.” And it came courtesy of Garrett Hartley and the Aints—who surely ain’t the Aints anymore. “In reality, we had to lean on each other in order to survive and in order to get where we are now,” quarterback Drew Brees said. “The city is on its way to recovery, and in a lot of ways has come back better than ever. We’ve used the strength and resiliency of our fans to go out and play every Sunday and
play with the confidence that we can do it, that we can achieve everything we’ve set out to achieve.” Favre threw away Minnesota’s best chance to win, tossing an interception deep in New Orleans territory in the closing seconds of regulation. Then the Saints won the coin toss and ended it on Hartley’s kick 4:45 into OT. “Just helping my team get to Miami,” he said. “Just doing my part.” A team of nomads after Katrina ravaged its city and the Superdome, overcame a slew of mistakes in the biggest game the Big Easy has ever seen.
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WEST HAVEN, Conn. The University of New Haven men's basketball team fell 57-56 Saturday afternoon to St. Anselm College at Charger Gymnasium. With the loss the Chargers fall to 2-15 overall and 2-11 in the Northeast-10 Conference, while the Hawks improve to 13-6 overall and 8-5 in the NE-10. The Chargers jumped out to an early lead over the Hawks on Saturday. Behind seven points from freshman Jeremy Williams, New Haven opened a 13-3 lead at the 15:23 mark. St. Anselm would answer with a 16-2 run to take a four-point 1915 lead with 9:37 left in the first half. The teams exchanged the lead again two more times in the first 20-somethings they had half, but UNH went on a watched for the preceding 20-minutes. For those wondering what the Silver Bullets postgame ritual looks like - not much different than the 20-somethings they watched in the final CHARGER PRESS RELEASE 20-minutes, take a shower, ––––––––––––––––––––– eat some pizza and talk about the game. The Silver Bullets half- WEST HAVEN, Conn. time exhibition was part The University of New of the UNH Department Haven women's basketball of Athletics broader com- team defeated Saint Anmunity engagement ef- selm College 63-46 Satforts, which seeks to help urday afternoon at Charthe surrounding towns and ger Gymnasium. With the community organizations win, the Chargers snap an while providing opportu- eight-game losing streak nities for student-athletes, and improve to 8-10 overcoaches and administra- all, 6-7 in the Northeast-10 tors to give back to their Conference, while the communities. Hawks fall to 7-11 overall Have an idea? Contact and 4-9 in the NE-10. UNH Associate Director The Chargers opened of Athletics, Susan Za- up the game on a three wacki at szawacki@ne- pointer from freshman Olwhaven.edu.
7-0 run to close the half and take a 30-24 lead at halftime. UNH pushed its lead to nine points, 40-31, six minutes into the second half, but the Hawks would mount a run just minutes later. At the end of a 13-2 run, the Chargers quickly found themselves behind by five, 54-49, with 3:55 remaining. Robert Jamerson sunk a three pointer and a layup to bring the score to even, 54-54, with 2:30 left. The Hawks then made a free throw to take a one-point lead. Two possessions later, Cassius Chaney made a layup to give UNH a one-point lead, 56-55, with 1:38 remaining. Both teams missed baskets, including two by the Chargers, before Greg Vetrano hit a fade-away jumper with 16 seconds left to give St. Anselm a one-point lead. On the Chargers next possession, a tough St. Anselm
defense forced a UNH turnover. The Chargers shot 44.4 percent (24-of-54) from the floor, 27.3 percent (6of-22) from three-point territory and 25 percent (2of-8) from the free throw line. The Hawks shot 41.7 percent (20-of-48) from the field, 52.6 percent (10of-19) from beyond the stripe and 46.7 percent (7of-15) from the free throw line. Jamerson led the Chargers with 16 points, eight rebounds and two assists, while Chaney scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Williams added 13 points, four rebounds and three assists. The Chargers return to action on Tuesday, January 26 when they travel to Southern New Hampshire University. Game time is set for 7:30 p.m. For complete game coverage visit www.newhaven.edu/athletics/livecoverage.
ivia DeMarco. Both teams were evenly matched for the first eight minutes of the game. The Chargers tied the game 10-10 on a layup from senior Helin Marte. At the 8:55 mark, DeMarco hit another three to put New Haven up by eight, their largest lead of the half. The Chargers then went on a 6-0 run to close the first half. The Chargers opened the second half strong as they pushed their lead to 12 at the 14:51 mark from junior Nicole Pollard. The Hawks continued to attack the Chargers and cut the lead to eight on a pair of
free throws from Epiphany Smith. However, back-toback buckets from Dominique Stellmacher pushed the lead back to 11, 42-31, at the 11:39 mark. Saint Anselm hit six-free throws around the four minute mark, and found themselves within five, 49-44. Stellmacher lead UNH for the game with 15 points. Marte added 14 points, five assists, and three steals. Freshmen forwards DeMarco and Jill Baranger had 11 and 10 points respectively. The Chargers shot 42% from the floor for the game, and forced 29 Hawk turnovers.
Chargers Snap Losing Streak in 63-46 Win Over St. Anselm
Saints Beat Vikings in OT, Manning, Colts Rally Past Reach 1st Super Bowl Jets, Reach Super Bowl
By BARRY WILNER
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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NEW ORLEANS—A 40yard field goal in overtime by a little-known kicker could become as famous as jambalaya in these parts. The New Orleans Saints, a team with no home and an uncertain future five years ago, are heading for their first Super Bowl. By battering Brett Favre and beating the Minnesota Vikings 31-28 Sunday, they set off celebrations on Bourbon Street that locals never could have imagined in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. “This is for everybody
See SAINTS page 17
By MICHAEL MAROT ASSOCIATED PRESS
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INDIANAPOLIS—This is perfect for the Indianapolis Colts: They have Peyton Manning and they’re back in the Super Bowl. The four-time MVP threw three touchdown passes and the Colts rallied from an 11-point, first-half deficit to beat the New York Jets 30-17 Sunday in the AFC championship game. The Colts (16-2) are now headed back to the NFL title game for the second time in four years and their fourth Super Bowl in franchise history. Better yet, they’re heading back
to their lucky city—Miami, where they’ve played all four of those games and won there twice. “I thought we just kept our mouths shut and went to work this week,” Manning said. The big-talking Jets, and their equally bigtalking coach, Rex Ryan, were all the incentive Indy needed Sunday. A month ago, when the New Yorkers last came to town, Indianapolis coach Jim Caldwell pulled his starters in the third quarter and gave up a chance at a perfect season to focus on a Super Bowl run. Fans booed throughout the fourth quarter and when the Colts left the field and some spent the past month
complaining publicly. That’s over now. Manning stayed on the field for every Colts play and instead of blowing a lead, the Colts rallied behind their leader. This time, fans counted down the final seconds while streamers and confetti hung in the air, flash bulbs popped incessantly and when the official announcement was made, roars cascaded from the rafters. “We talked about being patient against these guys,” Manning said. “We knew it would be a fourquarter game.” The Colts will face See COLTS page 17
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Charger Sports Review: While You Were On Break...
on the schedule. Senior Cassius Chaney has led ––––––––––––––––––––– the team with 16.7 points and 10.6 rebounds per Men’s Basketball game during the month. New Haven has posted The men’s basketball team a 2-8 record during the hosts Merrimack College winter break this season. at 4 p.m. Saturday, January The Chargers two wins 30 in their next contest. By ANDY BEARDSLEY
DIRECTOR OF ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS
came over Southern Connecticut State on January 2 and against Franklin Pierce on January 12. UNH now stands at 2-15 overall and 2-11 in the Northeast-10 Conference with 10 games remaining
the Northeast-10 Conference. New Haven’s two wins came over Lynn University on December 20 and St. Anselm College on Saturday, January 23. Senior point guard Helin Marte led the team with 11.4 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.1 assists per game during the break. Freshman Jill Baranger added 9.7 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. New Haven’s next game is against Merrimack College at 2 p.m. on Saturday, January 30 at Charger Gymnasium. Indoor Track & Field The Chargers took part in two meets in the past five weeks. On January 9 the men and women competed in the Yale Invitational followed by the University of Rhode Island Women’s Basketball Sorlien Invitational on After opening the sea- January 15 and 16. Junior son 7-2, the Chargers sprinter and jumper Shanstarted to struggle during non Gagne led the women winter break. The women with top finishes at both went 2-8 over the last five meets. Gagne won the 200 weeks and now stand at meter and finished second 8-10 overall and 6-7 in in the long jump at the
Sorlien Inviational. On the
“I’ve felt better,” said Favre, who looked every bit his 40 years. “It was a physical game. A lot of hits. You win that and you sure feel a lot better.” New Orleans won the coin toss, Brees guided it to the Minnesota 22 after converting a fourth-and-1 on Pierre Thomas’ leap over the line, and Hartley— suspended at the start of the season for using a banned stimulant— split the uprights. “It was as loud as I have ever heard it in the dome,” Brees added. “It feels so good to know we have given our fans an NFC championship. We have another championship to go after in two weeks.” It was anything but easy for the Saints, in only their second conference championship game; they lost at Chicago three years ago. Porter’s pick sent it into overtime, the third time an NFC title game has needed extra time and the second in three seasons. Two years ago, Favre’s interception in OT set up a field goal that sent the Giants past the Packers and into the Super Bowl. The Saints can only hope they have the same happy ending as New York did back then. “Yeah,” said Reggie Bush, who scored a touchdown. “One more step.” The seesaw game saw All-Pro Adrian Peterson score three touchdowns for Minnesota and Saints running back Pierre Thomas get two. The Vikings handily won the possession and yardage battles—Peterson rushed for 122 yards and Minnesota gained 475 overall. But the Vi-
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Saints Pulverize Vikings
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Forget the paper bag masks and that long history of losing that started in 1967. Moments after Hartley’s kick, they were toasting their hometown winners in the French Quarter and making plans for South Florida. The Saints (15-3) will meet Peyton Manning and the Indianapolis Colts (162) in the Super Bowl in two weeks in Miami. The Colts opened as 4-point favorites. “Brett prepared us, but now we’ve got another challenge in Peyton,” safety Darren Sharper said. And in the Superdome, once a squalid refuge after Katrina, they boogied in the aisles as confetti covered the field. “It’s a moment I’ve been waiting for for a long time and obviously we’re not done yet,” said Brees, Payton’s hand-picked QB for the Saints’ renaissance. It’s the first time the top seeds in each conference made the big game since the 1993 season. There were nine fumbles and two interceptions, and the biggest mistake belonged to Favre. Flushed from the pocket in the final minute, he seemed to have room to run to set up a field goal. But hampered by a left leg injured in the third quarter, he threw cross-field and was intercepted by Tracy Porter at the 22. That finished off Minnesota’s chance for its first Super Bowl trip in 33 years—and opportunity to win it for the first time after four defeats. The Vikings have lost five straight NFC title games.
kings were undone by five turnovers, including three fumbles. “We really gave those guys the game,” said Peterson, who peeked at the rousing celebrations on the Superdome floor. “Too many turnovers. It’s eating me up inside.” The seemingly indestructible Favre was hurt on one of those turnovers, on a combination hit by Bobby McCray and Remi Ayodele while throwing his first interception. And, despite being the closest Viking to the ball, he was helpless in the scramble to recover Percy Harvin’s fumble that seemingly turned the game in New Orleans’ favor early in the fourth period. The Saints took over at the 7 and, on third down, Bush caught Brees’ rollout pass by the right pylon. He was ruled out at the 1, but Payton sprinted almost to the goal line to throw the red flag. The challenge was upheld, and the dome rocked like never before—until Hartley’s winning field goal. But Favre has been in enough hostile environs to be able to shrug at such challenges. He hit tight end Visanthe Shiancoe for 16 yards, Peterson ripped off a 20-yard run, and a pass interference against Porter set up Peterson’s tying 2-yard rush with 4:58 to go. “I would have loved to represent the NFC,” said Favre, who grew up in Mississippi a Saints fan. “But, as I told Sean throughout the year when we talked, if it’s not us, I hope it’s you guys.”
men’s side, Matt Dunham finished ninth in the 800 meter run at the Yale Invitational and also was New Haven’s top runner in the mile run at the Sorlien Invitational. The men’s and women’s track and field teams return to action on Friday, January 29 at the Terrier Invitational in Boston, Mass. Charger Sports to Come – Mark you Calendar! Men’s Volleyball Starts 2010 The Charger men’s
volleyball team gets their of Yale-New Haven’s Toy Closet to receive free admission. Fans will also have the opportunity to learn m o r e a b o u t sickle cell disease and trait by speaking with a representative from the SCDAA of South2010 season underway on ern Connecticut, Inc. Tuesday, January 26. UNH Pink Zone Day on Febhosts Endicott College at ruary 6 Charger Gymnasium at Get ready for Pink Zone 7 p.m. The men also host 2010. The Chargers will be Sacred Heart on Friday, hosting Pink Zone Day on February 5 at 7 p.m. Saturday, February 6 when Basketball Promotions UNH takes on Southern on January 30 Connecticut at Charger The Chargers host Mer- Gymnasium. Wear pink to rimack College in a bas- the game, buy a Pink Zone ketball doubleheader on t-shirt and a Pink Zone Saturday, January 30 start- naming ribbon is help ing at 2 p.m. Saturday is to support breast cancer. set for Sickle Cell Aware- Game time on February 6 ness Day and Toy Closet is set for 2 p.m. and 4 p.m. Day at Charger Gymnasium. Fans are encouraged to bring a toy in support
Colts Stomp Jets
New Orleans, which made its first Super Bowl after a 31-28 overtime win over Minnesota, in two weeks. Manning will play in the same venue where he beat Chicago in the rain and won the Super Bowl MVP award three years ago. Manning will be going against Saints quarterback Drew Brees, a family friend. Just as special was having the Colts career rushing leader, Edgerrin James, present the team with the Lamar Hunt Trophy, which goes to the AFC champs. He never made it to the Super Bowl with the Colts, though team owner Jim Irsay gave James a ring when the Colts beat the Bears. Manning finished 26 of 39 for 377 yards. He became the first player in league history with seven 300-yard postseason games. That broke a tie with Kurt Warner and Joe Montana. The Jets’ magical run ended with their first road loss in six games. New York (11-8) built a 17-6 lead and took advantage of trick plays. But the Jets lost running back Shonn Greene with a rib injury in the second half, and rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez was shut out over the final two quarters. “Today wasn’t our day. There’s no question,” said Ryan, who declared his Jets the Super Bowl favorites before the playoffs. “You have to give credit to the Colts. Obviously they’re the cream of the crop right now.” Garcon was one beneficiary. The other was
rookie Austin Collie, who had a career-best seven catches for 123 yards, his first 100-yard day as a pro. And the Jets allowed three TD passes for the first time all season. After falling behind late in the first half, Manning responded. He took the Colts 80 yards in four plays, hooking up three straight times with Collie, including the 16-yard TD pass that made it 17-13 with 1:13 to go in the half. The next time he got the ball, he took the Colts 57 yards in eight plays, connecting with Garcon in the back corner of the end zone to make it 20-17 with 8:03 left in the third quarter. “The guys have always been a very confident bunch and they do a great job of hanging in there,” Caldwell said. “Peyton had just an outstanding game. He’s one of those guys that can adjust to different situations. … A real champion.” Manning still wasn’t finished. His 15-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark midway through the fourth quarter made it 27-17 and Kelvin Hayden’s late interception ended the Jets’ last hope. It sure didn’t look like it would end this way during a scoreless the first quarter. The Colts uncharacteristically struggled to get first downs, and settled for field goals instead of scoring touchdowns. New York also changed tactics, creating its big plays through the air. Sanchez, the fourth rookie quarterback to lead his team to the conference title game and lose, used a
beautiful play-action fake to fool rookie cornerback Jacob Lacey. Lacey, who started in place of the injured Jerraud Powers was burned for an 80-yard TD pass by Braylon Edwards giving the Jets a 7-3 lead. After the Colts cut it to 7-6, Jets receiver Brad Smith lined up in the TigerCat formation and connected with Jerricho Cotchery for a 45-yard pass to the Colts 12. It was Smith’s first career completion out of an offensive formation. Three plays later, Sanchez barely avoided a sack and found Dustin Keller for a 9-yard TD pass to give the Jets a 14-6 lead with 4:53 to go in the half. The Jets made it 17-6 after Joseph Addai’s fumble set up Jay Feely’s48yard field goal. That’s when Manning and the Colts took over— and closed it out. “Probably the biggest thing is when he goes up against the best, he takes his game to another level,” Caldwell said. “I think that’s something we’ve kind of grown accustomed to around here.” The game was a family affair for the Manning family with Peyton’s brother Eli and their father Archie rooting on the Colts. “I’m pulling for the Colts 100 percent, it’s not even close,” Archie Manning said. Editor’s note: Interested in becoming a sports writer for The Charger Bulletin? Email us at ChargerBulletin@newhaven. edu for more information. We’d love to have you on our staff!
January 27, 2010
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Music & Entertainment
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Catching Up With the Music Industry
By KAIT RICHMOND STAFF WRITER
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While college students rested on break, it was business as usual for the music industry. Whether it’s a year-end list or new music, check out these five stories that may have flown under your radar this winter break. 1. A Successful Crossover. Billboard compiled the 2009 Year End charts and, unsurprisingly, Taylor Swift was the big winner, finishing #1 in many categories including Top Artist. The lists are fairly predictable every year, but every so often an unexpected name pops up. This year, it was actor Steve Martin. He ended 2009 with a successful movie, It’s Complicated, and two Billboard honors: best bluegrass artist and best bluegrass album. Young Hollywood should pay attention to Martin, because he’s made one of the most successful actor to musician transitions we’ve seen in awhile! 2. Katy Perry’s Busy New Year. Over the holidays, Katy Perry vacationed in India with beau
Russel Brand, where he proposed to her after only about three months of dating. After putting his London bachelor pad up for sale, the comedian promptly bought a Los Angeles home for his fiancee. Of course, Katy returned the favor with a 2010 Range Rover; though, maybe this wasn’t the best gift, since Russel can’t drive! In addition to her blissful love life, Katy has returned to the studio to begin recording her next album. She’s back with producers Dr. Luke and Max Martin, who are responsible for a slew of pop hits, including “I Kissed a Girl.” No word on when the album is expected to drop, but Katy is staying in the spotlight as one of the newest spokeswomen of the Proactiv campaign. 3. Beyonce and Jay Z are the Top Earning Couple. The royal couple of hip hop has beat out every famous couple – including Brangelina – to be named Forbes’ top earning couple of 2009. Combined, Jay Z and Beyonce made an astounding $122 million from June 2008 to June 2009. Defying every stereotype, Beyonce is the breadwinner here,
bringing in $87 million. Jay Z made $35 million, but still beat many of the combined couples on the list (Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes made $33.5 million, and Nicole Kidman and Keithe Urban made $17 million). Despite the recession, this is the second year they have topped the list; the only difference is that last year, they made $40 million more. 4. OK Go Makes a Triumphant Return. The band known best for their treadmill choreography has released a new album and is receiving all sorts of praise. “Of the Blue Colour of the Sky” has a psychedlic dance feel, making it quite different from the band’s previous albums. The music industry is responding well; Rolling Stone chose the song “Wtf?” as #3 on the Editors Picks list, beating out Ringo Starr. Maybe it’s the 1960’s Beatles-feel that is making the quartet so successful. The new video for “This Too Shall Pass” finds them outfitted in marching band uniforms (Sgt. Pepper?) and performing with muck-like creatures that come out of the ground. Regardless of their eccentric videos, OK Go has
American Idol? Well, the age limit of the contestants is a huge part. Although American Idol has an age restriction from 16-28, Cowell says that his show actually starts as young as 14 with no limits on a maximum age—a decision that was influenced by 48 year-old Susan Boyle’s performance on Britain’s Got Talent. As for American Idol, losing Simon Cowell would mean losing some of the luster that attracted so many viewers in the first place: “I think it’s that brand of sarcasm combined with professional know-how that makes Simon the audience magnet that he is,” analyst Shari Anne Brill claims. “I really believe the show revolves around him. He’s the linchpin of the show’s success. He has tremendous influence on how the audience votes. He’s interesting to listen to. He’s brutally honest.” Because Cowell’s tough criticism and harsh personality is what helped draw audiences to tune into the show to begin with, a drop in ratings and sink in popularity following his exit would not be shocking. Nevertheless, talk show host Ellen DeGeneres replacing former judge Paula Abdul on American Idol
will serve as a distracting yet exciting factor. She joins fellow judges Randy Jackson, Kara DioGuardi, and Simon Cowell, in his last season, this year. Though the choice to replace Abdul may be puzzling, Ellen DeGeneres’ guest spot on the dance competition, So You Think You Can Dance garnered the attention of the FOX network enough to reach a five-year contract with her. DeGeneres will continue hosting her show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was just signed on for another three years. Preston Beckman, a FOX executive, says DeGeneres brings “something unique and will be the nurturing person on the show and create an interesting dynamic with Simon. But at the end of the day, it’s not on her shoulders to carry the show.” Given that American Idol is recognized for propelling the careers of now worldwide sensations such as Kelly Clarkson, Chris Daughtry, and Carrie Underwood, as well as other contestants, Simon Cowell is nothing short of praising: “You want to leave on a high. I’m very proud of what the show has achieved.” As of now, no one has been named as a replacement for Cowell.
proven their staying power with this new album. 5. Connecticut Gets Some Idol Spotlight. The new season of American Idol has brought some excitement to our little state. Connecticut native Katie Stevens gave a beautiful rendition of “At Last” during the premiere, earning her a ticket to Hollywood. Coming from Middlebury, CT, the high school student is already a fan favorite. She talked about her grandma, who has alzheimers, and wanting to succeed while she will still remember her. This heartwarming story coupled with Stevens’ soulful voice has garnered the teen a lot of attention. There are plenty of talented contestants, but Katie Stevens is definitely on her way to becoming the next American Idol.
STAFF WRITER
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Whether it’s “You are a complete and utter drama queen. I’ve never met anyone else in my life, with the exception of Paula, who was so desperate to be famous,” to a Top 36 contestant or “If it’s any consolation, you wouldn’t have won either” to a recently eliminated contestant, no one can deny that Simon Cowell is the surly American Idol judge people love to hate. Cowell, who makes a whopping $36 million per year on American Idol, will be departing the show he has helped to launch into macro success after nine seasons. “I was offered a lot of money to stay on,” Cowell said. “But that wasn’t the reason behind it. I wanted to do something different. I wanted a new challenge.” In fact, Cowell announced that he will serve as an executive producer as well as a judge on the US version of The X Factor, the successful talent competition originally from the UK. The X Factor, a show which Simon Cowell created and owns, will be joining the FOX network in fall 2010. So, what makes The X Factor so different from
82% 20% 45% 15% 36% 69% 29% 21% 57% 8% 70% 90%
Avatar Legion The Book of Eli The Tooth Fairy The Lovely Bones Sherlock Holmes Extraordinary Measures Alvin and the Chipmunks… It's Complicated The Spy Next Door Blind Side Up In The Air
$36.0M $18.2M $17.0M $14.5M $8.8M $7.1M $7.0M $6.5M $6.2M $4.8M $4.5M $4.3M
Radiohead Does Big Things for Haiti at Small Venue
By NATALIE ROTMAN ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Simon Cowell Says Goodbye to American Idol
By LIZ DE LA TORRE
Top 10 Movies This Week from RottenTomatoes.com
blackmail your boss?" Timberlake took in the show from the floor in the general admission area,
said he feverishly bid for days to win his $475 ticket. He said he would have spent "whatever it took to
Thom Yorke of Radiohead perform during the All Points West music festival at Liberty State Park in Jersey City, N.J. (AP Photo/Jason DeCrow)
LOS ANGELES – Radiohead raised more than $500,000 for Haiti earthquake relief at a special weekend concert that attracted celebrities and diehard fans. Lead singer Thom Yorke joked with the crowd about the ticket prices, saying, "What did you do to get a ticket? Get money from your dad? Or
singing along with the band's hits, which included "Fake Plastic Trees," "Paranoid Android," "Lucky" and "The Bends." "I love them for the same reason everyone loves Radiohead," Timberlake told The Associated Press. "I have been listening to them since I was 13." Rob Molt of San Diego
see such a beautiful band do such a beautiful thing." "I hope how special this night was translates," he said. "I was expecting to be the runt in a Hollywood crowd, but it was all real Radiohead fans.”
Charger Bulletin Featured Upcoming Release from RottenTomatoes.com
Edge of Darkness
Casino Royale filmmaker Martin Campbell directs a remake of his own BBC miniseries with this thriller. Mel Gibson stars as Thomas Craven, a man who has spent years as a detective in Boston. When his own daughter is killed near the door of his home, Craven realizes that her death is only one piece of a puzzle filled with corruption and conspiracy, and it falls to him to discover who is behind the crime. Written by Oscar-winner William Monahan (The Departed) and screenwriter Andrew Bovell (Lantana), Edge of Darkness also stars Ray Winstone and Danny Huston.
Rated R
January 27, 2010
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NYC Trial Opens in Punk Dancers with Oscar Pioneer's Slaying Dreams Audition for Big Show
By JENNIFER PELTZ ASSOCIATED PRESS
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NEW YORK – A personal assistant's confession to killing her celebrity real estate broker boss was just a tale concocted to satisfy police, a defense lawyer said Monday. Natavia Lowery stole from boss Linda Stein — a real estate powerhouse with punk-rock roots — but didn't kill her, defense lawyer John Christie told jurors as Lowery's murder trial opened. She's accused of clubbing Stein to death with a piece of exercise equipment to hide thousands of dollars in theft. Stein co-managed influential punk rockers the Ramones before turning to real estate. Her clients included Madonna, Sting and other entertainers. In a videotaped confession, Lowery said she lost control of herself and pummeled Stein with a stick used for stretching exercises after Stein badgered and insulted her. "She made it up to give the police what they wanted to hear," Christie said. Stein, 62, was found bludgeoned to death Oct.
30, 2007, in her Fifth Avenue apartment, where she and Lowery had been working. Prosecutors say Lowery killed Stein to silence her about more than $30,000 the assistant had stolen to pay her student loans and other debts. Lowery initially told police she knew nothing about the slaying — and then blamed it on a masked stranger — before giving her now-disputed confession. The police didn't know then about the theft, so Lowery "gave a version of events that made it sound like a crime of the moment instead of what it really is: getting caught stealing and killing the person who has caught you," Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Joan Illuzzi-Orbon told jurors in an opening statement. Lowery's drive to steal was so strong that she used Stein's ATM card to help herself to $800 shortly after the killing and kept using her credit cards for days, Illuzzi-Orbon said. Lowery's lawyers have noted that her statement came after police questioned her overnight for more than 12 hours, with-
out the attorney her family had hired. She had told police she didn't want the lawyer there. The defense lawyers lost a bid to keep her confession from being used as evidence. A judge also rebuffed their plan to have a psychologist testify about reasons why people sometimes confess to crimes they didn't commit. But the defense can raise questions about the circumstances of Lowery's confession. Surveillance-camera video from Stein's building shows no one but Lowery going into Stein's apartment on the day of the killing, before one of Stein's daughters found her body that night, Illuzzi-Orbon said. Christie noted that the cameras didn't show any blood on Lowery as she left the apartment. He also suggested roofers working at the building could have gone, unseen by security cameras, down a staircase to the service entrance to Stein's apartment, though Illuzzi-Orbon noted that the service entrance was locked from the inside when Stein was found. Lowery faces 25-to-life in prison if convicted.
Lady Antebellum Builds on Debut
By MICHAEL McCALL ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Awards and four Grammy comes in how well it exnominations. presses the longing that Need You Now already can haunt a breakup. has built on that momenThose strengths run
Lady Antebellum's second album, Need You Now, achieves what a follow-up to a millionselling debut should. It accentuates what distinguishes the trio's talent — rich harmonies, grown-up melodies and a special group dynamic — by sounding more mature and more In this CD cover image released by Capitol Nashville, Lady Antebellum's, Need You Now, is shown. (AP Photo/Capitol Nashville) aware of what makes them special. tum: The title song spent throughout the album, The trio of Charles Kel- five weeks at No. 1 on from the budding youthley, Hillary Scott and Dave the country radio charts. ful wisdom of "American Haywood are country As with their debut, the Honey" to the complexities music's biggest breakout opening hit exemplifies of the love song "If I Knew act of the last two years the group's willingness to Then" to the celebratory behind the supernova of push country conventions: stomp of "Stars Tonight." Taylor Swift. Besides their A drunken post-midnight "Need You Now" is the sales success, their debut call to an ex-lover is a bold sound of a young country album went No. 1, and theme for a modern coun- act's potential becoming they picked up three CMA try hit, but its true power fully realized.
Check this track out: “Ready To Love Again” features Scott’s lush alto and how the trio’s harmonies excel at expressing at contemplative feelings, while the subtle dynamics of pianoand-strings arrangement reveals how they have grown musically.
"I just love to dance. And the Academy Awards, ––––––––––––––––––––– you can't get better than that," says Thomas, No. BURBANK, Calif. – 149, snuggling her baby Lined up in sweats and le- boy. otards, hundreds of sinewy "Honestly, I just want dancers wait with paper to work and be on a big
By SANDY COHEN
ASSOCIATED PRESS
you." Shankman divides the dancers into groups of five. Each performs the routine twice. As Nos. 37, 26 and 149 wait their turn, they pantomime the moves to the music.
Producer and choreographer Adam Shankman, center, watches a dancer perform during open dance auditions for the 82nd Academy Awards Telecast in Burbank, Calif. on Friday, Jan. 22, 2010. (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)
numbers pinned to their chests and a singular hope within. Under gray, rainy skies, in dance shoes and bare feet, they've come to an open audition at a place called Center Staging with one dream: dancing on the Academy Awards. No. 149, April Thomas, brought her bundled-up 9-month-old son Kerrick along in his stroller. No. 37, Leah Adler, stretches and warms up after waiting outside in the rain. No. 26, the one-named Malaya, stands quietly in a crowd of her colleagues. At the front of a nondescript room sits Academy Awards producer and choreographer Adam Shankman, who got his first big Oscar break as a dancer on the show 20 years ago. Flanked by some of the industry's top choreographers, Shankman presides over Friday's audition. "I'll put on some soft music so that we can talk about you behind your back," he says to the group with a warm smile. He then separates the dancers by gender, lines them up and asks each to perform a pair of ballet moves — a double pirouette and an arabesque that take just seconds to complete. Instantly, more than half of the would-be performers are eliminated. Nos. 26, 37 and 149 make the first cut.
stage," says Adler, No. 37, who belonged to a dance company in New York before relocating to the West Coast. "Everyone wants to book that big gig with that big choreographer." Shankman is among the biggest in the business these days. The director and choreographer of the 2007 film Hairspray and regular judge on TV's So You Think You Can Dance has collected more than three dozen choreography credits since 1992, and it was partly his dance prowess that got him the Oscar producing gig. He invites those who made the first cut to return to the room, where two of his assistants begin teaching a brief dance routine filled with leaps, twists and spins. Shankman, lithe and fit in black track pants, black socks and a white warmup jacket, steps out from behind the table to show the aspiring performers just what he's looking for. "If your arms are here, I'll freak out," he says, his arms hanging limp near his chest. "And you don't want that." They run through the routine a few times, first with counts, then with music. "It's playful and whimsical and I'm seeing hard, angry jazz," he coaches. "Feel the music. Let it lift
No. 37 is called to perform. She leaps effortlessly, light as air, her black bodysuit taut against every muscle. "Numbers 37, 66 and 122, come up and get a green wristband," says associate choreographer Jamal Sims. The green wristband means they're still in the running and will have another opportunity to perform for Shankman and his team. No. 26, who has the lean, muscular body of an Olympic swimmer, is up. Her group performs, and Shankman says, "No. 26, could you smile please?" They perform again, and No. 26 is rewarded with a green wristband. It's No. 149's turn. As a friend holds her little boy, she performs, her muscular legs seemingly weightless. She dances twice with the group, but afterward, her number isn't called. For No. 149, the audition is over. She collects her things in the baby stroller and steps into the hallway, where she changes her son's diaper on a metal folding chair. "Oh well," the now-former No. 149 says with a sigh. But she could return for another dance audition the following day, when Shankman will be testing for a hip-hop routine. She says she might.
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