1. education
2. alumni and reunions

Campus Times
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Volume 137, Number 12
Serving the University of Rochester community since 1873
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Wireless Internet comes to Todd Union
By willie clark
Editor-in-Chief
On Monday, April 12,
Todd Union became the
most recent River Campus
building to be equipped with
wireless Internet access.
However, Todd will be
joined by several residence
buildings that The College
of Arts and Sciences is planning to equip with wireless
this summer.
“Students have made it
clear that adding wireless
access in the residence
halls and other buildings on
campus is a very high priority for them,” Dean of the
College Richard Feldman
said. “We are doing what
we can to continue wireless
expansion. I’m glad that we
were able to add Todd Union
recently and I’m delighted to
report that we will be adding
wireless to some of the residence halls this summer. As
soon as we have determined
which ones we will be able
to include, we’ll be sure to
let students know.”
Todd Union was also a
first-priority building on the
Students’ Association Projects and Services Committee’s UR Wireless Project
Proposal — filed last March
on behalf of substantial student response to the lack of
wireless in certain areas on
campus.
The goal of the report was
to prioritize which buildings
should receive access in the
hopes that the River Campus will eventually have full
Administer this:
River Campus
wireless coverage
Modified image adapted from UR Information Technology
With the recent installation in Todd Union, UR now has either full or partial wireless in most academic areas on
campus. The areas lacking in wireless are mainly clustered in residential areas, such as Hill Court and Towers.
wireless access.
“The addition of wireless Internet technology in
Todd Union will enhance
the learning experience for
students studying music
history, music theory, and
other related fields at the
College. We’re very excited
to receive this upgrade,”
Manager of UR Music Performance Programs Josef
Hanson said. Todd currently
houses the Music and Theater Department.
The second building on
the SA proposal, Douglass Dining Center, was
equipped with wireless access last summer, in time
for students returning to
campus in August.
“I was very pleased to
hear that wireless in Todd
this year would be a possibility,” sophomore Senator and
co-chair of Projects and Services Bradley Halpern said.
“I hope progress continues
at this rate, and I am excited
to have a fully wireless campus in the future. Thanks
to Steve Taylor and Ovide
Corriveau from the College
for their work in finding
funds for the project, and
thanks to Eric Fredericksen
and University IT for seeing
it through.”
The College will be soon
announcing exactly which
residence buildings will be
renovated over the summer
with wireless technology.
Wireless in Residential
Quad buildings, including
Tiernan Hall — the only
freshman dorm currently
lacking wireless ­— sits as
the next in line on the SA’s
report for wireless expansion, with the other residential areas following.
Upperclassmen residence
halls have also been at the
top of students’ lists for
eventual wireless access.
“I would say Towers
would be an intelligent
decision,” sophomore Karimu Mohammed said. “And
Phase most definitely.”
“Do we have wireless on
the Eastman Quad on the
grass?” sophomore Shaelom
James said. “I can’t think
of any places … just Towers.”
Clark is a member of
the class of 2012.
Additional reporting by
Becky Rosenberg.
CAB announces
OK Go for D-Day
by jason silverstein
A&E Editor
Campus Activities Board
(CAB) announced on Monday that OK Go will be the
band performing at this
year’s Dandelion Day. This
year posed a challenging
search for a band that was
within budget and available
for the performance.
“We went through quite a
few bands who were either
unavailable for various
reasons or significantly over
budget when we were notified that OK Go had become
available,” adviser to CAB
and the Associate Director
of Student Life at Wilson
Commons Melissia Schmidt
said. “CAB and UR Concerts
generated a master list of
bands who they thought
would be relatively popular
with students, would add a
fun and positive element and
Inside this issue:
who fell within the anticipated band budget. OK Go
was one of those bands.”
OK Go is most famous
as an Internet sensation,
thanks to their wildly popular music videos. The video
for their single “Here It Goes
Again,” which features the
band pulling off an intricate
dance routine on treadmills
in a single take, brought the
band immediate success and
has been viewed over 50 million times since 2006.
The band recently accomplished the feat of
making another classic,
complex video for “This
Too Shall Pass,” the first
single from their new album
“Of the Blue Colour of the
Sky.” The video is another
single-take miracle, this
follows a room-sized Rube
Goldberg machine flow
See BAND, Page 4
News: Update on summer Pit renovations
Opinions: As tuition increases, UR loses value
Features: ILC holds innovative hunger banquet A&E: Local works shine at ArtAwake
Sports: Baseball sweeps RPI; winning streak to six
Amy jiravisitcul • Staff Photographer
Alpha Epsilon Pi gets pied
Brothers of the Alpha Epsilon Pi fraternity took on a barrage of pies to the face on Wednesday,
April 7, to raise money for one of three charities chosen by the national chapter.
Page 3
Page 5
Page 7
Page 11
Page 16
Tackling
tuition
rates
BY conor willis
Features Editor
At an institution where
undergraduates and their
families pay over $50,000
annually for an education,
students on the River Campus have raised concerns
about the value of UR:
What is a $50,000 education
worth today? When my kids
go to college what kind of
money will I be paying for
their education? Why isn’t
UR spending more of its
endowment?
Dean of the College Faculty Peter Lennie and Chief
Financial Officer Ronald Paprocki sought to tackle these
concerns in an interview
with the Campus Times. In
the first of a two-part series,
Paprocki and Lennie discussed the value of a private
school tuition compared to
student’s other options.
For $50,000 a year, what
does a student get out
of that?
Peter Lennie: Our aim
is to prepare students for
distinguished service to
society and to be leaders.
We are in a rarefied business. We are preparing a
select group of people for
a special place in society
where they can achieve more
than other people and are
prepared for service. That’s
an investment that I think
the analyses show is well
worthwhile.
Ron Paprocki: I think
that’s the way to look at
it — as an investment. It’s
not a consumption expense,
where for four years of your
life you pay this much. It’s
something that you take
for the rest of your life.
It’s a capital expense that
pays dividends over your
lifetime.
PL: There are very substantial analyses of the benefits of a powerful education
in a university. The economic
benefits are very clear. The
lifetime earnings potential
of graduates is vastly higher
than those who haven’t been
to college. ... Our aim is to
make sure that people are
confident that the investment is worthwhile.
Are there any specific
numbers about median
salaries after students
graduate from UR?
See TUITION, Page 4
D-Day helps admissions
Mike Neer retires
D-Day tours don’t show prospective students
the negative side of UR — they show them that
we have a social scene.
The legendary UR men’s basketball coach
leaves a lasting impression on the students
and coaches he worked with.
Ed Observer: Page 5
Sports: Page 16
NEWS
Page 2
Thursday
Five-Day Forecast
Friday
Showers
Chance of precipitation: 30%
High 43, Low 36
Partly cloudy
Chance of precipitation: 20%
High 68, Low 54
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Courtesy of www.weather.com
Saturday
Sunday
Monday
Showers
Chance of precipitation: 30%
High 52, Low 42
Showers
Chance of precipitation: 30%
High 64, Low 44
Partly cloudy
Chance of precipitation: 20%
High 61, Low 43
Corrections from last week’s issue
Chris Chiu, who was quoted in UR Opinion, is a member of the class of 2013,
not 2012.
The photo on Page 1 depicting TOOP’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” took
place in Drama House, not in Todd Theatre.
It is the policy of the Campus Times to correct all erroneous information
as quickly as possible. If you believe you have a correction, please e-mail
the Campus Times editor at [email protected].
This Week on Campus
thurday
APRIL 15
Memorial service for Alan stockman
Daniel Green • Senior Staff
Drag show spices up river campus
Drag performer “Ramboner”, from Tilt, is pictured on the right, with graduate student Xin Chan in her
performance at the Spring Drag Show last Friday night, April 9 in the May Room of Wilson Commons.
Security Update
Student struck by vehicle
By Emily Berkowitz
News Editor
1. Security officers responded
to a call in that an undergraduate
student was struck by a motor
vehicle at the crosswalk of Trustee
Road at 10:52 a.m. on Tuesday,
April 13.
The Rochester Police Department, the Rochester Fire Department and Rural Metro also
responded to this call according to
UR Security Senior Investigator
Daniel Lafferty.
The student told the officers that
when he entered the crosswalk on
Trustee Road the vehicle was far
away and moving slowly.
The driver of the vehicle reported
that he had not seen the pedestrian
until it was too late; the driver tried
to stop the vehicle but was unable
to do so.
The student sustained abrasions
to his wrists and palms and also
complained of a pain in his knees,
legs and lower back.
An ambulance transported the
student to Strong Memorial Hospital. RPD conducted a motor vehicle
accident investigation.
Undergraduate arrested for
suspicious substance
2. An undergraduate student,
sophomore Benjamin Kilburn was
arrested and taken into custody by
the Rochester Police Department
around 12:30 p.m. on Friday, April
9, on charges of criminal possession
of marijuana.
According to Lafferty, Security
officers were called to the third
floor of Munro House after a UR
Fire Inspector reported that he
found fireworks and a sizeable
quantity of what he believed to be
marijuana, during a routine fire
safety inspection.
After finding the suspected marijuana, officers reported that it was
significantly more than what would
be considered “for personal usage.”
A grinder, a glass smoking device
with the suspected marijuana it in,
fireworks and $61 in cash were also
found and confiscated by the police
to be used as evidence.
The student admitted to owning these items and this matter
has been referred to the Dean of
Students Office for review and
action.
Wallet taken from
student in Carlson
4. While studying in Carlson
Library an undergraduate student
reported that between the hours
of 10:40 a.m. and 12:20 p.m. on
Monday, April 12, an unknown
suspect stole his wallet from his
desk where he was studying.
His wallet contained cash, credit
cards, personal identification and
his UR ID card.
According to Lafferty, the student reported that he saw people
walking around his work area
but none of them appeared to be
suspicious.
The student cancelled his credit
card. A police report may be filed
at a later time.
Berkowitz is a member of
the class of 2012.
Information provided
by UR Security.
3. On Sunday, April 11, a brother
residing at the Sigma Alpha Mu
House was alerted that someone
outside was taking his barbecue
grill.
The student looked out the window and saw a dark colored SUV
vehicle leaving the area — his grill
was gone.
Security officers identified the
two people who are believed to be
involved in the theft of the grill by
security footage.
According to Lafferty, the officers
located a vehicle similar to the one
Misha Dichter Plays Rachmaninoff
7:30-9:30 p.m., Kilbourn Hall
The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra’s spring concert series resumes with this
show, featuring renowned pianist Misha Dichter. There will be a pre-concert chat,
sponsored by First Niagara Bank, starting one hour before curtain. The show is
also Music Educators’ Night at the RPO, meaning that local music teachers will
be honored. There will be another showing of the concert from 8-10 p.m. on
Saturday, April 17.
international theatre program: Criminal Genius
described, parked in the area of
Terrace Park. Currently no police
report has been filed.
Barbecue taken from
Fraternity Quad
7:30-8:30 p.m., Interfaith Chapel
A ceremony will be held to remember the life and celebrate the achievements
of former Economics Professor Alan Stockman. On Jan. 14, this valued member
of the UR community lost a battle with cancer. Anyone is welcome to attend
the service.
8-10 p.m., Todd Theatre
This dark comedy by Walker, which takes place in a rundown motel, focuses on
an escalating series of revenge crimes. There will be another performance of the
show from 8-10 p.m. on Saturday. In conjunction with this show, the International
Theatre Program will be putting on another Walker comedy that takes place in
the same motel, “Featuring Loretta.” This show runs from 8-10 p.m. on Friday and
from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets for all shows cost $7 for UR undergraduates, $10
for UR faculty, staff, alumni and senior citizens and $13 for general admission.
Third Thursday concert
8:30 p.m., Drama House
Third Thursdays presents this live show, featuring the Radium Girls, Monoculture,
and Park S. Tickets cost $2 for UR students at the door.
Friday
APRIL 16
NightMarket: A cultural showcase
6-9 p.m., Hirst Lounge, Wilson Commons
Celebration of Asian Awareness Month, several UR groups have combined to
put together Collaborasian, which highlights various Asian cultures throughout
the month. At the Nightmarket, students can come learn origami, make kites
and lanterns and view traditional dance performances. The event will be catered
by Shanghai and Thali of India and is free to UR students.
Saturday
APRIL 17
Kicking Balls to Rebuild Walls
2
Eastman Music School
UR Medical Center
4
11 a.m., Genesee Valley Park
Sign your team up for the Sigma Epsilon fraternity’s first annual UR vs. RIT kickball
tournament. All proceeds from the event will benefit the Haiti Earthquake Relief
Fund. For more information or to register a team, send an e-mail to [email protected] or pick up a sign-up sheet at the Common Connection in Wilson
Commons. The tournament will take place both Saturday and Sunday.
Sunday
Riverview Complex
APRIL 18
NJR Workshop series
3
1
8-10 p.m., Wilson Commons, Room 122
No Jackets Required is holding a series of clinics for interested musicians. On
Sunday, the clinic will begin with the History of Rock and feature Professor John
Covach. Afterward, senior Adam Chernick will take over to give a beginning
guitar lesson. There will be another clinic on Monday in the Music Interest
Floor practice room, focusing on jamming. This workshop will feature Professor
Jason Titus.
Please e-mail calendar submissions to
[email protected].
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Landscape on Film
all films shown in 35mm
7:00 Tropical Malady (Apichatpong
Weerasethakul)
9:30 Bread Day (Sergei Dvortsevoy)
10:45 Water and Power (Pat O’Neill)
Monday, April 19th
Hoyt Auditorium
FREE EVENT
REFRESHMENT PROVIDED
NEWS
Page 3
Pit to close for construction
By Rebecca Leber
Managing Editor
Students who are still on campus
after finals will see the start of renovations on The Pit, which closes for
construction on May 8. For the rest
returning this fall, they will find the
site doubled in size and home to two
new food stations — Zoca (a Mexican
station), and Panda Express.
The grand opening is scheduled for
Aug. 25, and UR Dining Services has
planned a series of “soft openings”
beforehand to ensure that the facility
runs smoothly. The grand opening for
staff will be on Aug. 18.
“We will absolutely, positively be
open the first day of orientation [on
Wednesday, Aug. 25],” Director of
UR Dining Services and Auxiliary
Operations Cam Schauf said. “That’s
priority number one.”
The rest of Wilson Commons, including its offices and Starbucks, is
closing after Commencement Weekend. Summer dining operations will
move to Douglass Dining Center and
office operations to Hoeing Hall during
the renovations.
Schauf said that he and his staff
have been formally discussing plans
for a new Pit for at least three years.
Although the project received a green
light from UR administration in
2009, it was delayed due to a lack of
funding. This past fall, however, New
York State contributed a $1.24 million
grant to aid the $5 million project.
Since the fall, UR Dining has communicated with students, faculty and
staff alike on what they can expect
from the renovated Pit, down to the
Chris Kim • Contributing Photographer
Director of UR Dining and Auxiliary Operations Cam Schauf explained
changes to The Pit at an info session on Wednesday, April 7.
colors of the tile. Most recently,
UR Dining presented this information at an open information
session and its monthly Dining
Committee meeting for undergraduates.
Food Service Director of Wilson Commons Thomas VanPelt
said at the Dining Committee
presentation on Tuesday night
that the changes address results
from student surveys: requests
for more ethnic choices, more
vegetarian and healthy options
and faster service.
While Panda Express brings
Chinese fast food to campus for
the first time, Zoca is a similar
concept to the current Mexican
Tortilla Fresca in Douglass. A
new grill station will replace the
station in Douglass in order to
limit competition between the
two. Both stations should also increase the vegetarian and healthy
food choices found in The Pit, according to VanPelt.
For faster service, there will
be 16 new hourly employees, two
beverage stations and four cash
registers added at the location. It
will also house a new 6,000-pound
pizza oven that is capable of cooking
up to 12 pizzas at one time.
“A lot of the equipment we’ll have
gives us a higher capacity at each
station,” Schauf said.
Many details about the menu
items are still being discussed, both
with the vendors and within UR
Dining. For example, the cost of the
self-serve salad bar may be calculated by weight in ounces, instead
of having a set price for a plate.
Salads will still be Clubbable,
See DINING, Page 4
Pagans de-recognized by SA
By Justin Fleming
News Editor
At the Senate meeting on March 29,
a motion was passed for the Students’
Association to de-recognize the Pagan
Students’ Community (PSC) due to
a failure to meet deadlines imposed
by the Policy and Review Committee.
Since that meeting, miscommunication
between the two parties has led to strong
discontent among current and former
members of the PSC.
The PSC first found itself in dangerous territory when they failed to turn
in their mandatory club renewal form
in September. The Policy and Review
Committee then presented the PSC
with several steps to ensure their future success, some of which were never
completed by the group.
Specifically, the PSC failed to update
their Campus Club Connection page
and to hold a general interest meeting.
According to Powell, however, logistical
obstacles prevented the completion of
these tasks. Powell claims that the PSC’s
CCC Web site was offline until about
a week and a half before the deadline
presented to him, and that he
was unable to reserve a room in
Wilson Commons in which to hold
a general interest meeting.
Powell was allowed to attend
the Senate meeting to defend
his organization. Still, these
mounting issues, combined with
concerns over the organization’s
future leadership and dwindling
membership, led the SA to derecognize the group.
Speaker of the Senate and
senior Kierstin Hughes emphasized that there was a strong
sentiment within the Senate that
de-recognition would present
the PSC with an opportunity to
reorganize and thrive in future
years.
Still, Powell feels that the
SA’s actions will ultimately be
detrimental.
“I think it was the worst thing
they could have done for the
club,” he said. “Now, because this
came so late in the year, there’s
no way to get any work done for
future leaders of the club, who have
to start from scratch.”
In response to the SA’s decision,
several PSC alumni expressed
strong discontent in letters to SA
President Eric Weissmann, who was
not directly involved in the group’s
de-recognition.
“I received several letters from
alumni regarding the Senate’s decision, and for the most part they were
completely productive and appropriate,” Weissmann said.
According to Powell, the next step
is for the PSC to seek to become
recognized again, allowing them to
regain access to resources provided
by the SA. In the interim, the PSC
has the support of Interfaith Chapel,
which will allow them to participate
in some of their activities.
“Ultimately I think it was a blow
to religious diversity,” Powell said.
“They let a matter of policy stop a
religious group from flourishing on
campus.”
Fleming is a member of
the class of 2013.
Colleges confer on interfaith
By Jerome Nathaniel
Features Editor
Over 500 people of different cultures, ages, countries and faith backgrounds congregated at Nazareth College for the first annual international
Interfaith Understanding Conference,
or IUC. Throughout the course of the
three day conference — from April
11-13 — students from Rochester
to Afghanistan gathered to discuss
issues that are plagued by cultural
misunderstanding and religious misconceptions.
During his opening statement,
Nazareth College’s President Daan
Braveman recognized the conference
as being integral to positively sharing
religion.
“[We want] a world where religious
differences is not seen as the cause of
wars, rather that religious difference
is seen as a great strength,”
Braveman said. “That is the
goal of this conference.”
The highlights of IUC were
six keynote addresses by worldrenowned religious leaders
including Eboo Patel, founder
of the Interfaith Youth Core
and current member of President Obama’s Advisory Council
of the White House Office of
Faith Based and Neighborhood
Partnerships.
Interfaith topics were divided
into a series of workshops that
aimed to engage eight critical
cross-cultural issues. One of
the workshops, which addressed
female contributions to the
World’s Parliament of Religions,
was led by UR Director of Religious and Spiritual Life and
founder of the Women’s Interfaith
Institute the Rev. Allison Stokes.
IYC intern, Students’ for Interfaith Action President and UR
senior Tamara Slater was highly
involved in publicizing and overseeing the logistics and administrative
success of the conference.
The conference attracted people
from different faiths, as well as
secular humanists, who make up
20 percent of the supporters of
the movement. One student in attendance, a sociology major from
the University of the Philippines
Marlon Para, endured a three-day
flight with layovers in Tokyo and
New York City to attend IUC.
“It’s great to be here,” Para said.
“I have had the opportunity to meet
people of different faiths and
See INTERFAITH, Page 4
NEWS
Page 4
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Tuition: Administrators address tuition, affordability of private education
Continued from Page 1
PL: Business schools do that
routinely but we don’t have access
to that for undergraduates.
There are overall statistics of
the lifetime benefits of a university education that are public,
and The Economist recently had
an analysis of that and they were
very powerful. But we would need
to know much more about the
life of individuals to be able to
do that for us.
RP: Some of our students
go off to employment, some of
them go off to graduate school or
Ph.D. programs or M.D.s. Business schools analyze the starting
schools of their graduates the year
after graduation and that kind
of the thing would not really be
relevant.
In terms of rising education
costs, obviously need-based
financial aid has gone up and
federal government aid has
covered an increasing portion
of the lower class.
Do you have any fear that
people in the middle class
may end up waking up one day
and say, ‘Hey I don’t know if
I can afford this, it might not
be worth it?’
PL: It’s a proper question to
ask. We’re very concerned about
the affordability, and it’s clear
that people who qualify for a very
substantial amount of aid may
very well have a very easier time
than people who qualify for less.
We are concerned about that and
we try to mitigate the difficulties. But yes, it is a legitimate
concern.
We address it by some degree
by putting increased amounts of
money into aid. The amount of aid
that we provided this year and last
year will be a great deal higher
than we originally projected, just
because of the economic circumstances.
In 20 years, do you see the
future of tuition at a private
university such as this at
$70,000 a year? And if so, will
that be a concern?
RP: It’s a concern now. We’re
always concerned about afford-
ability and that’s one of the reasons extra dollars are put into the
need-based aid programs so that
people with financial difficulties
can afford to come here.
I don’t know where this is going.
To the extent that our costs increase, prices will increase. We’re
trying to keep the cost increases
as low as possible. We’re always
looking for efficiencies and we’re
focusing resources on academic
programs and the student services
that need to go with it. But it’s
a challenge to keep prices low. I
see the need for increases in the
future.
PL: I think one of the things
that is important to bear in mind
is that we’re a labor-intensive
business — it’s a very high-skilled
labor that we employ.
It’s really unlike most other
institutions where there are
manufacturing efficiencies that
are available.
The opportunities for us to take
advantage of new technologies
in manufacturing, for example,
are not there. It’s also important
to bear in mind that part of the
increase in costs reflects the provision of additional services.
If you look at what’s available to
students now versus 10 or 15 years
ago there is an awful lot more.
It’s inherently expensive, higher
education, and that’s one of the
facts that we have to deal with.
Willis is a member of
the class of 2011.
Additional reporting by
Willie Clark.
———
Check back in next week’s issue
for part two of this interview.
Band: OK Go coming to campus April 24
Continued from Page 1
for four minutes as the band
occasionally appears on the sidelines.
Since it first appeared on YouTube in March, the video has
already earned nearly 12 million
views.
“To give a one word reaction: woo!” freshman Andrew
Quick said when he heard the
news. “I definitely didn’t expect that. This is very cool.”
While some are excited for the
band, Schmidt added concern
about releasing its name.
“We do not publicize the Dandelion Day band because we have
found that the band attracts the
general public to campus that day
and this event is not open to the
general public,” Schmidt said.
D-Day is for undergraduates
only — the event is closed to
alumni, grad students, community
members and all other guests, and
anyone who does have not have an
undergrad ID will be asked to leave.
These measures are taken to
ensure that the event, which
has a reputation for inciting
excessive drinking and rowdy
behavior from students, is as
contained and safe as possible.
“By keeping the event closed and
private to UR undergrads only, we
can do a better job at making the
day fun and safe, while also reducing risk,” Schmidt said. “More and
more students realize they need
to be responsible and proactive.”
Other events for D-Day include
local vendors selling snacks
for $2, airbrush tattoos, makeyour-own Sandy Candy, free
Freezie Pops and a photo tent.
Silverstein is a member of
the class of 2013.
Dining: New plans for The Pit are finalized
Continued from Page 3
but there may be a cutoff weight.
Exact menu items at the new stations are undetermined, as well.
“You would see as many Club
options in the new configuration
as we have now,” Schauf said. “We
don’t believe that we are taking
any option away.”
Only Blimpie is moving away
from The Pit — the vendor, which
is still in contract with UR, will be
moved to the Hive. According to
Schauf, the Hive’s gaming setup
and popcorn should be unaffected
by this move.
Projects and Services Co-Chair
and sophomore Alissa Brill said
that UR Dining has worked
closely with students throughout
the entire process.
“They’ve reached out to students along every step of the
process so they are really trying
to make sure the renovation satisfies the students needs, in terms
of aesthetics, functionality, food
quality, addressing special dietary
needs, and more.”
“We know we’re not going to be
perfect,” Schauf said. “Our goal
is to be able to recover as quickly
as possible.”
Leber is a member of
the class of 2011.
———
Blueprints for The Pit is available in the online edition of the article at www.campustimes.org.
Interfaith: Conference unites various faiths
Continued from Page 3
backgrounds. I’ve learned so many
interesting things from so many
different backgrounds.”
Patel’s keynote address on
Tuesday night urged attendees to
positively engage religious diversity
by seeking pluralism as opposed to
conflict. Patel hailed Martin Luther
King, Jr. and Mahatma Gandhi as
perfect examples of the kind of
leadership that is needed to create
an ideal environment for peaceful
religious dialogue. He noted that
they had visions for a pluralistic and
united humanity, and the skill sets
to bring religions together.
An essential part of his speech
was aimed at making a distinction
between extremism and religion.
Patel argued that people shouldn’t
associate any terrorist with a particular religion. Instead, he said
that they should be categorized
under one umbrella: extremism.
He added that the young extremists
that are portrayed by the media are
products of a larger issue.
“Eighteen-year-olds don’t drop
from the sky ready to grab a gun
and kill others,” he said. “They are
trained. If we don’t build bridges,
then we leave it to the people that
want to build barriers and bombs
[to cause conflicts].”
Although Patel is considered to
be the current face of the Interfaith Movement, it has its roots in
1893’s Parliament of World Religions in Chicago. Over the years,
members of the movement have
sought a religious understanding
and cooperation towards common
goals. A key component of today’s
movement is to encourage young
adults to create a new standard for
supporting and cooperating with
different faith traditions.
The conference was held to inspire individuals of all generations
to get involved and strive for a
better future.
“It is a conference that really
seeks to combine the wisdom of
one generation with the vitality of
the next,” Braveman said.
Supporters of the movement
emphasize that plurality is an
imperative condition in order to
facilitate an untied humanity.
“What a world would we live in if
people had at the tip of their tongue
compassion for other religions?”
Patel said. “We need to take religious diversity and seek pluralism,
positive engagement of different
religions and faith backgrounds.
We should seek to live in equal
dignity and mutual loyalty.”
After Rabbi Hirchfield closed the
conference with a self-reflective
keynote address, with a topic on
religious fanatics, students, locals
and religious leaders ate lunch
together.
Slater was pleased with the event,
and hoped that students left from
the conference with a new outlook.
“I hope that college students
who came to the conference will
have left with a sense of the energy
around interfaith across generations. The multitude of approaches
and a sense of how important interfaith work is,” she said.
Nathaniel a member of
the class of 2011.
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Opinions
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Page 5
EDITORIAL BOARD
Growing pains
Privacy extinguished
When the Board of Trustees announced last month that tuition would rise by 4.25
percent for the 2010-2011 school year, there was the usual student grumbling and
discontent. Tuition’s growth has consistently exceeded inflation, and at $39,480 there
is concern that private education is becoming unaffordable.
Some students and parents feel that they are at the whim of administration, and can
be stuck with paying price increases. Although UR has kept tuition hikes relatively
consistent over time, it’s hard to predict tuition over the next four years.
Chief Financial Officer Ronald Paprocki said that as long as University costs rise,
there is a need to increase the price of tuition. The rise in tuition will almost always
exceed Consumer Price Index-measured inflation, which is an unrepresentative sample
of the kinds of goods — such as faculty and technology — that top-tier universities
require. These goods are in limited supply and tend to cost more. Universities assert that
they must increase tuition to remain competitive with comparable institutions.
Students’ wishes for lower tuition and UR’s wishes to maintain a topnotch institution simply do not mesh. But it is not just a problem at UR — nationwide, the cost of
higher education has increased faster than income growth for decades. And as the costs
continue to rise, both students and universities will be faced with tough decisions.
Families will have to do increasingly more soul-searching to decide if a $200,000
(and counting) investment in education is worthwhile. And while an investment is
almost sure to pay dividends in the form of future earnings, it’s an investment that
a growing number of families, particularly the middle class, simply won’t be able to
afford.
When a burgeoning number of middle-class families turn their backs on private
education, universities like UR will be faced with a dilemma. Financial aid doesn’t
make college cheaper for everyone. Will UR continue to provide state-of-the-art
technology to its science programs and continue to retain faculty? Or will it decide
to slow down these initiatives in an attempt to make education more affordable to
the middle class?
Both students and universities are headed down a collision course. Stay tuned.
While fire safety is of utmost importance and should be treated with due seriousness,
fire code enforcement at UR unjustly violates students’ personal space. UR needs to
work to properly balance both student privacy needs and fire prevention standards.
It is important to note that many fire regulations are not left to UR’s discretion. Many
rules — such as which items are not allowed inside dorm rooms — are determined by
state regulation, not university decision.
While UR strictly follows state law, it does so at the expense of student privacy. Fire
marshals are legally allowed by the Residential Life contract to search dorm rooms
at any time, even without a resident present, and may look through the entirety of
students’ rooms and personal belongings. Permitting residents to be present not only
helps alleviate privacy concerns, but also allows students to defend themselves. Some
items, for example, may be kept safely within drawers. They are clearly not fire hazards
as long as they are used in proper places.
It is also a concern that such fire checks seem to happen only toward the end of each
semester. It would be more effective to have these checks at the beginning of the fall
and spring semesters; this way, new students quickly learn the regulations that they
must abide by during their stay at UR.
While UR is a private institution and can legally search any student’s room at any
time, that does not mean it should. It is one thing to have RAs — fellow students employed by the school — to enter rooms, and another thing completely to have others
trespass on student property while they are away and unaware of such happenings.
That these intrusions occur and personnel can enter rooms at any time is a slippery
slope leading to “1984.” UR has the legal right to conduct searches, but it must strive
to find a middle ground that acknowledges student liberty and personal privacy, both
of which are currently extinguished in the blaze of overall fire safety codes.
The above two editorials are published with the express consent of a majority of the editorial board,
which consists of the Editor-in-Chief, Managing Editor, Opinions Editor and two other editors elected by a majority of the editorial staff. The Editor-in-Chief and the Editorial Board make themselves
available to the UR community’s ideas and concerns. E-mail [email protected].
Editorial Observer
D-Day: admissions obstacle or advantage?
With the approaching reading
period signaling the end of classes
and the conclusion of the spring
semester, the UR community has a
final, highly anticipated event to look
forward to — Dandelion Day. The
aptly named “D-Day” incites either
exceptional joy or overwhelming
terror amongst students, primarily
depending on their preference for
the overindulgence of distilled beverages. Not short on controversy, the
campus-wide celebration continues
to be perhaps the most popular day
to enjoy festivities on campus year
round.
However, one of the popular questions circulating around April 24
is thus: Why on earth are campus
tours offered on this day, which is no
doubt a very unrealistic representation of campus? With the reversion
of campus into a scene reminiscent
of “Animal House,” surely there
is the risk of visiting parents and
students being put off by the cam-
pus’ interesting choice of Saturday
activities. Others say that the Office
of Admissions should avoid this and
not offer tours at all on Dandelion
Day. Indeed, the elephant in the
room is a real obstacle to ignore
when he’s shotgunning a beer and
dancing with a bucket on his head,
but perhaps it is not something so
heinous that it can’t be overcome.
Harnessing the energy on campus
and using it to UR’s advantage is
more beneficial than just letting
families detrimentally confront it
themselves.
Perhaps the biggest misconception about D-Day is the structure of
the tour schedule itself. Dandelion
Day falls during the Office of Admissions’ Spring Open Campus, where
the largest volume of prospective
students and families come through
UR all year — with as many as 100
families signed up for a single tour
schedule. Not only would these families come whether or not there was
a tour offered on that day, but these
families would then be exposed to the
D-Day atmosphere without anyone
trained to tell them just what exactly
is happening. By simply stumbling
upon D-Day, infinitely more damage
would be done to a family’s perception than if they were carefully
guided through the experience.
In addition, there are no afternoon
tours offered on D-Day, so all of the
tours will be given after an information session in the morning, leading
to less likely chances that everyone
will be celebrating outside at that
time. That being said, it’s easier to
treat a one-day problem with caution
than to safely but continually work
with a less vibrant one.
To further illustrate this point,
I would ask one to imagine two
scenarios. Scenario one: a warm,
beautiful day on campus where the
sun is shining, grass is growing and
birds are singing. But where are all
the students? Cut to leading the
tour through the library, glimpsing
the unhappy, sun-deprived faces of
students desperately studying three
weeks in advance for that genetics
test, and then trying to explain that
of course there is a social life on campus, and students don’t resemble
minions of the zombie apocalypse
all semester.
Now cut to scenario two: The sun
is shining, students are playing outside, and the frat quad is overflowing
with students all united by the precious elixir of inebriation (that part
is indeed left out of the tour). Yes,
it is very difficult to explain away a
day of campus-wide alcohol use, but
it is infinitely more difficult to erase
the impression of zombified students
mournfully glimpsing the sunshine
from closed windows, often draped
across couches in the Periodical
Reading Room like victims of an
invisible but terrifyingly effective
war. The illusion of a vibrant social
life, not academic misery, is what
Jordan
Cicoria
•
Staff
Illustrator
brings people onto campus.
Information sessions before tours,
packets filled with UR’s academic
awards and official statistics, more
often than not, convince people that
we are indeed an academic institution. These numbers can convince
families that they’re getting their
money’s worth of education, but
numbers can’t convince anyone that
there’s actually campus life outside
of the library. While academic life is
very stressed at UR, having a day
where everyone relaxes and lets go
is equally important to advertise,
even if it means leading tour groups
past a battlefield of the intoxicated
mobs of the student body.
Cicoria is a member of
the class of 2012.
Cicoria is a Meridian.
Campus Times
Editorial Cartoon
Serving the University of Rochester community since 1873.
Editor-in-chief
Managing editor
news editors Emily berkowitz
Justin Fleming
opinions editor Javier jaramillo*
Features editors jerome nathaniel*
Conor Willis*
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Jason Silverstein
Sports Editor Brandon Manrique
comics editor Tim Minahan
PUBLISHER
Willie Clark*
rebecca leber*
Presentation Editor Cheryl Seligman
Photography Editors Matt Chin
Leah Friess
Copy Editors Caitlin Olfano
William Penney
Staff Illustrator Jordan Cicoria
Business Manager Liz Bremer
* Denotes members of the Editorial Board
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Office: (585) 275-5942 • Fax: (585) 273-5303
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Jordan Cicoria
Staff Illustrator
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expressed in columns, letters or comics are not necessarily the views of the editors or the University of
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herein are copyright © 2010 by the Campus Times.
OPINIONS
Page 6
Thursday, April 15, 2010
“You must pay the price if you wish to secure the blessing.” — Andrew Jackson
Economic value?
BY Amir Khan
Due to the financial meltdown, the term
“economic crisis” has dominated headlines
in recent years. This event has exposed
shortcomings in economic theory, calling into
question the very nature of economics as a
discipline. Despite these flaws, economics
plays a vital role in shaping our understanding of how society operates.
According to a standard textbook definition, economics is “the study of how people
choose to allocate scarce resources.” For example, we often speak of wishing we had more
free time to spend on leisure activities, but
in the end, we must allocate our time more
productively. The word “scarce” implies that
the world’s resources are finite and cannot
possibly satisfy all of our wants and needs.
For this reason, choice and decision-making
must be properly understood to optimize the
use of limited resources.
Economics has many other useful applications. Through economics we understand
and appreciate that currency is a far more
viable system than bartering. For instance,
let us suppose that a guitar maker can
manufacture guitars but needs corn, which
he cannot grow. Let us also suppose that
there are farmers who can grow corn, but
have no need for guitars. This would make it
difficult for the guitar maker to obtain corn.
Rather than barter, it is more convenient
to use currency: He can sell his guitars for
monetary units, such as dollars, and use them
to buy whatever goods he chooses.
Economics enables us to see the benefits
of trade between countries as well as the
impact of externalities, the unintended
effects of one party’s actions on another
party. Pollution is a prominent example of
an externality. When people drive cars, for
instance, they contribute to air pollution.
However, externalities can also have beneficial effects. For example, an externality
associated with the activity of a beekeeper is
the pollination of surrounding crops by the
bees. The value generated by the pollination
may be even more important than the value
of the harvested honey.
However, economics clearly has its limitations. Economic statistics, such as GDP and
per capita income, do not completely describe
wealth, nor can they completely measure
the benefits of technological developments.
While currency is used to buy items that
people want, such as computers, cell phone
service, food, etc., it has very little intrinsic
value. Thus, if you were stuck in the middle
of Antarctica away from civilization, where
there is nothing to buy, it wouldn’t matter how much money you had. Likewise, I
would rather be a person of modest income
today than a wealthy person 200 years ago,
because today we enjoy modern amenities
(such as airplanes and Internet access) that
were simply not available back then. Money,
the primary economic unit of measurement,
cannot fully capture these very real differences.
Economics is inevitably intertwined
with other fields of study. The early British
economists David Hume and Adam Smith
were philosophers as well as economists.
John Maynard Keynes once notably wrote:
“Economics is a moral science. It deals with
motives, expectations, psychological uncertainties. One has to be constantly on guard
against treating the material as constant
and homogenous.”
The most apparent example of this interdisciplinary relationship is government
policy. The economic policies and system
that the government implements have an
enormous impact on all facets of society.
Furthermore, psychology can be applied
to economics, since it serves as a guide to
understanding human behavior and choice.
As seen in the fields of advertising and marketing, psychological analysis can be used to
increase product sales. To fully understand
and appreciate economics, we must explore
other fields of study such as psychology,
politics and philosophy.
As these examples illustrate, economics is
a complex field that is irrevocably connected
to other disciplines. In the end, economics’
relevance lies in real world applications
that affect our everyday lives. Whatever its
limitations, economics will continue to play
an important role in society.
Khan is a member of
the class of 2011.
Tea Party turns violent
BY Mario Morales
Back in December, during a major protest
in Washington, D.C. against the Senate health
care bill, former candidate for governor of
New Jersey Steve Lonegan mounted the
podium to tell his audience, “We cannot let
the pen be mightier than the sword!” In
any other forum, Lonegan would have been
laughed off the stage, but the crowd ate it up.
In fact, they gave him an ovation for one of
the most mind-numbingly stupid statements
to emerge from the Tea Party movement.
When the House of Representatives moved
to pass the same bill, it seems some took him
at his word. Anonymous individuals kicked
in the glass door of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords’
office in Tucson, Ariz. cut the gas line to
the house of Rep. Tom Perriello’s brother
and left a coffin on Rep. Russ Carnahan’s
lawn. Locally, unidentified vandals threw
bricks through the windows of Rep. Louise
Slaughter’s district offices in Buffalo and
Niagara Falls. Other protestors, those who
managed to make it to Washington in time
for the bill’s passage, contented themselves
with spitting on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver and
shouting racial and homophobic slurs at Reps.
Andre Carson, Elijah Cummings, Barney
Frank and John Lewis — a former leader of
the civil rights movement whose head still
bears scars from a police beating.
Yet when the Department of Homeland
Security released a report on the threat of
right-wing terrorism to the U.S. government,
a report commissioned under the Bush administration, there were calls for Secretary
Janet Napolitano’s resignation and accusations of politicizing terrorism. The reaction
included general outrage from conservatives
— who felt some incomprehensible need to
identify themselves with the kind of people
who read “The Turner Diaries” and crash
vehicles into federal buildings full of innocent
people. A similar report on left-wing threats,
released under the Bush administration, met
no such opposition. Now, after someone put a
bullet through the window of Rep. Eric Cantor’s direct-mail firm, Republicans in Congress have finally realized that the populist
anger they have fed on and directed toward
Democratic efforts may backfire on them.
Since the election of Barack Obama, his
opponents have focused on the need for a
revolution in government, usually against
irresponsible spending. The public has been
treated to countless signs and slogans encouraging or implying an imminent change
of government, many of which contain images
or phrases referencing the use of firearms in
this undertaking. These people have repeatedly proven to be not only uncourtable, but
inconsistent. A recent New York Times article
profiled Tea Party activists who decry the
same government help they once sought for
themselves. They have not noticed the drop in
their taxes and have largely been co-opted by
establishment figures like Dick Armey, Newt
Gingrich and Michele Bachmann — who
continue to deliver fiery rhetoric to crowds
hungry for more, despite their shaky grasp
of American history.
American liberals — particularly those of
Cuban descent, such as yours truly — have
been asked to disavow communists ever since
Joseph McCarthy glanced at a ketchup bottle
while in front of a microphone. Yet, there has
been no real conservative backlash against
these terrorists. There is no better word
to describe them. Their entire playbook is
based on angry shouting and fear of vaguely
implied violence. Despite their rhetoric of
powerlessness, they have allied themselves
with powerful Washington insiders and the
most widely watched cable network — all of
whom are clearly using them for their own
road back into power.
This kind of violence is unacceptable.
The American Revolution was predicated
on the words “taxation without representation,” since Great Britain gave its colonies
neither a parliamentary vote nor a voice in
its policies toward them. The U.S. already
has a mechanism in place to restrain or
reject unwanted changes — the ballot box.
The founding fathers intended the ballot
box, rather than guns or war cries, to be the
primary method through which government
is made answerable to its people. Otherwise,
they would be susceptible to precisely this
kind of domestic terrorism.
Morales is a member of
the class of 2011.
Personal recollections on the POA library
BY Dev Ashish Khaitan
It is hard to tell my own academic story
without the Physics-Optics-Astronomy Library (POA). If its story is to end with the
proposed computer lab, then so ends my
academic career. When I first came to the
University, I was looking forward to four
hard years doing physics and mathematics,
and for all my luck, I got just that. However,
I thought I could do it on my own — that my
high school had prepared me for the rigors
of college. I was wrong.
I first heard about the POA at the activities
fair my freshman year when Daniel Linford
’09 was manning the Society of Physics
Students (SPS) table. He was dipping jolly
ranchers in liquid nitrogen and handing
them out — that image of a physics student
stuck with me. He said that if I ever needed
any help, to just stop by the POA, since it
hosts a tutoring program. So I did. The
POA was intimidating: There were professors, graduate students and upperclassmen
focused in physics and astronomy. They
seemed to know much more than I could ever
learn in all four years as an undergraduate.
I tried to spend as little time there as pos-
webpoll
Is Dandelion Day a worthy
tradition?
sible. However, as the courses got harder I upper level physics courses.
While we were in the POA, we partook
needed more help and so I went to the POA
in several activities not directly related to
more often.
In the fall of 2008, I was part of a team our academics. Some of us took up chess to
in PHY 142 that presented “The Physics of take a break from our work. Others played
a Light Saber,” a very unusual topic. The SlitherLink, Sudoku or a cryptography
game readily available at the coffee
team spent hours in the POA working
table in the POA. Some read the varion the presentation, editing videos and
ety of newspapers or magazines
trying to figure out some plausible
offered. Others debated the
light saber physics. Doing this
news. Many of us signed up
work was the first time I felt
to be SPS tutors, the same
comfortable in the POA. I
ones we once relied on to
felt that I belonged not just
get our homework done.
in the POA, but also in
We offered help to any inthe academic community
Jordan Cicoria
troductory-level physics
of the University. I found
and astronomy student at any
friends with similar interests, Staff Illustrator
quirky senses of humor and a strange ad- time — even beyond the official SPS hours.
miration for the physical sciences. I began Many of the pre-med students who came in
to gravitate to the POA for all of my work for tutoring admired the modest grace of
after this project, as did many other physics the POA and began to do other homework
students. There eventually arose an unspo- there, especially in the quiet area.
When the Europeans explored the New
ken bond, an understanding with my fellow
classmates that we would be in the POA the World and the South Pacific in the 17th and
night before the homework was due, strug- 18th centuries they had a regimentalized
gling through it and helping each other out. code about land possession. And we all know
This was a crucial asset when faced with how wantonly they took land. However, they
Yes! Keep the good
times rolling.
Indifferent.
No. Stop the drunken
revelry.
81%
8%
11%
would never take possession of land if they
saw that the natives had cultivated the land
in any way. Similarly, we too have cultivated
these bare walls and tables of the POA, making it the hub of a community. After all the
work done here and the attempt to preserve
it, how could it not be considered so?
The POA is a network of support. The
physics and astronomy programs are as
grueling as any at this University. And it
is inherent that we will have bad days. The
network of friends and peers we accumulate
at the POA allows us to bounce back from
those days. We are a group that motivates
each other to work, do better and be the best
we can be. We have grown into this group
because we readily accepted the POA as our
home when faced with adversity and saw
the benefit of this decision. It’s not just that
the POA has molded us to this form; we too
have left a mark on the POA.
“Sometimes you want to go
Where everybody knows your name,
And they’re always glad you came.”
—“Cheers” theme song
Khaitan is a member of
the class of 2011.
Vote Online at
campustimes.org
Next week’s question:
Is the most recent increase in tuition justified?
Campus Times
Arts &
Entertainment
Snoop Dogg rocks the house
with new and old school
tunes.
Page 12
Page 7
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The inequality of world hunger
Article by Kashika Sahay, Senior Staff
As I entered the Interfaith Chapel, I was
given a ticket with my life story on it — I am
a middle-income girl from India named Dully.
My father beats my mother, but my mother is
strong and has joined with other ladies in the
community to catch fish.
The river-level room of the Chapel was cleared
for the International Living Center’s Hunger
Banquet on Monday night. The purpose of the
banquet was to display in striking detail the
problems of world hunger. Participants were
divided randomly into three income groups and
were assigned appropriate conditions.
As a middle-income citizen I was fortunate
enough to enjoy scattered chairs in the middle
of the room. To my right, a few high-income
people — whose tickets listed for them a more
fortunate future than mine — sat at a proper
table with chairs, and on the floor to my left the
poor community had to sit on the floor. Barriers
were set up between us and the other income
groups — students who dressed as guards made
sure that we didn’t illegally move up.
As people entered, there was a curiosity in
the air — what’s your story? Why do I have to
sit over here? I probably won’t get anything to
eat will I? Soon we are all in character. “I own
a piece of land!” someone exclaimed. “Does
anyone want to start a co-op?”
When ILC’s Hunger Banquet began, President
of ILC and senior Ethan Green talked about his
experiences in Malawi. His host mother went
to pump water from a well multiple times a day
and then they had to boil the water before they
could drink it. Struck by these extreme living
conditions, Green decided to do something
about it.
“I decided to culminate my senior year by
hopefully inspiring people to do something
about extreme poverty,” Green said.
Green then introduced Dawn Marshall-Hosier, a friendly face and favorite Dining Services
employee, who knows what hunger feels like.
“I have been hungry and without a home
through no fault of my own,” she said. “I know
everybody is here, but we never know what the
future holds.”
Her family used to live in the U.S. Virgin
Islands before a hurricane wiped out their
homes. Thankfully, after a few days, Dawn and
her family were rescued by the National Guard
and brought to Rochester.
“While our government has programs to
help those affected by tragedy, others are not
so fortunate,” Dawn said.
“Just to see you here, mobilizing and doing
something about hunger is awesome,” she concluded with a thumbs up. She then introduced
Dean of Admissions Dean Burdick who talked
for a while about the startling disparities between
the “haves” and the “have-nots.”
Burdick spent a lot of time talking about using
our higher education for greater good.
“This is not a problem of science,” Burdick said.
“It is not a problem of lack of food. It is about a
misdistribution of wealth and resources. There
are some wonderful solutions going on, [including] micro loans in Pakistan and India.”
After the speeches, it was time to eat.
See HUNGER, Page 9
Design by Cheryl Seligman, Presentation Editor
“Forty percent
of the people
on our planet—
more than 2.5
billion —now
live in poverty,
struggling to
survive on less
than $2.00 a
day.”- Oxfam America
High Income
Group
15 percent of world
population
Live in a
comfortable,
secure home
Per capita income
of $12,000 or more
annually
Middle Income
Group
35 percent of
world population
Probably does not own land
Per capita income of $987$11,999 annually
Low Income
Group
50 percent of world population
One meal on a given day, if lucky
Per capita income of less than $987 annually
($2.70 per day)
All facts courtesy of Oxfam America
FEATURES
Page 8
Teacher Feature: Nigel Maister
The man behind the show
BY Amelia Titus
Staff Writer
Even one time theater-goers
have, inevitably, wondered: How
does this crazy production run
backstage? Who calls the shots?
Meet Nigel Maister, the Director of the International Theatre
Program and the man behind
this weekend’s plays — “Criminal Genius” and “Featuring
Loretta.” A South African native and 14-year Rochesterian,
Maister recently sat down to talk
about all things acting.
How has your experience
changed over the years?
I think it’s changed in a really
kind of positive way in the last
few years. The University has
become much more supportive of
the arts and the performing arts
specifically. Before that there
was a sense of [Todd] being forgotten; I think now we’re on the
radar.
I think there has also been
a change in the student body
in that students on the whole
are brighter, smarter and more
motivated in some ways than
they were when I first got here
many years ago. There was more
diversity in the student population then, though. More students
seemed undecided about their
majors or were trying to feel
their way into a career path.
Did you see yourself as a
director?
As an undergrad, I think I was
a fairly decent actor, but I don’t
think I was ever going to be the
kind of actor I wanted to be, and
I think my temperament suited
itself more for directing than to
acting. Now it’s sort of opposite
— I miss acting.
And how would you describe
the temperament of actors?
Being an actor is a pretty
courageous thing. [You have to]
surrender yourself and be quite
vulnerable. I won’t say you have
to be ego-less because actors
tend to have big egos, neurotic
egos, but there is a certain sense,
a certain willingness, to abandon
yourself.
I was recently told by a
friend that she could never
be an actress because she
just didn’t have the talent
for it, and I said I might have
the talent for it but I don’t
have the guts.
Well, you know, the thing that
makes it so hard is that in the
space of the theater it can be like
public approbation or humiliation immediately. If you’re a
bank teller and you have a shitty
day at work it’s not like anyone
is coming in, booing you, or on
a good day it’s not like they’re
applauding you either, but as an
actor it’s like you get up there
you do your show and if they
don’t like it, you immediately
know. And the work as a director as well, every job you do is
immediately held up for public
evaluation.
How have you coped with
that?
Oh, you know, by developing thick skin. I think the most
important way is to try and
concentrate on the work. Our
work here has not always been
everyone’s cup of tea, it’s not to
everyone’s taste, but I think it
has been consistently a very high
standard in engaging our viewers in an active audience process.
What is difficult for our current plays [“Criminal Genius”
and “Featuring Loretta”] is that
comedy functions like a machine.
The constituent parts have to
interact and all the gears have to
interlock and if those elements
don’t mesh nicely then it’s not
going to work. And you’ll know
when it doesn’t.
What would you want a CT
reader, one who has no idea
who you are, to know?
Thursday, April 15, 2010
things you
should
know this week
Urban Dictionary word of the week:
“Minggy”
(n.) If something is fun; or if you’re about to make something fun.
Another word for “poppin.”
The party always gets minggy when George H.W. Bush rolls in with
his Texan entourage.
This Day in History: April 15
1912: The Titanic sunk off the coast of the Newfoundland after crashing into an iceberg.
1947: Jackie Robinson made his Brooklyn Dodgers’
debut and scored the game-winning run. On April
15, 1997, his number, 42, was retired.
1955: Ray Kroc acquired McDonald’s and opened
his first restaurant in Des Plaines Ill., today the
official McDonald’s corporate museum.
I think I’d want them to know
Todd is a real entertainment
resource. It’s the act of sharing
an experience with a bunch of
people. [This process] is becoming rarer and rarer in an age
where we’re trapped behind
TV screens and tiny computers
tapping away online. Theater is
sharing a communal event… it
celebrates the human need to
tell stories.
Describe yourself in three
words.
Irreverent, neurotic … and …
drop dead gorgeous.
I am totally putting that in
my interview.
As long as you put a big smiley
face next to it.
Titus is a member of
the class of 2011.
Summer heat melts away cuffing season
BY charlene cooper
Columnist
I’ve always heard that people’s
personalities change with the
weather, but that trend seems to
be flowing over into relationship
statuses and a new level of sexual
desires. When the sun starts to
burn, we seem to be more likely to
want to be single and explore the
other fish in the sea. It seems to
make sense, considering that mating season for most species of fish
usually starts in April. But on the
other hand, when the snow chills
us down, we quickly try to link up
with someone who can warm our
hearts and help us brave the cold.
So, can we put those wool jackets away now and bring out those
bathing suits to tan on the Quad
again? Unfortunately, the winterlike weather may not completely
be over just yet, but we can guarantee that another season has in
fact come and gone. But it isn’t
one of our traditional four seasons
ture begins to warm up. Then, if
that has left us. It is the season
we’re not too attached by the time
where the snow begins to fall and
the sun starts shining, we may
many of us want to snuggle under
call it quits.
the covers with a hot stud or a
While UR is heating up and
pretty young thang. It’s the time
the Eastman Quadrangle is filled
of year when our cozy fleece blanwith activity, students seem to
kets and our Snuggies don’t seem
have an open opinion about how
to do the trick for us anymore.
the change in temperature has an
No, I’m not talking about the cold
effect on our relationship status
Rochester winters; I’m talking
and sexual desires.
about “cuffing season.”
Many UR students agree that
Cuffing season is the time of
cuffing season has
year when
officially come to
many people
the
a close. It’s even
rush to get
become Facebook
into relationLet Sex & the CT help you
official, with people
ships because
through your most
all over the Web
the weather is
awkward sexual years.
Site dedicating
cold and they
their statuses to
want someone
proclaim the end
to snuggle up
of yet another season. If Facebook
with. This is done in hopes that
says it, then it must be true.
they will not have to weather the
But does the mood in our bedweather alone.
room get cold when the weather
During this wonderful time of
starts warming up? From the
year, many of us try to get into
students I talked to regarding
relationships until the tempera-
“Sex&CT ”
the topic, it seems that they can
agree that this is often the case
for many of them. I can even say
for myself that I too would love
to adjust my relationship status
according to the weather.
On the other hand, I can see
why some faithful lovebirds would
dismiss the idea of cuffing season
as a sign of immaturity. If you
somehow struck gold and found
your soul mate in the middle of
Rush Rhees Library, waiting to
study chemistry with you, then
cuffing season is just an all-yearround way of living. But realistically speaking, that’s hardly the
case for most of us. Cuffing season
and summer heat just seems like
a logical flow to the college love
life.
I don’t know what it is about
that summer heat that just gets
our hormones raging and makes
us that much more attracted to
the opposite sex. It could be the
ever-present skin that we like to
show off when the weather starts
hitting the 90s, or the flirtatious
nature that gets into us when
things start heating up.
The summer is almost like a
drinking experience: It makes the
guy who wasn’t hot just a little
while ago, suddenly into a stud,
and the girl you would never
think to look twice at, into a fivestar-chick.
With the warm weather trying
to make its way back into our
daily lives, many of us want to be
out in the hot sun wearing our
most revealing outfits, and spending our days with our summer
fling from back home. Then, when
the fall comes rolling around and
the academic year starts up again,
we’d love to forget about the guy
we spent time crushing on all
summer long and return to our
comfortable relationships back at
college. If only life was that easy.
Cooper is a member of
the class of 2012.
UR Opinion What do you think of Obama cutting funding for the U.S. space program?
by matt chin
Sam Saks ’10
“I honestly don’t care.”
Elizabeth Baker ’11
Sarah Hyun ’13
Paul Vergara ’13
Alex Magill ’12
Hannah Silver ’12
“I think the space race
is over. There are more
pressing issues on Earth.”
“I guess that’s more
money for Michelle’s
fashion expedition.”
“We’ll never find out
what planet Lady Gaga’s
from.”
“I’m bummed I can’t meet
E.T.”
“Boo. I wanna go to the
moon.”
FEATURES
Thursday, April 15, 2010
eats in the ct
SEA’s family atmosphere
BY evan siegel
a standard dish with a choice of
Columnist
chicken or pork. It also includes
Located on Monroe Avenue,
egg, rice noodles, onions, bean
SEA Restaurant offers a variety
sprouts and crunchy peanuts as
of dishes native to Thailand and
a garnish. This particular verVietnam. A fun fact about its
sion is respectable, a decent porname is that it’s actually an action size and well presented.
ronym, standing for “Southeast
Another good option is the
Asian” from which the dishes
flat rice noodles with meat. Also
originate.
served with either chicken or
Entering the restaurant,
pork, this dish combines meat
there’s nothing special to see:
with a variety of mixed vegThe walls are pretty bare, the
etables including sliced carrots,
chairs similar to those you’d find broccoli, celery and onions. The
in Douglass Dining Center. The
dish came out piping hot, and
tables are standard but it feels a
though the noodles were a little
bit cramped, considering there is mushy, the flavor was spot-on.
seating for around 26 people in
For those who like it spicy, adda small cluster of tables. There’s
ing some of the chili pepper
definitely an informal and laidsauce provided on the table is a
back air to the space.
necessity.
Despite
The steal of
the average
the evening
physical charis the pho, a
SEA Restaurant
acteristics
noodle soup
741 Monroe Ave.
and setting,
that is the true
what stands
mark of origiout about the
nality at SEA.
restaurant is
While other
the combinarestaurants can
tion of people
boast similar
Quality: 4/5
that make
dishes — where
Atmosphere: 2/5
up the payou can select
Food variety: 3/5
tronage — a
your protein
Service: 3/5
young couple
and go from
Best Bang for Your Buck:
in one corner,
there — the
Extra-Large Pho
a group of
pho is a truly
Pricing: Inexpensive-Moderate unique dish.
five adults
in another, a
Red Discount Honoree: No
The options
family with
to add to the
young children and then ourrice noodles are diverse and
selves.
range from chicken, pork and
This restaurant is not bound
steak, to mixed vegetables and
to any one type of individual and seafood along with the standard
therein lies the appeal. At SEA,
onions, scallions and cilantro.
you have the chance to feel a
Upgrading to the extra large
part of the community.
bowl costs only a dollar more.
One thing to appreciate about
In all seriousness, this bowl of
fusion restaurants like this one
noodle soup was huge, and at a
is the way it uniquely and unmere $7.50, with a side of bean
expectedly combines a range of
sprouts and fresh basil leaves,
flavors.
it is definitely this week’s Best
At SEA, a great starter is the
Bang For Your Buck.
fried squid. Much better than
In all, SEA Restaurant is a
the fried calamari you’d see
place worth trying out. While
at an Italian restaurant, this
not as upscale as Golden Port
dish has pieces that are fried to
Dim Sum near the Eastman
perfection, infused with hot red
School of Music SEA steps out
pepper in the coating. Piled on
from the rest with its various
a bed of shredded lettuce and
incarnations of pho — definitely
chunks of multicolored fresh
a must-try dish. Furthermore,
peppers, it jump-starts the flathe eclectic mix of people gives
vor receptors and will get your
college students a chance to
tongue wagging for multiple
break out of the bubble in which
reasons, as good a rationale as
we live and see the Rochester
any to try it.
community. At $11 a person,
As far as the main courses go, including tax and tip, the prices
some definitely stand out from
were extremely fair and the food
the rest. As typical to a Thai
was well worth it.
restaurant as a burger is to an
Siegel is a member of
American one, the pad Thai is
the class of 2010.
Page 9
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Hunger: Pasta for the wealthy
Continued from Page 7
The lower class people were given
plates of rice to share. They could
only drink dirty (food colored)
water. “It’s kind of depressing,”
one Vietnamese farmer said, as
people passed the cold rice around
in disgust.
Some of the poor are willing
to entertain the higher classes in
exchange for pasta. Others try to
storm the barrier to steal food.
Someone else manages to beg for
food from the middle class. We
in the middle class were lucky
enough to have a decent bowl of
rice and beans. But the upper
class people got warm pasta with
sauce, organically grown salad
and apple juice.
“It doesn’t have to be this
way,” Green said. “In hopes of a
sweet, happy ending there will be
dessert for everyone.”
All in all, about 50 students
from a variety of campus groups
gathered on Monday evening to
learn more about world hunger.
The International Living Center,
Catholic Newman Community,
UR Hip-Hop, Students for Interfaith Action and UR Hillel sponsored the event.
“I don’t think that things go
wrong and stay that way. I believe that we endure and we try
to correct things,” Burdick said.
“If you ever have the opportunity
to use your higher education to
do good outside of Pittsford, N.Y.,
think about doing that. I have
never met a physician who has
not said that is the most rewarding part of their jobs.”
Sahay is a member of
the class of 2010.
Work for You.
• Courses on campus and at the METROCENTER
• More than 20 online courses
Registration is underway for:
Session I May 17–28
Session II June 1–July 3
Session III
July 6–August 7
Special Sessions Dates vary
Contact the Office of Special Sessions and Programs at
(585) 395-2900 or e-mail [email protected]
www.brockport.edu/ssp/summer
COMICS
Page 10
Major Life Dilemmas The Single Life
Thursday, April 15, 2010
by Spiels
Joke of Da Week
by Jason Silverstein
Statistics Worth Knowing
by Ross Brenneman
by Willie Clark
Probability, if you Want to
Annoy a Statistics Major
Something
will happen
Something
won’t happen
Life Sucks by Jenna Winters
Paid Advertisement
Arts
Entertainment
&
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Page 11
‘Volume ArtAwake a myriad of great talent
Two’ a A
treasure
by Cheryl Seligman, Presentation Editor
by Jason Silverstein
A&E Editor
If you happen to be a music
nerd, an avid nostalgic and a
straight male, it’s getting kind
of impossible not to have a celebrity crush on Zooey Deschanel.
Her retro charm and her role in
“(500) Days of Summer” would
be enough to ensure that— she
represents the ideal girl who
adores sad British music, loves
looking through used vinyl racks,
profoundly changes the lives of
cultured loners and, essentially,
would never actually exist in the
real world.
But more impressively, Deschanel has completely defied
the old actor-as-failed-musician
stereotype with She & Him,
her collaboration with producer
and multi-instrumentalist M.
Ward. Their first album, 2008’s
“Volume One,” was more than
one indie hero enlisting another
to have a go at the whole album
making thing. Even if the whole
album was delectable in a predictable manner, Deschanel and
company seemed grounded and
confident, and it was clear that
this band was a delight to be
taken seriously.
“Volume Two” is enjoyable
in pretty much the same exact
way — it’s all light, summery
cheerfulness — but everything
is noticeably stronger. The awkward country twang has been
restrained, the cover songs are
less obvious and better suited for
the band’s persona and the sugar
isn’t so incessant that you feel
like crashing. Meanwhile, the
songs here are more ornate and
streamlined — they don’t feel
like amiable novelties, but rather
like solidly constructed pop songs
written by a natural talent.
See DESCHANEL, Page 12
bank is not often associated with art. The former
First National Bank in Downtown Rochester, however, was home to students’ and community members’
paintings, photographs, installations, bands and so
much more at ArtAwake 2010. In fact, the building
itself is an exhibit of art with its magnificent marble
columns, enormous vaults and decorative murals lining the ceiling.
The combination of scenery
and its proximity to UR made
the abandoned bank an ideal
venue for the event.
The first room that attendees
entered hosted the main stage
for the musical acts. Various artwork was displayed around the
room, though it served more as
an area to congregate, socialize,
eat and listen to music.
Also in the first room were
some smaller spaces for installation artwork such as senior
Faeeza Masood’s “Flutter by
Butterfly.” In this area, guests
were encouraged to write their
worries on the wall. For each
concern, Faeeza explained she
would create a paper butterfly.
She does the same with her own
apprehensions — it helps her
cope seeing them carried away
with the flight of a butterfly. In
such a chaotic world and amidst
the stresses encountered on a
daily basis, the opportunity to
be part of such an art form was
relieving and fascinating.
Both downstairs as well as
just past the main room, smaller
areas exhibited photography,
digital art and even a createyour-own music station where
pipes, glasses and bins were
available for banging and clashing in any sort of rhythmic and
melodic fashion. Keeping photographs near photographs and
paintings near paintings helped
to give each piece of artwork the
attention it deserved, without
another piece of a completely opposite nature diverting attention
from it.
“Intermission,” a photograph
taken by freshman Chelsea
Yalen, displayed a deserted,
torn-apart theater. Just walking
by such a theater, it might have
been difficult to see the beauty
in it, but Yalen found a wonderful angle that brilliantly drew
attention to the ripped curtains
and chipped wood. She also skillfully used a lighting scheme that
highlighted those details but also
added to the tone of that barren
setting.
Junior Sam Sadtler’s artwork
depicted a man whose name may
be assumed to be Dan Fogelberg,
the title of the piece. The man
held a rifle, and was slightly
transparent, with a more faded
image directly behind. Sadtler
excellently captured the shadows
in the background and was able
to create a very eerie picture.
The photo was slightly haunting,
inducing chills up and down the
spine. However, the generated
feelings proved that Sadtler was
able to translate a desired emotion to his audience.
Apart from what is typically
viewed as an art form, Ben Undelson, from Pittsford, N.Y.,
mixed text and design to display
writing in the form of a poster.
These pieces uniquely showed
not only how various forms of
writing could be transformed
into an applied art, but also
how text itself is a tool that can
be used to enhance the viewing experience of certain works.
Undelson chose the right color
combinations, fonts and background designs to lure guests in
and help them imagine, in great
detail, the experiences he aimed
to share through writing.
Also, in two other spaces
Leah FriesS • Photography Editor
Attendants could write on other people in a performance art piece.
throughout the building were
stages for musical groups to
perform. With a setup containing more than one stage, there
was never a dull moment, as the
music continued to flow throughout the bank.
Directstep, one of the many
performance groups at ArtAwake, played on the WRUR
stage and brought a lot of energy
to the air through their covers of
funk, soul and rock music. The
room was packed, and concertgoers danced with much enthusiasm, enjoying every emanating
note. Stevie Wonder’s “Superstition” was a crowd favorite, and it
highlighted every band member’s
talent during each instrument’s
solo.
Even though the bands were
only allowed a certain amount of
time to perform, the crowed demanded an encore, and there was
just enough time for Directstep
to add Gavin Degraw’s “Chariot”
to the set list.
ArtAwake is much more than a
display of artwork — it is a social
scene and a culmination of magnificent talents. It’s a shame that
the event shared the date with
the Midnight Ramblers, because
they always put on a show worth
seeing. However, the approximately 1,400 attendees, 21 bands
and multitude of contributing
artists proved that ArtAwake is
never an event to be missed.
Seligman is a member of
the class of 2012.
Humor emerges from drama in new Todd plays
by Amelia Titus
Staff Writer
Motels always reek of sadness,
of despair, of cheap soap in tiny
paper packages and underpaid
cleaning ladies. They’re veritable
tragedy stages.
And so they make perfect
scenery for Todd Theatre’s
new opening acts of playwright
George Walker’s “Featuring
Loretta” and “Criminal Genius,”
opening today and Friday, respectively. In these shows, which
will run on alternating schedules, characters’ lives are constantly upended, sometimes by
mere circumstance, sometimes
by sinister motive.
The storyline of “Featuring
Loretta” circles around the
pregnant widow Lorrie (played
by freshman Annalise Baird), a
blue-collar, cowboy-boot-wearing
runaway who seems to be the
unwitting recipient of everyone
else’s emotional baggage. Her
would-be next husband Dave
(sophomore James Eles) has seri-
ous manhood issues and pursues
Lorrie relentlessly as his middleclass trophy wife, who could
simultaneously complete and
begin his nuclear family.
He argues endlessly with his
competition Michael (played by
senior Philip Dumouchel), who
tries and fails to keep his own
neediness at bay even while
blankly insisting that Lorrie do
porn instead.
Squabbles between the two
men are punctuated by the entrance and exit of Sophie (played
by senior Rebecca Weiss), Lorrie’s neighbor who possesses
a penchant for housecleaning
when distraught, which she is —
all the time.
Sophie’s melodramatic concern
for her family and her father
centers Lorrie in another unfolding family drama which forces
her into a caretaker role, even
as she is yanked to-and-fro by
the battling boys and demanding
relatives who constantly ring her
room.
Jason Silverstein • A&E Editor
Senior Philip Dumouchel, freshman Annalise Baird and senior Rebecca Weiss rehearse for “Loretta.”
Lorrie’s compelling past, despite
band (who we learn was recently
Loretta’s insistence on moththat it seems to motivate her
mauled by a bear, of all Darwinering everyone but herself,
dubious decisions in the present.
ian demises) or the family she
however, oftentimes makes it
Lorrie’s ultimate resolution
left behind. This barely referdifficult for the audience to reto star in pornography flicks to
enced background story proved
ally sympathize with her charrecover her financial autonomy
frustrating, as it seemed like
acter, as she does not seem to
much of the story circled around, and radically sever herself
make any emotional progress in
See TODD, Page 13
but never thoroughly addressed,
grieving her now-deceased hus-
A&E
Page 12
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Snoop Dogg concert nuthin’ but an RIT thang
By Jerome Nathaniel
Features Editor
Last Saturday, a bus full of UR
students pulled up outside of the
Rochester Institute of Technology’s Gordon Field House where
there was a seemingly endless
Disney World-sized line of locals and college students. Who
could possibly draw this size of
a crowd? Could it be the RIT
Tigers, Jessica Simpson, Kris
Kringle or Snoop Dogg? If you
guessed Snoop, then you probably have a decent GPA.
RIT has hosted rappers like
Nas and G-Unit, but neither of
them managed to pack the Gordon Field House like Snoop. With
a career that spans over 19 years,
the 38-year-old West Coast rapper drew a diverse crowd of old
and new school cats.
Regardless of his highly successful career, Snoop had to
please every type of audience
member. If he performed too
many songs from his new album
“Malice N’ Wonderland,” old
school fans would probably break
out in seizures. But if he performed too much from “Chronic,” the new schoolers would
probably be irked that they spent
$15 on “Malice N’ Wonderland”
when he hardly cares about performing any of the new tracks.
But before anyone could vibe
out to Snoop’s trademark melodic and laid-back flow, the crowd
had to endure a set of excruciatingly long opening acts by the
Psychodelic Ghetto Pimpz and K.
Flay. To their credit, both artists
had something special to offer.
The Psychodelic Ghetto Pimpz
funked up the house with covers
of George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic and Michael
Jackson’s “Human Nature.” But
the young crowd (which is usually synonymous to having a bad
taste in music) grew restless and
expressed their discontent with
jeers and chants for Snoop Dogg.
By the time K. Flay hit the
stage, she had to deal with a
restless and drunken crowd that
resorted to Woodstock-style mosh
pits. However, Flay’s impressively fast flow and energetic selfmade beats caught the crowd’s
attention. But after about 40
minutes of the same thing, everyone started to cry for Snoop.
Then it happened. Fashionably
late is surely an understatement
for a guy like Snoop. Snoop came
in after an amusing opening tape
that mixed clips from his rap videos with scenes from “Scarface,”
“Sugar Hill,” “Foxy Cleopatra”
and “Cool Breeze.”
Once he hit the stage, the
crowd immediately took part in
what Snoop claims to have created: weed. The Gordon Field
transformed into Kirby’s Dream
Cloud as every Snoop fan took
a celebratory puff for hip-hop’s
highest rapper (one would speculate that this is the reason for his
late appearance). Snoop, who
recently came out in public about
his allegiance to the Nation of
Islam and Louis Farrakhan, was
accompanied by four Fruit of Islam escorts who spent the entire
time standing on the corners of
the stage in soldier formation
with their hands in their suitpockets.
Snoop set the tone for the
night when he opened with
“Chronic” classic “Nuthin’ But
a G’ Thang” and waved his arms
from side-to-side in slow motion.
From there, everything flowed
perfectly.
Fans vibed to “Gin and Juice”
and “Beautiful,” got sensual
with “I Wanna Fuck You” and
“Sexual Seduction” and bopped
to “Drop It Like It’s Hott” and
his newest single from “Malice
‘N Wonderland,” “I Wanna Rock
Right Now.” Snoop also showed
his growth over the years by cutting out references to killing the
police in “187 on an Undercover
Cop.”
Possibly the liveliest part of
the show was Snoop’s tribute to
Tupac. Everyone held their lighters and cell phones to the ceiling
and rapped the lyrics to “Hail
Mary” with Snoop. But, Snoop
didn’t want to leave the East
Coast hanging: He immediately
switched up the tempo and threw
Matt Chin • Photography Editor
Snoop Dogg spoke about the dangers of drugs at RIT. Just kidding.
should do when they first wake
on the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Hypup in the morning,” Snoop said.
notize,” forcing everyone to go
“Number one, brush your teeth.
into a frenzy as he honored the
Number two, thank God that
borough that birthed true hipyou lived to see another day. And
hop: Brooklyn.
number three. The third one,
By the time 45 minutes were
well. Number three is to smoke
up, Snoop was all done for the
weed mother fuckers.”
night. Some fans were underSecurity couldn’t help but
standably disappointed, considerchuckle and shake their heads as
ing that K. Flay and The Pshcyodelic Ghetto Pimpz were on stage Snoop grooved down the stairs to
George Clinton’s “Atomic Dog”
longer than the main attraction.
with his FOA entourage. A bit
But Snoop wasn’t ready to leave
short, sure. But Snoop’s concert
the field house without a little
was probably the best 45 minutes
heart-to-heart message for his
$18 could buy.
fans.
Nathaniel is a member of
“Before I leave, I want you to
the class of 2011.
know three things that everyone
Deschanel: She & Him
Bradley Halpern • Senior Staff
Attack of the Ramblers: Take Five Scholar Nick Hamlin, sophomore Jared Suresky, and senior Chris Aguilar.
The Force is with the Ramblers
By Peter Carlile
Contributing Writer
Saturday night saw Strong
Auditorium packed to the rafters
with excited fans gathered to see
our very own Midnight Ramblers
bring the house down — and
they were not disappointed.
Bursting onto the stage with
the energy and power that are
characteristic of the Ramblers,
the men proceeded to give a
jaw-dropping show from start
to finish. The Ramblers’ music
was mixed with a hilarious series
of videos parodying the classic
“Star Wars” films.
The Ramblers mixed up old
classics such as “Signed, Sealed,
Delivered, I’m Yours” and “It’s
My Life” with new songs like
Smash Mouth’s “All Star” and
Rhianna’s “Rude Boy.” Several
songs could only be described
by the fan-made word: Ramblification, when the Midnight
Ramblers take a popular song
you may not like, and turn
it into something awesome
(cough“PartyintheUSA”cough).
The stage was also graced by
the barbershop a cappella group
Surround Sound hailing from the
Rochester Institute of Technology. Tight chords and great songs
received appreciative cheers from
the audience and their rendition
of “John Williams is the Man”
(a “Star Wars”-themed compilation of Williams’ songs) was well
suited and went over excellently.
Another surprise guest to the
Strong stage was Alondra Jahel,
Platinum — selling artist, Grammy award winner, and mother to
Rambler Chris Aguilar.
The concert had a tinge of
sadness to it, as each of the
five graduating seniors (Chris
Aguilar, Alex “Bear” Perry, Matt
Myers, Roger Hillson and Mark
Sobel) sang their final solo with
the Ramblers.
Each solo was beautifully sung
and earned standing ovations
from the crowd. Though there is
little doubt that these men will
go on to do great things, both
they and their voices will be
sorely missed. I believe I speak
for the UR community when I
say best of luck to you gentlemen, and may your voices stay
strong.
Despite the rock star performance that the Ramblers
brought to the stage, my favorite
moments of the concert were the
slower songs. Darkness engulfed
the auditorium as the Ramblers
surrounded the audience, each
one individually illuminated as
they joined in singing “Woods”
by Bon Iver.
The highlight of the show,
personally, was their rendition
of “Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen. For this song, they forswore
their microphones and sang in
a straight line. A pin could be
heard dropping as the entire
audience fell silent to the power
of this song. No audio tricks, no
amplification, just pure human
voices. The power of it was amazing.
True to Rambler style, they
ended with a bang as the group
more than doubled with alumni
joining them to sing the classic
finisher “Kiss Him Goodbye.”
It was truly an amazing performance by the Ramblers, with no
doubt many more to come.
Carlile is a member of
the class of 2013.
Actually, Deschanel’s charisma
Continued from Page 11
is what really carries She & Him.
With the exception of “Ridin’
She’s playing her usual lovable
In My Car,” a duet with Ward
role in this band, and could perand “Gonna Get Along Without
You Now,” a cutesy take on a ’50s haps get more intimate. A few of
the less cheery songs on “Volume
standard, Deschanel wrote every
Two” seem to hint at that prosong herself.
gression, especially the a cappella
Highlights like “Don’t Look
lullaby “If You Can’t Sleep,”
Back,” “Over It Over Again”
where Deschanel comforts a
and “Lingering Still” are oldfar-away love with a voice that
fashioned pop augmented by
sounds like it’s beamed in your
lush string arrangements, callsubconscious.
and-response harmonies and the
On future volumes of She &
fervor of a devoted nostalgic who
Him, it would be interesting
lovingly retreads the styles she
for Deschanel
adores.
to use the band
Deschanel has
Volume Two
as a vehicle for
perfected the persona
She & Him
expression more
of a dainty but deterpersonal than
mined band leader
her other great
— she offers smooth Rating: 3.5/5
talent.
wisdoms about unre- Listen to: “Over It
Over Again” and
But for now,
quited and damaged
She & Him
love, but never over- “Gonna Get Along
remain irresells any of it or loses Without You Now”
sistible — the
any of her perkiness.
impassioned
Even when singing a
and unironic take they have on
line like, “You ran around with
every girl in town and didn’t care their vintage sound keeps them
sounding fresh. They’re not onto
if it got me down,” she sounds
anything new, but music this
like she’s having the best day of
stubbornly joyous is always rare.
her summer.
“Volume Two” is an album of
She’s lowered her range and
simple pleasures that sound like
works better within it now — no
no small feat.
more jabbing high notes, thank
Silverstein is a member of
God, but her charisma is her true
the class of 2013.
virtue as a singer.
Courtesy of files.myopera.com
Zooey Deschanel succeeds as both an actress and singer.
A&E
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Page 13
Two new releases spell out classic R&B
By Peter Berris
Staff Writer
R&B doesn’t seem to mean
what it used to, and it’s easy to
see why. Today’s chart-topping
R&B songs have abandoned the
genre’s original roots in favor of
pop elements like auto-tune and
synthesizers. Remember, R&B
stands for rhythm and blues,
and whether it was the gritty
southern soul of Memphis, Tenn.
or the suave tones of the Motor
City, the genre used to actually
contain both elements.
Fortunately on April 6, two
new R&B albums were released
that prove that the genre is not
entirely lost.
The first release is “Nothing’s
Impossible” by classic soul artist Solomon Burke. Although he
has never received widespread
recognition or crossover success
in the manner of Ray Charles or
Wilson Pickett, he has been one
of the most influential figures
within the R&B field. Many of
his early recordings such as “Cry
To Me” and “Everybody Needs
Somebody To Love” have become
standards.
For “Nothing’s Impossible,”
Burke was joined by legendary
producer Willie Mitchell, most famous for his work with Al Green.
Sadly, Mitchell passed away
in January, making this his last
project. His influence is obvious
throughout the record, which
features sophisticated arrangements that are lush with strings,
horns and guitar.
Mitchell also left plenty of
room in the arrangements for
Burke to capitalize on his unique
vocal phrasing. Although his
range may have decreased from
what it once was, it doesn’t matter. Burke’s ability to emphasize
and convey emotions has only
improved.
The songs on this record are
generally strong as well. Highlights on the album include “Oh
What a Feeling,” “I’m Leavin’,”
“Dreams” and “It Must Be
Love.” Their slow tempos and
emotional lyrics allow Burke to
make full use of his powerful
voice in exploring their meanings. “New Company” is another
enjoyable track, where Burke’s
voice is joined with a jazzy horn
line, reminiscent of a Van Morrison song.
He is similarly successful with
livelier numbers like “You’re Not
Alone” and “Everything About
You,” delivering them in a manner that makes it sound like he
was having fun doing it. Even
unremarkable songs come across
well due to his unique interpretations.
While “Nothing’s Impossible”
may not be an edgy album that
will redefine its genre, between
its vocals and production “Nothing’s Impossible” is worthy of a
five star rating.
Continued from Page 11
from her lukewarm hometown
life; which reeks of disappointment.
The audience finds itself
wishing that a woman capable
of bearing (pun intended) so
much would refuse to sell herself for so little.
Though we foresee that Lorrie will don the garter belt
and pull back the stained bedspread, there is a lingering aftertaste from this decision, as it
seems beneath her, even in her
motel room accommodations.
While “Featuring Loretta” is
full of hearty laughs, its more
brooding elements do squeak
through its thin front of humor.
In contrast, the unrelenting wit of the alternate play
“Criminal Genius” proves that
even such weighty crimes as arson, kidnapping and attempted
murder can be commendable if
committed with the right mix
of blind optimism and endearing idiosyncrasy.
The play opens to a poorly
lit motel scene: Deadbeat dad
and part-time porno smuggler
Rolly (junior John Amir-Fazli)
broods over his portentous
future, with his eyes fixated on
the barricaded door. His overgrown teenage son Stevie (Take
Five Scholar Ross Brenneman*)
The second release is “I
Learned the Hard Way” by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, a
newer group who has created a
name for themselves with their
’60s style arrangements, a modern funk edge and Jones’ tremendous voice.
The performances on “I
Learned the Hard Way” are impeccable. The Dap-Kings exercise
their musical prowess with horn
lines and guitar parts that are
the best of their kind. Although
the Dap-Kings never stray too
far from the core of the genre,
they easily incorporate elements
of Ska and Latin Jazz into their
sound.
With the exception of an instrumental track entitled “The
Reason,” the band never eclipses
Jones’ voice. Considering the
sheer amount of vocal power that
she possesses, though, it is actually difficult to imagine overshadowing her.
That being said, on some of the
songs it almost feels like Jones
and the Dap-Kings outperform
the material that they are working with. At points it seems like
the songs are too weak to support the full strength of Jones
and her large band.
This is especially apparent on
“Without a Heart” and “Money”
where the passion that goes into
the performances still does make
the songs interesting to listen
to. The title track is also shy of
being on the same level of the
overall musicianship.
Instead of sounding like a really great album, “I Learned the
Hard Way” sounds like a series
of great songs that never completely come together.
This is not to say that this
isn’t a good album. In fact, many
of the songs are truly excellent.
“She Ain’t a Child No More” is
an especially strong track, with
evocative lyrics and nearly unstoppable momentum. “Give it
Back,” with its fully retro sound,
feels like an instant classic in the
genre.
Also, “I’ll Still Be True” and
“If You Call” are prime examples
of what Jones & The Dap-Kings
are capable of when at their best.
It is the album’s concluding
track, “Mama Don’t Like My
Man” that seems most remarkable, however. Musically it harkens back to the early 1950s records of musicians such as Ruth
Brown, who laid the groundwork
for R&B. Its sparse arrangement
gives Jones plenty of space to
execute a performance that is all
the better for its restraint and
subtleties.
If Sharon Jones & The DapKings maintain this level of
quality in future releases, no one
needs to worry that the new generation of R&B will lose its soul.
Berris is a member of the class of 2013.
stares, unblinking into the red
digits of the alarm clock. Rolly
and Stevie visibly tremble in
fear as the door shakes, and
in barges Phillie (freshman
Spencer Klubben), their cheapvodka-swilling motel landlord,
who slurringly requests a $40
motel room payment.
Father and son squabble
briefly over paying the motel
owner with Stevie’s symbolically charged yet cheap-as-shit
watch.
In the scuffle we quickly
learn the duo have bigger
problems to tackle: They were
enlisted by the henchwoman
Shirley (played by sophomore
Jessica Chinelli) to commit a
villainous deed: to burn a restaurant to the ground. Inevitably, they fail at this.
When Shirley arrives on the
scene, slamming insults down
like spent shotglasses, she
discovers Rolly and Stevie have
instead kidnapped the restaurant’s chef, Amanda Castle (senior Anna Kroup), the daughter
of the man who originally hired
the hit.
She, of course, commits a
felony herself, and suddenly
her big, bad daddy is on his
way, armed to the teeth and
equipped with a posse. Dun
dun dun!
While both plays feature
the same ill-fated eventuality
and many of the same motifs
(power, luck, money and utter
hopelessness), they are principally bound by their preoccupation with the same set: the
same crusty, desperate setting
we’ve seen before in “Psycho”
and in some of our worst family
vacations.
Despite your inclinations to
avoid motel rooms at any cost,
this performance might well be
worth the price of a ticket.
Titus is a member of the class of 2011.
*Brenneman is a member of
the CT Executive Staff.
Nothing’s Impossible
Solomon Burke
Rating: 5/5
Listen to: “It Must
Be Love” and “I’m
Leavin’”
I Learned The Hard Way
Sharon Jones and the
Dap-Kings
Rating: 4/5
Listen to: “Mama Don’t
Like My Man” and
“Give It Back”
Todd: ‘Criminal Genius’ and ‘Featuring Loretta’ linger on dark themes
M ov i e T i m e s
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SPORTS
Page 14
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Neer: One-liners, discipline and perspective all part of coach’s style
Continued from Page 16
their coach. Born in Boston, Neer
graduated from Washington and
Lee College in 1970 and then spent
almost five years after college at
the Naval Academy as a part of
the coaching staff. He was turned
down when he applied to coach at
Tufts University in 1975, because
they were worried about turning
their ’70s-era, impressionable 18year-olds over to a regimented man
of Naval Academy breed.
Perhaps they were right: Neer is
strict. He’s demanding and hard on
his players. But he is also efficient.
Practices were never more than
two hours, and an agenda was
posted before practice started so
that players knew the schedule.
Neer’s squads were always
prepared, always well versed in
scouting reports and strategy. And
you begin to wonder if the ends do
justify the means.
———
In 1976, Terry Gurnett was a
senior on the River Campus, one
year removed from becoming the
UR women’s soccer coach. But he
can still tell you about his first encounter with the rookie basketball
coach with the shaggy hair.
“He came down [to the court],
we were playing pick-up ball and
he was busy hollering at us, moving us all around while we were
playing,” Gurnett said with a
laugh. “My comment to him was,
‘Listen, I’ve developed these bad
habits over a lifetime and I intend
on keeping them.’ But he is ever
the teacher.”
Of course, Neer would’ve had a
response. And it would probably
have been something like this:
“Bad habits are like a soft bed:
easy to get into, hard to get out
of” — a “Neerism” forward Dan
Milbrand ’08 still uses today as a
teacher in New York City.
The coach never missed an opportunity to make someone laugh
— like at the Final Four banquet
in 2002 in Salem, Va. The emcee
for the night was going down the
four teams’ rosters. Most of the
players from the other schools all
hailed from the same state as the
college. But UR, the emcee noticed,
had players from seven different
states and two foreign countries.
“That’s because we recruit
through the witness protection
program,” Neer quipped.
Everyone in the banquet hall
burst out laughing.
———
The phone rang four times over
the two-hour span when I sat in
the coach’s office last week. He
never picked it up, never even acknowledged its existence. He was
too busy telling me a story:
In the late ’60s, the U.S. was
preoccupied with Vietnam. The
draft lottery was in 1969 and the
6-foot-6-inch Neer had to face for
the first time the prospect of what
it would mean to serve in a war.
Neer in his signature crouched
position on the sideline of a basketball court is nothing if not prepared
— but how do you prepare to go
into the armed forces?
“I can take an elbow on a rebound, but a god-darn bullet or
poison dart in the jungle?” The
coach shook his head. “I’m not
sure I can take that.”
In 1970, Neer graduated from
Washington and Lee. Over the
the next year, things changed.
Neer was offered a contract to
play basketball professionally in
Bologna, Italy, but after a short
spurt abroad, he returned per
request of the draft board, opted
to join the Navy and, after calling
the Naval Academy coach, was
offered a position as an assistant
basketball coach and physical
education teacher. But he turned
it down — he took a chance, hoping to become an officer. Shortly
thereafter, he was accepted into
officer candidates’ school.
Neer arrived in Newport, R.I. for
training in April of 1971 and was
asked to fill out a “dream sheet,”
asking where he hoped to be stationed and what he wanted to be
doing there. He knew of a naval
base in Italy and wrote that in as
his first choice.
But then he thought a moment.
“I remember saying, ‘Is this really
dream?’ ‘Yeah, yeah,’ they told me.
So I scratched out [Italy] and put
in assistant basketball coach and
physical education instructor.”
A couple weeks later, Neer got a
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phone call. He was to be stationed
in Annapolis, Md. as the assistant
basketball coach and physical
education instructor at the Naval
Academy.
As he finished this whirlwind
account in his office last week,
Neer began to talk slowly, pacing
himself. Most of the time, the coach
can’t sit still. He gets out of his
chair and gesticulates at pictures
that line his bulletin boards to help
tell stories. He pretends there is an
orange line on the wall at 6-foot8-inches to show me how he came
up just short of that mark at his
physical in Roanoke.
Here, however, he was intent.
This was a teaching moment.
“I’ve just written a story here,
because I’ve decided I’m going to
retire,” he said. “I know it’s time
for me to make a change and a
considerable change … but as we
get started talking about you getting ready [to graduate], I guess
I just want to tell you I’ve been
there. And sometimes a push, like
selective service, sets off something
you might not have chosen. And
by luck, serendipity, by creativity,
by whatever, you eventually stop
fighting the current.”
———
Thirty-four years is a long time,
and only one person has been with
UR Athletics longer — Associate
Athletic Director Jane Possee.
To her, yes, Mike Neer is a colleague. Yes, he is a coach. But most
importantly, he is a friend.
Possee has been here just one
year more than Neer. She served
as the women’s basketball coach
for her first three years in addition
to coaching field hockey. She continued coaching until 1992, when
she became an administrator.
She grimaces as she remembers
the ups and downs of the past
three decades, but smiles when
she thinks of times she’s had an
opportunity to work with her
friend, the coach. “There is a story
I have to tell you,” she said, and
she recalled when Neer stepped in
and took over a basketball practice
for her during the 1977-78 season
when she was sick.
“The traditions were so intense
with men and women at that time,”
Possee explained. “For a woman
coach to call and ask a man to
take their practice and run it ...
it was like, ‘What? You’re asking
them to do what?’ He just fit right
in. And he can spin a story and
make it work and still get a lesson
out of it.”
But after 34 years, Possee understands her friend’s decision.
It isn’t easy — these things rarely
are — but she gets it.
“He loves to garden, you know,”
she told me. (Yes, the man enjoys
his day lilies.) “Every year I think
I run into about half of the University staff at the Public Market,
all kind of consumed with getting
their flowers in. And I often run
into him there … and so we share
a lot of that. I think it will be a
change for all of us [in the department], but I think he’s ready and
that’s good.”
She paused. “Now I have to get
ready.”
———
The coaches’ offices in the athletic center have small bulletin
boards outside their doors. Most
coaches post team schedules,
funny anecdotes, newspaper clippings. Neer’s had just one poster
strip on it the day I went to talk
to him. “Good is the enemy of
great,” it read.
Inside the office, however, there
is color. On the left wall are team
photos. But on the right is another
Courtesy of UR Athletics
Recently retired men’s basketball coach Mike Neer loved to crouch
on the sideline. Above, he talks to players during a time out. Below,
he is soliciting advice from former assistant Jay Wright during the
1984-85 season. Wright is now the coach at Villanova University.
bulletin board, only this one isn’t
visible — it’s covered with pictures
of players he has coached over the
last 34 years.
Last week, Neer gave me the
tour of that board. At one point,
his finger tapped a black-and-white
photo taken in 2002, right after
his team found out they would
be receiving a bye in the NCAA
tournament. There are seven or
eight guys in the photo, crowded
together in a group hug.
Neer pointed to each in turn.
“Now, I see — and this is kind of the
dad in me,” he began, then rattles
off names and hometowns. Nassau,
Bahamas. Sidney, Australia. Pittsburgh. Manhattan. Cincinnati.
Corpus Christi, Texas.
There were times over the course
of those two hours I spent in his
office, over the course of the last
two years even, where the 61-yearold coach has looked tired. He’s
even contemplated retiring before
this year, when what has turned
into a year-round job had left him
feeling… well, his age.
On the court Neer has appeared
as tough as ever. But in those moments when he lets all of those
years of highs and lows sink in,
when he is feeling particularly
worn down after a frustrating loss,
the fatigue creeps up on him. Bus
rides home are particularly hard.
“You know you can be excited
about running your 34th consecutive marathon,” Neer said. “But
you also know that that adrenaline
is going to give out at some point.
And you’re thinking ‘Am I going
to have enough, not just to finish,
but to finish strong?’”
Back next to the picture-plastered bulletin board, Neer does
not look tired. As he stood there in
his office, pointing at kids he saw
grow up within the confines of a
four-year window, his age serves
not to his disadvantage, but as a
cradle of accumulated energy.
“I’ve been around long enough
to know that in that picture” — he
jabbed his finger at the group-hug
photo — “is this possibility.” Here
he points to a picture taken a couple
of years ago. It is of him, his college
coach and two of his teammates
from Washington and Lee.
And it seems his former players
are beginning to understand that
possibility as well. In an e-mail
Milbrand passed on to me last
week, he closed with this:
“Many of us were fortunate to
develop a relationship with coach
Neer outside of basketball. For
me personally, this relationship
has extended past college and will
definitely continue well into the future, whether he decides to pursue
his dreams of owning a restaurant
(“Big Daddy’s Diner” comes to
mind) or become a TV basketball
analyst. Bill Walton would have
nothing on coach Neer.”
Hilfinger is a member of
the class of 2010.
Hilfinger is an employee of
UR Sports Information.
From the Pressbox
Thursday, April 15, 2010
The Eye of the Tiger
BY Jon Gillenson
Senior Staff
Many months ago, Tiger Woods
was in a car accident. At the time
it seemed very minor, especially
since no one was seriously injured,
but as we all found out, there was
more to it. The car accident was
the culmination of some problems
behind closed doors.
One by one, women came out
and spoke of affairs they had
with Woods. On his Web site he
apologized for what he called
“transgressions.” The result was
a falling out that is rarely seen. He
was appropriately chastised for his
behavior and became the target of
tabloids and jokes.
Wanting to try and repair
himself and his relationships,
he stepped away from golf. The
tabloids continued and so did the
jokes. He even made the cover of
the New York Post for going to a
sex rehabilitation clinic. Amidst all
this were questions. When would
he come back? How would he be
welcomed when he did? Would he
say anything?
Not too many weeks ago, we received answers. Tiger would return
to golf at the Masters. He ended
up making a public statement in
which he apologized to the fans,
his colleagues and his wife for the
public embarrassment he caused.
Even more recently he was interviewed by Tom Rinaldi of ESPN.
Rinaldi described Woods as one
who looked like he had a weight
lifted off of him.
As the Masters drew near, the
question started to revolve around
what the reaction would be. Tiger
had been lay bare and stripped
down. Now it was time to put things
to the test. In a way Tiger chose
his venue well. Crowds at Augusta
National are always respectful. It
also seemed so appropriate that he
would make his return at a course
where he has had success.
This past weekend we finally
saw what we anticipated. Tiger
came to the tee and the reaction
was very warm, to say the least.
To say this reception meant a lot
to him would be putting it mildly.
He seemed to respond well; after
all, he is human.
Tiger was back doing what he
does best. His response was to
shoot the best opening round he
has ever shot at a Masters. All
along the way, he stopped to sign
autographs and acknowledge the
fans, which he would have never
done previously.
The second day was a little more
difficult than the first, but with no
real hitches. It was the third day
that Tiger took us for a ride. He
had some weak holes and on poor
shots, we heard his mouth.
He had promised to clean up
his act in this department, but
the anger and emotions did not
shock anyone. In the fourth round,
Tiger struggled and then made a
charge and finished tied for fourth
at eleven under par.
Perhaps it is appropriate. It is
hard to say that he did not have
a successful return. It is also
somewhat right that his emotions
showed polarity, because that has
been his life. It is perhaps most fitting that he did not win. It works
because the time just did not seem
right.
Tiger has more fences to mend
before he wins, not to say that he
should not be given a chance. He
definitely should be given a chance
to repair the damage he has caused
and to amend his life. He absolutely
should be allowed to play. That being said, what Tiger did is wrong
in so many ways. Perhaps after he
has built back his relationships,
maybe then.
In summation, Tiger’s first
weekend back was a roller coaster.
He is being given a chance to start
anew, which he absolutely should
get. As the year progresses all eyes
will be on him. He was stripped of
the image of goodness and now he
is looking to regain some footing.
Whatever happens, there is no
question that he is back.
Gillenson is a member of
the class of 2010.
This Week in Sports
Friday, April 16
•Women’s Tennis at University Athletic Association
Championships in Cleveland Oh., 9 a.m.
•Men’s Golf at Fred B. Kravetz Invitational, 9 a.m.
•Women’s Lacrosse vs. Union College, 4 p.m.*
SATURDAY, APRIL 17
•Men’s Golf at Fred B. Kravetz Invitational, 9 a.m.
•Men and Women’s Track and Field at Brockport Invitational, 10 a.m.
•Baseball vs. Vassar College (DH), 1 p.m*
•Softball at Skidmore College (DH), 2 p.m.
•Women’s Lacrosse vs. Skidmore, 2 p.m.*
Sunday, APRIL 18
•Baseball vs. Vassar (DH), noon*
•Softball at Union (DH), 1 p.m.
Tuesday, April 20
•Softball vs. Ithaca College (DH), 3 p.m.*
•Baseball at Ithaca, 3:30 p.m.
WedNEsday, April 21
•Softball at Utica College (DH), 4 p.m.
*denotes home competition
Stat of the Week
3
The total number of runs that the freshman pitchers have given up against
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute over the weekend. The young staff was led by
Jon Menke, Corey King and Nate Kowal. They threw a total of 16.1 innings.
SPORTS
Page 15
athlete of the week
Brian Bezek
By Rebecca Leber
Managing Editor
For the baseball team to be
able to sweep a top contender,
they would
need all their
key players to
be producing.
Sophomore
second baseman Brain
Bezek did
more than his
share this past
weekend.
The financial economics major
crushed the ball in the four games
against Rensselaer Polytechnic
Institute, going a total of eight for
16, with five runs batted in.
These numbers are nothing new
for Bezek as he has been on a tear
this season, hitting .392 and 14
RBIs in 15 total games.
The typical utility man from
the Rochester area has played
a number of positions including
shortstop, but has found a comfortable home at second base. The
Yellowjackets will need Bezek to
keep up the offensive numbers
if they will have a chance in the
Liberty League Championships
in mid-May.
What’s the difference between
playing shortstop and second
base?
Second base is usually a shorter
throw and I’d say its kind of easier
than shortstop. They are pretty
much the same but second base
you don’t have to throw the ball
as hard.
Campus Times File Photo
ning of the year because I was
hurt. This weekend, especially,
things came together. RPI is
our biggest rival so it felt good
to have a victory against a team
like that.
How long were you out from
the injury?
I didn’t play a lot in Florida on
the Spring Break trip. [Since] I’ve
been back in the swing of things,
it’s nice to feel better and be
able to play and to practice with
the guys.
have to let it go and have a short
memory. It helps too when you’re
doing well because then you have
more confidence.
Does the team have any traditions?
This year our main focus has
been on winning. Whenever we
come together before the games
we do our cheer. We say ‘always
win.’ I guess our focus this year is
on the end and to take everything
one game at a time. Winning isn’t
everything; it is the only thing.
What’s your favorite play?
[Defensively,] double plays —
that’s my favorite thing. We had a
couple big ones this weekend that
got us out of some innings.
Do you feel like you improved
this year?
I didn’t play a lot at the begin-
After you’ve had a bad day or
strikeout, how do you clear
your head?
If you play baseball it’s kind of
a thing you learn from a young
age. It’s probably one of the sports
where you deal with failure most.
You’re not going to have a good hit
every time. Even the best players
strike out. … You get used to it.
And you realize if you’re not hitting well, you have to clear your
head quick and get out there
because you have to help your
team defensively too. You kind
of have to separate the two. You
Continued from Page 16
streak at the No. 1 position, as did
sophomores Alexandra Goodman
and Jamie Bow at No. 2.
The next day, April 11, the
women got another win against
Ithaca. This 7-2 win brought
the women’s regular season to
a close with a five game winning
streak and an overall record of
12-4 as they go into the UAAs
this weekend.
“We’ve had a very good past
couple of weeks as we just had
our fifth straight win by beating
Ithaca,” Weiner said. “Everyone
on the team has been working really hard and it has been showing
in our results.”
The women’s team is competing
in the UAAs in Cleveland, Ohio
from April 16-18, while the men
will be traveling to Pittsburgh, Pa.
for their championship matches
from April 23-25. And along with
their rackets and tennis balls,
they’re bringing their confidence
with them.
Olfano is a member of
the class of 2012.
Continued from Page 16
going to do it, I was going to make
it worth it,” O’Connor said. “I think
one of the best parts of the race was
having the support from almost the
whole team, it really pushed me
through the middle miles.”
Almost all of those competitors
qualified for the Eastern College
Athletic Conference (as did the relay
team), along with junior Jacqueline
Cinella, who placed second in the
400-meter hurdles.
The women’s team came in first in
a field of 14 teams, while the men’s
team defeated 12 other schools. With
a score of 229.7 points, the women’s
team crushed all opposition —
SUNY Geneseo came in second with
120.10. The men’s team, with a score
of 145.50 points, had more difficulty
securing first, but managed to fend
off Geneseo, which came in second
with 143 points.
“We won the team title by over 100
points this past weekend,” O’Connor
said. “Every single person has been
out there putting in the miles and
practicing their technique.”
The home field advantage did
not hurt either. Track is in the
minority of sports that seldom
plays at home, and indeed this is
the first track meet of the season
at UR.
“It is just really nice to be able
to throw on a circle you are used
to throwing on every day,” senior
thrower Ethan Kaplan said.
Kaplan, who took third in the
hammer throw with a distance of
44.79 meters, had a lot of company
in top-three territory. Juniors Jon
Pinto and Craig Baumgartner took
second and third, respectively, in
the 10,000. Gregory Hartnett was
second in the 1500.
For the women, senior Elise
Scheid took third in the hammer
throw. Senior Lisa Cole was second in the 1,500 and third in the
10,000. Freshman Kelly Mulrey
placed second in the 100-meter,
while sophomore Sarah Hutchinson was second in the 400.
Next week, the teams will travel
to the Brockport Invitational where
they hope to build on their momentum. Quinn, for her part, expects
great things.
“Our teams are very solid, consistent and well-rounded,” she said.
“We will continue to be tough competitors when postseason arrives.”
Brenneman is a
Take Five Scholar.
What kind of connection do
you have with the shortstop,
senior Nate Stein?
The shortstop and second basemen are close, more than any other
positions on the field, probably
more than pitcher and catcher.
We have to communicate on every
play. … Nate and I are good friends
and we talk about everything as
far as communication goes.
Do you prefer to play in hot
or cold weather?
I’ve lived in Rochester my whole
life, so I’m used to playing in the
cold. As long as your playing and
not on the bench. I’m not a fan
playing in 90 degrees out, when
it’s blistering hot.
Leber is a member of
the class of 2011.
Doubles: UAA Championships are near
ECAC: Three events make ECAC cuts
S p o rt s
Campus Times
Page 16
Results
Baseball
(19-4)
Liberty League standings:
1. UR (12-0)
2. Skidmore (6-2)
3. St. Lawrence (7-5)
4. Clarkson (6-6)
3. Rensselaer (2-6)
6. Vassar (2-10)
7. Union (1-7)
April 10: Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute Game 1
8-3 (W)
April 10: RPI Game 2
11-2 (W)
April 11: RPI Game 1
3-2 (W)
April 11: RPI Game 2
6-5 (W)
April 13: Rochester Institute
of Technology
14-4 (W)
April 14: Keuka College
19-10 (W)
Men’s Golf
April 10-11: Edwards
Jones Shootout at Carnegie
Mellon University
The team finished tied
for fourth place out of
11 teams.
Chris Driscoll tied for
ninth place with a 153
two day total.
Michael Chudacuff tied
for 14th place with a 155
two day total.
Women’s
Lacrosse
(2-8)
April 10: SUNY Geneseo
7-15 (L)
Amanda Case scored three
goals.
Niki Holmes scored three
goals.
Softball
(15-10)
April 13: SUNY
Cortland Game 1
0-4 (L)
April 13: SUNY
Cortland Game 2
4-8 (L)
April 14: Buffalo State
University Game 1
4-3 (W)
April 14: Buffalo State
University Game 2
8-3 (W)
Men’s Tennis
(7-6)
April 10: New York University
7-2 (W)
Women’s Tennis
(8-3)
April 10: NYU
9-0 (W)
April 11: Ithaca College
7-2 (W)
Men’s Track
April 10: UR Alumni
Invitational
The team finished in first
place out of 13 teams.
Women’s Track
April 10: UR Alumni
Invitational
The team finished in first
place out of 14 teams.
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Six-game win streak furthers lead in league
By Brandon Manrique
Sports Editor
The Liberty League standings seemed to be clinched
only half way through the
season as the baseball team
completed the four-game
sweep of the Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute over the
weekend. With this sweep,
UR has completed their third
four-game sweep in as many
tries.
With the two wins on
Wednesday against Rochester Institute of Technology
and Thursday against Keuka
College, UR is on a six-game
winning streak and 12-0 in
the Liberty League.
“Anyone in our lineup can
provide a spark when we
need it by getting on base and
wreaking havoc on the base
paths, and when that happens the rest of our team just
feeds off of that energy and
we are a very tough team to
beat,” senior shortstop Nate
Stein said.
The offense was key over
the six-game span as the
Yellowjacket hitters produced
61 runs.
Skidmore College is the
closest to UR in the Liberty
League standings but is still
six wins behind.
“The wins over RPI are
very big because they are
usually our top competition
in the Liberty League and one
of our biggest rivals,” senior
right fielder Andy Cannon
said. “Sweeping them at their
place is not only big for our
Liberty League standings
and ability to host the Liberty League tournament, but
also gives us a huge mental
advantage over them because
they know how well we can
play.”
Continuing to grow
through the season is UR’s
pitching staff. Despite, being
overshadowed by the offense,
the pitching is silently keeping the team in games. But
even with a pitching staff
playing at an average level,
they can still compete with
the top DIII teams.
“One of the constants
about our weekend performances has been our starting
pitching,” head coach Joe
Reina said. “Dan Ludwig,
Mike Neer: 34 seasons of service
By Dana Hilfinger
Senior Staff
Over 1,700 fans crammed
into the Palestra seats on a
snowy night in January two
years ago. Students spilled
over into the aisles and spectators hung over the glass
at the end of the court to
watch the then-No. 1 men’s
basketball team beat No. 2
Brandeis University.
There was a feeling of
excitement that night. And
Mike Neer felt it. Following
the win, the coach strode
down to where the microphone sat and picked it up.
“I want to say something,”
Neer announced, addressing the crowd. “First, you
guys were amazing. Second,
sleep is overrated. See you
all Sunday.”
It wasn’t unusual to hear
the coach’s demanding voice
carry into the stands during
games. Swear words — or
more creative alternatives
(“Son of a biscuit eater!” and
“Cheese and crackers!”) —
were common.
But that moment, the veteran coach wasn’t letting slip
an inopportune expletive.
His voice wasn’t carrying
across the crowd simply because of its deep tenor. That’s
not how he would normally
operate anyway. His words,
per usual, were deliberate.
And Mike Neer always
did know when to pick up
the mic.
———
Sophomore starting for-
Recently retired UR men’s basketball coach Mike Neer, who has over 500 wins in his 34
years, reacted to a play this season. He is seated next to assistant coach Jim Driggs.
ward Nate Novosel has class
Neer has been the bas- ‘Jon, what are you doing?
every Wednesday at 10 a.m. ketball coach at UR for 34 Just bring the ball up the
But following an early morn- years. He led teams to the court. Who do you think you
ing meeting last Wednesday, Final Four of the NCAA are, Curly Neal?’”
when he and the rest of the tournament four times. He
Neer is a morning person.
UR men’s basketball team was a national champion Over the summer that means
gathered to hear their coach in 1990.
he gets up at 6:30 a.m. every
announce his retirement,
He was stubborn, demand- day and eats three poached
Novosel was not going to ing and never afraid to call eggs and an English muffin
class.
someone out. And, of course, for breakfast. During the
“He just threw it out there he liked to win.
season, that meant he was
and got kind of emotional
“There was one time dur- running 6 a.m. practices
and choked up a little bit, ing practice my senior year Tuesday and Wednesday
because it was such a hard where I was bringing the ball mornings. “I think only
decision for him,” Novosel up the court in a press break ROTC beats us in there,”
recalled. “And afterward, situation,” All-American Novosel said.
there were a few of us who center Jon Onyiriuka ’08
Practices for the men’s
just sat there. We couldn’t explained. “I must have basketball team were a lesgo to class. We were too been doing something weird son in the structured mind of
shocked.”
See NEER, Page 14
because all of a sudden I hear,
By Ross Brenneman
Publisher
When parents always nag
that “a little fresh air will
do you good,” well, it turns
out that they’re right again.
The UR men’s and women’s
track and field teams are one
week into the outdoor season
and already are at the tops
of their games, with each
taking first place at the UR
Alumni Invitational this past
weekend.
In win after win after win,
the track teams dominated
the home invitational: junior
Daniel Lane won the steeplechase in 9:35.67. Sophomore
James Vavra won the 10,000meter run in 32:10.05.
Freshman Zarah Quinn won
the 1500 in 4:59.29. Freshman Justin Roncaioli took
second in the steeplechase
in 9:55.64.
Senior Suzanne Giunta
won the steeplechase in
11:59.58. Junior Megan
O’Connor won the 10,000
in 39.53.80. Senior Melissa
Skevington won the long
jump with a distance of 5.36
meters. Sophomore Nikita
Bourque won the 800 in
2:25.71. And just to rub it
in, the women’s 4x400 relay,
well, they won, too.
“Twenty-five laps on the
track is pretty intimidating, so I decided if I was
See ECACs, Page 15
Ross Brenneman • Publisher
Track and field teams earn ECAC glory
Willie Clark • Editor-in-Chief
Juniors Alex Federation (left) and Frank Ramirez
(right) finished in fifth and third place in the 800.
Nate Kowal, Jon Menke and
Steve Guzski continue to get
better each time out. They
keep us in games and allow
our offense to feel comfortable and not have to press
to score runs. We still have
some work to do to get better
but I feel we are on the right
track.”
UR now sits at No. 23 in
the nation, according to www.
baseballnews.com, and has
the potential to reach the top
as the season progresses.
Manrique is a member of
the class of 2012.
Tennis
UR wins
bring
playoffs
closer
By Caitlin olfano
Copy Editor
As the University Athletic
Association Championships
are fast approaching, the
men’s and women’s tennis
teams have only one word on
their mind: confidence. After
a victorious weekend for
both teams against New York
University, the Yellowjackets
have been gaining momentum for their championship
matches.
On Saturday, April 10,
the men’s team beat out the
NYU Violets with a stunning sweep in doubles play.
Doubles partners freshman
Austin Armstrong and senior captain Brian Bowman,
as well as sophomore Brian
Schmeer and junior Daniel
Barbash, finished in the No.
1 and 2 spots, respectively,
with matching scores of 8-5.
At the No. 3 spot, junior Jeff
Zink and sophomore Matt
Volkov remain undefeated
after a come back in their
match against NYU. Bowman, Schmeer, Armstrong
and Zink also took wins in
their singles matches to
bring UR a 7-2 win.
After their performance
against NYU, their strength
in doubles has been apparent, noted by head coach
Matthew Nielsen.
“I have been impressed
with the focus and resolve
of the men’s team over the
past few weeks,” Nielsen
said. “Earlier in the spring
we struggled to win doubles
matches, but we have seen
tremendous improvement
with new pairings.”
The women’s team took
the win against NYU seemingly with ease this weekend. The ’Jackets kept the
matches low scoring as they
powered through their opponents to a 9-0 sweep. Doubles
team freshman Frances
Tseng and junior Lia Weiner
continued their winning
See DOUBLES, Page 15