The weekly student newspaper at The College of Saint Rose in Albany, New York Volume LXXX Issue 24February 28, 2012

The Chronicle

Arts & Opinion SportsNews & Features

www.strosechronicle.com

Bias in wellness portfolios undermines physical education courses, writes student. Find out more on page C12

Read how the men’s basketball team fared in their season fi nale against UNH. See page D15

Inside: photos from Friday night’s Saint Rose Music Awards in St. Joseph hall. See page A5

In Brief: Details on a pair of recent sexual assaults in nearby neighborhoods. See page A2

Review: a trio of student bands take the spotlight at Jack’s Place. See page B7

Recap of track and fi eld team’s performance in New York City during the Armory Collegiate Challenge. See page D15

Saint Rose Music Awards

KELLY PFEISTERChristopher Banach, of My Favorite Fence, started off the Friday night award show.Continued on page A4

Two Students Involved in Local Bar Brawl

SCHUSTERWEST

By IAN BENJAMINExecutive Editor

A verbal altercation at a Pine Hills bar less than a block from the College took a turn for the violent, spilling out into Yates St. early Wednesday morn-ing, according to James Miller, spokesperson for the Albany po-lice department. Two of the fi ve arrested, Bradley West, 27, and Gabrielle Schuster, 20, both of Albany, are affi liated with The College of Saint Rose.

The fi ghting spilled out of the Stone Crow bar onto Yates St. between Ontario and Partridge streets at approximately 1:20

a.m., said Miller. Five men were seen fi st-fi ghting while a crowd cheered from the sidewalk. The fi ght was seen to break up into smaller groups before moving into the intersection of Ontario and Yates streets.

An Albany police offi cer in the

Continued on page A2

Meet Joe Ray, the Man on the CornerBy TG BRANFALT JR. Staff Writer

It’s been wet and warm lately. Very likely some of the warmest and wettest days we have expe-rienced during this dry, upstate New York winter. Standing on the corner of Madison Ave – that pen-insula where Madison and West-ern converge, that freak show of a corner with six stop lights – is Joe Ray.

A bit over-dressed for the weather, wearing a black knit cap, black gloves and black Carhartt coat and pants, Ray pulls his neon yellow refl ective vest over his head and waits, thermos full of coffee tucked in his coat pocket, for parents and students headed

to Pine Hills Elementary to make their way to his corner.

Joe Ray’s job is to make sure they get to school safely. Well, one of Joe Ray’s jobs.

Joseph Ray III was born and raised in Albany, he and his wife raised a daughter here, and now he looks to give back to the city where he grew up. Aside from serving as a crossing guard, an extremely part time gig with no fringe benefi ts, Ray is also on the Board of Zoning Appeals. There’s an incredible difference between the Joe Ray standing out in the rain with a refl ective vest and Joseph Ray III sitting in the Common Council Chambers

For more photos see page A5

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012NewsA2

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By IAN BENJAMINExecutive Editor

Two sexual assaults occurred the morning of Sunday, Feb, 19, according to an Albany police de-partment press release.

The fi rst victim, 21, was at-tacked while walking along Ham-ilton St. at 2:15 a.m with two friends. A man emerged from be-hind a fence located on the north side of Hamilton, just east of Quail, and approached the three women. The assailant reached up under the victim’s skirt and forc-ibly touched her. He then ran off.

The assailant was described as a “black male approximately 5’7” with a small build,” according to information given to the Albany police, and was “wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.” He was wit-nessed running on Hamilton St. towards Ontario.

The victim called police from her Pine Hills apartment later that morning to inform them of the in-cident.

The second incident occurred in the vicinity of Washington Park. A woman, 25, was walking home at approximately 3:30 a.m.

Recent Sexual Assaultswith a friend. The pair parted ways with the victim continu-ing on to walk through the park alone. As she was walking, the assailant approached the victim from behind and pushed her to the ground. The man then put a hard object to the back of the victim’s head and “proceeded to assault the victim,” said Albany police department spokesperson James Miller. The assailant then told the victim that he would kill her if she moved as he was run-ning away.

The victim transported herself to Memorial Hospital after the attack, at which point Albany po-lice offi cers were contacted. She informed the offi cers that the as-sailant was a black male, 5’7”, with a medium build. The assail-ant was also wearing “black bag-gy sweatpants, hooded sweatshirt and black knitted winter hat,” Miller said. The suspect was last seen heading westbound through the park in the direction of New Scotland Avenue.

“It is unknown at this time if the incidents are related or not,” stated Miller.

JACK TRIPLETT GOLDSTEIN

The Stone Crow is located at 498 Yates St. IAN BENJAMIN

Brawl at Stone Crow (cont.)In Brief

vicinity witnessed the brawl and called for backup. As additional offi cers arrived, the Albany po-lice were able to disperse the fi ght. Four of the participants were arrested for riot in the sec-ond degree. A fi fth man took off before offi cers could apprehend him. “He has since been identi-fi ed,” said Miller.

Schuster, of 51 Hollywood Ave., was arrested on a differ-ent charge. She was allegedly attempting to remove West, her boyfriend, from offi cers as they were attempting to handcuff him. She disobeyed several orders to cease before being charged with obstruction of governmental ad-ministration in the second degree.

West graduated with a masters in education at last year’s com-mencement having completed his degree requirements in December 2010.

Including West, the men ar-rested were Joshua Goldstein, 26, of Albany, Travis Triplett, 22, of Watervliet, and Richard Jack, 19, of Schenectady. All those ar-rested were arraigned in Albany City Court.

It is unclear what incited the brawl.

Continued from page A1

Rabbi to Deliver LectureBy EMILY ROBERTSONBusiness Manager

Rabbi Burton Visotzky, a prominent voice in Jewish- Mus-lim discourse, will present his lecture “From Cairo to Qatar: Jewish-Muslim Relations from One Rabbi’s Perspective,” on Thursday, March 22 at 7 p.m. in the Hubbard Interfaith Sanctuary. This event is free and open to the public.

Visotzky will share some of his insights and experiences and refl ect on what the impact of September 11, 2001 will mean for America and Israel, as well as Jewish, Muslim and Jewish com-munities as a whole. Visotzky has previously been featured, with Bill Moyers, on the PBS series

“Genesis: A Living Conversa-tion,” which aired in 1996.

Visotzky is also involved in the ongoing Jewish-Christian-Muslim engagement worldwide, and is the author of 10 books and over 100 articles. Rabbi Burton Visotzky is currently the Apple-man Professor of Midrash and Ir-religious Studies and Director of the Louis Finkelstein Institute for Religious and Social Studies at the Jewish Theological Seminary of America.

VISOTZKY

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The ChronicleNews A3

Mailing AddressThe Saint Rose Chronicle432 Western AvenueAlbany, NY 12203

Faculty AdviserCailin Brown Official E-mail Address

chronicle@strose.edu

Executive EditorIan Benjamin ‘12benjamini528@strose.edu

MeetingsMeetings are held every Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in the Viewing Room, CCIM 121.

Arts EditorChris Surprenant ‘14surprenantc572@strose.edu

Advertising ManagerAlison Lester ‘12lestera694@strose.edu

Opinion EditorRegina Iannizzotto ‘13iannizzottor407@strose.edu

Managing EditorSunshine Osella ‘13osellas452@strose.edu

Web EditorSearching for applicants.

Sports EditorJackson Wang ‘14wangj847@strose.edu

News EditorScott Lawson ‘14lawsons408@strose.edu

Features EditorSearching for applicants.

Copy EditorMalana Jojo ‘13jojom304@strose.edu

Business ManagerEmily Robertson ‘13robertsone307@strose.edu

PhotographerKelly Pfeisterpfeisterk953@strose.edu

The

Chr

onic

le

VideographerJohn Janitzjanitzj140@strose.edu

Layout EditorJeremie Soemann ‘15soemannj658@strose.edu

Staff Writers David LeBlancMichael SmithJoshua NatoliRachel BoltonMeghan O’ConnorJaired CrofutAsia EwartTheresa TaylorLauren HalliganJohn SlaggSam MaxwellTG Branfalt Jr.

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

AdvertisingAll advertising inquiries should be sent to Advertising Manager Alison Lester at lestera694@strose.edu. The Chronicle offers free black and white 3 by 5 ads to student-run organizations.

Letters to the EditorThe Chronicle accepts Letters to the Editor from any party. Letters should not exceed 750 words.

Any student can join The Chronicle

www.strose.edu/careercenter career@strose.edu 518-454-5141

Career Center What’s Happening @ the . . .

Information Table Resume Critique Week

Center for Disability Services:

Multiple FT &PT Positions 2/28/12 11-2PM in EAC

Camp Scully: Local Summer Camp Staff

2/29/12 11-2PM in EAC

Monday 3/12 9-5:30PM Tuesday 3/13 9-5:30PM

Wednesday 3/14 9-5:30PM Thursday 3/15 9-4PM

Friday 9-4PM Bring a hard copy of your resume &/or cover letter for a 15 minute

review with a staff member!

Local March Career Fairs Schenectady CCC—Public Services Career Expo, 3/8/12, Schenectady Campus

HVCC– Career Fair, 3/13/12 10-1PM, Troy Campus Education Expo—3/22/12 9-3PM, Polish Community Center

Siena College—Spring Career Internship & Graduate School Fair, 3/27/12, Loudonville Campus

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Weekly Safety Tip

When walking alone at night, remember the Safe Corridor Paths that were created for your safety. View the Saint Rose Security Website at www.strose.

edu/security for more details and views of the Safe Corridor Map.The weekly safety tips provided by Professor Rosemary Sheridan's Fall 2011 COM372

Campaigning class in collaboration with The College of Saint Rose Security Department.

Crime BlotterLarceny

Occurred on Myrtle Ave. between Quail St. and S. Lake

Ave.

This crime blotter is compiled using the City of Albany Police Department’s crime map. This map shows the incidents that happened in the past week, Monday through Sunday, within the boundaries of the Pine Hills Neighborhood limits as established by the Pine Hills Neighborhood Association. The map can be found at: http://www.albanyny.org/Government/Departments/Police/cmapping/maps.aspx

LarcenyOccurred on Quail St.

between Elberon St. and Western Ave.

Aggravated AssaultOccurred on Quail St.

between Madison Ave. and Hamilton St.

BurglaryOccurred on Madison Ave. between S. Lake Ave. and

Quail St.

RobberyOccurred on Hamilton St. between Quail and Ontario

streets

LarcenyOccurred on Lancaster St.

between on N. Allen and W. Lawrence streets

Calendar of Events

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

Tuesday, February 2812 p.m. Lunchtime Yoga Hubbard Sanctuary4:30 p.m. African American Read-In Touhey Forum, Lally5 p.m. Karate Club Moran Conf Rm. 5:15 p.m. Yoga Hubbard Sanctuary5:30 p.m. Teaching with Coretta Scott King Award Books Lally Symposium6 p.m. Student Association Officers Interest Meeting Student Affairs7 p.m. Knight Skills Moran Hall7 p.m. Room Reservation Info Session Touhey Forum, Lally7 p.m. SEB Meeting St. Joseph Hall7 p.m. Adventure Club Lima Basement8 p.m. SADD Meeting Main Lounge8 p.m. Yoga for Students Hubbard Sanctuary8:30 p.m. Environmental Club Meeting Lima Basement

Wednesday, February 2912 p.m. NSSHLA Monthly Meeting Lally 1234:30 p.m. Chronicle Meeting CCIM Rm 1215 p.m. Weekly Mass Hubbard Sanctuary6 p.m. Native American Celebration Standish 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. Room Reservation Info Session Touhey Forum7 p.m. Rose Rock Committee Meeting Lima Basement7 p.m. Lacrosse vs Dominican Albany7 p.m. BASIC Meeting Hubbard Sanctuary7:30 p.m. Spectrum Meeting Standish8 p.m. Theatre Guild Main Lounge9:30 p.m. Rose Day Information Session Main LoungeThursday, March 16 p.m. MAPS Meeting ALB 1107 p.m. Tim Rollins and K.O.S. St. Joseph Hall7:15 p.m. MEISA Meeting CCIM Projection Room7:30 p.m. Saint Rose Wind Ensemble and ESYO Wind Orchestra Concert Massry 7:30 p.m. Identity Meeting Lima Basement

Friday, March 25 p.m. - 7 p.m. Annual Juried High School Regional Exhibition Reception Massry

Saturday, March 37:30 p.m. Brian Patneaude Quartet CD Release Event Massry

Sunday, March 49 a.m. - 11 a.m. Karate Club EAC 110

Monday, March 56 p.m. English Club Meeting Library5:15 p.m. Yoga Hubbard Sanctuary7 p.m. Taize Prayer Group Hubbard Sanctuary7 p.m. Knight Skills Moran Hall8 p.m. Outside the [BOX] ALB 2119 p.m. Relay For Life Meeting ALB 207

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012NewsA4

Continued from page A 1

Man on the Corner (cont.)

wearing a suit, mulling over mat-ters of city code.

He takes both of his jobs seri-ously, at the corner he refuses to continue our conversation while helping families cross the busy intersection, and at a zoning meeting, he interrogates property owners looking for a zoning vari-ances. Joe Ray cares about this city.

Ray, briefly studied at Saint Rose, but ultimately received his degree in psychology from the University at Albany, worked a stones throw from the college at La Salle School for Boys for 31 years.

His long career at La Salle be-gan as a janitor and culminated, albeit abruptly, as the assistant director of living.

“I went from the basement to the top floor,” he said.

Ray is a proud, yet humble, guy. He talks a lot about his chil-dren, a son and daughter. His daughter, recently received her master’s degree from New York University. His son-in-law – her husband – is an attorney.

“You gotta get an education,” Ray said, “and I tell these kids, ‘study hard.’”

Ray is well known in the com-munity; he was appointed to his position on the zoning board by Mayor Jerry Jennings and re-selected by the common council. That, however, doesn’t stop him from criticizing the council if he feels they have made a mistake.

The council determines the sal-ary for the crossing guards, which comes from the Albany Police Department budget.

“The common council lowered our salary this year because they feel we don’t do enough,” he said. “You have to wonder, sometimes, what these people at the common council do.”

The crossing guard job, to many, seems thankless. But the

interactions he has with the parents, the kids they are bringing to school, and many at the bus stop are not thankless. He seems to know, and have, a story for everyone.

Standing on the wet corner, wait-ing for the light to change, are a mother and son. Ray kneels down and asks the small boy about his Star Wars beanie. The little boy tells him his favorite char-acter is Jar-Jar Binks, and does his best Chewbacca impres-sion. “What? You don’t like Luke Sky-walker?”

That same family gave Ray a box of candy as a Christmas gift – “Just what I need, right?”

“How come you’re not riding your bike today?” he says to a passenger just getting off the bus.

“It’s too cold!” the man re-sponds.

“We used to play rac-quet ball together,” he said.

A driver, stopped at the light in front of Bruegger’s Bagels, rolls down his window and honks.

“Go Giants!” the pas-senger yells to Ray – a former season ticket holder – who responds with the same.

“My son is a Dal-las [Cowboys] fan,” he said, shaking his head. “I’m still in therapy about that.”

Another young wom-an crosses the street with her small son.

“She’s a sweet girl, two kids. Environmen-talist,” Ray smiles as he talks about her. “I met her husband, real nice

couple. Takes her youngest to daycare first, then to the elemen-tary school then to work.”

“He’s a nice guy,” said Eric Sherman, general manager of the Bruegger’s Bagels. Sher-man serves Ray his small coffee,

which he takes with cream and one Sweet ‘n Low, two or three times a week.

Brandon Irving, while walking his two small cousins home from school, shared the sentiment.

“He’s funny, super-nice,” Ir-ving said. “He talks to every-body.”

Yet, he doesn’t say too much. He was more interested in learn-

ing more about me. He knew just a little bit about everyone that crossed his streets. He points out the “very hard working” Nigerian immigrant family, a father and three children. “He works with computers.” He chats with a bab-ysitter, they joke about a scream-ing fit one of the children had last week.

He never forgets a face.“Don’t I know you from some-

where?” Ray asked me with a smile during our chance meeting at the Zoning Board meeting.

“Yeah, but I don’t think I know you.”

Joe Ray, the crossing guard, conscientiously failed to men-tion Joseph Ray III, the Zoning Board Member, which is perhaps the most telling. His jobs aren’t thankless, he just doesn’t seem to crave the thanks.

“My theory is to make kids happy as they cross. That way they go into the classroom they seem in better spirits.”

“You gotta get an education,” Ray said, “and I tell these kids, ‘study hard.’”Joseph Ray III

TG BRANFALT JR.

TG BRANFALT JR.

“My theory is to make kids happy as they

cross. That way they go into the classroom they seem in better spirits.”

Joseph Ray III

Joe Ray on the corner of Madison and S. Allen streets.

Joe Ray, Albany native and Zoning Board of Appeals Member, mans his post.

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The ChronicleNews A5

Kali Bradford singing in the band Studio 315.

Mackenzie Cohn singing “Turning Tables,” by Adele, withThe Girls Next Door.

Jessica Nappi and Amelia Renaud pose for a photo before the Saint Rose Music Awards Friday night.

Amanda Daley sings “Set Fire tothe Rain,” by Adele.

Kyle Albano performs his own song. Paul Jenkins, of Studio 315,plays the keyboard.

KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER

Saint Rose Music AwardsSaint Rose students dressed to impress for the SMAs in Saint

Joseph Hall Friday night. Hosts Tinamarie Stolz and Myles Clendenin kept the crowd laughing as they rattled off jokes, modeled footie pajamas, and even sang with The Girls Next Door. The entertainment included Brian Willis, Amanda Daley, The Girls Next Door, Studio 315, Lionel Nichols, The Golden Notes, Roger That! The Sleuthsical, Kyle Albano, and Nathaniel Meyers. The event raised funds for Relay for Life.

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012ArtsB6

Plan your future and make a graduate degree from Saint Roseyour next step. Our graduate degrees and advanced certificateswill provide the credentials you need to land your first job andlaunch your career.

Most graduate students are placed in internships or fieldexperiences where they acquire valuable hands-on knowledgeof the working world. Small classes provide personalizedattention from faculty in state-of-the-art facilities.

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Girl in Dining Hall: “You don’t have a logical concept of money.”Guy Friend: “That sucks because I’m a finance concentration.”

Girl in Lally: “Are you saying she’s not funky fresh?”

Girl in Dorm: “I like how you just grabbed her leg.”Other Girl: “It’s okay. She’s my Valentine.”

Guy in Dining Hall: “Are you an organ donor?”Guy Friend: No one’s going to want my liver.”

Girl in Dorm: “We’re going to London. We’re going to boogie on Big Ben.”

Girl in Dorm: “Us Americans procrastinate so much, we’re already a day behind Australia.”

Guy in EAC: “It’s Ash Wednesday. You have to step up your game!”

Girl in CCIM: “The wind was so hard I was pedaling and didn’t go anywhere. “

By CHRIS SURPRENANTArts Editor

Grammy-nominated jazz artist Ravi Coltrane will visit Massry Center for the Arts on Thursday, March 15 at 7:30 pm. One of to-day’s most critically acclaimed musicians, Coltrane is renowned for his innovative style as a saxo-phonist, composer, and bandlead-er.

Coltrane, famous in his own right, is the son of music legends John and Alice Coltrane and has worked with the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, and Car-los Santana. While having found great success as a live performer, Coltrane has also founded an in-dependent record company, RKM Music.

Ravi Coltrane to Visit Saint Rose

Anyone interested in attend-ing the concert should contact Sal Prizio by phone at 518-337-4871 or by email at concerts@strose.edu. Tickets are $25 and are on sale now.

COLTRANEPRESS PHOTO

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The ChronicleArts B7Fiction For Bandits

By LAUREN HALLIGANStaff Writer

Three Saint Rose rock bands, Fiction For Bandits, The 7th Squeeze, and Route 263, all shared the stage in Saint Rose’s own Jack’s Place in CCIM on Thursday, Feb. 23. The concert was a MEISA production.

Each band included at least one member of the Saint Rose student body, and the show offered stu-dents a chance to play for their peers in a familiar atmosphere. Fiction for Bandits, who head-lined the event, commented, “It is a great way to see local musicians in an environment where they are excited to play for others,” ac-cording to Scott Ramundo, com-munications student and drum-mer of the group.

Ramundo explains his band’s style as “hard post-punk,” a de-scription they live up to in con-cert. This being their seventh show ever, he stated that their goal as a band is “to turn some un-expecting people into Banditos.”

The group, comprised of Nick Perry on guitar, Nick Wil-son on bass, Mike Mazzeo on guitar, and Ramundo on drums all contrib-ute vocals to the performance.

With song titles such as “Gwen Stacy,” “Luna Lovegood,” and “Stormy Llewelyn,” which they performed on Thursday, Ramun-

“We are a hardwork-ing band that really

loves performing any-where we can, and any chance we get to make others smile or have a

good time we will do it 100 percent!”

Members of the band Fiction For Bandits performedat Jack’s Place this past Thursday..

LAUREN HALLIGAN

Headlines Show at Jack’s PlaceStudent bands stole the stage last Thursday

do reported that, “All our songs so far are about female fictional characters.” Along with these fic-tional-female themed songs, the band also played a cover of “Us”

by Regina Spe-ktor, which they reportedly adjust-ed to fit their style.

Ramundo de-scribed the band’s drive by stating “We are a hard-working band that really loves per-forming anywhere we can, and any chance we get to make others smile

or have a good time we will do it 100 percent!”

The night’s other performances included Route 263, who opened the show, fronted by sophomore and music industry major Matt Lisk, who played an array of orig-inal songs, which sounded Pearl Jam-esque at times, as well as a cover of folk song “Rye Whis-key.”

The 7th Squeeze, with Saint Rose music industry student Gary Ljungquist on bass, entertained the crowd with a high-energy set, sprinkled with pop covers includ-ing “Lady Marmalade,” in which front man Nick Horace impres-sively mimicked the roles of all five divas who contributed to the 2001 cover of the hit.

Fiction for Bandits invites any-one interested to listen to their music at www.facebook.com/fic-tionforbandits and www.purev-olume.com/fictionforbandits. Al-though band member Perry will be having surgery in the near fu-ture, hindering live performances in the near future, Ramundo said, “During that time we are going to be recording the parts for our CD” which they hope to release sometime in 2012.

Bubba Mann on bass with Route 263.

Nick Horace belts it out for 7th Squeeze.

KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012ArtsB8Friends With Benefi ts Has Few Benefits

By ZACHARY OLSIVICKYContributing Writer

It’s often spoken that people who are in serious relationships consider their partners to be best friends. It’s diffi cult to imagine that a couple would want a seri-ous relationship without a ro-mantic element, but Friends With Benefi ts tackles what might hap-pen in such a relationship. While the fi lm is enjoyable, it struggles with nuance and is ultimately dragged down by questionable screenwriting, taking some ex-cellent performances and putting them to waste.

The fi lm centers around the re-lationship between Dylan (Justin Timberlake), a graphic designer at an L.A.-based web company, and Jamie (Mila Kunis), a recruit-er at a job agency who brings him to New York City for a position at a major magazine. Dylan and Jamie develop a strong friend-ship and have a near-inseparable social life, wisecracking about modern art and playing video games into the wee hours of the morning. One night, the two dis-cuss their love lives and how each seeks romance without strings at-tached. Taking advantage of the situation, the two enter a pact for no-strings-attached sex, trying to maintain their friendship without any complications.

Of course, this plan is doomed from the start; the two become so intimate in and out of bed that they are seen by even passersby as a couple. You couldn’t tell it from the way the two go out of their way to mask their feelings; Kunis and Timberlake try so hard to be friends that they forget there is something beneath the surface.

Their chemistry is similar to that of the main characters in the TV series Entourage, where they try so hard to deny feelings of ro-mance for each other to the point that their friendship becomes unbelievable. In Benefi ts, part of this is the fault of screenwriting, but the actors are also at fault; Kunis and Timberlake capture the highs and lows of their char-acters, but struggle with nuance. Timberlake, while game, particu-larly struggles with his role; his delivery and tone are all accept-able, but just barely. His perfor-mance is at least a bit similar to his role in The Social Network, but the added depths of this char-acter clearly pose diffi culties for him. Although it’s hard to imag-ine two other actors better suited for this fi lm, a pair of veteran ac-tors might have made for more believable chemistry.

Of course, Kunis and Tim-berlake are not the only charac-ters with screen time, and one of Benefi ts’ strengths is in its strong ensemble of minor play-ers. Patricia Clarkson stands out as Jamie’s free-spirited but aim-less mother Lorna, who serves as Jaime’s main confi dant. While Clarkson shines in the role, it stood out as unusual—would a successful young person like Kunis not have a friend her own age to discuss life with? A similar problem develops between Dylan and Tommy (Woody Harrelson), a fl amboyant sports editor at the magazine Dylan works for and is an occasional mentor to Dylan. Harrelson brings an extroverted joy to his role, expertly toeing the line between character and cari-cature. Jason Siegel and Rashida Jones also have minor roles in a

fi lm-within-the-fi lm, and each plays with pitch-perfect parody.

While this parody succeeds, the same can’t be said for most of the fi lm’s other in-jokes and references. The writers take even its most irreverent plot points—references to ‘90s songs, fl ash mobs, etc.—and tries to tie them all together, even when it’s un-necessary. Ironically, the unsta-ble screenwriting is one of the reasons acting stands out as the fi lm’s strength. Benefi ts is driven by conversational dialogue, and banter between characters is the source of most humor. However, the jokes aren’t told in a deadpan manner like most fi lms—charac-ters openly laugh at each other’s jokes, and while it builds rapport between characters, it comes at the price of relegating the audi-ence to the role of observer in-stead of participant.

Will Gluck, who directs and contributes to the screenplay, keeps the fi lm taut and enjoyable. He handles scenes in the bedroom with a balance of taste and temp-tation, although he tends to keep the characters too neat. Kunis’ and Timberlake’s bodies are prac-tically fl aunted on-screen with no visible fl aws or imperfections. This seems impractical—would two people this career-oriented have that much time to maintain a physique? Gluck’s portrayal of the characters may be the fi lm’s biggest undermining—they’re lives are completely removed from any reality that two charac-ters would face in real life. En-tertainment is synonymous with escapism, but Benefi ts takes the latter to such depths that the fi lm is hard to believe and harder to enjoy.

By LAUREN HALLIGANStaff Writer

Sleeper Agent, female-fronted breakout rock band from Bowl-ing Green, Kentucky has recently been basking in the success of their fi rst single “Get It Daddy” off their debut full-length album Celabrasion, which has been gaining airplay since its release in August of 2011. Their latest re-lease off the album, entitled “Get Burned” is equally as catchy for the dance-prone crowds they’ll be performing over the next twelve weeks.

While on their way to their fi rst show on the tour, Sleeper Agent’s front woman Alex Kandel, 19, took time to talk to The Chronicle about what’s been going on with the band.

Q: How long have you been on this tour and how long is it set to last?

A: This is our fi rst day. This tour is going to be about twelve weeks. We get a little bit of a break after the fi rst two weeks, but overall the tour will be about twelve weeks.

Q: Are you touring with any other bands?

A: We’re doing a few shows by ourselves to start out with, but we’re meeting up with fun. [the band] and Ben Kweller. And we’re doing some festivals, so it’ll be a mixed bag.

Q: How long has the band been together?

A: I joined the band January of 2010. This tour actually started about the same time as our fi rst tour ever did last year. So, we’ve been touring together for about one year.

Q: Can you describe to me your personal favorite show you’ve ever played?

A: Probably New Year’s in Chicago was one of my favorite shows we’ve ever done. That was at the Aragon Ballroom with Cage the Elephant, Morn-ing Teleportation, and Company of Thieves. We toured a little bit with Company of Thieves last

year and then Morning Telepor-tation and Cage the Elephant are both from our hometown, so it was kind of like a hometown show transplanted to Chicago.

Q: What music has interested you lately? What have you been listening to in the van?

A: [In the] van, we listen to a lot of music. Right now, a record that’s really great, it’s been like stuck in my head constantly is the EMA records and then we’re about to, as soon as I’m done with this, were going to listen to the new Sleigh Bells record, be-cause we haven’t heard it yet and they’re our labelmates.

Q: How did you decide upon the album title Celabrasion.

A: It’s a combination of the word celebrate and abrasion. It’s a play on words. During the time we all lived in a band house to-gether with no heat, and half the house had electricity and we’d fi nd little reasons to celebrate. Everyone was a little banged up at fi rst about it, but we still had fun.

Q: How do you feel about the success of the song “Get It Dad-dy?”

A: I’m really proud of “Get It Daddy.” I think for our fi rst single ever it did really well, and to hear it on a movie trailer com-mercial [What to Expect When You’re Expecting], it’s really cool that something that we wrote did that well on our fi rst shot. And I’m hoping that “Get Burned” does just as well if not better.

Kandel and the rest of Sleeper Agent invite anyone interested in checking out Celabrasion to do so on iTunes, or “Local record stores are pretty cool,” she added. As fans of the vintage medium, the band will also be releasing the re-cord on vinyl in the near future, which can be ordered from their website sleeperagentmusic.com.

Q&A with Alex Kandel of Sleeper Agent

The full interview with Alex Kan-del may be found online at www-StRoseChronicle.com

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Find our Page by searching “Th e Chronicle at Th e College of Saint Rose.”

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February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The ChronicleArts B9Ghost Rider 2: Not On Fire

By SUNSHINE OSELLAManaging Editor Sometimes, sequels can be rare

gems that are even better than their predecessors. Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance (2D) is definitely not one of these.

Nicolas Cage is back in this sequel as the deal-maker with the devil, Johnny Blaze, who is haunted by his past choices. Blaze is troubled about his hard-to-control condition to the point that he would do almost anything to banish the ghost rider inside him. He finds himself undertak-ing the task of protecting Danny (Fergus Riordan), a young boy of demi-demonic parentage, from his evil-doing father and minions.

Danny is an interesting char-acter that has the fortune of hav-ing his father’s powers without his evilness. The movie implies that his goodness is due to the excellent, loving parenting of his mother, Nadya (Violante Plac-ido). Placido was one of the re-deeming qualities of the film be-cause of her heartfelt acting. She, of all the characters, was the most vibrant and convincing.

It was a fast moving film full of constant action and near miss-es on the acquisition of the boy. Blackout (Johnny Whitworth), an evildoer whose touch causes de-cay, is one of the main pursuers of Danny. There was added ten-sion in the movie because of the history between Blackout, before he was gifted with the power of decay, and Nadya.

The plot is exhaustingly un-original and not handled in a particularly creative way. The devil concept needs new twists to make it interesting and this film simply followed the most com-monly held visions. The expected conclusive demon ritual is disap-pointing and leaves many things to be desired. The film also makes frequent references to politicians being devil worshipers which

would be humorous, except that it was approached in a distasteful way.

This film takes the viewer on a dizzying ride of action sequences designed for the sole purpose of impressing, but it fails miserably. The decision was clear: to see how many explosions can be fit-ted into a 1 hr. and 35 min. movie. They definitely succeeded in their mission, but it was just too much.

This movie, based off a comic book, employed a bit too much of the cartoon qualities. Directors Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor make some bizarre choices with the visual aspects of the movie. They employ the use of just two contrasting colors to create con-trast but it just ends up looking cartoonish and ridiculous.

The opposing religious force was portrayed in an interesting way. Although they may be better than the devil, they are not afraid to stoop to his level in order to preserve themselves. Appar-ently bald men, habits, wine, and crypts are what are favored by the heavenly power.

Humor is seen throughout the film and is sometimes effective but sometimes it fell flat. There is one clever moment when Black-out is attempting to have some-thing to eat but it is all decaying in his hand until he comes across one particular snack food that proves it can withstand even su-pernatural decay. The humor was also targeted towards adolescent boys with one memorable in-stance when Danny asks Johnny about what happens if he has to urinate while he’s on fire.

Growing up with Marvel com-ics and being a fan of the first 2007 film installment of Ghost Rider, I had high hopes for this new addition. Everything from the acting, writing, and cine-matic choices leaves much to be desired. If you are not an easily amused 10-15 year old boy, then this film is not worth your time.

Managing Editor Sunshine Osella poses with the movie poster for the lacking new sequel Ghost Rider 2: Spirit of Vengeance after seeing the film this past weekend.

We tweet weekly updates from our own little space in the Twitterverse. Follow us @strosechronicle.

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SHAINA CARRIGAN

Johnny Blaze is back, and his new movie is anything but heavenly

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012ArtsB10Something Sour, Something Sweet:

Dueling Romantic Comedies

By RACHEL BOLTONStaff Writer

Rating: Sweet

I now return to the strange land of romantic comedies. I tend to hate the formulaic films that are supposed to make me feel all mushy inside. But, I like to try new things and the premise of Friends With Benefits intrigued me. I had hoped that it would be something different, and thank-fully it was. It was a self-aware film that functions as a parody and tribute to the genre.

The film begins with the pro-tagonists both being dumped by their respective partners. Jamie (Mila Kunis) is a “corporate re-cruiter” and Dylan (Justin Tim-berlake) is a web artist she finds for GQ. He agrees to the job and moves from L.A. to New York City. Jamie and Dylan get along well and because he does not know anyone else in the city, the pair continues to hang out.

Jamie and Dylan share their issues about relationships. Jamie claims she is “emotionally dam-aged” and Dylan says he was called “emotionally unavailable.” They both agree that love is over-rated and draining, but they both miss sex. After watching a stu-pid romantic comedy together, Dylan suggests that they become “friends with benefits.” Jamie agrees and they both swear on her iPad Bible app that they will stay friends and that it will be “no emotions, just sex.”

In traditional romantic comedy fashion, we are greeted with a montage of good times between Dylan and Jamie. They “have fun together” and he takes her to meet his family in L.A. One of the funniest moments in the film happens when Jamie makes Dylan climb into an “O” in the

Hollywood sign. But, of course, the third act breakup must occur and Jamie departs from LA sad and alone. Will they ever realize that they love each other?

Friends With Benefits is a raunchy feel-good movie. It does follow the formula for romantic comedies, however it becomes tolerable because the characters take every opportunity to poke fun at the genre. In another instant of “dueling movies,” Friends With Benefits shares numerous similarities with the Natalie Port-man/Ashton Kutcher vehicle No Strings Attached. The plots are both about young, hip profession-als who have issues with relation-ships deciding to become friends with benefits.

In the end, Friends With Ben-efits is the better movie. The chemistry between the leads is more palpable than in No Strings Attached. NSA is a regular ro-mantic comedy, in that it fol-lows and takes the formula seri-ously. It begins in the same way as Friends With Benefits, full of sarcastic repartee. However, as it progresses, it decays into a sappy drama and stops being enjoyable.

FWB, on the other hand, uses the formula much more effec-tively. The insertion of true dra-ma into the plot does not feel as forced and does not bog down the story. The movie stays funny and does not end up as a pile of heartstrings-pulling mush.

Check out Friends With Ben-efits. It’s outrageously hilarious and you will be rooting for Ja-mie and Dylan to get together. It reaches a satisfying ending with-out getting too cheesy.

If you’re looking to enjoy an-other good romantic comedy, check out the classic movie When Harry Met Sally. It’s a wonderful story about two friends falling in love.

The Crime Corner

By CHRIS SURPRENANTArts Editor

And Then There Were None

Over the past few weeks, I’ve suggested some of my favorite Agatha Christie novels, and it’s been a hoot and half. I’m sad to say that this will be the last in-stallment of “The Crime Corner.” That being said, I’d like to leave you with a work that I have mixed feelings about: And Then There Were None. This is Christie’s best-selling novel, making over 100 million sales. Though popu-lar, I’m not sure that I’m entirely satisfied with the ending.

And Then There Were None is perhaps the original isolation novel. Ten guests are summoned to the remote Indian Island by the mysterious U.N. Owen. Each has a past that is unsavory, to say the least, and is accompanied by a particular type of displeasing per-sonality. One by one, they meet fates that they may or may not de-serve. Cloudy and atmospheric, the novel invites the readers into a realm that neither they nor the characters can escape.

The novel has a somewhat smoky history, even before the front cover is cracked. The story had originally been titled Ten Little N****rs after an ancient nursery rhyme that is referred to within its pages, but was changed when the novel reached America due to its offensive nature. It was later published in the states as Ten Little Indians, which was more socially acceptable at the time. Still, in the realm of correct poli-tics, current editions of the book are now entitled And Then There

Were None. The rhyme plays a key part in Christie’s story, as it foreshadows how particular char-acters will meet their end.

This particular work of Chris-tie’s has an interesting quality to it, in that it appears to setup the slasher genre contemporary au-diences have been familiarized with on film. Of all the Christie novels I have read, this one adds a definitive creep factor to the standard “whodunit” story. Un-characteristically of the author, the murders described in the text are much more gruesome than her other works.

The characters involved be-lieve that a murderer is hiding on the island, causing subsequent deaths in grotesque fashions that adhere to the nursery rhyme. Death comes about in the form of an axe to the head, bludgeoning, poison, and drowning to name a few. None of them are safe, and they slowly believe the murderer to be one of their own, rather than a sadistic outsider.

I will say that this novel kept

me on the edge of my seat while reading. I pointed my finger at every character and accused them of the murders, only to be wrong at each instance. Of course, the murderer is revealed at the end in an ingenious fashion that only the Queen of Crime could manufac-ture. This is where I have a prob-lem. Half the fun of this book is the idea that none of the folks on the island were the murderer. It is entirely plausible in context of the plot that none of them were the serial killer. The ending is al-most a cop-out on a really good, ambiguous story. In this case, I hated to find out who the mur-derer was.

This novel is a definite head-scratcher, and will take the reader on a really fun ride with inter-esting characters and a fantastic plot. The ending may fall short of expectations, but it’s a pleasure to read.

One by one, I’ve listed my fa-vorite Agatha Christie novels in the past weeks. It’s come time to say And Then There Were None.

What’s that movie you’re dying to see? Is there a TV show you can’t stop talking about? Tell us! Chris

Surprenant and Rachel Bolton will discuss anything and everything pop culture on The Chronicle’s podcast.

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

Agatha Christie’s novels have baffled readers for generations. With over 80 titles, the mysteries will keep entertaining many for years to come.

BRIAN PICENTE

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The Chronicle C11Opinion

Caroline Murray is a commu-nications major currently study-ing abroad at Regent’s American College in London.

By CAROLINE MURRAYFormer Ad Manager

It has been a little over a month since I have arrived at Regents College London and I already feel like I have seen the world. In reality, I have only scraped the surface, but for someone whose favorite vacation place is Re-hoboth Beach, Delaware, these last few weeks have been some-what surreal.

I’m still recovering from a long weekend in Edinburgh, Scotland. After a sleepless, nine hour bus ride to the little “magical” city, my travel-mates and I were ready to crash at our hostel – a cute lit-tle establishment, complete with game rooms and a café, with a £10.00 a night price tag and per-fect location. However, as soon as we stepped off of the coach bus, we were blown away by our im-mediate surroundings. The city was beautiful, old and charming. It has gigantic mountains on the outskirts and what seemed like a castle on every corner.

After asking about five friendly faces for directions to our hostel, we eventually found our way and dropped off our bags. The first thing we did was climb Arthur’s Seat, a mountain that was formed by an extinct volcano hundreds of millions of years ago. Although we were all incredibly beat, we shook off our tiredness and head-ed up the trails. It was windy and we were poorly prepared for the adventure, but our adrenaline and determination led us all the way up to the top, an 822 foot climb!

The view from the top of the mountain was unbelievable. I could not refrain from singing and dancing to “The Hills Are Alive” from The Sound of Music while taking it all in. It surely was an accomplishment and marks one of the best things I have done since I arrived in Europe. It was free, too!

Besides castles and mountains, Edinburgh is also host to the birthplace of Harry Potter! The Elephant House is a small café where J.K Rowling wrote her first, second and third novel, and is located right in the heart of the city. Although I have never been a huge fan (I just do not have the patience to read the entire series), it certainly was interesting to see where all of her inspiration came from. Anywhere in the city could have been mistaken for Hog-warts. I could not help but feel captured under a spell while ex-ploring this city.

Although visiting Edinburgh was an amazing experience, it is always nice going back to a city like London. I fell in love with London the day I arrived. The ar-chitecture, its history, the fashion, and the countless pubs on every city street, there isn’t much to not like about it.

While staying here, I am fortu-nate enough to live in one of the most fantastic locations in Lon-don. Regents College is located in Regents Park, which is owned by the Queen. During my free time, I enjoy taking a stroll out-side the college. Whether I am by

myself or with a group of friends, it is always an exciting journey. Sometimes I will take the tube (subway) to Covent Garden, which is not much of a garden at all, but a place for street per-formers, lavish shops and farm-ers markets. Perhaps one of my favorite areas to visit is Camden market. Here, is where one can find a more eclectic scene. This area is full of open-air markets, where you can literally find a 200 year old English Painting and a Star Wars lunch box under the same roof. When I do not feel like taking public transportation, I find myself venturing out to the busy streets of Oxford or Picca-dilly Circus, which could easily be mistaken for 42nd Street or Time Square.

Surprisingly, London reminds me a lot of New York City, but quainter and cleaner. Everything here, from the food to the fashion, the college to the nightlife, is sim-ilar to that of an American life-style, but finely tweaked. There are just enough distinguishes to make me and the other American students feel like we are indeed abroad. However, I never feel too far away from home.

Why I Fell In Love With London

COURTESY OF CAROLINE MURRAY

Caroline Murray atop Arthur’s Seat in Edinburg, Scotland.

By ANDI BOYHANWomen’s Initiativecsrwomensinitiative@gmail.com

Some people my not think sex-ism is a problem in their lives. We all know that women are still getting paid less than men, and we have had discussions about how show-business likes to de-pict women, but it really goes much deeper than that. Sexism is all around us – in our school, in the streets, and even within our groups of friends. Some people just do not notice it, but once you start looking, you realize it is ev-erywhere. Over this past semes-ter, I have noticed more and more how the fact that I am a woman changes how I am treated, and how people perceive me. Here are five ways sexism has affected my daily life, and I am sure it will soon seem all too familiar.

1. What does your father do? When riding the CDTA, you are bound to strike up a conversa-tion every now and then with a stranger. One rainy morning, I happened to sit next to an old businessman who decided he wanted to talk to me. Fine, noth-ing wrong with a friendly chat, right? So first he asks me if I am a student, to which I obviously reply ‘yes’. And what is his next question? ‘What does your fa-ther do?’ What does my father do? WHAT DOES MY FATHER DO!? What does that have to do with anything? How does his occupation effect this conversa-tion? And how do you know my father does anything? How do you know my mother is not the one bringing home the bacon, and that my father does not fry it up in a pan? If you are asking about me, ask about ME. I am not my father, and what he does has little to no effect on me. Of course I did not say this; instead I politely replied ‘Oh, he does something with computers. I’m not really sure.’ But the question really irked me, and I actually have not been able to stop thinking about

How I Know Sexism ExistsThe View from Venus

it since. I just do not see why he asked me that and why he would assume my father even did any-thing.

2. Will you give me a hand? It is no secret that Saint Rose has a lot of ladies. In fact, it is about 60% female. I do not know about the art department specifically, but I think that three is about the average amount of males in my art classes. Now, not all of these males are exactly ‘buff’, and do not get me wrong, not all of the girls are super muscular either, but I definitely would not say that all of the guys are stronger than all of the girls. And yet, whenev-er there is something that needs to be moved, or if a shipment comes in, who do you think gets asked to help out? I may not necessarily WANT to participate in manual labor during class, but I am cer-tainly just as capable and so are most of the other females in the room. Just because someone is male does not mean they are any better at picking up a bag of clay or pushing a chalkboard. If I were one of the guys being constantly asked to move this or carry that, I would not be pleased, and as a female I am personally insulted that I am not considered just as qualified to do these mundane tasks that only require a slight amount of energy. I mean really, do you think my female arms are so fragile they cannot pick some-thing up? Or maybe you think I am going to trip on my skirt? Or will not be able to see with all of my beautiful, flowing hair in the way? I am NOT going to break a nail nor am I going to hurt my-self. ASK ME FOR HELP!

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012OpinionC12The Necessity of the Wellness Packet. Not.

The Physical Education Portfolio or Wellness Packet must be completed by every student who enrolls in a gym class.

SABRINA CASTROVINCI

By VINCENT GABRIELLEContributing Writer

I have a confession to make. I have never filled out the “You are special” card in the gym packet. I have never assembled a kit in case of an earthquake and I have never followed the behav-ioral contracts I have made. This means that I am “unwell” accord-ing to the Phys-Ed Department. But what is this “wellness” that these packets purport to enhance and are the methods in the packet effective?

The Phys-Ed Department has decided to assign wellness a whopping seven dimensions: Spiritual, Physical, Emotional, Career, Intellectual, Environmen-tal, and Social. The packet has corresponding sections designed to address these dimensions, a workout regimen for physical, a “research” section for intel-lectual, and a mandatory trip to the career center and so on. The packet also asks that you sign “Behavioral Change Contracts”

for five of the dimensions which ask you to set a realistic self-improvement goal and a reward for achieving the goal. But what constitutes a healthy change and what constitutes a realistic goal especially in the abstract dimen-sions of wellness? I know that increased physical activity is a good goal for physical behavior, but what is “improved spiritual-ity”? How are you supposed to grade that? How do you know what a good goal is? These ques-tions are not adequately answered by the materials provided in the packet nor are they addressed in the gym classes I have taken. The packet was always an after-thought, thrown in at the last sec-ond and barely addressed during class. With this kind of treatment, the packet is inevitably under ad-dressed and poorly implemented. If "wellness" is the goal, this is certainly not achieving it.

The packet does not just fail because it is usually an after-thought; the content of the packet is of dubious quality and looks

randomly pasted together. The Spiritual section is particularly egregious. “How has your edu-cation at the College of Saint Rose prepared you to embody courage in the future?” (Their emphasis, not mine). What kind of question is that? How is one supposed to know if a college ed-ucation makes one courageous? What if your answer is that col-lege has not impacted your level of courageousness? How is this question supposed to be graded? The question is confusing in con-text and is often left unaddressed in classes. I would like to have a discussion about this in a “well-ness” course, but I am not taking a “wellness” course, I am taking swimming and we are doing 30 laps today. Without room in a course for discussion, the entire section makes no sense and adds nothing of value to a class.

The Spirituality section con-tinues with another question like this (again their formatting not mine): "List one way the Physi-cal Education course prepared you to nurture respect for and the commitment to life-long learning in the future?" Gram-matical errors aside, this section makes no sense at all. Since when is it the job of my swimming teacher to “instill a respect for life-long learning”; is that not something better left to other de-partments, like say Humanities, Arts and Sciences? I will surely gain a great respect for life-long learning between badly choreo-graphed “self-defense” sequenc-es in which muggers are thwarted by flailing.

Finally, we come to the worst part of the section. First, it bi-zarrely quotes the “National In-terfaith Coalition on Aging” and lists some criteria for meaning-ful “Spiritual Wellness”. Then, it goes on to ask (but not in bold this time) “What higher power or God determines your values, eth-ics and morals?” This question is horrible and presumptive. It assumes that people are incapa-ble of forming their own values and must have them imparted by some outside supernatural power.

It assumes that everybody be-lieves in a supernatural power or a god. I am an atheist, a humanist, and a Bright; how am I supposed to answer this? What if I was a pagan that believed that the gods were beings which are to be bar-gained with and appeased but not necessarily moral? What if I were a Buddhist or a Jainist? What if I just do not care? Are these theo-logical and philosophical posi-tions wrong? Will I get points taken off because I do not believe the way that is presented in the

packet or because I do not believe at all? Is this an appropriate ques-tion for a gym class to ask?

These questions get to the heart of the problem with the packet; the "wellness unit" crosses the line by blurring the personal ideology of whoever wrote the packet and the subject at hand. It does this without consideration for what an appropriate level of work is for a single credit course and for what the domain of a Physical Education Class should be. A phys-ed class should not try to be a ladder to enlighten-ment, should not evaluate your beliefs, and should not be where you stretch intellectually, emo-tionally or spiritually. A phys-ed class should not require you to attend a “wellness fair” featur-ing pro-life activists and religious groups alongside booths hawk-ing gym memberships and hiking

clubs (which is something that happened at a wellness fair I at-tended two years ago). A political action group trying to ban abor-tions and advocates abstinence-only education is not an appropri-ate selection for a wellness fair. A religious organization is not an appropriate choice either unless you are willing to include more diverse opinions. When you do not do that, you send a message that proclaims that there is only one way to be well and that way involves anti-abortion activists, church and exercise.

Now, do not get the wrong idea; I would gladly do the non-physical education parts of the gym packet if they were presented in relevant courses or offered as a separate multiple credit "well-ness course". In fact they already are. The College of Saint Rose is a liberal arts institution and fea-tures a wide array of classes that do the things the wellness packet fails to do. We have a religious studies department and philoso-phy department to cover matters spiritual and ethical. We have an English department that includes the Frequency North visiting au-thor series. We have a science department that is not only intel-lectually challenging, but it also invites researchers to come and give talks. Every department is doing something related to the wellness packet. Following the liberal education guidelines pretty much covers everything in the packet without going over ideological lines or ham-fistedly shoving material where it does not fit in. The problem with the “wellness” packet is not just that it is weird, poorly implemented and ideological; it is also redun-dant and unneeded.

I know that increased physical activity is a good goal for

physical behavior, but what is “improved

spirituality”?

ADVERTISEMENT

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The Chronicle C13OpinionWinter Word SearchA Lookback at Strose

Rosemarie Roesch and Paula Anguish practice taking photographs of Patricia Lace. Rosemarie and Paula were staff members of The Ros-evarian, the College’s newspaper from 1940 to 1967. Patricia is using equipment in the Language Lab, which was located in the Library. It was used to learn and practice foreign language skills by listening to audio. (Archives)

SAINT ROSE ARCHIVES

Sudoku

http://www.printable-sudoku-puzzles.com/

http://www.puzzles.ca/wordsearch/winter.html

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012SportsD14

By JOSHUA NATOLIStaff Writer

The front office of the New York Yankees suddenly found themselves with seven starting pitchers in their laps before the start of spring training. That is quite an unusual position, espe-cially for the Yankees. So, what is a team with a plethora of starting pitching to do? Trim the fat.

Once the Yankees acquired Mi-chael Pineda in the Jesus Montero trade, and signed free agent pitch-er Hiroki Kuroda, the eyes of the staff and the fans went right to AJ Burnett.

When you play for the New York Yankees, two things can happen: you will either be loved or hated. Now, when I say hated, I don’t mean being just booed off the field, I mean you’re lucky if you make it home unscathed.

Yankee fans grew tired of Bur-nett after he would pitch six un-hittable innings, only to give up a three-run home run late in the

game and get a loss. They also weren’t fond of Burnett digging himself into a four-run hole be-fore fans could take a sip of the ten dollar beer they had just pur-chased.

When the Yankees signed AJ Burnett, they had hoped he would be quality second starter behind the recently acquired CC Sabathia. The Yankees picked up Burnett for five years at $82.5 million in hopes of winning a World Series, which they did.

Burnett finished the year with thirteen wins and nine losses with an earned run average just above four. He was also a main piece to the postseason starting rotation of himself, Sabathia, and Andy Pet-titte.

Burnett could not carry his 2009 postseason success into the 2010 regular season. He fin-ished out the season with ten wins and fifteen losses and an earned run average over five, all career worsts. He also could not conjure up another great postseason run

as the Yankees lost to the Texas Rangers in the ALCS.

Yankee fans hoped Bur-nett could finally turn his game around in 2011, but he could not. Instead, he left fans worrying ev-ery time he took the mound. He bettered his record, finishing with eleven wins and eleven losses, but could not bring his earned run average below five for the second straight year. He could not help the Yankees in the postseason ei-ther, after losing in the ALDS to the Detroit Tigers.

The Yankees took action af-ter two dismal years of Burnett. They decided that one World Se-ries wasn’t enough return on in-vestment for the 35 year old. Bur-nett was shipped to the Pittsburgh Pirates in exchanged for two low-level prospects and a shaving of $20 million off of the remaining $33 million the Yankees owed him.

Trading Burnett is one of the smartest moves the Yankees have made this offseason going into spring training. Starting pitching was obviously a big concern for the Yankees after the postseason. The trade for Michael Pineda gave the starting rotation a much needed boost of youth and skill.

Many speculate over his re-cord, but you have to remember he was pitching for the Seattle Mariners, one of the most lack-luster offensive teams in the league. The signing of Hiroki Kuroda gives the Yankees a short term gain and more time for the Yankees’ pitching prospects to prepare for their major league de-buts in 2013.

This left Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia, and Burnett to fight it out for the fifth starting spot. With both Freddy Garcia and Phil Hughes pitching better than Bur-nett, it was only a matter of time before the Yankees shipped him off.

Now the Yankees are left with a starting rotation without any major holes. We will see how that holds up when the regular season starts. For Burnett though, it’s on to the next one.

Sayonara to Burnett

WIKIMEDIA COMMONS

Burnett has 125 wins and an ERA of 4.10 in his career.

By MICHAEL SMITHStaff Writer

Last Monday, Mariano Rivera reported to the Yankees spring training camp. Upon arriving, Rivera spoke with the media and an interesting moment occurred.

When asked if he planned to retire at the end of the season, Rivera responded by saying, “I know now, I just don’t want to tell you. I know now. I will let you guys know when I think I should tell you.”

This began a whirlwind of speculation that 2012 would be Rivera’s last year in the majors. He is entering the last year of his contract, and he enters this year with 603 saves, two ahead of Trevor Hoffman for most all-time. The closest active player is the Blue Jays’ Francisco Cordero, 276 behind Rivera.

As you can expect, the Yankees aren’t exactly ready to let him go, Hal Steinbrenner, the team’s managing general partner, made that clear.

“He’s obviously a lifelong Yankee,” Steinbrenner said. “When he decides to retire some-day, whenever that may be, we all hope he’s going to be wearing the pinstripes. No doubt about that.”

Why wouldn’t they want him back? With how dispensable re-lievers have become in recent years, it is hard to believe any-body challenging Rivera’s save numbers. Rivera also holds the all-time postseason saves record with 42, Brad Lidge being 24 be-hind. He also is the owner of the best postseason ERA of all-time with a staggering .70 in 141 in-nings.

Rivera seems intent on keep-ing his decision a secret until sea-son’s end, he told the media that he only told his family, and that apparently includes Derek Jeter.

“You’re not going to get any-thing from me about Mo,” Jeter said. “Mo told you what he want-ed to tell you. He’ll share his thoughts and opinions with you when he’s ready. I’m not going to sit here and get into the specula-

tion about what people assume

he meant. That’s up to him. I’m not going to get involved in that. You appreciate him while he’s here. I think ev-eryone should just focus on that as opposed to if and when he’s going to retire.”

When Jeter was told that Rive-ra said he only told family, Jeter laughed and said “I guess I’m family.”

Jeter makes a great point, even at the advanced age of 42, Rive-ra is easily the best closer in the game. Most people would say he is the best ever, so enjoy watch-ing him.

Everybody knows that athletes have a shelf life, some longer than others, but they can’t last forever, even the great ones. In Rivera, Jeter, and Alex Rodriguez, the Yankees have three of the great-est players in major league histo-ry. All throughout the year in the ninth inning, you will see all three players on the field at once.

So if you are a baseball fan, take it in and appreciate it be-cause three players of that talent level are truly something to mar-vel at.

Rivera Retiring?

“When he decides to retire someday, whenever that may be, we all hope he’s

going to be wearing the pinstripes. No doubt

about that.”Hal Steinbrenner

A furor of speculation surrounds the possibility theore four could be down to one after this year

February 28, 2012 Volume 80 Issue 24 The Chronicle D15Sports

By CONNOR HICKSContributing Writer

In an emotional final game, the Golden Knights concluded their season on a high note against the University of New Haven, notch-ing a 73-70 win.

The Golden Knights played

incredible defense all night, forc-ing 19 turnovers from a solid New Haven team. They saw four players reach double digit scor-ing and, once again, took down a team headed to the NE-10 tourna-ment.

Junior guard Andre Pope led the way with 18 points, while se-

niors Rob Gutierrez and Sheldon Griffin each contributed with 14 and 15 points apiece. Sophomore Dominykas Milkas added in 15 points, respectively.

The Golden Knights saw them-selves trailing by eight points in the first six minutes, but con-tinuous stellar shooting from the guards and domination by the big men saw them take a 17-16 lead with just under nine minutes to go in the first half.

The Golden Knights would finish the half shooting over fifty percent from the floor, and they would continue the run to finish the first half with a commanding 35-26 lead.

New Haven came out of the gates hot in the second half and immediately went on a run to cut the lead to one with thirteen minutes to go. It remained a tight game until the Golden Knights caught a spark from a play that could only be made possible by teammates who have been play-ing together for a while.

Rob Gutierrez stole the ball, dribbled the length of the court and threw a no-look lob that was caught and viciously thrown down by fellow senior Sheldon

Golden Knights Finish in Style

Griffin. “We’ve been playing together

for five years so I pretty much know at all times where he is on the court. I saw him running on the right side and I knew if I threw it up he was going to catch it,” said Gutierrez of the play.

The play immediately brought fans to their feet and the Golden Knights cruised to the finish line from there.

Another emotional moment came when the third senior, Bri-

an Hanuschak fouled out of the game. Cheers of “Big Brian!” rang through rows of home sec-tion as he walked off the court for the final time.

Rob Gutierrez knocked down a few free throws, and just like that, it was all over.

“It’s been an awesome ride. Coach Beaury is a hell of a coach and I wouldn’t want it any other way. It’s been awesome playing with those guys and I’m going to miss it,” said Gutierrez. Senior Brian Hanuschak setting a pick for senior Rob Gutierrez.

Rob Gutierrez looking to pass the ball to Dominykas Milkas.KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER

By JACKSON WANGSports Editor

On Thursday, the men’s and women’s track and field team completed their 2011-2012 cam-paign at the Armory Collegiate Challenge in New York City. Just like they’ve been doing all year, another new school record was set that afternoon.

Sophomore Jessica Razy once again broke her own school re-cord in the 200 meter with a time of 25.56 seconds placing her in 10th place. This was the seventh time Razy has bettered her own record in the two years as a Gold-en Knight.

Razy wasn’t the only one keep-

ing up with the success. Sopho-more Soroya Hudson continued her phenomenal year in the triple jump by placing third in the event with a vault of 11.67 meters.

Off the track, junior Briana Del Bene showed off one of her stron-gest performances of the year in the weight toss with a lob of 13.43 meters placing her in sixth place.

On the men’s side, first year Golden Knight Robert Robinson continues to shine off the track in the long jump. Robinson placed third in the event with a jump of 6.85 meters. Robinson has sur-passed the 6.5 meter mark three times this year.

Another top-10 finish came

Track and Field Concludes 2011-12 Season at Armoryfrom senior Ryan Saunders who finish seventh in the 60 meter with a time of 7.16 seconds.

The Armory Collegiate Chal-lenge concluded the Golden Knights track and field team’s 2011-2012 season. Some Golden Knights will have to wait and see if they qualify for the NCAA In-door Championships which is held at Myers Fieldhouse of Min-nesota State-Mankato on March 9th and 10th.

Next up for the other athletes of the track and field team will be the outdoor season.

Sophomore Jessica Razy holds the school record in the 200 meter. COURTESY OF SAINT ROSE SPORTS INFORMATION OFFICE

Volume 80 Issue 24The Chronicle February 28, 2012SportsD16Men’s Basketball Finish Season on High Note

Golden Knights end their 2011-2012 campaign with a 73-70 win over University of New Haven.

For the full story, see page D15

Sheldon Griffin setting a pick. Brian Hanuschak posting up with the ball.

Dominykas Milkas looking for the ball in the paint.

Rob Gutierrez looking to get the ball to Dominykas Milkas. Andre Pope attacking the basket.

KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER KELLY PFEISTER

KELLY PFEISTER KELLY PFEISTER