Tuesday, December 4, 2012Volume CXIX No. 73 www.dailycampus.com

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What’s on at UConn today...

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International Center-Intl.

Women’s Group Food Drive9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

McMahon International Center

The international Women’s Center is having a non-perishable holiday food drive help supply the Emergency Food Pantry at the Covenant Soup Kitchen, Willimantic, CT.

Business Majors Panel6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

BUSN 106

Learn about the different majors the School of Business offers. Students from every business major will talk about each major. There will be a panel and a Q & A.

Symphonic Band7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Von der Mehden Recital Hall

The ensemble concert costs $10 for general admission and is free for chil-dren and students with ID.

Men’s Basketball vs. North Carolina State

9 p.m. to 11 p.m.Madison Square Garden, NYThe Huskies take on the Tar Heels.

The game will be broadcast on SNY.

– ELIZABETH BOWLING

ClassifiedsComicsCommentaryCrossword/SudokuFocusInstantDailySports

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» index

NEWS/ page 2

FOCUS/ page 5

EDITORIAL: UCONN DAILY DIGEST HAS PROVED TO BE AN INDISPENSIBLE TOOL

COMMENTARY/page 8

SPORTS/ page 12

» INSIDE

UCONN SENIOR WRITES AND DIRECTS OPERA ABOUT THE HOLOCAUST

Flu season is starting earlier than it has in the past 10 years.

UConn survives early test, toppling Maryland.

The Student Daily Digest is an effective tool for university communica-tion.

INSIDE NEWS: CDC SAYS U.S. FLU SEASON STARTS EARLY, COULD BE BAD.

TAMING THE TERRAPINS

The Daily Campus1266 Storrs RoadStorrs, CT 06268Box U-4189

‘Always Hope’ premiers Dec. 7 & 8, 7 p.m. at Jorgensen

Masonicare, an assisted living facility for the elderly, is still facing difficulties getting water and can’t begin a time table for construction in Mansfield until this issue is solved.

Senior Vice President of Masonicare, Jon-Paul Venoit, addressed the Mansfield Town Council back in September where he told the town council that the lack of water in the area is what’s holding up the building process; however, his company is still going to proceed with the proj-ect in Mansfield. As of today, not much has changed since that September town council meet-ing, and the company is now focusing on what other services Masonicare can bring to the town.

“Very little has changed since that meeting,” said Venoit. “We are obviously still waiting to see when the timeline if at all as to when the waters coming. I think the other piece we are working on is to see what other services we can bring to Mansfield, whether it be some of our homecare or other homemaking and companionship services through Masonicare.”

UConn’s stance on this project is still the same, according to Venoit. This comes after a recent Environmental Impact Evaluation of UConn’s additional sources of water. UConn is proposing to extend a source of drinking water to Mansfield and Storrs. The pur-poses of this proposed project are to maintain safe drinking water for the university, supply water for future UConn projects and to meet water demand in northern Mansfield.

Mansfield has been a very attractive location for the proj-ect, due in part to its proxim-ity to UConn. Vice President for Marketing and Communications of Masonicare, Margaret Steeves said that area has a lot of ameni-ties that seniors are looking for

when they decide to retire. “I think the proximity of the

campus is really an allure for the potential residents of such a com-munity,” said Steeves. “There’s a whole demographic especially with the aging baby boomers that they want to be near a college campus with all the amenities that are there.”

Masonicare is continuing to work closely with Mansfield to move process forward so a time table can be set up as to when development of the 40 acre site will begin. According to Venoit, Masonicare has had multiple dis-cussions with town officials, par-ticularly with the planning and zoning department and the town is still on board with the project.

“We have had discussions with planning and zoning but ultimate-ly until we kind of know when this water is going to be available, I think that’s when we can devel-op our timeline as to when we can break ground,” said Venoit. “Until we know that piece, we can’t really do anything. I think the

town of Mansfield and UConn is interested in getting more water, so the question now is just, when it will be coming.”

According to Director of Human Services for Mansfield, Kevin Grunwald, finding an ade-quate water source is key for the development of this project. The first step in the project was choos-ing which company would indeed be awarded the developing con-tract. After a committee reviewed the proposals, it was determined that Masonicare would be the preferred company.

“We had a process where we sent out a request for proposals and we had a committee that worked on that,” said Grunwald. “We received proposals reviewed them and based on those, we recommended Masonicare as a preferred developer for the town of Mansfield.”

Venoit also said that the town has been very helpful and coop-erative with Masonicare and their search for a water source in Mansfield. According to Venoit,

there is water in other areas of town but the location of those water sources will not sustain a facility.

“The town was really the one that saw the need for this project,” said Venoit. “We also see a need in that area as well. The struggle has always really been the lack of water in that area. There are some other areas in the town where there is water, but they’re not situ-ated for something that we were looking to build.”

According to census figures from 2010, in Storrs 4.5 percent of the population is over the age of 65. Venoit believes that the Mansfield area currently does not have the appropriate number of facilities that would deliver the type of care and specialization that Masonicare would deliver.

“We did a market study many years ago that looked at that whole geographical area and it did look like there was demand for this type of product,” said Venoit. “There are some other areas where it is saturated where

we wouldn’t do this, but this par-ticular area there is not much currently there for this type of service.”

Masonicare is not just looking to build a community for senior citizens to live in but they are also looking to bring their homemak-ing and companion services to Mansfield. According to Steeves, many older patients in the hospi-tal require more care once they are released back home, and Masonicare would be equipped to handle the demand for this service in Mansfield.

In addition to care from visit-ing nurses, Masonicare’s com-panion service would assist senior citizens in various daily activities such as bathing, taking medicine and meal preparation, according to Steeves. “Home healthcare is more clinical visiting nurses and so forth after surgery or hospital-ization, whereas companion ser-vices are more just helping you with activities of daily living,” said Steeves.

Masonicare is not the only facility that hopes to bring these types of services to Mansfield. According to Venoit, another firm was looking at the area, but they have not been as aggres-sive in trying to establish them-selves in the town. Grunwald said that the committee chose Masonicare over the other firms due to Masonicare’s history in Connecticut.

“There were a number of dif-ferent reasons that we felt they certainly had a good track record in the state of Connecticut in terms of other programs and facil-ities that they have built and oper-ated,” said Grunwald. “I think that their approach toward senior housing in general was consis-tent philosophically with what the committee felt was important in terms of really promoting peoples independence as much as pos-sible.”

Pat Notti has always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Beginning with his years as an accounting major in the UConn School of Business, he paid attention to how businesses function and kept his mind open for possible ideas to market. Upon graduating from UConn in 2012, Notti entered the workforce, his inner entrepreneur yet to be tapped--until one day a simple trip to the gym sparked an idea for a new way to preserve dress clothes in a backpack.

Notti’s product, called the Garmount, is a clothing carrier consisting of a board with straps attached to secure the apparel. But what makes the Garmount so convenient is that it’s the size of a laptop sleeve, meaning that it can be stowed easily in a backpack. The idea came to Notti one morn-ing on his routine commute to the gym, as he realized he lacked a way of carrying his business attire that was both convenient and kept his clothes wrinkle-free.

“I realized that if I could wrap my clothing around a board it would keep it from balling up at the bottom of my bag and would allow me to fit them in as compact of an area as my laptop pocket,” Notti said. “I bought a piece of plexi-glass and a few Velcro straps from Home Depot, glued them together and realized

I may actually have something.”Once Notti had crafted a rudi-

mentary design, he quickly began scouring the internet for products similar to his. However, when he found none, he applied for, and later received, a patent from the United States Patent Office. As of now, the Garmount is offi-cially a Patent Pending product, in which Notti has one year to promote his product before decid-ing whether he wants to officially patent the Garmount.

Currently, Notti has been caught up in a whirlwind of designing prototypes, promoting and seeking feedback regarding the Garmount. Notti has designed a total of 50 prototypes so far, which he has distributed to testers along with a survey to see which designs are popular with consum-ers and if any improvements can be made.

“So far I have gotten incredibly positive feedback. All users have said that it has improved their traveling needs and that they will continue to use it in the future,” Notti said. “Many of the users have provided suggestions on how to improve the functional-ity of the invention and are very excited about the potential suc-cess of the product.”

The popularity of the Garmount continues to rise as well, as Notti is promoting his product on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter. He is also in the pro-

cess of creating an advertising campaign on Kickstarter.com, an innovative website that allows customers to buy a product before it’s available on the market. If the Garmount proves successful, Notti will be able to put this money towards the manufacture of his invention.

The road from idea to a fin-ished, marketable product, how-ever, hasn’t been easy. The pri-mary obstacle to overcome, Notti admitted, has been his inexperi-ence.

“Every step I take is a new learning experience,” he said. “Finding the balance between directing the course of this proj-ect and letting it take on its own direction has been a challenge but is becoming easier as time goes on.”

Yet with Notti’s perseverance, his ultimate goal-to someday fea-ture the Garmount on the online shopping superstore QVC-won’t be out of reach. His passion for creativity and entrepreneur-ship keeps him busy searching for

new ways to improve his business strategies and overcome the chal-lenges that come with innovation.

“I have read numerous articles that are directed to new inventors and entrepreneurs and a common trend among them is the ability to understand that not everyone is going to think your idea is amazing,” Notti said. “It is the ability to see past these obstacles that will define whether or not an invention or idea will succeed.”

UConn business alum becomes entrepreneur

Mansfield assisted living facility faces setbacks

By Abby MaceCampus Correspondent

Abigail.Mace@UConn.edu

Pictured above is the UConn Storrs’ campus’ School of Business. Pat Notti graduated from the School of Business in 2012 and is now having success as an entrepreneur. His product, the Garmount, is a clothing carrier that keeps clothes wrinkle-free.

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Campus

The Mansfield Town Council, pictured above, has a new project to focus on: the assisted living facility Masonicare. The project was held up by a lack of water in the area, but is carrying on.

FILE PHOTO/The Daily Campus

By Tyler Morrissey Associate Sports Editor

Tyler.Morrissey@UConn.edu

NewsThe Daily Campus, Page 2 Tuesday December 4, 2012

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Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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An article that ran in the Monday, Dec. 3 edition identified Shreena Desai as a UConn alum. She is a 7th-semester bio-medical engineering major.

DAILY BRIEFING

» STATE

Conn. comptroller says deficit is $415 million

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — State Comptroller Kevin Lembo on Monday released a new state budget deficit projection of $415 mil-lion, an estimate $50 million higher than Gov. Dannel P. Malloy’s budget office is predicting.

Lembo said the difference between his deficit projection for the fiscal year that ends next June and the one issued by the state Office of Policy and Management is the result of different estimates of higher education spending. Officials said much of the deficit in this year’s $20 billion budget is due to higher-than-expected Medicaid costs.

Lembo also sent a letter to Malloy on Monday saying the deficit exceeds 1 percent of total general fund appropriations, a benchmark that requires the governor to submit a deficit-reduction plan to law-makers within 30 days.

Vietnam veterans sue mili-tary in Conn. over PTSD

NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — The military has failed to correct the wrongful discharges of thousands of Vietnam veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, an advocacy group says in a federal lawsuit.

Vietnam Veterans of America on Monday joined a proposed class action lawsuit in Hartford against the Army, Navy and Air Force. The lawsuit, first filed last year by a veteran, says the Vietnam veterans suffered PTSD before the condition was recognized and were discharged under other-than-honorable conditions that made them ineligible for disability compensation and other benefits.

The lawsuit says the military has refused to review or upgrade the discharge statuses of thousands of Vietnam War-era veterans with service-related PTSD.

Malloy energy plan pits natural gas against oil

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — A broad effort by Gov. Dannel P. Malloy to reshape energy policy in Connecticut with incen-tives to boost efficiency and keep down costs has drawn strong opposition from the home heating oil industry, which accuses the state of encouraging residential and business customers to dump local oil suppliers in favor of increasingly popular natural gas.

It’s shaping up as a David-and-Goliath struggle between family-run home heating oil companies stung by skyrocketing oil prices, and the state and its regulated gas utility monopolies.

“They’re using state resources to eliminate jobs, delivery drivers, customer service representatives,” said Stephen G. Rosentel, president of Leahy’s Fuels Inc., a family-owned home heating business that has operated in Danbury since 1917. “These are real jobs and real people, and they matter.”

Charges dismissed against lawyer with gun at movieNEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — Charges were dismissed Monday

against a prominent Connecticut attorney arrested in August for bring-ing a handgun to a movie theater showing the Batman film, “The Dark Knight Rises.”

Sung-Ho Hwang, president of the New Haven County Bar Association, was charged with breach of peace and interfering with police after offi-cers said they found a loaded handgun in his waistband. Police say he had a permit to carry the weapon but didn’t comply with their commands.

Hugh Keefe, Hwang’s attorney, said prosecutor David Strollo agreed to drop the misdemeanor charges Monday. Strollo cited his clean record and that although police were yelling to put his hands up, Hwang didn’t know they were police because of the flash lights in his eyes, Keefe said.

The items below list charges filed, not convictions. All persons appearing below are entitled to the due process of law and presumed innocent until proven guilty. Individual police blotters will be taken off the website three semesters after they have been posted.

Nov. 26

Donna L. Rymash, 41, of North Windham, was arrested at 3:16 p.m. on North Eagleville Road and charged with larceny in the sixth degree. Rymash turned herself in at the UConn Police Department after learning of an outstanding warrant for her arrest. The warrant stemmed from a complaint made by the department of din-ing services on Oct. 12 involving a fraudu-lent purchase made using a UConn Big Y account. Throughout the course of the investigation, police learned that Rymash had made seven fraudulent purchases using the UConn Big Y account between Dec. 2011 and Sept. 2012. Her bond was posted at $2,500 and her court date is on Dec. 4.

Nov. 27

Evan J. Goetsch, 19, of Guilford, was arrested at 2:30 p.m. at the UConn Co-Op bookstore and charged with larceny in the sixth degree. Police responded to the UConn Co-Op to investigate a reported shoplifting. After a brief investigation Goetsch was responsible for the theft of a pair of sunglasses valued at $14.99. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is on Dec. 11.

Matthew S. Rosenberger, 20, of South Windsor, was arrested at 7 p.m. at the UConn Police Department and charged with nine counts of harassment in the sec-ond degree. Rosenberger was arrested on an outstanding warrant issued by Rockville Superior Court. The charges stemmed from harassing messages sent by Rosenberger on Facebook to the victim between Nov. 24, 2011 and Oct. 29, 2012. His bond was posted at $7,500 and his court date is on Dec. 4.

Nov. 28

Alexander A. DeLeon, 19, of Willimantic, was arrested at 9:55 a.m. on Jackson Street and charged with five counts of conspir-acy to commit larceny in the fifth degree. DeLeon was arrested on a warrant stem-

ming from an incident that occurred on Aug. 13 in which five motorized scooters were stolen from South Campus dormito-ries. During the investigation police devel-oped probable cause which led them to believe that DeLeon was involved with the theft. His bond was posted at $5,000 and his court date is on Dec. 12.

Jovan R. Segarra, 18, of Manchester, was arrested at 2:40 p.m. on Pine Street and charged with five counts of conspiracy to commit larceny in the fifth degree. Segarra was arrested on a warrant stemming from an incident that occurred on Aug. 13 in which five motorized scooters were stolen from South Campus dormitories. During the investigation police developed prob-able cause which led them to believe that Segarra was involved with the theft. His bond was posted at $5,000 and his court date is on Dec. 10.

Nov. 29

Brittany L. Lamarr, 21, of Cromwell, was arrested at 1:01 a.m. on North Eagleville Road and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and driving under the influ-ence. Police stopped Lamarr’s car after observing it fail to yield to two pedestrians in a crosswalk on North Eagleville Road near UConn’s chemistry building. Police suspected Lamarr of being under the influ-ence and Lamarr was subjected to a series of sobriety tests, which she failed. Her bond was posted at $500 and her court date is on Dec. 5.

Mark A. Joseph, 26, of Stamford, was arrested at 5:50 p.m. on Stonewall Drive and charged with disorderly conduct and 38 counts of harassment in the second degree. Joseph was arrested for a warrant stemming from 38 harassing text messages as well as a lewd photo sent to the victim between Sept. 16 and Oct. 15. His bond was posted at $25,000 and his court date was on Nov. 30.

Joseph was also charged with 16 counts of harassment in the second degree. There was a warrant out for Joseph stemming from 16 harassing text messages to the vic-tim between Nov. 5 and Nov. 10. His bond was posted at $15,000 and his court date is on Nov. 30.

Dec. 1

Derek R. Lussier, 22, of Ellington, was arrested at 5:49 p.m. on Rentschler Field and charged with larceny in the sixth degree and interfering with an officer. It was reported that Lussier had taken a saxophone from the marching band seating section during a football game. Lussier was then seen exiting the stadium with the saxophone and a band member’s hat. He began to run and refused to stop when ordered by police. Lussier was then stopped a short time afterward. His bond was posted at $2,500 and his court date is on Dec. 11.

Julian A. Santos, 20, of South Windsor, was arrested at 10:05 p.m. on King Hill Road and charged with a first offense of possessing less than a half ounce of mari-juana, a first offense of possessing drug paraphernalia, failure to drive in the proper lane on a multi-lane highway and driving under the influence. Police stopped Santos’ car on King Hill Road for failure to drive in the proper lane. Police suspected Santos of being under the influence and Santos was subjected to a series of sobriety tests, which he failed. Santos was also found to be in possession of 0.4 grams of marijuana and paraphernalia. His bond was posted at $1,000 and his court date is on Dec. 12.

Matthew A. Tougas, 21, of Pawtucket, R.I., was arrested at 1:29 a.m. on C Access Road and charged with failure to drive right and driving under the influence. Police stopped Tougas’s car after watching it cross over the double yellow line on North Hillside Road near its intersection with North Eagleville Road. Police suspected Tougas of being under the influence and Tougas was subjected to a series of sobriety tests, which he failed. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is on Dec. 12.

Dec. 2

Anthony M. Fusco, 22, of East Haven, was arrested at 1:42 a.m. on Hunting Lodge Road and charged with failure to yield to a pedestrian and driving under the influence. Police stopped Fusco’s car after observing it fail to yield to a group of pedestrians at a crosswalk. Police suspected Fusco of being under the influence and Fusco was sub-jected to a series of sobriety tests, which he failed. His bond was posted at $500 and his court date is on Dec. 10.

Sandra R. Griffin, 23, of Hebron, was arrested at 2:04 a.m. on Alumni Road and charged with failure to drive right, failure to drive in the proper lane on a multi-lane highway, driving with a suspended license and driving under the influence. Police stopped Griffin’s car after observing it cross over the double yellow line on Alumni Road. As the car stopped, it struck the curb. A check of DMV records showed Griffin’s license to be suspended and she was sus-pected of being under the influence. Griffin was subjected to a series of sobriety tests, which she failed. Her bond was posted at $500 and her court date is on Dec. 10.

» INTERNATIONALShipyard accident injures 89 in Singapore SINGAPORE (AP) —

Officials say 89 workers have been injured, some seriously, in an accident at a Singapore shipyard.

The Ministry of Manpower says the accident occurred Monday on an oil explora-tion rig being built by Jurong Shipyard Pte. Ltd.

The rig consists of a platform on three legs that can be raised or lowered. A shipyard spokes-woman says one of the legs failed to operate when workers were testing the rig, causing it to tilt to one side.

The ministry says the injured workers were taken to hospitals and 80 were later discharged. Three remained in an emergen-cy ward.

An investigation of the acci-dent is continuing.

Jurong Shipyard is a subsid-iary of offshore engineering group Sembcorp Marine Ltd.

A backup rig, left, is seen tilted to one side off a shipyard on Monday Dec. 3, 2012 in Singapore. The ministry of manpower reported that about 90 workers were sent to hospitals after a jackup rig at a shipyard in Singapore tilted to one side.

AP

Calhoun reveals he had cancer surgery in MayHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — Former UConn coach Jim

Calhoun says he had surgery in May to remove an apparent cancerous growth from his lungs.

Calhoun mentioned the surgery Monday while taping an episode of YES Network’s Center Stage with Michael Kay in New York.

Calhoun told YES that doctors removed the growth, con-cerned it might be related to a previous skin cancer.

Reached later by telephone, Calhoun confirmed the surgery.“It was cancer-related, yes,” he told The Associated Press.

“I’m not going to talk about it. I was out for a day and a half. I’m completely healthy now.”

Calhoun, who also had spinal surgery in February, retired in September weeks after undergoing surgery to repair a frac-tured hip suffered in a bicycling accident.

NewsThe Daily Campus, Page 3 Tuesday, December 4, 2012

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» NATIONAL

» MEDICINE

» SCIENCE

LOS ANGELES (AP) — The unstoppable Voyager 1 space-craft has sailed into a new realm of the solar system that scientists did not know existed.

Voyager 1 and its twin, Voyager 2, have been speed-ing away from the sun toward interstellar space, or the space between stars.

Over the summer, Voyager 1, which is farther along in its journey, crossed into this new region where the effects from the outside can be felt.

“We do believe this may be the very last layer between us and interstellar space,” said chief scientist Ed Stone of the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which manages the spacecraft.

Stone presented Voyager 1’s latest location at a meeting of the American Geophysical Union in San Francisco.

Voyager 1 is on track to become the first manmade object to exit the solar sys-tem. Exactly when that day will come is unknown, partly because there’s no precedent.

Stone estimated Voyager 1 still has two to three years to travel before reaching the boundary that separates the solar system from the rest of space.

Scientists were surprised to discover the unexpected region

at the fringes of the solar sys-tem — a testament to the mys-teries of space.

For the past year, the team has seen tantalizing clues that herald-ed a new space environment. The amount of high-energy cosmic rays streaming in from outside the solar system spiked. Meanwhile, the level of lower-energy particles originating from inside the solar system briefly dropped.

Because there was no change in the direction of the magnetic field lines, scientists were con-fident that Voyager 1 had not yet broken through. They have dubbed this new zone a kind of “magnetic highway.”

The Voyagers launched 35 years ago on a mission to tour the outer planets. Though Voyager 2 — currently 9 billion miles from the sun — launched first, Voyager 1 is closer to leaving the solar system behind. It’s more than 11 billion miles from the sun.

That’s because after the duo beamed home stunning pic-tures of Jupiter’s big red spot, Saturn’s shimmering rings and their moons, Voyager 2 ventured onward to Uranus and Neptune. To this day, it’s the only space-craft to explore these two icy worlds.

Instead of following its twin, Voyager 1 used Saturn’s gravity to propel itself toward the solar system’s edge.

NEW YORK (AP) — Flu season in the U.S. is off to its earliest start in nearly a decade — and it could be a bad one.

Health officials on Monday said suspected flu cases have jumped in five Southern states, and the primary strain circulat-ing tends to make people sick-er than other types. It is par-ticularly hard on the elderly.

“It looks like it’s shaping up to be a bad flu season, but only time will tell,” said Dr. Thomas Frieden, direc-tor of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The good news is that the nation seems fairly well pre-pared, Frieden said. More than a third of Americans have been vaccinated, and the vac-cine formulated for this year is well-matched to the strains of the virus seen so far, CDC officials said.

H i g h e r - t h a n - n o r m a l reports of flu have come in

from Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee and Texas. An uptick like this usu-ally doesn’t happen until after Christmas. Flu-related hospi-talizations are also rising ear-lier than usual, and there have already been two deaths in children.

Hospitals and urgent care centers in northern Alabama have been bustling. “Fortunately, the cases have been relatively mild,” said Dr. Henry Wang, an emer-gency medicine physician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Parts of Georgia have seen a boom in traffic, too. It’s not clear why the flu is showing up so early, or how long it will stay.

“My advice is: Get the vaccine now,” said Dr. James Steinberg, an Emory University infectious diseases specialist in Atlanta.

CDC says US flu season starts early, could be bad

NASA: Voyager 1 enters new region of solar system

Explosives plant cleanup disrupts Louisiana town

DOYLINE, La. (AP) — The cleanup of 3,000 tons of explosives haphazardly stored at a munitions plant has frayed the nerves of residents who evacuated, closed the high school and spawned a criminal investigation of the company that owns

the materials.Authorities said about half the town’s

800 residents had heeded requests that they leave during the cleanup that started Saturday, but some appeared to be return-ing to their homes. Some displaced resi-

dents were exasper-ated by the sheer volume of explo-sive material, which is more than author-ities initially esti-mated. Adding to the uncertainty was a forecast of thun-derstorms Tuesday that could slow efforts to move the propellant used in artillery shells to safer storage sites.

“We got outside the evacuation area when they said there was a million pounds. Now it’s six million,” said Frank Peetz, 71, who was staying with his wife in a camper at a nearby state park. “Maybe we ought to be up in Arkansas some-where.”

State police say some of the pro-pellant was found spilling out of boxes crammed into build-ings, and they have opened a criminal investigation into why the materials were not stored in bunkers at the state-owned site, leased by Explo Systems.

Weather could complicate the transfer of the roughly 6 million

pounds of propellant. If lightning is spot-ted within five miles of the site, authori-ties will suspend efforts to move it, state police spokeswoman Lt. Julie Lewis said. No lightning was expected Monday, but the National Weather Service said there’s a 30 percent chance of Thunderstorms on Tuesday.

Lewis said that as of late Monday, crews had segregated or safely stored 1.2 million pounds of the propellant since the cleanup started. The work has slowed because they are indoors moving the material, some-times through narrow hallways.

State police said the material is stable and would need an ignition source to explode. Lewis said it would take some-thing significant such as lightning or a brush fire — and not static electricity — to ignite it.

Col. Mike Edmondson, commander of Louisiana State Police, said state police weren’t sure how much damage an explo-sion of the material could cause, even after consulting with Department of Defense officials.

“Nobody can tell you what 6 million pounds of explosives would do if it went up,” Edmondson said in a telephone inter-view. “And I don’t want to find out.”

Police have checkpoints on roads lead-ing into Doyline, though residents are allowed to come and go. The evacuation was voluntary, and some residents elected not to leave their homes in the town that has been used to film some scenes for the HBO vampire series “True Blood.” The evacuation will remain in place at least until Tuesday.

Edmonson said that Explo Systems leases and controls about 400 acres of the 15,000-acre Camp Minden, a former ammunition plant that now is a state-owned industrial site and home to a National Guard training facility. He esti-mated that the M6 propellant was stored in an area of less than 10 acres.

It was discovered there, stored indoors and outdoors, sometimes in containers that had spilled open, by a trooper fol-lowing up on an October explosion at the facility.

Law enforcement personnel stand at a roadblock along Hwy 163 just south of Doyline, La., Saturday Dec. 1, 2012. Authorities have begun moving 1 million pounds of improperly stored explosive powder to storage bunkers at the Camp Minden industrial site. State investigators found the explosives while inspecting property leased by Explo Systems, where an above-ground storage magazine exploded in October.

AP

In a Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 file photo, Elizabeth Saint Victor winces as she gets a free flu shot from LPN Jean Buck courtesy of Baptist Healthcare in Memphis, Tenn., at the Central Library. Health officials say flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly 10 years.

AP

It is 9:57 p.m., as the call for another Code Red crackles through the emer-gency department hallway;

I sigh, dreaming that maybe one day I could observe the Code Red. Instead, I’m confined to less dramatic calls at the blue and green pod on the emergen-

cy depart-ment floor at Hartford Hospital. I look down the hallway

as I realize I have one more room left before my volunteer-ing shift is over. I knock on the door, and enter a softly lit room. A pair of old, golden eyes fol-lows me as I walk into the room. I introduce myself and ask the elderly patient if she needs anything. She smiles weakly and offers me her frail hand. Surprised, I shake her fragile hand, but instead of shaking, she weakly grips my hand, and tells me how much she misses her daughter, her home and how much she despises being at a retirement home.

In an age where Kim Kardashian gets more public-ity then Stephen Hawking, American culture is shifting towards the concept of valuing

beauty over wisdom. This cul-tural norm has resulted in what some might say the inconceiv-able, placing human beings in a social deprivation and confining them to more or less a prison. Retirement homes are place where the elderly are placed until they “retire.” Although some elderly do belong in nursing facili-ties, as they require neces-sary medical intervention to live, the con-cept of placing the old in insti-tutions until they die, stems from how we as Americans are too self-centered, and too career-ist. We don’t have the time to care for the ones we love, so we pay for them to be put in 8 by 6 feet cement rooms with a window (if they’re lucky), with a strict schedule and a confined social life. If our society has come to the point to where we as Americans do not have time

to care for our loved ones, then what do we have the time for? Money? Stress?

We should cherish the last couple of years our loved ones have, and appreciate the con-tributions they have made to our lives.

As the leading global power, we should set a prec-edent to other nations with our accepted social norms.

My Middle E a s t e r n roommate has never heard of the con-cept of send-ing the elder-ly to a home to retire. He expressed to me that fami-lies in the Middle East often go into feuds over

who should house the eldest in the family, as accommodating the eldest is the highest form of respect. And families that disrespect their eldest are often shunned by society.

However, this is not only true

in the Middle East but all over the world. In China, the tradi-tion of “filial piety” is the value of utmost respect for elders, which was advocated by the famous philosopher Confucius. In Vietnamese, Korean and Hispanic culture, respect and hospitality for the elderly is widely practiced. And expect-edly, these cultures have a deep reverence for wisdom.

I, however, am not stating that Americans are intention-ally disrespecting the elderly, by placing them in retirement homes. Instead, by placing the elderly in retirement homes, we are showing the world that these deeply intellectual individuals with almost a century of experi-ence and wisdom behind them are simply senile and have no place in our society. We should reverse this ideology, thank and appreciate them for what they did for us, and the sacrifices they have made. In 50, 60 or even 80 years from now, where do you want to be? Stuffed in a gray old building left to “retire” or honored by society for all your hard work?

Editorial Board Elizabeth Crowley, Editor-in-ChiefTyler McCarthy, Commentary Editor

Jesse Rifkin, Associate Commentary EditorChris Kempf, Weekly Columnist

John Nitowski, Weekly ColumnistSam Tracy, Weekly Columnist

Page 4

If you get convicted of driving under the influence in Connecticut, you get slapped with some pretty tough penal-ties. A first offense comes with a fine

of up to $1,000 and a 45-day license sus-pension. To top that off, for one year you’ll only be allowed to drive a vehicle if it has an ignition interlock, essentially a breathalyzer you need to pass in order to start your car.

These tough pen-alties are deserved. Drunk driving kills over 10,000 people per year, often tak-ing the lives of innocent people. In 2010, about 350,000 people were injured in drunk driving acci-dents, and many will spend the rest of their lives para-lyzed or disfigured.

However, one must wonder why it is that all of our penalties for drunk driv-ers affect their ability to drive, but not to drink. In order to decrease the incidence of drunk driving, we should consider tem-porarily suspending the alcohol privileges of those convicted of a DUI. In fact, we should consider suspending the alco-hol privileges of those convicted of any alcohol-related crime.

This might sound crazy at first, and to be honest, it may still sound a little crazy at the end. To the best of my knowledge, no state forbids anyone over the age of 21 from purchasing and consuming alcohol, even if they are convicted of a drunken assault or driving under the influence. Convicts may be required to attend a drug abuse treatment program, but they will still be allowed to purchase alcohol. People seem to think it’s

okay to suspend someone’s ability to drive, but suspending their ability to purchase and consume alcohol is going too far.

But this proposal could have a huge impact on public safety. The U.S. Department of Justice states that alcohol abuse was a factor in 40 percent of violent crimes committed in the country. Two-thirds of domestic vio-lence victims reported that their attacker was under the influence of alcohol. I could cite more statistics, but the point is clear: alcohol is strongly linked to vio-lent crime. Suspending alcohol use by those who commit crimes while under the influ-ence could decrease the incidence of these assaults, saving lives.

This type of sanction would be very easy to implement. Connecticut drivers’ licenses already have a host of markers indicating whether someone is below or above 21 years of age – youth have vertical-ly-oriented licenses with large red warnings on the bottom, while those of drinking age receive horizontally-oriented licenses with no such warnings. The state could simply issue youth-style licenses to those convicted of alcohol-related crimes and require alco-hol sellers to card everyone, not just those who appear to be underage.

Of course, as college students know, it is pretty easy to obtain alcohol while under 21. This could apply to those convicted of alcohol-related crimes as well. However, it’s also possible that it would be harder for the latter group than the former. A 21-

or 22-year-old purchasing alcohol for an underage friend typically thinks nothing of it, and there is little stigma for doing so. But buying alcohol for someone who drove drunk, or commited a violent crime while intoxicated, would be seen as much more serious by both the purchaser and his or her

peers. Yet even if this social

pressure does not prevent people from getting alco-hol, having a youth-style license would prevent them from drinking at bars or restaurants. Going home from the bar is one of the most common situ-ations for drunk driving, and bars are frequently the scene of drunken fights. Avoiding these two familiar scenarios could be reason enough to consider suspending alcohol privileges.

As with all criminal laws, we would need to ensure that the punish-

ment fits the crime. Someone who uri-nates in public while intoxicated should not receive the same suspension (if any) as someone who gets behind the wheel while drunk. There would also need to be a work-ing definition of alcohol-related crime, to avoid too broad of an interpretation.

These details are important, and it will take a public debate to determine if this is a policy worth implementing. But that’s definitely a debate worth having.

Suspending alcohol privileges worth considering

UConn Daily Digest has proved to be an indispensable tool

» EDITORIAL

The Daily Campus

Staff Columnist Omar Allam is a 1st-semester chemistry and English double major. He can be reached at Omar.Allam@UConn.edu.

Weekly Columnist Sam Tracy is a 7th-semester political science major. He can be reached at Samuel.Tracy@UConn.edu.

The Daily Campus editorial is the official opinion of the newspaper and its editorial board. Commentary columns express opinions held solely by the author and do not in any way reflect the official opinion of The Daily Campus.

The Student Daily Digest has generally been an effective tool for communicating important university events, announcements, lectures and more since its implementation last year. Current

freshmen and sophomores will not remember the constant onslaught of official university messages that occurred prior to this consolidation method, often several per day. Now the daily noontime list of things to know has become an indispensable tool for all students who take advantage of its listings.

One minor change we would recommend is an extension of the window in which students or other university facul-ty, staff and administration may submit content. Currently, all messages must be submitted at least two school days in advance. For example, a message intended to be included in the Digest this Friday would have to be submitted by Wednesday at the latest.

Why, exactly? The messages themselves are never lon-ger than a few paragraphs at most, with some running as short as merely one sentence. As it stands right now, all messages must be approved by the university before being submitted to ensure there is no profanity, explicit messages or similar controversial content. But surely the approval process could be completed within minutes for even the longest Digest submissions. Assuming this is true, allowing students or others to submit to the Digest the day before would be a welcome change for allowing the maxi-mum amount of relevant information possible.

Still, this one inconvenience should not overshadow what the Daily Digest has brought to the University of Connecticut: a reliable once-a-day guide on how to make the best of your university experience during the four short years you attend here. All students should check it for the latest up-to-date listings, offers, promotions and advertisements about what UConn has going on today and every day.

By Omar AllamStaff Columnist

By Sam TracyWeekly Columnist

Americans need to re-evaluate culture of retirement homes

Quick

W it“President Obama had lunch With mitt rOmney. there Was an aWk-Ward mOment When rOmney lOOked arOund and said, ‘sO hOW

much dO yOu Want fOr the Place.’” –cOnan O’brien

“In order to decrease the incidence of drunk driving, we should consider temporarily suspending the alcohol priveleges of those convicted of a DUI.”

Send us your thoughts on anything and everything by send-ing an instant message to InstantDaily, Sunday through Thursday evenings. Follow us on Twitter (@UCInstantDaily) and tweet at us with the #instantdaily hashtag.

“If our society has come to he point to where we as Americans do not have time to care for our loved ones, then what do we have the time for?”

I feel that the next two weeks are best described by the phrase “brace for impact”.

Even though UConn athletics had a terrible week, let’s all keep Jim Calhoun’s philosophy in mind: “I don’t get defeated by things.”

I hate it when my party can’t start because Ke$ha didn’t walk in.

So apparently the de-escalation of Spring Weekend is being de-escalated this year. Or as I see it, UConn has decided to go from a Soviet lockdown to Glasnost.

I’m really bummed I missed the rap battle. I watched 8 Mile to get pumped for it and everything.

If one more person tweets about One Direction I’m offi-cially deleting my Twitter account, which is a serious disservice to the entire Twitter universe.

Candy companies need to come up with a flavor called “Christmas”, so that I can taste Christmas while I’m listening to Christmas music shopping for Christmas presents.

I plan on starting my finals procrastination tonight. I’m so proud of myself for starting early this year.

As a person who is jumpy and easily frightened, watching two episodes of American Horror Story was more stressful than taking an exam. Therefore, if I watch the whole season this week, I’ll be set for finals. #BestLogic

I just remembered how awesome Pop Rocks are.

That awkward moment when someone walks into class late and has unknowingly missed the entire review ses-sion, and the professor ends class early just as they sit down.

Almost time to see how large those grade curves will be.

www.dailycampus.comTuesday, December 4, 2012

1991Islamic militants in

Lebanon release kidnapped American journalist Terry Anderson after 2,454 days

in captivity.

BORN ON THIS

DATE

THIS DATE IN HISTORY

Jeff Bridges – 1949Marisa Tomei – 1964Jay Z – 1969Tyra Banks – 1973

Tuesday, December 4, 2012www.dailycampus.com The Daily Campus, Page 5

Books to give for the holidays

The holiday season is official-ly here. While buying gifts for people is probably the last thing on many people’s minds with finals sneaking up on us, gifts are eventually going to have to be purchased. If you’re at a loss as to what to get someone, I rec-ommend a book. Books are the perfect gift. You can give some-one an adventure, a romance, a mystery, a comedy and words to live by all in one package neatly bound together. If you’re stuck on what book to buy, here is what I recommend.

For fans of “The Hunger Games” I strongly recommend Veronica Roth’s “Divergent.” This is the first book in another dystopian trilogy. In this world, society is split into five differ-ent groups, each one dedicated to a certain personality trait. Once Beatrice, the protagonist, picks which group she wants to be a part of, she is sent into a whirlwind of adventure that is more than she ever could have anticipated. You’ll find yourself whipping through the pages, des-perate to find out what happens next. This book will also make you think, albeit not so cheer-fully, about what would happen to our world if situations like this occurred.

Those who identify with Holden Caulfield would enjoy “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. Chbosky ref-erences “The Catcher in the Rye” in his novel when the narrator, a teenaged boy named Charlie, is given the book to read by a teacher. Charlie is struggling to solve his problems and to find his niche. As the book progresses, his perspectives on the world are revealed. While reading, you’ll find yourself relating to Charlie or being taken aback by some of the insightful words the author has imparted.

Nicholas Sparks readers and hopeless romantics will love “The Time Traveler’s Wife” by Audrey Niffenegger. The char-acters, Claire and Henry, are pas-sionately in love with each other but they have to deal with a major hiccup in their relation-ship. Henry time travels and can-not control when he leaves nor where he will find himself once he does. The novel jumps from one point in the character’s life to the next, backward and forwards, so readers have to pay attention to avoid confusion. Emotional and intriguing, this unique tale is not your average love story.

Readers who are still lament-ing that the “Harry Potter” series have ended should investigate the “A Song of Fire and Ice” series by George R. R. Martin. Even though the first book, “A Game of Thrones” is almost noth-ing like “Harry Potter” there is something to be said for getting hooked on a series of books. The excitement that surrounds find-ing out the answers to mysteries and getting to know a cast of characters is present, along with a new world to explore. While it won’t replace “Harry Potter,” this series is a worthwhile addition to fantasy book collections.

As you read through my rec-ommendations, maybe you’ll be inspired and think of a book you enjoy that you want to give to a friend or family member. When you give a book, the recipient will think of you whenever they read it and appreciate the gesture. Regardless of what book you choose to give, it is a gift that will last longer than the holiday season. Have a great winter break and holidays!

Alyssa.McDonagh@UConn.edu

UConn senior writes and directs opera about the Holocaust

When 7th-semester University Scholar Spencer Reese was at an all-state choir concert during his sophomore year of high school, his con-ductor spoke to the choir before their performance. The words largely escape Reese now, but four of them struck a chord with him: “There is always hope.”

About six years later, those four words have become “Always Hope,” an opera writ-ten and directed by Reese, premiering December 7 and 8 at 7 p.m. at the Jorgensen Center for the Performing Arts’ Husky Headliners Series. The Headliners debut Tuesday night with a performance by the UConn Dance Company at Jorgensen at 7:30 p.m.

“Always Hope” is a piece of historical fiction set during the Holocaust, with themes of bravery and perseverance held within a love story. It follows Marion and Margaret Becker, a Jewish mother and daughter, hiding underground in Berlin to avoid Nazi exile. Margaret manages to stay in touch with friends thanks to a Christian postman’s help and finds love in a world of hate.

“It’s based on the actual time and actual place, but not real people or events,” Reese said. “It engages with the history of that time period to explore big-ger themes, like bravery, hope and perseverance.”

“With messages of enduring hope, unconditional love and unbounded courage, ‘Always Hope’ is undeniably relevant to even the most modern of audi-ences,” said a synopsis given by the opera production staff.

Reese spent the last two years writing the score and libretto,

or dialogue for the opera, as well as designing and directing the production.

“Throughout my high school career, that sentence really spun itself into this piece of fiction in my head… by the end of my high school career, I had decided I would turn it into a stage work,” Reese said.

“Once I got here, I’m in the Honors program here, and I learned about the University Scholar program, I decided that would be the perfect opportu-nity for me to write it and direct it.” By the end of his senior year in high school, Reese had completed the story but didn’t start writing until dur-ing his sophomore year, when he “committed to doing the project.”

The summer between his sophomore and junior years, Reese wrote the entire first draft of the score and libret-to, casting it and editing the score for the cast in his junior year. With three grants, he was able to work full-time on the entire production this summer, with design elements done before this semester began, and rehearsals with the cast of six and crew of five ran this entire semester.

Reese wanted to use his University Scholar project, the opera, as an opportunity to explore all levels of opera production but also showcase UConn’s Music Department undergraduate students. The opera features a cast of UConn students, who Reese

called “phenomenally tal-ented;” seniors Noelle Currie and Mary Kate Hubbard play Margaret and Marion, while other characters are played by senior Charles Eaton III, junior Ryan Parseghian, sopho-more Kathleen Cummings and Reese himself. Junior Christina Quental accompanies on the piano.

As for how Reese hopes his opera is received? Reese hopes the overarching themes leave the audience with “faith in the goodness of humanity,” though he warns it is “rather tragic.”

“I think the characters are complex enough that each per-son will take something differ-ent from it on a personal level, but overall, I hope we leave the audience with a sense of

optimism.”The Husky Headliners kick

off Tuesday at Jorgensen when the more than two-dozen mem-bers of the UConn Dance Company perform ten member-choreographed dance numbers in their annual fall showcase, according to a Jorgensen press release, guest-performing with Latino music and dance group BAILE, a cappella singers The Conn-Men and the UConn Break Dance Club, with a por-tion of the $5 student, $10 general admission tickets going toward HuskyTHON.

Saturday, Jan. 26 of Spring Semester 2013 brings SurvivoRaas, a competition in Raas and Garba, traditional northern India dance former, featuring eight college teams from across the United States. Dancers will be tested on their skills as parts of other teams and on their own, donating some ticket sales to Asha for Education.

Friday, Feb. 15 will bring UConn Surya to Jorgensen with South Asian fusion dance, blending East and West, mixing classical dance and beats with a modern edge, while the UConn Rock Ensemble will conclude Husky Headliners Wednesday, April 17 with an arrangement of rock classics including “Dream On” by Aerosmith and “Everybody Talks” by Neon Trees.

Tickets cost $5 for univer-sity staff and students, and $10 for general admission, except for SurvivoRaas, whose tick-ets will cost $10 for students and $15 for the public. They can be purchased in advance online at Jorgensen’s website, at their box office or through their phone, or at the door the evening of the performances.

Marykate Hubbard, left, plays Marion Becker, and Noelle Currie, right, as Margaret Becker in ‘Always Hope.’Photo courtesy of Spencer Reese

By Joe O’LearyFocus Editor

Joseph.O’Leary@UConn.edu

Rap Rumble attracts great talent

Beats, rhythm, lyricism and creativity came to life in the Student Union Monday night—that’s right: UConn’s first rap battle, a joint effort by the newly formed group Poetic Release and SUBOG Fine & Performing Arts Committee.

Somewhere between 200 to 300 energetic people crowded in the North Lobby of the Student Union, bobbing their heads to the beats and cheer-ing on their friends, colleagues and musical artists who took the stage.

“This is the first time we ever put anything together like this, and it was a great show,” said President of Poetic Release Devin Samuels.

A total of 16 competitors faced each other one-on-one for two sets of sixteen bars (45 seconds) of freestyling in the first round. After each round, the number of competitors was cut in half—the winner moving on, the loser stepping down.

The winner of each round’s battle was determined by a combination of both the

crowd’s reaction and the two judges’ choices. The judges, Stephanie “Blaze” Blasnik and Zach Johnson, based their decisions based on four cri-teria: originality, creativity, crowd approval and delivery.

The level of difficulty can-not go unrecognized—each round brought with it a more difficult beat to fill the back-ground. Round 1 consisted of more familiar and modern rap and hip-hop instrumen-tals; Round 2 brought a more old-school hip-hop vibe with more testing tempos; Round 3’s competitors rapped over talented beatboxer “Mickey” of Poetic Release; Round 4 truly tested the final two com-petitors’ freestyling abilities through raw a capella.

The fourth and final round came down to two highly deserving finalists—rap names “Master Mike” and “Mala Jones.” By this time especial-ly, the crowd was emotionally involved—their volume and energy had carried these two all the way to the end.

The winner, “Master” Mike Gerard, a fourth-year Allied Health major, was “on cloud nine”—the best kind of

reward for his ability to con-tinuously shock and deliver lyrical genius for over two hours. Gerard has been writ-ing rhymes and lyrical hip-hop for over five years, but only started freestyling in February.

The runner-up, “Mala Jones,” only started free-styling last summer, finding inspiration from artists such as Kanye West and Big Sean. However, more recently, he has found inspiration from his peers and fellow Poetic Release members. “Mala” needn’t be disappointed with his loss—he received a very powerful response from the crowd.

“Mala” and “Master Mike” are friends, and rap togeth-er every Thursday when the group meets.

If you missed the event, fear not. The response and turnout was so impactful that Samuels said the group hopes to hold another rap battle in the spring.

“If not in the spring, we’re definitely going to make it a yearly thing,” said Samuels.

There will always be bad movies, however the most dis-appointing are those with such potential they should have and could have been good, but things did not go right. This is a list of what 2012 delivered to us not in terms of the worst movies, but those ones that really disappointed.

“Act of Valor:” This was a huge wasted opportunity: a realistic film about Navy Seals using real Navy Seals! This turned out to be a long bor-ing commercial for the Seals instead of a movie. The act-ing is horrible, all the char-acters look the same and are not developed or distinguish-able, and the dialogue is awful. Moreover, most of the action scenes are with teams of extras of no importance. What a wasted opportunity.

“Wanderlust:” Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd are two celebrities I really like. The people behind Role Models made this, and I loved “Role Models.” Yet, for some rea-son I did not laugh once dur-ing “Wanderlust.” It felt like a drama with no conflict or humor. No wonder this movie flopped really hard.

“ T h e F i v e - Ye a r Engagement:” Jason Segal is one of the funniest guys out there — he wrote “Forgetting Sarah Marshall” which is one of the funniest movies ever. I was excited when I heard he wrote this as well as starred in it. There is serious chem-istry between Emily Blunt and Segal, but it is wasted. The movie is not funny at all. It’s actually annoying in its attempts to be funny. It has funny people in it but it wastes their talent. To top it off, for some reason this movie is two and a half hours long. One scene towards the end was really funny, but by then I was

so mad I didn’t care.“Abraham Lincoln Vampire

Hunter:” The title itself gives us such an interesting prem-ise that it’s hard to screw up. However, the worst actors possible were chosen for this movie and the plot is corny and poorly written. The title promises a fun “B movie” full of gore at the least, but we don’t even get that. Lincoln is probably glad he died in that theater and never had to see this crap.

“Lawless:” I expected this to be a gangster classic with a great cast. Instead we have a movie that isn’t even memo-rable. The story doesn’t take itself seriously and it seems as if the characters don’t take it seriously either. In a drama about a war between cops and gangsters, you might want to take yourself seriously. Where’s Scorsese when you need him?

“Silent Hill Revelations 3D:” In my review of this a month ago I called this film an “abomination.” In retrospect those words were harsh, but not harsh enough. This movie is so bad it makes you want to give “The Human Centipede” an Oscar. The first one was so good, but this was just the worst thing that has ever exist-ed, truly painful to watch.

“Red Dawn:” I liked Red Dawn when I saw it, but the more I think about it there was a lot wrong with it. While it is a fun action movie screaming God Bless America it is so rushed and under developed. The film was heavily cut and censored due to political pres-sure. I want to believe there was some genius and better development in what ended up cut, but we’ll never know. “Red Dawn” was dumb fun, but there was potential for a lot more than that in such a story.

Worst movies of 2012» THIS YEAR IN REVIEW

By Randy AmorimCampus Correspondent

Maurilio.Amorim@UConn.edu

Christian Mojica, right, 3rd-semester business major, vs DaJavon “JusDJ” White-Hall, left, communications major.JON KULAKOFSKY/The Daily Campus

By Michelle GolladayCampus Correspondent

Michelle.Golladay@UConn.edu

FocusThe Daily Campus, Page 6 Tuesday, December 4, 2012

By Joe O’LearyFocus Editor

By Alex SfazzarraCampus Correspondent

Movie Of The Week

About a Boy

FOCUS ON:MOVIES

December 7Playing for Keeps

December 14The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

December 21The Guilt Trip (Wed.)Jack ReacherMonsters, Inc. 3D (Wed.)This is 40

Christmas DayDjango UnchainedLes Miserables Parental Guidance

Upcoming Releases

Hanukkah and Kwanzaa movies

» FILM REVIEWS

Interested in writing movie reviews?

Come write for Focus!Meetings at 8 p.m. on Mondays.

With this being the final week of the semester and the year rap-idly coming to a close, it’s time to look back at all the movies 2012 had to offer, and what they signify moving forward.

I am very pleased to say that 2012 has to be one of the best years for movies since the block of 1993-1995. Since September, it appears another four star gem is released every week, begin-ning with “End of Watch” and likely concluding with “Django Unchained.” This year also saw a phenomenal showing of the first four months, typically dark days at the theatre. “The Cabin in the Woods,” “Chronicle” and “Goon” were all released before the end of April and all are can-didates for my top films of the year.

In terms of trends amongst audiences, it appears that the age of special effects driven actions films may finally be weaning, with “Battleship” and “Red Dawn” disappointing at the box office and moviegoers favoring more substantial action films, “The Grey” and “Skyfall.” Limited releases also seem to be getting more mainstream attention. Both “Flight” and “Lincoln” have done very well at box office despite being in less than 2,000 theatres and many have said the biggest movie of the summer that didn’t involve superheroes was “Moonrise Kingdom.” Unfortunately, it appears that unnecessary and unsatisfactory sequels are still in high demand, with “Taken 2,” “The Expendables 2” and “Paranormal Activity 4” all claiming the top spot on their opening weekends.

As for breakthrough stars: this year’s clear winners are Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Jennifer Lawrence. Gordon-Levitt has appeared extensively over the last 10 years but has been unable to break into the top tier of acting. But after “Looper,” “The Dark Knigh t Rises,” “Lincoln” and “Premium Rush,” he has proven he can create a screen presence to combat and even outmatch stars such as Bruce Willis and Christian Bale. I didn’t even like all the movies I just listed (we’ll get to that in a moment), but his success can’t be denied. As for Lawrence, she finally caught the public’s eye with her starring role in “The Hunger Games” and is an Oscar favorite for “Silver Linings Playbook,” and throw in “House at the End of the Street” as a quaint little bonus.

With every year there comes one big surprise and often a big-ger disappointment. For surprise, I’ll go with “21 Jump Street.” It was an incredibly sharp piece that remarkably combined a cop-buddy picture with a high school comedy, and it even made me reconsider my feeling on cash-in remakes. As for disappoint-ment, I have to call out “The Dark Knight Rises.” Oh boy, I’m going to get serious flack for this one. The plot was poorly con-structed, full of holes and heav-ily overblown, considering how weak and shallow the writing was, especially when compared to “The Dark Knight.” Bane was a confused and dull villain, it ran a half-hour too long and come the climax, I couldn’t have been more disinterested. Sorry.

But the best part about 2012 is, it’s not over yet. With “The Hobbit,” “Zero Dark Thirty,” “Django Unchained” and “Hyde Park on Hudson” all set for release this month, not to men-tion all the movies in November still in theaters, there’s a lot to look forward to after the end of finals.

Brendon.Field@UConn.edu

Notable mov-ies of 2012

‘Life of Pi’ has stunning visuals and great narrative

The five-day Thanksgiving holiday is one of the most lucrative times of the year for movie studios. Advertisers work really hard to get you to go see their movie since there are so many options at the the-ater. One of the ads for “Life of Pi” said that it was the “next Avatar,” and I have to say I partially agree.

From the moment “Life of Pi” starts rolling, you’re in for a great visual experience. Everything from the opening credits to the closing credits is exceptionally well done, and

I have to say the movie had the best opening credits I have ever seen. This movie, about the survival of an Indian boy, Pi and the Bengal tiger from his family’s zoo named Richard Parker, after a ship-wreck is a true master-piece. The beginning of the movie perfectly captures the India of the 1960s, and the scenes out on the open ocean make you wonder if this movie was actually shot in the Pacific and not in a studio. Academy Award winning direc-tor Ang Lee (“Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” “Brokeback Mountain”) is able to simu-late a wide variety of settings

and events with CGI making it impossible to tell where the visual effects end and where reality begins. The Bengal tiger, Richard Parker, who is in a majority of the scenes looks

ridiculously real, and I was definitely shocked when I found out that a real tiger was only used in around 14 per-cent of the shots. The main character of the

film, Piscine Molitor “Pi” Patel (played by newcomer Suraj Sharma) was funny, intelligent and some of the spiritual ques-tions he brings up really makes you question how you see reli-gion. Nowadays movies either have a good story or good visu-

als, but “Life of Pi” is one of those rare movies that has a good story and good visuals.

I doubt that “Life of Pi” will ever be as big as “Avatar” at the box office, but out of all the movies I have seen between “Avatar” and now, “Life of Pi” comes closest to “Avatar” in visual and special effects. In some parts I thought “Life of Pi “actually had better 3D. Even though the middle of the movie is slightly dragged out, “Life of Pi” is a fantastic movie that should be experienced in 3D at the theater to fully take in the stunning CGI and visual effects. Trust me, the extra $6 for 3D is well worth it.

Suraj Sharma, right, plays Pi in ‘Life of Pi.’ The role is his debut performance.Image courtesy of accesshollywood.com

By Rahul DarwarCampus Correspondent

Life of Pi 9/10

Rahul.Darwar@UConn.edu

‘Killing Them Softly’ uses political themes

“Killing Them Softly” is one of the most stylistically unique and structurally unorthodox movies I have ever seen. After it concluded, I sat in my seat attempting to process it in my head, with little success. I still haven’t figured out whether or not its peculiarities work in its favor.

“Killing Them Softly” takes place in New Orleans during the end of the Bush administration. We are first introduced to sever-al small time criminals, Frankie (Scoot McNairy) and Russell (Ben Mendelsohn), two low lives hired to rob a card game in order to frame the man who runs it (Ray Liotta). The top billed Brad Pitt is introduced a third of the way in as the hitman

hired to clean things up. While the film is driven by the story, it’s so menial “Killing Them Softly” is actually more like a slice of life piece, with the mob as the subjects. The film con-tains multiple scenes, two strik-ing ones with James Gandolfini as an aging mob boss who simply serves to enlighten and entertain with-out having any rel-evance to the plot.

“Killing Them Softly” is a very unique piece of work. It seems to run on its own rhythm, com-pletely avoiding any traditional storytelling structure. It begins and ends in unsuspecting places; it uses unusual scene juxtaposi-tion and is unafraid to have sin-gle scenes stretch out for nearly ten minutes. Another factor that

makes it stand out is the cinema-tography. The takes are long, the framing is tight and the style often drastically goes between hyper realism and avant-garde. Sitting through it is almost hyp-notizing, and it really heightens the suspense. There is one scene

where a character is mercilessly beaten, and the filming and editing makes the violence look raw and heavy. I could practically feel the punches and taste the blood.

The one area where “Killing Them Softly” falls flat is the themes. Throughout the film political speeches are heard, far too often in the background discussing the economic collapse that occurred when the film takes place. It seems “Killing Them Softly”

attempts to portray the criminal economy as a microcosm for the American economy, but the con-nection is never made. You’re left with speeches by George Bush and Barack Obama that take up ten minutes of the run time. To make matters worse, this isn’t the type of movie that needs to lay its message out on table; the actions of the charac-ters should say enough.

I can’t honestly say I enjoyed “Killing Them Softly,” but what I can’t deny is when looked at objectively, the film works on many fronts. The performances are great, the writing is solid and it’s put together spectacularly. It’s a very interesting way to spend an hour and a half, and it gave me a viewing experience I likely won’t get again.

Brad Pitt stars as Jackie Cogan, a new hitman for the Mafia in ‘Killing Them Softly.’Image courtesy of guardian.co.uk

By Brendon FieldCampus Correspondent

Killing Them Softly 7/10

Brendon.Field@UConn.edu

Eight Crazy Nights(2002)

An American Tail (1986)

The Black Candle (2008)

Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

The Hebrew Hammer (2003)

FocusTuesday, December 4, 2012 The Daily Campus, Page 7

‘Rise of the Guardians’ falls short of DreamWorks’ standard

DreamWorks Animation’s latest film, “Rise of the Guardians” came out last Wednesday. The movie, which was based on a combination of William Joyce’s children series “The Guardians of Childhood” and the short film “The Man in the Moon,” was created by both Joyce and Reel FX (for those who are wondering who exactly Joyce is, he’s also the author of the popular children’s book “George Shrinks”).

The film focuses around the Guardians, whose job is to protect the children around the world and preserve their innocence and wonder for the world. However, their pow-ers come with a catch – if the children stop believing in them, then they start to lose their abilities and will eventually snuff out of exis-tence. The Guardians – other-

wise known as North or Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy and the Sandman (voiced respectively by Alec Baldwin, Hugh Jackman and Isla Fisher) – have been told by the enigmatic Man in the Moon that another spirit has been chosen to assist in protecting children. It is, of course, the unpre-dictable and his-trionic Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine), who is largely ignored by children all over and is consider-ably sulky because of it. His antics have made him unpopular with a few of the Guardians, and he even manages to put them all in danger when he avoids a last-ditch attempt to restore the children’s belief in them dur-ing Easter. As a result, the only person who still believes in the Guardians (and, as a result, is now their prime focus to get him to convince

his friends that the other spir-its are still real) is the apple-cheeked Jamie (voiced by Dakota Goyo).

Despite this film being directed at children, it has some unsettlingly morbid moments. For instance, their nemesis, Pitch Black, other-wise known as The Bogeyman,

who is voiced by the magnificent Jude Law, is seek-ing to destroy the Guardians via his gleeful psycholog-ical torture of chil-dren everywhere. His NightMares, a

completely terrifying speci-men made out of the same substance that the Sandman’s good dreams are crafted out of, invade the children’s dreams and create the possi-bility of fear while they sleep. As a result, the kids walk around in a miserable group, their eyes darkly ringed, while Pitch Black cackles in the background with all of

the one-dimensionality of a Disney super villain. Jack Frost himself has a disturbing memory relayed to the audi-ence when he gets his memo-ries back from his life as a human. In fact, he is known as ‘Jack Frost’ because his body was frozen under the ice dur-ing an unfortunate ice skating accident.

“Rise of the Guardians” doesn’t carry much of a story-line. There are the bare bones of a plot, but DreamWorks fails to fill it out in any way. There isn’t much dia-logue either, and instead it’s packed with unsatisfying fight scenes that are filled with the Guardians ineffectively swish-ing their weapons through the amorphous NightMares. It’s a good movie for a young-er crowd, or for people who enjoy simpler action movies, but doesn’t quite reach the bar that DreamWorks has set for itself in the past.

From left to right, Sandy (the Sandman), E.Aster Bunnymund (the Easter Bunny), North (Santa Claus), Tooth (the Tooth Fairy) and Jack Frost.Image courtesy of 3.bp.blogspot.com

Rise of the Guardians6s/10

By Imaani CainCampus Correspondent

Imaani.Cain@UConn.edu

NEW YORK (AP) — Television viewers were once called couch potatoes. Many are becoming more active while watching now, judg-ing by the findings in a new report that illustrates the explosive growth in people who watch TV while con-nected to social media on smartphones and tablets.

The Nielsen company said that one in three people using Twitter in June sent mes-sages at some point about the content of television shows, an increase of 27 percent from only five months ear-lier. And that was before the Olympics, which was prob-ably the first big event to illustrate the extent of second screen usage.

“Twitter has become the second screen experience for television,” said Deirdre Bannon, vice president of social media at Nielsen.

Social networking is becoming so pervasive that the study found nearly a third of people aged 18-to-24 reported using the sites while in the bathroom.

An estimated 41 percent of tablet owners and 38 per-cent of smartphone owners used their device while also watching television at least once a day, Nielsen said.

That percentage hasn’t changed much; in fact, 40 percent of smartphone own-ers reported daily dual screen usage a year earlier, Nielsen said. The difference is that far more people own these devices and they are using them for a longer period of time. The company estimated that Americans spent a total of 157.5 billion minutes on mobile devices in July 2012, nearly doubling the 81.8 bil-lion the same month a year earlier.

“There are big and inter-esting implications,” Bannon said. “I think both television networks and advertisers are onto it.”

The social media can pro-vide networks with real-time

feedback on what they are doing. The performance of moderators at presidential debates this fall was watched more closely than perhaps ever before, because people were instantly taking on Twitter to provide their own critiques.

It also makes for some con-flicting information: Twitter buzzed with complaints last summer about NBC’s poli-cy of airing many Olympics events from London on tape delay, yet ratings for the prime-time Olympics telecast soared past expectations.

The increase in people watching television and commenting about it online would seem to run counter to another big trend this fall: more people recording pro-grams and watching them at a later hour. Those contrary trends both increase the value of live event programming like awards shows or sporting events.

The Nielsen study also found that 35 percent of peo-ple who used tablets while watching TV looked up infor-mation online about the pro-gram they were watching. A quarter of tablet owners said they researched coupons or deals for products they saw advertised on television

As rapid as the use of social media while on television is growing in the United States, it already lags behind other countries. Nielsen said that 63 percent of people in the Middle East or Africa report using social media while on TV, and 52 percent of people in Latin America.

The U.S. media survey is based on a representative sample of 1,998 adults in Nielsen’s panel of Internet users, conducted online between July 19 and Aug. 8. Nielsen’s global survey involved more than 28,000 people in 51 countries and was taken between March 23 and April 12, 2011.

Study shows growth in second screen users

ComicsTuesday, December 4, 2012 The Daily Campus, Page 8

Horoscopes

by Brian Ingmanson

A:

COMICSPHOTO OF THE DAY

Is it Christmas yet? The lamp posts near Gampel and all along Hillside Road have all been adorned in red ribbons, getting all of campus a little deeper into the holiday spirit.

Santiago Pelaez/THE DAILY CAMPUS

WOULD YOU LIKE TO GET PAID TO DRAW OR MAKE GAMES FOR THE

DAILY CAMPUS COMICS?!

Email 3 of your best sample comics toDailycampuscomics@gmail.com!

Procrastination Animation

Michael McKiernan

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is a 9 -- Listen to the competition. You’ll soon have time to relax. Study the practical aspects, and come up with a brilliant scheme. Ask for more and get it.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- Have the party at your house. Friends help you make a solid connection. The way you did it before won’t work. Move quickly without rocking the boat.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Your mood changes dramatically. You’re even smarter than usual for the next few days. The very idea you were looking for appears from afar. Use imagination, not money.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 7 -- You’re entering a two-day profitable phase and can afford a home upgrade. Get down to bare essentials: simple and comfortable. Outside obligations interfere with private time. Schedule them.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- Expand your resources. Life’s easier and you’re more confident for the next few days. You can afford to fix things. If there’s a roadblock, meditate. Entertain suggestions.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is a 6 -- You see your creative path clearly as you enter an intuitive phase. Review plans. Take a page from your partner’s book. Discipline is required. Get your antiques appraised.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- There’s a zinger in your work environment. You may have trouble getting through to someone. Associates provide deeper insight. Spend a little. Limit travel for now.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is an 8 -- Attend to career goals today and tomorrow. Anticipate disagreement, and keep at it. Bring playfulness to work, and let your thoughts settle. Stay out of the way.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Miracles could be possible. Travel is not a good idea, but do make contact. Read the manual, and study a technical subject. Call upon experts. Finish an old job.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Organize your finances today and tomorrow. You get a boost from friends and your partner, who all want your attention. Don’t start the new project yet. Do the scientific research.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- Consider all possibilities, and entertain suggestions. It’s a good time to ask for money. Study takes priority over regular chores. Let another represent you. Discover romance today and tomorrow.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- There’s too much work. Listen to both sides of a controversy. Allow the process to unfold. Put your partner in charge. Good news arrives.

Kevin & Dean

by Adam Penrod

SportsTuesday, December 4, 2012 The Daily Campus, Page 9

This impacted UConn ath-letics more than anything this year, albeit negatively.

I can only hope that by this point next year, the two will be up for UConn sportspeo-ple of the year for setting this school up for success and once again having the Huskies in the same conference as some of the country’s most competitive schools.

The ones that stayed: Lamb, Drummond, Oriakhi and Smith, all out after the most

disappointing title defense in UConn’s history. It was a tough season, only to be followed by this season’s tournament sanc-tions, making the players that stayed in Storrs the real heroes for UConn moving forward.

When it comes down to it, it’s hard to be angry at Lamb, Oriakhi and Smith consider-ing all they did to help lead the team in 2011. And when it comes to Drummond, I don’t think anyone seriously thought he was going to stay past his freshman year anyways.

But the players that stayed

for the 2012-2013 campaign and beyond are the real admi-rable ones because they rep-resent all that is “team-first.” Despite any other opportunity presented to them, they stayed Huskies.

Boatright, Napier and, some-what surprisingly, Giffey, are now the faces of this men’s bas-ketball team moving forward. And, considering their putting UConn before any other option they faced, I’m quite alright with that.

from SPORTSMEN, page 14

Michael.Corasaniti@UConn.edu

Corasaniti: Much respect to those that stayed

It feels like just yesterday that Michigan State and UConn met in Germany for the start of the college basketball season. Now, faster than you can spell the last name of Duke’s head basket-ball coach, we have flipped the calendar to December. A lot of teams throughout the country are still trying to find their identity, while others have hit the ground running and are swiftly rising in the national polls. Schools such as No. 1 Indiana, No. 2 Duke, and No. 8 Arizona are off to fabulous starts and well on their way to very special years. Others, including UCLA and NC State, have stumbled out of the gate and need to look into some mirrors if they wish to regroup and turn things around before conference play begins.

However, hope is far from lost for some of the early disap-pointments. For the UCLAs and Kentuckys of the world, this is the perfect time to start anew and get back to playing solid basketball. Why is now the time, you ask? Well, because it’s the holiday season. Christmas is approaching, Ralphie is begin-ning to salivate over a Red Ryder BB Gun and Hess already brags that this year’s version of its toy-truck is “better than ever.” A lot of magic occurs during

the winter holidays, and noth-ing exemplifies this more than the presence of Father Christmas himself.

Please understand that Santa Claus does not set records in forgiveness and forgetfulness. If children have been more naugh-ty than nice under Santa’s eye, he makes them pay. Instead of receiving a plethora of desired presents under the tree, Jolly Old Saint Nick may reprimand boys and girls via the tossing of lumps of coal, unpleasant sweaters and even Mark Sanchez down the chimney.

When it comes to college basketball programs, I’d like to believe he becomes much more understanding and compassion-ate. Santa acknowledges a slow start when he sees one, and he also knows that one gift can change the entire mindset for a team while steering them in the right direction. It remains to be seen whether Kentucky, Tennessee and others can erase a rough November and return to their winning ways, but it is quite clear what they need under the Christmas tree to get back on track.

Team: UCLAGift: Patience and Practice

TimeOK, maybe bestowing two

presents upon UCLA seems a bit greedy, but “greedy” may just be the perfect word to describe Bruins coach Ben Howland.

Howland went all John Calipari on us this summer and landed not one, not two, not three (No really, LeBron, keep going), but four top-50 recruits for this year’s class. The most highly touted of the four, Shabazz Muhammad (No. 2 in ESPNU 100), had to watch UCLA’s first three games from the pine amid an NCAA investigation. Upon his return, the team has dropped three of its five games, including a loss ver-sus San Diego State Saturday in the Wooden Classic. All that the Bruins really need from Santa is a little bit of patience. Give Muhammad, along with fellow freshmen Kyle Anderson (No. 5 in ESPNU 100), Tony Parker (No. 26), and Jordan Adams (No. 41) a couple of months to gel and get acclimated to the college game. Much like Rome, legend-ary teams composed of freshman studs aren’t built in a day. Just ask Calipari.

Team: TennesseeGift: Additional Low-Post

ScorerThe main catalyst on the

Tennessee Volunteers roster is sophomore Jarnell Stokes, a beast in the paint whose shoe size (20) is actually higher than his age (18). As effective as Stokes has been so far this season (13 points per game, 7.7 rebounds per game), it’s becoming obvi-ous that he needs some addi-tional help down low. Luckily for Tennessee, that help may

soon be arriving in the form of the injured Jeronne Maymon. Maymon, currently recovering from offseason knee surgery, made All-SEC Second Team last year with averages of 12.7 points and 8.1 rebounds per contest. With Maymon at full health, the Vols pose as formidable a front-court as any team in the country. I’m hoping someone in the North Pole saw Tennessee put up just 36 points in a loss at Georgetown on Friday.

Team: MissouriGift: Point Guard DepthIf Santa is unable to fulfill

Missouri’s request for another

ball handler in the backcourt this Christmas, the least he can do is purchase a Brookstones gift certificate for point guard Phil Pressey (13.6 ppg, 6.3 assists per game). Pressey, widely regarded as a Top-3 point guard nation-ally, deserves a massage chair after already having to shoul-der much of the load for the Tigers. Missouri does get PG Jabari Brown, an Oregon transfer and a former five-star recruit in the spring semester. Thank good-ness, too, as the need for Brown has gotten that much more zeal-ous with news that Michael Dixon Jr. (13.5 ppg last year as

sixth man) is unlikely to ever step foot on the court again after a rape accusation. Pressey rarely gets a break during the game and, as a result, his turnover numbers have increased. Missouri (ranked No. 12 in the AP Top-25, No. 11 in the Coaches Poll) is still in better shape than most of the teams in this column thanks to a solid frontcourt, but the effi-ciency and decision-making of backup guards Brown and fresh-man Negus Webster-Chan will be the X-factor for the Tigers going forward.

After another competitive week-end in the Hockey East, the Boston College Eagles have advanced to the No. 1 spot in this week’s power rankings. Here are your final stand-ings as the first half of the season comes to a close:

8. Connecticut (2-14-2, 1-7-0)The Vermont Catamounts dealt

UConn two losses this weekend as the Huskies’ struggle continues. Failing to score a single goal in both games, a lack of offense continues to plague a team already struggling defensively. The Huskies have only scored 35 goals this season, coupled with a conference-high 71 goals allowed.

7. Maine (2-10-1, 1-8-0)In similar straits as UConn, the

Black Bears fell in back-to-back games against Boston College 2-7 and 0-10. While the Bears’ defense has been on par with other teams in the conference this season, the conference-low 23 goals scored has been the product of an ane-mic offense holding the team back from seeing success.

6. Vermont (5-9-2, 4-3-2)The Catamounts’ two decisive

wins over UConn brought the team up to a winning record in the con-ference. However, Vermont has still yet to show the kind of per-formance against stronger teams in the conference, specifically,

Northeastern and Providence, to advance in the rankings. Bolstering the team’s mediocre offense would go a long way in maintaining a winning record.

5. New Hampshire (7-10-1, 4-3-1)

The Wildcats are halfway through the season and they are at a crossroads. The team is sitting at the precipice of breaking into the top half of the rankings, espe-cially after splitting this weekend’s games with Northeastern in a 1-8 loss and 3-1 win. However, an early season loss to Vermont and a tie with Providence are still holding them back.

4. Providence (8-7-4, 5-4-2)The Friars are clinging to their

fourth place ranking. Two losses to Boston University 3-4 and 4-6 have lowered their stock even fur-ther. They had a strong start in the conference but are fading fast with the Wildcats waiting to pounce. Slipping to a negative goal differ-ential (57 scored, 59 allowed) has relegated them to a very precari-ous position. Only time will tell if Friars’ prayers are answered.

3. Northeastern (9-5-2, 5-4-1)The No. 9 Huskies are continu-

ing an impressive run this sea-son, but stumbled by allowing the Wildcats a 3-1 win. Northeastern needed two decisive wins in order to contend with their fel-low Bostonians at the top of the rankings. Fortunately for the

Huskies, the season is only half-way through, giving them more than enough time to make a run at No. 1.

2. Boston University (11-3-1, 6-2-1)

After two strong wins over Providence, the thought of the No. 7 Terriers slipping to No. 2 in the Hockey East rankings seemed unthinkable. The drop was at no fault of their own, only that Boston College had a great amount of momentum heading into this weekend and their two wins were more impressive than those of the Terriers. That being said, the two teams have a 1-1-1 record against each other, so this situation is as fluid as it gets.

1. Boston College (10-3-2, 7-2-1)

The No. 6 Eagles have been nearly unstoppable so far this sea-son. Their only losses are to Boston University and New Hampshire. While no team will ever be a juggernaut in the Hockey East, with a scoring differential of +37 (71 scored, 34 allowed), Boston College has set itself up to do something incredible. Their deci-sive 7-2, 10-0 wins over the Black Bears was just further evidence of this.

Note: All national ranks, unless otherwise noted, are from the USA Today/USA Hockey Magazine poll.

By Kyle ConstableCampus Correspondent

Women's Hockey East Rankings

Kyle.Constable@UConn.edu

By Michael McCurryCampus Correspondent

Playing the role of Santa Claus this Christmas» COLUMN

Michael.McCurry@UConn.edu

SportsThe Daily Campus, Page 10 Tuesday, December 4, 2012

The commissioner is the most powerful man in any respective sport, but despite the power he possesses, he commands little respect amongst the fans of their sports.

David Stern has recently lost my respect.

On Friday, Stern, the commis-sioner of the NBA, fined San Antonio $250,000 for not bringing Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green to a game against Miami. The game against the Heat was the final game in a six-game road trip for the Spurs.

According to Stern in a state-ment he released, “The Spurs decided to make four of their top players unavailable for an early season game that was the team’s only regular-season visit to Miami. The team also did this without informing the Heat, the media or the league office in a timely way.” The absence of the four aforemen-tioned players was “a disservice to the league and our fans,” said Stern.

So, the Spur’s future hall-of-fame coach Greg Popovich is being reprimanded for doing what he believed was the best decision for the team’s long-term success? Huh, guess you cannot win them all, Pop.

The Spurs were in the tail end of a six-game road trip, which had them traveling roughly 5,500 miles over nine days. In that span they saw six different cities in two different countries. The total age of Duncan, Parker and Ginobili is 101 years old.

You do the math.The NBA has a grueling 82

game regular season that often has teams playing in consecutive road games for long stretches, which seems to have become more com-mon under Stern’s commission. For an aging team like the Spurs, whose “Big Three” might be the oldest collection of stars in the league, they need all the rest they can get. Popovich was acting in the best intentions for his players’ health.

I understand why Stern is mad. The Spurs played in a nationally televised game against the Heat, two of the most popular franchises in the league right now. Fans tuned into that game to see the defending champions take on a crafty vet-eran team of future hall-of-famers. Instead they were treated to Tiago Splitter, Patty Mills and Nando de Colo.

Without their marque players, the game was supposed to be a wash for Bron Bron and company. Instead, it took a 12-2 run in the

final 2:14 for the Heat to pull off a 105-100 narrow victory over the Spurs’ J.V. squad.

If anything, Stern should fine the Heat for that game.

Popovich made his decision based on what would benefit his team by the time the playoffs came around because he is trying to win a championship, the ultimate goal of every franchise. Pop is no stranger to sitting his star players. Last year, when he held Duncan out of a game, Popovich jokingly wrote “old” as his ailment in the box score.

The fine has become a hotly debated topic amongst coaches, players, analysts and fans. Those who support it side with Stern on the basis that the Spurs sandbagged the NBA on such a highly tele-vised event, taking away from the entertainment factor of the game and damaging an industry worth nearly $5 billion. Those who dis-agree believe that Popovich was doing what was best for his team, which is the number one priority for any coach.

Both sides hold merit, but who is right? Well, no one actually because no matter what the nay-sayers, like myself, believe Stern has made the ruling and his word is final.

However, Steve Kerr took to Twitter and summed up Stern’s actions in probably the most appropriate response seen in the media. “If the NBA punishes the Spurs for sitting players, it opens up a huge can of worms. This is a serious legal challenge for the

league.”Stern will create more good

than bad from this fine because he has created a standard, one that does not resonate well with NBA coaches. By fining the Spurs for benching their star players last minute, he puts the league on notice that if they do the same for marque games, they will be pun-ished. Now, if any team decides to follow suit, Stern is forced to fine that team because he set a prec-edent, and if he does not enforce it again, he will look biased and power-hungry.

Stern has announced that he will step down as commissioner in 2014. Why would he try to make more enemies with only two years left in his term?

What Stern has shown is that he values the money he can make off of a game more than the health of his employees – the players. Duncan, Parker and Ginobili are considered to be old in their sport, and at this stage in their career, they are more likely to be affected by fatigue and have a higher per-ceived risk of injury. Popovich was not acting out of spite or try-ing to make a statement, he was doing what he thought was best for his team.

This is another case of money destroying the sanctity of sports. I used to question why fans booed so loudly at Stern during the NBA Draft each and every year, but now, after this stunt, I do not blame them.

By Carmine ColangeloSenior Staff Writer

Carmine.Colangelo@UConn.edu

Colangelo: Stern has lost all of my respect

» COLUMN

Two competitors on the UConn men’s swimming team had the privilege of traveling to Austin, Texas to participate in the 2012 USA Swimming Winter Nationals, providing them the opportunity to com-pete against the nation’s top swimmers.

Sophomores Lachezar Shumkov and Wyatt Boliek qualified to compete in this past weekend’s prestigious competition. The two traveled with Coach Bob Goldberg to the competition site and

hoped to make a splash against a strong field of swim-mers, including several who competed in this summer’s Olympics held in London.

Shumkov competed in both the 100- and 200-yard breast-strokes this weekend, placing 20th and 29th, respectively. In the 100-yard, he not only set a new personal best but also set a new school record with his time of 55.00 seconds in the prelimi-nary heat. Qualifying for the C finals, he finished fifth in the division with a time of 55.45 seconds. His 29th place finish in the 200-yard was just short of making it into the C finals, posting a time of 2:02.54.

Boliek competed only in the 200-yards breaststroke, finishing a respectable 47th with a time of 2:05.49. This was Boliek’s second fastest time of the year in this event. His fastest performance was less than a second shorter at 2:04.87 against Penn earlier this season.

This was the Huskies’ last meet of the semester. The team will now have the chance to prepare for an intense second semester schedule that will kick off with a meet at home against Big East rival Seton Hall on Jan. 26.

By Kyle ConstableCampus Correspondent

Kyle.Constable@UConn.edu

» MEN'S AND WOMEN'S SWIMMING/DIVING

UConn swimming competes in Winter Nationals

The UConn women’s swim-ming team wrapped up their three-day event in Austin, Texas on December 1.

Jordan Bowen finished strong in the 1650-yard free-style event coming in 24th place with a time of 17:00.06. She also came in 33rd place in the 500-yard freestyle event with a time of 4:56.08, and swam a time of 1:51.08 in the 200-yard freestyle to place 44th.

Mary deMarrais placed twenty-eighth in the

Individual Medley event, swimming a time of 4:27.00. She also came in 36th place in the 500-yard freestyle event with a time of 4:59.52.

In the 50-yard freestyle Chinyere Pigot swam a time of 23.22 seconds to place

35th. She also came in 15th place with a time of 51. 54 seconds.

Kim Fleming came in 69th place in the 100-yard back-stroke with a time of 57.80 seconds. Although UConn did not make it past the prelimi-naries and onto the finals, the team had a successful meet.

The Winter Nationals was the Huskies' last meet of the semester. The UConn wom-en's swimming and diving squads will next compete at home January 26 against Seton Hall in a Big East matchup with the Pirates.

By Erica BrancatoCampus Correspondent

Erica.Brancato@UConn.edu

» Recap

» Swimming and Diving

Head coach Geno Auriemma was pleased with the dominant performance by Faris against a top ten opponent.

“It’s a great example of how someone can dominate a game with just six shots,” said Auriemma. “I felt that Kelly completely domi-nated the game.”

Sophomore forward Kaleena Mosqueda-Lewis shot 3-7 from the field in the first half but did not return for the second half after suf-fering a quad contusion. Midway through the first half, the Terrapins cut the UConn lead to just five points. However the Huskies responded with a 10-0 run to extend their lead 27-15. The Huskies took a 33-20 lead into the locker room at half time and continued to play a fast tempo game in the second half.

The key play of the game came with 12:14 remaining in the second half when Maryland had cut the Huskies lead to 10 points. UConn junior guard Bria Hartley drove down the court and recorded a three point play in transition.

UConn sophomore guard Brianna Banks had an impressive night from behind the arc as she

shot 3-4 from three point range. Banks has nine three pointers on the season, which is an improve-ment upon last year’s season total of three. According to Auriemma, Banks has improved her game more rapidly than he had expected.

“I don’t have any reservations about putting her in the game,” said Auriemma. “She has exceeded my expectations already. I thought it was going to take her half a year to use that transition from where she was last year to becoming the player that we can trust.”

Dolson reiterated Auriemma’s statements on the improvement of the play of her teammate Banks. “Her confidence has gone up a lot,” said Dolson. “She worked really hard in this offseason and preseason and she has improved her game immensely.”

The Huskies will be back in action this Thursday, when they take on Penn State at Gampel Pavilion. Tipoff for that game is scheduled for 7 p.m.

Tyler.Morrissey@UConn.edu

Auriemma pleased with Faris's playfrom TAMING, page 12

UConn's Stefanie Dolson blocks a Maryland opponent during the Huskies' game with the Terrapins.KEVIN SCHELLER/The Daily Campus

SportsTuesday, December 4, 2012 The Daily Campus, Page 11

TWOPAGE 2 120 The number of teams that finished with

more points per game than the UConn

football team this season.

Stat of the day

» That’s what he said‘It’s a significant blow. But we’ve dealt with significant blows and, hope-

fully, we’ll be able to deal with this one, as well.’’

-New York Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman on the loss of Alex Rodriguez for opening day next season.

Anything is possible!» Pic of the day

AP

Alex Rodriguez

What's NextHome game Away game

Women’s Track and Field

Softball

Men’s Hockey (4-7-1)

Jan. 4Penn State7:05 p.m.

Men’s Swimming & Diving

Jan. 5Winter OpenerAll Day

Men’s Track and Field

Women’s Hockey (2-12-2)

Jan 11Robert Morris

7:05 p.m.

Jan. 5 Penn State7: 05 p.m.

Men’s Basketball (6-1)

Can’t make it to the game?

Follow us on Twitter: @DCSportsDept www.dailycampus.com

Jan. 3Princeton7 p.m.

Feb. 2Dartmouth

1 p.m.

Jan. 12McGill 3 p.m.

Jan. 26 Seton Hall

1 p.m.

Jan. 15Harvard 7p.m.

Dec. 29 AIC

7:15 p.m.

Jan. 2Princeton7 p.m.

Jan. 9URI

HeptathlonAll Day

Feb. 15FIU Tournament

11 a.m.

Jan. 12Armory Invite

Alll Day

Dec. 7Army

7:05 p.m.

Dec. 29Washington7:30 p.m.

Jan. 8BU

7 p.m.

Women’s Basketball (7-0)

Dec. 4N.C. State9 p.m.

Dec. 7 Harvard7 p.m.

Dec. 17Maryland

Eastern Shore7 p.m.

Dec. 19Oakland7 p.m.

Dec. 29Stanford4 p.m.

Dec. 6Penn State

7 p.m.

Dec. 21Fordham7 p.m.

Dec. 22Hartford1 p.m.

Women’s Swimming & Diving

Jan. 26 Seton Hall

1 p.m.

Feb. 2Dartmouth

1 p.m.

Los Angeles Lakers center Dwight Howard shoots a free throw during the second half of their NBA basketball game against the Orlando Magic, Sunday, Dec. 2.

AP

Jan. 10URI

HeptathlonAll Day

Jan. 12Yale Invite

All Day

Jan. 18Great Dane

Classic All Day

Dec. 31Oregon3 p.m.

Jan. 18Great Dane

ClassicAlll Day

Jan. 25Terrier Invite

Alll Day

Feb. 1Armory Collegiate

All Day

» NCAA FOOTBALLSpurrier gets two-year extension in SC

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- Steve Spurrier has received a two-year contract extension that will keep him at South Carolina through 2017.

The university’s board of trustees unanimously approved the extension Monday. There was no salary increase in the deal. Spurrier is scheduled to again earn $3.3 million in 2013.

A year ago, trustees gave

Spurrier two additional years on the contract after the foot-ball season, then voted him a raise of $475,000 this past February to his current salary.

Spurrier has led the Gamecocks to consecutive sea-sons with double-digit victo-ries, a first in program history. No. 11 South Carolina fin-ished 6-2 in the Southeastern Conference for a second straight year. Spurrier became

the school’s all-time victo-ries leader with his 65th win when the Gamecocks defeated Clemson on Nov. 24.

South Carolina (10-2) faces No. 19 Michigan (8-4) in the Outback Bowl on New Year’s Day. Should the Gamecocks win, it would give Spurrier his third bowl win at the school - also tops in the program.

University President Harris Pastides said South Carolina was ‘’delighted in the success we’ve been having.’’

Athletic director Ray Tanner said Spurrier wasn’t concerned about his financial package, but thought adding two more years would help with football recruiting.

Spurrier was grateful to the school’s leaders for the con-tract extension.

‘’We have achieved a lot of goals, but we have not yet won the SEC championship,’’ he said. ‘’Hopefully, we can do that within the next couple of years.’’

The Gamecocks looked on track to contend for the league and national titles mid-way through this season. They were 6-0 and ranked third in the country after a dominating 35-7 win over Georgia.

But South Carolina dropped consecutive top-10 show-downs, losing at LSU (23-21) and Florida (44-11) to fall out

of the championship chase.Still, defeating rival

Clemson for a fourth-straight season left a good taste in Spurrier’s mouth. He and some players were honored Sunday at halftime of the Gamecocks’ basketball game and Spurrier couldn’t resist needling his state rival.

He explained to the crowd how his team had a difficult game with ‘’that school from the Upstate.’’

‘’As all of you know, it was a very close game,’’ Spurrier continued with a grin. ‘’Went into the fourth quarter, our defense played very well, our kicker made his kicks and we were able to beat Wofford, 24-7.’’

Incentives in Spurrier’s contract also remain the same as in the contract approved last February. In that deal, the school agreed to add the Outback Bowl to the list of other top-tier postseason games where Spurrier would earn $100,000 bonus for play-ing there.

Spurrier has already earned bonuses totaling $150,000 for 10 victories. He can get an additional $200,000 for an 11th win.

Tanner said Spurrier has ele-vated the football program in every way and ‘’is well deserv-ing of this contract extension.’’

Football: The Huskies lost to the Cincinnati Bearcats with a score of 34-17 in their season finale this past Saturday night at home in Rentschler Field in East Hartford. With this loss, the Huskies finish their season with an overall record of 5-7 and a conference record of 2-5.

Men’s Ice Hockey: The Huskies lost to Canisius with a score of 3-0 this past Friday night at home in Mark Edwards Freitas Forum. The Huskies then played Canisius for a second straight game and lost to them with a score of 3-1 this past Saturday night at home. With these two losses, the Huskies now have a season record of 4-7-1 and a conference record of 3-6-0.

Women’s Ice Hockey: The Huskies lost to the Vermont Catamounts 3-0 this past Saturday afternoon at home at the Mark Edwards Freitas Forum. The Huskies then played the Catamounts for a second straight game and lost to them with a score of 2-0 this past Sunday afternoon at home. With these two losses, the Huskies now have a season record of 2-14-2 and a conference record of 1-7-0.

Men’s Soccer: The Huskies lost to the Creighton Bluejays with a score of 1-0 in the NCAA Quarterfinals this past Sunday afternoon at home in a sold out Morrone Stadium. The Huskies played better than the Bluejays for the majority of the game but allowed a goal with 1:30 remaining in the second half. With this loss, the Huskies end their season with an impressive record of 17-4-1.

Men’s Swimming: The Huskies per-formed well in the USA Swimming Winter Nationals this past Thursday through Saturday away at Austin, Texas. Sophomores Lachezar Shumkov and Wyatt Boliek repre-sented the Huskies. Shumkov finished in 21st place in the 100-yard Breaststroke with an impressive school record time of 55.45 and Boliek finished 47th in the 200-yard Breaststroke with a time of 2:05.49.

Women’s Swimming: The Huskies per-formed well in the USA Swimming Winter Nationals this past Thursday through Saturday away at Austin. Seniors Jordan Bowen, Mary deMarrais, Kim Fleming and sophomore Chinyere Pigot represented the Huskies. All four Huskies achieved impres-sive times in their events.

Weekend recap of UConn sports

» QUICK HITS

James.Huang@UConn.edu

» Recap

» UConn Weekend

By James HuangCampus Correspondent

South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier reacts during the first half of an NCAA college football game against Clemson, Saturday, Nov. 24.

AP

Tuesday, December 4, 2012Page 12 www.dailycampus.com

» INSIDE SPORTS TODAY P.11: Carmine is not pleased with the actions of David Stern. / P.10: UConn men’s and women’s swimming and diving in Winter Nationals.

» MEN’S BASKETBALL

HARTFORD – The No. 2 UConn Huskies defeated the No. 11 Maryland Terrapins 63-48 for their seventh straight victory, in a physical contest at the XL Center in Hartford.

The Huskies got off to a quick start after the tipoff, opening up a 6-0 run off of three Maryland turnovers. Junior center Stefanie Dolson scored four

points by the 16 minute mark in the first half. She finished the half with a total of eight points, behind freshman Breanna Stewart who led the Huskies with nine points in the first half. Dolson led the Huskies in total points on the night with 14. She also tailed two blocks and two steals.

Terrapin forward and reigning ACC player of the year, Alyssa Thomas could not get anything going for her team in the first half as she committed six turn-overs and shot 0-5 from the field. She finished with just six points on the night due in part to the defensive efforts of UConn guard Kelly Faris.

“They didn’t do anything that we haven’t seen all year,” said Thomas. “It just came down to us not making shots.”

Faris finished her night with eight total points, shooting 4-6 from the field. She also tallied eight steals and seven boards.

TAMING THE TERRAPINSUConn survives early

test, toppling MarylandBy Tyler MorrisseyAssociate Sports Editor

UConn guard Kelly Faris goes up for a layup against a Maryland defender during the Huskies’ 63-48 win over the Maryland Terrapins Monday night. KEVIN SCHELLER/The Daily Campus

» AURIEMMA, page 9

The UConn men’s basketball team will head to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night to play No. 25 North Carolina State at 9 p.m., in the second game of the Jimmy V Classic, an annual showcase that honors the late head coach Jim Valvano. The first game features Georgetown and Texas.

The Huskies will enter the game with a 6-1 record but have plenty of room for improvement, espe-cially after a frustrating shooting effort in their last game, a 61-53 victory over UNH. Against the 2-4 Wildcats, UConn shot only 36.8 percent from the field, including 1-14 from three-point range. Ryan Boatright scored 19 points as the Huskies were ultimately able to pull away and avoid the upset.

“We have to be a lot better,” said Ollie after the UNH game. “We are not good enough to keep play-ing this way and expect to keep winning games.”

The competition will become much steeper for UConn on Tuesday night. NC State is off to a 4-2 start, with their two losses coming against two elite pro-grams. They lost the title game of the Puerto Rico Tipoff on Nov. 18th to No. 23 Oklahoma State by a score of 76-56 and suffered their second loss in the last game out at No. 3 Michigan, 79-72, on Nov. 27th. They are led by freshman forward TJ Warren, who is averag-ing 15.3 points per game.

UConn hopes that Shabazz Napier, their leading scorer, will get back on track in the nationally televised game on Tuesday. “The kid is such a talent,” said Ollie. “Oh, he’s so good. And he can do so many things on the basketball court and I just don’t have the answer for why he goes for 5 points. We’re going to keep coach-ing him and keep believing in him and hope that he has a better game in Madison Square Garden.”

UConn also loks to improve its rebounding, which has plagued

them throughout the early stages of the season. They have only outrebounded one opponent so far (UNH) and will have their hands full with NC State’s talent-ed rebounded tandem of Richard Howell (7.8 per game) and C.J. Leslie (7.5).

The Jimmy V classic was founded in 1995 as a way to honor the late Jimmy Valvano and raise money for The V Foundation for Cancer Research. Before he lost his own battle with cancer in 1993, he has inspired millions of people through his positive outlook on life and his emotional ESPY speech given only two months before his death that saw him implore the audience to “don’t give up, don’t ever give up” is one of the most enduring messages in sports his-tory.

Valvano received his first Division 1 coaching position at UConn, where he served as an assistant from 1970-72.

UConn to compete in Jimmy V Classic

Kelly Faris comes up big in UConn win

Looking at the stat sheet from Monday night’s game, no one UConn player jumps off the page. Balance, more than any-thing, would seem to have been the key to the game.

But according to Coach Geno Auriemma, there was one player on the floor that controlled the game from start to finish.

“It’s a great example of how somebody can dominate a game and only take six shots,” Auriemma said after the win. “I thought Kelly [Faris] com-pletely dominated the game. She dominated the entire game and she defended [Maryland junior forward] Alyssa Thomas as well as well as anybody can be defended.”

Faris finished the night with

eight points, eight steals, seven assists and seven rebounds with-out turning the ball over a single time and spent just six minutes on the bench during the game. As Auriemma put it, “I can’t believe I had her out that long.”

In addition to her near-quadruple-double, Faris was tasked with guard-ing the reigning ACC Player of the Year for most of the night. Thomas tallied just six points on 2-for-12 shooting, as Faris made it difficult for her to find space on the floor.

“She doesn’t take a play off,” Maryland Coach Brenda Freese said of Faris. “She continues to work defensively. Offensively, she runs you around in circles,

she cuts hard. She never takes a possession off. And when you’re trying to defend her, when you’re trying to find her, she makes play after play.”

The dominating performance was fresh off a game in which Faris racked up a sea-son-high 17 points against Colgate.

On the season, she has shot 73.5 percent from the floor and averaged just under 10 points per game, in addition to her 18

total steals and 33 total assists.Despite the fact that Faris

often flies under the radar and is overshadowed by some of her more statistically-impressive teammates, Auriemma knows well what she means to his team.

“She has an impact that

goes beyond the stat sheet,” Auriemma said. “When you look at the stat sheet, there’s a whole bunch of stuff in there but her impact is even greater than that. It’s just amazing. If you watch it closely and you watch it on film, and you’re not watching anybody else, you see how many things she does that impact the game. Some never show up on the stat sheet. She’s just an incredible, incredible athlete and an amazing player.”

Junior center Stefanie Dolson echoed Auriemma’s sentiment, saying that if tipped balls were recorded alongside steals, Faris would probably have about 15 per game.

“Her hands are everywhere,” Dolson said. “She’s getting in the passing lanes and digging the ball out and she just works so hard on this team. It’s some-

thing that we can all see and learn from.”

“That’s why I’m always amazed at the Big East coaches that none of them vote for her for anything,” Auriemma said of his senior guard. “They’re stuck with the guys they have and the record they have, and we have the record we have because we have her.”

But Faris was a bit more mod-est about her performance and said she needs to keep working to improve.

“The first half, as a whole, individually, I felt pretty good about it,” Faris said. “The sec-ond half, so-so; there were a few things I could have done better, but hopefully I’ll just continue to build on it.”

By Matt Stypulkoski Staff Writer

Matthew.Stypulkoski@UConn.edu

By Peter LogueStaff Writer

UConn’s junior guard Shabazz Napier drives into the lane against a UNH opponent during a UConn men’s basketball game.

RACHEL WEISS/The Daily Campus

Mike Corasaniti

Sportsmen of the year for

UConn Huskies

It was announced Tuesday morning that LeBron James is this year’s Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year,” putting him among the likes of Olympian Michael Phelps, golfer Tiger Woods and tennis legend Arthur Ashe, just to name a few.

Many, including me, might be quick to criticize LeBron at first. Those images from his infamous press conference in Greenwich two summers ago come to mind all too easily, reasserting the villain role that stuck to James so quickly after his Cleveland departure.

When it comes down to it though, few are truly hard-pressed to say that James wasn’t more than deserving of the award, cit-ing the NBA MVP Award, NBA Championship, NBA Finals MVP Award and Olympic Gold medal he accumulated over the past 12 months. He took the defeats and criticism that defined his 2011, and turned them into performances basketball fans won’t forget for a long time.

2012 belonged to LeBron James.

But when you shrink the size of the scope down from the general sports world to Storrs, it would be a shame to ignore some of the notable sports figures that made 2012 what is was for UConn and its fans this year. My candidates for UConn’s Sportsman of the Year are as follows:

Geno Auriemma: 2011 belonged to Calhoun and the boys, but Auriemma led his women back to the Final Four in 2012, a feat that seemed way out of reach earlier on in the season, especially after the graduation of Maya Moore.

UConn has definitely become comfortable with the success of the women’s team, feeling disap-pointed any time the team comes short of a national championship. But the resiliency of the 2011-2012 squad was beyond impres-sive.

They lost four times in the regu-lar season - once to Baylor, second to St. John’s and twice to Notre Dame—but came back stronger with every test. In the Big East Championship game, they pulled away from Notre Dame for an all too fitting 800th career for Geno, and would end up coming just short of a rematch with Baylor, losing in overtime to Notre Dame in the national semifinal.

Mamadou Diouf, Carlos Alvarez: Quietly, the UConn men’s soccer team once again put itself among the ranks of the top teams of the country, returning to the national quarterfinals for a second straight year. Senior mid-fielder Alvarez and junior forward Diouf were two of the biggest reasons why.

Alvarez, with seven goals and nine assists, and Diouf, with 15 goals and two assists, were two of the main leaders for the team that went 17-4-1 and only lost one game at home the entire season (their quarterfinal loss to Creighton this Sunday). Their efforts were rewarded this past week when both were named semifinalists for the Missouri Athletics Club’s Hermann Trophy, awarded to the best player in the country.

Susan Herbst, Warde Manuel: Recently, whenever conference realignment comes back into the spotlight—and trust me, it’s not leaving it any time soon—UConn seems to be left on the outside looking in., For failing to get the Huskies into the ACC (or, more tragically, out of the Big East), President Herbst and Athletic Director Manuel make the list this year.

» CORASANITI, page 9

WOMEN’SBASKETBALL

48

63

Peter.Logue@UConn.edu

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

Notebook