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A Scenic Jouney in Into the Wild Dramatic Arts Program Has Reason to Celebrate How Hannah Montana sold out The Q in minutes Are They Worth a Listen? Check out at csucauldron.com Columbus Day: The “Un-National” Hero Holiday The Middle East in a Different Light What he's Wearing: Plaid Disco Blazer, hand-me-down. Dollar Store Hunter Green T-Shirt, $3. Pro-Toubourg Button from 1967, 30 cents. Jeans, hand-me-down from 1973. Swedish Military Boots from Swedish Army Surplus Magazine, $45.TRANSCRIPT
VOL. 105, NO.7
Free
CauldronThe
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F C L E V E L A N D S TA T E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 9 2 9T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F C L E V E L A N D S TA T E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 9 2 9
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October
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2007
A Guide To the Hip Urban Neighborhood of Ohio City
Greetingsfrom
CauldronFor the Students...By the Students
Editorial Staff:Francis X. Bova III, Editor-In-ChiefAndrea Mitchell, Managing Editor
Jayson Gerbec, Advertising ManagerJessica Erkins, Advertising Rep.
Ebony Cash, News Editor Ilona Westfall, Culture EditorNick Camino, Sports Editor
Steve Thomas, Layout DesignerMichael Quintero, Cartoonist
Jeff “Z” Stoskus, Distribution ManagerAnne Werner, Business Manager
Staff WritErS:David Imburgia, Mark Jablonski,
Faith Larraine, Laura Dynda, Jamie DuBois, Mark Katzbach, Christopher Enoch, Reid May, Scott Arko, Andrea Cervenak,
Gary Typerstone
forEign CorrESpondEnt:Amanda Richards
Contributing WritErS:Dave Orzechowski, Sabrina Peacock,
Johntay Brown, Alex Friedman, Audrey McCrone, Roman Verzub
Cleveland State university2121 Euclid avenue uC 10
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ContentsVISIT WWW.CSuCauldron.CoM
name: James Pritchett
age: 19
Major: Japanese
Style Inspirations: John Lennon, The Edge
Favorite Clothing Stores: Sarah's Thrift
Favorite Fashion Magazine: Swedish Army Surplus Magazine
Favorite Fashion Eras: The Rido period in Japan, Weimar Republic
Fashion Philosophy: “Cheap and ventilated.”
What he loves about Fashion: “I like warmth.”
What he's Wearing: Plaid Disco Blazer, hand-me-down. Dollar Store Hunter Green T-Shirt, $3. Pro-Toubourg Button from 1967, 30 cents. Jeans, hand-me-down from 1973. Swedish Military Boots from Swedish Army Surplus Magazine, $45.
CSU ChicStory|Andrea Cervenak Photography|Andrea Cervenak
You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea
Columbus Day: The “Un-National” Hero HolidayThe Middle East in a Different Light
Cleveland RTA Receives Top Award
Jablonski’s Political Notebook
A Guide To Ohio City’s Obscure Sites
A Scenic Jouney in Into the Wild
Dramatic Arts Program Has Reason to Celebrate How Hannah Montana sold out The Q in minutes Are They Worth a Listen? Check out at csucauldron.com
CD REVIEWS
Men’s Tennis Aims for League Championship
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Page � The Melting Pot |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
t h E M E l t i n g p o t
You Think You Know, But You Have No Idea14 Facts about Oktoberfest
By Amanda RichardsThe Cauldron Foreign Correspondent
Looking back on my experience in Munich, Germany, I realized that there are so many things I want to tell people about the pulsating, beer-oozing life-force that is Oktoberfest. Too many things, I decided, to even consider including in one cohesive, flowing, grammatically correct “story.” So instead, I will simply make a list. Ladies and gentleman, I present to you: 14 Facts about Oktoberfest (in no particular order).
1. The biggest celebration of Oktoberfest takes place in Munich, Germany. There are many other cities that also organize Oktoberfest on a much smaller scale. They’re still better than the one at Cedar Point.
2. The first Oktoberfest took place on Oct. 12, 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig and Princess Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen. Don’t worry; you don’t have to know this in order to get into a tent. Most Germans don’t know this either. They just know that there’s a reason to party.
3. Speaking of getting into a tent…you probably won’t. There are about eight or nine tents on the Oktoberfest fairgrounds, each representing a differ-ent German brewery. The tables inside each tent are reserved at least one year in advance. Hundreds
of people line up at six in the morning to try and claim the reserved table of a no-show. Usually, they wait all day, until they are met with disappointment when the tents close at 11 p.m. How did I get in? Well, the same way anyone gets to do anything that’s in high demand: I knew a guy. We snuck in through the kitchen. Note: Do NOT attempt to sneak into a tent through its kitchen unless you know a guy. You will be promptly arrested.
4. If you make the decision to make a reservation in a tent, do not make one in the Hofbrau House. Because it is the most widely known, the entire thing is filled to the brim with wide-eyed American tourists. This is not authentic Bavaria. This is not as fun.
5. Once you’re in the tent, you must own your space. If you don’t, you will be crushed by the sea of humanity trying to get back to their tables or to the bathroom.
6. If you want to be served anything inside the tent, you must sit down. The servers are forbidden to give beers, chicken hips, or giant pretzels to anyone who is standing.
7. When you see a server, regardless of whether or not you are done with your beer or giant pretzel, you should probably get another one. By the time he or she comes around again, your liter of beer will either be warm or gone, and you’ll need anoth-er giant pretzel to soak up all the alcohol in your stomach.
8. Get the radishes. Just trust me on that one.9. Don’t be shocked when you hear the band playing American
music in addition to traditional German drinking songs. For some reason, Germans really love the song “Sweet Home Alabama.” You will also probably hear “Hang On Sloopy” more than once. But you’ll need to provide the O-H-I-O.
10. Don’t wear nice clothes. As a matter of fact, it might be in your best interest to wear no clothes at all. You will, at one point or another, be covered in crumbs, sweat, and cigarette ash. No wor-ries, though, a beer shower will be soon to follow.
11. Be not afraid of the Germans in lederhosen. They might seem like they’re yelling at you, but really, they’re just drunk and want you to climb up on the table with them.
12. If someone rubs your belly and tells you that you drink beer like a man, it’s a compliment. I think.
13. Bring your wallet. And maybe take out a loan. 14. Finally, just so all you dedicated Beerfest fans out there will stop
asking me…Das Boot isn’t real. I inquired. I did research. I looked for a boot to bring home. Believe me. Is it really that hard to believe that the guys responsible for Supertroopers would make something up?
There you have it, an all-inclusive list of everything you ever needed or wanted to know about Oktoberfest. Feel free to print this out and stick it in your wallet for next year, and you will be sure to have a wundervoll time.
Page 4 | The Melting Pot October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
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The Middle East in a Different LightBy Suphie Wesner
The Cauldron Contributing Writer
As a Persian-American who has traveled to the Middle East, I can attest that Muslims are not the warmongers that the American press would have us believe.
I still remember the reaction of my Home-Economy teacher when I told her that I had had fun in Iran: incredulity and concern. Her face wound up with worry as she questioned me whether I had been mistreated.
Laughing, I assured her that I had had more than enough fun to make up for any mistreatment.
The book Tri-continental Junction makes a good point: there may be conflict there, but with good reason.
The Middle East is a world at a crossroads with a purity of religion that the critical American could not imagine.
When my young cousins returned from Iran this summer, they were impressed with the humanity and hospitality there. The elder of the two (Marall) after some prompting, mentioned that the thing she liked best about the Iranian people was the sincerity — something lacking in Americans.
“When you look at somebody over there,” she said. “You know that
it’s honest.” Whereas over
here, she contin-ued, “you don’t know if it’s real.”
A m e r i c a n s should give Middle-easterners credit for dealing as well as they have been with the burden they have to bear.
It is not their fault that people are actually passionate about something other than chips, beer and the boob tube.
Given America’s own embarrassing poverty problem, I would advise the angry Americans should think twice before criticizing the Middle East.
The Cradle of Civilization has done pretty well despite the burden it has had to bear.
Columbus Day: The “Un-National” Hero Holiday
By Audrey McCrone The Cauldron Contributing Writer
Columbus Day pisses me off. What a warped pedestal Columbus has been placed upon. The fact that Columbus found the West Indies populated doesn’t seem to register with people who think he discovered the “New World.”
‘Civilization’ came at the expense of the indigenous peoples of the West Indies. Columbus discovered nothing, except natural resources and populated land. The natives suffered for Columbus’ accident — over 2 million died from the diseases Columbus and his henchmen introduced to them.
The long-term effects persist today—towns
and holidays still exist that are intended to honor a slave trader such as Columbus, Ohio and Columbus Day. Columbus is glorified as a ‘great discoverer’ of the West Indies & North America.
The Spanish Crown (Isabella & Ferdinand) funded the voyage on the premise that Columbus would repay the investment. This explains why the travelogues of Columbus and his crew focus on what and who could be exploited once land was spotted. He said of the natives:
“It appears to me, that the people are ingenious, and would be good servants and I am of opinion that they would very readily become Christians, as they appear to have no religion. They very quickly learn such words as are spoken to them. If it please our Lord, I intend at my return to carry home six of them to your Highnesses, that they may learn our language.”
Columbus’ racial encounters with the Arawak and Tainos also represent religious conflict. Columbus tried to convert the natives to Christianity (Catholicism, specifically) and if they didn’t (namely because they couldn’t understand his language) he felt justified in killing and/or enslaving them.
Misunderstanding led to the downfalls
of great nations and it labeled those natives ‘uncivilized,’ but archaeology now details complex social systems, vast populations and governmental dealings in commerce. ‘Civilization’ seems to be defined strictly as bureaucracy, which negates the value of the ceremonial governing that served millions for centuries.
Consider the Five Civilized Tribes in North America when Columbus was plundering the West Indies.
Columbus Day as a national holiday is institutional racism one can read in Presidential Proclamations, annually. Racism doesn’t get much more entrenched in a society than when it is repeated by the leader of a country.
With grand parades and festivals to celebrate both myth and isolated historical factoids, Americans are granted a federal holiday (thanks to Franklin D. Roosevelt), which effectively honors the father of the Atlantic slave trade.
See the “Internet Medieval Sourcebook” entry about Christopher Columbus, which includes excerpts (such as the one shown above) from Columbus’ travelogues, at:
fordham.edu/halsall/source/columbus1.html.
Page 5 News |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
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By Mark JablonskiThe Cauldron Staff Writer
Last Friday's Student Government Association meeting featured President Almaguer's first veto, a passionate back and forth between a senator and the executive board over the fate of the SGA Print Shop, and the swearing in of four new senators.
The Veto That Sort of Isn't
In last year's SGA Senate term, a number of changes were proposed to the Constitution, but were not ratified.
This year, the Senate voted to delay the implementation of those changes “indefinitely” and to establish a committee to review them before sending them to the faculty senate for approval.
President Blake Almaguer, who was ready to present the changes to the faculty senate, as is, vetoed the Senate's motion.
“The motion I believe might set some bad precedents for future SGA's Senate terms because putting off indefinitely any sort of work that the Senate has done previously can be pretty much detrimental to the future of what we do here in SGA,” Almaguer said. “I felt that it was necessary that I go ahead and veto this motion so that we can go ahead and submit those changes...”
Not wanting to submit those changes, however, was Graduate Senator Patrick O'Malia. “Will we be given the opportunity to vote to overturn the veto,” he inquired.
O'Malia then detailed the origins of the word veto, which the disenfranchised Plebeians in ancient Rome would shout when the privileged Patricians in the senate did something they didn't approve of, meaning “I forbid.”
“Now I ask you, is this the kind of thing where a veto is being used in the traditional sense by the people, to look out for the common good,” O'Malia said. “Or is this the kind of case where it's being used by the elite to stop a motion that they don't like? I think it's the opposite.”
O'Malia said that he felt that the proposed Constitutional changes needed to be revised, and that it would be pointless to submit them for approval, and then revise
them, and submit them for approval yet again.
“We should not put forth changes and then say 'well, we changed our mind again.' It makes us look capricious,” he said.
It was eventually decided that the vote to overturn the veto would be held at the next meeting, so that in the meantime the senators could all become familiar with the proposed changes.
SGa Print Shop: “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
There has recently been much talk within SGA circles over the feasibility of keeping the SGA Print Shop open, which, according to whose figures you use, costs between $12,000 and $25,000 a year to operate.
The 2008 SGA budget allocates $10,000 dollars for the Print Shop, with a note stating that about $8,000 more will probably be needed.
Advocating a complete Print Shop shutdown, Senator O'Malia presented his findings to the Senate.
“Now the argument has always been that we keep this open as a service to the students. And I asked myself recently if this is an appropriate service for us to provide,” O'Malia said.
By shutting down the Print Shop and encouraging students to get their copies across the street at Brothers Printing, O'Malia believes that thousands of dollars can be saved and used to fund student organizations.
Opposing a shutdown, President Almaguer, Vice President Peggy Thompson, Speaker Paul Patterson, and Print Shop Manager Donna Seemuth all stressed the importance of continuing to provide the printing services to the students, which they said was “very convenient” for the students.
“If we're going to make the argument that it's a matter of convenience, Brothers Printing... is a hundred feet away,” countered O'Malia.
Aside from being merely a matter of convenience, Patterson and Almaguer insisted that it would be extremely difficult for students with disabilities to cross the street for their copy needs, especially in the winter.
Most of the senators present appeared on the fence over the issue.
Science Sen. Chikodi Ogwuebu said she thinks that the Print Shop is “a great service to the students,” while others wanted to learn more about the exact figures involved before making a decision.
Ultimately, the Senate approved a motion by Sen. Yaasira Scott to poll the students on the matter, and will take up the issue again in mid November.
new Senators Take the oath
Four senators who were ratified at the last SGA meeting took their oaths of office at last week's meeting.
Viking Hall Sen. Erecia McCoy, College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences (CLASS) Sens. Avinash Surapaneni and Jack Matuszeeski and At-Large Sen. Kimberly Carr are now official SGA representatives.
Have an issue that can’t wait until the next issue. Let us know on The Cauldron’s message boards at
csucauldron.com.
Student Government Association Roundup
Inclusion Aides for social & recreational afterschool program
serving K-6th Graders with disabilities.
Experience with special needs children preferred.
Perfect opportunity for students majoring in:
Special Education, Elementary Education, Counseling or Adaptive
Recreation Therapy.
Monday - Friday2:30PM-6:00PM.
Send resume to: Services to the Disabled, Mandel JCC, 26001 S. Woodland Rd. Beachwood or
Page 6 | News October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
Cleveland RTA Receives Top AwardBy Ebony Cash
The Cauldron News Editor
Cleveland’s transit system is getting some national recogni-tion. The Greater Cleveland RTA received top honors last week for being the best public transportation system in North America.
According to The American Public Transportation Association (APTA), RTA accomplished this goal by beating out other tran-sit systems in bigger cities like New York and Chicago. The top honors are based on increased ridership, safety statistics and financial man-agement.
RTA’s increased growth in 2006 culmi-nated with more than 57.2 million rides on its buses and trains.
“You’re measured on ridership, safety, reli-ability, fiscal management and most impor-tantly customer service so what this award states—the Greater Cleveland RTA is number one across all those categories,” Cuyahoga
County Commissioner Peter Lawson Jones said.
RTA general manager Joe Calabrese has been quoted as saying he made the award a goal since he joined the transit system seven years ago.
Per their website, RTA learned how to suc-cessfully manage their finances. The annual expenses were reduced by $25 million, and two municipally bus lines were consolidated.
APTA’s Outstanding Public Transportation
Achievement Award is the third major honor RTA has received in 2007. Per their website, RTA received the Federal Transit Administration’s Success in Enhancing Ridership Award. RTA also received the Smart Business Magazine/Metro Lexus World-Class Customer Service Award this past summer.
Although, the award noted the project as a sign of pro-gressiveness; riders are still angry over the fare increases and route cuts.
RTA will raise its fare to $1.75 beginning in January of 2008.
RTA offers four means of transporta-tion—the Red Line to Cleveland Hopkins International Airport the light-rail system of Blue, Green and Waterfront lines from downtown Cleveland to the eastern suburbs; 730 buses, trolleys and Community Circulator vehicles on 90 routes, and Paratransit suburbs on demand for the disabled.
Jablonski’s Political Notebook
By Mark JablonskiThe Cauldron Staff Writer
dean of urban affairs axed
Dr. Mark Rosentraub was asked by University President Michael Schwartz to step down as Dean of The College of Urban Affairs last week.
Rosentraub, who served as dean for nearly seven years, will remain on the faculty, Schwartz told The Plain Dealer. However, a source familiar with the issue told The Cauldron that as the dean of a top-ranked college, Rosentraub has plenty of options open to him and would probably seek employment elsewhere in the near future.
“If you were the CEO of a company and they told you that you had to step down, but that you could come back as a manager, would
you do that? Probably not,” said the source. A call and email to Rosentraub was not immediately returned. Although Schwartz told The Plain Dealer that he and
Rosentraub had some “fairly solid philosophical differences on how to operate the college and where it’s going,” he did not expound upon those differences. But he did emphasize his desire that more undergraduate students become enrolled at the college, a point that acting dean Edward “Ned” Hill stressed as well.
“If our graduate programs are the crown jewels, then the undergraduate programs are what’s setting these jewels in place,” Hill told The Cauldron.
The Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs was ranked second in the nation for it’s city management and urban policy programs by U.S. News and World Report in 2005, 2002 and 1998.
Sen. Larry “Anonymous Gay BathroomSex” Craig to Stay Put
Idaho Sen. Larry Craig (R), who pled guilty in August to lewd conduct in an airport bathroom sex sting, has decided to serve the remainder of his Senate term, despite announcing last month that he would resign before October.
“I am innocent of the charges against me. I continue to work with my legal team to explore my additional legal options,” Craig told CNN, even though he plead guilty to the charges that he now says he is innocent of.
District Judge Charles Porter Jr. denied Craig’s attempt to withdraw that guilty plea last Thursday, saying in his ruling “The defendant, a career politician with a college education, is of, at least, above-average intelligence. He knew what he was saying, reading and signing.”
State Dept. Launches Blog
The U.S. State Deparment launched its very own web log last week. The blog, called Dipnote (gov-speak for “diplomatic note”), “offers the public an alternative source to mainstream media for U.S. foreign policy information [read “propaganda”]...[and] offers the opportunity for participants to discuss important foreign policy issues with senior Department officials.”
Although some critics dismissed the notion of a government blog as merely a propaganda tool, others hailed the project.
“This is great and I will tell my students about it,” wrote one commenter who claimed to be a high school teacher. “I’m an ESL teacher, and I plan to visit this site often. I’ll be looking for information I can share with my students and readers of my civics blog,” wrote another.
The blog can be accessed at http://blogs.state.gov/
Page 7 News |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
Islamic Group Host Dinner
By David EdwardsThe Cauldron Contributing Writer
Cleveland State’s fifth annual interfaith Ramadan dinner was held on October 6. The dinner was sponsored by the Islamic Discussion Group (IDG).
Bakytzhan Bakhautdin, IDG president and also a member of the Muslim Student Association, says that the dinner is organized in order to break down religious and racial barriers.
Bakhautdin believes that after the 9/11 tragedy there were a lot of misconceptions about the Islamic community, that was mostly propagated by the media.
He says in order to counteract these misconceptions people need an event where they can interact with one another.
“So many differences are emphasized on the bad things not the commonalities that exist with different cultures,” Bakhautdin said. “Because of globalization we are increasing and becoming more integrated as a society and it is important for us to understand one another.”
Bakhautdin stated there are theories about the clash of civilizations that emphasizes the improbability of people from other cultures getting along with each other; and he hopes to dismantle this concept during the dinner because it will provide a context for people to talk.
a Mixed Crowd
Unlike some other cultural events where people might cluster around their own ethnic or religious groups, the Ramadan dinner is different.
Attendants are randomly put at a table so that people from one religious tradition such as Christianity or Judaism are mixed together with Muslims.
Also, in the past there have been speakers from Jewish, Muslim and Christian backgrounds.
For instance, different people from other
religious groups were guest speakers such as Father Hilinisky (Catholicism), former Cleveland State political science professor Martin Plax (Judaism) and Islamic history professor Zeki Saritprak.
However, it is difficult for Jewish speakers to come due to the Sabbath because the Ramadan dinner is held on Saturdays.
organizing and Funding
Approximately 90 percent of the Ramadan dinner is funded through the Student Government Association and the other 10 percent comes from membership fees.
Typically it takes three months to coordinate the dinner.
However, due to time constraints, the IDG only had two to three weeks to prepare for this year’s dinner.
A problem often faced is communication.
“Its hard to get the word out because we can only post in either the University Center or the Main Classroom so if you have people in the library or in a different building they may never hear about it,” Bakhautdin stated candidly.
Despite these minor inconveniences this year’s Ramadan dinner was highly successfully in getting people to come.
In fact one of the reasons why the IDG moved the event to Saturday is because they noticed the attendance skyrocketed.
“More people came when we had the
dinner on Saturday,” Bakhautdin said. Although the Ramadan dinner is pretty
time consuming, it is not their only event.“In the summer we organize picnics
and when its Muhammad’s birthday we celebrate by passing out red roses that symbolize the prophet Muhammad,” Bakhautdin said.
There are words from Muhammad that are attached to the rose.
Notwithstanding the Ramadan dinner is arguably the most important event sponsored by the IDG.
According to Bakhautdin, Ramadan is important for several reasons namely because it reminds us of our own humanity and vulnerability.
Bakhautidin also thinks fasting is important because all three of the Monotheistic religions
practice fasting as well. “It puts people who are poor and
wealthy on the same level of equality,” Bakhautdin said. “Fasting stimulates the rich to help those who are in need.”
Bakhautdin articulated the essence of Ramadan by reciting a Hadith which are sayings of the Prophet.
The Hadith teaches the carnal self about the fragility of every moment of its life and how it is dependent on God.
Page 8 | News October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
“So many differences are emphasized on the bad things
not the commonalities that exist with different cultures.”
- Bakytzhan Bakhautdin of the Islamic Discussion Group
Crime Prevention TipCleveland State University Police
To avoid theft from your vehicle;
No visible property including loose change makes
your vehicle less prone to theft.
Keep the inside of your vehicle clean.
lock it up!
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Going to CSU
Page 10 | Feature October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
F e a T u r e
A Guide To the Hip Urban Neighborhood of Ohio City
By Ilona WestfallThe Cauldron Culture Editor
Many people know Ohio City as merely the Cleveland neighborhood adjacent to them as they shop for produce at the West Side Market. Though the market’s stellar reputation for cheap, fresh food and a bustling multi-ethnic atmosphere is deserved, Ohio City has much more to offer visitors. The area has a rich history, arts scene, and unique variety of restaurants and shops that combine with its diverse array of residents to create the very definition of a hip urban locale.
As one of Cleveland’s oldest
neighborhoods, Ohio City dates back to 1818. After enjoying independence as a separate city and rival of Cleveland, the “City of Ohio”, as it was then known, ironically became part of Cleveland in 1854. Like many urban neighborhoods, Ohio City fell into a post-World War Two decline before restoration of many of its buildings began in the 1970s.
Today, a walk through the area will take visitors past beautifully restored old Italianate and Victorian homes situated next to thoroughly modern condos. Walking down W. 25 Street, the business district and Eastern border of Ohio City, one is as likely to encounter a well-dressed suburbanite, as they are a panhandler. Twenty-something hipsters are as common as old ladies pushing carts to one of several local ethnic bakeries.
If the juxtaposition of old and new or the architecture isn’t enough to entice you to visit, here are some more reasons to check out the near-West side neighborhood.
The arts Aside from being home to
the Cleveland Film Society, who coordinates the Cleveland International Film Festival, Cleveland Public Art, and MorrisonDance, the studio for innovative choreographer Sarah Morrison, Ohio City also has a couple places where one can see performing and visual arts.
The near West Theater, located on Bridge Avenue is a non-profit theater featuring four musical theater
productions per year. Keeping in the spirit of the neighborhood, they pride themselves on their diversity, employing a combination of people of all skill levels, ages and races, in their shows. In order to keep their art accessible to people of all incomes, tickets are priced at only $6. Check out nearwesttheater.org for more information.
The Glass Bubble Project, tucked behind The Garage bar on Bridge Avenue is a studio w h e r e you can watch glass blowing or take a class to learn how to do it yourself. L o c a t e d within the studio is a small gift shop where the artists sell the fruits of their labor. Call (216) 696-7043 for more information.
The ShoppingEven after the much-lamented
closing of City Buddha on W.25
Street, Ohio City still has some good shopping. Lorain Avenue alone has enough antiques stores to keep an antiques-lover happy for days. Move on over to W. 25 Street to blow the rest of your hard earned cash on cool stuff.
Everything from purses, fur, and shoes can be found at Elegansia, purveyor of high-quality vintage and designer clothes and accessories. While prices here are not exactly cheap, when one
realizes they are getting a Chanel suit that probably originally cost around a grand, for only $300, it puts things into perspective a bit. Peruse their online store for a taste of their high-end clothes at elegansia.com.
Less than a block away from Elegansia is the Something different Gallery, which sells the artwork it displays in addition to jewelry, and gifts. Even if you don’t buy something this store is worth visiting for their incredibly friendly salespeople and extravagant window displays. Call (216) 696-5226 for more information.
Before you grab a bite to eat at one of Ohio City’s
Page 11Feature |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
numerous restaurants stop in the Bookstore on W. 25th. for some reading material. While the towering stacks of books may be a claustrophobic’s worst nightmare they are a bibliophile’s dream come true. Make sure to pat the store’s resident cat on the head before you leave. Questions can be answered by calling (216) 566-8897.
The FoodOhio City has a restaurant
for every discerning taste bud, from the laid-back atmosphere and “world” food of area favorite Johnny Mango World Café and Bar to the posh and pricier Flying Fig. Here are a few good appetizers.
Dine on standards like hummus, falafel, and stuffed grape leaves at Middle-Eastern restaurant Kan
Zaman on W. 25 Street. Though the restaurant lacks a liquor license patrons are welcome to bring their
own drinks with them. What they lack in a bar they more than make up for with their hookahs. Yeah, you read that right. Kan Zaman provides the unique opportunity to smoke flavored tobacco in Indian water pipes, known as hookahs. Better yet, on Fridays the restaurant features belly dancers and gives you an opportunity to win your own hookah. As Kan Zaman employee Melody Smith puts it, “Nobody comes in here and doesn’t have fun.” View the menu, tobacco flavors and more information at hookahbargrill.com.
Neighborhood newbie dish Global deli is a great place to stop for take-out or a quick meal. The deli’s menu, written on a massive chalkboard above the counter, combines Indian, Caribbean and Chinese items to create a vegetarian friendly and absolutely delicious offering to the area. The inside dining area is certainly intimate but additional seating can be found on their outdoor patio along W. 25 Street Check out their menu at dishglobaldeli.com.
No trip to Ohio City would be complete without stopping at the Great lakes Brewing Company’s Brewpub, located on quaint Market Avenue across from the West Side Market. The environmentally minded company offers a menu of locally produced
food and all of their beers a v a i l a b l e on tap. The s p r aw l i n g restaurant i n c l u d e s three dining a r e a s , including a beer garden, and a gift shop. Follow the smell of hops to the
c o m p a n y ’ s brewery on W. 28 Street
where you can take a tour and sample some beer. Scope out the descriptions of their beer and get other information
Nothing caps off a delicious meal like a good cup of coffee. Talkies Film and Coffee Bar is conveniently located directly across the street from Great Lakes Brewing C o m p a n y . The shop is d e c o r a t e d with paintings of old movie stars and an old-fashioned ticket booth greets patrons upon entering. In addition to coffee and s a n d w i ch e s , Talkies serves up screenings of a variety of movies, with a healthy dose of the classics, in a side room encircled with photography by Barton Schroeder. While their website is currently under construction, you can call (216) 696-3456 for more information and movie schedules.
The nightlifeLike the area restaurants, Ohio
City has a variety of clubs and bars to suit every palette. Start your night at The Garage Bar on W. 25 Street where you can party with bikers and have your beer poured from taps made of old gas pumps. Or stop in Bounce/Union Station Video Cafe on Detroit Avenue and hang out with drag queens. On the opposite end of the spectrum, enjoy a calm evening sipping from a wine glass at the Market Avenue Wine Bar next to Great Lakes. As Ohio City resident Taryn Smagola puts it, “There are way cooler bars here than anywhere else in Cleveland.”
Look for the unattended bicycles on W. 25 Street to direct the way to Mcnulty’s Bier Markt, a swanky-looking bar specializing in Belgian beer. For the less adventuresome, McNulty’s also serves wine and cocktails. Located in an old department store, the bar features an airy front lounge with plush red chairs on elevated platforms and handsome booths befitting the most important of VIPs. Keep your eyes peeled for
Bar Cento, a Roman-inspired eatery and wine bar connected to Bier Markt to open soon. Bar Cento will serve 100 wines by the
bottle and between 15 and 20 by the glass along with food to absorb all that alcohol. Go to bier-markt.com for more information.
Starting to get hungry again? Touch Supper Club, on the corner of Lorain Avenue and W. 28 Street, is a combination club and restaurant. Their kitchen is open until 1 a.m. and they book private parties. Gothic and graffiti-inspired artwork lines the walls. DJ’s spin all types of music including salsa, reggae, funk, hip-hop and indie-rock; sometimes during the same night since Touch has space for a second DJ in their basement bar. For a quieter night, hang out in their back room that looks like a millionaire’s classy study. Schedules and menus are available at touchohiocity.com.
Hookahs at Kan Zaman
McNulty’s Bier Markt
Talkie Film & Coffee Bar
Page 12 | Culture October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
C u l t u r E
Dramatic Arts Program Has A Reason to Celebrate
By Christopher EnochThe Cauldron Staff Writer
When the CSU Dramatic Arts Department was listed to perform Harold Pinter’s classic stand-by The Birthday Party, to be shown from the 11th and 14th this month, I must say I was more than a little skeptical.
Having read the play itself, an off-beat ensemble piece about a boarding house including a failed piano player and the arrival of some domineering strangers, served with a slice of existentialism seemed like a little much for the CSU Dramatic Arts program.
Upon my own screening of the piece at the Factory Theatre, my former skepticism 180’d into disbelief at my own first reaction.
How could I have doubted them?The setting was intimate. Music of fifty years past played in the
background to enhance a very realistic set. The set was obviously prepared, and will nonchalantly remind you of the times you had spent at the houses of much older relatives – grandmothers, great aunts, etc. I’m sure you get the idea.
The cast itself performed excellently. This ensemble cast put no real emphasis
on lead actor or main character: all of the characters were stars in this performance, and all of them had their quintessential moments. From the instant Petey and Meg (the owners of the boarding house) arrive on stage, soon followed by Stanley Webber (the “piano player”), the chemistry was in motion. Hearing Petey (Jack Matusewski) and Meg (Lydia Chanenka) argue will remind any familial viewer of witnessing an old married couple’s quarreling. The couple simply radiates the idea of a back and forth argument.
Actor John Paul Soto’s portrayal of Stanley exposes the right amount of braggadocio about the character’s former line of work, but a careful observer will note the obvious despair he makes his character stress as early as 10 minutes into Act one.
Emotions are expressed to the fullest in this play. Stanley’s would-be courting
of Lulu, the striking, impetuous would-be neighbor (Melissa Crum) early on in Act I shows what will be looked upon as a scene of eye-catching similarity to some real-life failed flirting.
By the end of the second act, you’ll ask yourself some questions about the nature of their relationship.
Goldberg (Eric Perusek) and McCann (Lew Wallace) have great stage presence in this play.
Perusek becomes his role as Goldberg: self-assured, objectionably charismatic, and purveying that feeling you get when you know someone is a phony. Wallace sharply carries out the character of McCann in a convincingly brutish, menacing fashion. He even startled me a bit at times.
These two seeming enforcers are quite the pair in this body of work; their fast-paced execution of dialogue alone is enough to prove that.
This play is a varied medley of the comical, the intensely dramatic, and the saddening, layered with what this reviewer looked at as some fairly significant symbolism (or at least real-world allegories).
Director Allan Byrne must have put serious effort into directing both the tangible and intangible aspects of this play, whether it’s the performer’s acting, their body language, or more
procedural facets of dialogue. Likewise, the stage management, set design, sound, and lighting were also remarkable.
With more than solid acting by a stellar cast, a natural directing influence, and distinguished technical design in set, sound, and lighting, this play is a predictable success. I’d recommend any CSU Student to check it out.
The Birthday Party is shown in the CSU Factory Theater located on E. 24 Street between Chester Avenue and Payne Avenue. Call (216) 687-2109 for more information.
The Birthday Party features stellar cast
Page 1�Culture |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
Holy Ghosts: Theater At Its BestBy Laura Dynda
The Cauldron Staff Writer
Some people feel that going to the theater is just plain dull. Well, I can surely attest to disagree with that. After seeing Holy Ghosts, I felt that theater has never gotten better. The Beck Center of the Arts is currently presenting Holy Ghosts, a dark comedy, that had many people laughing, and some people weeping for joy… quite literally.
According to the press release, the play’s central story involves a young woman’s struggle to escape her mistake-of-a marriage to a broken and thoughtless man. She runs away seeking refuge amongst the members of a fundamentalist religious group in the rural South. The characters in this play are poor, uneducated, unemployed misfits who have nothing but their religion. The play questions the true meaning of faith as the husband, looking to retrieve his runaway wife by force, is --much to his own amazement--converted to a true believer.
There was nothing unnatural about the acting in this play. Usually when a person sees a play, there are one or two things that they dislike. There was nothing to dislike in the acting department. All of the actors were believable, and the audience truly felt for each one of them. The major standout in this play was Laurel Johnson, who played Nancy Shedman, the woman that flees her husband for this troupe of misfits. Her acting was natural and the flux of emotions that emanated from her during the length of the production left the audience in awe.
Nicholas Koesters, who played her husband Coleman Shedman, did an amazing job portraying a man that in the beginning of the play would have nothing to do with this “crazy religion,” to being converted in the end.
Holy Ghosts is written by Romulus Linney, who had the difficult task of making religious conversion understandable and yet funny at the same time. This is not a play that has joke after joke, but lets them come at the most natural moments. It is not easy to understand why someone would want to get into a Southern Pentecostal religious sect, which has its members speak in tongues and practice snake handling as the ultimate test of their faith.
The stage takes on the persona of a one-room wooden building in the rural South. The lighting and scenery on the stage make a person feel that this is indeed a one-room wooden building. Usually the set design of some plays is very plain. Here, there is some life to the stage. There is a piano which one of the actors plays, to get everyone to sing with them proclaiming their faith to this religion. The lighting, I felt was excellent. If an important line was going to be delivered, the light shown on them very well, letting the audience know that the actor was going to say
something very important and private at the same time.
Towards the end of the play, when the husband decides to convert, there is total mayhem of light and snakes on stage. The way it was set up by director Matthew Wright was brilliant. It let the audience know that there was something going on spiritually within each character at that time.
Holy Ghosts is a play that needs to be seen and the premise of it talked about. This play could easily be a reference to the evangelical movement that is currently going on in many parts of the United States.
Holy Ghosts Information
Presented at The Beck Center’s Studio TheaterSeptember 28 through October 21
Show times are 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 3 p.m. Sundays.
Admission is 28$ for adults, $25 for seniors, and $17 for students (22 and under).
To reserve tickets call the Beck Center box office at (216) 521-2540 or online at beckcenter.org
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How Hannah Montana Sold Out ‘The Q’ in Minutes
By Faith Larraine The Cauldron Staff Writer
The Hannah Montana & Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Tour concert to be held January 3 at the Quicken Loans Arena sold out in a matter of minutes on September 29.
Destiny Hope Cyrus, better known as Miley Cyrus, plays on the hit Disney channel show Hannah Montana, where she plays a teenage pop singer with a hidden identity.
Quicken Loans arena houses 20,500 seats. Every seat was sold out between the times of 10 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. Multiple venues for Cyrus’ 54-date tour, beginning October 18 in St. Louis, sold out in this way.
The Hannah Montana tickets were going on sale for $26, $40.50 and $56.
Sergio, a Cleveland Ticketmaster representative who was not allowed to give his last name, was one of the associates that worked the day the tickets went on sale. “They seemed to sell out in a matter of seconds,” Sergio said. “It was five minutes tops. And that’s pushing it.”
There were many parents calling Ticketmaster that day, wondering how a 14-year-old Disney Channel star’s tickets could sell out in such a hurry. “The people would say that it was ridiculous,” Sergio said. “They said that it was impossible and that they had been waiting so long.”
Sergio had gotten a lot of bad phone calls. But some of the worst were the pre-sale customers calling in claiming that they couldn’t get tickets either. “The pre-sale tickets sold out just as fast,” Sergio said. “These were customers with codes who couldn’t even get tickets. It was absurd.”
Sergio said that most of the customers were upset because they had been waiting online and by the phone at the exact time that they would have gone on sale and they still couldn’t get Hannah Montana tickets. “We had 500 representatives standing by the phones and there was still a huge wait,” Sergio said.
“A big problem is scalpers,” Sergio said. “They get tickets in bulk and sell them themselves.”
The only advice Sergio could give to the bewildered customers was to go to the ticket exchange section of Ticketmaster.com to look for tickets being put up for sale by other customers.
Speaking of exchanging tickets, there are multiple websites online that allow customers to try and sell the tickets they have bought to other customers for a better profit; For example, StubHub.
StubHub is similar to ebay. Sellers have tickets. They register on the website and then list the tickets they have. Making a long story short, a buyer buys them and they eventually receive them.
Chloe, a StubHub representative also forbidden to say her last name, said she got a lot of calls about the
Hannah Montana tickets listed on their site. “People were anxious to know when they would be getting their tickets,” Chloe said.
Chloe didn’t really have an opinion about the situation. “She’s obviously extremely popular,” Chloe said. “I do get a lot of calls about parents buying tickets for kids. She is popular with preteens.”
“There are people needing tickets last minute,” Chloe said. “Kids upset and wanting tickets.”
Previous events that sold out in a matter of minutes were Van Halen and recent New York Yankees games. High School Musical, which is in affiliation with the now infamous Hannah Montana, sold out in 5 to 10 minutes.
At 14, Cyrus should already be able to see her retirement at 20 now.
Faith Larraine’s column Are They Worth A Listen can be viewed online at
csucauldron.com
Page 14 | Culture October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
Page 15Culture |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
Metal Blade’s Ear Shattering Anniversary Celebration
By Scott ArkoThe Cauldron Contributing Writer
When one enters the Cleveland incarnation of the House of Blues, an instant impression is made, one of class. It is an establishment clearly built to harbor a musical performance of requisite finesse. The venue has attracted more and more attention over the past year or so, showcasing a range of talents including legendary artists like Alice in Chains and Billy Idol to modern day hitmakers Seether and Alter Bridge. However, a relatively small base of music fans has a slight amount of contempt for the establishment; with the closing of the Cleveland Odeon, a number of high-profile heavy metal shows call the House of Blues their home; and the structure is simply not meant for the energy and temperamental violence that a metal concert tends to bring.
Nonetheless, when Metal Blade’s 25th Anniversary tour (featuring none other than death metal and controversial media legends Cannibal Corpse) rolled through town on September 30, the turnout was well, and the show itself certainly filled expectations.
Relative newcomers The Absence, hailing from Tampa, Fla., opened the show with a bang; an old school thrash assault complete with barked vocals from thickly bearded front man Jamie Steward. The blistering set lasted nary 25 minutes, but made an impression (albeit a rather cheesy and generic stage presence, including an almost endless repetition of “show me your horns”), most particularly with an energetic and crowd-friendly rendition of Testament’s classic “Into the Pit.”
Next came Goatwhore, a New Orleans black/death metal band gaining a fair bit of notoriety lately, more than likely due to high profile tours such as this past summer’s
Sounds of the Underground. Vocalist Ben Falgoust had a much more refined mastery of revving up the crowd; to put it simply, most in attendance found something to love in their admittedly inaccessible craft. Third in the roster was Massachusetts tech-metal hopefuls the Red Chord. The band’s stage presence was enjoyable in its own right with sarcastic remarks and entertaining jokes aplenty.
However, sound was not on their side, and the fantastic studio recordings of songs such as “Prey For Eyes” and “Fixation on Plastics” translated into little more than muddy thunder. (Admittedly, the House of Blues may be to blame; only a few months ago, the Red Chord played Peabody’s and sounded fantastic.)
The headliners rolled in, and true to expectations, the Black Dahlia Murder delivered. Riding high on the critical and commercial success of their latest slab of blackened melodic death metal (Nocturnal), the energy and excitement came in droves. Curiously absent were crowd favorites “I’m Charming” and “A Vulgar Picture.” Instead, the set list heavily relied on selections from the aforementioned Nocturnal, with a notable highlight being a fantastically scorching rendition of “Statutory Ape” from 2005’s Miasma.
Finally, Cannibal Corpse rolled onto the stage with little warning; in only a few short minutes, vocalist George “Corpsegrinder” Fisher unleashed a trademark, blood-curdling scream, announcing the chorus of “Unleashing the Bloodthirsty” and enchanting a near sing-a-long from the ravenous crowd.
The band hardly moved onstage, staying transfixed in their spots as their patently vulgar music bellowed from the soundboard. Perhaps, however, this is their charm; while the bands before them found themselves struggling to appease and win over the crowd through onstage antics and frenetic movements, the veterans knew that it was through simply their ominous atmosphere that incited an almost murderous, primal urge within all in attendance.
So while the critics and skeptics declare the newest incarnations of the genre as innovative and truly relevant, when it comes right down to it, the originators are still the champions.
Here’s to another 25 years.
Page 16 | Culture October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
A Scenic Jouney in Into the Wild
By Andrea Mitchell The Cauldron Managing Editor
The journey of life through adventure and the ability to do without the material possessions that we all hold dear, is what Christopher McCandless is in search of in Sean Penn’s latest film Into the Wild.
The film begins with McCandless (Emile Hirsch) trekking into the Alaskan wilderness, to live on his own away from society.
McCandless’ story takes place over the course of his two-year hitchhiking journey from his college to Mexico and ultimately up to the isolated Alaskan wild.
Based on a true story and the book Into the Wild by John Krakauer, the film begins in the early 1990s after McCandless grad-uates from college and decides to cut all ties with society, including his family.
It has been suggested that McCandless can be compared to Thoreau and other idealists who have cut ties with society to become more in tune with their inner-self.
However, McCandless’ journey is dif-ficult to make sense of.
The movie alludes to the possibil-ity that his parent’s rotten marriage had pushed him in want of a life less ordi-nary.
Still audiences may have trouble grasp-ing the mind-set of a privileged intelligent young adult, who would want to leave
behind what would be an opportunistic future for the open road and the Alaskan wilderness.
The movie features a truly all-star cast including: Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt, Jena Malone, Catherine Keener, and Vince Vaughn.
Emile Hirsch (who has also starred in Lords of Dogtown and The Girl Next Door) captivates audiences with his energy, expression and overall immersion of the young man who journeyed long and far to find what only can be deemed the beauty of life that surrounds us.
“For me my favorite aspect [of making the movie] was for getting to go to all the locations we shot [at],” said Hirsch during a conference call he participated in along with Penn. “These are places that you just don’t get to shoot that often. These were really wild places that maybe I wouldn’t have gotten to go to if we hadn’t.”
“I’ve been having a growing frustra-tion with a lack of activism in the youth,” said Penn about what he wants moviego-ers to take away from this movie,” One of the heartbreaking things of this movie is getting to a younger age…it’s a movie that in my heart I made to be what little I can share with the younger generation.”
The movie was a vicarious experience over the course of two hours. It’s not everyday that you get to travel the United States and see Alaska through the eyes of someone close to your own age.
Though it’s easy to have a mixed reaction to the film at first, over time an appreciation for what it means sets in.
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Men’s tennis team aims for league championshipBy Reid May
The Cauldron Staff Writer
Men’s tennis, currently in the midst of the fall section of their schedule, is coming off their third straight ten win season, and a second place finish in the Horizon League.
The team, the largest ever at ten players, is using the individual portion of the schedule to get their young talent ready for the grind of team play.
“The fall is used as a time to develop a lineup, and gain match experience,” head coach Brian Etzkin explained.
The 2007 squad is led on the court by sophomores Phil Orno and Ryan Hamning, the top two players on the team.
“It’s been really exciting to see how they have developed from one year to the next,” Etzkin said. “They’re developing into two of the best players [in the] conference.”
Orno and Hamning, who, along with singles matches, play first doubles
together, were named to the first and second team All-Horizon League last season.
Teammate Brad Groleski regards the duo as “unbelievably talented.”
“They were inexperienced as freshman, but a year of playing has helped,” Groleski said.
“They grow each week and get better with practice.”
At such a young age Orno and Hamning certainly have an example to set.
This year’s team features four freshmen, currently in their first collegiate tennis season. The season, running from early September to late April, gives the players little opportunity to take a breath.
Etzkin agrees, describing the season as “long, especially in the spring.”
“We really have no off season,” Etzkin said. “It’s an eye-opener for the freshman.”
However, when it comes down to it, Etzkin sees his player’s dedication to
the game. “Our players love to play, and they’ll step
up when the time calls for it,” Etzkin said. Conditioning is particularly important
to the team’s stamina. Etzkin describes their conditioning as “extensive.”
“Everyone hits the wall at some point,” Etzkin said. “The players will need [the conditioning] towards the end of the year.”
Etzkin also sees importance in the leadership contributions from every team member.
“A team full of leaders,” Etzkin said. “On the court Orno and
Hamning really lead the team, but the [whole team has stepped up.]”
Leadership is most evident from the team’s only senior and Springboro, Ohio native Groleski.
Groleski, currently injured and unable to play with the team, sets an example for his teammates despite his spot on the sidelines.
This is Groleski’s second stint on the injured list, his first coming after wrist surgery as a freshman.
Groleski describes sitting out as “very, very tough.”
Despite the difficulty, he continues to train and practice with his teammates.
He was also able to provide some insight on this year’s team.
“The [underclassmen] are doing an excellent job,” Groleski said. “Each of the underclassmen is an extension of coach Etzkin.
“They follow through with his beliefs.” Both Etzkin and Groleski believe they have
a legitimate shot to win the championship the Horizon League this year.
“We finished second in regular season play, and third in the tournament last year,” Etzkin said. ”The goal is to do better than that, and there is only one spot to do that.”
All associated with men’s tennis know the one spot.
“It all comes down to the conference tournament,” Groleski said. “We had a great record last year [tied for the most wins ever] and obviously we want to top that.”
Keep up with the men’s tennis team at csuvikings.com.
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Page 17Sports |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
S p o r t S
Phil Orno
Page 18 | Sports October 9, 2007 | The Cauldron
An Offer You Can’t Refuse
Pavlik: Our kind of champion
By Nick CaminoThe Cauldron Sports Editor
In case you haven’t heard, the new WBC and WBO middleweight champion of the world is Kelly ‘The Ghost’ Pavlik.
The Youngstown native clad in scarlet and gray, won both middleweight belts with a stunning technical knockout victory over former champion Jermain Taylor on September 29 in Atlantic City.
Fame and fortune have quickly begun to engulf Pavlik, who is undefeated with a record of 32-0 and 29 wins by knockout, but something separates this 25-year old champion from previous champs and current boxing stars.
‘The Ghost’ is simply like one of us, literally.
Born and raised about an hour and a half away from Cleveland State, Pavlik lives quite a modest life for a guy who won $1.05 million in one night.
Despite winning large purse earnings before by knocking out Edison Miranda and then Taylor, Pavlik still drives a 2003 Dodge Durango.
And his training inside the red-floored rings at Youngstown South Side Boxing Gym with his first and only trainer Jack Loew is reminiscent of the relationship between fictional hero Rocky Balboa and trainer Mickey Goldmill (played by the
Cleveland-born Burgess Meredith) in the Rocky films.
What could possibly represent Northeast Ohio better than a blue-collared boxing champion?
Ohio certainly has been the home to many great fighters including Nathan Brooks, Michael Farragher, Lenny ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini, Tony Janiro, Ernie Shavers and Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini.
However the last time Ohio has seen such a fighter was in 1993 when Ray ‘Boom Boom’ Mancini last fought. Even Mancini was in attendance as Pavlik prevailed
With 14 years in between Mancini’s retirement and the Middleweight Championship fight between Pavlik and Taylor, boxing in Ohio was on life support.
Native Clevelander Juan McPherson sparked some interest, but a disputable disqualification from the 2004 U.S. Olympic trials squashed excitement.
It wasn’t until the pride of Youngstown overcame a brutal second-round knockdown to the canvas after a vicious right hook from Taylor. And then bounced back with a minute remaining in the seventh round to knock out the former champion that Ohio boxing was officially revived.
And did I mention that Taylor drives a 2007 Lamborghini Diablo?
The win by the unheralded Pavlik single-handedly resurrected the sport of boxing not only for the i m p ove r i s h e d city of Youngstown, but for all Ohioans throughout the Buckeye State. The way Pavlik lives, trains and fights represent the hard work ethic and determination of not only the new champ, but the entire state of Ohio as well.
Ohio finally
has a champion that all residents can relate to. Pavlik isn’t some guy who is cocky and arrogant and holds himself to be anything but an average guy. That is what makes him so unique.
By no means is Pavlik perfect though. After checking out of the Bally’s Hotel
in Atlantic City the Tuesday after the fight, Pavlik along with his father Mike and co-manager Cameron Dunkin were already an hour into the ride back home to Youngstown when it struck Dunkin that they forgot to collect the check worth $666,750 after taxes and payouts to Pavlik’s crew from the New Jersey Athletic Board of Control.
Upon their return back to the hotel, Pavlik and company eventually found it and Kelly just laughed about it.
Even giving the hotel maid who found the check a very generous tip.
Pavlik is a boxer we can root for and one we can easily relate to. National analysts and all sports fans now know him nationwide, but you would never know it coming for the humble classy character nicknamed ‘The Ghost.’
Until this point in his career, Pavlik has always been an underdog. That has all changed.
Now he is the middleweight champion and more importantly, he’s our champion.
Enjoy him he’s one of us after all.
By Francis X. Bova IIIThe Cauldron Editor-in-Chief
My dad once wrote a letter to New York Yankees owner and former Clevelander George Steinbrenner in the mid ‘90s. My well-intentioned dad wanted to alert “The Boss” that one of my younger brother’s little league teams, nicknamed the Yankees, had just won consecutive championships.
Well, in the mid ‘80s my first little league team was nicknamed the Mets.
And my dad never sent a letter to the other New York team’s owner.
It was because the Yankees were in the midst of their ‘90s championship run.
Admiration is no stranger to the Yankees. Either is respect because Steinbrenner
commands it. But the end result can equal hatred. The Yankees are called the “Evil Empire”
for a reason.During Cleveland’s first playoff baseball
game since 2001, I stood on the home run porch in left field from the moment Jacobs Field workers unlocked the front gates at 4:30 p.m. until the final pitch after 10 p.m.
I witnessed passion similar to my dad’s some years ago.
But it wasn’t Yankee love, like New York fans muscling control of Jacobs Field for three
games this summer. It was for Cleveland. Endless chants of “Kenny, Kenny” after
every inning the 40-year-old left fielder manned his position.
It was a flashback to my youth with every Kenny Lofton at-bat and catch.
Lofton still can entertain too. Before the start of the top of the eighth
inning after playing toss with center fielder Grady Sizemore, Lofton turned around and gunned a baseball directly to the top of the bleachers.
Indians No. 1 fan and perpetual drummer John Adams extended his drum with outreached arms.
The ball was right on target as the sound of the baseball hitting the drum resonated throughout the bleachers and resulted in another roar for Lofton.
Lofton acknowledged the cheers with a classic grin.
On the flip side, Yankees left fielder Johnny Damon didn’t receive any love and rightfully couldn’t muster enthusiasm, as fans criticized his haircut and pinstriped uniform.
“Johnny, you looked better as Jesus,” one fan yelled.
Even an incoherent Tribe fan that looked and smelled like he was sweating beer was able to get his jabs in.
After screaming gibberish for a good ten seconds, he managed to form “the Yankees are punks” into a complete sentence.
Personal stories have emerged after the Indians beat the Yankees at home on back-to-back nights.
Whether it be LeBron James rockin’ the Yankees cap or the guy who was so nervous in the first inning he chugged his beer.
Or the text message, my friend received that we were on national television. Our moment on TBS lasted roughly 30 seconds.
It was my friend handing me a binocular flask, me taking a swig, my friend putting the lens/cap back as one fascinated fan behind us gazed and pointed.
Other stories revolved around the actual games.
Did you see all the bugs on Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain neck? Or how about that Pronk? Or A-Rod is really pressing out there, isn’t he?
Magic was in the air and may be we should name it “Steinbrenner’s Last Stand,” “The Resurrection of Kenny” or whatever fits your recollection of the games.
Something seems right here. And who knows may be a kid’s dad in New
York will one day send a letter to a Cleveland Indians owner.
Wouldn’t that be something?
Cartoon by Michael Quintero
Page 19Sports |The Cauldron | October 9, 2007
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