Connecticut will be the 49th state in the country to allow Sunday liquor sales. Sarah Wilson | The Informer

Sunday liquor sales were approved by the Conn. Senate on Tuesday by a 28 to 6 vote.

The bill, which has been modified since the original proposal by Governor Malloy, will also allow liquor to be sold on Memorial Day, Fourth of July and Labor Day. In addition, it will allow package stores to sell one item per month at a discounted rate, and items such as cheese, crackers and olives are permitted for sale as well.

Original versions of the bill attempted to take into account the high prices of liquor in our state, the reason many speculate is responsible for the large number of Connecticut residents who travel across state borders to purchase alcohol.

However, no studies have been conducted to determine whether the majority of those who leave the state to make their purchases do so because of price, or because of hours of operation.

The six votes against the bill all came from Republicans, most of whom were concerned about the impact the bill would have on mom-and-pop package stores. According to the Hartford Courant, Sen. Len Fasano (R) said, “I’m going to vote no because I think it’s going to hurt small businesses. … With all due respect, it’s not going to be a revenue driver to any significant degree.’’ The concern was that the small businesses who already work to make a small profit would lose money by having to pay to stay open seven days a week, and unregulated prices would create too much competition among larger, highly stocked stores.

However, Rep. Kathleen Tallarita D-Enfield told the Norwich Bulletin, “It’s about business doing business as they so chose.” She said the law would generate an extra $5.2 million for Connecticut.

Governor Malloy’s original proposal was to change the pricing regulations on liquor and beer. According to the Norwich Bulletin, consumers in Connecticut can sometimes pay $5 to $9 more for a 1.75 liter of liquor than in neighboring states. In a meeting with the Hartford Courant Editorial board in January, Malloy stated, “I’m trying to help the consumer here.”

However, the version of the bill that will pass is more of a compromise, and will not affect the pricing aside from allowing a store to give a small discount to give consumers some options when it comes to shopping around for the best price.

Because it was originally his own proposal, Malloy will sign the bill into law, allowing Connecticut to join the large majority of the country and making it the 49th state to allow Sunday sales.

Spencer Allan Brooks | The Informer

Although over budget, this year’s Spring Fling proved to be one of the best in the University’s history.

According to Lee Peters, Vice President of Student Affairs, this year had only a handful of transports and only one trespassing arrest. Transports are counted as anytime a student has to go in an ambulance to the hospital, usually because of alcohol poisoning.

“We had lots of great student behavior and a decrease in vandalism,” Peters said. “For the last three years, we’ve stepped up security. With that and the conjunction of students responding to our request to be civil and enjoy responsibly, things were good.”

Last year’s Spring Fling caused $40,000 worth of damage including light cases being broken, destroyed exit signs, siding ripped off buildings, broken windows, a broken elevator and graffiti. However, this year, Peters reported that a number was not given out because the campus did much better.

“Because I didn’t get a number, I’m thinking it is because we did so much better and that the damages that did occur are nothing more than what would usually happen in four days,” Peters said.

However, there was one thing that was apparent with this year’s fling. In no way did the University break even.

“We were $30,000 short,” Peters said. “However, we did find funding. No university general funding money went to Spring Fling. It was all in student fees and revenue.”

Along with charging for the Friday night concert, Spring Fling was originally budgeted with $110,000 from Campus Activities Team. From concert tickets, guest fees and alumni fees they got back $84,000. This year was the most the University has ever spent on Spring Fling.

“We are evaluating everything for next year,” Peters said.

From the 2005 Midnight Breakfast, alumus Mark Vining ‘82 flips an omelet. Next to him, professor emeritus of electrical and computer engineering, Walter Banzhaf. Courtesy of UNotes

For many students, Midnight Breakfast has become a staple in their finals week cram sessions.

What many students do not know is that Midnight Breakfast has been running for over 20 years, spanning the time period of more than three presidents, beginning with Stephen Joel Trachtenberg and including Humphrey Tonkin and Walter Harrison.

“It’s a time for a dialogue between students and faculty and administration,” Tom Perra, Associate Vice President and Treasurer, said. “It’s also a good time for a little competition to make the best omelette.”

ARAMARK was the one to propose the event and administration accepted. Since its start, Midnight Breakfast has served as a way not only to open the dialogue between students and administration, but also to trigger off the exam period.

“Students appreciate it. It’s a good time and free food,” Perra said.

What’s better than watching the administration and faculty make fools of themselves trying to cook?

“The omelets are always good, although sometimes pretty ugly, but edible,” Perra said.

ARAMARK hosts Midnight Breakfast two times a year always right before finals begin.

“ARAMARK enjoys sitting back and watching the amateurs cook,” Perra said. “It’s always a heavily attended event with an average of 1600 people attending.”

However, not all students enjoy the event.

“It’s a good idea with poor implementation,” Christopher Vincent, a sophomore acoustics engineering major, said. “The music last year was also stupidly loud.”

“It’s a mad house,” Judaic Studies sophomore Eric Leiderman said. “The music is too loud and awful and the food is just regular greasy Commons breakfast.”

This semester, Midnight Breakfast will be taking place on Monday, May 7 from 10 p.m. to 12 a.m.

Vanesse has worked at the SGA office for 29 years. Not only has she kept the office together, she has made close friends within the students she has worked with. Adam Manison | The Informer

After 29 years of service to the University and Student Government Association, Office Manager Lois Vanesse is retiring.

Vanesse came to the job in 1983 when things were a lot different in an office manager’s life.

“The job has gotten a lot different. So much is done by e-mail and text and not so much face to face,” Vanesse said.

Not only did the technology change, but the students.

“Some years are really good years and others are not so much, but the off years are few and far between,” Vanesse said.

According to Vanesse, she has worked hard to “try and hold this place together” in her time with the University and SGA.

She will most miss the kids she’s worked with although she still hears from many.

“I’ve made a lot of friends with the kids,” Vanesse said. “I’ve been to weddings, sadly some funerals and I’ve had kids stay with me. Some have become like family.”

“Lois has been the foundation of Student Government for years. It’s safe to say that here at school, I consider Lois my ‘college mom’,” current SGA President, Ben Accardo, said.

After retiring, Vanesse will join her already retired husband in spending more time at their beach house in Old Lyme, CT.

“I don’t know everything I’ll do, but I know I won’t have to get up at the 7:30 a.m. alarm anymore,” Vanesse said.

Other things Vanesse is looking forward to after retiring is going antiquing more and also spending time with her 13-year-old granddaughter.

“We do some traveling with friends. Just this past year, we went to South Carolina and Florida. We’ve made trips to Europe before, but it’s a little dangerous at times,” Vanesse said.

Vanesse’s last day will be June 1 and she encourages anyone to stop by and see her.

SGA has newly improved senior week to upgrade the food and the deals.

On Wednesday, May 16 from 7:15 p.m. to 1 a.m., Signature Senior Week is kicked off at Murphy’s and Scarletti’s with an evening out. Included is a champagne toast by President Walter Harrison, courtesy of the Institutional Advancement office. There will be three bars, a pizza shop, pool tables, an outdoor patio and a stage. Buses depart from Konover at 7:15 p.m. although times are subject to change.

On Thursday, May 17 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., there will be a barbeque on the Village Lawn. Students will need to use a meal. There will be accommodations for students without meal plans. Lobster or steak will be available.

From 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. also on Thursday, seniors will depart on the annual bar crawl in Downtown Hartford. There will be better deals than in previous years and transportation is provided.

On Friday, May 18 from 4:30 p.m. to 11:55 p.m., students can go to Mohegan Sun. Provided in the event is a $15 food voucher and a $20 Big Wheel Bets voucher. This event alone pays for the senior week ticket. Buses will depart from Konover at 4:45 p.m.
Tickets go on sale May 7 from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the SGA office in Gengras. Tickets are $30 for the entire three days and are limited to the first 300 people.

Children try and catch a ball thrown from a robot built by students from University High School of Science and Engineering students. The event saw the most participation from student organizations it has ever before. Courtesy of UNotes

The campus saw about 1,950 visitors from the Greater Hartford area on April 28 for Community Day.

The day included over 70 events and activities for guests and everything was free.

This year’s Community Day, the tenth in University history, saw the most participation from student organizations ever before with 17 organizations sponsoring events and over 50 volunteers.

The Hartt School sponsored the Hartt Village, which contained 26 music, theater, and dance related activities along with performances and open rehearsals and classes.

Public Safety had the Safety Corner with police vehicles, canines and horses. The bike rodeo from the Physical Therapy Student Association also was a hit.

Inside the library, students studying had a chance to watch as people played the miniature golf course, a favorite in the past that was brought back for the tenth anniversary.

A various number of comfort and wellness stations were in the Suisman Lounge by nursing students from Project Horizon.

The President’s College even sponsored a limerick reading and contest with various members of the University and Greater Hartford community taking their turns to speak.

Athletics got involved with the baseball team hosting their doubleheader against Binghamton on Fiondella Field.

Overall, the day went well and the tenth anniversary of the event was a success.

Recognizing students and student organizations, the awards were given out at a ceremony and brunch.

The Robert Hanley Award, which is considered the most prestigious out of all the awards, was given to Ben Accardo. The Hanley Award is given to a student who has demonstrated a solid commitment to the University. Accardo’s award was based off his involvement in student organizations, service to the community, having a positive spirit and serving as a role model for other students.

The M. Kevin Fahey Gengras Student Union Award was given to Daniel Arsenault. M. Kevin Fahey was actually in attendance at the ceremony. Fahey is retiring this year from Student Union Director at UConn after 41 years. He also served ten years as Student Union Director at UHa. The award is given to someone demonstrating student leadership in the development of the overall program and mission of GSU.

The Richard D. Keller Award was given to John McCann. This award is given to recognize one student with a physical disability that demonstrates the perseverance in his involvement in University programs or student organization. McCann was awarded this award for his complete participation and involvement in campus life even with his disability.

Along with these three awards, awards were given out for Student Organization, Community Service, Best Program, the Dean of Students Recognition of Service Award, the First-Year Student Award and the Good Neighbor Award.

This is the ninth year that the University will host the games.

Opening ceremonies for the games will begin at 9:30 a.m. in the Sports Center,  opening ceremonies for the aquatic competitions will be held at the University, and the Hartford Public High School will host the ceremony for the athletics.

Both host locations will have an Olympic Town area, which is a place where all of the athletes will be able to participate in dancing, arts and crafts, listen to music, and enjoy each others’ company. This will be free as well as open to the public.

This year the co-chairs of the organization will be Christine Grant ad Susan Fitzgerald. Logan West, current Miss Connecticut, is the guest speaker and will be presenting all of the awards. Hoffman Auto is the presenting sponsor for the Eastern Regional Games, as well as Lincoln Waste Solutions as a Silver Medal sponsor.

This year’s Eastern Regional Games will be the largest, with over 600 athletes, 200 coaches and more than 400 volunteers taking part in this event.

Most athletes will be given the opportunity to advance to the Special Olympics Connecticut Summer Games in New Haven from June 8-10.

Many of the University of Hartford staff members serve on the Games’ Organizing Committee. Walter Harrison is an advocate and supporter of the Special Olympics in Connecticut, as has been recognized by the Board of Directors for his accomplishments.

The Special Olympics Connecticut has provided year-round sports training and competition for children and adult with disabilities for over 40 years.

Through local high schools and regional and state programs, over 6,900 athletes have the opportunity to participate in the Special Olympics Connecticut.

Over 10,000 general volunteers and 900 volunteer coaches are involved in the program statewide. Around 400 volunteers will be needed this year at the University of Hartford in order for this organization to be a success.

Spots are available in both sport and non-sport areas.

All registered volunteers will receive a t-shirt. Volunteer applications are still available and pre-registration ends May 4.

The number of individuals with accounts at the Bank of America office branch located outside of Gengras Student Union that will be affected by the branch closing is unknown, according to the organization’s Media Relations Contact Anne Pace. Brian Izzo | The Informer

Over the summer on August 3, the Bank of America branch at the University of Hartford will be closing down.

When the Bank of America branch on campus shuts down, they will re-open another bank branch on campus, however the university is unsure of what that branch will be at the moment.

Instead of sending a letter to all of the customers who opened their accounts at this branch to inform them more about what will be happening when they return to school in the fall on Friday, April 19, Bank of America will be doing that on August 20.

Faculty, students, and other staff members are highly affected by this change since Bank of America is the main source of receiving and getting money on campus for them. A lot of people made sure they created a Bank of America account at the branch so it could be more convenient for them than having an account off-campus.

Students like sophomore Delbert McKenzie are highly concerned about this new change and just like everybody else, as she would like to know, “now where am I going to get my money?”

“Taking out Bank of America is now going to be an inconvenience for me and others as well,” McKenzie said. “I used to have an account with a different bank and I purposely made one with Bank of America just so it would be easy for me to take out money and cash my checks.”

The closing of Bank of America on campus may affect the Aramark workers who depend on the branch when it comes to handling monetary transactions.

Due to media policy conflicts though, Aramark employees were not allowed directly release information regarding the impact of the closing of Bank of America, on their business.

The University of Hartford has not let the staff students and faculty members know the reason, however students expressed that the University did not thoroughly think of all the positives and negatives of how this closing would effect the community.

Other students, like Hadassa Wade, a senior graduating in December here at the University, think that the people who are closing it down do not understand how much more difficult it will be for students to get financially supported.

“It doesn’t make sense when that’s where the deposits have to be made,” Wade said. “Where are students going to cash their checks and what not? Not everyone can get off campus.”

Junior Joseph Schippani also foresees issues with the Bank of America Branch closing.

“Having the bank on campus was a convenience because instead of having to drive ten minutes to the nearest bank, it was a short walk across campus,” he said.

Wade went on to say, “UHart wants to make the lives of students difficult.”

According to UNotes, the three Bank of America ATMs that are located on the University of Hartford campus will remain where they are at this point.

Retired Politics and Government and former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Walter Gray Markham lived a life of travel and military battle before he joined the University of Hartford faculty. | Courtesy of UNotes

The campus mourns the loss of Walter Gray Markham, who passed away on April 15.

Markham, 86, was Professor Emeritus of Politics and Government and also the former Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

He passed away at his home in Portsmouth, Va. surrounded by family and will have his ashes scattered at sea at his request.

Markham moved around a lot in his life. Born in Washington D.C., he moved to Maryland until the death of his parents in which he moved to Kansas City to live with his aunt and uncle. He then enlisted in the U.S. Navy during World War II and went to flight school in Pensacola.

He served during the war, flying over Korea from a carrier and is known for telling his amusing stories of hanging his plane over the edge of the ship due to equipment malfunction. He abandoned the career at the level of Lieutenant Commander when, in Markham’s own words, his big mouth prevented him from gaining command of his own ship.

After receiving a Ford Foundation to attend the University of Pennsylvania, he earned his Ph.D. in Political Science in 1971. He then joined the University of Hartford faculty and spent 22 years here in what he called his second career.

Markham served as a chair of his department and Promotion and Tenure Council. When the search for dean came up, no acceptable candidate was there so Markham was appointed Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences.

He was dean for five years and retired in 1993. He also served on the Board of Education for eight years.

“Walter was a cherished colleague whose slow gait, quick humor, and profound thoughts make him a fixture in Hillyer Hall,” Harald Sandstorm, fellow Associate Professor Emeritus and longtime friend of Markham, said. “Whenever anyone spotted his trademark plaid jacket and turtleneck, he would be sought-after company for some serious insights into current American politics or a joke du jour.”

Markham retired in 1993 when he and his wife of nearly half a century, Annette, moved to Portsmouth to be near her family.

When Markham learned of his terminal illness, he said, “I’m 86 years old and I’ve enjoyed a darn good life.”