The Chronicle

Brett Starkopf
Editor-in-Chief

A former CLC student, who was arrested and charged with first degree murder in connection with the beating death of his then girlfriend’s mother, remains detained at the Lake County Jail as he awaits trial.

Daniel Baker, 21, was arrested April 5 and is accused of bludgeoning Marina Aksman, 50, with a baseball bat. Baker and Kristina Aksman, 20, also a former CLC student and the woman’s daughter, were found in Montana after leaving the state the previous week.   

Baker appeared in front of Judge Fred Foreman on Aug 20, wearing a red shirt, greased back hair, and a full beard. He was escorted by two sheriffs for a status hearing. Assistant States Attorney Patricia Fix said the red shirt was because he was in an altercation and he needed to be restrained.

The altercation occurred in the jail when he reportedly attacked two guards and needed to be Tasered in order to be restrained. He will face additional charges.

Baker could potentially face the death penalty. His attorneys, Mike Nerheim and Ed Genson, asked Judge Foreman for a continuance to review Baker’s medical and school records to prevent the sentence.

“We are in the process of getting his medical records and treatment history,” Nerheim told the Chicago Tribune on August 25. “Hopefully (the records) will convince them that seeking the death penalty would not be appropriate in this case.”

Genson said he will be able to prove Baker “was not legally responsible for his actions” at the time of Aksman’s killing. Baker is thought to be mentally ill.

On April 1, Baker allegedly drove his car into the Aksman’s home and beat Marina to death with a baseball bat. According to the Chicago Tribune, Marina Baker was trying to end the relationship between Baker and her daughter. Baker allegedly took $1,000 to $2,000 in cash from Marina’s purse and drove off in her 2009 Nissan Rogue. He and Kristina were caught five days later. Kristina is said not to have any involvement in her mother’s murder.

Baker is due back in court Sept 28.

Kevin Miller
 Staff Writer

On the afternoon of Aug. 17 at the Dirksen Federal Building in downtown Chicago, former Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich was convicted by federal prosecutors of one of 24 corruption charges he is faced with for lying to federal officials.

Shortly after the trial, Blagojevich proclaimed that the one charge he was convicted of was “a nebulous charge from five years ago.”

“I did not lie to the FBI.” Blagojevich said shortly after being convicted. Initial reactions were swift and protracted.

“This guy [U.S. Prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald] is a master at indicting people for noncriminal activity,” said Blagojevich attorney Sam Adams Sr. “This guy is nuts.”   

The retrial is expected to cost in excess of $25 million dollars.

“With all due respect to justice and all, how much more money are we going to waste on this?” Ron, a Chicago Tribune reader, said. “The prosecution screwed up their case and they lost. Would the world be a safer place if Blago(sic) was found guilty on all counts? This is all about saving political face, and it has now become a waste of taxpayer money.”

The reaction on CLC campus was also decidedly manifest
“My initial reaction was, ‘Well, at least he didn’t completely get away with being corrupt,’” CLC professor Lynn Harper said via Facebook.

However, not all agreed with such an indictment of the former governor’s character.

“I think they should have been found not guilty on all counts. The government should be ashamed,” Chicago Tribune reader Deloris said on ChicagoTribune.com.

Tamara, another Chicago Tribune reader, substantiates this opinion.

“Give it up, Patrick,” Tamara said. “You lost. At least one person on the jury recognized this as a witch hunt. Move on.”

The retrial, which has yet to be scheduled, would almost certainly cripple Blagojevich’s already ailing finances, which are currently in the red from the one and a half years spent on this trial.
Robert Blagojevich, Rod Blagojevich’s brother, will not be retried by prosecutors. He was charged with four of the 24 charges Rod was charged with. He was acquitted of all four counts.

Rod Blagojevich will be retried by prosecutors, though it’s unclear who will be representing him. Rod Blagojevich has hinted at a future return to politics and has not ruled out any options for additional revenue streams. By Illinois law, former governor Blagojevich is barred from participating in politics due to his impeachment in early 2009 by the Illinois General Assembly.

Illinois has a history of governors being impeached or convicted of corruption.

In 2006, former Governor George Ryan was convicted of corruption charges stemming from a trucking license scandal that reached its culmination during his governorship. During Ryan’s trial, it was revealed that trucking licenses given to unqualified recipients in return for money could be traced to several automobile fatalities across the country.

Ryan, who is currently serving time in a federal penitentiary in Indiana, is seeking clemency from President Obama due to his failing health. Ryan is 76-years-old.

Rod Blagojevich is not the only Democrat in the country is having issues with corruption. In Washington D.C., Democrats have corruption problems of their own.

New York representative Charles Rangel, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus and former House Ways and Means chairman, is facing charges of corruption. Rangel is accused by a House ethics committee of receiving bribes to lower the tax rate for business partners. The House Ways and Means committee is a powerful Congressional tax writing committee. Rangel is also accused of failing to report income and certain offshore properties to the IRS, thus evading property and other taxes. Rangel was forced to step down from his chairmanship of the committee.

California representative Maxine Waters is accused of misappropriating funds. During the financial crisis of 2008, when Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) was being created, Waters allegedly used her position of power to arrange a meeting between TARP officials and a minority owned bank that her husband was on the board of and had investiture in. Shortly after that meeting, Waters’ husband’s bank received a vital cash injection from TARP officials. The allegation against Waters, who was not present at the meeting, is that had she not arranged the meeting between TARP officials and the bank, that the likelihood that the bank would have received TARP funding, and to the extent that the bank received the funds, would’ve been minimal.

Neither Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson nor House Speaker Nancy Pelosi were present at the meeting..

Both Rangel and Waters are seeking reelection, and have vowed to fight the charges against them. President Obama said that Rangel should resign from Congress “with dignity.”

Kevin Miller
Staff Writer

Though a transition in the North Korean leadership seems imminent, this should not necessarily be viewed as a negative development. Current leader Kim Jong-il, who is severely ailing after a purported 2008 stroke, has rarely been seen in public since and has had his propaganda apparatus issue decrees on the imminence of a possible successor taking over, that successor being the 26-year-old son of the reclusive leader, Kim Jong-un.

The most recent evidence of Jong-un’s succession has been the much covered media harbinger: a visit by Jong-il and Jong-un to China while former American President Jimmy Carter traveled to North Korea and attempted to secure the release of an American hostage in North Korea.

The most obvious explanation that I can think of as to why the “Dear Leader” didn’t remain in North Korea, whereby he could usher in new found relations for his successor, is that by shirking Carter, successor Jong-un would have more latitude in his official foreign policy dealings with the outside world.

 The trip served a purpose of many fold, since it allowed for the North’s leadership to cultivate an understanding between them and the Chinese leadership that will serve them well, if possible reunification talks go forward for the peninsula as the incoming Jong-un sees fit. Though the “Dear Leader’s” son is young, his popularity in North and South Korea should not go unobserved. He is known for his intellect rather than his military exploits, and his proximity in age to the nascent intelligentsia in South Korea makes him a popular figure. In South Korea, the aging ruling class, who still harbor resentment toward the North over the Korean War, will still control the reins of power at the time of the North’s plenary session, which is rumored to be the official handing over of power to the younger Kim.

 However, this doesn’t mean that unification talks won’t take place while they’re still in power. It does mean it is unlikely there will be complete unification between the two countries until the South hands over the reins of power to the younger ruling class.

 The unpredictability of the North’s leadership will not be lessened by this change in leadership either. Some are certain that from Thanksgiving of 2006, when the North first detonated a nuclear device, to the present, that there has been a high stakes contest between certain elements within the North’s leadership to rule the country-- a contest which Jong-un by his elevation is assumed to have won. It also doesn’t help that this contest of wills may have also coincided with extremely provocative acts by the North such as the testing of a new longer range missile, the Taepodong-3, and the detonation of nuclear devices in underground laboratories.

It’s also worth noting that these provocative measures have ebbed and flowed according to the “Dear Leader’s” sporadic health scares. A destabilized Korean peninsula is in no one’s self-interest, and if six-way party talks are to resume, an emboldened, yet conciliatory, Jong-un may be the correct way to go.

The Koreans are currently suffering through one of the worst food shortages in their history. This should be taken as an opportunity of rapprochement with the North, and as a test of the revolutionary ideals and East Wind versus Western Bloc attitudes of the newly-installed leadership. By being gracious and forthcoming with food aid for the North, the U.S. ingratiates itself with the leadership. More importantly, the arrival of new stores of food, in time for the jubilee celebration of his ascendancy, will no doubt be a lesson to the younger Jong-un that if he hopes to do more than survive within the stringent international world order, he should take care to reciprocate quid pro quo with the U.S.

 If we take one thing away from the North Korean leadership’s recent harbinger in China, it should be that the North sees itself on par with the Chinese and hopes to project that stance throughout the world. We can facilitate that point of view only if they’re willing to compromise in the agreed nuclear framework. A policy that is heavy on carrots and light on sticks will serve us well in the opening salvos of the nascent government’s beginnings. A word aptly spoken is like apples of gold in settings of silver.  

Questions, comments, concerns? E-mail the Chronicle at Chronicle@clcillinois.edu

Ashley Meyer
Staff Writer

Beginning this Fall, CLC has given students the opportunity to enroll in three new classes geared toward the new  Gender and Sexuality Studies degree. The classes include: Introduction to Gender Studies (GXS 121), Sex, Gender, and Power (GXS 229), and Special Topics in Gender and Sexuality Studies (GXS 299).

With the new Associate’s Degree available, program advisors have noticed a somewhat equal turnout between men and women in the provided classes.

Although these classes are new to the school, related classes were  previously offered by CLC, which helped administration measure the students’ interest in the new degree. Current classes such as Human Sexuality (SWK 124), Communication and Gender (CMM125), and Philosophy of Gender (PHI 129) all provided staff with an estimate of the number of students interested in the classes and degree.

Although the program might commonly be found in four-year universities, CLC is one of the first community colleges to offer a Gender and Sexuality Studies degree, which proves to be an accomplishment for the community.

“It’s a very inclusive degree because of the interdisciplinary nature of it,”said Department Chair Suzanne Pryga. “Although the new classes are taught primarily from a social science perspective, [it is still possible] to pursue a wide variety of occupational areas.”

Some professions that might result from the degree include work in sociology, criminal justice, and social work.

Contrary to what one may think, Pryga states, “These classes are not only for women, though.”
A first-year male student, LaShawn Hubbard, decided to take the class because he thought it would be interesting.

“It will be useful in interacting with both women and men—hopefully we’ll be able to better understand their traits and phobias,” Hubbard said.

Coming into the class, Hubbard had specific expectations.

“I’m hoping this class covers sex, gender, and power in an international way,” Hubbard said. “I’d like to know the world view,  what’s happening now, [and] what happened in the past,”

Although gender studies are a newly-explored educational path for some students, Pryga said it has become a popular study in today’s major universities sinceits establishment in the 1970s.

In addition to Hubbard, another ambitious first-year studen, Brandi Buie, is also interested in gender studies.
Buie’s decision to pursue a career in Gender and Sexuality Studies was a spontaneous decision. According to Buie, she “stumbled across” the new degree while flipping through the CLC class catalogue and she enrolled from there.

After thinking it through, Buie said, “I hope to pursue a career as a sex therapist or relationship counselor. This class will help me to better understand both male and female thought patterns, emotions, and behaviors, allowing me to be able to give future clients a more well-rounded understanding of what they’re going through together and individually.”

Like other students in her Introduction to Gender Studies class, Buie hopes to gather a better understanding of both men and women, as she hopes she might be able to apply the things she learns in class to everyday situations to see what really works.

With such a high turnout, it seems that the new degree has high hopes in its future. It has been one of the few degrees in the school’s history with such a high enrollment in its first year, and almost all of its corresponding classes are full.

Arely Alvarez
Staff Writer

Imagine attending a class and focusing your attention not on note taking but rather engaging in the process of food preparation. This concept is more than a wishful thought for culinary students at CLC. It is a reality.

Students enrolled in the Hospitality and Culinary Management (HCM) program, previously known as Food Service Management, enjoy a variety of certificates and degrees to choose from.

“The HCM program is always growing,” Chef Lynn Destry said.

In fact, starting Fall 2010, four new culinary courses and two new certificates were added to the program.

The new courses include Patissiere II (Pastry Art), Hospitality Supervision, Garde Manger (Cold Food Preparation), and Culinary and Hospitality Internship.

The Hospitality Manager certificate and the Baking & Pastry Assistant certificate are now available as well.

In addition, the Professional Cook certificate, Hospitality Supervisor certificate, and the Professional Chef certificate have been revised. The Hospitality and Culinary Management A.A.S degree has also been altered.

These improvements allow students to further expand their culinary skills and take full advantage of the up-to-date 9,000 square culinary laboratory located across from the University Center of Lake County in the Lake County High School Technology Campus. The culinary facility also boasts two demonstration kitchens and a state of the art instructional lab complete with induction cook tops.

“CLC’s [HCM] program is a great program to launch your culinary studies,” Destry said. 

Chef Teresa Novinska agreed with Destry, “We give you all the information needed to get you started.”

Unfortunately, lack of knowledge about this program’s existence immobilizes those who are interested in a career in culinary arts to study at CLC.

“Most people don’t know the program exists,” Destry said.

The culinary programs are isolated in the High School Technology Campus building and as a result, few know about it.

 The HCM program at CLC nurtures the curiosity and love of food that each of its students possesses, while providing budget friendly and flexible courses.

The program name and some courses have changed. However, the ideals of the program remain the same: to provide students with all the base knowledge needed in food production and food operations. After all, once a student has a solid base to build on, nothing can tear it down.

For those who feel they have an interest in culinary arts but lack funds and fear commitment to a four year institution, CLC’s Hospitality and Management Program is a fantastic option. For more information, visit http://www.clcillinois.edu/programs/hcm/
   
   
   

Laurie Torres
Staff Writer

Summer may be over, but a demand lingers entertainment among CLC students. Whether you saw all of the summer blockbusters opening night or feel as if you missed out on prime summer box office entertainment, never fear the summer comedy recap is here!

“Get Him to the Greek” was the riproaring comedy of the summer. Part mockumentary, part epic the film’s premise is solid – who doesn’t like getting into the nitty gritty world of music production and showbiz?
Russel Brand shines as Aldous Snow, the talented rocker turned has-been primed for a comeback. At times his motives are questionable but his flair for comedic antics and knack for chaos are undeniable and makes for a good laugh.

At the center of the hilarity is the protagonist, Aaron Green, played by the awkward but loveable Jonah Hill. All he wants is to get his idol back into the spotlight and balance his professional ambitions with his personal life.

Motivating and pressing Hill not to fail is Sergio Roma, Hill’s ruthlessly diabolical boss portrayed by a startlingly maniacal Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.

Stunning cast aside, the film features a spectacular soundtrack that includes Aldous Snow’s numerous hits and the notorious flop “African Child”. The music definitely adds to the mockumentary feel of the movie.

“Greek” is not simply a film aiming for cheap laughs underneath the goofy, and at times shocking, moments, it is a smart and touching film. It explores, and perhaps pokes fun at, the ideas of love and sex, the importance of fame and fortune and how people choose what makes them happy in the end it’s all wrapped up in a nice neat package of comedy.

“The Other Guys” was another comedy, starring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg, the slapstick comedy and stunts delivered a handful of laughter, but unfortunately the movie dragged. The central mystery feels more like an afterthought.

Wahlberg’s character as police officer Terry Hoitz is not quite as convincing as it could be, mostly because  the audience spends most of the time trying to figure out exactly what his character is. It’s understood that he’s a cop who feels underappreciated and that he’s capable of more responsibility than the force hands him, but his constant rage remains unfounded.

Meanwhile Ferrell’s character is clearly defined, though not offering much depth. He is the basic by-the-books cop with a bad boy past.

In an attempt to convey a meaningful message about the economy and how hard the average American and “other guys” work, the movie features daunting facts about ponzi schemes and how much CEOs make compared to the rest of us.

“Twilight” haters rejoiced this summer as the satirical “Vampires Suck “made its box office debut. Following suit with other spoofs like the “Scary Movie” series, the film pokes fun at the ridiculous plot of “Twilight”, its melodramatic characters, crazed mega-fans and Taylor Lautner’s inability to keep his shirt on for more than 10 seconds of screentime. 

Sad to say, “Vampires Suck” was not as satisfying a punch to the proverbial face of the “Twilight” phenomenon, but it was still good for a few cheap laughs.

All in all, the summer pool of comedies could’ve been better, but it wasn’t all bad. As DVD rentals, they are worth the time and money. As actual movies shown in theaters, money was better spent elsewhere.

Max Grebe
Staff Writer

Whether you’re into the indie scene, or not, chances are you’ve heard of Arcade Fire.

After emerging from the Montréal scene with their 2004 debut album “Funeral”, Arcade Fire’s success has only grown to stardom. I enjoy them because of their distinct sound and I can’t think of a single band that sounds like them, so whether you love ‘em or hate ‘em, you’ve got to give them credit.

One major trend with Arcade Fire is the different mood each album sets.

“Funeral”, being an album themed of grief, had obvious influences from folk to electronic while “Neon Bible” provoked many political statements and had a very progressive theme to it.

On Aug. 2, Arcade Fire released their newest creation, The Suburbs, which makes it apparent that these musicians aren’t fooling around. The song “Modern Man” features an abnormal time signatures of 5/4 in addition to the standard 4/4 time.

“The Suburbs,” which begins the album is a very simple, bright sounding song with a deep meaning that all of us can relate to. It’s about growing up in the boring suburbs and trying to get a thrill and feeling the the same way after growing up.

“Wasted Hours” is a sad folkinspired song about somebody looking back at the time he or she spent (and wasted) with past lovers.

The punk-inspired song “Month of May” was the only song on the album that I know of that did not get a positive response amongst Arcade Fire lovers. It is unlike most Arcade Fire songs in the way that it is much too repetitive.

In my opinion, Arcade Fire’s latest album “The Suburbs” is an excellent one. It isn’t better than “Funeral”, but it still captures the unique sound that Arcade Fire goes for with each of their albums. I’d give it four and a half stars.

Perhaps the song Bears fans should be singing is not “Bear Down,” but Frank Sinatra’s classic, “High Hopes.”

Hopes for a successful NFL season have never been higher since the Bears were bounced in Super Bowl XLI by the Indianapolis Colts in the 2006-2007 season.

Since then, coach Lovie Smith’s crew has compiled a paltry regular season record of 23-25 and failed to reach the playoffs each year. Last season they went 7-9.

2010 marks the dawn of a new decade. It could also mark the dawn of brighter days for the Monsters of the Midway.

The Bears offseason was also unlike any other in recent memory.

The biggest off-field addition for the Bears was adding offensive coordinator Mike Martz. Martz was brought in to jolt a Bears offense that, for the majority of the 2000’s, has been inept and unproductive.

The Bears offense was ranked 23rd in total offense in 2009.
Martz won Super Bowl XXXIV as an offensive coordinator for the St Louis Rams in 1999, and led the Rams back to Super Bowl XXXVI, in 2001, as the head coach. From 1999 to 2004, he was the architect behind some of the greatest offenses the NFL has ever seen, known as “The Greatest Show on Turf.”

The other part of Martz’s job description is arguably the most important part of the equation for a Bears postseason berth. That is the development of Quarterback Jay Cutler.

Cutler did throw 28 touchdowns last season. However, he also threw a league high 26 interceptions.

Any number of interceptions close to 26 will shred any chance the Bears have of playing into January.
Martz will also be responsible for providing rapid development to what is still a very raw receiving corps.

The receiving corps is very optimistic they can make themselves household names this season when talking about the leagues very best receiving groups.

In 2010, the receiving corps will be headlined by wide receivers Devin Hester and Johnny Knox. Hester led the team last season in receiving yards with 757, while Knox made the Pro Bowl last season, his rookie year, as a kick returner.

The Bears will also be looking for production from wide reciever Devin Aromashodu. Aromashodu, who is a big target, having 24 receptions, 298 yards, and four touchdowns, including a seven reception, 150 yard, one touchdown game, in an upset victory over the Minnesota Vikings last December. If this is any indication of his performance, in this reporter’s opinion, he will definitely be seeing plenty of footballs coming towards his 6-2, 200 pound frame.

Greg Olsen will be another beneficiary of Mike Martz’s offense, though it has been noted that the tight end was simply a sixth lineman in Martz’s passing game. Martz knows exactly what he has in Greg Olsen, an athletic tight end that can cause matchup problems in the middle of the field. With all the balls that will be flying around on offense, Olsen could be looking at a year better than the 60 catch, eight touchdown season he had in 2009.

In one breathtaking 89 yard gallop to the end zone two Saturdays ago versus the Oakland Raiders, a healthy Matt Forte    showed the kind of burst and explosiveness that was lacking in 2009.

Forte, in an unimpressive and injury laden sophomore season, gained 929 rushing yards and four touchdowns on a pedestrian 3.6 yards a carry. In 2010, the Bears are highly optimistic that the third year running back from Tulane will be the back that gained 1,715 yards from scrimmage in his rookie year.

Forte will not be alone in the backfield in 2010. One of the other acquisitions the Bears made this offseason was signing running back Chester Taylor. Taylor, who came from the Minnesota Vikings via free agency, was brought in to be the change of pace, receiving threat out of the backfield to complement Matt Forte.

Look for both Forte and Taylor to be greatly involved in the passing game through a myriad of screens and swing passes in 2010.

If Mike Martz is the salt that adds flavor to the stale Bears offense, then Julius Peppers is the spice that needed to be added to the Bears defensive recipe.
Peppers, the highly versatile defensive end, was the crown jewel of free agents in the NFL offseason. While Peppers’ arrival in Chicago did not grab as much attention as a certain hoops star who took his talents to South Beach in July, the Bears are hoping Peppers will have a similar presence that will help them regain their status as one of the top defenses in the NFL.

Peppers spent his first eight years in the league with the Carolina Panthers. During his stint with Carolina, he amassed 381 tackles, 81 sacks, six interceptions, was named defensive rookie of the year and was a five time Pro Bowl selection.

Peppers has played well this preseason and his ability to make plays and tear down opposing backfields should be well worth the $91.5 million over six years that the Bears signed him for.

Tommie Harris looks healthy and will likely benefit from the presence of Peppers. Peppers will no doubt demand double teams, which will allow for one on one matchups in the interior, this could get Harris back into Pro Bowl form.

Brian Urlacher is also healthy once again, despite suffering a calf injury against the Raiders two weeks ago. It appears he will be ready for the September 12 opener versus the Detroit Lions.

Urlacher dislocated his wrist in last season’s opener against the Green Bay Packers, and it was an injury that caused him to miss the rest of the 2009 season.

The combination of Peppers, Urlacher and a healthy Harris easily makes the Bears front seven one of the best in football.

The secondary of the Bears is still a mystery. The Bears drafted former Florida safety Major Wright in the third round. Wright played well in his preseason debut a few weeks back against the Chargers but is now hampered by a finger injury.

Wright is also expected to become the eventual starter at one of the safety positions.

For the meantime, the safety positions are being held down by Danieal Manning and Chris Harris.

At cornerback, Zack Bowman, who had six interceptions in 2009, has shown a lot of playmaking abilities in training camp and was placed on the left side of the defense, while crafty veteran Charles Tillman will play the right corner slot.

Time is not on Lovie Smith side this season. With all the aggressive play by Bears’ top brass, this could be a make or break year for the stoic head coach.

Anything less than a playoff berth in Chicago could result in a change of zip codes for Lovie Smith.

This team has plenty of talent to make noise in 2010.

However, the Bears have too many pressing issues to make an impact this season.
Their pass protection this preseason has been below average, at best.
Timing between quarterback and receiver, which is required in a Mike Martz offense, is far from being a finished product.

Cutler still makes some questionable decisions with the football, as seen in the game against Arizona Saturday.

The offense still does not have a definitive play maker at wide receiver.

Their defense right now is unable to get off the field in third down situations.

The secondary cannot seem to keep the football from reaching receivers hands.

The Bears also have one of the toughest schedules in the NFC. Not only do they get their annual two game affairs with both the Packers and the Vikings, Chicago gets the privilege to play against what will be two of the more competitive divisions in the league, the NFC and AFC East. 

The Bears also have a murderer’s row of a schedule in the final quarter of the season. It includes, in order, the Patriots, at the Vikings, the Jets, and the regular season finale at Green Bay.
   

Alvin Sandique
Sports Editor

Even after a 0-3 season start, men’s soccer head coach, Kreig Alm said his 2010 team is the best he has coached in his seven years at the College of Lake County.

The team lost the first game Friday against Kishwaukee, 1-0. Then they lost to Lewis and Clark Saturday in the home opener, 2-1. Then this past Tuesday was 7-0 drubbing against Morton.

“Even the best teams I have ever seen have lost 6-0,” Alm said. “The guys will be fine and will recover.”
There was an issue regarding fatigue during the loss against Lewis and Clark. The Saturday game was the second of back-to-back contests.

“They were tired,” Alm said.

Obviously team play was an issue during the 7–0 blowout.   

“The loss was very frustrating,” Alm said. “It just was not a good game, and our guys did not play very smart.”

Like any other team sport, soccer requires a high level of togetherness to gain victory.

“It’ll take a little while for these guys to gel,” Alm said.

First-year assistant head coach Brian Blanas said continuity and chemistry between teammates would be an issue early in the season.

“These guys have only been playing together for two weeks,” Blanas said August 26. “We’re still working on playing with each other.”

Blanas also expressed his optimism for this soccer team.

“This group has great team speed and attacks well,” Blanas said. “As long as we can do those two things consistently, we can be one of the stronger teams in the conference.”

Alm and Blanas coach a very relaxed team, and although they have gone through a rough start to the season, the team looks loose and upbeat during practice.

In the 2009 season the men’s soccer team went .500 with a 10-10-1 record in the regular season.

“We have a solid team from top to bottom, and this team has lots of depth,” Alm said.

This soccer team may have not had much time to gel so far this season, but the coaching staff sees how well this team can play and how far they can get, once they attain that level.

“It is only a matter of how good do these players want to be,” Alm said. “This team will fully gel before the postseason begins. This team has a great shot at getting to the regional finals.”