The Rocky Mountain Collegian Thursday

Opinion: Security concerns we might have forseen | page 4

PAGE 6

The Flood 15 years later

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Volume 121 | No. 8

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

‘No one knew what was coming’ Clarifying gun laws in Colorado

By NIC TURICIANO The Rocky Mountain Collegian

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOLDITCH FAMILY

2013 CSU football recruit Zack Golditch in the hospital after getting hit in the neck by stray ammunition that came through the wall of theater 9 into theater 8. Golditch and friends were at the “Batman” premiere in Aurora, Colo.

CSU recruit hurt in Aurora shooting

By MICHAEL ELIZABETH SAKAS The Rocky Mountain Collegian Upon meeting 17-year-old Zack Golditch, a 6-foot-5 and 260-pound Colorado State University football recruit, you could guess his favorite superhero.

“I’m more of a Hulk kind of guy,” he explains at his backyard picnic table, looking less intimidating than usual with white gauze taped to his neck.

Inside, family and friends huddle around the television waiting for his interview with 9News to air. The room goes quiet after demands for silence, and Golditch’s face and bandaged neck appear on the screen.

Golditch stays upstairs in his room.

Twenty-four hours before the flood of reporters and loved ones knocked on Golditch’s door, he was at a friend’s house watching the first installment of Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy, catching up on the storyline in preparation for the midnight premiere of “The Dark Knight Rises.”

“We were having a good time. Things were going good, but you can never really,” Golditch pauses. “Know one knew what was coming,” What was coming would cause the nation to mourn 12 murders, and the fading sense of personal safety in public

places.

Friend and CSU freshman Martin Varela, a Business Management major, drove Golditch and three others to the Aurora Century 16 Theater, leaving around 10 p.m. to make sure they got good seats. After waiting two hours, they got their tickets to Theater 8 and sat in the first row of the stadium seating.

‘Next thing I know I hear a BANG!’ The group munched on their popcorn loudly, purposely annoying one of their friends as they waited for the movie to start.

Twenty-five minutes in, Gary Oldman’s character Commissioner Gordon is knocked out and dragged down to Bane’s bad-guy sewer-lair, where Gordon is searched by the kidnappers. While the men are distracted, Gordon rolls into a waterway to escape. He is swept away by the fast flowing current and the men open fire on him.

Golditch didn’t realize it then, but ammunition from a semiautomatic rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and one .40 semiautomatic pistol was punching through the wall from Theater 9.

“It sounded like some guy took Black Cats or little dynamite sticks and was tossing them up, and I think there was three pops,” says Golditch. “Everyone

“I think we’ve got a pretty good track record of valuing the student voice in decisions that we make, but listening to that and factoring it into a decision isn’t the same as saying it’s up for a vote” Tony Frank | University President

Survey says: Majority of students against stadium

By NIC TURICIANO The Rocky Mountain Collegian Knowing that no public funds will be used in its construction, 67 percent of CSU students are still opposed to the on-campus stadium, according to an ASCSU survey.

But as the July 31 public forum, to take place at 5 p.m. in the Lory Student Center East Ballroom, draws near, CSU President Tony Frank notes that students are not the only voice he must take into consideration.

“I think we’ve got a pretty good track record of valuing the student voice in decisions that we make, but listening to that and factoring it into a decision isn’t the same as saying it’s up for a vote,” said Tony Frank, CSU President. “I’ve got, at the end of the day, a responsibility to my board, the university, and not just to the people who have been here in the past and the people who are here now, but the people who will be here in the future.”

See STADIUM on Page 3

looked up and was like ‘What are you doing, lighting fireworks in the theater? I get you’re trying to get into it but don’t do that, you know?’”

But Golditch would eventually realize what Americans woke to learn last Friday morning: The sound was actually shots fired from alleged gunman James Holmes in the theater next door. The shot and bullets fatally struck 12 and hit 70 people in total, including the Gateway High School senior who committed to play offensive line for CSU in 2013.

“Next thing I know I hear a BANG! right beside my ear,” Golditch says. “My ears are ringing, I just kind of like fall into my friend’s lap and let out like a yell or something cause it was hurting a lot.”

His friend Varela also thought fireworks were the cause of the ruckus, until he saw movie attendees screaming in pain and Golditch jumping over rows of people to flee the theater. Varela followed.

Heavy blood dripped down Golditch’s neck into his hands as he looked for help, searching outside the building and in the parking lot of the mall. There he found two men working construction, and one of them had been an Army doctor for more than 10 years.

See SHOOTING on Page 3

James Holmes, the 24 year-old former PhD student accused of opening fire on a theatre full of movie-goers early Friday morning, allegedly possessed four firearms with him during the attack. As reported by 9News, Holmes purchased the weapons legally. However, what exactly are Colorado’s gun laws?

In order to purchase a firearm, individuals must possess a state issued identification that provides a photo, name, address and date of birth.

According to the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, Colorado residents may not purchase a firearm if he or she: • Has been convicted in any court of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year • Is a fugitive from justice • Is an unlawful user of or addicted to any controlled substance.

• Has been adjudicated as a mental defective or has been committed to a mental institution • Is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the U.S. or an alien admitted to U.S. under a nonimmigrant visa • Has been discharged from the Armed Forces under dishonorable conditions.

• Having renounced their citizenship to the U.S. • Is subject to a court order that restrains the person from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner • Has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. [18 U.S.C. 922(g)] • Was adjudicated as a juvenile for an act that would have constituted a felony if committed by an adult Colorado allows individuals to transport firearms, loaded or unloaded, in their automobiles. According to the Colorado State Patrol website, local jurisdictions may not enact any laws restricting a person’s ability to transport their firearm.

The CSP website also states that, “You cannot carry the weapon concealed on or about your person while transporting it into your home, business, hotel room, etc.”

The state of Colorado also prohibits gun registration.

“I do think that we have good gun laws in Colorado that protect our citizens because they require background checks and waiting periods before someone can get a gun in hand,” said B.J. Nikkel, Colorado State Representative, District 49. “This guy in Aurora passed the background checks because he didn’t have a criminal past.

Unfortunately, I think there are people in this world who are evil and choose to do evil things.”

the

STRIP CLUB

What We Remember Most Throughout our college careers, we have been witness to countless news stories that have forever changed our world. Here are the most memorable headlining stories since 2008 from The New York Times.

“Bin Laden killed

by U.S. Forces in Pakistan, Obama Says, Declaring justice has been done”

“Obama Racial Barrier Falls in Decisive Victory”

“32 shot dead in Virginia; worst U.S. gun rampage”

“Wildfires engulf forests and homes in the West”

Dutch Elm devastates CSU Oval

By JOHN SHEESLEY The Rocky Mountain Collegian On July 23, two American Elm trees, planted when the Oval was designed in 1909, were carefully cut into pieces and taken to the Fort Collins city dump. To the untrained eye the trees appeared to be in perfect health, but beneath their bark lurked a danger to every other tree on the Oval.

“These trees have Dutch Elm disease,” said Marc Fine while watching the ancient trees come down. His son, Josh Fine, owns the company that was contracted by the university to remove the trees.

“Dutch Elm Disease is a fungal disease that clogs vascular tissue of trees and quickly kills the entire tree,” said Fred Haberecht, Assistant Director of Facilities Management, in an email.

“The fungus can be transmitted tree to tree by an insect or root to root in cases where tree roots of separate trees graft together.”

According to a CSU Extension article, the elm bark beetle burrows into the tree to lay eggs and in the process introduces the fungus into the tree’s water-conducting

system. The fungus spreads throughout the tree and begins to plug this system, causing the tree to slowly See TREES on Page 3

“Powerful quake and tsunami devastate Northern Japan”

“Former coach at Penn State is charged with abuse”

JOHN SHEESLEY | COLLEGIAN

A workman cuts a portion of an American Elm with a chainsaw as part of efforts to remove trees infected with Dutch Elm Disease from the Oval.

The Strip Club is written by the Collegian Staff.

2 Thursday, July 26, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian fort collins focus

John Sheesley | COLLEGIAN

Taya Brickner, 8, and her brother Miles, 5, play in a fountain in the Children’s Garden at Spring Creek on Monday, July 16. They can pump water from a giant watering can to create rivers in the channeled rock sculpture.

Nic Turiciano | COLLEGIAN

CSU library staff member Sally Hibbitt enjoys an afternoon reading on Thursday, July 19.

Lory Student Center Box 13 Fort Collins, CO 80523 KEY PHONE NUMBERS Newsroom | 970-491-7513 Distribution | 970-491-1146 Classifieds | 970-491-1686 Display Advertising | 970-491-7467 or 970-491-6834

Nic Turiciano | COLLEGIAN

Junior microbiology major Ted Ettema walks past construction in the CSU library on Thursday, July 19.

This publication is not an official publication of Colorado State University, but is published by an independent corporation using the name ‘The Rocky Mountain Collegian’ pursuant to a license granted by CSU. The Rocky Mountain Collegian is an 10,000-circulation student-run newspaper intended as a public forum. It publishes five days a week during the regular fall and spring semesters. During the last eight weeks of summer Collegian distribution drops to 4,500 and is published weekly on Thursdays.

During the first four weeks of summer the Collegian does not publish. Corrections may be submitted to the editor in chief and will be printed as necessary on page 2.

The Collegian is a complimentary publication for the Fort Collins community. The first copy is free. Additional copies are 25 cents each.

Letters to the editor should be sent to news@collegian.com.

ADVISING STAFF

Michael Humphrey | Journalism Adviser Kim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager

EDITORIAL STAFF | 491-7513 Michael Elizabeth Sakas | Editor-in-Chief editor@collegian.com Kaitie Huss | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com John Sheesley| Visual Managing Editor news@collegian.com Nic Turiciano |Producer entertainment@collegian.com Kyle Grabowski |Produce sports@collegian.com Kristin Hall | Contributor news@collegian.com

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Thursday, July 26, 2012

shooting | Continued from Page 1

‘Help me!’

‘I can’t believe I got shot’ “He got a towel and put it on my cut and kept me until the police officer came and took me over to the police car, and we got there and it was just crazy, people with just blood all over just yelling and screaming,” Golditch says.

Varela witnessed the aftermath of the shooting while waiting for his friends to come out of the theater.

“I see everybody coming out with the blood and yelling ‘Help me!’ and I was like, ‘I can’t take this,’ so I ran over to my car and I was calling my friends, calling and calling and I couldn’t get through because they were calling Zack to see where he went,” Varela said. “Finally I see them come out and actually they were fine.”

The group found Golditch with the police officer, who asked for one of them to ride along to the hospital. His friends got in Varela’s car and followed the ambulance to Aurora South where Golditch was taken, and where the reality of being struck with a bullet set in.

“I can’t believe I got shot, because after they put me through the CAT scan or whatever they were like, ‘Hey man, you got shot with a bullet,’ and I was like ‘What? I heard firecrackers! I thought my ear was blown off!’” Golditch says.

The bullet entered the left-front side of his neck and exited in pieces out the back.

Nothing critical was hit and Golditch’s wound is expected to heal in the next three to four weeks.

‘Did this really happen?’

When Golditch’s football coach Justin Hoffman got the flood of texts from his 10 to 15 players who were at the same premiere, his mind started

running.

“It first starts off as, ‘Did this really happen?’ because it’s so early in the morning, and then ‘How did this happen?’ and ‘Thank God everyone is OK that I know of,’” Hoffman said.

Hoffman mentioned that CSU football coaches Jim McElwain and Marty English called Golditch early Friday morning to make sure he was doing alright.

“Coach McElwain said it was good to see me get out because it’s sucks to see good people, I don’t know about the people that were killed or anything, but it’s just sad to see really good people to get killed like that,” Golditch says.

‘They had to see the scene’ Richard Muller, senior theater and graphic design major at CSU, woke up to a text from his mom at 7 a.m., telling him that his older sister Netika (who works at the Century 16) was in Theater 9 that morning. “[The text said] ‘Hey, Netika was at that movie showing, she was actually in Theater 9 where it happened but she’s safe, but she had to leave her phone and her shoes and her purse and everything,” Muller said.

As Muller gave tours of campus Friday as an Admissions Ambassador, he continued to get calls and texts from friends asking what happened and if everything was OK. He didn’t get to see his sister until Sunday night, when he and his three roommates (all from Aurora) drove down to the vigil held by the community near the theater.

“That’s when the situation just reached another scale for me, because [Netika] was talking about what the different employees saw,” Muller said, “like the managers watching everything happen from the

trees | Dutch Elm prevention is vital Continued from Page 1 booth and the different gunshots going through, and they had to see the scene afterwards and while it was happening.”

Muller also once worked at the Century 16, and his familiarity with where the shooting occurred made the event much more surreal for him.

‘I try not to think about it’ On Friday afternoon, Christine Golditch, Zack’s mother, is wearing a darkgreen CSU t-shirt and sitting in her entry room. She’s surrounded by family, talking with them how the shooting was a very rude and very real awakening for her son.

She explains that her ability to protect Zack, like she did with the Columbine shootings by simply “turning off the TV,” is no longer realistic.

Zack would rather talk about leaving high school and playing for his future college team. “[I want] to see if I can play at the next level and be successful,” he says. “I came into high school with the mentality of like, ‘OK I’m big, maybe I can play varsity as an underclassman,’ and I was able to, and I’m just trying to see if I can take that to the next level.”

Starting both classes and football at CSU in 2013, he is looking forward to his coaches, the campus, the food, and he wants to live in the dorm with the “Mongolian grill.”

With all that ahead, Zack’s ready for this one long day to end.

“I try not to think about it really, that much, because it’s a lot to deal with, you know, so I just try not to think about it and just appreciate it right now,” Golditch says.

Editor-in-Chief Michael Elizbaeth Sakas can be reached at news@collegian. com

Grant helps start natural gas truck

By Kyle Grabowski The Rocky Mountain Collegian Most of the struggle to develop alternative energy vehicles is a “chicken and egg” problem between vehicles and infrastructure.

If scientists don’t develop the infrastructure, there’s no point in having vehicles.

But if the vehicles don’t exist, why build the infrastructure?

CSU associate professor Thomas Bradley and former CSU assistant professor Christopher Hagen, now an assistant professor at Oregon State University Cascades Campus, are hoping to solve both problems by building a truck that runs on the natural gas from someone’s home.

“To refill a natural gas vehicle like the Transfort buses you need compressed natural gas from a dedicated natural gas station. This is really inconvenient – there aren’t any public ones in Fort Collins,” Bradley said. “Our idea is to put the compressor in the car so that you can fill it up from your home or office.”

In order to make this happen, the pair applied for and received a $700,000 grant from the US Department of Energy as part of the Advanced Research Projects Agency—Energy (ARPA-E) Methane Oppor-

tunities for Vehicular Energy (MOVE) project. The ARPA-E grant will be the sole funding source for the project.

The Department of Energy was unable to comment because contract negotiations have yet to be finalized, according to an email from Public Affairs Support Contractor Andrew Gumbiner.

From here, Bradley and Hagen have divided the work between their two campuses. Bradley and CSU will handle the software and modeling aspects, while Hagen will deal primarily with building test cells and hardware at OSUCascades.

“We’re able to do a lot of our work virtually sharing concepts,” Hagen said.

“It makes the separation easier to manage.”

Currently Hagan has two senior students working with him and Bradley has enlisted a CSU grad student, but Bradley expects the team to grow to as many as 10 CSU students when the project gets into full swing in the fall.

“This is really hard to do. We could go out and hire experts, engineers with 50 years of experience, but it’s all tied in with the education mission of CSU,” Bradley said. “It takes hard work, creativity and a spark

3

that, sometimes, these kids really provide.”

And if the students continue to stay involved with the project, they could have the opportunity to be a part of a startup company, according to Hagan.

Right now the project is scheduled to last for 18 months with the final goal of creating one truck that can compress the natural gas from a home or office and use it for fuel.

From both sides, the most challenging part is having to rebuild the engine.

“Over time the internal combustion engine has become really sophisticated,” Hagen said. “We have to crack into it and do a lot of re-engineering.”

“Corporations like Chrysler and GM have teams of hundreds of engineers and take years to make these changes,” Bradley said. “We’re trying to do it in a year and a half.”

But the end result makes it all worth it.

“This is one of the top priorities of our country right now. It can help us reduce our dependence on foreign oil. It burns cleaner,” Bradley said. “What everybody’s striving for is a more sustainable future.”

Producer Kyle Grabowski can be reached at news@ collegian.com.

starve over the following months.

A root graft occurs when two trees’ roots become entangled so severely that they grow together, allowing the trees to share water and nutrients. Dutch Elm Disease can be transferred between the trees through such a graft, even after an infected tree has been removed.

“I think the tree they took down was next to one that they took down last year and they think it could have been a root graft,” said Jim Klett, CSU Horticulture and Landscape Architecture professor in an email. “Sanitation is a good prevention technique and the campus is doing that right away by removing the tree.”

The trees removed cannot be used for mulch or re-

cycled in another way, and must be taken to the city dump to prevent the spread of Dutch Elm Disease.

“The diseased tree and those immediately adjacent to it [were] removed as a precaution to prevent the spread of the disease to other trees on the Oval,” said Haberecht. “Best practices recommend the immediate removal of infected or suspected trees in close proximity, as well as soil trenching around infected or suspected trees to isolate the fungus and, if necessary, girdling and removing other nearby trees.”

In an area like the Oval, where the trees are very close together, a root graft can occur very easily and require the removal of many trees unless the roots are cut out as well.

“It would be nice to

avoid cutting down large trees, but if it saves the others, it’s worthwhile,” said Steve Chignell, a first year masters student studying watershed science. “If we lost more trees on the Oval, that would be so sad.”

After a tree has become infected with Dutch Elm Disease, there are very few options other than to cut it down.

“You can inject the trees with a chemical but it is expensive, generally just done on specimen trees, and needs to be done every two to three years,” said Klett.

“Good sanitation and keeping trees in good health by removing dead wood and keeping insects under control on [the trees] can help in prevention of the disease.”

Visual Managing Editor John Sheesley can be reached at news@collegian.com

John Sheesley | COLLEGIAN

A truck full of wood from an infected American Elm pulls away from the worksite on the CSU Oval. The wood must be disposed of at the city dump and cannot be used as mulch due to the danger of spreading Dutch Elm Disease.

Stadium | Frank considers all stakes Contnued from Page 1 Also according to the survey, 70 percent of the student body disagrees with proposed locations for the stadium, and 73 percent of current students answered that an on-campus stadium would either not impact or would decrease the number of visits to campus they make as alumni. The survey of 3,553 students was conducted in April, with results released May 31.

“A lot of [current students] haven’t been to an on-campus stadium before. They haven’t been to the Grove at Ole Miss.

Hardly any of them have been to Folsom Field and realize what kind of passionate and strong bond that having that on-campus stadium creates,” said Tyler Shannon, an oncampus stadium supporter and 2003 CSU alumnus. “I think it’s really difficult for students who have never had that opportunity to even be

able to identify with what kind of bond and excitement it creates on campus.”

The debate, which began shortly after the hiring of CSU Athletic Director Jack Graham in December of last year, will be decided by Frank after the Stadium Advisory Committee delivers its proposal on Aug. 9.

But it’s a decision, says Bob Vangermeersch, a member of Save Our Stadium, Hughes, based on communication that has been too narrow in scope.

“It appears to be a lot of one way conversation.

If you’re going to solve this problem you need dialogue.

Just listening leaves the public out in the cold.”

Frank, who will be present to handle questions at the July 31 forum, expects a mixture of Q & A style and statement making.

“There have been some people who have said ‘we’re gonna find out what Dr.

Frank is thinking about this,’ or ‘you’re going to have to answer some questions about this.’ I guess I don’t view it that way,” Frank said. “I’m still formulating my opinion and I think I’ll be listening and gathering input a lot more than I’ll be providing answers. But if people have questions to clarify what my thought process has been as we’ve gone through this, then I’m obviously happy to do things like that.”

Additional off-campus forums will be held Thursday, July 26 and Monday, July 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Plymouth Congregational, located at 916 West Prospect.

The reason for the Plymouth forums will be to present information on traffic impacts to residents in neighborhoods near campus, said Kyle Henley, CSU Spokesman.

Producer Nic Turiciano can be reached at verve@collegian.com.

Rendering courtesy of Populous

An artist’s rendering of what an on-campus stadium could look like. The architecture firm Populous has been hired by CSU to help design a potential stadium.

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Collegian

OPINION Thursday, July 26, 2012 | Page 4

“It’s a sad state of affairs when we need to anticipate violence in every walk of life.

But even if we did expect this, what would we have done? A security guard’s taser is good for, what, two drunk guys brawling in the parking lot?”

Theater shooting security concerns we might have foreseen

our view

Fighting for perception In the wake of the recent shooting tragedy in Aurora, many have begun to consider the Columbine tragedy in a new light and label Colorado a dangerous state.

Yes, there are similarities.

Both tragedies were horrific events against primarily young people that shattered our sense of safety in two different public venues (schools and movie theaters).

They happened without warning and left many people questioning, wondering how such a thing could happen and why it did.

They both reignited the gun control debate and left both sides up in arms about what firearms should be legal and purchasable.

Similarities aside, the two tragedies have little correlation beyond the surface level and should not collectively make people see Colorado as a violent state.

Colorado is not a violent state. It ranks 25th in violent

crimes with 392 per 100,000 people according to the US Census. Conversely, Washington D.C. leads the nation with 1,508 violent crimes per

“Colorado is known for its active citizens and vibrant outdoor life, and that’s the way it should be.”

100,000 people. The national average is 474.

So why then, do people consider Colorado to be a dangerous place? Two separate events, occurring years apart, do not a violent state make.

What makes it seem that way is our perception.

We are the “Columbine Generation.” The 1999 tragedy happened when many of

us were in elementary school, and is brought up as a reference point every time a shooting occurs. Sadly, two of the most publicized mass acts of violence have occurred here.

But that is the point where references to Columbine should end in this situation.

This was a completely unmediated act of senseless violence that never should have happened, and had nothing to do with the location it occurred.

Just because there have been two horrific shootings in Colorado does not mean it is a dangerous place to live. Colorado is known for its active citizens and vibrant outdoor life, and that’s the way it should be.

In the wake of such a tragedy, it is our duty as Coloradans to show the world how well we take care of our own, as we have with fire victims statewide.

As donations to those affected by this tragedy begin to flow, our state may be shown in a much more positive light.

By Emily Kribs The Collegian Editorial Board is responsible for writing the staff editorial, “Our View,” and for the views expressed therein.

I worked in a Thornton, Colo. movie theater for one summer, during which we weren’t faced with anything close to the shooting at Aurora’s Century 16 complex. However, I think we were similarly prepared for one, which is to say not at all.

In terms of security, we had a box around the ticket sellers designed to prevent theft, rather than violence. We relied on people’s social graces when we told them they couldn’t enter without a ticket or told them to stop talking. And we never performed pat-downs or examined people’s costumes for potential threats.

I worked two midnight premieres. One left no impression whatsoever, prohibiting me from remembering what movie it was, and the other was the eighth Harry Potter movie. For the latter, our idea of security was to make sure no one was being drunkenly belligerent or otherwise disruptive. It never occurred to us to worry the costumed attendees might have an honest-to-God plan.

And on a premiere like “Dark Knight Rises,” you can expect costumed attendees. They’re not a possibility; they’re a sure thing. At Harry Potter, those who didn’t arrive in costumes left in one, namely 3D glasses shaped like the titular character’s eyewear.

Here’s the thing: I can think of two other instances where people might be dressed as characters that carry weapons, which are fan conventions and Halloween. Both of these tend to have rules regarding the weapons.

I remember in middle school, when everyone who was anyone dressed in the scariest costume they could, we weren’t allowed to have weapons at all. You could carry a banana and tell people it was a ray gun, but you better watch yourself.

On the webpage for Otakon, a particularly popular fan convention, they have a lengthy explanation of what kinds of weapons are and aren’t allowed. They also have security on hand, in case your fake scythe meets all regulations and is still too dangerous.

In both cases, as I said, this stuff is regulated, and very similar to the kind of things theaters face. I know they say hindsight is 20/20, but this actually seems like something we should have anticipated.

You’ve got a room packed to bursting with hundreds of people, which is already a sign you should be on your guard. It’s dark, and supervision means nothing more than

making sure no one’s texting. The only thing the movie-goers have to do to pass muster is present a slip of paper.

It’s a sad state of affairs when we need to anticipate violence in every walk of life. But even if we did expect this, what would we have done? A security guard’s taser is good for, what, two drunk guys brawling in the parking lot? It’s certainly not something you put in the job description for theater employees. “Flexible hours, experience working a cash register, equipped to forestall gun violence until the police arrive, starting at $8 an hour.”

Movie theaters won’t be closing down. They’ve been around for over a century, and according to my Facebook feed this hasn’t stopped many from going to see “Dark Knight Rises” for themselves. But there’ll be changes, not only to prevent the same thing from happening again or to make attendees feel safe, but because this has been a long time coming.

I like to think better of human nature than that.

And speaking with fond memories of my time at Cinebarre in mind, it’s tough to admit that this was an oversight.

It’s terrible that we needed a shooting to open our eyes to the danger presented here. Theaters’ policies regarding fire safety makes it clear they knew there could be issues when you put that many people together in one room. After all, a man was dead for five days in a Fort Collins theater’s bathroom before anyone found him. If that doesn’t scream, “We’ve got to keep a better eye on our guests,” I don’t know what does.

But like I said, even then no one expects something as drastic as someone showing up with guns in-hand. Personally, I’m not in favor of a nation always vigilant for the worst possible scenario. But people shouldn’t die just because heightened security can be annoying and inconvenient.

I’m sorry for the victims of the shooting and their families. I’m sorry for everyone who heard the news and panicked for their friends. I’m sorry this happened, and I hope we can at the very least learn from the experience, not just for theaters’ attendees’ sakes, but to resolve any other overlooked lapses in safety that might someday be brought to light in a similar manner.

Contributor Emily Kribs can be reached at news@collegian.com

Michael Elizabeth Sakas | Editor-in-Chief news@collegian.com John Sheesley | Visual Managing Editor news@collegian.com Nic Turiciano | Producer entertainment@collegian.com

Kaitie Huss | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Kyle Grabowski | Producer news@collegian.com Kristin Hall | Contributor news@collegian.com

Penn State punishment deserved? school and had it not been for outof-state tuition, I would have been a Nittany Lion too.

As a kid, I remember the football games being an all-day event: tailgating with family friends, watching the Blue Band practice for the halftime show, sandwiching myself between my parents on the bleachers inside a sold-out stadium, fearful that if I

By Kaitie Huss The NCAA issued a punishment to Penn State on Monday involving a $60 million fine and a four-year postseason ban. The punishment also includes the loss of multiple scholarships and a removal of all football victories from 1998 to 2011, invalidating the football legacy put in place

by Joe Paterno.

“The culture, actions and inactions that allowed them to be victimized will not be tolerated in collegiate athletics,” NCAA president Mark Emmert said, according to an article from the New York Times.

While it’s important to send a strong message to other schools and administrations about the seriousness of this situation, eradicating the victories earned under Paterno punishes those beyond the realm of the scandal. It impacts years of Penn State graduates as well as the future of the university as an academic institution.

As a disclosure, I’ve grown up with Penn State. Because I lived in Pennsylvania for most of my childhood, I was constantly surrounded by the college. My mom along with five of her ten siblings all attended the

Collegian Opinion Page Policy The columns on this page reflect the viewpoints of the individual author and not necessarily that of The Rocky Mountain Collegian or its editorial board. Please send any responses to news@collegian.com.

A fence surrounds the Joe Paterno statue as crews work to remove it shortly after 6 am on Sunday, July 22, 2012, in State College, Pennsylvania. (Abby Drey/Centre Daily Times/MCT)

even stood to adjust my blanket I would surrender my seat.

Even after coming to CSU, I was still incredibly proud of being part of the Penn State community, even it was merely through association. This

scandal however, has made me hesitant in my support to the point where I’m cautions about wearing my Penn State sweatshirt outside of my apartment.

I talked to some of my family members who did attend State College about their own sense of pride in the University.

“You can’t defend it,” my uncle Greg, a PSU alum, told me over the phone. “You don’t want to wear the clothing because you don’t feel like getting involved in it. And then you if you speak out to friends, then you put yourself on the side of a child molester.”

While this association is unwarranted, it’s somewhat of a reality Penn State fans and alumni are forced to consider.

It’s for this reason that I find fault with the NCAA judgement to disqualify the football wins made under Paterno’s coaching. This punishment strips the honor of students and alumni who were uninvolved in Sandusky’s actions, adding salt to a wound already created. It goes beyond the administration responsible and targets the PSU community.

That being said, I do believe it is a community that is resilient and can eventually move forward with time.

As Cael Sanderson, PSU wrestling coach, tweeted Monday, “Penn State is much bigger than the actions of a few. Take medicine. March forward.”

Content Managing Editor Kaitie Huss can be reached at news@collegian.com

Letter submissions are open to all and are printed on a first-received basis. Submissions should be limited to 250 words and need to include the author’s name and contact information. Anonymous letters will not be printed. E-mail letters to letters@collegian. com

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Thursday, July 26, 2012

WHAT’S UP IN FOCO? MUSIC

Dashboard Confessional (Acoustic Performance) Aggie Theater Sunday, July 29 7:30 p.m. doors $25 In this acoustic performance, Chris Carrabba will perform as a solist on stage. “There’s this

The Fort Collins Human Race 10k Run/5k Run/Walk/Kids Run Free - $30 This race, beginning in Old Town, is sponsored by the Healthy Kids Club at Poudre Valley Health System. Because this is a “Green Event,” 85% of the waste generated by the event will go to recycling and composting instead of landfills. To register online, visit www.active.com

MOVIES

Eminance Ensemble Aggie Theater Thursday, August 2 7:30 p.m. doors Free This Boulder group blends reggae, electronics and progressive house styles.

Safety Not Guaranteed

10k Run 7:30 a.m.

Race-day registration available until 7:15 a.m 5k Run/Non-judged Walk 8:00 a.m.

1 mile kids run (free) 9:15 a.m.

Friday 7/27/12 Through Saturday 7/28/12 To Rome With Love: 1:45, 6:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 1:30, 6:00 Safety Not Guaranteed: 4:30, 8:45 Your Sister’s Sister: 4:00, 8:30 Sunday 7/29/12 To Rome With Love: 1:45, 6:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 1:30, 6:00 Safety Not Guaranteed: 4:30, 8:45 Your Sister’s Sister: 4:00

magical thing when you find that people are connected through your songs,” said Carrabba on the Dashboard Confessional website.

“It’s a stroke of luck, really. And I feel lucky that it happens with our music.”

LIFE

Monday 7/30/12 and Tuesday 7/31/12 To Rome With Love: 1:45, 6:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 1:30, 6:00 Safety Not Guaranteed: 4:30, 8:45 Your Sister’s Sister: 4:00, 8:30 Three magazine writers are assigned to interview a man seeking a companion for time travel in this comedy starring Aubrey Plaza, Jake M. Johnson, and Karan Soni.

ART “Elsewhere” by Kevin Van Aelst July 25 - August 25 11 a.m.-7 p.m.

Center for Fine Art Photography Free This exhibit features photography of everyday objects placed in surreal compositions.

“This work is about creating order where we expect to find randomness, and also hints that the minutiae all around us is capable of communicating much larger ideas,” said Van Aelst, according to the event’s website.

Lyric Listings

Wednesday 8/1/12 To Rome With Love: 1:45, 6:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 1:30, 6:00 Safety Not Guaranteed: 4:30 Your Sister’s Sister: 4:00, 8:30 FREE OWNER’S PICK!: 9:30

Thursday 7/26/12 To Rome With Love: 2:00, 4:30, 7:00, 9:30 The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel: 1:45, 6:15 Safety Not Guaranteed: 4:15, 8:45

Community Briefs CSU professor Amy Prieto honored by White House

According to a press release, CSU chemistry professor Amy Prieto was honored with a Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers for her work developing new battery technology that could revolutionize electronic vehicles.

Prieto was nominated for the award by the National Science Foundation and will be one of 96 scientists to receive it during a White House ceremony at the end of July.

“Dr. Prieto and her team embody the spirit of enterprise and complex problem-solving at Colorado State University, with research focused on devising solutions on a global scale,” said President Tony Frank in a press release.

“It’s particularly notable that her students have been a key piece to her discoveries, learning from one of today’s leading scholars while also gaining remarkable experience in research and creating spinoffs in renewable technologies.”

Prieto cofounded Prieto Battery Inc. in 2009 along with Cenergy, the commercialization arm of the university’s Clean Energy Supercluster. The company is dedicated to producing a battery using nano-technology that will be 1,000 times more powerful than a traditional battery and last 10 times longer.

New Assistant Vice President for Research announced

CSU announced Mark Wdowik as the new Assistant Vice President for Research.

Wdowik, who has been associated with CSU ven-

tures since 2006, “will help the university expand its sources of research support and collaboration at a time when federal research-and-development dollars are level or declining,” according to a CSU press release.

Colorado State, with research expenditures topping $300 million for the past four years, is one of the top research universities in the nation without a medical school. Research expenditures for the fiscal year 2011 totaled $330.8 million.

“A concerted effort is needed to expand CSU’s portfolio of industry research, and Mark is well known in the industry and at peer institutions as having the knowledge, background and expertise needed to move this program forward,” said Provost Rick Miranda in a CSU press release.

College of resources receives two national awards for natural resources stewardship

The Cooperative Ecosystem Studies Unit Network 2012 National Awards have been given to Colorado State University’s Public Lands History Center and Warner College of Natural Resources Associate Dean Peter Newman. There are only two awards given each year.

The Public Lands History Center, which is part of Colorado State’s College of Liberal Arts, was cited for “exemplary and innovative participation in the CESU Network.”

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Newman has worked with the Warner College faculty since 2002. He has been honored for his commitment to mitigating noise pollution in national parks.

CSU scientist co-authors Antarctica policy forum article

Diana Wall, a Colorado State researcher, University Distinguished Professor and director of the university’s School of Global Environmental Sustainability, co-authored a policy forum article which presented a call-to-action to address the environmental changes faced in Antarctica.

Wall, who has spent 22 seasons studying the response of soil biodiversity and ecosystem processes to environmental change, explains the importance of quickly addressing the changes facing Antarctica.

This is an environment undergoing rapid changes from the isolated landscape we once knew,” she said.

The authors of the paper, published in Science Magazine, identified short term threats like the impact of climate change on marine ecosystems, in addition to long term threats such as an increase in ocean acidity.

“This is the first time we’ve brought together experts in everything on the Antarctic terrestrial and marine environments, to find out what the big issues are for species and eocsystems,” Wall said. “We are seeing an urgency of issues that are converging on Antarctica and they are affecting species and ecosystems much faster than we thought.”

-- Collegian Staff Report

6 Thursday, July 26, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

15 years later a look back at the Spring Creek Flood Most current CSU students were watching Animaniacs in 1997. The CSU campus, on the other hand, was practically under water 15 years ago.

Heavy rains between July 27 and 28 fell on Fort Collins and caused the Spring Creek to flash flood.

Four to six inches of rain fell the night of July 27, while more than 10 inches fell between 5:30 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. on July 28.

Spring Creek rose more than 30 feet above its banks at Rolland Moore Park.

The rain set the records for the highest one day, three hour, and six hour rainfall segments on CSU’s gauge.

More than two feet of water sat on the intersection of Shields and Elizabeth, with people kayaking and tubing at the intersection.

Water seeped into the Lory Student Center and forced both Student Media and the CSU Bookstore to relocate.

A gas leak caused Johnny’s liquor, located in the Prospector Mall, to explode.

Lory Student Center

Allison Hall

LSC Parking Lot

LSC Northwest Corner

Collegian Newsroom

Ultimately the flood caused $200 million worth of damage across Fort Collins.

Five peole died in the worst natural disaster in Fort Collins’ history.

Below are 12 pictures. Half of them were taken shortly after the flood occurred while the others were taken in roughly the same spot to show how much campus has changed in the past 15 years.

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Thursday, July 26, 2012

Your Name

Your Comic

We’re hiring...

Do you like to tell stories? Do you like to draw?

You could be the next Collegian cartoonist Submit your application to Student Media in the basement of the Lory Student Center

7

Daily Horoscope

Linda C. Black, Nancy Black

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (07/26/12).Today is auspicious for setting long-term intentions. This year, the gold comes through friends, groups and organizations. Nurture partnerships and networks, and have fun together. Summer ease and romance shifts to projects around home and family after autumn.

Ralph and Chuck

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

David Malki

Wondermark

Tim Rickard

Brewster Rocket

Phil Juliano

Best in Show

Tommy Groms

ARIES (March 21-April 19) -- 7 -- Hold your temper, or you could get hurt. Use your impulses for creativity, and make something you’d be proud of. Even romance is possible with patience.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) -- 6 -- Postpone travel and spending for later. You can develop skills you need, so practice. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You’ve got the concentration.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) -- 5 -- Don’t let a loved one talk you into spending too much. Stick to the basics on the home front. Delegate to a perfectionist. Keep digging and find the clue.

CANCER (June 21-July 22) -- 7 -- Today and tomorrow are good for making money (but not for gambling). Check the assignment again to clarify instructions before proceeding farther. Expect construction nearby.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) -- 5 -- Another job requires attention. You’re a genius at planning now. It’s partly due to your willingness to keep your word. State your needs. Stand firm.

Keep it simple.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) --6 -- Work interferes with pleasure as you begin a new business push. Don’t launch before you’re ready. Consider all options. Clarify your direction with friends. An old flame revives.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- 6 -- Group projects go especially well for a couple of days. More study may be required.

Read the instructions to avoid mistakes. Be sure you get a receipt.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- 6 -- Advance in your career for the next three days or so. Close to home is best. Keep a low profile, with a tight grasp on the money. Costs are higher than expected.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- 5 -- Lay groundwork for the future. Increase flexibility and peace of mind with daily exercise. Plan an adventure to somewhere deliciously exotic, even the local spa. Care for thyself.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- 6 -- Your wild side wants to go off track, while your inner disciplinarian wants you to stay focused. Listen to the one that serves you best.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- 5 -- You’re growing more interested in another. Use your magic touch to create harmony from a confrontation. Consider all possibilities. Love helps you resolve the conflict.

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) -- 7 -- If the maze of figuring yourself out has left you lost, focus on what you can do for others instead. Make a promise that you’ll love keeping. It’ll keep you busy for the next few days.

RamTalk compiled by Kyle Grabowski

I vote we move the door to the library one more time before I graduate

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

I think that drinking has a ME problem.

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Buy your copy for $10, or get one online for your Kindle or Nook.

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2x2 Lutheran Family

Across 1 Makes the cut, in a way 5 Soviet news acronym 9 Boating stopover 14 Century threshold 15 Like many churches: Abbr.

16 Class 17 Impression 18 Empty-vehicle weight 19 Thanksgiving Day Parade sponsor 20 *Sounds familiar 23 What’s left 24 Show done at 30 Rock 25 Beneficiaries of some drives 27 You-here connector 30 Tree in some Constable paintings 32 FDR’s mother 33 180-degree lenses 36 Valentine’s Day quantities 40 Utah’s gemstone 41 Jar topper 43 1992 upstart candidate 44 Observes Yom Kippur 46 On one’s tax return 48 Durante’s “that is” 50 Blue __: certain strike action 51 2002 British Open champ 52 Auto insurance giant 56 DOJ enforcer 58 Favorable 59 *Easy place to go downhill 64 A noble gas 66 Grouse 67 “I got it!” reactions 68 Experiencing reverence 69 First name in fashion 70 Country retreats 71 __ goat 72 One partner?

73 What the start of each starred answer is part of, for a company that intersects that answer Down 1 Move a bit 2 Volkswagen brand 3 Singer of complex songs 4 Impediments 5 “Of course, dude!”

6 __ League 7 Throat ailment 8 Natural necklace components

9 Systemic suffix 10 *Daydreamer 11 Baccalauréat awarder 12 “Family Ties” mom 13 Measures ability in 21 Scorn 22 Coveted role 26 They don’t graduate 27 Old Spice alternative 28 Knee-slapper 29 Nickname on the Boston Garden ice 31 Blanc with voices 34 *Easily 35 Isaac Newton, e.g.

37 One-named Deco artist 38 Seasonal song 39 Stylebook entries: Abbr.

42 HDTV part, briefly 45 Rough guess 47 Marilyn Monroe was its first cover girl 49 Siding plaster 52 “Encore!”

53 Liza’s half-sister Luft 54 Boston airport 55 Scandal-plagued energy giant 57 Thrash 60 Salt letters 61 “Heaven help me!”

62 Sudden ache 63 Canadian gas 65 Napoleonic marshal

Today’s solution

COLORADO - INS Trending topics for Coloradans

collegian.com/category/coins

2x5 Tribal Rites

8 Thursday, July 26, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian