The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Monday December 3, 2012

Muslim students battle misperceptions | Page 3

Page 8

Feeling invincible Rams beat Evansville, undefeated after six games

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Monday, December 3, 2012

COLLEGIAN

Volume 121 | No. 79

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

Numbers do lie

the

Strip club

STOP THE PRESSES! NORTH KOREA HAS FOUND A UNICORN LAIR! Or, this may just be an attempt to fool the world via the internet.

Internet pranks are nothing new, though they have reached epic proportions, like:

Native American enrollment hasn’t decreased despite CSU Fact Book statistics

By Kate winkle The Rocky Mountain Collegian In 2003, the population of Native American undergraduate students was 305. By 2012, the population dropped to 104 students, according to CSU’s 2012-2013 FactBook. Or has it?

CSU’s system has always allowed students to check more than one race or ethnicity, and used an algorithm to assign those students to certain areas so only one number was reported to the federal government. In 2010, the federal government changed the way students report their race and ethnicity, and also added a new “Multiracial” category.

Before the new rule, a student who identified as both Hispanic and Native American would be reported as Native American; now, that same student would be reported as Hispanic, according to Mary Ontiveros, VP for Diversity.

“It’s not that we don’t have the same numbers or comparable to what we had, but the way they are reported is different,” Ontiveros said. “...It appears we have fewer Native Americans when in fact it’s a function of the reporting process that has made that drop seem more significant.”

The FactBook reflects the numbers given to the federal government, and while it serves as an impetus to increase enrollment of Native American students, it is an uphill battle, according to Onitveros.

In reality, the self-identified Native American student population on campus is increasing, according to Ty Smith, Director of the Native American Cultural Center. He estimates the Fall 2012 See Native on Page 3

Greatest Internet Trolls Ever

Nick Lyon | COLLEGIAN

Ceriss Blackwood, left, helps her daughter her August Blackwood with her homework Sunday, Oct. 28.

Homeless, single parent, CSU Graduate

Alumna tells her story to help others in tough situations

By Corrie Sahling The Rocky Mountain Collegian Imagine: You’re a graduate student at CSU, a single parent of two children ages three and five. You don’t have a home, you can’t live with your parents and every penny you have is going toward your children’s needs.

This is a life not many would know how to deal with. But CSU graduate student Ceriss Blackwood is living through it and is nothing but positive.

“If I focused on what was wrong,” Blackwood said, “I wouldn’t be able to go on.”

Blackwood grew up in a household with domestic violence perpetrated by her father, which pushed her into foster care in high school.

“My biological family was not functional,” Blackwood said. “I had never known what it was like to be cared for.”

Blackwood’s foster family is from the Southern Ute reservation in southwestern Colorado. The reservation was very spread out and secluded, she

said, so it took an hour to get into town where her foster mom worked.

The only sibling from Blackwood’s biological family is a half sister from her dad’s side that she met once and she was an only child in her adoptive home.

After graduating from a class of 61 from her high school on the reservation, Blackwood had motivation to “be the first in my family to go to college,” she said. She enrolled at Fort Lewis College in Durango in the summer of 2003.

She had been accepted into a summer bridge program that was all-expense-paid, including her dorm room.

Although she liked the school, Blackwood found that the campus was too close to home and transferred in fall 2003 to the Auraria campus in Denver.

Blackwood got a downtown apartment with her high school friend, Reagena Thompson, and worked part time as well to pay for her expenses.

“She is my best friend and she helps me out too when I need it,” Thompson said. “She’s like family.”

Auraria, however, did not offer

Domestic violence fact One in four women have or will experience domestic violence in their lifetime.

Women between the ages of 20-24 are at the greatest risk of nonfatal intimate partner violence.

Fifty percent of the men who frequently abuse their wives also frequently abuse their children.

Source: Domestic Violence Resource Center

the program of study that Blackwood wanted, so she applied to CSU and the university’s First Generation Award.

Blackwood was accepted and transferred in fall 2005.

She graduated in 2008 with an undergraduate degree in human development and family studies with an emphasis in adolescent behavior and a minor in ethnic studies.

When Blackwood made her final transfer to CSU, she was engaged to a man she had met through classes at the See single on Page 3

“I love having the farmers’ market next to us. Things that you buy in the market can complement spices, herbs, and seasonings.”

Susan Kirkpatrick | owner and manager of The Savory Spice Show

Songs for the Deaf

Textbook rental company Chegg sponsored a contest for a school or college to win $10,000 and a concert from Taylor Swift. 4Chan. org flooded the contest with votes for... Horace Mann School for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing. #HorribleIrony?

#PitbullExile

Rap star Pitbull partnered with Walmart to find a local Walmart outlet to perform at. Boston Pheonix writer David Thorpe thought it would be hilarious to send him to Kodiak, Alaska, banishing Pitbull to the nether regions of America. And it worked!

Fresh and fun at Winter Farmers’ Market every Saturday

By Lianna Salva The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Fort Collins farmers’ market scene doesn’t freeze up when the weather turns cold.

Instead, it simply moves inside.

For 15 Saturdays of the winter season, Be Local Northern Colorado, a community nonprofit, creates an indoor farmers market filled with fresh local produce, handmade jewelry and live music inside the Opera Galleria of Old Town.

“The advantage of an indoor market is that we can host a market in the winter time, which is historically the off season,” said Michael Baute, farmer’s market manager for Be Local. “Once this market

started and people had a winter avenue to sell their agricultural products, people started to invest in greenhouses.”

The market is in its seventh year, but for many vendors this is their first experience. One such vendor is Hazel Dell Mushrooms, a certified organic mushroom farm specializing in exotic mushrooms.

“Our medium is sawdust that we get from local door and cabinet makers. We grow indoors because of the climate in Colorado,” said Ryan Hull, a representative of Hazel Dell.

The market won’t be the only place you will see mushrooms from Hazel Dell. They sell to Whole Foods, King Soopers and most restaurants in the Front Range, according to Hull.

For $6 you can purchase a half-pound bag of six different types of mushrooms.

Don’t have cash on you?

No problem. The managers of the market have a program called “Market Bucks.” You can get any amount of market bucks in five-dollar increments by charging it to your debit or credit card.

“Most of the vendors don’t have credit card machines,” Baute said. “We don’t want to turn anyone away if they don’t have cash.”

The market also accepts EBT cards and offers a two for one promotion for EBT users.

Inside the Opera Galleria are even more local businesses that also benefit from the market. The Savory Spice Shop, left of the Galleria, experiences a

the details What: Winter Farmers Market Where: Opera Galleria, Old Town Fort Collins Dates: Dec 1, 15, & 22; Jan 12, 19 & 26; Feb 9, 16 & 23; March 9 & 23, April 6 Time: 10 a.m. - 2 p.m.

larger amount of customers on market days.

“I love having the farmers’ market next to us. Things that you buy in the market can complement spices, herbs, and seasonings,” said Susan Kirkpatrick, owner and manager.

The shop offers 450 different blends and seasonings including exotic spices and 40 different themed gift sets. The

spices come in a pre-measured glass jar or can be put into smaller and larger measurements in plastic bags.

Kirkpatrick, a former political science professor at CSU, enjoys seeing students at the market and in her shop.

“One thing I notice with more and more young people and students is that they don’t take the plastic bags. I appreciate that,” she said.

Kirkpatrick added that they offer refills if you purchase the spices in a jar.

The market is open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Many of the vendors represented at the market have their shops in Old Town.

UCA Beat Reporter Lianna Salva can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com

Kim Jongun, Sexiest Man Alive

The geniuses over at The Onion ran an article declaring that Kim Jong-un the Sexiest Man Alive. Apparently unaware that The Onion was a satirical paper, a Chinese news agency ran the story as a legitimate story.

The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff.

2 Monday, December 3, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian FORT COLLINS FOCUS

NICK LYON | COLLEGIAN

CSU alumnus and local DJ Si Sergist rides his abnormaly tall bike down Shields Street Saturday evening after the Rams Mens basketball team defeated visiting Evansville.

Community Briefs Fern Lake Fire more than doubles in size over the weekend The Fern Lake Fire, which began Oct. 9 outside of Estes park, grew to more than 3,500 acres during the weekend.

High winds Friday night resulted in a three mile spread of the fire in just 35 minutes.

According to inciweb. org, the fire is currently 20 percent contained and within the boundaries of Rocky Mountain National Park.

Weather forecasts for Sunday night called for conditions similar to those that existed Friday night.

Current evacuation notices include the Highway 66 corridor and all adjacent streets, with pre-evacuation notices including Moraine Avenue, Rock Ridge Road south to Highway 7, Fish

Creek Road, the east and west sides of Mary’s Lake Road and High Drive.

Forecasts for Sunday night into Monday morning called for winds to remain consistent between 10 to 20 mph with gusts between 60 to 70 mph. Growth potential for the fire remains high.

The east side of Rocky Mountain National Park, which includes the Beaver Meadows and Fall River entrances, remain closed.

New associate athletic director hired to help with stadium fundraising CSU Director of Athletics Jack Graham announced Friday that he has appointed David Crum, a former senior administrator, as the Uni-

versity of Minnesota, as the university’s associate athletic director for development, according to a news release.

Crum will be heavily involved in the campaign to raise the estimated $200 million to fund the controversial on-campus stadium project that was conditionally approved by the CSU System Board of Governors earlier this year.

At the University of Minnesota, Crum was part of a team that raised $100 million in five years, and he played a lead role in raising more than $90 million for the on-campus stadium at the university, which opened in 2009, the release says. This stadium was often used as a template during CSU’s exploration of an on-campus stadium, and was visited by Graham earlier this year.

-- Collegian Staff Report

On Campus Daily

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

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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 a 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 Wednesdays. 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 letters@collegian.com.

EDITORIAL STAFF | 491-7513 Allison Sylte | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com Nic Turiciano | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing Editor design@collegian.com Andrew Carrera | News Editor news@collegian.com Elisabeth Willner | News Editor news@collegian.com Kevin Jensen | Editorial Editor & Copy Chief letters@collegian.com copy@collegian.com Emily Kribs | Entertainment Editor entertainment@collegian.com Cris Tiller | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

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Editor’s Note: News Editor Andrew Carrera interned with the Democratic National Committee in Washington, D.C. this summer. He has removed himself from all political coverage including writing, editing and discussions – this include’s the paper’s daily editorial “Our View.”

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Monday, December 3, 2012

3

Muslim students find community and fight prejudice

By Kate Simmons The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Attend a Meeting

CSU Muslim students are coming together to battle misperceptions and prejudice with dialogue and hummus.

The university’s Muslim Student Association (MSA) has given its members a support system and become a community where they are safe to connect with each other and work together to confront negative assumptions about their faith that exist in the larger community.

Communication and education are necessary to eliminate the fear and prejudice directed toward Islam and, according to MSA President Jared Nasr Woodrow, the MSA serves as a “central lynchpin for communications” between CSU Muslims, the student body and the rest of the Fort Collins community.

“An MSA on a college campus is one small piece of the puzzle to create a better vision of Muslims throughout the world,” Woodrow said. “If we allow incorrect presumptions to flourish, extremism on both sides will never die down.”

Woodrow has seen a new confidence emerge in members of MSA as they engage with each other and work together to create events where the rest of CSU and

Muslim Student Association gathers every Friday from 3-4 p.m. in Eddy 103. All are welcome to attend.

single |

Fort Collins can learn about Islam.

“Many of our members have gained the ability to speak to non-Muslims in a personable way, which is important since the cycle of violence and hatred will only be perpetuated by ignorance,” Woodrow said.

The organization has hosted events open to the public that range from informational lectures about the religion of Islam to discussions about headscarves.

The group has hosted potluck dinners and led interfaith discussions with members of local churches and Jewish student organizations.

“Our goal is and always has been to help others understand Islam in a true light,” Woodrow said.

Members explore their religion together and discuss how to present their faith to the rest of the community and, according to MSA secretary Samar Pirzada, CSU is an ideal place to do this because the college campus is already a learning environment.

MSA member Mahmoud Elkady said he ap-

Nick lyon | COLLEGIAN

President of the Muslim Student Association Jared Woodrow from Cortez, Colorado, and his wife Summer from Pakistan pose for a photo Sunday afternoon in an effort to increase awareness of the MSA.

preciates having the opportunity to display a better message of Islam and repair the negative image people have of Islam that is propagated in the news. While preparing to teach others about his

religion, Elkady said he enjoyed learning more about his faith.

“I originally signed up as a volunteer wanting to help out with events in any way I could and I learned more about my faith in the pro-

cess,” Elkady said.

And he’s not alone.

“We’re already on campus to go to school and MSA is a great way to get together to learn and celebrate our culture,” Pirzada said. “We’ve created a

team; a sisterhood, a brotherhood and we welcome anyone who wants to come learn with us.”

Student Life Beat Reporter Kate Simmons can be reached at news@collegian. com.

“I could quit. It’s easier to quit school and settle for a lower paying job. But it sets a role model for my kids. If Mom can do it, then so can I.” Ceriss Blackwood | graduate student

Blackwood’s advice: make sure your voice is heard

Continued from Page 1 campus in Denver.

During Blackwood’s junior year as an undergrad, she said she received a pleasant surprise –– her son Phoenix. He’s a helper –– he likes to help cook and clean, and even take the trash out.

Phoenix was motivation to continue with school.

Blackwood said it would be the best thing for her son.

And if one child wasn’t motivation enough, another surprise was on the way –– a daughter named August.

“They are my world,” Blackwood said. “I wake up in the morning and they keep me going.”

But for the second time in her life, Blackwood had to deal with domestic violence, this time perpetrated by her husband. After her husband was arrested for the second time for domestic violence, she witnessed how it was affecting her children and left him.

It was graduation night for some of Blackwood’s friends. She had put the kids to bed, while her husband drank at his fraternity house.

This was a regular thing for

him –– to party there and then come home angry, Blackwood said.

On this night, almost two years ago, her husband came home so angry that he slammed Blackwood’s head into a brick wall, giving her a concussion.

“It wasn’t the pain of my skull on the brick,” Blackwood said. “It was my 4-yearold begging (Phoenix’s) dad to leave his mom alone.”

Phoenix, Blackwood’s son, had run out of his room during the commotion and asked his dad to stop hitting his mom. Blackwood said it broke her heart –– and convinced her to leave.

The first year was extremely difficult for Blackwood. She described being alone as a totally different world.

“There were times I was so lost and overwhelmed that if a friend wouldn’t have woken me up, fed me and helped me get my kids to school I don’t know what I would have done.”

“I’m not going to pretend it’s easy, because it’s very hard,” Blackwood said.

“But I know me and my kids are safe.”

Between undergraduate school and graduate school,

Blackwood worked for Denver Public Schools as a teacher in Indian education. She worked with children of all ages, from elementary through high school students.

“I got to know each of the families and their circumstances,” Blackwood said. “I didn’t look down on the families. I was just there to support them.”

This job also helped Blackwood realize that her education makes a difference and that she can impact people positively, and show them love and support. That’s what is important, she said.

“I’m not getting my education for myself, but for other single mothers and others in foster care and in poverty.” Blackwood said.

“I’m not doing it for the money.”

At the beginning of 2010, Blackwood applied for graduate school at CSU and was accepted, and started classes in the fall of 2010. She is studying for a master’s in ethnic studies with a focus on Native Americans and education in the College of Liberal Arts.

For a graduate student at CSU like Blackwood, tuition is $24,232 per year.

She was in her first year of graduate school and thinking about “taking care of two kids by myself.”

She wanted to get a higher paying job to take care of her kids. Graduate school, she said, would help her achieve that.

But after living from friend’s couch to friend’s couch, going to school and taking care of two children, Blackwood had to take a break from her studies last year.

“I wasn’t able to keep a job and childcare was a problem,” Blackwood said.

“But I had to keep pushing forward.”

Blackwood said CSU President Tony Frank helped her get re-accepted into her program in August 2012.

She still had no place to live, but Ty Smith, director of the Native American Cultural Center, helped to get her on a waiting list for campus housing.

Smith has known Blackwood for about four years and all of the obstacles she’s had to face.

“She’s resilient,” Smith said. “She has had challenges, and she’s been overcoming them and is on track to graduate this year.”

Smith explained that supporting students so they can focus on their studies is part of the Native American Cultural Center’s mission.

“You learn to appreciate the little things,” Blackwood said. “I have no furniture in my apartment, but I am happy to have a door I can shut.”

And she isn’t about to stop having a positive outlook.

“I could quit. It’s easier to quit school and settle for a lower paying job. But it sets a role model for my kids,” she said. “If Mom can do it, then so can I.” Blackwood is supposed to graduate this year and is looking for a job in American Indian Education and nonprofit work. Even her son is excelling in school, with recent parent-teach-

er conferences showing that he is working above his benchmarks due to the work Blackwood does with him at home.

“Yes, life is hard,” Blackwood said. “But if you keep pushing forward you can not only accomplish things but you can set an example just by pushing forward.”

The CSU graduate student offers one piece of advice to others who are struggling.

“My advice to anyone struggling,” Blackwood said, “is to never give up, and let your voice be heard. Hail in your own way. If you stop moving forward that is very dangerous. You have to cling to what is left and run with it, because that’s all you’ve got.”

Collegian Writer Corrie Sahling can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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Collegian

OPINION Monday, December 4, 2012 | Page 4

your two cents

30% 24%

53%

33%

*36 people voted in this poll.

Yesterday’s Question: What’s your favorite fort collins brewery?

33% New Belgium Brewery Co. 53% Odell Brewing Co. 30% Fort Collins Brewery.

24% CopperSmith’s Pub & Brewing

Today’s question: What will be CSU men’s basketball’s hardest game this season?

Log on to http://collegian.com to give us your two cents.

This is an unscientific poll conducted at Collegian.com and reflects the opinions of the Internet users who have chosen to participate.

“It’s about seeing how despite all our differences; all the strange foods and exotic languages and different histories we all still fundamental human.”

Expand your horizons abroad

By Hamilton reed

Leisure travel is an interesting facet of culture here in America. On one hand, there’s the idea of the family trip. Everyone packed in the car with all the essentials (and another five pounds of junk on top), ready to drive for 30 or 40 hours to go to Disneyland or to visit a beach in Florida.

On the other hand, there is the idea of lone wanderers and lost souls in America; vagabonds and drifters who hitchhike or ride a motorcycle from one coast to the other and back again.

The thing that ties those two perceptions of travel in American culture together is that they are both the realm of the everyman. Everyone has been on one of those family vacations, especially if their family was not the most well off. And the very nature of drifters and hitchhikers means one doesn’t need a lot of money to live that lifestyle.

But when it comes to cultural depictions of travel abroad, it seems that the only reason Americans bust out their passport is either for business or because they are wealthy.

This seems to reflect the underlying assumptions of most Americans that foreign travel is only a possibility when someone else is footing the bill, or you possess so much money that the bill doesn’t even matter.

To a certain extent this portrayal is true. Traveling abroad is expensive. In America it’s cheaper to pay for gas to drive to California than it is to fly there, and if you factor in more people, the cost of flying gets even more ridiculous.

However, this strictly capitalist view of travel misses one very important factor.

As an American, traveling to New York or California or Florida may be exciting and a nice change of pace, but at the end of the day all these destinations are still in America.

This means that large numbers of Americans (around 70 percent based on assigned passport numbers) have no plans to ever leave the country and thus will

never experience another view of the world. I’m not saying that California is the same as New York, but compared to Paris, Tokyo or Cape Town, the two may as well be as close as Loveland and Fort Collins.

It’s not even just about seeing the different kinds of buildings, eating different foods, visiting cool museums and catching some new sights. Because again, all that can be done simply by visiting a different part of this country.

No, traveling abroad is about bursting the little bubble that so many people seem to float around in, believing that their country is exceptional and every other country is second tier at best. It’s about seeing how despite all our differences; all the strange foods and exotic languages and different histories we are all still fundamentally human.

If America wishes to continue to succeed and partake of the modern, globalized world, it needs a people that are aware of more than just what exists within its own borders. It needs a people not afraid to go out into the world, to face challenges and new situations.

In order to do this though, we need to make travel to foreign lands a national idea and to help provide means for those who wish to travel abroad but may not be able to afford it directly (and no the military doesn’t count).

I’d like to see a revival of passion for the Peace Corps, of groups that help show the world that Americans aren’t Marines with rifles trying to enforce our will on the world, we’re compassionate folks who would rather help build roads and wells.

I know that the economy here and abroad is doing poorly and that this makes travel hard.

But I’m running on the assumption that things will get better and when things do recover, I’d like to see the next generation of Americans be willing to step outside our borders and get a fresh view of our world.

Hamilton Reed is a senior computer science major. His columns appear Mondays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

our view

Stay open, Dairy Queen If you’ve been up to the mountains to ski or snowboard this season, you’ve seen that our pitiful amount of snowfall seems to indicate that these these next few months will be as barren as they were in 2011, which many contend is just another piece of evidence that global warming is increasing temperatures around the world.

As temperatures seem to rise year after year, however, there is one inexcusable event that happens every winter: the Dairy Queen on College Avenue and Stuart Street closes for nearly half the year.

Maybe the managers of this establishment don’t realize how crucial their frozen, sugar-infused dairy products are for its local population, but we firmly believe we can speak for all CSU students when we say that we love ice cream all year –– not

just when it’s “seasonable.”

Sure, we could just drive over to the Dairy Queen on Mulberry

“This is America. We shouldn’t have to drive across town to enjoy a tasty frozen treat just because this sinular Dairy Queen has deced it’s not worth it to remain open year round.”

Street or the Foothills Mall, but the whole point of having a Dairy

Queen pit stop on College Avenue is for local students to have easy access to it. This is America.

We shouldn’t have to drive across town to enjoy a tasty frozen treat just because this singular Dairy Queen has decided it’s not worth it to remain open year round.

We’ve long since developed the technology necessary to combat winter weather, so much so that you’re literally sweating from the heat in many indoor locations — exactly when ice cream would come in handy.

Our modern world is full of many wonders; with the Red Bull Stratos, we sent a man on a mission to the edge of space to participate in a supersonic freefall back to earth. With such amazing advances, you’d think we’d have figured out a way for the Dairy Queen on College to remain open throughout the year by now.

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

Letters and feedback in response to the staff editorial can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

Allison Sylte | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com Matt Miller | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing Editor photo@collegian.com

Andrew Carrera | News Editor news@collegian.com Elisabeth Willner | News Editor news@collegian.com Kevin Jensen | Editorial Editor letters@collegian.com

Nic Turiciano | Entertainment Editor verve@collegian.com Cris Tiller | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com Kris Lawan | Design Editor design@collegian.com

No one really trusts the media

By Allison sylte

Ski lifts are pretty weird. If you’re not with friends, more often than not, you find yourself trapped in a confined space with a stranger you’ll never see again. The conversation often revolves around three things: the snow, how great your day is and what you do for living.

And this weekend, over and over again, I found out through ski lift conversation that most people think journalists are evil and have an agenda.

Early season skiers and snowboarders aren’t the only ones. According to an article in the American Journalism Review, only 25 percent of those surveyed in a poll by the Pew Research Center thought that the media mostly accurate, and 66 percent of those surveyed thought the media is “often inaccurate.”

In addition, 87 percent of respondents to a national survey conducted

by Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, Conn. said they don’t believe the media is objective.

In the same survey, 41.9 percent of

respondents claimed that the New York Times had a liberal bias, 44.9 percent thought CNN was liberally slanted and only 48.7 percent thought Fox News had a conservative bent (more shockingly, 22.3 percent of respondents thought it was more liberal).

Fox News also led all major broadcast outlets in “trust for most accurate reporting,” with 27 percent of respondents claiming that it was their most trusted news source, compared to 14.6 percent who favored CNN. The media as a whole, according to an article in Poynter, has a lower approval rating than Congress.

There’s an old adage that no one likes their local newspaper. But if these numbers are telling the truth, I’d argue that no one particularly likes any newspaper, TV outlet or news website... or at least thinks that any of them are objective.

Part of this perception comes from the fact that objective news reporting is no longer the norm. Both Fox News and MSNBC have fairly obvious ideological bents, and most of the unique news sites on the internet very clearly lean to one side of the aisle.

Hell, “The Newsroom,” Aaron Sorkin’s HBO opus about the state of modern American media, touted its protagonist’s shift away from an attempt at objectivity as the most courageous thing that has ever happened in the history of journalism.

And consumers like it. Fox News dominated the top 10 slots for mostwatched cable news shows in the third quarter of 2012, and MSNBC made steady enough gains to lead its rivals in coverage of the Democratic and Republican national conventions, and

even topped Fox News in viewers for an entire week, according to an Oct. 3 article in the Huffington Post.

CNN’s ratings, meanwhile, have been in rapid decline, as have most network nightly news shows, according to a June article in the New York Times.

And let’s not even talk about how the newspaper business is doing financially. I don’t even need to cite a source for this; it’s just common knowledge at this point.

More locally, here at the Collegian, our columns, not our news stories, often generate the largest web audience.

Clearly, opinion, not objectivity, is what sells in today’s media landscape.

And like it or not, most mainstream news organizations out there need to remain financially viable.

So, in response to the people who I met on the ski lift this weekend, I’d agree that yes, most of the journalism that you’re probably reading or watching does have an agenda. But that’s motivated, largely, by consumer tastes.

Should the fourth estate be dictated by consumers, rather than the need to keep an eye on the government? That’s a column for a different day.

There’s plenty of good journalism out there, and I’d argue that a vast majority of it is both objective and factually accurate. More people just need to see it. And if I think that happened, hopefully journalists would at least have a higher approval rating than Congress.

Editor in Chief Allison Sylte is a senior journalism major. Her columns appear Mondays in the Collegian. She can be reached at editor@collegian.com or on Twitter @AllisonSylte.

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 letters@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 | Monday, December 3, 2012

Community through concert at Har Shalom

By Matt Gabriel The Rocky Mountain Collegian Congregation Har Shalom was a packed house Saturday night.

People crowded into chairs from corner to corner to see Rabbi Joe Black, the Senior Rabbi of Temple Emmanuel, Denver’s largest synagogue. Even the parking lot seemed to reach capacity.

The lights were dimmed, candles were lit, oranges dashed with spices were passed around as a hymn was sung by the crowd during a traditional ceremony.

But children’s songs were sung as well –– tracks about Hebrew school were chanted and an Elvis inspired tune was crooned.

The concert wasn’t just intended for the congregation. It was designed as a community event. This was something new that Congregation Har Shalom hadn’t done in some time.

“It’s been several years since we did a community-wide event like this,” said Pamela Sachs, the event coordinator.

Sachs has stepped up as the new event coordinator of Congregation Har Shalom and hopes to reach out to the Fort Collins community at large more in the future like what was done Saturday Night.

“I’m hoping to put together something in the summer or spring that’s similar,” Sachs said.

Rabbi Ben Newman of Congregation Har Shalom agreed that involving the

5

“We’re actually making a little bit of progress, but we’re still some distance apart.”

Timothy F. Geithner | Treasury Secretary

Boehner stands firm on higher taxes, spending cuts

By Katherine Skiba The McClatchy Tribune

Madison Brandt | COLLEGIAN

Bob Lenk helps Melissa Malde light a candle during a Jewish celebration at the Congregation Harshalom this past Saturday evenig. Rabbi Joe Black was welcomed from Denver by the congregation to play music and lead everone in cermonial song.

entire community in Jewish culture was traditional in Jewish culture.

“Part of our culture also teaches us to create community and invite guests in, and so that’s what we’re doing tonight is we’re trying to create a communal feeling in not just the Jewish community, but in all of Fort Collins,” Newman said.

According to Sachs, many members of the community attended who weren’t of the Jewish faith. The concert and the songs weren’t just religious or traditional.

Rabbi Black had toured in the past playing music.

He gave it up once he got a large responsibility at his

Denver Synagogue. He admitted to missing some aspects of playing live music like at the event.

“This is very fun for me I don’t get to do this very often. I do this three or four times a year,” Black said.

He attributed his musical influences to many different genres –– Black played many different kinds at the concert.

“I cut my teeth in Chicago, so I have blues, rock –– huge Hendrix fan, but also everything from James Taylor to Steve Goodman, all kinds of different influences,” Black said.

People of all kinds attended the concert, clap-

By the Numbers The concert was held Saturday, Dec. 1 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.

175 attended About 70 percent were of the Jewish faith; about 30 percent were community members who didn’t self-identify as Jewish Several CSU students attended

ping or singing along with songs. Children, couples, and families were predominant, but all kinds of folks were seen in Congregation Har Shalom Saturday night.

Collegian writer Matt Gabriel can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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WASHINGTON —House Speaker John A. Boehner said Sunday that he was “flabbergasted” by the Obama administration’s latest proposal to avoid tax increases and spending cuts at yearend, while Treasury Secretary Timothy F. Geithner said Republicans were in a “difficult place” and had to make more concessions.

Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said on “Fox News Sunday” that when Geithner outlined the administration’s proposal for him on Thursday, he looked at Geithner and said: “You can’t be serious.”

Geithner said on ABC’s “This Week” that although the two sides were “still some distance apart,” tax rates would have to go up for the wealthiest 2 percent of taxpayers. “That’s an essential part of any deal,” he said.

Under the administration’s proposal, tax deductions and exclusions for wealthy people also would be limited.

The White House proposal calls for about $1.6 trillion in additional revenue over the next 10 years, $600 billion in spending reductions and $200 billion in additional spending for unemployment insurance, mortgage relief and public works projects to stimulate the economy.

The administration also

wants Congress virtually relinquish authority over future increases in the debt limit. But Boehner said it was “silly” to think that Congress would give up that power.

If Congress does not act, next year would begin with a series of tax increases and spending cuts, the combination of which economists believe would jeopardize the economy.

Boehner said he had made concessions by announcing after the election that Republicans were willing to take a look at additional revenues. But he said increasing taxes on top earners would hurt small businesses and slow economic growth.

He also said he was determined to curb spending and solve the country’s debt problem.

When asked for an assessment of where things stood, Boehner said: “We’re nowhere. Period.”

“The president’s idea of the negotiation is ‘Roll over and do what I ask.’ He said.

But Geithner said the ball was now in the Republicans’ court. “They understand that,” said.. When they come back with a new proposal, he said the administration would consider it.

He said a certain amount of “political theater” was inevitable. “We’re actually making a little bit of progress, but we’re still some distance apart,” Geithner said.

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6 Monday, December 3, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

NATIVE | NACC hopes to

increase enrollment Continued from Page 1 population to be 496 students, or 1.9 percent of the CSU population, who self-identify as Native American.

“The challenge with [the new reporting] is that it really raises a flag to say, ‘What’s wrong, why has there been such a dramatic drop in the Native enrollment?’” Smith said. “That was a concern of mine when we went to these new federal guidelines because how does that look to a student that’s considering coming here if they were to look at those numbers and say ‘What happened to all the Native students? Is there not enough support for them?

What happened?’ So that was my concern: what does that look like from the outside?”

The NACC works with the office of admissions to educate prospective students about the climate of CSU, and uses recruitment as an opportunity to explain the misleading enrollment numbers and the campus resources available for Native American students, according to Smith.

CSU’s Board of Governors approved the Native American Legacy Award in May 2011. The award allows non-resident students who are registered with tribes that have ties to Colorado to pay only $500 more than resident tuition, according to Ontiveros.

Part of NACC’s goal is student retention and cultural awareness on campus.

The Eagle Feather Tutoring Program is a service NACC provides for all students and has a direct impact on retention, according to Smith.

The North Star Mentoring Program also helps retention by matching incoming Native students with mentors to help with adjusting to college.

“If you come to a campus like CSU and we have such a

TONIGHT!

small number of Natives on campus, it is challenging because you don’t readily see others like you, and if you’re in a class setting you may be the only Native student in that class,” Smith said.

A common misconception, however, is that all Native American students are the same and have similar backgrounds. This is not the case, according to Smith. The Native American students are themselves diverse, and 25-30 tribes are represented on campus.

“Some people think we’re only here for Native students, and we are,” Smith said, “but at the same time, the retention of all students is our priority.”

There are also other programs and groups on campus designed to support Native American students, including a leadership retreat, the Native American Student Association, a Native Women’s Circle that provides individual and cultural support, the American Indian Science & Engineering Society and the “Ram Nation” Drum Group that provides support and promotes Native American traditions.

Willie said he believes the Native American enrollment at CSU needs to increase, and that the increase would show that CSU is making efforts to recruit Native American students, especially since on-campus support for Native students is strong.

“We’ve struggled with membership — part of building that is the more students we have, the more critical mass we can create to get more people involved and start talking and educating people about the Native culture,” Willie said. “…

A lot of us want to share it as much as we can.”

Senior reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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Slow start dooms Rams in road loss

By QUENTIN SICKAFOOSE The Rocky Mountain Collegian The CSU women’s basketball team’s stretch of road matches continued on Saturday, but unfortunately for the Rams, so did their losing streak.

The Rams lost to Bowling Green State 71-49 at the Stroh Center in Ohio to close out a six game road trip.

Bowling Green brought the fight right at the moment of tip-off with four consecutive three-pointers to open the game.

The Falcons built a 15 point lead before CSU could make it on the scoreboard, which came nine minutes into the game.

“Right from the start they kind of punched us in the mouth; they have an extremely skilled team,” freshman guard Caitlin Duffy said. “We got down right away and it took us awhile to

get any offensive rhythm. We were playing from behind the rest of the game.”

The Rams struggled to find on the offensive side of the ball during the first half, which led to a stagnant offense.

They knocked down 4-19 field goals before heading to the locker room with a 31-14 deficit at halftime.

“We dug ourselves another big hole, and that cost us a game tonight,” coach Ryun Williams said. “We don’t make plays and that’s one of our biggest weaknesses, bottom line is we have to complete plays.”

After the half CSU began to play with signs of promise, doubling both their score and field goal percentage within the first seven minutes of play.

However, Bowling Green’s mountain of a lead proved to be too steep for CSU to climb.

TOP PERFORMANCES CSU’S

Alicia Nichols: 15 points Sam Martin: 5 rebounds Meghan Heimstra: 2 assists

BOWLING GREEN’S

Miriam Justinger: 12 points Jillian Halfhill: 13 rebounds Jillian Halfhill: 4 assists

The closest the Rams ever got to the Falcons was within 13, before ultimately dropping the game by 22.

Coming off the bench, Duffy was CSU’s only player in double digits with 15, compared to Bowling Green’s four players to score ten or more.

“We knew going in that they had three big players,” junior forward Alicia Nichols said. “All of their players started scoring early, so it

was pretty much a team effort on their part.”

All four of the Falcons in double digits had buckets from 3-point range, something that the Rams have recently been struggling with.

CSU managed to shoot 16 percent from behind the arch, tallying only three of the 22 attempts it took.

“We’ve gone two games now where we’ve shot three for 23 from the three line and three for 22, that’s got to be a better percentage,” Williams said.

Bowling Green improves to 4-3 while simultaneously dropping CSU to a 2-4 record.

“We’ll learn from these tough losses,” Williams said.

“There’s still a long season ahead of us.”

Women’s Basketball Beat Reporter Quentin Sickafoose can be reached at sports@ collegian.com.

“We were trying to do something from the serving line that we probably didn’t need to do. When we served our normal serves we were still disrupting Purdue. I made a mistake as a coach.”

Tom Hilbert | head coach VOLLEYBALL

CSU ends season with 3-0 loss to Purdue

By KYLE GRABOWSKI The Rocky Mountain Collegian

CSU entered the 2012 NCAA volleyball tournament with all of the momentum in the world, but couldn’t find its footing in a 3-0 opening round loss to No. 22 Purdue in Tallahassee Saturday.

The Rams hit .149 in the match, their lowest output since hitting .143 in a September loss to New Mexico.

They were averaging a .266 hitting percentage entering the match.

“It was really hard to find our rhythm, they knew what to do to disrupt us and did it well,” senior outside hitter Dana Cranston said.

CSU didn’t help itself from the service line, committing 13 service errors to only three aces. Coach Tom Hilbert instructed his team to serve more aggressively than normal before the match, which ultimately accounted

for the missed serves.

“We were trying to do something from the serving line that we probably didn’t need to do,” he said. “When we served our normal serves we were still disrupting Purdue. I made a mistake as a coach.”

Purdue’s defense also gave the Rams fits. The Boilermakers finished with seven blocks, but more importantly compiled 47 digs, which forced CSU to hit more difficult shots and lead to nine unforced hitting errors.

Senior Megan Plourde was the only CSU player that made a solid impact offensively, hitting .236 with eight kills.

“They were sticking in every play, playing really tough defense. We weren’t able to finish the rallies off,” senior middle blocker Megan Plourde said.

The Boilermakers used extended point runs in every set to take leads that CSU could

not overcome. The Rams trailed by at least four points in every set and failed to rally due to their service errors.

Purdue senior Ariel Turner had 13 kills to lead the match, but the Boilermakers’ role players punished CSU for focusing its defense on her.

Three other Purdue players totalled more than five kills while sophomore middle blocker Kierra Jones hit .857 on six kills.

“We did okay on [Turner] but sacrificed everybody else,” Hilbert said. “We hit blocking assignments but their athletes were good enough to still go by us.

They extended rallies with defense and the longer the rallies went the more we got disorganized.”

Purdue upset No. 12 Florida State in the second round to advance to the Sweet 16 in West Lafayette, Indiana on its home floor.

PURDUE’S DEFENSE 47 digs 7 blocks CSU .149 hitting percentage

CSU lost in the first round of the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2006 against Washington in Boulder, snapping a five match winning streak in the first round.

The Rams finished the season 21-8 while winning their fourth straight Mountain West championship and advancing to the NCAA tournament for the 18th consecutive year.

“The important thing to remember is you don’t define the season by one game,” Hilbert said. “You define the season by the whole body of work.”

Assistant Sports Editor Kyle Grabowski can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

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Look for it Fridays

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Monday, December 3, 2012

7

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (12/03/12). This year you may savor quiet introspection more than before. Balance freedom with responsibility to make the difference you’re intending. Romance and social life captivates before June 25. Then career builds to a new level. Focus on health.

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

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) ––9–– Listen to the competition.

You’ll soon have time to relax. Study the practical aspects, and come up with a brilliant scheme. Ask for more and get it.

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

GEMINI (May 21-June 20)––7–– Your mood changes dramatically. You’re even smarter than usual for the next few days. The very idea you were looking for appears from afar.

Use imagination, not money.

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

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

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

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––9–– There’s a zinger in your work environment. You may have trouble getting through to someone. Associates provide deeper insight. Spend a little.

Limit travel for now.

SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––8–– Attend to career goals today and tomorrow. Anticipate disagreement, and keep at it.

Bring playfulness to work, and let your thoughts settle. Stay out of the way.

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

Finish an old job.

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

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

PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––7–– There’s too much work.

Listen to both sides of a controversy. Allow the process to unfold. Put your partner in charge. Good news arrives.

David Malki

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan

Daily cartoons and games available at Collegian.com. Send feedback to design@collegian.com.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

To the girl who dropped her phone in a cup of vodka; at least you know drunk texting won’t be a problem anymore.

Nothing is quite as awkward as having a random stranger sit down and try to strike up a conversation while you’re studying.

You know class is boring when the girl in front of you starts painting her nails.

Just realized Twitter has a FB and FB has a Twitter. Mind blown.

Text your rants to 970-430-5547.

Want more?

The first RamTalk Book is officially in stock at the Student Media office in the Lory Student Center.

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

Find out if you got in!

“Like” us on Facebook.

Search for The Rocky Mountain Collegian.

Follow us on Twitter @RMCollegian.

Submit RamTalk entries to ramtalk@collegian.com. Libelous or obscene submissions will not be printed. While your comment will be published anonymously, you must leave your name and phone number for verification.

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Collegian

Sports Monday Monday, December 4, 2012 | Page 8

man in the middle

Colton Iverson making an impact in first year

Nick Lyon | COLLEGIAN

Colton Iverson (45) right, tries for a layup against Evansville in Moby Arena Saturday afternoon. Iverson is in his only season of eligiblity at Colorado State and is a two-time Mountain West Player of the Week.

By Andrew Schaller The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Player profile

If you’ve watched a CSU basketball game this season, you’ve undoubtedly noticed the Rams’ new 6-foot-10 center Colton Iverson, who has been a menace on the boards so far this year.

Iverson is in his first and only year of eligibility at CSU after sitting out last year due to NCAA transfer rules after coming to Fort Collins from the University of Minnesota. But his journey to becoming the Rams’ leading scorer and second-leading rebounder this year was at times a rocky one.

Coming out of Yankton high school in South Dakota, Iverson decided to play basketball at Minnesota, but after struggling in his junior season averaging 5.4 points and 5 rebounds per game, he decided it was time for a change.

“I had a great experience at Minnesota, proved some things,” Iverson said. “But it just didn’t work out, I wasn’t developing as much as I thought I would and so I thought (about) just taking a year off and re-evaluating the system I work in and it’s working out great right now.”

During the year he took off, Iverson practiced with the Rams and got acquainted with CSU’s four returning seniors from the

Colton Iverson

“How cool would it be to look forward to every game like a little kid waiting for Christmas?”

6’ 10” 261-pound center from Yankton, S.D. Averaged 5.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game in three seasons at Minnesota Averaging 16.5 points and 11.2 rebounds per game this season with CSU Son of Chuck and Carla Iverson, who each played basketball at the University of South Dakota

previous year both on and off the court.

“He’s huge. That (was) my impression of him, why is this big dude here?” senior forward Greg Smith said.

“Being from Nebraska, you see those guys from South Dakota, you’ve seen them on TV before, you’re just happy to see someone that big come into your program with that much skill, and he’s making an impact now, obviously.”

It’s come together for Iverson because of his passion for playing the game of basketball and desire to be the best.

“He likes to play,” CSU coach Larry Eustachy said. “And he would play if he was 5’ 10” and most guys his size are playing because they’re that size.”

Iverson’s love of the game See Iverson on Page 6

men’s basketball

column

Did I make the right school choice?

By quentin sickafoose

December is here, and with it has brought the home stretch of college football. Needless to say, it consumes a significant part of my Saturdays.

This weekend I was posted up on my couch watching the SEC Championship when I began observing the mob of a crowd in attendance all screaming at the top of their lungs.

My mind then took on the task of imagining what it would be like to attend a school built around a powerhouse football program, or any athletic team for that matter.

How cool would it be to look forward to every game like a little kid waiting for Christmas?

The students at the University of Michigan get to call the largest stadium in the United States their battleground on a weekly basis in the fall. The “Big House” pulls in an average attendance of 112,179 for every home football game.

That number twice as big as the school’s student and faculty population. This shows the sense of community within not only the city of Ann Arbor, but the entire state of Michigan.

Reflecting back on the times I’ve dragged my feet through that dirt field on the way into Hughes to watch our football team get beaten like a high school team, it feels like a pretty big disappointment.

I do believe that Fort Collins does a solid job taking care of CSU, but I still can’t help but wonder what that’s like on the

primetime level.

I’ve come to the conclusion that most times it is found in states without professional sports. You won’t find an NFL stadium in the state of Oregon, but when I walked into Autzen Stadium last summer, the closest thing I could compare it to would be Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Taking professional sports out of the picture allows the population to invest their emotions at the collegiate level.

Most Nebraskans might care less about paying attention to NFL games on Sunday, but that’s probably due to the day prior that they spent yelling at their television.

However, placing all your eggs in one basket can be somewhat dangerous. Big Red fans eat, sleep, and breathe Nebraska football, and that can end in a heartbreak when it all falls apart. I put my money on those same fans feeling like a teenager dumped before prom after getting crushed 70-31 by Wisconsin this weekend.

So maybe it isn’t all bad that CSU has more than one focus.

After all, we do have a volleyball team that just made its 18th consecutive NCAA tournament appearance and our basketball team is off to its best start since 2005.

At the end of the day, I can honestly say that I’m proud to be a CSU Ram. We experience highs and lows, but we do it together as a family. I may spend my days wondering what life would be like at an elite university, but I couldn’t come to terms with being away from this state that I love.

On top of it all, when the Broncos win, the sun shines a little bit brighter, and pretty girls smile at you a little bit longer.

Quentin Sickafoose is a junior Journalism & Technical Communications major. His column appears Mondays in the sports section of The Collegian. He can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

nick lyon | COLLEGIAN

Senior guard Wes Eikmeier (10) reverses a layup past Evansville freshman center Egidijust Mockevicius (55) during the Rams 79-72 win over the visiting Purple Aces at Moby Arena Saturday afternoon.

Rams outlast Evansville, start season 6-0

By Andrew Schaller The Rocky Mountain Collegian The CSU basketball team spoke all week of how a well-coached Evansville team will challenge the Rams in their quest for six consecutive victories.

On Saturday, Evansville gave the Rams all they could handle, especially late in the game, but CSU managed to hold on for a 79-72 victory.

The Rams came out to a fast start and looked to be in control throughout the game, managing to get off to a 7-0 run to start the game and maintaining a lead of at least six points throughout 19 of 20 minutes in the second half.

“We just tried to come out with energy,” senior center Colton Iverson said. “Slow starts were something we needed to focus on and I thought we came out with a lot of energy from the get-go, it was great.”

The steady play for the Rams faltered a bit toward the end of the game, when Evansville mounted a 10-3 run during the final five minutes of the game which brought the Purple Aces to within four points of the Rams with 20 seconds remaining in the game.

Evansville’s run was spearheaded by the shooting of freshman guard DJ Balentine, who scored

six of the teams’ final 10 points en route to a game-high 26 points.

“It was a great game, once you think it’s over, they are right back in it,” CSU coach Larry Eustachy said. “How about their freshman Balentine? We knew he was that good, but we didn’t know he was that good.”

CSU managed to hold on to the lead late when Greg Smith converted a three-point play off a late layup to give the Rams a seven-point lead that sealed the victory for the Rams.

Though Evansville mounted the late run, the Rams were able to contain Evansville’s hot shooters most of the game by not allowing them to get second chances on shot attempts.

CSU out-rebounded Evansville 41-22 in the game as the Rams have out-rebounded every opponent they have played so far. Even without leading rebounder Pierce Hornung, the Rams received help from Iverson’s 12 rebounds and Smith’s eight.

Smith also led the Rams in scoring with 19 points on Saturday, tying a career high while marking the third game in a row he has scored in double digits for CSU. “My teammates did a great job putting me in great positions to make plays,” Smith said. “(Iverson) was a passing wizard tonight, you just play hard and good things will

Game stats Rebounds: Evansville: 22

CSU: 41

Evansville: 24

CSU: 32

Evansville: 50.9

CSU: 48.1

Evansville: 45.5

CSU: 46.7

Points in the paint:

Field goal percentage:

3-point field goal percentage:

happen.”

Iverson was forced to become more of a passer late in the game as Evansville tried to take the 6-foot-10 senior out of the game in the second half by running double teams at him while trying to help freshman forward Egidjius Mockevicius, who was getting into foul trouble while guarding Iverson.

“He was just really aggressive,” Evansville coach Marty Simmons said of Mockevicius’ effort. “He just gives us a lot of energy. He wants to be out there, and we know it’s important to him.”

Despite the Mockevicius’ efforts, Iverson notched his fourth consecutive double-double of the year in the game, while continuing his early-season momentum heading into the showdown at No. 19 CU-Boulder on Wednesday.

Men’s Basketball Beat Reporter Andrew Schaller can be reached at sports@collegian.com.