The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Monday, October 1, 2012 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Senator, former SNL cast member speaks in Fort Collins | Page 3

PAGE 6

Broken Down

Starting quarterback leaves game with collarbone injury

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Monday, October 1, 2012

COLLEGIAN

Volume 121 | No. 39

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

Ontiveros: diversity heading in the right direction

the

STRIP CLUB

The announcement of the new on-campus football stadium is imminent, and a simple press conference just will not do. The announcement deserves a little bit of pomp and ceremony, given that it will be the most ambitious and controversial construction project to date here at CSU.

By ELISABETH WILLNER The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Collegian: Let’s just start with a big question, and I know this is big. What do you think the state of the diversity is at the university right now? Mary Ontiveros: That is a very big question, and I guess I’d have to answer on a number of different levels, because when you talk about the state of diversity, the definition of diversity is pretty broad. Colorado State University includes lots of categories of individuals. It’s not just racial and ethnic diversity... It also includes women and veterans and people from different geographic regions and different sexual preferences and ages and people with different familial situations... All of those kinds of things. In one sense I’d say the state of diversity is different simply because we have redefined diversity, because we look at diversity in a different way... If you’re talking about numbers, just numbers, we need to make more progress. We need more faculty of color. See ONTIVEROS on Page 3

DISABILITY DOES NOT EQUAL INABILITY

How Tony Frank should annouce the new stadium ERIN MROSS | COLLEGIAN

Parade partipants show their pride down Walnut Street Saturday during Colorado’s First Disability Pride Parade.

Disability Pride Parade comes to FoCo By CASSANDRA WHELIHAN The Rocky Mountain Collegian Colorado’s first annual Disability Pride Parade on Saturday Sept. 28, 2012 showcased the idea that our differences are what make us beautiful. Commencing at noon, people from all walks of life gathered outside the Downtown Poudre River Public Library to celebrate people with and people without disabilities. According to this grassroots festival, “Disability does not equal inability.” The movement aims to raise awareness of this way of thinking and to open people’s eyes to the spectrum of differences within the human race. Ending at Old Fort Collins Heritage Park, concert and festivities ensued until 6:30 p.m. Entertainment included the bands “Lee Holiday and the Time off,” the Seers” and “the Stone People Drummers.” Keynote speaker Temple Grandin spoke at the event promoting community understanding and access. “Different people have different kinds of skills. I get worried when people totally define themselves by their handicap,” she said during her speech. Grandin was recently inducted into the Colorado Women’s Hall of Fame. Her idea of success is about being able to make a difference and make a differ-

ence right now. A professor of animal science for 22 years, Grandin has succeeded with autism. “It’s about showing what you can do. Autism is an important part of who I am. I think I’m doing pretty good for someone who they thought was mentally retarded,” she said. “This event represents a platform for all to be seen, heard and involved with our community of choice — rather than a labeled category,” said Michael Marr, a senior social work major at CSU and grand marshal of the event. “Too often we are an afterthought, as if we don’t share the same feelings, desires, dreams, and goals as other people.” People from Boulder, Denver, Grande Lake and Fort Collins came out to show their support. Many local businesses and students as well as the Rocky Mountain High School drumline walked in the parade. Family members of disabled showed their excitement for Colorado’s inaugural Disability Pride Parade. “It’s so exciting. Parents get to be together. We talk all the time on the internet but it’s great to be out with one another,” said Jan Wharton, a retired teacher from Grand Lake. Her son has been diagnosed with FG Syndrome, a genetic mutation which she likes to call “the fun guy syndrome.”

One out of five people will experience disability in their lifetime, according to Marr. “Disability crosses all races, ethnicities, cultures and populations,” Marr said. “Together, we can break down the structural, economical and social barriers we all experience in light of our disabilities — be it visible, invisible, physical, emotional or learning.” The colorful parade stretched two blocks as lively participants biked, walked, rolled and danced down South College Avenue to Old Fort Collins Heritage Park to the beat of the Rocky Mountain High school drumline. Passing cars honked in support. “People like to keep us hidden because it’s a scary thing; it’s uncomfortable. But we’re here, we’re loud and we’re proud,” said Kim Cara, a sophomore communications major. Marr echoed Cara’s sentiment, and explained the festival’s importance. “It’s not special treatment we want, but rather the same decent, fair and dignified treatment that all persons deserve. Not pity, but understanding. Not to be given a hand-out, but to be encouraged to use all our strengths, not a burden, but part of the human experience,” Marr said. Collegian Writer Cassandra Whelihan can be reached at news@collegian.com.

CSU’s Greek Life has lost 11 chapters in seven years Higher standards, shrinking chapters, suffering grades, risk-management violations credited By EMILY SMITH The Rocky Mountain Collegian Since Greek life began at CSU in 1915, 23 sororities and 42 fraternities have been active at the university. But currently within the four Greek Life councils at the university, there are 14 sororities and 27 fraternities. “Since 2005, we’ve lost 11 (chapters), with some re-colonizing,” said Sonja Jensen, director of Greek Life at CSU. “Of that, there’ve only been three that left because of riskmanagement violations.” A sorority or fraternity chap-

“Yes we lose groups who are unhealthy, it’s sad but necessary. We’re able to revitalize the community and raise the standard of membership experience...” Sonja Jensen | director of Greek Life ter can be deactivated on campus for a number of different reasons, according to Jensen. Jensen said these reasons include risk-management violations such as partying or hazing, a chapter getting too small to provide a positive experience for members, suffering grades, or deteriorating re-

lationships with the chapter’s national organization. “We want all of our chapters to be healthy, and healthy can look like a number of things,” Jensen said. Fraternities Delta Chi and Beta Theta Pi were the most recent chapters to leave CSU, both in 2012. Neither group left

because of risk-management violations, according to Jensen. “I think CSU is increasing its standard of fraternity men it wants on campus,” said Kyle LeBrasse, senior civil engineering major and Interfraternity Council president. “Those two chapters were just not holding up to those standards and

were actually struggling.” “Yes, we lose groups who are unhealthy,” Jensen said. “It’s sad but necessary. We’re able to revitalize the community and raise the standard of membership experience by bringing in groups that have a renewed sense of energy (after leaving for some years).” Jensen said that Greek Life now appeals to a different type of student than in the “heyday” of the 50s to 70s. “When people think of Greek Life in the 1970s, they’re thinking of a very specific See GREEK on Page 6

YE S

On Sept. 20, the Collegian published an interview with Blane Harding, the former Director of Advising, Recruitment and Retention for the College of Liberal Arts, about the state of diversity at CSU. In reaction to the piece, Vice President of Diversity Mary Ontiveros sat down with the Collegian to give her perspective on the issue. The following is a condensed version of the interview. For the full interview with Ontiveros, which includes discussion of the university’s new diversity plan and university preparedness for the upcoming Supreme Court decision on affirmative action, visit collegian.com.

Beardception

Tony Frank should announce the construction through his most inﬂuential asset: his beard. The answer should be shaved into the beard, and President Frank should walk around campus as a way of making the announcement public.

Pay the Balloon Boy

Balloon Boy should be put into a balloon, and let loose carrying the decision on the stadium in a sealed envelope. To ﬁnd out what the decision is, we will have to chase his balloon all over Larimer County and wait until he lands it.

Give us a Snow Day

Given that the stadium is a very controversial subject, and some students are unhappy with it, President Frank should try to appeal to our enthusiasm by bribing us with a snow day when ?? the snow ﬁnally comes. The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff and designed by Design Editor Kris Lawan.

2 Monday, October 1, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian FORT COLLINS FOCUS

NICK LYON | COLLEGIAN

Freshman Tiphany Bachtel and her brother Jared Batchtel pick raspberries in the vegetable gardens at the Plant Environmental Research Center Sunday morning. PERC is the location for the proposed football stadium.

Community Briefs Fort Collins to officially open two new parks in October Registry Park and Waters Way Park are scheduled to be open to the public on Oct. 11. The city will have community gatherings in order to bring the community to the parks unveiling. Each grand opening will include speeches, ribbon cutting, prizes and snacks — all available to the public. Registry Park’s event will begin at 3:30 p.m. at 6820 Rangers Dr. and will con-

fund critical services in the community, including the construction of community parks. According to the Director of Park Planning and Development, Craig Foreman, these parks are especially important for the benefit of families in surrounding neighborhoods. “Basically there is a neighborhood park in every square mile of a neighborhood. This way people don’t have to cross busy roads, like College, in order to get to those parks. Families have the opportunities to walk or ride bikes to the park,” Foreman said.

clude at 5 p.m. The park is located in southwest Fort Collins‘ Registry Ridge neighborhood and sits on six acres of land. Waters Way Park’s event will begin at 4:30 p.m. at 715 Fairbourne Way and will conclude at 6 p.m. The park is located in south central Fort Collins adjacent to Pelican Marsh Natural Area and is sitting on 7.9 acres. The public is encouraged to attend both. These two parks were delayed a few years ago because there wasn’t enough money to fund their construction. In November 2010, an .85 percent sales tax was passed to

Colorado State names new leadership in College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences CSU‘s Veterinary Teaching Hospital director, Dean Hendrickson, has been promoted to associate dean for Professional Veterinary Medicine at CSU, according to a university news release. Hendrickson, a clinical sciences professor, specializes in equine surgery and helped

develop life-like artificial tissues that students use to practice surgical techniques. Timothy Hackett has replaced Hendrickson as the hospital’s interim director. The Veterinary Teaching Hospital is an integration of CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and nationally recognized programs. Last year the hospital served 32,000 patients. As a professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences, Hackett is an expert on pet first-aid and under his leadership CSU’s Emergency and Critical Care Service

grew in service expertise and caseload. The program already added a new urgent care service and more faculty and residency positions and plans an expansion and remodel. The switch in leadership is essential to the college’s success. According to Mark Stetter, dean of the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, the college depends upon strong leadership to remain a top veterinary teaching program.

-- Collegian Staff Report

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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 Matt Miller | 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 Nic Turiciano | Entertainment Editor verve@collegian.com Cris Tiller | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com

Kyle Grabowski | Assistant Sports Editor sports@collegian.com Kris Lawan | Design Editor design@collegian.com Nick Lyon | Chief Photographer photo@collegian.com

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

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Monday, October 1, 2012

Connecting the dots to the right major By ALEX STEINMETZ The Rocky Mountain Collegian Minnesota Sen. Al Franken encourages community campaign involvement at the official opening of the Obama For America campus west campaign office. (Photo by Kate Winkle)

Al Franken speaks at new Obama office By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian The Campus West Obama For America office celebrated its official opening Friday with pizza and a little SNL throwback. Minnesota Sen. Al Franken, a former Saturday Night Live writer and performer, spoke to a crowd of approximately 75 people crammed into the campaign office at 1205 B West Elizabeth Street. “This was a good time to have this opening because we were able to get such a big name speaker to come in and just kind of talk to the community about why what we’re doing is so important,” said Haley Damm-Hamblin, a campaign volunteer. “And also it is that final push toward the election and so if we have this now it causes that effect right now, right when we need it the most.” Although the office caters to the CSU community, most of the people who came to see Franken speak

ONTIVEROS |

were not students. Fort Collins resident and campaign volunteer Judy Wray is a long-time supporter of Franken and met him when she went to a senate subcommittee hearing in Washington. “I don’t think a lot of students are as familiar with Al Franken as other people,” Wray said. “Let’s face it, the students here for the most part four years ago were in high school and just weren’t as familiar with what was going on then.” Not all students are so uninformed, however. Franken’s political career impressed Paul Gallogly, a junior chemical and biological engineering major. “I came just because it’s an honor to see any sitting senator, and my grandma’s a huge fan of his SNL career, so I had to get a picture with him,” Gallogly said. Celebrating the office opening is not just about the food and special guest. It is an opportunity to raise awareness of the office’s re-

sources and availability, according to Damm-Hamblin. The office answers election questions, does voter registration, and directs campaign volunteer efforts within the community. “It’s starting to get down to the final push before the election and it’s so important to just get as many people involved,” Damm-Hamblin said. “...Students see us handing out buttons on the plaza and they’re like ‘Hey, you know, I can do that in between my classes,’ and so they’ll come out and hand out buttons and register more voters and that’s just how that whole movement snowballs.” Student and community volunteers are the hope of the campaign, according to Franken. He believes that the individuals who canvassed for him in his senate campaign helped him win. “Tell your friends, talk to friends who may not be thinking that their vote matters: tell them why it does,” Franken said. “It re-

ally makes an enormous difference what you’re doing. So just go out there, go get them, be persuasive, knock on the doors, be friendly.” Although Gallogly’s schedule does not allow him to volunteer, he appreciates the office’s work with canvassing and voter registration. “It definitely gives me confidence that there’s people going around doing things in the community that helps the political atmosphere in general,” Gollogly said. “Just knowing other people are doing things is really cool.” Every action to support the campaign counts, according to Franken, who won the election to the Minnesota senate by a close margin after a recount. “We were talking about how close my election was: I won by 312 votes,” Franken said. “So don’t wake up on Nov. 7 and say ‘Gee, I wish I’d done a little bit more.’” Politics Beat Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

VP to be considered for full time

Continued from Page 1 We need more administrators of color. It would be great to sit around a table where you can see more disabled or differently-abled people. We know that throughout campus there are people with different sexual orientations and that’s great because they bring something different to the table, but at all of our venues where policies are being made, we need to do more work to make sure that there is representation from different groups. Are we moving in the right direction? I would say “Yes, absolutely positively.” Do we have setbacks on occasion? I would also say “Yes.” Are people genuinely interested in going forward? I would also say “Yes” to that. Collegian: One of the things that came up in the Blane Harding interview which is the fact that your position is part time. You said that it will eventually be full time. Is that for sure? And do you know when that will happen? Ontiveros: Here’s what I know: The diversity strategic planning committee has

made a recommendation that it needs to be a full time position. There have been other groups also who have recommended that the position needs to be full time. Full time for the symbolic value of it – and that is important, because on the surface... and here is a statement that was made once: a half-time position feels like half-time commitment. That is a perception. Do I believe that’s true? No. I do not believe that that is true. I do not believe that because it is a half-time position the administration feels that they only have a half-time commitment to diversity. But as people look at it, they question it, so it is important symbolically for it to be full time... But I do not believe for one instant that the half time position means half-time commitment. (President Tony Frank’s) decision to even create the position was really outstanding, because historically there had been other presidents who had been asked to create a position and they didn’t. It was a very very difficult time financially for the university,

for the state, so that halftime commitment, in fact, represented a lot. Now we need to move forward. Collegian: Is it just the funding that’s standing in the way of it becoming a full-time position or is there another reason why it hasn’t become full-time? Ontiveros: Funding and the request for the proposal... That’s what we have been working on this summer. Collegian : So the status of that – just to make sure that I understand – is that there is a request that has been put in and is being reviewed? Ontiveros: Not yet. I meet with Tony this October... I will present the proposal, and I’ve already starting doing some of that because earlier this month, we had to present our proposals for additional space, so I did that part of the process. Collegian: Since this interview is in response to the Blane Harding piece, is there anything specific that you wanted to respond to from that interview? Ontiveros: I would say one: I think he was accurate in that Colorado State

does have work to do related to diversity, so... it’s not just his view. I think that we all would agree that there’s work that we need to be doing. There was a section that was interesting to me. Something about “If we wanted it, it would just be done.” ... Being a member of the cabinet now I know that there is a lot of thought and effort and conversation and discussion that goes into a decision. It’s not something that somebody thinks “Hm, I should just do this” and then you spend all this money to move in that direction. There are conversations that take place and Tony asks for feedback before something is moving forward, there are discussions about it. Decisions are not necessarily made in a vacuum. Am I saying that that’s the case in every situation? Obviously as president he has to make decisions, but I think it characterized it perhaps a bit too simplistically because there really are many many conversations that take place before a commitment is made on behalf of the institution.

Approximately onethird of the freshman class enters CSU undeclared and 90 percent of the students are likely to declare a major by the time they complete 45 credits, according to the Center for Advising and Student Achievement (CASA). As a way to aid students in their decision making process, the Career Center on campus is hosting a workshop called Connecting the Dots that will allow students the opportunity to explore what makes them tick, introducing them to 83 majors in 25 areas of study. It takes place on Oct. 2-3 for 90 minutes at a time. The new workshop that allows students to explore their interests, personalities and hobbies and later use the results to find a major to pursue. Previous workshops that have been available for students haven’t focused solely on connecting a student’s direct interests with

majors of the best fit, according to Kara Johnson, coordinator of the workshop. “We have done similar workshops like this in the past, but this is going to be the first time that this exact workshop is taking place. This year, we are re-branding the event so that students understand exactly what the workshop has to offer,” Johnson said.“This is the first step in exploring one’s self, and then the next step is exploring majors.” There are a variety of workshops and advising opportunities offered to students through the career center on campus. “It’s really about you and knowing yourself and what is going to be a good fit,” Johnson said. There are scheduled to be more workshops in the near future for students to take what they learned at the Connecting the Dots workshop and apply it to finding a major that works best for them. Collegian Writer Alex Steinmetz can be reached at news@collegian.com.

The path to finding the right major Connecting the Dots Workshop Date: Oct. 2 & 3 Time: 3 - 4:30 pm Place: LSC 214 - 216

Exploring Majors Fair Date: Oct. 10 Time: 11am - 2pm Place: LSC North Ballroom

Discover What Drives You Workshop Series: Date/Time: Oct. 15: 1pm & Oct. 16: 2pm Place: Career Center Note: Series is 5 weeks

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COLLEGIAN

OPINION Monday, October 1, 2012 | Page 4

YOUR TWO CENTS

28%

41%

31%

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION: Are you going to the Homecoming Kickoff Concert Sunday? 41% Watching Broncos Sunday. 31% Never saw One Tree Hill. 28% No. 0% Yes.

TODAY’S QUESTION: How are you going to vote on Amendment 64?

*39 people voted in this poll.

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.

“By legalizing marijuana, all that sweet, sweet black market money becomes taxable and reportable.”

You can smoke pot and do good

By HAMILTON REED

One of the hot topics on the Colorado State ballot this year is Amendment 64, regarding the “Use and Regulation of Marijuana.” The main goal of this amendment is to change the regulation of marijuana, to essentially put it under the same regulation as alcohol. You must be older than 21 to purchase, consume or grow it — and the production and sale of it will be highly regulated and taxed. An opinion article was published in this paper a couple of weeks ago taking a stance against this legislation, the thesis of the argument essentially being that those in favor of the amendment and marijuana in general are sad people who should be doing better things with their time. I would like to politely disagree with this sentiment. The idea that doing great things for the world and smoking marijuana are mutually exclusive is a simplistic and narrow worldview — as if what people choose to do in their leisure time affects their drive elsewhere. As both Michael Phelps and President Barack Obama have proven, smoking marijuana will not negatively affect your drive to become great unless you are willing to let it. So while signing legislation to legalize it may not be worthy of a Nobel Prize, smoking it won’t harm your chances at getting one either. On top of that, the author also claims to be a strong believer in the freedom of choice and of free will, yet will not sign legislation to let others safely and legally practice their own choice and free will. A little hypocritical, don’t you think? Enough rebuttal, though; back to the amendment itself. Perhaps you do not enjoy smoking marijuana — why should you vote in favor of this amendment? Well, as all things seem to boil down to this year, it’s all about the economy. By legalizing marijuana, all that sweet, sweet black market money becomes taxable and reportable. With those taxes

come things like repaired roads, school funding and other positive state and civil improvements. In fact, it is explicitly stated in the amendment that the first $40 million raised by the new excise tax will be required to be placed into a fund for state schools. By essentially establishing a new market, there will be job creation in both the public and private sectors as the state will need to hire new bureaucrats to handle the regulation and oversight, while private citizens can begin growing and distributing marijuana with the proper regulation. The fiscal impact of the passing of this legislation for state revenue from taxes alone is estimated to be somewhere between $5 million and $22 million per year. That doesn’t include all the potential revenue that would most likely come with the increased tourism either. At least until the other states get on the legalization bandwagon, at which point marijuana can be exported to other states as a premium product. Kentucky has their bourbon, Colorado can have it’s marijuana. When it comes time to make a choice at the voting booth this November, I hope all of you out there will have done more than decided to vote for whatever movement has put out the flashiest ads to catch your attention. Don’t vote for or against an issue because some D.A.R.E. cop told you in the fifth grade that you can die from a marijuana overdose (you can’t) and don’t vote for or against a candidate just because a particular candidate uses a catchy single word slogan (Forward is a direction, not a political platform). When it comes to making choices with regard to the governance of our fair state and country, we owe it to ourselves and to everyone else in the country to actually sit down and think about why it is you’re voting for or against something. Read the legislation, investigate the running platforms and exercise some critical thought. If your choice on an issue in the ballot can be summed up in one paragraph, you haven’t put enough thought into it. Do your civic duty and think. 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

CSU must take diversity seriously As athletics dominates conversation at CSU this week with the university poised to make a decision on the on-campus stadium, there’s another topic that must be on the administration’s radar: diversity, and this institution’s dedication to it. CSU’s vice president of diversity is the only part-time position on President Tony Frank’s cabinet, and this shows that the university has a lack of commitment when it comes to diversity. On Sept. 20, the Collegian published an interview with Blane Harding, CSU’s former director of Advising, Recruitment and Retention for the College of Liberal Arts. Harding said CSU isn’t taking diversity seriously, having only hired a part-time diversity vice president and taken two years to make it full time. All the while the university has quickly hired a new athletics director and put the gears in motion for

an on-campus stadium. Clearly if we want some things done, we can get them done quickly. Monday, the Collegian inter-

“CSU isn’t taking diversity seriously, having only hired a part-time diversity vice president and taken two years to make it full time.” viewed CSU’s Vice President of Diversity Mary Ontiveros. She said there hasn’t been a proposal yet for the VP of diversity to become a full-

time position, which is likely to happen this October. It’s been two years since the VP of diversity position was created at CSU and in that time it has only been a part-time position, which has led to the perception that the university isn’t taking diversity seriously. Both Ontiveros and Harding pointed the workload of the VP of diversity calls for a full-time employee — ensuring diversity among faculty and students, building student and community efforts and leading diversity training among other duties. “Football is an add-on. The new stadium is an add-on. Diversity is not. It’s ingrained in everything that we should be doing,” Harding said. This university must show that diversity is a priority at CSU and can do that functionally and symbolically by making Ontiveros’ position full time.

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

The media should exercise restraint

By ALLISON SYLTE

Last week, freedom of speech became one of the primary talking points during the U.N. General Assembly in a wake of a series of violent protests following the publication of an anti-Islam video on YouTube. This video led to the death of Chris Stevens, the U.S. ambassador to Libya, as well as a cartoon in a French satirical magazine containing lewd photos of the Prophet Mohammed. While President Barack Obama decried the video as “crude and disgusting,” he used his address as an opportunity to defend the First Amendment, claiming that, “in a diverse society, efforts to restrict speech can become a tool to silence critics, or oppress minorities.” The leaders of Muslim countries, meanwhile, argued that freedom of expression is no excuse for blatantly hateful speech. Abd Rabbo Mansour

Hadi, the president of Yemen, told the General Assembly that, “there should be limits for the freedom of expression, especially if such freedom blasphemes the beliefs of nations and defames their figures." Malaysian foreign minister Anifah Aman argued that it’s “time to dwell deeper into the heart of the problem and the real debate — the relationship between freedom of expression and social responsibilities, duties and obligations.” While I agree wholeheartedly with Obama’s assertion that free speech is fundamental to a free society, as members of the media, I think Hadi and Aman’s arguments about social responsibility should be taken into account when we cover potentially inflammatory subjects, like “The Innocence of Muslims.” In a column in the Columbia Journalism Review, Lawrence Pintak, the dean of the Edward R. Murrow College of Communication at Washington State University, argued that “the pen is mightier than the sword, but it is also far more lethal when manipulated irresponsibly.” To me, this means that while as a society we should not have the right to prevent people like Nakoula Basseley Nakoula (the filmmaker behind “The Innocence of Muslims”) from saying

whatever they want, but as members of the media, we have an entirely different set of responsibilities in terms of how we follow up on it. One of the key tenets of the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics is to minimize harm. While nobody questions the notion that we shouldn’t report the names of sexual assault victims or publish the photos of fallen soldiers, the notion of not publishing an image or column simply because some might take offense is — rightfully — far more controversial. The media’s job is to report the truth. And reporting the truth, and publishing a variety of dissenting voices about a variety of topics, will inevitably offend somebody. A free press would be absolutely pointless if it didn’t cause a little bit of offense, but by the same token, a press entirely focused on being offensive would also lose some of its usefulness. “I’m not going into the streets with stones and Kalashnikovs,” the editor of Charlie Hebdo, the French magazine that published the images of Mohammed, told the Associated Press. But by the same token, I’d argue that his comic clearly did not contribute to the public discourse, and he knew it wouldn’t. He was publishing it in spite of the violent protests around the world.

“... journalism is not supposed to be a firebomb,” Pintak wrote. “The goal is to inform, not inflame; to understand, not distort. Isn’t that what separates us from propaganda?” Most media outlets have chosen to cover the protests without showing “The Innocence of Muslims” or reprinting the Charlie Hebdo cartoon. Most outlets (except for Newsweek, which showed a very stereotypical photo of Muslim protesters with the headline “Muslim Rage: How I survived it, how we can end it”) have been sensitive in terms of how they portray the protests, and have added to the discussion after the events of the past couple of weeks. Others — like Charlie Hebdo — have not been remotely intelligent about it, and while they have every right in the world to say what they did, did not contribute anything meaningful to the public discussion. The pen is definitely mightier than the sword, and much like how you wouldn’t brandish your sword like an idiot, the pen also needs a little bit of restraint.

Editor in Chief Allison Sylte is a senior journalism major. Her column appears Mondays in the Collegian. She can be reached at letters@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, October 1, 2012

6 Monday, October 1, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Stigmas may McElwain questions players’ heart have aided decline FOOTBALL

GREEK |

Continued from Page 1 experience,” Jensen said. “Are our numbers as big as they were in the 70s? Maybe not. And I’m okay with that because that’s not the experience we are providing.” “Greek Life continues to be a vital option (for millennial students) by offering significant leadership development opportunities, networking and friendships for a lifetime,” wrote Jim Russell, executive vice president for the Delta Tau Delta national organization, in an email to the Collegian. LeBrasse, a member of Phi Delta Theta, said Greek Life has faced a great decline in numbers as the decades have gone on and chapters have faced incidences such as a sorority female passing away at CSU. “But I don’t believe it was the party aspect (that decreased numbers),” LeBrasse said. “It was more of the national organization starting to hold their men to a higher caliber.” LeBrasse also said he thought social media and stigmas contributed to decreasing numbers and that a lot of kids miss out on a great opportunity as a result. Senior equine sciences major Lindsey Galliher is in her fourth year as a member of Pi Beta Phi and is currently the Panhellenic

Council President at CSU. “I think our organizations are doing a lot better job attracting people for the right reasons and not for the stereotypical ‘we’re all here to party’ reasons,” Galliher said. “We’re attracting people that want to be a part of something that stays true to the values we uphold.” According to Galliher, the process of introducing a new Panhellenic sorority on campus is “extremely intense” and takes one to two years. The community has to decide to invite another group on campus and won’t do so until current chapters are doing well enough to retain members. Alpha Delta Chi, introduced to CSU in 2010, is the most recent addition to the Panhellenic Council at CSU. Galliher said the first sorority that will eventually get the opportunity to return to campus will be Kappa Alpha Theta, dismissed in 2005 after 88 years at CSU. LeBrasse said the Interfraternity Council has no set quota on membership numbers and want to continuously be accepting new members. “Our biggest goal would be to break down stereotypes and stigmas,” LeBrasse said. “And from there, progress numbers-wise.” Collegian Writer Emily Smith can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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By ANDREW SCHALLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Football is a game of determination. Coaches and fans can get bogged down with football jargon and excuses for losses, but as CSU coach Jim McElwain has said this past week, execution, discipline and effort oftentimes determine who wins and who loses. That’s why the CSU football team has struggled throughout the first month of the season. Never was the lack of discipline as obvious this year as it was Saturday afternoon against Air Force, when the Rams got shellacked defensively, giving up 459 yards and four touchdowns on the ground and ultimately losing 42-21. “It’s about imposing your will on an opponent and we’re not doing that,” McElwain said. “When guys start worrying about themselves more than they worry about the team, the family, you know, that can’t happen.” But it did happen. Despite the fact that the Rams said all week that they were focused and ready to execute, that execution was severely lacking on both sides of the ball Saturday. Five of the first seven drives for Air Force went for touchdowns, four of those five drives took 1:34 or less as the Falcons lined up and ran the ball right at the Rams. The Falcons got off to a quick start in the game and the Rams once again got off to a slow start on offense and defense and quickly found themselves in a 21-0 hole. “It’s frustrating,” linebacker Shaquil Barrett said.

THE GAME Rushing yards:

Air Force: 459 yards CSU: 129 yards

Average yards per rush: Air Force: 6.9 CSU: 3.8

Turnovers: Air Force: 2 CSU: 3

Third down efficiency: Air Force: 8-12 (67%) CSU: 7-14 (50%)

Fresno State. “(We’ll) get back at practice on … Monday and we’ll get ready for the next game,” McElwain said. “And the guys that are playing in that game are the guys that are gonna play with some heart.” Football Beat Reporter Andrew Schaller can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

Dana Cranston would make a terrible blackjack dealer. She keeps turning up aces, six of them in the CSU volleyball team’s 3-0 win against San Diego State Saturday afternoon. Senior libero Izzy Gaulia added another two aces to give the Rams a season-high eight in the match, compared to just one service error. “It’s a lot of momentum because you hardly have to work for the point,” Cranston said. “You’re standing there ready to bust your butt for the next point and it’s a free one.” The Rams played nearly mistake-free all game, only hitting four unforced errors

in 106 attempts. “That’s as good as any team in the country,” CSU coach Tom Hilbert said. “You give away 10 points in three sets, that is phenomenal.” CSU kept control of the match the entire time, only trailing briefly in the second set, but used a 7-0 run to take a 10-3 lead and never let the Aztecs closer than four points for the rest of the match. “They were in an uncomfortable environment and hitting more errors than they generally do,” Hilbert said. SDSU committed 17 unforced errors and only hit .123 for the match. It was the third consecutive match CSU held its opponent under a .200 hitting percentage. The Aztecs also had 24 more attempts than the

Rams despite both teams totalling 52 digs. “A great deal of them are from the fact that we blocked the ball and it went back over and they played it again,” Hilbert said. “That takes a team out of its rhythm.” Cranston exemplified CSU’s efficiency, hitting .476 in the match while totalling 11 kills and 10 digs for her third consecutive double-double. “I’ve come to the realization that I need to be consistent at that level in order to do well,” she said. “It’s a little bit of a different mindset, and it’s definitely more aggressive.” CSU only allowed one extended run by the Aztecs, a four point spurt in the third set. The team worked on tightening up its weaker

rotations in order to keep the momentum in games. “That will become the big thing for us on the road, how to get out of tough situations because teams will play us better in their gyms,” Hilbert said. The Rams are starting to build momentum in the Mountain West season after winning their last two games following consecutive losses against New Mexico and UCLA,. “It definitely gives us a boost in our confidence. We played solid in the last two matches,” Gaulia said. “If we just keep doing what we’re doing in practice we can keep doing well at home, and especially away.” Assistant Sports Editor Kyle Grabowski can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

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just like we’re not going with our instincts sometimes maybe.” “I mean, coaches are doing everything they can during the week and they’re getting us in the right looks, there’s nothing the coaches are doing wrong, it’s just, I don’t really know to be honest, we’re not going when we should be.” It might just be that some of the Rams are lacking the focus and effort necessary to win games. Whatever the cause of this season’s struggles so far the one thing has been made clear — changes will be made. Although he did not specifically say which players were not playing with enough heart, McElwain has indicated that changes, possibly in personnel on the field, will be made ahead of next week’s game against

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“We just work on it all day, every day at practice when we’re out there and just ... still come out here and still start slow when we know we’ve been doing that, we’ve been harping on that since the second week, first week. And we’ve still been doing it and just like our effort out here was good, but it didn’t get the job done.” While the Falcons’ offense ran roughshod over the Rams’ defense, CSU’s offense struggled for much of the game to get into a rhythm, once again, losing the battle at the line of scrimmage. “I just feel like we’re not playing fast at times,” said quarterback Garrett Grayson, who became a spectator after breaking his collarbone in the first quarter. “I mean the coaches put us in the right positions. It’s

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Monday, October 1, 2012

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (10/01/12). This may be the year to “light out for the territory ahead,” as Huckleberry Finn put it. Expand horizons with cultural exploration through study, communication and travel. A simple lifestyle satisfies, so stay thrifty and vote with your dollars. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

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ARIES (Mar. 21-April 19) ––9–– By now you should be able to see improvement. Be the rock of stability. Mental alertness is key. Show yourself the money for the next couple of days. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––7–– Balance work with fun. The confusion is only temporary. Don’t drive right past your off ramp. Pull in creative harvest for profit, and then go celebrate. GEMINI (May 21-June 20)––9–– Take it easy for a moment; think and regroup. A loved one helps you get farther than expected. Discipline and careful listening are required. Slow down and contemplate. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––9–– Work through a conflict with some help from your friends and a willingness to compromise. Share details with partners. Keep track of spending, and maintain control. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––9–– Pay attention to social protocol, but stand up for yourself. Others wonder if you’re ready for more responsibility. You are if you say so. Demonstrate, and give thanks. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––7–– Don’t be frightened by a friend’s fears. Underneath, they really believe in you. You set the standards. Artistic endeavors gain momentum. You can have it all. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––9–– Keep things simple and make life easier. Identify the potential in the circumstances to increase work productivity and satisfaction. Don’t talk much; avoid a communications breakdown. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––8–– Pay attention to a master for the next few days. This person helps restore balance, and assists with decisions. Avoid risk and conflict. Find what you need nearby. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––9–– You’re entering two hectic days. Double-check the data. Stick to the rules you’ve set. Everything’s changing ... it’s a good time to ask for money and make executive decisions. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––9–– Take care of family first. Set long-term goals together, and make sure to include savings. Heed your partner’s advice for a beautiful moment. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––9–– Move cautiously. It’s easier than expected. Check instructions again. Make household decisions and an important connection. There’s a surprising discovery ... answer with a yes. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––8–– You’ll retain information well for a while. Check details with the bank. You’re looking good. You succumb to feminine wiles. Call home if you’ll be late.

David Malki

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan

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

Saying you don’t like ﬂannels is like saying you don’t like baby animals.

Anybody know where I can get a deal on motivation? I seem to have lost mine...

CSU’s football team ﬁnally made ESPN’s Top Ten — well, the Not so Top Ten. I guess it’s progress.

When did it become OK for my professors, whom have the word “professional” essentially built into their title, to wear sweatpants to class?

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

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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, October 1, 2012 | Page 8

COLUMN

You can keep your Ram-Falcon Trophy

By QUENTIN SICKAFOOSE

Surprisingly enough, the football team managed to pick up another loss this weekend at Air Force, and can anyone really say this wasn’t obvious from a mile away? The Ram-Falcon trophy has been collecting dust in an Air Force Academy display case somewhere since 2005. At the rate we’re going, it could hit a solid decade without moving. But honestly, who cares? I’m not even quite sure what the trophy actually looks like other than having an educated guess that there is likely both a ram and a falcon somewhere to be found on it. After all, CSU hasn’t even seen the thing in seven years, so it’s not like any of us can honestly say that we miss it. What stings most is the loss within a rivalry that began over 50 years ago. Playing Air Force is like having a Monopoly battle with one of your siblings, it usually ends with someone storming out pissed off saying, “This is stupid, I quit!” The Falcons have controlled the series with a record of 31-19-1 all time against the

Rams, so we’re used to seeing it happen by now. But Saturday afternoons are usually hopeful with that chance that it could happen. Anybody that follows CSU athletics enjoys the underdog story, which is exactly why we’re tuned in in the first place. As much as I love my school and our team, if I were a gambling man trying to make it rich in Vegas, my money would have been exactly where everybody else’s was. After all, the Falcon run game is going to be too much for many opponents to handle and you’re most certainly not going to be able to produce much offensively with your starting quarterback watching the game from the sidelines. Another year passes without the Ram-Falcon trophy, but that’s alright. We still have Wyoming on our upcoming schedule so you never know, this could be the year we get that fancy Bronze Boot back. Luckily, the Rocky Mountain Showdown victory awarded CSU the Centennial Cup, so our trophy case isn’t completely empty. Add a Wyoming defeat and we’re two out of three for hardware matches. We may only get a couple wins on this entire season, but at least we’ll have something to show for it. To any cadets out there that are high on life after beating a now 1-4 football team — congrats, have your moment. Volleyball Beat Reporter Quentin Sickafoose can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

FOOTBALL

WAITING IN THE WINGS

NICK LYON | COLLEGIAN

Senior quarterback M.J. McPeek (14) led the Rams on three touchdown drives versus Air Force while stepping in for injured starter Garrett Grayson. CSU lost 42-21, moving to a record of 1-4.

Backup QB gets his chance to shine By CRIS TILLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian

PLAYER PROFILE

For the first time since his senior year at Rangeview High School in Aurora M.J. McPeek found himself lined up opposite a defense that wasn’t wearing the same colors. A little more than 1,460 days came and went before McPeek threw a pass in a game that counted. See, McPeek has spent the last four years watching football games from the sideline. A redshirt season at Kansas State and three holding a clipboard at CSU. But every backup quarterback knows he’s one bad play from trial by fire. “That’s the territory that come with being a backup,” McPeek said. “You got to prepare every week like you’re the starter. If Garrett (Grayson) goes down, or God forbid something happens to him, I get thrown in there. It comes with the territory.” That unfortunate day finally happened Saturday. Starting quarterback Garrett Grayson went down with a broken collarbone and McPeek’s number was called. “He just came in and he didn’t seem rattled just like we thought,” CSU coach Jim McElwain said following the Rams’ 42-21 loss to Air Force. McPeek wasted no time and seized his opportunity on his very first pass tossing a 55-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Lou

M.J. McPeek

Class: Senior Height: 6’4” Weight: 236 Hometown: Aurora, Colo.

Greenwood to start the second quarter. It was his first touchdown pass since 2007. “It felt pretty good,” he said. “We knew what we were going to get, the corner just fell down, Lou beat him, end of that.” The first half couldn’t have gone any better for McPeek. He completed 11-of-15 passes for 151 yards and two touchdowns. “I took what the defense gave me,” McPeek said. “We moved the ball pretty well. I liked the little bit of a spark, we made some big plays.” The second half was a different story. CSU trailed 35-14, forcing McPeek to throw the ball, and feel the need to make plays. The Rams were driving on their first possession of the second half into Air Force territory when McPeek threw an ill-advised third down pass that was intercepted. “They changed their defense up, they schemed stuff up a little bit different and I forced throws, that’s about all it comes down to,” McPeek said. Again in the fourth quarter McPeek forced a pass downfield that was deflected by two different Air Force defenders before getting in-

tercepted. On the sideline Grayson watched in a sling as his backup struggled in his first college game. “Anytime I saw a mistake that he made I just came up to him as soon as I could and try to tell him, ‘don’t worry about it, they’re behind you,’ and I wasn’t the only one,” Grayson said. “There’s no doubt in my mind that he’s not out there just going with the flow, I mean, he knows the offense like the back of his hand, he knows it just as well as I do, so I’m not worried about him leading the team at all.” McPeek finished the game 22of-34 for 292 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. “Going forward I need to make a little bit better decisions, you know, drive killers with the picks and stuff,” he said. “I got to put the team in a better position to score every time.” Grayson will likely miss significant time leaving the the Rams’ offense in McPeek’s hands. For the first time in a little over 1,460 days he won’t be the backup — he’ll be the guy. “Not a whole lot changes, just who I get the reps with now. You have to prepare every week like you’re the starter,” McPeek said. “There’s not a huge jump going from the ones to the twos. I feel comfortable with everybody going in there. We have players and we can make plays, so there’s not a big gap at all.” Sports Editor Cris Tiller can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

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