The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, February 19, 2013 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

NEWS | PAGE 3

NO MONEY, MO’ PROBLEMS TEXTBOOK TAX BILL IN STATE HOUSE TO FAIL

NEWS | PAGE 8

BE SANE, NOT VAIN

NOT EXACTLY A LIQUOR HOOK

UPADHYAY SHEDS LIGHT ON NERD-DOM

OPINION | PAGE 4

LOCALS FIGHT UNDERAGE DRINKING, DRUG ABUSE

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Volume 121 | No. 105

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

Kappa Delta ‘Green’

CSU Greek Life participates in energy-saving program By HALEIGH HAMBLIN The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Construction workers tear down the section of the LSC that was once the ASCSU Senate Chambers. The construction is part of the elaborate renovation of the LSC. KEVIN JOHANSEN | COLLEGIAN

Despite relocation, work continues LSC renovation evicts ASCSU from Senate Chambers By KATE SIMMONS The Rocky Mountain Collegian If the CSU Fight Song is heard echoing through the halls of the Computer Science Building, try not to be alarmed. According to one participant, it’s probably the student Senate. The Associated Students of CSU legislative branch had to relocate its Wednesday night meetings to CSB 130 since its chambers have been demolished as part of the 1 1/2 year-long Lory Student Center renovation. The chamber has held thousands of meetings since it was built in 1960,

hosting debates between ASCSU Senators over legislation affecting fellow students. Minutes from the ‘70s reveal that the exchanges took place with cigars and rude language. In a quote from May 11, 1971, “Jerry Sherk asked Speaker Bill Byers to stop smoking cigars that stunk up the chambers.” On April, 24, 1971, the minutes read, “Bill Byers commented the meeting went rather well, with good discussion, but the language should be kept quotable.” Even still, senators have always been required to stay and work until all the business has been concluded.

According to ASCSU Vice President Joseph Eden, his most significant Senate memory was from his first meeting — a meeting that coincided with the night The Senate had to approve job descriptions, cabinet ratification, and bills presented by the entire incoming administration. “I remember the meeting started at 6:30 p.m. and by the time everything had been discussed and voted on, I walked back to my dorm room at 6:15 a.m. the following morning,” Eden said. “It was a very interesting ‘Welcome to ASCSU Senate’ for me, but it actually helped me understand how See CHAMBERS on Page 6

CSU Greeks are trying to put a stop to a reputation of hosting parties by focusing on energy costs to support the environmental project ClimateWise. Director of Sustainability for the Associate Students of CSU Andrew Oringer looked to build community involvement when bringing in Greek Life to ClimateWise. “What’s different about about ClimateWise and the RecycleMania on campus is the actual living cost,” Oringer said. “People who live off campus have to turn off the lights ... the goal now is to help bring back cheaper amenities to offcampus student.” A free program dedicated to helping local businesses and the Fort Collins community, ClimateWise targets environmental assessments and creative solutions within life on and off campus. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions by promoting waste, reduction, energy saving, alternative transportation, water conservation and practicing conservation, ClimateWise works now with 350 companies including two fraternities on campus. ClimateWise was created in 2000 and has influenced the Fort Collins community and the importance of reducing energy usage. Over the last 13 years, ClimateWise has gained support from New Belgium Brewing Company, Poudre School District, Colorado State and Odell Brewing Company have supported the ClimateWise project. Pi Kappa Phi Sustainability Chair Andrew Fore helped See CLIMATE on Page 6

QUIZ YOURSELF Progress and results of ClimateWise to date

www.fcgov.com/climatewise/ progress.php

CSU students find play in on-campus work

By CAILLEY BIAGINI The Rocky Mountain Collegian

any CSU students may not realize what a huge part their peers play in their own daily grind. From baking the granola at the CSU Bake Shop, to cleaning toilets in the dorms and Lory Student Center, students are working hard all over campus. Every year, between 7,500

and 8,000 students are hired by on-campus employers, according to Frank Martinez, assistant director of student employment. “Typically employers at CSU will hire the students first and then reach out to the community,” Martinez said. Student employees are reaping the benefits and learning a lot from their odd jobs. “I really like the dish room

because it gives you a chance to socialize with people at the window,” said Jake Nolan, a sophomore undeclared major and employee at the Braiden dining hall. “Also, the continuous cycle of the dishes shows me how a real business flows.” Senior political science major Will Wheeler said he enjoys working with his “quirky co-workers” at the CSU Bake See EMPLOYEE on Page 3

the

STRIP CLUB

If you have ever played the classic board game Monopoly, a few things come to mind: the dog, Boardwalk, and the fact that you get to play with fake money with absolutely no real-life consequences. But the iron just doesn’t make sense, and is being replaced. Instead they should have...

Things to replace the iron with: Narwhal

Something about an oddlooking whale with a horn guarantees financial success.

The Greek flag

Not only would this game piece prove to be ironic, but it could also restore some economic credibility to a country wallowing in debt.

A drone

A piece which would be relevant to America’s foreign policy, as well as powerful in symbolism.

A McDonald’s hamburger

It’s about time one of the world’s largest food corporations staked its claim as an actual game piece. Plus, nothing says billiondollar industry quite like the golden arches.

MADISON BRANDT | COLLEGIAN

Junior communications major Hannah Vancuren works the Admissions Ofﬁce desk at CSU. She typically sees the biggest rush of prospective students in April, as application and admission deadlines reach their end.

The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff.

2 Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Community Briefs

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

CSU Men’s Basketball team moving up in rank CSU’s 89-86 victory over the Air Force Falcons on Saturday have the Rams ranked 24 in the Mountain West Conference, according to ESPN. The Rams will face UNLV on Wednesday and then play conference-leading New Mexico this weekend. Tickets for Saturday’s game against New Mexico have already sold out to the public. However, 2,500 reserved student tickets still remain.

Otterbox recognized for its outstanding success and design Forbes Magazine recently awarded Otterbox as No. 10 on a list of 100 private companies deemed “America’s Most Promising.” The Fort Collins-based company also received a prestigious design award which named

Otterbox as an honoree of the International CES Innovations 2013 Design and Engineering Awards, for two of its new series of electronic device cases.

Colorado House passes four gun bills

As of Monday, four pieces of legislation regarding gun laws passed through the Colorado House of Representatives. The Democratic gun control package passed on Monday includes four bills which ban concealed weapons on campuses, require a background check for all gun transactions, impose a fee for gun buyers in order to carry out that background check by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation and limits magazines to 15 rounds. The four bills now must pass through the Senate before they become law.

— Collegian Staff Report

CORRECTION

Due to a designer’s error, yesterday’s guest column regarding the debt ceiling was cut off. The full column by senior political science major Kirsten Silveira can be read in the opinion section of www.collegian.com. The Collegian regrets its error.

DYLAN LANGILLE | COLLEGIAN

Junior business major David Greene walks into Rockwell Hall on the north side of campus Monday afternoon. With the seemingly constant sun Fort Collins is getting this winter, some students are taking every available opportunity to get outside before another chill sets in.

Chica

Styl

Voting Starts Friday

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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 8,000-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 3,500 and is published weekly. 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 two. 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.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, February 19, 2013

EMPLOYEE | Continued from Page 1

Scrubbing toilets and still smiling

Shop in the back of Edwards Hall. As the general assistant, Wheeler said his position is to help bake goods such as hoagies, cookies and granola. “I really like spreading raw oats, which sounds kind of strange, but it’s a very meditative experience,” he said. Sophomore psychology major Colleen McAnallen is a front desk monitor at Academic Village. When she isn’t getting homework done during the job’s down time, McAnnallen said her duties include checking items out to students, sorting mail and acting as the “first line of defense.” “There is always a person there to make sure the people coming in and out have keys and aren’t creepers or doing anything they aren’t supposed to be doing,” McAnallen said. Sometimes the most unexpected jobs can be the best time, said Ryan Yee, a freshman biomedical sciences major. Yee works at Hartshorn Health Center mopping floors and cleaning bathrooms. He said he loves the good times he shares working there with his best friend, Tracy White — which can even make scrubbing toilets fun.

CAMPUS VOICE

What is the best on-campus job and why?

“I think the best job on campus is the guy who runs the composting unit up on the Foothills campus, because he turns our waste into nutrients, which is awesome.”

“Actually working right here at Sweet Sinsations. I was a barista in high school and I love making coffee, so I would love to work there.”

WESLY O’ROURKE

Freshman, equine and animal Science major

Senior, construction Management major

DYLLAN FREEBURG

“Study Abroad peer advisor at the Study Abroad Ofﬁce, in the Ofﬁce of International Programs, because you get to talk to kids about going abroad all the time and it’s awesome.” LANE BRUGMAN

Sophomore, construction management major

“I think the best campus job would be the Parking Services because you get to issue tickets to people that park incorrectly. Also, you can keep in mind where your friends park, and they can park for free, as well as yourself. It would be very beneﬁcial to your wallet, and things of that nature.” JOHN WILDEN II

Sophomore, construction management major, Italian minor “One time we had this nice Christmas party and we put on reindeer horns and listened to Christmas music,” Yee said. “Our manager, who is the best in the world, got us pizza, cookies and gifts.” Many student employees on campus found some

downsides to their jobs, however. Although he loves being able to help students solve math problems at the PACE Center, sophomore chemistry major Angel Sanchez said the worst part of his job is making people cry.

“When a girl I was helping went in to take the exam, she was having trouble with a problem,” Sanchez said. “In the proctor setting I can’t help out anybody at all. So I told her that, and she walked out crying.” Freshman animal

“Really, we’re trying to fight for a more affordable college experience.” Lindon Belshe | ASCSU Director of Governmental Affairs

State Reps. expected to fail textbook tax By CARRIE MOBLEY The Rocky Mountain Collegian The state legislature is likely to vote down a CSU student government-created bill that would lower the cost of textbooks, said their lobbyist Jenn Penn. But she added that all may not be lost. Penn said it nevertheless sends an important message to legislators: Students need more help. But sources still wonder why a bill that was created to help students more easily afford textbooks — which mimics legislation in about 20 other states — remain. Penn said the vote for or against the bill will have a deeper impact than just giving funding to students. “This really will be a tough vote for (legislators),” Penn said. “They are parents and have kids in college or who will go to college ... they are taking it seriously.” The House Bill was introduced to the Finance Committee last Thursday, with a final vote to take place next Wednesday. If it is approved in the Finance Committee, the bill will be sent to the Appropriations Committee. If it is approved there, it will be sent to the state Senate. There is only about a 5050 chance of the bill making it out of the Finance Committee and only a five percent chance of making it out of the Appropriations Committee, Penn said. “It’s a challenging year to present a bill like this,” Penn said,“and we knew that go-

DYLAN LANGILLE| COLLEGIAN

Junior Biology major Miles Eckley shops for books at the Lory Student Center bookstore Monday. With the rising cost of tuition and being a student in general, the university is working on a bill that will establish a tax

ing into it.” Penn said that because this is one of the first years the state of Colorado will see revenues coming back, legislators are being cautious and especially focusing on returning funding to areas that had previously been cut, rather than adding funding to entirely new areas. Although higher education has seen cuts, this type of bill may not be what legislators are looking for. “The fiscal note of the bill turned out to be higher than we had originally anticipated,” said Lindon Belshe, ASCSU director of governmental affairs. “That will be a concern for us going down

WHAT WOULD IT DO? Create a day in which students wouldn’t have to pay sales tax on textbooks Extend to all university-sponsored textbook stores Help local book stores compete with online textbook services

the road.” Belshe added that although there were some concerns about the fiscal note — cost to the state of Colorado — of the bill, one legislator thought it wasn’t aggressive enough. “One legislator wants to expand it to include a yearround component,” Penn

said. “The fiscal note on that would be huge. That, I think, would kill the bill.” Although there were many suggestions made to amend the bill or expand it, Belshe said the end result will be bigger than whether or not the bill passes. “Really, we’re trying to fight for a more affordable college experience,” Belshe said. “We want this bill to send a message to the legislature about the rising cost of higher education and the unnecessary burdens it places on students.” ASCSU Beat Reporter Carrie Mobley can be reached at news@collegian.com.

weekender EVERY FRIDAY the

“I would choose to be one of the lawn mowers on campus because you get to sit down and ride your lawn mower all day long. You can listen to music if you want, you can just think about stuff and you get to have the smell of fresh cut grass.”

“A water girl for the football team so I can scope out all the hotties.” JENNIFER FINCH

Freshman, animal science major

WESLEY ARAGON

Sophomore, natural resources management major, business minor

sciences major Rachael Bianchi experienced a different negative to working on campus: conflicts with school. Last semester she worked at the English Department sorting papers and basically doing whatever they needed her to

do. Bianchi said she loved the people she worked for and the convenience of working so close by, but she quit because she needed to focus more on school. Collegian Writer Cailley Biagini can be reached at news@collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN

OPINION Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | Page 4

YOUR TWO CENTS

23% 26% 26% 23%

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION: What’s your favorite viral video? 26% Call Me Maybe. 23% Gagnam Style. 26% Harlem Shake. 23% Nyann Cat.

TODAY’S QUESTION: What do you think of the ban on concealed carry on campuses that passed the House?

*26 people voted in this poll.

Visit 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.

An ASSET to CSU and to Colorado Last week the elusive “Collegian Editorial Board” published an article bashing Colorado State University’s Board of Governors for supporting Senate Bill 13-33 — or, as they confusingly referred to it, “Undocumented Tuition.” This bill is known in more professional circles as the ASSET bill. The ASSET bill not only has excellent repercussions for the stuBy TYANNA SLOBE dents that it affects, but the entire state of Colorado and all of the public universities. The Board of Governors not only had their hearts in the right place when they moved to support it, but they had our wallets in the right place too — undocumented students are an asset to our economy. The ASSET bill would give in-state tuition to students who have spent at least three years studying at and who have graduated from a Colorado high school. The student must also be admitted to a university in Colorado before qualifying. Finally, the student must be in the process of applying for U.S. citizenship. Seeking citizenship in the United States is a process that takes years. The opportunity cost of denying undocumented immigrants education for all of the years that it takes to gain citizenship is a ridiculous risk. Not to mention that Colorado taxpayers are already funding these students’ K-12 education. Charging undocumented immigrants the same tuition as international students means denying thousands of Colorado residents access to higher education. International tuition without access to loans or scholarships is unaffordable for most American families, whether documented or not. It also means denying the state of Colorado thousands of educated citizens who would otherwise contribute positively to the state’s workforce after graduation. Now, as we all know, Colorado has a serious funding crisis when it comes to higher education. As the Collegian Editorial Board noted, including the College Opportunity Fund in the ASSET bill would cost the state $930,000 the first year and $1.4 million the second year. What they failed to mention, however, is that passing the bill would generate $2 million in tuition the first year and $3 million the second year. More students means more students paying tuition and $2 - $3 million that would go toward funding the higher education of all of Colorado’s students. In January of 2011, I went to the Colorado Senate committee meeting for the ASSET bill. Witnesses from all over Colorado came to speak both in favor and against the bill’s passing — though significantly more in favor. The bill has gained further support in the past year as more and more people have heard the stories of the thousands of academically-driven students whom Colorado has pathetically let fall to the wayside after high school graduation. The Board of Governors does have their hearts in the right place when it comes to supporting this bill. In doing so, they echo the voices of the people heard at the Senate hearings: high school teachers who every year have to watch many of their brightest students be denied affordable access to higher education and who are speaking in favor of the ASSET bill. Older siblings of fourth graders have watched their younger siblings lose motivation to do their homework because they fear that they will not be able to go to college. They also have their hearts in the right place. We are talking about children who were brought to the United States often years before they were conscious of what it meant to be a citizen or to be an “undocumented immigrant” — certainly at no fault of their own. Finally, as educated students of a prominent university like CSU, it is time that we stop distancing ourselves from undocumented students. This is not an “us vs. them” situation. Undocumented immigrants are your peers, your neighbors, your friends and your classmates. You graduated high school with students who were just as hard-working — if not harder-working — than you, who were unable to attend the same university as you because of their documentation status. As residents of Colorado and students of Colorado State University, supporting legislation that would allow everyone the same access to our university would bring us revenue, diversify our campus, and strengthen our future workforce. If you believe that you have any more right to attend CSU because you are a U.S. citizen than any other hard-working college student, you are wrong. But leaving that aside, if you think that the ASSET bill would not generate money for CSU, then you are also wrong. Tyanna Slobe is a senior English Language and Spanish double major. Her column appears every Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and Feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

OUR VIEW

Too dumb for guns? The Colorado House passed four gun control bills Monday. Among them is HB13-1226, a bill that would ban concealed weapons on college campuses. “There are a lot of students who simply are not ready to be in the presence of firearms,” the bill’s sponsor, Boulder Rep. Claire Levy, said in an interview with the Denver Post. “It’s a dangerous mix.” HB13-1226 was rushed through the House in the wake of national tragedies with absolutely no precedent justifying it and without nearly enough student input on the matter, premised on the overly simplistic, fallacious notion that college students can’t be trusted with guns. Given that you have to be 21 to even obtain a concealed carry permit, whereas the second men turn

18 they have to sign up for selective service — registering themselves to be called up at any moment to have a rifle thrust into their hand and be sent off to die for their coun-

“HB13-1226 was rushed through the House ... without nearly enough student input.” try — this hardly seems adequate justification for banning concealed weapons from campuses. Consider CSU’s thriving ROTC programs, which have commissioned thousands of of-

ficers for the military, and the unviersity’s large student veteran population –– the very ones typcasted as “simply not ready to be in the presence of firearms.” As one of the only universities in America that allows concealed weapons on campus, our student input should have been paramount in their decision-making process –– but it feels like we weren’t even asked. . House Democrats saw their chance to push through their agenda and they took it, passing a bill that ultimately will do nothing more than deny law-abiding adults their ability to protect themselves at CSU while doing nothing to increase the safety of our campus.

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.

Kevin R. Jensen | Content Managing Editor news@collegian.com Andrew Carrera | News Editor news@collegian.com Emily Smith | News Editor news@collegian.com

Greg Mees | Editor in Chief editor@collegian.com Hunter Thompson | Visual Managing Editor photo@collegian.com Kyle Grabowski | Sports Editor sports@collegian.com Kris Lawan | Design Editor design@collegian.com

Hannah Glennon | Digital Media Manager webmaster@collegian.com Caleb Hendrich | Editorial Editor letters@collegian.com Emily Kribs | Entertainment Editor entertainment@collegian.com

ANGELINA BADALI | COLLEGIAN

Even amendments can change

The date is June 26, 2008. The man is Dick Anthony Heller. This man was a police officer who appealed to the Supreme Court in an attempt to go against the District of Columbia after it By RAFAEL RIVERO refused to give him a registration certificate so that his police-issued handgun could be kept inside his home without a trigger lock. The Supreme Court sided with Heller and overturned the city-wide ban on handguns as well as the rules regarding weapons in the home (they had to be kept nonfunctional). In doing so, the Court found itself reading the Second Amendment under a different light — one that skewed the original intent of that passage. For those who need a refresher, the Second Amendment reads: “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” Pretty straightforward, no? If read without much thought, the Second Amendment does, in fact, seem to give the people of the United States of America the right to keep and bear arms. But, humor me for a second and read it again. Does something seem off? The answer is yes. It seems as though the entire construction of the sentence borders on agrammatical (if you will).

It appears the writers wasted hours and hours carving simplistic beauty into the First Amendment and heaved a collective sigh of relief, only to be rudely brought back to reality when someone insisted they needed to write nine more. But it runs deeper than that. For the longest time, it was simply taken for granted that the Second Amendment was referencing state militias and state militias alone when it recognized the right to keep and bear arms. “But it says ‘people!’ ” It says ‘the people!’ ” you yell as you point out my ignorance. The thing is, when it says “the people,” it is in reference to the people that belong to the militias themselves. This might be a foreign concept to most, especially taking into consideration the lack of state militias in the modern day. But the fact remains: the ones who drafted these documents wanted to ensure that state rights were upheld. Thus, they passed on the burden of gun regulation in relation to militias to the states themselves. No one else was allowed to have weaponry (at least generally speaking). Another interesting tidbit about state militias is that people couldn’t just up and make one because they felt like it. Any official militia that would receive support from the Second Amendment had to be state-sanctioned. This meant that the state allowed it to exist and regulated it without interference from the federal government. The roots of the modern interpretation of the Second Amendment began

with people like Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), who pushed a report saying everyone was wrong about the Amendment. Though the biggest backing it received came when the NRA became a political movement seeking less gun control. Eventually, this ever-present and pervasive train of thought became so ingrained in the political mind that the end goal was achieved. Even though, time and time again, the original reading of the Second Amendment held up in the Supreme Court, everything changed in 2008. That year, in District of Columbia v. Heller, the Court — ignoring hundreds of years and countless precedents (see Presser v. Illinois or Miller v. Texas, for example) — decided that the right to keep and bear arms referred to, well, civilian people. That year marks the moment when, just through political pressure, the correct and well-known meaning of a part of one of the most important documents in the history of the United States was distorted. Not only that, but every political platform and most citizens accepted this interpretation without a second thought. This all leads to one inescapable question: what other fabrications could possibly be hidden under the shroud of modern interpretation and political complacency? Sadly, we may never know. Rafael Rivero is a senior zoology major. His columns appear every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and Feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

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

Collegian

OPINION Tuesday Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | Page 5

Yays and Nays Yay | to CSU Basketball being ranked 22nd! GO RAMS! Nay | to replacing the iron for a cat in Monopoly. Because nobody likes cats... Yay | to Girl Scout Cookies! We’re stocking up on Thin Mints like it’s armageddon. Nay | to meteorites. The sky is trying to kill us and it needs to stop! Yay | to Coach Eustachy. Dance away, Coach, you deserve it! Nay | to the death of Lakers owner, Jerry Buss. He will be sorely

BY VIVEK UPADHYAY

Big books: the underappreciation

of nerds I like big books and I cannot lie; I fancy geek gals with spectacles atop their eyes. I firmly believe that the nerdy, geeky woman and man have been insufficiently appreciated in the social climate of CSU (and elsewhere). I refuse to nitpick about precise definitions of “nerd” or “geek.” A more fruitful discussion on this subject can probably be had with relevant linguist geeks and subculture nerds. But for those who possess a vague idea of the character involved, a reward hopefully awaits. Think, in this discussion, of a basic image: a lady or gent in modest clothing, sporting glasses, holding a challenging leisure-time book in hand and featuring the hallmark of any worthwhile romantic partnership option: Nerdy Tourette Syndrome. What, you might ask, is this condition? Nerdy Tourette Syndrome is a semi-cathartic maintenance exercise undergone by a nerd/geek which involves expelling, often unexpectedly, great dollops of knowledge about one or more enrapturing topics. This entire episode is utterly unprovoked by the overwhelmed passerby, but leaves both individuals uniquely nourished. It can only be described as hypnotizing and absorbing (and by the ungrateful, annoying). Despite the fluctuations and subtleties present in the nerd’s or geek’s appearance or behaviors, the detection of Nerdy Tourette Syndrome ensures the validity of the nerd/geek designation. The resin of heightened mental acuity lurking about after departure from a conversation should indicate that one has been in the sacred presence of a nerd/geek. Creepily worshipful and cult-like as that clarification may seem, consider the lack of balance in the apparent appreciation of nerd/geek versus various other socially convenient labels. Perhaps creating a balance is a worthy enterprise. Indeed, alongside two (now anonymous) heroic student authors, I once crafted a majestic manifesto calling for the assembly of nerds worldwide. One explanatory passage in that manifesto is as follows: The nerd is, by his/her nature, unarguably the most seductive type of being this planet can ever know, even though the masses are evidently unaware of this objective fact, and their minds have been seized by the conspiring anti-geekiness-imposing cultural engineers. Some have begun to wake

up, to the world’s benefit, and understand viscerally just how truly enticing the nerd is when in his/ her element (passionately ranting about a nerdy topic which most people aren’t interested in). Isn’t this just a fragment of distasteful propaganda? Maybe it is. But what was it borne of? On my end, it was produced from compensatory grandiosity and a desire to engage in comedic comradeship. What need is there for compensation? Let’s explore further, in relevance to nerdy and/or geeky womenfolk and gents. Nerdy/geeky women and men seem, to me, criminally underappreciated and widely unrecognized. Too often I encounter the depressing offhand remarks of some peers. They’ve inspired this writing. The unwarranted dominion of physical vanity over qualities like intelligence, or curiosity, or bookishness seems to be leading many a young person in the wrong direction. Disastrous post-hangover recollections aside, I think the minor trauma people inflict on themselves in being enticed by physical beauty is worth avoiding. Of course, nerds and geeks aren’t necessarily immune to such pitfalls, but as romantic relationship options, they deserve more consideration than they often get. Contrary to those romantically malignant trends, Susain Cain’s work exposing the appreciable qualities of introverts-in-their-element seems like a step in the right direction. It’s a great place to start exploring the rewarding vistas of geek-dom and nerd-dom. Providing that you can forgive my redundancy, and my shallow coverage of this cluster of issues, you may find that your love life improves when you prioritize that thoughtful, bookish, possibly bespectacled knowledge cadet above his/ her more physically alluring counterpart. Naturally, physical attractiveness need not be shunned for well-being’s sake, so begin the hunt for the most alluringly nerdy romantic partner you can find. I have done so, and reap the rewards of this effort everlastingly. Vivek Upadhyay is a freshman education major. His columns appear every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com. illustration by GREG MEES | COLLEGIAN

missed.

FYI, opinion columns aren’t news articles

Journalists are held to a very high standard of ethics, and are expected to meet that standard on a daily basis. It is a fair assumption to make; after all, we are trusted to report the truth of what is happening in the world we live in, and what we say carries an enormous impact. The public has a right to expect the best from us. But the public also needs to be aware of a particularly distinct By caleb hendrich division between journalists when they seek to enforce a standard of excellence. The primary division between us is that of reporters and commentators, which essentially splits us into the “news” section of the newspaper, and the “opinion” section. More often than not, the public treats both sections as if they are one and the same. I’ll be blunt: they are not the same thing. I do not report the news; I give my opinion on the news. The Collegian’s reporters report the news; they do not give their opinions on it. To insinuate otherwise does a disservice to both you the reader and the newspaper as a whole. There are different standards for each desk. Reporters are expected to seek the truth and report it, usually as it happens or shortly after it happens. They must, therefore, find as many aspects of a story as they can. If there is a conflict (and usually there is), they must fairly represent both sides of that conflict where possible. Both sides have a unique angle to add to the story, and the public needs that to make up their own minds about the story. For columnists, the news has already been reported and our job is to provide our perspective on it. If there is a conflict involved in the news, we tend to fall on one side or the other and we structure our opinions accordingly. Our job is to provide a bit of color to the story, share a unique perspective on the story, or explain why we think the story is a non-issue. We take sides because that is what we are supposed to do. That’s our job. You don’t look for an opinion columnist that doesn’t express an opinion; that’s like looking for a teacher that doesn’t teach, or a taxi driver that doesn’t drive a taxi. I tend to see examples of people falsely equating news and opinion when they start complaining about bias in the media. My liberal friends complain that FOX News is biased because of people like Bill O’Reilley and Sean Hannity. My conservative friends complain that MSNBC is biased because of people like Rachel Maddow and Ed Schultz. Are these people biased? Definitely. Are they reporters? Not in any definition of the word. Their job is to say, “I’m a liberal/conservative, and here’s what I think of the news,” not, “Here is the news.” Yes, news and opinion writers both publish articles they believe to be the truth about an issue. But here’s the difference: reporters would cover a debate about gay marriage, for example, whereas columnists would take one side or another — sometimes neither. Does this mean that we are forgiven for poor fact checking, or simply making things up? No, absolutely not. Our opinions would have no weight otherwise, and nobody (not just the people who disagree with us) could take us seriously. Columnists adhere to the same standard of accuracy that reporters do (we do make mistakes from time to time, but we’re human just like everyone else) — we just look at the world through a particular lens. There are many, many valid complaints to be made about commentators like my staff and me. I’ve heard a lot of them in the relatively short time that I’ve been at the Collegian, and they are definitely complaints that I myself have made before arriving here. Are we sometimes given more influence than we should have? Yes. Do we sometimes come off as arrogant and dismissive? You betcha. (Although, to be fair, that’s a complaint that fits just about anyone who works in the public spotlight). Do we occasionally give the impression that we have an axe to grind? Sure. But that’s what we are supposed to do. Conflating us with reporters does you a disservice. If you’re looking for news in the opinion section, you’re going to be disappointed. If you point to the opinion section as a poor standard of reporting, you’d be correct because we aren’t reporting. There is a big difference. Knowing that difference helps you become a more savvy media consumer, which is something that we sorely need in today’s society. Editorial Editor Caleb Hendrich is a senior journalism and political science double major. His columns appear Tuesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

guest column Colorado’s legislature voted Monday to bring the mistakes of Virginia Tech to our campuses. I know those mistakes personally — I was there, and my friend Jeremy Herbstritt was one of the 32 victims of the 2007 shooting. Some feel that guns are the problem — and the VT shooter should have been denied his purchase due to his mental health problems. But the reality is that he would have found another way to hurt people — he was bent on committing mass murder and getting his manifesto heard. However, two people came forward to me after the shootings who were there, in the classrooms, and watched the whole thing go down. Then they showed me their concealed

handgun permits. My heart sank. They had had clear shots and could have stopped the attack; my friend might still have been alive. Today, the Colorado House of Representatives narrowly passed a bill to ban concealed carry on campus, HB 13-1226, which would put us on par with where Virginia Tech was in 2007. We are otherwise peer institutions — rural campuses, 30,000 students, Land Grant institutions. CSU could be the next Virginia Tech. And their reasoning? You are immature, on drugs, irresponsible, and a bad shot. That’s right — you are the problem. They don’t care that you’ve made great efforts to carry responsibly, that you have a clear history, that you’re 21 years old, that you’ve taken a con-

cealed carry course, or that you have made it through at least a few years of college. You being a college student is important, too — it says you are less risky than the general public. Don’t believe me? Call your insurance company. They will give you a discount for having good grades and getting a college degree. By 21 years old, you either have a degree already or are close, and likely have decent grades. Insurance companies don’t give out discounts for nothing — it means you are a statistically lower risk than the general public. What’s worse is that Representative Levy said, when she introduced the bill on Friday, that “I have no illusions that … (this law) will

end campus shootings.” That’s not surprising, considering that no gun control law, in all of history, has ever reduced crime. Many have increased crime, as they leave people defenseless from psychotic killers. This bill will do the same. Call or email your senators today — the bill can still be stopped there. Tell them that you don’t like them talking down about you behind your back and that you won’t allow them to take away your right to self-defense. And tell them not to bring the mistakes of Virginia Tech to Colorado. Ken Stanton is a research affiliate with the department of mechanical egineering, and earned his Ph.D. from Virginia Tech in 2011 in engineering education.

6 Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

chambers |

New digs to expedite bills

Continued from Page 1 everything worked and set up a good foundation for learning about the organization.” 32 Senate members consist of representatives from each of the eight colleges in the university, as well as representatives from the Graduate School and Intra-University program. “For me, being a senator is a way to get my voice heard on campus as well as a way to keep connected to both my fellow classmates as well as the university,” said College of Engineering Sen. Brandon Earle. “Student Senate is one of the best ways on campus to make change.” According to Eden, who presides as Speaker of the Senate, members meet weekly to discuss, debate and vote on legislation. “These pieces of legis-

climate | Continued from Page 1

lation can take on a variety of issues, ranging from tuition and student fees to changes in executive branch job descriptions and budget transfers, and everything in between,” Eden said. Jessica Teal, a senator from the College of Applied Human Sciences, said she joined Senate to represent the needs and hopes of the student body and help make changes a reality. “I truly believe that CSU is the greatest university to attend and believe that I can demonstrate my dedication to helping others through more than just my classes or other involvements,” Teal said. The chambers in the LSC sat 80 people, had an LCD projector optimal for PowerPoint and video presentations, built-in microphones for presenters and participants and a phone line for

conference calls. “It was great for presentations and allowed for all Senate members to voice their opinions in a formal manner,” Earle said. “I am excited for the new Senate Chambers because the new venue appears to be much more open and will allow for a wider range of activities.” According to Eden, the renovated Senate Chambers will have new voting technology that will help expedite ratification of new members and legislation. The space will have a new conference room and incorporate a darker wood tone, consistent with the décor of most political meeting locations. According to Kyle Bevers, ASCSU Senate Parliamentarian of the, one of the most important resolutions he’s seen approved in that room is the tax holiday on text-

books for students, passed last fall. Senate Officer Andrew Olson said the most important piece of legislation was the creation of the University Technology Fee Advisory Board in 2003 and the University Facility Fee Board in 2005. “These two boards allocate the university technology fee and the university facility fee and have proven very vital since their inceptions,” Olson said. “Each of these boards are very important and we wouldn’t be where we are today without them.” “(They) Have become cornerstones of CSU, has set high standards for buildings of this university, and has given other universities something to strive for,” he said. Senior Reporter Kate Simmons can be reached at news@collegian.com.

The Greeks get the gold – and silver

initiate ClimateWise within Greek Life. Working with ASCSU, Pi Kappa Phi is planning five programs this semester one sustainability and includes fireplace, installation and piping, light turn off, cost of living and light monitoring during unwanted hours. “Next semester we are creating new goals,” Fore said. “The smallest things make a huge difference.” A long way from an annual payment of $46,000 per year for 40 men, Pi Kappa Phi looks to cut their living costs in half after one year in the program. After six months of ClimateWise, Pi Kappa Phi has reached a silver partner. A

immigration | Continued from Page 8 want to hire highly qualified foreign-born high-tech workers — often educated in North Carolina schools. She’s visited blueberry and sweet potato farms that need labor. “What I hear from my farmers quite often is that we have got to find a workable solution so they can get the workers they need so they can continue growing crops in North Carolina,” she said. Pryor acknowledged that immigration was a tough issue for some in his state, but

silver partner is expected to put on programs within the organization and support reaching goal marks in sustainability. Pi Kappa Phi has transformed their way of energy and water usage in just one semester, which is not to be expected to happen until one to two years in the ClimateWise program. Sigma Phi Epsilon has reached the bronze level. The fraternity could not be reached for comment. Pi Kappa Phi did not have a single recycling bin in the house during the start of the project in fall of 2012. After one year of work, CSU’s largest fraternity will be implementing a new bike rack in the fall and continue to lower the cost

of living and improve the community CSU’s students call home. “We used to have recycling outside of our house, but because of the apartment complexes near by, we were charged for materials that were not properly put into the recycling.” Fore said. “In the future we are looking to have our own recycling with a lock on it. This way we can monitor what is being put in it.” Members are encouraged to longboard, bike, walk from the house to campus and carpool with one car filled with four brothers at most. Reducing their expenses on the road, Pi Kappa Phi is also implementing recycling education and water “It is a slow-moving

process,” Oringer said. “Through introductions and training, the prices can potentially be cut in half.” Prospectively estimated to join Pi Kappa Phi and Sigma Phi Epsilon in the ClimateWise project is sorority Zeta Tau Alpha. “We have the opportunity to show that working with ClimateWise can cut down costs,” Fore said. “We are so new to this that we are trying to be a leader on campus and work closely with the university and go green.” If you would like more information, visit the Fort Collins ClimateWise website. http://www.fcgov.com/ climatewise/ Collegian Writer Haleigh Hamblin can be reached at news@collegian.com.

An attempt at bipartisanship he said a bipartisan Senate team that was collaborating on immigration deserved a chance to do its work. He supported a comprehensive package in 2006 that would have granted legal status to some illegal immigrants, but he opposed a similar measure in 2007 that included a path to citizenship. He has introduced bills that would beef up enforcement, including strengthening worker verification. But he said he wanted to see what the bipartisan group drafted before weighing in on whether he would support a path to citizenship.

“I don’t know what I’m comfortable with there,” he said. One of the Democratic leaders of the bipartisan Senate group working on immigration, Charles Schumer of New York, said it was too early to worry about how this bill might affect conservative members of the party in the next election. “Look, we’re trying to come up with a bipartisan bill,” he said. “We’ll worry about counting the votes once we have a bill. We still have a ways to go.” Undoubtedly, if the immigration proposal pro-

ceeds, there will be pressure on these conservative Democrats to support it. How much pressure will depend on the election competition they’re expected to face next year, Duffy said. If there’s a strong challenge from the right, Hagan and Pryor may be inclined to vote against a proposal that includes a path to citizenship. But if it looks as if they will face little or no competition, Democratic leaders make it tougher for them to say no, Duffy said. “It’s all about counting noses and who they need,” she said.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, February 19, 2013

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (02/19/13). Research your financial investments, which require close attention and management this year. Domestic bliss is the overarching theme. Summer brings heightened social life and family fun. Consider your education, and either teach or take a class. Get involved with a global cause. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Wondermark

Tim Rickard

Brewster Rockit

Kid Shay

Welcome to Falling Rock

Rochelle Peeler

Meh Comex

ARIES (March 21-April 19) ––8–– Find a connection with your family and grow. Take your ideas public. You get a blizzard of calls. Be ready to answer all the questions. Practice in front of the mirror. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––8–– It’s not a good time for wandering. Keep your feet close to home and your eyes on the prize. Focus on making money rather than on spending. Physical exercise channels energy. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––9–– It’s official: Your power is intense. Focus on career ways and means. Repairs may keep you busy. Just do what you need to do and move on. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––6–– Listen to a loved one’s considerations; they may very well have a better perspective on the issue than you. When others look good, you look good. Don’t celebrate just yet. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––7–– Fine-tune your image. Take one step at a time ... there’s no rush. Read all the new data. However, offer your opinion only if asked. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––8–– Something is missing. Make the necessary changes for ease. Romance could interfere with your deadline. It’s possible to make time for both, and cut expenses, too. Potluck picnic? Everyone’s got to eat. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––8–– The rules stay the same for awhile. Review practical arrangements and get organized. Make a spending plan, without spending yet. You’re surrounded by love. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––6–– Don’t argue ... it’s not worth it. Especially since you’re likely to change your mind. Regulations could interfere with plans. Begin with commonalities, and consider new avenues. Listen to your heart. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––8–– Your ideas still have some bugs to work out, but you won’t know if you don’t try. Take detailed notes. A practical plan works better than a gamble. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––9–– Tempers are short, so choose your battles well. Sometimes it’s better to let another win. A female finds a treasure. It’s mind over matter now. Bend with the wind. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––8–– You don’t have to carry the load alone; someone who loves you is willing to help. Or you could take it easy today, and start again tomorrow. Bubbles, good music and candles are nice. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––8–– Insecurities and fears could get in the way of your commitments. An apology can go a long way now. Love the people you’re with, and walk in their shoes. This feels liberating.

David Malki

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan Girl behind me in Life 102: I’m glad you didn’t have a pregnancy scare this weekend. Maybe an STD test might be the next test you might not pass.

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

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

When did the girls restroom get urinals? Oooh my bad.

That moment when you are sitting behind a girl who bathed in perfume and you want to cut your nose off to not smell her anymore That moment when someone steals your jacket at a party with only keys inside. Give back the keys.

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.

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.

Today’s RamTalk sponsored by:

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s Sudoku sponsored by:

Across 1 Edged out 5 Haka dancers of New Zealand 10 NetZero, e.g., brieﬂy 13 South American chain 15 36-year Senator Hatch of Utah 16 Neither partner 17 Reached an agreement 19 Civil War nickname 20 Bordeaux buddy 21 Mothers on a farm 22 “I’d like to say something” 23 Thoroughly evil 28 Laundromat lineup 29 Snug as a bug in a rug 30 Followers: Suf. 31 Doesn’t enunciate 33 Magazine VIPs 34 Very eager 38 Atty.’s group 41 Naval slammers 42 Peril 46 Rainy season 48 Family support group for some rehab patients 50 “My pleasure!” 53 Squeezes (out) 54 “__ Yankees” 55 California ball club, in sports crawl lines 56 Census datum 57 Sibling who stereotypically feels left out, and a hint to the little one hiding in 17-, 23-, 34- and 50-Across 61 Having four sharps, in music 62 Bit of broccoli 63 Singer Tennessee __ Ford 64 Do simple math 65 Hal Prince’s record 21 66 Quaint oath Down 1 Rum brand with a cocktail named for it 2 Bewitches 3 “Fess up!” 4 Golf bag item 5 Choral work 6 Childish comeback 7 Bruin great Bobby 8 Part of most eyeglasses 9 Car owner’s pmt.

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s Crossword sponsored by:

10 Having serious debts 11 Got serious 12 Docs-in-training 14 Herd member 18 Holds 22 Make a move 24 New Ager John 25 Letter-shaped fasteners 26 Haus husband 27 Pump name seen in Canada 31 Stretch 32 Fireplace fuel 35 Wind in the orchestra 36 Walked all over 37 Air__: Florida-based carrier 38 Memory malady 39 Shelf support 40 Took over, as territory 43 Hint 44 Horn of Africa country 45 Prepared for baking, as bread dough 47 French possessive 48 [Sigh!] 49 With 58-Down, judge in ‘90s news 51 Not in a predictable way 52 Spills the beans 57 Rockies hrs. 58 See 49-Down 59 “The __ Patrick Show”: sports talk program 60 Centuries-long realm dissolved in 1806: Abbr.

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8 Tuesday, February 19, 2013 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

“Since marijuana has been legalized, there are a lot of questions.” Ashley Kasprzak | Team Fort Collins executive director

Team FoCo says ‘no, no’ to drinking, drugs By Corrie Sahling The Rocky Mountain Collegian Team Fort Collins is a group located on the top floor in the old post office in Old Town. The group has a mission to “prevent the abuse and illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs, especially among youth and families by promoting healthy lifestyles,” according to the Team Fort Collins website. “I think everyone wants the next generation to be as healthy and strong as possible,” Ashley Kasprzak, Team Fort Collins executive director, said. Since 1989, Team Fort Collins has been providing education to middle and high school students about the prevention of alcohol and drug abuse. Kandy Wise, a parent who is on the board of directors for Team Fort Collins, has been involved with them for about four years. “My son was 14 and I saw some things going on that most parents would stick their head in the sand and not deal with,” Wise said. “And that’s why I got involved.” After seeing her son going through problems, Wise went to the police, who she said were of no help, but they directed her to Team Fort Collins for support. “They (Team Fort Collins) are a great organization and were very helpful to me,” Wise said. “They are a good source for parents as well as kids to help promote a healthy lifestyle.” Team Fort Collins strives

to educate youth on the substances and choices that are presented to them. Kasprzak explained that this is so youth can make an educated decision about what they want to do. “Since marijuana has been legalized, there are a lot of questions,” Kasprzak said. “Students have a really interesting perspective about the harm of marijuana since it is advertised as natural and herbal.” The group’s mission is to enable schools, businesses, workplaces and the Fort Collins community to support and promote responsible choices and healthy behavior. Team Fort Collins also works with servers and bartenders at restaurants in Fort Collins to train them on safe serving, according to Kasprzak. “We want to decrease the amount of people under 21 getting alcoholic drinks at bars, educate about over-serving and promote safe rides home,” Kasprzak said. Along with educating youth, families, bars and restaurants, Team Fort Collins works with the community. The group has been looking into implementing a social host ordinance in Fort Collins. According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, a social host ordinance is a measure that would hold party hosts, tenants and possibly property owners responsible for underage drinking, regardless of who supplied the alcohol. Kasprzak said this would

quick information Team Fort Collins has a 10-person board of directors. There are representatives from the mental health field, a police sergeant, business leaders and several parents.

be a way to hold adults responsible for underage drinking at parties and it would raise the awareness that it’s illegal to give alcohol to minors. “It would start a discussion about safe parties and who should be there,” she said. “Some communities have fines to enforce this.” Team Fort Collins said they are in an exploration phase with the idea, seeing what community members are interested in and what the Associated Students of CSU thinks. Lindon Belshe, director of government affairs for ASCSU, said the discussion has been dormant for awhile, but they are worried about the idea because house residents may not know minors are there. “We had hesitation due to the residual effect it could have on students,” Belshe said. Kasprzak said Team Fort Collins believes in independent and personal rights, and that it is not in conflict with promoting healthy lifestyle choices. “We really believe that youth who can experience life without drugs and alcohol can be the best of themselves and that’s what we want to promote,” she said. Collegian Writer Corrie Sahling can be reached at news@collegian.com.

As immigration vote looms, some southern Democrats get queasy By Franco Ordonez The McClatchy-Tribune WASHINGTON — Immigration isn’t a touchy subject just for many Republicans. Southern and moderate Democrats also may be a bit skittish about the idea of granting a path to citizenship for the nation’s 11 million illegal immigrants. A small group of Senate Democrats, because they represent conservative states such as North Carolina and Arkansas, could help derail ambitious plans to overhaul the nation’s immigration laws. Views on illegal immigration are very different in the conservative South, where moderate Democrats have long sought to strike a balance between a range of issues on their party’s agenda and the divergent opinions of those who elect them. President Barack Obama won the presidency in part because of Latino support in the swing states of Colorado and Nevada. But he lost in most of the South, including North Carolina and Arkansas, where the electorate remains uneasy about legalizing millions of illegal immigrants. His aggressive push for a path to citizenship isn’t necessarily going to help Sens. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., and Mark Pryor, D-Ark., who might face tough re-election prospects in 2014. “If they vote for it, Republicans will add it to the litany of things that they supported the president on,” said Jennifer Duffy, an analyst at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. Supporters for immi-

gration think they can get enough Democrats to pass the bill, but Israel Ortega, the editor of Libertad.org, the Spanish-language website of the conservative research center the Heritage Foundation, said it would take only a few reluctant Democrats to wreck the bill. It’s happened before. About two years ago, five Democrats joined Senate Republicans and doomed an effort that would have given hundreds of thousands of young illegal immigrants a path to legal status if they enrolled in college or joined the military. The Democrats were Hagan, Pryor, Ben Nelson of Nebraska, and Montana’s Jon Tester and Max Baucus, who is also facing re-election in 2014. Had all five voted the other way, the bill, known as the DREAM Act, would have reached the Senate floor and could have passed by a simple majority. The House of Representatives already had passed the measure. Dozens of young advocates crowded the galleries above the Senate floor in December 2010 in support of the bill. Many wore graduation caps and gowns. They held hands as the senators cast their votes. “It was pure devastation,” said Gaby Pacheco, a 28-year-old Miami-based advocate who was among the students. Pacheco said she and other students would never forget the vote. They plan to keep pressure on Hagan and other Democrats who they fear might oppose another immigration proposal. “It’s not all just bad Republicans and good Democrats,” she said.

Democratic Sens. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Mark Begich of Alaska are two other senators facing re-election who are being closely watched on this issue. A member of the Homeland Security Committee, Begich said last week that he liked the direction of the Senate bipartisan plan, which included a path to citizenship and actions to make the borders more secure. Before he decides, however, Begich wants more specifics on how the legalization process would work. Hagan said Friday that she thought in 2010, and now, that the DREAM Act needed to be part of a comprehensive package that addressed national security and economic interests. She supports “comprehensive reform” that includes stronger border security, visas for high-tech workers and some kind of agriculture component to help farmers get needed workers. She was noncommittal about whether that would include some form of legalization for the 11 million illegal immigrants now in the U.S. “I oppose amnesty, but a pathway to citizenship can take a lot of different forms,” she said. “It can look like a lot of different things.” Now is the time for a comprehensive package, Hagan said. She’s heard from computer and software companies in North Carolina’s Research Triangle Park, in the Raleigh-Durham area, who See IMMIGRATION on Page 6