The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, November 6, 2012 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Student debt 101 | page 6

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THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN LLEGIAN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Volume 121 | No. 65

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

the

STRIP CLUB

It is the biggest day in politics — Election Day! This one is predicted to be historic, but no one expects it to be the most historic. Those include:

The

Fight

Most Historic Presidential Elections

For

COLORADO

Swing states critical in determining the presidential election By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian It’s been said before, and it bears repeating. As one of nine swing states, Colorado will be key in this election. Neither Obama nor Romney has reached 270 electoral votes from the states considered “safe” at this point, although Obama has a slight lead, according to John Straayer, political science professor. Ohio’s 18 electoral votes are essential in the election, according to Straayer. If Obama wins Ohio, it would be difficult, but not impossible, for Romney to assemble electoral votes from the remaining swing states like Colorado. “The most important state is Ohio, but after that we’re clearly in the second grouping of states that have the potential for determining the outcome,” Straayer said. “If Obama wins Ohio, then it’s very likely to be over. If Obama wins Ohio, Colorado is an absolute must for Romney.” Romney has a slight edge in Colorado as far as voter registration and

Fort Collins voting locations Between 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., voters registered in Larimer County can vote at the following locations in Fort Collins:

HILTON FT. COLLINS – GREEN AND GOLD ROOM

425 W. Prospect Road

FAITH EVANGELICAL FREE CHURCH 3920 S. Shields St.

CHRIST CENTER COMMUNITY CHURCH 2700 S. Lemay Ave.

LA QUINTA 3709 E. Mulberry St.

REDEEMER LUTHERAN CHURCH 7755 Greenstone Trail

CITY OF FORT COLLINS – STREETS DEPARTMENT

625 9th St. (Off Lemay)

VINEYARD CHRISTIAN CHURCH 1201 Riverside Ave.

HARMONY MARKET 1001 E. Harmony Road #C

CSU LORY STUDENT CENTER – NORTH BALLROOM

500 University Ave.

LARIMER COUNTY COURTHOUSE 200 W. Oak St.

early voting numbers are concerned, Straayer said. According to the Colorado Secretary of State website, 53,258 active Democrats and 66,124 active Republicans are registered in Larimer County. However, making a firm prediction in either direction is a hazardous proposition because the race is so close, according to Straayer. Historically, Democrats did very well in Colorado in 2008 and “not bad” in 2010, Straayer said. “If you’re looking for positive evidence on the Democratic side, it’s there. If you’re looking for positive evidence on the Republican side, it’s also there,” Straayer said. “It’s very hard to call. I’d give a slight edge to Romney (in Colorado), but there’s not enough evidence to call it a slam dunk for anybody.” Larimer County is a good indicator of Colorado’s leaning as a whole. In the last election, Larimer County voted within 1 percent of Colorado’s votes for Obama, according to Straayer. Fort Collins tends to vote Democratic because it is more urban and industrial, but the outlying areas of

SWING STATES Colorado – 9 electoral votes Florida – 29 electoral votes Virginia – 13 electoral votes Ohio – 18 electoral votes Iowa – 6 electoral votes Nevada – 6 electoral votes Wisconsin –10 electoral votes North Carolina – 15 electoral votes New Hampshire – 4 electoral votes

Larimer county are more rural and tend to vote Republican. Other states and voters take cues from swing states like Colorado, according to Kelsey Maez, president of the CSU College Democrats. Within Colorado, voters look to swing counties like Larimer to see how the overall state is trending. Undecided voters take this information into consideration when they eventually vote. Republicans, Democrats and Independent voters each comprise

about a third of Colorado’s voting population, according to Brad Dick, president of the College Republicans at CSU. Candidates and campaigns work to convince critical independents in Colorado. Romney was in Denver Saturday and Obama was in Aurora Sunday for campaign events. Both campaigns employ doorto-door and phone call campaign strategies to energize voters and See SWING on Page 3

Does True The Vote help or hinder equal voting Supporters say organization fights voter fraud, opponent call it voter suppression By BAILEY CONSTAS The Rocky Mountain Collegian On Monday night at the Larimer County Republican Party headquarters on South College Avenue, Fort Collins poll watchers gathered to prepare for the Tuesday election. True the Vote, a national organization focused on voter fraud, trained citizens to stand by as residents of Larimer County cast their votes. It was the last of three twohour sessions that took place Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Leading up to the election, similar meetings have taken place all over the country. True the Vote is a nonpartisan group that aims to stop what it claims is a widespread national problem: voter fraud — which includes such illegal actions as voting under another person’s identity or voting in multiple states. According to the organization’s website, currently “more than 24 million voter registrations are invalid.” The group has been in support of voter ID laws which require some form of identification to be shown at the polls. According to American Civil Liberties Union site, in

DYLAN LANGILLE | COLLEGIAN

Student voter Hunter Sohl, left, prepares to register to vote early in the Lory Student Center. Today voters registered in Fort Collins can vote at 10 locations throughout the city.

Florida 39 cases of voter fraud were found, four of which were convicted but all were before 2010. And in New York a total of 18 alleged election fraud cases since 2010 were found. But according to some, True the Vote’s efforts don’t actually seek to prevent voter fraud, but to prevent certain groups from voting. “Essentially they only challenge young voters and minorities, often times scar-

ing them into not voting because they don't realize their rights in the situation,” said Connor Rock, a CSU business major and a supporter of the Obama campaign. True The Vote recruits volunteers to get involved by asking them to be poll watchers. Poll watchers, according to the official website of the city of Denver, are allowed to count how many affiliates of each political party have voted, how many people have

voted at certain times during the day, the names of people who have voted and whether or not the polling place is being supervised by election judges. Poll watchers, however, can not ask for documentation or perform electioneering within 100 feet of the polling location. Nathan Bush, a libertarian and sophomore business administration major, thinks there is a voter fraud problem and that something should be done about it. “I think something like a voter ID initiative, just harder rules when it comes to voting, would be very effective,” Bush said. Bush doesn’t believe that voter ID laws are discriminatory because voters should have access to birth certificates or record of citizenship. “I think that’s just one of those things you have to crack down on and do what you have to do,” Bush said. “The motivation is not discriminatory. The action could be perceived as such, but it’s for a good common goal. We want to reduce voter fraud.” See VOTE on Page 6

1948: Truman vs. Dewey The ‘48 election was so close that the Chicago Tribune printed the now infamous headline “Dewey Defeats Truman”, which could not have been any more false. Truman won by four percentage points.

1972: Nixon vs. McGovern The ‘72 election was anything but close. Nixon carried 49 states in a total rout. Although, this was before the Watergate Scandal. Massachusetts was the only McGovern leaning state, leading to the hilarious bumper sticker, “Don’t Blame Me, I’m from Massachusetts”

1912: Taft vs. Wilson vs. Roosevelt v. Debs The 1912 election is probably the one with the most successful third party performance. Theodore Roosevelt ran as a member of the Bull Moose Party and carried six states (four more than the Republican Party). Woodrow Wilson ultimately won. The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff.

2 Tuesday, November 6, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Community Briefs

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

Free pizza and a costly election at Celestino’s New York Pizza

Presidential elections are pretty heavy occasions, but they aren’t nearly as heavy as a slice of fine New York pie when it sits in the stomach of well-fed voter. CSU might have realized this when setting up its Election Evening Celebration. Join CSU alumni, faculty and students at Celestino’s New York Pizza (located next to the Oval at 306 W. Laurel St. Suite 113) to eat free pizza and watch as the election results pour in. This event is non-partisan, so all overwhelming political attitudes must be left in the ballot box.

Tell your story during Veteran’s Week

ERIN MROSS| COLLEGIAN

Communication student Beau Loendorf, right, talks with Congressional Representative Jared Polis, left, and Representative John Kefalas on the Plaza Monday. Polls close at 7:00 p.m. today.

CORRECTION

Sell Your

Junk

Adopt a

DOG

Ram Talk

The correct name of the bill is the Stop Online Piracy Act and Prevent Online Piracy Act (SOPA/PIPA). The Collegian regrets the error.

5 days $5

In an article that ran Nov. 5, 2012, “Jared Polis places a focus on education in Colorado,” the Collegian misidentified a bill that Congressman Jared Polis (D) helped to defeat as “HIPPA.”

15 words. Rate for CSU Students with student I.D

COLLEGIAN CLASSIFIEDS 970.491.1686 classads @ lamar.colostate.edu

Artists and veterans aren’t always an odd couple. On Nov. 8 from 7 to 9 p.m. in the CSU Library Banquet Ballroom, the Veterans Print Project will unveil artwork depicting the stories of CSU student veterans and present written summaries of them as well. The artist and their veteran will present the pieces together as part of CSU and Fort Collins’ celebration of Veteran’s Week, which is geared to draw attention to locals who have served in the armed forces through a series of events from Nov. 5 to Nov. 12. The 5K Veteran’s Day Run/Walk on Nov. 10 from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at CSU’s Oval will be followed by a ceremony at Veteran’s Plaza of Northern Colorado from noon to 2 p.m. This year’s keynote address will be given by CSU Vice President for Energy and the Environment and retired Air Force Maj. Gen. Ron Sega.

-- Collegian Staff Report

The app !

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN Lory Student Center Box 13 Fort Collins, CO 80523

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

ADVISING STAFF

Kim Blumhardt | Advertising Manager Michael Humphrey | Journalism Adviser

KEY PHONE NUMBERS Newsroom | 970-491-7513 Distribution | 970-491-1146 Classifieds | 970-491-1686 Display Advertising | 970-491-7467 or 970-491-6834

Editor’s Note: News Editor Andrew Carrera interned with President Barack Obama’s reelection campaign this summer. He has removed himself from all political coverage including writing, editing and discussions – this include’s the paper’s daily editorial “Our View.”

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, November 6, 2012

“It’s not just about the idea, it’s about the person. If we can give the skills, training, and understanding, it will be what they need.” Charisse McAulifee | Director for the Institute of Entrepreneurship

The next big idea for entrepreneurs By CANDICE MILLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian The Institute of Entrepreneurship at CSU has launched the New Economy Venture Accelerator to pull those who create, invent and innovate from under the radar. "There are so many students with potential," said Charisse McAuliffe, director for the Institute of Entrepreneurship in the College of Business. "They're hungry for the opportunity." The Institute for Entrepreneurship began in May. They're a part of the College of Business and have always had coursework, but up until now it has been limited to just business students. "The motivation was that a number of students were underserved," McAuliffe said. "They needed an extra-curricular program that taught them the fundamentals." The Institute was looking to open coursework to students outside of business, with two core classes, catering to six majors so far: apparel and design merchandising, computer science, agricultural business, biomedical engineering, mechanical engineering, and LEAP — the Leadership, Entrepreneurship, Arts Advocacy and the Public, a minor and undergraduate

program. Ten other majors are on deck to offer classes starting in the fall. The Institute even had to take on new hires for this cross-campus collaboration. “It’s a collaborative organization,” said senior mechanical engineer major Dillon Martin. “It brings together people from different skills who still want to be individuals within that.” The New Economy Venture Accelerator is a 12 month program in which entrepreneurs develop their ideas with support and training. “It’s a medium –– it’s a channel for people with an idea that has potential to turn it into reality,” Martin said. Martin is one of the applicants for the Accelerator. He has been working on developing his longboarding company for the past six months. He has a team of people responsible for marketing, production and creative design, and intends on growing his company to encompass artist-driven apparel design and other products as well. “You can set your own deliverables,” Martin said. “Setting your own goals and working on your own company is very intriguing.” The program is composed of two sections. The first section is an Immersion

Lab, which is a 16 week intensive track program that focuses on hands-on experience training in an entrepreneurship space. It includes filing paperwork, talking to investors, launching marketing strategies and facilitating partnerships, with the goal of being ready to pitch to investors. Each week the students come together in a workshop taught by experts in the business community. Students also work with mentors and advisers within and outside of the program. It also involves peer-to-peer collaboration. “I have skills to offer to other entrepreneurs,” Martin said. “And the professors have real world experience.” The second section is the Big Business Plan Competition, in which students in the program compete, but also students who didn't get accepted or missed the deadline, can pitch their ideas at the competition. If after that period of time they're still not ready to launch, there's an opportunity for an eight month startup springboard. It's a lot more relaxed of an environment, but involves tracking for benchmarking, and the students still have access to mentors and advisors, and the greater community. "We've made connections with big names in the

business world," McAuliffe said. "Each group agreed to take a hard look at the Venture program. It puts the College of Business on the map. Networking with these outside parties helps do that." The parameters of the New Economy Venture Accelerator are that the student must be a current undergraduate student, a graduate student or have just graduated within 12 months of graduation. The 12 best ventures are selected, and these ventures can be individuals or teams. McAuliffe said of all the applications so far, only two are business. Ventures are over the map as far as ideas, which isn't typical McAuliffe said. "It's not just about the idea, it's about the person. If we can give the skills, training, and understanding, it will be what they need," McAuliffe said. "Passion, desire and drive are equally important as the validity of the idea." In the selection process, the applicants are narrowed down to the top 20. If a student wants to get involved but doesn't have an idea, they can join a team. “If people have a great idea and the motivation, this is a great course for them,” Martin said. Collegian Writer Candice Miller can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Sandy wounds minds and homes By SHASHANK BENGALI AND CINDY CARCAMO The McClatchy Tribune

CONEY ISLAND, N.Y. — The Rev. Armando Palmieri normally tends to his parishioners at the Shrine Church of Our Lady of Solace, but after super storm Sandy devastated the neighborhood, inundating homes and washing away cars, even some of his priests have come to him suffering from anxiety. “They don’t know what the future will hold,” Palmieri said after celebrating Mass on Sunday in a chapel that also had flooded. Volunteers managed to pump out seawater and mud, rip up the carpet, power wash the floors and clean the stained glass windows, finishing just in time for 200 worshipers to arrive. Power was still out, so the church relied on lamps and ran long extension cords to a power source outside. The mega-storm that left millions in New York, New Jersey and elsewhere without the basics of modern life — electricity, heat, gas or paychecks — also left many with psychological scars that are less visible but, doctors say, likely to take a growing toll. Signs of frayed nerves are everywhere. Fistfights have broken out in mile-long gas

lines. Some Brooklyn residents are sleeping with knives to ward off would-be looters. Victims of the storm curse the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the American Red Cross, elected officials and anyone else for what they call a slow response to a crisis that refuses to end. “The psychological impact of this disaster upon New York is immense and will likely increase in the coming days, weeks and months,” Benjamin Rosen, spokesman for the New York State Office of Mental Health, wrote in an email. Shortly after the storm slammed into the city Oct. 29, the psychiatric ward at Columbia University Medical Center filled to capacity with a 30 percent surge in patients, and almost half reported mental health symptoms associated with the storm. They showed “anxiety and stress over what had happened and how they were going to cope with it,” said Dr. Jeffrey Lieberman, chairman of psychiatry at the hospital. The health effects, he said, “will grow over time.” Medical facilities are also stressed, and several major hospitals were forced to evacuate patients when power failed. Authorities

closed the main psychiatric center in Staten Island, the blue collar borough where at least 19 people died in the storm, and moved its patients to facilities in Queens and the Bronx. The New York Artificial Kidney Center, which provides dialysis for 180 patients in Brooklyn, also had to close. The patients have been moved to other treatment centers. “These are people whose kidneys are destroyed, who have hypertension, diabetes, they’re amputees,” said Clara Tarantul, the center’s administrator. “The change is extremely stressful for everyone.” Doctors and experts say the storm’s aftermath is likely to test the resilience of N.Y.’s most vulnerable residents as well as its hardiest, whose seen-it-all nonchalance has endured previous hurricanes, urban violence and the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. But Sandy’s geographic reach was far greater, affecting not just parts of N.Y.’s five boroughs, but its northern suburbs, Long Island to the east, and dozens of communities in N.J. and 11 other states. Adding to the stress: Temperatures are expected to plunge in coming days. Aid agencies such as

Doctors Without Borders, famous for working in war zones overseas, have deployed mental health professionals to emergency shelters in Staten Island; Hoboken, N.J.; and other affected areas. On Sunday, about 660 volunteers in green vests from the Ridgewood, N.J.based World Mission Society Church of God went door-to-door to check on residents in parts of Queens, Staten Island and Hoboken. “A lot of people were suffering from depression,” said Mike Schardinger, who was leading a team around Hoboken. “But just the fact that people are here to help makes them feel good,” Some experts said New Yorkers may be better prepared to cope with the trauma than many other Americans. Many are descended from immigrants who overcame obstacles to reach America and achieve success. That spirit of resilience is part of the city’s DNA. Living in N.y. already requires a high degree of stress tolerance. “Living in a high density urban environment — same with Los Angeles — may make you more resilient than, let’s say, people who live in Aspen,” Lieberman said.

SWING | Crucial votes in

the electoral college Continued from Page 1 sway undecided voters. Last weekend 50 Republican volunteers from Utah came to Larimer County to knock on doors and encourage Republicans and independents to vote. “It’s fun to get out there and talk to voters,” Dick said. “… To be able to talk to them and hear what their concerns and thoughts are, it’s an important part of the campaign process and something that needs to be done and you gotta create that for independent voters and make sure

they hear your view.” Democratic volunteers also walked door-to-door throughout the campaign season and worked at the Larimer County Democrats office calling voters to sway undecideds and energize Democrats. Maez has worked at the office every day for the past three weeks. “It’s a battle until the very end,” Maez said, “And it’ll be a battleground state just like it has been throughout the entire election season.” Politics Beat Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

COLLEGIAN

OPINION Tuesday, November 6, 2012 | Page 4

YOUR TWO CENTS

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION:

Which presidential canidate are you voting for?

31% 30% 29% *218 people voted in this poll.

31% Barack Obama. 29% Mitt Romney. 30% Gary Johnson. 5% Jill Stein. 5% Other.

TODAY’S QUESTION: Are you more excited for the election or for Halo 4 come out? 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.

Pop cultural obesity

By BRYCE LIEDTKE

Your health extends beyond diet and exercise — intellectual and creative consumption are as pivotal as eating your vegetables and vitamins. You may not get scurvy from neglecting the arts, but the American obesity crisis possesses a twin brother in the form of our cultural intake. There is a tendency for generations to view their successors’ pop culture as lacking in style, taste, talent or originality. This trend has confronted some great cultural gems. Rock n’ roll was condemned as “devil’s music,” beat literature was described as rambling and indulgent, jazz met accusations of obscenity and even artists like Van Gogh went unrecognized until post-mortem. Despite this predisposition, modern creative output faces a different challenge. Our issue is not a matter of a lacking talent pool or harsh judgment, the creative volume we possess is as bountiful as ever. What is problematic is how exposure to the masters of the arts has become a niche hobby. Last week, I performed an impromptu study, admittedly unscientific. Throughout the day I asked people to tell me their favorite modern artists, authors, musicians, movies and shows. More interesting than any particular responses was how many people told me they didn’t remember the last book they read for fun, didn’t know any current visual artists by name, or simply hadn’t gone to the movies in some time. After some deliberation, my thesis came together as follows: Our cultural palette has been distorted by constant force-feeding of what I will call “high-fructose-entertainment-syrup” –– the junk food of creativity. Recently, I went to see “The Master,” an incredibly well-acted and shot film with Joaquin Phoenix and Philip Seymour Hoffman. The only theater playing it was the Lyric Cinema Café, one of my personal favorite Fort Collins institutions. In this independent theater, you can lounge on couches instead of theater seats, buy a local craft brew, get gourmet snacks and dishes, and do it at a reasonable ticket price. Nevertheless, this cinema struggles to maintain enough business to stay financially afloat. What gives? The reason for this I will analogize to taking the

creative nutritional pyramid and turning it upside-down, replacing quality with fillers. If obesity extends beyond physical dimensions, our cultural trousers would require an elastic waistband. Six of the 10 highest grossing films of 2012 are sequels, a prime indicator of cultural apathy. You remember MTV, right? The “music” television station. As a product of the 90’s, my after-school hours were spent watching music videos and envying Carson Daly’s job on “T.R.L.” These days, “meatballs,” getting drunk on the Jersey Shore and 17 year-olds fighting custody battles for illegitimate children replace my Weezer and Beastie Boys’ videos. Make no mistake. Some crap is necessary. We need these things as a frame of reference — like they say, the sweet isn’t so sweet without the bitter. We should consume junk culture the same way we do a bag of Cheetos or a Mountain Dew: sparingly and supplemented by a nutritious diet. What we digest culturally feeds forms the perceptions we develop about everything from sexuality to politics. I would rather not see popular culture dictated by Snooki and the cast of “16 and Pregnant.” We have all fantasized about living in a different time period. For many writers, it’s among the Parisian literary circle of the twenties; for rockers it could be the Woodstock era. My greatest hope would be for us cultivate a modern renaissance that our children look back on with envy. Hipster subculture is something that has seen exponential growth over the last decade. For me it’s a double-edged sword. On one hand, I commend the patience and determination to sift through the diluted ocean of media for the good stuff: musicians that actually play instruments, artists that provoke thought — but come on guys, drop the elitist mentality. Good music, books, art and so on are creations that should be hailed and screamed of from the rooftops, not treated as if you’re Gollum guarding his precious. One of the truly exquisite traits humanity possesses is the ability to create beauty outside of ourselves. Our capacity to capture the human condition through the arts, whether horrific or sublime, distinguishes us as a species. In the end I ask only one thing: Help me out. Don’t allow us to be a generation that casts the exceptional to the margins, watch your junk food culture intake and, above all, never stop creating and sharing. Bryce Liedtke is a senior finance major. His columns appear every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

OUR VIEW

Politics beyond the elections Election Day is upon us. Colorado is in the national spotlight as one of the few swing states that could help determine the election. Your vote has never been more critical. Critical in a way that’s more than the usual rhetoric thrown at citizens in an effort to rock the vote. In Colo., an automatic recount is triggered when the margin of votes between the winning candidate and the next highest candidate is less that 0.5 percent. The responsibility for administering the recount in such an event would fall to our Secretary of State, Republican Scott Gessler. Yes the same Scott Gessler who mailed letters to 4,000 Colo. voters asking them to prove that they’re eligible to vote and are legal

citizens, sparking accusations of discrimination and racial profiling. We’re confident that if a recount occurs, it will be handled

“The price of freedom and liberty is eternal vigilance. This extends far beyond the election of 2012.” fairly and impartially, but this issue just highlights the importance and potential sway that each vote has. So if you haven’t voted yet, put this down right this second

and go vote. Beyond that, remember that if we truly want to affect some tangible change in our political system, we can’t just tune in to the political sphere once every couple years. The price of freedom and liberty is eternal vigilance. This extends far beyond the election of 2012. We must keep our government accountable with every piece of legislation that’s passed and executive order that is issued. Our country changes incrementally, the people’s voice must be there every step of the way to scrutinize every decision our representatives make. With a titanic debt, crumbling infrastructure and with the threat of being mired in international conflicts — we can do nothing less.

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

Turkey trouble this Thanksgiving

By MALINDA DEBELL

’Tis the season to be thankful. I have memories of grade school assignments asking us to write down what we we’re thankful for. As a child, I was proud to use my hand-shaped turkey to display my thankfulness with the words “family,” “pets” and “toys.” As a young adult, the word imprinted in my mind is “agriculture.” The holiday season is fast-approaching. We may have different ways of interpreting and celebrating the holidays; this season, I challenge you to think of Thanksgiving in a different light. Thanksgiving is a popular secular holiday that often includes lots of food and football, yet it is a holiday founded in agriculture. America’s first Thanksgiving holiday is attributed to a feast involving Pilgrims and American Indians in Plymouth, Mass. in 1621. They celebrated a bountiful agricultural harvest after many Pilgrims had died of starvation

and disease during their first year as colonists in the New World. Now, many Americans stuff themselves with turkey, vegetable dishes, breads, gravy and desserts. But this kind of gluttony won’t be possible in the future if we don’t invest in continued innovations to improve agricultural production and food security. An estimated one billion people in the world already live with chronic hunger and some agricultural forecasts anticipate further food shortages. According to the High Level Task Force on the Global Food Security Crisis, a rise in energy prices is an economic cause of an inflection in food cost. This change has already made it difficult to feed the current population — in the U.S. and around the world. The Bureau of Economics states that population increases have led to a decrease in agriculture infrastructure not only by demanding a greater increase in production, but by also limiting its factors for success. A decline in land availability and limiting water usage and natural resources has caused a problem of food insecurity. This change in our economy, the earth's climate and the agricultural structure is why agricultural production and food systems may not be able to support future holiday feasts, such as Thanksgiving. The National Turkey Federation recorded the turkey data from 2011. Last year there were nearly 250 million turkeys raised in the U.S.. Over the holiday seasons, 219 million were consumed. The remaining 30 million turkeys were

consumed throughout the year in the form of turkey bacon, turkey burgers and turkey deli meat. USDA National Agricultural Statistics Service recorded data of food consumed on Thanksgiving. In 2010, the all the turkeys collectively weighed 7.11 billion pounds and generated $4.37 billion. In 2011, five states produced 430 million pounds of cranberries. N.C. produced 970 million pounds of sweet potatoes, more than any other state. The states of Calif., N.Y. and Ohio together produced at least 100 million pounds of pumpkins, and Illinois grew 427 million pounds of pumpkins. Altogether, pumpkins in the United States were valued in at $117 million. That’s a lot of food! Agriculture is an industry America knows how to run, and agriculture in our country is capable of supporting the cultures and traditions of America’s citizens. That could change if we don’t work diligently to improve technology, resources, demand and the price of producing food. I challenge you to use this holiday to become aware of the possibility for food shortages. It is vital to find solutions so the next generation can continue to enjoy the feasts we associate with Thanksgiving.

Malinda DeBell is a sophomore animal science major. Her column appears 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, November 6, 2012 | Page 5

Yays and Nays Yay | to elections being almost over. Finally we can listen to Pandora and watch

NAY | to the football team losing the Border War... again. Maybe the Bold New Era

YouTube in peace.

will start next year.

NAY | to the lame duck presidency period... if it happens. But hey, if it does happen, maybe Amanda Bynes can get an official presidential pardon for her recent brushes with the law.

YAY | to Veteran’s Week. It’s great that our university is recognizing those who

Yay | to volleyball winning the Border War. They were definitely one team that did

NAY | to the end of robocalls. Now we’re going to have to start paying for

CSU proud. Speaking of which...

served, but let’s do it everyday, not just for one week out of the year.

LiveLinks... again.

Vote for Gary Johnson, fix the system

Habiba Hamed, my Sudanese sister

By BROOKE LAKE

How do you introduce yourself to a stranger? This thought ran through my mind the first day of fall semester as I randomly took a seat next to Habiba Hamed. Donning a fashionably tied hijab and terrifically coordinated outfit, she flashed me a smile then invested her attention in the professor. First encounters can be tricky. Clearly she was Muslim, but I could assume nothing more. After class, I swallowed my doubts and met her with “salaam al-aykum” (a common greeting amongst Muslims). Despite a world of differences between us, our friendship blossomed organically and quickly. I want to share with you Habiba Hamed’s story. From Sudan, Habiba escaped to the United States with her family three years ago. Her emotional and powerful story was described to me from a dichotomous perspective — one that recognized the tragic social ills that plague Sudanese society and government, and the other which gave me a glimpse into fond memories of strong family ties, a passionate people and a beautiful landscape. Habiba’s favorite memories revolve around family. With a delightful smile, she shared

Dorothy Allison pointed out that, “Change, when it comes, cracks everything open.” This was reflected in the responses to what became an historical event on Thursday, Oct. 11, 2012 as Dutch Elms on the Oval were wrapped in rainbow colors as a reminder of GLBTQ History Month and posted signs shared the significance of the rainbow flag, National Coming Out Day and GLBTQ History Month. Many folks affiliated with the CSU community have shared comments in person and online via Facebook and email. One alumnus noted the display was "the most visible display" in relation to GLBTQ communities he had ever seen. Another alumnus noted walking onto the Oval on Thursday was like "opening a Christmas gift." n-Over 900 likes were seen on

with me stories of how every time her grandfather would come home with a bag of fish from the morning’s catch, he would announce himself to the family saying, “Santa is here!” She loved sharing early morning meals laid out on the floor with her entire family, all made from the dear hands of her grandmother. Stories of childhood were shared with the children from the beloved lips of her grandfather. Family, according to Habiba, meant life. Although she holds tightly onto a fistful of sweet memories, Habiba cannot dismiss the depraved reality she and the rest of Sudan have experienced. Upon driving through the streets of Khartoum one morning, Habiba recalls seeing a small body slumped on the side of the road. After further inspection, she discovered the body had been gnashed and dismembered from the common parade of street dogs. She could guess that the baby had been abandoned out of desperation, as this is a common result of extreme poverty among Sudanese women. Many of these women who “drop off” their children at the dump, Habiba told me, had been raped and now face the reality of being physically and financially unable to take care of both herself and the baby. Ultimately, she must abandon her baby in order to live. Although orphanages exist within Khartoum, the number of homeless children overwhelms the carrying capacity of such social programs. Thus, it becomes a matter of time for these abandoned babies to become dog feed. This is just one of a number of chilling stories Habiba holds within her mental retainer. She blames the government and specifically Sudan’s president, Omar

al-Bashir, for the blood, hunger, poverty and violence raging throughout Sudan. Sudan’s breathtaking geography and vibrant culture contrasts its violent history of corruption, military coups, genocide, poverty and economic instability. Even though the people of Sudan have witnessed decades of civil war which resulted in genocide at the hand of their president, they are still described to me as “beautiful people with beautiful spirits.” I witness this beautiful spirit in Habiba. After spending so much time with her, I do not see a victim. I see an empowered human being. The future she speaks of isn’t tainted by past tragedy. It’s rich in promise. Her dream, Habiba told me, has always been to attend a university. Her flight from Sudan allowed her to realize that dream. Even more outstanding, she is the first member in her family to receive a formal education. Habiba plans to use her education from Colorado State University as a weapon to enable and protect her from the perils that plague much of Sudan. She has and will continue to participate in revolutions against the heinous Sudanese government in hopes that her country will see peace and prosperity. She refuses to let her life and the lives of her Sudanese brothers and sisters be left to dogs. I am proud to have Habiba Hamed as my Sudanese sister, and I want to call on the CSU community to recognize that we are blessed to have such terrific and inspiring international students among us. Editorial Assistant Brooke Lake is a senior international studies major. Her column appears every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

GUEST COLUMN Facebook, 100 shares and over 70 comments were posted. Many commenters voiced their increased pride as CSU Rams. Not all responses to the display were positive. Still, we are reminded of Dr. Frank’s April 2011 letter where he reiterated the need for CSU to be a “safe and welcoming learning environment for all people.” We have come to understand that most Rams feel a connection to the stately, beautiful Dutch Elms and that our campus strives to be welcoming and affirming to multiple communities, including GLBTQ communities. We hope the momentum started will give way to more opportunities to dialogue with one another, more moments where we can celebrate with one another,

be proud of ourselves and each other, and educate one another. The Oval display grew out of a brainstorm about what GLBTQ History month is and how to reflect the pride of a diverse community in which others would be invited to share. We have an opportunity, and perhaps an obligation, to continue creating spaces where we engage in dialogue with one another, interrupt the joke or anti-gay epithet, and cultivate a campus where each voice matters and no one feels marginalized. Dr. Frank is right — “diversity is our greatest strength … and it can also be a challenge.” We, as members of a learning community, are up for the challenge. May we continue to cultivate “the respect, understanding, and effort to understand each

other’s experiences and perspectives” (Dr. Frank, April 2012), and embody a holistic institution that exemplifies excellence, equity and inclusion. This journey of understanding will take all of us. By K. Foula Dimopoulos, MSW Director of the CSU GLBT Resource Center Signed by the CSU Student Diversity Programs and Services cluster: Asian Pacific American Cultural Center Black/African American Cultural Center El Centro Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, & Transgender Resource Center Native American Cultural Center Resources for Disabled Students Women & Gender Advocacy Center

By KEVIN JENSEN

Our political system is broken. America is increasingly a heightened police state in perpetual war; we’ll continue to borrow and spend money in a way that is completely unsustainable whether Republicans or Democrats are elected. I'm voting for Libertarian candidate Gary Johnson for president. I'm voting for Johnson to fix our political system and end the tyranny of the two party binopoly. Anybody who says voting for Johnson is wasting his or her vote couldn't be more wrong. No, Johnson is not going to win the presidency; voting for Johnson will accomplish something much bigger than that. If Gary Johnson receives 5 percent of the popular vote, then in the next presidential campaign the Libertarian party will receive equal access to federal funding and easier access onto all 50 states’ ballots. Each state enacts unique requirements to appear on the ballot, requiring candidates to gather tons of signatures, follow many convoluted procedures and pay steep filing fees. Luckily Republicans and Democrats are automatically included on all of the ballots, so they don't have to deal with the nuisance of hurtling these bureaucratic booby traps. With federal funding, the Libertarian party will have millions to campaign with next election cycle, enough to spread his message far enough to poll at the 15 percent needed to enter the national presidential debates. Once on that stage, the American people will have a fundamental alternative to Republicans and Democrats — which this election has made glaringly apparent that there’s very little substantive difference between Romney and Obama. Obama has virtually ignored the War Powers Resolution during his intervention in Libya and other conflicts around the globe — Romney has indicated he’ll lead along the same lines. Gary Johnson offers a stark alternative: always abiding by the War Powers Resolution, decreasing our military presence and global interventionism and not bombing Iran — how radical. While both Obama and Romney plan to increase defense spending, Gary Johnson is advocating getting out of Afghanistan tomorrow, cutting defense spending by 43 percent — and, more importantly, decreasing our military presence abroad with commonsense measures such as bringing home our thousands of troops stationed in places like Europe. In regards to our global, neverending War on Terror, Romney and Obama are identical in supporting infractions against American

citizens' civil liberties in the name of security, supporting the Patriot Act, unmanned domestic drones, the FISA Amendments and more government surveillance and control of the Internet. Gary Johnson will repeal the Patriot Act and correct the overreach of federal power in response to 9/11, end the use of domestic drones at home, actively promote the cause of Internet freedom and oppose these bills and others like it that seek to enable more government surveillance and control. Gary Johnson is an avowed enemy of the signing of the 2012 NDAA, which both Obama and Romney support, in which Obama sought to legalize the indefinite detention of American citizens without charge or trial. While Obama and Romney both plan to continue to raid, prosecute and imprison millions with a continuation of America's drug war, Gary Johnson is proposing to end the War on Drugs now, to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana now. He’s the only presidential candidate advocating for Colorado’s Amendment 64. Instead of just offering lip service to equality and gay rights, Johnson believes that marriage equality is a constitutionally guaranteed right and should legislatively and judicially be established as such at the federal level. This is more than pandering for the vote of a specific demographic — it's substantively fighting for equality. The Republicans' and Democrats' binopoly is 5 percent away from being revealed for the corrupt, tyrannical, false dichotomy that it truly is. Those of you seeking to change the system will never accomplish it by voting Republican or Democrat. They already own the system. They’re the ones who’ve ruined it. They’re not going to fix it. When then do we stop voting for them? Will we ever? Are we just going to lay down and accept this broken, corrupt, partisan system that we've inherited? We are the next generation. It is about time we started acting like it. The time to break the two party stranglehold is now. I will not vote for continued spending and borrowing, the bailouts and subsidies of the two main parties, whose distributions are subservient to corporate interests. I do not consent to unending global intervention and continuing the drug war and living in a heightened police state. I don't want to vote for Obama or Romney because in three years I don't want to be protesting against the man I helped elect into office. Our political system is broken. We can fix it with 5 percent of the vote; let's get these issues in the national dialogue. They want to keep us out of the conversation, but the cause of liberty is not going away. I'm voting for Gary Johnson this election. I'm voting to fix the system.

Editorial Editor Kevin Jensen is a senior English major. He can be reached at kjensen@collegian.com or on Twitter @kevinrjensen.

Collegian Opinion Page Policy

6 Tuesday, November 6, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

FRAUD | Prevention or discrimination Continued from Page 1 Leah Gonzales, deputy director of Governmental Affairs at ASCSU, disagreed. “I think that it is a good idea to prevent potential problems with voter fraud, however not everyone has access to an ID. It puts several people at a disadvantage, including racial minorities and the elderly,” Gonzales said. According to the Nation-

al Conference of State Legislatures, Colorado requires that “any eligible elector desiring to vote shall show his or her identification as defined in section 1-1-104.” The forms of identification can include a Colorado driver's license, Colo. Dept. of Revenue ID card, U.S. Passport, U.S. military ID with photo, a copy of a current utility bill, bank statement, government check, paycheck or other govern-

ment documents that show the name and address of the elector. If an ID can not be presented at the time of voting, the elector will be given a provisional ballot and has to obtain approval from an election official to have their vote counted. Diversity beat and entertainment reporter Bailey Constas (@BaileyLiza) can be reached at news@collegian.com.

“Nationally, what we see is the average student loan debt for grads continues to grow.” Jill Cochrane | Research Director

ILLUSTRATION BY JAMES DEVORE

The burdens of borrowing Graduating CSU students average over $22,000 in debt By CHRISTOPHER BOAN The Rocky Mountain Collegian A recent survey by the Institute for College Access and Success on student loan debt showed that the average student graduated with $26,600 worth of debt. CSU students fall well below that number. Between 2010 to 2011, Rams typically left the university $22,028 in debt. That’s still $255 higher than the average Colo. graduate’s debt, which is $22,283. Tom Biedscheid, who works with CSU’s Student Financial Services, said that the state’s continued

cuts to higher education spending and other factors have led to the rapid rise in debt. “(Student loan debt) is certainly a hot-button issue right now,” Biedscheid said. “When you look at all the data, about 52 percent of students take out loans, the bottom line is good financial literacy and students understanding what it means to stay within a budget and mapping out costs at CSU will help minimize their debt.” The rise in student debt troubles the ICAS’s Research Director, Jill Cochrane. She said that the increasing debt load and

poor job market are a recipe for trouble, and that policymakers must head off the problem. “Nationally, what we see is the average student loan debt for grads continues to grow,” Cochrane said. “College tuition is certainly one of the factors related to how much students are borrowing, so politicians need to remember that by cutting money to schools they are shifting the burden onto students and their families.” Collegian Writer Christopher Boan can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Election Day: Time for voters to see the impact of their decisions By DAVID LIGHTMAN The McClatchy Newspapers WASHINGTON — After billions of dollars, hours of debates and frantic last minute pitches from the candidates, it’s up to the voters Tuesday to decide whether to give President Barack Obama a second term or change course with Republican Mitt Romney. Also at stake is control of Congress. Thirty-three Senate seats and all 435 House of Representatives seats are up this year, and while the House is expected to remain in Republican hands, Senate control hinges on a host of tight races. Turnout will be one key to handicapping who’s winning the White House and congressional battles, heading a long list of unknowns. Will the relentlessly negative campaign help or hurt? Did superstorm Sandy benefit the president? Did early voting give him a big advantage? Once the polls close starting at 6 p.m. EST in Indiana and Kentucky, a number of early clues will signal whether Obama or Romney will get the 270 electoral votes needed to win. Polls on Monday continued to show the race a virtual tie nationally and in most of the 11 battleground states. The first hints of how the night might go will come in four early poll-closing states: Virginia, North Carolina, New Hampshire and Indiana. Obama won all four in 2008. Romney needs all four if he’s to become the sixth person in 100 years to defeat a sitting president. Should he falter in even one, or the results become too close to call, this race won’t be over quickly. Obama, on the other hand, can score an important win early by taking Florida. Losing its 29 electoral votes would be a huge blow to Romney, who has pushed hard for the state’s votes and began his last full campaign day Monday in Orlando. “Tomorrow we begin a better tomorrow,” Romney told about 1,000 supporters, stressing his closing argument that Obama bungled the economy and is too fierce a partisan to work with Republicans. The president was in Madison, Wis., where he appeared with legendary rocker Bruce

Voters wait in line at the Supervisor of Elections ofﬁce in Lauderhill to drop off their absentee ballots, Monday, November 5, 2012, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.

Springsteen. “I stood with President Obama four years ago, and I’m proud to stand with him today,” Springsteen said. Obama hugged the singer and reminded the crowd, “We’ve got more change to make.” Turnout was expected to be down somewhat from 2004 and 2008, according to models developed by the Gallup Organization. Voters “have not been quite as engaged” in the election, a Gallup analysis said, and many voters could be distracted by Sandy, whose impact is still being felt in parts of the Northeast. As the night unfolds, here’s how to watch the returns:

THE STATES

Most states are solidly for Obama or Romney, so 11 are likely to decide the race. All have polling places scheduled to close by 10 p.m. EST. All went for Obama last time, and he has to hold on to most of them to win again.

HOUR BY HOUR

7 p.m. EST: Virginia. Obama’s 2008 victory was the first there by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1964. Romney needs its 13 electoral votes. 7:30 p.m. EST: Ohio, North Carolina. Romney needs Ohio and its 18 electoral votes; no Republican has won the White House without the state. North Carolina is another state Obama won in 2008, the first time a Demo-

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crat had taken it in decades, but Romney is counting on winning its 15 electoral votes. If not, he’s probably in trouble. 8 p.m. EST: New Hampshire, Florida, Pennsylvania. If Obama wins Florida, Romney’s chances would get shakier. But if Romney wins Pennsylvania’s 20 electoral votes, which Obama has regarded for months as his, the president should start worrying. The four electoral votes of New Hampshire — Democratic in the last two elections — matter if the race stays close. 9 p.m. EST: Wisconsin, Colorado, Michigan. A Romney win in Michigan — a state Obama won last time by 16 percentage points — would be another sign that the president is faltering. Wisconsin and Colorado are tossups. 10 p.m. EST: Iowa, Nevada. Nevada has been trending Democratic. A strong Latino turnout would be a signal that Obama is doing well. Iowa is another tossup. 10 p.m. EST: Iowa, Nevada. Nevada has been trending Democratic. A strong Latino turnout would be a signal that Obama is doing well. Iowa is another tossup.

WILD CARDS

Turnout. Conventional wisdom says Democrats tend to dominate early voting, while Republicans do better on Election Day, so a

big turnout could mean a big day for Romney.

LATINO VOTING

Tuesday marks the culmination of four years of registering new voters in hopes of harnessing growing Latino clout and finally shattering the reputation that Latinos are apathetic voters who can be ignored. In 2008, 50 percent of eligible Latino voters cast ballots, compared with 65 percent of blacks and 66 percent of whites, according to the Pew Hispanic Center. The National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials estimates that 12 million Latino voters will visit the polls in this year’s election, which would be a 26 percent increase from 2008. More than 3 million Latinos are expected to vote in their first presidential election. A big turnout could mean the difference in Colorado, Nevada and perhaps Arizona.

LONG LINES

Polls might stay open past closing time, delaying the vote count. But if lines are too long and people get discouraged, they might go home.

HURRICANE SANDY

Will voters be more sympathetic to Obama in hardhit states such as Pennsylvania or New Hampshire? Or blame the feds for being too slow to respond?

8 Tuesday, November 6, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, November 6, 2012

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (11/06/12). Despite chaos from Mercury’s retrograde, you’re in the limelight this year. Use your influence wisely for the greatest impact. Income, status and audience grow steadily, shifting toward educational exploration after June. Stay grounded with exercise, healthy food and love.

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

Wondermark

Tim Rickard

Brewster Rockit

Rochelle Peeler

Meh Comex

Ctrl+z

Chelsea London

ARIES (March 21-April 19) ––9–– Kind words empower others. You can solve the puzzle. Rely on a wise partner. Watch out for fouled-up orders through the end of the month. Mercury goes retrograde today. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––9–– Consider an outrageous, but unprofitable, request. Hold out for the best deal. For about three weeks, fine-tune your routine at work, and apply creativity. Go with what works. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––8–– Private effort pays off, revealing a new view. Your choice matters. Provide for others. Over the next month, revisit past creative ideas. Your good luck holds. Proceed with caution. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––7–– Accept encouragement without letting a loud person hurt your feelings. Check out an interesting suggestion. Speak out and be counted. Stick to the basics. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––9–– Ask questions. Consider an outrageous possibility. You can afford to fix things; make your home more comfortable. Reaffirm commitments, and balance work with pleasure. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––6–– You’re most successful over the next month, playing games you know well. Make sure you have all of the facts. Record your choice. Postpone an outing or launch. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––8–– Don’t bend the rules. If in doubt, ask an expert. A win-win outcome is possible. There’s less urgency and more repetition for the next few weeks. Stick up for your view. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––8–– Your reputation is growing. Discover forgotten treasures. It’s not a good time to travel, sign or sell. Watch out for misunderstandings for the next three weeks. Revise and refine. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––8–– Review your conclusions. Follow the advice of friends. Postpone negotiations. You already have what you need. Give a little to get a little. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––7–– Follow the money trail. Act on reliable information. Ask probing questions. You have valuable resources hidden. Listen carefully. Choose to participate. You matter. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––8–– Take a break from routine. Review and resolve career issues; sort, file and organize. Pad your schedule and wallet for the unexpected. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––7–– Don’t gamble. Delegate to a perfectionist. Your fans think you’re brilliant. It’s natural to renew old bonds. Postpone travel, and provide excellent service. Vote.

David Malki

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan

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

The awkward moment you have to get up for class but realize your roommate has the lotion and kleenex out.

You know the boxes of “skin color” crayons — there was never any macaroni orange in there: Take an example from the crayons

You know you are ready for break when you can’t even do the one star sudoku.

I love the nonchalant walk people do after tripping over themselves.

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle 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

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 Things to wear 5 Chemists’ rooms 9 One who asks too many questions 14 Campus sports gp. 15 Irish name for Ireland 16 Christina of “Speed Racer” 17 Dough dispensers 18 Real attitude underlying a facade 20 Letter to Santa, essentially 22 Pennsylvania in Washington, for one 23 Summer in Lyon 24 Sent a quick note online 25 The Hulk’s alter ego 30 Barnyard brayer 33 Woman in Poe’s “The Raven” 34 J. Paul Getty or J.R. Ewing 36 Dubai bigwig 37 “... to __ it mildly” 38 Piece of ice 39 Revolutionary toy of the ‘70s-’80s? 42 “Boyfriend” singer Justin 44 Fr. holy woman 45 Song covered by Michael Bublé, say 47 Glasgow vetoes 48 Toronto’s prov. 49 Dining room necessities 52 Photos at the precinct 57 Aunt Jemima competitor 59 Auth. unknown 60 Perfumer Lauder 61 “As I see it,” online 62 Maker of Duplo toy bricks 63 Just behind the runner-up 64 Overly compliant 65 Flier on a pole, and at the ends of 18-, 25-, 45- and 57-Across Down 1 Emulate a beaver 2 Play beginning 3 Farm butters 4 Big party 5 Beatles tune that starts, “When I ﬁnd myself in times of trouble” 6 Like some Navy rescues 7 Champagne designation 8 Set eyes on 9 “Ignorance is bliss,” e.g. 10 Upset

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s Crossword sponsored by:

11 Clickable pic 12 Sandy-colored 13 Levitate 19 Humped beast 21 Sidelong look 24 Mid. name substitute 25 Anoint 26 Put the check in the mail 27 Bring together 28 Veggie on a cob 29 Pride and prejudice, e.g. 30 Caribbean resort 31 Like a teetotaler 32 Bergen’s dummy Mortimer 35 Scored 100 on 37 Domino dots 40 Practiced in the ring 41 Art of verse 42 Thailand’s capital 43 QB’s mistakes 46 “Well said” 47 African river 49 Atkins of country 50 Silence 51 Pro debater 52 Auntie of the stage 53 45 minutes, in soccer games 54 Scott Turow work 55 Roman robe 56 Smooch, in Staffordshire 58 __-dandy

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