The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, October 30, 2012 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Can the FISA Amendments Act be challenged in Supreme Court? | Page 4

Tuned Out

Page 7

Youth voters less engaged now than in 2008

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Volume 121 | No. 60

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

CSU students stranded by Tropical Storm Sandy By Kate Winkle The Rocky Mountain Collegian When CSU senior Michael Hanson traveled to Virginia to look at graduate school, he never expected he would be stuck near the epicenter of a giant storm. Sandy was downgraded from hurricane status shortly after making landfall near Atlantic City, N.J. at approximately 8 p.m. The storm affects an area on the east coast that stretches from Mass. to Va. The meteorologists expect 58 mph winds near the hotel in Virginia Beach, Va., where Hanson and his girlfriend, junior Morgan Dorsey, are staying, he said. “It’s definitely my first hurricane I’ve ever experienced,” Hanson said. “People who I know out here in Virginia say it’s a great way to welcome me to the Northeast.” Hanson and Dorsey arrived in Virginia Friday to watch Dorsey’s father,

an alumnus of Virginia Commonwealth, receive an award at the school. They then visited Dorsey’s family and Hanson looked at the university. The CSU students have to take a small connecting flight from Norfolk to return to Colo., but high winds have so far prevented the plane from taking off. “We keep pushing it back days, and days, and days so we’ll see when I get back,” Hanson said. Hanson and Dorsey are staying in one of the upper floors of their hotel, which is about 30 feet from the boardwalk on the beach. The hotel’s generators have maintained power in the building. While they wait to return to Colo., Dorsey and Hanson worked on homework and spent time with Dorsey’s brother, who lives in the area. “We tried to run down to a couple of stores the other day and everything’s closed, so we’re just stuck,” Dorsey said.

Hanson only has class Tuesday and Thursday, so he has not missed much school. But Dorsey had to email homework to her teachers and is missing a test on Tuesday. “That excuse covers it pretty well. ‘Stuck in a hurricane, sorry,’” Hanson said. Kiyara Woest, a sophomore communications major, was visiting her boyfriend at State College, Pa., when her flight was cancelled. Classes have been cancelled for students at the school, but the storm is not what she expected. “Right now there’s just a lot of rain … It’s not as bad inland as I thought it would be,” Woest said. Woest will also be missing classes and at least one exam. She plans to fly back to Colorado Thursday. Hanson expects he and Dorsey will fly out within the next few days. Senior Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Courtesy of Michael Hanson

Morgan Dorsey, a human development and family studies Colorado State junior, stands by her hotel on Virgina Beach Sunday afternoon as Hurricane Sandy prepares to make landfall.

Amendment S has little impact on higher ed. By austin briggs The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Madison Brandt | COLLEGIAN

On Monday, Canadian Apple representative, Steven Hayman, kicked off a series of Apple training seminars hosted by the Morgan Library with his lecture on how to creat your own “app.” These seminars will occur over the next serveral weeks, covering topics such as how to author your own digital textbook and how to make stunning photo gifts on your Mac.

Apple engineer speaks on campus Steve Hayman teaches the process of iOS app creation By Kevin ruby The Rocky Mountain Collegian Steve Hayman, senior consulting engineer for Apple, was invited by the Morgan Library to come to campus Monday to teach more than 200 students how to go about the process of iOS app creation. With more than 400 million Apple iPhones sold through June and more than 35 billion Apple iOS applications downloaded to this date, about 70,000 developers have submitted an iOS application to get a chance to taste a piece of that sweet Apple pie. XCode is a suite of tools for developing software on Mac OS X, developed by Apple. All iOS applications are created with this XCode, Hayman said. Even though XCode is in a programming language known as “Objective C”, Hayman showed how to use the XCode application in a way that anyone without prior coding knowledge could use it to build beginner applications.

Hayman went through step-bystep in the XCode application how to create a simple flashlight application. Hayman also noted that there are 155 countries around the world that have Apple App Stores, which houses more than 700,000 apps. He wanted to show that developing apps in different languages is essential to iOS application development. By bringing Steve Hayman to campus, Morgan Library has shown an interest in giving students a chance to learn how to use many different types of technologies, said David Ramsay, director of Strategic Relationships at CSU. “What we’re focusing in on is making the library the information and technology center for the university,” Ramsay said. “We’re going to be crossing over and trying to educate people with technology and then also having the most amount of information that the library normally does. And that kind of conver-

gence between those two of information and technology is probably best suited in the library.” He added that iOS app creation is a significant interest to students at CSU. “Just the amount of iPhones that are out there … it’s pretty pervasive,” Ramsay said. “The apps for those seems like that really relates to students. Students are always interested in developing things, and you know many apps were developed in college dorm rooms.” By bringing in lecturers from Apple to speak to students, Morgan Library believes this will help usher in the convergence of the library and information technology. Morgan Library will also be hosting a series of Apple training seminars focusing on how to use the latest iOS operating systems and devices. These seminars will be led by CSU’s own Apple representative Brandon Tejera. Collegian Writer Kevin Ruby can be reached at news@collegian.com.

A proposed amendment to modernize the state personnel system would have negligible effect on state classified employees at CSU. Put on the ballot with bipartisan support from the Colorado legislature, Amendment S seeks to change a system which hasn’t been updated in 40 years. It “would have very little substantial impact” to hiring practices and operations at CSU and other higher education systems, said Tony DeCrosta, executive director of human resources at CSU. “I don’t see it being a huge change for how we do business at CSU,” he added. He said of the approximately 6,200 employees at CSU, about 2,000 fall under the state classified designation, which is the group impacted by the amendment. State classified employees at CSU include some custodial staff, engineers, IT workers and others. Faculty and administration make up the other 4,200 employees and are exempted from the state civil system. One of the more significant changes would be the universities ability to look at six finalists for any job. Under the current system, an agency can only have three finalists for a job, applicants must live in the state of Colorado and temporary/seasonal workers are recruited and trained at taxpayer expense but aren’t allowed to return a second year to work. If approved, Amendment S would give preference to veterans for hiring, allow temporary workers to return a second year, allow six finalists for a job instead of three and allow job applicants to live 30 miles outside the Colorado border. Political appointments will be expanded from 125 to 325 positions in the state’s senior executive service. It would also change See Amendment on Page 3

the

Strip club

As the search for a new home for CSU’s Entomology Museum continues, our thoughts turn to the most exotic insects. For far too long, they have been brutally ignored in favor of more “cute” animals such as squirrels and CAM. Here they get their long deserved recognition!

Exotic and Awesome Insects

Tiger Moths

Tiger Moths are unique because of their sophisticated radar jammer. The Tiger Moths’ biggest predators are bats which rely on echolocation. Instead of trying to outrun the bats, Tiger Moths use their own echolocation to jam the bat’s echo, rendering them invisible.

Ironclad Beetles

Ironclad Beetles have adamantium exoskeletons. They are practically invulnerable. Entomologists have to use a power drill to crack their shells and display them in museums.

Crickets

While they may seem ordinary and tame, crickets are actually a natural thermometer. Scientists have determined that you can tell the temperature just by counting the number of cricket chirps in a 37 second period and then add 15 to tell the temperature in degrees fahrenheit. The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff.

2 Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Community Briefs

fort collins focus

Candy, music and fun at the Science Trivia Challenge! Got a knack for chemistry, computer science, zoology and physics, but feel like you might not be applying those skills often enough? Don’t worry –– the third annual Science Trivia Challenge is the venue for the even the most brain-spinning bits of information. Form a trivia team and join the College of Natural Sciences Ambassador program tonight from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. in the Lory Student Center Cherokee Park Ballroom and let that hardearned intellect shine. Prizes will be awarded to the top three teams. The event is free.

2012 Emerging Women Leaders Webinar Series The CSU VPR Organizational Development, Learning and Assessment will host the next installment of its year long webinar series from 10 a.m. to noon in the Rockwell Hall North Banquet Room. Although the program is designed to help emerging female workplace leaders learn how to better impact their work environment, students, staff, alum-

ni and Fort Collins community members of all sexes are welcome to attend. Guest speakers include Shannan Gardner (partner at Moss Adams LLP), Jennifer Pope (vice president of member interaction at Thrivent Financial for Lutherans) and is hosted by Margaret Saldaña (ODLA coordinator). For more information, visit www.advancing.colostate.edu.

“Mindfully Managing Stress” workshop series

It’s week 11 of the semester, which means that blood pressure is high and hours slept per night are few. There’s nothing wrong with admitting that school’s overwhelming and the CSU Health Network is here to help students power through to the end. Join the Health Network in the CSU Recreation Center’s Lower Conference Room today from 3:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. to learn about the helpful practice of mindfulness. The technique helps its users to be present in the moment with more acceptance, awareness and attentiveness.

-- Collegian Staff Report

correctionS

On Friday, Oct. 26, in the story titled “‘Colorado State’s Student Services building is incredibly haunted’ says RamTrax,” Jennifer Lobermeier was quoted as saying that Ammons Building is the most haunted on campus. According to Lobermeier, the most haunted building on campus is actually the Student Services Building. The story also reported that free food and a presentation is provided during the RamTrax History of CSU Mystery tour. No food or presentations are provided. The Collegian regrets these errors.

Dylan Langille | COLLEGIAN

Colorado State alumnus James Pramick sharpens the edges of a ski at Outpost Sunsport Monday afternoon. With resorts opening soon, many skiers and riders are doing everything they can to prepare for the winter ahead.

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

On Friday, Oct. 26, in the story titled “The rumored haunts of CSU’s architecture,” it was reported that Ammons Hall was once a music building. Ammons Hall has never been used for music education. It was also reported that Ammons Hall was built in 1922 during the Great Depression. It was in fact constructed in 1922 during the Roaring ‘20s. The Collegian regrets these errors.

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, October 30, 2012

“At this point we have a lot of pent up needs. We’re doing a lot of the things we have to but we still have to be patient.” Tom Holtzer | head of bioargicultural science and pest management department

Crowded Gilette Entomology Museum Search for bigger location to house CSU insect collections By Austin Briggs The Rocky Mountain Collegian When it rains, Paul Opler can’t sleep from worrying about drowning bugs. As the assistant director of the C.P. Gillette Museum of Arthropod Diversity, Opler helps watch over a three million specimen collection of insects valued at $6 million dollars. The current location of the museum, in the basement of Laurel Hall, is prone to water damage and minor flooding. “Every time there’s a thunderstorm, (Director) Boris (Kondratieff ) and I get uneasy,” Opler said. “Although it looks like nothing is happening right now, we sure would like to move before the next hundred or thousand year flood comes.” What was supposed to be a six week temporary relocation for the museum has turned into 10 long years of storage in conditions unsuitable for specimen preservation. The 2,600-square-foot space is ill-suited as an insect museum said Opler, who is also an entomology professor. “This space is prone to flooding, it’s cramped, has bad lighting, no refrigeration and most collections would have wider aisles,” Opler said. “This space was initially designed as a classroom.”

The space is packed tight with rows upon rows of dusty books and ancient insect field manuals. Almost 200 large metal cabinets reaching to the ceiling house wooden glass-topped drawers, each one holding up to several hundred pinned insect specimens. Every nook and cranny in the entire space is filled with insect related items. On the back wall, wooden drawers housing insects are stacked from the floor to the ceiling. “Even though our museum looks behind the times, we try to keep up with cutting edge research,” Opler said. “The main thing is DNA research. We also keep up with current insect classification which is the main point of the museum.” The collection is important, said entomology professor and museum director Boris Kondratieff, because it represents 15 orders of insects of national importance and is especially strong in the coverage of Rocky Mountain species. The museum has the largest collection of butterflies and moths in the region between St. Louis and California. “We do a lot of K through 12 outreach in the community as well,” Kondratieff said. “Kids can visit an active research collection. I did three

classes on Tuesday alone.” The museum was moved out of the Plant Sciences building in 2002, as the facility underwent renovation. The original plan was to temporarily store the collection in Laurel Hall and then move it to Fort Collins High School, what is now the University Center for the Arts. A lack of funds due in part to budget freezes from the state put the move on hold. Currently, there’s no space available on campus or at the UCA to house the museum. While acknowledging the current space is inadequate, department of bioagricultural sciences and pest management head Tom Holtzer said state budget woes have created a backlog of needed renovations to buildings within the College of Agricultural Sciences. The Animal Science and Shepardson Buildings are both in desperate need of repairs and have priority for renovations. An addition to the Plant Science Building to house a Natural History Museum with labs and classrooms would cost about $20 million and would probably have to be raised through private donations, Holtzer said. “At this point we have a lot of pent up needs. We’re doing a lot of the things we

have to but we still have to be patient,” Holtzer said. “To those of who are passionately committed to seeing the museum thrive, not just exist in a cubby hole, we’re going to do everything we can to see it as part of an improvement of buildings in our college.” Any new space would ideally have over twice the current square footage, higher ceilings, a stronger floor and compacting system and better ventilation and lighting along with a collections manager. Although there have been preliminary talks over the years about an addition to the Plant Sciences building to house a Natural History Museum, there are no concrete plans to move forward with the plan. “They made a model replica and have a few architectural drawings,” Kondratieff said. “In terms of funding it’s not a priority of our college or the university.” In the meantime, more insects enter into the collection every month, further tightening the already limited space. “The collection has grown two-and-a-half fold the last 12 years,” Opler said. “We get private donations all the time.” Senior Reporter Austin Briggs can be reached at news@collegian.com.

f or more e c k o u t ww w.C O L L E G I A N . c om

amendment | Increased

political appointments Continued from Page 1 testing and hiring procedures for filling vacancies in the state personnel system. Currently, a job applicant is assessed through standardized testing. Amendment S would judge applicants on qualifications on top of a numerical exam score. Those subjective measures might leave open the possibility of favoritism or people getting hired for a job they’re not actually qualified for, said Amendment S opponent Miller Hudson, the former executive director of the Colorado Association of Public Employees. “We have a lot of jobs in state government where competence is extremely important, water control engineers, bridge engineers,” Hudson said. “I don’t really care if the person is charming at a cocktail party, I want to make sure they know their stuff when we hire them.” Hudson also believes it would give the governor too much power in civil service appointments. Amendment S would allow governors to exempt as many as 25 positions that now are strictly merit-based and allow these positions to be politically appointed. It also gives the governor the ability to remove or appoint two members on the five-member State Personnel Board.

Supporters of the bill include Gov. John Hickenlooper and former governors Bill Ritter and Bill Owens. In an opinion piece published Oct. 12 in the Denver Post the three governors wrote in favor of the Amendment. “(The current system) has made it difficult to fill vacancies in a timely manner,” they wrote. “That leads to backlogs in state permitting and services that businesses depend on. Amendment S makes it easier to identify and hire great workers.” Hudson argues that under the current system hard work and a lifetime dedicated to public service means that a motivated person could rise to high in the ranks of the state’s civil service. Amendment S would be detrimental to state employees who want to be in leadership positions. “I think it’s going to discourage the most talented employees from remaining with state government, knowing that there’s a glass ceiling,” Hudson said. “Knowing that they’ll always have to be reporting to some political appointee.” Hudson also said that Amendment S would have minimal impact on current employees in higher education since most if not all of the high level administration job’s at public universities are exempted. Senior reporter Austin Briggs can be reached at news@collegian.com.

Collegian

OPINION Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | Page 4

your two cents

38%

38% 16%

*32 people voted in this poll.

Yesterday’s Question:

What’s your favorite ASCSU service? 38% RamRide. 16% Collegiate Readership Program. 38% Drunk Bus. 9% None.

Today’s question: Are you voting for or against Amendment S? 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.

FISA in the Supreme Court

By Kevin Jensen

Is it unconstitutional for the government to spy on Americans without a warrant? Right now the government can intercept American citizens’ emails, cell phone conversations, text messages, Google searches and bank records. Is this constitutional? On Monday, the Supreme Court didn’t seek to answer this question. Instead, it heard arguments about whether or not this question even gets to be asked. The National Security Agency (NSA) under President W. Bush after 9/11 completely disregarded the Constitution and conducted warrantless domestic surveillance until the media revealed its obviously illegal breaches in 2006. This was a clear violation of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which was enacted in the 1970s to keep Americans safe from unlawful eavesdropping. Initially, our representatives in Congress claimed to be outraged by the federal overreach. Two years later, however, a statute was passed — with the approval of then Sen. Obama, no less — that retroactively approved Mr. Bush’s constitutionally questionable warrantless wiretapping and granted immunity to telephone companies that had cooperated with the government in the program. With the 2008 amendments to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the government now had broad and unprecedented power to monitor American communications without individualized warrants. The statute weakened judicial oversight of surveillance activities, lowered the government’s burden of proof for wiretapping suspects and completely eliminated traditional constitutional protections of the privacy of innocent citizens. “Since 2001, the NSA has been willing time and again to throw the Constitution overboard and snoop on innocent Americans who are not suspected of any wrongdoing,” wrote Bill Binney, a whistleblower that worked at the NSA from 1965 to 2001, in a Politico editorial. “Using shockingly fast machines called NARUS devices, the NSA can monitor virtually every single phone call, email and text that passes through the United States.” Then whenever it wants to, the NSA can go and make a dossier on every one of us, without any warrant whatsoever. “That would be well and good if the

agency followed the law and tracked only suspected terrorists,” writes Bill Binney. Under “the FISA Amendments Act, the NSA conducts blanket, dragnet surveillance of Americans’ international communications, even when there is not even a hint that we’ve done something wrong.” On Monday, a lawsuit was brought against the 2008 FISA Amendments Act by the ACLU on behalf of human rights attorneys, journalists and human rights and media organizations. Donald Verrilli Jr., President Obama’s Solicitor General, asked the Supreme Court to dismiss the case on the basis that the plaintiffs couldn’t prove they had standing. Obama’s Justice Department insists that Americans cannot bring suit against the NSA because no civilians can say with absolute certainty that their communications have been intercepted by secret surveillance. Why can’t anybody actually find out if they’ve been a victim? The government won’t tell anybody — it’s classified. The Obama administration refuses to release any information about who has been spied upon or how many times — though Sen. Rand Paul says Americans have been the victim of warrantless surveillance “gazillions” of times. Basically, Obama’s Justice Department is arguing that unless the plaintiffs can prove they will be monitored — which is impossible, since the list of who’s monitored is classified — they cannot sue. This is the government’s argument that the Supreme Court considered on Monday. The court is split (like always) with four liberal judges in favor of letting the suit against the FISA Amendments Act reach the Supreme Court and four conservatives opposed with Kennedy expected to act as the deciding vote — who appears to be leaning toward siding with the liberal voting bloc. You have most likely already been the victim of warrantless surveillance, your information is currently being accumulated in some database — that’s not the point at issue here. The issue is that Obama’s Justice Department is asserting that the American people don’t even have the right to bring this challenge to court. The Obama administration isn't saying it's going to do anything with all of the information they’re gathering on you. All they’re saying is that they have the power to conduct warrantless surveillance against American citizens, and there's nothing you can do about it. Kevin Jensen is a senior English major, he is voting for Gary Johnson for President. Kevin can be reached at kjensen@collegian.com or on twitter @ kevinrjensen.

our view

Vote ‘no’ on Amendment S For more than four decades Colorado has had the same personnel system, which outlines how people are hired for state jobs. This system is outdated, and even Gov. John Hickenlooper has spoken out against it. Amendment S, which is on the ballot for this November, is a legislatively referred amendment to the Colorado Constitution that would change this process. It’s true that Colorado’s personnel system needs to be changed for the 21st century, but Amendment S is not the best way to do this. The Collegian is edorsing a no vote on Amendment S, because it would exempt 25 positions that are now merit based, it would give unnecessary power to the governor and make it so people would be getting hired because of their political connections. This amendment would allow governors to exempt 25 positions

that are now merit-based and make them politically appointed. It also gives the governor the power to remove or appoint two members on the five-member State Personnel Board.

“It is true that Colorado’s personnel system needs to be changed for the 21st century, but Amendment S is not the best way to do this.” The Collegian doesn’t support the removal of merit-based positions, especially to make them politically appointed. That means these jobs are being filled with people who play golf with the gover-

nor instead of those who have the skills. Additionally, it allows governors to fill up to 325 jobs with what are called political appointees. Overall, with this amendment the governor gains too much power over the state personnel process. It’s no wonder Hickenlooper and two former Colorado governors support Amendment S. The state’s personnel process must be updated, but it must be done in a way that doesn’t give the governor unnecessary power and removes merit-based positions. There some really positive changes in Amendment S — like how it gives preferences to veterans for hiring, and allows temporary workers to return a second year. The problem is that these are packaged in an amendment that gives unjust power to our governor and should be solved with a better amendment or legislation in the future.

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

We don’t have all the answers

By Brittany Jordan

According to my man Webster, theory is defined as “a proposed explanation whose status is still conjectural and subject to experimentation.” Basically, a theory may be regarded as correct, but it is not given as fact. It has not yet been proven true. So why is it, then, that in collegiate programs, where we are supposed to be receiving the best education possible, theory is presented as fact? Like many of you, as a freshman I had to take LIFE 102 as an introduction to biology course. When we began discussing evolution, what struck me was that this information was never presented as the theory it is. Instead, I was told that this was fact: Evolution is the only response we have to the question of where the human species came from. The problem I had with the system was that I was told that evolution was fact, and yet I didn’t believe in evolution. I came from a private high school, where

we were obviously on the whole intelligent design bandwagon. All of my science courses at my Lutheran high school were from an evolutionary standpoint, but it was always presented as theory. Evolution is a theory, just as intelligent design is a theory. I cannot prove to you that God exists, but you cannot prove to me that He doesn’t. Hence why these two theories have existed fairly peacefully for years. So when I came to college, I expected theories to be presented as theories and facts to be presented as facts. It was disheartening to find that this was not the case. I learned the material, I took the exams, I did fairly well. I passed a course where I did not believe in the curriculum — a first for me. But never, in this course, was there even mention of the fact that other theories exist. Evolution is not the only theory out there, so where is the equal representation? I am not asking for intelligent design to be offered as a course. I am fully aware of the separation of church and state. Being that this is a public university, I expect evolution to be taught. The change that I would like to see is for professors to admit that they don’t have all the answers. The theory that they are presenting does not house all of the answers to our questions, it is simply the theory that isn’t supposed to step on people’s toes. So at least make mention of the fact that the theory of evolution is not proven true and is open to experimen-

tation. At least make mention of the fact that there are at least two different tracks one can take in answering the question, “Where do we come from?” I don’t have all the answers to that question. But Charles Darwin didn’t either. Since neither of us can prove that God does or does not exist, why don’t we just count our losses and admit that we don’t know? I’m not saying that God even needs to be mentioned. But spend a little bit of time acknowledging my beliefs, and understand that there are some things about evolution that I may not know. I was taught evolution in my science classes, sure, but I am by no means an expert. Creationism, though, that I know and know well. Let’s treat these theories equally. Let’s admit that there are things that we don’t know. Let’s make the little private school kid feel included in the conversation. I believe in God, in a higher power, in intelligent design. That has nothing to do with perfect science, it has nothing to do with proving theories. It has everything to do with plain and simple faith. And I would like my faith, my practiced theology and my belief system to be acknowledged and regarded as a valid theory. Just as I promise to regard evolution as a valid theory.

Brittany Jordan is a sophomore psychology 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, October 30, 2012 | Page 5

Yays and Nays Yay |to CSU and the Broncos winning this weekend. Rarely do the stars align to grant two Colorado football teams victory. Unfortunately, CU football lost their Saturday game by 56 points. Nay | to the NHL lockout. If there’s no hockey, then there is no happiness. Yay | to San Francisco’s plentiful and luscious beards for defeating the Tigers in the World Series. It sure was a field of dreams!

Nay | to baseball being over until April. What the hell are we supposed to watch, hockey? Oh wait... Yay | to Colorado being a landlocked state. Thank God the only things we have to worry about are bears, avalanches and blizzards. Nay | to Hurricane Sandy. Our condolences go out to everyone on the east coast who is impacted by the storm.

Can’t just ‘people watch,’ stand against injustice

By NICOLE FRAZIER

I “people watch,” and I do it religiously. At my evening job, I have the opportunity to indulge in one of my favorite activities. I walk and up down the halls with a broom in hand and headphones in, watching and listening to people. I have heard conversations about drunken nights in Old Town, relationship complications, midterms and once I even caught someone giving the run-down of everything they had eaten that day. One of the most fascinating conversations I have heard thus far in my three years on the job would have to be one that I heard back in May. It was during one of the graduation ceremonies and I happened to be walking, at a rather fast pace, behind a small group of middle-aged adults. There were three males and one female. They were walking down the long hallway in the Lory Student Center and were all joking about one thing or another, nothing I haven’t heard before. Once the group had approached the GLBTQ office one of the males stopped in his tracks and shouted to the rest of the group something along the lines of: “Hey guys, would ya look at this?”

The rest of the group had, by this point, stopped and turned around to see what caught their friend’s attention. It was at this point that all four members of the group began to laugh and point at the office. Next, the elder male who had originally brought attention to the GLBTQ office, took out his camera phone and took multiple pictures of the office — the door, the signs, the posters. He was very thorough. The group had not ceased in laughter when one of the other elder gentleman had said: “Get some good ones! We have got to show this to the folks back home in Texas. They aren’t going to believe this.” Before turning and walking away, each one of the members had taken a glance at me standing there, with my mouth open and my eyebrows raised, before they did a quick 180 and glided in the opposite direction. I stood there long after they had left. I stood there with a million thoughts moving through my head. I never said a word. I just stood there with my heart pounding and with knots in my throat. I was angry, to say the least, about the mockery of a group of individuals who have every right — just as anyone else does — to live the way they’d like to and are equally deserving of respect. I was more upset with myself. Before that moment, I had prided myself as someone who would say something or do something if I ever saw someone treating another unjustly. But I didn’t. I stood there, with high emotions pulsing through me; I had let them walk away. I can’t stop thinking about that moment. Of course, I didn’t think of anything

good to say until they had already left. In fact, I didn’t think of something decent to say until nearly a week later, and the incident is still very fresh in my mind. Since then, I have been thinking more consciously about my role in this narrative. And particularly, I was inspired to write about my role because of all the conversation about how the election of Obama or Romney will impact the rights of the GLBTQ community. On the one hand, I feel that government does play a significant role in how our society approaches issues concerning the GLBTQ community. But on the other hand, I feel like change, progression and equality need more than just government. Acceptance and equality happens on not only a government level, but at the level of the individual as well. My role in this discussion is important because it starts with me speaking against attitudes that present people in an unjustly manner. I know that I will never know when I will come across people who act in such an offensive way towards the GLBTQ community, or any other demographic. I am aware that I can’t change the attitudes of everyone I come into contact with. I don’t know what the outcome would have been if I had said something to the people who made a joke of the whole GLBTQ community. But what I do know is that no matter how caught off guard or stunned I am, I can’t just stand there. I can’t just “people watch.” Nicole Frazier is a senior English and Spanish major. Her column appears every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

Guest Columns

The Spirit of America, this grand experiment in Freedom and Liberty, is independence, not dependence on government. Our brilliantly crafted Constitution limits the power of the federal government, ensuring a government of, by and for the people. Over time, decisionmaking authority has shifted away from states and local communities, and we have a powerful, central government in Washington D.C. We are heavily taxed to support inefficiently run, overreaching federal programs. Elections have become massive,

manipulative advertising campaigns. As if we are buying shampoo, focus groups test advertisements and slogans. Celebrities attempt to make “being cool” a voting criterion. Campaigns play the “ground game” — orchestrated voter registration and “get out the vote” drives. They distribute “talking points” as if we are incapable of thinking on our own. Underestimating the American people? Absolutely!! We need to take a very serious look at where our nation is heading. If the federal government continues to expand, what will the United States look like in 50

years? Will we see increasing taxes and regulation? An unsustainable debt? Or will our nation return to our foundational, founding principles: A republic with local and state governing authority and a limited federal government. A wise farmer offered the best advice: Plow Washington under and plant corn. That’s probably not going to happen, but we can change the current trajectory. Ignore the hype, examine the important issues and envision what kind of U.S. we are creating. Choose wisely. Our future is in your hands. Sally Goodell

As a fellow college student, I know how busy we are. Between balancing school, work and a social life there is barely time to spare. In the next couple weeks I urge every single one of you to make some room in your busy schedule and find time to VOTE. This election is extremely close and here in Colorado, and especially here at CSU, we have a chance to make a difference and have our voice heard. This election I see one clear choice for students, I believe that choice is

President Obama. The President’s efforts have done so much to help each and every one of us. Because of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act students around the nation no longer need to worry about finding health insurance because we can now stay on our parents plan until age 26. Obama has also worked tirelessly to make sure that college is affordable for us. Due to his efforts, funding for Pell Grants has doubled, allowing many Young Americans the opportunity to

pursue a college degree when they otherwise couldn’t afford it. When it comes to student loans, Obama has worked around the clock fighting to stop federal student loan rates from doubling. President Obama has worked so hard for us; we owe it to him to give him our vote. The day after the election let’s make sure the front of this paper reads “Victory for Obama”. Christopher Rodriguez, Music Education

“Savage”, “livestock” . . . “fertilized egg.” Nothing in this category of terms designates a species, but it has been used to justify violence and oppression against people different than ourselves for millennia. We’re taught to condemn this from childhood. The unborn — the “fertilized egg” — are living, growing individ-

uals with complete, unique sets of human genes. Yet they are denied the most basic human right — the right to live. Mr. Hendrich’s arguments and language in his Oct. 24 opinion piece demonstrate that our society continues to tolerate the language of alienation. But what justification do we have to deny these humans rights?

Science? We have seven billion living test cases that prove the “fertilized egg” is a human being — after all, evolution takes generations, not nine months. This individual is alive, since it is growing, not being built. Once you have a “fertilized egg”, any other bar for human rights, like heartbeat, is about as scientific as

Make your vote based on value, not party lines

By A.J. FOLTZ

When you look at the evolution of the Republican platform, there are three issues conservatives are very passionate about: foreign policy/national security, individual liberty and freedom and the national deficit. However, the policies Mitt Romney and Republicans are suggesting are completely hypocritical and contradictory to what they say the party stands for. For decades now, Republicans have made the government’s involvement in foreign policy a major priority. Republicans argue that President Obama’s cuts to military spending have threatened the safety of the country, making us more vulnerable to attacks. The reality is throwing money at the problem cannot improve the security of our nation. The only way to enhance our national security is to continue the transparent, strategic and diplomatic approach Obama has taken so far in his presidency. Republicans will contest that Obama has failed to display leadership as the Chief Diplomat as well as Commander in Chief, but when you look at the facts, the exact opposite is true. When Obama took office he displayed decisive leadership by refocusing our national security priorities. As a result, “more of al Qaeda’s senior leadership has been eliminated in the last three years than at any time since Sept. 11, 2001,” which is stated on the Obama campaign website. Most notably, the death of the group’s leader Osama bin Laden, has been a clear indicator that Barack Obama is committed to meeting the challenge of dismantling al-Qaeda. This is a clear contrast to Mitt Romney, who commented on the subject of capturing Osama bin Laden in a 2007 interview with the Associated Press by saying, “it’s not worth moving heaven and earth spending billions of dollars just trying to catch one person.” When Obama ended the war in Iraq and welcomed home the last troops, Mitt Romney said it was “tragic” and responded to the withdrawal of troops from Iraq as an “astonishing failure.” If you’re someone who considers themselves to be a conservative, the facts would suggest that you would want a leader and president like Obama, who has experience and great success in the area of national security. But because of the partisan

using skin color. History? Abortion perpetuates the cycle of people discarding unwanted persons. We condemn that behavior daily. The “greater good”? An empty argument — those who speak of overpopulation or of “mercy” for the handicapped refuse to sacrifice themselves or any individual who

atmosphere that’s present, many “conservatives” will ignore these facts and vote against Obama, even if it’s contradictory to their own values. Another issue, which conservatives say they’re genuinely passionate about, is individual freedom and liberty. If Republicans were really serious about preserving individual freedom and liberty, they wouldn’t attempt to manipulate the federal government’s powers to interfere in extremely personal issues, like defining the definition of marriage to prevent gay and lesbian couples from solidifying their love — just like every straight couple has the privilege of doing. If Republicans were serious about preserving individual freedom and liberty, they wouldn’t allow the federal government and state governments to micromanage a woman’s body, or tell a woman what kind of decisions she can and can’t make regarding her own reproductive health. If Republicans actually valued individual freedom and liberty they would stop using the power of government to attempt to send America back to the past, when women weren’t allowed to make their own choices regarding their reproductive health, like abortion or when women didn’t have the Lilly Ledbetter Act to help prevent against pay discrimination based on sex. However, most conservatives won’t base their vote according to each candidate’s values or the factual information; instead they’ll base their vote off of “their” party’s negative and false depictions of Obama. Republicans have accused Obama of reckless spending and blame him for a large part of our national deficit. Conservatives take a strong stand on cutting government spending and decreasing the size of government… except for when it has to do with the interests they represent, such as wealthy individuals and military spending. Mitt Romney is quick to criticize the $787 billion Obama allocated in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, which resulted in saving millions of jobs. However, what Mitt Romney won’t be quick to criticize is his own promises for a $2 trillion increase to military spending and a $250,000 tax cut for millionaires and billionaires without a plan to pay for the spending, implying that middle-class Americans will see their taxes go up and drastic cuts will be made to critical government programs. So come Nov. 6, while you’re in the voting booth, ask yourself this question: Are you putting your own values before your political party’s agenda?

A.J. Foltz is a freshman political science major. His column appears every other Tuesday in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian. com.

can look them in the eye. The “fertilized egg” is actually a “human.” It deserves the right to live that we all have. This is the foundation of all rights: Until we grant personhood to the child in the womb, nothing else (including, ironically, “Choice”) has any worth. Cole Buckon, junior, environmental engineering

Collegian Opinion Page Policy

6 Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

#Room-Antics

Daily Horoscope

Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement

JADE

TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (10/30/12). Your finances look good this year, with responsible management. The work arena has lots of change and lots of opportunity. Dedicate yourself to a cause that calls to your heart, as you’re in a position to influence. This builds joy and satisfaction. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

David Malki

Wondermark

Tim Rickard

Brewster Rockit

Rochelle Peeler

Meh Comex

Ctrl+z

Chelsea London

ARIES (Mar. 21-April 19) ––6–– Boost morale and get the job done for a profit. Let yourself be talked into an outing with special friends. Let your partner do the talking, and empower the group to proceed. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––8–– Take on more work to pay off a debt. You’re in the spotlight, so enjoy it. Makes sure you have what you need, even if you have to ask for help. Return a favor. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––5–– Use this opportunity to let go of the old and build anew. Consolidate your position. A partner has a pleasant surprise. Document your findings. You’re lucky now. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––7–– You have the power, if you choose to use it. Improve your technology with a small investment and plenty of outside-the-box thinking. Plan a trip with your partner. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––7–– Your leadership skills improve. You are at your most convincing, but also allow yourself to be persuaded to a new point of view. Make an interesting discovery about love. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––7–– The call of the wild is ringing. Respond passionately. Work with a member of your household to gain clarity. Determination produces results, possibly lucrative. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––5–– You get to have it your way, but you’re attracting attention. Too much focus on detail may create additional work. Get creative while keeping the big picture in mind. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––7–– Discover something of value that you or someone else has hidden. Share the winnings. Getting along with others is extremely helpful now. Follow your intuition. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––6–– Choose your challenge, and then try all different angles. Don’t get so busy that you forget to pay attention to friends. They offer good advice. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––8–– Romance fills the air. Resistance is futile. The whole thing helps you gain self-confidence. Get creative with color, line and expression, and share how you feel. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––8–– Love finds a way. There are so many friends you want to see. Turn objections to agreement through gentle persuasion. Your fame travels. Romance a competitor. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––7–– Make sure you know what’s required. Making a good impression with compelling selling points works. Accept wise financial advice. Power your way through tasks.

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan

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

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Overheard a girl say “every time I look at him all I think about is how bad my butt hurt the next day.” Haha care to explain?!

Can I consider myself a published author if I make it into RamTalk?

Dear illiterate student, the bathroom clearly says occupied... stop trying to open the door.

You know it’s going to be a long week when the 1 star sudoku feels like a 5 star.

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Yesterday’s solution

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49¢ Wings on

Mondays

Monday Night Football 1 3 3 5 W . E l i z a b et h • 9 7 0 - 4 8 2 - 9 4 6 4

Across 1 Well-constructed 6 Formal agreement 10 Carried a balance 14 Boxing venue 15 Turkish honorific 16 Kolkata cover-up 17 2003 horse movie that won Best Picture 19 Early 11th-century date 20 Bunny gait 21 Important bee 22 Runs easily 23 Throw for a loop 25 __ acid 27 Suffix with neat or beat 28 One who’s not on the honor roll 31 Tee off 34 Gets moving 35 Stick around 36 Pal of Piglet 37 Stress, as a key point 40 DSL offerer 41 Banjo ridge 43 WWII females 44 Like Stallone’s persona 46 “Yes, ma’am,” in Madrid 48 “Fresh Air” airer 49 Colgate rival 50 Bench or Berra 54 Manager who managed the Mets, Braves, Cardinals, Yankees and Dodgers 56 ‘70s sitcom family name 58 Firefighter’s tool 59 Antioxidant berry in fruit juices 60 Primer sentence 62 Idle 63 Cologne that sounds forbidden 64 Sidestep 65 About 5.88 trillion mi. 66 Comical Laurel 67 Uses a stopwatch for Down 1 Malia Obama’s sister 2 Black-and-white treats 3 Jumped 4 Having five sharps, musically 5 Rum cocktail 6 Walked around the waiting room

Yesterday’s solution

Today’s Crossword sponsored by:

7 Fluish feeling 8 Waters near Hong Kong and Shanghai 9 One might have “Mom” in a heart, brieﬂy 10 Utah singing family 11 Woo like Cyrano 12 New York’s __ Canal 13 Parts of depts. 18 Done for 22 Lucy of “Kill Bill” 24 Small number 26 __ Helens, Wash. 28 About, chronologically 29 “A bit of talcum/Is always walcum” poet 30 Proofreader’s pickup 31 Fido’s greetings 32 “Me neither” 33 Flips out 34 Chest pulsation 38 “Terrible” age 39 Uncontested, like some hockey goals 42 Jack Russell or wirehair 45 Rainbow shape 47 Word before a maiden name 48 Zilch 50 Like some Louisiana fare 51 __-scarum 52 Radiate 53 Auberjonois and Russo 54 Hard to believe, as a tale 55 One __: kids’ ball game 57 Singer McEntire 60 Rds. 61 Actor Wallach

The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Young voters generally feel less engaged this year than in 2008 By Tony Pugh The McClatchy Tribune WASHINGTON _ The love affair between young voters and President Barack Obama that ignited his candidacy in 2008 and powered him to the White House seems like a distant memory in 2012. As Election Day approaches, there's an enthusiasm gap among young voters. New polling from Harvard University's Institute of Politics found that just 48 percent of voters under age 30 say they'll definitely vote in November. Four years ago that figure was much higher, at 72 percent, according to a Pew Research Center study at the time. Absent the national anger over the Iraq war and the sense of history that came from electing the nation's first African American president in 2008, young voters can't seem to find their motivation this time. "When I talk to young people who aren't as passionate, who aren't as enthusiastic about the November election, they talk about it in those terms," said John Della Volpe, the polling director at Harvard's politics institute. "2008 was an historical event. They needed to participate, even if politics wasn't important to them, to say that they were there, that they had a hand in changing the course of America. It's kind of like our parents, perhaps, saying they were at Woodstock in 1969." After securing the Democratic nomination four years ago, Obama won two out of three general election voters ages 18-29. That strong support helped him flip North

Randy hill | McClatchy Tribune

College of Charleston students talk with volunteers at a Rock The Vote student registration drive on campus in Charleston, South Carolina, Thursday, Sept. 27, 2012. Students were treated to free pizza and t-shirts after registering at the event sponsored by the student government association and The Bully Pulpit.

Carolina, Indiana and Virginia from red to blue. "Those three states in particular, if not for the margin he ran up in the youth vote, he loses," Della Volpe said. But recent polling by the Pew Research Center found that only half of voters under 30 are even certain they're registered to vote this year. That's the lowest percentage in 16 years. And just 61 percent are highly engaged in the 2012 elections, compared with 75 percent at the same time in 2008. With the exception of some recent college campus speaking events, neither Obama nor Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney has focused much attention on young voters, said Heather Smith, the president of Rock the Vote, a

nonpartisan group set up to mobilize the political power of young voters. "If you register young people so they can vote and you engage them in a conversation on their issues and you ask them to show up, they respond," she said. "It's just that there has been a lot less of that leading up to the elections than there was four years ago." Part of the problem is that the anti-war and environmental themes that excited young people in 2008 have given way to concerns about Medicare, tax policy and health care, which have never been high priorities for twentysomething voters. "There's just so much focus on programs that deal with older citizens," said Olivia Adams, a 20-year-old sophomore at the College

of Charleston in South Carolina. "Even the stuff about the economy is really focused more on people who (have) full-time jobs, not people who are in school who'll have jobs in the future." Campus enthusiasm for the president has been noticeably absent. "In the last election, students seemed to be the foundation of his campaign," Adams said. "And this year, honestly, I haven't seen anything on campus." That could be trouble for Democrats, who've won young voters by significant margins over Republicans since 2004, according to CIRCLE, the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, at Tufts University near Boston.

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8 Tuesday, October 30, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

“My role is to help. I do hands-on work by coating the bone and different materials and then observe the new growth of cells.” Rai Romaro | graduate research assistant

Two CSU professors develop the future of bone implants By Haleigh Hamblin The Rocky Mountain Collegian A new bone coating developed by two CSU professors will provide a future for cancer and trauma patients. Matt Kipper, an assistant professor in chemical and biological engineering at CSU, received a threeyear $300,000 grant from the Musculoskeletal Transplant Foundation in January for his work on the project. A dead piece of bone using adult stem cells derived from bone marrow, nanostructured

material helps to grow healthy cells in place of the dead ones on existing bone implants. “My role is to help. I do hands-on work by coating the bone and different materials and then observe the new growth of cells,” said Rai Romaro, a graduate research assistant. “This process is structured to grow new cells onto the bone.” Dr. Nicole Ehrhart, a researcher in the Animal Cancer Center and surgical oncologist, began work with Dr. Kipper over a year ago. Working together, Kipper

and Ehrhart test the coating process on small animals using bone allografts for limb preservation. D o n a t e d through tissue bands and used to replace large segments of missing bone, allografts are bones following a massive limb trauma or Dr. Kipper tumor surgery. “We are studying how nanostructured surface coating that we have

developed in my lab can influence the behavior of certain types of cells for healing in skeletal and will translate these tissues to bones,” Kipper said. “These types of implants have a high incidence of failure, related to healing where that implant was put in. Sometimes failures occur years after the implant procedure, but this new coating

will help to reduce the risk of failure,” Kipper said. Kipper and Ehrhart demonstrate that they can safely stabilize the proteins they want and cause stem cells to grow. “By coating the bones we will use them in cases of bone transplants and demonstrate that we can improve the outcomes,” Kipper said. “To improve the modes of failure, biological functions on the surface will be tested for long periods of time after coating.” The future of bone coating will benefit humans and

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Video Details For a short clip by Doctor Kipp and his search on improving implants and saving limbs, visit You Tube and watch “Colorado State University Researchers Developing Coating for Bone Implants.”

animals at risk for losing a limb from trauma or cancer, according to Kipper. Collegian Writer Haleigh Hamblin can be reached at news@collegian.com.