The Rocky Mountain Collegian, Tuesday, September 4, 2012 by The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Warner and NEON teamup to observe High Park Fire | Page 3

PAGE 8

Cool customer

CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson gains confidence following win

THE RO CKY MOUNTAIN

COLLEGIAN

Fort Collins, Colorado

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Volume 121 | No. 20

www.collegian.com

THE STUDENT VOICE OF COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY SINCE 1891

RamJam concert to lose $62,000 for ASAP

By AUSTIN BRIGGS The Rocky Mountain Collegian

As of Monday, ASAP has sold 610 of the 8,000 tickets available for its RamJam concert and is set to lose $62,000 — even if the other 7,390 tickets are sold. That comes out to $2.40 lost per CSU student. Last year’s RamJam event, with B.o.B and Sean Kingston, sold 5,241 tickets to generate $47,817 in revenue. The show’s budget was $172,000, which meant it lost ASAP $124,183. That’s about $4.80 per CSU student.

Students pay a $9.21 per semester in fees to ASAP, which provides the event planning organization with about $442,000 this year. The organization also has a commitment to the Student Fee Review Board to generate an additional $50,000 in revenue per year, bringing the total yearly budget to just under $500,000. ASAP officials are optimistic, however, that sales will increase as the Sept. 15 Cobra Starship and Breathe Carolina shows draw closer. “We’ve found in past years that we sell the majority of our tickets either the week of or the day of [the

show],” said ASAP Marketing Director Val Ho. The organization is a studentstaffed event planning group whose mission is to bring diverse and affordable events to CSU. “We feel very confident of the number of tickets we’ve sold right now and we anticipate that to go up a lot the week of the concert,” Ho said. ASAP hopes to generate $98,000 in ticket revenue by selling all 8,000 tickets to a combination of CSU students and the general public. Tickets are $10 for students and $22 for the general public. The show is budgeted to cost $160,000, spelling out a $62,000 loss

under the best case scenario. However, according to a “Myth Busters” section on the ASAP website, the goal of the organization isn’t to turn a profit or to break even on shows, but to make enough money to host other events throughout the year. “Booking is definitely an art,” said Heather Starbuck, the director of Program Council, a CU–Boulder organization that provides entertainment to CU students. “You want to hit that sweet spot where you book an up-and-coming act See RAMJAM on Page 3

BOLD NEW STATEMENT

HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN

Showdown STRIP CLUB victory leads to alleged vandalism the

BY ELISABETH WILLNER The Rocky Mountain Collegian

HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN

Colorado State players hoist the Centennial Cup trophie after defeating CU-Boulder in the Rocky Mountain Showdown Friday at Sports Authority Field in Denver. The ﬁnals score was 22-17.

Rams beat CU, first time since 2009 By ANDREW SCHALLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian Statistics reveal a lot about a game, but the only one that really matters when the clock hits zero is who wins and who loses. So as the Rams regroup from Saturday’s 22-17 victory over CU-Boulder, they will look to improve on their mistakes as well as look at the positives of their performance in pulling out the victory. “Don’t ever get caught up in the numbers,” said CSU coach Jim McElwain. “The number that counts is how you win, did you win the game? We could have had 700 yards of offense and lost, who cares right? So figure out a way to win the game, and I think they did.”

CU–Boulder coach Jon Embree realized the mistakes his team made, citing its lackluster running game as a major problem for setting up the passing game for quarterback Jordan Webb. “(CSU) found a way to get it done and win the game and congratulations to them,” Embree said, whose team was out-rushed 125-58 in the game. “We weren’t effective running the ball. We better get that fixed. It has been too many games of us not running the ball so we will get that figured out.” While out-working CU–Boulder in the running game was key to the Rams’ success in the game, taking advantage of the Buffs’ other mistakes as well helped CSU pull out its first victory in the Rocky Mountain Showdown in the last three years.

The Rams’ only two touchdowns of the game were aided by a muffed punt by Boulder at its own 20 yard line and a personal foul called on CU–Boulder’s Parker Orms for his shot to the head on Lou Greenwood, which extended a drive that turned into seven points for the Rams. While capitalizing on Boulder’s unforced mental errors was key for CSU, it was also able to force the Buffs into difficult situations throughout the second half. CSU was able to move Webb out of the pocket and give him less time to throw the ball due to different defensive blitzing packages, which turned out to be one of the deciding factors of the game. See SHOWDOWN on Page 6

It was a far cry from the riots of 2009, but on Saturday, a small group of CSU students decided to celebrate CSU’s victory over CU–Boulder by allegedly vandalizing a small part of campus. A group of male students ran through Parmelee Hall and tore down decorations on all of the building’s floors, directly following the Rocky Mountain Showdown. The perpetrators left few decorations untouched as they ran through the halls chanting “CSU, CSU, CSU,” in what Resident Assistant Eduardo Parra called an act of vandalism by three students. Bulletin boards, posters, flyers, white boards, policies and resident name tags were knocked down throughout the entire residence hall. “All of the RAs were severely upset that the equivalent of over 100 hours of work and personal money and time invested into creating welcoming and safe communities was destroyed in a celebratory rampage within a couple minutes after the game ended,” Parra said in an email to the Collegian. Of the 16 halls in Parmelee, 10 of them were damaged in the incident, according to Parra. Parmelee RA’s reported the incident to the CSU Police Department and Conflict Resolution and Student Conduct Services. CSUPD had not filed a report as of 5 p.m. Monday, but wrote in an email to the Collegian that one “will be coming.” The alleged vandalism happened on an otherwise quiet night. There were no major incidents following the annual game between CSU and CU on campus, according to CSUPD. Most residents said they were disappointed with the students involved with the alleged vandalism. See VANDALISM on Page 6

Tour de Fat raises $87,000 for bike charities By LIANNA SALVA The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Tour de Fat is the one time of year in Fort Collins when wearing regular clothing during the day is out of the ordinary. This year, Old Town welcomed a crowd of brightly colored, tutuwearing cyclists with their capes flying in the wind like never before. But there’s more to the Tour than just quirky costumes. The yearly parade helps to sustain the bike culture that Fort Collins is known for.

As in year’s past, a $5 donation, which was given to Bike Fort Collins, was asked of parade-goers. The tour raised $87,000 before expenses were accounted for from sales, according to Kory Swanson, the communications director for Overland Mountain Bike Club. The 2011 Fort Collins Tour raised $70,000 with an attendance of 20,000, said Bryan Simpson, public relations director for New Belgium Brewing. Figures for the 2012 Tour attendance were not available at the time of press.

The money will be shared between Overland and the Fort Collins Bike Co-Op. “We use it for working with land agencies to build trails. For example, last year we were able to donate $5,000 to Larimer County to rebuild trails. We use it for mountain biking day events and we have a patrol that we buy all their first aid,” Swanson said. Swanson described this year’s Tour, like every one before it, as a great success toward building a more bike friendly community. “It’s showing communities

that biking is fun and anyone can enjoy it,” he said. The event is well known throughout the country, but its hometown of Fort Collins boasts the biggest and the best of bike parades and creativity. Elizabeth Philbrick, a new resident of Fort Collins, attended the Tour in Chicago last year, but was excited to attend her first Foco Tour. “They certainly know how to take it up a notch,” she said. Philbrick and her friend, See BIKE on Page 3

Musican B.o.B looks over the CSU crowd on the intramural ﬁelds at his concert last year. ASAP is set to lose $62,000 at this year’s Breathe Carolina concert.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KAITLYN CHASRIK

Papers and posters lie on the ground after an alleged vandalism in Parmelee that affected 10 of the 16 halls.

The Rams won the Rocky Mountain Showdown! This means that every CSU fan gets an entire year in which to gloat to everyone from Boulder about how awful the Buffs are. But it is also important to note that football is not the only thing we are better than CU–Boulder.

Better than CU-Boulder

Hygiene

We call them “dirty hippies” for a reason. The poor souls that had to sit next to the CU–Boulder student section had to endure hours of unimaginable body odor and sweat, on top of the stench of overblown self– importance. No amount of trust fund money could hide that smell.

Passion

Decibel for decibel, nobody can cheer like a Rams fan can. Sports Authority Field is going to be ringing with the sound of cheering Rams for weeks to come.

Handling Defeat

CU–Boulder wins the Rocky Mountain Showdown more often than not, which has made them horrible at handling loss. “Mistake” and “luck” tend to start appearing when Boulder students discuss losing the Showdown. Thanks, Buffs fans, for letting us know you hate losing. It makes our enjoyment even more satisfying. The Strip Club is written by the Collegian staff and designed by Design Editor Kris Lawan

2 Tuesday, September 4, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Community Briefs

FORT COLLINS FOCUS

Creative writing reading Sept. 6

High Park Fire symposium Sept. 10

The Department of English and the Organization of Graduate Student Writers invites you to join them for the Creative Writing Program’s Fall 2012 Reading Series at Colorado State University. The series begins Thursday, Sept. 6 from 7:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. in the University Art Museum at the University Center for the Arts. The reading series will feature special guests and school faculty reading from many genres of poetry, fiction and essays. The first author presented this semester is E.J. Levy, who teaches nonfiction at Colorado State University. Levy’s essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Nation, Salmagundi, and The Pushcart Prize An-

CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources is presenting a one day, free symposium to provide information about the effects of the High Park Fire and sustainable solutions for recovery. “High Park Fire: From Science to Action & Recovery,” will be featured at the CSU Lory Student Center Theatre on Monday, Sept. 10 from 9 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Warner College’s leading experts in fire science and post-fire ecology and restoration will be speaking, along with responders to the High Park Fire and homeowners directly affected by the fire. Highlighted speakers include U.S. Forest Service Deputy Chief for State and Private Forestry James Hubbard, High Park Fire Incident Commander Bill Hahnenberg and director of the Colorado Forest Restoration Institute Tony

thology.

Cheng.

TriMedia Film Festival Sept. 7-9

On Sept. 7-9, the annual TriMedia Film Festival will show several premiers at venues across Fort Collins. There will be more than 50 independent theatre and film performances, with several showings at CSU’s Lory Student Center Theatre. Highlighted showings include “The Citizen,” which will be shown at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Lincoln Center and “Red Dog,” an award-winning film based on true events, will be featured at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Lory Student Center Theater. Tickets are available online at www.trimediafestival.org or at the door. Online ticket sales close Sept. 6 at 9 p.m.

-- Collegian Staff Report

CORRECTION

In Friday’s article “Tour de Fat: Getting weird on two wheels,” it was incorrectly stated that the sun rises over the mountains. The sun actually rises over the plains. The Collegian regrets its error. DYLAN LANGILLE | COLLEGIAN

Patrons ride through Old town Fort Collins Saturday morning during Tour de Fat. The annual ride and festival attracts more than 20,000 costume clad riders.

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, September 4, 2012

“I think our organization is run differently. We’re a non-profit so our mentality is different.” Val Ho | ASAP Marketing Director

RAMJAM |

Comparing programs

Continued from Page 1

KATIE THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN

Over 50 costumed gnomes banned together to celebrate New Belgium’s cycling circus, Tour de Fat, Saturday afternoon. The festivities were open to all ages with proceeds benefiting Fort Collins Bike Co-op, Bike Fort Collins and Overland Mountain Bike Club.

BIKE |

Tour promotes community

Continued from Page 1

Kristopher Hite, were dressed in homemade owl costumes. “The entire costumes are based on recycled materials purchased primarily at the Arc,” she said. For some people, the tour even helps bring the Fort Col-

lins community together. “Every now and again I see people wearing CSU gear and I like the community between CSU and Fort Collins,” said Marykate Franks, a senior environmental health major at CSU. “I’m a really big fan of New Belgium’s culture for being bike friendly,” Franks

said. “Fort Collins is one of the most bike friendly cities in the nation. It’s a great message for kids, being in the bike parade and getting them started so young, to say it’s ok to have fun, but to be safe.” Staff writer Lianna Salva can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com

Warner sees High Park Fire area in NEON vision By DEVIN O’BRIEN The Rocky Mountain Collegian The first large-scale study of the High Park Fire’s environmental effects is being conducted by CSU’s Warner College of Natural Resources and the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The project has the potential to help with the recovery of the fire’s 136-square-mile burn area by providing information to communities about how to deal with environmental issues raised by the blaze. The project will utilize NEON’s Airborne Observation Platform along with a CSU ground team of 11 people. According to principal investigator Michael Lefsky, the CSU research team is divided into the physical science and forest ecology groups, most of which work in the new Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability. The physical science team looks at water quantity and quality along with the potential for floods and other natural hazards. They will look at the movement of sediment via silt fences as well as use rain gauges to examine rainfall. Water quality will be assessed by examining the amount of sediment in the Poudre River. Finding the impact of the fire on the forest is left to the forest ecology group. The job of the two field crews will be, according to Lefsky, to examine stems, species and the health of crowns. They will also document the parts of the forest which have been burned. The other aspect of the study is access to NEON’s Airborne Observation Platform. These platforms include an imaging spectrometer, a waveform light detection and

ranging instrument, a high resolution digital camera and a GPS and Inertial Measurement Unit subsystem. Twin Otter aircraft will be used to deploy the Airborne Observation Platform. The LiDar data will provide the ability to look at the forest canopy in 3D, allowing the scientists to see the severity of the burn in a top-down view. In an email to the Collegian, NEON Chief Science Officer and Principal Investigator, David Schimel, said the equipment will provide information on topography and foliage. These items can be used to examine biodiversity, wildlife habitat, the influence of insects and similar biological factors. “While most forest analyses have relied on detailed measurements of comparatively few trees, this system provides many of these same measurements on millions of trees,” Schimel said. Lefsky said the project will look into the causes of fire severity and add to knowledge about areas vulnerable to conditions like erosion. He also said the project is “mostly about assessing the effect of prefire conditions and providing very detailed baseline conditions against which future conditions can be compared.” According to professor of watershed sciences Lee MacDonald, there is already growth at the burn area. Shrubs, aspens and grasses are already making a return. The area is recovering quickly because most of the area had only a low or medium intensity burn. This will have an effect on erosion. “Almost all of the ash has been washed off,” MacDonald said. “There shouldn’t be much erosion next year.” NEON is based in Boulder and will have 60 sites across

the U.S. to examine natural resources and biodiversity, according to a press release. The Warner College of Natural Resources includes the departments of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Biology, Forest Rangeland and Stewardship, Geosciences and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources. According to the college’s website, other projects in the Warner departments include studies on natural gas’s effect on mule deer mortality and development’s impact on wildlife. Collegian writer Devin O’Brien can be reached at news@collegian.com.

that’s gotten big when they finally do your show.” Starbuck said Program Council receives $5.50 in student fees per year which add up to just under $200,000 and has an operating budget of approximately $400,000. The other $200,000 comes from providing services like marketing, a fullblown production team and security to outside businesses. Program Council also operates a small club, Club 156, where a small cover charge is implemented. With help from this outside revenue, Program Council is able to host about 75 events per year on campus, free to charge for CU students. The weekend of Aug. 25 saw 9,500 student’s show up to see electro-funk band Ghostland Observatory at the CU Welcome Fest. Starbuck said the budget for that show was approximately $100,000 and no cover was charged for entry. Ho said, however, that the two organizations have different mission statements. “I think our organiza-

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tion is run differently. We’re a non-profit so our mentality is different. We have staff from a wide variety of majors, from landscape architects to social workers,” Ho said. “We do our best to cater to all the students at CSU, we want to provide a wide range of entertainment that’s not always music.” According to students the buzz around RamJam this year hasn’t been the same as years before. “Last year (RamJam) was a big deal. I heard about it everywhere, but haven’t seen anything this year,” said junior equine science major Talon Speaect. As for student fees being used to pay for entertainment for students, Speaect said it was probably worth it. “It’s a good opportunity at the beginning of the year to meet other people, if you’re at the concert then the people around you are into the same music and it creates a community.” A corn maze in October, an interactive murder mystery and fireworks at homecoming are a few examples of the 55 events ASAP puts on each year.

BY THE NUMBERS $124,183 – The amount ASAP lost from its 2011 RamJam event, featuring B.o.B and Sean Kingston. The show’s budget was $172,000. ASAP sold 5,241 tickets to generate $47,817 in revenue. $62,000 – The amount ASAP will lose from its $160,000 RamJam event under the best case scenario. The organization hopes to generate $98,000 in ticket revenue by selling all of its 8,000 tickets. $18.42 – The amount each CSU student taking more than 6 credits each semester pays in student fees to ASAP.

As for the choice of entertainers at RamJam, ASAP Executive Director, Heather Jones said lining up the right act at the right time can be tricky. She said in some cases performers don’t even want to do shows on college campuses. Part of this year’s selection came about as the results of surveys and focus groups ASAP conducted on campus. The results said students showed an interest in acts different than the hip-hop shows which have been prevalent in the past. Senior Reporter Austin Briggs can be reached at news@collegian.com.

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COLLEGIAN

OPINION Tuesday, September 4, 2012 | Page 4

YOUR TWO CENTS

YESTERDAY’S QUESTION: Are you going to the Rocky Mountain Showdown?

23%

45%

32% *94 people voted in this poll.

45% Yes. 32% No. 23% Going to Tour de Fat instead.

TODAY’S QUESTION: How did CSU beat the Buffs in the Rocky Mountain Showdown? Log on to http://collegian.com to give us your two cents.

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

“It’s time for you to stop putting a bad name on Christianity and zip your lips.”

Can I ask you a couple questions?

By BRITTANY JORDAN I was innocently walking across the plaza on my way to a 5 p.m. class when I, in a moment of weakness, accidentally made eye contact with someone. If you have been on CSU’s campus for any extended period of time, you know that you never — under any circumstances — look anyone in the eye on the Lory Student Center Plaza after the hour of 4 p.m. Seems melodramatic, no? The innocent freshmen or naïve upperclassmen may be wondering why I would ever be so rude. Let me explain: after 4 p.m., many sane students are done with classes for the day and have fled the plaza in search of better things to do. This also happens to be when the religious fanatics come out to play. Making eye contact with someone of this nature is basically telling them that yes, you would love to sit and debate religion with them for hours. Since they have no identifying factors, like a warning label on their forehead, you never know which innocent looking student will be the next one wanting to “ask you a couple questions”. Sure enough, that ill-fated evening on the plaza ended up with me desperately trying to ditch the annoying guy following me while furiously pointing to a quote in Hebrew. This one was on a mission to make me realize that there is a God the Mother, and that I will not be accepted into Heaven because I don’t know the Holy Spirit’s specific name. He didn’t even ask if I was interested in hearing it before he launched into his spiel that was so theologically inaccurate I was literally cringing. Here’s the thing: I am a Christian. I went through 12 years in a parochial school and studied the Good Book cover to cover. And yet, the people who want to debate religion with me pick up a Bible and think that they’re suddenly an expert — that they have a better grasp on salvation and the Holy Trinity than I do. Somehow, I doubt that. Even though I am a Christian, I would rather

stick myself in the eye with very sharp objects than engage in a discussion with these people. Every time I do, I am told exactly what passage I’m not grasping, and why my particular ideology, that I’ve been studying for 20 years, is wrong. For those of you that find it necessary to bother innocent people on their way to class by asking them about their religious affiliation, I have a couple questions for you: First off, what exactly do you think you’re going to accomplish? Never, in all my years, have I heard of anyone finding Jesus because a complete stranger wouldn’t leave them alone until they’d heard about the “right” religious practice. Unless people are living under rocks, they’ve heard about the whole Jesus thing. Whether or not they believe it is their choice, but I highly doubt you’re going to make anyone a believer by ruining their quiet walk to class. Secondly, do you not realize that people go out of their way to avoid you? Those people that make elaborate excuses as to why they cannot have a discussion with you are most likely lying through their teeth in order to avoid having to sit through your “couple questions”. And those poor folks that couldn’t come up with a decent excuse fast enough? While you’re reciting your speech about God the Mother, they’re desperately looking at anything but you in the hopes that you’ll give up and walk away. It’s time for you to keep your theology to yourself until the right time, in the right place, when someone actually wants to hear what you have to say. Because really, you know it’s bad when Christians — people that are supposedly supposed to be on your side — don’t want to be affiliated with you. It’s time for you to stop putting a bad name on Christianity and zip your lips. I’m done avoiding you, I’m done being suspicious of everyone that looks me in the eye, and I’m done having people follow me to tell me that I’m going to hell. I’m done. 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.

OUR VIEW

Bold new athletics

The annual Rocky Mountain Showdown is the most anticipated game of any Rams’ football season, but this year there was more on the line than an in-state rivalry. And CSU delivered in rare style. Ram athletics is undergoing systematic change — a new athletic director was hired in December, and since then, three prominent coaches left or were fired and a debate whether to build a $250 million on-campus stadium has fractured the Fort Collins community. Watching (new) head football coach Jim McElwain on the sideline Saturday was a more compelling argument for the stadium than any presented by supporters during the last six months. His frenzied pacing, red-faced approach to coaching embodies the emotional transformation that (new) Athletic

Director Jack Graham advocates for, and it’s hard not to “Be Bold” when faced with such enthusiasm. Criticism against the proposed stadium has focused

“As CSU pushes to enter a new era of athletics, McElwain seems to be a personality that will lead by example and bring back an eroded CSU pride.” on the fact that our football team’s record during the last three years is 9-27 — a valid point when asking if the program deserves such an expensive gift.

Saturday’s win — while an important one — reveals nothing about the rest of the season. The Rams football team could once again go 3-9. But what Saturday’s game showed is that a team whose spirit has been notably flat in recent years is now vibrant, excited and optimistic — more than can be said for teams of recent memory. As CSU pushes to enter a new era of athletics, McElwain seems to be a personality that will lead by example and bring back CSU’s eroded pride. Hopefully, McElwain will use CSU as more than just a stepping stone to a career at a bigger D-1 school (we’re still bitter about Tim Miles), and continue to personify the Ram pride that he showed on Saturday. If he does, the “Bold New Era” will become a bold reality.

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

Liberty or death for GOP at RNC

By Kevin Jensen

Did you watch the Republican National Convention? Neither did anybody else — it had the second lowest Republican convention television ratings in history. Oddly, the convention has yet to give the Romney-Ryan campaign much of a bump in the polls — at least a few poll percentage points can usually be scrounged from the national convention hype. This failure at the polls is indicative of one thing to me: Romney must utilize the support and ideas of the Liberty Movement or he will lose this election. Paul Ryan came out swinging in his speech at the convention, hammering the Obama administration on the five trillion dollars of new debt that has been acquired during his first term. "We need to stop spending money we don't have," Paul Ryan proclaimed to an enthusiastic crowd. While Paul Ryan is touted as the face of an administration that will tackle our deficit problem, however, he is also a Republican that voted for many of the measures that ballooned our deficit, even giving an impassioned speech during the financial crisis urg-

ing his fellow representatives in Congress to vote for the TARP relief. Coming in front of Congress to vehemently promote giving billions and billions of taxpayer dollars to corporations doesn’t sound like much of a budget slashing politician to me. His position as the deficit cutter is perfect for his appointment as presumptive vice president — seeing as how the vice president has very little power and the Romney administration will likely do little to restrain the deficit. Paul Ryan is supposed to be a big deficit cutter, but the plan Paul Ryan proposed refuses to cut so much as a penny from defense — of which I’m sure that there is plenty of room for cuts, seeing as the U.S. spends more on defense than just about the rest of the world combined. Our whole debate on spending in consideration to the defense budget is wildly skewed. Even the sequestration budget bill would keep military spending at 2006 levels when you adjust for inflation — which in terms of GDP matches the rate of spending we had at the height of World War II. Even if we cut our military budget in half, we’d still be the greatest military power on the world by far. The list of GOP speakers at the convention was indicative of the future of the Republican party. With speakers to placate the religious right (Rick Santorum), the Tea Party (Marco Rubio, Chris Christie), and even women voters (Ann Romney, Condoleeza Rice). The Ron Paul/Liberty Movement was the only potential section of the GOP that received little attention at the Convention, save for featuring Sen. Rand Paul, who had been met with some animosity by the Liberty Campaign for his

official endorsement of Mitt Romney. Rand Paul used his time in the spotlight to differentiate himself from much of the discourse usually heard on the stage of a Republican National Convention. “Republicans must acknowledge that not every dollar spent on the military is necessary or well spent,” Sen. Rand Paul said while addressing the floor on day three of the event. Advice that Paul Ryan should definitely take note of. It is ideas like these and paying special importance to civil liberties is what would sway the Liberty Campaign to the ranks of the Romney camp, but as of yet Romney has failed to win them over. In an interview with the New York Times, Ron Paul claimed that organizers of the convention told him he could deliver a speech on two conditions. First Romney’s campaign would get to look over and approve the speech before it was given, and second, Paul would have to publicly endorse Mitt Romney. Ron Paul refused on all accounts and reiterated his opposition to Governor Romney’s philosophy and positions. His followers, also unready to drop their convictions and follow Romney, have indicated their enthusiasm and support will go to Gov. Gary Johnson instead. To win this election, Romney has to try to capture some of the grassroots momentum of Liberty Campaign and embrace some of their positions — such as the obvious need to reduce defense spending to decrease the deficit. Without these changes, Romney will never win.

Editorial Editor Kevin Jensen is a senior English major. His column appears Tuesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to kjensen@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, September 4, 2012 | Page 5

Yays and Nays Yay | To the Rams beating CU–Boulder. Take that, dirty hippies.

NAY | To not having another day off until Thanksgiving break.

Nay | To the idiots who trashed Parmelee Hall because of the Showdown

Yay | To Tour de Fat. Beer, bikes, costumes — the trifecta of fun.

victory. Try celebrating without destroying things.

Yay | For not rioting after we beat the Buffs this year. Three’s not just a crowd — it’s a riot.

Nay | To Obama’s CU–Boulder visit making “The New York Times” front page. Boulder is anything but a swing vote.

“We have to take our support from door to door, from block to block, amd register as many voters as we can.”

Colorado: Why Your Vote Really Matters By A.J. FOLTZ The Rocky Mountain Collegian Last week, the president of the United States came to Colorado State University, which was the first presidential visit in school history. On Sunday, President Barack Obama visited Colorado for the eighth time this year to give a speech at CU-Boulder, delivering the same message he gave in his speech at CSU: Young people need to vote like they did in 2008 to swing Colorado in Obama’s favor and quite possibly decide the entire election. Your vote really does matter — especially in Colorado. Colorado’s nine electoral votes mean that it’s the largest tossup state in the West. According to a survey taken in August by Public Policy Polling (PPP), “voters under the age of 30 comprised 18 percent of Colorado voter turnout in 2008, outnumbering voters over the age of 65.” PPP also found that here in Colorado, “young voters favor President Obama by a 59/27 spread”. This support from young people, a class of voters that has often been dismissed as “apathetic” and “unreliable”, gives President Obama the support and energy he needs in order to win this November. Young people can’t ever under-

estimate the impact our voice can have on our county’s future. With Election Day just 62 days away (even sooner for Colorado since our state has early voting), I know that just saying I support President Obama isn’t enough. So, I have a message for my fellow Rams and young people: Just saying we support the president won’t win the election. We have to take our support from door to door, from block to block, and register as many voters as we can. For many students it will be their first time voting, which should be exciting not only because of the opportunity to shape their own futures, but the future of our nation. As if registering to vote wasn’t easy enough by just going to www.gottaregister.com, there’s now an incentive for CSU students to register to vote with Students for Obama. The Students for Obama teams from the University of Colorado and Colorado State University have just kicked off a voter registration competition dubbed: “The Rocky Mountain Rumble”. So, be a proud Ram and take part in giving the buffaloes their second defeat of the year by getting yourself and your friends registered to vote. This election could come down to

just a few votes in a single state, and even one conversation can make the difference between moving forward or falling backward. It might come down to registering one new voter or recruiting one more volunteer. Addressing the crowd at CU Boulder on Sunday, President Obama said, “What they’re (Republicans) counting on is that you get so discouraged by this (avalanche of attacks and insults) that at a certain point you say, ‘ You know what, I’m going to leave it up to someone else’ … I’m counting on something different. I’m counting on you.” Get registered to vote. Then, get involved in the effort to get President Obama reelected whether it’s by going door to door, doing some phone banking, getting people registered to vote, or a combination of the three. If we all commit to doing these things to organize our communities, the combined impact will ensure that President Obama can keep strengthening and standing up for students and a strong middle class. 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.

GUEST COLUMN

While learning, keep teachers in mind Here we are. Back on campus. Here I am. Back in the Collegian as a guest columnist. I have been writing for the Collegian off and on since 2007. Although having a Monday noon deadline often dominates my weekends, there is nothing I like better than writing about what I love to do: teach. Back in 2007, one of “my boys” Sean was the editorial editor at the Collegian so I approached him with an offer to write a column about teaching. I know that the Collegian is a paper “for the students and by the students,” but I know it never hurts to ask. He said “yes” and I was thrilled. Before I set fingers to keyboard, I named the column “Human at the Whiteboard.” I teach writing (among other things) as a part of my job teaching in the Honors Program. The English Department drills the idea of “audience” into our heads so that, in-turn, we drill the idea of audience into the heads of our students. The students on campus are my audience. My message throughout this column is that teachers are human, too. I can think and plan about a lesson for any of the subjects that I teach, but until I use the activity in my class, I never know how effective it can be. I need to be student-centered in order to do the best job that I can. This column encourages you to do the same: to take the teacher’s life

into consideration as you go through classes together. Understand that the teacher is human, too. We make mistakes, we have bad days, we rely on the community of students to do our jobs well. Throughout this column, I use the word “teacher” because I feel more like a “teacher” than the idea of “professor.” I like to think I “teach” students and they can take my lessons and learn from them. I do not “profess “ anything as “the truth.” Higher education should be a place where students hear information, think about it and come to their own conclusion about the issues that we are faced with as visitors on this big blue marble. In all of my classes, after I go through the syllabus and talk about the goals for the semester, I tell my students that I am human. I have my experiences and opinions that I bring into the classroom. I have many biases and I tell the students that I am not shy about expressing those. I respect the opinions of the students in return, because many have an opposing perspective. I tell my students that the only way to learn is to take the opposite opinions into consideration. We cannot learn by looking at one side of the coin, but the other side that may not be obvious to us. We are all humans before we become students and teachers. I don’t know why some think that we have to

drop our human nature the minute we step into the classroom. There is this idea that teachers leave this persona at the door. I refuse to do so. Think about the teachers that you have liked over the years. Did you like them because they were aces at relaying information well? That is great. In higher education we are all well educated, but giving a person a Ph.D. does not mean that they can teach. This takes years of practice (and mistakes, methink). Besides relaying information in a way that the students can understand, many of us respect the teachers we like because of who they are. Their humanity and the way that they communicate respect in the classroom are just as important as their academic knowledge. Classes are going to be easier if you establish a rapport with the human at the whiteboard. One of the things that students should do in the classroom is introduce themselves to their teachers. This establishes human contact, so that yes indeed, the class becomes a place of humanity instead of a cold and competitive place. I sincerely wish you all the best successes this semester. This comes from the bottom of my human heart. Anne Merline is an instructor for the University Honors Program. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

“The solution, I believe, is implementing and requiring students to take money management courses.”

A change in AUCC courses

By Nicole Frazier

Across the board, universities require their students to complete a set of general education courses. Their purpose is — through a widespread series of courses — to provide each student with the necessary educational foundation in which the remainder of their higher education will build upon. Essentially, they are supposed to be content rich. I, on the other hand, would have to disagree. Besides the fact that I have a whole slew of problems with the structure of our university’s compilation of the core curriculum classes, I would have to say there is one aspect, one area of emphasis that is missing, that has led me to believe that the setup isn’t providing its students with the most fruitful and complete set of courses as possible. My main problem is this: Our educational system puts little to no emphasis on the value of students knowing how to effectively budget or develop financial prowess. What’s happening as far as core curriculum courses go at the university level is, as you have figured out, that the liberal arts have a slight leverage over the science and math component. This arrangement says a lot about the importance that is placed on certain subjects. Our university has determined a set group of courses that are important for all students in order to have a more desirable and competitive education that encourages learning and development, all while disregarding the fact that knowing how to successfully manage your funds is more crucially important now than ever before. So why is financial education not a component as well? Because, traditionally speaking, it has been stressed that the importance of teaching historical perspectives, basic math, composition and global awareness outweighs that of financial education. What’s the root of this problem? Well, like the roots of a tree, there are many. For one, budgeting, much like grammar, is a skill that we are just expected to know how to do, and do well. Just as all the exceptions and rules of English grammar make it difficult to master for many stu-

dents, budgeting, essentially money management, exists in the same way. Instead, we have credit and debit cards, checks, online banking, loans and jobs that don’t pay nearly enough to cover all that needs to be paid. All of which — although exceptional resources and tools — complicate effective money delegation by creating this illusion of invisible money, and in terms of loans and credit cards, an illusion of free money, especially when you get that hefty refund check deposited directly into your bank account. People in general, I figure, have a difficult time conceptualizing our future situations. Specifically, it’s difficult to imagine where we will be at financially in the future. I think many times, we assume that when we graduate, we are guaranteed a well paying job that will cover all the bills that we have acquired. Ideally, that hope isn’t impossible to attain, but we have become accustomed to disregarding the words of Benjamin Franklin entirely by acquiring copious amounts of debt, and doing and learning tomorrow what we could have done and learned today. We spend now and worry later. For example, the Huffington Post claims that the average college graduate as of 2010 has accumulated $25,250 in loans. If the monthly minimum payment is $150, after approximately 14 years, you will have finished paying back your debt, naïvely assuming there is no interest. This concept is, as I have come to realize, difficult for many people to grasp. How do you wrap your head around $25,000 of debt? How do you get people to realistically understand what it means to have bills and successfully allocate money to its creditors? The solution, I believe, is implementing and requiring students to take money management courses. But my complaint isn’t solely focused on how to manage loan repayments. We need to shift some attention to teaching students early in their life the benefits and rewards of budgeting and financial planning. If the array of core subjects is so inherently valuable and they serve their purpose of expanding the educational horizons of students, the implementation of money management classes can serve the same purpose. Being knowledgeable and aware of your financial reality is just as important as reading comprehension, basic math, biology or literature.

Nicole Frazier is a senior English and Spanish major. Feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.

Find Your Voice The Collegian wants to hear from you. Submit letters and columns to letters@collegian.com, guest columns will be featured on Opinion Tuesdays. Also, join in the conversation online and start a discussion on Twitter using #CollegianOpinion.

Collegian Opinion Page Policy

6 Tuesday, September 4, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

VANDALISM |

Some damage left uncleaned

Continued from Page 1 “I was upset that they had gone through and trashed our hall,” said undeclared freshman student Brandon Mohr, who lives on the second floor of Parmelee. “It’s disappointing that people would do something like that.”

Garret Ching, a freshman music therapy major, agreed. “I’m glad you have school spirit,” Ching said. “Just don’t destroy our school.” In some halls, residents and RA’s worked Saturday and Sunday to replace the damaged decorations. Parra said the

residents of his hall had tried to help clean up the mess, but that much was damaged and ripped. He plans to wait to put all the decorations back, however, because he wants people to see what happened and understand the importance of respecting the hall.

“Right now I think our community decorations are kind of a privilege and I think that privilege was disrespected, so I’ve revoked that privilege temporarily,” Parra said. “It will be back.” News Editor Elisabeth Willner can be reached at news@collegian.com.

HUNTER THOMPSON | COLLEGIAN

Runningback Chris Nwoke streches for a ball in the third quarter at the annual Rocky Mountain Showdown. Nwoke injured his ankle during the Showdown and is questionable for this Saturday’s game against North Dakota State.

Preparing for Dakota State SHOWDOWN | Continued from Page 1 “They changed it quite a bit,” Webb said of the pressure packages the Rams brought in the second half. “They started going way more one high, bringing a little more pressure and we just didn’t handle it well.” The Rams now look ahead to the defending FCS Division–I champion North Dakota State on Saturday. “The last time I checked, Alabama and these guys were Division–I National Champions,” McElwain said. “What everybody has to understand is, we won a game. Lets get excited about it for this bus

SPORTS BREAKOUT Rocky Mountain Showdown results: CSU: 22 CU: 17

Up Next: North Dakota State University

When: Saturday, Sept. 8 at 5 p.m. Where: Fort Collins, Colorado Coverage: Live chat at Collegian.com, and 90.5 FM at KCSU

trip on the way home, correct all the mistakes and then move forward.” Football Beat Reporter Andrew Schaller can be reached at sports@collegian.com.

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The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Daily Horoscope

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TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (09/04/12). These last few years show what’s important. Friends and family keep you nurtured. Your career and finances grow with steady watering over the coming year. A new educational discovery sparks after October. Challenge: take action for the future while enjoying the moment.

Submit your application to Student Media in the basement of the Lory Student Center

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

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ARIES (March 21-April 19) ––6–– You’re entering a two day profitable phase. New evidence threatens complacency. A breakthrough develops regarding your perspective on money and finances. A friend inspires your dream. Share the results. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––5–– You’re on top of the world, and you know it. Finishing what you promised is most impressive. Over the next few days, redesign your situation for the better. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––7–– Dress the part. Following the rules helps. Patience is required today, so take your time. You don’t have to choose yet. Encourage your team, which has brilliant ideas. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––5–– You’re entering a cooperative period. Communicate straight up, without arrogance, gullibility or fear. Find a way to work smarter in teamwork, and then bask in the sun with friends. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––5–– Fierce competition could lead to career advancement. A female supplies key information. There’s a test coming, and you may need to turn down an invitation. Encourage someone. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––6–– Look into the future and imagine where you want to be, then start taking the necessary steps to get there. You could be like Merlin, and live backwards into the present. Visualize it. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––5–– Make love a priority. You can solve any problem through partnership. Listen and learn. Count coins and pay bills for the rest of this period. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––7––Stay out of somebody else’s argument. Delegate to a worthy partner for awhile. Work can be fun, too, you know. Infuse meetings with imagination. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––6–– Postpone expansion (translation: add to your savings). You’re entering a work phase, and your status is going up. Avoid distractions. Postpone travel and launching new ventures. Gather information. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––6–– It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it ... extra points for being gentle. Today and tomorrow are good for fun and games. Keep track of winnings. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––5–– Be a gracious host and leader, even if there’s a disagreement. Your home and family could require more attention. Check instructions again. Let friends know what you’ve discovered. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––5–– Plan carefully. Don’t try a new trick now. Find another way to work smarter to provide the requested services. Push past old barriers. You can do it.

RamTalk

compiled by Kris Lawan I ﬁnd it slightly entertaining that my marriage class is in the Chemistry building...

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

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

To the people blasting Christmas music at 11 at night. It’s... a little early.

Pro tips for freshman: Eddy has two more sets of stairways located on the west sides of the building. You don’t have to cram in the middle one. No bra + tight tank top + library AC = free show and lots of stares.

Text your rants to 970-430-5547. Want more? The first RamTalk Book is officially in stock at the Student Media office in the Lory Student Center. Buy your copy for $10, or get one online for your Kindle or Nook.

Find out if you got in! “Like” us on Facebook. Search for The Rocky Mountain Collegian.

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

Today’s RamTalk sponsored by:

Yesterday’s solution

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Across 1 Banned chem. contaminant 4 Confess 9 Pie-in-the-face sound 14 __ Na Na 15 “One of __ days ...” 16 Break down over time 17 ‘60s-’80s Bosox star 18 Talk big 19 Cattle breed named for an English county 20 Socioeconomic tension 23 Get well 24 Dawdler who prefers to remain horizontal 27 Skinny guy’s nickname 32 Modern recording device 33 Take exception 34 Toast starter 35 Spot for a peel 38 Wages sans overtime 41 Grammy-winning Dr. 42 Big name in trading cards 44 YouTube shorts 46 Dalmatian’s dinner, perhaps 47 Informative stroll through the forest 52 Auto racing safety device 54 Pulitzer-winning author James 55 “Same here,” and what might be said about the start of 20-, 27-, 38- or 47-Across 60 Stimulate 62 Bonkers 63 Colony member 64 Like intense pain 65 Change one’s pants? 66 Cardinals’ home: Abbr. 67 Young cardinal’s call 68 Warehouse supply 69 Digit with a ring, maybe Down 1 Intimidates, with “out” 2 Swiss Alps abode 3 Mideast market 4 Wagering venues, brieﬂy 5 “__ Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” 6 Uncluttered 7 Pre-1991 atlas abbr. 8 “Downtown” singer Clark

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9 Swamp plant 10 Church dignitary 11 One of an amorous pair 12 Big fuss 13 Decimal base 21 Tried to avoid a tag 22 Martini liquor 25 Always 26 Two capsules, say 28 Cardinals’ beaks 29 Show for early risers, briefly 30 Urban transport 31 Build 34 Overblown publicity 35 Symbol on Texas’s flag 36 Golfer’s shirt 37 Sewn-on ornamentation 39 Not sing. 40 Hair dryer? 43 Contaminate 45 Do in, as a fly 47 “Stillmatic” rapper 48 Big game venues 49 Horrified 50 Simple shelter 51 Stovetop pot 53 Censor’s sound 56 Religious sect 57 Film director Preminger 58 Fraction of a min. 59 Geeky sort 60 NCAA’s __-12 conference 61 “__ bin ein Berliner”

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8 Tuesday, September 4, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian

Rams searching still for an identity on offense By CRIS TILLER The Rocky Mountain Collegian CSU quarterback Garrett Grayson is one cool cat. Ask anyone. “He’s always poised, that guy’s not going to show any real emotion,” center Weston Richburg said. “He’s a great leader. He’s a cool customer in the huddle, which is great to have.” Grayson, a sophomore, started only the fourth game in his young career against CU-Boulder in the Rocky Mountain Showdown Saturday earning his first victory. But his day was marked more by the plays he didn’t make. “Going back, I was really happy with how he took care of the football. I thought that was really good,” said CSU coach Jim McElwain at his weekly press conference Monday. “I think he made good decisions and choices. Not to take a sack, throw it away if it’s not there; take a check down when the check down’s there. All those things that are in the progression of a quarterback, I think, is monumental.” For the first time, Grayson made it through an entire game without turning the ball over helping the Rams beat their bitter instate rivals. Grayson threw efficiently, completing 66 percent of his passes (14-for21), two touchdowns and yes, no interceptions. “I’m more confident

than I’ve ever been in my life,” Grayson said. “I told everybody before the game, I’ve been playing football since I’ve been four and I’ve never felt like I’ve had real brothers in my life, and I go out there and I play for them and they’re all confident in me, hopefully, and I’m confident in them 100 percent. “Hopefully I have many more of these games.” Grayson’s flat line demeanor in the huddle has gained something arguably more important than yards on a stat sheet—their trust. “You feel comfortable. You know that Garrett’s going to get you the ball when he needs to get you the ball,” wide receiver Marquise Law said. “You just feel confident in him, and it’s great to have him so calm. You just believe in him.” While Grayson made steps toward becoming a more confident football player, there were problems with the CSU offense. Problems both coaches and the players identified. “We did not play anywhere near where we need to play. Our execution was horrible,” McElwain said. “We left a ton of yardage on the field. We need to create some explosive plays ... we didn’t get enough of those. You play the game to find out your deficiencies or things you need to work on, and obviously that’s something we need to get better at.” The Rams struggled to

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convert third downs going 5-of-15, and couldn’t find ways to run the ball at points in the game averaging a low 2.8 yards per carry. But despite all that, CSU did find the building blocks needed to create an identity on offense. “You gotta start somewhere. I don’t even know if I expected us to do as well as we did,” Richburg said. “We gotta work on the run game, stickin’ on our blocks, pass protection. We’re gonna have to get in the film room and prepare for next week and continue to kind of mold together and get everybody on the same page.” Last week is now in the rearview and the focus on CSU’s next opponent North Dakota State. The FCS National Champions from 2011 gave up just 12.7 points per

NICK LYON | COLLEGIAN

Quarterback Garrett Grayson eyes a receiver downﬁeld in the third quarter of the Rocky Mountain Showdown.

game, including wins over Division-I schools Minnesota and Kansas the past two years.

“We only have one win so far,” sophomore Charles Lovett said. “So we can’t hold our heads too high right

now.” Sports Editor Cris Tiller can be reached at sports@ collegian.com.

VOLLEYBALL

Rams bounce back with win over Okla. By KYLE GRABOWSKI The Rocky Mountain Collegian

After a rough road tournament in Wichita, Kan., the CSU volleyball team brought down the Canadian Hammer and rediscovered their confidence. The Rams overpowered Oklahoma 3-1 behind a career high 19 kills from senior outside hitter Dana Cranston (a.k.a the Canadian Hammer) to break their first three game losing streak since 2008. “We had our feet under us a little bit more, and as crappy as this weekend was, we learned a lot of things that we need to, that we might not have learned if we played a tournament like the first weekend,” Cranston said. “As tough as it was I’m glad we did it, and I think we’re better today

because of it.” CSU finished long rallies with kills and closed out tough, close sets rather than wilting like they did against Wichita State and Tennessee. “The first two sets were similar to the first two sets we were playing the past few days. We couldn’t generate many kills from outside hitting, and we got better at it in the last two sets,” CSU coach Tom Hilbert said. Most of that was due to Cranston’s explosion. She blasted 12 of her 19 kills down in the second two sets and kept her errors down, which she struggled with in the preceding matches. “She was down a little bit, but getting her some one-on-one opportunities really brought her back up,” redshirt sophomore setter Deedra Foss said.

The Rams struggled with the speed of Oklahoma’s offense early, but adjusted quickly to finish with 15 blocks in the match. “We practice that in our practice session, but I feel like at times we’re not running it as fast as the actual team,” senior middle blocker Megan Plourde said. “Once you see it you just have to make those adjustments and as the game goes on it gets easier.” Hilbert made a major adjustment by inserting freshman Adriana Culbert into the Wichita State tournament, and has started her in the last three games to sterling results. “In transition or even serve-receive we have a threat from the right side now,” Foss said. “It opens up our offense and allows

WEEKEND RESULTS

Thursday: lost 1-3 at Wichita State Friday: lost 2-3 vs Tennessee (in Wichita, Kan.) Saturday: lost 1-3 vs BYU (in Wichita, Kan.) Sunday: won 3-1 vs Oklahoma

us to get more kills.” CSU moved back above .500 with the win, and regained some of its early season swagger ahead of Friday’s matchup with No. 12, Pepperdine. “It wasn’t the prettiest thing in the world, but it was good enough to win against a good team, Hilbert said. “Hopefully we can build on this.” Assistant Sports Editor Kyle Grabowski can be reached at sports@collegian.com.