Round two for Obama By KATE WINKLE The Rocky Mountain Collegian
When the announcement came, Stephanie Daley-Watson leapt into the air, gleefully cheering for President Obama’s election to a second term. The crowd of approximately 1,000 people gathered for a Colorado Democrats watch party in the Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel cheered and threw their hands into the air, chanting, “Four more years!” “Tonight, you voted for action, not politics as usual,” Obama said Tuesday night during his victory speech in Chicago. “You elected us to focus on your jobs, not ours. And in the coming weeks and months, I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties.” Daley-Watson left her family and job in Seattle five days ago to campaign for President Obama in Colorado, where she
attended law school. Washington is a solidly Democratic state, and she said she believes it did not make sense to stay there. “It’s very rewarding to actually spend time doing something that you feel like you’re really giving back,” Daley-Watson said. “This is a very important presidential race for women’s issues, the middle class, the environment, the list is very long ... I couldn’t bear to think of an alternate outcome.” At Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High Tuesday night Republicans gathered anticipating an opposite end to the night. The watch party began as a cheerful and hopeful evening with attendees dressed in white, blue and mostly red. As the viewing party came to a close and the election was decided, silence cut with a few boo’s could be heard as republicans started for the exits. “With this choice our nation will suffer immensely and we’re going to become
a socialist nation and that’s just scary,” said Sonia Marschner, a volunteer for the Romney Campaign. In his concession speech, Mitt Romney thanked volunteers, fundraisers, donors and surrogates for their efforts in the campaign. He encouraged politicians nationally and at the state level to “put the people before the politics.” “I believe in America. I believe in the people of America,” Romney said. “And I ran for office because I’m concerned about America. This election is over, but our principles endure. I believe that the principles upon which this nation was founded are the only sure guide to a resurgent economy and to renewed greatness.” Energy remained high throughout the night as the music blasting from speakers near the front of the ballroom quieted periodically and eyes turned to two large screens broadcasting CNN’s election projections. The crowd responded
to every projected Democratic win with cheers that only increased in volume and frequency throughout the night. Rick Palacio, chair of the Colorado Democratic Party, took the stage shortly after the announcement of Obama’s win. “I thought we’d be on edges of our seats a while longer,” he joked. Although Colorado eventually supported Obama by a close margin, it does not mean that Colorado is now a heavily Democratic state, according to political science professor John Straayer. “Colorado has been migrating in the blue direction, and tonight was another step in that direction,” Straayer said. Clustered around a table clutching glasses of wine, Denver residents Julie Rennick, Alice Gibbs and Trent Barnes enjoyed the camaraderie of the watch party. Barnes recently moved from New See OBAMA on Page 7
TOP: Asia Taylor, right, and her sister Ashlee celebrate the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States at the Colorado Democratic watch party in the Sheridan Hotel in Downtown Denver, Colo. Tuesday night. (Photo by Dylan Langille). LEFT: From left, Republicans Danielle Arceo, Valentine Hoffman, Ryan Kelly Murphey, and Daniel Lorrig react to the news of President Obama’s re election at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver Tuesday night shortly after the president won Ohio. (Photo by Nick Lyon). RIGHT: Diane Montgomery applauds as President Obama gets reelected into office at the Proposition 64 watch party at Avogadro’s Number on Tuesday. Almost everyone in the venue was overjoyed with the news. (Photo by Austin Simpson)
Colorado makes history, legalizes pot
LARIMER COUNTY VOTING BREAKDOWN President Election Total Candidates Barack Obama (D) Mitt Romney (R) Other
By EMILY SMITH The Rocky Mountain Collegian
80,528 / 51.22% 72,194 / 45.92% 4,510 / 2.86%
Congress District 2 Total Candidates Kevin Lundberg Jared Polis Randy Luallin Susan P. Hall AMENDMENT 64 – PASSED Total votes – 153,055
54.37% 45.63%
Legalized marijuana use for those 21 and older
AMENDMENT S – PASSED Total votes – 136,527
54.02% 45.98%
Modified the state personnel system
70,080 / 46.57% 72,577 / 48.22% 4,386 / 2.91% 3,454 / 2.3% AMENDMENT 65 – PASSED 75.61%
24.39% Total votes – 145,707
Recommended campaign spending limits
QUESTION 301* – PASSED Total votes – 69,722
55.84% 44.16%
Repealed ban on medical marijuana dispensaries
At 9:03 p.m. it was official; voters have chosen to end the prohibition of marijuana in the state of Colorado. Shouts erupted from Fort Collins resident Brie Hawley’s table at Avogadro’s Number Tuesday night as the results of Amendment 64’s passing made history. With this legislation, marijuana will now be legalized and regulated in Colorado similar to alcohol for individuals 21 years old and older. The amendment will modify Colorado’s constitution to allow these individuals to possess, use, grow and transfer up to one ounce of marijuana or up to six marijuana plants — with some restrictions. Amendment 64 passed with 963,204 votes, which came out to roughly 53 percent of the total 1,811,317 votes. In Larimer County, Amendment 64 received 83,210 “yes” votes of the total 153,055
votes counted. Every seat was filled at Avogadro’s Number as about 120 community members gathered to watch live election coverage from MSNBC on a large projection screen at the front of the room. “I’m all for it,” said Jesse Festa, who sat on the edge of the stage and sipped a beer with his girlfriend. “I’m originally from California. I think it’s a boost to the economy and it’s a natural drug — coffee is a natural drug and that’s legal.” Hawley, however, said she felt that the law will be difficult for marijuana growers to navigate until the drug is federally legalized. In response to Amendment 64 passing, substance abuse prevention group Team Fort Collins said they will continue to focus on education. “No matter the outcomes of Amendment 64 or Question 301, Team Fort Collins will stay the course of its mission to prevent alcohol and drug abuse,” said Ashley Kasprzk, executive director of
Team Fort Collins. “We also plan to address the increasing misperception that marijuana is not harmful,” Kasprzk said. “Team Fort Collins will do this by working on clear, effective and enforceable policies that ensure access is limited to those over 21.” Mason Tvert, co-director for the Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol said Coloradans demonstrated that they are done with marijuana prohibition and ready to move on to a more sensible approach to marijuana. The Campaign to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol hosted a watch party Tuesday night at Casselman’s Bar in Denver. “A lot of people have worked really hard over the last several years, let alone months, to bring this campaign to where it is today,” Tvert said. “And people are very excited, this is a historic moment and I think people are proud See MARIJUANA on Page 8
2 Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian FORT COLLINS FOCUS
Community Briefs ‘True green-building pioneer’ honored at CSU The Green Building Certification Institute has bestowed its highest award upon Brian Dunbar, a professor emeritus at CSU, according to a university news release. Dunbar studied at the University of Michigan, where he earned two architecture degrees. At CSU, he is the executive director of the Institute for the Built Environment. “Brian is a true green-building pioneer,” said Dana Villeneuve, who interned at IBE under Dunbar, in a news release. “He has contributed a great deal to the green building movement, and the honor of being elected a LEED Fellow is well-deserved … He has quite literally educated thousands of people about the importance of building sustainably.”
Democratizing higher education Justin Smith Morrill said 150 years ago that higher education shouldn’t be something only the elite can access in the 1862 Morrill Act. And as a product of such legislation, CSU has made a documentary titled, “A Degree of Democracy – How the Morrill Act Changed Higher
Members of the CSU Swing club Josh Weiser, left, Tyson Roehrkasse, right, prepare to vote in the LSC Tuesday night. (Photo by Austin Simpson)
Ram Talk
Education in America.” The film will be aired on PBS on Tuesday, Nov. 13 at 8:30 p.m. Its driving premise is that “the Morrill Act democratized higher education for the masses and led to the creation of some of the nation’s finest research universities,” according to a university news release. “The Morrill Act has had a far reaching impact on and the nation’s economic prosperity and ‘A Degree of Democracy’ explores the act’s prospects for the future.”
Don’t let winter kill your trees
You’ll probably survive winter if all things go according to plan –– but can the same be said for your trees? “It’s very important to prepare your trees for winter’s cold, arid conditions, and also to continue watering them during drier periods over the next several months,” said Keith Wood, community forestry program manager for the Colorado State Forest Service in a university news release. His tips include wrapping the trunk, mulching the base, recycling leaves, pruning conservatively and watering liberally. Additional advice on urban trees can be found at csfs.colostate.edu
-- Collegian Staff Report
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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
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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 | Wednesday, November 7, 2012
HOW DID CSU VOTE? Biggest Issues:
11% 7%
64% Obama. 31% Romney. 6% Third Party.
12%
17%
9%
35%
Natural Sciences: 64% 30%
Natural Resources:
63%
22% 8%
Obama.
Romney.
58%
34%
BREAKDOWN BY COLLEGE
6% Engineering:
KEY:
BREAKDOWN BY GENDER Male: Female:
24% Unemployment/Taxes. 12% Abortion or Religion. 9% Foreign Policy or Immigraion. 17% Healthcare. 20% Higher Education. 7% Energy. 11% Other.
Agriculture: 44% 50% 6%
5% Overall 10% for Liberal Arts and Undergrads 15% for the College of Business, Applied Human Sciences, the College of Natural Sciences, the College of Engineering and the College of Natural Resources 20% for Undeclared and Graduate Students 25% for the College of Agriculture and the College of Veterinary Medicine
64%
31%
24%
20%
2%
6%
Margin of Error
Overall:
Liberal Arts: 8%
72% 4%
22%
69%
28%
Business: 70%
3%
49% 51%
Vet Med and Biomedical Science: 76% 24%
Applied Human Sciences: 60% 36%
Other.
8%
Undeclared:
Polls conducted by Jean Opsomer’s STAT 305 class for the Collegian, Design by Karin Schwarz
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On Campus Daily
3
COLLEGIAN
OPINION Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | Page 4
YOUR TWO CENTS
5%
19% 23%
53%
*85 people voted in this poll.
YESTERDAY’S QUESTION: Are you more excited for the election or for Halo 4 come out? 53% Election. 23% Neither. 19% Halo 4. 5% Equally excited.
TODAY’S QUESTION:
Are you satisfied with the results of Election Day? 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.
“Just like any other group, he had a personally-motivated political agenda.”
Celebrating the 5th: Guy Fawkes Day
By ANNA MITCHELL
On Monday, my Facebook newsfeed was swamped with people prompting me to have a “Happy Guy Fawkes Day!” and to “Remember, Remember the Fifth of November!” And while I understand that these statuses were more influenced by popular graphic novels and films than by actual historical events, they strike me as incredibly misinformed. I grew up neck deep in the Anglican Church (or, the Church of England). I remember being nine years old when my family joined our British parish members at a bonfire one November 5th evening. They called it Bonfire Night, and it was a great time with great food, glow sticks, hot cider, music,camaraderie… and for the grand finale at the end of the night we torched a six-foot-tall scarecrow with “GUY FAWKES” spray painted across his chest. At the time I didn’t really understand what I was joining in on. I was young and just thought this British bonfire was little more than a cool tradition and an excuse to party. As an adult, I recognize just how disturbingly sick November 5 truly is. Bonfire Day, Guy Fawkes Day, the 5th of November. No matter what you call it, it’s a celebration of the fact that the Gunpowder Treason Plot of 1605 –– the plan by a group of provincial Catholics to blow up Parliament and King James I of England –– failed. Guy Fawkes was arrested after being found guarding the gunpowder and was then sentenced to death for treason alongside his fellow assassins. Four-hundred years later, Britain celebrates the failure of the assassination and the continued power of Protestantism by building a bonfire and throwing a dummy Guy Fawkes (and sometimes even a dummy Pope) onto it every November 5. The holiday is used as a means of demonizing a domestic terrorist and burning him in effigy. It is used as a way to celebrate the Church of England’s (alleged) divine superiority to Catholicism. It is dehumanizing and unnervingly inhumane to spend four centuries annually recreating the capital punishment of political and religious figures. Despite this fact, it seems to be treated as a hap-
py celebration of freedom and social justice. Telling someone “Happy Guy Fawkes Day!” is the equivalent of saying “Happy Holiday That Advocates Creepy Religious Oppression!” Comments that commemorate Guy Fawkes are basically saying, “It’s totally justified for religious extremists to commit acts of terrorism in the name of their God.” A friend of mine pointed out that Guy Fawkes is only perceived as “bad” because he failed, and that had he succeed, he would be the “good guy.” But what is good about assassinating a (relatively) tolerant official seemingly with the end goal of pushing your own religious agenda? My historical understanding is that Fawkes didn’t plan to destroy parliament for noble reasons promoting freedom for all people, or for the sake of the chaotic good. Just like any other group, he had a personally-motivated political agenda. He has nothing to do with “V For Vendetta”–styled anarchy or protecting civil liberties. I’m not sure how Guy Fawkes has come to be celebrated in America, or how Guy Fawkes Day has come to be treated as a holiday honoring instead of vilifying him. But between comic books, movies and “hacktivist” groups like Anonymous placing on a positive pedestal, the holiday has had a complete shift in meaning. Considering he is idolized by those who focus on their ability to not follow others blindly, there sure does seem to be a lot of blind acceptance of Fawkes as a hero. Of course, I understand that the meanings of symbols are not concrete — they are constantly in a state of change and growth. Guy Fawkes has gone from being mocked for his betrayal to becoming a cultural symbol of (chaotic) heroism, and both interpretations are important to consider, and are interesting to ponder and discuss. But knowing that symbols are not absolute won’t change my personal view of this idolization within pop culture as being silly and misguided. I hope that people put more effort into realizing the full historical context of their symbols before revering them. Anna Mitchell is a junior liberal arts major. Her columns appear Wednesdays in the Collegian. Letters and feedback can be sent to letters@collegian.com.
OUR VIEW
Obama, 64: A mile high salute Barack Obama will remain president of the United States, providing four more years for him to enact his vision of moving this country forward and change our nation for the better. Nov. 6, 2012, is an Election Day that will go down in history, altering the face of our world forever — but not because of Obama’s reelection. On Tuesday, Colorado became the first state to legalize marijuana. We are the first in the world to make it legal for adults to possess, grow and consume marijuana since the 1925 Dangerous Drugs Act went into effect internationally. As a result of the act, in order to prevent the U.S. from ceasing trade with them, reform-minded nations could only decriminalize marijuana or
turn a blind eye to personal use. A common misconception is that cannabis is already legal in the Netherlands, when in fact it’s just decriminalized and the
“This is the future, Mr. President; the people of Colorado have spoken” de facto legalized retail sale for Amsterdam is only 5 grams. We just legalized the individual possession of an ounce — that’s about 28 grams. While it will be months before the laws and procedures
governing the actual legal sale of cannabis are implemented, the parts of the amendment related to individual behavior go into effect immediately. Colorado — along with Washington, who also legalized marijuana — is at the forefront of rectifying damage done to this country from years of prohibition, prosecution and incarceration; we’re in a perfect position to show the world that regulation works. We still have a fight ahead of us. A fight for the sovereignty of Coloradans to decide this issue for themselves without being impeded by the federal government. This is the future, Mr. President; the people of Colorado have spoken. Now the real question is: Can we count on the president’s support?
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
2012 Election won handily by Obama
By CALEB HENDRICH
The long electoral nightmare is finally over. At roughly 9 p.m. Tuesday every major news outlet from all corners of the political spectrum (minus a few holdouts, including the New York Times) predicted that President Barack Obama would be re-elected as President of the United States of America. Overall, a lot of states fell into the slots that one would expect them to fall into. The west coast fell handily into the Democratic ranks. A majority of the midwestern states fell into familiar conservative ranks. There were some surprises, though. Florida (initially slated to fall into the Romney camp) was a massive nailbiter throughout the night, with both the Obama campaign and Romney campaign trading the lead for hours after the polls finally closed. There were a couple of other states that defied expectations as well. Iowa,
for instance, was another state that was predicted to fall into the Romney category. However, it blew that notion clean out of the water, falling into the Obama camp 52-46. The Obama victory can probably be best credited to its ground game; overwhelming Romney canvassers in key states including both Colorado and Ohio. In Ohio, it was reported by a number of outlets that the Obama campaign never really left the state after their victory there. That dedication paid off; mobilizing a massive blue push in the state that pushed the president into the majority. It was a good night for politics all around. Colorado and Washington made history by being the first states ever to vote to legalize marijuana and regulate it like alcohol and tobacco. . This is a very positive first step toward the end of the drug war. With any luck, other states will follow our example. The night was not all tears for the Republican party though. As of last night they are expected to maintain a healthy control of the House of Representatives, ensuring that they can still maintain their opposition to the Democrats. Colorado Representative Cory Gardner kept his seat, easily fending off challenger Brandon Schaffer. The Republicans will still have trouble enacting a lot of their key platforms, given that the Democrats maintained control of the Senate. Last night was also a good night for proponents of same-sex marriage, with the states of Maine, Maryland and Washington approving measures to legalize gay marriage.
With the election now over, Americans across the country are now (probably) expecting things to return to normal. Political ads will be pulled from the air, campaign flyers will vanish over the next few weeks, and campaign volunteers will no longer need to go door to door. At long last, politics can be laid to rest in the public’s mind. Back to the humdrum, day to day activities that are aggravating enough without the added annoyance of politics. That is the hope anyway. For those of us who still (absurdly) need a political fix, never fear. The next two years will undoubtedly be jampacked with politics. The House is still in Republican hands, and the Senate still has a Democratic majority. One can definitely expect there to be plenty of mudslinging from both sides, with all of the pomp and circumstance that Congress can muster. And in two years, we will have another election. And two years after that, there is the next presidential tussle. Take this reprieve while you can, everyone. Enjoy the few months of calm before the political hurricane returns. At least for the moment, we have earned a respite. Congratulations, everyone. You came out to vote en masse. You deserve a break from all of this. At least for a little while.
Editorial Assistant Caleb Hendrich is a senior political science and journalism double major. His columns appear Wednesdays 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
The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, November 7, 2012
As the
Results
Poured IN
1 1. Raquel Alejandre, right, Jefferson Campbell and Linda Edwards celebrate the election of Barack Obama as President of the United States at the Colorado Democratic watch party in the Sheridan Hotel in Downtown Denver, Colo. Tuesday night. (Photo by Dylan Langille) 2. Zack Minner points at the TV enthusiastically as more news is given about the election with his friends as the election starts to get heated on Tuesday evening. (Photo by Austin Simpson) 3. Suporters of the Republican Party look on in anquish as President Obama is re-elected as President at Sports Authority field during the 2012 Republican election party. (Photo by Nick Lyon) 4. A family celebrates as they read election updates while attending the Larimer County Democrat party. The Democratic candidate Jason Polis won his campaign for United States House of Represenatives. (Photo by Madison Brandt) 5. Children look out onto Sports Athority Field as key members of the Denver Republican Party gather behind at Sports Authority field for the 2012 republican election party. (Photo by Nick Lyon) 6. Cassie MacDonald and her friends celebrate as a Romney supporter looks on. Romney lost this year’s election as President Obama takes his seat as the 44th President of the United States. (Photo by Kevin Johansen) 7. Jessica English and Harold Jobson celebrate the reelection of Barack Obama as President of the United States at the Colorado Democratic watch party in the Sheridan Hotel in Downtown Denver, Colo. Tuesday night. (Photo by Dylan Langille)
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6 Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Rocky Mountain Student Media is accepting applications for
Student Managers and Editors-in-Chief for the 2013-14 academic year To ensure consideration apply by 4 p.m., Monday, Nov. 26, 2012 The student managers and editors-in-chief hired for academic year 2013-14 will train with current student media heads and professional staff during spring semester 2013 and assume their duties in the summer of 2013.
KCSU station manager KCSU is a 10,000-watt radio station operated by CSU students to serve the CSU community and Fort Collins area. Experience working in a student or professional radio station is required and management experience is desirable. A complete application packet is available by visiting the RMSMC office, Lory Student Center, CSU campus.
Election night in Denver through the eyes of student republicans Students face Presidential Canididate Mitt Romney’s defeat By BAILEY CONSTAS and HALEIGH HAMBLIN The Rocky Mountain Collegian A shroud of silence enveloped Denver’s Republican election viewing party at 9:14 p.m. Tuesday when it was announced that President Barack Obama had won Ohio. “For everyone involved, it was a lot of work and going down like that was especially disappointing,” said Brad Dick, president of the College Republicans at CSU. For CSU Democrats, this same announcement was marked by shared
tears, hugs and champagne toasts. “Re-electing Obama means we can continue on the path we started four years ago,” said Kara English, a junior political science major who invited 40 friends to a watch party at her Ram’s Village apartment Tuesday night. Hours before the announcement that Obama had secured reelection, Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High was full of hopeful energy, according to the 10 members of the CSU College Republicans who made the trek to Denver for a watch party.
“I think we’re going to win, but whoever wins, it will not be a runaway,” said Craig Rhoades, a sophomore history major and member of the College Republicans, before the election was called. Christian Zamora, a CSU journalism major and Obama supporter, said he choose Obama because he believes Obama was more supportive of women and the GLBTQ community than his opponent. “Republicans cannot expect Obama to fix everything in four years, he needs four more years to correct the problems,” he
said. “Not Romney, not reverse.” Dick had a different view on what Obama’s reelection means. “I don’t think [Obama’s] going to move at all to the center. I think the next four years will be full of division in the White House, Congress, Senate and the House,” he said. “It looks like Romney will win the popular vote; most of the nation believed in Romney’s plan. “We gotta keep up the fight.” Collegian Reporters Bailey Constas and Haleigh Hamblin can be reached at news@collegian.com.
“In Russia, it’s looked down on for women to persue high-paying jobs, like being a lawyer, which is what I want to do.” Olga Gladakova | Braiden Hall RA
CTV-11 station manager The CSU student station manager is responsible for the operation of the CTV-11, web first digital production, news, sports, and entertainment programming produced for students by students. A complete application packet is available by visiting the RMSMC office, Lory Student Center, CSU campus.
Collegian editor-in-chief The student editor-in-chief is responsible for hiring a management team of students who in turn hire other student editors, reports, writers, and production staff. For complete information and application go to http://www.collegian.com/editor-in-chief-application
Digital Media Manager The student Digital Media Manager is responsible for assuming a leadership role in ensuring collegian.com websites are frequently refreshed with updated news, sports, entertainment and other related content. For complete information and application packet go to http://www.collegian.com/digital-media-manager-application/
College Avenue editor-in-chief The student College Avenue editor-in-chief is responsible for recruiting and training student staff members and meeting deadlines in the publication of the student magazine. For complete information and application go to http://collegeavenue.collegian.com/editor-in-chief-application
Students from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. All student managers and editors-in-chief must be full-time (9 hours minimum for undergraduate or 6 hours minimum for graduate students), admitted and degree-seeking at Colorado State University. Prior media experience is required of all student editors-in-chief and student managers, preferably working for the RMSMC at Colorado State.
ERIN MROSS | COLLEGIAN
Liz Arellano takes a picture of the TV in Parmelee as Obama is announced the next president of the US late Tuesday night.
Obama’s win mixed response in residence halls By CARRIE MOBLEY and SEAN MEEDS The Rocky Mountain Collegian There was an air of indecisiveness, hyperactive joy and utter disappointment all muddled into one surprisingly representative sample of a battleground state in Parmalee Hall Tuesday night as President Obama claimed a second term victory. The watch party was put on by Gaining Understanding Through Involvement, Diversity and Education (GUIDE) as a way to give students a respectful environment in which to watch the elections, according to Elise Byron, a senior family and consumer sciences major, who was in charge of the event. GUIDE also hosted a watch party in Braiden Hall. “This election is a really pivotal one just because both of the candidates are so opposite and it’s something that has created a lot of tension,” Byron said. “This was just a way for us to provide an inclusive community for students to celebrate the election and celebrate their right to vote.” As the race drew to a close early on in the night, many students seemed confused that something that had dragged on for so long could be over so quickly. One student exclaimed,
“It’s over already? That was anticlimactic.” Olga Gladkova, a sophomore RA in the Braiden Global Village who was born in Russia but has since become a US citizen, screamed in excitement at hearing the news. “In Russia, it’s looked down on for women to pursue high-paying jobs, like being a lawyer, which is what I want to do,” Gladkova said. “It’s important to me that Obama really supports a woman’s right to education and equality and minority rights in general. He understands what its like to work hard and really climb to the top.” At Braiden, students were still occupying seats in the common room to hug, cheer and celebrate the results of the election long after they had been announced. "I'm pretty pumped over the results," said junior history major Jesse Hall. "Especially since this is my first presidential election." Hall voted for President Obama and said that he supported the president for not only his social policies — such as women's rights — but also for his economic ones. "We need to focus on small business, using our own domestic oil, and increasing exports," he said. Lauren Klamm, a junior
journalism and technical communications major who voted for Romney, had a different reaction to the results. “I’m a little heartbroken,” she said, “but I’m looking forward to seeing what he’ll do in the next four years.” While the Romney supporters were upset but optimistic, the Obama fans were celebratory while still being cautious. "His first term didn't go as well as expected," said Nigel Mills, a junior JTC major who also voted for the president. "I hope that he has more freedom and takes more risks since it's his second term and he can't be reelected." On the other side of the spectrum, Romney supporters were accepting defeat gracefully. "Anyone who can help the US gets my vote," said sophomore business major Nicholas Personett. Personett hopes that the president will change his approach to fixing the economy, hopefully even borrowing aspects from Romney's plan, which Personett felt was the better of two. "He needs to cut the debt because it's only getting worse," Personett said. Klamm agreed with Personett that the president needed to change his economic policies.
"We need take charge of how China's trading with other countries," Klamm said. "We need to stop borrowing from China because they're extremely powerful and we're not paying them back. If someone borrowed a lot of money from me, I'd expect them to pay me back." Back in Parmalee, some students were indifferent to the results. “To me Mitt Romney was just a rich guy who didn’t understand anything,” said Grant Voyen, an undeclared sophomore attendee. “I didn’t like either candidate. I knew who would win, but I’m still kind of disappointed about it.” Several members of the LGBTQ community rejoiced. “My faith in America has been restored,” said Liz Arellano, a junior Liberal Arts major. “I literally cried about 10 different times today out of anxiety over it … He knows how to rise above difficult situations and he really knows what moving forward really means.” An Obama supporter had only one word to describe the experience. “Right now I can only think of the word ‘ebulliency’,” said Kenny Young, a senior biochemistry major, “It’s pure happiness.” Collegian Writers Carrie Mobley and Sean Meeds can be reached at news@collegian.com.
your daily fix
OBAMA |
The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, November 7, 2012
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44th president will see four more years in office
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York, a solidly Democratic state, and said he was excited to vote in Colorado because he feels his vote will have a greater impact. “Coming out to a community like this gives a human aspect to the campaign. You normally see people spitting out bull quotes, politics seems to be very highly processed,” Barnes said. “Coming here and seeing people who actually engage in the same issues and think about things in similar ways and fight for them actively, its just a wonderful environment. There’s a real
sense of collegiality at the end of a campaign.” Obama’s reelection shows his leadership, according to Stephanie Sandhu, a medical student at the University of Colorado who plans to study for a test she has on Friday after leaving the event. She said Obama’s win has great significance for the healthcare industry, and that because the Affordable Care Act will be upheld, students and those with disabilities will receive the care they deserve. The tense moments of the night was the uncertainty of the swing states
leanings. Matt Derrington, a CU student, breathed a sigh of relief once Ohio and its 18 electoral votes swung Democratic. He, like many other attendees of the watch party, plans to keep partying and drinking throughout the night. “We’ve got to celebrate,” Derrington said. “It means four more years for a president fighting for who I am, and saying who I am is OK. It’s four more years of job creation, it’s four more years of economic policy that adds up and that makes sense, it’s four more years of a country on the right track.”
The race in Colorado was close leading up to the election, and it was not a foregone conclusion beforehand who would win Colorado, according to Straayer. Although not surprised by the final results, Straayer attributes the Democratic Party’s apparent nationwide victory to a changing demographic and changing attitudes throughout the nation. The Republican party has steadily migrated in a conservative direction over the years. Tuesday’s election may have been an indication that the Republicans need to move in a more moderate
direction concerning issues such as gay marriage, immigration and women’s reproductive rights, according to Straayer. “You’ve got to have the two parties work together, parties that will sit down and work out differences,” Straayer said. “And, if you have one party that gets so rigid it won’t do it and in the face of losses simply becomes even more rigid, that’s neither good for the party nor the country.” Romney expressed a similar sentiment, and advocates working together in Washington to continue to
grow America. “The nation, as you know, is at a critical point,” Romney said. “At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and political posturing. Our leaders have to reach across the aisle to do the people’s work.” Although he touched on the partisan political landscape during his victory speech, Obama was nevertheless optimistic. “I have never been more hopeful about America,” Obama said. Politics Beat Reporter Kate Winkle can be reached at news@collegian.com.
CAN’T Jared Polis wins reelection “I knew it was a tough race jumping into it.” Kevin Lundberg | State Sen.
Democratic Rep. will serve third term for Colo.’s 2nd Congressional District By AMANDA ZETAH and AUSTIN BRIGGS The Rocky Mountain Collegian The audience at last night’s watch party for Democratic Rep. Jared Polis was cordial and excited; the overwhelming sense was that their candidate would win. It wasn’t until Rep. Polis’ campaign manager leaned into his ear and told him it was official, though, that Rep. Polis leapt to the stage to thank his supporters. Rep. Polis was re-elected to the Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District for a third term, winning with 48 percent of the vote. Runner up State Sen. Kevin Lundberg finished with 46 percent, and 5 percent of the vote went to third party candidates. “The race has been called and I will be the next congressman,” Rep. Polis said, “I want to thank you for helping to elect Obama and to elect me to represent Lar-
imer County.” Rep. Polis went on to discuss his commitment to higher education, and what his third term might mean for CSU. “My win means that CSU and Fort Collins will have a representative that will focus on education and making it affordable,” Rep. Polis said. “I will put problem solving over ideology and will look to move our country forward.” But in every election there must also be a loser. At the Ptarmigan Country Club in Windsor, Colo., a crowd of about 250 Republican supporters gathered to watch election results come in. They remained relatively subdued throughout the night as reports showed Obama pulling ahead in the national election and Republicans losing a number of local races. It was nearly an hour after 9 News Denver called the election for Rep. Polis before
Sen. Lundberg conceded defeat and addressed the crowd. He assured his supporters that announcing he had lost wasn’t easy, and that he would continue to represent them to the best of his abilities as a state senator. “I look down the road that our nation is heading and I shudder,” Sen. Lundberg said. “But I don’t give up.” Kyle Saunders, a CSU political science professor, said in an email to the Collegian before the race’s results came in that “barring any political gaffes” or scandals, the 2nd Congressional seat would remain Polis’, citing numerous challenges for Sen. Lundberg to overcome. “Lundberg would have needed to have raised a lot more money, had much more positive name recognition and had issue stances that were more in line with unaffiliated voters in the district to have had a chance,” Saunders said.
“I knew it was a tough race jumping into it,” Sen. Lundberg said. “But I believed the people of this district needed a good, fair choice in the matter. It’s always difficult running against the incumbent. We gave it the best shot we could.” Michael Fassi, the chairman for the Larimer County GOP, acknowledged that Sen. Lundberg faced an uphill battle in taking on a well established candidate within the new boundaries of the second congressional district. “It just takes some time to take our candidates out there and to get them familiar with the population,” Fassi said. “When you have a new area it’s hard. Polis only had one new county, we had eight or nine.” Collegian Writers Austin Briggs and Amanda Zetah can be reached at news@collegian.com.
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?
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8 Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Republicans hold onto House majority By RICHARD SIMON The McClatchy Tribune WASHINGTON — Despite Congress’ sorry image — and more than $1 billion spent to sway voters — Republicans held onto their House majority in Tuesday’s election. “The American people have once again given the House of Representatives to Republicans,” Rep. Pete Sessions, R-Texas, chairman of the House GOP’s campaign arm, crowed at a victory party in the nation’s capital.t But while the GOP will remain in control, there will be plenty of new faces in the next Congress. Among them: Democrat Tammy Duckworth, an Iraq war veteran who defeated Republican Rep. Joe Walsh, a tea party favorite, in Illinois. And Joseph P. Kennedy III, the grandson of Robert F. Kennedy whose election to succeed Rep. Barney Frank from Massachusetts will mark the return of a member of the storied family to Congress. With all 435 House seats up for grabs, 62 had no incumbent running, the most since 1992, said David Wasserman, House editor at the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. While Democrats failed to win control of the House, Rep. John Barrow of Georgia withstood a strong GOP challenge to remain the last white Democrat in the House from the Deep South. Democrats knocked off
Republican incumbents in Florida, Maryland, New Hampshire and New York. Republicans, in turn, defeated Democratic incumbents in Kentucky, Pennsylvania and North Carolina. In Iowa, Rep. Steve King, a prominent hard-liner on illegal immigration, beat back a strong challenge from Democrat Christie Vilsack, wife of Agriculture secretary and former Iowa Gov. Tom Vilsack. The election could create the first House Democratic caucus without a whitemale majority, Wasserman said. And it could create a more polarized House, political experts say. Republicans hold a 240190 majority in the House, with five vacancies, three previously held by Democrats and two by Republicans. With the margin separating the parties expected to shift by only a few seats, Democrats were falling short of the net gain of 25 seats they needed to become the majority party. “Democrats look likely to defeat many Republican incumbents, but some of their own incumbents will also lose; hence, lots of movement, but not much net change,” said Kyle Kondik, House editor at the University of Virginia Center for Politics. In California, the balloting, combined with changes to the state’s political system and a spate of retirements, was expected to produce the
biggest turnover in its congressional delegation in 20 years. There were at least 10 competitive races in a state where only one seat flipped between the parties in the last decade. Battles between veteran Republican Rep. Dan Lungren and Democrat Ami Bera in a Sacramento-area district and between Republican Rep. Brian P. Bilbray and Democrat Scott Peters in a San Diego County district drew more than $8 million each in outside spending, among the most of any House races. A new political map, drawn for the first time by an independent citizens commission instead of politicians, and the state’s new top-two primary system set up clashes between members of the same party. The most noteworthy was a slugfest between Democratic Reps. Howard L. Berman and Brad Sherman in a San Fernando Valley race that drew more than $13 million in spending by the candidates and outside groups. In Florida, in one of the costliest, and nastiest, races in the country, Republican Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite, was locked in a tight battle against Democrat Patrick Murphy. In Utah, Mia Love was seeking to become the first black Republican woman elected to the House in a race against Rep. Jim Matheson, a leader of a shrinking group of conser-
vative Democrats known as Blue Dogs. In Massachusetts, Richard Tisei was seeking to become the first openly gay Republican in the House in a race against Democrat Rep. John F. Tierney. In Minnesota, former GOP presidential candidate Michelle Bachmann drew a challenge from Democrat Jim Graves, who said the incumbent was “distracted by her own celebrity.” New Hampshire could end up with an all-female congressional delegation. Democrat Ann McLane Kuster defeated Republican Rep. Charles Bass, and fellow Democrat Carol Shea-Porter was leading Republican Rep. Frank Guinta. Both of the state’s U.S. senators are women. And in Arizona, Democratic Rep. Ron Barber, a former aide to former Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and fellow shooting survivor who won a special election to succeed his boss, was opposed by Republican Martha McSally. Political experts were trying to make sense of the lack of change, considering a recent Gallup poll showed nearly 4 out of 5 Americans disapproved of the job Congress was doing. “If there’s anything historic about this election, it’s going to be that with a (dismal) approval rating, we end up with no change?” said Norman Ornstein, an expert on Congress at the American Enterprise Institute.
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Regulate weed like alcohol MARIJUANA |
Continued from Page 1
to be a part of it.” Tvert said they look forward to working with state officials and potentially federal officials to implement this initiative. In September Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper opposed Amendment 64 on the grounds that marijuana would detract from Colorado being the healthiest state in the nation. Tuesday night he warned voters about the legalization of marijuana. “The voters have spoken and we have to respect their will,” the Washington Post reported that Hickenlooper said. “This will be a complicated process,
but we intend to follow through. That said, federal law still says marijuana is an illegal drug so don’t break out the Cheetos or gold fish too quickly.” Initiative Question 301 also passed in Larimer County with 38,213 “yes” votes out of the total 69,722 votes. Initiative Question 301 will overturn the current ban on dispensaries in Fort Collins. George Hayduke was in support of Amendment 64 and Initiative Question 301. “If it (the money) is going towards schools, that’s where the future is at,” Hayduke said. Collegian Writer Emily Smith can be reached at news@collegian.com.
The Rocky Mountain Collegian | Wednesday, November 7, 2012
9
#Room-Antics
Daily Horoscope
Nancy Black and Stephanie Clement TODAY’S BIRTHDAY (11/07/12). Despite changes, your
JADE
financial situation grows this year. The winter solstice brings an awakening to the higher self. Use it to align yourself to your purpose and to how you want to make a difference. This explodes your career with possibility. To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.
Wondermark
Tim Rickard
Brewster Rockit
Rochelle Peeler
Meh Comex
Ctrl+z
Chelsea London
ARIES (March 21-April 19) ––8–– Stick to your budget. Move quickly. Continue to increase your holdings (and enthusiasm) in the coming week. There’s money coming from your own productivity. Dance with any delays. TAURUS (April 20-May 20) ––8–– Adapt to circumstances. Put energy into the details. Stick to existing projects this week. Handle stuff you’ve been putting off. Increase skills as you test your theory. GEMINI (May 21-June 20) ––7–– Regain your balance by doing what you promised. Provide excellent service. You’ll be able to take on new stuff later. Review the plan. Shorten your home repair list. CANCER (June 21-July 22) ––6–– Decrease your personal obligations over the coming week. You can have fun without spending much. Make the changes you’ve been contemplating. A lovely moment develops. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) ––8–– Continue to increase your level of expertise. Take on more responsibility. What you’re learning contradicts what you thought. Use your secret power. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) ––5–– Fix something before it breaks. Organization and cleaning satisfies. Continue to decrease home expenses with conservation. Set long-range goals. You’re gaining the lasting respect of your peers. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) ––7–– Confirm what you’ve learned with others. Continue to increase your area of influence this week. Make the first move. Choose the jobs you want to do. Document the results. SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) ––7–– Take charge. Calm down someone who’s getting agitated. You may find your responsibilities rise this week. Love spurs you to action. Leave routine chores for another day. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) ––7–– Gather up as much as you can, and beware of hidden expenses. Get rid of unnecessary stuff. Others vie for your attention; your teammate scores. Strive for perfection. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) ––5–– New income sources come to your attention. Be cautious with money now. A bond gets renewed. Delegate, and inspire action. Continue to increase your search parameters, and profit. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) ––7–– There’s money coming in, and you can get more if you act quickly. The work is hard, but profitable. If you don’t know how, study. Share your info and sources. PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20) ––6–– Provide information. Passion is part of the picture. Pare the superfluous to increase efficiency. Build team relationships with enthusiasm. Get projects finished and out the door.
David Malki
RamTalk
compiled by Kris Lawan
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Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
For the record, “have you voted yet?” is not a good pickup line
I’m not that bad of a stoner. One phone call to remind me to vote is enough.
The best way to avoid solicitors on campus, and everyone else for that matter, is to carry a clipboard.
To the guy who walked around with a sign saying “I’m not a citizen, don’t ask me:” You’re brilliant.
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Yesterday’s solution
Today’s Sudoku sponsored by:
Across 1 Dash, e.g. 5 Head-hanging emotion 10 Altoids alternative 15 Fan favorite 16 Earthling 17 Absorbed the loss 18 Tropical headgear 20 Passover ritual 21 Dix halved 22 Calendar abbr. 24 Prior to, in verse 25 Low-tech note taker 27 Deal-closing aids 30 Unblemished 31 Line winder 32 Baking by-products 33 Creative enterprise 34 On the fence 35 Six-stringed instrument, usually 36 Urbana-Champaign NCAA team 41 Two pages 42 “Zip-__-Doo-Dah” 43 Tram car filler 45 Totally absorbed 48 Hon 49 Pontiac muscle cars 50 Powerful pin cushion? 52 “It __ hit me yet” 53 Mao follower? 54 Scientology’s __ Hubbard 55 Sushi bar soup 56 Cook-off potful 58 False 63 Mixer for a mixologist 64 Boyfriends 65 Couple in a rowboat 66 Run through a reader, as a debit card 67 Footlocker 68 Sandstorm residue Down 1 Split 2 Org. concerned with crowns 3 Mozart works 4 Pal of Jerry Seinfeld 5 Retired seven-foot NBAer 6 “Say that again?” 7 “I __ Rock” 8 Fisher-Price parent company 9 Follow logically
Yesterday’s solution
Today’s Crossword sponsored by:
10 Potluck staple 11 Summer on the Seine 12 Turn in for cash 13 Spain’s __ de Campos 14 Underline, say 19 Trio on a phone keypad 23 Online shopkeeper 25 Place for pampering 26 Area of expertise 27 Calligrapher’s flourish 28 Question of time, to Telemann 29 __ me tangere 31 Barbecue spit, e.g. 34 “Every Breath You Take” band 35 “Myra Breckinridge” author 37 Tickled pink 38 Scottish Celt 39 “As of yet, no” 40 Pressing need? 44 Inexact fig. 45 Throws out 46 Reservation waster 47 Spiral pasta 48 One of Dancer’s partners 49 Far-from-efficient vehicle 51 Reservations 52 Best-seller 55 Perfumery scent 57 Blistex target 59 Frat house letter 60 Flee 61 The Rams of the NCAA’s Atlantic 10 Conf. 62 D-Day vessel
10 Wednesday, November 7, 2012 | The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Colorado Republicans prepare persistent opposition By KATE SIMMONS The Rocky Mountain Collegian Perched in a skybox atop Sports Authority Stadium at Mile High, more than 1,000 Republican attendees, including Senators and their families, prepared for a Romney victory. Downstairs in a larger room stood a podium and large screens displayed Fox News, MSNBC and CNN’s election coverage. But the celebration turned into stoic silence as Fox announced Obama’s victory. Soon, as the news settled in, members of the crowd vocalized their disapproval. “The president has
avoided the issue and all he’s done is increase our debt,” said Sen. Scott W. Renfroe, who is also a CSU alumnus. “He has more debt than any other president in history. We need to get our deficit under control.” Sen. Mark Scheffel, who won reelection to Colorado’s 4th District , came to the watch party with his wife and two daughters. Tuesday his 18-year-old daughter, maria, voted for the first time and had the unique experience of voting for her father. Maria’s mother, Cheri Scheffel, said she supports Romney because she thinks he was the candidate that
“It may seem like your one vote doesn’t count, but if we all felt that way none of us would be voting. It does matter.”.” Mark Scheffel | Colorado Senator would provide a better future for her children. “I would much rather see Romney as President because I feel like he can give more and provide more opportunities,” Scheffel said. “If you’re an American citizen, voting is a privilege that peo-
“The goal is to get people to see how exciting and fun skydiving can be,” Chris Lierheimer | junior construction management major
A leap of faith: Skydiving Club By MARCUS MORTIZ The Rocky Mountain Collegian
Jumping out of an airplane doesn't appeal to everyone. To some though, it is a lifestyle. And those people are getting together. This Wednesday, a meeting for the new CSU Skydiving club will take place in Lory Student Center room 211E at 4 p.m. Chris Lierheimer, who is the driving force behind the club, has himself gone on over 450 jumps in the past three years. “The goal is to get people to see how exciting and fun skydiving can be,” Lierheimer said in an email. “We also plan on dispelling some myths about how dangerous it is and how expensive it is.” CSU Skydiving will jump primarily at Mile Hi Skydiving in Longmont, where a jump can cost about $200 for a tandem jump — a type of skydiving where a student is connected to the teacher via harness. Lierheimer said that the
club was created to mainly raise awareness about the sport and organize people who are interested in it. “Member dues will be cheap and will probably just cover the cost of the t-shirt,” Lierheimer said. “That alone would be pretty cool. Wear that t-shirt around you're almost guaranteed to pick up chicks, or dudes. Whatever you're into –– I don't judge our female members.” Each club at CSU must have a faculty member to represent it, and for the Skydiving Club that someone is Travis Annameier, a Center for Advising and Student Achievement coordinator and avid skydiver. “The first time I went it just seemed like a good idea at the time,” Annameier said, who has jumped over 6,000 times in the past 10 years. “This last year I did mostly tandems, which is nice because if it's your first jump you can enjoy it a little more.” CU–Boulder also has a skydiving team and each
year schools from around the country compete in the United States Parachute Association Collegiate Nationals. This year, they’re from Dec. 28 to Jan. 2 near Eloy, Ariz. “I'm hoping that once we get enough people to go, we could take a group of kids down there,” Lierheimer said, who took home a silver medal in the accuracy competition last year. “There are many different disciplines within skydiving which is why I think it will appeal to many different people.” Some of the competitions include things like formation jumping (a group of people creating as many different formations as they can), the aforementioned accuracy jumps, freestyle skydiving (a combination of gymnastics and diving), as well as others. “I certainly think that there will be an interest,” Annameier said. “Even among people who had no prior knowledge or interest.” Collegian Writer Marcus Mortiz can be reached at news@collegian.com.
ple have died for. It may seem like your one vote doesn’t count, but if we all felt that way none of us would be voting. It does matter.” Mike McCormick, a conservative who disapproves of Obama’s agenda, left the watch party less optimistic.
“Obama is taking us to failure,” McCormick said. “Big government costs more. I want a limited government, individual freedom, personal responsibility, strong military, free enterprise, and Obama doesn’t support any of that.” Outlining the economic problems in America, McCormick made an analogy. He said Americans fit into two groups: people in the wagon and people who pull the wagon. The people in the wagon receive government handouts and the people pulling the wagon are paying for them. “If we want more and more people in the wagon,
pretty soon there won’t be enough people to pull the wagon and the United States will be history,” McCormick said. “That would be a real sad situation.” While many Republicans left the watch party feeling defeated, Romney volunteer Don Bergman left ready to fight. “The firepower needs to be directed elsewhere — the US house the US senate and the state legislatures,” Bergman said. “We are going to hold them accountable, America will hold them accountable.” Student Life Beat Reporter Kate Simmons can be reached at news@collegian. com.
Amendment 65 Passes Colo. votes in favor of campaign finance reform By SKYLER LEONARD Rocky Mountain Collegian Amendment 65, an amendment to reform campaign finance law has been passed in Colorado. Seventy three percent of Coloradans voted in favor of the bill, with people from all parties voting in favor. “It passed overwhelmingly,” said Daniel Katz, director of the Colorado Public Interest Research Group (CoPIRG). “I’m excited to see the amendment pass from both Democrats and Republicans. This is a strong statement coming from all of Colorado,” Katz said. The main purpose of the amendment was to overturn the controversial Citizen’s United ruling made by the Supreme Court. The amendment will attempt to do this by instructing Colorado’s elected officials to draft and implement an amendment to the federal constitution that would limit and change current campaign
finance law. Now that the amendment has passed, Katz said that the next step is for Congress to start working on an amendment. As of now no member of the Colorado congress has taken interest in writing the amendment. But Katz said he thinks this will change after the election since most elected officials were occupied by their own campaigns. Controversy still does exist for the amendment because of what may happen as Colorado’s elected officials attempt to construct an amendment. “The amendment is a tremendously bad idea, but the good thing is it is not legally enforceable,” said David Koppel from the Independent Institute. Koppel raises concerns about the amendment’s capability to give elected officials power to limit citizens free speech because of how broad the text of the amendment can be defined, and that the amendment may not have
an impact if officials look to defend the constitution against reform. Steve Justino, cochair of Move to Amend, disagrees with Koppel’s claim, since organizations like Move to Amend plan on being part of the debate while officials start to construct an amendment. “It needs to be a grassroots driven process to help shape the amendment. It has to have input of the people to make our voice be heard to the legislation,” Justino said. The amendment still does have a long way to go to bring about finance reform. Even after an amendment to the federal constitution is made, it will take a 2/3 vote to enact the amendment. “The amendment is a first good step in starting a conversation on reform,” said Justino. “It is clear people recognize that something needs to be done.” Collegian Writer Skyler Leonard can be reached at news@collegian.com.