DU Clarion Volume 123 Issue 12

Voice of the University of Denver Pioneers since 1899

duclarion.com

VOL. 123, ISSUE 12

APRIL 20, 2016

DIVEST DU RALLIES FOR CLIMATE JUSTICE

2 On April 14, Divest DU met with the Board of Trustees to discuss the future of the university’s divestment from fossil fuels pa g e

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SEXUAL ASSAULT AWARENESS IS KEY

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DU’S LAX LEGEND: COACH TIERNEY

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APRIL 20, 2016

Divest DU addresses BOT JILLIAN QUERI EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Editorial Staff JILLIAN QUERI, Editor-in-Chief KELLSIE BRANNEN, Executive Editor JOHN POE, News Editor BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED, Sports Editor ADRIAN BOGART, Opinions Editor CHLOE BARRET, Lifestyles Editor MADELINE ZANN, Entertainment Editor MONICA MCFADDEN, Assistant Entertainment Editor GINNY STOUSE, Copy Editor JACK FOERSTERLING, Copy Editor

Business Staff JOHN POE, Business Manager CONNOR W. DAVIS, Advertising Representative MEG MCINTYRE, Advertising Representative ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Advisor

Digital Staff GUSTO KUBIAK, Photo Editor NIKKI FRICK, Co-Social Media Director MADELINE ZANN, Co-Social Media Director

Contributors CAROLYN ANGIOLLO, Staff Writer JOCELYN ROCKHOLD, Staff Writer RUTH HOLLENBACK, Staff Writer OLYVIA HYDE, Staff Photographer RYAN NINESLING, Contributing Writer TARYN ALLEN, Contributing Writer SYDNEY KAPP, Contributing Writer ALEX BUIS, Contributing Writer SASHA KANDRACH, Contributing Writer

Cartoonists TONY BOREK, Staff Cartoonist ARTEMIS KATSARIS, Contributing Cartoonist

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On Thursday, April 14 at 2:45 p.m., five leaders of the student organization, Divest DU, presented to the Board of Trustees (BOT) at their biannual meeting in the Anderson Academic Commons (AAC).

Senior Nick Stubler (Grand Junction, Colorado), senior Erin Smith (La Crosse, Wisconsin), junior Lori Scott (Denver), sophomore Kengo Nagaoka (Fairbanks, Alaska) and freshman Maddy Gawler (Denver) addressed the BOT. Following a rally of upwards of 100 DU students, the BOT listened to Divest DU’s proposal to terminate all financial investments from DU’s endowment in the fossil fuel industry.

The rally, which occurred on Carnegie Green, included poster making, speeches and singing all in preparation for the students to face the BOT. Walking into the AAC, the students sang a rendition of The Beatles’ “Let it Be”, singing “this is the time for urgency, the future is for you and me, divest from the industry, you and me.”

Greeting the board members, students stood and sang in solidarity with the presenters before sending them into the meeting: promptly leaving once the discussion between the board and the Divest DU leaders began.

Stubler started the discussion following the chair of the BOT, Douglas G. Scrivner’s, introduction.

“We are here today to listen.

To understand. To discuss,” said Scrivner.

Stubler thanked the board for their time, then spoke with passion regarding the importance of fossil fuel divestment.

“Today’s presentation is about the urgency of the climate crisis and DU’s moral obligation to take active steps in combating it,” said Stubler.

Stubler also described the present climate trends, stating that 2015 was the warmest year on record, thus explaining to the board that it is crucial for the university to divest sooner than later.

“Our actions or inactions today will affect the lives of humanity for the next millennium,” said Stubler.

Scott followed Stubler’s remarks, speaking of DU’s moral duty to both the local and global community.

“Being a great private university dedicated to the public good, our investment practices that continue institutional oppression are irreconcilable. At DU, we aim to have a culture steeped in ethics and social responsibility. The dissonance between this vision and our investment practices that are directly responsible for perpetuating systemic violence detracts from the authority and integrity of our institution. It is our moral duty as people in positions of economic, political and social power to commit to divestment in June,” said Scott.

Following Scott’s argument, Nagaoka addressed the BOT about the economics and politics of divestment, hoping to answer any questions that surround divestment and the potential impact it could have on the school’s economics.

“Divestment is a strategy for creating an environment where the ultimate solutions for addressing climate change can be enacted,” said Nagaoka. “Universities are moral pillars in our communities.

By divesting from fossil fuels, universities send a powerful message that siding with the fossil fuel industry is immoral.”

Progressing through the discussion, Gawler explained to the BOT how Divest DU’s goals should align with the university’s future.

“The peak of fossil fuel investments has passed. The future of investment lies with renewables and socially responsible solutions.

Your job as the BOT members is to safeguard and grow our endowment.

Every day that you don’t divest is a day of risk,” said Gawler. “With divestment, DU would be the first major university in our region to divest, making us a regional leader.

In being a climate leader through divestment, DU will distinguish itself as one of the top-tier institutions in our country.”

Finally, Smith denoted that the university needs to listen to its students and that the BOT must consider the future of DU when considering divestment.

“Divestment is what your current students want and is what your future students need,” said Smith.

Questions from various BOT members followed the conclusion of the student presentation, showing the BOT’s engagement and focus on what the students had stated. Members of the BOT thanked Divest DU for their hard work and insights. The discussion lasted for over an hour.

According to Divest DU’s Facebook page, the chair of the BOT Investment Committee, Kevin C. Gallagher, told the student leaders that the board will not be able to reach a conclusion regarding divestment by the end of the school year.

The students asked the board to vote on divestment by May 14.

“Unfortunately, after a very positive Q and A, the meeting ended on a negative note, with Gallagher unequivocally refusing to consider our request for the committee to vote on divestment by May 14,” said Stubler. “We know that it is possible for the committee to vote on divestment by May 14, and are disappointed by Mr. Gallagher’s refusal to do so. The urgency of the climate crisis demands that our board members address the the threat of climate change now; continuing to push the decision down the road violates their moral obligation to current and future students by failing to protect our indefeasible human rights to live on a safe and hospitable planet,” said Stubler.

Divest DU plans to continue taking action in the coming weeks, focusing on urging Gallagher and the overall committee to continue to consider divestment.

DU CLARION

APRIL 20, 2016

NEWS | 3

DU’s annual CultureFest celebrates diversity KELLSIE BRANNEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

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n Friday, April 15, DU held it’s annual CultureFest from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Driscoll Ballroom. The event was comprised of

numerous booths, each representing a unique culture, as well as performances and, of course, lots of food.

Performers during the event included various DU clubs, such as DU Club Taekwondo, Kappa Phi Lambda, the DU Dance team and more. In addition, various groups from around the Denver community also came to perform, including Bella Diva Dance,

the Colorado Bhangra Team, the Garibaldi Dance studio and more. The grand finale of the performance portion of CultureFest was an international fashion show put on by the International Student Association.

The event has been a DU tradition for over 35 years. It was formerly known as the Festival of Nations, although this title was changed last year to “reflect

the university’s effort to expand the definition of ‘culture’ beyond mere nationality, and to encourage students and community members to explore different cultures in their own backyards,” according to the official Facebook page of the event.

The event was held in conjunction with DU’s Internationalization Summit and was free and open to the public.

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TOP LEFT: Students explore the various booths. BOTTOM LEFT: Flamenco dancers perform. BOTTOM RIGHT: Two dancers perform for a large audience at DU’s annual CultureFest.

ABOUT US

The Clarion is the official student newspaper of the University of Denver, serving as the “Voice of the Pioneers.”

Founded in 1899, it covers campus and local stories with the highest level of journalistic integrity possible. 1000 copies are distributed each Wednesday afternoon (throughout the academic year) across the DU campus, and every article is also published at duclarion.com. The Clarion does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff and/or administration of DU, and the opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of the Clarion.

Reproduction of The Clarion in whole or part in any form written, broadcast or electronic without written permission of The Clarion is prohibited. The opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of The Clarion. Weather forecasts are of courtesy of the National Weather Service. The Clarion reserves the right to reject advertising, stories, columns or letters to the editor that it deems graphic, obscene or that discriminate on the basis of race, culture, gender or sexual orientation.

The Clarion welcomes letters to the editor. Those who submit letters must limit them to 500 words. Some letters may not be published because of space limitations, overly-libelous content or similarity to past submissions. Please submit letters to duclarioneditor@gmail.com.

HOW TO JOIN

The Clarion is open to contributors of all years and majors at DU, including both undergraduate and graduate students. There’s no application necessary; all you have to do is show up to one of our weekly meetings, which are held every Monday at 6 p.m. (during the academic year) in the Driscoll Underground. Can’t make it to a meeting? Send an email to duclarioneditor@gmail.com and we’ll do everything we can to get you published.

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SPORTS DU CLARION

SPORTS | 5

The man, the myth, the legend: Bill Tierney’s story far from over SASHA KANDRACH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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urrounded by accolades showcased neatly throughout an armoire in his office commemorating extensive successes over 34 years sits one of the most legendary coaches in men’s lacrosse, Bill Tierney, munching on a cucumber salad. The New York native coached the Denver Pioneers to their first national championship last season in 2015 after joining the program in 2009.

Tierney has collected a whopping seven national titles throughout his career as a head coach, marking the most of any Division I lacrosse coach. He is the only coach to have earned national championships at two programs. Despite his celebrity and honorable status within the lacrosse world, Tierney radiates humility and provides wise insight beyond the sport. He’s not one to boast about his phenomenal achievements.

Tierney was inducted into the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2002, but the modest 63 yearold recognizes his successes as a group effort.

“I’m not a big quote guy, but there’s a quote there [hanging in his office], ‘You judge your success by what you had to give up in order to get it.’ When I did my Hall of Fame speech I changed it to, ‘Judge your success by what others had to give up in order for you to get it,’” said Tierney. “With everything you do, there’s a group of people all doing their part and then you get the credit. It’s bizarre. When I look back at those numbers, I can honestly say I was blessed to find the right places at the right times.”

Having never actually played the sport in high school, Tierney picked up lacrosse at Cortland State University. The sport has

evolved immensely since Tier- west] and needed a jolt. I felt like his players to exert honorable ney’s career in the early ‘70s. this was the perfect spot to do it,” character on and off the field.

“We played with heavy wooden Tierney said. “I felt like we could “Calling kids to a higher stansticks and leather gloves and hel- kick this program off and get it dard is difficult these days, but it mets. I don’t think I ever saw one going where it has gone and hope- makes life ahead easier,” Tierney film of myself actually playing. It’s fully will continue to go. It always said. “There’s not another lacrosse night and day now. Just yesterday needs a jolt to get people excited team in the country that wears a we had a drone filming our prac- and interested, but after that, it jersey underneath their reversible tice for film,” Tierney said. just takes off.” practice shirt. It’s a little thing, Tierney had early aspirations Tierney’s plans for Denver but it’s an identifier. Every day of becoming a coach. He began his lacrosse don’t conclude with win- when we leave that locker room it collegiate coaching career in 1980 ning a national title. Ideally, he is to be immaculate.” at Rochester Institute of Technol- hopes the program will remain Tierney cultivates a family ogy (RIT). He led RIT to their first “right where it is. To always be the environment within the program NCAA tournaments in 1983 and defending national champs.” by constantly telling his guys, “I 1984, where he won Division III “The idea isn’t just winning love you,” and building personal Coach of the Year. Tierney then a championship one time. We relationships with his players. joined Johns Hopkins University want this [program] to be sus- Tierney’s impressive success as an assistant lacrosse coach, tained. That doesn’t mean you reflects his individual character, winning national championships win a national championship integrity and passion for coaching. in 1985 and 1987. Simultaneously, every year, it means you are comHis dedication to developTierney was appointed head peting for a national champion- ing relationships with his playsoccer coach for Hopkins. ship every year. You establish a ers and initiative for growing Without any prior soccer level of excellence that you want lacrosse are substantial attriknowledge, Tierney coached the to sustain, so every new guy that butes of Tierney’s legacy. team to their first winning season comes into the program feels a Luckily for the Pioneers, the and their first NCAA tournament responsibility to maintain the coach signed a contract extenappearance in a span of two years. path that’s been laid out before sion last fall and will remain with His success as a soccer coach him,” said Tierney. the Pioneers through 2022, congreatly aided in his hiring as the As a coach, Tierney holds his tinuing his quest of establishing lacrosse head coach for Princeton players to a high level of excel- lacrosse as a prevalent sport in University in 1988. lence and discipline. He expects the west.

Within four years of accepting the position, Tierney restored Princeton’s lacrosse program to greatness, earning six national titles, five of which occurred within the same decade (the ‘90s). He even had the opportunity to coach his two sons, Trevor and Brendan.

Tierney is the only lacrosse coach to have won a national title while coaching his sons, a feat the trio accomplished in 2001.

Tierney’s decision to leave Princeton for Denver in 2009 was questioned by many in the lacrosse community, wondering why Tierney would leave a program so rich in history for one that was only ten years old. The driving force behind the decision was to expand the sport. Tierney’s conquest west was unselfish and aimed to increase the growth of the sport.

“I started thinking a lot about the expansion of the game. I knew gusto kubiak | clarion it was growing out here [in the Coach Bill Tierney looks on in a snowy home game against St. John’s.

Rockies’ pitching stuggles early MADELINE ZANN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

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fter a rocky first couple of series, the Colorado Rockies have seemingly calmed down—to be more specific, their pitching has evened out. Even when the Rockies were winning games in the first week and a half of the season, it was frequently by scores of 11-6—and that was how they were losing games, too.

Now, they’ve completed a series against the Chicago Cubs where the starting pitching’s combined ERA was 1.00. Tyler Chatwood, who had a rough first start

of the season after coming back from elbow surgery, pitched a two-hitter with seven strikeouts in seven innings to carry the Rockies to a 2-0 win on Sunday. Being able to win close, low scoring games like this is huge for the Rockies, who notoriously have had to rely on out-slugging their opponent.

Having higher quality pitching will result in more consistent success for the team.

Breakout rookie shortstop Trevor Story (Tulo who?) is in a bit of a slump, but that’s natural after the record-breaking start he had—his Opening Day jersey sold for $12,250 at auction. Pitchers have figured out how to pitch to him, so he’ll just have to adjust.

However, with a lineup like the Rockies’, hitting is something that they shouldn’t have to worry about all season. Pitching, particularly the bullpen, has always been the Rockies’ Achilles heel, but if the staff continues at the pace they’ve set this week, they could be on track for a solid season.

There have been some worrying outings from starting pitchers, namely Jordan Lyles, and members of the bullpen—Justin Miller, Chad Qualls—that need to be addressed quickly. The Rockies have depth in the minor leagues that they should utilize before it’s too late. Overall, however, starting pitchers have been able to go longer, meaning the bullpen isn’t

as taxed, which bodes well for the Rockies’ upcoming road trips.

So far, the Rockies haven’t had one of their stellar starts that seems to end with them being in last place by June, nor have they crashed and burned out of the gate.

It’s far too early to really make any concrete judgments about where the Rockies are going to end the season, but it’s definitely not too early for cautious optimism. The Rockies’ lineup is far from perfect, but it’s shown improvements from last year.

The Rockies take on the Cincinnati Reds in Cincinnati April 18-20 before returning home on April 22 to battle the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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DU CLARION

APRIL 20, 2016

DU men’s lacrosse triumphs over St. John’s at home 17-10 SASHA KANDRACH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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o. 3 ranked Denver triumphed 17-10 over the St. John’s University (SJU) Red Storm in 35 degree weather with constant snowfall and wind gusts on Saturday, April 16. Following a three-game road stint, the Denver Pioneers were welcomed back to Peter Barton Stadium with a spring blizzard, mirroring last weekend’s snowy conditions against Villanova. To combat the atrocious conditions, Denver sported their gold jerseys and the game was played with an orange ball.

“The game was a microcosm of our season,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “We did some really amazing things, but we were also a disaster at times. It was up and down. Early on, I thought they stuck to the plan of keeping it simple. I think some goals were too easy and they started to think it was going to stay easy.

Credit to them [SJU], they kept playing, didn’t quit and made it tougher on us than we wanted it to be.”

United States Intercollegiate Lacrosse Association (USILA) First Team All American Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, New York) ignited Denver’s scoring just three minutes into the first quarter and finished the game with five goals. The junior tallied eleven goals over the course of two consecutively treacherous games.

Freshman Austin French (Danville, California) and sophomore Connor Donahue (Groton, Massachusetts) extended Denver’s lead to three before the Red Storm converted their first of the game, beating freshman goalie Alex Ready (Lancaster,

Pennsylvania). The Pioneers closed out scoring for the opening quarter with goals from senior captain Jack Bobzien (Littleton, Colorado) and Cannizzaro. Throughout the game, Bobzien would complete his third hat trick of the season, along with two assists.

Bobzien kicked off a three-goal run for the Pioneers during the second quarter, followed by freshman midfielder Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) and Cannizaro, extending DU’s lead 8-1.

Jackson finished the day with the first three-goal game of his career.

St. John’s scored their second of the game with 5:53 left in the half.

Just under two minutes later, Donahue countered to broaden Denver’s lead back to seven. The Red Storm captured the last goal of the half, resulting in a 9-3 lead for Denver heading into the locker room.

While the third quarter has been an area of weakness for the Pioneers this season, the third quarter marked the highest scoring period of the game for DU. “I feel like Coach T and all of the other coaches have been stressing that,” sophomore faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste (Denville, New Jersey) said. “As a program, that’s usually our strongest quarter. This year we’ve been trailing off in the [third] quarter because we come out so hot. That’s been our emphasis all week, to come out after halftime firing.”

SJU netted their fourth goal of the game only 12 seconds into the second half on an extra-man opportunity. Jackson scored on the run, unassisted, to return Denver’s lead back to six. SJU added a pair of goals to cut the deficit down to four for the first time in the game. Cannizzaro countered with his fourth tally of the

day, followed by a St. John’s conversion one minute later.

With the score sitting 11-7 in favor of the Pioneers and seven minutes left in the third quarter, Denver composed a four-goal run from Jackson, sophomore Brendan Bomberry (Ohsweken, Ontario), Bobzien and Cannizzaro. Denver maintained a 15-7 lead before the final quarter of play.

Junior Hunter Krout (Naples, Florida) relieved Ready in net during the final minutes. With two minutes left, freshman Nate Marano (Tustin, California) rushed, unassisted, to close out scoring for the Pioneers.

Krout relinquished one goal to the Red Storm, finalizing the 17-10 score.

Denver’s win over St. John’s improved their BIG EAST record to 3-0 and lengthened their con-

ference win streak to 18 games, the second-longest active streak in the nation and eighth longest in NCAA history.

“Ten [goals against] is not good for us. I’m not sure we played great defense at times,” Tierney said.

“Our clearing game has gotten a lot better [in the past few games]. This group does a great job on the things we work hard on during that week.

Then when they forget something, they forget something. It’s something we have to work on.”

Denver travels to Providence, Rhode Island to play the first of their last two conference games against Providence University on April 23. Faceoff will begin at 10 a.m. MT. The Pioneers will then host the BIG EAST tournament May 5-7.

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Junior attack Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, New York) cradles the ball in the snow.

Senior gymnast McGee an NCAA Champion on floor BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED

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SPORTS EDITOR

enior gymnast Nina McGee (Cincinnati, Ohio) captured DU’s first NCAA gymnastics National Championship title on April 15 at the Fort Worth Convention Center in Fort Worth, Texas. Her score of 9.950 on floor was the highest across all competitors in the event.

After tying for second place on floor in 2015, McGee was able to finish her collegiate career at DU by earning first place in 2016.

It was a special and emotional moment for the senior. She was able to perform at such a high level by believing in herself and feeding off the crowd’s energy.

“I kept reminding myself to be smooth on my passes—no more, no less. After I stuck my double layout, I heard the crowd roar. By the time I got to my middle pass, I was like, ‘Kill it!’,” said McGee. The gymnast also performed well in her other three routines during the night. She posted 9.8875 on bars, 9.899 on beam and 9.850 on vault. With a final all-around

score of 39.4875, McGee set a DU record for an all-around finish at an NCAA national championship. Her final score earned her a No. 10 finish in the all-around.

“I think it’ll hit me in a couple days. I don’t know what to do with my grips or my leotards. I don’t know what to do with my time until I start my job. There are a lot of unknowns, but I’m excited because it gives me the opportunity to explore,” said McGee after her final meet.

After sitting out the 2012 season due to an injury, McGee went on to have a record-breaking career as a Pioneer.

She holds several DU records, including an all-around score of 39.775, a floor score of 10.000 (earned three separate times) and most individual titles with 96. In 2016, she was recognized as the 2016 Minneapolis Regional Floor Champion, 2016 AAI Award Finalist, 2016 NCAA First Team All-American (floor, all-around) and of course 2016 NCAA Champion (floor).

After putting in the hard work required to be an NCAA Champion, McGee leaves the Denver gymnastics program as one of the most decorated athletes the program has ever produced.

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Senior gymnast Nina McGee (Cincinnati, Ohio) performs on the floor at a home meet.

DU CLARION

APRIL 20, 2016

SPORTS | 7

DU women’s lacrosse sweeps senior weekend BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED SPORTS EDITOR

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he DU women’s lacrosse team hosted two visiting opponents, the University of California, Berkeley (Cal) and Saint Mary’s College of California on April 15 and 16, respectively. The Pioneers would emerge victorious in both contests, improving their overall record to 7-8.

In the weekend’s first game, DU was dominant in its victory, preventing Cal from scoring a single goal in

the 16-0 win. It was Denver’s first shutout since April 11, 2006 when Denver defeated Regis University.

The Pioneers came out firing, tallying a goal just 0:22 into the game after senior captain Christa Reese (Lutherville, Maryland) fired a shot past the goalie. Reese would end the day with three goals and an assist.

It was an extremely balanced attack for DU, as the team scored eight goals in each half. They also held the advantage in draw controls and ground balls at 12-6 and 21-17, respectively.

After scoring one goal in the first half, freshman Elizabeth Behrins (Basking Ridge, New Jersey) tallied

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two goals in the second half, completing her second career hat trick.

She also added an assist on the day.

The team also received an outstanding effort from redshirt sophomore Nicole Martindale (Brooklin, Ontario), who netted two goals and chalked up two assists.

The goaltender responsible for the shutout was junior Maddy Stevenson (Bainbridge Island, Washington), who made four saves.

Her career-high for saves is 12, set against the University of Southern California (USC) on May 1, 2015.

Denver’s next opponent, Saint Mary’s, proved to be a stiffer challenge but was still defeated 15-5 on a snowy afternoon.

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Senior midfielder Sarah Kasun (Bel Air, Maryland) sprints down the field at a home game.

It was senior day, the last home game of the season for the Pioneers.

Reese once again was dominant offensively, tying a career-high in goals with five. Not to be outdone, Martindale racked up six goals of her own, a personal career-high.

Leading 13-1 late in the game, Denver allowed four goals in a row with 6:22 left. The defense locked down the opposition and would shut out Saint Mary’s from that point on.

Senior goalkeeper Bailey Dunning (Eden Prairie, Minnesota) made six saves on the day.

The team’s final regular season game will be played on the road, at the University of Oregon on April 22.

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Junior attack player Ellie Knott (Baltimore, Maryland) focuses on the ball downfield.

COLUMN

The Sidelines: DU Rugby goes to nationals CAROLYN ANGIOLLO

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STAFF WRITER

ver the weekend, DU’s men’s club rugby team traveled to New Mexico to compete for the Cowboy Cup Championship on April 2 and 3. The Cowboy Cup is given to the winner of the region every year.

DU’s conference includes other western universities, such as New Mexico Highlands University, University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, University of Northern Colorado and Colorado State University-Pueblo.

After defeating New Mexico Highlands University with a final score of 34-24, the Pioneers secured their third Cowboy Cup in the last four years. The team was perfect this season in conference play, with a record of 6-0. This championship game determined matchups for the Pacific West Championship, which took place this past weekend. DU’s victory set them up to face Claremont Colleges, while New Mexico Highlands also advanced and will be competing against the California Maritime Academy.

On April 14, the team left for California. The tournament was played in Vallejo, California at the

California Maritime Academy.

DU’s game against Claremont Colleges was on April 16.

Day one of the Pacific West Championship was equivalent to the Sweet Sixteen round. Du’s team was 13-0 before the first round in California.

Sophomore Zach Ziegler (Broomfield, Colorado) has been an integral part of the team in his second season, and this held true in California. Unfortunately, the team could not hang on against a fast and strong Claremont team.

“We held with them until halftime, but then things started breaking down. Fitness levels started to expose themselves in the second half. They just had a better structure than we did and they seemed to be better with the players that they had. We had some stupid turnovers and penalties where we gave the ball away when we shouldn’t have,” said Ziegler. “I think that the California schools played at a much faster pace than we did. Their style of game play isn’t something we have seen a lot in our frontier league. We just weren’t used to it.”

The final score of the DU vs.

Claremont game was 45-15. Claremont ended up winning the second day against New Mexico Highlands University and they advanced to

the Final Four tournament, which is scheduled to take place in Glendale, Colorado on May 1.

On the second day of the Pacific West Championship, DU battled California Maritime Academy, where they lost with a final score of 44-15. However, members of the team that did not typically have a chance to play often this season were given the opportunity to participate. DU finished their season with a record of 13-2.

The season is not completely over, though. Ziegler, senior captain Jake Murphy (San Francisco, California) and sophomore Brandon Wright (Austin, Texas)

were nominated for the National Small College Rugby Organization All-American honors by their coaches. These results are still pending.

Murphy still has a very positive outlook on the season, despite the difficult losses in California.

“Although we didn’t have the outcome we hoped, this season was a great step for the club. After an early playoff exit last year, we raised the bar. Now it is up to the returning players to continue striving for improvement. I have a lot of great memories from this season that I’ll remember for years to come,” he said.

photo courtesy of pitchero.com DU Club Rugby celebrates its Cowboy Cup Championship on April 3 of the 2016 season.

OPINIONS DU CLARION

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APRIL 20, 2016

Access for the disabled not readily accessable ABBIE RANDALL CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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he idea of inclusive excellence at DU relies on a range and diversity of identities including, but not limited to, race, culture, gender, sexuality, socioeconomic status, religion and politics. However, one identity that is not often discussed is that of ability and disability. Those with disabilities are present and involved on the DU campus, though they may fly under the radar if the disability is one that doesn’t necessarily present itself physically. While DU is accepting of those with varying ability, access for those who are physically disabled needs to be improved in order to make students feel more welcome when getting around campus.

In DU’s academic setting, those with disabilities seem to be well included and supported.

All professors have a section in their syllabus about services and flexibility as needed. Inside academic buildings tools such

as elevators for multiple floors and braille outside classrooms denoting room numbers are provided. Disability Services strives to give students an equal opportunity to not only participate, but to succeed in their aspirations and goals as a Pioneer.

However, outside the classroom and the academic realm, DU as a university and as a student body could make more effort towards inclusion and diversity, especially involving those with physical disabilities. While campus technically adheres to the American with Disabilities Act Wheelchair guidelines with standard ramps into each building, these ramps aren’t necessarily apparent or easy to access.

For example, when a student with a physical disability arrives to tour DU, they cannot simply follow the usual tour in front doors or up and down steps. The wheelchair ramp for Sturm Hall is located on the back southwest side of the building; for a prospective or new student, it is not easy to find, especially due to the fact that it isn’t marked or signified. These somewhat out of the way and unmarked ramps are present for all buildings on campus, along with a number

of designated parking spaces and time consuming elevators.

While their presence is important, making small adjustments to increase their visibility or location could be another step to give DU a better culture of diversity and inclusion.

As a university, DU proclaims and engages with the

goals of diversity and inclusive excellence on campus, in classrooms and in student culture.

Making small improvements to disabled access on campus could be largely beneficial in creating a more welcoming and positive experience for those with a disability and the goals of inclusive excellence.

adrian bogart | clarion

Randall argues that DU needs to improve access for the disabled throughout campus.

Sexual assault awareness a must for DU ABBIE RANDALL

T

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

wo weeks ago Campus Safety sent an email to the DU community alerting students of recent reports of sexual assault, detailing that, “Since January 2016, Campus Safety has learned of seven reported sexual assaultrape incidents in our community.”

It goes on to state that six out of the seven incidents have occurred in the months since October 2015.

Plus, the email denotes that these cases of sexual assault are rape, which is separate from the forcible fondlings also reported in past months. This separation is definitional in accordance with Title IX policies, further emphasizing the fact that sexual assault is a prevalent threat to DU students.

It is important for students to be

photo courtesy of the national sexual violence resource center

DU participated in Sexual Assault Awareness Month by hosting multiple events.

active in discussions and awareness of sexual assault in order to support victims and promote positive change in campus culture.

The month of April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, recognized by DU through various awareness and educational events. This month provides an important space of support and opportunity for DU students to be involved and aware of these discussions. Sexual assault is a very real issue for colleges across the nation as nearly one in four women say they are sexually assaulted before graduation according to a report completed by the Association of American Universities. Unfortunately, DU is not exempt from this issue, as displayed by the seven reports of sexual assault in the DU community in past months.

The Center for Advocacy, Prevention and Empowerment (CAPE) is always available to students for education, support, confidentiality and reports. Plus there are multiple campus organizations that students can be a part of in order to promote empowerment, such as Undergraduate Women’s Council, Undergraduate Student Government, Queer Straight Alliance and the Student Coalition for the Eradication of Sexual Assault.

All of these organizations and

more are involved in the events and recognition occurring during the month of April, and students are encouraged to take part, especially in light of the recent sexual assault-rape reports.

While April is merely a month to raise awareness, these organizations and centers work year-round to prevent these crimes and support the victims.

Students can be involved in these efforts by attending events, joining conversations or even taking ten minutes to fill out surveys, such as the one sent to students on April 18. Though filling out information on a survey may not seem to make a large impact in the grand scheme of sexual assault prevention, it still helps to capture an idea of what perceptions, knowledge and willingness are held on DU’s campus.

These ideas help to inform organizations, such as CAPE, about how to continue or improve upon reaching students and making an impact with messages surrounding sexual assault.

While the issue of sexual assault isn’t something that can be fixed overnight, student involvement in campus activities and programs can help promote a culture of support and awareness with the goal of a healthy and safe campus environment.

DU CLARION

JULY A P R I 23, L 22015 0, 2016

OPINIONS | 9

Pioneer Voices

QUESTION OF THE WEEK: WHAT IS IT LIKE TO LIVE IN A STATE THAT HAS LEGALIZED MARIJUANA?

“It doesn’t affect me as much because I live in Washington, but there are more dispensaries.”

— rachel hanson Freshman Washington

“In Colorado, its more open, chill and you’re not afraid to say you smoke.”

— eric wingeard Sophomore Illinois

“Its funny to live on a campus where weed is forbidden, but in a state where it is legal.”

— brett sweeney Sophomore New York

“It’s weird to pass by dispensaries, but I’m getting used to it.”

— ian estes Sophomore Texas

DU CLARION

LIFEST YLES

10

APRIL 20, 2016

Students venture to Cuba over spring break KELLSIE BRANNEN

A

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

fter President Obama relaxed travel restrictions earlier this year, American citizens were allowed to travel to Cuba (for limited reasons) for the first time in over half a century. Several DU students had the opportunity to travel to this isolated nation over spring break, and the Clarion was able to sit down and discuss the experience with a few of them.

Q: What is your year, major and hometown?

Jess Davidson (JD): Senior political science and public policy.

[My hometown is] Fort Collins.

Nate Zeile (NZ): Junior international studies and sociology major. My hometown is Thousand Oaks, California.

Hannah Knauer (HK): Junior marketing major with minors in art and entrepreneurship. [My hometown is] Chicago.

Q: When/where did you go in Cuba?

JD: I was in Havana from March 12-23. I didn’t travel outside of Havana because I was there doing research on Havana specifically.

NZ: I was in Havana from March 11-22.

HK: We spent most of our time in Havana, but also spent time visiting places in the surrounding countryside. We were there from March 13-19.

Q: Why did you decide to go to Cuba?

NZ: I submitted a research proposal as part of applying for a PinS Grant, which is an undergraduate research program. My proposal was accepted and I received $1,500 to carry out my research in Cuba, as well as a grant from the Pioneer Leadership Program. Our research, to sum it up in the best way possible, centered around the fact that tourism is booming right now in Cuba and the government, needing additional ways to build capacity for people to work in tourism, allowed people to obtain licences to rent out rooms in their houses, charge their own rates as taxi drivers, open restaurants

and etcetera—private businesses in the traditionally socialist society of Cuba. Our hypothesis was that because the pay was so much higher than government salaries, many Cubans were leaving their professions to work in tourism, which turned out to be the case.

HK: I found the course offering online. There was no way I was not going to take advantage of the opportunity to go to Cuba. The class was through the entrepreneurship program and combining my curiosity of Cuban culture with an academic focus in understanding the entrepreneurial spirit that is weaved into everything that is happening there currently was an incredible learning experience.

Q: What were interesting things you noticed about Cuba?

JD: When you’re talking to the Cuban people, they’re so warm towards Americans that it’s pretty easy to forget that you’re in a country whose government considers the U.S. “The Empire.”

But the failure of U.S.-Cuban policy is everywhere: statements in the government newspaper, memorials to those who stood up against the “oppressive empire of the United States.” I also noticed the trickle down impact of Cuba’s communist socialism—we had to buy wifi from sketchy “wifi dealers” in parks who act like they’re dealing illicit drugs, there’s a black market for just about everything, no one is living in the streets but very few are living like kings. Cuba is a huge game of hurry up and wait—I’ve never been in a place that feels so suspended in time, yet the perpetual status quo is that “things are changing.” I bought a bunch of old records in the same store that people buy access to government-approved “packets,” which are USBs with MTV music videos and Rihanna songs. There’s a constant suspension between new and old.

NZ: It struck me as different than other Latin American countries that I had been to, as it was incredibly calm and quiet. All of the cars were old, pre-1950s era models, which gave the city a certain feel.

It’s also striking and sobering to realize how much poverty there is in Cuba, even in Havana, which

photo courtesy of jess davidson

An old but vibrant car backdropped by a colorful wall mural typical of Cuban aesthetic.

photo courtesy of jess davidson

A wall mural in Havana, Cuba with the words “I die with you, but I do not die for you” written on it.

is a wealthier part of the country.

One could view the country as a socialist utopia, as the idea is that everyone is under similar pay and quality of life, but what you find is that everyone lives at a similar level of poverty. I knew another American who stayed with a family who was kind enough to take him in after he ran out of money, and he slept in a room with a man, his two cousins, two brothers and aunt. However, you also find that most people are still happy. Most people we met were so friendly and excited about life, just hoping for something better.

Q: What was your favorite part of your visit to Cuba?

JD: My favorite part of Cuba was the people. I barely speak Spanish, but I was still able to understand how kind and jovial they were. It would be extremely easy to go to Cuba and see a bunch of touristy sights and walk away without a true understanding of this nuanced, complicated country.

Instead, we saw very few flagship tourist hot spots, and spent every day sitting in Cubans’ kitchens, sipping coffee and hearing about their lives. Through the eyes of Cubans, who let us disrupt their days to come ask them questions, we were able to understand how Cuba’s economic policy plays out in the lives of everyday people. Most everyone was so kind, I spent my birthday down there and people who barely knew me wanted to make me these phenomenal meals and throw me celebrations. All of my favorite memories involve the Cubans we met and how at home they made us feel.

HK: The people. They were so nice and had such colorful personalities. It is hard for me to imagine what it must be like to live in a country like Cuba for numerous reasons. Politically, economically, etc. But at the end of the day, they were very happy and proud people. We met a lot of individuals doing incredible things to help their communities grow and thrive. That energy is something I want to hold on to.

Q: How did you find that Cubans reacted to the American visitors?

JD: Overall, Americans were incredibly well-received. I think

many Cubans view the presence of Americans, especially with Obama’s visit happening while we were there, as the symbol of change in Cuba and of the increased tourism that will give them more agency to pursue entrepreneurial ventures rooted in the functionally capitalist tourism market in Cuba.

NZ: There was a super positive reaction to Americans, which was a bit surprising to me at first. People would come up to us on the street and want to know our names and where we were from, and when we told them they got excited.

President Obama was coming to the country later in the week, and since he was from the U.S. and so were we, it was an automatic connection. The excitement that people had for him was channeled into excitement for us.

Q: What was your favorite memory of your visit?

JD: One of our host families that we got really close with practiced Santeria, and our host mom was actually a Santeria priestess, so we got to be a part of a Santeria ceremony. That was one of the most interesting cultural experiences I’ve ever had, hands down—there was singing and dancing and smoking cigars and she had visions for our futures and rubbed a live dove on us. All of it was very sacred for Cubans that practice Santeria, and it was really interesting to be a part of.

HK: We were able to talk to a lot of what we would call entrepreneurs when we were there. A lot of these individuals were true social entrepreneurs. One in particular had started a barber shop that turned into an entire street of growing projects that included clothing stores, a bar and restaurant, and a barber shop school.

We spoke a lot with the man who led the entire project, he was brilliant, funny, very honest and very devoted to creating opportunities for people in his community.

We learned a lot from him and gained a perspective that I think would be rare if we had gone to Cuba without this entrepreneurial focus. It made me realize how many incredible things are happening in Cuba, how much growth and desire there is. It is going to be incredible to see how things develop.

DU CLARION

JULY A P R I 23, L 22015 0, 2016

THE GRIND

COLUMN

Reviewing Denver’s many restaurants, bars, breweries, food trucks, coffeeshops and everything in between

El Noa Noa: 4.5 / 5.0 stars

photo courtesy of denvermexicanrestaurants.net

Located in the Santa Fe Art District, El Noa Noa is a cozy restaurant to visit on First Friday.

KELLSIE BRANNEN

N

EXECUTIVE EDITOR

estled in one of the most famed cultural districts of Denver, the Santa Fe Art District, is a small Mexican restaurant by the name of El Noa Noa. While a bit unassuming on the outside, the interior of the restaurant, much like the food it serves, is full of color, spice and authentic Mexican flair—a perfect place to spend a portion of your next First Friday or any other time you find yourself in this eclectic part of town.

Upon entering the restaurant, especially on a cold afternoon or at night, the first thing that hits you is the warmth of the interior—the rich colors and friendly staff set the tone for the dining experience.

The walls are decorated with tasteful amounts of colorful Mexican-themed paintings and decorations, but nothing that ever seems garish or overwhelming; on the contrary, the vibe of the restaurant comes off as quite charming. The main attraction—the food—doesn’t disappoint either.

I would definitely recommend chips and salsa ($2) to start—although, let’s be real, that’s half the draw of any Mexican place and you were going to get it anyway. I’m happy to report that the chips and salsa at El Noa Noa are especially tasty. I’m a sucker for more than one salsa being served, and the two spicy and not-so-spicy options that are served with the

perfectly salted chips were both delicious. Although I prefer for this appetizer to come complimentary with a meal, I can’t complain too much due to the quality of the product.

For main course options, El Noa Noa doesn’t disappoint either, and they certainly don’t skimp on variety. They have breakfast, lunch and dinner menus, the latter two of which include seafood, carnes y tacos, house specialties, Mexican cravings and combination plates.

The sheer volume and variety of options can be intimidating but, luckily, with Mexican food it’s hard to go wrong whether sticking with an old standby like fajitas ($15.50) or going with something new and adventurous like El Noa Noa Special (sopapilla stuffed with pork, beans and cheese smothered in pork green chile topped with lettuce, cheese, tomatoes and Mexican style cream, $9.50).

The prices at El Noa Noa aren’t the cheapest, but portions are so large that you’re almost guaranteed two meals.

The 21+ beverage menu is comprised of beer, margaritas and tequila. Margaritas come in fun flavors like strawberry and gold, but be warned—they’re super strong.

This Grinder had a flauta, taco and chile relleno combination plate ($10) and it was absolutely delicious. As I’ve said before, it’s hard to go too wrong with Mexican food, but it’s also not easy to go really right; however, El Noa Noa achieves this lucrative goal, and its prime location is just icing on the cake.

LIFESTYLES | 1 1

Where to celebrate 4/20 in Denver CHLOE BARRETT

C

LIFESTYLES EDITOR

olorado has a lot to boast with 300 days of sunshine, stunning Rocky Mountain views and, of course, legalized marijuana. You came to school at DU for a reason, right? The Mile High City celebrates best, so Pioneers 21 and up can commemorate this upcoming high holiday with events offered all over Denver.

Declaration Brewing is pouring select pints of beer all day on April 20 for $4.20. Catering to the expected munchies is The Rolling Italian food truck.

From noon to midnight on April 20, the GlitterDome will be celebrating with food trucks, vendor tables and a pop-up smoke shop with performances

by Planes Sysco Yola, Staxx and Ransteez and Paul Wall. A valid marijuana industry badge gets you half off admission.

From 1 to 6 p.m. on April 20, activists will be voicing their concerns about proposed limits on plant counts, social consumption and THC in retail products at the Capitol Hill Cannabis Activists Assembly at Civic Center Park.

DU is hosting a Marijuana Summit on the science, biology and laws encompassing marijuana from noon to 5:30 p.m. on April 20 at the Sturm College of Law. Participants have four workshops to choose from in the fields of business, psychology, law and biology.

Admission is $60 for alumni and $75 for general admission.

The keynote speech and workshops are free for DU students,

tony borek | clarion There are endless ways to celebrate the high holiday in the Mile High City.

lunch and reception is $10.

From 4 p.m. to midnight on April 20, the 5280 Glass Showcase will be hosted at the NATIV Hotel. Attendees can enjoy the work of over sixty Colorado-based glassblowers, live music, twenty draft beers, cocktails, refreshments and art for around $44.

Through April 20, marijuana club iBake is hosting a five-day party in honor of the high holiday at its locations in Denver and Englewood, complete with live music, vendor booths, outdoor and warehouse smoking areas and VIP areas. Tickets are $52.24 for admission to one location, $77.87 for admission to both.

With so many options available to celebrate 420 in Denver, anyone of age can spend the day letting the Mile High City live up to its fitting name.

photo courtesy of westword.com

Diners can indulge in both adventurous dishes as well as Mexican favorites like fajitas.

photo courtesy of yelp.com

Two of El Noa Noa’s fun margarita flavors, the “Blue Margarita” and “Sunset Margarita.”

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| LIFESTYLES

DU CLARION

APRIL 20, 2016

Personas to avoid to properly tailgate CHLOE BARRETT LIFESTYLES EDITOR

H

ome to the reigning Division I men’s lacrosse champs, the rest of DU’s student body has a lot to live up to. One of the best ways we can show our school spirit is by tailgating (selfless, I know).

Though we may not get elective credit for partaking, tailgating is an art, some might even say a science—the kind that comes before you learn why a paperclip floats, but a science nonetheless. Some people take it to the next level with couches, grills and TVs, but in college, you don’t need any of that to arrive at the state where the game itself becomes completely unimportant. All a Pioneer needs to have a good time at a tailgate are beer, Boone and to avoid adopting any of these personas.

Guy or girl who pounds it back because they can’t drink in the venue You know the one—they pack an entire week of drinking into two hours because they refuse to be sobered up by halftime. Likely to

chug four consecutive shots as you’re leaving and run into the crowd shoeless. If you’re able to keep track of them long enough to make it to the stadium, you’d better hold onto their sleeve and be prepared to apologize profusely to the fans around you. Expect him or her to be taken out of the game in handcuffs.

at the top of his or her lungs and injure upwards of seven innocent tailgaters in an effort to reach him for a picture. On that note, Boone is awesome, and a picture with him at a tailgate is absolutely essential to your DU career; just make sure you behave appropriately when encountering the most popular Pioneer on campus.

“There is no possible way that we will lose” guy or girl “Get out of my tailgate if you have even a shred of doubt that we won’t destroy (insert opposing team name here). If you think even so much that the score will be close, I will spend the entire time glaring at you with repulsion.” This person likely thinks the other team is comprised solely of Satan’s spawn and is very liberal with the use of their middle fingers.

Overconfident person who thinks they should play dizzy bat Undoubtedly the most dangerous, three vodka lemonades

Guy or girl who thinks Boone is an actual celebrity Admit it, we’ve all been this person at one time or another. After all, Boone’s sole purpose is to get you pumped for a game; but this isn’t Disney World and you aren’t five— even if you do revert back to similar behavior after a drink or two.

One should not scream “Boone”

and this person becomes a menace when wielding anything other than a sippy cup—much less a bat.

And yet they think it’s a solid idea to further impair their reflexes and swing a weapon within close proximity of other drunk and oblivious people. Fortunately, they often manage to hit only themselves with the bat and still think they succeeded.

Now that you know how not to act, you can enjoy the next tailgate without offending or annoying your fellow Pios.

photo courtesy of vy tran

Some Pios showing their school spirit at the tailgate for last year’s Division I Men’s Lacrosse game at Sports Authority Field.

Dirt brings authenticity to Denver’s coffee scene RUTH HOLLENBACK

R

STAFF WRITER

ight behind oil, coffee is the second most commonly traded commodity in the world (InverstorGuide).

Due to the bottomless 21st century’s addiction of having a cup in one’s hands, the growing hipster movement towards inventiveness and Denver’s massively progressive population of young people, craft coffee is, without a doubt, taking this city by storm.

The caffeinated crowd of metropolitan Denver thus proved to be the perfect platform for Lauren Thome, who graduated from the University of Colorado-Denver with a masters degree in educational psychology in 2010, and Emily Wallace, special education major from Indiana University, to create the Dirt Coffee organization. Its fundamental mission is “to train and employ young adults affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders,” as their website states. “‘Love’ is an understatement—I find people with autism really, really fascinating. I think they live their life more genuinely: they show you when they’re sad, they show you when they’re happy, they show you when they’re upset, they show you when they’re excited, they have a great sense of humor and they can laugh at themselves. At this job, I am never bored,” said Thome.

Dirt Coffee was founded in 2013 out of an organization called Garden, Inc. that was created six years ago to “cultivate skills and help those on the spectrum grow.”

A year after Dirt launched, Lauren

Jennings, University of Colorado-Boulder 2015 graduate, started following the coffee truck’s “every move,” as she put it. She eventually got hired as a barista, which ultimately led to her current position as the director of operations. Jennings explains that Dirt Coffee is “really paving the way for neuro-diversities as a whole.”

The partnership of these three young women and their multifaceted desire to create job opportunities for those affected

by Autism Spectrum Disorder, assist in educating the community about these genuine people and serve a hand-crafted cup of coffee has proved to be a huge success throughout Denver.

“I love the fact that people love coffee, and more importantly, that our employees are really proud of what they make,” said Jennings.

Currently, in addition to Thome, Wallace and Jennings, Dirt Coffee has three employees–Owen, Daniel and Matthew. Owen came to Dirt after he was fired from his previous job.

Thome explained that “his employer didn’t understand the support he needed. But, we worked with him and he has grown so much since we met him. He is super good at math, so he loves the cash register. Whenever new employees come along, he is always anxious to help them and show them where everything is.”

Next, Daniel originally came to Garden Inc. in pursuit of independence training. They helped him learn how to ride the light rail and the bus, and began working on basic job skills until he came onto the truck where he currently is, working the pickup window.

“It’s Daniel’s pickup window.

He is very proud of it,” commented Thome.

Dirt’s most recent employee, Matthew, came to Dirt from the Joshua School. According to Thome and Jennings, he walked up to the coffee truck with a script on a peice of paper, introducing himself and asking if there might be a place for him to work on the truck. “That day we offered him a job.”

Since its founding, Dirt Coffee has seen several success stories come in and grow out of the truck.

One of whom is Robbie, who Thome deems their “biggest success story.” He interned for the company, graduated college, and is now working professionally in film development. Robbie even filmed and produced Dirt Coffee’s campaign video that is paired with the organization’s fundraiser through which they are aiming to raise $50,000 to open up a coffee shop in 2017 somewhere in the Denver metropolitan area to help build futures for those on the spectrum.

Dirt’s plan is to have the shop opened in time for April 2 of 2017:

World Autism Awareness Day. Not only will Dirt Coffee continue to allow those on the spectrum to “capably bring genuine value and happiness and service to other people,” as Thome explained, but it will continue to possess a Triple Bottom Line business plan: “coffee, planet and people.” Dirt will compost coffee wastes, make their own syrups and ultimately be fully committed to running a socially-conscious business. Dirt Coffee is the whole package.

The Dirt Coffee truck makes appearances based on requests from the community all around Denver throughout each week according to a calendar they have posted online. In addition to their presence at the Joshua School every Friday from 12 - 2 p.m., upcoming locations include the Interagency Transition Fair & Job Fair on April 21 from 4 - 7 p.m. and the Autism Resource Fair on May 15 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. They offer a full espresso bar, using Kaladi Coffee and Coda Coffee, all of which is “brewed on the spectrum.”

photos courtesy of lauren jennings

Dirt employs those with autism to help them grow personally and professionally.

DU CLARION

JULY A P R I 23, L 22015 0, 2016

LIFESTYLES | 1 3

DU VIEW: 1. A view of the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in Keystone, South Dakota—Maggie Morlind 2. Opening day at Coors

Field—MacKenzie Krall 3. A view of snow falling downtown—Justin Cygan 4. Malibu as seen from the top of Pepperdine University­— Mia Barrett 5. A view of some geese in Wash Park—Emily Bender 6. Campus as seen from the top of the new Anna & John J. Sie International Relations Complex—MacKenzie Krall

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diDUknow?

Bringing awareness to happenings at and around DU

Four free unique exhibits open up downtown RUTH HOLLENBACK

5

4

rary creativity to be pasted all over the walls of the gallery. In STAFF WRITER addition to being free and open 1. DENIZEN IV: The Annual to the public Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon until 6 Tenant Exhibition Where: Helikon Gallery and p.m., the gallery is hosting a First Friday reception on May 6 Studios, 1675 Wynkoop St. from 6-10 p.m.

When: April 9-May 19

3. Mando Marie: Long Ways Where: Svper Ordinary, 3350 Brighton Blvd. #120 (RiNo District) When: Open through May Mando Marie, an American painter, stencilist and graduate of the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD) in Denver, takes advantage of a variety of mediums and techniques to create graphic work that expresses “subtle messages that can straddle a line between comforting and spooky.” Svper Ordinary offers free admission and is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays from 11 a.m. until 9 p.m. and Sundays from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. Located

6

inside The Source Marketplace, the gallery sits amongst a coffee roastery, a modern Mexican taqueria, a French bakery and many more merchants.

4. Declaration Where: Robischon Gallery, 1740 Wazee St. (one block away from Union Station) When: Opening reception on April 21, 6-8 p.m.

This exhibit will boast the historically acclaimed works of artists like Ruth Bernhard, Louise Bourgeois, Linda Fleming and Jae Ko. Offering free admission, this exhibit is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m.

This yearly exhibit features some of the new works of 20 local artists from the Denver studio community, their eclectic work displayed across 14 spaces in the gallery. Helikon Gallery and Studios is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from noon until 6 p.m., for free, and is hosting a First Friday reception on May 6 from 6-10 p.m.

2. Stuff on Walls Where: Helikon Gallery and Studios, 1675 Wynkoop St. When: April 9-May 19 Featuring 10 local Denver artists like Emilie Luckett, Ben Siekierski, Crispysz and Blake Holland, this exhibit serves as a platform for weird, contempo-

ruth hollenback | clarion “Curious About Many Things” by Mando Marie in her exhibit “Long Ways” at the Svper Ordinary gallery in the RiNo District of downtown.

photo courtesy of tumpspace.com A piece by Ben Siekierski, featured in “Stuff on Walls.”

DU CLARION

ENTERTAINMENT

14

APRIL 20, 2016

Galantis a runaway hit at MusicFest

photo courtesy of time.com

Swedish electronic pop duo Galantis played for DUPB’s second annual MusicFest at Hamilton Gymnasium. Last year’s MusicFest featured German indie band Milky Chance.

KELLSIE BRANNEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

O

n the night of Thursday, April 14, the Hamilton Gymnasium was filled with vibrant lights, trippy graphics and sensational music as Swedish electronic duo Galantis took the stage for DUPB’s second annual MusicFest.

The group, active since 2013, is comprised of Christian Karlsson of Miike Snow and Linus Eklöw of Style of Eye. They made their music debut with “Smile” in 2013 and are now known predom-

inantly for their popular songs “Runaway (U & I),” “No Money” and “Peanut Butter Jelly.”

Doors opened at 9 p.m. and the set started soon after with opener Semper Fly, a house-music group comprised of DU students.

The music was energetic and got the crowd pumped right off the bat, creating an atmosphere of movement and excitement via the prominent beats and bass that defined the group’s songs.

By the time Galantis came to the stage, the crowd was jumping around with excessive energy and anticipation, and the group certainly didn’t disappoint. Galantis played to a packed house and

were energetic and fully present on stage, moving the crowd with the deftness of a group that rocked Coachella and other major music festivals in years past. The all-encompassing and infectious rhythms that mark Galantis’ music were not only lovely to listen to, they also created a vibrant and enthusiastic vibe among the crowd that marked the night as not only one of great music, but great fun as well.

Since the inception of MusicFest last year with popular artist Milky Chance, DUPB has proved itself able to reel in verifiable and relatively well-known talent, which can be challenging

for a small school like DU. This year was a marked departure from last year’s chill, indie sound with the two artists playing dance music; however, while last year’s fare was undeniably enjoyable, there’s a certain sense of fun and excitement that electronic music can bring to a crowd that is hard with other genres, and that could definitely be felt in the energy of Thursday night’s crowd.

DUPB set the bar high with Galantis, and one can only eagerly anticipate what they will bring us for MusicFest next year.

Galantis’ music can be found on Spotify, iTunes, SoundCloud and YouTube.

Best psych-influenced albums for your 4/20 JOCELYN ROCKHOLD

I

STAFF WRITER

t seems like most bands have at least some sort of psychedelic influence, including everyone from the garage band next door to your favorite European pop singer. Sifting through the pile of available music can be a difficult task, but there are a few stand out albums. While the list below is a mix of old and new work, it’s guaranteed to be some of the best psych-influenced albums for your 4/20 weekend.

“Sun Structures” by Temples With huge hair straight from the ’70s, Temples’ music is littered with carefully plucked psychedelic riffs and daydream vocals that are reminiscent of John Lennon. When listening to Temples, one can’t help but conjure up the image of kaleidoscopic landscapes and glitter eye shadow. “Keep In The Dark” is a mash-up of easy-going yet steady guitar over a hard-hitting drum. “Sun Structures,” while released in 2014, has the feel of decades past.

Songs to listen to: “Keep In The Dark,” “Shelter Song,” “Mesmerise”

“Electric Ladyland” by The Jimi Hendrix Experience This list would not be complete without including the work of legend Jimi Hendrix.

After all, what is there not to like about the best album from one of history’s most talented musical groups?

The Jimi Hendrix Experience is one of the most important psych-influenced rock groups ever formed, and “Electric Ladyland” showcases exactly why this is so.

Songs to listen to: “Little Miss Strange,” “Long Hot Summer Night,” “Crosstown Traffic”

“Surrealistic Pillow” by Jefferson Airplane While current psych-influenced rock seems to be nearly exclusively made of jamming guitar over loud drums and otherworldly vocals, Jefferson Airplane has a few soft edges. “Surrealistic Pillow,” released in 1967, presents some psych-acoustic jams in addition to up-tempo tunes. “Surrealistic Pillow” was also the San Francisco group’s first album with vocalist Grace Slick.

Songs to listen to: “How Do You Feel,” “White Rabbit,” “Plastic Fantastic Lover”

JULY A P R I 23, L 22015 0, 2016

DU CLARION

ENTERTAINMENT | 1 5

Lamont tackles ‘Cosi Fan Tutte’

photo courtesy of lamont school of music

The Lamont School of Music’s opera “Cosi Fan Tutte” featured a talented cast and colorful costumes and set pieces.

JOCELYN ROCKHOLD

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STAFF WRITER

rom April 15-17, the Lamont School of Music tackled the lasting “Cosi Fan Tutte,” an opera penned by the one and only Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, at the Newman Center. Not only did

Lamont attempt to perform this piece, they succeeded with flying colors, even though the material in Cosi Fan Tutte was not a relatable choice for college students.

“Cosi Fan Tutte” depicts the wild love story of two couples; the men are skeptical of their respective fiancé’s faithfulness, and put it to the test by disguising themselves as romantic opponents. As the men flirt with the

unknowing women, the fiancés go through intense inner turmoil as to whether to cheat with the disguised men. This work revolves around the sexual prowess of women, depicting females as untrustworthy; Lamont normally chooses older pieces that aren’t relatable for students, and this is no different.

Even though “Cosi Fan Tutte” is not the most female-friendly

play (the title translates to “this do all women”), Lamont’s vocal and orchestral talent was undeniable. Headed by Guangke Dai and Emily Gradowski as Fiorfiligi, Theresa Kesser and Jenna Clark as Dorabella, Humberto Borboa and Kevin Gwinn as Ferrando, and Matthew Peterson and Welly Disayanon as Guglielmo, the cast sang entirely in Italian, an incredible feat in itself. Singing an opera is hard enough for seasoned professionals to do, and this college-aged cast impressed the older, middle-aged crowd. Some may expect college opera singers to be intolerable, but the cast of “Cosi Fan Tutte” was not just tolerable, but very much enjoyable.

One of the most glorious aspects of the performance was the costume and set design. The costumes were doused in soft pastels and radiant flowers; the audience seemed to be watching an opera actually set in Naples.

The dresses in particular were gorgeous—the colors reminiscent of a beautiful spring day—and added to the overall beauty of “Cosi Fan Tutte.”

Despite the sexist material, the cast put on a fantastic show with excellent operatic vocals and beautiful costumes. The orchestra executed Mozart flawlessly with admirable dedication (the show is nearly three hours long) and the audience appeared to truly enjoy the performance. To check for other upcoming events from Lamont, keep updated with their calendar.

Deer Tick seizes hearts at the Bluebird Theater ALEX BUIS

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CONTRIBUTING WRITER

n April 11, gristle-infused folk band Deer Tick saddled up at the Bluebird Theater for an evening of acoustic rodeo. When lead singer John McCauley emerged at concerts in 2007 with burned CD copies of their first album, “War Elephant,” his dearest musical project seemed doomed from the start. However, after releasing “Born on Flag Day” a year later, critics warmed up to their sound.

Deer Tick appeared in proper fashion, emanating raw heartbreak and tragedy to an intensely intimate audience. While the band has a discography ranging through many mediums of instrumentation, distortion and orchestration, they kept it really tight with a strictly acoustic set. The mix was impeccable with a clear sound and immaculate chops. Their stage was partially lit with tiny antique lamps providing a warm living room environment for a band who is constantly amidst a crescendo of popularity. Connecting the dots of every album they’ve made, the crew bellowed to a crowd that was pierced long ago by the infectious indie bug.

Thrusting forth their single off the ironically titled “Divine Providence,” “Hope Is Big,” many onlookers were touched to the brink of tears witnessing such

a wall of emotion and courage.

Their lyrics are passionate, haunting and plaintively remorseful at times, tearing at the memories and heartstrings of everyone present.

Deer Tick’s set felt like a Thanksgiving dinner at the Bluebird as each member took turns singing, switching instruments and bantering between tunes.

They surfaced for wide appeal with “Twenty Miles,” their encore

“Ashamed” and recent hit “The Rock.” McCauley paid tribute to Denver’s popular pastime, putting it bluntly that he now possessed a year’s supply of brownies for the ongoing tour. The music tends to thrive on rugged simplicity, yet some songs like “Mange” left space for thrashing drums, intricate solo and sheer sonic force.

They even unveiled a few new numbers to the amazement and

ruckus of ticket holders.

Stretching a country cover of a Velvet Underground song into the realm of ten emotive minutes, Deer Tick coalesced with an audience of lovers, wounded warriors and monkeyed backs. Their strength and vulnerability was met with smiles, laughter and damp cheeks. Ideally, the tour will swing back into Colorado next year. Their music can be found on iTunes and Spotify.

photo courtesy of partisanrecords.com

Rhode Island-based band “Deer Tick” appeared at the Bluebird Theater on April 11, pulling an emotional response from the intimate audience.

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| ENTERTAINMENT

DU CLARION

APRIL 20, 2016

‘Jungle Book’ captures Senior capstones beauty, but loses heart feature artistic depth RYAN NINESLING CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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ased on Rudyard Kipling’s famous collection of short stories, as well as the beloved 1967 Disney animated adaption, “The Jungle Book” follows young orphan “man-cub” Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi) as he embarks on a voyage of self-discovery, guided by his animal guardians Baloo the bear (Bill Murray, “Ghostbusters”), panther Bagheera (Ben Kingsley, “Shutter Island”) and wolf mother Raksha (Lupita Nyong’o, “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”). Along the way, Mowgli faces many treacherous inhabitants of the jungle, including the murderous tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba, “Luther”), power-hungry ape King Louie (Christopher Walken, “Pulp Fiction”) and the mysterious python Kaa (Scarlett Johansson, “The Avengers”).

As visual effects technology has advanced over the past decade, it seems that Hollywood has been begging for a film like “The Jungle Book” to come along and showcase all the newfound power live-action films can have over the family film genre. The film is without a doubt a marvelous and inventive visual spectacle, with every single animal and almost every environment in the film created entirely with computer imagery.

The style is absolutely gorgeous and allows director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”) to experiment with Kipling’s world in refreshing new ways that animation seemingly could never capture.

Favreau is free of the restraints of animation, allowing beauty to shine through with rich and complex cinematography that makes the film feel like a painting come alive. He also employs the style to great dramatic effect, playing up the stakes and danger of Mowgli’s journey while still injecting some light-hearted fun into the proceedings. The problem, how-

ever, is that the style is so powerful that it ends up drowning out much of the story’s heart.

Young actor Sethi, here in his first role, has flashes of brilliance but struggles to work with what is given to him. The only “real” element of the film, he is forced to act entirely on his own in staged surroundings, and you can feel the green screen sucking life out of his acting. It doesn’t help that screenwriter Justin Marks, also a first-timer, removes much of Mowgli’s rambunctious personality in favor of making his character a representation of man’s relationship with nature. The message is certainly pertinent and seeks to elevate Kipling’s story beyond its often-problematic imperialistic nature, but it ends up taking away the soul that defined the animated adaptation, making Mowgli feel like the fakest character in a room full of computers. It doesn’t help that Disney can’t resist the temptation of injecting two of the original film’s most famous musical numbers into meaningless throwaway sequences that end up confusing the film’s tone even more.

However, the film’s voice acting does feature some fine work, with Murray, Elba, Walken and Johansson especially injecting some humanity, both light and dark, into their animal counterparts. The film’s style does admittedly eliminate some of the power of expression, as opposed to other live-action animal films with amazing motion capture acting (such as “Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”), but the actors’ fine oratory skills transcend the obstacle and are easily the highlight of the film.

All in all, “The Jungle Book” is exactly what Hollywood pined for: a visual extravaganza with some of the world’s biggest stars putting in amazing voice acting work to back up the show. However, if you’re looking for the heart that made the original animated version a classic, maybe it’s best to look elsewhere.

photo courtesy of disney.com Newcomer Neel Sethi played Mowgli in this year’s live-action adaptation of “The Jungle Book.”

photo courtesy of du department of theatre

One-act play “I’m Not Stupid” takes a deep look at mental illness and parenthood.

MONICA MCFADDEN

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ASSISTANT EDITOR

rom April 13-17, the J-Mac Studios held the first cycle of the DU Department of Theatre’s Senior Capstone Festival. During the capstone festival, senior theatre majors direct one-act plays, with the cast filled by other students in the theatre department. This cycle featured three short plays, providing a wide range of genres: “Hippie van Gumdrop” by Dan LeFranc, “I’m Not Stupid” by David E. Rodriguez and “Porcelain and Pink” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

The first play, “Hippie van Gumdrop,” was directed by senior theatre student Thomas Lynch. The cast was made up of only two actors, Meagan Traver and Nicole Seefried, who played two sisters cleaning out the old hippie van their mother had lived out of. The play rested in a balance between comedy and drama, and the actors transitioned easily between the two, drawing laughs from the audience one moment and pensive silence the next. Through this tension, Traver and Seefried expertly explored the tenuous relationship between the estranged sisters.

“I’m Not Stupid,” directed

by Sara Sachs, followed a young, mentally ill boy named Roger (Samuel Pierce III) and the conflict between his heartless mother (Lois Shih) and concerned psychiatrist (Anthony Adu).

The play was intentionally uncomfortable at times, and Shih delivered the mother’s jarring monologues with subtly sadistic undertones. Though Pierce is a college student, he played Roger convincingly as an innocent young boy, the audience often

losing themselves in his anxious portrayal. This unique one-act, originally penned by an 18-yearold playwright, posed many questions about mental illness and complex family relationships, leaving the audience with a lot to think about.

The final play, “Porcelain and Pink,” directed by Emma Phillips, was a welcome lighthearted comedy after the heavier material of the previous plays. Set in a nostalgic 1920s bathroom, the story follows Julie (Rhianna DeVries), a witty young woman, as she’s taking a bath. She’s mistaken for her comparatively more uptight sister, Lois (Rebeka Betemedhin),

by Lois’ suitor (Isaiah Adams), resulting in a funny exchange as she resides in the bath. While it may not have had the weight in content of the other two plays, the charm and warmth of the production, due to DeVries’ wonderful performance, made for an enjoyable end to the series.

The cast and directors of the plays were assisted by a crew of tech and costume students. The details of the sets, costumes, lighting and sound design sported the craft of the theater students by adding another creative layer to each of the plays.

The casts and crew were all impressively diverse, both racially and in regards to gender.

There were significantly more interesting and complex roles for women in this cycle than the second cycle last year.

The DU Department of Theatre consistently turns out well-crafted productions filled with talent and the senior capstones feature everything the department has to offer. The second cycle of the senior capstone festival will be coming to J-Mac Studios from May 11-15.