DU Clarion Volume 123 Issue 16

Voice of the University of Denver Pioneers since 1899

duclarion.com

VOL. 123, ISSUE 16

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

PIONEERS FAIL TO DEFEND TITLE 5 pa g e

DU fell at home to Towson University 10-9 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament

DO PIONEERS UTILIZE THE OUTDOORS?

CAPSTONE ACTS DELIGHT CROWDS

14

8

pa g e

pa g e

2 pa g e

STORYCORPS ENLIGHTENS DU

13 pa g e

UNIQUE WAYS TO SPEND SUMMER

N E WS DU CLARION

2

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

StoryCorps promotes understanding 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 OLIVIA HYDE, Staff Photographer

Staff Writers CAROLYN ANGIOLLO RUTH HOLLENBACK JOCELYN ROCKHOLD

Contributing Writers TARYN ALLEN

SASHA KANDRACH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A

s part of DU’S effort to promote inclusive excellence across campus, an event titled Fish Out of Water put on by StoryCorps and Leadership Academy, was held in Renan Theater on May 10 at 4:30 p.m. “Fish out of water” is defined as the action of placing oneself in an uncomfortable position which one is unaccustomed to.

As part of Chancellor Chopp’s Impact 2025 initiative to promote the development of professional growth within faculty and staff on campus, the Leadership Academy was created. The Leadership Academy is a six-month professional development program for staff and faculty with an emphasis on developing the leader from within. Fifteen staff and faculty from across DU’s campus were selected to participate in the inaugural Leadership Academy and chose to address the topic of inclusive excellence through storytelling.

Ten previously selected students and faculty were each allotted five minutes to describe an instance in which they felt uncomfortable and out of their element. Each speaker provided the crowd with personal anecdotes and insight regarding their ethnic background along with sharing an instance in which they were uncomfortable.

“We chose the theme ‘Fish Out of Water’ because it is something we can all relate to,” Carolyn Sommers of DU’s Leadership Academy said. “No matter our race, ethnicity, gender, ability or any other identity, we can all identify with those times when we felt totally out of element, like an outsider or in some other

unfamiliar and uncomfortable situation. Through our stories, we realize there are more similarities between us than there are differences.”

The audience sat engrossed with each speaker’s on-stage presence, illuminated by the sole source of light throughout the dimly lit theater. Varying accents projected from the stage including a Scottish accent from Roddy MacInnes, a Chinese accent from Xiaoyi Zhu and a Lebanese accent from Mustapha Jechi.

The topics ranged from first impressions upon arrival in the United States to fond memories of a close friend, emphasizing one’s identity from their title and even the experience of coming out on campus. A room full of strangers was enlightened by intimate details from the speakers, creating a mutual respect and admiration for the courage projected from the speakers and the acceptance radiated from the audience.

“As a forum for connecting the DU campus, we believe in the power of stories to help cultivate empathy, compassion and understanding within our community,” Sommers said.

“More broadly, stories raise our awareness about the human experience, binding us together through our humanity regardless of and because of our identity and building bridges that can propel us beyond our isolation and loneliness. When people get on stage and are willing to be vulnerable by sharing their stories, often you will find that new insights and perspectives are gained.”

The inaugural introduction of the event proved successful regarding participants and audience attendance. The goal is to implement additional events in the future, biannually or on a quarterly basis.

JUSTIN CYGAN MADISON HELLER SYDNEY KAPP ERIN SULLIVAN GRACE CARSON EMILY BENDER SASHA KANDRACH RYAN NINESLING

Cartoonists TONY BOREK, Staff Cartoonist ARTEMIS KATSARIS, Contributing Cartoonist

olivia hyde | clarion On May 10, StoryCorps and Leadership Academy sponsored the event A Fish Out of Water.

DU CLARION

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

NEWS | 3

DU fights cancer with Relay for Life MADISON HELLER

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Poe signs off

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

JOHN POE

DU campus organization called Colleges Against Cancer has recently spent their time organizing a Relay for Life event on campus. It began on May 13 at 7 p.m. and lasted until May 14 at 7 a.m. in the Gates Field House. People could sign up in groups of two or more at only $10 per person.

Relay for Life is an event in which people sign up in teams to walk overnight. Teams set up camp for the night and members take turns walking during the 12 hour duration of the relay. The event is not all about walking, though. Throughout the night, there are food, games and music for participants to enjoy. The non-profit accepts donations as well. Their fundraising goes toward a variety of venues, such as cancer research, Hope Lodges (which provides comfortable accommodations for patients), Road to Recovery (which provides patients with transportation) and much more.

On campus, Colleges Against Cancer is a non-profit run by students who are passionate about helping anyone impacted by cancer—whether it be patients,

NEWS EDITOR

A

W

olivia hyde

On May 13, Colleges Against Cancer hosted the DU Relay for Life event.

caregivers, or survivors. They are dedicated to fundraising and spreading cancer awareness to the DU community.

| clarion

According to their website, here at DU, Relay for Life raised $10,410.10.

There were over 20 teams and over 140 participants in DU’s event.

Ants infest mass comm classroom KELLSIE BRANNEN EXECUTIVE EDITOR

O

n the week of April 17, students enrolled in media, film and journalism studies classes meeting in Mass Communications classroom 119 were informed that, due to an infestation of flying ants, the room would no longer be used for the remainder of the quarter. Most classes were relocated to the

Sié Chéou-Kang Center of the Korbel school.

Although Facilities Management sprayed the room multiple times prior to this announcement, they were unable to quell the infestation.

“I have been working with Pest Express and Ethan Crawford Director of technical services for the Mass Comm building) to come up with a solution to prevent/help with the ant infestation in classroom 119...Our maintenance shop is going to seal the floor board in the affected room

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.

and we have put Mass Comm (as a whole) on a seasonal service contract for the following months of May through September since this is a seasonal issue,” said Sam Thornton, who works in Facilities Management.

“As for the ants invading Mass Comm in the past, I’m sure there has been a repeated attack but don’t think it’s been this severe due to them finding headway through the cracks of the floorboards,” he also stated, regarding the possibility of previous issues in the room.

hen I walked in on a Clarion meeting while searching for the perfect study place in August 2014, I never imagined that this would be the perfect fit for me, a place where I could write for fun and design pages to my heart’s content. I also never imagined I would be both the news editor and business manager a year and a half later.

Working with the Clarion has given me so much more than I could have ever asked for. Not only did I write stories every week on all sorts of topics and design the print edition of the news section every week, but I gained a bunch of great friends that loved being a part of a publication as much as I did.

I’ll spare you my sappiness though, Pios. I still have two more years of being a part of this wonderful production, but tonight, I sign off as your news editor. Writing news articles and designing the pages for every week has been an absolute blast, but I think it’s time for me to venture elsewhere within the production. I will remain the Clarion’s business manager, and alongside that, I plan to work with Jill and Kellsie to focus more on the overall design of the paper instead of just one section.

Tonight, I want to make this sign off a big thank you. I want to thank everyone, including you, our dedicated readers, for the memories created so far.

Editors, thank you for the countless laughs at my oh-so -terrible jokes every single production night. You all are truly amazing people. I look forward to continuing work with all of you.

Readers, thank you for being so dedicated and reading our stories every week. It is the best feeling in the world when a reader compliments one of your articles.

Thanks for the memories, everyone. I’ll see you in the fall.

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.

4

DU CLARION

| NEWS

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

Climate Reality Project aims for renewable campus ier future for the entire planet, Gawler plans to work with DU students, administration and The Climate Reality Project to pursue this goal.

“I am focused on getting our campus to run on 100 percent renewable energy. Our nation just signed COP 21 and committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions 26-28 percent below 2005 levels by 2025. DU must step up to help get there by decreasing our greenhouse gas emissions and the first step to do this is to change the energy we use to clean energy,” said Gawler.

In addition to making DU 100 percent sustainable, a secondary goal of both Gawler and The Climate Reality Project Campus Corps is to get DU to create its own renewable energy farm and be self-sufficient by the year 2050.

“Our generation needs to step up and initiate the change to prevent any further damage to

JILLIAN QUERI

n a campus with both growing dedication and concern for climate awareness and activism, DU freshman Maddy Gawler (Denver) has partnered with The Climate Reality Project Campus Corps to pursue the goal of a climate-minded, renewable campus.

Gawler is determined to get the DU campus to run on 100 percent clean, renewable energy by the year 2020. This may seem like a lofty goal, but Gawler is confident in the campus to stand behind a future that is sustainable for both DU and the greater community.

Through The Climate Reality Project Campus Corps, a national non-profit organization that strives for sustainable solutions that promote a health-

find

$

If you find an identical

wer price a lo ? $

$$

H C T A M E C I R P we

$

$$

i

t!

O

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

’l l m a t c h

our earth. We have a voice and interested students and memwe have the power to create a bers of the DU community to get positive impact. WE as a collec- involved. Visit The Climate Reality tive student body can show our Project Campus Corps at DU Facesupport for making a shift from book page for more information. fossil fuel to clean energy and work with administration to enact this change,” said Gawler. “This is feasible for the university and, with student voices showing support the administration will understand that this is an important issue that must be dealt with now.”

As a new group on campus, Gawler lai he | clarion encourages all The CRPC pursues a 100% renewable energy campus by 2020.

in-stock textbook for rent or purchase priced lower elsewhere, tell us.

We’ll match it, right at the register!*

UP TO

E V A S & T REN

80%

OFF THE PRICE OF A NEW TEXTBOOK

DU CAMPUS STORE 2050 East Evans Ave | dubookstore.com /DUBookstore *Prices matched against Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Chegg, or a local competitor. Excludes peer-to-peer marketplaces, Amazon’s warehouse deals (Gold Box), aggregator sites, digital books and publisher-direct prices. Price adjustments provided at time of purchase to customers with a printed screenshot or ad shown via mobile device of a competitively-priced textbook, or within 7 days of the original transaction with original receipt. If the book is rented, the rental period must be the same as the bookstore’s. In-store only. Purchase and price adjustment differences will be provided on a store gift card. See store associate for full details.

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

SPORTS DU CLARION

5

DU men’s lacrosse shocked by Towson, championship chase over

gusto kubiak

| clarion

Freshman Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) tries to dodge a Towson player.

SASHA KANDRACH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

D

enver men’s lacrosse’s aspirations of reclaiming the national title were eradicated during the first round of the NCAA Division I Men’s Lacrosse Tournament, as the Denver Pioneers fell 10-9 to the Towson University Tigers.

Costly turnovers and poor execution darkened Denver’s fate, as the visiting No. 10 ranked Tigers stunned No. 2 ranked Denver on May 15. The tenacious Pioneers fought down until the last seconds, but couldn’t overcome previous errors to prevent the heartbreaking outcome.

“We just couldn’t seem to get things going,” head coach Bill Tierney said. “Our three goals in the first half were all man-up goals. We had the ball and we had our chances. I thought we showed a lot of heart and a lot of grit, 40 seconds [left in regulation], down [by] three and almost pulling that thing out. It’s a game of plays and a game of runs, we just didn’t make enough of either.”

Despite Tewaaraton nominee Trevor Baptiste’s (Denville, New Jersey) nearly perfect faceoff performance—winning 20-of-22 at the X—Denver’s 14 turnovers doomed the Pioneers. Towson’s defense rectified poor faceoff performances with exceptional defending against Denver’s high-rolling offense. Redshirt senior goalie Tyler White detained Denver’s offense, as he completed the game with 13 saves. Senior attackman Spencer Parks dominated the Tiger’s offense with four goals and two assists to deliver the victory.

From the start, Towson overpowered Denver, forcing four turnovers and denying Denver’s attack from shaping an early lead. The Tigers tallied the first score 6:04 into play, as Joe Seider beat Denver freshman Dylan Johnson (Englewood, Colorado) on the run after Johnson lost his stick. The Pioneers countered just over a minute later, as Zach Miller (Steamburg, New York) finished down low, off of a feed from sophomore Brendan Bomberry (Ohsweken, Ontario).

The Tigers would take the lead 2-1 as the opening frame closed.

Denver broke through Towson’s steady defense while ending the

gusto kubiak

| clarion

Senior midfielder Colin Woolford (Norwalk, Connecticut) running during the Towson game.

Tigers’ second quarter, three-goal run, with 3:44 remaining in the first half. After drawing a tripping foul, Connor Cannizzaro (Cazenovia, New York) provided the Pioneers with momentum as he netted a long-range shot. Just under two minutes later, Tyler Pace finished on the door-step off a feed from Miller. The Pioneers maintained momentum heading into the locker room as they trailed Towson 3-5.

The Tigers and Pioneers split scoring during the third quarter with two apiece. Towson converted 3:11 into the second half to double its lead 6-3. It wasn’t until 9:05 later that the Pioneers would net their first of the half. Miller weaved past his defender to score just outside of the crease. Freshman Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) ignited momentum for Denver after picking up a rebound from Cannizzaro and firing a shot outside the arc with 1.5 seconds left in the quarter.

Jackson carried momentum over as he scored on the crease 3:13 into the final stanza to trail the Tigers 6-7. A minute and ten seconds later, Connor Donahue (Groton, Massachusetts) equalized the score for the first time in the game at seven apiece. The Tigers contrived a threegoal run that would seal the win.

With just under one minute left to play and trailing by three, the Pioneers battled back as Cannizzaro flew behind the cage and shot past White to score. Miller added another tally with 13.3 seconds left to bestow hope for the Pioneers, who trailed 9-10.

Following a Denver timeout, Baptiste won the final faceoff and junior captain Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, British Columbia) picked up the loose ball. As the clock wound down to zero, Denver was unsuccessful in executing its final efforts, ceasing to advance in the tournament.

Denver’s senior class graduates with an overall 60-13 record.

While the Pioneers failed in finishing their quest of repeating a national title, the program hopes to continue its success and prominence as the lacrosse capital of the West, both expanding and striving in the sport for years to come.

“We don’t want to be a onehit wonder,” Tierney said. “We’re here to sustain and excel in the classroom, in the community and on the field. We didn’t excel in the end here, but we went 12-1 on the regular year [and] won a BIG EAST regular season championship. I’m really proud of these young men.”

6

| SPORTS

DU CLARION

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

Former DU hockey players in NHL playoffs BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED CONTRIBUTING WRITER

D

U hockey is well represented in this year’s National Hockey League (NHL) playoffs, with alum on three of the four teams still in contention. The St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins and Tampa Bay Lightning each have at least one former Pioneer on their playoff roster.

In St. Louis resides forward Paul Stastny, a 30-year-old playmaking center. Sporting a lefthanded shot, Stastny played two seasons for Denver in 2005 and 2006. He would play eight sea-

sons with the Colorado Avalanche before leaving for St. Louis in free agency in 2014.

Stastny is enjoying a productive playoff run this season, with nine points (three goals and six assists) in 14 games. He is also a defensively responsible forward, as evidenced by his +1 playoff rating and +3 regular season rating.

St. Louis defenseman Chris Butler also attended DU (2007-2008). A utility defender, Butler saw action in five regular season games but has yet to suit up in the postseason.

Over in Pittsburgh, former Pioneer Beau Bennett is hoping to advance to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The 24-year-old was a first round pick back in 2010 and saw action

in 33 games this past regular season. Like Butler, he has yet to play in the playoffs.

Bennett posted 12 points (six goals and six assists) during the regular season. He played at DU from 2011-2012, scoring above a point per game in his final season.

The final former Denver player in the NHL playoffs is Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Matt Carle, one of the most highly decorated Pioneers of all-time. At the age of 31, he is depended upon greatly to help solidify the backend in Tampa.

He scored nine points (two goals and seven assists) in 64 regular season games, while totaling three assists in nine playoff

games so far in 2016. Since fellow teammate and defender Anton Stralman was sidelined with an injury, Carle has played on the Lightning’s top pairing with Victor Hedman.

During his time with Denver (2004-2006), Carle became the only junior defenseman in history to win the Hobey Baker Award, the award for the top collegiate hockey player in the nation. He posted 53 points (11 goals and 42 assists) in only 39 games his junior year.

As one of the most prestigious hockey programs in the country, DU has produced several NHLlevel players since its inception, some of which are still battling in the 2016 playoff race.

photo courtesy of thehockeynews.com

Former Denver Pioneer hockey player and current St. Louis Blues centerman Paul Stastny eyes down the puck in an away game during the 2015-16 NHL season.

Four Denver hockey seniors begin new chapters CAROLYN ANGIOLLO

A

STAFF WRITER

fter a successful final season playing for DU’s men’s hockey team, four seniors are set to graduate and blaze their own trails. Gabe Levin (Marina del Rey, California), Quentin Shore (Denver), Nolan Zajac (Winnipeg, Canada) and Grant Arnold (Centennial, Colorado) are set to graduate on Saturday, June 4.

At DU, Levin was a finance major in the Daniels College of Business. In his four years, he registered a 3.961 GPA and received many awards for his academic achievements, including the 2016 NCHC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and the Dr. Art Mason Memorial Award for top scholar-athlete. He was also named the recipient of the first ever NCHC Post-Graduate Scholarship.

On December 5, Levin took the Law School Admissions Test, on which he scored in the 99th percentile. His scholarly successes culminated with an acceptance letter to Harvard Law School in March.

“It’s an honor to be accepted

and I’m really excited. I put a lot of hard work into trying to get in there,” he said. Recently, Levin officially decided that he will be leaving Denver to attend Harvard in the fall to pursue a career in law.

Shore, Zajac and Arnold will all be looking to sign American Hockey League (AHL) or East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) contracts this summer.

Shore’s older brothers Nick and Drew are currently playing hockey professionally. Nick is in the National Hockey League (NHL) playing for the Los Angeles Kings, and Drew is currently playing with the Stockton Heat, the AHL affiliate for the Calgary Flames. Shore is hoping to continue the family tradition of playing professional hockey.

He was selected by the Ottawa Senators in the sixth round of the 2013 NHL draft. Shore will likely begin playing with the Senators’ AHL affiliate, the Binghamton Senators.

Zajac and Arnold have not been formally drafted by any NHL teams, but are looking to sign ECHL contracts in the coming months.

Whether pursuing law or professional hockey, DU will be graduating another batch of sure-to-besuccessful scholar-athletes.

gusto kubiak

| clarion

Senior Gabe Levin (Marina del Rey, California) takes a faceoff against Colorado College.

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DU CLARION

SPORTS | 7

DU women’s lacrosse set to join BIG EAST next season BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

he DU women’s lacrosse team will be switching conferences next season, from the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) to the BIG EAST. This move results in two DU teams now participating in BIG EAST play, as DU men’s lacrosse joined the conference in 2014.

Denver will now be playing Butler University, University of Cincinnati, University of Connecticut, University of Florida, Georgetown University, Marquette University, Temple University, Vanderbilt University and Villanova University frequently.

A member of the MPSF since 2004, the women’s lacrosse program should fit in nicely to its new conference. Over the span of 13 years, Denver produced 66 AllMPSF players while also claiming three straight MPSF Player of the Year awards from 2006-2008.

With six regular season MPSF titles (2006, 2007, 2008, 2010,

2013 and 2014), the Pioneers were able to thrive and leave a positive, competitive mark on their former conference.

The team has had limited but optimistic exposure to BIG EAST teams in the past. DU defeated Marquette in 2016 but fell to Vanderbilt after reeling off three consecutive victories in the three previous seasons. Overall, the program has a 7-6 record against teams currently in the conference.

DU will be led next season by a host of returning players, as well as head coach Liza Kelly. In particular, the team will lean on the goal scoring efforts of redshirt sophomore Nicole Martindale (Brooklin, Ontario) and freshman Elizabeth Behrins (Basking Ridge, New Jersey), who each finished 2016 with 22 goals.

Junior goalkeeper Maddy Stevenson (Bainbridge Island, Washington) will return after starting 17 games this past season and winning eight of them. Joining the Pioneers in the BIG EAST next year will also be a new, exciting freshmen class who can help Denver be competitive in their first season in the new conference.

gusto kubiak

| clarion

Sophomore midfield Kennedy Milburn (Whitby, Ontario) cradles the ball against USC.

Men’s and women’s tennis bow out in NCAA Tournament

photo courtesy of du women’s tennis

The DU women’s tennis team poses on their home court with their racquets in front of Magness Arena during the 2015-16 season.

CAROLYN ANGIOLLO

T

STAFF WRITER

his past weekend, May 13 and 14, the women’s and men’s tennis teams competed in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Unfortunately, neither team made it past this first round. Heading into the tournament, the women’s team was ranked No. 48 and the men’s team was also ranked No. 48.

The women’s team traveled to Stanford University in California to compete against No. 19, Texas

A&M University. In singles play, junior Maureen Slattery (Newport News, Virginia), senior Charlotte Derbyshire (Stockton, England) and senior Evy Van Genechten (Antwerp, Belgium) all lost their matches. Junior Morgan Barnhill (Austin, Texas), freshman Bianca Mok (Boise, Idaho) and sophomore Julia O’Loughlin (Highland Beach, Florida) had their matches suspended, resulting in incomplete results.

DU did pick up one victory on the day with the doubles team of O’Loughlin and Slattery’s 6-2 win.

The DU women lost with a final

score of 4-0, allowing Texas A&M to advance in the tournament.

The DU women’s team finished the season with an impressive 21-3 record.

The men’s team competed at the University of California-Berkeley against No. 29, University of Mississippi. DU won on the doubles front but lost in singles play. Senior David Fox (Chipstead, United Kingdom) and sophomore Wyatt Lovera (Miami, Florida) won their singles competitions. The other four competitors, including senior Henry Craig (Murrieta, California), junior Diogo Rocha (Lisbon, Portugal), junior

Yannik James (St. Georges, Grenada) and junior Alex Gasson (Alton, United Kingdom), did not.

In doubles play, the teams of Craig and Gasson, as well as James and sophomore Jesse Ruder-Hook (Denver), were victorious. Unfortunately, winning doubles was not enough to win the meet, and DU lost to the University of Mississippi with a final score of 4-3.

The men’s team finished the season with an overall record of 18-8.

Both the women’s and men’s team earned a Summit League Championship title for the third year in a row earlier in the month.

OPINIONS DU CLARION

8

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Adrian Bogart signs off as opinions editor ADRIAN BOGART

D

OPINIONS EDITOR

ear Readers, Since 1899, the Clarion has been run by numerous hard working, dedicated students writing stories that matter to the student body and DU as a whole. For the past two years, I have been incredibly fortunate to, if only for a short while, serve as opinions editor and act as a small part in ensuring the success of this prestigious publication.

Over the past few weeks, I have been reminiscing about the past two years, and realized how much the opinions section has grown, not because of my efforts, but due to the hard work of the numerous writers who have written for this section and the vision and guidance of editors-in-chief and executive editors in the past and present.

Undoubtedly, the main reason why this section has become a success over the past few years is because numerous writers have dared to tackle the major issues that matter to this campus, ranging from sexual assault to school politics to addressing inequality on campus. These writers passionately represented you over the past two years and were not afraid to speak out to state the opinion of the diverse voices on campus, even though they might have been unpopular or controversial.

To all the writers who have written during my time as editor: thank you. I am eternally grateful for all you have done to make this section what it is today, always focused on addressing the diverse voices on campus and passionately addressing the most important issues our student body faces.

In addition, I would like to thank the editors-in chief and executive editors that I have served under over the past couple of years.

Lanna Giauque and Alex Johnson, thank you for your guidance during my first couple of months as an opinions editor, giving me the tools I needed to help turn this section into a success.

Connor W. Davis and Meg McIntyre, thank you for your constant support throughout the past year and the time and energy you both dedicated in helping me shape opinions into the section it is today.

I learned a tremendous amount from the both of you and your vision for success continues, and will continue, to make the Clarion a better publication to serve the student body.

Jillian Queri and Kellsie Brennan. You both are some of the most tremendous leaders I have ever met. You are passionate, dedicated, always looking out for your staff and have an outstanding vision to make this publication stronger than it has ever been. You have both always been tremendous friends and you have the potential to make revo-

lutionary changes to the Clarion. I am looking forward to seeing how both of you continue to shape the Clarion for the better and best of luck next year.

Lastly, I want to thank you, the loyal reader of the Clarion.

It’s still surreal to think that hundreds of students across campus pick up a Clarion or visit our website every week and read the incredible content our writers produce. Your support for this publication is incredible, and makes the long hours of effort each week producing every issue worth

it. I was proud to produce this section for you over the past two years and address the issues that matter to you. Please continue to engage this section through letters to the editor, as it is your voice that truly forwards the conversation and affects change on campus.

I am humbled and honored to have served as opinions editor for the past two years. Thank you for all your support and remember: Keep Calm and Clarion!

Respectfully, Adrian Bogart

jillian queri | clarion

Bogart served as opinions editor during his sophomore and junior years.

Should DU promote more outdoor involvement?

ERIN SULLIVAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

D

enver is known for outdoorsy, adventurous people, but it’s often difficult to find time to take advantage of our beautiful surroundings while attending DU. According to a Huffington Post article (and common knowledge for most people), being outdoors reduces stress—so why don’t we do it more? Although DU sometimes encourages students to spend time outside, they could better take advantage of this natural stress relief by creating more outside events and opportunities for students, such as occasional classes outside.

In Professor David Ciepley’s freshman seminar last year (Food Fights, Food Solutions), students took a walking tour of campus and learned about all the edible trees and plants DU has to offer. Admittedly, it is difficult to find ways to integrate outside class into a course (and the irritating students that inev-

itably start chanting “CLASS OUTSIDE! CLASS OUTSIDE!” make it exponentially less desirable), but it is possible.

Teachers assume that students will immediately be distracted by birds, the grass or other students outside and never even consider the option. Sergio Macias, a Spanish professor at DU, found a way around this; he takes his students behind Sturm Hall to a secluded gathering area. Here there are very few people walking past and there are benches that provide an excellent learning facility, creating the best of both worlds.

Outdoor activities could also be incorporated into traditionally indoor events, such as the study abroad reveal or the welcome lunch for first years during Orientation Week.

However, DU hasn’t failed in encouraging students to venture outside. In fact, they’re very much heading in the right direction—they just need a little push. The red lawn chairs that the DU administration purchased and distributed across campus encourage students to step outside their dark dorm

rooms and head outside. On sunny days, students can almost always be seen sitting in them, enjoying the day.

“The chairs have been really awesome. Students and professors alike use them all the time and it would be great if DU invested in things like that more,” said Alexander Pierce, a second year BIA and international business major.

DUPB events, like May Days and Winter Carnival, take place outside and are excellent de-stressors for students.

“Whenever possible, we try and have our programs outside.

First, because DU students spend enough time in a classroom—they don’t need to spend their evenings and weekend there. But then also because the fresh air and openness to the outdoors helps people feel comfortable in their setting, and we think that’s pretty special… there’s something about the outdoors that just brings people together,” said co-president of DUPB and second year student Tonia Bartlett.

DUPB does an outstanding job of hosting events outside

whenever possible. Other events run by student organizations, like the recent Consent Carnival (CAPE) and Holi (South Asian Student Alliance and DUPB) are just a few examples. May Days (May 16-20) is an upcoming outdoors event that includes a free dinner, food crawl, movie night on the green and a carnival.

It isn’t DU’s fault that students don’t always take initiative to get outside, but if the administration, professors and student groups want to see a happier, healthier community, hosting events and classes outside is a great option. Just a few ways to do this include investing in more chairs and picnic tables to be placed outside, encouraging professors to integrate natural elements of our campus into courses, and moving traditionally indoor events outdoors.

Students who want to see this change need to voice their opinions to our administration. Pioneers can submit their thoughts to Chancellor Rebecca Chopp on her page of the DU website or by sending her an email at chancellor@du.edu.

DU CLARION

JULY M A Y 23, 1 8 2015 , 2016

OPINIONS | 9

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Jillian and Kellsie’s farewell to spring quarter JILLIAN QUERI

KELLSIE BRANNEN

W

ell, here we are. Both the end of spring quarter and another school year is upon us.

Looking back at the past 10 weeks, we can both say that they haven’t been easy, but boy have they been rewarding. We have already seen tremendous growth in this publication, which makes us beyond excited for what the future holds.

From revamping the website over the summer, to preparing to incorporate video into our coverage this fall, we are determined to create lots of exciting changes to the Clarion within the coming year, so stay tuned.

That being said, since we are the voice of the Pioneers, we want to know how you want the Clarion to grow and change in the future.

Please send us emails, message us on Facebook, send us a letter or any other way you’d like to get in contact with us and let us know what you think. What could we do better? What are we doing well?

What do you hate? We’re always striving for better, more representative coverage of the DU area, but we need your help.

On another note, a word to all of our editors venturing off in new directions: Madeline and Monica: You two have transformed the Entertainment section into a vibrant, informational and exciting experience for our readers. Your heart, humor and creativity will be greatly missed. We wish you the best time abroad and look forward to your return to the Clarion when the time comes. Thank you for all

you have done. Hold on to your passion and prepare for the best; it’s coming.

Adrian: Your wisdom and wit has greatly impacted the Opinions section, something that was greatly needed and has proven to be very valuable for this publication. Best of luck with senior year and your endeavours this summer. Your hard work will always be appreciated. You’ve left big shoes to fill, so be sure to check in when you can; your opinion will always be valued.

Chloe: Your humor and style of writing is one of a kind; never lose your voice. As you move into a new school year and across the globe to Australia, we wish you the best and cannot wait to hear of your adventures. Please know that you can always call the Clarion home and we’ll be waiting for your return in the winter. Thank you for giving your all to the Lifestyles section; your dedication and passion for the Clarion shines through each and every week.

John: Although you aren’t going far, we can’t go without mentioning all that you have done to make this paper what it is today. From taking on the draining task of managing the business side of running a paper, along with being the News editor, you have amazed and inspired us each week with your work ethic and smile. Thank you. We will see you again in the fall.

Gusto: It’s hard to imagine flipping though the Clarion and not seeing your stunning images inside, so needless to say, your photography will be greatly missed . You are beyond talented and have helped transform this paper into both an impressive work of writing and photography; thank you. We cannot wait to see all of the amazing things you

will accomplish and create in the future. Cheers to graduation and please keep in touch.

Ginny and Jack: This paper wouldn’t exist (well maybe it would, but it would be riddled with grammatical errors and orphans) without the two of you. Thank you for taking the time to learn AP style and for being meticulous and dedicated in your editing every Monday night. Being copy editor isn’t easy, but you both have succeeded greatly; we are so thankful for you. Best of luck on your new adventures. You know where to find us if you ever get nostalgic for production nights.

A simple “thank you” can’t do saying goodbye to our editors justice, as these individuals are

the lifeblood of this publication and have truly given their all to the Clarion every single day. Know that you can always call the Clarion home; we will see you soon.

To our faithful readers, we hope you all have a fantastic summer.

Thank you for your support and readership this past year, it means the world to us.

Until classes begin again in September, be sure to catch new content published on our social media platforms and website over the summer.

Until next time and forever grateful, Jillian Queri and Kellsie Brannen

jillian queri | clarion

Editor-in-Chief Jillian Queri and Executive Editor Kellsie Brannen say thank you to editors.

Cultural sensitivity must be addressed on campus GRACE CARSON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

C

inco de Mayo, or “the fifth of May”, is a Mexican holiday that celebrates the Mexican army’s victory over France at the Battle of Puebla in 1862 during the Franco-Mexican War. The holiday has now become a popular celebration of Mexican culture in the United States. On the morning of the holiday, May 5, 2016, DU’s vice chancellor of campus life and inclusive excellence, Liliana Rodriguez, sent an email to students expressing the “importance of respect and cultural sensitivity” on campus. She went on to define the term ‘cultural appropriation’ as: “when people adopt or use aspects of a culture when they are not members of that culture”. She states that as a Mexican-American, as well as a fellow ally to other races and cultures, she finds exploitive symbols against her and other

heritages’ cultures, such as wearing sombreros, fake mustaches or headdresses, to be offensive.

Since the email was sent to students, Rodriguez has faced criticism from some of the student body that the use of her position to promote her “political opinion” is wrong, and that students should have the freedom to wear what they wish.

Despite critiques of the vice chancellor, promoting cultural sensitivity is not a political opinion, but rather a step towards making DU’s campus more inclusive and a safer environment for students of color. Furthermore, making students aware of the harm they are doing by wearing culturally appropriated clothing is not suppressing students in any way. In fact, it is helping to undo the oppression of racism that many of DU’s students face.

If Liliana Rodriguez’s experience and perspective is not enough to sway students to be more respectful and aware on

campus, maybe other students’ experiences will. Project Ava is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing the stories of others.

On April 14, 2016, the organization shared a video they made with students of color at DU. The video shared their experiences here at the university. Many of the students voiced their complaints of DU’s exclusive, oppressive environment and the lack of protection and support the students and faculty of the school have given to them. They shared concerns such as the blunt racism they have faced on campus, like students telling them to “stop shoving race down their throat” and making rude exclamations on the color of their skin, the exclusive groups that do not relate to them and that DU’s campus does not look like the racially diverse city of Denver.

It is important that students listen to the stories of others on campus, especially those who have much different stories than

their own. Furthermore, it is important that students be open to the wishes of students of color and respect their cultures, as students who do not face their prejudices have no right to claim that students of color should not be offended. DU must create a more respectful and safer environment for students of color, and in order to do this, other students must be willing to respect their opinions and stories.

If Mexican-American students and faculty express that it is harmful to their identity and culture to wear culturally appropriated clothing such as sombreros, it is important that students respect that. As the end of Rodriguez’s email questions, “Must someone’s heritage be disrespected for others’ entertainment?” It is possible to celebrate Mexican culture without disrespecting it, and it is the responsibility of DU students to be respectful of other students’ culture.

10

| OPINIONS

DU CLARION

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DU SENIORS, graduation is right around the corner. Do you have a plan?

Turn your passion into a career.

Earn the ideal business degree for non-business majors. Get your Master of Science in Management in just 10 months.

Contact the Graduate Admissions Office today at 303.871.3416. Or, stop by our office in the Daniels College of Business, Suite 255. daniels.du.edu/masters-degrees/management

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DU CLARION

L I F E ST Y L E S

11

Hospitality students mentor refugees EMILY BENDER

O

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ver the course of spring quarter, a group of students in the Fritz Knoebel School of Hospitality found themselves working on a very different kind of school project. The students of the Managing Human Capital

in Hospitality class had the opportunity to act as mentors for refugees living in the Denver area as they prepared for employment in the hospitality industry.

The student mentors worked with these hardworking trainees to help them sharpen essential skills necessary to have in the workforce, one of the most valuable being experience. Working

photo provided by megan hustana

Students from the Fritz Knoebel School helped refugees prepare for employement in the hospitality industry.

side by side, the students and their new protégés helped to plan and work the DU Chancellor’s Dinner. Taking place on April 14, the Chancellor’s Dinner not only signified an important night for the DU community, but also a moment of accomplishment for the student mentors and their protégés.

Sierra Teply, a junior hospitality major, recalls her experience as a mentor to protégé Dhan as life-changing, saying “It was more than just an assignment.

It was a chance to help another human succeed.”

Although originally from Bhutan, Dhan’s family lived in Nepal for most of his life, seeking safety from widespread political unrest in their home country.

Rather than dwell on the hardships of his past, Dhan enjoys focusing on the possibilities of the future. Described as a man with a contagious smile, Dhan worked hard on perfecting his English and growing his experience in the hospitality industry.

“We hear about the refugee crisis in the news constantly,” said Teply. “However, it is entirely different hearing the perspectives of people living that crisis.”

Megan Hustana, another junior in the hospitality school, found the language barrier to be one of the more difficult aspects of the program.

Originally from Cuba, Hustana’s mentee immigrated to

the United States in hopes of a better life. When the students conducted their first interview, Jorge struggled to respond in English. Due to her own studies in the Spanish language, Hustana and Jorge were able to communicate with one another in his native tongue. With practice, by the Chancellor’s Dinner, Jorge was equipped with a handful of useful English phrases to help him successfully serve wine at the event.

Towards the end of the program, the students of Human Capital discussed who had learned more—the mentors or the protégés.

“We have learned about managing human capital in the workplace, the importance of connecting with employees and learning more about them as well as opening our eyes to different cultures and ways of life,” said Hustana.

Many of us are guilty of getting caught up in the monotony of the day-to-day. We tend to forget about those around us, whether it be in Denver or across the world, who have been affected by unspeakable hardships. Those in the mentorship program were reminded of how important it is to remain culturally aware of the world we live in.

“It’s something that I think more people in the world need to work on,” claimed Teply.

“Myself included.”

Tethered by Letters offers guidance to DU students SYDNEY KAPP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

T

ethered by Letters (TBL), a partner with DU that offers internships to students from the university, was started by D.M Hedlund in 2007. Tethered

by Letters began with articles that were written in order to emphasize the importance of publishing platforms and provide advice on what Hedlund wished she had known when she started out writing herself.

D.M Hedland also faced problems when she published her first novel at eighteen, “Threads of Deception.”

Because of these troubles, Hedland founded TBL to help other writers start their careers with more ease. With the founding of TBL, Hedland also helped expand the company into universities like DU. By 2013, Tethered by Letters was publishing monthly collections of short stories, reviews, interviews, flash fictions and

group-writing projects. Later in 2014, they moved into print, publishing “Tethered by Letters Quarterly Literary Journal” and then, in 2015, “F(r) iction Series,” which publishes works that “push the boundaries of convention.”

A major function of the organization is to educate and guide new writers. Each year, Tethered by Letters organizes a number of education programs, including their program “Free Editing Program.” The organization works with a number of universities, high schoolers and writers all over the country and world. Other programs they run are the Afghan Women’s Writing Project and the University Partnership Program.

Tethered by Letters has also featured many award-winning and best-selling authors like Scott O’Connor who wrote “Among Wolves” and Naomi Benaron, who is known for her novels “Running the Rift” and “Love Letters from a Fat Man,” and who has also won a Goodreads Choice Award for Best Fiction. These authors

are a part of TBL’s Celebrity Mentor Program.

Tethered By Letters offers a number of great internships and employment opportunities for graduating students. The

internship sessions are offered in the spring, summer and fall.

Through these internships, employment opportunities and becoming a member of the TBL staff are possible.

photo courtesy of linkedin.com

Tethered by Letters provides employment opportunities for graduating students.

12

DU CLARION

| LIFESTYLES

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

DU VIEW: 1. The Stanley Hotel in Estes Park—Michaele Waltz 2. A view of the Amalfi Coast along the southern edge of Italy’s Sorrentine Peninsula—Justin Cygan 3. A Pioneer admiring Red Rocks—Kerry Nelson 4. A view of the sun setting at Wash Park—Paulina Levy 5. Borns performing live at the Gothic Theatre—Emily Bender

1

2 3

4

5

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Lifestyles editor Chloe Barrett signs off CHLOE BARRETT LIFESTYLES EDITOR

D

ear readers,

Being involved with this incredible newspaper has become such an irrefutable part of who I am and it’s much harder for me to write about something personal than it is for me to write a scathing restaurant review about Yum Yum Spice or about tips for tailgating.

Since it’s so difficult for me to put into words how rewarding it has been to be lifestyles editor, I decided to go the cliche route and include a quote by a long dead president: “Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty.” Spoken

by Theodore Roosevelt, these words embody my involvement with the Clarion in the best possible way.

Undoubtedly, I have committed more of my time to this newspaper each week than I have to any one of my classes— the professors of which I hope are not reading this. InDesign has frustrated me more than having six hours of class on

Friday or attempting to pet a campus bunny; contributing new and original article ideas every week has been more of an uphill battle than a class on the fourth floor of Sturm. Yet I wouldn’t have it any other way because these trials make the end product so much more rewarding.

As do all the talented and dedicated people I work alongside: Jillian Queri and Kellsie Brannen, our fearless leaders who have already infused so much of their passion into this paper in the few short weeks they’ve been editor-in-chief and executive editor. To my fellow section editors who so gracefully manage their writ-

ers; to my lifestyle writers, who fill this section with such eloquent renditions of The Grind and countless other masterful articles. To the illustrators who create stunning artworks to complement their writing.

I am excited to pass off this incredible position to Sydney Kapp, who I know will take all the challenges that come with it in stride and who I hope will get as much out of it as I did and develop as passionate of an opinion about the oxford comma.

Thank you all for reading!

Xoxo,

Chloe Barrett

DU CLARION

JULY M A Y 23, 1 8 2015 , 2016

THE GRIND

COLUMN

LIFESTYLES | 1 3

Unique ways to spend the summer Scenic hiking closer to Colorado includes Rocky Mountain National Park, Boulder and Estes Park.

SYDNEY KAPP CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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

Common Grounds Coffee: 4.0 / 5.0 stars

W

ith summer just around the corner, it’s time for many students to ditch their textbooks and take out their favorite swimsuits. However, many people, students and non-students alike come up with the same problem: what to do with all the free time. Hopefully this list of unique ways to spend your summer vacation will help.

Concerts Summer is the number one season to go see some of your favorite artists perform live, as the nice weather provides a great atmosphere for seeing them perform your favorite music. There are a number of concert venues throughout the country to see famous musicians perform as well as numerous music festivals, like Bonnaroo, Burning Man, Electric Forest, Sasquatch and Cheyenne Frontier Days.

Hiking Although Colorado has some of the best hiking in the country, there are beautiful hiking destinations to be found all over.

Popular hiking destinations are Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona, the Appalachian National Scenic Trail in West Virginia, Zion National Park in Utah and Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming.

justin cygan

The entrance of Common Grounds Coffee, located in the heart of downtown Denver.

JUSTIN CYGAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

F

ounded in the Highlands neighborhood of Denver as an alternative to the dominating bar scene of the era and neighborhood, Common Grounds Coffee has been a force on the Denver coffee scene since 1992. Their third location opened in 1999 in the heart of downtown Denver and ever since has been one of the major faces of downtown redevelopment. The spacey LoDo corner spot is one of the best options for a cup of joe in one of—if not the most—coffee-shop saturated parts of town.

Situated near the corner of 17th and Wazee, Common Grounds has been serving up locally roasted coffee for the downtown crowd for over 15 years now, a long time in the rather new coffee shop craze.

What sets the spot apart from the rest of the crowd—besides its lengthy establishment in the area—is the unconventionally large size of the shop. The airy interior is matched with large street-side windows which pour a beautiful amount of natural light into the shop. The inside

| clarion

has a certain rustic feel to it, as if the shop transports you back to some indiscernible point in the past. This feeling is contributed to by the decoration and aesthetics of the joint. The walls are adorned with local framed paintings and homely bookcases full of board games along the edges. The seemingly centuries old upright piano towards the back of the space matches the heavy wood furniture and wood adorned bar, creating a great cohesion between the decorations. There’s a sense of both quirkiness and organization in the shop, as if it was designed by an OCD antique dealer.

Not to be outshined by the decoration and physical space, Common Grounds’ actual coffee is not to be missed. The shop produces all the general drinks for relatively cheap prices in relation to the surrounding area and some of the competing shops. You can get a cappuccino or latte for $3 or an iced toddy (very refreshing on hot days) for $2.95. Try one of their special “Uncommon” drinks, which include experiments such as the Liquid Oreo (espresso, Ghirardelli Chocolate, vanilla and caramel syrup) for $4.50 or the Tigger’s Bounce (espresso, milk and honey) for $5.50. The shop also serves up sandwiches (turkey

artemis katsaris

| clarion

Traveling is a great way to spend your summer break.

club for $6.50) and fresh, homemade breakfast burritos, such as the chorizo burrito ($4.25), every morning.

This reviewer had an iced toddy, which was as good as they come and quite a treat on an 80-degree day. The coffee is delectable and locally roasted at Common Grounds Sunnyside location. The spot offers some great people watching from the outside patio seating, and is perfect for a meeting or conversation with friends; however, it can be a little loud and busy for studying.

Common Grounds is open Monday through Friday 6:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday.

Learn a new language Learning a foreign language is not only advantageous for your future, but will also definitely make you a cool new person on the block. Being bilingual is arguably helpful in getting work, and many believe that Spanish and Mandarin are today’s most useful languages to know how to speak. Other interesting and potentially beneficial languages to learn are French, Italian, Dothraki, Sign Language and Arabic. Rosetta Stone, local colleges and online courses or apps like Mango are great outlets for learning a new language.

Drive-in movies Believe it or not, drive-in movies are back. With the nice weather, this is the perfect late night activity to partake in.

Drive-in movies are exactly as they sound—parks or parking lots will put up large screens and play old fashioned or recent movies while you watch from the comfort of your car. Popular drive-in theaters in Colorado are the 88 Drive-In Theatre, the Tru Vu Drive In Theatre and the Star Drive-In Theatre.

Learn to cook a new food Cooking is a skill everyone needs to utilize, so why not kick it up a notch by learning to cook a fun new food? After spending the entire last year eating ramen and other junk food, knowing how to cook your own meal will be a welcomed change. Grilled cheese, guacamole and a basic cheeseburger are the perfect new foods to learn how to prepare this summer while sitting around at home. To find more fun foods to cook, Desserts For Two, a college friendly food blog that will keep you healthy without breaking the bank, Simply Recipes and Ambitious Kitchen are great food blogs to help start out your summer cooking adventures.

Travel Planes, trains and automobiles can get you to anywhere you’d want to travel this summer.

According to US News Travel, the most popular places to travel in the United States are Maui in Hawaii, Yellowstone in Wyoming, the Grand Canyon in Arizona and San Francisco in California. There are a ton of road trips that can be taken with family and friends over the course of the next three months, so hop in your car or snag a cheap ticket from Frontier Airlines.

Get a job While this might not be the most fun, it’s definitely the most financially rewarding. Not all jobs have to be typical, like waitressing or working in retail. Jobs like dog walking, working at the zoo and construction work can make big bucks but also be fun.

Hopefully this list will inspire you to find fun and unique ways to spend the summer of 2016.

DU CLARION

ENTERTAINMENT

14

Senior Capstones a strong send-off

M AY 1 8 , 2016

Twin Peaks can only go up with “Down in Heaven” JOCELYN ROCKHOLD STAFF WRITER

M

photo courtesy of du department of theatre

“All We Can Handle,” directed by senior Erik Hanson, was the first play shown at the Senior Capstone Festival.

MADELINE ZANN ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

F

rom May 11-15, the DU Department of Theatre hosted the final cycle of the 2016 Senior Capstone Festival. Held in JMAC Studios, the plays were directed by senior theatre students. All of the actors, costumers, stage managers and tech crew were also all students.

The first play in the festival, “All We Can Handle,” written by Andrew Dainoff and directed by senior Erik Hanson, was produced in the JMAC White Box Theatre.

Two to three-person tables were scattered throughout the theater facing the stage, allowing the actors to wander among the audience.

While billed as David #1, 2 and 3, the three actors—sophomores Aristotle Johns and Tamarra Nelson and freshman Samuel Pierce III—rotated roles throughout the play. “All We Can Handle” traced the story of a couple—David and Sally—as David moves to New York just weeks before the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center, where Sally works, and then David’s story as he struggles to cope with Sally’s death and the subsequent death of his two friends weeks later. The play really does throw everything that its characters, and audience, can handle at them, not shying away from any topic. Nevertheless, the actors all handle it beautifully, seamlessly switching from character to character. The stark stage design of only three chairs on a stage allows the story’s narrative to be placed at the center.

“Telephone,” written by Ginna Hoben and directed by senior Olivia van den Berg, while not the happiest of plays, was much lighter

than “All We Can Handle” or “The Blue Room” which followed “Telephone.” In “Telephone,” freshmen Lois Shih (Kelly) and Rob Harlan (Chris) play a couple who have just broken up over Kelly’s impending move to Chicago and are being consoled by their friends. While the premise of each character wrangling with whether or not to call the other and get back together is cute and well-executed by the cast, the play is too short for there really to be much buy-in to their relationship on the part of the audience.

However, the supporting cast, especially Chris’s roommates, provide welcome humor and some background. The staging is also inventive, with each half of the couple occupying a different half of the stage clearly decorated to show who it belongs to.

Finally, “The Blue Room” by Courtney Baron and directed by senior Kikyou Yan, is an austere, atmospheric play about a sailor’s

memories of his wife, a woman obsessed with the sea. Stating early on that his wife (senior Liz Butler) died not long into their marriage, the sailor (sophomore Daniel Crumrine) feels that his wife is now trapped inside his memory during his days out at sea. In the one interaction the audience sees between the two of them, Crumrine and Butler clearly articulate the misunderstanding of each other’s needs and dreams that most likely leads to the unfinished nature of their relationship. While the play itself is somewhat strange, the actors and director themselves did a good job with tough content.

Throughout all of the plays, it was clear that the cast and crew dedicated a good deal of time and energy to churn out high-quality performances. The Senior Capstone Festival is the DU Theatre Department’s final production of the year, but their season will start again in the fall.

photo courtesy of du department of theatre

“Telephone,” directed by senior Ginna Hoben, tells the story of a recently broken up couple.

any rock fans these days love to claim that “rock and roll is dead” and “those new bands are ruining music.” Well, to be quite frank, they’re wrong.

Those people simply haven’t taken the time to listen to Chicago band Twin Peaks.

Twin Peaks may be young (each of the band members is in his early 20s), but there’s something deliciously old school that drips off of every track on “Down in Heaven,” the band’s newest album. “Sunken,” the band’s first album, was characterized by fantastically fuzzy lo-fi and “Wild Onion,” the band’s second album, took twists and turns on rock, pop and garage all at the same time—“Down in Heaven,” released May 13, emulates the golden age of rock.

“Down in Heaven” is a bit more cohesive than Twin Peaks’ earlier ventures. It’s smoother on all sides and less of a genre exploration and more of a genre declaration. It’s slower, for sure, than the rambunctious mischief on “Wild Onion,” but this is Twin Peaks’ best album yet.

“Down in Heaven” is reminiscent of an album that features only The Rolling Stones’ softest tunes, with tracks like “Walk to the Ones You Love” and “Heavenly Showers.” However, just because the album is less tumultuous doesn’t mean it’s less energetic or lacking in writing material. Take, for example, “Butterfly,” one of the creepiest tunes that Twin Peaks has ever produced (even the new music video is a horror story).

Even though Twin Peaks is arguably on its way to becoming huge after numerous festival appearances and a growing audience of listeners, the band takes it back to Chicago with “My Boys.” “My Boys,” is a direct reference to being “far from home,” and consequently, “my boys.” It’s no secret that the boys of Twin Peaks are in love with their hometown—they are heavily involved in Chicago politics, constantly tweet about the city and are known to have a close relationship with other Chicago bands, such as The Orwells. “My Boys,” on first glance, seems to pay homage to the Windy City.

“Down in Heaven” is simply great. It’s old school, as much as “old school” can mean in 2016.

The album seems more timeless than “Wild Onion” or “Sunken,” and one can only imagine teenagers listening to it decades from now. Want a taste of Twin Peaks?

Catch the five-piece at the Larimer Lounge on June 28 and listen to the band on Spotify.

DU CLARION

JULY M A Y 23, 1 8 2015 , 2016

ENTERTAINMENT | 1 5

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

Entertainment editors sign off

Pio Playlist: Staff Edition

A

s the year comes to a close, the Clarion is seeing the end of an era as almost every section and copy editor will be replaced next year. Despite the rain, summer really is around the corner. Therefore, the editors—old and new—have teamed up to create a playlist that we deem perfect for your summer listening pleasure. Including everything from oldies to the most recent pop hits to a little bit of Christmas in July, we hope that there’s something here that you enjoy.

Incoming Editor Picks “Lush Life” - Zara Lorsson “Gone” - JR JR “Shark Attack” - Grouplove “Midnight Movies” - Saint Motel “Sun Daze” - Florida Georgia Line “House Party” - Sam Hunt “The Sun” - Portugal. The Man “Dog Days Are Over” - Florence + the Machine “Fitzpleasure” - Alt-J “One Dance” - Drake “Yellow” - Coldplay “Doses and Mimosas” - Cherub jillian queri

| clarion

Entertainment editor Madeline Zann and assistant entertainment editor Monica McFadden sign off in their letter from the editors.

MADELINE ZANN MONICA MCFADDEN

Y

our lovely entertainment editors are tuning in to say “so long” to all y’all.

The Clarion has been such a big part of our first two years at DU, so some serious thanks are in order, but first a reminder of who we are.

Madeline: It’s not much of an exaggeration to say that there has not been a single Monday since the first week of my freshman year that I have not spent doing something for the Clarion. Throughout my time as entertainment editor, a position I started in March of 2015, I’ve been lucky enough to have two awesome section editors. The lovely Adam Lujan was kind enough to spend his last quarter at DU being my partner in crime before handing it off to Monica McFadden. After around a quarter of general awkwardness, Monica and I have bonded to the point where we become slap happy each Monday night at exactly the same time, to I’m sure the annoyance of literally everyone else on staff. But all jokes aside (except we never put jokes aside because we’re too sarcastic

for that), this past year would have been a lot more difficult without Monica and definitely a lot less fun. #TeamEntertainment5Ever Monica: I joined the Clarion in the spring of 2015 so, in a way, I jumped onto a ship that was already moving. I very quickly started writing two articles a week, and before long applied to be an editor. Madeline Zann and I began as acquaintances through Adam Lujan, the legendary previous assistant editor who coerced me to join the paper. However, after weeks of battling InDesign together, Madeline and I will forever be #TeamEntertainment.

I can’t imagine a better partner for teaching me the ins and outs of the Clarion and making dumb jokes with me late at night.

Thanks for such a fantastic year.

To everyone who’s written for the entertainment section, thank you so much for dedicating your unpaid time and effort to this paper. We literally could not do this without you. We’d also like to say that our section is the best, no contest. This is an opinion piece, so we’re allowed to say that. Don’t edit this out.

To Jillian, Kellsie, Connor and Meg, you guys have been awesome editors-in-chief and executive editors. Thanks for the

guidance, leeway and for making the paper go above and beyond.

Thanks to the whole staff of editors who tolerate our coordinated slap happiness/mental breakdowns occurring earlier and earlier each production night (we think we’re at about 7 p.m. now). You guys have made long production nights a blast.

Shout out to our roommates for accepting that we don’t exist outside the Clarion office on Monday nights.

We would like to apologize to our Tuesday morning classes for never being completely prepared, thanks to late Clarion Monday nights.

To Illegal Pete’s, thanks for providing the burritos necessary to fuel all of our pages.

Shout out to AP style for changing how we look at all writing ever—Oxford commas are forever the bane of our existence.

To Ryan, the incoming entertainment editor, you’re gonna kill it. Thanks so much for constantly writing wonderfully snarky articles. You are an amazing writer and we couldn’t be leaving the entertainment section in better hands.

Peace out girl scouts, Madeline Zann & Monica McFadden

“Blame” - Calvin Harris Outgoing Editor Picks “Don’t Mess Me Around” - Clare Maguire “Capsize” - Frenship “Gooey” - Glass Animals “Bump n Grind” - R. Kelly “A Million Years” - Alexander “Bad Moon Rising” - Creedence Clearwater Revival “Sigourney Weaver” - The Smith Street Band “All I Want for Christmas Is You” - Mariah Carey “Gold” - Kiiara “Critical Mistakes” - 888 “We Don’t Believe What’s On TV” - Twenty One Pilots “DNCE” - Cake by the Ocean “Love Like Mine” - Miami Horror ft. Cleopold “No You Girls” - Franz Ferdinand “My Girl” - The Temptations

16

| ENTERTAINMENT

DU CLARION

M AY 1 8 , 2 0 1 6

L.A. musician Stephen discusses sincere debut album

katy scott | du clarion Stephen opened for popular band BORNS at the Gothic Theatre on May 10, impressing fans with music from his new debut album “Sincerely.”

JOCELYN ROCKHOLD

A

STAFF WRITER

two-year break for a musician usually means the end of a career—today’s fans want more, and they want it fast, so a blip in time can be deadly in the music world. This, however, isn’t the case for Virginia-born and L.A.-living Stephen, a producer-turned-singer who just released his debut album, “Sin-

cerely,” on May 10. Luckily, the Clarion was able to sit down with the musician at his show on May 10 at the Gothic Theatre, where he opened for BORNS. Stephen, after dropping out of college where he was working on a music engineering degree, spent two years “learning how to sing” in order to supplement his musical skills (Stephen plays piano, guitar, drums and produces). The singing lessons ultimately paid off—the performer released “Sincerely” last

week, and was met with praise from hundreds of fans on social media.

“Sincerely” boasts an interesting mix of electronic beats with nearly Hozier-like vocals. The twoyear break certainly didn’t hurt Stephen; in fact, it made him stronger. The creation of the album was challenging at times, but worth it.

“It became so much more than just a music journey, it became this tremendous battle with myself,” said Stephen. “I went through this crazy transformation trying to

write this album. In order to create good music, you have to dig really deep, and I went through a lot of hardship and internal struggles that were all necessary. Every song is part of that struggle.”

“Sincerely” means a lot to Stephen, both musically, but also within his personal views. The musician holds sincerity in the highest regard and craves a world in which people can truly express how they feel.

“The album has two sides. One is a struggle with myself, and one is a struggle with the world,” Stephen said. “I’m aware the world could be so much better, and people could be better. We are capable of being so much more loving and happier if we were more open. Honesty is the sexiest thing.”

The musician also focuses on honesty with his fans, which he considers more as friends. Stephen chose to go simply by his first name to create a sense of familiarity with fans and make himself more accessible. His listeners obviously appreciate this— while BORNS is incredibly popular, many showed up to watch Stephen’s opening set, and knew words to songs like “Crossfire.”

Despite the fact that this is the musician’s first tour (the Gothic was his first show in Denver), Stephen has already garnered the attention of people across the country.

His gritty sincerity, honesty about his hardships, energy and passion will certainly take him far.

Listen to “Sincerely” on Spotify and let the Clarion know what you think.

Denver welcomes can’t-miss summer concert line-up TARYN ALLEN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

F

or anyone who lives in Denver or plans to stay in the area over summer vacation, there are many popular artists and bands touring through Colorado. Don’t miss the opportunity to enjoy a break from school, work and responsibilities to experience live music.

On May 21, hip hop artist and rapper Aaron Dontez Yates, also known as Tech N9ne, will perform at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver. Tech N9ne has sold over two million albums in his career, which began in 1991. He is working on his 17th album, to be released this fall.

One of the most well-known music groups coming to perform is Florence + the Machine. They will perform on May 26 at the Pepsi Center in Denver. Florence + the Machine is an indie rock band that originated in London in 2007, and they will come to Colorado as part of the 2016 How Beautiful Tour.

The Pepsi Center will also host both the Australian pop group 5 Seconds of Summer (5SOS) and hit artist Selena Gomez, respectively. 5SOS is newer, and their Sounds Live Feels Live World Tour, coming to Denver on Aug 24, will only be their second headlining tour.

photo courtesy of audiofuzz.com

Popular indie rock band Florence + the Machine, headed by Florence Welch, will be coming to Denver’s Pepsi Center on May 26.

Selena Gomez has just embarked on her Revival Tour and will be on Denver July 2.

Weezer and Panic! at the Disco will also be performing this summer, on July 24 at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre in Englewood. Weezer is a rock band from Los Angeles, California currently touring for their 10th album, “The White Album.”

Panic! at the Disco, the pop and rock band from Las Vegas, just released “Death of a Bachelor” worldwide. The two groups are coming to Denver together as part of the Weezer & Panic! at the Disco Summer Tour 2016.

Another concert to see at the Pepsi Center is Coldplay. Catch them on August 29 on their 2016 A Head Full of Dreams Tour.

Coldplay has been performing since 1996 as an alternative pop and rock band and the group has been nominated and presented with many awards over the years.

Don’t forget that if people do not live in the Denver area, they can still see many of these amazing artists, as most of them are currently touring nationally and internationally.