Clarion Volume 120 Issue 3

HANSEL AND GRETEL REVAMP FALLS FLAT | Page 13 University of Denver student newspaper since 1899

Vol. 120, Issue 3

Jan. 29, 2013

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Fondler mimics Lambda, ZBT on probation Pioneer pervert by gigi peccolo Assistant News Editor

by sarah ford News Editor

The Department of Campus Safety (DCS) is investigating two cases of forcible fondling that occurred near campus last Thursday, Jan. 24.

According to DCS Sgt. Stephen Banet, the suspect is the same person in both cases, based on similarities in the descriptions of the victims and the circumstances of the assaults.

The first case was reported to DCS at 11:57 p.m. by a student who said she was walking down South High Street when a male approached her from behind and grabbed her buttocks.

The second victim reported a crime of similar nature at 2:27 a.m. She was walking in an alley near South Race St. when a man came from behind her and felt her buttocks.

In both instances each woman was walking with a group of friends.

The description of the suspect is the same for both cases. He is described as a slim Caucasian man in his early 20s, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, with brown hair covering his ears and hanging over his eyes. The night of the attacks, the victims reported he was wearing a maroon pullover DU sweater and black shorts.

In both instances, the man also hid behind objects along the sidewalk, such as bushes, before approaching the victims.

Banet said Campus Safety shared the information about the attacks with all Campus Safety officers on patrol and increased the number of “high visibility” patrols throughout campus and down the surrounding streets.

Banet said DCS has no suspects yet.

“Nothing is being discounted, we are keeping all our options open at this point,” said Banet.

Banet could not confirm if the man was the same man who committed a string of similar assaults last year.

However, he did say that there were both definite similarities and dissimilarities between the attacks Thursday and those last year.

The man who forcibly fondled four students during fall quarter 2011 is described as white or Hispanic with a thin-to-medium build and aged anywhere from 19 to 29 years old.

Banet said that Campus Safety is taking the Thursday attacks very seriously. He said one of the victims from Thursday also filed a report with Denver Police Department (DPD), and they have now become involved in the investigation of the case.

“These are sexual assaults, and I would consider these a gateway crime,” said Banet.

He said he feared cases of this nature could soon escalate if the offender was not found.

He urged students to increase their awareness when walking on campus or on the surrounding streets and to not hesitate to call Campus Safety if they see anything suspicious.

“Unfortunately, the campus can be kind of an attraction (for crimes like these) with all the young people,” said Banet.

He also encouraged students to call Campus Safety for escort if they feel unsafe walking anywhere on campus.

“We’re always looking out for these kinds of things, but a lot of that also falls on the students,” said Banet.

Anyone who sees something suspicious is urged to call Campus Safety’s emergency number at 303-871-3000.

Global Gala a cultural feast

ryan lumpkin|clarion

The 5th annual Crimson and Gold Global Gala celebrated the international experiences by returning study abroad students. The Gala was started as a way to engage returning study abroad students.

What to do about the flu LIFESTYLES | Page 6

SEE dance, PAGE 4

QUOTABLE

Two similar attacks happened hours apart last Thursday night

Lambda Chi Alpha and Zeta Beta Tau have both been placed on quarter-long social probation by the Greek Judicial Board for alcohol-related incidents, according to Executive Director of Campus Life Carl Johnson.

“They have violated Greek judicial code or honor code in some form or fashion,” said Johnson. “They are not allowed to have social events.”

Since Jan. 11, Lambda has been cited on the crime log for liquor laws, underage possession, drug abuse, possession of drug paraphernalia and criminal trespass.

ZBT was cited for assault on Jan. 12. Around Jan. 11, a cease and desist was placed on Lambda Chi Alpha, according to Campus Safety (DCS) Crime Prevention Sgt. Stephen Banet.

According to Roman Valencia, a member of the Greek Judicial Board, cease and desists are precautionary measures.

“Cease and desists are generally placed down on serious matters as a precaution until everything could be sorted out and probably dealt with,” said Valencia.

Valencia, who also serves as Multicultural Greek Council President, works on the Greek Judicial Board with the Intra-Fraternal Council President, the Pan Hellenic President and the judicial affairs members.

According to Valencia, when DCS files an official report regarding Greek Life, the incidents are brought to the board’s attention.

“We utilize the evidence that we can obtain and have a meeting with the president of the suspected orga-

nization and voice our opinion on what we feel should happen afterwards,” said Valencia.

Megan Pendley-Pickett, director of student activities, said she was “proud” of how the Greek Judicial Board has responded.

“They have been fair with the chapters [ZBT and Lambda] and hope that their judicial outcomes result in positive changes for the chapters,” said Pendley-Pickett.

Banet said Campus Safety is not involved in whether a fraternity or sorority goes on probation.

“We don’t have any say in that whatsoever,” said Banet. “Sometimes we’re notified when [chapters] are on probation and sometimes we aren’t.”

During fall quarter, a community-wide cease and desist was placed on all Greek Life chapters. At this point, only select chapters of Greek Life are on probation.

Johnson said that Greek residents can have alcohol in their room if they are over 21, but because most people who live in Greek housing are under 21, alcohol is banned in common space.

Johnson said it’s often the action of one person that gets the whole fraternity in trouble.

“A lot of the times it’s easier to identify Greek groups,” said Johnson. “There are individual students making individual decisions, hosting events that get whole frat in trouble.”

Drew Grannemann, president of Lambda Chi Alpha, had no comment. Intra-Fraternal Council president Sam Vinson also had no comment. Kevin Sullivan, president of ZBT, and Cody Bohonnon, vice president of judicial affairs, could not be reached for comment at the time this went to press.

“I became a novelist by surprise, tossed out of bed at four in the morning by a dream” LIFESTYLES | Page 5

37:03

Minutes played by Drew Shore in the NHL

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Jan. 29, 2013

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Gun debate ends in a draw Campus sees string by lanna giauque Staff Writer

Experts clashed on the role of guns and gun control in America in a debate attended by over 100 students, staff and community members at the Newman Center last Thursday.

The debate was part of “Counterpoints,” a series commenced in the spring of 2011 by the Department of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences in an attempt to bring experts from various policy areas together to discuss contemporary issues. Thursday’s debate was sponsored by the DU Institute of Public Policy Studies and was moderated by former three-term Colorado governor and DU public policy professor Richard Lamm.

The debate, entitled “Gun Control: Balancing Responsible Policy and the Right to Bear Arms,” included a panel consisting of Randy Baumgardner, Colorado state senator from Senate District 8; Arnie Grossman, liberal political consultant and co-founder of Sane Alternatives to the Firearms Epidemic (SAFE); John Head, lawyer and community activist; and Dudley Brown, executive director of the Rocky Mountain Gun Owners Club.

Topics addressed included policy changes surrounding gun control, availability of assault rifles, connection between guns and crime, school safety and requirements for gun ownership. All panelists agreed on the importance of keeping guns away from criminals and the mentally ill, but beliefs

diverged on how to accomplish this goal.

Brown stated that enforcing gun control is not feasible, and to do so is unconstitutional.

He called for repeal of most gun control laws to allow citizens their freedom and liberty, and pointed to the major role Americans’ knowledge about guns has played in U.S. success in wars. He also outlined a program he currently provides to train teachers how to use concealed weapons, which he said could effectively contribute to student safety.

“The real question is: Are we going to let law-abiding citizens defend themselves?” said Brown.

Grossman advocated for an open-license policy, in which guns people carry must be visible, because he said that people should be able to know if someone near them is carrying a weapon. He warned against arming people such as teachers with guns, saying the crossfire that might ensue in an emergency could lead to a tragedy.

“We can cut back on the number of guns without cutting down peoples’ rights,” said Grossman. “More guns are more opportunities for bad people—if everyone is armed, you’re asking for trouble.”

Baumgardner responded to Grossman’s comments by saying that guns were not to blame for much of the violence in the U.S. He claimed that more people in the U.S. were bludgeoned to death than those killed by gunshots, to which audience members began responding from their seats, with one person

audibly stating, “We need a source for that.”

Baumgardner said that he believes people should be able to defend themselves against criminals.

As an example, he told a story of a woman in Georgia who was able to protect herself and her children from an intruder using the family gun, without which, he stated, the family would not have survived.

While Baumgardner said he agreed there were many issues to be resolved concerning gun control, he did not believe restricting gun access or ownership would change criminal behavior in relation to guns.

“Taking guns out of the hands of citizens that are law abiding is not the answer,” said Baumgardner.

Head disagreed, saying, “If guns were so effective at preventing violence and protecting homes, we wouldn’t have to go to Georgia for an example.”

Head continued by saying too many people die from gunshot-related incidents every year, and that small steps could be taken to deal with the problems related to gun control.

He emphasized the need for better mental health procedures to restrict the access of the mentally ill to guns, and called for licensing and training requirements for anyone who buys a gun. He also argued strongly against civilian ownership of automatic and semi-automatic weapons.

“You don’t go hunting with an AR-15,” he said. “To say that you want to go hunting with that is ludicrous.”

Laitos said that the primary concerns of the oil and gas drilling regulations are state and local geographic conflicts and who controls environmental impacts, particularly with water wells.

According to Domenico, the state has typically prevailed.

“The state’s role on the issue is longstanding, broad, deep and ever evolving since 1915,” said Domenico. “Even more recently in 1992, the Supreme Court ruled that the state interest takes precedence over local interest.”

According to Domenico, Colorado’s 2007 revised legislature maintains that the state can be more intensely involved with oil and gas regulation than local parties.

“Even with Colorado’s revised legislation, they aren’t considering the impacts of drilling [for oil and gas],” said Freilich.

Domenico argued for the state taking a central role.

“This is a clear case of collective action problem,” said Domenico. “For example, no one likes when someone comes into their backyard and extracts oil from there, we would all much rather ask others to bear the inconvenience.

“A predictable set of rules can protect the environment which is much better than a patchwork set of rules,” said Domenico. “Industry values uniformity, they value consistency.”

According to Freilich, due to the fact that energy is a leading employer in Colorado,

there are many broader concerns that need to be taken into consideration when a state is adopting policy.

“Cities and towns can regulate oil and gas just as they regulate other aspects of society,” said Freilich. “Why shouldn’t they have the authority over oil and gas regulation?

“This issue is primarily concerned with fracking [the process of extracting natural gas from rock layers deep within the Earth]. Property encompasses the air above, the land and the land below, which makes it difficult to regulate.”

Freilich also said that state legislation needs to define onsite versus offsite regulation, especially because states are primarily concerned with onsite regulation.

“Some recent examples include Pennsylvania, which declared that city and local interference with gas and oil regulation was unconstitutional just three months ago,” said Freilich. “Other examples include New York and Texas.

All of these states have more oil than Colorado.”

According to Domenico, there also needs to be a balance with environmental concerns.

“We really we need to focus on the main concern, which is how an agency such as the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission can adequately manage all of the wells and the resources available, such as how all of the experts in these areas are being put to use,” said Domenico.

of violent assaults Both attacks leave student victims with moderate to severe injuries

Banet said the victim knew the student who attacked him and believes that the two were previously close friends.

“The students came over to by sarah ford his (the victim’s) residence and News Editor he knew them, they used to live Two violent assaults in the same city, so the victim occurred on campus on Jan. let them in and one of the par11 and left the victims with ties assaulted him,” said Banet.

The reason the student moderate to severe injuries, attacked remains although the unknown.

Department of According Campus Safety “He knew them to Banet, four (DCS) believes students entered they are unrelated. ... so the victim the room, but The first assault let them in and only one comtook place in an mitted the alley adjacent to they assaulted assault. the Ricks Center him.”

Banet said for Gifted Chilthe victim transdren near noon ported himself on Jan. 11 and left Stephen Banet the victim with Campus Safety Crime to Porter Hospital, but did “serious injuries,” Prevention not tell anyone according to the in the residence Campus Safety Daily Incident Report for Jan. hall or Campus Safety about the assault. When the victim 17.

DCS Crime Prevention received treatment from mediSgt. Stephen Banet said he cal staff at Porter Hospital for was unable to comment on the his injuries, his doctor called the Denver Police Department assault at this time.

The second assault, which (DPD) to report the attack.

Banet was unable to release happened the evening of Jan. 11, took place in Nagel Resi- the extent of the victim’s injudence Hall, where a student ries or the status of his attackwas attacked by a group of ers, but did say an investigator other students while in his from DCS has been assigned to the case. room, according to Banet.

DCS does not believe there

Though this assault took place Jan. 11, the crime to be a connection to the other was not reported to Campus on-campus assault which took place earlier that day.

Safety until Jan. 13.

Colloquium examines local gas rights by carolyn neff Senior Reporter

On Jan. 24, Sturm College of Law hosted its second annual Carver Colloquium, which drew more than 100 current students, alumni and professors.

Debaters presented arguments on the challenges facing local governments regarding oil and gas drilling and production in local communities in comparison to the traditional regulatory role played by state authorities, such as the Colorado Oil and Gas Commission.

The 2013 Carver Colloquium featured Colorado Solicitor General Dan Domenico, also an adjunct law professor at Sturm College of Law, and University of California-LA Professor Robert Freilich. The event was co-sponsored by Professor Jan Laitos, the endowed John A. Carver, Jr. Chair at Sturm College of Law and Professor Susan Daggett, Executive Director of the Rocky Mountain Land Use Institute, in conjunction with the Lincoln Institute.

Domenico and Freilich both called the topic “timely” and “fascinating,” with Domenico presenting the role of the state while Freilich, considered by Laitos to be one of the nation’s leading experts on planning, development, zoning and land use, argued from the point-ofview of local communities.

While introducing the topic,

“Obviously one has to recognize the significant benefits and costs and it is very important to create a balance,” said Freilich. “Each side should complete a land analysis and report on the spacing and controlled number of areas suitable for drilling based on environmental capacity; we need joint cooperation.”

“The recent boom in oil drilling has been overwhelming and has had severe negative impacts on towns that cannot sustain the interests that they have attracted,” said Freilich.

“For example, North Dakota is the eighth fastest growing oil and gas drilling site in the USA; however, it has very much inadequate spaces for people, and as a result, schools and housing have suffered, traffic has become terrible and people have had to set-up man camps.”

“Operational conflict preemption materially undermines the goal of state laws, yet there are no clear laws,” said Domenico.

He listed four factors which he believed to be “incredibly important”: policy uniformity, a discussion of territorial impacts, traditional oil and gas regulations and the adoption specific constitutional direction.

“States should provide compensations for the expense of complying with regulations,” said Freilich.

Domenico also said compensation should be the result in conflicts.

Furthermore, according

to Freilich, the state and local towns should develop and implement joint rules and regulations.

Both speakers also said that there are opportunities for local involvement.

“We obviously need to educate individuals on both parties, we have to have a plan,” said Freilich.

“Definitely, more cooperation and participation are needed from both sides,” said Domenico. “It is pretty unlikely that there will be anything other than a complete ban, but we still have to be careful. Until then, we must ensure the safety of citizens.”

“And we will have wonderful litigation for the next few years,” said Freilich.

According to Laitos, Sturm College of Law decided to have another colloquium this year following last year’s successful debate topic of who should have the power to regulate renewable energy plants in particular landlines.

“The colloquium is an opportunity not just to have a debate on a controversial issue, but to also have two opposing speakers who work together to educate the audience,” said Laitos. “We’re always looking to see what we can do with at the Law School, and last year our Oxford-style debate was very popular, so we decided to hold another colloquium and highlight a current and contentious issue.”

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Jan. 29, 2013

Daniels’ adds new director by carolyn neff Senior Reporter

The Daniels College of Business (Daniels’) has hired Stephen Miller, DU alumnus and a former CEO of clean technology incubator CleanLaunch as its new director of entrepreneurships.

According to Miller, who was hired over winter break, the position was officially created this academic year, but the idea of an entrepreneurship program at DU has been in the process of becoming an official Daniels program for some time.

“The idea started many years ago,” said Miller. “Under the leadership of (Daniels’) Dean Christine Riordan, lots of professors have been building a program that will cross over into all of the schools at DU.” The program will allow undergraduate and graduate students to work with professors, guest speakers and executives of all levels to develop entrepreneurial skills and will focus on student engagement.

“We are already engaging with clubs on campus, such as the Daniels’ Entrepreneurship Society and Entrepreneurs in

Action,” said Miller. “I would love to work with the Living and Learning Community on Creativity and Entrepreneurship, as well as focus on helping students to get involved with the business community.”

Miller said that while the program will have some fundamental classroom work, it will be focused primarily on external experience.

“Our main goal is getting students for all parts of the university involved,” said Miller. “We want to get students out into the business world, either through DU clubs, internships with venture capitalists or even having them develop ideas for their own start-ups.”

The position was made possible by an endowed gift from Robert and Judi Newman, which they specifically designated for the creation of the program.

Miller could not say the exact amount of the gift.

Miller also said that he is in a staff position and is not faculty.

“I may become a guest lecturer by the invitation of faculty members from different departments,” said Miller.

In addition to the many

entrepreneurs that Miller said he hopes to bring to campus, Miller also has some experience to share with students.

“I spent the last 10 years running two different incubators,” said Miller. “I used to run an incubator focused on technology out of the former Stapleton airport, and the last four years I spent working on renewable and clean energy through my incubator CleanLaunch from the National Renewal Energy Lab.” According to Miller, he is now 100 percent focused on Daniels.

In addition to his new position as Director of Entrepreneurships, Miller said that Daniels is also hiring an endowed Koch Chair soon, who will assist him. A Koch chair will be paid through university endowed funds and will assist in various aspects of the program and funding.

“The finalists are being selected and one will be hired by spring,” said Miller. “They will start by the fall quarter.”

Miller said the finalists are all young, which he believes will bring a new perspective to Daniels and DU.

only have three to five percent of their student body immunized during the flu season.”

Kent attributed the higher vaccination numbers on campus to successful marketing strategies by HCC and student responsiveness.

“We had free flu clinics from October through November outside the Coors Fitness Center, on Driscoll Bridge and in the clinic,” said Kent. “We wanted to obviously get as many students immunized as possible.”

Although a majority of students who do receive the flu vaccine typically do so during October and November, Kent said the HCC wanted to see if they could get more students immunized in January.

Kent said that after the winter break the HCC still had 200 to 300 shots left.

“We looked back at the statistics from previous years to see how many shots we gave out in the spring,” said Kent. “In 2010 it was only 80, in 2011 it was 179, and we realized that it is not too late to continue immunizing through the end of January. So far this January we’ve already given out 590.”

According to Kent, the HCC contacted many local drug stores before they found a small supplier with more flu doses that they could order.

“Our flu shots are usually produced by independent manufacturers, and are prepared up to a year in advance, with each year’s dose being produced based on the past year’s season,” said Kent. “Obviously

it was a new situation this year, with so many people wanting to protect themselves against the epidemic, as we have never run out before.”

As such, Kent said that the HCC ordered 200 more doses from the private supplier and has continued to publicize to get as many people as possible immunized quickly. The HCC had one positive flu case in December; since Jan. 13, there have been 22 confirmed cases of the flu.

Kent said that the primary reason to continue immunizing students was that the flu season is in the news so much.

“We really made a push this January,” he said. “We had our typical posters around campus, but this year, because it was a more serious public health issue, we collaborated with the DU Marketing and Communications Department and sent direct emails to students.”

According to Kent, the HCC was very proactive in immunizing students.

“I feel that we’ve been very successful and very good about it this year,” said Kent. “We marketed very hard.”

Kent said that the new flu shot orders are already available to students and that it is not too late to get immunized, because once you are, you are less likely to be affected by the epidemic.

“Make sure to stop by Driscoll Bridge or the HCC clinic to get your flu shot this week,” said Kent. “We now only have a limited number, and it typically takes up to two weeks before it becomes effective.”

Flu shot supply gets boost by carolyn neff Senior Reporter

The Health and Counseling Center (HCC) received 200 more flu shots last Wednesday after running out early last week following the outbreak of a nation-wide flu epidemic.

Although HCC has received additional supplies of the vaccine, Dr. Alan Kent, executive director at HCC, said to expect the shots to run out again by early this week.

According to Kent, the flu is seen as a serious public health problem for any college campus.

“If students get the flu, then they are out of classes for a week to 10 days and they get truly behind, especially in our quarter system,” said Kent.

According to Kent, the HCC starts publicizing flu vaccinations as early as September and October in the fall quarter.

“This year was very different,” said Kent. “We had a very difficult flu season, especially with it being a top news story.”

Typically, said Kent, the HCC orders between 2,000 and 2,500 flu shots a year.

According to Kent, this year the HCC had 2,500 vaccines which they provided as a free public service to students on campus, regardless of insurance coverage.

“That is the equivalent of immunizing 25 percent of students,” said Kent. “Our students have done a good job compared to other same-size universities which typically

The

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P O L I C E

R E P O R T

DISORDERLY BEHAVIOR

On Saturday, Jan. 26, at 10:36 a.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a staff member who stated that while operating a university owned vehicle, they had struck a second vehicle while in parking lot C. Officers arrived on the scene and observed moderate damage to the second vehicle. The owner of the second vehicle, a DU student, was contacted and made aware of the incident.

On Wednesday, Jan. 23, at 3:45 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a student regarding an unaffiliated party who was verbally and physically combative towards them in Driscoll North.

Officers arrived on the scene and took a report from the student. Several hours later, officers located the unaffiliated party and formally trespassed them from campus.

MEDICAL On Thursday, Jan. 24, at 5:48 p.m., Campus Safety responded to a call regarding a strong chemical odor in Frontier Hall. Upon arrival at the scene, officers spoke to one unaffiliated party who stated the odor had made them ill but declined further medical attention. Facilities was called to the scene where they were able to locate the source of the odor and provide ventilation.

VEHICLE COLLISION On Saturday, Jan. 26, at 9:54 a.m., Campus Safety responded to a call from a staff member regarding a collision in parking lot 122. Officers arrived on the scene and spoke with the staff member who stated they had backed a university owned vehicle into a second university owned vehicle, causing moderate damage to both.

FORGERY On Sunday, Jan. 27, at 2:45 a.m., Campus Safety responded to a hang-up call made from an emergency telephone in the Harper Humanities Gardens. Officers arrived on the scene and contacted a DU student who was extremely intoxicated and stated they had sustained a head injury.

Officers confiscated two false identification cards from the student. Paramedics and DPD were called to the scene and the student was transported by paramedics to Denver Health.

PARKING VIOLATION On Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 1:47 p.m., while on routine patrol, a Parking Enforcement Officer (PEO) contacted a student who was illegally using a state issued handicap placard to park in a handicapped space in lot 316.

The officer confiscated the placard and cited the student.

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Jan. 29, 2013

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Library gets new name by sarah ford News Editor

The Academic Commons at Penrose will be renamed the Anderson Academic Commons after a donation of an undisclosed amount by alumnus and trustee of the university Ed Anderson, announced last Tuesday.

Dean of the Academic Commons Nancy Allen said she could not release the exact amount of the donation, but said it is a “very, very generous” amount.

“The Academic Commons is a completely different building [from Penrose] and we have a completely new name for the completely new library,” said Allen.

The gift will be added to the other donations made to the construction of the Academic Commons from various donors.

Allen said the donation will help to relieve the university funds spent on the project.

“Almost all major (university) projects are funded through university funds and private giving. Whenever private giving increases, university funds can decrease,” said Allen.

The money donated by Anderson will not contribute to any specific portion of the funding for construction, but instead will offset costs from the whole project according to Allen.

Donor Ed Anderson is the CEO of venture capitalist firm North Bridge Venture Partners in Boston, Mass. He graduated from DU in 1971 and received his degree in Advertising Design.

Anderson is also a trustee of the University and has been talking with the university about this contribution for “some time,” said Allen.

Allen said the Academic Commons will be re-named because of the significance of Anderson’s gift to the project.

She said there is no gift size to secure a “naming donation” on university projects, but because Anderson’s gift was so large it was possible in this case.

“This contributes to 40 years of support of the university and from private sources, starting with El Pomar and moving on to today,” said Allen.

El Pomar is the name of the foundation which donated $4.5 million to the creation of the original Penrose library. Penrose is named after the creators of the foundation, Spencer and Julie Penrose.

Allen said the main entrance door into the Academic Commons, which has already been constructed, will be changed to read “Anderson

Academic Commons” on the front.The name will also appear on the south and west sides of the building.

“There is a lot of excitement about the building in general,” said Allen about the donation and continuing construction of the Academic Commons. “Students have said there is a lack of study space on campus (without the library).

We know that, we’ve been concerned all along.”

Allen said the interior of the commons is nearly com-

plete and furniture is now being placed on the lower levels. The outside remains under construction.

The opening of the building will be March 25, with a week of events being planned prior to the opening. Allen said little was decided about these events, but one would be a formal ribbon cutting.

“The whole building looks and feels completely new,” said Allen. “You won’t believe it’s the same building. We are giving the commons a new name for a new era.”

Dance, dine, drum at Global Gala continued from page 1

ryan lumpkin | clarion

Japanese Taiko drummers perform at Wednesday’s Global Gala, held at Mile High Station. There were performances by the Tango Club, a drum group and tap dancers.

Last Thursday students celebrated their returns from abroad at the annual Global Gala at Mile High Station downtown. Although the event was for the many juniors returning from abroad studies, students of all years attended the formal event which featured peformances by the DU Tango Club, a Taiko drumming group and DU tap dancers. The ball gives students a chance to celebrate many different cultures and share their experiences from abroad with their fellow classmates.

BELOW: Students tango together at last Wednesday’s Global Gala, which celebrated the return of students from their studies abroad.

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Internship director saves life, donates kidney

photo courtesy of john haag

Haag had his kidney removed on Nov. 6,, starting a kidney donation chain.

by carly ann moore Contributing Writer

The popular saying “pay it forward” has a whole new meaning for kidney chain donors.

A kidney chain is started by a Good Samaritan, which is a nondirected donor who donates to a stranger; whoever receives the kidney from the initial donor has someone donate a kidney to the chain on their behalf.

This way the chain continues to others since people are willing to participate on behalf of someone, because this act of kindness saved their loved one.

John Haag, 60-year-old Internship Director of DU’s Career Center, took up this mission last November. His inspiration began back in December 2009, when an email was sent to all faculty and staff of the

University by the Dean’s Office in the Daniels College of Business. The email said, “At this special time of year, we gather with family and friends to celebrate the season and give gifts of love and appreciation. During this time of giving, the Daniels’ family asks that you or someone you know consider giving a gift of another kind. A member of the Daniels Faculty/Staff is in need of a kidney transplant and is searching for a live donor. We recognize that this is an extraordinary request and thank you for your consideration.”

Ron Kucic was the DU faculty member that sparked Haag’s generous act. Kucic worked as a professor in the Daniels School of Business in the accounting department for 35 years. He was head of the School of Accountancy for 14 years before he recently retired.

His kidney began to fail in April 1994, from the genetic disorder called Polycystic Kidney Disease, which also took his father’s life at only 46. Kucic was on dialysis, a blood cleansing procedure, for five years before receiving a kidney transplant from a cadaver which lasted him about 13 years.

Kucic chose to retire because although he worked while on dialysis for many years, it was becoming hard for him to travel to fundraise as the director job needed. Many times he would have to sit down and teach. To that he said, “that wasn’t my style.”

“It’s harder on my family than it is on me … I literally almost died and they told my kids and wife I wasn’t going to be there the next morning,” said Kucic. “But for whatever reason I recovered … I woke up and asked for a sandwich and everyone was gathered around me giving me strange looks.”

Having been a blood and platelet donor for over 27 years, Haag felt called to help Kucic; however, he did not have the needed blood type to donate his kidney to his fellow faculty member.

But Haag did not stop there; he wanted to do more of what he could to help other people in the same situation. He began to do a lot of research.

In this research he found that, according to the United Network for Organ Sharing, 90,000 people in the U.S. need a kidney transplant, but fewer than 17,000 receive one each year. As a result about 4,500 people die each year waiting for a kidney. His continued research lead him to an organi-

zation called the NKR (National Kidney Registry), a nonprofit originating in Long Island, N.Y., where each donor or recipient is one link in a kidney chain. It was started by Garet Hil, a man whose daughter needed a kidney transplant at age 10.

Haag wanted to be a part of kidney chain like this; however, at the time the NKR did not have a relationship with any hospitals in Colorado. He talked to Porter Hospital about possibly starting a chain up; waiting for their response, he got all the tests done to make sure he was healthy enough to donate a kidney. After waiting for two years, Haag found another avenue through through the University of Colorado Hospital/Anschutz Medical Center.

They were able to do kidney chains but not through the NKR; they worked with another organization called the Alliance for Paired Donation (APD).

In September 2012, Haag was notified that his kidney was a perfect match for someone near Salt Lake City. As kidney chains require, someone on the receiving end must find a donor to replace the kidney they are taking to keep the chain going.

After writing a letter post-transplant, Haag found out his kidney recipient was a 34-year-old man. This man has two children, a five-yearold daughter, two-year-old son and is expecting twins this June. This would be his third transplant. He was born with a blocked urethral valve and received a kidney from his grandfather at age 10. At age 16, he received another kidney from his father.

After many treatments for viruses and bacteria, the medication had a harsh impact on his kidney and because of his high antibodies, none of his friends or family was able to match. Having a high antibody count means that the immune system is not strong enough to defend itself against viruses Haag’s kidney was removed Nov. 6, 2012 and given to the recipient soon after. The recipient’s aunt, 51, offered her kidney to the chain. It was transplanted to a patient in Denver, at Anschutz/University of Colorado—the day after Haag’s kidney was removed.

“Some people have commented how wonderful it is that I am donating a kidney and I very much appreciate their thoughts and comments,” said Haag. “But I get a lot out of this as well … [From experience] I know how much psychological benefit the donor gets from helping someone else.”

Although Haag was unable to help his colleague, Kucic sent him a note thanking him for donating to the other person in need.

“It was a great thing John [Haag] did, I wish more people would do that,” Kucic said.

Haag hopes to urge others to be involved and make a difference in someone’s life, in any way possible.

“While I am not seeking attention by sharing this account ... I do hope that reading it inspires people to get involved in helping someone else in a way that fits for him or her,” said Haag.

Kucic calls himself a survivor: “I just keep going, that’s just how I am.”

Writer in residence, departure from rupture by maura shea Staff Writer

Many great authors do not plan the start of their career. Instead, they are inspired by important events, life experiences or in the case of awardwinning author and painter Rikki Ducornet, a dream.

“I think we are all wired as creatures of the creative imagination,” said Ducornet referring to her realization of becoming an author. “Somehow that capacity or yearning or necessity was never taken from me. But I became a novelist by surprise, tossed out of bed at four in the morning by a dream.”

This dream launched a creative career for Ducornet, who was on campus last week as the writer in residence for January 2013. A writer in residence is an author that comes to campus throughout the year for a week and leads writing workshops and gives talks and readings to students. Previous writers in residence include Canadian poet Lisa Robertson, who was on campus last year.

During Ducornet’s workshop with students, her engaging personality was ready to help students tackle their challenging work and give them tools to use in the future. The casual workshop setting allowed students the opportunity to ask Ducornet questions about their own work as well as hers without any added

pressures. Her teachings included exercises, class discussions, and a discussion of her own personal experiences with the writing process.

“I asked everyone to think of a place within their work where there was stagnation; things had stopped or were slowing down. And to find a way to break in a storm, an act of carelessness, the arrival of a beautiful or malevolent stranger,” said Ducornet.

As an exercise to get the creative mind flowing, she gave students an open ended sentence and let them decide where it should go. An example is: “to escape her punishment, she flung herself in a room full of ashes.” She let students expand on this sentence for four or five minutes. Ducornet explained that she wanted the students to focus on rupture as a point of departure.

Ducornet also offered the advice that when an author is working on a novel, they should not have a preconceived notion for where the story is going.

“Work from a very deep and personal place, where your imagination is fired up. Work on an authentic journey, not a best seller,” said Ducornet.

She also talked about finding the right publisher and readership as key to the success of a book.

“Everything is not destined for publication or publication beyond a small press,” said Durcornet. “What is important is that your work finds people that

can connect and understand it. It should matter to their life.”

Ducornet also works as a painter.

“The current work is on large sheets of heavy rag paper and painted with heavily pigmented water color; these are imaginary botanicals among other things. I have been involved with Surrealism for most of my painting life since 1962,” said Ducornet.

Her books and artwork are both popular abroad. In 2007, her paintings were shown in the solo show “Desirous” at the Pierre Mendard Gallery located in Cambridge, Mass, as well as “O Reverso Do Olhar” in Coimbra, Portugal.

Ducornet has also been a writer in residence for other notable institutions such as Brown University, Naropa University, Bard College and at the Vermont Studio Center, as well as at DU from 1988 - 2000.

Durcornet attended Bard University in New York and graduated with a B.A. in Fine Arts in 1964. She is the author of dozens of literary works including novels, collections of short fiction, poetry, essays and books for children. Her most recent work includes the novel “Netsuke,” which was published in 2011 and tells the story of a psychoanalyst who has sexual relationships with his patients. She has received many awards such as the Bard College Arts and Letters award and in 2008 the Academy Award of Arts in Literature from the American Academy of Arts and Letters also in 2008.

photo courtesy of wordpress.com

Author and painter, Rikki Ducornet offered advice to students last week as DU’s writer in residence for January, 2013.

Ducornet offers this piece of advice to young students seeking to pursue an interest in becoming an author: “Be resilient and open to the extraordinary things ahead such as virtual reality or texts that are suspended in the air in three dimensions; books one can walk into,” said Ducornet. “Everything is mutable and that includes the forms books take.”

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Exhibit explores the lives of objects

jill hamilton|clarion

The “Objects and Lives” exhibit opened last week in DU’s Museum of Anthropology.

by maura shea Staff Writer

The “Objects and Lives” exhibit opened in the Museum of Anthropology located on the first floor of Sturm last week, displaying donated Oceanic masks, Navajo weavings and African objects.

The exhibit started Thursday night with about 35 people attending the reception, including DU faculty, the Denver community and a few students, some peeking in to see what all the fuss was about. There was a generous selection of finger foods, including egg rolls with a red dipping sauce and open bar.

“We want to convey to visitors how objects end up in museums and how they are layered with multiple meanings and purposes in differing contexts,” said Christina Kreps, associate professor and Director of Museum Studies and Director of DU Museum of Anthropology. “The University of Denver Museum of Anthropology is a teaching museum and learning laboratory for students, the DU community and general public.”

The exhibit is made up of objects that were donated to the Museum of Anthropology by members of the Denver community in order to tell the object’s stories to the DU and Denver community. While

Kreps came up with the general idea for this exhibit, museum staff and Kreps’ students both contributed to the display.

The foundation of Kreps’ “Art and Anthropology” course is meant to teach students how to research objects and their different meanings.

“The title of the exhibition, ‘Objects and Lives’ refers to how objects not only tell stories of those who created, collected or came to process them but [the objects also] have their own biographies, taking on new chapters as they pass from hand to hand,” said Kreps.

The unique items on display caught the eyes of students finishing up their day.

“I thought that this was interesting and it is unique that our school has the anthropology art museum that bring in different exhibits. It is something both students and professors can enjoy,” said Bess Hinton, a junior from Littleton, majoring in psychology who attended the exhibit.

Hinton would recommend students visit this exhibit to see for themselves the cultural importance these items brought with them.

“No matter what major or minor you are, it is very interesting to see what different artifacts people collected on their journeys throughout the world,” said Hinton.

All of the donors that contributed to this event are members of the Denver community, though none attended DU themselves.

“The donors are children, family members of the people who originally collected the pieces. They donated the objects to us because they were looking for appropriate homes for the pieces and thought our museum might like them,” said Kreps.

Notable donors include the Shannon family, who obtained artifacts while living in Africa starting in 1946. The parents, Clyde and Elisabeth, worked closely with the Tshokwe or Chokwe tribe. In 2012, their daughter, Joy Shannon, donated two masks and two wood figures to the Museum of Anthropology.

The Pende Mask was one of the African items on display that this family donated. It has eye catching sharpened teeth and was decorated with yellow ochre and white kaolin clay. The sharpened teeth are an example of a body modification method that is used by both men and

women in traditional cultures throughout the Congo.

The Leavell Family also donated items and photographs collected in Papua New Guinea when they took a Society Expedition Air Safari in 1978. This took them to different parts of the country including the Sepik River region and Yari Yari Clan in the Tufi village. In 2012, Pete Leavell donated the items to the Museum of Anthropology on behalf of his family.

Mai Mask, which comes from Iatmul, Papua New Guinea, was one item that the Leavell family donated. This mask was made by Iatmul people meant to wear in traditional dance performances done in pairs as part of a ritual.These unique pieces of art are characterized by the molots, a piece that connects the nose and the chin. Because Mai Masks have no eye holes, they are usually tied to ones body.

Louise Geist collected countless items from her travels all over the world, including 30 countries, as part of her volunteer work for

Earthwatch, a non-profit organization that helps conduct international scientific field research. In 2011, her son Don Geist donated a number of these artifacts in his mother’s name.

These items included a Basket Hook Figure, which are commonly used in Papua New Guinea households to hang bilums (string bags) or baskets containing food and other materials from the ceiling.

The hooks are thought to have powers that connect the family that lives in the house to spirits. These hooks are now elaborately carved and decorated and have become a popular item for tourists to pick up.

The exhibit also featured donations from people who asked to remain anonymous.

Among these donations were two Grey Hills Rugs from the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

Open weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and closed on the weekends, this free exhibit will run through March 15 and is open to the public.

jill hamilton|clarion

The Mai Mask, pictured above left, was used in traditional dance performances in Iatmul, Papua New Guinea, while the Basket Hook Figure, pictured above right, was used in Papua New Guinea to hang baskets containing food.

What to do about the flu by emma mckay

Assistant Lifestyles Editor

According to ABC News, this year’s flu season is one of the worst we’ve seen in years. It is so bad that Boston has declared a public health emergency and a hospital in Pennsylvania had to build an extra tent to deal with flu cases.

With over 26 times the number of flu cases from last year, this year’s influenza is certainly keeping college students around the country on their toes.

College campuses are easy places to contract the flu. So many people living, eating, studying and partying together makes it easy for the flu to spread from one person to the next.

And as all DU students know, getting a nasty case of the flu for a week can be a deathly blow to your grades in the quarter system. That’s why the Clarion has brought to you

some simple ways to avoid the flu this season.

Get vaccinated So many DU students have already taken advantage of the Health and Counseling Center’s (HCC) free flu vaccinations that they actually ran out of the vaccine last week. But fortunately it didn’t take them long to receive more.

You can stop by the Health Center in the Ritchie Center without an appointment anytime during business hours (except from 12-2 p.m.) to receive a free vaccination with your student ID. While the vaccine is only about 62 percent effective, it still decreases your chances of getting the flu significantly. It also takes approximately two weeks for the vaccination to become effective, so HCC recommends getting it as soon as possible.

Keep your hands clean and away from the face It seems fairly obvious. You get the flu by consuming germs via the eyes, nose and mouth. If you wash your hands frequently and try not to touch your face, you minimize the chance of the virus entering your body.

Avoid sick people Have you noticed your boyfriend has been sniffly lately? Probably best to not have your daily make-out session. Save it for another time.

Get your Vitamin E While consuming other vitamins like Vitamin C and Vitamin A is also helpful, Vitamin E is particularly good for avoiding the flu. It helps your

body produce more B cells (white blood cells that are a part of the immune system) which help create antibodies that destroy bad bacteria.

You can get Vitamin E through sunflower seeds, vegetable oils, grains or through a supplement such as Nature Made Vitamin E Softgels, found at drugstore.com.

Avoid excessive alcohol consumption Any college student knows that drinking to excess can result in a god-awful hangover the next morning, but what they might not know is that drinking to excess regularly will depress your immune system and make you more susceptible to the flu.

Cut down on the partying and you’re less likely to be stuck in bed for more reasons than one. Side note: This is not

to say that all alcohol is bad. It has actually been found that those who drink a glass of red wine daily are 20 percent less likely to get the flu. This is likely due to vitamins and antioxidants, like resveratrol found in red wine.

Take care of yourself It seems too simple, but things like avoiding too much stress, exercising and getting at least seven hours of sleep a night can greatly improve your immune system.

Already have the flu?

It’s as simple as drinking lots of fluids (especially water, natural fruit juices and warm drinks like decaffeinated tea) and getting rest.

You can also try gargling lukewarm salt water to prevent a sore throat from getting worse and taking a hot shower to clear your sinuses.

Jan. 29, 2013

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The Grind: Crema Coffee House Teach In Tuesdays The Clarion editors review bars, restaurants and coffee houses; attempting cultural mutiny on all things hipster

promote causes by kersten jaeger Contributing Writer

Off the beaten path, Crema is worth the trek Crema: 4.5 beans by hannah gilham Lifestyles Editor

Nestled in the strange chasm where hipsterdommeets-Five-Points, Crema Coffee House boasts the perfect combination of stellar espresso, great service and Apple products. Located off of 29th and Larimer, the black brick and colorful wall mural invite patrons in with a degree of intrigue. Upon entering, the industrial woodworking studio meets an art deco boutique, Crema is a strange, yet wonderful combination of espresso and off-beat decor.

Behind the register, the menu is stenciled on wood panels and a huge painting of a square-rimmed hipster girl hangs over the exposed kitchen where several welldressed chefs work diligently.

And by register, as in all good and rightfully hip places, the register is merely an iPad on a swivel. Saving space and paper receipts, you can even designate your tip with the touch screen.

Making friendly conversation and simultaneously pouring the most perfectly portioned latte seems to be the norm at Crema. Using local and international renowned roasters including Nova Coffee, Boxcar Coffee Roasters and Intelligentsia Fresh Roast Coffee, Crema’s espresso is rich and creamy, resulting in a most delightful cup of coffee. Each and every one of which is lovingly made by bearded hipsters while they steam milk to the perfect foamy texture, creating the photo-and-consumptionready latte.

Crema also serves up some delicious entrees, particularly breakfast and lunch specialities which include a fluffy and creamy quiche and a southwestern take on the breakfast burrito, complete with salsa, black beans and corn. Crema presents all of it’s food and drinks in simple and modern taste. With plain, rectangular plates and delicate handled mugs for the coffee, Crema takes their visuals very seriously.

An enormous lighted chandelier hangs in the main room where panels of ceiling are covered by what appears to be the material from your grandmother’s 1970’s orange couch. Strangely beautiful, Crema has plenty of windows to let in the natural light.

With a sparse number of outlets, Crema is not the best place to study or work, but better for conversation and quiet coffee moments.

The staff is attentive, friendly and talkative, a rarity in places so hip.

With a soundtrack including CAKE, Spoon, The Pixies and The Strokes, it seems these are the maturing Hipster’s of their late 20’s to mid 30’s who can still appreciate good music despite its slow seep into contemporary pop-culture.

And while Crema is, in fact, a hipster’s paradise, the crowd is not just for gaugedear-goddesses. There was a good

mix of cool kids, regular adults and older women teaching each other how to use their iPhones.

And perhaps the most refreshing part about Crema is the oddly warm and friendly atmosphere, something irritatingly infrequent in the coffee house world.

Beards and beautiful latteart abound, who wouldn’t want some Crema?

photos by hannah gilham|clarion

Crema Coffee House serves up the perfect espresso just north of downtown Denver.

At 7 p.m. last Tuesday evening, over 90 students filed into the Cyber Café on the first floor of the Josef Korbel School for International Studies. After mingling and enjoying complimentary tea and cookies, the students settled in to be taught something. All of these people voluntarily arrived on a Tuesday night to listen to a panel of experts discuss the issue of water sustainability.

Teach In Tuesdays, started by last year by junior biology and chemistry major from Centennial Daniel Powell in collaboration with LLC coordinators and PhD candidates Hanna Kadlec and Catherine Orsborn. Their purpose is to inform students about various local and global issues that need attention. Past issues have included modern day slavery, energy economics and natural resource management.

Last Tuesday’s was the most attended Teach In thus far and included a screening of the documentary “Blue and Gold: World Water Wars,” and a panel of water experts who

discussed the scarcity of water, the uneven distribution of water and other time sensitive, water related concerns.

Powell gave an introduction urging students to be proactive and get involved.

The Teach In moved on to the screening of the film, which gave an overview of water issues around the world followed by a panelist discussion.

The five panelists included Dr. Matthew Taylor, an associate professor in the Department of Geography who has worked on human-environment relationships in Latin America, Sam Schabacker, the Mountain West Region Director for Food & Water Watch, Matt Bond, the Community Relations, Marketing and Youth Education at Denver Water, Dr. Robert Uttaro, professor of International Studies at Korbel and Kristin Schmitt, a recent DU graduate working with Water for People.

The panelists discussed water rights, pollution and water scamming.

Teach In Tuesday’s are held twice a quarter on a variety of subjects and are announced on their Facebook page.

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Promote health by requiring flu shots by danny zimny-schmitt Staff Writer

We have all seen the table on Driscoll Bridge and received emails notifying us of the importance of getting a flu shot. Flu season is upon us, and all DU students are entitled to a free flu shot as part of our Health and Counseling fee.

Given that flu shots are free and readily available to all students, getting the shot should be mandatory for all students. Although the supply of shots temporarily ran out, they are now back in stock.

We are all part of one community at DU; we all share the same door handles at Sturm, the same serving utensils at the dining halls and the same touchscreen to print out our

assignments. During the flu season, these surfaces are prime spots for the transfer of the virus to other students.

Recognizing the fact that we all share the same facilities, chances are pretty high that if one student comes down with the flu, another may get infected as a result.

But the vaccine, which has been readily available on a variety of days on Driscoll Bridge since October, will bring the spreading of the flu virus to a halt.

While mandating the flu shot may sound a lot like Big Brother asserting his will, this situation is different.

The flu vaccine is offered completely free and takes no more than about three minutes, even with the single sheet of

paperwork. As a community lion Americans annually. An at DU, we have a responsibility estimated 200,000 are hospitalto take care of our health and ized every year for the virus and the health of everyone else. an estimated 36,000 lose their Exceptions would certainly be life to the flu each year. made for those T h i s with a known “We all share the season, the allergic reaction flu has been to the vaccine, same door handles especially but otherwise a For in Sturm, the same potent. mandate is reathe week sonable. Mild flu- utensils at the ending on like symptoms Jan. 12, the may affect some dining halls...”

CDC claspeople after the sified the shot for a few hours. current flu outbreak in every Consider some statistics state except Hawaii, Tennessee about the magnitude of the flu and the District of Columbia virus in the United States: The as “widespread,” the highest Center for Disease Control level in their five-tiered system.

(CDC) estimates that 5 to 20 Indeed, the flu is making itself percent of the population will felt in America this year. contract the virus every year.

The CDC also reported That is 15.5 million to 62 mil- that while new outbreaks have

been slowing in January, the severity of new or existing cases is increasing as the death toll climbs more rapidly.

While it is true that college students are less susceptible to the flu than the elderly or young children, the point is clear: The flu is an extremely potent virus and anyone who has the opportunity to should be vaccinated against it.

Unlike high school, where we spend only about seven hours per day at school, a college campus is different. This is where students live 24/7, thus increasing the potential for transmission of germs.

In the name of the health of the DU community, require that everyone to take three minutes out of their schedule to get a free flu shot.

using the vaccine, that is their choice.

For me, I would rather not have another needle poked into my arm. Since birth, most of us have been poked and prodded so many times that the feeling is engraved in our brains. If it is not of dire need for me to get a shot, I would choose not to.

I am willing to put up with the other vaccines that DU requires of its students because I feel those are more dangerous.

With hepatitis, for example, there is the risk of liver failure.

While hepatitis is treatable, the symptoms and grave seriousness of the disease do not ever go away.

With the flu, a visit to the doctor, a few days of rest, tea, and cold medicine seem to do the trick. The flu vaccine seems much less important when

compared to the other array of diseases and maladies.

Fundamentally, when it boils down to it, nobody should force any person into getting vaccinated. We’re creatures with free will, and if we want to get the vaccination, we will choose to do so.

If not, we run the risk of getting sick, but also retain our individual choice.

For me, one of the biggest reasons I choose not to get the flu shot is that it gives me some unwanted side effects for at least the first couple of days.

I get drowsy and fatigued and sometimes feverish too. Overall, it just does not make me feel particularly healthy.

Without the shot, there are still other safeguards from getting the flu. Washing your hands is the first major one.

The CDC reports that by washing your hands frequently enough, the risk of contracting the flu is significantly reduced.

Furthermore, taking vitamins and eating a healthy diet will help keep the immune system strong. For people who are sick, they should at the very least stay home and probably go to the doctor’s office as well. And if all else fails, just avoid people who are sick. Do not let them spread the contagion.

The point is that all of this can still be done without a mandatory shot.

Besides, the flu vaccine is not completely foolproof. I know at least one time when I was younger and received the flu shot, I still contracted the virus. Granted, this is not the norm for most people who get the vaccine, but I am not alone

in this regard. While it is the number-one preventer of the disease, it does not fully shield people from still getting sick from the influenza virus.

Also, the flu vaccine is not free. I do not want to have to pay for something that I do not want.

Some point out that DU gives these shots out for free. In fact, in the past couple of weeks the Health and Counseling Center ran out of the vaccination because so many people went to get the shot; only just recently have they restocked.

All of this is not to say that the flu vaccine is a bad thing.

The flu vaccine is valued by many students as proved by the running out of the vaccine.

I encourage those who want the vaccine to go ahead and get it. Just don’t impose it on the rest of us.

Involuntary student vaccinations are unethical by chris bach Staff Writer

Vaccines are one of the greatest developments in medical science—they have prevented the spread of disease and saved countless lives. Here at DU, many of these vaccines are required of all students preventing diseases such as hepatitis, measles, meningitis and others.

However, it should not be mandatory for students to receive a flu shot each year.

The system should remain as it currently is, where it is optional for DU students to receive the vaccine.

Now, there is a consensus that the flu shot is the best way to prevent getting the flu. For those students who want to protect themselves from the flu

Pioneer Voices: should flu shots be required for du students?

hannah szabo Freshman Wisconsin

faith lierheimer Freshman Colorado

mira sevov Junior German

jared bloomfield Sophomore Minnesota

“From a biochemist point of view, mandatory vaccines make no sense whatsoever.”

“If flu shots are going to be required, it should be at the Health and Counseling Center.”

“Absolutely not.

“I was thinking yes. I wish that everybody would get a flu shot.”

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Boone controversy exaggerated Celebrate birthdays Exclusion of Boone seems as landmarks in life illogical to this freshman by chris bach Staff Writer

Coming to DU this past fall, I believed our school mascot was none other than the renowned, famous Boone.

It was only brought to my attention in the past couple of weeks that Boone is our unofficial mascot.

This is discouraging, because I looked at Boone with a sense of pride for my school. Instead, the red-tailed hawk, Ruckus, took his place.

I have come to discover some interesting facts that made me love Boone even more: He was drawn and created by a Walt Disney artist.

His costume was created by the DU Theatre Department and a student body contest was used to name him. Boone was created by probably one of the most famous animation companies and further crafted by and for the DU student body.

However, in 1998, Boone was disregarded as the official mascot of the school.

He was believed to be hurtful to the diversity of DU, and certain groups, especially Native American groups, found him disrespectful.

But it would seem that almost any mascot nowadays could be disrespectful to one group or another.

There are plenty of of pioneers and Manifest examples of this, but one Destiny often did kick Native that strikes my attention is Americans off their lands. any school that a logger for But I don’t see Boone as one its mascot, which could be of those people. His drawing highly offensive to environ- is a positive one with a smilmental groups. ing face.

What is even more conAnd that is just the negacerning to me is that Boone tive side of a pioneer. was replaced by a red-tailed Pioneers were also people hawk. I do not look at the who took chances, risked hawk and think “pioneers”; everything to get a better life, there is a complete discon- and braved the harsh wildernect. ness of the West.

We kept the name only to This is exactly what I get rid of the symbol. think DU Pioneers should be There is now a move- all about. ment to bring Boone back.

We should be fearless, The results of that movement willing to take chances, and have caused open to new Boone to ideas. become our “It would seem that T h e r e’s “unofficial” almost any mascot two sides to mascot. He every story; is seen far nowadays could be when we more widely disrespectful to one acknow ledge at sporting Boone as a events and group or another.” mascot we other gathrecognize his erings than historical past our “official” mascot, though. and also his pioneer spirit.

There are those who are I mean no disrespect to still loyal to Boone and would groups that do find Boone like to see him reinstated. hurtful in some way.

One cannot drive through From my perspective, the adjacent neighborhoods it just seems really trivial around campus without to me that Boone must be seeing a number of Boone condemned for what he is: a signs and banners. pioneer.

The logic that is used And for me, being a against Boone, as I under- pioneer represents taking a stand it, is that he represents chance, moving forward and the relentless, murderous, showing courage. western-bound pioneer.

As a freshman, the excluHistorically, those who trav- sion of Boone seems ludicrous elled west during the time and completely oversensitive.

Yesterday was my birthday.

I didn’t go out to a nice dinner, go to any parties or even spend any time celebrating. There weren’t enough hours in the day to eat lunch or dinner.

In fact, I had seven hours of class without a break and then I went to work.

This is not how it should be—we should celebrate whenever we get the opportunity to do so, and recognize our birthdays as special milestones every year as well as important events in our lives.

As young kids, we look forward, with eager anticipation, to our birthdays. Birthdays as children are almost like Christmas—we’re surrounded by family in a generous atmosphere and celebrate with gifts. But on our birthdays, the gifts are ours.

Why ignore that childlike sense of anticipation and whimsy as adults?

Birthdays also allow us to commemorate the landmarks in our lives. For example, I just turned 20. This means a significant portion of my life on Earth has passed—over 20 percent.

So celebrating landmarks like this allow us to look back on our days here and the things we have learned and the things that are to come allow us to reflect.

Not to sound grim, but understanding how much time

we have left allows us to plan our lives accordingly.

It looks ludicrous to celebrate the births of major figures like Martin Luther King, Jr. as holidays but neglect to celebrate your own because the “Happy Birthday” song makes you feel awkward, or you feel old or because you don’t fancy being the center of attention.

Being the center of attention is important every once and awhile.

And birthdays are the only day every year that we can be lazy, be inactive and celebrate ourselves.

Being everyone’s focus makes us feel deeply appreciated and loved, and those are the best feelings to help us with overall well-being and being content in our often stressful environments.

Despite the annoyance of having one’s birthday broadcast to the world on Facebook, it is a reality we live with today. However, is it really all that bad to have dozens, possibly even hundreds of folks wishing you a happy birthday?

When an old, long-lost friend celebrates their special day, we’re also presented with an opportunity to reconnect or get back in touch with someone, rekindling a fond, sometimes forgotten friendship.

So my 20th birthday was spent working and going to class. It was a long, not a particularly noteworthy day. for me.

But next year, I’m going to live it up, because these special occasions only come once per year, and allow introspective reflection and a reason to celebrate.

pegged at around $52,000 per academic year.

It was followed by most other Ivies, then by prestigious schools from across the country, among them Washington University, Northwestern University, Tufts University and the University of Chicago, in a list that resembled more of an academic ranking of schools than a list having any regard to the hefty price tag.

The reason for these skewed rankings is Kiplinger’s methodology: 56.25 percent of the ranking was based on “quality factors” like class sizes and graduation rates, while only 43.75 percent of the ranking was based upon “cost factors” such as indebtedness at graduation and the actual sticker price of tuition and

other expenses that students will incur.

These factors, especially indebtedness, are key.

It’s also interesting to note the difference between sticker price and net price.

Sticker price is simply the price listed on the college’s website, while net price takes into account what the typical family actually pays after scholarships and grants and is a far more meaningful measure.

Each year, the U.S. Department of Education releases a list of the private schools with the highest net prices.

Thirteen of the 100 schools ranked by Kiplinger as best value schools also appeared on this “dishonor roll.” DU was,

shamefully, among them.

For the sake of transparency, the best value schools list needs to place more emphasis on value and affordability.

Academic rankings of schools can be found almost anywhere, but parents and prospective students need to be able to look at the best value rankings for affordability.

I am proud that our fine university made the list of best value schools, as it shows that our tuition dollars are being wisely used to build a successful academic community.

But it would be a huge mistake to interpret these rankings at face value and think that the No. 41 in any way represents the value of a DU education compared to other institutions across the country.

by alex johnson Opinions Editor

DU’s value ranking misunderstood

by danny zimny schmitt Staff Writer

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance recently ranked DU in its “Best Value School” evaluation at 41st in the country.

Back up a minute. DU is a best value school? Someone tell our $50,000-plus cost of attendance that!

The ranking means absolutely nothing unless you understand the complex methodology that was used to arrive at that number.

First things first: How much does DU cost? At $38,232 for tuition, $10,665 for room and board, $744 in mandatory fees and a few thousand more for expected spending on transportation and personal expenses for each year at DU,

a “bargain” is hardly the first word that comes to mind.

In fact, one might even laugh upon hearing that we were one of the best values.

So how did it achieve a rank of 41 in the country?

What doesn’t make it into the headline is that the rank was 41st among private colleges and universities, and did not include any public universities.

The University of Colorado-Boulder and the Colorado School of Mines are among the schools that were ranked in the top 100 in Kiplinger’s evaluation of best value public universities.

Kiplinger’s list of the best value private universities was headed by Yale University at No. `1 1, hardly a bargain itself with a cost of attendance

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Crowd cringes at crass comedy

photo courtesy of filmofilia.com

Sean William Scott (left) and Johnny Knoxville (right), part of a large ensemble cast, portray characters interrogating a leprechaun. This scene accurately portays the zany comedy that is widely available in “Movie 43.”

by meg mcintyre Staff Writer

“Movie 43” is a compilation of shorts worked on by countless directors, including Elizabeth Banks, Steven Brill (“Mr. Deeds”) and Brett Ratner (“Rush Hour”) and writers, as well as about a dozen well-known celebrities. The story is framed around a once-prosperous film writer who brings his best pitches to a prominent producer in hopes of getting back into the spotlight. As the film plays out, the audience watches each pitch, and these make up the shorts that comprise the film.

As the film goes on, the shorts become less humorous and more ridiculous. In fact, viewers may find that after a while the movie ceases to hold their attention simply because the sordid comedy is no longer funny after the first few segments. What results is a

90-minute movie that seems to last for hours. Overall, the film adheres to a low standard of entertainment, making fans wonder why so many A-List stars agreed to be a part of a project like this.

The star-studded cast surely adds interest to the film. With headliners like Kate Winslet, Hugh Jackman, Dennis Quaid, Halle Barry, Richard Gere and Emma Stone—to name a few—“Movie 43” is packed with celebrities. Even more intriguing is the fact that many of these actors have not typically done this type of comedic work in the past, which illuminates a new and humorous side of their careers.

However, “Movie 43” is not for those with weak stomachs. The humor used throughout the film is crude, disgusting and wildly inappropriate, sometimes—or actually, often—to the point of being distasteful. There is even one short in which Halle Barry is seen making guacamole

with a rather unorthodox body part as a result of a twisted game of truth or dare.

But the gross factor doesn’t stop there; this is a film in which soulmates defecate on each other to show their love, body parts are attached to the wrong parts of the body and leprechauns get blown to bits like a scene from “Pulp Fiction.” The film also features fictional commercials interspersed without, such as an advertisement for the “iBabe,” an mp3 player shaped like a life-sized naked woman. These ads are more silly than funny, and don’t seem to really add anything to the humor of the movie.

What’s more, some of the shorts are just plain disturbing. Among them being one during which a homeschooled boy’s parents attempt to give him every “normal” high school experience by humiliating him whenever possible and even providing him with his first kiss (can you say ew?).

Then there’s the segment in which a girl hits puberty at the worst possible time, and the males around her have no idea what to do short of handing her a sponge and some towels. In reality, these sketches are just plain unsettling, but in the world of “Movie 43” this type of comedy is commonplace.

“Movie 43” is an interesting idea backed by a lot of important people, but the execution fails to deliver. Even the biggest fans of raunchy comedy may find this flick has just gone too far. Though the cast is top notch, it’s strange to see some of the industry’s best dramatic actors doing a comedy of this sort. So while there are admittedly a few hilarious moments throughout the film, as a whole “Movie 43” is distasteful and disturbing, and certainly not a movie for the faint of heart. Viewers may want to stay away from this one, at least until it goes to DVD.

appears confident and comfortable to be playing together again. Indeed, this is a band that’s lived the cycle of hype, hiatus and healing, and now its members play with an assurance that can only come after seeing the brink and still managing to fight your way back.

And fight, there was—with a few exceptions, Bloc Party filled its set with some of the more explosive numbers from its career, including the Pumpkinsesque smash of “Kettling,” the electrifying war chant of “Ares,” and the propulsive, angular “Positive Tension.” Bloc Party’s most recent record, which played the lead role on Tuesday night’s setlist, is by far its most unabashedly hard LP to date, and the foursome appeared to have no qualms with blasting your ears out.

What this meant was, for the majority of the set, fans who came looking for an

appropriate venue to dance, jump around and even throw a few elbows were in friendly territory. The literally UFC-themed “Coliseum,” for example, completely blew the roof off, and received one of the most enthusiastic ovations of the night. The build-up to the fearsome “Song For Clay (Disappear Here)” was another highlight, with perma-shirtless drummer Matt Tong pounding his kit like a man possessed.

At the same time, lighter numbers such as the bittersweet slow burn of “Day Four” or the melancholic “Signs” sounded all the more frail in comparison, sucking the momentum out of an otherwise momentous set. Perhaps the greatest misfire of the night came at the start of the second encore, in which the group debuted a brand-new song called “Montreal” that, while sonically pretty, was also monotonous—a poor late-game choice.

In fact, much of the second half of the set felt a bit like it was playing catch-up with the first. Even with highlights such as the first-album classics “This Modern Love” and “Helicopter,” or the group’s delightful mash-up of Rihanna’s “We Found Love” with the soaring dance-rock stylings of “Flux,” the boys of the Bloc never quite managed to rekindle the flames later on in the night that it had lit with its potent and aggressive first act.

This is not to say the band ever felt any less competent or tightly wound; rather, Bloc Party simply loaded the latter part of its set with songs that just don’t work as well in a live setting, making this second half slowdown far more an issue of sequencing than a lack of technical proficiency. This surprising absence of awareness, however, may just make the difference between Bloc Party being a good live band, and a truly great one.

Bloc Party suffers 2nd-half slowdown by christian allen Web Editor

London-borne indie outfit Bloc Party’s first Denver show in nearly six years played out much like its relatively uneven career—energetic, largely enjoyable but also rather front-loaded. In spite of a few second-half missteps, however, Bloc Party played a satisfying mix of cuts new and old, which were gobbled up enthusiastically by the packed house at the Ogden.

A falling out between the band members after their experiment-gone-awry third album, Intimacy, made it unclear whether the UK quartet would ever find itself on a stage again. Four years later, the situation couldn’t feel more different—hot on the heels of its solid comeback effort, Four (released last August), Bloc Party

Jan. 29, 2013

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Sisters lose soul with Heartthrob by meg mcintyre Staff Writer

In their new album Heartthrob, which premiered today, indie-rock duo Tegan and Sara try something new and a bit more mainstream. With a heavy electronic influence and a poppy vibe, the latest album is certainly a big step in a different direction.

The major distinction between Heartthrob and the group’s previous albums is the substantial use of electronic, almost techno-like elements.

While it’s true their albums Sainthood from 2009 and So Jealous in 2004 did include some limited use of these techniques, the new album features only one acoustic track—“Love They Say,” which isn’t even a true acoustic endeavor.

As synth chords rise and swell in every song, the listener is instantly transported back to the ‘80s. These frantic pop beats heard all too frequently throughout Heartthrob make it feel as if Tegan and Sara are moving into the realm of generic radio hits rather than lovable folk rock.

As a whole, much of the album is upbeat in tempo but downbeat lyrically, with major themes being loss and deterioration. As usual, Tegan and Sara mourn broken relationships, unreturned fascinations and general disillusioned heart-

break. Yet, though the topics are the same, the lyrics are not as remarkable as they have been in the past.

Heartfelt lyrics such as “No I’m not aware of how / I could possibly love you / Without aching” from “This is Everything”—a stand out from the singers’ first album—are missing from their new release.

“Closer,” the only track released as a single and the album’s opener, sounds most like a Top 40 radio release—both in lyrics and in instrumentals. The song carries a repetitive melodic line, with deep bass in the background. Lyrically, “Closer” also lacks, with superficial lines such as “All I dream lately is how to get you underneath me.”

Ballads “I Was a Fool” and “Now I’m All Messed Up” present simple melodies and harmonies, with repetitive choruses. Both also emphasize ‘80s drum pad beats and, of course, plenty of electronic texture.

Tracks “Drove Me Wild,” “Goodbye, Goodbye,” “How Come You Don’t Want Me,” and “I Couldn’t Be Your Friend” each begin with some sort of synth hook and quickly transition into a fast-paced, fist-bumping anthem. Though probably great for dancing, these tracks are hard to distinguish from one another, and quickly seem to run together while listening to the album.

photo courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Sara Quin of the band Tegan and Sara plays a live show. The indie duo released their new album, Heartthrob, today.

The track “I’m Not Your Hero” will remind fans stylistically, through consistent, rhythmic beat and angsty cadence, of the popular Tegan and Sara track “The Con” from the album of the same name.

Even then, however, it’s a heavily popped-out version at best. In fact, a great deal of the tracks sound similar to each other, making for an album that’s slightly tiring to get through despite the fact that it only carries ten tracks.

Heartthrob’s one standout track would have to be “Shock to Your System,” which provides a relief from the monotony of upbeat pop rhythms. Though this track still contains hints of electronica, its got a much darker, refreshing sound. Yet, it’s still not the trademark Tegan and Sara that fans have loved in the past.

In all, Tegan and Sara should be commended for taking newer and bigger risks

with Heartthrob, but in the end the album feels like a miss.

Fans may find that instead of the heartfelt indie rock they’ve come to know and love, Tegan and Sara’s new album is chock full of monotonous techno pop.

With repetitive melodic lines, an overabundance of electronic drivel and sorely lacking lyrics, Heartthrob is nothing special, and a bitter disappointment from Tegan and Sara.

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‘Hummingbird’ a delightful musical flight

photo courtesy of nyctaper.com

Indie folk-rock group the Local Natives play in front of a live audience. The band, which released its first album Gorilla Manor in 2009, offers their sophomore effort in the form of Hummingbird, which went on sale today.

The Local Natives deliver a bittersweet album filled with delightful melancholy by christian allen Web Editor

Three years after their first effort, the Los Angeles-based group has dropped its much anticipated second album, Hummingbird, which is about as accomplished a sophomore effort as a band can make. Still staying true to the elements that made its debut such a success, but with enough progression in its production and songwriting to keep the band from sounding static, Hummingbird is a sonically engaging, confident and utterly masterful work from a band with even more promising days ahead.

When Local Natives burst onto the scene in 2010 with debut Gorilla Manor, the group seemed, for many, like the perfect indie rock band. Thoughtful, harmony-laden, organic-sounding rock music with enough hookery to draw you in and enough technical proficiency to keep you interested. They were the type of guys who’d namedrop NPR in a song and make you love them all the more for it.

It proved to be a winning formula.

Gorilla Manor was almost universally praised by critics, and the Natives garnered a devoted and diverse fanbase, selling out shows on multiple continents and even landing an opening slot for indie deities Arcade Fire, who had just taken home Album of the Year at the 2011 Grammys.

The Local Natives’ debut album began with a track called “Wide Eyes,” which had an expansiveness befitting the song’s exploratory lyrical themes. “Oh to see with my own eyes,” lead singer Taylor Rice cried out over a spastic drum track, expressing a youthful desire to see the world, but a slight nervousness about what might lie out there.

On Hummingbird, the Local Natives sound like they’ve had some of their questions answered, and are a bit troubled by what they’ve discovered. Where Gorilla

Manor was built around the soaring lead single “Airplanes,” the hookiest track on here is the mournful “Heavy Feet,” and the distinction couldn’t be more appropriate—Hummingbird is a more mature, heavier record.

The immediate benefit of this newfound maturity lies in the record’s production values, which is (generally) expected with a sophomore record but still absolutely worthy of admiration.

Aesthetically, this album is utterly lush, with delicate keyboard work and atmospheric synths that generally serve as the background to the punchier vocals and propulsive percussion tracks that drive these songs.

The Grizzly Bear-esque “Wooly Mammoth” is probably the best example of the intricate mix Local Natives have found here. A busy (but groovy) drum track gives the start of the song a definable crack, while some eloquently constructed guitar parts eventually give way to a towering hook that you’ll undoubtedly want to return to.

Where the Local Natives truly earn the listener’s respect, however, is in its skill at making sad songs without being dreary or plodding. For example, on third track “Ceilings,” Rice recommends brightly to “Hold the summer in your hands / Until the summer turns to sand,” simultaneously acknowledging the inevitability of time’s passage while praising the memory of that which has passed. It’s a lyric that represents the Natives’ keen ability to walk the line between melancholic and melodramatic, and craft music that is thoroughly bittersweet but almost always light on its feet. Only on “Three Months,” the record’s singular low point, does the group indulge a bit too much in misery, with a lugubrious, repetitive vocal line that makes Rice’s tenor voice sound piercing and unattractive for the first and only time.

Aside from that mid-point misfire, however, Hummingbird is a truly fantastic follow-up, with enough hooks (“Breakers,” “Heavy Feet,” “Wooly Mammoth”) to break up the slower, sadder tracks that carry the bulk of this record’s weight.

It’s an album filled with an admirable amount of magnificent sonic textures, thoughtful moments of restraint and unflinching technical expertise.

The songwriting is sharper than ever, and the tracks sound warm and inviting even as they touch on colder, darker themes. There is ever so much beauty to behold here, and in spite of the record’s markedly moodier focus, by the time the majestic closer “Bowery” fades

to nothing, the only thing you’ll feel is a profound sense of satisfaction.

In that way, the album’s title seems much less ironic and self-referential, and far more revealing of its underlying truth—that we are all tiny creatures fluttering around in a much larger world, and as frightening and heartbreaking this life may be, there are some truly beautiful things that make it worth living. This album is one of them.

Jan. 29, 2013

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Tables turn in updated fairytale by emily rosenfeld Contributing Writer

Director Tommy Wirkola (“Dead Snow”) brings the classic German fairy tale of Hansel and Gretel to the big screen in a modern and heart-pumping new twist.

The original story by the Brothers Grimm gets a face lift in this more complicated and mysterious plot.

The movie brings the audience years into the future where the scarred children have been replaced with a caring but somewhat emotionally damaged Hansel (Jeremy Renner, “The Avengers”) and a leather-clad, arrow-shooting Gretel (Gemma Arterton, “Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time”).

The two make up the brother and sister duo known for their “for hire” witch-hunting skills.

Hired by a town that has seen 11 of their children go missing, the pair sets out to find the witch, or witches in this case, who are responsible for the kidnapping. Soon the hunters discover that this is not an ordinary kidnapping, and that Muriel (Famke Janssen “X-Men: The Last Stand”), a powerful grand witch, accompanied by the Tall Witch (Zoe Bell, “Gamer”) and the Candy Witch (Monique Ganderton, “The Cabin in the Woods”), are planning The Feast of the Blood Moon, requiring the sacrifice of six girls and six boys, each born on a different month of the year.

Hansel and Gretel strive to stop the witches before all 12 children are killed.

At some points throughout the film, particularly the beginning, Arterton seems to overplay the role of a strong female lead, standing perhaps a little too tall and throwing out sarcasm too easily, coming off as almost a

photo courtesy of seanpaune.com

Gretel (Gemma Arterton, left) and Hansel (Jeremy Renner, right) work together to hunt and kill witches in the updated retelling of the classic children’s tale.

cocky know-it-all. She recovers her role, however, in the many fight scenes that follow. Still, the viewer might be left wondering how real of a character she is at the end of the film. Renner, on the other hand, portrays a knowledgeable character without seeming over confident. He is logical and straightforward, realistically portraying a brother who would sacrifice anything for his sister.

One of the most unique aspects of the movie was

the mosaic of time markers.

Although it is set in 1800’s rural German villages, the technology possessed by the witch-hunting duo, particularly their weapons, is much beyond the time.

Although this mix might seem odd, these anachronisms served the movie well, keeping the time period and the villages with the traditional story and modernizing Hansel and Gretel to add intrigue and high-speed action.

Classified as an actionadventure fantasy horror film,

Hansel and Gretel delivers on all four fronts. The action-adventure is fulfilled through the numerous hunting and fighting scenes where the brother and sister pair obviously know what they’re doing, working as a team and brutally taking down one witch after another.

Fantasy elements are easy to spot throughout the film with elaborate candy houses, ghoulish witches decked out with computer-generated imagery and unique handcrafted witch-

hunting weapons. Skull crushing, head chopping and witch burning all bring horror and gore to the screen as Hansel and Gretel shoot their way through each and every witch.

Overall, the film should capture audiences who enjoy a new spin on a classic childhood favorite. The graphics and action deliver a truly complete picture of a world riddled with witches, while Renner and Arterton bring adult versions of Hansel and Gretel to life.

track, conjures visions of a child’s music box and similar to “Listen Hear,” the background noise overwhelms the lyrics.

The vocals seem to accompany sounds rather than melody and lyrics seem almost an afterthought on the opening tracks.

By track three, the album gains its voice and begins to grow in confidence. Fittingly entitled “The River Has a Tide,” the song flows smoothly; the beat is strong and adds layers of chant-like, rhythmic singing—a combination that makes it perhaps the best song on the album.

“Pretending,” the fourth track, continues the upbeat mood but with a more acoustic sound. Mixing fast and slow tempos, “Pretending” experiments with layering the voices of multiple singers to build dramatic tension. For the first time in this release, Mice Parade knows

what it’s doing and is confident in its own momentum.

Placed halfway through the album is “The Chill House.”

A harp is the standout instrument and the song stands as more of a sleepy interlude than a transition between first and second halves of the album.

“Chill House” is immediately followed up by the titular track, “Candela.” It is not clear exactly what instrument is being used— perhaps a wooden drum—but either way, the strong thumping beat is combined with vocals that seem emotionally intense and sincere. It is a fitting choice for an album title, as “Candela” is another of the strongest tracks on the record.

The winning streak continues with “Look See Dream Me.” With a sound reminiscent of technopop, Mice Parade makes

this instrumental tune interesting enough to keep your head bobbing along to the beat. The band seems to have evolved from the first track, when sounds were frenetic and unfocused; by the seventh song, the band has achieved fusion.

Unfortunately, just as Mice Parade seemed to be getting things right, Candela slips back with song eight, “Gente Intersante.” Although it begins strongly enough with a solid drum beat, the doll-like female vocals seem out of place and comically “mouse-like” for a band named Mice Parade. The mariachi-band style seems out of balance, as if the band has lost direction.

By the album’s penultimate track, “Contessa,” the whole album begins to blend together like one continuous song. The song seems

to be rehashing the experimentation of the previous tracks, making it sleepy and boring.

Thankfully, the final track, “Warm Hand in Narnia,” has nothing in common with the songs before it. In a huge departure from the nine tracks before, the tenth is a pleading, romantic ballad. The beat is mellow and as the song becomes more upbeat near the end the album ends literally with a “bang.”

It is evident from the final track “Warm Hand in Narnia,” as well as standouts “The River Has a Tide,” “Pretending” and “Candela” that Mice Parade knows how to make beautiful and interesting music. Overall, however, this album lacks unity and comes across more like a sophomore effort than a senior work. In the end, too many of the songs are lost to experimentation.

Mice Parade makes listeners their lab rats by julia kuttler Contributing Writer

Candela, the eighth studio effort of the genre-defying band Mice Parade, is an intimate experimentation with multicultural sounds. Over the course of 10 tracks, the album gives you the sense you’re listening to the band practice in a garage—many of the songs feel unfinished, more stream of consciousness than a coherent whole. Unfortunately, all this amounts to is a waste of potential.

The first hint of front man Adam Pierce’s eclectic taste comes in opening track “Listen Hear Glide Dear,” a flamencoinspired tune. The vocals are quiet and underwhelming, overpowered instead by background noise and guitars. The tinkling melody of “Currents,” the second

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Women’s hoops drops New Mexico State After losing its past two games on the road, the Pioneer women’s basketball team was able to hold off New Mexico State at home on Saturday to win 67-58 and improve its record to 9-11 overall and 4-5 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).

“We’ve come off four losses, which is tough,” said senior guard Emiko Smith. “They’ve all been close, except the Utah State game, so it feels good just to get this, especially at home in front of our home crowd.”

Smith racked up 10 assists and six rebounds that night, in addition to scoring five points.

“She’s composed and really takes a leadership role out there,” said head coach Kerry Cremeans of Smith. “But everybody produced; we shot the ball well from the wings, and the post players hit free throws late in the game.

Everybody was a part of this win and really stepped up.”

Also contributing to the team’s success was sophomore guard Morgan Van Riper-Rose, who scored 22 points to lead the team, while sophomore guard Jordan Johnston added 11 points to the total.

Denver ended the first half leading the Aggies 32-23. The team continued to maintain its lead throughout the rest of the game, despite efforts from New Mexico State to overcome the deficit.

“We’ve had a huge focus on defending, not only your own girl but together as a team,” said Smith. “We’re looking to just defend all ball penetration and then, as a team, keep people down under the 70-point mark.

Defense is definitely a big focus right now.”

The team has been dealing with close games for three out of their past four losses. The final score of their Jan. 13 game against Seattle was a three-point difference at 69-66, and the team

lost by only one point against San Jose State on Jan. 17 (67-68).

“It’s just a credit to our conference; it’s very competitive, and every team fights hard every night,” said Cremeans. “It’s really anyone’s ball game any night, but we had a nice, strong first half, and we were able to maintain that and finish out with a win.”

The Aggies continued to pressure the Pioneers down the stretch, narrowing Denver’s lead to six points with just over three minutes left to play. However, the Pioneers used solid free-throw shooting from juniors Maiya Michel and Desiree Hunter, as well as Van Riper-Rose to take the nine-point win.

“It’s just a matter of continuing to be tough. We have to be known as a tough team, and that’s how we’re going to win ball games,” said Cremeans.

“We’re the smallest team in the league, but we’re tough on the boards, and we’ve got to continue to be able to rebound and win that rebounding more for us to be successful.”

As the Pioneers look ahead to next week, they are preparing to take on Texas San Antonio on Thursday at Magness Arena.

UTSA’s current record is 11-9 overall and 5-4 in the WAC, and they are coming off a Saturday loss to Idaho.

Opposite of the Pioneers’ recent four losses, the Roadrunners were riding a four-game winning streak before their most recent loss. In the Roadrunners’ game against Seattle, their shooting game was 39.7 percent compared to DU’s 35.9 percent in their most recent match.

According to Cremeans, the team is looking to getting back into the game and remaining tough against all future opponents.

“We’re looking to win the WAC; we’re excited,” said Smith.

“We’re also looking to finish the conference play tough and get as many wins as we can. We’re really excited about that.”

tallying a 39.350.

“I was proud of each and every one of the girls tonight,” said KutcherRinehart. “While the scores weren’t what we would have liked, the girls fought all the way to the end and under the pressure of a tight meet went seven-for-seven on beam.”

Sophomore Nina McGee anchored the floor lineup for Denver with a 9.875, sharing the meet title with Grable. Moorhead was close behind with a 9.8.

The Pioneers return to action when they host No. 24 North Carolina State, San Jose State and Air Force in the Burnsley Invitational at 6 p.m. in Hamilton Gymnasium on Saturday. San Jose State’s participation in the meet will mark it as Denver’s first WAC competition of the 2013 season.

North Carolina State enters the

meet coming off a season-best score of 195.2 against the West Virginia Mountaineers last Friday, while Denver’s best score this season is a 196.6 from a Jan. 12 competition against Air Force.

In last week’s competition, the Wolfpack were led by junior Diahanna Ham in the all-around with a final score of 39.125. Ham also led North Carolina State on beam, posting a 9.85 to claim second at the meet.

“After two meets away, we’re really happy to get back in front of our home crowd again next week,” said Pulgarin Linero.

“We’re going to keep working this week in the gym, like we do every day, to prepare for another meet next week. The main thing is to not let tonight’s scores discourage us because we know we are better than that.”

by michael gooch Staff Writer

ryan lumpkin|clarion

Junior forward Desiree Hunter throws up a layup as sophomore forward Theresa Wirth prepares to rebound in the Pioneers’ 67-58 win over New Mexico State on Saturday in Magness Arena.

Pioneers finish second to Arkansas on road

Pulgarin Linero leads DU gymnastics in all-around by anna gauldin Sports Editor

For the second week in a row, the then-No. 11 Pioneer gymnastics team exceeded the 195 mark in its overall score, posting a 195.125 against Arkansas at Barnhill Arena on Friday night.

The overall score clinched second place for the Pioneers, only narrowly missing Arkansas’ final 195.475. The team dropped to No. 13 in the national polls after the weekend’s action.

“I thought that we performed well as a team tonight,” said head coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart.

“To go over 195 in our first two away meets of the season is a positive, but by the end of the season we hope to not have to count tonight’s away score towards our RQS (Regional Qualifying Score).”

To calculate a team’s RQS, a team’s top three away scores are

taken, then its next three highest to be, we showed a lot of character scores, either home or away, drop tonight, fighting to the end and hitthe highest one of the six and then ting every beam routine.”

A number average the five of Pioneers remaining scores “I was proud of stepped up for the final RQS, throughout the according to a each and every evening, includFebruary article in one of the girls ing redshirt the University of senior Brianna Washington Daily. tonight. The girls Springer and J u n i o r fought all the way junior Moriah Melodie Pulgarin Martin, who Linero led the to the end co-led Denver in Pioneers with a 39.075 in her first under the pressure its first rotation of the evening all-around perfor- of a tight meet.” with a pair of mance so far this 9.825s to finish in season, posting a 9.825 on both Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart, a tie for second.

Junior Kaivault and beam, Head coach tlin Moorhead, in addition to a the reigning 9.75 on bars and a Western Athletic Conference Event 9.675 on floor.

Pulgarin Linero’s score on Specialist of the Week, posted her beam was enough to clinch the meet fourth-straight 9.85 or better on vault for the Pioneers, finishing all-around title.

“I think we did a really good in second place and only trailing job on the road tonight,” said Pulga- Arkansas’ first-place finisher Kathrin Linero. “Even though the scores erine Grable by 0.025. Grable led all weren’t as good as we wanted them athletes in the all-around on Friday,

Interested in writing about sports?

Meetings every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Driscoll Undergound, or email us at annagauldin5@gmail.com or alexandra.proietti@gmail.com.

Jan. 29, 2013

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Larraza masters art of role changing by alex proietti Assistant Sports Editor

Out of all the states in the country, Arizona does not stand out as a hockey state, but sophomore forward Zac Larraza did not let that affect his dreams, as he has scored four goals in the past four games for the Pioneers.

Larraza started his goal-scoring momentum in the first game back after winter break when he scored a goal against Boston University on Dec. 29, momentum which has continued since then. He also netted two goals, including the game-winner on Jan. 11 against Nebraska Omaha, and continued to the next night to score another. Larraza also scored the first goal in the team’s 5-2 loss to St. Cloud State on Jan. 18.

After beginning skating at 2 years old and joining his first team at age 4, Larraza’s family became heavily involved in the hockey scene in Phoenix.

“It was tough, because when I first started playing, there was not a rink anywhere near me; I had to drive 45 minutes to go play,” said Larraza. “My mom and dad were on the board that founded what is now the Ice Den, which is a five-minute walk from my house, so that really helped out a lot when I started playing there.”

In addition to the new ice rink, the professional team in Phoenix, the Coyotes, began their upward swing as a team, qualifying for the playoffs and becoming a more respected team, further growing the small hockey scene in Phoenix and inspiring the young hockey hopeful.

“I think the Coyotes were probably the biggest help,” said Larraza. “Going to those games and watching those guys, they were my role models, so after they made the playoffs a couple years, I think that’s when hockey really took off and made [Phoenix] a great place to grow up and play.”

However, as many hockey players pursuing collegiate and professional careers do, Larraza soon outgrew his

Sophomore forward Zac Larraza has contributed 13 points to the Pioneer team off six goals and seven assists so far this season.

hometown community and needed to move away to continue his preparation for competitive hockey.

After playing several summers with the Little Caesars team in Detroit, Mich., a AAA team in the area, Larraza got the call from the U.S. Team Developmental program in Ann Arbor, Mich., and made the decision to move to Ann Arbor at 16 years old.

“It was really tough,” said Larraza on moving away from home. “But when I got

offered the position, there was not a doubt in my mind that I was taking that spot, and my mom and dad agreed. That was the best thing for my life at that point.”

Coming from Arizona, Larraza was accustomed to being the best player on the team, but he quickly realized that would not be the case anymore now that he was with the U.S. Developmental Program.

Along with realizing he was not the star

ryan lumpkin|clarion

of the team, his role also quickly changed.

“It was a lot of fun,” said Larraza.

“Going in there, every kid was the best player on their respective teams back at home, so when you get there, you realize, ‘I’m not the best player here anymore; I’ve got to figure out a way to make a name for myself.’ I developed more of a grind role.”

SEE SOPHOMORE, PAGE 16

Swimming’s senior day ‘bittersweet’

kim nesbitt|clarion

Members of the Pioneer women’s swimming team cheer on their teammates at senior day in El Pomar Natatorium on Friday.

Swimming falls to Boise State on Saturday by michael gooch Staff Writer

The Pioneer women’s swimming and diving team finished second to Boise State over the weekend with a final score of 158-83 in a two-day competition that started with senior day at the El Pomar Natatorium and continued Saturday with diving at the Air Force Invitational in Colorado Springs.

“The girls raced really well where they could, and you can’t fault anybody’s efforts today,” said head coach Brian Schrader. “I’m still pretty pleased with how we raced, but it’s always tough to stomach a loss, especially on senior day.”

In her final meet at home, senior Alex Suppan led the Pioneers in the first event, the 400 medley relay. Suppan, along with freshman Madeline Eyolfson and sophomores Samantha Corea and Drew Matthews, collectively scored a final time of 3:48.64, just 0.05 seconds short of Boise State, to grab second place for the event.

Suppan also placed in her two other events, taking first in the 200 IM with a time of 2:05.98 and third in the 200 fly with a time of 2:05.60.

“We started out with almost a win in the 400 medley relay, which was great for us,” said Suppan. “I also had a really good time in my 200 today. That’s the fastest I’ve been untapered all season, so I’m really happy about that.”

Also placing first for the Pioneers were sophomore Samantha Corea in the 200 backstroke with a time of 2:00.34 and sophomore Bridgette McNally with a 5:04.15 in the 500 freestyle.

The team took second in the last event of the meet, the 400 freestyle relay, with a final time of 3:31.93, four seconds behind Boise State. Competing in the event were freshmen Morgan Mullenix and Zoe Huddleston, sophomore Drew Matthews and, in her final home meet, senior Tia Totura. Totura also finished fourth in 200 butterfly.

“Senior Day is bittersweet; it’s weird saying goodbye to these girls, and it just makes conference that much sweeter,” said Totura.

“My goal is to just have fun, finish out this year well and wrap this career up as best I can.”

The diving squad wrapped up the competition against Boise at the Air Force Invitational the next day, adding seven points to the overall score. Sophomore Dana Gau scored a 227.4 for the Pioneers in the three-meter dive.

According to Totura, the team is coming back from the loss and looking forward to finishing out the rest of conference preparing for the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) championship.

“We’re getting ready now for the WAC championship, and, for the first time in a long time, we’re going in as an underdog, and I think that motivates our girls,” said Schrader.

Also a motivation factor for the five seniors is the chance to claim a conference championship in Denver’s sole season as a member of the WAC.

“Our seniors are tremendous,” said Schrader. “They’ve given us great leadership over the four years. Every one of our seniors took a chance on our program and have been very impactful.”

Totura is the third in her family to swim for DU, and, according to Schrader, his goal for her is to medal at the conference in the 200 butterfly and hopefully break a school record.

“We’ve had local kids that came and gave us everything they had, like Kristen Milberg,” said Schrader. “Also Alex Suppan coming from Vermont, setting a school record and winning an event today, it’s just telling about what kind of an athlete she is.”

Senior Bailey Beins has been out with injury all year, but she continues to hold a school record and to provide leadership as a team captain, and next year she’ll be a graduate student in the MBA program. Cimone Miner underwent surgery in the summer and Schrader said he’s proud of what an accomplishment it is to have her racing again.

“Swimming has definitely been the biggest part of my career here,” said Suppan. “I’m actually going to continue to swim in the spring and the summer and see where that takes me, because I’m not ready to give it up yet.”

The men’s team will host its senior day on Saturday against Air Force at 1 p.m. in El Pomar Natatorium.

Jan. 29, May 22,2013 2012

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Olson named WAC Player of the Week 16

Jan. 29, 2013

www.duclarion.com Sophomore point guard leads Pioneer offense by dalton handy Senior Reporter

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Sophomore point guard Brett Olson has started every game for Denver during his career as a Pioneer. He leads the team with 45 three-pointers this season.

Colorado native sophomore point guard Brett Olson was named the Western Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of Jan. 14-20, marking the first time he has been honored since the Pioneers joined the WAC last fall.

Olson is the second Pioneer to be given the award in the 2012-2013 season, following fellow sophomore forward Royce O’Neale, who earned the award on Dec. 17.

“It [the award] means a lot. It’s a big honor,” said Olson.

“None of it could be possible if I didn’t have my teammates.”

Between Jan. 14 and 20, Olson helped DU to a 2-0 week, with wins over San Jose State and Utah State. Over the course of the week, Olson averaged 16.5 points per game, along with 2.5 rebounds and 2.2 assists, despite playing just 22 minutes in the blowout 73-37 home win over San Jose State.

“Brett played well last week.

He hit some big shots for us,” said head coach Joe Scott. “He has been a big part of our success over the last six weeks.”

The Highlands Ranch High School graduate has capitalized

on the experience he gained play- Colorado High School Gatorade ing last year as a true freshman, Player of the Year his senior year. experience he has used to better Olson said he chose DU not not only himself, but his team- only because it was in his homemates as well. Olson started every town, but because he also appregame for the Pioneers last year, ciated the up-and-coming status averaging 7.6 points, 2.2 rebounds of DU basketball and wanted to and two assists per game. This help improve that reputation. season, he has upped his scoring “DU has been growing,” total to 9.4 points, while assum- said Olson. “I think we can ing more of a leadership role. continue to help put DU on the “I want to just continue to basketball map.” help the team; we’re really young,” Olson also hopes to help said Olson. “I’ve the Pioneers win really learned a lot the WAC title from older guys “DU has been in their only and I’m trying to growing. I think opportunity to do help the younger so, since the Pioguys along.” we can continue neers will again Growing change conferup, Olson was to help put DU ences to join the influenced by his on the basketball Summit League family’s deep basin July. Prior to ketball roots. His map.” this season, DU father, Dan Olson, played in the Sun played basketball Belt Conference Brett Olson, at South Dakota, for more than a with both his Sophomore point guard decade. brother and sister With a WAC attending college conference title to play basketball. Olson listed would come an automatic berth both his father and brother as the to the legendary NCAA Tournabiggest influences on his game, as ment, where Olson thinks the both were able to push him while Pioneers can “make a run at it.” teaching him the intricacies of the Regardless, Olson said he will be game. happy simply to be playing the Olson said he appreciates not sport he loves. only the support he has received “It [basketball] is just fun,” from his family, but he also rec- said Olson. “If there is anything ognizes those who have watched going on, I can rely on it. We have him play at DU and at Highlands a great group of guys that are a lot Ranch, where he was named the of fun to be around.”

Sophomore steps up X Games Xperience in Aspen in second season by dalton handy

Continued from page 15

After his time in Michigan, Larraza headed back West to Colorado to join the Pioneer ranks at DU, where his role changed once again. With his large stature, standing at 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, head coach George Gwozdecky had a different role in mind for him.

“Zac is a guy that has to play a big physical role for us,” said Gwozdecky. “Zac is a big, strong and powerful guy who trains hard, and I think that has been a little bit of an adjustment coming from his area, where he was probably considered a goal scorer and played an offensive role.

“Moving into a more competitive environment with the U.S. National Developmental Program in Ann Arbor for a couple years before coming here, he’s had to adjust his role a little bit.”

Adjusting was precisely what he had to do when he donned his crimson and gold jersey. Larraza only played in 26 games throughout the season last year before his “call-up.”

“Every freshman expects to come in here and be the best player on the team, and it’s just not going to happen,” said Larraza. “I came in here and I struggled right away; I didn’t play a lot of games, and there was a time where I was like, ‘Maybe hockey isn’t what I’m meant to do.’ I sat down with the coaches at the end of the year and they told me, ‘Look, things are going to come to you. We have our lineup set right now, just wait your turn; we’ll call your name one of these times.”

And call his name they did.

In the WCHA Final Five tourna-

ment, the team was riddled with injuries, leaving a spot for Larraza to fill. Not only did he fill it, but he scored the game-winning goal in double-overtime against Minnesota Duluth, sparking something in him that has continued to this point.

After losing the team’s top scorers from last year, the Pioneers were looking to fill the offensive void.

“Coming into the season, we were hoping to pick up the slack from the offense that left us and that certain guys would be able to consistently add offense,” said Gwozdecky. “We knew about guys like Nick Shore and Chris Knowlton, but we were hoping that some of our sophomore class like Ty Loney, Daniel Doremus, Matt Tabrum and Zac Larraza would pick up the slack and fill in some of the holes that were left.”

After a slow start to the season, Larraza went home for winter break, which proved to be a change in his game, according to him.

In the second half of the season, Larraza has stepped in to fill the holes, scoring four goals in the last four games for the Pioneers, including a game-winner, putting his total points at 13 off six goals and seven assists in the 22 games he has played so far this season.

“It all started when I went home for break; I got some rest and skated with my dad, which is always a good confidence booster,” said Larraza. “I came back and went as hard as I could in the games and didn’t hold anything back. In the first game back against BU, we killed them and I got a goal, and from there it’s just kept rolling.

I’m just feeling it right now; I don’t know how else to explain it.”

Senior Reporter

For those who have been to the Winter X Games in Aspen, the appeal of the games lies far beyond the actual athletic events. While watching Shaun White, Mark McMorris, Levi LaVallee and Simon Dumont fly through the air is certainly a great draw to many, the general environment and free “schwag” is sure to attract others. Every year, the base area is covered in booths, and organizations like ESPN, Otterbox, Red Bull and even the

United States Navy set up displays to attract visitors and give away free items.

As visitors shuffle over the base of Buttermilk Mountain, one of four Aspen-area ski mountains, music blasts from towers set up around the booths or perhaps from a concert. This year, DJ Calvin Harris headlined the event, treating fans to a show at the base of the big air jump on Saturday. On mountain isn’t the only place to find good shows, though; Belly Up Aspen, a local bar and favorite concert venue, hosted rapper Tyler the Creator this year, among other artists.

dalton handy|clarion

DU students enjoy the X Games experience in Aspen over the weekend. More than 115,500 people attended the four-day event.