Clarion Issue 120 Volume 6

WILL 6-YEAR-OLD QUVENZHANÉ WIN AN OSCAR? | Page 9 University of Denver student newspaper since 1899

Vol. 120, Issue 6

Hit-and-run perp convicted of homicide

Feb. 19, 2013

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Yakov memorial advances by emma mckay

Assistant Lifestyles Editor

by gigi peccolo Assistant News Editor

edward gaug|clarion

The Chancellor has approved a memorial for Yakov Keyman, the hot dog vendor that occupied the corner of Asbury Avenue until late last year.

Pios win in nail-biter, sit at No. 21 national poll by anna gauldin Sports Editor

The Pioneer men’s basketball team extended its win streak to six straight games over the weekend, defeating Utah State 63-60 in overtime on Thursday and topping San Jose State 62-41 on Saturday night.

After the weekend, DU (17-8 overall) sits at No. 2 in the Western Athletic Conference (WAC) with a 13-2 conference record, second only to Louisiana Tech’s perfect 14-0 WAC record. With the victories, Denver moved into College Insider’s Men’s Mid-Major Top 25, ranked No. 21.

Sophomore guard Brett Olson led Denver with the first and last bucket of Thursday’s game in Logan, Utah, scoring

Prohibition-era bar is a nostalgic hipster’s haven LIFESTYLES | Page 6

QUOTABLE

The man accused of killing a DU graduate student in a hit-and-run crash last May was found guilty at trial on Feb. 6, according to a news release from the Denver District Attorney’s Office.

Andrew Simpson, 46, was convicted on charges of vehicular homicide and leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death.

On May 31, Simpson ran a red light at the intersection of Evans Avenue and University Boulevard. Engineering graduate student and Iran native Masoud Bahramsharif was struck while walking his bicycle beside him.

Bahramsharif was taken to Denver Health Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.

According to the Denver Police Department’s statement of probable cause, witnesses said the vehicle Simpson drove was a red Jeep Grand Cherokee and estimated the vehicle had been going between 50 and 65 miles per hour.

Minutes before the accident, two 911 calls had been placed regarding a reckless driver on southbound Logan Street and East Virginia Avenue. One caller claimed the driver was following him and asking where to buy marijuana; the other caller said the driver was “flipping people off ” and was barechested with multiple tattoos.

On June 4, an officer found a maroon Jeep Grand Cherokee at 1641 Hanover St. after an anonymous tip. The vehicle had Colorado license plates and damage consistent with the type of accident. An officer was inspecting the vehicle when the male suspect walked out and said “I’m the one you’re looking for.”

Simpson was subsequently arrested. The anonymous tipper said that Simpson had been his friend for four or five years and that Simpson had told him he had “really f---ed up.” He said Simpson thought he hit something on Iliff but thought it was a dog, so he kept driving. Simpson drove back once but didn’t see anything. The tipper went outside, saw the damage to the vehicle and said they would call the police. He also disclosed that the Jeep belonged to Simpson’s girlfriend Kathy, and that she had not seen any damage before.

Simpson could face up to 18 years in prison. His sentencing hearing will be held on March 28 at 1:30 p.m. in Denver District Courtroom 5B.

a buzzer-beating three-pointer in overtime to secure the 63-60 victory and posting a team-high 17 points. Sophomore Royce O’Neale, senior Chase Hallam and junior Chris Udofia all scored in double digits as well, recording 14, 13 and 10 points, respectively. O’Neale and Udofia added five assists each, and Hallam posted three steals.

“It was a great college basketball game,” said head coach Joe Scott. “You have to give Utah State credit. They’ve dealt with an unbelievable amount of adversity this season, and their players and coaches have re-gathered themselves and are playing well. Our guys stayed calm the whole time tonight. We battled all game and came up big at the end.”

You might have known him as that kind hot dog guy on Asbury, the man you used to get advice from on a stressful day or even as the man who used to help you practice your Russian. No matter how you knew him, Yakov Neyman, who immigrated to the U.S. from Russia in 1992, has been one of the most recognizable and beloved members of the DU community for nearly ten years.

Yakov Neyman’s friendly presence on campus has been a crucial part of the DU experience for students, faculty and staff alike. That’s why when it was announced last month that Neyman passed away last October after battling cancer, it caused a great amount of sadness on campus – enough, that some students have even taken the initiative to prepare a memorial on campus in his honor.

Michael Krebsbach, who graduated with a degree in real estate and construction management last June, found out about Neyman’s passing on Jan. 23 when he called Neyman’s cell phone, only to get his granddaughter on the other end, who explained Yakov’s death.

“I was really close with Yakov,” said Krebsbach. “He was a really good man who everyone loved. Most people would interact with him when they were buying a hot dog, but they also went to him for advice and he would cheer them up and he always had a smile on his face. He was always more concerned about how you were feeling than how he was feeling.”

According to Krebsbach, when he announced the news on his Facebook page, he got a flood of responses saying how great a man he was. The post was shared on others’ Facebook pages 344 times.

“I found out from Michael,” said junior economics major from Denver, Amir Alsayegh, who is working to get a memorial placed near Asbury Street where Neyman used to work. “When he broke the news to everyone, I said we should do something in his honor, because he’s been around longer than a lot of institutions at DU.” Alsayegh immediately got Chancellor Coombe’s blessing for the project.

“I actually ran into him one day and asked him if he could help me push it through,” said Alsayegh. “So he said ‘absolutely - you have my blessing, the project has my blessing. Anyone who gives you trouble, you tell them that the Chancellor wants this done.’”

SEE men’s, PAGE 15

“It would be a dastardly way of banning semiautomatic guns” OPINIONS | Page 9

SEE neyman, PAGE 6

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days without a freestanding library at du

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Group denounces Newmont by lanna giauque Staff Writer

Two representatives from the Denver Justice and Peace Committee (DJPC) spoke to a group of over thirty students, faculty and community members about Newmont Mining Corporation last Wednesday in Korbel’s Cyber Cafe at 5 p.m., saying Newmont Mining Operations continue to be inhumane and should be protested.

Jerry Stookey, DJPC’s Director of Program Services, said that DJPC is a grassroots organization dedicated to human rights and lasting peace in Latin America. One of the organization’s focuses is on Newmont Mining Company, which is based out of Denver and has gold mining operations worldwide.

Last year, the Clarion reported (“Occupy denounces Daniels corporate donor” by Sarah Ford, May 21, 2012) on student group Occupy DU’s call to students and university faculty for a change in the university’s relationship with Newmont Mining Company.

According to the article, Occupy alleged Newmont Mining to be one of the top sponsors of the Daniels College of Business. In the article, DU also awarded former Newmont CEO Wayne Murdy its International Bridge Builder Award in 2007, sparking protests at the time.

The DJPC representatives

said that many of the problems people saw in 2007 with Newmont are still occurring today.

Stookey focused on the human rights violations committed by the mining corporation and gave a handout to members of the audience outlining “mining concerns” that DJPC has about Newmont’s operations. Some of these included: “ground water pollution through the use of cyanide to extract gold” and “use of private security force (FORZA), which violates human rights.” Stookey also said indigenous people are being convinced to give up their land without knowing what will happen to it.

“Mining often destroys sacred land and spiritual sites,” Stookey said.

Kevin Szewc, a DU alum in Environmental Policy and representative of DJPC, said the pros of Newmont mines in Latin American communities are economic growth and development in the countries where the mines exist, in addition to the creation of new jobs, although he said those jobs are usually temporary.

He said the cons of Newmont presence include health dangers, violence, water pollution and cultural disruption.

“It’s impossible for an operation of this size to prevent contaminants from entering streams,” Szewc said.

He cited specific examples of mercury and cyanide poi-

sonings in people living in places close to the mining sites, including a case at a Newmont mine in Peru.

Szewc said governments are overlooking issues like tainted water supplies resulting from the mining operations in order to get the profit from the mines.

“Imagine having to choose between water and gold,” said Szewc.

In addition, Szewc said that mining often destroys sacred and natural lands. He pointed to the high price of gold in the global marketplace as the reason Newmont’s negative activities have been allowed to continue.

Stookey explained DJPC’s current recommendations concerning Newmont mining, including stopping mining on sacred land, ending human rights abuses, banning the use of dangerous chemicals and giving regional governments more authority to express the will of the people.

He called for attendees of the event to “help spread the word” about Newmont Mining Company as well as be conscious consumers of gold.

Finally, he encouraged attendees to host an event, lobby their senators or congressmen or organize protests until Newmont Mining aligns with DJPC’s recommendations.

“We’re not anti-mining, but there must be a better way to do this,” said Stookey.

P o l i c e

r e p o r t

alcohol On Friday, Feb. 15 at 12:21 a.m., Campus Safety officers responded to Johnson-McFarlane Hall regarding intoxicated students. Upon arrival Campus Safety officers met with four students. It was determined three students could not safely remain on campus and were taken to Denver Cares. A fourth student was released.

On Friday, Feb. 15 at 1:15 a.m., while on routine patrol, a Campus Safety officer observed a student banging on the glass at Centennial Halls.

The officer started to question the student and they became combative. The Denver Police Department (DPD) responded to the scene. Due to the student’s level of intoxication, Denver Health was requested and they transported the student to the hospital.

On Friday, Feb. 15 at 1:32 a.m., the DPD requested Campus Safety respond to an off-campus bar regarding a student.

Upon arrival, they met with the reporting DPD officer who stated they were citing a student for underage drinking and public consumption of alcohol.

Vandalism On Friday, Feb. 15 at 8:58 a.m., while on routine patrol a Cam-

pus Safety officer discovered a damaged window at Metallurgy.

Facilities were contacted to repair the window.

On Sunday, Feb. 17 at 12:27 a.m., Campus safety officers responded to Johnson-McFarlane Hall regarding vandalism.

Upon arrival, they met with the reporting party who stated two bathroom stall doors in the women’s restroom were damaged.

On Tuesday, Feb. 12 at 2:03 a.m., during routine patrol a Campus Safety officer was contacted by a staff member who reported that while performing their job duties, they discovered damage to a window in the basement of Ammi Hyde.

Drugs On Friday, Feb. 15 at 11:27 p.m., Campus Safety officers were called to JohnsonMcFarlane Hall regarding drug paraphernalia found in a student’s room. Upon arrival, they met with a Resident Assistant who stated while conducting a community walk they noticed alcohol and drug paraphernalia in a student’s room. DPD was contacted to identify an unknown drug.

Officers confiscated the items in question.

DU does the ‘Harlem Shake,’ Boone protested by anita balakrishnan Editor-in-chief

The “Harlem Shake” school spirit video, filmed Friday on the steps of Sturm at 1 p.m., attracted almost 200 costume-clad students and 3 protesters who were escorted away from the event by campus safety after becoming confrontational over the use of Boone as the “official” mascot of DU. Alex Hess filmed the video, which has received over 10,000 views on Youtube since Friday.

“It’s [the ‘Harlem Shake’} basically a viral video on YouTube of one person dancing for the first 15 seconds of a song called ‘Harlem Shake,’ and after the bass drops, it cuts to a scene of many people dancing crazy with funny costumes.” Costumes included hot dog suits, banana suits and Gumby.

Hess, who is a sophomore mathematics major from Portland, Ore. and is involved with Hillel, helped organize the event after hearing ideas from several fellow students.

“After a few of the videos became viral on YouTube, students of all organizations began talking about it in classes and through

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social media like Facebook and Twitter about organizing it to happen at DU,” said Hess.

According to Hess, the event was not sponsored by any single club.

“The students of DU were the ones who had the idea,” said Hess.

“This was simply an idea the students of DU wanted to do that was fun and spirited.”

The event was sponsored on Facebook and YouTube by Denver Boone, DU’s unofficial school mascot. Hess said he contacted the facilitators of the Boone Facebook page to help spread the word about the event.

“The goal was just to make a parody that all of DU could contribute in. Tons of people were talking about doing it, but no one set up a date or time,” said Hess. “So I contacted Boone via his Facebook page and asked if he could create the event, and create some hype for it, since he has over 3,000 Facebook friends at DU. “So I really wouldn’t say I or Boone organized it, rather just got the word of mouth out about the timing so all of the DU students that wanted to participate had a set place and time to do it all at once.”

The beginning of the event was delayed by the presence of three

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DU Native Student Alliance (NSA) members, Jose Guerrero, a junior sociology major, Amanda Wilson, junior psychology major and Julia Bramante, junior chemistry major, who attended the event to protest the presentation of Boone as the DU mascot.

“The main cause of this was to bring up the fact that we should not be bringing Boone back into the picture when we are trying to move past him as our mascot,” said Wilson, who said that Boone “does not represent an inclusive campus climate.”

According to Wilson, the event was not an official NSA event, but that all three students were NSA members. The ultimate goal, according to Guerrero, was to appear in the video, not halt its production.

“We did not try to stop the video from being filmed, we just wanted to be in it,” said Guerrero.

“We figured they would have let our point of view in the video since part of the DU community share this point of view, but instead we were asked to leave and then physically forced to leave.”

According to Guerrero, the three students were escorted away

by Campus Safety officers from the protest and stopped from re-

Weekly Forecast

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approaching the video after a confrontation between the participants and the protestors.

According to the DCS Daily Incident report, the students were escorted away after “interfering with the event” and becoming “confrontational.”

Guerrero said that while they tried to “reason with” the filmmakers and guards, the guards were “rude and disrespectful” and used “excess force” on the shoulders and arms of the students during the incident. Guerrero, Wilson and Bramante left of their own accord after being blocked from reapproaching by DCS officers.

DCS Public Information officer Sgt. Banet said the policy surrounding use of force in escorting students is use of “reasonable necessary force.” Megan Pendley Pickett and Carl Johnson, director of student activities and executive director of campus life, respectively, said that DCS is alerted on events that are expected to draw large crowds, although they could not speak to the specific incident.

Hess said that their only request from the protestors was to move for the first scene of the video.

“We told them that once we filmed the first scene with just one

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person, they were more than welcome to come join in the second scene. Instead they refused to move away from the camera completely, and one member of the NSA even accused me of being a racist, which personally, being a Jew who has dealt with anti-Semitism in my life before and has worked hard to support all races and creeds, was a little disturbing and somewhat hurtful,” said Hess.

Guerrero said that the issue is centered on education about the Native student struggle.

“We watched the video and overall we thinks it depicts a fake image of the culture at the university. It ignores the struggle that our people have been through since the 1990’s when Boone was originally eradicated,” said Guerrero. “We were really bothered by the amount of attention focused on Boone in the video. ...This form of propaganda is the reason why a large proportion of the student body continues to ignore the racial symbolism that is attached to Boone and continue to support his existence.”

The video is located at duclarion.com/HarlemShake.

SEE PHOTOS ON PAGE 6

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Students ready to revamp Boulder Graduate students will focus on civic area in real estate challenge by gigi peccolo Assistant News Editor

A team of graduate students will face off against CU Boulder at the beginning of May in the Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge, according to Jeffrey Engelstad, clinical professor at the Franklin L. Burns School of Real Estate & Construction Management.

The 11th annual Rocky Mountain Real Estate Challenge will focus on the redevelopment of about 3.5 acres of the Boulder Civic Area. According to the event website, “the challenge will be looking at the highest and best use for this important block of the Civic Area.” Students are tasked with creating a “preferred development” real estate proposal for the area.

Engelstad conceded that the CU students may have a home

field advantage, since the oneblock space is “right in the heart of Boulder, about 14th and Canyon.”

“We are right in their backyard,” said Engelstad, who serves as coach and facilitator for the team as well as professor of the class associated with the challenge. “We know we’re going to get ‘home-towned’ a little bit on this one, but that’s okay, we’re going to beat them anyway.”

DU has participated in the competition every year since its inception and has won the competition six out of ten times, according to Engelstad.

The challenge is put on by the National Association for Industrial and Office Parks (NAIOP), a commercial real estate organization.

Engelstad said the challenge usually pits two local schools against each other, rather than taking a national focus like some other programs.

Being local, the students can really work on the project in a more realistic setting than if students in Denver were working on a project in Louisiana,” said Engelstad.

According to the event website, the challenge is “designed to serve as a learning tool for students ... while assisting the Project Sponsor with development options for the specific property.”

“Not only are [the students] attempting to come up with a solution that will be sustainable financially, but it certainly needs to advance community goals, which is of equal importance, but really the main thing is to provide space for the city and programs,” said Engelstad. “It’s a very difficult project.”

The winning team in the competition will receive $5,000, which students usually use to help defray the costs, according to Engelstad. The second place team will receive $3,000. A $5,000 scholarship will also be awarded to the winning school.

“It’s a well put-together deal,” said Engelstad.

According to Engelstad, participants received their assignment around the end of December and have been working on it since.

“In reality, they have very little time to do a very complex task,” said Engelstad.

“But, it’s incredibly more time than you would have if it was a national competition.”

There will be an internal competition between the two DU teams of six students in mid-April to determine who will move on to the final competition on May 1. Each student has visited the site and is working with an architect, land planner and developer.

“I really kind of coordinate things and help the students find the professional contacts, because it’s really the professional contacts that are driving this: the student’s vision, backed up by the professionals,” said Engelstad.

Students opt to do the program, according to Engelstad.

“The students who have done it have always said ‘this is the best thing I did’, and they get jobs as a result of it, because they get to know everybody in the industry,” said Engelstad.

“In my opinion, it’s the most valuable thing that a

graduate student in real estate student or construction management can do, because it’s a field project,” said Engelstad.

“This is where the theory meets reality.”

Graduate student Cary Wicker participated in last year’s competition and said it was “one of the more meaningful classes” they took at DU. “The Challenge was a fantastic field study that provided exposure to the the real estate market and greater Denver community,” said Wicker. “The competition forces you to be entrepreneurial and reach out to as many people as possible.”

Overall, Engelstad said the experience, not the win, is the most important part of the challenge.

“Of course it’s more fun to win, but the benefit of this is going through the process,” said Engelstad. “Every year, there’s about a gnat’s hair of difference between the two proposals … it’s kind of like you’re selecting between two A-plus papers.”

Korbel speaker calls for nonvionent revolution by sarah ford News Editor

Lecturer Stephen Zunes, professor of politics and international studies at the University of San Franscisco, argued that nonviolent revolutions had a more successful history than those of violence in a speech at the Korbel School of International Studies last Monday.

The lecture was attended by approximately 60 undergraduate and graduate students, as well as faculty and staff of Korbel.

“What’s to learn (from these events) is the success of peaceful movements against highly militarized states,” said Zunes.

Zunes is known internationally for his advocacy for peaceful revolutions and opposition to the foreign policy of the United States in the Middle East.

He has written three books on these subjects, including Tinderbox: U.S. Middle East Policy and the Roots of Terrorism, Nonviolent Social Movements and Western Sahara War and Nationalism and Conflict Resolution.

The history of Middle Eastern revolutions shows that nonviolent protest is more effective than violent revolutions, Zunes argued.

He cited several examples of peaceful resolutions considered a success, including Yemen, Tunisia and Egypt during the 2011 demonstrations now referred to by many as the “Arab Spring.”

He also said the Middle East has shown, contrary to what

many believe, a history of suc- usage of Western social media cessful peaceful revolts, such as such as Facebook. the Shah and Iranian revolutions.

In addition, Zunes noted “There is nothing in that Internet usage and cell Islamic society contrary to phones were cut off within five the idea of unarmed resis- days of the first protests. tance,” Zunes said. “They obey “It was not the internet— authority, but not if they do not it was the street smarts of the believe it to be in God’s will.” people,” said Zunes.

Protesters in Tunisia, According to him, the Egypt and Yemen were “facing protests have had a significant down cannons, bullets, gun impact on Middle Eastern squads and culture and its tear gas,” future. to continue He called carrying the peaceout a peaceful protests a ful revolu“major blow tion said to Al-Qaeda” Zunes. because they Zunes demonstrated said part of the ability to the reason bring down m a n y governments around the Stephen Zunes, lecturer and t h r o u g h world perother professor of politics and inter- means ceive these than violence.

Z u n e s p r o t e s t s national studies at the Universaid the demas being sity of San Francisco onstrations violent is because of media coverage dealt a similar blow to Neofocusing on the most violent liberal thinking in the Western Hemisphere about their aspects of each protest.

However, he noted in each role in bringing Democracy case people were being killed to the Middle East by showing movements are rarely a in these protests.

He said Western thinking product of Western influence.

Ultimately, nonviolent prooften assigns too much credit to Western leaders for the tests had a long string of success movements for Democracy in Middle Eastern history.

He also said it continues in the Middle East, such as to be the most effective way former President Bush.

“It is somewhat racist to ignite change in the region, to think that people in the according to Zunes.

“An overwhelming amount Middle East cannot think critically and analyze the situ- of the time, non-violent methods are effective,” said Zunes. “If you ation,” said Zunes.

Zunes also critiqued the look at revolutions that didn’t perception the protests were work it’s not because of nonviocarried out mostly because of lence, it’s because of strategy.”

“What’s to learn [from these events] is the success of peaceful movements against highly militarized states.”

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Campus Crusade raises Chorale pays honor to money in name of love Black History Month by carolyn neff Senior Reporter

ryan lumpkin|clarion

Forty students attended the “Love Is...” event hosted by Cru last week, which featured dinner cooked by students at Johnson and Whales University

by sarah ford News Editor

Campus Crusade Club (Cru) held a dinner Friday night attended by approximately 40 students to benefit Dry Bones Denver, a local charity that reaches out to homeless youth.

Cru, a Christian-based organization which helps students develope relationships with other christian students at the university.

The benefit dinner is an annual event, now in its second year, hosted by Cru and entitled “Love Is…” The event, which is held directly after Valentine’s Day, is meant to make students consider different forms of love.

Students were charged $7 per ticket for entry, the funds of which were donated to Dry Bones, and were served catered meals during a presentation by a Dry Bones Denver representative.

“We recognize in this season of love, there is a misconception about what love really is,” said Cru Program Manager Brent Phillip.

He said the benefit dinner was held to help students reconsider the idea of love while focusing on a “great cause.”

The dinner was catered by

members of Zeta Beta Tau fraternity (ZBT) and featured cooks from Johnson and Wales University, affiliates of the DU Cru chapter.

“This is a really great way to reach out and develop relationships with other groups on campus,” said Jon Forbes, president of Cru. Forbes began the “Love Is…” event last year, after returning from abroad.

“I wanted to do something different,” said Forbes. “The goal is to capture something people are passionate about” Last year, Cru hosted a dinner benefiting International Justice Mission, an international group that focuses on human trafficking.

“Near Valentines’ Day people tend to focus on themselves,” said Forbes. “This is a really outwardly focused love that we give to people who really need it.”

Forbes said he reached out to Dry Bones for Friday’s event and invited them to send a representative to speak to the crowd, which he said they were “more than happy to do.”

Forbes said he wanted the charity benefactor of this year’s event to be a local organization, as opposed to the internation-

ally-focused International Justice Mission.

“I wanted to give people the chance to be involved in something that makes a difference right where they’re at,” said Forbes.

A representative from Dry Bones, Robby Goldman, showed a video about the work being done

by Dry Bones and spoke about the homeless youth the organization works with.

He said Dry Bones focuses on helping the young people who did not get into homeless programs set up by other groups in Denver.

He said the group also focuses on providing friendships and relationships to homeless youth.

“One thing we found our friends don’t know about is their self-worth,” said Goldman. “But everyone brings something unique and that is what makes this so beautiful.”

Goldman also said that while the event raiased money for Dry Bones, that was not the most important part of the dinner.

“Yes we do give them money, but what we really want to do is raise awareness,” he said.

Forbes said Cru plans to host another “Love Is…” next year as well.

Students prep to study abroad by carolyn neff Senior Reporter

There are 696 students registered to go abroad in the upcoming 2013-2014 academic school year, according to nominations released by the Office of International Education (OIE) early last week.

According to Assistant Director of OIE Michelle Rembolt, while the OIE does not have a set number of students that they send abroad every year, they do work to send every qualified applicant, usually between 650 and 700 students.

Rembolt said that students were given three to five days to either accept or decline their nomination.

Those students who did choose to accept their nomina-

tion to one of their program choices now have to complete that specific program’s application.

“Unfortunately we don’t have the numbers quite compiled yet for the number of students nominated to a DU Partner Program as this whole process just happened last week,” she said.

Rembolt said that there are many things to consider when choosing a study abroad program, so the OIE encourages students to focus on the research of individual programs.

“Though many students focus on the actual application, the larger and more important piece is what happens before a student applies,” Remboldt said.

According to Rembolt, the actual application process

is fairly brief, and includes an online WebCentral application and short essays in regards to study abroad plans and program choices. Rembolt said that students are also asked to select several programs as back-up options.

Rembolt said that some programs are “competitive,” which means that the OIE receives more applications than the number of spots that are available.

According to Rembolt, on March 1, the OIE will be holding workshops at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to teach students how to leverage their international experiences for their future careers, as well as hosting an International Potluck lunch at 12:30 p.m.

Students are invited to bring food from their host country and/or where they studied or plan to study abroad.

The Lamont Chorale will be performing with The Spirituals Project Choir in honor of Black History Month on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at the Newman Center for Performing Arts. It is the first collaborative performance between the two musical groups.

The Spirituals Project choir, part of The Spirituals Project, is a non-profit agency based out of DU’s higher education department which aims to use African American spiritual music as a form of selfexpression and an art form.

Director of choral studies Catherine Sailer, who conducts the Lamont Chorale, said there was a strong mission within the Lamont Chorale to connect with the community for this performance.

“It is a great example of cross-departmental collaboration at DU,” Sailer said.

She said the Lamont Chorale has been preparing for the performance for a long time.

“We [the Lamont Chorale] have been studying the spiritual as an art form over the past quarter,” Sailer said. “We have been looking at how this music has transformed from songs that people used as plays, with some secret hidden messages, to the underground railroads.”

Sailer said the performance will be comprised of concert music arranged as spirituals (created by enslaved Africans in America in the 18th and 19th centuries) from this long musical history.

“We want to highlight the perseverance and optimism for the hope for a better life and future, which this type of music conveys,” said Sailer.

According to Sailer, both the Lamont Chorale and The Spirituals Project Choir will be presenting some pieces of their own before collaborating as a larger group.

“The performance is free and can be enjoyed on so many levels,” said Sailer.

“There is wonderful rhythmic vitality, which is elevating and uplifting.”

Sailer said the performance will be approachable, and that The Spirituals Project Choir conductors Bennie L. Williams and LaDamion Mass will encourage the audience to explore the music like a text.

The Lamont Chorale, as well as the DU women’s and men’s choirs, will be performing on March 6.

Sailer said the women’s and men’s choirs are open to anyone in the DU community, and that they are always looking for more singers. Contact Sailer at csailer@du.edu for more information.

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Medical Brigade raises funds for Honduras

photo courtesy of du medical brigades

Students gathered at South Philly Cheese Steaks last Friday night to support DU Global Medical Bridgades’ trip to Honduras over spring break

by maura shea Staff Writer

The DU chapter of Global Medical Brigades hosted the fundraiser Heartbreak for Honduras last Friday night at South Philly Cheese Steaks to spread awareness about their group and raise funds for their upcoming spring break trip to Honduras.

Kicking off at 9 p.m., customers paid $5 to get into the restaurant and bar which went directly to the organization. From there, different specials were offered including hater-aid and heartbreak punch drinks from which the group received profits. The event was well attended with close to 200 people coming out to support the organization.

“The trip cost per person is on an individual basis, so the profits [from] Friday are only going to medical and dental supplies,” said Monica Thurston,

a junior biochemistry major from Montrose and a member of the organization who will be going on the Honduras trip.

The organization will be providing essential health care to the San Lorenzo area of Honduras. According to the president, Hengyi Chen, a senior majoring in biology and psychology from Singapore, the organization will help to establish temporary medical and dental clinics. The students and doctors will see a few thousand patients during their stay.

Accompanying the students on their trip is Munni Selagamsetty, who is part of a family practice in Colorado Springs and Theresa Cheng, who is a dentist from Washington.

“This is a great opportunity for all the students involved, especially those interested in the medical and dental fields,” said Jason Desai, the Vice President of the organization. “There are sections to our clinic for all our students to

get involved, and we will rotate positions as the week goes along.”

The different positions include intake, triage, medical, dental, public education and a pharmacy. As part of the medical clinic, patients will speak to brigadiers about their medical problems and history while the brigadiers check vitals and other tests as needed. A doctor then sees the patient in order to make a diagnosis and prescribe medication. The clinic will be equipped with a pharmacy to fill prescriptions. Patients will receive a 30-day supply of their prescribe medication. At the dental station, patients will get their teeth cleaned and depending on availability, some may be seen by a doctor who will ease pain associated with tooth decay.

Global Medical Brigades is studentoriented organization that is dedicated to worldwide health and sustainable development. They have 160 chapters in universities across the world and have a total of 4,000 members.

“Since 2004, Global Brigades has mobilized thousands of university students and professionals through nine skill-based programs that work in partnership with community members to improve quality of life in under resourced regions while respecting local culture,” said Desai.

In addition to the medical and dental brigade, DU has a public health brigade that helps communities and families improve their homes and living conditions by building water storage units, concrete floors and bathrooms. There is also a water brigade that helps communities to establish a sustainable water source. Each program will be going on a separate spring break trip to different regions in Honduras.

When the DU Global Medical Brigade leaves at the end of their spring break, the communities will expect the next brigade to arrive within a month.

“We as an organization don’t want to have a presence in the communities we work in forever,” said Desai. “We want to establish an infrastructure in the community, and train members within the community so that they can sustain what we have done once we are gone.”

Global Medical Brigades was founded on the DU campus by 2012 DU alum Brett Friedman in 2011. Phillip Danielson of the biology department is the faculty advisor to the organization. They have grown from 28 brigadiers that went on the first spring break trip in 2012 to 36 brigadiers who are signed up to go on the upcoming trip.

Any student can join the organization and does not have to be going into the medical field or have any medical training.

“Our members range in many degrees and majors,” said senior biology and psychology major Chris Doody from Grand Junction who is the public relations chair for the organization.

The best way to get involved is to attend weekly meetings on Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. in Olin. The room location varies according to availability; contact the organization at dumedbrigades@ gmail.com for more information.

“This group is important to DU because Global Brigades is part of the world’s largest student led global health and sustainable development organizations,” said Doody. “Students should be interested because you get real hands on experience and it is something very unique to this organization.”

The group will be leaving on March 17 and returning March 24.

Francoscope club celebrates culture by kameryn tanita Senior Reporter

French might not be your first language, but DU’s French Club, DU Francoscope, welcomes all levels of French, whether it is just “bonjour” or “Je t’aime” or a much more advanced level. In comparison to other student organizations, DU Francoscope is not as well known, but they host a variety of events from concerts, to etiquette dinners, cooking classes, movie nights and best of all, their annual Mardi Gras party, which took place last Tuesday from 5-7pm.

Junior Karoyln Castaldo, from Bedford, N.H. is an English major with French and marketing minors and has been the president of DU Francoscope for the past two years.

“The best part about [French Club] is just how excited people get about the events,” said Castaldo. “We don’t always have a ton of people like some of the other organizations, but the people that we do get are genuinely excited to be there and it’s a nice atmosphere and everyone is super welcoming.”

DU Francoscope doesn’t have any weekly meetings or fees but they host events throughout the year, usually once a month, where members can participate. According to Castaldo, there are usually around 30 people at each event and the amount of people has grown since last year.

The Mardi Gras party is one of DU Francoscope’s most popular events, according to Castaldo. Last Tuesday, people gathered in the Center for World Languages and Cultures in Sturm to enjoy classic Mardi Gras food, decorate masks and eat

the traditional Mardi Gras King cake.

Sodexo catered the event and made traditional shrimp étouffée, rice, gumbo and New Orleans style muffuletta sandwiches.

French Club also does a conversation table once a month where students can practice their speaking skills, no matter the level.

“We go to Starbucks or another coffee shop and have a professor come and lead the discussion,” said Castaldo.

“It’s really fun because we don’t talk about class related things. We talk about movies we’ve seen, or our favorite book or whatever. It’s a good way to get into more of a conversational setting outside the classroom.”

There are six other DU Francoscope officers and one main moderator who is in charge of appointing the officers throughout the year. According to Castaldo, there is a mix of student participation, including a few grad students.

Last month, DU Francoscope hosted a new event, The Senegalese Sabar Drumming event. Students were taught how to play Sabar Drums from Professor Vieux Touré of the Lamont Music School.

“I think we put on events that aren’t super traditional...like the steel drum event, I don’t know who else would think of that kind of thing,” said Castaldo. “A professor came to us and said I know this person in the music school he’s from Senegal can you set something up and so we did.”

For anyone trying to master their culinary skills, The French Club also offers a cooking class in the spring, at The Kitchen Table which is a cooking school in Greenwood Village. The

kameryn tanita|clarion

The photo exhibit “Seduced by Light” showcased the work of 18 students who participated in a winter interterm course in London and Paris.

kameryn tanita|clarion

Junior biology major Tri Nguyen enjoyed a tasty Mardi Gras treat at DU Francophone’s party last Tuesday.

class will be around $10 and is taught in both French and English, according to Castaldo.

“The cooking class is awesome, it’s probably one of the best events,” said Castaldo. “You cook a traditional French meal with an awesome desert.”

From cooking classes to movie nights, DU Francoscope hosts a wide variety of events that are fun for everyone.

“We are really flexible with our events but we also just like to do things that are different and that other students wouldn’t normally get to do,” said Castaldo.

For anyone looking to join DU Francoscope, students can join the Facebook page to get a list of upcoming events, including this Thursday’s screening of “Coco Avant Chanel.”

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Feb. 19, 2013

www.duclarion.com

Neyman to be honored Continued from page 1

Alsayegh isn’t sure exactly what type of a memorial it will be, but is thinking about possibly making it a bench made of limestone.

“People with serious anxiety about school or work would tell him ‘I’m really worried right now’ and he would say ‘why are you worried? Find what you’re worried about - should you be worried about it?’” said Alsayegh. “If he could just talk to every student I think we’d be a better campus.

So I think a bench [where people can sit and relax] would be a really great memorial.”

According to Alsayegh, a DU sign made of limestone was recently torn down and he was told he is more than welcome to use the remains as material for the bench.

A lot of plans still have to be finalized for the project such as which company will make the memorial, what will be written on it and how the project will be funded. In addition, Alsayegh still has to work with the university architect to get the plan approved.

But despite all of this, he still hopes to finish the memorial soon.

“This would normally take 6 months to a year to get everything in place,” said Alsayegh.

“But we’re hoping to make it happen in closer to a month.

Having the chancellor’s blessing is really helpful.”

According to Krebsbach, Neyman had a life and personality more than worth remembering through a memorial.

Neyman was born in 1939 just before the Holocaust, to a Jewish family in Babruysk, Belarus, a country bordered by Russia to the north and Ukraine to the south.

Head of the painting department, Deborah Howard, painted Neyman as a part of her art exhibit “Beyond the Shore” which focused on the Holocaust. She knew Neyman personally from this as well as her time spent at his hotdog stand.

According to Howard, Neyman told her that as a young

child he became a refugee with his the petition, and he and Neyman mother and brother, running from actually sat in on a student senate place to place to avoid the Nazis. meeting to present their case, but “Somebody came and nothing ever came of it. knocked on their door and his “They didn’t give us a yes or mother answered, and they said no,” said Krebsbach, “They just you better get out because the didn’t actually do anything about it.”

Nazis are coming,” said Howard.

Despite all of his struggles in “I know that his mother put his life, anyone who knew Neyman younger brother in her backpack.” would say that he had a very posiAccording to Howard, Ney- tive outlook and loved his work. man’s father was a soldier who “I don’t know if he learned to was killed during the war. love it, or if he loved it from the Neyman, along with his beginning,” said Alsayegh. “But mother and brother managed to he really loved what he did.” survive the war by finding refuge Neyman was constantly with a family in Siberia. His home giving advice to customers and town of Babruysk having been trying to put a smile on their face. destroyed, Neyman then grew up “He told me to never fall in in Russia. love, and that I should eat relish Neyman received his PhD like my life depends on it,” said in engineering Marin Klostermeier, a during his time “He told me to never sophomore psycholin Russia He fall in love, and that I ogy major from St. started a family should eat relish like Louis, who used to and worked at a visit his stand occachemical manu- my life depends on it,” sionally. “He was a facturing plant very wise man.” in Leningrad.

According to Marin Klostermeier Because of Howard, Neyman was anti-Semitism Sophomore always cheerful, and that still perhe cared immensely sisted in Russia at the time, his about everyone in his life. mother moved to Denver right “He always asked me about after Jews were allowed to move how my son was doing,” said from Russia to Israel or the U.S. in Howard. “When I did his portrait, 1980. Neyman followed 12 years I photographed him once in the later with his wife and daughter. summer. He was always smiling According to Krebsbach, and he just kind of had a sparkle he worked for an automobile in his eye. He just loved people, company making airbags until he he really did.” was laid off in his early 60s. Being “I asked him to cater my gradolder, and without English as his uation party,” said Krebsbach. “He native language, finding a new almost broke down in tears when I job would have been extremely asked him that. He was just really difficult for Neyman. So, he used happy to celebrate my graduation.” his severance package to open his “The best part is he wasn’t beloved hotdog stand. stingy,” said Alsayegh. “You could The hotdog business was walk up and order a hotdog and not an easy one. According to he’d make it for you. If I had forKrebsbach, on weekends Yakov gotten my wallet he would say, ‘no moved his stand to a different loca- don’t worry about it. It’s on me.’” tion in Cherry Creek because there Alsayegh wants to preserve wasn’t enough business at DU. the memory of Neyman’s spirit “Plus, when there would be and kindness in the best way posfood on Driscoll lawn, he would sible. But to complete Neyman’s go broke that day,” said Krebsbach. memorial project he still needs Krebsbach also started a peti- funding. If anyone has any fundtion online to have Neyman hired raising ideas or is interested in

by DU as part of its food service for contributing to the cause, contact events. Over 1,500 people signed amir.alsayegh@hotmail.com.

Breakers club teaches urban dance, hip hop by brenda velasquez Contributing Writer

Every Monday night from 7-9 p.m., members of the Pioneer Breakers Club gather in the Centennial Towers ballroom to rehearse, socialize and engage in urban art.

Founded in 2006 by ‘09 business alum Steven Silva as a way to create a community, Silva hoped the Breakers would be centered on the idea of “overcoming all obstacles, of rising to the occasion and pushing yourself to a level that inspires others,” said Silva.

In 2012, Joie Ha, a current sophomore considering an anthropology major from Aurora, took over as the current president of the Pioneer Breakers. Ha is a rookie in breakdancing but an avid follower of the hip hop movement.

“It’s a really warm and open and nonjudgmental group of people,” Ha said.

It was this welcoming environment that inspired Ha’s passion for hip hop, leading her to conduct academic research on the movement and soon, she began to promote the culture on campus.

“There are arguably five elements of hip hop: breakdancing, DJing, MCing (rapping), graffiti, and beat-boxing,” Ha said.

The breakdance style in general incorporates intricate body movements, coordination, style and aesthetics. It’s recognized for its rapid acrobats in which different parts of the body touch the ground, its highenergy as well as its spontaneity.

The club is comprised of six regulars: Cooki Cookster, Jeremiah Chen, Mike La Rosa, Brian Gonzalez and Justin DelRosario. While none of these five gentlemen actually attend DU, they comprise the Lost in Translation Crew, headed by Cookster, and have been part of the Breakers since 2008.

Since then, the team has become a campus source for urban dance, offering open sessions for anyone interested in this unique dance culture. The club is open to members of the Denver and DU community and is a space in which to learn and practice the art of breakdancing.

Last week, b-boys/girls, short for break dancing boy or girl, invested a larger amount of dedication than usual in preparation for one of the biggest jams in Colorado.

On Saturday, Feb. 9, Aurora’s School of Breaking (a dance school where Silva serves as an instructor) housed the fifth annual King of Hearts (Breakdancing) Competition, hosted by Dance2Live, a non-profit organization committed to the Colorado dance community.

“Breakdancing evolved as an alternative to gang violence in the Bronx,” said Ha. “Some people decided to branch out and handle their conflicts through dancing, and that’s why they call it ‘breakdancing battles,.’ It’s basically fighting with your personal style, your movements.”

The benefits of breakdancing stretch further beyond its mediation function, however, offering an outlet for self-expression and personal growth. Cookster explained the valuable lessons he has received from breakdancing.

“B-boying provided a way to turn negative energy into something positive,” he said. “No matter how heated it gets, in the end, it’s all respect.”

The Pioneer Breakers Club provides a foundation, a place of return where they can practice in peace and share their passion with others curious about their art. Indeed, since its birth, breakdancing has developed into a phenomenon of highly artistic dimensions.

“A lot of things I apply with breaking, I apply in real life and vice versa,” Cookster said. “If you can go into a cypher circle (a circle of bboys/girls, in the middle of which dancers compete) and be confident about yourself, you can easily go into an interview. It’s just as scary as many other things you encounter in life, but if you can get through that, you can bring that same courage into life.”

“It is art,” said Ha. “And although it’s not considered ‘fine art’, there is critique in it. Hip hop is culture-it’s a cultural shift; it’s a movement; it’s a community.

And it’s art.”

This week in photos kim nesbitt|clarion

As part of Love, Sex & Health Week presented by HYPE, HCC, RAGE, GVESS & DUPB,there was a free Newbie Burlseque dance lesson held in the Ritchie Center last Wednesday.

kim nesbitt|clarion

Students gathered on the Driscoll Green on Friday afternoon to take part in the DU version of the popular online sensation, the Harlem Shake. Members of the DU community, including athletes, unofficial mascot Boone and costumed students gathered to partake in the dance. adam hammerman|clarion

The Driscoll Bridge had several Valentine’s Day tables set up last week.

Feb. 19, 2013

7

The Grind: The Cruise Room

The Clarion editors review bars, restaurants and coffee houses; attempting cultural mutiny on all things hipster

www.duclarion.com

The Clarion’s comprehensive class cheat sheet

Peruse this guide for fun, creative and fearless spring quarter classes

by maura shea Staff Writer

photos courtesy of custombyrushton.com

Martinis for everyone!

The Cruise Room Martini Bar: 4.5 beans

Yesterday, priority registration for the spring quarter began and many DU students will be logging into WebCentral at assigned times based on credits earned. Early registration for varsity athletes and students with special accommodations took place last Friday.

As most students can attest, classes can fill up quickly, leaving students scrambling to find a suitable alternative. Each department has unique classes that may be intriguing choices for some students. Here is a preview of five classes offered this spring quarter.

ANTH 1910 Ancient Worlds

Minutes from Union Station, The Cruise Room is downtown Denver’s nostalgic hot spot for romantics by hannah gilham Lifestyles Editor

While not the most obvious hang out for a hipster, sometimes even the hip have got to get away to some obscure bar that’s part of a hotel in a time and place that you’ve probably never heard of.

While the Cruise Room Martini Bar is no secret, it does maintain a level of low-profile coziness traditionally hard to come by while drinking in downtown Denver. Just off the lobby of the Oxford Hotel through an unassuming glass door lies one of Denver’s oldest bars, fully equipped with red lighting, free jukebox tunes and martinis to cap off a night or to begin a conversation with a mysterious stranger.

Located at 1600 17th Street near Union Station, be sure to wear your spatz and a string of pearls because The Cruise Room was the first bar to reopen after Prohibition in the 1930s and its art-deco decor can speak to the atmosphere’s staying power.

Bathed in an eerie red glow and based off the Queen Mary cruise ship, the walls are lined with different language paintings encouraging patrons to drink and be merry.

A juke box plays in the corner, with a soundtrack that consists predominantly of jazz and swing tunes. It’s hard not to wonder whether you’ve gone back in time.

With servers adorned in black and white formal attire, and McCormick’s fish house right next door, the Cruise Room is a place where the fine dining is nearby and the drinks are strong. You can order food from next door and servers will bring it promptly.

It’s the martinis, however, that keep the hip and not-so-

hip coming back to the Cruise Room time and time again. The Cruise Room serves up a strong, pricy, drink menu complete with a Vanilla Bean martini, a St. Germain cocktail and the Fresca Martini with the distinct and classy flavor of grapefruit.

While most martinis cost between $8-12, the waiter not only brings your martini in an elegant glass, but an additional glass filled with the rest of your mixed drink, ice and a strainer on top. It’s easy to convince yourself that you’re paying a pretty penny for not one, but two martinis.

Occasionally, the wait staff will come by and top off your drink. While indulging in the Vanilla Bean martini, not too sweet and topped with a cherry, it’s hard not to feel like you’ve acquired some degree of highclass status in the world.

Quiet murmurs of conversation and light jazz serenade your ears while you sip at a fancy martini, vaguely wondering when Jack Torrance will meet Lloyd the Bartender in some Red Rum nightmare of excitement and 1920s classic terror. However, the bartenders at the Cruise Room are friendly, unassuming and good at their job.

The Cruise Room is small—one long room where patrons can sit at the bar or in one of about seven booths that line the walls. It’s suggested that you look somewhat presentable when entering this time warp: button ups for the menfolk and dresses or heels for the women.

So pick out some tunes, experiment with some martinigoodness and pretend this martini is your last. Because the gangsters are coming in with Tommy’s and they are not going to appreciate your lense-less framed glasses as much as we do.

Ancient Worlds is a course intended to help students understand how humans have come to have a place in the world in terms of “time, space and cultural context,” according to the course catalogue.

“It deals specifically with a topic that excites a lot of people: ancient cosmology, religion, and ideology. In a sense it’s a course about ‘the archaeology of mind,’” said Professor Dean Saitta, the chair of the Department of Anthropology who will be teaching the course.

The course is centered on exploring what it means to be human. Students will look at different cultures from all over the world and throughout history.

Topics include Stone Age artists of Europe and the Middle East, as well as the pyramids and how they were built in Egypt and Mexico. This class will be taught Monday and Wednesday from 12-1:50 p.m.

It will satisfy the Analytical Inquiry: Society and Culture requirement in the Common Curriculum. If students are interested in this course, the CRN to register is 4263.

PSYC 2540 The Psychology of Couples Relationships The Psychology of Couples Relationships: From Dating to Mating and Beyond is a new course taught by and centered on the research of Howard Markman, the co-director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies. It will cover the different issues found in many relationships such as, “We can’t communicate,” “we fight too much,” and “we have grown apart and have no sex,” according to a description of the class provided by Markman. It will also discuss how couples can have a healthy and long-lasting relationship.

Students will learn about different influences such as “diversity in relationships, cross-cultural influences and social policy issues,” according to the course description.

“One of the major benefits of going to DU is be[ing] able to learn about cutting-edge research from the researchers themselves, and basing a course on my research is one of the great joys I have in teaching at DU,” said Markman. Markman recommends this class to all students, mainly sophomores and older; however, the Introductory Psychology course is a prerequisite.

It will be offered Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3:30 p.m.

For students interested in taking the course, the CRN to register is 4997.

THEA 1810 The Process of Theatre: Page to Stage The Process of Theatre: Page to Stage: Survey of the Art and Craft is a course aimed to teach students about the “artistry, craft, construction, community, practice and importance of theatre, both in text and performance,” according to the course syllabus. It will cover how theatre has been an important aspect of our history and its ability in establishing culture.

According to the course syllabus, “the class will examine specific dramatic texts, productions, styles, genres and manifestations of theatre, as well as the dynamic components that ‘make’ theatre.”

“It is also exciting to see the students participate in the process of theatre and create theatre writings [and] works of their own, individually and in groups,” said Pamyla Stiehl, a post-doctorate lecturer who will teach the course. Stiehl warns that this course does have a fair amount of reading and writing along with exams.

The course will satisfy the Arts and Humanities Foundation and Analytical Inquiry: Society requirement of the common curriculum. It will be offered in two sections, CRN 2646 for Monday and Wednesday from 10-11:50 a.m.

MUEN 3035 Fusion Combo Fusion Combo is part of a two-year rotation focused on the different genres of jazz music. Students will learn about the different elements of jazz, such as improvisational and instrumental and how energy and rock can be incorporated into jazz to make a unique piece of music. As a part of this class, students will be asked to have jam sessions, perform at Flo’s Underground and record a CD. “The spirit of fearlessness was a big part of the original fusion music, and that is certainly something I try to keep on board as the students compose, rehearse, perform and record their music,” said Mike Marlier, the Director of Drum Set Studies and who will teach the course.

This class will be held on Tuesday and Thursday from 2-3:30 p.m. in the Newman Center for the Performing Arts room 214. It is exclusively for music majors and minors.

Students were able to qualify for this course and all Jazz combo courses during a placement audition that occurred at the beginning of the academic school year. The CRN to register for this ensemble is 1550.

FIN 2800 Financial Decision Making Financial Decision Making is a course that will supply students with the basic knowledge needed to advance to other finance courses and to succeed in different career paths. This course is part of the business core requirements for the Daniels College of Business.

The prerequisites are DCB checkpoint 1 and ACTG 2200.

“The focus of the course is on the three major decision areas a firm undertakes in achieving its goal of maximizing shareholder wealth—investing, financing and dividends,” said a description of the course supplied by Gary Farmar, a Lecturer in the Reiman School of Finance and one of the professors teaching the course.

This class is recommended for students who are majoring in marketing, management and/or finance.

According to the course description, “regardless of the student’s chosen career, these tools and techniques will provide the basic knowledge to make personal financial decisions.” This course has nine different sections and is taught at many different times, including Monday and Wednesday from 8-9:50 a.m. and Friday at 10-10:50 a.m. To find out other class times, look on WebCentral.

ASEM 2526 Communication in Close Relationships This course will analyze relationships that occur on a personal level. Students will research a wide range of areas including communication, psychology, sociology, family studies and history, according to a course description on WebCentral. This will allow for the better understanding of diverse relationships.

“The three main perspectives we investigate show how relationships affect and are affected by their content, the individuals involved and the relational system,” said the WebCentral course description.

This is a writing intensive course and will satisfy the ASEM requirement of the common curriculum. As such, only students that have junior or senior level status may enroll in this course. Professor Serewicz, an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, will be offering this course online. The CRN to register is 4299.

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Feb. 19, 2013

www.duclarion.com

New Sparks movie plays it ‘Safe’

photo courtesy of aceshowbiz.com

Julianne Hough and Josh Duhamel star in the latest movie based on a Nicholas Sparks novel. Hough plays Katie who falls in love with Duhamel’s Alex, but their story is nothing to write home about.

by meg mcintyre Staff Writer

“Safe Haven” is a romantic drama based on the novel of the same name by Nicholas Sparks. The film centers on a mysterious young woman named Katie (Julianne Hough, “Footloose”) who ends up in the small town of Southport, North Carolina while desperately attempting to run away from a dark secret in her past. There she encounters Alex (Josh Duhamel, “Transformers”) and his two children, and begins to get attached to the family. Throughout the film, Katie struggles with the conflict between loving Alex and the fear of her past coming back to haunt her.

As a love story, “Safe Haven” contains all of the basic elements of a Nicholas Sparks romance—an idealistic, beachy

setting, characters with emotional baggage and the obligatory “caught in the rain” scene. However, for some reason these elements don’t mesh well within the film, and the storyline is often disjointed and incoherent. This issue stems not from the story itself but from how the story is presented within the film. Unfortunately, transitions and scene changes are not executed well, and this makes for a film that doesn’t flow easily.

However, the film does have interesting characters that work in its favor. Alex is a widower with two children that runs a general store in the sleepy town of Southport, and his children Lexi and Josh are two rambunctious but lovable kids still dealing with the death of their mother. Then there’s Katie’s neighbor and friend, Jo (Cobie Smulders, “How I Met Your Mother”)—a plainspoken, down-to-earth woman that

always pushes Katie in the direction she needs to go. Each character in the film has some history that makes them flawed, but this also serves to create a set of characters that is both relatable and endearing.

Aspects of the plot also add interest to the film. Mainly this is by way of Katie’s “dark secret,” which is shown only in flashback snippets spread throughout the movie. This technique is intriguing because it leads viewers to assume something about her past that proves to be incorrect when they are given the full story near the end of the film. Additionally, the use of flashbacks keeps audiences engaged.

As far as acting goes, the performances are decent, but certainly not Oscar-worthy. Josh Duhamel is most believable as widowed father Alex, and he delivers the most emotional performance in the film. His skill is especially evident

when interacting with the actors who play his children in the movie. Affectionate and paternal, audiences will believe that he loves these children with all of his heart. Unfortunately, Julianne Hough’s enactment is less convincing, and her performance seems to fluctuate between too stoic and too dramatic.

In all, “Safe Haven” is a likable enough story, but one that was not presented well.

The film has too many strange transitions and camera shifts to flow cohesively.

Though the movies claims endearing characters and decent acting, it’s sometimes a bit tedious to watch and audiences may find they are sometimes bored. As a result, it’s unlikely that this film will become one of the Nicholas Sparks classics like “The Notebook” or “A Walk to Remember,” but it could still come in handy for a chickflick night.

STRFKR burns out in Miracle Mile by christian allen Web Editor

Call me biased, but whenever I see a rock LP that stretches to fifteen tracks long, I can’t help but feel a bit suspicious. To me, it speaks of a lack of clarity, of a band without a clear direction or sense of purpose. This pretty much sums up the third record, Miracle Mile, from Portland electro-rock group Starf***er (stylized for mass consumption as “STRFKR”), a needlessly lengthy album characterized by washed-out vocals, watered-down production and paper-thin songwriting.

The brainchild and lead vocalist of the group, Joshua Hodges, has never been the type of lightning-rod presence that most frontmen strive to be. Listen to previous STRFKR releases, and the most memorable bits tend to be characterized by clever, dramatic synth lines bolstered by danceable, propulsive rhythms. Hodges’ vocals, then, seemed to act in those cases as a final bit of sonic layering

over the instrumentals, or the icing on the cake, as some might say.

What happens, then, when that same cake is half-baked? Well, get even a third of the way through Miracle Mile and you’ll see that without a strong instrumental presence, most of these songs fall pretty flat.

As the flower-patterned cover suggests, STRFKR has aimed for a more organic sound on this record, and tries to rely on a solid foundation of mid-tempo rock tunes instead of its electro-rock background. It’s an unwise artistic choice, especially given that the muchweaker second half of the band’s last album, Reptilians, was hampered by this sort of midtempo guitar noodling.

Rather than focus on the pure energy that makes the group’s live show so enthralling STRFKR tries to employ a more deliberate rock sound. This, in turn, puts an awful lot of pressure on Hodges, who fails to deliver as a frontman by nearly every account.

His vocals are almost always drowned in

reverb, giving them a washed-out quality that never truly captures your attention—some might call it psychedelic or atmospheric, but I’d just call it mumbling. Meanwhile, his lyrics are mostly indiscernible, though as the chorus of opener “While I’m Alive” suggests (“While I’m alive / I love my life”), we really may not be missing that much. The truth is, what used to at least appear to be an artistic decision is revealed on Miracle Mile to be a crippling weakness for the band. As STRFKR slows things down, the group sorely needs a strong frontman, and Hodges lacks either the confidence or vocal ability to be one.

The production is similarly flat. The synthesizers sound cheap, the drums lack the punch they had on STRFKR’s previous LP and the guitars sound rather generic. Understandably, not every band has the budget to hire Paul Epworth, but there are ways to sound low-key without being underwhelming (Unknown Mortal Orchestra, we’re looking at you). STRFKR, instead, just sounds plain.

The album isn’t entirely without its

merits, though—there are occasional hints at greatness, usually when the instrumentalists are given a little more room to flex their muscles, as on the welcome-surprise intensity of “Sazed” or the more traditional electro-rock of “Atlantis” or “Leave It All Behind.” The mostly instrumental, slow-burn closer “Nite Rite,” furthermore, is also pretty fantastic, creating a well-defined sense of mood that’s otherwise absent from this record.

Taken as a whole, though, Miracle Mile is a truly frustrating record. While its scope is expansive, its overall sound can best be described as tentative. Though the group has now released three studio albums, STRFKR still sounds unsure of itself, and Hodges clearly lacks the confidence and talent that he needs to take the band anywhere new. Really, there’s not much STRFKR does on this record to distinguish itself from the thousands of groups of guys dabbling in electro-rock in college bars every weekend. Except for, maybe, using a crappier band name to do it.

Feb. 19, 2013

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The 2013 Academy Awards The Clarion breaks down the Oscar nominations—who should win, who will win, snubs, best endings and more contributors

Gigi Peccolo (GP), News Editor Christian Allen (CA), Web Editor Dylan Proietti (DP), Entertainment Editor

best picture Will win: “Argo” (CA), “Lincoln” (GP, DP) Should win: “Lincoln” (GP), “Silver Linings Playbook” (CA, DP)

best picture category

best actor Will win: Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln” Should win: Daniel Day-Lewis for “Lincoln”

best original screenplay Will win: “Zero Dark Thirty” Should win: “Zero Dark Thirty”

best actress Will win: Emmanuelle Riva for “Amour” Should win: Emmanuelle Riva for “Amour” (CA), Jennifer Lawrence for “Silver Linings Playbook” (GP), Quvenzhané Wallis for “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (DP)

best adapted screenplay Will win: “Silver Linings Playbook” (GP), “Lincoln” (CA, DP) Should win: “Silver Linings Playbook” (GP), “Lincoln” (CA), “Beasts of the Southern Wild” (DP)

best director Will win: Steven Spielberg for “Lincoln” Should win: David O. Russell for “Silver Linings Playbook” (CA, GP), Steven Spielberg for “Lincoln” (DP)

best supporting actor Will win: Tommy Lee Jones for “Lincoln” Should win: Tommy Lee Jones for “Lincoln”

CA: Well, I think what’s gonna take it—and if you’d asked me two months ago I would’ve said “Lincoln”—but with “Argo”’s success at the Golden Globes and the BAFTAs, I think that’s becoming the clear favorite. I think “Lincoln” is falling behind. I also thought it was a fantastic movie, so I think it is well deserved. If I had to pick one based on my soul, I might go with “Silver Linings Playbook.” That was one of my favorite movies of the year and I thought it was a really interesting balance between comedy and drama—but I think if “Argo” were to take it, I wouldn’t be surprised or disappointed.

GP: I think the Academy is more traditional—like with 2011 and “The King’s Speech”— they might lean toward a more historical picture. I do agree that “Lincoln” has been losing steam over the last two months and “Argo” really is starting to seem like the clear favorite.

DP: I’m probably a little bit biased—I severely dislike Ben Affleck so “Argo” was really tainted for me. It was a good movie and I did appreciate it, but I’m still thinking “Lincoln.”

Everything about that movie really seemed Oscar-worthy. I know this is more of a discussion for Best Actor, Daniel Day-Lewis’ performance in “Lincoln” was just something else, I thought. I actually echo Christian’s sentiment in that I would give it to “Silver Linings Playbook.” But I think there is no chance that it’s going to win.

on snubs

best supporting actress Will win: Helen Hunt for “The Sessions” (CA), Amy Adams for “The Master” (DP), Anne Hathaway for “Les Miserables” (GP) Should win: Helen Hunt for “The Sessions” (CA), Amy Adams for “The Master” (DP), Anne Hathaway for “Les Miserables” (GP) best animated feature Will win: “Frankenweenie” (CA), “Paranorman” (DP), “Wreck-It Ralph” (GP) Should win: “Frankenweenie” (DP), “Wreck-It Ralph” (CA), “Brave” (GP)

best movie ending

CA: I’ll start. I’ve got two in mind. If we’re talking about the best last 20 minutes of a movie, the end sequence of “Zero Dark Thirty” is impressive. I was watching that going, “Yeah, that’s what happened.” It’s not overdone, they don’t turn it into a cheesy action movie, it’s gritty, it’s quiet, it’s really realistic and was just a phenomenal way to end a movie that I don’t think was that phenomenal. A couple other things I’m thinking about. I like the way “Argo” was tied together at the end. However, my favorite movie of last year is “Wreck-it Ralph.” It’s clever, it’s tied together and the last line of that movie is, “If I can get a little girl to love me that much, how bad of a guy can I be?” It’s such a nice little zinger and I love that movie. And to me, the ending is the one thing that drags down “Silver Linings Playbook.”

GP: For a movie that was so intent on breaking boundaries, it was like, “Yay, happy ending.”

And they deserve a happy ending, but you almost want it to end with a little bit of conflict after expecting that the whole movie. I would go with “Argo” because I thought it was cute how the movie ended with him and his son in bed and it shoots over to the panel of art that is sort of Star Wars-esque. For a movie that was so big, it was a really understated ending and it really tied it together well. I thought it would end on the plane, but to have it end on such a personal and small note really reminds you how personal it is and how involved it was and how much Tony Mendez’s life was on the line. It tied together a pretty good movie really well.

DP: I think for the best ending to a movie that I knew the ending to, “Argo” takes it. I hate myself for saying it, but it does. At the same time, for a movie I knew nothing about, in the same way I liked the dark horse of “The Tree of Life” last year, “Beasts of the Southern Wild” for me. Seeing this six-year-old girl realize that she has no one to take care of her and has to take care of herself from now on, and not only that but feeds her father his last meal as he’s dying, is one of the most intense and powerful endings to a movie that I’ve seen—definitely this year, if not ever.

GP: I think Ben Affleck is rubbing it in everyone’s faces. He’s been picking up every major director award, topping guys like Spielberg. He’s like, “Thanks guys, maybe you should have nominated me.”

CA: That was a crazy snub, to me. I mean, there’s still five really solid directors on there, but when you see what Ben Affleck has taken home—I don’t know what they had against Ben Affleck. I didn’t expect “Argo” to receive all this. Maybe they honestly didn’t think it was going to do that.

GP: I thought it was really well directed. I liked how at the beginning they used the archi- ‘django unchained’ val footage and there were a lot of tight shots in the van when they were driving through DP: Do you think that Tarantino is missing from the Best Director list? that crowd of people.

GP: In my opinion, if anyone from Django is missing its Leonardo DiCaprio. From going CA: You also know how it ends and it’s one of the most tense movies I’ve ever seen. My from this baby-faced teen idol to this really snarky, sadistic plantation owner. He’s always fingernails were destroyed. nominated, never winning; always the bridesmaid, never the bride. It’s not like I want them CA: This is sort of a half snub I want to mention. “Chasing Ice,” fantastic documentary to give it to him like, “Oh, we feel bad for Leo,” but this is a man who churns out Oscar-worby the same guys who made “The Cove”—which won, really good. I was really surprised thy roles year after year, he doesn’t have to win. Just the fact that they didn’t even recognize it didn’t get a documentary nod. But the song, which is sung by Scarlett Johansson in the the performance by this guy who is consistently trumping people’s expectation and picking credits, is not very good at all. They’re either giving “Chasing Ice” a nod for something or roles that couldn’t be the most commercial or the most fun, but he thinks will challenge him. giving Scarlett Johansson a nod, but either way it shouldn’t be in Best Original Song. It I think for the Academy not to recognize that is just a heartbreaker, but my heart will go on. should be in Best Documentary Feature. I just remember seeing that movie and thinking, CA: I would sort of agree. In terms of Leo verses Christoph Waltz, Christoph Waltz does the “That’s what got this the nomination.” exact same thing he did in “Inglourious Basterds,” just in fewer languages. Leonardo DiCaprio, DP: One movie that I thought—and feel free to disagree—should have been somewhere I think if “Django” was gonna get a nod for acting, I’d give it to Leo. But in terms of Tarantino in the range here was “Looper.” Joseph Gordon-Levitt was a fairly convincing perfor- as a director—when you look at that director list, it’s really solid. This isn’t Tarantino’s best mance and it was a pretty good movie overall in terms of people are still talking about it. movie, his best movies were probably in the ‘90s. I liked “Django,” I thought it was a fun way to GP: Not necessarily for good reasons. First of all, that kid creeped me out. I know spend a Saturday night, but I don’t think it’s an extremely well done movie.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt disappeared into the role of Bruce Willis—good for him. team mvp But he just seemed a bit stiff to me. I GP: Just in terms of picking up roles in front think that film could have picked up of and behind the camera, I think the fact technical categories, but, I mean, I didn’t that he was able to churn out this movie that really like that movie. has gotten so much critical acclaim, although DP: Wasn’t that sort of his role, though? his acting wasn’t really what was stand-out in He’s supposed to be this cold-blooded the movie. If were counting number of roles killer up until the point where he turns played, I’d pick Ben Affleck. into Bruce Willis. Much in the same CA: I’m also gonna say Ben Affleck. The way—we’ve been raving over “Silver other obvious choice is “Lincoln.” That Linings Playbook”—Jennifer Lawrence movie is Daniel Day-Lewis. in that movie, in that big moment, the GP: I’m gonna change my vote to that. I agree admission of love comes from Bradley that Daniel Day-Lewis made “Lincoln.”

DP: I had a hard time with this. I’ve talked Cooper and she just says, “Ok.” For some a little bit about already how Denzel people that might be like, “Oh, that Washington made “Flight” for me and wasn’t a great performance. That wasn’t how Quvenzhané Wallis made “Beasts so heartfelt.” In that character, though, of the Southern Wild” a fantastic movie. you know that that’s the right word for Both of those for me, without those actors her to say. And I felt like in “Looper,” and actresses, respectively, those movies Joseph Gordon-Levitt was supposed to photo courtesy of sugarpulp.it wouldn’t have been great. be stiff, sort of this unfeeling murderer.

Ben Affleck’s movie “Argo,” among eight others films, is up for Best Picture at the Oscars this year.

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Costa brings the folk on new album

photo courtesy of ohiogroove.com

Singer-songwriter Matt Costa released his fourth and self-titled album Matt Cotsa last week. The album, arguably his best work to date, marks a positive change in style and a greater focus on folk.

by christian allen Web Editor

Great debut albums pose a tricky proposition. Too often, they seem to put an undue amount of pressure on the artist for subsequent releases, with the dreaded “sophomore slump” being a regular plague two or three years down the line. For a while, indie folk-pop artist Matt Costa seemed to have been a victim of this trap, with a great debut album, an unfortunately underwhelming second effort, and the dreaded “experimental” third record, which all but seemed to cement the singer’s steady decline.

Three years later, though, Costa has retooled and released a fourth record that some were unsure would ever come, an appropriately self-titled album that feels very much like the work of an artist reborn.

Though it lacks the infectious immediacy of his debut, Matt Costa is a mature, charming and concise album that might just be the singer’s best work to date.

Even at his pop-rock best, Costa has always been an artist with folk leanings, and Matt Costa is without a doubt his most unabashedly folksy record yet. On tracks like “Laura Lee,” “Silver Sea” or “Ophelia,” one can hear the singer tapping into the time-honored folk tradition of telling a story, with welldefined characters and events made vivid in the mind’s eye by Costa’s eloquent phrasing and inviting, boyish tenor. Costa went to Scotland to record the record with famed Glaswegian producer Tony Doogan, and the European influence subtly pervades much of the album – at

times, it’s hard to believe Costa used to spend his time skateboarding down the Pacific coast rather than tending to a flock of sheep on the Scottish plain.

Although the record’s got a clear “folkus” and barely lasts over thirty minutes, you’ll be impressed by the level of variety Costa manages to squeeze into the album. On tracks like “Shotgun” or the warm, driving opener “Loving You,” Costa sounds more ‘60s rock-n-roller than Scottish shepherd, while on “Early November” you hear the singer even branch out into Latin rock. “Good Times,” on the other hand, is a glorious and ironic bit of Americana that sounds straight out of Bourbon Street.

Most importantly, though, these excursions never feel ill advised or superfluous – it’s clear that even for the subtlest of forays, Costa has studied these genres enough to be masterful in his use of their conventions.

The wide array of instruments utilized throughout Costa is also an enjoyable feature, with banjo (“Silver Sea”), harmonica (“Ophelia”) and organ (“Good Times”) used occasionally to complement the traditional blend of guitar, drums and bass that form the record’s backbone. Costa changes directions just enough to always keep you on your toes, but still manages to create a cohesive sonic atmosphere (and Doogan certainly deserves some of the credit for that).

Perhaps the record’s most unique feature, however, is its rather ample use of strings and horns. Most of the time, bands will bring in a string or horn section just to highlight a specific moment or a single song, and this can often feel rather

tacked-on. As the warm string intro of “Loving You” suggests, though, these often-auxiliary elements play a significant role in each of these tracks, providing a lush, warm background that feels truly integrated with the more traditional guitarbased arrangements.

As a result, the record sounds fabulous from start to finish, and maybe most important of all, the songwriting matches this rather high standard. On the album, Costa has written a healthy mix of radio-ready pop tunes (“Loving You,” “Good Times,” “Shotgun”) alongside some more tender, atmospheric ballads (“Eyes for

You,” “Silver Sea”). Though not necessarily a prodigious lyricist, Costa still manages to construct enough clever turns of phrase (“People walking around, they’re just gambling fools / Place your bets and pay off your dues”) or vivid imagery (“There are the strangest creatures waiting just on the shores / Some walk on the longest legs on the deep ocean floors”) to keep you hanging on each of his lines. He’s a gifted vocalist, for sure, but his lyrics suggest he’s certainly more than just a pretty voice.

Is there any downside to the record? It probably depends on whom you ask. Listeners who enjoy Costa’s more upbeat

side may wish he’d dropped one or two of the acoustic ballads in lieu of something with a bit more oomph, and the record’s probably a bit too restrained to really blow you away with a single listen. But these are minor trifles in face of the eloquent songwriting, diverse instrumentation and gorgeous sonic aesthetic Costa & Co. have crafted on this album. Well worth repeated listens, Matt Costa’s newest record places him in the indie-folk ranks of Sufjan Stevens, Andrew Bird or Edward Sharpe, and with it, Costa has triumphantly turned what was once a sophomore slump into a senior success.

The Clarion’s concert calendar Who

Where

When

The Ruby Suns

The Hi-Dive

Wednesday, Feb. 20

Kris Allen

Soiled Dove Underground

Thursday, Feb. 21

Ballyhoo!

Larimer Lounge

Thursday, Feb. 21

Infected Mushroom

Ogden Theatre

Friday, Feb. 22

Toro y Moi

Bluebird Theatre

Saturday, Feb. 23

Jars of Clay

The Grizzly Rock

Sunday, Feb. 24

Drive-By Truckers

Larimer Lounge

Sunday, Feb. 24

Martin Sexton

Etown Hall

Monday, Feb. 25

Nathanial Rateliff

Mercury Cafe

Wednesday, Feb. 27

Passion Pit

1stBANK Center

Friday, March 1

Feb. 19, 2013

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‘Creatures’ features beautiful FX by julia kuttler Contributing Writer

“Beautiful Creatures” is a film with high ambitions: to be the next teen movie franchise. Though the film may not have achieved this, the latest work by Richard LaGravenese (“Freedom Writers”) is worth at least the price of admission for the entertainment, if not artistic, value.

An adaptation of the popular young adult novel by Tami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, “Beautiful Creatures” stars Alice Englert and Alden Ehrenreich as Lena Duchannes and Ethan Wate, respectively. Lena is what used to be referred to as a witch, but the movie refers to her simply as a “caster,” and Ethan is the mortal she falls in love with. The film also stars wellknown cast members Jeremy Irons (“The Lion King”), Viola Davis (“The Help”), Emma Thompson (“Love Actually”), and Emmy Rossum (“Phantom of the Opera”).

Set in a small town in the modern-day deep south, “Beautiful Creatures” plays off of modern stereotypes – with jokes that often fall flat. Visually the movie is striking, but the dialogue and voiceovers are somewhat hollow and contrived. Many of the characters are cliché, such as the overtly

religious good-girl, the tribalprint-wearing spiritual guide and the thick-rimmed-glasses hipster. The film includes many references to classic literature— Lena and Ethan share a love of poets like Bukowski and have an affinity for the public library.

These characters at first seem disparate with the movie’s other themes, but are worthwhile additions all the same.

“Beautiful Creatures” has all the key components of a teen love story, but fails to bind the multiple storylines together. Not only is the movie a romance, it also contains several subplots involving Lena’s family of spell casters. The supporting character acting is strong but overwrought, as in the case of Emma Thompson as lead villain Seraphine. The cinematography is similarly overdramatic, made up of strong light-and-dark contrasts that would better suit a music video than a featurelength film.

Debut leads Englert and Ehrenreich are believable in their roles even when dialogue and plot line are lacking, and the on-screen lovebirds will earn sympathy from any audience members who remember the intensity of first love. Much like the “Twilight” films it is apparently trying to emulate, “Beautiful Creatures” is accompanied by an original soundtrack which is itself noteworthy.

photo courtesy of filmofilia.com

Amma (Viola Davis, left) explains magical lore to Lena (Alice Englert, middle) and Ethan (Alden Ehrenreich, right).

Luckily anti-fans of the “Twilight” franchise need not be scared off by the similarities.

“Beautiful Creatures” is a much better done look at young love as Lena and Ethan are both well-developed characters with a much healthier relationship than any of the “Twilight” characters.

The film also features impressive achievements in special effects and editing. It is

‘Zero Hour’ deserves perfect ten by meg mcintyre Staff Writer

This Valentine’s Day, ABC premiered the thrilling new drama “Zero Hour.” This new series follows the story of Hank Galliston (Anthony Edwards, “ER”), a New York publisher for Modern Skeptic Magazine.

When his wife Laila is abducted by a globally known terrorist, he comes to realize that he has been trapped in a web of conspiracy thousands of years old.

The many questions and mysteries of “Zero Hour” center on an antique clock that houses a cryptic treasure map, the number 12 and an ancient secret society known as the Rosicrucians. Throughout the pilot episode, Hank and his reporters at Modern Skeptic attempt to find out the truth surrounding his wife’s abduction and are hurled into a dangerous world of enigma and intrigue.

Fans of conspiracy dramas like “The DaVinci Code” and “National Treasure” will immediately be hooked on ABC’s new series. The pilot episode is a desperate flurry of questions and answers, with viewers learning information right along the characters. Consequently, the episode is much like a game for audiences, giving them the chance to decipher clues and discover secrets that the lead to the unraveling of the series’ mystery. What’s more, the pilot provides viewers with just the right amount of information—enough to get them interested, but not enough to give everything away.

The result is a series opener that will leave audiences yearning to learn more.

photo courtesy of hollywoodreporter.com

The cast of ABC’s “Zero Hour” looks interested while studying a clue on a laptop.

The new series also gets a positive mark for its historical plotline. With mysteries surrounding the 12 apostles, the Nazi party and a religious secret society, “Zero Hour” has plenty to offer in terms of faux historical intrigue. Additionally, as Hank and his reporters get advice from a local priest, audiences will learn about ancient demonic languages and mysteries of lost cities—and in the middle of it all is a secret from thousands of years in the past that could end the reign of humanity forever.

The characters of “Zero Hour” are also intriguing. Hank Garrison is the editor for “Modern Skeptic Magazine,” a publication akin to something like “The National Enquirer.” His two young employees, Arron (Scott Michael Foster, “Greek”) and Rachel (Addison Timlin), are youths driven by the idea of a successful journalistic career, when in reality they are running stories about werewolf families and supernatural activity.

Then there’s FBI agent Rebecca Riley (Carmen Ejogo) who’s after one thing and one thing only—the head of terrorist “White Vincent”

on a plate. These characters are interesting as well as engaging and serve to enhance the dramatic plotline of the series.

In terms of acting, “Zero Hour” is well cast and well performed. Anthony Edwards shines as leading man Hank Garrison with a performance that causes audience to sympathize with him on a personal level. Genuine, engaging and emotional, Edwards’ enactment creates an endearing and relatable character. Performances by Scott Michael Foster and Addison Timlin are also notable and add an element of comedic relief to the dramatic adventure series.

As a whole, “Zero Hour” is a series worth watching. For mystery fans, the series holds copious amounts of suspense and conspiracy, with a historically based plot that adds substance and intrigue.

A mystery-based plot coupled with endearing characters and well-done performances make for a pilot episode that will thrill audiences. Overall, if “Zero Hour” continues in the same fashion as the first episode, ABC may have a new hit on their hands.

easy to suspend disbelief of the supernatural when dazzled with such stunning imagery. Despite the fact that the plot is full of holes, the film is distinctly pretty to look at—the true beautiful creature of its title.

The movie may keep audiences’ interest, but it would benefit from more attention to storyline and less to visual effects. Many of the strengths

of the movie are irrelevant to the actual story—the characters are well costumed and the sets certainly beautiful, but these aspects do not provide enough foundation for a high-quality film. Still, all things considered, “Beautiful Creatures” is fun to watch—and at times mock. It may have aimed too high, but the film accomplishes at least one goal: It is entertaining.

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Marijuana’s social stigma still stands by katie walker Contributing Writer

There is a misconception that legalizing a controversial behavior suddenly renders it socially acceptable. Nothing could be further from the truth, especially when it comes to marijuana usage. The passage of Amendment 64 proves that the majority of Colorado voters approve of legalized marijuana, not that everyone has embraced the practice with open arms.

Majority rule conquers the American political sphere, but it doesn’t mean all members of this or any other state are in unison on the issue of marijuana.

No legal action can erase the stigma associated with inhaling a drug that is, taken recreationally, bereft of medical benefits. There will always be people who claim that recreational marijuana is a perfectly harmless activity, even salutary,

but common sense dictates that smoking Mary Jane, often referred to as a “gateway drug,” is wrong, unhealthy and stupid.

The dated stereotype of the dazed stoner often portrayed in Hollywood is flawed, but there is a kernel of truth to it.

Cannabis impairs one’s mental faculties and hardly betokens the paragon of a wholesome lifestyle to the minds of many.

I’m all for an inclusive attitude, but I can certainly identify with this perspective.

I know from personal experience that a stupefied individual is no asset in an academic setting.

Some people in Colorado might not care to have neurosurgeons operating on them, construction workers handling wrecking balls in close vicinity, or schoolteachers grading children’s tests after s smoking a few joints, whether or not they were within legal parameters.

As the weed-users continue to publicly declare their love for the substance, they anticipate a warm welcome, but resistance doesn’t go away that simply.

Making something legal may marginally alleviate embarrassment and be a step towards eliminating the stigma surrounding it, but legalization can never fully remove communal dismay or personal disgust on its own.

Amendment 64 met with fierce protest prior to its victory, with incensed voices crying out against it. Just because the stir has settled down and things are eerily quiet on the marijuana front does not imply it’s a dead issue and that these negative sentiments have swayed in a matter of months.

According to Jeremy P. Meyer’s Denver Post article published Feb. 11, “Denver City Council to vote in April whether to opt out on marijuana,” officials have evinced reluctance to enforce

the amendment and the city may choose to opt-out. Meyer reports that Robert White, Chief of Police, expressed concern: “In 2009, there were 10 burglaries in which marijuana was on the premises at the time of the crime. In 2012, there were 102 marijuana-related burglaries.”

The correlation between a rise in criminal behavior and marijuana abuse is clear.

In our hyper-legalistic society, it’s easy to fall into the trap of assuming everyone is on board with a particular measure merely because it’s been licensed in a voting booth or in the courtroom.

However, I maintain such thinking is ignorant.

Look at the heated abortion debate. Over 40 years later, over 40 percent of the population views abortion as a humanitarian crisis and considers it in-utero infanticide, even though Roe v.

Wade lifted the criminal status long ago.

Many people look down on regular cigarette smoking or excess alcohol consumption due to hazardous effects without contemplating legality, after all.

No one considers chain smoking to be a criminal activity, but droves of people balk against it nonetheless.

Why is this so different?

We have a right to personal choice in our private lives, but everything has its limits. We still owe a duty to our communities beyond the obligations imposed upon us by the government, and legal conformity cannot disguise social deviance.

If it indeed takes a village, we can’t have all of the villagers addicted to marijuana, unless we want a village full of idiots.

I doubt we’ll be seeing many proud grass-addicts prancing around shamelessly any time soon, but either way, law-abiding potheads are potheads all the same.

Loss of Olympic wrestling is a loss for the world by chris bach Staff Writer

Last Tuesday, a day that will live in infamy in the hearts of wrestlers, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) voted to drop wrestling for the 2020 summer games and thereafter. Wrestling is a sport that was held not only since the beginning of the modern games, but was also a part of the original Olympics in Ancient Greece.

A sport held in such tradition cannot be so easily discarded.

The IOC made a terrible mistake by deciding to exclude wrestling from the games.

Wrestling itself can be dated back almost 15,000

years to cave drawings through in 18 different events ranging Europe and the Middle East. from the United States to Japan to The Ancient Greeks saw it as Iran. Because so many countries have participated the most prominent in this sport, It has of the sports in the “All sports worldwide popuancient Olympics. larity and diverIts popular- have their own sity. If it didn’t, ity remained high there would throughout the merits, but definitely not be Middle Ages and wrestling is in so much particiinto the Modern pation. The arguEra. There was a league of its ment made by the a reason it was own.”

IOC that wrestling included in the lacks merit and is 1896 modern games. Wrestling is steeped in extremely unpopular.

The IOC removed one of tradition like no other sport can ever be. On that alone, the the 26 sports because it was looking to revitalize the games.

IOC erred in its decision.

In the 2012 Olympic Games, What will take the place of wres29 countries had medal winners tling has yet to be announced.

Whether or not a new sport was needed, or if any sport should have been removed at all, is of no concern to me.

In either case, wrestling should have been left alone.

Wresling can never be replaced in the hearts of many.

Having been a wrestler for seven years, I know the dedication and heart that has to be put into the sport.

All sports have their own merits, but wrestling is in a league of its own.

There are few sports in which you are as vulnerable as you are in wrestling.

By vulnerable, I mean that it is one-on-one and you can’t hide. Your mistakes are your

Pioneer Voices:

own, and there is no teammate to help you out.

For that reason, wrestling is an all-consuming sport that pushes its participants to their physical and emotional limits—the very definition of one’s athleticism.

To exclude a sport like that is simply devastating.

Wrestling has a special place in my heart, and I know that I am not alone in that regard. This is a sport practiced around the world.

Now, the world can mourn its loss as an Olympic sport.

I only hope that there is a push by olympic committees, athletes and nations to reinstate it in the future.

which film will win the oscar for best picture?

sam rodriguez Sophomore Texas

tara condren Sophomore Connecticut

sara rubel Sophomore Illinois

daniel wagner Junior Colorado

“Argo.”

“Silver Linings Playbook.”

“Silver Linings Playbook.”

“Django Unchained.”

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Colorado Dems target Early registration for campus Second Amendment athletes is unfair to the rest by chris bach Staff Writer

The Second Amendment has come under attack by the Democrats in the Colorado General Assembly. A slew of gun regulation bills have been introduced and more are on the way. Not only are these bills proposing violations of every citizen’s right to bear arms, but they don’t promote the public’s safety as they propose.

Just last week, two of these ominous bills were introduced and have already passed through the committee stage. First is HB13-1224 which would limit gun magazines to a maximum of ten bullets. However, through the House Judiciary Committee, this standard was amended to fifteen bullets. Either way, it is a limitation on the Second Amendment.

While I personally don’t believe that the average citizen would need a gun that can hold fifteen bullets, if we start here, where do we stop? Ten bullets?

Eight bullets? Five bullets? If we start limiting the amount of ammunition a legal gun can carry, then there is nothing stopping us from continuing down that path of further restrictions.

Further, I don’t see how this bill will be for the public’s safety.

Undoubtedly, this bill, and others similar, to it are meant to prevent mass shootings like the ones in Aurora and Newtown, but it will not work. For events like those, it is way more complicated than simply pointing to the guns as the sole cause of the event. Many more factors including psychological well-being are necessary to try and understand, if possible, why events like those happen.

Instead of carrying one 30-round clip, a crazed murderer could simply carry several smaller magazines. This is similar to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s large soda ban. Instead of buying one extra-large soda, customers can buy two medium sodas.

This bill passed though the committee on a 7-4 vote, strictly down party lines. As both the House and the Senate are held by Democratic majorities, I expect it will become law.

Gun manufacturing companies are already beginning to worry. The company Magpul, Colorado’s largest manufacture of high-capacity magazines, has threatened to leave Colorado if this bill passes. If Magpul leaves,

it would cost the state hundreds of jobs and close to $85 million dollars in projected spending. So not only will this bill just limit our rights as citizens, it will be a burden to our state’s econony, which is something we cannot afford now.

In the same committee, and the same session, HB13-1229 also passed to the general legislature.

This bill would require background checks for all private sales and transfers of firearms. At face value, this bill appears to actually contribute to the public’s safety.

However, it is nothing more than a hindrance. Background checks for all private sales and transfers of firearms includes sales to friends and family members.

If my dad wanted to pass down a family gun to me once I’m older, I would have to go through the process of a background check before that could happen.

This is nothing more than a bother and burden upon citizens who lawfully own guns.

The most frightening aspect of all this, though, is what has yet to be officially proposed. Senate President John Morse, a Democrat from Colorado Springs, has stated that he intends to introduce sales legislation that would hold firearm manufactures of military style weapons directly liable for the damages they cause. By doing so, it would be a sneaky and dastardly way of banning semiautomatic rifles. Manufactures could not risk the liability associated with this proposal and would inevitably stop producing these firearms. Military-style weapons are such a broad term that it could possibly be any gun that has the look of such a firearm or has a minimum ammunition count.

Taking away lawful citizens’ right to bear arms is not the way ensure the public’s safety nor to prevent tragedies like Aurora and Newtown. A bipartisan answer needs to emerge, but the Colorado General Assembly is shunning that. Democrats are taking advantage of having power in the legislature and having the executive branch. This is not the way to come up with workable solutions; this is the way to anger a large part of the community.

I can only hope that both the House and the Senate find a way to defeat these bills and start over in a bipartisan manner. But with Democratic majorities in both the House and the Senate, I’m not very optimistic.

by danny zimny-schmitt Staff Writer

Athletes do not deserve where the professor is known to this special treatment any have an easier reputation on the more than other students in grading front. the DU community do.

Coasting through college I was a varsity athlete for is sure to catch up with them three years in high school, later, and DU has a responsibiland never got any such spe- ity to ensure that it does not cial treatment. I put in two have the chance to happen in or more hours every day at the first place. practice from early August I propose a new system for at the start of cross country class registration. Let the honors season until students stay near track season the front of the ended in late “DU has a line, and let the May, and still responsibility to athletes register at balanced a the beginning of rigorous class retain a high level the day their class schedule. year is registering. academic integI do not So if juniors argue the fact rity among its register at assigned that college slots on student athletes.” time athletics are Tuesday, let junior on a whole student athletes different level register the same than high school athletics are, morning before the rest of their but I do not believe that one class year. fact justifies top priority in If changes really have to be class registration. made to the athletes’ schedules DU has a responsibil- to fit their practice or travel ity to retain a high level of schedule, they can be negotiated academic integrity among its later, with professors. student athletes.

But the practice of letting It is far too easy to imag- student athletes register before ine student athletes taking all other students is not fair advantage of their first in by any means, and needs to be line status to get into some reconsidered by the administraof the highly coveted classes tion and registrar.

It’s that time of the quarter again: class registration. As seniors, juniors, sophomores and freshman all wait their turn to jockey for the precious slots in classes they want with the professors they want, it is often forgotten that those slots may have already been filled by athletes, who stand in the front of the registration line.

It is time for DU to rethink its policy of letting athletes register before everyone else.

Class registration at DU is a week long process.

All athletes register first, and are followed by honors students.

Seniors then register the next day; they are assigned a random time when they can log onto webCentral to register.

Juniors, sophomores and freshmen each then follow the same process in the following registration days.

But why should athletes be on the top of the totem pole of class registration? While it is true that DU athletes have busy practice and travel schedules, is it really justification to select their classes before everyone else?

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Feb. 19, 2013

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Penn State drops men’s lax in Florida Law, Berg score hat tricks in Denver’s second game by alex proietti Assistant Sports Editor

courtesy of trish demopoulos|du athletics

Senior attackman Eric Law scored three goals in the Pioneers’ 15-12 loss to Penn State.

In its second game of the season, the then-No. 8/9 Pioneer men’s lacrosse team fell 15-12 to then-No. 15 Penn State in the Moe’s Southwest Grill Classic in Jacksonville, Fla. The loss drops Denver to 1-1 on the season, while Penn State improves to 2-0. The loss drops Denver to No. 11 in both the Nike/Inside Lacrosse Media Poll and the USILA Coaches Poll, while Penn State jumps to No. 8/9. Despite a three-goal run in the fourth quarter, the Pioneers could not overcome the Nittany Lions’ lead.

The Pioneers were led by senior attackman Eric Law and sophomore midfielder Wes Berg with three goals each, while senior midfielder Cameron Flint and junior midfielder Jeremy Noble each added two goals.

Noble also added an assist, to put his point total at three for the day.

Sophomore attackman Eric Adamson, who was named the National Player of the Week by

the Baltimore Sun on Friday, finished the game with three points off one goal and two assists, while freshman midfielder Colin Woolford found the net for the first time in his collegiate career.

Sophomore goaltender Ryan LaPlante defended the Pioneer net, finishing with 12 saves for his second double-digit save performance of the season. Penn State goaltender Austin Kaut made 10 saves on the day.

Senior midfielder Chace Calkin finished 13-of-25 in the face-off circle, as senior midfielder Chase Carraro was out on injury.

“We’re really disappointed in the outcome, but more so, we’re disappointed that another first quarter comes and we’re giving up goals all too easily,” said head coach Bill Tierney. “We’ve got to find a way to come into a game with a more intense attitude.

We’ve got to go back and work very hard. Penn State is a good team, but they took it to us today with ground balls, they played harder, they out-coached us, they just did all the things right; and we just didn’t play our best.”

Leading the Nittany Lions with four goals each were redshirt senior attackman Jack Forester

and junior attackman Shane Sturgis, while TJ Sanders finished three goals. “[The win] is huge,” said Forester. “It is the second game of the year and beating a top-10 opponent in Denver who has been deep in the tournament before. We’re taking it to the next step here at Penn State.”

Penn State opened the scoring just 47 seconds into the game off a goal from Forester before Law answered less than a minute later.

The back-and-forth action continued throughout the first period, as Flint answered within a minute of the Nittany Lions goal with 11:40 left in the first to tie the game again.

Just 19 seconds later, Penn State regained the lead, making the score 3-2 before adding another goal less than a minute later to stretch it to a two-goal lead.

Adamson cut the lead to 4-3 with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter, but Penn State answered with a goal five seconds before the end of the quarter to head into the second quarter with a 5-3 advantage over the Pioneers.

SEE PIONEERS, PAGE 16

Women’s hoops wins on senior day by michael gooch Senior Reporter

After falling short to Utah State 92-89 in double overtime on Thursday, the women’s basketball team came back on Saturday to beat San Jose State 83-68 and give its only senior, Emiko Smith, a win for her last home game.

“I wanted that win on Thursday for the kids, but I was not sad over that loss just because of how we played and the toughness that we showed,” said head coach Kerry Cremeans. “The culture changed right before our eyes, with just the offensive tenacity they played with as well as defensively, so I was very proud of the effort, the heart and the fight that they showed in that game.”

Freshman Kailey Edwards scored a career-high 31 points against Utah State on Thursday and sophomore Morgan Van RiperRose added 25 points. By halftime, the Pioneers were up six points, leading 38-32.

The team ended the second half tied at 74 points and then tied at 83 points in the first overtime. In the final seconds of the second overtime, the Aggies sank a three-pointer to take the game.

“We’re getting better; that was the message we got from our coach, and though we lost on Thursday, we definitely know we got better as a team and then came back,” said Smith.

On Saturday’s senior day against San Jose State, the Pioneers came back to earn that win, raising their record to 12-14 overall and 7-8 in the Western Athletic Conference. Van RiperRose and Edwards led the team in scoring again, with 18 and 16 points, respectively.

The Pioneers ended the first half with a 45-27 lead but saw a comeback from San Jose State in the second half when they went on a 27-9 scoring spree. With roughly 11 minutes left, Denver was able to tie the game at 54 points.

“We played a phenomenal first half, and it started off slow in the second half, but we had players that came up off the bench and that were just huge for us,” said Cremeans. “Paige Bradley, Theresa Wirth and Alison Janecek came in and were big sparks for us off the bench and really got us going back offensively, and then we were able to pull it out.”

After tying the contest, the Pioneers shot to a 23-5 run to end the game with a win. Janecek added 11 points for the team, and Bradley added eight. The Pioneers ended the game shooting at 52.3 percent.

“I think the biggest thing is not to panic in those pressure situations,” said Cremeans. “Obviously you feel the shift, but it’s just a matter of getting defensive stops, and that’s what we focused on during that time.”

The team’s only senior, Smith, tallied eight points, five rebounds and 12 assists. She was one assist short of tying the DU single-game record as well as her career high. She finished the game to a standing ovation from the crowd.

“It was emotional; I tried not to cry, but I couldn’t help it,” said Smith. “It’s just been an amazing four years, just all the success and the people I’ve met, it’s been truly amazing and there’s no other place I’d rather do it than DU.” With this last game at home, the team has 11 days before begin-

ryan lumpkin|clarion

Senior Emiko Smith shoots in the team’s 83-68 win over San Jose State on senior day on Saturday in Magness Arena.

ning a three-game road streak to end the regular season. The next game is against New Mexico State this coming Saturday.

“We have a big break right now, and then we end the season with three road games, and obviously every game is important with us being right in the middle of the pack in the conference,” said Cremeans.

“We’re fighting for a bye going into the conference tournament, but we’ll take it one game at a time.”

New Mexico State’s record is 5-10 in the WAC and 11-14 overall. They recently won against Utah State on a recordbreaking night for them. They recorded the ninth-most points in New Mexico State history in a 106-94 win.

Sophomore Danesia Williamson scored her second double-double in one week for New Mexico State and recorded a career high of 23 points.

For the past two games, New Mexico State has had five players

score in double digits. In their most recent game, they shot 42.7 percent in field goals and 39.4 percent from the three-point line.

As the Pioneers prepare for their next game, they are focused on finishing their season with three wins on the road, according to Smith and Cremeans.

“We’re getting better and we’re peaking at the right time; we’re looking to carry this momentum to our next three road games and then into Vegas, so we’re really excited,” said Smith.

Feb. 19, 2013

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Men’s basketball wins 6th straight Continued from front page

ryan lumpkin|clarion

Sophomore guard Brett Olson led the team with 17 points in Thursday’s game at Utah State.

Denver led by as many as nine points in the final eight minutes of the game, but Utah State was able to close the gap with solid free-throw shooting to send the contest into overtime. The overtime period was closely contested, with the Pioneers and the Aggies exchanging leads multiple times. In total, the score was tied seven times during the contest.

In the final 15 seconds of the game, sophomore Cam Griffin faked a drive to the basket and shot a pass out to Olson, who drained a threepointer as the clock expired.

The Pioneers finished the contest shooting 46.8 percent from the field and 36.8 percent from the three-point range.

Denver carried the momentum from Thursday’s victory into their final conference road game of the regular season in San Jose, Calif., on Saturday. In the 62-41 victory, Udofia scored his 1,000th career point in a 13-point, five-rebound, five-assist, fivesteal performance.

Udofia’s 13 points marked a team high, while his five steals set a new career high. After the weekend, Udofia was named the WAC Player of the Week.

“Chris has played well all Thursday, but credit our guys season, so it’s nice to see him for staying in there and batrecognized by the WAC,” said tling,” said Scott. “Our defense Scott after the game. “He is at was really good all night, his best when he’s getting a lot and our offense finally broke of rebounds, assists, blocks and out. San Jose State played steals to go along with 10 to extremely hard all night, and 15 points per game, and that’s we needed to match their exactly what he competitiveness, did in two big and we did.” road wins for us “Our defense This week, last week.” was really good the Pioneers will The Piotake a break from neers improved all night, and conference play their shooting our offense to participate from Thursday in the Ramada night, finishing finally broke Wo r l d w i d e at 53.3 perout. We needed BracketBusters cent from the as they take on field and 42.9 to match their Northern Iowa percent from on Saturday at 6 beyond the competitivep.m. on the road. arc. The team ness, and we Before batalso shot 100 tling Denver, percent from did.”

Northern Iowa the free-throw (16-11) will take line, draining on Missouri Joe Scott, eight of eight.

State on Tuesday, San Jose Head coach entering the conState, No. 7 in test riding a fivethe WAC, finished the night game win streak that reaches with 18 turnovers, resulting back to Feb. 2. in 21 points for Denver. The The team, a member of Spartans shot only 31.7 per- the Missouri Valley Confercent from the floor and 18.8 ence, is led by senior guard percent from the three-point Anthony James, who has range, allowing Denver’s recorded 297 points so far this offense to dominate. season and is averaging 12.4 “We knew it might be points per game. The game sluggish after a big win on will be broadcast on ESPN3.

Women’s lax opens season with victory FREAKY FAST! Pioneers begin 2013 with 10-9 road victory, led by Secora’s three goals

team and a game under their belt senior defender Kate Henrich and in general as a team. redshirt sophomore goaltender “We had a somewhat sloppy Hannah Hook, who contributed game,” said Kelly. “We need well during game transition, had better cohesive units at either five groundballs and recorded a end of the field.” total of eight saves, respectively. by makayla cisneros Heading into a new season, “This season, I’m looking Staff Writer the Pioneers going to just getting The Denver women’s lacrosse are looking to better at every game and “The girls came and really going out team kicked off the 2013 season improve with a 10-9 victory over Vander- solidify their and seeing what we can bilt on Saturday in the team’s first lineup, which in with the do,” said Kelly. “I also the team has mentality that away game of the season. believe that the freshunable Despite a somewhat sloppy been men we have on the performance, there were several to do due to they weren’t team are really going outstanding moments in the player injuries, to push the upperclassto going to lose. game, and the team was able to according men; I’m eager to see clinch the win, according to head Kelly. where it takes us.”

They worked Several coach Liza Kelly.

The Pioneers will “The opponent was a good players contrib- with a lot of hit the road again next team who already had two games uted to the over- heart and a lot week when they travel under their belt,” said Kelly. “Our all success of the to Washington, D.C. performance was sloppy, but it’s game, including of confidence.” to play George WashKara good to get the first game out of senior ington on Friday and Secora, who had the way.

Delaware on Sunday.

“I think the girls came to three goals in the Liza Kelly, GWU is 1-1 on win the game and came into the game, along with Head coach the season after topgame with the mentality that two each from ping Howard and fallthey weren’t going to lose. They sophomore Jill Remenapp and ing to Drexel, led by sophomore worked with a lot of heart and junior Jenn Etzel. Etzel also netted midfielder Rachel Mia, with a lot of confidence, and they the game-winning goal. seven goals so far this season.

In addition to the offensive worked hard in the off season to Delaware fell to Georgetown success, the Pioneers also saw 16-12 in their first contest of the get to where they are now.”

Kelly said it was also help- strong performances from soph- season and is led by sophomore ful to get a victory over a strong omore midfielder Kiki Boone, midfielder Caitlin McCartney with five goals in the team’s first game of the season.

“We play against Washington and Delaware next week,” said Kelly. “We have a lot of Meetings every Monday at 6:30 p.m. in Driscoll Underground, girls that are from that area, so or email us at annagauldin5@gmail.com. it’s always important that we go back and put a good show on the east coast.”

Interested in writing about sports?

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GOOD!

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Feb. 19, May 22, 2013 2012

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Koerber makes strong debut NBA All-Stars GAME TALK

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Feb. 19, 2013

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The Clarion sports staff dives deep into the world of athletics.

Freshman enters with humble attitude

by michael gooch Senior Reporter

In his first season with the Pioneer men’s lacrosse program, freshman attackman Gordie Koerber has started both regular season games and scored a total of three goals for the team.

“It’s been a good start for me individually, but there’s a lot of great players around me helping me out,” said Koerber.

“I’m just trying to play my role on the field and do whatever is best for the team.”

In his collegiate debut against Duke University two weeks ago, Koerber was able to score three goals in the Pioneers’ victory. In the team’s game against No. 15 Penn State on Sunday, Koerber took five shots and had one turnover.

“Like every freshman, there’s always going to be mistakes, and it’s going to take a while,” said head coach Bill Tierney. “But for a young guy to play in that big of a game in his first game as a freshman, I thought he did a fantastic job.”

Koerber began to build his reputation in the fall when, in a preseason scrimmage against the Denver Outlaws, he posted five goals and five points.

“That scrimmage was a great practice for us in the fall,” said Koerber. “It really helped us with our team chemistry, and it got us playing against someone else. The success I have on the field is a direct result of the guys setting me up.”

Koerber was recently named the Preseason Rookie of the Year in the Eastern College Athletic Conference preseason poll. He was also listed on Lacrosse Magazine’s “Freshman 15: College Rookies to Watch” before coming to Denver.

“He’s still got a lot to learn, but it’s hard to teach the things that he does,” said Tierney. “He really moves well when he doesn’t have the ball, he’s very unselfish and he’s not a big ego guy.”

According to Koerber, he humbles himself by contributing his success to his teammates and coaches. The coaching staff, along with the strong academics and competitive lacrosse program, helped Koerber decide on DU.

by dalton handy Contributing Writer

Freshman attackman Gordie Koerber has scored three goals for the Pioneers in his first two games.

“They’re great; Coach Brown has really helped me a lot transitioning from high school to here and really helped me out with the offense,” said Koerber.

Koerber was a three-year letter winner and was team captain for his high school in his senior year. He scored 69 goals over his high school career and helped his team win the MIAA Conference title in 2011.

Koerber has been playing attack for 13 years and has grown up around lacrosse. His father played midfield for John Hopkins, and Koerber said that he’s been a great role model for him growing up.

“Gordie comes from a hot bed of lacrosse in Baltimore, so I think the real thing he brought to us was some lacrosse IQ, so to speak, that we don’t usually get from freshmen,” said Tierney.

“He’s seen a lot of great college lacrosse, and so he brings to us a little bit of a better understand-

ing of the game. The best thing, probably, is his ability to adapt to Coach Brown’s offense as quickly as he has.”

Koerber said he is looking to continue to adapt with the team and focus on the rest of the season and even the next four years.

“Our first goal is to win the ECAC championship and then win the national championship.

Our motto this year is ‘one goal.’

jill hamilton|clarion

We’re really working hard to get that national championship and win on May 27,” said Koerber.

Coach Tierney also sees the potential Koerber has and knows that he will continue to improve.

“He can always become a better athlete; he can always get stronger, and as he gets older, he’ll do that, but for an 18 year old right now, we’re pretty happy with where he’s at,” said Tierney.

Pioneers prepare to host Face-off Classic Continued from page 14 After each team scored two goals in the second quarter, both teams headed into the locker room with Penn State holding a 7-5 lead over Denver.

The second-half scoring was opened when Sturgis found the net just 30 seconds in before Berg netted his first tally of the game with 12:27 remaining in the third quarter.

After a two-goal run by the Nittany Lions, Woolford scored on a solo effort to cut the deficit to three at 10-7.

Penn State went on a threegoal run before Berg answered with his second of the game with 2:36 left in the quarter to bring the score tot 13-8. The Nittany Lions netted one more with 38 seconds left to take a 14-8 cushion into the fourth quarter.

Noble attempted to spark the Pioneer offense with a goal with 12:31 remaining in regulation to bring Denver within five goals, but the Nittany Lions halted the momentum with a goal to return the lead to six goals.

The Pioneers went on a threegoal run, including a man-up goal from Law, in attempt to make a

comeback, but they fell short as Penn State took the win.

“Our offense wasn’t bad,” said Tierney. “I thought we shot well, 12 of 28 shots went in against a pretty good goalie, but we also threw the ball away a couple times; we had some really simple turnovers; we had some other layups that we didn’t cash in on. But, as I told the guys, we can’t wait until the fourth quarter to play a great offense, which we did. We have to do that stuff from right from the beginning. I’m proud of the way we played in the fourth quarter, but we need more of that throughout the game.”

The Pioneers return home to host the Frontier Airlines Face-Off Classic at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium this weekend, opening with Lehigh at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday and finishing against Canisius at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Lehigh is 2-0 on the season after topping St. Joseph’s and Villanova. The team is led by senior attackman David DiMaria with seven points off six goals and one assist.

Canisius will be opening their season in Denver, playing Air Force on Saturday before facing off against the Pioneers.

The NBA All-Star Weekend left me feeling like I do after eating at a school cafeteria: a little bit empty, and mostly disappointed.

I went into the weekend pumped, not only to see local hero Kenneth Faried in the Rising Stars Challenge and Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, but also excited to watch the best players of the NBA put their skills on display all weekend.

The performance, however, simply was not up to what many fans expected. From strange music choices (Fall Out Boy and Phillip Phillips, really?) to a lack of competitive fire across the board, I initially feared that All-Star Weekend may have been headed the way of the NFL’s Pro Bowl: rapidly spiraling towards irrelevance.

When LeBron James and Blake Griffin, whom many would consider the two best dunkers in the game, opt out of the contest, something is wrong. The dunks that did get thrown down were impressive feats of amazing athleticism, yet no one was jumping over Kias and setting the Twitterverse aflame like Griffin did in 2011.

The 2013 dunk contest was not that of 1985, when Michael Jordan, Dr. J and Dominique Wilkins went head to head and wowed everyone.

However, this is not the end of the contest as we have come to love it.

Perhaps the problem isn’t with the contest itself, or with the absurdity of the weekend as a whole, but with fans’ expectations of those events.

The more I think about it, the more impressed by All-Star Weekend I am. The athletes that participated may not have given anywhere close to 100 percent, but what they did was truly incredible.

From the skills challenge, which some of the game’s best ball handlers breeze through, to the absurd shooting strokes of the game’s best three-point shooters (especially winner Kyrie Irving, who lit up the entire city of Houston), to bench players capable of throwing down dunks that had never even been contemplated mere years ago, to the overall impressiveness of the actual All-Star game, this weekend was pretty incredible.

These men are some of the best athletes in the world, and by offering different glimpses of these talents, the NBA has put together quite the spectacle. Despite interesting music choices and some poor showmanship, the talent on display is something that is unrivaled by any other weekend of the year, regardless of sport. For that, I am especially thankful.

So next year, rather than getting upset that Chris Paul won AllStar MVP with only 20 points and 15 assists, I’m going to go back and watch each one of those plays and allow myself to be impressed by how truly difficult these actions are.

I will watch each dunk in slow motion and realize just how long these players levitate and how incredibly forceful their dunks are. I will marvel at Paul dribbling through defenders’ legs and LeBron slamming home fast-break alleyoops. I will be a better fan next year and appreciate the greatness that is NBA All-Star Weekend.