DU Clarion Volume 124 Issue 09

MARCH 08, 2017

VOLUME 124, ISSUE 9

WANDERLIFT: AN APP FOR THE STUDENTS, BY THE STUDENTS

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Four DU students created Wanderlift to connect those who love to share adventure with those who love to adventure

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KORBEL SCHOOL HOSTS CONDOLEEZZA RICE

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EDITOR EMERITI SAY THEIR GOODBYES

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DU SKIING FIGHTS FOR 8 24TH NATIONAL TITLE pa g e

“LOGAN”: THE BRUTAL GOODBYE TO WOLVERINE

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DU CLARION

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MARCH 08, 2017

| NEWS

Students seek justice with Denver Innocence Project

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he Denver Innocence Project (DIP) is a nonprofit organization partially comprised of students that are dedicated to helping free the wrongly imprisoned and advocate for criminal justice reform. Inspired by the original Innocence Project founded in New York City in 1992, DIP is in the process of becoming part of the Innocence Network, a coalition of independent organizations with a unified goal across the country.

Rodney Roberts, who came to speak at a Denver Innocence Project meeting in Sturm Hall last month, was one of the estimated 2.3 to 5 percent of all prisoners in the U.S. who are innocent. Whether due to lack of DNA testing, prosecutorial misconduct, faulty testimonies or forced guilty pleas as in Robert’s case, a shocking amount of wrongful convictions occur in the U.S. with little public awareness.

DIP operates as a thirdparty to advocate for prisoners

who have reached out to them for help and support.

DIP takes on the cases of extensively-researched applicants from in prison. To be approved, they must have been convicted in Colorado, have already had a trial and appeal adjudicated and must currently not have an attorney.

If selected, DIP will embark on an intensive process to review their case, come up with a strategy, prepare them for a trial and eventually get them an attorney.

“Obviously people can be exonerated without the Innocence Project, but it’s very difficult without a voice that can do good work for them,” Richelle Snook said, a freshman criminology major working with DIP. “Rodney [Roberts] for example, was able to spend all of his time in the prison library learning how to do memos and appeals, but even he needed help. There are innocent prisoners who aren’t even literate.”

Though not affiliated with

ABOUT US

DU, DIP works to recruit students. Snook, who was invited to volunteer by her professor, DIP Student Director Scott Phillips, is one of six DU undergrads working alongside law school students and overseen by professional attorneys.

As explained on the DIP website, students are often the last resort of the wrongfully convicted. Applicants have exhausted their options and extinguished resources to hire professional help, making students an ideal solution.

“It’s a bit similar to an internship in a way; we meet bi-weekly, but there’s a lot of work done in between,” Snook said. “Though it’s hard work, it’s also something I’m passionate about, so it doesn’t feel like it.”

However, their desire for volunteers is not limited to law students. As DIP is a recently formed organization, their work currently includes plenty of non-law related tasks.

“It’s hard to get people

turned on to us, since it sounds so legal and professional. They think ‘what could I do?’” Snook said. “There are a lot of fun fundraisers and things we’re planning right now that anyone could help with.”

Though DIP is currently drafting an amicus brief for a client and looking to move forward with many potential cases to take on, the bulk of their work is comprised of building their website, organizing fundraisers, planning benefit concerts and various other “building block” tasks.

The organization’s largest current concern is raising awareness, which, aside from events like Robert’s speech, has taken the form of shows of support from celebrities like Bruce Springsteen and Lena Dunham.

“So many people are wrongfully convicted. All we want is to get the word out,” Snook said.

For these students, helping to do so is a step towards justice.

Daniel Lorenzo | Contributing Writer

DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF

JOHN POE, Editor-in-Chief Elect RYAN NINESLING, Executive Editor Elect JILLIAN QUERI, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus KELLSIE BRANNEN, Executive Editor Emeritus SASHA KANDRACH, News Editor The Clarion is the official student newspaper of the University of Denver, serving as the “Voice of the Pioneers.”

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

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

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

HOW TO JOIN

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

BRAIDEN ALBRECHT-REED, Sports Editor GRACE CARSON, Opinions Editor SYDNEY KAPP, Lifestyles Editor DUSTIN AMICK, Photo/Video Editor TARYN ALLEN, Copy Editor MADISON HELLER, Copy Editor OLIVIA HYDE, Social Media Director ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser

CONTRIBUTING STAFF CLAIRE BOGGS JUSTIN CYGAN CAITLIN GANNAM RUTH HOLLENBACK DANIEL LORENZO ANNMARIE MARLOW MAYA PIÑON JOCELYN ROCKHOLD FORD SANGER TAYLOR SIENKIEWICZ

MARCH 08, 2017

DU CLARION

NEWS

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Korbel School hosts Condoleezza Rice O

n March 2, former Secretary of State and DU alumna Condoleezza Rice spoke at DU’s Sie Complex. The event was formatted as a conversation with Chris Hill, Dean of the Josef Korbel School and former ambassador to Macedonia, Poland, South Korea and Iraq, as well as the Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific affairs.

The event was well-attended by students and faculty—all of the seats in Maglione Hall filled up, leaving many students standing or sitting along the walls.

Rice started as Secretary of State in 2005, succeeding Colin Powell, a position she held until the end of Bush’s second term.

Hill—a former colleague of Rice—and Rice discussed current major foreign policy issues and everything from the Red Sox to North Korea to the EU. After opening with a brief discussion about sports (Rice is especially famous for her love of football), the conversation moved to North Korea’s efforts to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (IBCM) that would be able to reach the U.S. and how to halt North Korea’s progression.

Over the next 45 minutes, Rice touched on China’s economic policy, how to work with Russia, the Iran nuclear deal, Syria, Turkey, NATO, the EU and State Department funding.

The conversation mostly stayed out of American politics, though asides to President Trump’s current foreign policy were made throughout. Rice also voiced her support for current Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, the former CEO of Exxon Oil, stating that working in the oil business has given him the technical skills needed to be the U.S.’s chief diplomat.

At the end of the event, there was a brief period for questions from the audience. Questions were asked about the importance of a Ph.D. in international studies and the ramifications of Executive Order 13769 (known more commonly as the travel ban). However, as the event was

started late, there was not much time allotted at the end for audience participation.

Rice is currently a faculty member at Stanford University, where she served as provost from 1993-1999. Rice graduated from DU with a degree in political science in 1974 and also received her Ph.D. in international studies from DU in 1981. After a long career in academia, as a consultant to the U.S. government and then briefly in the public sector, President George W. Bush chose Rice to be his National Security Advisor in 2000 after election to his first term as president.

Madeline Zann | Entertainment Editor

Photo courtesy of Claudia McGlew

DU CLARION

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| NEWS

MARCH 08, 2017

DU offers first ever business marijuana course

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he Daniels College of Business will be offering the first ever Business of Marijuana course at DU and in Colorado beginning this Spring Quarter on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 2 to 4 p.m. This course will be offered through the management department and is available to both graduate and undergraduate students.

Professor Paul Seaborn who has been with the of the management department since 2011, will be the instructor.

In 2014, Seaborn wrote about advertising issues in Denver, including whether or not medical marijuana businesses could advertise on billboards or have sign spinners on street corners.

His focus now is directed more towards collecting data, political activities and consolidations within the marijuana industry.

The course will serve as a management elective credit for undergraduate students and a

Connor W. Davis | Clarion

general business elective credit for graduate students.

“We’re really going to try and provide a broad overview on how this industry effects all of the different disciplines of business,” Seaborn said.

“From management, to finance, to accounting, marketing and ethics obviously. We want to make our students a little more aware of what they can learn directly from the industry, but also how these issues can affect all kinds of other firms, as well.”

Furthermore, the course aims to expand students’ insight on the depth of the industry.

“I think part of the learning for our students will be for our students to understand all of the different types companies that participate in the industry,” Seaborn said. “The dispensaries are the most obvious. Behind the scenes we’ve got companies manufacturing products of various types, you’ve got

companies that are growing and cultivating the products and providing them into the retail side. Then, there are all kinds of support businesses around whether its security, advertising and marketing, legal services or financial services.”

With the industry still up-and-coming, analyzing similar fields is an essential component of the course, along with learning to convey the challenges and successes that differ and are shared.

“I’ve had a lot of interest and support from people who are working in the industry. There’s a lot of really interesting writing and analysis being done in the media and also by academics,” Seaborn said. “We will really be tapping into all of those sources to try to get a clear picture of what’s similar and what’s different in this industry compared to other industries. Whether it’s alcohol or tobacco, even auto-

motive or biotech. Lots of comparing and contrasting to see what makes it unique and what are the common issues these industries have experienced in these early stages.”

DU already offers a Cannabis Journalism course, and there is a course at the Sturm College of Law, so integrating Daniels into the mix further enhances the university’s expansion of marijuana studies.

“DU continues to dip their toes into the water,” Cannabis Journalism Professor Andrew Matranga said. “We have law, journalism and now business.

We are establishing ourselves here at DU as an industry leader.”

The Business of Marijuana course currently has 17 students enrolled. Depending on how the first class goes, multiple sections may be added for future quarters and will potentially be separated by graduate and undergraduate.

Sasha Kandrach | News Editor

Connor W. Davis | Clarion

MARCH 08, 2017

DU CLARION

SPORTS | 5

Denver lacrosse stifled, falls to No. 2 UNC

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he No. 5 DU Pioneers sustained their first setback of the 2017 season to the reigning 2016 National Champion No. 2 University of North Carolina (UNC) Tar Heels on Saturday, March 4.

While the Pioneers outshot the Tar Heels a total of 43-34 and sparked a fourth quarter rally, outscoring UNC 4-3, North Carolina held the lead the entire game at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium.

“This is one of those games where you’re not sure what happened,” Denver Head Coach Bill Tierney said. “It’s hard to say that we didn’t play well. It’s hard to say, ‘All you’ve got to do is give great credit to Carolina.’ Their backs were against the wall a little bit today after last week’s loss to Hopkins. They came

out ready to go. I thought our kids persevered and played hard in the fourth quarter. Why you could only get five goals in three quarters and four in the fourth when the emotion was high? Credit to Carolina, but we can’t be overly discouraged by a game like this.”

UNC redshirt junior goalie Brian Balkam was excellent in net, diminishing Denver’s offensive confidence as he made 17 saves.

“Other than the first quarter, you go 10, 11 and 14 shots. You’re going to win when you have those kinds of numbers,” Head Coach Tierney said. “Credit to Brian Balkam, he was fabulous today.

When you see him save the high ones and the low ones, that’s when things get a little bit like, ‘Uh, what do you want us to do now?’

Caitlan Gannam | Clarion

Freshman attackman Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) led the Pioneers with three goals and an assist. Senior midfielder Tyler Pace (Coquitlam, British Columbia) returned to the lineup after suffering an injury, tallying three points on a goal and two assists.

“Tyler was moving well. He’s very smart out there,” Tierney said. “He brings a level of game IQ to us and they were ready for it, which was fine. They put the pull on him. He had some shots that normally he would can, but it’s his first game back since last June or last May. Tyler is only going to get better and so will we as he does.”

UNC was lethal with distance shots, scoring the majority of goals from outside of the arc.

“It’s a setback. This year is going to be crazy. This isn’t hockey, this isn’t baseball, it’s not basketball. You only have 13 games. You’ve got to quickly figure out what you did right and what you did wrong. As I told the team, there’s nothing we can do about the result of today, it’s over.

But there’s a lot we can do about getting better from it. I know our guys and we know who we’ve got coming in next week, and it’s going to be another challenge. I know they’ll respond.”

Denver, now 4-1, continues it’s six-game homestand welcoming top-ranked Notre Dame on Sunday, March 12. Faceoff is scheduled for 1 p.m.

Sasha Kandrach | News Editor

Caitlan Gannam | Clarion

Caitlan Gannam | Clarion

DU CLARION

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| SPORTS

MARCH 08, 2017

No. 1 Pioneers hockey earns first Penrose Cup

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he No. 1 DU hockey team wrapped up its regular season with a road sweep of University of Nebraska-Omaha (UNO) on March 3 and 4, while also securing its first Penrose Cup as regular-season National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) champions for the 2016-17 season.

In the weekend’s first game, DU came out of the gates quickly, securing a 1-0 lead only 3:52 in. Forward Troy Terry (Highlands Ranch, Colorado) blazed a wristshot top-shelf off a pass from Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, British Columbia) on a two-on-one rush.

Junior goaltender Tanner Jaillet (Red Deer, Alberta) made 23 saves on 25 shots, beaten by one tipped shot in the first period and one screened shot in the second.

A relentless shift by the fourth line saw senior Evan Ritt (Lakewood, Colorado) shield the puck on the left wing before centering for

sophomore Logan O’Connor (Calgary, Alberta) in front of the net.

Denied point blank on his first two attempts, O’Connor’s unrelenting jamming of the puck eventually worked, lighting the lamp and evening the score at 2-2.

“Right now, I’m really happy that everybody in the lineup feels good about themselves, and everybody knows their role,” said Head Coach Jim Montgomery.

The Pioneers’ leading scorer with 36 points in 30 games played, freshman Henrik Borgstrom (Helsinki, Finland) broke the tie in the game’s third period with a one-timer from the right circle on a 5-on-3 advantage.

Midway through the frame, Borgstrom dashed into UNO’s zone and dished the puck laterally to Terry across the zone after finding himself surrounded by four Mavericks.

Splitting the defenders, the Finnish sensation kept his balance and, after receiving the give-and-go feed

from Terry, whacked home Denver’s gomery. “If talent works hard, you fourth goal of the game. win a lot, and that’s what’s hapThe Pioneers would hold on to pened to us this year.”

Senior Emil Romig (Vienna, the 4-2 lead, winning the first game of the series and securing the NCHC Austria) doubled the advantage in regular-season title. It marked the the third period with a laser of his program’s first Penrose Cup, as own, on which senior Will Butcher well as their first regular-season (Sun Prairie, Wisconsin) assisted.

The assist marked the captain’s championship since 2010.

Senior goalie Evan Cowley (Ever- 100th career point, making him only green, Colorado) received his first the second active defenseman in the start since Jan. 7 in the weekend’s country to reach that mark. second game against UNO. The FlorBorgstrom’s late empty-netter ida Panthers prospect made the most capped his three-goal weekend and of his opportunity, posting 28 saves the two-game sweep of UNO. The in a 3-0 shutout victory.

Pioneers advance to the playoffs with Creating another highlight-reel a regular season record of 26-6-4, the goal, Borgstrom toe-dragged around best mark in the NCAA, while also a UNO defender and rifled his 20th riding an 11-game win streak. goal of the season past the netminder Serving as the top seed in the to give Denver the 1-0 lead. upcoming NCHC playoffs, DU will “You get a goal from Borg- face Colorado College in a best-ofstrom, like you did both nights, three game series March 10-12 at that flattens people out. They’re Magness Arena. going, ‘oh, jeeze,’ and now they’re playing from behind,” said Mont- Braiden Albrecht-Reed | Sports Editor

Olivia Hyde | Clarion

Caitlan Gannam | Clarion

MARCH 08, 2017

DU CLARION

SPORTS | 7

Skiing advances to NCAA Championships

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he DU men’s and women’s ski teams collectively finished second overall at the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association (RMISA) Championships on Feb. 24-26. As the hosts of the event, Denver participated in the nordic competitions at Maloit Park in Minturn, Colorado, as well as the alpine competitions at Beaver Creek Resort in Beaver Creek, Colorado.

In the first day of events, the DU Alpine team finished in second place with a score of 152.5. Both the men’s and women’s teams competed in the Giant Slalom, a run in which competitors weave around sets of poles on the mountain.

Three Denver women placed inside the top-10 of their 30-person field, including freshman Storm Klomhaus’s (Boulder, Colorado) thirdplace time of 1:48.74. Sophomore Tuva Norbye (Oslo, Norway) finished

sixth with a time of 1:49.01, followed closely by fellow classmate Kristine Fausa Aasberg’s (Baerum, Norway) seventh-place time of 1:49.05.

The men’s Alpine team placed fifth out of six teams in the event, as junior Erik Read (Calgary, Alberta) was the only member to place inside the top-10, posting a time of 1:45.45.

The Alpine team concluded competition on the second day of events, competing in the Slalom.

Denver amassed 149 points in the event between the men’s and women’s sides.

Another spectacular performance from Norbye saw her take fourth place with a time of 2:03.45 in the Slalom. Freshman Andrea Komsic (Zagreb, Croatia) finished right behind her teammate, placing fifth after posting 2:03.46. Their performances helped DU take first place in the event for the women’s side.

Read and senior Alex Leever (Vail, the University of Colorado for first Colorado) finished sixth and seventh, place but still received fantastic respectively, to finish out the compe- efforts from its athletes. tition for the men’s Alpine team.

The women’s Nordic team won The Nordic team saw its first the 15k freestyle with 102 points, action on day two, participating in placing four skiers in the topthe Classic 5k and 10k. The women 10. McCrerey led the way with a finished third in the 5k, while the first-place time of 46:17.5, trailed men placed first in the 10k. immediately by a second-place Junior Linn Eriksen (Oslo, finish from Eriksen.

Norway) placed fourth in the 5k with For the men’s side, Madlener a time of 17:02.3, earning 31 points again topped the competition in for DU. Barely missing the top-10 his final career RMISA Champiwas 11th place sophomore Taeler onships performance with a time McCrerey (Frisco, Colorado) and her of 52:35.3 in the 20k freestyle. His outing helped secure a first-place 17:37.8 time.

Senior Moritz Madlener’s event finish for the men’s team (Bavaria, Germany) superb perfor- with 98 points overall.

The team qualified 12 skiers mance landed him in first place in the men’s competition. His time of for the NCAA Championships in 28:23.5 earned 40 points for the New Hampshire, which begins on March 8 for the Pioneers. hosting Pioneers.

On the final day of events, Denver was unable to overtake Braiden Albrecht-Reed | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of DU Athletics

Men’s and women’s basketball bow out in tourney

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oth the men’s and women’s basketball teams lost in the first round of the Summit League Conference tournaments in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

On March 4, the women’s team was overpowered by the number one seed Western Illinois University (25-26; 13-3), falling 82-39.

The Pioneers only shot 25 percent from the field even though they out-rebounded Western Illinois.

The match was seniors Jesse Spittel (Yorba Linda, California), Jacqlyn Poss (Shoreview, Minnesota) and Tori Bryant’s (Brea, California) final game with the Pioneers. Poss, a guard, scored eight points, tying with junior forward Jordyn Alt (North Oaks, Minnesota) for the Pioneers’ game high.

Freshmen Madison Nelson (Dover, Minnesota) and Briana Johnson (Carson, California) both had a good night, showing potential for next year. Nelson, a forward, had seven rebounds while Johnson, a guard, had 10.

DU finished the year 6-24 overall, with one more win than last year.

The men dropped their first round game of the Summit League 83-73 to South Dakota State University (16-16; 8-8), their second loss in a row to the Jackrabbits (dating back to the last game of the regular season) as well as their second year in a row

being knocked out of the conference tournament by SDSU. Faced with a streaking SDSU and Summit League Player of the Year Mike Daum, the Pioneers couldn’t overcome an almost constant South Dakota lead. Coming off a four-game winning streak, South Dakota State had momentum going into the game, and they kept it. Daum scored a game-high 33 points, while DU’s highest scorer, sophomore forward C.J. Bobbitt (Harker Heights, Texas), scored 16.

Freshman guard Ade Murkey (Minneapolis, Minnesota) and sophomore guard Joe Rosga (St. Paul, Minnesota) put up 10 points each. Murkey collected five rebounds in the first half, but despite his strong performance, the Pioneers couldn’t stay within reach.

The Pioneers ended the year with a 16-14 record, recording the same amount of wins they had last year. A 1-5 end to the season ruined hopes for a conference title and a possible NCAA tournament berth, but under first year Head Coach Rodney Billups’s tutelage, the team thrived and developed a faster, more exciting style of play that bodes well for next year.

The Pioneers are also only losing one player to graduation, so barring any transfers, the team will be able to build on this year’s success as a unit.

Madeline Zann | Entertainment Editor

Caitlan Gannam | Clarion

DU CLARION

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| OPINIONS

MARCH 08, 2017

Letter from the Editor: Jillian Queri signs off T

hree and a half years ago, a much younger and more naive version of myself stumbled into a particular club meeting on a Monday night at 6 p.m. Little did I know that a tiny club of fellow writers and creators huddled around blue and red tables in the Driscoll Underground would soon become one of the most influential pieces of my college career. Little did I know that the Clarion would become my home, my purpose and my family during my four years as an undergraduate at DU. Today, as I walk out of the Clarion office and pass the torch to the incoming Editor-in-Chief, I am a little older and a little wiser than my freshman self. I am also a lot more prepared for what lies ahead. And I have the Clarion to thank for that.

I have so much to thank this publication, organization, University and our readers for. But I will do my best to keep things short.

Thank you for embracing me as your leader with open arms.

Thank you for entrusting me with this huge responsibility and for

cheering me on along the way.

Thank you for believing in me, even when I had no reason to believe in myself. Thank you for allowing me to represent DU on a local and national scale. Thank you for joining me on this unforgettable ride.

Before I go, below are a few notes for my dedicated staff and incredible friends: To my forever friends and invaluable Clarion staff (writers and editors alike): Do not be afraid of the challenge that is ahead of you; embrace it. You are serving your community in a way that is often overlooked, but I promise that your time and effort is not undervalued. There are going to be good days and bad days, crappy articles and outstanding articles, long production nights and short production nights. But, at the end of the day, you will always be able to call yourself a part of the Clarion team, which is something to celebrate. You are the student leaders of this campus and you are serving your fellow Pioneers in a unique and crucial way. Cele-

brate your successes. Learn from but move past your failures: you have so much to be proud of.

To Andrew Matranga, my mentor and our quirky (but much appreciated) Faculty Adviser: Thank you for the laughs and lessons. You have taught me more about myself (as both a student and as a journalist) than I could have ever imagined. Thank you for asking the hard questions and for pushing me to be better. Thank you for the many memes and jokes.

I will never forget what it was like to serve as your student leader.

To Kellsie Brannen, my phenomenal Executive Editor and dear friend: I honestly don’t know what this year would have looked like without you. You were the best sidekick I could have ever asked for and I am so thankful for your hard work and for the many memories we share. Keep doing what you’re doing, Kellsie. You are going to go far and I cannot wait to see where life takes you.

To John Poe and Ryan Ninesling, my amazing and intelligent successors:

I won’t lie to you: this job is exhausting and often thankless.

But, that doesn’t mean that it’s not enjoyable or worthwhile. In fact, it’s beyond that. You are now the fearless leaders of this storied publication and that is a huge accomplishment. You are both kind, intelligent and dedicated.

These characters alone will take you far.

Cheers to the future and all of the amazing things ahead. I cannot wait to watch your journey unfold. You are making history, my friends. What you do today will last forever.

Forever bold, Crimson and Gold.

All my best, Jillian J. Queri

Letter from the Editor: Kellsie Brannen signs off

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hen I walked into my first Clarion meeting freshman year, I had no idea that this club would become the most formative experience of my college career. I can’t exactly remember the first time I took a pitch, wrote an article or felt the pride of seeing my name in print—but I know that afterwards I was totally hooked.

Since that first meeting, I’ve spent every Monday night of the school year hanging out at the Clarion, and I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I found a community of smart, hilarious and all-around fantastic people who

Jillian Queri | Clarion

I’m absolutely honored to have known over the past four years.

It’s been such an honor to serve as the Executive Editor of the Clarion, and I can wholeheartedly say that it’s my proudest achievement.

It certainly hasn’t been easy— especially in the era of “fake news” mentality—but working with this team to turn out a paper every week, no matter what, has given me comfort in the fact that there are people in this world who really care—not about money or recognition or praise, because there is little of any of this in journalism— but about the world itself. In this team I’ve found a group of people who care about what’s going on

in the world and on campus and are willing to sacrifice hours of time every week to make sure that people are informed about it. It may be thankless at times, but it really matters.

To Jillian—I am so, so proud of you and honored to have served as your Executive Editor! The amount of strength you’ve shown over the past year and your ability to navigate issues with grace and finesse is so admirable. I’m so lucky to have had not only a great editor as my partner, but a great friend.

To John and Ryan—I have the utmost confidence that you both will do such a fantastic job

as the leadership of the Clarion.

Your ideas, passion and expertise will take this publication to new heights and I absolutely can’t wait to see what you both will be able to achieve.

To the Clarion staff, current and future—what you’re doing here matters. Keep caring.

I guess the only thing to do now is figure out what I’m going to do with my Monday nights… <3 Kellsie Brannen

MARCH 08, 2017

DU CLARION

PIONEER FUNNIES

OPINIONS | 9

DU student asks, “How is your heart today?”

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mid Safi is a columnist for “On Being,” a weekly podcast and website devoted to exploring the questions “What does it mean to be human?” and “How do we want to live?” In one particular column titled “The Disease of Being Busy,” Safi argues that with all the activities, constraints and inundation of technology that constantly demand our time and attention, we are losing our ability to live a truly human life. As he puts it, we have become “human doings” not “human beings.” As I read this sentence I started to reflect on my week. I was in the middle of studying for midterms, applying for internships, searching for jobs and scouting out classes for Spring Quarter—all while trying to maintain an exercise regimen, a healthy social life and keep up with my extracurriculars. I felt exactly how Safi described: living a taxing physical and mental life with more to do and less time for leisure, community and reflection.

Less time simply “to be.”

Safi describes that in many Muslim cultures when they ask “How are you?” they are really asking “How is your heart doing

at this very moment?” They do not want to hear how busy one is; rather they want to hear about one’s joys or sorrows. Again I paused, thinking back to how many times I responded to friend’s inquiry about my day with a mindless and unconscious form of “good, but busy.” I was an archetype of the human — doing-machine Safi describes, and I despised myself for it. I desperately wanted to live a human life, to be fully present with my friends, family, community and, above all else, myself.

Safi says, “the unexamined life is not worth living.” I started examining my life. I wanted to find ways to carve in time to my busy schedule just “to be.”

At first I thought this is just the nature of being a college student.

We are supposed to have busy lives. But then I thought about the future. We promise ourselves that our hard work now will lead to a life of leisure later. I have found that, for me at least, later rarely comes. Rather, later ends up getting filled with another thing on the to-do list. I would make the same promise to myself again, a promise I subconsciously knew would likely never come to

fruition. Feeling lost, I was still longing for time to reflect on my existence, my purpose.

Safi suggests that we need to reorganize our lives in order to achieve a meaningful and balanced existence. By having conversations like this maybe we can start to do that. Though I have made time to go to yoga, to

Dustin Amick | Clarion

sit in Beans and to read the paper, I recognize that the activities that provide a time for reflection and being are different for everyone.

In whatever shape it takes I challenge you to make time in your day to stop doing and just “to be.”

To help you start I ask you simply, “How is your heart today?”

Ford Sanger| Contributing Writer

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The Grind: ink! coffee A

swanky little gem just a few blocks from campus, it is safe to say that ink! Coffee is my new go to study spot off campus.

Ample parking and close proximity are just a few of the high points of this caffeine cabana.

Ink! offers both indoor and outdoor seating options (outdoor is pet friendly) to nestle down with your beverage and laptop. A great selection of iced and hot espresso based drinks, as well as smoothie and tea options, are offered to satisfy beverage consumers across the caffeine spectrum.

A semester abroad in Italy has made me a bit of a coffee snob, so I was pleasantly surprised

by how much I enjoyed ink!’s cappuccino. For me, a variety of sweetener options is a must, and ink! offers a range of organic, calorie-free and traditional sugars to choose from.

With finals approaching, friendly staff and open wifi make ink! a well-appreciated break from the library. Garage door windows that open when the weather gets nice allow guests to enjoy the beauty of a day in Denver while remaining productive, which is a huge asset during the distractions of the end of the quarter.

Customers are mostly young professionals, giving the shop a hip and urban vibe. Compared to Starbucks, you can expect a

more authentic coffee experience and a higher quality beverage. Tea leaves are displayed in glass jars along the counter, and a low display that opens up to the indoor as well as outdoor seating areas allows you to watch your drink being made (with minimal prepackaged ingredients). You can tell that ink! is a new addition to Bonnie Brae, as the decor is immaculately clean and still feels brand new. With time, I am sure that the shine will fade and ink! will start to feel a little more cozy, but now the exposed wood paneling screams modern rather than rustic.

If you’re itching for a rad new study spot or are just in

the market for a tasty drink, I would highly recommend giving ink! a try. I know that I will be here more and more as the year draws to a close and as Colorado continues to give us beautiful, sunny days.

Location: Bonnie Brae Boulevard and University Boulevard Price point: $4-$6 for a drink Seating options: Indoor and outdoor Pet friendly: Yes Claire Boggs | Contributing Writer

The Grind: Pete’s University Park Cafe P

ete’s University Park Cafe on the corner of Evans Avenue and University Boulevard has been a landmark on the edge of campus since 1995. However, it’s not commonly thought of as more than that and rarely brought up as a restaurant possibility beyond a convenient post-activity spot. Though less common than other restaurants around campus, it was pleasantly surprising.

There’s nothing too flashy or remarkable about Pete’s, one of six Denver restaurants run by legendary 82-year-old Greek entrepreneur Pete Contos.

Walking in feels like coming into any other quaint, friendly mid-tier diner.

Service was great, as during one of Pete’s busiest times - Sunday morning - parties coming in never had more than a five minute wait.

Of course, this convenience is balanced out by a 20-minute wait after ordering, as well as the ever-present possibility of a

Daniel Lorenzo | Clarion

family’s crying baby. This leads me to believe that weekday mornings might be advised for a more chill breakfast or lunch.

As far as food goes, the dishes boast a unique Greek flair were the star of the show.

The Greek Sampler Salad ($10), enabled me to try the chicken kabob, pork souvlaki and gyro meat, all of which were juicy and well-seasoned, if somewhat in need of tzatziki sauce. The dolmades (stuffed grape leaves), strong olives and spicy Greek peppers also provided excellent flavors in combination with the oily dressing.

The only thing to complain about with this dish was the presentation. Without lettuce or rice, it fell somewhere between a salad and an appetizer, and I wasn’t certain about how to eat it. The University Park Greek Salad is a dollar more but a safer recommendation that features the same ingredients in a more coherent composition.

Unique items were found in the expansive breakfast sec-

tion as well, including the popular and highly recommended Eggs Mazatlan ($9).

The dish consisted of a huge tortilla filled with scrambled eggs wrapped in bacon and avocado. It’s then covered in chunky green chili and cheese and served with a generous portion of plain, but pleasantly non-greasy hashbrowns.

While a bit more avocado and egg flavor to cut through the chile would have been nice, the dish was overall a great and filling choice. Additional bonus points to the staff for not going to town on the cheese, as is the case with most American diners’ takes on “Mexican” food.

Beyond this, the standard diner fare was on-par and well-prepared. The popular Chef’s Special ($9) is a good choice for a sampling of your common breakfast items, and the B.L.T. ($7) proved the lunch offerings are nothing to complain about.

The Greek wine was the highlight of the small alcohol

section and is also recommended, if you’re willing to spend $6.50.

Especially considering the prices, the unique offerings seem to be the way to go for each time of day. The regular diner fare left nothing to be desired and was reasonably priced, but I’d rather pay $10 for a huge portion of seasoned lamb gyro than one of pancakes and eggs or a burger.

Overall, the food was tasty, the service was excellent, and the atmosphere left nothing to be desired, making Pete’s Cafe more than just a landmark. It stands out with its early hours (opening at 6 a.m.) and allday Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner menus, too.

If you navigate the menu right, it’s a great choice for breakfast and a potential alternative to Jerusalem’s or Illegal Pete’s if your night out is calm or winds down early enough.

Daniel Lorenzo | Contributing Writer

MARCH 08, 2017

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Q & A with the Wande rlift creato rs

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our motivated students— essentially the poster-children for DU’s entrepreneurship club Dynamize and a soon-to-be DU success story—have invented an app for all who love adventure and for those who love to share it. Wanderlift serves as a platform for connecting people with cars to people without, both who want to “get out there,” as their slogan states.

The Wanderlift crew consists of Meredith Gee, a sophomore emergent digital practices major from Boise, Idaho; Sam Schooler, a sophomore computer science major from Minneapolis; Daniel Farrell, junior mechanical engineering major from Medford, Oregon and Lucio Franco, junior computer science major from Washington. Below, Gee and Schooler answer several questions in the midst of their app gradually gaining fame on the DU campus and around Denver.

Q: Who had the original idea for the app?

Gee: In April of 2016, Sam had the idea in one of his journals for our Creativity and Entrepreneurship LLC as originally for DU students

who wanted to go skiing on the weekends but didn’t have a way to get there. We did a first prototype over the summer with some funding and then launched it during Orientation Week so that we could advertise it to the freshmen who were already excited to get involved in everything DU related.

Q: Why a ride-sharing app?

Gee: The idea came from ski-season because it’s so big in Colorado—we saw the need, so we decided to do it. There was just a large volume of students on campus without vehicles, but then also a significant number of students who had them and were able to go up to the resorts. You wouldn’t have a junior with a car just offering a ride to a random freshman.

But with the app, you can say, “You’re going hiking? I’ll come hiking.” The idea from the beginning has been any trip 30-300 miles for some common activity.

Q: How many people are using the app right now, and is the app’s traffic what you expected

Ruth Hollenback | Clarion

when you first began creating it?

Schooler: We were originally planning to just focus on DU for this first season, but with expanding the location we have around 850 users currently. Five or six people go up every weekend, and we want to get that up to 10 in the near future. We just hope to be able to have multiple communities that are stable.

Q: One year from now, so March 2018, what specifically do you hope to see with the app’s progress and people’s use of it?

Gee: We will probably be in the Pacific Northwest or maybe even California, starting on the college campuses but hopefully expanding to just the cities in general. The activities people use it for will probably be different—like to concerts, for recreation, hiking, biking, etc.

Just being able to have multiple communities in different areas that are all sustainable would be awesome. More than 150 rides per week consistently is probably our goal.

Q: What has been your

favorite thing about being a part of this project so far?

Schooler: My favorite thing is being able to say to people, “Look, I made this.”

Every time there is a transaction or someone using the app it’s exciting—it’s just cool to see that we designed an app well enough that people are actually using it.

Gee: I came into college wanting to find people who wanted to create things. I really enjoy collaborative people, and our team is just phenomenal with all the different skillsets we have. We’ve learned so much in six months—there isn’t really any other great way to learn besides testing things and actually getting out there and doing them.

The Wanderlift app is available from the App Store and on Google Play for free.

To get involved with teams like the one that created Wanderlift, join Dynamize, DU’s entrepreneurship club for those who desire to tangibly start something.

Ruth Hollenback | Staff Writer

Photo courtesy of Wanderlift

Tips for staying safe in the backcountry

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here is a saying that goes, “you’ll meet a lot of old mountaineers, you’ll meet a lot of crazy mountaineers, but you’ll never meet an old-crazy mountaineer.” With so many people loving the outdoors, it’s easy to overdo it and to find yourself in a dangerous situation.

What would have been any other ski day for fourth year journalism and communications double major Anna Bernard quickly turned serious when she found herself out of her skill set. Anna was snowboarding on the back-side of Arapahoe Basin after it had been closed for a few days due to extreme weather and conditions.

“I had never been in that much powder. I got separated from [my friends] immediately and ended up going out of bounds,” said Bernard. “I ended up gaining speed and losing control, and I hit a tree with my head.”

After coming to, Bernard realized she was stuck neckdeep in a tree well. She eventually made her way back and was treated by Ski Patrol for a concussion and dehydration.

Bernard was lucky. Wilderness Exchange, an outdoor gear store, hosted a free avalanche course this year, where I found that Colorado has more avalanche deaths than any other state by far. From 1950-2013, Colorado had 259 fatalities, while Alaska, the state with the second most fatalities experienced 141. The instructor explained that this is due to the popularity of backcountry skiing in Colorado. While the fresh, untouched powder in the backcountry is a dream for the avid skier or snowboarder, it is also prime avalanche territory.

Second year finance major Johnny Youngs has spent his fair share of time in the backcountry and has completed a Level

one avalanche course, which rado Mountain School or Apex teaches how to “plan for travel Mountain School. in avalanche terrain, identify Fortunately, most people avalanche terrain, decide where who intentionally backcountry and how to travel and practice ski do have adequate training. companion rescue.”

With the increase in popular“You have to make sure you ity, more courses are offered in have the gear, knowledge and convenient locations. Problems a partner. You need a beacon, arise more so from overconfishovel and a probe, and you dence or, as in Bernard’s case, need to know how to use it,” wanting to keep up with your group despite the danger. said Youngs.

“Those who push it too much These courses are offered by outdoor gear stores as well aren’t around to talk about it,” as through regional organi- said Youngs. zations. Stores such as REI It’s no secret that Coloraand Wilderness Exchange dans are obsessed with the host avalanche awareness outdoors and make no excepcourses that are often free. For tions for seasons. This type of backcountry skiing and snow- community pushes people to go boarding, it is recommended as far as they can in their outto take at least a level one class door hobbies. However, staying through the American Insti- within your limits and skill set tute for Avalanche Research is the best way to stay safe. If and Education (AIARE) which you want to go further, training are around $400-450. You can and proper gear are a must. take these classes through the organization itself, the Colo- Taylor Sienkiewicz | Contributing Writer

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Sydney Kapp | Clarion

Takin g a float at Easy Float

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ith finals coming up, traditional relaxation techniques might include taking a nap, going on a run or attending a yoga class. However, a more unconventional but arguably better relaxation option to partake in is floating.

Floatation Therapy, also known as Sensory Deprivation, is when you float in a “float room” in about 10 inches of water that has been saturated with about 1,000 pounds of Epsom Salt that is heated to a human body’s temperature. The “floater” gets to experience an extremely relaxed environment where they essentially experience nothing at all.

With the light and sound taken out of the room, you feel like you are floating in space rather than in a pool.

Easy Float, located near DU’s campus (only a six minute drive away) on 1855 S. Pearl Street, offers this unique experience.

With free parking on the weekends located in the back of the building, Easy Float is something

Sydney Kapp | Clarion

every stressed out college student should partake in. Not only is the sensory deprivation itself extremely relaxing, the establishment also gives off a very calm vibe. With soothing nature photos decorating the walls and tea and water offered before your session, it’s a great waiting space to put you in the mood to float.

Not having any previous floating experience is totally okay.

Everything you need to know is explained very thoroughly before you start out, from how to best keep the water from getting in your ears, to how to have the best experience you can while floating.

From my floating experience, I discovered that the best way to be totally relaxed is just by concentrating on breathing rather than letting my mind run, which, as a college student, I know is hard to do. After I got relaxed, though, I would definitely recommend floating to everyone, even if they just wanted to experience it once.

However, Bryan, my floating guide (and a surprising Justin Trudeau look-alike), encourages more than

a one-time floating experience because, “people commonly have a 90 percent better experience floating their second time compared to their first time.” Not only did it help me relax before finals, but it also helped the migraine I had been having all day.

Relaxation and headache help are not the only benefits of floating, though. Floating helps increase blood circulation, improves healing abilities, provides faster recovery times for athletes, reduces fatigue and the Epsom Salt helps make your skin feel smooth and replenished. Floating has gratifying mental-health benefits, as well.

It helps reduce stress, improves psychological well-being and also improves sleep. There have also been discoveries of connections between floating regularly and learning. According to a book called “Stealing Fire” by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal, Navy Seals are using sensory deprivation to cut the time it takes for them to learn another language. I won’t lie though, not being able to feel or hear anything for a full 90 minutes

Photo courtesy of Easy Float

is really weird at first, especially when after about an hour the only thing you can hear your internal organs working.

Floating for a one-time 90-minute float at Easy Float is $59 dollars, for a 90-minute session once a month it’s $45 and for two-a-month 90-minute float package it is $69. Though it’s on the pricey side, it’s worth trying out the experience. Giving an Easy Float gift card would also be a fun and unique gift for a friend or family member.

All in all, I would give my experience at Easy Float a 9.8 out of 10. It didn’t get a full 10 out of 10 based only on how much the salt hurts when it gets in your eyes and cuts, which they thoroughly warn you about before you start.

Though it’s a little weird to start out with, it’s definitely something I encourage everyone to try. If you’re up to give it a try, they are open everyday except Monday from 9a.m.-9p.m.

For more information visit easyfloat.com.

Sydney Kapp | Lifestyles Editor

MARCH 08, 2017

DU CLARION

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Five tips to beat procrastination

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s a double major in music and journalism, writer and blogger, Vice-President of the Catholic Student Fellowship and unstoppable procrastinator, I’ve been forced to learn a thing or two about time management (the hard way). With the finals study crunch right around the corner, it’s a crucial skill to learn.

If you’re overwhelmed because your time keeps disappearing, here are some practical tips I’ve drawn from my own procrastinating experiences to make sure you’re happy and successful in the face of college stress.

1. On your busy days, schedule everything.

For starters, if you don’t keep either a physical or digital planner, get one immediately. And if you already have one, take it to the next level. Scheduling the fol-

lowing day hour by hour (deciding exactly when you will do homework, have fun, sleep, even eat) might feel constricting, especially if you’re Type B like me, but I’ve found that it’s immensely helpful on days I get paralyzed by stress.

2. Get your dates straight, right now.

Performing arts majors know this all too well, but it can be useful for anyone. Any time you receive a date for any test/event/ appointment/etc., get it in your calendar/phone/planner that very moment. This ensures that every time you receive a date, you’ll pull out your calendar and be reminded of what else is in your schedule.

Not only will you avoid conflicts or overcommitting yourself, but you’ll be able to plan your homework time around any given event and ensure that you have enough time to prepare for it (and avoid

awful glares from your advisor like I received this morning).

3. Install a time-saver app If you’re someone who’s prone to unintentionally spending an hour Facebook stalking (not that I’ve ever done that …), consider installing a time aid on your laptop or phone to stem your distraction.

My personal favorite is StayFocusd, a free Chrome extension that blocks sites of your choosing and displays a “Shouldn’t You Be Working?” message after 10 minutes on those sites per day (there’s also a paid smartphone version called Freedom). Others include the URL redirector Switcheroo and apps BreakFree, AppDetox and OffTime.

4. Be realistic about sleep You know whether you’re a morning or night person, so don’t kid yourself about how late you

The Grind: Roostercat Coffee

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ocated in an old-timey building off of bustling Lincoln Street, Roostercat Coffee functions as a fantastic space for delicious coffee and treats in the Mile High City.

Roostercat’s main, “OG” shop is located in a perfect spot for Denverites, straddling the Cap Hill, Golden Triangle and Speer neighborhoods.

This means it is surrounded by cultural institutions and a myriad of nightlife, dining and shopping on South Broadway, making it the perfect coffee shop to enjoy on a day out in the city. The location can be a little tough to reach for the DU student, however, as its location on Lincoln Street means that it is far from a light rail stop and parking is paid/street only. However, it is well worth a visit even if that means walking a bit from a train stop or taking the bus.

Justin Cygan | Clarion

Roostercat occupies the bottom level of a beautiful prewar building near the Colorado History Center. The space is a mixture of the old and new; exposed brick is garnished with local art and photography and reclaimed wood lines the walls.

A light breeze blows in through the front door of the coffeehouse, while its two outdoor patios, one with a fire pit, allow patrons to relax and enjoy occasional live music in the open air. The interior has a slight “Western” feel, matching the aesthetic of the old building’s exterior. This is formed through the previously mentioned exposed brick and reclaimed wood, along with the mixed seating of big, old and comfy leather chairs and couches. The space feels as if it would be the coffeeshop for the weary 19th century cowboy.

On a warm spring Saturday, the inside of Roostercat is full of

customers conversing and tapping away on laptops. If it is the perfect day for a delicious iced drink, Roostercat, is there to provide with their small batch, sustainably roasted coffee.

The drinks menu is pretty simple. There are the standard espresso based drinks: Americano ($2.65 for a small), cappuccino ($3.60), mocha ($4.25), and then the more innovative drinks such as the dirty chai ($4.25), lavender latte ($4.25), Ying Yang (coffee with tea $4.25) and the store’s eponymous “the Roostercat”: a spiced mocha ($4.25). Roostercat also serves up delicious food offerings such as chorizo or veggie breakfast burritos ($4.50), waffles ($6) and paninis ($66.50). This reviewer had an iced dirty chai as suggested by the friendly barista. The dirty chai was a delicious,highly caffeinated refreshment. Roostercat’s small batch roasted coffee to

Justin Cygan | Clarion

can keep studying or how early you can force yourself to get up.

Not only will you avoid throwing your day off by oversleeping or becoming an irritable zombie, but you’ll actually get more and better work done if you do it at the time of day when your brain is functioning at its highest.

5. Treat Yo’self!

Finally, when you’re scheduling your days, be sure to make at least a little time for something you enjoy every day. It can be easy to think you need to fill your whole day in order to catch up with homework and projects, but the reality is that everyone needs time to unwind. And if you plan your relaxation time, you can be sure that you won’t end up wasting time with a binge watch after rage quitting your homework.

Daniel Lorenzo | Contributing Writer

this reviewer tasted similar to other Denver options such as Corvus coffee, as it was slightly nuttier tasting than an average roast, and paired very well with the chai. Along with in-house food and drinks, Roostercat sells their roasted coffee both in shop and online.

Bluntly, Roostercat is pretty similar to many other Denver spaces, but that shouldn’t mean it is not worth a visit. It’s an inviting location and space with great coffee, and its outdoor patio and late hours offer a great place to spend some time in the upcoming warmer months.

3/5 Stars Cost: $$ Suggestions: Dirty Chai, Ying Yang, Caprese Panini Location: 1045 Lincoln St. Hours: Sat-Sun 8 a.m. to 12 a.m.

Justin Cygan | Staff Writer

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| ENTERTAINMENT

How to spend spring break in Denver Three of the year’s best soundtracks Photo courtesy of KDVR

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hen so many people make plans to visit the coast, road trip or travel abroad for spring break, it may sound unappealing to stay in Denver for the week. However, for those stuck on or near campus, there is still plenty to do. Denver has countless opportunities to satisfy a craving for entertainment during vacation from school.

Film One of the most anticipated movie releases both for Disney and for film in general is the live-action remake of “Beauty and the Beast.” The project was announced two years ago and has been creating buzz ever since with casting, sneak peeks, teasers and trailers. “Beauty and the Beast” has an all-star cast, featuring Emma Watson (“Harry Potter”), Dan Stevens (“Downton Abbey”), Luke Evans (“Dracula Untold”), Sir Ian McKellen (“The Lord of the Rings”), Josh Gad (“Frozen”) and Emma Thompson (“Love Actually”), among others.

Although Disney has become quite practiced at remaking their own films, Director Bill Condon and the creators have a lot to live up to after the success of the beloved classic version of the fairytale from 1991. “Beauty and the Beast” hits theaters March 17, and it will be playing at multiple locations around Denver.

Make this movie a must-see for the week of spring break.

Music Also on March 17, the Pepsi Center will host Panic! At The Disco on their Death of a Bachelor Tour. Panic! At The Disco will be joined by indie bands Misterwives and Saint Motel.

The concert starts at 7 p.m., and, falling the first Friday evening after final exams, it would be a great way to unwind and get excited for vacation. Tickets start at $29.50 and are on sale now.

If massive rock concerts do not sound appealing, the Colorado Symphony is performing at 7:30 p.m. on March 24 and 25 at the Boettcher Concert Hall. Tickets start at $29 for this excellent performance featuring the soundtracks and scores of the best superhero movies, shows and games.

Theatre Denver has some amazing opportunities to see live theatre that all students should take advantage of. The Denver Center for Performing Arts has a massive complex downtown with multiple venues, restaurants, shops and cafes, and they have both local and traveling shows performed throughout the year. One of the current productions is called “An Act of God,” and it runs until April 18. “An Act of God” is a can’t-miss hit written by 13-time Emmy Award winner David Javerbaum (“The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”).

The hilarious and crude play originally starred Jim Parsons (“The Big Bang Theory”) as God and has been wowing Denver crowds since October. Tickets start at $47 for a seat in the Garner Galleria Theatre at the DCPA. Comedy March 16 and 17, Comedy Works Downtown in Larimer Square will host comedian, actor and writer Michael Che. The New York native is best known for his work on “Saturday Night Live,” “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart” and “Michael Che Matters.” Enjoying some comedy is an excellent way to destress, and Che has often been noted as an up and coming comedian to watch for. Shows are March 16, 17 and 18.

Tickets are $25 and going quickly; the shows are 21+.

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soundtrack has the power to make or break a movie. The music chosen to accompany a love scene, tragedy or climax informs the audience of how they are supposed to feel about that moment. Recently, a new precedent has been set for the expressiveness and poignancy of musical scores in cinema due to brilliant collaborations between visionary directors and intuitive musical composers. These projects reveal that music is integral to the film as the rhythmic heartbeat that gives the plot life. Listed below are a few film soundtracks that really stood out among the abundance of captivating films that were released in the last year.

“American Honey” Shia Labeouf’s (“Transformers”) most recent film “American Honey” is about a group of aimless suburban kids who gather together to ride through the American Midwest and go door-to-door selling magazine subscriptions. The soundtrack that follows the misfits on their listless journey enriches the film with a captivating and at times sobering tone of longing and self-doubt. The film features sounds ranging from contemporary country with Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey” to indie rock and alternative hits like The Raveonettes’ “Recharge & Revolt.” Soft Southern ballads and pensive melodies are starkly contrasted with tracks from rappers like MadeinTYO, Kevin Gates and Carnage whose song “I Like Tuh” will be stuck in your head for days. This strange mixture of genres adeptly captures the confusing and isolating but at times euphoric sentiments of being young and on your own.

Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone

Art

“Moonlight”

Visiting the Denver Art Museum is the perfect way to enjoy downtown and to explore some unique culture. With ever-changing events, collections and exhibitions, take advantage of some down time and spend a day at the Denver Art Museum. Some of the current exhibits include Star Wars and the Power of Costume (at an extra charge), Shock Wave: Japanese Fashion Design, 1980s–90s and Mi Tierra: Contemporary Artists Explore Place. A new exhibit, Word Dance: Selections from the Collection of JoAnn Gonzalez Hickey, opens March 19. There are also collections of countless variations on display year-round.

Adult tickets are $10 (or $8 with a student ID), and there is so much to see.

Director Barry Jenkins’s (“Medicine For Melancholy”) film is a stunning portrait of the malleability of identity and the weight of societal expectations.

One of “Moonlight’s” many Oscar nominations was for the film’s

Taryn Allen | Copy Editor

rich soundtrack from American composer Nicholas Britell.

Britell delivers a perfect complement to the fiercely emotional story, emphasizing the fragility of the self through the soporific and anxious string-heavy score.

The film’s structure illuminates the progression of protagonist Chiron’s identity by breaking his life into the three vignettes: childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Each of Chiron’s “selves” have a different musical theme, and they change only by pitch, beginning high and light in Chiron’s childhood and ending low and subdued as his adult-self nicknamed “Black” is introduced. The music serves as an expression of the character’s identity gradually suffocating with time.

“Jackie” Photo courtesy of the BBC

Natalie Portman (“Black Swan”) gave one of the year’s most emotional performances in Pablo Larrain’s (“Neruda”) “Jackie.” Portman beautifully portrays the inner-turmoil and forced reserve of a woman mourning her husband’s assassination while being relentlessly watched by the public eye. The film’s score, also nominated for an Oscar, creates tones of turbulence and anxiety rather than the somber, melancholic sounds that would be expected from a film about a wife’s lamentations. As the tension progresses and falls, the music elegantly accompanies each of Jackie’s subtle cracks in character and moments of silenced despair with what the composer Mica Levi calls “indulgent and distortive” pairings of strings and percussions.

These three films exemplify a soundtrack’s capacity to transform and transfer the characters and scenes. The music doesn’t simply emphasize a movie’s themes as is commonly believed, the music creates the themes.

AnnMarie Marlow | Contributing Writer Photo courtesy of the AP

MARCH 08, 2017

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‘Universal Harvester’ a nostalgic and unnerving mystery

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n Feb. 7, John Darnielle, member of the band The Mountain Goats and author of New York Times Bestseller “Wolf in White Van,” released his newest novel, “Universal Harvester.” The story takes place in a small Iowa town in the 1990s, following the lives of unassuming men and women who have their lives planned out from start to finish until crucial pieces of the plan are lost or new ones are introduced. While the novel is centered around a bizarre mystery, the narrative that subtly pulses below the surface is one of confronting grief and seeking peace.

From “Children of the Corn,” to Mel Gibson’s “Signs” to Donald Ray Pollock’s “The Devil All the Time,” it is clear that authors and filmmakers of chilling tales cannot resist the pale seduction of rural small-towns. They seem to relish in the image of undulating fields and the immersion of their characters within the dense, wide spaces where cries for help are answered only by the whistling of the wind.

Darnielle, a native Californian, ter and cut out. He goes home and seems also to have succumbed to watches the film, a curiosity that this temptation. In “Universal Har- feels harmless but turns out to be vester” the open the first of many Photo courtesy of Stereogum decisions that evenland, the winding tually lead him to a dirt roads and small farmhouse and the simple farma dark shed in the ers merge into a middle of nowhere. singularly clausBy layering trophobic scene.

The central different narratives from various character is a times, Darnielle 22-year-old creates an erratic named Jeremy plot that has the Heldt who works effect of disorientat a local Video ing his audience; Hut. In the beginning, Jeremy’s however, bewilderment and disdays are indistinguishable. They turbance are two roll by in sluggish themes that unify patterns that the many conflicts would leave most that arise. In retrospect, the frustrapeople restless tion induced by the and dissatisfied.

When two customers return their lack of explanation connecting movies claiming that they had been the tiered narratives forces the taped over with some kind of home- reader to pull reason from chaos, video, the slow, mechanical patterns similar to the challenges taken of Jeremy’s everyday begin to sput- on by the protagonists.

Coping with loss serves as a forceful undercurrent, subtly creating links and knots between the characters and events with a string of absences. A major achievement of the text is Darnielle’s ability to maintain the speed of a gripping mystery despite the melancholic and dismal habitation that stains the story grey with lethargy and sorrow.

Although at times the story is excessively ambiguous, and has a few too many clichés regarding the perplexity and foreboding of rural Iowa, the inner-conflicts and mental restraints are portrayed in a compelling style that separates “Universal Harvester” from the typical mystery placed in the center of a cornfield.

Darnielle creates characters whose desperation and unbearable desolation lead them into circumstances so shocking, the darkened scenes and unnerving images will linger in your thoughts days after you turn the last page.

AnnMarie Marlow | Contributing Writer

Temples’ second album avoids sophomore slump

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fter extensive festival touring and studio time, English psychedelic band Temples is back with its newest album, “Volcano,” released on March 3.

Temples, known for its pioneering sound in the modern psychrock scene, delves into intense, otherworldly synths and the familiar crooning of guitar and singer James Bagshaw. Unlike their first album, “Volcano” seems less psychedelic and more synthetic on the initial listen.

The first track on the album, “Certainty,” begins with a flood of bright, thrumming synths and

delicious keys, a sound that is unique to this album for Temples.

However, it still keeps with some of Temples’ ‘60s sound, obviously drawing endless inspiration from bands like The Beatles. “Certainty” reaches just the right levels of energy and dreaminess, balanced with enticing riffs and fading out with roaming synthesizer.

Another stand-out track, “Mystery of Pop,” starts out with an addicting beat and also pairs with mystical, dazzling keys.

However, the song is cut with a darker edge that adds enough musical variety to prevent an entirely uniform sound. It’s one

of the more upbeats songs on “Volcano,” with fast vocals and a quick tempo—it’s a pleasurable, happy listen that would start any day right.

“How Would You Like To Go?” is quite possibly the best track on the album—Bagshaw’s vocals soar into unknown dimensions and take us there with him.

The song beckons the listeners, calling them with a siren song that is peppered with gorgeous synths and an eerie undertone that hints at something alluringly dangerous. “How Would You Like To Go?” is absolutely, thoroughly beautiful—listening

to it feels like watching a sunrise on another planet. The synth in this song is something exquisitely alien, and when the chorus hits, it is a crescendo of magnificent sounds that causes stirrings in the heart and tears in the eyes.

This track will surely, and rightfully, be a favorite.

However, despite the new sound for Temples, “Volcano” pales in comparison to its predecessor “Sun Structures.” “Sun Structures” hit at the origins of the modern obsession with psych-rock, and inspired dozens of new bands that take influence from Temples. The addition of synths on this album Photo courtesy of FatPossum is an interesting new take, but takes away from Temples’ original instrumental mastery. To be fair, the album may also appear to be less ingenious due to the explosion of psychrock; if everyone is creating music of the same genre, is it really that ground-breaking? Even though “Volcano” doesn’t quite hit as hard as “Sun Structures,” the album is still worthy of respect—Temples went in a slightly different direction from its original sound, and it is clearly wellcrafted. The keys are absolutely gorgeous, dripping with sunshine, and the synth does meld well with Bagshaw’s vocals. All in all, “Volcano” is a good album by any standards—it just isn’t Temples’ best.

Jocelyn Rockhold | Staff Writer

DU CLARION

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| ENTERTAINMENT

MARCH 08, 2017

“Logan” transcends the superhero genre Photo courtesy of Bustle

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ver the course of 17 years and nine movies, Hugh Jackman (“The Prestige”) cemented himself as a cinematic legend with a single role, one that would dominate pop culture and help turn superhero films into blockbusters. That role was playing the tortured antihero Wolverine, a.k.a. Logan, whose rage, wit and metal claws seemed to be destined for Jackman to tackle. The effortlessly cool Australian actor consistently wowed audiences for years as the most famous member of the X-Men, bringing a charm and vulnerability to the character that helped to create one of the most memorable characters ever before seen in the superhero genre. All good things must come to an end, however, and Jackman looks to sheath the claws for good with the latest entry in the “X-Men” saga, “Logan.”

Set in 2029, “Logan” follows an aging, battered Wolverine living in a seemingly dystopian America. Mutants are on the brink of extinction, mentor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart, “Green Room”) is suffering from a neurodegenerative disease that gives him little agency over his telepathic powers and Logan’s metal skeleton is slowly poisoning him to death, weakening his abilities. Logan lives his day boozing and driving a limo, hoping to escape to the sea with Xavier, until everything changes when he meets Laura (Dafne Keen, “The Refugees”), a young clone of himself on the run from

the corporation who created her.

On top of the grim world-building, “Logan” is a film quite unlike any other “X-Men” film due to its very adult proceedings. The success of last year’s bloody and filthy mutant venture “Deadpool” allowed Jackman and director James Mangold (“Walk the Line”) to push for an R-rating, and the benefits show. While Wolverine’s metal claws have historically produced little to no gore in the past and his language has been almost entirely family-friendly, the characters of “Logan” now speak without filters and seamlessly tear their enemies to shreds. It’s an effective choice, as it works in strict coordination with the film’s tone and style, which paints this tale as less of a superhero story and more of a dark, weary neo-Western.

The nature of the adult themes and choices in the film are not only a treat for Wolverine fans, it’s a deliberate decision for a story steeped in the idea that time always gets the better of us.

W h i l e

“X-Men” films have often been a step above other ensemble genre films, the performances in “Logan” are superb and bring the story to life. It’s easily Jackman’s best performance as Logan, bringing all of the character’s pain, guilt and humanity to the table in a way he’s never been able to do before. While the wisecracks may be few and far between in this installment, the character feels as authentic as ever. Stewart is also just as divine, turning in his best performance of the franchise as he creates a Xavier that is both heartwarming and emotionally devastating. It’s a complex role, matched not only

by Jackman but by newcomer

Keen as well, whose spunk and rage develops splendidly over the course of the story.

The three performances, the centerpiece amongst an array of great acting found in the film, come together to create a character piece that finds meaning in the blood and carnage. They work with Mangold’s steady hand in the director’s chair to create a timeless film, one that transcends the trappings of the superhero genre.

It’s not only a fitting send-off to Jackman’s role of a lifetime, but also one of the most intelligent and raw blockbuster films to hit the screens in quite some time.

Ryan Ninesling | Executive Editor Elect

Photo courtesy of Insider