DU Clarion Volume 125 Issue 15

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VOLUME 125, ISSUE 15

“AVENGERS: INFINITY WAR”: AN EMPTY LIGHT SHOW

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TEACHERS STRIKE FOR BETTER PAY

DU MEN’S SOCCER TAKES DOWN NORTHWESTERN

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MENTAL HEALTH SPENDING 4 SHOULD INCREASE pa g e

HINDU CELEBRATION OF HOLI WELCOMES SPRING

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| NEWS

Teachers walk out to protest for better funding

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n Thursday and Friday, April 26 and 27, public school teachers from 10 of the largest districts in Colorado walked out of their classroom and protested dresssed in red at the state capitol in hopes of having lawmakers address the underfunding of schools and teachers. Due to the high number of teachers expected to strike, Colorado school districts cancelled class.

This includes the three biggest districts: Denver Public Schools (who closed Friday), Jefferson County (Jeffco) and Douglas County (both of which were closed Thursday). In total, the districts that closed collectively serve over 530,000 students.

In a statement signed by 16 Colorado superintendents and written by Jeffco superintendent Jason Glass, he writes, “We strongly believe that our students, our communities and our educators should receive the supports and compensation they

deserve.” The letter also provided some statistics mentioning that 95 percent of teacher salaries are below the standard of living in rural Colorado.

According to the recent National Education Association report, Colorado teacher’s pay is ranked 31st at $52,736. The state is underfunding schools by more than $800 million each year, reports Denver 7. CO Education Association, estimates about $656 being spent out of the teacher’s pocket for school supplies for students annually.

Teachers point to the Gallagher Amendment and the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) as a reason why there has been a shortage in education funding. The Gallagher Amendment creates a constant ratio between residential and business property taxes. Meanwhile, TABOR makes it illegal for lawmakers to raise taxes without first making Colorado residents vote on it. As mentioned in Denver 7’s brief on

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the two tax laws, TABOR “limits how much of ‘raise,’ so to speak, that the state gets each year.

And, if the state happens to generate too much money, it can’t keep it. Instead, this goes back to taxpayers.” This then makes it difficult for schools to receive a drastic increase in funding.

Another issue that teachers are addressing in the walk out is their retirement program. As reported in NPR, teachers in Colorado will not receive social security, since it is one of the 15 states that do not offer all their teachers that coverage. Instead, teachers are required to receive a pension plan that is “at least as generous.” The issue: pension plans are underfunded and teacher’s do not see a benefit until about a decade of working in education.

The walkouts have been subject to criticism for leaving their job and affecting parents needing to find alternatives child care methods. This

resulted in the proposition of SB18-264, a bill prohibiting public school teacher strikes and including fines and/or jail time if teachers do not comply.

According to the Colorado General Assembly website, the bill is under consideration.

Daniela Santos | News Editor

DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF

TARYN ALLEN, Editor-in-Chief GRACE CARSON, Executive Editor JOHN POE, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus RYAN NINESLING, Executive Editor Emeritus DANIELA SANTOS, 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.

NIKKY JOHNSON, Sports Editor ELIZABETH LOCHHEAD, Opinions Editor KENDALL MORRIS, Arts & Life Editor CAITLAN GANNAM, Photo/Video Editor GRACE HOUSER, Photo/Video Editor MONICA MCFADDEN, Podcast Editor JUSTIN CYGAN, Copy Editor MAYA PINON, Copy Editor ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser

CONTRIBUTING STAFF NINA PETROVIC CLAIRE BOGGS APARNA KRISHNASWAMY JESSICA SILVA

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SPORTS | 3

Denver Lacrosse finishes perfect in BIG EAST play

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he DU Men’s Lacrosse team finished its regular BIG EAST season with a perfect record, its fifthstraight BIG EAST regular season title with a 7-4 win over Marquette. This was the 28th-straight sellout game at Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, with a recorded attendance of 2,700, the eighth -highest attendance.

Junior Nate Marano (Tustin, Calif.) had the only goal for the Pioneers in the first quarter when he scored at 5:40, with an assist from sophomore Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario).

In the second quarter, junior attackman Austin French (Danville, Calif.) scored at 6:19 in the second quarter, assisted by Walker. French followed that goal up with another

one at 3:53, assisted by freshman Ted Sullivan (Tucson, Ariz.).

Although Marquette scored a goal at 3:32, senior faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste (Denville, N.J.) responded with an unassisted goal at 3:24.

In the third quarter, Marquette and Denver traded off scoring. Marquette was the first to score. The Pioneers responded with an unassisted goal from Walker at 13:34.

Marquette responded at 10:45 during a 30-second man up advantage. Denver finished the quarter with a goal from French, assisted by Walker, at 7:33.

In the fourth and final quarter, Marquette scored once at 14:30.

However, Denver had the final goal of the game at 9:18, an unassisted goal by Marano.

Sophomore goalie Josh Matte

(Issaquah, Wash.) improved his record for this season to 7-0, saving around 60 percent of shots he faced on Saturday. Baptiste was 11-of-13 at the faceoff, finishing with double digit faceoff wins for the 64th time in 65 games. With Saturday’s game, Baptiste is 13 faceoff wins short of tying, and 14 short of breaking, the NCAA Division I faceoff wins record.

Seniors Connor Donahue (Groton, Mass.), Grant Gravitt (Las Vegas, Nev.), Joe Reid (Petaluma, Calif.), Nick Phillips (Denver, Colo.), Matt Jones (Denver, Colo.), Zach Runberg (Centennial, Colo.), Colton McCaffrey (Parker, Colo.), Jeremy Bosher (Kamloops, B.C.), Sean Mayle (San Carlos, Calif.), Baptiste and redshirt senior Connor Flynn (Charlotte, N.C.) were honored after the match for their contributions to

the Denver lacrosse program.

Both Baptiste and Mayle were selected in the first round of the Major League Lacrosse Draft, Baptiste going as the No. 1 pick to the Boston Cannons and Mayle going as the No. 6 pick to the Chesapeake Bayhawks. All 11 seniors were members of the 2015 NCAA Lacrosse National Championship team.

The Pioneers head to the BIG EAST Tournament at Villanova for their first game against No. 4 seed, Marquette, in the semifinals. The faceoff is set for Thursday, May 3, at 2:30 MT, and the game will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network and ESPN 1600.

Hannah Branit | Contributing Writer

Caitlin Gannam | Clarion

Women’s Lacrosse rallies to beat Vanderbilt 11-10

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fter falling behind 9-5 in the first half at Vanderbilt, the Women’s Lacrosse team rallied in the second half, scoring six unanswered goals to win 11-10. After winning the game, the Pioneers secured the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST tournament.

Denver began the game on a slow start, scoring after 12 minutes of action. Redshirt junior Kennedy Milburn (Whitby, Ontario) scored an unassisted goal at 18:22 to get the Pioneers on the board. Junior Elizabeth Behrins (Basking Ridge, N.J.) was the next goal scorer for the

Pioneers, assisted by senior Riley Eggeman (Mission Viejo, Calif.).

Junior Kendra Lanuza (Littleton, Colo.) scored an unassisted goal at 8:32. She followed her goal up by assisting freshman Bea Behrins at 1:55. Lanuza scored an unassisted goal at 1:12 to close out first period scoring for Denver. At the end for the first half, the score was 9-5.

In the second period, Denver got over its slow start and began scoring five minutes in. Eggeman began things for the Pioneers with an unassisted goal at 25:44, followed by junior Julia Feiss (Baltimore, Md.), who scored at 24:41 with an

assist from Lanuza. Lanuza scored at 21:13 with an unassisted goal. Freshman Quintin Hoch-Bullen (Severn, Ontario) scored an unassisted goal at 20:44. Lanuza scored again at 17:46, assisted by Hoch-Bullen, her fourth goal of the game. Feiss finished scoring out for the Pioneers at 7:09 with an unassisted goal.

Denver finished with 27 shots, 16 of which came in the second period.

The Denver defense held firm in the second half, holding Vanderbilt to only one goal, at 5:46. Junior draw specialist Maddie Baum (Piedmont, Calif.) had two draw controls, bringing her season total to 82. She is

now second in program history for number of draw controls by an individual in a single-season.

Eggeman had a career-high four draw controls and tied her careerhigh three caused turnovers, helping to spark the comeback against Vanderbilt. Sophomore goalie Carson Gregg (Severna Park, Md.) made six saves.

The Pioneers are the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST tournament and will begin tournament play next week against No. 2 seed, Georgetown. The game is set for 5 p.m., MT. Hannah Branit | Contributing Writer

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Denver Soccer takes down Northwestern 5 -0

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U Men’s Soccer took down Northwestern 5-0 on April 28 at the DU Soccer Stadium as senior transfer Moshe Perez (Shim’a, Israel) scored a first-half brace, and senior striker Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) added a second-half brace in the victory. Shinyashiki finished with two goals and two assists on the night for a six-point evening, and Perez finished with two goals and a helper. Redshirt sophomore Dylan Keeney (Littleton, Colo.) contributed two assists to the game.

“I think we know we’re going to be talented in the attack this fall,

but we’re looking to form an identity,” Head Coach Jamie Franks said. “That pro-activeness that has made us special in the past, we’ve missed the last week or so. When we don’t try to be the best version of ourselves every day, we’re not that good. We’re a collective team that needs each other, and this week we made large strides looking at ourselves and being honest with ourselves. When you go back and look at the spring as a whole, it was great to score a lot of goals, but we’re focused on looking at our identity and our culture, because we know that’s what it’s going to take to win championships.”

Perez scored his third goal of

the spring in the 12th minute off assists from Keeney and Shinyashiki. Denver passed a ball over the top of the back four defenders that Keeney won the race to. Keeney played the ball back across to the top of the box to Shinyashiki, who took a couple touches to his right before slipping in Perez just outside the six.

Perez chipped it over Northwestern starting keeper Miha Miskovic for the breakthrough.

Perez scored his second goal inside the opening 17 minutes, making a 25-yard run with the ball at his feet before beating Miskovic to his right from just outside the penalty area. Perez finished his spring with two multi-goal games (he

scored twice at Creighton).

Senior winger Kenny Akamatsu (Niigata, Japan) made it 3-0 in the 56th minute, scoring a rebound off a Shinyashiki shot from inside the six-yard box.

Following two assists on the Pioneers first three goals, Shinyashiki scored his third of the spring in the 58th minute, finishing off a cross from Perez from the right wing. The senior striker got his second goal of the night and fourth goal of the spring season.

Nikky Johnson | Sports Editor

Julie Gunderson | Clarion

Olivia Hyde | Clarion

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| OPINIONS

Teacher walkouts give Colorado another reason to revise TABOR

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lasses were cancelled last Thursday and Friday for many Colorado public school students as their teachers marched at the capitol building in favor of more public school funding.

Colorado teachers join others who have walked out in Arizona, West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky in the last several weeks. Though several of the recent protests have ended with pay raises, major improvements in state funding for public education will have to come through longer-term strategies, such as voting for candidates who support this goal, a point one teacher made when interviewed

by The Denver Post. But in addition to voting for such candidates, in order to support education funding fully, Colorado needs to reassess the longstanding and notorious Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) and the ways it prevents us from additional investment in public education.

TABOR is a constitutional measure that imposes a limit on state revenue, returning funds over this cap to taxpayers—raising the limit requires approval directly from these voters.

TABOR was approved in Colorado in 1992, and we remain the only state with such a measure.

TABOR makes it exceedingly difficult to use additional tax revenues to invest in public services at higher amounts, including providing funding for public education in the

way teachers are asking.

Analysis from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities indicates that although the TABOR limit takes into account inflation rate and population growth, this formula has not

starting in 2005 because public services were badly lacking.

The Colorado Fiscal Institute (CFI) has also been actively opposed to TABOR, arguing that the measure is outdated and has made it difficult for Colorado

Photo courtesy of The Denver Post

kept sufficient pace to maintain public services and make new investments. Colorado’s spending on K-12 education fell in the 10 years following the enactment of TABOR, and these negative effects were felt in other public sectors as well. Voters even suspended TABOR for five years

to benefit from the economic growth we have experienced over the past 25 years since its passage. CFI argues that TABOR prevents tax dollars from being sent where they are needed, schools being one of the major areas of need.

Funding for public schools is

of huge importance in Colorado and all states. Many current and past students can recall using ancient textbooks and avoiding desks under leaky ceilings, and teachers are paid salaries that are all too often an insufficient living. More state funding will be needed to improve each one of these circumstances, and more funding requires a state tax system that better reflects current Colorado.

Teachers at the capitol last week also gave support to a proposed ballot initiative that would raise taxes on corporations and higher-income individuals to support school funding. Ballot initiatives such as this and votes for candidates in the state who prioritize public education in their platforms will remain important ways to get more money moving to teachers and schools in the long term.

But if Coloradans are really serious about improving how our tax dollars are used for public services, a major revision of TABOR is past due. As the state grows, so does the number of students in schools who should have proper materials and teachers who should receive pay that supports this career.

Colorado should be able, like 49 other states, to use the tax revenue it generates to support public education and other services as much as it possibly can.

Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor

Lawmakers should continue to improve mental health care spending in Colorado

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mproving care and treatment for mental health and substance abuse problems is an easy goal to get behind until faced with the question that most goals face: how to pay for it. Colorado’s major mental health hospital is in Pueblo, and the facility is in need of improvements as demand for services continues to rise in the state.

Strengthened mental health services are important to help those struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, but cost is what often stands in the way. Therefore, Colorado must consider ways to both increase funding but also spend those funds as effectively as possible.

Three new state Senate bills aimed at more efficient pretrial detainees are examples of how to look at more specific ways the state can spend on mental health services.

An editorial in The Denver Post was published last week urging lawmakers to pass Senate bills 250, 251 and 252, and while these bills would increase spending and address the shortage of inpatient beds, they are mostly aimed at making sure the state can meet rules for how detainees are evaluated before trials. The number of mental health evaluations ordered by Colorado courts has increased, and the state often does not

follow through on these evaluations in the requested time limit—there is now concern that the state could face high fines for this in the future. One of the primary goals of the Senate bills would be to make the location of these evaluations more appropriate—outpatient evaluations rather than stays in (expensive) state hospitals are appropriate in many cases, for example.

This is an interesting lesson in how to both provide more resources for mental health but also focus on how to spend those resources in the most efficient way possible. Currently, there is also a proposed November ballot measure that would increase Denver sales tax to raise money for mental health and substance abuse treatment. While this tax increase is an additional expense, it is worth taking into account the ways taxpayers are already paying for these treatments: information from Mathematica Policy Research shows that about one in eight emergency room visits in the U.S. are for mental health or substance abuse reasons, and about one third of these people do not receive follow-up care within 30 days. Not only are these emergency room visits expensive for everyone, they are not the most beneficial treatment option for the patients themselves.

Photo courtesy of Connor W. Davis

Therefore, more funding for mental health and substance abuse services is itself a possible way to spend more efficiently. Yes, this will likely require an increase in sales tax, but taxpayers are already spending for high numbers of emergency room visits. Beyond this, more support for those dealing with mental illness and addiction is important for the well-being of any community.

Mental illness affects people of all incomes and circumstances, but it is also of the major causes of homelessness, according to the National Coalition for the Homeless, and there are over 5,000 homeless people in Denver (this comes from 2017’s

Point-in-Time survey, which acknowledges it is a low estimate due to undercounting).

Colorado is in need of additional funding for mental health and substance abuse services, not just to avoid fees for not meeting court-required evaluations but because this is an issue that affects the overall health of our population.

Funding will hopefully get a boost from the November ballot initiative, but even if this does happen, lawmakers should continue to keep in mind how to most precisely use these funds to ensure that each dollar helps as much as possible.

Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor

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OPINIONS | 7

PIONEER FUNNIES

WHERE

FRESH & FAST MEET

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WE DELIVER! VISIT JIMMYJOHNS.COM TO FIND A LOCATION NEAR YOU

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| OPINIONS

PIONEER VOICES Question of the week:

What is your favorite place to hike?

“I like the Manitou Springs hiking spot because it’s a challenge, but once you get up there you feel really good and get a nice view.”

“Ricketts Glen in Pennsylvania.”

Zane Travis, Second Year

Isabella Brenington, Second Year

“My favorite place to hike is probably Ice Lakes in Silverton, Colorado.”

“Probably Chautauqua in Boulder or the Flatirons.”

Madison Anderson, Second Year

Erika Kasberg, Second Year

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ARTS & LIFE | 9

Ways to celebrate: Cinco De Mayo weekend events in Denver

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inco de Mayo, the holiday tures menus from neighborhood that marks the victory of restaurants and celebrations, all the Mexican army over the celebrating delicious pig offerFrench Empire on May 5, ings. Also included is live music, 1862 (not the country’s indepen- luchador wrestling and drink dence, as often wrongly reported), specials. The party runs from 12 offers everyone the opportunity to p.m. to 8 p.m. enjoy Mexican-American heritage 3. Visit to the Museo De and cultural offerings. The holi- Las Americas day is more than just an excuse to Located in the Sante Fe drink, but having a good time is Arts District, the Museo de the entire intention. Here’s a short Las Americas provides educalist of some of the best events and tional and beautiful exhibitions ways to celebrate Cinco de Mayo of Latin American art. The in and outside the city. museum offers an opportunity 1.

Denver Cinco de for revelers to learn and celeMayo “Celebrate Culture” brate Latinx culture in Denver Festival beyond just drinking and dining.

Held at Civic Center Park in The museum is open Tuesday Downtown Denver, the Cinco through Saturday, 12 p.m. to 5 de Mayo festival offers a range p.m. of entertainment for celebrat4. Enjoy Cinco de Mayo ing the holiday. Attendees can on the slopes. expect amazing food and drink There’s no better way to celoptions, live music, a taco ebrate Cinco de Mayo than by eating contest, a Chihuahua soaking up the sun during the race and more. While food and last few days of the ski season. drink obviously cost, the event On the holiday, Arapahoe Basin itself is free to attend. The offers live music at the base festival runs 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Cinco de Saturday and Sunday.

Mayo falls on the penultimate 2. Lola 10th Annual day of the season at Loveland Picnic of the Pig Ski Area. To celebrate, the ski Lola Coastal Mexican restau- area is offering live music in the rant, located in the Lower High- afternoon at the base and excitlands neighborhood, is celebrat- ingly, the first annual Neverland ing Cinco de Mayo with their Banked Slalom Race all day.

10th annual Picnic of the Pig street party. The celebration fea- Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor

Museo de las Americas | Photo courtesy of Westword

Holi: A DU festival of colors besides crimson and gold Aparna Krishnaswamy | DU Clarion

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n Friday, April 27, DUPB and South Asian Student Association (SASA) co-sponsored the celebration of Holi, a Hindu festival marking the arrival of spring and the rejoice of love, color and the triumph of good against evil. Hundreds of people, from DU students to children of DU faculty, attended Carnegie Green on the 75-degree day to experience this Indian holiday.

The first Holi celebration can be dated back through poetry to as early as the fourth century and is now considered an ancient tradition. Though it is celebrated among Hindus, Holi is a fairly secular holiday, encouraging the participation of all races, religions and backgrounds. Its main purpose is to

Sara Hanley | DU Clarion

be unified with friends, family and the community regardless of those divisive differences.

The event that DUPB and SASA co-sponsored did the holiday justice. The first hour was dedicated to feeding the guests. Taj Palace Food Truck catered, offering two authentic Indian meal options to the first 300 people who arrived.

The music playlist, created by SASA members, included popular Bollywood songs to provide a more authentic, cultural experience holistically.

After an hour, SASA co-presidents Sabrina Jain and Sunny Khatter kicked off the celebration of Holi by announcing “Holi Hai!” queueing everyone to throw the colorful powder up in the air or at others at the

same time. The air on Carnegie Green became opaque with various colors of blue, red, pink and yellow, as though a vibrant cloud had engulfed the area.

Several participants had water guns and hoses, spraying others with water amidst all the color. In some cases, people would throw their friends into the small pools of water that SASA had spread throughout the green. The laughter of all the participants throughout Carnegie Green could be heard from across campus.

“I really enjoyed participating in Holi! It was incredibly happy and fun. I enjoyed throwing color on not only my friends but people I didn’t know,” DU senior Taylor Blagg explained.

Within the hour, the colorful

powder had run out and had dyed the grass anything but green. A number of people still remained, dancing to Bollywood music and taking photos of their multicolored bodies with their friends.

The colorful powder may have permanently dyed the clothes and belongings of the participants, however, the memories created made the celebration worthwhile.

SASA’s next event is a Bollywood Night on May 11, where students can experience more food and music native to South Asian culture.

Aparna Krishnaswamy | Contributing Writer

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The Grind: Bang Up to the Elephant!

Photo courtesy of HBO

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Photo courtesy of Headliners Music Hall

Photo courtesy of 5280

ang Up to the Elephant! is a relatively new addition to Pearl Street that earns high marks for experience. This vibrant addition to a transitioning neighborhood piqued my interest with its fun and playful name. A victorian saying meaning “a job well done,” the vainglory in this title was a refreshing dose of confidence that begged further investigation.

A quick Google search will show you snippets of Bang Up to the Elephant!’s experiential decor. A hooded bar lit with cool tone bulbs sits behind sliding French doors with blocks of vibrant colors. A plant wall meant to reflect traditional Caribbean architecture separates the dining space of minimalist wooden benches that run across the camouflage concrete floor.

An oscillating light machine shines through the space projecting shapes throughout the area. The whimsy continues past the dining space with bathroom doors meant to look like massive portable toilets.

True to the decor, the menu offers traditional Caribbean treats and beach-friendly cocktails. Curry and roti dishes,

sandwiches, plates and bowls fill the options, with lots of vegan and vegetarian dishes available.

Prices are extremely reasonable, with the most expensive menu item ringing in at just $14. As far as taste goes, I found the starters to be better than the entrees, but overall the meals were all tasty and unique. I tried the “Plantain Chips & Friends” appetizer and the “Squashy Curry” for an entree.

In such a cool space, you may expect the staff to be hip and standoffish but that could not be further from the truth. The staff is incredibly kind and accommodating, adding to the value of the experience. They crank up island-influenced pop jams and are happy to plug the playlist if you are moved by the music.

If I’ve piqued your interest, Bang Up to the Elephant! is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner with a small grab and go coffee space in the front for quick trips.

A short drive from campus, it is definitely worth a visit for a fun and unique experience.

Claire Boggs | Contrtibuting Writer

“Dirty Computer” and the art of self-expression A beloved Martin Luther King Jr. reminding listeners that all men are created equal kicks off on Janelle Monae’s single, “Crazy, Classic, Life” from her new album “Dirty Computer,” an album of politics, sex and love.

Monae’s new album is an experimentation and a different concept from her previous work.

In “Dirty Computer,” Monae takes on a more self-expressive, provocative work than in her previous albums. Albums such as “Metropolis: The Chase Suite,” released in 2008, contained her original tendencies of creating doo-wop, funk and soul. Monae also previously used an alter ego, Cindi Mayweather, a robotic superhero, to bring a character to life in her music. This time, Monae brings forth the character of herself in “Dirty Computer.”

One prominent theme in Monae’s new album is sex and sexuality. In “Make Me Feel,” Monae declares that her romantic attractions and sexuality are fluid and outside the bounds of binary gender and romantic interest (“An emotional, sexual blender, mess me up, yeah, but no one does it better”). Monae implies she is attracted to people of any gender and that anyone can be an equally adequate lover for her. In “Screwed,” Monae is very explicit about her want of sexual activity, believing that it is time for her to do what makes her happy while the world is ending (“We’re all

screwed, and it’s not perfect, baby, but I do sex crazy”).

Monae also conveys her views on racial tensions in the U.S. in “Dirty Computer.” The last track of her album, “Americans,” references terms used in past cases of police brutality. Phrases such as “Hands go up, men go down” and “Say her name, twice in hell” were used in the cases of Michael Brown and Sandra Bland. Monae states that they can try to take her country away, but she will defend the land she lives in and stand up for those who have been marginalized.

Accompanying the “Dirty Computer” album is a 45-minute movie that Monae calls an “emotion picture.” In the movie, Monae illustrates that queer, black women can define their own life. As a queer, black woman, Monae states her existence is valid, her feelings will be heard and that most importantly, she is loved. Both “Dirty Computer” and her accompanying emotion picture are a reflection of who Janelle Monae really is and how she will keep fighting for herself and for others like her to have the same validity and rights as everyone else.

Janelle Monae will begin her tour in June. Tickets for her Denver show on July 1, 2018 at Paramount Theatre can be found on Ticketmaster.

Nina Petrovic | Contrtibuting Writer

Photo courtesy of Funkatopia

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“Infinity War” is a tour of the MCU’s worst qualities

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hen the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) began 10 years ago with “Iron Man,” it represented the birth of a grand cinematic experiment. It would bring together disparate characters and stories to form an overarching universe driven by one singular element: the lingering presence of a villain who would seek to send it all tumbling down. The moment has arrived in the form of “Avengers: Infinity War,” with the mad titan Thanos (Josh Brolin, “No Country for Old Men”) looking to finally complete his mission of collecting the six Infinity Stones, which will allow him to wipe half of all life from existence and therefore bring balance to the universe.

It’s a colossal disappointment.

The film, which brings together nearly every existing MCU character together in an effort to stop Thanos from completing his extreme rock collection, is an exhaustingly long collection of special effects vignettes and

Photo courtesy of The Verve

half-baked jokes strung into some sort of semblance of a plot. When closely examined, it becomes clear that the selling point of “Infinity War” is exactly what causes it to crumble under its own weight; with over twenty starring characters struggling to get their moment in the spotlight, the film struggles to break free from the chains of being overstuffed.

Many came after “Captain America: Civil War” for the same issue, but the difference was the characters in that film at least had discernible motivations for what they were doing. Motivations are in essence what make these characters interesting in the first place; they add depth underneath all the shiny effects and tight costumes. As an audience, we’re invested in the MCU because of what these characters strive to achieve, not what they actually do to get there. Just as in real life, we care about the melody and harmonies of the music. The light show is just an added bonus.

The problem with “Avengers: Infinity War” is that it’s the light show and the light show alone.

Outside of spare amounts of hit or miss humor and some interesting (if forced and unearned) moments of backstory for Thanos, the film doesn’t offer up anything worth the 10 years of anticipation. The film is mostly emotionless action sequences that aren’t worthy of the hype, giving its characters almost nothing interesting to do or say.

When it sinks in that the star and moral compass of the franchise, Captain America (Chris Evans, “The Avengers”), has only around five or six simple lines, one starts to realize Marvel may have had too much to handle from a narrative perspective. So the light show it is.

What makes “Avengers: Infinity War” so depressing is that it makes clear how Marvel knows exactly what its doing, which is churning these things out as money-making machines with no respect to the power of its

influence or place in pop culture.

A mere two months after “Black Panther” arrived to represent an important cultural shift in the nature of superheroes, this film arrives to remind you that Marvel isn’t actually interested in any of that. It’s interested in getting us back in our seats for the next film.

It’s difficult to think of another franchise where its tentpole films are so dependent on you seeing the next film to find any worth in the one currently unfolding in front of your eyes. The film has a predictably bleak ending, one which will dominate the pop culture conversation until this film’s follow-up arrives, but its stakes and narrative weight mean nothing when you realize it’s all a cheap device to make one emotionally invested in next year’s ticket purchase. Perhaps it’s time to accept that if Marvel is to be worthy of its place upon the pop culture throne, the variables of the experiment need to change.

Ryan Ninesling | Executive Editor Emeritus

Cherry Blossom Festival celebrates Japanese culture

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n April 28, the DU Programing Board (DUPB) hosted a festival aimed to celebrate Japanese culture.

The Cherry Blossom Festival was an event that brought Japanese culture directly to campus. The event kicked off at 4 p.m. on Driscoll Green as participants were treated to Japanese cuisine such as teriyaki chicken, rice and mochi. From then on, participants were then encouraged to eat and socialize as they awaited a traditional Japanese dance performance by the Minyou Kai group.

The group is affiliated with the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple which seeks to provide training and education on Japanese art and culture. They have been showcasing

Japanese folk dance since the 1960s.

The dancers performed a series of dances that were meant to represent different stories from various regions of Japan. One such dance represented the story of a young prince that disguises himself as a herder boy and lives as a servant in the wealthy man’s home and plays the flute to express his love for the daughter.

The Cherry Blossom Festival gave the DU community a taste of what Japanese culture is like. Interested DU members can learn more about Japanese culture and art through the Tri-State Denver Buddhist Temple where they can get actively involved in the various clubs and classes offered at the temple.

Jessica Silva | Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy of the Public Domain

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Theatre department brings life to “12 Angry Jurors”

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n the evening of April 27, the DU Department of Theatre put on a onenight-only staged reading of “Twelve Angry Jurors,” a teleplay originally broadcast in 1954 as “Twelve Angry Men,” later made into a classic 1957 film by the same name. Directed by senior theatre and business major Meagan Traver, the play featured a cast of 13 students, four men and nine women. In the spirit of a true staged reading, the play had no blocking whatsoever, with the cast arranged in an arc on the stage with scripts before them, and any props, set or movement described by the Narrator (Taryn Allen, also Judge and Guard).

The play began with each juror entering the stage one by one, a telling but brief description of the character given to the audience. The jurors came to the deliberation room from a wide variety of backgrounds, some with sinister temperaments, some more meek and some rather absurd.

A vote started things off, calling on all 12 jurors to say whether they believed the 16-year-old boy at the center of the murder trial

Photo courtesy of DU Theatre

was guilty or not. At 11-to-one for “guilty,” the vote left one woman, Juror 8 (Lois Shih) in the position of the embattled minority, facing off against all others in the room to explain why she felt she had “reasonable doubt” about his guilt. Immediately, Juror 8 goes to head against Juror 3 (Rhianna ReVries) and Juror 10 (Ray Reidenbaugh), who are the most violently convinced of the boy’s guilt and described at the onset as “sadistic” and “bigoted,” respectively. The entire play unfolded through the recounting of various pieces of evidence and testimonies from the trial, with the prejudices, weaknesses and ferocity of the characters increasingly revealed.

Throughout the play, many of the characters evolve as they bump up against the others’ stark differences. Juror 1, the foreman (Gracie Jacobson), desperately tries to keep order in the room, Juror 2 (Evan Monteith) moves from painfully self-conscious to more assertive, and Juror 4 (Alek Seballes) tries to focus solely on the facts of the case, eventually giving up as Juror 8 breaks down the argument. The underprivileged background of Juror 5

(Marcos Descalzi) is uncovered, much to his sensitivity, and the easy-going Juror 6 (Annaleisa Friednash) calls out injustice when she sees it. Juror 7 (Isaiah Adams) is brash and offensive, if relatively harmless, and Juror 9 (Tamarra Nelson) is an old woman who, although walked all over by other jurors, asserts her opinion in satisfying quips. Juror 11 (Anthony Adu) is a European immigrant sensitive to injustice, often seen casually chatting with proud marketing firm employee, Juror 12 (Shelby Lynhall).

Juror 8 expertly argues her points in the face of intense opposition, slowly but surely convincing the other jurors of her position as she pokes holes in the testimony of the prosecution.

The last juror to break is Juror 3, who gives up in an explosive outburst about her shattered relationship with her son, which has been weighing heavily on her opinion of the defendant’s guilt.

Impressively timely for a decades-old play, the plot addresses societal prejudice, with the boy at the center of the case consistently referred to as one of “those people” who comes from the slums, and Juror 10 claiming

that “not one of them is good.”

The choice of a gender-blind casting made for a fresh telling of the originally solely white male play. For a story told entirely through dialogue recounting past events and set in a purposely bland room, the play manages to be riveting, pulling the audience into its compelling characters and tense moments regardless of the lack of set and motion.

Reidenbaugh brilliantly shocked the room into silence with Juror 10’s crazed, racist outburst, and Nelson fully embodied Juror 9’s old age and quiet, observant temperament. DeVries and Shih shone at the core of the play’s conflict. DeVries’s cocky and deranged performance certainly made the show opposite Shih’s confident and earnest one.

All in all, the play was an excellent choice brought to life by a glowing cast.

For the Department of Theatre’s next show, check out the Senior Short Play Festival, Cycle 2, from May 24-27. Tickets are available through the department’s website.

Monica McFadden | Arts & Life Editor