DU Clarion Volume 126 Issue 1

JAN. 16, 2019 VOLUME 126 ISSUE 1

TITLE X ?

SEE PAGE 3 FOR NEW PROPOSED REGULATIONS

2

DU CLARION

| NEWS

JAN. 16, 2019

How to survive f lu season this year

A

s winter hits DU’s campus in full force, so does the increase of students falling victim to illness, specifically the flu. Influenza, or “the flu,” is a respiratory, viral illness commonly diagnosed in seasons of winter and spring. This illness is highly contagious and is often mistaken for a cold but displays much more severe symptoms which typically last between one and two weeks.

The virus causing the flu illness mainly affects the areas of throat, nose and lungs with mild to severe symptoms, such as a cough, fever or feeling feverish, chills, sore throat, muscle or body aches, runny or stuffy nose and headaches.

Although these display that the flu virus has been caught, most individuals become contagious the day prior to developing noticeable symp-

toms, so in addition to getting rid of your own illness, take precaution to not spread it to others as well.

The flu virus is spread through the sick individual’s germs being transferred by way of cough, sneeze or spit or occasionally through touching a contaminated surface. To prevent this viral transfer, wash hands often, cover any coughs or sneezes thoroughly and keep distance of healthy individuals when infected with the flu.

There are methods of making symptoms less severe and treating the flu, but the most effective way to combat flu season is prevention. The best way to approach prevention is through a flu vaccine each year. A vaccine has been able to prove effective in reducing flu outbreak and the risk of complications if the influenza virus does infect your system.

ABOUT US

Each fall, DU provides opportunities for students to receive a vaccine. These dates are accessible and advertised on the DU social media pages, including Facebook and Instagram. If unable to make a vaccine day provided by the school, local pharmacies, such as Walgreens and Safeway, also have flu vaccine services available.

If prevention does not prove effective and the flu virus is contracted, there are many home remedies to lessen the effects of the symptoms and provide relief. One of the most vital things to remember while ill is to keep your body hydrated through water, fruit juices or tea. Honey can also be added to tea to soothe a sore throat. Also, allow your body to rest, and do not engage in rigorous physical activity, as your body needs to be allowed

to fight off the virus within.

Along with keeping the body hydrated, it is also wise to do the same for the air through a diffuser or humidifier, as dry air can make stuffy noses and sore throats worse. Besides these methods, try to eat a little to give your body energy to fight off the virus, and suck on throat lozenges or cough drops to ease intense coughs or a sore throat.

If symptoms do not show any improvement over the two weeks, seek medical consultation with a personal doctor or the Health and Counseling Center (HCC) for further medical help in fighting the virus.

Cameron Elder | Contributing Writer

DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF

TARYN ALLEN, Editor-in-Chief GRACE CARSON, Executive Editor DANIELA SANTOS, News Editor HANNAH BRANIT, Sports 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. 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 Hub. 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.

ELIZABETH LOCHHEAD, Opinions Editor JUSTIN CYGAN, Arts & Life Editor NINA PETROVIC, Arts & Life Editor CAITLAN GANNAM, Photo/Video Editor VICTORIA VALENZUELA, Photo/Video Editor SARA LOUGHRAN, Copy Editor MAYA PINON, Copy Editor CHELSIE FINCHER, Illustrator LAWSON MONTGOMERY, Paper Delivery Person HALEY BIRT, Paper Delivery Person SYDNEY KAPP, Business Manager ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser Cover art courtesy of Victoria Valenzuela / Taryn Allen

CONTRIBUTING STAFF ALESSANDRA BRUNTON

LAWSON MONTGOMERY

MEGAN COONEY

CAMERON ELDER

ROBERT CORL

GRACE WILKINS

RACHEL KUNZI

ISAIAH JAKAB

JAKE GLOTH

REBECCA SHAGRIN

KIANA MARSAN

GRACE GONZALES

MADALYNE HEIKEN BEN ROSSI

JAN. 16, 2019

DU CLARION

NEWS | 3

Winter Carnival 2019: What to know

N

ext month, students can look forward to DU’s 58th annual Winter Carnival, sponsored by the University of Denver Programing Board (DUPB). Winter Carnival will take place from Feb. 4 to 10 and will include numerous activities on campus and at the Keystone Resort. Feb. 4 to 7, DU’s community members can participate in free events every day on campus such as the Chili Cook-Off and carriage rides. For students who would like the experience of going to the mountains from Feb. 8 to 10, discounted tickets for Keystone Resort can be purchased for skiing and snowboarding ($37 Early Bird pricing before Jan. 21, $56 regular pricing after Jan. 21), tubing ($15), ice skating ($10) and breakfast burritos ($8). DUPB offers transportation ($3 bus tickets for undergraduates, $20 for graduate students), and housing costs range from $145 to $399.

Although much about Winter Carnival will be the same as in years past, DUPB

has made some changes. For one, they are working with Graduate Student Government (GSG) this year to also bring discounted ticket prices to grad students. Additionally, DUPB is connecting with Car2Go to provide another transportation option up to the mountain.

Finally, the organization is planning to partner with Slope Threads, which is a start-up founded by Sarah Laughlin, a graduate student here at DU. Slope Threads is part of Project X-ITE, and it provides winter gear rentals to students.

Through this company, customers can pick out ski gear, have it shipped directly to them and return it after their ski trip. Project X-ITE is a new entrepreneurial organization on campus that provides programming, events and strategic global partnerships for like-minded students.

Despite these changes, many students agree that Winter Carnival remains as a great opportunity for everyone to foster a sense of community on campus. “Everyone should get pumped for Winter

Carnival because it is one of the hallmark traditions of DU, engraved in our culture.

It’s one of the few times when a significant amount of the DU population is all together to make memories and feel part of something bigger,” Montrell Nickerson, DUBP representative, said.

Tickets for some of the events sell quickly for this special event, so make sure to register soon. Prices and registration can be found in the student engagement website.

Grace Wilkins | Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy of DUPB

Beer is more accessible thanks to new Colorado law

O

n Jan. 1, 2019, the Colorado legislature removed a Prohibition-era law that prevented grocery stores from selling full-strength beer. Senate Bill 16-197’s largest impact is that grocery and convenience stores are now able to sell the same beer that liquor stores have been able to for the last 80 years. However, wine and liquor will still stay exclusive to liquor stores.

Customers can now buy full-strength beer wherever they get their groceries. Before 2019, only 3.2 percent alcohol by weight beer was sold in these locations.

Literally overnight, the amount of beer-selling stores nearly doubled.

Liquor stores are expecting a major financial blow, but craft brewers are unsure about the ramifications of the law for them.

Additionally, the locations where alcohol can be consumed has changed.

Alcoholic beverages can now be consumed in most state parks.

Thanks to SB 16-197, Colorado joins nearly every other state in giving their citizens more freedom to choose the drinks that they purchase and the places where they drink them.

Isaiah Jakab | Contributing Writer

DU addresses proposed regulations for Title IX

O

n Jan. 10 at Davis Auditorium, a review and analysis of the Title IX proposed regulations from the U.S. Department of Education (ED) took place. During the educational presentation intended for students, staff and the DU community, the speakers described the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) from the Department of Education and compared those regulations with the current Title IX policies and procedures by which DU is abiding.

Laura Maresca, J.D., Vice Chancellor of Human Resources & Inclusive Community was the first to speak and began the discussion by reviewing Title IX and reminding the audience that the NPRM are currently only proposed regulations that are not or may not yet be adopted in whole, part or at all.

“DU remains committed to our values to creating a supportive educational and working environment and to promptly address discrimination and harassment. If in the future the NPRM is adopted, I want to let you know that we have every intent of implementing those adoptions in a way that is very thoughtful and is consistent with our values as an institution,” said Maresca.

According to the Title IX regulation fact sheet proposed

by the ED, these are the main points of how schools are to respond to sexual harassment and assault.

1. The proposed regulation includes a definition of sexual harassment that would be actionable under Title IX: a. An employee of the University conditioning the provision of an aid, benefit or service of the University on an individual’s participation in unwelcome sexual conduct (quid pro quo); b. Unwelcome conduct on the basis of sex that is so severe, pervasive and objectively offensive that it effectively denies a person equal access to the University’s education program or activity; or c. Sexual assault as defined by the Clery Act, “an offense that meets the definition of rape, fondling, incest or statutory rape.”

2. Schools would be obligated to respond when the school has “actual knowledge,” of the sexual harassment, the event occurred in the school’s own “education program or activity” and was against someone in the U.S. 3. Schools are liable under Title IX when it is “deliberately indifferent” to the event. In other words, its response is, “clearly unreasonable in light of known circumstances.”

4. It is required that schools investigate every

formal complaint and respond meaningfully to every report.

5. Schools must value, “supportive measures designed to preserve or restore access to the school’s education program or activity,” 6. And when schools discover who’s responsible, it is required that there be, “remedies designed to restore or preserve access to the school’s education program or activity.”

The fact sheet also mentions that the NPRM requires due process protection in order, “to achieve fairness and reliable outcomes.”

The presentation was about 45-minutes long and was hosted by: Maresca, Beth Robischon, J.D., Associate General Counsel, Monica Reynoso, J.D., Interim Director of Equal Opportunity and Molly Hooker, Interim Director of Title IX. For a more in-depth look at how the proposed regulations differ from DU’s current policies, two more presentations are scheduled for students, staff and the DU community—one on Tuesday, Jan. 22 at 11 a.m. at the Daniel College of Business (room 340) and another on Monday, Jan. 28 at 9:30 a.m. in Margery Reed (room 203).

The presentation concluded with Maresca describing the next steps for DU as

the NPRM continues being in consideration. The university will continue to monitor the rulemaking process and the Title IX office will update its website with developments as they occur. DU will continue communicating with peer institutions and plans to engage third-party experts regarding the impact of the proposed and final regulations.

Maresca also mentioned that, ideally, they would solicit input from a small advisory group of stakeholders including students and faculty to assist with revisions to the Title IX procedures. Depending on the effective date on potential final regulations, Maresca also mentioned that DU may need to implement interim Title IX procedures to address required changes.

DU students, faculty and community members are welcome to submit comments to DU about these proposed changes through the university’s Office of Equal Opportunity & Title IX website. To report an incident, get help or review DU’s policies and procedures, one can visit the Title IX section of that same site.

Daniela Santos | News Editor

4

| SPORTS

DU CLARION

JAN. 16, 2019

The College Football Playoff needs a restart

A

s Clemson defeated Alabama by a score of 44-16 in the 2019 College Football Championship game, college football fans might have experienced deja vu. Alabama has played in all five College Football Playoff series since its inception in 2014 and has played Clemson in either a semi-final or the championship four of those five times. Both teams have now won the College Football Championship four of the past five years with Ohio State being the exception, winning the inaugural championship. This has caused fans of the game to question the new playoff system, as the parameters on which teams are picked seemingly changes every year as overqualified teams get pushed out of the CFP Championship picture, and they question why Clemson and Alabama have continued to play each other the past four years.

The College Football Playoff was first created after the annoyance with the Bowl Championship Series system, or BCS. To understand where we are today, we must first understand the BCS system and the frustrations that followed the BCS system that led to its downfall.

The BCS utilized an algorithm that combined polls and six different computer rankings to give each team a certain number of points.

These points created the rank-

ings used to help pick the top ten teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. These ten teams were then in turn placed into different bowl games such as the Rose Bowl or Sugar Bowl, with the top two teams playing for the BCS title. Many of these bowl games featured teams in Power-5 Conferences: Pac12, Big Ten, ACC, SEC and Big-12, because of the automatic qualifications into bowl games. This left teams like those in the Mountain West or the independent Notre Dame out of the top ten due to lower conferences seen as obsolete compared to the Power-5, no matter their records.

As athletic departments and college football fans became frustrated with algorithms deciding their team’s fate, ultimately resulting in being cheated out of a spot to play in the biggest stage of college football, the system changed. Today, the playoff consists of four teams who play in two of the New Year’s Six bowl games, which serve as semi-final games with the winners moving onto the College Football Championship.

These teams are selected by a thirteen-member committee consisting of athletic administrators, coaches and former players who help decide the top four teams in the nation.

This decision is based on factors such as strength of schedule or conference championships to decide the

four best teams in the country to enter the playoff. However, these lines are blurred as multiple teams worthy of a spot in the playoffs are skipped over. One example of this issue includes Baylor and TCU being jumped over Ohio State in 2014.

Even with fans frustrated about which teams get left out of the College Football Playoff, all credit should be given to Clemson and Alabama for their continued success in the playoff. No other teams in recent years can match the success these two championship caliber teams are producing year in and year out.

However, there needs to be better guidelines for fans to understand how the selection committee decides which four teams in the nation will play for the championship if the current system wants to survive. Also, some are tired of watching Alabama and Clemson play year after year in the playoff or watching two teams from the same conference both receiving spots in the playoff. There might be a need to change the number of playoff spots.

If the College Football Playoff decides to expand, I believe that the CFP should expand its field to a six-team playoff system. This would allow for the top two teams in the nation to receive a bye as the other four teams battle it out. This would offer teams

that might have missed a chance to play with the heavy hitters of Alabama and Clemson to get their shot through teamwork, grit and determination.

In a press release by President Mark Keenum, Chairman of the College Football Playoff Board of Managers, he states, “It is our unanimous agreement that the Playoff has been a tremendous success for students, fans and universities.”

Keenum continues, “We are very proud of it. Fans love to watch it and we look forward to its continued success. As far as expanding the number of teams in the Playoff, it’s way too soon – much too soon – to know if that is even a possibility. It’s fair to say the speculation about expansion has outdistanced the reality of what the commissioners and the presidents have discussed. If a decision were to be made down the road, the Presidents would be the ones to make it and we are not there.”

The College Football Playoffs have been a huge success, as it makes watching the sport much more entertaining; however, it might be time to change the playoff outline, as it would widen the field, creating more competition and fan involvement in the playoffs.

Lawson Montgomery | Contributing Writer

Opalka sweeps dual with Colorado Mesa

D

enver sophomore Zora Opalka (Bainbridge Island, Wash.) collected her third and fourth diving wins on the season after sweeping the 1-meter and 3-meter dives in a dual meet against Colorado Mesa on Friday, Jan. 11, at El Pomar Natatorium.

Opalka scored 246.98 in the 1-meter dive and 244.80 on the 3-meter dive, marking her third 3-meter win and her first 1-meter win.

Junior Sammy Walker (Los Gatos, Calif.) finished third in both the 1-meter and the 3-meter dive, scoring 235.50 in the 1-meter and 234.08 in the

3-meter. Freshman Kylie Katsuyoshi (Morgan Hill, Calif.) finished fourth in the 1-meter dive with a score of 220.65.

On the men’s side, junior Alex Morgan (Dyer, Ind.) finished second on both the 1-meter dive, with a 242.63, and the 3-meter dive, with a 248.25.

The swim team returns Jan. 18 and 19, traveling to Las Vegas to face off against UC Santa Barbara and University of Nevada, Las Vegas, while the Denver dive team will head to UCLA the same weekend for its diving invitational.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Denver upsets No. 6 Michigan and No. 18 Alabama

T

he Denver gymnastics team opened up their 2019 season with a major upset against No. 6 Michigan and No. 18 Alabama at a quad meet at Alabama. The Pioneers scored a collective 196.275, the second-highest season opening score in program history, topping Alabama’s 196.175 and Michigan’s 196.025. Bowling Green rounded out the quad meet, scoring a 189.675.

“It was, top to bottom, a complete team effort tonight.

This team has a calm confidence about them. We talked about not focusing on scores but staying focused on one event at a time, one routine at a time.” Head-Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said. “The team’s motto is ‘locked in,’ and you could see that mentally and physically tonight.

This is a very special team.”

Denver started the meet on beam, scoring 49.00.

Sophomore Lynnzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.) led the team off, scoring a 9.750.

She was followed by junior Courtney Loper (West Des Moines, Iowa) who returned to the lineup for the first time since her freshman season. Loper scored a 9.800. Freshman Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) scored a 9.800 as well in her collegiate debut, tying the fourth-highest beam score by a Denver freshman in her debut. Junior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) tied for second on beam with a 9.950 while senior Kaitlyn Schou (Orlando, Fla.) earned a 9.800.

The second rotation saw Denver on the floor, scoring a total of 48.975. Brown tied for third place with a score of 9.875.

Schou and Karr earned 9.825 and 9.800 respectively, while freshman Alexandria Ruiz earned a 9.750 in her collegiate debut.

Denver then proceeded to vault, where they earned a 49.025. Junior Diana Chesnok (Charlotte, N.C.) lead the team off with a 9.750, followed by Schou who tallied the same score. Sophomore Mia Sundstrom (Boulder, Colo.) scored a 9.775 and Karr tallied a 9.825. Brown tied her career high with a 9.925, the second-highest score of the meet.

The Pioneers finished on bars, earning their best score of the night—a 49.275. Senior Claire Kern (Charlotte, N.C.) started the team off strong with a 9.850. She was followed by Ruiz, who added a 9.875, and Sundstrom, who matched sophomore Emily Glynn’s (Longmont, Colo.)

9.825. Ruiz and Karr led the team with 9.875, tying to win the event title.

In the all-around competition, Brown and Karr finished second and third, respec-

tively. Brown scored a 39.400 and Karr scored 39.350.

“There is certainly a lot of room for improvement. We’re going to take the confidence from this meet and continue to improve. But for the first meet of the year—and on the road—I couldn’t be more proud of their character and resiliency,” Kutcher-Rinehart added after the meet. When asked about the two freshmen competing, she stated, “Alex and Alexis did a terrific job in their first collegiate meet, and they add depth and competitiveness to this team.”

The Denver women’s gymnastics team hosts its home opener on Saturday, Jan. 19, against Central Michigan, Sacramento State and Texas Woman’s, starting at 6 p.m.

MST in Hamilton Gymnasium.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

JAN. 16, 2019

DU CLARION

SPORTS | 5

DU sweeps Nebraska-Omaha 2019 home opener series

T

he No. 3 ranked Pioneers opened up their 2019 campaign on the right foot in Magness Arena as they swept the University of Nebraska-Omaha Mavericks in a National Collegiate Hockey Conference (NCHC) conference game.

This was the 14th consecutive win over the Mavericks for the Pioneers.

On Friday night, the Pioneers won 1-0 with the help of senior alternate captain Jarid Lukosevicius (Squamish, B.C.), the lone goal scorer for the Pioneers, and freshman goalkeeper Filip Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden), who helped the Pioneers secure the shutout. It was the first of Larsson’s career with a total of 21 saves.

The Pioneers and Mavericks would go scoreless in the first period as both teams

shared chances on either side of the ice. The closest chance for the Pioneers was from a late power play when a backdoor pass from freshman Cole Guttman (Los Angeles, Calif.) almost connected with freshman Emilio Pettersen (Manglerud, Norway). The second period consisted of a fairly similar story until Pettersen would slip the puck to the trailing Lukosevicius who would send the puck past the right arm of the Maverick goalkeeper and into the back of the net. This was Lukosevicius 18th career game-winning goal for the Pioneers.

In the third period, Omaha would push late to find the equalizer with the best opportunity coming from a breakaway that was smothered by Larsson in the end.

On Saturday night, the Pioneers, determined to get-

ting their winning streak to 7 consecutive games, fought back against the Omaha Mavericks to win 3-2 in overtime.

In a complete 360 of Friday’s nights game, this game was filled with action.

The Pioneers would get their best chance of the first period when senior Colin Staub (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Jaakko Heikkinen (Helsinki, Finland) nearly converted a twoon-one rush. The Mavericks would get a flurry of chances on the goal of Larsson with back-to-back power plays.

In the second, the Mavericks broke the deadlock at the 9:58 mark. Less than three minutes later, the Pioneers were able to level the score at one each when Staub sent a pass to junior Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C.). Later in the period, an Omaha power play resulted

in another goal for the Mavericks recapturing their lead 2-1. The third period demonstrated the reasons why the Pioneers are ranked third in the nation. Sophomore alternate captain Ian Mitchell (Calahoo, Alberta) sniped the goal from downtown to tie the game at 2-2 with 1:21 left in regulation, taking the game to overtime. In overtime, Lukosevicius drove towards the net, leaving the puck for Guttman to finish off the Mavericks.

Larsson would end the game with 29 saves.

The Pioneers will take on NCHC and state rivals Colorado College on Jan. 19 in Magness Arena with puck drop at 7:07 P.M. MST.

Lawson Montgomery | Contributing Writer

Victoria Valenzuela | Clarion

Shinyashiki heads to Colorado Rapids

D

U soccer standout, Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) was selected by the Colorado Rapids with the No. 5 overall pick in the 2019 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.

Shinyashiki is a current senior at Denver and will leave as one of the most decorated student-athletes in DU’s history.

Shinyashiki had a historic season in 2018. Leading the country in points per game (2.86), total points (60), goals per game (1.33), goals (28), game-winning goals (11) and shots on goal per game (2.86). Shinyashiki,

a First Team All-American, scored eight more goals than the next closest player and had two more game winning goals than the next player.

His games per goal is the highest since Andrew Mittendorf (Lehigh) in 1998, and his points per game is the most since Conor Case (Portland) in 1999. Shinyashiki’s offseason saw him win the 2018 Senior CLASS Award, named the United Soccer Coaches’ Scholar Athlete of the Year and be named as a MAC Hermann Trophy finalist.

At Denver, Shinyashiki set records in single-season

points (60), goals in a season (28) and game-winning goals (11), career points (117), career goals (51) and career game-winning goals (18).

In his four years at Denver, Shinyashiki appeared in 83 games, starting 67 of them.

“I’m so happy for Andre. He deserves all the awards that he received this past season, and this is the beginning of the next step of his career. I have a lot of confidence that he understands who he is,” Head Coach Jamie Franks said. “He understands what his values are, and I think he’s ready to make an impact at the next

level. He also understands that they’ll be setbacks along the way, but I know he’ll work through it with the growth mindset he displayed during his career here.”

Shinyashiki is the 10th Pioneer that has been drafted to Major League Soccer in the last 11 seasons and is Denver’s fourth first-round draft pick in the last three years.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

6

| SPORTS

DU CLARION

JAN. 16, 2019

Struggles continue for DU Men’s Basketball

O

n Thursday, Jan. 10 the University of Denver Pioneers men’s basketball team (5-14) looked to end their fivegame losing streak in a road matchup against the South Dakota State Jackrabbits (136). The Pioneers were coming off a two game homestand to begin the year. The Pioneers saw a mix of results in losing both games in the homestand by scores of 71-70 in a heartbreaker against the University of South Dakota and an 80-59 blowout loss against the Uni-

versity of North Dakota. The Pioneers fought hard but struggled to outplay their dominant division rival, falling to the Jackrabbits by a final score of 78-66. Senior guard Joe Rosga (St. Paul, Minn.) led the team in scoring with a team-high 16 points while going 4-8 from beyond the arc.

Despite their ability to hold reigning Summit League Player of the Year Mike Daum (Kimball, Neb.) to just 10 points and being held to shooting less than 50 percent in the second half, the Jack-

rabbits’ 11 point lead in the first half was enough to give them a 12 point victory.

The first half saw an entertaining display of both teams scoring from the three-point line as both teams combined for 15 three-pointers in the first half, which would result in 23 total three-pointers in the game.

Both teams failed to score in the first three minutes of the second half, giving Denver the opportunity to make a comeback run, but the Pioneers only got within

seven points of the Jackrabbits in the second half.

The Pioneers hope to turn a disappointing season around in their return home to Magness Arena for a matchup this Wednesday, Jan. 16 at 7:00 p.m. against the North Dakota State University Bisons, followed by a matchup on Sunday, Jan. 20 at 4 p.m. MST against the Oral Roberts University Golden Eagles.

Ben Rossi | Contributing Writer

The Clarion Crossword: Week 2 Need some help? Visit duclarion.com for the answer key.

DOWN 22. Rush hour’s pace ACROSS 1. Cold start 23. A or B, but not O 2. Payday, often: abbr.

2. Avian malady 26. Catfish, e.g.

3. Center box of a bingo card.

5. “Infinity” neckwear 28. It’s gross when squared. 4. Umbrella inverter, maybe.

7. Target for an angry chi- 30. Pinch, squeeze.

6. Give birth to a plot. huahua.

31. A potter loses their foot- 10. To make an impression 8. Greet the icy weather. ing. in your field.

9. Of paper, oranges and fic- 33. Greenwich guy.

11. Home sick? iton.

34. Drip, drip, drip.

13. Painter’s jacket.

10 Regions too cold to bear. 35. Counterintuitive shrimp 14. It’s cold on the slope.

12. “Full House” but not size.

15. It’s bound to be one in “House” 37. Within earshot. four.

14. Nephologist’s study 38. Look after your ticker.

17. Where’s the rink man16. It’s found among needles. 39. Tiny, in realtor lingo. ager.

18. Hunt over a long period.

19. Stone-sliding sport.

20. Kin of khaki.

22. Site for “homework help” 21. To keep in emporium’s 24. To swindle out of wool. reserves.

25. They may be grand at

Chelsie Fincher | Clarion

chess.

27. Turning point in worldly affairs?

29. Way to ne’s heart.

31. “Gesundheit” precursor.

32. Letters about metal armor.

35.

Exotic vessel for unwanted items.

36. Grackle and Pop’s buddy.

38. Cheesy game show prop.

39. Ironically, this is the answer.

40.

Riverside business establishment.

41. Beefy Laker?

42. Pose a question

JAN. 16, 2019

DU CLARION

OPINIONS | 7

“Denverification” needs a different definition

T

he majorly hyped and probably mostly-forshow quest for Amazon’s new headquarters location this past year was not the first time that the merits and faults of U.S. cities have been compared and ranked, but the cutthroat competitiveness of the “HQ2” contest certainly raised the stakes. Many of the nation’s most expensive cities are centers of tech innovation, and the resulting prosperity of cities like Seattle and San Francisco have also led to prohibitively high housing costs alongside increasing homelessness. As Denver’s prominence in the tech world and its desirability as a city also rises, similar problems abound: in a recent article, the Kansas City Star used “Denverification” essentially as a synonym for gentrification. Cities are increasingly looking to one another as examples of how not to be.

A December article in The New York Times entitled “Happy New Year! May Your City Never Become San Francisco, New York or Seattle” described the dread with which booming cities look at other booming cities: Seattle doesn’t want to become San Francisco, San Francisco doesn’t want to be New York and Kansas City apparently doesn’t want to be Denver. The Star article describes the trend of young professionals in Kansas City being priced out as developers move into lower-income neighborhoods and apartments go for market rate rents. Residents’ message to Kansas City is to “stop the Denverification,” referencing the similar processes that have gone on here as well.

Though policy changes in Denver over the past years have

that is affordable to low-income but also middle-class fami-

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

emphasized an affordable housing fund to address the high rents in the city, Denver is experiencing a shortage of housing

lies and individuals. Denver’s attractiveness is not difficult to understand: cutting-edge jobs in tech and science are available

here, the weather and proximity to the mountains are pluses and we have cultural amenities to rival many other cities. Discussions about Denver lately don’t usually happen without mention of the dizzying rate of growth in the metro area.

But just as Denver doesn’t want to be tantamount to gentrification, we also need to think about what we are other than a growing city, because that won’t always be true. The general consensus among economists in the state is that an economic slowdown is projected in the coming year, and we’re at a point now where a recession on the horizon is coming into view. The days of Denver’s mega-expansion will come to an end, and social and economic sustainability are going to have to become even bigger priorities.

If the Denver housing market cools off, we might not have to worry as much about becoming Seattle or San Francisco-like, but we can use our time in the limelight to think about ways to give “Denverification” more positive connotations. We can work to preserve existing affordable units in the city, fund additional units, continue coordinating prevention and rapid rehousing for homeless people, be a leader in green technology such as electric buses and encourage access to the arts with events like free days at museums. The dynamic of Denver metro growth is soon to change, and it is a good time to be forward-sthinking and hopeful in what our city can achieve.

Elizabeth Lochhead | Opinions Editor

Colorado’s economy, minimum wage and you

I

n 2016, Colorado voters passed Amendment 70 to increase the minimum wage to $12 an hour from $8.30 by 2020 by slowly increasing it each year until then. While the amendment passed with a 55 percent majority, critics still hotly contest the actual benefits of the bill, pointing out that minimum wage increases often increase unemployment because operating cost increases squeeze profits and force layoffs of low-income workers, a pattern especially prevalent in small businesses. However, how has the minimum wage actually shaped Colorado’s job market over the past few years, and how will it continue to impact new entries into the workforce in the future?

Contrary to what critics might say about minimum wage increases, such policy changes have actually been beneficial for Colorado’s job market and economy over the past few years.

In fact, in 2017, Colorado’s unemployment rate dropped to its lowest ever at 2.7 percent and since then has fluctuated between low three percent and high two percent unemployment, and we continue to show some of the strongest job gains

in the U.S., all due to a general boom in industry, aided by minimum wage increases.

Medium-income wages may have temporarily stagnated, and most new jobs are only low-income jobs, but with time (even as soon as within the next year or two), these patterns will shift towards increases in medium-income wages due to increases in minimum wage and openings in higher income positions as baby boomers retire in droves.

But what does this mean for the average college student or low-income worker in the workforce? Before entering into the job market or making important career decisions, it is imperative that one understands the ecosystem they are involved in.

As of now, Colorado is growing rapidly with many new job openings, yet low unemployment.

Typically, this would mean that businesses are competing for a smaller pool of available workers; however, our state is unique in the sense that the pool of workers isn’t small, rather it includes new masses of millenials, individuals re-entering the workforce and out of staters.

Rapid growth, relatively high minimum wages and stable conditions serve as an attractive

environment for individuals, especially younger ones, to work in. This is good news for new college graduates or new working-age individuals because entry level workers will not have to battle with the typical trends of a saturated job market with low unemployment. Instead, workers can reap the benefits of new booming industries, rapid growth and job surplus with decent base level pay.

Currently, the increase in minimum wage has actually served as a way to attract new workers, create more jobs, further stimulate booming industries and grow Colorado’s economy as a whole. However, it is important to recognize the merit of some of the critiques of such policies. The benefits of increases in minimum wage, growing industries and new job creation will eventually stagnate as the economy catches up, or even potentially backfire in the future.

In Seattle, minimum wage has been raised to $15 an hour through the same structure as Colorado’s Amendment 70.

Yet, the municipality has not seen the same success among new workers as Colorado has.

Jacob Vigdor, an economist at

the University of Washington, spearheaded research on the effectiveness of Seattle’s new minimum wage laws and found that the growth rate in new workers making less than $15 an hour stagnated, suggesting that they had been priced out of the market. Simply put, employers may have been willing to train new, low-level employees at $10 an hour but not at a higher price.

Colorado’s success story isn’t the same for everyone.

In the long term, job markets will become saturated, minimum wage hikes will cause price inflation (increased operating costs cause businesses to raise their prices, effectively diminishing any short term benefits employees saw with new minimum wage laws where they had the opportunity to get ahead of any inflation adjustments) and unemployment may return to where it was a few years ago. Regardless, the next four or five years will likely have lucrative conditions for new workers and college graduates, assuming the economy doesn’t collapse before then. But in the meantime, carpe diem.

Robert Corl | Contributing Writer

8

| OPINIONS

DU CLARION

JAN. 16, 2019

The fate of interactive television

U

pon reaching the five-minute mark in Netflix’s newest installment of the powerhouse show “Black Mirror,” viewers are faced with something rarely seen on mainstream television: a choice. The main premise for “Bandersnatch” is one of decision-making, and it allows the audience to choose their own adventure by making choices at key moments in the plot. A viewing experience such as this has, unsurprisingly, rattled Netflix viewers far and wide. With waves like these, one inevitably wonders whether this is the new standard of television.

The concept of choosing one’s own adventure in entertainment isn’t exactly new and has been viewed in both video games and books, just as “Bandersnatch” mentions. Notions of the idea in print can be traced back to 1941, with the first widely published choose-your-own-adventure book series coming into the spotlight in 1979, selling upwards of 250 million units. Video games began to showcase the idea as early as 1976 and are widely considered to have pioneered interactive fiction. Modern examples also tend to be very successful, with some choose-your-ownadventure video games selling millions of copies and being showered with awards.

However, despite the project’s mutual successes, it’s not as though interactive fiction commands either industry.

Sales of the once-groundbreaking book series, “Choose Your Own Adventure,” levelled and dropped, leading production to come to an end in 1998. Similarly, higher-caliber games such as “Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” tend to overshadow their choicebased counterparts, like indie favorite “Life Is Strange,” by selling millions more copies.

The two were released within months of each other, but one clearly outsold the other, despite both games receiving overwhelmingly positive reviews. A parallel can blatantly be drawn to this in that the Netflix original movie, “Bird Box,” was released within days of “Bandersnatch” and broke Netflix viewing records within just a week.

Keeping this in mind, it’s not unlikely that it overshadowed the “Black Mirror” production.

Production of “Bandersnatch” also took two times longer than a typical episode, coming in at 18 months of preparation, filming and editing.

Companies and studios, in addition to audiences, simply don’t have the patience to wait a yearand-a-half for a single program.

The prosperity of television largely depends on the public’s

general interest in shows, and in a binge society, interest declines if people are left waiting too long for only one program. That isn’t the only drawback, though, as money may also prevent choose-your-own-adventure shows from reaching extreme popularity, since “Bandersnatch” required twice as much money to create. All of the potential endings and timelines for the episode required much more footage than a typical episode, totalling almost five hours of screen footage. It’s difficult to imagine that studios would be willing to pour such a great magnitude of resources into a single production.

The fact of basic human nature must also be discussed.

Television exists as an activity meant to both relax and captivate audiences by “turning off the brain,” which “Bandersnatch” doesn’t exactly fulfill.

In fact, viewers are made to do the one thing television is meant to allow people to escape from: actively engaging. This is likely the reason other attempts at interactive shows have flopped.

Take, for example, “Rising Star,” a 2014 singing competition show that allowed audiences to vote for their favorite contestants.

The show had a sound novelty, but it was cancelled after a single season, likely because people

don’t typically watch television to actively engage in what they’re watching. They want to observe, judge and unwind, crafting their own opinions without the risk of actually being involved.

Many frustrations also arose from “Bandersnatch” viewers.

Typical audiences spent an hour-and-a-half watching the show, while the shortest possible amount of time one could spend viewing it is near forty minutes.

While this is to be expected, as different audiences took different paths, much of that extra footage is simply repeat shots.

Thus, boredom ensued, and boredom doesn’t bring back returning viewers.

While some of these issues can be resolved—and in the near future, too—as of right now, they pose significant roadblocks to production teams. Studios following suit will likely take no small amount of time in both catching up and becoming proficient enough to regularly produce choose-your-own-adventure shows. Interactive television will likely become more common in the future, but it may take longer than the public thinks, be it because of time, money or basic human behavior.

Rachel Kunzi | Contributing Writer

Diversity in Congress: Is it important?

A

merica is commonly depicted as a diverse country that continues to welcome diversity.

With a plethora of ethnicities, races, religions, genders and sexual identities, there comes a pressure for Congress and our national government to represent all voices. As freshmen congressmen and congresswomen enter media’s light, the conversation around diversity in government and its importance resurfaces.

So, here’s the question: Is diversity in our Congress important?

To put it simply, yes. Ideally, our government would proportionately resemble our country’s demographics to more accurately represent the masses and advocate for what various groups want, and with the election of the current Congress, it seems that this is becoming achievable.

At the end of 2018, Americans took to the polls and voted for who would represent them in the 116th Congress, and they made history. Now, 106 women and 115 minority members serve in the House, making our current Congress the most diverse Americans have seen. Additionally, Congress welcomed the first woman senator from Tennessee, the first two Native American women to serve, the first two Latinas elected from Texas, the youngest woman to serve, the first two Muslim-American

women, the first black women elected from Massachusetts and Connecticut and the first openly bisexual person elected to the Senate from Arizona.

Our government needs the voices of people of different ethnicities, genders, races, sexualities and religions to advocate for the constituencies

that are commonly overlooked and forgotten in the eyes of the government. Through diversity of ideologies and viewpoints in Washington, Americans will see a change in the way legislation

is made and how lawmakers vote. This “varied perspective to the nation’s problems” is essential to fighting for change that directly impacts Americans, and the 116th Congress is the start.

“Diversity in Congress is important, because it’s important for every citizen to be represented in the government. That

commented Lizzie Stacks, a first year English and film double major from Aurora.

Stacks brings up a good point: when children, teenagers and young adults see people that look like them in public positions of power, they are empowered. They realize that there are people similar to them making changes in this world, and they feel encouraged to do the same.

More importantly, they now have people in their lives that they can model and look up to if they don’t have that representation in their personal lives.

Diversity in our government has everything to do with making America a more united nation, so we can better act on the needs of America’s constituents.

Moving forward, I anticipate that we will be seeing a lot more humanitarian-based legislation welcomed to the floor and that more American voices will be heard by Congress newcomers. I predict that we will continue to see a rise in the number of people of color, people from underrepresented religions and people in the LGBTQ+ community entering high government positions. Their influence will add a new and necessary perspective to future legislation that will Photo courtesy of Vanity Fair highlight America’s common way, decisions that are made values of freedom, equality, can benefit a larger group of individualism and growth. people. Plus, when underrepresented kids see themselves in positions of power, they are able to recognize their own power,” Madalyne Heiken | Contributing Writer

JAN. 16, 2019

DU CLARION

OPINIONS | 9

The Amazon takeover continues

I

f you recieved a barrage of packages over the holiday, it is likely that many came with black and blue tape around them with the word “Amazon” plastered all over them. The online retail behemoth has grown heavily and has entangled countless economic sectors. Amazon’s expansion into retail, finance and health is causing disaster for countless businesses throughout America. Automation is also taking over within Amazon. The average blue-collar worker will soon no longer be needed in the billion dollar corporation due to drones and machines. Those who would defend Amazon claim that the convenience of quick

deliveries are worth the trouble, but they ignore the effect an Amazon monopoly has on the economy. The Amazon argument is one of convenience versus economic viability.

Convenience through two to three-day delivery and cheap prices allows Amazon to destroy the little guy. They can easily copy products from other companies and add on their discounted prices and swift shipping. San Francisco-based company Rain Design is a clear example of this. Their sleek laptop stand design was promptly copied and outsold by Amazon.

They now have control of over 44 percent of the online retail market and 4 percent of the whole retail

market. Amazon has grown into video streaming, online streaming, automotive tech, grocery sales, food delivery, music streaming, TV, robotics, cloud services, electronics, space travel and many more fields. This takeover

by Amazon is the beginning of a mega-monopoly that is giving the company unimaginable power.

Automation is amplifying this power by cutting away the human aspect. Basic labor jobs at Amazon are being replaced by machines, and drones will soon replace delivery drivers. Even marketing executives are in peril as new software can predict what buyers want. Those who support Amazon due to its convenience

obviously do not see the danger it brings. Inexpensive products and quick delivery may seem nice, but unemployment and an omnipotent Amazon is not so great. So, do you want your package delivered tomorrow, or do you want to keep your job for the next 10 years? If you want to keep your job for the next 10 years, I would suggest starting to support the little guy. Small retail stores are the most heavily affected by Amazon, and they could really use your help. In the end, government intervention may be the only remedy for Amazon’s takeover.

Jake Gloth | Contributing Writer

How has urbanization affected the American middle class?

U

rbanization has taken ahold of many regions as the technology boom continues to progress. The cities that have long dominated America, such as New York City, Los Angeles and Chicago, are watching Colorado Springs, Jacksonville, Salt Lake City and Tacoma grow exponentially, which, in turn, spreads urbanization. It begs the question—will the expansion of cities bring forth a second wave of urbanization that will further the socioeconomic divide and hinder the middle class?

An overwhelmingly accepted interpretation of urbanization is that, beyond merely indicating the shift in rural life to town or city life, it alludes to migration in hopes of a better life. Dating back to the industrial revolution in the 1820s, the growth of a city implied the growth of society’s standard of living. Perhaps during the infancy of the megacities in America, none foresaw the social repercussions of such rapid development.

It’s worth acknowledging that the industrial revolution brought forth rapid develop-

ment in the manufacturing sector, and soon cities became a centralized hub of revenue.

Accompanying this boom were the unaddressed problems such as child labor, poorhouses (government funded buildings for the needy) and unsanitary living conditions.

Arguably the most critical development that came of this revolution was the birth of the middle class. While child labor, poorhouses and sanitation have improved, the socioeconomic divide has widened, and the middle class is now somehow grasping for stability. According to Northwestern Mutual’s 2018 Planning & Progress Study, 68 percent of Americans consider themselves middle-class. The annual salary range for middle class Americans is between $26,000 to $78,000.

To put that into perspective, the average rent for a one-bedroom in New York City (including all five boroughs) is calculated at $3,100. Referring to $3,100, that means it would cost $37,200 annually just to live in the city. As a result of the high cost of living, it is increas-

ingly difficult for middle class families to survive.

This leads one to question where the middle class fits in.

As our current “knowledge revolution” continues to supply America with ample innovations that further the development of cities, the middle class is being inadvertently forced into the lower class.

Due to the rapid increase in innovation, the standard cost of living has risen, but wages haven’t grown enough to accomodate the increase in prices.

The reason there is a widening gap between classes is because of the knowledge gap. At the current rate of growth occurring throughout America, not enough people are equipped for today’s jobs. Among the top six industries with the highest demand, software and IT service related jobs are needed.

Unless the target market is recently graduated students, the bulk of the working class is not equipped for jobs in an industry that is still developing.

There is the Knowledge Gap Theory proposed by a professor of Journalism and Mass Com-

munication at the University of Minnesota, Philip J. Tichenor, which states, “As the infusion of mass media information into a social system increases higher socioeconomic status segments tend to acquire this information faster than lower socioeconomic status population segments.

Hence the gap in knowledge between the two tends to increase rather than decrease.”

In turn, the upper class continues to grow exponentially while the middle and lower classes struggle to break through. If this separation continues to widen, then the divide between the rich and poor will become even more prominent.

The continuing development of cities should be seen in a positive light because it is exciting.

It implies innovation, progress and prosperity. Yet, it’s dreaded by those living in up-and-coming cities. While it’s important to look towards the future and all the possibilities it entertains, it’s necessary that America accounts for the people that carried the nation to its current state.

Megan Cooney | Contributing Writer

How we can lower the Colorado suicide rate

T

he tragic circumstances in my own life became my reason for writing this article. A former classmate of mine in high school killed himself on Dec. 30, 2018.

We had participated in theater productions together, we were in the same classes and I remember asking him to be my Homecoming date in 2012. On Jan. 5, my high school community and I came together for the funeral. I saw the church filled to the point where people had to stand in the back, and many were crying and holding each other for the duration of the funeral. My own heart was broken as I realized someone I once knew and saw five days a week was forever gone.

But how does my own story about someone not many people at our university knew affect the DU community?

How can students at DU relate to this? Why even bring up such a sensitive topic?

The fact is that it’s not only a small high school in Parker, Colo. affected by suicide but our state as a whole. The suicide rate among teenagers in Colorado is among the highest in the nation.

In 2018, it was reported that 17.6 percent of teens in Colorado had committed suicide, a 4.7 percent increase from 2016.

While there are many reasons that the suicide rate in Colorado is at an all-time high, one reason is the stigma surrounding discussion about suicide and mental health. Some people in mountain states such as Colorado may adhere to the belief of individualism: that problems should be handled on one’s own or within the family.

Reaching out for outside intervention, such as mental health care providers, may be seen as “weak” or unable to “deal with the real world.” Currently, 60 million people who live in rural America have limited access to psychologists and other mental

health professionals, and they have a higher rate of suicide by firearms, since this area of the U.S. has greater access to it.

This reason needs to end.

No one should be called “weak” for reaching out for support during dark thoughts and times.

No one should be shamed into hiding their mental pain from fear of rejection. What needs to be done is to give assurance that someone who may have suicidal ideations can reach out to someone and know that they will be listened to and loved.

It can be hard to know what to do when you discover someone may be suicidal. You may not understand why they feel this way or how to help them.

You may not even know why that person reached out to you. But one place to start is to simply listen. Let them talk to you about what they feel. Give that person assurance that they are heard, they will not be judged and that, most importantly, they are

loved. And please, notify school officials, hospitals or the police to let them know someone could potentially kill themselves, so that the person can be under the safe care of those who are wellequipped to take care of them and give them further love.

Unfortunately, this article will not bring my classmate back. However, what this article can do is bring more awareness so that further tragedies can be prevented and keep the conversation going about suicide prevention.

If you are having suicidal ideations or thoughts, call the Colorado Crisis Line (1-844493-8255) or the National Suicide Hotline (1-800-273-8255).

DU students may also call the Office of Student Outreach and Support at 303-871-4724.

Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

10

| OPINIONS

DU CLARION

JAN. 16, 2019

How Elizabeth Warren’s controversies may cost her the presidency

L

ast October, Elizabeth Warren released a video tracing her roots back to the small town of Norman, Okla. At a first glance, her story looked like another iteration of the homegrown, hardworking, all-American narrative that constituencies have rewarded politicians handsomely for using in the past.

Quickly, though, the intent behind the video was made transparent: to bite back at Trump’s attacks on her character, to settle the question of her racial identity to her voters and to save face before midterm elections rolled around.

A dispute seven years in the making, Warren was first accused of cultural appropriation in 2012 when The Boston Herald discovered that she had listed herself as of “Cherokee ancestry” on a number of forms when applying for a position at Harvard, despite the lack of conclusive proof to

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

back up her ancestry.

The issue resurfaced when, after she publicly opposed his campaign, President Trump referenced to her as “Pocahontas” and argued that she had listed herself as Native American for the sake of advancing her career.

At rallies, he gained crowd support by pressuring her to release a DNA test.

With Trump and the press pressing her for answers, her response culminated into the video that was released in October. In it, she had a DNA test conducted, and according to Dr. Carlos Bustante of Stanford, “The facts suggest that [Warren] absolutely has a Native American ancestor.”

It didn’t take long, though, for conservatives to find the full report where these “absolute” facts had come from. At best, Warren’s genetics are 1/64th Indigenous. At worst, they are 1/1024th Indigenous.

While Warren turned out suc-

cessful in the midterms, gaining sixty-percent of the vote and the confidence to announce her run in the 2020 presidential election, the video did the opposite of its intended effect. The lasting backlash solidified in turning her controversy into what will be a constant talking point with which her opponents will use to undermine her campaign.

The point of contention with the video has less to do with its results and more to do with the use of it to justify how Native American a person is. It led to an outcry from Native American communities, and the Cherokee nation released a statement shortly afterwards.

“A DNA test is useless to determine tribal citizenship.

Sovereign tribal nations set their own legal requirements for citizenship,” Cherokee Nation Secretary of State Chuck Hoskin Jr. said, continuing, “Using a DNA test to lay claim to any connection to the Cherokee Nation or any tribal nation, even vaguely, is inappropriate and wrong...

Senator Warren is undermining tribal interests with her continued claims of tribal heritage.”

While it is a common occurrence for people to self-identify as Native American without proof of ancestry, the impact of Warren’s actions as a public figure could have a disastrous effect on how Native American tribes are perceived. By caving to pushes for a DNA test, she has essentially “equated ‘biology’ with culture, ‘race’ with

citizenship,” as the writers of the Critical Ethnic Studies put it.

“Public perception of Native identity has a measurable impact on Native rights,” Huffington Post reporter Rebecca Nagle wrote. “At a time when our rights are under attack, public discourse needs to uphold accurate and true information about Native identity.”

Controversies like these make Warren a divisive figure in the eyes of the public, as she currently only retains a 24-percent approval rating with independents.

Warren does have her appeals for her liberal audience, though.

She is consistently able to give complicated policies relevance and untangle the nuance of their implications. As the person who conceptualized and helped build the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, many of her proposed government reforms relate to the economy, an issue that Americans value in the person that represents them.

With an emphasis on how her past accomplishments prime her ability to follow through with future promised ones, she is wildly popular within her party.

But, with the complex history she has, Warren may not be up to the task of converting the rest of the American people to believing in her message. Her controversy has alienated many, and its shadow may end up costing her the presidency.

Kiana Marsan | Contributing Writer

Maternal mortality: A reflection of society’s value in women

F

or every 100,000 live births, pregnancy causes 14 maternal deaths in the U.S., compared to just three in Iceland, seven in Canada, 12 in Saudi Arabia, 25 in Russia and 27 in China. The U.S. is the only one of these countries that has seen an increase in the maternal mortality rate (MMR) in the last 30 years. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 60 percent of maternal mortalities are preventable, yet hundreds of mothers die because they lack the resources to receive suitable healthcare. In the U.S., women with no prenatal care are up to four times more likely to suffer a pregnancy-related death. Black and Native American women are slightly less than three times as likely to die as a result of pregnancy as white women, another reflection of the rampant discrimination in the U.S. These statistics reflect the real-life human experiences with the treacherous socioeconomic gap of minorities in the U.S. and the blatant existence of healthcare as a business.

Moreover, the war against birth control rages on, a war controlled by the majority of men in Congress who think they know more about women’s reproductive systems than the women themselves. Ultimately, mothers’ survival depends upon how valued they are by society and the law’s interpretation of this value by implementing

healthcare as a right.

On Dec. 21, 2018, President Trump signed the Preventing Maternal Deaths Act which aimed to research maternal deaths and recommend options to improve maternal healthcare, a bipartisan effort to discover why the U.S. has an obscenely high MMR. Finally, the value of mothers’ lives is important to both parties.

Or is it? Regardless of the statistics this act will reveal, national programs are unlikely to be implemented because health is not seen as a human right in this country. From 2002 to 2008, the Bush administration withheld funding from the UN Population Fund, the United Nations’ sexual and reproductive health agency, because the agency supported several organizations who provide safe abortions, regardless of many other organizations’ efforts against child marriage, gender-based violence, genital mutilation and maternal mortality. Similarly, Planned Parenthood’s funding, as well as the 42 million “deaths” worldwide each year from abortion, are higher on the GOP’s agenda than the 830 mothers who die each day worldwide from mostly preventable causes, such as poverty, inaccessibility or medical ignorance.

Planned Parenthood provides services crucial to lowering maternal mortality rate, such as information and services for con-

traception, pregnancy and STDs. The primary causes of MMR in the U.S. are cardiovascular disease, infection and hemorrhage; without prenatal care, these conditions are rarely detected.

The Preventing Maternal Deaths Act is likely to find that providing easy access to reproductive healthcare, including birth control and prenatal healthcare is the glaringly obvious answer to saving mothers and babies.

Additionally, people lower on the socioeconomic ladder, often minorities, are unable to access healthcare because they do not have the money. Countries such as Iceland and Canada

with universal healthcare ensure that all mothers non-discriminately receive substantial prenatal and natal care—that human life is valued. Valuing women equally to men is the first step to preserving mothers’ lives. The second is making healthcare universal so that a person’s life is not dependent upon socio-economic advantages, such as money, race or gender. Until the U.S. decides as a country that healthcare is a civil or human right, maternal mortality is unlikely to significantly decline.

Alessandra Brunton | Contributing Writer

JAN. 16, 2019

DU CLARION

ARTS & LIFE | 1 1

Taylor Swift boosts “reputation” with Netflix special

T

aylor Swift ended her “reputation” era with a bang, as the “Reputation Stadium Tour” became the top-grossing tour in North America in 2018 with $277.3 million and broke her own record of highest-grossing tour by a woman.

As a celebration of the success of her tour, Swift released “Taylor Swift: Reputation Stadium Tour” on Netflix on Dec. 31, 2018, giving attendees who went to one of her shows a chance to relive a night of vibrant color and loud music and fans who were unable to attend the concert the ability to watch every single moment from the comfort of their own homes.

Aside from songs about her love life and past feuds,

Photo courtesy of Taylor Swift

Swift has been known as a performer who holds nothing back during concerts. From giving fans light-up bracelets that change color according to the mood of each song to the eighty foot snake statue that rises while Swift performs “Look What You Made Me Do,” concert-goers were left in awe at the spectacle and eye for stage design for which Swift is well-known.

What set apart Swift’s concert film was its goal for the viewer to feel as if they had attended the concert in person. Performances were shot from multiple angles, from Swift flying to her second stage and looking down at the audience while performing “Delicate,” to the audience’s reaction to more

extravagant parts of the show, such as bright fireworks during “Shake it Off” and “I Did Something Bad.” Having been shot in high-definition, every moment was clearly captured, giving the viewer at home the same experience as one of Swift’s concert-goers would have had.

Although the film successfully executed shooting a concert full of color, emotion and excitement, the film would have been made more personalized if there were more behind-the-scenes moments of the tour. While the end credits show some dance rehearsals and Swift discussing the stage with her stage crew, it seemed like something put together at the last minute to add more time.

If there were more in-depth interviews with Swift’s backup dancers or further explanation on how Swift was able to fly from stage to stage, the film would have better captured the work Swift put into her tour and the close relationship she built with her fellow performers.

Overall, Swift’s Netflix special showed the grandiosity of the tour and Swift’s skills as a performer. Swift successfully said farewell to the “reputation” era through the film, leaving fans wondering how she will be able to outdo herself for the next chapter of her career.

4.5/5 Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

Choose your own adventure with “Bandersnatch”

W

ith only a few seconds to make significant plot decisions, “Bandersnatch” displays how interactivity may be the next step in the entertainment industry. Netflix gives the power to the people in this technology thriller that offers viewers a number of unique storylines. Set in the 1980s, the main character, Stefan, works to create a video game from a choose-your-own -adventure novel and begins to question reality in a similar way that “Black Mirror” consistently has us doing. Many rumors disagree about the number of different endings, both happy and sad, that viewers decide based on the choices made for Stefan and his friends.

One scene that highlights “Black Mirror’s” themes of immersive technologically is when Stefan yells to his psy-

Photo Courtesy of MakeUseOf

chiatrist that he feels like he is being controlled (which he is).

He is in full panic mode and thinks he is living in a movie.

Stefan’s rage increases, and we are presented the option to either fight the psychiatrist or jump out the window. If you choose the fighting scene, the movie ends with Stefan being dragged out of the office. If you choose to jump out the window, you see Stefan struggle to perform this action while the camera moves back to reveal the director explaining that Stefan is filming a fight scene for a movie. The window he wants to jump out of is part of the movie set, revealing the validity of Stefan’s paranoid feelings of being controlled.

Stefan is portrayed as an enraged programmer who is losing his mind, but he is really cracking the code of the controlled reality he is living

in, and we are conducting.

Making decisions for the story feels lighthearted at first, such as choosing between Sugar Puffs or Frosties for breakfast, but “Bandersnatch” takes a drastic turn when it goes from deciding between breakfast cereals to burying or chopping up Stefan’s father. Stefan killing his father and cutting him up, jumping off the balcony and burning the body in the woods were some notably gruesome scenes in “Bandersnatch” that definitely surprised viewers with more horror than they were expecting.

Unable to look away, making the choices to get to these dreadful parts made the movie more personal.

However, this interactive movie does not exactly give the viewers as much power as they think they have. Certain choices cause the story to circle

back to previous moments at several points throughout the movie, ultimately pushing the viewer towards a different path. Despite the innovative idea Netflix has brought to the table, the movie seemed a little bit forced. The first time I watched “Bandersnatch,” I was amused by the interactivity and was excited to see where I would end up, but when I went to watch the movie again I felt as though I were playing to get to an outcome instead of playing to experience the story line. With that said, “Bandersnatch” has presented viewers with a media platform that gives us control, and although this is not Netflix’s first time using interactive storytelling, they really know how to get us talking about it.

Rebecca Shagrin | Contributing Writer

12

| ARTS

DU CLARION

JAN. 16, 2019

& LIFE

Politics, pop culture and motion pictures at the Golden Globes

M

asturbation jokes, ill-timed “Black Panther” references, debatable wins and memes-in-the-making all stole the show at the Hollywood Foreign Press Association’s 76th Golden Globe Awards. The 2019 awards season was kickstarted on Sunday, Jan. 6, with the everfun, alcohol-filled awards show hosted by “Grey’s Anatomy” star Sandra Oh and “Brooklyn NineNine” comedian Andy Samberg.

While the night adopted a much more playful tone compared to last year’s black-tie, politically charged broadcast focused on the #MeToo movement, the 76th Golden Globes wasn’t without its own subtle comments and political agenda (and, of course, the most recent pop culture references).

Before the night even began, a meme was born when “A Star is Born” actress and singer Lady Gaga was interviewed on the red carpet by Entertainment Tonight. Her custom powder blue Valentino gown was a striking resemblance to Judy Garland’s dress in the 1954 version of the movie, and when asked about it, Gaga’s baffled, blubbering response instantly became an ultra-relatable meme all over Twitter. Didn’t know about that first quiz in your business class?

Your reaction might look a little like Lady Gaga’s.

On a more serious note, Andy Samberg made a poorly received racial joke regarding the

highly acclaimed movie “Black Panther.” The comedian teased, “If you told me as a kid, growing up in the Bay, there’d be a movie called ‘Black Panther’ that starts off in Oakland, this is not what I would have imagined.” He then referenced Ryan Coogler, the movie’s writer and director, saying, “Ryan, were there, like, a bunch of old members of the actual Black Panther Party saying, ‘I can’t even get an audition?’”

While there were some laughs, the joke later faced backlash on social media, as expected, and the awkward zoom on Ryan Coogler’s unamused face didn’t help to diffuse the situation.

Most viewers agreed that Sandra Oh killed it as hostess, and her jokes certainly were met with more laughter from the audience. When introducing the stars of NBC’s drama “This Is Us,” for example, she made a shocking quip saying, “Break out the tissues, because you’re going to want to masturbate to all of them!” But Oh’s night went beyond just hosting. She won Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series–Drama for her role in “Killing Eve,” making her the first Asian-American actor to win multiple Golden Globes (she previously won for her supporting role in “Grey’s Anatomy”). She was also the first female, Asian-American actor to host the prestigious award show, and she even commented on the diversity by acclaiming, “I said yes to the fear of being on this stage tonight because I

wanted...to look out onto this audience and witness this moment of change.” After winning, Oh thanked her parents in Korean and bowed during her touching acceptance speech.

Other notable wins went to “Bohemian Rhapsody” for Best Motion Picture–Drama and its starring actor, “Mr. Robot’s” Rami Malek, for his role as Freddy Mercury. While the film was a hit among audiences and in the box offices, critics didn’t view the movie so lightly, claiming it was an insult to Mercury and his sexuality. The other Best Motion Picture Award, for the comedy or musical category, went to the controversial racial dramedy “Green Book,” starring Mahershala Ali (another winner from the night) and

Viggo Mortensen (you know him as the ladies’ man Aragorn in “Lord of the Rings”). The film is now facing some backlash for being historically inaccurate, even being disowned by one of the families about which the movie was made.

Whether you watched on Sunday for the glitzy gowns, the forced jokes or the actual movies and awards, one thing is clear: the 76th Golden Globes was met with mixed reviews on almost every front. As the first awards ceremony of the season, it usually sets the stage—pun intended—for the rest of the shows. So the only question that remains is what will happen during the remainder of the season—and who will host the Oscars.

Grace Gonzales | Contributing Writer

Photo Courtesy of Paul Drinkwater, NBC

Strains to alleviate the Winter Quarter blues

I

t’s no secret that Winter Quarter is probably the hardest portion of the year for DU students, and for good reason. Morning and evening classes are surrounded by darkness, it’s too cold to walk anywhere, the winter break honeymoon of seven weeks feels like a century ago and for those returning from abroad, it’s something of a bittersweet–if not fully depressing–homecoming.

In short, Winter Quarter (besides ski season, of course) is rather dreadful. But the blues of the season can be alleviated, or at least downsized, by the application of the right strain of cannabis. For those of legal age, or with medical cards, multiple strains of cannabis offer stress and anxiety relieving effects that can turn even the darkest day, the most stressful night of studying, into a blissful experience. Of course, cannabis affects everyone differently, and what offers

anxiety relief for one might not for another.

1. Catatonic Catatonic, a hybrid of MK Ultra and G13 Haze, is a concentrated, stress-dissolving highCBD strain that works to melt away stress at the same time as leaving one focused and able to do whatever is necessary in their day-to-day life. The hybrid nature of the strain, combining the sedative effects of an indica parent with that of a cerebral enhancing sativa offers a perfect balance of being relaxed while still getting shit done.

2. Sin’s OG #3 Another high CBD strain, Sin’s OG #3 is a personal favorite and a strain that provides a euphoric, heavy body high that is perfect for imbibing in right before bed. Usually a 2:1 CBD to THC ratio (12.7 to 7.5 in the last gram this writer saw), Sin’s OG is a perfect stress relieving strain, especially for those prone to heightened anxiety under THC heavy strains.

3. Blue Dream Blue Dream has been featured on Driscoll Green before, and for good reason. The strain,

one of the most popular nationwide, is a potent sativa-dominant hybrid with a well-documented and unique ability to provide the cerebral-focusing effects of a sativa with a deep, sedative indica-related body relaxation. While sativa strains are commonly thought of as ways to increase paranoia and anxiety, Blue Dream is frequently put on a pedestal for its ability to cut through negative energy and thoughts and to relax the mind, body and soul.

4. Grandaddy Purple Grandaddy Purple, a cross of Purple Urkle and Big Bud, is a powerful, body-melting heavy indica that can leave one melted into the couch with dreamy, euphoric thoughts. Granddaddy Purple is perfect for alleviating the Winter Quarter blues, and it is the ideal bud to accompany a snowed in night on the couch— with plenty of snacks.

Justin Cygan | Arts and Life Editor