DU Clarion Volume 126 Issue 8

MARCH 6, 2019 VOLUME 126 ISSUE 8

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DU CLARION

| NEWS

MARCH 6, 2019

Former DU students charged with second degree burglary

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wo students from DU have been charged with eight counts of second degree burglary for stealing from the dorm rooms of eight DU students in Centennial Towers. The thefts occurred between Jan. 24 and Jan. 28 of this year. According to an arrest affidavit for one of the students, Campus Security officers were dispatched to a restricted storage room that smelled strongly of marijuana.

Both students became aggressive towards Campus Security, prompting Campus Security to call additional officers for assistance.

Denver police officers at the scene located numerous items that were previously reported stolen to Campus Security from eight students, as well as items that had not been reported as stolen. These items included a Versace cologne, a black Dell laptop and a Canadian Goose jacket. The Denver District Attorney’s Office stated the

items had a total estimated value of $5,220.

“We still have more recovered items than we have people who reported something being stolen,” said Michael Fetrow, an investigator for Campus Safety. “If anyone can verify that one of the stolen items is theirs, we’d like them to call us.”

One of the students charged with theft told Denver police officers that he had been on Xanax and remembers knocking on some doors of students’ dorm rooms and entering them, with the other charged student joining him at times.

He believes he might have gone into five to 30 rooms but does not remember the dates.

In the affidavit, Denver police stated that this student was “very cooperative and willing to work this case out and is sorry for what he did.”

In the other charged student’s arrest affidavit, he stated he did not know anything about

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the stolen items recovered and did not know anything about him or anyone else entering the students’ dorm rooms. He also stated he does not remember if he was with anyone during the times the theft occurred. The student’s father later called the Denver police and told them his son was not telling the truth, and he hoped his son

would call the Denver police back to “admit his part in the case.”

If anyone can verify that one of the recently recovered items is theirs, call Michael Fetrow at Campus Safety at 303-871-4226.

Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

Clarion

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 photo courtesy of Nina Petrovic / Victoria Valenzuela

CONTRIBUTING STAFF ISAIAH JAKAB

BEN ROSSI

MEGAN COONEY

GRACE GANZ

EMMA COHEN

HALEY PAEZ

LAWSON MONTGOMERY

SARA LOUGHRAN

DU CLARION

MARCH 6, 2019

NEWS | 3

What’s in store for DU’s future construction plans?

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ast year saw the start of many ambitious projects on DU’s campus.

Administration introduced its comprehensive plan to improve campus in the fall of 2018.

This plan, named The Denver Advantage, proposed sweeping construction improvements that would take place over the span of 20 years.

These include more subtle improvements, like new walkways, and more substantial improvements, like numerous new buildings.

Though many proposed projects will not come to fruition for another couple of decades, the current projects underway are obvious.

There are three major construction projects occur-

ring right now. The first is the construction of the Community Commons, built where Driscoll North used to stand. Driscoll North was torn down in early January 2019, and the foundation of its replacement has been started. Anderson Mason Dale Architects and Moore Ruble Yudell are the architects for the project, and Saunders Construction Inc. are the contractors. The Community Commons is set to open October of 2020.

The next project is the construction of the new first-year residence hall.

The homes along High Street, where the residence hall will be, were torn down in Fall Quarter of 2019. DU broke ground months later

in the winter of 2019. The architects and contractor of the new residence hall are the same as for the Community Commons. The hall is set to finish construction in August of 2020.

The Pioneer Career achievement center was supposed to be in construction around the same time, but it was delayed. The Leo Block Alumni Center was intended to be torn down, and its replacement to begin construction, in the final months of 2018. However, the Leo Block Alumni Center still stands on the northeast corner of Driscoll Green. As a result, the proposed project end of 2020 will surely be delayed.

The last construction

project was the demolition of Aspen Hall, west of the Sie Complex. Demolition went according to plan, but it is unclear when construction will end and foot paths will be accessible again. The proposed structure for that location is not intended to be built for another ten years.

Students can find information about the construction by visiting the Campus Framework Plan online and visiting the Construction Updates page on the Facilities Management and Planning website. Concerns regarding construction can be shared on The Denver Advantage webpage.

Isaiah Jakab | Contributing Writer

Nina Petrovic l Clarion

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DU CLARION

| SPORTS

MARCH 6, 2019

Men’s lacrosse rolls past University of North Carolina

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n his first day back from an injury, senior attack Austin French (Danville, Calif.) had six points, tying his careerhigh game total for points, helping lead No. 8 Denver past No. 15 University of North Carolina (UNC). The Pioneers ruined the opening of the brand new UNC Lacrosse and Soccer Stadium with a 12-10 win on Saturday, March 2.

Denver fell behind early on when UNC scored the first point of the game at 14:17. However, they responded with a 3-0 game with goals from French, junior Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) and sophomore Jack Hannah (Milford, Ohio).

UNC grabbed the lead back at 12:38, but Walker scored again at 4:54 to tie the game up for the Pioneers. At the end of the first half, UNC led Denver 4-6.

Denver charged out to tie the game after the half, as sophomore Ted Sullivan (Tucson, Ariz.) scored off an assist from senior Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) at 14:05. Sullivan scored again at 12:26, with an assist from Hannah. UNC scored once more at 10:27 to grab the lead back, but

Walker responded for the Pioneers to tie the game up again. UNC and Denver would train points, again, with freshman Ellis Geis (Tustin, Calif.) scoring at 4:45 to tie the game at 8-8.

Hannah scored at 4:02 to give DU its first lead of the game, but UNC’s William Perry scored at 2:19 to tie the game again. Jackson scored a pair of goals in the fourth quarter at 12:21 and 10:48 to give DU an 11-9 lead. Walker scored at 7:10 to score DU’s final goal of the game The Pioneers played strong defense, as senior Dylan Gaines (Baltimore, Md.) and sophomore Colin Squires (West Linn, Ore.) both had four ground balls in the game, while junior short-stick defensive midfielder and redshirt-senior long-stick midfielder Matt Neufeldt (Naperville, Ill.) added three ground balls.

Denver lacrosse plays again in Costa Mesa, Calif. against Notre Dame at 7 p.m.

MST in the Pacific Coast Shootout. In the inaugural Pacific Coast Shootout in 2014, Denver won 10-7.

Victoria Valenzuela | Clarion

Victoria Valenzuela | Clarion

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

No. 6 Pioneers blank Colorado College 1-0

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he No. 6 Pioneers were able to capture the first win over Colorado College in the Battle for the Gold Pan of the 20182019 season. This was the rescheduled game between the Pioneers and Tigers from their series earlier in the year after the Pioneers were delayed traveling to Colorado College due to snow.

On Tuesday night in the Broadmoor Arena, the two teams came out strong in the first period, but it was the Pioneers who struck gold first off of the stick of junior Tyson McLellan (San Jose, Calif.). He was assisted by sophomore Jake Durflinger (Walnut Creek, Calif.) and freshman Kyle Mayhew (Anaheim Hills, Calif.). After the

Pioneers took the goal advantage, the defense stepped in and helped secure the win for the Pioneers. Sophomore Devin Cooley (Los Gatos, Calif.) made 24 saves while the Pioneers killed all four penalties they faced. Cooley faced pressure throughout the rest of the game with a crucial shoulder save to preserve the win late in the third period.

The No. 6 Pioneers will travel to Nebraska-Omaha March 1 and 2 and continue their momentum as they near the final game of the regular season.

Lawson Montgomery | Contributing Writer

Women’s lacrosse falls to Michigan, gets snowed out

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oming off of a thrilling upset victory against fourth-ranked Stonybrook last Sunday, the ninth-ranked DU Pioneers suffered their first loss of the season in a close one against the University of Michigan Wolverines by a score of 12-10. The Pioneers jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, the first point coming off sophomore attacker Bea Behrins (Basking Ridge, N.J.), who would go on to score her third hat trick of the season, leading the Pioneers in goals.

At halftime, the Pioneers held a 6-4 lead only to see that lead diminished by an eight-goal second half for the Wolverines. Michigan outshooting Denver by a total of 33-21 forced the Pioneers to play lots of defense, as 11 different Pioneers caused at least one turnover in the game. Despite Denver winning more draw controls and more saves, the Wolverines demonstrated significantly

greater aggression in the offensive zone, giving them the edge in the end.

With 7:24 to play in the game, sophomore Quintin Hoch-Bullen (Orillia, Ontario) scored her second goal of the game putting the Pioneers up by two only to see that lead quickly disappear in the last six minutes when Michigan scored four unanswered goals to remain undefeated at 6-0 as the Pioneers fell to 4-1 on the year.

Nonetheless, Denver Head Coach Liza Kelly said, “I’m proud of the way we fought today, Michigan is a good team and they played hard.”

Sunday’s snowstorm canceled the game against Vanderbilt, so the Pioneers will be back in action on the road next Sunday, March 8 against Fairfield University.

Ben Rossi | Contributing Writer

Photo courtesy Denver Athletics

MARCH 6, 2019

DU CLARION

SPORTS | 5

Women’s Basketball secures no. 3 seed

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enver secured its best finish in the Summit League after securing the no. 3 seed for the Summit League Women’s Basketball tournament with an 82-76 win over Omaha. The Pioneers improved to 17-12 overall, the most wins for the program since the 201011 and 2011-2012 seasons when they won 18 games in consecutive years.

Junior Madison Nelson (Dover, Minn.) tied her career record of 28 points with her tenth double-double of the season, as well as recording 10 rebounds and two steals.

Sophomore Claire Gritt

(Arlington, Ill.) finished with nine rebounds, four assists and 15 points in 34 minutes played.

Senior Samantha Romanowski (Mountlake Terrace, Wash.) finished out her senior night with her fourth double-double of the season, recording 13 points and 12 rebounds. With her four assists, Romanowski moves into tenth place for assists in a DU career, totaling 315 assists.

The Pioneers started scoring early, leading 22-15 after the first 10 minutes of play. Gritt contributed four points and freshman Sydney Mech (Englewood, Colo.) hit a jumper to help put the team ahead.

In the second quarter, Omaha struck back, coming within two points at the end of the first half of play.

Going into the third quarter, the Pioneers retook the lead from Omaha with a threepointer from junior Lauren Loven (Scottsdale, Ariz.) after Omaha tied things up with a 7-3 run. Denver continued their run with five straight points from Romanowski. At the end of the quarter, DU had the lead at 56-48.

Both teams fought hard through the last 10 minutes of play, but the Pioneers managed to preserve their lead behind strong performances from Nelson, Mech

and sophomore Grace White (Redby, Minn.), finishing with a score of 82-76.

With the win, Denver secured the no. 3 seed for the Summit League Women’s Basketball Tournament. They travel to face sixth-seeded North Dakota in the first round of the tournament on Sunday, March 10 at 1:30 p.m. MST.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor Photo courtesy Denver Athletics

Major League Baseball sees record free agent signings

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ith Spring Training underway and an early season-opening series in Japan set to happen on March 20, the regular season is just a swing away. This offseason has been one of Major League Baseball’s (MLB) most interesting, talked-about offseasons in the game’s history. Several of the game’s most talked-about names were scattered around the open free agent market, many still not with a team.

Just in these past weeks saw two big-name free agents signing major deals, including third baseman Manny Machado’s 10-year $300 million deal with the San Diego Padres. On Thursday, outfielder Bryce Harper topped that with a 13-year $330 million deal, the richest contract in MLB history. These two deals overshadowed the local baseball news of the Colorado Rockies Golden Glove and Silver Slugger-winning third baseman Nolan Arenado re-signing an eight-year $260 million extension deal.

With all these deals coming in just the past two weeks, questions are brought up now on why many stars have been holding out for long-term periods in the offseason. Furthermore, two high profile pitchers, Dallas Keuchel and Craig Kimbrell, still are not signed to a team. Two questions arise: Why has high-profile free agency signing become such a long wait, and why are players now demanding especially large sums of dough?

One plausible answer to the first question is the current

Photo courtesy Wikimedia Commons

labor disputes between MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and the MLB Players Association headed by former MLB Player Tony Clark. Accusations have arisen from Clark’s grievances that players are remaining unsigned because MLB owners and the front office are pocketing money and not putting enough of it forth to suit the players’ needs, and thus MLB needs a new labor agreement.

MLB’s current collective bargaining agreement with the players, however, doesn’t expire until 2021, which gives the play-

ers union some time to negotiate. The recent signings might show some signs of improvement towards getting contract negotiations done. However, Clark still wants to talk with Commissioner Manfred on his concerns with some of the ways the players are being treated within the game, like how the rules currently stand with service time, which has kept teams keeping their top prospects in the minors for longer than they should to avoid free agency after seven years. This can especially have an impact on this season with one of the MLB’s

most highly touted hitting prospects in recent history, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Other focuses of the meeting will be on potential rule changes in the MLB, such as possibly speeding up the game by implementing a pitch clock, as the game is believed to be potentially losing popularity among the young generation due to the slowness of the game.

Commissioner Rob Manfred doesn’t believe that players taking longer to sign with teams is a huge issue concerning the MLB, that this is just how the game operates when an open market gets especially competitive. This could be an explanation to the second question on why players are demanding these record-breaking eight-digit contracts. Manfred believes that the negativity surrounding the game is really just a temporary issue.

“It is that gap during the offseason when people need things to talk about and write about that negativity seems to grow,” says Manfred. “I do believe that we have the greatest game in the world. I do think that when we get out there and start playing that positive glow around the game will re-emerge.”

This hope is carried mutually by baseball fans, as they hope that the MLB can reach a collective bargaining agreement to avoid a strike in the near future like the labor disputes in 1994 that led to a strike-shortened season.

Ben Rossi | Contributing Writer

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DU CLARION

| SPORTS

MARCH 6, 2019

No. 6 Gymnastics breaks records at University of Illinois

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U Gymnastics scored its second-highest score in program history for the second week in a row, scoring a 197.775 to beat host Illinois, which scored 195.025. This score is also good for the highest road score.

“The team did what we expected tonight. They demonstrated their consistency, home or away. They were relaxed but focused, and everyone did their jobs,” Head-Coach Melissa Kutcher-Rinehart said following the meet. “We rested some people and gave others opportunities on every event, and everyone was adaptable to the lineup changes. They continue to stay in the moment and focused on one meet at a time, but we still have room to improve.”

Denver started the meet on bars, earning four scores above

9.900, including event winning 9.925s from sophomores Emily Glynn (Longmont, Colo.) and Lynzee Brown (Kansas City, Mo.). Junior Maddie Karr (Stillwater, Minn.) scored 9.900, matched by senior Diana Chesnok (Charlotte, N.C.) in her first bar appearance this year. Senior Claire Kern (Charlotte, N.C.) and freshman Alexandria Ruiz (Lake Mary, Fla.) both scored 9.825s to round out DU’s score for the bar rotation. The team score of 49.550 tied its highest-ever bars road score and is good for second-highest bar score in program history.

On the vault, the Pioneers scored a 49.250 overall, capped by Karr’s event winning 9.900. Brown took second in the event with 9.875.

Chesnok scored a 9.850, and senior Kaitlyn Schou (Orlando, Fla.) had a 9.835. Ruiz scored 9.800.

On the floor, Denver scored a season high of 49.450. Brown took the event title with 9.950, while Karr placed second with a season-high tying 9.925. Schoy and Ruiz matched 9.875, and Kern tied her career-high with a 9.825.

The Pioneers finished the meet on the beam, with a total score of 49.600, breaking the previous school record of 49.550 that was set the week before. Karr and freshman Alexis Vasquez (Arcadia, Calif.) led the team with matching 9.950s, splitting the event title.

Brown, Ruiz and Schou all scored 9.900, with Brown matching her career best and Ruiz setting a new personal record.

Karr took the All-Around title with a score of 39.675, and Brown placed second with a 39.650.

The gymnastics team returns to Magness arena for their final home meet of the

season on Sunday, March 10 at 2 p.m., MST. They will face No. 18 Nebraska, No. 21 Arizona State and Pittsburgh for their senior meet.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy Denver Athletics | Brittany Evans

Denver Hockey wraps up weekend in Omaha

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he Denver Pioneers wrapped up their weekend against Omaha with one win and an NCHC overtime win. The NCHC overtime win grants the Pioneers the extra point in conference standings—however, according to official rules, the game will go down as a tie for the official record.

On Friday, March 1, the Pioneers struck early in the game to take the 4-1 win over the Omaha Mavericks. Junior Michael Davies (St. Louis, Mo.) was the first to score at 11:20, followed by senior Jarid Luckosevicius (Squamish, B.C.) one minute, 20 seconds later.

Freshman Cole Guttman (Los Angeles, Calif.) and sophomore Jaako Heikkinen (Helinski, Finland) were recorded with the assists on Davies’s goal while sophomore Kohen Olischefski (Abbotsford, B.C.) and freshman Emilio Pettersen (Manglerud, Norway) had the assists on Luckosevicius’s goal. The Mavericks would strike early in the second period and despite a handful of chances, the Pioneers were unable to strike.

In the third period, however, Heikkinen scored early at 2:53 off of an assist from sophomore Ian Mitchell (Calahoo, Alberta).

Guttman sealed the win for the Pioneers at 14:06.

On Saturday, March 2, despite an early start to scoring, Denver tired 3-3 with Omaha, eventually earning the extra

point in the NCHC standings.

“It was an emotional hockey game,” Head Coach David Carle said. “We’re ultimately happy we were able to get the extra point, but disappointed our special teams weren’t executing to the level they were last night. You have to tip your hat to Omaha.”

Denver took the lead at 18:38 of the first period when freshman Kyle Mahew (Anaheim Hills, Calif.) scored his first collegiate goal off a pass from sophomore Jake Durflinger (Walnut Creek, Calif.). However, Omaha tied the game up one minute later. In the second period, the Pioneers were off to an early start when they scored at 1:24 with a goal from junior Liam Finlay (Kelowna, B.C.).

Olischefski scored at 13:22 to bring the score to 3-1, Denver.

However, Omaha would score once more in the second, and then in the third period to tie the game, both goals coming during power plays. In the overtime, senior Les Lancaster (Ypsilanti, Mich.) would score at 1:09, giving Denver the extra point.

The Pioneers return to Magness Arena on Friday, March 8 to take on Colorado College at 7 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast on Altitude 2, as well as 104.3, The Fan.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy Denver Athletics

DU CLARION

MARCH 6, 2019

OPINIONS | 7

PIONEER VOICES Question of the week:

What are your Spring Break plans?

“I am going to catch up on some much-needed sleep and go on a ghost tour.”

“Right now the options are backpacking and camping in south Utah or sticking around and going skiing.”

Danie Duran, Third Year

Matthew Walter, Third Year

“I’m going back to Pennsylvania for a week to hang out with my dog and my family. I’m spending the rest of Spring Break skiing in Crested Butte.”

“I’m going to house-sit.”

Maura O’Leary, Third Year

Karina Hernandez, Third Year

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| OPINIONS

DU CLARION

MARCH 6, 2019

Neuroscience + Marketing = Manipulation?

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euroscience and marketing have become a dynamic duo, transforming the way businesses target and draw in their audiences. Unsurprisingly, marketing—at least effective marketing—works closely with psychology. It makes sense: the better a business understands their target market, the better they can cater their product or service towards them.

It’s worth grasping the basics of how exactly neuromarketing works before traipsing into the ethics of it because in most cases the bulk of society remains unaware of such methods.

To explain neuroscience on a simple level, it studies the affective and cognitive responses of human beings. This strategy is used to figure out why the brain makes the decisions it does and what part of the brain is telling them to do it. That translates into understanding people’s responses to the coloring of the product, the packaging, the advertising and much more.

Marketers have become especially adept at pulling in their target market through the advances in big data, too. The ample amount of information available through the use of data mining is instrumental in developing neuromarketing.

Companies now have the ability to see what appeals to their consumers and then tailor their marketing towards that.

Some of the largest companies (Google, CBS and Disney) have devoted research into neuromarketing, as they’ve recognized the competitive advantage it gives them. Let’s check out a few methods of neuromarketing.

One of the first techniques is to focus on emotions. This appeals to the subconscious mind of the consumer. Visuals are prevalent in this instance, as the brain takes approximately

50 milliseconds to process images. A good example of this would be the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals’s (ASPCA) commercial for neglected and abused animals. The bulk of the video depicts cats and dogs that have been mistreated, thus evoking strong feelings from the viewers.

Another trick is how companies display their pricing.

Our brains subconsciously react differently to pricing listed at $99.95 and $100.00 It’s also seen during online shopping.

Have you ever put multiple articles of clothing into your shopping cart and only hesitate to buy once the shipping rates were revealed?

Another strategy focuses on colors. They are effective at evoking certain emotions or feelings. McDonald’s offers a good example. The brands colors, red and yellow, elicit hunger. If you pay mind to other company logos, take note that the color blue evokes professionalism, black alludes to stability and power, orange facilitates a sense of caution and so on.

Beyond the pull of emotions, pricing and colors, neuromarketing acknowledges that people prefer familiarity. Our brains enjoy patterns and neutrality.

When we recognize a pattern, our brains produce dopamine which is coined as the “feelgood hormone.” This is why it’s crucial for a brand to maintain its identity through a consistent visual theme.

The final “hack” that’ll be referenced is the use of social influence. Various successful companies, such as, Nike, Coca Cola and Adidas have all used celebrities with enormous platforms as brand ambassadors.

Oftentimes referenced as the “cheerleader” effect, if key influencers support a particular company, their followers will most

Victoria Valenzuela | Clarion

likely support it as well, thus making the product/service appear more attractive. Fear of missing out also plays into it.

Did you buy Nike shoes because you genuinely wanted the pair, or was it because most of your friends have Nike shoes and it’s what’s “in?” This increases the demand for their shoes, and Nike can get away with increasing their prices because of how strong their brand identity is.

Understandably, it can be off-putting to recognize just how malleable we can be. Put it this way: marketers are simply looking for better ways to increase their customer base, and the best method is to first understand it. Perhaps a few ethical arguments can be drawn, but as with the information technology argument, we have been at the disposal of conglomerates for years. So, yes, neuroscience plus marketing equals manipulation, yet manipulation equals profit.

In order for neuromarketing to

be coined as manipulation, their audience must be unaware of the tactics used. Based off of the previous examples, the bulk of the target market is supposed to be unmindful to these methods for them to actually be effective.

It’s challenging to draw the line between how far is too far, because how else will companies market their product or service?

Typically, manipulation has a negative connotation. In this instance, it shouldn’t. A synonym for manipulation is influence. Now, if I were to state: neuroscience plus marketing equals influence, the interpretation will vary. Presently, we should focus our concerns on our personal data. The least we can do is become aware and hope to eventually gain the ability to filter just how much data companies can draw from us, because that’s where ethics really comes into play.

Megan Cooney | Contributing Writer

I support Jussie Smollett, no apologies

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ussie Smollett has been the center of controversy since a threatening letter was mailed to him when he was on the set of “Empire.”

It wasn’t until he was attacked by two masked assailants that Smollett garnered the support of the entire Hollywood community. Nearly a month later, he faces felony charges and exile.

Smollett has been charged with disorderly conduct for filing a false police report. The police and the state attorney’s office have confirmed that the charges are in response to evidence that suggests Smollett staged his own attack. If convicted, he could face up to three years in jail.

As a fan of “Empire,” it has been hard for me to see Smollett in this position. I’ve tried to remain impartial, but the truth is, I want to believe he didn’t do it. Unfortunately, many people do not feel the same way.

Celebrities quickly deleted any

tweets that were in support of Smollett and fans bombarded Twitter with posts featuring the

We are supposed to believe that people are innocent until proven guilty, and Smollett has not

Photo Courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

hashtag “#JussieSmollettHoax.”

This incident is an example of how the social spotlight can be like a magnifying glass under the sun capable of destruction.

been proven guilty. There is still a chance that he did not orchestrate the attack and if that is the case, people have been victimizing the victim and falsely accus-

ing an innocent black man from the LGBTQ+ community.

Whether or not Smollett is innocent, I want to reiterate what Emma Cohen said in the Clarion’s last article about him.

We shouldn’t let all of the controversy surrounding this story detract from other stories of hate.

It’s unfortunate that something like this has to happen for us to acknowledge these injustices but at least now, we can reflect upon the facts. The FBI determined in their national analysis that over 7,000 hate crimes occur each year. In a survey conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Justice Statistics, it was determined that 250,000 hate crimes occur each year. There is a large discrepancy between these two numbers but that’s not the focus. The focus is on the fact that there are any hate crimes at all because hate crimes do not just coincide with your news feed.

Victoria Valenzuela | Photo/Video Editor

The opinions expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of the Clarion or of the DU community.

MARCH 6, 2019

DU CLARION

OPINIONS | 9

Victoria Valenzuela | Clarion

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| ARTS

DU CLARION

& LIFE

MARCH 6, 2019

New student group Uprising Now holds first event

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n Feb. 27, a new student-run organization, Uprising Now, held their first event at DU. A lively crowd of students and members of the DU community filled the Forum of the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, curious of the new group looking to generate activism for campaign finance reform in the U.S. After a meal provided by Illegal Pete’s, Dr. Svet Derderyan, professor of political science at DU and the University of Colorado Boulder, gave a lecture to the audience about the state of democracy in the U.S. and the influence of large business and interest groups on American politics.

After his lecture, DU student and founding member Sid Farber introduced the group as a non-politically and non-DU affiliated group dedicated to “taking big money out of politics.” As an organization seeking to challenge the laws of campaign finance in the U.S., Uprising Now reached out to the DU community not only for support and membership in their endeavors, but to the city of Denver and the nation as well.

So what do the current laws

of campaign finance in the U.S. look like? In its current state, since the landmark Supreme Court case Citizens United vs.

FEC, there exists no limitations on the amount of money corporations and interest groups can spend on partisan and issuebased advertising. The case declared that there would be no limits on these “soft money” contributions due to a violation of the corporation’s freedom of speech rights.

Speaking on this court case,

Farber stated “100 percent that’s definitely something we completely disagree with.”

Continuing with the group’s mission, Farber noted, “Basically [it’s] the idea that we don’t want money to count as free speech; we want votes to count as our speech. And we believe in limited campaign contributions from individuals, with a fairly low limit on how much you can spend. Ideally, we want publicly funded elections.”

With the group in its

Photo courtesy of Uprising Now on Twitter.

infancy, they are looking for support from the DU and Denver community.

Whether individuals wish to join the team’s nine core members, help with future events and forums or simply rally to vote in favor of the group’s ideals, “there is no priority at any level” of involvement, stated Farber. The group hopes to garner enough support and pledges in order to take their mission to the national stage on other college campuses and eventually lobby the government for reform.

In the future months, Uprising Now is looking to hold another forum with a guest speaker to speak more on their goals to change campaign finance, as well as organize a potential march with other activist groups in Denver. Look for tabling on campus before events for more information. To get involved, check out uprisingnow.org, @ _uprisingnow_ on Twitter or the Uprising Now Facebook page.

Grace Ganz | Contributing Writer

You won’t stop at Uno Más

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he glow of white sand beaches screams for the accompaniment of slushy—maybe boozy— beverages with paper umbrellas topping them off and slices of fruit getting lost in the delicious, refreshing drinks. Those drinks are mandatory to hydrate you after the salt-slathered fries or other deep-fried snacks from the cabana menu. Kicking back on the beach at any resort can rekindle memories of great escapes to the Mexican Gulf or Pacific Coast. If you’re looking for that type of feeling here in Denver, I can offer you one better by going to Uno Más restaurant, where the spirit of Mexico thrives in the most authentic way.

While the goal of any beach vacation spot is to dazzle with all the decor and an over the top appearance, it usually lacks in true substance. Here at Uno Más, sustenance is all they are after. It is humbly located among other shops on iconic Pearl Street; you can’t miss the blue door contrasting the red exterior. The colors may be bold, but it’s a welcoming sign to come in and try their tasteful creations. They aren’t here to present awe-inspiring dishes, it isn’t in their nature to alter your perception of Mexican food by fusing it with another culture or displaying it in a new avant-garde way. It begins with their menu, mostly composed of street tacos, with a burrito here, some queso there and of course, guac (for which you would obviously pay extra). Their street ta-

cos allow the different flavors to shine without having to commit to one type of taco because they are all à la carte.

Their chicken mole was a deep rich mahogany brown, which instantly means it has every warming spice in the book simmered within it. Cinnamon and cumin add warmth, while peanuts and chocolate add richness and bitter notes to offset the sweetness from the dried food and peppers. The chicken gets placed in the sauce so that once it’s done cooking, the chicken shreds become the Mexican version of true barbecue pulled pork from the South that has been roasting away for hours.

Although it might be a bit different from the ground beef tacos in a crispy corn shell that represented the epitome of Taco Tuesdays growing up for the average American, their duck confit taco is not one to be missed. Confit means to slowly cook in its own fat, and if that doesn’t make your mouth water then you’re probably dehydrated. This duck is sitting in a hot tub of happiness before being paired with a sweet mango salsa to refresh your palate from the vinegar punch of pickled jalapeños. The chefs at Uno Más have gone a step further by sneaking in pieces of the skin that are fried to a crisp. It emulates the addictive chicharrones that can be found at any Mexican market or stand.

If you are more in the market for the taste of the ocean to

bring back the vacation vibes, they have plenty to choose from.

Instead of going the traditional surf and turf route, they offer a seasonal fish with a balanced spice rub or the Sea of Cortez, which features a mix of scallops and shrimp for a “surf and surf” addict. But the simple shrimp tacos composed of tender shrimp that came off the grill just seconds before becoming rubber are a true testament to the chef’s talent. They arrive at the table with a reddish coloring from the ancho chili spice blend which excites any eater’s eyes. The shrimp are nestled in their shell with acidic pickled onions that are a vibrant magenta, bringing crunch and liveliness to the humble taco. Finally drizzled on top is a salsa verde that adds a hit of citrus from the lime juice and freshness from the tomatillos.

Then, for the real carnivores in the group, they offer a pork belly taco that is rendered to feel like butter melting on your tongue with a deep meaty flavor.

The bottom of the taco is crusted with cheese that is both oozing out the side and a crispy exterior to give the texture of a chip. Their chorizo is made in-house, which means you know there is probably a family recipe dating back decades on the proper amounts of each ingredient. Each one is its own little masterpiece.

After much anticipation, the plate arrives. With no crazy decorations or added frills, the only thing that dresses their white

plates are the tacos with an accompanying lime wedge, and that’s just the way we want it.

Everyone’s tacos come together on the same plate, which only reiterates the familial aspect of the entire experience. The members of Uno Más’s kitchen are bringing you into their home with the flavors they have come to adore, in order for you to see their delicacies. The best part of it all is the tacos are doubled up with tortilla and filled to the brim. So, leave one tortilla on the plate as the landing zone for any contents that fall from your first taco as you begin your first bites.

Then boom, after you take down that first taco, a second taco is waiting on your plate from the pieces that fell from your first.

The menu might say only one taco per order, but if you do it right you’ll definitely get two.

A resort is a great way to beat the winter blues, but the warming spices of Uno Más can give you that same relaxing feeling all the way out here in Denver.

So get lost in the taste of the Mexican market with flavors of sweetness to replicate the fruit carts, the freshness from the vegetable vendors and the salty catch of the day from the local fisherman. It’s only one bite away.

Haley Paez | Contributing Writer

MARCH 6, 2019

DU CLARION

ARTS & LIFE | 1 1

“Lorena” sheds light on domestic abuse and media manipulation

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mazon Prime Video’s “Lorena” was released on Feb. 15, 2018 and gives a new light to the infamous story of Lorena Bobbitt, the woman who cut off her husband John Bobbitt’s penis in 1993. From Executive Producer Jordan Peele, the four-part docuseries gives Lorena a chance to tell the story the media left out.

Most people know the story as “crazy, jealous woman cuts off poor, unsuspecting husband’s penis,” but the real story is much darker and sadder than that, detailing years of domestic abuse and marital rape Lorena suffered at the hands of her husband John (who was later convicted of assault and sexual harassment against other women). Watching the documentary, it is hard not to walk away sad, angry and disgusted by how this woman was treated both by her husband and by the media. She became a punchline, doing a disservice to the third of American women who are also domestic violence victims.

The documentary begins with details of the actual night of the incident, June 23, 1993, and goes into how the police addressed the situation and how the surgeons took action to reattach John Bobbitt’s penis.

The series intentionally starts off by showing the viewer the perspective that

Photo courtesy of BroBible

the media painted of Lorena and subtly influences them into feeling the anger and disgust towards Lorena that was prominent both during the coverage of the incident and for years following. But as the series gets near the end of the first episode and goes into the second episode, the viewer comes to realize that not everything is how it seems, and that those previously held beliefs about Lorena and the case might be wrong and unfounded.

The second and third episodes go into further depth about the abuse Lorena faced throughout the four years of her marriage, showing testimonials from friends, family and neighbors who knew the Bobbitts, as well as footage from the trial and media coverage. Some of the most difficult parts to watch are in the second episode, where Lorena, holding back tears and struggling to get words out, describes the frequent rape she was subjected to by her husband. And in the third episode, she describes the specific events of the night leading up to her mutilation of her husband with complete anguish, recounting how she asked him, “Why do you do this to me again and again and again?” and how he replied that he didn’t care about how she felt. She then describes how she went

into the kitchen to get some water, and when she opened the refrigerator, the light illuminated the knife in the knife rack, and after that she couldn’t even remember what had happened until she was already driving away from the apartment after the mutilation—basically slipping into a dissociative state fueled by trauma.

In the end, Lorena was determined not guilty by reason of insanity, under the argument that she experienced an “irresistible impulse,” which is a test used in Virginia law to prove that the defendant was not in control of their actions even if they knew they were wrong at the time. Some of the jurors stated that they didn’t necessarily believe that Lorena had qualified under the irresistible impulse test, but that after hearing her testimony, they didn’t want her to go to jail, so they voted not guilty.

She was then sent to a state psychiatric facility for 45 days, and after she got out, she went back to school, made new friends, met her current partner and had a daughter, and she now volunteers regularly at women’s shelters and started a foundation for helping survivors of domestic violence. Meanwhile, John capitalized on his fame after the incident, doing celebrity appearances and even star-

ring in a couple pornographic films. He then went through many failed jobs that he couldn’t seem to keep and was arrested for theft and instances of battery against three different women.

It’s impossible to watch the entire docuseries without seeing John Bobbitt as unequivocally the villain and Lorena as just a victim of his who had had enough. It’s also a perfect example of how the media can twist stories to fit their narrative, a narrative that overwhelmingly favors men over women. Domestic violence is all too common in our society, yet it never gets media coverage unless it’s something particularly sensational. The way Lorena was portrayed by the media was disgraceful and a disservice to all domestic violence victims, preferring to focus on the seemingly outrageous act of a woman cutting off her husband’s penis instead of the years of horrific abuse she faced. One of the interviewees in the documentary, “Airforce Amy,” put it best— “They can cut a million clits off in Africa and no one hears a word. Cut one dick off and the whole fuckin’ country stops.”

Sara Loughran | Copy Editor

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| ARTS

DU CLARION

MARCH 6, 2019

& LIFE

New bill could mean legalized marijuana nationwide

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n Feb. 28, Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) reintroduced a bill, known as the Marijuana Justice Act, to federally legalize marijuana. First introduced in 2017, the bill wasn’t picked up for a vote. But now that national public opinion on marijuana has shifted and more states are choosing to legalize it statewide, the bill has a chance to be voted upon sometime in the near future.

The bill has already been cosponsored by some of Booker’s fellow 2020 Democratic contenders: Kamala Harris (CA), Elizabeth Warren (MA), Bernie Sanders (VT) and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY).

One primary goal of the bill is to tackle racial and socioeconomic inequity when it comes to criminal charges related to marijuana. Booker tweeted, “The failed War on Drugs has really been a war on people—disproportionately criminalizing poor people, people of color & people with mental illness.” The bill would provide opportunities for resentencing, expungement provisions, “community reinvestment provisions” such as job training and more for those charged with marijuana-related crimes. All of these measures would be a massive

step forward for marijuana equity, a promise of legalization that has yet to be fulfilled in many ways.

Taxation of recreational marijuana sales has already brought in massive amounts of revenue: since the beginning of recreational sales in 2014, Colorado has made a total of over $927 million (including state licenses and fees). There’s potential for any state that wants to recreationalize; New York governor Andrew Cuomo has a plan to legalize recreational marijuana and use the tax revenue to fix the notoriously hellish MTA. Other state officials across the nation should take note and look into what kind of reform can be possible with legalization.

The bill will undoubtedly face an uphill battle against the Republicans in the Senate, but the tax revenue alone might make a strong enough argument to finally repair some of our country’s biggest injustices in the war on drugs.

Photo courtesy of OpenSecret

Emma Cohen | Contributing Writer

The Clarion Crossword: Week 9 Need some help? Visit duclarion.com for the answer key.

Chelsie Fincher | Clarion