DU Clarion Volume 126 Issue 5

Top Stories N: Meet Paul Kashmann O: Measles outbreak and privilege S: Men’s lacrosse in the BIG EAST Finals.

A&L: Jeanette Vizguerra

DU Clarion [www.duclarion.com]

May 8, 2019 Volume 126 Issue 5

Weather Wed: rainy, 45° Thurs: rainy, 44° Fri: cloudy, 56° Sat: cloudy, 64° Sun: sunny, 69° Mon: sunny, 744° Tues: sunny, 77°

DU While Native part three: The “Pioneer experience” for DU’s Native students Grace Carson | Executive Editor Emeritus

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he DU While Native project is a five part series, explaining the unique situation Indigenous students are in by attending DU, considering the institution’s history in the Sand Creek Massacre; highlighting the struggles these students face on campus and on their journey through higher education; telling stories of their resistance and survival on campus and more. It serves as a space in which Native students at DU can tell their own stories—stories often shared by many Native students around the country. It serves to educate those outside of the community and give insight to the devastating national statistics about the retention of Indigenous students in higher education.

Some students have chosen to use pen names to protect their safety on campus. If you have any questions or comments, please send them to duwhilenative@gmail.com.

Every Native student, or student of color for that matter, has the story. It’s often referred to in our communities as “that story” or “the story.” We have many stories throughout our time in higher education, but this one is the first story: the first time a marginalized student can recall realizing that they were not supported by their university in the ways that they needed, when they realized they were misunderstood as a student of color at a predominately white institution (PWI) or when they realized their experience in higher education would be drastically different than that of their white peers. We all have that story.

My story happened the first quarter of my freshman year. Before entering DU, I decided to join the DU’s Social Justice Living and Learning Community (SJLLC), a program for freshmen in which 22 incoming students are able to take a year-long social justice oriented class and live together in a dedicated hall for the LLC, creating a com-

munity committed to social equity. I remember thinking that by joining this community, I would meet likeminded students who had similar passions to myself, and I was thrilled to find out that I had been accepted into the program.

Within the first few weeks, however, we had a class centered around the topic of affirmative action in higher education, which turned into a wider discussion about race. I started the class feeling excited, since racial justice was my own personal passion, but by the end of the class I felt disappointed and isolated. At least half the class was opposed to affirmative action policies and believed that the U.S. was “post-racial,” so race need not be considered in universities’ application process.

I remember frustratedly explaining my stance on the issue, stating that the groups that affirmative action seeks to help are often the most restricted from access to education due to systemic bar-

riers. I was then shut down because of my Indigenous identity, which led to a feeling of shock and disappointment.

One student responded, “Well of course you think that, you benefit from it. Don’t Native Americans get free tuition?”

I had to quickly overcome my shock in order to explain that was not the case, to which the student simply shrugged.

These types of stories are shared by all Native students—ones that include the feeling of absolute shock when a fellow student on campus spews out a ludicrous myth about the Indigenous community, and then feeling deeply misunderstood and isolated. There isn’t one Indigenous student who can’t pinpoint the first microaggression they’ve faced on campus. These encounters and more are what shape their higher education experience, making their journey at college a daily struggle.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 6

Denver brings home BIG EAST men’s lacrosse awards Lawson Montgomery | Sports Editor

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reshman Brett Boos (Parker, Colo.) was the highest awarded Pioneer in the 2019 season according to the BIG EAST as he was awarded the 2019 Freshman of the Year. Boos played in the each of the 15 games for the Pioneers this season. He won 217 out of 366 battles at the dot and collected 87 ground balls from the dot.

On the All-BIG EAST First Team, junior Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) was awarded the spot with 39

goals and 13 assists playing in 15 game for the Pioneers.

Senior Dylan Gaines (Baltimore, Md.) made the team for his getting 23 caused turnovers and 22 ground balls for the Pioneers in 15 games.

Junior Short Stick Defensive Middie Danny Logan (Upper Arlington, Ohio) was awarded the position with five goals and three assists on top of 16 caused turnovers and 55 ground balls. Walker was also awarded the All-BIG EAST First Team at the faceoff specialist position.

On the All-BIG EAST

Second Team, senior Colton awards and to the entire Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Men’s Lacrosse team on their Colo.) received honors for his 2019 season!

19 goals and 7 assists. Redshirt senior Matt Neufeldt (Naperville, Ill.) was awarded for his work on the wings as a long-stick middle with two goals and three assists. He also had 33 caused turnovers and 66 ground balls. The last Pioneer awarded a position was junior defenseman Colin Squires (West Linn, Ore.) with nine caused turnovers and 23 ground balls.

Congratulations to all the Pioneers who received

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| NEWS

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Paul Kashmann: Your Denver District 6 representative

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his week, elections were held for representatives across the city of Denver: from mayor to city council. Numerous incumbents looked to fend off their positions from incoming candidates, while others battled for newly open seats. One candidate who did not face competition was Paul Kashmann: your Denver city councilmember for District 6.

Kashmann—who has represented University, University Park and the surrounding neighborhoods since 2015— will be sworn in later this month to represent the district for four more years. One of Kashmann’s biggest legislative victories in his first term was creating a comprehensive method of evaluating and repairing damaged sidewalks.

Kashmann’s other successes include ensuring women and minority employees are hired equitably, families of city employees lost in the line of duty will still receive health-

care benefits for a year at no cost and giving constituents more power through City Council meetings and the Civilian Oversight Board.

However, Kashmann has still not achieved one of his most important goals that he articulated when he ran in 2015. In a survey conducted

by Ballotpedia in 2015, he said that he wanted to tackle homelessness and unattainable housing. Though he did work to address these issues in his first term, he sees his work as unfinished. He is running, among other reasons, so he has more time to reduce homelessness in Denver.

Kashmann is proud to engage in District 6. Until turning it over, Kashmann was the publisher of the Washington Park Profile, the respected community newspaper, and you can often find him near campus at Pete’s Cafe on Evans and University.

Photo courtesy of City and Country of Denver

Isaiah Jakab | News Editor

ABOUT US

DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF

HANNAH BRANIT, Editor-in-Chief VICTORIA VALENZUELA, Executive Editor TARYN ALLEN, Editor-in-Chief Emeritus GRACE CARSON, Executive Editor Emeritus 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.

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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.

ISAIAH G. JAKAB, News Editor LAWSON MONTGOMERY, Sports Editor ELIZABETH LOCHHEAD, Opinions Editor NINA PETROVIC, Arts & Life Editor CAITLAN GANNAM, Photo/Video Editor SARA LOUGHRAN, Copy Editor MAYA PINON, Copy Editor CHELSIE FINCHER, Illustrator VISHAL BEEKI, Paper Delivery Person HALEY BIRT, Paper Delivery Person SYDNEY KAPP, Business Manager ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser Masthead graphic design: David Fain

CONTRIBUTING STAFF RACHEL KUNZI

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DU CLARION

NEWS | 3

USG weekly Uupdate

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he 2018-2019 Undergraduate Student Senate met and conducted business for the last time on Tuesday, Apr. 30.

The senators faced a packed docket with a Collaboration Fund request from the International Student Organization (ISO), the Pacific Islander Alliance and the English Language Center; an Internal Fund request; the 2019-2020 budget and four constitutional amendments. Also in attendance were the newly elected senators for the 2019-2020 session who were there to observe their predecessors at work.

First up was the ISO and PIA who requested $1,000 to help fund their Hawaiian Global Cafe on May 7. The request passed and the Senate moved onto an internal funding request from junior senator and Vice President-elect

Sophia Gonzalez-Mayagoitia who requested $1,135 for a women’s health fair occuring the week of May 13, which is National Women’s Health Week. The events are intended to raise awareness of women’s health issues and address the “many misconceptions about this topic,” according to her funding application.

After passing Gonzalez-Mayagoitia’s funding request by unanimous consent, Finance Committee Chairwoman Natasha Crawford introduced the proposed 2019-2020 budget and answered questions from other senators. One issue of particular contention was the shrinking of the Internationalization Committee’s budget and the specific lineitem fund for Culture Fest.

Despite some questions, the Senate voted 17-1 in favor

of the budget, ensuring that funding will be able to flow to the proper student groups beginning June 1. Only Chairwoman Brianna Makumbi of the Finance Committee voted no over the decrease in funding for her committee.

Next on the docket was the first of three amendments sponsored by Pro-Tempore and President-elect Matt Walter. Because of a recent change to the Constitution, all constitutional amendments must be read in full and automatically tabled for a week. After a full reading

by Senator Grace Rooney, Senior Senator JJ Khan motioned to adjourn to allow for a Transitions Committee presentation. The Senate adjourned leaving all four constitutional amendments to die with the end of the current Senate calendar.

These amendments are likely to be re-introduced by the newly sworn-in the vice president and On-Campus Senator Marshall Marrs after the new USG begins its session in Week 8.

Marshall Marrs | Contributing Writer

Holocaust remembrance event

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n Wednesday, May 11, DU hosted an event to remember the brutal history of the Holocaust. Speaker and Holocaust survivor, Osi Sladek, gave a presentation about his experience living through the Holocaust. The presentation was held in Margery Reed’s Reiman Theater in front of roughly 30 people.

Sladek’s theme throughout the presentation was one of gratitude for the angels that guided him through the difficulties of the time period. He stressed the importance of learning about our dark history, but he celebrated the victories. He emphasized that although “every human is half good and half bad,” the good won in the end.

Sladek talked about the psychological tricks and cunning plans the Germans employed to dominate the region. He said that, “everything the Nazis did had to be done just perfectly. It was carefully planned out, not something that happened overnight.”

Sladek started his presentation by describing his unique childhood. Growing up in 1942, he was chastised by his school-

Grace Wilkins | DU Clarion

mate because he wore a yellow star every day to symbolize that his family was Jewish. When the other kids asked their parents about it they were told to not associate with him. Kids called him a “stinking Jew” and told him to “go back to Palestine.”

When he talked to his parents about the issue, they responded by saying “I’m sorry, but we can’t talk to your teachers about this. We’ve lost our rights.”

During this time, young Slovakian Jews were told that they were being given a factory job in Germany to help manufacture ammunitions for the German army. Instead, they were enslaved immediately upon arrival to the factories.

They worked 18 hours a day and received poor medical treatment and insufficient nutrition.

Despite the brutality, they were instructed to send their parents postcards saying that they loved their jobs and had been well taken care.

Sladak went on to tell stories of his experience as a young boy. Because of tight censorship at the time, Sladek’s family had no idea that Jews were starving

and living in ghettos in Poland.

One day, a German soldier came to the shop and advised them to go into hiding. Two other people who came into the store offered to hide the family in their homes if needed, even though it was illegal to do so.

Sladek’s parents payed for a smuggler to take him from his home in the Czech Republic to Hungary. After days of trekking in the snow, the smuggler stopped at the border and said to the young Sladek, “See those trees over there? Pretend you’re a bunny rabbit and hop on all fours until I come for you.” He heard men speaking Hungarian and the noise of gunshots; he knew he and the smuggler had arrived safely in Hungary.

His teachers had grown up telling him that “the border is a place with a fence or wall that you need to get through,” so he was amazed at how easily he was able to cross. The smuggler told him that it was only easy because he “knew the path to go on to avoid those complications and that was why your parents paid me so much.”

Once he crossed the border, Sladek was interrogated by the Hungarian police for a day before he was adopted on the spot by extended family. Although an important part of the Jewish faith is to never tell lies, he told the police, “I walked for days and ran and ran until I came in [this] morning” so that he would avoid being sent back to Slovakia.

He quickly enrolled in a Jewish school and felt a sense of normality and the ability to be a kid until he heard a radio announcement that “there [would] be a parade in the center of our city to welcome our friends, the German army, into town!” Sladek told his aunt

and uncle that they should immediately go into hiding because the German army were going to invade, but they didn’t listen to him. He remembered thinking that although “they may have been adults they were stupid.” He sent a message to his parents through a smuggler telling them that he was going back to Slovakia. His parents received his message, and Sladek crossed the border again in the middle of a hay basket in a wagon.

When Sladek arrived at his parent’s house, he discovered that they had acquired new baptismal birth certificates (so that they were now Christians) and were going to get new jobs and move further into the country near the Tatra Mountains. However, there was a military rebellion against the Nazis around Central Slovakia and they were told that “if they don’t vacate, [the Nazis] would destroy the entire city” so the family moved to a cabin in the mountains with 15 other Jews where his job was to sweep footprints on the snow after people used the restroom so the Germans couldn’t track them.

His family was eventually saved by the Russian army, and while his parents moved to South America, Sladek calls the U.S. his home.

After the presentation, a Jewish prayer was recited to honor and remember the victims of the Holocaust, and a student played a violin piece.

Sladek will continue to live in the U.S. and speak to middle schools, high schools and other organizations about his story.

Grace Wilkins | Contributing Writer

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| NEWS

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It’s spring, and the Clarion is hiring!

Email duclarioneditor@gmail.com with inquiries.

Women’s lacrosse picks up multiple BIG EAST season awards

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enver’s Women’s Lacrosse picked up four BIG EAST postseason awards, including the awards for the BIG EAST Attacker of the year, BIG EAST Defender of the Year, BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. Denver also placed 11 student-athletes to the All-BIG EAST Conference teams.

Sophomore Quintin Hoch-Bullen (Orillia, Ontario) was named the BIG EAST Attacker of the Year after scoring 45 goals through the 2019 campaign. Her three goals per game average was ranked No.

40 in the NCAA. In Denver’s Apr. 6 game, Hoch-Bullen scored her 100th career point.

Senior Katherine Fischer (Upper Nyack, N.Y.) was named BIG EAST Defender of the Year after earning 31 ground balls and causing 27 turnovers in the 2019 season.

She helped lead Denver’s defense, which was ranked No. 1 in scoring defense (6.67) over the past four consecutive weeks.

Junior Carson Gregg (Severna Park, Md.) won BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year after totaling 690 minutes in the goal and making 74 saves.

She allowed the lowest amount

of goals with 84 in the BIG EAST Conference and is No. 1 in the nation with a 7.40 goalsagainst average.

Head Coach Liza Kelly, along with Tee Ladouceur, Brittany Read and Megan Zeman won BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year. This year, the coaching staff led the Pioneers to their highest ranking in the Intercollegiate Women’s Lacrosse Coaching Association (IWLCA) ranking with a No. 9.

Seven student-athletes received First Team All-BIG EAST honors. Fischer, Gregg and Hoch-Bullen were joined by teammates senior Maddie Baum (Piedmont, Calif.),

senior Elizabeth Behrins (Basking Ridge, N.J.), junior Molly Little (Tiverton, R.I.) and sophomore Eliza Radochonski (Englewood, Colo.).

Four more Pioneers received Second Team All-BIG EAST honors; Senior Julia Feiss (Baltimore, Md.), sophomore Hannah Liddy (Westfield, N.J.), senior Kennedy Milburn (Whitby, Ontario) and senior Audrey Scherck (Charlottesville, Va.).

Hannah Branit | Editor-in-Chief

Photo Courtesy of Denver Athletics

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DU CLARION

SPORTS | 5

No.11 Pioneers’ offense shines in the first half

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coming from Simmons, Senior Quinn McKone (Novato, Calif.), junior Schuyler Blair (Huntington Beach, Calif.) and sophomore Jack Hannah (Milford, Ohio).

The second quarter would see the Pioneers maintain their lead with senior Colton Jackson (Highlands Ranch, Colo.) continuing the scoring run. However, Villanova would begin to crawl back in the game. By the end of the third quarter, the score was 15-6 Denver. The fourth quarter would favor Villanova, but the initial first half run by the Pioneers would be enough to win the game 17-11. The Pioneers had three players score hat tricks: Jackson, Walker and French.

This performance was one of the better offense showcases demonstrated by the Pioneers this season as they had multiple Pioneers with a on the box score.

This advanced the Pioneers into the BIG EAST Championship game against Georgetown, a rematch of last year’s championship game where Georgetown won it all. The winner of the game would give the winner an automatic bid into the NCAA Championship.

n Friday night as the sun set on Peter Barton Lacrosse Stadium, the No. 11 Pioneers took on the No. 20 Villanova Wildcats in the second BIG EAST Men’s Lacrosse semi-final game. The last time these two teams met this season, Villanova won 11-12 handing the Pioneers their first BIG EAST regular season loss. The Pioneers had a 12 goal first half that helped propel past Villanova to send the Pioneers into the BIG EAST Championship game.

In the first quarter, Villanova was able to get on the score board first by a goal from Connor Kirst, his thirtieth of the season. It was all Pioneers after the goal from Kirst as the Pioneers were able to go on a 12-2 run for the rest of the first half. Senior Austin French (Danville, Calif.) put the Pioneers up first to tie the score at one. Jackson hit the net with a mid-to-low bouncer to put the Pioneers up 2-1. Junior Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) increased the Pioneer lead to two as a shot from freshman Alex Simmons (Smithville, Ontario) rebounded off of the Villanova keeper straight to Walker who then placed it into the upper corner. The Pioneers continued their scoring streak with goals

Lauryn Butler | DU Clarion

Lawson Montgomery | Sports Editor

No.15 Pioneers falls to No.13 Georgetown

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n the BIG EAST Championship game, the No.15 Pioneers faced the No.13 Georgetown Hoyas for the second year in a row. The Pioneers fell down early to Georgetown in the first quarter 6-2. Freshman Alex Simmons (Smithville, Ontario) and senior Austin French (Danville, Calif.) both had goals for the Pioneers in the first. Simmons just got the ball across the goal-line before making contact with the Georgetown goalkeeper for the first goal of the quarter. Junior Schuyler Blair (Huntington Beach, Calif.) was able to end the Georgetown scoring run of five unanswered goal with a goal on an unsettled situation.

The Pioneers looked to

crawl back from their first quarter deficit with the first goal of the second quarter from sophomore Jack Hannah (Milford, Ohio) on a man-up opportunity. However, the Hoya defense stood strong and held the Pioneers to the one goal. The Pioneer defense was also able to respond with their own stand holding the Hoyas to one goal. The score going into the second half would end up 7-3.

The Pioneers came out of the locker room impassioned to get back into the game by getting three unanswered goals in the third quarter from Hannah, junior Ethan Walker (Peterborough, Ontario) and senior Quinn McKone (Novato, Calif.). Senior goalie Alex

Ready (Lancaster, Pa.) was able to make a difference in the second half by keeping the Pioneers close. Georgetown would get one back to have an 8-6 lead going into the fourth and final quarter.

The Pioneers faced a determined team in Georgetown as the Hoyas increased their lead to 10-6. Freshman Johnny Marrocco (Cincinnati, Ohio) would also impress with two goals in two games as he converted a diving tap-in goal to help the Pioneers make it back to a three goal game. Eventually, the goal deficit became too much for Pioneers as the game clock ran out on the Pioneers and on their season.

The Pioneers were not selected for an At-Large bid

into the NCAA Championship and ended their season with a 10-5 record. The Pioneers had very close games throughout their season with many games being lost by one goal. Underclassmen shined this year and showed that Denver will be a force to reckon with behind a senior leader in Walker and a faceoff specialist, Brett Boos (Parker, Colo.), growing into his role at the dot. We look forward to what the Pioneers will bring us next season as they look to make it back into the NCAA tournament after missing out this year.

Lawson Montgomery | Sports Editor

Lauryn Butler | DU Clarion

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| OPINIONS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

Why Native students choose the path of academia The journey of higher education for Indigenous students at DU first starts with their choice to go to college. Many students state that the reason why they choose to go to college is not only because their family encouraged them to choose higher education as a path but because they want to make a difference in their communities.

Raelene Woody, a third-year Diné student, said, “I chose to go to college because I saw that there was a lack of Indigenous scholars, and I’m a first generation student so my family really put pressure on me to go. And I really wanted to give back to my community, especially after all that they’ve given me and how much they’ve cared for me and helped me grow.”

She continued, “So, I really want to go back and see if I can implement change through my degree and education, especially since there are so many problems on the reservation, like alcoholism, historical trauma— and a lot of that comes from systemic oppression and a bunch of policies that were designed to eliminate Native people. But I feel like, as a scholar, I can help change that and help my people grow.”

Raelene specifically hopes to work in public health to address health concerns in her community.

N. Rose, a second-year Diné student, said she chose to go to college because of both pressure from her family and knowledge that getting a degree was the best way to create change in her community. “Ever since a young age people, everyone around me told me that education is important, and if you want to do something and make life better for the tribe as a whole, something you can do is go out and get a degree and use it to do something that benefits everyone. So that was something I always wanted to do. There was never a doubt in my mind about going to college.”

As to why Native students chose to come to DU, many students say that they heard about the school from friends, family or recruiters who come into their communities, but the reason why they eventually choose to go to the school is because of the scholarship money they received.

Raelene said she found out about DU because she knew a student whose family was friends with hers. So when her high school class came to visit the campus and her friend gave her a tour of the school, she decided to apply as her last option.

Though she got into schools that were higher on her list of schools of choice, she decided to go to DU because they gave her the most funding. She is the recipient of the Native American Community Scholarship, which covers the full tuition cost of the university.

T. Lovely, a first-year student from the Laguna Pueblo nation in New Mexico, said she found out about DU from a

DU CLARION

college-access program called College Horizons. One of her mentors in the program was someone who worked at the university, but she didn’t think of DU as an option because she thought she would only be able to afford schools in her home state of New Mexico. It wasn’t until she had been awarded the Davis Scholarship, a scholarship that pays the full cost of college attendance for college-ready, first-generation students from New Mexico, that she began to look at schools out of state. She said, “I chose Denver because of that scholarship and because it was still close to home so I could travel back and forth.”

The shock of DU’s culture While Indigenous students make the choice to come to DU, they often feel shocked by the culture that they are confronted with when they arrive on campus.

Alexis White Hat, a second-year Lakota and Diné student from the Rosebud reservation, said that the transition of coming from a reservation to an urban, white-dominated space was difficult. She said, “Coming from the reservation was a big culture shock, especially coming to DU, because when we moved in, everyone was bringing in these flat screens [TVs] and furniture, and I was like, ‘what?’

And I was used to seeing Natives around, and all of a sudden I was the only Native around.

Some of my experiences are, I’d be in class, and I’d look around and I’d be the only minority in class. Or whenever I would talk to people, they’d be like, ‘Oh, you’re Native? Do you still live in teepees?’ and stuff like that.”

Raelene described her shock when she arrived to campus after having attended an all-Native boarding school, “There was a sense of community [at the Indian Boarding School], and here everything was individualistic and I wasn’t used to it. So, there was just a lot of adjustment issues, as well as things going on at home that I couldn’t necessarily just go back to.”

Having culture shock due to not being in a space that is predominantly Native is an experience unique to Indigenous students living on or close to their reservations. Native students from urban areas, commonly referred to in our community as “Urban Indians,” might have different experiences.

Salma Ramires Muro, a fourth-year Chicana-Indigenous student from the Apache tribe who has lived in Los Angeles and Denver for the entirety of her life, spoke to this issue, “From what I’ve seen over the years, I do think that there is a distinct difference in how students from reservations are treated, and also in how they are affected by the area, as opposed to Urban Indians. We were already exposed to some of this very, very saturated racism and micro-racisms, and we’re used to it by now. It’s not a good thing, but it has made our skin thicker. In that sense, we’re somewhat more prepared for it compared to students from the reservation who have been around people like them for

the majority of their lives. It’s a huge culture shock to have to see someone who’s not like you and then them tell you that you don’t belong.”

But even for Native students from urban areas, they still describe DU’s culture as shocking. Salma explained that even though she has lived in Denver for over ten years, she was still shocked by DU’s lack of diversity because it wasn’t representative of the community in Denver she grew up in. She said that it was isolating being one of the only students of color, and that she sometimes feels like a “quota kid”—someone the university only let in because they needed more diversity.

Salma isn’t the only student who was shocked by DU’s lack of diversity on campus. L. Rose, a second-year Lakota student, said she was “extremely shocked” by the lack of diversity on campus, “It’s more than just coming from a reservation and growing up where half the people you know are Native, it’s just that… going to the city, you expect to see a lot of diversity because it’s a city and it’s very, very big, and I get that DU is a private school, but even with all the alliances and the fact that they claim to have diversity, they still lack in a lot of areas.”

Indigenous students coming to DU weren’t just shocked by the lack of diversity on campus, but by the fact that the institution has rooted itself in an identity seemingly celebratory of settler colonialism and westward expansion. DU’s old mascot, Boone, named after Daniel Boone who murdered thousands of Indigenous people in the Shawnee tribe, as well as their Boone-inspired nickname, the “Pioneers,” leave Native students with a reminder of the genocide their ancestors faced and the colonization of their land, culture and people.

“I think it’s [the ‘Pioneer’ nickname] so problematic, it’s offensive, it’s all types of things,” Raelene said. “I didn’t really know that DU referred to its students as ‘Pioneers’ until I came here. They don’t mention anything like that in their acceptance letters, and so, when I came here I got my ID card and it was just so..ugly.

There’s no other word I can use to describe it right now.

I really didn’t like it.”

She went on to discuss how the nickname affects Native students, “I think it definitely impacts Indigenous students’ experiences in a negative way from what I’ve seen. It brings up an association to a very whitewashed history. I think DU tries to say it has a positive connotation, but really, to Indigenous students, to people of color, to women, it might have an entirely negative connotation. It means something entirely different because of DU’s history and its role in the Sand Creek Massacre, and as well as John Evans’s role in, quote, ‘pioneering’ the West..I think that term and DU’s history makes it harder for students to feel welcome.”

Unlike Raelene, L. Swift was aware of DU’s nickname, but

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didn’t come to dislike it until she was on campus and experienced how ingrained the term ‘Pioneer’ was in DU’s culture. She said, “At first, I didn’t really care about the term ‘Pioneer’ when I was looking up DU. I heard ‘Pioneer,’ and I was like, ‘oh, that’s a weird nickname,’ but I didn’t really think much of it because I didn’t really care about sports and all. But coming here and seeing how idolized Boone is and how some DU students really do take the term ‘Pioneer’ to heart, I’m against it now.”

Struggling at a PWI The shock of coming to DU leads to a sense of isolation, regret and even depression for many Native students.

These feelings often come with thoughts of transferring or dropping out of DU. Raelene was the only Native student in her class to enter DU, and she explains the experience as one that was really difficult for her. She said it was the Native community on campus that encouraged her to stay, “It was really hard. I almost dropped out after my first quarter, but I think what kept me here was older students who were still here, and of course, Viki. I think she really helped. I was always in Viki’s office crying. I really didn’t like it here, especially because I had nobody that I could relate to that was my age.

I didn’t really have friends [my age].”

Being the only Native student in her class affected her mental health, Raelene explained. And though it didn’t hinder her academic performance, it made it difficult for her emotionally and mentally. “I was very depressed.

I sometimes just laid in bed for the whole weekend. I didn’t do anything. It was really hard to relate to anybody besides the couple of Native students that were here, and again, they were like, two years older than me at the time,” she said.

Many Native students speak about experiencing extreme homesickness during their time at DU, and how that contributes to their struggles at the university. Students from reservations have a deep connection with their homes and cultures, so being away can be more difficult for them than for other students.

As well as the culture shock and homesickness Native students experience at DU, they also tell stories of times they have faced “microaggressions.”

Microaggressions is the word commonly used to describe marginalized groups’ experiences with subtle or unintentional statements, incidents or other forms of discrimination, and is something Indigenous students say they have to navigate regularly while attending DU. “So, it was literally my first day,” Alexis said, beginning to tell her first story, similar to my own, “we were on a retreat for 1GenU , and T. Lovely and I told our stories of growing up on reservations, and this guy came up to us and said, ‘Yeah, I’ve been to the Apache reservation and helped them build houses. You guys are pretty cool people.’ and

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

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I was like… we didn’t really say anything, cause we were like, ‘what?’ And then the first day of Orientation Week, someone sat down next to us and was like, ‘So you guys are Native right? Do you live in teepees?’ and I was like, ‘Um, no, we live in houses like everybody else.’”

T. Lovely, who is Alexis’s roommate, also spoke about microaggressions that took place on the floor of their dorm, in which students would ask about the community’s “gambling problems.” She said, “It’s like, I know a lot of the times people aren’t trying to be rude, but for me, it’s a lot of trying to educate people and put them in their place.”

As well as experiencing microaggressions, Indigenous students, especially upperclassmen, report that they do not feel supported by DU’s administration or the institution as a whole.

Salma said there were times that she didn’t feel supported by the university, but the moment when she really felt as though the institution did not care about Native students or other marginalized students was when she attended one of DU’s Board of Trustees meetings this Winter Quarter. “[The meeting was] about ten or so trustees who were invited to hear first-generation students’ opinions, so myself and another peer went to that, and we were the only two Native/Indigenous students there… I saw the dis-

honesty there, I saw the distinct lack of caring from our Board of Trustees. Hell, one of them actually said she knew everything that has been happening [on campus] detail by detail and she just shrugged her shoulders when asked why she didn’t do anything.”

Even the first-year Native students at DU question whether or not the university cares for their wellbeing. Alexis said, “I think they put up a front that they care about how we are and how we feel, but honestly, just within the first quarter and the first couple weeks of my second quarter, I haven’t seen any support.”

Native students’ resilience at DU is a story of hope Though Native students’ journey at DU is difficult, they still find ways to survive and thrive on campus. While this may seem like a story of sorrow and gloom, it’s the opposite: it’s a story of resilience. Many Indigenous students at DU express the desire to drop out and return home, but every student within the last four years has stayed at the university, despite all the reasons they have to leave.

Many times, it’s because they feel a responsibility to something greater than themselves.

T. Lovely spoke about her duty to her family, “I’ll be honest, I really wanted to leave this place, because it was pretty bad during my first quarter, but the more I thought about it… I

have a niece back home, and I think she was the main motivation. ‘Cause, I’ll be honest, I didn’t have the heart to tell my sister I wanted to come home, but before I could tell her that she said that my niece really looks up to me and she wants to be like me, and it’s like… I can’t leave, I can’t give up.”

N. Rose said that her family motivates her to stay in college, as well. “What motivates me to stay at DU is my family. I have an older sister who went to college, too, but she dropped out. It was really hard for her to be in that environment and to deal with, so she dropped out. So I’ve gotten the furthest in college. Which is cool, but at the same time, it’s really stressful, because everyone’s looking to me. And I was always a good student, so everyone is like, ‘She’s going to do it, she’s going to be fine. She’s fine.

There’s nothing wrong.’ Which is kind of a lot of pressure. But I do want to be that example for my younger sisters, and for my cousins and for my entire family. And to be the first one to graduate from college would be a really cool thing to do.”

She continued to say that she recognizes that college is also important for herself, “So that motivates me when things are really hard to deal with, as well as the thought of what I want to do after this. This is a stepping stone for me. I need to do this so that I can go and do what I want to do, and do things my way, and make the best choices for myself,

my family and my community.”

For Raelene, what keeps her at DU is the students that will come after her. She said, “I don’t want them to have the same experience I did. I don’t want them to feel the way I did — to not feel like they aren’t good enough, to not have to isolate themselves…

I want them to feel welcomed here. I want them to feel like they’re cared about, that they’re valued and appreciated. And so I stay because of the youth. I want to change things here at DU so that Native students can come here and enjoy their time here.

There’s a thing that Lyla June always says, and it’s that, if you don’t have anything to live for you live for the youth, and I feel like I am a person who lives by that. Everything that I do is for the students and for the youth in our communities.”

At an institution where Native students feel isolated, unheard and disserved, and whose existence was founded on the genocide of their ancestors, surviving is an everyday act of resistance. There’s honor and hope in that. In the next piece, how Indigenous students survive and resist on campus will be examined.

Grace Carson | Executive Editor Emeritus

PIONEER VOICES Question of the week:

What are your thoughts on “Avengers: Endgame?”

“It was a fantastic movie, and it did a great job summarizing all of the events and tying up all of the different story lines.”

“I thought it was a very satisfying end for the two characters who have really been the heart of the whole thing.”

Isaiah Jakab, Second Year

Ellie Lochhead, Third Year

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

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Measles outbreak highlights the privilege that allows willing ignorance

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undreds of people were quarantined in Los Angeles County as of Apr. 25 after five cases of measles were reported in the area, threatening the lives of thousands of people by potentially spreading an easily preventable disease. Measles is known for its ability to be easily transferred from person to person, even just through coughs and sneezes, which gives reasoning for health officials’ insistence on peoples’ sequestration. The public’s refusal to accept vaccination practices shows just how much privilege some Americans have, in that they blindly support pseudoscience and endanger other people at their own behest.

Not only does the anti-vaccination movement, which entails the opposition of vaccination based on incomprehension or fear of preventative medicine, not bode well for public health, but it also uncovers a trend of willing ignorance. About a fifth of American parents don’t support mandatory vaccination of children, largely due to the publishing of a scientific paper in 1998 that supposedly linked the development of autism to vaccinations. The publishing of this article marks the first peak of the American anti-vaxx movement. Despite the discovery that the author had a financial conflict of interest, and the results

of the paper were disproved time and time again by medical professionals, people still seem eager to hold onto that wildly inaccurate notion.

By ignoring the scientific facts behind vaccinations, people show that they’re willing to risk lives based on illfounded opinions rather than what legions of scientists and medical professionals uphold as facts. Given that infants aren’t typically vaccinated until after they turn one, they are at high risk of contracting the disease if they come into even remote contact with carriers. In fact, most of the 110,000 measles deaths in 2017 were comprised of small children. Of course, it’s unlikely that every single anti-vaxxer has digested all of the facts involving the safety of vaccines, but it’s also unlikely that every one of them has done their full, proper research into the matter. The World Health Organization itself asserts the safety of vaccines, so the fact that people would risk the lives of their children and others over their own misguided opinions is unnerving. Be it via the outbreak of an almost completely eradicated disease or people’s denial of other scientific phenomena, such as global warming, it’s disturbing that people are so eager to ignore the facts and live in blissful ignorance.

The ability to ignore facts and

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

science is also an unwarranted privilege that people with access to wealth seem to indulge in more than others. To be able to brush off widespread concerns about spreading a potentially deadly illness is truly an utmost privilege, and studies show that unvaccinated children are much more common in exclusive, elite and expensive schools.

The ability to choose whether or not you protect both your child and others’ by getting a simple vaccine illuminates the fact that people don’t take the health of others seriously

enough, and instead uphold their own ill-conceived notions.

It’s obvious that the measles outbreak was caused by a number of factors, most of them disconcerting involving the attitudes of the American general public towards science and mental disabilities. People need to begin focusing more on the well-being of others and trusting in the findings of experts, rather than their preconceived opinions.

When this becomes a reality, the country would undoubtedly begin to prosper more.

Rachel Kunzi | Contributing Writer

The Clarion Crossword: Week 6 Need some help? Visit duclarion.com for the answer key.

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Jai Wolf brings “The Cure to Loneliness” to Denver

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J and music producer Jai Wolf (real name Sajeeb Saha) sold out the Ogden Theatre for two nights on May 2 and 3, as part of his “The Cure to Loneliness Tour.”

Supporting Jai Wolf were ford. and Hotel Garuda, two artists with similar music to Jai Wolf’s. First coming up on stage was ford., whose set was filled with dreamlike synths and smooth transitions. One standout from his set was a remix of Childish Gambino’s “3005,” getting the audience to sing along with a familiar tune.

Hotel Garuda brought a more upbeat set and followed up ford.’s set with another remix of Childish Gambino, this time with “Feels Like Summer.”

Many in the audience found it comedic when Garuda decided to take out his Juul and use it while performing.

During intermissions, the audience expressed anticipation over seeing Jai Wolf, and their wish was finally granted when Jai Wolf came on stage.

Jai Wolf performed behind a circular screen with bright visuals from driving through a futuristic city to an explosion of flames. Adding to these visuals

was a rainbow of stage lights circling the visual screen and bursts of smoke during the choruses of his most well-known songs, from “Indian Summer” to his remix of Odesza’s “Say My Name.”

One standout transition in Jai Wolf’s set was his remix of Kiiara’s “Feels” to his original song, “The World is Ours.” Kiiara’s voice smoothly sang over Jai Wolf’s own song, with hues of blue and the eventual visual of what looked to be stars and the galaxy.

Jai Wolf ended his set with “Indian Summer,” his 2016 hit that helped boost his popularity. After finishing his set, he announced that not only was Denver the first city that sold out for his tour, but that he was also planning to play Red Rocks in 2020. While 2020 may be a long wait for fans of Jai Wolf, he will be coming back to Denver this upcoming June for the 25th annual Westword Music Showcase.

Kat Fusco | Clarion

Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

Folklore turned film: “The Curse of La Llorana”

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The Curse of La Llorona” introduces a new entity to “The Conjuring” universe.

La Llorona, or the weeping woman, is unlike Valak and Annabelle in that she did start out as a human. She was once a beautiful woman named Maria who fell in love and started a family. But everything changed when her spouse was unfaithful. Maria was furious and, in a fit of rage, she exacted her revenge, taking away the thing he cherished most: his children.

Stricken with grief, Maria wept tears of sorrow until she was laid to rest. But even in death,

she was not able to find solace.

Now she seeks out children to fulfill the role of her boys.

Not only does this legend exist in "The Conjuring" universe but in our universe as well. La Llorona "has been a part of Hispanic culture in the Southwest since the days of the conquistadores." And like most folklore, the story varies from person to person. The boys' untimely fate has been said to be the result of poor supervision or neglect. People have also speculated that "she kills indiscriminately, taking men, women and children — whoev-

er is foolish enough to get close "The Curse of La Llorona," I enough to her.” give the film an eight out of This legend makes for a 10. One point more than I gave good horror movie because it "The Nun." is familiar and familial. The If you’re a fan of “The Contwisted relationship between a juring” universe like I am, get mother and her sons has been a ready for the release of "Annahorror genre trope since Alfred belle Comes Home” on June 28 Hitchcock's "Psycho.” The ma- and "The Conjuring 3" in 2020. jority of the audience can relate to familiar familial bonds that the family shares in the film.

And any time you can relate a text to your own life, the better you're able to understand and enjoy it.

Since the concepts were more familiar and familial in Victoria Valenzuela | Executive Editor

Good friends and good music all for a great cause

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o longer will you be bothered by tons of frat boys trying to get you to buy a ticket outside of Sturm because the bash of the year took place on May 2. Every year Lambda Chi Alpha puts on DU’s biggest funk concert for their philanthropy event, Mustache Bash.

The ticket proceeds went to the National Sports Center for the Disabled, which is a charity that focuses on empowering the human spirit through sports.

The National Sports Center for the Disabled is one of the largest therapeutic recreation agencies, and they offer many different sports and activities for their athletes throughout the year. For only $25, I got to support a great cause, listen to fun music and dance around with my friends.

The night started at the fabulous Don Quixote's True Blue,

also known as Border, where the music started bumping and the drinks started pouring.

Once everyone was ready for the concert festivities, the yellow school buses rolled in and hundreds of bell bottom-wearing partiers ran onto the bus to attend the Bash. After waiting in a line that was ridiculously long, we were finally let into the venue.

The Lambda Chi Band opened for the event and played everyone’s favorites from the ‘70s. With everyone decked out in ‘70s style clothes, Lambda created a great atmosphere for the DU community at Herman’s Hideaway, a casual club venue that was the perfect place for everyone to get groovy. After the Lambda Chi Band, Lambda’s very own Matt LaFemina kept the crowd pumped up and showcased his DJ skills while the audience sang along,

danced and cheered him on as he played unique remixes of many well-known songs. After LaFemina’s set, Lambda’s favorite cover band, Slidewok, got on stage and blew everyone away with their enthusiastic energy and amazing talent.

The band played the theme song from “That ‘70s Show,” “In the Street,” which definitely was the biggest hit of the night.

Slidewok really knows how to get a crowd going because everyone at Herman’s was feeling their jams and their alternative look was the perfect addition to Mustache Bash.

Although many people claim that they liked last year’s venue better, which was downtown at a live music venue called Cervantes, Lambda put on a very entertaining concert and supported the National Sports Center for the Disabled.

Attendees danced all night long

as they belted out every ’70s classic. All in all, the Mustache Bash never fails to disappoint and now that it is over, bashers are already looking forward to next year’s concert.

Rebecca Shagrin | Contributing Writer

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Jeanette Vizguerra: Immigration activist and national leader

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eanette Vizguerra is an immigration activist currently living in sanctuary at the First Unitarian Church in Denver. She has been fighting deportation since February 2009 when she was caught driving without documents. The first thing she was asked when pulled over was whether she was in the country illegally. She was arrested on site for being a Mexican immigrant.

Vizguerra was put into detention for 34 days. She recalls the difficulty she faced at the time of her arrest. She had a five-year-old and a two-year-old at home, and their father was battling cancer.

“For me it wasn’t so much that they were arresting me, I was more thinking what’s going to happen to my kids if their dad gets sicker,” said Vizguerra.

In Mexico, Vizguerra never had any contact with the police.

However, as soon as she got to the U.S., her life changed because she did not have a license.

After 34 days, Vizguerra was set free on a bond of $4,000. While she was in the detention center, she was able to see all the injustices there, including lack of decent medical care. Seeing that there were no groups supporting immigration issues, Vizguerra decided she needed to do something.

When she left, Vizguerra began to speak out publicly about the abuses and conditions she had witnessed and experienced.

She worked with the community for two years. In 2011, she came out more publicly to talk about her case and began gaining more attention.

One year later, her mother was diagnosed with cancer, and Vizguerra traveled back to Mexico for seven months. She was detained in Texas for three-anda-half months upon her return back to the U.S. While detained, Vizguerra was organizing the community in Denver and in Washington D.C. She remained under close supervision and had to perform “check-ins” with the Immigration Forum. At her first check-in, Vizguerra was told by an official that because she was going to be deported eventually, they ought to do it right away.

“They detained me in front of my kids,” said Vizguerra.

“And it did not matter to [the officials] what pain and trauma the kids had.”

In the detention center, a promise was made that 140,000 beds would be filled around the country in exchange for money from the government. Vizguerra’s fight intensified with the community, inside and out. Her situation became more complicated because she needed to raise money for her own as well as other people’s cases.

Vizguerra worked with the Metro Denver Sanctuary Coalition, which now has 30 churches. These churches are considered “sensitive places” where the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) can-

not enter and where people can Lauren Zurcher | Clarion remain safely while they continue to fight their cases.

In 2017, with the new administration, Vizguerra realized that everything was going to be more difficult. She was the first person in the country to go into sanctuary during the Trump administration.

Vizguerra believes that sanctuary is a form of resistance against the system. Her fight to stay in the U.S. has drawn national attention, and she has been noticed by media around the world. She was named one of the 100 most influential people in 2017 by Time Magazine.

“My parents raised me to be very strong and independent and to follow my convictions,” said Vizguerra.

Vizguerra describes herself as “a bird in a cage.” One of the most difficult aspects is that her children are not able to be with her because they have to go to school. So, she only gets to see them on the weekends.

“Many times, people have to do this kind of thing and make sacrifices in order to open doors for others in the future,” said Vizguerra.

Now, she is a national leader—whenever someone goes into sanctuary, they have to contact her, because she has the most experience. Vizguerra knows that someday she will leave, but she is determined to keep fight- Lauren Zurcher | Clarion ing and keep resisting the system for the time being.

This May, Vizguerra plans to have a “week of action” where there will be a rally and a march conveying messages about the position that Jared Polis now holds. The main message is that the power is not in the capitol, but it is in the streets with the people.

Lauren Zurcher | Contributing Writer

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Marvel’s “Avengers: Endgame” breaks hearts and box-office records

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s the last of the credits roll, the theater sits in complete awe, speechless. The audience waits until the last possible moment before the lights go on, for every Marvel fan knows that there is a secret ending. When it is finally over, a collective silence follows as the end of an era concludes.

After 10 years and 21 movies, the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) has built up to this moment. “Avengers: Endgame,” directed by Anthony and Joe Russo and the finale in the “Avengers” franchise, released Apr. 26 and has grossed nearly $2 billion worldwide. In its opening weekend alone, the film brought in $1.2 billion, shattering numerous box office records. As of May 4, it is the highest grossing film of 2019 and the fifth-highest grossing film of all time with an approval rating of 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. There’s no doubt it’ll only continue to climb in revenues, possibly beating out the second through fourth-highest grossing movies of all time.

Clocking in at just over three hours, “Endgame” is Marvel’s

longest movie to date. The film begins immediately after the events of its 2018 predecessor, “Avengers: Infinity War.” The remaining Avengers—Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, Hulk, Hawkeye and Black Widow— along with new additions such as Captain Marvel and Ant-Man, all attempt to undo the Mad Titan Thanos’s snap, which eliminated 50 percent of life across the universe.

As soon as “Infinity War” had been out for a couple weeks, tons of fan theories began circulating the internet concerning how Earth’s mightiest heroes would bring everyone back with the most common theory—and the correct one—being time travel. Indeed, most of “Endgame” takes place five years after “Infinity War” and focuses on the Avengers going back in time using the quantum realm to retrieve the six Infinity Stones before Thanos ever gets them.

Much like its precursor, “Endgame” is nothing short of a bittersweet mix of both humor and action. Although the first hour dragged for a little bit as each Avenger was sought out

from their grief and recruited to pull off the time heist, the film quickly picks up pace in the second hour as our heroes revisit their pasts.

For fans who have been with Marvel since the beginning, the nostalgia definitely sets in as the intertwining events and characters from past Marvel movies come together in an epic combination of emotion and action.

As fans witnessed in “Infinity War,” the Russo brothers aren’t shy about killing off a vast amount of important characters, and the tragedy doesn’t stop in “Endgame” either. In the final battle, in which every MCU character joins in, we say goodbye to perhaps the most loved Avenger of them all, the one who pioneered the MCU nearly 11 years ago. And the scene is truly heartbreaking.

“Endgame” flawlessly accomplishes its timeless task— to wrap up the stories and epic struggles of our Marvel heroes.

Although it’s not your typical happy ending, it truly is a fitting ending for Marvel’s monumental Infinity Saga. The film ties up loose ends and relationships, re-

minds fans of every victory and every loss and celebrates an experience that is unparalleled by any other in cinematic history.

Not that Marvel is finished, of course—the next installment in the MCU and the sequel to 2017’s “Spider-Man: Homecoming” is “Spider-Man: Far From Home,” set to hit theaters July 2.

Skylar Nitzel | Contributing Writer

What is happening to Taylor Swift?

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Photo Courtesy of Tom + Lorenzo

arning: Swifties probably won’t like this. In lieu of Taylor Swift’s newest single release “ME!”, the music community and die-hard fans of the beloved pop star are taking in the reveal. Following instructions from Taylor herself via Instagram and Twitter, fans took to YouTube to watch the live premiere of the single last Friday. Featuring lead singer Brendon Urie of Panic!

At the Disco, the single exhibits a sharp deviation away from the themes expressed in Swift’s recent music. Quite frankly, it deviates in a bad direction.

While posting a series of cryptic hints on her social media that featured images of candy hearts, neon painted nails and butterfly wings, Swift kept the public holding their breath awaiting her newest surprise.

Unfortunately, the grand anticipation resulted in an uncomfortably obnoxious song of childish lyrics and what seems to be a cheap rip-off of “ABC” by The Jackson 5.

If Taylor Swift is attempt-

ing to break into the business of children’s shows, this single provides her an immediate segway. Aside from the somewhat overwhelming production of the song, a characteristic firmly rooted in Swift’s new music since her last album “reputation,” her lyrics are just plainly unoriginal. Swift originally arrived on the music industry’s doorstep primarily because of her virtuosic songwriting ability. This single completely lacks that fundamental piece of her talent. Though she may have attempted to dial back her lyrical poetry in order to achieve the desired musical essence of simplicity, she instead used the most eye-rolling clichés that one may see in the halls of an elementary school (“There ain’t no I in ‘team’..You can’t spell ‘awesome’ without ‘me’”).

But even aside from the song itself, the music video and the overall branding of this new Taylor are concerning. Keeping with her theme of re-branding herself with every new album, this venture into rainbows and unicorns is certainly surprising

based off of her previous endeavors. The much-anticipated music video is also so blinding in color and special effects that one can hardly even listen to the song, which may have been the visuals’ purpose. The idea of starting the video with a playful argument between Swift’s and Urie’s characters proved promising. Then, the rest of the video becomes a progressively worsening visual cluster of pastels, special effects and random scenery. The song and video package seem to be implementing classic marketing strategies used to appeal to children under eight. She journeyed past a possibly well-done, fantastical video to watercolor waterfalls that seem to visually mimic the single’s musical composition.

Swift’s last album “reputation,” also highly controversial for a world so used to innocent, country-singing Taylor, actually displayed solid pop music. She originally deviated to pop explicitly with the 2014 release of 1989. A well-crafted album, she refused to fall into the trend of handing over her expertise in

songwriting to a fully pop sound. “reputation,” though tough to digest at first, was exceedingly refreshing because it showed a brand-new side of Swift that was angry, sexual and powerful. The album was also just as tender and emotional. While she controlled her music in her last album, the music in this single appears to control her. Her new era presents a 29-year-old, grown woman branding herself with butterflies and sparkles, telling her just-as-grown fanbase that “spelling is fun.”

But naturally, with the genius of producers behind her, the song is an earworm that can get stuck in anyone’s head. The public will hopefully find out soon what Swift has in store for her upcoming album. If the single does anything, it further reinforces that the old Taylor really can’t come to the phone right now.

Grace Ganz | Contributing Writer