DU Clarion Volume 125 Issue 23

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“WAKE UP MR. WEST.”

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The USG Brief: 10/08/2018

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he Oct. 2 DU Undergraduate Student Government meeting included a vote on controversial legislation and an announcement regarding DU administrators’ harrowing shift in protocol.

Vice President Holden Fitzgerald called the Oct. 2 meeting to order. Without any Old Business, New Business was immediately discussed. The proposition R1819-0013 Executive Proposition—introduced by President Pro-Tempore Matthew Walter—aimed to give the Vice President the power to introduce and debate legislation, as well as the power to vote in case of a tie. Some senators expressed their views while others remained silent.

After contentious debate, a cloture was called, and R18190013 passed with ten yeas and five nays.

Next, visiting student constituent and second-year Izzy Dreyfus’s proposal was voted on.

Dreyfus’s R1819-0014 Financial Literacy Task Force proposed to establish a temporary financial literacy program for current students at DU. It passed unanimously.

Executive Reports started with Fitzgerald concerning USG Homecoming duties and Walter concerning Senate procedure and communication. Chief-of-Staff Sophia Sterling announced the new seating chart and the new sign-up sheet for visiting student constituents. Secretaries of Fraternity & Sorority Life Tom Dattilo and Savanna Morrison summarized the results from IFC recruitment and announced events.

Secretary of Collegiate Gender Violence Topics Kendall Fowler disclosed DU’s

ABOUT US

rollbacks of Title IX, including the removal of case timelines, the curtailment of the mediator requirement, a complete lack of Title IX coordinator and much more. This rollback seems to many students like a cruel affront, especially considering the recent high-profile testimonies regarding sexual assault.

Secretary of Campus Traditions Laura Nierengarten discussed USG duties during Homecoming.

Co-President of DU Programming Board Kira Pratt discussed the successful Hockey Campout and future events: Breakfast Club starting Oct. 12 and Halloween events. Reports from Senators followed.

Finance Committee Senator Natasha Crawford discussed USG funding and finance. Student Organizations Committee Senator Samuel Holt reported

on new student organization guidelines.

Senior Senator William Alverson discussed DUWorks, and Off-Campus Senator Grace Glaser reported on a possible partnership with Denver Police Department regarding issues of sexual assault. If you would like further information or assistance regarding this issue, DU CAPE is one of the many resources for you.

If you would like to participate in USG, meetings are a public forum and can be attended by all students. They are held every Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Anderson Academic Commons 301.

Isaiah Jakab | Contributing Writer

DU Clarion EDITORIAL STAFF

TARYN ALLEN, Editor-in-Chief GRACE CARSON, Executive Editor DANIELA SANTOS, News Editor HANNAH BRANIT, Sports Editor The Clarion is the official student newspaper of the University of Denver, serving as the “Voice of the Pioneers.” Founded in 1899, it covers campus and local stories with the highest level of journalistic integrity possible. 1000 copies are distributed each Wednesday afternoon (throughout the academic year) across the DU campus, and every article is also published at duclarion. com. The Clarion does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty, staff and/or administration of DU, and the opinions expressed by columnists and contributing writers do not necessarily reflect those of the Clarion.

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

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

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

ELIZABETH LOCHHEAD, Opinions Editor JUSTIN CYGAN, Arts & Life Editor NINA PETROVIC, Arts & Life Editor CAITLAN GANNAM, Photo/Video Editor VICTORIA VALENZUELA, Photo/Video Editor SARA LOUGHRAN, Copy Editor MAYA PINON, Copy Editor CHELSIE FINCHER, Illustrator OLIVIA KAYANG, Paper Delivery Person ANDREW MATRANGA, Faculty Adviser Original Cover Illustration by Chelsie Fincher

CONTRIBUTING STAFF MEGAN COONEY

EMMA COHEN

KIANA MARSAN

JACOB MILTENBERG

CONNOR RODENBECK

AVA TUSEK

RACHEL KUNZI

CAMERON ELDER

JAKE GLOTH

BARBARA URZUA

GRACE GONZALEZ

JON STAFFEL

ISAIAH JAKAB

REBECCA SHAGRIN

LAWSON MONTGOMERY

JACK KELLER

SERENA BETTIS

JAMAL ABDULLAHI

MIA PRAHLAD RYAN DUNN

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Colorado Media Project’s vision for the future of news

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hird-year student at DU, Scott Romano, is working with a team of individuals to take the news stereotype from “grandpa with his coffee and paper” to something applicable for young citizens today. This is in the works though the Colorado Media Project, an experimental project with the goal of creating the future of Colorado news. Romano said that the main goal of the organization is to “get people excited about the news.”

The project began a few months ago as Romano and his team conducted 10 empathy interviews with Coloradans to seek out what it is that the people want from their news and news sources. This stage of the process left the team of three with an excel spreadsheet full of ideas which then had to be pared down to four approaches which could then be tested.

As project manager, Romano works to bridge the gap between those working in the media and the consumers on the other end.

The goal of all media platforms is to bring information to its readers and allow people to get engaged with their communities. In regards to news, Romano claims that young people want the platforms to speak their language, give them the content they want and adhere to where they are, both geographically and experientially. Taking these findings from the interviews, the project was developed to put to the test and conclude in which direction news should move to remain relevant.

The least successful of the four trials occured on a platform with the web address inspectre. news and adhered to the interviewees’ wishes to learn things while reading the news that brought a perspective on topics which differed from their own opinions. This platform determined that although individuals did claim to want to know opinions across the spectrum, no one actually clicked to read the articles which contradicted his or her opinion.

Proving to be more successful were the platforms Geostory, Story Hound and The Daily Snack Twitter feeds: CODailyLife and CODailyNews. Geostory was a digital platform in which each individual received a personalized set of news stories daily which adhered to their geographical location as well as other locations they frequent. This proved to be great, as those who do not live on the front range in Colorado often do not have access to stories across the state. Also, this platform was able to inform people of how news from all over impacted their lives specifically. Story Hound was an app which is compared to dating platforms such as Tinder and Bumble, as news stories come up one by one on a screen and are able to be opened up to be read in full, discarded with a left swipe or saved with a swipe to the right.

This platform was one of the ones with news most readily accessible, literally at one’s fingertips, and was appealing

to users. Lastly, the two Twitter news feeds posted 10 pieces of content per day showcasing a wide variety of mediums including news articles, podcasts, video clips, etc. This allowed viewers to pick which news platform they wanted to receive information through and obtain that information in a very short period of time.

Another positive aspect was the wide variety of topics that came up each day.

Following the trial period, the Colorado Media Project is taking their findings to journalists for them to include in their news deliverance from now on.

Romano wants students at DU to know that everyone should be a part of the news and that journalists everywhere are looking to students with a want to learn from and be of service to them for generations to come.

Cameron Elder | Contributing Writer

Denver’s inner contention about Indigenous Peoples’ Day

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cross the country, many cities have been replacing the national holiday, Columbus Day, with Indigenous Peoples’ Day. This movement is meant to honor Native Americans instead of Christopher Columbus, whose historical legacy is associated with ushering in European settler colonialism.

Celebrating the second Monday of October as Columbus Day has served as a painful reminder of the oppression endured by Native peoples.

Although in 2016 the Denver City Council had Denver opt to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day instead of the previous holiday, Columbus Day celebrations are still hosted in the city. The most notable of the events being the Columbus Day Parade, which this year took place on Oct. 6. This event is described as a celebration of Italian heritage.

Previously this parade has caused contention between those who disapprove of having the event celebrate the contro-

versial figure and those who want to keep the original name of the holiday. In 2007, according to a Westword article on the event, about 600 to 700 demonstrators blocked the parade route. The street was covered with fake blood and baby-doll parts to symbolize the genocide Native Americans associate with Columbus. About 88 protestors were arrested.

This year, the Denver celebration planned a parade with four floats, Boy Scouts presenting the colors and Russ Canino performing a rendition of “God Bless America.” The parade will stop in front of the Colorado State Capitol for a reading of President Trump’s proclamation for the federal holiday.

Part of his proclamation states, “The permanent arrival of Europeans to the Americas was a transformative event that undeniably and fundamentally changed the course of human history and set the stage for the development of our great Nation. Therefore, on Columbus Day, we honor

the skilled navigator and man of faith, whose courageous feat brought together continents and has inspired countless others to pursue their dreams and convictions—even in the face of extreme doubt and tremendous adversity.”

Further in the statement, President Trump also recognized Italian-Americans: “There can be no doubt that American culture, business and civic life would all be much less vibrant in the absence of the Italian-American community.

We also take this opportunity to reaffirm our close ties to Columbus’s country of birth, Italy. Italy is a strong ally and a valued partner in promoting peace and promoting prosperity around the world.”

In a recent New York Times piece, Italian-Americans’ connection with the holiday stems from the religious discrimination, poor working conditions and racist acts associating them with organized crime they faced when about four million Italian immigrants came to the

U.S. from 1880 to 1920. To them, according to the article, the Italian explorer serves as a symbol for discovery, risk and courage.

Plenty of other events throughout the city choose to celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day. At DU, the University of Denver Museum of Anthropology opened on Oct. 5 their exhibit, Indigenous Futurisms, which explores the intersection between pop culture and Native life. On Oct. 8, the Native Student Alliance tabled on campus to shed light on issues important to the community. History Colorado also had their annual Indigenous Film and Arts Festival.

This year, Cincinnati, Tacoma and Rochester are the newest cities to recognize the second Monday of Oct. as Indigenous Peoples’ Day, making it 60 cities and four states to choose to celebrate the new holiday.

Daniela Santos | News Editor

Single-person mobility vehicles banned on campus

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hroughout campus there are signs around campus outlining the ban on “single-person motorized vehicles.” Which raises the questions: What is a single-person motorized vehicle? Where can you use one?

According to Campus Safety, the use of single-person motorized vehicles on campus paths is prohibited. This means any vehicle designed to carry one person that has

a motor, including scooters, skateboards, one wheels, solo wheels and electric unicycles.

Basically, anything with a motor (either fuel or electric) cannot be used on campus paths. This does not include University vehicles or motorized wheelchairs.

Shared ride or dockless mobility vehicles, such as Bird scooters, are included in the ban. They may not be taken inside campus buildings

and may not be charged on campus property. When not on campus paths, Campus Security encourages users to follow common safety practices when riding motorized vehicles— yield to non-motorized vehicles and pedestrians.

This ban on motorized vehicles is simply a safety concern, as these vehicles can often exceed 20 miles per hour and cause safety hazards for pedestrians and those on non-mo-

torized vehicles. Remember to always be careful and cognizant of your surroundings when traversing campus paths whether riding a bike, scooter, skateboard or just walking to avoid crashes. More information can be found on the Policies Page of the campus security website or by calling 303-871-2334.

Mia Prahlad | Contributing Wrtier

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Sisters of Life return for monthly campus visit

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he Sisters of Life are a community of Catholic religious sisters that visit DU’s campus monthly. Founded in 1991, the community’s Motherhouse can be found in New York with convents in the Bronx and Manhattan. Five of the community’s 114 religious sisters have dedicated their time to rotating around six college campuses in Colorado.

Two of these religious Sisters come to DU’s campus each month for a couple of days.

They can be often seen strolling around campus and standing out amongst the bustle of students.

Sister Maris Stella and Sister Fiat Marie were seen Wednesday and Thursday on campus this past week.

For these Sisters, coming on

campus and speaking with students brings them great joy.

“For us it’s a privilege to serve college students,” said Sister Fiat Marie. “So much happens in these years, and how these years are lived has such an important impact on the years to come.”

The Sisters spend their time on campus either tabling outside of Sturm, chatting with students or giving talks. Their last talk titled “The Meaning of Life” was given Oct. 3.

Erin MacRitchie is a sophomore English major from Fort Collins, Colo. She is also the current vice president of Catholic Student Fellowship.

“The Sisters are some of the most impressive women I’ve had the opportunity to spend time with,” said MacRitchie. “They are wonderful

examples of what it means to dedicate one’s life to being as present as possible to everyone around them.”

The Sisters recognize that college is a pivotal time in life where many students grapple with big questions. Whether it be understanding the meaning of life or trying to understand one’s true identity, the mission of these religious women is to help students come to know their own responses to questions like these.

Students can casually chat with the Sisters during their tabling sessions or they can schedule a one-on-one appointment. The Sisters are eager to discuss anything from spiritual growth to healing from a difficult period of life to exploring pregnancy options.

“We just want to let stu-

dents know that we’re here for them,” said Sister Maris Stella.

“They’re unique and unrepeatable, they’re a reflection of God, they’re loved and life has meaning.”

The Sisters of Life will return to campus Oct. 31 and Nov. 1. During this time, they will be giving a talk at DU’s Catholic House, which is located across from Towers at 1795 S. Williams St.

Barbara Urzua | Contributing Writer Barbara Urzua l Clarion

Gap Project set to improve Denver to Colorado Springs commute

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n Aug. 30, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper broke ground on a three-year construction project called the “I-25 Gap Project.” By 2022, this project will make the drive from Denver to Colorado Springs much smoother than current conditions, but, as with any construction project, will increase commute times and congestion while it is underway. The Gap refers to the 18-mile stretch of Interstate 25 between Denver and Colorado Springs—Colorado’s two biggest cities—which currently offers only two lanes in each direction. Aiming to improve travel reliability, safety and mobility, the endeavour will cost the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) 350

million dollars by its completion. According to The Denver Channel, this stretch of I-25 has not been improved since its initial construction in the 1950s.

To enact its goals, the project will add an express, or toll, lane on both sides of the interstate, widen shoulders on the outside and inside of the travel lanes to allow more space for accident removal, add new wildlife crossing, repair or replace bridges and add new overlay to the existing pavement. The express lanes will require either a toll pass or a carpool of three or more passengers, similar to the express lanes further north from Westminster to Downtown Denver. Travelers can expect lane closures, primarily during

nights and non-peak hours, slower speed limits and thicker traffic. Despite this, CDOT encourages the continued use of the travel lanes on I-25 in an effort to avoid additional wear on frontage roads.

The Gap Project Brochure details three different “packages” of construction work to give an outline of what the next three years will look like on those 18 miles. The first package is already underway, focused on the north end just south of Castle Rock. This package primarily consists of work on the median, creating permanent dividers and moving the flow of traffic to newly constructed middle lanes so the outside lanes can be repaved. The second package

will start in late 2018, focusing on raising I-25 to accommodate for a wildlife crossing. The third and most comprehensive package should begin in early 2019 and consists of replacing bridges and continuing to widen the road.

This project will not cause any detours from I-25, but commuters should plan accordingly for slower traffic speeds. CDOT has a traffic alert system that will send important travel and traffic information, such as accidents or additional lane closures, via email or text message.

Serena Bettis | Contributing Writer

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Shinyashiki shines in the rain against Purdue-Fort Wayne

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n a cold and rainy October night on Ciber Field, Senior Andre Shinyashiki (Sao Paulo, Brazil) netted a brace against Summit League foe Purdue-Fort Wayne to get the win for the No. 5 Pioneers and increase his goals on the season to 21.

The first half was utilized by both teams to evaluate their opponent. Purdue-Fort Wayne almost saw themselves on the scoresheet first; however, it was saved off the upper woodwork in the second minute. After the shot, the Pioneers controlled most of the possession and offense for the rest of the half as the Pioneers tallied five shots and six corners to Purdue-Fort’s

one shot. The first half would end scoreless.

Fans who braved out the weather witnessed a wonderful second half from both teams. In the 56th minute, the Pioneers started off the scoring when freshman Stefan DeLeone (Fort Collins, Colo.) stole the ball from a defender and passed it to sophomore Jacob Stensson (Stockholm, Sweden). Stensson sent a through ball from the right side to Shinyashiki waiting at the top of the box where he switched the ball to his left side and buried it into the right corner with his left foot.

In the 73rd minute, redshirt sophomore Will Palmquist (Denver) made an incredible save to his near right side after

a charging Purdue-Fort Wayne player shot from 14 yards out.

The display from Palmquist and the backline displayed the strength of the group as Purdue-Fort Wayne took seven shots in the half.

As the match began to reach the final minutes, Shinyashiki , in the 88th minute, worked back to get the ball back for the Pioneers. After the tackle by Shinyashiki, sophomore Destan Norman (Fort Collins, Colo.) took the ball and charged down the field where Shinyashiki followed close behind. Norman drew out the three defenders and passed the ball to his left where the wide open Shinyashiki put enough pace behind his shot to get it past the goalkeepers

hands. This would secure the win for Pioneers where they stand 10-0-2 on the season.

The Pioneers have had a wonderful season so far as they have kept their undefeated streak alive into October. With six games left in the season, they hope to continue that streak into the Summit League tournament.

The Pioneers have exciting news for the program as for the first time in their history, they have been ranked No. 1 in a national poll by Top Drawer Soccer’s weekly poll. The Pioneers will take on the No. 10 Virginia Cavaliers in Charlottesville, Va. on Oct. 8 at 4 p.m. MST. Lawson Montgomery | Contributing Writer

Ethan Lefebvre | DU Clarion

Denver women’s soccer falls in overtime to South Dakota

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n the road in South Dakota this weekend, Denver Women’s Soccer lost to the South Dakota State Jackrabbits 0-1, marking its first loss in the Summit League this season.

Both teams struggled to find a lead in regulation time, combining for only 5 total shots in the first half and a slightly better 9 in the second. The stark

scoreboard would take Denver into OT for the second game in a row.

Most of OT looked remarkably similar to the first 90 minutes: Denver only got 2 shots off from freshmen Samantha Feller (Grand Junction Colo.) and Camryn MacMillan (Littleton, Colo.), with only 22 seconds left, South Dakota’s Leah Manuleleua found the back of the net to finish the game 0-1.

“Overall, I’m happy with how we played, keeping another top team in the league scoreless on the road for 90 minutes after the way we won on Thursday,” said head coach Jeff Hooker. “We had a couple of good chances to win in overtime, but we switched off with 30 seconds left and allowed them to create a chance late. It’s a really disappointing way to end the road trip, and now instead of

continuing to stay on top of the league, we are chasing now.”

This loss leaves the Pioneers at 3-1 in Summit League play this season.

Their next game will be against Purdue Fort Wayne at Fort Wayne Thursday at 5 p.m. MST.

Jon Staffel | Contributing Writer

DeLeone’s extra-time winner secures win over No. 8 Creighton

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t was another extra-time win for the No. 5 Denver Pioneers as freshman Stefan DeLeone (Fort Collins, Colo.) scored in the 105th minute to give the Pioneers a crucial win over the No. 8 Creighton Bluejays. The away win preserved the Pioneers’ undefeated streak with a record of 9-0-2.

The first half was a deadlock between the two teams as both defenses stood strong. The Pioneers and Bluejays split their chances evenly with five shots a piece in a scoreless half.

The second half was a different story as the Bluejays took advantage of their home field and placed extreme pressure on the backline of the Pioneers. Redshirt sophomore Will Palmquist (Denver, Colo.), with this first start of the 2018 season, and the backline witnessed fourteen shots in the second half. This was a great test of their skill and resilience to keep their team in the game.

At the end of regulation, the score was still 0-0 sending the game to extra-time.

In the first extra-time,

the Bluejays continued their offensive pressure and kept a normally hot Pioneer offense, shotless. In the closing second of the first extra-time, Palmquist made an incredible double save after keeping out a 22 yard shot, he then quickly recovered to then collapse on a shot from a Bluejay trying to capitalize on the rebound.

The second extra-time saw the Pioneers beginning to pick up the pressure creating a pair of shots early. Inside the Bluejays’ box, a mistouched ball by a defender was picked up by

Stefan DeLeone and slipped into the back of the net from twelve yards out. It was DeLeone’s second goal of the season and one to remember in his young career as a Pioneer.

The No. 5 Pioneers continue to impress their fans and the nation with their resilience as they get closer to championship season. The Pioneers will look to continue their undefeated streak when they take on Purdue-Fort Wayne on October 5th at 7 p.m. MST. Lawson Montgomery | Contributing Writer

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DU Whiteboard wants you

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constant at hockey games since 2015, DU Whiteboard has quickly established its presence both on campus and off. It is easily one of the most recognizable features of a DU game. Started in 2015 by graduate Dustin Weilbach, the Whiteboard has grown to almost 800 followers on Twitter and has expanded to four or five rows of people.

DU Whiteboard emerged in 2015 and is now considered a “pseudo-student organization - not affiliated with the university,” according to senior Dylan Smith. Students send suggestions of messages to both DU’s team and the opposing team on the Whiteboard to the DU Whiteboard Twitter. From there, Smith and the other people who run DU Whiteboard will censure or edit certain suggestions to maintain the integrity of the Whiteboard, and then post the suggestions they feel are the best ones.

Smith has been with DU Whiteboard since the beginning and is one of the founders of the Whiteboard as we know it. After approaching Weilbach, Smith became a part of the team that would take the Whiteboard from DU’s rinkside to the 2017 NCAA Frozen Four, where it took off.

Following their appearance rinkside at the 2017 Frozen Four, made possible by a generous alumni donor, Smith discovered several schools immediately made their own versions of the DU Whiteboard. A quick Twitter search shows that there are several Whiteboard imitations, including one at the University of Notre Dame.

However, none of the Whiteboard imitations are as prolific or as popular as DU Whiteboard.

This year, Smith and sophomores Duke Mahr and Annabel Husak are gearing up to take the reins of the Whiteboard and have big plans moving forward. It is their hope that DU Whiteboard will expand beyond its current status as a staple at hockey games and become a staple at all DU sporting events. Smith explains, “We want people to come up to us who like going to lacrosse games, who like going to soccer games, who are willing to represent the Whiteboard and what it stands for at those games.”

Husak adds that “our goal is to get the student section as rowdy as possible so that our team knows how much we support them!”

For students wondering exactly how to get involved with DU Whiteboard, Mahr encourages them to reach out and contact them. He says, “Anyone who’s in the stands with us is a part of DU Whiteboard.”

Smith adds, “We want to have a lot of people in the core because the more people we can have, the more ideas and unique options we’ll have as an organization.”

Smith encourages students to “tweet, tell us, sit next to us at games, talk to us.”

It is clear that Smith believes the Whiteboard is ready to make the next jump, and with the dedication that Mahr, Husak and Smith bring to the Whiteboard, it is hard to not believe them. Following DU’s exhibition match with Alberta, Mahr notes that “we had an incredible turnout for an exhibition game...and I am hopeful that we will get to have one of the best years in terms of attendance and all-around camaraderie.”

You can follow the DU Whiteboard on Twitter and Instagram at @DU_Whiteboard.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of DU Whiteboard

Pioneers impress in exhibition

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Lauryn Butler | Clarion

This game doesn’t matter.”

That’s probably what Alberta is saying about last Saturday’s exhibition match. It’s also probably what we’d being saying if we lost.

Thankfully though, the Denver Men’s Hockey team beat the Alberta Golden Bears 6-4 at home in the Magness Arena.

The Pioneers looked on point early in the game. At 7:14 of the first period, Michael Davies opened the night’s scoring by slotting it in the top corner past the turned head of Alberta goalie Zach Sawchenko. Then before the first period was out, Jarid Lukosevicious (Squamish, B.C.) passed up to freshman Emilio Petterson (Manlelrud, Norway), who lofted the puck over Sawchenko’s leg to bring the score to 2-0 at the end of the first.

Alberta wasn’t phased though, and managed a three goal comeback during the second period starting at 7:17 with a goal from Steven owre and followed by two power play goals to give Alberta a 3-2 lead. With only a minute left in the second, though, freshman Cole Guttman (Los

Angeles, Calif.) connected with Lukosevicious to tie the score 3 all for the third period.

Throughout the the first two periods, sophomore Devin Cooley (Los Gatos, Calif.) racked up 24 saves, compared to Sawchenko’s 18. Freshman Michael Corson (Darien Ill.) would take the ice for the third period in which he would manage 12 saves with only one goal allowed.

Rattled but unphased, the Pios controlled the the rest of the game. At 4:04 of the third period, sophomore Ryan Barrow (Banff, Alberta) scored on a power play to pull ahead 4-3, and within 2 minutes Petterson scored an unassisted goal from a steal in Alberta territory, bring it to 5-3. Alberta would score one more time, but it would be quickly answered with a goal from sophomore Jaako Heikkinen (Helsinki, Finland), leaving the final score 6-4 Denver.

Denver will begin regular season play this Friday at Air Force at 7:05 p.m. MST. Jon Staffel | Contributing Writer

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DU Volleyball weekly wrap up: Pioneers take home two wins

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U’s women volleyball team proved why they are ranked No. 7 in Volleyball Magazine’s Oct. 2’s Mid Major Poll. The Mid Major Poll takes into account all teams not in what is known as the “Power Five” conferences (ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big 12 and Pac-12). They jumped two spots up from their previous ranking of No. 9.

The Pioneers are also are ranked No. 1 in the NCAA in aces/set with 2.11 aces per set.

They made five more aces on Friday night and tallied up 16 kills in the course of Friday’s match.

DU’s women’s volleyball stayed perfect in Summit League play following a clean sweep of University of South Dakota on Fri, Oct. 5. With the Friday win, the Pioneers improved to 15-1 for the season and 4-0 in Summit League play.

Senior Emma Willis (La Jolla, Calif.) tallied her 500th career block during the matches, with 90 blocks for the season.

On Sun, Oct. 7, DU wracked up yet another win, this time against Summit League opponents North Dakota.

The Pioneers easily took the first set 25-20 but dropped a highly contested second

set 23-25. They immediately bounced back to take the next two sets 25-17 and 25-20. The national leader in aces per set, Denver tallied up eight more aces over the course of the four sets. Sophomore Lydia Bartalo (Colorado Springs, Colo.), ranked No. 4 in the nation in aces, served two more service aces on Sunday, bringing her total to 36 service aces.

“It’s great to end a long road trip with a win against a very good team. North Dakota plays very well at home and they challenged us throughout the match,” said Head Coach Tom Hogan. “We executed well when

Lynsey Gagner | Clarion

we played a clean game but struggled when we compounded difficult situations. We look forward to getting back to Denver and preparing to face Purdue Fort Wayne this Friday in Hamilton.”

The Pioneers return to Hamilton Gymnasium on Friday, Oct. 12 to play Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m., followed by a Sunday match at Hamilton against Western Illinois at 1 p.m. MST. There will be free pizza at the Friday game for DU students.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Lynsey Gagner | Clarion

Lynsey Gagner | Clarion

Denver swim sweeps Denver Invitational Relays

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he Denver swim teams started out their season strong by sweeping the Denver Invitational Relays. Three other schools— Wyoming, Colorado School of Mines and Western State Colorado—participated in the invitational. The results from this invitational will not affect any of the schools’ overall standings and does not go towards their record.

In the first race of the event, red-shirt senior Heidi Bradley (Victoria, B.C.), sophomore Charlotte Simon (Saint Remy, France), junior Josie Valette (Boulder, Colo.) and senior Lauren Moden (Parker, Colo.) put up a time of 1:45.39 in the 200 m. medley to take the top spot. On the men’s side, junior

Neil Wachtler (Waco, Texas), sophomore Cy Jager (Moscow, Idaho), sophomore Adriel Sanes (Rosharon, Texas) and sophomore Cameron Aunchinachie (Binghamton, N.Y.) took first with a time of 1:31.62.

Aunchinachie and Wachtler each won six events apiece, leading the Pioneers in wins.

They were also a part of the first place winning 4X25 freestyle relay with Sanes and sophomore Jackson Gainer (San Jose, Calif.) with a time of 37.06. Aunchinachie and Wachtler also contributed to first place finishes for 3X100 backstroke relay with freshman Finn Kennard-Campbell (Hamilton, New Zealand) with a time of 2:30.76 and the 4X25 medley relay that placed first with a

time of 41.39. Other members of the 4X25 medley relay team included Jager and Sanes.

On the women’s side, Bradley and Moden lead the women’s team with four wins.

They were on the winning 3x100 backstroke, 4X25 freestyle, 4X25 medley as well as the 200 medley. On the 3X100 relay team, they combined with freshman Annelyse Tullier (Dallas, Texas) to take first place with a time of 2:50.83. In the 4X25 freestyle relay, they were joined by freshman Alysia Leckie (Georgetown, Ontario) and junior Sarah Lingen (Maple Grove, Minn.), finishing first with a time of 42.87. In the last race, the 4X25 medley, Bradley, Moden, Valette and freshman Brandy Vu (Longmont, Colo.)

took first with a time of 46.90.

The men’s team finished first with 198 points, followed

by Wyoming in second with 166 and Colorado School of Mines in third with 72 points. The women’s team finished first with 200 points, Wyoming took second with 176, Colorado School of Mines was third with 38 points and Western Colorado State was fourth with 26 points.

The women’s swim team hosts Colorado State on Saturday Oct. 14 at El Pomar Natatorium at 4 p.m. MST. The men’s team will host an intrasquad duel on the same day in conjecture with the women’s meet.

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

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Invictus Initiative preps for 3rd annual dodgeball tournament

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he DU Invictus Initiative will be hosting its third-annual dodgeball tournament on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m.

The tournament will be held on the Carnegie Green and is open to all DU students.

The Invictus Initiative is a non-profit service organization that aims to serve communities through sustainable practices and relationship-building.

Students may sign up through the Invictus Initiative’s Facebook page or by stopping by the Driscoll Student Center from Oct. 15 through 19, where the club will be tabling. Ten-person teams must pay a $100 registration fee to participate.

Proceeds from the tournament

will support the Initiative’s winter and summer humanitarian trips, which will take club members to India and Nepal, respectively.

Additionally, items from past service trips will be available for purchase at the tournament, with proceeds benefiting the communities that produced each item.

“In Nepal, we started a Women’s Co-Op with these women who knit scarves, gloves and hats,” said Nicole Vanderburg, a senior hospitality management major who serves as the DU Invictus Initiative’s social media editor.

“We will be selling these items at the tournament, with 100 percent of those proceeds going back to the Nepalese women.”

The tournaments multi-faceted approach to community

service will allow DU students to explore aspects of other cultures that they might be unfamiliar with, said Hayden Schmidt, a junior studying international relations and Arabic who joined the DU Invictus Initiative this year.

“The Invictus Dodgeball Tournament is great way for students to come have fun, expose themselves to different cultures and support their fellow peers for a great cause,” said Schmidt.

“We are hoping for huge turnout and hoping for good representation from lots of clubs and groups on campus.”

Among the items available to tournament participants will be Kenyan mango avocado smoothies, Nicaraguan coffee and Nepalese tea.

Katherine Davis, a junior psychology major and Invictus Initiative member stressed the importance of supporting the tournament.

“It’s important because, without funds our team is unable to go back to India and Nepal and continue growing the relationships that we already have with them,” said Davis. “It is going to be an awesome event that supports an incredible cause.”

The DU Invictus Initiative meets on Tuesdays at 6 p.m. in Sturm 124. Prospective members can also learn more about the Initiative by contacting Vandenburg at vanderburgnicole@gmail.com or club president Tommie Walsh at trw.walsh2@gmail.com.

Ryan Dunn | Contributng Writer

Photo Courtesy of Inviticus Intiative

The Clarion Crossword

Need some help? Visit duclarion.com for the answer key.

Chelsea Fincher | Clarion

Down: 2. Half-woman, half-bird 4. With hands on hips 5. Voice box 6. It’s never played in school 8. Disorder, confusion 10. Harp at 12. Allure of a trinket 13. Feather; column of smoke 16. More, to a señor 18. Fight like knights.

20. A turning point 22. Lacking humidity 23. Yesteryear’s kin 25. Rich ore vein 26. Small one in a large machine 27. Finder’s charge 30. Six-sided block 32. Long-practiced ceremony 35. Moneymaking herb 36. Chocolate coffee drink 38. Medley or mixture 39. Completely stuff 42. Mm, watcha’ 45. Salinger’s grain 47. Hawaiian mash-up?

Across 1. Large crevasse 3. Topped with froth 7. Coded message 9. Mightier than the sword 11. Lawn bowling from Italy 14. Tina of sitcoms 15. Set sights on 17. Creole concoction 19. Overly sentimental 21. Expert or connoisseur 24. Pink-fleshed fruit 26. Adjacent over hypotenuse 27. Pine tree cousin 28. Used to row, row, row 29. Social finesse 31. Layer, rank 33. Sup stylishly 34. Insignia, badge 37. An online journal 39. Soothsayer 40. Amount of homework?

41. “T” for the Greeks 42. Quick, merge, heap 43. Giant snake 44. Exhibit one’s humanity 46. Yang’s opposite 47. Fairytale “lump”

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OPINIONS | 9

The impact of Kavanaugh’s confirmation

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n Oct. 6, Brett Kavanaugh was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice after a bitter, polarizing battle concerning his sexual assault allegations. Kavanaugh was confirmed 50-48 during roll call, making the two-vote margin one of the narrowest ever for a Supreme Court nominee.

Kavanaugh’s nomination was more than just filling a seat in the Supreme Court Justice.

The allegations against Kavanaugh further raised the darker, emotional topic of sexual assault and why survivors do not report sooner, as President Trump has asked over and over.

To President Trump, I would like to give you the reasons why I did not report my sexual abuse right away. The first time, I was traumatized. I was victim-blamed. I was told it was my fault for choosing to go home with someone who later took advantage of me. Why would I report when I fully believed the people around me saying that it

was my fault for being assaulted?

The second time, I was trapped. I did not know that what was happening to me was defined as sexual abuse. I was manipulated into thinking it was normal. It had taken months for me to step back from the situation and realize that I was stuck in a toxic environment.

To the survivors everywhere, I am sorry that our government has decided that our voices do not matter. That our bravery to speak out about what happened to us has been ignored. I am sorry that our government has decided to confirm a judge who has shown he is not even-tempered enough to make decisions that impact our country. However, we will continue to fight against sexual assault and provide support for those who have been hurt. For those who continue to not be believed. This must not be the end, but further reason to keep this discussion going.

Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

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o all survivors everywhere; please take care of yourself. You are so incredibly strong and brave—we hear you and we believe you. This week has forced some of us to relive some of the most traumatic events of our lives. Hearing people in a position of power essentially invalidate these events and confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice has made this week one of the hardest ones of my life. I have found myself torn between anger, despair and debilitating fear.

When I was assaulted, I did not know who to turn to and who would believe me. I did not even know whether what happened to me could be considered assault.

Thankfully, I found myself surrounded by an incredible community that was there for me every step of the way. CAPE became my main resource for everything, and I encourage you to reach out to them if this week has been harmful or triggering

to you. Their promise to confidentiality means that they will listen to you and help you locate the resources to report if you wish to do so. They will not force you to report or do anything that you would not want to do.

Please take care of yourself this week. It can be exhausting to constantly fight for what is right. It’s okay to take a day off, and it is okay to not be okay.

Know what you need, and make sure that you are taking care of yourself. We can, and we will continue to fight.

“Nevertheless, she persisted.”

Hannah Branit | Sports Editor

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

Brett Kavanaugh: Morality or the party

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rett Kavanaugh represents everything wrong with America: a Supreme Court justice nominee who is not only morally questionable, but also a partisan-focused judge in a system that is meant to be unbiased.

Kavanagh has been accused of sexual assault by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford, his former high school classmate. He was an emotional and possibly unstable wreck at the Senate hearing. He showed very little respect to the senators, and he broke down in tears at very random times.

He immediately showed off his Republican bias with his introductory speech, even though the position he is up for is supposed to be non-partisan. There are those who support Kavanaugh’s claim that his past shouldn’t affect his future, which means they would be fine with having an alleged rapist on the Supreme Court as long as they can get what they want. The Kavana-

ugh debate is one of morality versus partisan bias.

Morality and stability are things that Kavanaugh clearly lacks. Dr. Ford stood up to the jury on Sept. 4, and she described the night of the assault in vivid details. Kavanaugh’s response was full of loopholes, and nervous question dodging that should have made the senators concerned.

Kavanaugh repeatedly avoided questions about an FBI investigation, with long pauses and unrelated answers. Judge Kavanaugh was also unable to compose himself in the courtroom.

When asked about the night of the assault, Kavanaugh tearily referred to an old calendar. He went on about working out with classmates and drinking. At one moment he said, “I like beer” about four times before asking the senator if he “liked beer.”

He then told the committee that he “never attended a gathering like the one Dr. Ford described

in her allegation,” but according to the calendar that he brought, he was at an event with several people mentioned in Ford’s testimony.

Kavanaugh is also a strongly partisan-focused candidate, and those who support him see this as more important than his dark past and erratic behaviour. He began his trial by slandering Democrats and the media for attacking him false allegations.

His vocal political views are concerning, especially when the position he is up for is one that is supposed to be unbiased. Many senators confirmed this theory by backing Kavanaugh up, even after Dr. Ford’s testimony.

The most memorable were Senators Graham and Hatch, whom adamantly defended the alleged sexual assaulter. Senator Hatch said that Dr. Ford’s testimony was full of “uncorroborated [and] unsubstantiated claims from [Kavanaugh’s] teenage years.” They, like many

of his supporters, seem to care more about party lines in anticipation of the upcoming midterm elections than his dark past.

In a debate between party loyalty and human morality, morality should always prevail.

Brett Kavanaugh faces sexual assault claims that should not be tolerated on the highest court in the U.S. His erratic and disrespectful behaviour is not consistent with the composure and intelligence needed on the Supreme Court. Finally, his obvious bias would be too dangerous on a court that is meant to uphold the law. None of his obvious flaws and possibly criminal past seemed to matter, because on Oct. 6 he was confirmed to the Supreme Court.

The party has officially become more important than basic morality and reason.

Jake Gloth | Contributing Writer

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PIONEER VOICES Question of the week:

What are you looking forward to most this homecoming weekend?

“Saturday night, I’m going to the hockey game with my dad.”

“I’m looking forward to sitting in Margery Reed and doing work.”

Emma Dent, second year

Mya Wrencher, first year

“My parents are coming this weekend, so I’m most looking forward to seeing them and showing them around the campus.”

“I’ve had a lot of homework, so I’m looking forward to relaxing.”

Aaron Butwinick, first year

Taylor Hinton, Master’s student

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OPINIONS | 1 1

Migrant tent cities: The internment camps of the 21st century

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As a Japanese American, I am so angry at how little this country learns from its history,” ACLU lawyer Carl Takei tweeted in June in response to a report that came out that tent cities were being considered as a means to house migrant children. “This is a moral horror.”

In September, his ominous predictions would come to fruition when The New York Times broke a piece on a tent city that had opened in Tornillo, Texas and that migrant children were being “roused in the middle of the night” to be moved there “under a cover of darkness.”

This past April, President Donald Trump’s administration adopted a “no-tolerance” policy towards illegal immigration. It has been in effect since then, and for the children who have arrived and continue to arrive at the border alone every day, it has been a long, drawn-out process with the government as they try to find sponsors that will house them.

“There’s not a greater number of kids going into the system [than before],” remarked Jennifer Podkull, the director of policy for Kids in Need of Defense (KIND), to the Huffington Post, continuing, “[There’s] a bottleneck to them leaving.”

The government has started to request proof of legal status in order for family members to sponsor the children who crossed, an unprecedented practice that has put a considerable number of people attempting to

help the children and take them out of the facilities in custody.

As a result, immigration officials are approaching closer and closer to capacity, and the emergency tent city that was once meant to hold just under 400 is now home to almost 4,000.

that the facilities the children were once in are. There is no direct schooling, and there is limited access to mental and physical health care despite research on the damaging impact these environments can have on young children.

Photo courtesy of NBC News

For many such as Carl Takei, the images that have come from this tent city are eerily resonant of those that were born out of a darker time in American history: the Japanese internment camps in the 1940s.

Meant for temporary housing, the tent city is not subject to regulations in the same manner

In a letter to Trump’s administration, Texas congressman Joaquin Castro voiced these concerns and raised other relevant questions.

“I inspected the Tornillo tent camps in June and can attest that it is no place for a child to live,” Castro wrote, continuing, “It is up to the

government to ensure the safety of these children.”

While the Japanese internment camps occurred on a larger and more drastic scale, both were actions motivated by an “othering” of different races that allowed, and have allowed, us to justify treatment that would have not been tolerated had the victims been seen as American. Both were rushed moves that gave groups little to no advance warning to say their goodbyes, and both gave those in custody no solace in when or how they would be released.

When this alienation occurs and we adopt an “us” versus “them” mentality, we lose our sense of human decency.

“The longer that children remain in custody, the more likely they are to become anxious or depressed, which can lead to violent outbursts or escape attempts,” Caitlin Dickerson wrote in the New York Times article.

There is blatant shame in what America has created of its immigration system—how we’ve reduced it to what children interpret as punishment for seeking asylum—so every week, the children are brought to the tent city in the dark.

“If [the kids] get sad, it’s like a quiet thing,” an employee told The New York Times in June.“You’ll see them sit on the floor and just kind of wrap their arms around themselves.”

Kiana Marsan | Contributing Writer

The billionaire Benjamin Button

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Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist”: take all of that away, and what is Elon Musk? Despite his unarguable financial and commercial success, lately, the mogul has appeared to be something of a rookie in the business world.

Throughout the recent

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

months, the tycoon has gone about upholding his position in all the wrong ways. Maturity seems not to be a word in Musk’s vocabulary, as he’s been behaving in ways beyond unbecoming of a CEO of a multi-billion dollar organization. Be it announcing pertinent stockholder informa-

tion over Twitter or smoking marijuana during an interview and releasing a string of childish tweets, Elon Musk may as well be named Benjamin Button: aging backwards as time goes on. Since securing his spot as an economic superpower, Musk almost seems to have stopped caring about his position. Each of these slip-ups have cost him billions of dollars and lowered Tesla stock by almost a whopping 10 percent. This provokes the thought that Musk is incapable of doing his job: for such an intellectual, most of what Musk has been doing as of late is just making unintelligent mistakes.

All of this combined clearly shows the general public just why Musk is undeserving of the chairman position at Tesla.

Apparently, the Security and Exchange Commission thought so, too, as Musk was strongarmed into resigning as chairman following accusations of fraud via the aforementioned tweets. Although he will continue his work with Tesla as CEO, he must hand over a $20 million fine. However, one wonders who, exactly, thought keeping Musk on hand was an intelligent, even permissible decision.

Musk has hardly had a positive

track record manning the head of the company in recent weeks, so his continued holding of that mantle appears to be an illmade choice. Such an erratic, immature person cannot be trusted to lead such a powerful and influential company such as Tesla. There’s always the potential that, one day, Musk could decide he wants to get high again and permanently damage the company as a whole.

The fact of the matter is, Musk should have been removed from the company entirely to ensure its prosperity, as well as his inability to tarnish its name and standing in the global economy.

With as much clout as Tesla has, setting a veritable man-child at the helm is setting the company up for disaster. Musk’s presence in the corporation overall is simply not necessary, as Tesla has enough of a foothold in the worldwide marketplace to function without him. Someone who can’t be trusted not to endanger the company by way of regretful tweets is not integral to the operation of a distinguished and prominent company and is much more detrimental than anything else.

Rachel Kunzi | Contributing Writer

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Political humor and the return of SNL

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otorious for its political humor, Saturday Night Live (SNL) has returned this fall with Season 44. Ever since its inception in 1975, this show has not hesitated to thrust politics center stage and scrutinize them.

The brief synopsis that appears on the right side column when researching SNL blatantly states, “Live from New York for more than four decades, celebrity hosts join an award-winning ensemble cast to perform comedic sketches, satirical news and digital shorts, alongside popular musical acts.” Not only is NBC Studios admitting to their satirical news, but it’s being promoted, which begs the question, why is political humor praised within society?

On countless occasions, Alec Baldwin can be seen sporting the “Trump look,” touting pursed lips and speaking in a condescending manner. The crowd goes wild.

Several other late night hosts such as Conan, Samantha Bee, James Corden and Stephen Colbert practice political satire, too. After all, it draws in viewers. The infamous SNL skit called “Donald Trump Interviews Himself in the Mirror” has over 25 million views on YouTube. Then, an innocent skit called “Slapjack Rematch with Kevin Hart” garnered only

two million views. Interestingly enough, the Donald Trump skit had controversial results, with 265 thousand likes and 33 thousand dislikes. The slapjack skit had 37 thousand likes and only 537 dislikes.

In such a politically charged climate, emotions are high, tensions are taught and sensibility is wavering. Everyday I receive at least 10 Wall Street Journal notifications, notifying me of yet another issue that has risen within our society.

At a time when, according to a Pew study, 67 percent of Americans are politically active, it’s no wonder politics become a target in talk shows.

Part of the growing appeal towards political satire is that it provides an outlet for people in lieu of our country’s state of affairs. People almost have to laugh at it. For example, SNL had a skit about Brett Kavanaugh.

When Brett Kavanaugh nominates himself as the Supreme Court Justice nominee, fakes tears during his hearing and filibusters his way through the process, sometimes people need to just laugh at the reality of this man holding a seat in the highest court, and standing to defend the foundations of our country, when he cannot follow them himself. The skit offered people an outlet to let loose some tension that was tightening throughout

Photo courtesy of The New York Times

the entire nomination process.

It’s important to acknowledge that skits are “safe” for the politically aware viewers. They venture into rocky terrain when less informed people absorb the skits. What Jimmy Fallon and all the other hosts portray is often a radicalized version or extremely diluted version of what is truly happening in the country. In solely portraying the extreme views of government through comedy, it works to further polarize society and widen the divide between left and right views. Odds are, if someone is apprehensive about President Trump, after seeing the SNL skit, that person will

probably go from being skeptical to disliking Trump or worse. It cannot be assumed that every viewer is politically aware, and when that is not the case, the skits only serve to facilitate controversy and widen the ever-growing gap between liberals and conservatives.

As seen from the previous paragraph, it’s no shock that political humor has its downsides. Focusing on the positives, it has become essential within our society.

After all, a little more laughter in our lives doesn’t sound like such a bad thing.

Megan Cooney | Contributing Writer

What do the liberal arts mean to DU?

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uring the college application process, I felt like I didn’t know what schools to apply to. I knew that going to an Ivy League like Harvard or Columbia wasn’t in my future, but I still wanted an education that only elite private schools can give. My high school counselor pushed me to look into schools that provide a liberal arts education, which is how I eventually ended up at a school like DU. So what is a “liberal arts education?” According to the Association of American Colleges and Universities, a liberal arts education refers to the “approach to learning that empowers individuals and prepares them to deal with complexity, diversity and change.” Essentially, a liberal arts education pushes students to

Photo courtesy of Connor W. Davis

learn about a variety of different subjects, as well as an in-depth study of a specific interest that is known as a major. This means that every student will have some knowledge in subjects like math, science, humanities, etc.

I liked the idea of becoming a well-rounded student. There are many benefits to receiving a liberal arts education, including: more preparation to work in a variety of jobs, an appealing degree to employers, a good foundation for graduate studies in law, health, business, etc. and a general increase in one’s ability to actively contribute to the community.

One of the reasons why DU has appeal to students is that it gives students a thorough education that makes them more competitive post-graduation.

That’s where the Common Curriculum comes in. In my experience with fellow students, the majority don’t like that they have to take certain classes that have nothing to do with their major. For someone who loves English, it is uncomfortable taking a full year of science classes. I can relate to this, as I am going to pursue study in creative writing, yet I am taking Calculus I this quarter.

I think there is this pre-conceived notion that college is all about studying what you want, allowing you to leave behind the pesky class requirements that high school established.

The reality is that people aren’t understanding the benefits of having a breadth of knowledge.

A liberal arts education simultaneously allows you to study your interest, learn about a variety of useful subjects and explore classes that you might have never considered before.

That being said, I think there are some disparities at DU when it comes to a liberal arts education. There is a year-long foreign language requirement in the Common Curriculum. So, most students will take a foreign language with their time at DU. Those majoring in computer, electrical, or mechanical engineering do not have to fulfill this requirement. Additionally, music majors can choose between eight credit hours of foreign language or science.

I understand that these are

extremely difficult areas of study to pursue, but it does seem unfair that some students are exempt from the required Common Curriculum courses that ensure a liberal arts education.

In some ways, it seems as though many colleges tailor their focus on STEM majors. A liberal arts education’s function is to ensure fairness in how students receive a well-rounded education. While I believe DU generally does a good job at upholding their belief in a liberal arts education, there are some loopholes that I disagree with.

If a STEM major doesn’t have to take a foreign language, why should an English major have to take a full year of lab science?

It is ingrained in students that majoring in STEM is the only way to ensure a lucrative career, leading to the unfair assumption that those focusing in the arts won’t find success in the job market.

A liberal arts education is exceptionally useful for students.

They will have a better chance in the jungle that is the workplace after graduation. I am happy that DU provides this well-rounded education, but I am wondering if they are being completely equal when it comes to some aspects of the Common Curriculum.

Regardless, I am content with how DU has structured the education that my fellow Pioneers and I are receiving.

Connor Rodenbeck | Contributing Writer

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ARTS & LIFE | 1 3

Gaga shines in “A Star is Born”

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y this point, it’s impossible to encounter the movie industry without hearing Bradley Cooper’s name. Acclaimed for many films, including the popular “Hangover” trilogy, “Silver Linings Playbook” and “Guardians of the Galaxy,” Cooper enters the directorial scene with his stunning debut, “A Star is Born,” alongside Lady Gaga (“American Horror Story”). The third remake of the original 1937 film of the same name, “A Star is Born” has received critical acclaim and global recognition for jaw-dropping performances from Cooper and Gaga.

The plot follows alcoholic singer-songwriter legend Jackson Maine and his mentee-slash-love-interest, Ally, who he meets by chance at a drag bar. Struck

by Ally’s innate talent and passion for singing, Maine, portrayed by Cooper, guides her through the world of professional music and soon falls in love with her. He is not alone; audiences would be hard-pressed to dislike Ally, played by Gaga, whose determination, ferocity and iron will are recognizable in the trials and turmoil of everyday life. Her love of singing carries into her love for Maine, and

viewers will be struck by the electrifying chemistry and devotion shared between Cooper’s and Gaga’s characters. But what makes “A Star is Born” so phenomenal is the combination of a tremendous cast and performances that will leave the audience in tears.

With a wide range of vocals, the songs of “A Star is Born” are practically characters themselves, featuring the triumph of “Shallow,” the movement of “Always Remember Us This Way” and the tear-jerking “I’ll Never Love Again.”

Unsurprisingly a Grammy nominee contender, the album for “A Star is Born” is already gaining popularity. “A Star is Born” is funny, gut-wrenching and achingly authentic, despite the common “rags-to-riches” plot line. Ally’s determination and stunning vocals make it easy for audiences to understand why the music industry is immediately captivated by her, much like Gaga’s own rise to fame. Considering this has been the third remake of a classic movie, it’s difficult to say that there won’t be another— but there is no doubt that nothing will be able to fill the shoes 2018’s “A Star is Born” has left behind.

Ava Tusek | Contributing Writer

Photo Courtesy of Warner Bros.

“Venom” is poised to underwhelm viewers

Photo courtesy of Sony Pictures

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here is a famous quote by Mark Strickson: “Good actors can save a bad script and make it bearable, but good actors can’t make a bad script good—they can just make it bearable.” This quote, for better or for worse, has a lot of weight, especially on the new film “Venom.”

One would think that after the endless amount of superhero films, there would be a precise formula that filmmakers would follow to take everyone’s favorite comic book characters and transfer them onto the silver screen. If anything, newer films like “Deadpool,” “Logan” and “Wonder Woman” all try a new and more refined take on the heroes than their previous attempts. However, one’s success doesn’t necessarily mean that it can be transferred over to another’s success. Though “Venom” isn’t the worst superhero movie out there, it is a film that really struggles. It strives to redefine a beloved anti-hero, but it falls short on an muddled screenplay, weak characters, terrible CGI and a vibe that says 1990s all over it.

The story follows San Francisco reporter Eddie Brock,

played by Tom Hardy (“The Revenant”), as he unravels a very inhuman plot—using alien parasite creatures known as symbiotes to experiment on human subjects—all by one of the most innovative bioengineering companies, the Life Foundation. Eddie’s investigative journalism piece soon comes to a halt when he sneaks into the Life Foundation and gets attached to one of these symbiotes, becoming a giant black, sharp-toothed anti-hero with a mind of its own. Now he must find a way to rid himself of his venomous counterpart before it brings destruction to all of San Francisco.

What “Venom” does nail right on the head is Tom Hardy’s portrayal of Eddie Brock.

Tom Hardy does a great job showing Eddie as a character who is deeply flawed, but yet so willing to make things right.

Tom Hardy also lends his voice to Venom, with the hunky menacing creature acting almost as a complete opposite of Eddie.

He is ruthless, vile and has a knack for crude jokes. Seeing this transformation between Eddie and Venom is really breathtaking; the character is

well-written, and he plays out just like how the comics would show him as.

One of the film’s biggest shortcomings is its failed structure. It lacks any real pacing, with a lackluster first act that struggles to develop any of the characters other than Eddie Brock. The film jumps around a lot from scene to scene, and there seems to be some lack of continuity that makes the story even harder to like. The film was left with a giant gap when it comes to its antagonist Carlton Drake. played by Riz Ahmed (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”). Ahmed makes the character seem lifeless; every moment that he appears on screen is a missed opportunity for what could be a great antagonist with a sense of dread due to the loss of company name and his precious symbiotes.

An aspect that could have easily made the film more enjoyable and on par with the comics is that of its supposed tone. When the film was originally announced, one of its “wow factors” was how Director Ruben Fleischer was leaning for a hard R rating. Instead, fans get a PG-13 “Venom” that

lacks any dark tone that the comics advertised and makes the film all about its anti-hero with crude jokes. With too much focus on Eddie as Venom, there is barely enough screen time or any other characters.

Underneath the gooey, dark plethora of underwhelming moments that “Venom” offers— its terribly structured storyline, it's forgettable antagonist and its stale tone that reeks with a stench of misdirection all over it—“Venom” manages to latch onto viewers with a great character study of Eddie Brock with a praise performance by Tom Hardy. Though this film will surely not stick with fans forever and may well be lost in time due to the high frequency of other more enjoyable superhero films on the horizon, “Venom” surely sets itself up for what could be a redeeming sequel in the coming years.

2.5/5

Jacob Miltenburg | Contributing Writer

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& LIFE

Colorado Classic: Blue Dream

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he modern dispensary is sensory overload, a cornucopia of various edibles, concentrates, vapes, glass and of course flower. For the novice or even veteran toker, the dispensary experience can be a little too much, and choosing a strain from the budtender’s sometimes abstract recommendations isn’t always the best way. Whether you’re at an Apple Store-esque chain or the grungiest of locales, the buying experience can be a confusing and overwhelming experience. To help, the Driscoll Green is aiming to publish intermittent no-nonsense strain reviews, where we seek to explore and explain the multitudes of options available to the consumer.

It doesn’t help that cannabis nowadays is a mystery of names and types. While even the most novice cannabis user usually can choose (or hopefully knows the difference) between a sativa and indica strain, from there onwards the cannabis market waters get murkier and murkier.

Due to the once underground world of cannabis cultivation and sales, strain names are not only confusing and non-descriptive, but are not always shared between growers, meaning that the type and potency of one grower’s strain can differ widely from that of another’s, even if they share the same name.

However, with the legal market expanding and becoming more regulated and stan-

dardized, we are living in the golden age of strains. More than ever, especially with the help of sites such as Leafly, one can find out exactly what they want, and where to get it.

This week, it’s Blue Dream.

Blue Dream, a potent sativa-dominant hybrid, is a legacy west coast strain, and one of the most common and highly enjoyed strains in Colorado. Stemming from California, Blue Dream is a cross of classic strains Blueberry indica and Haze sativa. The strains both contribute their respective attributes to form a one-of-a-kind invigorating cerebral experience, with a deep—almost sedative—fullbody relaxation. The sweet berry smelling strain has gained a well-earned reputation for its ability to bring the clear headedness and cerebral focus of a sativa with the relaxation of a deep, high-THC indica. This allows one to consume the bud at all hours, without becoming locked in relaxation mode. As well, the gentle invigoration of the flower eases the user into euphoria and uppedness, greatly contributing to a well-documented lack of anxiety and paranoia, especially for a sativa-dominant strain.

For medical users, Blue Dream is popular for its easing effect on stress, depression, pain fatigue and lack

DRISCOLL GREEN

of appetite.

Major benefits include uplifted mood, e u p h o ria, happiness and increased creativity.

The largest negative for most users is a mass T H E D U C A N N A B I S C O L U M N increase in dry mouth and eyes, and for some, your local Denver shop, just the strain can still be anxiety give them a call before you inducing, but the gentle yet head over so you know it’s in energizing high is one of the stock. best choices for those prone to anxious toking.

You won’t have to look hard to find Blue Dream at Justin Cygan | Arts & Life Editor Photo Courtesy of Leafy

Lil Wayne’s revival

L

il Wayne comes back from his hiatus in his long awaited “Tha Carter V.” After five long years without Wayne, he comes back to his fans with the album that they have waited for all along. With all the chaos that was surrounding his professional career and his financial situation with his label, Cash Money Owns, he delivers a heartfelt album that has been awaited since the Lil Wayne vs. Drake concert tour of 2014.

Lil Wayne has undergone many hospital visits that left his fans questioning the longevity of his career and even his life. Even more, the issues with his “Daddy”, “Birdman,” had them questioning if “Tha Carter V” would ever see the light of day.

Lil Wayne kept recording and kept releasing mixtapes such as 2015’s “Free Weezy” and “Dedication 6” in hope that his recordings would see the light of day. Despite Cash Money blocking these mixtapes from release on official platforms, Wayne’s music found a way to reach his fans. What’s even more beautiful, is that some of Wayne’s music reached fans in the form of influence. Even though Wayne was stifled and silenced, his music inspired the likes of Drake, Unotheactivist, Young Thug and more artists “Tha Carter V” gives Wayne the chance to be vulnerable with

his fans. He even goes on to say in his song “Don’t Cry” featuring XXXTENTACION: “I am not number 1 it’s true, I am number 9-27-82.” Along with XXXTENTACION, Travis Scott’s droning, dark and melodic vocals sound off in the background of “Let it Fly” and Kendrick Lamar’s beautiful additions on the bizarre “Mona Lisa.” create a beautiful addition to the album.

Wayne lets us know his vulnerable side on this album. In “What About Me,” he questions if the unknown girl he is talking to is giving him the same considerations he gave her. He continues asking the looming question: “What about me?” He continues to shed light on his romantic side throughout the song, naming ways he showed he cared about her.

“Tha Carter V” may deliver on its promise of an album. Its quality is definitely unmistakable.

However, “Tha Carter V” doesn’t compare to any of his previous work—and it doesn’t have to.

“Tha Carter V” gives us a more vulnerable side than we’ve seen in the past. Although components of this album are reminiscent to “Tha Carter IV,” it has moments like “Dope New Gospel” and “Mad” that differentiate it from his past work. All in all, “Tha Carter V” is a strong project from the New Orleans rap star.

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Jamal Abdullahi | Contributing Writer

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Lucy Wainwright Roche’s “Little Beast” is a masterpiece in devestation

H

ave you ever heard music that sampled a dog’s paws hitting a hardwood floor?

Well, now’s your chance: singer-songwriter Lucy Wainwright Roche will release her long-awaited album “Little Beast” on Oct. 12, after years of hard work alongside longtime collaborator, producer and multi-instrumentalist Jordan Brooke Hamlin (and of course, Jordan’s dog Scout).

Wainwright Roche’s songs are as melancholic and depressing as ever; nearly every track details her personal heartbreak and strife, proving that life’s worst moments are the quietest and loneliest ones.

But, she can turn pain into beauty like no one else. Starting with “Soft Line,” featuring Hamlin on piano and Indigo Girls’ Emily Saliers on guitar, Wainwright Roche eases into the reality of an unhappy ending. “Watch out or the sun will set / On the picture we tried to get / On the story of why we met / The maker or the match.”

She doesn’t tiptoe around the topic for long, though.

The next song, “Quit With Me,” a haunting duet with singer-songwriter Matthew Perryman Jones, addresses the harshness of an unwanted, yet necessary parting of a couple. Wainwright Roche spoke about how the song came about: “I wrote this song after having dinner

with a friend who was going through a divorce—he was trying to describe the feeling of alienation that can happen between two people who love each other very much but who have reached the end of the road of their relationship.”

For the first time in her career, Wainwright Roche has jumped head first into some of life’s hardest-to-swallow realities, and the result: a cohesive, heart wrenching body of music that isn’t concerned with even the slightest bit of optimism to sugarcoat its overwhelming angst.

“Fifth of July” perfectly encapsulates the dread most of us have been wading through since November 2016, with just the sincerity and urgency of Wainwright Roche’s voice, and a soft, steady thrum as a backdrop. This discontent bleeds into “Trouble,” an account of the uneasiness that comes with feeling isolated, like there’s no “right answer” to life’s seemingly perpetual problems: “Everybody’s trouble / That’s a bet that you won’t lose / Trouble that you’re born with / And the trouble that you choose.”

The album reaches its peak with the pairing of the title track and “Heroin.” The former is quite possibly the best song Wainwright Roche has ever written; it forms our dark side—the anxiety and fear we feel when we are unsure of

ourselves—into a devious, omnipresent “Little beast.” “Your favorite treat is not the rarest / But the rawest / You will feast upon a heart in doubt / But we know / We’re not supposed to feed you / ‘Cause we need that struggle / Like a hole in the head.” “Heroin” compares the dependence on a (former) romantic partner to drug addiction, “Some things that I want to say / Aren’t survivable / Or advisable / Like ‘Happy Birthday Heroin’ / But God, / How I loved you / And how I still do.”

Wainwright Roche finally comes to the end of her tether in “The City,” succumbing to the constant pressure and uncertainty of life as a touring musician; “Behind the Wheel” is her concluding lament about never having all of life’s answers: “How does it feel to be / The one behind the wheel?” and you’re left with the sound of “beast feet” tapping away on the floor.

Lucy Wainwright Roche is currently on tour, and you can see all of her scheduled shows and pre-order the album at lucywainwrightroche.com. Lastly, I couldn’t finish this article in good conscience without noting that the videos for “Soft Line” and “Heroin” were partially filmed by a drone named “Droney Mitchell.”

Emma Cohen | Contributing Writer

Photo Courtesy of Billboard

The Wombats dance to “joy division” at the Ogden

I

t was during my summer before my freshman year of college when I would roll down the windows on a warm day and blast The Wombats’ “Tokyo-Vampires & Wolves” in my car, singing along with the wind blowing my hair in all different directions. When a rainy day rolled by, I’d put on the Bastille remix of “Greek Tragedy,” a quiet song to reflect the grey weather outside. I had always enjoyed the band’s more optimistic lyrics of love, adventure and dancing all night. It was only recently that I had started listening to them again and reminiscing on those drives in the past.

When the opportunity appeared to see them at the Ogden on Oct. 3, I had to jump on the chance to see a band whose mu-

Nina Petrovic | Clarion

sic carried so many memories.

Watching The Wombats’ opener, Barns Courtney, was like traveling back in time to a concert in the 1960s. With his brown shaggy locks and bellsleeved shirt, Barns Courtney looked like a performer at Woodstock. Barns Courtney was an energetic force on stage, having the crowd repeat his “oohs” and “aahs” and ending his performance with a crowdsurf.

The Wombats brought a classic rock and roll show to the Ogden, performing hits such as “Techno Fan” to their slow ballad “Patricia the Stripper,” with the lead singer Matthew Murphy reminiscing about a woman he loved that would always choose someone else over him.

An unexpected announcement from the audience mem-

bers interrupted the show, when one man got up on stage to propose to his girlfriend, using lines from The Wombats’ songs about falling in love. She happily accepted.

The show continued with purples, blues and whites flashing on stage while the band continued to bounce around on stage and coming up to the crowd to encourage them to raise their hands in the air and dance as wildly as they can. When performing “Let’s Dance to Joy Division,” the band brought out four dancing wombat mascots to lead the crowd in dancing to their “joy division.”

After The Wombats and their mascots left the stage, the crowd screamed for an encore, especially for a performance of their hit single “Greek

Tragedy.” The band came back on stage to close with “Tokyo-Vampires & Wolves” and please the crowd by closing with “Greek Tragedy.”

Concerts are similar to a good book or good film. They allow the viewer to escape from everyday life and jump into another world for a sense of distraction. The Wombats’ concert was no different, bringing the audience into a world of fast cars, young love and dancing all night. Whatever troubles anyone had before the concert was forgotten, as it was a time to come together and share enthusiasm for the band and leave with an uplifting, positive experience, even if it was just for one night.

Nina Petrovic | Arts & Life Editor

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Getting cray-cray with Kanye: SNL style

R

apper Kanye West is back to his usual shenanigans after a surprising little performance following the “Saturday Night Live” season 44 opener on Sept. 29. As if his singing of the song “I Love It” dressed as a Perrier Sparkling Water bottle wasn’t crazy enough, the 41 year old rapper decided to give a pro-Trump political speech following the outro of the episode.

West has been a public supporter of the president since the election, having been known to share controversial tweets and voice his opinions after hijacking hosts’ microphones, and Saturday’s outburst proved no exception to his history

of contentious publicity stunts. As you watch Kanye’s speech, which can only be found on phone recordings as it did not air live on the show, you can sense the awkward tension permeating the room. The audience remains suspended in an uncomfortable silence, except for the occasional “booing.” Even the other cast members on stage, who Kenan Thompson later reported as being “held hostage” during an interview with Seth Meyers, stare uneasily at the ground or the audience as they wait for Kanye’s rant to conclude.

After returning on stage wearing a notorious red

MAGA hat, West starts his tirade by claiming the people backstage “bullied” him and told him not to wear the infamous symbol of Trump supporters. He then continues, “It’s so many times that I talk to a white person about this, and they say, ‘How could you support Trump? He’s racist.’

Well, if I was concerned about racism, I would have moved out of America a long time ago.” Kanye West finishes by performing his song “Ghost Town” and stressing the importance of addressing the one-sided tendencies of news and media sources, which are 90 percent liberal, according to him.

Critics and the public backlashers alike think Kanye’s charades will be the end of his career. Yet, the successful rapper continues to sell his music and Yeezy brand products. The great debate as to whether Kanye’s crazy actions are just that— crazy—or if the constant publicity is necessary for the older rapper in a predominantly young industry continues as his new album “Yandhi” is set to release on Nov. 23, 2018. Tune in again soon to read the next installment of Kanye West’s amusing tomfoolery.

Grace Gonzalez | Contributing Writer

Justin Cygan | Clarion

Photo Courtesy of SNL

Why we should separate the artist Kanye from the person

K

anye West has always wanted to be a man of mystery. He blurs the lines in his music and often begs the question whether he’s a producer or a rapper. He makes appearances on Saturday Night Live donning a Perrier bottle costume, yet he associates himself with eccentric geniuses such as Elon Musk. He’s the man who was held above his peers a decade ago for saying, “George Bush doesn’t care about black people” in the days following Katrina, yet he’s the same man who said slavery was a choice earlier this year. He’s married to a Kardashian and very friendly with President Trump.

He’s Kanye West, and we just can’t seem to figure him out.

His paradoxical presence forces all of us to talk. Some of us love him, some hate him, some think he’s simply looking for attention, some separate the man from the musician and others just don’t care enough to discuss him. Members of the last group

might see Kanye as nothing more than a self-congratulatory figure who will do anything to elevate his sense of status and success. I agree with them. That’s why I’m writing this as a plea of all of us to stop feeding Kanye’s hubris.

We first saw it at the 2009 Video Music Awards, when Kanye rushed the stage and interrupted Taylor Swift’s acceptance speech to make a claim for why Beyoncé should have won. All the attention was on him, and not Beyoncé or Taylor Swift (who won the award). We saw it earlier this year when Kanye arrogantly went into TMZ’s studios to conduct an interview expanding upon his criticisms of the African-Americans during the country’s slavery period. We even saw it when he hosted a release party for his new album “ye” in the Wyoming wilderness, where major figures in the music industry and Kanye’s good friends made the trip out near Jackson Hole, just to listen to his new 30-minute-long album.

It appears everything Kanye does is self-congratulatory, to some degree. Any contrarian political stance he so publicly takes, any outrageous price tag he throws on his “thrifty” clothing line, any cutting-edge way he delivers himself or his music to his fans, is all self-congratulatory.

This isn’t to say that Kanye doesn’t make music or clothes worth consuming, and it isn’t to say that the right-wing beliefs he has portrayed over the past year don’t represent the beliefs of a major portion of our country.

But it is far more damaging to our society to feed into Kanye’s hubris than it is for us to seemingly ignore his presence.

Kanye has every right to wear M.A.G.A. hats and publicly support President Trump. He has every right to parade his bipolar disorder around and he has every right to criticize African-American’s perception of slavery. While he has the right to do all these things, that doesn’t mean they

aren’t damaging.

When the youth look at Kanye now, they won’t know what to make of him. They’ll see a successful business man, a talented musician and an outspoken citizen. They’ll be puzzled by his presence, just as Kanye wants.

But it won’t be long before the next generation of artists trying to make a name for themselves start their own controversies in hope of gaining popularity. If what Kanye is doing now becomes a trend, it will no doubt water down any future celebrities who become outspoken in what they believe in, and that’s a frightening future.

It’s time for us to stop feeding into the Kanye controversies, just as he wants us to. It’s time for us to separate the musician and the mogul from the person. If we fail in doing so, we could be doomed to a future where the unqualified and uninformed become major influences and leaders in our ideals.

Jack Keller | Contributing Writer