The Independent Issue 61

Fort Lewis College News Magazine

Issue 61

www.theindyonline.com

104 ition s o p o Pr 105 sition Propo 68 ment d n e m A aces and R s e t a Canid

FREE October 2014

The Independent FLC

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The Independent FLC

Editors & Staff BUSINESS

Emma Vaughn Ariel Canterbury COPY EDITING

Ray Benton

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Trevor Ogborn

BUSINESS DIRECTOR

Aimee Gardere

CHIEF COPY EDITOR

Jaimee Souder

DESIGN Madison Bush Camden Smith PHOTOGRAPHY

Drew Lovell Charine Gonzales REPORTING

PRINT EDITOR

Deanna Atkins

ONLINE EDITOR

Carter Solomon

SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR

Remi Majeski

Catherine Wheeler Dan Riley Sean Summers Lauren Hammond Whitney Kidd Hayley Renstrom BROADCAST

Nic Hassinger Haylee Knippel Meryl Ramsey

LEAD PRINT DESIGN

ONLINE DESIGN EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR

VIDEO PRODUCTION EDITOR

PR & ADVERTIZING COORDINATOR

PR & ADVERTIZING COORDINATOR

Hanna Maddera

Anthony Martin

Julia Volzke

Lio Diaz

Hana Mohsin

Emilie von Fay

COVER PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

by Drew Lovell

From the Editor’s Desk

CONTENTS Campus News:

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After Construction Mistakes, Durango Hopes to Finish Sports Complex at FLC Story by Dan Riley

Community News:

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Roads Damaged Due to Rainfall Story by Catherine Wheeler September Storm Damages Trails Story by Whitney Kidd

COVER STORY:

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Well, after four and a half long years at Fort Lewis and three at The Independent, I’m finally graduating. I started out thinking I would only be part of the newspaper for a semester. Jump two years ahead and I’m still here, holding down the position of Business Director. Now, I could just keep going on and on about my amazing experience at The Independent but instead I decided to put my journey in the form of a little rap.

Now this is a story all about how My life got flipped-turned upside down And I’d like to take a minute Just sit together I’ll tell you how I became the business director.

In Dallas, Texas born and raised I came to Durango to earn some A’s Chillin’ out maxin’ relaxin’ all cool And all learning about mass communications inside of the school When a teacher named Leslie said I should Join The Independent, it’s for your own good.

First class of the day, yo this isn’t bad We’ve got an awesome team Now go sell some ads

Colorado Mid-term Ballot and Voting as Voice Story by Lauren Hammond

Green:

I sold ads and day after day I thought this isn’t so bad I think I’ll stay I made some friends and we created a bond The business ladies headed up by a blonde.

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First Durango Pot Shop Reopened for Business Story by Whitney Kidd

Social Issues:

Haley was the boss and Chloe sold ads I planned events like no one else had Talent shows, tabling, and wolves galore Now I’m in charge of What’s in store?

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I graduate in December Two months from now And I’d like to say thanks Before I say ciao!

HeForShe Movement Attempts to Change the Way Feminism is Percieved Story by Hayley Renstrom

Entertainment: Indy on the Street, Horoscopes, Recipe, and Fashion!

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To fellow editors, staffers, Leslie Blood, and the local businesses thank you. Without your hard work and support The Independent would not be what it is today. I am so thankful for this experience and can’t wait to see what the future has in store for The Indy!

Peace out,

Aimee L. Gardere

CAMPUS NEWS

After Construction Mistakes, Durango Hopes to Finish Sports Complex at FLC Story by Dan Riley

Photos by Charine Gonzales

Design by Camden Smith

n 2011, Durango Parks and Recreation worked with Fort Lewis College to begin construction on new fields for the general public of Durango to use near the northeast entrance to campus. Three years later, in 2014, the fields appear to be finished. However, the public is unable to use them because of mistakes that were made during the construction of the fields.

The project originally came from the need for more multi-use fields in Durango, which was outlined in a Parks, Open Space, Trails and Recreation Master Plan released by the City of Durango in 2010, Cathy Metz, the director of Durango Parks and Recreation, said.

Administration from the Durango Parks and Recreation department began to recognize issues with the soil preparation in 2011, she said.

FCI Constructors, who was the general contractor for the project, failed to screen

out rocks from the native soil that were greater than three-quarters of an inch, she said.

Removing these rocks was a distinct specification set forth by the city for FCI, so when city administrators saw the condition of the soil, they advised the contractors to not plant the grass, Metz said.

However, FCI Constructors planted the grass and said they could go back and fix the problem after grass was added, going against the recommendation of the city, she said.

FCI constructors provided their services as requested by the City of Durango, and upon hearing that their work was not up to the standards of the Durango Parks and Recreation department, immediately began working with them and with their subcontractor, American Civil Constructors, to remediate the issue, Mat Aupperle, the project manager at FCI, said.

Metz said that FCI realizes that the field condition is unacceptable and that they have been very cooperative throughout the remediation process.

Problems can arise on projects of this kind, even when people are doing their best, Mark Gutt, the manager of construction at the FLC Physical Plant Services, said.

“It’s a prescribed process that involves a lot of work and a lot of materials and quality of workmanship,” Gutt said.

“We said we weren’t comfortable with the methodology, but they proceeded and then we refused to accept the fields,” Metz said.

Durango Parks and Recreation has been working closely with sub-contractor American Civil Constructors since 2012 to analyze and discuss the problems, she said.

In 2013, American Civil Constructors began the process of aerating the complex, which is used to find rocks in the soil that

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Soccer field undergoes construction.

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Complex sign in front of the field.

contact about the condition of the fields, she said.

“We stay in communication with the college about this because they’re strong partners with the city,” she said.

The lease stated that FLC students will have the first priority in using the fields, Gutt said.

The construction of the fields, which has a budget of roughly $4 million including the current remediation, is mainly being paid for by a grant from Great Outdoors Colorado with help from local organizations such as the Durango Youth Soccer Association, Durango Lacrosse and Durango Youth Football, Metz said.

FLC also contributed $420,000 for the lights that are on the field, Gutt said.

The college has collaborated with the city for a number of different projects in the past, but this one is probably the largest collaboration that they have done recently, he said.

FLC chose to provide funding for the lighting because it was not in the budget for the city, and lights are an essential aspect of the fields for the college, he said.

These lights are also important since many intramural sports and other on-campus programs are done at night after classes, he said.

“Its been a great community partnership, and its very unfortunate that the fields have not been able to be open for play as expediently as we had expected,” Metz said.

“We haven’t had any real negative reaction to the procedure that we’re taking, and I think everyone is very much supportive and understanding that we have to get this done right,” she said.

Although this project hasn’t exactly gone according to plan, FLC has spoken to the city about collaborating on the construction of more recreational facilities in the future, Gutt said.

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the contractors then flag and eventually remove from under the grass, she said.

These rocks make the soil compacted, which keeps them from being able to sustain healthy strands of grass, Metz said.

In addition to the aeration, in 2014 it was decided to add fine sand to the fields as well, she said.

This sand will help with percolation, drainage and remediate the compaction of the soil that keeps healthy strands of grass from growing there, she said.

These efforts will continue throughout the month of October and resume in the spring of 2015, she said.

“We’ll have FCI complete this remedial work, and I’m hopeful that we will have it open by fall of 2015,” Metz said. “We absolutely will notify the community when it’s time because we know Fort Lewis is anxious to get some play on there and so is the city and other organizations.”

The city and the college have been in

COMMUNITY NEWS

Roads Damaged Due Rainfall Story by Catherine Wheeler

Photos by Charine Gonzales

Design by Camden Smith

n Sunday, Sept. 21, Durango experienced heavy rainfall that led to large amounts of flooding and road damage at the bottom of College Drive along with other roads and businesses in the Durango area.

The excessive rainfall that occurred the night of Saturday, Sept. 20 into early Sunday morning caused debris to slide to slide and cause damage.

The rain caused an overflow of sewer drains, which led to flooding on College Drive, Levi Lloyd, street superintendent of Durango, said.

“There was a storm sewer failure at the bottom of Goeglein Gulch that damaged a storm sewer vault and some of the multi-use trail going up Goeglein Gulch Road,” Lloyd said.

This led to debris and mud flowing down to College Drive, which then needed to be removed, he said.

In geological terms, a debris flow caused the flooding, Lauren Heerschap, a lecturer in the geosciences department at Fort Lewis College, said.

“A debris flow is a saturated mass of rock and mud,” Heerschap said.

That flow came downhill and caused most of the damage, she said.

The debris flow is responsible for the damage done to College Drive where a piece of concrete was detached from the road and flowed down the street, she said.

This was an abnormal rainfall event for Durango, Lloyd said.

The amount of rainfall is proportionate with a 50-year storm, which is an storm event that has a 50th of a chance of happening in any given year, he said.

“We monitor the weather and have trouble areas that we respond to whenever we have heavy rainfall,” he said.

However, Durango did not anticipate the failure of the sewer drain, he said.

“It is not possible to predict a storm sewer failure,” he said.

Sediment flowing into town is a natural process because of the mountainous environment of Durango, Lloyd said.

“We do our best to capture the runoff with storm sewer and drainage ditches, but

in events of this nature, it is not possible to capture all of the runoff,” he said.

The Everyday gas station received a lot of mud, Rebecca Gilstrap, the assistant manager, said.

“It was like a river coming down College,” Gilstrap said.

Mud piled up in the parking lot along Eighth Avenue, she said.

All of the debris and mud that slid down into the Everyday parking lot was cleaned up efficiently, she said.

As for College Drive, repairs needed to be made to the roads.

“There were a few sections of asphalt that delaminated from the lower section of asphalt,” Lloyd said.

A piece of concrete on College Drive broke away from the road and made its way to the intersection, Patten said.

The velocity of the debris flow most likely caused the pieces of the road to dislodge, Heerschap said.

“The repairs to the road involved removing the damaged asphalt and patching the area with new asphalt,” Lloyd said.

The road repairs only required a few hours of maintenance while the repairs to the sewer drain will take about two and a half weeks, he said.

“The total cost of repairs to this section of storm sewer pipe and sidewalk will be approximately $35,000,” he said.

It will also cost about $15,000 in order to remove the mud and debris, Lloyd said.

Durango city streets were not the only roads affected by this storm.

There was also damage done to State Highway 3 and U.S. Highway 550, which have needed extra maintenance, Nancy Shanks, Colorado Department of Transportation spokeswoman, said.

The shoulders of the road were impacted with no damage to the highway lanes, Shanks said.

“Our maintenance crews cleared mud and debris from the highways, rebuilt some shoulders and cleared culverts over the past two weeks,” she said.

Crews were sent out with a vacuum to rid the shoulders of rocks and other debris on State Highway 3, U.S. Highway 550 South and U.S. Highway 160 West, she said.

“On US 160 West, they cleared mud and debris from behind our roadside retaining walls, as mud came over and around the walls and covered the sidewalks along that stretch,” she said.

The damage done to Durango by this storm should have no effect on winter road conditions, Lloyd said.

The road is sealed in order to protect it from upcoming weather events, he said.

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Caution sign blocking flooded sidewalk.

Road Damage leading to FLC.

Additionally, the Kangaroo Express received significant flooding, Brittany Patten, a dispatcher at the Kangaroo Express, said.

The basement was completely flooded and the ground floor was flooded as well, Patten said.

“The parking lot was full of debris,” she said.

The city began cleanup on Sunday, Sept. 21 and finished in the morning on Monday, Sept. 22 with no charge to the Everyday, Gilstrap said.

Cleanup involved scooping mud that had been washed down the road in order to clear the parking lot as well as the gutters, she said.

September Storm Damages Trails

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Remains of mud and excess water on Horse Gulch.

he severe storm that occurred on September 20 and 21 caused damage to several of the trails around Durango, including the Goeglein Gulch Trail and Horse Gulch Trailhead. While the city has been working on clearing debris, some areas are still in need of repair.

“The Horse Gulch Trailhead was cleared of debris and deemed functional on

Photos by Drew Lovell

Design by Madison Bush

Monday, September 22,” Cathy Metz, director of Durango Parks and Recreation, said.

“The City is working with La Plata County and Trails 2000 on the repair of Horse Gulch Road, County Road 237, from the trailhead to the meadow in Horse Gulch,” Metz said. “This work will be completed as soon as possible.”

As far as the Goeglein Gulch Trail, the city is obtaining pricing for the repairs and will issue a press release once the work is scheduled to begin, she said.

The Durango Double, which consists of trail and road half marathons, was scheduled for the weekend of Oct. 11, but Metz said event organizers were looking at other route options, since their event included a route into Horse Gulch.

“The City Engineer has described the storm event, particularly on the College Mesa and Horse Gulch, to be a 500-year event,” she said.

“While it was an unusual event, the City takes all necessary precautions in the design and development of new trails and trailheads,” she said.

Metz said the City planned and executed the recently completed Horse Gulch Trailhead.

“This area was impacted by the storm event, but all the hardscape in the parking lot worked as designed with no permanent damage,” she said.

Any problem areas that still require maintenance, besides the Geoglein Gulch Trail, will receive maintenance as soon as possible by Trails 2000, Metz said.

“We’ve decided we’re going to use

Horse Gulch after all as it only affected a small part of the road,” Brendan Trimboli, Durango Double event director, said.

Sufficient repairs have already been made, Trimboli said.

FLC freshman Keenan Hamilton said he often runs on the trails and the storm affected his ability to use the areas of the trail that were damaged.

“I was definitely impressed by how quickly they started repairs,” he said.

The city and Trails 2000 are currently working on hard surface trails like Goeglein Gulch, Mary Monroe Brown, Trails 2000 executive director, said.

All of the work done by Trails 2000 is with volunteer, corporate and school groups, totaling about 3500 hours of work for one season, Brown said.

Horse Gulch rain and mud damage.

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Story by Whitney Kidd

COVER STORY

COLORADO MID-TERM BALLOT AND VOTING AS VOICE

A Hickenlooper sign in the yard of a house downtown.

Story by Lauren Hammond

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Photos by Hanna Maddera

rom Udall to Gardner and Hickenlooper to Beauprez, the races have begun. Amendment 67 and 68 as well as Proposition 104 and 105 will make an appearance on the upcoming ballot. The midterm election will give Colorado citizens a chance to look at a number of candidates and a variety of issues.

Four Issues Appearing on Ballot The midterm ballot this November will feature two amendments and two propositions.

“Amendment 67 is the Personhood Amendment, which defines a person at conception,” State Representative Mike McLachlan said.

McLachlan represents the 59th District, which includes Durango. He will be running for re-election for his current representative position this midterm as well.

Amendment 68 would expand gambling at existing horse racing tracks with

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A J. Paul Brown sign in the window of a local business.

Graphics by Julia Volzke

the funding going to schools, McLachlan said.

Proposition 104 aims to open meetings between school board officials and teachers unions, he said.

Proposition 105 would require labeling of genetically modified or engineered foods, known as GMOs, he said.

“There might be a few things that we might do for citizen ballots and initiatives but much of it is special interest pleas,” said Rick Foster, a professor in the political science department at Fort Lewis College.

Pertaining to the pro side of Proposition 105, people have the right to know what they are being sold and putting in their bodies, McLachlan said.

Opponents of the initiative say that Colorado farmers would be put at an unfair advantage when exporting their crops, he said.

“People are very passionate on both

Design by Hanna Maddera

sides of this issue,” he said.

Controversy of Amendment 67 The controversy of Amendment 67 lies with the the uncertainty of what its implementation would look like.

Amendment 67 indirectly says that abortion is illegal in any case whatsoever, Alex Thompson, the legislative affairs director for the ASFLC, said.

“In general, I just don’t like all these back-door ways of legislating,” Foster said.

“That’s why we have legislature.”

Amendment 67 is the Personhood Amendment, which defines a person at conception and gives the fertilized egg the same rights as people.

“This is undoubtedly a non-partisan issue,” said Susan Sutherland, vice president and unpaid volunteer of the Right to Life Campaign in Colorado.

“There’s always been a controversy over whether there should be criminal code on

67 would outlaw “allAmendment abortions, even in the case of rape and incest, and would outlaw common forms of birth control.

- State Representative Mike McLachlan

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“You’re more likely to be an activist in off-year elections, and this year, Republicans are mobilizing better than Democrats,” he said.

“The State Legislature has wrestled with this issue for the last 3 to 4 years bringing all stakeholders to the table,” Gerry Cummins, the vice president for Voter Service for the League of Women Voters of Colorado, said.

Three of the lead coalitions that are for Amendment 67 include A Voice for Brady, Colorado Right to Life and Personhood USA. Two of the lead coalitions that oppose Amendment 67 include Planned Parenthood and National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League.

In July of 2012, Heather Surovik was eight months pregnant with a baby boy, Brady. A drunk driver slammed into their car, injuring Surovik, her mother, and killing the devel-

oping infant.

This car accident was 100% a triggering event that has led to the policy process that has led to the upcoming election, Sutherland said.

“All people should be willing to recognize the devastation of these pregnant mothers, the humanity of Brady and babies like him and the need to correct this negligent loophole in the CO criminal code,” she said.

Candidates and Races The people of Colorado have a choice of either re-electing incumbent Democratic candidate Mark Udall or electing Republican candidate Cory Gardner, a new face to the senate.

There is speculation that the U.S. Senate might actually shift from a Democratic majority to a Republican majority.

“It’s a nationally watched race at the moment. It’s very close,” Thompson said. “The polls are within the margin of error, so that makes for a very interesting race.”

As for the house of representatives, the State Assembly includes former House Rep. J. Paul Brown and incumbent Rep. Mike McLachlan.

Brown and McLachlan faced off in 2012 when Brown was incumbent and McLachlan won by 917 votes.

The race is close again this midterm.

Republican Bob Beauprez will challenge the Democratic incumbent John Hickenlooper in Colorado’s race for governor in this midterm election, Thompson said.

Beauprez trails closely behind incumbent Gov. Hickenlooper in YouGov polls.

Concerning the Senate race, Republicans and Democrats are not the only parties that are campaigning.

Other parties are in the race as well.

Harry Hempy and Scott Olson will be representing the Green party.

Matt Hess and Brandon Young are representing the Libertarian party.

Mike Dunafon and Robin Roberts are representing the Independent party.

Paul Fiorino and Charles Whitley will also represent the Independent party as a separate campaign and Marcus Giavanni and Joshua Yballa are write-in candidates.

State Level Legislation and Voting

When comparing federal versus state legislation, although they both affect citizens, the implementation of state-level legislation tends to be more operative in peoples everyday lives, Foster said.

“The students don’t understand UDALL their own power,” he said.

The 18 to 25-year-old cohort don’t vote because they do not find political efficacy in current issues.

That is to say that this cohort does not believe they can understand and influence political affairs, Foster said.

GARDNER “Students are a powerful part of our electorate, and by expressing their views at the voting booth, they can have dramatic impact on how government runs,” McLachlan said.

“The world is run by those who show up,” Dale Garland, former mayor of Durango, said. “I truly believe HICKENLOOPER that unless a student makes their voice heard, they really don’t have much room to complain about how things are going. This is something I really believe in,” he said.

The stakes are important for those who care about Durango and BEAUPREZ this area, including what is going on at Fort Lewis College, Garland said.

ASFLC Political Pamphlets FLC’s student body government is hoping to create a political pamphlet that provides an overview of all issues and all candidates in an unbiased way.

HEMPY “We want students to make their own educated stance on the issues whether or not they support or oppose a particular issue,” Thompson said.

These pamphlets will ensure this information is in an easily readable HESS manner, so students can understand these candidates and what their stances are on the issues, he said.

“Again, we aren’t sponsoring any of these candidates,” he said.

The state typically has information on its website but the problem is that it’s not usually presented in a FIORINO student-friendly manner, Thompson said.

“Oftentimes the information on the state’s website can be fairly technical and have a lot of jargon, so our vision for these pamphlets is to ensure easily accessible information in very DUNAFON simple terms,” Thompson said.

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the death of a viable fetus,” Foster said.

“I would be surprised if Colorado doesn’t introduce such legislation,” he said.

“Amendment 67 would outlaw all abortions, even in the case of rape and incest, and would outlaw common forms of birth control,” McLachlan said. “I am strongly opposed to this amendment.”

The implementation of Amendment 67 would make it so that the state of Colorado would recognize fetal homicide under the state’s criminal code as it presently is in 38 other states, Sutherland said.

“The Personhood Amendment shows up just about every election,” Foster said. “It’s usually gone down by defeat, usually by a pretty good margin.”

But Amendment 67 has a better chance of passing this year than in other years because in off-year elections, a different set of people show up to vote, he said.

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First Durango Pot Shop Reopened for Business Some of Durango Organics’ marijuana plants.

Story by Whitney Kidd

Photos by Drew Lovell

fter a brief opening and closing at the tail end of September, Durango Organics and Wellness Center has opened its doors to recreational customers once again.

The store opened and subsequently closed its recreational side on Sept. 26.

“We did get a phone call on Sept. 26 from the Marijuana Enforcement Division asking us about when we were opening, and when I informed them that we had opened, they asked if we had had our product potency tested,” Jonny Radding, Durango Organics and Wellness Center co-owner, said.

Radding said he told the MED that their product had not been tested because it did not need to be, seeing as it was a one-time transfer of product from Durango Organic’s medical side to their retail side.

“I think there was some confusion on both ends,” he said. “It turns out that we were correct, and our product is still not potency tested at this point because it was

part of a one-time conversion from medical to recreational.”

The brief opening and closing of the shop was not due to the MED, he said.

“The enforcement division just asked

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Design by Madison Bush

us to stop selling marijuana, they did not put a cease and desist letter on our door, the city did,” he said.

The City received a call from the MED, who said Durango Organics was in Marijuana now available for retail violation of State requirements, sale at Durango Organics. Steve Barkley, Code Enforcement Officer, said.

“They wanted to advise us that the owners had voluntarily closed the retail marijuana sales,” he said.

Durango Organics was still allowed to sell non-marijuana products in the store, such as pipes, but not actual marijuana, he said.

“Upon consultation with the City Clerk, Manager and Attorney as well as the State, we opted to place a Cease and Desist order on the door of Durango Organics to ensure no accidental sales of retail marijuana,” Barkley said.

The State confirmed that Durango Organics was in compliance on Sept. 29 and the order was lifted, he said.

Radding said representatives of the MED were at the store on Monday, Oct. 6.

“They realized that there

were some issues on both of our ends that important to us.”

“They realized that there needed to be cleared up,” he said. “They All of the store’s product is grown lowere some issues on both of cleared us to be open and selling marijuacally in La Plata County where their enour ends that needed to be na products on Monday afternoon.” tire stock is grown in their warehouse, he The investigation is ongoing and acsaid. cleared up. tive, and when additional information is A Colorado resident can purchase - Jonny Radding, Durango ready for public release, it will be providup to an ounce of marijuana in one sale, ed by the appropriate agency, Natriece and an out-of-state resident can purchase Organics and Wellness Bryant, MED Communications Specialone-fourth of an ounce in one sale, he Center co-owner ist, said. said.

“We have two separate, distinct stores “The Marijuana Enforcement Divi“Nothing prevents those people from sion is working with the licensee and the now,” he said. “We have one shop that’s leaving and coming back again later in involved local law enforcement agency,” pure medical, and one shop that’s pure the day,” he said. recreational, and we don’t want to lose Bryant said.

In Colorado, a person 21 or older can Radding said the city putting the sight of our medical patients and our possess up to an ounce on themselves at a cease and desist letter on their door was a medical business because that’s extremely time, Radding said. bit discouraging, but the city also worked with Durango Organics to get the doors back open as soon as possible.

Durango Organics is the first of the recreational marijuana shops to open in Durango, but Radding said the store had other obstacles on the road to opening, after the Durango marijuana moratorium ended on July 1.

“There was a local neighborhood group called the Boulevard Neighborhood Association,” he said.

The Durango City council reversed its initial decision to disallow retail marijuana establishments in mixed-use neighborhoods, a movement that Durango Organics approved in a public testimony, Karen Anesi, BNA President, said.

Radding said the BNA association gathered signatures throughout the city and threatened the city government to move forward with a referendum to remove marijuana shops out of mixed-use neighborhoods unless the government did it themselves.

“Because of the reversal, the BNA was was one of the citizen groups to initiate a referendum,” Anesi said.

Even with recreational open, Radding said Durango Organics is maintaining their loyalty to the One of two doors Durango Organics has available for entrance. medical side.

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SOCIAL ISSUES

Female anatomy sugar cookies made for a Feminist Voice fundraiser.

HeForShe Movement Attempts to Change the Way Feminism is Perceived T Story by Hayley Renstrom

he HeForShe movement attempts to change the way feminism is perceived by the general population with the goal of uniting all genders and peoples for gender equality.

HeForShe is a campaign run by UN Women under the United Nations.

The campaign is concerned with promoting gender equality and specifically calling males to support feminism and gender equality, according to the UN Women website.

UN Women launched the HeForShe campaign on Sept. 20, 2014, and the commencement speech was given by Emma Watson, actress and UN Women Goodwill Ambassador, said Dana Mastrangelo, pres-

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Photos by Charine Gonzales and Hanna Maddera ident of the Fort Lewis College Feminist Voice student organization.

In her speech, Watson explained why she is a feminist and why feminism is important.

“I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men,” Watson said in her speech.

She also gave a formal invitation to men and boys to join the feminist movement.

“Men—I would like to take this opportunity to extend your formal invitation,” Watson said. “Gender equality is your issue too.”

With the recent negativity surrounding the feminist movement and the word fem-

Design by Hanna Maddera

inism in particular, UN Women strive to achieve equality between men and women, Watson said.

Men should support feminism, as they will also realize the benefits of gender equality, Mastrangelo said.

“Feminism is everyone’s concern, not just women’s,” she said.

According to Watson, the HeForShe movement will attempt to bring men and boys together with women and girls to strive for gender equality.

Feminism has been a subject of some consternation recently, Mastrangelo said.

For some of the general population, people view feminism and those who identify as feminist as abrasive.

“It’s a really, really simple, vague concept that most people agree with and live their lives alongside,” she said.

In her speech, Watson addresses this phenomenon of agreeing with feminist values but avoiding identifying as feminist.

“They may not know it, but they are inadvertent feminists who are changing the world today. And we need more of those,” Watson said.

Being inadvertently feminist is simply being in favor of equality for all genders, Mastrangelo said.

Feminism on campus has been growing over the years, said Nancy Stoffer, coordinator of Diversity Programs and the Gender and Sexuality Resource Center.

The Gender and Sexuality Resource Center, or “The G,” is a resource for all students to learn and understand feminist and Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender Queer, or LGBTQ, issues, Stoffer said.

“I personally think that if you understand what feminism is, I don’t really know anyone who is not a feminist,” Mastrangelo said.

Feminist Voice is a FLC Registered Student Organization committed to advo-

cating feminism and supporting feminists, Mastrangelo said. They meet in The G every Wednesday at 4:45 p.m.

“We kind of want to break down those systems that place he and she in like completely separate categories,” Jamie Draper, secretary of Feminist Voice at FLC, said.

The future of feminism and the feminist movement will bring many changes, though those changes are not completely known, Draper said.

Celebrities identifying as feminist is a step in the right direction, Mastrangelo said. However, when they identify as feminist because of concern for equality and safety of transgender and intersex people, the step is even greater.

What she really wants to see is more support for feminist scholars and activists, she said.

“We should definitely support people who are more qualified,” Draper said.

Feminists will also continue to invite the collaboration of more men in concern with issues that are really everyone’s issues, Stoffer said.

“No country in the world can yet say they have achieved gender equality,” Wat-

son said in her speech.

Feminism is perhaps sometimes viewed as a completely female movement, Mastrangelo said.

However, feminism is for the good of all people, she said.

“It has benefits for people of every orientation, every gender identity,” she said.

“When you’re trying to get equal rights, no one is losing any rights,” she said.

“That would be great to see people identifying as feminist, not because women deserve equal status as men, but because everyone deserves equal status,” Draper said.

Everyone benefits from feminism. No one is hurt, Mastrangelo said.

It doesn’t matter if the movement is called feminism, Stoffer said. What matters is if people are in favor of equality for everyone.

Whether someone identifies as a feminist or not, the HeForShe movement officials in conjunction with the feminist movement officials invite everyone to examine their priorities and stand up for equal rights for all, she said.

Student wearing Feminist Voice shirt, posing for a picture.

Door to the "G" where Feminist Voice meet on campus every Wednesday.

Inside of the "G." The

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ENTERTAINMENT

Indy on the Street What dead person would you least want to be haunted by, and why?

Molly Sobol Age: 19 Hometown: Sherman Oaks, CA Answer: Kurt Cobain, I’m picturing him dead with his face shot off, and that’s pretty scary.

LEO (July 23 – August 22): It’s getting brisk in the mornings, so don’t forget to bundle up when you leave the house! No more crop tops, okay?

VIRGO (August 23 – September 22): Keep a watchful eye on that bank account of yours. Swiping plastic is easier than it should be sometimes.

LIBRA (September 23 – October 22): Last week, you may have used the word “literally” when it was inappropriate. This week, hold back exaggerations behind closed lips.

Hayley Hudson Age: 20 Hometown: Pagosa Springs, CO Answer: Edgar Allen Poe, not cause I’m not a fan, but because he would say really dreary things. He is a creepy guy.

SCORPIO (October 23 – November 21): I hope you are friends with someone that wakes you up by belting an off-key “Happy Birthday” and shoving a doughnut and candle in your sleepy face.

SAGITTARIUS (November 22 – December 21): Find a Halloween costume that represents your free-flowing personality.

Like Shrek, he’s pretty whimsical under all those layers, right?

Marley Regan Age: 22 Hometown: Aspen, CO Answer: Jim Jones. He is messed up. Twisted soul.

CAPRICORN (December 22 – January 19): Pick up leaves around town and arrange them in a gradient from green to red. Then, press them in a book so you can remember their colors long after the vegetation dies for the winter.

Open Daily 970.247.1438

The

c D E F G H I J K L A B

CANCER (June 21 – July 22): Maintain your blissfulness this season by never missing an opportunity to step on a very crunchy leaf.

Shane Nelson Age: 20 Hometown: Lakewood, CO Answer: Hitler, he’s an overall mean guy. It would not be fun.

Indy

ARIES (March 21 – April 19):If something has you frustrated, pretend to shoot fire out of your fingertips. But don’t get so upset that we have to call the fire department.

GEMINI (May 21 – June 20): Yes, it is okay to binge watch the new season of your show, just don’t fall behind on your homework because of it.

Steven Travan Age: 18 Hometown: Englewood, CO Answer: Freddy Krueger, I never liked that guy. It’s the claws.

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An unoffical statement, written by an Indy staff member.

TAURUS (March 20 – May 20): You’re going to find a penny on the ground this week.

Save it in a jar with the rest of your change, and you’ll eventually have enough pennies to fund a trip to the place you’ve always wanted to visit.

Morgan Galvin Age: 20 Hometown: Coldspring, NY Answer: Michael Jackson, because he freaks me out.

Celebrating 30 years!

HOROSCOPES

960 MAIN AVENUE DURANGO, CO

mariasbookshop.com

AQUARIUS (January 20 – February 18): Immerse yourself in a new musician. Listen to all of their discography, learn obscure details about the group, and show them to all your music-savvy friends on their unbelievably expensive sound systems.

PISCES (February 19 – March 20): You deserve a foot rub; you’ve been running all over the place lately.

Recipe: Potato, Leek, and Kale Soup for 2-4 People Recipe and Photos by Carter Solomon

WHAT YOU WILL NEED:

1 table spoon olive oil 4 cups vegetable broth, low sodium if possible 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 large white onion, chopped 3 large leeks, using the white and light green part of the leek, cut in ¼ inch slices 3-4 cups chopped kale 4-5 large russet potatoes, sliced into ½ inch cubes Black pepper, rosemary, and crushed red pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Put the olive oil in a pan, and turn the stove on to a medium temperature. Put the chopped leeks, onion, and garlic into the pan. Let these cook for 10 minutes, or until the onions are clear. Be careful not to let the garlic burn.

Boil or microwave the potato cubes so that they soften some. When the potatoes are soft and the vegetables are cooked down, combine everything into a pot, now adding the kale and the vegetable broth.

The black pepper, rosemary, and the crushed red pepper can be added now as well.

Bring the soup to a boil, covering it with a lid. Stirring occasionally, cook at a medium temperature for 1-2 hours. Depending on your preference, you can add water so that the soup has more broth or you can leave it as is, which may mean it’ll be more of a stew-like consistency. Let cool and enjoy!

For those who like meat: chicken broth can be substituted for the vegetable broth, and a few pinches of bacon bits can be added when cooking the leeks, onion, and garlic.

Fashion, Fads, & Firsts How would you describe your fashion style in one sentence?

Levi Smith, Freshman “I would describe my style as the lack thereof. I wear what I can when I can.”

Cody White, Junior “I go to the thrift shop!

I buy hawaiian shirts because they’re awesome and cheap.”

Brenna Travis “I want to be comfortable. I like being comfy, cozy, and cute.”

The

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2014 2015 October 21, Tue., 7-9 p.m.

FLC Whalen Gymnasium Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking. Public talk, Q & A, and book signing. With FLC Concert Choir (Doors open: 6:30 for students, faculty, & staff with FLC ID. Public admission: 6:45)

For more information, please contact irish_b@fortlewis.edu

Dead Man Walking

October 22, Wed., 4 and 7 p.m.

Roshong Concert Hall, Jones Hall FLC Theatre Department - Reading & Talk Back: Dead Man Walking

October, “Death Penalty Photo Exhibit” by Scott Langley

(FLC campus: Center of Southwest Studies, Reed Library), Maria’s Book Shop, Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, Durango Public Library

All events are free and open to the public.