Volume 32, Issue 29, April 1, 2010

THE

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METROPOLITAN Vol. 32, Issue 29

Serving Auraria for 31 years

April 1, 2010

Campus violations Rallies follow Auraria Police Department crime logs show 85 percent of arrests are of people without a connection to school grounds •A3

health care bill signing • A9

Rolling into spring with fun in the sun

Jeremy Spira of Denver jumps a flight of stairs March 31 in front of onlookers along the Platte River pathway near Confluence Park. The recent heat wave has allowed the community to finally enjoy warm weather activities, such as in-line skating or just spending the day outside. Photo by Daniel Clements • dcleme12@mscd.edu

METROSPECTIVE

Season for mudbugs Louisiana fishermen question source of crawfish, the affect of lower temperatures on their population • B4

SPORTS

Softball sweeps Skyhawks, gears up to take on Orediggers • A13

A2 • NEWS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

7+ %/$.(

A3 • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

NEWS

“Baseball’s Opening day means a return, a rebirth and the assurance of some continuity in a world of uncertainty where few things last.”

- J. SEBASTIAN SINISI on A10

themet.metrostudentmedia.com

CAITLIN GIBBONS • NEWS EDITOR • cgibbon4@mscd.edu

Majority of arrests at Auraria lack campus connection, violent crimes

FEATURES

By Nic Garcia ngarci20@mscd.edu The Auraria Police Department arrested 367 people in the last 13 months. And 85 percent of them had no connection to the campus.

According to Auraria Police crime logs, 220 people were arrested for outstanding warrants. Most of the persons arrested with no affiliation to Auraria were likely transients said Auraria Police Detective Jason Mollendor. Another 29 people were arrested for trespassing.

Other reasons for people with or without campus business include: DUIs, drugs and paraphernalia and shoplifting.

“Being a public institution, the library and Tivoli are open to the public,” Mollendor said. “However, other campus buildings are not. And if after we’ve made contact (with a person) and they have no campus business, we’ll give them a warning.”

However, police officers will also routinely check any person they’ve stopped to see if there are warrants for their arrest, Mollendor said.

“If the person has a warrant, we’ll contact the Denver sheriff ’s office,” Mollendor said. And that person will be transferred downtown. Mollendor said further charges can be charged by the Auraria Police Department.

Any repeat or violent offender, Mollendor said, will be banned from campus.

Mollendor said despite the recent assaults on or around campus, Auraria is still safe. “All in all, to the threat level is low,” he said. “To say these people (without campus connections) are not a threat isn’t the case, but they’re not assaulting our students every other day, either.”

Student Trustee Kailei Higginson said the number of arrests of people without a connection to campus didn’t surprise him.

“It’s a problem,” he said. “But it’s the way it is. Our campus is open.”

And while Higginson said he feels safe, he urged all students to practice caution.

“Just because you’re on campus, it doesn’t mean we aren’t still downtown and face the same problems you do in LoDo,” he said.

Wellness Woes: “Understanding the health care bill” and “Battling my spring break bloat” Movie Review: “Clash of the Titans”

AUDIOFILES “The new 8track” Website offers fresh take on the mixtape

MULTIMEDIA Check out the latest update to the “In Their Shoes” series Also, the profile of a New Orleans crawfish farmer

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By Caitlin Gibbons cgibbon4@mscd.edu Great Futures Colorado, a non-partisan organization is asking voters, and the legislature to make a decision — DECIDE on the future of funding education in the state.

DECIDE is the acronym for the organizations proposed referred ballot measure, Decide: Education Cuts or Invest in our Democracy and Economy, which was announced March 24.

The measure, if it makes it to the Nov. ballot and garners the approval of Colorado voters, would make an amendment to the state constitution and allow the legislature to look for revenue streams to exclu-

INDEX INSIGHT ... A9 METROSPECTIVE ... B1 AUDIOFILES ... B6 SPORTS ... A13 TIMEOUT ... A18

WEATHER

367 Arrests

Exclusive revenue proposed for education Grass roots organization proposes amendment for long-term funding fix

THIS WEEK

>>>>

Cops corral non-Aurarians

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sively fund education at all levels in Colorado.

Rep. Debbie Benefield, D-Jefferson is introducing and sponsoring the joint-resolution in the House.

Sen. Suzanne Williams, D-Arapahoe will be the Senate sponsor.

“This joint-resolution would amend Article 9 of the constitution, concerning the authority to generate additional revenue for education,” Benefield said.

She said it is too early to talk about specific places the revenue would be drawn from.

“I don’t know what tax. This isn’t talking about taxes. It’s talking about letting us have the conversation about revenue,” Benefield said.

Rep. Judy Solano, D-Adams, said some of her most difficult decisions in the legislature have been to have to cut funding for education.

“It is time for the voters to decide if they think it’s OK to be 48th in funding for education,” she said.

Members of Great Futures Colorado said now is

the time to start this conversation with the citizens of Colorado.

Kristi Hargrove, from Gunnison, who is a PTA member in her kids school and identifies with the Republican party, said education is not partisan and should not be a partisan issue.

Metro’s Student Government President Andrew Bateman spoke on behalf of the Associated Students of Colorado.

The ASC is supporting the efforts to obtain another option for the legislature when it comes time to balancing the budget, Bateman said.

The joint-resolution will be introduced to the legislature, where it will need to pass through the education committee before reaching the floors of the house and senate.

It will need two-thrids support to make it on to the ballot in the fall for voters to ultimately decide.

4.01 • Chance of showers High: 60/Low: 40 4.02 • Chance of showers High: 49/Low: 30 4.03 • Mostly sunny High: 59/Low: 31 4.04 • Mostly sunny High: 63/Low: 35 4.05 • Sunny High: 64/Low: 36 4.06 • Mostly sunny High: 69/Low: 43 4.07 • Sunny High: 77/Low: 45

By Kendell LaRoche

CORRECTIONS To notify The Metropolitan of an error in any of our reports, please contact Editorin-Chief Dominic Graziano at dgrazia1@mscd.edu

NEWS TIP? If you have a news tip you would like to share, contact the news desk at 303-556-3423

A4 • NEWS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN BY THE WAY: In 1933, Mickey Mouse, an animated cartoon character, received 800,000 fan letters.

FF>>

Denver’s Visual Future

JURIED EXHIBITION OPENS APRIL 2 2010 AT MICHELE MOSKO FINE ART

FF>> | Denver’s Visual Future

is an exhibit in support of Auraria colleges designed to showcase the most progressive works created by visual art students, who as their careers advance, will influence the future of Denver's visual culture.

On view April 2 - 30, 2010 Michele Mosko Fine Art | 136 West 12th Ave., Denver CO 80204 Gallery open 12-5 pm Wed-Sat Opening reception and awards April 2, 6-9pm

michelemoskofineart.com Presented by STUDIO65 in collaboration with MMFA and CBCA For information call Brenda LaBier (757) 679-3381 or Julianne Nelson Maron (303) 881-8778

SGA hopefuls seek increased participation for spring election

By Beth Norris enorris5@mscd.edu Nationally, voter turnout for campus elections is low, around two percent. With 720 students out of the nearly 22,000 at Metro casting a vote, last year’s three percent turnout was above average, but student government candidates are trying new techniques to attract more

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participation this year.

Jacob LaBure will be a newcomer to the student government assembly if elected after the April 12-16 election, open to students via their MetroConnect account.

As a self-described “dark-horse candidate,” LaBure remains focused on getting non-voters to cast a ballot.

“Part of our candidacy is about bringing students to the table, it’s about bringing students into student government and about getting them more involved in their campus and their school,” LaBure said.

He hopes debates and forums for the candidates will encourage students to talk with the candidates.

“We’ve been talking to a lot of students about student government … about the budget, and about what the student government actually does for them,” LaBure said.

“We understand that many people don’t know about student government or how to vote,” LaBure’s running mate Megan Bench said. “So, we want to get out and talk to students about their wants and needs, about how to vote and how we can help them achieve those needs.”

His push for student awareness accompanies his hope that “… the amount of people that are running in this campaign, not practically in the senate but with the president and the vice president, all three [candidates] will be pushing for different types of constituents.”

LaBure said he wants to represent the entire student population.

“Overall our goal is to get all the students involved from every walk of life, from 23,000 different students,” he said.

Sammantha O’Brien, the current director of administration and finance for the SGA, is also running for president. O’Brien and her running mate Tess Halonen are using “Your Voice” as a campaign slogan as a way to gather, “… ideas from students on campus.”

“Our main focus is repairing the broken communication between the student body and their representatives,” O’Brien said.

Open communication with students is the strategy for all three candidates, but O’Brien also wants to “… engage students by asking them what they want, not just telling them what we plan to do.”

Unlike previous elections, O’Brien says, she wants to talk with students, not at them.

This bi-lateral communication is the key to improving voter turnout and improving student involvement with student government.

We want to enable the student body to take ownership of their power on campus, O’Brien said.

C.J. Garbo is also running for president and, as the current SGA vice president, is no stranger to student elections and wants turnout to increase.

“That is my focus, to improve voter turnout,” Garbo said. “I think that is the key to legitimizing anything that SGA does, is voter turnout, and student participation. So, I’ve been taking an active role in speaking in all my classes.”

Continued on A5>>

DID YOU KNOW? The first product to have a bar code scanned was a pack of Wrigley’s gum. • THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • NEWS • A5

Economics expert tells tale of two countries Guest speaker dissects triumph, tragedy in Africa

By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu Visiting professor Scott Beaulier came to Auraria March 30 to discuss two topics: the best of times and the worst of times.

His presentation, “A Tale of Two Countries: The Extreme Experiences of Botswana and Zimbabwe,” outlined his research on two sub-Saharan nations that share a geographical border but are located at opposite ends of the economic spectrum.

As the distinguished professor of capitalism at the Stetson School of Business and Economics at Mercer University in Georgia, Beaulier said he never intended to become one of the preeminent economic experts on Botswana — he expected his research on the African nation to just be a single project in a larger career.

“I never planned to be this weird ‘Botswana guy.’ It’s kind of surreal that this has become my research agenda but it’s something that I’ve grown very passionate about,” Beaulier said.

He said his passion for Botswana

came from his economic research, and from repeated visits where he witnessed first-hand how the people and culture of the landlocked nation bucked Western stereotypes of subSaharan Africa.

“Botswana has been the fastestgrowing country in the world by [gross domestic product] per capita for the last 40 years,” he said.

What Beaulier described as “the Botswana miracle,” is thrown into even sharper contrast by the fate of Zimbabwe during the same period of time.

“Zimbabwe is arguably the poorest country on the planet,” he said.

“Since 1980 through 2005, Zimbabwe’s economy has averaged -1.3 percent growth per year. That’s impressive in a bad way to grow negatively year after year for a 25-year period. It is a country going nowhere fast.”

Beaulier’s explanation for the disparity between the two neighboring countries centered on the governance styles of the two countries, which included differences in how leaders approach public debt, inflation and respect for market institutions.

Metro economics professor Alexandre Padilla invited Beaulier to speak as part of an ongoing Economic

Candidates call for election turnout <<Continued from A4

Going above and beyond the usual campaign push, Garbo wants a larger response from students in the upcoming election.

“I’ve actually taken the time to personally write a personal email to every president of every student organization that exists announcing my candidacy, asking to participate in their meetings and to come talk about what my presidency would be like for the SGA for next year,” Garbo said.

Garbo, who recently spearheaded the initiative that will provide new uniforms for Metro’s mascot, Rowdy the Roadrunner, wants to get students involved on all fronts. By doing “… something that’s highly visible, high profile, that will engage a sector of the student body that has never participated in student elections,” he hopes to include different parts of the student population.

“I think it’s just getting our butts out of the office, coming out and just doing one-on-one communication with the people walking around,” Garbo said.

“We want to do anything we can to reach out, not just say we’re going to reach out, do things to reach out,” he said.

Garbo’s vice presidential candidate, David Crumbaker has also been working on improving

voter involvement.

“We are going to do our best to make sure that we bring the students into the process more than they ever have before,” Crumbaker said.

“In fact this year we’ve even been proactive in that I drafted some legislation which was approved by the student senate, calling for the current student government in the fall of 2010 to invite representatives from the graduate student community,” Crumbaker said.

He wants former students, “… to come to the table and cooperatively devise a plan whereby the graduate students will become included in student governance at Metro State.”

This important “… process of shared governance” will take effect this fall bringing to the table “… an entirely new segment of student population,” Crumbaker said.

The SGA has more resources and power than students may realize.

They are allocated a large budget, almost $300,000 this year alone.

Nearly half of those funds are used for administrative costs, and the rest is allocated by the SGA for student benefit. The goal of producing a higher voter turnout will not just effect the candidates, but the entire student body at Metro.

As Garbo said, “… nothing that we do matters if only 2 percent of the student body knows we exist.”

Visiting professor Scott Beaulier compares the growth of Botswana’s economy to the larger region of sub-Saharan Africa during a presentation March 30 in Tivoli 320. Beaulier, a professor of capitalism at Mercer University, questioned the economic practice of comparing all nations in the region as one collective unit. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu Freedom Lecture Series designed to educate students about the human consequences of economic policies.

“I just hope students learned about the benefits of economic freedom and the importance of sound institutions for economic growth,”

Padilla said.

Metro political science major David Strungis agreed economic freedom was a powerful lesson in the contrast of Botswana and Zimbabwe.

“His main thesis is kind of common sense in my opinion and there

are some good lessons to take away from his presentation,” Strungis said.

“I think it would be good for more [political science] students to come to these lectures because there’s a real engagement and dialogue that could happen.”

Aviation to launch upgrades Government award prompts flight simulator purchase

By Brian Mees bmees@mscd.edu The Metro aviation program will receive a $200,000 federal grant so pilots-in-training can transition to a smoother career take-off.

But before any money can be exchanged, Jeffrey Forrest, professor and chair of aviation and aerospace science at Metro must submit a proposal for how the grant funds would be allocated.

The idea of buying a glider for students to use was toyed with, but ultimately rejected. “$200,000 isn’t going to take me far,” said Forrest.

He suggested the grant would be best spent on small aircraft simulators and the integration of new electronic tools.

Some of the single-engine simulators have been known to freeze up, sometimes during tests, said Anastasia Parmenter, an aviation student at Metro. She said she was very excited about better simulators.

Students who want to be pilots must practice flying real planes in addition to spending many hours on simulators.

Tuition doesn’t cover flying lessons, so a glider would help students financially.

“The glider would be interesting

Tom Fowler practices a missed approach March 29 in a simulator in Metro’s Aviation and Aerospace Science Department. Photo by

Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu

and fun, but it would be in much too high of demand,” Parmenter said.

Each simulator must be customized to represent a specific type of plane and a new one can cost about $380,000.

Forrest had originally asked for $5.4 million in the grant. Though the program is only getting a fraction of what was requested, Forrest is optimistic.

For now, the glider is off the table, but,“it’s something we can get a grant for later,” said Forrest.

The grant can lead to more networking opportunities with commercial aviation companies through simulator manufacturers such as Jeppesen and Frasca International, Inc.

Companies get a lot of feedback on their products from the students using them. “The world is now just one big community, you’ve got to think global,” remarked Forrest.

This won’t be the only grant the aviation department applies for this year. In addition to expanding and upgrading the equipment, more teachers are needed.

Many classes in the department are simulator-based classes and must be kept small (around 6 or 7) so each student can be given enough guidance to learn the complex equipment.

Most of the professors have 10 or more years of experience as a professional pilot.

A6 • NEWS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN GUESS WHAT: The pet ferret was domesticated more than 500 years before the house cat.

Recession opens doors for student internships College coordinators seek to raise awareness for career opportunities

By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu

In the six years since the Metro Internship Center last hosted an open house for students and faculty, the college has seen record high enrollment and Colorado has witnessed record numbers of state residents file for unemployment.

Against this backdrop, the internship center has some good news: more employers are turning to interns to meet their employment needs and to start new careers.

To raise awareness about internship opportunities, Rhonda Eaker, the director of the internship center, said her office would host an open house from 1 to 6 p.m., April 7 at 1045 Ninth Street Park at Auraria.

“The economic climate has been a mixed bag. We have seen fewer paid internships for a few of the fields but more companies are turning to interns to meet their workforce needs,” Eaker said.

According to the internship center’s annual report, Metro partnered with 659 employers to place 1,171 students in internships during the 2008-2009 school year.

With an average per-hour payrate of $13.49, the report estimated Metro students

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earned more than $3 million during the 20082009 school year.

But the report also warned that employers were moving away from paid internships and “the impact of the economic slowdown has probably not yet hit us fully.”

Eaker said that many employers prefer Metro interns because of a higher level of maturity the students demonstrate.

“Metro students usually have a larger breadth of experience. Many of our interns have already worked outside jobs and have families to support,” Eaker said.

Arianna Lott, an assistant with the UCD experiential learning center, said her office has also seen a record amount of interest from local employers.

“This semester has definitely been the highest in terms of the amount of internship placements. Students become more aware of more internships during the spring semester as they get close to graduation,” Lott said.

Eaker said the open house would be an opportunity for students to meet the three coordinators and to set up appointments to go over internship requirements and paper work.

“This open house is not just for the students, but faculty members as well,” she said.

“Our instructors are often the ones who recommend for students to come visit our office.”

For more information on the open house and Metro requirements for credited internship placements, visit www.mscd.edu/internship.

F.Y.I: If you attempted to count to stars in a galaxy at a rate of one every second it would take around 3,000 years to count them all. • THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • NEWS • A7

De La Torre files request to sue Metro Professor takes legal action after being fired for falsifying information on dossier

TImelIne oF evenTs leadIng To TermInaTIon March 2008

By Andrew Flohr-Spence spencand@mscd.edu A former tenured professor filed a complaint March 8 against Metro with the Federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, asserting the college dismissed her unfairly.

Angelina De La Torre, who worked at Metro for 19 years in the criminology and Chicana/o departments and was dismissed in 2008 for mistakes on her review dossier, claims the college failed to give her enough time before a post-tenure review when she returned to work after more than a year’s leave of absence.

Her case asserts she was not given proper accommodation for disability and that Metro fired her in retaliation for her work with the faculty union and for testifying against the college in a previous discrimination case filed in Colorado district court, a case which Metro lost.

She is asking the EEOC to investigate the case and grant her a “right to sue letter,” which would allow her to take Metro to court for discrimination.

“I was gone for more than a year … and the moment I got back, I was up for my review,” De La Torre said.

Post-tenure is an in-depth career review that all professors must undergo usually every five years, unless allowed to delay the process due to exceptional circumstances. The review process looks into everything the teacher has done over the period, their conduct inside the classroom as well as what they do outside the classroom and compares this with the professor’s stated goals. The process can take several months.

De La Torre said because of her long absence from work, she felt unprepared for the review.

“So I applied for a postponement and they turned me down,” she said. “It was really kind of crazy … I thought there was something going on.”

The post-tenure review board, reviewed her case in spring 2008, found her review dossier included inaccuracies.

At dispute was De La Torre’s claim that a paper she presented was published in an academic journal. The college found that the journal did not include her article and in November 2008 moved to dismiss the professor.

De La Torre appealed, citing the fact she had been at the

Post-tenure review (PTR) process begins for De La Torre

May 2008 Luis Torres requests a copy of the article in question from De La Torre’s dossier

PTR Evaluation conducted

June 2008 Notice of possible disciplinary action

Torres submits a memo regarding his interview with De La Torre

Torres submits a report regarding the investigation

De La Torre submits a memo to Torres

August 2008 Notice of meeting with Metro President Stephen Jordan Angelina De La Torre File photo by Drew Jaynes • ajaynes1@mscd.edu

conference, presented a paper and even had a cashed check from the organization and a phone bill showing she talked to them. The investigation into her case could not confirm if the journal had made a mistake in publishing, as the journal declined to answer any questions for legal reasons. The review concluded the professor had tried to deceive the school to further her career, a claim De La Torre also disputed.

De La Torre, who has a doctorate of law from UCLA, received Metro’s 2007 Espiritu de Aztlan Award, an award for commitment and mentoring in the Latino Community, is an adviser to the Colorado Supreme Court.

She is featured in a 1999 college publication highlighting Metro and said she had no need to make up “something as little as the proceedings of a conference.”

Despite her appeal, the Metro Board of Trustees ruled to uphold her dismissal in November of 2009.

The EEOC will now investigate the claim, a process that takes up to a year, and if De La Torre’s case is successful, she said she will take the case to federal court and sue for damages.

November 2008 Jordan issues a notice of disciplinary action, dismissing De La Torre for cause

December 2008 Request for hearing filed by De La Torre

April 2009 Initial decision of the Hearing officer

Respondents trial brief

May 2009 Final appeal made by De La Torre to the Metro Board of Trustees

March 2010 Complaint formally filed with the EEOC office, claiming Metro treated De La Torre unfairly

Fired professor spurs in depth resume review

Reporting class checks credentials; no major infractions found

By DJ Reetz dreetz@mscd.edu A check of faculty resumes among four state universities has revealed that credentials are in order.

The search focused on 43 professors at Metropolitan State College of Denver making up the department chairs as well as the deans of the three schools contained within the college. Additionally, chairs of the English, history, math and biology departments were scrutinized at the University of Colorado Boulder, Colorado State University Ft. Collins, and the University of Colorado Denver.

Of the 58 resumes checked none were found to contain instances of willful academic dishonesty. The only notable error was a typo regarding the publication volume in the resume of Thomas Blumenthal, chair of the molecular, cellular and devel-

opmental biology department at CU Boulder. This error was not deemed academic dishonesty as the date of publication and location within the publication was correct. The findings show that school officials are doing a good job of reviewing faculty credentials. Additionally, employment history was checked and revealed no misrepresentations.

The search follows the recently upheld firing of Angelina De La Torre from Metro for alleged academic dishonestly stemming from a discrepancy found on a resume submitted during a post-tenure review.

The error regarded an incorrect date of publication of a journal submission. It was deemed an intentional misrepresentation, which is grounds for dismissal. Academic dishonesty is a very serious matter to institutions of higher learning.

“Consequences for outright fraud would be dismissal,” said Vicki Golich, Metro’s Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs.

According to Golich, the responsibility for verifying credentials falls on a search/hiring committee and hiring authorities. Degrees awarded are very easily confirmed, says Golich, by an academic transcript, while employment history is confirmed through a background check. However, non-academic awards such as community honors can be harder to check, Golich says.

CU takes the process of checking credentials even further.

“We take it quite seriously,” says Bronson Hilliard, a spokesman for CU Boulder.

“Any kind of misrepresentation would be a violation of the employee contract,” Hilliard says, a violation that would lead to a review, sanctions, and possibly termination of employment.

However there are steps in place to prevent the hiring of dishonest individuals, says Hilliard. These steps include a full criminal background check as well as a three-part review.

Jeff Cox, CU’s associate vice chancellor for faculty affairs, outlined the process that potential instructors must undergo. Members of the department in which the prospective employee is hired conduct an initial check of credentials. This step, says Cox, is most likely to reveal academic fraud as department members are generally familiar with the prospect’s area of study and can confirm publications and claims.

After the initial departmental review the prospective employee’s resume is passed to the college dean where it is further scrutinized. It finally goes to the provost’s office for final confirmation of degrees and employment history.

The process is amplified for tenure-track employees, says Cox. Professors seeking tenure must not only undergo a more rigorous version of the process described, but must also face examination by external specialists. Professors must also undergo annual salary review in which publi-

cations and teachings are confirmed.

Unintentional mistakes, such as the one found on Blumenthal’s resume, are not generally grounds for punishment, Hilliard says. However, mistakes on resumes can appear sloppy in the eyes of fellow faculty members and, Hilliard says, are not desirable.

Most unintentional mistakes are generally caught at a low level of the review process, says Cox, and when it comes to a question of intent: “We don’t leave questions like that unanswered,” he says.

InvesTIgaTIve reporTIng Class Jesse Drotar Michael Martinez Benjo Morales DJ Reetz Sean Stebbins Chakhan Thomas Nacole Turner Ramon Viallarreal

For insight into the reporting process, visit themet.metrostudentmedia.com

A8 • NEWS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

A look at federal legislation

What’s

the

On March 14, Congress passed one of the most influential pieces of legislation in decades in a sweeping overhaul of the health care system.

In addition, under the radar of media coverage from Tea Party protests to public inflammatory arguments against the new health care bill, Congress passed the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act – practically unnoticed.

The bill makes significant increases to federal student loans, promises to give money back to higher ed. institutions and projects to save taxpayers over $60 billion, all while cutting the banks out of the entire process.

So, what is actually in the bill and why does it matter to students? And why did protests erupt in Washington D.C. surrounding the health care bill and who are the voices against it?

The Metropolitan takes a look at the weekend that made history in legislative reform.

Top 10

BIGdeal?

Stories and photos by Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu

Changes to the Auraria community On March 30, President Barack Obama solidified sweeping legislation eliminating banks from federal student loan programs, giving a substantial boost for grants and promises to invest in minority-serving institutions.

The Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act overrides the last college aid reform enacted four decades ago – and has far more impact for individuals hoping to re-enter college.

“This legislation is a win for students and parents struggling to make ends meet to fulfill the dream of a college education,” Education Secretary Arne Duncan said.

“By ending subsidies to banks, we can make important investments that increase affordability and access to our nation’s universities and community colleges.”

The legislation was passed under the umbrella of the health care reform as reconciliation between Republicans and Democrats.

The bill allows students to consolidate their loans, shortens the form to apply for FAFSA and increases their chances of receiving a federal grant.

Under the new student aid reform, the maximum federal Pell Grant award will be increased from $5,550 this year to $5,975 by 2017.

So far, in the 2009-2010 school year, Metro has disbursed more than $26.5 million of the federal Pell Grant to more than 8,000 students.

And that number is expected to rise, according to Metro’s Director of Financial Aid Cindy Hejl.

“The most interesting thing is that the federal government is opening up the possibility of students to be awarded a Pell Grant in the summer semester, even though they may have used up their eligibility for the year,” Hejl said in an e-mail.

Hejl encourages students who may have not considered applying for the summer semester to contact the Financial Aid Office now that those funds are available.

“Overall, our office feels that it is a good bill for Metro students,” Hejl said. “By switching over to the Direct Loan process, we have actually seen a faster loan delivery to our students.”

In addition to Metro, UCD and CCD have already switched to direct lending to expedite the process, but other state schools in Colorado who have not include Western State University, Adams State University and University of Northern Colorado. All of them expect to have changed by

the beginning of the fall semester.

Also included in the measure is $2.55 billion for job training to be given to historically black and minority-serving institutions, such as CCD; Metro is currently seeking accreditation in that arena.

CCD Director of Financial Aid Services Karla Nash said although she is disappointed with the final switch in legislation from the originally promised $10 million, she is excited for the increase to the Pell Grant program.

“This is community colleges’ day in the sun,” Duncan said.

CCD has almost doubled their recipients from the 2008 – 2009 to the 2009 – 2010 school year, and Nash also expects those numbers to rise as well.

“We’re hopeful [federal funds] will limit the debt some of the students are taking on as student loans,” Nash said.

“These colleges and universities have continued to do a lot more with a lot less,” said Director of Domestic Policy Melody Barnes. “These dollars will go out to ensure programs and address issues around class size, the substance of these programs that they are aligning and better alignment with the private sector.”

However satisfied most students and administrators feel about the legislation, some are not on board. As someone who has read the entire bill, UCD Chair of Finance Board Josh Diller said he is suspicious of the interest increasing from 3.4 to 6.8 percent.

“They’re balancing the health care bill on the backs of students,” Diller said.

Metro Student Trustee Kailei Higginson also dislikes the general nature of the bill because it doesn’t account for those middle class students who may not be eligible for Pell Grants.

“It doesn’t target … why the cost of higher education is so high,” Higginson said. “It simply says that business is bad and a college student isn’t smart enough to figure out [which] loan program gives them the lowest interest rate.”

The bill projects to save taxpayers over $60 billion over the next decade and some of the savings will go toward reducing the nation’s deficit and helping to pay for expanded health care, according to both Duncan and Barnes.

The legislation is part of President Obama’s domestic goals to have the highest amount of college graduates in the world by 2020.

essential facts you need to know about...

STUDENT AID REFORM All of these provisions hope to reduce the federal deficit at least $10 billion over 10 years.

Commits $68 billion toward college affordability and deficit reduction over the next 11 years.

Students who responsibly make monthly payments for 20 years will be forgiven of their debt – as opposed to 25.

Starting July 1, all new federal loans will be direct loans.

Allows for more than $40 billion in federal Pell Grants .

Puts away $750 million to increase college access and completion, specifically increased funding for the College Access Challenge Grant.

New borrowers after 2014 can cap their loan repayment at 10 percent.

All direct loans will be collected by private companies under contract with Department of Education.

Increases the max Pell Grant scholarship from $5,550 in 2010 to $5,975 by 2017 and allows more students access to them.

Gives $2.55 billion for historically black and minorityserving institutions.

THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • NEWS • A9

Washington D.C. March 13 –15

Protesters mix with proponents for the bill March 12 on the lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. Mild confrontations between each group occurred.

Members of the Congressional Black Caucus pass angry protesters March 13 on their way into the Cannon Building. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), far right, is one of the members who has criticized Tea Party protesters for yelling racial slurs at the group.

A historic weekend with bitter beginnings

TOP: As Democrat and Republican representative emerged from the U.S. Capitol Building to watch the rally, protesters took the opportunity to snap photos and shout, “Kill the bill!” ABOVE: Andrew Howell, a student from North Carolina, rallies in opposition to the health care bill March 14 at the U.S. Capitol Building.

Before “hell no you can’t!” ricocheted in the room full of representatives, similar rally cries were heard days before the passage of the health care bill.

Voices in opposition erupted on the steps and lawns in the U.S. Capitol March 20 and 21 as the crowd waved flags and held up signs with one reoccurring theme: “Kill the bill!”

Made up of mostly Republicans, conservatives and members of the Tea Party, protesters came from as far as Florida just a day after they heard about the rallies.

Nicole Zimmerman found information on Facebook, and traveled from Philadelphia to protest against irresponsible government spending.

“For me, it’s a spiritual war,” Zimmerman said.

Kathleen Waligore, a member of the Tea Party, called the bill a “power grab” for Democrats.

“We got to get real here. Yes, we want health care, but this isn’t the way to do it,” Waligore said.

“It’s not going to work and it’s going to bankrupt the country,” said Nancy Woodrow, who also came from Philadelphia to gather among hundreds.

Woodrow and others stood in line on the steps of the Cannon Building to tell their elected representatives the bill was unconstitutional and to vote nay, which as promised, every Republican did.

Each representative had two choices — walk across the street from the U.S. Capitol and into the Canon or use one of the passages underground.

As they passed, Republican representatives shook

hands and shared laments. However, Democrats received more than just a cold shoulder.

It would start as a small “boo” from one corner and the low baritone would travel in a wave across the crowd. Parents and their children joined together to chant “Nancy, Nancy,” to coax Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi outside. On occasion, a person would step up a bit out of line and shout: “You’re going to lose your jobs!” to one of the passing Democrats.

In one of the ugliest and widely-reported confrontations, members of the Congressional Black Caucus criticized protesters for yelling racial epithets against them; Rep. Emmaunel Clever (D-Mo.) was spat on and House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told the Washington Post: “ I have heard things today that I have not heard since March 15, 1960, when I was marching to get off the back of the bus.”

Still, rallies across the country continue.

On March 31 the Tea Party Express will stop by Grand Junction and Denver to gather state support against the new health care reform.

HEALTH CARE REFORM Donut hole: government picks up The bill provides more incentives for the tab for elderly’s prescription offices to consolidate their space and use an electronic medical record premiums. system.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill lowers the national deficit by $138 billion over 10 years.

There is no public option.

Employers with more than 50 workers must provide insurance.

Insurers set up plans you can choose from, rather than filtering through them.

Insurance companies will no longer be allowed to deny coverage based on an individual’s preexisting condition.

Teens can stay on their parent’s plan until they are 26 years old.

Health care reform costs $943 billion over 10 years – as opposed to the $2.5 trillion we spend today.

Many Republican provisions went into the bill, but no Republican voted for it.

A10 • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

INSIGHT

"It kind of helped us beat them to really prove to ourselves that we're a really strong team and we're coming out there gunning for number one."

— SOFTBALL SECOND BASEMAN SARAH RUSCH ON A13

Time begins on Opening Day Play ball!

French philosopher Jacques Barzun once wrote “…whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball…”

Similarly, Washington Post baseball writer Tom Boswell titled one of his books “Why Time Begins on Opening Day.” Looking to Opening Day, I’m thinking of both Barzun and Boswell, plus another Frenchman – Marcel Proust – while scribbling this in a bed at St. Joseph’s Hospital in Denver after surgery for prostate cancer.

It went well and I’m feeling good enough to play Proust, if not baseball. As French or even English majors may know, Proust did the revisions to his monumental “Remembrances of Things Past” while convalescing in a hospital bed.

I’m no Proust (or Boswell or even Barzun) and most of Proust’s prose wouldn’t get past today’s copy desks, where they still exist. But back to the magic of Opening Day. Baseball’s Opening Day means a return, a rebirth and the assurance of some continuity in a world of uncertainty where few things last.

Coming after a cold and snowy winter of the kind we’re told used to be the norm, the trinity of Spring, rebirth and Opening Day is especially welcome for fans. Opening Day serves as a secular version, for fans, of Spring’s rebirth rites, celebrated in ancient Norse and German religions and later borrowed by Christians for Easter. On Opening Day, fans are treated to the illusion that all things are still possible. When all teams and players start with the same blank scorecard; and any team can win a pennant and World Series.

The Rockies, whose home opener comes April 9 against the San Diego Padres, have already offered a small trove of Opening Day drama for fans to savor during their fairly short tenure of just 18 seasons. Baseball’s much longer landscape dates to the Cincinnati Red Stockings, who first played major league ball as we know it in 1869.

When 85,000-plus fans packed old Mile High Stadium for the Rockies first-ever home opener in 1993, they were treated to the first inning drama of a first at-bat home run by Eric Young en route to a win over the Montreal Expos (now the Washington Nationals). I was there among Colorado fans who were ecstatic, although some still thought of baseball in the football terms of quarters and second halves.

The Rockies opener that inaugurated Coors Field in 1995 was more memorable, for several reasons. It was played later in April as the result of a 1994 players’ strike in mid-August that wiped out the playoffs and World Series.

But for the strike, the Rockies’ home attendance was on track to break five million and all previous single-season records.

Both the owners and players’ union shared blame, but observers agreed that the main onus was on club owners' shoulders.

I covered that Opening Day, against

the New York Mets, for the Denver Post. The game started around 5 p.m. with snow outside the foul lines.

Met's catcher Todd Hundley hit the firstever grand slam at Coors and the game was tied after nine innings. It didn’t end until Dante Bichette hit a three-run homer into the center field bleachers in the bottom of the 14th inning, far into the night. Most fans went the distance.

Opening Day that year also saw a newball park return to an urban setting – Denver’s LoDo in that case – after baseball’s disastrous 1970s experiments with sterile and oval-shaped “multi-use” stadiums. They were passable for football, but terrible for baseball.

Coors Field, designed with features borrowed from ball parks like Brooklyn’s Ebbets Field, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and Detroit’s Tiger Stadium, is a throwback to old-style ball parks; albeit with plenty of modern-day luxury seating and revenue-producing distractions.

It was ironic. Baseball had abandoned most of its in-town parks in favor of sterile stadiums surrounded by parking lots and a lunar-landscape charm. By the late 1980s, few could pretend that hadn’t been a huge mistake. But the 1990s saw a return to new parks designed to look and feel old; with modern amenities.

The St. Louis architecture firm of HOK engineering designed the first new/old ballpark that opened in 1988 in downtown Buffalo, New York, for the Triple-A minor league Buffalo Bisons. There, the Bisons drew 1.2 million fans; more than many major league teams.

HOK followed with Camden Yards in Baltimore, and a new Comiskey Park for the Chicago White Sox prior to Coors Field.

While Camden, Coors and subsequent HOKdesigned parks were hailed as outstanding

BIGGER VIEW

End run wrong way to take on TABOR Rather than trying to skirt the Taxpayer’s Bill of Right to raise education taxes, it would be better to take on broader reforms.

J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com architecture, the new Comiskey was not. It was, and remains, a steep-seated stadium with fans far from the field, and nobody accused it of being an HOK success story.

Reportedly, when HOK presented its first plan for the new Orioles’ park, chief architect Janet Marie Smith rejected it as a stadium and not the ball park the Orioles wanted.

So HOK went back to the drawing board, came up with a masterful plan for Camden Yards and palmed the old design off on the White Sox. When the 1995 Rockies debuted at Coors Field, they were in a setting that recalled another Tom Boswell observation, in his “How Life Imitates the World Series”: “… decades after a person has stopped collecting bubble-gum [baseball] cards, he can still discover himself collecting ball parks. And not just the stadiums, but their surrounding neighborhoods, their smells, their special seasons and moods…”

You just don’t get much of that in the concrete prairies of suburban stadium parking lots.

Although spring training means little in terms of the real season, the 2010 Rockies have shown impressive moments and a lineup to inspire Opening Day hopes that may be more realistic than usual.

They’re throwing me out of the hospital this afternoon, so it’s time to stop playing Proust. See you Opening Day.

DAVE LARSON larsodav@mscd.edu

Denver Post Editorial Staff March 28, 2010 Democratic lawmakers and public education supporters should earn extra credit for hatching an idea to get around TABOR restraints to raise more money for education. However, the attempted end run still falls flat.

The coalition, which calls itself Great Futures Colorado, has its heart in the right place. It wants Colorado legislators to send a ballot measure to voters that, if approved, would give lawmakers the power to raise taxes for K-12 schools and higher education without seeking voter approval.

Asking voters to raise taxes is a central requirement, and a popular element, of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which was cemented into Colorado’s constitution by voters in 1992.

The revenue constraints in TABOR have long bedeviled our elected state lawmakers when it comes to properly allocating tax dollars for critical services, such as public education. By preventing them from raising taxes, it has also curtailed representative democracy in the state.

The Great Futures plan comes after the legislature has been forced to cut funding for higher education and is set to slice $260 million from public schools. The funding reductions represent serious challenges for educators. And it’s only expected to get worse next year when the stimulus money from the federal government dries up.

It’s highly unlikely that the coalition will be able to convince the required two-thirds of lawmakers to send the measure to voters.

However, this is a good chance for Great Futures to force the issue into the public eye and possibly pave the way for a citizen-issued ballot measure.

We may be inclined in the future to support the coalition if they take on the broader problems of TABOR, and not just carve out an exception for education.

We’ve long called for changes to TABOR, and we support the so-called Colorado Reform Roundtable, which might propose a ballot measure in 2011 to make major reforms to it.

Republican critics of the Great Futures effort essentially see it as a bait-and-switch method of raising taxes, ostensibly for education, but that would also go to other programs. The limited approach could yield such a result.

That’s why we think it would be better to take on the broader constraints of TABOR. Before the economic collapse, TABOR diminished state services and jeopardized higher education by slowing the growth of government.

It has been defanged a bit over the years, starting with Referendum C, which got rid of the so-called ratchet effect and allowed a five-year timeout on revenue limits, so the state could keep the money it collected over TABOR limits.

That timeout runs out this year, just as the economy should begin to recover.

It’s time to start talking about bigger changes to TABOR.

B1 4.1.2010 THE METROPOLITAN Ashley Moreland Features Editor amorela1@mscd.edu April Zemyan Assistant Features Editor azemyan@mscd.edu Dacia Johnson Assistant Features Editor djohn205@mscd.edu

F ashionable folds go beyond the crease

Metro{

Jessica Gates makes a phone call backstage after her runway performance in the 6th Annual Paper Fashion Show March 16.

Paper fashion show auctions garments to benefit Aurora art program for kids of all ages

Story by April Zemyan azemyan@mscd.edu Photos by Chancey Bush cbush5@mscd.edu

Nika Crist waits backstage dressed in her "East Meets West" designed outfit during the Paper Fashion Show. Her garment won judges' top pick.

Bader said he likes the idea of designing for a good reason.

“I think it’s great to work for a good cause. I’m down for art departments in Aurora,” Bader said.

The Paper Fashion Show consisted of 42 teams and more than 150 people. Several companies, including Mohawk, donated the paper used for the garments.

Carol Ott of Mohawk said this was the first time she had attended the event, and the company values the involvement.

“It’s important for us to support the creative community in Denver. It’s also important for us to support DAVA,” Ott said.

}

A carefully cut layered black and yellow dress made its way down the runway. The dress was designed and cut with a laser. Beneath the black etched paper, a bright yellow peeked through, creating a floral detail pattern.

This dress, designed by team Paper Rock Lasers, and all other paper garments were auctioned off at the 6th Annual Paper Fashion Show on March 18.

The proceeds from the event went directly to

benefit Downtown Aurora Visual Art. DAVA, located in Aurora, has been involved with paper fashion every year. It works to keeps kids off the street, using different art forms and programs.

Viviane LeCourtois of DAVA said the money helps to fund programs and crafts such as drawing, video art, digital art and fashion.

DAVA has helped kids develop self-esteem through art since 1994. According to their website they have been successful in promoting healthy risk taking and community involvement.

Alan Bader, an industrial designer, said his team, Paper Rock Lasers, consisted of four members and they began planning their idea a month in advance.

Tayler Eggseuehlor struts down the runway in her theme outfit titled "Ice Cream" during the Paper Fashion Show.

Finding new passion, niche

B2 • FEATURES • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

Odd April Observances You all know about April Fools’ Day and Easter, but did you know April is also National Frog Month and the month in which Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Day is celebrated (the 20th)?

Here is a list of more wacky April holidays you can chose to celebrate — or simply laugh at:

1:

One Cent Day

3:

Find a Rainbow Day

5:

National Read a Roadmap Day

7:

No Housework Day

10: National Siblings Day 16: National Eggs Benedict Day 18: Pet Owners’ Day 20: Cuckoo Day 23: International Sing Out Day 24: Pigs-in-a-Blanket Day 25: National Telephone Day 26: Hug a Friend Day 27: Tell a Story Day 28: Poetry Reading Day 29: Zipper Day 30: National Honesty Day

Metro student returns to finish his degree and start a new business

By Donna Bowman dbowma13@mscd.edu A refugee from corporate America, one student yearned for his old passion of loving his profession. He wanted to be happy to go to work in the morning and missed the feeling of making a difference. He decided to obey his fervor and start his own business, but first he was going back to school.

Mike Yont had 15 hours to complete before earning his degree and had some free time as a result of downsizing the industry he engaged in for the last 25 years. Somewhere he had gotten lost in the responsibilities of life, family and job travel.

Yont began to reassess what he wanted out of life and had an idea for a business that kept rattling around in his head; the plan just wouldn’t go away. He knew his company could provide better service than the big corporations. The business would provide hospitals and doctors’ practices with an enhanced ability to recover insurance billing and improve receivables flow at a lower cost. His company would also interface with patients to resolve disputes and create payment plans; ultimately helping hospitals and doctors to utilize their own employees’ skills.

“The current business environment is a challenge for starting a small business, but I believe the future should be much brighter,” Yont said. “Small businesses won’t replace corporations, but they can move much quicker with the market.”

Yont discussed the big-box mentality of corporate America, and explained corporations are so large and so profit-driven, they forget about the customer. Small businesses can

Michael Yont in his office March 25 in Englewood. Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu survive on closer margins and stay closer to the customer’s changing needs.

“Metro State lit the fire again,” Yont said. “There is always a fear factor but I felt I was in the right place to fine-tune my plan.”

Metro offered him the tools necessary to solidify the process of starting his business. Professor Nina Radojevich-Kelley’s “Fundamentals of Entrepreneurship” class gave him insight into his future challenges and needs.

“Mike came into my class with a well-thought-out idea and actively pursued it throughout the course,” Radojevich-Kelley said. “He was focused on the entrepreneur process throughout the semester and truly enjoyed the idea of starting his venture someday.”

Yont said he felt confident about opportunities from the other students and he loved being surrounded by this palpable passion. He was challenged, prepared and relieved of

his fear. His business plan, which he put together a few months earlier, received the necessary boost.

“If they can do it, I can do it.”

Yont said about his fellow students’ infectious excitement.

As a self-admitted competitive type, he wanted to get the diploma and start his business. He had one partner who came to the same conclusions about what they could offer their industry. During a chance meeting at a sandwich shop in Denver with old corporate friends, he put another piece of the puzzle in place: the equipment needed and a source for venture capital. Integral Health Care Solutions was set on its course.

Yont knew owning his own business meant he would do it all. He did not have a staff that could manage different parts of the business. While at Metro he gained the confidence, courage and additional skills he needed to succeed and graduated in May of 2009.

Yont is building his business today and is helped by using the skills he learned in class and the connections he developed in school.

“I certainly wouldn’t wait so long,” Yont advised. “Your business does not have to be the next Microsoft but you can be satisfied with what you are offering every day.”

He said there are more reward opportunities today than when he first attended college. The only thing he regrets is that he didn’t strive for his goals earlier.

“Mistakes will be made and the business might even fail, but all that experience will put any of us in a place of managing another company or something greater,” Yont said.

Spreading a wider net to protect people in need Club Beat

By April Zemyan azemyan@mscd.edu Social workers set out to help the community and provide justice for those in need. For Lauren Snyder, this has always been a desire.

As Snyder ends her last semester at Metro, she said she has learned a great deal from the Student Association of Social Workers (SASW).

SASW is a student organization highly involved in community service and social justice said Snyder, SASW’s outgoing president.

The club has been involved in a variety of events, and Snyder said members are very excited about the upcoming Comcast Cares Day at Metro. The event on April 24 will bring vol-

unteers together to help refurbish the campus.

It will also have a food bank.

Snyder hopes the club can get the word out about social work, especially on campus, at the event.

“It’s incredibly important to let people know what social work is, and let them know that it’s out there,” Snyder said.

Incoming president Aaron Smith said he would like the club to reach out to Metro students and help them understand what social work is.

“I think there’s a limited understanding of the roles that a social worker plays,” Smith said.

Another upcoming event for SASW is on June 3 when they will partner with the Department of Human Services Excellence Program, which is a branch of Denver’s Human Service program. The event will focus on foster chil-

dren who have recently graduated high school.

Snyder said since a lot of these students are interested in a career in social work because of their involvement in it, SASW will give them a tour of Auraria.

Smith said one of the big things he would like to see happen next semester is a social work forum. He said the forum will bring social workers from different organizations in to talk about misconceptions of the job.

Smith said, for him, the club serves as a mirror for involvement in society. He added that the club does not want to reinvent, but wants to assist efforts that are already present.

Snyder said she feels the club is important because it is accredited toward a career in social work.

“It’s helped me grow as a student and future social worker professional,” Snyder said.

There are a lot of opportunities in social work, which is good because if something becomes boring, there are many other areas to explore, Synder said.

“It’s opened my eyes for all of the potential involvement in different fields in social work,” Smith said.

With 30 members, SASW wants to open up membership, Snyder said. Even if incoming students are undecided about a major, they are encouraged to attend a meeting to learn more.

“It’s our passion to help people in need, in the community,” Snyder said.

For more information about SASW, visit: http//sasw.info.com or e-mail saswinfo@gmail.com.

Highway life at center stage

THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • FEATURES • B3

‘Mama Hated Diesels’ erases the anonymity of the truck drivers

By Lindsay Allen lallen31@mscd.edu Count your blessings with your sorrows. “Mama Hated Diesels,” directed by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, is a uniquely designed story that romanticizes the truckdriving lifestyle. The entire play is set in a truck stop diner where five truckers, and occasionally their families, reminisce about the good and bad times they’ve experienced on the road.

Mike Hartman, as always, gave a compelling performance. His character is always the easiest to fall in love with, and this play was no different.

The message may not have been as meaningful without Hartman portraying the hardships of delivering to New York City.

Incidentally, actor Charles Weldon plays a trucker, a pleasant and appropriate welcome back to the Denver Center Theatre Company after he took a three-year break from acting to drive an 18-wheeler.

The anonymity of the truck drivers is a common and effective way to convey that these are everyday people. What separates them from the average, however, are their occasional racist jokes along with a prevalent motive for revenge being displayed publicly. The hilarious tales of the road shared between the characters was derived directly from interviews conducted with truck drivers and their families.

The characters were somewhat quirky and highly consistent. It is ob-

vious from the introductions that one guy is struggling with being away from his family, another man is getting too old for the job and another can be admired for always having high spirits.

The women, for the most part, are portrayed as loving homemakers with the exception of one woman who predictably tells stories in which she derives joy from revenge.

The change in the industry of truck driving from independent to corporate was highlighted but could have been explored further to make a stronger impact. “Mama Hated Diesels” was performed with a band on the stage, relying on music to tell the story of truck driving — which is the declining economy has forced truck drivers to work for oppressive companies.

“Mama Hated Diesels” is worth checking out for anyone who has an open mind and a sense of humor. The play is especially targeted at those who have some background living in rural areas or listening to country music.

Others who may be interested are those who have passion for the road and those who are mature, as one particular joke was quite inappropriate. The nature of nearly all the other jokes should cause this play to be rated R. Considering the comedy and nontraditional performance style of the play, the audience extracting a moral is unexpected. One of several messages is that without truck drivers, people wouldn’t have all their

TechBytes

By Drew Jaynes ajaynes1@mscd.edu

Jeanne Paulsen and Mike Hartman in the Denver Center Theatre Company world premiere musical Mama Hated Diesels by Randal Myler and Dan Wheetman, directed by Randal Myler with musical direction by Dan Wheetman. Photo courtesy of Denver Center for the

Performing Arts.

commodities at the snap of their fingers. From steel used for building washing machines and dryers, to fresh produce for our breakfasts, society expects availability of everyday items. Yet, truck drivers are shunned by society, an unfair payment for the sacrifices they make.

“Mama Hated Diesels” The Stage Theatre April 1 — May 9

Climate change draws polar bears south

By J.T. Barthelemy jbarthe3@mscd.edu

As I write this review of a book devoted to the plight of polar bears and their natural habitat, all parts of the globe are involved in “Earth Hour.” This worldwide action of turning off lights and appliances is a call to attention. It is being done in order to remind political leaders that we can’t forget about the climate change issue just because we have health care.

Richard Ellis, who in the past has written about sharks, dolphins and whales, has made a good choice with the subject of polar bears in “On Thin Ice: The Changing World of the Polar Bear.” The correlation between the demise of polar bear habitat and global warming is a precise way to reinforce the devastation of climate change.

Ellis’ book lets us know global warming is no longer just an incon-

venient truth — it is a harsh nightmare we will not wake up from. Ellis writes with the gloves off.

Ellis takes us through the history of modern man’s coexistence — and I use that term loosely — with the polar bear into the blinding realism of the genocide we are inflicting upon our planet and its inhabitants.

Learning Internet’s language

He does a good job writing about lost sailors surviving polar bear attacks, but even better with explaining how polar bears are enduring the cruelties of hunters, killers and thrill seekers. Polar bears have only one natural enemy, and it isn’t the narwhals.

Just as some Native Americans lived alongside bison, the indigenous people of the Arctic region have lived with the polar bear. That said, it is doubtful a bison ever tore the face off of a Lakota warrior. Ellis tells of how every part of the polar bear is used for food, clothing or jewelry, and “the only thing that gets wasted is the bear.”

I am not a fan of “eco-tourism.” We leave our footprints near Churchill, Manitoba in order to ride tour buses to view the bears as much as when we leave thousands of empty oxygen tanks on Mount Everest. This book clears up the notion of encroaching on polar bear territory.

Simply put, if the nearest grocery

store burns down you will go looking for the next nearest one. So it goes with polar bear habitat. Polar bears are being forced into conflict with the one species on the planet that is a threat to them.

Most of the polar bears on the planet are located in the Arctic regions of Canada, although Alaska has its share. If global warming remains at its current pace — and Ellis gives that grim reality to us straight — fewer polar will be covered in snow between Sarah Palin’s porch and Russia.

If you have the guts to read about global warming and another species heading toward extinction, pick up “On Thin Ice.” Polar bears are more than cute animals on sleds drinking Coca-Cola; they are a definitive barometer of the irreversible horror of climate change and our own irresponsibility.

If you’re a regular Internet user and you haven’t yet learned the basics of HTML, you should be ashamed of yourself.

I’m talking about Hyper Text Markup Language, the display language used in the underlying structure of almost all Web pages.

First, let’s chat about what markup means and why it is beneficial to understand the basics of using HTML. At its core, Web pages are simply boxes full of data, and HTML helps present information to users in beautiful and organized ways. Standard markup can include tables, font settings, hyperlinks, image display and much more.

Say you’re not — and don’t plan to be — a Web coder. That’s fine, but knowing the basics of HTML can still be useful. For instance, many commenting systems on websites and blogs accept some HTML presentation formatting. Usually it’s limited to a certain set of tags, but the potential is there, and it’s easy to use.

Presentation formatting has to do with — you guessed it — presenting information in specific ways.

This includes bolding, underlining, italicizing and more. And the structure for this kind of markup follows a simple format.

An opening tag is placed before the content and a closing tag is placed after.

Breaking it down Most HTML elements follow a simple pattern. To bold, italicize or underline, just use the first letter as the tag. <b>Bolded</b> = Bolded <i>Italic</i> = Italic <u>Under</u> = Under It’s as simple as that!

Using HTML is sort of like using turn signals in a car. The blinking light — or the bolded text — is for everyone else’s benefit.

Making the effort to learn and use HTML in your online content will only make your message more effective. Capturing the essence is key and HTML can help you do it.

To read an expanded guide on HTML basics, and for links to easy-to-use resources on the subject, visit the TechBytes blog at themet.metrostudentmedia.com/ techbytes

b4 • METROSPECTIVE • April 1, 2010

Cajun crustaceans

THE mETropoliTAn

Living by the crawfish in Louisiana’s bayous has become harder as international farms create competition for local fishermen

Story by Gabrielle Porter gporter8@mscd.edu Photos by Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu Crawfisherman Joe Hover, is pictured behind his home March 24 in a neighborhood nicknamed “Monkey Island” in Jonesville, La. Hover, who is 76 years old, fishes in the wild for crawdads and still manages to make a good living off of his business.

On a farm, crawfish live in shallow, cultivated ponds planted with vegetation (rice, sorghum, etc.). Farmers manipulate the crawfish to breed and hatch at the same time to get an optimal crop, said James Aaron, Tillman’s sole full-time employee.

Despite the fierce competition between fishermen and farmers, both groups deal with the same market pressures.

Foreign imports have been a huge force on the Louisiana crawfish industry since they made their appearance on the U.S. market in the early ’90s. Chinese companies began shipping crawfish tail meat, which is packaged and processed.

As these companies’ labor and production costs were so much lower than their Louisiana competitors, they were able to effectively take over the market.

The U.S. government imposed huge anti-dumping duties on China to keep importers from drastically undercutting domestic crawfish values following an investigation in 1997. In April 2009, though, a company called Beaucoup Crawfish (also known as Riceland Crawfish) joined other food companies

in suing the government for allegedly failing to collect the tariffs on Chinese imported food.

“Illegal dumping of crawfish into Louisiana markets has never ceased,” said Stephen Minzielle, executive director of the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers Association. “We keep our finger on that pulse at all times.”

Mislabeling imports has also been an issue in foreign crawfish trade, Minzielle said. Labeling laws are only “somewhat” enforced.

“If they read the proverbial fine print, they’ll see that it’s not a domestic product,” Minzielle said.

“We don’t know for sure if we buy frozen and peeled [crawfish] in a store, actually where it really comes from,” said April Michel, a seafood retailer in Westwego, La. “Out here, the only way we know that it’s Louisiana [crawfish] is cause we went to the dock and picked it up.”

Another weight on crawfishermen and farmers is less predictable — the weather, especially this years cold snap.

“Where I’m at right here in history, as long as the record’s been taken, it’s

CENTER: From left, Cole Taylor hands James Aaron a lighter March 25 as their crawfishing boat crawls into one of the front ponds at the Cajun Crawdad’s Inc. farm in Jonesville, La. Aaron has been farming crawfish alone for approximately seven years for the owner of the land, Clifford Tillman. TOP LEFT: Aaron shows off some of his biggest crawfish catches of the week March 24. TOP RIGHT: Jason Millet drains a container of thawing shrimp March 17 at Amy’s Seafood Mart in Westwego, La. Millet, who is an employee at the seafood stall, sells various types of shrimp, crabs, fish and crawfish at the outdoor market weekly. only snowed 28 times, and it did it four times this year,” Aaron said. “I had a half inch of ice on my ponds.”

The cold damages the vegetation farmers grow in the crawfish ponds, which in turn kills the dependent microorganisms that the crawfish eat. Ice on the ponds could translate to a whole crop of stunted crawfish, Aaron said.

The low supply of crawfish has forced prices through the roof, Michel said.

The crawfish season runs approximately from the beginning of March until the end of May. Normally in March, retailers like Michel will sell crawfish for around $1.50 per pound. This year, Michel said, the crawfish shortage has kept

prices from $3 to $5 per pound, depending on the location.

Though this year has had recordlow prices, there’s no evidence of a permanent shift toward extreme temperatures, said Dr. Greg Lutz, a professor at the LSU AgCenter.

According to Lutz and his colleagues’ research, average monthly water temperatures in 2010 have been the lowest in a decade. Whether next year’s weather will be less extreme is anybody’s guess, Lutz said.

“We don’t see any sort of long-term trend or anything,” Lutz said. “These types of cold years are just going to come along occasionally.”

But whether crawfish come from meticulously cared-for ponds or wild parts of the bayou, Aaron said, they are undeniably an integral part of life in southern Louisiana, a demand that will come back every year.

“There’s definitely a cultural thing,” Aaron said. “The Cajuns that live out in the swamp, they live off of them.”

The cooking method is not something taken lightly, Michel said.

“It’s something that you have to do for years to get the technique down, with the right amount of seasoning, the right amount of soak time,” said one Louisianian who grew up in a family of fishermen. “It all plays a big part.”

April 1, 2010 • METROSPECTIVE • b5

Major holidays are always accompanied with a flurry of food-buying activity.

At Halloween, candy gets new and fancy wrappers and appears at the front of the store. At Thanksgiving, unbelievably large turkeys appear everywhere, and pumpkin pies sit enticingly on display.

With Lent drawing to a close and Easter right around the corner, nowhere is the frenzy more apparent in predominantly Catholic Louisiana than in the seafood industry. Fish, crab and shrimp are all popular choices, but in New Orleans, the short-lived season that everybody waits for has arrived — crawfish time.

“Crawfish boils” are a tradition, and an excuse, to throw a party and show off crawfish cooking skills. The biggest day for crawfish sales each year is Good Friday.

A combination of events has made 2010 a tough year for crawfishermen and their rival crawfish farmers.

Traditionally, Louisiana crawfish were caught by fishermen in the wild around the Atchafalaya Basin in the southeastern part of the state. Crawfish farming is a comparatively recent development, said Clifford Tillman, Jr. A Tennessee native, Tillman owns crawfish farms in Monterey, La. He sells some of his crop locally, and exports the rest to Mississippi.

B6 • AUDIOFILES • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

sounding off:

Davis’ keys to indie success

Shenandoah Davis is as free as a bird. The former Colorado native, turned Seattle resident, is presenting an amazing alternative to today’s singer-songwriter. Whether her versatile piano is anchored within a full-fledged band like Grand Hallway, or being utilized as the sole accompaniment to her powerful and poignant voice, there’s always be something beautiful arising from Davis’ 88 keys.

Interview by Ian Gassman • img2007@comcast.net IG: What is your connection to Colorado and its musical scene? How does it feel to come back home once in a while?

SD: I grew up in Colorado and, while I was involved in music in high school and studied classical music in Greeley, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that I became involved with the musical scene in Denver; after I had already moved to Seattle. My first solo show in Denver was with The Wheel, Ian Cooke, Paper Bird and Laura Goldhamer. [It was a] pretty magical lineup.

I love coming back to Denver, now. My dearest friends here, now, are people who I hadn’t met until after I had moved to Seattle. Maybe if I’d known Goldhamer and Long Spoon Records [or the] Hot Congress kids when I lived here, I wouldn’t have left.

But, there’s no saying what could have happened.

IG: How did you begin playing with Seattle’s Grand Hallway?

SD: I started playing with Grand Hallway last January. They saw me playing accordion with another Seattle band and asked me to open for them at a show. Then, invited me to join forces with them. The creative force behind [Grand Hallway] is Tomo Nakayama, [he is] the singer, songwriter and workaholic behind the band although everyone in the band collaborates and writes their own parts.

We are currently on our way to South by Southwest and after that we are going to work on releasing a DVD of a live performance we did in Seattle, the week before we left, with a 35-piece orchestra.

IG: When did you begin playing the piano and what has it brought into your life?

SD: I began playing the piano when I was three or four and eventually pestered my parents into letting me take piano lessons. Neither of my parents were very musical, but they have always been extremely supportive of all of my pursuits. Playing

[piano] has always been one of my absolute favorite things to do, especially on tour. I’m constantly looking for a piano in an empty room to sit with for a few hours.

IG: What influences help you achieve your unique sound?

SD: Growing up in a non-musical household, then studying opera in college, I was definitely much more familiar with classical and ragtime music than pop music. I think I was 18 the first time I heard The Smiths. After that [I] slowly got into The Velvet Underground and The Doors. You know, the stuff everyone else was listening to in middle school. So, I guess I’ve just stuck with what I know.

IG: What do you consider your musical style to be, beyond influence?

SD: I would say parlor music. That’s what another music journalist told me, anyway. When you start thinking too much about classifying yourself or pay too much attention to the style of what you’re doing, I think it impedes the natural part of songwriting. You have to be comfortable with letting your songs write themselves sometimes, even if they don’t always seem to fit within the genre of music you’re playing.

IG: What does touring do for you and your music?

SD: Traveling is my favorite pastime, and touring is a built-in way to meet hundreds of great people in every city that you go to — and sometimes even make some money. When you’re traveling, especially by yourself, your wits are sharper than when you’re just sitting in your hometown, surrounded by familiar places and people. [When traveling] you end up having completely different experiences than you would at home.

IG: Do you have an idea on when a new album or recording might be coming out?

SD: I’ve begun writing songs for a second album, but [the production] is going to be a lot more involved than my first album.

Shenandoah Davis It’s going to be a vinyl release, with one side featuring The Dovekins as my backing band and the other side featuring a string quartet.

I have no idea when [the album] will be done. It’s hard to write songs while you’re on tour. I am planning on putting out a 7-inch this summer with two new songs I performed with an orchestra a little while ago. I’m really excited about that.

Shenandoah Davis

8 p.m., April 3 @ Astroland, Boulder

Hashim Hakim: hip-hop mentor Hashim Hakim gathered talent from Denver and Auraria to create a group that is unique and local. Hakim and his record company, Eracism Records, collaborated with students and musicians to create a sound that includes bass, saxophone and hip-hop beats.

Interview by Jeremy Hoover • jhoover9@mscd.edu JH: First can you tell me a little about what kind of music you guys have made?

HH: I’d like to say it’s organic. Which means it’s pretty much live instruments and we just emulate something that we produced prior to it.

So the sound is organic, it’s live — live hip-hop.

If I had a banjo I would throw a banjo in, I want a smorgasbord of different instruments to try to create a collage of music.

“I’d like to have these guys equal to just about everybody in the industry.”

— HasHIm HakIm

JH: Who have you collaborated with to help create beats, lyrics or play instruments?

HH: I work with a group called JMRJ and they produce probably 90 percent of the tracks. There is another producer that’s kind of one of the hottest producers in Colorado right now, and his name is Kajmir Royale. And production from Eracism Records of course. It’s a smorgasbord of different producers. I’m also working with No I.D. who is Kanye West’s protégé.

JH: Can you tell me a little bit about the student involvement?

HH: I didn’t think there would be this many dedicated students right off the bat. But the student involvement is pretty much what I expected. I want them to help with the production even though we have brand name producers on the track; some of the students are helping, putting their two-cents in. Definitely see that, we have a saxophone player, we have some African drums. Normally when you work with students you kind of think you’re taking a chance on quality, but that’s why I come in, to make sure it’s all tied together. The students are pretty much carrying it, I graduate in December and I want to make sure I put a foothold in it. So when I’m gone, it can carry on year to year.

JH: Do you plan to release student-produced albums after you graduate, and what role will your record company play?

HH: I would like to see an album done every year. I definitely will still be there overseeing everything. I would like to see the artists do all the work, from vocals to instrumentation. I want to show that professionalism, how to deliver, give them motivation that they will be able to get from somebody who has been in the industry. I’d like to have these guys equal to just about anybody in the industry. So I will definitely stay involved, but I’ll have more of a distance, hands-off approach,

Hashim Hakim Photo by Drew Jaynes • ajaynes1@mscd.edu as opposed to me doing most of the work, and I’m hoping they will lead by example. Right now it’s me leading by example, but hopefully my example will be strong enough to where they can carry the torch.

JH: What’s been the greatest success so far for the group?

HH: That they are quick studies. The biggest success so far has been the involvement of musicians who said they would commit and have committed. April 1 we are gonna do a test run.

We have been asked to perform here [in the Tivoli square], from 11 a.m.–1 p.m. And we are gonna try to do a test run of what we have come up with so far, before the big concert. I’m gonna be smart, and have some musicians do some a cappella and things of that nature, and we’ll probably have about five songs ready. I’ll definitely freestyle and there will be some DJs.

JH: What is the current plan for the May 7 album release and concert?

HH: It is definitely to show up-and-coming artists that come up out of hip-hop music business, so I’m gonna spearhead and catapult everything and then I’ll show Sienna [Walker], who we’re gonna do a solo project with. Then I’ll show other artists, who we are gonna do solo projects with.

We’ll introduce ourselves as a group, and then from there we’re gonna put out a solo project here, and a solo project there. I would definitely like to find a rock band that I can say I produced.

So get some solo artists out of it and some groups out of it. That’s the agenda.

Hip Hop 4 Dummy’s 5:30 - 6:30 every Friday @ Plaza 242

more upcoming shows

The Low Anthem

By Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu

Met’s Music Picks

out of 5

Spoon

8 p.m., April 5 & 6 @ Ogden Theatre, $25

gain fans in the indie rock crowds too.

The band’s live performance promises to be packed with energy and should be a blast for anyone in attendance. The Ogden should be the perfect venue for the band. While they are probably popular enough to fill a venue like The Fillmore, the size of The Ogden should capture Spoon’s power perfectly.

By Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu

SHE & HIM • VOL. II Like Volume One of the She & Him catalogue, this second compilation of tracks presents M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel creating some sweet and savory pop tunes.

Deschanel’s original songwriting is wholeheartedly catchy and Ward’s instrumentation and production values have been tightened up, letting his vintage sounds really come through.

Each track has its own feeling, but every “oldies” cliché is featured. From lagoon-like, calypso rhythms to girl-pop harmonies, the listener may feel like they turned on the AM radio while taking a Sunday drive in the

BLACK REBEL MoToRCYCLE CLuB BEAT THE DEVIL’S TATTOO Black Rebel Motorcycle Club seems to improve on each album and Beat The Devil’s Tattoo is no different. Inspired by a book of poems from Edgar Allen Poe, the San Francisco natives, guitarist Peter Hayes and bassist Robert Levon Been, decided they were ready to move in a new direction, which included a new drummer.

By bringing on Leah Shapiro, formerly of the Ravonettes, they had a new vision for their future and a fresh start to the album. Pulling together an interesting mix of garage, southern folk and blues and adding a fuzzy wall of sound reminiscent of the Jesus and Mary Chain, they are unique.

The phrase that inspired the album is used whenever anyone anxiously drums their fingers on a table or taps their foot on the ground incessantly. They are “beating the devil’s tattoo.”

Feeling refreshed, they embarked on a new album that flows like a story from start to finish. The title track seems to open a curtain on a private show that adds more players as the song builds and sets you up for the rest of the album. Devil’s Tattoo borrows influence from their back catalog with the acoustic “Long Way Down” touching their more mellow side and “War Machine” bringing forward more of the grinding strings reminiscent of their fair beginnings in San Francisco.

The album is solid from start to finish and you will find yourself beating the devil’s tattoo.

By Julie Maas • pretko@mscd.edu

LUDACRIS • BATTLE OF THE SEXES

Ludacris dropped his seventh studio album in March, but it may be a lesssuccessful album than previous releases such as Word of Mouf and Chicken-n-Beer.

Battle of the Sexes features the same unique delivery that fans expect, but the beats produced by T-Minus, Swizz Beatz, Bangladesh and several others fails to attract listeners. Most songs feature a male and female rapper or singer, and the album lives up to its name. It is a nice change of pace to have so many different rappers and producers on the album, but the CD didn’t flow.

Songs such as “Sex Room” and “Can’t Live Without You” feature slower beats. While they play to the battle of the sexes theme, they don’t seem to fit well with some of the other tracks. “My Chick Bad” features female rappers Trina and Eve as well as a great dance beat. The tracks are primarily dance beats, and the difference from Ludacris’ older work such as “Roll Out” is apparent.

Tracks such as “I Know You Got A Man” and the album’s first single “How Low” are great dance beats and feature some catchy lyrics from Ludacris, but the entire album may not be what some fans expected.

By Jeremy Hoover • jhoover9@mscd.edu

1950s.

However, none of these qualities are necessarily novel. They simply state that She & Him love the music of yore, but will always coat every song with a contemporary gloss.

The opener, “Thieves,” sounds as though it was pulled from the Roy Orbison songbook, with its trickling guitar chords, generous sway and final crescendo. “Home” paces itself nicely, with a rolling piano riff and a very interesting breakdown that gives a subtle nod to the Beach Boys’ latter work.

“If You Can’t Sleep” caps off the album as a beautiful a cappella arrangement that exemplifies Deschanel’s true vocal range.

This, in fact, is where the second volume shines; Deschanel’s voice is at its best. Ward’s guitar work reaches perfection through minimalism.

Exceptional work like this solidifies the fact that She & Him have always known what they were doing. Wait for volume three and do so patiently. With all of this knowledge, there are bound to be some involved musical thoughts taking place.

By Ian Gassman • img2007@comcast.net

JÓNSI • GO

Some may recognize Jónsi’s voice from the Icelandic group Sigur Rós, but they may not recognize the sound of his solo album, Go. In his first solo effort, Jónsi pulls away from the very dreamy foreign sound of his group and trades it in for a new eclectic electronica.

Another change is that many of the lyrics are in English on this album so it is a little easier to understand or at least sing along.

The opening track “Go Do” has a familiar sound that could have come straight from Sigur Rós’ last release. It pulls in current fans and slowly takes them for a new ride. Many new listeners may be taken aback by his fascinating falsetto, which for some, is an acquired taste, but you would be a fool not to give it a shot.

Sigur Rós is one of the most captivating bands of our time and his contribution alone is quite apparent on this album. “Grow Till Tall” takes the tempo down and gives you the taste of the past and “Animal Arithmetic” shows you what he can do on his own.

Go is an amazing first solo album for Jónsi and done so well that he can please his current listeners as well as treat the new ones. He will definitely have people following him back to Sigur Rós.

By Julie Maas • pretko@mscd.edu

B7 4.1.2010 THE METRoPoLiTAn

Audio{files}

The Low Anthem will bring their unique multi-instrumental folk tunes to the Fox Theatre April 3. The trio’s warm and intimate sounds are created using a variety of instruments including a 19th century pump organ, horns, even a filing cabinet and a pair of cell phones to make their sound familiar to any folk fans, but also give it a modern twist.

8:30 p.m., April 3 The Low Anthem also utilizes har@ Fox Theatre, Boulder $15 monies from all three members to complement the usual quiet, somber moods of the music.

Colorado’s own folk star Nathaniel Rateliff of The Wheel and Born In The Flood fame will be opening the show so be sure to get there early for a great evening of indie folk.

Spoon will be taking the stage at the Ogden Theater for two nights April 5 and 6. The band has proven to be one of the biggest names in indie rock since their formation in 1994.

They’re now touring in support of their seventh full-length album Transference. Spoon’s straightforward approach to rock ‘n’ roll has made them a success in the mainstream, with incredibly catchy songs such as “The Underdog” and “Written in Reverse,” but they continue to

Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu Music Editor

On April 1, 1984, Marvin Gaye was shot to death by his father during an argument, one day before his 45th birthday.

B8 â&#x20AC;˘ AUDIOFILES â&#x20AC;˘ APRIL 1, 2010 â&#x20AC;˘ THE METROPOLITAN

IN D RSE ME IM BE METROSPHERE

AS THE

LITERATURE, MUSIC ART

EDITOR The Metro State Board of Student Media is accepting applications for the 2010â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2011 editor of the award-winning student literary & arts magazine, the Metrosphere.

This is a paid position. The editor is responsible for the content and design of the magazine. Duties include soliciting student work and production of the magazine. This position begins fall semester 2010.

SUBMIT s 2Ă?SUMĂ? WITH COVER LETTER s -OST RECENT GRADE REPORT OR official transcript s 4WO LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION s 3AMPLES OF WORK

RETURN

Metro State Board of Student Media !TTN 3HAUN 3CHAFER 4IVOLI OR MAIL TO 0/ "OX #" $ENVER #/

'($'/,1( $35,/

QUALIFICATIONS s %NGLISH *OURNALISM 4ECHNICAL #OMMUNICATIONS OR !RT MAJOR MINOR s %NROLLED IN AT LEAST CREDIT HOURS AT -ETRO 3TATE s -AINTAIN A OR ABOVE '0! s %XPERIENCE WITH PUBLICATIONS INCLUDING COMPUTER LAYOUT AND DESIGN

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2ND ANNUAL GENOCIDE PREVENTION CONFERENCE

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For a detailed schedule of events, please visit: www.mscd.edu/aas/events/rwandaconf.shtml

Keynote Speaker Emmy Award Winning Filmmaker Anne Aghion featuring her newly released documentary:

THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • INSIGHT • A11

Finishing touches Metro senior Rudi Monterroso sands his art thesis project outside the Art building on March 30 on the Auraria campus. Monterroso was sanding the first out of four pieces he created. Photo by Jeremy Papasso • jpapasso@mscd. edu

STAFF EDITORIAL

‘Yes’ on RTD hike March 31 and April 1, Auraria students have the opportunity to vote on a referendum to increase our once-a-semester fee for bus passes.

If the tri-institutional referendum fails our student bus passes will be revoked and we will have to pay for each trip we take on RTD’s offered modes of transportation.

If the referendum passes, the fee for passes will increase to $61 from, $46. This 15 dollar increase will be well worth it for all Auraria students.

The bus pass fee allows students to use their school IDs to ride local and regional buses, as well as the light rail in any region of the metro area completely free of charge. There is also a discount for the SkyRide bus to Denver International Airport.

Passing this fee increase may mean a couple extra dollars out of the pockets of Auraria students, but $61 for an entire semester on the bus and Light Rail is well worth the price.

Comparably a monthly regional pass for costs $144 — not including use of the Light Rail. Over the course of a semester students would pay $576 just to ride the bus.

And that doesn’t take into account RTD’s planned fare increase for the fall.

Last year, more than 3,000 Auraria students voted in favor of the increase, with 202 students voting against.

The RTD passes students receive are paid for through student fees, and are classified as the only non-permanent fee for students, which means it can be removed if students don’t approve the new plan.

But thousands of students and teachers take advantage of the cheap bus rates, and this opportunity needs to remain available.

Even students that may not regularly utilize RTD’s services should approve this referendum; by taking the bus just twice a week during the semester would pay for the pass.

According to a press release from the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board, Auraria students took almost 3.8 million rides last year.

Cast your ballot

7 a.m. to 7 p.m. March 31 and April 1 CCD students — South Classroom Metro students — Central Classroom UCD students — North Classroom

THE METROPOLITAN Since 1979

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dominic Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu

DIRECTOR OF VISUAL MEDIA Drew Jaynes ajaynes1@mscd.edu

MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Lovato llovato5@mscd.edu

SPORTS EDITOR Kate Ferraro kferraro@mscd.edu

NEWS EDITOR Caitlin Gibbons cgibbon4@mscd.edu

ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Josiah Kaan jkaan@mscd.edu

ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu

ADVISER Jane Hoback hobackje@comcast.net

FEATURES EDITOR Ashley Moreland amorela1@mscd.edu

HEAD COPY EDITOR Jeremy Hoover jhoover9@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Amanda Hall ahall35@mscd.edu Matt Gypin mgypin@mscd.edu Christin Mitchell cmitch39@mscd.edu

ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITORS Dacia Johnson djohn205@mscd.edu April Zemyan azemyan@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu PHOTO EDITOR Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Daniel Clements dcleme12@mscd.edu PRESENTATION EDITOR Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu

The Metropolitan is produced by and for the students of Metropolitan State College of Denver and serves the Auraria Campus.

The Metropolitan is supported by advertising revenue and student fees and is published every Thursday during the academic year and monthly during the summer semester.

Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers.

The Metropolitan accepts submissions in the form of topic-driven columns and letters

ADVERTISING Tucker Knight tknight7@mscd.edu GRAPHIC DESIGN Kathleen Jewby kjewby@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller harrison@mscd.edu ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong wongd@mscd.edu to the editor. Column article concepts must be submitted by 1 p.m. Thursdays and the deadline for columns is 9 p.m. Sundays. Columns range from 700 to 1,000 words. Letters to the editor must be submitted by 5 p.m. Mondays to be printed in that week’s edition. There is 500-word limit for letters to the editor.

The Metropolitan reserves the right to edit letters for formatting and style. All submissions should be sent by e-mail to dgrazia1@mscd.edu.

A12 • SPORTS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

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Hold The Press!

The Metropolitan Is Looking For An Editor Editor Wanted for the 2010-2011 The Metropolitan This is a paid position. The editor is responsible for the editorial content of the weekly student newspaper. Duties include managing the student editorial staff, assigning stories, editing copy and working with the production manager on the physical make up of the newspaper.

This position will begin May 8, 2010.

QualiÅcations: • Applicants must be a Journalism major or minor or English major or minor and enrolled for at least 10 credit hours at Metro State.

• Applicants must have and maintain a GPA of 3.0.

• Journalism experience is a major consideration in the selection process.

Interested Applicants Must Submit: • Resume with cover letter

The Deadline is April 16, 2010

• Most recent grade report or ofÄcial transcript • Two letters of recommendation • Samples of work

Please Submit the Above Materials to: Metro State Board of Student Media c/o Shaun Schafer, Tivoli 313 Or Mail to: Po Box 173362, Campus Box 57 Denver, CO 80217-3362

A13 • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

SPORTS

“Metro State lit the fire again. There is always a fear factor but I felt I was in the right place to fine tune my plan.”

-MIKE YONT, RETURNING METRO STUDENT, B2

Kate Ferraro • SPortS eDItor • kferraro@mscd.edu

SIDELINE

Pitching solid for ’Runners

THIS WEEK

4.1 Baseball

3 p.m. vs. CSU-Pueblo

By Jeremy Hoover jhoover9@mscd.edu After dropping two in a row at Ft. Hays, the Metro baseball team defeated Regis March 27 and split a doubleheader the following day. The ’Runners won the first two games against Regis 2-1 and 12-8, and were defeated 11-3 in the third. The ‘Runners dropped to 12-13 overall, and are 9-5 in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

Against the Rangers in the first game of the three-game series senior Ted Jamison pitched nine great innings and picked up his third win of the season. Regis’ Charlie Henderson also pitched a complete game, but struggled in the fourth inning and allowed two runs. Henderson surrendered three hits in the inning and witnessed his second baseman commit a game-changing error.

Jamison was almost perfect through eight innings and held a shutout going into the ninth. He allowed a single and, after a wild pitch a double to left field, the Rangers cut the lead in half. Jamison regained his composure and finished out the game one batter later.

“Teddy’s been our go-to guy, that’s why he’s in that Friday spot, the first game of a series. He’s the leader of the pitching staff, he came out, he threw strikes, had guys missing … He competed and gave us a chance to win,” Head Coach Tom Carcione said.

“First off, I established all my pitches, my breaking ball, my changeup, and then with the wind I was able to go right after guys, throw it down the middle and let them hit it,” Jamison said.

In the first game of the doubleheader, junior Jake Draeger picked up his third win of the season, allowing just four runs off seven hits in six innings of work.

Left fielder David Fox tied a school record with six hits and helped propel the Metro offense. He swatted two home runs and five RBIs, and scored a game-high three runs. Metro had 17 hits as a team, and knocked Regis pitcher Mike McElreath out of the game in the second inning.

“It’s good when you’re seeing it, baseball is an unforgiving game, some days you see it, some days you don’t … enjoy it while it’s there, and try to be the best you can,” Fox said about his six-hit game.

Continued on A17>>

4.2 Tennis

9:30 a.m. vs. Nebraska-Kearney Softball Noon @ School of Mines

4.3 Track and Field Metro second basemen Sarah Rusch forces a CSU-Pueblo runner out at second base March 22 at Auraria Field. The ’Runners won the series 3-1. Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu

metro 4 - Fort Lewis 0 • Metro 3 - CsU-PUebLo 1

Softball slides to victory

By Josiah Kaan jkaan@mscd.edu

The Fort Lewis College Skyhawks came to Auraria Field March 27 and 28 looking to knock off the conference-leading Roadrunners, but were sent home with their tail feathers between their legs after a four-game sweep by the Roadrunners.

“It was really important just because every game is a conference game and every win we can get will help us in the long run,” shortstop Amber Roundtree said.

Pitcher Christie Robinson and the ’Runners set the tone early against Fort Lewis with a commanding 9-3 win March 27.

“We were really, really solid,” Robinson said. “Ruschy (Sarah Rusch) was making a lot of great plays over at second base, just taking away a lot of stuff in the gaps and so was Amber (Roundtree).”

After both offenses stalled in the first inning, Metro loaded the bases in the second as Roundtree drew a two-out walk. Center fielder Kellie Nishikida brought home two runs with an infield single while advancing to second off a throwing error by Skyhawk shortstop Brooke Bails.

Second baseman Sarah Rusch singled down the left-field line to bring home Nishikida and Roundtree, giving Metro a 4-0 lead and ending the inning.

Robinson and Metro’s defense kept the Skyhawks at bay, as the offense took a 5-0 fourth-inning lead as right fielder Danni Hedstrom

scored off a wild pitch from FLC pitcher Kassie Haubert.

The Skyhawks showed signs of life in the top of the fifth inning, putting up three runs in a comeback effort that was silenced as first baseman Jessica Haab homered over the right-field fence helping Metro to a four-run sixth inning.

Fort Lewis could not push another run through in the seventh, surrendering game one 9-3 to the Roadrunners.

Metro took care of business March 28, winning the first two games of a rare tripleheader 7-0, due to another stellar pitching performance from Robinson and solid offensive production, and 9-2, earning pitcher Brittany Moss her fifth win of the season.

“We looked sharp,” Head Coach Jen Fisher said. “The last pitch we looked as sharp as we did on the first pitch.”

After putting up 16 runs in the first two games, Metro almost matched that run total in the third game with a 12-4 mercy-rule win to close out the weekend.

“It really shows how tough our team is to put up 12 runs in the third game of the day and fourth game of the series,” Robinson said.

The Skyhawks drew first blood in the opening inning off a left field home run from second baseman Ashley Hibbs, but the lead did not last long as Roundtree homered down the left-field line in the bottom of the first. The scoring continued

in the first as third baseman Aubree Maul doubled to left-center bringing home three runs.

“I was just seeing the ball, hitting the ball,” Roundtree said. “ I wasn’t worrying about anything.”

After Fort Lewis put up another run in the second, Roundtree sent another home run to left field which was followed shortly by a three-run home run by left fielder Jennessa Tesone to put the ’Runners up 8-2 after two innings.

Both teams failed to score in the third inning before Metro answered Fort Lewis’ fourth inning run with their third four-run inning in the bottom of the fourth.

The Skyhawks put up another run in the top of the fifth inning, but it was too little too late as the Roadrunners ended the weekend with a conference sweep of Fort Lewis.

Metro gave up their second loss of the season 4-6 March 22, the first since dropping a game to Fort Hays State Feb. 6, in a conference series with CSU-Pueblo. The ’Runners won the series 3-1.

“It kind of helped us to beat them to really prove to ourselves that we’re a really strong team and we’re coming out there gunning for number one,” second baseman Sarah Rusch said.

With the two series wins, the Roadrunners improve to 21-2 overall with an 18-1 conference record, the best in the RMAC. Colorado School of Mines will host Metro April 2 and 3 for a conference series in Golden.

TBA @ Tom Benich Invitational Softball 11 a.m. @ School of Mines Baseball Noon vs. CSU-Pueblo

Say WHaT? “Overall as a team we did pretty well. We had high expectations, we thought we could win all those matches and we should have won all those matches. I think the ones we lost we just weren’t ready for those windy conditions out there but that’s part of the game.”

MEN’S TENNIS JUNIOR ROSS GELINA

FUN FaCT Metro baseball pitcher Ted Jamison was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Pitcher of the Week March 30 by the conference. Jamison allowed just one run in a nine-inning game March 27 in a 2-1 victory against Regis. He struck out a season-high eight, while giving up seven hits.

A14 • SPORTS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN • “It is true that speed kills. In distance running, it kills anyone who does not have it.” USATF Head Relays Coach Brooks Johnson

Metro Men - Top 10 • MeTro WoMen - Top 10

Runners begin outdoor on right foot

By Will Howard howarwil@mscd.edu Metro State men’s and women’s track teams opened their outdoor season March 28 at the Colorado State-Pueblo Open in Pueblo.

Senior Rick Bogatay won the 5,000-meter run to lead a men’s team that placed nine different men in the top-10 of their respective events. Bogatay finished in 15:18.28, which was over 30 seconds faster than the rest of the field. Junior Zach Mares came in fifth at

16:15.10, while freshman Kellen Fockler came in ninth.

Junior Carl Arnold III placed second in the 800-meter run with a time of 1:54.59, less than two seconds back. Junior Shawn Lindbom came in fifth with a time of 1:56.85.

Sophomore Derek Fiorini was the only individual from Metro to have two top-10 finishes.

Fiorini finished seventh in both the 100-meter and 200-meter dashes. Freshman Gabe Meidl placed seventh in the 400 meter dash, while sophomore Jacob Wolford finished ninth in the

400-meter hurdles.

Sophomore Eiger Erickson finished fourth in the 1,500-meter run with a time of 4:09.70.

Sophomores Danielle Kehoe and Xenia Flores led the way for the women’s team which placed five top-10 finishers. Kehoe finished second in the 5,000-meter run with a time of 18:27.49 and just ahead of teammate Flores who finished third in 19:07.83.

Kehoe said she was further along than her expectations through this early in the season and was pleasantly surprised with the results.

Senior Lindsay Novascone finished seventh in the 100-meter dash with a time of 12.83.

Red-shirt freshman Kery Allen finished tenth in the 800-meter run.

Red-shirt Adrienne Bratton placed eighth in the triple jump, which was Metro’s only top 10 in field events.

The Roadrunners will compete at the Tom Benich Invitational April 3 in Greeley.

SPORTS BRIEFS

File photo by Cora Kemp Special to the Metropolitan

Metro men’s track senior Anthony Luna was named RMAC Preseason Track and Field Athlete of the Year March 23 by the coaches poll. The men’s team was picked to finish sixth, while the women were picked to finish 10th.

Junior Shawn Lindbom joined Luna on the 10-person preseason AllRMAC team for the men.

File photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu

Metro softball shortstop Amber Roundtree was named RMAC Player of the Week March 30 by the conference.

Roundtree was 10-for-13 at the plate against Fort Lewis March 27 and 28, helping her team sweep the Skyhawks. She also scored seven runs, had six RBIs, two doubles, two home runs and two stolen bases.

The tennis open era started in 1968. • THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • SPORTS • A15

metro Men 2-1 • Metro WoMen 1-3

Men’s tennis off to strong start in RMAC

By Enrico Dominguez edoming2@mscd.edu The Roadrunner men’s and women’s tennis teams traveled to Kearney, Neb. March 26 and 27 for a tennis tournament in sub par weather conditions against three tough non-conference teams.

The women started the weekend off with a dominating victory March 26 against Hastings College with a score of 8-1. The women won in No. 1 doubles with sophomore Yerica Pessoa and senior April Hirad, and No. 3 doubles with freshmen Marianne Evangelista and Sam Schall to lead the match 2-1. Following doubles, all six singles matches were won in straight sets making the final score 8-1.

After such a dominant performance against Hastings College, the women were unable to win a single game against Minnesota StateMankato.

“Hastings is NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) so they definitely weren’t anything we couldn’t handle, then we played Mankato who is top ranked in the region,” Hirad said. “So we knew that would be a tough match, but we started out slow in doubles and it was a play to clinch match.”

Minnesota swept Metro in No. 1 doubles 8-3, No. 2 8-4, and at No. 3 8-6. In singles the match was cut short after No. 5 singles junior Kathleen Thompson lost 6-4, 6-2 and No. 6 singles Sam Schall lost 6-3, 6-1.

After the score was out of reach for the Roadrunners, the match was terminated because of time constraints and limited courts available.

“I didn’t get to play my singles, neither did April, Nicole or Mari,” Pessoa said. “If we would have played our singles, we probably would have beat them.”

The men started the weekend off March 26 with an eye-opening loss to Nebraska-Omaha 5-4, but bounced back quickly later that afternoon with a convincing 6-3 victory over Hasting College.

The match against Hasting College started off on the same foot as the prior match against NebraskaOmaha with a loss in No. 2 doubles 8-6 with junior Ryan Campbell and freshman Ryan Joyce, as well as a close 9-8 loss at No. 3 doubles with freshman Mark Damien and sophomore Mattia Ferrari giving Hastings a 2-1 lead after doubles.

The men swept in singles with the exception of singles player Damien losing his match 6-1, 6-2.

The men faced regional opponent Minnesota State-Mankato with a time-crunching win that improved the team to 6-4 overall. Doubles started off solid with an 8-5 win at No. 1 doubles and 8-4 win at No. 2 doubles making the lead 2-1 after doubles matches.

Singles swept with three straight victories as No. 1 singles player senior Georgie Perez quickly triumphed 6-1, 6-2 and No. 6 singles player Ferrari won 7-5, 6-4. The match was

called early after No. 2 singles player junior Ross Gelina won his match 6-2, 6-1, because of time constraints and limited courts.

“Overall, as a team we did pretty well,” Gelina said. “We had high expectations, we thought we could win all those matches and we should have won all those matches. I think the ones we lost we just weren’t ready for those windy conditions out there but that’s part of the game.”

Freshman Nicole Herrmann was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Week March 17 after winning four consecutive matches against Colorado Christian University and CSU-Pueblo. Herrmann won both of her singles matches and both of her doubles matches to open the RMAC season.

The men and women will continue conference play April 2 as they host Nebraska-Kearney and Montana State-Billings at the Auraria Courts.

Tennis schedule 4/2 vs. Neb.-Kearney vs. MSU-Billings 4/7 vs. Colo. College 4/10 @ W.N.M. @ Mesa State 4/23 RMAC Tournament

Metro men’s tennis player Mattia Ferrari prepares to return a ball to a CSU-Pueblo opponent March 13 at Auraria Courts. Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu

RMAC preseason favorite injured for final season

By Enrico Dominguez edoming2@mscd.edu Metro men’s tennis senior Scott Bradley was named Preseason Player of the Year in January. After continuous back problems, Bradley will be out the remainder of his college tennis career. Despite his injury, Bradley is content to graduate from Metro and move on to a career in finance, rather than pursue dreams of becoming a professional athlete.

“I’m a realist and I like to enjoy lots of parts of life,” Bradley said. “If you want to be a professional in anything you have to commit your entire life, and I just don’t think I want to go down that track.”

Since Bradley was a kid he has never had a life outside of athletics and academics until his recent injury.

Bradley interned last semester with an investment protection service in Lakewood and since has become more excited about entering the world of finance after graduation in May. “It was unpaid, and the way they paid us was with knowledge,” Bradley said. “The owner would bring us in each day and lecture us on everything from statistics to how the markets are moving. It was a fantastic opportunity.”

Since Bradley was a child, he has been given opportunities to make his life bigger and better.

BRAdleY sTATs HEIGHT: 6-4 CLASS: Senior HOMETOWN: melbourne, Australia HIGH SCHOOL: Humble H igh S chool (Humble, TX) HITS: Right Handed

Metro men’s tennis player Scott Bradley. Photo by Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu It started with his move from Australia to the United States when he pursued tennis more seriously, leading to a bachelor’s degree from Metro in finance. A solid internship broke him in to the world of finance where he is certain to flourish like he has at Metro.

“He’s a leader,” Assistant Coach Mark Mil-

ner said. “I think he wants to win more than anybody else and he’s a big part of the team. I think he’s a natural leader. It’s the right fit for him, it’s just in his personality.”

Last year, Bradley was named to the second team All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference for singles and teamed up with former

men’s tennis player Sascha Ruckelshausen for first team All-RMAC for doubles. He finished the year ranked second in the Central region in singles and second with Ruckelshausen in doubles.

Bradley is moving on from tennis and glad to be given the opportunity to play for Metro.

He will continue to represent Metro throughout the rest of his working years not on the court, but rather in a suit and tie. Bradley is dedicated now to his career in finance as well as family and friends outside of academics and tennis.

A16 • SPORTS • APRIL 1, 2010 • THE METROPOLITAN

The Metro State Office of Student Media is looking for the 2010/2011

a leader for a new era of Met Radio 91.7FM Met Radio, the revamped student-run non-commercial Auraria campus radio station airs programming that includes talk-radio, poetry reading and story telling, interviews and a variety of contemporary and classic music.

ARE YOU READY TO KICK-ASS?

INVITE YOU AND A SIDEKICK TO SEE

Application deadline is April 15, 2010

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 7 AT 7 PM STOP BY

Responsibilities The Met Radio general manager runs the day-to-day operations of the station, oversees production and programing, collaborates with the technical engineer, advisor and director concerning hiring decisions and participates in training of DJs.

Submit

• Resume and cover letter • Most recent grade report or official transcripts • Two letters of recommendation • Samples of work

Return to

Metro State Board of Student Media Attn: Deborah Hurley, Tivoli 313 or mail to: P.O. Box 173362 Campus Box 57 Denver, CO 80217-3362

Tivoli Student Union, Suite 313

TODAY AFTER 10AM TO RECEIVE A COMPLIMENTARY PASS FOR TWO. MUST SHOW STUDENT ID. ONE PASS PER PERSON, WHILE LIMITED SUPPLIES LAST. MUST BE 17 YEARS OR OLDER.

THIS FILM IS RATED R. RESTRICTED for strong brutal violence throughout, pervasive language, sexual content, nudity and some drug use – some involving children. Under 17 Requires Accompanying Parent Or Adult Guardian.

Please note: Passes received through this promotion do not guarantee you a seat at the theater. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, except for members of the reviewing press. Theater is overbooked to ensure a full house. No admittance once screening has begun. All federal, state and local regulations apply. A recipient of tickets assumes any and all risks related to use of ticket, and accepts any restrictions required by ticket provider. Lionsgate, The Metropolitan and their affiliates accept no responsibility or liability in connection with any loss or accident incurred in connection with use of a prize. Tickets cannot be exchanged, transferred or redeemed for cash, in whole or in part. We are not responsible if, for any reason, recipient is unable to use his/her ticket in whole or in part. All federal and local taxes are the responsibility of the winner. Void where prohibited by law. No purchase necessary. Participating sponsors, their employees and family members and their agencies are not eligible. NO PHONE CALLS!

IN THEATERS APRIL 16 WWW.KICKASS-THEMOVIE.COM

Broomfield men’s club set to start

“There is no such thing as bad weather, just soft people.” - hall of fame Track Coach Bill Bowerman • THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • SPORTS • A17

By Matt Gypin mgypin@mscd.edu When Metro freshman Luke Stanley wanted to keep playing rugby after high schoo, he didn’t want to commute to Denver so he decided to form his own team up north.

The Tigers Rugby Men’s Club, based in Broomfield, is in its inaugural year after Stanley came to Michael O’Brian, the assistant coach for Stanley’s high school club team, with the idea a few months ago.

“It was originally my idea in the fall because I played rugby for a few weeks in Denver, just a few games, and I figured a lot of people on my high school team would want to play in the men’s club,” said Stanley, a 19-year-old criminal justice major who graduated from Pomona High School in Arvada last year.

Stanley and O’Brian went to the Eastern Rockies Rugby Football Union meeting and announced they were starting a new team in the north metro area, and they were issued a probationary schedule for this season, meaning they were accepted into the league on a tryout basis, Stanley said.

“If we follow all of the rules of the Union, we will be accepted into Division II rugby,” said O’Brian, the team’s 23-year-old player-coach.

“So this year we’re just proving ourselves, that we are a good enough team to play. We know what we’re doing, we’re not going to headhunt, we’re just having fun and playing rugby.”

The team features players from as young as 18 to men in their 40s, and includes four Metro students, Stanley said. One of them, Donny Haupt, is

Tigers rugby player Luke Stanley. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd..edu looking forward to the competition.

“We’re a new team so it’s gonna be tough to win a lot of games, but we’re looking to be competitive and give teams a good game,” Haupt said.

O’Brian said winning is not the goal, however.

“We’re just playing for fun,” he said. “We don’t care if we win or lose.”

The team is looking to recruit

players, regardless of experience or ability, O’Brian said.

“Anyone can play, no matter what size they are or what their physical attributes are,” he said. “There’s a position for everyone in rugby. We don’t care if they have experience or not, just come out and have fun with us.”

For Stanley, rugby provides calm to his storms.

“The best thing I can describe about rugby is it’s pretty much like organized chaos,” Stanley said. “During the rugby season I am the most calm person outside of the pitch because I get all my aggression out and

it’s a really good stress reliever for sure. And it’s just cool, it’s a really big developing sport in the U.S.” The Tigers’ next games will be at noon April 10 at Cook Field against the Denver Harlequins and Mesa State.

If you’re interested in finding out more information about the team, check out the Tiger’s website at www. tigersruby.com

metro 2 - regis 1

Roadrunners prepare for ThunderWolves <<Continued from A13 “The only thing I have in the back of my mind is ‘sit back and crush.’”

Regis was on top 3-1 after one inning, but Metro sent nine batters to the plate in the top half of the second and responded with four runs.

Metro never gave up the lead after the rally, and led 12-4 through seven innings. Regis added three in the eighth and one in the ninth, but it wasn’t enough.

Shortstop Bradshaw Perry added three hits, including his fifth home run of the year, while first baseman Jordan Stouffer got on base five times and hit his sixth home run of the season.

The second game of day lasted seven innings and the ’Runners failed to replicate the offensive power. Metro’s starting pitcher Bradshaw Perry failed to get through the third inning, despite allowing only one hit. He allowed five runs, walked

five (one intentional), and plunked two batters. Senior Ross MacDonald didn’t last long either, and allowed four runs off six hits in 2 2/3 innings.

Regis’ Steve Falconi held the ’Runners to five hits in six innings, and allowed just two runs. The Rangers replaced Falconi in the final inning, and the ‘Runners loaded the bases. Fox had an opportunity to with the bases full, but struck out looking. Perry walked-in the only run of the inning before Stouffer struck out and second baseman David Kaplan fouled out to first base.

Fox leads the team in several hitting categories and has been a force at the plate. He leads the team with 41 hits, 10 doubles, three triples, 75 total bases and holds a .526 batting average in 22 games played.

Metro pitcher Ted Jamison winds up for a pitch against Regis University March 27 at Regis. Jamison, who threw a complete game, only allowed one run to score in the ninth inning. Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu

Time{out}

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD

A18 4.1.2010 THE METROPOLITAN

BEST OF ONLINE Across 1- Idle away time 5- Category 9- Autos 13- Conductor Klemperer 14- ___ New Guinea 15- It’s blown among the reeds 16- Asian sea 17- From Bern, say 18- ___ majeste 19- Lunatic 21- Aliens, for short 22- Lecherous look 23- Zwei cubed 25- Golfer Ballesteros 27- Lasting for an extended period 31- Bind with a tourniquet 35- Comics canine 36- Film ___ 38- Sherpa’s home 39- Brit. lexicon 40- Like a ___ bricks 42- Actress Peeples

43- Cram 46- Rain cats and dogs 47- Dispatched 48- Compositions 50- Star-shaped 52- Rebuff 54- Biblical birthright seller 55- Draw with acid 58- Buddy 60- Reverence 64- Actress Petty 65- Fine fur 67- Make indistinct 68- Langston Hughes poem 69- Perrier rival 70- Canadian gas brand 71- In stitches 72- Nailed obliquely 73- Spoils

Down 1- Rich soil 2- Other, in Oaxaca 3- ___ impasse 4- Leafage 5- Cutting tool 6- Mayberry moppet 7- Corrodes 8- Pendent ornament 9- School 10- Busy as ___ 11- Ascended, flower 12- Clairvoyant 14- Crown of ancient Egypt 20- Perform in a play 24- Band 26- Bordeaux, e.g.

27- Unfettered 28- “Awake and Sing!” playwright 29- Nest 30- Legendary ruler of Crete 32- Sleep disorder 33- Spoil 34- Delight

37- Path 41- Add more ice?

44- Mode 45- Island of Denmark 47- Doze 49- Group that is part of a larger group 51- Philosopher ___-tzu 53- “Hooray!”

55- Some Ivy Leaguers 56- Carry 57- Black bird 59- Off-Broadway theater award 61- “______ sprach Zarathustra” 62- Sudden blast of wind 63- Archer of myth 66- Boy

Texts from last night

My life is average

this whole healthcare thing got me thinking.. without knowing it my parents are now going to be paying for my dealer to be able to live..

The other night I was supposed to be studying for my american history test.

Instead of studying my notes and rereading the chapter I decided to watch National Treasure instead. I recieved a 98% on the test. score.

I think i’m just gonna start shot-gunning everything that comes in can form.

Bring your kids so they can distract our kids so we can drink beer in peace.

We’re the kind of people who ruin family vacations We just took shots out of seashells.

Welcome spring break 10. my cabbie only has one arm... this can’t be safe I need some transition time from spring break.. can we day drink between classes this week?

Bo Burnham 8 P.M. Comedy Works 1226 15th St., Denver $17

“The Jester” Beer Tapping at Twisted Pine 3 — 9 P.M. Twisted Pine Brewery 3201 Walnut St., Boulder

Phone App of the Week

FRIDAY/ 4.2

Annual Queer Symposium 9 A.M. — 4 P.M. Tivoli 320 Program designed to break down the “ivory tower” and put theory into practice. Key-note speaker will be Lisa Diamond.

2010 Colorado Cannabis Convention 4 —10 P.M. Colorado Convention Center 700 14th St., Denver

SATURDAY/ 4.3

The Wigs Improv 7:30 P.M. Avenue Theater 417 E. 17th Ave., Denver $10 Denver Microbrew Tour 3 P.M. Starts at Great Divide Brewing Co. 201 Arapahoe St., Denver

SUNDAY/ 4.4

MONDAY/ 4.5

WEDNESDAY/ 4.7

Easter Brunch 10 A.M. — 4 P.M. 1515 Restaurant 1515 Market St., Denver

Hands-On Social Media Training 1 P.M. ExemplaTraining Room 2420 W. 26th Ave., Denver

Sandra Sisneros, Author of “The House on Mango Street” 11:30 A.M. — 12:30 P.M. Tivoli Turnhalle

Mary Ignatius Explains It All 7:30 — 9 P.M. Vintage Theatre 2119 E. 17th Ave., Denver $12 — 16

Today, I discovered an enormous red button in the choir room at school. I desperately want to press it but am afraid of what will happen if I do.

Note: Best of Online entries are not edited.

WEEK{PREVIEW} THURSDAY/ 4.1

Today, a tellemarketer called and i answered the phone in a weird accent. they asked for my mother but i said she didnt live here because aliens abducted her and sent me to save the world. the lady said in a calm whispering voice...that happened to your mom too? and hung up. lady, whoever you are i hope you find your mom

TUESDAY/ 4.6

Wine 101: Organic and Sustainable Wines 6:30 — 7:30 P.M. The Blending Cellar 946 Pearl St., Boulder

The Future of Denver: “Future Architecture and Being Green” 1 P.M. Tivoli Turnhalle

US Traffic App

By April Zemyan azemyan@mscd.edu If you’ve ever been on the highway and ran into a traffic jam for what seems like no reason, it can be quite frustrating. As long as you are the passenger and not the driver, the US traffic application for Android can help.

How to use: When you first download the app it gives you the option to enter a location. Using GPS, US traffic pinpoints your location. This location can be bookmarked for easy use next time.

Advantages: This application can work in any city in the U.S. It gives the option to search within a certain radius of the designated city, for example, within a 20-mile radius of Denver. The application also shows major highways with color coordination, similar to other traffic reports; red being the worst and green the best speed.

Disadvantages: US traffic can have trouble loading your location. The application does not give an alternate route suggestion either. Lastly, the application only gives broad descriptions of why the traffic is stopped.

THE METROPOLITAN • APRIL 1, 2010 • A19

CLASSIFIED Classified Info Phone: 303-556-2507 Fax: 303-556-3421 Location: Tivoli #313 Advertising via Email: wongd@mscd.edu Classified ads are 15¢ per word for students currently enrolled at Metro State. To receive this rate, a current Metro State student ID must be shown at time of placement. For all others, the cost is 30¢ per word. The maximum length for classified ads is 50 words. Prepayment is required. Cash, check, VISA and MasterCard are accepted. Classified ads may be placed via fax, email

or in person. The deadline for placing all classified ads is 3 p.m. Friday for the following week. For information about other advertising opportunities, call 303-5562507 or go to http://themet.metrostudentmedia.com for current information.

COLLEGE NIGHT $1 Drafts! $1 Games! $1 Shoes!

Progressive Fundraisers Needed!

Telefund needs phone fundraisers for the Democrats, the environment, pro-choice rights, GLBTQ rights, & other progressive causes!

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