Volume 29, Issue 27, April 5, 2007

NAMED BEST NONDAILY COLLEGE NEWSPAPER IN REGION 9 BY THE SOCIETY OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS

THE

METROPOLITAN 4.5.07 • Vol. 29 No. 27 • http://www.mscd.edu/~themet • Serving the Auraria Campus since 1979

Smoke ban clogged by legal filter

Flowers, bees and the dances of Bali

PAGE 3

METROSPECTIVE PULLOUT Center for Visual Art celebrates art faculty with new exhibit PAGE 12 AUDIOFILES Rebels without a DOS retaliate via rhymes PAGE 14 SPORT

Track coach hits pool, hardwood for help PAGE 20

Photo by William Blackburn • wblackb2@mscd.edu

Balinese dancers Ni Ketut Marni, left, and Ni Nyoman Erwati perform the “Bumblebee Flying Around Flowers” dance during the April 3 “Sketches of Bali II” performance at the King Center. The dancers are part of the Tunas Mekar Gamelan Orchestra, which is a community orchestra based in Denver. Under the tutelage of artist-in-residence, I Made Lasmawan, the group performs indigenous music and dance from the island of Bali, Indonesia. Tunas Mekar showcases their talents at music festivals and concerts throughout the United States and Bali. For more information visit http://www.tunasmekar.org.

MetNews

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 3 • GEOF WOLLERMAN • GWOLLERM@MSCD.EDU

Construction forces detours Smoking ban smoldering

Tivoli remodel sees final phase, but some find dig inconvenient

Stricter policy desired, but local enforcement lacks legal standing

By David Cardenas dcarden5@mscd.edu A recent campus construction project to create a new pedestrian open plaza and performance shelter is causing some frustrations, forcing some students to take a detour on their way to the Tivoli.

Beginning the week students returned from spring break, the entire southeast entrance of the Tivoli has been blocked off, including access between the Tivoli and the Auraria Events Center. Many students have been forced to change their routes to class for the rest of the semester, creating an annoying inconvenience.

“I park in the garage by the Tivoli and have class in the Science Building, so I had to go in and out of buildings to get to my class this morning,” Metro junior Susan Splitt said. “I went to the library for the first time to avoid the construction, which is a good thing.”

For some groups the construction was a setback for promotions.

A sorority and fraternity enrollment fair called Meet the Greeks was moved to the Multicultural Student Lounge, which limited the event’s pedestrian traffic substantially, said Gary Esparza, president of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.

“We had maybe five to 10 people come see us. We could have had a lot more traffic if we were in the tavern,” Esparza said, referring to the two-story foyer at the Tivoli’s southeast entrance.

The completed project will include a new pedestrian walkway with more tables for students, as well as a sheltered performance area that will create an open plaza for the campus, said Jeff Stamper, director of Auraria’s campus event services.

“We realized for a long time that we needed a better performance space for some of the oncampus festivals,” Stamper said. “Sound engineers are helping us to design the performance area to reflect the sound away from the buildings and classrooms. It’s going to have a DIA tent look to it.”

The project is part of the Tivoli’s revitaliza-

By Geof Wollerman gwollerm@mscd.edu

Photo by Tyler Walton • twalton2@mscd.edu

Construction of a new outdoor event plaza has some students walking out of their way. tion project, which started four years ago with renovations to the student union. The studentapproved project started with the restoration of the bricks on the Tivoli and the installation of a new heating and air conditioning system.

The new plaza is the final component of the

revitalization and will cost $700,000.

The construction is expected to be completed by late June.

“We’ve come a long way, thanks to the students that have supported us, especially with all the inconveniences,” Stamper said. “But another

“I park in the garage by the Tivoli ... so I had to go in and out of buildings to get to my class this morning. I went to the library for the first time to avoid the construction.”

-- SUSAN SPLITT, METRO SOPHOMORE

MORE INSIDE: Metro spends $150K on rebranding

PAGE 5

A proposed campus-wide smoking ban is likely to be snuffed out due to tepid support among students and faculty, and the fact that regulating such a ban would be extremely difficult.

“I think it’s a noble thing to want to do, but I don’t think it’s practical at this time with the way things are,” said Heather Coogan, chief of Auraria police, who addressed the Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board on March 30 about her concerns with the proposed ban.

Because smoking outside is not illegal, and the city would not be able to honor smoking citations written by Auraria police, any sort of new smoking policy could not be considered an actual law, she said.

“If we’re going to have a rule, I have to be able to enforce it,” Coogan said. “And if I can’t enforce it, then I don’t even want to go … there because I don’t want my officers to stop somebody and say, ‘You can’t do so and so,’ and they say, ‘Oh, yeah?’”

Even if a campus-wide ban were legally feasible, it would not have what some consider sufficient support among students and faculty.

A preliminary poll conducted by SACAB interviewed 226 students and faculty from the campus’s three institutions and found that 52 percent support a campus-wide smoking ban, while nearly three quarters of those polled would support designated smoking areas on campus.

“I don’t feel comfortable endorsing it either way, because I can’t accurately represent the students if they feel kind of split on it,” said Shaun Lally, the UCDHSC representative to SACAB, who participated in conducting the poll. Pushing the proposed ban forward is not a priority, he said, mentioning the reservations Coogan had about enforcement.

“I have a feeling that when discussions come up in the board meeting a lot of those issues of enforcement are going to come up,” he said, referring to the Auraria Board of Directors’ upcoming meeting on April 18. “(The ban) might bring an added burden to our already limited police force.”

Larry Lopez, chairman of the Auraria Board and a proponent of the ban – who is also, he

See SMOKING Page 5

‘Buddy walk’ to assist safe campus efforts

PAGE 7

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

May the first class be with you

NEWS • 5

What a brand costs In push to create new college identity Metro drops some dollars

By David Cardenas dcarden5@mscd.edu

Photo by Jenn LeBlanc • jkerriga@mscd.edu

Mailboxes across the United States were designed to resemble famed droid R2D2 in celebration of the 30th anniversary of the theatrical release of Star Wars. George Lucas, writer and director of the film, joined forces with the U.S. Postal Service on March 25 to unveil a series of Star Wars collectable stamps that are available to the public. One of the four R2D2 mailboxes in Colorado is located in front of the Tivoli. There are 280,000 R2D2 mailboxes across the nation.

In February 2006, the College Communications office launched a new Metro brand, in an attempt to boost Metro President Stephen Jordan’s vision for pre-eminence, that has cost the school at least $151,425, according to Cathy Lucas, assistant vice president for communications.

The rebranding included modifications to publication standards and the official college logos, and the launching of the brand, which occurred in February. The launch entailed an advertising campaign that included signs running along Auraria Boulevard, 17th Street and Colfax Avenue, as well as television advertisements with the tagline “Where success starts with you.”

The rebranding was conducted by Stacey Lewis & Associates, which was put in charge of the brand audit. The audit included 90 days of research interviewing former and present faculty, staff, students and alumni about how they saw Metro as a school, Stacey Lewis said.

“If you don’t have a staff that buys into the brand, then nothing will be done to better the school,” Lucas said, adding that Metro needs to continue to build the brand and that consistency is a big part of ensuring that.

“A brand is a strategic position and identity of a company or institution in a market. It’s what people think and see who you are,” Lewis said.

“In our research, we saw that the image of the school did not match the reality.”

To reconcile the school’s reality with its image, Metro spent $100,000 on a six-month television advertising campaign that aired on local station KUSA-Channel 9, Lucas said.

Shaun Schafer, a Metro journalism professor, questioned the brand’s effect on the students. Having a campus with little or no campus community, it will be difficult for a brand to have any meaning, said Schafer.

“When I ask students about (Metro) they always talk about having no campus identification,” he said. “Having publication standards is a good start, but they haven’t talked about how they’re going to improve campus community.”

Metro senior Joe Vaccarelli agreed that compared to other institutions, Auraria lacks a tight community, and said that at Metro it’s harder to meet people than at other schools.

“Reputation is important (for a school), but in terms of a brand I could really care less,” Vaccarelli said.

Metro is going to have to have a sense of community behind the new brand, Schafer said.

“Otherwise, we will just wind up with nice stationery, but little behind it,” he said.

The logo modification, typeface and color specification is just the beginning of a process that will bring other bigger changes to the school, Lucas said.

SMOKING • Civil liberties hinder enforcement Continued from 3 pointed out, a smoker – suggested that a full-time position could be created to administer fines. “In order to be viable, it has to have teeth,” Lopez said about a fine, which he sees as the only way to enforce a ban. “And in order for it to have teeth, it has to be assessed against the student – you don’t pay it, you don’t get to register.”

But this doesn’t address the issue of nonstudents, who technically would not be liable for paying the fines, Coogan said.

Because Auraria and its schools are considered state institutions, any initiative to legally ban smoking would have to be approved through the state, she said.

The campus could create its own judicial board, which could then levy fines against offenders, but the problem with this solution – considering how much outside traffic the campus sees – is making nonstudents answerable to the board, she said, pointing out that there is no legal recourse to prevent them from tearing up a ticket.

“Civil liberties are a pretty important thing. I think it’s one of the things that makes this country really a special place – is that everyone has rights and we protect them,” Coogan said. “You can’t just impose rules on people for no reason.

It’s got to be fair, it’s got to be legitimate, and it can’t single certain people out.”

Considering secondhand smoke a public health concern is not enough of a reason to stop somebody from smoking in front of a building, she said, adding that curbing private rights in the name of the public good is only relevant in the case of an imminent, life-threatening situation.

“If you’re driving your car in a manner that endangers someone’s life I have a right to stop

you,” Coogan said. “But I’m not going there with smoking.” Cigarette smoking hasn’t gotten to the point where it is considered an iminient threat to others lives, she said.

A 2006 Surgeon General’s report declares that “there is no risk-free level of secondhand smoke exposure” and that “secondhand smoke is not a mere annoyance, but a serious health hazard that causes premature death and disease in children and nonsmoking adults.” The report also states that even short-term exposure to secondhand smoke can cause immediate respiratory and circulatory problems for some people.

For Lopez, it is the health issue that is the concern, not people’s right to smoke.

“I don’t see it as being a civil liberties issue whatsoever,” he said. “I think the facts are very clear. There are some people who get fairly ill trying to get in and out of class buildings because of the smoking that goes on in front of those doors.”

If Auraria were to ban smoking it would become one of dozens of U.S. higher education institutions to become smoke-free.

According to a recent article in USA Today, Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights reports that as many as 43 campuses across the country – most of them community colleges and commuter schools – have elected to ban smoking and that the trend is accelerating.

“The idea of a smoking ban is something that is coming about because of a lack of consideration of smokers,” Lopez said, referring to what he said is some smokers’ refusal to comply with the 20-foot rule already in place on campus. “I think everybody’s got a right to smoke, as long as they smoke every bit of it and inhale all their smoke.”

Photo by Cora Kemp • ckemp4@mscd.edu

Outside of the Plaza Building, Kris Boruff and James Shoughnessy hang out with a group of friends on a smoking break before class April 3.

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

NEWS • 7

Safe campus program seeks volunteers

By Brandon Daviet bdaviet@mscd.edu Several recent incidents on campus, including two assaults this year, have spurred the Auraria Campus Police Department to take steps to make the campus safer for students and faculty.

Starting on April 25 as part of this year’s Spring Fling festivities, the department will begin enlisting people to be a part of a new “Buddy Walk” program that will utilize volunteers to walk students to their cars – especially those who park in the lower lots during evening hours.

“It’s a volunteer escort program, and people who are interested in participating will be given these armbands once they are cleared,” Auraria police Chief Heather Coogan said. “If a student sees someone wearing one of these, they can ask to be walked to their cars.”

The armbands will be made of bright green reflective material, will feature the slogan “We Believe in Safety First,” and will be easy to spot from a distance at night.

Those interested in participating will be required to fill out a basic application.

“We will just be doing a simple clearance to make sure that those interested aren’t a registered sex offender or wanted for a crime, but really nothing beyond that,” Coogan said. “Once they are cleared we will give them an armband.”

Volunteers who join the program will not be considered part of the police force, Coogan said. They will simply be considered an added element of protection for students.

“We will also be giving those who sign up a program sheet that will say that we don’t want anyone to interfere in a crime or try to stop anything. We want them to call us,” she said.

“What we want is for them to make themselves physically available to walk people to the lower parking lots.”

The program evolved from a suggestion

Photo by Andrew Bisset • abisset1@mscd.edu

A new campus safety program will pair volunteers with students or faculty who feel uncomforatble walking to their cars at night. The volunteers will be indentifiable by a bright green badge worn on their arm that will be visible at night and from a distance. made to Coogan by a Metro professor.

“The idea came after I talked with a professor who taught a night class last year and had heard that students were nervous about walking down into the lower lots at night,” she said.

“He commented that he would be willing to walk with people, so we got to talking about it and put the program together.”

This type of proactive initiative is typical of the Auraria police, Coogan said. According to

her, even with considerable staff shortages the department has managed to maintain one of the safest campuses in the state.

“We only have 23 sworn police officers and the national standard is one officer for every thousand students, so we are running at about half the size of the national standard and half of what the other campuses around the state have,” Coogan said.

If she had the resources the department

would take even more steps to make the campus safe, she said, adding that even though Auraria police are active 24 hours a day, students have a responsibility as well.

“We would like to have a bigger community policing program and more interaction with students,” Coogan said. “We go through this all the time. Students walk around with their iPods or they are on their cell phones, and they don’t pay any attention to who is around them.”

Print limits serve, vex students

By Jessie Yale jyale@mscd.edu An upcoming limit on printing in Metro computer labs hopes to conserve paper while helping fund future green initiatives on campus.

But it may disappoint some students.

“I don’t understand why we should have limits on what we can print,” said Mikka Stewart, 23, a junior at Metro. “We pay enough for our education, and I don’t think we should be restricted on the resources we use at school.”

The impending limit, which has already been implemented on a trial basis, utilizes computer software that tracks printing jobs and will allow students to print a maximum of 500 pages per semester, according to George Middlemist, interim vice president of information technology and chief information officer at Metro.

“Right now the program is not enforced, but hopefully this summer it will go live,” Middlemist said. “There are still a few kinks to work out in the software, and we are working on communicating the new changes to students so that they can prepare.”

Now, if students run through their 500-page restriction, they must ask a lab technician to add more pages to their account. The current policy is designed to help the Department of Informa-

tion Technology get a better idea of students’ needs for when the program is fully operational.

IT looked at the statistics of other schools with similar programs and at the software data currently being collected in Metro’s labs in order to come up with an appropriate number for the proposed limit. Data from the labs showed that 75 percent of Metro students printed less than 200 pages and 90 percent of them printed less than 300 pages, so IT initially decided that 200 pages per semester would be fine.

This 200-page limit was proposed by IT to the Student Government Assembly, but after lengthy consideration the two groups compromised with the 500-page limit.

“It was a painful process at times, but it shows how IT was able to take in advice from others and combine with the SGA to get a student perspective as well,” Middlemist said.

While some would prefer no limit at all, for others it is hardly a hindrance.

“I’ve used 50 pages so far this semester,” said Metro sophomore Gordon Creswell, 23. “I think 500 pages is more than reasonable for most students.”

When the system starts in earnest, students will be charged for more pages after they have exceeded the allotted amount. The charge for regular black and white printing will be 5 cents

Photo illustration by Andrew Bisset • abisset@mscd.edu

per page and color printing will cost 10 cents per page.

Although the program may create new revenue, the money will not go to the IT department.

“The idea was not created to make more money for IT. It was created to make students really think about what they are printing, and if they really need to print it,” Middlemist said.

“It’s a great way to conserve.”

All money from the program will be given to the SGA, which will then decide what green initiatives Metro will fund.

“We have some ideas, but it depends on how

much we actually get, so we don’t have any real solid options yet,” said SGA vice president Andrew Bateman.

Regis University started a similar printing program five months ago and has seen positive results.

“So far the program has worked great,” said Gregory Cropp, consulting coordinator for Regis’ information technology services. “There is a small percentage that continually goes through their quota, and they are dealt with on a caseby-case basis, but for the most part it’s studentmade glitches that are the issue.”

metrospective `

Dum, played by Chartchai Ngamsan, prepares for a duel in director Wisit Sasanatieng’s Tears of the Black Tiger.

Photos courtesy of Magnolia Pictures

Spaghetti Western, Thai style Tears of the Black Tiger Dir. Wisit Sasanatieng Not rated Opens April 8 at Starz FilmCenter

By Joe Nguyen nguyejos@mscd.edu Nothing says “I love you” quite like breaking a man’s flute.

In Tears of the Black Tiger, director Wisit Sasanatieng pays homage to classic spaghetti Westerns such as Once Upon a Time in the West. Although the story is cheesy and predictable, its vibrant colors and elaborate, blood-filled action scenes create 90 minutes of pure entertainment.

Before growing up to become the renowned gunslinger known as the Black Tiger, Dum (Chartchai Ngamsan) was a young peasant. After Rumpoey (Stella Malucchi), a daughter from a wealthy family, destroys his flute, the two kids venture to a gazebo at the end of a lake. Disaster strikes and they become separated. A decade later the two meet

From left, Chartchai Ngamsan and Supakorn Kitsuwon again, and repressed feelings emerge to the surface.

Most cowboy movies generally take place during the late 1800s or perhaps the early 1900s. But with Black Tiger’s rocket launchers and assault rifles, the time period appears to be post-World War II. Western purists may take offense at the odd time frame, but what’s cooler than a cowboy blowing everything up with a highly destructive weapon strapped over his shoulder?

Sasanatieng’s use of oversaturated colors creates Technicolor-like visuals. It’s like watching The Wizard of Oz if the Cowardly Lion and the Scarecrow were cowboys and the flying monkeys were the police. This technique works well in producing a dated style that lends to the film’s rustic aesthetics.

The film’s biggest strength is its over-the-top action sequences. People bust through doors, wreak havoc and kill everything in sight. In one scene, two opposing sides continue to one-up each other with their bigger and badder weaponry. The blood and brains that fly about in the ensuing gun battle would bring a grin to even Quentin Tarantino’s face.

The actual plot of the movie is nothing innovative. It’s a straightforward cowboy flick that explores love, betrayal and jealousy. But it’s not Black Tiger’s plot that makes the film enjoyable to watch. Rather, it’s the stimulating visuals and absurd actions that carry the movie.

In a time when Westerns rarely appear on the big screen, Tears of the Black Tiger is an entertaining and fun flashback to the days when the law of the land was ruled by the quickest hand.

Western purists may take offense at the odd time frame, but what’s cooler than a cowboy blowing everything up with a highly destructive weapon strapped over his shoulder?

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 9 • ADAM GOLDSTEIN • GOLDSTEA@MSCD.EDU

PULLOUT SECTION

timeout “ THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

METROSPECTIVE • 11

You don’t know what you can get away with until you try.

Everyday Blues

”

– COLIN POWELL

Adam Goldstein • goldstea@mscd.edu

This Day in History 4.5.07 Today’s Birthdays

Actor Gregory Peck – 1916 Led Zeppelin manager Peter Grant – 1935 Ex-Secretary of State Colin Powell – 1937 “Dragonball” animator Akira Toriyama – 1955 Rapper Christopher “Kid” Reid – 1964 Chanteuse Paula Cole – 1968 Producer Pharrell Williams – 1973

On this day...

Yankee doodle went to town...

DTU

Joe Nguyen and Conor Drummond • nguyejos@mscd.edu • cdrummon@mscd.edu

1869 – The centenarian Daniel Bakeman passes away at the tender age of 109. As the last surviving veteran of the Revolutionary War, Bakeman’s death represents the passing of an era in American history.

The days of carefree musket firing in the streets are over.

Taking a breather…

1933 – The first successful lung transplant is performed in St. Louis. Though the removal of the organ is a success, the subsequent insertion of a corn-filled balloon is a miserable failure.

Smells like teen spirit…

1994 – Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain commits suicide in his Seattle home. Exactly eight years later, Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley dies of a heroin overdose.

The curse of the grunge demons descends again.

Across 1- DEA agent 5- South American ruminant 10- Thrust with a knife 14- Potpourri 15- Pertaining to the ear 16- Roof overhang 17- Faculty head 18- Not abridged 19- Family portrait? 20- The edge of woven fabric 22- Portable lamp 24- Exclamation of disgust 25- Fish eggs 26- Cotton thread used for hosiery 29- T.G.I.F. part 32- Informs 36- Burden 37- Man’s wig 39- Not in 40- School VIP position 43- Be human 44- Combines 45- Blackbird 46- Give guns again 48- El___ (Spanish hero) 49- Carousal 50- Goddess of dawn in Greek mythology 52- Exclamation of surprise 53- Compel 57- Bugbear 61- Harvest 62- Mountain nymph of Greek mythology 64- Immature herring 65- Movable barrier 66- Jewish scholar 67- Lazy, inactive 68- Ready for business 69- Convocation of witches 70- Mariners can sail on seven of these Down 1- Agrees tacitly 2- Sheltered, nautically 3- Monetary unit of Iran 4- Agitate 5- Express mirth 6- Crescent-shaped figure 7- Curve 8- Heavy hammer 9- Communion table 10- Small sofa 11- Shipping deduction 12- Affirm with confidence 13- “It’s ___ real” 21- Word that can succeed old, ice and bronze 23- Well-known 26- One in second, say 27- Accustom 28- Above 29- Grecian architectural style 30- All, musically 31- Swiftness 33- Hermit 34- “Filthy” money 35- Genre 37- Metallic element 38- Printing widths 41- Gossip 42- Stress 47- Start again 49- Droop 51- Tally 52- Examine account books 53- Therefore 54- Tides that attain the least height 55- Destiny 56- Historical chapters 57- Small yeast cake 58- Remain 59- Earthen pot 60- Lyric poems 63- Flow back Crossword reprinted courtesy of bestcrosswords.com. Solution for puzzle can be found at http://www.bestcrosswords.com/. (Solution is under March 31 puzzle.)

12 • METROSPECTIVE

4.5.07 • THE METROPOLITAN

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

METROSPECTIVE • 13

Bringing it all back

home

Center for Visual Art celebrates Metro’s art faculty with ‘Collective Nouns’ exhibit

By Adam Goldstein • goldstea@mscd.edu Photos by Jenn LeBlanc • jkerriga@mscd.edu

Metro’s homegrown art gallery is returning to its roots.

Since opening in 1990, the Center for Visual Art has hosted exhibitions from renowned local, national and international artists working in diverse media. From abstract experiments with sound and color to Picasso prints, the CVA has housed art of all stripes and colors.

For its current show, Collective Nouns, the gallery has placed its focus on Metro’s art faculty. The exhibition comprises work from more than 35 full- and part-time Metro art professors, and spans a wide range of media and themes.

“It took a lot longer than a typical show to design because the work is so eclectic and diverse,” said Jennifer Garner, the CVA’s director. “We spent three days on layout, which is unheard of for us – normally it takes us a day.”

With works that include found-art objects, oil paintings, digital prints and photography, the show points to a wide scope of talents and specialties. As the creative output of Colorado’s largest art department, Collective Nouns eloquently encapsulates the breadth of the faculty’s interests and talents. What’s more, the show’s pieces speak of a common dual role as educator and creator.

“It is very exciting to see the work of artists who are involved in academia,” Garner said in a press release for the show. “Their significance in creating art and contributing to the growth of emerging artists is profound.”

The show boasts a combination of painting, drawing and sculpture that seamlessly share a relative small space.

Sandy Lane’s “Vera’s Legacy Series” mixes blackand-white photography with tactile elements such as sea shells, rusted nails, egg shells and dried flowers to create an intimate peek into a personal past. Scratched, blotched familial images serve as a tableau for scrawled sentences. Musings such as “I never drank after the accident” and “Yesterday I spoke my first words. I like words – they add value to a sentence,” add depth and significance to photos that could have been pulled from

any average American’s 1960s photo album.

A series of photo collages by Jay Di Lorenzo fuse the political and idealized in a single frame. Visages of public figures such as Bill Clinton are melded onto the flawless, streamlined bodies of supermodels stripped from the Sunday paper’s ad section. The result is an eerie and supernatural amalgamation – a sly visual commentary on the American news media’s dual nature as information and entertainment.

A series of acrylic and enamel pieces done on wood

by Alfredo Ortiz explores stereotypes through imagery culled from pop culture. In “Perros y Putas,” “Vagos y Banditos” and “Ratas y Plagas,” the artist uses icons such as Frito Bandito, the Taco Bell chihuahua and Tex Avery’s cartoon wolf character to create a commentary about the perceptions of Chicano in mainstream American culture. A telling visual pattern of stereotypical depictions emerges from Ortiz’s paintings.

Richard Elsen’s “Hall of Souls” stands like a mixture between a wooden altar and some sort of grandfather clock from a parallel dimension. Standing at approximately 9 feet tall, Elsen’s structure contains an interior pendulum and complex revolving pieces inside its frame.

With an interior pink light lending an eerie luminescence to the work, the massive structure’s oddly majestic and ethereal presence seems to speak of the sacred.

Chelsea Hunt’s ceramic sculpture “Recurrent Nightmare” stands on the opposite end of the sentimental spectrum, with its tactile depiction of a bloated, harpylike infant. Underneath the subject’s chubby foot, tiny figures flee. The figure is like some horrific imp pulled from a Hieronymus Bosch painting and given full dimensions.

These pieces only begin to hint at the aesthetic and thematic diversity of Collective Nouns.

“What was unique for me was that these were my colleagues,” said Garner, who also has a piece in the exhibition. “It was a unique experience knowing that CVA is part of the department and that the foundations of the gallery came from this department.”

‘Collective Nouns’ will run until April 15 at the Center for Visual Art, 1734 Wazee St. The hours are Tuesday to Friday, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The CVA will have extended hours on April 14 and 15 for the Doors Open Denver event. For more information, call (303) 294-5207.

Top left: Metro Art Department chair Greg Watts and Jay Di Lorenzo, one of the featured faculty members, attend the faculty show March 8 at the Center for Visual Art at 1734 Wazee St. Di Lorenzo’s work hangs on the wall directly behind him.

Bottom left: Visitors to the biennial faculty art exhibit gather outside the CVA opening of Collective Nouns March 8, 2007.

Above: “Wisdom in Failure” by Dawn S. McFadden is a clay and mixed media piece displayed at the biennial faculty art show at the CVA.

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 14 • MEGAN CARNEAL • MCARNEAL@MSCD.EDU

audiofiles

Upcoming shows Lyin’ Bitch and the Restraining Orders April 6 Larimer Lounge 2721 Larimer St. 8 p.m. $8, 21+ It’s official. According to the Westword’s Best of Denver 2007, Lyin’ Bitch and the Restraining Orders have the best band name in Denver. Soon they might also be the city’s most controversial band. Come and experience the debauchery of questionable onstage banter, a belligerently drunk merch guy and the quintessential punk rock “damn the man” attitude that has gotten them blacklisted from Nobody In Particular Presents events.

Megan Carneal • mcarneal@mscd.edu

Type O Negative April 15 Photo illustration by Megan Carneal • mcarneal@mscd.edu

Revenge of the nerds

By Matthew Quane mquane@mscd.edu Nerdcore rap, like its godfather hip-hop, lacks any sort of concrete definition. But like the Supreme Court ruling on pornography, you know it when you hear it.

The rappers carry the same bravado as those in hip-hop, but the message is tech-driven. Rather than glamorizing pimping out hoes and pulling in Benjamins, these rebels without a DOS glorify coding in assembly and perusing Craigslist.org.

“Nerdcore hip-hop could reign supreme,” claimed MC Frontalot in his genre-coining 2000 song “Nerdcore Hip-hop.” Seven years later, he is beginning to appear prophetic.

MC Frontalot is the self-proclaimed “world’s 579th greatest rapper,” and, along with MC Chris, Optimus Rhyme, MC Plus+ and MC Hawking, forms the core of the genre’s most popular artists.

The term “nerdcore” is a crafty neologism that serves as a direct expression of the nerdy wonder that stems from ironic juxtaposition. It is its own greatest asset – humor and entertainment amalgamated into sonic brilliance.

The music follows an explicit DIY attitude following the proletarian conventions of self-

production and self-promotion. The nerdcore scene was built on the scrawny shoulders of geekdom. The beats and samples are all cut together on PCs and laptops with – holding true to geek canon – pirated software.

The samples used by artists are rarely legit or easily recognizable. For example, the hook from MC Chris’ “The Tussin,” a song about attending his high school prom while tripping on dextromethorphan, is the theme from the NES version of Gauntlet.

MC Chris, born Chris Ward, is a former illustrator and comedy writer for the Cartoon Network late-night block Adult Swim. He appears regularly on Aqua Teen Hunger Force as MC Pee Pants, a 7-foot-tall spider who wears a diaper yet dreams of world domination. And when his seminal “Fett’s Vette” appeared on Sealab 2021, it gave a large-scale, nerd-centric audience its first taste of the capabilities of nerdcore.

MC Chris has put out four albums on his own label, Jet Pack Industries, named after his famous “Fett’s Vette” lyric: “My backpack’s got jets, I’m Boba the Fett. I bounty-hunt for Jabba Hutt to finance my ’vette.” He quit working for Adult Swim in 2004 to focus entirely on his music.

Nerdcore even has its first rap feud.

The rivalry has grown between MC Plus+ and Monzy, two über-nerds who brag about their

own “leet” hacking skills and dis each other’s sloppy code through a “geeksta” rap battle.

But don’t expect an East Coast vs. West Coast shootout. This battle more closely mirrors that between rapper LL Cool J and Canibus (who at the time of the feud was a computer science student), which was fueled in an effort to generate publicity for the two artists.

The roots of nerdcore can be found in artists such as Deltron 3030 and MC 900 Ft. Jesus, who were not afraid to rap about outer space, science fiction and aviation. Weird Al Yankovic, while not specifically a nerdcore rapper, has released two rap songs, “It’s All About the Pentiums” and “White & Nerdy,” that glorify nerd culture through hip-hop parody.

Geek-outreach music has been gaining popularity all over the Internet. Jonathan Coulton, a filk (folk music combined with science fiction themes) artist, offers his entire catalogue to fans through his website with a “free to stream, pay to download” system. Geek-rockers They Might Be Giants continually release new songs via their website so fans can keep up to date on what they are up to in the studio.

With ever-increasing demand and dependence upon technology, the geek niche audience has plenty of terabytes to grow upon. Expect nerdcore to grow with it.

Ogden Theater 935 E. Colfax Ave. 7:30 p.m. $23 in advance, $25 at the door, 16+ No one knows for sure just how much of their act is deliberate poking fun at the goth scene and how much Type O Negative themselves indulge in the pretentious behaviors of such a brooding, artsy genre. After five albums of nihilistic, doom-infused metal, though, the boys from Brooklyn still can prove that a sense of humor, no matter how forlorn, is the key ingredient to successfully depressing audiences.

Billy Schear • wschear@mscd.edu

Iggy and the Stooges April 17 Fillmore Auditorium 1510 Clarkson St. Doors 7 p.m., show 8 $30, 16+ Your dad does not rock. Men older than your dad do. “Grampa” Pop will be wooing women one-fourth his age as the “original” Stooges play on. Often credited with the invention of stage-diving, Pop is likely to refrain from such arthritis-aggravating agitations.

But expect enough microphone stand-humping for the entire family.

Michael Hargrave • mhargra1@mscd.edu

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

AUDIO FILES • 15

A little bit country, a little bit indie

By Christopher Gilmore cgilmo@mscd.edu

freeplay

When pop-country acts wake up every morning, they pray people won’t remember how country is supposed to sound, and that Neko Case will remain under Country Music Television’s radar.

Case is coming to the Gothic on April 5 to dazzle audiences for a night with her superior country, and the evening before she will record an episode of E-town at the Boulder Theater with Charlie Louvin. Both shows promise lessons in country music that would make Hank Williams smile and Shania Twain reconsider releasing that greatest-hits triple album. Case’s sound is so far off the beaten path of current country music that most people classify her in the hipper alt-country category. This is a grave mistake, because Case’s music is exactly how the founding fathers of country might have pictured the music progressing.

The heart of country music is in its stories, and Case’s silvery, smooth voice is perfect for her unconventional lyrics. The title track off Fox Confessor Brings the Flood tells the story of a girl dealing with an existential crisis of faith and being guided by a fox.

Case sings near-perfect country music, but not the country music that promotes a boot in the behind of whoever doesn’t have an American flag tattoo. She sings, writes and covers traditional country music that makes the pop-country genre

squirm with guilt over abandoning their roots.

Her live catalogue ranges from murder ballads to traditional spirituals, with most songs backed by pedal steel legend Jon Rauhouse.

Her stage presence goes beyond her flawless voice and flowing red hair. Her humorous anecdotes have the crowd hanging on her every word with smiles ear to ear. She’ll cover Loretta Lynn and follow it up with a Bob Dylan song, making it difficult for music appreciators not to fall in love with her.

Today, selling country music relies more on American patriotism, controversy and wholesome mullets than any semblance of pure country music. Case has become Nashville’s redheaded stepchild by ignoring the temptation to create pop-country. Luckily she has embraced that title, and her show is sure to please the weary soul, despite not having her album produced by Rick Rubin.

Neko Case will play at 9 p.m., April 5, at The Gothic Theatre, 3263 S. Broadway.

Tickets are $20, 16+.

Ween Live at the Moon, Tallahassee, Fla., 5/9/06

By Michael Hargrave mhargra1@mscd.edu When most bands are around for more than 20 years, they stop blowing minds and start blowing record executives. Such is not the case for Ween.

Aaron Freeman and Mickey Melchiondo first met in junior high – although they refer to each other as the Dean and Gene Ween brothers. The juvenile origin of their career and friendship is the source of their sophomoric humor.

Twenty-three years later they are still writing and producing albums.

This live recording was taken from a show at The Moon in Tallahassee, Fla., on April 9, 2006. The sunshine state was in desperate need of a psychedelic freak-out. Ween was glad to administer just that, in heavy doses.

The track “Zoloft” is aptly named. It subdues, yet has the potential to induce asthenia, gastrointestinal complaints, tremors, weight gain, confusion and dizziness. Slow lounge guitar sprinkled with a flanging effect diagnose and medicate.

Psychoanalysis is hastily abandoned in exchange for black magic in the next track. A wah pedal ag-

Photo courtesy of Anti Records

Neko Case in the busted-up pick-up truck, the zenith of country.

gressively makes its presence known as “Voodoo Lady” initiates a celebratory ceremony of sexy.

“I remember when chicks used to come on stage,” a Ween brother comments. The audience is amused, but there is no auditory evidence that any “chicks” complied with their request disguised as a complaint.

Talented and seasoned, the band still makes mistakes.

Proving the inherent flaws of man, they botch “Light Me Up,” the most energetic song of the set. However, the crowd fails to project any indication of disappointment.

The epic “Buckingham Green” is obligatory in a Ween set list. Its lyrics are overdramatic and rhyme with the consistency of a child-written poem. Cheesy and silly, the song maintains profound leads, organ and chord progressions more triumphant than the theme song for The Legend of Zelda.

Another fan favorite and Ween’s most-covered song, “Baby Bitch,” invoked immediate chorus participation from the crowd. With a few simple acoustic guitar chords, the song has become an anthem for the weird and heartbroken. It is heard at anarchic house parties and frat-boy gatherings alike.

“Buenos Tardes” is a narrated tale of fraternal revenge played over Spanish chords. The track is curiously tonguein-cheek; it is difficult to tell whether or not the Ween brothers are taking themselves or the audience with a grain of salt.

The band performed a song they wrote for South Park’s Chef Aid two-part episode titled “Homo Rainbow.” The band sings, “There are many colors in a homo rainbow, don’t be afraid to let your colors shine.” It is very gay – not a molecule of negativity was implemented in its composition or performance. Obviously a complete joke of a song, it is phenomenal how seriously their fans take it.

Ween’s fans rarely fit within the confines of societal normality. They are composed of artists, hippies, punks, stoners, musicians and creative renegades. They reject the mainstream en masse, a strange contradiction – like Ween.

Download Ween live at the Moon, Tallahassee, Fla. 5/9/06 at http://www.archive.org/ details/ween 2006-04-09.flac16

$ x Every week, Freeplay will cover the best free albums and EPs to be found on the World Wide Web

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

NEWS • 17

Business Profile

News Briefs

Underclassmen face impending shot cocktail

Photo by Nicholas Duckworth • ndukwor@mscd.edu

Spill Lounge is one of 35 clubs in Denver that use cameras from http://www.baroptic.com. Users can log into the website before going to a bar to see if it is happening or not.

Club cameras allow preemptive viewing

By Elena Brown brownele@mscd.edu The idea came to Joseph Salvador when he and his fiancee were standing in line for a club in Boston for more than an hour. After paying the $20 cover charge, the Denver native discovered the club was a dud.

“I wish we could see in the bar,” Salvador, a 26-year-old University of Northern Colorado graduate, remembers thinking.

Thus BarOptic.com was born.

BarOptic.com allows people to log on and watch live streaming video from local clubs before they go out.

The company, which is just under a year old, boasts about a million hits so far, with many of its members between the ages of 21 and 34, according to its website.

They have cameras in local bars and clubs, such as Tryst Lounge, The Church and Vinyl, as well as in nightspots in Phoenix and Boston. The clubs have installed cameras that allow viewers to watch the action during peak hours, generally considered to be between 10 p.m. and 1:40 a.m.

“The Church took a chance on us from the beginning,” Salvador said. “They are the big dog in the community and they support us.”

The cost to club owners varies. One camera costs $3,000 for a six-month period. Three cameras for a year will set a club back $9,900.

Both Geek Squad and Best Buy install the cameras for free.

Despite concerns some patrons may have about being taped, there are no laws prohibiting bars or nightclubs from installing cameras to monitor workers or patrons.

Most clubs have signs posted at their entries informing patrons of cameras inside, and the cameras do not record audio. They are

meant to offer an overview of the club, rather than close-up shots of specific patrons, according to Salvador.

“The camera is usually of the dance floor, but each location is a bit different,” he said.

Aware of the benefits of being able to check in on the scene of their favorite club, many people aren’t worried about being on camera.

“It’s like having a transporter room into the bar scene,” said DJ Gish, aka Rich Canaday, 33.

Users can also access BarOptic.com via certain Internet-enabled mobile phones.

“You would know where the club is crowded, packed and happening even if you’re already out. It’s like having a bar’s-eye-view,” Canaday said.

BarOptic.com, which has less than 10 employees, also makes money through Internet advertising.

Salvador credits his success to a fantastic staff and a supportive – RICH CANADAY, fiancee.

The Colorado native AKA DJ GISH claims to have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. Salvador graduated from UNC in 2003 with a degree in business administration and knows how important life skills are to college students.

“Currently, we are in the process of looking for interns in video editing and marketing,” he said.

According to Salvador, BarOptic.com is growing and plans to service other major U.S. cities, such as New York, San Francisco, Houston and Miami.

“You would know where the club is crowded, packed and happening even if you’re already out.”

GOT A NEWS TIP? Contact the news desk at (303) 556-3423 or email gwollerm@mscd.edu

Metro may implement new immunization requirements for measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, for students who have earned less than 90 credit hours as of the end of the 2007 summer semester, if Metro’s Board of Trustees approves the requirements.

Students who are not vaccinated will have until Oct. 1 to do so. All students must submit documented proof of immunization by that date or a hold will be placed on their registration for the 2008 spring semester.

Metro’s new policy will be consistent with all other four-year public colleges in the state.

Students born after Jan. 1, 1957, must provide documented proof that they have received two rubeola (measles), one rubella (German measles) and two mumps vaccinations or two combination MMR vaccinations, according to MetroConnect’s @Metro. Students born before Jan. 1, 1957 must provide documentation proving they have received one rubeola, one rubella and one mumps vaccination or one combination MMR vaccination.

An alternative to this requirement for both age groups is to have written evidence of laboratory blood titer tests for immunity, according to @Metro Students who do not provide documented proof of vaccination must be revaccinated.

Immunization information and forms relating to the requirements can be found under the “Student” tab on MetroConnect.

The Health Center at Auraria has established an immunization office that will offer immunizations Monday, Tuesday, and Friday

from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesday. For more information call (303) 352-4186.

Student body needed for support of petition The Student Affairs Board is sending petitions around campus asking for student support of the proposed $55 flat student affairs fee.

The fee is currently paid on a tiered scale, increasing for each credit a student takes, with the maximum fee set at eight credits. Full-time students currently pay $60 per semester.

The student affairs board recently did a comparison of students who use student affairs programs, and the data showed an average three-credit student uses the same services as the average 12-credit student.

Seventy-two percent of Metro students would pay less than they do now, according to the Student Affairs Board.

The flat flee will generate additional funding for Student Activities, Student Life, Student Media, Student Travel, Student Government, Campus Recreation, GLBTSS, Center for Visual Art, Auraria Early Learning Center, Career Services, Co-Curricular Funding Committee, Women’s Studies and Services, Peer Education Program, Metro Theater and Music Activities.

Students can come to the Office of Student Media to sign the petition at the Tivoli in room 313.

The petitions will be sent to the Metro State Board of Trustees for approval.

Winner of three 2006 SPJ Region 9 Mark of Excellence awards including

Best Television Newscast

æ

the

MET REPORT

FIRST PLACE TELEVISION FEATURE

John Romero and Geoff Sawtell

π “Brandon Wise”

SECOND PLACE TELEVISION GENERAL NEWS REPORTING

Carlos Montoya and Geoff Sawtell “Stolen Laptop”

http://www.metreport.com

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 18 • ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE • SPENCAND@MSCD.EDU

Insight “

Woman must not depend upon the protection of man, but must be taught to protect herself.

”

SUSAN B. ANTHONY

Conor Drummond • cdrummon@mscd.edu

ZOË WILLIAMS williamz@mscd.edu

Dead unsexy

Slaving over a hot reparation A 39-year-old African British man stood in front of the queen of England and told the monarch she should be ashamed.

Nearly an hour into a commemoration ceremony in Westminster Abbey last week marking 200 years since England’s abolition of the slave trade, Toyin Agbetu walked up to the altar and told the gathering of Britain’s most notables what he thought about the day’s meaning.

“We should not be here,” he said. “This is an insult to us. I want all the Christians who are Africans to walk out of here with me.”

Slavery, the protesters point out, wasn’t abolished in 1807, merely the trade in slaves. It wasn’t until 1833 that holding slaves was made illegal in Britain. The 1807 date was a false promise and should be remembered as such.

Agbetu, a 39-year-old founder of the African British human rights organization Ligali, stood only a dozen feet from where Queen Elizabeth II, Tony Blair, Prince Philip, the Archbishop of Canterbury and others sat. He faced them when he spoke. At least, he did until the security reacted.

According to an article by David Smith of the Guardian Unlimited, who witnessed the scene firsthand, the queen “watched with pursed lips ... the Duke of Edinburgh frowned” and “Mr. Blair watched with dismay as if already preparing a speech about this ‘regrettable incident.’”

Despite the guests’ cold reaction to the outburst, Agbetu’s words have ignited a public debate about whether or not the British government has done enough to make amends for being the country that transported the most slaves in the 350

ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE spencand@mscd.edu years of the transatlantic slave trade.

While everyone at least agrees that slavery was bad, the question remains how much of an apology, if any, is owed to Africans.

The truth hurts. Beginning in the 1400s and continuing many years after the 1807 Slave Trade Act, an estimated 12 million Africans were taken from their homes and transported across the Atlantic to work on plantations in the Caribbean, South America and North America.

Millions were made on the backs of this free labor. Slave traders often made enough money to become plantation owners, bankers, and even governors and ministers in the government. The boulevards of Liverpool, Charleston, Havana and Rio were lined with grand houses built to fit their tastes. In all its absurdity, the slave port of Bance Fort on an island in the Sierra Leone River had a two-hole golf course to accommodate the slavers as they waited for their ships to fill.

“The queen has to say sorry,” Agbetu told

reporters outside the abbey before being taken away by the police. “The monarch and the government and the church are all in there patting themselves on the back.”

Groups such as Operation Truth 2007, another African British human rights group, say that the British government needs to go much further than just having regretting what happened.

Because of these enormous gains afforded Europe by the exploitation of the African continent, several leaders within the African community have called for Europe to pay reparations to Africa similar to the money Germany must pay to the victims of the Holocaust. The common reply to that is silence.

In an interview with the BBC, a descendent of a Caribbean plantation owner, Christopher Madras-Smedley, said he didn’t think he needed to say sorry.

“Slavery stopped 200 years ago. That’s quite a lot before I was born. I am therefore in no position to apologize,” he said.

The problem with that argument is that the legacy of slavery is something that still affects the world in which we live. The very glass house we live in in the U.S. and England was built by the hands of slaves. This is not something ancient when we still have a clear income gap between the West and the Third World.

There are unbroken, direct connections leading from slavery to the world we live in now. And until we fess up to that reality, we will continue to stumble around in the dark palaces, wondering why they hate us.

When a friend of mine said she recorded an episode of America’s Next Top Model for me, I assumed I was the butt of a pre-emptive April Fools’ Day prank. I laughed until I saw aspiring models dolled up and posed as murder victims.

I began to cry as I watched sexily clad women sprawled across scenes depicting strangulation, decapitation, stabbing and drowning. The models received praise from judges like “Death becomes you.”

After composing myself I hopped on the Internet only to discover an ad by the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation featuring the bust of a thin and attractive woman sans head.

Her shirt reads, “When we get our hands on breast cancer we’re going to punch it, strangle it, kick it, spit on it, choke it and pummel it until it’s good and dead.”

Modeling – an industry for the profit and pleasure of men, that sells women products that make them look good for men – is glamorizing violence against women that is largely perpetrated by men. To add salt to the wound, a nonprofit set up to meet the health needs of women has begun exploiting this violence.

Entertainment and advertising reflect the apathy to the epidemic of violence against women that is deeply embedded in our culture.

Violence is portrayed as attractive, funny and desirable through humorous ad campaigns or beauty-centered television.

There is a one-in-four chance that a woman will be beaten or sexually assaulted in her lifetime. Can you name more than four women in your life? If so, you probably know someone who has or will experience battery, sexual assault, rape, molestation or other forms of violence. Do you find that alluring or exciting?

If you do not like the odds that someone you love will be raped, beaten or otherwise abused, you are going to have to do something about it.

Educate your family, peers, strangers and yourself about forms of violence, when they take place and how to intervene. Make it known that your alliances stop when violence starts. Confront the attitudes that allow abuse to occur. Offer money or volunteer time to victims’ services.

And, for goddess’ sake, turn off the television.

America’s Next Top Model and the Race for the Cure provided a big red flag that the time to act is now. Do it for your mothers, sisters, lovers, friends and you.

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

MATTHEW QUANE mquane@mscd.edu

Grand Theft Auto: light rail edition Displaying a shocking amount of foresight, the board of directors of RTD voted down a change in advertising policy that would ban the display of posters promoting video games rated Mature or Adults Only.

The proposed measure was the result of outside pressure on RTD from two advocacy groups, the Parents Television Council and the Campaign for Commercial Free Childhood, and aimed directly against ads for the Grand Theft Auto series that are a common sight on the light rail.

“Our public transportation network serves more than half the residents of Colorado and is doing them a disservice with its tacit approval for the dangerous content in the Mature-rated video games that are advertised throughout the system,” reads a PTC press release.

It is silly and irresponsible for these groups to lead witch hunts against video games. The PTC’s crusade is about the medium, not the message, and that is why it failed.

The Associated Press quoted RTD board member John Tayer as saying, “It was a tough decision because I think our hearts as a board were with trying to limit exposure to advertisements that promote violence, but the overwhelming weight of the legal advice was that if we pursued this, we would face an uphill battle in court.”

Of course, it is simple to see this as a legal victory, but the PTC argument has a major flaw.

The reason they would face such a losing court battle is that there is no mention of trying to ban ads for violent TV shows or even violent movies. Why not? Simple. People who push for measures like these are not righteous people; they are bandwagon hoppers, and it just so happens that video games are the hot topic right now.

Attacking one form of media is akin to attacking the people who favor it. The PTC obviously views me, a gamer, as a potential danger to society. Now, I am not without my vices – read: fingernail biting, prone to all-night gaming sessions – but murderous rampages just didn’t make the cut.

It is anything but strange for the PTC to fear video games, the old and slow ignorantly fear the new and sharp. Progress and change exist as constant erosion to the weaknesses of tradition. Eventually, games will be accepted and a new form of media will bear the brunt of tradition’s offenses.

This crusade stems from anything but original thought. It comes directly on the heels of similar bans in public transit systems in both Boston and Portland.

So rejoice, Denver. We have escaped the menacing shackles of pseudo-righteous, wannabe protectors of children for the time being – but we’ll see their exploits again soon.

INSIGHT • 19

Not all that glitters is chrome Braving pungent new-car smell, enough chrome to blind a small child and the lingering souls of a thousand dead cows, I traveled last weekend into the heart of American excess: the Denver International Auto Show.

Along with hordes of slack-jawed consumers, I plunked down $10 to subject myself to brazen advertising for the future tenant of my driveway. Though the atmosphere was ripe with the sights and smells of newness, engine roar was remarkably absent – until I heard the guttural roar of the Chevy Dynamometer. A woman in a white lab coat operated a small-block V-8 via remote, explaining simultaneously the fuel-saving features of the beast as it revved and growled.

The exhibit was near the entrance to the center, as was a shiny red phallus that Chevrolet calls the new Camaro.

Near the back of the Convention Center, almost lost in the chaos, was a collection of tiny electric cars.

I can’t help but think our priorities are a bit misplaced. It sure is great that automakers are going the extra mile to squeeze gasoline budgets, but Americans are too concerned with 0-to60 mph acceleration for any real progress to be made. That, or Camaros are being forced on us.

Highlights from the show also included a gargantuan Ford F-650, a smattering of modified Mustangs and a DUB Edition Buick Lu-

EMILE HALLEZ ehallez@mscd.edu cerne, a behemoth landshark with enough leather to cover an army and enough bling to catapult Vanilla Ice back into the realm of coolness.

I asked a Ford representative if I could breathe on a special-edition Mustang that was held captive behind a shield of velvet ropes.

“Just don’t put any marks on it,” he said.

Despite the glamour and velvet ropes, none of the manufacturer representatives with whom I spoke could tell me how many cows it takes to provide leather interiors, nor could they say from what countries the leather came.

Harry Bakshami, owner of New England Leather Works, was the only vendor to reveal the geographic sources of his cowhide supply.

“Portions of it comes from the United States, some of it from India,” he said. “I’m not clearly aware of the condition as far as the slaughter

of cows is concerned … but I’ve heard certain incidents where the cows have been inhumanely slaughtered for the leather.”

When I asked one representative how well her company’s foreign labor was compensated, she asked me to stick to questions she could answer.

If any employees are unaware of their company’s labor practices, what does that say about each manufacturer’s goals? If the well-being of foreign workers mattered to this industry, it should be emphasized, perhaps as a means of effective marketing.

Fortunately, the Mustangs, F-650s and Camaros had an antithesis within the Convention Center: the IT, a car powered solely by electricity. Though the car looks like a tiny, strippeddown version of a Volkswagen Beetle, has a top speed of 25 mph and a measly range of 30 miles between charges, it had some serious charm.

“It’ll cost you two to three cents a mile to drive,” said S.T. Tripathi, owner of Colorado Auto Connection. “I enjoy driving … putting it on the road – people staring at me, taking pictures all day long.”

Since all electric cars have to be plugged in, sucking energy that mostly comes from coal, I’d hesitate to say the IT is a zero-emission vehicle.

But with an audience of eager shutterbugs, it appears showing Mother Nature a little love is better bling than DUB rims and xenon headlights.

Lining their pockets looking for votes The numbers are in for the 2008 presidential campaign. No, not the poll numbers indicating support for each candidate, but the all-important firstquarter fundraising figures that, in the absence of policy statements, passes for news in what promises to be a ridiculously long campaign.

For the record, Hillary Clinton came in first with $36 million, ahead of Illinois Senator Barack Obama with $22 million, John Edwards with $14 million, Christopher Dodd with $9 million, Bill Richardson with $5 million and Joe Biden with $4 million. That’s a total of $90 million, and that’s just the Democrats. Those brave souls on the other side of the fence have Romney, Giuliani and McCain at $23 million, $15 million and $12.5 million respectively, for a total of $50.5 million.

So $140 million in the first quarter alone – that’s enough for a small Middle Eastern war. Unfortunately it will be spent on television ads of dubious quality, spin-meisters of even

STEVE LEWIS slewis42@mscd.edu more dubious quality and the only people who will be left happy the United States Postal Service. This is outrageous and begs the question: Why, oh why, do we spend this obscene amount of money when three sensibly moderated debates would do the trick?

Other democracies have little trouble electing candidates after a short campaign (three weeks in the U.K.) and have enough time to carefully

compare and arrive at a considered decision. In America we believe that we should be allowed to spend our money as we wish, even if this advances one candidate’s campaign ahead of others based purely on the money they can raise. This is not democracy; this is plutocracy, where the wealthy get their message across and we have future officeholders financially beholden to both individuals and powerful interest groups.

While there have been sincere attempts to limit this travesty, such as the McCain-Feingold bill, to expect politicians to limit their bloated lifestyles voluntarily is to expect too much.

Democracy is about service, but if Richardson pulls out tomorrow, he’s a rich man. He doesn’t have to return a penny. As the British historian Lord Acton stated in his famous maxim, “Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely.” One might add that the current method of financing U.S. elections could not be more corrupt or less democratic.

SERVING THE AURARIA CAMPUS SINCE 1979 EDITOR IN CHIEF Cory Casciato • casciato@mscd.edu MANAGING EDITOR David Pollan • dpollan@mscd.edu SENIOR EDITOR Matthew Quane • mquane@mscd.edu NEWS EDITOR Geof Wollerman • gwollerm@mscd.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Lou Christopher • achris25@mscd.edu OPINIONS EDITOR Andrew Flohr-Spence • spencand@mscd.edu ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR Emile Hallez • ehallez@mscd.edu FEATURES EDITOR Adam Goldstein • goldstea@mscd.edu ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Josie Klemaier • jklemaie@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Megan Carneal • mcarneal@mscd.edu

SPORTS EDITOR Eric Lansing • lansing@mscd.edu DESIGN EDITOR Joe Nguyen • nguyejos@mscd.edu PHOTO EDITOR Jenn LeBlanc • jkerriga@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Amie Cribley • acribley@mscd.edu ILLUSTRATOR Andrew Howerton • ahowert2@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Jeremy Johnson • jjohn308@mscd.edu Taylor Sullivan • tsulli21@mscd.edu Joel Tagert • tagert@mscd.edu Clayton Woullard • cwoullar@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong ADVISER Jane Hoback

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 bi-weekly during the Summer semester.

The Metropolitan is distributed to all campus buildings. No person may take more than one copy of each edition of The Metropolitan without prior written permission. Please direct any questions, comments, complaints or compliments to Metro Board of Publications c/o The Metropolitan. Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers. Deadline for calendar items is 5 p.m. Thursday. Deadline for press releases is 10 a.m. Monday. Display advertising deadline is 3 p.m. Thursday.

Classified advertising is 5 p.m. Thursday.

Our offices are located in the Tivoli Student Union, Room 313.

Mailing address is P.O. Box 173362, Campus Box 57, Denver, CO 80217-3362.

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 20 • ERIC LANSING • LANSING@MSCD.EDU

Sport

DID YOU KNOW...

Metro looks to end their four-game losing streak when they take on Nebraska-Kearney April 5 to 7 at Auraria Field. The Roadrunners lead the all-time series with the Lopers with a 49-25 overall record and a 33-9 record at home. Earlier in the season, the ‘Runnners split with the Lopers, losing 20-15 on Feb. 11 and taking the second game 8-7 on the same day in extra innings.

‘Runners come in all athletes Metro track team gets help from other sports to qualify for NCAA

By Eric Lansing lansing@mscd.edu Metro’s track team used solid efforts from sprinter Sheila Hughes and distance runner Anthony Luna, as well as help from Metro athletes from other sports, to provide a good showing March 31 at the Tom Benich Classic in Greeley.

“It was a really good performance,” Metro track coach Peter Julian said. “You know, last week at Colorado State it was rainy, wet and just

pretty nasty. So our times weren’t that good. But we knew this was a fast track, so sprinters like Sheila and Marjaneh (Gross) looked fantastic.”

The women’s 1500-meter run was the team’s first event, and senior distance runner Desarae Gleason finished 10th in a time of 5:03.37. That time was 6.4 seconds faster than her time at the Ron Upton Invitational a week earlier, in which she finished 11th in 5:09.77.

Freshman distance runner Anthony Luna ran the men’s 800-meter run and finished a strong fifth place with a 1:56.83 time. Luna competed against 23 other runners including teammate Todd Tolentino, who came in seventh in 2:01.43. Aucencio Martinez of Adams State won the 800 in a time of 1:53.25.

Hughes, who won the Rocky Mountain Ath-

letic Conference women’s Track Athlete of the Week on March 28 for her performance at the Ron Upton Invitational, competed in the 100and 200-meter dashes.

Hughes ran in the second of three 100 heats and won the heat in a time of 12.09 seconds.

The time put her in third place, finishing behind Colorado State’s Janay DeLoach (11.56) and Tanesha Johnson (11.85).

Also competing in the 100 was junior sprinter Marjaneh Gross, who finished third in her heat in a time of 12.74 seconds. It put her in ninth place overall.

In the 200-meter dash, Hughes ran in the second of five heats and won in 25.69 seconds.

Her time earned her a sixth-place finish overall

See TRACK Page 21

Serving up aces at Auraria

Photo by David L. Yost • dyost2@mscd.edu

Metro’s men’s tennis team took on the University of Hawaii at Hilo March 31 at the Auraria Courts. The Roadrunners took the match 5-4, avenging a 6-3 loss to the Vulcans March 23 in San Diego. In singles competition, Metro’s Sascha Ruckelshausen defeated Daniel Pollock 6-1, 6-1, while Riley Meyer rallied from a set down to defeat Hilo’s Fuyuki Samejima 0-6, 6-2, 6-2. It was Mark Milner who clinched the victory for Metro by defeating Hilo’s Tomas Mikulasek 6-2, 7-5. In doubles competition, Ruckelshausen and Meyer defeated Pollock and Kevin Tamura 8-4, while Metro’s Drew Machholz and Milner took care of Hilo’s duo of Mikulasek and Lars Melskens by a score of 8-4. The men’s team will next host Sonoma State April 10 at Auraria Courts.

ERIC LANSING lansing@mscd.edu

Major League problems haunt 2007 season Let’s play ball. Or on second thought, let’s see what else is on TV. The 2007 Major League Baseball season is under way, and I can say that I am less than enthusiastic about the upcoming season. Sure, opening day and the weeks that follow are supposed to be full of optimism, hope and surprise, as teams spring out of nowhere to turn some heads. However, they can only spring for so long, as baseball is a summer sport.

But what will this season bring the fan faithful, who seem to survive the long boring six months of bad baseball, just waiting until the NFL’s preseason begins? There are four issues about what to expect in 2007, and I hope you brought a barf bag, as they will send a few nauseated rumblings to your stomach.

First to bat is your Colorado Rockies. I cannot go a day without one optimistic Rockies fan trying to change my feelings about how good this team is going to be this year. Meanwhile, ESPN Magazine has them finishing last in their division, just like the Denver Post. I will agree that they have some potential with Matt Holliday and Garrett Atkins swinging hard for the fences at every plate appearance, but I am not sold on Helton. Many of those schmucks keep telling me he has bulked up 25 pounds to hit longer home runs. Now correct me if I’m wrong, but Helton has never had problems hitting home runs. His problem is his batting average, which has been on a sharp decline the past two seasons. So maybe if he got some new eyeglasses I would give Helton a shot at comeback player of the year. The Rockies’ pitching is probably the most noticeable eyesore, as Jeff Francis is the only legitimate starter, and not even a No. 1 starter at that. Anywhere else Francis may be a third or fourth starter. Sorry to tell you folks, but the Rockies are going to be 10-20 games from .500 baseball.

See LANSING Page 21

THE METROPOLITAN • 4.5.07

SPORT • 21

CSU-Pueblo pounds Roadrunners at the plate Metro’s pitchers give up run totals of 11, 22, 14, 12 in sweep

By Eric Lansing lansing@mscd.edu Metro’s baseball team gave up 63 runs in four games and were swept by Colorado State University at Pueblo March 30 through April 1 at Rawlings Field in Pueblo.

“It continues to be frustrating,” Metro head coach Bobby Pierce said. “Pueblo is a great team and have five or six players that will go on to play professionally. We have tried just about everything to turn the pitching around.”

The first game of the series saw all eight of Metro’s position players commit at least one error that lead to 10 unearned runs in a 15-4 beatdown of the ’Runners.

Braden Ham pitched well for the fourth consecutive start, allowing only one run in five innings, but it was the error-plagued defense that sent Ham home with his fifth loss of the season.

It was the Thunderwolves’ third inning that highlighted the Roadrunners’ day. Ham walked the first two batters of the inning before allowing a sacrifice bunt that moved the runners to second and third. Pueblo first baseman Mike Jasperson hit a ball to Metro third baseman Brent Bowers, who committed an error, allowing a run to come home and Jasperson to reach first base safely.

Ham got third baseman Manny Madrid to

TRACK • Hughes finishes strong in 100-, 200-meter events Continued from 21 as Colorado State’s Janay DeLoach came in first with a 25.06 time. Gross competed in the third heat and finished 10th overall with a time of 26.51.

In order for Metro to qualify for future conference and national tournaments, the Roadrunners needed more runners on the roster. That’s why Julian went to the athletic department to search out athletes to help out the first-year track program.

Paula Bruzewski, a Metro basketball player, competed in the 1500 run and won her heat with a time of 5:15.53. Bruzewski lettered in cross country and track and field at Valley High and set the school record in the 4x400-meter relay and the 800-meter relay.

“Our coach came to us and told us that they needed a few volunteers to come help the team,” Bruzewksi said after her one-mile competition. “I liked it, but it was kind of hard because I didn’t know how to pace myself, or how fast to go, or who to stay up with, or where to be at in the race.”

She wasn’t the only women’s basketball player to offer her services, as junior guards Ashley Mickens and Stephanie Stauter came to Greeley to compete in the women’s 800-meter run. Also competing in the 800 were freshmen distance runners Alana Pawloski and Veronica Albo and sophomore distance runner Therese Panian.

The group ran in the third heat and Mickens won the heat in 2:28.27, which was about six sec-

foul out to the first base side, but gave up an RBI single to left fielder Rutger Bovard, who advanced to second on an error by first baseman Josh Marner. Thunderwolves second baseman Mike Sanchez came through with an RBI single for the third run in the inning.

Ham struck out center fielder Doug Hurst, but Hurst reached first base on an error by catcher Reece Gorman that also allowed another unearned run to score. Thunderwolves right fielder Nick Runstadler reached base on a walk, loading the bases for Pueblo.

Shortstop Kevin Meadows, who started the inning by getting walked, singled home two RBIs to finish the scoring for the Thunderwolves in the third inning. The final results for the ’Runners were six runs scored on three hits, three errors and three walks.

If 15 runs allowed were not enough for Metro’s struggling pitching staff, the second game of the series was even worse as the Thunderwolves pounded the Roadrunners hurlers for 22 runs on 22 hits. Twelve Pueblo players had at least one hit and nine had at least one RBI in the 22-8 blowout. Thunderwolves designated hitter Servio Davila led Pueblo with three hits, five RBIs and two runs scored.

Metro sent five pitchers to the mound, and each one gave up at least two earned runs and walked at least one batter. The Roadrunners’ earned run average is sixth out of eight teams in the RMAC, allowing 7.81 runs per game.

The rest of the weekend saw Metro lose by a combined 26-14 in the last two games.

Pierce said that his team hit the ball well over the weekend and looks for that to continue.

He attributes the pitching struggles to an im-

onds ahead of second place finisher Pawloski, who finished in a time of 2:34.25. Mickens’ time gave her a 10th-place finish overall, while Pawloski’s earned 14th place out of 23 runners. Panian came in 17th (2:36.33), Albo in 19th (2:41.98), and Sauter finished in 21st in a time of 2:44.26.

When asked how the basketball players did in their heats, Julian said they were fantastic.

“You know, Mickens and Paula, they’re runners,” Julian said. “We knew that they were good.

We are always watching basketball practice, and they have some good runners on their team.”

Stuart Kemmer, a freestyle swimmer for Metro’s swimming and diving team, jumped aboard the track team earlier in the month and finished 16th in the men’s 100-meter dash. Kemmer has never competed in a track competition before, and Julian attributed his showing to his good genes, as Kemmer’s father was a track coach.

“It is just great cooperation from the other coaches and the athletic department,” Julian said. “They understand that we are a first-year program. If I could (I would) do it for them, but I don’t think I want to see my athletes on a basketball court, and I don’t think the coaches want to see my guys on their court. But we would do it if they asked.”

The Roadrunners will next compete April 7 at the CU Invitational.

SCHEDULE Cross Country/Track CU Invitational All day, April 7 Boulder

proved conference from a season ago, but won’t use that as an excuse as he said he still believes his team can make a solid run at the RMAC playoffs with 20 games remaining on the season.

The four losses drop Metro’s record to 6-24 overall and 4-15 record in the RMAC. The Roadrunners look to get back in the win column with a home series versus Nebraska-Kearney April 5 through 7 at Auraria Field.

March 30 at Rawlings Field Metro CSU-Pueblo

R H E

100 110 010 4 8 8 2 0 6 0 0 1 4 2 X 15 15 1

Metro: 2B – Gorman (4); RBI – Christensen (14), Gorman (21), Palmer (22), Bowers (15) CSU-Pueblo: 2B – Meadows (9), Jasperson (5) RBI – Meadows 3 (35), Jasperson 3 (15), 5 tied with one

March 31 at Rawlings Field, Game one Metro CSU-Pueblo

2 0 3 020 1 5 111 1 2 2 X

R H E 8 10 1 22 22 0

Metro: HR – Dominguez (1), Sbresny (1); RBI– Dominguez 3 (11), Sbresny 3 (3), 2 tied with one CSU-Pueblo: 2B – Castellanos (2), Pfaff 2 (9), Davila (11) RBI – Davila 5 (20), Pfaff 4 (23), Castellanos 3 (8)

April 1 at Rawlings Field Metro CSU-Pueblo

R H E

0 0 3 0 3 0 0 0 0 6 12 0 4 1 2 0 2 2 1 0 X 12 17 1

Metro: 2B – Gorman 2 (8), Palmer (9), Bowers 2 (5) RBI – Gorman 3 (27), Marner 2 (21), Bowers (16) CSU-Pueblo: 2B – Meadows (10), Parker (1), Runstadler (15); RBI – Auer 5 (16), Jasperson 2 (18), Meadows 2 (40)

SCHEDULE Baseball

Nebraska-Kearney 3 p.m., April 5 Auraria Field

Nebraska-Kearney 11 a.m., April 6 Auraria Field

Nebraska-Kearney 2:30 p.m., April 6 Auraria Field

Nebraska-Kearney Noon, April 7 Auraria Field

Dixie State

March 31 at Rawlings Field, Game two Metro CSU-Pueblo

050 210 0 015 323 X

R H E 8 12 1 14 14 2

Metro: 2B – Gorman 2 (6), Palmer (8) RBI – Gorman 2 (22), Palmer 2 (24), 3 tied with one CSU-Pueblo: 2B – Hurst (8), Davila (12), Jasperson (6) RBI – Castellanos 3 (11), Runstadler 2 (27), Meadows 2 (38)

LANSING • Bonds’ run at Aaron could ruin the game forever Continued from 21 Batting second this season is high-revenue baseball. The Yankees, Red Sox, Mets, Cardinals and White Sox continue to have the league’s highest payrolls, and you can count on each of these teams playing for a title in September. But what about those revenue-stricken teams such as the Royals, Pirates, Devil Rays or Brewers, who can’t afford to put together a quality team on the field? They are in a lose-lose situation in which they cannot afford to be competitive. Baseball is the only major sport that doesn’t have a salary cap, which makes it the only league that doesn’t allow every team equal opportunity at a title. There are always exceptions such as the 2006 Marlins, but a few surprise teams do not outweigh the consistent juggernauts.

Next to the plate is the steroids scandal. With Congress continuing to dig deeper into the underground world of performance-enhancing drugs, more names continue to creep out of the dirt to reveal how big of a hole Major League Baseball is really in. How deep does the hole go and how dirty does it get? Some of us who hold baseball in high regard are frightened to find out the percentage of players using ste-

1 p.m., April 12 Auraria Field

Colorado School of Mines 7 p.m., April 13 Golden

Colorado School of Mines 1 p.m., April 14 Golden

roids. The results are going to get worse before they get better.

Batting cleanup is Barry Bonds. There is nothing clean about the Giants outfielder as he approaches one of the most sacred records in sports history. Bonds is only 22 home runs from passing Hank Aaron’s magical number of 755.

From what I understand, the commissioner of the league, Bud Selig, won’t even be in attendance on the day that Bonds ties or breaks the 31-year record. This leads me to believe that Major League Baseball finds it repulsive that this man, who has belittled the league with his steroid use and belligerence toward the media and fans, will be the poster child for their most hallowed record. And unless Bonds suffers a serious injury that could sideline him for the entire season – I’m crossing my fingers on that one – then the roid-raged beast will likely strut across home plate with the all-time home run record and a smirk, knowing that he got the best of those who begged the baseball gods to not allow him to take away what is good about baseball.

So chalk it up, baseball fans: 162 games of mediocre play, big-money business, steroid witch hunts and Barry Bonds’ march toward infamy.

The PGA Tour is sounding better and better each year.

What channel is it on?