Volume 29, Issue 33, June 21, 2007

Page 1

THE

METROPOLITAN 6.21.07 • Vol. 29 No. 33 • http://www.mscd.edu/~themet • Serving the Auraria Campus since 1979

MORE FOR LESS

Tuition will increase for students with fewer than 15 hours PAGE 3 No spooks at Silver Cliff

Photo by J. Isaac Small • jsmall4@mscd.edu

The only blue lights at the Assumption Cemetery in Silver Cliff, Colo. were marking the grave of 15-year-old Brianna L. Squire. National Geographic documented paranormal activity at this site in 1969, including playful blue orbs which “haunted” the 1880s cemetery. Metro’s Crypto Science Club deduced that their lack of paranormal lights was due to the full moon.

METROSPECTIVE

Doing dishes for decaf at Café PAGE 10

SPORT

Coach Murphy ends 5 years with Metro PAGE 17

AUDIOFILES

‘Future is Unwritten’ tells fans of Strummer’s punk-rock past PAGE 10


THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 3 • ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE • SPENCAND@MSCD.EDU

MetNews

Metro gambles on student tuition Metro is one of the most affordable higher education institutions in Colorado, and with its new tuition structure, the college could also become one of the most innovative. That is, if part-time students mind paying the price. The new tuition increase for the fall semester, made official by the Metro Board of Trustees at its June 6 meeting, is structured in part so that full-time students enrolled in 15 or more credit hours will see a small decrease from last year’s tuition – a claim that, according to Metro administrators, no other Colorado school can make. “It’s safe to say that Metro State will be the only college where students taking 15 or more credit hours will actually be paying less in tuition this fall semester,” Metro President Stephen Jordan recently declared in an article on @Metro. But in order to accomplish this feat, the college is increasing tuition by 8.3 percent for students taking 12 credit hours or less – a population of more than 8,500 students, according to Metro’s Office of Institutional Research. Tuition for full-time students this fall will be capped at $1,216. To make this work, students taking 12 credit hours will see an 8.3 percent increase, those enrolled in 13 credit hours will see a 5.1 percent increase, and those taking 14 credit hours will see a 2.2 percent increase. Only full-time students enrolled in 15 credit hours or more will see a .6 percent decrease in their tuition. In contrast, tuition increases will range from about $8 per semester for one credit hour to about $93 for 12 credit hours. The board approved the plan for the new tuition structure in September 2006, but only recently made it official as part of the college’s operating budget for the 2007-08 academic year. The change is designed to encourage parttime students to attend school full time and, in turn, graduate sooner, campus spokeswoman Cathy Lucas said. The college’s operating theory is based on recent national studies that show students who attend college part time are less likely to graduate, Lucas said. Similar studies specific to Metro were not conducted, but Lucas said that school trends indicate a shift toward full-time enrollment. Traditionally, part-time students have outnumbered full-time students at Metro, but in the last few years these roles have been reversed, Lucas said. Administrators also assert that Metro’s old tuition structure may have indirectly held students back. Resident students were charged

Total Cost of Tuition 12 Credit Hours 15 Credit Hours

By Geof Wollerman gwollerm@mscd.edu

THE NUMBERS OF TUITION 2006

2007

CHANGE

$1,223 $1,216 - $7 $1,123 $1,216 +$93 $100

200

300

3 Credits

Bang For Your Buck?

Revised fall structure targets part-timers, reduces per credit cost

6 Credits

400

500

600

700

800

Campus Population FULL TIME

12,405 PART TIME

8,749

900 1,000 1,100 1,200 1,300

($102 per credit hour) ($102 per credit hour)

9 Credits

($102 per credit hour)

12 Credits

($102 per credit hour)

15 Credits

($81 per credit hour)

18 Credits

($68 per credit hour)

$94 a credit hour last year, with no discount for full-time enrollment. This lack of incentive inadvertently discouraged part-time students from taking more credit hours and graduating sooner, Jordan said at the June 6 board meeting. However, some students and administrators are questioning this logic. Many Metro students attend part time out of necessity and often do not have the option to take classes full time, said Jeff Schweinfest, an academic adviser at Metro. “Students are part time because they need to be part time,” Schweinfest said, adding that whenever he advises students he makes sure they are signing up for a schedule that works for them and reflects the reality of their goals – whether that means part-time or full-time enrollment. It is nothing new for a college to create incentives for students to attend classes full time, but Metro’s approach to the new tuition structure may have unintended consequences, he said. “When the net effect is really penalizing parttime students, then I feel like that’s not a recognition of who our students really are,” Schweinfest said. “Students are taking classes at a rate they feel comfortable with … I don’t see how this (new tuition structure) is going to encourage those part-timers to become more full time.”

Sharee Talbot attended Metro full time last semester, but will only be taking nine hours this fall because she needs to work two jobs in order to pay rent, she said. The cost of gas is going up, as well, and Talbot lives far from school and work, which makes her second job even more necessary. She decided to drop a class so that she wouldn’t have to drop out of school, she said. “It’s either pay more for my part-time classes, or go full time but take the chances of failing a class and getting kicked out of school,” Talbot said. “That sucks.” Per credit hour, it might be cheaper to attend school full-time this fall, but some students may not be able to afford the extra credits. If Talbot signs up for nine credits this fall, she will pay $70 more in tuition than last year. But if she adds one three-credit class to become full time, she will have to cough up an additional $300. Most students choosing to attend part time often do so because of economic reasons, Talbot said, adding that the school should raise tuition equally across the board. “In this day and age everybody is multitasking their life. School is just another piece of that – jobs, being a mother, everything,” she said. “If they are going to raise (tuition) I think it should

be equally. I don’t think they should burden just one portion of the student population.” Metro’s admissions office, the office of academic advising and the office of the registrar will all work together to inform students about the new full-time incentive, said Elena SandovalLucero, director of admissions at Metro, adding that no specific plan for raising awareness of the change had been formulated yet because the increase was just approved in early June. Student Government Assembly President Jack Wylie supports the new tuition structure. He acknowledged that it will adversely affect some students, but said he hopes that it will encourage others to take more classes and graduate sooner. The new structure might also show lawmakers at the state capitol that Metro – which is lobbying for a bigger share of state higher education funding – is serious about improving its graduation rates, Wylie said. Continuing shortages in state and federal funding have led Colorado higher education institutions to approve tuition increases. These increases cannot exceed limits imposed on each school by the state, but they can be structured in different ways, which is what allowed Metro to create its new incentive for full-time enrollment while alleviating immediate budget concerns.


4 • NEWS

6.21.07 • THE METROPOLITAN

NEWS IN BRIEF Chief Coogan leaves Metro After five years of service to Auraria, Chief of Police Heather A. Coogan is leaving campus to become the new chief of the Littleton Police Department. Coogan started her career with the Auraria Campus in 2005. Since then, she has founded more than a handful of programs including several that have focused on safety and awareness on campus. One of her favorite things to do was to lead the procession at graduation. “Friendships that I have made are the highlights – a lot of successes,” Coogan said.

Coogan, who is a Metro graduate, received her master’s degree in communication from the University of Colorado. Applications are being sought as the Auraria Campus police search for a replacement. Starting June 18 Deputy Chief John Egan will be the interim chief of police. “I loved my time at Auraria and will have fond memories,” Coogan said.

Young named Noel Professor Professor Al Young, author of more than 20 books with topics ranging from poetry and fiction to drama and memoirs, has been named the 2008 Rachel B. Noel Distinguished Visiting Professor. In 2005 Young served as California’s poet laureate. Associate Provost Joan Foster announced the decision, which was made by the Rachel B.

Noel Visiting Professorship Committee, June 11. “Al Young has had such a long and illustrious career,” Foster said in a statement to @Metro. “We are delighted to have someone of this caliber for next year’s Noel professorship. It will help us further our theme on Denver’s role in the civil rights movement.”

Metro grad gets Silver Star Lt. David Tiedeman, who graduated from Metro in 1995 with a degree in criminal justice and criminology, will receive the Army’s Silver Star for saving the life of fellow platoon member Sgt. Robert Betterton. Betterton sustained multiple gunshot wounds in Iraq, and despite his pleas for Tiedeman to leave him and save himself, Tiedeman stayed with him until the two were able

to reach safety. Silver Stars are awarded for gallantry when engaged in action against an enemy of the United States. Since the Iraq war began in 2003, only 200 Silver Stars have been presented.

Metro not threatened by TB Metro President Stephen Jordan reassured students, parents and faculty that the recent death from tuberculosis of CSU-Pueblo student Kalpana Dangol poses no threat to the Metro State community. Persons showing symptoms of the disease, which include cough, fever, night sweats, unexplained weight loss, and chronic fatigue, should go to the Health Center at Auraria for immediate testing.

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THE METROPOLITAN • 6.21.07

NEWS • 5

Police cameras raise questions Surveillence trend, criticism hit Denver By Amy Woodward awoodwa5@mscd.edu As you step out from the chaotic environment of a Denver bar – whether to catch a breath of fresh air or to savor your anticipated cigarette break – don’t be alarmed if you see a camera mounted nearby pointing in your direction. It’s just the Denver Police Department catching a glimpse of your beautiful profile. Be sure to smile and wave. The Denver police have added a new program to help monitor its streets in the hopes of lowering crime. High Activity Location Observation, better known as HALO, is a blooming closed-circuit television-monitoring program that has been in development for about a year and a half. This modern form of policing has emerged across the U.S., and Denver has decided to follow in the footsteps of other major cities to help survey high-crime areas and assist officers on the streets. The reason: to lower crime, develop crime strategies that have proven successful in other parts of the U.S., and to concentrate on high-crime areas based on emergency caller frequency and statistics, said Sgt. Ernest Martinez, the Denver police officer who is heading the HALO program. “The bottom goal is to engage the community with tried-andtrue crime prevention strategies,” Martinez said. According to the 2006 Denver police report, the goal of the HALO program is to “enhance the safety and security of Denver’s citizens, police officers, workers, visitors, public buildings and commercial enterprises, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, cultural art, entertainment and other tourist venues.” Not all cameras will be placed in specific areas where crime is high, but also where potential crime could occur. “Technology is adding eyes to the department through video monitoring of crime-prone public areas,” wrote Denver police Chief Gerald Whitman in the department’s 2006 annual report. For those who are wondering if the Denver police’s monitoring program is legal, the answer can be found under the First Amendment. As part of any citizen’s constitutional right, the Denver police can view any citizen in a public place, Martinez said. “This means a sidewalk, park or alleyway,” he said. “Anywhere where a citizen has public space or no privacy.” Still, doubts linger about the misuse of surveillance programs. In August 2005, Whitman was taken to court by the American Civil Liberties Union of Colorado because of controversial “spy files” kept by the Intelligence Unit of the Denver police. The “spy files” indicated that the Denver police were monitoring and recording protest organizations and activities, and falsely labeling them as “criminal extremists,” as stated in an affidavit of Mark Silverstein, legal adviser for the ACLU in 2005. So, will the Denver police use the HALO program as another tool to conduct its alleged spying endeavors? “Absolutely not,” Martinez replied. Those working in control centers will receive recurring and updated training on the department’s polices and procedures in regard to civil rights, privacy and routine spot checks on the cameras, Martinez said. Silverstein doesn’t have much faith in the HALO program in terms of public safety. “I think it’s going to be abused,” Silverstein said. “People are going to be more reluctant to exercise their First Amendment right and express views on controversy if their images are going to be captured and stored.” After several years of research, Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, a watchdog of surveillance programs based in Washington, D.C., released a report suggesting that camera surveillance has little effect on crime and that it is more effective to add actual officers on the streets and to improve lighting in areas where crime is high. It went on to say that in 2004, cities such as Detroit, Miami, Milwaukee and Oakland abandoned the use of their monitoring programs “because of poor results.” Metro student Jeff Fuller thinks that as long as the cameras

Photo by J. Isaac Small • jsmall4@mscd.edu

A camera hangs above Denver Drug and Liquor at the corner of Colfax Avenue and Logan Street. While law enforcement and local business groups hope surveillence will help to fight crime, civil-liberties groups, such as the ACLU, claim they could be misused by police. are in a public area, viewing public spaces, then the HALO program is a good idea. “Since it’s in a public place it’s not too much of a problem if they are trying to keep the place safe,” he said. “If it costs the same amount to put one officer on the street than five or six cameras, then I would say it would be better to have the cameras.” Metro freshman Yvonne Henderson said she would rather have more officers on the streets preventing crime then using cameras to monitor crime. “Look at the U.S. in general, they are trying to control American’s minds and provoke fear into people,” Henderson said. The cameras will operate 24/7, and recorded images will be fed into a control center through a network where they will be monitored and stored for up to 30 days. After 30 days, all images that do not show evidence of a suspected crime will be purged from the network. The cameras are designed to make 360-degree

turns, move up and down, left and right, and zoom in and out of its given space, all within a span of 300 feet in each direction, according to Martinez. Denver police and the Technology Services Division of the city are still experimenting with recording and quality of receivable images, the program is expected to be underway by the end of this year. Funding is still sketchy and latent as Martinez implied that the department is looking down many avenues for resources. “We are looking at our budget, grant money and how to leverage money and resources,” Martinez said. The Denver police department has looked at other cities in the world and has scrutinized their success and failures so they can hit the ground running with the HALO program, Martinez said. “We are excited about it, and the community is going to be embraced and help to eliminate the community of bad guys,” Martinez said.


6 • NEWS

6.21.07 • THE METROPOLITAN

Overseas trip offers new perspective Metro groups establish educational, business partnerships in China By Kate Johnson jokathry@mscd.edu In a distant land, two groups from Metro sought the opportunity to share a new language as well as an innovative business plan with students and faculty back home. By setting up partnerships with various schools in China, administrators, faculty and students hope to bridge cultural differences and gain a new perspective on higher education. “They (students) really need to have an international experience,” said Betsy Zeller, director of globalization at Metro. Zeller joined President Stephen Jordan and several faculty and staff members on a trip to the cities of Kunming and Chengdu in China to sniff out possible partnerships with other institutions of higher education. “The opportunity to have an exchange program with a similar institution and a similar mission is very exciting,” Jordan said. Their first stop was to Yunnan Radio and Television University in Kunming where Metro signed an agreement in May that will help to solidify a faculty and student exchange program. Included in their ideas for a partnership is the potential creation of a Confucius Institute at Metro. Only 100 colleges and universities worldwide are chosen to host Confucius Institutes – schools that provide instructors with the education and tools to teach Chinese language courses. “Yunnan selected us to partner for CI (Confu-

cius Institute),” Zeller said. “Out of all the places in the world they could pick, they selected us.” The opportunity for Metro to become a hub for continued education in the Chinese language was spawned in part from an existing partnership between Chengdu and Douglas County Schools, who are currently offering classes in the Chinese language. They are looking to extend language lessons past the high school level by partnering with Metro. “We will design and align our program with Douglas County,” Zeller said. Metro delegates met with members of Sichuan University, Chengdu Metropolitan University and the Chengdu Municipal Education Bureau in hopes of coming to an agreement on an exchange program for faculty and students. Such an exchange program would involve faculty traveling to Sichuan where they would learn the language as well as new aspects of the culture and people. And while students from Douglas County could utilize Metro’s Chinese language program to continue their education, Metro students would also benefit from the opportunity to learn a new language. With partnerships between both Yunnan and Sichuan on the table, Metro Associate Professor of Marketing Donald Chang said opportunities for collaboration are abound. “There’s a great potential for a professor to go over there and teach English,” Chang said. Modern Languages Chair Rodolfo Garcia is pleased with the way Jordan presented Metro’s assets, and said the trip was a worthwhile venture. Though Garcia is enthusiastic about what the future holds, he said the school must be meticulous in ironing out the details of any exchange program.

“All of that (language lesson) enlarged everyone’s capacity for travel and other cultures.” -- MARILYN HETZEL “We have to consider the level of (teachers’) proficiency in the language,” Garcia said. “I need to know the expectations of me as a teacher.” Lisa Ortiz, assistant professor for the department of technical communication and media production, said the Chinese are very interested in developing online classes because presently only the wealthy and those enrolled in school have access to computers and the Internet. “I think they can learn a lot from us, but we can also learn a lot from them,” she said. Those in attendance on the first of several trips to China left with a new understanding of the culture, having been exposed to the language and their unique education system. “All of that (language lesson) enlarged everyone’s capacity for travel and other cultures,” said Marilyn Hetzel, director of theatre and chair of communications arts and sciences. While Jordan’s team continued to solidify ties to broaden Metro’s language opportunities, a second group of Metro representatives made their way to Beijing in mid-May to pursue an alliance of their own. They are part of a fledgling program known as Brand Spankin’ New, an online business that sells home furnishings made by Metro students

from the industrial design department and promoted by the marketing department. “It’s the only student-run business in the country that’s part of an undergraduate curriculum,” said Mick Jackowski, assistant professor for the marketing department. The group began talks with Tsinghua University School of Art and Industrial Design, Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications and the Tsinghua University about creating a mutually beneficial critique of each other’s design projects. “You can tell it’s ripe with business opportunities in China,” said Ken Phillips, assistant professor of the industrial design department. “You can smell it.” More than 30 design and 80 marketing students participate in BSN – a program many students and faculty see as an innovative learning experience. “BSN is the opportunity for experimental learning,” Jackowski said. “We hope to do more of this type of teaching as BSN grows.” Brian Glotzbach, the student trustee for Metro and an attendee on the trip, agreed that this out-of-class experience is a highly beneficial one. “I liked the concept of bringing real world experience into the classroom,” he said.

Immigration bill heads back to Congress with limited amendments By Rob Fisher rfishe18@mscd.edu The architects of the Comprehensive Immigration and Reform Act call the bill the “grand bargain.” The question is: is anyone buying? The bill failed to receive the 60 votes it needed to move to a final vote and stalled in the Senate two weeks ago, reportedly due to the more than 300 amendments lawmakers added to the bill. “I am disappointed the United States Senate did not, today, fix our broken borders and immigration system. Our nation badly needs the reform,” said Sen. Ken Salazar, D-Colo., in a statement after the vote. “Failure is not an option,” the statement read. Although there was a noticeable lack of participation by President George Bush before the Senate’s vote, since the president’s return from the G8 summit meeting in Germany he has made both public and private displays of support to ensure the bill will pass. The president met with Republican senators in a closed-door luncheon last Tuesday. Two days later, the president pledged $4.4 billion in immediate funding for border security. “By matching our benchmarks with these critical funds, we’re going to show the Ameri-

can people that the promises in this bill will be kept,” the president said to the Associated Builders and Contractors June 14. However, not everyone is optimistic. “If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill,” Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., said in a statement after hearing of the proposed $4.4 billion promised by the president. According to a statement by Sen. Harry Reid, D-Nev., the immigration bill will return to the senate floor and be voted on by July 4. This time, only 11 amendments to the bill will be allowed from each party. Opponents argue that the bill gives amnesty to the millions of workers that have entered the country illegally. Colorado Representative and Republican presidential hopeful Tom Tancredo has made his campaign platform a petition to end the bill with his “Save America” campaign, calling the bill a “sellout of America.” Some immigrants in this country are also weary of the bill. Gus Montano, 24, of Littleton, came to the United States with his mother when he was 10 to escape the civil war in his birth country of Venezuela.

See IMMIGRANT Page 15

Senate bill 1348 Major provisions of Senate bill 1348Comprehensive Immigration and Reform Act

Only spouses and minor children of U.S. citizens and permanent residents would be eligible for green cards based strictly on family ties.

Z VISA

Border security

• 4-year renewable visa • Designed for the 12 million illegal immigrants currently in the country • Must pass a background check • Pay $5,000 in fines and fees • No green cards for Z-visa holders until border security measures are in place and existing backlog is cleared

Y VISA

• 2-year renewable visa (up to three times) • Must return to home country in between visa renewals • Initially set at 400,000 visas a year, now reduced to 200,000. • Must pass background check • New merit-based point system for visas • 50 percent on employment criteria • 25 percent on education • 15 percent on English proficiency • 10 percent on family connections

• $4.4 billion in aid promised by President Bush • Hiring of 18,000 new border patrol agents • Erecting 570 miles of vehicle barriers and fencing along the U.S.-Mexico border • Build 70 ground-based radar and camera towers • Use of four unmanned aerial vehicles • End the practice of releasing illegal immigrants upon apprehension • Provide for the detention of up to 27,500 aliens per day

“If the administration was serious about fulfilling the border security promises, then this funding should have been supported all along, not offered at the last minute to attract votes to a bad bill.” - SEN. JIM DEMINT, R-S.C.


metrospective Remembering the forgotten 142 years after the last U.S. slaves received word of the Emancipation Proclamation, Juneteenth celebrations are nearly a thing of the past By Elena Brown brownele@mscd.edu Juneteenth is this month. June-what? Just what the heck is Juneteenth? It sounds like a made-up name, and, actually, it is a madeup name for a very real occurrence. Juneteenth celebrates June 19, 1865, the day the majority of the last slaves, who were in Galveston, Texas, learned that President Abraham Lincoln two and a half years earlier had signed the Emancipation Proclamation. It seems that 142 years later, many people north of Texas are in the dark about the celebration of the end of some of the darkest days in American history. In 1980, Texas became the first and only state to designate June 19 as a holiday. While festivals have grown to other cities and states across America, many people are clueless when it comes to Juneteenth. “All African-Americans, by natural birth, should be affiliated with Juneteenth,” said Grace Stiles, founder and director of the Stiles African-American Heritage Center. “Black people have two days that celebrate freedom: The 19th of June is just as important as the 4th of July.” Juneteenth, also called Freedom Day or Emancipation Day, can last a day or a week in various cities and is filled with contests, food, parades and speakers. It is a reflection of community spirit, celebration and heritage. The day is full of reflections of the time in American history that shaped, and continues to influence, society today. It is a moment taken to appreciate the trials of slavery and the joy of freedom. Though Colorado has boasted some of the largest gatherings, the size of the celebration has dwindled from the streets of Denver’s Historic Five Points neighborhood over the course of a weekend in past years, to either a portion of a park and sometimes a half of a block. “When I heard there wasn’t going to be a Juneteenth, I

thought, ‘This just can’t be,’” Stiles said. “I knew we could do this ourselves.” Stiles celebrated Juneteenth in the half-block in front of her center, located at 2607 Glenarm Place. “We need to continue to participate and be involved to celebrate our heritage,” she said. Some possible reasons cited regarding the dwindling numbers for the event include past violence and lack of funding. “Either people don’t know their heritage or the past violence has scared people,” said Denver resident Pamela Young. “But people need to know that this can be a wonderful celebration.” About four years ago, gang threats, fights and gunshots began to be commonplace as the festival would wind down. This caused many vendors and sponsors to pull out, including the city of Denver, which used to subsidize the festival. Lack of official sponsorship left many in the community to wonder whether the event should be held at a venue like the Kingdom of Glory church. The church has been a part of Juneteenth planning and organizations for the past three years. “This costs money,” said Juanutha Jacobs-Brennan, pastor of the Kingdom of Glory church. She estimates having spent $20,000 from personal and church finances on this year’s event. “Keeping this alive is worth it. I hope people see and appreciate the effort and next year come alongside with us and celebrate,” she said. But the limited amount of vendors and activities at the celebration didn’t hold much attention for some. “There’s just not much going on,” said 15-year-old Samerah. “It’s lost its touch,” agreed her friend and Five Points resident, Ariel. Both girls are long-time attendees of Juneteenth. Not everyone is dampened by the lack of people. “The number of people may have changed but the sub-

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 7 • EMILE HALLEZ • EHALLEZ@MSCD.EDU

Juneteenth History On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger rode into Galveston, Texas to inform inhabitants that the Civil War had ended two months earlier. This historic ride into Galveston occurred some two and a half years after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation-with an effective date of January 1, 1863- it had little immediate effect on most slaves’ day-to-day lives, particularly in Texas, which was almost entirely under Confederate control. Granger’s General Order Number 3 finally freed the last 250,000 slaves whose bondage, due to the minimal Union presence in the region, had been essentially unaffected by Lincoln’s efforts. June 19th, which was quickly shortened to “Juneteenth,” has become the African-American version of Independence Day.

General Order Number 3 “The people of Texas are informed that in accordance with a Proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of the rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves, and the connection heretofore existing between them becomes that between employer and free laborer.”

stance and spirit has not,” said the Rev. Leon Kelly, executive director of the Open Door Youth Gang Alternatives. Kelly was one of the speakers at this year’s Juneteenth celebration and has been involved with the Denver celebrations for 19 years. “From what it used to be to what it has become, is heartbreaking, really,” Stiles said.


8 • METROSPECTIVE

6.21.07 • THE METROPOLITAN

DVD review Dirt and deception in Deadwood By Geof Wollerman gwollerm@mscd.edu A first-time viewer of HBO’s “Deadwood” series will probably marvel at the show’s gratuitous use of the word “fuck” and all its colorful variations. And, though perhaps offensive to some, the grotesque-but-ever-eloquent speech of its characters quickly becomes one of the show’s most endearing traits. It is 1877 and the tiny gold-mining camp of Deadwood is fast becoming a town. Former deputy Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant) has recently arrived in town and aims to set up shop on the settlement’s main drag. But first he has to deal with Al Swearengen (Ian McShane) – a criminal bar owner who controls the camp. While Swearengen and Bullock are working out kinks in the deal, new blood arrives: a rich, prospecting couple from the East Coast and a new gambling outfit moves in on Swearengen’s monopoly on local vice. When Wild Bill Hickcock comes to town, traveling in his envoy are Charlie Utter (Dayton Callie) and Calamity Jane (Robin Weigert) – two of the show’s most colorful characters – who remain in Deadwood after a town vagrant – bent on revenge – shoots Bill in the back. Jane has a brazen swagger, a taste for liquor and maybe the foulest mouth in town. Utter is prone to bouts of temper and gall, which he attempts to disguise with a stiff, but polite comportment. Bullock – who viewers find is inevitably destined to become Deadwood’s unofficial sheriff – is compelled to collude with Swearengen

Deadwood: The Complete Third Season (2006) Release date: June 12, 2007

to protect the town’s interests. Meanwhile, Swearengen – who is easily the show’s most compelling character – maintains a commanding presence as he marshals his thugs to put out various fires that threaten to undermine his lawless empire of hookers, thieves, drinkers and dope addicts. And that’s just season one. The beauty of Deadwood is the way every character, no matter how muddy their clothes, carries themselves with an almost Elizabethan air. David Milch, the creator of Deadwood and one of its principle writers, is brilliant when it comes to nuanced lines of dialogue that seem to continuously foreshadow the story’s next impending development. Though the characters in their delivery might talk a bit in circles, their meaning is always direct and implicit and every line furthers the thickening plot. The show is far from politically correct. But – excessive use of the f-word aside – it is strikingly honest. The 19th century was rife with sexism, racism, bigotry and stereotypes, and the show does not attempt to downplay any of them. Corruption in 1877 – at least out West – was also apparently rampant. Aside from the stoic few who remain impervious, almost everyone in town is bought and paid for.

Alas, as with all historical accounts – embellished though they may be – we know how this one ends: frontier towns didn’t stay lawless forever, and the free-spirited citizens of Deadwood end up in a losing battle against government commissioners set on annexing the town.

The third and final season of Deadwood was released on DVD June 12, and it is a disappointment to see this superb show come to an end after just three seasons. But once big government has extended its imposing hand and soothed the rugged terrain of the Wild West, what else is there left to tell?

The 19th century was rife with sexism, racism, bigotry and stereotypes, and the show does not attempt to downplay any of them.

Above: Deadwood characters Seth Bullock (Timothy Olyphant), Trixie (Paula Malcomson) and Al Swearengen (Ian McShane). Below: An illustrated map of the Deadwood set.


timeout “ THE METROPOLITAN • 6.21.07

METROSPECTIVE • 9

I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.

Cut Corners

Andrew Howerton • ahowert2@mscd.edu

SUDOKU

1. Lanterns 6. Middle Eastern coffee holder 10. Disrespectful back talk 14. Like some symmetry 15. Second son of Adam and Eve 16. Narrate 17. Prospect 18. Insect stage 19. Type of song, to be sung solo 20. Respiration disorder 22. Rashness 24. Dashboard abbr. 26. Departs

27. Electric generator 31. Metal-bearing mineral 32. Mistake 33. Anklebone 36. Defunct airline 39. Heroin, slangily 40. Attack on all sides 41. Lockup 42. Bashful 43. Mea ___ 44. White-and-black bearlike mammal 45. Long-sleeved linen vestment 46. Totter 48. Discharges from the RAF

51. Possessed 52. Wrestled 54. Bestows 59. Religious practice 60. Greek goddess of the rainbow 62. Musical drama 63. Above, finished 64. Back of the neck 65. Saltpeter 66. Basic unit of heredity 67. Essential point 68. Relaxed

DOWN

1. Molten rock

Sudoku puzzle reprinted courtesy of sudoku-puzzles.net.

Crossword reprinted courtesy of bestcrosswords.com. Solution for puzzle can be found at http://www.bestcrosswords.com (Solution is under June 18 puzzle).

CROSSWORD

ACROSS

– MARK TWAIN

2. Line of rotation 3. Fog 4. Route 5. Prison 6. Microwave 7. Adjoin 8. Drive back 9. Failure of a jet engine 10. Go hungry 11. Lofty nest 12. Narrow openings 13. Kill 21. Appropriate 23. Facial features lacked by snakes

25. The Hilton, e.g. 27. Untidy condition 28. Shrewd 29. Between white and black 30. Beverage made with beaten eggs 34. Snake 35. Strap 36. Strong taste 37. Broad 38. Having wings 40. Effervescent 41. Sharp projection 43. Hoof sound 44. Italian innkeeper

45. Electrical unit 47. Graffiti 48. Herd 49. Consumed 50. Turkish palace 52. Alcoholic drink 53. Immerses 55. Capitol city of Western Samoa 56. You can’t catch fish without them! 57. It transforms carbon dioxide into oxygen 58. Reddish-brown gem 61. Become firm


10 • METROSPECTIVE

6.21.07 • THE METROPOLITAN

THE METROPOLITAN • 6.21.07

METROSPECTIVE • 11

Cash, check or dish duty Dining is a little different at the SAME Café By Andrew Flohr-Spence spencand@mscd.edu Brad and Libby Birky had a crazy idea. For years they had volunteered at soup kitchens, cooking and serving food to the homeless but longed to do more. “We at least felt like it was part of our responsibility as people who are doing well in life: We have a house, we have steady jobs,” Brad said. The question was how to best help. “We realized there was a niche out there,” Brad said. “The soup kitchens cater to the people living on the street day after day, but there is not a lot of programs for people who are working 40 hours a week at a job and are barely making ends meet.” The idea was to open a restaurant for people struggling to make ends meet, a restaurant without set prices where customers could leave whatever they could afford or work for an hour to pay for the meal. Instead of a cash register, there would be a donation box. The problem was neither of them knew much about running a restaurant. Brad had a degree in computer science. Libby was an elementary school teacher. They had many questions and few answers. Would people be honest and actually donate what they felt was fair? Would rent be paid at the end of each month? And for that matter, was it even legal to run a restaurant that didn’t charge? But such trivialities would not stand in their way. After several years of saving up money, acquiring kitchen equipment and Brad taking night classes in hospitality at Metro, the next problem was finding a space to rent. Most landlords, it seems, are reluctant to take on such potentially risky clients. “First of all, we didn’t have any experience,” Brad said. The landlords wanted to know how many restaurants they had run before, how many restaurants they currently had in operation. To that they could only shrug and say, “Oh, none, this is our first.” Have you ever worked in restaurants before? “Dairy Queen in high school, does that count?” Brad replied. Eventually the couple found a landlord willing to take a chance, and they signed a lease for a small storefront between a boutique and a print shop at 2023 E. Colfax Ave. The couple set up a website and began blogging their adventure. They reported their struggles and asked readers to give advice. They found a whole network of people willing to help. From a connection Brad made at Metro, the couple got their hands on five crates of new china and flatware for free. They got a tip on where to find two stainless steel food preparation tables worth around $3,000 – again without charge. When it came time to choose a name, they asked people to post suggestions. For every hurdle that stood in their way, for every question they needed answered, the couple found someone who knew someone who had a solution. The cafe would be called SAME – an acronym for “so all may eat” – and in October 2006 Brad and Libby incorporated the business, applied for nonprofit status and opened the cafe’s doors. If the couple thought the help they received before opening was encouraging, the response they have received since has been amazing. First, there was a story in Denver’s Westword magazine and one in Life on Capitol Hill. Then, Time magazine wrote a piece, followed by the Denver Post, the Los Angeles Times and the Rocky Mountain News. National Public Radio soon covered the restaurant, and recently they were interviewed live on the CBS Early Morning Show. Of course, even with all the encouraging press, Brad and Libby

LEFT: Libby Birky, co-creator of SAME Café, chats with patron Mark Wesley. Wesley has known Birky and her husband, Brad, since they worked in a soup kitchen at the Catholic Worker House. ABOVE: A copy of the dining guidelines at SAME Café.

“This place is really a part of a whole new social scene ... a lot of people appreciate that food justice is a No. 1 priority.” - SAME Café volunteer baker Brian Shald Photo by Cora Kemp • ckemp4@mscd.edu

aren’t quitting their day jobs just yet. Brad still works as a forensic computer consultant for a telecommunications company, and Libby still teaches fifth- and sixth-graders at a local elementary school. But each month brings more customers, more volunteers and more donations. Brian Shald, a 28-year-old baker who moved to Denver a few years ago from Nebraska, caught word of the cafe and stopped by to offer his services. He comes in most days after his 3 a.m. to 10 a.m. baking shift and helps Brad and Libby prepare pizza dough and

bake the sourdough rolls. “This place is really a part of a whole new social scene,” Shald said. “It’s difficult to eat for cheap these days, and local artists, local bands – a lot of people appreciate that food justice is a No. 1 priority.” Shald says the difference is the respect people are shown at the cafe. “There is not a lot of pretense to this place,” he said. “They look you straight in the eye.”

The personal contact is exactly the reason Brad and Libby didn’t take the easier route of simply donating money to charity. “If you send a check to United Way…you never have any idea what happens to it,” Brad said. “This is hands on, being here and talking to people everyday, getting to know the people and seeing their reactions.” The people who donate money also enjoy seeing the results, Brad said. And now that the couple has received their nonprofit status, their donors are entitled to tax deductions.

Worries about people coming in and taking advantage of the system have proven to be unfounded. The couple says that perhaps one or two times people have come in and not paid anything and not done anything in return. “We had a couple guys come in drunk with grocery bags full of beer they had bought across the street,” Brad recalls. “I just told them ‘This isn’t the type of place you think it is’ … I asked them to come back when they were willing to at least work for it.” It is this trust in people that Brad and Libby say is the key to

their success. “Because of the volunteers, because of the people who come in and help, because of the occasional random letter we get in the mail with a check in it – that helps us to keep a float, that helps us keep this restaurant going,” Brad said. Whether the couple thinks the cafe is a success: “We would have considered ourselves a success if one person came through the door that needed it,” Brad said. “Obviously, that has happened many times over.”


THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 12 • JEREMY JOHNSON • JJOHN308@MSCD.EDU

audiofiles

Upcoming shows Vans Warped Tour 2007 July 8 Invesco Field at Mile High 1701 Bryant St. 1 p.m. $62-70, all ages

Joe Strummer rocks, riots from beyond the grave Photo courtesy of www.theclash.online.com

Joe Strummer and bandmate Mick Jones embraced rock ‘n’ roll with a message. Director Julian Temple’s documentary of Strummer, The Future is Unwritten, was released to wide acclaim at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007 and is currently being released worldwide.

By Jeremy Johnson jjohn308@mscd.edu Some musicians spit out unbearable stories of the world’s ugly fate and humankind’s sad and sorry state, while others wax poetic about staunch skepticism and rebuilding the political system. The Clash frontman Joe Strummer embraced and embodied both so well that he convinced us to stop waiting for the establishment and, instead, to take it over with unconventional rock ’n’ roll activism. If his new endeavor is anything like the Sex Pistols rockumentary The Filth and the Fury (2000) punk-rock prodigy Julian Temple’s new Strummer documentary The Future is Unwritten, released originally at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2007, looks to shed some light on the mastermind of punk-rock pioneers the Clash and, particularly, the heavy intellectual and po-

litical influence of Strummer. Released on May 15, 2007, the Unwritten soundtrack proves to be a pinnacle of punk-rock memorabilia, a lost treasure among the scene’s old, dusty sheen of idealistic anarchy, weathered leather and rusty safety pins. The album is a splendid mix of previously unreleased Clash songs, peppered with pieces of Strummer’s acclaimed “Radio Clash” program and a number of Strummer’s vast rock ’n’ roll influx. The album starts much like Strummer might have chosen. After announcing himself the official “Punk Rock Warlord,” Strummer’s soundtrack heads straight for our nostalgic heart with a version of Clash classic “White Riot,” led solely, for the first 30 seconds, by Strummer’s strained British rebellious bawl, typically awkward acappella and strong satirical sensibilities: “White riot/I wanna riot/White riot/Want a riot of my own…Black man’s got a lot a problems/But they don’t mind throwing a brick/White people go to school/Where they teach you how to be thick…” What follows is a perfect blend of Elvis Presley (“Crawfish”), MC5 (“Kick Out the Jams”), Eddie Cochran (“Nervous Breakdown”), Rachid Taha (with an East Indian techno version of oft-covered classic “Rock the Casbah”), Nina Simone (“To Love Somebody”), Woody Guthrie (“Ranger’s Command”) and Bob Dylan (“Corrina, Corrina”). Not to mention some of Strummer’s most memorable radio moments. If Strummer is known for nothing else, he should forever be recognized for globalizing rock ’n’ roll. Having been raised internationally, Strummer single-handedly created a sound that

combined his homeland’s bitter political strife with traditional American rock in all of its stolen glory – as well as reggae, rockabilly and a general unspoken rage that, at the time, paralleled Strummer’s rather Zen demeanor toward the future of man and music. Be it Temple’s vision or Strummer’s ghost, the album plays perfectly as a historic guideline to the musician’s path from ragtag poet to rock ’n’ roll prophet. If Temple’s rock-doc of the Clash proves to be anywhere near as informative as his Pistols flick, then he is surely carving a place for himself as a true historian of punk and political rock. (Temple’s other works include various music videos and best-of video compilations varying from Blur to Culture Club.) But the true historian was Strummer. The heart of the Clash, their progressive punk and ska sound and the ensuing musical movements that followed, Strummer should always be recognized as a supreme musician. Hopefully, Unwritten (both the movie and the music) will solidify Strummer’s position as a prominent protester, philanthropist and prophet of the human condition in all of its universal struggles. In his own words, immortalized in one of his radio addresses: “People can change anything they want to. This is something I’m just beginning to learn. People are out there doing bad things to each other and it’s because they’re being dehumanized. It’s time to take humanity back into the center of the ring and follow that for a time. Without people you’re nothing – that’s my spiel.”

A quick navigation of the Warped Tour website warrants all the info needed about the tour and a glimpse at the social networking, scene-kid abomination it has become. Each stop on the tour has its own page where attendees can sign up so that ‘SxE*Hottie’ and ‘PunkerDood’ can post self-taken portraits and obligatory “this tour was cooler when…” or “omg I <3 NFG!!1” comments. If you dare to brave the sun and crowds, make sure to bring sunscreen and to catch pseudo-ska newcomers The Vincent Black Shadow and Coheed and Cambria, the progrock diamond in the rough known for closing Warped Tour sets with Iron Maiden’s “The Trooper.”

Matthew Quane • mquane@mscd.edu

Les Claypool June 22 Ogden Theatre 935 E. Colfax Ave. 9 p.m. $71, all ages

Rahzel w/ Supernatural and JS-1 as The Magnificents, and DJ Vajra June 22 Fox Theatre 1135 13th St., Boulder 8:30 p.m. $16, all ages

Jazzmatazz featuring Guru (w/ special guests) July 21 Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom 2637 Welton St. 9 p.m. $20, all ages


THE METROPOLITAN • 6.21.07

AUDIO FILES • 13

Peace, love and another compilation?

By Jeremy Johnson jjohn308@mscd.edu

freeplay

Elvis Costello is the chameleon of the music world. Part Buddy Holly and part Lou Reed, he’s clever and coy, curt and often caustic. He’s always cued into pop culture’s need for nightclubs, drugs and controversy, and forever consumed by the American cowboy and his country music. And, of course, he’s Elvis Costello. While the Elvis before him (Presley) is credited by some with popularizing rock as we know it (and I’m making a generalization – so lay off, music nerds), Costello crafted a truly distinct sound that blends folk, punk, club and classic rock ’n’ roll, with full business-chic attire. In essence, Costello’s skinny black ties, thick matching eyeglasses, and thin, grey pseudo-suits are as much a part of his rock ’n’ roll persona as his squawking voicebox. From the start, his new compilation, Rock and Roll Music, is an awkward arrow of Costello’s turn-of-the-70s caw aimed straight at the heart of his 1978 album This Year’s Model. Five of the first seven tracks are a model of Costello’s early verbal disgust and discontent, which include a multitude of ambiguously punk/club/ new-wave and plain rockin’ tracks such as “Lipstick Vogue,” “No Action,” “(I Don’t Want to Go to) Chelsea,” “This Year’s Girl,” and the critical club hit “Pump It Up.” Sadly lacking from Costello’s collection of

rock is his anti-establishment anthem “Radio, Radio.” As a Saturday Night Live fill-in for famed punkers The Sex Pistols, Costello made SNL history when he, against producers’ wishes, stopped his band short in the beginning of “Less Than Zero” before going into a wildly menacing version of the song that pissed all over corporate radio and TV. Sinead O’Connor’s later antics concerning a picture of the pope were undoubtedly inspired by Costello’s stunt. Incidentally, Costello was banned from SNL for 12 years following. While the record is an energetic reminder of one of the many roots of rock, this compilation plays more as a “Best of Elvis Costello B-Sides” than a truly kick-ass rock album, lacking much of the political wit for which Costello is so well known. Rock And Roll Music serves as a point of contention for Costello, a kind of mid-life crisis, a rock ’n’ roll Corvette that’s rusted around the wheel wells, if you will. Still, this is an album of past growth and a record of Costello’s chronology as a musician, a lover and a rebel with a cause. Considering that Costello wrote sad and powerful love ballads such as “Good Year for the Roses,” (Almost Blue, 1981) and “Indoor Fireworks,” (King of America, 1986), this latest compilation tends to embrace much more formative feelings that are equated with young lust and love. Nowhere is Costello’s fresh frustration verbalized more than on “Miracle Man,” a Stones-fluxed song from his 1977 debut Aim is True. The song not only has the sex appeal of Keith Richards’ wet dreams, but the lyrics put it all in miserable perspective as a tinny, bratty Costello croons: “Why do you have to say that there’s always someone who can do it better than I can?/But don’t you think that I know that walking on water won’t make me a miracle man?” Include pontifical political and social pleas such as “Clean Money” and “Wednesday Week” (Taking Liberties, 1980), “(What’s So Funny ’Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding” (Armed Forces, 1978) and previously unreleased demo “Welcome to the Working Week,” and this album serves as a well-rounded example of young Costello’s zeal for confrontation in the work-a-

The annual 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival finished off another successful event with 70,000-strong in attendance June 14-17 in Manchester, Tenn. This year’s festival included new and old acts including Feist, The White Stripes, Ween, The Black Keys, Manu Chao, Spoon, The Police, The Hold Steady, Wilco, Kings of Leon, Franz Ferdinand, Widespread Panic and Tool, just to name a delicious few. But according to most festival-goers, the pinnacle of the show came during Sunday morning’s midnight performance by The Flaming Lips. Nearly two-thirds of the mass of music fans were present for the Lips’ trippy set, which included a sea of orange lights and giant beach balls, along with Lips’ frontman Wayne Coyne’s uncomfortably close fisheye lens and lunatic theatrics. Footage of this year’s festival is available at www.loudersoft.com, www.cableandtweed.com, www.spinner.com, www.bonnaroo.com and www.livebonnaroo.com, with the latter promising downloadable archives soon. The gel caps, on the other hand, are up to the listener to find.

College Radio Top 20 Albums TW

LW

ARTIST

ALBUM

LABEL

1

1

Wilco

Sky Blue Sky

Nonesuch

2

2

Elliott Smith

New Moon

Kill Rock Stars

3

3

Feist

The Reminder

Interscope Cherry Tree

4

4

Bjork

Volta

Atlantic

5

5

Arctic Monkeys

Favourite Worst Nightmare

Domino

6

6

Bright Eyes

Cassadaga

Saddle Creek

7

8

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club

Baby 81

RCA

8

12

Dungen

Tio Bitar

Kemado

9

9

Blonde Redhead

23

4AD

10

7

Modest Mouse

We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Epic

11

25

Battles

Mirrored

Warp

12

11

Patti Smith

Twelve

Columbia

13

10

Kings of Leon

Because of the Times

RCA

14

18

Page France

...And the Family Telephone

Suicide Squeeze

15

15

Clientele

God Save the Clientele

Merge

16

16

Laura Veirs

Saltbreakers

Nonesuch

17

13

Dinosaur Jr.

Beyond

Fat Possum

18

21

Rufus Wainwright

Release the Stars

Geffen

19

14

LCD Soundsystem

Sound of Silver

Capitol

20

19

Sage Francis

Human the Death Dance

Epitath

Copyright © 2007 CMJ Networks Inc.

day world. Rock And Roll Music is a refreshing take on an aging Elvis, especially for those of us who were burdened with the insufferable Burt Bacharach-era of Costello songwriting. While Costello is still a collective genius with a knack for all sorts of eclectic music stylings supported by his

oft-worrisome vocals, there is something even more edgy and wicked – both in his singing and in his striking, skinny appearance – that makes him so much more suitable for good old-fashioned rock ’n’ roll. And this album provides a pretty good musical picture of what that should be.

Download Bonnaroo ‘07 archive at: www. livebonnaroo.com

Every week, Freeplay will cover the best free albums and archives to be found on the Internet.

Photo courtesy of Taylor Crothers

Hot, humid temperatures and dusty conditions were abound June 14-17 at the 2007 Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival in Manchester, Tenn. So were the drugs, apparently, but considerably more costly.


THE METROPOLITAN • 6.21.07

NEWS • 15

Knowledge for all as politics goes public By Ruthanne Johnson rjohn180@mscd.edu Summer usually brings a beehive of activity to downtown Denver. Tourists, shoppers and lunch-goers appear in a flurry of men and women walking briskly to and from their offices, and Metro political science chair Robert Hazan now teaches in the middle of it all. For the second summer, Metro and the Denver Downtown Partnership, or DDP, have collaborated for a series of open forum political science classes in downtown Denver’s Skyline Park at 16th and Arapahoe streets. Dubbed “Metro State Downtown,” the program encourages students to mingle and exchange ideas with downtown folks. Held under the shade of a tent every Thursday through July 19 from 9:40 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., the classes include political systems and American national government. In addition, four of the eight classes include special sessions broaching topics of global importance such as the recent Group of Eight (G8) Summit, Juneteenth, immigration and the 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver. Additional political science classes and professors will attend and lecture at the special sessions. “We came up with the program because of Dr. Jordan’s input to reach out to the downtown area – the businesses, government offices and professionals,” Hazan said. “But our goal is not so lofty as educating the downtown people. It is mainly to encourage involvement, discussion,” he said, adding that an open forum of differing opinions encourages diversity, which is the nature of academia. “The program brings education out of the classroom into the marketplace, and it gives the people downtown a rewarding and enriching experience as part of their downtown work life,” said Carol Svendsen, director of the Extended Campus program, in a Metro news release. “We encourage people working or lunching downtown to drop by, come into the tent and learn something about political systems and also learn something about Metro State College.” For Hazan and other political science professors such as Kebede Gellan, the project brings a certain energy to downtown, one that mixes academia’s more liberal point of view with the conservatism normally found in a professional environment. “Students are generally more liberal, professionals more conservative,” Hazan said, adding

that the diversity that comes with being located in downtown stimulates students, professors and onlookers alike into more active discussions. Gellan, who was born in Ethiopia and studied international and civil law at the Russian Friendship University in Moscow agreed. “The downtown classes are interesting because they do not follow a syllabus. The public lectures lead to open discussions, which are helpful in applying theory to current topics and international affairs,” he said. Due to ethnic discrimination in Russia, both official and unofficial, Gellan said such classes would be too dangerous in Moscow. “Because of my color, I was personally attacked three times. … And in Ethiopia, the government would never have allowed such a thing,” he said, adding that he felt very comfortable teaching in downtown Denver. Discussed in one of June’s special downtown sessions was the recent G8 meeting, which met in Germany to confer on a variety of subjects including the importance of education as a major factor in economic growth, the scientific debate of climate protection, the overwhelming debt of the poorest countries, the growing digital gap between industrialized and developing countries, the prevention of epidemics and the ongoing fight against HIV and AIDS. “Most people were unaware the G8 Summit meeting was being held in Heiligendamm, Germany the same week our classes met to discuss the G8,” Hazan said. “And many people do not even know which countries are in the G8.” While Svendsen said the program could bring greater public awareness to Metro and toward students as a potential resource for employers, DDP Public Relations and Communication Manager Sarah McClean looks to the venture as a building block toward more downtown business. “Speer has been somewhat of a moat between Metro’s campus and downtown,” McClean said. “This project pulls faculty, staff and students to the downtown side, these people on campus who are a great untapped resource for downtown businesses.” DDP Events Manager John Kerns said he recently talked to a nearby business that had benefited directly from the presence of the downtown classes. “The property and business owners love having students around because it creates a young energy and brings them more business,” Kerns

Photo by Johanna Snow • snowj@mscd.edu

Students at Metro have a unique opportunity to study at Skyline Park this summer in a program called “Metro State Downtown.” said. Metro freshman Alan Esler said he does not mind the 10-minute walk from Metro’s campus to the 16th Street Mall. “It’s nice to be outside instead of in a closed room,” he said. “It’s also interesting to hear the professors talk about current issues.” Hazan’s political science classes will continue to meet downtown every Thursday through July 19, with upcoming special sessions including “Juneteenth” on June 21, “Immigration” on

Immigrants • Opinions vary on Congress’ ‘grand bargain’ bill Continued from 6 He describes the process to become a citizen as “ridiculously long.” However, he feels that immigrants should not be given handouts. “It’s all about proving yourself. Some people have a green card but no job,” Montano said. Montano estimates he has been to Immigration Services in Aurora about 300 times to seek answers to questions about residency applications over the last 10 years. “You can’t call them on the phone,” Montano said. “You have to be there at 4:30 in the morning because when it opens at six there is a huge line – even if your question only takes six minutes.” “It makes me angry,” he said about the opportunity the bill provides for undocumented people. “What I went through I think people should go through,” Montano added. “I’m a lot better

person because of it.” Montano, who will become a citizen of the United States in August as he turns 25, said that after going through the process a person becomes grateful for what they have. “I think it’s crap to give them a crutch,”

“Undocumented people follow this issue closely but they are skeptical. It has always been a huge word of mouth, what is and isn’t, what works and doesn’t.” – DONNA HAMBURG

he said. How the promise of border enforcement and accountability will be implemented is also a contentious point of the bill. Steve Wymer, communications director for Sen. Wayne Allard, R-Colo., said although the senator voted against sending the bill to a final vote, “Allard supports some of the amendments of the bill, in particular, his amendment, section 303, that requires Homeland Security to share information with the office of Social Security.” Donna Hamburg, director of resource services for the city of Denver, said the success of the bill depends upon how it’s managed in the real world. “We will see how the rules are played out, it all depends on how the rules are administrated,” said Hamburg, who deals with the welfare of im-

June 28 and the “Democratic National Convention: Denver Gets Ready” on July 12. The Juneteenth session will be taught by Metro history professor Jacqueline McLeod. It will commemorate the abolition of slavery in the U.S. and give an historical perspective on the celebration of the Emancipation Proclamation. All Thursday classes, including those outside of the special sessions taught by Hazan, are open to the public.

migrant children. She said that unless people have a green card, identity cannot be established and guardians are not eligible to receive aid like Medicare. “Undocumented people follow this issue closely but they are skeptical. It has always been a huge word of mouth, what is and isn’t, what works and doesn’t.” Hamburg said. Gabriela Flora, central region project voice organizer for Coloradoans for Immigrant Rights, said economies and communities are dependent on immigrants but said that the ability to gain legal status is cumbersome, costly and will leave out a significant number of people. “I believe immigration laws are in desperate need of repair and end exploitation and fear. This needs to happen at a federal level but we need a true and just immigration reform and as it currently stands this isn’t it,” Flora said. “When people are viewed simply as labor, and not people, it continues exploitation.”


Insight “

THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 16 • DAVID POLLAN • DPOLLAN@MSCD.EDU

Jesse Helms and Newt Gingrich were shaking hands congratulating themselves on the introduction of an anti-gay bill in Congress. If it passes, they won’t be able to shake hands, because it will then be illegal for a prick to touch an asshole. – JUDY CARTER, COMEDIAN

“The Lamest Duck President”

SINCE 1979

EDITOR IN CHIEF David Pollan • dpollan@mscd.edu NEWS EDITOR Andrew Flohr-Spence • spencand@mscd.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS Kate Johnson • jokathry@mscd.edu Amy Woodward • awoodwa5@mscd.edu FEATURES EDITOR Emile Hallez • ehallez@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Jeremy Johnson • jjohn308@mscd.edu SPORTS EDITOR Eric Lansing • lansing@mscd.edu PHOTO EDITOR Amie Cribley • acribley@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITOR Cora Kemp • ckemp4@mscd.edu DESIGN EDITOR Nic Garcia • ngarci20@mscd.edu ILLUSTRATOR Andrew Howerton • ahowert2@mscd.edu COPY DESK CHIEF Matthew Quane • mquane@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Geof Wollerman • gwollerm@mscd.edu Clayton Woullard • cwoullar@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong ADVISER Jane Hoback

Andrew Howerton • ahowert2@mscd.edu

On Pride and politics I’m not a fan of politics. But as a journalist, I’m instinctively attracted to the science, scandals and smut that go along with the practice of government. The dorks in office give us a reason to wake up in the morning and a reason for us to write big headlines at night. But as a human being, the mess that follows disgusts me on a regular basis. In the last year, more than just the thought of two blushing brides or two hunky husbands have come into the political limelight. In case you haven’t been keeping score, hot topics regarding the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender community include – but are not limited to – the military’s “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, adoption, hate crimes and workplace discrimination. Now, I’m not a fortuneteller, but I have a pretty good guess of which candidates will be in the running for the White House – and what better occasion than Pride month to take a good look at their stance on gay issues? For the record, the first two Democratic candidates brought this on themselves. Both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama issued statements in honor of Pride month. I guess you could say Republican candidate Mitt Romney is asking for it too, considering how many times this month he has put his foot in his mouth regarding fags. But we’ll get to that later. Obama believes we have a lot of work to do.

NIC GARCIA ngarci20@mscd.edu He’s right. “It’s time to turn the page on the bitterness and bigotry that fills so much of today’s GLBT rights debate. The rights of all Americans should be protected.” His people did a pretty good job of summing up all the problems we as queers face. I guess someone told them fags don’t have a very long attention span. Still, he did little to explain how he plans on fixing all of these problems. And while fags have little time to listen to someone bitch (usually because we’re so busy doing it ourselves), we have all the time in the world for results. Clinton did a better job of showing what work she has done for the GLBT community, including working to defeat the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment and owning up to her husband’s flawed “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy. “When I am president, we will work together to

make sure that all Americans in committed relationships have equal benefits and that nothing stands in the way of loving couples who want to adopt children in need,” she said. Speaking of children in need: According to Republican hopeful Romney, children need a mommy and a daddy – not two of either. Romney also believes marriage is more or less a contract to spice up the reproduction of the human race. He didn’t release an official statement celebrating Pride, but he did have a run in with a lesbian in a recent town hall meeting in New Hampshire. “I am a gay woman, and I have children. Your comment … sort of invalidates my family... If we are sending our troops over to fight for liberty and justice … why not for me? Why not for my family?” queried Cynthia Fish. Romney’s response: “I’m delighted that you have a family, and you’re happy with your family. That’s the American way. People can live their lives as they choose ... (But) Marriage is an institution which is designed to bring a man and woman together to raise a child and that the ideal setting for society at large is where there is a male and a female are associated with the development and nurturing a child.” Did I mention Romney is the only person Romney has successfully convinced that he’s not anti-gay?

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.

And of course, there is good ol’ Rudy Giuliani. He has lived with gays and dressed in drag. For those of you still keeping score, none of the prior candidates have done either. But to appease the Grand Old Party, Giuliani has gone to great lengths to express time and time again that he does not support gay marriage, only civil unions. He’s discussed little else regarding hate crimes or his preference on stilettos. Still, the big question facing the community is not which candidate can point out the most issues (Clinton and Romney are tied), but who can give us the most results to bring us justice and equality. Clearly, it’s too early to tell. And sadly, it won’t be up to the gays. We, as a minority voting bloc, have little say. So it is up to our hags, stags and allies to ensure our next president understands that the American dream of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is for all. And that I would cheer for.


THE METROPOLITAN • PAGE 17 • ERIC LANSING • LANSING@MSCD.EDU

Sport

DID YOU KNOW...

Former Metro soccer player Kylee Hanavan was named the Division II Athlete of the Year June 14. She led the Roadrunners to their second Division II championship in three years, and this past year led the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference in points (66), goals (23) and assists (20). Hanavan won the award among 11 other finalists from different sports, and was only the second soccer player to ever win the award.

Head coach calls it quits after 5-year run By Eric Lansing lansing@mscd.edu The women’s basketball team has all the essential parts to make a run deep into the NCAA tournament in the upcoming season, but they will have to do it without the man who brought those parts together as head coach. After five years as the head coach of the women’s basketball team, Dave Murphy has called it quits. Murphy shocked the Metro community with the abrupt announcement of his retirement on June 12. He had given no word or inclination of his retirement in previous interviews and there was no indication of possible health issues. His tenure at Metro officially ends on June 30. Metro Athletic Director Joan McDermott, who hired Murphy, was also caught off guard by his sudden resignation. “I thought he would stick around a couple more years,” McDermott said. The players were just as surprised and figured Murphy would’ve hung around for their senior years. Senior guard Paige Powers, who was recruited by Murphy, was informed of the news through an e-mail that every player received. “We were all a little shocked,” Powers said. “But we support his decision to step back and spend time with his grandkids. He said they are all over the country, so we respect his decision.” Murphy had just finished a 24-7 season and

led the Roadrunners to the finals of the conference tournament and a berth in the NCAA tournament. Both ended in losses to conference rival Regis. The 2007-2008 team looks primed for an even better season, having lost only one senior to graduation and returning 12 players, including seven veteran seniors. Murphy’s resignation raises the question as to why he would leave with the return of an experienced roster and the potential for a serious championship run. “He’d have to answer that question,” said McDermott, who was also unsure of the reasons for his departure at this point in his career. Although Murphy was unavailable for comment, he said in a press release that he wanted to spend more time with his wife, his six children and seven grandchildren. “Metro State is a very special place of which I have been privileged to be a part of,” Murphy said in a statement on June 12. “I will miss the sincere support of my colleagues and everyone associated with the athletic program that have embraced and supported the women’s basketball program over the past five years. I wish the players, administration and fans great success in the years to come.” Despite Murphy’s unexpected exodus, it doesn’t seem he left on bad terms with the college and McDermott understood his reasons and said she wished him the best in his future endeavors. “I think he just had a lot of reflection on himself and his family.” McDermott said. “I think he

Dave Murphy

coach

College: University of Northern Colorado, 1973

2002-03 2003-04 2004-05 2005-06 2006-07 TOTAL

TEAM RECORD Metro 13-15 Metro 12-16 Metro 24-7 Metro 18-9 Metro 24-7 91-54

PCT .464 .429 .774 .667 .774 .621

RMAC 10-9 10-9 15-4 15-4 15-4 65-30

Led the Roadrunners to five RMAC tournaments including the 2004-2005 championship. Also earned two berths in the NCAA tournament in 2004-2005 & 2006-2007. just decided it was time to spend this time with his family. We’ll miss his upbeat and warm personality as well as his high energy. He was so great for not only the women’s basketball program, but for our entire athletic program.” After Murphy served four seasons as head coach for the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs’ women’s basketball team, Murphy was hired on as head coach for the women’s program at Metro for the 2002-2003 season. Murphy directed the team to a 13-15 record in his first season, and earned a berth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament. Murphy posted a 91-54 record in his five years at Metro and led the Roadrunners to five RMAC tournament appearances, an RMAC tour-

nament championship in 2004-2005 and two NCAA tournament appearances. His best season at Metro was the 2004-2005 season when his team had an overall record of 24-7, went 15-4 in the conference, won the RMAC conference tournament and given a spot in the NCAA tournament. The search now begins for a new head coach for the women’s basketball team and, according to McDermott, there have been many inquiries about the position. Todd Dickson, the likely front-runner for the job, served under Murphy as an assistant for five years. He already knows the players and may institute the same system Murphy installed to keep the team going in the same direction of success.

Cleveland’s collapse spurred on most dissatisfying Finals in years With all the mismatches, low ratings and anticlimactic basketball that took place during the last four games, this year’s NBA Finals can only be summed up with one word: disappointing. Around this time of year, I am normally enjoying the long, exciting series that a dramatic basketball final should include. Not this year. I approached this year’s finals in the same way that I might a root canal: better over sooner than later. This series was just as painful to watch as a root canal, but then so is every playoff matchup that the Spurs take part in. The San Antonio-Cleveland series lacked everything a good series usually brings to the table: drama, high scoring, endearing story lines, good team matchups and – most of all – ratings. Unless you reside in these teams’ respective cities, there was really nothing in this series to get excited about – even for the avid basketball fan.

SPENSER BERNARD sbernar4@mscd.edu The only superstar worth watching-Lebron James-accomplished nothing spectacular against the Spurs relentless defense. During San Antonio’s four-game sweep he averaged less than 35 percent shooting from the field and turned the ball over an average of 5.75 times per game. James put up these bad numbers because of the mismatch the series provided. Without an-

other prolific scorer to draw San Antonio’s attention away from James, the Spurs were able to contain the superstar and exploit his offensive weakness – his outside shot. This, along with his relative inexperience, caused James’ oncourt debacle. His ineffectiveness created a lack of visually stimulating basketball and erased any excitement the series could have had. The most action that took place was Spurs’ forward Tim Duncan’s incessant complaining to the referees – that and the constant footage of “Desperate Housewives” star Eva Longoria playing with her palm pilot or cheering for her fiancée, Spurs point guard Tony Parker. On the other hand, can you expect a lot of excitement from a team that is considered one of the best of all time going up against a team that was just happy to be there? When Finals time rolls around there should not be an obvious winner. But this year, the se-

ries was over before it even started. The only looming question was how long would it take Cleveland to roll over. The answer? Not long at all. So short, in fact, that this year I decided I would rather watch an episode of “Desperate Housewives” than witness Cleveland’s desperate attempts to bring a championship home to its fans whose only stake in the sports world thus far are disappointing memories of “The Drive,” “The Fumble” and the 1995 World Series. Now another entry has been added to the list of unfortunate collapses in Cleveland’s history: the San Antonio sweep. The sweep caused the Cavaliers to score the fewest points ever in a four-game series, gave San Antonio a 16-6 record in the NBA Finals – which saw record low ratings – and created at least one very disappointed basketball fan.


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