Volume 30, Issue 3, Aug. 30, 2007 by Met Media

Serving The Auraria Campus Since 1979

Vol. 30 No. 3

http://www.mscd.edu/~themet

THURSDAY, AUGUST 30, 2007

Financial frustration

Understaﬀed aid oﬃce set back by 1,000 more applications » A3

NO ROOM to learn?

METROSPECTIVE »

Tivoli’s history brews interest » B4

Photo by LOGAN LYLES/llyles@mscd.edu

Cathy Atkinson sits and waits for her Women of Color class to begin on Aug. 27 in West Classroom 237. Atkinson’s class had moved to two diﬀerent meeting places previous to this one. Metro is struggling to accommodate the current inﬂux of students, which has caused a number of room changes.

“We’re stuffing people in like sardines. ... It’s one of the biggest problems here.” STEPHEN LEONARD, CHAIR OF METRO’S HISTORY DEPARTMENT » A5

BEN HARPER’S FUNKY FOLK ROCKS » B6

SPORTS »

Men’s soccer rains on the Sunshine State’s parade » A15

metro THE METROPOLITAN » AUGUST 30, 2007 » A3

»CLASSROOM RUN AROUND »A5 »CAFE WANTS TO OFFER WINE »A7 »INSIGHT: POT PROPOSAL A BURN »A12

ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE » NEWS EDITOR » spencand@mscd.edu

METRO NOW

THIS WEEK »

Friday 8.31

The Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board meets at 2:30 p.m. in Tivoli suite 329. This week: • Auraria’s new chief of police, John Mackey, will stop by to introduce himself. • Auraria’s newly appointed emergency coordinator, Michael Moreland, will also meet the members of SACAB. SACAB is located in Tivoli suite 314. Stop by the office or call at (303) 556-4589.

Monday 9.3

Labor day! Take the day off. You have earned it and it’s not like you get any paid vacation. (what, no day off ?)

Wednesday 9.5

Auraria’s Board of Directors holds their monthly meeting at 7:30 a.m. in Tivoli suite 320 B and C. The board plans to vote on the sustainable campus initiative. Students are encouraged to stop by and make their voice heard. The meeting is open to the public. For information call Stephanie Morris at (303) 556-3294.

THE METROPOLITAN 25 YEARS AGO»

September 1, 1982 Graduates competing for fewer jobs

- Job market isn’t good, and may get worse.

Jimmy Cliﬀ and Peter Tosh concert draws 5,500

“Totally tuned to the reggae rhythm, people moved and grooved into blissful exhaustion.”

THE COLD FACTS » Rolling away

During the school year Auraria uses an average of 11,250 medium trashcan liners per month.

CORRECTION »

The photo on page three was mistakenly credited. The photo was taken by Andrew Bisset, abisset1@mscd.edu

The check is in the mail The look on a student’s face waiting in the ﬁnancial aid line is one of frustration and boredom mixed with a glimmer of hope: Will the money be there, or not?

By GEOF WOLLERMAN gwollerm@mscd.edu By 9 a.m. on the Friday before school began, the line at Metro’s financial aid office was out the door and around the corner. It had been that way all week. One morning, students were already waiting outside the office’s door when the staff arrived at 7:30 a.m., so the staff decided to open early. Even during the second week of school, lines around the corner are a common sight. Long lines at the financial aid office are anything but new. Every year around this time the office is inundated with phone calls, e-mails and students stopping in to ask questions. But according to several students and some members of the Student Government Assembly, this year has been particularly bad. Vice president of the SGA, Andrew Bateman, estimates he has listened to 30-40 complaints in the last few weeks regarding financial aid and said it was apparent to him that things were worse this year than last. “It was just the usual sort of glitches,” Bateman said regarding the first complaints he started hearing about. “But then it started to get worse than that. We started hearing about students who were losing their entire financial aid packages, who had been approved for grants – the grants were on their account – and then all of a sudden it just disappears one day … I would say that there are more serious problems than in year’s previous and there are more of them.” The SGA is offering to field these complaints, but as of yet has not received any official written grievances, he said. Others have had more positive experiences. Freshman Ken Grouse said the federal end of the process is sometimes confusing, but that Metro did a good job of providing concise, easy to use information and forms. “It takes a long time, but everyone here is really nice,” Grouse said, regarding the staff at the financial aid office. Overall, his experience has been good, he said.

What’s the holdup? “We’re experiencing a backlog, which is not abnormal for this time of year,” said director of Metro’s financial aid office Cindy Hejl. The office usually begins to get busy af-

Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu

Waiting in line for the chance to talk to the financial aid office on Aug. 8, Duke Spackman needed to inform the office of his household numbers to get his financial aid. Vice president of the Student Government Assembly, Andrew Bateman, said he has recieved more than 30 complaints in the last few weeks from students concerning financial aid. ter the middle of July and it doesn’t slow down until after the first week of school. The office only has seven phone lines – which are busy all day long – and, while the office sometimes staffs up to 40 employees, right now it is functioning with fewer than twenty, she said. “When we put full-time staff up there (at the front desk) then that means we’re not processing the forms in the back, and so that kind of causes a slight delay,” Hejl said. Overall, problems are not widespread and the office does the best that it can under the circumstances, said assistant director of financial aid Teresa Godinez. “Compared to the volume of students that get through without a hitch and get their money and go to class and do well, the percentage that

we see (with problems) is very small,” she said. About half of Metro’s students accept financial aid – more than 12,000 recipients. Last year, the school paid out $84 million dollars in financial aid, an average of $6,887 per student, according to campus spokeswoman Cathy Lucas. This year the financial aid office received about 1,000 more federal financial aid applications than it did last year, and this – coupled with more students applying late – has slowed the process for approving and disbursing financial aid packages, Lucas said. In response, Metro will begin a campaign to educate students more about financial aid in the hope that they will apply earlier for aid. She noted that this year the college held a drawing for free iPods for students

who applied for ﬁnancial aid before June 15. The winners of the contest will be announced after the school’s census in early September, she said. “We’re going to take a more proactive approach coming into the spring and fall semesters,” Lucas said.

Where’s the beef? A proactive approach is perhaps what some people in the financial aid line were looking for. Danielle Andrews, who is enrolled in Metro’s teaching certificate program, was visibly frustrated. The financial aid office had her registered as a non-resident even though she has lived in Colorado for the last eight years, she said. Metro put a hold on her account, which it eventually lifted after Andrews proved her residency –

FINANCE Continued on A5»

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « METRO « A5

Metro courses bursting at the seams Shortage of classrooms leaves Metro with few options, packed courses By EMILE HALLEZ ehallez@mscd.edu Metro has the second-largest student body in the state, and it’s virtually out of space to fit a population that gets larger every year. “We’re stuffing people in like sardines,” said Stephen Leonard, Metro’s history department chair. “It is one of the biggest problems here.” Metro has more than 21,000 sardines – or students – and faces problems ranging from a lack of classrooms to crowding in course sections. “It’s especially hard on freshmen,” Leonard said. “I had to not request tons of space that I know we needed. … I was incredibly careful to keep within the limits.” Scheduling history course sections is a duty for which Leonard is responsible. “It’s one of my biggest headaches,” he said. “It’s really uncomfortable,” said Metro student Dana Allen regarding her Contemporary Issues journalism course. The class couldn’t meet on its first day, because it didn’t have a room. On Aug. 21 it assembled for the first time, among a hodgepodge of chairs, tables and a few computers in the basement of the Rectory Building. The 17-student class has since moved to Plaza Building Room 122, a conference room about 22 feet long and 12 feet wide. “Not only are they moving us frequently, but they’re also putting us in classrooms that don’t fit our capacity,” Allen said. Auraria is home to three schools of higher education: Metro, UCD and CCD. Some classrooms on the campus can be used by any of these schools,

Photo by LOGAN LYLES/llyles@mscd.edu

Room change notices such as the one above cover the walls outside many Metro classrooms. School oﬃcials said no classes have been cancelled due to lack of space, but many have moved or been rescheduled. Future expansion of Auraria’s space, including projects such as the new Science Building scheduled to begin in December, are years from bringing relief. and scheduling difﬁculties persist between the oft-coveted hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Thursday, Leonard said. The campus might have, however, a few cards up its sleeve to help alleviate the current classroom crunch. With the Auraria Master Plan – which includes the construction of a new science building beginning in December and a redesign of the South Classroom area – more space could be made available for both students and teachers. But the Master Plan may not be able to create space at the rate the rising student population demands. “While the Science Building, South Classroom and Auraria master planning projects are all constructive

��

�� initiatives, they are not coming online fast enough to keep up with current growth,” wrote Hal Tamblyn, interim associate dean of the School of Let-

ters, Arts and Sciences, in an e-mail interview. “In addition to classroom space, there is a substantial need for additional faculty ofﬁce space.”

The psychology department, though it has labs and classrooms that can be scheduled strictly for the department’s courses, has its share of headaches. “Trying to get enough coordination is the problem,” said Ellen Susman, psychology department chair. “We’re just bursting seams in our classrooms.” A lack of “smart classrooms” – those with computer hookups and overhead projectors – makes some teachers wary of taking space where they can’t utilize Power Point presentations, she said. And some rooms are not be accessible to students with disabilities, she said. “We had one case last week where a student with a wheelchair couldn’t get through the door,” Susman said. There were no empty classrooms to which that course could immediately be moved, but it eventually traded spaces with another class that could accommodate the student, she said. But not every department on campus is as affected by Metro’s evergrowing popularity. “We don’t have any problems in terms of physical classrooms,” said Arthur Fleisher, Department of Economics chair. Fleisher attributes the surfeit of space in his department to the preponderance of online economics courses. “We’re slightly over 100 percent enrollment” since last year, he said, noting that space has not been a problem despite the growing student population. Until more space becomes available, shifting and cramped classrooms could continue to be reality for Metro students and faculty. “It makes it hard to want to sit in for an hour and 15 minutes. You’re kind of anticipating class being over so you can get out and move your legs around,” Allen said.

FINANCIAL » Sheer volume of students, worker turnover slows process Continued from A3

a process that, according to Andrews, simply involved her telling the financial aid office she was a resident. “I just do what they tell me to do so I can get into school,” Andrews said. Since she lives an hour and a half from campus and wanted to avoid coming down just to be told she was missing a form, she tried calling the office. The phone lines were busy all day; she didn’t reach anyone until just before 5 p.m., she said. Then they told her to come down to the office. When she showed up on Friday she waited in line only to realize she had left her photo ID in her car and had to go back and get it. She had spent an hour and a half at the financial aid office that day, Andrews said, adding that she still had to come back on Monday to bring in another form. “It’s been hectic, it really has,” Andrews said. “But as soon as I get

into my classes I’ll be happy.” Zach Gregory, who was with his mom Kathleen, is a freshman. Zach received an e-mail the week before saying that his financial aid had been processed and that he could come down to the cashier’s office in three to five days to pick up a refund check, Kathleen said. But when they arrived, they were told that Zach’s aid hadn’t been processed yet and they would have to wait until the end of the following week, she said. School was starting on Monday, and Zach had yet to purchase books, so they were going to see about a short-term loan. “There’s not a lot of communication going on in the whole school,” Kathleen said. “If he was on his own as a first-time student, he would probably get discouraged and not even go. Because now he has to show up on Monday without any books … We’ve been running around the halls – one

“We’ve been running around the halls — one office to the next office to the next office, and now to a different office”

KATHLEEN GREGORY, PARENT

office to the next office to the next office, and now to a different office.”

Got issues? What Kathleen was describing is a problem both the SGA and Metro’s Board of Trustees have dubbed “the student runaround” – the confusion and poor communication that surrounds many of the administrative processes students deal with on campus, SGA senator Gary Lefmann said.

It is not unique to the financial aid office, and it is a source of frustration both the SGA and the board is determined to alleviate, he said. With overall school enrollment up this year, the problems at Metro’s financial aid office can partially be blamed on the sheer volume of students. However, Lefmann thinks its problems are also indicative of a larger issue: the surfeit of interim administrators the college has gone through in the last several years. The lack of stability this has incurred has not allowed for the change needed to keep up with technology and the rapidly growing campus population, he said. “(It is) one of the many important factors that has played into the school having sort of fallen behind in keeping up with the needs of certain things,” Lefmann said. “I’m not saying that that’s a direct cause of problems with financial aid, but it certainly could

have contributed to that.” Students are not getting the necessary information they need when they come to school at Metro, Lefmann said. He brought up the example of students who turn in their forms at the last minute and are under the impression that there will be an immediate turnaround, and that their money will be there the next day. The steps that Lucas mentioned that Metro is planning to take to educate students about the financial aid process are a good start, Lefmann said. “It’s not going to help to blame the student because the student wasn’t informed. And it’s not helpful to simply blame the administration,” he said. “The challenge is figuring out how to communicate to the students, when they come here, the albeit rather boring details of how to get through something like the financial aid process.”

A6 » METRO » AUGUST 30. 2007 » THE METROPOLITAN

Metro hires agency to recruit more Hispanic students Xcelente Marketing brings the Latino market to its clients, the advertisement company says By ROBERT FISHER rﬁshe18@mscd.edu

Metro wants to increase its Hispanic enrollment, and has hired an ad agency for help. While Denver Public School’s Hispanic enrollment has increased to 60 percent, Metro remains at 12 to 13 percent – a percentage gap Metro wants to close. Increasing Hispanic students at Metro is one of the objectives of the college’s Hispanic Serving Institution initiative. Increasing full-time enrollment of Hispanic students to 25 percent is the ﬁrst goal of the initiative. This would open

Metro up to a wide range of grant opportunities which could mean millions of dollars each year to improve school services such as expanding the resources available at the library. But like any successful business model, marketing will play a huge role. Xcelente Marketing advertises itself as the company that brings the Latino market to its clients. And that is what Metro is hoping it will do. “We are going to identify strategies for increasing retention among current Latino students,” said Toti Cadavid, team leader for the Xcelente group in charge of working with the college. “We also want to identify strategies for increasing attendance of a higher number of Latino students.” Xcelente, based in Centennial, ﬁrst introduced itself at the 2007 Fall Professional Devel-

“The presentation was a way people could learn more about their process and for them to gather information about the college” CATHY LUCAS, METRO SPOKESWOMAN

opment Conference Aug. 15 on campus, where they discussed some of their long-term goals for working with Metro and its HSI initiative. “The presentation was a way people could learn more about their process and for them to gather information about the college,” said Metro spokeswoman Cathy Lucas.

GRADUATING? Attention! All Potential Fall 2007 Degree Candidates All Students Who Will Have Completed All Degree Requirements by the End of Fall Semester, 2007: 1 Must file an Application for Graduation in the Office of the Registrar (CN105) by Friday, August 31, 2007. The Application for Graduation is available in the Office of the Registrar (CN105) and on-line: www.mscd.edu/enroll/registrar/docs/index.htm (May be faxed to 303-556-2568.)

Xcelente traditionally works with businesses and nonproﬁts. However, the company has not worked on any Colorado college’s HSI initiatives (there are currently six Colorado colleges with this status), nor has it worked with any schools to attract students or improve student retention. Some colleges in Colorado with HSI status achieved this designation merely because Hispanics make up a large percentage of the population it traditionally serves. This has not been the case for Metro. But Lucas said she is not worried about the company’s lack of experience in this area. “This is their ﬁrst HSI project,” Lucas said. “This is a new territory for people who actively seek HSI status.” According to Cadavid, Xcelente is still in the beginning phases of working with the college and trying to identify strategies to help Metro become attractive to the growing Denver Latino community. Marisela Gonzalez, vice president of the Pi Lambda Chi Latina Sorority with UCD and Metro, said part of the challenge of attracting Latinos to higher education is “letting them know there is something beyond high school.” “Latinos are usually here because of their parents,” Gonzalez said. “Or (they’re) working, trying to get a better life. A lot of Latinos don’t see secondary education as an option.” Part of the sorority’s mission statement is to increase awareness in the Latino community about secondary education.

2 Should have a CAPP Compliance Report run NOW in their major department or the Academic Advising Center (CN104).

3 Must clear or explain all CAPP discrepancies (Not Met) with the Registrar’s Office by September 28, 2007 in order to remain a degree candidate for this semester.

4 Monitor the Fall 2007 Graduation/ Commencement Website on MetroConnect throughout the semester.

METROPOLITAN STATE COLLEGE of DENVER

Think you have what it takes to be a copy editor? Contact Us:

Send inquiries to dpollan@mscd. edu or fill out an application in the Metropolitan office located in the Office of Student Media, Tivoli 313.

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « METRO « A7

Cimarron uncorks wine proposal By ANDREW FLOHR-SPENCE spencand@mscd.edu Looking for a glass of wine and a cozy atmosphere after the stress of class? The Cimarron Café and Grill wants to make the cafe, with its high ceiling and old copper brewing tanks, a place where Auraria’s students and faculty can meet after class for drinks and conversation. Eva Esparsa, whose cafe on the first floor of the Tivoli this past spring took the place of the Daily Grind, asked Auraria if she can apply for a license to sell wine and beer. But before any glasses get filled, all three of Auraria’s schools must give it the OK. Esparsa said that when she negotiated the lease with Auraria, they included the option to discuss at a later date the possibility of serving alcohol. Now, having had a chance to get to know her customers and look around the campus, she said she wants to go ahead with the idea. The campus lacks a place with a calm, conversational atmosphere, she said. Pete’s Arena, the pizzeria on the north side of the Tivoli, is currently the only place on campus with permission to sell alcohol. Pete’s offers several kinds of beer on tap and in bottles and has a brightly lit diner atmosphere, with a checkerboard floor and chrome tables. Esparsa said she wants to offer students and faculty a more low-key, conversational alternative to Pete’s. She said she wants to offer wine. The final responsibility for what

the Tivoli offers lays with Auraria’s ofﬁce of Student and Auxiliary Services. SAS deals with leases and contracts, and received Esparsa’s request but gave the proposal to studentelected representatives for review. The Student Advisory Committee to the Auraria Board, or SACAB, is responsible for representing the students’ interest. As far as Cimarron’s liquor license, are charged with deciding what they think is best and reporting back to SAS with the recommendations. In the case of Cimarron’s application, SACAB decided to get the approval of all three schools. “Because alcohol is such an issue lately at schools ... we at SACAB feel that we need to go to each institution,” said Nicole Barringer, one of Metro State’s representatives and current SACAB chairwoman. The student committee will write a letter to accompany the proposal outlining the safety measures that Cimarron plans to put in place to ensure that alcohol does not become a problem, she said. Cimarron’s employees will be required to take alcohol-serving classes, including how to check IDs and what to watch for, before people get too drunk. The cafe also agreed to wait until after 3 p.m. before it starts serving alcohol. “The key thing about having alcohol is you have to control it,” Esparsa said. She said she hopes to attract more mature students and faculty and wants to start having small events in the evening.

“This is a nice place to have wine and some drinks,” she said. “We don’t want drunk people, we just want some place to have fun and relax.” Student Steven Bogert said he thinks the idea is a good one, if students can show a little common sense. “Students should be allowed to make healthy choices for themselves,” said the criminal justice student. “I’d vote ‘yes’ for the student’s right to make choices.” Psychology major Sarah Jones said she would like to see more selection available to students. “There is just nothing going on down here in the evening,” she said. Jones said she didn’t think drunks would be a problem. “Home is just too far away – everyone at Auraria lives somewhere else.” Barringer said SACAB initially voted to approve Cimarron’s request. She said several SACAB student polls show students are overwhelmingly in favor of further alcohol sales on campus. But SACAB will wait to see where the schools stand before they make their recommendations to SAS. Barringer said she thinks the idea would help to establish more campus nightlife, which is one of SACAB’s goals, now that student housing is located on campus. She said SACAB hopes to have the plan sent to the student affairs departments of Metro, UCDHSC and CCD in the next two weeks. Barringer said approval of Cimarron’s request to serve alcohol might take up to a year.

Photo by KRISTI DENKE / kdenke@mscd.edu

Mika Ikemoto prepares an espresso shot Aug. 25 at the Cimmaron Café. The application process for a liquor license can take as long as a year.

NightRider, police provide escorts ‘buddy walk’ couldn’t By AMY WOODWARD awoodwa5@mscd.edu With the hustle and bustle of classes and homework, most students are struggling to ﬁnd the time for extracurricular activities and volunteer work. This could be one reason why the Auraria Police Department’s program, the “buddy walk system” was short lived after former Chief Heather Coogan created it last year. To help heighten security during Auraria’s nightlife, Auraria police implemented a program called the “buddy walk system.” Students and faculty could volunteer as escorts for other students and staff who may feel uncomfortable walking around campus at night. The program, however, wasn’t a success and has been tucked away in the police department’s ﬁling cabinet. “Unfortunately, we haven’t had any volunteers,” said deputy chief John Egan. Egan said the program will hopefully be revived sometime in September or October.

Campus safety after dark NightRider

Free service Mon. - Thurs. From sundown to 10 p.m. call (303) 556-2001. After hours or on weekends, or to reach the Auraria police department call (303) 556-3271.

There have been crimes on campus, but incidents that have occurred were apparently random. “They are few and far between, although they shouldn’t be happening at all,” Egan said. Egan reported last year that a sexual assault occurred during early evening hours in the West Classroom building. Although rape did not occur, a woman reported that someone had grabbed her breast. In January, a male student was robbed in broad daylight near the South Classroom building, and a student

Free pepper-spray key chains

Available at: The Auraria Health Center; Plaza Building Room 150; Campus Recreation Event Center Room 108; MSCD Institute for Women’s Studies, 1033 9th Street Park; and MSCD Student Services, Tivoli Room 305. Participants must receive brief instruction, show a campus ID and sign a release of liability.

Tully pointed to the parking lots across Seventh Street and added, ‘A lot of people get assaulted in those parking lots.’ was stabbed last October in parking lot E after coming across an unidentiﬁed man rummaging through his car. There was another incident of sexual assault in lot A two years ago, and a student reported being followed from a classroom building to Lot R, but physical contact did not occur.

Metro senior Jennifer Tully said she feels safe on campus but thinks the program is a good idea. “There are (emergency response) buttons and phones and police driving by,” Tully said. “I don’t really think you need too much security … but if other people feel unsafe, then that’s a great program.” Tully point-

ed to the parking lots across Seventh Street and added, “A lot of people get assaulted in those parking lots.” The parking and public safety division at Auraria Higher Education Center provides a transporting service called NightRider. It gives students rides from any campus parking lot to their destination on campus and back. They also work to ﬁt the schedule of students, faculty and staff who may want to use the service as part of their routine. The campus police department is another resource, as they provide their own escorts in and around the campus perimeter. But that service is limited from giving rides to the college dorms or lot W. “I don’t really ever see any security on campus,” said Metro sophomore Jonas Halstead. “I saw a cop on a bike writing a ticket once.” Halstead said he feels pretty comfortable on campus, and if need be, he would be willing to participate in the “buddy walk system” to help ensure the safety of others. “Everybody needs to feel safe, especially at a college,” he said.

A8 » METRO » AUGUST 30. 2007 » THE METROPOLITAN

BRIEFS

FALSE

Got a bloody smoke? Tobacco companies in the UK will start printing graphic images that show the effects of smoking on cigarette packets by the end of 2009, the BBC reported on Aug. 28. Recent studies suggest that written warnings are not as effective as picture warnings. If manufacturers do not comply with the new demands, their products will not be allowed to sell. Other countries like Canada and Brazil have already started picture warnings, and a study by Canada’s University of Waterloo discovered that 15 percent of Canadian smokers have been reluctant to smoke.

alarm

The Denver Fire Department was called out to Auraria during the ﬁrst week of classes last Friday. A fallen aerosol can in the janitor’s closet at the Starz Theater is what set oﬀ the alarm. Photo by GREG DAILY/gdaily@mscd.edu

Should I stay or should I go? Wellcome Trust scientists from the Wellcome Trust Centre for Neuroimaging in London are the first to identity how our brain responds to various degrees of threat. According to their research, alterations in behavior when faced with a threat will depend on whether the threat is near or far. Depending on the distance of the threat, this is how our brain deciphers when the potential threat is actually harmful or when to “fight or flight.”

SouthPark getsthreemore The creators of South Park have made an agreement with Viacom to make at least three more seasons, with new episodes running to at least 2011. Matt Stone and Trey Parker hope to share their animated series through the re-launching of their website, SouthParkStudios.com so fans won’t have to view episodes from unlicensed websites. The site will also feature some of Stone and Parker’s new animation projects. Commenting on the new deal with Viacom, Stone said, “It gives us the opportunity to offend that many more people.” Episodes of South Park have attracted around 3 million people since the ﬁrst show aired in 1997.

Bones in the boneyard

A four-and-a-half-foot-long fossilized penis bone from an extinct walrus sold for $8,000. The new owners of this unusual artifact sold it to the company that runs the Ripley’s Believe It or Not museums, the Associated Press reported on Aug. 27. There were only three bidders for this rare collectible. The fossilized penis bone, or baculum, that once belonged to a species of walrus that went extinct 12,000 years ago, was found in permafrost in northern Siberia.

Climbing up the walls

Italian scientists published recently in the Journal of Physics research that may one day help a human to walk up walls like a superhero. The tiny hairs on the feet of spiders and geckos, which scientists are trying to recreate for humans, enable them to cling to almost anything. Geckos can hold up to 100 times their body wieght.

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « METRO « A9

Marijuana initiative gets higher By JEREMY JOHNSON jjohn308@mscd.edu Ominous skies and a light rain weren’t enough to stop 60 or more people from gathering on the steps of the Denver City and County building Aug. 27 to show support for a new pro-marijuana initiative. The proposed bill is the brainchild of Mason Tvert and his Safer (Safer Alternative for Enjoyable Recreation) Colorado organization. The bill, which the city council unanimously voted to put on the Nov. 6 ballot, would “designate adult marijuana possession as the city’s lowest law enforcement priority,” Tvert said in an Aug. 2 interview prior to the meeting. “This is their final hearing on the measure, and they called for a public hearing,” Tvert added. “So we’re bringing the public out to be heard.” Tvert’s “public” consisted of an eccentric crowd of alternative and professional-looking supporters who were peaceful and quiet throughout the initial meeting on the building’s steps. Some were adorned with Safer Colorado stickers or pro-marijuana T-shirts. Scattered about were a few major television and daily news media, as well as reporters from the University of Colorado and Metro. In an earlier interview on the steps of the county building, Tvert continued to blame the city council and mayor John Hickenlooper for opposing marijuana legislations. “We’re simply sending the message, not only to city council and so on, but to the rest of the city, that (a relaxed marijuana law) is something that a lot of people want to see happen, and city council is standing in the way,” Tvert said. “We’re simply asking them to recognize the will of the voters and stand up for the people that put them in office.” Animosity between the city council and the public was thick when more than 50 stoners, longhairs and Safer Colorado supporters stormed the city council meeting just after 5:30 p.m. In what was perhaps an effort to irritate supporters, the council meeting dragged on for more than two hours, and the delays left supporters sweating, fidgety and chomping at the bit to speak. An assortment of supporters and organizers (Tvert and attorney Miguel Lopez), random marijuana radicals (David Lagoi, who is HIVpositive and endorses medical marijuana), doctors and city psychologists (including city substance-abuse professional Don Rothschild and CU medical school professor Tom Brewster) spent three minutes each arguing their case for the drug. Brewster argued further legalization of marijuana could be dangerous, due to the fact that drugs have no consistent effect on the people who take them. “There are a number of people

“We’re simply sending the message, not only to city council and so on, but to the rest of the city, that (a relaxed marijuana law) is something that a lot of people want to see happen, and city council is standing in the way.” MASON TVERT, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF SAFER “I want people to understand that there were a lot of shenanigans going on here,” He then pointed at Tvert. “You’ve really shown your true colors.” MICHAEL HANCOCK, CITY COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu

Mason Tvert, executive director of Safer Colorado, speaks in favor of a marijuana initiative Aug. 27 in front of the City and County Building.

Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu

Safer Colorado supporter Jeremy Trudell (on the left of the banner) holds a sign encouraging passersby to vote in favor of a marijuana initiative. who can use marijuana and not be affected,” Brewster said. “But that’s simply not always the case. Maybe for some it’s recreational in use, but for others it has the propensity for addiction.” Since Safer Colorado had gone through the legal motions of having the bill put on the ballot, the council’s attorney advised the council they were helpless to prevent the bill from going onto the November ballot. Thus when the vote came, the city council voted 13-0 in favor but were critical of the bill and of the group’s objectives. Among other criticisms, the city council and council president Michael Hancock suggested marijuana legislation was “no longer a city council issue but a state issue. If you’re serious you’d go to the state. If you’re here, you’re not serious.”

Hancock also said Tvert was “playing god with your signature” and using such initiatives to garner media attention. “I want people to understand that there were a lot of shenanigans going on here,” Hancock said. He then pointed at Tvert and said, “You’ve really shown your true colors.” “I regretfully have to vote ‘yes’ on this,” councilwoman Judy Montero said. “I am very opposed to this, and I will encourage my voters to vote against it.” The council also criticized the initiative for being ﬂimsy, citing the city’s already lax legal punishment of possession of less than an ounce of marijuana by an adult within Denver city limits. Denver police captain Kristen

Kronke said pot possession was merely a citation with fines not exceeding $100. “We don’t specifically have a priority issue when it comes to possession,” Kronke added. Kronke also said smoking at home was “not our focus” and most home arrests are the result of another reported crime. Tvert, however, pointed out that the 1,400-plus possession arrests in 2006 in Denver County were the highest in the city’s history. Metro junior and English major Sara Tafoya testified at the hearing about overzealous marijuana prosecution. Tafoya claimed that police “wanted to make an example of me” and jeopardized her college career. “I think (the initiative) is worth it if only to send the message that

we have to put law enforcement in check whenever we can,” Tafoya said. “They’ve run rampant.” Regardless of the ambiguity of the initiative, the bill will appear on the Nov. 6 ballot for voters to decide. The general aim is to make marijuana possession as much of a concern as other minor crimes such as jaywalking. Tvert said he plans to campaign further in an effort to pass the bill, including handing out ﬂiers at Auraria. “We plan to have a very large presence (on Auraria) this semester, and we’re hoping to get a lot of students involved,” Tvert said, “not only by registering to vote and voting but also by volunteering and helping us get the word out to other voters around the city.”

metrospective

B1 » THE METROPOLITAN » AUGUST 30, 2007

JOSIE KLEMAIER » FEATURES EDITOR » jklemaie@mscd.edu

REMNANTS OF THINGS PAST

housands of students filter through the Tivoli Student Union each day. Crowds mill around the atrium, pictures are snapped at the ID center and lines snake their way around the perimeter of the foodcourt. A few yards from the spot where trains used to lurch into Denver, a hungry student can see an old grain mill press framed by a winding staircase. » B4

» The lowdown on a LoDo bar » B3

A room called “the catacombs” lies empty in an original section of the Tivoli. When the TivoliUnion was an active brewery from 1901 until 1969, the room was used for bottling Tivoli beer. Photo by JASON ADRADE / andradja@mscd.edu

timeout

B2 » AUGUST 30. 2007 » THE METROPOLITAN

“HOMER NO FUNCTION BEER WELL WITHOUT.” -HOMER J. SIMPSON

CROSSWORD

Aug. 30 puzzle from www.crosswords.com. Solution available on the website.

WHERE IS THIS?

Be the ﬁrst to e-mail us the correct location, and you’ll receive a prize! Lucky you! Each week’s winner will also have their photo printed in the following issue of The Metropolitan. Send e-mails to jklemaie@mscd.edu.

Nobody answered last week’s “Where is this?” so we’ve made this one a little tougher and the prize a little bit better. Hint: The answer lies within...

ACROSS 1.Requests 5. Sharpen 9. Coral island 14. Twining stem 15. Spoke 16. Electromagnetic telcommunication 17. Enthusiastic vigor and liveliness 18. Poems, often used to praise someone or something 19. Surrounded by 20. Upper side 22. Restriction on commerce 24. Worship 26. Atmosphere 27. Body art 30. Capable of being mixed 35. Style of bay window 36. Catalog 37. Arrest

SUDOKU

38. Male cat 39. Hoggish 42. Melancholic 43. Expel gas or odor 45. Minerals 46. Express opinions 48. Insane woman 50. Having only magnitude 51. Bump oﬀ 52. Anklebone 54. Gift 58. Woman’s strapless top 62. Main artery 63. In the sack 65. Actress Chase 66. Fabric woven from ﬂax yarns 67. Steep, rugged rock 68. Demeanor 69. Snow conveyances 70. Domesticated 71. Compass direction

DOWN 1. Encourage in wrongdoing 2. Silage storage tower 3. Sack starter 4. Feeling 5. Bad luck 6. Command 7. Not for a Scot 8. Otherwise 9. Semitic language 10. Marmoset 11. Smell or fragrance 12. Kind of cod 13. Trademark 21. Icons 23. Poles for sails 25. Distinguished 27. Emblem 28. Fragrance 29. Shy 31. Fertility goddess of Egypt

32. Aromatic herb 33. Woody vine 34. Senior 36. Currency of Turkey, and formerly of Italy 40. What girls will be 41. Hoax 44. Gnarled 47. Hobby 49. Vast seas 50. Slush 53. At right angles to a ships length 54. Friends 55. Irritate 56. Sea-going eagle 57. Diplomacy 59. Bones found in the hip 60. Supplements, with “out” 61. Tirade 64. Breast-supporting undergarment

Photo by AMIE CRIBLEY/acribley@mscd.edu

CUT CORNERS

metropolitan staff and andrew howerton

MASTER PLAN

geof wollerman and andrew howerton

puzzle courtesy of www.websudoku.com

getout

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « METROSPECTIVE « B3

Q: What do you call a ﬁsh with no eyes? A: A fsh. eat » Cafe Brazil

» 4408 Lowell Blvd. » Tuesday - Saturday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. » A plethora of spicy latin ﬂavors grace the menu of this trendy North Denver restaurant. From fresh seafood to unique dishes such as arepas (corn cakes) this eatery is perfect for those wishing to give their tastebuds a pleasant experience. The average main course price is a steep $17.95, but on the ﬂip side they put coconut milk in everything, which is awesome!

happy hour »

Southern hospitality a mile high Front Porch not only oﬀers a comfy get-away from everyday urban life but free drinks! » by Rick Brown

drink » The French 75

» 2 oz. Dry Gin » 1/2 of fresh lime » 1 tablespoon of sugar » Fill cocktail shaker with ice, add with gin, squeezed lime and sugar. Shake vigorously and strain into a tall Collins glass of ice. Top with champagne, garnish with lime. Enjoy!

in theaters » Balls of Fury

» PG-13 » Starring Dan Fogler, Christopher Walken, George Lopez » Former Ping-Pong champion Randy, is recruited by an FBI agent to spy on an underground, secret society of Ping-Pong tournaments. While investigating, Randy must beat a crime Ping-Pong lord named Feng, with the help of his blind ponging partner Sage.

on dvd » Perfect Stranger

» Rated R » Starring Halle Berry, Bruce Willis, Giovanni Ribisi » Investigative reporter Rowena Price (Halle Berry) discovers that her friend’s murder could be linked to millionare ad executive Harrison Hill (Bruce Willis). In order to seek vengence, she goes undercover as an ad ‘temp.’ The closer she comes to the truth, the deeper the drama unfolds and she ﬁnds out she might not be the only one changing identities.

Photo by JOHANNA SNOW/snowj@mscd.edu

Casey Schaden , Simone Montoya and Carrie Sheftel celebrate Montoya’s bachelorette party Aug. 25 in the left window seat of the Front Porch located on 15th and Larimer in the heart of LoDo. The Front Porch is a popular attraction on the weekends and oﬀers a $3.50 you-callit drink special daily until 7:30 p.m. If you are lucky enough to see your name on the board outside, or posted in the Westword, it’s free drinks all night.

Did you always think the name Jane was too plain, or that John was too common? Having a common name at the Front Porch can be a good thing; it can give the opportunity to some plain Jane or John to drink for free all night. Each month, the Front Porch fills the calendar with names based on suggestions from patrons. Anyone whose name correlates with the Front Porch’s chosen name for the night needs only their photo ID to prove they share the name, which gets them free drinks all night. A monthly schedule is posted at their website, www.frontporchdenver.com, listing each night’s lucky winners for the month. Offering yet another chance to give drinks away, the Front Porch also offers Flip Night. Every Wednesday, each time a drink is ordered, a coin is flipped. If the drinker can guess which way the coin will land, the drink is free. The drink specials are just half the reasons customers keep coming back. The atmosphere of the Front Porch is also a big selling point. It is meant to resemble the atmosphere of a front porch of a comfy southern mansion. It’s a great, lazy place to relax with friends and drink. The brown and dark red tones of the walls, along with dim lighting are reminiscent of long nights spent out on a patio listening to the crickets. At the bar’s website, The Front Porch claims its influences include New Orleans, Phish, sweet tea and southeastern football. The result is a bed and breakfast-like hospitality and comfort, a welcome alternative to other 15th street bars and clubs that are more likely to have a dress code than Widespread Panic fans. At the Front Porch, the dress code ranges from suit and tie to shorts and flip-flops. “This bar is the only non-pretentious bar in the area,” bartender Nick Delmonico said. So if you ever find yourself downtown feeling underdressed or just looking for a relaxing neighborhood bar, give the Front Porch a try and maybe that common name you have always hated may just get you some free drinks for the night. brownric@mscd.edu

FRONT PORCH »

1215 Lawrence St.

Open from 5 p.m. until 2 a.m. Happy hour drinks for $3.50 from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Do you and your friends have the hottest hang out? Do you and the guys know where the best parties are? Let The Metropolitan know, and we’ll feature your night on the town here! Contact Josie Klemaier at jklemaie@mscd.edu, and let her know about your favorite hot spot.

on campus »

Shark attack survior shares story Many times we think the cause of death in war is guns and bombs, but how about bloodthirsty sharks circling a sinking battleship? This was the terrifying case of the USS Indianapolis, a World War II cruiser that was hit by two Japanese torpedoes while delivering parts for the atomic bomb “Little Boy.” Roughly 300 men lost their lives, while nearly 900 drifted in the ocean for four and a half days. The men were subjected to severe dehydration and salt poisoning, and some were ripped apart by sharks. According to the Discovery Channel, this incident became known as the most shark attacks in human history. Only 317 men survived, and one of those survivors, Paul Murphy, will be visiting 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 in Tivoli 320 to share his story of devastating loss and survival. He will also be signing the book “Only 317 Survived” written by several survivors and the widows of the men who tragically died that day. - Rachael Beieler, rbeile2@mscd.edu

B4 » AUGUST 30. 2007

THE METROPOLITAN

Why Turnhalle?

The Tivoli circa 1976.

AUGUST 30. 2007 « B5

Why Tivoli?

The Tivoli now.

The Tivoli Turnhalle got its name from the troupe of gymnasts named the Turnvereins, who were a citywide attraction and performed regularly at Denver’s Sigi’s Brewery in the late 1800s. Sigi’s was the ﬁrst brewery to begin building what is now the Tivoli and when an opera house was built on the site in 1882, it was named the “Turn Halle” after the troupe. At the time, the group was Colorado’s oldest ethnic organization.

After acquiring what was then the Colorado Brewery and renaming it the Milwaukee Brewery, owner Max Melshimer was unable to pay off his loans. John Good, owner of Colorado’s ﬁrst brewery and who loaned Melshimer the money, foreclosed on it and renamed it the Tivoli after an amusement park in Copenhagen, Denmark. Good loved to point out an interesting feature of the brewery’s slogan, “I lov it,” or Tivoli spelled backward. Just one year after Good acquired the brewery, he merged with Denver’s Union Brewery and the ofﬁcial name became the Tivoli-Union Brewery.

Living with history Metro’s Cryptoscience Society president Jason Cordova said he likes living with the history of the Tivoli – literally. When the student organization did a paranormal survey of the building last year, they found strong evidence of activity. For example, a little girl who runs around the building exhaled a sigh and the boiler room drained the battery of their video camera. What’s the eeriest story? According to Nickeson, a man who was cleaning one of the big copper kettles fell in and impaled himself on a broom.

Photo courtesy of Student Auxillary Services

A BUILDING, A HISTORY Every day, students meander through over 100 years of Denver history. Two Tivoli enthusiasts share their passion for Auraria’s relics. » story by josie klemaier, jklemaie@mscd.edu » photos by jason andrade, andradja@mscd.edu »

The windows located in the Adirondack’s room on the third ﬂoor of the historic Tivoli building overlook the Denver skyline. The room was home to a popular restaurant of the same name in the ‘80s and is now often rented for events.

A barrel lift is one of the many artifacts on display at the Tivoli student union, which was the subject of a tour Aug. 24. The Tivoli was once a brewery and is now used for student service at the campus.

Why the Garage? The Garage is a quiet study lounge named so because it was where the Tivoli Brewery’s carriages and trucks – such as the one sitting outside the north side of the King Center – pulled in to haul away the beer.

A grain mill press is a machine that was used in breweries to separate the grain from the stalk prior to brewing. It is one of thousands of artifacts scattered about the Tivoli. Though they catch the occasional breeze of a hurried student more than they catch the eye of an intrigued visitor, these artifacts map the history of a building that was once many things: a theater, a community center, a brewery, a home to vagrants, a mall and a Denver society hot spot. It has only been a student union since 1994. “The Tivoli is like the old man on campus,” said Barb Weiske, vice president of operations for Auraria. Weiske was a student at UCD when the Tivoli stood decrepit and abandoned in the ‘70s and early ‘80s, and she has witnessed each stage of the building’s renovation over the years. She is now an enthusiastic collector of Tivoli memorabilia. “Whenever I found Tivoli stuff, I would grab it,” Weiske said. She began as a collector of beer memorabilia, but she acquired her ﬁrst piece of the Tivoli

A TIMELINE »

on a tour through the old brewery before the initial renovations began in the ‘70s. At that time, the building had not been touched since the brewery closed in 1968 and was still ﬁlled with bottles of beer, crates and equipment. There were only 50 employees working when the brewery – which was then producing Denver Beer – shut down. Between 1968 and 1973, when the Tivoli was put on the National Register of Historic Places, the building attracted vagrants and thieves, some of whom even stole a large copper brewing kettle, according to Blaine Nickeson, interim division director for Auraria’s student auxiliary services. “It rolled out the wall like the Kool-Aid man,” he said Nickeson is another avid collector of Tivoli memorabilia and knows about a lot of the history ﬁrsthand. He navigates the dozens of back corridors of the Tivoli – which is actually 12 different buildings added on throughout the years. He shares his passion for the history of the building when he gives tours to the many people who rent out

For a complete timeline of the Tivoli’s histroy since 1861 visit http://www.tivoli.org/tivoli/timeline.html

rooms for events throughout the year. Weiske said she hopes a museum will be constructed in the Tivoli that will someday house all of the artifacts she and Nickeson have collected. “If we could get enough students excited,” she said, hoping for the same historical enthusiasm that earned students full ownership of the Tivoli in 1992. “There was something written once,” Weiske remembered. “That it (the Tivoli) had survived ﬁres, ﬂoods and famine, and now it’s going to be a student union.” The Tivoli has survived 13 years now serving the students of Auraria. Its current rejuvenation project will be complete once the white tents of the Tivoli Commons are erected this fall. “Sometimes students take for granted really what a treasure they have,” Nickeson said. “Our goal is for this to continue to be the student union and continue to be a landmark for the next hundred years.” jklemaie@mscd.edu

Youssef Ouajani, 23, a Community College of Denver student of civil engineering, shoots a game of pool Aug. 24 in Sigi’s billiard located in the historical Tivoli building. The Tivoli was originally a brewery operating from 1901 to 1969 and is now the Student Union of the Auraria Campus in Denver.

Why Sigi’s? German-born Mortiz Sigi opened Sigi’s brewery on present-day 10th and Larimer Streets in 1866. In 1870, he changed the name of his brewery to the Colorado Brewery and began construction of the ﬁrst building of what would become the Tivoli-Union. Sigi’s Pool Hall is located on the other side of the room – the catacombs – where Tivoli beer was bottled, which is part of the original building.

audioﬁles

B6 » THE METROPOLITAN » AUGUST 30, 2007 JEREMY JOHNSON » MUSIC EDITOR » jjohn308@mscd.edu

»THE CON GETS CAUGHT IN THE ACT »B7

half notes

The Killers’ redemption

UPCOMING SHOWS » Saturday 9.1, Sunday 9.2

Indie-rockers raise show from dead at Red Rocks

Wilco w/ Richard Swift

By DESIREE CLARK dclark67@mscd.edu

Fillmore Auditorium, 7 p.m. $35, 16+

Sunday 9.2 Snoop Dogg

Fillmore Auditorium, 8 p.m. $36, 16+

NEW RELEASES TUESDAY 9.4 » STONE COLD KILLERS... Johnny Thunders

Who’s Been Talking (DVD) MVD Visual www.amazon.com

Lords of the Underground Still L.O.T.U.G. Affluent Records www.stilllotug.com

New Model Army High Attack Attack Records www.newmodelarmy.org

The Brian Jonestown Massacre Their Satanic Majesties’ Second Request Committee to Keep Music Evil

www.brianjonestownmassacre.com

Ted Nugent

The Best of the Little Sparrow Varese Sarabande www.varesesarabande.com

For new music releases visit: www.newmusictipsheet.com

Photo courtesy of www.theroy.org

Ben Harper and The Innocent Criminals’ funky folk rock is just what your mama ordered.

A ‘Lifeline’ of funk By JOSHUA SMITH jsmit293@mscd.edu

Since releasing his ﬁrst album, Pleasure and Pain, in 1992, Ben Harper has been the recipient of much commercial and critical success. Chances are his new studio album Lifeline, a soulful album of contemporary rock music, will fare much the same. Lifeline was recorded in Paris immediately following an eight-week European tour, and features a selection of tracks that Harper and his stalwart backing band, The Innocent Criminals, had been perfecting on the road. Much of Harper’s success, including two Grammys and a Rolling Stone France Artist Of The Year award, can be credited to the guitarist’s accessible and inviting songwriting and vocals. These talents are exhibited fully in his new album, which was recorded – as the artist points out with pride in the liner notes – without the use of Pro Tools or any digital gear. Upon ﬁrst considering the relative useless-

ness of this claim, further listening reveals the warmth and vibrancy of analog gear shining through in the recording process. This adherence to an analog aesthetic makes the album feel as if the sound and energy of a live performance will come into the living room of Harper’s fans. The simplicity of emotion exhibited in songs such as “In The Colors” offers listeners a swaying, dreamy rock ballad, with piano and drums leading the way as the bass and guitar dance playfully through the track. This adds layers of depth to the recording, thus exhibiting the professionalism and talent of both Harper and his band. For my money, though, the standout piece on this album is the instrumental “Paris Sunrise #7,” composed entirely of Harper’s phenomenal guitar playing. A slowwinding, sensitive river of sound, the piece would ﬁnd itself more comfortable on one of any number of modern post-rock bands’ albums, but here, it lends a welcome piece of ambience to an otherwise rollicking album of rock ’n’ roll.

Fans will not be disappointed in Lifeline, ﬁnding much of it ties together with his earlier work. And new inductees to Harper’s sound will ﬁnd much to enjoy in this summery collection of touching rock anthems.

UPCOMING SHOW » Ben Harper and

The Innocent Criminals Macky Auditorium, Boulder, 8 p.m. $50, All Ages

Red Rocks Amphitheatre is a kick-ass place to see a concert, but it doesn’t have the luxury of being convenient. After traveling for 30 minutes, Morrison turns from mildly curvy roads to a deathtrap of trying to avoid oncoming traffic while driving around the monstrous red rocks with the goal of not crashing. When the parking lot is finally in sight, lines of cars and staff in orange vests still await you. Once parked, there are two options: a tailgate party – the objective of which is to get as drunk as possible before making the half-mile trip uphill – or taking the hike stone sober and miserable. Following the grueling walk, the time comes to attempt to find a seat between the thousands of people that have already managed to take all the good spots. So just imagine being told that you and everyone around you have gone to great lengths for no reason, to find out that the lead singer was not well enough to finish the performance that evening. Only singing one song off their new album, “Sam’s Town,” Brandon Flowers of The Killers rushed off the stage. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci Jr. explained that Flowers would not be coming back. Specifics weren’t given, but Flowers’ physician instructed him not to perform, as his vocal cords could be seriously damaged. Thousands of fans trampled out of the natural amphitheatre screaming profanities that would make a sailor blush. However, Vannucci Jr. said tickets would be honored at a later date, or full refunds would be given. True to their word, The Killers are scheduled to perform at Red Rocks Amphitheatre on Sept. 4. As for the opening band, that is still to be announced. The Killers have a rather large following, and after attempting to locate tickets for an hour there were none to be found – the show appeared to be sold out. This was due to either the first ticket holders getting refunds and having their tickets go back on the market, or the show selling out once again. Regardless, it seems that the arduous excursion is worth it to many fans. I just hope for the sake of ticketholders, it will be the killer show they had been promised in the first place.

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « AUDIOFILES « B7

Top 20 Jazz Chart courtesy of CMJ New Music Report TW

ARTIST

ALBUM

LABEL

Ron Carter

Dear Miles

EMI

Bad Plus

Prog

Heads Up

Floratone

Blue Note

Charles Mingus

Cornell 1964

Blue Note

Billie Holiday

Remixed and Reimagined

Sony Legacy

Kenny Burrell

75th Birthday Bash Live!

Blue Note

Manuel Valera

Vientos

Anzic

Soulive

No Place Like Soul

Stax

Ella Fitzgerald

Love Letters From Ella

Concord

Joshua Redman

Back East

Nonesuch

Waverly Seven

Yo! Bobby

Anzic

Kelly Eisenhour

Seek And Find

Blujazz

Nina Simone

Just Like A Woman

Columbia Legacy

Compilation

We All Love Ella

Verve

Charles Mingus

In Paris: The Complete America Sessions Sunnyside Universal

Jacky Terrasson

Mirror

Blue Note

Poncho Sanchez

Raise Your Hand

Concord

Tord Gustavsen Trio

Being There

ECM

David Murray

Sacred Ground

Justin Time

Chick Corea and Bela Fleck

The Enchantment

Concord

Photo courtesy of www.doitoldmaid.blogspot.com

Tegan and Sara steal your money with their new album The Con. The question is, which one did it?

Twin powers unite for the perfect ‘Con’ By JAMES KRUGER jkruger1@mscd.edu In the world of indie rock, labels – aside from those that produce records – can be hard to shake. And no one in the industry is probably more aware of this than Tegan and Sara Quinn. Despite their talent and innovative approach to music, the two are constantly reminded by media and music journalists of their acoustic, identical twin, lesbian, Canadian-born and folk-duo associations. The duo are known for their introspective, revealing lyrics and live shows that often break into near comedy routines with personal stories and jokes about not being Wiccan. The 26year-old sisters have carved out a considerable fan base of indie kids and hardcore fans alike, the latter due to Tegan’s vocal appearance on Against Me!’s “Born on the FM Airwaves.” With the fourth full-length album of their career, The Con, the question seems to be whether or not the music is good enough to ﬁnally take the spotlight away from their ambiguous musical labels. True to their multifaceted identity and shared songwriting, The Con is a juxtaposition of slow piano-laden tracks and urgent synth pop, which works in some aspects and disappoints in others. There’s the simplistically crafted “Soil, Soil,” with delicate pianos and guitars reminiscent of Saddle Creek crooners Azure Ray that end far too soon. Then there’s the drum machine-driven “Are You Ten Years Ago?” that builds to a crescendo but never breaks through. In fact, these two tracks speak for the album: the songs that are good strike too quick and not

often enough, and the others are reluctant to reach their full potential. Yet at the same time, the duality of the album makes it interesting and varied without drifting into the schizophrenic. And it’s fascinating to note the differences in musical arrangements and vocals that are unique to each twin. Each sister even uses her own veteran bassist for her respective songs. Hunter Burgan of A Fire Inside contributes to the faster Tegan tunes, while ex-Weezer bassist Matt Sharp strums on Sara’s softer compositions. Deviating from their previous albums, they enlisted the help of Death Cab For Cutie guitarist Chris Walla for production. Lyrically, the album embraces the familiar subjects of love and heartbreak, and the breakup-anthem title track is easily its highlight. Tegan chants, “I listened in/ Yes I’m guilty of this/ You should know this/ I broke down and wrote you back/ Before you had a chance to,” then rushes into layers of electronic sound, melodies and harmonic backups provided by her twin. As the ﬁrst single released for the album, The Con is ﬁtting as it makes the listener wonder what the other tracks could’ve been capable of. The equally good “Burn Your Life Down” also illustrates the subtle-pop sound for which the duo is rightfully known. Still, the record is a surprisingly well-rounded, deeply personal and sometimes catchy one that will appeal to fans of Tori Amos and Sleater Kinney, while still having enough emotion left over for the Bright Eyes kids. But while their newest release is just further evidence of their talent and songwriting, saying The Con is perfect and everything you should’ve expected would be…well, a con.

UPCOMING SHOWS »

Careful to ‘Read’ between the lines...

With songs like “Michael Jackson,” the band Tyler Read emits a certain sense of humor that is as dry as their wannabe heavy metal guitar riffs, but as light as The King of Pop’s loafers. And lead singer Josh Johnson’s creamy croon on their song The Killers is reminiscent of The Killers’ indie-rock sound but is lacking any deadly lyrical wit. Still, when they make it big, you can at least say you saw them when...

Wednesday 9.5

Tyler Read w/ Sound The Alarm and Meriwether Marquis Theatre, 8 p.m. $8, All Ages For more information visit: www.myspace.com/tylerread

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « METRO « A19

Immunization necessary for spring enrollment Failing to provide proof of MMR records will result in hold on student accounts By ALEX HERBERT aherber4@mscd.edu

THA – SF

Metro senior Nick Burrous sits in the North Classroom atrium to receive the MMR booster. Students taking less than 90 credit hours are required to get the MMR Publication booster by Oct. 1 to register next year. METROPOLITAN

Size

1/4 page

Run Date(s)

Initial

Time

8/30 Photo by GREG DAILY/gdaily@mscd.edu

The Health Center at Auraria has taken the initiative to protect students from measles, mumps and rubella by requiring all students to submit proof of immunization. Not all students, however, have their immunization records, which students must complete and turn in by Oct. 1 to be eligible to register for spring semester 2008. According to Martha Eaton, the assistant director of administration of the Health Center, more than 2,000 college students were infected with mumps between December 2005 and February 2006. Most of the infected population settled in the Midwest, stretching as far west as Iowa. Of the sick students, most have already been vaccinated for the disease, which “didn’t provide enough immunity,” Eaton said. Even though most people are vaccinated as children, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, or CDC, recommends that everyone get vaccinated one to two times between the ages of 19 and 49. Within a 17-month time frame, Auraria has only encountered two cases of mumps, neither of which can be traced to the cases on the East Coast, Eaton said.

FOR YOUR INFORMATION » The Auraria Health Center offers vaccinations against measles, mumps and rubella for $14. For more information contact the Auraria Health Center at (303) 556-2525 In the event of an outbreak on campus, the Health Center would step aside and the state health department would take over. State law requires all students living in dormitories to be vaccinated for meningitis, and for all post-secondary education institutions to provide information regarding meningitis disease to students. Mumps can lead to meningitis, according to the American College Health Association. Other effects of mumps include deafness, encephalitis, which is inflammation of the brain and, in rare cases, sterility. Effects of measles include ear infection, pneumonia and encephalitis. Rubella, also known as German measles, is far less severe than measles. It can be identified by a deep red-colored rash and other symptoms, which may include a sore throat and ear infection. Recent data provided by the CDC indicates that young adults are more susceptible to rubella, since the antibody given from the vaccination elapses nine to 14 years after the first injection. The Health Center has sent out e-mails to students through MetroConnect to remind them to get their records in.

INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING! Pick up a complimentary admit 2 pass starting TODAY, Thursday, August 30 at 11:00 AM @ The

Metropolitan Office Tivioli #313

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THE METROPOLITAN » AUGUST 30, 2007 » A12

insight SECOND THOUGHTS

Team Bush loses another player

FROM THE STAFF » Financial Aid “I think we can say some students may have almost the same issues year after year after year, and it’s due to the timeliness of when they apply for aid. And we try to tell students, ‘You should take care of this earlier next year.’” – Cindy Hejl, director of Metro’s financial aid office, regarding recent complaints about financial aid

POLL POSITION » funjoint.com

Illustrated by ANDREW HOWERTON » ahowert2@mscd.edu Written by The Metropolitan staff

What’s your favorite sandwich? Tuna: 14 percent B.L.T.: 20 percent Grilled cheese: 19 percent Egg salad: 7 percent Reuben: 3 percent Pastrami on rye: 5 percent Sloppy Joe: 6 percent French dip: 5 percent Hot turkey: 8 percent PB & J: 13 percent

A BIGGER VIEW » Re: Alberto Gonzales “Mr. Gonzales’s hands-off approach to his jobs as White House counsel and later attorney general left him unable at times to answer even simple questions about administration policy. His hopelessly bungled appearances on Capitol Hill left the impression of a man who was poorly briefed, who was in way over his head, or both. He so often deflected legitimate questions from congressional overseers with “I can’t recall” that one senator earlier this year said during a hearing that he was beginning to worry about the attorney general’s memory. And Mr. Gonzales’s inept handling of the firing of nine U.S. attorneys fed concerns that he had politicized the department.” – THE WASHINGTON POST

Marijuana initiative lacks ﬁre I am a fervent proponent for the legalization of marijuana whether it is used for medicinal or recreational purposes. But Safer Colorado’s most recent legislative push to make marijuana the city’s “lowest law enforcement priority” is nothing short of a ridiculous farce aimed at garnering media attention for a piece of legislation that accomplishes nothing. It is a lame attempt at a symbolic victory for Colorado potheads to repair their shattered dreams after the demoralizing defeat of a statewide initiative that would have legalized the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana for adults. Mason Tvert, the man behind Safer Colorado, is a genius of sorts, a political guru and a true grassroots specialist. But he has failed to deliver this time around. His ability to drum up support for issues regarding marijuana is amazing. He was able to get enough signatures to add an initiative to the November 2005 ballot that made adult possession of less than an ounce legal in the city of Denver. It passed by an overwhelming majority. However, state law overrides city law. It was a victory of sorts, but a small one at that. He was on the right track when he was successful in getting the same initiative on the state ballot in November 2006. This was a logical progression in his attempt to legalize marijuana. He won at the city level

– now it was on to the state. But he had no such luck, as an overwhelming majority defeated the initiative. Shot down. Ouch. The damn conservatives in southern Colorado screwed everything up for stoners statewide and prevented the making of history. But enough about the past. Tvert now wants to make marijuana the city’s “lowest law enforcement priority,” whatever that means. Why? Because he thinks the city shouldn’t waste its time or resources busting potheads. I agree with this, but as long as pot is illegal on a state level this initiative is going to do no good. According to Tvert, there have been 1,400-plus possession arrests in Denver County in 2006, the highest number in the city’s history. This is no doubt due to the fact that stoners thought they could smoke pot freely in Denver because it’s “legal,” when in reality state law still presides over Denver law. Sorry guys, but ignorance of the law is no excuse. Kristen Kronke, Denver police captain, said most marijuana arrests are in direct correlation with other crimes. A perfect example of this comes from Sara Tafoya, who testiﬁed in front of the city council about Denver police running rampant with possession arrests. She was pulled over for not having her headlights on and was searched by police who

DAVID D. POLLAN dpollan@mscd.edu found marijuana. Here’s a thought stoners of the world, leave your stash of grass at home. Or if you are going to carry it around, don’t get stoned and forget to turn on your headlights. Be smart with the greens. If you don’t break any other laws while carrying, you’re probably not going to get caught. Stupidity, not possession, gets one busted. This latest marijuana initiative was brought before the Denver City Council on Aug. 27. The city council had to OK the initiative for the ballot before it could be put there. The city council voted unanimously to put the initiative on the ballot, but did so reluctantly. “I think it is an unserious effort - an effort aimed at street theater, at capturing media attention, at making light of it,” Councilwoman Carol Boigan said, as reported by the Den-

ver Post. “Were this a serious effort, it would be at the state.” Councilman Chris Nevitt also chimed in similar sentiments, according to the Denver Post. “I’m in agreement with a lot of the impulse behind this ballot initiative,” he said. “In my opinion, the war on drugs is as misguided, wasteful and ultimately as futile an enterprise as the war in Iraq. ... Unfortunately, I am extremely disappointed that this particular ballot initiative appears to do so little of any actual substance.” Well I couldn’t agree with the city council more. I hate agreeing with politicians, it makes me cringe. But in this case they are right. This initiative is worthless and will achieve nothing. Sure Tvert views it as a success, but in reality it is a digression of drastic proportions. He went from almost making history to asking the city of Denver to leave potheads alone. This initiative is a huge waste of time, effort and anything else that went in to getting it on the ballot. I’ve even wasted column space on it. But Tvert did succeed on one level: he got plenty of media attention Sorry stoners. This initiative may get you off the couch or away from World of Warcraft to go vote, but there is no need. Stay on the couch, or in front of the computer, hit your bong and continue with life as usual.

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « INSIGHT « A13

Marriage more than ‘death and taxes’ If my calculations are correct, my aunt and uncle have been married 9,131 days, or in simpler terms, 25 years. Over eggs at Racine’s two weekends ago, my grandma told me of the upcoming milestone, and that my Aunt Paula’s and Uncle Walt’s church, the Family Worship Center, would be honoring them with a ceremony when the couple renew their vows. “I know with work and other things you may not be able to make it,” she told me. “But your aunt would love you to be there.” Work is never an issue on Sunday. The way I see it, if the Lord doesn’t work, then neither do I. But “other things,” would have made it impossible for me to attend. To say a family conﬂict of biblical proportions exists between my aunt’s family and me is an understatement. For those who like to keep score, my aunt is my father’s sister. This is the same aunt who said she had never felt closer to Satan than the week she accidentally came across the Gay Pride celebration in Washington, D.C. I quoted my aunt saying so in an article I wrote in this very paper. I never showed my aunt the article, but through the miracles of God, someone did. She was offended and thought I misinterpreted her words. I don’t think I did. I think since that day, however, she has come to realize that while, in her opinion, gays and lesbians are living in sin, so is everyone else. And she told me that, too.

You see, my aunt and I are both Scorpios. Neither of us will ever budge on this issue. I’m gay, and she wants to be my aunt “for eternity.” She believes that if I continue to act on my desires of the flesh, I’ll be spending my afterlife at the not-so-hip Fire Island of Hell. In the end, she and I hugged it out. She’s praying for me. And with that off my to-do list, I’m free to be fabulous. But all kidding aside, her son believed my words were unforgivable. In fact, my cousin once refused to be in the same house – his mother’s house – as me for Thanksgiving dinner. And I thought it was the gay who is supposed to hold the grudge. But I made sure to get myself to the church last Sunday. I believe love should always be celebrated. And family, regardless, is family. My uncle and cousin were wearing matching dark champagne suits. Their shirts were a royal blue, their ties golden. My aunt was also wearing champagne, a lighter pastel. Their daughter wore a simple cream dress. The bride’s party carried daisies just like they did 25 years ago. I was seated in the front row with my father. He’s been divorced twice. To say my aunt and uncle defied all odds to make it this long would be true. They came close to ending it a few times, my aunt confided in me. But with the help of God and the church, they stuck it out, and hopefully they’re happier than they were in 1982.

NIC GARCIA ngarci20@mscd.edu Their pastor asked them to walk down memory lane. He told them to think about the first time they held hands, the first time they kissed, the first time they said “I love you,” the first time they fought and the first time they made up. Sitting behind me was another cousin. He’s gay as well. He and his partner never got a chance to renew their vows in front of family and friends. Hell, they never had a chance to have a marriage ceremony. And sadly, they never will, as my cousin’s partner recently passed away. But I’m sure that didn’t stop him from remembering their first kiss, the first time they said “I love you,” the first time they fought and the first time they made up. I’ve never had a boyfriend. But that doesn’t stop me from dreaming of my wedding day. I know exactly how I want it. Our fathers will give us away. We’ll each have a best man and a fag hag of honor. It will be classic, black

tuxes, very formal. At the reception we’ll dance with our parents and, of course, we’ll have an open bar. It is my most earnest belief that marriage in its current state should be abolished. Any religious body should be able to marry whomever they deem worthy of this most sacred blessing. And the federal and state governments must honor the belief that all citizens share the same rights, and honor civil unions between any two people wishing to create a life together. The pastor was right: “Marriage isn’t a contract.” Neither is love. And this is why the government must step away from this most natural action, so that anyone, regardless of their race, gender or religion, can love whomever they choose freely. The marriage process should be two-fold. The government must create a civil union agreement, sans any theology, and a marriage ceremony, sans any governmental regulations, should be performed separately. This does two things. First, it creates equal rights for all citizens. Secondly, it upholds the notion of the separation of church and state that is woven through our Bill of Rights. Keeping marriage exclusively in the church can only make the ceremony and emotion behind the union stronger. “Love never fails,” says 1 Corinthians 13:8, but if we don’t heed my suggestions, the government and church will.

Dogs not the only ‘Vick’-tims of white laws The time has come to watch the polarization of American perspectives according to race unfold now that Michael Vick has plead guilty to dog-fighting charges. A majority of black people will undoubtedly attempt to exonerate Vick and downplay the charge’s severity. While, in contrast, the majority of white people will seek to hang, electrocute and treat Vick the same way he treated those dogs. Prominent black athletes such as Stephon Marbury, Deion Sanders and Clinton Portis have already come to Vick’s defense. Marbury compared the incident to hunting deer. Sanders confessed that dog fighting is a common sport amongst athletes. Portis said dog fighting wasn’t a big deal and blamed the media for targeting Vick negatively. On the other hand, white people have sponsored Vick bashing events, where dogs urinate and defecate on Vick’s jersey. The American Kennel Club has demanded Vick be severely punished and the National Football League uncover others in this unsanctioned sport. White columnists are using derogatory expressions of Vick’s character as ignorant, dumb and barbaric. These are terms that

EARL ARMSTRONG earmst10@mscd.edu many black people will label as racist and substitutes for the N-word. As a black man, I think Vick used unwise judgment considering his status, wealth and fame. The only stupidity that can be designated to him was that he remained loyal to his childhood friends and their cultural norms. I definitely do not agree that he should be severely punished or banned from the league. Now, I grew up in Denver and I can’t count the number of dog fights I’ve witnessed. I can understand how Vick got caught up in this sport from a cultural perspective. For us, dog fighting is not a sport, but part of black male machismo. It’s just like bull fighting is for the Spanish and the Mexicans, or cock fighting is to rural

white people. The male machismo of white people devalues human life with fight clubs where contestants are beaten bloody. This machismo is passed from generation to generation and is the reason why many black people will downplay Vick’s actions. Black men across America engage in pit bull fights. This is why we see pit bulls in hip-hop artists’ videos. The pit bull is a cultural marker that signifies strength, violence and power. For centuries, many black people have believed that society has put a higher value on dogs’ lives than their own. We are guilty of taking our pains and frustrations with white society out on the animals that this society loves, respects and exalts above our own humanity. Many black people cringe from hunting elk and deer, and cannot relate to mounting the heads of these animals as trophies. Most of us see hunting as sickening just as white people view dog fighting. The difference in these cruel sports is legality. Cultural norms involving violence to animals by white people is legalized, while those among black people is criminalized. Take away the legal ramifications from this dialogue and

argue about animal cruelty only, and both have the same ruthlessness and heartlessness. The hypocrisy white people display concerning animal rights is coy. It’s legal to euthanize, spay, neuter and hunt dogs for animal control, but it’s not legal to eradicate them through ﬁghting. Ponder upon the legal words involved. Euthanize means to put to death. Spay and neuter means to be castrated of your reproductive organs. Every city employs dog catchers to hunt stray dogs, which then get euthanized. Is this not cruel if one is a sincere animal lover and subscriber to life? The difference is not the action of cruelty itself. It’s what’s legal and who’s deﬁning legal. White people write and vote on laws while black people remove themselves from the voting process and power to make laws. As a result, black norms involving animals in sport are criminalized. Thus, Vick is a casualty of our voting inactivity in Congress, the state capitols and in city halls across America. In contrast, Dick Cheney and avid hunters are exonerated from wrongdoing for their cruelty to animals because they vote, make laws and have a hunting license to kill.

THE METROPOLITAN Since 1979

EDITOR IN CHIEF DAVID D. POLLAN dpollan@mscd.edu MANAGING EDITOR Geof Wollerman gwollerm@mscd.edu NEWS EDITOR Andrew Flohr-Spence spencand@mscd.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITORS Emile Hallez ehallez@mscd.edu Amy Woodward awoodwa5@mscd.edu FEATURES EDITOR Josie Klemaier jklemaie@mscd.edu ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Rachael Beieler rbeiele2@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Jeremy Johnson jjohn308@mscd.edu SPORTS EDITOR Eric Lansing lansing@mscd.edu ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Zac Taylor ztaylor2@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 EDITORS Candace Shorty shorty@mscd.edu Sara Whitney stevesar@mscd.edu Clayton Woullard cwoullar@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller harrison@mscd.edu ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong wongd@mscd.edu 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 monthly 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. Tivoli Student Union, Room 313. P.O. Box 173362, Campus Box 57, Denver, CO 80217-3362.

sports THE METROPOLITAN » AUGUST 30, 2007 » A15

» VOLLEYBALL TAKES HITS BUT REMAINS STANDING »A16 »WOMEN’S SOCCER ALREADY WINNING »A17 »CLUB SOCCER A SCORE WITH WOMEN»A17

ERIC LANSING » SPORTS EDITOR » lansing@mscd.edu

SIDELINE

THIS WEEK »

Friday 8.31

VOLLEYBALL 3:30 pm vs. SIU-Edwardsville at Auraria courts 7:30 pm vs. West Texas A&M at Auraria courts SOCCER Men 5:00 p.m. at Regis

Saturday 9.01

VOLLEYBALL Colorado Premier Challenge TBA SOCCER Women noon vs. Winona St. at Auraria

Sunday 9.02

SOCCER Men 7 p.m. at Midwestern St.

Monday 9.03

SOCCER Women noon vs. Minnesota St. Mankato at Auraria

SAY WHAT? »

“In both games we were playing really well as a team. It’s nice to start oﬀ the season 2-0 including a win over the No. 3ranked team. It should be a really great season.” - Kellen Johnson, men’s soccer player

DID YOU KNOW »

Women’s soccer surpassed the program record for goals scored in a game last weekend. Against Georgia Southwestern Metro scored 14 goals, surpassing the previous record of 12 set against Northeastern St. in 2004. Georgia Southwestern scored one.

NUMBERS GAME » 3

Ranking of West Florida men’s soccer before they lost to unranked Metro by a score of 2-1 on Aug. 24 in Florida. The Men beat West Florida by a score of 1-0 in 2006.

Metro rewrites rankings in win Men’s soccer season starts on a high note with win over No. 3 By AUSTEN ROSENTHAL arosent3@mscd.edu Metro’s men’s soccer team is overshadowed by the women’s program, which is ranked No. 1 in Division II and has every opponent gunning for them on a weekly basis. The men’s team is flying under the radar and the rest of the country may not be privy to how good the Roadrunners actually are. West Florida’s Argonauts, ranked No. 3 in Division II, were caught off guard by Metro’s talent and were upset Aug. 24 by the unranked Roadrunners 2-1 at the UWF Soccer Complex in Florida. Metro defeated West Florida 1-0 during the 2006 regular season and was looking to upset them once again this year. Metro junior Ola Sandquist, in his first year as a Roadrunner after transferring from Florida Southern, played his first game with Metro and scored a goal in the 18th minute on Metro’s first shot on goal. “Ola’s goal was a sweet shot from the edge of the box that beat the keeper back post,” said Metro junior Kellen Johnson. Johnson was credited with the assist. With Metro holding a 1-0 lead early in the second half, Metro gained another goal from Sandquist. The goal came in the 50th minute after Sandquist found a loose ball and delivered it to the inside of the net from 18 yards out. The goal was unassisted and put the Roadrunners up by two goals with a majority of the second half remaining. After scoring two goals, Metro worked hard to preserve the lead. Players from West Florida felt the pressure as they started playing more physically and with more intensity. In the second half, two of the West Florida players were given yellow cards on hard fouls. With less than 10 minutes to play, Argonauts forward Keith Savage intercepted the ball in Metro’s box and was able to put it past Metro’s goalkeeper Ryan Vickery, ending the shutout. The goal, however, was too late as Vickery made three key saves in the final three minutes to preserve the victory. After the game ended, instead of shaking hands and saying “good

Photo by AMIE CRIBLEY/acribley@mscd.edu

Roland Mott warms up for practice Aug. 28 at the Auraria soccer ﬁelds four days before men’s soccer upset No. 3 ranked West Florida. Mott played almost eight minutes in Metro’s 8-2 win over Georgia Southwestern without allowing a goal. game,” which normally occurs after every soccer match, West Florida players started a small ﬁght with players pushing one another and exchanging punches. West Florida coach Bill Elliot was not happy with his players and had them run extra sprints immediately after the game. Metro’s next opponent was Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes the following night and defeated them 8-2

in what seemed to be less of a challenge for the Roadrunners. Multiple players scored for the ’Runners. Forward Jeromy Meredith led Metro with two goals, while Johnson and Sandquist, midﬁelders Phillip Owen, Steven Emory and Sam Rolph, and forward Shaun Elbaum all chipped in with a goal apiece. Sandquist won Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Player of the Week

for his three goals and two assists in Metro’s two victories. “In both games, we were playing really well as a team. It’s nice to start off the season 2-0 including a win over the No. 3-ranked team,” Johnson said. “It should be a really great season.” The recent wins improved Metro’s record to 2-0. Next they will take on Regis Aug. 31 at Regis Field.

A16 » SPORTS » AUGUST 30. 2007 » THE METROPOLITAN

‘Runners can’t stand heat in Florida Volleyball team’s young freshmen have rough go of it in weekend tourney By ERIC LANSING lansing@mscd.edu The season of rebuilding has officially begun for Metro’s volleyball team as they only took one victory in four games Aug. 23 through Aug. 25 at the Florida Southern Invitational in Lakeland, Fla. Losing four key starters from last year’s squad has left this year’s team with little veteran leadership experience, while the freshmen and incoming transfer students continue to learn the system that head coach Debbie Hendricks installed into the program seven years ago. The Roadrunners opened the season against fifth-ranked Florida Southern and were swept 25-30, 23-30 and 19-30. Hendricks knew it was going to be a tall task for her very young team to play such highly ranked teams early on in the season, but said her team stood up to the competition despite the final weekend’s record. Their inexperience glared in the score box as Metro had a kill percentage of .154, hitting only 39 kills in 104 attempts while committing 23 errors. Only one Roadrunner managed to post double figures in kills. Redshirt freshman Danielle St. Pierre had 10 kills in 19 attempts. “I thought we played really tough against the more experienced teams,” Hendricks said. “We competed well in the first couple of games against Florida Southern and in the Findlay match, who is getting votes for the top 25, and we went five with them.” The Roadrunners fought back from a 2-1 deficit to force a game five with a 30-26 victory in the fourth game against the Oilers of Findlay. Metro kept it close in the deciding fifth game by tying the score at

eight apiece after outside hitter Julie Green-McFarland came up with a kill. But Findlay reeled off the final seven points to take the game and the match. “One of the things we are addressing right now is there were definitely periods this weekend where we would just break down for long periods of time and we’ve got to clean that up,” Hendricks said. Metro took home their first victory of the year in the third game of the tournament against Abilene Christian by going five games with the Wildcats winning 29-31, 30-24, 30-18, 34-36 and 15-11. Green-McFarland led the ’Runners with 25 kills while setter Stephanie Levi put up 54 assists in the win. “We won the (game) we needed to win,” Hendricks said. “That was the most important match to us was Abilene Christian. We had opportunities to win that one in game four, but your response going into game five when you lose a long hard game four is really important. We took an early lead in game five and never let up.” The weekend ended with a loss, as No. 10-ranked Hillsdale swept the Roadrunners 16-30, 24-30 and 1930. Metro posted a meager .172 kill percentage and, according to Hendricks, it was the toughest loss to swallow as the team did not compete well because they seemed a little intimidated. With week one in the books, Metro has gained valuable experience on how fast and how good Division II volleyball is played, having stood up against two top-10 teams to start the season. Although their record stands at 1-3, Hendricks is optimistic that her team will grow quicker than most teams that start off with a softer schedule, but with inexperience comes inconsistency. “I don’t think our confidence was compromised at all out of this weekend,” Hendricks said. “We knew we were going into a tough tournament and at times I think we battled well.

Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu

The women’s volleyball team pushes blocks across the ﬂoor to work on their conditioning Aug. 27 at the Auraria Events Center. Head coach Debbie Hendricks says her team went too long between scoring points during their 1-3 road trip in Florida to open the season. Pushing the blocks will increase players’ stamina so they can avoid the long scoring droughts.

“We knew we were going into a tough tournament and at times I think we battled well. And to be as young as we are, we expected that.”

DEBBIE HENDRICKS, METRO’S VOLLEYBALL COACH And to be as young as we are, we expected that.” Metro will head back home to host the Colorado Premier Challenge Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 at Auraria Courts. They will take on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the ﬁrst round of the tournament.

Metro vs #5 Florida Southern (08/23/07 at Lakeland, Fla.)

Metro vs Findlay (08/24/07 at Lakeland, Fla.)

GAME SCORES 123 Metro State.............. (0) 25 23 19 Florida Southern.... (3) 30 30 30

GAME SCORES 1 2 3 4 5 Metro State.............. (2) 30 17 26 30 8 Findlay.................. (3) 27 30 30 26 15

KILL LEADERS: Metro State: Danielle St. Pierre - 10 Kelsey Ellis, Julie Green-McFarland - 8 Florida Southern: Ashley Martin - 12 Danielle Higgnbotham - 10

KILL LEADERS: Metro State: Kelsey Ellis - 20 Julie Green-McFarland - 20 Findlay: Mallory Fleming - 18 Kelsey Wesay - 15

Metro vs Abilene Christian (08/24/07 at Lakeland, Fla.)

Metro vs Hillsdale (08/25/07 at Lakeland, Fla.)

GAME SCORES 1 2 3 4 5 Metro State.............. (3) 29 30 30 34 15 Abilene Christian......... (2) 30 24 18 36 11

GAME SCORES 1 2 3 Metro State.............. (0) 16 24 19 Hillsdale................ (3) 30 30 30

KILL LEADERS: Metro State: Julie Green-McFarland - 25 Danielle St. Pierre - 12 Abilene Christian: Abbie Lowry - 26 Eric Curry - 11

KILL LEADERS: Metro State: Julie Green-McFarland - 16 Kelsey Ellis - 10 Hillsdale: Melissa Bennett - 19 Jen Pilot - 10

Broncos’ oﬀseason could lead to a promising regular season Mike Shanahan is renowned for his decision-making, both in games and in personnel matters. Shanahan’s gutsy style of play calling and his ability to consistently win coach’s challenges have made him one of the elite football coaches in the National Football League. His draft day decisions and blockbuster trades have been incredible. He traded injuryplagued Clinton Portis for one of the best cornerbacks in the history of football, Champ Bailey. He dropped dead weight in the form of George Foster and fumblitis sufferer Tatum Bell for perennial Pro Bowl corner-

back Dre Bly. He also found Superbowl MVP Terrell Davis in the sixth round. All things considered, he better be cooking up some of his usual magic as the regular season draws closer. Although the offseason was filled with signings and trades, injuries have already begun to beleaguer the Broncos. Warrick Holdman, who was brought in to fill the void left by injured linebacker and team captain Al Wilson, is out indefinitely with a spinal cord contusion. Also, starting defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban is out for the season with a ruptured Achilles tendon, leaving two rookies and

EVAN LUTHYE eluthye@mscd.edu second-year player Elvis Dumervil to ﬁll the void. One would think, consid-

ering these losses and the plethora of talented free agents at these positions, mastermind Shanahan would be interested in recently cut linebacker Jeremiah Trotter or veteran defensive ends Marcellus Wiley or Simeon Rice. But Shanahan has yet to bring Trotter in for a visit, and the Denver Post announced he has no intention of looking into signing him. Instead, the Broncos traded starting defensive tackle Gerard Warren to the Oakland Raiders for a conditional draft pick. Hopefully, this move was made to free cap room for the signing of free agents; but since

then, the Broncos have only signed sub-par defensive tackle John Browning. The move to sign Browning was reportedly made to add depth at the defensive end position. Of course, the Broncos may be saving up to feed veteran defensive tackle Sam Adams, who apparently is being paid by the pound with his one-year, $1.25 million contract. For now, Broncos fans must bide their time, waiting for what will hopefully be another brilliant personnel move from Shanahan to improve upon the poor showings the team has made in the preseason.

THE METROPOLITAN « AUGUST 30. 2007 « SPORTS « A17

Club soccer a great escape for women These days Yim and her team are ready to not only field a complete team, but to be competitive in their region.

Third year of student-run organization promises more for its players By ZAC TAYLOR ztaylor2@mscd.edu Winning is great, but the Auraria United Futbol Club’s new president Melissa Yim wants to show others “you don’t have to be top-notch to play on a college team.” That is why, according to Yim, AUFC founder Sarah Jeffrey started the women’s soccer club three years ago – as an alternative to the highly competitive NCAA women’s soccer at Metro. At club tryouts on Aug. 25, the players practiced their skills, but they also smiled and laughed, revealing an important difference between them and the women of NCAA soccer. Three years ago, Yim joined the team as a sophomore just to play, but by the midway point of the season, she had already begun to help Jeffrey establish the league. When Jeffrey graduated from Metro last season, Yim was handed the reigns. The club satisﬁes different needs in its players’ lives. First-year player Kelsey Dockter already graduated from the University of Denver where she played on their club team, but now she attends classes at Auraria and joined AUFC to get involved. “Club soccer is a good way to meet people,” Dockter said. There are many different reasons

Photo by KRISTI DENKE/kdenke@mscd.edu

Players at the Auraria United Futbol Club scrimmage during open tryouts on Aug. 25 at Lowry Sports Park. AUFC is open to all skill levels for female students of Auraria and is still accepting more women for the upcoming season. why these college women are participating in club soccer, Yim said. Some players are not able to qualify for the top-ranked Metro team, but others, including vice president and goalkeeper Keeley Morris, didn’t have the time to devote all their energy to the demanding schedule of varsity soccer. “Life took over,” Morris said. “I want to have a life and play soccer.” With only two practices a week, there is plenty of time for players to make other plans. During tryouts one player left early to go to work, but she

wasn’t cut – in fact, no one was. Everyone who tries out for the team is guaranteed a spot on the roster. Getting started was tough for the AUFC. It was hard just finding enough players to fill a roster, Yim said. “We struggled a lot in the first two years,” Yim said. “In the first year we took on girls that had never played before, we got pummeled.” In its second year the team never managed to routinely field more than nine players, so it played all its games shorthanded.

These days Yim and her team are ready to not only ﬁeld a complete team, but to be competitive in their region. The team already has 15 players committed and more are expected to sign up. “We’ve gotten the club to the point where it can contain itself as long as the girls keep paying the dues,” Yim said. She admitted this is not the ﬁnal step. Next year Morris will take over as president when Yim graduates and will hopefully continue to move the

program toward a goal of “self-sufficiency,” Yim said. This year the team will play many of the other club teams from Colorado colleges, including Colorado State University, the University of Colorado at Boulder and Air Force Prep. In all, the team has 14 games this season, which starts Sept. 15 with a tournament in Gunnison. One of the most important differences this year is that the women are finally a legitimate club team. They have finished the mandatory trial period subjected to every aspiring club – which includes committing to volunteer work in the community – and now they are official. During the upcoming season the team will volunteer at a haunted house, as well as set aside a day to invite young girls from the community to campus to learn about soccer. “This will be the best year yet,” Yim said. To join the AUFC, contact president Melissa Yim at (303)905-4852 or melissa_yim@hotmail.com.

Metro Soccer upholds No. 1 rank Top-ranked ‘Runners kickoﬀ season with pair of wins in Lakeland, Fla. By EVAN LUTHYE eluthye@mscd.edu The Roadrunners picked up where they left off last season with two victories on their weekend trip to Florida. The top-ranked women’s soccer team kicked off the 2007 season Aug. 24, at the University of West Florida Sports Complex, with an impressive victory over the No. 11-ranked West Florida Argonauts. The Roadrunners’ defense allowed only seven shots the entire game, and only three of those on goal. Goalkeeper Rachel Zollner didn’t allow a single goal. According to Metro women’s soccer coach Danny Sanchez, Zollner is the best returning goalkeeper in the nation. Three different offensive players scored for Metro in the victory. Senior back Jessica Brown scored in the ﬁrst half, in what Sanchez pointed out as

“the turning point in a well-played game.” Freshmen midﬁelders Madison McQuilliams and Ashley Munchiando each added a goal in the second half to clinch the 3-0 win. Freshman scoring is an excellent sign for Sanchez, who is looking for the nine freshmen to “step up and contribute right away.” “It was a good test (for us) to go across the country and get a win,” Sanchez said. More freshmen joined the team after a top-notch group of seniors graduated last year. Yet despite having only four seniors, experience is not lacking. “The seniors are providing good leadership,” Sanchez said. The next night, the Roadrunners put on a show, tallying 14 goals against Georgia Southwestern University. Their coach’s only comment was, “(it was) good for non-starting players to get quality minutes.” Sanchez said he sees his opening week primarily as “preparation for the next two weeks.” Metro plays Winona State and Minnesota State Mankato next week,

#1 Metro State vs #11 West Florida Date: Aug. 24, 2007 Attendance: 134 Goals by period 1 2 Total ------------------------------Metro State......... 1 2 - 3 West Florida........... 0 0 - 0 SCORING SUMMARY: 1. 40:26 MSCDW Jessica Brown (Caitlin Oliver;Ashley Munchiando) 2. 53:17 MSCDW Madison McQuilliams (1) (Katie Kilbey) - Kilbey crosses the ball from inside the 3. 71:17 MSCDW Ashley Munchiando (Madison McQuilliams) - McQuilliams

Georgia Southwestern vs #1 Metro State

Date: Aug. 25, 2007 Attendance: 26 Goals by period 1 2 Total ------------------------------- -------Georgia Southwestern...... 0 1 - 1 Metro State................... 8 6 - 14 LEADING SCORERS: 1. Madison McQuilliams - 4 goals and 1 assist 2. Katie Kilbey - 2 goals and 2 assists 3. Amanda Nance - 1 goal and 2 assists 4. Justine Montoya - 2 goals 5. Becca Mays - 2 assists

then conference foes Fort Lewis and Mesa State the following week. “I realize that more important games, regionally and in conference,

Photo by CORA KEMP/ckemp4@mscd.edu

Madison McQuilliams practices Aug. 28 at the Auraria soccer fields. She was named Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week after scoring five goals and adding two assists in Metro’s two wins last weekend. are just around the corner,” Sanchez said. The wins improve Metro’s record to 2-0 to start the season. The Road-

runners’ home opener will be Saturday at noon against the Winona State Warriors at Auraria Field.