Volume 30, Issue 13, Nov. 8, 2007 by Met Media

Serving The Auraria Campus Since 1979

Vol. 30 No. 13

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2007

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

Alleged locker thief caught Lengthy crime spree ends after victim lays trap » A3 BEYOND METRO »

Voter turnout low; city, pot issues pass » A5 Photo by DAWN MADURA/dmadura@mscd.edu

LODO’S PRAYER

Andrea Gonzales prays Nov. 6 at the memorial placed at the site where her friend Ted Padilla, 25, was killed early Sunday, Nov. 4. Witnesses said a group of people started an argument with Padilla at Hush nightclub over his jewelry and were ejected from the bar. After leaving the club Padilla was shot and killed and six others were injured. Police identified Anthony Chavez, 25, as a prime suspect on Tuesday.

SPORTS »

Men’s, women’s soccer teams upset in RMAC tourney » A11, 13

metro THE METROPOLITAN » NOVEMBER 8, 2007 » A3

» ELECTION COVERAGE »A5 » SPORTS: METRO TEAMS SUFFER LOSING WEEKEND »A11 » INSIGHT: COUPLED WITH COMFORT »A8

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

Police nab man suspected of locker thefts Victim tips off officers after perp intercepts bogus iPhone delivery By JAMES KRUGER jkruger1@mscd.edu A lot of people are looking to get a new Apple iPhone. But no one could have guessed that a suspected burglar’s attempts to obtain one would lead police to an arrest in the more than 27 locker thefts committed at Auraria. On Oct. 25, police arrested a man in connection with the locker thefts after he was identified by an Auraria police officer as the man suspected in purchasing an iPhone with a credit card stolen from a locker on campus. “It was a combination of good information from the victim and really good detective work from the campus police,” said Lynn Kimbrough, director of communication for the district attorney’s office. According to police reports, a victim notified neighbors to keep watch around his house after he discovered an unauthorized purchase of an iPhone on his credit card bill. The victim’s neighbors photo-

graphed the suspect, Matthew Scott Cooper, 22, as he stopped a delivery truck outside the victim’s home and signed for a package. The box and packaging for an iPhone were discovered in a dumpster nearby. Auraria police used the photos taken by the victim’s neighbors to identify Cooper, who was caught while he was using campus facilities and assuming the identity of another victim of the thefts. Police reported that dating back to June, numerous items including laptops, cameras, clothing and wallets were reported stolen from lockers in four campus buildings. Detectives believe that Cooper was able to gain access to the lockers through combination codes he obtained from the lockers’ manufacturer. Because of thefts, many students are calling for increased security on campus. “I think they should absolutely install cameras,” Metro student Salina Gomez said. “That is the only way that our campus will be taken seriously by the people that are going to try to steal stuff.” Cooper faces charges of second-degree burglary, identity theft, possession of burglary tools, possession of identity theft tools, criminal

Photo Illustration by ALICE AHERN/aahern2@mscd.edu

After ﬁve months of mysterious locker break-ins, Auraria police arrested Matthew Scott Cooper after he allegedly stole a credit card from a locker and used it to purchase an iPhone. Cooper faces charges of second-degree burglary, identity theft, criminal impersonation and numerous other charges. impersonation and misdemeanor theft, Kimbrough said, adding that

she expects additional charges to be ﬁled. Cooper is being held in the

Denver County Jail on a $25,000 bail.

Lack of funding causes tuition hike in Colo. higher education Metro students pay less to attend school despite under fundng from state By AMY WOODWARD awoodwa5@mscd.edu On Oct. 23, The College Board, a nonprofit group, reported a 16 percent state average increase in tuition, placing Colorado colleges in second place for tuition increases in the nation. Colorado students who attend a four-year public institution pay more for tuition and fees than the U.S. average, according to a study conducted by the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems, a nonprofit organization that conducts research and gathers data on higher education institutions in the U.S. Metro ranks fifth in the state for tuition and affordability, topped by

the University of Colorado at Boulder, the University of Colorado at Denver, Colorado State University and the University of Northern Colorado. “We have the lowest tuition out of any four-year institution in the state,” Metro spokeswoman Cathy Lucas said. Students who signed up for 12 credit hours this semester saw an 8.3 percent increase in their tuition, a 5.1 percent increase for 13 credit hours and a 2.2 percent increase for 14 credit hours. The changes passed by the Board of Trustees in June were designed to help students taking 15 credit hours see a 6 percent decrease in tuition. The result was a $1,216 cap on tuition for Metro. The increase in tuition for part-time students was based on an education initiative for students to attend Metro full time and graduate sooner, Lucas said. According to John Clark, data

analyst at the NCHEMS, the statewide tuition hike could be a result of the institutions trying to generate revenue. There are roughly two ways a college receives revenue, Clark explained, from tuition and from state appropriations. “Appropriations from the state government are very lean,” Clark said. “That’s why (the increase) would be so high, because they have to make that money up somehow.” State and local appropriations per capita in Colorado for students attending a public four-year institution are approximately $127 to $134.90, which ranks Colorado as the third lowest in the amount of funding received from state government, according to NCHEMS. Higher education in Colorado is funded below the national average by an estimated $832 million. “Tuition is trying to meet that gap,” John Karakoulakis, director of legislative affairs for the Colo-

rado Commission on Higher Education, said. Karakoulakis suggested the lack of state appropriations for higher education is due to the recession in 2000, which put the state in a tough spot. Other programs and budgets mandated to be funded such as health care, prisons and education for K-12 cause higher education to receive a ﬁnancial blow. “After the economic downturn at the beginning of the decade and before Referendum C, the general fund appropriation to higher education was cut signiﬁcantly,” Karakoulakis said. “We are still recovering from that.” Although general fund appropriations have gone up since 2005, higher education in Colorado is still underfunded. Metro President Stephen Jordan has been working closely with the CCHD to propose new funding models to the state legislature.

On Oct. 19, Jordan asked for $4.1 million in a budget request for the 2008-09 fiscal year to help expand Metro’s faculty and advance service programs for freshman and transfer students, according to an article on @Metro. And if Metro receives sufficient funding, Jordan predicts Metro’s retention rates to improve by 33 percent. Governor Bill Ritter proposed a budget to the legislation’s joint budget committee that calls for an 8 percent increase for higher education funding and government appropriations of $59.5 million for the 20082009 fiscal year. This year’s proposal follows Gov. Ritter’s 2006-2007 budget proposal which allotted $52.1 million in state funds for higher education. Gov. Ritter also plans to fund an additional $7.3 million for need-based financial aid, $1.7 million for work-study programs and $800,000 for scholarships and pre-collegiate programs.

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « metro « A5

Ballot issues pass despite low turnout By David d. pollan dpollan@mscd.edu and andrew flhor-spence spencand@mscd.edu For many, this year’s election meant filling out the ballot and sending it in via mail. For the last-minute voter, there were 17 locations spread out across Denver County on Nov.6 where they could stuff their ballot into a bright-red box. Voter turnout this year compared to last was much lower, but according to Alton Dillard, public relations representative for the Denver Election Clerk and Recorder, this might be due to the lack of a statewide initiative on the ballot. He also attributed the low turnout to the fact that it’s an off-year election, meaning an election where no major elected position is up for grabs. “There are no statewide issues in this election, which may be the reason for lower turnout than years past, but it’s not that much lower,” Dillard said, referring to the elections of 2001 and 2003. He used these two years as a comparison, because, like this year, the elections were absentee ballot only. The turnout in those elections was about 42 percent of registered voters, but Dillard added that the slightly higher turnout could be attributed to the fact that there were statewide initiatives on those ballots. “I’m expecting a turnout in the high 30s, but that is completely a guess,” Dillard said. “As of the end of last night (Nov.5), we had counted 71,000 of 210,000 ballots, which is a 33 percent turnout.” As of press time, ballots were still being tallied, with 20 members

of Denver’s SWAT team being called in to help count, as reported by the Rocky Mountain News. It was predicted that there are roughly 17,000 ballots left to be counted, which would put the total around 90,000, a 43 percent turnout. “Business was steady throughout the day at the drop-off locations,” Dillard said. “We experienced a lot of last-minute voting activity throughout the city. We’re expecting to have everything done by tomorrow (Nov. 7).” The issues for Denver voters on this year’s ballot ranged from improving city building structures and parks to making marijuana the lowest law enforcement priority. There were nine bond issues and one question dealing with marijuana, a total of 10 issues to be voted on. “There are a lot of tax and bond issues on the ballot, so it’s pretty significant,” said Ken Wonstolen, a Denver voter dropping off his ballot minutes before closing time. “It’s probably one of the most significant elections, so I wanted to express my opinion.” Others didn’t feel strongly about the issues on the ballot but voted to fulfill their civic duty. “None of the issues this year stand out, but I went ahead and looked at what I liked and chose what I liked,” said Reggie Jones, a Denver county voter. One resident turned in his ballot primarily to support a single issue.“I attended Denver Public Schools, so I’m voting to help improve its status, so to speak,” said Zach Wolfel. “I try to vote all the time, but since I haven’t been able to vote the last couple of years, I had to vote this year. Plus, it’s my civic duty.”

Photo by KRISTI DENKE / kdenke@mscd.edu

Geoffrey Hilton, along with several other volunteers for ballot measure 100, began the day of Nov. 6 at 5 a.m. on the16th Street Mall.

Infrastrcuture Bond Project » BALLOT PRIORITIES AND PROJECTS 1A

46.16% NO

Question 1A 59.12% YES

39.94% NO

45.70% NO

Question 1I

50.92% YES

39.14% NO

55.51% YES

Libraries: Projects include repairs to the mechanical systems, ADA upgrades, refur-

$51,883,000

Streets, Transportation and Public Works: Projects include correcting

$149,788,000

Parks and Recreation: Projects include restorating Greek Theater, Voorhies Me-

$93,388,000

City Buildings: Projects include exterior preservation to the City and County Build-

$10,350,000

Cultural Buildings: Projects include maintenance and upgrades to the irrigation

$60,546,000

Cultural Facilities: Projects include creating Boettcher Concert Hall as a symphony

$70,000,000

Public Safety: Projects include renovations to Stations No. 11, 16, 23, 24 and 25,

$65,195,000

morial and Broadway terrace, replacing and restoring irrigation, restoring and building new restrooms at Berkeley Park, Ruby Hill Park, Sloan’s Lake Park and fixing or repairing parking lots and roads.

33.19% NO

ing, interior upgrades to the fifth floor, sprinklers in the basement, replacing windows and blinds for energy conservation and upgrading the electrical system in the Permit Center.

47.21% NO

49.08% NO

system, improvements for public safety, replacement of the existing Greenhouse and repairs to the Conservatory at the Botanic Gardens, the addition of restrooms, new carpets and seats at Boettcher Concert Hall.

Question 1H 37% NO

$48,583,000

bishment of Carnegie buildings, energy efficiency projects and the construction of new branches in West Denver, Stapleton and Green Valley Ranch.

Question 1F

Question 1G 63% YES

52.79% YES

Health and Human Services: Projects include landscaping at the Lowry Chil-

overcowding and environmental issues at Cherry Creek Solid Waste Office Annex, installing some pedestrian improvements at Colfax and 14th Avenue between Speer and Bannock, funding changes to the Broadway and I-25 intersection.

Question 1D

Question 1E 54.30% YES

66.81% YES

40.88% NO

$27,000

dren Care Center, the Eastside Human Service Office, Denver Municipal Animal Shelter and Denver Health.

Question 1B

Question 1C 60.06% YES

60.86% YES

Annual increase in capital maintenance: A pay-as-you-go package that

will create a new dedicated funding stream for the repair, rehabilitation and replacement of existing city infrastructure.

RESULTS » As of press time Nov. 6 53.84% YES

COST

44.49% NO

Question 100

center and will include the construction of a new facade for the complex, the addition of approximately 35,000 - 50,000 square feet, construction of a storage facility and remodeling of classrooms, labs to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

QUESTION 100 » Shall the voters for the City and County of Denver adopt an ordinance to the Denver Revised Municipal Code that would make the private use and possession of marijuana by persons 21 years of age and older the City’s lowest law-enforcement priority?

replacing the existing Police Traffic Operations Facility and Firing Range, and building a new fire station at Lowry to meet response times for Windsor Gardens and the Breaker’s apartment complex.

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « METRO « A7

Victim mourned after LoDo shooting Photos by DAWN MADURA dmadura@mscd.edu

Lola Lomeli grieves Nov. 5 for her second cousin, Ted Padilla, at a memorial placed where he was shot and killed early Nov. 4.

Crime scene tape blocks oﬀ the alley behind the Studebaker Building on the 1500 block of Blake Street several hours after shootings that killed Ted Padilla, 25, and injured six other people.

Blood and a crime scene marker can be seen inside the entrance to the Studebaker Building in lower downtown Denver where shootings took place early Nov. 4. Ted Padilla was shot and killed and six others were injured. Denver police closed oﬀ the 1500 block of Blake Street Nov. 4 to investigate.

THE METROPOLITAN » NOVEMBER 8, 2007 » A8

insight Not kissing cousins

SECOND THOUGHTS

A BIGGER VIEW »

Why not Colbert? America has had all sorts of people from all sorts of walks of life as president. So when faced with the question of whether or not I’d vote for Colbert, the host of Comedy Central’s “The Colbert Report” who last month announced his candidacy for president, my answer was obvious: Hell, yes. Unfortunately, South Carolina’s answer was hell no. On Thursday, Colbert filed to get on the Democratic ballot in South Carolina, the only state in which he planned to run, but the humorless party officials voted to deny him a spot. If Colbert ran in the Illinois primary he would get my vote, and I think the country would do just fine if he won. It doesn’t matter to me that I can’t quite tell if it’s the real Stephen Colbert or the character Stephen Colbert who wanted to run. More than ever, we just need a funny president. In my lifetime, we’ve never had one. It’s time. The key to a Colbert presidency would have been that his TV show would have had to continue, regardless of where he was. He could have done the show from the Oval Office, from Air Force One or from a bunker somewhere in Colorado when the country was under attack. For guests he could have brought in his own Cabinet members or, if he was feeling saucy, schedule a meeting with the Speaker of the House from, say, 10:30 to 11 any weeknight.

— Jimmy Greenfield, RedEye, Published Nov. 6

POLL POSITION »

Survey of 1,200 likely voters between Oct. 19-21 HILLARY CLINTON 45% RUDY GIULIANI 35% STEPHEN COLBERT 13% - rasmussenreports.com

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

Faith’s snugness root of crisis I wrote a piece, which drew much criticism, in The Metropolitan about global warming and the hopeless future of our shameful race. The common theme among those upset and apparently alarmed by my observations was that I seemed to have no concept of the positive nature of religion and that I was a selfproclaimed atheist with a vision of humanity as doomed. To begin, I would never formally classify my religious beliefs or disbeliefs. If I did, I would be laying claim to an intimate and certain knowledge of things, which, by their very nature, are completely and infinitely beyond the mere capacity of the human mind. When I speak with deeply religious people I often ask them whether or not they are certain of their religious beliefs. They never fail to supply a lie. It would be absurd for me to claim before all of you that I am not human. Thus, it would be equally absurd for me to declare that I know with certainty whether or not there exists a god of some kind — any kind — watching over you and me. The idea I meant to portray through my spanking of the human species was not that religion ought to be banished from our thoughts but that religion ought to be put into perspective. Many of you, if not most of you, feel quite snug in your place

once convinced that “God” will inevitably rescue you from the tragedies of life regardless of how dire or difficult they seem to be. This may or may not be true, and due to the impossibility of empirical study on the matter, it should be left to personal consideration alone. The snugness that comes with devotion is at the root of this spiritual crisis. Since there is no way to prove the existence of one’s lord and savior beyond lying, it cannot be a very noble business to be associated with. There are, however, very clear troubles all around the globe which require no simple belief to make them real. They exist regardless of who sees them, and many innocent people are killed because of the apathy commonly coupled with comfort. Your local minister is probably a very comfortable person. I’d wager that he’s got a fine digital television, a fine house, some fine children, a fine car and a fine spouse. This person would surely claim to have a deep devotion and association with “God.” How convenient, eh? Tell me, what sort of cruel, sideways God would coddle this man who is said to be of the highest ilk? He arrives home to a plentiful supper and news broadcasts, digitally-enhanced for his viewing pleasure, which portray to him millions of his own suf-

JIMMIE BRALEY jbraley@mscd.edu fering and dying at the hands of the greedy capitalists who sold him his fine possessions at costs unimaginable and often hidden from those who think they know what is really going on. But those awful, dirty foreigners have not accepted the one God. They deserve poverty, disease, death and constant misery because they have not yet known God in their heart. It must then be our divine duty to supply these people with Bibles and missionaries to build churches. That will certainly stop the bombs and bloodshed . . . This is exactly the type of deranged, psychotic thinking I was referring to: the thought that there exist lesser people outside of one’s own country or one’s faith. There exist only people, the same as you and I, who hold each other when the Americans arrive and pray to the stars that

they will live to see the American’s departure from their once proud cultures. One cannot sincerely deny the obvious truth that religion and the concept of a god have been the cause for more bloodshed than every common murder, cancer and plague combined. Throughout recorded history, silly people have perpetually been fighting each other in the name of God. Most of those people have died believing that their devotion to their cause would guarantee them passage to the land of eternal bliss, a place that they cannot quite conceive of but one that they have assured themselves of nonetheless. All the while there was a king, a dictator, a congregation of the wealthy and powerful who no doubt sat upon their man-made throne laughing, drinking wine and toasting to the infallible stupidity of the proletariat. Mankind’s persistent hunt of understanding of his own kind, his refusal to admit his wrongs, his refusal to think thoughts he deems ill-natured — simply because a tainted old book promoted by equally tainted old men has effectively censured them — has successfully destroyed his collective intellect and made him into a race no more complex than common sheep. Believe it, and you may be saved after all.

metrospective

JOSIE KLEMAIER » FEATURES EDITOR » jklemaie@mscd.edu

B1 » THE METROPOLITAN » NOVEMBER 8, 2007

Photos by ANDREW BISSET/abisset1@mscd.edu

Carlos Cantañada performs a ceremonial dance for El Día de los Muertos Nov. 1 at the Tivoli Turnhalle.

Day of the Dead comes alive

Carlos Cantañada drums during a performance for El Día de los Muertos Nov.1 at the Tivoli Turnhalle.

The Tivoli Turnhalle thumped with Aztec beats and the audience, caught somewhat off-guard by the vibrant activity, stood captivated by the bouncing feathers and shaking rattles adorning bodies that spun, stomped and hopped in honor of the dead for the Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, celebration. Many of the students who slipped into the Turnhalle on their way to the food court or a computer lab browsed the tables on which altars for the dead were decorated with chrysanthemums, candles and various items that were favorites of the person in life. “A lot of people think it’s the end,” Carlos Cantañada, leader of the dancers, said about death. “But it is the beginning, it is the beginning of life

in the spirit world. El Día de los Muertos celebrates the lives of the dead after they have passed, and their spirits are invited back to Earth to be with the people who loved them during their lives. “It’s a time to celebrate with family, not a time to mourn,” Cantañada said. At the event, Metro sophomore Elizabeth Rowe, 21, said that learning about El Día de los Muertos in her Folklore and Culture of the Mexican Southwest class has caused her to think about death a little differently. “It’s just another cycle of life,” she said about the way Mexicans view death. “Everyone’s got to make their peace with it. Nobody’s going to get out alive.” Americans should feel comfortable embracing

the same perception of death and celebrating El Día de los Muertos in their own way, said Chicano studies adjunct professor Helen Girón. “That border (between the U.S. and Mexico) is a man-made border,” she said. “Everyone should invite their ancestors to be with them on Día de los Muertos.” The celebration of El Día de los Muertos continued throughout the weekend, starting with performances and ceremonies Friday night. On Saturday it continued with a walk through the cemetery to clean the grounds, pray, sing songs and leave offerings for loved ones. “If we don’t continue to celebrate this indigenous holiday,” Cantañada said, “our culture will die.” - By Josie Klemaier

Metro breaks out with belly dancing » B3

B2 » NOVEMBER 8. 2007 » THE METROPOLITAN

Q: What does a pickle say when he wants to play cards? A: Dill me in! CROSSWORD

ACROSS 1. More than one female sheep 5. Craze 8. Mountain range in central Europe 12. Golden 13. Photographic tone 15. Silage storage tower 16. Having wings 17. Examined furtively 18. Type of gun 19. Divisor 22. Graﬃti 23. Little guy 24. Wading place 26. Having a beak 29. Put away; 31. Upper limb 32. Whiskey type 34. Skewered edible 36. Quantity of paper 38. Aquatic opossum 40. Sandy tract 41. Enthusiastic 43. Nostrils 45. Opening-day starter

SUDOKU

46. Brunch beverage 48. Complete 50. Ark builder 51. Where some vets served 52. Agency of the United Nations 54. Something wanted 61. Weeps 63. Vocally 64. Strong wind 65. Land in water 66. In a ﬁt manner 67. Sea eagle 68. Observed 69. Spring month 70. Chair

Nov. 8 puzzle from www.crosswords.com. Solution available online.

DOWN 1. Old-fashioned exclamation of surprise 2. Trickery 3. Dash 4. Ramble 5. Frond plant 6. Capital of Western Samoa 7. Intake 8. Donkey 9. Ursa Minor 10. This can be guilty or not guilty 11. Album unit 13. Like a spider 14. Take as one’s own 20. Former French colony of northwestern Africa 21. Chess piece 25. Was indebted to 26. Carplike ﬁsh 27. Capable of being conceived

28. Roman goddess of the moon 29. Beach locale 30. Move rhythmically 31. Exist 33. Mineral spring 35. Fuzzy buzzer 37. Oﬃce note 39. 35th president of the U.S 42. Highway 44. The closest one to us is the sun 47. Bundle of cereal plants 49. Likenesses 52. Egyptian goddess of fertility 53. Prescribed amount 55. Slender 56. Very small quantity 57. Punctually 58. Shipping deduction 59. Forearm bone 60. Encounter 62. DC bigwig

timeout

CUT CORNERS

metropolitan staff and andrew howerton

MASTER PLAN

geof wollerman and andrew howerton

WHERE IS THIS? Be the ﬁrst to e-mail us the correct location and receive a free ticket to the Starz FilmCenter! Lucky you! Each week’s winner will also have the chance to have their photo printed in the following issue of The Metropolitan. Send e-mails to jklemaie@mscd.edu with “Where is this?” in the subject line.

puzzle courtesy of www.websudoku.com

NOW SHOWING AT THE STARZ FILMCENTER Come celebrate the 30th annual Starz Denver Film Festival! This event starts Nov. 8 and lasts eleven days and features over 200 movies. For more information check out B4 and B5. For ﬁlm schedules go to www.denverﬁlm.org

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « METROSPECTIVE « B3

Hip-shakin’ healthy moves Belly dancing is about more than sexy sarongs and seductive tummy tucks » by Josie Klemaier, jklemaie@mscd.edu» At the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893, to commemorate the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus’ discovery of the “New World,” the people of the U.S. were introduced to new and exotic inventions, food and people from around the country and the world. They were also introduced to belly dancing, something dangerously beautiful that clashed with the stiff Victorian morals of the time. “Everybody was horrified, but they kept watching,” said Lia Ridley, who teaches belly dancing at Metro through the Health Center at Auraria. Though the art has gained popularity and modern-day acceptance, some misconceptions still linger in the shadow of our now image-obsessed society. “It is a constant challenge to feel good about yourself in our society,” Ridley said during the Metro class she teaches, Belly Dancing for Fitness and Well-being. The classes that Ridley teaches, including a free one sponsored by the Health Center at Auraria, invite women — and willing men — in the true spirit of belly dancing, to get in touch with their body and their feelings and reap the healthy benefits of posture, coordination and flexibility. Rather than being about performance and sexual innuendos, it is more about inner comfort. “We’re here enjoying ourselves and appreciating ourselves and our bodies,” Ridley reminded the participants at the Thursday evening class just as they began to move. Metro sophomore Lisa Dimmer, 23, said she has definitely felt the effects of the belly rolls and gliding walks of the dance since she began attending the free class at the beginning of the semester. As a massage therapist, Dimmer said that core strength and posture have also made her job much easier. “Anybody can do it,” she said. “And it makes you look really good.”

Photo by J. ISAAC SMALL/jsmall4@mscd.edu

Writing Center tutor Pam Calcia dances with her scarf Nov. 1 during a free belly dancing class at St. Francis Atrium. The free class Dimmer and about 20 to 30 other women attend is held at 5:15 p.m. each Tuesday and Thursday at St. Francis Center. The Metro class Belly Dancing for Health and Well-being will be offered again next semester from 10 a.m. until 12:50 p.m. on Fridays. The class at St. Francis saw a group of diverse and willing women Nov. 1. As the music began, Ridley made sure each participant was equipped with a colorful scarf to grace her hips, a tradition she says originated when pregnant women practiced belly dancing as therapy before childbirth. The scarf, therefore, sits below the belly button. Though the art of belly dancing is often associated with its origins in Middle Eastern cultures, it has developed into many styles in

societies around the world for purposes ranging from the worship of gods and goddesses to non-religious celebrations. Styles include folkloric, night club and cabaret, American classic (which has come full circle to inﬂuence dance in Middle Eastern cultures), gothic fantasy and American gypsy style, which fuses many other styles together. “Originally, it’s a man’s dance,” Metro student Eugene Mankin, 31, said. Mankin is enrolled in the Metro class this semester, one of four men taking on the art of belly dancing. Growing up in Israel, Mankin said he was familiar with the dance, and as history claims, belly dancing originated as a dance that men performed in women’s clothing. “For me, it’s more like a psychology class,”

Mankin said. It has taken some of the women in the class time to become comfortable with their bodies moving in such a way that focuses on what is expected in our society to be ﬂat, toned tummies. “The big challenge has been showing my stomach,” said Metro senior Felicia Foster, 22. Growing up playing sports, Foster said that her feminine side was rarely recognized. In the Friday class, however, Foster was one of the more enthusiastic dancers. “It’s just a body part. In belly dancing, that’s what you want to accentuate.” Wearing the traditional cropped top is not required in any of Ridley’s classes, and a variety of people with a variety of sizes, ethnicities and attitudes participate — and cooperate very well — in the classes. “You get to let loose. Nobody cares what you look like or what you do,” said Metro student Heidi Hobson, 20, an English major and a student in Ridley’s Friday class. “Society tells you to express ‘us,’” she said. “This is about expressing you.”

Belly up» Belly dancing: A dance of the heart Free 5:15 p.m. Thursdays St. Francis Center

Belly Dancing

Spring 2008 CRN 32845 Fridays 10 a.m.-12:15

Top 5 Denver Film Festival events not to miss By DAVID STRUNGIS dstrungis@mscd.edu

Red Carpet Event: Big Night Juno 8:30 p.m. Nov. 10 Ellie Caulkins Opera House at the Denver Center for Performing Arts Speer and Arapahoe (720)-865-4220 “Sparkling with clever dialogue, Jason Reitman’s follow-up to Thank You for Smoking ﬁnds 16-year-old Juno (a superb Ellen Page) pregnant by her clueless best friend Paulie” Film followed by dessert reception in the Ellie Lobby.

The 30th annual Starz Denver Film Festival logo courtosy of Starz FilmCenter.

Bringing the War Home: A

Seminar 7:00 p.m. Nov. 13

Starz FilmCenter Gallery 30 in the Tivoli Panel Featuring: Alex Gibney Taxi to the Dark Side, Gary Weimberg and Catherine Ryan, Soldiers of Conscience and Nina Davenport, Operation Filmmaker.

Mystery Screening 7:30 p.m. Nov.13 Landmark’s Esquire Theatre 590 Downing St. Denver (303)-352-1992 This un-named ﬁlm features the description “The contemporary American west as captured by an award-winning team of ﬁlmmaking brothers.”

The State of Cinema One on One with David Ansen 7:00 p.m. Nov. 15 Starz FilmCenter Gallery 30 in the Tivoli A discussion with veteran Newsweek ﬁlm critic David Ansen and Robert Denerstein.

Persepolis 1:00 p.m. Nov. 17 King Center concert hall “Celebrated comic book artist Marjane Sartrapi reworks her acclaimed graphic autobiographies for the screen with breathtaking results.”

e d

THE METROPOLITAN

B4 » NOVEMBER 8. 2007

NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « B5

Denver Film Fest celebrates 30 years of ﬂicks The 2007 Starz Denver Film Festival reels with culture and art, showcasing new movies and keeping the tradition alive in the Denver scene » By David Strungis, dstrungi@mscd.edu »

A photo by Larry Laszlo of the Ricketson Theater at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, circa 1982. The photo is part of a photo exhibit commemorating 30 years of the Starz Denver Film Festival.

he Denver Film Festival, which runs Nov. 8 through Nov. 18, has left its mark over the past 30 years. Independent filmmakers have exposed their films to wider audiences, high-profile movie stars and filmmakers have strolled down the streets of LoDo, and the festival has survived to become one of the oldest American film festivals and a crown jewel of Denver’s flourishing art scene. This year’s festival will take place over 11 days and features almost 200 different movies, forums, panels and workshops. It begins Nov. 8 with The Savages, a film starring Laura Linney and Phillip Seymour Hoffman as two middle-aged siblings reuniting to care for their father who is slipping into dementia. Tickets can be purchased in person at the Starz FilmCenter or online at denverfilm.org. According to co-founder Ron Henderson, the idea for the festival was proposed in1977 as residents discussed the cultural landscape of Denver and some wondered aloud what was missing. “There was no Sundance in the late ’70s. The two-year-old Telluride Film Festival was already generating enormous excitement among film-lovers and attracting national and international attention to Colorado. ‘Why not a film festival in Denver?’ they asked,” Henderson said. The Denver festival provides a uniquely local atmosphere. “It’s such an amazing venue,” program director Brit Withey said. “A lot festivals are spread out all over the place, but Denver creates a core, central downtown festival environment. It has a more intimate feel.” Shows will be held in a number of locations, but the heart of the festival is the Starz FilmCenter. “The FilmCenter has linked film, art and culture in the community,” said local filmmaker Diane Markrow, who will be celebrating her 15th festival. Film Society members and festival organizers are very proud of the FilmCenter, launched in April 2002, because it represents the transformation of the Denver Film Society from a nonprofit cultural

arts organization to what Henderson calls a “brickand-mortar cultural institution.” “We are very fortunate. Having these types of events raises the level of culture and arts in the city,” Film Society board member Jaime Aquino said. “This is an incredible opportunity.” The Film Society, which presents the festival, kicked off with the release of the book Take 30 and a photo exhibition in the Starz FilmCenter Gallery 30. Along the walls of the exhibition are famous faces of past attendees: Bill Murray outside the Paramount

“Since the festival was created, the cultural environment, along with the city itself, has been literally transformed. We have a vibrant arts scene that rivals any city between the two coasts.”

RON HENDERSON, CO-FOUNDER OF THE DENVER FILM FESTIVAL in 1984 talking with fans before a showing of his ﬁlm The Razor’s Edge, Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper schmoozing with Francis Ford Coppola in 2003 and director Ang Lee walking down the red carpet in 2005. The book documents the long history of the festival in the beautiful black-and-white photographs of Denver photojournalist Larry Laszlo. The book is a collaboration of works by Henderson, Laszlo and author Joey Porcelli.

“The fact that Ron and Larry have been here over the last 30 years is unparalleled in terms of festivals,” Withey said. “These guys are icons.” Many feel the success of the festival is due in large part to the passion and commitment of Henderson. After 30 years, he remains enthusiastic about the festival and the power of film. He is friend to many filmmakers, and everyone seems to have a story. “You know, I love coming to Denver,” said New-York filmmaker Gary Keys, director of Autism: Another Way of Communicating, and a regular at the festival. “I’m actually good friends with Ron. I used to sleep on his couch when I would come to town.” The festival gives the Denver Film Society the opportunity to fulfill its vision of cultivating community and transforming lives through film. “Occasionally, film mysteriously transcends its own medium, makes contact with life and illuminates the human condition. I am very happy, for the past three decades, to run one of those galleries where every day I’m not only entertained, but challenged and provoked,” Henderson said. He recalls one provocative moment in the festival’s history when Dean Reed, a Colorado native and folksinger, came to town in 1985. As a young man, Reed moved to East Germany and became what The New York Times called “the Johnny Cash of Communism.” Reed’s scheduled appearances with his film were preceded by considerable press coverage, a threat on his life, a shoving match with talk radio host Peter Boyles and a contentious press conference. Shortly after Reed returned to East Germany he was found dead. The cause of his controversial death is still a mystery 20 years later. This year’s festival will feature a new documentary on Reed titled The Red Elvis. By German director Leopold Grun, it will screen Nov. 10 and 11. “The festival brings a lot of films to Colorado, and if you don’t see them here, you may not ever see them,” Markrow said.

Photo by DAWN MADURA/dmadura@mscd.edu

Trisha Thidodo and John Bratton look at photographs documenting the last 30 years of the Denver International Film Festival. The star-studded movie photos were taken by Larry Laszlo and compiled into a book to celebrate the festival’s 30th anniversary.

TICKET INFO Nov. 8-18, 2007. Located at the Starz Film Center at the Tivoli and the Ellie Caulkins Opera House and Rickertson Theatre at the Denver Performing Arts Complex, tickets can be purchased in person at the Starz FilmCenter or online at www.denverﬁlm.org. Tickets are $10 for students, $11 for general public.

A photo by Larry Laszlo of Harry Dean Stanton, Wim Wenders and Dean Stockwell in front of Cafe Ronchetti in 1984. The photo is part of a photo exhibit commemorating 30 years of the Starz Denver Film Festival. A photo by Larry Laszlo of Willie Nelson at the Mammoth Gardens, circa 1982. The photo is part of a photo exhibit commemorating 30 years of the Starz Denver Film Festival.

A photo by Larry Laszlo of German ﬁlm director Wim Wenders, circa 1982. The photo is part of a photo exhibit commemorating 30 years of the Starz Denver Film Festival.

Right: Ron Hendreson, the founder of the Denver International Film Festival smiles at a fan as he signs a copy of the book that celebrates the ﬁrst 30 years of the festival. Photo by DAWN MADURA/dmadura@mscd.edu

B6 » THE METROPOLITAN » NOVEMBER 8, 2007 JEREMY JOHNSON » MUSIC EDITOR » jjohn308@mscd.edu

» BRITNEY SPEARS COMES OUT OF ‘BLACKOUT’WITH NEW ALBUM RELEASE » B7

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UPCOMING SHOWS » Thursday 11.8

Ghostface Killah w/ The Rhythm Roots All-Stars 9 p.m. @ The Ogden Theater $25, 16+

Friday 11.9

Newfound Glory w/ Senses Fail and Receiving End of Sirens 9 p.m. @ The Ogden Theater $20, 16+

The Dirty Dozen Brass Band w/ Trombone Shorty and Orleans Avenue 8 p.m. @ The Bluebird Theater $16, 21+

Sunday 11.11 and Monday 11.12

The Hold Steady w/ Art Brut SEE PREVIEW ON B7

Monday 11.12

Tourzilla: Boys Like Girls w/ All Time Low and Theaudition 7 p.m. @ The Boulder Theater $20.50, 16+

Puddle of Mudd w/ Deepfield and Cinder Road 8 p.m. @ The Gothic Theater $22, 16+

Wednesday 11.14

Feist w/ Jason Collett 8 p.m. @ The Ogden Theater $20.50, 16+

audioﬁles

Adolescent rockers oﬀer no thrills By JEREMY JOHNSON jjohn308@mscd.edu Irish indie band The Thrills’ new album Teenager couldn’t have a more apropos title, as the band’s third effort is an airy compilation of adolescent sentiments wrapped in lead singer Conor Deasy’s dreamy, barely postpubescent vocal style, as well as small waves of offbeat guitar chording and pretty, peaking piano undercurrents. The result is a young and ofttimes fresh approach to music’s elder statesman, the love ballad. And while such a ballad is a natural crutch for a band on the brink of establishing themselves in the new, star-glazed genre of laze-rock, The Thrills, sadly enough, show little signs of graduating into rock ’n’ roll maturity. Regardless of the album’s faults, the thrill of the teenage condition is captured early on in Teenager. Recent radio singles such as opener “The Midnight Choir” with the conclusively despondent lyrics “They sing a song we used to believe in” and current hit “Nothing Changes Around Here” sandwich sensational teenage runaway “This Year,” which assures listeners, “I told you I’d take you away from here/ And I will/ I’m not street corner bum/ I knew your day would come,” followed by the chorus “This year could be our year.” The album’s second track embraces the optimism that engulfs the adolescent daydream of a world of opportunities around

the bend. But this semi-sweet spin on growing up is the last real ray of light before the disc drives straight down into a debilitating tailspin of gloom. It’s not so much that The Thrills are depressing as much as they are simply two-dimensional and dull. Not only do they beat a dead horse with their constant whining about character ﬂaws (“I Came All This Way”) or learning to let go (“Long Forgotten Song”), but it seems they actually killed the pony already with their pathetic, forlorn groveling on the seventh track, “I’m So Sorry” and the following “No More Empty Words.” True, The Thrills paint Photo courtesy of www.undertheradarmag.com a picture that is easy to relate Clockwise from center: Conor Deasy, Padraic McMahon, Ben Carrigan, Kevin Horan and Danto and that earns them symiel Ryan are Irish indie band The Thrills. Their new album Teenager has all the familiar angst pathy from the listener, but it’s of adolescence, minus the maturity found in a majority of today’s modern indie music. hard to maintain compassion in light of the subtle desire to slit your ic than to a middle-aged fan familiar with such sad balladeer pioneers as own wrists. And by the time The Thrills has The Smiths or The Cure. And even gotten to the title track, the listener is Robert Smith cracked a crooked, lippoised over a bottle of sleeping pills: stick smile once in a while. Like most of our high school “But if I could go back/ A teenager again/ If I could go back/ I’d trip all years, Teenager offers a few bright beaover again/ But where would I fall?/ cons of hope, surrounded by seas of And who would break my fall?” Sure, melancholy and self-consciousness. there’s poignancy to Deasy’s reminisc- But let’s face it: for most of us, adolesing, but the lack of lyrical depth and a cence was brutal, and the memories deeply downtrodden tempo essentially are bittersweet at best. So it’s time for make the album considerably more Deasy and Co. to get over it, lest they appealing to its suggested demograph- ﬁnd that the thrill is gone for good.

Band of Horses settle into stable of staple sounds By STEPHANIE DeCAMP sdecamp@mscd.edu With their second full-length album release Cease To Begin, Band of Horses has bought into what one might predict upon hearing their first album — a staple sound, which draws from the easy-swing folkiness of southern country (“The General Specific”) to the fill-a-room epic (“Is There a Ghost”) reminiscent of the Shins’ indie-rock. Released on Sub Pop Records, Band’s sophomore album strikes a pleasant balance that brings to mind, almost simultaneously, the constant movement of a bustling road trip, as well as the scene on the album’s cover: a serene, heavy, nighttime lake, personified in the closing track, “Window Blues.” The Horses seem to carry an equal load among them, showing great skill and balance in Ben Bridwell’s sweet indie-boy voice, sounding like equal parts Perry Farrell (Jane’s Addiction) and Jim James (My Morning

Jacket), and in his simple, though masterful, guitar playing. With the solid foundation of perfect tempo provided by bandmates Rob Hampton (bass) and Creighton Barrett (drums), this is one strong trio of musicians. Actually, one can barely hear the effects of the departure of founding member Mat Brooke, who left the band in July 2006 to pursue work with the band Grand Archives. One can tell within the ﬁrst minute, however, that behind the scenes this album was crafted with the same production value as before. And although the Horses can deﬁnitely compose a good tune, that staple sound so elusive to many bands may also turn out to be the bane of this one. Lacking any traditional hooks or sweeping gestures as strong as the 2006 single “The Funeral,” this album seems a constant reminder that, although it’s quite a good song you’re listening to, it’s the same song every song. With that said, Band Of Horses is at risk of beating their songs to death.

Photo courtesy of www.rollingstone.com

Now all they need is a gang of thieves. From left: Rob Hampton, Ben Bridwell and Creighton Barrett are Band of Horses. Their sophomore album Cease To Begin is ripe with easy folk sounds, but is the young band in danger of becoming a one-trick pony?

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « AUDIOFILES « B7

Brit’s ‘Blackout’ easy to forget By DESIREE CLARK dclark67@mscd.edu Britney’s back, bitches. The Pop Princess has returned after her “blackout” period of four years. Subsequent to marrying Kevin Federline, having his babies, divorcing K-Fed, showing her private parts to the paparazzi, shaving her head, going to rehab, breaking out of rehab, embarrassing herself on the MTV Music Video Awards and getting her children taken from her, it’s amazing she found the time to release her fifth studio album Oct. 30. Blackout is one of the most anticipated albums of 2007. According to VH1.com Spears’ first-day sales were 124,000, which is high considering she did little in the way of promoting her new album. The day after her album debuted, Spears made an appearance on Ryan Seacrest’s radio show, sharing her feelings about how cruel the world can be. “Like I said, people say what they want and do what they do. It’s sad how cruel our world can be. At the end of the day, you just have to know in your heart that you’re doing the best you can do,” Spears said. And in her heart, maybe she feels she has done her best. Like at the MTV Music Video Awards when she arrived late, rehearsed her performance only one time and wore an outfit that was fit for a hooker. David Willis of BBC said her performance would “go down in the history book as being one of the worst to grace the MTV Awards.” And the new album offers even less promise. The song she chose to perform, if you could call it a performance, was “Gimme More,” the first single off of Blackout. The lyrics of “Gimme More” don’t really do much for a reputation she is trying to fix: “The center of attention/ Can you feel that?/ Even when we’re up against the wall/ You

MORE UPCOMING SHOWS

got me in a crazy position/ If you’re on a mission/ You got my permission.” And all the while, Britney simply lip-synched — poorly — to a computer-enhanced recording. The second track on Blackout is titled, “Piece of Me,” a perception of how her life is through her eyes. She goes step by step, touching on her pop princess status, the media, how the media was able to photograph her derriere and how she is now a mama: “I’m Miss Bad Media Karma/ Another day, another drama/ Guess I can’t see no harm/ I’m working and being a mama/ And with a kid in my arm/ I’m still an exception and everybody/ Wants a piece of me.” Too bad she’s not much of a mama anymore, as K-Fed won full custody of their two children. By the third track, all the songs begin to merge together and Britney’s voice grates like chalk on a board. And with the fourth track, “Break The Ice,” the album begins to play like the soundtrack to a soft-core porno: “I know its been a while/ But I’m glad you came/ And I’ve been thinking ‘bout/ How you say my name/ Got my body spinning/ Like a hurricane/ And it feels like you got me going insane/ And I can’t get enough/ So let me get it up.” The sixth song, “Get Naked (I Got A Plan)” follows in the same direction with her obvious dirty-bird mentality. She doesn’t sing but instead sulks in a sexy and seductive voice, preparing herself for her next sexual conquest. “Freakshow” is the most honest song off of Blackout, as she begins to examine just what her life’s become. She soon does away with any kind of sympathy: “Me and my girls like to get it on/ Grab us a couple of boys to go.” The last track, “Why Should I Be Sad,” is a pathetically spelled-out song about her relationship with K-Fed: “It’s

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NEW RELEASES » TUESDAY 11.13 BOYZ WHO NEVER GROW UP...AND GIRLS THAT NEVER GROW OLD... Amy Winehouse

I Told You I Was Trouble (DVD) Universal Republic www.universalrepublic.com

Bone Thugs N’ Harmony T.H.U.G.S. RED Ink/Ruthless www.ruthlessrecords.com

Boys Like Girls

Boys Like Girls Columbia Records www.columbiarecords.com

Boyz II Men

Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville, U.S.A. Decca U.S. Records www.amazon.com

Richard Cheese Photo courtesy of www.niftytom50.com

What happened to the cute, sober Britney? Spears’ new album Blackout serves as a sad autobiography of her past couple of tumultuous years, highlighted with drinking and drug binges, divorce and the custody loss of her children to K-Fed. time for me to move along (goodbye)/ It’s time for me to get it on (okay)/ I’m tired of singing sad songs (alright)/ It’s time for me (Britney lets go).” Since Spears earned the title of Pop Princess her audience hasn’t bought her albums for her musical prowess, but out of sheer, sick curiosity. And, oops…she’s done it again. That is, until her next, very real blackout.

“We had some massive nights/ We got the songs just right/ And all I want is time/ Yeah, your friends are pretty cool and my friends were acting cool.” Hold tight because conceptual alt-rockers The Hold Steady are bringing their immense talent back to Colorado, performing Nov. 11 at the Fox Theater in Boulder and Nov. 12 at the Ogden Theater. The Brooklyn-based band brings massive energy to their live show, and lead singer Craig Finn has managed to take a strong hold of the mainstream music medium with his slick storytelling and smoky, sarcastic delivery. The band has achieved a considerable fan base in part due to their relentless touring, intricate album storylines of familiar Twin City faces and overtly sympathetic protagonists, as well as a purely lackadaisical lyrical approach from the atypical lead singer Finn. And The Hold Steady’s third album, Boys And Girls In America (released in October of 2006), received acclaim from both national press (The Rolling Stone) and local media (The Onion’s A.V. Club) and surpassed even the relatively strong commercial success of their two preceding albums, Almost Killed Me and Separation Sunday. So be sure to catch The Hold Steady both massive nights, but just make sure your friends are acting cool because the show’s bound to get hot. – By Jeremy Johnson, jjohn308@mscd.edu

The Hold Steady w/ Art Brut and The Blood Arm

Sunday, Nov. 11 @ The Fox Theater, Boulder, 8 p.m., $17, All Ages Monday, Nov. 12 @ The Ogden Theater, 8 p.m., $17, 16+

Dick At Nite Coverage Records www.coveragerecords.com

Dirty On Purpose

Like Bees North Street Records www.northstreetrecords.net

Duran Duran

Red Carpet Massacre Epic Records www.epicrecords.com

Eminem

Live From New York City 2005 Eagle Vision Records www.eaglerockent.com

Alicia Keys

As I Am J Records www.jrecords.com

The Soda Pop Kids Teen Bop Dream Full Breach Kicks www.fullbreach77.com

The Hives

The Black And White Album A&M /Octone www.amoctone.com

The Killers

Sawdust Island Records www.islandrecords.com

For new music releases visit: www.newmusictipsheet.com

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « INSIGHT « A9

Another year to make mistakes I can’t help but be a bit nostalgic. You see, I’m turning 22 on Nov. 12. The “terrible 2s,” if you will. It’s around this time of the year when I begin to pull out the yearbooks and scrapbooks. I like taking trips down memory lane. I try to remember the good times and the bad times equally. One of my favorite time periods to recall is high school. Mostly senior year. When I run into kids who are getting ready to graduate, I implore them to relish every single moment. “You’ll never be this free again,” I tell them. After all, you have little to no responsibilities post Spring Break. Everything by now should be taken care of. You’ve earned it. The world seemed so much better then. Looking back, the colors were vibrant. The air was always fresh. I don’t know about you, but at my high school, there was always “drama.” Something was always wrong. Someone was always doing something they weren’t supposed to be doing. Someone was always dating someone they weren’t supposed to be dating. And of course, everyone knew about it. It was easy to get wrapped up in all the scandal, wasn’t it? How could you help it? It was always there, right in front of you, the worst possible scenario, the end of the world. “How would life go on?” we’d ask ourselves.

NIC GARCIA ngarci20@mscd.edu But somehow, some way, we managed. And here we are, hopefully all in one piece. Perhaps, a little scared, and yes, slightly troubled. But we’re here. And looking back, you can’t help but laugh at how trivial all the gossip, rumors, backstabbing and manipulating really was. Recently, in my philosophy class we discussed both the Socratic Method and the Aristotelian Dialect. For the purpose of my life, I prefer the latter. This is how it works: there is a phenomena, a problem, a question. After consulting what has been done and said in the past, Aristotle would try and figure it out himself. This process was called aporia. In modernday language, we’d call this process “working it out” but that’s beside the point. Then after coming to some sort of conclusion, usually just a better understanding of the problem, Aris-

totle would do the most outrageous thing, he’d start the process all over again. Life isn’t much different, is it? Every day is another challenge, another problem, another opportunity to figure out more about yourself, your friends, your family … this thing called life. We can only hope that in our last days we’ll have more clarity than we presently do. We’ll have fewer chances to begin again in our quest for understanding. We’ll have fewer chances to make mistakes. But hopefully, by then, all of our mistakes will have been made. We learn from our mistakes. At least that’s what we’re supposed to learn from. At least that’s what they say. They also say another year older, another year wiser? Well, if you mess up as much as I do, the only thing you get wise about is “they” aren’t always right. I wrote over and over again in high school, “I don’t know, but I want to know.” Now, I just think to myself, “I don’t know, but today, I hope to understand a little better.” I remember being very upset that I was nominated for nothing during my senior year of high school. First I wanted to be named apart of the Remuda Royalty — our highest court. When that didn’t happen, I thought at the very least I’d garner “most like-

ly to succeed,” in the Senior Polls. Nope. So by the end of the year, when I became slightly more popular, I figured everything I had done for the school would finally be recognized, and I would be named Prom King. And for a second, I actually thought it might be possible when I was named to a short list of nominees. But I didn’t make the final three. Oh was I pissed. I remember running around the school asking what Tyson Nesbit had done to be given the honor. In the end Nate Comden, a good guy who I recently found out is engaged, won. I almost let this tragedy ruin my high school experience. And for some time, I’m sure I was very bitter. I hated them all. Isn’t that what a Scorpio is supposed to do? What a mistake and waste of time. But I’ve come to understand now, that it wasn’t my time. I’d like to think — without being too arrogant — that part of my time is now. But I guess I won’t know until I can look back on my college years, huh? Another year is staring me in the face. Time to start again, as Aristotle would say. Time to make more mistakes. How can I help it? It’s right there in front of me, the best possible scenario, the beginning of a new world.

Youth less than wild at voting booths In the game of politics the “youth vote” is the wild card. But the question is, will that card be a sleeping giant or a paper tiger? The youth vote is generally used as a reference to college-age voters 18- to 24-years-old. Since the 26th Amendment gave 18- to 20-year-olds the right to vote in 1971, there has been much speculation and anticipation about the effect this age group will have on the political system. The U.S. Census Bureau reported in 2000 that there were more than 27 million citizens ages 18 to 24. The potential for the youth to swing a vote has always been a possibility. But it has never panned out the way some candidates would have liked. The presidential election in 1972 saw the largest youth turnout with 55 percent, and it would not be until the 2004 election that the youth vote would even come close to matching the 1972 turnout with 47 percent. Metro political science professor Lance Denning says that, although the voting percentage for youth was up 11 percent in 2004, he thinks there are reasons why this may have occurred other than a commitment by the youth to the political process. One possible explanation is that it may have been a protest vote against

Bush. The 2004 election had some striking similarities to the 1972 election, which had been hyped as the end to Nixon and the war in Vietnam by way of the youth vote. Although youth turnout was up from the 2000 election, the 18- to 24-year-olds still hold the distinction of being the only voting age group to not reach 50 percent. Compare this to the 55-and-older voters who have traditionally posted a 70 percent turnout rates. Do young voters understand the issues, and can they make informed decisions? Eileen Mahony, political director for the Denver Metro Young Republicans, doesn’t think anyone should write off the young voters just because they do not have decades of experience. “Just because a voter is young doesn’t mean we don’t have the world experience or the viewpoint to make a thoughtful decision,” Mahony said. “I think we can make policy recommendations and make thoughtful arguments for actual practical solutions.” Cindy Lowery, president of the Denver Young Democrats, said it is difficult to convince a young person their vote matters, especially after the 2000 election, when Al Gore lost the

ROBERT FISHER rfishel18@mscd.edu presidency even though he won the popular vote. “In general, youth are labeled as apathetic when it comes to voting,” Lowery said. “But it’s really important that we figure out a way to explain to the youth that their vote matters and that it will count to make a real difference in presidential politics.” A big part of the political process requires young voters to be informed about the issues and how the issues affect them, Lowery said. She thinks issues like personal freedom and choice tend to resonate more with youth voters, as well as higher education costs, the war in Iraq and environmental issues. “I think that you can make any issue resonate with young voters.

You just have to try a little harder,” Lowery said. There are 12,634 students ages 18 to 24 attend Metro this fall, and although this number may be a drop in the bucket when compared to national numbers, it is still a significant number of potential voters to affect state senate and house races. Metro student Julie Gentile, 18, said that she voted in Tuesday’s general election and plans to vote in the upcoming presidential election because she appreciates the opportunity. “Why not vote?” Gentile said. “You have the chance to vote. Why waste it?” However, a majority of students that were interviewed did not know what issues were important to them, let alone what the candidates may be debating. Some were just indifferent. Metro junior Jody Van Orden, 23, says she does not vote. She says she is against the war, but supports the troops. “I just don’t care,” Van Orden said. “I don’t vote.” Talking with some Metro students gives me the fear that the wild card may turn out to be the paper tiger. And this will only leave the political process incomplete and two-dimensional.

THE METROPOLITAN Since 1979

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF David D. Pollan dpollan@mscd.ed NEWS EDITOR Andrew Flohr-Spence spencand@mscd.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR 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 EDITORS Cora Kemp ckemp4@mscd.edu Dawn Madura dmadura@mscd.edu DESIGN EDITOR Nic Garcia ngarci20@mscd.edu ILLUSTRATOR Andrew Howerton ahowert2@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Austin Corell acorell@mscd.edu Amanda Hall ahall35@mscd.edu James Kruger jkruger1@mscd.edu Debbie Marsh dmarsh8@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 » NOVEMBER 8, 2007 » A11

»VOLLEYBALL TEAM HEADS INTO RMAC TOURNEY »A12 »WOMEN’S SOCCER FALLS TO FORT LEWIS ... AGAIN! »A13 »SOCCER TEAM’S NCAA TOURNAMENT PREVIEW »A13

ERIC LANSING » SPORTS EDITOR » lansing@mscd.edu

SIDELINE

THIS WEEK »

Thursday 11.08

SWIMMING Women TBA at Northern Colo. MEN’S SOCCER: NCAA DIV. II TOURNAMENT Metro TBA vs. Midwestern State at Canyon, Texas

Friday 11.09

VOLLEYBALL 5 p.m. vs. Western New Mexico at Kearney, Neb. WOMEN’S SOCCER: NCAA DIV. II TOURNAMENT Metro 1 p.m. vs. West Texas A&M at Auraria Field

Saturday 11.10

MEN’S SOCCER: NCAA DIV. II TOURNAMENT Metro/Midwestern State TBA vs. West Texas A&M/Ft. Lewis at Canyon, Texas

Sunday 11.11

WOMEN’S SOCCER: NCAA DIV. II TOURNAMENT Metro/West Texas A&M noon vs. Incarnate Word

SAY WHAT? »

“When you don’t get a result you learn a little bit more. You ﬁnd out more about your team and you see where the breakdowns occur. When you’re winning games those things are a little bit tougher to see.” - Ken Parsons, Metro men’s head soccer coach on the loss to School of Mines in the first round of the RMAC tournament Nov. 2 at Auraria Field.

DID YOU KNOW »

Metro women’s soccer goaltender Rachel Zollner earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Year while Madison McQuilliams was Co-Freshman of the Year in the conference. Head coach Danny Sanchez also took Coach of the Year honors after leading his team to a 15-3-1 record.

No. 1 Metro meets early exit Men’s soccer team falls to School of Mines 3-2 in tough conference playoff By ZAC TAYLOR ztaylor2@mscd.edu The third time was a charm for the Colorado School of Mines men’s soccer team, which finally defeated Metro 3-2 in the first round of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament Nov. 3 at Auraria Field. The Roadrunners were unbeaten against the Orediggers during the regular season, tying Mines 1-1 on Sept. 21 in Golden and rallying to beat them 2-1 a week ago on the last day of the season. “When you don’t get a result you learn a little bit more,” Metro head coach Ken Parsons said. “You find out more about your team, and you see where the breakdowns occur. When you’re winning games those things are a little bit tougher to see.” The game was played at 7:30 p.m. under temporary lights in the team’s first-ever home night game. What everyone could see immediately was their own breath as the night wind dipped the temperature into the low 30s. Yet neither offense showed any signs of cooling down in the third contest between the two RMAC foes. Metro got off on the wrong foot against Mines, needing to come back once more after Orediggers defender Nick Kubala headed in a free kick less than three minutes into the contest. Metro responded quickly, however, when Kellen Johnson received a pass from fellow midfielder Ola Sandquist on a run outside the box. Johnson blasted the ball past Mines goalkeeper Kevin Thurman to find the top right corner of the net for the first shot and first score for the Roadrunners. The rest of the first half continued to provide even more excitement as the two teams worked their attacks under the electric lights. The next goal would put Metro behind once again, when Mines midfielder Brian Lacinski beat the ’Runners’ defense in the 28th minute. Lacinski slotted the ball past Metro goalkeeper Ryan Vickery as he charged out of the net. With the score at 2-1, Metro midfielder Mark Cromie took on the task of finding the tying goal with dangerous free kicks that pressured the Orediggers’ defense. And with 17 minutes remaining in the first half,

Photo by KRISTI DENKE/kdenke@mscd.edu

Metro midfielder Mike Martinez makes a desperate charge past School of Mines midfielder Ryan Decker in the RMAC semifinals Nov. 2 at Auraria Field. The ’ Runners lost 3-2 in a hard-fought game where Metro couldn’t complete a comeback. one of Cromie’s kicks sailed into the mix of players around the goal. Metro defender Garrett Sadusky muscled to the ball and powered it into the goal before the goalie could find it. At the half, the score remained tied 2-2, and the question arose whether Metro could carry their momentum from the last goal into the second half. Early on, neither team could find their offense as both defenses stepped to the fore, keeping each team from grabbing that deciding second-half goal. It would be the Roadrunners to raise the pressure first, as they sent in a barrage of shots toward Thurman. Metro’s final shot tally of 16-9 proved this second half outburst, but the resilient Mines’ defense staved off all attacks sent their way. Finally, the Orediggers launched a counterattack. Lacinski found a gap in the Metro game plan as the

’Runners were overcommitted to the offensive, and Mines midﬁelder Cody Moore streaked toward the net and powered a header past Vickery. The goal, which gave Mines a 3-2 lead with 15 minutes remaining, left Metro players and fans stunned. “The two defenders both lost their footing, and as a result (Mines) got a better look on the cross than we should have gave them,” Parsons said. The shot would prove to be the deciding goal despite renewed pressure by the Metro attack. The cold ﬁnally caught up with an offense that led the RMAC and a team that had gone undefeated in conference play during the regular season. “This was a loss, and you never like to lose games,” Parsons said. “In reality what this game means is we don’t get to play in the conference tournament. But we have bigger

things to worry about next weekend (in the NCAA tournament),” Parsons added about the dropped decision. Metro earned the No. 3 spot and will play No. 2 Midwestern State on Nov. 8 in the Midwest Region in the ﬁrst round of the NCAA tournament in Canyon, Texas. The Roadrunners lost their last game against the Mustangs back on Oct. 2 in a 2-0 decision that gave Metro their ﬁrst loss of the season.

Mines vs Metro (11/02/07 at Auraria Field) GAME SCORE 1 2 Total Mines........................ 2 1 - 3 Metro .................... 2 0 - 2 STATS: Metro: Sh Garrett Sadusky 1 Kellen Johnson 1 Mark Cromie.... 4 Ola Sandquist... 3

G 1 1 0 0

A 0 0 1 1

Mines: Sh B. Lacinski...... 1 Nick Kubala... 2 Cody Moore....1 Drew Werth....0

G 1 1 1 0

A 1 0 0 1

THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « SPORTS « A12

Metro can’t hold court with Kearney Young volleyball team can’t stop relentless Lopers’ attack, earns No. 4 seed in RMAC tournament

apiece. The big story of the night was Julie GreenMcFarland breaking the all-time kills record of 1,572 set by Stefanie Allison in 2006. “It’s awesome,” Green-McFarland said after Friday night’s match. “I couldn’t have done it without my team. I didn’t even know I was near the record until later in the season. So that’s what I’ve been working toward, and my team helped me get there.” The following night the Roadrunners welcomed Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference rival Chadron State. Metro made a clean 3-0 win by out-hitting the Eagles .263 to .079 for the match. Metro trailed early in game two 1913, but they fought back to tie it at 25, then won the game 30-26. “We started focusing on one point at a time,” Metro head coach Debbie Hendricks said about game two. “We seem to be a better team when we do that. It showed good mental toughness not to let that game get away.” Metro ends

By JEFFREY KOSKIMAKI jkoskima@mscd.edu The Roadrunners women’s volleyball team hosted the No. 1 ranked Nebraska-Kearney Lopers Nov. 2 at the Auraria Events Center. The ‘Runners only out-hit the visiting Lopers once in game two .296 to .154. Compared with the Lopers’ 15 errors, the ’Runners’ 31 really hurt their game. Metro came out battling and ended up splitting the ﬁrst two games. But the Lopers were even stronger in the next two games, dominating the net in games three and four averaging .363 to Metro’s .051. Senior libero Bri Ostler had a match-high 36 digs, while defensive backs Sarah Vallejos and Amy Watanabe helped her out with 16 digs

the regular season at 15-13 overall and 13-6 in conference play. “We needed that,” Hendricks said. “Our offense has been struggling, and I hope that will be good for our conﬁdence going into the postseason.” It was the ﬁnal home game for seniors Green-McFarland and Ostler. Losing these two impact players will leave a hole in this young volleyball team next season, but the freshmen and sophomores have progressed so much this season that they shouldn’t be affected by this loss. “They are such great girls,” Hendricks said about her departing seniors. “The team has a good dynamic this year, and a lot of it has to do with them. Bri has really turned things up a notch this year, and Julie’s numbers and impact speak for themselves.” Ostler is Metro’s single-season record-holder for digs per game with 4.74 in 2006, and is currently on pace to shatter that record averaging

5.56 per game in 2007. She’s made at least 10 digs in 55 of 59 matches and 1,185 career digs at Metro, which ranks seventh all-time at Metro. Green-McFarland has played in 117 matches during her four-year career at Metro. She was awarded the 2006 American Volleyball Coach’s Association honorable mention All-American. She is Metro’s all-time leader in attack attempts with 4,398 and in kills with 1,596. Julie currently ranks ﬁfth all-time with a career average of 13.64 kills per match and 3.87 kills per game.

RMAC Volleyball Tournament Friday Nov. 9 in Kearney, Neb. No. 3 UC-Colo. Springs vs. No. 6 Mesa State No. 2 Fort Lewis vs. No. 7 Adams State No. 4 Metro vs. No. 5 Western New Mexico No. 1 Nebraska-Kearney vs. No. 8 Regis Sunday Nov. 11 in Kearney, Neb. Championship Match, 3 p.m.

Sports Briefs Men’s Basketball The Metro men’s basketball team started the season 1-2 while competing in the Disney Classic tournament in Anaheim, Calif. Nov. 2-5. In the first game, the ’Runners displayed their offensive talent with a 72-55 win over MSU-Billings. Forward Daniel Bass recorded a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds to dominate the paint. Fellow Australian and forward Jesse Wagstaff added nine points and 11 rebounds in the rout. Metro’s luck ran out in the remaining two games in Anaheim, dropping both by a combined 13 points to finish the tournament. On Nov. 3, the Roadrunners took on Kentucky Wesleyan. Despite 17-point performances by Wagstaff and guard Marquise Carrington, the Panthers controlled the boards and out-rebounded the ’Runners 38-14 to get the 63-60 final decision. Two days later, Metro played its final game in Anaheim against California State-San Bernardino. Wagstaff took the show early with 22 points and eight rebounds to help the Roadrunners to a 44-43 lead with only 5:13 to play, but a 10-0 run by the Coyotes gave San Bernardino the room to hold off a late surge by Metro and hold on to the 65-55 final. The top Metro players in the tournament were Wagstaff (48 points, 22 rebounds, 7 steals), guard Guiseppe Ciancio (30 points, 10 rebounds, 4 steals), and Carrington (29 points, 7 rebounds, 13 assists). Next, the Roadrunners play Dixie State at Auraria Court in the Tip Off Classic Nov. 16 at 7 p.m. Designed by: U.S. Customs and Border Protection Ad Name: USBP 07-02 Attn: Metro SU Denver - Metroplitan Ad Name: Agents Wanted Ad Ad Size: 3colx7 BW Order # 1980 Insert Dates: 10/11, 10/25, 11/8, 11/15

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THE METROPOLITAN « NOVEMBER 8. 2007 « SPORTS « A13

’Runners’ recurring nightmare Women’s soccer team falls to Fort Lewis in repeat of ‘06 semifinals By ZAC TAYLOR ztaylor2@mscd.edu In the first-ever night game at Auraria Field Nov. 2, where temporary lights illuminated the soccer field, there wasn’t much to see from the home team as Metro’s women’s soccer team got blanked 2-0 by Fort Lewis. The loss was Metro’s second consecutive defeat to the Skyhawks in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference tournament, falling 2-1 against them last year in the semifinals, also on Metro’s home field. The Roadrunners eventually regrouped and went on to win the Division II National Championship in 2006. “They did this to us last year. They knew they could do it to us again,” Metro forward Katie Kilbey said after the loss. This time the problems were apparent early, as the normally potent Roadrunners’ offense failed to materialize in a game that saw the ball kept to the middle of the field, far removed from scoring opportunities. The few times pressure was put on the Skyhawks’ defense, goalkeeper Bree Baker was up to the challenge, stopping all five shots in her direction. Opposing goaltender Rachel Zoll-

Photo by KRISTI DENKE/kdenke@mscd.edu

Metro midﬁelder Madison McQuilliams positions herself in the net for a corner kick during the RMAC Semiﬁnals Nov. 2 at Auraria Field. Metro was shutout 2-0. ner of Metro, who was named to the All-RMAC team, couldn’t respond

when Fort Lewis midﬁelder Kim Sisneros beat her for the ﬁrst goal of

Men’s Soccer Tournament Preview No. 3 Metro Roadrunners (16-2-3)

Conference: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Top Players: Phillip Owen, F - 18 goals, 5 assists Ryan Vickery, G - 16-2, 0.88 GAA

No.2 Midwestern State Mustangs (16-3-0) Conference: Lone Star Conference Top Players: Daniel Brown, F - 22 goals, 3 assists Jeremy Turner, G - 13-3, 0.65 GAA

These two teams met earlier this season on Sept. 2 and the Mustangs gave Metro their ﬁrst loss in a 2-0 win.

FIRST ROUND

Midwest Region

West Texas A&M Winner takes on winner of 2/3 seed (15-2-1)

Fort Lewis (15-5-1)

Nov. 8 in Canyon, Texas

2. 3.

SECOND ROUND QUARTERFINALS NOV. 11 in Canyon, TX NOV. 16 & 18

Midwestern State (16-3-0)

Metro (16-2-3)

Winner takes on winner of 1/4 seed

the game in the 28th minute. “It always hurts us if other teams put up goals early,” Kilbey said. “As soon as we get a goal against us some of our players get down. It’s hard to play catch-up.” Despite the best efforts of experienced players like forward Becca Mays, who had three shots, and Kilbey, who took one, many of the younger players looked chilled after having to rally. The ’Runners only slipped further from there, as Fort Lewis scored a late first-half goal when midfielder Samantha Scales scored on a breakaway just three minutes before halftime. “Two-zip is a pretty deep hole to dig yourself out of, especially if you haven’t been playing so well,” Zollner said. Metro’s offense was nonexistent the rest of the way, only putting up two shots on Fort Lewis for the remainder of the contest. The Skyhawks really dug in their heels to secure the upset win. After the loss, the frustration seeped through for many of the seniors, after being shut out in what appeared to be the last home game they would ever play. Kilbey, who has competed five years for the Roadrunners and won two National Championships, was very emotional about never playing on Auraria Field again. “It’s been a huge part of my life,” Kilbey said through tears. “It’s just sad that this is the last time I’m going

to play on this field.” Zollner also expressed emotion at the time she spent at Metro and on Auraria Field. “I definitely cherished every minute that I’ve been able to play here,” Zollner said. “Like Katie said, it’s real unfortunate that it had to end this way, but it doesn’t really take anything away from everything the team has done.” However, Kilbey, Zollner and the rest of the women’s team will get another opportunity to play on Auraria Field after No. 2 seed Incarnate Word was unable to host because of difficulty with a home field. Metro earned the No. 3 seed and was given home field in the first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament that runs Nov. 9 through Nov. 11. The Roadrunners will play the No. 6 seeded West Texas A&M Oct. 9 at home in the opening round. “We’re not done. We’ve still got a few games to play yet,” Kilbey said.

Fort Lewis vs. Metro (11/02/07 at Auraria Field) GAME SCORE 1 2 Total Fort Lewis................. 2 0 - 2 Metro .................... 0 0 - 0 STATS: Metro: Sh Becca Mays ....... 3 Katie Kilbey ...... 1 Vanessa Mais .... 1

G 0 0 0

A 0 0 0

Fort Lewis: Sh S. Scales ......... 1 K. Sisneros ..... 1 L. Anderson .... 0 G. Maddox ...... 1

G 1 1 0 0

A 0 0 1 0

Women’s Soccer Tournament Preview No. 3 Metro Roadrunners (15-4-1)

Conference: Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Top Players: Katie Kilbey, F - 18 goals, 8 assists Rachel Zollner, G - 14-4-1, 0.53 GAA

No. 6 West Texas A&M Buﬀaloes (13-6-1)

Conference: Lone Star Conference Top Players: Elisabeth Murkussen, F - 14 goals, 4 assists Lisha Jungmann, G - 12-5, 1.23 GAA

Midwest Region 1. QUARTERFINALS NOV. 18

FIRST ROUND St. Edward’s (17-2)

SECOND ROUND NOV. 11 at Auraria

Central Okla. (15-5-1)

Fort Lewis (15-5-1)

5. 4.

Nov. 9 at Auraria Field

West Texas Incarnate Word A&M(15-2-1) (17-2-1)

Metro (16-2-3)

6. 3.