Volume 32, Issue 5 - Aug. 20, 2009

THE

METROPOLITAN Vol. 32, Issue 5

Serving Auraria for 30 years

August 20, 2009

Awareness within reach AIDS Walk Colorado’s 22nd year in Denver • A3

John Hayden of Denver takes a moment to stretch Aug. 15 for the 5K run just before the annual AIDS Walk Colorado at Cheesman Park in Denver. Although a small number of people participated in the run, thousands took part in the walk. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu

METROSPECTIVE

Meet your SGA representatives Three Metro students publish pulp • B4 Designing billboards, changing minds • B1

SPORTS

Men and women’s annual soccer alumni games • A17

• B2

NEWS

Studying abroad New Zealand correspondent gets with the program • A7

New health insurance options at Auraria • A3 Students prone to identity theft • A5

A3 • THE METROPOLITAN • august 20, 2009

NEWS

“Too often empathy and compassion are not part of the curriculum. But there is light at the end of the tunnel.“ - Colin Seger A11

Caitlin GIbbons • NEWS EDITOR • cgibbon4@mscd.edu

Event draws support, friends, optimism for a cure Andrew Habig, right center, gives AIDS Walk Colorado volunteer Scott Moss a free hug Aug. 15 during the annual AIDS Walk Colorado fundraiser which starts at Cheesman Park in Denver. To the left fellow volunteer Julia Johns cheers with free huggers Becca Jones, second from right, and Caitlin Goldstein, far right. . Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu

F

More health options at Auraria

By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu As the health care debate intensifies across the country, the Health Center at Auraria is adopting changes designed to lower costs and increase access to medical care.

The Health Center announced Aug. 17 an “in-network” provider status for medical and behavioral health for all Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans effective July 1.

Director of the Health Center Steve Monaco said he believes the change to in-network” status was necessary to reduce the obstacles such as payment and access standing between students and the health care they need.

“As we look at the future of providing access to students we wanted to open the doors to in-network access that is convenient and on-campus,”

EVENTS

8.20

Student Involvement Fair Join representatives from various student organizations and student services from all three schools. There will be fun activities to participate in and free food Noon - 6 p.m.

Tivoli Commons

8.23

Last day to drop a class with a 100 percent tuition refund

8.25 Performance by

ree hugs are just one of many things to look forward to at the AIDS Walk Colorado event held in Denver every year. The walk, which consists of a winding 3.1 mile journey through Cheesman Park and surrounding areas is touted as the largest AIDS-related fundraiser in the region by local advocates. According to the AIDS Walk Colorado website, more than 70 percent of all funds raised are from teams of friends and or co-workers who gather to walk and raise awareness and money to fight the spread of the disease. The final tallies aren’t in yet, but AIDS Walk organizers were hoping for more than 8,000 walkers at this year’s event.

New contract to ‘open the doors’ of insurance access

THIS WEEK

Monaco said.

Because Auraria is a commuter campus, many students have health insurance coverage through their jobs or under their parents’ plans instead of through the college.

“In the past, students with outside insurance plans had to pay for all medical care at the Health Center upfront and out of pocket, and then hope that the insurance company would reimburse them afterwards.”

The in-network contract will put the Health Center in charge of billing directly to Blue Cross and Blue Shield insurance plans while the student or faculty member pays only the co-payment required on the insurance card for approved services.

“The contract that brought the Health Center into the Blue Cross and Blue Shield network is the first in a planned series of contracts with the larger insurance companies of Colorado.” Monaco said.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association is not a single company but actually a federation of 39 locally-

owned companies working in conjunction across the US. According to the association’s website, the collective system of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans contract with more hospitals and physicians than any other insurer.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is the licensee for Colorado and a division of WellPoint, Inc., the nation’s largest health benefits company.

All members of companies within the BC/BS Association nationwide will have in-network coverage at Auraria, Monaco said, not just members of the local Anthem plan.

“We looked at which plans most of our students appeared to have when they waived out of the Metro plan and the vast majority that waived out were with Anthem and we looked at the statistics at the state level and the combined plans of ‘the Blues’ were first.”

Monaco said.

But the vision Monaco has for innetwork status doesn’t stop there. The next step is brokering deals with all of the big insurers in the region.

“Once we get through this first

year with ‘the Blues,’ then we’ll be looking at which of the other companies, Aetna, Cigna, United Health, we can work with next.”

Janet Pogar, network vice president of Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, said writing the contract with Auraria was a gradual process that was set in motion long before the current political climate on health care reform emerged.

“It took about six months and a lot of this had to do with the fact that we had to go through the attorney general,” Pogar said.

Specific language requirements from the office of the Attorney General necessitated a coordinated effort between the legal departments of the insurance company, the colleges and the state government of Colorado.

The parallel timing of the Auraria contract with the national backdrop of legislative negotiation and town hall meetings is purely coincidental, Pogar said.

Continued on A9

Justin Kredible The three-time college entertainer of the year.

1 p.m.

Tivoli Turnahlle

INDEX INSIGHT ... A10 SPORTS ... A13 METROSPECTIVE ... B1 AUDIOFILES ... B6 TIMEOUT ... A20

WEATHER 8.20 • Sunny High: 77/Low: 52 8.21 Sunny High: 86/Low: 54 8.22 • Sunny High: 92/Low: 58 8.23 • Chance of Rain High: 91/Low: 60 8.24 • Chance of Rain High: 86/Low: 55 8.25• Partly Cloudy High: 89/Low: 58 8.26 • Partly Cloudy High:90/Low: 60

By Kendell LaRoche

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

DID YOU KNOW? The oldest internet domain belongs to Symbolics.com, registered March, 15 1985 • THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • NEWS • A5

Safeguarding student information Avoiding identity theft involves consideration, care, common sense

By Caitlin Gibbons cgibbon4@mscd.edu Major credit cards are accepted at Auraria for everything from tuition payment to a latte at the Cimmaron Café, however, with each swipe students and customers fail to realize the potential for identity theft or fraud.

Hacker and identity thief Albert Gonzalez was indicted Aug. 17 for stealing more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers with the help of two unnamed co-conspirators.

Gonzalez’s hack is a reminder for any securityminded individual to safe guard their most precious and unique possession — their identity.

Cindy Hejl, director of financial aid said the Financial Aid Office is extremely careful with students’ files and sensitive information. Anyone who is hired by the college to work in the Financial Aid office goes through a background check and must also sign confidentiality statements, as one measure to protect students’ identities.

Robert Siciliano, a college security and identity theft expert and corporate spokesman for Uni-ball’s fraud prevention program is working to raise students’ and parents’ awareness of identity theft and fraud.

In an online campus security survey conducted in June by Uni-ball and the Identity Theft Resource Center, it was found 74 percent of parents said they believe students are at a moderate to high risk for identity theft, whereas 21 percent of students said they felt concerned with the possibility of identity theft.

“Out of the students we polled online, there is a certain sense among the age demographic that they are not all that concerned about personal and information security,” Siciliano said.

He added, there are examples every day in the media about victims of identity theft, which costs victims $5 billion annually according to the U.S. Department of Education.

Photo illustration by Ryan Martin • martirya@mscd.edu “If students are putting their information online, it is only a matter of time before they become victimized,” Siciliano said.

The Public Service Credit Union, nestled on the second floor of the Tivoli also has several measures in place to safeguard students.

UCD student Bailee Cochran has worked for PSCU for one year as she completes her masters in criminology.

“All accounts must be opened with a state or government issued ID card. We do not accept duplicates or expired identification. We also require IDs for any transaction,” Cochran said. “Our home banking system has a series of security features, and we stay current with phishing scams and update our software

regularly.”

Phishing is an identity theft technique that convinces a victim to supply security information such as bank account numbers and passwords to an e-mail or website that appears legitimate.

Back in the financial aid office, Hejl and her coworkers shred any unneeded documentation. They also image students’ files and then send them to a secure off-campus data storage facility. Alerts are also sent to students via MetroConnect of any large-scale “phishing” scams.

“Students must take responsibility for protecting their identities, they are our future leaders and cannot expect to pass the buck to

others,” Siciliano said.

Students can contact their bank to ensure there are measures in place to protect their identity. The PSCU uses a “falcon” service to monitor an account for any unusual or unauthorized spending. If a charge is suspicious, the service will call to verify with the account holder, said Cochran.

Siciliano’s advice to student, “Go to an office supply store and get a shredder and invest in identity insurance.”

For Siciliano and Uni-ball’s full study and back to school security tips visit http://www. uniball-na.com/main.taf?p=11

SGA session ushers in new policies, staff President Bateman appoints interim senators, directors

By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu The current term of the Student Government Assembly of Metro opened with a major restructuring initiated by the creation of a new policy manual during the 2008-2009 school year.

First on the docket this summer for the Student Senate was the confirmation of members of a newly created executive staff and a series of votes on SGA President Andrew Bateman’s appointments for interim senators.

The Senate unanimously confirmed Katie Beals as interim senator and Tess Halonen as director of pub-

lic relations at the July 17 meeting.

This vote follows close on the heels of the unanimous confirmations of David Crumbaker and John Kelty as interim senators at the July 10 meeting of the Senate.

The interim senators will serve until a special election planned this fall to fill the three vacant senate seats takes place. To officially run for election, the interim senators will need 50 student signatures and a formal statement of intent to run.

A deadline for these signatures and the date for the fall election have not been set by the election commission, which is also in the process of filling vacant positions.

In previous years, the 15 senators of the SGA personally carried out the non-administrative duties of any decision approved by the senate.

With the changes to the policy manual, a reduced number of 10

senators will focus on the duties of voting for resolutions and any decision approved by the senate will then fall to the president and the new executive staff to carry out.

“These [changes] are modeled after the structure of the college,” Bateman said. “The executive staff has a PR director to match the Division of Institutional Advancement and an IT director to match the Division of Information Technology.”

Bateman said the administration of Metro has been supportive of these changes.

“We have always had a studentfriendly board,” he said.

According to the new policy manual, the executive staff consists of five directors with SGA vice-president C.J. Garbo serving as a sixth director responsible over internal affairs.

In addition to internal affairs,

public relations, and information technology, the divisions of student affairs, academic affairs and administration and finance round out the remaining director positions of the executive staff.

Garbo said the new separation of duties of the legislative and executive branches of the SGA allows the senators to focus on their senate bills while relying on the president and his directors to put in the work and organization to execute the approved senate bills.

“This reorganization is necessary to avoid any conflict of interest, so the SGA as an organization can trust the people who serve it,” Garbo said.

Former senator Amanda Splitt agreed that the reorganization was needed in order for the SGA to operate smoothly.

“I voted for the new structure because I felt I had two conflicting

roles. We would vote on our work as well as carry it out,” Splitt said. “We changed the policy manual to resolve this. I think it is going to make the next year more efficient and more effective working for the students of Metro and I’m really excited to see how much we’re able to accomplish for the next year.”

She said Bateman brought up the proposed changes at the beginning of last year’s session to allow plenty of time for the senators to make up their minds.

Now that the interim senators and the full complement of directors have been confirmed, Bateman and the executive staff will turn their attention to this year’s senate initiatives and the corresponding strategies for execution of these initiatives at a retreat Aug. 27 at Keystone.

THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • NEWS • A7

Metro abroad: An international view

By Samuel Blackmer blackmar@mscd.edu Getting tired of attending classes in the same buildings?

Been on the Denver scene a little too long?

Ready for a new turf?

You don’t have to join the army or foreign legion to see far off distant lands. Swing by Metro’s international office and have a chat with Carrie Bennett and she’ll get you squared away with a study abroad to the location of your choice.

Metro, perhaps in a moment of short-sightedness, closed the international office in 2003, but realizing the mistake they’d made they reopened the office in 2007.

It is now run by Bennett. She has been working with international students for four years now and would like to bring her expertise to you.

Whether it is your desire to spend a summer in Mexico or a year in Kenya, Bennett is who you want and need to talk to.

“We have Metro programs to London, England and Guadalajara, Mexico; we also have programs in over 50 different countries in which students can receive transfer credit.”

If Metro’s study abroad office doesn’t have the program you’d like to attend, Bennett said she will be happy to work with you to get to where you want to be.

The only restrictions are countries with U.S. State Department warnings, so if you would like to see Afghanistan, maybe the army is the better choice for you.

If you decide a study abroad is for you Bennett has the resources to get you where you want to go, or she can help you decide where to go.

She will give you guidance through the process as far as paper work needed, talking to your department to make sure credits will transfer and working with the organization sending you abroad.

She will also be your representative in the states while you are abroad should you need any assistance.

“If students need help with registration or if something academically has not gone the way they planned, the student can always contact me and I will advocate on their behalf while they are overseas,” Bennett said.

Bennett can prepare you for your experience abroad — she has spent time in Europe and South America so she knows firsthand about culture shock and the likely surprises you may come across, be it a lost credit card or finding yourself in an Ecuadorian jail overnight.

“It is a big deal to go abroad, and we understand that. We are here to answer any questions and give people the support they need,” Bennett said.

Studying abroad can get expensive, but Metro is prepared for this trouble. You can get financial aid for your study abroad.

Bennett will work directly with the financial aid office to make sure you get the funding you need and don’t find yourself in Beijing without a yuan to buy a cup of noodles.

But Bennett doesn’t just help you with the process of getting you out of the states and where you want to be.

She’ll give you the proper motivation and encouragement only someone who has been there before can.

Bennett’s help won’t end with you arriving back in the states either.

She will greet you upon your return

and prepare you for getting reintegrated into the U.S. and cope with reverse culture shock.

“The biggest thing I bring to the office is I get really excited for students. I get more excited than they do. We had two girls going to Barcelona this summer, I gave them an additional departure presentation, and I was more excited than they were!”

Bennett said.

A study abroad will be more than just a fun trip, it is a nice way to dress up your resume “In surveys of employers hiring recent college grads, they have found employers prefer students who have study abroad experience, so if students are wondering ‘why would I do this?’ If anything it will give them a bump up in their job search and in their career in their future,” Bennett said.

If you are thinking a study abroad is for you, and even more so if you aren’t, you should at the very least, check out the international office’s website at http://www.mscd. edu/internationalstudies.

Or stop by the Office of International Studies in Central Classroom 206. The office is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. You may find a study abroad is just your thing.

Samuel Blackmer is studying abroad in New Zealand this semester.

During his stay he will be acting as a foreign correspondent special to The Metropolitan.

Programs Offered: °London Semester Program, first meeting is September 2.

Carrie Bennett stands in front of a mural painted by Metro art student Jono Wright inside the Office of International Studies Aug. 18 at Auraria. Photo by • Luke Powell lpowel18@mscd.edu °University of Guadalajara Mexico with the Modern Languages Department. °Do a program with A faculty member, short term, length varies, depending on the program and faculty members’ interest. Prices listed

on the webiste vary as well for each program. Included cost of tuition.

Number of credit depends on the program. °Opportunity to study at a university in over 50 countries.

Alcoholism, anorexia: the twin threats

By Morgan Bia mbia@mscd.edu Metro students have the luxury of having the thriving night scene of Lodo just steps away from campus. However, this may be potentially dangerous, especially to college-aged females, as a new substance/eating disorder, unofficially called “drunkorexia,” is becoming more prevalent.

In a study conducted by the Eating Disorder Center of Denver, it was

noted that 75 percent of the women enrolled in the EDCD were diagnosed to have alcohol problems were also bulimic.

Dane Beck, 25, a junior at Metro said, “It’s pressure on young girls to be thin and be in the party scene.”

According to the EDCD, women intentionally starve all day and consume all of their calories in alcohol, in which they purge later on.

“I have heard of it [drunkore-

xia],” Director of the Counseling Center Gail Bruce-Sanford said “It’s a slang term about the practice of restricting ones food so they can consume more alcohol,” The EDCD said, “Often, eating disorders and other addictions stem from emotional pain, such as lack of confidence, childhood trauma and depression. The root of both binge drinking and an eating disorder are often the same.”

The connection to eating disorders and binge drinking is in the preliminary stages of being investigated by the EDCD and clinics around the country.

“There have been some public media shows that have talked about it [drunkorexia] but I am not aware of any surveys or large sampling done in the country,” Bruce-Sanford said.

Steve Monaco, the director of the

Health Center at Auraria said, “I’ve never heard that term [drunkorexia] used before. But we do eating disorder follow ups and counseling.”

There is a physician on campus part-time who is an addiction specialist and works with people who have eating disorders as well as substance abuse problems, Monaco added.

Continued on A9

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THIS JUST IN: The first coast-to-coast telephone line was established in 1914. • THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • NEWS • A9

Health Center stresses Drunkorexia a unique danger on campus preventative medicine lation to the two. “Often it involves people who Continued from A7

Continued from A3

“From our network’s perspective, this had no political overture to us at all,” Pogar said.

Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield is focused on improving the quality of medical care for everyone with the provider, she said.

“This just makes sense. We wanted to offer additional access and convenience for our members,” Pogar said.

Monaco agreed on access and convenience being the driving forces behind the Auraria Health Center contract, but he has also seen a growing trend in the urgent needs of the student body when they come through the clinic doors.“During the past five years we have seen more and more students present themselves with physical and mental health issues that need professional intervention.” Monaco said.

From his experience as director of the Health Center, Monaco attributes this increase to growing pressures in the larger health care community outside of Auraria.

“The trend has escalated over the last couple of years because of the fact that it has often been difficult to get appointments with providers in a reasonable amount of time. By becoming in-network, we become another alternative for scheduling those kinds of clinical exams.”

Overall, Monaco believes that the crowded medical system can’t be relieved by increased insurance networks alone.

“Students can develop a better appreciation for the value of preventative care,” he said, citing fitness and weight loss as excellent ways to minimize health conditions later.

To encourage students to take an active role in preventative care, the Auraria Health Center is hosting a free weight management course with Dr.. Carolyn Coker Ross, a private practice physician. The 12 week, two-session program will also include a free textbook and two individual half-hour consultations with Dr.. Ross.

The Health Center is also offering a free fitness analysis for all members of Blue Cross and Blue Shield plans who receive medical care at the campus facility during the fall 2009 semester. “We are doing this to give back to the community and to get the word out about the Blue Cross contract,” Monaco said.

“But members need to remember to bring their insurance cards with them,” Monaco added so that the staff at Health Center can determine the coverage and the copayments for the particular plan.

For more information about the course or the in-network insurance contract, visit www. mscd.edu/ healthcenter.

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The Health Center, located in the first floor of the Plaza Building, and The Counseling Center, located in Suite 651 in The Tivoli provide services to the students of Auraria.

Rebecca Ontiveros, a 22-year-old senior at Metro said, “I know they offer 10 free sessions at the counseling center.” Ontiveros said she would definitely use the services if need be.

As the senior resident assistant at the Campus Village, Ontiveros said, “I refer many of the students to these services. Many of them don’t have cars, are away from home and these services are on campus and are within walking distance. You’re paying for the services, you might as well use them,” Ontiveros added.

The counseling center encounters students with alcohol abuse problems as well as eating disorders but they have not seen a direct corre-

are on food restriction and use alcohol to calm anxiety and it helps to engage socially and interpersonally,” Bruce-Sanford said. “We often deal with a variety of substance abuse issues and eating disorders and we customize help for their individual needs,” Bruce-Sanford added.

If a student feels this way or needs any medical help or counseling, there are many services on the campus that are provided for students in order to make it a “healthy and safe campus,” said Monaco.

The Counseling Center always has their doors open for Metro students and provides many services for them. Many students don’t know that all of their services there are free.

Many of these kinds of services are expensive, even with health insurance. They will do regular counseling, crisis intervention and they can help students get medication for depression or

anxiety. They also have drug/alcohol abuse prevention and diversity programs. Group workshops are also available: Anger management, assertiveness training, diversity and multicultural issues, healthy relationships, parenting and couples skills, self-esteem, stress management, test and math anxiety workshops and men’s and women’s support groups. These services are open to all students on the campus, not just Metro students.

“We are a full-service medical center that has physicians from the University Hospital, nurse practitioners and physician’s assistants.

We do well-care, physicals, annual exams and urgent care,” said Monaco. They also have specialists come in such as a GYN and orthopedic physicians, as well as an addictions specialist.

They deal with psychiatric, mental and behavioral health as well. “The psychiatrists are licensed to dispense medications and they also work with the counseling center in treatment of mental health problems,” Monaco added.

A10 • AUGUST 20, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN

INSIGHT

“Its always good to see the alumni players come back to support the team. There are a lot of good players and its good to see them.”

— METRO WOMEN'S SOCCER COACH ADRIANNE ALMARAZ ON A17

THE POINT: A DEGREE FROM METRO CAN GIVE YOU MORE THAN JUST A JOB

Save your marriage, woo a florist

Your florist’s name is Charlie; you should probably learn that.

He owns and operates the flower shop on your way home from campus, the one where none of the prices are ever listed.

He rescued you from a harem of lurid red roses last Valentine’s Day and talked you into buying the winsome, but understated bouquet of gerbera daisies instead.

“She’s the woman you love, she’s your wife,” he chided, “not some lady with a restraining order against you.”

He was right, she loved them — and guess what: Charlie has a life outside of the month of February.

Charlie’s shop certainly has prices, but none of them are printed. He has a price for the snarky kid in his daddy’s BMW, rolling in from a certain private school with the popular hockey team.

He also has a price for the brusque engineering student from the university by the brewery, demanding an itemized receipt for his accountant.

But Charlie also has a price for

BEN WIEBESIEK wiebesib@mscd.edu the Metro student who spends a few minutes getting to know a fellow working-class soul. And if you have the sense to stop in with an extra cup of coffee once in a while, you might qualify for employee pricing He got into this business for the social interaction and to witness the swirling samples of public sentiment; ranging from the joyous excitement of weddings and baptisms, to the determined sense of community in the face of illness and death.

And Charlie is rooting for your success.

He knows about the hard climb out of a world of payday loans and rent-to-own predators, and he understands the burden this puts on a

marriage.

He’s no stranger to rocky relationships — his messy divorce to the mother of his children was a tranquil moment in the eye of a hurricane compared to the raging maelstrom of a life committed to the Denver Broncos.

The connection between financial problems and marital tension became conventional wisdom long before statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau provided hard data showing a disparity in divorce rates by income.

Repairing this imbalance is a unifying goal for what New York Times columnist David Brooks described as the Sam’s Club agenda.

“Gaps are opening between the educated and less educated.” Brooks wrote in his July 27, 2008 column.

“Working-class divorce rates remain high, while the mostly upper-middleclass parents of Ivy Leaguers have divorce rates of only 10 percent.

Working-class kids are unlikely to complete college, affluent kids usually do.”

Maybe it was these hard facts that inspired the unfair pricing at

Charlie's shop.

Maybe he believes in a misguided way that he can do his part to balance the cosmos by cutting a deal for someone like you while slipping in a little wisdom he learned the hard way. Something along the line of "Stay in school, get that degree."

Having the dean's signature on your diploma doesn't grant marital stability and a vague sense of populist outrage at the wealthy and their vacation homes won't renew your wedding vows.

But a college degree can create a few more options for a couple trying to make ends meet and sometimes this can make all the difference in the world.

And a little help from a sympathetic stranger at a random flower shop doesn't hurt either.

The Colorado legislature must have channeled people like Charlie when they wrote the admissions policy for Metro.

House Bill 02-1165 sets the college’s role as “a comprehensive baccalaureate institution with modified open admission standards; except

that nontraditional students who are at least twenty years of age shall only have as an admission requirement a high school diploma, a GED high school equivalency certificate, or the equivalent thereof.”

In 1965, Metro opened its doors as a college of opportunity for local students — doors originally located all across the city, forcing students to dart across streets and between cars to make the next class.

The image of fleet-footed students dodging traffic not only provides the inspiration for our school mascot, but also describes the focus and agility needed for any marriage to survive the daily routine of a working undergrad.

It might seem like a cruel punch line, but if your going to be the chicken crossing the road, you should probably know why.

And if you forget, hopefully somebody will lean over and remind you, “She’s the woman you love, she’s your wife,” Oh, and one more thing: Charlie takes his coffee with two creams, two sugars. Thanks.

Did you finish the homework for math?

No, I've been too busy playing hacky sack and wearing my backpack on one shoulder.

Illustrated and written by THE METROPOLITAN STAFF

,

Miles LaGree shares laughs with fellow students while showing the latest billboard design by his mentor group Bubblicious July 28 in the Communication Design Office during a weekly meeting for the Design Ignites Change competition at Auraria. The program is a collaboration between Metro State design students and ArtLab interns.

Design program fills a big space Metro State Communication Design students team up with ArtLab interns for a billboard competition focused on tolerance Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu Photos by Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu

brainstorm ways their designs can be effective and clear.

For Judy Anderson, founding director of PlatteForum, they learn much more than art. Students of ArtLab not only get to explore their creative side, but Miles LaGree takes the bulky digital camera into use critical thinking and apply the lessons to daily life, his hands, focuses on a portrait and presses the shutAnderson said. ter. It clicks fast – too fast. He turns back and Lisa steps When ArtLab was created in 2002, Anderson up, corrects the camera and advises him to press it worked directly with teachers in the schools to use the lighter. nonprofit space as a supplement to their learning.

LaGree gets right back to work.

“We integrated with…whatever they were studyHe frequently dips down to the floor, arcs his back ing and they would work with the painter and takes another shot. Left to right, back or the filmmaker with their content during and forth, down to the floor then back up school,” Anderson said. again. Behind him stands his Metro student Meagan Brncick, the education director mentor, Valerie Brazeau, frequently coming of ArtLab, shares the same opinion. back to him to check the camera’s shutter “If students learn through the arts, speed. Lights on, lights off – Miles is the dithey get it [more] than any other way,” Brnrector. Yet they’re not the only ones in the cick said. studio. Behind the two women is a group Although there is no cap of how many of high school students silently watching years a high school student may participate as Miles begins to move around his subject. in ArtLab, they have to reapply every year.

But they don’t stay quiet for long.

However, returning students are much “Miles, you watch too much Project more likely to be accepted into the program.

Runway,” jokes one ArtLab participant, and Eddie Orozco started ArtLab when he was the entire group breaks into soft laughter. in North Metro High School and has been The group of students and the mentors in the program for three years. As a high are all part of an entire summer project school student, Orozco was encouraged by conducted by ArtLab — a nonprofit program for underprivileged high school stu- Judy Anderson, front center, discusses different design ideas with his theater teacher to participate in the prohigh school students Kate Rempel, center left, and Miles LaGree, gram. dents created by PlatteForum. The program far right, while the group mentor Valerie Brazeau, far left, looks up “I never considered myself an artist or is intended for students to get involved with alternative concepts July 28 during their weekly meeting. being an artist,” Orozco said. the arts as well as learn from a resident artist As Orozco worked with visiting resident artists, he and did not consider art as a major until she took bethat PlatteForum invites. was exposed to different mediums of art and developed ginning drawing.

Yet this particular part of the program is different.

“I wish they had that stuff for me when I was in a stronger faith in the arts. After a while, artists just A nationwide competition from Design Ignites seemed like ordinary people.

Change challenged college and high school students high school,” said Brazeau about ArtLab. “In reality, if nothing stopped them, there is nothDesigning billboards is a task in itself; getting them to create a billboard for the theme of “Create! Don’t ing that can keep us. Anyone can do it,” Orozco said.

Hate” on emphasis of the subtheme tolerance. Lisa printed is a different issue.

The competition will reveal a winner; but the lesLuckily, through a donation from Lamar AdverAbendroth from Metro State Communication Design, and Meagan Brncick from ArtLab partnered both of tising Company, at least one of the billboards will be sons each student learns will remain.

“They become civic leaders among their friends,” their students to tackle the subject. The design stu- printed and put up. Out of the six billboard designs, dents are interns for ArtLab and both groups are paid one of them will be chosen at the public show open- Brncick said. “It’s not limited to a lesson a day.” ing Aug. 27. The location of the billboard has yet to for their participation.

Billboards will be exhibited to the public at PlatteForum on Every Tuesday during the summer semester, six be determined.

Aug. 27th from 5:30 — 8:00pm. For further information on The ArtLab participants go through the same proMetro Students and 15 ArtLab participants gathered how to get involved with ArtLab, visit www.platteforum.org. in the Communication Design office to brainstorm, cess as any designer or artist would when working on For more information on the design competition, visit www. clients’ projects. From the mentors, they learn how to learn and discuss the idea of tolerance. designigniteschange.org “We’re trying to dissect it better to understand write design briefs, participate in an art critiques and it, specifically through their eyes – through the high school students’ eyes. What issues of tolerance are most pertinent to them in their society and their peer groups in high school,” Abendroth said.

Miles LaGree, Valerie Brazeau and Kate Rempel focused on religion. They’ve gathered ideas from their own personal backgrounds and decided to build their idea around one-sentence concept: I’m a good person, no matter what I believe. They call their group Bubblicious – inspired by candy Brazeau brought for the group. Brazeau will be graduating this fall semester

Metro{spective}

m. d

B1 8.20.2009 THE METROPOLITAN

Julie Vitkovskaya Features Editor uvitkovs@mscd.edu

B2• FEATURES • AUGUST 20, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN



PROFILE

12 p.m. Sun. The Know 3 p.m. Sun. The Andy Hilton Show

Meet your representatives

9 a.m. Mon. — Fri. Morning Mix 11 a.m. Mon., Wed., Fri., Suicide Sunglasses 11 a.m. Tue., Thurs.

Classic Rock 1 p.m. Mon., Wed. The Undercurrent 2 p.m. Tue. Dark Side of the Tune 2 p.m. Thurs.

Winds from the Front Range 3 p.m. Mon., Wed. Thrash Time 3 p.m. Tue., Thurs., Fri. Sports 4 p.m. Mon. — Fri. Emerald City Mix Show 6 p.m. Mon., Wed. Underground Hip-Hop 10 p.m. Mon., Wed. Techno/Electronica

TOP 10

Places to nap on campus 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

Under the stairs in the Library The Boiler room in the Tivoli Center On and around the picnic benches on the 9th Street Historic Park The green blocks in North Classroom Upstairs in the quiet study room in the Tivoli Any class with an overhead presentation On the grass between North Classroom and the bus roundabout The Club Hub couches in the Tivoli Center Anywhere on the lawn area in the middle of the Arts Building, the Plaza building and St. Cajetan’s The nooks next to the bathrooms on the bottom floor of the King Center.

Andrew Bateman

President of SGA Major: Theater, Minor in Psychology E-mail: abatema3@mscd.edu

C.J. Garbo

Vice President of SGA Major: Theater, Minor in Music E-mail: cgarbo@mscd.edu

Kailei Higginson

Student Trustee Major: Political Science E-mail: khiggi11@mscd.edu

How will you be more accessible to students?

How will you be more accessible to students?

How will you be more accessible to students?

The hours of the President were increased from 20 to 30. So, nine to five, I will either be in here or in class. And I’m going to use that time to communicate with students through the Facebook group, my Twitter and my Facebook page.

I love walking around on campus and stopping random students and asking them about things.

People tend to be a lot more candid if they’re just in the middle of something, as opposed to when they’re at an event. But far beyond all of that is the fact that any student can feel free to e-mail me or call me at anytime. Talking to students is my favorite part about this job I’m very open to that.

I put my cell phone on our public contact list. Just to start — that’s just scratching the surface. I think a lot of what we did to announce ourselves and put ourselves out there last year with doing the march... made a lot of students aware that we are here, we exist and that we are actually working for them. In the past, whenever we had job announcements posted, we usually received enough applicants to either barely fill it or just fill it by itself. It was like, well kind of by default, they get it. This year, we opened up positions and we had over 75 applications. I think it all boils down to us getting out there, just talking to students, one by one.

Standing up in my personal classes and saying, “Hey, I’m with your student government.”

I think being accessible to students as a whole is my top priority. I feel like, in the past, a lot of things don’t get explained properly to students. I created an electronic town hall so I can send some stuff out by Facebook. So, how to be more accessible? You just have to be here. I’ll be in the office and I will be around.

My e-mail address and my phone number are on my business card so people can get a hold of me.

What is the biggest issue facing Metro today?

The state funding right now is the single biggest issue, period. We’re on very shaky ground on how we can interact with that problem because the interpretation we got last year when we were fighting this was that we couldn’t spend any state money on direct advocacy and, what that means is, I can never sit down in front of a capitol committee and say, “you should vote yes on more funding for higher education.” I can sit down and I can say, “higher education is important and I believe it should be a priority,” but I can’t say, “give us more money.”

Textbooks continue to be a big issue. Last year we started research on creating a textbook website – the Auraria Book Exchange – where students can buy, sell and trade textbooks with other students.

That continues to be a high priority. We hired a web developer and he’s going to build the actual site for us. Textbook costs are one of the most significant hurdles students face coming into higher education, and I’d really like to see do what we can to reduce that.

Can you give a brief overview of what you think the Auraria community, Metro specifically, looks like to you?

I think that change is in fact one of the defining things about our school. We went from conceptualizing a Masters program to getting the law passed within months. I think our ability to adapt is not only important and good about this school, but it’s also one of the things that will help us survive in these uncertain times. Change is a very defining thing about Metro; It’s something that should be embraced. So, I think that change is a very good thing.

What is the biggest problem facing Metro today?

I would say it’s funding, I have to. There are so many things that are happening to Metro specifically that are unique to our campus. If there are enough cuts, we won’t have a grad program, or it’s delayed in the worst-case scenario. I know that the economy is bad so students might be losing jobs, so there’s that aspect of the economy. Plus, I know that the Tivoli just raised the parking rate again, so it’s eight dollars a day now. Students are going to feel taxed and burdened to some degree at Metro State so we need to address the internal funding issues and there’s a bigger over-encompassing kind of umbrella that’s kind of casting a shadow and that’s the state issue, the state crisis. Which, ultimately, (is) a national crisis.

What is something new you are trying to do with the position?

For biggest one for me was SGA had no management system for its internal record keeping.

I’ve gathered all of those documents and I’ve made them into a nice filing system. Unfortunately, we’re missing a lot of information. I think we need to be held more accountable to the student body.

Another thing that we’ve done is that we have support staff so that the Student Government office will be open – Monday through Friday, nine to five, without being closed. There’s always going to be somebody here to answer questions. We set the standard that...everyone needs to serve office hours within that time and tell us what they’re serving so that we have full coverage. A lot of it is about accountability.

What is a Student Trustee?

Well a student trustee is student representation, the student voice for a lack of a better term, on the Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees being the governing board for the college. So as Student Trustee I essentially get to provide student input. The big thing that we (are talking) about is grad programs coming up as well as the new budget concerns so I’m interested to hear what [students] have to say about that.

What is the biggest problem facing Metro today?

The biggest problem, obviously, is financial.

We are the third-biggest school in the state but we get funded from the state at a much lower rate than everyone else. And we are almost, completely, tuition revenued. The tuition supports a lot of the revenue we get. So just how do we get through that and try to ride this out as best as possible.

Given the financial flux, what is something new you are trying doing with the position?

The best thing that I can do right now is be aware of the budget process, be aware of student fees, what’s going on with student fees and get familiar with the process. That way, if I need to weigh in on something that will effect students adversely, the board is aware of that critical decision.

What defines Metro as part of the Auraria community?

Everyone gets something out of Metro State.

We are the only urban tri-instutional campus in the country. We share resources. If UCD is putting on a program Metro students can go, CCD students can go. So I think there’s kind of a diversity of ideas (and) diversity of thought between three different institutions. I think it is very important.

THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • FEATURES • B3

A double act of talent at Auraria

TechBytes

Justin Kredible: Comedian/Magician Tuesday 15 1 p.m.

Tivoli Turnhalle yang of both. I think that’s what makes it unique.

What comes first, the jokes or the magic?

JK: All the comedy in the situation comes within the context of the magic show. It’s a lot of improv and audience participation and there are a lot of jokes but they’re all within the context of the magic trick. I don’t stand up there and do jokes without some sort of trick happening at the same time. It’s all balled into one. I like to think of it as a magic show, but the magic is inconsequential, what’s important is the entertainment value.

Tell me about your tour with Jason Mraz last April.

By Dominic Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu You have been performing since age 5, were you one of those kids that always wanted to grow up and do magic?

JK: I was a geeky little magic kid who would always have a deck of cards in his pocket and would always try to do tricks for people. And I definitely always said I wanted to be a magician and low and behold it all worked out right. Now I’m still a geeky dude who has occasionally has a deck of cards in his pocket. I’m much more cool about when I whip out a trick. But yeah I’m pretty grateful I get to do what I said I was going to do as a kid.

Who are your influences?

JK: I love the Amazing Jonathan, he was great. Penn and Teller have always been a huge influence cause they’re brilliant magic minds, and also such offbeat comedic thinkers. Also, Steve Martin has always been a huge influence of mine because he started as a magician and he was able to have this comedy act while a lot

of other things are going on.

It seems hard enough to be a comedian, and you’re throwing illusions into the mixture.

JK: It is hard. I have a lot of things going on in my head. There’s what the audience sees going on, and then with magic of course there’s a lot of stuff that I have to be thinking about that the audience doesn’t even know is going on.

And then to maintain comedic timing is a whole other thing. It’s a juggling act if you will.

Which comes easier, the comedy or the magic?

JK: It all started out with magic being what worked well for me. When I was a kid I found magic and it was the first little talent of mine that I was really good at — so it was kind of magic first. And then through the confidence of magic I was able to discover the fact that I actually have a great sense of humor and I have the ability to use comedy.

Magic definitely came first but now they go hand in hand its kind of what works well for me, the yin-

JK: He was a friend of mine and we put his tour together with other buddies for a month and a half and took this show on the road. It was kind of like a vaudeville show in a way in that as opposed to going to a concert and seeing one act after another it was one continuous night of entertainment. I would make Jason appear every night and in between sets I would be doing my act so there was never a dull moment.

JK: Did you enjoy the group tour instead of working solo?

It was amazing. For me, what I do now, my bread and butter are touring with my solo show, working on the road. It was so nice to break it up and be able to tour on a bus with some of my best friends and do what we love every night on stage together. It was a great treat.

But you do enjoy working on your own, right?

JK: I’m really excited for this fall tour; I’ve got a whole new bag of tricks. Obviously this is my first time at Metro so it’s going to be all new to you guys. Just come expecting a really good time and have no preconceived notions. A lot of people come expecting what they think a magician is going to be like and I like to kind of shatter that. Just come expecting a good time and be ready to laugh a lot.

Movie makes light of life after college Beth Norris bnorris@mscd.edu

If there’s one thing all the madness of our seemingly overcrowded campus can show us, it’s that we are all here so that eventually we can be somewhere better. Do not be discouraged by the heavy class loads, crazy long lines or sitting uncomfortably close to your new classmates. Keep at it and, one day, you’re going to blow this popsicle stand with a college diploma in hand. What happens next will be entirely up to you.

“Post Grad,” directed by Vicky Jenson, is the story of a recent college graduate who always had a plan. Ryden Malby, played by Alexis Bledel (Gilmore Girls), studied hard in high school so she could get a scholarship to a good university to land her dream job. By graduation everything was falling into place, minus losing the valedictory spot to her academic arch rival.

Right out of the gate, Malby interviews for a position at a prominent L.A. publishing house.

Her passion for books and perfect transcripts creates the assumption that the job is all but hers.

After swiftly turned down, she realizes she jumped the gun on renting an apartment with no job and moves back home. An eccentric family awaits.

Her parents, played by a goofy Michael Keaton and loving Jane Lynch (“The 40 Year Old Virgin”), are happy to have her back. A hip grandma, Carol Burnett, and a much younger and very weird little brother round out the crazy household. Countless rejections by potential employers discourages Malby, but her doting best friend Adam, newcomer Zach Gilford, showers her with praise at every opportunity — very “Pretty in Pink”. And a sexy, but much older, Brazilian neighbor catches Malby’s eye and plays a small role in helping her figure out just want she wants out of life.

“Post Grad” moves quickly through the story and ends the way you would expect it to. This film won’t create any roaring outbursts of laughter by audiences despite cameos by comedians Demetri

Martin, Craig Robinson, and Fred Armisen. And the overall mainstream vibe of the film leaves something to be desired. But, Bledel does shine in the role and carries the film from start to finish.

This movie certainly does not attempt to discuss the harsh economic downturn and raising unemployment rates that are a current reality.

However, “Post Grad” does remind us that our college careers won’t last forever, even though it may seem that way (especially the first week of classes.) And that after we are all done with our final finals, a new chapter of our life awaits.

Maybe a better job, even a dream career is just beyond our hard-earned college diploma, right?

Let’s hope so.

But even if all that lies beyond your academic years are student loan debts and a managerial position at Barnes and Noble, “Post Grad” gently reminds us that it’s not what you do, but the people you have in your life while you’re doing it.

By Drew Jaynes ajaynes1@mscd.edu The Mac rumor mill has been hard at work the last couple of weeks as speculations about an Apple tablet computer swirl across the Internet. The gossip was only replenished this week when a shopping cart poll from Borders included a question asking if users planned on purchasing something called an ‘Apple iPad’ later this year to view various types of media on.

The possible impact of an Apple tablet on the e-book market could be huge and disastrous for competitors like the recently released Kindle which is sold by online sales giant Amazon.

Speculation has been circulating for the last year or so on whether Apple planned to dive into the netbook market. A market already dominated by several PC makers like Dell and Hewlett Packard. So to see the computer and software maker try a different tact is less than surprising given its penchant for secrecy and innovation.

So what does this mean for students, you ask? Well, imagine buying electronic versions of your textbooks and keeping them all in one place.

Imagine also having the functionality to browse the Internet, play games and check your e-mail. Not only would a tablet trump the functionality of an Amazon Kindle by far, it would redefine mobility.

From all accounts, the new tablet would have something like a 9 inch screen. Far smaller than a laptop or even many books, users could probably carry it in something as small as a purse or a large pocket. Forget the heavy textbooks and the laptop, a tablet like this would take mobile internet and e-book reading to the next level.

We’ll just have to wait and see what Apple has in store for us.

BOOK REVIEW This past August 15 through 18 brought us to the 40th Anniversary of the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair.

And with that, the last couple weeks have brought a plethora of news, movies and remembrances of this seminal event in rock and world history — almost to the point of overdose. Check out five essential books that take you back.

By J.T. Barthelemy.

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE: MSCD.EDU/~THEMET

B4 • METROSPECTIVE • August 20, 2009

August 20, 2009 • METROSPECITVE • b5

THE metROPOLITAN

LEFT: O’Ryan Jackson, the Editor-in-Chief of Tales to Oddify laughs as she sells one of the first magazines of the evening during the Friday release party.

BOTTOM: Jeph Keir, left, discusses advertising space with Zack Varvel in the new pulp fiction magazine Tales to Oddify. Keir, who contributed through editing and writing, has known the Jacksons for over 20 years and says of his role, “that was an easy thing for me, to jump in and do it.”

BOTTOM LEFT: From left, Peri Smith, Victoria Smiley and Lonnie Allen laugh while a contestant reads a poem in the worst poem contest Friday at the Tales to Oddify release party.

“It actually came together quite organically...The students really stepped up to the plate. We love having them, it’s been great.”

- O’Ryan Jackson, editor of Tales to Oddify Metro student Mark Reagan, reads an excerpt from his fictional story, “A Gentleman’s Flight”, Aug. 14 at Leela European Cafe in downtown Denver during the release party of a new pulp fiction magazine, Tales to Oddify. Reagan, one of three students from Metro published in the anthology, said, “this is one more step for me heading in the right direction.”

Making pulp fiction a reality Eight stories come together for local literary magazine Story by Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu and Ian Gassman img2007@comcast.net Photos by Leah Millis (lmillis@mscd.edu) You can almost hear the jarring clicks of a typewriter and see Mark Reagan in a cloud of cigarette smoke, the sleeves of his button-down shirt rolled up to his elbows as he pounds out a story. The whole scene is evocative of a 1950s mystery flick.

Instead, Reagan sits in front of a modestly sized audience, his voice somehow carrying over the Friday night clamour at a downtown café. The yellowish stage light adds to the mood as he reads an excerpt from his piece, “A Gentleman’s Flight:” “In ten minutes and eleven seconds this plane will crash. I have been hired to make it do so.”

The story is one of three Metro student pieces recently published in a pulp fiction anthology called Tales to Oddify, a quarterly magazine created by Editor-in-Chief O’Ryan Jackson and her husband in July. They celebrated Aug. 14, with a book release party at the Leela European Café in Denver.

The term “pulp fiction” is a pretty broad one, according to Jackson, encompassing many forms of fictional writing.

The term comes from the pulp magazines that were printed on old newsprint and peaked in popularity in the 1930s and ‘40s. Mystery, romance and adventure genres can all

be found under the pulp umbrella.

Pulp is seen everywhere today, bestrewn throughout superhero movies and primetime series, Jackson explained at the release party, dressed in heels and a ‘50s era pin-up style dress and with a laugh that filled the room.

Tales to Oddify was spawned when Jackson was laid off in late April.

“I was bored out of my skull,” Jackson said. “I started writing more.”

Jackson’s writing streak produced a number of unpublished short stories. She realized that short genre stories such as classic horror, fantasy and science fiction had no place in the modern world of published written works.

After pitching the idea to friends and family, and with her husband’s help and support, Jackson decided to form Tales to Oddify and began the project last April. Since then, the project has manifested itself in the form of a small paper-back book-style magazine with a number of contributing authors.

Along with Reagan, Metro students Michael Prince and Jessica Snavlin were among the published authors in the magazine.

For Prince, who claims to normally write “supernatural or weird fiction,” the magazine was a perfect platform for him to showcase his work to the world. He applied his passion for mythos and macabre to “The Cursed Smith,” his Tales to Oddify submission. The mystery story, Prince explained while practically vibrating with excitement, was

his first to be published.

Snavlin, a senior with a double major in writing and history, said she was inspired by old detective characters, like Sam Spade, in her somewhat risqué piece “The Analysis of Elizabeth Granger.”

“I was told specifically not to read mine out loud because of its ‘bad’ content,” Snavlin laughed.

Reagan, Prince and Snavlin each found their way to the publication by knowing someone who knew someone else.

“It actually came together quite organically,” Jackson said, adding almost proudly with a smile, “The students really stepped up to the plate. We love having them, it’s been great.”

The eight stories published in the first Tales to Oddify are filled with fantastical characters, disfigured plots and detailed comic illustrations. Historically, pulp fiction “dime novels” went for ten cents each; this modern descendant sells for $7 per copy at www.talestooddify.com with a new issue planned for October.

“We’ve been pleased with the response to it so far,” Jackson exuded. “We’ve had good sales on Amazon and we have local stores interested as well as a few independent places on the coasts.”

To Snavlin, it’s not just about being published.

“I strongly believe in literature as a marker of our time,” she said. “Being able to participate in something local makes me hope we can bring it to the world.”

A Taste of Oddity To understand and appreciate the abnormal tales of pulp fiction, venture into the darkest regions of your mind and read the eerie tales of sci-fi, horror, mystery and fantasy. Metro contributors Mark Reagan, Michael Prince and Jessica Snavlin share excerpts from their submissions.

Michael Prince “The Cursed Smith” “Your dagger like no mortal blade should have. Your dagger took her life after only twenty years in this world!”

I wanted to speak but I did not know any words for this occasion. A witch’s spawn is no loss to the lands — and yet her wild eyes and raging grief would not grant me immunity from a strange black remorse. My witless tongue seemed to stir the embers of the witch’s fury more than ever. “No mere human can know the loss that I know but from this day Smith Tokri you will know pain!” With that she swept the gore

Mark Reagan “A Gentleman’s Flight”

Jessica Snavlin “The Analysis of Elizabeth Granger”

opened her breast

slicked dagger towards my face.

I snap my watch closed and drop it into my vest pocket. I gander at the woman once more, desiring her as the adrenaline pulsing through me momentarily dilutes my senses. My reputation brings me back to myself as it always does, and I turn away. One must push aside desire, let go of love. That is how one survives. I look out over the wing, down its length. A marvel by any standard. The elegant design coupled with the roaring engines enable this metal condor to take flight. Flight, however, needs two wings to be achieved.

After prolonged separation from Elizabeth, Lewis began considerable behavioral modification. Elizabeth’s garments were modeled before our two-way mirrors, including the cupped garment that we have chosen to call a twine-support, and what we have determined is called underwear. He would then smell these garments, and occasionally use them in methods of autogamy, repeating the process semi-daily. The activity became daily. Soon he had turned his cell, imitating the office Elizabeth had maintained, into a habitat for autogamous activities and unpleasant odor.

After sanitizing the simulation chamber, we secured Subject Stevens for interview.

B6 • AUDIOFILES • AUGUST 20, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN

ARTISTS ON THE RISE

SOUNDING OFF: Only Thunder brings it

The mid to late ‘90s was a great time for Denver punk rock, filled with great bands. Then, for a while, the scene was left to wonder where all the good bands had gone. Out of those ashes Only Thunder has been making a name for itself with a great live show and their stellar debut album Lower Bounds.

Armed with three guitarists, Only Thunder brings you a heavy, layered, post-punk sound that can be compared to none. Although the band is getting ready to record their next project, they are always playing shows locally. Only Thunder’s front man and resident guitar builder, Justin Hackl sat down to talk about the band’s mission.

• By Taylor Van Wald • tvonwald@mscd.edu TVW: Describe your sound. Explain how after being influenced by so many genres, and having band members from so many previous bands, how your sound came about.

Justin Hackl: We’re a bunch of hardcore kids who are not angry anymore. Honestly, we just write what we think sounds good. We never went after a “sound.”

TVW: What are some of the funnier labels or press comments in regards to the album? Are you happy with how Lower Bounds has been received?

JH: We were once compared to Nickelback and that blew my mind. For the most part I try and not read the reviews but what I have read was usually [favorable] kind of reviews.

TVW: How did the tour with The Revenge treat you guys?

JH: It was fun. For every good show there was a bad one, we got to hang out with our friends The Revenge from Phoenix every day. My liver was very upset with me after.

TVW: If Only Thunder had a mission statement what would it be?

JH: “Go fuck yourself.”

TVW: When will we see all three Only Thunder guitarists all

Bands to watch this fall

• By Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu

Esser

Only Thunder playing with exclusive Hackl guitars?

JH: As soon as those fools give me money to make them the guitars dammit!

TVW: With three guitarists, if you have to kick a guitarist out, who’s going to go?

JH: If one goes, we all go.

TVW: What does the future hold for Only Thunder?

JH: Recording five new songs in the summer for a couple of possible split releases or it may end up an EP. TVW: Break down some of the themes, ideas, and topics of your lyrics.

JH: Most the lyrics that I had a part in were written when I was in the middle of knee surgery so I was on a lot of Vicodin. So they ended up being a theme of self-learning, and just dealing with everything everyone else deals with.

Just maybe a different perspective on it.

Harvest of Hope Benefit w/ Only Thunder 8 p.m., Aug. 22 @ 3 Kings Tavern, $7

Monstrous year for M. Ward With a new solo record, a slot in the new super group Monsters of Folk, and plans to continue work with She & Him, M. Ward has been keeping busy. He is also playing the Folks Festival and Monolith in September but he still managed to put aside some of his valuable time to talk with The Met.

The Features Tennessee’s The Features are a group that should be a lot more famous than they are. Their debut album, 2004’s Exhibit A, was packed with pop gems with a southern rock edge similar to Kings of Leon. Now five years later, Some Kind of Salvation, the band’s follow-up is being released nationwide through Kings of Leon’s new record label.

The album is packed with great pop anthems. The Features are the catchiest band The Features you’re not listening to. Some Kind of Salvation is in stores now. Be sure to catch them live at Monolith on Sept.

14.

Monsters of Folk This year seems to be a big year for super groups. Monsters of Folk is no exception. Made up of M. Ward, Bright Eyes’ Connor Oberst and Mike Mogis, and My Morning Jacket’s Jim James, the band certainly lives up to their name. The first single from their album, “Say Please,” shouldn’t disappoint fans of any of the above-mentioned bands. The group comes together well without any of its members dominating. If you’re into the indie folk scene this is an album you won’t want to pass up.

The self-titled album hits shelves on Sept. 22.

Brother Ali

• By Julie Maas • pretko@mscd.edu JM: How do you feel that Hold Time differs from your previous releases?

MW: I was working to find a new balance on this record between the thicker, heavier, more orchestral sounds I’ve been experimenting with lately and the thinner, cheaper sounds I’ve been working with on my fourtrack since I was in high school.

JM: What are some of your inspirations?

MW: My biggest inspirations remain older records, older guitar styles, and older production styles.

JM: Who have been your favorite people that you have worked with?

MW: My favorite projects are always the ones I am working on right now. The Monsters of Folk are preparing to tour behind a record we just finished, and She & Him are in the studio this year hoping to release Volume Two next year.

JM: Have you ever been disappointed in one of your songs after it was released?

MW: No. The disappointing songs don’t make it to the record.

JM: How did you get your start?

MW: I got my start out of a curiosity to see if I could learn other people’s songs on guitar and piano. I learned how

The UK’s Esser is set to take the states by storm. The 23-year-old makes great lowkey danceable pop with some reggae influences and some heavy beats. He could easily be called a male Lilly Allen.

The first single, “Headlock,” off of his debut record Braveface, is one of the catchiest songs of the year and may Esser start turning some heads soon. Esser packs a lot of groove with a haircut to match.

Braveface is in stores now.

M. Ward to play guitar from learning Beatles songs. I learned how to play piano from following EZ Tabs of Bach songs.

JM: What advice would you give an artist just starting out?

MW: Don’t take anyone’s advice — especially don’t take advice from people who don’t know you.

JM: What made you decide to do the Folks Festival and Monolith?

MW: The Folks Festival will have Gillian Welch and Dave Rawlings and I would get on an airplane to see them just about anywhere anyhow. And the Monolith will take me back to Red Rocks, which is one of the greatest venues on Earth.

M. Ward Monolith Fest, Sept. 12 @ Red Rocks, $59.50

Rhymesayers mainstay Brother Ali has been picking up steam since his debut in 2000, and with the follow-up to 2007’s critically acclaimed The Undisputed Truth set to be released on Sept. 22, he shows no signs of slowing down.

Us, Ali’s fourth full-length promises more of the same smooth, thought-provoking rhymes and jazz and soul influenced beats that have made him an unstoppable force in underground hip-hop, but this may be the album that gets him some muchdeserved mainstream attention. Ali will be touring in support of the album throughout fall.

Foxy Shazam Cincinnati’s Foxy Shazam is what you would get if you mixed the theatrics of Queen with the energy of a hardcore band like The Blood Brothers. Foxy is original and infinitely fun to listen to. Their sophomore effort Introducing was packed with blazing rock ‘n’ roll mixed with classic soul and plenty of flair.

The band’s third album, Au Contraire, is tentatively scheduled for reFoxy Shazam lease sometime in October. With such an intriguing sound and a live show that is sure to blow some minds, Foxy Shazam should be getting plenty of attention soon enough.

Met’s Music Picks

check this out

out of 5

B7 8.20.2009 THE METROPOLITAN

Whygee & sunkenstate • sambodextrust

Black Joe Lewis brings a funk instantly reminiscent of James Brown.

His backup band the Honeybears play rockin’ old school R & B with fun groovy bass and organ lines, a full horn section accompanied by the demented howling of Black Joe Lewis himself.

The band recently opened for Blues Traveler at Red Rocks but will be scaling it down a bit, this time headlining at the Bluebird Theater.

Don’t think that the change in venue will subdue the Honeybears’ energy though. Their debut album, Tell ‘Em What Your Name Is!, oozes with pure frenzied abandon which will only be amplified in a live setting.

Tracks such as “Get Yo’ Shit” and “Gunpowder” should bring down the house. This one should have you talking the next day. Be sure to bring your dancin’ shoes.

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears 8 p.m., Aug. 26 @ Bluebird Theater, $13

• MP

Photo Flashback:

• TVW

Band of skulls • baby darling doll face honey Band of Skulls, from the UK, has both a male and female that makeup the lead vocals. Their voices blend well together, and if you listen closely enough you can hear a bit of an English accent that comes through, giving them their own distinct sound.

Their debut album, Baby Darling Doll Face Honey, has the potential to be the best album of the year. It features the hit single “I Know What I Am” that is not only played over all the popular radio stations, but was added onto the soundtrack for the film New Moon, the second film of the Twilight series.

Don’t let the name of the band mislead you, Band of Skulls has more of a pop sound to it than hard rock, making their songs very catchy and fun to listen to, with lyrics that range anywhere from rocking out, to romance. They are sung well and are very clever.

I can’t get enough of this album. Band of Skulls is definitely an act to watch this year.

• By Rachel St. Clair • rstclair@mscd.edu

Aloft in the sundry • fore

John Gourley, lead vocals and guitarist from Portugal.

The Man, performs during a sold-out show at the HiDive Aug 14. Photo by Ryan Martin • martirya@mscd.edu

Denver’s Aloft In The Sundry is probably what would happen if you tossed the soft piano balladry of The Fray and the energetic danceable punk rock of The Photo Atlas into a blender with a few shots of whiskey.

The band’s newest four-song EP, playfully entitled Fore, is 16 minutes of furious rock ‘n’ roll. The opener, “Mr. Misanthrope,” is a perfect way to kick off the album showcasing the piano skills as well as the vicious scream of Jason Hernandez.

The band can also take it down a notch. On “Gale Force Winds” Aloft shows that they can write a pretty solid ballad, too.

While it is a fairly short set of just about 16 minutes of music, Fore really demonstrates what the band is about and it’s definitely worth a listen The group will be throwing a record release party Aug. 21 at the Bluebird Theater that shouldn’t be missed.

• MP

Audio{files}

Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears

Last year the Kid Hum-produced Suicide Watch brought you a dynamic duo of Denver emcees known as Whygee and SunkenState. This year, the pair are back at it on Suicide Watch 2: Sambodextrust. The chemistry only grows stronger and the team grows tighter.

The EP kicks off with “Black Supaheros” produced by Nigel One. A flute-driven jazz sample in the tone of MF Doom, the duo goes in on this track to set the tone.

“Whoodyalso” is on the upbeat, dance vibe and CharleyBrand crushes the chorus while SunkenState drops another signature smooth flow.

“Schooldesk,” after multiple listens, is decidedly my favorite track on the EP. The smoky, “late-night tip” production laces intricately with knowledge and smooth lyrics – there’s a blessing in the lesson.

Kid Hum returns on production on the EP’s single, “Put Me in a Rut,” which marks the first recorded appearance of the Starting 5, a group consisting of Whygee, SunkenState, Naeem Oba, CharleyBrand, and BrikABrak. “Put Me in a Rut” rocks your stereo box with bangin’ drums, a nice Pharcyde sample for the hook, and verses that bring light to the trials and tribulations of the emcee. CharleyBrand knocks his spot out of the park.

The release in its entirety feels balanced; the head-nod factor is on high from beginning to end. Be sure to pick up this free EP, and stay tuned because these guys are making moves.

Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu Music Editor

On this day in 1948, Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin was born in West Bromwich, England. Five of the group’s albums reached No. 1 on Billboard’s pop album chart. In the mid-80s Plant organized the Honeydrippers, featuring rock legends Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and Nile Rodgers. The ensemble had a No. 3 hit in 1985 with “Sea of Love.’’

THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • INSIGHT • A11

THE POINT: DON’T FORGET EMPATHY OR COMPASSION

Beware of narcissism

It is rare that I think of anything but myself. I am not talking about being a super narcissistic jerkwad who wakes up thinking about himself and falls asleep thinking the same thing. I am talking about the natural point of view that all of us have that is necessarily tied to ourselves because, well, our brains are connected to our bodies. There is a certain amount of self that is connected to every thought we have.

But sometimes a perceived threat to the self is enough to invoke violence against that perceived threat.

A particularly violent spring, with shootings of abortion doctors and a guard at the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C., got me thinking about this topic.

Anti health care reform activists, some of the same people that held tea parties on tax day, have openly pushed for disruption of town hall meetings and encouraged their supporters to shout down congress members holding public forums has reminded me that it is important that we learn how to deal with others with whom we might not agree.

But how do we — as a society, as an institution of higher learning and as individuals — encourage participation in public discourse and discourage violence amongst ourselves? In other words, what can the average college student do to prevent violence on campus, in

COLIN SEGER cseger@mscd.edu the streets and in our homes?

I posed this question to the director of the Women’s Studies department, Dr. Maurice Hamington over the phone. Dr. Hamington believes that the concept of care ethics is central to the prevention of violence. Morality, he insists, is a concept that is not just the summation of rules. Rules in the broader social context are constantly broken. The criminal justice system has sentenced enough ‘rule breakers‘ that it has spawned it’s own cottage industries. For-profit privately held jails house inmates who have been sentenced by the state or federal courts.

But the rehabilitation of those inmates is not so much the concern of a private industry. The inmate has been found guilty and is sentenced to a period of time as prescribed by the judge. The job of a prison is to hold that prisoner for the prescribed time. An ethos of crime and punishment

pervades the modern institutional forms that we are all familiar with through the dramatized realities portrayed on “CSI” and “Law and Order.”

However, in the realm of care ethics that Dr. Hamington invokes, morality is more than following rules so I don’t get thrown in jail, or the pondering of potential consequences for the actions you take.

Morality is taking into account other people when making decisions. Morality has a relational component, and one that must, by its nature exist outside the college student that only thinks of themselves.

The emotions relevant and integral to this concept of morality are empathy and compassion.

Empathy and compassion lead to making caring decisions when interacting with society. But in a world of violent video games and aggressive marketing it is hard for children to view examples of empathy and compassion especially when their teachers are busy preparing them for the endless standardized tests that determine if the teacher will have a job the next year.

Too often empathy and compassion are not part of the curriculum. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel. And there is good news for all you college students out there. You are already doing it. According to Dr. Hamington

THE METROPOLITAN Since 1979

education, especially college level courses, expose the student to new ideas and by their depth and breadth encompass exposure to other perspectives and modes of thought. Far from being brainwashing, education creates empowerment in those who challenge their ways of thinking.

The hard part, he stresses, is creating institutions that value the ethic of caring. Creating institutions that can encourage innovation in developing caring skills is a challenge not often undertaken with ease. Institutions are not easy to change, if any of you have stood in line at Financial Aid you know what I am talking about. But the exposure to other ideas brings the awareness of others to everyone who undertakes the challenge of higher education.

If, like me, you are constantly thinking about how you are going to find the time to finish the next paper or do your homework at work you are properly using the concept of self. But in a society that all too often regards the self as the only proper motivation for making decisions, it is not rare that extremists cause violence. But taking into account others when you make decisions in the public sphere is a first step to reigning in the violence and creating a fair and just society that we all want to live in.

And that starts with yourself.

OUR VIEW: READER INPUT IS CRUCIAL

Our success is in your hands

At the end of every semester students fill out faculty evaluations to express our opinions, both critical and supportive, on the courses and instructors at our college.

We are led to believe the bubbles they fill in will have some longlasting affect.

But here is the truth: these faculty evaluations bring the gavel down on us.

Within 30 seconds every student at Metro is judged and then divided into two unique and parallel groups.

There is one group that races through the assessment form as if their pencils were on fire, doling out scores of all ‘excellent’ or all ‘poor’ — completely satisfied or completely unsatisfied by every aspect of their education – depending on the mercurial mood that strikes them.

And across this chasm sits the other extreme: the students driven by a need to speak truth to power.

These are the ones who believe that the valedictorian shouldn’t be the only student who gets a chance at graduation to tell the students

anyone who will listen about what Metro can do to improve the quality of our education, our degrees, our futures.

Here at The Metropolitan, we have respect for the first group. We understand the rush to get past the faculty evaluations and on with your day.

This is a commuter college and everyone is busy.

But to the second group, those of you turning in the last evaluations and then turning off the lights on an empty classroom: the Met wants to know exactly what you are writing down.

Members of the Auraria community; this is your newspaper.

Since 1979, staff members of The Metropolitan have been doing their best to bring information to this tri-school campus in the form of intense news and sports coverage, informative and fun feature stories, and insightful opinion pieces. Most of which are written

by Metro students.

And as students, we suffer the same fates of sleeping through alarms, dog-eaten homework, part

time jobs and bills, bills, bills.

But this doesn’t stop us.

At the Met we believe it is crucial for you to know how much passion we have for the art of journalism, but we also hope to convey how much passion we have for you, our audience.

We don’t do this job for our health nor do we ask for your accolades, we do it for you.

We suffer late nights to bring you the best product we can and we are fully aware that without someone flipping these pages, this newspaper is useless.

According to BBC journalist, Andrew Marr, “News is what the consensus of journalists determine it to be.”

So here it is, our call to action.

Pick up those number two pencils and fill in those bubbles.

Tell us what you think.

Whether you love our student government coverage or hate our story about school health insurance; if you deplore our columnists’ opinions or want to give us a pat on the back for our cross country article — no matter what you

have to say, we want to hear it.

In addition to your reaction to what we’re publishing, we’d like to invite you to submit your own content to the Met. This could be in the form of rebuttals to our columnists, letters to the editor or even just an idea for a story.

We want your input because you are what The Metropolitan is all about.

For the sake of ease, each article is accompanied by the author’s name and e-mail, and contact information for each of the Met’s editors can be found in our masthead to the right.

In the coming weeks our brand spanking new website will be up and running. Here you will be able to interact with our staff and comment on stories. You can throw your ideas thoughts and feelings at us for everyone to see.

Metro, Auraria, Denver, the world: this is your invitation to fall into the latter group of bubblefillers.

The Metropolitan Staff

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Dominic Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu MANAGING EDITOR Lindsay Lovato llovato5@mscd.edu NEWS EDITOR Caitlin Gibbons cgibbon4@mscd.edu ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu FEATURES EDITOR Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Gabrielle Porter gporter8@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu SPORTS EDITOR Kate Ferraro kferraro@mscd.edu ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Josiah Kaan jkaan@mscd.edu ADVERTISING Tucker Knight tknight7@mscd.edu PHOTO EDITOR Drew Jaynes ajaynes1@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu Ryan Martin martirya@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Sam Blackmer blackmar@mscd.edu Morgan Bia mbia@mscd.edu Dacia Johnson djohn205@mscd.edu Lucien Layne laynel@mscd.edu GRAPHIC DESIGN Kathleen Jewby DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller harrison@mscd.edu ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong wongd@mscd.edu ADVISER Jane Hoback hobackje@comcast.net

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.

A13 • August 20, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN

SPORTS

“We’re trying to disect it better to understand it, specifically through their eyes — through the high school students’ eyes. ”

Kate Ferraro • SPORTS EDITOR • kferraro@mscd.edu

-LISA ABENDROTH, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR OF COMMUNICATION DESIGN, METROSPECTIVE, B3

New coach, new season, new goals

SIDELINE THIS WEEK

8.21 Soccer Practice

Men 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Volleyball Practice 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Cross Country Practice 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

8.22 Volleyball

6 p.m. Alumni Match

8.24 Soccer Practice

Men 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Women 7:30 - 9:30 a.m Volleyball Practice 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Cross Country Practice 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

8.25 Soccer Practice The new Metro track & field coach Sean Nesbitt, center, is surrounded by a few of his athletes Aug. 11 near the track on Auraria Campus.

From left, Krystin Yarkosky, Nate Newland, Xenia Flores, Kellen Fockler and Scott White. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu

By Scott Bassett sbasset4@mscd.edu The Metro men and women’s cross country teams are not only preparing for the upcoming season, but also for a change in dynamic.

The season will mark the beginning of a new era for the Roadrunners as interim head coach Sean Nesbitt takes over after former head coach Pete Julian accepted a coaching position at Washington State University July 23, athletic director Joan McDermott announced.

Although Nesbitt and Julian have different management styles, they share nearly the same training technique, which will ease the transition. Considering that and the fact that Nesbitt knows the program back to front, he feels confident in his abilities.

“I definitely feel I’m capable,” he said.

It won’t be the same without Julian, but the athletes have all the confidence in their new coach.

“We believe in Sean,” sophomore Nathan Newland said.

The men’s team will be without three top finishers from last year’s squad that finished 14th at the NCAA Championships and fourth in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference.

However, the team is better this year and look forward to a superior finish at nationals, Nesbitt said.

“I feel bad for Pete that he’s not going to see how good this team is,” he said with a laugh.

The women’s team will return many athletes including sophomores Xenia Flores and Danielle Ke-

hoe, both of whom are looking very good since the start of practice Aug. 10, Nesbitt said.

The women’s squad finished 19th at the NCAAs and fourth in the RMAC last year and recoup a total of five letter winners, which Nesbitt hopes will help propel them to a top 15th finish at nationals.

Both teams have athletes with experience on the national level which is a monumental advantage to their improvement, Nesbitt said.

“There’s a huge learning curve running at nationals,” he said.

The men’s team will boast a few sleepers including sophomore Eiger Erickson and transfer Carl Arnold who have the potential to highly contribute, Nesbitt said.

Erickson ran for Metro during the 2006-07 season, but missed the

CROSS COUNTRY Women’s Team Taebrooke Rutter (Sr.) Shanise Hamilton (Jr.) Lindsay Novascone (Jr.) Xenia Flores (So.) Danielle Kehoe (So.) Judith Chavez (Rf.) Krystin Yarkosky (Rf.)

Men’s Team Brandon Johnson (Sr.) Anthony Luna (Sr.) Jacob Schuman (Sr.) Zach Mares (Jr.) Eiger Erickson (So.) Scott Ingram (So.) Shawn Lindborn (So.) Nathan Newland (So.) Charlie Zaragoza (So.) Nathan Rice (Rf.)

past two years while working as a Mormon missionary and Arnold won the 2006 State Championship in the 800-meter run as a senior at Colorado Spring’s Wasson High School.

With so much talent, the biggest challenge will be having to choose who will compete, Nesbitt said.

There will be new faces on the coaching side as well after Nesbitt hired strength and conditioning coach Kelsey Jones and recruiting coordinator John Supsic.

The team will look to prove their worth at the first event of the season in Colorado Springs at the UCCS Invitational, Sept. 4.

“I want to make a statement,” Newland said.

Schedule Coaches Sean Nesbitt (Interim head coach) Marjaneh Gross (Assistant coach)

9.4 UCCS Invitational 9.18 CSU Classic 10.3 CU Shootout 10.24 RMAC Championship

Men 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Women 7:30 - 9:30 a.m Volleyball Practice 2:30 - 4:30 p.m.

Cross Country Practice 7:30 - 9:30 a.m.

Say What?

“Coach Hendricks says that she plays her best players on the court. She’s here to win and so am I.”

METRO VOLLEYBALL OUTSIDE HITTER AMANDA COOK

FUN FACT Metro students can now receive game results and news from the athletic department through text messages. To sign up for free Metro athletic text updates, visit www. gometrostate.com and fill out the signup form. Standard text messaging rates may apply.

The first hockey puck ever used in a game was a frozen piece of cow dung. • THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • SPORTS • A15

Cook confident in successful senior season Outside blocker ready to play after being injured

By Josiah Kaan jkaan@mscd.edu After helping her team to the NCAA tournament and suffering a shoulder injury late in the 2008 season, Metro outside-hitter Amanda Cook is looking forward to a successful senior season.

“We have everyone back, pretty much,” Cook said. “All the freshmen, now sophomores, have a little more experience and everyone does [have experience] together. Hopefully, we should click really well and it should be a good, fun season.”

During the 2008 campaign, she helped the Roadrunners to an 18-10 record, a second place finish in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s east division, and a trip to the National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament. Cook was a terror on the court, and finished in the top five of four Metro categories which included kills, second with 260 total, and defense, third with 232 digs.

“When I think of Amanda, I think of balance, “ volleyball head coach Debbie Hendricks said. “ Balance and experience.”

When Cook transferred from the College of Saint Mary, an all-women’s Catholic college in Omaha, Nebraska, she not only brought collegiate experience with her but a high and intense energy accompanied by

Metro outside hitter Amanda Cook. Photo by Mark Farnik • mfarnik@ mscd.edu

a sense of calm and control to the team, Hendricks said.

“She’s high energy and she’s intense, but she doesn’t get rattled very

easily. If she is rattled she doesn’t show it much,” Hendricks said.

“She’s really good in all phases of the game.”

At the end of the 2008 season Cook experienced inflammation in her shoulder. After spending the summer in rehab, she said that her should is “ just feeling good now” and is ready for the 2009 season.

“That shoulder kinda blew out on her towards the end of the season,“ Hendricks said. “I think it’s still an issue.”

Much like baseball players, volleyball players experience a lot of wear and tear on their shoulders. As a result, the overuse of the shoulder catches up with the athletes over the course of their playing career, Hendricks said.

“The doctor actually said that she had about a 40-year-old shoulder,” Hendricks said. “From that standpoint I don’t expect that it is not going to be an issue at all, but she’s coming strong; she’s taking good swings. She’s doing what she needs to do for us right now.”

After the 2007 season, Cook was looking to transfer out of the College of Saint Mary and wanted to relocate somewhere in the Denver area. After getting in contact with Metro assistant coach Lisa Axel and trying out for the Roadrunner volleyball team, she decided that she liked Metro and transferred, Cook said.

In May, Cook and the volleyball team competed and visited five countries in Europe. The trip was a good opportunity for the team since they experienced outside competition, and provided an excellent bonding experience that brought the team closer to each other.

“We went on our Europe trip and that was a lot because we were with each other constantly; experiencing new things, and a different culture,” Cook said. “It brought us together a lot.”

Cook is very confident in her ability to play volleyball, and looks forward to a successful season and would like to take up right where the team left off.

“Coach Hendricks says that she plays her best players on the court,” Cook said “She’s here to win and so am I. We’re just all playing one game at a time, getting as far as we can and doing our best each game. That would be awesome to go further. We definitely have the potential to do that.”

“We have everyone back, pretty much.

All the freshman, now sophomores, have a little more experience and everyone does [have experience] together. Hopefully, we should click really well and it should be a good, fun season.”

VOLLEYBALL OUTSIDE HITTER AMANDA COOK

High expectations for Metro soccer senior

By Lauren Schaedig lschaedi@mscd.edu Before his collegiate soccer career even began, things were not looking good for men’s soccer left midfielder Tyler Hambrick. As he prepared for his freshman year in Georgia, he learned he would most likely not play at all in his beginning season. No true athlete would willingly ride the bench for an entire year, so Hambrick immediately began his search for other options. His search led him to Metro, and in a tryout for the Roadrunners under head coach Ken Parsons, Hambrick showed himself to be a player suitable for the extremely competitive men’s soccer team, and so began a stunning career for this athlete.

For the past 18 years, Hambrick has dedicated his life to the game, playing high school soccer for Faith Christian and club soccer for Extreme and Rush. Even at a young age, Hambrick was acknowledged for his exceptional talents on the field, receiving many awards during his high school career including being named to the first team All-State his junior and senior year. Now beginning his final collegiate season, Hambrick has become a leader of the team both as a captain and one of the top scorers. Throughout his career at Metro, Hambrick has grown as an outstanding part of the team, adding more goals and more assists

to his record each season. Playing left midfield, Hambrick posted five goals and six assists in the 2008 season, a big jump from his one goal and three assists in the 2007 season. In the 2008 season Hambrick was also decorated with numerous awards, including being named to the first team NSCAA/Adidas All-Central Region, second team Daktronics All-Region and third team All-RMAC. If he continues to improve from his already outstanding record, we can expect incredible things from Hambrick in his senior season.

Although college soccer is incredibly demanding, Hambrick also enjoys snowboarding and riding his Yamaha R6 motorcycle. In his spare time he also enjoys watching his favorite soccer team Manchester United in the English Premier League. Hambrick also works as a referee of indoor soccer for Carrollbutts in Highland Hills.

With his collegiate soccer career coming to a close, Hambrick’s education at Metro is also nearly complete. This year, Hambrick will be completing his degree in business management, and hopes to go to graduate school or to open a business with his older sister and brother. While his education may end after this year, Hambrick hopes to continue to play soccer.

“I would like to try and play for a team above college, not just indoor, but maybe a summer semi-pro team,” Hambrick said.

He is hoping to play for a team through a club in Colorado or a team in Iowa that some of his fellow Roadrunners have played for. If playing is not an option however, Hambrick has other plans.

“If I can’t play due to injuries, I’d like to coach or be an assistant coach. I might go back to Rush and see if I can be an assistant coach there,” Hambrick added.

With such an incredible career at Metro, there is no doubt Hambrick’s experiences will make him an exceptional coach.

In his three seasons here, Hambrick has seen much of the growth in Metro athletics. As he gets ready for his final season, he is hoping to see it continue and to see some ideas about Metro change.

“People don’t respect Metro as much… but we’re developing a better all around sports program and hopefully we’re gaining some respect,” Hambrick said.

With athletes like him in the ranks of the Roadrunners, Metro will surely continue to gain recognition as an exceptional athletic school. Hopefully many younger athletes will follow in Hambrick’s footsteps and continue a growing legacy of excellence on the field and in all sports at Metro. But as for this season, we can surely expect Hambrick to leave it all on the field and leave his mark on Metro as one of the soccer program’s best players.

Metro midfielder Tyler Hambrick, controls the ball during practice Aug. 11 at the Auraria Fields. Photo by Ryan Martin •

martirya@mscd.edu

“Don’t let what you cannot do interfere with what you can do.” Former UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. • THE METROPOLITAN • AUGUST 20, 2009 • SPORTS • A17

Players gain experience from alumni

By Kate Ferraro kferraro@mscd.edu The men and women’s soccer annual alumni games are not only a great opportunity for the current players on the roster to play against more experienced players, but it’s also a good chance for a reunion.

“It’s always good to see the alumni players come back to support the team,” women’s head coach Adrianne Almaraz said. “There are a lot of good players and it’s good to see them still connected to the program.”

Metro has a strong athletics program with numerous awards and championships including the soccer teams. The women won the NCAA championship in 2004 and 2006.

Every player on the alumni side who played in the game Aug. 16 was either on the team in 2004 or 2006 when a national championship was won.

“It was funny, because when we walked out to the middle of the field before the game, we realized everyone playing for the alumni was a national champion in either 2004 or 2006,” Metro forward Becca Mays said. “It was cool to have a reunion again.”

Almaraz played on the team in 2004 and was an assistant coach in 2006. Almaraz said she wanted to play with the alumni, but stuck to her coaching duties .

“I do wish I could (play),” Almaraz said. “But at the end of the day, my job is to coach the girls.”

It’s difficult for the current players to scrimmage against the alumni, because they are more experienced, however, for Mays it’s complicated because they know her tricks.

“They know how we play,” Mays said. “I had played with some of those girls for three years. They know my style and I know theirs.”

Former defender and three-time All-American Nicole Cito said she believes it’s difficult not being on the same team as her former teammates.

“They are in better shape and have been working hard all summer,” Cito said. “It was more hard to not be playing with them.”

One of the highlights of the women’s game was when Mays scored a hat trick.

“It felt pretty good,” Mays said.

“It was the first one I’ve gotten since I’ve been here.”

The women’s assistant coach Andrew Current graduated from Metro in 2004, but he didn’t play for the college in the years he attended school. Current got the opportunity to play with the men’s alumni team, and had a good experience doing so.

He views his coaching position as a positive thing, even though he wasn’t able to play in college.

“What didn’t happen in college, happened for me coaching.” Current said.

Like the women’s team, the men’s soccer team has many talented play-

ers who have graduated. Men’s head coach Ken Parsons said he believes the alumni game is a good practice game for the current players, because they can learn from the more experienced players.

“We have very talented alumni,” Parsons said. “We had the RMAC Player of the Year come back and the Defensive Player of the Year come back. We have a list of players on the all-time teams.”

Current agrees with Parsons.

“It’s important for the current players to pay respect to the alumni who built the program over the years.” Current said. “They can learn from players who play a little smarter with the ball.”

Midfielder Tyler Hambrick said he thinks it’s hard to play against the alumni because of all the practices they’ve been having lately.

“Their experience helps them,” Hambrick said. “We’re coming out of two-a-days so our bodies are beat so it’s harder to play.”

The men and women’s soccer teams have learned a great deal from their alumni and will be taking their experience to their first games in a couple weeks. The women’s first game is Aug. 28 against NebraskaOmaha at Auraria Field, while the men’s first game is Aug. 29 against University of Mary at Auraria Field.

Vanessa Mais contributed to this story.

“What didn’t happen in college, happened for me coaching.”

WOMEN’S SOCCER ASSISTANT COACH ANDREW CURRENT

Clockwise from top: Former Metro midfielder Kira Sharp takes a corner kick during the alumni game Aug. 16 at Auraria Fields.

Former midfielder Jaimie Stephenson prepares to stop the ball.

Connor Crookham, 7, plays with a soccer ball from a high perch as he watches the men’s alumni match. Photos by Daniel Clements •

dcleme12@mscd.edu

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A18 8.20.2009 THE METROPOLITAN

BEST OF CROSSWORD ONLINE

SUDOKU

FML: Everyday life stories

Today, on my wedding day, when they said “you may kiss the bride”, I swung my wife over in the romantic fashion and went in for the kiss.

Unfortunately my hands were sweaty as I was nervous and she slipped under my grip. She fell and was knocked unconscious in front of hundreds of people. FML Today, I fractured my knuckle at the gym. My girlfriend offered to drive me to Urgent Care. As I threw my gym bag in the car, my keys flew out of the bag’s pocket and hit her in the face. I spent the whole afternoon getting dirty looks from nurses because of my broken hand and her black eye. FML

Texts from last night (203): just met our mailman at a party, he asked me out. i said yes, but only if he picks me up in the mail truck. how jealous are you (803): I brought my laptop into the bathroom so I can facebook while vomiting. New low?

(713): never try to heat up a hot pocket in the dryer if ur microwave breaks... bad idea.

(631): Sad Moment: I only had enough $ at 711 to buy chips or salsa. I chose salsa and took a plastic spoon.

FABRICATED TALES

Recession or not; kids love coloring Across 1- Hallowed 6- Tattled 10- Goes out with 14- Woody vine 15- To ___ (perfectly) 16- Romance novelist Victoria 17- Caper 18- Remnant 19- Between ports 20- Greek goddess of the hearth 22- Incoming 24- HBO alternative 26- Aden native 27- Irrigation ditch 31- Besides 32- Hairlike structure 33- Ezio Pinza, for one 36- Fail to tell the truth 39- Bhutan’s continent 40- Cotton thread used for hosiery

41- Expel 42- Hwy. 43- Locale 44- Dark 45- Domestic animal 46- Marry 48- Erase 51- High degree 52- Impertinent 54- Scolding 59- Lendl of tennis 60- Wander 62- Browned sliced bread 63- Locale 64- This, in Tijuana 65- Having auricular protuberances 66- Editor’s mark 67- Lucie’s father 68- Apparel Down 1- Boring, so to speak 2- Queue

3- Chow 4- Agitated state 5- Roman historian 6- Bit 7- Other, in Oaxaca 8- Guarded 9- Remove the lard 10- Beardless 11- Histological stain 12- Nicholas Gage book 13- Adult male deer 21- Parisian pal 23- ___ expert, but...

25- Small house 27- On ___ with 28- Prehistoric sepulchral tomb 29- “Night” author Wiesel 30- As being 34- Sun Devils’ sch.

35- Bed down 36- Corker 37- Egyptian goddess of fertility

38- Kitchen addition 40- Literate 41- Lennon’s lady 43- Prez’s second 44- Modernised 45- Heavenly body 47- “____ loves you, yeah, yeah, yeah” 48- Life-boat lowering device 49- Delight 50- Uneven 52- Fail to hit 53- Makes lace 55- Laugh loudly 56- Payment for travel 57- Employs 58- Former Fords 61- Avril follower

By D. Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu With the end of summer looming, parents are having a hard time affording school supplies; but one experts says keep- Jason Jones colors wih fervor. ing things simple will keep pestering her for an iPod, but as soon as he picked up his kids happy.

“Parents can save money new yellow marker he forgot and forgo buying high-tech all about the trendy music gadgets for their elementary- player.

“He get’s so excited when school-aged kids,” said No Child Left Behind Czar Mike he’s coloring,” Jones said.

Smith. “Studies have shown “The look on his face is just children between the ages of precious.”

“Just give your kids some2 and 10 are content with a box of crayons and some thing that leaves a mark,” Smith said. “You’d be surscrap paper.”

Rhonda Jones said her prised how easily entertained 5-year-old son Jason had been children can be.”

WEEK{PREVIEW} FRIDAY/ 08.21

SATURDAY/ 08.22

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THURSDAY/ 08.20 Denver Botanic Gardens Free Day

Map, Compass and Orienteering Class

Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show

9 A.M.  5 P.M. 1005 York St.

1 P.M. REI Denver at 1416 Platte St. Free

10 A.M5 P.M. National Western Complex $10

The Disco Dolls in “Hot Skin” XXX in 3-D

Invasion of the 80’s

MIDNIGHT Esquire Theatre — 590 Downing st. $7

MONDAY/ 08.24

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TUESDAY/ 08.25

8 P.M. The Loft — 821 22nd St. $5

ART FUND!

WEDNESDAY/ 08.26

“Rear Window”

Justin Kredible

Student Involvement Fair

7 P.M. Bar Standard — 1037 Broadway $5

1 P.M. Tivoli Turnhalle FREE

NOON  7 P.M. Lawrence St. Park FREE

Improv Hootenanny

Simpsons Bar Trivia

Fashion Denver: SPUN

8 P.M. Moe’s BBQ & Bowl — 3295 S. Broadway FREE

8 P.M.  MIDNIGHT Meadowlark Bar — 2701 Larimer St. FREE

7:30 P.M. Bovine Metropolis Theater — 1527 Champa St. $5

SUNDAY/ 08.23

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8 P.M. Under the Grand Chapiteau at the Pepsi Center Grounds $44--$215

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Cirque Du Soleil Premiere

4  6 P.M. JOHN JELLICO GALLERY THE ART INSTITUTE OF COLORADO 1200 LINCOLN FREE Walls lacking color? Then help support local artists. With a wide range of styles, these canvases are displayed anonymously so selections are based on their visual interest. First-come, first-serve basis for $50.