SGA exploring new options for political advocacy •A3
THE
METROPOLITAN Vol. 32, Issue 14
Serving Auraria for 30 years
October 22, 2009
STUDENT AND SOLDIER Auraria ROTC cadets learn more than military tactics
Army Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets Michael Burnet, front, and Sean Bottlemy, low-crawl under barbed-wire with the rest of their six-man team during a competition Oct. 10 at the Army ROTC Ranger Challenge held at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Both cadets are members of the Auraria Campus team and competed against 26 other ROTC teams from Colorado, Utah and Wyoming. Photo by Jeremy Papasso • jpapasso@mscd.edu
By Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu
Early in the morning
T
he weather is bone-chilling cold, Speer Boulevard begins to fill with traffic and with the exception of scattered light poles and neon signs, the Auraria campus is pitch black. An abrupt break in the quiet quickly disturbs the early morning. “We’re just going to go do sprints together if I see you slacking!” shouts out Cadet Cmdr. Dan Lynch.
It’s about 6:30 a.m. on a Friday and Lynch isn’t too happy — Charlie Company is lagging behind. “Don’t worry,” says Metro sophomore Sean Bottlemy as he passes by, running. “He usually isn’t like this all the time.” In addition to sit-ups, push-ups and crunches beforehand, the members of Auraria ROTC are jogging around the campus track. The strongest runners fall in step to a quick sprint, while the rest pace themselves into a jog. “If I catch the last person — we’re doing another lap,” shouts Lynch, again. When the company finishes
their quick morning run, Lynch grins a satisfied smile. Breathing hard, the company starts to line up. When at ease, their hands coupled in a crisscrossed position behind their backs, their life stories begin to appear. Some have wedding bands, some do not. Some twist and wring their fingers, some keep themselves still. Some hands are cracked with the signs of wear and tear, others have already began to see future’s wrinkled folds.
Continued on B4
‘Runners spike Regis Quasi-legal ‘medicine’ Volleyball tied for third in division after four straight wins •A9
makes headway in California, Colorado
•B2
A3 • THE METROPOLITAN • October 22, 2009
NEWS
“The decline of civility and rise of bad behavior is nothing new and was gaining ground long before Bush was elected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000”
CAITLIN GIBBONS • NEWS EDITOR • cgibbon4@mscd.edu
- J.SEBASTIAN SINISI on A8
SGA proposes split student fee
THIS WEEK
Political advocacy may be funded by new fund division
10.26 Last day to
withdraw from a full semester class and receive a “NC”
By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu The Student Government Assembly senate voted unanimously Oct. 16 to abandon plans to remove the SGA budget from money collected through student affairs fees due to opposition from Metro administrators. The vote followed a report by SGA President Andrew Bateman advising the senate to pursue an alternative proposal to fund a smaller percentage of the budget through a new fee created expressly for political advocacy. The majority of the budget would continue to draw funding from student affairs fees. “The SGA has day-to-day responsibilities that shouldn’t be put at risk by making the SGA’s entire budget subject to optional refunds,” Bateman said, referring to Colorado state laws that allow students to opt-out of any fees used for political purposes. In addition to the risk of students refusing to fund the SGA, Bateman said he encountered concerns from Metro administrators regarding oversight of the SGA budget. “There was opposition from administration at the vice-presidential level about not wanting SGA removed from the budget process as it is now. They wanted to make sure that our office underwent the same budget review as all other student affairs offices,” Bateman said. Currently, money collected from student affairs fees — an amount totaling more than $2 million in recent years — is allocated to 16 student life programs, including the SGA, Student
10.27 Metro Fall Business
Fair Learn more about jobs in finance, accounting, marketing, sales, management, IT and more. Bring a resume for a chance to win Nuggets tickets. 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Tivoli Turnhalle President Andrew Bateman discusses new policies during a Student Government Assembly meeting Oct. 16 at the Tivoli. Photo by Chancey Bush • cbush7@mscd.edu Activities and Campus Recreation. Student life programs receive a share of this revenue based on the appropriation of the Board of Trustees acting on the recommendation of the Student Affairs Board. SGA members represent a majority of the SAB, a status that Bateman described as “a potential conflict of interest” between those representatives and the committees that determine the student government’s funding. The Student Senate approved a resolution Aug. 21 to explore the creation of a separate SGA fee to resolve this conflict of interest and to allow SGA members to engage in political advocacy on behalf of students at the local, state and national level. The resolution, SR09-10, mandat-
ed the executive branch of the SGA to “draft a proposal, in consultation with administration representatives and approved by the Senate, which would create an SGA fee and reduce the student affairs by an equal amount.” The original conflict of interest has been initially resolved through several recent student appointments to the SAB from outside of student government, Bateman said. In his report, Bateman advised the senators to create a smaller fee between 50 and 75 cents for the purpose of student advocacy while keeping the larger SGA budget funded from student affairs fees. “The student action fee would be used to fund the legislative affairs division of the SGA, including a director
Fall 2009 fees for a student enrolled in 15 credit hours Fee
Cost
What it pays for
Student Affairs
$61.59
Campus activities and organizations *SGA is included in this fee
Intercollegiate Athletics
$29.53
Allows Metro students free access to all intercollegiate sporting events. Also provides the operating budget for NCAA division II athletic program.
Registration
$4.09
Maintains the web registration system
Immunization
$2.00
Supports the Auraria Health Center’s efforts to provide immunizations
AHEC Facilities Bond
$75.51
Supports the debt service requirements for financing the Auraria Event Center, Tivoli Student union and the Auraria Child Care Center
Metro Bond
$63.00
Student approved fee to provide financing for the construction of the Metro Neighborhood
Information Technology
$77.69
Supports and maintains student-based technology services to registered students.
RTD Bus Pass
$46.00
Allows registered students to ride the RTD free upon presentation of a current ID
Clean Energy
$4.00
Health Services
$31.22
Total Fees:
$394.63
EVENTS
Student approved fee for purchasing clean, renewable, electrical power for Auraria Supports the cost of medical personnel, associated operating expenses, education and outreach
of legislative affairs and possibly an assistant director and adequate materials for the person to do their work,” Bateman said during the meeting. “This smaller fee will allow us to do a lot more without potentially paralyzing the SGA budget,” Senator Joseph Gerlick said. “It will allow us to pursue legislators and advocate at the state level the way we want to.” In the original proposal, based on steady growth of enrollment, a fee of approximately $9.26 per student would be necessary to maintain the SGA’s current budget. But through the executive branch’s alternative proposal, a fee of 72 cents would result in a budget for the proposed legislative affairs division of $16,560 and an anticipated reduction in the SGA budget from $212,980 to $196,440. “The overall cost to the students would be zero because we would be reducing the student affairs fee and by extension, our own budget by the exact same amount as the new fee we’re creating. So the student won’t see any extra fees on their bill. It will be one extra line item but no additional cost,” Bateman said. He said that the executive branch would now begin work on drafting a detailed proposal of the alternative fee and projected expenses for the legislative affairs division. If the student senate, student fee committees, college administrators and the Metro Board of Trustees all approve the alternate proposal, then the creation of the new fee would come up for a vote by the student body in April for final approval.
10.27 United Nations Day
2009 Celebrate the United Nations 64th Establishment Anniversary. 4:00 -7:00 p.m. St. Cajetans Center
INDEX INSIGHT ... A8 METROSPECTIVE ... B1 AUDIOFILES ... B6 SPORTS ... A10 TIMEOUT ... A14
WEATHER 10.22 • Mostly Sunny High: 51/Low: 29 10.23 • Mostly Sunny High: 57/Low: 31 10.24 • Mostly Sunny High: 63/Low: 35 10.25 • Partly Cloudy High: 57/Low: 36 10.26 • Mostly Sunny High: 63/Low: 38 10.27 • Mostly Sunny High: 65/Low: 36 10.28 • Partly Cloudy High: 67/Low: 38 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? Q is the only letter in the alphabet that does not appear in any of the states names. • THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • NEWS • A5
Empowering students with knowledge Attorneys preach common sense for arrest defense By Ben Wiebesiek wiebesib@mscd.edu People who understand their constitutional rights demand their constitutional rights. This was the message from attorneys for the American Civil Liberties Union who spoke at the “Know your rights!” educational event Oct. 20 at the Tivoli hosted by the Auraria Campus Education Services. “Who here has had a bad encounter with the police? What went wrong?” Erik Maulbetsch, communications associate of ACLU of Colorado, asked the audience. “Cops don’t always follow the rules. What we can do is arm you guys with the power to assert the rights the constitution gives you.” The event, hosted by the Auraria Campus Education Services, featured interactive skits with students demonstrating cases where reasonable cause, Miranda rights and common sense can intersect to determine the outcome of a simple traffic stop. “Cops lie. They have the right to do it. They are allowed to break the law in order to do their job. You couldn’t be a very good undercover police officer if the first time someone asked you, ‘Are you a cop?’ you responded, ‘Yeah, I am,’” Maulbetsch said. While most police officers use this freedom to lie or deceive solely to-
Metro junior Ashley Fenlon participates in a skit with visiting members of an ACLU group Oct. 20 in the Tivoli. The group used skits and real world examples to illustrate what students’ rights are when interacting with law enforcement. Photo by Drew Jaynes • ajaynes1@mscd.edu ward their duty to protect and serve the public, Maulbetsch warned the audience to beware that this same freedom can entitle corrupt members of law enforcement to violate the privacy or civil rights of anyone they find suspicious. For Hans Meyer, a volunteer attorney with the ACLU of Colorado, the secret to successfully navigating an encounter with law enforcement starts with a simple question, “Am I free to leave?” “Asking the question might feel stilted and weird, but to a law enforcement officer, it lets them know
that you are asking them a very important constitutional question: ‘Are you stopping me for investigatory detention or not?’” Meyer said. Meyer used this question as a jumping-off point to discuss three stages of interaction with law enforcement: consensual encounter, investigatory detention and arrest. “If you ask whether you are free to leave they will tell you if you are in a consensual encounter where the police officer needs no reason to stop you but can’t force you to stay, or if you are involved in an investigatory detention which involves reasonable
suspicion,” Meyer said. “Getting information from the officer regarding what stage you’re in helps you know what rights you have at the time.” Looking at the diagram of the three stages, the audience started asking questions about the dreaded third phase: arrest. But Meyer was quick to point out that without a full knowledge of the nuances of the law, a simplistic view of any of these stages could end with unfortunate consequences. “What is the legal definition of arrest? The definition is … irrelevant!” Meyer said.
“People who understand their constitutional rights demand their constitutional rights,” Meyer said. The speakers with the ACLU emphasized three other key phrases for students to remember when stopped by the police: “I want to speak to a lawyer.” “I choose to remain silent.” “I do not consent to a search.” Remembering these phrases help students avoid nervous mistakes in the moment, which can include making false statements, arguing with an officer, or signing improper confessions. “The purpose of the demonstration isn’t to demonize law enforcement,” Meyer said. “This isn’t meant to be a one-way conduit of information, it’s a sharing of information and it’s a way of arriving at a system of best practices when using real situations.” James Kong, a UCD freshman studying business, was drawn to the meeting because of curiosity about his rights and his own previous experiences interacting with law enforcement. “I was pretty young at the time, so I didn’t really know anything except that I was scared,” Kong said.
FOUR key phrases to Remember: “I want to speak to a lawyer.” “I choose to remain silent.” “I do not consent to a search.” “Am I free to leave?”
Committee maneuvers Metro through fiscal fog Cuts to higher ed. funding forcing difficult decisions By Rita Wold rwold@mscd.edu In the midst of financial uncertainty, the Metro Board of Trustees Finance Sub Committee reviewed how to go forth with spending money, issuing debt and gaining revenue at the Oct.19 meeting. The committee is engaged in a variety of initiatives, at complete odds, scheduled to wrap up in next three months, while recent budget cuts have provoked more questions than answers. First, the state legislature cut $151 million from higher education in the spring. Without any talk of reconciliation, another $81 million was slashed in September — a loss of $3.8 million for Metro. However, the $3.8 million in budget cuts were backfilled by federal stimulus funds. The stimulus funds have a two-year duration, ending in 2012.
The odds of seeing increases in state revenue has created skepticism amongst the committee, who question whether the $3.8 million in losses are long-term or, as intended, temporary. “Over the next year and a half we really need to watch the state revenue projections,” said Natalie Lutes, vice president of administration and finance. Lutes encouraged conservative spending as the committee decided on how to allocate the remaining $4 million in available funds. Despite financial constraints and shortcomings, Lutes said Metro is financially well. “We always spend within the block and we are very careful on how we allocate our money,” she said. Metro made “mandatory” budget cuts last year. “We actually made the cuts so that with our stimulus money we are moving forward with rightsizing,” Lutes said. “What many other institutions did was they said, ‘we are going to continue with business as usual, use the stimulus the money to just backfill the cuts.’ So come 2012 then they’re
going to make those hard decisions. We are within the spirit of the stimulus money.” Kailei Higginson, the student trustee said he thinks the school is doing a fantastic job. “We’re a more efficient institution than other institutions are size,” Higginson said. Student government President Andrew Bateman also agrees the committee’s method of sufficing losses. “I think we are doing the best we can under the circumstances,” he said. The board will vote on the allocations of funds in late November. The finance committee also approved restrictions for the bond that will finance the Student Success Building, scheduled to open in 2012. The Colorado legislature and Metro students approved the bond fee in the spring after the initial request for state funding was denied. The first payment was collected from students in the fall tuition. Fees will increase during each school year, until the third year, where the fees will remain the same until the debt is repaid.
Frederic H. Marienthal a partner in Kutak Rock LLP’s Denver office discusses bond resolution during a finance sub-committee meeting Oct. 19. Photo by Chancey Bush • cbush7@mscd.edu Financing construction costs by issuing bonds is a new practice to Metro, but not to higher education. Metro student have been paying the Auraria
Higher Education Center bond fee for years to finance the Tivoli and parking expenses. Final details on the bond are expected Nov. 8.
A6 • NEWS • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN • THIS JUST IN: A giraffe can clean its ears with its 21-inch tongue.
T hirteen million people work in the nonprofit sector. Should you be one of them?
P P P
PASSION PRIDE POWER
FIND CAREER SUCCESS IN THE NONPROFIT WORLD
Passion, Pride & Power Conference Friday, November 6, 2009 7:45 a.m. – 12 p.m. Tivoli Student Union 320
This is a free event, but you must register. Space is limited. Free continental breakfast will be provided. A student based and led conference on opportunities available in the nonprot sector. We will be offering panel discussions led by nonprot leaders in 8 areas of the Denver Metro nonprot sector. We will be looking at the arts, philanthropy, health issues, education, human services, animal issues, environmental concerns and sports. As the fastest growing sector in the country, the opportunities available are limited only by your imagination. Students and young professionals encouraged to attend!
Visit www.ColoradoNonprots.org/programs to register or for more info. Please contact Gini Mennenga at 720-334-9968 or vmille17@mscd.edu with questions. Sponsors: Metro State Association of Nonprot Professionals, Metro State Center for Nonprot Studies, The Colorado Nonprot Association and Metro State Ofce of Student Activities
Re-organization, renovation help reshape library By Julie Vitkovskaya uvitkovs@mscd.edu The Auraria Library is adapting to campus growth by planning minor, but significant, redesigns on both floors of the 33-year-old building. The library has already seen some new changes — materials that are not frequently used on the first floor are moved upstairs and more room has opened up for students to collaborate and work. Eventually, the library would like to see a single Help Desk, supplemental technology and classroom resources for students to work together. That’s the ultimate goal, said Catherine M. Ostrander, head of community relations for the library. “We need to keep the technology process going,” Ostrander said. With almost 1 million gate visits a day, Ostrander would like feedback from students, faculty and staff on the changes the library plans. Starting in the next few months, UCD architecture students will evaluate the first floor to present suggestions on reinventing certain spaces. The Sandbox — the first floor area between the current Information desk and large computer lab — will be one of the key areas where students can collaborate or practice verbal presentations. Some of the 30-year-old furniture will be replaced with comfortable, deep-seated chairs and mobile tables. Most of the funding the library receives to support special projects are through private donors, fund raisers or other small projects the library introduces, such as the upcoming “Adopt-A-Book” fundraiser. Auraria’s three schools also contributed to the library’s modular look by donating tiled carpet to the entire first floor. Now, if a stain appears on a specific piece of carpet, only the ruined section can be removed like a piece of tile. So far, private funds have helped give the Auraria Library a special meeting room, extra instructional classrooms, new furniture, computers and general construction. For more information on the library’s redesign, e-mail Catherine Ostrander at catherine.ostrander@ucd.edu.
New to the School of Public Affairs, Master of Criminal Justice — Now AvAILAbLE oNLINE! lead. Solve. Change. CRIMINAL JUSTICE is a growing field with opportunities in juvenile justice, probation, enforcement, investigations, and federal agencies. The School of Public Affairs has a state mandate to provide public affairs education statewide. The SPA offers graduate degrees in criminal justice, public administration and public affairs. UCD’s School of Public Affairs has been recognized in the top 12% of schools of public affairs in the country – U.S. News & World Report The School of Public Affairs MCJ Program has Graduated: • Over 40 Police Chiefs in Colorado • Leaders in Death Investigations • FBI and CIA Agents • Innovators in Public Affairs, including current City Mayors
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F.Y.I: Almonds are a member of the peach family. • THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • NEWS • A7
Questioning pornography’s place Adult films social value scrutinized by guest speaker By Andrew Flohr-Spence spencand@mscd.edu Robert Jensen wants people to take another look at pornography — a critical look. “Pornography is a very important mirror on the culture we live in,” said the author and University of Texas at Austin communications professor, who has studied pornography for twenty years. And what it shows, Jensen said, isn’t good. “We may not be as civilized a society as we think we are,” Jensen said. Based on his study of the changes over time in the plots, content and featured sex acts, and from interviews with producers of the films, he asserts that pornography is becoming increasingly sexist, racist, brutal and antiquated stereotypes toward women and minorities are common. Tracing the industry’s introduction of new sex acts into the films and a new genre that does away with any plot altogether, Jensen said that the progression of porn in the last decade increasingly shows women being dominated and subordinated by men. “And we’re just talking about the legal porn here,” he said. An installment of the Distinguished Lecture Series sponsored by the student activities departments of Metro, UCD and CCD, Jensen lec-
tured, showed his film on the same subject and took questions for more than an hour. The program, entitled, “The Price of Pleasure: Pornography and the Decline of Masculinity,” was in support of his recent book, “The Price of Pleasure,” which looks at the progression of the pornography industry over the last several decades and analyzes it from a feminist perspective. Asserting that new developments in pornography show a growing lack of empathy for women, and for people in general, Jensen asked the crowd to remember that real people had to perform the acts in the films and that each time a person watched a film he or she was supporting a “very cruel economy.” Metro Senior in Communications Kara Sutton said Jensen had a lot of good points, but she didn’t think pornography is bad in all cases. “It really depends on the person’s sexuality,” she said. Jensen said that porn lets people find sexual release in private and that was not necessarily a bad thing. “I know men who are obsessed with it and I know others who won’t touch it … there is a whole spectrum out there … and it’s just like everything: if it goes too far, then it is destructive,” Sutton said. “I would certainly agree that pornography is incredibly damaging,” UCD Denver psychology major Patrick Furlong said. While violence, in his opinion, would never disappear, Furlong said, what bothered him was pornogra-
phy becoming more and more mainstream. “I don’t see the connection just to men though … it’s just inherent in the nature of people … pornography and violence has been around as long as humans,” Furlong said. “Unfortunately technology is spreading it uncontrollably.” UCD Political Science Majors Erin Bailey and Brittany Groom said they thought what Jensen said was interesting but “he only scratched the surface.” The two attended the lecture as part of a course titled Race, Class, Gender: Law and Public Policy, but said they found the lecture more interesting as women than as political science majors. “I really liked his point that it’s a mirror of society,” Bailey said. Citing Hillary Clinton’s 2008 presidential campaign and the current political climate, Bailey said she thought the U.S. was currently confronting many of the topics Jensen said porn exploited, such as sexism and racism. “People are really learning to reevaluate their actions … everybody knows about this really disgusting stuff, and it’s good we start to talk about it,” Bailey said. “Getting uncomfortable is good,” Groom said. “It makes you think.” And people getting uncomfortable is exactly what Jensen hopes will come from his work on the subject. “If this lecture today leaves you disturbed, I am happy,” Jensen said at the end of his speech.
Robert Jensen, author of the book “The Price of Pleasure,” speaks about the link between pornography and masculinity during his presentation “Porn and the Decline of Masculinity” in the MultiCultural Lounge Oct. 16. More than two hundred people crowded into the Multi-Cultural Lounge for the event, forcing administration to move the event into the Tivoli Turnhalle. Photo by Mark Farnik • mfarnik@mscd.edu
On the street By Ben Wiebesiek • Photos by Dan Clements
People around the nation were fixated as the “balloon boy” saga unfolded Oct. 15 in Ft. Collins. The Heene family claimed their six-year-old son was carried away in a helium-filled balloon. The sheriff’s department has since concluded the situation was a hoax to garner media attention. What is your perspective of the “balloon boy” saga?
“That dad is a clown for doing that to his kid. His kid is going to be labeled for life now. My understanding is the whole family is pretty messed up. It’s unfortunate that the dude would want to go through that much to just get a little bit of air time. Especially to mess with the FAA. It sucks to be them I guess.” Jake Spooner Metro, Junior
“A boy that is in a balloon! I think there are more important issues out there than a boy trapped in a balloon. Such as the new world order and the economy crash. There are so many other things we should be worried about than a boy in a balloon right now.” Bryan King UCD, Freshman
“It’s just publicity. They were on ‘Wife Swap’ like a week ago. It was kind of retarded. For him to have been in the garage for so many hours not saying anything, I don’t think that was true. A little boy can’t stay quiet for that long.” Jimena Santiago Metro, Sophomore
“I didn’t pay attention to it. This was a waste of a lot of money because the whole police department had to go out. And the media made a big deal out of it too. Maybe they should have researched the story more before they reported it.” Carsen Snyder UCD, Junior
“To spend all that money, it was close to $40,000 in expenses with all the helicopters, ambulances and police officers. For five minutes of fame, $40,000 down the drain. It’s a waste of time. Especially when there are other needs out there. There could have been a huge fire out in Ft. Collins while everybody’s worried about this kid that’s 700 ft. up in the air.” John Yohannes Metro, Sophomore
A8 • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN
INSIGHT
"We are getting into a better battle mentality and getting back our confidence late in games"
— VOLLEYBALL HEAD COACH DEBBIE HENDRICKS on A9
THE POINT: IT IS UP TO TODAY'S SOCIETY TO BRING CIVILITY BACK
People behaving badly
Remember civility? When there were certain unspoken rules about how people acted? And when folks at least faked a minimum of politeness and listened to those with an opposing view before screaming what idiots they were? You don’t? Not surprising. There’s been very little civility around in recent years — at every level and even among people who should know better. Recently, we’ve hit new heights — or depths — of un-civility, and the trail now runs from Right Wing fire-eaters like Rush and Hannity right to the halls of Congress. When a pissant South Carolina Congressman can shout “You lie!!!” at President Obama during an address on health care reform to a joint session of that august body, the U.S. Congress, we’ve turned a corner into new territory. Rep. Joe Wilson became an overnight hero for the lunatic fringe…right up there with other instant comets like Sara Palin and Joe the Plumber. Today, it doesn’t take much to become a Looney Tunes hero. But that the Far Right fringe regularly enshrines these clowns in its Pantheon says a lot about
J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com that segment of the Republican party’s bench and bullpen depth. As for “You lie!” hurled at the Obama, even the President of the United States isn’t above criticism. But in that manner? And from a region long mythologized in terms of courtly manners along with wisps of moonlight magnolia. President Obama himself constantly comes under attack from that GOP wing and its faithful who are driven absolutely foaming-atthe-mouth nuts by the sight of a black man in the White House, and an intelligent opposite of George W. Bush at that. Those critics can turn a Nobel Prize into dross and a speech to school children into a plot oozing with a socialist agenda. But the office of the President should command some sense of majesty — except
when its occupant is a buffoon, then the office itself loses respect. It did when Bush’s buffoonish behavior — never stated in sentences longer than a half-dozen words to avoid stumbling; even from a script — might have been amusing were it not so dangerous. The decline of civility and rise of bad behavior is nothing new and was gaining ground long before Bush was elected by the U.S. Supreme Court in 2000. If Karl Marx called religion the “opiate of the masses,” then TV, and especially so-called “reality TV,” fills that role today. And it may be no accident that an America addicted to reality TV and “American Idol” could elect a lightweight like Bush Jr. in the first place. Back in the 1920s, H.L. Mencken wrote that “nobody ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people.” But at a time when education is widespread and all of human knowledge is available via a series of clicks, the Fox TV network continues to prove that adage again and again, with smash-hit shows that appeal to the lowest denominator. The Hollywood writers’ strike then showed TV’s bean
counters that they could save bundles of money by serving up unscripted dreck and hardly anyone, other than the critics, would notice. So we got reality TV ad nauseum. But before everyone started cranking out cloned “real” yawns, Fox pioneered the early reality “Survivor” show genre. Those toprated shows told us that it’s OK to lie, connive, cheat and stab your friends in the back. You should also build secret alliances to screw people who trusted you in pursuit of the big payoff. The characters on those shows were not very charming, but we were supposed to identify with them. And with the lessons they tossed out, for us and for our kids. If TV is our cultural bellwether, then commercials offer a snapshot spot check of the moment. Last year, we had a parody of a famous, late-1970s Coke commercial in which “Mean Joe Greene” of the Pittsburgh Steelers gives a young fan his football jersey after the kid gives Greene a can of Coke. The 2009 version features an adult fan. In lieu of the smiling Greene, the player this fan approaches turns ugly and tears the shirt off the fan’s back. That meanspirited response was, I guess,
supposed to be hilariously funny. Progress? Entitlement-fantasies live everywhere – from yuppies in Land Rovers and Hummers to white trash with a driveway full of rec vehicles, boats and other toys that aren’t paid for. Both reflect an American notion that if you spend more money – whether you can afford it or not – it somehow makes you a better person. So simply having those toys makes you at least as good as and likely better than the herd. It can be debated whether expectations born from a sense of special entitlement, along with a decline in sportsmanship, have helped lead to the demise of civility, along with the rise of pure, in-your-face and at-yourthroat polarization in many sectors of American life. But I don’t think they’re unrelated. Un-civility is everywhere today because all of our cultural cues and guideposts tell us it’s OK to be a jerk — even in the halls of Congress. But that doesn’t mean we all have to fall into line. So applaud and encourage every sign of decent manners and unboorish behavior you see, no matter how small. Celebrate and encourage civilty. While you still can.
THE POINT: THE GREATEST TRADITION OF YOUR 21ST IS GOING TO SIN CITY
Bright lights of Vegas, baby
There comes a time in everyone’s life, at least a large majority of American 15-to20-year-olds, when you’ve reached that landmark — that perfect odd-numbered age that gives you the freedoms you’ve never had before. Twenty one — and the best thing about that age is, of course, Las Vegas. That’s right, Sin City herself will finally welcome me and my two best friends with open arms, practically begging us to play in her adult theme park. As the adage goes, it will be like letting kids loose in a
DACIA JOHNSON djohn205@mscd.edu candy store — except those gummy bears, lollipops and jawbreakers will be replaced with money, sex and alcohol. That being said, we have to have some ground rules and a game plan, because having those once-forbidden things flashed in our faces is
bound to lead to some trouble. We’ve decided it is probably best to have a “return to” posted somewhere on our arms in sharpie followed by our hotel and room number because you really never know where any of us could end up. We also have the goals of not spending all of our money in one night and not waking up next to a random person … naked. Though I’ve had my fair share of hangovers, I'm sure nothing has prepared me for the hangover on steroids that Vegas plans to give me. Not to worry though,
I’ve stocked my suitcase with three different types of Aspirin, plenty of Emergen-C and an eye mask that freezes for those darn puffy circles. I'm ready. I want Vegas, I want all she has to offer. The bright lights, the loud people, the cabana boys at the pool, and the fancy shops I can’t afford. I want to hold a large stack of poker chips and I want a mile-long drink. Vegas is the forbidden fruit I’ve waited so long to grasp. I want to throw my money away in a slot-machine and I want to watch almost-
naked girls and guys prance around on stage. I can feel the anticipation building as I talk about it. Las Vegas. She has been put on a pedestal for years as we have been planning this trip since high school. And finally, we will let her consume us. We will let her take us in and show us how to be big kids. I know she won’t be gentle, but nothing is gentle about this glorious city; I just hope we make it out of this adventure with a bit of dignity, maybe some money and the timeless memories of losing our Vegas-virginities.
THE METROPOLITAN Since 1979 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 ASST. FEATURES EDITOR Gabrielle Porter gporter8@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu ASST. MUSIC EDITOR Krista Coulter kcoulte2@mscd.edu SPORTS EDITOR Kate Ferraro kferraro@mscd.edu ASST. SPORTS EDITOR Josiah Kaan jkaan@mscd.edu PHOTO EDITOR Drew Jaynes ajaynes1@mscd.edu ASST. PHOTO EDITOR Leah Millis lmillis@mscd.edu COPY EDITORS Matt Pusatory J. Sebastian Sinisi Sam Blackmer blackmar@mscd.edu Dacia Johnson djohn205@mscd.edu ADVISER Jane Hoback hobackje@comcast.net ADVERTISING Tucker Knight tknight7@mscd.edu GRAPHIC DESIGN Kathleen Jewby kjewby@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Dianne Harrison Miller harrison@mscd.edu ASSISTANT DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA Donnita Wong wongd@mscd.edu 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. Opinions expressed within do not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers.
B1 10.22.2009 THE METROPOLITAN
Culture shock: AIDS education HIV patients share their experiences at awareness fair targeting Latino community Story and photos by Taryn Jones tjone101@mscd.edu Pedro Chavez learned how to use a condom for the first time at age 44. In the Latino community, condom use is culturally kept to a minimum, and the education on their importance is equally lacking. Colorado AIDS Project sought to rectify this problem on Oct. 17 at the Mi Casa Resource Center near 6th and Broadway in Denver. The non-profit hosted an AIDS awareness fair geared towards the Latino community, with free condoms and HIV testing available to all. Bernadette Berzoza, cofounder of Sisters of Color
Andrea Miraz demonstrates how to use a condom to Pedro Chavez (not pictured). Later, she shows how to place a female condom as well as a dental dam. Miraz considers this part of her job as a promortora.
for Education, was a colorful thread in the hand-woven support network in Denver. Back in 1989, married with two children, Berzoza discovered she was HIV positive. Her husband, an IV drug user, had gotten tested through Project Safe but never went back for the results. The State Department had to track him down to deliver the “positive” test results, but at the time no partner notification system existed. The state could not legally tell Berzoza her husband was HIV positive, only Berzoza’s husband could. Latino culture is not usually conducive to such questions, however, and Berzoza shifted uncomfortably away from explaining how she eventually found out her and her husband’s HIV-status. “You don’t ask your husband questions about sex. I couldn’t negotiate condom use without being accused of cheating, or maybe getting hit,” she said. Eventually she got tested, but the knowledge of precisely what she was facing still wasn’t out there. “I was handed a couple of pamphlets and told, ‘If you have children, make arrangements, because you’ll only be here a year or two.’ I was lost. I don’t want that to happen to people,” Berzoza said. It took another two years for her to receive treatment. But that’s why Berzoza got involved, acting within the Latino community, as part of the community, to bring them the prevention and treatment education that was unavailable to her years ago. She also acts as a promortora — a promoter of health. Along with prevention, these volunteers are the emergency response team to a person whose 20-minute HIV Rapid Test has just popped positive. Though this saliva-based measurement is wholly accurate, verification via blood is still required, due to federal regulations. Promortoras are there to take you to the hospital for your follow-up and hold your hand through the process. They will also attend later appointments and offer up the wide array of available resources to the newly life-altered patient. Berzoza wasn’t the only story-teller at the event however. Among several others, Richard Moore took a chance at sharing the recent loss of his partner. Also diagnosed in the ‘80s, he was happy to ex-
press that things have changed a lot in health care since that time. “We were treated like lepers,” Moore said about initially living with the immune system-destroying disease. “People are so afraid of us, but we are more afraid of you. If you cough on me, I could be dead in two weeks.” When his partner, who was HIV-positive for 14 years, passed away two months ago from AIDS-related complications, Moore was thankful that the two of them were finally treated like everyday people, he said. Moore said he believes it is important to explain to people just how bad AIDS is. “They think they can just take pills and be fine, but that’s not true. You can’t do anything you used to because of your body,” Moore said. “I used to tour all over to promote rock and roll bands. Now I live in [government] housing, on food stamps, and public assistance.”
“I couldn’t negotiate condom use without being accused of cheating or maybe getting hit.”
Metro{spective}
Bernadette Berzoza tears up at the thought of her grandchildren watching her take so many pills everyday just to fight off the common colds her immune system is unable to. Berzoza’s children were her motivation to become educated and stay involved.
Bernadette Berzoza, and HIV positive cofounder of Sisters of Color for Education
With little support from family and many of his friends dead from the disease, Moore has gotten involved with the AIDS Project to give his helping hands to those who are in similar circumstances. In the resource center’s auditorium, under the red and yellow balloons and arched fiesta flags put up for the event were condoms just as colorful. Female condoms were also found amidst varied flavors of dental dams and lube. With a DJ mixing his music just outside the entrance to attract passers-by, it was easy to forget the HIV testing in the back. One colorful spinning wheel, set up as a game, served as a reminder with risk factors at every turn. “Until I’m no longer here, these are the events I will do,” Berzoza said “Probably until I’m blue — or red,” she said, smiling and pointing to an AIDS awareness ribbon.
Julie Vitkovskaya Features Editor uvitkovs@mscd.edu Gabrielle Porter Assistant Features Editor gporter8@mscd.edu
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B2• FEATURES • October 22, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN
12 p.m. Sun. The Know 3 p.m. Sun. The Andy Hilton Show 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
CLUB BEAT
Auraria College Democrats By Ashley Moreland amorela@mscd.edu After being inactive for nearly five years, the Auraria College Democrats are reemerging on campus. The political student organization was active in the 2004 presidential election. Many of the organization’s most active members graduated in 2005, however, and the group disbanded, the organization’s advisor, Dr. Amy Eckert, said. Growing interest in a Democratic student organization caused the group to start up again this summer. The organization works to promote Democratic candidates and educate the campus about progressive issues. They recently held a forum on health care reform. The organization also helps members professionally. “We are moving towards being a networking group and helping those who are interested get internships,” Eckert said. All students on Auraria campus are welcome to join the organization and do not have to be registered Democrats. Formal meetings are not currently being held, but the organization is looking for new members and plans to start holding meetings soon. “We are trying to bring in new students who want to be involved,” Eckert said. For more information about the Auraria College Democrats contact Alexis Marsh at alexis.marsh@ gmail.com.
As a way to remember the life and times of Metro State, the Alumni Association in conjunction with the Student Government Assembly are currently working on the designing a class ring. Projected to be complete by Spring 2010, the ring will be given to graduating students and the alumni. Apart from color and maybe a few different font choices, The Metropolitan would like to bring their own version to the table of how we will immortalize some of our favorite memories. Cartoon by Adam Goldstein
Keeping up with California cannabusinesses The medical marijuana business is booming around the nation. A reporter taking a look at the California cannabis culture finds it not too far ahead of Colorado By Chantelle Geyer cgeyer@mscd.edu
patients with 90 percent stating severe pain as their condition. Back on the West Coast, Lee owns several other cannabusinesses in the close-knit Oakland cannabis
Cannabusinesses are spreading like weeds in the U.S. More than 70 medical marijuana dispensaries have opened this year in Colorado, with more than 40 of them in the Metro area. Richard Lee, founder of Oaksterdam University in Oakland, Calif. is leading the pack. He has been working to end cannabis prohibition for 17 years. At Oaksterdam University, some of the most recognized names in California’s legalization movement have been training students to enter the cannabis industry since 2007. Students come from all over the world to take classes like legal issues, bud-tending, cooking and horticulture. “One of the things that this school is most proud of is that we have educated 5,000 activists File photo by Mark Farnik • mfarnik@mscd.edu and taught them their rights,” Executive Assistant Salwa Ibrahim said. Ibrahim is also a spokesperson for the Regulate, Control and Tax Cannabis Act of community. He started the Bulldog Coffee Shop in 1999, naming it after a chain of coffee shops that 2010. Angie Woehler, co-owner of The Walking fought for marijuana legalization in Amsterdam in Raven dispensary in Denver, said California is so the 1970s. Measure Z is a law passed by Oakland residents progressive because it legalized medical marijuana in 2004 that makes cannabis-related offenses law four years before Colorado did. “There is money to be made as caregivers, enforcement’s lowest priority. The Bulldog functions and Colorado is catching up as people realize it,” as a Measure Z club, which means that patients can medicate while enjoying a cup of coffee. Woehler said. “The Oaksterdam motto is to be very open with The Walking Raven is one of three dispensaries within 50 yards of each other on the corner of what we are doing and that’s why we have been so successful,” Ibrahim said. Broadway and Asbury. Blue Sky Coffee Shop is a block away from the According to the Colorado Medical Marijuana Registry, the state has more than 11,000 patients Bulldog and serves as the community’s dispensary. and receives more than 400 new applications every They sell buds like purple kush, blue sky cotton day. Denver County has the highest number of candy, sweet tooth and sour grapes for $45 per
one-eighth-ounce of marijuana. An assortment of edibles ranging from lemonade, salad dressing, lollipops and the infamous brownie are also available. “Our first and foremost priority is our patients,” bud-tender Jack Sorrow said from behind the half door. The patient ID center is just around the corner. This is where patients go to verify a doctor’s recommendation and receive a patient identification card. “It’s kind of like the DMV except everyone is a little happier,” Ibrahim said, giggling. The glassblowing shop is down the street and serves as an elective credit for students at the non-traditional school. Directly across from it is the Oaksterdam University Gift Shop, which sells everything from pipes to chessboards. The university also has a student union where students can medicate and hang out, Ibrahim said. “We bring in a lot of foot traffic to our surrounding businesses,” Ibrahim said. The university has expanded rapidly and will move to a 30,000 square foot facility in November. The current premises will be turned into a campaign office and will become a museum after the election. “It’s just all walks of life. It’s the love of the plants that is one thing in the world that brings everyone together,” Ibrahim said. Cannabis University, Inc., a Colorado rough equivalent to Oaksterdam University, is located in Denver and offers one-day classes which include sections on Colorado medical marijuana law, federal laws and a hands-on growing class. More information can be found at cannabisuniversity.webs.com.
THE METROPOLITAN • October 22, 2009 • FEATURES • B3
Pursuing the art of coffee perfection By Aaron Lovato alovato3@mscd.edu
A little worn out from the fast-paced world of food service, 27-year-old Noah Price is slowing down and getting things done his way. And he’s doing it with a French press. In the 2900 block of Larimer Street in Denver, Price is working on opening Crema Coffeehouse. Nestled next to a small, local clothing store, The Strategy Room, Price lifts a garage door to reveal the 400-square-foot space he and his business partner have been constructing. The door frame to Crema lay on the cold concrete covered in sawdust. “That’s being put in today,” Price said, pointing at the floor. The coffeehouse didn’t reveal much personality at first glance, but Price knew there is still a lot of work to be done. Price is no stranger to the food service business. When he was 10 years old, Price helped his father at his Mexican restaurant as a prep cook, La Cocina de La Luz in Telluride, where he grew up. The restaurant used organic foods and every dish was handmade. Price feels that being in the food service and developing an appreciation for food was something that seems to fit him well because he grew up with a family of cooks. “I was born with it,” Price said. After graduating from Fort Lewis College in Durango where he majored in art and business, Price moved to Denver to help run a local, greenfriendly clothing store, DVLP Clothing. While living in Denver, Price also worked for a wine bar as a bartender and helped make drinks like lattés and cappuccinos. Frustrated with not being able to find a good latté in Denver, Price decided that he was going to make coffee his way — slow and more “hands on.”
Health Center tips for winter wellness By Gabrielle Porter gporter8@mscd.edu
Crema Coffee House Owner Noah Price stands inside his coffee shop Oct. 20 near downtown Denver. The shop, which is set to open next week, will specialize in espresso drinks, French press coffee and will serve a small amount of gourmet food. Photo by Jamie Cotten • jcotten@mscd.edu
To Price, coffee is too commonly seen as a commodity and something most want in a hurry. With the French press in hand, Price demonstrates how the brewing process works to get a better cup of coffee. He hopes to show Denver that coffee is at its best when you have time to drink and savor the flavor of the coffee bean. “Most coffee houses use drip coffee with filters,” Price said. “They’re losing all the essential oils of the bean.” An exciting feature at Crema is the toast bar. A variety of toppings for the toast bar will include spreads like jams, goat cheese and Nutella. Price will also offer quiches and sandwiches made
using local organic foods. Price will greet you every time you walk into Crema, as he is the only employee working there. When visiting, do not expect to be rushed out the door with coffee in hand. Instead, expect to experience the art of making a perfect cup of coffee. Go ahead: relax and a take a sip while conversing with other java snobs alike at Crema.
Crema Coffeehouse
Art culture comes alive
2862 Larimer St. Denver, CO
cremacoffeehouse.net
Lightning film a strike By Katie Kwiatkoski kkwiatko@mscd.edu
Museum volunteer Zorigtbaatar ‘Zach’ Boldbaatar, dressed in traditional Mongolian clothing, contemplates a piece of art at the preview night for the new Genghis Khan exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science Oct. 15. Boldbaatar, a native of Mongolia who immigrated to Denver in 2005, said that he enjoyed volunteering for the exhibit, which documents the history of the fabled 13th century Mongolian tyrant and statesman. More than 350 volunteers help run the exhibit, which is family friendly, interactive and demonstrates hand-held replicas of tools used in 13th century Mongolian culture. Photo by Mark Farnik • mfarnik@ mscd.edu
Genghis Khan Oct. 16 — Feb. 7
Denver Museum of Nature and Science
Tickets: Visitors — $20 for adults, $11 for children, seniors. Members —$8 for adults, $5 for children, seniors.
Winter is fast approaching and with it, the seasonal slough of coughs, sniffles, aches, pains and general lethargy. To help students keep on their feet this year, the Office of Student Activities is hosting Health Week Oct. 21-22 which includes a number of workshops and events. Here are some tips from the Health Center on keeping healthy during the winter. 1. Eat right: Keep lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet to boost your immune system and keep your energy up. 2. Exercise: Get into a workout routine. If it’s too cold outside to go running, take up something indoors, like dancing or racquetball. 3. Wash up: Keeping your hands clean is one of the best things you can do to protect yourself and others from germs. Wash with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, or use an alcohol-based product. 4. Keep sober: Getting drunk compromises your immune system, puts you at risk for unplanned sexual activity and possible STDs and lowers inhibitions. 5. Get your rest: Getting overtired can deplete your immune system and lower your cognitive abilities. Remember: more Z’s help you get more A’s.
Filled with heart-wrenching stories of survival and vivid images of the natural force of lightning, Jennifer Baichwal’s film, “Act of God,” explores whether being struck is fate or chance, and how to live after the storm. The film features numerous victims of encounters from around the world. Most of the accounts are in subtitles and show people vividly describing the death of close friends or family members. Only two of the retellings are those of a person directly struck by lightning: one, a man who now plays improvisational guitar tunes, and the other who is a certified “crossing-over” specialist for dying people, as he himself died for 28 minutes after being struck. Although the stories were heart-felt and the images were awe-inspiring, the movie as a whole felt disconnected and without purpose. The
film’s secondary segment, “Meditations on Life and Chance,” felt like an afterthought and none of the main points were fully developed. The film skimmed over ideas such as the cultural impacts that lightning has on communities, the mental affects that lightning has on people who have been struck and the beliefs of people one way or another – whether lightning is purposeful or random. Conversely, however, the images of lightning captured in the film are truly amazing and without a doubt make the film worth seeing. If you are a meteorology buff, or just love a sub-par documentary, check this movie out, otherwise, a cup of tea and a window on a rainy night would be a free replacement.
Act Of God
Oct. 23 — Oct. 29 Tivoli Center Starz Film Center
B4 • METROSPECTIVE • October 22, 2009
Continued from A1 In a shell Three times a week, starting at 6 a.m., students from Metro State College of Denver, Community College of Denver, University of Colorado at Denver, Johnson and Wales University, Regis University and University of Denver all come together into one satellite program. Two years after breaking away from CU Boulder’s Alpha Company —one of the largest companies in the state — Auraria ROTC has started standing in its own boots. For the first time, the newlyfounded company participated in a Ranger Challenge in the fall with two other companies. They came in second — behind CU’s Alpha Company, but in front of Bravo Company, the ROTC at the Colorado School of Mines. Lt. Col. John R. Toth said the company has a lot of pride in what they do and are excited to prove themselves. “They want to have their own identity,” Toth said. “They want to be known as Charlie Company.” Twenty years ago, Toth was also part of the ROTC at University of Pennsylvania. He initially joined for the physical education requirement, but after jumping out of an airplane going 150 miles
an hour in his sophomore year, that all changed. Toth believes the ROTC builds leaders and fosters a natural environment for competition – whether that may be in between cadets in a company and between the units themselves. The Buffalo Battalion, the three combined companies in Colorado, are physically ranked 8th in the nation, according to a test conducted in the summer in Fort Lewis, Wash. Still, UCD sophomore and Cadet Cpl. Garrett Hothan thinks the group will be a lot stronger next year when the bulk of the incoming freshmen will mature in the program. Hothan enlisted in high school as a private in the Army to become a medic. He wanted to see if a career in medicine would be a good fit. Hothan was deployed to Iraq for 15 months. During that time, he helped to administer aid to 20 to 30 platoon members and keep watch on their medical complications. Afterward, Hothan joined to ROTC in hopes of becoming an officer. School remains his biggest priority — he plans to graduate from Metro with a business degree. “Education is something they can never take away from you,” Hothan said.
Breaking Stereotypes, finding a way As with most members of the ROTC, Hothan is contracted.
UCD sophomore Garrett Hothan, left, and Metro junior Moses Hopkins climb over a log wall during a hand grenade assault course Oct. 10 at the ROTC Ranger Challenge in Colorado Springs. The Auraria Campus team placed 11th in the event. Photos by Jeremy Papasso • jpapasso@mscd.edu
October 22, 2009 • METROSPECTIVE • b5
THE metropolitan
A basic contract from the ROTC involves a four year active duty and four to six years in reserve — but that doesn’t necessarily mean each soldier will engage in enemy contact. “[The] Army needs to get paid,” said Phillip Garrison, an ROTC member and a private first class who specializes in finance, which is a division of the Army that does not see combat. Garrison won’t be taking the typical early-morning car ride to campus for long — he is to leave in March for basic training, which would eventually lead him to Iraq as a finance specialist, according to Capt. Byron Elliott.
learn about the history, procedures, ethics and land navigation. After those two years, cadets can choose to stay and pursue the program. If they stay, they must fulfill their contracts as officers. In addition to classroom time, it’s mandatory for contracted cadets to attend physical training, more commonly known as PT, three times a week. That’s the back-and-forth sprints, the burning lunges and the strenuous sit-ups. Mel Romero has Type 1 diabetes and will never be able to finish the program, yet he continues to participate in all of the exercises.
“I definitely look up to a lot of cadets and hopefully have cadets look up to me.” - Cadet Richard Hancock
There are 16 main branches and five specialized branches that students may enter into after completing the ROTC. The main branches may include aviation, military intelligence or infantry, while the specialized branches can be the Dental, Veterinary or Medical Corps. “The hardest thing we do as a program is [break] stereotypes,” Capt. Elliott said. Not all cadets in the Auraria ROTC are contracted either. The first two years of the program are just basic courses — students
DU sophomore Danny Herrera, right, gasps for air while training for the upcoming Veterans Day 5K run in front of the Tivoli during the Auraria Campus ROTC physical training Monday, Oct. 19.
All of the males in his family have been in contact regiments, but because of Romero’s condition, the military will not accept him for any position. Romero went as far as writing to a congressman asking for help, but he never got a response back. “It’s embarrassing for me to have to fall out,” Romero said. “Why should I be treated differently because I’m sick?” Regardless, the company cadets view Romero as part of their own and don’t interfere with his physical training.
Army Captain Ian Berg, left, counts the push-ups completed by DU sophomore Daniel Templeton during the ROTC Ranger Challenge on Saturday, Oct. 10, at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. The two day event started on Saturday with a push-up and sit-up competition at 6 a.m.
“They won’t treat me any differently unless I ask,” Romero said. “I like to be pushed, I like to be motivated.” Even after all of this, every Friday involves a lab – one with the cadets participating in practical hands-on instruction. In an hour and a half, the students dress in full uniform, grab an imitation M16 and practice various scenarios in Ninth Street Park. It might be a strange juxtaposition — but their instructional space is limited. Capt. Byron Elliott and Master Sgt. Bobby Bostick both said one of the issues facing the program is space. The program has two offices located in South Classroom 213, and one of them acts as part-time closet, just storing the cadet’s packs. Elliott said he would like to see a cadet lounge, allowing more face-time for students. Most of the funding the ROTC receives comes from the Department of Defense and the budget for administrative costs comes from Metro State and UCD. But the group of students has come up with more creative ways to drum up donations for the program. For Veterans Day Parade Nov. 7, the company is planning to run a 5K at Auraria to raise more money. The Mile High ROTC Running Club, a nonprofit program led by cadet Sean Bottlemy, will circle the campus twice.
A means to an end
Richard Hancock, a freshman at DU, stands next to two other cadets side-by-side in the early morning, their right hands raised, repeating an oath to be sworn into the ROTC. Starting that day, Hancock signs his contract. But the paperwork wasn’t anything to worry about — standing in front of his fellow cadets was more nerve-racking. “I definitely look up to a lot of cadets and hopefully have cadets look up to me.” Hancock is 18-years-old and is majoring in international studies and Arabic. He hopes to become a foreign area officer at the state level. The hardest part is PT, said Hancock, but it’s nothing new to him. He’s been involved in a previous ROTC program in a junior military school he attended in New York. “I like structured environments,” Hancock said. “When I’m given the opportunity to relax, I’ll kind of fade off.” He felt a little nervous giving his oath, but after the flag behind him was folded and the members of the company dispersed into their daily schedules, Hancock took a chance to reflect. “Something inside of me lit up — this is what I want to do,” Hancock said. Photography and concept by Jeremy Pappaso • jpappaso@mscd.edu
Metro sophomore and ROTC cadet Erik Nau listens carefully to 1st Lieutenant James Lehner Oct. 19 during his Methods of Leadership and Management class in Central Classroom.
TOP LEFT: ROTC cadet Richard Hancock, right, is sworn in to the Auraria ROTC program after finishing physical exercise training. TOP CENTER: DU senior Ryan McCann, left, squeezes out some sit-ups while Metro junior Sarah Whitenight holds his feet down Oct. 19 at the Auraria Event Center. Cadets start their days with physical training at 6 a.m. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. TOP RIGHT: Cadet Moses Hopkins, left, works his way across a one-rope-bridge with the help of teammate and fellow cadet Daniel Templeton at the ROTC Ranger Challenge in Colorado Springs. As part of the six-person Auraria Campus team, the pair competed against 26 other ROTC programs throughout Colorado, Utah and Wyoming at the event.
B6 • AUDIOFILES • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN
sounding off: Everything Absent Or Distorted After nearly five years of making rambunctious, fun and sometimes heartfelt music, local legends Everything Absent Or Distorted has decided to hang it up. The eight-piece group of multiinstrumentalists has attracted a lot of attention during their years in Denver, but with some members taking jobs out of state, the group is moving on. Everything Absent Or Distorted has made quite and impact on the Denver scene, and will be playing their farewell show Oct. 24 at the Bluebird Theater. Band member Ryan Stubbs talked about the break up, their last four-song EP called The Lucky Ones and saying goodbye. Interview by Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu MP: What lead to the band calling it quits? RS: Bryce [Merrill] is moving to Indiana — actually already moved to Indiana. He’s a professor there in Sociology. Andy [Maher] lives in San Diego and John [Kuker] lives in Cheyenne, and it’s been kind of a struggle. Everybody has their normal lives and day jobs. Just trying to keep things together … so we decided to put to rest the Everything Absent or Distorted name. MP: I read that you recorded one last EP. Did you know that it was going to be the last EP when you recorded it? RS: Yeah we kinda did know that. I mean, there’s always been kind of a looming question of how long we could keep the band together with everything that we’re doing. It’s eight people and I think it’s pretty amazing that we’ve been together so long — almost five years now. In a way, every album we recorded we thought it might be the last one … but here we definitely knew that Bryce would take this job and we’d feel better about ourselves if we recorded something. MP: Do you think knowing it was the last EP influenced it at all? RS: Maybe a little bit. I think there’s that sentiment in the recording. That it’s the kind of swan song, in a way. The last song on the record is one of the first songs that we ever played together, but in kind of an acoustic, melancholy way. I think it was appropriate to put that song on the album as a final farewell song.
MP: What were some of your goals when this band started? Do you think you’ve achieved them? RS: Yeah, I think the thing was we didn’t really have any goals when we started. It was just a bunch of guys getting together in a basement on weeknights, drinking beer, hanging out and playing music and then we started playing shows and I think what we achieved was way beyond whatever our goals were. Getting to play Red Rocks, really every show that we played, [was] the way that we were able to connect with people was way more than we ever expected. We feel really lucky. MP: Do you feel like the Denver music scene is still strong? RS: Yeah I think it’s stronger than ever. I’m actually doing some research about Denver music right now, me and Bryce are, and it’s really amazing. The venues here are great … I think there’s always been really good bands here, but I think that people are taking a little more notice of Denver lately. There are some really great bands doing really amazing things. UMS [Underground Music Showcase] is one example. You have an entire festival of local bands being really well-attended. MP: What will you do now that EAOD is no more? Any plans for a new band yet? RS: We’ve still been trying to get together and play every once in a while. I think everyone is still inspired to make music at some
Everything Absent or Distorted point. I started a band with Andy from EAOD … and I think Trevor has started playing in a band … I think everyone else is just interested in playing music together. MP: What can fans expect at your farewell show? RS: I think it will be a lot of personal statements, a lot of thanking people. Probably some crying. A lot of booze. We’ll probably be pretty drunk by the end of it. It will be kind of a celebration of what this band has been. We’re lucky that our friends The Knew are playing, who are great, and Jim McTurnen and The Kids That Killed The Man are playing also. We’re excited to play with those two bands and hopefully it will be a pretty fun show. MP: Is there anything you would like to say directly to your fans? Thank you. There’s tons of people that have been really helpful for us. All the people at the Denver Post ... all the people of Denver — you guys included — for paying attention to us in some way.
Everything Absent or Distorted w/ The Knew 9 p.m., Oct. 24 @ Bluebird Theater, $10.25
Hello Kavita
After a well-received 2008 debut, And Then We Turned Sideways, Hello Kavita, lead by guitarist and vocalist Corey Teruya, made their second trip to the studio this year. To A Loved One will prove to be a dynamic venture into the analog and classic rock sounds that Teruya stands by. Hello Kavita will play the Hi-Dive Oct. 23 for their album release show. Interview by Ian Gassman • img2007@comcast.net IG: Are you glad to have this new album done or are you each ready to head back into the studio, once again? CT: No, we’re glad to have this one out. We don’t have an album’s worth of material to record. But I think, anytime you come out with a new record, you have an urge to write new songs. It’s not guaranteed we will do another record. We’ll probably do EPs and Singles. I’m a huge fan of the record itself. Buying the whole thing, I like that. But, I don’t think it’s very feasible for people to buy records now. IG: What have you been listening to lately? Does the band ever collectively enjoy one artist and draw a certain influence from them? CT: Yeah, The Beatles. I’ve been listening to Abbey Road. The new, re-releases of The Beatles stuff sounds great, there are probably some purists out there who will say otherwise. The band Big Star and Grizzly Bear. Bon Iver, Bob Dylan and then I have been reading some Kurt Vonnegut. IG: What are the songs on this new album about? Do you seek a specific theme or motif while writing your songs or just hope for the best, natural course? CT: I think the overall theme of the record could be acceptance. Just, you know, it is never what you exactly want it to be. It’s not autobiographical per se, but most of the songs are about people that I know and people I am friends with. It might start as an idea and then branch out. Coming to terms with your own life, you get some curveballs in there, but you keep moving. Some of
the songs are straightforward, and some of them are not as specific and I think it’s okay if some of them don’t make perfect sense. IG: So you release the album here, at the Hi-Dive then you plan to shop it around on tour. Do you expect a positive reaction? CT: Um, yeah, I don’t know. Hopefully. I guess we’ll play our songs and see if people will want to buy our album. You’ll never know if they’ll like it. Obviously, we’re open to having people buy our album. When we went to Salt Lake City last year, we got a good response. IG: What is the best way to go about promotion, in regards to your last album and this new effort? CT: Our goal is to just get the record in as many hands a possible, and get a legitimate manager on board. But were going to take it one step at a time. IG: Did you record this new album entirely with analog equipment? What aesthetic does this give the album, is there a specific purpose? CT: There were a few things that were digital, but I would say the album was 97 percent analog. We recorded it on two-inch tape and mixed it down to half-inch. To me, it gives it a warmer feeling. IG: Would you recommend analog recording for any other bands? Do
Hello Kavita you believe analog is the “sound” for Hello Kavita and do you plan on recording in analog for all future albums? CT: It’s preferred for us, just because it forces you to play better. You can’t just punch in and make a fix. Like you can with Pro Tools. As long as you’re prepared, I think it’s more honest. It just depends on the band situation. IG: Are you anticipating this October 23rd release show at the HiDive? CT: We’re playing with Houses and It’s True from Omaha. I’m just excited to be playing with Houses. They are one of my favorite bands right now. They are doing what we are doing right now. The more classic rock style, not sound. We’ll probably join forces and do some covers. So I am excited about it.
Hello Kavita CD Release 10 p.m., Oct. 23 @ Hi-Dive, $10
Download These
There’s nothing that can be said about punk rock legend Joe King of The Queers that hasn’t already been said. Is he a little washed up? Yes. Has he been churning out the same Ramones-esque bubblegum punk since the 1990s when he re-formed the band? Yes. But what’s wrong with that? The great thing about punk rock fans is they’ll support their heroes as long as they tour the country. And the Hi-Dive plays a perfect host with their two-foot-high stage, just tall enough to keep the mosh pit from knocking over the instruments. Expect to see plenty of mid-30s mohawks sneaking PBRs to their teenaged counterparts.
Minneapolis hip hop duo Atmosphere is back with another set of free music. The seven-song EP, Leak At Will, continues to delve into the darker side of human nature picking up where their last full-length, When Life Gives You Lemons…, left off. The beats by Rhymesayers house producer ANT are just as strong as ever and it’s clear that he’s not phoning it in because the album is free. The heavy Atmosphere • Leak At Will drums on the opener “C’mon” are sure to rattle some teeth and the more low-key “They Always Know” is perfectly accompanied by an electric guitar line and tinkling piano keys. Lyrically, Slug attacks the drug culture on songs like “Feel Good Hit of the Summer Part 2” and “The Ropes,” a vicious critique of drug-dealing youth. But Leak At Will isn’t all serious. “White Noise,” a song about how television is dominating every aspect of America, is a lot of fun and a highlight. of the release. Atmosphere proves once again that they are a dominant force in hip hop, and Leak At Will is a great way for fans to hear more from them without breaking the bank. Download here: http://www.fifthelementonline.com/leakatwill
The Queers
7:30 p.m., Oct. 22 @ Hi-Dive, $12
By Dominic Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu
Canadian indie rockers Sunset Rubdown will be stopping by Denver Oct. 23 at the Bluebird Theater. Sunset Rubdown is fronted by Spencer Krug, better known for his work with also Canadian Wolf Parade. The band is supporting their fourth album, Dragonslayer. The album is probably the group’s strongest effort to date and establishes them as a project completely separate from Wolf Parade. With their not-quite-psychedelic sound that includes screeching guitars, melodic piano and Krug’s unique vocals, it should be a memorable show to say the least.
Sunset Rubdown
9 p.m., Oct. 23 @ Bluebird Theater $12.50
By Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu
Fat Wreck Chords has been churning out punk rock’s best and brightest for nearly two decades, and San Francisco’s Dead To Me is no exception. Formed in 2003 after the demise of One Man Army, Dead To Me has brought honesty, lost since the likes of The Clash, back to the music. With song topics ranging from punk-typical (see: politics and class struggle) to poetic, the band is sure to have long-time and firsttime fans singing along to their high-energy tunes. Local punks Kill City Bombers open, so show up early and support the Denver scene.
Dead To Me
7:30 p.m., Oct. 25 @ Marquis Theater, $10
On The Record
By Dominic Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu
In a pill-induced daze I sat on the cold bathroom floor, scribbling nonsense into my journal. The door was locked. A bottle of stolen champagne sat next to me. Headphones on, Everclear’s So Much for the Afterglow played the soundtrack of my life. I was 16. Cliché teen angst and experiences mixed with what would later be diagnosed as various mental illnesses. I was a crazy mess who cast a spell of pain on anyone I came in contact with. Sometimes it brought me hope. Sometimes it fueled the feelings that haunted, yet comforted me. Regardless, So Much for the Afterglow was on the top of my playlist throughout high school. Psychiatrists and therapists said the absence of my dad growing up was a major trigger for my depression. My dad never really left; physically he was there, but he might as well have been a ghost passed out in his recliner. It wasn’t always that way. I look at pictures from my younger years and see us playing and cuddling. I remember checking on the cattle, riding the four-wheeler and mushroom hunting together back in Illinois. I have fond memories of my father from when I was young, but as I grew up, we grew apart. “Father of Mine” sounded all too familiar to me: “Father of mine/tell me where have you been/
With a name like Experimental Dental Hospital, one might expect some kind of incredibly painful amateur procedure, but this boy/girl duo from Portland, Ore. bring a lot of precision and noise on their free album Forest Field. The pair, made up of Jesse Hall on guitar and Shoko Horikawa on drums with vocals split between them, is of course experimental. Jumping between Experimental Dental School genres at a moment’s notice and mixing dynamics perfectly. Forest Field Similar to local noisemakers Yerkish, and at times reminiscent of At The Drive-In, Experimental Dental School manages to make noisy, complex music without sacrificing catchiness. Songs like “Earthquake” and “Basement Fever” have some undeniably heavy riffs and “Cheap Wine River” showcases great pounding drums. Most shocking, on “Square Wave Cave,” the duo even flirts with the blues, showing that this is a band that can’t be pinned down, and they wouldn’t have it any other way. If you’re willing to experience what they have to offer, a trip to Experimental Dental School will certainly be worth it. Download here: http://www.experimentaldental.com/free
By Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu
you know I just closed my eyes/my whole world disappeared/Father of mine/take me back to the day/ when I was still your golden boy/back before you went away.” While a lot of the feelings I had were beyond my control, I did significant damage to keep myself down. Something about the depression was comforting; something brought me a false sense of peace. I liked having an excuse. I turned to “Everything to Everyone,” in which guitarist and vocalist Art Alexakis sang about me: “You put yourself in stupid places/Yes, I think you know it’s true/ situations where it’s easy to look down on you/I think you like to be the victim/I think you like to be in pain/I think you make yourself the victim almost every single day.” Early in my junior year I was admitted a behavioral health center. While a blessing in disguise, it was hell at the time. Daily therapy and visits to a psychiatrist were mandatory. A nurse watched as I swallowed my “happy pills.” Slowly I began to become healthier, but I hated it. I felt that the little blue and white pill was changing the core of who I was. My creativity started to fade away. My writing became bland. I felt like a zombie going through the motions of life without feeling a thing. Like “Amphetamine” says:
Audio{files}
More Upcoming Shows
B7 10.22.2009 THE METROPOLITAN
Matt Pusatory mpusator@mscd.edu Music Editor
On Oct. 22, 1999, Motown act the Temptations earned their first official RIAAcertified platinum award for their 56th album Phoenix Rising.
Everclear• So Much for the Afterglow “Her doctors tell her everything will be all right/ Yeah, you just take your pill and everything will be all right.” Eight years have passed since those days on the bathroom floor. I still struggle, but my breakfast cocktail of medication and support from my friends and family have allowed me to become a productive member of society. Everclear was a comfort for me and today I feel like I’m a much healthier and happier person. Today, I put in So Much for the Afterglow and I smile.
By Ashley Moreland • amorela@mscd.edu
A9 • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • THE METROPOLITAN
SPORTS
“It’s kind of like the DMV, except everyone is a little happier.”
-SALWA IBRIHAM, EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT OF OAKSTERDAM UNIVERSITY, METROSPECTIVE, B3
Kate Ferraro • SPORTS EDITOR • kferraro@mscd.edu
Metro 3 - adams state 0 • metro 3 - western state 0 metro 3 - csu-pueblo 0 • metro 3 - regis 2
SIDELINE THIS WEEK
Volleyball comes back for victory By Vanessa Mais vmails@mscd.edu The NCAA No. 21-ranked Metro volleyball team came home from a three-game winning road trip to beat Regis University Oct. 20 in a comeback win at the Auraria Event Center. “It was so much fun,” outside hitter Bri Morley said. “After the first two games, it was a challenge for our heart and we came out and did it.” After losing the first two sets to the Rangers, the Roadrunners won three straight sets in a row to defeat Regis, 3-2. Metro lost 3-0 to Regis earlier in the season on Sept. 22. “I think we just battled,” Morley said. “Last time we just gave up.” The win against Regis was important for the Roadrunners, because now they will be tied for third place with Regis in the East Division. “If we wanted to make it to regionals, we had to come out and we had to fight,” Morley said. “We had to fight all the way through the end of the season to get ourselves in a good position for regionals.” The ’Runners started a threegame road trip Oct. 15 against Adams State and won 3-0. Metro was led by setter Gabe Curtis with 39 set assists, nine digs, five kills, three blocks and two aces. Morley recorded 14 kills.
3 p.m. @ Nebraska- Kearney Men’s Soccer 3:30 p.m. @ Fort Lewis College
10.24 Cross Country
10 a.m. Women’s RMAC Championship @ Wash. Park Cross Country 11 a.m. Men’s RMAC Championship @ Wash. Park
10.25 Men’s Soccer
Noon @ Mesa State Volleyball 3 p.m. @ Nebraska- Kearney
Say What? “It makes all the difference. When you’re hurting, it makes you want to go much harder.”
“It was so much fun. After the first two games, it was a challenge for our heart and we came out and did it.”
TRACK RUNNER DANIELLE KEHOE, A11
OUTSIDE HITTER BRI MORLEY
“They (Curtis and Morley) both played really well,” Head Coach Debbie Hendricks said. “Bri was very solid and offensively consistent. The team as a whole is battling to win games. It shows our confidence is increasing.” In the first set, the ‘Runners overcame a close score to take the lead. Morley finished the set with a kill at 24-19. Curtis said Morley is a huge part of the team and a go-to player. In the second set, Metro overcame two Grizzly leads by forcing seven errors. They won the set 30-28 in extra play. The third set was dominated by the ‘Runners with an early lead of
10.23 Women’s Soccer
FUN FACT
Metro senior Amy Watanabe, second from left, leaps into her teammates Oct. 20 after winning a point during their close match against Regis University at the Auraria Event Center. The Roadrunners came back from two games down and beat the Rangers 3-2. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu 11-3. Outside hitter, Amanda Cook, added three kills to end the set 25-15. The ‘Runners faced Western State Oct. 16 and won 3-0 in Gunnison. Curtis, again, had a rock-solid performance with 43 set assists, no errors, five digs and three kills. Mor-
ley added 15 kills and libero, Amy Watanabe, recorded 18 digs, adding to her all-time leading record. Metro trailed in the first two sets but managed to come back by forced errors and kills from Morley and outside hitter Emily Greenhalgh. The third set was a battle, but the ‘Run-
ners came out on top after kills again from Morley and inside blocker, Julie Causseaux. “I think our team is a little more determined,” Hendricks said. “It is mostly just realizing if we are going
Continued on A12
The Denver Nuggets hosted their fifth annual open practice Oct. 16 at the Auraria Event Center, a benefit for Denver Public School students in grades 3-8. Over 1,500 DPS students were in attendance and were provided with entertainment by the Nugget’s mascot, Rocky, and Metro’s mascot, Rowdy.
The San Diego Chargers of the NFL are named after a credit card. • THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • SPORTS • A11
metro 5 - Montana 7 • metro 5 - Colorado 3
Metro club hockey ices first win of season Home game gives ’Runners jolt after losing streak By Robert Dran rdran@mscd.edu There’s no place like home for Metro hockey, who won their first game after losing four on the road. Metro defeated CU’s Division II team for the first time in nine years in a dramatic 5-3 game. Forwards Jeff DeVere and Colin Sleeth provided all the scoring for Metro with a hat trick and two goals, respectively. Head Coach Ryan Callahan said the star of the game was goaltender Anthony Davis, who was under a 53shot siege but managed to make 50 saves. All three of Metro’s stars are playing their first season with the ‘Runners. Metro had previously struggled with penalties and penalty killing all season. Assistant Coach Curtis Duffus has spent a good portion of practice trying to prepare the team for penalty kill duty. “We have watched a lot of film and worked on our penalty-killing,” Duffus said. “Of course, having 23 minutes worth of penalties in the first two periods is the best practice we can get.” The preparation appeared to pay
off for Metro, who only gave up three goals in spite of playing more than a full period short-handed. “We’re so comfortable playing on the penalty kill that it’s almost like playing even strength,” Davis said. Metro also got their first win without three key forwards. Last year’s leading scorer, forward Dan Golden, was a late scratch with a swollen knee that he injured the previous night in a loss to University of Montana. “I don’t know what happened,” Golden said, who was noticably limping around the rink. “After I took off my equipment my knee swelled up. I took part in the pre-game warmups but I decided to take one game off instead of missing more time.” In addition to Golden, forward A.J. Sandell was out with a concussion and forward Dani Furlong was unavailable this weekend. Both Golden and Furlong are expected to participate in practice. Even with all the penalties and Golden’s injury, Metro received a morale boost with today’s win due to new faces on the team taking a moment in the spotlight. “(Golden’s injury) was big, but our second line really stepped up.” Duffus said. Metro will try to grab their second win of the season Oct. 24 in their game against Weber State University.
Metro forward Caleb Glidden takes possession of the puck during the Roadrunners’ game against CU Oct. 17 at Edge Ice Arena in Littleton. Metro won 5-3. Photo by Taryn Jones • tjone101@mscd.edu
Ice Hockey’s Upcoming Schedule 10.24
9 p.m. vs. Weber State Univ.
10.30
9 p.m. @ Univ. Northern Colorado
11.7
9 p.m. vs. Univ. of Denver
11.13
7:15 p.m. @ Colorado State Univ.
Home games are played at The Edge Ice Arena 6623 S. Ward St. Littleton, CO 80127 (303) 409-2222
Hockey not only a man’s game “Furlong” By Robert Dran rdran@mscd.edu When one envisions hockey, many stereotypes come to mind of Canadian boys beating on each other over frozen water. However, when one meets Metro hockey’s one female on-ice representative, forward Dani Furlong, many stereotypes are disspanded. Hailing from Tampa Bay, Fla., where her father worked for the NHL Lightning, Furlong grew up playing hockey with her two brothers starting at age 5. Her last experience with co-ed hockey was when she was 14. From then on, Furlong has played exclusively on women’s teams. “[Men’s hockey] is a little faster and more physical,” Furlong said. Though standing 5 feet 3 inches tall, Furlong is not afraid of the physical play to the surprise of some of her teammates. She plays primarily forechecker on the checking line. Furlong plans to apply her experience with Metro to play Division I women’s hockey at Northwestern University — she was originally recruited for Northwestern out of high school. In high school her hockey resumé include playing for a boarding school in Massachusetts and winning a National Championship in 2003. After deciding nursing school wasn’t for her, she moved out to Colorado to pursue a ca-
“We have had five girls try out for the team before, but in those cases it was clear that none of them would be able to make it. She’s smart and plays the game very well.”
HEAD COACH RYAN CALLAHAN
Metro club hockey forward Dani Furlong. Photo by Leah Millis • lmillis@mscd.edu reer in sports journalism. She currently works with the Met Report at Metro. “I did not know one person out here,” Furlong said. She quickly made friends with her teammates and is treated as one of the guys. “She’s the best girl on the team,” forward Dan Golden said.
At first, she said some of the guys were a bit more careful around when playing with her — but that quickly went away by the second day of tryouts. During games, players on the other team don’t really treat her much differently. Though a female hockey player from Florida might be a surprise, the most impressive thing about Furlong is her style of play and not
her biography. She is widely considered to be one of the smartest hockey players on the team. “We have had five girls try out for the team before, but in those cases it was clear that none of them would be able to make it,” Head Coach Ryan Callahan said. “She’s smart and plays the game very well.” Though the team was originally mum on whether or not Furlong would make the final roster, Assistant Coach Curtis Duffus knew she would make the final cut. “I am personally very impressed and surprised,” Duffus said. “She handily made the team.” After making the final roster, Furlong has not been a disappointment. The checking forward has two assists in three games.
Although 24 out of the 30 current NHL teams are located in the U.S., all NHL jerseys are manufactured in Canada. • THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • SPORTS • A12
Club swimming makes strokes of improvement By Matt Gypin mgypin@mscd.edu Metro’s club swim team didn’t win the meet in Golden Oct. 1617, but, then again, they probably weren’t expected to. The meet, hosted by the Colorado School of Mines, featured competition from scholarship athletes and several NCAA Division I and II teams — including Colorado State University and the University of Colorado at Boulder, as well as the Colorado School of Mines. The three schools took first in all events. It hardly seems fair for swimmers who pay to play, but Metro hung tough in just their second meet of the season. Metro swimmer, Tyler Volz, earned a fifth-place finish in the 1000-meter freestyle. “I thought the meet was very competitive,” said Volz, a 19-yearold human performance major from Colorado Springs. “There weren’t a large number of swimmers but everyone was very fast.” Volz swam his fastest times ever in the 500 and 1000-meter freestyles, and his halfway time in the 1000 was faster than his 500 last year. “I was able to hold a faster pace for twice as long,” said the sophomore. “I felt strong all the way through all my events. I didn’t die for the first time and that’s a good feeling.” Also alive are hopes of the team
ROCKY MOUNTAIN INVITE RESULTS Men
1) Mines 2) Mesa State 3) CU-Boulder 4) Metro
Women
1) Mesa State 2) Colorado State University 3) Mines 4) Nebraska-Kearney 5) CU-Boulder 6) Metro State 7) Adams State
Metro swimmer Alex Lozovyk is framed by the platform as he competes in the men’s 100-yard butterfly Oct. 16 at the Rocky Mountain Invitational hosted by Colorado School of Mines in Golden. Photo by Mark Farnik • mfarnik@mscd.edu improving on last year’s success — a fifth-place finish at nationals. With twice as many swimmers this season, Head Coach Chris Farris certainly has that listed as a goal. “It should be an exciting season for us,” said Farris, who is in his second year as the club’s coach. “To double our team size in one year is pretty phenomenal. I’m just really excited to see what all these athletes can do.”
“It’s just a matter of these athletes staying dedicated to school and sport and making sure they improve.” To improve, Metro club swimmers practice eight times a week — Monday through Friday from 3 to 5 p.m.; Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30 to 7:30 a.m.; Saturdays from 8 to 10 a.m. Most college students wouldn’t accept that schedule for one semes-
metro 3 - Regis 0 • metro 1 - N. M. Highlands 0
Shutouts secure RMAC By Enrico Dominguez edoming2@mscd.edu Metro women’s soccer beat Regis University, 3-0, Oct. 16 at Auraria Field and New Mexico Highlands, 1-0, in New Mexico Oct. 18, as well as not even allowing New Mexico Highlands to take a shot on goal the entire game. “Everyone bought into what is going on,” Head Coach Adrienne Almaraz said. “The goal is the team, and it’s all about the team.” The first half against Regis showed a great performance defensively with the women holding Regis to only one shot on goal while the Roadrunners attempted 10. Two minutes into the second half, midfielder, Ashley Munchiando scored a goal to spark a three-goal fit from the ’Runners. Munchiando’s goal was her first of the season and made her the 11th player to score a goal this season. Midfielder, Madison McQuillams headed a corner kick by midfielder,
Gabby Klipp in the 52nd minute, making the score 2-0. Two minutes later, forward Jen Thomas scored on a break-away goal off a pass from forward Becca Mays. Defensively, the women held the Raiders to only two shots on goal, which goalkeeper Becca Maloney blocked, allowing the offense to take 10 shots on the Raiders goal. The women traveled Oct. 18 to Las Vegas, N.M., to play New Mexico Highlands and played a great defensive game, sending a message to the rest of the teams in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Mays was fouled in the box on a break-away toward the left side with a little over two minutes into the second half. McQuillams converted the penalty kick for the game’s only goal. Offensively, the ’Runners had plenty of scoring opportunities with even Mays hitting the crossbar twice, in the 70th and 86th minute, with an amazing seven shot attempts.
Forward Ashley Nemmers had her own shot attempt strike the bar in the 76th minute. “It was so frustrating,” Mays said. At first glance, the score does not give the Roadrunners justice with just a 1-0 win. “We knew one of the shots was going to hit the net, it was only a matter of time,” Thomas said. When the stats are shared it sends a defensive message that is rare to say the least. The Roadrunners did not allow one shot on goal during the entire 90-minute match, for the second time this season — the first time being Oct. 4 against the University of Nebraska-Kearney. Before this season, Metro didn’t allow a shot attempt since Aug. 28, 1998, against MSU-Billings. The Roadrunners are now 16-1 overall, 13-0 in the RMAC. They will travel to Nebraska Oct. 30 to play University of Nebraska at Kearney.
ter, let alone the eight-month swimming season, which runs from August to April. “Oh, I work them hard,” Farris said. “But I’m fairly confident that everybody has fun most of the time. That is the biggest key to this club’s survival is to ensure people are having a good time and not getting tired of the sport.” Volz said students who come out for club swimming must be dedicated
to the sport. “It’s a little bit harder to get out there and get a lot of people and be very competitive just because it’s on your own,” said Volz, who also competes in triathlons. “We’re not gonna pay you; you’re paying us to come and swim. You gotta really want it and be dedicated. If you don’t show up to practice, you’re not going to get in trouble. It’s all on you, so if you want to get fast it’s your job to be here.” Next up for the Metro swimmers is another meet against archrival CU, to be held Nov. 14 in Boulder.
Metro on fourgame win streak Continued from A9 to meet our goal, then we have to win.” Metro defeated Colorado State University at Pueblo Oct. 17, 3-0, due in large part to Watanabe’s career-high 20 digs. Morley added a match-high 13 kills and 11 digs for her fifth double-double this season. The ‘Runners dominated the first set with an eight-point swing and aces from Cook to win 20-11. The second set was a struggle, as Metro broke a 12-12 tie with a four and sixpoint run to end the set. “We are getting into a better battle mentality and getting back our
confidence late in games,” Hendricks said. During the third set, Metro trailed 24-21 but bounced back to fight off three set points. They scored the final five points with two kills from Morley. “Our energy was one of the biggest things this weekend,” Curtis said. “Every game we came out fired up and kept it through all three games.” “We feel really comfortable with where we are at. It was important, with some of the frustrating losses, to get back in a groove, especially going into the rest of the season,” Curtis said.
Volleyball schedule 10/25 @ Nebraska-Kearney 10/30 7 p.m. vs. Chadron State 10/31 7 p.m. vs. School of Mines
11/6 @ UCCS 11/7 @ Colorado Christian 11/15 RMAC Tournament
“Champions aren’t made in the gyms. Champions are made from something they have deep inside them — a desire, a dream, a vision.” M. Ali • THE METROPOLITAN • OCTOBER 22, 2009 • SPORTS • A13
Cross Country to host RMAC Championships By Scott Bassett sbasset4@mscd.edu The Metro men’s and women’s cross country teams will host the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championships Oct. 24 at Washington Park in Denver. The event marks the first time the cross country program has hosted an event since its inception in 2005. “Especially being such a new program, it’s great for our runners to be home because we’ve never been home,” Metro Athletic Director Joan McDermott said. “Plus, I think for awareness and promotion of our
program, it’s a really good thing.” The athletic department wants as many people to come out as possible and they’ve promoted the event successfully via fliers around campus, a page on gometrostate.com and through one of the events’ sponsors, The Boulder Running Company. “We’re hoping students come out, faculty, staff, anyone that can get out,” McDermott said. “It should be a great day.” Although track isn’t the ideal spectator sport, the runners look forward to having the support of family, friends and the Metro conglomerate
’Runners’ Threat
of fans. “It makes all the difference,” sophomore runner Danielle Kehoe said. “When you’re hurting, it makes you want to go much harder.” Metro is always on the road, which helps them to focus — so, while the convenience of being able to sleep in their own beds is great for the runners, being around other temptations, such as significant others, could be an obstruction, Interim Head Coach Sean Nesbitt said. Overall, Nesbitt, the co-founder of the cross country teams, is looking forward to being close to home and
seeing the outcome as a whole. “It should have a very good affect,” Nesbitt said. But Nesbitt and the team are quick to downplay the historical mark in favor of getting focused on the event itself. “We race to win,” senior star runner Anthony Luna said. “We want respect in return.” Metro will welcome nine other teams, which include the top three squads in Division II’s Central Region on the men’s side. That encompasses none other than No. 1 Adams State College,
which is a perennial powerhouse and nemesis of both the men and women’s teams, respectively. “We don’t want to give them the credit, but they deserve the credit,” Luna said. But both teams will have the advantage of familiarity – they consistently train at Washington Park – and coupled with the fact that both teams are healthy and training well, should prove the event will be competitive. “We’ll give them a good show,” Luna said.
e l b a l i a v A ow
N
Men’s Cross Country: If the Metro men’s cross country team wants to win the RMAC Championship, they’ll have to get past recurrent juggernaut Adams State University. The Adams State men, ranked No. 1 in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association’s Division II Central Region, look to win their fifth straight RMAC title and a conference-record 32nd championship overall.
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Women’s Cross Country: The Metro women’s cross country team will face an extensive range of adversity if they want to pull off an upset win at the RMAC Championship. They face the top three teams in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Association’s Division II Central Region including, most notably, No. 1 Adams State University. The women Grizzlies will compete for their eighth straight RMAC title and 23rd of which since 1981. The Adams States women have also won six straight Division II cross country titles and have held the top spot of the regional poll since the beginning of the 2007 season. By Scott Bassett
around campus? Energize your ID! The Metropolitan State College of Denver and U.S. Bank now offer the Metro State OneCard Maxx — an all-in-one Campus ID and Visa® Check Card card. The only card you’ll need on and off campus. Convenient Campus Branch Locations 1660 Wynkoop • 303-605-3260 444 17th Street • 303-629-8550 950 17th Street • 303- 585-7340 1625 Broadway • 303-629-3285
Now Available at Metro State – U.S. Bank ATMs • Central Classroom Building • Events Center/P.E.
FREE Student Checking offers: • No minimum balance or maintenance fees1 • FREE Internet Banking, Bill Pay, and online statements • Four free non-U.S. Bank ATM transactions per month2 • Unlimited free ATM transactions at our 5,100+ ATMs • FREE first box of checks3 • Balance alerts available by email or text messaging4 • New - Electronic transfer of Refund Checks into your U.S. Bank account
usbank.com/mscd 1. U.S. Bank Student Checking offers no monthly maintenance fees or minimum balance requirements. All regular account opening procedures apply. Fees for non-routine transactions may apply. $25 minimum deposit required to open an account. 2. Other ATM network owners may assess a usage fee. 3. Free U.S. Bank logo-style checks or 50% off any other style (limit 1 box). 4. View the Alert Service Agreement within U.S. Bank Internet Banking for details on balance alerts. The Maxx Card is issued by U.S. Bank pursuant to a license with Visa U.S.A. Inc. Deposit products offered by U.S. Bank, N.A. Member FDIC 090177
CROSSWORD
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A14 10.22.2009 THE METROPOLITAN
SUDOKU
FABRICATED TALES
Not so classy cake ruins wedding Across 1- Herring type 6- According to the Bible, he was the first man 10- Alleviate 14- Golfer Calvin 15- Roster 16- Growl 17- Render weaponless 18- Agitate 19- Profit 20- Unfairly meted out 23- “Slippery” tree 24- Legal science 25- ___ favor 26- DC bigwig 27- Class 32- “___ quam videri” (North Carolina’s motto) 35- Bellowing 36- ___-relief 37- Divide up 41- Narc’s org. 42- Uneven
35- Old Testament book 38- Oscar de la ___ 39- Part of TNT 40- Back talk 45- Rise 46- “... ___ the cows come home” 47- Benefits derived from wealth 49- Because of 50- Tie 51- Artery that feeds the trunk 52- ___ a million 53- Pro follower 54- Physical suffering 55- Ingrid’s “Casablanca” role 56- Canvas shelter used on camping trips 57- Exactly 58- Soft food for infants
3- Kingdom 4- Gillette brand 5- Place of worship 6- Shaft shot from a bow 7- Entrance 8- Arguing 9- Former French colony of northwestern Africa 10- Milk and egg drink 11- Absence of oxygen 12- Aforementioned 13- Directional ending 21- Give one star, say 22- Musical drama 26- Large body of water 27- Summit 28- Bang-up 29- Make lace 30- Tear down 31- Belgian river 32- Corm of the taro 33- Clairvoyant 34- Pasta
43- Bakery worker 44- Person who plays the cathedral pipes 46- Male sheep 48- DDE’s predecessor 49- Bad-mouth 50- Monetary unit of Vietnam 53- Brief review 58- Crown of the head 59- “Hard ___!” (sailor’s yell) 60- ___ Dame 61- Env. notation 62- “___ She Lovely?” 63- Desert bloomers 64- Discharged a debt 65- Defense grp. since 1949 66- Actor Hawke Down 1- Foam 2- Pertaining to punishment
By D. Graziano dgrazia1@mscd.edu The nuptials of Mike Nelson, general manager of several area Burger Kings, and his high school sweetheart Emma Lompkin were “destroyed” over the weekend according to the wouldhave-been bride. “Mike’s buddies thought they were so damned funny,” Lompkin said Monday — the day she said her honeymoon should have begun. “She’s just being over-dramatic,” Nelson said. “My BK friends stole the real wedding cake and brought the one they had custom made.” Though Nelson is optimistic
The couple moments before Lompkin burst into tears. for a reconciliation, Lompkin said there is “no way in hell” the pair will get back together.
WEEK{PREVIEW}
Botanic Gardens Free Day
6 — 7 P.M. MoonDance Botanicals, Denver $10
9 A.M. — 5 P.M. Denver Botanic Gardens, Denver Free
“Sex and Fear” film
“Halloween Dreams” Premiere
7 — 9:15 P.M. Tivoli Center, Room 140 Free
7:30 — 9:30 P.M. Vintage Theatre, Denver $17 — $22
MONDAY/ 10.26
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SUNDAY/ 10.25
The Jeff and Vida Band 7:30 P.M. Chautauqua Community House, Boulder $15
Hoop Dance Class 5:30 P.M. Mercury Cafe, Denver Free
Let Kids Be Kids Fashion Benefit Sustainability Across South 7 — 11:45 P.M. America: National Geographic City Hall Events Center, Denver $10
7 P.M. R.E.I. Flagship store, Denver Free
4 P.M. SKYLINE PARK, DENVER FREE Participants can come to the Crawl as a zombie or a victim. Victims indicate their desire to be attacked by wearing a duct tape X, appearing at points along the crawl and screaming things like, “Help! Zombies!” This is not a pub-crawl; it is a family-friendly event.
TUESDAY/ 10.27
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Botanical Spa Party
DENVER’S 4TH ANNUAL ZOMBIE CRAWL
Indonesia: A Functional Islamic Democracy 5:30 P.M. Colfax Tattered Cover, Denver Free
Mike Dooley Book Signing 7:30 P.M. LoDo Tattered Cover, Denver Free
SATURDAY/ 10.24
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WEDNESDAY/ 10.28
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FRIDAY/ 10.23
THURSDAY/ 10.22
Jessica Snow in Concert 7 P.M. Boulder Public Library, Boulder Free
Ryan Stout Live 8 P.M. — 2 A.M. Comedy Works, Denver $12, bring your ID