Volume 34, Issue 2 - Aug. 25, 2011

August 25, 2011

Volume 34, Issue 02

www.metnews.org

Serving the Auraria Campus for 33 Years

TheMetropolitan Metropolitan MetNews

Financial aid cuts hit close to home 03

AudioFiles

All about Afterdark’s inside man 13

MetroSpective Rock climbing classes ascend at Metro 11

MetSports Women’s soccer blowout win 16

Lines, lines and more lines

Students line up to get their updated RTD stickers for the 2011 Fall semester August 23 in the Tivoli Building. Students can also go to Sigi’s Pool Hall to get their stickers renewed.

Photo by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu

Sign up www.MetroStudentMedia.com www.MetroStudentMedia.com win an iPad 2 Entries accepted until September 1, 2011. One random winner will be selected.

All Metro students except Metro Student Media employees are eligible.

TheMetropolitan August 25, 2011 • 3

MetNews Metro receives grant to run regional Equity Center Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu Metro’s attempt to raise its prominence within the region took a step in the right direction this month. The Department of Education announced Aug. 4 that Metro was to be the recipient of a $2 million grant to establish an Equity Assistance Center on campus.

The three year grant makes Metro the home for region VIII’s Equity Assistance Center, which serves the six-state region of Colorado, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming. The region is one of ten in the United States.

“The idea of the grant is to establish some type of clearinghouse that districts could access and we would provide them with the best practices in the field,” said Percy Morehouse, director of Metro’s Office of Equal Opportunity.

The centers are tasked with providing K-12 schools technical expertise and training in the areas of school safety and the promotion of minority and female achievement in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

“The idea now is we need to … make

sure women and minorities have equal access,” Morehouse said. “That’s why we want to work at the K-12 level, so these students will have aspirations of one day being scientists ...and will have the aptitude to major in sciences in higher ed.”

“Metro State educates more students of color in STEM fields than any other fouryear Colorado higher education institution,” said Metro president Stephen Jordan in a statement issued by the college. “We are well positioned to effectively address the specific needs outlined in the grant because we have the tools and experience supporting both urban and rural communities with diversity programs and customized education curriculum.”

Metro will conduct several needs assessments of the region’s school districts over the next three years. As these needs assessments are conducted, Metro will inform the districts where they need improvement.

Morehouse points to Metro’s mandate to promote diversity in its staff and student body as being one of the reasons the school was selected to house the center.

“It gives Metro a chance to share its expertise beyond the state of Colorado,” Morehouse said.

While Metro is mandated to conduct analyses, they do not have compliance authority according to Kathy Rigsby, who will head Metro’s Equity Assistance Center.

“We just can’t invite ourselves, as tempting as it might be. We have to wait from the initiation,” Rigsby said.

“We already have a request from Wyoming to do something in the area of bullying. In other words, they want us to train their staff on how you recognize bullying, how do you prevent it, what do you do to

Percy Morehouse in his office.

Photo by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu

intervene, so we would … help train people in their district to actually deal with that,” Morehouse said.

Both Morehouse and Rigsby have worked in the field of educational and institutional equity since the late 70s. Rigsby was previously at Metro when the school was the home to region VIII’s EAC from 1993 to 1998.

“The Equity Assistance Centers have been called several different names but their charge has always been the same for the last 38 years, and that is to help school districts to come into compliance with the civil rights laws that impact education,” Rigsby said.

The origin of the centers goes back to the passing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. After schools were desegregated, there were still disparities in resources provided to minorities in comparison with their white classmates. Equity Assistance Centers were established to help school districts ensure they were providing equal access to all students, as required by law.

While the center will be working with K-12 schools, it will provide Metro students with learning opportunities as well. The center will give Metro students a chance to volunteer or work with the office through an internship. The center is scheduled to open in October.

Financial cuts and bruises

Budget woes directly impact Pell Grant, graduate students Heather Carnes hcarnes@mscd.edu With America in a financial crisis, federally funded students are at risk of losing student financial aid. The debt ceiling has been raised, and sacrifices must be made in order to prevent this outcome again in the future. Unfortunately, one of these sacrifices is the Pell Grant.

With such an important educational fund at risk of meeting the chopping block, students need to hear just how the Pell Grant is being adjusted. It will not be disappearing from the “Accept Awards” tab for fall and spring semesters, but it is no longer an option for summer.

“Year round Pell was eliminated after it was implemented for a year,” said Cynthia Hejl, head of Metro’s Financial Aid Department. “What this means is that students once again can only receive a Pell in the summer if they do not attend full time in the fall or spring.”

Pell Grants for summer tuition came from a short-lived fund created by the

Obama administration two years ago, according to Metro’s head of enrollment Judi Diaz Bonacquisti. This was done in order to give students a push toward attending classes in the summer and graduating faster.

Another adjustment being made will affect graduate students. They will no longer be offered subsidized federal loans.

The interest on these loans is paid by the government while the borrower is attending college.

“Metro’s first graduate program began last year,” said Bonacquisti. “Because the program is so new at Metro, only a handful of students were affected by this decision.”

The cuts being made by the feds are painful, but they could have been a lot deeper. One of the options being considered was whether or not to decrease the Pell maximum from $5,550 to a little over $3,000.

“This is where those cuts to Pell can really be detrimental for our student body,” Bonacquisti said. “In a lot of different ways, [Metro students] are the first generation low-income students that are coming from the urban Denver-Metro area that are very

reliant on their financial aid to pay their bills.”

“We’re doing our best to protect the maximum for Pell and will continue to do so moving forward,” said Sara Gast, a press officer for the Department of Education in Washington D.C. Along with talk of Pell Grants being cut, rumors have been circulating around campus that work-study is next on the chopping block.

“There has been no talk so far in the reduction of any other type of aid at this time,” Hejl said. After asking Gast if there is any risk of work-study being cut, she confirmed that it’s not a current topic at the federal level. However, Metro doesn’t receive work-study funds solely from federal aid.

“We have two different ways,” Bonacquisti said. “We have work study that comes from the feds and work study that comes from the state.”

Bonacquisti says that if the case of Lobato vs. Colorado rules in favor of Lobato, it could cut back on funding for higher education. The case was presented in 2005

and has recently gone to trial in Denver District Court. The lawsuit accuses the state of having inconsistent funding for education throughout free public schools. If K-12 gets a bigger slice of funding from the state, all other areas of Colorado funding will be reduced to smaller amounts.

“It’s like there’s all these dominoes,” Bonacquisti said. “You don’t know which one’s going to fall and where we’re going to land.

There’s a lot of things right now that are in the works that make it kind of difficult to plan for.

“The message of hope for students is so maybe we don’t know how these things are going to be funded in the future, but you’ve got your money for this fall. So students need to make maximum use of their faculty time, they need to get the best grades that they can now. Don’t rely on things like ‘last grade stands’ or ‘oh, I’ll just take it again next year,’ because who knows if there’s going to be the funding for it later.”

TheMetropolitan

MetNews

August 25, 2011

•

5

Sending the troops our love Letter writing campaign to help commemorate 9/11 Brad Roudebush wroudebu@mscd.edu Throughout September, Metro’s Student Government Assembly will sponsor Metro State Says Thank You, a letter-writing campaign to U.S. troops stationed in Colorado as well as overseas.

A letter template created and distributed by the SGA will allow Metro students to express their thoughts and gratitude to the troops. The campaign will also serve as a way for troops to establish relationships with supportive students back home.

“This is a great way for [Metro] to commemorate 9/11, celebrate the lives that were lost, and show our support for our troops,” said SGA President Jesse Altum. “At Metro State, [we] are thinking about you and we care about you.”

The majority of Altum’s family members are veterans of the Air Force; his brother a Marine. He intends to write about his personal experiences and encourages students to do the same.

“Students should write about anything,” Altum said. “What the weather is like, how

“We want students to make it personal and link it to the soldier fighting for our freedom,” Zheng said.

According to Campus Organizer Anna Maestas, Metro is working hand-in-hand with the United Service Organization and America Supports You to ship the letters, which will be nestled in care packages, to troops stationed in Colorado and abroad.

SGA Vice President and U.S. Army veteran Tesa J. Johnson Ferrell Jones said that it is important for letters to be written because it “lets the troops know that we are constantly thinking of them and that they are not alone.”

When she personally received letters of support, Jones felt like she was not forgotten and that someone out there was wishing and praying for her safety and well-being.

“Honestly,” Jones said, “I felt loved.”

Altum’s goal is to receive “one letter from every student on campus.” He knows that there are a lot of students who cannot be contacted to participate, but he is sure that Metro students can draft at least 1,500 letters.

“That’s who we’ve reached in voting [for

SGA President Jesse Altum.

Photo by Steve Anderson sande104@mscd.edu the community is doing, what it feels like to be an American, what your views on current events are, what it’s like to be a student at Metro.”

SGA Marketing Director Mimi Zheng agrees.

SGA elections]. If we can reach them for that, we can reach them with this letterwriting campaign,” Altum said.

SGA Parliamentarian Reid Palmer didn’t want to estimate how many letters he thinks Metro students will write.

“I don’t have a number in mind. It doesn’t matter if you are a peace activist or whatever. You support the troops,” Palmer said. “They’re the ones fighting and dying for you. Everyone knows someone that has been involved; we’ve been at war for 10 years. I hope the students realize how important this is.”

Throughout the first week of the fall semester, SGA members will be handing out flyers to students on campus. By September 1, the letterhead will be available on the SGA’s OrgSync page where students will be able to download the template and compose their greetings. Students will be able to drop off their letters at the SGA office in the Tivoli room 307 or any Metro computer lab.

Check out the Met News, Met Radio and the Met Report. The voices of the Auraria Campus.

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6 • August 25, 2011 MetNews TheMetropolitan

SUCCESS in College

Sign up 1 for the right classes.

Are they part of your degree or minor requirements? Do you need them to meet a prerequisite? Are they a general education requirement?

Consult advisors, high school grades, test scores and requirements for degree to help you make educated choices.

SGA BRIEFS

SGA VOTES TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABILITY, NOT THEMSELVES Brad Roudebush wroudebu@mscd.edu The Student Government Assembly approved a resolution on Aug. 19 that will provide Metro students with free bike repairs while on campus.

The SGA hopes the service will empower students to ride their bikes to campus, a goal that coincides with Metro’s commitment to promote a culture of sustainability on campus.

“This program is offered by the SGA to real students for their fee dollars,” SGA Sen. Jeffery Washington said. “We understand that our budget comes from their fees.”

A total of $4,640 is needed to purchase tool kits, bike stands, a compressor and cleaning and lube supplies. SGA President Jesse Altum is not convinced that this will be enough money to purchase the necessary supplies and staff the repair service full-time.

“I’m supportive of the SGA getting more involved in student services, but I don’t think $4,600 will be enough.” Altum said.

“I’ve been up to CU and seen their bike

repair shop and it’s like a little store.”

Although Washington is hopeful that the repair service will be running sometime this fall, Altum is slightly less optimistic about the timetable.

“I don’t see it being set up until the spring time, and even that’s a loft y goal.”

The SGA also voted on, and rejected, a resolution which would allocate $1,000 to the SGA’s apparel budget to be used on the purchase of letter jackets.

According to the resolution, drafted by SGA Vice President Tesa J. Johnson Ferrell Jones and Washington, the jackets would be used “for the purpose of brand recognition, advertising, and team cohesion.”

Washington said that the jackets would promote the SGA and bring a certain amount of “prestige” to the job. However, other senators thought that the best means of promotion come from face-to-face networking.

Sen. Jason Dirgo responded to the argument saying, “We have business cards to get our name out. How would [letter jackets] support our students?”

The resolution failed 5-2.

2

Get to know your teachers. Read the syllabus,

know their office hours, expectations, teaching and testing style.

3Attend every class.

Religious holidays, death and two broken legs are the only acceptable excuses.

all relevant material before 4Read class.

Take effective notes in 5class.

Write down questions when you don’t understand.

Record only necessary information. After class, sort and retrieve the information from your notes.

6

Study, Study, Study. Plan two

hours of studying per week for each registered credit hour if you want an A, one and a half hours for a B, and one for a C.

7Use all resources available.

On campus tutoring, library, study groups, other students in class, and 24hr access online at Smarthinking.

8Get Involved.

Joining clubs and organizations keeps you connected, improving your focus in school and your community.

9Use time well.

Plan class, work, study, friends, family and leisure time to do well in school and maintain structure and harmony in your life.

10Be flexible.

Adjusting to the different demands of college takes time. Give yourself the opportunity to find what works best for you.

ATTENTION VETERANS The Army Reserve provides excellent opportunities: • Many of the same benefits as Active Duty • Start a new career • Continue your education For more information, contact your Army career counselor on campus in the Tivoli Student Union (720) 904-2175/ 904-2176

TheMetropolitan MetNews August 25, 2011 • 7

More than just a hotel Ben Bruskin bbruskin@mscd.edu The opening of the new Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center will bring more than just a hotel to campus. Along with it will come an expansive area for student academics and the opportunity for students to gain real world experience in a professional setting.

The building, which is set to open Aug. 1, 2012, will feature 30,000 square feet of academic space in addition to a 7,500-squarefoot banquet hall which will seat 250 people.

The structure will also house two restaurants, one of which will be fully operated by students as part of a class.

The academic space will hold seven classrooms, and 16 offices to be used by the Hospitality, Tourism and Events Department.

“As a signature program at Metro State, this is without question going to bring national and international recognition,” said Chad Gruhl, director of Hotel Lodging Management. “There is absolutely no question.”

Gruhl is beaming over the state-ofthe-art classrooms. Upon arrival to one special room, students will encounter a fully functioning wine cellar with 3,100 bottles.

In a separate sensory analysis lab, students will be able to sample the wine, along with beer and spirits, in a soundproof setting which will include special lighting and an

The Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center will feature state of the art classrooms along with its very own wine cellar. Photo by Hether Newman • hnewman3@mscd.edu HVAC seal.

The building will also have traditional hotel features, including 150 rooms for rent and a workout space.

“Guests should actually experience better customer service because we will be so on top of customer service and what’s happening in the hotel,” Gruhl said. “It’s more than your typical hotel. You’re going to be over serviced.”

Room rates will run approximately $130 a night. All of the hotel rooms will be suites, and although there are no official plans to give rate discounts to students or alumni, Gruhl said he anticipates that deals may be able to be worked out during off-peak times.

Students will perform housekeeping, night audit and front desk duties. Metro senior Sam Bennani, who has opened three restaurants in Colorado Springs, said he believes this program is going to provide

top-notch, hands-on experience.

“It is an experience that someone in the field should definitely, if they have the chance, be a part of,” Bennani said. “You do learn a lot. To open up a hotel with a live crew, and the problems you come across, and how you actually try to achieve goals in a timely manner.”

Initial planning for the project began eight years ago. Although it will be done in less than a year, students who will have graduated before then will not get the oppertunity to work in the facilities.

“The fact that we’re getting it at all is fantastic,” said Susan Conder, HTE office manager and recent Metro grad. “It’s very exciting that we’re getting a facility like this on our campus, and at the same time it’s a little disappointing that I won’t be able to use the facility as a student. But, being part of the department, I’m still going to be part

of the hotel and that’s really, really exciting!”

As word gets out about everything going on at the hotel, it will be a draw for students in the HTE field, Conder said. Student jobs not directly tied to classes will be open to any student on campus.

Students able to take advantage of the positions will be working in a rare setting.

The hotel will join the ranks of only 10 others like it in North America, and 15 in the world.

“This is one of the most progressive institutions in the world as far as I’m concerned,” Gruhl said. “You can do anything you want here if you can prove that you’re going to get a return on it for students, and if you can make it happen. I seriously wake up and pinch myself everyday.”

Chad Gruhl, director of Hotel Lodging management. Photo Hether Newman • hnewman3@mscd.edu

ATTENTION METRO STUDENTS! Student Lab Hours & Locations

DO YOU KNOW WHERE YOUR COMPUTER LABS ARE? LAB

Platform

Mon–Thurs

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

KC

317

PC

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

PL

246

PC

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

PL

307

Mac & PC

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

SI

1058

Mac & PC

7 a.m.–10 p.m.

7 a.m.–8 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

12–4 p.m.

SO

103

PC

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

SS

119

Mac

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

Closed

TIV

225

Mac & PC

8 a.m.–9 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

WC 244

Mac & PC

7 a.m.–10 p.m.

7 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

WC 243

PC

7:45 a.m.–9 p.m.

7:45 a.m.–5 p.m.

8 a.m.–5 p.m.

Closed

Metro South

PC

8:30 a.m.–8:30 p.m.

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

8:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Closed

Metro North

PC

9 a.m.–8:45 p.m.

9 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

9 a.m.–2:30 p.m.

Closed

(varies)

Metro State IT Computer Labs have implemented a printing policy. For detailed information, please visit: www.mscd.edu/infotech/complabs/policies.shtml Remember, no drinks or food allowed! • IT Labs can not be responsible for lost items including jump drives. Please visit the Tivoli lost and found for assistance.

Metro State IT Computer Labs is thrilled to announce the introduction of Windows Professional 7 along with the updated Microsoft Office in all academic computing labs. Windows 7 contains the newest and updated features that Windows has to offer.

Not only does Windows 7 have an abundance of improved features, but this update will also provide the community of Metro State with the most efficient and up to date software available. In addition to the updates being made to the Windows operating system, all users will now have access to the most cutting-edge versions of Microsoft Office. Any machine operating on the Windows operating system will run Microsoft Office 2010; any machine operating on the Macintosh operating system will run Microsoft Office 2011. These updates represent our aspiration to help equip all our students with the most current and advanced technology to best prepare them to fully achieve their goals in today’s globally driven landscape. Metropolitan State College of Denver has always been a pioneer in providing the most pertinent service to its students and prided itself on maintaining high levels of competency in light of the constantly fluctuating academic environment. These newest additions

reflect our commitment and ongoing dedication to working alongside the faculty and students of the Metropolitan State College of Denver; helping lay the foundation for Metro to become “the preeminent academic institution.” Please come by and see the most recent enhancements we have made to help serve you more adequately!

A wealth of information about the Metro State Computing Labs can be found at www.mscd.edu/infotech/student.shtml. Here you will find information on lab hours, lab locations, software availability, policies or employment opportunities.

Students using Metro State IT Labs and associated resources should be aware of the rules and procedures that make up the Metro State Responsible Usage Policy.

To learn about responsible use of information technology resources at Metro State, go to: www.mscd.edu/infotech/complabs/policies.shtml.

Metro State has labs that are equipped with PC or MAC systems. The computer labs are not just for students taking computer classes. Any Metro State student who is currently enrolled may use the equipment.

Word processing, spread–sheet, database and programming software is available. Laser printers are available in each of the labs as well as access to the World Wide Web.

8

•

August 25, 2011

TheMetropolitan

InSight

Capitalism rocks…

A Postcard from China BEIJING—Late last June, just before being approached by a lady of the evening dressed in pristine white in mid-afternoon, I saw construction cranes hoist a huge hammer-and-sickle sign, emblazoned with the years 1921-2011, over the heads of tourists in Tiananmen Square. That center of old Beijing is mostly known for the Chinese government’s crackdown and massacre of pro-democracy dissenters, where hundreds died in May, 1989.

The sign announced festivities to mark the 90th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party, launched in 1921 by Mao Zedong and Chou En-lai.

American Right Wingers and conspiracy buffs need not worry. Because China’s fast-growing middle class have become more capitalist than we are.

Chairman Mao, who died 35 years ago, would be horrified to see what’s happening not far from his mausoleum in Tiananmen.

But Mao, Chou and their generation that led the Communist revolution that drove out U.S.-supported Chiang Kai-Shek in 1949, are a grandfather’s tale for most Chinese.

So are a megalomaniac Mao’s failed social experiments of the late 1950s and ‘60s – the “Great Leap Forward” and later “Cultural Revolution.”

An estimated 30 million Chinese died, mostly from starvation, when the Great Leap Forward, that focused on making steel, failed to produce enough food and led to widespread famine from 1959 to 1962.

The Cultural Revolution, begun in 1966, smashed artifacts linked to old ways and old regimes. Professionals and intellectuals – including professors and others deemed not “workers” – were marched through streets wearing dunce caps and exiled to the countryside for “re-education.” That upheaval lasted until Mao’s death in 1976.

Today, nobody under age 45 remembers and fewer care. What’s important now is money; making and spending the almighty Yuan on all the shiny toys Capitalism has to offer. It’s similar to what we had in America before the worrisome undertow of recession, loss of jobs and homes and a vanished sense of confidence.

Similarly, only a few dissenters seem concerned about a regime that remains paranoid, will endure little criticism, and moves quickly to snuff every hint of dissent.

Lip service is still paid to official Communist Party lines and Chairman Mao is officially revered. But the spirit of Deng Xiaoping (cq), who died in 1997, lives.

Deng, a revolution veteran who was often out of favor in top Party circles because he disagreed with Mao’s methods, was exiled and nearly killed during the Cultural Revolution. He eventually assumed Mao’s power in 1978, when he was well into his 70s. He then pushed reforms that included a market economy and capitalist-like enterprise. Peng broke up Mao’s collective farms, returning lands to peasant families and allowed city dwellers to launch small businesses. Ordinary Chinese were allowed to buy consumer goods and foreign investors were courted for “joint ventures.”

When Peng proclaimed that “to be rich is glorious” in the mid-1980s, changes in China were startling. We saw them unfolding like a series of time-lapse photographs dating to 1978.

In ’78, people wore grim expressions and grimmer “Mao” clothes on primitive collectives outside then-Canton while even Hong Kong seemed to have one foot in a barely post-rickshaw world. By 1995, when our son was teaching at Beijing University, the changes were amazing in an already cell-phone society with high-rise tow-

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu MANAGING EDITOR Walt House whouse1@mscd.edu NEWS EDITOR Ben Bruskin bbruskin@mscd.edu FEATURES EDITOR Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu MUSIC EDITOR Ian Gassman igassman@mscd.edu SPORTS EDITOR Daniel Laverty dlaverty@mscd.edu ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR Matt Hollinshead

J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com ers going up. Cottage capitalism was well underway among young couples, where one partner would keep the safe government job with its cradle-to-grave secure “iron rice bowl,” as it was called. The other spouse might launch an entrepreneurial business in a practice called “jumping into the sea.”

We were in Changchun (cq), a city of six million in Manchuria, and Shanghai in 2009 and South China, around Guilin, and Beijing again last June. Everybody seemed happy in a new era of consumer capitalism with few worries about government controls against a backdrop of economic democracy.

While Beijing builds ever-distant “ring roads” (picture six C-470 circles around Denver) Shanghai could be a bigger Chicago, with far more striking architecture.

My wife, Randy, who goes to Shanghai each year on education missions, observes that a decade’s worth of American-style “progress” happens in Shanghai between visits.

Alongside all the changes, respect for age remains a constant in China – even among young people. There, age is still linked to wisdom and commands respect while, here, age means the scrap heap. The Chinese learned consumer capitalism from us. Maybe we can learn something from them.

COPY EDITORS Heather Carnes Kate Rigot Luke Powell Bailey Geoghan Caitlin Gibbons Luke Powell PHOTO EDITOR Steve Anderson sande104@mscd.edu ASSISTANT PHOTO EDITORS Luke Powell Ryan Borthick ADVISER Gary Massaro gmassaro@mscd.edu WEBMASTER Drew Jaynes

ajanes1@mscd.edu

GRAPHIC DESIGN Kathleen Jewby kjewby@mscd.edu ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT STUDENT MEDIA Elizabeth Norberg enorbert@mscd.edu DIRECTOR OF STUDENT MEDIA The Metropolitan accepts submissions in the form of topic-driven columns and letters to the editor.

Column article concepts must be submitted by 1 p.m.. Thursdays and the deadline for columns is 9 p.m. Sundays. Columns range from 500 to 600 words. Letters to the editor must be submitted by 5 p.m. Mondays to be printed in that week’s edition.

There is 500-word limit for letters to the editor.

The Metropolitan reserves the right to edit letters for formatting and style. All submissions should be sent by e-mail to themetonline@gmail.com.

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. Opinions expressed within do

Do not eliminate in state tuition “Some remedies are worse than the disease.” – Publilius Syrus Colorado’s higher education system has a problem. It’s a money problem. There is no money. Budget cut after budget cut bled our higher education system dry.

Everyone will admit there is a problem, yet no one can agree on a way to fi x it.

Roger Pielke , a University of Colorado at Boulder professor, suggested a novel approach in his July opinion piece published in The Chronicle of Higher Education — a flat tuition rate, regardless of a students classification.

In-state and out-of-state students would pay the same rate, resulting in higher revenue, Pielke argues. The topped off coffers would close the budget gap higher

education institutions are staring into. The quality and size of applicants for Colorado schools would swell and attract the top students from around the globe. All of these newly-minted benefits would also challenge schools to provide the highest quality education possible as to not lose the most-desired students to another institution based on the cost of education.

The Metropolitan considers this the worst proposal for how to fi x our flat-lining higher education system. The main problem with Pielke’s plan is the focus is on the well being of the colleges institutions — not the students.

In his example, Pielke suggests CUBoulder should charge $14,000 regardless of in or out-of-state classification. That would

mean a reduction of $15,000 for out-of-state students and an increase of $7,000 for in state students — resulting in a $121 million profit just off the residents.

Pielke’s advocates the state can subsidize the increased in-state tuition through scholarships. We at The Metropolitan would like to know where is our state —which if you didn’t know, is broke — supposed to get this extra cash?

If Colorado wanted to ensure citizens still have access to affordable education, they would need to provide $121 million in scholarships and grants just to CU-Boulder students, the same amount of profit the school would net from the flat tuition rate.

Pielke’s plan fails to address the needs of schools like Metro, where 99 percent of

not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers.

students come from in state. In his analysis, there is not a single mention of the role schools like Metro play in the state’s education system.

Metro educates more than 23,000 Coloradans a year. Colorado’s community colleges educate another 151,000 annually. CU-Boulder educates roughly 17,000 Coloradans per year. So any plan that would create a flat tuition rate at CU-Boulder and other major state schools might help those schools weather this economic downturn.

Yet, for those students that could not afford $7,000 more a year, where would they go?

To Metro — and similar schools — the one who can barely afford to educate the students it has now.

Staff Editorial

TheMetropolitan

August 25, 2011 • 9

MetroSpective Finding financial footing

Auraria offers support services that everyone should know Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu Everyone needs a little help sometimes. As tired, stressed college students, we can’t always stay on point with our school and work schedules, proper diet and health concerns and mental health stability. Fortunately, Metro and Auraria recognize this reality, and strive to help in any way possible. There are numerous, little-known services and programs here on campus that aim to assist the financially struggling student as they work through adjusting to college life and living away from home.

With the help of volunteers, professionals and caring individuals, Auraria is able to offer outreach services that can provide counseling, guidance, healthcare, success training and even food to students who actively seek it. Unfortunately, most of these go unnoticed because of poor advertisement, or the simple shyness of students who don’t want to admit that they could use an extra hand. So here, for your information, are a few of the most supportive groups on campus.

The Health Center at Auraria No insurance necessary (but rates will vary). All students, staff and faculty on Auraria are eligible to receive services and emergency treatment at The Health Center, located in Plaza Building 150. The facility provides all outpatient procedures at a fee drastically lower than other community healthcare providers.

The medical offices are open Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m to 5 p.m., and Friday from 8 a.m to 3 p.m. Walk-in hours vary daily. The Health Center can be used for: • • • • • • • •

Illness care Urgent care/first aid Physicals Prescription medication Pap Smears Pregnancy tests Colposcopy/cryotherapy Safe sex instruction

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

Free HIV testing Sexually transmitted disease screening Minor surgeries Birth control supplies Psychiatrist consultations Tobacco cessation Immunizations Tuberculosis screening International travel inoculations Blood pressure check Casting Weight control/nutrition Eating disorders

Contact The Health Center at Auraria: 303-556-2525 www.mscd.edu/healthcenter

The Metro State Food Bank Located in Sigi’s Pool Hall in Tivoli 145A, the Metro State Food Bank provides an allotted amount of non-perishable foods and personal care items to those who present a current, valid student ID. The food bank is supported solely by money and products donated partner community organizations. Their most needed items include:

Contact the Metro State Food Bank: 303-352-7094 www.mscd.edu/studlife/foodbank

• • • • • • • •

Canned tuna or chicken Canned vegetables Pasta sauce Granola bars Pre-made meals Ramen/ macaroni noodles Snacks Hygiene products

Federal TRiO for Student Support Services Established at Metro in 1976, the TRiO program is a Student Success service that helps financially disadvantaged people adjust properly to college standards and environment. Their campus offices are in Central Classroom Building 101. TRiO offers assistance in: • • • • • • • • • • • •

Academic advising Financial aid application guidance Personal counseling Cultural activities Graduate school preparation Specialized tutoring Student advocacy Computer lab and technical help Scholarship/grant opportunities Academic skills assessment Career guidance Study skills and leadership

To be eligible for TRiO, students must either be a fist-generation college student, meet low-income standards or have a documented disability. TRiO also offers workshops and training programs in “student

survival skills.”

So, before panicking and dropping all your classes, check them out. Some of their acclaimed program results are: •

• •

More than 75 percent of first-time college students in the program stay enrolled at Metro after their freshman year.

At least 70 percent of students maintain a grade point average of 2.5 or higher.

Nearly 25 percent of participant who graduate from Metro pursue an advanced degree.

Contact Metro’s TRiO program: 303-556-3676 www.mscd.edu/sas/sss

10 • August 25, 2011 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan

Students learn steps for cause Metro choreographer holds auditions for dance production Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu Seven reflections danced around the mirrored studio walls in the dimmed amber light of Auraria Event Center’s dance studio Aug. 19, as barefoot students rolled, leapt and glided across the hardwood floors.

Metro Freshman Destiny Harris took her place at the front of the room and demonstrated a few steps of lucid choreography, without the usual eight-count guidance, during auditions for her first collaborative production, “Casualties: When Two Worlds Collide.”

“We [interpreted the theme] to illustrate how people interact,” Harris said. “It can be a life giving experience, like dance, or it can be fatal. I eventually want to get enough students to be in the show, or enough to start a club at Metro.”

Harris graduated from the Denver School of the Arts a year ago. Since coming to Metro, she has noticed a gaping hole in the offered dance curriculum: Metro has no dance program or club of any kind.

In 2009, at 19 years old, Harris started her own dance company, Studio One Dance.

A humble collective of three full-time students at Harris’ company practice her progressive choreography, which she describes as a combination of modern dance and jazz.

Already, the company has performed at the Colorado Dance Alliance and The Exchange Choreography Festival in Tulsa, OK.

Metro freshman Destiny Harris instructs Pike’s Peak Community College sophomore Courtney Gonzalez and Chris Meis as they audition for her collaborative dance production, “Casualties: When Two Worlds Collide” Aug. 19 in the dance studio at the Auraria Event Center. Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu “I feel like there is a need for dance at Metro because they don’t have a dance major,” Harris said. “And why not? We have a beautiful studio space that can be used for school performances. It’s really an untapped treasure. And the event center would be great for shows.”

Her noble mission and remarkable accomplishments caught the attention of her peers and other dance company directors.

Jen Fagan, director of Ascential Dance The-

ater in Boulder approached Harris earlier this year and proposed they work together to produce an original piece to promote both of their companies.

“With this choreography collaboration, I’m really excited because Jen came to me and said, ‘let’s do a show,’ which is kind of unheard of because I’m new and my company’s only two years old,” Harris said.” But she extended her hand to me and that shows there can be some sort of partnership.”

For “Casualties,” Harris and Fagan each wrote three individual works with the help of about two or three other choreographers on each side. In the truest sense of partnership, both Fagan and Harris wrote each other into their pieces.

This is the first time Harris has coordinated an entire show. She said she worked on the choreography for two months before banging on the doors of local dance studios to grab interest for her auditions.

“I know Destiny from a few shows we did together in the Springs,” said Pikes Peak Community College sophomore Courtney Gonzalez. “She told me she wanted to put me in a few of her pieces ... She’s an amazing choreographer, and I’m sure the show is going to be awesome. I’ve seen some of her things performed and they were amazing!”

“Casualties” will run Oct. 21-23. Although the location of the performance has yet to be decided, it will likely be at Auraria, Harris said. She will also be holding another audition this Sat. Aug. 27 in room 215 of the Auraria Event Center.

As for Harris, her ambition never ends.

“The next thing I want to do is open the stage for all upcoming choreographers, whether they’re young or old,” she said.

“The mission of Studio One Dance is really what I feel about dancing: coming into the studio, all lines disappear. It’s not about the dancers, it’s not about the teachers or the titles, it just all melts into one and that’s the place where we can truly see each other.”

Helping, healing through art ‘Art Reaching Kids’ program exhibits outlets for teens Matt Hollinshead mhollin5@mscd.edu It is been said that time heals all wounds. The “Art Reaching Kids” exhibition, held Aug. 19 at Denver’s 910Arts, presented art by local youth who are trying to cope with their struggles through painting.

Having dealt with abusive family relationships and crime, such as theft, drugs and probation violations, these children and young adults take part in the ARK program, led by director Steve Tracy.

ARK is a month-long program for youth who are incarcerated, Tracy said.

“What we teach them is a simple math equation of what makes good composition,’’ Tracy said. “What makes good composition comes from photography, what makes a good black and white photograph.

“Visually, it just feels good to the stomach,” Tracy added. “That math equation is very easy for these kids to comprehend, rather than ‘how do you draw an elk, or a house, or a rose?’ It’s just [meant to help] express your emotion, whether it’d be happiness, pain, hell or heaven.”

910Arts has actively hosted programs

like “Art Reaching Kids” for the past four years, and they do more than just help youth. They also help single mothers with children that don’t have a place to live or are living in shelters, the mentally ill and others in need.

“Whoever comes to our door, we won’t turn down,” Tracy said. “A lot of these single mothers have come from [relationships with] fathers who were deadbeats.

A lot of those deadbeats are going to be alcoholics and are going to be drug addicts.

All of these kids have been abused, either emotionally or sexually.”

According to Tracy, expressing one’s emotions and difficulties via art helps with the healing process. Tracy said that led to the youth telling stories about death, bondage, imprisonment and other uneasy topics verbally and artistically. The program’s objective is to help those in need move on to something better to discuss day after day.

There are emotional and fiscal elements to what the youth do in the program.

“At the end, these kids get the chance to sell the paintings and make money for themselves. Basically, [it’s] an outlet, so the kids can have fun and express all these feelings on the paintings,” said Terrance

Jones, a counselor at 910Arts. “The most lovable thing is watching the kids make the paintings, watching them sell the paintings.

Nothing really negative comes out of this program because each kid leaves here with a painting in good spirit.

[Later on,] they come back to us, they hug us throughout the whole thing, thank us for all the help and support that we give them in this program. Everything works out well.”

Now that 910Arts have these kids’ paintings on display, it’s clear that the time devoted to painting has paid off for both the youth and ARK staff.

“It’s so rewarding,” Tracy said. “These kids need support; these kids need buyers for these paintings.”

TOP: Steve Tracy, director of Art Reaching Kids, discusses the program Aug.19 at 910 Santa Fe Studios.

LEFT: A piece by Devin G. titled “Bullet Threw.” Photos by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu

Extreme curriculum

TheMetropolitan MetroSpective August 25, 2011 • 11

Metro class trades traditional classroom, whiteboard for rock wall Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu As the fall semester kicks off, most students will be bustling in and out of airtight classrooms around Auraria, and sitting through lectures that drone on for hours. A select few, however, will spend their Thursday evenings harnessed to a climbing wall and various sturdy trees around campus as they learn the basics of scaling mountains.

Metro’s rock climbing course is in its third year of operation, and is now bigger than ever.

“I have spent many years learning how to climb both rock and ice, but have mostly just done it for fun,” said Metro freshman Drew Anderson. “I’m taking this class to get some focused training on building anchor systems, and become a more skilled climber in general.”

There are no prerequisites or prior experience needed to enroll in Metro’s rock climbing class, although serious climbers are encouraged to provide their own gear.

Originally, the course was designed for people who were just looking to get into the sport.

“All the courses are taught from a guiding perspective, so it’s more than learning just how to rock climb,” said Ryan Campbell, rock climbing instructor and program coordinator at the Center for Urban Connections. “Typically, the students have been required to take people out on a day of rock climbing.”

As part of the grading guidelines, rockclimbing students who take the course for three credit hours are required to go into the field with volunteer clients. The students set climbing goals and get their clients outfitted with gear before setting up all the climbs for them. There are also a series of rescue scenarios that they have to simulate and complete during the project.

“One of the guiding mantras is, ‘set up things with the knowledge that your clients are trying to kill you and themselves at all times,” Campbell said. Making sure his students can create foolproof climbing systems is a necessity for all levels of climbers and guides.

In the past, Campbell has taught rock climbing, canyoneering (repelling), ice climbing and leadership courses at Metro.

With more than 10 years experience, he has completed certifications through the Professional Climbing Instructor Association (PCIA), the internationally recognized American Mountain Guide Association and course provider training a year ago.

The course is ideal as an introduction, but for more experienced climbers, the guide training concentration benefits students who are interested in earning guide certification like Campbell.

“There’s things we go over in the class that aren’t really taught anywhere else,” Campbell said. “The only other way you would learn these skills is if you take a guide training course through another organization.”

Currently, Campbell is looking for a way to offer a certification course for students from PCIA at a cost of $80. Receiving nationally recognized certification would

Tips for successful semester Luke Powell lpowel18@mscd.edu

Ryan Campbell demonstrates climbing techniques Aug. 11 at the rock wall in the Auraria Event Center. Photos by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu allow those diehards to get a job in guiding.

“A major area of interest for me is outdoor therapeutic recreation, and through this class I hope to gain more experience and a greater confidence working with climbing techniques,” Metro senior Phillip Haberman said. “After the completion of this course I would like to try to receive a climbing certification through a nationally accredited program.”

For the class, Campbell has the students spend most of their time at the rock wall in the fitness center of the Auraria Event Center. Additionally, they plan several off-campus trips to Castlewood Canyon State Park in Castle Rock and two other locations near Golden. Most of their field time is spent practicing safety and belay techniques, as well as building anchors.

Campbell’s class is technically focused and gymnastically inspired, as opposed to endurance climbing. He also covers different rock faces and mineral types, so that his students are educated on every aspect of the sport. “[Rock climbing] is ideal for Colorado because just here within a two-hour drive of Denver, you can climb on probably five or six different kinds of rock,” Campbell said.

“You can do climbs from bouldering only a couple feet off the ground, to routes over 1,500 feet.”

Welcome students — whether you’re new to the campus or a returning student — to Metropolitan State College of Denver.

Get out your notebooks, sharpen those pencils and start taking notes.

Now, I can’t give you much advice on what to major here at Metro or how to invest your money. I can, however provide a simple guide for success: • Attend class. You’ve paid for an education, so you might as well get your money’s worth and show up. Usually, your professors will point out that regular attendance and class participation throughout the semester will be a big part of your final grade and can sometimes help push that high “C” to a “B” at the end of the semester. Plus, when you attend class, hopefully you’re paying attention to the material because chances are that it will be featured on a test.

• Read your syllabus. It will outline every little thing you’ll be doing throughout the semester and include deadlines for assignments and test dates.

• Check your Metro email on a regular basis. Not only is it the main platform for communication between you and your teacher, but it’s also a great resource for campus-related information. You’ll receive emails about job fairs, lectures from keynote speakers and opportunities to score a free lunch at one of these many events. In addition, if you happen to miss class for whatever reason, a mass email can be sent to your classmates to find out what was covered.

• Talk with your teachers. Whether you talk to them after class or during their scheduled office hours, your professors are there to help you.

• Get involved, especially you freshmen students. Here at the commuter-based Auriaria campus, interaction with your peers is quite low compared to that of a traditional four-year college with dorms or student housing. So that means it is up to you to get out there and take advantage of the various clubs and organizations. Plus, it can’t hurt your employment opportunities after college by padding that resume. Metro suffers from a lack of student involvement; don’t let your college experience mirror that fact.

• Meet your peers. This goes hand in hand with the previous step. Talk to the other students in your classes. Here at Metro, our school has a huge, diverse student population and college has always been a breeding ground for lifelong friendships, working relationships and occasionally, a meeting place for that significant other.

Who knows, you may just meet your new best friend.

These tips won’t be the only thing that guide you down the road to success, but as a college student you already know that; your success is up to you, and you alone. As our school motto says, this is “where success begins with you.”

TheMetropolitan August 25, 2011 • 1 3

AudioFiles

Sounding Off

Peter Black shows off dark side Okay, maybe Peter Black doesn’t have a dark side after all. If anything, he’s just a humble (somewhat elusive) idea man who’s been spinning records and organizing events in Denver since the early ‘90s. Even so, he doesn’t want to be considered another straightforward DJ or random promoter. Instead, Black would rather sit in the shadows and quietly orchestrate badass events like the Denver Afterdark Music Festival.

The Metropolitan spoke to Black about what it took to organize this nighttime block party, featuring more than 20 of Denver’s best up-and-coming bands.

Interview by Ian Gassman • igassman@mscd.edu IG: What is the Denver Afterdark Music Festival all about and why did you decide to organize it?

PB: Well, I’ve been doing Analog Space events for nearly five years now and during the course of that, we’ve always invited local artists that are really on the cusp or just doing something different. I felt like [Analog Space] was the perfect way for us to turn people on to things that were just bubbling up, I guess. It was always between that music, coupled with a dance party, where the night just ended in a frenzy, with a mass of people having a good time … [Now], nearly five years on, [Analog Space] has gotten so big that we get people asking to play our parties. So, for Halloween of 2010, we put out a compilation called “Afterdark” that featured 10 tracks by a lot of the people that we thought were really breaking ground and we did a big Halloween party, it was huge … by early June, I was like, “Man, it’s time for another Afterdark.” From there, I just started sitting down and having meetings with as many people as I could get interested.

IG: What is Analog Space specifically?

PB: First, it’s always been the roster of DJs that work with me. Almost anybody starts up as a crew. So when I first started out, I chose a couple of people and it’s always been a revolving cast because people have moved on to different cities and they’ve done phenomenal things … from there, [Analog Space] became an umbrella organization for design, booking, really anything that we do, that’s our way of branding it.

IG: Do you consider yourself a DJ or a promoter?

PB: Neither, at all. I consider myself an artist … I’ve always been a painter, designer, whatever. I do all the design for everything Analog Space–related. The flyers, the

photo shoots. So, I think, in this day and age, anybody that’s even remotely involved with music needs to be well-versed in this media, in general. Just being a DJ these days, that’s not enough. Or just being a promoter, [that’s] where you see people that have no idea of how the industry works and why they’re so poor at something they do.

IG: In terms of promotion, why did you decide to release a second “Afterdark” compilation?

PB: We knew we wanted to move forward with having another [compilation] come out … So, we decided to have the [festival], we invited 24 acts that we wanted to perform and we asked them if they would submit exclusive or unreleased material once they had already accepted to play the festival.

[Then], we could put together a compilation that featured artists playing at [Afterdark].

IG: What can people expect from Afterdark’s supposed “block party” vibe? How many venues are involved?

PB: More or less, they lay of the land is that Larimer Lounge [will host] “traditional” bands. Force Publique is our headliner there; Vitamins, Gauntlet Hair, [bands] like that. The Flobots stage is known for working with community outreach, so you don’t have to be 21 to get into that area nor do you have to have a festival pass … I would say that’s our most eclectic stage … The Meadowlark stage, downstairs, is aimed more at producers and DJs. That one, we envision, is going to turn into a sweaty, dancey mess. Then we have another stage outside where you can actually sit, really dig in and [let the experience] wash over you.

IG: Although Afterdark has been dubbed as a local-oriented electronica festival, there are a lot of artists playing that aren’t based in electronic music at all. Why is this?

PB: What’s funny [is that] so many people ask me about all

Peter Black brings the party to life.

Photo courtesy of Peter Black. these other bands, but I’ve been in a band myself. I was in a group called The Funeral that toured all over; we played in Denver a lot. So I really try to focus on bands just as much.

There’s no one person or another that fits [the bill] more … there was a particular theme in that, I would say, all the artists seem to have this dark edge to them. Whether it’s electronic, whether it’s the bass, whether it’s the sound of the band, there’s something about it that just spoke to me as more of a “twilight” sound, as opposed to “too happy,” or “too indie.”

IG: In your opinion, what does Afterdark say about Denver’s music scene?

PB: I think the Afterdark festival is just hitting the nail on the head of [the] huge potential that Denver’s music scene has, in general. We could have done so much more and we hope to in the future. But, you have to start out somewhere. Out the gate, you don’t want to get overly ambitious — we got to give everyone a powder keg of fun, then a dud [laughs].

Denver Afterdark Music Festival 7 p.m., Aug. 26 at 2700 Larimer St. $12

More Upcoming Shows

Glo Fi

Summer may be over for us students here at Auraria, 8 p.m., Aug. 25 @ but that hasn’t stopped the Larimer Lounge, $15 Larimer Lounge from putting together a lineup filled with chilled out bands. Billed as Glo Fi State of Mind, it should be a night of laid back goodness.

Fans of Toro y Moi and Washed Out should dig on Athens, Georgia’s Brothertiger, whose most recent EP, Vision Tunnels, features some great summer anthems like “You’re Afraid,” while Flashlights’ Hidden Behind Trees has been making a splash locally since its release earlier this year. For the low price of $15, this show should help you forget the stresses of a new semester and just drift away on the synthesized vibes.

By Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu

Brass Tree #7

If you’re into local music or D.I.Y. culture, 1 p.m., Aug. 27 @ then it is paramount that 106 W. Irvington, free you attend this Saturday’s installment of the Brass Tree Sessions, featuring Accordion Crimes, Amazing Twin and ManCub. The Brass Tree house is located off South Broadway and is home to some of the most delightful (and technologically gifted) music lovers you’re likely to meet in the local scene. For each show, this film crew turns their proper house into a moderate venue and films local acts. So grab some beer, a few friends and watch each intimate session unfold before your eyes all for free.

By Stephanie DeCamp • sdecamp@mscd.edu

Two Gallants

Just because Two Gallants is a lo-fi folk 8 p.m., Sept. 2 @ duo doesn’t mean they’re worth listening Hi-Dive, $15 to. Beyond every other active duo out there, Adam Stephens and Tyson Vogel don’t really have that much to offer and, oddly enough, they’re still touring on their 2007 self-titled Saddle Creek release in 2011. But what keeps them interesting is the fact that they know how to strip their sound down and make emotional, rambling, if not bombastic, folk rock for those who feel bitter, but need a hint of hope. Plus, with all this touring under their belts, they can play those old songs better than ever before.

By Ian Gassman • igassman@mscd.edu

14

• August 25, 2011

AudioFiles TheMetropolitan

ON THE RECORD

Reawakening to The Used

By Heather Carnes • hcarnes@mscd.edu myself I would never marry in the temple because I don’t want to deny anyone entry to the ceremony.

I was convinced all these things meant I was hell-bound.

The music told me otherwise. Listening to it felt like a sin at the beginning, but soon I found other people, other Mormons, loving the same songs.

My interests and disinterests in life did not make me a bad person. I was 13, how evil could I be? What I thought was evil I now know is common sense — I shouldn’t be practicing a religion I don’t believe in.

So I transferred my faith into The Used and I have yet to be let down. It’s been seven years of dedication that remains as strong as it was in the beginning. I will admit, there have been a few songs that have left me disappointed, but they always find a way to make it up to me.

Their most recent album, Artwork, was released in August of 2009. It was the summer after my high school graduation, and it promised me my first concert experience with The Used. The concert was incredible.

The band stayed true to its die-hard fans and played a song from nearly every one of its albums, including all of my favorites from the self-titled collection that first drew

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The age of 13 holds so many evils. I remember a large amount of screaming, slight swearing, and a big middle finger to the expectations of religious society.

But it wasn’t me doing these things.

The Used were my first “you’ve gotta hear this” music group. The first and only Mormon musicians that I actually wanted to listen to. I was in eighth grade when I first heard The Used’s self-titled album, released in 2002, and I was forever changed.

The band originates from Orem, Utah — a part of the Mormon Motherland of America. The “promised land” of “my people.” But I wouldn’t have guessed this if it hadn’t been for the music video for “The Taste of Ink,” when I saw an actress portraying the guitarist’s mother wearing a Bringham Young University T-shirt. My guess was confirmed once more when I saw the same band member flash the hand sign for “The Mormon Word” in the video for “A Box of Sharp Objects.”

The music, the videos, the band — it all changed my perception of life.

I never found myself able to fit into the norms of Mormon living. My entire life, I’ve loved the smell and taste of coffee, since I was young I’ve craved the idea of getting piercings and tattoos and I’ve always told

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The Auraria Campus Bookstore, unlike other Auraria bookstores, directly reinvests its resources Campus Bookstore back into the campus. The Auraria Campus Books and more...

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Put your faith in this album. Photo courtesy of The Used me in.

That summer concert was the grand finale of my adolescence as I was preparing for life’s next big step: college. That was two years ago; I still get goose bumps think-

ing about all that electricity coming off the stage. I grew up (and fell in love) with The Used, and I will continue to grow with them.

TheMetropolitan August 25, 2011 • 15

MetSports

Men’s soccer kicks off season

Roadrunners win 2011 opener, tie the next day

By Matt Hollinshead mhollin5@mscd.edu Losing Steven Emory did not seem to drastically affect the Metro men’s soccer team at the start of 2011, but they showed signs that there’s more work to be done.

Emory, the 2009 and 2010 conference player of the year, was Metro’s go-to scorer last season with 17 goals. He’s now with the Colorado Rapids.

Despite not having a player of that caliber for the time being, the Roadrunners defeated Western Nebraska Community College 2-1 Aug. 19 and settled for a 1-1 tie against Nebraska’s Hastings College Aug. 20 in exhibition play to start the new campaign.

“Preseason games are always an opportunity to find the right chemistry with players,” head coach Ken Parsons said. “I don’t think we had the wide number of contributions from a wider number of players.

You’re not going to do everything perfectly.

The finishing is going to come over the course of the year.”

Against WNCC, Metro was sluggish right out of the gate, struggling with ball control and failing to dominate the number of touches.

“I thought there were bad decisions, as far as our distribution goes,” Parsons said. “We were giving too-difficult balls to try and settle down. It was one of those games where the quality was right, but the decision-making was wrong.”

On top of that, Metro had numerous opportunities to score early on, but failed to do so.

This resulted in frustration on the field, where the game became physical, to the point of pushing and shoving.

Senior forward Scott Grode, who was named to the 2011 first-team preseason All-RMAC squad, was among those who seemed frustrated with what was transpiring on the field. “(Opponents) try and get in your head,” Grode said. “It’s all part of the game. You’ve just got to man up and take charge.”

WNCC’s Manolo Garcia-Oronoz scored the first goal of the contest at 36:32.

Grode later responded with the equalizer at 29:50 to tie the game at one.

Then, with 22.2 seconds remaining, junior forward Marc Herschberger came through in the clutch with the game-winning goal.

“We started off pretty slow and sluggish,” Grode said. “I was proud of the way we fought through and got the result.”

The next day against Hastings, who won the 2010 National Association of Collegiate Athletes men’s soccer title, Metro was much more aggressive and composed on the field.

2011 RMAC MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON COACHES POLL School (First Place Votes) 1. Colorado Mines (8) 2. Fort Lewis 3. Metro State (1) 4. Regis 5. Colorado Mesa 6. CSU-Pueblo 7. UC-Colorado Springs 8. Colorado Christian 9. Adams State 2011 PRESEASON ALL-RMAC

Metro junior forward Marc Herschberger, right, battles for the ball against a Western Nebraska Community College defender Aug. 19 at Auraria Field.

Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu However, there was tension on the field once again, as HC junior midfielder Nate Polak and Metro junior defender Jeremy Brooks each picked up yellow cards.

At the 4:04 mark in the first half, the Runners took a 1-0 lead.

The Broncos hit a header into their own net while trying to send the ball the opposite way.

HC later compensated with 16:25 remaining in regulation with a free kick goal

by Polak.

Later on, the Roadrunners got into a tough position, as the Broncos had a chance to take the lead on a penalty kick.

However, at 11:44, junior goalkeeper

Issa Bissau made a key save, ultimately saving the game for Metro.

“I had to make up for it. I caused the penalty,” Bissau said. “Fortunately, I was able to read where (the ball) was going and make the save.”

The game concluded in a 1-1 draw.

Going forward, Coach Parsons believes his team has the potential for success.

“I thought that we competed well,” Parsons said. “We’ll just work on some things that we need to clean up. I know what they’re capable of, what the standard should look like. They just executed much better [against Hastings]. I think we still have some questions, but they’re good questions.

Pos.

Name

Year

School

MF

Chike* Sullivan

Sr.

Mines

MF/F

Tesho* Akindele

So.

Mines

D

Fabian* Kling

Sr.

Fort Lewis

F

Scott Grode

Sr.

Metro

F

Kyle Emge

Sr.

Regis

GK

Manville Strand

Jr.

Mines

F

Ben Buhler

Sr.

Regis

MF

Thomas Hoang

Sr.

Fort Lewis

D

Taylor Diem

Jr.

Regis

F

Matt Friesen

Sr.

UCCS

F

Baski Baker

So.

Mines

* = Unanimous selection We have four midfielders that did very well.

We have to make a decision on who’s going to give us the better option.”

Metro will participate in the 2011 alumni game Aug. 27, matching current players up against former players. They’ll continue to try and build momentum against Colorado College the following afternoon in Colorado Springs.

“Being able to rely on not just one person, but an entire team, is good. It makes us better, it makes us a lot more dangerous,” Bissau said. “If we’re able to have teams not key in on one player, [and] if we’re able to spread the wealth, so to speak, have everyone contribute, that’s a lot better for us.”

16 • August 25, 2011 MetSports TheMetropolitan

Metro wins big in first match Seven different players score in 12-0 rout of Cougars

By Paul Meyer pmeyer8@mscd.edu The Metro women’s soccer team started 2011 in dominating fashion, defeating Western Nebraska Community College, 12-0, in exhibition play Aug. 19. The Roadrunners looked like they were in mid-season form, showing great energy.

Freshman midfielder Camilla Rodrigues had three goals and an assist on the game. Redshirt freshman forward Karisa Price had the most goals on the day with four.

The Runners came out strong, showing great ball control and aggressiveness throughout the game.

“For us, we’ve talked about it a lot and worked on high pressure, making sure we’re winning balls on their third of the field versus waiting to go all the way back,” head coach Adrianne Almaraz said. “I thought the girls worked hard. The big thing too is they played maybe only half a game, and they had fresh legs.”

The Runners attacked the net early and often, taking advantage of early opportunities that resulted in goals.

Metro scored six goals in each half of the game. Junior defender Hayley Marsh, who transferred from San Diego State University, made her Roadrunner debut and got the offensive barrage going with a goal on a header. Seven different players scored goals for the Runners.

“It’s essential to have different goal scorers,” Marsh said. “It brings a lot to the other team [and] makes it hard to defend.”

Not only did Metro score goals, their defense picked up, allowing only three shots during the entire game. Aggressiveness and a composed defense is what really gave the Runners an edge in this game. “[On] defense, we really connected.

We talked, we did everything right, and I think we came together as a group,” senior defender Jakkie Greer said. “As far as from the defense to midfield to forward [goes], we all connected.”

The newcomers put forth a strong effort and showed why they are here at Metro.

Coach Almaraz is excited to have the new players this season.

“The most exciting thing is there’s a lot of new faces,” Almaraz said. “Half our team is new, and it’s exciting to see what they’re doing. The returners are doing their parts as well.”

Metro will participate in the 2011 women’s soccer alumni match at Auraria Field Aug. 28, where current players will square off against former players. After that, they’ll open at Auraria Field against Upper Iowa University and Kansas’ McPherson College Sept. 2 and 4.

Women’s soccer freshman midfielder Camilla Rodrigues dribbles the ball to the side against Western Nebraska Community College at Auraria Field Aug. 19.

Photo by Matt Hollinshead • mhollin5@mscd.edu

Check out metnews.org/sports for all your Metro athletics coverage!

Ready for Broncos football?

Denver headed in right direction under Coach John Fox Josh McDaniels turned a proud Broncos franchise into an NFL laughing stock over a 23-month period. Now, after hiring former Carolina Panthers coach John Fox, Denver appears to be going in the right direction.

McDaniels made numerous controversial moves, from trading Jay Cutler to Chicago in 2009 to drafting Tim Tebow in 2010. Aside from showing poor judgment with the Jay Cutler trade, McDaniels also had a rocky relationship with wide receiver Brandon Marshall, who was eventually traded to Miami.

In addition, McDaniels turned Mike Shanahan’s 4-3 defense into a 3-4 system, which didn’t work. It didn’t work partially because Denver lacked depth on the defensive line, due to Elvis Dumervil’s seasonending torn pectoral muscle injury.

Today under Coach Fox, Denver runs a 4-3 defensive system once again. In addition, the defense is far more aggressive and physical, which was not the case when McDaniels was running the show. The defense seemed rather soft.

The defense is now younger and more athletic. Veterans like strong safety Brian Dawkins are still in Denver for leadership.

However, I anticipate hard-hitting rookies Von Miller and Rahim Moore to represent the heart of the Broncos’ defense in the future, and both of whom are starters this year at strong-side linebacker and free safety, respectively.

Although Denver lost the preseason opener at Dallas, 24-23, on a two-point conversion, the first-team defense looked absolutely solid, only allowing three points in the first half. The Denver defense collapsed when the second and third-teams took the field.

Oh, and let’s not forget about the offense. Quarterback Kyle Orton, who

There’s light at the end of a dark, treacherous tunnel that Josh McDaniels created for Denver.

Matt Hollinshead mhollin5@mscd.edu was just named the opening day starter, looks very good so far in the 2011 preseason, throwing 12-19 for 172 yards and a touchdown.

Surprisingly, Brady Quinn, last year’s number three QB, has made his case to be Orton’s backup. He’s been the most efficient all-around guy, throwing 18-39 for 250 yards, two touchdown passes and an interception.

Now, the lingering question is this: has Quinn made a good enough case to be Denver’s insurance policy in case Orton goes down, or does he go away via trade or free agency?

Although the passing game appears to be paying off at the moment, Denver is running the ball efficiently with at least five guys combining for 188 rushing yards and showing promise after the first two preseason games. So far, the Broncos appear to have plenty of running back depth and potential.

Despite starting 1-1 after their 24-10 preseason victory over Buffalo Aug. 20, there’s light at the end of a dark, treacherous tunnel that Josh McDaniels created for Denver. John Fox has the coaching experience and defensive expertise to completely turn the Broncos around in the near future.

The Broncos will no longer be the Donkeys or the Jackasses going forward, but this process will take time. The transformation won’t happen today, won’t happen tomorrow and it probably won’t happen over the course of the 2011 campaign.

Nevertheless, I assure all you Broncomaniacs that Denver is going in a positive direction, collectively. This upcoming year will be very telling as to whether or not that will end up being true.

18 • AUGUST 25, 2011

TheMetropolitan

TimeOut This

Week 8.25 Catch the Vapor! Hip Hop 11 a.m.–3 p.m.

Tivoli

CU Denver Live welcomes students back to Auraria with free food from Denver food trucks and music by artitists such as Air Dubai and Jonny 5 from the Flobots.

Free

8.26 Drag Nation

Across 1- Compact by pounding 5- Grain to be ground 10- Queue after Q 14- A dish with many ingredients 15- Coniferous tree 16- Norwegian king 17- Baum barker 18- Bellowing 19- Skater Lipinski 20- Bird feed 21- Having a downward curve 23- Acapulco article 25- According to 26- Evolves 31- Hybrid beast 35- “Hold On Tight” band 36- Chew the scenery 38- Advert 40- Intentions 42- Methuselah’s father

44- Cube creator Rubik 45- Nymph presiding over rivers 47- Old Nick 49- 7th letter of the Greek alphabet 50- Mar. honoree 52- Municipal native 54- ___ the season...

56- Understanding 57- Now and then 62- Bones found in the hip 66- Singer Mitchell 67- Molars, e.g.

68- Sleeveless garment 69- Citrus coolers 70- Madonna role 71- Prepare a book or film for release 72- Golfer Aoki 73- Continue a subscription 74- Actress Turner

Down 1- Small children 2Burn soother 3- Microscopic arachnid 4- Breed of dog 5Delightful 6- Describes a gently cooked steak 7- Camaro model 8- Milan’s La ___ 9- Pleasurable feeling 10- Roster 11- Bed support 12- Shipping deduction 13- Charlottesville sch.

22- Depilatory brand 24- Cheer for Manolete 26- Faculty head 27- Inventor Howe 28- Throw up 29- Soprano Lily 30- Brown ermine 32- “Fancy that!”

33- Violinist Zimbalist 34- Oscar de la ___ 37- Prefix with plasm 39- Horse color 41- Dupe 43- Detective 46- Go out with 48- Vane dir.

51- Stifled laugh 53- Whine 55- Sift 57- Lays down the lawn 58- Draft classification 59- Japanese soup 60- Chow ___ 61- Kitchen addition 63- Moon of Jupiter 64- The doctor ___ 65- ___ boy!

66- ___ alai

9 p.m.

Tracks 3500 Walnut St.

A night of diva performances with a Madonna twist. $15

8.27 Passport to Well Being

9 a.m.–3 p.m.

Infinity Park Event Center 4400 E. Kentucky Ave.

This family event promoting holistic health will offer workshops, activities and displays, as well as health screening and information.

Free

8.28 Boulder PrideFest

11 a.m.

Boulder Country Farmers Market, 13th St., Boulder

The eighth-annual event for all ages will feature music, performances, food, local artisans and educational activities Free

8.29

CEA Keys to Success Kickoff Meeting 4–6 p.m.

Tivoli 320B

Colorado Education Association will be providing college success tips and giving away $500 worth of Auraria Bookstore gift cards, two free CEA memberships and T-shirts.

Free

8.30 Taste of Languages 6 p.m.

Sturm Hall, University of Denver 2000 E Asbury Ave.

Attendees will recieve a 30-minute lesson in a select language and dishes from its tradiditional cuisine.

Free

8.31

Where the F Did that Come From?

11 a.m.–12:15 p.m.

Tivoli Turnhalle

Discussion with Adam Mansbach, New York Times Best Selling Author of “Go the Fuck to Sleep.”

Free

Photo of the Week

Texts From Last Night I’m tangled in a fishing net down at the harbor. This has nothing to do with Captain Morgan. Bring wirecutters.

I don’t think of it as I’m taking a pole dancing class...its more like I’m making myself recession proof Okay, quick math test. If our entire group can do at least 6 shots a night, how much alcohol will be needed to keep us shit faced for the rest of the week? This is for a grade. Anddd, go.

CCD student Cynthia Van asks Marc Parenteau for directions to her class.

Van is returning to school to study biology this semester. Photo by Brandon Martinez • bmart106@mscd.edu