Volume 34, Issue 3 - Sept. 1, 2011

September 1, 2011

Volume 34, Issue 03

www.metnews.org

Serving the Auraria Campus for 33 Years

TheMetropolitan Metropolitan MetNews

InSight

MetroSpective

MetroSports Metro

Is bike repair shop coming to Auraria? 3

Op-Ed: God’s wrath on government spending 8

FirePower sparks interest in Denver art scene 9

Alumni weekend wrap-up 15

A closer look at Ramadan

A little girl watches as women and men gather for a joint Eid al-Fitr prayer at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park the morning of August 30. Photo by Rachel Fuenzalida • rfuenzal@mscd.edu

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TheMetropolitan September 1, 2011 • 3

MetNews

New bike tune-up program Brad Roudebush wroudebu@mscd.edu There’s no doubt Metro is a commuter campus.

The summer is quickly fading, but long into the fall, students will pedal their twowheeled green machines through the streets of Denver to attend classes at Metro. Bike racks litter Auraria Campus, waiting to get cozy with the front wheel of a bicycle while its owner is in class.

But what happens if a student’s economical form of transportation fails them? A flat tire, a derailed chain or a loose seat can all hamper a cyclist from getting to work, school or home on time.

Last week, Metro’s Student Government Assembly passed a resolution that it hopes will provide students with a campus bike repair service. The service will be paid for by the SGA through student fees. The $4,460 budgeted for the project will cover tools, supplies and labor needed to run a bike repair shop.

“We are looking how to pilot this program, see if there is an interest on campus and how it is going to be supported essentially through student fees,” said Tony Price, Director of Campus Recreation. “We need to look at how we are going to staff it, how we are going to maintain it, where we are going to get our equipment and tools from and if students are going to pay for it.”

SGA President Jesse Altum is concerned that the amount budgeted will fail to cover the total expense of the project.

“I’ve been up to CU and have seen their bike repair shop and it’s like a little store,” he said. “This is like a micro-seed investment for a small business — it’s more of a startup cost,” he said. “If you break down the [budget], it would only allow someone

Bicycles are locked on the racks outside the Auraria Events Center. The SGA senate approved a resolution to provide Metro students with free bike repair services.

Photo by Steve Anderson • sande104@mscd.edu to run the shop for 5 hours a week. We want to reach more students than that.”

Price said SGA is looking for this to be a free service but doesn’t know if that would be sustainable in the long run.

“I envision this being a way for students to get minor repairs to their bikes for little or no cost, and grow it from there,” said Price.

Through the Department of Campus Recreation, Metro’s Outdoor Adventure Program hosts bike tuning clinics for riders, a concept he’d like to see incorporated in the service. By providing training to people, Price thinks students “can become sufficient enough to do basic repairs.”

Price sees the fledgling program starting out by utilizing canopies, tents and a couple of mobile bike repair centers and seeing if

they are utilized and popular before committing to a permanent spot.

SGA Senator and resolution drafter Jeffery Washington originally wanted the service to be offered at the new Student Success building. However, due to lack of space, Washington has been working with Price and other college facilities coordinators to identify other potential locations for the repair center. He believes somewhere around the West Classroom Building would be “ideal.”

In the long term, Price could imagine a time that the repair service parlays itself into improvements in bike parking (a secured, staffed bike lot), a bike sharing program (possibly involving Denver’s B-Cycle program), and a bike lane through campus (for students to safely navigate the swarms of pedestrians). However, not wanting to

reinvent the wheel, Price suggests “looking at what other schools or universities are doing — sort of a ‘best practices’ model.”

University of Colorado’s fully functional bike program is set up to serve the nearly 30,000 students attending classes on the Boulder campus.

According to Jena Cafiero, the university’s Parking and Transportation Communications Director, for ten dollars students can register their bikes with the school. This serves a dual purpose — a means to deter bike thefts and fund the Bike Station.

For this one-time (per bike) fee, CU students are able to get free repairs to their bikes that don’t require new parts, and lowcost fixes for those that do. It also serves as a way to recover a lost or stolen bike from police.

CU also offers bike rentals and a service called Mobile Mechanic which actually sends a mechanic out to fix any problems a broken-down cyclist may have. During the winter months, when the bike repair service is not offered, students are still able to pedal about campus.

“During the last fiscal year, 2,700 students registered their bikes through the program and an additional 9,400 utilized the bike rentals and other services we offer,” Cafiero said.

At the time of print, CU had not responded to requests for the total cost to the college for the services.

Altum stresses that there is no timeline for this project, but those involved are hopeful the service will be available soon.

“Ideally, it would be nice to see something in the next month or so, but realistically I don’t know if we can get anything up and running this semester,” said Price. “If we could get something going by the spring semester I think that that would be great.”

Parking pandemic Heather Carnes hcarnes@mscd.edu As the semester begins, the battle for parking on campus seems to be more brutal than ever.

Faculty, students and teachers are all fighting for parking spaces during the morning rush before classes. As the first 10 days of fall semester have shown, the cheaper the space the harder the fight.

“Parking… is always a challenge the first week or two of each semester,” said AHEC Parking Operations Manager David Berry.

“We did anticipate… parking in the most western, cheaper lots to be tight.”

One option that may help to ease the pain of parking is the Parking Passport, which is new this semester.

“It takes the hassle out of parking

because you don’t need to have cash every day,” said AHEC Parking Program Assistant Cathy Rennicke. “Parking lots are available closed and also covered.” “[The pass] provides a discounted daily fee rate ($5.00) and costs $425/semester for full time [7 days/wk] and $340/semester for Monday through Thursday. It does not guarantee a spot but is good in all lots except Spruce and the Tivoli Parking Garage,” Lanford said.

“As of [Aug. 30] Parking and Transportation have sold 89 full-time and 136 part-time (4 days/wk) Passport permits,” Rennicke said. “The permit is good until Jan. 9 which allows customers to take care of papers that need to be turned in, sell old books back, get set up for the new semester and purchase books.”

A Parking Passport grants unlimited

entry and exit. And because the semester has already started, the cost of these passports will be prorated for the remainder of the semester. There is no space guarantee with the Parking Passport, making lot options with or without a passport first come first served.

“There is no reimbursement if [drivers are] unable to find space,” said Lanford.

“But there are quite a few lots that accept the passport, so hopefully that will not be too much of a problem, especially after these first two weeks of school.”

Due to the construction at Auraria, the Spruce Lot lost 400 spaces and space in the Redwood Lot is down 16 percent. In Spring 2012, there’s an anticipated loss of 197 spaces in order to make room for a new CCD building.

In response, AHEC is planning on

opening two lots to expand parking options.

“We will have two additional lots opening later this fall which are Beech ($2.50) and Fir ($4.00), …both located on 5th Street,” said AHEC Parking Interim Operations Manager Lisa Lanford. “At this time I do not know how many spaces they will have.”

With the recent parking restructuring, it is important for students to familiarize themselves with the new lot names, pricing and transportation options.

“We would like to encourage our customers to [carpool] whenever possible,” said Berry. “Reduced rates for carpool customers are available in the Elm Lot and the Redwood Lot.” The Elm Lot is located between 5th and 7th streets and the Redwood Lot is located next to the athletic fields.

4 • September 1, 2011 MetNews TheMetropolitan

Ramadan –

We take a closer look at one of the world’s fastest-growing religions

Ramsey Scott & Amna Khokhar

During the holy month of Ramadan, Muslims not only refrain from eating or drinking during their fast but they also avoid lying, arguing, swearing and all other evil actions thoughts or words that might cause trouble or hurt someone. It is through this denial of basic human needs that Muslims hope to absolve themselves of their sin, similar to Christian Lent, when the devout reconnect with God. “The significance of it is that you are striving against the first and foremost enemy that you have to the path of submission, and that is you,” said Sheikh Ahmed Shirbeny, the Imam of Masjid Abu Bakr and the Colorado Muslim Society. The mosque serves over 15,000 Muslims in the Denver area.

In each of us, there are evil forces, said Shirbeny. The evil in each of us drives us

to do things against the teachings of Allah.

It is by fasting that Muslims hope to attain absolution for their sins along with learning to control the evil forces inside oneself.

“At the end of the day, when you are able to say ‘no’ to yourself once it comes to basic needs like eating and drinking for a whole day, then it becomes easy to say no to unlawful things,” Shirbeny said.

“Ramadan is the time where you are remodeling yourself,” said Ali, a young Muslim who recently moved to Denver from San Diego. “The structure is there, you just need to rebuild everything around it.”

In the Islamic calendar, Ramadan falls on the ninth month of the year. This time changes each year, usually by 10 or 11 days, as it is tied to the cycles of the moon and not to a specific date.

RIGHT: Men, women and children gather for a joint Eid al-Fitr prayer at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park the morning of August 30. Photo by Rachel Fuenzalida • rfuenzal@mscd.edu

ABOVE: Men and Women gather for ceremonial Ramadan prayer at Dick’s Sporting Goods park Aug. 30 2011. Photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu

TheMetropolitan MetNews September 1, 2011 • 5

Pillars of Islam

The guiding principles behind the Islamic faith are found in the five pillars of Islam.

ABOVE: Men kneel in prayer at the Abu Bakr Mosque in Denver Sunday Aug. 28.

Photo by Mike Fabricuis • mfabrici@mscd.edu LEFT: Two friends hug during a joint Eid al-Fitr prayer at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park the morning of August 30.

Photo by Rachel Fuenzalida • rfuenzal@mscd.edu

One non-Muslim’s journey Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu Sunday, August 28 3:30 a.m.

Multiple alarms screeched around my head. As I slammed my hand down on the snooze button of one alarm and searched for the other source of loud buzzing in my room, I wondered why I had set so many alarms so early on a Sunday.

Then I remembered. It would be the only chance I have to eat.

To write about the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, I decided to spend a day participating in the fasting and praying called for in the Quran, the holy book of Islam. As I squinted at 3:40 a.m. on my alarm clock, I wondered if this was a good idea.

4:55 a.m.

As the Fajr, the first of five daily prayers, approached, I started to become anxious.

The idea of not eating for most of the day did not bother me. As a journalist, I’ve become used to skipping multiple meals while trying to make a deadline for a story.

I was more concerned with not being able to drink all through the day. The weather forecast had the high in the mid 90s and I do not have air conditioning in my house.

I looked at the clock. — 5:05 am. Two minutes until Fajr. I sucked down another glass of water, faced Northeast towards Mecca and began my first Rikat or prayer of the day.

3:00 p.m.

It wasn’t until I started to wash the dishes sitting in my sink that I realized I was thirsty. Absent mindedly, I started to fill one of the clean glasses with water.

Before I brought it to my lips, I caught myself and poured the water out.

4:30 p.m.

An hour and a half later, I sat barefoot on the carpeted floor of the Masjid Abu Bakr, the largest mosque in Denver, waiting for the Imam to begin the Asr, afternoon, prayer.

As worshipers arrived, they found an empty place and recited two Rikats before sitting. Some struck up conversation with worshipers around them, others read the Quran quietly to themselves.

Everyone rose and began to form lines facing the alter when the Imam walked into the room. A young man standing next to me, named Ali, politely tapped me on the shoulder and asked if he could correct my stance. After moving my feet in line with the rest of the men in my row, he smiled at me and turned his attention to the front where the Imam was starting the prayers.

For 15 minutes, I rose and knelled with the rest of the worshipers as the Imam recited prayers in Arabic. As I concentrated on my movements and the sounds of the fellow worshipers quietly reciting prayers, I quickly forgot the thirst and hunger I had been feeling when I walked into the Mosque.

After the final prayer was said, I rose from the floor and thanked Ali for helping me with the correct method of praying.

He smiled and asked if he could give me a little more advice on the proper methods of praying. As he showed me the proper way to bow my head to the floor, we began to talk and laugh about the many similarities between our respective religions.

When I finally left, I felt completely energized. The thirst and hunger I had been feeling had disappeared and was replaced by a sense of excitement at the new insight I gained.

7:55 p.m.

The first bite of a date exploded with flavor in my mouth. My friend Mohammad had brought the dates back from Saudi Arabia, saying that he refused to eat any dates from America.

“They are nothing compared to dates we grow in Saudi.”

I had to agree. I had never eaten any fruit so sweet and delicious before. As my friends and I ate dates and sipped Arabic coffee, a light, semi-bitter brew, that tasted like a cross between weak coffee and strong tea, we talked about my trip to the mosque and how my fast went. I told them it was easier than I thought; yet I was definitely thirsty by the end of the day. Mohammad laughed.

“The secret is not to watch the Food Channel,” he said between bites of dates.

After we consumed an entire bowl of dates, we served ourselves heaping plates of chicken biryani and samosas. As I ate mouthful after mouthful of the spicy rice dish, I realized I was never more thankful for the food in front of me and the company that surrounded me.

‫ةداهشلا‬ Shahada

The First Pillar states that there is only one god, Allah, and that Mohammad is the messenger of God.

‫ةالص‬ Salat

The Second Pillar means praying in Arabic. Muslims are required to pray five times a day to Allah.

‫موص‬ Sawm

The Third Pillar requires all Muslims to fast for 30 days during the period of Ramadan. According to the Sahih al Bukhari, a collection of the prophet Mohammad’s thoughts, it is said that during Ramadan, “the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of Hell are closed and the devils are chained.”

‫ةاكز‬ Zakat

The Fourth Pillar is similar to the Chirstian ideal of paying tithes to the church, calls upon all Muslims to give charity to the needy. In the Muslim faith, once a certain amount of wealth is acquired, the giving of charity becomes obligatory.

‫جح‬ Hajj

The Fifth Pillar calls upon all Muslims to make the pilgrimage to Mecca at least once during their lives.

6 • September 1, 2011 MetNews TheMetropolitan

Pelosi speaks at Metro Wesley Reyna wreyna1@mscd.edu U.S. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. and Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., visited Auraria Aug. 30 to take part in a women’s business forum hosted by Metro.

The all-female forum was host to seven prominent local business owners and leaders in addition to the congresswomen. A wide range of industries, from childcare to engineering, were represented on the panel, held in St.Cajetan’s Center.

The diversity of the panel mirrored that of the audience, which was made up of a majority of women from numerous backgrounds who seemed excited by the high-profile visit of Pelosi.

Pelosi received a standing ovation during her timely visit. The 91st anniversary of Women’s Equality Day, which established women’s right to vote, was celebrated just four days earlier on Aug. 26. An air of possibility and motivation seemed to carry over from the historic anniversary into the event.

“I congratulate these women for their success… for their courage, for their optimism and for strengthening our economy by being job creators,” Pelosi said. ”I am going to listen very attentively to what they have to say, and bring back what I hear here today to my colleagues.”

The audience listened attentively and responded with applause while the members of the forum addressed their various concerns, challenges, needs and goals.

“What I need… from our congress people is — do no more harm. We need to have the confidence, and my daughter needs to have the confidence that we can grow jobs, and that’s very difficult right now,” said Gail Lindley, owner of Denver Bookbinding.

Members of the forum said they were also concerned with the unequal representation of women in leadership roles in the corporate world.

“According to the Catalyst, a nonprofit women’s research group, only 11 chief executives of Fortune 500 companies are women, and this number has decreased since 2010, when only 15 executives were women,” said Purnima Voria, president of the National U.S. Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Pelosi and DeGette said they came to listen, not do the talking.

“The leader and I agreed we really don’t want to hear each other. With all due respect we hear each other every day when we’re in Washington” Degette said. “What we really would like to do, is hear from our businesses today.”

DeGette warmed the crowd by injecting humor into her responses while reflecting on what she saw as the main themes of the forum: access to capital, regulatory reform, organizing effective networking opportunities and dealing with taxes.

“If we’re going to do tax relief, my view is we really need to do it targeted at the businesses that need it the most, and not the very largest corporations in this country,” Degette said.

Pelosi and DeGette took a few questions from the media and the minority leader signed copies of her book at the end of the

event. Time was limited for the congresswomen as they made their way to other events.

“I’m asked to be on these panels a lot, most of the time I turn them down, but when it’s talking about how to get other people jobs I always show up” said Diana Gadison, owner of Early Success Academy.

“That’s what I am about trying to show people you can have a job and if there is not a job out there you better create one for yourself.”

Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, listens as U.S. Representative for Colorado’s 1st congressional district, Diana DeGette addresses the crowd after holding a women’s business forum at St.Cajetan’s Center Aug. 30. Photo by Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu

Graduating this year?

Here’s what you need to know: 1. All students must apply for graduation. Application cards are available in Central 105, Central 203 and at www.mscd.edu/registrar/student/graduation.shtml.

2. You must meet the following requirements by the end of the semester you apply for graduation (check them off as you go!):  Minimum of 120 semester hours  All requirements for your major and minor  All General Studies requirements  Minimum of 40 Upper Division credit hours  Multi-cultural requirement  Cumulative GPA of 2.00 or higher 3. If you participate in a commencement ceremony before you meet all requirements, don’t fill out a graduation application—your name will still be called at the ceremony, but you are not ready to have us review your record.

4. Walking in the commencement ceremony does not guarantee that you have graduated.

5. It is your responsibility to report any repeated courses to the Office of the Registrar. Failure to do so may negatively affect your ability to graduate as planned.

6. If you apply for graduation but end up not meeting all requirements, you must reapply for graduation during the semester that you will finish all of your requirements.

7. Degrees are awarded at the end of fall, spring, and summer semesters.

8. Commencement ceremonies are at the end of fall and spring semesters. Summer graduates are invited to attend the following fall commencement ceremony.

For additional information, visit: www.mscd.edu/registrar/student/graduation.shtml and www.mscd.edu/student/commencement.

Office of the Registrar

TheMetropolitan

Metro website refresh after Labor Day Nathalia Vélez nvelez@mscd.edu The Office of College Communications gave the Student Government Assembly a sneak preview of the revamped Metro website which will officially launch on Sept.

6. The verdict: They like what they see.

The new design will be the sixth version of the Metro interface — the first one was launched in 1996. Interim Senior Marketing Director Keo Frazier said the Office of College Communications wants to promote Metro as an innovative institution and the new image should reflect that.

“We are constantly evolving,” Frazier said. “And we want to make sure our look matches that.”

Frazier and Director of Web Communications Chris Mancuso have been overseeing the project. The new layout is intended to make navigation easier and more engaging for students, faculty and staff.

On Friday, Aug. 26, Mancuso did a presentation on the website’s makeover during the SGA’s senate meeting.

The renovation was well received, but some questions arose during Mancuso’s presentation.

Sen. Jason Dirgo noticed the A-Z navigational tool, a feature he considers paramount, involves more steps to reach a destination than it did with the previous layout.

The alphabetical search, which is among the top three most-used features on the website, allows users to find anything under the specified letter. It’s especially useful when a user doesn’t know what section to look in or is not familiar with the website.

In response to the issue, Frazier said the A-Z tool is still accessible on the homepage and shouldn’t be a problem.

Dirgo also said he thinks more information on student organizations and a more prominent link to OrgSync, the section where such information can be found, would benefit the website and its users.

Despite these observations, the SGA senators regarded the design as a definite improvement.

“Overall, I think the new layout is refreshing, compelling, visually appealing, and is moving in a good direction,” Dirgo said.

Sen. Jeffery Washington thanked Mancuso for bringing the school into the 21st Century.

For the purpose of drawing in potential

students and facilitating useful information for them, Dirgo thinks the new layout will be successful.

“We want it to be engaging for new people and for people who return constantly,” Frazier said.

One of the key new features comes from working closely with the Web Content Management System, an initiative created last year to facilitate web design for Auraria employees. They created the Site Manager tool, which will allow departments to easily update and manage their sites.

Although she made no comment on the actual cost of the redesign, Frazier said it was reasonable for what was accomplished and the cost was combined with other WCMS development costs.

To measure the response to the site, The Office of College Communications will use Google Analytics, a service which provides statistics on visitors to a website. It will also look at comments made through social media, user patterns and other web applications.

Ultimately, the new design will be put to the test when it goes live. Only then will the students, faculty, staff and potential students be able to interact with the features and decide if they also like what they see.

MetNews September 1, 2011 • 7

Former Attorney General Gonzales speaks to the Auraria Campus Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales will give a speech starting at 11:30 am. on Sept. 8 in the Tivoli Turnhalle. He will address the subject of “The Changing Presidency and the Department of Justice Post 9-11.”

Gonzales was the only member of his family to attend college. He graduated from Rice University and went on to obtain a degree from Harvard Law School.

Under Bush’s administration, Gonzales was appointed the 80th Attorney General of the United States and became the first Hispanic in that position. Also focusing on corporate and public integrity and the causes and remedies of gang violence, he offers a unique perspective on the policies necessary for keeping the nation safe.

8

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September 1, 2011

TheMetropolitan

InSight

East Coast inspiration Old school done right Recent rumblings in the U.S. Congress strongly suggest we’ve strayed far from the notion of “One Nation.” Either indivisible, under God or otherwise. Instead, we have an America divided along geographic, ethnic, age, class and – most damaging – ideological fault lines.

With Tea Party-backed zealots perfectly willing to drive the U.S. economy over a cliff instead of easing up on the pedal of an ideological mission, Congress has produced a bad movie starring bad actors with no feel-good ending promised anytime soon.

We’ve always had differences. Although much of America now looks eye-glazingly similar along interstate highway interchanges from New England to California, those areas remain fundamentally different because America is several distinctly different countries.

Consider California and New England.

As luck would have it, I spent some time in both locales during the past few months.

New England gave us Plymouth Rock, the Salem witch trials, the “shot heard ‘round the world” that triggered the American Revolution, a brace of eminent authors and a 19th century notion of Boston as the cultural “Athens of America.”

Nobody has ever confused California with the Athens of antiquity. Instead, California was America’s incubator of everything new, giving us the Hollywood dream factory, freeways, shopping centers, Silicon Valley and New Age creeds. Instead of Puritan rectitude, California promised unfettered freedom. Until the rest of America’s problems caught up with California and often struck there first. If New England can still remind us of what America once was, California has always pointed to where America might be going – even when that’s not good.

Along with the sun-shimmering waters of Cape Cod and Maine’s rocky coastal inlets two weeks ago and California’s wavebeaten Big Sur cliffs last spring, I got to walk urban landscapes in Los Angeles and Boston.

In L.A., I walked from downtown’s Bunker Hill to the gritty stretch of Broadway with its Latin American stores, vibrant music and a streetscape running past former movie palaces and the Central “Mercado” that’s a Hieronymous Bosch canvas of characters, shoppers and food stalls. Across Broadway is the 1891 Bradbury building, in whose cast-iron stairwells and balconies the Harrison Ford futuristic “Blade Runner” movie was fi lmed in 1982. Few tourists visit downtown L.A. Nearly 30 years ago, once-elegant Bunker Hill was transformed from a run-down rooming house district to the glittering glass-and-steel office towers where the 1980s “L.A. Law” TV series was set. It sent law school applications soaring. Walking there, I stilI wanted to see what Bunker Hill looked like when author John Fante and detective novelist Raymond Chandler wrote of it in the 1930s and ‘40s.

Boston’s historic core – with its landmarks to America’s origins – survives.

But the Italian North End neighborhood, home to Paul Revere’s 1680 house and his Old North Church – was almost lost in the 1960s when planning geniuses decided the North End was a slum fit only for demolition. The bulldozer boys had already leveled Boston’s West End, another Italian neighborhood, to build Massachusetts General Hospital and one of the ugliest city halls in America. An unlikely coalition of residents, business owners, urban observers, academics and – some say – local mob muscle, opposed developers and saved the neighborhood.

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 Walking the North End on a recent Sunday night, we caught an Italian street festival whose food, music, bands and parades made for a livelier festa than the street fests I’d seen in Manhattan’s Little Italy.

Many North End Italians followed the American Dream to the ‘burbs. But the neighborhood’s life and spirit remain.

Such things are organically indigenous and don’t travel or transplant well. There’s a lesson there for the development shills and cheerleaders right now pimping to move Denver’s Stock Show to Aurora. The project hinges on a monster hotel by Gaylord Properties – masters of fake theme parks – in a subsidize-the-fake scheme that Denver auditor Dennis Gallagher has called corporate welfare. Another story, but one worth watching closely.

Boston also showed good sense when Red Sox owners, nearly a decade ago, shelved plans to replace baseball landmark Fenway Park - that will be 100 years old in 2012 – with a “replica.” Instead, they added seats atop the famed “Green Monster” left field wall and no fake Fenway was needed.

Real and fake. Perhaps the old can still teach the new. Even in Denver.

COPY EDITORS Heather Carnes Kate Rigot Luke Powell Bailey Geoghan Caitlin Gibbons 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 Steve Haigh shaigh@mscd.edu 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

Op-Ed Editorial

academic year and monthly during the sum-

Playing God with politics

mer semester. Opinions expressed within do

Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu Last week, I jokingly said to one of my friends on the East Coast, “Earthquakes?

Hurricanes? What did y’all do to deserve this?”

Thankfully, Michelle Bachmann has the answer. Washington D.C. pissed off God with our national debt.

During a rally in Florida on Aug. 28, Bachmann told the crowd, “I don’t know how much God has to do to get the attention of politicians. We’ve had an earthquake; we’ve had a hurricane. He said, ‘Are

you going to start listening to me here?”

Bachmann went on to say that God wanted Washington to listen to the American people “roaring” over our national debt.

While Bachmann’s press people released a statement saying that the congresswoman’s comments were in jest, watching the video of her speech, it seems like she earnestly believes God struck Washington D.C. down with a 5.8 magnitude earthquake and 75 m.p.h. winds. Seriously, is this how far our national discourse has fallen?

“I believe the government has a role to play in economic and social life.”

“God told me he is going to kill your firstborn.”

Like many a politician, king, dictator and pharaoh before her, Bachmann uses the name of a supreme higher being in order to advance an agenda, an agenda that is unassailable because it is God’s agenda.

These leaders pick and choose natural disasters and terrorist actions to justify their positions. God struck down New Orleans because of its debauchery. Washington D.C. was punished for its insistence on spending money. If it is true that God doles out natural disasters to punish nonbelievers and the unholy, does that mean God hates Texas, which is in the grips of one of the worst droughts in that state’s history? Of course not, Bachmann would say. God loves

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

Texas because it is conservative. Rather, the almighty must be punishing Austin, since it is a liberal bastion in a sea of Texas conservatism.

As we approach the tenth anniversary of 9/11, we must ask ourselves, why do we accept religious demagoguery from our leaders? Ten years ago, thousands of people died because a group of insane men claimed God instructed them to kill the infidels.

Ten years later, a respected member of our government claims God is punishing the infidels in Washington with hurricanes and earthquakes. Is this where we are as a country? Is this what we accept from our leaders?

TheMetropolitan September 1, 2011 • 9

MetroSpective Roller mania

Metro student connects with community through Denver Derby Brian McGinn bmcginn@mscd.edu Metro student and Denver Roller Derby competitor, Bailey Pucci, manages to hit the books while she practices for league matches.

When Pucci joined the Denver Roller Dolls’ Bad Apples team it shocked her family. Now, Pucci works through hours of endurance training, along with scrimmages and attends clinics to get better at the sport.

“I’d never heard of Derby until I started doing research on women’s sports in Denver,” Pucci said. “And then I stumbled upon DRD, [and it has] given me a sense of belonging. I feel like for the first time I’ve really found my place”.

LEFT: Nadine Abell, Christina Nelson Fitzgerald and Bailey Pucci put their arms in for a team chant. Roller derby athlete and Metro student, Pucci, fights in practice to test up to an A-level and be cleared for league bouts. Photos by Brian McGinn • bmcginn@mscd.edu BOTTOM: Pucci (right) and the Bad Apples’ team rally around the crowd for their championship roller derby bout Aug. 27 at The First Bank Center.

In addition to accessorizing their uniforms, each Derby competitor gets to pick an alias. Pucci goes by the name Scary Scurvie — a nickname she’s had since she was a kid.

“My dad always used to joke around with me about how skinny I’ve always been,” Pucci said. “He used to call me Bird Arms and Nerd Knees, too, but I didn’t think either of those sounded particularly Derby.”

Being part of the Denver Roller Dolls team is much like a “family” for Pucci, gaining friendships and bonds that will stand the tests of time.

“My most memorable experience has been bonding with Brix Hithouse [Krisana Barrett], my mentor, and having her be part of my life inside and outside Derby.”

Barrett, a former Bad Apple, now plays for the Green Barrettes and has been in the league since May 2010.

“It is a team sport that I am passionate about, and though we get no financial gain, the people we connect with on and off the team make it all worth while,” Barrett said.

Always on the move, Pucci stays active with Roller Derby, college and even managed to plan her August wedding. Bailey also works part-time as a tattoo artist.

“Honestly, I don’t know if I’m balancing everything on my plate quite so well,” Pucci said. “Derby is kind of all consuming because I’m so completely obsessed with it.”

BOTTOM: Pucci unlaces her skates after hours of endurance practice at the Glitterdome in Denver. A tattoo artist, pucci has her nickname “Scary Scurvie” inked on her forearm.

10 • September 1, 2011 MetroSpective TheMetropolitan

Shining a light on Denver art

FirePower show exhibits live glass blowing, body-painting Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu Metro alumna Jennifer Levine didn’t stop for a second. She ran up and down the glowing stairways and circled the artstuffed rooms of Club 2200 at 821 22nd St. for nearly 15 hours Aug. 27 in a flowing pink hippie dress and 10-gallon cowgirl hat.

With a drink in her hand and a perpetual smile on her face, Levine greeted and introduced every artist and art-lover who had come to support FirePower’s End of Summer Blowout, an artistic event for a movement she conceived to connect the Denver art scene and encourage a cultural renaissance.

“Nothing burns me more [than] when people go to Seattle to watch glass blowing,” Levine said. “Nothing rubs me so raw as hearing people talking about Santa Fe as an art destination. Colorado should be a vital force in American art tourism.”

A glass blower by nature and trade, Levine has been obsessed with community outreach and invigorating the artistic environment and reputation of Denver since she moved here from Dallas 12 years ago.

“I always felt Denver was 10 years behind Dallas in a cosmopolitan sense,” Levine said. “But I love Denver’s environment, and I’ve just been waiting for someone to spearhead a movement that would really shine the light on the cultural capacity that is Denver.”

FirePower is Levine’s solution to this discrepancy.

Her mission for the project is community outreach through non-traditional art shows and events. Levine believes that interactive events and live demonstrations help to mirror the character of Denver’s eclectic artist population.

“FirePower’s success will be measured by its branding, outreach and artist involvement,” Levine said. “FirePower’s End of Summer Blowout is the kickoff event for this concept.”

All of the show’s components were

personal loves and interests of Levine, who started body painting last year. It was initially just blowing glass, but it evolved as more Denver artists joined the project.

“I had my Rolodex on hand, and I called the usual suspects,” Levine said, referring to her friends in the Denver art community.

“And lo and behold, they were all over it.”

The event itself was a gamut of extreme artistic demonstrations that ranged from nude body-painting to graffiti art to live hand-blown glass and jewelry and music from local jazz bands and DJs. Levine said FirePower’s purpose was to cultivate all of these themes into one cohesive exhibition.

The back patio of the venue had a large square section boxed off with caution tape, where four to eight glass blowers were contained at any given time, doing what they do best. Many of the blowers collaborated on an intricate glass sculpture, which they had been working on throughout the event for about 12 hours.

“There are few pieces of art work that make me want to cry,” Denver resident Jules Dworak said. “It’s just magical, that’s the best way to describe it. And then they showed me the lights and then they kept adding to it, and I was astounded.”

Dworak was so impressed with the piece that she spoke to some of the artists about commissioning a smaller version for her home.

“I just said, ‘I trust you, anything that’s close to that is perfect,’” she said.

Upstairs was another kind of jungle.

Three body-paint artists took over the loft space with models clad only in thongs, and airbrushed their bodies for hours on end.

Metro senior and Denver muralist, Bobby MaGee-Lopez painted his friend, Cathryn Gregson entirely gold with winding black vines and leaves for several hours.

At the end of the night, MaGee-Lopez took a blank canvass and drew the same pattern on it, this time filling the space black and painting the leaves gold.

During this process, several bystanders sat down on the floor and helped him paint.

“I planned to create the backdrop and

Cathryn Greyson poses and blends into the background after being painted entirely gold with black vines and leaves by Metro senior Bobby MaGee-Lopez Aug. 27 at Club 2200.

Dina Kalahar, 38, works one piece of glass during FirePower’s End of Summer Blowout Aug. 27. Photos by Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu photograph my model to hide her among the pattern,” he said. “The fact that I received so much help from my artist friends, however, was something that developed on a whim. By involving everyone, the event became much more fun.”

MaGee-Lopez has been a staple in the Denver mural scene for the past few years.

Recently, he and a team of artists completed a massive urban Denver-oriented wall mural on the side of Bar Bar at 2060 Champa St. Unlike Levine, MaGee-Lopez has a more optimistic view on the shortcomings of the Denver art scene.

“I don’t think Denver lacks anything,” he said. “I believe there is a misconception about what Denver has to offer as a whole, but all of that is changing. Many people come here for many reasons and art is definitely one of those reasons.”

He said that FirePower was a great opportunity for many artists to display their work and to connect with each other. It also provided a new format for how art is perceived.

“The fire blowers and live painters are on the cutting edge,” he said. “And at this show we all got to work together!”

Both finished and broken pieces of glass lay upon the table in front of the glassblowers. Glasscraft Inc., donated over $900 worth of glass and other materials to Levine’s cause.

12 • September 1, 2011 TheMetropolitan

AudioFiles

Sounding Off

The Don’ts take new direction On Friday, Sept. 9, The Don’ts and Be Carefuls will unveil their new EP, Sun Hits, at the Hi-Dive. However, it is bittersweet to think that only one night of celebration will sum up this EP’s overall debut. After all, this seven-track album isn’t another list of random songs. Rather, it is a symbol of growth, hard work and, ultimately, closure.

The Don’ts and Be Carefuls’ frontman, Casey Banker, spoke to The Metropolitan about what went into recording this EP and what its release will mean for the band.

Interview by Ian Gassman • igassman@mscd.edu IG: In your opinion, how does this new EP compare to your 2009 release, Risk Assessment?

CB: Well, it’s very different. I got a lot better at playing guitar between [2009] and now; I think I didn’t even have a reverb pedal [back then]. So this [album] is probably a lot more lush and wide [whereas Risk Assessment] was trying to be more like post-punk … I mean, I wasn’t trying to make a “dance” thing, we could be way “dancier” than this, but I wanted to go in this [lush] direction.

IG: How did you go about writing this new batch of songs?

CB: I just wanted to get the ideas down, I suppose. [This release] was more idea driven and just, sort of, concept driven than [Risk Assessment].

IG: What are these songs about? Girls?

CB: No, yeah, they are [laughs]. I did write a lot of them based on a relationship that didn’t exactly turn out well, but I think a lot of music is written like that.

IG: Obviously, the artwork for this new EP looks very nice, but what is so intriguing about having some picture of a beautiful girl on your album cover?

CB: I think it’s striking … On [Risk Assessment] we didn’t have a cover, just some lines and things, so [we did] the opposite of that … And, I think the concept I was going for was this image in my head of: there’s this person who’s looking at you and the expression on their face is like “take it or leave it.” This is “indifferent,” this person is going to have whatever thoughts they’re going to have. No matter what you say or do, it’s just someone’s blank expression.

I wanted to communicate that because it represents how out of control you can be. You can try to make this person

Met’s music picks

happy or sad, or, you know, try and love them but, ultimately, it’s [the way they are] — it’s like the image.

IG: Risk Assessment had six tracks and this new EP has seven. Will you ever release a full-length FROM LEFT: Luke Hunter James-Erickson, Dane Bernhardt, Cody with, say, 10 tracks? Is there a reason behind reWitsken and Casey Banker are The Don’ts and Be Carefuls leasing an EP as opposed to a full-length?

Photo courtesy of The Dont’s and Be Carefuls.

CB: I guess it’s because it is hard to write a lot of good songs. [Writing] a whole album’s worth is IG: So you went with Bryan Fuechtinger of Uneven Studios. difficult [and] we all have jobs. We don’t have time to devote How was recording with him?

100 percent to this project yet. In the meantime, I think this CB: He’s really good. [The studio is] in his house and it’s top is the best we can do. notch.

IG: How did The Don’ts and Be Carefuls become apart of Lu- IG: Did you guys have fun playing KCSU in Ft. Collins? cas Johannes’ local record label and collective, Hot Congress?

CB: It was great. It was mostly just a session and he asked us CB: I think we joined the website in the middle of last year a couple of questions in between the songs. They contacted [because Johannes] just asked us. We knew so many bands us to play the Ram welcome week show. [It’s] all the freshalready, as friends, and we just loved them all. Lucas just men’s first night up there and they have this big carnival, told me one day, “[You’re] going to be in Hot Congress now.” then they just said, “If you guys want to do a thing with IG: Do you consider it a fruitful relationship?

KCSU, contact us.” Then we contacted them because we CB: Oh yeah. With the [2011] compilation out — that was have [the EP] coming out. awesome! They really help. Lucas does a lot of the legwork IG: What are you looking forward to at your big EP release when it comes to helping you release stuff [and] he helped show? record us.

CB: Just being with all my friends, seeing if we can pull IG: How was recording in Johannes’ home studio? some tricks out and make it into a really big show, like, a CB: It was as good as it could have been, as good as we spectacle. expected. But, he’s just so busy that I don’t think he knew how much detail we were going to [put into the album].

And, I didn’t know how little time he would have had. He did wonderful, but we were just like, “We’re going to go to 8 p.m., Sept. 9 @ Hi-Dive, $7 somebody who we can schedule a lot of time with.”

The Don’ts and Be Carefuls

out of 5

Cymbals Eat Guitars Lenses Alien

The War On Drugs Slave Ambient

Ian Gassman • igassman@mscd.edu

Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu

The first recognizable thing about Cymbals Eat Guitars’ brand new album, Lenses Alien, is that it still sounds like Cymbals Eat Guitars.

Just like 2009’s Why There Are Mountains, this 10-track effort winds listeners into contemplative breakdowns, each laden with eerie atmosphere and frenetic guitar work. The songwriting is still jilted and intriguing, recalling 764-Hero’s repertoire or some much darker version of Pavement. However, there isn’t really an emphasis on faster tempos or energetic hooks.

Perhaps this was frontman John D’Agostino’s main motif for this album: to draw out each emotional element by slowing everything down.

And, given the fact that both Cymbals Eat Guitars’ original keyboardist and bassist resigned from the band this past year due to a constant touring regimen, it only makes sense that D’Agostino would want to take time to reassess everything. While some of the tracks seem bitter, most of these songs epitomize that old “time heals all wounds, like your band mates ditching you” sentiment.

Once D’Agostino adjusts to his new band members — outside of a studio setting — and lets this album take its course, he’ll pick up the pace again.

The War on Drugs’ debut full-length album, Slave Ambient, owes a lot to Bruce Springsteen. The entire album has a distinct Boss-like sound and a nice retro sheen to it, but that doesn’t mean the band is a rip-off. The group has some real gems on the album, including the opener, “Best Night,” and the songof-the-year contender, “Baby Missiles,” with its punchy organ line and an overall sunshiney vibe that’s perfect for late-summer evenings.

Some songs though, like “Come To The City,” take a little bit too much from the Springsteen songbook to really leave a fresh impression and the album gets bogged down by Slave Ambient’s instrumental filler tracks, like “The Animator” and “The City Reprise #12.”

The War On Drugs may have a few songs that aren’t true standouts, but when the group slows things down, like on the piano-heavy “I Was There,” or the phenomenal closing number “Black Water Falls,” they prove that they can make a great impact. “Black Water Falls” is the perfect closer with the simple acoustic guitar, sorrowful piano line and a hopeful and catchy melody.

While The War On Drugs may have a major thing for The Boss’ musical style, there is enough substance here to take the band seriously as an up-and-coming indie rock heavyweight.

TheMetropolitan

pHoto fLASHBAck

AudioFiles September 1, 2011 • 13

Crabtree entices metalheads with music, beer and a goat Story and photos by Chris “Spike” Todd • ctodd15@mscd.edu Extreme metal, copious amounts of beer and roasted goat. These were the themes of the second annual Rocky Mountain Goat Roast, which took place on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Crabtree Brewing in Greeley, Colo.

The event was held in the parking lot of Crabtree with a fence set up to make a gate. The brewery was open to the right so “of age” fans could grab any of the five beers Crabtree had on tap. To the left were multiple merchandise booths set up by some of the bands, and directly ahead was the stage, backing up to train tracks, elevated five feet off the ground.

Throughout the entire event, both the sun and the food separated the show into two parts: daytime and nighttime. Six afternoon bands — varying from thrash to death metal to black metal — played lively sets with prize giveaways and raffle drawings in between.

The gate opened at 1:45 p.m. and the

concert promptly started at 2. Right off the bat, the Ft. Collins-based quintet, Frost Thane, deafened the security and anyone within five blocks of the event with their heavy guitar riffs, wild double bass and loud vocals. Afterward, Harvest the Murdered, Speedwolf, Belhor, 666 Pack and Xiphoid Process kept rocking through the heat of the day (and it was very hot).

Finally, dinnertime arrived and everyone who had purchased a plate lined up and grubbed out. A roasted goat sandwich, half ear of corn, stick of fruit and a stuffed potato was set up for everyone. Then Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, Australis, Abigail Williams and Misery Index finished off the show. Even with small technical difficulties, these final bands played loud and energetic sets until 1 a.m.

After 11 hours of metal and indulgence, the remaining fans — dazed by decibels and a slight food coma — wandered out of the event like zombies. But everyone in attendance seemed pretty content, marking this as a go-to metal festival. Year by year, goat after goat.

ABOVE: Ethan McCarthy of the Denver-based death metal band, Clinging to the Trees of a Forest Fire, thrashes his way through the second annual Rocky Mountain Goat Roast on Saturday, Aug. 27 at Crabtree Brewing.

LEFT: Andrew Menefee sings with his band Belhor.

BELOW: Crabtree Brewing’s buffet, complete with roasted goat sandwiches, corn on the cob and fruit skewers.

INVITES YOU AND A GUEST TO A SPECIAL ADVANCE SCREENING ON TUESDSAY, SEPTEMBER 6 AT 7 PM PLEASE VISIT

WWW.GOFOBO.COM/ RSVP AND ENTER THE CODE

THEMETVT7T

TO DOWNLOAD YOUR COMPLIMENTARY PASSES!

MAKE SURE TO PRINT OUT YOUR PASSES AND PRESENT THEM AT THE SCREENING. TWO PASSES PER PERSON, WHILE SUPPLIES LAST. MUST BE 13 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER TO DOWNLOAD PASSES AND ATTEND SCREENING. THIS FILM IS RATED PG-13. PARENTS STRONGLY CAUTIONED. Some Material May Be Inappropriate For Children Under 13.

Please Note: Passes are limited and will be distributed on a first come, first served basis while supplies last. No phone calls, please. Limit one pass per person. Each pass admits two. Seating is not guaranteed. Arrive early. Theatre is not responsible for overbooking. This screening will be monitored for unauthorized recording. By attending, you agree not to bring any audio or video recording device into the theatre (audio recording devices for credentialed press excepted) and consent to a physical search of your belongings and person. Any attempted use of recording devices will result in immediate removal from the theatre, forfeiture, and may subject you to criminal and civil liability. Please allow additional time for heightened security. You can assist us by leaving all nonessential bags at home or in your vehicle.

WWW.CONTAGIONMOVIE.COM

TheMetropolitan September 1, 2011 • 15

MetSports

Athletes return to alma mater Former Metro players take part in 2011 alumni matches Daniel Laverty, Matt Hollinshead and Paul Meyer Ah, alumni weekend! It’s a time when former college athletes come back home to their alma mater, in spite of having families, playing professionally or just trying to enjoy life after graduation.

Fans, families and friends enjoyed Metro’s alumni weekend Aug. 27 and 28.

The weekend gave alumni the chance to see old teammates and coaches, as well as to take the field or court they played on during their days at Metro.

The former Roadrunners had the chance to form a “super-team” and play against the fall 2011 athletic teams.

All-time men’s soccer greats face 2011 team in alumni match The weekend kicked off with the men’s soccer alumni match Aug. 27. Phillip Owen scored twice for the alumni, who went on to win 5-4.

“It’s a moment we look forward to all year,” said alumus Mike Abeyta, who played soccer from 2001-2003. “It’s our one time to get out here and be competitive and see each other after so many years.”

Ryan Vickery, goalkeeper for Metro from 2006 to 2009, blocked nine shots in the game.

“It was fun to come back out with all the guys,” Vickery said. “I’m from Arizona, so it’s hard to keep in touch. It’s a good reason to get in contact with everyone again.”

Head coach Ken Parsons played many freshmen, including goalkeeper Trevor Obering.

Redshirt freshman forward Rosy Hernandez attempts a volley kick during the Metro women’s soccer alumni game at Auraria field on Aug 28. Metro won 7-1.

Photo by Carla Ferreira • cferreir@mscd.edu

Senior forward Scott Grode scored two goals for the Roadrunners. Senior midfielder Scott Crawford also added a goal.

“A great part is seeing a lot of your buddies that you’ve had the chance to play with over the years,” Crawford said. “They’re all just great guys.”

Volleyball set for 2011 campaign after alumni match The weekend continued with the Metro volleyball alumni match, reminding former players of the good times in Roadrunner uniforms.

Alumni outside hitter Amanda Cook played for Metro in 2008 and 2009 and said she would always remember Metro defeating Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference volleyball juggernauts University of Nebraska at Kearney for the 2009 conference title.

Down 2-0, Metro rallied to win the championship match in five sets. Despite having graduated after the 2009 season, Cook embraced the alumni match.

“It’s always nice to see the new team [every year],” Cook said.

The 2011 squad, who won in straight sets (4-0), looked dominant and flat-out athletic. The match, more than anything, was a sneak peek into what lies ahead for the 2011 squad.

“Our alumni’s phenomenal, and they give us a good chance to get into motion,” senior outside hitter Bri Morley said. “It’s always good to play against them before we start the actual season.”

Alumni right-side hitter Lisa Jones, who played for Metro from 2007-2010, believes the alumni match is good for this year’s team because they have one game under their belt, and they’ll know what to expect going forward. At the same time though, she said she misses playing volleyball on a regular basis.

“I miss the training,” Jones said. “It sounds crazy because you put in so many hours and so much sweat into it, but it’s definitely something you get addicted to.”

Metro volleyball will start their season at the Colorado School of Mines “Oredigger Classic” Sept. 2 and 3.

“If we can continue to get better every day [and] continue to work on things that Coach [Hendricks] is pointing out, then we should be unstoppable,” Morley said.

Head coach Adrianne Almaraz makes appearance in women’s soccer alumni match On the brink of starting regular-season play, Metro’s 2011 squad squared off against the alumni squad Aug. 28 to conclude alumni weekend.

Former players returned to Auraria Field for the annual event, only to see the current team rack up seven goals. The defining moment, however, was the alumni team cheering on head coach Adrianne Almaraz’s entrance. She went onto the field with less than 14 minutes left.

Almaraz was team captain in 2004 when Metro won the Division II Women’s soccer Championship.

Although it was an enlightening moment for both sides, the experience was different for Coach Almaraz. Her alumni teammates jokingly said she couldn’t come out of the game until she scored a few goals.

“I haven’t played for quite a few years,” Almaraz said. “It’s fun to get around and play with some of the girls that I played with in college.”

Although the 2011 team won 7-1, it was an opportunity for current players to play against the likes of Becca Mays, Ashley Nemmers, Madison McQuilliams and others who left their marks on the program.

“It’s an honor to play against people who have won two national championships, and it also gives us an opportunity to see what talent we have against great players,” senior forward Taylor Nicholls said.

The alumni game also gave the freshmen class a chance to shine and show they can carry on Metro women’s soccer’s legacy.

“It’s an honor to share the same field, wear some of the same jerseys that they wore and to come up to their level,” freshman forward Brandi Farley said.

The weekend was an experience that the players and alumni will not forget.

“I’ve been in Boston for the past summer, so it’s nice to be able to make the trip back here and play again,” said Mays, who played midfielder at Metro from 2006-2009.

“I miss the girls and I miss the location. I really like it out here [at Metro].”

TOP: Men’s soccer senior midfielder Scott Crawford tries to retrieve the ball during the alumni game at Auraria Field Aug. 27.

BOTTOM: Volleyball sophomore middle blocker Daleah Whitaker gets ready to spike the ball during the alumni match at the Auraria Event Center Aug. 27.

Photos by Floyd Brandt • fbrandt@ mscd.edu

16

• September 1, 2011

MetSports

TheMetropolitan

Schlichting wins RMAC Sports Information Director of the Year Daniel Laverty dlaverty@mscd.edu Metro’s Andy Schlichting was named the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Sports Information Director of the Year.

The award, which was presented in June, is decided by all of the SID’s from the 14 schools that make up the RMAC. “Initially, I was shocked. I’ve only been

RMAC Sports Information Director of the Year, Andy Schlichting.

on the job for a little over two years,” Schlichting said. “To be recognized by my peers that quickly was quite an honor.”

Schlichting is the first SID from Metro to win the award.

The role of an SID is to maintain websites, staffing, oversee athletic events as well as working with local media.

As an avid sports fan, it’s a dream job for Schlichting. “I really have a passion for sports,” he said. “It’s really a great job, I enjoy every minute of it.”

Schlichting said his biggest accomplishment during his tenure has been his work with gometrostate.com and the ability to give fans a complete, multimedia experience.

“When I started here, I thought the website was in need of a makeover,” Schlichting said. “I’ve put a lot of work into the design and content to keep our fans updated to the minute.”

When not directing sports information at Metro, Schlichting enjoys spending time hiking and doing other outdoor activities.

After dealing with athletic issues in the office all day, he still enjoys watching and following sports on TV. “I would still like to continue to help grow our fan base through Facebook and Twitter,” he said. “We continue to look for [new] ways to interact with fans.”

An open letter to the Metro student body...from The Metro Sports Editor I was originally going to write about why students should get more involved on campus, especially in the area of attending sporting events here at Metro.

I had it all planned out. The article would’ve started with a big plea, begging you to take advantage of the opportunity you have as a student to attend games on campus.

I would then go on to list all of the National Championships that Metro has won, followed by conference titles, All-American Athletes and NCAA tournament appearances. Trust me, my research was going to be quite impressive.

But knowing that all of that information wouldn’t impress you, I would bring up how close you get to sit to the action with something poetic, like, “Have you ever sat so close to a baseball game that the dirt from a home plate slide hits your face before the umpire makes a call?”

This was going to be where I would try to level with you. Come on guys! Many games are on Fridays and Saturdays! Why not hit up a game before hitting up the bars?

They’re both downtown!

The reason I didn’t write all of this is because I knew it would have no impact. These arguments don’t even convince me.

Metro is the definition of a commuter school. Students come to campus, sit through their classes and then leave to tend to their lives outside of school. Students here lead busy lives. Trust me, I’m one of

them.

So during the time that you spend outside of the classroom, have you ever wondered why Metro gets so caught up in this losing battle of trying to act like a traditional school? Have you ever asked why we are always being pushed to learn the Metro fight song or constantly being blinded by advertisements for campus events that always offer free pizza?

It’s because the school believes in what it’s advertising.

So, this is what I’m proposing to you.

You can keep doing what you’re doing. I’ll understand. Attend classes and then go home. I used to be like this. Our athletic teams will continue doing just fine without your support.

And it’s not just sports. Continue to not take advantage of campus events, seminars, concerts, banquets and movie nights that your student funds go to.

Or, you can do something. It doesn’t take much and there are plenty of options.

Before leaving campus after your Friday morning class, walk over to the athletic fields and watch 10 minutes of a game.

Stop by a seminar on a break from class to become informed on an issue.

We can make this feel like a real school that has an excited student body that takes pride in its athletic traditions and school events, but it only works if people want it.

-Daniel Laverty

TheMetropolitan

Getting to know...

MetSports

September 1, 2011

•

The six seniors on your Metro State volleyball team Darcy Schwartzman #5

Ngoc Phan #24

Major: Hospitality Favorite Food: French Fries Favorite Band/Musician: Lady Gaga Favorite Movie: The Sandlot Favorite Metro Memory: “My favorite memory is we lived in a house, five of the six seniors lived together and all of that time was fun.”

Major: Biology Favorite Food: Chinese Food Favorite Band/Musician: Nickelback Favorite Movie: The Lion King Favorite Metro Memory: “Winning the conference tournament championship two years ago.”

Julie Causseaux #13

Emily Greenhalgh #7

Major: Marketing Favorite Food: Hamburgers or Buffalo Wings Favorite Band/Musician: Jason Aldean Favorite Movie: Anything with Will Ferrell, except for Stranger than Fiction Favorite Metro Memory: “Something at the [Senior’s] house, or when we went to Europe with the team.”

Major: Physical Education Favorite Food: Manicotti Favorite Band/Musician: I don’t have a favorite band.

Favorite Movie: The Notebook Favorite Metro Memory: “When we got to the sweet 16 in Regionals. And when we won the RMAC tournament and beat Kearney in five.”

Shayne Kovach #8

Bri Morley #22

Major: Exercise Science Favorite Food: Anything Italian Favorite Band/Musician: Jason Aldean Favorite Movie: Stepbrothers Favorite Metro Memory: “Going to Europe with everybody, we had the same core team that we have still, so it was a good bonding experience.”

Major: Sports Marketing Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo Favorite Band/Musician: Chris Brown Favorite Movie: Coach Carter Favorite Metro Memory: “Winning conference at Kearney was awesome.”

Auraria Students, Faculty, and Staff Please join us for the first meeting of…

When: 1st Tuesday of the month 12:30-1:30 p.m.

September 6th October 4th November 1st December 6th

Where: 1020Ninth Street Park Contact: Health Center at Auraria 303-556-2525 Come join fellow students with diabetes (Type I, II, or those otherwise affected by diabetes) as we talk about college life with diabetes.

**Lunch and refreshments will be provided!**

To learn more, visit your Apple Authorized Campus Store or visit www.apple.com/campuso∂er.

www.aurariabooks.com

Apple Authorized Campus Store Auraria Campus Bookstore Tivoli Student Union Second Floor 303-556-3726

M–TR Fri Sat Sun

8:00 to 6:00 8:00 to 5:00 10:00 to 3:00 Closed

*Buy a qualifying Mac from Apple or a participating Apple Authorized Campus Store from June 16, 2011, through September 20, 2011, and receive a $100 Back to School Card code for use on the Mac App Store, the iTunes Store, the App Store, and the iBookstore. Qualifying Mac must be purchased using Apple’s Education Individual Pricing. If the qualifying Mac is returned, your refund may be reduced by the full amount of the Back to School Card code. Terms and conditions apply. Visit www.apple.com/campuso∂er for full details. Not all Apple products qualify for education pricing. The Mac App Store is available only to persons age 13 or older in the U.S. and many other countries; see www.apple.com /support/mac/app-store/ww/ for a list of countries. Requires compatible hardware and software and Internet access; broadband recommended (fees may apply). Terms apply. See www.apple.com/legal/itunes/us/terms.html for more information. TM and © 2011 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. L424814B-US

17

18 • September 1, 2011

TheMetropolitan

TimeOut This

Week 9.1 Student Involvement Fair 10 a.m.–2 p.m.

Tivoli Commons

Learn how to get involved on campus and participate in games and giveaways.

Free

9.2

Celebration Metaphysical Fair 1–9 p.m.

Denver Merchandise Mart 451 E. 58th Ave. Across 1- Heavy hammer 7- Actress McClurg 11- Move from side to side 14- Wedgelike 15- Fishing reel 16- Color 17- Marked down 18- Visionary 20- Epidemic over a large area 22- Terra ___ 23- “Respect for Acting” author Hagen 24- Afflict 25- The first Gospel 27- Currency of Turkey, and formerly of Italy 29- Grandson of Adam 31- Antitoxins 32- With vinegar as the solvent

35- ___ boy!

37- Actor Fernando 38- Policy of segregation 41- Green shade 44- Monogram ltr.

45- Strikes 49- Radio switch 51- Eye sore 53- Track event 54- Arbitrator 56- Conger 59- Business card abbr.

60- Come up 61- Visualize 63- Illicit lover 66- Not accented 67- “Slippery” tree 68- Cross inscription 69- Drop a security from an exchange 70- NFL scores 71- Bar bills 72- Builds

Down 1- Dense tuft of hairs 2- Insane person 3- Catch 4- Bought the farm 5- Hood-shaped anatomical part 6- Fragrant resin 7- Heroic 8- Accomplished 9- Anger 10- Make into law 11- To what place 12- Forbidding 13- Escape 19- A great deal 21- Land in la mer 25- Lepidopterous insect 26- Donkeys 28- Loss leader?

30- Gritty intro 33- News letters 34- The house of a parson

36- Direct a gun 39- Baptism, e.g.

40- Caliginous 41- Low protective wall 42- Green beryl 43- States as a fact 46- Of great size 47- Sad poet 48- Chooses 50- City near Phoenix 52- Dusk, to Donne 55- Pardon 57- Circumvent 58- Unit of volume 61- Goddess and sister of Ares in Greek mythology 62- Boot bottom 64- ___ roll 65- Metro area

Psychic readings 20 minutes for $20, shopping, seminars and live entertainment.

Free

9.3

Highland Farmer’s Market

9 a.m.–1 p.m.

1500 block of Boulder Street

Event boosts a unique mix of vendors and entertainment.

Free

9.4 Labor Day Fireworks 9 p.m.

Elitch Gardens

Special finale to “IGNIGHT,” Elitch Garden’s summer-long, award-nominated live fireworks show.

Free with park admission

9.5

A Taste of Colorado 10:30 a.m.–8 p.m.

Civic Center Park

Six entertainment stages will feature national, local and ethnic musical performances, and more than 50 food establishments will be present. Sept. 2-5.

Free

9.6

Public Night at Chamberlin Observatory 7 p.m.

Chamberlin Observatory 2930 E. Warren Ave.

Gaze at the stars and enjoy lectures and facility tours. $3 adults, $2 children

9.7 Stop and Serve

10:30 a.m.–2 p.m.

North Classroom Atrium

Local nonprofit organizations will have tables set up, and students can stop by and give whatever time they have, even five minutes, to help.

Free

Photo of the Week

Texts From Last Night You know summer is almost over when ur school booty calls start hitting u up as if solidifying their spot in drunken mistakes for next semester.

I left myself a trail of jello shots, that ended at his door. OR maybe he left me a trail of jello shots at his door. DO I GO IN!?

Did you get your crutches off the street sign?

The sunset shining through a rainstorm in the foothills West of Denver Aug. 30.

Photo by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu