Volume 34, Issue 8 - Oct. 6, 2011

October 6, 2011

Volume 34, Issue 08

www.metnews.org

Serving the Auraria Campus for 33 Years

TheMetropolitan MetNews

InSight

MetroSpective

MetroSports

One World, One Water donation flows into Metro 3

Hoping the smoke clears on campus 9

Students stage silent protest at Race for the Cure 8

Men’s soccer on a fivegame winning streak 15

Denver under occupation

One of nearly 20 speakers at the public forum and protest outside Denver’s capital building addresses the crowd before Occupy Denver’s Saturday march. The Guy Fox mask has become synonymous with the Occupy Wall Street movement. In New York City, a 150-year-old law that bans masked gathering was invoked to arrest protesters sporting the popular accessory. Photo by Jessica Wacker • jwacker1@mscd.edu

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October 6, 2011

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Gessler speaks on voter history, future Brad Roudebush wroudebu@mscd.edu A crowd gathered in Turnhalle to hear embattled Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler speak about the “History of Voting and You,” but the issue of possible changes in voting procedure took center stage.

In an event sponsored by Metro’s Student Government Assembly on Sept. 29, Gessler touched on a number of elementary school history lessons such as the constitution, suff rage, and the Voting Rights Act. He then strategically transitioned to redistricting and voter registration and election procedures.

Gessler has appeared in local and national headlines for his controversial stance on mail-in ballots for Colorado’s upcoming elections. Gessler fi led a lawsuit against the city of Denver Sept. 21 demanding the Denver County Clerk and Recorder send ballots only to active voters. Inactive voters would not be sent ballots for the Nov. 1 elections, a stance that has drawn the ire of many in Colorado.

According to Gessler, there are two types of inactive voters—inactive/failed to vote and inactive/returned mail. In Denver, an inactive voter is someone who voted in the 2008 election, but has neither voted since nor responded to communications from the Denver County Clerk and Recorder since. In addition to active voter,

Denver County currently sends ballots to those considered “inactive, failed to vote.”

In Gessler’s mind, inactive voters are inactive voters and they should not be given the chance to vote by mail. However, being an inactive voter does not mean one cannot vote.

“An inactive voter can show up [to a polling place] and vote,” Gessler said. “An inactive voter can simply, by communication either with the clerk or recorder or my office, become an active voter.”

Opponents to the proposal, such as state Rep. Crisanta Duran, D-Denver, believe Republicans are trying to limit the number of voters allowed to vote in Colorado.

“There is a sophisticated, coordinated Republican War on Voting [sic] happening today in the United States, and Colorado citizens are not going unscathed,” Duran said in a fundraising email released Sept.

30. “The Colorado Republican machine is determined to block access to the ballot box for thousands upon thousands of voters— using fear, phony statistics, and raciallycharged [sic] anti-immigration rhetoric to create roadblocks for eligible citizens to exercise the most basic of American rights.”

Pueblo County Clerk and Recorder Gilbert Ortiz requested Gessler send a formal letter from the Secretary of State’s office officially requesting the county not mail inactive voters’ ballots. The issue raises concerns that not mailing out ballots to inactive

Colorado Secretary of State Scott Gessler spoke at Metro Sept. 29.

Photo by Alicia Valiente • mvalient@mscd.edu. voters would prevent Pueblo County from sending ballots to servicemen overseas. But according to Gessler, “[Ortiz] is going to do what we guide [him] to do.”

During the question and answer session following Gessler’s speech, attendee Lee Stevens debated Gessler and other audience members saying, “While your intent might be one thing, the effect is to restrict the right to vote.”

Other opponents believe not delivering

the ballots hurts the fabric of the voting system. Some say not providing everyone the same chance to vote will negatively impact the ability to vote, especially for the young and the poor.

Gessler’s supporters believe that if people want to fulfi ll their civic duties, they should make the effort on their own.

Florence Sebern, an 11-year volunteer for the Denver Election Commission said, “Inactive voters are not disenfranchised. All they need to do is come into a voter service center and vote. It’s not any more of a burden to come in than anything else.”

“Yes, there is a right to vote, but with every right, comes a responsibility,” Sebern continued. “We have a personal responsibility to step up, take ahold of it, seek it out.

It’s not supposed to be delivered on a silver platter.”

Gessler firmly believes the way he interprets the law is “absolutely correct,” but understands opening and maintaining dialogue is crucial in politics.

“We’re still making history every day of the week, every month of the year of every election we have,” he said. “[These] issues are [relevant] today and I think will be forever because voting is a fundamental right. It’s something we define ourselves by as a society and I’m hopeful, for one, that it will remain that way and we will continue to have these vibrant and robust debates.”

New Belgium blends gold, green Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu Most CEO’s tend to worry about whether their company is in the black or red. Kim Jordan, New Belgium Brewery’s CEO and co-founder, tends to focus on another color: green.

Jordan came to the Auraria Campus Sept. 28 to discuss the Fort Collins’ brewery’s mission to balance being a successful business with a commitment to being environmental stewards. Since its first batch of beer was made in 1991, Jordan says the company’s goal has always been to make great beer and to stay true to Jordan’s selfdescribed “general liberal leanings.”

“Many of the people who run businesses today, grew up in the ’60s and it’s natural for us to think about being socially responsible,” Jordan said to an audience of more than 100 in the Tivoli Turnhalle. “It is really been powerful to understand that we can show up and let our corporate lives intersect with our personal values.”

Since its inception, New Belgium has made environmental stability one of its guiding principles within its business mod-

el. The company has been at the forefront in promoting environmental sustainability both in the community and in their own business. Jordan pointed to multiple projects the company has undertaken to lessen the environmental impact of a 6-pack of its beer. Those projects range from playing a major role in helping expand Fort Collins use of wind power and committing millions of dollars to building a system to recapture methane released during the brewing process.

“Across the company, [we] think about our environmental practice, and I think that’s because we’ve always thought about our environmental practices. And as leaders, we have said “yes,” that is part of being excellent,” Jordan said.

New Belgium stands as a stark contrast to critics of environmental regulation in business. While the conventional wisdom has been that ‘going green’ will lead to losses in both profits and jobs created, New Belgium has seen an average of 11 percent increase in business in the past few years, and increased their revenue by more than 20 percent last year.

“It impressed me. It was really cool that

since the beginning, they have stuck to their core values. It kept them strong as a company,” said Melodi Byerly, a Metro senior journalism major who attended the lecture.

Jordan believes that creating a sustainable business doesn’t always require a huge investment.

“There are lots of little steps before there are bigger steps,” Jordan said. “There are lots of things we can do that are a part of the sustainability quotient that do not require millions in investments.” Jordan said one of the simpleset ways businesses can start to lessen their impact is by replacing regular light bulbs with LED lights.

Closer to home, the Auraria Campus is taking steps with the Auraria Higher Education Center’s Sustainable Campus Program.

Jill Jennings Golich, the AHEC campus planner, listed ways the campus has sought to lessen its impact on the environment, including installing more than 400 toilets and 200 sink faucets with low-flow devices and off-setting the campus electricity use with 100 percent wind power.

While Golcih acknowledges that it is impossible to be a completely sustainable

New Belgium CEO Kim Jordan. Photo by Brian McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu. campus, “We want to try and reach for goals in sustainability.”

4 • October 6, 2011 MetNews TheMetropolitan

$1 million for One World, One Water Wesley Reyna wreyna1@mscd.edu A bronze sculpture sitting 14 feet high, depicting the delicate and important cycle of water, is shaping more than just the future look of the campus.

The sculpture, commissioned by an anonymous donor and created by artist RiK Sargent, has led to the creation of a new minor program in water studies called One World, One Water Center for Urban Water Education and Stewardship. The program will be funded with a $1 million donation from the same anonymous donor.

“About three years ago, the donor approached us about donating to us a sculpture that was entitled ‘One World, One Water,’ and we were pleased to accept the gift,” said Sandra Haynes, dean of Metro’s School of Professional Studies. “The sculpture will be placed in front of the future Student Success Building sometime in this coming year.”

The sculpture represents water as a continuous loop, in both its shape and in the negative space at its center.

“These are various habitats and watersheds woven together to create a single recycled drop of water,” Sargent said. “As diverse as polar bears are from whales, to deer, they’re all part of the one drop of water and that’s the thought. As diverse as I and you are, we’re part of the one garden of humanity.”

The artist and the donor sought to continue the educational process beyond

Artist RiK Sargent sits with a scale model of his sculpture, “One World, One Water.”

Photo by Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu. the depictions of life and ecosystems that water connects, that cover the surface of the sculpture.

“She was very clear when she made her gift, that she wanted this sculpture to be used for educational purposes,” Haynes said. “She didn’t want it to sit and be art for art’s sake, but to really be used for education.”

According to a press release, the fiveyear program, which is currently in development, will be open to all majors. It will provide around 30 students with opportunities like internships, service learning and

volunteer opportunities, co-curricular public education seminars and water conservation initiatives.

“We are creating this minor, for students of any major, to help educate them on water issues, irrespective of what they do with their career,” Haynes said. “So that they will be water stewards in their life and we look to these minors to enhance whatever major the person is choosing for themselves.”

The program is unique in that not only was it inspired by a piece of art, but the artist also had a hand in shaping it.

“It is the whole thing, the original

concept was ‘we will trade you a large public work if you will create a program in exchange,’ and the program wasn’t even conceived of then,” Sargent said. “Here, four or five years later, it’s a degree in water [education].”

Sargent, who has a passion for water conservation and education, hopes to create a program that will have lasting effects.

“The whole thing at Metro and what we are trying to create is a community where the gentle use of language in the exploration of the renaissance of the water and the use of water in the West can be facilitated, both in education and in process,” Sargent said.

The issue of water supply is of concern in the growing metro area where water supplies in aquifers and rivers are strained.

“In Denver’s urban environment, water stewardship and sustainability are especially important and relevant topics,” said Metro State President Stephen Jordan in a press release. “Our donor’s generosity is a testament to the College’s ability to address these issues from its unique vantage point as an urban land-grant institution.”

“One World, One Water,” both the sculpture and the program will make timely debuts as Colorado is set to celebrate Colorado Water 2012. The yearlong program spearheaded by the Colorado Foundation for Water Education will highlight our state’s important geological position with the numerous headwaters that originate here.

“It’s an extraordinary gift that [Metro] got,” Sargent said.

The Integrative Therapeutic Practices Club, the Integrative Therapeutic Practices Program, the Metro State Department of Health Professions and the Health Center at Auraria present:

Leonard Wisneski, M.D. Integrative Healthcare in the U.S. Past, Present and Future

Thursday, October 13 • 12:30–1:30 p.m.

Tivoli 320 (B and C) Integrative medicine blends mainstream medical therapies with evidence-based complementary and alternative therapies. Come hear Dr. Wisneski speak about the importance of this type of practice for modern medicine and the health of us all!

Dr. Wisneski has served as a clinical professor of medicine at George Washington University, an adjunct professor at the National College of Naturopathic Medicine, the founding medical director of the Bethesda Center, and president of the Washington Region of American Whole Health. He is currently Chancellor at the University of Sint Eustatius School of Medicine and on faculty at the University of Colorado Medical Center. He has published over 30 scientific articles and the book The Scientific Basis of Integrative Medicine.

TheMetropolitan

MetNews October 6, 2011 • 5

Transportation panel rides on Nathalia Velez nvelez@mscd.edu Commuting is an inevitable part of our daily lives, and Denver is increasingly evolving into a more commuter-friendly city.

A group of panelists from transportation companies held a discussion on this topic Oct. 3 in the Tivoli Turnhalle to discuss their plans and current projects for that purpose.

The four panelists discussed transportation alternatives for traveling either point-to-point or town-to-town. Some of these alternatives are geared toward Auraria students who are currently facing parking issues.

The construction of the Student Success Building and the Hotel and Hospitality Learning Center has left students with fewer parking options and more expensive lots.

Tim Tobiassen, director of District F of the Regional Transportation District in Denver, talked about current projects in the light rail system geared toward accommodating more passengers and reaching more destinations.

Tobiassen said RTD Denver anticipated Auraria’s parking issues and timed the addition of an extra car to the light rail trains to accommodate more students at the time construction began.

“RTD is working constantly with the staff here on campus, your traffic planners and your transportation planners, to look

at what you’re going to need in the future,” Tobiassen said.

Having four cars instead of three has meant modifying the stations and timing the traffic lights to allow for all the cars to pass. This effort took four years to accomplish, according to Tobiassen.

Ben Turner, Sales, Marketing and Public Relations director for Denver Bike Sharing, discussed the Denver B-cycle program.

This program allows people to rent a bicycle from one station, travel to their destination and return the bicycle at any other station.

“Our goal is to help people make short trips that they would otherwise use their car or walking or some sort of other mode of transportation and shift that to a bicycle,” Turner said.

Denver B-cycle currently has 51 stations, soon to be 52, and 510 bicycles in the city.

Users have to pay an access fee of $6 for one-day use and there is a separate usage fee for every time a bicycle is checked out. The first half hour is free, 30 to 60 minutes costs $1 and each additional half hour after that costs $6.

Frequent users can also sign up for a seven-day pass, a 30-day pass or an annual pass.

There are two B-cycle stations on the outskirts of Auraria, but it’s hard to build them any closer due to the campus’ nobicycle-riding policy.

“As long as there is no bike riding on campus, this is a particularly tough market

A group of panelists discusses alternate transportation options Oct. 3 in the Tivoli Turnalle. Photo by Brian McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu. for us because you can only get so close to campus,” Turner said.

Jay Corbett, from Auraria Higher Education Center’s Enviromental and Health Safety Shop, agrees that bicycles are a big part of the parking and transportation solution. He said more bicycle racks are already in place, and he would like to see bicycle trails on campus in the future.

“We really have no choice. All these parking lots you see out here, in due time buildings will be rolling up in them and

parking spots will be decreasing,” Corbett said.

Despite the restriction, B-cycle is marketed to college students in different ways. With an email address ending in .edu, students get $20 off when they sign up for the $65 annual pass.

Malcolm Kenton, outreach and engagement director for the National Association of Railroad Passengers, was there to talk about trains as a safer and more environ-

story continues on page 6>>>

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October 6, 2011

MetNews TheMetropolitan

West Campus station to reopen in late October Ryen Robnett rrobnet1@mscd.edu The new Auraria West light rail station is set to open in late October. The cost to demolish and rebuild the old Auraria West station is expected to be $1.8 million and will serve the C and E lines.

The station was moved 350 feet and has changed from an east/west orientation to a north/south orientation, according to Kathy Berumen, Public Information Manager of the Denver Transit Construction Group.

The station’s relocation will provide better access to the Auraria Higher Education Center dorms, given its location between the Aspen lot and the Campus Village at Auraria.

“The move was necessary to provide access to [future] west rail trains on the way to Union Station, eliminating the need for folks to go all the way to Union Station and then catch a Broadway-bound train to come

back to Auraria,” Berumen said.

The west rail line’s new tracks will extend 12 miles from Auraria to Lakewood and to the Jefferson County Government Center in Golden.

The line is being paid for with RTD funds from sales tax and a $308 million federal grant. Many communities along the line have donated ground and waived permit fees to help lower the cost for the line.

“The cost of the entire project is estimated at $710 million,” said Pauletta Tonilas of FasTracks Public Information.

According to Tonilas, the environmental and soil studies as well as design and construction were included in the cost.

Students at Auraria are gradually making adjustments around the construction zone.

“After the station was closed it was taking a little longer to walk because I have to come here to ride the Light Rail,” said Daniel Yi, a freshman at CCD who was waiting

at the Invesco Field Station.

The parking situation on campus has also been an inconvenience for most students and won’t get better.

“There will actually be less parking in the area than there was before construction,” Berumen said. “Lot B used to have 207 parking spots, but now it will have approximately 172. Lot F used to have 219 parking spots, now it will have 178. The total loss is 76 parking spots. The decrease in parking is due to the new alignment of Curtis Street. However, if Curtis Street would have been left in its original location, it would have required an additional train crossing which is the last thing we want with regard to public safety.”

Construction of the West Rail line is on schedule and the entire project will be completed by 2013, according to RTD. Additional reporting by Brian McGinn, Wesley Reyna and Caitlin Sievers

Construction continues at the Auraria West RTD station Sept. 26. Photo by Brian McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu.

<<<story continued from page 5 mentally sound travel option.

Kenton discussed the NARP’s plans to expand and make commuter trains a more prominent method of transportation. An advantage geared especially toward students is the fact that they wouldn’t need to keep All Ads Appear in their eyes on the road, which will allow Print AND on the Web! them to use their digital devices. He said trains are not only greener and safer, but they will also create jobs.

Jim Turner is the founder of Boulder-

Optibike you can truly replace your car in based company Optibike. He discussed his trips up to 20 to 30 mile commutes,” Turner electrically charged bicycles as a healthy, said. energy saving, environmentally friendly These hybrid bicycles that combine hualternative to cars. man power and electricity seem economiLack of exercise, pollution and highcally viable. According to Turner, today energy use are problems many Americans you ais cupon of coffFollowing ee, about 40 have in common. Turner said he believes X  Ad Below$4 canbuyAd these can all be solved on a personal level by miles on a Toyota Prius or 2000 miles on an Optibike. using Optibike.

“There’s not another type of transporta“We are an alternative to a car, not an tion that can equal that,” Turner said. alternative to a bycicle. Because with the

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Although the panel was poorly attended – about 10 people attended the event, and only half of them were students – Tobiassen appreciated the effort to educate people on alternative transportation.

“Transportation is sort of like water— you just turn it on and think it’s always Page going to be there,” Tobiassen said. “Transportation is kind of that same way, we just take it for granted.”

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8 • October 6, 2011 TheMetropolitan

InSight

Op-Ed

Colorado house on shakey ground Ramsey Scott rscott42@mscd.edu This week the University of Denver’s Strategic Initiatives Program released its yearlong review of the state of Colorado’s fiscal house. The nonpartisan panel’s opinion: our fiscal house is more like a dilapidated tenement.

According to the report, entitled “Rethinking Colorado’s Government,” Colorado “suffers from a cyclical and structural fiscal imbalance that undermines Colorado’s fiscal stability over the long term.” In other words, the troubles we are experiencing today are only the tip of the iceberg.

The DU study cites a 2011 report from the Governmental Accountability Office that shows, under the current fiscal structure, state and local governments’ revenues will decline at a steady rate through the year 2060. The decline in revenues will require cuts of 12.5 percent a year in current spending just to keep a balanced budget.

Essentially, all Colorado’s government will be able to afford is its share of Medicaid and its constitutional obligation to pay for K-12 education. That is it. Nothing else.

While the panel touched upon multiple reasons for Colorado’s fiscal house to be in shambles, two of the main culprits are the constitutional impediments of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights, which limits the growth of the state’s revenue, and Amendment 23, which requires the state to fund K-12 education at a rate not tied to economic conditions. The report suggests that, taken together, “they mandate spending and limit spending at the same time.” The panel finds that Amendment 23 should be repealed along with every provision in TABOR, except for allowing citizens to vote on tax increases.

The double-edged sword of TABOR and Amendment 23 has drastically affected how we operate in this state. Doing away with both of these constitutional provisions will go a long way in saving our state from fiscal insolvency. Yet, the panel did not simply suggest doing away with contradictory constitutional provisions.

Out of all the panel’s suggestions, the most pertinent to Metro students is how we pay for college in this state. The panel believes that funding for higher education should go directly to the students instead of the state colleges and universities.

In this new system, students would be given stipends equivalent to the support they would receive from the state already, yet the funds would not be tied to any one school. Schools would compete for students’ dollars, thus encouraging them to find the most efficient ways to educate. The schools that offer the best education at the best price would thrive. Those that don’t would simply die.

This new system could potentially create a multitude of problems for the state, like how it funds its research institutions like Colorado State University. Yet one benefit would be breaking the unfair distribution of higher education dollars in the state.

Places like Metro, which currently receives half of what other school do to educate Coloradans, would finally be receiving the funds that they deserve. Metro has been providing its students with one of the best values in education in the state. If state money were allowed to flow to institutions like Metro that have been striving to provide the best value in educating its students, perhaps other schools in the state would have to learn to be more efficient with their cash.

The Affordable Care Act is Already Working for Young Adults Since its passage over a year ago, a lot has been said about the Affordable Care Act. And a lot continues to be said – by TV pundits, elected officials, opinion columnists, your Aunt Linda, and so on. After all, it’s a complex and controversial piece of legislation that dramatically changes our health care system. But, for the noise level surrounding health care reform, not a lot is being said about the fact that it’s starting to work.

Recently, the National Center for Health Statistics found that the number of uninsured Americans, ages 19-25, dropped from 10 million last year to 9.1 million in the first three months of this year. This marks a significant increase in the number of young people that are now insured, but it shouldn’t come as a surprise. One of the first tenets of the Affordable Care Act to take effect allowed for young people under the age of

Editor-in-Chief Ramsey Scott: rscott42@mscd.edu Managing Editor Walt House: whouse1@mscd.edu News Editors Nathalia Vélez: nvelez@mscd.edu Wesley Reyna: wreyna1@mscd.edu MetroSpective Editor Megan Mitchell: mmitch46@mscd.edu Assistant MetroSpective Editor Christin Mitchell: cmitch39@mscd.edu AudioFiles Editor Ian Gassman: igassman@mscd.edu Sports Editor Daniel Laverty: dlaverty@mscd.edu Assistant Sports Editor Matt Hollinshead: mhollin5@mscd.edu Copy Editors J. Sebastian Sinisi Kate Rigot Luke Powell Bailey Geoghan Steve Musal Photo Editor Steve Anderson: sande104@mscd.edu Assistant Photo Editors Luke Powell: Ryan Borthick Adviser Gary Massaro: gmassaro@mscd.edu Webmaster Drew Jaynes: ajaynes1@mscd.edu Director of Student Media Steve Haigh: shaigh@mscd.edu Assistant Director of Student Media Marlena Hartz: mhartz@mscd.edu

Guest Op-Ed

Steve Fenberg Executive Director of New Era Colorado

MetStaff

26 to be insured as a dependent on their parent’s health insurance. Young adults in Colorado are now able to join their parent’s plan even if they are financially independent, out of school, married or living out of state.

Nearly a million more young people with health coverage is a staggering statistic.

It represents more than a statistic though.

It represents young people all across the country that now have the security of knowing that they can get the care they need in an emergency or go to the doctor if they get sick. It represents families who no longer have to worry about whether their children will be protected if they need it. And it represents a big step forward in getting more Americans the health coverage they need.

Young people often feel invincible when it comes to their health, but there’s no denying the importance of insurance coverage, whether we think we need it or not. And in a time when so many college grads struggle to find employment after graduation, it’s crucial that there’s a way for them to get

health insurance coverage without paying an arm and a leg.

In addition to expanded coverage for young people, new health plans must now cover certain preventive services without cost sharing. This means that under the Affordable Care Act, young adults can also get free preventive care like flu and pneumonia shots; tests for blood pressure; diabetes and cholesterol; cancer screenings; vaccinations for measles and meningitis; and counseling for smoking cessation, nutrition, treating depression and more.

An estimated 18,600 young people in Colorado are expected to take advantage of this provision of the Affordable Care Act by the end of this year, but many young people still may not know about it. Everyone likes “friends with benefits” (health benefits, of course!) so let your friends know about it today. If you’re under 26 years old, consider looking into how to join your parent’s policy. If you know someone under 26, let them know they have options. More information can be found at www.gettingcovered.com.

Clarifications In the Sept. 22 edition of The Metropolitan, a quote from Leticia Tanguma was misrepresented. Tanguma’s quote was meant to describe most, not all of the cases that Denver’s Human Services’ Child Protection department deals with.

Administrative Assistant of Student Media Elizabeth Norberg: enorbert@mscd.edu Production Manager of Student Media Kathleen Jewby: kjewby@mscd.edu

The Metropolitan accepts submissions in the form of topicdriven 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 not necessarily reflect those of Metropolitan State College of Denver or its advertisers.

TheMetropolitan

InSight

October 6, 2011

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Don’t know much about history – dumbing down all around I don’t put quite as much stock in standardized test results as do some savants, especially at a time when “teaching to the test” is all the rage – and to hell with teaching kids critical thinking. That approach got a big boost from the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act. A proud achievement of the George W. Bush Administration, NCLB stressed raising test scores in math and reading at the expense of other subjects; especially history.

But recent test scores don’t lend themselves to much congratulation.

Scholastic Aptitude Tests, administered by the non-profit College Board and taken by about 1.6 million high school students last year, showed the average reading and writing scores for the class of 2011 as the lowest ever.

Those scores, according to a report in the Wall Street Journal – hardly a proponent of radical education reform – indicate that less than half the exam-takers, or 43 percent, were prepared to succeed in college. Previous results of ACT collegeentrance exams, also taken by many college aspirants, showed just 25 percent of those taking the test as ready for college.

Further down the educational food chain, the National Assessment of Educational Progress recently released the results

of nationwide testing in the U.S. for grades four, eight and 12. The study reported that only 12 percent of U.S. high school seniors – people who can vote next year – tallied “proficient” scores on history exams. It got a bit better for eighth-graders, at 17 percent, and fourth-graders, where 20 percent tested proficient. But the second two groups, whose best showing was a wan one-in-five proficient, won’t be eligible to vote next year.

The tests didn’t involve rocket science, just basic areas such as civil rights, changes for African-Americans after the U.S. Civil War, what the Constitution contains and who was involved in the Korean War. Of the high school seniors – tomorrow’s voters, if they bother to vote – who showed a 12 percent proficiency rate in history, “Americans put themselves at the mercy of political spin if they don’t understand the currents of their history,” said a Christian Science Monitor editorial.

We can’t just blame the kids, their teachers or the tests. Dumbing down has become a national pastime. In some political circles, being a dimwit is now worn as a badge of honor. Idiotic utterances by Sarah Palin and Michele Bachmann are wellknown. But GOP wannabe Rick Perry has pushed past them to take the front of the dimwit table.

J. SEBASTIAN SINISI sinisi2@msn.com Two weeks ago, the Washington Post related Perry presenting himself, at Liberty University, “as a decidedly anti-intellectual candidate, making light of flunking out of some of his classes at Texas A&M University…”

Commenting on Perry, Denver Post conservative columnist Vincent Carroll noted that, in today’s America, “…politics may be the only career in which an Ivy League degree is treated with faint suspicion rather than a badge of accomplishment…and never mind that the past six presidential elections have been won by candidates with an Ivy pedigree.”

Dumbing down started years ago in newspapers, that used to be a bastion of analysis and in-depth reporting not found

in fluffier media like TV news. Now, struggling to compete along with newspapers nationwide, Denver Post reporters have daily priorities under a new and digital-oriented regime. First, they write for the blog. Then for twitter, then for the website and, finally, for the print newspaper.

Any guesses on what those priorities will do for analysis and depth reporting?

Not to mention context.

Fewer and fewer folks, especially those under 35, read printed newspapers in any case. But dumbing down, that starts with teaching to the test and runs to political clowns and how daily news is now delivered, works against knowing much about history – and much more; or less. An electorate that doesn’t know much can’t make informed decisions. But for politicians who aren’t too bright themselves, dumbing down is perfect. And voters can be convinced, with simple slogans, that the Republican boost-the-rich-and-screw-everyone-else credo might actually have merit.

Americans have been sold bigger lies.

But when voters don’t know jack and lack the tools to detect bogus half-truths, lies flourish. Just look around. The fallout is everywhere.

Op-Ed

Lifting the haze from Auraria

Wanting a non-smoking campus, or can we exile them to Hoboken Walt House whouse1@mscd.edu All I was doing was walking to class minding my own business, when I was slapped in the face with a noxious odor.

There was someone in front of me walking away with their cigarette dangling from their fingers, a cloud of smoke masking my face. I just shook my head, and continued to my next class.

I’m not against smoking. People have a right to kill themselves any way they wish.

What I am against is people thinking I want to share or participate in this activity. I don’t want to die by second-hand smoke.

This attitude was formed in my younger days, while I was traveling the country doing my best Kerouac imitation. I may have had a cigarette or two during that phase. I was young.

I was in New York City in 1997, a smoker’s paradise. Herds of people were dragging on their cigarettes while on Broadway.

Other streets were littered with half-smoked butts. Billboards with the Marlboro Man rose above Times Square. And windows were plastered with advertisements for Kools. Bars and nightclubs were swirly dens of smoke. Even if you didn’t light up, you ended up having a two-pack-a-day habit.

NYC is an urban environment that wants you to smoke. Or is it? The city was able to drop the smoking rate by almost 20 percent.

The New York City Smoke-Free Air Act was enacted in 2003, banning smoking in all public facilities and most public outdoor locations. In 2006 and 2011 the city added public parks and beaches. This was a huge cultural shift for one of the great U.S. smoking meccas.

If New York City can change, why can’t Auraria?

There are 530 smoke-free campuses in the United States. Americans for Nonsmoking Rights has a partial list. There are four Colorado colleges on the list: Colorado Christian University, Colorado Mountain College Summit Campus, Northeastern Junior College in Sterling, and UC-Denver Anschutz Medical Campus.

I had hoped there would be more than four schools in Colorado that were smoke-free. Colorado is listed as one of the healthiest states in the union. We have fresh mountain air, world-class athletes living with the common folk, and the lowest obesity rate in the country. This should be easy for us. Even the University of Kentucky has banned smoking on its campus, and it is in the heart of tobacco country.

All we have now is a policy that prohibits smoking in buildings or within 25 feet of any campus buildings. The health center has cessation information, but there is no petition for non-smokers to voice themselves.

So where do we start? What should we do to make this campus smoke-free?

I feel there should be a two-pronged

Photo illustration by Luke Powell • lpowel18@mscd.edu approach to implementing a smoke-free campus. 1) Roving bands of non-smokers with water guns, and 2) President Jordan handing nicotine patches out to students.

I guess those ideas would be too silly.

What we need is a top-down approach, and President Jordan needs to be involved. He could set aside a designated smoking zone away from high traffic areas. If he can’t do it, maybe a state law like the one New York

has banning smoking at all public and private colleges and universities.

So until Big Brother gets involved, I’ll do the only thing I can to avoid the smoky haze on my way to class. I’ll slink and slither around buildings to keep myself from being suffocated by smoke.

10 • October 6, 201 TheMetropolitan

MetroSpective

New movement occupies Denver Locals gather to support ongoing national Wall Street protests Story and photos by Jessica Wacker mmitch46@mscd.edu A 14-year-old girl stepped into the center of more than 300 protesters at Denver’s Civic Center Park Oct. 1 to speak about her experience as one of the 99 percent, an identity formed in contrast to the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans.

When she begin to speak, the crowd echoed back her words, as it had done for nearly 20 other speakers who took advantage of the public forum developing on the steps of the capital.

Rosiee, who declined to give her last name, was part of a movement called Occupy Denver, which marched to protest the financial and governmental decline that stained the last decade.

“I want my future back,” she shouted.

“I want my future back,” the crowd returned.

“I want my rights. I’m sick of being scared.”

Nick Renous, a member of Occupy Denver’s media team, poses with his laptop, signifying the crucial role social media plays in the National Occupy Wall Street Protests.

The Collegiate Budget

$$

Luke Powell lpowel8@mscd.edu

Sometimes after a long day of work, there is nothing more satisfying than grabbing a cold foamy beer from a local pub.

The problem is drinking at the bars can be expensive, but if you play your cards correctly and go the right bars you can save a

Rosiee can’t tell you exactly what it is, but she knows there’s “something messed up in the system,” a platform supporters of the National Occupy Wall Street movement would likely agree with.

If the term Occupy Wall Street — the name and location of the original protest — is unfamiliar, it’s because the movement hasn’t been receiving much mainstream press.

Signs cautioning, “You’re in a Media Black Out” are common fare at these gatherings, as seen in pictures posted to social media sites. The protest has been going on for more than two weeks in New York City, where it started Sept. 17, and is just now gaining national momentum.

Mainstream media articles that have covered the event spotlight the movement’s lack of organization or clear purpose. At one point, National Public Radio (NPR) responded to listeners who were upset with NPR for doing no coverage, saying “The recent protests on Wall Street did not involve large numbers of people, prominent people, a great disruption or an especially clear objective” (NPR has since aired a story).

As the official website, occupywallst.org, states, it is “…a leaderless movement with many people of colors, genders and political persuasions.”

“Everyone wants to know what we’re here for,” said Nick Renous, part of Occupy Denver’s media team.

The basic rallying points, Renous explained, are: the CEOs that were responsible for the economic meltdown need to be held accountable for misappropriating their bailout funds; a tax reform needs to be placed on the top one percent of earners so they pay their fair share; and finally, a company’s ability to have the same rights as an individual citizen needs to be revoked.

“Until the national movement can agree on demands, we are just keeping around [those] basic rallying points,” he said.

While the movement’s focus can be debated, there’s no denying its passion. Many of Denver’s initial organizers went days without sleeping, dedicating themselves around the clock, including Renous. He

bit of cash.

Here are a few tips for getting some cheap suds…

• Set a drink max. Limit your order to keep from spending too much money.

Especially if the bar doesn’t offer any specials.

• Happy hour. Most bars have a happy hour, which despite the name, last longer than an hour. Some bars hold happy hour twice a day, around 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. and again after 10 p.m.

• Flip-night. A couple of bars host various games to try and draw you into their establishment such as flip-night. This night

One of the first crowds for Occupy Denver gathers at a general assembly meeting held Sept 27. Organizers noted that the day before they had less than 20 supporters, and at one point only three attending. The crowd swelled to nearly 100 that evening. views what’s happening in the U.S. as a part of an international revolution that started with the Arab Spring, a term for the collective revolutionary protests that took place in the Arab world.

“I decided that nothing is more important than changing the world,” said Renous.

His sentiments were shared by others.

“Right now, there’s nothing more important for me to do,” said Rachel Boice, a University of Colorado at Denver graduate student who participated in Saturday’s march.

Business owner Michael Jacobs offered an outsider’s perspective. The group, in his opinion, had an appearance that didn’t warrant being taken seriously, though he did agree with the central focus.

“I think this administration, which I expected a lot more out of, gave Wall-Streeters a free pass,” said Jacobs. “I think there was a lot of fleecing of America, if not the world,

by Wall Street.”

Jacobs owns an executive headhunter business in Denver.

To date, Occupy Wall Street has received

Occupy Denver protesters hold signs at the intersection of Broadway and Colfax as part of a movement whose main platform is “We Are the 99%.” The movement takes aim at the greed and corruption of Wall Street, or the top one percent of earners.

is your best 50-50 chance getting a free drink. The bartender flips a coin, then you call it in the air and if you’re correct, you’re drink is on the house.

• Trivia night. Guess what time it is? If you guessed, “Time to gather up a few knowledgeable friends and get ready to compete at trivia at the bar,” you are correct. Trivia night is a great place to get together with friends while competing against other teams all while enjoying a drink and some cheap food. Most bars offer either a gift card for the team who wins or a certain percentage off their bill and the other teams usually have to pay full price

though.

• Brewery tours. Colorado has a lot of different breweries and offer have free tours for those of you who are above the age of 21. Call ahead to schedule what time you’d like to go and make sure to bring your ID. Otherwise you won’t be able to taste a few freshly brewed beers while listening to the tour guide explain how the beer was made.

• Student discounts. There aren’t a lot of bars that offer student discounts but if you can find one that does, they will often give you the discount on top of whatever other deals they’re promoting.

official support from prominent figures such as Cornel West, Michael Moore, Amy Goodman, the internet group Anonymous, Noam Chomsky and Roseanne Bar. The movement has also received the support of the New York Transit Workers Union and United Steelworkers, America’s largest industrial union.

TheMetropolitan MetroSpective October 6, 2011 • 11

Racing for cure, defending cause Metro student, friends takes stand against pro-life activists Megan Mitchell mmitch46@mscd.edu Something about being told he’s going to hell for standing up for his beliefs didn’t sit right with Metro senior Tyler Reschke.

“If anybody’s going to hell, it’s you,” Reschke shouted back at a man who had just called him a Satanist, and who was holding a large sign which read, “Abortion Causes Breast Cancer” on one side and depicted a dead fetus on the other.

All along the Susan G. Komen 5K Race for the Cure, there are booths and radio stations blaring inspirational chants and lively music to entertain the more than 55,000 people who participated in the race in downtown Denver Oct. 2.

One spectacle, however, has been known to rile the crowd up and send them into angry jeers every year.

Pro-life activists for the Coalition on Abortion/Breast Cancer propagating the theory that abortion causes breast cancer never fails to enrage men and women as they pass the handful of people who stand near the starting line of the race at the I-25 exit ramp on Speer Boulevard.

“They’re here every year,” Littleton resident, Laura Johnson-LeDoux said. “Every year, same spot, same sign, same everything.”

Johnson-LeDoux has participated in Race for The Cure for the past five years, in honor of her great-grandmother and mother’s best friend, who both died from breast cancer. She and her boyfriend Greg Burgess saw the demonstration last year, and couldn’t stay silent.

“It was ridiculous to go by last year and see those guys,” Burgess said. “It’s like, how many people can you possibly just make angry? It’s completely against what this is; [the race] is supposed to help and support people. It’s childish, so I’m like, ‘Well, I can be childish.’”

Burgess and Rescke mixed tubes of red and white Halloween face paint to tint their faces pink for their planned demonstration.

The idea was orginally to cover themselves from head to toe, but time constraints prevented them from going all out.

The group of four, Reschke, JohnsonLeDoux, Burgess and their friend Paige Flores stopped at the pro-lifers spot and pulled out a sign of their own: a simple cardboard panel that said, “Idiot” with an arrow pointing to the group of demonstrators.

People passing changed their tune and started cheering for the new sign. Several people stopped walking and ran up to take pictures next to Reschke and his friends, high-fiving them and thanking them for representing the other side of the debate.

“I just appreciate what those guys were doing,” Denver resident and fellow walker, Andrea Thomas said. “Silent protests are the best way of letting everyone know that there other opinions that are equally represented, in any kind of arena.”

Scientific reasoning behind the idea that having an abortion or miscarriage increases a woman’s risk for breast cancer is based on the hormonal cycle every woman has during pregnancy. The hypothesis is that abortion leaves the breast cells in a permanent suspended state where they are neither dormant nor mature, making them more susceptible to malignant change.

The New England Journal of Medicine published the largest case study ever on the subject in 1997. More than 1.5 million subjects participated, and it was concluded that there is no independent link between abortion and breast cancer.

In 2003, the National Cancer Institute held a convention of more than 100 of the world’s leading experts on pregnancy and breast cancer. Comparative studies on both humans and animals revealed that having an abortion or miscarriage does not increase a woman’s risk of developing breast cancer.

Likewise, the Susan G. Komen website addresses the controversial claim, and disbands it with the same evidence.

After the four commenced the race, people ran up to them at various times to thank them for their protest.

“Next year’s going to be better,” JohnsonLeDoux said. “We’re going to have more bigger, brighter signs. There will be more of us, too, so we can chase them around.”

From right: Metro senior Tyler Reschke and his friends Paige Flores, Laura JohnsonLeDoux and Greg Burgess walk with the crowd of 55,000 during the Susan G. Komen Denver Race for the Cure on Oct. 2. Photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn3@ mscd.edu

Reschke holds the “idiot” sign attacking the credibility of the Coalition on Abortion/ Breast Cancer at the start of the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure in downtown Denver. Photo by Brian T. McGinn • bmcginn3@mscd.edu

Silent films make noise at Auraria J. Sebastian Sinisi sinisi2@mscd.edu Silent film, accompanied by slower and faster-paced music and written cues for the audience while depending only on the actors’ facial expressions, nuances and body language - never the idiotic laugh tracks that are a TV staple - is enjoying a resurgence of interest, evidenced by the Denver Silent Film Festival in late September, part of which was screened at Auraria.

Film preservationist David Shepard, who received a lifetime achievement award at the festival, was born well after the silent film era that ended around 1928, and started his film preservation work in the 1960s. Shepard, who worked almost alone for years, is a key contributor to growing interest in silent films in recent years.

That renaissance, seen at film festivals from Telluride to Toronto to Europe, San Francisco and Denver, is largely the result of increased availability of those films that were close to being an extinct species but are now accessible in DVD and digital versions.

Some masterworks only exist today as only one or two surviving prints. Others were lost forever. But that so many have been saved, including the 1925 silent “Cyrano de Bergerac” by director Augusto Genina, owes to work by people like Shepard — and mainly Shepard.

Among the hundreds of silent films restored by Shepard is the 1925 silent film version of “Cyrano,” based on the play by Edmond Rostand. It was screened Sept.

24, at the Denver Silent Film Festival at the King Center.

For Shepard, the work has been a labor

of love, often self-financed and at other times dependent on funding that could be just as unstable as early film.

With less than 1,500 copies of silent films now sold to the public annually, “this is not a business to go into if you aspire to own a yacht,” said the affable Shepard to a combined session of two film classes taught

by National Public Radio film critic and University of Colorado at Denver instructor Howie Movshovitz in Tivoli on Sept. 23.

“But my aspirations never included a yacht,” he said. “Film has been around for more than 100 years, since 1898, and many early films were lost in a fire at the Paris Exposition of 1900.”

Poor storage facilities claimed others, and it wasn’t until 1952 that so-called “safety film” replaced the unstable and highly flammable film that was the only medium available before.

Shepard, who has worked with the Iowabased Blackhawk Films firm that restores films and later bought the company, said much depends on making the right connections with the right people - who care about films’ legacies – at various studios. ‘’ “Of course,” he added, “studios have complete personnel turnovers every three years.” The Library of Congress, he said, has sophisticated and expensive equipment that’s beyond the budgets of independent operators, but makes access to its films difficult.

While the Warner, Columbia and Disney studios have been helpful, Universal and Paramount has been “impossible.’’ He recalled on Paramount operative refusing assistance with “we’re not a cultural institution. We’re a business.’’

12 • October 6, 2011 TheMetropolitan

AudioFiles

Sounding Off

Family Stone gets ready to Fly In their formative years, Ryan “Ry Fly” Hughes and Davis Stone were always interested in the big beats and fluid lyricism of hip-hop. So, after some time and experimentation, they decided they would start their own hip-hop group, appropriately dubbed Fly and the Family Stone. All throughout high school, Hughes dropped beats and Davis spit. After the duo relocated to Ft. Collins, they solidified their lineup and started playing as many shows as possible. Now, Hughes and Davis are completely reinventing the band in light of its first major release and potential record contract.

Stone spoke to The Metropolitan about the bands’ future endeavors, its new name and why their sound will never get stagnant.

Interview by Nikki Work • nwork@mscd.edu NW: When and how was Fly and the Family Stone formed?

DS: Ryan and I have been friends since sixth grade. We grew up in a slow mountain town without a plethora of things to keep us occupied. Probably the strongest bond that we had was our taste in music and [our] passion for it. Ryan has been musically inclined from an early age so, once we got started, things progressed quickly as far as creating music was concerned. Ryan began making beats with basic computer programs and, soon after, we both began composing lyrics to them. Last year, I met Jordan [Reynolds] up at Colorado State University in Fort

Collins. I met him at a party and found out he played drums, so I asked him to play with us at our next show. He did, and we’ve played with him at every show since.

NW: What’s the story behind your name and why are you changing it?

DS: We created the name Fly and Family Stone when we were pretty young. We have always had a strong connection to classic music and we are fans of the funk group Sly and the Family Stone. It was sort of just word association with Ryan [being called “Ry Fly” Hughes] and Stone being my last name. But as the band grew both in members, as well as in goals and visions, we felt

that now was the time to change the name.

We’re changing our name to “HR People.”

We’ve been talking about a new name for a while; one that we feel is fresh and representative while being easy to remember.

NW: You just played at the recently opened venue, City Hall. How was that?

DS: City Hall was amazing. We would call it the coolest venue in Denver. Our DJ, Vinnie Maniscalco, put on the show through “Got Bass,” his promotional company and The man with the microphone, Davis Stone. brought in some great local acts.

Photo courtesy of Fly and the Family Stone NW: Is there a possible record deal on the horizon? ing times for us as a band. So many of our DS: We recently met with [local photoggoals are going to be achieved in the next rapher and artist] Todd “Razor”Arroyo. couple of months.

He’s starting a record label as we speak. It’s NW: Out of all the hip-hop in Colorado, called Razor Records and we’ll be the first what do you guys offer to listeners that sets artist he signs. It’s unbelievable to think that you apart? we have the chance to make what we love DS: If we had to classify our music in sim[and] to do what we do. plistic terms it would be hip-hop. We choose NW: What else does Fly and the Family not to classify it though and in turn open Stone have going on in the near future? the doors to any type of inspiration and DS: We have an EP set to drop Nov. 1, direction that comes along. It allows us to which will be promoting the release of our have an ever-changing product that evolves first full-length album in December. We’re as we do. very happy with the way that the album has turned out content-wise and we hope that fans in Denver and the rest of Colorado will get a chance to hear it. We are preparing for 8 p.m., Nov. 4 @ our first tour next summer, thanks to Todd Quixote’s True Blue, $10 Arroyo and Razor Records. These are excit-

Fly and the Family Stone

Fly and the Family Stone’s drummer, Jordan Reynolds, plays a pivitol role in crafting the band’s classic hip-hop sound. Photo courtesy of Fly and the Family Stone

click Hear

Spotify allows for endless streaming Matt Pusatory • mpusator@mscd.edu The UK-based Spotify music application has finally made its jump across the pond. Unlike other music download sites like Pandora or Last.fm, where the main goal is to set up random radio stations, Spotify allows you to “try before you buy” by streaming single tracks and entire albums.

We’ve written in this column before about Spinner.com and its “Free CD Listening Party Section.” Spotify is like Spinner on steroids. Any album you can think of is free to stream on Spotify. The search feature also includes a “similar artists” tab, so you can jump from artist to artist and discover something new quickly and easily.

In addition to the enormous amount of music at your fingertips, Spotify has been integrated into the social media world, allowing you to share what you’re listening to on Facebook and make public

playlists with other friends on Spotify. Finally, you and your friends can come together to create the biggest ‘80s new wave playlist known to man!

Of course, there is a catch. The free version of Spotify includes advertisements, which can totally kill the flow of an album, but are somewhat of a necessary evil. It’s also available in Premium ($4.99 a month), and Unlimited ($9.99 a month) versions that allow you to skip the ads and give you more access to the site.

So although Pandora’s Salt-n-Pepa radio station is still pretty bangin’, Spotify is a better way to listen, especially if you’re one of those people that celebrates the band’s entire catalog. Moreover, Spotify is a great way to get access to and share new music. Album by album, artist by artist.

Stream albums on the spot.

Photo courtesy of Spotify.com

13 • October 6, 2011 AudioFiles

TheMetropolitan

Mile HigH and riSing

The Black Eyeliner Debut has faith in acoustic pop Nikki Work • nwork@mscd.edu In Summer 2011, Arielle Bryson and Mary Swanson were getting ready for a night out on the town when inspiration struck. “I wore black eyeliner for the first time and we were going out with some guys,” said Bryson. “Mary told me, ‘Look, it’s your black eyeliner debut,’ and after she said that, it stuck.”

With an official name, Bryson and Swanson had finally found their true impetus behind pursuing a band. Within

Looking toward the future. Photo courtesy

of The Black Eyeliner Debut

the next few weeks, the girls’ lifelong love of music translated into a handful of lush acoustic guitar-based pop songs, which feature Bryson’s fluttery, bird-like vocals and Swanson’s subtle, strummy hooks.

“The reason why we started this was because we thought, maybe, we could be a band,” said Bryson. “We didn’t think that much would happen, but then a ton of things started to fall into place.”

Last month, the acoustic duo expanded when guitarist Luke Jackson joined. But this series of events didn’t just happen. “It really is a ‘God thing’ that we get to do this, because all of us have classes and work. God is a huge part of us,” said Bryson.

It is rightly so, considering that Bryson, Swanson and Jackson are all music majors at Colorado Christian University just outside of Denver. If anything, this trio believes music is what they are destined to do. Beyond faith, however, determination still plays a crucial role.

In July — even before Jackson was a part of the band — Bryson made her way out to Huntington Beach, California to give The Black Eyeliner Debut’s three track demo to some promoters. In the end, Bryson has dreams of getting signed to a label.

“I hope that we can go on tour and just have fun performing and doing what we love to do,” said Bryson, noting that starting the band has been an amazing experience.

Arielle Bryson, left, and Mary Swanson, right, are The Black Eyeliner Debut.

Photo courtesy of The Black Eyeliner Debut

But if it really comes down to destiny for Bryson and The Black Eyeliner Debut, then

surely their amazing experiences have just begun.

TheMetropolitan AudioFiles October 6, 2011 • 14

WHaT are You liSTening To?

“Thick as Thieves” by Kasbian Every semester, we here at The Metropolitan see plenty of Auraria students wrapped up in their own, little worlds — complete with a personalized playlist. This leaves us with one prying question: “What are you listening to?” With this feature, we want students to pull off their headphones and tell us all about what their favorite songs.

This week, we talked to sophomore, Talya Finnerty, about her “addiction” to the British-based rock group, Kasabian.

IG: What’s your major and what year are you?

TF: I’m undeclared, I have no idea and it’s my second year IG: Well, what are you listening to?

TF: I’m listening to Kasabian.

IG: What’s the song and album?

TF: The song is called “Thick as Thieves” and the album is called West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum [laughs].

IG: Did that song pop up on your shuffle?

TF: I was playing it from the album because I’ve been listening to them. I’m addicted to them — I really like them.

IG: What does that song do for you specifically? Is it a good song to unwind to after a day of school?

TF: Yeah. Just the band is in general. They’re just, I don’t know, they’re not like anyone else. They’re intense, in a good way. All their songs tell a story.

Tayla Finnerty reps Kasbians’ brand of indie rock. Photo by Luke Powell •

lpowel18@mscd.edu

IG: Do you ever wish you could just blast your music so everyone could hear it?

TF: Yeah, all the time. It’s, like, I’d rather play my stuff than someone else’s at a party.

IG: Would you blast it on campus?

TF: I might [laughs].

Interview by Ian Gassman • igassman@mscd.edu

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American Constitutional Law (3)

56379

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SPE 1710

Interpersonal Communication (3)

53585

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Introduction to Theatre (3)

56378

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TheMetropolitan October 6, 2011 • 15

MetSports

Metro extends streak to five Men’s soccer claws past Grizzlies, now 7-2-1 this year Matt Hollinshead mhollin5@mscd.edu On opening weekend, Metro men’s soccer head coach Ken Parsons said the finishing is going to come over the course of the year, meaning the Roadrunners would capitalize on their opportunities. Lately, the team is taking that preseason statement to heart.

Since starting the 2011 campaign 2-2-1, the Roadrunners are soaring toward the top of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference standings.

They continued their surge Sept. 30 at Adams State College, clawing past the Grizzlies 3-0. Metro has now won five consecutive games and is now 7-2-1 this season, including 5-1 in RMAC play.

Metro jumped from 17th to 14th in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Division II top-25 poll.

“We’ve done a good job finishing the majority of our chances in front of the goal,” Parsons said. “I think we had some opportunities that could have made the day a lot easier on us.”

Although the Grizzlies dominated the

number of offensive touches early on, the Roadrunners started possessing the ball effectively and prevented ASC from getting easy opportunities on the Grizzlies’ side of the field. At the 29-minute mark, senior for-

ward Scott Grode started the scoring with his ninth goal of the year. Six minutes later, senior defender Dele Johnson knocked in another goal on a header, his first of 2011.

“I try to keep our backs organized,”

Men’s soccer senior midfielder Scott Crawford, right, fights for possession next to Grizzlies forward Johnny Mercer, left, Sept. 30 at Adams State College.

Photo by Matt Hollinshead • mhollin5@mscd.edu

Johnson said. “The forwards did great finishing. It comes down to that hard work, grinding it out.”

In the second half, it was more of the same. The Runners continued pushing for the ball. Interestingly, junior backup goalkeeper Shailer Thomas came into the match for the last 15 minutes as a forward.

He put the icing on the cake with the third and final goal with more than a minute left in regulation.

Metro won 3-0. The Roadrunners played with composure and patience throughout the game and were also very aggressive offensively, outshooting ASC 28-8.

“We started out knowing that we [had] a little confidence on our shoulders,” Grode said. “Dele stepped up [defensively], and he was organizing from the back right off the get-go. It helped a lot.”

The Roadrunners have a favorable schedule ahead of them, playing five of their final eight regular season games at home.

They will start that final stretch of games with a critical game for RMAC supremacy against No. 1 Fort Lewis College Oct. 7 and Colorado Mesa University Oct. 9 at Auraria Field.

Women’s soccer pounds UNK Roadrunners dominate Lopers 6-1, now 9-1 this season Paul Meyer pmeyer8@mscd.edu After going on the road last week, the Metro women’s soccer team returned to Auraria Field, defeating University of Nebraska at Kearney 6-1 Oct. 2. “[I was] very pleased. We played well today, and [we] had some good finishing, [we] created a lot of chances, and a lot of players stepped on the field and did very well,” head coach Adrianne Almaraz said.

The Roadrunners are now 9-1-0 overall and 5-1-0 in Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference play. Metro remains 13th in the National soccer coaches association of America Division II top-25 poll.

The Runners came out strong and attacked early. Metro also had a great day defensively. However, the Lopers kept up with the Roadrunners on defense. Both teams made each other work hard. The Runners’ composure was good, in spite of some periodic lapses.

“That’s just part of being a good team.

(You) got to keep your composure through everything ‘cause not everything was going our way. We did a good job,” freshman forward Abby Rolph said.

The Runners kept up the offensive pressure.

“We came out with lots of energy today, and we just kept going at them,” freshman forward Karisa Price said.

Metro eventually found the back of the net when sophomore midfielder Tess Hagenlock found freshman midfielder Jade Ryals in the 38th minute of the first half for her first career collegiate goal.

The Runners scored again less than four minutes later when Price hit a cross shot for the goal. Junior defender Allyn Parrino assisted on the goal.

The scoring kept coming for Metro in the second half. Freshman forward Brandi Farley scored her first career collegiate goal.

She bolted down the field and capitalized on the breakaway opportunity.

The Lopers got on the board when forward Raliegh Mercer scored past Metro junior goalkeeper Danielle Quigley. Quigley tried to stop the shot, but was unable to after UNK had at least three players pressuring her and had her down on the ground.

Metro answered by starting a scoring barrage with three goals in one minute and 31 seconds, a school record for scoring that many goals in that short amount of time.

First, Rolph scored her seventh goal of the year. One minute later, Price hit her second goal of the game. Finally, Rolph finished the scoring 30 seconds later with her eighth goal of the year. Price assisted on

both of Rolph’s goals. It was Rolph’s second career multi-goal game, and Price’s first career multi-goal game.

“We kept getting goals ‘cause after every goal we said, ‘0-0, just keep going, keep up the intensity and keep up the pressure,’ and it paid off,” Price said.

Rolph’s eight goals are the most on the

squad and in the RMAC so far this year.

“She’s a very [good] quality player,” Almaraz said. “[I] knew that she’d come in right away and help impact our team.”

Metro will face Colorado Mesa University Oct. 7 and ninth ranked Fort Lewis College Oct. 9 at Auraria Field.

Metro junior forward Aubrey Fondy shoots against Nebraska-Kearney goalkeeper Marissa Niday at Auraria Field Oct. 2. The Roadrunners won 6-1.

Photo by Carla Ferreira • cferreir@mscd.edu

16 • October 6, 2011 MetSports TheMetropolitan

Greed ruining NCAA football

The recent college football conference realignments show schools like the University of Colorado and the University of Nebraska care more about the dollar than historic rivalries and school traditions.

Conference realignments will do to college football what free agency has done to professional sports – destroy traditions and rivalries.

When free agency entered the professional sports world, fans watched their teams turn from cultivation businesses to corporations out to buy wins. This desire to win wasn’t spawned by team or regional pride, but money. Professional sports teams understood winners sold tickets, merchandise and apparel. So, identity was sacrificed in the name of money.

It became less important for teams to cultivate talent through their drafts and farm systems because turnaround time meant losing and the profit margins would get hit. Teams used free agency to fill holes with veterans who could contribute imme-

“Conferences used to be known for their competition and ability to produce national champions, but now their power rating is gauged in television contracts.”

diately. One swipe from the mighty pen on a huge contract could instantly turn around a professional sports team’s season.

The problem with free agency was that it began to muddy the identities of the teams because rival players began to find themselves swapping uniforms. Soon, Philadelphia Eagles signed on as Dallas Cowboys and Boston Red Sox became New York Yankees.

The fan was torn between players and teams. Ultimately, the fans’ loyalty was tested and/or divided, as players became fixtures in their leagues instead of on a particular team.

Over time, classic rivalries were destroyed by free agency. Although some new rivalries were created and others were eventually renewed, professional sports rivalries were never the same.

College football players only remain fixtures for about four years, but it is the rivalries which have remained constant.

Kids can watch the University of Michigan play Ohio State University and share the same passionate rivalry emotions created in 1935 with their grandparents. Those same kids’ parents are able to lament about rival matchups far before their children’s time and still look forward to future matchups with a consistent eagerness. Yet, schools seem to be throwing these aspects of the game aside more often for a game of musical conference chairs.

Colorado stampeded to the PAC-12 and Nebraska moved over to the Big Ten ending

Thomas Belinski belinski@mscd.edu an established 30-year rivalry between the schools in the Big 12 this year. While not one of the most heated rivalries in college football, it is an example of another lost tradition in pursuit of the dollar.

While school presidents will be sure to cite realignment reasons related to the schools’ academic and research interests, don’t be fooled. It is no accident that both Colorado and Nebraska realigned with powerhouse conferences contracted to huge multi-network television deals. The more television time a college football team gets, the more money the school is compensated.

Conferences used to be known for their competition and ability to produce national champions, but now their power rating is gauged in television contracts.

Rising tuition costs and a poor economic environment are pressuring the athletic departments to generate more revenue off

the backs of unpaid players and collegiate fans. Sadly, winning games and drawing fans to the stadium is no longer the approach to earning revenue.

The interstate matchup between University of Colorado and Colorado State University may be marketed as a rivalry too big for a college stadium, but it too is merely another ploy for revenue. Colorado State has a better chance of selling out Hughes Field for a Charlie Sheen roast than an actual football game. Therefore, a deal was struck between the teams to hold the contest at a neutral location (Sports Authority Field at Mile High) for optimal revenue production.

The collegiate atmosphere and alternating years of home field advantage are forgone because the schools are much more concerned about money than the rivalry.

In the end, conference realignment in college football will become similar to free agency in professional sports. It will end tradition initially and also prevent it from ever replanting itself again. Super conferences will eventually be established resulting in the monopolization of talent and air time.

Die-hard college fans swear off the NFL because of their perceptions of greed, as well as their belief that there is a greater love for the business, rather than the game itself. Collegiate football is no different, and it is just as much of a business. However, the greed is a result of the schools, not the uncompensated players.

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TheMetropolitan MetSports October 6, 2011 • 17

Phan driving Metro’s defense Despite early hardships, senior making an impact today Matt Hollinshead mhollin5@mscd.edu In sports, an athlete usually has two completely different demeanors when it comes to their environment. On the volleyball court, senior libero Ngoc Phan is an intense competitor. Off the court, though, she is the opposite.

“Ngoc knows how to put her game face on,” said senior outside hitter Emily Greenhalgh, Metro’s co-captain alongside Phan.

“She’s a great competitor, but she is one of the kindest people. She cares for people. She has a huge heart. I would strive to be Ngoc.

She’s a leader.”

Phan, 21, has played volleyball since she was in second grade. Her elementary school gym teacher inspired her to play volleyball.

“He gave me the form saying, ‘hey, I coach volleyball. [Do] you want to play for me?’ I was like, ‘what’s volleyball?’ ” Phan said. “I came home, gave (the form) to my dad. He thought it was a good idea. He signed me up, and I was practicing the next day.”

Despite not playing volleyball in grades six through eight, Phan knew she was destined to get back into it once she entered Cherry Creek High School. Cherry Creek has a perennial athletic program. Phan credits her coach, Sally Moos, for becoming a libero, which is a defensive specialist that can go in and out without any official

substitution. She initially didn’t play libero.

“I started out as an outside hitter,” Phan said. “I loved hitting. Everyone loves hitting. Junior year [of high school], (Coach Moos) made me a libero and made me pick up defense. I guess that’s what sparked my career.”

From there, she moved on to play volleyball at Metro. It was the first school she wanted to play collegiate volleyball at.

“I didn’t think they were going to recruit another (defensive specialist). They came up to me my senior year, and I just said ‘yes’ right away. I loved the coaches. I loved the players. I just felt right at home.”

She learned the ropes from former Roadrunner defensive specialist Amy Watanabe. Aside from two academic All-RMAC awards, she’s proved to be a tremendous athlete.

For example, Phan won an RMAC and AVCA defensive play award for an unthinkable play at Colorado State University at Pueblo in October 2010.

In the fourth set of that match, the ball went off Metro, flying way out of bounds.

However, Phan sprinted toward that area and swatted the ball at least 30 feet back into play.

The ball trickled over the net. Because it looked almost impossible to pull off, that play was a finalist for the 2010 American Volleyball Coaches Association play of the year.

“I just remember not being on the line like I was supposed to be,” Phan said. “I just touched it somehow, Alex [Green] ran for it, and I knew that I just had to back her up.

That’s the only thing that was going through my mind. [I] prayed that the ball would go over the net, and it sort of did.”

Outside of volleyball, Phan enjoys eating, especially Chinese food, playing soccer, going to movies and hanging out with friends. She’s also majoring in biology.

“I love organisms. I just love life in general and what makes up a single-celled organism, evolution becoming life in general,” Phan said. “It’s just so interesting. I love going to class every day because I learn something new every day.”

Phan moved from Vietnam to the United States when she was just one-yearold. She said it was tough to deal with the cultural change early in her life.

“I lived with my grandma, and she’s a big person in my life that taught me everything about my culture, how you treat people,” Phan said.

She also grew up with three of her cousins.

“They’re all boys,” Phan said. “I guess the toughest part was trying to beat them in anything that I did.”

In spite of those hardships, she fought through. Today, nothing seems to stop here from leading Metro’s defense at all times.

Each and every year, Phan continues to

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blossom.

“Ngoc’s one of those players that’s really developed every year,” head coach Debbie Hendricks said. “This year, she’s just driving the defense. When you have a kid who has a great spirit and a great work ethic like Ngoc, you like to see that hard work come to fruition.”

Volleyball senior libero Ngoc Phan.

Photo by Ryan Borthick • rborthic@mscd.edu

18 • October 6, 2011

TheMetropolitan

TimeOut This

Week 10.6

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey: Fully Charged 11 a.m. & 7 p.m.

Denver Coliseum Varied ticket prices

10.7

Corn Maze

4–9 p.m.

Denver Botanic Gardens at Chatfield Across 1- Froth 5- It’s a wrap 10- Untidy condition 14- Swenson of “Benson” 15- Farewell 16- La Scala solo 17- Sign of injury 18- Get to know 19- Maize 20- Assuredly 22- Relaxed 23- ___ Saud 24- Gist 25- Muslim opponent of the Crusaders 29- Make right 33- Utopias 34- ___ first you don’t...

36- First name in scat 37- Gotcha!

38- Put away 39- Electrically

charged particle 40- Deep affection 42- Cattle group 43- Heavy footwear 45- King’s staff 47- Of dark complexion 49- Doctrine 50- Taken in 51- Suckle 54- Lowest floor 60- Sweet sandwich 61- Western 62- Roster 63- Second hand, took advantage of 64- Hitching post?

65- North Carolina college 66- “Smooth Operator” singer 67- Metallicsounding 68- Sand hill by the sea

Down 1- Money-related: Abbr.

2- A single time 3- Culture medium 4- Pertaining to Mars 5- Salty 6- Yemeni port 7- 100 dinars 8- Ethereal 9- Convent dweller 10- Ghastly 11- Psyche’s love 12- Regal address 13- Quartz grains 21- Rudiments 22- Where It.’s at 24- Brief letter, paper money 25- Closes 26- Concerned with a specific subject 27- Rob, old-style 28- Saltpeter 29- Parlor game 30- Marner’s creator

31- Fabric 32- Aromatic herb 35- Pro 38- Eldest son of Noah 41- Incident 43- False god 44- Commanded 46- Mao ___-tung 48- Skiff 51- Entre ___ 52- Bear in the sky 53- Oboe, e.g.

54- Indonesian resort island 55- Env. notation 56- Actor Penn 57- Meadow mouse 58- Harrow rival 59- Alley 61- Cereal grass

Texts From Last Night I saw him walking to campus with his beer in his hand in the same sweats he wore walking to campus with a beer in his hand yesterday.

I awoke this morning to a naked boyfriend flying a remote controlled shark around his apartment. This is my life.

By the way, we’re gonna have to get a new rug for the livingroom i kinda started ours on fire...

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10.8

Avs vs. Red Wings 7 p.m.

Pepsi Center

10.9 Broncos vs. Chargers

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Sports Authority Field at Mile High

10.10

Columbus Day Film Screening: Rosselini’s “Paisa” 7 p.m.

Starz Theatre

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10.11

Lunch with Lawmakers 12:30–1:30 p.m.

Tivoli 320B

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10.12

Live EVERY Minute With Attitude!

2 –3:15 p.m.

Tivoli 320B/C

Lori Hason, award winning author and stress and eating disorder coach, will speak about the tools you need to have the life of your dreams. Sponsored by the Institue of Women’s Studies and Services.

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My Life is Average

Weird News

Today, I realized my worst nightmare is when my earphones fall out during the best part of my favorite song. MLIA

Escaping from a cop cruiser after being arrested sounds nearly impossible, but it’s definitely putting an Indiana teen in way more legal trouble than if he’d stayed in the car.

After being arrested for underage drinking Zachary Keilman, 18, managed to escape a police cruiser while cops were distracted with other partygoers. He even cut the chain linking his handcuffs. Keilman turned himself in the next day, still wearing the handcuffs, saying he left his ID in the back of the car and was sure he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

He now faces additional charges of escape and resisting law enforcement.

Today, I found out muggle was originally a word for people who smoked marijuana. People who were muggles were potheads. Well played, Ms.Rowling, well played. MLIA My dad is going to be the pink power ranger for Halloween. MLIA Last week I took a test in English.

Since it was all multiple choice and I didn’t want to put any effort what so ever into it, I answered “C” for every question. We got our results today.

What grade did I receive on it? I got a C. MLIA.

Source: Huffingtonpost.com